#just been thinking about them a lot recently

[cerusee]

A couple of years ago, at a conference I was staffing, I was having drinks with a group of female co-workers, mostly 20/30-somethings. We’d scored a handful of extra drink tickets on the DL, and at a certain point of inebriation, the conversation turned to who of us wanted to have children. I mostly kept my mouth shut, because I am not and will probably never be out at work about my specific flavor of queer and the impact that’s had on that potential element of my life, but its not something that pains me, and it was interesting to listen to them talk.

One, who was on the younger side, talked about how she very, very badly wanted to have children, but because she had some pre-existing health conditions, it was going to be a very difficult road and require a lot of expensive medical assistance. Another, also youngish, but probably in her late 20s, confided in us that she and her husband felt extremely strongly that they did NOT want to ever have children, that this would probably ruin their lives, and that this was sort of a nightmare scenario for both of them. But, she then went on to explain, if she ever DID become pregnant, they would definitely keep and raise the baby because she was a Christian, and abortion was a sin.

All very fine and well; people are entitled to their personal choices about this kind of thing. I didn’t think any more of it than what the other woman had told us about her wants and desires about parenthood.

But then she said something that absolutely floored me, and also the woman who’d confided about her anticipated medical difficulties getting pregnant and carrying a child to term: the Christian woman explained that she’d previously been on the pill, but she and her husband had recently mutually decided to stop—DESPITE VERY MUCH NOT WANTING TO HAVE CHILDREN EVER AT ALL—because, I swear to fucking god, “We didn’t want to risk having an accidental abortion.”

It is really not possible to overstate the degree to which American Christian fundamentalist ideology not only interprets and colors discussions about reproductive medicine and health, but also very deliberately distorts and outright lies about basic medical facts pertaining to not only abortion, but literally any form of birth control at all. My Christian co-worker who made a choice to drastically increase her chances of the unwanted pregnancy that she outright said was her nightmare possibility by quitting medical birth control was a very intelligent and well-educated person—in her chosen field, which was decidedly not medicine.

But this was moral terror talking, not reason. Someone, I don’t know who, persuaded her that the number one most effective choice of birth control that she could use as a sexually active married woman, to avoid a very unwanted pregnancy, was exactly the same thing as aborting an actual pregnancy. So she quit using it. And drastically raised her own chances of actually getting pregnant and then being faced with the stark choice of having that child she already knew she and her husband didn’t want, or having an actual abortion.

At the end of the day, people are still entitled to make their personal choices about this kind of thing. None of us argued with her absolutely bizarro, bonkers, scientifically wack interpretation of how the pill works (and I think not just because we were all pretty wasted and not in a great state to form coherent arguments in the first place). She was an adult, not a teenager, she wasn’t in a cult, she had access to actual facts if she wanted them, which I don’t think she did; I think after a little bit of staring in shock, we simply opted to let the conversation change course.

But oh man, that one has stuck with me. Because while my co-worker was a sweet and civilized person who did not generally go around preaching her religious beliefs at her co-workers, and who very reasonably framed her decisions about her reproductive future in personal terms, I know that her scientifically wack understanding of the pill did not originate from her brain, nor was it limited to her and her personal circle.

We should all be incredibly afraid of what happens as right-wing Christian agendas continue to gain political traction in reproductive health care. Because it will not fucking stop with abortion. Right-wing Christians consider all forms of birth control tantamount to abortion, whether or not pregnancy or even cell fertilization even occurs, and it’s not even based on real theology or on real science; it is fundamentally based on the idea that a sexually mature woman shouldn’t ever have the choice not to be pregnant, no matter under what circumstances they became pregnant. (Obligatory disgusting reminder that ultra-right-wing Christians think that non-sexually mature girls who become pregnant after being raped by adult men should enjoy their fertile blessings and celebrate god’s love. You don’t have to dig much deeper than current American senators and governors to get on-the-record quotes on that one.)

Anyway. Yeah, go get that IUD. This is going to be a horror show.

Yep, here they come

Been thinking about an IUD? Go get it. Don’t wait.

[honeyhotteoks]

yunho's fromm messages this morning.......... (and some extended thoughts on this man and his very obvious dom vibes, we've got a brand here at honeyhotteoks and i need to talk about it again before i die)

the messages in question:

🐶: yes, yes, you're such a greedy one (a little selfish one) 🐶: be mine, you're mine. 🐶: yes, yes, i'm yours.

transl credit to @/jyhcomfort on twt, i know there's a few alternate translations floating around that say "i'm greedy" or "i'm a greedy one" / one of my friends said via context it makes more sense to be "i'm greedy" but for delulu purposes..... either way..... my feelings are the same under the cut

cw: nsfw discussions about dom/sub dynamics and various connected kinks. as always, i am not being so delulu about this that i actually think i know him. this is all fun and speculation and at this point he's just my muse for the romance novel version of him. okay.....

i tweeted the below the other day (video link here) but like seriously he just keeps proving me right and i have thoughts i gotta get off my chest before i combust.

so i've just been thinking about this whole thing since someone on twitter made a little joke about him being a bitchless kpop idol, which like... i know people got upset, but i'm sure that was just a joke, and that's not really what this is about i've been seriously cooking on the duality of this man for the past few days and have things to say.

first of all...... i've talked about this a million times, but when i say this man is a dom what i mean is that he has the potential for all this stuff, i have no idea what he's actually doing in his private life. he could literally be waiting for marriage for all i know, but i do think you can tell in someone's personality who would kind of be good at something 'naturally' if they got into it / went that direction.

something yunho's been doing a lot recently is showing more of himself physically / showing more skin / being a little more suggestive overtly in his content which is something pretty new for him. he's always been hot and has been sexy on stage, but as far as his personal content, this is pretty new for him. this to me is classic like.... he's gained confidence in the past few years, gotten into his mid twenties where you start to get a little more self assured with your own body or expressions of sexuality, etc. BUT the way that he's sharing this content i think is interesting and indicates to me that he knows what kind of reaction this is going to get from his fans, and he enjoys it.

he's been burying sexier pictures within his ig albums as not the first picture, with the first one being a little cute or just regular idol style pics. prime examples below --

in both of these cases, these are the "sexy shot" but he puts them in the middle of the albums. then when fans freak out or ask him about it on live/fromm his responses are usually something along the lines of "ohhh it wasn't too much was it? ah, no ofc i'll keep it just to that" etc. it would not surprise me in the least if he enjoyed the thought that we're all losing our shit when we swipe to these pics / our reactions online after not only give him a bunch of compliments but shows how riled up we are. that is CLASSIC dom behavior.

in a sexual context, this might look something like..... a dom casually touching or implying sex to their submissive over the course of a day but not really acknowledging it / playing off their submissive's reactions as cute/funny or in a meaner context, ignoring it all together. at the end of all that teasing though is the dom in control and verbally messing with their sub while finally, finally delivering the pleasure they were hinting at. this is something i am so positive yunho would excel at with the right partner.

that combined with the way he talks to hotteoks in fromm really gives the impression that he knows they enjoy being teased, and i truly don't think he would act like that if he didn't like it. he's been in the idol game long enough, if he wanted to set different boundaries or speak to his fans differently, he absolutely could. meanwhile he's out here playing straight into the delulu trends with birthday lockets and wedding flowers and boyfriend-y pics all the time on ig. not to mention the zayn song.... like he knows what he's doing.

he often teases hotteoks about being so flustered over him, plays into how 'jealous' he can be, and overall just leans in hard to d/s dynamics in a way that tells me it's quite natural for him. even just how often he says things like 'you're mine' / 'i'm yours' / 'you know you're mine right?' / 'yes you belong to me' etc. in his fromms just reads completely as a dominant establishing and reinforcing those ownership dynamics.

when it comes to other parts of his personality, i've talked about that at length in other posts (eye contact, natural leadership, body language, active listening, etc.) but i've really noticed a shift in him recently and can't get it off my mind.

on top of that, there have been a few moments on stage or with other members lately that really ring dominance. i'm very specifically thinking of the way he interacts with mingi and wooyoung, which i've written about before, but...... he's consistently holding eye contact with them lately, teasing them in ways that are platonic yes, but also just part of that natural part of him that wants to mess with someone who will break. like.... did yunho have to hold wooyoung's jaw while they were kneeling during halazia? probably not, but he did it. and the smile afterwards when wooyoung got a little flustered was clear satisfaction with the reaction he got.

generally i think there's an impression that some people have that because yunho's so "nice" or so goofy/dorky/sweet/thoughtful/bashful etc., that means he doesn't have as much rizz or like wouldn't be into dynamics like this or harder kinks. i have to say..... that to me always reads like inexperience, with men potentially, maybe sex, and/or these dynamics in particular. in my experience, it's often the sweet guys who can switch it up in bed, and i would even say they often make better/safer doms because they are caring/considerate/attentive to their partner's comfort and pleasure, not just their own or if they're being perceived as sexy. it's not a hard rule of course, everyone's different, but i'm just saying, yunho being a nice guy doesn't mean he couldn't or wouldn't enjoy teasing the fuck out of his partner.

all of this is to say........................ if hasn't figured out his dom potential yet, i sincerely hope he does because i think it's such an obvious fit for him.

