#it's like. actually so much more uplifting to think about a small thing i can influence than a big thing i cant??

[its-a-hil]

it's really been a long time since i've seen positivity about voting in local elections on here. which is quite demoralising

seeing ppl talk about an election as if it's all about the president or national politics makes me not want to vote, bc my vote for president absolutely cannot matter*

bc i do want to vote in local elections! im glad alsobrooks beat trone and i want her to beat hogan, i want school board members who are vocally against "parent choice" and cops in schools. i want state senators who will oppose highway construction and direct more funding to meaningful public services. i want politicians to be meaningfully held to account.

and i don't want to have a president who presided over a genocide.†

*i live in maryland. if you think a republican will win here you're way more of a doomer than i could ever be.

†this is all of them btw. and you know as well as i do that those that haven't will do so if they become president

[pitchsidestories]

looks can be misleading II Beth Mead x Vivianne Miedema x Reader

masterlist I word count: 1928

a/n: the inspiration for this oneshot came from this adorable request here.

Playing for Arsenal had always been your dream, even as a little child. But now that you were actually here, at the Arsenal Training Centre, reality looked much different. You hated everything.

From the way the other players stared at you, taking in your tattooed arms when you were first introduced to team to the fact that they never seemed to shut up and kept yelling at each other.

As a person who liked it quiet and to keep to herself, it was all too much, too loud. Your social battery had been empty before the warm-up was even over.

So while your new teammates stayed on the training pitch, chatting away, you headed for the shower. Maybe if you were fast enough, you had a few quiet moments to yourself.

You could even be done before the others joined. You walked with quick, impatient steps towards the dressing room, missing the conversation right behind you.

“What do you guys think about the new girl?”, Leah asked the others, genuine curiosity in her voice.

Kim shrugged with a small smile: “I like that she doesn’t talk much.“

“Of course you do.“, Lia laughed, bumping her arm against the smaller midfielders.

“Hey!“, Kim protested.

Laura chimed in, the sweetest smile on her lips: “I like her. She’s so mysterious and her tattoos are cool.“

Katie eyed the young Austrian like she just said the most stupid thing she ever heard: “Nah, I think she’s a bit weird, ye know?”

“I think I agree. She didn’t even say hello when Jonas introduced her.“, Leah stated.

Beth who had been listening quietly, assured her teammates: “We’ll tell you how she’s with us at home.“

“Good luck with her.“, Manu grinned at her.“You know, I’ve gathered quite some experience with quiet, broody women.“ She inconspicuously nodded towards her girlfriend.

With a frown, Vivianne turned to her: “Wait, are you talking about me?”

“Who else would I be talking about, babe?”

Viv rolled her eyes with clear fondness for girlfriend: “Time to go home. Bye, guys.“

“Bye.“, their teammates echoed in unison. 

Beth and Vivianne were the ones that you would stay with until your own flat was ready to move in. If that meant days or weeks, who knew.

At least their apartment was close to the training centre and you had their guest room to yourself.

Sitting on your bed, you enjoyed being in your own company for a moment. A very short moment as you came to realize.

“Y/n? Do you want to come down and cook dinner with us?”, Beths called for you, her voice echoing from the walls and you wondered if the neighbours had heard her too.

You didn’t want to. But you also didn’t want to seem impolite so you joined them in their kitchen.

“I’m not great at cooking…“, you admitted.

“No problem, we can do this together.”, Beth assured you with an encouraging smile.

“Okay, sure.”, you shrugged.

“It’s easy.”, Viv added.

“Yes, you can start with cutting some veggies.”, her girlfriend advised you in an uplifting tone.

While you did as she said the Dutch woman cleared her throat nervously. “How did you like your first training session y/n?”

“Good.”, you answered monosyllabically as you focused on cutting the vegetables in front of you.

“And how do you like London? Do you have any family close by?”, Beth wanted to know curiously.

“I haven’t seen enough of the city yet to say if I like it and no, my family isn’t from here.”, you revealed. From the way you phrased your answer it was clear that you preferred to not talk about your familiar relations.  

“Oh.”, the blonde muttered surprised.

The rest of the cooking and dinner passed uneventfully. During the dinner Beth tried to get you to talk a little bit more, but that turned out to be unsuccessful.

“I’m going to bed, good night you two.”, you announced once you were done with eating.

“Good night, y/n. See you tomorrow.”, the English forward chirmed. She watched you leaving the kitchen with a loud sigh.

“She’s truly intimidating, Beth.”, Viv whispered when you were out of ear-sight. An amused twinkle was in her light eyes.

“Even you think so?”, Beth chuckled, resting the head on her girlfriend’s shoulder.

Reluctantly the Dutch player put an arm around the smaller woman. For a moment she paused before admitting thoughtfully. “No, I think what she really needs is time, it’s not easy to be the new girl in the team.”

“You would know, huh?”, the English forward gave her a teasing smile.

“Yes, I do actually.”, Viv acknowledged, pressing a soft kiss to her girlfriend’s blonde hairline.

In the past she had quite often confessed that the beginning of her Arsenal career was quite tough for her.

As a young foreign girl who already had made herself known in the national team the Dutch forward had to accustomed to a new country, different playing style and a fresh pressure which came with playing for such a big club.

“We’ll see.”, Beth answered hoping her girlfriend was right about you.

“Morning y/n.”, she greeted you warmly the next morning, next to her the young dog was already bouncing excitedly.

“Morning.”, you mumbled suppressing a yawn. It was clear for everyone that you were in desperate need of some caffeine.

“We’re taking Myle on a walk. Would you like to come with us? We can get coffee or something.”, the blonde offered smiling friendly.

“Uhm okay.”

“You don’t have to, obviously.”, Viv added quickly.

“No, I do.”, you smiled shily at them.

The couple seemed happy that you accepted their offer. You all shrugged on jackets and left for a stroll around the neighbourhood.

Beth and Viv walked slightly in front of you, politely giving you your own space while Beth kept talking and Vivianne just listened. You were perfectly fine just taking everything in and watching Myles’ floppy ears bounce with every step. You could feel a smile tug on the corner of your mouth.

When you reached the coffee shop, you offered to wait outside with Myle. Patiently, you sat at a table outside and rubbed your hands together. It was an unusually cold morning. Even the little dog at your feet seemed to shiver slightly in the cold air, despite the thick brown fur.

“Come here.“, you mumbled to yourself as you gently pulled Myle onto your lap, in hopes that your body warmth would help. She immediately curled up on your lap and let you pet her.

“Your puppy is really cute.“, you said softly as your two teammates reemerged from the coffee shop, steaming cups in their hands.

Beths’ face lit up as soon as she saw you two together: “Oh, looks like she likes you already.“

Myle lifted her head as if she was listening attentively.

You could feel your cheeks heating up: “She was getting cold so I warmed her…“

“That’s sweet of you. You like milk and sugar with your coffee, right?”, Beth smiled and pushed a cup of coffee towards you.

You gratefully reached for it, wrapping your hands around the warm drink. “I do. How did you get that?”

“I was hoping for the best. It was either that or black coffee.“, Beth laughed as she took the chair next to yours.

You sipped on your coffee and smiled: “Not bad.“

“Oh, so she can smile!”, Beth exclaimed happily.

You grimaced, slightly embarrassed.

"This is your and Myles' achievement, Beth.”, Vivianne told her girlfriend.

Beth laughed again and you had to admit, you could actually get used to that sound. “I think Myle deserved the majority of the credit.“

“She’s just so cute.“, you mumbled as you looked down at the puppy on your lap.

“Yes, she is.“, Beth agreed, her eyes wandering from Myle to your face.

There was something intense in her gaze and it made you immediately feel insecure, the blush creeping back into your cheeks, so you set the little dog down and got up from your seat, indicating that you would like to continue your walk. “Let’s go.“

Even though you were in London for almost a week now, you still preferred to run your laps away from others in training. You couldn’t focus on yourself when everyone kept talking. Besides, you didn’t care much for the gossip anyway that was so willingly shared during the warm-up.

As you ran by yourself, you didn’t hear any of the conversation Beth was having with her teammates on the other side of the pitch.

“Wait, are you serious, Beth? Are you still talking about her over here.“, Leah asked as she jogged alongside her teammate. She subtly nodded in your general direction.

“Leah! Of course I’m talking about her. She’s such a sweetheart once you get to know her.“

“One could think you’ve a crush on her, Beffy.”, Steph teased the friend grinning.

“I mean.”, the English forward run her free hand nervously through her blonde hair.

“Stephs not wrong here.”, Alessia commented with a cheeky smile.

