#just miraculously selectively don't experience it at all

[inseparableduo]

Ok so! I've brought up that there is a part of the cult that worships twins and have talked about it a bit but, let's get into it, shall we?

First off, a lot of the members are just survivors from when twins escaped. Some had a hand in the experiments that twins and many others went through. Some had no idea that was even going on. All of them have one thing in common, however. They witnessed twins when they were possessed. It was that night they had split from the cult. This group is made up of about 30% of survivors.

Seeing how pissed off their God was and quickly coming to the realization that there was just no way they could ever control the Gods, they sought redemption. They are kinda aware the twins are still alive? They see twins as a part of their God. They don't really understand that twins aren't vessels. They just believe the twins are her new mortal body. This as you can imagine means that their bible, scripture, and rituals are very different from the 'main church'. In fact, they have cut themselves completely off from that group and have no clue what they are up too now.

They see Twins and their God as one being. Interchangeable, one and the same. This group is rather fervent, as after a few years of just nothing things started to change. For a long time, the head priest prayed for a sign that they were forgiven. Twins themselves answered and fulfilled this prayer. One night, she had an unforgettable dream. Someone was patting her head as someone else close by was singing a lullaby. She remembered feeling such an incredible feeling of peace and safety. Something deeper than they had ever felt before or since. The person patting her head told her, "Dry your tears. Don't cry, all is forgiven now. We're with you. Don't forget that."

Even if they wanted to brush that dream off, they couldn't. When she woke up, there was a rose bush that had grown overnight in front of her window. Not only did it grow out of season, but she had never planted any roses anywhere on her property. She had decided to pluck a flower from the bush, and to this day the flower has never wilted. Even as the other flowers on the bush died eventually.

Suddenly things started to turn around for every member. Small and complex things people had prayed for were suddenly getting answered. They were getting more time with their family, miraculous streaks of good luck, surviving near-death experiences, etc.

It had then become undeniable they had been forgiven. Since then, they have moved on to doing charity work and building a community. The head priest, with the help of a select few, have also started to rewrite/write a brand-new bible to reflect their new views.

In verses where twins become God, they show more signs in an attempt to direct their church.

[mercerislandbooks]

50 Years of Island Books: James Crossley

James Crossley has been a bookseller for over 20 years. His longest bookstore tenure was at Island Books, where he wrote so prolifically for their blog that Mercer Island was in danger of capsizing under the weight of his words. He was forced to flee to the mainland, and is now the manager of Madison Books in Seattle, named in 2022 by Publisher's Weekly as one of the five best bookstores in America.

Miriam: First off, my friend, I want to ask you about a way I know you left your individual imprint on the store. That was through buying, a skill which I’m sure comes in very handy today at Madison Books. Can you tell me about your philosophy behind buying and curating what goes on the shelves? In what way did the customers inform the books you chose to order and put on our display shelves?

James: I don't know if I'd call it a philosophy, although it's certainly closer to that than it is to a hard science. The only training I had before doing it involved hanging around in bookstores, but I have done A LOT of that in my life. I guess I think of selecting titles to carry as an attempt to answer a series of questions. Is this book like the others on our shelves? Is it by an author who's already popular? Is it nothing like the books on our shelves in a way that will provide surprise and delight? Is it important? Is it fun and frivolous? Can I imagine the audience for this book? Will we want a huge stack to satisfy hordes of readers? Do we want a single copy to wait quietly in a corner until one person finds it and thinks it was put there just for them? Will someone behind the counter here, maybe me, enjoy it and be excited about selling it? Add up all the yeses and the order is ready to place. Miraculously, the budget always adds up as neatly, almost like I planned it that way.

All of this is guided largely by the customers--paying attention to what they buy, and more importantly, what they love, is what makes it all possible. They teach us what to look for and then we find it for them. As I've said before, a bookstore is what happens when you put together some booksellers, some customers, and the ever-changing mixture of books that happens to be present on a given day. It's a dynamic, shared experience even more than it is a static, physical place.

Miriam: That’s for sure. What do you think the biggest misconceptions are about working in a bookstore? How does the location of the store inform a bookseller's experience?

James: "Oh, I wish I could work in a bookstore! I'd love to spend all my time reading!" If only. After twenty years of doing this, my total in-store page count doesn't add up to a chapter. But I do love working a job that inspires envy, regardless. The other big misconception is that bookstores are stodgy, old-fashioned operations. In fact, this is a game of continual reinvention, and those of us playing it try new things all the time. Hence the success of indie bookstores during the pandemic, relative to other kinds of retail.

Despite what I said earlier about a bookstore being more of a state of being than a physical place, location dictates a great deal about the experience. Who's coming in regularly? Hip young singles or families with lots of kids? Are they locals or outsiders? Compare the ostensibly similar stores on Mercer and Bainbridge Islands and consider how many more tourists one sees than the other. Nothing wrong with itinerant customers, but it's nice to see the same friendly faces on a consistent basis. And wherever a store is, I think it should always represent its community. You should be able to walk into it and find a comprehensive selection of books about its region and the people who live there. Easy enough in the Pacific Northwest, which is rich in history and with authors to write about it: Homewaters by David B. Williams, Pushed by Ana Maria Spagna, Unsettled Ground by Cassandra Tate, Where the Language Lives about Vi Hilbert, Tributes by Mary Henry…There's a reason that Mercer Island History was a top seller almost the whole time I worked at Island Books.

Miriam: I’m with you—don’t even use the word stodgy near the word bookstores. Creativity and drive characterize all the book people and indie bookstores I know! Speaking of creativity, tell me what it was like to watch Island Books move into the digital space. As I recall, you built the basic website, right? Do you have a favorite memory or mishap from that time? What did you feel shifted when we started the blog?

James: My first tech job in the store involved resuscitating a version of the Island Books website that had been set up by Nancy Shawn during her initial tenure. She'd left before I came on board but has since returned, of course. The island gets its hooks into everybody, doesn't it? It was a nice-looking site, but it didn't do much, as the technology for more wasn't available to us then. Soon after, though, I got the chance to switch us over to a more modern platform, one that accommodated easier updates and allowed customers to order books remotely. That web incarnation of Island Books included a prominent Shakespearean tagline first used in the store's early days: "I like this place and could willingly waste my time in it." Still one of my favorite ways to describe the joint.

My best memory, however, is that we somehow convinced management that the store needed a blog. If either of us had made the argument on our own it probably would have seemed silly, but together we marshalled a good case. That gave us the excuse to say almost whatever we wanted about books and spout those opinions frequently--twice a week at first! Not only did readers respond with enthusiasm, but they also told us they didn't want to have to look online for updates. Instead, they preferred we send them those posts via email, and so our newsletter was born. That kept us in touch with Mercer Island expatriates and gave us a wider audience besides. I'd always felt that Island Books was too well-kept a secret, and I think the blog put us on the national map next to other, more famous bookstores, where we'd always belonged.

Miriam: I agree, teamwork was the key. I have great memories of sitting in that back room with you and Roger, slowly coaxing our fearless leader at that time into the future. How do you think the blog changed the way Island Books connected to the community? Do you have a favorite post that comes to mind, maybe one that inspired a conversation or connected to an in-store memory?

James: Island Books has long been deeply, deeply ingrained in the Mercer Island community, since way before people started making fun of Al Gore for inventing the internet, so it's not as if the blog was some kind of breakthrough technology. It did connect us to a more far-flung audience, as I mentioned, and it did (and does) extend the presence of the store beyond its doors. When a customer is reading a post at home, hopefully they feel a bit as if they're in an armchair in the fiction section or having a chat across the counter.

