#lams-coded by the way

[unicornsaures]

AND IF YOU GO. I WANNA GO WITH YOU!! AND IF YOU DIE. I WANNA DIE WITH YOU!!!

[pricegouge]

very quick companion/prequel piece to this

cw: brief descriptions of sex, power imbalance i guess

Simon's not well enough adjusted for a job like this. 

It had been an easy enough position to lie his way into when he'd been on the lam and desperate for a place to lay low for a while, while still keeping his belly full. Tie a few knots and pen a few docile little creatures who've never even seen the south pasture, and everyone believes you're a trained stable hand. Free meals, free cot. Even a few house maids would warm his bed if he behaved himself long enough to pass as a good christian who'd make honest women out of them. Easy enough when the birds were barely even literate, harder when the employers themselves were the devout sort who took notice of each of the help's comings and goings because they were too proper to suffer a whore under their roof. They watched their flock like hawks, strictly enforcing curfews and dress codes and wing assignments. Simon couldn't even eat in the big house, let alone spend the night. And forget about luring the birds out, the owner of the place sat up in the parlor all night reading verses aloud and denouncing anyone who tried to sneak out for so much as a smoke.

But the young one - the son. He was worse yet.

Blue eyed and well built, covered in the kind of dense stubble that could lend him a sort of roguish charm if he could risk his place in heaven long enough to roll his sleeves up past his wrists, John MacTavish was a maid's fantasy in the flesh - and completely wasting it. Too devout, maybe. Too inexperienced to know when a bird fancies him, more like. Either way, Simon feels himself creeping closer to an edge he knows all too well every time he watches good ol' Johnny denies himself a night of proper relief.

He's two months into the job and one flustered employer incident away from stealing an heirloom rifle from the big house and putting Johnny out of his fucking misery when Simon decides he's had enough of listening to this ungrateful little git put down pretty serving girl after pretty serving girl in favor of a Lord that would never love him. Finding Johnny in one of the field houses berating a hand for sloth of all things, Simon sends the young boy scarpering with a particularly well aimed scowl and corners the little lordling with a subtle shuffle of feet designed to lure him into a sense of dominance until it was too late; until Simon had him on the stall wall, flustered and red and spitting mad.

He's not hard to subdue, all things told. All that Catholic rearing makes him eager to please. Simon calls him Johnny, like the head of the house does. Johnny's big eyes turn pleading when he asks what Simon wants, as if requesting guidance. 

Who is Simon to deny his employer?

"Just like that, Johnny," Simon encourages, cock rammed so far down the lad's throat he's not surprised when his pretty blue eyes start leaking tears. "Just like communion."

It's not, but that doesn't stop Johnny needing it anyway.

He seeks Simon out nearly every day, keeps him from his chores. Simon doesn't give a shit, keeps a bag packed under his cot just waiting on the day the head butler sends him off. He never does, kept in line by Johnny's sway, probably. Simon tests his limits, decides he's above reproach when he spends an entire day lounging on a large rock in a brook past the east gate and catches no flack.

"Cock that good, pup?" He asks Johnny later that night, the younger man bent over a bay of hay in the small barn like a loose little housemaid whore. He whines like one too, his hoarse voice carrying enough to keep even the most intrusive stablehands at bay. No one besides Johnny's ever enjoyed being part of Simon's sins, after all.

"You make me untouchable, did you?" He's referring to his position, how he's starting to believe he could posture himself as head butler come the morning and they'd just let him. But the way Johnny looks back over his shoulder at him is far too intense.

"Anyone else touches you, they'll never work again."

It's good until it's not. Novel, at least. Simon's never been the favorite pet. He entertains it for as long as he can bear, but he's had enough pets of his own to know it's not a position he can manage. Like the job itself, he's not well enough adjusted; and a misbehaving dog is a kept dog all the same.

Getting Johnny properly under his thumb is harder than he expects, the man too well suited for his position in life. Properly groomed for it by his father. The solution is so obvious it nearly draws a proper laugh from him when he sees you fawning over the boy one day through the kitchen window, servile and sweet - eyes lowered in submission. 

If Johnny needs to keep someone, who's Simon to discourage it? The good Lord knew he'd never been swatted on the nose for the same. Better just to give the boy something to chew on other than his own arm.

[gordonramsei]

𖥨 ̟⊹♡ wasabi , a theme by gordonramsei

she just might be my favorite creation to date . . . it is my pleasure to drop my newest theme , wasabi . she is a multi - functional contained theme with a navigation tab . i was heavily inspired by the glassmorphism trend in design , this code is practically an ode to that aesthetic . there is a lot of room for customization with this theme and i'm really eager to see all the ways u cuties dress her up ! as always , if u encounter any issue within the code , pls let me know and i will troubleshoot asap !

if u intend on using this theme or just want to be a supportive hottie , please give this post a like and a reblog ! stay hydrated and be sure to pet a cute animal today ! mwuah ! 🤍 🤍 🤍

ⅰ. THEME FEATURES .

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source link directs to a live preview of wasabi.

[hammyham-o-o]

Okay I've gotten into thinking

Is Lams more Wolfstar or more Jegulus coded?

Because Alexander being rich and traumaless doesn't make sense

He's a poor (financially) kicked cat.

So, why would he be rich? He's destined to be born into no money (and gain money through marriage)

And no trauma? THE TRAUMA PERSONIFICATION W/O TRAUMA?!?!?!

And I mean it would still check out with Eliza being Tonks (it makes sense i swear)

and I mean it would also check out with Laurens being Sirius, the sibling that "acts out" (I don't think he really acted out much)

🧍

OK THATS ACTUALLY SO TRUE Hamilton can't be the rich dude with no trauma lmaoaoao (although Laurens fits perfectly with regulus)

HMMM

I can almost see it the other way? With Alexander being Sirius and Laurens being Remus

Remus being a warewolf is kinda like Laurens' internalized homophobia, and Sirius and Hamilton are sort of similar personality and acting out and impulsivity wise (but then he'd be rich again 🧍)

but Laurens is also super reckless which is more Sirius coded (but who am I kidding Hamilton's almost just as reckless)

Idk... @evan-at-deaths-doorstep and @gayaafaryn what do you think?? (AND ANYONE ELSE WHO LIKES LAMS AND MAUARDERS)

OH here I'm gonna put screenshots of the earlier posts here so it's all one big post >:) lams and mauraders crossovers muahahaha

[koukouture]

NO SERIOUSLY EMET SELCH IS SO FUCKING HADESTOWN CODED I'M INSANEEEEE!!!!!!

Obviously he's already Hades and I... uh hskakjfhjkhjkwhje

(Hades) Lover, you were gone so long Lover, I was lonesome So I built a foundry In the ground beneath your feet Here, I fashioned things of steel Oil drums and automobiles Then I kept that furnace fed With the fossils of the dead Lover, when you feel that fire Think of it as my desire Think of it as my desire for you! (Chant)

Is that not him???? The way he sings it too... he sounds so fucking pathetic it makes me wild akjgffjjkksj. Someone sedate meeeeeee. (Also yeah smth smth Emet Selch's Amaurot replica but ouuuugghhh they way he says "lover" and years for Persephone... is that not so Emet Selch Coded?)

