#like i also can't tell you how many different different versions of the next ten years from the ending live in my head

[tunemyart]

whoa, ao3 goes up and suddenly new kudos on the wide orbit in quick succession? whoever y'all are, if you even see this, you're making my day <33

also bc I think about this fic a lot more than my posting here probably indicates, and bc I found a few things I'd cut when I went diving into my source files the other day, here's a bit of fluff I ended up cutting from the fic for flow purposes:

---

The call comes at 3:30 in the morning. Alex stirs next to her when Olivia fumbles for her phone and answers it. 

“Bad news?” she mumbles after Olivia hangs up and closes her eyes again in a futile attempt to hang on to the stillness for just another minute.

“Is there any other kind?”  

Alex hmmms and doesn’t open her eyes. “Need me yet?” 

There’s another two hours before Alex usually starts waking up, and Olivia’s unexpectedly overcome at the sight of her bare face in the intimate liminal hours all over again. 

“No,” she says. “Sorry I woke you. Go back to sleep.” 

Alex does without much encouragement, and Olivia does her best to move as silently as possible around the bedroom and bathroom and the first of Alex’s things that have begun to accumulate in both. It’s only the second time that Alex has spent the night, but between the twice Olivia’s also slept over at Alex’s, it still feels routine enough that it doesn’t occur to Olivia until she’s got her toothbrush in her mouth and phone in hand that Alex doesn’t have a key to her place and is due in court long before Olivia will be able to make it back.

Olivia revises her ETA in a quick text to Rollins and rummages around for her spare key where she’s tucked it away in her home office. Olivia writes a quick note and leaves it with the key on Alex’s nightstand next to her phone. 3:46. Olivia resists the sentimental urge to run a hand across Alex’s back before she leaves, knowing it would only startle Alex awake again, fearing that either one of them might too easily read intention into it. Alex sleeps on. Olivia leaves, locking the door behind her.

[izels-writing]

j. potter — 5 times james showed you he loved you + the 1st time he said it

Pairing: james potter x childhood best friend!fem!reader

Summary: james is in love with you, as you are with him.

Warnings: longer than usual, FLUFFF, a bit specific (y/n have a big family and nut allergy), a break up (not james ), confession scene is bad but i feel that’s what childhood best friend love confession would look like😭, ALSO I USED A LITTLE DIALOGUE FROM GILMORE GIRLS AND B99 BC I JUST HAD TO OKAY IT WAS FUNNY

a/n: i tried so hard with this one, pls tell me if u like it! it’s a bit different than my usual writing

august 12th, 1969:

"what're you two doing?" euphemia potter asked, a small smile gracing her lips as she noticed you and james sat across each other on his bedroom floor.

you placed your piece down, grinning at james' utter disappointment as you took his piece in the process. he groaned.

"we're playing muggle chess," he told his mother. "and y/n's beating me!"

you smiled. "i told him it wasn't as easy as he thought!" you countered, noticing euphemia's chuckle.

"well, it's getting late you two," she said. "i don't suppose you two expect to be up until the wee hours playing this game," though she tried to be stern, you and james knew how incapable she was when it came to the two of you.

"mum! we're nine now! can't we just have a little bit longer? nine o'clock it too early," james complained. "how about ten thirty?"

euphemia crossed her arms in thought. "how about ten o'clock?"

"ten-twenty," james countered.

"ten-fifteen," euphemia concluded, "take it or leave it,"

"we'll take it!" you exclaimed. james nodded in agreement, though, he always agreed with whatever you said.

you supposed that was part of the best friends thing.

you and james had been best friends since you were five years old, when your parents inherited the house next door to his—which was a blessing given the large family you had. three brothers, two sisters, and you—making a total of six kids. your three bedroom apartment wasn't cutting it anymore at that point.

so, to escape your loud and obnoxious family, you often spent all of your time at the potters. it helped that you and james didn't go to school, given euphemia taught you at home. out of all of your siblings, only you and two of your brothers had inherited magic. whereas the rest of them had to attend muggle school, you, james, and your two brothers were homeschooled by euphemia.

and everyone knew since the day you moved in, you and james were inseparable.

"alright then, either of you fancy a snack?" euphemia asked. "i don't want either of you eating too late,"

"no, thank you, mrs. potter," you replied with a small smile.

"yeah, we're okay mum, thank you," james added.

"of course," euphemia grinned. she eerily looked like a girl version of james when she did grinned, you supposed that's why you found her so comforting. "and y/n, dear, how many times have i told you to call me mia?"

you smiled sheepishly. "i'm sorry, i can't,"

and truthfully, as much as you tried, it felt way to disrespectful to call her by her name and not mrs. potter.

"yeah," james snickered, "she's got this weird compulsion where she has to be perfect and respectful all the time," james taunted.

"shut up," you laughed, shoving james gently.

"alright, well, ten-fifteen...alright?" she looked at you both warningly.

"yes ma'am," you and james chorused, but as soon as she left, you two burst into a fit of laughter.

even if lights were out by ten-fifteen, you two would still be awake all hours of the night laughing and talking about seemingly nothing.

you let him play his turn, smiling as he made a rookie mistake. you quickly showed him how bad his mistake was.

"y/n!" he groaned.

"face it, potter," you sighed. "i'm just better..."

he rolled his eyes and shoved the pillow in his lap at your face. you, being you, caught it with a laugh and threw it aside. analyzing the board as he went to make his next move.

he'd never admit he let you win just so he could see the smile on your face when you did.

——

march 15th, 1996:

"stop painting her nails and help me find an outfit!" sirius exclaimed. "moony won't wait forever!"

james looked up from your hand as you both turned to look at sirius. though he'd never admit it aloud, james loved painting your nails ever since you forced him to do it the first time because your hands were too shaky.

"red shirt, leather jacket, and..." you squinted before turning to james to let him decide what pants your lovesick friend should wear.

"black jeans," he decided. you nodded in agreement.

"thank you, mr. and mrs. potter," sirius sighed, pulling out the exact clothes you two had picked out. "finally you pay attention to me,"

his nickname for you both made you shift slightly, as it always did. not that either of them noticed.

"don't be dramatic, sirius," you replied, rolling your eyes. "painting nails is tedious work,"

"you're tedious work," sirius grumbled, quickly changing. the boys had no qualms changing in front of you despite the fact that you were a girl, they'd known you as long as they'd known james—given you were a package deal when you got to hogwarts.

"how are you two planning to spend the afternoon?" he asked, making conversation as he finished up his eyeliner.

"napping," you replied. you had pulled the longest study session ever last night, and still had to wake up in time for classes. to say you were tired was an understatement.

james didn't like naps as much as you, but he laid with you until you fell asleep because he was so warm. you practically forced him to.

"cuddle session?" sirius asked, ruffling his hair in style.

"that's the one," james replied, finishing your last nail.

"it never ceases to amaze me how close you two are without being in love," sirius chuckled before slipping on his shoes. "anyway, bye...don't wait up for me and moony," he winked before closing the door behind him.

he wasn't entirely truthful. sirius knew about your long haboured crush in james since your third year of hogwarts. at first, you were convinced it was just teen hormones and it'd wear off.

it did not.

if anything, it got worse ever since then. you couldn't be near the boy without smiling and you certainly spent most of your time with him if not with mary or the other boys you two had befriended. he just understood you, he was your person.

the worst part was that you knew he didn't feel the same. you'd known since your first year about his undying love for lily evans, which had progressed so much more over the years.

you supposed you'd get over it eventually.

you scoffed. "look at him, flaunting what we don't have—remus,"

"i know, the utter torture knowing remus will never be ours," he sighed sarcastically. you laughed,

he lied down, arm behind his head which flexed all the right muscles. meanwhile you blew at your nails to make them dry faster. you marveled at the beautiful pink color, perfectly done by your best friend.

"you can take the girl out of the muggle world, but not the muggle world out of the girl," james teased before grabbing his wand and waving it wordlessly. in an instant, your nails were fully dry.

you scoffed. "please, you love the muggle world,"

he grinned. "yeah, i do," he shrugged.

you lied beside him, curling up into him to wrap your arms around his waist and your legs around his hips. it wasn't always the most comfortable position for him, but he put up with it for you, unbeknownst to you. you lied your head on his shoulder, breathing in his aromatic cologne.

you never understood why you tortured yourself like this. you knew these moments would just make you fall harder for him, but you couldn't help yourself. even if he'd never be your boyfriend, at least you had him in your life.

"alright, see you in two hours," you mumbled, adjusting your head comfortably.

"i'll be here," he sighed in fake annoyance. "waiting..."

"shut up," you muttered sleepily.

a few movements later, he smiled softly as you began to snore quietly. he kissed your head ever so softly, as to not wake you, pushing hair out of your face.

he really did hate naps.

but not the ones with you.

——

september 22nd, 1974:

the five of you sat in the greats hall, piling your plates as everyone chattered during their dinner. you laughed at whatever sirius said, waiting for remus to let go of the spoon for the macaroni bowl.

"pads, wipe your mouth," james scolded, handing the friend in question a cloth. sirius rolled his eyes and grabbed it, wiping his mouth aggressively.

"happy?" the grey-eyed got asked in feign annoyance.

you laughed as james rolled his eyes and nodded.

"y/n, do you want some?" peter asked, showing you a plate of fruit bars with nuts in it.

"do you want her to die?!" james exclaimed, though it was drowned out by the loudness of the great hall.

you, sirius, and remus exchanged looks. james took all of you guys' allergies seriously, but for some reason, with yours he became scandalized. you took a deep breath, sending an apologetic look toward peter.

james scoffed. "does she look like snivellus to you?"

peter blinked at him.

"does she?" james demanded. the four of you didn't know whether he was genuinely being serious.

"no...?" peter replied.

"then why are you trying to poison her?!" he snapped.

peter sighed, remembering your allergy suddenly. "i'm sorry, y/n," he said. "i forgot,"

"it's okay," you replied with a small smile.

james glared at peter.

"what?!" peter exclaimed. "i said sorry! it's not like i shoved it down her throat!"

"shame on you, wormy," he shook his head.

"james, believe it or not," you said. "i'm a big girl, i can just tell peter no when he offers,"

"it's about principle, y/n!" he replied.

"and you call yourself one of her best friends," james scoffed, shaking his head at peter again.

"james, if you don't stop, i'll put normal milk in your cereal, you lactose-intolerant freak," peter threatened.

remus sighed. "one peaceful dinner, it's all i ask," he grumbled. sirius rubbed his arm comfortingly.

you laughed loudly, making the other four turn to you. quickly, the rest of them broke and laughter filled the table. quickly, remus, sirius, and peter resumed their own conversation—leaving you to talk to james.

"thanks for remembering, it's very kind of you," you admitted to him lowly. "even though you're such a drama queen about it," you taunted.

"of course, i actually know you," he whispered back. "not like these posers,"

you laughed, shoving him playfully. "you're such a loser,"

"takes one to know one," he fired back.

you rolled your eyes and joined in the conversation in front of you, grabbing a cookie and breaking it in half. without breaking your conversation, you handed one half to james and began to eat the other.

he smiled at you and ate his half.

of course he remembered everything about you. how could he not? you were going to be in his life for the rest of it. that he was sure of.

——

june 12th, 1975:

you sniffled, wiping your nose on a tissue as you went through your various polaroids. your boyfriend, well ex-boyfriend now, had broken up with you a couple hours ago. as much as you tried not to cry over a boy, especially one that wasn't your best friend, you couldn't help but feel hurt nonetheless.

you liked him. and he just made a bet to date you for five months.

mary, marlene, emmeline, and lily had tried to comfort you but to no avail. you asked them to leave you be and they complied, silently agreeing to get the one person who they all knew could comfort you.

you held back a sob, cutting up the pictures and discarding them in the dorm trash. god, you felt pathetic. he wasn't worth it. but it still hurt.

a knock at the door caught your attention.

"come in," you sniffled, thinking it was one of the girls trying to get to your shared room that you selfishly kicked them out of. you hated crying in front of people.

a tall, lean raven-headed boy entered the room. he held a box of tissues and a buttload of snacks. he set everything down on your desk, eyes scanning you sadly.

"he dated me on a bet, james," you sniffled as your voice wavered slightly. "he broke up with me this morning,"

you met his eyes, seeing how worried he looked, and got shoved your face into your hands—a quiet sob escaping your lips, muffled by your hands.

"i'm so sorry, love," he mumbled, sitting in front of you to pull you into a hug. you hugged him back tightly, crying quietly into his shoulder. you felt terrible for his tear-stained shoulder, but the tears wouldn't stop.

you just felt so pathetic and used. how could you fall for it so easily? but you suppose if there was anyone you could be vulnerable with, it was your best friend in the entire world.

"why didn't he like me?" you mumbled tearfully.

"because he's an idiot," james replied, holding you tightly. "because he doesn't know what a great girl is even if it slapped him in the face,"

you let go. "how could i be so stupid? i mean i should've known! in all my five years at hogwarts, no boy has ever asked me out... i should've trusted my gut," you shook your head disappointedly.

"you're not stupid," james assured you. "he is, don't get it twisted. you liked him, there's nothing wrong with that, he just happened to be a prat,"

you frowned. "i suppose. but i mean i should've known..."

james cupped your face, looking into your eyes. "listen to me, y/n," he said seriously. "you are the most beautiful girl i know, you're smart and kind and funny and understanding...i could go on and on. he lost a great girl and he will pay for it for the rest of his life, do not feel pathetic and upset over some stupid bloke—got me?"

you let a smile grace your face. "you think i'm beautiful?"

he huffed and let go of your face, though you could see his playful expression. "is that really the only thing you got from that?"

you shook your head. "no, i heard you loud and clear," you admitted with a small smile. "thank you, j, you're the ultimate best friend,"

he grinned. "i know, it's a talent,"

you rolled your eyes. without you having to say anything, he grabbed the snacks and began to open them up for you, the both of you beginning to eat from the packages of snacks.