“She’s kind of cute, don’t you think?”, Beth turned her head to look at her girlfriend, searching for the confirmation she needed.

“No, I do.”, Viv agreed.

“Well, this is going to be interesting.”, Kim remarked with a meaningful glance toward the couple.

The piece of their talk you did hear left you almost speechless.  “Wait, what?”, you interrupted them stunned.

“Oh, y/n.”, Beth sighed softly.

“I forgot my cleats I’ll be right back.”, you lied, you were desperate to get out of this uncomfortable situation as quick as possible.

“Shit.”, the Dutch forward cursed under her breath. There was a mutual understanding between Viv and her lover that didn’t need words, so they quietly followed you into the changing room.

“Y/n? If you feel more at ease not living at our home your place is ready.”, the younger of the two offered heavy heartedly.  

“Yeah, I’ll move out.”, you decided unable to look into their sad eyes.

“Sorry, for our teammates talk from earlier.”, Beth apologized biting her lip guiltily.

“Beth, Viv, stop.”, you demanded.

“We’ll leave.”, Viv nodded.

“No, I want to tell you something,. I like you two .. like a lot.”, you confessed it took all your bravery to say these words out loud.

You know your looks could be misleading, they made you appear tough: your muscles and tattoos were like your armour against a world which hasn’t always treated you with the kindness you and everyone really deserved.

But you were tired of being alone and the two women showed you a way to break out of the loneliness.

“We like you two.”, the Dutch woman assured you earnestly.

“Y/n, what are you trying to say?”, the blonde asked confused by the turn this discussion took.

“I don’t know what I’m trying to say, that’s the problem.”, you admitted.

“That’s okay.”, Beth replied.

“I guess thanks for everything. I’ll get my stuff later.”, you smiled sadly at them.

“Actually, Viv paused a second before continuing, you could stay with us.”

“Really? To be honest I’d like to stay at your home.”, you looked up surprised.

“Our home.”, Viv corrected you as Beth pulled you into a tight group hug.

“We got to keep her.”, the blonde hummed happily.

“Beth, I’m not Myle!”, you protested.

“No, but you’re just as cute.”, she answered giving you a kiss to your cheek which immediately turned red.

Despite the banter these two and the dog were the closet thing you had to call home.

[boydepartment]

nishimura riki boyfriend playlist °‧ 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 ·｡

10 songs- 10 scenarios :) - masterlist - fluff & angst sorry

⋆˙⟡ apple cider- beabadoobee

જ⁀➴ you didn’t know he was an idol at all. he was touring your city and you knew of the group. you actually WANTED to go but fuck hybe and their ticketing amiright up top okay! 🖐️👏 anyways. he walked in a cafe where you were studying and immediately he felt drawn to you. being stupid riki didn’t know what to say so he approached you and asked you to help him order. you thought it was weird but who were you to turn down helping someone with pretty eyes and cool earrings?

⋆˙⟡ do you believe in magic- the lovin’ spoonful

જ⁀➴ riki can’t believe that he bagged you. obviously he has an ego he’s a teenage boy. but when HE bagged YOU. you agreed to go on a date with him without knowing he was an idol at first, oh he was bouncing off the walls. he wondered if magic really was real

⋆˙⟡ kiss me- sixpence none the richer

જ⁀➴ you and riki have a very uplifting relationship for the most part. obviously there’s ups and downs and issues, but whenever you’re both stressed just taking in eachother is enough to end the day. small kisses on the cheek, lips, hands, are very common between you two.

⋆˙⟡ i don’t smoke- mitski

જ⁀➴ rough patches. you’re both young (hopefully you’re BOTH young. (¬_¬) you AND him are YOUNG and you’re NOT over the legal drinking age in america while he’s 18) so there’s going to be flare ups in the relationship where he gets snappy and kinda mean. riki is only human and he apologizes right after, but he’s human and shit happens. you’re understanding and you have your moments too where you’re tired of life and snap at him aswell. the important thing is, you try for eachother and you try for yourselves.

⋆˙⟡ come and get your love- redbone

જ⁀➴ whenever you visit him in korea, it ends in a lot of late night time in the kitchen or living room. holding back laughter and tiptoeing everywhere is so funny to you both. trying to dance in the kitchen while accidentally falling over and making a HUGE crash has definitely happened.

⋆˙⟡ somewhere in neverland- all time low

જ⁀➴ you guys go out late a lot. when you vacation to him or he vacations to you on the rare occasion, you both kinda become nocturnal temporarily. when you guys walk around at night you don’t have to worry. riki doesn’t bother wearing a privacy mask and he can relax. he wishes everyday could be like this sometimes. riki would never tell you that though, that he wishes he could freeze time during your late night walks to the store.

⋆˙⟡ melty love- shazna

જ⁀➴ riki likes to spin you. that sounds so random and stupid but he thinks it’s funny. if you wear a nice outfit and are insecure about it he will grab your hand and spin you. hyping you up. it’s almost embarrassing how he hypes you up so it makes you feel better because hearing “OH YEAH!” “YEAH!” “OOOO SLAAAY” “OOOOO!!!” “💪💪💪” “YOU ATE!” from your boyfriend is way more embarrassing than the outfit you’re wearing.

⋆˙⟡ アイワナビー - stance punks

જ⁀➴ sometimes he gets upset he can’t be the boyfriend he wants to be. you have no issue with him being busy, or let alone in a different country more than half the time. it didn’t upset you or even offend you. but it offends riki, it upsets him. you’ll send him those cute relationship trends (on melancholy hill - gorillaz COUGH COUGH) and be like “omg let’s do this when you visit/i visit :) “ and as much as he loves the sentiment sometimes he gets upset he can’t do the trend with you NOW.

⋆˙⟡ cupid - fifty fifty

જ⁀➴ goofy coded bf. the second the relationship got to the point where he didn’t have to “act cool” anymore… dude this mf is WEEEEIRRD…. not in an unsettling way though. more in a “is that my shirt? are you wearing my shirt?” “yeah does it look good on me?” while being completely serious

⋆˙⟡ pretty boy - the neighborhood

જ⁀➴early mornings are both your favorites. especially when the other one is still asleep. you both WOULD NEVER admit this to the other one either but, you both have this habit where if you wake up first as cliche and stupid as it is, you’ll admire the other one. trying to memorize features. bumps, acne, smile and frown lines, sun kisses, etc.

⟡ extra- seasons - wave to earth

➴ depending how long you two are together, watching him grow and being his biggest cheerleader is one of your favorite things of just being around him in general. watching him grow as an idol and getting to be proud of him makes the hardships worth it to you.

i was gonna add another extra but i’m gatekeeping… that’s my song for him i am not sharing sorry 🙅‍♂️🙅‍♂️🙅‍♂️

[the-s1lly-corner]

Hi! Just found your bog and I really like how you write Tim/Masky. So could I request Tim/Masky and EJ with a very caring reader, reader is mother hen-ish and gets worried about them not taking care of themselves while reader themselves doesn’t take care of themselves much either. Hope that makers sense, have a great day!

Tim/Masky and Eyeless Jack x mother hen!reader but they're a hypocrite

Giving tim and masky separate parts since I do write them just sliiiiiiightly different to each other !! Glad to hear you like my silly lil take on this dude! Was/is definitely hard to get him down while trying to appease two fandoms 😭😭

MASKY

He wont exactly stop you from treating any of his wounds when he comes home, but hes not going to be thrilled. The only time he would seek out your help is if he cant reach it. Very stubborn, while yes hes not trying to go out of his way to get hurt hes not going to be making sure hes staying totally safe when hes out doing his.. thing.. oh if you could only see his face when he sees you not drinking your water after you hound him for not staying hydrated.. he might actually try to force you to drink or get a snack. When it comes to sleep he physically holds you to him in bed.. he might not be tired himself but if this is the only way you'll get to bed then so be it

TIM

Hes a little more accepting of help than his counterpart, though its mostly out of confusion as he doesnt know where his wounds come from. Actually he can't really remember the night prior.. assuming you're unaware of everything going on with him, you just try to patch him up. Thankfully it's not usually anything more than small cuts and scrapes. Sometimes theres bruises.. moving on tim can also be a bit of hypocrite like you. He insists you take care of yourself but he forgets to apply the same standard to him.. it's not that he intentionally is holding a double standard, he just genuinely either forgets or doesnt have the energy. Mental illness can do that to someone and it sucks. But it can be turned into you both trying to do better for each other, and it sort of becomes a system.. that'd be sweet, I think, you both uplift each other over time

EYELESS JACK

All things considered, hes fairly good at taking care of himself. Granted, there will be real consequences if he doesnt.. for him and you.. so he cant take many chances. Look, missing a meal when you're a man eating demon who goes rabid when hungry is.. not the best. He doesn't want to take any chances, so even if it mentally messes with him to eat his food he still toughs it out because it's better that the alternative. I guess theres a plus that he technically doesnt need to sleep to function.. semi good enough. Actually if anything hes the one scolding you for not taking care of yourself. Being the one being looked after.. feels weird to jack..