There's also this part in Chant:

(Hades) Lover, everything I do I do it for the love of you If you don't even want my love I'll give it to someone who does Someone grateful for her fate Someone who appreciates The comforts of a gilded cage And doesn't try to fly away The moment Mother Nature calls Someone who could love these walls That hold her close and keep her safe And think of them as my embrace

Is that NOT giving yandere Emet Selch???? Giggling and kicking my fucking feet bro.

Also in Wait for Me you I was thinking that Emet Selch is Hermes while his younger self, Hades is Orpheus and then it kinda reads as Emet Selch warning his younger self of what he becomes and the burden he will bear.... ough

(Hermes) You’re on the lam, you’re on the run Don’t give your name, you don’t have one And don’t look no one in the eye This town will try to suck you dry They’ll suck your brain, they’ll suck your breath They’ll pluck the heart right out your chest They’ll truss you up in your Sunday best And stuff your mouth with cotton!

(Orpheus) Wait for me, I'm coming Wait, I'm coming with you Wait for me, I'm coming too I'm coming! I'm coming wait for me I hear the walls repeating The falling of my feet and It sounds like drumming And I am not alone I hear the rocks and stones Echoing my song I'm coming!

Like Emet Selch is already a fucking theatre kid and Hadestown is right thereeeeee aaaaaaaa I'm going INSANE-

[beatricebidelaire]

for day 5 of woevember of @asouefanworkevent, the masked ball

the masked ball is not a VFD event. rather, it's an old tradition of the duchess's family, passed down from one generation of the duchess to the next, like the ring with the letter R engraved upon it.

the most recent R, Duchess of Winnipeg, is a volunteer of the VFD, but her mother, the previous R, and her mother, also R, are not. (see: the end). so, naturally, duchess R (the most recent one)'s friends and associates from VFD are often invited to the masked ball, and the VFD volunteers have sometimes used the masked ball as a way of communicating with other volunteers.

however, one would be mistaken if one thinks that no VFD members have ever attended the masked balls held by R's mother, or grandmother, or great-grandmother, and so on. like R's family, and her family ring, VFD has been around for a long time. the Duchess's masked ball has always been quite popular event amongst the high society, and oftentimes influential people would attend, and previous generations of VFD members have also sometimes attended the ball for various different purposes, even if the Duchess at that time is not a VFD volunteer

R continues to hold the masked ball regularly, even amidst the schism, even if sometimes enemies of the volunteers also managed to sneak into the ball for nefarious purposes. it's an event that people who's on the lam or rumored to be dead may show up, since everyone's in masks with a proper reason. it's a time when old associates can meet.

in some way, it signifies hope - the hope of being able to meet an associate you have not been able to contact for sometime, the hope of the chance to confirm that a family member is safe and sound

year after year, as various members of VFD and its enemies meet their demise, fewer and fewer associates and enemies of R's show up at the masked ball each time. some of them she knows for a fact are confirmed dead - M for one. and G. and also G - not that it's ever quite clear whether she stood on the schism.

R continues hosting the masked ball, if she's able to at that time. L appears less and less frequently, but despite various "confirmations" of his death, he's possibly the one who's most likely to still be alive, since all those so-called confirmations are flimsy at best, featuring blurry pictures that could've been anybody in a hat.

sometimes she knows that L has showed up and left before they had a chance to talk, and she knows this because she would find little messages from him that he's left behind. an encrypted code on a little note hidden under the accordion, for instance, that can only be decoded if one is well-versed in poetry

when L's brother J first fell out of contact, and soon it's been said that nobody has been able to reach him, at first R thought he's just gone on the run like L did. perhaps planning to fake his death. she had hoped he would show up at her ball sometime soon - but he never did. instead, the daily punctilio featuring the death of olaf at some faraway village with the picture of J brought the worst news.

and then came the fire of hotel denouement, and also K who lost contact after that. barely any of R's associates or enemies show up for a long time, after that.

until one day L appears again - not at a masked ball, but just one a normal day - with his niece. kit and dewey's daughter, beatrice.

the little girl made a lot of efforts to find and reunite her family - including the children of beatrice and bertrand that R's heard so much about but have never met, and lemony, and dewey's triplets.

having old friends again at the next masked ball gives her a certain ache of nostalgia, but she's also so very glad to be able to see them again, after all these years, and away from their VFD identities that's bound them tight when they were younger. she's also so delighted to meet the kids - although maybe violet and klaus can hardly be called kids, now. they're older than when R and her friends had been getting drunk at the masked ball, decades ago.

everyone dress up for the masked ball. beatrice and sunny have never attended such a formal event and the girls are very thrilled. beatrice tells R that violet has taught her how to draw fake scars as R finds a costume for her, and R gets reminded of beatrice - the other beatrice, the first beatrice, whom violet must've learned the skill from.

sunny wears a pair of butterfly wings that once belonged to her mother. frank tells the story of how beatrice and kit used to pull the trick where beatrice wears the fancy wings and distract everyone's attention and kit uses the chance to do something discreetly as everyone's attention is focused on beatrice. sunny and beatrice listen attentively in wonder.

beatrice asks if her father attended the masked ball too - she's learned that his existence is mostly a secret, but considering that at a masked ball everyone can put on a mask, maybe this is his chance?

R confirms that dewey does indeed attend the masked balls sometimes. and that he and bertrand always manage to find each other, no matter what kind of masks they have on. "the elephant poem," sunny says, remembering what dewey has told her and her siblings.

"exactly," ernest says. "i've actually tried to pretend to be dewey once by reciting the poem to him. but B soon recognized me."

r: "were you actually surprised?" ernest, fondly nostalgic: "i guess not. he was always able to tell us apart."

[doseofarabic]

Dose # 14 - two types of lām

Categories of words

Before we start, we need to talk about the three types of words in Arabic : noun, verb and ḥarf. 

A verb فعل [fi'l] is a word with a meaning that indicates a tense.

A noun اسم [ism] is a word with a meaning that does not indicate a tense and is not linked with time.

The word “ḥarf” حرف [ḥarf] literally means “letter”, but in this context it can also refer to a "grammatical particle". In Arabic this is a part of speech that is neither a noun nor a verb, and plays a supporting role in a sentence, it needs other words to have a complete meaning. Some particles are composed of one letter and some are composed of several letters.  

Indefinite vs definite nouns?

Before we start the lesson, I would like to introduce a small grammatical point related to the tanween which we have seen before.

The tanween in Arabic is the mark of the indefinite nouns.

This means two things : that is can only come at the end of the nouns (never at the end of a verb); AND that it means that this nouns is indefinite for example :

A pen = قَلَمٌ A book = كِتَابٌ A king = مَلِكٍ A prince = أَميرًا

Since Arabic has grammatical cases as we said in an earlier lesson, the choice between the 3 different tanweens is made depending on the role that the word plays in a sentence.

