#like richards car is actually french

[caslutz]

okay so this has gotten out of hand…

part one of this craziness can be found here

[mariacallous]

I read the NPR article about Richard Reeves and the 2024 election and masculinity etc and I'm once again where I always am with him - there are a few things I sort of agree with but overall I want him to shut up.

“The irony is that this was supposed to be an election about women and about women's rights. And of course, it still is.” Reeves says, “But it's striking to me how much of the debate and so much of the performance, almost of the election so far, has actually been about competing views about masculinity and manhood.”

This summer, philanthropist Melinda French Gates distributed $1 billion to causes supporting women and girls. Reeves was surprised when his institute received some of that money.

“What she's come to realize is that a world of floundering men is not likely to be a world of flourishing women, and that we do have to rise together. And that actually, if men really start struggling to do their bit on the home front or in the labor market, it's not like that women end up unscathed from that,” he told Morning Edition.

According to the American Psychological Association, boys tend to perform worse in school than girls, statistically, and are now less likely than girls to attend college. Reeves, in his analysis, says that boys go on to live unhealthier lives as well.

Is the issue that schools and jobs and modern relationships are causing men to struggle? Or is it that misogyny and sexism are contributing to why school performance is down for boys, why college enrollment is down for men, why women are, in some fields and areas, doing better/advancing more?

Reeves says Republican demonstrations of masculinity have become more performative, with increased bravado and machismo. This shift is evident in who has introduced Trump at past Republican National Conventions. Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, introduced him at the last two conventions, but this year he was introduced by Dana White, the head of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

On the Democratic side, Reeves says the fact that Harris is a woman gives her more “permission” to speak on the issues of boys and men.

He also highlights the significance of Harris choosing Governor Tim Walz as her running mate to contrast Trump’s style of masculinity. “It'll be interesting to see if they follow this up with any policies. But a high school coach, a high school teacher—there’s a way in which Tim Walz is embodying a more service-oriented form of masculinity.”

Reeves points to memes about Walz that praise his masculine traits.

“There's all these memes now he'll fix your car. He'll make sure you get home safely. Like he'll put his arm around you. Be a coach.”

I don;t necessarily disagree with this analysis, but it's very surface-level and anodyne, and doesn't touch on how much negative masculinity is embraced and portrayed by the Trump campaign.

When asked what actions and beliefs define masculinity, Reeves was initially reluctant before sharing his perspective.

“There are very many different ways of being masculine. But I would say that the longest and best established definition of masculinity that I found as I've done this work is really of being of service to others, of being of for more than yourself.”

Reeves explains that historically, what has distinguished a man from a boy is the ability to “generate more of something than you need for your own survival.” It conjures up the idea of the “breadwinner” of a family, though Reeves says it doesn’t necessarily mean that.

“I think the idea of a man who exists only for himself, that's actually the opposite of masculinity. And so there's a certain selflessness to all of the definitions of masculinity that I think is positive, that I think should define what modern manhood is.”

"the longest and best established definition of masculinity that I found as I've done this work is really of being of service to others, of being of for more than yourself.”

Okay...

Recent polling from the Pew Research Center shows that more men tend to vote Republican. But even among the younger demographic of Gen Z, women are heavily Democratic, while men are more likely to lean Republican.

“It really is more driven by the movement of young women to the left than of young men to the right, although it is now both,” Reeves says, “But what's interesting about this is that if you look at the attitudes of young men, of Gen Z men towards gender equality, for example, there is no evidence that they are in any way less supportive of gender equality than previous generations. If anything, they're more supportive.”

He goes on to say, “I think it's a real mistake on the part of people on the left to see the move of young men towards the right and see that as a turning towards the right when it could just as easily be a turning away from the left, because they don't see themselves in the rhetoric and aesthetic and politics of the left.”

Reeves says that many young men feel “quite homeless politically,” and that sense of not belonging makes them open to the right if they feel that they are being heard.

“The problem is that on the right there are absolutely no policy solutions to help young men.”

“But what's interesting about this is that if you look at the attitudes of young men, of Gen Z men towards gender equality, for example, there is no evidence that they are in any way less supportive of gender equality than previous generations. If anything, they're more supportive.”

I think that's actually very incorrect? In fact, haven't we seen the opposite?

"I think it's a real mistake on the part of people on the left to see the move of young men towards the right and see that as a turning towards the right when it could just as easily be a turning away from the left"

A distinction without much of a difference if it ends up in the same result, and even he is qualifying that that's what's happening.

Reeves says that many young men feel “quite homeless politically,” and that sense of not belonging makes them open to the right if they feel that they are being heard.

“The problem is that on the right there are absolutely no policy solutions to help young men.”

So it's almost like policies aren't the problem?

I am so tired of him and his shtick, and the fact that his argument is based on very cherrypicked and personally biased thinking (would we have written "Of Girls and Women" if he'd been the father of three daughters and saw how things were shaping up against them? Doubtful).

@thecardiganqueen @larkandkatydid et al

[marimayscarlett]

Richard in that pissed off about smoking clip from the making of Live in Paris video. LORD GIVE ME STRNGTH!

Hi 😌

I think this scene from the 'Rammstein in Paris' making of reached iconic levels by now. It marks just another moment of Richard displaying himself as such a snappy and bratty diva (which in reality he actually isn't, at least not as often as the fandom portrays him).

From the 'You can't even smoke in a CAR anymore??'-horror, where you can see the sheer annoyance in him, like why can't he ruin his lungs in peace?? He's like:

To the indignant/resigned stare out of the window (only the raindrops on it are missing for the perfect effect):

Like sorry my guy, that the government is kind of worried about your and other people's health (like the taxi driver's) I guess? He apparently sees it as a downfall for a whole nation 😩😮‍💨

And let's not forget the head butt™ like a displeased teen:

Outrageous to think that he has to go a whole car ride without his beloved coffin nails - this man goes through several stages of suffering over this 😔

And then the 'keeping it in their pants' like sure, why not shitting on the French to give this tantrum a proper conclusion 👍🏻

So in conclusion: Yes lord give me strength, because on the one hand I'm pinching my nose like an exasperated school teacher and on the other hand I'm feeling all kinds of things because sadly he's just too hot during all this. 🤝🏼

[gif source]

[haven-of-dusk]

For @orbitalpirate , the Richard is a self-taught/self-made Parisian theory/headcanon. It was way too long to fit into replies alone, so here it is. (Also a good chunk of it is copy-pasted from another time I wrote all this up, so forgive if the format gets janked)

Richard, as noted by a friend of mine who lived in France (in multiple areas, not just one location) for a few months, acts in many ways like a stereotypical Parisian (or Parisien if you want to use the French word), which is a significant distinction from most of the rest of France from what I can learn from osmosis having not actually been there myself. Such to the point that my friend was actually shocked to learn Richard wasn't from Paris since he seemed to fit well into that mold. When we were talking about it, I was reminded that from early on I had gotten kinship vibes from Richard and Colin, especially after the ritual sacrifice scene, but I couldn't put my finger on why since they seem to just be friends, with no more significant connection than Colin has to, say, Bumbercatch, or Jan Maas, or even Sam.

With this new bit of information though, a theory formed in my head that Richard, to an extent, is performatively Parisian as a method of social camouflage. Similar to Colin driving expensive cars because he feels that's kind of a social expectation of him, seemingly not because he actually desires the fancy cars on any deep emotional level, it seems possible that Richard adopted certain mannerisms, behaviors, and interests to better fit in with not only a local environment he'd probably need to interact with regularly as a professional footballer, but also an international audience that would be used to a certain type of 'Frenchness'. He does seem to genuinely enjoy his wine collection and his other interests of that sort, but I'd be curious to know if their origin was rooted in social expectations rather than something he just generated on his own.