"am i more beautiful than farrah fawcett?" you asked teasingly.

"don't push your luck," he huffed.

you let out a melodic laugh and instantly, a smile spread across james' face. that's all he wanted, was to make you laugh.

the very next week, your ex boyfriend ended up in the hospital wing after a few humiliating yet harmless hexes being cast on him. unfortunately, all four marauders received detention for something they had very obviously done.

james didn't care. he'd go through millions of detentions if it meant protecting you.

——

may 27th, 1976:

a thousand used tissues and a finished vial of cold medicine later, you had only gotten through the first five chapters of your potions book. despite your efforts, you hadn’t made much progress in the years worth of material you were set to cover. exams were in two weeks and you were much more behind than you had realized. you had no time to recover, not when o.w.l’s determined what classes you received next year.

your eyes drooped as you turned the page, leaning your head in your hand tiredly. you weren’t even sure you were retaining anything anymore, just studying so you could say you had done it.

lily and mary had left you some time ago, tired themselves. they had begged you and pleaded for you to join them in your dorm, so you could sleep off the medicine. you were the only one sick—just your luck.

you refused and moreover, begun to ignore them. they didn’t take it personally, they knew how you could get around exam time. they muttered that they’d come back to check on you soon. that had been four hours ago, and you were happy that they seemingly weren’t going to come back any time soon.

a loud clatter across the library made you sit up from your medicine-potion-induced trance. your eyes opened wider, scanning the dark library for any movement. madam pince had left two hours ago, given the library had closed and she had no idea you were back here.

“hello?” you whispered, mentally cursing yourself for the stupid mistake. if there was someone here, like a teacher, you surely had just given yourself away.

thankfully for you, it wasn’t a teacher or staff member. instead, it was your best friend.

“y/n? what’re you doing here? it’s twelve-a.m.!” james whispered loudly, moving the books that had blocked your view effortlessly. he kneeled by you on the chair, your body relaxing as you realized it was him.

“baking a cake,” you replied sarcastically. “what does it look like i’m doing, potter?���

“first of all, you know last names hurt me,” james replied. “secondly, you look like shit,”

he felt your forehead. “and you feel like shit,”

“wow, you sure know how to charm a lady, james,” you replied with a playfully eye roll. “don’t worry, i’m on my way back to the dorms, just twenty more minutes,”

james gave you a deadpan look. “mary and lily told me you said that four hours ago,”

so that’s who revealed your location. the traitors.

“james, i have to study! i can’t just not pass my potions o.w.l’s?” you replied.

james sat on the chair diagonal to you, looking at your very obviously sick form. it had to be some strain of the summer flu, given remus had gotten it just a week prior.

“to quote my mother, you have to sleep—it’s what keeps you beautiful,” he tried persuasively. you were not nothing if not vain.

you scoffed. “who’s gonna cares about beauty if i fail my finals?!”

“your future husband?” james tried.

“i won’t be marrying anyone that vain,” you concluded.

“that should make me feel better,” he replied. “but you working yourself to death does not,”

“okay, you can study for twenty more minutes,” he sighed after a moment of you staring at each other. “i’ll go make you a tea and wait with you to make sure you actually come to bed,”

you rolled your eyes and waved him off, returning to your potions textbook in no time. james quickly ambled out of the library and made his way to the kitchen.

thankfully for him, filch was on leave for a few days, not that anyone knew that. he had walked into a particularly nasty prank by james and sirius, leaving him stuck in the hospital wing for a few days. all the staff elected to not tell students, in hopes it’d scare them into not sneaking out at night.

james quickly made his way back to the kitchen, asked the house elves for a tea, and began making his way back. it was in a tiny coffee to go cup—why the house elves had them, james had no idea, but it certainly made his life easier.

he couldn’t have been gone more than a ten minutes, but as james got back, he quickly noticed the angle of the light from your wand was not the same as it had been when he left. james quietly made his way over and smiled warmly at the sight.

there you were, head lying on the table, hands tucked into your sweatshirt in attempts to be warm. you were sound asleep, the potion having finally caught up to you. granted, james was just glad the amount you had drank hadn’t killed you—as he was sure it wasn’t safe at all to finish a vial in one day.

he walked over and summoned a blanket with the flick of his wand, allowing for his hand to catch it immediately. he placed the tea down on the table. then, he pushed the hair out of your face and draped the cover over you, kissing your head gently as he had felt you do to him so many times.

he wrapped it around you and with one swift motion, he wrapped an arm around your knees and another around your neck—cradling you close to his chest. you woke for a moment, brief and unaware, to wrap your arms around his neck. he tried to fight the nerves that twisted in his stomach at your touch.

and all the way from the library to the common room, james held you tight and carried you all the way back, careful not to wake you. you were burning up, but other than that, you looked comfortable. much more comfortable than before.

the fat lady, without a word, swung open when she saw james and he safely brought you inside—laying you down on the couch. you stirred a bit and looked up at him through half-lidded eyes.

“thanks, j,” you whispered.

“of course,” he grinned, sitting beside you, moving your legs on his lap. “now get some sleep, i’ll wait here with you,”

“you’re a good best friend,” you mumbled through a yawn.

james smiled and kissed his fingers, gently placing them on your head. you smiled happily and fell asleep in no time.

he only wished that one day he’d be more than just your best friend.

——

october 11th, 1977:

you sat in front of james on his bed, finishing up an essay you two had worked on together. the entire day, no—the entire week, he’d been acting strange. james was usually strange, but not this strange. he had been gentler and his face would burn up whenever sirius mentioned his little nickname for both of you.

it was beginning to scare you. what if he was becoming uncomfortable with the jokes? the nicknames? what if he had a girlfriend and he didn’t know how to tell you that your relationship with each other would have to change? how would you even react to that?

you looked up at him, noticing the boy wringing his hands. despite this, you said nothing. maybe you could live in denial just a little longer.

“i have something to tell you,” james spoke suddenly.

you looked up, eying him carefully. “what’s up, j?”

james’ face flushed a light pink as he looked up at you sincerely. he swallowed thickly. for a moment, he stared at you. you both just looked into each others eyes and you were unsure what to do next. he’d never been this serious with you.

“you alrig—“

“i love you,” he blurted. “as more than a best friend,”

you would like to say that what you did next was completely intentional, but it wasn’t. as a matter of fact, you weren’t quite sure where it came from.

THUD!

you covered your mouth, looking in shock as james landed on the ground. he wasn’t terribly hurt, just shocked. you were shocked as well.

“that is…not what i expected,” james muttered, standing up and sitting in front of you again.

“what was that for?” he asked.

“i dunno…” you mumbled. “i panicked, i didn’t know what to say…”

james softened his gaze at you and a smile curled onto his lips. soon enough, you began to smile too. and then you both burst into laughter. after you both sobered up, you smiled at him.

“i love you too, as more than a best friend,” you finally replied. it felt like a weight lifted off your shoulders—you finally confesses your biggest secret to james. “just so you know,”

he smiled. “i’m glad to hear that,”

“wow, what a loser,” you commented playfully. “usually this is the scene where the guy kisses the girl,”

he grinned. “really? sort of like this?”

he pulled you in, your lips touching quickly. if this is what heaven felt like, you understood why everyone wanted to go so bad. you pulled him closer, refusing to break the kiss.

you broke apart finally. “yeah…like that,” you grinned.

“will you…?” james stumbled on his words.

you grinned, knowing him perfectly enough to know exactly what he’s asking. “yes, james, i will be your girlfriend,” you replied happily.

he smiled, pulling you in again.

he’d finally confessed it.

bonus;

“what’re you two doing?” you grinned, leaning against the doorway of your son harry’s room.

he threw down a card, glaring at ginny as she placed down her own card with a smirk.

“we’re playing uno,” ginny replied with a smile. “ron didn’t want to play so harry and i decided to go against each other,”

“how is it a muggle game and she’s beating me?! she’s never even played before!” harry exclaimed.

“you underestimate weasley’s,” ginny grinned. “we’re not as ignorant as you think,”

“well, it’s getting late you two,” you commented, glancing at the clock in harry’s room. “i don’t suppose you two plan on playing until the wee hours,”

“mum! we’re thirteen now!” harry groaned. “we can stay up a little later than nine-thirty, right?”

ginny nodded and shrugged. “i mean i’m twelve, but still…”

you sighed in feign annoyance. “fine, ten-fifteen, and then ginny will go sleep in your sisters room and you and ron will have to go to bed—sound good, you two?”

“but—“ harry began.

you smirked. your son—ever the clone of james potter, your husband. “let me rephrase, ten-fifteen, take it or leave it,”

“we’ll take it!” ginny replied quickly.

“yeah, we will,” harry smiled, glancing at ginny with a little glint in his eyes. you and james knew full well the future of harry and ginny’s relationship, even if no one else did.

“good, ten-fifteen,” you said warningly before making your way downstairs.

james lounged on the couch, clicking through tv channels. you curled up beside him.

“they’re doing the thing,” you commented, knowing james would know exactly what you meant.

“remember when we were that young and in love?” james grinned.

“aren’t we still young and in love?” you teased.

“not that young anymore, but in love? yes,” he replied with a smirk. you rolled your eyes and kissed his cheek, wrapping your arms around his chest and draping your legs across his lap.

“i’m glad it’s ginny, she’s a bold little lady,” your husband grinned. “just the other day, she defended your son against this kid at the little league quidditch try-outs, even punched his nose,”

“i know, harry came home and told me all about it,” you grinned. “all impressed and admiring, even ron saw how in love he looked,”

“well, we potter men love ballsy ladies,” james joked.

you rolled your eyes. “don’t i know it…”

[thefutureiswhat]

Fargo Season 5: Where 3 Roads Meet

This theory is in collaboration with @tdciago.

For a while, I've wanted to share my thoughts about this season as it relates to the act of writing a story. But I haven't really had a clear idea of how the storytelling motif lines up with other aspects of the season (and where it could be leading) until now.

This Is a Story

As showrunner Noah Hawley said in a GQ interview:

“But it was exciting to go back to the movie after four years for the first time to really say, Well, let's look at the movie and let's riff on it, and do what I call a game of telephone with the movie, which is if you give two writers the assignment to write movies about a man who kidnaps his wife, this season is a different writer's version of the same story.”

This season, perhaps more than any other, has drawn frequent attention to the fact that it's a story, starting with Lorraine telling Dot to "write your own pulp fiction."

Munch tells Roy, "A man has only so many words in his lifetime. For us, there are very few left." Sounds like something a book character would say as the pages start to run out.

Danish tells Roy that he can make the other Roy Tillmans disappear "as quick as I made them." Sounds like something an author would say before killing off a character... which is what this story's author does in that very scene.

Then there's the fact that the opening text ("This is a true story.") is written in Times New Roman font, as if it's being typed on a computer or printed in a book.

What's especially interesting is that this season doesn't seem to be a finished story, but rather a work in progress. Whoever the writer is, they're apparently indecisive about formatting and plot points, and lazy about fact-checking. And their writing is downright clunky at times.

The spacing of the opening text's final line ("Out of respect for the dead...") differs between episodes. Sometimes it's single-spaced, and sometimes it's double-spaced.

In 5x05, "The Tiger," we're suddenly given a title card calling the episode "Chapter Five," and a narrator is introduced. This concept is dropped in the next episode.

Then there are all the continuity errors and inconsistencies. First it seems like Roy hired Munch, and Munch brought Donny into things. But later, Gator says he found Donny, who apparently brought Munch into it.

The amount of time since Dot ran away from Roy is also unclear. Roy says she hid from him for "nine, ten years" (Wouldn't he remember? Or is it the author who can't decide?), but the FBI agents tell Indira she went missing eleven years ago.

Characters travel great distances, sometimes hundreds of miles, in hardly any time -- often on foot. Other times, characters don't seem to even know where they are. In 5x08, Roy seems to know the nurse at the hospital and says he's sheriff of the county, but Witt says later that the hospital is "outside Bismarck," which isn't even close to Stark County.

And perhaps the biggest oversight of the entire season is the fact that Wayne is magically electrocuted by exposed wires on the windowsill... while the power is out in the entire house.

In 5x04, the author makes some awkward word choices. Roy describes Baylor Maze as "sitting there in his easy chair, taking it easy." About a minute after Witt says that "ghosts don't photograph," Lorraine talks in a voiceover about a minivan "giving up the ghost."

And perhaps most noticeable of all, Lorraine and Dot bicker at the hospital about Scotty staying in a hotel after the fire. Seconds later, Lorraine asks for service and a nurse tells her, "This isn't a hotel." Weird analogy. Why not a restaurant?

As a writer, these moments stood out to me. If I were proofreading this episode, I'd probably change a couple of those words, so as not to be repetitive. But maybe this story's author hasn't gotten to the proofreading stage yet.

We've Got Our Own Reality

Some would say that all of these examples are simply oversights or continuity errors on the part of Noah Hawley and his co-writers. But what if they're not? What if they were placed there intentionally to show that we're witnessing various drafts of a story, strung together in such a way that we hardly notice anything is off?

A recurring motif this season has been the concept of different realities. The show has even invoked the idea of a time loop, through dialogue like "loop's closed" and "circle back," and by using the song "I Got You, Babe," which plays at the start of each loop in Groundhog Day. It's as if we're seeing moments from different loops (or drafts), in which things are slightly different.

Playing on the idea of multiple realities, this season has also felt the most removed from the rest of the series. So far, there have been no direct connections to past seasons or returning characters. Even the opening text changes "the events depicted" (as we've seen in Seasons 1-4) to "the following events."

Danish tells Witt, "We've got our own reality." What if he's talking about the characters in this season? Who is writing their story? Is it someone who already exists in the universe of the movie (and by extension the rest of the series), and therefore Season 5 takes place in a fictional universe within that universe?

See @tdciago's recent post for more about that idea, and who the author might be.

It's the Crossroads

So what does all of this mean for the rest of the season? Well, what if the "work in progress" nature of the story becomes unmistakable in the final episode(s)? What if this season has three different endings, like a choose your own adventure story?