هَذَا قَلَمٌ أَحْمَرٌ [This is a red pen]

رَأيْتُ قَلَمًا [I saw a pen]

كُتِبَ بِقَلَمٍ أَحْمَرَ [It was written with a red pen]

This is true in case of the ḥarakat as well as the tanweens.

Types of "lām" and the definite article

“Al” in Arabic is the Arabic equivalent of “the”, and it’s the most common way to define a noun.

Note that “Al” will never accompany a verb or a preposition. There are other marks of a definite noun but we will discuss them in more advanced lessons.

In Arabic, “Al” is referred to as “aattʿrīf” أل التعريف [audio], and it only comes with a noun.

“Al” is composed of two letters, alif (ا) and lam (ل). There are two ways to pronounce the “lām” depending on the letter that follows it. These two ways to pronounce it are what I refer to as the types of “lām”.

This may seem like a strange concept but you will get more familiar with it when you hear more examples :

1- First “lām” type : lam qamariyya (the lunar “lām”) لام قمرية [audio]

When followed by the moon letters the “lām” in “al” أل التعريف is pronounced, and the letter that follows it is also pronounced. So basically, the word is read the way it is written.

Note : I might also refer to this "lām" as the "moon lām". 

There are 14 moon letters and they are : 

Examples

أَرْنَبٌ + أل التَّعْريف = الأَرْنَبُ

[audio]

جَمَلٌ + أل التَّعْرِيف = الجَمَلُ

[audio]

وَلَدٌ + أَل التَّعْرِيفِ = الوَلَدُ

[audio]

Notice how the words without أل التعريف all had tanween, but once we added the "al" the word automatically becomes definite. And we mentioned that the definite article cannot have tanween.

2- Second “lām” type : lam šamsiyya (the sun “lām”) لام شمسية [audio]

When followed by the sun letters, the “lām” is not pronounced, and the letter that follows it has shadda (stressed letter).

There are 14 sun letters, and they are : 

Examples

دَرْبٌ + أل التَّعْرِيف = الدَّرْبُ

[audio]

طَائِرَةٌ + أَل التَّعْرِيف = الطَائِرَةُ

[audio]

سَمَكَةٌ + أَل التَّعْرِيفِ = السَّمَكَةُ

[audio]

To help you memorize

To help you memorize which letter is a sun letter and which letter is a moon letter, memorize the name of the letter, for example, instead of saying (أ) Alif, try saying حرف الألف (ḥarful alif) , the letter alif,  and instead of saying “dal” for the letter د try saying حرف الدال (ḥarfu-ddāl) ie the letter dāl.

When you memorize each letter’s name with “al” you will automatically know if this letter is a moon or sun letter.

If you go back to the old lessons, you'll see that I color coded all the sun letters in green while the moon letters in blue.

Additionally, another interesting clue is the "emphatic letter" is similar to the letter that is the lighter version for example س -ص are both sun lettets, ذ - ظ are also sun letters.

Also the letters that look alike (sister letters as I call them) are also similar (except for the ب); for example ت - ث are sun letters, ص - ض are sun letters, ر-ز , ط-ظ are all sun letters.

ف- ق are moon letters. ح-ج-خ are also moon letters, ع-غ are moon letters.

How time flies! ヾ(＾∇＾)

With this we have reached the very last lesson of this course. I hope you found it helpful and interesting! And please excuse any imperfections, I spent alot of time trying to make it as good as I could. I also looked up information and asked professionals whenever I needed to verify any information. I really enjoyed working on it and I was so happy with your participation and encouragement!

Hope to have you again insha'Allah in future courses ♡(◕ᗜ◕✿)

[showmink]

@cyanspica the way people ship lams (generally) is hetero coded lol they really nerf one into an owo baby. you scare away the heterosexuals so that’s my theory (note: i am pro lams when they are both allowed to be feral)

sorry this turned out a lot more rambling and off-topic than i had anticipated, so it's getting its own post instead of 300 replies on the original post 

i haven't read enough lams to confirm or deny this (but to be fair, what i have read? yeah. probably true.) but i will admit that it was a doomed ship for me from the get go lol not only are my two general modes of ship 'weird mentor worship' or 'mutual disrespect', i also come to this fandom from the 'everything i know about the american revolutionary war i had to learn against my will' side of things (so no, your letters unfortunately mean nothing to me babes 😔) and even though i was lucky enough to watch the proshot first and not having to live with an audio recording and two shitty bootlegs for years, lams somehow still didn't clock as something to be shipped in anything but a platonic way... (that being said, i recently listened to the recording and i wouldn't have become so feral about jamilton with only that either)

i think it really comes down to what you expect or want from a ship, too; the lams i've read was all very 'they could make each other better :-)' when what i personally want is for them* to make each other worse LOL

(* not necessarily about lams only, but the way *i* sail my ships is usually that - and that's one failing for some jamilton fics for me, too: i ship them not as an 'enemies to lovers' type situation. they'll always be 'mutual disrespect' girlies to me <3 the moment one of them goes 'uwu babe i wuv u; neither of us has tried to bite the other's ankles for 4 chapters now and im loving it' i'm out.)

anyway i guess the tl;dr is none of the lams i've read so far made me want to sit down and binge 150k of it in one go on a day off, and maybe that energy comes across

[hebrewbyinbal]

Morality and ethics aren't just concepts in Jewish and Israeli cultures - they're the backbone of daily life.

Jewish tradition, with its Ten Commandments and extensive Talmudic discussions, creates a moral landscape that permeates everything from business to personal relationships.

The notion of תיקון עולם "Tikkun Olam" /tee-'koon o-'lam) or "repairing the world" is a call to action, urging individuals to champion social justice, equality, and kindness.

Israel, a melting pot of cultures and faiths, embodies these ethical principles in a unique way.

Given its historical and geopolitical circumstances, ethical concerns aren't just theoretical; they're immediate and pressing.

Whether it's issues of defense, diplomacy, or social justice, moral considerations are invariably part of the conversation.

And while the country faces its own set of ethical challenges, it does so through a lens shaped by centuries of Jewish ethical thought.

What makes these moral frameworks even more compelling is their adaptability.

Jewish and Israeli ethics aren't set in stone; they evolve to address new challenges. This dynamic nature is an asset, enabling the culture to engage with modern dilemmas, be it in technology, medicine, or social change.

For individuals immersed in these traditions, the obligation is clear: Living an ethical life is non-negotiable. It's not merely about knowing what's right; it's about doing what's right.

This is encapsulated in the concept of "Mitzvah" מצווה /meets-'vah/ a commandment or good deed.

In both Jewish and Israeli cultures, ethical living is seen not just as a personal choice, but as a communal responsibility.

In summary, the moral and ethical codes within Jewish and Israeli cultures are not merely guidelines but a call to action.

As members of these vibrant communities, we have a duty to uphold these values, not just in thought but in deed. In doing so, we don't just enrich our own lives; we contribute to a broader effort to make the world a better, more ethical place.

[apostrophetotheworld]

Path to Elysium

Something big was happening, that was all she could be sure of. Pulled from her official duties and tasked with recovering targets from all corners of the world her team is pushed into something they'd be better off not knowing about. Forced to babysit (protect) those working to save the world from total extinction Eloise is thrust into an entirely new world. Dealing with mad scientists and deranged robots is one thing, but a completely different way of life?