Speaking of connections, my favorite posts include the ones where we found unexpected overlaps in our taste and got to banter about books we both liked, Chocolates for Breakfast and When Breath Becomes Air, for example. And I really love the posts that grew into or out of others, such as the one I wrote entirely in long, rambling sentences after you made a comment about my proclivity for long, rambling sentences. That's the way my mind always works when I read, with one book reminding me of another, sending me leapfrogging from one known lily pad to the next until I end up somewhere new.

My favorite in-store memory post is probably the one about the vulnerable little dollar bill that hung for dear life on a clothesline and warmed all our cold, cynical hearts. I also loved all the times we got to write about our kids. And the times you wrote about ballet, and those rare occasions we convinced Cindy to write something for us. Oh, and I have to mention the tribute to legendary Northwest writer Brian Doyle we ran in the last months of his life. For months, even years afterwards, it caused people from across the country to tell me how much he'd meant to them.

Miriam: Oh yes, Brian Doyle, of course. Also don't forget the time we interviewed Nancy Pearl together in the store, or that great interview you did with Joel McHale at his event! Wonderful memories, many of which are my favorites too. It's so good to catch up, James, as ever. Thanks for making the time.

To our Island Books community: In the next 50 Years of Island Books installment, I’ll be talking to former bookseller Kay Wilson, who worked at the store for over 15 years. She's living the good life on Lummi Island now, but get your to-read list ready. Kay's still brimming with book recommendations and she's going to share a list of her favorites, just for you.

—Miriam

[drycarpetcleanerroyersford]

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[urne-buriall]

oh Jack. he's such a Winchester. and he's got shades of Cas with his flashes of pride and then subsequent guilt, and something just his own in there too. there's a moment I think of from shortly after he arrived, literally his second episode, when Dean can't stand to look at him and no one quite knows if Evil is in his Nature and treats him as such, which he is EXTREMELY aware of. and Dean finds Jack knifing himself repeatedly, but unable to die. and even though Dean isn't sure about Jack, it's like in that moment he sees a hurt and traumatized kid who's blaming himself for the world/his family's problems and he reacts as such. it felt very real to parents and teenagers. teenagers, who become these suddenly foreign creatures going through shit that they seldom inform their parents of. and parents want to give their kids space, give them that basement room and don't ask questions about what they spend all their time doing down there, hoping that they aren't depressed and self-harming, hoping that they're not becoming the next domestic terrorist, hoping they aren't posting their own nudes online or poisoning their brians by reading the worst shit available on the internet, because the teen has become such a mystery, so turned off to opening up to family. having a kid that miraculously heals from every injury and can't die is obviously NOT a normal parenthood experience, but that's not what Dean witnesses. instead he sees a kid who wants to take himself out of the world because he fears he was made wrong, and I think that gets at him on an emotional level even while intellectually he still thinks of Jack as a danger

writing Jack is tricky because he's old and new and the history with Dean is COMPLEX to say the least, so while this is a solidly Destiel fic, I wanted to give Jack time to wrangle with his own issues and to appreciate what he brings out

one more thing I'll say about this update is just the name of the paper, The Shenandoah Herald. for whatever reason, I feel weird about including real, contemporary companies because, like, you could call them and find out that Dean Winchester doesn't actually work there? or something? even though we know the Supernatural world is not the same as ours (confirmed by "The French Mistake" with the apocalyptic natural disasters that never happened here, etc.). so instead I chose a once-extant, now-defunct newspaper. The Shenandoah Herald ran from 1865-1974, although it still runs today in the world of "our lights in ashes." and although this town of Crestwood is made up, it's grounded by the real James River, a real newspaper specific to a region, and, because Waylon would be Monacan based on the geographic setting, I consulted the band website before selecting his last name. as ever, these are not details I expect anyone to notice, but I need to know where things take place when I'm writing

graves we filled before the fire, pt. iv

unanswered questions can be just as damning as confessions.

[teawinx]

You know, given the current direction of Miraculous Ladybug in which after years of padding, season 5 is doing things that should have been happening no later than season 3, it makes me wonder if the best way to watch this show and not lose your mind is watching select episodes. The way I see it, one would need to watch all of season 1 and afterward only watch select episodes from seasons 2-4. So episodes that are plot/character relevant while ignoring episodes that contribute absolutely nothing to the narrative or characters/assassinate characterizations. That's how, by the time you get to season 5, the show is actually somewhat good. Sure even with this model, you'd still have to deal with a few frustrating episodes, but the experience would probably be far less frustrating and the romance would seem less badly written.

I mean maybe? I'm not sure

Feels a bit weird to have most of the show be completely pointless and skip-able, only to suddenly change gears and have a plot 5 Seasons in. Why make a show if you don't watch the majority of it? And it would still leave you with the question of "why does the rest of this exist?".

A good show should have the majority of episodes be worth watching and enjoying. Not have entire seasons you can skip.

Sure it would make things a little better, making things go from a crawl to a run, but it would still have horrible pacing issues. Despite my whinging, I do think Miraculous benefits from having episodes of no importance, just showing the characters in a comfortable routine. But we've had over 100 episodes of that comfortable routine. It got old 80 episodes ago.

It basically just needs a complete structure overhaul

[nomunamuinmybrain]

Work you out (M)

Pairing: Jungkook x Reader

Rating: M

Genre: Smut

Word Count: 2.4K

In collaboration with the lovely @alwaysdarkestbeforethedawn94

Disclaimer: if you are under the age of 18 please know that this contains heavy sexual themes and mature language.

Summary: Working for Hybe has been an experience. Being Jungkook’s manager is another story. His sharp eyes, firm jawline and snarky attitude was a deadly combination to begin with. The guy easily found his way to your heart and you simply couldn't take it anymore.

Thinking back to how I managed to land such an unimaginable employment opportunity must have been a miracle. Unquestionably, working for HYBE had so many benefits; I swore to never leave this place. Sure, I was a simple manager's assistant, but I was by the side of one of the managers that handled the most important talent in the stretch of South Korea, the entire globe to be honest, BTS. I was assigned the position of assistant to the manager of one of the guys, none other than Jeon Jungkook. I really couldn’t believe my luck. Not only was I a part of one of the most skyrocketing influential enterprises in the country, but I also had the chance to meet some of the most inspiring people in the whole world! Who would have thought?!

Did I have a crush on the guy by the end of my first month working here? Yes, but who wouldn't? He is the sweetest, always polite and courteous. I've met my share of self-boasting asshats; this industry is flooded with such. This guy is worth billions and he has remained ridiculously humble. Word got around about him being a wonderful young man and I could positively say he is so much more up close. Jungkook is ridiculously handsome that’s a given already, but his personality was the real deal-maker. He reminds me of a dark stormy thundery night where I cover myself with my favourite warm fluffy blanket starring out of the window a rich flavored hot chocolate in hand.

In general, I quite enjoy working at the company’s principled environment. Don’t get me wrong, nothing in this world is rainbows and butterflies, but overall, I can confidently say that it’s been a mainly positive experience. Thankfully, the department I am in is assembled by kind, funny people who like to get things done. There hasn’t been a day were I regretted coming here. As for my daily duties as an assistant, working for Jungkook meant keeping up with his appointments, helping him with anything at anytime, managing his schedule, making sure it matches with the other guys' and so much more. I was required to work around the clock and as a single independent woman in her late twenties who was trying to figure out the world around her that didn’t sound like such a bad idea, though I digress. Essentially, I was one of the employees responsible for pretty much anything and everything he needed. Our department was at his disposal 24/7 running around, living that busy life.