Maybe the season finale will be "where three roads meet," with the roads being the different versions of the story we've been watching. Why three roads, you ask? Because this season appears to be referencing the story of Oedipus Rex.

Gator's official character description says he has "daddy issues up there with Oedipus Rex’s." Notably, Oedipus kills his biological father at a crossroads where three roads meet. We've already seen some possible foreshadowing of a similar event this season, including Roy's use of the word "crossroads" in 5x04.

The number three has also shown up this season, particularly in 5x08. Danish convinces three men to change their names to Roy Tillman, and the first is number 313 at the court; Dot tells Roy there's a three-day minimum for ordering an ice cream cake for Scotty's birthday; she also tells him, "third time's a charm" about his marriages; Danish gets gas at pump 3.

Many viewers seem to agree that Roy should end up dead by the end of the season, but they don't all agree on who should do it. The show has already seemed to foreshadow Roy's death at the hands of both Dot (theory here) and Gator (theory here).

Maybe we'll get to see both of those deaths, plus a third option where he causes his own demise, or he ends up in prison. Maybe we'll see other characters (like Dot or Munch) die in one version of events, but survive in another -- because the author is just as indecisive about about what should happen as the viewers are.

The Lady, or the Tiger?

Will we ever know which one is the final draft? Probably not. Another story referenced this season is "The Lady, or the Tiger?" The story ends with a man choosing one of two doors. Behind one is a tiger. Behind the other is a lady for him to marry. We never find out what's behind the door he chooses.

This season has referenced the story in a few ways, the most obvious being the repeated references to Dot as a tiger. But there are other details that point to "The Lady, or the Tiger?" in particular.

In 5x01, we see two paintings behind Indira as she sits at her dining table. In the painting on the left is a lady with flowers on her head. On the right is a tiger.

5x05, "The Tiger," obviously contains a number of references to tigers. But it also features several uses of the word "lady": Vivian Dugger calls Lorraine "lady" at lunch; Roy said he caught Dugger with a "lady of the evening"; the narrator refers to Dot as a "lady tiger"; and Lars tells Indira, "Babe, there's a lady in our kitchen."

Will this season be as "insoluble" as "The Lady, or the Tiger?" Or is Dot right that "third time's a charm," and the third option will be the official one? Can we really even declare one version the official version, when it's all made up anyway?

By the end of the season, will we be the authors, choosing whichever version of events is most satisfying to us? To borrow a phrase from Linda, which truth is the true truth?

[kidnamedbird]

Hello all!

It's me, Kid Named Bird from Team Kid Named Bird. For clarification, I'm actually named after the team, not the other way around. I'm the lead translator and dialogue letterer for Beyblade X, or at least I was. I am heartbroken to announce our indefinite hiatus from the BeyX manga; if we do get back to it, we'd finish off all the year one content (up to the likely incoming subtitle/branding change) and all of the extras that go with it. This would leave us with a finite amount of work for us to do and a nice archival version of the beginnings of X.

To explain why we're ending our release, I'd like to say it's not because we don't want to. We'd love to continue on this project because we all really adore this manga. It's hard not to grow fond of something you've poured so much time into. I never really even planned on forming the team to translate the manga until the first chapter was about to come out. I had translated the prologue chapter as a fun side-project — I learned how to letter and translate because of it! So once some of my veteran scanlator friends and some brave newbies hopped on the project with me, I felt like we could actually take a bite out of this massive undertaking. A 36-72 page manga every month for a team of mostly employed/student volunteers is insane, especially when you consider the amount of redraws we had to do on this specific work. There were so many text overlays we had to draw over or speedlines (blech!!) we had to clean up, and usually tens of pages of them. Sometimes we had to do the work of a weekly manga series translation to get our stuff out depending on the amount of pages we did. After a while, that took a toll on our team. We can only do so many 50 pagers in a row before it completely consumes all of our free time outside of our full time work or education. I knew that as soon as we got behind by one chapter, we'd not be able to catch back up. It would just cause us too much grief and stress. I didn't want to do that to my team of unpaid volunteers, so I made the choice to throw in the towel. We were doing pretty professional work for free, and we got burnt out. We all had entire lives outside of BeyX, and I wanted my team to live them. It wasn't a decision I made lightly, or without reason. The official release is coming out soon, and if you don't mind the dub names, the previews looked pretty good! They seem to be Singapore/South East Asian exclusive for now, but I'm sure someone will snag the scans for them. Also, the anime, for the first time in Bey history, is almost exactly the same plot-wise! Previous series manga and anime have diverged wisely, but as the manga and anime have an overlapping writing staff this time, the stories hit almost all the same beats. If anything, I think the anime takes the manga's story and gives it far more breathing room and better pacing. The extra character-focus episodes have done wonders to help develop the cast further and make Bird's journey of perseverance all the more compelling. You will still get to experience the story of X in different ways, but maybe without us. If we had the time, energy, and ability to sustain our bodies, we'd still be working on this manga, I promise you that. The kind words we have gotten from our readers have meant the world to me (I tear up at them sometimes!). I hope that one day, we can return to finish off the first year of BeyX content. If we don't, then oops! Every member of our team has other projects we work on, so you can find us there. I can't tell you what those projects are for our privacy and safety, but we do them! For now, this is Team Kid Named Bird spinning out.

3! 2! 1! Let it rip with us next time, whenever that may be! Thank you so much for supporting us!

[whattraintracks]

5. Video Games - Multi

What's this? More Raphael angst? Why are we surprised.

So I was listening to Stay Down by boygenius while some prompts simmered in my brain, and when this one started boiling somewhere around verse two, I knew what I had to do.  

Would Raph even like this song? Who knows, but I sure do, so I am going to close-read the heck out of it and draw so many connections.

Video Games >> I'm just steering my life in a video game >> It's a half-life, it's a fallout 

before any of you wonder what this has got to do with the prompt, here it is! it's in the song. prompt satisfied

apparently, those are also references to video games

. . .

moving on

Fighting and Learned Behavior >> lean into the punch >> push me down >> hold me under >> stay down 

a.k.a. physical altercations as an allegory for Raphael’s life 

obsessed with the metaphor of him leaning into a punch

if he can’t avoid life's blows, he'll do what he can to make them hurt less

suffer the hit just to get it over with, or take it for someone else

on a less angsty note, I simply associate Raph with boxing 

he's a skilled ninja, but sometimes he wants to sucker-punch someone

cuz this boy really loves fighting, and that ain’t a bad thing 

>> wasn't a fighter 'til somebody told me I had better learn >> would you teach me I'm the villain

I think a lot about Raph and learned behavior 

when I tell you Rise and '03 Splinter altered my brain chemistry 

hiding their connection to the Foot/Hamato Clan

trying to spare their sons from anger, grief, trauma, vengeance, and wars that don't belong to them is fascinating to me 

but in every version, he teaches Raph how to fight 

and I've talked about how '87 Raphael still inherited those things from Splinter's

even the ones who don’t are still altered by growing up with him, looking at you M&M Raph 

it's not a coincidence '12 Splinter sees so much of himself in his son

Defense Mechanism and Love for Enemies >> lean into the punch so it don't hurt as bad when they leave 

Raph's anger often screams defense mechanism to me

if humans are going to hate him anyway, again he'll lean into it

be snarky and rude and scary and mean and give them something to really hate

sometimes, his anger is preemptive, but it's not always unfounded

I don't think even ten fingers are enough to count how many times a recurring character turned on the '87 turtles

Raphael should have been allowed to beat up Vernon as consolation

>> there you were, turning your cheek 

but wait! there's more! the Christian references in this song are not subtle

Luke 6:27,29 "Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you . . . if anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also"

I'm thinking about '87 Raphael's "Yeah, I'm with ya, but I'm bitter" and helping the guys protect a city that doesn't appreciate all they do

I'm thinking about '03 Raph, who is resolute it's not their problem that the city's at war but gets involved because Leo does 

I'm thinking about '07 Raph taking up the Nightwatcher mantle after Leo leaves New York 

Disconnection in Personal Relationships >> I look at you and you look at a screen 

this second verse, I think, is pretty open to interpretation, which works well given how many variations there are of Raph

linking "screen" to "video game" in the next line, I picture Raph reaching out and being ignored

like '03 Raph figuring his anger out on his own v. Leo getting sent away for serious/professional help

like '07 Raph missing Leo and hearing no word from him for years 

or I read "screen" with the connotation of concealment

like Rise Raph keeping it together for his little brothers until he can't

like their shock when he finally breaks down

the loneliness of Raph looking at his brothers and knowing them so well but feeling like they never really see him  

>> similar acts and a different name 

I am always struck by how similar Raph and his brothers are 

the little things they do the same because they were raised together

the ways they deliberately emulate each other  

it has to sting seeing so much of them in himself and himself in them and still be reduced to "the angry one"

especially when it's them thinking this way

(side note, Google has this lyric miswritten as "similar accent," which is hilarious in this context) 

Loss and Lack of Control >> I'm in the back seat of my body 

canon takes great pleasure in depriving Raph of control over his body 

how intensely all Raphaels experience their emotions 

off-screen and childhood trauma like “Savage Raph” in Rise 

on-screen trauma that must lead to dissociation, flashbacks, nightmares, etc. 

the two, at least that I know of, mind control events with ‘12 and Rise Raph

even ‘87 Raphael getting de-aged

you could also interpret this as gender dysphoria and I've seen a lot of good trans Raph headcanons

>> I'm just steering my life in a video game 

beyond losing control of his body, Raph never really has control of his life 

“turtle luck” and all that 

this often shows up when their stories shift

like ‘87 Raphael, who goes from a wise guy to a sarcastic grouch as his story drags on and takes a darker turn

as opposed to Rise Raph, who throughout the series, gets talked down from heroism and over-vigilance

but guess which behaviors get rewarded and reinforced during the Shredder arcs and Krang invasion

so as not to ignore the prompt any more than I already have, I do enjoy those episodes where “life in a video game” for Raphael is a little more on the nose

Combat Land (1987), Across the Universe (2003), Mazes and Mutants (2012) 

Literally Neurodivergent and a Minor 

(Shoutout to this art from @/20s-turtle-posting that inspired the name of this section) ((and, no, I did not realise this is an ironic meme and will be taking it seriously))

>> aren't I the one constantly repenting for a difficult mind? >> push me down into the water like a sinner, hold me under >> villain >> sinner >> half-life >> fallout 

I warned you about the religious imagery, but it's a little off in this verse

because repentance is about change as growth

but Raph feels like he has to change his "difficult mind" this ingrained part of himself

so he's stuck in a cycle of remorse and regret, unable to gain control

I think about running fast and far and anguished cries of “what is wrong with me?” (2003)

pushed into and held under, the waters of baptism are no longer cleansing and renewing but suppressing

it's the people closest to him saying “you are seriously twisted” (2012) and “you’ve got a rage problem” (M&M)

and having to decide between hiding those parts of himself or hoping they'll love him anyway

it's Raph feeling bad and broken, feeling like he's a danger and a poison to everyone around him

>> lean into the punch so it don't hurt as bad when they leave >> it takes so long for me to settle down and when I finally do, there's no one else around 

and I wonder if Raph's temper is ever tied to feeling unlovable, and one feeling sparks another in a vicious feedback loop 

a teenager testing the boundaries of care and affection, more defense mechanisms

how does he get himself to believe in their steadfast love even when he feels unworthy of it

to trust he's safe enough to feel all of his ugliest emotions when his life is so out of control

he forgets, his story doesn’t let him remember, that he’s still a kid 

he's got a lot of growing to do, and even if it takes a long time, he’ll settle down one day, find his balance 

his family’s gonna stick it out, and they’ll still be around when he finally gets there

tl;dr I will never be able to listen to this song without crying about Raphael now, so thanks, brain. 

[ifonly1]

i actually wanted to make a post about how taekookers, some armys, jinkookers, yoonminers are making those tweets about as to how jm and jk enlisting through buddy program means they're not dating and how gay couples can't enlist in military without exposing themselves and i actually found this thread and IT IS hillarious specially coming from taekookers out of all people.

taekookers out of all people saying it IS funny because for years like literally years they have been wanting, hoping and waiting for tae and jk to enlist together cause years ago(and Maybe recently too) taehyung said that he's planning to enlist together with jungkook. the problem is not them holding onto that promise but the problem is them suddenly making a 180degree turn to the whole "enlisting together" thing. they all were so sure about tk's enlistmemt that they used to use that thing even in arguments. i remember having arguments with tkkrs here and there and them going "shut up you don't know anything cause tk are going to do ms TOGETHER" and i was like "okay good for them". that was way before group hiatus even. They were hoping for the same, even thought that tk gonna use companion system but as soon as the news of jm and jk going together came they suddenly don't know how to cope so they went with "I'll only belive it when more media talks about it", when more media covered the same thing they were like I'm gonna wait for dispatch (one of the captain of their ship according to tkkrs), when dispatch said the same thing they went with "I'll wait for bighit" and when bighit also confirmed the same thing they went with "there's two different notices and English version of weverse doens't say companionship so I'll wait till they enlist or I'll only belive what tae and jk says" etc etc like jeez so many excuses just to admit one simple and normal thing??? They still haven't stopped mind you cause they're still on their next excuse "my korean friend or my friend who learned korean told me that jm and jk are not together in ms and media won't say it cause they already spread the lie about them going together so they can't back off now". I'm not even lying but that is what they're doing currently.