[tarotchariotpickyourcard]

Who’s crushing on you? PAC reading

Ahh, l'amour.

Can't live with it, can't live without it. Some affection is wanted, and some of it definitely isn't. Stay away from me.

But you? Oh how i adore you. So I made this reading.

Please choose from left to right, 1 - 2 or 3.

GROUP 1

Oh my gosh this is so sad and adorable. First I’ll try and identify them. Queen of summer is queen of cups. So they could be cancer, pisces, or scorpio. It could even be their moon sign. If this person is not a girl/feminine, it might be that they are simply a very sensitive and soft person. The appearance of the queen is a light tan and lighter hair. This particular deck describes her as a trusted friend. Perhaps this is someone you’ve been friends with.

Unrequited love and separation.. There could be a few possibilities with this. 

Suggestion 1. They could have already confessed to you or attempted, and was rejected or assumed as much.

Suggestion 2. You simply haven’t noticed them in that way, or not yet. It’s someone you haven’t considered.

Suggestion 3. They’ve been rejected by someone in the past and now they’re negative or pessimistic about a chance with you.

Separation can mean you also haven’t seen each other for a while, or they have broken up with someone recently.

Unfortunately if you’ve broken up with someone not too long ago this is probably the fact showing they are still into you.

I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve comforted this person, as what they like about you is ‘listening’.

They like that you give a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on, and you genuinely care about what other people have to say. Paired with the queen of summer, it’s clear that they love how sympathetic, and kind you can be. They’re probably a sensitive soul drawn to a compassionate person.

Listening says 

“I activate my receptive side, and become an engaged, intuitive, professional grade listener. Super charged listening gives me the ability to not only hear the words others are saying, but also to perceive the emotions hiding between their words. Armed with this knowledge, I’ll be in a great position to give them exactly what they need.

Traits of queen of summer: loving, comforting, emotional, intuitive. Tenderhearted, charitable. A family oriented person. Can be too giving.

Some extra thoughts: They could think you’re just nice to everyone, and you wouldn’t hold a special place for a particular person right now. If this is a friend with a crush, they might be avoiding you. If you’ve rejected someone recently, it might be a bit embarrassing that you were so nice to them, instead of just being cold, somehow.

This seems like a really cute thing anyway, maybe they’re sick of people thinking they’re cute haha.

Hope it makes sense!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

GROUP 2

Oh my, these are some intense cards for a crush reading. Hahahaha. Boi/gurl whaaaatttt.

We’ve got the tower, the moon - has this person totally pretended not to like you? And you had a suspicion??? Since high priestess is there. They are keeping this under lock and key i swear. Dayuuumm. This is kinda fun.

There’s no court cards to go with to identify, so let’s see what I can take from this. High priestess is a more quiet or secretive person, but the tower can suggest that they suddenly seem to come out with something, or all of a sudden they’ve achieved something out of nowhere. From this combination I’m getting scorpio. Mars energy. Possibly aries. The moon can be cancer. Could have moon in aries. Four of summer omg they are playing it cool! Haha. Because you play it cool, I think too. Lots of water just like pile one.

I really think you’ve had suspicion, or called this person out even as a joke, or something that they like you. So i feel like you probably know who this person is.

With all this water they might be the creative type, the moon has a musical instrument (string)

What they like about you?:

Boundaries + independence 

You don’t need no mans. They like how cool and collected you are, they like that you don’t get hung up on people, or that you seem to have the upper hand. You seem cool to this person, just doing your own thing, having your own interests. It looks like they enjoy vying for things that aren’t easy to obtain lol. If you also are interested in this person, watch out for their ego if this is the case. People who tend to want what they can’t seem to have because they want to prove only to themselves. I really think they like that you’re not chasing after them too.

Boundaries says: “I claim my right to set healthy boundaries and I allow others to do the same. Sometimes personal space is taken, and sometimes it’s given. And sometimes, if you’re on a subway it’s completely disregarded and shamelessly invaded. I guess it depends on the day.”

Independence: “ I embrace total independence and I see how empowering that is. Even when I’m in a relationship, I can still be independent by meeting my own needs and creating my own happiness. When I do that, I’m the fullest version of myself and i have much more me to give without needing pieces of me in return.”

This person really acts like they have no interest in you, They don’t want to let on, it’s kinda cute. In these cards there are all these people but alone, you or them must highly value independence and enjoy being single. 

Characteristics from the cards to suggest who it is might be the following:

Someone with a bit of a temper

Appears one way but is another once you get to know them

Creative

Might be seen as a player (used to having people go after them, not the other way around)

Good posture

In a team or work/study setting, they can take the lead and are assertive

Don’t like to be made fun of (who does but i mean, can’t seem to engage in banter)

Hope this makes sense.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

GROUP 3

Ok group 3, run from this person lol. I joke.

Hanged man, deception, codependency and compassion.

I feel like they just like you for the wrong reasons or that you might enable them if they were to go to you for things. I don’t mean knowingly enable, i mean that you’re compassionate to the point you might not be straightforward enough for this person to grow.

If you’ve got an ex, they’re still not over you.

Hanged man might mean they’ve got pisces/neptune influence. Codependency there really might suggest a codependent habit, such as addiction or returning to the same person. Traits that they might have… They might have an alternate way of viewing things that are very interesting. The patient type. The type of person that has been taught a lesson or two in life. Things might have been harder for them than the average person. They could be a very unique person, alternative, or style themselves differently than others around them.

Physically they might like to wear reds, blues, and cream colours. I’m seeing they might have been in a love triangle in the past. This is looking like it’s been a long term crush. They’ve had it for a while more compared to the other groups. Hanged man can suggest being religious or spiritual. The person in the card has a short hair cut, or a buzz cut. Naturally curly hair stands out.

With deception it could literally be that they’re deceiving you into thinking they don’t think that way about you. They might be wearing a mask over how they really feel. Paired with hanged man it might be that they’re willing to wait for the right opportunity or chance. They secretly are very attached to you. They have very strong feelings for you, more on the side of longing. They feel grateful to you for something. They want to do the right thing for you, maybe that’s why they’re not shooting their shot right now.  It’s looking like some heavy stuff is going on for one of you at least, so it’s not the right time to be thinking about this, however, the feelings are strong and they’re not going to just fade away easily. If you don’t reciprocate, it would mean they would have to be apart from you or try to replace their attention.

What they like about you?:

You make this person feel like they could be accepted for who they are (i mean, that’s nice but i’m asking what they like about you. Selfish much?)

I got the sentence ‘took the high road’

Compassion” I choose compassion over criticism. Walking a mile in other peoples shoes reminds me they might be going through something tougher than I think. Like their shoes are too tight. Or they’re the kind of shoes that are too casual to be dressy and too dressy to be casual. I have no idea what they’re dealing with privately, so I’ll cut them some slack and be thankful for the shoes i’ve been dealt.

I’ll be interested to know if this makes sense or if you know who this could be. Do let me know!

[corrupted-ciphers]

Thought this would be a fun project to work on! I <3 weird women. My thoughts on each of the characters below the cut. Version without names added below the cut as well.

Current Favorite: I love Junebug, she's been my blorbo recently, she's really weird. I love her. As I started this project though, I also started playing ENA Dream BBQ. I've been waiting for it for four years now, and damn was it worth the wait. It's a surreal game about ENA's adventures to find the b̷̸̸̡̧͇̜͎͙͙̥̥͚̫̪̩̩̏͑ͩ̓̇ͪ̋̑ͧ̂̃͊͋͘͝͡͝ͅ_̗̖͕͉̻ͯ̍̒ͤ̊́a̢͉̺̫̙̳͓̣̗͔̙̻̔͑̿͛͛̀̽͒̂̒ţ̡̧̼͙̰̥̳̹̻̍ͫ͋̌̏ͮͣ́̔ͯ͊̇ͤͪ͐̿̉ͫͨͧḩ̷̧̡̛̞̩̹͙̱͍̯͇͉̪̫̹̭͙̭͉͚ͬͯ̄̄͗ͯ̅̐̀́ͯ̈́͂̇͆̾͂͘͘͢͠r̾̆͢_̽̆ơ̶̸̡̡̛̠̥͓͔̪̲̥̥̱͙̲̲̫̖̽̊̎̎͒͊̅̔͐̄̈́̓̈́͊ͩ̂̋͘ͅȍ̶̢̙͕͍̰͓̖͉̼ͯ͆ͮͩ̓ͭͭ͑̿́́͢͝͠m̵̧̛̗͉͔̯̦͙̟̼̲̜̫̱͊͋̀̊͊ͯͤͬ͆ͭ̽̃̄̔̋̾͞. Chapter 1 is out now and free to play on Steam right now, and I highly recommend it! Anyway, Junebug is my girl, I love her.