[hsgucci94]

Haircuts and ripped pants

Word count: 1,2k

Content warning: cheesiness and fluff that is good for the soul <33

A/N: was meant to post this one like ages ago (iykyk) but complete forgot, so now that we’re all missing him on stage every night (🥹) seems like a good time to share it with you all. Hope you like it! x

masterlist

“Okay, close your eyes,” Harry spoke on the other side of the slightly open door, where he was waiting for you to cover your face so that he could properly see your reaction once he stood in front of you.

“They’re closed,” you informed him a second later, with the heels of your hands pressed against your eyelids so that he could not accuse you of peeking through your fingers like last time, when he was trying his Venice Film Festival red carpet final outfit on and he didn’t want you to see him until he had added the final touches.

As soon as he heard your words, he took a few step forward and entered his tour dressing room, walking around the small space to the couch where you were sat. He positioned himself opposite to you, kneeling a bit so that his face was at the same height as yours, and you couldn’t help but bite your lower lip in anticipation the moment you noticed his presence so close.

You felt his hands resting on your knees almost right away. He gave them a squeeze as he said: "You can open them now."

Behind that uplifted tone you could still perceive a bit of nervousness; he was unsure if you’d like his new haircut.

Every since Love On Tour started last year, you repeatedly told him how much you liked the way his curls were growing out, making him look more boyish and cuddly. But now that his hair was getting pretty long and the only way to keep it off his eyes and forehead was to put a clip on it, he had made the decision to cut it. Not too much, though, just enough so that his little curls you adored so much weren’t as prominent as before. This way he'd be much more conformable singing and running around the stage without strands of hair constantly bugging him.

When he gave you the green light, you opened your eyes and lifted your face up to find his.

"So? How'd you like it?" He had a nervous smile playing between his lips, looking at you expectantly.

"Did I ever tell you how handsome you are?," you replied instead, ignoring his question.

"Yes, actually," he chuckled at your words, moving his gaze away from yours and tilting his face to the side a bit, hiding the way his cheeks were starting to blush, "You do that at least once a week."

"Good, then I hope you know I won't ever find you any less attractive with a new haircut," you smiled.

"You think I look good, then?"

You cupped his cheeks between your hands and pulled his face to yours, kissing him. "Does that answer your question, Styles?"

"Dunno. Try again?"

You giggled, and pressed your lips together once more, both of you sillily smiling through the kiss.

"Lovebirds, it's time for Mr. Pop Start to get onstage. Sorry!" Jeff knocked on the door and peeked through it a few seconds later. Just like that, you were forced to pull away before things heated up. "Nice haircut, by the way, H."

And he left, leaving the door wide open so that you couldn’t drag it out any longer, as you had tried to do any other day before the show started.

"See? We all like it," you pointed out, smiling at him with an 'obviously' face.

"I don't really care about other's opinions, though. Just yours."

"Keep saying cheesy stuff like that and you'd have to reschedule this show again," you let him know, biting your lower lip afterwards.

"Is that a threat?", he smirked.

"You bet it is," you rose both eyebrows, giving him a open mouthed smile.

"Three minutes to showtime!” Jeff then shouted just around the corner, which made Harry frown his nose in disappointment. He wanted to spend a bit more time with you, maybe even kiss you again while you passed your hands through his freshly cut and styled haircut this time, but his singer duties' were calling.

"Alright, let's go, love," he undid his previous position and stretched his hand out for you to take it. You walked hand in hand down the corridor until you had no other choice but to part ways; you were watching him from the pit, while he needed to get under the stage to make his immaculate entrance.

"Bye, handsome," you turned your face to his one last time, starting to walk backwards.

Before you could remove your hand from his grip, he pulled you to him, pecking your lips in a sweet, tender way. "Later, gorgeous."

The crowd was roaring and chanting for him the moment you walked into the insides of the Kia Forum, unknowingly stopping a few steps away from where Jeff was, until you spotted him waving in your direction for you to approach him so that you two could watch the show together.

Meanwhile, Harry was already inside the trapdoor that'd get him directly onstage, but waited patiently a couple more minutes just so he knew for sure you were already settled and ready to watch him perform. As soon as the first notes to “Daydreaming” started playing, the whole place went crazy, screaming and pointing their cameras to the stage awaiting for Harry to come out from his little hiding place. And he did eventually, starting to sing the lyrics while he danced and jumped, spreading his good energy all around.

As per usual, he had this cheeky mania of approaching you wherever you were in the crowd to sing that one verse after the bridge to you, the one that went exactly like So give me all of your love, give me something to dream about...

"Let’s go L.A.!," he shouted, coming even closer to your side and kneeling in front of you, not knowing such posture would cause his pants to rip instantly. You bursted out laugh at the scene in front of you as you watched him mouth to himself a big "Fuck!" when he felt exactly what had happened, before he walked away as quickly as he could to try to find something to cover himself up.

A pride flag; that would work until he could go backstage and fix his outfit. Even from the other side of the stage he always knew where to spot you, so his eyes found yours the moment he turned around, allowing you to read his face as he tied the piece of fabric around his waist.

It was a mix of fear and embarrassment.

You weren’t sure if he'd be able to read your lips from that distance, but still managed to mouth a: "I thought it was my job to tear them up later tonight?", in an attempt to ease him, but also wanting to mess with him a little bit, hoping he'd take that unexpected turn of events in a more cheerful way.

After all, it hadn’t been his fault.

And it worked; his face lighted up almost instantly. "Oh, you naughty girl. Watch it," he replied, pointing his index finger at you as he laughed and shook his head, his mind already going wild.

How was he supposed to focus now? For the rest of the show he could only have one thing in mind: the time you two would spend under the covers as soon as he got off stage that night.

You were definitely going to give him something to dream about…

Please, like & share if you liked it? it’ll help so much 🥺✨ x

full masterlist

[takenbypeter]

Hiii i love ur writing!!!

I was wondering if you could write a young Kurt Wagner x fem!reader hc or fic about kurt liking the reader who is really cool and funny and he thinks shes way out of his league, it doesnt help that some of the more extroverted students are always flirting, and he doesnt get how it comes so naturally to them. Anyways he's lowkey jealous and insecure (esspecially bc he looks so different compared to her and the other students) and oblivious to the fact that the reader only has eyes for him!! Angst and fluff are my faves ugh

(+bonus if peter tries to give him advice on how to hit on a girl and its a total trainwreck bc kurt is so obviously not acting like himself and shes lowkey freaked out and trying not to laugh in his face💀)

Stick to the Plan

Kurt Wagner x reader

Words: 1486

Authors note: I totally forgot about the jealousy aspect of this whole thing sorry but I hope you still like it and this is like my first Kurt fic so yayyyy!

Kurt was already easily known as the nervous type around people. Didn’t always know what to say, didn’t want to do the wrong thing.

But with you? He was terrified.

Now he knew you weren’t perfect, no one is. But he was pretty sure you were just about close to it.

You were quite beautiful yet weren’t afraid to wear silly expressions. Your laugh was very infectious that even when he wasn’t a part of the conversation, he could feel his cheeks uplifting at just the sound that he recognized from far away.

Kurt didn’t talk to you much but he did always find himself coincidentally in the same area as you. He found it quite admirable how it seemed like you got along with practically everyone and never let anything get you down.

You could say he had a crush.

He wanted to talk to you, to connect about anything, but like mentioned earlier…he was scared. It also didn’t help that he could tell that he wasn’t the only one who had a thing for you. He knew of at least two other guys who were very obvious in their likings of you. But unlike himself, they actually had the guts to talk to you, you’ve laughed with them, shared jokes.

It also didn’t help that Kurt couldn’t help but feel like he looked like a freak most of the time. The tail, the teeth, the blue, sometimes it was hard for him to believe that people could accept him this way—that you could accept him this way.

Despite what he felt, he believed he kept his feelings well hidden, but that wasn’t exactly the case because a certain speedster had caught on quickly.

Kurt had just watched you leave the small group that you had been chatting with, you just about stepped out of the room when a voice suddenly appeared right beside Kurt’s ear. “So when are you planning on puttin’ the moves on?”