"gay couple can't do military service together cause it's banned in sk" hmmm then may i know why every single Tkkr was hoping for tk to enlist together? why none of Y'all ever thought about this thing when y'all were holding onto that thing for years? why did none of Y'all said "why is taehyung saying he's gonna enlist together with jk? it means they're not a couple" like why did none of Y'all said this before? why y'all acting woke only now? why y'all caring about sk punishing people serving in military that are gay NOW??? like i honestly want atleast one of them to explain to me WHY ONLY NOW??? what changed?

coming back to jkk being couple and enlisting together, i personally has always thought of these two as very very close friends and they gonna be close friends for me until proven otherwise. BUT to the people who says "jikook enlisting together through buddy program is a proof of them not being a couple" i wanna ask why? why would the sk government think of jkk as a gay couple and punish them? did jm and jk came out as queer? have they ever disclosed their sexuality to anyone? have they told the world that they're gay couple? so why would sk government think of them as gay couple and punish them? let me tell you one thing outside of this shipping bubble to the whole world jm and jk are het and they are only friends. jm and jk has spent half their lives in front of cam for hours a day and IF they're queer then they're doing this job of hiding their sexuality on daily basis so i promise y'all THEY GONNA BE FINE and y'all don't have to worry about them. they knows what they're doing and they are two grown ass men who knows how to behave when there's tens of people around them so they are fine.

another excuse is "jungkook wanted to go to special force with taehyung" like first things first he said"i wanted to do special force service". next is if anyone knows jungkook then you should know very well that this man is known for doing adventures things in BTS. he loves those kind of things so of course his first thought would be going for special force service but then with so many tattoes on his hands on display he might have known he would get restriction in many things. even if he didn't know about it while getting the tattos, idt it bothers him too much that he couldn't do it. now now we know jungkook can't do special force (the one where taehyung is but there's other options open for him ig) so why did taehyung didn't choose to do what jungkook is doing so he can be together with jungkook? why does none of Y'all expect anything from tae's side but always jk has to do? if jk had no options then tae had right? so why didn't he chose enlisting with jungkook?? "why would tae do that when he wants to do special force training" yeah so it's simple he chose the special force service like he wanted to (given that they had to do ms) and nothing like the delulu theories y'all made up in your head. no company is forcing two grown ass men to do anything which will affect their mental health means if being separated would have affected tk's mental health in any way (this is for the people who says "there's no sparkle in jk's eyes he's missing his taehyungie hyung", "bring back these two together", it's also funny how they think jk is unhappy without tae but they don't have any problem admitting that tae looks happy in whatever he's doing currently lol so only jk is suffering according to tkkrs) neither the company nor tk would play with their mental health if they thought being apart from e/o would take a toll on them so Accept it that both jungkook and taehyung are doing whatever they thought is best for them.

yoonminers and taekookers are two sides of the same coin so there's no need to address them separately. about jinkookers then they all think the same that gay couple won't enlist together but at the same time they think jk chose Buddy program cause that would automatically make him serve in frontline where jin is, jm knows about it so he helped jinkook and they're happy jinkook can meet e/o in ms quite contrary if you ask me.

At some point Taehyung MIGHT have talked about the enlistment with jungkook too and we might never know about it (like I'm open for this option too) but what remains as the fact is that even if jungkook couldn't join special force like tae, tae had all the options/choices to get into Buddy program with jungkook and be together till discharge yet it's jm and jk who's in ms now and nothing anyone says can change that fact. So the "tk couldn't be together because of tattoes and they had no option" is a complete lie so get over it.

using Buddy program gives you no privilege cause you're simply gonna serve in one of the most dangerous area that is frontline so it would be helpful for everyone if they they accept that the boys know what they're doing and move along with it. y'all should be happy that atleast they have someone with them to rely on in the difficult times of their life.

anyways, here's the thread i found on twitter if anyone wants to check.

https://twitter.com/Luuunnyyyy/status/1749398985133936722?t=elWkrli73AvBdVuGltqi4A&s=19

This is also for the people who thinks jm and jk ONLY enlisted together because they had no choice and that they're coworkers.

p.s. if anyone read this post then sorry for all that bad English nd mistakes.

[linalilia]

[meet the prisoners!] prisoner 006: yoshioka eiko!

sorry guys some of these prisoners' image colors are very bright 😭

(also speaking of image colors. yes i know that shun and akio's image colors are very similar. i know. i tried to change shun's color recently but he just doesn't look that good with other shades of purple? and i refuse to change akio's image color, it just feels right to use that shade for him. so. yeah)

anyway, do you remember kei's personality description? good, now meet his female version. HNJSHJSJSJ i'm just kidding, even though kei and eiko are very similar (and they're kinda supposed to be like that because they're a pair, you know, 05 and 06), they have a lot of differences as well.

(also another note, sorry, but basically i was a little embarrassed about many of my ocs having names that start with the same letter or names that simply have the same letters, for example, akio, aimi and asahi or kei, eiko and eiji.. but then i remembered that like five out of ten canon prisoners have last names that start with "k" and three of them have last names that start with "ka". so.. yeah, i think i'm fine actually. I'M SORRY THIS IS JUST SO FUNNY TO ME LIKE.. THAT'S A LOT OF K'S)

Warnings: .. as you have probably guessed, this is what happens when you grow up with deco*27's songs: you kinda become obsessed with writing toxic relationships sjhskksls. so yes, we're dealing with destructive romance again this time! i promise not all of my ocs like that i swear the next four prisoners' crimes actually don't have anything to do with romance

General info:

Name: Yoshioka Eiko (吉岡 英子) (her last name means "good luck" and "hill" and her first name means "excellent" and "child")

Age: 23 y/o

Gender: Female

Status: Prisoner 006

Birthday: December 19 (Sagittarius)

Height: 168 cm

Blood type: B

Image color: #B4EFFF

Occupation: University student and a part-time model

Personality: At first Eiko really does look like Kei's "female version": she's flirty, playful, she's always ready to use her appearance to get what she wants and she's a very confident and talkative young woman. She also seems to be very interested in romance and even though she's literally in jail right now, she's still looking for a partner to "fill that void inside of her". However, that's where their similarities end. The thing is.. Eiko is actually much smarter than Kei. She doesn't lie, but it doesn't mean that she's always being 100% honest: she just doesn't mention some details on purpose. For example, sure, she will tell you everything about her victim, but she won't say anything about how she killed them. She actually has a potential to be the most manipulative prisoner here.. but she's too lazy for that, so she doesn't even try unless she absolutely has to. Like Akio, she doesn't take this whole thing seriously and when she met the guards, she thought that this is just some kind of roleplay and said that one of the guards enjoys punishing prisoners way too much for this to be real. And she actually decided to go along with it.

MV info:

Which canon Milgram song she would cover: No, Kei wouldn't cover Tear Drop even though he's literally wearing the same sunglasses from the MV. But Eiko would cover it! I don't have a deep reason for assigning her this song, it just has her vibes and I know she would do a great job covering it.

Which DECO*27 song she would cover: Relationship Scramble! You'll see why later.

If she could cover a song by a different Vocaloid producer, which one would it be: Cute Girlfriend by syudou. Again, you'll see why later <3

Her MV description: Just like Kei's MV, her MV would have very bright colors as well and the instrumental would sound a lot like something you could hear during a fashion show, if that makes sense?

The video starts with Eiko getting ready for something and we can see her trying to pick an outfit. She can't decide, so she turns to the mannequin she has in her room. The mannequin doesn't move and doesn't say anything, but she still smiles and finally makes a decision. When she's ready, it looks like she's about to leave.. but she doesn't and instead she just lies on her bed with a laptop and she looks really happy. She gets a notification and when she checks it, everything around her becomes the same color as her image color and it doesn't look "real" anymore, it's like everything around her is "digital". She's not home anymore, it's like she's walking around town and she finds everything very interesting. The lyrics mention her "taking a step into someone's world". She ends up buying some clothes and when she's back, she puts everything she bought on that mannequin from earlier. She looks proud and the lyrics say "I can't wait to finally see you".

She keeps going to that world and coming back with more stuff for that mannequin. Clothes, accessories, she even buys it things like books and games, like this thing actually has hobbies.. like this thing is actually a real person. She even hugs and kisses that mannequin and it looks like she really is in love with it. But it also looks like Eiko is sad for some reason and she finally decides to actually leave the house and not just go back to that digital world. This time everything around her is dull and gray and she doesn't pay much attention to her surroundings until she notices someone. When that happens, she just stands there, shocked and she can't look away from them.

Right after that, she goes home and when she turns the lights on, she walks closer to the mannequin and now it looks like she hates this thing and finds it disgusting. She starts breaking it, she starts tearing its head, arms and legs off and even beats the mannequin with its own limbs. She looks like she's really angry at it, but she's also crying at the same time? When she's finally done, she goes outside while holding a huge trash bag and throws it out. She goes back to her house and the MV ends with Eiko singing "I guess I'll just have to find someone new" and you can notice that her nails are actually painted the same color as Kei's image color.

Trailer 1 Voicelines:

"Hi~ My name is Yoshioka Eiko, nice to meet you! I'm still a university student, but I also work as a part-time model. Hmm, so you two are, like, the prison guards or something? Haha, so you enjoy being in charge? Ouch! Okay, okay, sorry~ So you want to know more about my crime too.. Well, I wouldn't call it a crime personally. I had to do it, I was lied to, after all."

".. Why is he not replying?.. I swear, he used to be online all the time before that incident happened. I guess I'll have to finally pay him a visit."

Trivia:

She doesn't care about her verdict, she just wants to see how everything will go. But she also thinks that she will most likely get an innocent verdict because "people love to see a woman suffer because then they can just say "oh, you poor thing" and make her depend on them so much that she won't be able to do anything without them".

She committed other crimes and not just murder, but she had only one victim.

She's very close with Kei and Prisoner 008 and she also tried flirting with Shun, but she left him alone after she found out that he has a girlfriend. But she said that Shun actually doesn't seem like the most loyal person and even though she wouldn't mind him having multiple partners (and she's more than okay with being in a poly relationship with him and Kei), she would prefer it if he stopped claiming that he can't just forget about his girlfriend and try dating someone else.

She's the only prisoner who managed to fluster Eiji, the guard who wants to vote everyone guilty, after she played along and went "Go on, punish me if you want, I don't mind". She thinks he's adorable.

She does share some traits with Mahiru, another Prisoner 006, but they're also very different. For example, Mahiru seems more interested in "emotional" love and she's more of a traditional hopeless romantic, meanwhile Eiko is more interested in "physical" love and even though she wants to have a boyfriend, she's not interested in "cutesy" and "lovey-dovey" stuff.

Personally, I feel like she's the least sympathetic female prisoner OC of mine? I made her sound like a girlboss and she kinda is, but when you think about her crime.. Yeah, this girl's morals are non-existent.

Kei and Eiko definitely have their own theme as well and honestly, it feels like they actually have two themes. I seriously can't decide which one should be their "official" theme, so.. It would either be something like "Idealization" (What if someone who you admired/loved so much turns out to be not as perfect as you thought they would be? Would you accept that? Or.. would you try to change that?) or "Betrayal" (If someone who is very important to you betrayed you, what would you do? Would you hurt that person back or would you rather hurt people around them to express your anger?)

[kyogre-blue]

Whew.... taking a break after a bit more 3.1 HSR.

So far, I'm up to the second battle with the Flamereaver (who has now gotten that name in-story lol), so I've gotten through... taking Anaxa back to Okhema, the bath competition, the Krateros bit, Tribbie flashbacks and getting attacked by the Reaver, and now us trying to ambush the Reaver and trap him in "Maze of Time" (Mem's memory world), with like three more myphai scenes somewhere in there.

Highlights:

First of all, let me say, why is JP version of Mydei (nickname) so different from their version of Mydeimos (full name)? I even went to look it up on the wiki. JP Mydei is Modis and Mydeimos is... Medeimos. That's not a nickname, that's straight up a different name! RU and KR pretty obviously have the same pronunciation for both names (as in, the two names match each other), so I wonder what is going on. The CN hanzi are pretty different though, not a single shared character, though I have no idea how you pronounce any of it... Interesting implications if his name was supposed to get changed so much when being "nicknamed," especially with him bringing up Kremnoan traditions and even explicitly their language so often.

(It kinda hits a bit that he can "listen and read" but writing is rough...)

One of the scholars that died at the Grove was married to a Kremnoan woman. I have say, they are pretty consistent about including the presence the Kremnoan detachment/people in the story throughout.

The bath competition was so stupid, but it's also kind of... Phainon really thought "we need a break, time to make a fool of myself" and made a fool of himself. I do feel cheated that the girls get a bathtime CG, but the guys got into the bath in their clothes, as explicitly stated in dialogue. What, are you too shy to strip??

There's a lot more CGs this time around though. Pretty much the only one I recall from 3.0 was the Cas one at the very end. This time, there's the pseudo-murals for Mydei backstory stuff, the bathtime CG, the Mydei CG, the Tribbie flashback CG... good use of them.

Speaking of, I can't believe Aglaea actually calls Castorice "Cas." So casual?

Mydei's timeline seems to be mostly explained. He got tossed into the Sea of Souls as a baby but didn't die because he's immortal. He eventually returned to Kremnos but was banished and spent the next ten years wandering battle to battle (seems to have been NOT fighting for Kremnos though, unclear why they were fighting at all, were they acting as mercenaries?). At that time, some people joined him, and they formed the original detachment. After ten years, they joined Okhema under Aglaea, then Mydei led a force to defeat Kremnos and killed the king. Notably, his father didn't recognize him at all and even took him for an Okheman. Then afterwards, since Kremnos tradition is for the next king to kill the previous king, I guess most Kremnoans followed his orders to move to Okhema. They've been there long enough to have young children, though I don't think a specific duration is given. Mydei... is probably in his twenties lol. Phainon's hometown was raised years ago, so there really is no telling who has been at Okhema longer.

There's some other interesting timeline details. Three of the titans appeared at the same time as the black tide, including Strife, which seems to have been a thousand years ago, since that's cited as how long Kremnos people have been doing their thing. Strife was specifically charged with fighting back the black tide, and after we kill Nikador, the black tide situation immediately gets worse. Very JRPG, kill an enemy only for the situation to get worse because they were holding back a bigger enemy.

