#just absolutely flaunting it in our faces at this point

[arthousephil]

dan and phil took back what the internet took from them and now they are waving it in the air and passing it back and forth, going na na na boo boo, jump! jump! you're too short, ha ha ha loooosers😋🫵

[thisisnotachair]

Good Omens Observation on The Power of Denial in Threes

I’ve noticed something while watching (and rewatching) Good Omens and I’ve not yet come across another mention of it online, though I’ve searched r/goodomens, and the gdoc linked from Neil Gaiman’s pinned post, perhaps I am not tumblr savvy enough to have found it. Anyway, I was raised Catholic in a fundamentalist-leaning community, and while I’ll probably be unpacking that for a long time yet, it has, oddly, been an advantage here through some familiarity with lore.

My observation has to do with the power of 3, more specifically, the power of a denial made 3 times.

In the bible, Jesus knows he’s going to be targeted, and tells Peter, “Dude, you’re going to deny me 3 times before the rooster crows.” And Peter’s all, “No way, man, you’re my bro, even when everyone else ditches you, I’m SO here!” Later, when Jesus is arrested, folks around town ask Peter, “Hey, weren’t you friends with that guy?” and 3 times he lies and says that he doesn’t know Jesus. After the third denial, a rooster crows and Peter breaks down because Jesus was right all along and he realizes what he’s done.

Good Omens:

S1E6. Adam denies Satan, saying he’s not his real dad because he didn’t raise him and he wasn’t around. Twice, of his own volition, he says, “You’re not my dad,” then Crowley prompts him to say it again, because HE knows that there’s power in the third denial. Adam says it again, and Satan crumbles.

Huh. Neat.

It gets better (worse).

S1E3. Crowley calls Aziraphale to meet him at the bandstand to discuss the situation. They can’t agree on what to do (rather, who should kill Adam), Crowley’s ready to give up and leave. Aziraphale tells him he can’t leave, as there isn’t anywhere that they could go (Armageddon would impact the whole planet), to which Crowley says, “It’s a big universe. Even if it all ends up in a puddle of burning goo, we can go off together.” Aziraphale is taken aback, surprised that Crowley suggests they go together. Crowley points out they’ve been friends for 6,000 years and *foomp* Aziraphale denies him, “Friends? We’re not friends. We are an angel and a demon. We have nothing whatsoever in common.” He says that he doesn’t like Crowley (liar) and that they’re on opposite sides, after which Crowley responds, “We’re on our side,” and Aziraphale says, “There is no ‘our side’.” Aziraphale has chosen a side, and Crowley saunters off, hurt. Denial No.1

S1E4. Crowley comes tearing up to the bookshop in his Bentley, and hops out to apologize to Aziraphale, though it’s a half assed, “Whatever I said, I didn’t mean it. Get in the car.” He’s in a panic because Hell found out it’s his fault that Adam wasn’t where he was expected to be, so his energy is a bit much. He says to Aziraphale, “But we can run away together. Alpha Centauri, lots of spare planets up there, nobody would even notice us.” *foomp* Aziraphale denies him again, “You’re being ridiculous.” He’s certain that he can sort it all out if he just has a chat with God, Crowley knows it’s futile and flaunts off petulantly. Denial No.2

I know you know where this is going.

S2E6. *sobs* Crowley’s second, “Tell me you said no,” absolutely destroys me. His struggle to get his words out when he wasn’t expecting things to be so… acute, then, “...if Gabriel and Beelzebub can do it, go off together, then we can. Just the two of us… just be an ‘Us’.” *foomp* Aziraphale denies him a third time.

Rationale For This As An Actual Thing:

Crowley stays engaged for a few more moments, mentioning the bookshop, and turning back when Aziraphale calls after him but his face is impassive once he sees that Aziraphale is still fixated on them both going to heaven. We know the denial has sunk in when Aziraphale’s, “I need you,” isn’t as effective as it should be. When that doesn’t land (at all), Aziraphale reaches again, reminding Crowley what he’s been promised, but that doesn’t work, either. Crowley’s mention of the nightingale is somewhat cruel, IMO, he’s taking his broken heart out on Aziraphale, yet it’s also his way of saying to him that it’s too late, it’s done, “We could have been …us,” the opportunity is in past tense. Crowley’s fierce [plausibly most re-watched kiss in history?] conveys his intention, his sincerity, and his hurt. He’s not trying to change Aziraphale’s mind, it’s too late for that. Rather he’s communicating in a way that Aziraphale will understand, explicitly: Crowley’s proposed “us” isn’t just about running off to another solar system on a friendly whim, it’s a real, explicit life together as more than friends that he's asked Aziraphale to share. And was denied a third time.

What about the rooster crowing, though? Huh?

Well, the last bits of scenes wrap things up insomuch as a heart wrenching season finale can at all, and they’re still watching each other. When the Metatron comes back and Aziraphale hesitates, he’s glancing out the window to look at Crowley standing gloomily by the car, and Crowley stands outside watching until the elevator door closes, maybe there is something that could mitigate that third denial[?]. At that, he gets into the Bently where the Nightingale [in Berkeley Square] song plays as he drives away, the nightingale has been a symbol of their love, now it is the figurative rooster crowing.

Notes:

I’m being careful about what fan content I consume because I don’t want to go into S3 with expectations, I’d prefer to savour it like my first ox rib. I enjoy reading things folks have noticed, but I don’t want to go down S3 theory rabbit holes much.

My observation is based on the show, I’ve consumed the first half of the book in a day, maybe I can finish it tomorrow. I just wanted to get this put into words now.

Aziraphale’s rejection of Crowley is more implicit than Adam’s rejection of Satan, so I could be reaching, yet I feel like Adam’s 3 explicit rejections matter, and this context is a slow reference back to it (and word on the web is that Neil Gaiman doesn’t do things accidentally).

Could it also be a Betrayed With A Kiss thing? Maybe, I don’t think Crowley is betraying Aziraphale here, though maybe symbolically it’s a way to make Aziraphale recognize that HE emotionally betrayed Crowley. I genuinely believe Aziraphale didn’t mean to, but it happened powerfully, meaningfully, and in such a way that it’s going to take a miracle [waggles eyebrows] to mend.

I’m sure Aziraphale is aware of the power of the 3 denials, but, plausibly, each time Crowley asked, there were other ‘tabs open’ that prevented Aziraphale from explicitly picking up on it.

I haven’t looked closely at how many times Aziraphale explicitly, deliberately defies heaven (in a significant way, not just small whims), perhaps there's something there that could be meaningful. [Starts from the beginning AGAIN.]

[mikalara-dracula]

omg !! loved ur ruki turn on n offs ! 😫 idk if ur taking requests rn but may we get one w reiji instead ? if not its k but those hcs were so good thx for the food 😭🫶

💙 Reiji's turn-ons & turn-offs—

Warning: 18+ content below; don't read if you're a minor and aren't comfortable with slight NSFW. This is a fictional work and should not be taken seriously.

Caution: Unfortunately, Tumblr has a history of admins quarreling over completing carbon copy asks due to users sending the same request(s) to multiple admins, thus, resulting in unintentional plagiarism. With this, please DO NOT send the same request to multiple blogs as it can cause unintended plagiarism discord to other blogs across Tumblr. The word “plagiarism” stems from the early 17th-century Latin word, “plagiarius,” meaning “kidnapper.” So please, do not send in the same request to multiple blogs and make admins appear to be “kidnapping” other people’s work when it isn’t their intention. If this is to occur with any of my posts, please contact me so we can work something out.

Hi there, Anons!

Thank you so much for requesting! It looks like you all requested the same thing. I'm very sorry about the wait! I hope you all enjoy reading it. Feel free to request again anytime. :)

Turn-ons:

Intelligence—If there’s one thing we know about our tea-loving vampire, is that he loves intelligence. He’s quite intrigued by this and finds it to a lethal trait on a woman.

Curly hair/Fluffed hair—Reiji has a thing for curly hair, or old-fashioned hair-styles on women. He finds that they exhibit a lot of class and look particularly lovely on women as well. Particular hair styles @liannelara-dracula and I think Reiji would love on a woman are the ones Shalom flaunted in the 90s in some of her most famous catwalks. For example: (1), (2), (3), (4).

Height—There’s something about a tall stature on a woman that Reiji finds attractive. It might be because he’s tall-ass himself and may want a partner that’s around that height, but this isn’t something he’s super set on, please bear that in mind.

Red bottom heels—These absolutely seduce our bae Rei. Wear these, and he’s all yours. ;)

Tight, but also loose dresses—Reiji just loves this look on a woman, where some of her curves are highlighted, but not entirely either. It’s something he really finds attractive. These are some examples: (1), (2).

Defined waistlines—Let’s face it, all of us girls have waistlines. If a girl manages to define her shape a lot in this area, Reiji’s very turned on by it.

