#it's not neccessarily a bad year

[kudravi-nesit]

We're half way through the year and looking back at it, I cannot help but feel so defeated by how incredibly stressful these last 6 months were for me.

And there's still 6 months to go.

[writers-potion]

Writing Strong Opening Lines

This is the kind of information your first line should provide:

the name of the character (the speicifcity creates and illusion of reality from the get-go)

Notify that something bad is about to happen.

Provide a feeling of motion (it doesn’t neccessarily have to be the character moving)

Talk about a (small) disturbance to the character’s everyday life.

Types of Novel Openings

Action (in medias res)

Jump into the story with no delay - have something interesting happening.

“They threw me off the hay truck about noon."

2. Dialogue

Show conflict between the characters speaking.

“Isn’t it true you ahve a motive to lie?” / “Excuse me?”

3. Raw Emotion

Make readers sympathize with the MC, who is experiencing a strong, universal emotion (like sadness, anger, etc.).

“I do not look. I don’t ask where. I don’t because Annie’s mother died seven months ago. I stand motionless in the line, looking just like everyone else except for the hot tears that have begun to sting my eyes.”

4. Look-back Hook

Suggest that there is a not-to-be-missed story that’s about to be told

“The terror, which would not end for another twenty-eight years — if it ever did end — beganm, so far as I can tell, with a boat made from a sheet of newsppaer gloating down a gutter swollen with rain”

5. Attitude

When using first-person narration, show some attitude and unique voice.

“If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don’t feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.”

6. Prologues - entice the reader to move to chapter 1

Action Prologue: Start off with some big scene, often involving death

Framing a story - give the reader the view of a character about to look back and tell the story.

The teaser - present a scene at the beginning that will happen later on in the book

If you like my blog, buy me a coffee! ☕

Reference: <Write Great Fiction: Plot and Structure (techniques and exercises for craftin a plot that grips readers from start to finish)> by James Scott Bell

[sturniolo04]

Request—> Chris going for advice to Matt about how to finger/eat out a girl properly

(Not saying Chris would be bad but maybe there’s a couple of things he could work on or at least that was what the last girl he hooked up with said to him)

A/N: i hope you like it :)

Bf!Chris xGf!Fem!Reader

Chris never had a hard time pleasuring a girl that was until his last girlfriend, now his ex, said otherwise. It got so bad that it often resulted in her 'faking it' when they had sex most times. It wasn't until they finally ended up having an argument and her finally admitting that that had been the case the whole entire time of their relationship.

So fast forward to current time, Chris finally gaining more confidence to date again, and he finally started dating you. Although his confidence in pleasuring a girl still wasn't fully back to 100%. Every time you and him would be causally be making out, Chris would hit the brakes before it went any further.

"Okay we should probably go see what we are going to have for dinner, yeah"

he halts your guys actions breaking the heated kiss you were sharing.

" what chris"

you giggle as you try to lean back in to continue to make out with your boyfriend.

"baby you know i love you but you haven't eaten all day"

" chris you cant be serious"

you state simply looking into his glistening orbs showing no sign of lust what so ever puzzling you.

"what"

" i dont do it for you do i?"

you huff out getting off of his lap looking at him

"what no god no"

he lies as you let out a sigh believing him.

Chris hated lying to you so he knew he was eventually going to have to figure out this or get advice from someone and if he was going to get advice why not his own brother, Matt. Matt has been in the same relationship with the same girl for almost 2 years and they are sexually active enough to the point that it annoys him and Nick since the walls are so thin in their house. In reality, he must be doing something right.

"Matt i need to talk to you about something kind of embarrassing"

Chris states mumbling the last part quietly from pure embarrassment of him having to come to his older brother about this subject.

"okayy.. whats up"

matt replies unsurely looking up from his phone momentarily and then shifting his focus back to his phone as Chris took as seat across from him on the couch in their living room on the coffee table.

"so i need some advice on how pleasure a girl properly"

chris trails off as Matt quickly shifts his focus to his brother trying the see if he is being serious about this question.

"chris what the fuck why would you need advice on that you know what to do when it comes to-"

he replies shocked

" not neccessarily-i just want to make sure I am not going to blow it with her"

he states shyly referring to you.

" i just figured you would know something I don't because you and Becca are so annoyingly active with all that shit"

he trails off looking down and fumbling with his fingers.

"fuck you know what never mind this was stupid-"

chris states fully embarrassed attempting to get up and leave this conversation.

"wait no chris its not stupid it's just- i -nevermind so you want some advice"

matt stuttered with his reply as he thought of where to start.

"yeahh"

"okay so basically oh god- well i just start out by eating her out; you never just start with your fingers"

matt trails off uncomfortably with this conversation

"honestly the best thing is to just be super communicative with her; see what she likes dude but anyway- when you start first with eating her out just do a lot of figure eights and then occasionally fuck her with your tongue"

"okayyy"

Chris replies trying to fully understand where matt was going with this lesson

"yeah so when i guess she is wet enough then you can use your fingers and when that point comes you should use your ring and middle just cause its easier"

"middle and ring okayy"

" and you kind of want to curve them as you go in and out you don't want to go just straight in and out but also add your tongue on her clit occasionally that also makes them feel but I think that's all the advice I can give you"

he trails off causally scratching the back of his head.

" you sure i just dont want to blow it and if I do I'm blaming you then"

" you can blame me if you blow it because that probably means you were half listening to me"

matt rolls his eyes.

"yeah yeah whatever but thanks dude"

he responds before heading back to his room

"for sure i got you bro always"

[kiirer]

Tell me about your ocs >:3

WJSJSJS I PANICKED WHEN I FIRST SAW THIS ASK /pos

cw: alcohol, death/murder, sexual assault (not in detail - but it's there), grooming

okok i have a lot of ocs but ill talk about my three silliest guys!! i have two main oc universes, one called ataraksja/ataraxia (the one ill talk about in a moment) and terra del sole (late medieval fantasy kinda thing)

ataraxia was one of two main ideas epicurus, a greek philosopher, was known for - the other being epicureanism. ataraxia is state in which full peace of mind is achieved, it is an unreachable ideal state.