For a couple more possible links, the sand, while it being from the first time he ever slept with a supermodel is played as a joke (rightfully, it is quite funny), his emotional reaction suggests the action DID mean something significant to him (read: perhaps an acceptance into a 'higher' social standing? Similar to how Rupert tried to set Nate up with a supermodel?). Plus his playstyle, known typically as the team's trickster, masterful faker, and for one episode extreme warrior with zero fear, demonstrates a different side to his personality beyond the composed charmer (also demonstrated in the Amsterdam episode when he was out for blood in the pillow fight).

So to bring this back to the religious trauma bit, if he associates Catholicism with his 'past' life that he doesn't like acknowledging because he feels he's made himself a better person, then relapsing occasionally but mostly drifting away from it tracks. And yet at the same time, he may feel guilty for rejecting so much of his old life, especially considering the lengths he's gone to. That could even lead into some identity crisis stuff where the persona he's built and the old life he pushes away are both not the real him, and he's left to wonder if there IS a real him anymore.

That got existential, point is I've probably put way too much thought into this. And also Richard needs hugs and kisses and maybe some hot chocolate from Jan.

[madelinetess]

So what if he got a little aggressive on the pitch today? Richard played the same way he lived, passionately. And as Zava said before the match, passion can mean both love and crime. Also fruit… and the Christian meaning… The word is actually pretty versatile… But it mostly means the first two things…

Today though, the passion meant that the quiet rage he felt ever since the team discovered that the BELIEVE sign was torn finally found its outlet.

He knew who was to blame and he saw red. Both figuratively and literally... He smiled to himself when he remembered the sound the ball made on contact with the Westham player when he slammed it into him. The red card was absolutely worth it.

He didn't really remember much of what happened afterwards. He knew that Isaac carried him off the field, but everything after that was a blur.

Coach Lasso's locker room talk was short and yet Richard still did not retain a word of it. The bus ride back home was spent sitting in silence, focusing extra hard on not exploding and ruining the already shitty mood of the rest of the team.

One thing however did manage to get him out of his spiral. A pair of blue eyes studying him carefully. Scanning every inch of his tensed up body. Jan Maas, sitting right next to him, was staring at him intently which was throwing Richard off. The French player glared back at his friend.

"There are already clips of you throwing that ball at the Westham Player on the internet" the Dutchman said, his accent seeping into the sentence. "On one hand it was incredibly satisfying and..." he paused and cleared his throat "and entertaining to watch, but he did not deserve it."

"What do you mean!?" A few people turned in their seats to look at them.

"He was not the one that ripped the sign. That was Nate. We should have won this match to show him who he messed with"

"Oi, Jan Maas" Jamie butted in "weren't cha also pissed?"

"I'm not saying I wasn't, this time I indeed played badly. The thing is, we hurt ourselves more than we harmed them." At this point almost everyone was listening in on the conversation.

"I'd say the poor fella that Dickie over here knocked down got plenty harmed" This time it was Colin that decided to comment and more than a few people nodded their heads clearly sharing the sentiment.

"Someone even made an edit of the moment! It's trending now!" Dani exclaimed with that radiant smile of his, and soon after a notification went off on everyone's phone as a link to the aforementioned clip found its way into the groupchat. 

And just like that a little bit of life returned to the not so long ago gloomy footballers, the bus got livelier and the conversations seemed to at least slightly brighten everybody's mood.

The Frenchman however could not force himself to join any of them. He just sat there unmoving, looking out the window, not focusing on anything in particular. 

Once back at their home stadium the whole team got out of the bus, and people all went their separate ways. Richard sat down inside his car and exhaled deeply while leaning his forehead on the steering wheel. 

The silence bothered him, so he turned on the radio, but as soon as the Adele CD Jan had gifted him for Christmas started playing, he immediately turned it off. Rolling in the Deep was not the song for now… However much he loved her, today was not the day… They could have had it all, but he messed it up. And they lost. 

Richard took out his phone to check the time, but was instead greeted by a text notification.

I'm coming over. Bring up some wine.

Why would Jan be coming over today, was he not tired? Was he not frustrated? All that Richard wanted to do now was to sleep off the loss, and maybe the wine part didn't sound so bad right now...

He somehow managed to get himself back home just in time to take a quick shower, throw on something comfy and make the trip to his cellar to pick something for them to drink.

While entering his kitchen he was greeted by Jan, rummaging through the cupboards to find the right wine glasses. It wasn't exactly a surprise, as they both owned the keys to each other's places since the last off-season and met up quite often, however Richard has just recently reorganised his kitchen, so the Dutchman was struggling to find the right glassware.

"In the middle one, the ones behind your usual mug."

"These?"

The man holding the bottle only nodded.

"Where to? The living room?"

"No offence to your really nice couch, but this is a bed-comfort level of conversation."

This was also nothing new. They had conversations where a park bench was sufficient, but they also had the privacy of a living room and comfort of a sofa types of talks. This one? This one apparently required the highest level of comfort that only a bed with an excessive amount of throw pillows could provide.

They both made their way upstairs and once in the bedroom, Richard set up the table for their glasses, while Jan threw an additional blanket on the bed. Once done with their respective tasks they both turned to look at each other.

"So..?"

"You are still angry" Jan said simply stating the obvious. Richard stood next to him quietly sipping on the wine. "I envy your passion," the Dutchman paused for a moment there, smiling softly to himself "but I also know that now you have nothing to target it at, and you will just let it get to your head. So I’m here so that you are not alone with your thoughts.”

“I’m not angry”

“Of course, and Jamie Tartt is not a prick”

Richard rolled his eyes at Jan and exhaled annoyedly, but put his glass down at the table he set up, and sat down on the bed motioning for his friend to join him. The Dutchman followed.

“I am not angry, I’m disappointed. In myself." The other footballer clearly wanted to interject, but the Frenchman continued before that could happen. “I should have played better. Just like you said, we should have proved them all wrong, and instead we threw the game. I am so mad that even Adele didn’t help…”

“Adele?”

Richard leaned back to rest his head against the wall behind them.

“Yes, I have the CD you got me for Christmas in my car. A song played and the words made me feel even worse, so I turned it off and you know I never turn off Adele”

Another shaky exhale on his part was followed by Jan’s hand making its way into Richard’s hair and combing through them. The shorter man, though surprised at first, leaned into the touch.

“I know how much that sign meant to me, and how angry I got seeing Nate tearing it, so I can’t imagine how you felt. I know how sentimental you are.”

The Dutchman’s fingers kept on getting tangled in the other’s hair, running soothing circles on his scalp while Richard listened to him.

“When you were telling me the story about the ghosts from the treatment room you mentioned the sand in the bottle, according to your retelling everyone else brought some object, be it a photo or a pair of shoes, but you brought sand…” Richard nodded slightly and leaned into his friend that was now sitting right next to him with his back also against the wall. “And for my first Christmas here I remember you bringing things that were your family tradition to the Higgins’ Christmas Party… Don’t even get me started on your photo album organisation system…”

At that they both exchanged a chuckle. It was true that Richard liked keeping all his photos meticulously organised in countless albums. Every team outing or a trip somewhere had a separate photo album complete with dates… 

Jan looked at him and smiled warmly before continuing.

“You love with passion and without remembrance… You feel so much… even for the tiniest things… Sometimes I wish I was the sand…”

Realising what he’d said, Jan stopped everything he was doing, and Richard, who was mostly asleep at that moment shot up and looked straight at his… friend? 

Time stood still and Jan sat there, hand still in Richard’s hair, terrified, waiting. The way he felt for so long, out in the open. And then the Frenchman spoke.

“Don’t.” Jan was ready to make his escape, but got cornered by the shorter man who threw his leg over his and was now sitting on his lap caging him between his body and the wall. “Don’t wish for that. I’d much rather have you as a person, than as some grains”

“Do you mean it?” Jan’s blue eyes stared firmly into Richard’s green ones.