Backless dresses—I forgot to mention this earlier haha! But yes, Reiji absolutely loves backless dresses on women, preferably red or black. Like, that amount of nudity is enough to send him over the edge, especially since such a vulnerable part of the body is being shown.

Charming lingo—A girl who has a charming way of speaking, to the point where she can flatter but also spit diplomatically. He’s all for it because sophistication’s a big thing for this classy vampire.

Red lipstick—He finds this to be very attractive on a woman, something that really completes her look altogether. Plus, Reiji has secret desire of having a woman leave her lipstick imprint on his cheek.

Tidiness—This is one thing that Reiji loves and in which, his brothers lack—heavily at that anyways. He just loves the idea of everything being perfect and in place, hence, his lab being a perfect example of this habit.

Cleanliness—Another obvious thing his brothers lack. Reiji finds cleanliness to be a great but also necessary aspect since he likes everything to be spotless, so having an s/o with this trait is something he considers ideal. Poor Yui being victim to his rigorous cleaning methods.

A woman’s walk—It’s actually canon that Reiji is strict when it comes to sitting/standing/walking postures. So the way a woman walks, he considers it to be a way that she displays herself. So, if she has a k!ller walk, he is d-e-a-d. xDD

Turn-offs:

Ignorance—Reiji honestly hates this because he doesn’t find there to be any excuses for it. He’s very on top of things and finds it incredibly stupid if someone doesn’t know better when they can about a certain subject.

Laziness—Ah, it’s no wonder Shu and him don’t get along. Reiji absolutely loathes being lazy. There isn’t one day where Reiji just decides to sit back and do nothing for no apparent reason. He only rests when he feels that his mind and body need a break, other than that, he does not sit and laze around like a certain blonde vampire. Apart from this, he constantly points out how much he hates Shu’s laziness, so he wouldn’t dare engage in it himself.

Curiosity—If there’s one thing Reiji hates, it’s the curiosity of others regarding his life. As a vampire prince, he’s very used to people wanting to meddle in his life, and he absolutely hates it since it’s not genuine at all—it’s just for other’s gain and nothing else.

Uncleanliness—Reiji, in general, hates cleaning up after his brothers since they just trash the place and leave it that way. He absolutely hates when things are out of place, let alone dirty, so uncleanliness is definitely a turn-off to him when it comes to both people and romantic partners.

Loudness/Outbursts—He’s not a fan of yelling. He much prefers to talk things through with people. It may be snappy, but it’s classy and he deems it to be better than raising his voice at someone, unlike some of his brothers tend to do. It’s canon that Reiji has raised his voice before, but he was beyond enraged and it took A LOT to get him there, so it’s quite rare if he does this. In general, he doesn’t prefer to get that far and keeps things pretty calm when he’s debating or arguing. As mentioned before, it’s quite rare to see him behave that way.

Imperfections—They can be of any sort, and if ya’ll have seen the anime adaption, he literally explains to Yui that he hates imperfections and “[w]ill not tolerate them.” Reiji’s kind of a handful at this point, but he’s Reiji.

Accepting things as they are—It’s canon that Reiji cannot accept reality for what it is when things don’t go his way. He seriously has a hard time with this and in one of his game routes, he pointed out that Yui taught him how to look at the brighter side of things when something didn’t go right.

Bad manners—Oh geez, this is probably Reiji’s biggest pet peeve and something he can’t look past. He finds it discordant when people can’t behave politely. He’s not even asking for kindness, but as long as someone conducts themselves with respectful mannerisms, it’s enough for him. After all, we’ve seen him scold his brothers countless times for it. That dining scene tho.

[donnas-dollface]

Since requests are open, would it be alright if I request something with Alcina with a girlfriend who was basically raised to embody the 1950's ideal woman? Always insisting she do all the housework, always trying to appear elegant and poised and dainty, always supporting their lover no matter what, and always going all out with their appearance: makeup, hairstyle, dresses, high heels, just to please Alcina? Only they actually enjoy doing all this?

If this is too uncomfortable for you I won't be upset if you don't do it, I was just curious.

characters; Alcina Dimitrescu x Fem! Reader

a/n; mm, to be a vampire's wife and dress pretty yes. my apologies for the wait, im a bit picky about how i write things and wanted this to be just right 😭🙏

warnings; natta

Okay, Alcina is indeed a woman of class. So while you do fit in with her appearance and everything, she feels guilty thinking you're just doing this for her sake of keeping a good image.

"Oh Y/N darling, you don't need to do all of this to please me."

"What? Oh no, Alcina, I enjoy doing this."

Oh my. You like doing this? She's absolutely thrilled. And very much relieved. Oh my god, she thought that maybe you thought she had certain expectations and SHE FELT SO BAD.

Alcina absolutely loves you but y'know she kinda insists you don't do much house work. "We've got our lovely little maids for that Draga." You just look at her and shrug. "Keeps my hands busy while you're working hon." Oh well. Happy wife, happy life.

She does like it when you give the cooks a day off and make dinner yourself. It's something about you making it, it tastes different. Even the girls do. Sometimes they bug their mother while she's working asking if you're the one cooking.

"Mother? Motherrr??"

"Yes Dani."

"Is Y/N cooking dinner tonight?"

"Let's see… they agreed to give the chef Fridays and weekends off… Mm, I'm afraid not my dear."

"Let's just fire them."

"Your darling mother wouldn't agree with that."

she likes watching you though, it's odd. Hardly was there domestic moments in Castle Dimitrescu before you showed up.

Another thing. Alcina and the girls absolutely do NOT trust anybody, even the maidens with cleaning their rooms and spaces. But you? Alcina doesn't mind, and she adores it. You've clearly paid enough attention to her to know where every little thing goes. Her lipstick? Neatly placed on top of a washcloth in her bathroom drawer. Messy documents? Neatly stacked at her now cleaned desk. You even refilled her ink jar.

She's swooning oh my. She's literally holding herself back from buying a wedding ring and proposing on the spot. Visualize that TikTok with the guy pounding his credit card against the desk. That's her.

On the other hand, the girls don't really mind it, but when they know their rooms are due for a cleaning they quickly throw their messy teacups at the dishwasher and are hiding whatever needs to be hidden.

And your little outfits? She finds them so adorable and honestly it's comforting. she was born a little after the 1950s, so seeing a familiar thing is comforting.

REALLY REALLY ENJOYS HELPING YOU WITH YOUR MAKE-UP AND EYESHADOW. She'll hold your face and be carefully applying it and you're there watching her eyes and her little tongue sticking out as she's just totally concentrated.

Sometimes you're just totally in awe by her and get startled by her releasing her gentle hold on you and going "Finished!" Please this woman melts the minute you look in the mirror and smile so big. she was hesitant about doing it when you asked first, but her confidence blooms when you point at hers and go "Can you do it like yours please?"

She enjoys you telling her about different eyeshadow palettes you got and different lipstick shades. Definitely agrees with allowing you to practice different techniques on her, and will proudly flaunt them. Sometimes she's in a meeting and Heisenberg is looking at her like 🤨

"Something's different."

"Mind your business child."

Donna notices her adoptive sister's wearing a different shade of eyeshadow and this causes Angie to ask.

"Hey Beanstalk, what's up with your look?"

"It's Alcina, and my lovely little Y/N did my makeup today."

Angie deadpans.

Okay clothes wise, Alcina probably has alot of vintage dresses and wardrobe stored away. Not exactly 1950s but hey. After her implant with the Cadou, she did grow remarkably taller, and she couldn't fit them anymore. It made her quite upset, so she stored them away. But now you're here!

She pulls them out and has you do a whole fucking fashion show. She's so happy you're marveling at them, and honestly so thrilled they have a new purpose. And she lovessss it when you wear them while accompanying her occasionally to a meeting.

Hair wise, Alcina just adores whatever style you go with. She tries helping you with the curling but she burned herself one time and started cursing like a sailor. You wanna cut your hair? She's a bit sad to see your long hair go but will happily snip it. or accompany you to a professional your choice.

Babes will one hundred percent hold your high heels when your feet get sore from them. She'll carry you too, cause she'll be damned if you hurt yourself.

Enjoys the smell of your perfumes. sometimes when you're away for awhile, sayyy helping in the village because somebody broke something and can't run their shop, she'll spray a bit on herself and is just like >:( "They better be home soon".

The sight of you two together? has her smiling so much. She hired a painter to do a portrait of you two and the girls. Has it smack in the middle of the living area.

hehe i hope you enjoyed thank you for requesting :)

~kaylee

[glasskey]

Lawrence & June's Mix tape Vol. 1

With the end of season 2 came the introduction of one of our favorites: the cynical and witty architect of Gilead, Commander Lawrence. Whenever a quick quip is needed, Lawrence never fails to deliver and coupled with the patented Osborne eye roll, it’s a comedy duo not to be missed. Today we've got some essential Lawrence and June tracks from Season 3.

