#i also do that with my chain but then I am in love with paul and andrew

[allthishumanityforfree]

Andrew playing with his chain (time stamp 0:13 -0:15)

https://x.com/thisisheart/status/1752070611076001974

Paul at birthday party

https://www.tumblr.com/experienceandobservation/741304705793327104

They say people in love start mirroring each other...

They mirrored each other a lot in interviews and on the red carpet. Their whole body language was tailored around the other, so in each other's orbit. That is why I am here, months deep into whatever this is.

You do mirror someone who you feel comfortable with; it's not just a love thing. Before people come for me

Love him moaning about the attention Connell's chain gets but continuing to wear one. Also, Andrew playing with his own chain while Paul talks about his.

[frigidwife]

do you think louis chose/believed armand over claudia in the scene after armand threatens and chokes her? i was under the impression that louis reflexively disagreed with claudia because he didn't want to believe it, but the fact that he also reflexively lit armand's photo on fire makes me think his response to claudia ("he wouldn't do that"/"sit in your choice") was a denial of the real horror he was feeling, that he did believe her and just wished it wasn't true. i rewatched that scene and when he notices the picture is on fire, he waits a second before putting it out, which makes me think his commitment to armand following this scene wasn't out of genuine love, but a strategic choice made out of fear, the same way he martyred himself for lestat to turn claudia. i still see people talking about how much louis and armand did love each other, and i was briefly convinced when madeline called it out (though that scene also contains claudia thanking armand for not treating her like a child, so the legitimacy of the entire scene is thrown into question imo). but after rewatching the season, i don't think they were that devoted to each other. between the actors deliberately playing their flirtations super awkward, the fact that louis never commits until armand threatens claudia and his commitment itself following louis' pattern of chaining himself to his current lover/shark for claudia's survival (a pattern the show goes out of its way to emphasize with lestat's retelling of her turning), and the fact that armand apparently did choose the coven over louis...idk. maybe i'm biased and just sick of the idea that armand and louis' love is some torrid gothic romance when it seems clear that louis and armand's insistence that it was in dubai is deliberately at odds with what we saw, despite how hard they were trying to make it seem that way. even the way they gassed up their first meeting felt staged, and if we're supposed to understand that louis and armand's growing physical distance in dubai denotes emotional/romantic distance as louis' memories are restored, it seems in line to realize that the distance isn't what's new, nor is the performance of love; it's the realization that it is a performance. SORRY this got long, i feel like i'm going a little crazy because i feel the show is saying the exact opposite to much of the analysis on here. in a way i would love to be convinced towards a different perspective because then i could just relax

no i agree with you completely ur not insane and neither am i.... i havent watched that episode in a while but the way the events are sequenced it's not even ambiguous--the relationship with armand is strategic and it has been since the beginning. like i dont think louis's "he wouldn't do that" is even a denial of the kind of person armand is. Bc in the previous episode armand literally almost killed louis for the same secret he's just threatened claudia about. so why would he actually disbelieve her? (laying it out like this i'm realizing why the victim blaming interpretation of louis as ditzy is so prevalent lol.) his frustration reads to me like: i've already sacrificed my freedom and happiness so you can join the coven that you love so much, and now you're saying you don't like the coven? you can't tough it out and trust i have armand handled? the disbelief in "he wouldn't do that" is not that louis wants to believe armand is a better person; it's that louis wants to believe his control over armand is more complete, bc otherwise claudia is right and his sacrifices are doubly pointless. this is the same pattern we saw with louis and his siblings as a human--telling grace to worry about herself, telling lestat how they were four months from bankruptcy; he takes pains to keep them ignorant but then is frustrated they wont register his sacrifice; they see it as him pushing them away (literal knife to paul's throat). louis starting to burn the photograph is him giving up--claudia is ungrateful; this task is impossible. but then the dream lestat which is ofc just louis calls claudia "our daughter" and that's when louis stops burning the photograph of armand. at the reminder that no matter how he tries to accept her as grown and autonomous, she's his child first. and then you can see him double down and regroup--get rid of ghost lestat indulgence to commit fully to companionship with as much control as he can leverage

[woodswallow]

RammWear

As I once stated in this post, I feel close to my favourite Rammstein members Richard, Paul and Schneider when I wear clothes that are inspired by their (stage) outfits. I love wearing my R+-merch of course, but for me this is a more subtle and everyday-method to have a bit of them with me :)

So, over the past 3 years, I was inspired by their style, bought clothes (sometimes secondhand) that resembled theirs and tried to mimic their style. Of course not every part – I only wanted stuff that I really liked, not for the sake of imitating them. I wanted clothes that are also MY style, but are inspired by theirs.

So lovely @vulnerant-omnes gave me the idea to do a little RammWear fashion-show, where I am showing my „ot3 <3“-style. Here's a first part of it:

First: My Richard-stage belt :D Daaamn, I LOVE it so, sooo much and I'm so proud of me that I found something, that resembles his stage-belts so nicely, but having also a bit more of a alternative/boho-style to it. It's real leather and is purely decorative, so not a real „belt“ - but it does accentuate the butt quite nicely – just like Richards ;D

Here's a reference picture, in case someone doesn't know what I'm talking about:

Second: My hommage to the Paul Landers stage outfit!

My god, I love his stage outfit so damn much! It fits him so well and in my opinion is very flattering to his body. I love all the pouches and the decorations, it has a very unique „industrial-/end of the world-style“, like from another planet. I searched for ages to find something that resembled this outfit and especially the pants. I found the original designer (Demobaza – damn cool, incredibly expensive!) and also a copy of that, which was „only“ half the price, so still damn expensive...and it didn't fit right, I was so sad... but I took some pictures anyway. So these are the copied stage pants, I send them back because they were too tight on my stomach:

But then I found a very nice second hand biker jacket in sweatshirt style. When I wear it with my favourite grey jeans, it gives me some Paul-Landers-stage-outfit-vibes...what do you think? It's definitely not a copy, far from that. But I'd say it's a low budget hommage, very my style and definitely made for everyday wear – which was very important for me. I don't want to buy stuff which looks great but I never wear. My mum complimented me on that jacket and I really love it :D

Third: My Schneider-necklace and Richard-ring!

Schneider has worn this necklace for years now. I saw it on him during concerts, photo shoots and even on private pictures. It must mean something to him. And I personally am a big fan of jewellery that is with you everyday, that you never take off. Like it's belonging to you. I have the feeling it's like that with Schneider and this necklace. I did some research about the type of necklace, it seems to be an anchor chain. Mine is made of titanium, very lightweight. I love the grey, not shiny colour and how it's unisex looking, not too feminine but also not too massive or "manly".

In the picture is also my Richard-ring. You probably/maybe know this very early VIVA-interview from 1995:

There the cameraperson has a really weird way of filming, and once he/she zooms on Richards hand. I noticed that ring and liked it very much, I think it suits Richard very well. Unfortunately I've never seen it on him again. But still, he wore it at that time. I found a similar one, it has some ornaments that his doesn't have, but I really love that ring – have worn it for almost 2,5 years straight now, everyday and I feel naked without it.

Please let me know if you're interested in seeing more like this (a „like“ on this post counts for me ;). I have some more R+-inspired pieces and could make another one or two posts :) !

[starlightsuffered]

Prey

Info - dom fem, cnc, dub con, a little knife play, kidnapping, hunting a human, blood licking, possessive dom, hard dom, pet play, pegging (rough), making someone addicted to you, leash and chains, stepping on someone’s crotch, some sweetness, sub male, mistress kink, prey sub

“Let me go!” Spat Duke Paul Atreides at my throne. I giggled almost sadistically. He’d been kidnapped days ago and he still had just as much anger and fight in him. He had to realise that he was no longer on Arakis. He was no Duke here.

The power of the voice did not work on me. My elite species had long ago mastered a way to become immune the Bene Gesserits powers.

“You really think you could just take over the world and only one group would oppose you? Little do you know we have been plotting for centuries as well. You have been worried about the Lions Duke, but also beware the sneaking, slithering viper.”