The "protagonist" (it used to have a plot but it changed so many times theres basically nothing now. im better at characters' personal life stories and relationships than coming up with plots) of ataraxia is Inka Zając, a young adult struggling with an addiction! I came up with his name when i opened a cupboard and saw the child-appropriate coffee tube

Inka is rather reserved and aloof, he does not speak unless spoken to and his social skills are mediocre at best. He's also narcoleptic; he takes meds, but then stops at one point.

As a barely 12 year old child he once helped his friend's sister by assisting her in disposing of a dead body. This is not important at the moment

After the death of his mom an unspecified amount of time ago (probably when he was around 16-17?), Inka's mother's drinking gets worse. Dagmara would occasionally drink recreatively, especially with her wife, Joasia, but now she uses it as a way to drown her sorrows. After prolonged exposure to her behaviour Inka takes after her, his mom's death impacted him greatly as well, and he doesn't want to feel useless and depressed all of the time. A little after his 18th birthday his only friend, with whom he had a sort of weird codependent relationship with, left him. Before this Inka would often steal from his mother (which often ended in her scolding him or sometimes, as her state worsened, physical violence even), but now he could buy alcohol on his own. (How did he afford this? I don't know. There's multiple ways i think.)

Now he's about 20 and he meets his longtime friend again, at a funeral - hyperthyroidism increases the risk of a heart attack and so does alcohol. Inka was hiding in his room at the time it happened, not wishing to have anything to do with Dagmara at the moment.

He recognizes Arlo's stupid face almost immediately. They both have to be there early, considering Inka was currently Dasia's closest relative, as she had no siblings and her parents were long dead. Considering Inka's state Arlo was supposed to give a speech instead of him. As a child he spent a lot of time over at the Zając family's house.

Arlo himself is rather charismatic and friendly, he's easy to make a conversation with. However he has a quite short temper and tends to get overly emotional easily. He's easy to fluster or embarass as well as to irritate, all three commonly used against him.

For his background - he grew up in a very.. tense household. When he was maybe 4 or 5 years old his parents had a divorce and he and his sister stayed with their father while their mother, Karina, left for good (she still had to pay child support, of course, but she just didn't want to contact any of them anymore. Neither did the dad). I won't get into the reasons because there's a lot of.. weird, maybe even a little creepy, behaviours included...!!! but!!! basically their mother was not a very good person. the dad wasn't neccessarily an angel either but he was way less bad at least. Arlo's sister, Alla, is 8 years older than him and she still remembers all of the abuse (from Karina) she had to endure. Arlo barely remembers her. He only really knows her face from the paintings hanging on the walls of the very empty now house.

Alla silently feels envious of her brother for having it way easier than her, but at the same time she reminds herself that he wouldn't have deserved that either. It was worse when she was younger, but considering she is almost 30 at the moment she has long realized that it was just misdirected resentment which was supposed to be aimed at Karina.

Arlo deeply admires Alla, going as far as copying her style, her hair, and even her name, when he came out, around 6th grade. Their father didn't really care and Alla was supportive and except for maybe a bit of trouble at school it went well (in my country elementary school lasts for 8 years, so - Arlo probably sent someone to the hospital once by headbutting them or something and no one really felt like bothering him anymore). There was another incident about 8 years before the funeral stuff - Arlo was assaulted and for about a year he struggled to do anything, he was just a child, and so the support from Alla, Dasia and her wife, Joanna was very important.

Back to the present - Inka was suprised at how tidy Arlo looked. His hair was unnaturally straight and his bangs were parted evenly, he was wearing a proper suit and tie as well. All that didn't fit was the horns that decorated the top of his head. Inka would lightheartedly offer to cut them off, perhaps using a saw, to which Arlo'd react with mock-shock, telling him he's crazy, etc. Then he laughs for a little too long, sending himself into a coughing fit while Inka watches absentmindedly. As Arlo coughed up ooze he simply turned away. Seeing that, Arlo reassured him it was alright and that his throat was just a little dry. Inka rolled his eyes before leaving to join the other guests in the church.

Inka fell asleep halfway but was later abruptly woken up due to cold water being splashed in his face by his dear old friend! He caught a cold later probably. After paying respects to the dead woman it was time for repast, during which nothing relevant happened, Inka just had to make small talk with relatives, which was annoying, but doable. The harder part was pretending to be fully sober, especially as the repast went on.

Pretending to be sober also proved quite difficult as Arlo tried to get closer to Inka again, to Inka's dismay. He felt bad when Arlo praised him for not letting the addiction take over his life and Inka felt guilty knowing that he still drinks, just not as much when he's supposed to meet up with him.

Inka inteprets all this as Arlo simply wishing to be friends once more, and partially that is right, though he did have an ulterior motive as well. That is trying to invite him into this definitely-not-a-cult thing, this being an occasion for Arlo to prove himself

Arlo's mother left and his father was emotionally distant - it wasn't long before he started viewing one of his mother's old acquaintances as a sort of new mother figure. She taught him virtues that she had learned from her mother before. She taught him religion, she taught him fear, she taught him love and she taught him hope. Alla couldn't take care of him when she was in university, he thought he was all alone against the world and so it was not all that hard for him to believe her when she said she wanted to help.

Tatiana taught him about the saviour to come from beyond the stars, to blind all creatures of the day and to fill the world with eternal darkness.

This fairytale did raise questions in Arlo eventually, all of which Tatiana gracefully answered with careful half-truths or dismissed. Most important of all, every time he did this she reminded him that he is special.

Special, special..