Spunky

“Are you insane? You didn’t get in the truck” Lawrence seems bewildered and mildly inconvenienced when he comes back for June at the start of season 3. “Thoughts?” asks Lawrence scolding her for being so reckless, back at the Waterford’s Nick echoes Lawrence's sentiment, asking “What is wrong with you?” With that, it’s easy to see how Lawrence and Nick align so perfectly in later seasons.

June is an enigma to both of these men, she seems determined to meet her own end, those who help her often end up dead, and yet she’s wildly successful at conjuring their service and devotion. June state’s she CAN’T leave without Hannah, Lawrence argues she CAN, forcing her to admit that she WON’T. This won’t be the last time we see this debate occur, Lawrence and June seem to constantly explore and discuss themes of individuality and freedom of choice in the face of societal good and human decency. But as Lawrence himself admits, Gilead overlooked the element of maternal love in its conception, undermining his argument about June’s ability to choose. June’s barely met Lawrence and yet she’s fearless, he’s obviously influential enough to get someone out, morally malleable, and she now has him over a barrel.

As one of the most powerful men in Gilead Lawrence is expected to be an ardent believer in their theocracy and yet he’s just arranged the smuggling out of not only a handmaid but a child, the most valuable of their commodities. It’s an opportunity not to be missed to retrieve Hannah, but when June threatens Lawrence with the noose, he’s more intrigued than fearful. “Spunky” Lawrence mocks her, she’s obviously unhinged and despite Gilead’s rigorous disciplinary tactics she remains defiant. Has he finally met a worthy adversary? Someone decent to spar with in this boring AF hell hole? Or maybe even someone who can help tear down the horror show he thoughtlessly constructed? This scene sets the tone for the progression of June and Lawrence’s relationship throughout season 3 and beyond. When all is said and done, despite Lawrence’s bravado, he will do exactly what he’s told

The Descent of Man

Frustratingly for all who dwell in his house, Lawrence is the world’s best lie detector, his observations of those around him are surgically accurate to say the least. As an indication of how frighteningly perceptive Lawrence actually is, it takes him all of 3 seconds to clock the connection between Nick and June.

The Martha’s are constantly trying to slip one past him with absolutely no success whatsoever, but ironically there seems little need to lie; Lawrence himself encourages and in some cases demands that many of Gilead’s rules are either flaunted or broken under his roof. Aunt Lydia seems to be a bit sus on the whole ceremony thing, but Lawrence assures her that all is ship shape, and who is she to question a man of such power? June is hardly through the door and already she’s picking out a favorite plotting corner, she’s no idiot, she plans to stay alive and that means staying ahead. Lawrence seems happy for the Martha’s to conspire for their rebel operations in his household as long as it never actually makes its way to his doorstep.

June’s a wee bit overzealous about her newfound freedom, demanding she be included in the resident rebel activities, resulting in a dead Martha in the flower bed. She’s made the fatal error of insufficiently assessing her home ground, acting without proper forethought and not surprisingly Lawrence decides to put her back in her place. In a crowded room of Commanders he initially points out that June was an educated woman who edited books pre Gilead. Lawrence then demands she fetch him a copy of The Descent of Man and kneel at his feet, thereby illustrating how she has now been utterly reduced to their mere tool.

By first making a point of demonstrating June has the knowledge to give an educated opinion, and then assuming her answer to his question, he insinuates her thoughts are valueless. Lawrence tops it all off with a patronizing “good job” and sends her on her way, their laughter echoing behind her. You can see the bile rising in her throat and her hatred boil, but while the act itself is humiliating and degrading, with this single display Lawrence convinces a room full of Commanders to save the lives of other women. His point is devastatingly clear: these men can crush you, learn your place or others may die. This scene demonstrates how precarious the lives of women are in Gilead, their chances for survival reduced to whether or not they can be “fun”. While Lawrence may subscribe to the greater good philosophy, June has no intention of living under an oppressive regime that robs her and others of their dignity. By the end of season 3, Lawrence will have to learn some hard lessons of his own about power and sacrifice.

Transactional

“You seem like you’d be good at making friends, influencing people, good at intimacy” Lawrence taunts, he’s just caught June buttering Fred up and gazing adoringly at Nick, it’s pointless trying to sneak anything past him.

He scoffs at June’s attempt at her usual shenanigans, which had proved so effective with Fred, demanding she stop lying and outwit him honestly. It’s genuinely uncomfortable watching June’s attempt to unbalance Lawrence this way, his intelligence dooms any chance of success from the very beginning. June also never anticipated that Lawrence would actually love his wife, and unlike Fred, finds the idea of infidelity extremely unpalatable. It’s clear from his rant that he knows quite a bit about June and her dealings, she’s earnt herself a considerable reputation and Lawrence is intrigued as to just how she managed to reduce the Waterford’s to literal ash.

To be honest he’s not particularly impressed so far, accusing her of being “transactional” concluding that she relied solely on her feminine wiles to get what she wanted. June’s retort “men become easily distracted” articulates that male power structures are easily disassembled by the presence or absence of mere validation and approval. Lawrence’s Gilead logic concludes that June is a woman who had no worth until his new world gave it to her and she should be grateful. June believes her value is inherent and being the man who created this horrifying existence is far worse than being useless. Lawrence is determined to demonstrate to June the sacrifices that are made for a greater good and that achieving this is a thankless job.

It’s at this point that we get a glimpse of the terrifying reality Lawrence has created for himself, driving June out to the cages and demanding she chose 5 women to be Martha’s while the rest be sent off for slaughter. Their value is determined by everything contained in one file and it begs the question, how useful would June look on paper? What intrinsic purpose does she have in this world if not as a Handmaid? Would she survive her own selection?

Before I get into volume 2 of June and Lawrence or start up my Nick and Lawrence Mix, I’ll be back with the Nick and June Mix tape volume 2.

[blackjackkent]

All right. Time to go kill Ketheric Thorm.

Narrator: No longer a background murmur, the presence in your mind builds to a roar.

"We've found it," whispers the guardian in Rakha's mind. "The Absolute is behind this door."

Rakha can barely hear her. The voice of the Absolute has been rumbling ever louder in her head as they have descended through the illithid colony, and now it is so loud it almost blocks out everything else.

The tadpole writhes and squirms eagerly in her temple, harmonizing with that overwhelming voice. And in dissonant counterpoint, the beast urge in the back of her mind growls - with equal eagerness but more malice, wanting to push forward, find Thorm, find the brain, find all of it and rip and tear and destroy. Beneath all of it is the new knowledge of some forgotten betrayal here, the knife in her back that destroyed her and broke her mind - the need for answers and the fear of what they might be when found.

Rakha's head aches with these opposing forces, so badly that it feels like her skull might split apart.

Enter.

She lays a hand against the undulating flesh of the final door and feels it give way for her.

-----

Another fleshy corridor. More ooze sticking to the soles of her boots.

This one, though, opens to an enormous cavern beyond, glowing with the sickly green light of the brining pool that covers the ground. A raised, ringed platform stands at the center, on which three figures are gathered and speaking in sharp voices. Another figure kneels with his head bowed nearby, unmoving.

"You said it was under control." The figure at the center is the first voice Rakha catches. A human with a shaggy mop of dark hair, an elaborate, long black coat, and golden bracers that stretch down over the knuckles of both hands.

"It isn't you I answer to, Gortash." That voice Rakha already knows. Ketheric. The General has healed some of the wounds she and her companions gave him, but not all - he looks battered and worn, veins standing out sharply in the lines of his face.

The human - Gortash - laughs mockingly. "Oh, the *General* voice," he sneers. "Is this where we salute?"

"Salute, yes--" the third figure speaks up. "With cleavers through his blood-starved flesh. how it crawls with failure like flies on lick-wet carrion..."

Rakha goes still and her eyes go wide. That voice... she knows that voice. She doesn't know why.

The woman is of no race Rakha can identify. Her skin is a pale, sickly grey, and even at this distance Rakha can see that it is moving, with constantly shifting patterns like ink on the surface of water. The armor she wears has the sheen of fresh meat rather than metal. Her eyes are blank white orbs and her smile is wide with madness.

"You forget yourself, Orin," Ketheric snarls at her. "I have played my part.

Gortash rolls his eyes, unimpressed. "You've built an army for our masters, true enough. But what of the Astral Prism? A rogue True Soul, flaunting it under your nose all this time. And you ran from her!"

"Sure that they would follow and deliver it into my hands here," Ketheric snaps. "If you would cease these distractions--"

"The distractions have been *yours*, Ketheric!" exclaims Gortash with a dismissive shake of his head. His lip curls. "Perhaps we should never have dug your daughter up..."

Ketheric boils forward like lightning, one gauntleted fist lifting, ready to smash into Gortash's face-- and just as quick, the strange woman in red is moving to meet him, a long curved dagger settling with its point at his throat.