“Fancy speeches are for mindless masses,” Paul snarled.

“Really? I hear your voice holds quite the power,” I purred.

“Let me go!” Paul tried to use his powers once again. Nothing happened at all.

“Nice try,” I said in a sing song tone. Paul was glaring at me with emerald shards. I waved to my guards. They clamped the metal collar around Paul’s neck. I was handed the chain.

I began to pull with a grin. Paul was yanked forward. He was pulled towards me. I loved the way he crawled. He was utterly under my control. Finally, he was where I needed him to be; kneeling before me.

“Beg to be let go,” I whispered. “Say I am the true superior in this universe.”

“Never,” Paul snarled.

“Oh little puppy,” I simpered. I put my finger under his chin to lift his gaze to me.

“Mmmm.”

Both our eyes widened at the sound seemed to echo through the room. I think only Paul and I had actually heard it but it had been deafening to us. Paul had whimpered.

“Oh precious boy,” I cooed now. He looked scared, but I’d wager he was scared of how he would react and not the things I was doing.

“Does everyone expect you to be a big strong leader? All those people follow you around like you’re a God; you don’t want to be a God do you? No, you like this power being stolen from you. You like to follow. Isn’t that tight little one.”

“Mistress,” he gulped. It was the first time he’d called me by what my subjects did. Up until now it had all been “scum”, “dirt”, or “worm”. I was breaking him.

“Kiss my boot,” I whispered in his ear.

“N-No,” his voice trembled.

“Oh Paul,” I tutted. I let my tongue slither out. I licked a slow stripe from his chin to his ear. He let out a shaky breath.

“Come on, don’t you want to worship me instead?” I asked him.

“I-I, I have a duty,” he gritted out.

“Can’t even leaders have little pleasures?” I asked as I stood up. I placed my booted foot over his crotch and pressed down.

His eyes inadvertently rolled back into his head. He let out a low groan. I felt his cock grow hard and throb.

“That’s it, submit to me,” I coaxed.

“N-no, I c-can’t,” He said, easing his head proudly. He tried to sit up straighter but this only pressed his aching cock more harshly against my boot.

“Ohhh,” he sucked in a breath.

“Oh fine Paul,” I sighed. I removed my foot and I saw his eyes go soft with need. I smirked and turned away from him. I picked up my knife gracefully.

“Guards, take him to the escape gate,” I ordered.

I heard the chains and the murmers od confusion. The gates were opened. Paul was held at the opening like a hunting fox who hadn’t been given the signal.

“What is happening?” Paul asked.

“I’ll give you a five minute head start,” I said in a sickly sweet voice.

“Wait what?” Paul demanded.

“Guards, unchain the emperor.”

“Holy fuck,” Paul rasped.

“Three, two, one….. go!”

I turned slightly to see the slight of a man pounding off into the distance. I flipped my glass and sand timer. I watched the graduals slip downwards.

“Mistress,” questioned a guard.

“Silence,” I boomed.

“Yes Mistress.”

“Here I come,” I grinned as the last speck of sand dropped down.

I raced out of the room. My hyper sensitive senses could hear his breathing and smell his sweat. I loved hunting prey, especially prey that was so pretty.

Sending him off with a boner was smart of me. He was dazed and his blood was confused. I could tell he was still a bit turned on by this whole scenario, as was I.

“Oh Paul,” I taunted.

He screeched to a halt. He turned this way and that. The poor boy had been told he was special for too long. He’d relied too much on his god status and here he was nothing.

“Where are you?” He called. He was trying to figure out which way to go.

“Everywhere,” I giggled.

“Bitch,” he said under his breath, but I couldn’t hear it. He didn’t seem to know just how much of a predator I was.

He began to run again. I threw a stick that way. He went sprawling on the floor of the forest. He was cursing and groaning. He turned over and tried to assess his surroundings again.

“What are you doing? What is the meaning of this?” He cried out.

“I call it…. Playing with my food,” I said slowly.

“Fuck.”

I pounced. I tackled Paul to the ground and pinned him under me. He was panting as he looked up at me. I did what he probably least expected. I crashed my lips to his.

He made a muffled sound, but he was kissing back. Our mouths moved together but mine dominated his. I ran my teeth over his bottom lip. He whined, and I smiled smugly.

“Such an innocent little Duke,” I purred.

“M’not innocent,” he gasped. I just laughed as I made quick work of his pants.

“I’ve done things you could never dream of,” he tried again. All his bravado faded away as I blew some air on his now exposed hole.

“Mistress!” He squirmed.

“That’s it boy, just submit. You were made to be prey after all. Let me reduce you to pieces,” I told him as I now worked on my pants.

“I can’t, what would my father say? What would my mother say? What would- oh!”

I’d ran the tip of my strap over his hole all while massaging his hip bones. I smiled as his eyes struggled to stay open at the euphoric feeling.

“Come on bunny, let the wolf have a taste yeah?” I crooned.

“I can’t, I-I.”

I was pushing the head in. I slowly plunged the length into him. While I did this I raised his legs. He was accepting it even if his fingers clawed at the dirt. His small noises told me it felt good, better than anything he’d been exposed to. Finally, I had him in a mating press.

He looked weak and submissive as his knees were pressed against his chest. My strap was nearly all the way inside him. One of my hands was working on spreading his ass cheeks, the other was gripping his rock hard cock.

“Mistress, it’s touching something. It feels good,” he whispered.

“That’s your prostate little lamb,” I snickered. “So knowledgable about everything except how to make this tight little body feel good.”

I started with one thrust and he moaned. I felt the special piece touch my clit. I began to pump in and out wildly.

“Oh, oh, oh, s’too much, oh mistress,” he whined and squirmed. He was such a pretty sight.

I held my knife to his neck. I smirked as I bit his skin. He was panting as I kept bucking into him.

“Don’t struggle my little trapped lamb, I just want a taste,” I demanded of him. I sliced a small part of his neck. I attached myself to his throat and completely owned him. He was mine. I had his blood in my mouth, my strap in his ass. I had cornered, captured, and defeated him. My prey was completely mine, and now he was fully giving into pleasure.

I pulled out and he whined in protest. I turned him over and bit one of his cute cheeks. I watched as a dribble of precum left his cock. He was so bad at hiding his arousal.

“Please, take me again,” he said in a small voice.

“That’s it, I’ll get you addicted to me,” I laughed as I slammed home. He squealed like a small animal. I chuckled again. I held his hips and began to thrust again.

“Oh yes, oh baby, what a tight ass you have,” I praised. To my surprise he pushed his ass up higher. I stuffed myself deeper.

“Oh fuck, ohhh fuck,” he gasped. His fingers were again grasping at nothing.

“Look at you, dripping everywhere,” I hummed as I smacked his leaking member. “Messy dog.”

“I can’t help it,” he panted. “I-I think I’m going to cum!”

“Slut,” I cooed. I yanked on his cock now, milking it for all I was worth. I completely let go to my pleasure. I let my dominance encompass me. I was jerking his dick, slamming into his ass, and making animalistic noises.

“Oh fuck yes!” I growled possessively. I felt my orgasm begin. I was just rocking and pumping inside him as stars sparkled before my eyes. Bliss was flaming in my veins. He was whining and squirming and crying out as I felt him shoot his seed. He was trying to push against my hand and back onto my strap at the same time.

“Alight,” I said in a satisfied breath. I slapped his spent ass as I pulled out. He collapsed on the ground. He was a mess of cum and sweat.

“You’re free to go Duke Atreides,” I allowed.

“Go?” He asked in a submissive voice.

“Yes, go,” I nodded. I stood up and stretched. His eyes were on my breasts and my large strap.

“What if I don’t wanna go yet,” he said, looking down as his shrinking but still sticky cock.

“You don’t wanna go baby?” I asked in a sweet voice.

“Mm no,” he shook his head.

“Okay Little Duke, come with me,” I said. I clicked a collar around his neck. He obediently walked back with me on all fours, looking up at me with admiration. The bunny entered the wolf’s den willingly.