Krateros is able to enter the Vortex of Genesis and attempt the Strife trial, so I guess that's not something limited to Chrysos Heirs. Which... raises questions. I also have questions about how many Heirs there actually are. It might be a mistranslation, but the Kremnoan wife says her husband was an Heir. I guess it makes sense given that the old councilwoman killed a bunch in the past, but it's just kind of not explained in detail. Also, there's a sussy bit that Anaxa is still being possessed by Cerces because he's still carrying her coreflame, which is apparently how he's able to fight the Reaver for a while.

Speaking of Cerces, I forgot to note last time that she recites two different... poems? blessings? referring to winds, one about west wind, one about north wind. I didn't screenshot them tho, I don't remember the details.

Anaxa mentions that the Council of Elders has "arcane power" that protects Kephale's Coreflame. Which... is interesting given how often the political situation vis a vis the Council is brought up. Surely this will become A Problem eventually.

Getting the other Myphai stuff out of the way... I am surprised (and pleased) by how much they actually interact. They genuinely appear to grow closer and have a specific fondness for each other. The POV switches in this last stretch have been a bit intensive, but it does benefit the story to leave the Astral Express aside.

I'm not going to comment too much on the various moments they share, but I think there's two points I found... interesting? First, is that the "HKS" insult that Mydei uses for Phainon like it's a pet name is ALSO the insult he used when killing his father, and he also calls the Flamereaver a hyena. Either writing misstep of 4shadowing, take your pick. Second, the story Chartonus told Mydei, about a famous member of his Mountain Dweller people, who set the forests around their home aflame in order to drive them out into the world (and away from the danger they were ignoring). Mydei parallels this to himself and setting the Kremoans onto a new path, but I personally wonder about the Flamereaver. Phainon says it's hard to say what Geocles should have done because there was no way to make everyone happy, which Mydei (correctly) calls a very naive way of thinking. Geocles "didn't try to make everyone understand him, nor did he waste time trying to make everyone happy." "He took action and enacted change with his own hands." In Mydei's case, this parallel is a good one, but it's easy to see where this can go really wrong. In b4 Flamereaver is just taking action to force everyone onto a new path, especially if you stretch the parallel between setting the forest on fire to drive the Mountain Dwellers out into the world with setting Aedes Elysiae on fire to drive Phainon out into the world.

(Also, shout out to the fact that Kremoans used to hunt down Mountain Dwellers and enslave them. Truly an awful history they have.)

That leaves just the Tribbie portions. Shock lore drop that her mother, the Holy Maiden before her, was killed because politics, but also kind of weird that they seem to be a different race than normal people?

Those flashback segments got creepy, and honestly Tribios's situation is really painful. Good stuff, but they need to nail in their final fate. I'm pretty ?? about Trianne being still alive atm. She got a death scene, what else do you need...

Overall, things definitely picked up once we got done wasting time on the Grove and got to the Tribbie and myphai stuff.

[escapaldi]

This is why I have a difficult time believing that "saying bad things about our Founding Fathers is a terrible thing" or "don't speak ill of the dead" however that sentiment gets packaged. You can't just say that they were "complex like anyone" and leave it at that as the most in-depth you get. It's not cancel culture or purity culture or whatever to discuss the inherent and vast double standard of these rich WASPy men talking about freedom and rights for only them while on stolen land that was built on the backs of slaves and managed by their wives, all while propping up lies that was only taken as supposed fact because it helped bolster their mentality and way of life. Any time someone mentions even part of this in a discussion about American history, some doofus rises from whatever comfortable suburban lifestyle swamp they're in to harp about how cancel/purity culture is killing us as a nation. We're still talking about them. They're not cancelled. We're just at the point now where we can and want to have dialogue so that we aren't worshipping these people like false idols in the manner every American history textbook for generations has done.

You want to know what are applications of cancel/purity culture that are actually harmful? Not discussing how many people were around before the initial permanent European settlements in North America and why so few of their descendants remain. Not talking about slavery in this nation was waaay different from the Roman slavery the class learned about last semester in World History and not in a good way (understatement). Not acknowledging how there are active people alive in 2023 who are older than not only the Voting Rights Act of 1965(my mom is older than this!!!) but also the 19th Amendment (1920!!!) of all things. Not contextualizing why LGBT+ people only seem to exist in larger numbers recently, and allowed to grow old and proud and out for only the past ten or so years. Not breaking down how the Puritans wrote their own version of history where they were unjustly persecuted and downtrodden and that's part of why our country is the way it is, where people have gotten this far in spite of it all. That is harmful cancel culture. That is focus on purity. That is why we have such knee-jerk reactions from people learning the truth and creating shit like cancel culture and purity culture and whatever other fucking reactive culture there is revolving being disgusted at truths that should have never been hidden from anyone.

There are so many things that get purposefully left out of conversations because it's perceived as "cancelling" the established narrative and might cause kids learning about it to be sad or feel guilty. Guess what? These things fill in important gaps for reasoning, motivation, and context, and those sad kids? They are sad because they're learning how to empathize and that they never want shit like this to happen ever again. Guilt is only there when they've participated, and why might children feel guilty then if this all is in the past? Before they were even born? The only way we'll move towards the nation that was promised to us through history and civics courses is by recognizing these deep flaws and teaching that to the next generations so they won't be stuck on the "glory" of the past. If instead of breaking down these old paradigms for a more complete and truer history you want to prop up these sterile lies fill of denial and erasure, what are you really advocating? That the nation we were all promised is the biggest lie in of itself? Hmm... I wonder why that could be... (.-.)

We have to tell the truth. From the beginning. All of us do. The responsibility has been riding on the backs of the marginalized for far too long. And the easiest way to do that is to teach actual history.

[magicsunwheel]

Why You're F#cking Amazing

Pick-a-Card

How to play: pick one of the photos below using your intuition. You can close your eyes and meditate for a bit or just take a few grounding breaths while thinking of the topic. Feeling drawn to more than one is fine! You might have messages in more than one pile

Pile 1 (x) Pile 2 (x) Pile 3 (x)

My pile numbers always go from left to right, then down to the text row (if applicable)

Pile 1

Cards: The High Priestess, Five of Swords, Seven of Pentacles, The Moon Rx, Five of Rods, Ace of Pentacles

You are so intuitive! You're either very in touch with your divine feminine or are working your way there right now. Something about you is severe in the most beautiful way. You can take things seriously when they need to and the way you command a room with just your presence is unmatched. Maybe you're also a tarot reader or involved in spirituality/divination in some way. Maybe you really like Pick-a-Cards.

Something beautiful about you is that you never give up on a fight, especially when you know the end is worth it. Your ambition is strong and you will fight for what you love and what you want. You are not weak-willed by any means.

This also makes you so unique! You work so hard and put so much labor into your love even if you know it will take a long time to come to fruition. The times that you feel discouraged by a lack of results are few and far between. If for some reason you do find yourself wistfully hoping for faster results or an easier path, you can easily remind yourself of why you started in the first place.

You might have moments where you think of yourself as sneaky or like you're hiding a part of yourself from others, like your true self would be too much for them. I'm here to tell you that your intensity is exactly what make you such a beautiful person! You thrive in competition and in adversity. It gives you a chance to show off your quick thinking and survival skills. Others look at you with envy of how you can make an opportunity out of seemingly nothing!

If you need help improving your self-love, Spirit says to stop comparing yourself to others! You are amazing and beautiful and unique all on your own! Throwing yourself into the fray to compete against others who are nothing like you will only fim your inner shine. And you really do shine! When I asked for a card about why you are beautiful, nearly half the damn deck flew out!

Sprit loves you and I love you so please take care of yourself and keep making those amazing opportunities to improve your physical surroundings. (I feel like you have a very clean room/home)

Pile 2

Cards: Nine of Rods, the World, King of Cups, Three of Rods, Ace of Rods, Two of Cups

Ahh the Loona pile!

Similar to Pile 1, but much more fiery! You are resilient! Taking time to collect yourself before pushing forward with a renewed sense of energy and purpose is such an amazing and useful trait. You maybe aren't as commanding of a presence but you have such an inner strength that no one can deny.

You got the World for the reason why you're beautiful! Maybe it's related to physically being very beautiful and possibly exotic-looking. You might have very specific features associated with a certain area of the world that stand out where you live. You also have such a wonderful understanding of the world and where it's currently at. Things can seem negative or like hope is lost but you still seek out the beauty and share it with others. You see opportunity where others do not and feel a sense of peace and connectedness with all of humanity. Wow!

Your uniqueness shines in your emotionality and compassion. You might be a natural born leader who makes sure to understand all under your rule. You lead with kindness and, most importantly, by example. You don't have any desire to use you position for ill-gotten gains. Power to you does not corrupt, it solely provides a tool for you to do good in the world and really make a difference in the lives of others, whether it's on a large or small scale. You are probably the kind of person who makes sure to give money to those who need it when you pass a begging mother and her children, or buying a homeless man a bottle of water on a hot day.

Your card for why you think you are not perfect actually came out quite positive. Maybe you don't have a very low self esteem, but I can see a few possible scenarios here. You might be constantly planning in your head, waiting and watching for the next move to take but never actually getting to the action part. Maybe you're planning for your future and have so much planned out that you're excited for, but haven't made the practical plans on how to actually get there. This could make you feel bad about yourself especially on days where you're reminded of others moving ahead in their lives while you're still planning. Visualisation is very important in manifesting your desired reality! If you are moving slower than others around you, remember that it is okay to not be where "everyone else" is. Life is not a race or a competition. Taking your time to get to where you need to be when you need to be there reminds me of the story of the tortoise and the hare. Quick does not necessarily mean better.

You can improve your self-love by creating! Using your creativity and passion to make something! Create art, whether it's physical/digital art, music, writing, inventing, anything that uses those creative muscles of yours. It doesn't have to be good! Just creating something will help burn up that excess energy you have that's trying to rush you somewhere. Self-expression this way can be a wonderful hobby even if you don't consider yourself as a creative person.

Your kindness really shines through. You care so deeply about the people around you and your spiritual team cares just as deeply about you. You are loved and watched over and protected by Spirit. Others around you also see your sparkle and appreciate and admire you, even if they don't show it. Know you are beautiful and amazing and bringing a light into this world that needs to be here.

Pile 3

Cards: Six of Rods, the Hierophant, Four of Rods, Six of Cups, Ten of Swords, the Hermit Rx

Damn, who are y'all!? You've got some mighty power and pull in this world. Maybe you're a public figure or have some kind of platform, like a social media with many followers. You could also be well-recognized within your field of study/work. Whoever you are, people see you and look up to you. They celebrate you and how amazing you are! Spirit loves this about you and you really shine in the spotlight. Your achievements deserve all this pomp and celebration!

You are naturally authoritative. People listen when you speak and take your words to heart. You might also be a religious person or someone who enjoys organization and the comfort of hierarchy. People will willingly follow you wherever you lead them because they trust you with all their hearts. "A merciful ruler" (lol) You hold your position with grace and dignity befitting a king or queen.

You are unique in ways the public recognizes, but we knew that already! You might be someone who likes to entertain and you throw the greatest parties and get-togethers. Maybe you've planned a wedding and everyone had such an amazing time! You know how to relax and have fun when the time for celebrating arrives. You can out down your guard and bit and let loose. Not many people with such responsibility can let go of the reigns like that, but you don't seem to hold on to control too tightly.

Your past might be a source of anxiety for you. Maybe you're worried that what you've done when you were younger will catch up to you and ruin what you've got going on now, but it's important to remember that the past is the past. It cannot be undone or wished away. Taking time to accept what happened and recognizing that you've moved on to bigger and better things is important here. Whatever happened, take time to heal your childhood wounds and forgive past actions.

Ending this cycle will bring much more self-love to your life. Old habits and patterns being out to rest is the way forward. It might be a painful ending and something you don't necessarily look forward to, but it is something that needs to happen to clear out old energy and welcome in everything new. You can't expect to move on if you're still repeating old actions or ways of thinking. It's time to set these things to rest and evolve. Leave behind what no longer serves you.

Your understanding of yourself knows no bounds. You've taken the time to inquisit yourself and learn all of the shadows that lie there. Self-reflection might be a favored pastime for you. Through this knowledge of yourself you are able to see truths that many struggle to see all their lives. Your light can cut through the fog if bullshit and see the true source of something. Use this knowledge of yourself to become the best version of yourself that you can be! I know you're already on your way there and it's amazing to see! Spirit is so proud of you and loves you so much!

[lwt28brave]

LT2 masterpost

If it was up to me, we would get an autumn or winter EP. Since it’s not up to me at all, here, enjoy this post with everything we know so far of LT2, which is to say, not much at all. Everything here is hypothetical. I’ll be updating every time I see something relevant. A little disclaimer that while this is a masterpost (kinda), it could be read as discourse (duh, it’s also a theory), AND it’s also by me, and you shouldn’t expect me to be serious at this point.

Due to me restraining myself, there’s no reference to any of the times he’s mentioned his guitar skills and him improving but I hope you know I cried every single time.

I’m also linking my old pinned here. It was written before AFHF and around the free merch thing that didn’t lead to much, but I still think I made some good points.

Possible tracks:

Copy of a Copy of a Copy

Change

Faith in the future??

369??

Possible names:

369

Faith in the future

When is the album coming out?

Your guess is as good as mine

Friday 28th of January 2022. Almost two years after Walls. It’s a Friday. It’s a 28th. What else can I say?

Here you can find @want-to-be-loved timelines for every month.

Here you can find @berlinini’s timeline of what Louis has been up to this year (2021).

The rest is under the cut. And here you can find a PDF version where Tumblr can't tell me how many pictures I can add.

2020

He said back on May 2th 2020 he wasn’t writing anything new yet.

(x)(x)(x)

Interestingly enough, he’s said many times after that that the album’s not ready cause he has no new experiences to drawn from. I won’t call him out because he does it himself.

May 4th. He liked a tweet from DMA’s Johnny Took saying they had to go write together again. Louis has been credited as an influence for them and (kind of) participated in their previous record, so I’m assuming he meant for their music and not his, but you never know.