“I didn’t drink nearly enough to start speaking nonsense. Of course I mean it.” He was looking at his lips. Then he was no longer looking at them, because they were covered with his own, hidden from everyone else in the world.

Jan’s hands stayed in Richard’s hair, but Richard’s roamed all over his neck, their kiss slowly but surely gaining momentum. There was no trace of the anger or disappointment that marked this day ever since the recording was presented to the team after the first half. The passion however, the passion that has always been there, somewhere under the surface, was now out in the late evening sun, and it was there to stay.

~~~

The ao3 link is here

[amaleu-antmat]

The case files of Jeweler Richard vol 8 spoiler

Part 4

(Actually, this wasn't really a part I particularly liked, but the piece I like is right after and if you don't know what happens here you won't understand so I will write about this as well!)

The next day, Seigi goes to the market with Catherine, and after putting what they bought in the car, Seigi notice someone following them. While they are inside the moving car, a man with unkempt white hair crammed in a hunting cap, with overalls was running after them. Seigi tells Catherine that, and she looks behind and in the mirror but sees no one. Feeling strange they circle around again but don't see the old man.

Seigi "what was that?"

Catherine "Don't worry it happens sometimes. Rude people chasing after me. I'm just too beautiful"

Seigi tries to reassure her and say that if anything happens, he will deal with it, but Catherine says that she isn't worried.

Catherine acts as if the thing didn't affect her at all, but Seigi thinks about Richard in that moment, about how when he gets nervous, the rhythm of his speech and gesture would change slightly, and the places his gaze would settle on. He thinks that if the same goes for her, then she might be flustered right now and that she wouldn't like to let that show exactly like Richard. Seigi tactfully doesn't point that out. "Sorry, I just kind of got a feeling"

Catherine "You really are a kind boy, Seigi. Merci, Mon chevalier."

(Mother-son really are similar in many ways, even calling him their knight)

When they get back at the mansion, they find a note that said that Richard went to the library, Catherine tells him to not worry, and that he probably went by bike. As you will need a car to actually go to the place where you can rent a car....

Richard left a second note addressed to him in which he said that he finished searching the first floor for marbles, Seigi guesses that Richard made progress with the riddles and that his job now was to do the manual labor necessary to go about their daily lives. Catherine went to exercise her dragonfly acting or something she planned to show them. Seigi is thinking about preparing lamb for dinner, but since it was still early and he didn't know when Richard would be back, he went to the garden with a hand rake and ran in one of the rude neighbours, he think <maybe they came to invite for an aperitif again? Unfortunately, Catherine is busy at the moment>

Seigi "I'm sorry, the owner isn't available right now"

Rude woman "You paint walls?"

Seigi is shocked by the sudden question and doesn't understand for a moment, he thinks that they are struggling to communicate with each other again (they met again when buying things at the market, they were terribly rude and didn't even say hi to him 🙄)

Seigi asks again what does she wants, but she just reapeted again the question in French. Seigi got that she seemed to want him to paint some walls for her, though obviously didn't get why. <Why would she ask me that? Maybe she and her husband weren't native French speakers? > he wonders how to facilitate communication with them.

Rude woman "Can you come now? We'll pay you 30 euros an hour"

Seigi "Is it an emergency? I can help look up the number of a contractor for you"

The woman let out an annoyed-sounding groan. Seigi guesses that the important part was whether he'll come with her or not, but Seigi thinks he should ask Catherine first, so he goes back inside to call Catherine but she brushes him off and doesn't want to be disturbed, as he didn't know what to do he goes outside again and the neighbour ask him again a sudden question "Where do you live?"

"Me? Sri Lanka"

"Will you come for 40 euros? It won't take long"

Seigi grows even more confused and reason she might think of him as some kind of housekeeper? He thinks it's odd as how insistent she is on asking him to do menial labour, he try to think positively, like it will be a new experience...so why not? And goes with her. (It's in a moment like these, you can see how innocent he is....)

The woman came by car. They had a smaller villa with a pool. The couple exchanges some angry sounding shouts in a language he doesn't understand before the woman hands him a roller and a can of white paint. The man is painting blue the wall at the back.

Seigi "looks like a lot of work. Are you sure it wouldn't be better to hire some more people?"

Neighbour "You paint these walls"

Seigi "You mean the entire exterior?"

Neighbour "All of it"

He meant all the exterior walls, which was a huge area, Seigi knew that if you were to ask a professional, it wouldn't even be near 40 euros, let alone doing it in an hour. Seigi finally gets that they want to save money, he simply tell her that he'll do as much as he could but as he has other works to do at home, he'll leave after an hour.

Neighbour "Good" replies and goes back inside to help the husband. Seigi, in that moment, recalls how a friend told him that in an area he lives in where white rice grows during planting season, everyone would help as a group. He positively thinks about his situation as something similar to that and might become a funny story to tell at dinner later. He reason that painting isn't that hard as the windows were already taped, but he can't help but feel discouraged as it is really a huge area, once he finishes the first floor the woman come out with a stepladder to tell him to do the upper floor as well. It was 5 metres off the ground, and if he were to fall, he'd get seriously hurt as there was no safety line as well. But Seigi worries about this couple that were probably in their forties, so decide to do it himself. (He is too sweet for his own good...if it was me, I would've snapped already and told them to do it themselves, no I correct myself, I wouldn't even agree to paint walls)

Seigi thinks he already agreed to do the job and there is only 30 minutes left, so get on the ladder and start to paint but not long after he hears a squeak from the road, he sees Richard on the bike with sunglasses and striped shirt.

Richard already noticed him before Seigi could wave at him, he takes off his sunglasses and looked really shocked.

Seigi "Welcome back, I'm just helping out a bit and Catherine is in the house"

Richard "That's so dangerous! What are you doing up there?!"

Seigi can't explain from there, so start going down the ladder just as the woman comes out of the house.

Richard is furious, with anger Seigi never ever witnessed.

(The reason is now most obvious, but I'll continue in the next post heh heh angry Richard is always a beautiful Richard after all)

[stargazer-sims]

Michael Nelson for @goodnightlittlewing (Vernon Chamberlain - Looking For Love)

Michael (he’s always gone by his middle name) is a spry 74 year old who’s ready to hit the dating scene, as he thinks his grandson might say.

ABOUT MICHAEL

Full Name: Richard Michael James Nelson Age: 74 (Elder) Birthday: 5 October Pronouns: he/him Gender Identity: male Sexuality: bisexual Traits: Active, Foodie, Outgoing Aspiration: Self-Care Specialist

———

~ more about Michael under the cut ~

Michael has experienced a lot of loss in his life. He lost his beloved wife, Lydia, seven years ago. Before that, about twenty years ago now — Where does the time go? he wonders — he and Lydia lost their son Thomas (their only child) and their granddaughter Caroline in a tragic and senseless car-pedestrian crash. Michael’s mother passed away when he and his older brother were still teenagers. Last year, his brother passed, too.

After Lydia’s passing, he was lonely in his grief, but now he’s just… lonely. Michael is bisexual, but he spent many years concealing his attraction to men from the world. He remembers a time when society did not consider such ideas as same-sex love acceptable at all, but things are much different now. He’s out and proud, and he’s ready to meet men openly for the first time. He’s very excited about the possibilities.

Michael is still close to his daughter-in-law, Grace, who was actually the first person he came out to. He’s also greatly encouraged by his grandson Victor, who is asexual and married to a man, and whom he’ll brag about nonstop if someone doesn’t admonish him to change the subject.