[silverfoxstole]

And… it’s done! One finished waistcoat and shirt combo.

Apart from a few hiccups (such as when I accidentally dyed the first lot of cotton lawn for the shirt cream - oops), it’s all turned out pretty much as I’d envisioned.

The shirt is my go-to shirt pattern, the Sewaholic Granville, which I’ve made many times. I removed the back princess seams a while ago to save matching a busy fabric, and this time I opted not to bother with pockets as they never get used. It’s very light and should be cool to wear in the summer, either as a coverup or tied at the waist.

For the waistcoat I’d originally intended using the Style Arc Joy pattern even though it doesn’t have a collar and I ideally wanted one; before I bought it however I happened to receive an email full of waistcoat patterns (serendipity or what?) and found New Look 6914 which features five different styles, two with collars. Normally I shy away from Big Four patterns (unless it’s for outerwear) because they’re so unreliable regarding measurements; fortunately I read a few reviews that mentioned the ridiculous amount of ease (5 and a half inches!!) so opted to go down a couple of sizes which turned out to be the right decision. I didn’t bother to toile and it’s more or less spot-on though I did have to make my usual alterations for princess seams, taking them in over the bust and into the armholes front and back. It’s a straightforward pattern to follow, but one thing I would do if I make it again is change the way it’s bagged out as the method used makes it awkward to sew and impossible to adjust the side seams.

The instructions use the main fabric for both back and front but as that’s not what happens with traditional waistcoats I opted for satin as both back and lining, which turned out to be something of a headache. The fabric was less stable than the one I used for my coat lining and I really should have overlocked all the edges before I started; I decided to zigzag so as not to have to re-thread the overlocker, which I hate doing, and the stuff just frayed through the extra stitching, resulting in some holes that had to be (not very neatly as I’m a poor hand sewer) fixed afterwards. I’m just hoping the whole thing doesn’t disintegrate after a few wears! It’s definitely not going near the washing machine just in case.

While I wanted a waistcoat anyway, not having worn one since the early nineties, after I’d made my Dark Eyes jacket I thought it would be fun to make something else that was a take on one of the Eighth Doctor’s costumes but that I could wear as part of my usual wardrobe. There wasn’t a lot of choice as far as fabric went; I wanted brocade, and this was the closest I could find. In colour it’s more akin to the one Paul wore for Power of the Doctor, but if you used the wrong side it would actually be a little closer to the one from NotD, something I didn’t notice until I was partway through. It frayed a lot, though not as much as the satin, and as i worked I got covered in bits and threads. I have no idea why I always choose to wear black jeans whenever I sew with fabric that sheds but it happens every single time! Thank goodness for lint rollers!

Now, because I’d based these pieces on a costume, I just had to get a couple of other bits to finish it off, didn’t I? 😉

The scarf is a little chiffon one that I could wear with other things for a vintage look; the chain is just that, no watch as the pockets are false welts.

Cue the obligatory mirror selfies (for once turned the right way round)! Unfortunately I haven’t owned a pair of lace-up knee boots in about twenty five years, which is a shame.

I also recreated that transitionary look I drew a while ago, with the jacket:

Now I am starting to really want to take on the NotD coat. I love frock coats and I’ve always wanted one, plus I’ve found some fabric and a perfect pattern…

[twofacedtrickery]

List of Tropes for Delta-?? "Tutelary"

This is non-exhaustive and is only stuff that applies in-universe.

All a Part of the Job - a pretty extreme example 

All-Loving Hero - they want to be this, sort of

All of the Other Reindeer - it believed this to be true when it was at the Foundation, and now it actually is

The Anti-Nihilist - Knight in Sour Armor type, mainly

Be All My Sins Remembered

Became Their Own Antithesis - partially subverted

Beleaguered Bureaucrat - this is part of what helped push it to defect, though now it wants that workload back as it knows no other life anymore

Blank Slate - threatened with this

Broken Bird

Bullying a Dragon - the hatercult are doing this, they're just lucky that it's unlikely to retaliate

Byronic Hero

The Call Knows Where You Live - to be fair, it did unintentionally telegraph that, averted now

The Chains of Commanding - a lot of how they wound up swayed

The Chosen One - well, in the minds of Professor's followers, he treats it as this, so they resent it

Chronic Hero Syndrome

Cigarette of Anxiety

Cold Turkeys Are Everywhere - this is why it's so hard for it 

Compliment Backfire - because it hates praise

Conditioned to Accept Horror - this was the case, and to a large extent, it still is, it has found some way to regain some reactions

Conditioned to Be Weak - by the followers, despite Professor trying to avert this

Convicted By Public Opinion - even if its partner made a compelled and unassailable argument to defend it, it would still be guilty according to the hatercult 

Death of a Thousand Cuts - ultimately, this mixed with just enough mind poison is what broke its resolve 

Defiant to the End - zig zagged

Desperately Looking for a Purpose in Life

Determinator - played with, while it might genuinely give up at times, it is able to rally itself

Didn't Think This Through - because it didn't think far enough ahead, its attempt to spare lives by surrendering didn't really have the result it had hoped for

The Ditherer - empathic, insecure, and too many trees type

Do Not Call Me "Paul" - subverted, it doesn't speak up very much when it doesn't like a name being used

Don't Look at Me!

Don't You Dare Pity Me!

Draw Aggro - a major way it tries to protect others

Drunk with Power - inverted, both in the sense that it was handed its position unexpectedly, breeding resentment and suspicion that only grew, and in that it wanted to use this as a second chance to be a nicer leader

Dull Surprise - to the point that it does not feel surprise proper, at all

Emissary from the Divine - in another world, perhaps, it could be seen this way, but it's too new

Emotional Language Shift - defied, they used to, but they fear it would harm Professor 

Entertainingly Wrong - a more dramatic take

Extreme Doormat

"Fawlty Towers" Plot - averted

Flat Joy

Friendless Background - and it's an Ineffectual Loner, too

Go Mad From The Isolation - they didn't used to

Greater Need Than Mine - exaggerated 

Great Escape - though it didn't exactly want to be rescued at that cost, this does border on an Unwanted Rescue, but it refuses to outright start Complaining About Rescues They Don't Like

Grew a Spine - SPOILERS

Grumpy Old Man - it's trying to unlearn this

Guilt-Induced Nightmare - the primary source of its nightmares

Hauled Before a Senate Subcommittee

Heel–Face Door-Slam

Heroic Safe Mode

History Repeats - subverted, but it fears this

Honor Before Reason - downplayed

Hope Is Scary - one of the things it struggles with more than it wants to admit, though Professor helps with that

I Am What I Am

I Didn't Tell You Because You'd Be Unhappy

I Gave My Word

I Hate Past Me - and how

I'm Having Soul Pains - invoked

Incredibly Lame Fun - most if its hobbies class as this, and it's a bit anxious around more novel experiences

Insult Backfire - inevitable due to how it functions, often in the form of Insult Accuracy Acceptance, but also due to wanting to be detested

Intergenerational Friendship - Nina

I Should Have Been Better

I Take Offense to That Last One - due to its Berserk Buttons being what they are, it does not mind character attacks, but it does hate when people say it means or did something it did not do

A Lesson Learned Too Well - tends toward this often

Madden Into Misanthropy - defied, it hates being around others, but refuses to give up on saving them all

Manchild - downplayed, but its understanding of relationships is pretty stunted and its interpersonal interactions can see it behaving pretty immaturely

Meaningful Rename - many times over, the names Professor chose were meant to be meaningful, as best he could, and the name it has tried for itself is incredibly meaningful while it has shed its former name, for now 

Misblamed - by the cult

Mood Swinger - Hair-Trigger Temper, especially, it can't understand why

Mutually Unequal Relation - downplayed, it doesn't know how Dogma views it truly, Dogma doesn't know how unreasonably charitable it is to them

Nailed To The Wagon

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

No Place for Me There - formerly, Professor did convince it otherwise

No Social Skills - it's always been this way, and it hates this

Not Afraid to Die - it was not raised with a cultural fear of death, add to that its life experience requiring it accept this fate is eventual, it Faces Death with Dignity 

Oblivious to Hatred - it knows it isn't liked, but underestimates the degree

Obviously Not Fine - trying to be a Stepford Smiler, though not doing it well, Major Injury Underreaction as well

Odd Friendship - with Nina

Once Done, Never Forgotten - the followers subject it to this, and it struggles with doing this as well

Only Friend - Nina

O.O.C. Is Serious Business - it can be incredibly dramatic, but it will not allow itself any of that if it's down to the wire, emotions will be off

Open Mouth, Insert Foot - all day every day

Paranoia Fuel - oh so many ways

The Perfectionist - it tried to defy this, it failed

Perfectly Cromulent Word- justified, these words were common earlier in his life

Personal Horror - trying to convince itself that "I Did What I Had to Do," and even force itself to Gain the Will to Kill about it, to prove That Man Is Dead, but It Never Gets Any Easier, also Batman Grabs a Gun, Why Did It Have To Be Snakes?