Nothing(literally nothing??? how did we survive) until 11th of July. We all know what happened that day. We all celebrated it. Nonetheless, that’s not what I’m talking about here.

(x) So, by the beginning of July 2020 he was working on concepts and ideas for the new album. That was fifteen months ago. I know perfection takes time but…

Brief summary of important things that happened from then until the next mention of new music:

Louis left Syco!!!! 10 days later he rescheduled the tour for the first time. He followed Matt Vines on Twitter, probably so we could publicly shame him into doing something. Also, the 10thanniversary. He followed more people I wish he hadn’t.

Then more nothing until September. Not even a single tweet. The first merch drop was on the 28th of August but he just RT’ed the tweet. He first mentioned Free my Meal on the 25th of September. Then on October 1st Walls hit #1 on a lot of countries and Louis was incredibly happy and excited about it ^^

And then, that same day, October 1st, 2020, he dropped this bomb:

(x)

He also said it was too soon to be sharing new lyrics with us (x)

And, obviously, this tweet which is actually what made me start this whole post. I would hope you know mate.

(x)

He also told us he was cooking "banger after banger" and that he was incorporating more social themes into his music (x)(x) (I believe any social issue is a political issue but that’s not the point rn).

COPY OF A COPY OF A COPY?!?!

These next paragraphs are brought to you by my mind not remembering things and me not having any links. I’m assuming COACOAC came from those writing sessions that supposedly happened in October. Or in LA but I have no idea if he actually was in LA at any point other than a Daily Mail article putting him there on December which would have been too late, but I do remember that someone said he was in the studio in LA last autumn???? A rumor. Maybe. IDK. Did I mention already all of this is very hypothetical?? Well, this is it. I can’t even remember if this was October or November or what. So, take this with a grain of salt.

I’m also… taking the liberty to assume, if you must, that Copy wasn’t meant to be a Walls reject because it sounds more mature and darker and it has a vastly different tone that Walls songs. I know he’s said that song probably isn’t getting into the album, but I want to have faith (in the future) that I’m getting a studio version. (But also, Louis, if you’re reading this, first of all GET OUT OF MY BLOG second of all, please don’t ever feel pressured again to add a song to the album because we have already heard it before. It’s your art and it should always be under your own terms).

So yeah, I believe that Copy is either one of those four songs (then imagine the other three??!!) or was written around the 1st of October date.

---End of the Intermission---

Then not much important (other than sharing more about Marcus Rashford fight against food poverty and the 2nd merch drop) until he announced the livestream on the 24th of November. (x)

It wasn’t until a few days before the livestream date we even thought again about new music (jk, I know we’re always thinking about new Louis’ music). So, December 9th/10th, 2020. Nine months ago. We got our first taste of new music!

He made sure we knew Copy of a Copy of a Copy isn't a cover! (x) (x)

(x)

Ok, so that’s it for 2020. (I feel like I’m missing something from September 17th because tweet was deleted but maybe he was still talking about cucumbers. We might never know. Unless I understand how Tumblr tags work). Expected, cause Walls was released in 2020. We needed to let it sit for a while.

2021

Another Summary: Louis third tweet of the year was telling the UK government off. So was the fifth. What a good beginning. On the 26th of January, he said he prefers pancakes over waffles. I hope he meant pancakes other than his own. More importantly, he tweeted the infamous “you lot read into things too much”. Don’t get me started, Tomlinson. Don’t. Then the 31st came around and Walls was one. He tweeted this. How wise. And Project Defenceless happened!!

15th of February!! Who cares about Valentine Day when the next day we got this? ♥

(x)

(x)

So…AN EP?? AN EP?? PLEASE RELEASE AN EP.

“I’m sure I will have something out this year but unlikely that will be the album”. Unlikely but not impossible. Also. A single would be good. This is the second time he mentions releasing something in 2021 and he sounds surer about it than the first time around.

He also said that he isn’t sure we will get a studio version of Copy. And that the best bridges from Walls to LT2 are Walls, OTB, KMM and Copy. Can’t wait!

Then we jump to March 6th when he announced he was going to create his own management company. “Sometimes action is needed first to encourage the motivation and belief”. As we can tell he was already manifesting some stuff which will lead us to the numerology stuff/Tesla… kidding. Or not. We might never know.

On the 22nd of March he answered some questions:

He told us music was still his main focus ♥ mwha. (x) I included this tweet to guilt-trip him into giving us music in case he’s reading this even after I told him to leave. ILY.

(x) I’d love to get a visual EP this autumn. Just saying. It sounds like a lovely concept.

(x)

…next (I will get into it, I promise. I’m just mad).

On the 25th he left for Mexico until April 10th. You could assume it was just for the documentary where we got ten seconds of footage or admit the obvious: LT2 its a Mexican baby!!

On the 26th (so, not so far apart from that first 369) we got the first Faith in the Future mention: (x)

Back then we were innocent people who had no idea what was coming upon us. We still have no idea because what the fuck does he mean with these. Please explain. I have one braincell and I don’t use it enough for this. I’m linking some theories.

On the 30th of March he confirmed he was already working on the documentary. So AFHF was already on the works. Will it take this long for us to get the Veeps numbers? We also got this tweet: "Got a decent chorus idea down" (x).

Same person that got the “something out this year” exclusive. If you know something share with the class. Also. Is this Change? I feel like this could be Change but I also assume he wrote Change after hanging out with his friends or being in Doncaster. But who knows.

(x) And the second mention to 369.

(x) 15th of April. The second "Faith in the future".

On the 19th of April he announced that he had something BIG for us later on the year which turned out to be the Away From Home Festival ♥♥ (x) I love him so much.

Then on the 28th he announced the 369 merch drop (which it’s probably the Walls drop? Except that the TOU and KMM ones were “drop 1 and drop 2” and this was drop 369 which, again, makes no sense) but we still don’t know what 369 means.

Into May’ 21 we go.

He rescheduled tour again. And dropped another bomb (x).

He announced he has signed with BMG as an independent artist by RTing this tweet on May 10th. The article also says that he’s already working on writing and recording LT2. The timing… we don’t know. What this deal involves… we don’t know either. Bear with me here because I have a lot to say about this.

I think the deal is only a distribution one, but that BMG are interested in Louis and what he (us) could bring to the table. They were either present at the festival or watching it, but officially they had no involvement at all with it (everything is credited either to Louis own company, 78 Productions, or Charlie Lightening’s company). That’s the case for both giveaways too; the vinyl one and the tickets for the festival.

I think it would be an unbelievably bad move not to test the waters with BMG now or soon-ish. At least a single, to see how it performs. Due to the circumstances, it’s obvious there’re certain limitations on place but I want to see how they push it, whether the radio play exist this time around and if the song is playlisted and promoted and all that… I would also love to know, since it says he signed with BMG UK, but it also states it’s a global deal, how things are going to go on the US and other countries.

Yes, yes. I know those are all questions and no answers. But I know the same as you, sadly. If any of you know more than you’re letting on… again, share with the class.

Where was I? Yes, on the 25th of May Louis had a great day writing (x). Since the first time he had mentioned he was officially writing to this date there’s almost eight months. And I believe he was writing before October’ 20.

He followed Robert Harvey that day and, on the 28th of May (why is it always the 28th???) he was spotted at the studio for the first time.

June was an interesting month for the fandom ♥. Lots of LHL content which I will love and cherish for the rest of times. On June 4th, June 9th, and June 10th he was spotted at the studio, but I believe he was there more days.

(x)

This was posted on June 6th and captioned Studio. Charlie also shared it with “Mega tunes being put down, can’t wait for this @louist91 #louistomlinson #LT2” as the caption. This gives me 2019 (Elton-Joint) vibes. I like it. Feels like we’re getting closer to something.

He added the Milano date on the 9th too which I’m mentioning because I’m going alone. Anyone wanna go with me please? I’m nice and I never eat anything before a concert so you can have my food. On other news. It didn’t come home.

During July he was at the studio at least three days too. Probably more. Feels like more with all the fan pictures we got. Or was that June? Anyway, July 1st and 9th we got some videos from Robert Harvey and wearesuperhi, which is who Louis has been working with the most, that we know of. I don’t know for sure they’re from that day. And on July 5th we got an article and lots of pictures of Louis looking really good outside the studio.

On the 12th of July the first fans started getting the free, 369 bucket hat and print. We still don’t know what the purpose was other than to thanks fans. Maybe that was it. I want answers and I still think it relates to a future project (see theories above), but it could also just be a bridge with the Walls breaking.

He didn’t tweet about anything interesting for a while, mostly because he lost his phone (he either throwed it in the air or smashed it who knows). Then on the 29th of July he announced the festival!

I’m glossing over it because there’s already been a lot of talk about it (rightfully) and while it was a wonderful thing, it doesn’t have much to do with LT2.

Let’s talk Change!

On August 3rd he tweeted this about the setlist.

(x)

And this (x) on the 28th! I can’t stand him.

We didn’t get it, obviously. Because who was going to get that. But we read too much into things. Alright.

On the 16thof August Dave Gibson shared this post tagged #LT2 with the eyes emojis 👀👀👀. I believe this has to do both with Change but also with whatever else came out of that Mexico trip.

(x) Last relevant tweet related to LT2 is this one.

So, on the 30th of August we got Change and we cried, and we know that Change is going in the new album. He said it. With those exact words. He also said he was “getting a feeling for it”. This has to meant he already has a general idea of the vibe of the new album and what’s going in it!!!!!! (Right? RIGHT?).

Anyway, let’s go back a few weeks because some other things happened on August. He was at the studio a few more times. Or it was suggested that he was there. On the 17th and the 18th. (Why was it so time-pressing to be at the studio instead of rehearsing for the festival? There was no studio at all on the documentary. Which makes sense, but again, then why?).

On the day of the festival we got another mention of Faith in The Future that made me feel part of a cult ngl. The words were flashing on the screen for less than a second. Okay.

And then he tweeted those words again after watching the livestream/documentary on the 4th of September (x). This is what makes me suspect it's either the name of the album or of the single.

On the same day, we got some interesting quotes about LT2 on the documentary.

“Soon I’ll have to think about me second album, which in my head I’ll get the tour out of the way and then I’ll address that. So, I hadn’t really given it much thought, to be honest”.

“When every day is the same is hard to feel creative and it’s hard to have any kind of proper inspiration”.

“As season started to come back, I started writing again and it was great and some of these songs turned out alright”.

And I think this is it. I might be overlooking some important details but that’s what we know and what we don’t know.

So. Conclusions. That’s what you missed on Glee. I do believe the album is, if not mostly done, partially there. And yes, this post is pointless and never-ending but it’s all in here if you need to tell Louis “Hey, you said this, mate”.

[darielivalyen]

THS - Announcement & Progress Update

This might be one of the trickiest updates I've ever given, but I feel like I can't just stay silent anymore. I simply have to give you some clues, no matter how small.

I can't tell you the name of the project just yet, but the title of this post does include its acronym.

The project will consist of (at least) three books, and the chapters will be longer than in Temple of Endless Night.

The first book will consist of ten chapters.

The final version of the demo will include the first four chapters and the prologue.

In terms of plot, the MC is forced to leave Earth because of an... event, and they are taken to a different plane of existence. There, they discover who and what they really are. (More on that later.)

The other plane is a combination of ancient Greece and Egypt, and it's a perfectly magical place.

Even thought the MC leaves Earth and the game includes some sci–fi elements, the genre is more fantasy than science fiction.

As for the main four ROs, the first one is a Korean–Japanese idol, the second – an Italian man with a shady background, the third – a Greek woman passionate about history and nature, and the fourth – a French (wo)man of African descent who believes one has to always live in the moment. Oh, (s)he can also call down lightning from the sky.

As for the other two ROs, you'll have to discover them yourselves!

In terms of progress, the prologue is finished (about 15k words), and I'm currently working on the first chapter. Chapter 1 is about 12k words long so far, but I still have many (and I do mean many) scenes to write. I expect it to be about 40+k words long.

I try to write about 2000–2500 words per day, and if things go according to plan, I'll be able to release the demo in November.

That's it for now, and I'll be back with the next progress update in a week. I might even post a snippet or two!

Hope you all have an amazing day!

[batri-jopa]

Ten Characters, Ten Fandoms, Ten Tags

Thanks for tagging @chrisoels ! At first I thought I don't have that many fandoms but then I found out that I actually have way too many😅 (why do I always have to overthink stuff like this?) So as there's no clear rules given here - I split it into the list of 10 characters and the list of 10 fandoms because why not:

TEN CHARACTERS - lets start with something normal...

John "Jack" Robinson (from Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries series) - for making all the most minimalistic reactions feel sooo intense with his voice, his face, his appearence and the way he can blink... He's the coolest quiet guy!❤

Amelie (from Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, 2001, dir. Jean-Pierre Jeunet) - nice, quiet girl who is not best at socialising and doesn't enjoy sex (greysexual?) yet loves to make other people happy. Doing good things without being noticed makes her feel powerful and make her feel like Zorro. I love that she eventually gets some kind of reward for all that and the kissing scene in the end is sooo very sweet❤

Pollyanna (from Pollyanna, 1913 novel written by Eleanor H. Porter) [books counts too I guess?] - for looking at the positive side of every situation, what's more to say? Best way to live your life when you're too empathetic👍

Benton Fraser (from Due South series) - a guy from other realm: elegant, polite and humble, obeying all the rules and still be the smartest and most effective police officer around. Not to mention how handsome and cute he is! (take it for ace version of "hot") and scenes like when he falls into the snow in end credits I could watch forever❤ (so bad his asexual smart-ass potential has been wasted by producers in every next season...)