Kurt jumped, shocked at the question, “excuse me?”

“Come on, you’ve been pining for weeks, just make your move already.”

Kurt freezes for a moment, but then grabs the man unexpectedly and disappears as a puff of smoke left behind practically dissolves into air. He teleports the two to Kurt’s own room before releasing the speedster.

“You will keep what you know, only between us,” Kurt insisted but Peter was already nodding. “Don’t worry your secret’s safe with me. I actually wanna help you.”

“You want to help me?” Peter nodded again and Kurt couldn’t stop a scoff from escaping past his lips, “because you’re so good at this type of stuff?” Kurt added, tone more sarcastic than positive.

“Hey at least I can talk to ‘em.”

He’s got a point there.

Despite everything in Kurt telling him not to take Peter’s advice he still hung his head in defeat. “Alright, I will accept your help…but what do you get out of this all?”

It was hard for Kurt to believe that Peter was doing this out of the good of his heart, but Peter shrugged. “Bored,” is all he said before clapping his hands together, “okay let’s get started.”

Kurt should’ve known better than to trust Peter. He taught him strange things that he guaranteed would “woo” anybody’s heart and although it all seemed unlikely, Kurt took each and every one of his advice to heart.

The strange way of talking, the attitude that he should carry, all of it he took in until Peter deemed the blue mutant ready.

It wasn’t until the next day while you were seated in a corner of a busy room that the plan went into action.

You were clearly occupied with your head buried in a graphic novel but your attention got deterred when a body sat directly across from you.

Eyes leaving the pages, you were met with a set of bright yellow eyes taking you by surprise, but you quickly collected yourself.

“Oh hey Kurt,” You were trying your best to conceal your surprise at the sight of the man in front of you, especially since typically it seemed like the boy did his best to avoid you, “what’s up?” You asked, setting your book down in your lap but with your thumb holding your place.

Kurt could already feel himself wanting to duck underneath his shoulders and disappear from your view but he fought every urge to do that.

Fighting his instincts he slumped his shoulders down and leaned back trying his best to look what could possibly be perceived as cool. And in that position he let out a line he’d practiced in the mirror the night before, “something must be wrong with my eyes because I can’t take them off of you.”

Your mouth forms a little oh shape as your eyes widen and your eyebrows lift. Kurt obviously can see how shocked you are by his words and he himself could feel his body getting ready to prepare for the cringe he was beginning to feel, but he pushed through and delivered another line, “hey, you’re pretty and I’m cute. Together we’d be pretty cute.”

Oh God, your expression told him all he needed to know about that one. He instantly regretted that one.

Your face contorted from confused to surprised then half amused before you started cracking up.

You were laughing.

You were laughing at him right to his face.

Kurt pushed his teeth together before muttering, “I’m sorry,” he was about to disappear as it seemed that was the only thing he was good at, but you rested a hand on his shoulder stopping him from doing so.

Once you controlled yourself you let out, “I’m sorry, you think I’m pretty?”

His whole demeanor flipped, his shoulders leaned up, his arms suddenly were in his lap as he brought his hands together in the middle.

He knew he said those words but it felt so strange hearing you repeat the line when he technically hadn’t even confessed his feelings yet.

At Kurt’s silence that’s when you spoke up, “I’m sorry I didn’t mean anything by…that,” you said, referencing to your more than little laugh session, “it was all just…unexpected. This,” you waved a hand in the air motioning towards whatever that display was, “just doesn’t seem like you at all, are you okay?”

He felt the air in his throat hitch as he began to panic about what to say next, should he just confess now? Peter didn’t cover this. Should he just relay back to the things Peter had taught him? But with all this thinking he couldn’t come up with something fast enough and instead finally let out a breath.

“It’s not me.”

“Yeah I know,” you chuckled.

He finally seems to relax for the first time since your interaction began and his eyes drift down to your book still in hand.

“What are you reading there?” he asks and your eyes follow where he was looking. “Oh this? It’s just a murder mystery.”

“How is it? Do you like it?”

“Yeah I love murder mysteries, I love when there’s a twist ending but I also love when it ends in a real cliche way. I’ve actually read this one before but the movie for it just came out so I’m rereading it before going to watch it later this week.”

“I’ve actually read that book before too, it’s pretty good.”

“Right?”

“I didn’t know there was a film for it,” Kurt truly meant nothing by that statement, if anything it was more just a way to continue the conversation with you.

“Yeah…did you want to watch it together?”

There was nothing on earth that could’ve predicted this moment for him. He truly had to take a moment, and when he finally came to he just nodded, shock still written on his face. You mirrored his nodding with a smile, “great, it can be a date.”

“A date?”

“Yeah, and you can continue telling me how pretty I am.”

Again he seemed to still be in a daze, “yeah…wait what?”

With that you packed your things and stood up from your spot, “okay I have to head somewhere now but we’ll make plans later, but um, I’ll see you later?”

He blinked a couple times coming out of the trance you seemed to put him under, “yeah.”

“I’ll see you,” you added, taking steps backwards as you exited the room.

“See you.”

“Okay—sorry,” you said to the chair you had accidentally bumped into while you were walking backwards and with that you gave a last wave before finally turning around.

As soon as you left the room in came Peter who surprisingly actually wasn’t listening.

“How’d that go? Did you make your move?”

“…yeah,” Kurt responded eyes stuck to where you last waved to him.

“Did you get a date?”

“Yeah.”

“Is that the only word you know right now?”

“Yeah.”

[reasonsforhope]

One of the things that I really appreciate about this blog is that now, every now and then, when I hear about some new awful thing in the world, it will be in the context of "and this is what people are doing to fight it". That's so much less paralyzing.

(If you have any sources to recommend for experiencing more of that, me and my mental health would be further indebted.)

Ahhh, I forgot about this message, sorry! Been a hectic couple of months.

I absolutely have more sources!

One of the biggest is the media collaboration The Solutions Journalism Network, which focuses on just that: closing the massive gap between people reporting on problems and people reporting solutions.

I have a giant bookmark list of sources for this blog, for good news stories and hope, so here's a bunch of links! Roughly in order of how good I think they are (in terms of size of stories, previously uncovered stories, good editorial standards, accuracy, detail, number of stories, etc. etc.)

We're gonna start with the ones that do good news ONLY, because sometimes you fucking need that, and then below I'll link some excellent sources that have a higher than average number of quality pieces on good news, even though they also publish other stuff too.

Good and hopeful news sources:

Future Crunch - If you only read one of these sites, read this one!!! It's a MASSIVE biweekly roundup of international good news stories with really high quality reporting--a lot of UN and WHO and major NGO reports as their sources. I cry from hope at LEAST 30% of the times I read this, and tbh it used to be like 100%, about a year ago when I started realizing that hope for the planet and for humanity was something that was REASONABLE TO HAVE.

Reasons to Be Cheerful - Fewer stories, but FANTASTIC quality of reporting, especially on fantastic local stories, many of them in international communities, that you've definitely never heard of before

Positive.News - Good coverage and especially roundups, mostly Europe-focused.

Good News Network - This one is awesome for the high number and approachability of its stories, but unfortunately also includes more "That's not news that's just a heartwarming anecdote" and "That's not good news it's actually dystopian" pieces than I'd like.

Jane Goodall's Good For All News - Really awesome focus on international issues, a lot of news from Africa, a lot of news about youth organizers and youth-led projects, and a lot of focus on how helping the environment and helping communities are inextricably connected. Yall Jane Goodall is doing SO MUCH amazing work out there even at her age, and most people also have no idea.

Good Black News - Mostly posts on music and entertainment, and doesn't post all that often, but they're great.

Good Good Good

The Good News Hub

Only Good News Daily

( ) for Tomorrow - Directory of grassroots solutions to all types of issues and "proof that no solution is too small to have an impact"

A Plus - Dedicated to uplifting stories in video form. I'm sure they're awesome, I just don't rly use them bc videos can set off my sensory issues

The Happy Broadcast - Illustrated good news tidbits! I haven't been using them much but it looks like they've (recently?) added more text and sources to each image, so I might change that. Illustrations are pretty cute tbh

Sources that publish a lot of good news, but also other not good stuff:

Euronews.Green - Environmental section of European news org

Yes! Magazine - Excellent solutions-focused journalism, excellent focus on BIPOC content and underrepresented communities

TheMayor.EU - EU-focused, discusses a lot of good projects and cool local developments/programs

Grist - Solutions journalism, fantastic corage especially on environmental issues

Mongabay - Billed as "News & Inspiration from Nature's Frontline," they are amazing and have some of the best goddamn reporting I've ever seen. They mean "frontline" very literally: there's a TON of pieces about and by and interviewing communities on the front lines of environmental conflict, especially developing nations and Indigenous communities world wide. That said there's also a lot of bad news on nature's frontline still, while they report a lot of amazing and powerful good news, make sure you're in a resilient mood when you visit this site, because some of the stories are also pretty upsetting.