Pairing(s) : Eventual Nill/OC (minor), Avad/OC (minor), eventual Kotallo/ OC

Warnings: Travis Tate being Travis Tate, some swearing, cannon-typical violence, more warnings to come? (first fic, does that count as a warning (: ?

Length: 3.1K

Read on AO3

[NEXT]

CH I:

Eloise stood at the window looking at the old building across the street. If their intel was right, their target would be in room 705. Some higher up wanted this to be done by people instead of bots and had them going to multiple countries fetching targets. They hadn’t been this busy in years.

Sergeant Mendoza sat next to her fiddling with his scope trying to get a visual on their target while Sergeant Collins and Corporal Lam chatted towards the back of the room. 

Turning away from the window she studied the building layout projected above the table. Two stairwells on either side of the building and an elevator in the middle. They were doing this job old school, no bots, no Focus, just memorized floorplans and old communication radios. Their target was crafty with tendency of weaseling away before his pursuers got to him. She was counting on him detecting them for her plan to work, she just hoped they were in position by the time that happened.

“Collins, Lam, stop messing around and get ready to move out! Mendoza, let me know when you get a visual on the target and if any surprises pop up.”

Mendoza would be staying back, monitoring their progress through the patched in security feed and arranging their transport out of the area.

“Yes Lieutenant Arten!”

Heading down and out of their current building and into an alleyway they stopped and prepared to enter the building their target was in. Security cameras were to be avoided up until the last minute.

“Collins, I want you to cover the left stairwell, make sure he can’t weasel his way out,. Lam, you’re with me.”

“Lt. I’ve got a potential visual on the target,” Mendoza said through the comms.

“Copy, keep us updated.”

Carefully crossing the street to the entryway Lam overrode the entry door code and they made their way into the lobby. It was quiet, and it seemed like most of the building residents were asleep; the less civilian witnesses they had, the better. Collins branched out and headed towards the left stairwell and started heading up while Lam scanned the room for the control panel and sent the lift up to the upper floors.

Lam followed behind Eloise as they started heading up, careful to not run into any of the other inhabitants of the building. Eloise led the way up, pausing at every corner to scan the stairwell and avoiding the security cameras. Lam split from her one they reached the fith floor, beelining to the elevator control panel there. She between the sixth and seventh floor when the comms started to crackle. 

“Lt., targets moving! They- *bzzzzt*- Collins’ poss-*bzzzzzzt*” 

“Collins, report!” Barking into her comms Eloise sprinted up the remaining steps but received no answer, just a buzzing through the comms. It looked like their target had anticipated the use of older tech. A minor hitch in the plan. 

As they burst through the stairwell doors, a man was heading straight towards her with Collins hot on his tail. 

“Fuck!”

 He redirected his escape as he saw her and turned towards the elevators while frantically messing with a device in his hand. The elevator doors slid open and promptly shut as Collins reached them. 

He was trapped in the elevator for now.

Eloise and Collins jammed their knives into the elevator door seam to pry them open. With no way to contact Mendoza or Lam she could only trust her teammates to stick to the plan. 

They managed to pry open the doors, only to be met with moving cables and a descending lift. It was meant to be stuck on this floor, at least until the target was apprehended. Lam wasn’t fast enough. Eloise mentally prepared herself for a jump down, she’d have to avoid the moving cables.

“Get a hold of Lam and Mendoza. I want the transfer pod ready as soon as those elevator doors open at the bottom.” Collins nodded and ran towards the stairs. 

Eloise exhaled and jumped down into the elevator shaft, falling a few seconds before making contact with the top of the elevator, stumbling slightly as it shook from the impact and stopped moving. She could hear muffled expletives coming from the car as she bent down pulling open the latch on the emergency exit door. Swinging down she caught the man with a kick to the chest.

“What the-!” Eloise was on him before he could recover. 

Flipping him over to press his chest against the wall, she cuffed him.

“Easy there sugar, if you wanted me against the wall you could have just said so, but I ain’t complainin’ if you want to get a little rough.” Wheezed the man.

Eloise huffed and knocked the back of his knees, making him kneel.

“Oof!”

“Travis Tate, you’re not an easy man to catch.”

“How much they paying you to bring me in?” He struggled in his bonds.

The buzzing was gone from her comms, pressing down on the button she turned her head to the side.

“Collins, Lam, how copy?”

“Loud and clear Lt” “I hear you” came through.

“Get this elevator moving and meet me in the lobby. Mendoza! Have the transport pod ready to go!”

“Yes Lt!”

She eyed their target and adjusted to make sure he couldn’t wiggle out of her grip. He turned his head to the side eyeing her and settled his eyes on the patch on the side of her arm.

“Well, I’ll be dammed. Didn’t think they’d send the military after me, are y'all running so low on funds you’ve resorted to bounty huntin’?”

Turning her head to face the elevator doors she hoped her team would be quick about getting the thing moving again. Eloise had the feeling that this target was going to be particularly annoying to deal with.

“You know, if you let me go, I can make it worth your time. Maybe transfer you some funds, make it so you don’t have to wear that stuffy uniform, get away from your overlords?”

She glanced down unamused.

“No catch? Nothing to tempt you into letting me go?”

“Huh, just another dutiful little drone ain’t ya? Thought they’d replaced all of you for actual drones by now, had y'all doing deskwork.”

His gaze shifted from the patch on her arm, to her face, and then a little lower.

“You know, those Sterling-Malkeet assholes are probably gonna lock me up forever for what I did to them, least you could do is give a guy something good to remember.”

Her jaw ticked and she turned her head to look at the screen on the side of the elevator. A bright blue four stayed unchanging on it. It would take Cpl. Lam a few minutes to get it moving again.

“I mean you’re a little too serious for my liking, but at this point I’m willing to take what I can get. That chest of yours looks mighty soft-”

“Mr. Tate, I suggest you stop-”

“You know, my momma, bless her, used to say-”

That’s it, she wasn’t going to suffer dealing with this man for longer than she had to. She whacked the back his neck, and he slumped back unconscious. It’d be more of a pain to move him as dead weight, but at least she wouldn’t have to hear him talk. 

The elevator lurched back to life and began moving down. She heaved the unconscious man up and slung him over her shoulders, getting ready for the elevator doors to open. When they did, Lam and Collins were flanking the elevator and Mendoza was out front with the transport pod ready to go.

“Collins, help me with the target. Lam, make sure to wipe the camera feeds and get someone to collect his things from his apartment. Let’s go.”

The ride to the drop off point would take a few hours. Collins and Mendoza secured the target while Lam fiddled with a screen in the pod. Once the target was secured in a holding pod, the sergeants settled in their seats.

As their transport made its way across the city, Eloise leaned back into her seat and closed her eyes. This recovery mission had not gone as smoothly as she would have liked. 

“You lucked out Jonny, Tate had us running up and down stairs, you just got to sit all comfy and watch all the action unfold.”

“Not my fault you’re so out of shape Tom, have you considered adding more cardio to your routine?”