Young Bilbo Baggins (from The Hobbit, or There and Back Again written by J.R.R. Tolkien) - the book character once more: the guy, who starts up as the classical loser, the smallest in the group, knowing nothing, understanding nothing and being scared of his own shadow - when given a chance proves his potential for the greatest deeds, smartest solving problems and bravest of actions💪And the talking to the dragon on the top of that, OMG!!!🤯 (sorry, but Peter Jackson version packed with CGI and unnecessary stuff for me was emotionally flat as a pancake😩)

Zorro (from Zorro, 1957 Walt Disney series) - ZORRO!!! if that's not self-explanatory I don't know what to say😂

Z (from Ant Z , 1998dir. Eric Darnell and Tim Johnson) - for: "Why does everybody have to dance the same way?"

Sherlock Holmes (from Sherlock BBC series) and Gregory House (from House M.D. series) - well it is technically the same character (like Doctor Who or like James Bond - played by multiple actors): brilliant antisocial detective no matter if he is played by Benedict Cumberbatch or Hugh Laurie. And if not for his stunning personality (you may love him, you may hate him but you can't stay indifferent) - all the undefined interactions, dialogs and puns between Sherlock and John or between Greg House and Lisa Cuddy are just pure gold❤️‍🔥

Howard Brackett (from In & Out, 1997 dir. Frank Oz) - sooo sweet, I consider him my favorite ace movie character💜💚 (the 1990's movie tells him to be "gay" but I'd say it's an obvious misrecognition and I'd need another post to tell more about that guy...😋)

Jareth the Goblin King (from Labyrinth 1986, dir. Jim Henson) - well... that's another guy that I sooo much need another post to talk about😆 Starred by David Bowie, nuff said😎

.

TEN FANDOMS (don't worry, this part is much shorter):

Labyrinth (1986, dir. Jim Henson) and its fancomic Girls Next Door (I love that in the fancomic Jareth gets muuuch more good time teasing and flirting Sarah!😋) - what to say? Everything is magical and fancy here but never too naive

X-men - a talent that makes you special also makes you an outcast (which is not any different from the real world actually...) Also cool looking action scenes and young Hugh Jackman as the Wolverine.

Collateral (2004, dir. Michael Mann) - I watched it for the first time in 2021 and it became my biggest obsession, hyperfixation and life perspective changing experience❤️‍🔥 (again - most definitely some other post to talk about it) But apart from my madness it's also is just a very good action movie with nice soundtrack. And ppl saying they hate Tom Cruise but loved Collateral says a lot about it!👍

Terminator 2: The Judgement Day. It's like Zorro to me - obssesed since my childhood and never get over it

Fiddler on The Roof - pure perfection

M.A.S.H. series - classic

House M.D. - apart from everything else it was also a great help during medical studies - nice thing when you can memorise weird disease symptoms with an episode😉

Toy Story - fascinating thing to watch every next movie growing up with you - from your childhood problems to middle age issues...

Matrix - hyperfixation of 13 years old me (but the first movie I choose to treat as a whole story)

Garfield - 😁

Oh, that was kind of refreshing. Turns out I actually needed that.

Now I'm afraid I do not know enough people to tag but lets try it: @the-malfunctioning-somnambulist , @vampiiriic , @blackhoodedfigur , @lireb-librarian , @voidofsky , @sharp-lines-in-charcoal , @dragodina , @sbmranger , @tamisdava2 , @notasapleasure

Have fun if you feel like it or just have a good day anyway!❤

[amostimprobabledream]

And He Walks With Flames (Dabi x Reader) - Part One

They say humans, in a strange, ironic twist of fate, owe their magic to demons. A thousand years ago, they walked the earth, wreaking destruction and chaos wherever they tread. Humans were no more than meat for the slaughter, or glorified playthings for their amusement. The first generation of humans to fight back against their monstrous oppressors did so by a peculiar, ancient magic. A power that could repel demons and bring hope to all humanity. A terrible war raged for the fate of the world and the humans managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. The demons were banished to their land of origin, sealed away in defeat. But seals don't last forever. While historians argue on how literal these legends may be, there is no denying that ancient creature have begun to stir, appearing in our world again with growing frequency. And soon there might- The last paragraph was torn away. "Oh, for god's sake," you tsk. Sunlight pours through the large, high window of your lecture room, dust motes dancing in the golden rays. Though you were engrossed in your book, once you look up, the spell is broken, and the clear sky outside once again has your eyes wandering to it. It seems that you are not the only one getting distracted, either - even the professor keeps tapering off at the promise of an afternoon outside in the gorgeous spring weather. "Well," the professor says, shuffling the papers in front of her. "That's all for today. Please revise over the material and we'll discuss it in further detail next time. You are all free to go." You're only too happy to comply, putting your things away and scrambling to your feet. Everyone else is hurrying to get outside, pouring down the stairs to the doors, chattering to one another as they go. Normally you love going to lectures, but it's just too nice outside to be cooped up indoors. You push open the doors and step outside, a muted sigh of pleasure leaving your mouth. Your university, the Royal Academy of Magic, has the reputation for being tough, but so far, you've been enjoying the work. Learning about the different faces of magic, its uses, and the history of it, it's all so very fascinating to you. You've been able to use magic since you were young, but it's studying it here that will really help you unlock your true potential, and hopefully give you a concrete idea of what to aim for with your career. So far there are so many options a magic-user might do that it's been a little overwhelming trying to decide. As you cross the lawns, grass crunching beneath your feet, you decide to swing by your dorm first to drop off your books - they may contain a lot of knowledge, but damn if they're not heavy - your mother pointed out that you've developed something of a slouch since you started studying here. "I'm back!" you call as you push open the door of your dormitory. "Huh?" Kendou looks up from her bed, where she has a couple of books sprawled out next to her head, notes scribbled in the margins of her notebook as she looks over her textbook. Her red hair spills down her shoulder, coming loose from its signature ponytail. "You're back early!" "Yeah, they let us out sooner than I expected," you reply with a shrug and a small laugh, dropping your bag on your own bed and stretching, wincing as a kink in your shoulder pops. "Oh, well, that's good timing, someone came by earlier with a message for you," Kendou says, pushing herself up into a sitting position, apparently deciding your arrival is a good a reason as any to take a break from studying. "Your mother wants you to go down to the Imperial Research Centre to get your father." "Did she come by here?" you ask in surprise. Normally your mother arranges to meet you after lectures or seminars if she wants to see you during the week, and she's a rather busy woman besides. "No, she left a message at the front desk and someone passed it along," Kendou shrugs. "But she also said you guys are doing something tonight, right?" "Oh, yes, I'd forgotten all about that!" you say, feeling silly that it could

possibly have slipped your mind - you love it when you get to go out for a meal with your parents and often it means one of them has some exciting news to share. "Thanks, Kendou, I'll head over there now." She grins and gives a little wave. “No problem!” You suppose it's fortunate that the Imperial Research Centre is only a short walk from the campus and that you're very familiar with the place, since your father's been working there for so long. Anyway, it's a pleasant walk, the way there is lined with rows of trees that are only a week or two away from growing from dark to light pink and shedding their blossoms. When the street is in full bloom, it's like there's been a wedding. You even find yourself humming as you walk, breathing in the subtle smell of flowers on the breeze, wondering to yourself if the blossom trees were planted before or after the buildings were founded, but either way, whoever was responsible for them made a good call. The Imperial Research Centre is a peculiar building, made of blue stone and with a roof that boasts four conical points, one in each corner, making it resemble a castle from bygone days just plopped in the middle of the city. There's an aura of mystery to it, too, hinting at the all-important, life-changing work that’s always going on inside. If ever cutting-edge technology is released to the public, odds were that the Centre had a hand in making it. The building is cooler on the inside than it is outdoors, powered by a system designed to spread cool or warm air throughout the entire building, depending on the system. You approach the front desk, wishing that you'd thought to bring a jacket, because it’s always cold in here during the warm seasons, and the receptionist glances up on you with a slightly dismissive expression on her face. It's probably because she thinks you're an overeager student or some hapless intern, it's very rare a researcher your age would be able to work here. "May I help you?" the receptionist asks in a cool, professional tone. "Yes, I'm here to see my father," you reply. "He's one of the vice executives here." You give his surname, and the woman pauses. Is that a trace of nervousness you can see? "He's downstairs in Containment Room 1A," she says, checking a sheet of paper on the desk, which is littered with various papers, random pieces of stationary and one of those magitech intercom systems that they use. They have something similar at the Academy too, though of course, the Centre get the most high-tech version of everything. "All right, thanks," you say, turning to head for the elevator. "Wait!" the woman cries out and you glance back, confused. "I'm sorry, but you can't just walk through here, especially to the lower levels! You don't have the clearance and it can be dangerous." You scoff in disbelief. You have visited your father here before, many times, and this has never been a problem for you before. You always just tell them who you are and then get a visitor's pass. You even know some of the codes to the doors, thanks to waiting around for your father to finish work so often. "Well, please can you have someone go fetch him for me?" you ask, going to reluctantly perching on one of the chairs in the waiting area. "Can't it wait?" the receptionist asks impatiently, and maybe it can, but her attitude is starting to piss you off, so you shoot her a frosty smile you've perfected after watching your mother pull a similar face at people who don't meet her standards. "No, it can't." The woman sighs but she dutifully presses a button on the intercom system and speaks quietly into it for a moment or two, while you idly pick at a loose thread on the chair you're sitting on. She then glances back at you, eyebrows raised. "A messenger has been sent down to speak to him. Hopefully he should be upstairs shortly." "Thank you so much." you reply sweetly, the last words with heavy emphasis. After that, the two of you sit in a mutually frosty silence, with the woman sorting through paperwork on her desk and occasionally

directing people who approach her desk to the correct floor (which seems redundant to you - why can't people just read the clearly printed sign on the wall next to her desk ?), while you flick through some glossy magazines without actually taking in a single word. But you're not leaving until you've spoken to your father. Minutes tick by and you start drumming your heel lightly on the floor, leg jiggling with impatience. You wonder if the woman just lied about sending a messenger down to the Containment Room in an effort to pacify you, in the hopes you'll just get bored and leave. You grit your jaw at the thought, ignoring how cold you're getting, sitting here doing nothing. After maybe ten minutes, a man in a lab coat approaches the front desk, leaning over to speak to the woman. "Kino, could you come with me a moment? Hannah can start her shift." "Oh, I'll be right there!" Kino says, flustered, getting out from behind the desk and following the man as he walks briskly down the corridor, without a backwards glance at you. No doubt her replacement will be along any moment - perhaps she's running late? But you don't plan on sticking around. As soon as the receptionist rounds the corner, out of sight, you spring up and walk briskly across the room to the elevators, stabbing the button and stepping through the doors. You don't bother to fight the smile that spreads across your face as the doors slide shut. ~ "Father?" There's always something slightly creepy about the lower floors. The orbs lining the walls that are designed to keep the machinery running in case of a power shortage cast an eerie glow in the corridors, washing everything with a pale blue light that makes it seem far colder than it actually is. It reminds you a bit of walking through a tunnel of ice. Your boots click on the stone floor as you follow the lights to Containment Room A1. Finally, you reach the double doors leading inside, flanked by two windows each side. You can see your father inside, his back to you, so you rap on the windows. Nothing. You try again with more force, hurting your knuckles, but he still doesn't turn around. Perhaps it's soundproofed, so whatever's out here can't disturb whatever's going on in there? You glance at the keypad next to the doors, but you've never been to this particular room before so the code for the doors on the upper level is unlikely to be the same one for down here. Then you see movement, shadows beneath the crack between door and floor, and the doors slide open with a mechanical swish and two scientists in lab coats come out, comparing notes and murmuring together excitedly. You slip inside before they can slam shut again, unwilling to stand outside in the chilly corridor for any longer than necessary. "Father!" you call out as you enter. But then you stop dead in your tracks. Ahead of you, trapped behind some kind of containment field...is a monster. "What-?!" you hear your father say in surprise at his daughter suddenly marching through the doors. "What are you doing in here?!" But you don't answer. You can't look away from what's in front of you, even if you wanted to. You know without being told that this is a demon, but it's certainly not what they looked like in any of your history books. A tall, humanoid being that is undoubtedly male and you can tell from where you’re standing that he’s tall. The demon's huge, black wings arch out from behind him, reminding you of a bat. Two horns jut out from a crown of spiky black hair, but aside from that, you're surprised by how… human he looks. Your cheeks warm up as you notice he is shirtless, peculiar burn marks covering over half of his body and seemingly crudely stitched together like a patchwork doll. Despite that, he's impressively sculpted, sinewy muscles on full display and you know that demons were said to be uncommonly strong. Your eyes drift further down, and you spot a whiplike tail wrapped around one leg, topped with a pointed barb at the end, like a club in a game of cards. His arms are in restraints and so are his

ankles, yet he doesn't seem stressed in any way, leaning against the back wall of his holding cell as though he's waiting for something. "What...is this?" you breathe out, finally turning to your father. "This is our latest research subject," your father replies beside you, also staring at the demon, though his expression is surprisingly somber, considering just how amazing it is that they have been able to capture and contain a demon. You've never seen a live demon before, and something tells you that the one before you certainly isn't any garden variety one. "Director Fuji is very excited about this. It's not every day you see a demon this high ranking." Slowly, the demon stirs, raising his head a little. You're perfectly safe outside the containment field, as well was the multiple other safety measures both inside the cell and out of it, yet the sensation of being watched makes your flesh break out in goosebumps. From beneath spiky fronds of hair, the demon's eyes - so blue they almost don't look real - stare right at you, his gaze alone rooting you to the spot, laying all your defenses bare and leaving you feeling bizarrely naked before that look. Watching you without once blinking or breaking his gaze, his lips part in a sneer to reveal two rows of teeth, the fangs sharp and white as an icicle. You find yourself holding your breath as your father speaks again. "Sweetheart, meet Dabi."

[dog-day-morning]

THE TRUTH AND SHAKA ZULU WILL KILL YOU

In a once-popular commercial for Calgon detergent in the 1970s, a curious housewife probes the Chinese owner of the local laundry for the answer to one of the world’s eternal mysteries: “How do you get shirts so clean, Mr. Lee?” After peering over his shoulder (so as to be sure that his not-so-discreet wife isn’t standing near) the man turns back around, raises a finger to his lips and says through a smile, “Ancient Chinese secret!”