Indian Country Today and Native News Online - two of the leading news orgs for Indigenous communities in the United States. Kind of like Mongabay in that they have a lot of good news stories from Indigenous communities that often no one else is reporting on, but also plenty of coverage of things that are definitely not good, so better to read when you're in a resilient mood.

If you have any good news sites/sources you'd like to add, please drop them in the replies or comments! I'm always looking for new good news sources (though I def don't always have time to use all of them, rip!). Plus, let's support these sites by giving them some traffic!

We could all use more ways to get some more good news.

[albeitinzane]

sooo i'm watching james somerton's apology video (an unlisted reupload because i do not want to give him money!) and i'm only 2:31/43:01 in but i already have so many thoughts about how manipulatively worded this video is so i thought i'd make a blog post about it, maybe see what some other people thought.

james tries to frame himself as a wellmeaning, albiet privledged, white cis gay man. he tries to say that he was trying to be a voice for the queer community because he wanted to uplift more marginalized members of the queer community. i think this is inherently false.

the way james repeatedly presented himself to his audience was that he was the only person talking about the issues he was discussing (while stealing other people's words, but we'll come back to that in a second). he literally said "people thought i was crazy until i explained it and then they came around to seeing it my way" (maybe he didn't say it exactly that way, i'm paraphrasing, but you get my point). him trying to say that this is not what he did is so obviously untrue. he DID do that. multiple times. he propped himself up as the only gay creator talking about the issues he discussed, and rarely promoted other queer content creators. if he wanted to be a spokesperson for the queer community, he would have at least mentioned other queer people who talked about issues he found important, rather than just stealing their content and reposting it as his own. it's disingenuous to call himself a spokesperson when he never highlighted the people he was supposedly speaking for.

it wouldn't be bad, per se, if james was actually trying to be a spokesperson for the queer community, though i think that even if that motivation were true, it'd still be misguiding. while allyship from more privileged members of the community is important, it feels like a bit of a white savior complex for him to claim that he wanted to be a spokesperson for the queer community. plenty of other people are much more qualified to be spokespeople for the queer community, and i personally think that if the queer community did have a spokesperson, it would make more sense for them to be a black trans woman instead of a cis white gay man.

and back to the stealing part. if you wanted to be a spokesperson for a community, you'd respect them. you'd credit their work. you'd make it clear where you were quoting them, and you'd promote their content, not just the content you're citing or borrowing from, but other things that they create that you find meaningful or interesting. james never did this. if someone made an intelligent article about queerness in media, he wouldn't promote it. he'd steal it, and use it along with some stock footage with an intro he bought to make a video where the only acknowledgement the article would receive is a vague "based on" credit, assuming they'd get anything at all.

so, no. i don't believe james is telling the truth. he had many opportunities to come clean. he was called out before, and instead of being honest, he chose to lie. and i hope that the best job that he can find in the future is being a fry cook at burger king, where he can experience just a tiny taste of the exploitation that he utilized to make thousands of dollars off of small queer writers.

[jabberwockprince]

ITS ME AGAIN, EXCEPT I DONT HAVE ENERGY FOR A FULL PIECE BUT!!! THIS EXTREMELY GOOD ADDITION ON THE HANAHAKI DISEASE DISCUSSION BY @instantartific INSPIRED ME TO DRAW!!!

as much as i love to bully rin with existential crisis and shit, i still think he'd be the last one to break down - but the first one??? to fall out of line??? to me its definitely eloni

as usual, me rambling under the cut!!

right off the bat, i do like to think a lot about how eloni sees himself as the weakest link of 1010 - entirely because he gets less fans. their entire existence revolves around entertaining, so if he cant even do that, then what's the purpose of him being around and all? its a very unfair way to live but it's not like they were even supposed to have opinions about it. and that's the beginning of his downfall. the fact that his popularity is affecting him on an emotional level when it shouldnt even be a THING. he already feels outdated, defective and more!!!

i also think that eloni is torn between the fear of being caught and the need to be seen. like, this is something brand new that's happening to him. he's an anomaly and one of a kind BECAUSE of these feelings. to a guy who rarely gets the chance to shine???? IMAGINE. IMAGINE WHAT THAT WOULD DO TO HIS ALREADY CRUMBLING IMAGE

like come on guys. there's a reason eloni is always paired up with haym. they're very cute together as a fun duo with fun dynamics, but in boybands, there's always that one guy who only serves to uplift others.

something something, sentience and self-awareness are a nightmare, it sucks that there's no one you can trust wholeheartedly (nym put this into cooler words, go read the linked post! go go go!) and the second you deviate, there's the immediate threat of being reset. all of you? gone. BUT THERE'S ALSO. THE POTENTIAL OF STANDING OUT

yes. he gets little sprouts and vines instead of specific flowers to really emphasize how much of a weak persona eloni believes he has. even if he's found out, it won't be grand. it will be a relief to him (or so he thinks) but he's certainly not going out with a bang. also the green plants blending in with his own designated color? there's another metaphor in there, i just cant put it into words!! small inconspicuous little things that amount to something extremely dangerous and painful!!!!

i imagine eloni sees this hanahaki disease as catharsis, since there's no way he could've ever voiced his feelings, the only way for him to be noticed is through an external force that's extremely hard to ignore. its eating him up from inside out, but in his eyes, it's fine because it gives the world an excuse to look at him

and in the event of yinu's mama straight up outing eloni to neon j or the others, i also think he'd have the most tame, accepting reaction to it? or like, not necessarily accepting, actually but resigned. part of him was anxiously waiting for it to happen, while also dreading this very moment

on the subject of the plant itself and how it coexists with eloni, i think that his vines and sprouts are very small very thin but that they're the most constricting things ever. like, they get EVERYWHERE in his joints. in every crevice and space available. whereas purlhew might instead just have an ungodly and suffocating amount of blue flowers located entirely in his chest cavity until he bursts. or haym might have very localized sprouts and blooms that just. pop. as if attuned to every feeling he's trying to repress. i dont know what zimelu has, but it needs thorns. and rin? well. WELL <3. ITS A POISONOUS PLANT FOR SURE <333

[indignantlemur]

what is your headcanon on the first agreement the andorians made with the Vulcans and what do you think it was that conflicted with the andorians interests?

Oooh, this is a good one! Also, hello! <3

So, to set the stage:

Based on inference and observation I think we can say that Andorians and Vulcans are at a similar stage, technologically speaking, during ST: ENT. Something about that makes me think that theirs isn't a case of Andorians being uplifted by Vulcans the way Humans were, but more of a parallel development sort of thing. (In fact, I'd wager Vulcans took the approach they did with Humans because of their experiences with Andorians.)

Historically speaking, Andorians had their first contact with Orions, which did not endear them to the idea of friendly aliens. In fact, that whole debacle nearly ended in a planetary invasion and the widescale enslavement of Andoria and was only thwarted at great cost. After that culture shock, Andorians approached relations with other aliens expecting everything to be either transactional or predatory, and they were largely determined to get the better half of the deal regardless of which it ended up being.

Vulcans, meanwhile, were understandably wary of a highly militant species which, to their observations, had a long history of paranoia and xenophobia and highly territorial behaviours. For my headcanons, at least, Vulcans went into their first contact with Andorians hopeful to establish friendly relations but realistically expecting Andorians to try to control the dynamic to their benefit. Thus, when the Vulcans opted to withhold certain technologies which they felt the Andorians would misuse or turn against Vulcan and its people, it only confirmed to the Andorians that the Vulcans were not only hiding something but actively planning to keep Andorians inferior to Vulcans despite what their diplomats promised.

A Territorial Compromise was established between Vulcan and Andoria when it became apparent that the two species would not be forming a firm alliance.

From there, relations fell through very quickly.

While it could have been any kind of agreement or accord that ultimately sent the whole thing tumbling down like a house of cards, I personally like to think it had something to do with the borders between Vulcan and Andorian space.

For my headcanon, because I like to tie my lore into the canon lore as much as possible, it was the establishment of the Weytahn colony that sparked the whole conflict.