In his early years, Michael was a world-class competitive skier. He’s obsessed with skiing still; it’s been a lifelong passion that he’s sure will never fade. (He’ll also talk incessantly about skiing if someone doesn’t stop him). Other than skiing, he likes swimming (another sport he always excelled at), yoga, and working out. He generally wants to keep himself in the best condition possible. He also likes to dance.

He absolutely loves to cook and bake, and can spend hours in the kitchen. Sadly, there’s no one at home to cook for these days, other than himself, and that’s not much fun. He’d like to have someone to cook for and enjoy meals with again. His other pastimes include gardening, fishing and knitting. He really likes to knit and is constantly amused by people’s reactions when they see his projects.

Michael had a long and fulfilling career as a physical education teacher and swimming coach at the local high school. The students loved him, mainly because he’s funny and kind of a troublemaker and could almost always relate to them. In some ways, he’s never quite grown up. He often tells his grandson Victor that growing up and being mature are two completely different concepts, and he’s pleased that Victor has followed him in fully embracing this as a way of life.

A few random facts:

He doesn't like nicknames. He'll quickly correct anyone who calls him "Mike" or "Mickey" or any other short variant of his name. It's Michael, thank you very much, and he won't tolerate anything else.

He used to be a ginger before his hair went white, but he still has the freckles.

He has hearing loss in his left ear, and wears a hearing aid.

He adores animals and always had pets, until recently. Currently, he likes to feed the neighbourhood cats, much to the annoyance of the neighbours.

He speaks English and French

He's travelled all over the world, and really loves to travel.

He prefers baths to showers

He's a tea drinker. He likes coffee well enough, but prefers tea.

His favourite colours are red and blue

———

Michael is crossing his fingers that he gets to participate, even if he’s not the successful one in the end. He enjoys attention, and he thinks the whole experience will be “super awesome!” (he learned that from his grandson) and a great adventure, regardless of the eventual outcome.

———

One of his pastimes is to sit in his front yard and watch the neighbours. He's easily entertained.

He was scared of the thunderstorm, but obviously not too scared to eat. Hmm… now I think we know who Victor inherited his priorities from.

Michael being a whole mood ^^

Still a heartbreaker ♥

[riverstardis]

not in holby anymore:

oh this is the wizard of oz one skdjjfgj that opening’s so weird

charlie and duffy are treating a patient dressed as dorothy and then standing playing snog marry avoid and jacob tells them off for chatting SJDKFJJ duffy would snog louise, marry ethan, and avoid jacob

lmaoo charlie tells jacob he doesn’t have to go round shouting at everyone because of how bad the inspection report was and he bets him he can improve things in a different way and they come up with a plan

sdjkfkg jacob tells the nurses and noel the trust have come up with a new team building exercise where they have to work on their weaknesses and tells louise to “be kind”, noel to “engage your brain”, and david to “grow a pair” hmmm remind you of anything?

some people parking directly in front of a fire exit… there is no way this could end badly is there

lmao max and jez stole alicia’s tablet and posted on her social media and apparently her mum now thinks she’s a pregnant white supremacist💀💀💀

was this a special for a specific occasion or something???

ohh this scene with cal and ethan at their lockers!! with ethan looking at his dating profile and cal’s like “had any nibbles, nibbles?” skskkfkg

cal steals ethan’s phone to look but there’s no one there and ethan says he’s waiting for the right girl and cal says “come on there’s loads of talent on here” and starts looking through them

“oh look, that’s the fit f1 on keller” jasmine burrows. she was an actual holby character right? rather than someone they just made up? her name and face do ring a bell.

he keeps looking through them like “oh hang on- i’ve had her” and ethan’s like “unfortunately there isn’t a filter for girls my brother has slept with” SJDKFKF

cal starts editing his about me bit and ethan tries to protest but he’s like “trust me on this one bro, give it an hour… or two, and they’ll be ethan out the palm of your hand” THATS SO BAD😭😭😭

ethan tries to get his phone back but cal says he’ll hang on to it and leaves skdkfk

fun fact when i last rewatched this episode last year i posted a clip of that scene on twitter and RICHARD WINSOR QUOTE TWEETED IT ! he follows one of my mutuals and she’d rted it so i assume that’s how he saw it bc otherwise??? that was a wild day because on top of that i posted sahdor fanart on insta and both arin smethurst and milo clarke saw it, commented, and shared on their stories and milo followed me and then arin followed me the next day!! i was like what on earth is going on today?!?!

yup someone sets the fire alarm off and now people are getting crushed at that blocked exit

david being a hero jumping down from an upper floor to move the car!!

wait a second… a crush… like the wicked witch being crushed by a house?? i never realised that before😭😭

charlie going “somebody please pass me an oil can, i think she’s rusting up!” lmaooo. louise says why’s he acting weird skskfkjf just you wait louise

aw no one believes david that he jumped off a three story building

big mac mention!

sjdjjfjg there’s a drunk frequent flyer and neither ethan or cal want to take him but cal’s like “tell you what, you take him and you get your phone back” and ethan goes “that’s not how it works! … apparently it is” bc cal’s walked off already😭

charlie going “we don’t need you to be a cowardly lion, david. we need you to roar.” and then making him repeat it and making him roar and he does a massive roar in the middle of resus SJDKFKGKKG

david impressing jacob finally

cal gives ethan his phone back and he has 8 messages but only because cal changed his bio to say ‘easy going doctor💲💲💲 …looking for some fun. NSA’ 😭😭😭 also i think one of those messages is from the f1 on keller judging by the profile pic

aww his likes section lists literature and french films yep that sounds about right. also his age is 30 according to his profile which means this episode is not set when it aired because it aired on the 26th november when he would’ve still been 29.

he asks what nsa means right as alicia walks in and she answers “no strings attached. didn’t think that was your sort of thing?” and he’s like “no! it was cal’s idea. i’m certainly not looking for an… nsa”

she says there’s nothing wrong with a bit of online dating and asks to see and he gives her his phone and she rewrites his bio “keep it brief but meaningful. who’s that physicist that you like again?” and ethan looks a bit shocked but goes to answer but she remembers so they say it at the same time and then she types out a full quote/poem by his favourite physicist FROM MEMORY and then smiles at him and cal is just completely oblivious… mate your brother and your girlfriend are having an emotional affair right in front of your eyes WAKE UP MAN

anyways scibblesssss🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

and here we see ethan falling in love😭 in s33 he tells alicia that that was his favourite quote and this was the moment he realised he “loved being around [her]”🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺���� actually after this i may go screen record those two moments and post them side by side because THEYRE SO CUTE

lmaooo louise david and noel are all remarking on how well they did to jacob and then louise mentions the name of the person in HR who supposedly came up with the team building exercise and david recognises it as the name of dorothy’s uncle and that makes them all realise it’s a stitch up SKDKKFKGKG

loll the flashbacks to earlier with charlie betting jacob he can get better results out of people only using the wizard of oz references than shouting at them

then another flashback showing that duffy promised to buy charlie breakfast if he could stop jacob shouting at everyone sjskdkkf and now jacob’s just as mad as the others

this is such a wild episode, who came up with the idea of doing a wizard of oz based episode like?????

[childeproof]

clone high oc + self insert information dump :]

jimmy h, known mostly as jimmy // clone son of jimi hendrix

goes by jimmy not jimi ( same sound, diff spelling to stand out from clone father )

went parachuting because his clone father was a paratrooper in the 101st airborne division at one point ( hated it )