While the answer to the question posed to the laundry owner by the woman was a closely guarded secret — one that his sweet, no-nonsense wife happily ruined — it was neither ancient nor even Chinese in origin. But the TV spot famously tapped into one of the most enduring legends about the country whose Ming Dynasty rulers had a 16-to-26 foot wall built around it: the age-old traditions of secrecy.

And, like Vegas, what happened in China very often stayed in China, just get the hell out of Alkebulan!!! But if you insist on staying, you and your barbarian invader horde of Ghengis Khan, wannabe warlords can take that beatdown like Hirihito of Japan. You can indulge in Alkebulan's rich resources for a season or get on a junk boat and go back to China and rebuild your own country. If you stay in the Motherland you'll perish🖕🏿🖕🏿🖕🏿🖕🏿. As the saying goes, s**t happens. Wash ya ass. Please, continue reading… my screwed up mind !!!

Take the Black Chinese [Moabites] who once made up the entire population of China prior to Esau's attempt at reclaiming the birthright God decreed would be Jacob's while in the womb through forced miscegenation "Raping of indigenous women." Do not be confused or mislead by this post. My research was sketchy to say the least. The portion of the population before China’s modern era does not register any indigenous Moabites, for example. The fact that you’ve never heard of them proves the point. Here comes the BS. But don’t worry. You’re not alone. China has some 1.3 billion people and nearly all are just as in the dark about them. Well, either that or a billion people all swore to never-ever-never air any [ahem] ‘clean laundry’ about black folks formerly having a place in China’s allegedly homogeneous society. That's a bunch of made up monkey s**t. Frankly, even an ancient culture with the bragging rights to the longest continually recorded history, another myth, is bound to miss a few things like a heart, and some effing genomes. The former presence — up until sometime in the 20th century — of Black people in pre-modern China is one of them. Fortunately, though, old photos taken throughout China around the advent of photography can help us to fill in today some of what the historians missed on purpose. I can't believe I'm posting this. 👎🏿👎🏿👎🏿👎🏿 China’s Qing Dynasty, established by the Manchu people who ruled from 1644–1912, is described as having been a vast multicultural empire. But it appears multicultural could also be a more pleasant euphemism for multiracial. You people are like dogs, stop eating them?! Nothing illustrates this better than the Black and white photos taken by visitors from Europe in the mid-to-late 1800s. Really?!! John Thomson, an Irish photographer was one of the first to capture images that reveal a surprisingly more diverse makeup of then-contemporary China. In one of the most stunning photos taken by Thomson displayed above, six women dine together in a courtyard. Captioned “Manchu ladies at a meal,” the picture was taken in 1869 in the city of Peking (now Beijing). Seated at the center of the photo are two women: on the right sits a typical high class Manchu and on the left sits a smiling Black woman — who could easily pass as the mother of the RZA, the GZA, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, or any other member of the Wu-Tang Clan.

Apart from the physical differences in the women (including the two who were likely seated, but stood for the picture), what’s also remarkable is that when Thomson writes about them, he makes no distinctions — though there were both racial and class differences; some of them were most assuredly attendants or maids. But in the view of Thomson, they were all simply Manchu ladies sharing a meal on a day when he sought interesting subjects to photograph. I saw the photographs. The darker ones were inherently claimed to be lower case workers or servants, while the ones who looked like Lucy Liu were considered affluent, and well off. These racial disparities that evolved from hell are a sad reminder to a wound that won't stop bleeding because of man's inability to stop giving in to his base emotions. I plead cray cray, and insanity. Jacob, they would rather burn in hell for an eternity than let us live in peace for a day. God is coming back for Israel not the Christian Church that has been corrupted by the Evangelical, right wing, nut jobs.

1 Maccabees 3:48

And laid open the book of the law, wherein the heathen had sought to paint the likeness of their images.

If you study history, and read the Bible, you'll see how religion has been used to divide God's people which they're not. Some gentiles will walk into New Jerusalem, the vast majority of them won't. The Bible has been tampered with by people who are shepherds for the Devil. The Catholic Church is Satanic no matter how you cut it. The cathedral of Notre Dame had gargoyles mounted atop the edifice looking over the city of Paris, France. Do you find this to be a bit of a double minded mentality or a slap of defiance in God's face. What god do you worship? We want to know the truth from God. This world can't be trusted with an anorexic T-Rex. You'd call it a crackhead and dump him in the Labrea tar pits unless it was a female, at that point you would attempt to crossbreed it with a Chihuahua, and hope to domesticate this new animal which has disaster written all over his I'm shaking cause I need a fix quick, petrified ass. When Vatican City is destroyed let that be a warning from God to those who still have a sliver of faith in God, get a relationship with Him. Jacob, this writing piece reveals their unwillingness, and froward hearted, lack of sensibility by not telling the whole truth. Instead they give us a revised version of history that wasn't. They have been our teachers for the last 500yrs when we were there's previous. Either you learn from your mistakes or continue to repeat them.

Zechariah 8:23

Thus saith the Lord of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.

If you hate being rebuked by a Black professor with a tenure ship, you'll hate being corrected by a Black child who has 5 degrees including a specialist in biochemical, ecological science, and psychology. You're ashamed because you're proud. There were great African kingdoms that educated the anglo European that's been shrouded in history. The book of Maccabees says the people who have mislead, and lied to us are as knowledgeable as a 13yr old using crib notes. I'm nuttier than a can of Planters, the truth is in you Jacob. Utilize the authority given to you. You will have to teach them as it was in the past. Everything from Bible scriptures, to aerospace, science engineering. The educational system is designed to hold back Black children, but the 3 people with the highest IQs in the world at the time was a 10yr old Black male, an 2 Black females under the age of 8. They were the youngest members of Mensa ever. This was about 4yrs ago. You can't stop God's anointing from glowing and glorifying Him and His people. Read the rest of this article and lose your mind. Its a nauseating and frustrating read. The truth will set you free. It ain't in these hood boogers

Written accounts by early Chinese historians tell us that the Tonkin region and its adjacent areas were once a hotbed of various non-Han Chinese peoples, including those from whom the Lao Cai girl descends. But with the southward advance of the Han Chinese, such groups were pushed even further south, or gradually assimilated into the dominant population. Historian Thant Myint-U writes in “Where China Meets India” that during the 9th century, the Chinese ethnographer Fan Cho compiled the Man Shu, or “Book of the Southern Barbarians.” Fan Cho describes there the varied peoples living in and around Yunnan. Included among them were the Wu-man or ‘Black southern barbarians,’ so-called for their dark complexions. And ironically, the French author of the Lao Cai photo had the image annotated with the Chinese word “Man,” and — sadly — with the Vietnamese “Xa” (or Kha), signifying servant or slave.

With this photo of a mother and her two children by John Thomson, taken on the streets of Peking (now Beijing), something finally clicked. For reasons that won’t be detailed here (as it would take far too long to explain) more than a decade of research into the peopling of Asia seemed to suggest that any black Chinese still living in the age of photography would likely all be found in southernmost China. Black Moabites still coexist in China to this day. This is a class study in you must be dumber than an incubator.

In his 1902 book The Boxer Uprising, American photographer James Ricalton includes this photo of several dozen men, many of them likely to be executed the next day for their part in the Boxer Rebellion. The latter was a bloody, anti-foreign and anti-Christian uprising that took place between 1899 and 1901; the 2006 Jet Li film Fearless was inspired by events that took place in the aftermath of the rebellion. The same is also true of the 1971 Bruce Lee film Fist of Fury. No actors in the aforementioned films — nor any other martial arts films set in pre-modern China — ever had actors resembling the non-Han Chinese mixed in above. About them, the racist Ricalton writes:

“This is truly a dusky and unattractive brood. One would scarcely expect to find natives of Borneo or the Fiji Islands more barbarous in appearance; and it is well known that a great proportion of the Boxer organization is of this sort; indeed, how dark-skinned, how ill-clad, how lacking in intelligence, how dull, morose, miserable and vicious they appear!” I'm willing to bet you 5 million in Bitcoin that I don't have, a lifetime supply of opium, and 2 happy ending massages daily that this bougie French bastard is rotting in hell praying to white Jesus that Rumiel won't screw him up the wahoo tonight. Tickle his sack!!! Like Thomas Cromwell the powers that be went to great lengths to cover this history in ChinaTown. You can't hide the truth from a people that's tired of being dictated to, oppressed, lied on, abused and persecuted by everybody, and discredited for the contributions they've made to this damnable planet. As previously stated we don't want crumbs [reparations] we want the whole planet Black before you, and the I hate n**gers brigade showed up, that includes Moo Goo Gai Pan. As soon as his Chicken fried, Bat Man eating, pancaked backside came along, and gained some freedoms, he started emulating his zaddy, he became drunk with xenophobia like the rest. If you hate my commentary tell ya boy Biden or his Amerikkka is not a racist country VP, Kamala Harris. She's next in line to preside as Pontius Pilate over this damnation unless Biden loses his dementia. Its a joke, think or buy a vowel. If that doesn't work, swap some Budha, and kiss Mr. Nasty bye bye.

[awalkoflife-arc]

RED LIPS AND ROSY CHEEKS ; it's what awaits him the second his gaze averts to her and the moment it does, his entire world s t o p s. bradley knows it's a tad dramatic, avi herself would be the first to tell him so. without admitting it, he simply holds her in his mind's eye. he's not going to forget this moment. the simple significance of it --- a dinner for two, a flashforward in time that neither of them saw coming. she's a real fucking legacy, imprinted on his heart from childhood. distance, timing, the sanctity of what is right now, he wants to bottle it. there's no estimation of how long any of this will last. all he knows is that he wants it to, for however long they can keep it. ❛ are you telling me you want me to take you home tonight, miss baker? ❜ ever playful, he winks at her, enjoying the calm because this, what's transpiring between them in the here and now.... is the best part.

he's not ignorant to the fact they both know what's to come. what matters however, is how they choose to handle it. avoiding the topic, he's learned from experience, isn't something that's going to be viable. still, avi's words cut through him, brown eyes losing a little of their warmth because he agrees with her sentiment completely. timing is everything. not just in his profession either, but in life itself. bradley and avigail? they simply don't have it. they never have. ❛ we might, you know. someday. maybe we'll be sitting on a beach, looking out to a view like this one. maybe in that version of our reality there'll be an abundance of it. maybe the wisest thing we can do is to wish for that. ❜ or, it might still happen for us, he wants to say, but he doesn't dare risk disappointing her. he can't. the likelihood isn't in his favour. this mission is one of a kind and there's only so many of his kind who can complete it. so for however long he can spend with her, be it a selfish choice or not, he will.

her touch feels sacred, even now, while they're surrounded by strangers. he doesn't want to lose it or how it makes him feel. the fragility of what's lingering between them is also what makes it special. he's a romantic at heart, it's something he can't hide. physical touch plays a big part in that despite the eye rolls and the huffs that she makes in response to his gestures. usually, their idea of a date night would consist of mexican food and no clothing. this is entirely more formal yet touch remains the same. a constant. cocktails and caviar were not their forte. physicality and pining on the other hand.... ❛ i know you well enough to know you'd trade this entire experience for the two for one piña colada happy hour at penny's any day of the week. ❜ bradley smiles, trailing his thumb across the outskirt of her forefinger. keeping her close isn't enough when his time is limited --- it's a truth he wants to run from but can't. ❛ difference is, i also know you deserve every single one of these experiences. two bread baskets later or ten. so eat up. order everything that you want. ❜ while we still can. while we don't need to worry about tomorrow or the next day or the day after that. when it can be just us. here in this moment. if only for right now.

FIGHTING THE URGE TO ROLL HER EYES IS A TASK ; a tough one too as she resists the urge to laugh at him - his words, the look he's throwing her across the table. avi likes to think she's immune to his charms - but there's a softness that passes from bradley , so easy and full of warmth. like a balm softening every tough and sharp edge she's built up over the years to deter any kind of attachment that might make her heart ache. ❛ if you're gonna call me a prize it better be one of those huge teddy bears you can win at the fair. you know, the type you don't know where to put when you get them home ... ❜ her eyebrow quirks playfully, the small smile curling at her lips as she battles the laughter - the tight bubble forming in her chest before subsiding into a soft sigh.

somewhere, buried underneath the soft atmosphere - deep down beneath the way this is all making her feel , is the knowledge that it's all temporary. no matter how many courses they order - how many drinks they try and how much the gaze at each other over the crisp white tablecloth and the flickering candles. none of this is built to last longer than tonight. the restaurant will close. the night will end. they'll go back to her place , or his -- tomorrow will come. the inevitable countdown she doesn't speak about with him will continue. another twenty four hours marked off the desk calendar that sits on her desk. she doesn't want him to go. fuck. ❛ i wish we had more time ... ❜

the words slip out quietly, her eyebrows furrowing as avi tries to move beyond it - letting the moment wash over her like wave hitting the shoreline and backing away again. knowing none of this - not even the sentiment is going halt what's already in motion.

bradley's lips against her knuckles send a rush , a tingle across her skin setting the fine hairs on the back of her hand upright - her head tipping gently to the side as he talks and it soothes her without any intention on his behalf. it's just the way he is - the timbre of his voice , the way his touch stays - hands connected as her hand moves within his broad palm - fingers moving to lace together with his own as the menu is pushed across the table and the thought of his favourite cocktail becoming her own crosses her mind. ❛ that sounds perfect right now. you think i can just order the breadbasket and some more of that salted butter. too much of a cheap date or just enough ? ❜ her fingers flex between his own , feeling the calloused pads of dry skin that persist even through the gloves that cover his palms in the cockpit. her hands wrapped between his settle her - his voice does even more. his touch - well. it's his touch that sends her soaring but always manages to ground her in the end.