Gortash smiles, having not moved a muscle. "So you haven't lost your edge... but you're still not as sharp as Orin is, I wager..." He laughs - a high, cold sound. "The slayer against the undying one. That would be fun to see."

"His cryptbreath sings to my sinews..." the woman purrs, that mad smile splitting her face like a blade wound. "Again. Again. Againagainagain--" She draws back, drops the knife to her side. "But he must lead the murdermarch to Baldur's Grave..."

Rakha struggles to breathe. The pain in her head has been redoubling on itself, so intense that she can barely see. She desperately needs to think, to parse this situation as she always does, see the facts of it, determine how to strike, what to do--

But every syllable of that woman's voice makes her head throb like that jagged knife has been sunk into it.

"Orin and I can wait for you no longer," Gortash says curtly. "The plan proceeds. We're going to the city, and we expect you to follow - army and the weapon in tow."

Without waiting for a response, he turns away and walks to the far end of the platform, looking out at the roiling water of the brining pool. He raises one fist, and the gemstone lodged in one of his bracers glows with a sudden violet light.

"The edict of Bane!" he bellows.

"The lash of Bhaal!" cries Orin, lifting her dagger; the gem set into it glows as well, blood-red.

Again Rakha's head spasms with pain. Deep in the water, something begins to move, the rolling movement turning to a boil. And through the slits of her eyes squeezed almost shut, Rakha can see the lines of magical energy snaking through the Weave, down into the green liquid, calling something... up...

The thing bursts from the water on the heels of the thought. An enormous ridged pink mass crowned in a ring of spiked metal embedded into its very flesh. Tentacles like those Rakha saw in the walls thrash around it, sending splashes of water across the platform. It writhes and strains against the tendrils of magic coming from Gortash and Orin; whatever they are doing, it is dragging this thing along the path of their choosing by force.

For a moment, Ketheric watches as they struggle with it. Then he steps between them and spreads his arms as a last burst of light - this time pale pink - erupts from the gem embedded in his armor.

"The testament of Myrkul!" he shouts.

A third tendril of magic surges through the Weave and sinks into the enormous creature's flesh, binding it like rope. It goes still and calm, hanging quiescent just above the surface of the water.

"An elder brain..." says the guardian in Rakha's head. Her presence, normally a balm against Rakha's internal turmoil, does nothing to ease the pain throbbing in her temples. "One of the cruelest and most powerful creatures in existence, enslaved by mere mortals..."

"There we are," Gortash says, sounding satisfied. "It wouldn't do to fight in front of our guest." He turns and takes a few quick steps across the platform, back towards the last figure kneeling there. "Behold, Duke Ravengard - the Absolute!"

Rakha's blood runs cold as a realization punctures through the haze of pain. The kneeling man is Ravengard. Wyll's father.

"Helm preserve us..." the Duke rasps, almost too low to hear.

Orin crouches at his side, grabbing him by the shoulders, holding him still. "You wag your wordflap in vain, Ulderling," she croons. "Once the worm holds the whip, your shredded flesh will serve us."

"Shit - no! Father!" Wyll hisses at Rakha's side... but it's too late. They watch, horrified, as the worm slides down one of the brain's tentacles and into Ravengard's eye. His scream pierces the air around the platform.

Wyll's anguish joins the other terrible wrenching pains in Rakha's head.

"Now," Gortash says briskly to Ketheric as Ravengard slumps forward. "It's really time we were going. We will empty this place and begin the march. You may catch up with the army once you've retrieved the weapon."

He moves next to Orin, standing behind Ravengard's trembling form. "And Ketheric," he adds, with a note of something like playfulness in his voice. "Do try not to sulk. You're supposed to be the fearsome general, come to conquer the city." His lips curl in a wide, self-satisfied smirk. "And I am the hero who will save it."

They vanish - Gortash, Orin, Ravengard, and the brain itself - in the burst of black smoke that Rakha has seen before. Illithid teleportation. Ketheric remains on the platform, his head bowed and his expression grim.

Rakha lets out a soft, involuntary whimper of relief. The brain is gone, and the presence of the Absolute weakens with the sudden distance. But instead of its pulsing roar in her head, she can feel its words resonating down with greater clarity, somewhere far above them where the cult's army waits.

"IT IS TIME, FAITHFUL ONES. MARCH ON BALDUR'S GATE. WE GO TO PREPARE THE WAY."

[reflections-in-a-critical-eye]

now jimin is such an interesting character like he really logs into social media to post about anything but his own face how is he not obsessed with his face? I just know that if I had a face like his I would force every living creature to look at me 24/7, baby is way too humble sometimes I even wonder if he really really knows how stunning his face is cuz wow

It's easier to talk like that from an outsider's perspective. But I think reality is a bit different. Jimin doesn't come across as a narcissist either.

You saying "I would force every living creature to look at me 24/7" made me think of this documentary I saw recently. It's called The Most Beautiful Boy in The World and it's about Bjorn Andresen, the one who played Tadzio in Death in Venice. I wanna talk about that for a bit, I'm using this ask as an excuse.

The boy's grandmother wanted to have a celebrity/actor in the family, so she took Bjorn to the casting call. Luchino Visconti saw him and knew immediately he was the one. They asked him to take off all his clothes, except underwear, so they can take some shots. He was only 15 at the time. Filming went well and then when Death in Venice premiered at Cannes, it turned into madness. I think that's when Visconti called him the most beautiful boy in the world and that label turned into a curse. The boy was thrown into the lion's den, full of people who wanted to be seen next to him, taken to parties and flaunted as this otherwordly creature. Everyone wanted him or to be in his proximity. What was unfortunate was that he had no adult to take care of him. And for an adolescent who hated absolutely everything of that life but who also believed he was supposed to listen to what he was told, it turned into a nightmare.

He became an "object" of fascination because he was considered androgynous and the character he portrayed in the film had an effect on people's perception of him. Tadzio was Beauty and Death all together, this untouchable being. In the documentary it's explained how his visit to Japan and the work he had to do there was considered probably among the first instances of fans getting crazy over an idol. There's footage of that. He also became the inspiration since the 1970s for a lot of manga. So many famous characters are based on his face.

The guy hated it because he was reduced to his beauty. I won't tell you what happens to him later in life, perhaps you'll want to see the documentary, but his story is heartbreaking.

To circle this back to Jimin and his beauty, often time our own perception of us and the perception other people have of us does not align completely. I will assume that Jimin is aware of his beauty, but somehow I doubt he wakes up everyday thinking he needs to be worshipped for his looks. That's the fan's job which is a daily habit at this point. We are obsessed with looks and beauty, whatever that may mean to us. In Jimin's case we talk so much about his appearance and often times I would see the world "otherwordly" used when describing him. It was impossible not to think of Bjorn Andresen. What I hope is that Jimin had such an upbringing and a life that didn't in turn let the adoration get to his head. So far, he seems fine.

[roadtogracelandx45]

10 Days| 1| Band of Brothers x Masters of the Air crossover

*So I went back and forth about posting this but I figured since I liked it so much that I may as well post it. I know its not likely that this happened but for the sake of fan fiction, it will work out. *

Summary: Most of the men of first and second platoons of Easy Company heads to the Stewart household at the head of the family, Franklin’s urging. And for the first time since August they were from the constraints of having Sobel around watching their every move and they were able to fully be themselves and explore those building feelings that weren’t able to explore under his watchful gaze. 

@marycorleone

One: 10 Glorious Days. 

East Company.

January 1943

10 days. 10 glorious days without Hebert Sobel and Amber Scott sounded like an absolute dream and to be able to go home and celebrate Christmas late and Marla's sweet 16. 

Made it all seem so much better. This was the first time since June that Bobby and Edward would be home since June and the first time that Olivia would have seen any family since July.  

The whole thought made being stuck on a hot sticky rickety bus with a handful of the smelly men from 1st and 2nd platoon and Dog company worth it. 

"Look at that smile.' Bull Randleman teased as he reached forward and poked a fat finger in the dimple that appeared on Olivia's cheek when she smiled brightly, like she was then. 

"What? I can't help it." She returned, pushing his hand away from her face. 

 "10 Sobel and Amber free days? It's a dream."

 "Not to mention," Bobby commented from his seat across the aisle from his sister and Liebgott, "Our grandparents are throwing a party for Marla. And that means that Olivia gets to get all prettied up." 

"Your point?" She shrugged, "After wearing uniforms for 6 months straight, I would even wear a damn corset again. If it meant being free of this."  

Bobby pulled a face, he went to Atlanta with Olivia and their aunts for the premiere of Gone With The Wind and Cissy insisted that the girls wear the corset and Bobby had to cut her out of hers at the end of the night. 

"I personally," Liebgott started turning his head to talk directly into her ear, "Can't wait for you to wear dresses again. Easier access for me.' 