he’s well liked by british clones of musicians from their clone father’s era ( think john lennon, eric clapton, etc )

^^ i think it would be a neat gimmick if british people esp ladies were fond of him in general. brit magnet.

jimmy is a cis man, uses he/they pronouns without preference, sexuality wise i haven’t decided quite yet. I think i’ll leave them unlabeled

^^ one of jimi’s song lyrics was continuously misheard as “‘scuse me as I kiss this guy” fun fact. also he wld sing this incorrect version live on occasion & fllw it with a fake makeout session. did u know? lol

jimmy is a deep sleeper and has interesting dreams similarly to their clone father. i think he keeps a written record of all the dreams he can remember, just for fun

he’s deff the type of guy to go “this reminds me of this one dream i had”

1st gen clone

i do think they’d follow in their clone father’s footsteps as a musician ^_^

richard “richie” pyror // clone son of richard pyror

has a huge soft spot for animals much like his clone father, I think he’d own a dog or two

huge class clown but hasn’t seriously considered a career in comedy. he has a very blunt humor but it’s still clever and it often makes you think to get the joke

2nd gen clone

i think he’d be more of an actor than an actual comedian. deff joined the school’s theater troupe btw. he’s a funny actor but he doesn’t want to do stand up

richie uses he/him pronouns and identifies as straight 🙏 subject to change but i think he’s cishet

he’s a very clever & witty person in general

very expressive in the face

i think he’s actually a chick magnet bc funny guys always get babes it’s a real phenomenon please believe me!!

uses richie as a nickname to stand out from clone father but rlly doesn’t mind being called richard

jean-michel basquiat // clone son of jean-michel basquiat ( second clone high self insert of mine )

fully goes by his clone father’s name, doesn’t mind being viewed as him bc he’s confident in his own character

does go by “johnny” / “johnny-boy” as a nicknames ( jean is pronounced similarly to john so it fits still ) but they’re not necessarily his preferred name

was hit by a car once like his clone father ( too busy on his phone to notice it coming ) ( embarrassing memory )

2nd gen clone

pals with debbie harry ( she likes his art! ) we do not speak of Andy warhol currently.

does street graffiti mostly inspired by the human body, sketch book is full of anatomy and natural poses. rlly big on the beauty of human form

currently speaks french & english; occasionally jots down notes in franglais

there’s probably a clone high friend group consisting of clone children of the infamous 27 club.. and he is a part of it. i am srry. like imagine being a clone and having ur clone father die so young. imagine approaching that age.. that’s gotta be scary, u need a coping group for that.

jean-michel uses he/him prns & probably neos since he’s new gen. i think he’d be queer generally like he wldn’t use any specific labels just queer.

rlly science smart ^_^

ella baker // clone daughter of ella baker

no differentiation between her name and her clone mom’s name

valedictorian of her class :)

sort of unknown, but prefers to be in the “background” of life much like her clone mother; would rather work behind the scenes

friends with harriet & frida even though she’s a 1st gen clone, she finds them to be nice

always “knows a guy” for every situation, i just think that gimmick is funny

i’ll develop more later + I think she’ll get glasses

she/her prns, i think she’d be a lesbian also. but that’s just me.

arthur “artie” ashe // clone son of arthur ashe

cis guy, he/him + “straight”,, rlly bisexual just unaware

has a man crush on Ryan Reynolds n also Nick Jonas don’t ask. me why don’t ask. and also jude bellingham. he thinks it’s normal

2nd gen clone

his adoptive father raises him alone btw no mother

still into tennis like his clone father, i think he’d get agitated whenever ppl make fun of the sport 😭🙏

also talented at soccer! but mostly focused on tennis.

glasses wearer.

pretty chill ^_^ 2nd gen clone

jeanie clisson // clone daughter of jeanne de clisson

works summers on cruise ships!

pirates movies online once new gen clones teach her how ( she’s 1st gen )

her name is jeanie but don’t make genie jokes she’ll actually kill you

i think she’d be a more masculine woman ( i’m not sure if butch is entirely appropriate to use though ) and she’d have muscles & wld work out. cld probably bench press jfk /hj

has an attack dog named smth sweet like “cupcake” lol. & also wrestles for the girl’s wrestling team

she/her pronouns, cis woman, don’t bother talking to her if ur a man ( “my clone mother only pirated because of a man. i pirate because i’m badass” )

it wld be funny if joan or marilyn ( CLONES THE CLONES ) fell for her

thea dexter // clone daughter of timothy dexter

trans woman, she/her, idk her sexuality yet

has insane luck just like her clone father, i think she’d be able to find money on the ground rlly easily

1st gen clone

makes capitalism work for her. a lot of her get rich quick schemes should NOT work but they DO <\3 probably runs a minor pyramid scheme /JOKE maybe. probably. but she does do get rich quick schemes

gandhi wld deff fall for her get rich quick plots n it wldn’t work out for him just for her

topher wld be like “as a cishet white man I recognize my privilege over you, a trans woman” and she’d be like “if you feel so bad just pay me” and it’s a running gag I think. that every time topher sees thea he gives her a dollar or two.

do not let this bitch onto the internet SHE’S GOING TO SCAM PEOPLE. /hj

josephine “josie” baker // clone daughter of josephine baker ( my 1st clone high self insert )

cis woman she/her bisexual

had a thing with frida at one point ( inspired by her clone mother ) ( they’re still friends after the break up and do once a month ex “dates” for fun )

shares a soft spot for animals with richie ^_^ her adoptive mother is a zoologist too, which helps, her adoptive father is a stay at home dad

loves cheetah print ( faux fur ofc )

dating joan hahahahahahaa!

she owns a cat named chiquita.. wld like more pets but can’t have more

more of a actor & singer than a dancer or comedienne, super funny but only situationally, not rlly into stand up. can dance but not rlly a dancer person, her passions rlly lie in singing

2nd gen clone also

[frozendeity17]

Questioning, Part 2: 26-50

If we're counting fanfiction as books, Sunrise in Exile by Ragdoll. It's MCU fanfic, so if that doesn't float your boat, you have been warned, but I find it good daydreaming material. Frankly, I love their portrayal of FRIDAY. If we're not, then "S." by Doug Dorst and J. J. Abrams. It's a book within a book, with two people trading the fictional library book "Ship of Theseus" and writing out their story in the margins.

@becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys. Elanor's political commentary is both absurdly funny and on-point and she covers several other important topics, such as climate change and celtophobia. Side note, notice how Grammarly tried to autocorrect celtophobia to xenophobia and "gelotophobia", which google tells me is a fear of being laughed at.

Family stuff's private, sorry.

Heights. Actually, it's less heights, and more falling. I can be on top of tall things as much as I want, but the second I approach an edge, my legs start to go shaky and I can't. I can't even step on some high balconies.

Antidisestablishmentarianism. I have no clue what it means, the rhythm of it is just nice.

"The Silent Patient" by Alex Michaelides, "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo" by Taylor Jenkins Reid, and "The Bullet That Missed" by Richard Osman. If I get any others, I've heard that "Cain's Jawbone" and "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" are both very good.

The Owl House or Steven Universe. Yes, I know the latter's everything, especially the ending, was problematic, but the songs are chill and nostalgic, and I can enjoy things while also recognizing that they're not good.

Self-ID shit is always the hardest, I don't fuckin know. I do reblog some fan shit, but not that much.

I don't really know. I've always just kinda done my own thing.

If I had to pick, probably "The Bachelor" or something like that. Good for fatigue nights, where you don't have the mental strength to watch anything more intellectually stimulating, (if even that) but not much else.

Don't have one. Never been one for superstition. if I had to pick, though, 17 feels right.

Hydrangeas. We have a bush in the front garden, and it's always so pretty in the summer. Tulips are very beautiful too, and there are these tiny purple flowers that grow in my neighbor's garden that always pop up right around the start of spring.

Opal's gorgeous, as well as peacock ore.