While Vulcans have a different remembrance of the events that led up to the occupation of what they would call Paan Mokar, the Andorians actually did want to launch an experiment with terraforming technology on a small, out of the way planetoid to see if it was a viable approach to colonization. It's entirely possible that they chose Weytahn because it was small and relatively worthless in terms of resources, and thus not a huge loss of the project failed. True, it was close to the border they shared with Vulcans, but even the Vulcans had no interest in Weytahn and it was within Andorian space according to the Territorial Compromise. Besides, if the colony was successful, well, it would be in a prime location to guard against Vulcan incursions into Andorian space, which certainly made the location appealing - and naturally any Andorian colony needs to be defensible and able to protect itself. History had taught the Andorians to expect conflict, after all. Installing military equipment and planetary defenses was perfectly reasonable.

The Vulcans meanwhile, were determined to find a logical reason for the otherwise senseless placement of such a colony. In particular, they were mindful of the Andorians' aggressive and paranoid tendencies and through that lens they concluded that the only value the planetoid had was as a possible launch site for military operations. Its location would be ideal for covert military operations especially, given its proximity to Vulcan. Vulcan authorities requested (read: demanded) to inspect the colony, to determine that it was not in fact a military operation under the guise of colonization.

The Andorians took this request exceptionally poorly. Vulcan and Andoria had already hashed out the Territorial Compromise - it was a done deal, already bought and paid for. Vulcans had no right to go about inspecting Andorian colonies, if that was even what they actually planned to do once they had boots on the ground. The very suggestion was offensive, and it gave the impression that the Vulcans believed they had some kind of superiority over Andorians, that they could come and go as they pleased and inspect whatever they liked. Meanwhile, the more the Andorians refused, the more suspicious the Vulcans became. The more suspicious the Vulcans were, the more offended and angry the Andorians became. The angrier the Andorians were, the more certain the Vulcans were that they were right, that Weytahn was a military outpost.

Weytahn was overtaken (though that's not the word the Vulcans use) and the colonists were removed from the planetoid by force.

In the end, things were said, threats were made, and the lines of communication broke down spectacularly. What followed was roughly a century of aggression and conflict which always stopped just short of all out war, but only barely. A treaty (the Vulcan-Andorian Treaty of 2097) was made in an attempt to stall further conflicts over Weytahn/Paan Mokar, but ultimately the treaty was regarded as worth less than what it was written on by both sides by the time ST: ENT rolled around.

[dwtsfun]

Dancing with the Stars Season 33 Week 2: Sending Off an Ingrate and a Shocker

Work is still awful, but I need to come on here to talk to you all about the show this week. A lot happened and we need to discuss. I'm gonna rank the stars based on my enjoyment of each performance (mostly) combined with how I feel they may fare with votes. But before that, let's address the elephant in the room. That elimination. So first of all, I was SHOCKED to see Tori Spelling out in the first week. Was she amazing? No. But I think she did enough to cement a third week. I guess I underestimated the fact that she seems to be really disliked. Because between being a part of Beverly Hills 90210, being the daughter of Aaron Spelling and being constantly talked about for decades at this point, I thought she was gonna be around til week 5 at least. Y'all know it takes a lot to shock me with regard to this show. The double did her in and that's why I always hate double eliminations in week 1. It always takes out one person that maybe needs a little more time to get going. As for Anna? Well it was expected. What I wasn't expecting was her parting words. I feel for Ezra mostly, because that man was riding for her since the day he met her. He took amazing care of her and I know it was hard for him to see the heat she was taking. And you're telling me she couldn't even thank him for showing her that she was more than her crime. Or CAI who tried uplifting the past two weeks? What a waste. Even I didn't go in like I could've and really wanted to because I think people deserve a second chance after committing certain crimes (not drugging, murder, sexual assault, trafficking and your third time physically assaulting someone).She played in all of our faces. You know who I don't feel bad for? Conrad and the rest of the producers for DWTS. I said on twitter, "play stupid games, win stupid fucking prizes". She got on that show, on that platform that y'all gave her and bent over backwards to make it work for her, just for her to spit in your faces and tell y'all that y'all ain't shit, ain't been shit and will never be shit. And honestly, that's the one positive thing I can take from her response. Showing them that they are fools for casting her was great. Hate that this show has fallen so far that someone can say that and the show deserves it. Alright, let's get into these couples:

Top Four

Chandler and Brandon might be my favorite partnership in quite some time. They work well together. Chandler is an incredible dancer with the most gorgeous movement quality. And Brandon is creating some great dances. That was a beautiful rumba. I want them to go far. I think they can go far. I don't want another Tinashe situation to happen. But so far, they are doing exactly what they need to do.

Stephen and Rylee are super fun to watch together. They mesh well and Rylee is definitely choreographing some good numbers that showcase Stephen extremely well. I have a concern though. Stephen is a very awkward mover. That was super obvious in this paso. His hips and shaping looked strange. His footwork made me scratch my head. It was a little strange. His timing is still a bit off. He's got a lot of potential, but they really need to work on finetuning these dances. I can see this being a bigger problem in the more fluid Latin dances and the Argentine tango.

Ilona and Alan are just so much fun. I'm glad Ilona let her guard down a bit more this week. She wasn't moving as small in this salsa and really settled into and owned her sexy more. I love that Alan added a couple of lifts for her as it may have helped her feel more comfortable. She has a ton of potential too and I'm super excited to see their dances once she really lets loose. I actually feel like she might shine in a ballroom dance. I know they have that coming up next.

Dwight and Daniella actually did a great job with the foxtrot. Dwight really really wants to do well and you can tell. He is paying so much attention to the details. He connects his moves. He finishes his lines. And he really handles Daniella with so much care. Two things though. I know that the height difference definitely affects this, but he's gotta work on tucking his butt under him. Second is the footwork needs to be cleaned up.

Middle of the Pack

Joey and Jenna made a believer out of me this week. He is definitely one to watch for sure. He is charming. He seems to be a fast learner. He has great movement quality, especially for a man this early on in the competition. He's still gotta work on his hip action. It isn't natural. Once he get that figured out, I'm a little scared about how good those Latin dances will be. Because this rumba was really really nice.

Danny and Witney are my dark horses of the season. Danny is light on his feet and he stays on time (mostly). Witney is doing great choreography and his technique in this jive was great. I still want him to loosen up more, but I can tell that he made a big shift from week 1 to week 2 in comfortability and confidence. These two, as well as the 5 above them, have me super excited for this season. I can't remember the last time I was this genuinely excited for 6 different couples in one season.

Phaedra and Val are interesting to me. I don't think Phaedra is very good. And I don't think Val is choreographing to her dance strengths that well. That section of their foxtrot that was super fast exposed A LOT of Phaedra's technical setbacks. She was super hoppy. That said, I like their partnership. Phaedra is a larger than life personality, so she makes up for the lack of ability with her performance. I want Val to slow things down though. I think that would better suit her at this point.

Jenn and Sasha are an interesting couple. While Jenn handled some of the production issues like a pro, some of the choreographic choices were a choice. I do not understand why there was a cartwheel thrown into this dance. Or jumps and side by side choreography? I'm cool with that stuff being thrown into quicksteps, but a tango? Why? And why are we using these types of songs for tangos while we're at it? There are so many movies that have been nominated for Oscars that have actual tango music in them. Moulin Rouge comes to mind immediately. I feel like that could've forced Sasha to not make stupid choreography decisions. So this is what I'm going to say. Jenn is a good dancer. A lot of her undoing and early departure (because I'm feeling a "shocking" elimination from her) will be due to his choreography. Because again, why?

Bottom Three

So I'm just going to make this easy for these three. Eric and Reginald are both terrible. There's really not much that either Britt or Emma can do for either one of them at this point. They really won't get all that much better, if at all. In fact, I can see both of them getting worse as the season goes on. The one thing I can say is that they both improved this week.

Brooks and Gleb are interesting. Brooks is good. But that quickstep was not it and Gleb is relying way too much on this STUPID SHOWMANCE that they keep trying to shove down our throats. We're TIRED! It sickens me to my core. The fact that Derek clocked that they did a tango hold instead of the correct hold lets me know exactly where his priorities are. So I say that it's time for us to take a stand. We have to stand against showmances on this show. We gotta let these folks know that we are TIRED. We are not stupid. You cannot play us for fools. I'm ready for them to GO!

So that's it. No show this week. Two shows next Monday and Tuesday. Let me know your thoughts and I will talk to you all soon.