Olivia flushed and slapped his shoulder, since they had started sleeping together, he was more open to teasing her and finding ways to get her into his bed or him into his bed.

There was just one rule, don't flaunt it around the boys. They didn't need any fights breaking out, again. The one fight between Joe and Bill was enough.  And honestly, Olivia didn't want to deal, there was only so much that she could handle and she was nearing her limit of bullshit and they all knew it. 

They had all hoped that the 10 days away from Amber and Sobel and the extra stresses that she had piled on with being the first Lieutenant would help reset her.

"Did Amber go with Sobel back to Chicago?" Lily asked peering around Pat Christenson to look at Olivia who shrugged her shoulders again. When it came to Amber and Sobel, she tried in vain to not know anything about them  

"They went to Brooklyn.' Lewis's voice carried from the front of the bus where he was sitting with Dick, Edward, and Ronald Speirs; they had been listening to their conversation mostly for amusement. They all became more animated and alive, the further away from Sobel they got. 

"Why do you know that sir?" Mike Ranney asked surprised, no one ever cared enough about Sobel or Amber to know these things. 

"I have my ways." 

"And this is exactly the reason why most of the girls are scared of you Lew." Edward Stewart groaned. 

"There is only one girl that matters and that is your sister.' Lewis returned, there was only one person that knew what he knew about Amber and her family and her relationship with Sobel and that was Dick and he was keeping his mouth shut. 

Especially since it was tied to Olivia's safety.  The oldest Stewart sibling dropped his chin down to his chest and groaned, his sister's personal relationships were so complicated and he hated that he knew anything about it.

Her fake marriage to Lewis, he knew about and backed up because he was there when the fight happened and Lewis claimed that they were married. 

But her relationship with Bill, Dick Winters, Joe Liebgott, and Floyd Talbert, he didn't need to know about. As far as he knew and wanted to claim that his sister was innocent and only slept in the same bed with Lewis to upkeep the charade.

The rumor mills had been running rampant that Olivia and Dick had hooked up when she had left Liebgott behind in town after a fight and spent the rest of the 48-hour pass in her shared barracks with Dick. It had gotten to the point where both Olivia and Dick had been brought into Sink's office and questioned about it. He had even pulled aside afterward and asked her about it. She had been so embarrassed that he asked her about it that she shut down on him completely. 

He shook his head to rid himself of his thoughts and looked out of the window in time to see the generational Stewart family home come into view and his 3-year-old son standing on the front porch holding onto Marla's hand, their youngest brother Steven was standing next to him, his big brown eyes dancing in excitement much like Olivia's had been since they got up that morning and boarded the bus, their nephews and lone niece surrounding them. 

"Bobby, Liv, look out of the window.' He called back, causing Bobby to get out of his seat and cross the aisle into the seat that Olivia and Liebgott shared.

"The only kiddo that I don't see is Katie." Bobby commented.

 "She is probably sick again." Olivia frowned, their youngest sister Katie had been sick on and off her entire life and none of the doctors or specialists that they took her to couldn't figure it out.

"She will be fine." Bill threw out, he had seen the worry from all of the Stewarts when they had to take her to the hospital when she was just shy of a year old.  He had even taken turns sitting with the girl himself after school some days to give Andie a well-deserved break. "All she needs is a visit from her older siblings." 

Joe's hand found Olivia's and squeezed it, she had told him and Talbert one night about her youngest sister's health issues and how they had been told to prepare for her to pass before her time. 

The bus driver threw open the door and Edward was off the bus and scooping up his son who was squealing in excitement. The rest of the boys stayed in their seats letting Olivia and Bobby exit the bus to go up to their siblings and the littles to greet them first. Two older gentlemen, one in uniform and the other not along with an older lady stepped onto the porch to greet them. 

Liebgott's eyes were glued to Olivia who took her youngest brother Steven from Marla and pressed kisses on his face leaving behind red lipstick stains behind causing the little boy to complain and wipe his cheeks off. 

The pull he had felt towards Olivia tugged again, this time stronger. They all knew that Olivia was going to be a good mom with how she acted with them when they were hurting but seeing her with a kid just made it more true. 

The night before, she and the nurses were in the barracks with them and she had snuck into his bunk and curled into him, making him want to make the dream of her being his wife true. At first, the thought scared him, he didn't want to get married right away or have a baby and it wasn't because of the war, it was because of his mother and how she left him and his five younger siblings alone. He didn't want to do that to happen again or to be the one who left. It wouldn't be fair to his partner or the children. 

"Joe.' Her soft voice shook him out of his thoughts, he was the only one left on the bus, "Come on, Nana and Papa want to meet you." She held her hand out to him, which he took instead of letting her lead him off of the bus, he pulled her into him and pressed a needy kiss to her mouth. 

She whined and pressed against him.

"Stay with me tonight." He muttered against her mouth. 

"My room. You will be with Tab and Chuck.' How she knew that he didn't know but he was okay with sneaking into her room to be with her.

"Alone?" He nudged his nose against hers not ready to get off of the bus and put on a show that they were nothing more than friends. "Mhm, perks of being a Stewart."

"Olivia Franklin! If you don't get off of that bus right now young lady."  The older woman ordered, causing her to laugh and pull away from him.

"Coming Nana.' She returned pulling him off of the bus behind her. Ellen Stewart was standing alone on the porch, a slender hand on her hip, the rest of the group had already moved into the house, and she had wanted to meet the man that her granddaughter was writing home about. 

See if he was worthy like she had hours before when John Egan showed up with her step-granddaughter Isabelle. All they wanted was for them to be happy and if they were happy with men in uniform then they weren't going to stand in the way.

"Nana, this is Joe Liebgott." Olivia started hiding their clasped hands behind her back, "Joe this is my nana, Ellen."

"It's nice to meet you ma'am. Livia has told us a lot about you." He took the older woman's hand in his and was surprised when she tightened the grasp and stepped in closer to him, her blue eyes much like his Olivia's studied him closely, "She has told us a lot about you too. All of you boys in fact." Ellen said before releasing his hand. 

A wild fleeting moment, he was worried that Olivia told her grandmother about their romps in the shower and in the alleyways. The two normal places for them to hook up. If they had the chance tonight to be together it would be their first night in a bed and he was planning on taking full advantage of it. 

"All good things I hope." He started as Olivia squeezed his hand and stepped in closer to him. An instance that never happened before. 

Not even with Lewis. Sure, Lewis gave her confidence and loved her but just by looking at the two, Liebgott was head over heels for Olivia and she was head over heels for him. 

She could tell that they were ready to admit to each other and he wasn't ready to settle but the moment it happened was the moment that everything was going to fall into place for them.  

"All very good things." She returned as a little voice called for Olivia causing her to smile and step away from him. 

"Come 'ere Katie girl." She squatted down and held her arms out to the little girl who rushed into them. Dark blue eyes peeked over her sister's shoulder to Joe who offered her a smile and wink.

 "Who's that?" Katie asked, fisting her hand in the dark green material of her sister's uniform.

"I am Joe." He started going over to the older Stewart girl's side and squatting down next to her, 

"I am friends with Livvy and Bobby." 

"Like Lew and Billy?"

"Exactly." His mouth quirked at the corners hearing how easily the little girl called Bill, the wild one of the bunch, Billy.  

"He is cute sissy." She tore her eyes away from Joe to look at her sister.

 "Yes, he is."

 "You gonna marry him?"

 "Katie." Olivia groaned, causing her to laugh, every time Olivia brought a boy home who wasn't Bill, she asked her the same thing.

 "We will see Katie." Joe started after clearing his throat, surprised that she asked that. 

"Don't lie like Bucky."

"Who the hell is Bucky?"

"Oh, Izzy is here with a couple of the boys for the 100th bombers" Ellen explained, skipping over the language, she had figured that both Izzy and Olivia learned it from being in uniform and around young men who didn't have to follow social norms.  

"Izzy is here?" Izzy was Andie's oldest daughter who had gone to England 4 years before with her father and they had only ever exchanged letters since and the lack of return letters made sense. 

The worry that Olivia had held at bay came back tenfold and sensing it Joe put his hand on her lower back rubbing it. 

"Yes, it's a long story Liv. She got hurt at the airbase and while she was recovering she came here, she has been here for about 6 months." 

"How did she get hurt? How did she get involved with the 100th then?" 

"That you will have to ask her. She is mum about it." She returned, "We set her up in Maureen's old room.' 

Maureen was Franklin's younger sister who was killed in 1864 along with his twin sister Lydia, their mother, and youngest brother, and her room was attached to Olivia's by a bathroom. 

 "Go on up and talk to her, I will show Joe to his room."  She nodded her head before turning and pressing a kiss to Joe's cheek. Katie pulled away from her sister to stay with her grandmother and Joe. 