Prayer Is a Last Resort - played with, it hates asking for help 

Prison Changes People - of course, the hatercult refuses to get this and thinks it is a

Manchurian Agent now, or that it was just some karma for its perceived insolence, it also tries to deny this, it also struggles with some things related to that it is Not Used to Freedom

Room 101

The Secret-Keeper - perhaps more so than it should, often unbidden and at its own expense

Set Right What Once Went Wrong - defied, while it has remorse, no regrets, and it knows better

Single-Issue Psychology - subverted, it thinks it works this way, but is getting frustrated to learn otherwise

Sinister Surveillance - while detained, but also how it got caught, it is Properly Paranoid of this now

The Snark Knight - situationally subverted or played straight

Spock Speak - tends to do this out of fear of being misunderstood, but this does not help

Stranger in a Familiar Land

Survival Mantra - that only goes so far

Survivor Guilt

Suspiciously Specific Denial - the main reason it tends to be a Bad Liar

Tautological Templar - the hatercult contingent view it as the inverse of this

Technical Pacifist

Then Let Me Be Evil - defied as well as played straight, it believes in Turning The Other Cheek for those it lives with, but to those outside it will be every bit as terrible as it is told it is

Think Nothing Of It

This Is Gonna Suck - Dialed Up To 11, in some ways 

Took a Level in Kindness - played with, while it used to be so much harder to deal with as an individual on the whole, and it uses superhuman reserves of patience and compassion on the hatercult, as a result of that, it has very little left for anyone else

A Tragedy of Impulsiveness - downplayed

Trauma Conga Line - it denies this reality, because it doesn't understand, but it has had traumatic experiences happen even since Emery was a child

Traumatic Haircut

We Have Reserves - downplayed and subverted, it cares deeply and understands that sacrifice is necessary, but it's having a harder time coping with that these days, perhaps it needs a cry

Well-Intentioned Extremist - by necessity of its position, though it is one of the more restrained examples

We Used to Be Friends - Four

Workaholic - they were already one but this is liable to become an Addiction Displacement for them soon

Wound That Will Not Heal - their eye

Yank the Dog's Chain

You Keep Using That Word - while it knows the distinctions that matter to it don't always matter to others, its attempts to seek clarity can come off as this, particularly due to its propensity to be More Insulting Than Intended and Innocently Insensitive, as the case may be

Your Days Are Numbered - while untrue, due largely to its partner's protection, it still lives as if this were the case

Zero-Approval Gambit - to everyone outside of the Insurgency

[duchessdepolignaca03]

Thanks @priincebutt for the tag! This is an open tag, because I don't want to tag anyone specifically as some of these questions are a little sketch, so the answers below are a little obtuse/long-winded. This was SUPER FUN though!

Are you named after anyone?

Yes - a pop star and a jewelry company/type of diamond cut. 

When was the last time you cried?

During Totality of the 2024 Solar Eclipse, genuinely one of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring moments of my life.  I was struck by the beauty of the corona which shimmered like diamonds in the sky, struck by perfect randomness of the universe that that gave us a sun that’s 400x bigger than the moon and 400x as far, creating the perfect symmetry to allow for a solar eclipse, and how this same random perfection gave me my daughter, loving husband and all the privileges I have in my life.

Hours before, I also shed frustrated and sad tears that my enjoyment of a fandom that has given me so much joy and creative inspiration has soured over being soundly, but unexpectedly, rejected. Frustrated and sad that I may have to bow out and give up something I thoroughly enjoyed giving my free labour to and through which I have made some wonderful friends that have buoyed me over the past year.  

Do you have kids?

See above.

What sports do you play/have you played?

I was never a sporty kid, but as an adult I discovered running, which has both been a lifeline and a source of endless frustration and pain. I’ve run a marathon, about a dozen half marathons,  innumerable 5ks and 10ks and kicked the butt of a 30k once in a winter storm. I can’t wait to rediscover running again and start my running journey from scratch.

Do you use sarcasm?

Not as much as I wish I would like. I’m not as spicy as I think I am, haha. 

What’s the first thing you notice about people?

How they are treating me, which tells me how they want to be treated back.

What’s your eye color?

Dark like my soul! You can hardly see my pupils, and its not because I’m high! 

Scary movies or happy endings comedies?

Neither! I love a good story, I love a drama. My favourite films recently have been films that felt simultaneously satisfying and unsatisfying at the same time. Both feature Paul Mescal (Aftersun and All of Us Strangers), and focus on parenthood and the relationships we have with the memories of our parents.

Any talents?

Not really? I suppose I have a talent for seeming more enthusiastic about things than I really am. 

Where were you born?

In a city in an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean. 

What are your hobbies?

Motherhood and full time job life doesn’t leave a lot of time for hobbies, but I l have love engaging in the RWRB fandom, and reading and writing and making some amazing friends. Before writing  and posting fanfiction, I did a lot of roleplaying on IJ, Tumblr and Discord. I enjoy broadway musicals and watching too much British television. I also love riding the Peloton and a good strength session!

Do you have any pets?

Yes. But I see you with this revealing security question, potential fraudster :P

How tall are you?

I grew up in poverty in a developing country, subsisting mostly on rice and coffee and white bread with mayonnaise (yes, mayonnaise), raised by a loving but chain-smoking mother. There was no hope for me to become taller than an oversized hobbit. Let’s just say my husband and I have to toggle the Peloton back and forth between the most extreme settings possible.

Favorite subject in school?

History and Politics. The great loves of my life, if its not already obvious.

Dream job?

My current job is nominally my dream job. However, I would like to serve a government that genuinely cares about the public, that thinks beyond myopic and cynical politics and actually wants to improve the lives of ordinary citizens, uplift the vulnerable, tax the shit out of the rich and - at minimum - not support genocide. 

[saras-devotionals]

Quiet Time 3/23

What am I feeling today?

I wish I had woken up earlier. I feel like I had been asleep forever and wasted the majority of my day so I’m kinda beating myself up about it. Also, I dreamt about my ex last night and it brought back all those emotions but I think it brought some closure too. Also dreamt about the guy I like, it’s not fair, every single time I think ‘I’m over him! I’m totally over him! It’s never gonna happen!’ then I see him again (I saw him last night) and my heart goes wild all over again and I’m so tired of it. I want to be able to move on from him bc that’s the advice I’ve received, that it’s probably never going to happen and sure it stings and hurts every time I’m told that and I wish it didn’t and the only way it wouldn’t is if I could move on!! sometimes I kinda just wanna scream or cry in frustration bc I’m just so sick of it! Anyways, I’m sorry about that rant, I guess I just needed to get that off my chest.

Bible Plan: Spiritual Wilderness

The Spiritual wilderness is a place of wandering. It’s a time when our feelings can fade, our finances might get dry, our relationships get sour, our experiences with God seem to be shallow, and our doubts get amplified.

Spiritual wilderness is spiritual warfare. There is one key that can help us win this spiritual warfare and move us from a spiritual wilderness to victory. That key is worship!