“And Katlyn, weren’t you meant to disable the lift? What was that? Why’d it move?”

“Well, I didn’t think he would have time to override my code!”

“Maybe you should get better so that the Lt doesn’t have go jump down elevator shafts again!”

“Collins, stop your yammering. It’s my job to make sure the plan goes well. I should have anticipated him doing that.”

“Sorry Lt., just tired.”

She hummed at that, and the cab fell into silence, at least until Collins decided to speak again.

“Lt., do you know why they’ve got us kidnapping all these field experts and a criminal?”

Eloise kept her eyes shut for a breath before cracking one eye open. She’d been wondering about that herself. Why the sudden call to go fetch these people? Why the need for special forces to do it? Why not send the bots to do it, like they had been since the introduction of the Faro bots to the military. Her team and others like it had been pushed aside, moved to different areas, and only called upon when a higher up required something to be done off the records, or required a little bit of a more humane touch.

“That’s not something for us to know Sergeant, just follow the orders we’re given. Maybe the Captain will fill us in once we get back.” She finally replied and shut her eyes again.

“Do you think it’s got something to do with that Hartz-Timor swarm they say is out of control?” Lam asked. “I heard people talking about a superweapons program back on base.” 

“I mean that would explain this guy,” Mendoza huffed, pointing towards the holding pod at the back of the transport pod, “but why the others?”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Faro has that under control, the news is probably blowing it out of proportion like they always do.” Collins jumped in, ever the defender and fanboy of Faro. 

“Maybe something big is about to happen.”

“Do you think they know something we don’t?”

“We brought back a bunch of internationals; they didn’t seem to know what was going on either.”

“What do you think Lt.?”

She opened her eyes to find all three of her subordinates looking at her. They’d all been anxious throughout this whole mission. It was one thing to be called to retrieve a single target, but multiple different ones who seemingly had nothing in common apart from being experts in their field? Something was going on. She was used to being given orders and complying with minimum questions, but this time something felt off. Nevertheless, it wasn’t their job to question the orders from their commanding officers, and all this speculation would do no good. 

“I think, y'all should stop speculating and get to writing your reports. We’ve got a few hours left before we get to the drop off.”

“Yes Lt.” was chorused back at her.

Collins and Mendoza grumbled something before pulling out their paperwork and starting to fill it. Lam checked the coordinates set for the transport pod and began typing something into her tablet device. Turning towards the back of the pod, she saw Travis Tate begin to stir. He’d probably be unhappy that she’d knocked him out, but that wasn’t her problem. 

Eloise turned and opened the case that held her Focus. Pressing it against her temple she opened the communication channel to her Captain.

It rang twice before her commanding officer came in through it.

“Lt. Arten, I trust the retrieval went well?”

“Yes Captain Lewis, target is in custody. Our ETA is two hours.”

“Copy, after drop off I want your team to hold off going back to base.”

“Yes Captain.”

The communication channel closed, and she turned to see Travis Tate glaring at her from the holding pod. His wrists had been freed of the bonds and he promptly flipped her off as soon as he saw her looking his way. Yup, he wasn’t happy. She turned away and began working on her own mission reports. There was plenty of time to kill and a never-ending stack of paperwork.

The team worked quietly on their own things as they moved towards their destination. Ten minutes before their scheduled arrival the Lieutenant broke the silence.

“Be ready for arrival, I expect our cargo won’t be very cooperative and will try and make a run for it. Be prepared.”

Mendoza and Collins stood and made their way to the back to the pod, flanking the holding pod. Lam took manual control of the transport pod and began steering them to the entrance of the decommissioned Orbital Launch Base. Looking through the glass at the front of the pod Eloise saw Captain Lewis standing out front, talking to a red-headed woman dressed as a civilian who looked vaguely familiar. They stopped talking as their transport pod approached and the woman retreaded back into the building. 

The transport pod stopped; Eloise stepped out. Lam disengaged the door for the holding pod and scuffling and protests were heard as Collins and Mendoza each grabbed one of Tate’s arms and hauled him out of the vehicle. 

Turning away Eloise saluted her Captain.

“Travis Tate, the last on the list of targets sir.”

“Good job Lieutenant. Follow me.”

 “Well wooo-eey, this ain’t Sterling-Malkeet, where’d y'all take me?” A sharp whistle cut through the air.

 Travis Tate looked around them and tried to pull away from the sergeants currently holding him captive. It didn’t work. 

Marching him up the steps at the front of the building they followed closely behind their captain as they headed in. Already familiar with the protocol, they patted him down, placed him in a room and locked it. Eloise stood next to her captain as she watched them work and Lam settled beside her.  

She studied her captain through her peripheral; he looked tired, and his eye twitched every so often like it usually did when he was particularly stressed. The woman from before approached, she recognized her now, Elizabeth Sonders, or something… leading roboticist and someone who had worked for FAS.

Clearing his throat from next to her, the captain spoke.

“Good job on the mission, I know you must all be tired. Quarters have been set aside for you to freshen up.” A ding from her Focus indicated she received a new file. 

“Please leave your personal belongings in the quarters and meet me in Meeting room 5 for a debrief. Dismissed.”

They all opened the new Focus file they’d received to find a map leading to their quarters and a marked meeting room. Her captain and the woman entered the room with Travis Tate. 

Eloise began making her way towards her designated room, the rest of the team followed behind. Collins grumbling about wanting something to eat, Mendoza throwing his arm over his shoulder and saying something she couldn’t catch that caused Lam to elbow him in the ribs. 

Her quarter doors closed behind her, it seemed someone had taken the liberty of moving her belongings from base to here. Too tired to think about the implications of her whole life being moved into here without her consent, she turned to the bathroom to freshen up. With 20 minutes left before she had to be in the meeting room, she settled with washing her face and changing into a clean set of clothes. Eloise paused part way through tightening the laces on her boots, she was used to being given orders with little notice, moving suddenly, but to have someone straight up move all her belongings without being informed? Never. Briefly she wondered if the same thing happened to the rest of her team as she resumed tying her laces. 

The debrief would give her answers. Moving out of her room and into the hall, she began walking towards the meeting room. The halls were silent, and she figured the rest of her team was still freshening up. Too curious and a little nervous to know what was going on, she picked up her pace and made it to the room. A window at the side showed Captain Lewis setting up a holo projector and drumming his fingers against the table. She knocked twice before waiting a breath and heading in. 

“Captain” She greeted as she took a seat at the table facing across from the window of the room. She opened her mouth to say something as she the rest of the team cross the window.

“Eloise, hold your questions for later.”

They entered quickly after knocking and settled themselves around the table. 

Sensing she was about to say something Captain Lewis raised a hand to silence her.

“You’ll know everything soon enough, for all the good it’ll do.” He mumbled the last part out. 

“Excellent, now that everyone is here, we can start the debrief.”  Lewis stood to face them, planting both hands on the table.

“Now I know you’ve been wondering why we’ve had you run around the world picking up targets.” Looking pointedly at everyone he continued,

“It’s been decided that it might be beneficial to have you lot know whats going on.” 