I'm going for a full sunrise ombre, from dark blue at the top to yellow at the bottom.

I am *not*. Changing or skipping over history is a recipe for disaster - for the universe for the former, and for me for the latter. I refuse to be the one to deal with such nonsense.

A good steak with peppercorn sauce, and creamy mashed potatoes with beef gravy.

Either Brownie a la Mode, Cookie Dough, or Dulce de Leche. No, I will not be deciding.

Margaret Thatcher. Gonna shove her face in some mashed potatoes and peas.

7-in-1 Shampoo, Conditioner, Soap, Mouthwash, Toothpaste, Car Coolant, Hair-Gel. Hey, it covers all of the basics, even if it's not the best in the market for any of them.

When I'm camping, especially in the summer, the very early morning, just after the sun rises. Fog hangs over the area where I camp like a cloud at that time, and it's stunningly beautiful yet terrifyingly eerie. Anytime else, the afternoon. Early enough to not be exhausted and a good time to get shit done, but it doesn't have the lazy, chill vibes morning does.

I do not, but thank you. So are you, :).

I've wanted to learn Irish Gaelic for a long while now, but unfortunately, my audial processing is bad enough in English, so that might be a while in the making. Spanish, French, or Mandarin all seem like they'd be very useful to learn.

Strawberries are awesome, but I'll never turn down a good apple, and blueberry muffins in particular are great.

The characters from The Owl House. ITts going to be amazing, yet incredibly chaotic. I love it already.

Aww, thank u boo :D. ILY2.

[shit-talk-turner]

Also you can see how they look together. And they have bad language barrier. Alex lives his french dream with her that's why he can't let go of Louise. And she's willing to play that character for him for five years now she's dedicated and that's also something he probably likes about her. //

Do you remember that interview where Miles said Alex asked him to spit while singing bad habits and Alex said Miles fulfills my fantasies? It seems like Alex wants a person who’d fit into his fantasy, which is probably what Louise has been doing ever since she got together with him. (And even before him to attract him) See how she changed her style? It’s like Alex wants a baby doll he can play with once in a while, which, again, is what he’s been doing with Louise. The thing is, whatever this “French fantasy” is, it doesn’t seem to make him happy. Let’s say he hasn’t “acknowledged her publicly” because of “privacy” reasons or whatever, but out of all the pictures or videos we’ve seen of them over nearly 5 years, there’s only been like a couple of occasions where he didn’t look like he wanted to punch himself in the face while he was with her. And not to mention if you put together all the time they’ve actually spent together in the past 5 years, it wouldn’t even be a year! And The Car album doesn’t make anything look like better either, as several critics have said it’s a sad or even the saddest AM album! (Stereogum: “it’s their most overtly melancholy work too — like James Bond themes for a terminally depressed spy. It’s certainly the saddest-sounding music Turner’s put his name to since the dusky tunes he contributed to the soundtrack for Richard Ayoade’s Submarine in 2010.”) And there’s nothing about Louise, not even half a love song lol.

We see what you did there! 👍🏻

[watching-pictures-move]

Movie Review | Flesh and Bullets (Tobalina, 1985)

I watched both Robert Mitchum Philip Marlowe movies recently and one of the things that stands out between them is the direction of actors. Dick Richards in Farewell, My Lovely is far from a heavy handed director, but he knows how to let his actors breathe and let their performances pop in a way that Michael Winner mostly doesn't. Some of this comes down to technical details, like the way they each frame their shots and move their cameras. I imagine one prerequisite of directing your actors effectively would be keeping them in focus, which Carlos Tobalina does not manage to do with Cornel Wilde here. Wilde is one of a handful of mainstream actors who show up here in cameos, along with Aldo Ray, Yvonne De Carlo and Cesar Romero, presumably because they all needed money. (Ray previously had a sizable non-sex role in Ann Perry's Sweet Savage, where he had more to do.) Tobalina does not make the most of their presences, although he does get Wilde to ask in exasperation, "What kind of person would want to kill two homosexual wrestlers?"

This is a riff on Strangers on a Train, and while Tobalina lacks Alfred Hitchcock's mastery of suspense and Patricia Highsmith's insights into man's capacity for evil, there are some unintentional laughs to be had here thanks to Tobalina's limp direction of occasionally troubling material (a bargain basement My Lai, a roadside revenge killing provide some of the potentially uglier but also more ridiculous scenes in the movie). Instead of Robert Walker and Farley Granger, we get Glenn McKay and Mick Morrow, neither of whom appear to have done much else, and who meet here in a Vegas bar when a prostitute tries to show them some "French postcards".

McKay as a screen presence can be described as a textureless mix of sweaty and divorced. At one point he removes a disguise where everything turns out to be fake except his mustache. At another point he wears an all tan outfit which blends threatens to dissolve with his skin tone and hair into one beige soup. Sex with him as described by his lover Gail Sterling as "by far the best sexual experience of [her] entire life." If you told me he was actually Tobalina, I would believe you. He has strong "director starring in a vanity project" energy. McKay contemplates killing Sterling multiple times during a desert vacation. A KFC bucket features prominently at one point. There is also an earthquake depicted through a shaking camera and a not very realistic boulder. (Sterling has the most prominent role among the hardcore performers here. There is also Mai Lin as a prostitute who has sex with McKay for free and Colleen Brennan, who rents a car to McKay and also tells him to give her a call.)

In contrast, Morrow I think is actually pretty effective. His hawklike features and the steely, unsettling glimmer of his eyes underneath his perma-scowl accentuate his character's capacity for violence interestingly. He's paired with Cydney Hill, who also doesn't appear to have done much else but has a very warm presence, so his inner tension about following through with his agreement to kill her and his budding attraction to her works in a way it doesn't for McKay's scenes with Sterling. There is some genuine suspense in the scene where Morrow has his rifle trained on Hill, which is probably the best directed part of this thing. Both Morrow and Hill are revealed to be victims of sexual assault, something a better movie could have done more with but Tobalina at least pays off with a Robert Z'Dar role.

Oddly enough, Tobalina seems to gel to the family scenes pretty well, and this goes a long way in diffusing the sleaze level of the movie. (Hill's daughter is played I think by Tobalina's real daughter.) Although a scene where McKay plays baseball with Sterling and her son features Sterling's ass in a bikini in closeup. Anyway, he decides to wrap things up with a trip to a porno theatre playing such classics as Ball Game, before which both McKay and Morrow put on bullet proof vests and contemplate each others' moves. The way this ends is true to the spirit of neither Highsmith nor Hitchcock, but I laughed.

[madeintheniamh]

i'm bored so lets answer these

niamh (pronounced neve)

2 months apparently

...garlic bread

diet coke <3

two older sisters! i'm the baby heh

nope, my mum is way too houseproud. my sister is getting a kitty soon though now that she has moved out so i will be over hers constantly

18 (19 in april)

2, if we are counting my GCSE in French...

probs line of duty icl

write, read, cheerleading, running, idk what else

i think i'm an ambivert? probs leaning more towards introvert though. i find certain people drain my energy and others add to it.

indie rock & pop

australia/new zealand. i will go one day

communicating lol

probs quite quick if it's on snap, depending on who it is. i never reply to whatsapps though

i don't at the moment, i have a few ideas but i'm absolutely terrified of needles so idk if i'd ever go through with any of them lol.

bisexual but leaning more towards men. when i was younger i did tell my older sister that i felt 'nice' looking at pictures of cheryl cole. my first love fr. i would date florence pugh if i had the chance but then again i do have a massive thing towards dilfs icl

absolutely, but i'm in a massive book slump at the mo. my favourite book of all time is margaret atwood's the handmaid's tale