In the wilderness, we will either whine or worship. Chronic complaining may seem natural and come easy, but it has dangerous consequences. Complaining is to the devil what worship is to God.

Wilderness is a dry place; worship is the water! Naturally, we get water from a lake, river, or well. The children of Israel got their water from the Rock. The Rock symbolizes Jesus Christ. That speaks to us today that our worship must flow from who God is especially in our difficult days. Even if our life is currently not doing well, God is good. Worship is essential to surviving wilderness. It will keep us spiritually hydrated.

Not only does worship help us get through hard times without becoming whiners, it is also our spiritual weapon. We are created to worship but called to warfare. One of our weapons is worship. God wants us to have praises in our mouths and His sword in our hands. Spiritual warfare doesn’t work if our mouth is full of complaining and admitting defeat.

Complaining is to the devil what worship is to God. <- this line stood out to me! I kept in mind what the Bible says about grumbling and I caught myself a couple days ago and it really hit me! And with this line!! It hurts even harder!! My goal is to not complain for the rest of the day, whatever I have to get done, whatever I have to do, I’ll do so with worship on my tongue, not complaining because the Lord desires and deserves worship!!

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭43‬:‭5‬-‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth— everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.””

I think this is really sweet🥹 talking about how He’s with us and will gather us from the end of the earth🥹 also keep in mind that God formed and made you, I know some people can get on about how they look and even I can get like that too but remember your creator, remember that He made you and He loves you and creature you for His glory!

‭‭Acts‬ ‭16‬:‭25‬-‭26‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose.”

Tbh this just further shows you the power of praise! Even though they were in prison, they never stopped praying and giving glory to God!

[nfumbewalk]

Got Work Done

Thought I'd show my Visconti deck, though the gold sheen cannot be seen. This deck is based off the Marseilles deck, not Rider-Waite. I refuse to use those decks because Mr. Waite fabricated the symbolism of the Minor Arcana. Just do some digging and read "The Devil's Picturebook," by Paul Huson. This reading posted is a yes/no spread. Its a "yes" answer. How? Just ask! I got it from an underground Santa Muerte book. 😉

Mmmkay...to the actual post! I got some shit done today, well, on Proj. 163.190! My book! I've made a concerted effort to wake up daily around 5:00-6:00 AM and without an alarm! I like getting my Fuel from Black Rock and hitting the laptop! Putting on some Sisters of Mercy or Jesus and the Mary Chain, maybe Velvet Underground and definitely The fuckin Rolling Stones,"Some Girls," Exile," or "Sticky Fingers..." Gets me psyched!

I wrote on various topics today. About tools of Muerteria, anointing oils, behaviors, lots of things I consider important, though some may say not incredibly important. Naw, everything I put in that book IS very detailed and has MEANING. Its all integral to the practice/path.

The rest of this post...is innocuous. I've been reading the Grimiorium Verum again. My favorite grimiore besides Abramelin. I'm reading Peterson's version with the two other languages. I've always liked Scirlin, though there isn't a hell of a lot about him. I've read other people's impressions and find them inaccurate to mine, as I find him to be of Saggitary, but so close to Capricorn (2 days) that I don't really consider him a Fire element Demon. Maybe Firey Earth? Naw. Earth to me. Hate to disappoint.

Huictugaras is the ONE Demon that I actively worked with, unique to the Verum only. This Demon can cause either insomnia to a great degree or total slumber that is very difficult to awaken from. They also affect dreams as well, bringing an onslaught of them. I have used these capabilities to my own pleasure, never having a backfire, not yet anyway - unless you count a grumpy spouse. But he's always grumpy when he wakes up!!

Huictugaras came to me very recently and wanted me to build a space for them. I say 'them' to be gender neutral, because mainly, this Demon has not showed a gender to me. If they do, I'll properly identify them. 😊 So, I have a small spot with items that I intuitively grabbed for Huictugaras. They are a Water Demon, I gathered - because they hold dominion over sleep and dreams, which also tells me that Neptune may be their planet.

I got blue items and my brass chalice as well as a brass offering bowl and brass candlesticks. All the items screamed out at me - as well as this big, painted animal bone I got "during the old Trad Dem times" from a now deceased Demonolator friend. That was 2001. Yeah, about there. I was just divorced from my ex. Very same year I was initiated, just months earlier. Huictugaras definitely wanted my sharp dagger. They said that they saw my Siphoning technique when I call upon Rodolfo. It was interesting to them and they want to try it!?! How long has Huictugaras been here?

I don't make a habit out of Demons, just Biffy is typically invited. I do not call on any others. What I had problems with was the old Demonolatry community, not so much the religion. I didn't know how to properly handle Demonic energy for a very long time. Actually it was as recent as the 2020's. A LOT of things with me have changed since I had my opening, my attunement. And I did almost all of it on my own. I had a tiny ritual that I did that made the huge difference. What was it? Some of it was becoming a devotee of Santa Muerte. Part of it was pacting with my muerto, Rodolfo.

The main thing was the practice I started with Rodolfo and other muertos around me. It has now become Muerteria.

If practiced in full, daily, I think Muerteria can change lives. First, you become more humble. More respectful. More dutiful, responsible. But also, kind and loving. It puts you on the spiritual wavelength where you learn to automatically care for other people, not just muertos and family - but caring about other humans and our planet. The muertos are monumentally important and you care for all of them deeply - especially your muerto(s). There's physical stuff to do.

There's a choice to use magic, but if you do - its best to include your muerto. You can teach them and they can learn by watching you. My muerto watched me - he's now a powerful magical ally of mine. I send him out for trabajos.

I certainly hope that when Proj. 163.190 is done, I can get it published by someone. I really do not want to self-publish!!

Muerteria is my little miracle work.

Me in my Sisters of Mercy shirt and Biffy necklace from Arcana13, Canada. Pewter, handcrafted. Small Amethyst cabochon top.

Hmm, Demons and me now? Well, don't think many of them will grace my presence because I made a crap ton of mistakes with them. Big ones that aren't likely forgiven. It could just be a couple of hierarchies. The Verum Demons (not the big ones like Lucifer) seem to be available to me, as are Abramelin Demons. Goetia? Only for divination. Forget Dukanté. But there's many, many, many Demons and lower demons out there.

But as a religion? Nope. Religion isn't for me. A practice is.

And, so ends this scattery post.

M.M. 💖💀💖

[novella-writers]

👾👾👾

helloooo! i am not replacing anyone that i am writing with at the moment, merely opening up more slots for writing partners! i am known as void, i am 25 years old, in the est, and nonbinary. i love ooc talk so i can make friends with my partners, sending memes, playlists, pinterest boards and all that good stuff to each other. i write on discord only for server organization. as of the moment, i am not doing double ups.

i am looking for fellow 20+ writers who write novel/novella third person who would be open to some cc / oc interactions (they do not have to be romantic! while i love shipping, i also love to explore all different dynamics!) with me using and fleshing out my own characters. be advised i will explore nsfw and dark, dark themes. here are the two fandoms i'm looking for right now, along with a brief description of my muses:

DUNE - FILM BASED

Roman Sabaal - "The Sick" A young royal exiled from his home after contracting a mysterious infection. He now has taken on the role of an assassin for hire to survive. Looking to write him against Chani or Paul Atreides.

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON - SHOW BASED

Cisui - "Lord of Frost" A creature of noble blood, a trickster and shapeshifter, born to a lost continent in the frozen north. Now a wanderer lost far from home in Westeros, he tries to use his wits and magic to return from where he came.

Phxy - "The Sphinx" Raised by a cult from birth. Years of ritual torture and mutilation warped their mind into believing they were the very god the cult was trying to summon, and turned them to a cannibal. Eventually abandoned as a failure, they lived chained in a hidden temple until mysterious circumstances set them free.

Would love to write against Jacaerys Velaryon, Aegon II Targaryen, Aemond Targaryen or anyone really!

if you're at all interested in writing with me, please interact with this post and i'll shoot you a message! thanks!

Like if interested!