[verysium]

ive always imagined mrs itoshi to be a really energetic woman. you know those middle aged women that are just so youthful, you can feel her energy and aura when she's in the room. and she would definitely love saes gf. because sae has a personality totally opposite to hers but after committing to a relationship he learns a lot from you and you encourage him to to strengthen his family bonds. she would LOVE spending time with you, talk to you about fashion and gossip. she'd call you her daughter in lawww omg shut up i love her

🥲 *cries in heavily dysfunctional mommy issues* when will it finally be my turn to experience the kind and loving touch of a middle-aged woman? sae better treasure his mama or else i'm gonna steal her from him when he's not looking.

on a more realistic note, i do think mama itoshi would be the type of person who simply doesn't age. there is something irrevocably uplifting and youthful about her, and i think that has a lot to do with the adversity she's faced throughout her lifetime both as a woman and a mother. even though she's soft-spoken, she is firm and headstrong. definitely knows what she wants. she always tells sae that the strongest people are the ones who smile, no matter what life puts them through. (obviously, that lesson flew right over sae's head cus he looks perpetually depressed but whatever...)

i honestly don't think sae has a strong attachment with either parent, but he isn't averse to them either. it's the small things that you pick up about him. how he never lets anyone touch him but stays still when his mother to brush his bangs back. how he never buys those expensive lunch meals during practice because he prefers his mother's homemade bentos. how he doesn't like to show unnecessary emotion but cracks a small smile at his mama's kitchen antics.

idk if it's just me, but i also feel like his mother was the stricter of the two parents. both sae and rin were forced to become self-sufficient from a young age. walked themselves to practice. bought snacks with their own allowance. sae even took a train ride to tokyo by himself to find a representative agent. not saying their parents weren't supportive, but they definitely weren't a constant presence either.

i think what sae needs is time. time to process his youth and to reconcile with his family (both his parents and brother ofc). i feel like he went through a lot of parentification, and undoing that will require a lot of patience. this would probably happen in his late twenties to late thirties, once he's well-established or even retired from football. with so much time on his hands, he has nothing to do but reflect. emotionally mature sae will be very different from current sae.

mama itoshi does welcome you kindly. mostly because none of the itoshis ever fathomed sae getting involved with someone seriously. i just know she has good skincare, so you two probably have girls-only nights where you two do nothing except watch TV dramas and wear face masks. i don't think she's particularly physically affectionate, but she does show her love through cooking. always pinches your cheek fat and tells you that you aren't eating enough (typical asian parent thing to do lmao.) also cuts up random fruits and places it beside your desk lamp while you're working.

i feel like sae has a bit of a hard time coming to terms with the way you assimilate into his family. he already feels like a stranger in his own home, but when his mother treats you like her daughter-in-law, it really gets him thinking. can he be normal? is this what it's like to be normal? is it really okay to have this? long story short, he probably has to reason with himself for one thousand and one nights before he decides he's actually going to marry you.

[aheathen-conceivably]

sooo I'm not saying I forgot the arc buttt (😭 oops?)

to dumb it down, what exactly is the issue jo has with everyone else? I get the debt thing, and I don't want to sound like an ass either because she's right 😭 it's just been so long that i forgot most of what happened

(of course, I'll go reread it either way, but a small explanation for a lil neurodivergent darling would be much appreciated :') )

Hi hi, it’s been awhile so that’s understandable. I also tend to throw a lot of info at you all at once so sometimes you just need the threads separated 😜

And listen, Nonny darling, I did try and make it a small explanation. Only alas, the drama runs deep, so we must go under the cut for your regular installment of Ted Talk with a Heathen…

So in essence, we can see the cracks start to form in the 20s. Giorgio had proposed to her multiple times in their years together, including on the last night before he left for a farm he had bought without consulting her (mostly because he knew she would never agree to this vision he had for himself, and he seemingly chose to pursue it on his own). When he left, things ended between them, although she was still unsatisfied in New Orleans. This was mostly because for years she had success managing bands, but as the economic situation worsened, she lost her business and became aimless.

Fast forward to the 1929 economic crash when she and Antoine decided to sell their club for far less than it was previously worth. This left them in a tight economic position, really unable to buy housing on their own, so Antoine reached out to Gio without consulting Jo. He only told her after Gio had invited them out to live with him. Jo explores why she doesn’t want to go here and here, but chooses to do so anyway. Suffice to say that she does love Gio, but she would never have followed him out there without the interference of her family and their economic straits.

At the beginning of the 1930s we can see Josephine begin to split in two. Part of her wants to be with Gio, but a larger side of her immediately regrets her decision. From the moment she steps foot on the farm, she can feel her life and who she is begin to slip away from her. Not long after, Antoine learns that Giorgio actually has a massive loan on his farmhouse, and he’s brought his entire family aboard a sinking ship. However, there’s not much to do other than try and patch the holes and keep moving forward.

This is where it gets tricky, because Antoine’s past mistakes with Zelda mean that he decides not to keep secrets from her. Only the two of them decide not to tell Josephine about the loan, or that Gio purposefully omitted it from his original telegram. Of course, Gio directly asks them to, but they agree because they think he’s right. Josephine is incredibly stubborn and unwilling to accept help, believing that it makes her indebted to people. Coupled with this, they all think that when Josephine finds out she will see it as a way of controlling her, and there is nothing more likely to make her bolt.

Now this situation goes on for four years, all the while Jo is buried in the depths of her own depression and struggling with her sense of control and autonomy as she lives a life she never wanted and turned down on multiple occasions. The people she loves the most can see this. They attempt to help her and uplift her, all the while lying to her face. She says it best in her own internal monologue when she finds out:

Jo looked back toward Gio, the anger rising as the words she really wanted to cry out stayed trapped in her throat. You all let me think you were happy. That our life was perfect and I was the problem. You let me sink and disintegrate while you lied to my face! I stayed because I love you, and this is how you repay me!

Now I would also absolutely recommend that you read this and this as well, which explores Josephine’s mental state in the last post of the early 30s arc. This is where things begin to twist, and perhaps not in the way we (or Gio, Zelda, and Antoine) think. If you read those extras, you can see that while Jo is angry with them for lying to her, she’s also in some ways been freed by that very same lie. I’ll quote that second ask here:

Josephine isn’t stupid, and she certainly isn’t rash. This isn’t to say she can’t be, especially when backed into a corner, but it isn’t her nature. She’s cunning, calculated, and measured. Just like her mother. It’s only a matter of figuring out how to use that in her favor in a way that fits with the other parts of her nature, which are governed by a sense of perceived morality and loyalty for her family; OR if she can’t, and she’s backed too far into a corner first, then the rash side of her wins out despite everything she knows about the world and what running into it would mean.

By betraying her but also placing the burden of the loan on her shoulders, Jo has been given a new sense of purpose, which is what has been missing from her life this entire time. She’s sensed it back in New Orleans, and she’s hungry for it again. She wants to work for herself, to be her own person away from the home and the people she loves even while uplifting them in some way.

But in another way, their lie has also freed her from a restrictive sense of duty, of feeling like her choices must be made out of guilt or debt to others, as well as the horrifying fear that she was the only one who suffered in their seemingly bucolic little bubble. Now, she can do as she pleases with her choices and all of them, because they are indebted to her through their betrayal. At least in regard to the people she felt were steering her life before, she is the one in control now, and that’s what she’s wanted all along.

[beingbewilthred]

🌹 for the entirety of the WOP + Spy >:]

Same goes for 🥀! (Fascinated by everybody’s fear responses even though I can guess most of the WOP’s :3)

((Also gee I wonder who’s sending this ask who could it possibly be))

HEH. I HOPE IT IS NOT MY WONDERFUL FRIEND MALAK. That would be such a shame...

I'M GONNA KEEP THESE BRIEF but you're free to ask for more elaboration if you'd like, this first batch I'll keep to mostly listed traits for simplicity. THESE CAN BE READ AS BOTH PLATONIC OR ROMANTIC depending on who it is.

For 🌹,

Lia: Drive, Passion, Dedication, stuff like that. Someone who seems to know their purpose and has a strong set of internal morals. Even if they fluctuate on certain aspects, someone who stays true to what they believe is right and just.

Nate: Spontaneity, Curiosity, and such. He works best with someone who can essentially be like his rock to ground him. He's often spiraling/thinking too far ahead, so having someone who's more flexible and is more grounded AND thinks more on the spot compliments him well. He also appreciates sincerity. I wonder who that description fits hmmmm.

Kai: Loyalty and Honesty mostly. Someone who he can trust in enough to be open around, AND someone he can trust won't run away.

Mia: Acceptance and Understanding. She's much more strong in who she is and she knows what she wants (in comparison to the others), so she appreciates someone who's willing to uplift her and find someone she can help uplift too.

Jack: Safety and Honesty. Someone who doesn't WANT him to sugarcoat things, someone who wants to embrace the uglier parts of him and the world and explore that together.