Comfort: Okay, I know the reception ch 4 of Poppy Playtime has been receiving. Do I think chapter 4 is scary? No. Do I think it's good? Also no. Do I think it's hilarious? Hell yes I do. We got several game breaking bugs that were honestly rather amusing, and also the devs letting you move around in Doey's monologues is honestly the funniest decision they made. You can clip into him and let him just eat your head mid talk. He'll also fling you if you stand on his limbs while he talks, it's great. We nearly got killed by him flinging us under the pipe in that one section where he gets froze. Having said all that bad stuff, I love Doey. Okay, there's a lot going on in my life right now, and he came along in the middle of that. As the older sister to three little brothers, I relate to Doey in multiple ways. He is me, he is my brothers, and I just want to give him a big hug himself. I too am trying desperately to pick up the pieces of our home life collapsing around us, while trying to keep my little brothers happy and managing my own angry outbursts. It was a (in my opinion) jankily written scene, but the bit where Doey was torn up over Safe Haven getting destroyed really got to me. It was probably tied to the emotional state I was in when I played the chapter, but damn, I get it man. I too failed to protect those around me from what I knew was inevitable but selfishly pushed to the back of my mind. Damn, I really was made to hurt things and fuck up too bud. I get it. And in a lore perspective, Doey is three little boys mashed together. I have three little brothers, need I say more about that? This character has consumed my life, and I just want to give him a hug. Although honestly his in-game model is a little oily looking tbh. Also Michael Kovach knocked it out of the park with his performance here. Also also, fuck you devs for making us squish/kill Doey in the end. If he's actually dead I'm gonna be so mad at you guys.

By Design: Look man, I like women. I like murderous women. I mean, when I first saw the original Alice, I was still a child and wasn't pan yet, but like, she likely contributed. hnnnrg, girls.

By Plot: Unlike Doey who brings me comfort when I relate to him and kicks in my material instincts towards anyone even remotely younger than me, Jupe's relation to me does not bring me comfort. Instead my connection to Jupe is more uneasy. Ricky and I both express our traumas in similar ways. That is to say monetize them and put them on display for all the entitled voyuers out there on the internet for attention. Now, I'm obviously not someone who was a victim of a chimp attack, but there's that familiar death of childhood there. I've grown up with an abusive father, which I didn't realize the extent of until this divorce is going through. And guess what my most prominent stories feature? yeah. I'm also the type of person to build a shrine to my trauma like him. While Ricky's is obviously a little more extreme, I still have my hospital bracelet from my appendectomy. That is not a normal response. I wear my first dog's tag on a chain, and when it's not worn it's next to that hospital band. Most of my stories involve my internal or external traumas in some way, just like Jupe capitalized on the exploitive movies and shows he was roped into as a child. I'm white, but I'm a woman and I'm queer. I get being the token item. Reduced to stereotypes. Forced to uphold other stereotypes in a never ending cycle of wanting to be on top, of vainly hoping that others will finally accept you into their group. But they won't. Jupe's storyline makes me viscerally uncomfortable, but my favorite part is the end. Just before Jean Jacket eats him, we see his lips twist into a smile. Faint, but there. Because finally, for the first time in his life, Ricky isn't defined by what groups he's part of, he's not vying for anyone's attention, he's not this special chosen one because he survived all those years ago, he's just like everyone else. He's merely food for that creature. And that is a freeing feeling. Finally, something has accepted him the way he is, with no fighting, no tense acceptance into a world that could throw you away at any time, he's finally safe. And for that, I think he loves Jean Jacket. Because I know, there's parts of me that wish the same. A release from the responsibility, and freakish nature of myself since I'm so different than those around me. If Doey is my comfort character, Ricky "Jupe" Park is my discomfort character. (In a good way)

Guilty Favorite: Look man, she's weird as fuck. She also saved my nightmare mode run. Again, I love weird women. Choo Choo Charles is great because it knows its lane and sticks to it. It knows it's a goofy ass train spider game, and it sure does deliver on that premise. Pickle Lady is so bizarre, I love her. I can't help but love her. Is she a good character? No. Do I like her anyway? Yeah.

All Time Favorite: DO I even need to say much about this guy? It's FNAF. It's toilet Bonnie. It's the boy. I love him. My favorite animatronic since I was like 12. Hell yeah dude, let's keep it up.

[prettycottonmouthlamia]

Fair warning for this post: this is not just Chapter 15 spoilers this is DEEP Chapter 15 spoilers that I'm not even sure Global will get to experience.

So Arknights has ARGs, and recently, after the release of See You Soon, there were more hints and one of them lead to a psychological test that you could fill out. Your answers would correspond to either a gray or blue results screen, with the implication given the many questions that it is Priestess questioning you.

In Chapter 15, if you have done the psychological test and got one of the two responses, this will open up a unique story cutscene! If you got a grey result, you will get a cutscene involving the Doctor and Priestess, but if you get a blue result, you will get a cutscene involving the Doctor and Ama-10/Kal'tsit. In that second one is a super fucking crazy bit of lore.

What.

I'm going to, for you right now dear reader, post the entirety of the psychological test.

Many recent events have left you puzzled and hard to accept. [True/False] You feel that you have been given a mission by others that seems to offer little hope. [True/False] You doubt that your judgments and choices over a long period of time have been wrong, and you think it's time for you to let go of some things. [True/False] Thank you for your cooperation. Next, I will ask you about your views on some specific concepts in order to test your judgment and logical abilities. Are you ready? [I will be honest with you.] The value of an individual's life may vary depending on their cognitive and behavioral abilities. [True/False] Survival is the primary goal of a civilization. [True/False] Given the premise of the previous statement, the value of civilizations can also be measured and compared. [True/False] The purpose of a civilization indirectly shapes the behavioral norms of every individual within it. [True/False] Given the premise of the previous statement, the norms of a civilization are the only answer for individual lives to confront the inevitability of destruction and nothingness. [True/False] Biological life is not the only form of life. [True/False] Hope without the possibility of realization is a lie. [True/False] Then why are you still struggling for?/Is this the reason you're now clinging to these absurd actions?* Are you starting to become wary? [True/False] Please do not harbor unnecessary wariness. I would prefer that you treat this as a normal heart-to-heart conversation. Now, please carefully reflect on everything you have experienced in the past, and then share your thoughts on the following questions. Can you open up? [Alright.] Betrayal that is justified should be forgiven. [True/False] Concealment that is not driven by selfishness should not be considered a form of deception. [True/False] You will understand me. [Agree./I will have my own choices.**] The test is over. Thank you for your cooperation. Please believe that all the choices you have made are meaningful.

Some of these questions could be considered a bit suspicious and pretty leading right? This doesn't just seem to be a "psychological test", it seems to be some kind of program by Priestess to see if her changes worked. A lot of the true answers would result in the Doctor seeing the world as she did: the value of civilizations, the ultimate goal of survival, biological life is not the only form of life. There's so much here. Even the idea that justified betrayals should be forgiven takes a new meaning with the information that Oracle's sarcophagus was deliberately sabotaged.

DOES SHE KNOW?

Memes aside, I feel like she has to know. Too much of the language here is eerily similar to Oracle's conversation with Ama-10 for her not to know, right? It at very minimum changes the texture, once again, of what Theresa has done to the Doctor yet again. Revenge and yet a gift, removing the parts of Oracle that were warped. Fuck.

Like these were part of the same event but like...fuck.

[organist-der-traumorgel]

THIS!

It's been a while since I watched the movie, but exactly this. We have seen Hiccup face exactly these kinds of stakes before and overcome them. Yeah, there is the aspect that the fighting will never stop, it's not just about Grimmel but the mounting stakes he represents, but still. He didn't really pose a new threat, and with his personal groth and all the experience he and the other Riders gained Hiccup is more capable of facing those threats than he ever was before, especially if we take into account the vast net of allies to call upon he build up in the series. Grimmel might pose a threat but he wasn't all that much of an escalation. Once he was gone, they could have moved back to old Berk and Rebuild. Grimmel knocking them down is realistic, Grimmels impact managing to keep them down felt contrived. The choice to send the dragons away was beautiful and made me cry, but I couldn't shake off the aftertaste of this feeling like Hiccup making an impulsive, ill-thought-out, overblown decision after getting overwhelmed by the reality of the situation and getting cold feet, instead of the heartwrenching, hard but right decision based on a more mature perspective it was meant to be.