She said there would come one day on which the saviour would be born, some day soon even. Arlo doubted this, but seeing it bring Tanya joy and most importantly, hope, he decided to entertain this idea.

Tanya's family had been guarding a seemingly meaningless relic for generations; a simple family heirloom, a flower yet to bloom, though it was like no other.

What happened next is kind of hard to explain, mostly because of it being an uncomfortable topic, but to sum it up Arlo is soon forced to eat the aforementioned snakefruit. It is full of ichor and the outside's texture is very.. fleshy and off-tasting. It's repulsive, to say the least. Like a pulsing piece of meat. He asked for it himself when he heard Tanya mention that it's special, just like he is, but he soon regretted ever agreeing upon this. Arlo's mind was hazy, fuzzy, and all he could remember vividly from this was the fact it was disgusting, it was hard to swallow and he almost choked a couple of times.

Arlo did his best to convince himself that it was his own idea. That all was well. He tried to make it seem, to himself, like he was (still) in control.

(He did it to impress Tanya. She wanted him to do this. She wanted this to happen. Tanya still cares for him and his wellbeing, though her way of thinking is incredibly flawed. Despite caring for Arlo, she vowed to punish him for this heinous act of disrespect against the saviour from beyond the stars.

Inka knows that he's probably boring, that he's hard to talk to, especially considering he is grieving and struggling mentally. Half of the time when Arlo tries to visit him Inka simply sleeps trough the sound of the doorbell. The other half of the time he is drawn out of his house forcibly by Arlo, who keeps beckoning him to spend time together. He doesn't understand what Arlo wants because he feels numb and he knows he's not very fun to be around. He doesn't provide much to their conversations, it's like talking to a wall. Normally he'd be talkative, especially with someone he knows so well, but now even if he was able to get a word out he wouldn't simply because he felt like Arlo abandoned him consciously.

Inka did not blame him for his condition, of course, but he felt betrayed when his best friend of so many years left so suddenly with seemingly no regrets.

Little did he know, Arlo had many regrets! Though that's probably a topic for another time!

Over the course of many months Inka opens up more, slowly, as Arlo continues to pester (/affectionate) him with his presence. Inka still drinks, but a little less (mostly because he can't afford it😔😔 but he'd probably tell Arlo it's due to some way cooler sounding reason like nobility or morality), a small step in the right direction! However, as he drinks less and as the months go by he can easily tell Arlo's mental and physical condition is getting worse. He exhausts himself quickly and he gets coughing fits more and more often. He tends to lean over, especially when sitting, as if he is in pain. A few times he (nearly or actually) throws up or passes out, even if just for a moment.

Finally, sometime, Arlo is able to coerce Inka into joining the weird faith group, unofficially led by Tanya (and a bunch who aren't important atm).

Tatiana declares that Arlo is to be sacrificed for the saviour from beyond the stars. To prove himself as well, she appoints the newest member as the executioner

Arlo's frozen in fear and Inka's terrified as well, he asks whether he really has to do it, whether someone else can't.. to which Tanya simply responds by saying she'll find a different trial for him then. Arlo's even more uncomfortable with the idea of being brutally executed by someone else. As for what happens next I feel like it is summed up well here

As he sits over the dead body, Inka watches something pulse inside Arlo's desecrated body. He watches an unfamiliar white mass tear it apart further as it slithers out in the form of a winged snake

For the first time in her life Tanya experiences true regret.

And now Inka's stuck with a weird star thing that has somehow gotten attached to him.

Weles is a shapeshifter - it's hard to define what they are and the closest is to say they're simply a star. Like the sun.

They can change colour and shape. They can speak, hear, see, taste, feel... when they want to. The bigger their form, the further the "organs" are scattered, the harder it is to be able to keep their senses!

Inka relapses. He tries to sleep trough most of the day, occasionally interrupted by Weles desperately trying to get his attention. Sometimes they'd intentionally take on Arlo's form to just toy with him. Sometimes they'd pretend to be a book, a fork, an apple, whatever! Just to play with Inka, to get a rise out of him.

There's a lot to say about these two specifically but i don't want it to be twice as long as it is right now

At some point Inka becomes used enough to their presence to not react so negatively, maybe. He just grows numb to everything, pretty much, just wanting his moms and Arlo back. Sometimes he'd beg Weles to take on Arlo's form on purpose, to apologize, to hug and to kiss, to just be there...

Weles does have a main physical form that's not supposed to resemble anyone, it's the fully white one with wings and long hair! It does bear some purposeful resemblances to Arlo (in their refs specifically!!) but i'll talk about it another time

ahdjssfj this is so long already but umm i can talk more about their relationships/dynamics! weles and inka actually get married at one point canonically. and i have a happy au where theyre poly and happy - an au where Weles somehow just. exists anyway. if Arlo was alive somehow after Weles left his body he would resent them. if Inka and Arlo switched places Arlo would resent Weles to hell and back.

[pyromanicsghost]

I genuinely don't understand why people hate the new season. Spoilers to follow.

To start, the Five and Lila subplot was shit. I won't front - it existing outside of the plot made it easy for me to just act like it didnt happen. Diego and Lila and Five deserved better and it sounds like the actors knew it. But if a bad romance subplot could ruin a whole show, I'd hate a lot more things.

I'm on the fence about Klaus's plot - felt like sidelining him and was questionable. But also a natural part of Klaus's life. Lila had her kids, Allison had Claire, Diego his family, on and on. Klaus's whole life was avoiding being sober and then a huge focus on sobriety. This is his thing. All y'all loved his drugged antics and it gets messy and sad especially when facing it post rock bottom and change.