"I will come find you when I am done."  She muttered, pressing a kiss against his cheek and slipping into the house to find her sister. “Do me a favor Joe.” Ellen started as Katie took his hand and to lead him into the house. “Just don’t hurt her. She has already been hurt enough by Bill.”  

The words I promise felt heavy on his tongue for the reason that he hadn’t been able to let go of Mary and fully be with Olivia like she had asked him to do nor had he been honest about his previous relationships. He had made up a story that at the time sounded good but now that he had gotten to know Olivia, he had realized that the story was a stupid one and he shouldn’t have blurted it out. And Ellen seemed to know what was going through his head, instead of forcing him to say anything, she just patted his shoulder and turned to go into the house. 

[mahuhumaling]

if i wrote a fix-it fic for our skyy x bbs x atots,

this would probably be some of my changes. half-unserious 💃🏽

(making this into an incoherent spur-of-the-moment bulleted list because i've had recurring thoughts since the dawn of time a.k.a. the release of the episodes itself + i don't have the time to actually write it. will update when i remember something.)

would tie pat's hair into a korn ponytail in the entire first episode except for the "lying down, looking at the stars" scene. very girlypop of him to have his hair down when it's time for bed ❤️ only in the BBS only episode though, because his hair length and style in Pha Pun Dao is noticeably different (ahem since obviously ohmnanon filmed those scenes secretly first, then bad buddy weeks later ahem). it's shorter and better looking

patpran would've kissed in all of the first three interrupted scenes (deepa wrote about one of it btw and i'm accepting this as headcanon now thank you) and wouldn't have the kiss in the ATOTS only episode of the crossover

for instance: when pat pecks pran on the lips in the mosquito net scene, pran doesn't aggressively push him away and scold him. instead, he breaks the kiss off by putting his hands on pat and pulls away from him slightly, does his Episode 12 Eye Rolling™️ fond facial expression, snorts, and says, "Not you, idiot." i'll keep the fact that pat plays it off and claims that he got carried away, but pran remains standing there by the corner with a challenging and smug look on his face. it takes pat approximately 3 seconds before realizing: oh? pat smirks and kisses him right there—

would've removed the shirtless phuphapat scene or shortened it because the joke was getting too long to the point where it was uncomfortable and it felt objectifying

while finding pran and tian, phupha stops pat from stepping on a snail as a more subtle 1000 stars callback. pat finds that behavior cute and soft which is yes. absolute yes. tsundere phupha supremacy. this idea >>>>> pat sniffing trees (courtesy of @pranpats) (listen listen listen. there are ridiculous jokes and then there was whatever that was.)

pran comes out of this tent with multiple hickies. pat, too. tian teases him about it and he flushes because he didn't notice. pran glares at pat who's just grinning ear to ear and while pran tries to cover it up, pat just walks around flaunting it.

they don't get lost in the woods because phupha is a forest ranger who has known his way around for nearly/over a decade

okay ik it was integral to the plot though so this has saving grace. alternatively, they get lost in the woods but only once and here is where tian and pran / pat and phupha get to Talk. (broke: pran = tian, pat = phupha. WOKE: pran = phupha, pat = tian.) we explore a layer of phupha's characterization here that was not explored much in the original 10 eps of 1000stars since they don't get together until the last ending, so pat providing phupha a tian-esque clarity of recklessness + raw honesty + insufferable youth behavior and making him learn how other couples' situations operate and how that relates to how he's been behaving. in other words, phupha discovers patpran's family rivalry (a great segue as to how 1000stars fans who have never watched bbs can briefly learn about the story just like how they introduced the play for bbs fans who have never watched 1000stars. the lack of reciprocation felt really one-sided 🙁) because pat is a chatterbox. not to be reductive, but patpran's sort of secrecy could really shake phupha because "phuphatian have it a little easier. they're different." bla bla bla phupha learns communication better,,,,, meanwhile pran has an epiphany from tian about compromises and reflects on his own behavior from there.

i thought they were going with that route so it was a bit disappointing to see that it wasn't explored enough

there was genuinely a very sweet vibe/aura around here. objectively speaking i think it would've been great if there was kiss here. conveys sincerity that pran cannot vocalize enough, reassures pat's secret insecurities. also it's overall a visually pretty and romantic scene. something tells me in my gut that... lmao nevermind.

also pat puts on pran's watch instead of pran putting it on himself

gASPPP imagine that before this ^ scene, there will be a scene of patpran waking up together that parallels the beginning of episode 2 of them waking up separately and doing their morning routine in their dorms. they do another morning routine montage except now they're side by side. well, almost. pran gets out of bed and turns off the alarm... while pat doesn't. pran goes back to him a couple of times to wake him up but he just grumbles. pran considers kicking him awake but slyly yells "okay i'm gonna go take a bath~!" pat is just "mmm. 'kay." pran pauses and goes, "hm? kay? you don't want to join me?" pat springs up from the mat.

more general stuff

would've lessened the references to the original episodes or made them more subtle. it was too much and they kept repeating even the same ones like the numbering system after sex 😭 pls make it stop

tian wouldn't have felt like such a damsel in distress with everyone constantly taking care of him. we know he's reckless and constantly forgets to take his meds, but to the point of not keeping at least one on him is a little much

(this isn't for people who don't like that other fans disliked the special btw, especially 1000stars fans. because tbh if it weren't for the proposal, we felt really screwed over. :DD good for some bbs fans that they liked the crossover, really hashtag blessed for them, but i'm all for the to each their own here.)

[fantrials-fuckshit]

A trials was just deleted without warning to any of the participants because the host of it had been extremely abusive to his partners and his friend group for years and his partners finally tried to talk to him about it. He blocked every single person in his friend group, including his partners, instead of taking accountability- but he opened up his trials again as if nothing happened; knowing we were all there and seemingly expecting us to ALSO interact as if nothing had happened.

Because he'd blocked us and we had no idea what was supposed to be going on the only way we could ask him what was meant to be happening was through the trials server. None of the involved parties, aside from him, wanted others to have to be involved in the personal drama but he continued to make a POINT to shove it in everyone's face continuously through petty, targetted, and straight up MEAN statuses of all things. As well as going out of his way to try to bait into conversations with him or like... flaunting?? How he was in the trials but had totally ditched us?? The host was using other participants to rub it in our faces.

He ended things off suddenly and unexpectedly because he started to attempt to make people sympathize with and worry about through actual s*icide baiting (a tactic he's used in the past). None of his previous friends TOOK the bait so he decided to completely delete the trials.

It wasnt fair to absolutely anyone in the trials. It was fucked up to his friends and no one who wasn't involved should have EVER had to deal with it- but I and a couple others ended up having to talk to other participants privately because they wanted to know what happened after being dropped so suddenly after he made it a public thing.

So If you wanna see trials with drama behind the scenes there was DRAMA behind the scenes

.

[vole-mon-amour]

“And I wouldn't be here if I were the only person who had doubts. How's the handsome cousin?”

Yeah, I still ship them.

Chapter 2:

But not two people in love, which seems to be President Snow's implication. We are safe on that charge. Unless ... unless ...

It only happened once. It was fast and unexpected, but it did happen.

<...>

I waited until I thought the coast was really clear, and then one Sunday, without telling anyone, I got up hours before dawn and took off for the woods. The weather was still warm enough that I didn't need a jacket. I packed along a bag filled with special foods, cold chicken and cheese and bakery bread and oranges. <...> I went to our place, Gale's and mine, where we had shared breakfast the morning of the reaping that sent me into the Games. I waited at least two hours. <...> And the idea of losing him forever, my best friend, the only person I'd ever trusted with my secrets, was so painful I couldn't stand it.

A special breakfast. Their place. Best friends.

Then I looked up and there he was, ten feet away, just watching me. Without even thinking, I jumped up and threw my arms around him, making some weird sound that combined laughing, choking, and crying. He was holding me so tightly that I couldn't see his face, but it was a really long time before he let me go <...> Then suddenly, as I was suggesting I take over the daily snare run, he took my face in his hands and kissed me.

I was completely unprepared. You would think that after all the hours I'd spent with Gale—watching him talk and laugh and frown — that I would know all there was to know about his lips. But I hadn't imagined how warm they would feel pressed against my own. Or how those hands, which could set the most intricate of snares, could as easily entrap me. I think I made some sort of noise in the back of my throat, and I vaguely remember my fingers, curled tightly closed, resting on his chest. Then he let go and said, “I had to do that. At least once.” And he was gone.

<...> I tried to decide how I felt about the kiss, if I had liked it or resented it, but all I really remembered was the pressure of Gale's lips and the scent of the oranges that still lingered on his skin.

&

I had this whole speech worked out, about how I didn't want a boyfriend and never planned on marrying, but I didn't end up using it. Gale acted as if the kiss had never happened.