This would have come across a lot better if at least I was convinced by the "sometimes the best thing you can do for those you love is letting them go" angle, but I wasn't convinced there either. Toothless wishing to have a life outside of Hiccup (and I have Opinions on his characterisation in this movie) doesn't neccessarily translate to him wanting to live without Hiccup. And even if we say that this is the correct step for the 2 of them, that doesn't extend to the other dragons. Tooth might have recently expressed the need for more independence, that doesn't mean all dragons should leave right this instance. Those are deep bonds that were severed very aprubtly (Stromfly, Meatlug, Hookfang, Barf, Belch, Skullcrusher, Cloudjumper). For 6 years (in Valka's case 20) these beings have been bonded to each other as two parts of a whole, and now, after a battle, with no warning whatsoever, they are told to break up forever, with little to no chance of seeing each other ever again. That is traumatising, and I should just accept that this was beneficial, and the right decision for everyone involved?

Maybe, if either the seperation or the reason for it had convinced me, I could excuse the other, but with the movie as it is, the goodbye might have made me cry but it still fealt hollow.

And all of that doesn't go into the logistical nightmare this separation is for Berk, seeing as they have centered Dragons in all of their infrastructure, and still ned to rebuild on New Berk. There was no planning involved in ths decision and that will make the next months very hard, even if we ignore the emotional impact.

Or how, in order for the "Dragons are gone and so well hidden many people think their existence was a myth to begin with" narrative to work, the non-Berk Dragons in the Archipeleago have to leave as well. That means all wild dragons. And everything about the shocking impact of this loss on society goes doubly for the cultures we got know who have a long tradition of living side by side with dragons.

I feel like one reason THW didn’t do much for me was that the stakes didn’t do something different or greater than before - at least, not at a tangible level, a concrete level.

Technically there were stakes in THW: the tribe left Berk, Hiccup had Toothless taken from him, generals were waiting to wage war on the world, and Toothless as alpha let the dragons of Berk be captured.

But here’s the thing: none of that was new. All of that had been done before in one if not two movies.

And it was done to greater impact before.

Just to take HTTYD 2. The stakes felt greater in HTTYD 2. To me, there was a lot more sense of realism, consequence, and impact to the events that happened to Hiccup here. Valka’s Bewilderbeast was killed, a loss that cannot be reversed. Hiccup also lost his father directly through Toothless. Watching Drago ride on Toothless’ back has an unnatural sense of horror to it, as Drago rides off with all the dragons now under his control. And when Berk’s home was threatened, it had more sense of reality.

I know Grimmel entered Hiccup’s house (a juicy piece of villainy I adore) and burnt down many of the homes, but even then… the raid didn’t feel as “personal” because of the Hairy Hooligans’ response. The tribe’s meeting in the Great Hall felt similar in tone to the meetings Stoick had in the war room - yet another attack that destroyed their buildings but not their spirits. Berk’s been on fire HOW many times from dragon raids? The Hooligans’ protests at leaving their homes were muted (I could and hopefully will later write a separate analysis on my issue with the Berkians’ characterization in THW), they shrugged into Hiccup’s idea fairly quickly, and the exodus was shown in such a lighthearted tone… that it didn’t feel like a moment of gravity. What should have been a high stakes moment wasn’t depicted as such. Instead, we laughed as the Light Fury knocked Hiccup off Toothless’ back. Instead, we listened to upbeat music as the Berkians used a whimsical method of carting their belongings with them on an adventuresome journey. Instead, we watched the Berkians remain upbeat as they found a new place to live, shrugging Hiccup off as chief, and treating the situation as a positive experience.

The stakes didn’t feel solid enough to sell me on the villagers’ plight - be it here, or later in the movie when Grimmel and the warlord swooped in again. The climax didn’t have as much sense of stakes because there were fewer tangible elements of consequence. We saw the dragons taken away and in cages (something we’ve seen before, including the start of this movie), but the Hairy Hooligans were otherwise largely unimpacted. We saw a force led by generals… who didn’t appear to be doing any damage to the world around them, and weren’t doing any damage to the tribe of displaced Berkians now. The dangerous consequences hadn’t been built up enough prior to the climax, and the climax wasn’t enough to make the threat vibrant. 

But in HTTYD 2, when Berk was under threat, it felt under threat. 

Hiccup and his companions have already lost a major battle (almost ten minutes long on screen!!!) against Drago with severe consequences, consequences that are given time on screen. We have a full scene of Hiccup sobbing over his father’s death, and another full scene of Stoick’s funeral. We are still reeling from what Drago’s done against our heroes.

But Drago’s not pausing for our heroes to pick themselves up. He’s moving to Berk. And back on Berk, the village’s dragons, in a creepy daze, fly away from their owners, and into the masses of Drago’s deadly forces. 

I want to reiterate AGAIN these are deadly forces which we have seen in action. Unlike the just-for-plot generals of THW, we actually KNOW what Drago’s armada can accomplish; they can overwhelm Valka’s dragon sanctuary, defeat our protagonists, even lead to the casualties of key leaders. Seeing this legitimately deadly force - with all of Berk’s dragons used against them! - hovering over the dark skies… that’s threatening stuff.

Furthermore. We’ve never seen an enormous fucking mountain-sized dragon stand on the shores of Berk. The dragon dwarfs the entire village, and presents a scene of horror and destruction that we haven’t seen the likes of before. We’ve seen Berk go through fires. We’ve seen Berk lose buildings. We haven’t seen Berk’s buildings stabbed to shreds by giant pillars of ice. This isn’t the Berk we know. This is a village in chaos. The villagers are terrified, they’re shocked at their leader’s death, they have no dragons to defend them, and there’s no way that even these bold souls can stand their ground against a massive mountainesque ice spitter. They had difficulties before with the Red Death, and now, an even greater Bewilderbeast is destroying their one place of safety, the place that had finally become a peaceful paradise for dragons.

Then that dramatic color keying? It’s ominous and sets the tone. 

To see Hiccup’s tiny group of companions move toward Drago, and see Berk in such disarray? That’s a sense of stakes.

It did a good job amplifying the stakes beyond the first HTTYD. The stakes of the first HTTYD are extremely exciting, and in many ways similar to HTTYD 2, but HTTYD 2 does a good job of refreshing what we’re seeing. In the first movie, the villagers were also in danger from a monstrous dragon, but they were on different shores, where their home wasn’t threatened. There wasn’t a human antagonistic element, a war leader out to conquer them. Toothless was taken from Hiccup, but it was by Hiccup’s father, not a power-hungry villain who hoped to demolish Hiccup’s people. In the first movie, we have two friends uniting, rather than finding a way to rebuild a destruction of trust, a rift.

THW didn’t give us a new level of shock and stakes beyond HTTYD 2. We saw things we’ve seen before - warlords, Toothless taken, Berk’s dragons taken, etc. - but not in an amplified or revamped enough form to feel like a great shock to viewers. It didn’t build up before enough, and it wasn’t built up enough during the climax… to feel deep tension.

And it’s part of why Hiccup deciding that Toothless should leave his side feels surreal and ungrounded. We’ve literally seen greater powers than this, and Hiccup’s response was, “We are the voice of peace, and bit by bit, we will change this world.”

If THW wanted the ending they gave us, they needed higher stakes, different stakes, revamped stakes. (Other things, too, but this included.) I know I’m not the only one who asked myself at first, “Wait, is this the climax?” when I got to it at THW. It’s because it didn’t build enough to something great enough to merit the end. HTTYD 2 did everything THW did, but better. HTTYD did basically what THW did, but better. Before you go out with a bang and change the entire status quo of the dragon world - taking dragons away from us - you have to give us a sense of stakes to match.

[ironrea]

you’ve been conditioned to not believe..