yes lol. to the boy who took my v card when i was 16. my first love fr, until he became an andrew tate stan. left him just over a month ago. ouch.

single if u couldn't already tell from above, mentally dating harry styles

yes absolutely. watching my now ex go down the shitter was horrible and not an experience i want to repeat. men are trash apart from harry

most recently is probs A level results day. the sheer shock of finding out i had gotten A*A*A when i was only expecting to scrape BBB was a feeling i can't put into words, and the reaction of my family too who had rooted me for the entirety of sixth form (they knew i struggled with it). it was the most amazing day.

just secondary school in general icl. an experience that i have tried to erase from my mind. 7 years i will never get back.

needles, and i've been shit scared of the dentist since i was about 4. thought i had made a breakthrough with it until i had to get teeth removed for braces when i was 12. the most horrific experience ever. i don't trust anyone who likes going to the dentist.

night person as i am writing this. i was born at quarter to midnight so i think that explains a lot.

currently 4760, i need to go through my camera roll and delete some stuff

RICHARD HAMMOND I'M GUILTY OKAY HE IS FINE. followed closely by mat baynton from horrible histories.

i think so? i don't like a guy to be over clingy though, my last relationship got to the point where it was suffocating. i want a man who i can mother that doesn't expect me to be his mother constantly if that makes sense but allows me to mother him anyway? i'm aware that's very confusing and probably quite contradictory lol

probs a car ride somewhere in italy i am extremely basic. think harry styles driving in the golden MV.

i do cheer at uni! it's quite fun but it's actually so much harder than people think. obvs i write. dabble in a bit of yoga bc i refuse to pay for the chiropractor.

Let your followers get to know you asks <3

What's your name?

For how long you have this account?

Favourite food?

Favourite drink?

Do you have any siblings?

Do you have pets?

How old are you?

How many languages do you know?

What's your all time favourite movie/tv show?

What are you enjoying to do in your free time?

Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

Your favourite music genres?

Your dream place to visit?

Something you wish you were better at?

How long do you take to respond to texts?

Do you have any tattoos? If not, would like to?

What's your sexuality?

Do you like reading? If yes what's your favourite book?

Have you ever been in love?

What's your relationship status?

Have you ever been heartbroken?

Best memory you could think of?

Worst memory you can think of?

Do you have any fears?

Are you a morning or a night person?

How many pictures you have on your phone?

Who was your favourite childhood crush?

Are you a romantic?

What’s your dream date?

What are your hobbies?

[castle-dominion]

castle 5x16 hunt

Part two of this plot heavy pair of episodes!

These two ppl look the same

castle chill they are also worried I RECOGNIZE HIM I WATCHED THE EPISODE IN SEASON SIX BABEY! at the MOST castle

you were THERE for her castle. you couldn't be there physically but seeing you helped her

Anwar my man!

Why zoom in like that? you should view the whole scene if u can the glitch effects lol the music noooooo were the el masris in on it or smth..?

Thats right she has TWO murders to solve, well actually the driver who killed the bodygraurd already got shot & caught but now roger henson is also killed

Especkett Kate These two are such a good pair

OH NO CASTLE HIS PASSPORT RC: I’m at the precinct with Beckett. Why? Beckett: *in the loft looking for castle*

Lol greenscreen or smth but it looks good

WHAT is with the LIGHTING rn?

KB: Look, in the state that he’s who knows what he’s capable of. But he says that he knows someone that can help. ryan narc cop

I speak french you bastards! BUT I'M FRICKING DEAF. IF HEARING FROGS CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT IS BEING SAID, THEN I WANT THAT ABILITY TOO. thank you. transcript: Merci, Colette. Et si jamais vous quittez votre petit ami – (he turns around) – Richard! Thanks collette, & if u ever quit your boyfriend ; )

The unofficial man... Yeah you don't want to get involved with this sort of person, but as a father you need to do this... Rich novelist

Two young women awaiting organ transplant? sus

THESE PEOPLE STOLE A JET???

The place where the hostage exchange took place hhhh love the angle castle don't site beside someone, they will find you weird to me how he doesn't genuflect Jaque Henri: “Vengeance is mine”, sayeth the Lord. “I will repay.” Sometimes the Lord needs a little help, huh? Castle are you not hiring him to also,, rescue (or recover) her? My man knows things, he has his sources, esp when vetting his clients JH: And then you thank God I’m not the FBI. at least THIS man genuflects oooOOOOOOOHH thre MUSIC I LOVE IT

All these wires & stuff Ah my man is blind. You know, I would have a pretty good ear if I wasn't hard of hearing & suffering from adhd's auditory processing issues. Tendu actually means held or tense, like you're tied up with ropes & can't move or you are holding your shoulders high & your body in suspension.

JH: We call him la taupe – the mole. T/M: Il est tendu, eh? JH: Pas mal, eh.

Nothing for YOU to hear. T/M: Ah, you listen with your eyes. Shh. Me: Uh yeah,,, *uses lipreading to supplement my listening* *watches my fiddle teacher's fingers* *looks around for context clues when I miss what someone said to see if I can deduce what they said* *watches mouths to see who is talking* *turns captions on for most things* *however I listen to audiobooks rather than read myself these days except for fanfic bc podfics aren't as common* Love this mole's soundboard btw I love the music over the top of this Taupe: Hear that? Us: I can hear a lot of stuff but I can't tell what you're talking about THIS MAN CAN TELL WHICH CHURCH BELLS THEY ARE? Lik e my grampa, he used to be able to tell what car smth was based on the sound of the engine Bro go to sleep TAKE OFF YOUR SHOES I love love love this, I wish wish wish my ears were better bc this is the kind of stuff I like

Good for her but my friend's daughter is missing I NEED TO CLIP THIS MOMENT WHEN SHE KICKS THE CHAIR

ryan looks at beckett almost like he's scared Ryan tech man computer

JH: Maybe. Acoustic tiles, office space, close to a rooftop. Might fit the bill. RC, standing: I’m coming. JH: No, no, no. It might not be the place. RC: I don’t care. JH: It might be the place. gives castle a long look

Reminds me of the colonoscopy camera lol How is castle not packing a gun? THIS IS THE ROOM

Castle follow Henri's lead HER HAIR HER LONG ORANGE HAIR

Why is nobody here? Oh bc they left no trace they already left (except for alexis' hair ig) lmao wallpaper like that tbh I thought it was a bullet Why is he speaking english? Also this guy has a really nice chin btw, he is very french & THE PHONE RINGS IMMEDIATELY I LOVE IT JH: Ouai? // Yeah? Phone: [?????], tout en seul, sans le pere // I can't tell, all alone, without the father

you ARE emotionally compromised... This is what you pay me for! (I think last time I watched this I thought maybe he would do exactly what he does but I was also too invested in the story I don't think I realized)

I KNOW WHO THIS IS HEHEHEH Man found his way back to the mole cave & le taupe can still hear! btw how do they split the payment from castle? Ooh today's paper, smart! A forest? Crazy

I think you can tell it is a hard drive u just need to label it with henson Ew pics of alexis creepy (What if this tech one was in on it?) But they just told henri that it was the wrong place wrong time

Woah lots of money scary forest oh dear

I feel like you SHOULD answer except don't want the ransom guys to see u on the phone

Does his phone plan still work in paris???

Safety was off already? bc my man just cocked the gun

Il est voici, comme nous convenu I value my life more than my word Valid Who are these people? Not egyptian radicals?

Attendez! Mon paiement?

Henri un-double-crossed him? Or not. Beckett then?

American accent At least castle went for his gun Yeah castle I don't trust this guy *Shoots his phone* How do I know you're the good guy? Altho ig yeah you ARE still alive Sus man: Given how you’re feeling so bad about your $200 buck phone you might want to pick up that 3 million dollar briefcase. With those gloves I'd be scared of leaving fingerprints RC: Sounds made-up Jackson Hunt: it is

Why do they have lights on her like that? Alexis took french class

WHY DOES HE HAVE ALL THESE PHOTOS MAYBE THIS IS THE GUY WHO NABBED HER IN THE FIRST PLACE-- LIKE THE PHOTOS ON THE HENSON DRIVE HOW & WHEN DID YOU GET A FRICKING COPY OF THE PHONE?

What is this guy's accent?