[prpfz]

👾👾👾

helloooo! i am not replacing anyone that i am writing with at the moment, merely opening up more slots for writing partners! i am known as void, i am 25 years old, in the est, and nonbinary. i love ooc talk so i can make friends with my partners, sending memes, playlists, pinterest boards and all that good stuff to each other. i write on discord only for server organization. as of the moment, i am not doing double ups.

i am looking for fellow 20+ writers who write novel/novella third person who would be open to some cc / oc interactions (they do not have to be romantic! while i love shipping, i also love to explore all different dynamics!) with me using and fleshing out my own characters. be advised i will explore nsfw and dark, dark themes. here are the two fandoms i'm looking for right now, along with a brief description of my muses:

DUNE - FILM BASED

Roman Sabaal - "The Sick" A young royal exiled from his home after contracting a mysterious infection. He now has taken on the role of an assassin for hire to survive. Looking to write him against Chani or Paul Atreides.

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON - SHOW BASED

Cisui - "Lord of Frost" A creature of noble blood, a trickster and shapeshifter, born to a lost continent in the frozen north. Now a wanderer lost far from home in Westeros, he tries to use his wits and magic to return from where he came.

Phxy - "The Sphinx" Raised by a cult from birth. Years of ritual torture and mutilation warped their mind into believing they were the very god the cult was trying to summon, and turned them to a cannibal. Eventually abandoned as a failure, they lived chained in a hidden temple until mysterious circumstances set them free.

Would love to write against Jacaerys Velaryon, Aegon II Targaryen, Aemond Targaryen or anyone really!

if you're at all interested in writing with me, please interact with this post and i'll shoot you a message! thanks!

give a like and anon will get back to you

[pumpkinblossoms]

OK, in the spirit of positivity, here are my top reads of 2022!

A bit in the way of context: I am a librarian, I read a lot, and, for better or for worse, I live and breathe books/publishing buzz/ARCs/etc. The list below is purely based on my own fully biased opinions, though those biases have nothing to do with whether I had early access to a title, a connection to the publisher, etc. and everything to do with whether a book is sad, gory, or gay. And thanks @explosionshark for suggesting I write this up!

DEAD COLLECTIONS by Isaac Fellman: holy fuck was this book good. The whole “trans vampire falling in love and solving a quiet, sad mystery in the archive where he works” angle is catchy, but this is definitely not the fluffy or straightforward story some people are after. I really loved how vampirism is depicted as a life-ruining weakness rather than a cool and sexy superpower. I also really loved the multimedia aspect of including forum posts and TV scripts and listserv chains.

BABEL: AN ARCANE HISTORY by R.F. Kuang: I think some criticisms of this one, like that it’s slow and repetitive and a little didactic, are founded. However, I couldn’t care less. R.F. Kuang excels at unhurried school stories that slowly and brutally dismantle themselves over hundreds and hundreds of pages, and the formula she establishes in the excellent Poppy War trilogy is perfected here. This is what actual dark academia looks like–The Atlas Six could never.

KISS HER ONCE FOR ME by Alison Cochrun: I used to read a lot of contemporary romance, specifically f/f romance, but after being burned over and over and over and OVER by bad books I’m incredibly selective about what I read and recommend in this genre. I gave Alison Cochrun a ton of shit for her incredibly mediocre debut, The Charm Offensive, but I am totally willing to say that she’s improved, and this book–while still definitely goofy and even grating at times–was probably the best f/f romance out in 2022 from a major publisher other than Delilah Green (which I read in 2021 and therefore did not include in this list, but also whose sequel sucked so much it honestly made me like the first one less). Do me a favor and don’t even read the back copy because it doesn’t make any fucking sense and will turn you off the book.

THE PALLBEARERS CLUB by Paul Tremblay: hoooo boy. OK. So this one got dismal reviews from the Goodreads crowd, but I believe fully and genuinely in my heart that everybody is wrong about it and should feel bad about how wrong they are. The thing is, Paul’s books are slow and atmospheric (are you sensing a theme to what kind of books I tend to like best) and there are no easy answers or moments of triumph or anything you might be led to expect via publisher-created blurbs or taglines. And going into a book with one expectation and having that expectation remain unmet is one of the quickest and simplest ways to have a bad-faith negative reaction to said book, in my personal experience. Like, could this book have been scarier? Definitely. But I loved it regardless, and I loved that the physical format of the book–Art’s memoiry fiction draft, or fictiony memoir draft, depending on your perspective, plus his best friend Mercy’s commentary written in red in the margins–is the sort of embodied story that I love because it fucking sucks to read on a screen or an ereader. You’re tied to the format, either print or audio (which I hear was well done for this one, though I haven’t heard it myself), and that’s great to me.

THE THOUSAND EYES by A.K. Larkwood: In my opinion this duology is criminally, WOEFULLY underrated. Csorwe is a grumpy butch orc warrior and she spends most of her time getting herself and her terrible frenemies out of trouble and also falling in love with a powerful sorceress. This book is the second one and is gloriously angsty and everyone gets middle-aged and sad and yet they all still pine for one another across time and space. I cried. I’m not sorry. It’s GOOD.

AN ARCHIVE OF BRIGHTNESS by Kelsey Socha: ok, full disclosure, this is my wife’s book, but it came out in August and it’s a lovely group of interwoven weird little gay stories. I would’ve loved it even if I didn’t share a mortgage with the author, I promise. Like, people live in houses made of scorpion corpses. Come on.

Honorable mentions: I didn’t really feel like getting too much into YA here, but I really liked CONFESSIONS OF AN ALLEGED GOOD GIRL by Joya Goffney, which was a really honest and interesting exploration of purity culture and religion; HOW TO EXCAVATE A HEART by Jake Maia Arlow, an interfaith winter holiday f/f romance (what a year for holiday romances, sheesh); and HELL FOLLOWED WITH US by Andrew Joseph White, a really gross and sad book that also manages to be incredibly, gleefully YA even as the protagonist morphs into a horrifying monster.

I also didn’t want to mention anything that hasn’t been released yet, so HOW TO SELL A HAUNTED HOUSE by Grady Hendrix and SOME DESPERATE GLORY by Emily Tesh are both out, even though both were SO GOOD and you should be foaming at the mouth to get your hands on them next year. And lastly, I didn’t think The Locked Tomb series needed any extra hype and if you haven’t picked it up yet it’s not like I’m going to convince you, so I didn’t bother saying anything about NONA THE NINTH although it was really very good.

And finally: I’m currently reading WHEN THE ANGELS LEFT THE OLD COUNTRY by Sacha Lamb which absolutely fucking rips so far, very much Good Omens meets Spinning Silver, but I haven’t finished it yet so it didn’t seem fair to count. I recommend it based on the first half, though!

PHEW ok that’s it! Send me your recs please!!

[cagenewman]

THE INSPIRATION BEHIND... CAGE LUCAS NEWMAN

something in the orange / zach bryan 🎧

burning man / dierks bentley 🎧

duet / penny & sparrow ft. stephanie briggs 🎧

cage is ... an old soul, winding dirt roads in the countryside, striking blue eyes, young love and the deeper meaning that comes with it in time, a cross on a chain tucked under his shirt, the perfect catch on a Friday night, bushels of blueberries, saw dust shavings sticking to plaid shirts, worn out work boots, a father's love.

Cage is a good-looking country boy with a heart of gold. He might not be everyone's first choice of 'gorgeous' or 'sexy' and he's alright with that. Zach Roerig was the perfect face claim to fit that kind of vibe; attractive in both a traditional and non-traditional way. Not your typical six-pack, ripped guy, more of a dad bod and great personality type. A lot of his 'aesthetic' made its way to Cage: some of the fashion choices that he explores, the cross necklace, his deep laugh, those blue eyes, things that just fit for. Of course there are some inspirations dragged from his characters. Matt Donovan's steadfastness and dedication to the town and people he loves. Will Mosley's melancholy and inner turmoil. But there were other inspirations, such as Matt Saracen in Friday Night Lights, and particularly his relationship with Julie Taylor, and how it mirrored Cordelia and Cage, not to mention Matt leaving town despite loving his girlfriend unconditionally. And Jake, from Sweet Home Alabama. A small town guy and his small town girlfriend, and how everyone thought that they would be the ones. Eventually, they were. They just had to find their way back there. The Paul Newman of it all might be more of an inside joke between Lindsey and myself, given how much I adore Paul, but... last name inspiration still counts. That, and those blue, blue eyes. And the importance of family and compassion.