   … a rant

so i’ve been on vacation recently, specifically to the beach, and it got me thinking about a lot of things.. so as a child, i was always running to be in the water - like constantly-  and there was so much more wonder, hotels were bigger, places seemed nicer, i didn’t worry what people thought of me based on the swimsuit i was wearing, etc. i was just so happy to be there and there was no bad thought or anxiety that took that away from me, but today, i only got in the ocean once.. yes that’s it. little me would be horrified because she was constantly begging someone to swim with her and if they said no, she would stubbornly walk in the water by herself until she got yelled at because she was too little to be by herself. i genuinely laid down the entire time today and while there’s nothing wrong with that,  it made me realize how tired i am now and how all the adults when i was a kid also didn’t want to get up… to my younger self, it used to be such an adventure and such a big thing to me, and now, here i was, literally on a beach either sleeping or on my phone… things i could just be doing in my bed. and to me that was just so sad, you know? so anyway how does this relate to shifting, you ask? it made me think about how easy it is to believe things as a child but it becomes increasingly more difficult as we grow. because as we grow older, we soon grow out of imagination and say goodbye to a hundred percent optimism. we start to believe in the confines that are pushed on to us and submit to the conditions this awful reality has given us: wake up, school/work, eat, sleep, then die… and that’s why i think so many people find it hard to believe in shifting or the fact that they can shift. this reality’s ‘laws’ and (yes) the government have shaped our minds so much so to think that that’s all there is.. or at least tried to. as a shifter myself before i found it that was always my question “that’s it? that’s all i get to expierence? really?” but then i found shifting and i latched on, much like many of you did yourself. but so many people have given up or straight up opposed it because that’s “not the way we’re supposed to live!” but genuinely why would you listen to someone like that? so honestly brainwashed and empty? i mean i feel bad for these people sometimes because they will never experience anything like this. perhaps things could come close in this reality but… actually no. i don’t think anything comes close to shifting. we get to experience going into whatever shows and films we love most, we can meet characters people that we love, celebrities people we look up too, visit ANY period in time, become anything we’ve ever wanted to, go to places on our bucket list and even places that “only exists” in books and fairytales, and so much more. but so many fucking people won’t believe in it because we’ve literally been conditioned not to. i know i sound like a conspiracist and maybe that’s because im on the floor (again) with an awful sunburn, heat headache and had the urge out of nowhere to write this into my notes app but genuinely please just do NOT let other peoples limited beliefs affect you… i have more in my head but like idk,,, just can’t put them into words right now or i just straight up forget.. so thats it. for now.

[fatkish]

The Avengers x Y/N

——————————————————————————

[(Y/n) is sick and has been throwing up and is in the living room with the others]

Y/n: I want Bobo

Sam: *handing y/n a bottle of water* who’s Bobo?

*Bucky walks in*

Bucky: okay I got you that soda you like to drink when you’re nauseous, I also got some applesauce and some warm blankets

Y/n: *making grabby hands towards Bucky* Bobo!

Bucky: *snuggles next to y/n* Bobo’s here.

Steve: *lays the warm blankets on y/n and Bucky before setting the soda and applesauce packets on the side table and settling next to y/n* c’mere doll. You want to ask Loki to read to you? Would that help?

Y/n: yes please

Steve: hey Friday, can you ask Loki to come down and read to y/n, they’re sick

Friday: of course

Tony: wait a minute, you’re telling me rock of ages reads to y/n?

Thor: of course, lady/sir y/n says that my brother has a soothing voice and he often reads books to them that they are too lazy to read themselves

*a few minutes later*

Loki: *walks in with a thick book under his arm and sits behind y/n* alright now, where did we last leave off…oh yes, here we go. *proceeds to start reading aloud*

Y/n: *snuggles into Steve, Loki and Bucky while holding a large bowl on their lap and closes their eyes*

——————————————————————————

Natasha: If you had too, what would you give up food or sex?

Tony: Sex.

Pepper: Seriously, answer faster.

Tony: I’m sorry honey, when they said sex I wasn’t thinking about sex with you.

Pepper: It’s like a giant hug.

Natasha: Y/n, what about you? What would you give up sex or food?

Y/n: Food.

Natasha: Okay, how about sex or dinosaurs?

Y/n: Oh my God it’s like the movie Sophie’s Choice.

Steve: What about you Thor? What would you give up sex or food?

Thor: Oh... um... I don’t know, it’s too hard.

Steve: No, you gotta pick one.

Thor: Um, food... no, sex... no, food... sex... food. Ugh! I don’t know! I want both! I- I want hot people on bread!

——————————————————————————

Thor: So… I’ve seen you’ve been spending a lot of time with Loki recently.

Y/n: No, Thor, it's not what it looks like, I swear.

Thor: Oh really? So no reason for me to be jealous?

Y/n: No! You’re the only one for me.

Thor: Is that so?

Y/n: I promise! Loki and I are just dating, okay? He’s my partner.

Thor: So there are no best-friends-feelings involved?

Y/n: You are still my one and only best friend! Loki is just the love of my life, nothing more!

Thor: But I’m still the platonic love of your life, right?

Y/n: Of course bro!

Thor: Bro...

Loki: What the-

——————————————————————————

*y/n is playing Amnesia the horror video game in their room*

Y/n: *is humming the jeopardy theme song*

Steve: *in the living room* has anyone seen y/n

Peter: uh yeah, they’re in their room, why

Steve: I’m just curious, haven’t seen them since yesterday

Y/n: *the amnesia monster appears and starts coming after them* OH FUCK! Oh no! No no no no no no stay away! I’m gonna die

Loki: *had snuck into their room and was hiding*

Loki: *cast an illusion to make himself appear as the monster from the game and slowly creeps up behind y/n*

Y/n: *managed to get away in the game* phew, I’m safe. *takes off their headphones*

Loki: *taps y/n’s shoulder*

Y/n: *looks behind them and screams* Ahhhhhhhh!

Y/n: * falls out of their chair and runs out of their room screaming*

The avengers are in the living room watching y/n run away screaming followed by Loki smiling

Tony: I seriously do not understand their relationship

Thor: Loki is simply getting back at y/n for hiding the Poptarts and blaming him for eating them

Thor: *realizes something* this one may be my fault

Steve: how so?

Thor: I may have gotten a bit upset and possibly thrown my brother out the window…

Bruce: *looks at Thor with that bewildered and slightly horrified look on his face*

Clint: remind me never to eat the last poptart

——————————————————————————

*Y/n, Peter, Scott and Thor are in the living room with pictures of the other Avengers on the TV screen*

*Natasha’s picture comes up*

Y/n: pass

Peter: respectfully pass

Scott: well I’m with Hope so pass

Thor: I still don’t get the point of this game

Scott: Thor, if you’d have sex with the person who’s picture is shown then you say smash, if not then you say pass

Thor: ah! Well lady Natasha is indeed quite the warrior! Smash

*the other avengers walk in*

*a picture of Clint comes up*

Y/n: not gonna lie, if he weren’t married, I’d totally smash

Peter: pass

Scott: pass

Thor: I too would smash

*clint looks shocked at the others but also blushes*

*a picture of Tony comes up*

Y/n: meh, pass. He’s like a dad

Peter: pass

Scott: he’s mean to me, pass

Thor: Smash!

*Tony rolls his eyes*

*a Picture of Steve pops up*

Y/n: Smash! Smash that ass

Peter: smash

Scott: I want him to smash me

Thor: I too would like to smash the captain

*steve is shocked*

*Loki walks in as his picture comes up*

y/n: Smashsmashsmashsmashsmashsmashsmashsmashsmash! SMASH!

Peter: pass?

Y/n: *looks at Peter bewildered* you’d pass on this glorious piece of art!? Look at him! Look at that beautiful face! Tell me you wouldn’t want to see this face breathless and lust driven. I don’t care if he’s on top or bottom, he can blow my back out any day.

Scott: *whispers* smash

Thor: y/n, you find my brother attractive?

Y/n: yesssssss!

Loki: *walks up behind y/n with a smug look on his face* is that so darling?

Y/n: *turns around and faints upon seeing Loki*

Loki: oh dear, are they dead?

——————————————————————————

*y/n and Peter are in the living room inside of a inflatable kiddie pool filled halfway with water wearing swimsuits. Both of them are wearing snorkels and goggles and are laying on their stomachs.*

Tony: *enters the room and sees Peter and y/n* what the hell are they doing?

Scott: I have no idea but honestly I feel the same

Steve: it’s -5 degrees Fahrenheit outside and these two are laying on their stomachs in a kiddie pool

Tony: how long have they been like that?

Scott: I don’t know, they were like this when I got here

Steve: and how long have been here?

Scott: thirty minutes give or take?

Tony: alright, that’s it, I’m pulling the plug on whatever this is

Clint: *from the vents* it’s fine! The kids are just trying to pretend it’s summer. They’re trying to pray the snow away and bring back tolerable temperatures

Steve: how long have they been doing this?

Clint: *from the vents* 7 hours

Tony: Jesus, I’m getting them out. *taps on y/n and peter’s shoulders* C’mon you two, out.

Peter: *lifts his head and removes the snorkel* but mister stark

Tony: no, no buts. Get out.

Peter and y/n: awwww *gets out*

Tony: and clean this up

——————————————————————————

*y/n comes running into the living room with a box that’s taped up*

Y/n: it’s here! It’s here! *sets the box on the coffee table and proceeds to open it*

Tony: what’cha got there kiddo?

Y/n: *pulls out an old creepy doll* This is Bella-Ann and she’s supposed to be haunted

Clint: yeah nope, I’m not staying anywhere near that thing

Tony: oh come on Legolas, it’s not real

Y/n: Bella killed her last owner, supposedly…

Steve: why would you want that?

Y/n: cause it only cost me 2 dollars and the seller promised it was haunted

Tony: yeah no, I’m calling the wizard. *calls Strange*

Dr. Strange: *picks up and is clearly annoyed* what is it this time?