That's until the pandemic struck. That was the first time I thought to myself that this might be nature’s valiant plan to get back what man so forcefully took from her. Suddenly, everything was canceled; life got put on a hold. My dearest supervisor, Jungkook's manager, had to stay at home because he had kids. In fact, a lot of people had to stay at home. Abruptly, days became weeks and weeks became months. The desperation and frustration we were feeling was like nothing else ever experienced. Truthfully, it felt like something had been stolen from us and we could never get it back. In this manner, when the gears finally started grinding again I was assigned to be the on-site manager for Jungkook. That meant being in direct contact with him more so than before and of course, being responsible for a ton of other obligations.  

Not going to lie, the first months were slightly awkward for both of us and understandably so. We both were used to very different working arrangements. I might have been working behind the scenes before, but now I had to step into the spotlight becoming his own personal shadow, and I am sure he wasn’t really comfortable with that. Taken into account the current situation everyone looked like a volcano ready to erupt.  

Once, I happened to accidentally step in a not so common incident; maybe it was a circumstance I wasn’t supposed to witness. He was on the phone at the time, when I saw him. That’s why I decided it was best if I stayed behind the half closed door of the studio. I couldn’t hear what he was saying and it was none of my business after all, but I could tell by the minute I laid my eyes on him that something was wrong. Something had been bothering him; irritation written all over his face. He was pacing back and forth, phone still on his ear. He was clenching his fist so hard I wondered if his nails cut into his skin. He was breathing heavily, almost as if he would burst and his muscles grew tense.  

Then, in an instant, it seemed that the call ended and as he was putting the phone in his pocket he slammed his fists down onto the table a loud bang echoing in the room. After some consideration, I knocked on the door to make my presence known and he sharply looked at me. Without having the chance to say anything to him he let out a loud growl and left the room leaving me dumbfounded and unaware by the door. Soon after that, he apologized for the way he acted confessing that he had an unfortunate falling out with one of his closest friends and at the time he couldn’t process what was happening. I would never forget that day. It was the day I came across a not so familiar side to him.

From that day forward, things miraculously became easier and Jungkook was way more relaxed around my presence, we joked around often and he even texted me to ask about a variety of things outside of regular working hours. We managed to develop a teasing relationship full of endless borderline flirtatious banter. He had this other side to him that only a selected few got the chance to know. Jeon Jungkook was indeed a comforting raging night, but he was also an infuriating playful mischievous brat when he wanted to be. This in all honesty, made him a hundred times more irresistible in my eyes.

Life was going on smoothly until Jungkook decided that taking after midnight trips to the gym was perfectly acceptable, insisting that I escort him instead of his bodyguard. I cursed every single time but I went anyway. Forty-five minutes after midnight he was lifting weights, unbothered. Taking secret short glances towards him I contemplated what I had done in my previous life to deserve this torment. Don’t get me wrong, I couldn’t care less about the late hour, but to have this view in front of my eyes was causing me both mental and physical pain. The guy was clearly sculpted by the gods. With his broad chest, muscular arms and thick thighs he could have anyone he ever wanted. He even sported an hourglass figure; He is insanely unreal. That’s the main reason why I decided to sit there preoccupied with a silly game on my phone to kill time until the suffering ended. I was barely hanging from a string at the verge of blowing off the barrier between my personal and professional life.

Out of the blue, with a loud grunt, he dropped the weights, drawing me out of my contemplation. He looked annoyed for whatever reason. He tried his best to seem nonchalant but it was obvious, in his beautiful stern eyes. Could he be craving for an audience? Abandoning every rational thought I had, I put my phone away, looked in his direction as I got up to get water. I smirked at his clear annoyance. Surely, we weren't supposed to interact with the artists this way but I am cranky and sleepy, and for the first time ever, he was being kind of an ass to me. Was I perhaps the reason behind his sudden personality change? The thought kept floating at the back of my mind.  

This kept going on for about three weeks or so and I gave him nothing. His annoyance prominent in his expression, more and more as the weeks went by. He was hot but I am sure all he had been seeking was an audience given that he missed it, or so I thought. Thursday evening rolls around and I was particularly iffy tonight ‘because I was extremely frustrated, sexually. This one was making my situation worse, sporting a tight black tank top and skinny grey sweatpants which made him look like a treat. He could easily pass for a bodyguard with those broad well-built shoulders. As my eyes scanned his body I realized this was the first time his tatted sleeve was on display. I couldn’t help but let my eyes wander. By the time I was done his eyes were already fixed on mine and I turned away immediately, embarrassment written all over my face.  

Seeking solace in the women’s bathroom I tried to extinguish this ravenous yearning. The feeling of cold water did nothing to help the burning desire that was building inside me. Without warning, a knock at the door was heard, his sweet angelic voice following "Are you okay?" he asked, the remnants of a smirk could be heard still. "Jungkook you cannot be here, I am okay. I'll be out in a minute." I exclaimed, as calm as I could. "It's been ten minutes. I can't continue unless you're there." He insisted, I heard him chuckle after that.

With that, it was now or never, I pushed the door’s handle and made my way outside rolling my eyes in the process and he caught that, quickly moving closer, clearly annoyed, jaw clenched, eyes taking in my features, making him look not quite intimidating but definitely interesting. No, it was my mistake. Not just interesting, he looked ravishing. "As I said, I'll be out in a minute. Then you can finish up" I argued. But he didn't budge, moving even closer, if that was even possible, he was almost a breath away. "I don't feel like working out anymore" he declared like a child whose toy was taken away from him. As if I chose to play heads or tails with my career, I poked the beast further, "What is it that you want to do then?" I asked making sure he heard the annoyance in my tone. Coming even closer, to the point where he was completely pressed up against me, "You" he uttered calmly yet authoritatively. Before I could process what he had just said his soft lips crushed mine with a vengeance, thirsty. Pulling my lip with his teeth, he kept planting kisses from my lips to my jaw trailing down to my neck and décolletage; a surprised panting left my lips.  

It felt as if I had involuntarily awakened this beastly hunger within him. His kisses insatiable and his touch was possessive, "I've been thinking about this for so long" he confessed as he took my hoodie off. "Sitting there, not giving a word let alone a glimpse. If you think this is off-limits you're wrong" he growled pointing at himself. "I can guarantee that once we're done here you definitely won't be able to look at me, ever." As he said all that, he managed to get me in a compromising position against the sink, his slim waist in between my legs. He kept my gaze as he lowered his head between my thighs. Little shit kept giving me hickeys on the soft flesh of my inner thighs, so close to my now dripping core. He enjoyed tormenting me and it showed. I was helpless but oh, God was all of this hot. He licked a stripe over my soaked panties, "Oh baby, you smell delicious" and with one hand he took off my underwear completely.

He sank in my folds, letting a guttural moan that I felt vibrating through my core. Not being able to think about what was happening I let myself indulge in my carnal desire my hands tangled in between his luscious hair.  

He loved food and I've watched him eat before, but this must be one of his favorites ‘cause he was doing his best not to let a drop go to waste; he acted like a man starved. His hands held me in place, thankfully, ‘cause everything was too much; nothing could stop me from shaking, feeling everything deep in my core, he was too much. He just had to be good at everything. He kept a torturous tempo, from sucking my clit to his sinful tongue penetrating me, and as tears gathered around my eyes he decided to add his slender fingers in bringing me closer to heaven than I've ever been. "That's it baby, let go. Let go for me" he exhaled and just like that I had the most intense climax. My limbs felt numb, my whole body felt like rubber.  