I see a lot of Ben being unimportant complaints - Ben was always auxilary and a mcguffin there to bond or split the group - Umbrella Ben was a concept, a guilt source, Klaus's conscience, Klaus's id...never a character and dead before the show ever began. Sparrow Ben was literally never part of this family and plot about the family embracing him would have been nice, but him having his own solo quest because he is alone in this world was also fine. Jennifer was a plot device - and in a comic book show about another apocalypse thats not neccessarily a bad thing - especially with a group of dynamic characters I care about on the board.

I see a lot of complaints about the lack of fun villains. What was Sy (I know who was in him but that performance was fun)? Gene and Jean? Those are classic villains that are right up there with the Swedes and the Handler. Hazel & Cha Cha are still standouts but thats not cause these guys sucked.

I see a lot of ending complaints - going from "it was all for nothing" to "it was harmful". If it was harmful for you please be safe and that's a personal decision each time - but also that's media sometimes. It wasn't an irresponisble move like The Magicians or 13 Reasons or other things that just don't consider the audiences needs in order to gain shock value and I don't think they did anything irresponsible with it.

(I am a survivor of unalive attempts, one right after magicians so I get it. And I'm a year sober re: Klaus stuff.)

But, I loved the ending. I don't think it was all for nothing. They saved thier families! They saved everyone! The whole world! Universe! Future and past! Their moms! Hundreds of people who died in their fight to save it, on either side because without the conflict caused by them they're lives were different! I wish the Flash, or Winchesters, or anyone else who keeps ruining lives and causing death and strife sometimes on an apocalypse scale or multiverse timesplit scale had, at literally any point, said "Actually we should value this over my mom/brother/self"...like the scale was apocalyptic. That has a cost. And wow they fixed more than even I hoped. The families? Nice. Hazel and his diner wife are where I got emotional - very nice touch to show everyone.

Why isn't there a kugelblitz? Either the deletion of the timelines and that energy removed the issue Golden Compass style or its a fun comic book show with time assassins and a new element called marigold.. take your pick. It's never been that deep.

The marigolds at the end were probably not thought about as much as anyone on here has. I thought it was just a fun finale goodbye, like getting a bouqet at curtain. I liked that Ben and Lila both had one.

Genuinely confused and had to write to the void and see if I'm alone or crazy. I recommend a lot of people read and watch more media for literacy and stop hoping for plots that are fanservice as they often tank good things and fanfiction and your imagination remain goated, often better, or touch grass and realize the silly fun comic book apocalypse multiverse romp may just be a lil dumb and that's okay...if you read all that I'd love feedback 🩷

And I loved so much more than this stuff! Claire being an actualized young adult and loving her uncle and mom and being a teen? Viktor getting the validation he craved. Diego getting his skills and lust for life back. The fucking cut from baby shark to "He's dying" and so many shots/editing/music choices that highlight the dark comedy this show is.

[acti-veg]

Trying to reconcile the concept of Eid al Adha and the idea that God allowed humans to eat neat so it’s not bad with being vegan as a Muslim is kind of hard. I understand and agree that meat had been as important source of nutrition for many people (especially in places where the soil wasn’t very fertile and adequate to grow diverse crops) but from what I know even relatively rich people used to eat meat only a few times a year. Eating meat daily as humans do today is inexcusable to be. Wish more people addresses that while no, eating meat for nutrition a few times a year is not neccessarily morally wrong but frequent and unneccessary meat consumption is morally wrong and also unhealthy. Thinking also about Thanksgiving (without the whole association with genocide in the US).

If is very clear that the Quran permits eating animals, but there is no mandate to do so in any major religion. Being vegan also means being Halal, and it is very much not contrary to Islamic values of stewardship, protecting the weak, fighting for the oppressed. You can celebrate Eid without sacrificing animals or eating them, traditions can and do change over time, many of them already have.

Like all scripture, the Quran is a product of the time and culture in which it was written. That is not a criticism, but it does mean that we need to be able to look at its precepts in light of some of the progress that has been made since then, and the way in which attitudes have changed.

Islam does not give people rules for every action in their life, and reason is valued highly. The idea that it is up to humans to use their reason to live well is very much in keeping with Islamic thought, and is also highly compatible with veganism. You can be a Muslim who disagrees with fellow Muslims on some core issues, and that doesn’t make you any less Muslim or less vegan.

[termagax]

essentially i just think its an interesting topic w him because like he does kind of embody a sort of machismo and its hard to tell how much of that is a genuine self-expression and how much of that is a persona but that is his whole thing innit. how much of "roadhog" is a mask and how much of it is just. his face.

i feel like its easy to point to the gap moe and just say see. femme behaviour. and i think that kicks ass as a reading but to me i think. hm. like i just think that these two parts of him are not neccessarily "one is the true self and one is a protective persona" as always i think its more complicated than that. and honestly i dont know how much HE knows the distinction between the two either.

part of my personal read on him is that he was a majorly troubled kind of social outcast kid and i think it would take him a while to come around to being comfortable in his own skin, yk? for a LOT of reasons i wont get into here. and im sure that that would give you that defensive layer of machismo and aggression thats difficult to break through but a)at this point its been baked into his life for like. 40 years. and b)he doesnt seem particularly interested in breaking it down at all. i think even the version of him we see in the game where he seems a lot more comfortable with the goofy, cutesy parts of himself he is still very much a Big Dog type of man and he seems to enjoy it a lot. just generally it doesnt ever seem to me that he has much resentment for that part of himself, at least not now? BUT at the same time i absolutely think that he does struggle with feeling alienated from himself and his identity especially wrt the idea of Mako and how he conceptualizes essentially this dead boy inside of him. and i think in my read of him that he felt like mako was dead way before roadhog ever got to come out. again i read him as a bullied outcast kid who grew up into this angry insecure adult with something to prove, and i think that machismo and need to hide the Soft Parts is something hes had for way long yk. so i guess i do read him as kind of gnc although again i dont think this is something hes really interested in reflecting on hes got a job rn so he dont care abt that.