He didn’t look so happy about that.

“I’ll leave you to General Aaron Herres, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff.” At this the holo projector powered up and the image of and older man appeared.

Standing to salute him Eloise tried to hide her shock. She had speculated who was behind the recent retrieval missions, but this was entirely unexpected. 

“Thank you, Captain Lewis, that will be all.” The General turned and nodded to the captain. 

“Please sit.” He said addressing the others in the room.

As they sat, Captain Lewis made his way to the door. Eloise watched him hesitate at the door before he left the room. 

“Now, I believe you have many questions, but those will have to wait until later.”

She thought she heard the lock click after captain Lewis left the room, she turned to look at him through the window of the room, he avoided eye contact and disappeared down the hall. 

The general cleared his throat. Eloise refocused her attention on him.

“For now, I’d like to welcome you to Project: Zero Dawn.” 

[unicornsaures]

CANT FIND MY WAAAYYY HOMMEEEE BUT ITS THROUGH YOU AND I KNOW WHAT ID DO JUST TO GET BACK IN HER ARRRMMMSSS

[bleakfated]

@letterslegacy asked: ❛ Don’t take it personally. ❜ from the gone girl meme

❝ Except that it is terribly personal. ❞ Mick's worst nightmares were coming true when he came face to face with this man. He hadn't needed to confess to Mick that he was part of the organization he had left behind because he had seen firsthand that their rules did not contribute to the right thing. He should have known that back in the academy, but learning to be a good person was definitely one of those better late than never scenarios.

❝ If you're here to harm me for my escape, you should know the entire story. I have two allies. Powerful women whose determination will see to it that your head is on a pike as well... ❞ While he was terrified that he had been found so soon after going on the lam after Renny's death, he was hoping he could talk his way out of this. At least enough to escape his current situation. ❝ Human connection and human decisions and human feelings are so important... The code is inherently flawed to lead to a monstrous existence. ❞

[gordonramsei]

𖥨 ̟⊹♡ flowers 4 u , a theme by gordonramsei

never doubt the girly late to the party ! she will always arrive in style ! here is my newest release , flowers 4 u . this is a sidebar heavy theme with a really sleek , gradient - focused aesthetic and design . there are plenty of lil hidden gems and fun ways to make this theme ur own so i hope u have tons of inspiration to create something beautiful ! as always , if u encounter any issue within the code , pls let me know and i will troubleshoot asap !

if u intend on using this theme or just want to be a supportive hottie , please give this post a like and a reblog ! stay hydrated and be sure to pet a cute animal today ! mwuah ! 🤍 🤍 🤍

ⅰ. THEME FEATURES .

x. optional gradient background x. optional gradient and bw overlays on sidebar img x. checklist box that is actually clickable to the user x. cute compliment box to write something nice to ur visitors x. toggle post size x. accessible font size toggle x. uncontained post design x. animations throughout x. one extra link for ur use x. navigation tab w / subtle fade in animation x. 6 editable links within the navigation tab x. for a more detailed compilation of credits and features , please see the google doc containing the code

𖥨 ̟⊹♡ this theme is a patreon exclusive : want access ? consider signing up to join the fam - a - lam to get ur hands on this page as well as my entire coding catalogue . click here to learn more !

source link directs to a live preview of flowers 4 u.

[liabilityladen]

Article 1189 of the New Civil Code

ARTICLE 1189. When the conditions have been imposed with the intention of suspending the efficacy of an obligation to give, the following rules shall be observed in case of the improvement, loss or deterioration of the thing during the pendency of the condition:

(1) If the thing is lost without the fault of the debtor, the obligation shall be extinguished;

(2) If the thing is lost through the fault of the debtor, he shall be obliged to pay damages; it is understood that the thing is lost when it perishes, or goes out of commerce, or disappears in such a way that its existence is unknown or it cannot be recovered;

(3) When the thing deteriorates without the fault of the debtor, the impairment is to be borne by the creditor;

(4) If it deteriorates through the fault of the debtor, the creditor may choose between the rescission of the obligation and its fulfillment, with indemnity for damages in either case;

(5) If the thing is improved by its nature, or by time, the improvement shall inure to the benefit of the creditor;

(6) If it is improved at the expense of the debtor, he shall have no other right than that granted to the usufructuary.

The rules in Article 1189 refer to obligations to give a determinate thing which is subject to a suspensive condition. Usufruct gives a right to enjoy the property of another with the obligation of preserving its form and substance, unless the title constituting it or the law provides otherwise.

SPOUSES ALEXANDER AND JULIE LAM, DOING BUSINESS UNDER THE NAME AND STYLE "COLORKWIK LABORATORIES" AND "COLORKWIK PHOTO SUPPLY", PETITIONERS, VS. KODAK PHILIPPINES, LTD., RESPONDENT.

G.R. No. 167615, January 11, 2016

FACTS

On January 8, 1992, the Lam Spouses and Kodak Philippines, Ltd. entered into an agreement for the sale of three (3) units of the Kodak Minilab System 22XL (Minilab Equipment) in the amount of 1.796M per unit for the proposed outlets in Rizal Avenue (Manila); Tagum (Davao del Norte); and in Cotabato City.

On January 15, 1992, Kodak Philippines, Ltd. delivered one (1) unit of the Minilab Equipment in Tagum, Davao Province. The delivered unit was installed by Noritsu representatives on March 9, 1992. The Lam Spouses issued postdated checks amounting to P35,000.00 each for 12 months as payment for the first delivered unit, with the first check due on March 31, 1992.

Kodak Philippines, Ltd. canceled the sale and demanded that the Lam Spouses return the unit it delivered together with its accessories. The Lam Spouses ignored the demand but also rescinded the contract through the letter dated November 18, 1992 on account of Kodak Philippines, Ltd.'s failure to deliver the two (2) remaining Minilab Equipment units.

ISSUE

Whether the breach entitled them to the remedy of rescission and damages under Article 1191 of the New Civil Code.

HELD

The breach committed by petitioners was the nonperformance of a reciprocal obligation, not a violation of the terms and conditions of the mortgage contract. Therefore, the automatic rescission and forfeiture of payment clauses stipulated in the contract does not apply.

When a party fails to comply with his or her obligation, the other party's right to resolve the contract is triggered. The resolution immediately produces legal effects if the non-performing party does not question the resolution. Court intervention only becomes necessary when the party who allegedly failed to comply with his or her obligation disputes the resolution of the contract. Since both parties in this case have exercised their right to resolve under Article 1191, there is no need for a judicial decree before the resolution produces effects.