Before I could register what was happening he was back at it, sucking my over stimulated clit, my thighs unconsciously closing around his head as oversensitivity hit. "One more, please, come on baby, you can do it" he begged. He kept pumping his fingers while sucking my clit, as if it was his only goal in life. My screams muffled through my own hand clamped on my mouth as I reached my high for a second time that night. I felt it take over me with such intensity I didn't register what had happened. He emerged from between my thighs, soaked from me squirting and with a proud look on his face he declared "Now I look like I had the workout of a lifetime".  

He helped me get dressed and pulled me close for a soft peck. He must have noticed my concerned look because he wrapped his arms around me in a warm hug and said "Don't be scared about this, we can work it out. I really like you and I'd like you to stick around". Starring into his eyes, I nodded and he pulled me close for the sweetest kiss, trying to tame my bewildered hair. He helped me get dressed and got out the door first to make sure that no one was around. I waited for a moment and then I got a text.  

[anhed-nia]

BLOGTOBER 10/20/2021: FALSE POSITIVE

I've been avoiding writing about this extremely zany movie for a couple of days, because I'm not 100% sure I perfectly understand what happened in it. I don't usually read a lot of interviews or other contextual material for Blogtober posts; I tend to focus on the visceral, emotional impact of movies by documenting my own responses. I do try to make a scan of the basic available information about a production before I write anything down, in case I've lapsed on something really obvious. In that spirit, I watched this movie once, glanced at the trivia section of iMDB, said "Wait, what the fuck?!" to myself out loud, and watched the movie again, wondering if it could possibly have been weirder than I already thought it was. I can't promise that I've come to any satisfying conclusions, but I'm going to try to piece together what I gathered. Even if you don't find this post effective, please know that it's the hardest thing I've ever had to write. Extensive spoilers to follow.

First, let's look at the plot, if I can effectively summarize it: After a long struggle to conceive, Lucy (Ilana Glazer) and her husband Adrian (Justin Theroux) experience a miraculous breakthrough with the help of Adrian's mentor, John Hindle (Pierce Brosnan). The in-demand Dr. Hindle's good looks and smug charm practically scream "too good to be true", an impression that grows in Lucy's mind once she discovers she is pregnant with twin boys, and a weaker female fetus. Due to her tenuous reproductive health, Lucy opts to have a "selective reduction" of the twins, but she comes to suspect that Hindle has actually terminated her daughter. As she detects the threads of a conspiracy tightening around her, she also starts to lose her grip on her sanity, plunging her into a paranoid nightmare in which her harsh reality is even more frightening than her intensifying delusions.

I thought I knew what I was getting into with this. ROSEMARY'S BABY is one of those movies that has become a genre unto itself, with legions of imitators slavishly repeating not just the thesis statement, but all of the key beats ad nauseum. The medical conspiracy, methodical gaslighting ("You just have MOMMY BRAIN," Lucy is told by someone every 10 or 15 minutes), the naming of Lucy's husband—Adrian, like Rosemary's actual baby—and even the familiarly sing-songy score suggest a movie you could watch with your eyes closed and not miss a thing. In practice, though, FALSE POSITIVE is surprisingly challenging, and the icky scenes of Hindle smiling into Lucy's face as he fondles her insides, asking her if she'd like to watch through a mirror, or unloading a giant-sized syringe full of semen between her legs, and insisting on a post-operative hug, are only the half of it.

Like Rosemary before her, Lucy is hopelessly alone in her seemingly idyllic marriage. She lies still in the stirrups as across her spread legs, her doctor and her cosmetic surgeon husband engage in sycophantic banter about their brilliant careers: Adrian was booted out of a hospital for performing a free breast augmentation on a mastectomy patient who couldn't pay, and his old teacher Dr. Hindle quit in solidarity to form his own astronomically successful fertility clinic. Herein is our first hint of the modern moral ambiguity that threads itself through FALSE POSITIVE: Women should be entitled to take control of their bodies in whatever way they wish, and it sounds like Adrian committed professional martyrdom to help his patient. However, when he produces the necessary sperm sample at Hindle's clinic, we hear him climaxing to a pornographic video of a woman being beaten across the face, which can taint our view of this man who insisted on installing big tits where he found them wanting. Ilana Glazer co-wrote this picture, so it's reasonable to perceive gender politics at work throughout. An advertising professional, Lucy thanklessly ghostwrites speeches for her husband, and is a rising star at her all-male company—where, inevitably, her condescending coworkers take credit for her achievements. Her friends are non-existent, having been dismissed as loud and annoying by Adrian, and her attempt to join a mommy group places her among catty, jealous hypocrites. So, Lucy really has no one to turn to when she starts to have disturbing nightmares and hallucinations about her pregnancy.

No one to turn to, that is, except Grace Singleton, "the Midwife with soul". Played by Sierra Leonean actress Zainab Jah, Grace appears swathed in traditional garb in internet videos where she rails against modern gynecology's unnatural pathologizing of pregnancy, and pontificates about women being almost superhuman creatures of cosmic importance. Lucy is hypnotized by Grace's web presence, swept away by a fevered vision of folk images of childbirth, juxtaposed with cold and gory (real) clinical photographs. She is dazzled by Grace's office, where every object looks imported directly from Africa, and seduced by the midwife's rhetoric about women knowing their own bodies better than any patriarchal gynecologist. As Lucy declares that her new Black doula is "magical", I really started to wonder what FALSE POSITIVE was up to. Is this an illusion sprung from Lucy's privileged imagination? Is it a satire of the colonizer's guilty equation of black and brown people with primal nature and spiritual enlightenment? Or is it part of a larger comment on identity, as we are told twice that our protagonist eschews her ethnic-sounding given name, Lucia, for the more anglo-sounding Lucy?

My puzzlement only grew as the plot thickened, with Lucy discovering that she is being studied and spied on by Adrian and Hindle. She seeks refuge in Grace's office, only to find that it has been completely whitewashed. "What happened to your office?" Lucy gasps. "I thought it was more culturally...uh..." No longer clad in a dashiki, Grace coolly replies, "I am not your mystical negress." This may suggest that Lucy imagined most of her relationship with Grace, beginning with the psychedelic stupor induced by Grace's internet videos. But then, when Lucy arrives at Hindle's clinic for a final showdown, he makes sardonic remarks about Grace being no good, which suggests that Hindle somehow affected her apparent transformation. Nevermind how; the inconsistencies Lucy experiences seem to come from her imagination, but could Hindle have hypnotized and manipulated Grace in a similar manner? Or was Grace always a red herring employed by Hindle...even though her influence causes Lucy to abandon Hindle's practice? Or else, are Hindle's mind control techniques so powerful, whatever they might be, that he can curate what kinds of hallucinations Lucy has?

So, the first thing to know about FALSE POSITIVE—the thing I sort of wish I had known first, anyway—is that it is directed and co-written by John Lee. Lee has written and directed for a lot of hip comedy series, including Broad City with his co-writer and star, but more importantly I think, Lee is a member of the artist collective PFFR, who made their mark with the apocalyptic kids' show parody Wonder Showzen. That indescribable series offered a hair-raising blend of Sesame Street and FACES OF DEATH, a trojan horse of a comedy that reveals itself as a merciless assault on hypocrisy everywhere, including in the very heart of the viewer. Scenes of children interacting with sleazy puppets are punctuated by blitzing Mondo-style montages of animal cruelty, crimes against humanity, and whatever else the PFFR team could splice together to affect maximum shame and despair...while remaining, against all odds, brutally funny. This goes some way to explain this movie's envelope-pushing medical horror, its confrontational use of snuff-like images, and its ambivalent engagement with identity politics. Unfortunately, this awareness isn't very helpful in illuminating exactly what FALSE POSITIVE is ultimately trying to say.