but i do think his willingness to be anything other than an unapproachable brick wall of a man has ebbed and flowed thru his whole life. ikind of read it as peaking through his teen years - early 20s and then mellowing out a bit, so by the time he met fish* they wouldve known him as a lot more comfortable with himself and their relationship wouldve probably facilitated the closest he ever got to actually thinking abt himself in regards to gender. but i think it would spike again once the apocalypse starts happening and its very useful to be the biggest roughest meanest bastard in the wasteland and very bad to be any kind of vulnerable. and i think this would mellow out over time because i think at some point his reputation gets ahead of him and he feels like he can essentially do whatever he wants and rest easy in the knowledge that anyone who says anything will get their teeth punched in. altho i do think hed be more cagey about it around people hes close with during that period mostly because that requires being honest abt anything and. frankly emotional intimacy is just not a part of his and fishs relationship in that period. and the again i think the point we see him at during the games is probably the most chill and normal hes ever been with it because i think hes really kind of found a comfortable place with himself, like i think at that point he feels like he knows who he is and he doesnt feel the need to explain it or dissect it or find that line between roadhog and mako i think hes fine being in the grey area. i will not go on a tangent here abt how fish and rat play into that self-perception thematically but do know i have that locked and loaded.

this is a lot of words to say i think hes dubiously nonbinary and if he were placed in any different less hostile circumstances maybe he couldve done something about that but at this point in his life i dont think he feels the need to yk. theyre chilling.

[alarrytale]

https://www.tumblr.com/alarrytale/738441108868268032/maybe-its-jet-lag-i-doubt-it-because-hes?source=share

IMO we don´t see him "like other celebs" being seen doing ordinary daily stuff because he´s not like other celebs like noone stops him on the street to take a photo, nobody is stalking him and so when he´s off from tour he´s basically mia whole time and only sometimes someone take photo with him. I also think he probably likes he doesn´t get the same recognition as his bf when he´s out f.e. shopping. Also talking about his alcohol/drugs use, I also have hope he has it under control and he´s not drinking at all - maybe few beers when he´s hanging out his friends at the pub - when he´s off. And my hope is also based on the fact that he´s not problematic like when he´s drunk - no scandals, no bad behave. The other day I was watching Nothing Hill with my bf and I said how Hugh Grand was looking great back in the day and now he really looks old and tired and my bf said "Well that´s because he´s been known for scandals, a lot of drinking, drugs and sl*ts and so it took toll on his visage". So I think and hope that Louis and his tour=party is nothing when comparing it with other celebs and their scandals because of alcohol/drugs. Btw talking about Louis on tour, how come he´s so different than H, Louis is always around with his crew and his band while H is hardly ever (if ever) seen hanging out with his crew and his band during days off. Do you think it´s because Louis just likes to always have a company and friends around while H takes touring as high professional thing and so he´s not hanging out with his employees?

Hi, anon!

I do think he's drinking, and he's probably done things he regrets while drinking. I just don't think he's dependent on alchohol to go about his day. Drinking on tour is one thing. Treating everyday as a party is another.

I think Louis needs to have people around him, and he likes best those who he's comfortable with and have a long standing relationship with. So he keeps to the same people both at work and off work. Oli for example. If he's out and about he's bringing people with him. I don't think he's out alone much, because he gets recognised. He also shops and moves in areas where celebs are left alone. I don't see him as a person who wants to take walks in nature, go to a fitness center or go peruse things alone in stores. So he's seen more rarely. Harry is often papped running, biking, driving or going to or from a work out session or a department store. He's more out and about alone.

I don't think H is more professional neccessarily, i think he's got a larger network of friends/colleagues/employees than Louis does, and can't spend time with everyone (when he's got stunting to do...). We've seen H with Ellis and with Jeffy when he's got time off. H also got less time off than L has in recent years, and H manages fine on his own and probably likes having time to himself. I don't think H got many close friends like L does. It must be hard to trust people and their intentions. L's friends are childhood friends. Making new friends in their postion must be hard. So many secrets to keep, trust issues and so little time to nurture new friendships.

[kindaoptimisticsquirrel]

Writing out some thoughts about my upcoming master project or art in general helps, so I’m babbling a bit under the cut! It’s really more an outlet of some thoughts before the upcoming first feedback session for my final uni project...

Since reading Trigun all I want to do really for my Master thesis project is create somethin with an postapoyalyptic wasteland setting. Or so. I need to come up with 2 ideas until tomorror, or at least have some sketches to show... Though I get it’s important not too fall into stereotypes too easily and try to find a unique style, being constantly told Manga or everything that’s being too cliché comic is not something they are very happy about at my place of study, is still something that’s keeping me down in a way? Kinda? It’s making me actually a bit angry and sad, seeing some pretty neat animated short movies in anime style and knowing if I wanted to try a concept like this the first resonse would probably be pretty sceptical. Though I guess it depends more so on the teacher, I don’t want to throw a bad light on my school in general. Maybe I’m being a bit too pessimistic about that, you know, without really having tried it. The thing is, I just want to create neat designs and art for a project that I like, but I don’t neccessarily want to come up with my own ideas. That’s why I draw so much fanart, I love to indulge in others’ ideas and characters that are interesting, but I don’t have some kind of educatonal purpose or agenda I want to tell myself, because there are enough guys out there who do that pretty well. I just hope I’m strong willed enough to stay to my ideas, and not be talked into a direction that I don’t want to pursue professionally - at least not mainly. I like illustration and book illustration a lot, don’t get me wrong, but I love drawing characters, emotions and scenes just so much more. Even animation which I started a bit more than 2 years ago is to me so much more fascinating, because you know, you can make these characters move! And bring them to life! Phew. I’ll need to prepare a pdf for tomorrow, so I should get back to working out 2 ideas, and put them into some kind of understandable shape. If you really read so far, I’m raising my cup of hot chocolate in respect

[jeanjauthor]

I actually addressed this issue in my milSF series Theirs Not To Reason Why.