[lindalung]

Homoeroticism, Rivalries, and Doubling in Lo and Behold

( Let me just post some of my old essays that I wrote 2 years ago on here not that I think anyone cares )

Come Home Love: Lo and Behold is a sitcom from Hong Kong’s TVB (Television Broadcast Limited), which currently has over 1300 episodes and has been running since 2017. The name of the series, Come Home Love, comes from the previous installments of similar yet unrelated sitcoms, which all promote the qualities of familial love with a goal to bring happiness to the people of Hong Kong each day. In addition to familial love, there is no shortage of romantic storylines for the characters, although they are entirely heterosexual relationships. This is unsurprising as same-sex topics are still taboo and rare in Hong Kong media, especially within TVB. While there is a slow change emerging, as seen in Ossan’s Love, a television drama featuring relationships between homosexual male characters from TVB’s rival broadcasting company ViuTV, LGBTQ+ representation is still lacking. However, some characters in Lo and Behold exhibit interpersonal relationships with dynamics that can be interpreted as homoerotic and queer-coded in subtext. Netizens online refer to their favourite on-screen pairings as “CPs” (couples), and several popular CPs feature characters of the same gender. It is noted that there is virtually no distinction between romantic and platonic CPs, which further blurs the line between the two types of relationships. One of the show’s most popular same-gender CPs include George (Aaryn Cheung) and Chi Chi Hau (Hero Yuen), in which the former character feigned homosexuality in the show, when he was actually in love with the latter’s girlfriend at the time. The storyline between George and Hau is the only close to canon depiction of homosexuality. There are also more homosexual male CPs, such as the bromance between Kam Shing On (Kalok Chow) and Chu Ling Ling (Ricco Ng), and the rivals-to-friends pairing between KC (Jimmy Au) and John (Stephen Ho). Meanwhile, the most popular female-female CP is the pairing nicknamed and loosely translated as “Double Big”, between “Ms. Big” Linda Lung (Mandy Lam) and “Big Sister” Hung Sheung Sin (Joyce Tang). The frequent enemies-to-friends-to-enemies-again dynamic between the two have captured audiences since their first storyline together in episode 350, and have since been a fan favourite. The pairing between Linda and Sheung Sin encapsulate the essence of homoerotic subtext and queer-coding in the sitcom through the rivalry dynamic, subversion of female gender roles in characterization, and the mirroring concept.

The homoerotic subtext lies within Sheung Sin and Linda’s rivalry and obsession with one another, and their desire to anger the other person for amusement. Their enemies-to-friends-to-enemies-again dynamic is what makes their relationship work. While Sheung Sin and Linda have other rivals in the series such as Holly (Chelffy Yau), Linda’s rival socialite, they do not spark the same effect. Perhaps it is the combination of Tang and Lam’s outstanding chemistry paired with the right scripts that creates the fan-favourite “Double Big” CP. They frequently experience near-death experiences together, thus strengthening their bond and becoming friends momentarily, only to return to enemy status afterwards for the sake of their egos. Although they claim to hate each other in public, there are moments of vulnerability that demonstrate they care for each other. For instance, Linda admits to caring about Sheung Sin in episode 1192 when she visits her at the hospital, and refuses to leave her behind when they are chased by a killer. Sheung Sin and Linda’s obsession carries sapphic undertones as one can argue that rivalries are inherently homoerotic. For instance, Linda is often at the forefront of Sheung Sin’s mind, and functions as her muse in a way since she has based many of her screenplays’ characters on Linda. It is worth noting that Sheung Sin does so with the intention of angering her, which may further push the homoeroticism. Furthermore, their storylines depict tropes that would otherwise be romantic clichés if enacted on a heterosexual couple, such as constantly bickering like an old married couple, or the plot where their dogs were apparently in love and had babies together in episodes 397–420. It is not unrealistic to detect romantic feelings between the pairing; several heterosexual romantic relationships on the show, such as the popular “KungShui” CP between Kung Yip (Stanley Cheung) and Mary (Koni Lui), also follow the enemies-to-lovers trope. Therefore, the line between platonic and romantic attraction for the two characters is continually muddled throughout the long-running series.

The characterizations of Linda and Sheung Sin’s characters are largely subversions of how traditional Chinese cultures expect women to act, and thus contribute to their queer-coded nature. Queer-coding villains has been a common practice in media for decades; while Linda and Sheung Sin are not exactly villains, the writers assign undesirable traits that make them frequently loathed by the other characters and loved-to-be-hated by audiences alike. They are both extremely stubborn, short-tempered, and domineering, which is the opposite of how women are expected to act, especially in regards to Chinese traditions about submissive and gentle women. Moreover, misogynistic and ageist jokes are often made at their expense due to their identities as middle-aged women. For instance, Lung King Fung (Andrew Chan) often labels Linda as “middle-aged crazy lady”, and there are frequent references to their ages along with menopausal tempers. Their actions are usually made out to be unreasonable and heartless; for instance, Linda fits the “mean older female boss” trope who is often verbally abusive to her employees while Sheung Sin is a writer known for her vengeful heart and stops at nothing to bring pain on those who have wronged her. Lo and Behold has a variety of characters representing different ideals, including Tam Do Duk (Wing Chun Chan) and his family who are strict believers of traditional Chinese values that directly oppose Linda and Sheung Sin’s behaviours. These stark comparisons emphasize the distinction between the characters. For example, episodes 719–721 feature Linda and Sheung Sin at a camp run by Do Duk in attempts to transform themselves into good, traditional Chinese wives. However, by the end of the mini arc the two women and their partners realize that they prefer the way they are, and there is no need to change themselves. Their characterizations may not be directly linked to queer-coding itself, but complex relationships with femininity and patriarchal expectations are common for women in the LGBTQ+ community.

Linda’s canon romantic relationships in the show are also heavily queer-coded and subvert traditional expectations of a heterosexual relationship. Due to Linda’s wealthy family background, one of her biggest obstacles is her disapproving father Lung Kam Wai (Lok Lam Law) whom she vies for validation from. Early on in episode 40, Linda’s romantic past is revealed; her father disapproved of her college boyfriend and then she marries a man strictly for business reasons, which is not an uncommon practice among the wealthy characters in Lo and Behold. However, they later divorce and Linda has remained single until she meets her current love interest, Sung Shui Fai (Jack Hui). While under the influence of Sheung Sin’s hypnotism, she also later reveals that she did not receive her first kiss until the age of 30. A lack of romantic experience is common for members of the LBGTQ+ community, especially those who remain closeted throughout their teenaged years. Additionally, her romance-less marriage is resemblant of lavender marriages, which are opposite-sex marriages conducted by queer people in order to conceal their true sexualities. However, the most indicative factor of queer-coding among Linda’s relationships lies within her current relationship with Shui Fai. In the earlier stages of their relationship, their romance was a secretive affair since he is a lower middle-class worker and she is a member of the upper-class, and was also engaged to another man at the time. The themes of hiding in a secretive relationship and fearing being discovered are common in queer relationships due to the danger of homophobia. Furthermore, she is 6 years older than him, has a higher professional and social status, and has the dominant personality in the relationship, thus subverting patriarchal heterosexual relationships again. In episodes 627–628, Linda “comes out” about her relationship to her father, and is subsequently disowned by him, leaving her with few financial resources. These events are deeply reminiscent of young queer people getting disowned by their families who disapprove of their sexuality and their relationships. Like some parents in reality, Kam Wai has a complicated relationship with Linda, and he gradually gives her and her partner a chance after a long period of time. All of Linda’s previous love interests could be replaced with women, and there would not be many changes in the overall narrative because it already fits that of a queer character. Of course, the divide between Linda and Shui Fai in canon is a class related issue, but interpretation through a queer lens provides the conclusion that it shares many similarities with LBGTQ+ relationships.