Hindle's aryan minions are kind of a tell.

During Lucy's first appointment with Dr. Hindle, he marvels at his own unequaled talents while working on her undercarriage, chortling, "I wish I could clone myself!" We eventually discover that this is basically what Hindle is up to; everyone who comes to see him is secretly getting a dose of his own DNA, which he considers inherently superior. It is with this eugenicist attitude that he "reduces" the weakened female fetus from Lucy's pregnancy, preserving the healthier males. But here's the thing: I read comments online suggesting that ADRIAN is a clone of Hindle. I found this only in the Trivia section of iMDB, and not in any of those trendy "ending, explained" articles scattered around the internet. And, there is no piece of dialog that contradicts the simpler idea that Hindle just tags in for every fertilization. But, the clone idea does seem to answer certain questions I have: For one thing, Adrian is definitely in on the conspiracy against Lucy, which we know from the secret spy files he maintains, including detailed medical information. But, that would suggest that he knows Lucy is being impregnated by Hindle. So then, why do we witness Adrian jacking off to violent pornography to give Hindle a sperm sample? This only makes sense if Adrian is literally a clone of Hindle, and both men know that they share identical DNA. Adrian is styled to look just like a younger version of Hindle right down to the jutting beard, and maybe Adrian's desire to have a son named Adrian Jr suggests that he knows he is part of a strict genetic continuum. Unfortunately, nobody ever says or does anything that makes this possibility more explicit, so the viewer comes out of the film no better off than Lucy. Who, at least, gives us a great grand guignol finale.

Personally, I like a movie that doesn't answer its every question, and allows for a mix of objective and subjective reality. I like to be mindfudged now and again. But, the failure of FALSE POSITIVE to establish things like when and how and why Lucy hallucinates, sheds doubt on whether any lingering confusion is more of a mistake than a deliberate creative choice. I wish it were otherwise, because there is a lot of interesting base material here, with the potential to blend button-pushing horror with salient social critique. Unfortunately, I've come away with the impression that the movie is just sort of out of control, shocking enough to keep your interest, but not focused enough to make a real statement. Still, it is something to see, and hopefully by now, you know if you are someone who needs to see it.

PS Is this image supposed to be this funny?

[ladymajavader]

Thank you for giving me an ok to voice my opinion on your post! I’m tagging this anti Maria, since I’m going into detail as to why I believe Maria is a bad friend to Alex. I’ll keep strictly to the subject matter and just offer my personal view as to how Maria’s friendship with Alex comes across to fans more invested in Alex than Maria (i.e. me;) and keep it independent form any shipping discussion - while the bone of contention in their friendship was their respecitve relationships with Michael, I’m not here to debate Miluca or Malex, just what happened between Alex and Maria. You’ve laid out a very interesting to me account on how it felt to Maria fans to watch the ever mounting backlash against her relationship with Michael over the course of s1 and how this translated to labelling Maria “a bad friend” by Malex shippers - I’ll take the opportunity to offer a different perspective, from a confirmed Alex stan, as to how I came to believe Maria is a bad friend (to Alex specifically).

The show tells us that Maria and Alex are best friends. OP, you remarked yourself that they haven’t really had much contact in 10 years - it would make more sense that they were old friends, bound together by high school nostalgia, not current best friends, true - and that’s how I see it too. But the show puts in Maria’s mouth “Alex is one of my best friends” in s1. So this is the standard we are being told to judge their actions against - best friends.

You’ve mentioned “friend code” which is a shorthand in this fandom’s discussions for “a friend shouldn’t date a friend’s ex” and you posited that 1) it shouldn’t apply in this case because Maria didn’t know about Malex and 2) it’s too hard for Maria to adhere to bc she loves Michael and he loves her back. Let me break it down:

“Friend Code” Isn’t Real

At the root of “friend code” is something very simple - not hurting your friend’s feelings. Because seeing your ex with someone new is always painful, regardless of circumstances of the split (and especially painful if you’re still in love with that ex). Choosing to start a relationship with your friend’s ex hurts them doubly - they have to see the ex move on (and sometimes, like here, they can’t avoid seeing it like they might if the ex moved on with a random stranger not connected to their social circle) and they can’t even vent to their friend about it. So Maria’s choice to pursue Michael was about putting her feelings for Michael over her friendship with Alex - and that’s a valid choice she was free to make. But just by doing it she immediately and knowlingly hurt Alex.

Maria Didn’t Know

By 1x09 that’s true and any backlash that happened against Maria then was probably just butthurt Malex fans seeing a rival ship set sail. But in 1x10 she realizes herself what Michael means to Alex, that Alex is in love with him and feels hopeful about that relationship. Her choice to hook up with Michael in 1x09 had nothing to do with Alex - but her choices to kiss Michael in 1x13 and then pursue him in s2 were made with full conciousness that they were hurting Alex. That’s what her frantic “Tell me you’re in love with Wyatt Long” questions were about and her confiding to Liz - she was aware that her trying to have a relationship with Michael would hurt Alex, that she would have to choose between her friendship and her romantic relationship.

Maria Loves Michael So It’s Ok

Liz tells Maria “you can’t help who you fall for” and many have taken it as a total absolution for any choice she makes, but while she can’t help her feelings she can control her actions. She knew that in 1x10 when she gave her word to Alex that it wouldn’t happen again, however she might’ve felt about Michael. How much Miluca love each other or how much better/healthier/superior they are to Malex - has no bearing on whether Maria choosing to act on her feelings for Michael is being a bad friend to Alex. She was. She chose her happiness over Alex’s which doesn’t make her a monster - just human and a bad friend to Alex.

And her breaking her word to Alex and kissing Michael in 1x13 was just a start of a pattern of behavior which makes me perceive Maria as a bad friend. Your analysis didn’t go into s2, so let me just touch briefly upon how it exacerbated the issue from s1, without addressing any additional issues it’s thrown at the Alex&Maria friendship  (I call this section “But Alex Is Ok With It So You Should Too!”)

Season 2 tried to present a narrative that retconned Maria’s dilemma, very real and present for her from 1x10 to 1x13 - when she knew that her choice was between being a good friend to Alex and stopping any romantic relationship with Michael and between hurting Alex to further her own happiness with Michael. The show’s narrative tried to sell the notion that, since Alex was ok with it / Miluca was a good ship - then Alex wasn’t hurt by Maria’s actions. That’s just not how human emotions work. Even if Alex intelectually agreed that Maria was a better partner for Michael and even the choice he would make (which reads to Alex fans as his low self-esteem and a lot of internalized homophobia speaking), he, you know, wouldn’t be able to help his feelings at seeing the love of his life with someone else. That’s also not how cause and effect works. Maria’s actions were objectively hurtful to Alex, therefore she was a bad friend to him. If Alex forgave her - or even if he miraculously wasn’t hurt by her actions at all - that doesn’t erase her actions as a bad friend.

There are undoubtedly Maria antis out there who call her a bad friend and a lot of worse names mostly because they just hate her in general - but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t canon reasons to judge her as a bad friend. 

I’m not getting into any of the surrounding issues of whether Maria’s choice was “right” or “justified” or whatever, because they are exstraneous to judging Maria as a good or bad friend. She knowingly hurt Alex = she was a bad friend, however good and right her choice was overall. Alex was arguably a bad friend over the lost decade by presumably disappearing on her (but we only have headcannons on how it all went down), but throught season 1 & 2 all we see from him towards Maria is a good friend behavior, supporting her and in s2 putting her feelings above his own. Which makes the contrast of Maria putting her feelings and wants above her consideration for Alex, repeatedly - all the more stark. And frankly makes Alex seem like a masochist with internalized homophobia more than a good friend. 