Somewhere in there, the main character Ia (EE-yah, not Lah) mentions to the head of the Terran military that there's a Big Bad Thing that'll happen "in three hundred years." And then a couple years later, re-mentions it happening again "in three hundred years" and the head of the Space Force pounces on that, "don't you mean in two-hundred-and-ninety-X years?"

At which point Ia replies something along the lines of, "No, because it's so far into the future, it's an inexact moment, because there are things that could change the timing of when it gets discovered. Plus, you and I are not there, so there is nothing we can do right now." She then goes on to say she's already written prophecies for their descendants to follow, which will be distributed depending on what has happened in the meantime, aka she's already foreseen and prepared contingencies for hurricanes triggered by butterfly wings. (Or by sending out assassin-entomologists to remove that specific butterfly from existence, but I digress...)

Sometimes even if you give an "exact number"...it isn't an exact number. When we say "last century" we do NOT mean precisely 100 years ago, aka January of 1924. In fact, we don't even neccessarily mean a full 25 years ago, because we could be talking about November 1999, and it's only just January 2024.

Some of that is on the writer to clarify (as I did)...but some of that is on the reader to stop gripping that pedantic stick. (You are not actually shoving it where you think you are shoving it!)

So relax, mathematically inclined folks. Even in reality, timelines don't always get written out correctly, numbers aren't always accurately counted, and even the IRS makes mistakes. (It's hard to get them to admit it, but they can and do from time to time.)

Pro-writing tip: if your story doesn't need a number, don't put a fucking number in it.

Nothing, I mean nothing, activates reader pedantry like a number.

I have seen it a thousand times in writing workshops. People just can't resist nitpicking a number. For example, "This scifi story takes place 200 years in the future and they have faster than light travel because it's plot convenient," will immediately drag every armchair scientist out of the woodwork to say why there's no way that technology would exist in only 200 years.

Dates, ages, math, spans of time, I don't know what it is but the second a specific number shows up, your reader is thinking, and they're thinking critically but it's about whether that information is correct. They are now doing the math and have gone off drawing conclusions and getting distracted from your story or worse, putting it down entirely because umm, that sword could not have existed in that Medieval year, or this character couldn't be this old because it means they were an infant when this other story event happened that they're supposed to know about, or these two events now overlap in the timeline, or... etc etc etc.

Unless you are 1000% certain that a specific number is adding to your narrative, and you know rock-solid, backwards and forwards that the information attached to that number is correct and consistent throughout the entire story, do yourself a favor, and don't bring that evil down upon your head.

[omens-and-more]

yeah I agree, like, their lastest album was... alright??? and i feel like TDOPOM will kinda have the same fate as Sempiternal like it's going to be seen as this legendary gem of their discography while their other work will get more commerical and experminetal not neccessarily bad but never comparable to TDOPOM.

(excuse my bad english).

Yes! I have stopped having expectations whenever they give out something new cause it's so many things going on at once. The sound effects, the mixing.. To me it's just off and not something I would have bothered to check out if it wasn't a band that I had been a fan of for years. I understand wanting to explore as a band and not making the same records over and over but it's just too much of a change for me.

Almost every band has one album that will be their most sucessful one and a fan favorite, how far they are from making another album like that makes me sad.

I'm fine with TDOPOM being BO's most sucessful album as long as they keep making good records. I want actual instruments that I can hear and not overmixed tracks with sound effects.

Nothing wrong with your English. ❤️ English isn't my first language either. The most important thing is to try to be understood and if we're make some mistakes so be it. 😊

…

[acepandemi]

3 months without meds. Second blood test was today. The results should be in either tomorrow or overmorrow. And then we'll see.

I toughed it out! It was hard though. Not getting enough sleep, waaaay less mental energy, often being unable to focus, feeling mentally jittery. Decidely not fun!

Also, I had a conversation with my counselor about this, and she asked me if it was like this before I took these meds. And ngl, it was really hard to answer that question. I've been taking these meds for over ten years, and the person I was before that was just... so incredibly different from the person I am now, you know? A lot younger, obviously, just moved out, just started therapy, just started taking the first steps towards my Autism diagnosis. At the lowest point of my depression, soooo much unresolved trauma. Still just moving with the flow of what I thought was expected of me, barely begun to figure out who I was as a person, not to mention my sexuality and gender (still not entirely sure I've figured that out, but asexual panromantic demigirl feels good for now, better than "possibly bi woman", as I thought back then). So yeah, I can't really compare myself now to back then, not easily.

Buuuuut, important right now is that I'll finally know soon if the thing the doctor is worried about really is a side effect of the meds or not. (Tbh, my money is on "not", which would be... not neccessarily good but also not neccessarily bad, I don't know what exactly yet, but it might mean I'd get to take my meds again? And honestly, I really want that. I don't like feeling this way.)

So, now we wait untill I'm allowed to call (tomorrow morning around 11). And if the doctor ends up calling me first, again, I'll know it's trouble. Eh, at least I'm not a boring patient!

[thekaijudude]

Ok, before you release your review of Blazar… I’m going to send you mine. Correction: I already have. I sent it to you before I’ve even finished writing the first paragraph of the qn.

Basically, I want you to tell me your thoughts on my review.

Additionally, I want you to tell me, in as much detail as possible, why you felt Blazar had a boring plot. Please try to give me at least 7 major reasons and 5 minor reasons why it was boring for you, and here’s the thing: not one of them can be just ‘it was episodic’. If you can’t do that, then I want you to tell everyone why you think episodic seasons are so bad, when the Monster of the Week style has plain and simply worked for Blazar.

(Also, I feel like I’m being overly aggressive. Just understand that I liked Blazar a heck of a lot and don’t understand how you were going ‘it’s a boring show’ the whole time.)