Maybe he was waiting for me to say something. Or kiss him back. Instead I just pretended it had never happened, either. But it had. Gale had shattered some invisible barrier between us and, with it, any hope I had of resuming our old, uncomplicated friendship. Whatever I pretended, I could never look at his lips in quite the same way.

If she didn't want that with Gale, she definitely didn't want that with Peeta. Which, again, raises a question for me on WHY exactly she ends up married and with a kid and with Peeta.

From the president's point of view, I've ignored Peeta and flaunted my preference for Gale's company before the whole district.

&

“Please don't hurt Gale,” I whisper. “He's just my friend. He's been my friend for years. That's all that's between us. Besides, everyone thinks we're cousins now.”

<...>

I don't watch him as he heads for the door, so I flinch when he whispers in my ear. “By the way, I know about the kiss.” Then the door clicks shut behind him.

Oh you absolute piece of shit. 😡 Also, I don't get how and why everyone thinks Katniss and Gale are cousins? What did I miss? Nevertheless, they are NOT and it is still perfectly fine to date. I'll see how much is this the author pushing Katniss and Peeta and how much of it is for the sake of the story and Katniss doing what she thinks she needs to do to protect her family, including Gale.

[we-fucked-up-evolution]

so the staff bathroom at work has one of those "don't care what gender you are just wash your hands" signs, but instead of standard the male and female icons it's a mermaid and a centaur

and a trans girl graffitied it with "our lives and struggles aren't jokes. i'm neither a mermaid nor a centaur, i'm not a freak. -an angry trans woman"

which is so cool because the workplace culture here is filled to the brim with performative allyship, and i'm constantly hearing absolutely wild takes such as "we should burn the classics because they're offensive" (i work in contemporary theatre y'all it's insane that some directors believe this but that's disk horse for another day) and i love seeing people point out the ideological discrepancies in a workplace filled with pretentious artists who've never actually sat down to talk with a trans person in their lives and yet feel obliged to flaunt their wokeness in our faces (and, sadly, our bathrooms)

long story short i need to find this girl and make a new friend

[zaneaonc287]

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Cutting Razor

Disposables are of an off-shoot of the cartridge razor, except you toss the entire thing away when the blades are blunt, not just the head. When preferred, the extremely unfavorable effect of plastic air pollution now has individuals thinking twice. And also, in our experience, disposables deliver the lowest feasible top quality of shave and the highest possible chance of nicks and also skin irritability. As one of the most rudimentary little bits of males's brushing set, a good razor should not cost the planet. What you're spending for is a high quality manage with a well-judged grip as well as equilibrium and a collection of blades that'll easily cut through your stubble. All of the blades featured below pass these examinations without leaving a big hole in your pocket.

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[susiephone]

Imagine thinking that wanting straight people to be accepting of gay people is a "trap" and not like, literally THE entire goal of the modern LGBT rights movement since its inception

okay. this is in response to me saying “respectability politics is a trap.” which it absolutely is.

but i’ll give you the benefit of the doubt here. let’s define respectability politics, shall we?

several people who are more well-spoken than me have talked about this. to quote this article on the subject:

Respectability politics is a school of thought that utilizes respectability narratives as the basis for enacting social, political, and legal change.

Respectability narratives are representations of marginalized individuals meant to construct an image of the marginalized group as people sharing similar traits, values, morals with the dominant group.

essentially, respectability politics is when people in a marginalized group (queer people, disabled people, people of color) wish to be accepted by the majority, and thus present themselves in a way and behave in a way that the majority deems acceptable - and pressure others in their marginalized group to do the same. for example:

“Not all bisexual people are sluts, I’m bi and I’ve been in a committed relationship for 20 years!”

“I’m gay, but I’m not one of THOSE gay guys, I hate shopping and I don’t like to flaunt my sexuality at all!”

“Lesbians aren’t really all masculine, I love makeup and having long hair.”

(I’m using examples I’ve seen in the queer community because I’m queer; I know this happens a lot in communities of color, but I am not qualified to speak on that at all.)

this stems from a desire to be accepted by the majority; for the purposes of this discussion, straight people. we hear straight people say things like “i could never date a bi person, they’re all cheaters” or “i don’t mind gay guys, don’t just shove it in my face” and “why don’t lesbians act like women if they love them?” and, in response, some people go, “i don’t act like that!! you can accept me! i fit in! i’m respectable, i’m not like those guys, they embarrass us!”

there’s also a lot of people saying, “don’t reinforce the stereotype.” as if it’s OUR fault straight people stereotype us.

so this leads to shaming within our own community:

“You’re bi and polyamorous? Wow, way to make people think we’re all two-timing whores.”

“Makeup? Jesus, we get it, you’re gay, you don’t have to make it a pride parade every time you go out.”

“You look like a teenage boy, this is why everyone lesbians aren’t real women.”

and that all boils down to:

“THIS is the example you’re setting? This is the face you show to the world? Don’t you know you’re representing us? No wonder they don’t respect us.”

and that’s the real problem: telling other queer people, “it is YOUR fault you’re not accepted, YOU aren’t acceptable, YOU reinforce these stereotypes, YOU should try and be more respectable, more normal.” and the thing is, “normal” is defined by the majority. THEY decide what is acceptable behavior for us. and guess what? 

most of the time, that boils down to, “It’s fine if you’re different... as long as you’re as close to what I deem normal as possible. As long as I can’t tell you’re different.”

in the queer community, this sort of thinking has led to the exclusion of butch lesbians, femme gay men, nonbinary people, non-passing trans people, trans people in general, people who use any pronouns besides she/her and he/him, bisexual people, ace people, aro people, pan people, polyamorous bisexual people, people who have an active sex life, sex workers, people who have changed how they identify, and countless others. these people get shoved aside by the Good Respectable Gays, who are eager to say, “We’re not like them, we’re just like you!” in order to be accepted by the mainstream. and it still doesn’t work. even the most macho, would-never-guess-it gay guy is bound to face some level of oppression or otherness at some point in his life. it doesn’t matter how much he fits in, how much he distances himself from the Unacceptable Queers; it won’t work 100% of the time. how’s that for a punchline?

there is no point in trying to file off the “unacceptable” parts of our community just to please straight people. 

if a person hates all queer people, no matter how they act or present, they’re a homophobe.

if a person doesn’t hate queer people, just the ones who shove it in your face and sleep around and won’t shut up about it and buck gender norms and use weird pronouns and expect people to learn their new name and change their identity every week... they’re still a fucking homophobe.

and why the fuck are we trying to please homophobes, again?

so when people say lil nas x is bad, actually, because he “reinforces the stereotype” of gay people going to hell and thinking a lot about sex or whatever, they’re playing right into respectability politics. why can’t he just talk about his sexuality in a normal way? why can’t he express himself in a nicer way? why does he have to use that imagery? why does he have to make straight people uncomfortable?

lis nas x is a gay black man who grew up being told he’d burn in hell for being gay. and he made an awesome song with a legendary music video saying, “fine. i’ll go to hell, just like you want, and it’ll be great. i’ll take the damn place over and make satan fall in love with me. and i’ll have a great time doing it, because i’m proud of who i am, and i won’t apologize for it or be ashamed of it anymore.”

to see that and wring your hands, worrying that a straight person will see it and decide to be homophobic about it, and pinning the blame for that on nas is missing the point.

every time we as a community make ourselves lesser or change the way we present just to be accepted by the majority, they move the goalposts, and someone else gets left behind. and the beautiful thing about the queer community is that there is a place for everyone who is left out in the cold by the straight, cis majority.

“We’re here, we’re queer, get used to it” was the rallying cry for a reason. we’re different, you think we’re weird, you think we’re deviant, you don’t get us, and that’s fine, you don’t have to get us. we’re not going anywhere. get used to it.

respectability politics is a game you cannot win. so stop playing.

[hakkais-hoe]

I want a bimbo reader x tenjiku fluff where the reader is just adorably stupid yet somewhat makes everyone love them :) idk why I'm so into bimbo nowadays💀

um yes those men would obsess over a little bimbo reader even platonically!! n who tf doesn't love a bimbo

So bimbo!r is more cute and stupid in this rather than overly seductive, ofc she still likes her tiny skirts n very cleavage showin tops 😩

age warning:16+

warnings: female reader!! pure sweet fluff, lots of bimbo use, slightly dumb n oblievious reader, simping men, swearing, poly, separate how they feel scenarios, reader sits and decorates their hair with random clips and bobbles, boobs are mentioned a lot!, light mentions of violence n fighting.

Characters: Izana, Haitani's, Mucho, Kakucho, Shion.