Linda and Sheung Sin’s relationship verges on the mirroring concept in which two characters are extremely similar to one another to the point where their identities begin to blur into one can be found between. Borrowing from the Gothic genre, tropes such as doubling and mirroring can be used to explore sexuality and other repressed desires that may not immediately surface. These concepts are also explored in more recent pieces of media with homoerotic undertones such as Ingmar Bergman’s 1997 film Persona, David Lynch’s 2001 film Mulholland Drive, and the K-Pop subunit Red Velvet — Irene & Seulgi. While the tone of Lo and Behold gravitates toward mindless comedy rather than that of a psychological thriller, there are still familiar remnants of these classic tropes. Despite the social class difference, the two characters have similar backgrounds as eldest daughters of their family who had lost their mothers at a young age, in addition to the aforementioned shared personality traits. The other characters are aware of their similarities; in episode 990, Sheung Sin’s uncle Hung Shu Yan (Pal Sinn) points out that besides Linda’s signature wavy hair and sequined outfits, the two women are practically the same in temperament. Mirroring in Lo and Behold is also visually represented through deliberate styling choices, with several comical scenes in which Linda and Sheung Sin find themselves coincidentally wearing the same clothing (episodes 350, 380, 762, 1222, 1502). While the scenes are meant to elicit a few lighthearted chuckles, it emphasizes the effect of doubling through direct imagery, as if they are looking in a mirror. The characters are frequently mistaken for one another even by those closest to them, since the similarities run so deep inside and out.

The blurring of their identities does not stop with physical appearances and personality traits; Linda and Sheung Sin have both attempted to take over each other’s roles within their families for the sake of contention. Since their lives are intertwined with one another, their families often interact, making it easy for both women to manipulate each other’s family members to their heart’s content. Linda’s brother Terry (Kim Li) is an actor for the productions that Sheung Sin works on, and Sheung Sin’s own family members are often caught up in between the two women, since her uncle Shu Yan, her son Shing On, and her sister Mary all work for Linda. After Kam Wai cuts ties with Linda, Sheung Sin devises a plan to replace Linda’s role in the Lung family simply so she can anger her. In doing so, she transforms her hair and clothing into Linda’s style, temporarily becomes Kam Wai’s goddaughter, and gains the trust of her brother, uncle, and former employees, seemingly taking everything away from her. Although her plans are foiled, she tries to “become” Linda yet again in episode 1041, in which she becomes Terry’s replacement sister while he is angry at her over a misunderstanding. While Linda is less intent on becoming Sheung Sin, episode 709 features a jealous Sheung Sin because Linda had replaced her role as her son’s most feared person. From these incidents, it appears as though Sheung Sin has an obsession with taking Linda’s identity, to the point where their respective family members begin to feel confusion about who is who. The constantly blurred line between their identities and their habit of replacing one another resembles the tropes in other forms of media with homoerotic subtext.

The homoerotic interpretation of the characters and events in Come Home Love: Lo and Behold merely approaches events and facts that already exist in canon from a different angle. The clear tension and subtext between Linda Lung and Hung Sheung Sin is present and creates an enjoyable viewing experience with two dynamic and fascinating characters, and brings an insurmountable amount of depth into a simplistic sitcom. Whether Sheung Sin wants to become Linda or whether she simply wants her is left up to interpretation, and the complex psyche of a twisted mind like Hung Sheung Sin’s is worth exploring.

[cavetocanvass]

The story of Cole Lam

Cole Lam's introduction to the piano began like many young children's - sitting beside a family member as they filled the room with beautiful music. Cole was only 5 years old when he became entranced by his grandmother's piano playing. She would sit at her classic upright piano and masterfully glide her wrinkled fingers across the ivory keys. Classical melodies would soon emerge, transporting Cole to a magical world of harmony and song.

After particularly lovely renditions of compositions by Chopin or Mozart, Cole would exclaim "Again, again!" while clapping his small hands in delight. His grandmother would chuckle and happily oblige his request for an encore. During these moments, Cole became certain of one thing: he wanted to learn how to conjure such lovely sounds from the piano keys too.

For Cole's 6th birthday, his parents presented him with a beginner's piano of his very own. Though smaller in size than his grandmother's piano, Cole cherished it. He gingerly ran his fingers over the keys, pressing them down slowly as if afraid to break them. Then he tried mimicking his grandmother by playing "Chopsticks" with just his index fingers. The sound was simple, but it was music. Cole swelled with pride and imagined himself one day performing concertos for his family.

To nurture Cole's newfound interest, his parents signed him up for weekly piano lessons with Mrs. Chen. A kind lady, Mrs. Chen had taught young children in the community for over 30 years. Once a week, Cole would walk hand in hand with his mother to Mrs. Chen's cozy home. He loved hearing the distant sound of scales being played as they approached her door.

At his lessons, Cole learned the basics - scales, posture, finger positions. Mrs. Chen assigned simple children's songs for him to practice note-by-note. Cole appreciated Mrs. Chen's gentle encouragement, but felt limited by only learning one note at a time. He longed to play the complex, flowing melodies his grandmother performed so effortlessly.

Then one day, everything changed. For Cole's 7th birthday, his father presented him with access to an online piano course called Pianoforall. It was created by piano teacher Robin Hall and promised a revolutionary approach to learning piano. After just a few introductory videos, Cole realized this was the key to playing piano the way he dreamed!

Robin Hall's course was designed for self-guided learning by absolute beginners. Cole loved watching the video tutorials in which Robin demonstrated how to break down songs into manageable chunks. By memorizing simple, color-coded patterns, Cole could now use chords and melody to play full songs.

Armed with this new method, Cole devoted himself daily to the Pianoforall lessons. After just a month, Cole astounded his parents by performing "Ode to Joy" with both hands. Soon after, Cole masterfully learned to play classics like "Maple Leaf Rag" and "Fur Elise." In just a year with Pianoforall, Cole accomplished more than years of traditional lessons.

By age 10, Cole could proficiently play advanced blues, jazz, and classical pieces. For the first time, Cole truly considered himself an adept pianist. This newfound confidence led Cole to audition for roles that would have intimidated him before. He joined his school's jazz band as the pianist. He volunteered to accompany singers at talent shows. Proudly, he even performed piano solos at two recitals.

Now 13, Cole still relies on Pianoforall to build on his skills. He is particularly drawn to the course's arranging and improvisation modules. Following Robin Hall's guidance, Cole experiments with modifying popular songs into his own unique renditions. Sometimes he even composes small melodies of his own, bringing the sounds in his imagination to life.

When Cole reflects on his musical journey so far, he feels immense gratitude for the magical technology of Pianoforall. Robin Hall's patient video tutorials succeeded where traditional lessons failed Cole. At just the right time, Pianoforall gave Cole the tools to unlock his inner pianist. Cole doesn't know yet where his musical path will take him next. But with his passion for practice and the support of Pianoforall's continuing lessons, the possibilities seem boundless.