Of all of my characters, Cage probably has the most 'me' in him, in terms of how family and our upbringing has shaped our lives. The deepest foundation of Cage's character is family, from top to bottom, and given how important my family is to me, it only made sense. Cage has a strong relationship with his siblings the same way that my own sibling is my very best friend. Although I am lucky enough to have both of my parents in my life, Cage does not. Lindsey and I purposely didn't delve into the loss of their father (it was previously decided with another player that their mother would have been lost during childbirth) because we never wanted the hows and whys to be the focus; it was about the family, drawing them together, carrying on the legacy left behind. It was less about the grief and more about the growth. But despite them not being in his life anymore, I wanted him to have a strong bond with his parents. Particularly his father. Fatherhood is the most powerful force in Cage's life, tying him to both his own father, and his son, who is the entire world to him. The bond between father and son was a huge thing for me to explore; Cage's own father often seeing a lot of himself in his second eldest son, teaching him the ropes of the blueberry farm, thinking he would be the one to carry on the family name because of their similar trajectory... and of course Cage's bond with his own son, abandoned by his mother before turning a year old, the two boys taking on the world together, learning about life day by day.

There are a lot of other things that I injected into Cage from me and my own interests: old houses, black cats, small town life, John Deere tractors and old Chevy pick-ups, wildflowers, sweet tea, older country music, and he'll definitely get a donkey before I do. Brat. As Lindsey mentioned, the blueberry farm came from... well, Maine. But I also grew up picking blueberries and still watching my aunts and uncles do it every summer when the bushes are ripe.

One thing that Cage did not get from me was wanderlust; that's all his own. He left town when he was younger, which was inspired simply by wanting to embrace the idea that not everyone leaves a small town for good. Eventually, they find that it's home, and they want to be back in it. Even more important than wanderlust and wanting to travel and see the world was for me to be able to explore the concept of coming home. Cage explored the United States and then came home changed. He wasn't just a boy anymore, he was a man with a son on the way and had to make the decisions to grow, to become a better person. To go after more than just working in construction (up until that point, I had him traveling with crews, which was mostly inspired by someone just... wandering around, trying to find a place that called him home), but to maybe someday move towards creating his own pocket in the world. And although he did spend one blissful summer on the road with his boy when he was older, Cage has largely lost that sense of wanderlust, again... inspired by the idea that sometimes you really are happiest at home. I know that I am, so maybe he borrowed that from me, too.

As far as his love life goes, I think I just really wanted to cement the idea that from day one, everyone who knew Cage knew one thing: he was in love with Cordelia. They knew it when he was a kid on the playground, when he swung her around the field after a win on Friday night, and they knew it when he drove away from town, too. And I wanted it to be the kind of thing that no one forgot; people saw them as adults at the football game and could feel it. His family knew it before he had even become friendly with her again, and Cage knew it the moment that he kissed her for the first time in Tumbleweed the December after they reconnected. That just sort of stole inspiration from all those cheesy love stories where two people are just destined to be together. Who could argue it? But I didn't want to play someone who just pined away for that when he didn't have it; he had to try to figure things out without her. He slept around on the road, he got a girl pregnant, he got married to prove that he could, and he still ended up dancing with Cordelia on a dirt road in her gorgeous pink dress. But from day one, it was Cordelia. The concept of fate and destiny and true love inspired that.

Personality wise, Cage was inspired by a lot of the guys you see in a small town. The ones that play football on Friday nights and hang out at the ice cream shop with their friends, but by some miracle, they end up being good guys by the end of it all. He's kind and very compassionate, and he has a good, tender heart that he doesn't show to just anyone. He can be hotheaded and stubborn and determined, but it's because he cares. There is not an evil, mean bone in Cage Newman's body, something his parents made sure of when they raised him right. He carries a lot on his shoulders, and always has, whether it be the pressure of becoming his father, the business he's built from the ground up, the mistakes it has taken him forever to let go of, the crushing worry of being a good brother, a good friend, a good boyfriend, a good businessman and a good father first and foremost, but he has broad shoulders, and he is convinced he can do it.

Owning his own carpentry and construction / restoration business was entirely inspired by my absolute hatred of house flipping gone wrong (you know, faux marble countertops, shiplap, gray walls everywhere, cheap carpeting) and wanting to play someone who cared about historical integrity. I cringe every day, watching a local home be restored and fearing for the day they remove the old, leaded, lattice windows. Cage does, too. I've always admired wood working and what people can do with a simple slab of wood, and I wanted to play someone who could make magic with their hands. Past that, I wanted him to be incredibly successful (he is!), but not let it get to his head. Cage has money in the bank, but he doesn't let it stop him from telling Colton that they have burgers at home, or to wear a t-shirt until it has holes (despite the Ralph Lauren sweater, or Hugo Boss suit tucked away). I think a lot of that was inspired by watching the way wealthy business owners in small towns can be -- sometimes, you wouldn't even know.

Overall, Cage is 'one of the good ones,' inspired by my own family and a lot of the 'good ones' you meet along life's journey.

[monstrsball]

my favorite line in each song on noah kahan's stick season (we'll all be here forever)

this will be long so i am just putting it all under the cut <33 if you haven't, you should listen to stick season by noah kahan btw

Northern Attitude

"Forgive my northern attitude, oh, I was raised on little light."

Stick Season

"And I'll dream each night of some version of you That I might not have, but I did not lose."

honestly really hard to narrow it down for this one because i love so many lines in this long... "I'm no longer funny cause I miss the way you laugh" is another one i really like.

All My Love

"Now I know your name, but not who you are."

(runner-up: "If you need me, dear, I'm the same as I was" )

this is one of my favorite songs on the album in general because it's just so... relatable, idk. like this is a song about a past relationship but it makes me think about the friends i lost touch with after i graduated high school. makes me emo.

She Calls Me Back

"I still dial 822-993-167"

the pre-chorus just tickles my brain... i enjoy it a lot but specifically this line. idk man. otherwise i don't have like strong emotions tied to this song or anything but i do like it.

"Oh, there was heaven in your eyes. I was not baptized" is also good though... really love the way he sings it too

Come Over

"Someday I'm gonna be somebody people want"

New Perspective

"You and all of your new perspective now Wish I could shut it in a closet And drag you back down"

Everywhere, Everything

"Everywhere, everything, I wanna love you 'til we're food for the worms to eat"

Orange Juice

"Are we all just crows to you now?"

there are so many parts of this song that i absolutely adore... it's so hard to pick one. the post-chorus is genuinely incredible. my favorite part of the song.

Strawberry Wine

"No thing defines a man like love that makes him soft"

Growing Sideways

"I'm terrified that I might never have met me."

Halloween

"But the wreckage of you, I no longer reside in And the bridges have long since been burnt"

Homesick

"I got dreams, but I can't make myself believe them. Spend the rest of my life with what could have been And I will die in the house that I grew up in"

as i've said before.... this song seems to perfectly sum up what being in your 20s is like lmao. (it's very much about growing up in new england but it's also so 'what being in your 20s is like' to me)

Still

"You miss something that you can't place but you can't deny it"

The View Between Villages

"The things that I lost here, the people I knew They got me surrounded for a mile or two."

The View Between Villages (extended) <- technically the last song on the album but i'm putting it here so it goes with the original

"I'm back between villages and everything's still"

okay i was going to pick a lyric that was unique to the extended version but i couldn't. i just love this one, i have to represent it.

Your Needs, My Needs

"I'm naming the stars in the sky after you"

however, the bridge is also INCREDIBLE and perhaps my favorite part but i don't want to just write the entirety of it. and i think what makes it my favorite is less the lyrics and just the way he sings it and the way it... intensifies and gets louder?? idk. but it makes me crazy.