RNM generally has an abysmal track record in friendships - characters pay lip service to it, but when push comes to shove we don’t see them acting like friends much, latest case in point in 3x07 how Rosa, Isobel and Michael didn’t spare a word/thought for their still missing presumed in danger friend Kyle. Alex and Maria’s friendship is just one of the most scrutinized examples, because the show put such a focus on it with the love triangle. Like you pointed out - with love triangles there’s supposed to be a rivarly between the two choices and by trying to give it a “mature” spin with the sides of the triangle being adult BFFs RNM managed to both flatten the love triangle drama and underuse that plot device and completely mangle a portrayal of friendship. In the example you’ve given, the Joey/Pacey/Dawson triangle - Dawson didn’t immediately meekly admit that Pacey was the better option for Joey and helped him get back together with the love of his life. That would be ridiculous there and it was ridiculous on RNM. Best friends are not somehow more mature and extra friendly by not experiencing negative emotions when the actions of their friends inescepably hurt them - however understanable, justifiable or whatnot those actions are. The maturity and test of friendship comes from HOW they deal with those ugly emotions. Except that Alex wasn’t allowed in s2 (and 3 so far) to have a single negative feeling towards Maria, which is not realistic and robbed us of a narratively satisfying portrayal of how a friendship can come back from such a blow - when the happiness of one friend means inescapable unhappiness of the other. Which could’ve been so good (and was in so many fics)! 

Personally, I think all RNM characters are quite selfish/self-absorbed people - by necessity and due to their histories and traumas and I symphatize, but that still makes them all shitty friends (with the notable exception of Kyle). Maria’s case just additionally annoys me, bc the show tried to retcon that emotional reality in s2+. Instead of making a choice between exploring her romantic feelings for Michael and preserving her friendship with Alex, Maria got to have her cake and eat it, hurt her friend with impunity and then Alex&Maria were heralded as BFF goals because they didn’t let a man tear them apart (bc Alex wasn’t allowed to have negative feelings about her actions however unrealistic that was). So I get why Maria stans don’t see the issue - because the show’s narrative says there isn’t any, Maria is a good friend; while Alex stans get increasingly frustrated & infuriated by the show, and consequently fandom, downplaying that Maria hurt Alex and instead of working it out with him, just stopped feeling understandably conflicted and guilty as soon as season 2 started because the show didn’t want to deal with messy emotions.

I don't understand why there are some (Ma|ex people from what I see) calling Maria a bad and horrible friend??? Like did I miss something????

Chiiiiiiiillllleeeee!

What a question to return back from vacation from!

Now let me preface this: this is all my own unapologetic opinion. If anyone reading this is interested in an actual discussion? I'm always down to talk. Definitely won't entertain rude comments.

For starters: Are you trying to get me yeeted from the fandom? Lol

This question has been burning in my mind for now 3 seasons worth of show. I've long avoided writing about this "bad friend" narrative because I feel like could write a full blown dissertation on this topic. Plus, people with opposing opinions have such strong reactions to people who don't agree. But! I'm finally making time to do this.

I'll try to keep this to just a miniature dissertation. I'm about to fail miserably, lol. Sorry in advance.

In short, the answer is "she betrayed Alex" *chokes hard on this lie* when in actuality, she did nothing of the sort.

Let's start with early Michael and Maria interactions shall we? We'll stick to season one only for this unnecessary hard-hitting, in-depth analysis because the people's hate levels skyrocketed after season 1 and I don't have THAT much time on my hands. We'll kinda stick to where I think it stemmed from and why it's misguided to say the least.

From the very beginning, it was obvious to me that these two have a history we haven't seen on screen prior to the show's start. We know Maria frequently kicked/-s Michael out of her bar, yet they still give off mad flirtatious vibes while they throw jabs at each other. We see that on display early on.

Okay, let's fast forward to episode 1x07. It's a pretty pivotal moment in their relationship. She'd just sent her Mom off to the facility and in walks Michael. She tells him the bar is closed but he saunters in saying "I really need you to be open" after his not so equally rough day. She tells him "they're closed" again but eventually tells him "One drink. No talking.". She rightfully breaks down and who's there for her? Michael Guerin.

That's when I noticed that the completely irrational unwarranted hatred began for Maria. Mostly because it was obvious that Malex wasn't happening and MiLuca was definitely going to be a thing.

*record scratch*

Now let me back up for a minute. Early Malex was fine-ish to me. They just became too problematic for me. I definitely prefer MiLuca but to each their own though; like whatever ship you like. I don't know why so many people attack each other over their preference. We don't HAVE to agree.

*resumes mini dissertation*

That being said, nothing about the progression of MiLuca's relationship is at the fault of Maria. People can talk about the friend code all they want, but it doesn't really apply here. Both Michael and Alex kept each other a secret for over 10 years. Even from their best friends in the world. How can friend code start to begin to apply when no one knew their relationship existed for real?

So anywho. Maria is just out here minding her own business. Getting more flirty sessions in with Guerin. While trying to deny (and failing) that's she's feeling feelings for the guy that once described as "he's got kind of hot in a sex in a truck, smells like a river, never introduce him to your mama kind of way."

But he keeps. showing. up. Especially when she needs him the most. Sounds like a recipe for an accidentally on purpose hook up and relationship to me. *shrugs*

Cue the road trip to Texas. Who wouldn't be able to resist Maria singing Alanis Morissette? I mean, I can't blame Mikey at all. But I digress.

So, they finally drunkenly hook up. Keeping up their familiar bantering claiming that this was a mistake and should never happen again. By this time we all knew it was gonna happen again. This is a CW drama after all. 🙄🙄

After you! Welcome to all the members of The Official Maria Deluca Haters Club!

Here's the actual beginning of it all. She "dared" to hook up with Michael and thus "betraying Alex". Except, she didn't. Yes, I said it. In fact, the only one who betrayed anyone would be Michael.

Michael. Deserves. This. Fandom. Heat. He's the only one that knew both sides of the truth. He knew that he had recently kissed, slept with, and reignited old flames with Alex. When Alex started ignoring him, he moved on with his friend who was ignorant that there was ever a him and Alex. Yet somehow he's always blameless and Maria catches that faction of the fandom's virtual hands?? Make it make sense.

Coming back to it, Guerin kept showing up just in general. Even though she told him she couldn't be with him because of Alex once she found out he was "Museum Guy". She did try to adhere to the friend code. Kinda hard to do, when you've already caught feelings and the object of your affection that you're trying to avoid keeps coming around. Or whenever you're in need, he's always there. Let's not forget he literally stood guard over her even after she rejected him. I mean...

*Kanye Shrug*

Alas, cue more Maria hatred. Are you seeing the pattern? Every time MiLuca became a stronger reality, the (misplaced) anger grew. All because their preferred ship was losing out to another.

Side note: Most shows have warring ships - think Stelena/Delena. This is supposed to happen but not with so much vitriol. That's the part that gets me.

In the end, all anger really should be pointed at Mikey, but a lot of folks aren't ready to discuss how he essentially pitted two friends against each other because they both had feelings for him at completely different points in their lives.

If you're still with me, the moral of the story is simple.

No one (except maybe Michael) is in the wrong here.