Tony: y/n bought a supposedly haunted doll

Dr. Strange: and why are you calling me?

Y/n: uh, Tony?

Tony: not now y/n

Y/n: Tony!

Tony: what?!

Y/n and Steve: *hiding behind the couch*

Y/n: *whispers* the doll has a knife*

The doll: *is standing and holding a knife*

Tony: *to Strange* yeah there’s definitely something wrong with the doll, it’s got a knife and is currently chasing y/n*

Y/n: *running from the doll* help me!

Dr. Strange: *sighs and opens a portal* fine

——————————————————————————

*y/n comes skipping into a meeting*

Y/n: Balls in holes! Who wants to put ball in holes?!

Fury: excuse me?

Steve: language!

Y/n: aww ain’t anyone wanna play skee-ball, I’ve got tickets

Tony: y/n, we’re in a meeting

Sam: I’d love to but we’re kinda busy

Y/n: fine, I’ll go play with myself

Steve: you hear what you’re saying right?

Natasha: don’t bother, they’ve been hanging out with Deadpool

——————————————————————————

[sgiandubh]

Games people play

An ephemeral (and now quickly deactivated) account went rogue and sent a prominent shipper blog a whole load of conversations between that person, who played friendly to the Other Side, and Caitony. You know, the staunch stalwart of the Remarkable Week-end Saga, who consistently insulted shippers in the most revolting fashion one can imagine. 'Crazy' and 'stupid' being almost terms of endearment, of course.

I shall not repost the six conversations that have been meticulously screen capped and posted. You can read them here, starting with this post, where the Rogue Operator explains her choice of releasing them: https://www.tumblr.com/auburncurlslass/781073024919207936/hello-shipper-this-message-is-not-about-me-sam?source=share

But a couple of lines from that scrambled dialogue of sorts gave me pause, and I have thoughts and questions, as always.

'Beijos em tenda'/'Kisses in the tent'. I know what I saw, that night, while dissecting that Taylor Swift concert episode frame by frame. Many shippers were doubtful, perhaps because almost twelve years of brutality made many wary of the consequences of being too open or too readily accepting. A culture of paranoia and permanent second-guessing was the necessarily logical consequence of collective bullying. Now one of the most revolting people on the other side confesses she saw exactly the same thing and that it annoyed the shit out of her. Understandable: Those Two Kissed. Not on the cheek.

So, here you have it: Caitony knows that very well. Is she the only one? Doubtful: many, if not all of them, know the same thing, for you can be sure conversations happened in those DM boxes, too,

Shipper Mom just confirmed: in the above context, a 'beijo' is virtually never on the cheek. Otherwise, it would have been an 'abraço' - just a hug, so to speak, which wouldn't have scandalized Caitony. Yet, this one seems to have traumatized her so much, that she felt the urge to remind her 'friend', in a different conversation, one of the arguments used by Mordor to explain C's questionable behavior, including (but not only) that night. Albeit, on a more ominous tone:

C is, according to Caitony, 'doida'/crazy and 'bebe muito'/drinks a lot'. Yes, this is in the context Caitony finally spills the tea about her very seriously shipping C and Tobias Menzies, which is amusing, to say the least. Later on, she even speculates on Blonde Bambino being Tobias' son: ugh, nobody seems to like McGill, or what?

I have always known the entire Greek Chorus of sopranos, minions and clones were always spinning the same two arguments in a gradual miscellanea of insults and fighting words because what I post often made them feel uneasy (a #silly understatement). But now, here is evidence:

You know, they love and respect her so much, that they are readily throwing her under the bus the very moment she does not conform to their scenario. It's 'exclusivamente culpa dela'/'exclusively her fault', because you are just a sad and lonely woman, who has a parasocial relationship with a perfect, lionized stranger. And wow, how hard must reality sometimes bite, to make you veer dangerously close to our shores: 'tem horas que acho Tony um verdadeiro fantoche'/'at times, I think Tony is a real puppet'. You don't say, darling...

Of course, S is (according to Caitony) a gay man whose partner is Norouzi, which doesn't really come as a surprise, since this is what the Screeching Banshees have been insinuating for years, now. I have debunked enough of it, even showing how they tinkered with Wikipedia, to insist on this nonsense.

What is really interesting, though, is this very recent convo with Caitony, where she touches a very sensitive issue, all the while telling her 'friend' she was disillusioned and quitting this toxic madness:

Fucking fun, too, to read her defining C's marriage as a 'farca necessaria'/a necessary sham (but is this the same woman seeing McGill in Dublin, recently? Oh...) and openly mentioning 'divorcio'/divorce. Not once, but at least twice:

She even expects it to happen (really?), but thinks it's not the case, yet. How peculiar, really!

And, perhaps the most telling of everything, here is what she really, honestly wants for C's new movie, just because she thinks C needs the money and this is why she lies to her true fans:

'Quero que ela flope esse filme'/I want her film to be a flop'.

Not a fucking ounce of fucking shame. A cara nem treme.

I am not sorry for the length. Credits given accordingly, with the amendment the informer deactivated her blog, supposedly because she was afraid of Caitony going after her. I can also tell you that this informer followed my page for an hour, before changing her mind and choosing to post elsewhere. I am glad she did spill the tea.

'No boundaries. No respect. No class.'

In the meanwhile, we are preparing our trip to Paris, where we will make sure to tell C how good she is at what she does. I am not going for her. I am going because I want to hug and talk to all the people who will join our merry company. Because this is what a fandom is for: a facilitator for like-minded people to meet and become friends, not a cesspool of madness. I'll give Caitony that involuntary honesty.

[thatmclarengirlie]

for any mclaren fan who feels the same way, please feel free to reblog

i'm officially pissed. i've seen this one too many times now to not say something about it.

you know, there was a lot of talk throughout 2023 and 2024 that oscar was the next big thing. and he is an incredible driver, i do not disagree with that in the slightest. he has the mentality, he's certainly got the skill, and in recent races he's found that pace that had been eluding him so far, especially in one lap.

what that expectation of oscar inadvertently did, though, is it led to lando being diminished every time oscar did something better than him. the hate piled on like crazy, and things have relaxed in that regard now but even still, he's explicitly said he doesn't want to open social media after bad weekends since he knows what he'll face.

am i saying that all of the lando hate was caused by comparing him to his teammate? no. but a decent amount of it was.

lando is perfectly capable of holding his own. he showed it in australia with max practically breathing down his neck towards the end of the race, and he handled it beautifully. he showed it in abu dhabi last year, with an enormous amount of pressure on him to maintain the lead of that race, and he delivered when his team needed him to the most. he showed it in china this year, putting that mclaren (with its fucked up brakes) across the line. he has matured and has shown that he is championship material. anyone who wants to refute that can take me up on it.

then there was that brief moment when everyone started to wonder if oscar was actually who everyone thought him to be, specifically when he was having strong races but was not able to get the speed out of the car that lando was. everyone was wondering why, and i saw a fair share of negativity on that note as well. but just like lando, oscar is also absolutely capable of holding his own and is also championship material, i don't think i need to cite specifics for that.

it is NORMAL for drivers, and athletes in general, to have waves. oscar had a drought at the start of last year, with lando picking up podiums in australia, china, miami, and imola before oscar got his first in monaco. i didn't hear anyone say anything bad about oscar then. and before you tell me that lando's been in the sport much longer, he also didn't have the car to be scoring regular podiums, and even in the midfield outqualified his teammate every single year. not once did he lose that h2h record.

what i'm trying to say with this is that i'm really sick of the oscar fans who try to frame lando in a negative light, and the lando fans who try to frame oscar in a negative light. we have (so far) a championship battle on our hands, both of them have proven in every race this year why they deserve to be driving for a top team, and i'm tired of the people who need to put other drivers down just to make their favorite look a little better.

it's fucked up, a lot of what they say is just flat out wrong, it's inconsiderate, and i'm over it.

the f1 fanbase (and the mclaren fanbase) needs to get its shit together. that's it.

[jesslovesboats]

Which polar exploration museums do you think are the best? Ive been trying to narrow down the location for my next international trip and this would be an awesome anchor (pun intended)

Oooh this is such a good question! I apologize in advance for using it as an opportunity to infodump about the polar highlights of my recent trip 😅

The answer is going to depend largely on your favorite expeditions/guys, but no matter what those may be, I strongly recommend a trip to the Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI) in Cambridge, England. I was there in the fall and it did NOT disappoint!

It's a small museum, but free and completely packed to the gills with devastating artifacts that will ruin your life (positive). You, too, can spend an hour sitting on the floor in front of Captain Oates' sleeping bag violently disassociating!