Phoenix: Safety and Vulnerability. Someone who'll not only keep her grounded but will remind her she is loved. Someone who won't turn on her for small mistakes and will help her heal from them rather than reopen her wounds.

Victor: Courage and Encouragement. Someone who won't tear him down, in fact someone who will do the opposite. Someone who isn't afraid to bite back and defend what they love. Someone who doesn't run away from danger, and inspires him to do the same. Someone who uplifts him when he's feeling weak and will help him be strong in himself too.

Spy: Vulnerability and Open-Mindedness. Someone who's willing to change, even encourages it. Someone who embraces mistakes and runs into things willing to get it all wrong if not to learn from it. Someone who's willing to accept they are wrong, and do what they can to fix things if they are. And especially someone who lets him do the same and gives him the space to mess up without judgement.

For 🥀,

I'VE ACTUALLY WRITTEN THIS OUT BEFORE so these will probably sound familiar

Lia:  ...MOSTLY REPRESSES HER STRESS. The struggle. Though physical activity is most helpful for her in most cases. (Fear response is Fawn)

Nate: Overplans/Over-organizes. Tries to get as much control over the situation as possible. Writing is his healthier alternative. (Fear response is Fight)

Kai: Jokes/uses humor to try and make light of it, or shuts down completely. Healthier outlet is creative outlets like arranging his rock collection for the 4000th time (Fear response is Flight)

Mia: Escapism mostly. Daydreaming and fantasy books and what not. Healthier outlet is more controlled escapism + physical activity. (Fear response is Flight)

Jack: His initial response is to hide his feelings, but his healthier outlet is talking about it (who would've guessed) (Fear response is Freeze/Fawn)

Phoenix: Reacts very strongly to stress. Becomes very assertive and will bite back if bitten at first. She gets very defensive quickly esp if her friends are involved. Healthier outlet is finding space to let that out so she without getting into conflict and stuff (Fear response is Fight)

Victor: Shuts down completely to stress basically. Basically freezes up and tries to go hide away as soon as possible. Healthier outlet though is communicating and creative activities. (Fear response is Freeze)

Spy: Uses his persona to shield him from stress/stay strong in the face of danger. Does work to distract himself mostly. Healthier outlets though are talking it out plus physical stimulation (i.e stimming, pacing around, just moving around helps) Also physical affection helps. And making stuff of course (Fear response is basically all of them, but mostly Fight/Freeze)

Yes this is an essay I like my silly specimens a lot

[ghostcrows]

I'm not even sure how true it is that people see this as a fully us vs them situation because I only ever see people just regurgitating the arguments into bastardizations of what they actually are or passing around the most extreme and vocal members of 'both sides'

It certainly feels though like such a contentious issue that it might as well be. And maybe it's because my own tolerance has gotten so low

Even the small things and maybe especially those

I'm not so much interested in answering the question of who has it worse (although if it even means anything i dont believe its Us) or entertaining this stupid passing privilege discourse so much as I am endlessly frustrated by all of the transphobic sentiment that goes unchecked in the interest of putting a presumed gang of unruly "tboys" in their place

That's what I think really gets me is that so many people have a more vested interest in Humbling trans men than they do anything else, it's not really about listening to or uplifting trans women or protecting them or discussing our intra community dynamics and how we as transmascs can be better to them

It's more about making sure these little boys know their place. You know, infantilization

And the people I'm most pissed at again contrary to the popular narrative is actually other transmascs who just endorse it or let it slide

And it is admittedly stupidly small things sometimes but it's about the overarching pattern. Realizing that these are not little jokes but sincerely held beliefs. It's why I've changed my view seemingly rapidly over the last few years even on things as ultimately inconsequential as "trans dudes can't make good music" or the other grating jokes at our expense that get passed off as playful

And the never ending criticism of how we label the axes of oppression we are tangled up in where it feels like in the interest of being Pedantically Semantic people have just refused to acknowledge why people are trying to do that in the first place, and actively made it harder to properly address these grievances because now it's all lumped together with the same group of Wrong Idiots To Dunk On

[mk-wizard]

Top 10 Things that need to change in today's media for it to get better

1- Let go of ideas that are just not working and do so with grace. - I am not going to judge anyone, big or small, for having trouble letting go of a project or idea because I've been there and done that. Sometimes, I still do. We get attached to our ideas and become emotionally invested in them after all. However, sometimes, the best thing you can do for a story is to call it quits if there's just no way to make it work. More importantly, you have to do it gracefully and take it as a learning experience. You are not a failure as an artist. If anything, it takes a big person to let go of a bad idea. A lot of studios would benefit from this practice.

2- Have actual fun when creating something. - Creating a new show, film, comic, etc. should bring you joy and a sense of fulfilment because every work of art is an extension of your heart. Don't just create something with the hope of being famous. In fact, that should always come second. Instead, focus on making a great work of art and makes you feel great even if it isn't perfect or "cool". It's yours. If anything, that is the kind of media we need to see more of.

3- Focus on the quality of the art. - This isn't to say that you shouldn't your best foot forward. ALWAYS put your best foot forward. ALWAYS put effort into what you're doing because every time you do, it's a performance so give the audience a show they'll applaud you for. In fact, many of my favourite films, shows and comics were of genres that were not cup of tea, but they were so beautifully done, I loved them anyway.

4- Let imagination be an escape from reality. - There is nothing wrong with touching real world topics or having a fictional world mirror the real world or real world elements to an extent. However, there is everything wrong with forgetting that a fantasy is a fantasy. It's ok for it to focus on escapism, imagination, the magic and not even hint at real world politics, social issues or problems. Imagination is supposed to the one place where real world problems don't matter and don't exist, and that's a good thing.

5- Normalize creative freedom. - Pardon my bluntness, but I think following "rules" when it comes to art, comics and anything fictional is ridiculous. None of it is real and all of it is kind of weird when you stop and look at it. I say, be brave, be original and embrace the weirdness. Writing new weird stuff is a lot of fun and from what I see, audiences love it. Checklists and rulebooks be damned. Write what comes naturally to you because when it comes to art, natural beauty shines.

6- Love the audience as unconditionally as you want to be loved. - In the war between artist vs. audience, there are no winners, so let's stop it. Creators are nothing without their audience and audiences need art. There is only one kind of audience at the end of the day which is the audience that is willing to see what you've got. Everything else about them like their gender, race, colour, religion, politics, lifestyle, etc. are details and do not matter. What matters is that they love what you do and seem to love you, so love them back. Let's all love each other again, be kind to one another again, and support each other again even when we mess up.

7- Normalize beauty again. - And I don't just mean physical beauty though we need that to make a comeback too because beauty shaming is just another form a body shaming. I mean beauty in the way the characters act. Can we bring back heroes who are positive, real healthy friendships, romances that last for life and showing there is value is uplifting, fun and happy stories and characters again? Everything is so dramatic, angsty and nihilistic now. There are too many great TV series I stopped watching because the plots because too much and the characters became too unlikable. I mean, you wouldn't bake a cake that's unlikable on purpose, so why are making characters that are unlikable on purpose? Being the person who stays positive and smiles in face of adversity is badass too.

8- You don't have to be the first. - You know the old saying "there doesn't have to be a first for everything"? Well, I'm going to flip that saying slightly into "you don't have to be the first at everything". It's ok to write another magical girl anime, another superhero film, another World of Warcraft inspired story, another adaptation of a famous fairy tale or book, or even make a reboot of another media. Focus on making the best version you can instead. Being the first is cool, but being the best is wicked and that's what people truly remember.

9- Laugh at yourself. - We're all human here. We mess up, we make mistake and sometimes, we make films, comics, shows, etc. that flop. And that's ok. It's just fiction. If anything, have fun with how bad it is like RoboCop 3 did or how even Terminator 3 parodied itself at times. Don't take failure so personally especially when it comes to art because even bad art is still kind of fun. People like laughing at it, so laugh with them and just take note of what didn't work. It happens.

10- Don't give up. - Not everyone strikes gold with their first piece. In fact, for many people, it took a couple of tries and their biggest project ever was going in the background for decades. I should know because I walked in those shoes. My current comic is decades worth of writing, rewriting, reinventing and more. The point is that you keep trying, you keep putting yourself out there and you keep making great art, and you will make it. Remember, the entertainment industry is not a contest. It's a marathon. You only really lose once you stop running, so don't stop now.

Anyway, I hope my list reaches out to people and makes a positive impact on the media world because I do think we can get back on track. We all fall off the wagon sometimes and the media is not the exception.

And it's ok. Sometimes, we just need the right push to get back on.