Maria started developing feelings and love for a guy she's also known her whole life. Who was a fixture in her life even if in a small way for years after high school. He's the same guy who kept showing up for her when she literally needed someone to lean on. I mean, who wouldn't fall for that person?

Let's face it: She arguably had more in person interactions with Michael over the last 10 years than with her best friends Liz and Alex. Should she or even Micheal be unknowingly beholdened to the "friend code" after 10 years? Plus I never understood why Alex never told Maria of all people who "the boy from the museum" was.

I really just don't get it either. I actually really enjoyed the progression of MiLuca's relationship in season 1. It developed organically and was really believable that these two characters would get to where they got. I definitely think the execution (especially in season 2) could have been much better. I really do enjoy rival ships when properly written. Since it wasn't? A lot of things were left to be misinterpreted and left us with the state of affairs we have today.

We should have been given a Dawson/Joey/Pacey situation. They actually had the right dynamic for a more adult version of it. The execution was flawed. Which makes me sad because I love some good old fashioned love triangle drama!

Anyway thanks for coming to my MiLuca TED Talk. Even though I knew they weren't endgame, I'll always wish they had a better shot than they were given.

*end of dissertation*

[lady-charinette]

Adrien Agreste =/= Sociopath - About Adrien Salt

I've seen a lot of posts going around about Adrien being a sociopath or the other (harasser, abuser...etc.)

What I find most of those posts lacking is looking at the big picture, or just zeroing in on certain moments of the show and even disregarding the context of those selected moments to unfairly rule judgement on a child (in canon) no less.

Definition of sociopath: A sociopath is a term used to describe someone who has antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). People with ASPD can’t understand others’ feelings. They’ll often break rules or make impulsive decisions without feeling guilty for the harm they cause.

People with ASPD may also use “mind games” to control friends, family members, co-workers, and even strangers. They may also be perceived as charismatic or charming.

We have to analyze the context and the surroundings Adrien is in.

Family, social life, relationships (platonic and romantic), personality, age, environment...etc.

Family:

We know Adrien has a father who is controlling, preferring to micro-manage every aspect of his son's life to continue to have a semblance of control at all times. We assume (heavily implied in the show), that his mother was kind, warm and emotional (whether that emotional is the "out-there" kind her twin sister has, it remains to be seen.)

According to a snippet from "Simon Says", Adrien also has "Quite a temper, you remind me of someone" according to Gabriel's own words, we can assume the "someone" is Emilie, Gabriel says this when Chat Noir refused to follow his orders and told him to basically "get off his high horse". In this context, anyone who defies Gabriel in such a way would either be branded as "disobedient" or to "have quite a temper".

According to Adrien himself in "Adrien's Double Life" (from Miraculous Secrets) he describes being Chat Noir as "...I can finally do whatever I want to do, say whatever comes to mind." He doesnt feel as restricted and controlled since that's the one aspect of his life his father has no knowledge of.

Social life:

Adrien has had no or very little interaction with peers.

Evidence: Chloe being his childhood friend. Felix commenting on Chloe's appearance in the video she sent for Adrien's birthday, saying "Chloe. Just as annoying as usual." suggests he knows her from before, maybe even as early on as their childhood days.

This makes Felix and Chloe the only kids, of spoiled and rich background, with whom Adrien interacted.

Felix is shown to be good at manipulating people and keeping up appearances (potentially connected to insecurities within the family? Not confirmed), Chloe is openly mean and bullies others (with underlying insecurities also connected to her parents).

The only positive adult (if Gorilla isn't as involved and Nathalie had been solely Gabriel's secretary and not Adrien's caretaker since there was Emilie) in Adrien's life would be his mother, who also fell into a coma during Adrien's formative years (and still during a time where he's figuring himself and his emotions out: puberty), leaving him with his father.

Moving on, even if the writer's sometimes may not always successfully show Adrien being awkward in social interactions, it doesnt mean they dont exist.

This interaction between him and Marinette, asking for her autograph, very formal in his question, awkward in posture:

He's picked up on some speech patterns from his frequent interactions with Nino ("dude", "Hey man." "Totally dude.") showing he's, like many people, mimicking his friend's behavior and speech to grow more favorably in their eyes.

The same pattern can be observed with Gabriel and Adrien: Adrien adopts his father's formal speech whenever talking to him, since that appeases him.

Adrien has had very limited friendly interactions with his peers, romantic interactions are basically non-existent. The scenes where Adrien is being chased by his fans, who obsessively adore him, cant be linked to Adrien experiencing healthy romantic contact (Lila doesn't count since she only uses Adrien to further her goals). Marinette doesn't count since Adrien's isn't even aware of her romantic feelings for him. (Again, difficulties picking up social cues due to only ever being homeschooled > limited social contact with peers)

So no, in my humble opinion, Adrien sometimes doesn't understand other people's feelings not because he's a sociopath, but because he's an awkward kid with very little experience about making friends and having healthy relationships with them.

Relationships:

Let's be direct here: Gabriel is an abusive as*hole.

If the writer's wanted to show Gabriel struggling or having remorse for his actions being Hawkmoth and putting his son through danger, well... They blew it. "Gorizilla" was a 5 second reaction of Hawkmoth showing concern after letting Adrien fall from a skyscraper. Applause. After that? Not much.

Nathalie: Adrien likes, she takes care of him, his schedule, was the one to convince Gabriel to let him attend public school. There are moments in the show where she softens up towards Adrien, but always carries that air of professionalism on her to (possibly, assumption) not grow too close. Gorilla is...Gorilla, but at least the man tries with his nonverbal support and affectionate grunts. Lol.

Gabriel: He loves his father. It's his parent, after all. However, Adrien's reactions to him are vastly different than to how he reacts when thinking of his mother. He shows signs of fear (tensing up, growing obedient...etc.), he excuses his father's excessive controlling tendencies to just be "he's just worried about me", "that's the way he always was", "father cares and protects me". Adrien shows to be frequently disappointed with Gabriel, one of the first scenes being that Gabriel couldn't attend parent's day at school, Adrien was talking on the phone alone in the school hallway. He was genuinely surprised by the blue scarf his father gifted him (not knowing it was Marinette), since all he used to get were pens (again, not even from Gabriel, but Nathalie). This is my assumption but: Adrien has previously begged his father to go outside more or attend public school, but this time it worked only because Nathalie managed to convince him.

Friends from school: Nino is his best friend, Adrien seems to be good friends with Alya too, basically everyone in class, with varying degrees of closeness. Chloe is a childhood friend whom Adrien is fond of but also grows exasperated with and corrects her behavior if she's too harsh.

Marinette: likes and respects her, but can't read her well or at least when he thinks he's got her figured out, she claims the opposite. Marinette has been sending mixed signals, on one hand even making Adrien believe (and fear) they weren't friends. "Chat Blanc" contrary to popular belief, showed that Adrien is delighted at the prospect of Marinette being Ladybug (he'd severe doubts when Chloe or anyone else was brought up as a possible option).

Kagami: likes her, respects her, admires her fencing skills, learned to have fun hanging out with her and playing as kids usually do since she also has a controlling parent and they both know some ways/tricks around their boundaries to sneak off and meet their friends. Adrien and Kagami have similarities in that respect, Gabriel pushing Adrien to be a model, Mrs. Tsurugi pushing Kagami to be a master fencer.

Lila: At first defended her, was friendly towards her since she was a new student from overseas he sympathized because surely it would be lonely? The new girl would need a friend who supported her through all this things that were new for him too. However, as soon as he caught wind of Lila's schemes, he changes his tune. He feels uncomfortable around her overstepping his boundaries, expresses anger when Lila accused Marinette of crimes she didn't commit and even makes a deal with her to not bother Marinette again (but use him instead, doing photoshoots together...etc.) to keep her safe.