Also in England, I highly recommend the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. If you're primarily interested in Franklin stuff, this is the place. I was shocked that this museum is also free! They had plenty of devastating polar artifacts, including the infamous Franklin mystery meat, but also lots of cool stuff from many different eras of maritime history. You can also visit Harry Goodsir's grave at the Old Royal Navy College Chapel in Greenwich. If you want to make a day of it in London, check out this incredibly comprehensive Franklin Expedition Guide to London from Logan Zachary and Alison Freebairn. The Greenwich sites I mentioned are on there, along with many, many others!

In Scotland, I can't recommend Discovery Point and the RRS Discovery highly enough! The ship itself has been meticulously maintained, and the museum tells the story of the 1901 Discovery Expedition beautifully. I met up with a friend who was working on the ship's crew at the time, and she gave me a behind the scenes tour and even let me get a picture in Scott's cabin 😭 Anyway, Discovery is a must see if you're a fan of Scott, Shackleton, or Wilson. Also, Scotland is INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL and historic Dundee is a very cool town!

These are the 3 polar sites in the UK I was lucky enough to visit in person, but there are so many more! I haven't been to any of the following sites (yet) but I hope to go in the future, and I feel comfortable recommending them based on the opinions of people I trust:

-The Shackleton Museum in Athy, Ireland is currently being remodeled, but will hopefully reopen to the public later this summer!

-The Fram Museum in Oslo and Roald Amundsen's Home in Uranienborg are must-see attractions if you're a fan of Amundsen and are able to get to Norway. There's also a Polar Museum in Tromsø.

-If you'll be in Japan, there is a Polar Science Museum that talks about the Japanese Antarctic Expedition of 1910-1912, as well as more recent Japanese polar history.

I'm sure there are many more sites, these are just the first larger ones that popped into my head. If there's a special guy you're interested in, find out where he's from and there's a good chance that his birthplace will have a small museum and some local experts who would love to chat about him- my friend Ceres had this exact experience researching Taff Evans in Wales!

ANYWAY, thank you for such a fun ask, and please let me know where you end up going! Also all of this is assuming you're based in the US, which is why I left out US-based museums, but if you'd like to learn more about those let me know and I'll do my best to make a list! Traveling to polar sites is one of the best things I've ever done, and I hope it's as wonderful of an experience for you as it was for me! ❤️

[saturatedsinset]

not directly related to mariah but just something I've been thinking about: people in online wrestling spaces will criticize aew Much more harshly for mistakes made by aew and wwe. one common one is "aew are great at big moments, but not great at paying them off through future storytelling" - this is a pretty frequent sentiment i see specifically relating to the death riders storyline currently, but it comes up a lot. and to be clear, I do absolutely agree with this: aew Does often have a big, impactful moment, and then fail to follow through satisfactorily. but there is a tendency to portray this as An AEW Problem, a problem specific to all elite wrestling, and I think that's just a deeply silly way to describe an issue that most wrestling companies have fairly often. like, people say it about aew often with an implicit "unlike wwe" which, if you'll excuse the harshness, is just stupid. to pick a recent example in wwe, what is the satisfying story after the cena heel turn? well, there isn't any, and the story isn't really going anywhere, and doesn't really make sense in the context of the rock-cody-cena feud. and i think this is exacerbated by half of wwe's top names being part-timers, to the point that it's news when one of them decides to show up to work. "cena is advertised for the smackdown before mania!" is a legitimate thing i saw people be excited about - just that we knew for sure that he would Be On The Show. but that's a digression. the further point i have is that this is just a thing that happens in wrestling, and both tony khan and hhh are prone to it, but so is like. every wrestling promoter. the examples people point to for tony khan being uniquely bad for this are, in my opinion, a case of limited sample size: it's much easier to point to the hundreds of successes of a company that's been around for nine times as long as its closest competitor.

[whorergal]

heeeeeey girl

so i’ve been thinking. thinking great beautiful amazing things. i don’t actually know how to talk about them because he makes being coherent #impossible !!! so that makes this a bit complicated… but vibes. your recent has me feeling dizzy and i need you to give us more. it’s what the people ( me ) want.

- 🧞‍♀️

well hello there again. i’m gonna hope ur talking ab ur recent ask ab inexperienced!lu making out for the first time haha but here is my very best at a first time drabble for you 💝💝💝

it was meant to be a study date.

being in each other’s presence helped you both focus. he was also intellectually equipped that you felt comfortable asking him for help when you needed it. even if it was for something small; he never judged you for it.

but really it was because you liked to hear his voice when he would explain terms to you. or how he would lean close that you could feel his breath tickle your neck. or how he would watch you inventively when he would make you work it out on your own (with his advice, of course).

you had done it again today. you watched his tongue slip between his lips as he read the math problem on your laptop screen. your stomach dropped levels, heat bubbling at the pit.

before he could even process what was going on, you leaned forward to plant a soft kiss on his lips. he was just so cute and so kissable, it was impossibly hard not to just smooch him all over his face.

it surprised him, blush creeping up his neck and cheeks. he smiled, breathlessly chuckling. it was that act alone that had you leaning back in for another. him being shy and nervous only fueled your need for him.

this kiss lasted a lot longer than the first because you didn't want to let go. you didn't even want to pull away for air. quite honestly, you didn't mind suffocating to death if it meant you’d be kissing him forever. his lips were just so soft and his inexperience was so endearing.

you pulled away briefly but long enough for you two to catch your breath. you leaned your forehead against his, making him open his eyes. you could feel his tension and see the nervousness in his lack of actions.

“gi," you whispered, taking his hand and placing it on your cheek. “it’s okay.” as if to console the overthinking thoughts in his mind.

you leaned back in, taking that opportunity to slip your tongue between his lips. to your shock, he let out a breathy moan into your mouth. it physically made you nauseous in the best way possible.

now, you both took your time. mainly because luigi didn't know what he was doing and you were attempting at teaching him without the words.

you took the lead, holding his wrist. you played with his watch that he always wore as you tilted your head to feel his kisses even deeper. slowly, he started to get the hang of it but it still wasn't enough. his thumb traced circles into your skin as if to relieve his own tension.

but you needed more.

without much thought, you pushed his laptop off his lap and threw your leg over him, straddling him. you pulled away, gauging his reaction. his brows rose and his plumped lips pouted nervously.

“you’re so cute,” you mumble into his lips, leaning back in.

he, of course, didn't stop you. he continued to makeout with you until he pulled away suddenly, a loud sound coming from your lips separating. "this is okay, right?"

“of course, gi.” you giggle, leaning back in.

you kissed for a mere of three more seconds before he pulled away again, setting his hands tentatively on your hips. “this okay too?”

you smile softly. “yes, you’re fine.”

he hummed, this time being the one to pull you back into the kiss as he gripped your hips. your hand that held on to his neck slowly crept up into his curls to tug on them which solicited a groan from him.

you felt his hands roam around your back, almost hovering the spot you knew he wanted to touch the most. and, like you expected, he pulled away again. “can i–”

you interrupted him before he could finish. “you can do whatever, i promise, gi. just please keep kissing me.”

he seemed dazed in adoration at the desperation in your voice but you couldn’t help it. he just nodded, leaning back in and pulling you flush against him.

…heh.. how was that.. #scared 🫠🫠

[tom-is-online]

im curious how would you rank the groups based on your personal interest (or based on music (or both separately)) :0

oh im down to talk about this actually

TLDR version is: VBS -> Niigo -> L/N -> MMJ -> WXS

to nobody's surprise, VBS is my favourite, their music is everything i like, they have never missed in my eyes. With Giga being my fav producer i dont think its suprising at all theyre the unit i like best, I also really like most of the producers they have comms/ covers for before they came to the game so it really does feel like they were made for me. Also they're my little guys... I saw Akito before i started playing the game and i knew id end up having a horrid brainworm and here i am. But the other three i love so much as well its insane theyre all so cool and i love how they interact w eachother and everything and uaughghghghghghhghg... them.