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Look as a whole they absolutely adore their little bimbo to the point of obsession

Izana is pretty subtle about it until he hears someone saying shit about you then he goes full blown feral

Ran litterally fawns over you 24/7, kinda eggs on the dumb part of you so he can baby you

Rindou is kind of like a feral guard dog, will stand over your shoulder and shout at anyone who bothers you

Kaku is so sweet about it, will explain things to you or just simply spoil you rotten with affection

Mucho is pretty silent still, really likes when you wear pretty clothes and flaunt them to him. Also buys you lost of outfits. Lives for when you plonk yourself down in his lap mindlessly

Shion and you are literally the same. He’s just as much of a bimbo but he’s a loud dumb blonde bimbo. Needs things explaining to him too

—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—

“Zana! Kaku! Look what me an Shi got!!” Your bubbly loud voice has all of your other partners turning to glance at the two loud bubbly bimbos practically skipping their way. Proud looks are plastered on the two of yous faces, on your right is your dumb blond boyfriend holding up two matching shopping bags.

Grins and knowing smiles form on the other five men’s faces, Ran elbows Mucho and tilts his head in the direction of two men that followed the two of you in, taking note of the two. Instead of saying anything they turn back to the two of you to see what is in the two bags.

“Okay, okay what ya got pretties? Is it food? I’m starving now.” Ran hums waltzing forwards to meet the rest of the group at the place Izana and Kakucho are stood.

“Noooo babyyyy don’t guess just wait for yous to show you~” You coo wrapping your arms around Muchos neck to hang off the hulking figure. He effortlessly supports your weight with one arm while he ruffles Shions messsy hair with the other. Shion sports a sweet smile before he grins back at the bags cockily looking back at you.

When everyone is stood around the bags you and Shion move to open them. Bright silly grins rest on your faces.

“C’mon love just show us! Rans made me fuckin hungry now… dickhead.” Rindou grumbles from the corner before smacking his brother in the head grumpily. You pout at the impatient men before pulling out the new mochi and random assortment of hair ties and fun clips/accessories you found.

“Lookkkkk!!! How cute are these!? We wanna sit nd do everyone’s hair so you look cute!!” You’re ditzy glee filled grin sends all of them reeling into simp central.

“That’s not food… we should order food while they do our hair…” Rindou mutters already taking a seat before yoru seating hands, his head resting just below the swell of your tits.

“Heyyy! No fair I wanted y/n to do mine first it’ll take the longest!” Ran protests in a loud whine already trying to move his brother and failing, instead he settles for resting his chin on your shoulder where he can easily sneak glances at the bright pink bra you have poking out of the plunge neckline shirt.

Grumbles and complaints are thrown from the others before they set about either letting Shion do their hair or going out to get food for the others.

•————————•—————————•

Izana

Wholeheartedly adores when you do stupid shit like this

Will never show it tho

Sits facing you when you get around to his hair

Shamelessly rests his head between your tits without a warning

Will kill anyone who upsets you :)

Gets pissed off when anyone other than the other 5 look at you too long

Loves your scent

Acts unbothered by everting cute that you do or your random stupid questions but inside he’s like dying n screaming

Kakucho

Very patient and acts like a gentleman

Doesn’t stick his head in ya cleavage like most of the others

Blushes n sweats like a sinner in church when you’re boobs bounce in his eyeline

Scary dog privilege when he’s around

Once out a guy in hospital for catcalling you

Always walks you places because you somehow always attract the wrong attention

Answers your dumb questions honestly even if it’s a really obvious answer

Is flushed every time he catches a glimpse of ur underwear or bra

Mucho

Openly dotes on you

Best believe it was his money you and shion spent on those clips

Let’s you stick one or two in his hair

Insists on you standing between his legs throughout

Holds your waist so gently

Rich boy spends so much money on you and loves it

You saw a cute tiny dress in a window, it’s wrapped in a pretty box with a bow just waiting for you a day later

Glares at people over your shoulder

Violent intent 24/7

Very calm about everything apart form you

Can and will snap anyone’s bones when they comment on your clothes

Spoils you rotten like any thing you want it’s yours

Shion

Look this bitch is 100% a bimbo too

He’s like a male carbon copy of you in the way he acts only he’s highly aggressive

Like a chihuahua

Helps with everyone’s hair then sits bouncing in his chair so you can do his

Another guy that rests his head on your tits

Tends to bite tho

Adores you so much, likes to brag about how pretty his baby is

Probably tries to fight anyone who even glances your way even if they weren’t looking at you

Likes to play with your hair too

Ran

Menace to society ♡

Best believe if you plan to touch his beloved hair you better be prepared for him to use you as a pillow

Makes you sit on a couch so he can lay on your lap so he can sleep while you do his hair

Loves the feeling of sleeping on your thighs

Falls asleep so fast if you massage his head or gently brush your fingers through his hair

You hen to re braid it after tho

Wants all of your attention if he’s on your lap

Can and will gaslight anyone who speaks to you

Whips his batton out at the slightest inconvenience

Only lets you and rin touch his hair

Absolutely indulges in your oblivious and slightly dumb questions

Teases you to no end till your pouting and tearing up before he brakes and apologises

Could not live without you now

Rindou

10000% tsundere

Acts like he kind of doesn’t like you but is the first to go along with your weird things

Either acts like he doesn’t care or acts tired 24/7

When he’s tired he’ll just go along with it anyway without a word

Another scary dog privilege but only cos he’s a bit feral

Acts really cold untill you utter anything about being insulted or upset then he’s worried af

Will hunt down anyone who upset you and dislocate all their limbs violently

Gets sweeter the longer your there

Enjoys just holding your hand and playing with your fingers or acrylic nails

Dies for the way false/acrylic nails feel against his scalp

All in all these men are all the “wear what you want I can fight” type of boyfriends ♡

▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️▪️▫️

Not sure how I feel bout this one but it is what it is :|

Taglist: @coldcoffeeholic @honeybachira @loonashadow @reiners-milkbiddies @sunahyejin @soushswag @bontensbabygirl @wakasagurl @haitink

[reflections-in-a-critical-eye]

Don’t get me wrong, Jungkook’s photos were absolutely gorgeous and I did indeed purchase his photo book, but with all the elements and symbolism we are already seeing from Jimin’s concept in just 2 teasers, I must say that Jungkook’s twilight vampire theme seems pretty basic in comparison. Jungkook’s beautiful face and ability to wear anything well is what mostly carried his pictorial. It’s kind of ironic that with all his tattoos and edgy piercings he often tends to take the safest routes creatively, even outside of the BTS sphere, not just with concepts but with his music as well. I would like to see more from him in terms of depth and variety and I hope he delivers that as his solo career progresses. His My Time solo performance was the closest he has ever come to really surprising me. Meanwhile Jimin is well on his way to meeting and surpassing all expectations I had for his solo era. He keeps me guessing, I can’t figure him out and I love that. He is so intelligent and I’m happy that he is now able to show just how knowledgeable he is outside of the mould of BTS. I am so excited to see what else he has in store for us.

I don't mind making comparisons, I don't believe there's anything wrong with that, despite the message stan twitter is currently sending. When we are presented with a project idea and we have several examples of how it can look (3 until now), it's really difficult not to look at each and compare. There is also a big dose of personal taste and subjectivity which is the main reason why this line of thinking is to be expected and definitely not a way to set up someone for criticism (god, I hate twitter people, they reallt like to flaunt how unneducated they are).

Anyway, back to your actual ask. I also ordered Jungkook's photofolio, I can't wait for it to be delivered, but if I somehow ended up in a situatiom where I had to choose between JK and JM's concept idea and execution, in this case I would go with Jimin. But, I also don't believe that Jungkook's pictorial can be reduced at just being inspired by Twilight, his pretty face and ability to wear the outfits. This is where I disagree with you, simply because I think there's more to it. JK may have said things and used that information in the setting inspired by Twillight, but his theme was time difference. And the result looked more inspired by Anne Rice, than any other pop culture, currently more well known vampire story. The point is, he told a story. His project was indeed conceptual and he was just as involved in every detail, including how dark the teaser should look. I actually think he was once again showing his creativity and using the opportunity to create a character. That's why it stood out so much. And that's why I love Jimin's idea as well. They both chose to be storytellers. Jungkook took a well-known literary reference and perhaps he only played a character and Jimin is creating himself. Their purpose is different, but the means are quite similar.

Perhaps Jungkook did take safer routes (indeed, My Time stands out), but we also have no idea how his solo album is going to sound like or how it's going to be conceptualized. A collab with Puth or some covers are not enough or perhaps very far from what Jungkook would do with his own music. This is something that we can only wait for. Jimin is surpassing all expectations and there is a buzz now because he mostly kept quiet about anything that had no connection to BTS, so the impact is perhaps greater. But I still remember the reaction I had (and others as well) when the first photo teaser of Jungkook was published. Everyone was shocked.

What I'm trying to say is, ultimately, we have our preferences and at the end of the way, we can simply like something more. But as much as my personal taste is closer to Jimin's concept, I do believe that both of them understood what are the possibilities with this project and how they can use it in order to show more about them, and not just as BTS members. That's a huge step forward.