Age:

A 14-15 year old, having lost his mother, the only positive, healthy relationship in his life. Surrounded by a controlling father, not much free time, many extracurricular activities and being a superhero alongside Ladybug.

Some of the signs of being a sociopath include: Breaking rules and being impulsive.... Didn't Ladybug do those too?

Breaking the rules: (since LB and Marinette are the same) stealing phones, sneaking into places where she shouldn't, using the miraculous for personal gain (latest example: getting Kagami away from Adrien), giving Adrien the snake miraculous due to personal preference instead of drawing logical conclusions. Sneaked into the Agreste mansion.

Impulsiveness: Marinette's daily fantasies (sharing a future life with Adrien and their hamster-who-must-not-be-named), when Lila's "precious family heirloom necklace" was "stolen", Marinette was quick to include her classmates in the list of potential perpetrators for it (without ill intent, but still..)

You know who the real potential sociopath in the show is?

Gabriel

Some of you might include Lila too (since she fits all the criteria for being a sociopath), but the key difference is: Lila is still just a kid.

We don't know much about her family life. Just that her mother is busy with work, we don't know where her father is, who her friends were/if she even had them. She might be lying and manipulating people to follow her own agenda, but she thrives in attention, when people notice and praise her. In some aspects, that could've been Adrien. With one neglectful parent, a missing parent, no friends (prior to going to school)...etc. There is also a lot we don't know about her.

[sacrilegious-skeletal-scribe]

you'd never guess what happens when you work consistently, it's like you get things done or something

Heretics there are so many posts that have been waiting to get through my queue, and yet, life moves on, and yet, my art is constantly writhing and evolving and biting the hands of people who taunt the exhibits with their very consumable fingies. My work eats what it wants, as long as it doesn't reach my carpet I've stopped devoting energy to worrying about it.

All of which to say, remember that novel I keep going on about? At this point I'd be more impressed if you'd somehow forgotten, but, at the risk of repeating myself, it's the biggest project I've ever undertaken and between the cringe of rereading work you wrote when you were quite literally a different person, it's one of my proudest achievements and I work on it constantly to get it to a point I'd be happy with releasing it to the public.

And I just finished Chapter 3? And I understand if that doesn't sound impressive, and admittedly I'm certain that's not the last I'll see of editing Chapter 3, but I've finished rewriting it? I've have the first draft of this finished for some time, but due to the unflinching passage of time and other such nonsense, it's been some time since I've seen a few of these passages, some paragraphs the result of several previous rewrites, some the original draft still shining through.

I just killed some rough thousand words, culled for the sake of the art, rebuilt, stitched together festering wounds with new words and phrases and a deeper understanding of just what I'm building toward. And that feels fucking monumental. I'm not a large creator. I know that. I know I have a long way to go before this starts to support me, before enough people let me know how deeply they enjoy this before I'll feel secure in my creations, but if you would allow me a moment of sentimentality.

Thank you so fucking much. Thank you for every spare like, every shining reblog, ever time you took the time out of your day to read something I've written. Your time is invaluable to me, but your support, to let me know through the screen that you did see this, that you liked it, that you'd be ecstatic to have more... That means more than you will ever know. More than I have the words to express.

I'd tell you it's making my body feel lightheaded as group experience but I just wrote funky fresh eight-hundred words of character interaction and dialogue and also I haven't eaten in awhile... There's competing factors, is my point.

I can't believe that even a handful of you have stuck around, that I could collect a handful of you delightful heretics who have chosen to follow me, to see each time I put my words to keys, my fingers to typeface and try to capture even a sliver of the human experience. And according to you idiots, I seem to be doing that.

Chap. 3, finished, for a few months at least. If I look at it again within the next few months I'll try to rewrite it until my hands bleed, so I'm barring myself, with the exception of the next few numbers I'm going to give you.

Chapter Three of my snarling novel, is 10,937 words long.

The beginning gauntlet of my beautiful, violent creation, now totals at 23,517 words.

And isn't that something fucking miraculous?

I'd apologize for the lack of my usual flare in this update, but my brain may be somewhat fried, I've been at this for a couple hours without break and my braincells are dropping like flies, it's been a night.

Don't stop making, heretics. Create and build and destroy and set flame and cut apart and so back together. Victor Frankenstein may be regarded as The Modern Prometheus, but V. Frankenstein was a bitch-ass motherfucker and with only a sprinkle of spite and a inch more dedication than 'I've created a demon-spawn, it has the wrong Eye Color,' which between us, I think we can drum up.

A selection from Chapter Three of my novel, now named but nowhere near the marketing stage of telling the internet the name before I have that copyrighted will be making an appearance here in the next few hours, if tradition holds this will be served on silver platters some time after it was actually typed up, turns out if you post nonsense at four in the morning, none of your followers will actually read it. Who would've thought.

Glorious goddamned heresy to you, returning reader, future sin to you, fresh fleshsack; e come sempre, a te.

[caitlynsschitzoworld-blog]

1:05AM

Sometimes all it takes is the constant sound of nothingness to remind d you of all the times the world around you was bursting sounds of laughter joy and happiness. Remember though that was a different time and very different place. Like sitting at the desk in English class once again relearning what setting is and what it means life completes one of many numerous full circles as you slowly phase back into reality and realize its 1:05AM and back then that meant staying awake to hang out with your best friend who you complete and utterly have an overwhelming strong crush on or even just to get the chance you talk all night with them on the phone. You start to realize life has moved forwards and quite frankly no matter how strongly you put you feet down nor how deep in the mud you think will stop it life's changing and it's dragging you along. There's no rulebook or index. There's no rolling a 20d and with a little added luck factored in you over come the greatest evil force man has known. There isn't a up up down down left right left right A B Select Start secret code input that gives you infinite lives so feel free to go screw this one up. You finally begin to slowly realise process and eventually face the one and only simple constant thing that life has to offer ,that's not based on anything other then the bare obvious fact, that being that you simply are alive. Your heart is beating, your lungs are inhaling air and exhaling a CO² byproduct, the countless elements that make the composition of your human body are holding together. That's all life will, can, and should promise you. This is the only thing that life will keep constant untill the day you get to see what "really" happens you pass away. You're never promised a rich happy collage graduate rock star life. Nor are you ever promised a poor hungry homeless drug addicted life. But your when you think about it and realize your real issue isn't one most people have. You problem in accepting all over this is that you don't know what to do. There's no guidelines or rules or steps and your head begins to spin cause you're so overwhelmed by this one simple fact that you spend o months in your mother slowly developing and that very well could be the most miraculous event of your life, or how about after that 9 months your born then for the next 18 years (sometimes even longer) your TOLD how to live. Not necessarily TOLD as in here's the answer to life take it and run with it. No more in the sense it's your parents you don't do as they say well I'm just saying from personal experience my butt hurt a lot growing up. Though being TOLD like that isn't living. So after those 18 years that mandatory life does what everyone jokingly cracks up about or is afraid of. It's slaps you in the face with a cold hard rough right hand TRUTH followed by the left hand of WAKE THE FUCK UP and throws you on your butt out into the world. To do what? To live of course. I swear if there ever is a moment I find a "man behind the curtains" moment and he's laughing all joyfully about my adventurer through life..... I'm going to proceed to tell him to shut the fuck up cause this shit ain't easy not at all. Never was never is and never will be and I'd have it no other way. Well maybe a few tweaks but you get my point.

[miamipartybuses]

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