Niigo is next since i think the characters are so insanely interesting as well as really liking their comms/ covers. Ena is my fav since im Shinonome pilled but the other three esp Mizuki hold places in my heart, esp with Mizuki being so well written as a trans character its crazy. I've read a good chuck but not all of their stories and I do really enjoy it, I gotta get back to doing that since I'm not fully caught up besides Mizu/Ena5 cuz I had to read that. But yea theyre also my little guys I love them sm

Leo/Need are awesome and underrated and I'm tired of people thinking theyre boring cuz theyre NOT, I think as they've progressed their comms/covers have gotten INSANE overtime, loads of their recent stuff is so crazy to me its all so so so sso so good. I'm rly into rock and guitar so I do rly like a lot of their stuff >:) Also Shiho is my fav I love you Shiho (the other are also v cool also tho), I need to catch up on Leoni cuz I do rly like reading it and the recent stuff seems very fuckin cool

More More Jump are also so cool, Jumpin' over is one of my fav comms in the fucking game that shit goes CRAZY and tbh i think they do hit with comms more often than Leo/Need but I've only rly read the mmj main story and i think a few others but i dont fully remember what the fuck i read since its been a while lmao. They all have great voices and I rly like them all, Airi and Minori more-so but I have no beef with the other two. So many bangers, fun designs, fun dances INSANE 2dmvs recently as well. Goats

Last is WXS, I like a good few of their covers and comms but its not close as many as any other unit in the game i don't think. I also read the main story and decided it does not interest me. I do like Nene a lot and I think Emu is fun, but i think if i went on a rant about the other two, I'd be shot in the head lmao, I just do not care abt them. But WXS did make Cyber Punk Dead Boy so they have that going for em ig

the gap bettween me liking the units is p close at the top 4 but theres a very noticable gap with wxs, sorry to any wxs heads

Vivid BAD SQUAD sweep :)

[thewritetofreespeech]

HI, I got way into JJK recently and I'm also a big fat lesbian. With that in mind could you do a Nobara x fem reader? It's a hot summer day, old hits play from a beat-up speaker, and they just caught a break between missions. Their makeup got all fucked up from a fight and Reader suggests they fix it for each other. Nobara finds out firsthand that is a one-way trip to Girl Kisser City and that she's President there.

“You know, an old gypsy woman told me I was going to lay down in a ditch and die one day.”

“Well, she was half right.” Nobara quipped as she reached down to offer her hand to [Y/N] and pull her up.

It was supposed to be a nice, normal day at the beach. Enjoying the sun and the surf. Listening to music and getting tan lines on their towels. Regular teen stuff. But it seemed, no matter where they went, there were always problems. And the beach day she, [Y/N], Yuji, and Megumi had planned was ruined with curses.

Luckily between the four of them it wasn’t that hard of a fight. Just a lot of them. [Y/N] and Nobara had split from the boys to take off for the curses further down the beach, leaving Yuji & Megumi to deal with the crowds. By the time they were finished they were covered in sweat and sand, and not from the fun beach volleyball game Nobara had pictured for later. “I feel gross.”

“Nah. You’re beautiful.” Nobara blushed a tick when [Y/N] complimented her. Brushing the hair out of Nobara’s face. “Your make up is a little smudged though.”

“Aw man!” Nobara quickly snapped out of her daze and tried to check her reflection in a tidepool. “This sucks. Do you have your bag on you?”

“Sorry. This suit doesn’t come with pockets.” [Y/N] said, gesturing to her swimwear. “Oh wait!” She reached into her swim top and pulled out her emergency ice cream money & a tube of tinted lip balm. “It’s SPF 30.”

Nobara grumbled. It was better than nothing she supposed; not to be a choosy beggar.

The water in the tidepool looked clean, so she scrubbed her face of the residual smears, neated up her salt crushed hair as much as she could, and put the lip balm on neatly. “I need to blot.”

“I gotcha.”

[Y/N]’s hand landed on Nobara’s bare shoulder and turned her around to press their lips together.

The hammer head was shocked. She’d never been kissed by a girl before. What was she supposed to do?? All she kept thinking about was what this meant and what it could mean, but she realized the one thing she wasn’t think of was that this wasn’t nice.

Though her mind was reeling the kiss only lasted for a few seconds. And when [Y/N] pulled back she smiled and said, “twins.” Pointing at her own stained lips and took her lip balm back.

Nobara stood there for a moment. Frozen in shock and wonder as she watched [Y/N] head back up the beach. “Come on. I wanna get one of those big coconuts.” Nobara blinked and then trailed up after her.

They meet back up with the boys, also no worse for wear, and get back to their beach day. She doesn’t mention what happened or bring it up to [Y/N].

Nobara had wanted to have a hot girl summer, but this wasn’t really on her bingo card for the trip.

[kickbutts-singsongs]

I’ve had some thoughts about Izuku and his actions in the post-canon chapter that I haven’t known how to voice until this very moment so uh I just wanted to say that I actually saw myself in him and his decisions and here’s why:

(warning: manga spoilers and minor traumadumping)

I just recently turned 20 years old and I’ve been noticing that life feels a whole lot clearer now that I’m out of my crazy house (for the most part) and attending college, but I didn’t realize just how murky and foggy everything had felt up until now.

Like seriously looking back on it, I felt like my head was underwater and I was in a fishtank watching everyone pass me by. Some people would come up to the glass and reach out, but I didn’t really reach back bc I just assumed that since there was glass I wouldn’t be able to truly connect. Instead I kind of acted the best and brightest that I could, almost like I was performing tricks for them, in the hopes that they’d at least stick around, but I didn’t think I’d be anything more than a passing interest to them. But that was okay because I liked seeing the people and it was enough for me, I’d take what I could get.

Also some context: I was homeschooled as a kid and was a pretty isolated child whose only real connection to anyone was with her younger sister (which may or may not have been an unhealthy relationship) so when I finally attended high school, I went through those years thinking that everyone who ever met me wouldn’t really like me or want to stay connected bc if my own lil sis didn’t then who would? And though I did make friends, and they def reached out and touched the glass, I felt like I was this intangible thing that they would soon move on from and forget, once again leaving me alone in the water

Last year, someone came up to my tank and punched straight through the glass

And holy fuckin smokes everything changed

I have this dear friend that I’ve known for quite a long time (6 years now), but I never in a million years would’ve guessed that I had any real impact on her bc she was so well-liked and was surrounded by so many great people. I was just me.

But one night, she told me that I was her best friend.

Did I cry? Uh huh big time

But also?? My entire worldview changed????

Cuz WHAT DO YOU MEAN IM SPECIAL ENOUGH TO YOU FOR YOU TO DECLARE THAT OUT OF EVERYONE YOU KNOW, I AM YOUR BEST FRIEND

Basically, since then I have never felt more alive, and now I’ve decided that my days of being a wallflower to everyone I know and love are fuckin OVER

IM BEING PRESENT AND ATTENTIVE AND INSERTING MYSELF INTO PEOPLES LIVES BC THEY WANT ME IN THEM BITCHESSSSSS

“Wow, Song, congrats on the epiphany? I guess? What does that have to do with Izuku??”

Great question my friend

In my humble and lightly biased opinion, Izuku grew up without a bunch of self-worth and didn’t think very highly of himself. He also didn’t grow up with very many (healthy) friendships, and when he finally attended UA, he got his first dose of seeing people actually reaching out to him

But I think he was stuck in a daze of “Wow they really wanna be my friend? That’s crazy cuz they’re so cool and I’m just. Me.” <- similar to how I acted in hs.

And after all the ✨traumatizing shit✨ he went thru up until the end of the series, I think it’d be understandable if his life felt a bit foggy and murky, like he was existing but not truly living (esp if he never got a therapist or smth, but I sincerely hope he did) and he didn’t feel like he had much of an impact on the lives of his friends in hs other than his heroics (esp after he lost his quirk)

So my guess is that he just coexisted with everyone, counted his blessings, and then let everyone go after they graduated. It wouldn’t surprise me if the only reason he and Katsuki are as comfortable as they are in the epilogue is bc Katsuki was the one making efforts to reach out to Izuku for the past eight years, but again that’s my projections ashajkajaka

Anyways SO when it comes to the point where Katsuki’s driving and tells Izuku “if you treat everyone like they’re special to you, then no one actually is” I was shook to my core because that’s how I’d been living my life (and I still was at that point) so when I saw a lot of people criticizing Izuku for his seemingly uncaring behavior in rejecting Katsuki’s vague agency proposal, I couldn’t help but feel empathy for my boy bc I prob would’ve said and done the exact same thing. I don’t think I would’ve understood the importance of such an ask, or the impact I would’ve had if I’d said no.

And further on, when Izuku looks at Uraraka, someone who was a dear friend of his in high school, and notices that they never talk anymore and grew apart (partially bc he let that happen), he hears Katsuki’s words in his head and realizes that he’s right, and that Uraraka is someone that is special to him, actually special to him, and that he wants to rebuild that connection and put work in to keep in touch.

But I don’t think that means that that’s the end.

I think Uraraka is just the beginning.

My theory (my hope) is that he’ll start to look around at the people in his life (or currently out of his life) and allow himself to actually be in their lives again, to purposefully insert himself back in. To reach out, to connect. He’ll start being more aware of how his life actually impacts others, and how his life has meaning outside of doing things just to help people.

(And maybe he’ll re-evaluate how much he actually cares about a certain someone and notice how much effort they actually put into their relationship and wonder if they’re really just a friend to him but that’s my shipper heart alskllaksk)

Anyways uh I guess I had been neglecting my ‘thinking about Izuku’ duties for a sec so now I’ve just word-vomited a small essay that’s probably mildly incomprehensible but the point is that I care and maybe someone else will too so if u got this far thanks for reading 🫡