Dial Drunk

"'Son are you a danger to yourself?' Fuck that sir, just let me call"

another one where the bridge is my favorite part of the song and i didn't want to just write the entirety of it lol. this line IS from the bridge though

Paul Revere

"And the world makes sense behind a chain-link fence If I could leave, I would have already left"

No Complaints

"Yes, I'm young and living dreams In love with being noticed and afraid of being seen"

Call Your Mom

"I'll drive, I'll drive all night I'll call your mom"

once again, the bridge is the best part of the song imo but this line gets to me too. this whole song makes me tear up though... had to force myself not to cry one time when it came on while i was in the car with my dad.

You're Gonna Go Far

"We ain't angry at you, love You're the greatest thing we lost"

this is the hinata shouyou song to me... so ofc this is my favorite line. <33 i think about him and karasuno whenever i listen to it and it makes me so so so emo, i want to cry. hinata fans gather and listen to this song.

also have recently started appreciating "Making quiet calculations where the fault lies"... makes me think about a certain ship that i'm sure you will never be able to guess [sarcasm] <- world's most predictable girl

[theboost]

Can’t bring myself to watch the finale of due south, so for the two people who are interested, here are my thoughts from when I was watching through

Due South insanity moment where vecchio gives a long speech to his sister in which he tells her to stay away from fraser because she’ll only get hurt and guys like fraser won’t even notice and then she responds by telling him that he’s afraid to dream. How am I supposed to take this

Obsessed with Fraser having a sleepover with his childhood hockey bestie. I think they should practice kissing with each other. I’m such a gay fraser truther I’m sorry but id take him and random hockey guy over him and Victoria

I think paul gross just has a resting smirk which is something you don’t see too often but it’s really making this funeral scene unintentionally humorous. Buddy you couldn’t muster a frown. I hate you Paul Gross, you live action Disney prince. That is a term that gets thrown around a lot but it’s true for him

100 percent still a gay fraser truther. Why are they having romantical ten- SORRY LIEUTENANT THATCHER JUST HIT HIM WITH A DAMN BITCH YOU LIVE LIKE THIS- romantical tension between fraser and thatcher. I don’t like it. She’s so mean to him all the time. He needs to get with a real man like Ray. I don’t really think you can put a guy like fraser in a relationship with his superior officer the chain of command would fuck him up. But they just keep mashing them together like Barbie dolls. I don’t get it. Also I kind of don’t like Francesca I’m sorry women…

“Ray, get in the closet” “Benny, get out of the closet” real dialogue. I don’t even need to make the joke. “I was in the closet with detective vecchio” I could end it all

Are we really doing another season finale where they’re getting framed by someone who one of them put in prison who recently go out and now seeks revenge. I guess if it ain’t broke. Okay so it’s not a season finale arc but still. It’s weird that it happened twice

CAN WE STOP PUTTING POOR GAY BOY FRASER - henceforth referred to as gayser when he is into situations wherein I want to emphasize his homosexuality - IN FORCED STRAIGHT SITUATIONS LIKE I KNOW THAT HE DOESNT WANT TO PLAY DOMESTICITY WITH FRANNIE. And she really needs to get with a woman

Girl a clip show for the season 2 finale? Come now. Also this is why starsky and hutch will always be a show made to hatecrime the watcher while due south uplifts you, because starsky and hutch did the amnesia plot line but hutch faked it. Because he’s insane.

“Alone we’re incomplete” truly insane thing to say about your best friend. Season 2 has really solidified by theory that ray is an out gay man to himself and no one else and he performs heterosexuality as a cover and gayser is just really truly deeply closeted because there were no gay people in a 100 kilometer radius growing up in the yukon. Also “benny, I could kiss you” “I thought we were just friends, ray” “we are” hello??? Hello???

Okay what the hell is going on with Ray K. You weren’t lying. 2 episodes in and he’s asking if Fraser thinks he’s attractive.

“All women are our sisters” I LOVE YOU FRASER. FEMINIST LEGEND.

I still gayser truth of course but as far as love interests go I don’t mind this bounty hunter milf

I don’t love that ghost dad was made a main character I liked him more when he would randomly pop up and I think they use him too much but I do love his little office set. And I do love that ghost dad is a character that exists

I don’t really care for the fact that one of kowalski’s defining traits is his love of police brutality. Come on due south. You used to understand that police violence is bad

I’ll be honest this is one of the first American based shows I’ve seen that promotes the idea of Canadian exceptionalism. And like it wasn’t initially like this as, see my last point, due South used to know and show that both the Chicago police and the mounties were corrupt, with Fraser being the worlds most special guy, but later seasons are like “all Mounties are inherently virtuous supermen”

Detective Huey and Fraser narrative foils in that both of them lost their first gay partner and then proceeded to get even gayer with their second partner. I do love Huey. And Dewey’s strange ways bewitch me I think he should hook up with turnbull

Women love to ask Fraser if they can trust him and then kiss him. Non_threatening_boys.jpg

Whenever Scott Bakula sings on quantum leap I cheer and clap like a seal and whenever paul gross sings I shriek and cover my eyes and say kill yourself

Every subplot to Mountie Sings the Blues makes me so happy I love huey and deweys stupid ass country song and I actually think Francesca/Turnbull is cute I’ve actually been hoping they would do it

I’m so sad due south got canceled right after the Fraser sister reveal I want so many more episodes with them hanging out

One thing about Fraser is that his love interest will be a brunette woman. Frannie, Victoria, Thatcher, milf bounty hunter and- sorry I looked up the poker episode to remember if the poker chick was brunette and sure enough

[pop-roxs]

Grelle and Ronald for the character bingo ask game!! :)

first we have my girliepop grelle

im gonna go through each of these boxes for her n ronnie so strap in :3

I am so normal about them

god i love her so much. i could talk for hours. days. weeks ages. forever. she is so lovely. please let me marry her

funny lil picture of someone holding a little guy!! very happy soeone. lots of hearts around.

please can i hold her i want ot hold her please shes so precious she is my biggest treasure ever please please

A Beast Unleashed

shes so feral and crazy and oh god is she an asshole. i love her so much for that

I want their gender

shes so fucking PRETTY HER GENDER IS AWESOME CAN I BE LIKE HER LIEK ITS UNEXPLAINABLE SHES JUST SO FUCKING. MMMMMFNBF

Canon isn't real if I don't look at it

no dont call her sir or mr please stop it stop it dont call her a he please please stop it stop

That's a solid design right there

her design is so detailed and has so many rules i love it. the fact that her jacket has a stitch on the back, the big cute black bow, her heels, her glasses and its chain, her TEETH GOD HER TEETH, her constantly upturned eyebrows, the way her hair is messy at the top and smooths out to elegant red hair, her curves, her voice, everything.

They are so silly

shes just a silly little gal!! little silly little.. little girlie.. little little so cute and silly.... she kills prostitutes w her wife.... silly....... i love......

They Sure Do Exist

she exists and boy am i tHANKFUL that she does. please shes so perfect

Literally I would kiss them

need i say more. NEED I SAY M

If anything happens to them I will cry

i want her to be a happy woman whos happily married to her red wife is that too much to ask.

I want to BITE them

she would bite me back tbh i wouldnt mind

I fuck with this aesthetic so hard

everything grellecore is what i want to be/hj shes literally so fucking cool.

also i wanna mark bastard now because shes such a little bitch and i fucking adore that fact to death but im too tired to go back and edit it

ok whew finally to ronnie

My friend's favorite, the blorbo by proxy

@jhillybean loves him so i love him

*puts them in a salad spinner*

lookit him go. weeee.

They are so silly

just a silly goofy man w his silly goofy lawnmower!! i love how he rides on it like paul blart mall cop

They Sure Do Exist

wish he didnt show up in s2 for like 10 minutes total in one goddamn episode(and then hes just a single frame in the ova smh)

SQUEAK

i bet he would sound like a drowned squeaky toy <3

Bastard

idk why i marked this it just resonated w me