Oh hell nah I ain't reposting that whole thing here, I guess mainly your review kinda makes your standards kinda ambiguous? Cause you said it's better than Trigger, Decker and Mebius but how exactly? Or what even were the positives and negatives of the aforementioned series that you're comparing Blazar to, that Blazar did better neccessarily? That you're even giving a rating for in the end?

Something like what I did for RB here:

Otherwise the entire review was just you talking about Blazar as a series alone despite you trying to do a comparative analysis which was what you tried to do in an incomplete fashion in the beginning as the analysis never really came, so this bascially made your entire 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 7th paragraph entirely moot to begin with

As for your 4th paragraph, that dosent neccessarily make both of our stances mutually exclusive tho? Like of course most would prefer a clear and consistent theme, but you do realize that both an episodic and a non-episodic narrative can achieve that no? So that point was neither here nor there

As for your second question, i aint gonna do all that since ive done it oftenly prior, think I attached a link to an ask which I covered in the review, plus the said review itself.

Best I can do is link said post here for u to read yourself:

Plus, episodic series is essentially just a preference, it can "work" for ANY series, but what I said specifically, is because if its episodic, this puts a restriction on each (or 2) episode having to focus on something different, with little sense of continuity and more often than not, takes the focus away from the Ultra itself, which again, is another preference I have for series. It all depends on what story you chose to tell for an entire season, which I personally felt it could be better for Blazar since he comes from a new origin (M421) with a unique species characteristic that we've never seen before (Being able to fuse with entire kaiju + using kaiju powers on their own, unlike X, which has to go through an intermediary), so I felt that Blazar, having a unique character setting was utterly wasted in this series (again, focusing on the Ultra is my personal preference)

I think u can search for commentaries in the first 8 episodes where I went in detail into this and more, plus iirc, I got alot of asks about this from different followers giving their own perspectives on and raising this issue very early on as well if u want more context

Also I was asked quite a few times about my thoughts on Blazar even prior before that, can check those out via the #asks tag, which I created for purposes like these

Otherwise can just check out all of the commentaries I have for every episode throughout the series if you really want that much details cause ain't no way I'm gonna do that much just for an ask

[thechthonicherbalist]

Lestat really deserved this after all the hurt Louis inflicted on him. Even if it was because Louis was lied to and manipulated by Armand. Of course the hurt between those two became monstrous. Of course they wronged each other. But why? Because Louis thought it was so bad of Lestat to try and protect him of Armand... All of these characters are very complex, with great depths and dark and light sides to themselves in their very unique ways. I have loved these books for over 15 years and I slowly come to love the series, in a very specific and kind of critical way. Both independent and intertwined with the books, now that I have started to re-read them from the beginning with my friend and the parallels become clearer again, I am mind-blown actually.

My babies will always be Lestat and Nicki, who have suffered such a tremendous loss, that is most relatable to me and many more things. I have another favourite I will not mention out of respect for someone's feelings. There is so much I have to say on these two. How I relate to Nicki's mental health and passion. How I relate to their childhood trauma. How I was created to be like Nicki and all my life worked to be like Lestat, how Lestat is indeed my light, the one that made me hold on in darkest times and reminded me... infused that taste of immortality into my existence... abandons my senses when I fall apart and get licked by the flames and torn apart and into madness by... ah well. And such mixed feelings on Louis... I love him, understand him and grieve him and resent him through the lense of Lestat. He's both relatable and makes me want to say "No, how could you?? Are you blind?? He loves you. He fought for you and you fought him with your anger, your vengefulness. You suffered and so you wanted to make him suffer with you... he deserves better than that, but please just be gentle and nice now, Louis. Lestat has set his heart on you, you're his everything. So just let yourself be loved and love him. You've both been through so much and he is so much more fragile and such a sensitive soul than he let's on, than you accept him for..." So very human, I could never hate him for it. But yes. The gift he wore like a curse. Hah. They could have had it all and yet it got consumed by the flames. I am glad Louis learned this very hard lesson and only made that mistake once in the books. And Armand... complex, difficult Armand, who is a very interesting character in a beautiful body and with a beautiful and charming personality on the surface and oh-such-deceptive depths to it. A master at luring people in, making them love him. Not neccessarily a favourite of mine. But certainly a character I look at with fearful respect. As a writer, I cannot even pick up his character to write from his perspective, I cannot comprehend it. So I have utter respect for the abilities of Anne Rice, the AMC series team and Assad Zaman for the amount of skill it takes to make such a character come to life in all his horrifying and compassion rousing details like that.

"I didn't know it was a gift... I wore it like a curse... I was selfish… I tried to make nights awful for you… I wanted you to suffer... Because I was��� suffering."

Interview with the Vampire Season 2 | Episode 8 "And That's the End of It. There's Nothing Else"

[defensefilms]

NFL 2024 Wildcard Round Preview & Predictions

While I haven't posted any NFL blogs this season I have been sure to keep an eye on the happenings throughout the league, and we're finally in the part of the season that matters.

So lets dive in to the full plate of nuggets and preview this weekend's games.

1. Detroit Lions vs Los Angeles Rams

Of all the games that will be played on this weekend, this one has the most storylines and subplots.

Starting with quarterbacks who traded places 3 years ago and now face off. Fortunately, this matchup will likely be decided by more than just the quarterbacks.

The Rams appear to have found a remedy to thier run game through Kyren Williams, who is 3rd in total rushing yards, and in contrast the Lions have a more balanced attack with David Montgomerry leading their run game and Amon-Ra St. Brown leading thier pass catchers.

This is a situation where I am opting to pick with my head over my heart, and while I'll actually be rooting for the Lions to win the game because thier story in 2023 has been phenomenal, I am going to pick the Rams and Sean McVay to win in Detroit and upset the team with a better record.

MY PICK: Rams Win 27-24

2. Tampa Bay Buccanneers vs Philadelphia Eagles

I am in a state of near-catastrohic horror at what has happened to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2023.

What started out as a promising season and Philly repeatedly executing the greatest play ever executed in NFL history, has turned into a late season collapse that started with that really bad loss to the 9ers in week 13.

Thier defensive back issues have now spiralled in to a team that leak points so badly, they lost to the New York Giants in week 17, and it's crept it's way on to the offense, and the Eagles were shutout and put up 0 points.

Then you have to factor in Philly's history against Tampa Bay itself. Flashbacks to 2002 when Gruden's defensive juggernauts domniated Donovan McNabb and the Eagles, as well as the more recent 15-31 demolition at the hands of Tom Brady's Buccaneers in the 2021 playoffs.

I will say this, I am glad that Bruce Arians isn't calling plays in Tampa because he'd air it out on these Philly db's.

My biggest concern though, is that Jalen Hurts has 9 fumbles this season and Tampa safety Antoine Winfield, is joint-leader in forced fumbles with 6, and Tampa have been good at that as a team with 18 on the season.

I'll pick the Eagles to win here, only because I still think the Eagles offense has some life left in it and I am a Jalen Hurts believer.

MY PICK: Eagles Win 21-16

3. Kansas City Chiefs vs Miami Dolphins

Honestly, I don't root for the FIns and I don't even enjoy watching them play neccessarily, but I do enjoy the schadenfreud of watching Tua Tagovailoa, lead the league in passing yards and quarterback a team in the playoffs.

The Chiefs are different story and to be honest with I have enjoyed watching the Chiefs more this year, than any other season of the Mahomes era, at times it's been kind of comical.

The Dolphins are dealing with a bunch of injuries. Jaylen Waddle, Bradley Chubb, Xavien Howard, Raheem Mostert were all out in week 18 and likely in the Wildcard round too.

The Chiefs have to like thier chances and thier recievers can breath a little bit easier, knowing the Dolphins won't be thier usual high-scoring selves. I fully expect the Chief's recievers to drop passes, but this particular opponent can't make them pay them when they do it on 3rd down.

The only issue I see, is Kansas City are not a high scoring team in thier own right either, and while the Fins'injuries are worse.

I want the Fins to win but their too injured and will likely lose a close low scoring game in Arrowhead on Tyreke Hill's return.

MY PICK: Chiefs win 21-17

4. Buffalo Bills vs Pittsburgh Steelers

I honestly think that the Pitburgh Steelers are doing is winning games via witchcraft because just as recenty as week 14, the entire state of Pennsylvania wanted him fired.

The Bills for thier part, started the first 10 weeks of the season with a 5-5 record and have since ripped off a 6 game winning streak that sees them in the 2 seed.

The Steelers offense sputtered badly midway through the season, but since week 16 and putting Mason Rudolph on the field, things have been looking up.

It sucks that TJ Watt won't play, he leads the league in sacks and that matters because the Bills are the best team in 3rd down percentage this season with 49%.

Buffalo finally appear to have found some balance between Josh Allen heroics and establishing the run. To make matters worse, Buffalo also rank as one of the best pass defenses in the league, ranking 7th in opponent passing yards.

What this comes down to, is that the Bills have Josh Allen and the Steelers are quarterbacked by Mason Rudolph, and in contrast to most of the weekend's games, you can't convince me that the favorite isn't winning this.

MY PICK: Bills Win 28-16

5. Cleveland Browns vs Houston Texans

The Browns have been my guilty pleasure all season long, and those sideline-to-sideline videos on thier Youtube channel are honestly awesome.

A team whose defense has been lead by Myles Garret, and has had to find thier identity on the offensive side of the ball becasue of injures to 3 different quarterbacks this season, and while I don't love Kevin Stefanksi's play calling, he does deserve credit for the circumstance he was in this year and how his team kept winning.

The Houston Texans have undergone a rejuvenation in thier own right with newly drafted CJ Stroud under center.

While Deshaun Watson will have to watch his current and former teams from the sidelines as a result of a shoulder injury, Joe Flacco will quarterback the Browns and has since week 14, and with him has come a new confidence to the Browns' offense.

I'll gladly take the Browns and thier newly minted Joe Flacco offense, alongside the best defense in the NFL to win this one.

MY PICK: Browns Win 27-20

6. Dallas Cowboys vs Greenbay Packers

The Packers are in a unique position because of how quickly they've gotten back to playoff contention.

I get that Jordan Love has been given the mantle as appears to have been the plan since he was drafted, and I don't know what to make of him getting the Packers to the playoffs in his first season. It's kind of unreal that the Packers got over Aaron Rodgers this quickly, add to that Love isn't the finished article yet.

The other major storyline is Cowboys head coach, Mike McCarthy playing host to his former team and that will surely dominate the headlines and previews going in to the weekend.

Dak Prescott leads the league in passes completed, as well as passing touchdowns, and CeeDee Lamb leads the league in passes caught.

Plus I like the idea of Dallas' defense against a young quarterback, playing in thier home building and Dallas corner DaRon Bland leads the league in interceptions.

I'm picking Dallas to win, but beware because anyone who picks the underdog is not crazy. Jordan Love is completing 64% of his passes and the sneaky Packers, always seem to come up with something from special teams through Keisean Nixon.

MY PICK: Cowboys win 34-27

[kurakurakura99]

Sat down with a friend and like. worked through the fact that I only don't like certain bands because I associate them with being a teenager and I fucking hated that shit and being a teenager is emberasing but the bands aren't neccessarily bad. like I listened to some GARBO in highschool don't get me wrong but like. C'mon man System of a Down is iconic regardless of when I got into it. Point is I just went through like 12 years of emotional development over the course of a conversation and I can enjoy BYOB again