So dramatic I loooove it OH THIS IS HOW THE RUSSIAN JET WAS INVOLVED Volkov: It’s you. After all these years, it’s finally you. & who ARE you?

THIS IS CASTLE'S DAD? I can see the resemblance but he could be lying that is SO castle. it could totally be him appealing to castle's romantic side, the story

All these years? That's sad but valid WOAH THAT IS ACTUALLY SO SWEET HHHH that book & james bonde SOPHIA WAS RIGHT, HE DID GREASE WHEEL IN THE CIA

Oof, poor anna. that's why they chose paris Ah that makes sense

direct assault with only two of you? (Also, u want to call beckett?) all these sexy blueprints play spy shfdkjhj

Ooh undergrounds third one FROM the bottom or...? Ok castle now run

say "je suis un electricien, pour-quoi vous avez les pistolets?"

Yes they get to see each other!!! He came to get her! All the way in paris! This is the bestest episode everest! Volkov: When a man doubles his wealth, why should he give half of it away? it's ok, castle says, he KNOWS it is ok Dad's dad: Because you’ll be dead.

wdym "don't let them"? Castle just threw the guy with the gun to the ground they RAN all the way to the us embassy? Cover story? sus Probs best to keep away from contact with him after this castle, to prevent this situation again "son" hhh always sdkjfkldjf

You two SHOULD talk, for like trauma purposes Welcome home sign!

I could clip the escape if u want

CASINO ROYALE HE MADE IT OUT

are you ALLOWED to tell her?

jasdkfhasdjlfhjasdfk this was super good but also now we know castle's dad is not the inventor of whipped cream

this was a great pair of episodes. Super intense. & I spent the full hour & a half on it too

[lilithsorchid]

Wednesday, 27th October

the death of beauty as we know it

“Cracking open a ginger ale in the harsh cold of October with brown rimmed glasses sliding down my nose bridge ever so often, I tried to find warmth in the layers of my coat. To a random passer-by I certainly looked mad as I gathered up small, yellow leaves to mark the quotes in my book-but I’d like to think that the characters adorning those pages would have been infatuated by me. Franz Gordon’s “The French Library” was blasting through my ears, and yet it was unsuccessful when it came to taming down the noise of the outside world. Cars were racing left and right, their engines roaring and klaxons honking repeatedly. In some ways the noise had been appropriate, it matched Richard’s state of mind whilst he was in Plano. Oh, but the headlights were horrific, they made my eyes hurt terribly, and even words blurred up from time to time. The ginger ale wasn’t sitting right with me, more so, it was actually making me sick; yet, I continued to drink it. Was that a form of self-torture as well? Probably, I didn’t care that much.                                    I was so absorbed in the book, that finally, the world had turned silent. Recently, I had learnt that there is no stillness in big cities. There is no time for rest, silence and peace. The world of men appears too never be silent. Even the nights are noisy. I had craved silence and solitude for so long and rereading “The Secret History” has finally brought them to me.”                                                                  -an excerpt from my journal entry

[artxyra]

The Story Of How Marinette Became Mamie Mars

Marinette had been in the Bahamas enjoying her vacation when she received the phone call. It was Bruce. Upon hearing her son’s, in everything but blood, voice, she had sat up on her lounge chair and swing her legs to the side. 

Bruce couldn’t speak coherently. That’s how much he had worried her. It’s not often that she would get a call from a panicking Bruce, especially on her vacation. 

“Brucie, honey, calm down and speak clearly.” Her voice was sweet enough to calm her son down. “Is Alfred nearby you?” She asks, knowing that her son’s surrogate father would be close. Then again, Alfred was scheduled for his vacation soon. 

“No, he’s tending the reason why I’m calling you. I may or may not have taken in a ward.” Bruce tells her, sounding off. 

The words slowly register in her mind. 

“I have a grandchild.” She squeals, so glad that she was sitting down instead of standing up. It’s already embarrassing that her squeal reached the others at the beach. Had she been standing, she would be dancing along with the squeal had she been standing up. “Oh Bruce, tell me about them? How are they adjusting?” 

“That’s the problem, mom! I have no clue what to do. Can you come home? I rather explain all this to you in person rather than on the phone.” She can sense the longing and desperation in his voice. It warms her heart that he still needs her. 

“Of course, I’ll be on the next flight out of here. Is there anything else that you want to talk about?” 

Bruce murmurs a yes. And they go into a discussion more about business rather than the newest Wayne addition.  

As Marinette books a plane ticket for the last flight of the night, she couldn’t help but think about her son’s ward. Never have Bruce expressed any thought about having children due to him being Batman. Though, she herself has thought about taking in another child. However, Marinette’s ability to have her body age slowly has been a blessing and a curse and keeps her from going through with it. It’s a blessing because she has a chance to look younger and experience more but it’s a curse as it means that she’ll live longer and see the people she cares about dying before her. 

Nearly six hours after booking her flight, she is on a three-hour flight to New Jersey. Her vacation ended the second her butt touched the seat of the plane. It was a lovely time off from everything in Gotham, her ever-growing business dubbed Miracles Designs & Crafts, and her duties as the guardian of the Miraculous, but family always comes first. 

“Alfred! It’s so good to see you again.” Marinette wraps her arms around the man. He returns the hug. 

“I as well, Miss Marinette.” He responds once the embrace ends, taking her bags and loading them into the car. Marinette pouts; she could have done it herself, but she doesn’t say a word. 

The drive was sweet as the two begins to catch up. Alfred enjoyed hearing about her adventures outside of the United States. Though, he fears what Bruce will say about her travel to Tibet. 

“So, tell me Alfred, what are your thoughts on our son’s ward?” She inquires, looking out the window. The sky never changes in Gotham, but it certainly is a vast difference from the sunshine and clear skies that she was experiencing in the Bahamas. 

“He’s determined.” Alfred states with a glance at her in the rear window. Marinette nods and continues to look out the window. 

Meeting her grandchild could have gone many ways, but him winging on the chandelier was not something she was expecting. He seemed to be mourning, like him swinging on the chandelier was holding him together. 

Bruce sends the boy a quick word then escorts her to the living room. The second the door closes, Bruce breaks down what happened. The boy’s name is Richard Grayson, but he likes to go by Dick. Of course, Marinette gasps upon hearing that, as she has never been around a person who calls themselves Dick. And that he was a part of the circus with his family until their demise. Dick has no family outside of the circus. There was also a chance that he’ll be the target for a mob boss. 

After hearing the basics of Dick’s situation, all she wanted to do was hug the boy and give him lots of love. The same as she has done for Bruce. 

“When can I officially meet my grandson?” She questions with a smile on his face. Bruce rubs the back of his neck and sends her a sheepish smile. Wrapping his arms around his surrogate mother, he guides her towards the double doors. 

“Hi, I’m Marinette, but you can call me Mamie, if you want.”

Dick looks up at her, swaying in place, “Mamie?”

Marinette chuckles. “It’s one of the French versions of saying grandma.” 

“Cool, but you don’t look like you’re old enough to be a grandma.” Behind them, Bruce fails at holding in a chuckle. Marinette purses her lip and keeps her eyes on Dick, even though she wanted to send her son a glare. 

“Yeah, I do, but don’t be fooled. I practically raised Bruce since he was eight. Now, what do you like to do for fun?” She nudges him to talk about himself, hoping that it will help from sending him down a mourning spiral. 

Bruce disappears after that, hunting down the person that sabotaged the tightrope and giving Dick his closure. 

Once Dick is asleep, Marinette finds herself in the cave, watching her son’s nonstop researching process. 

“You know spending time with Dick would really make him feel welcome.” Marinette pulls up a seat and sits beside him. 

“I can’t.  Zucco is out there, and if I can’t find him before he leaves Gotham…” Bruce trails off, turning his attention back to the screen. 

Marinette shakes her head, “At least try and get to know Dick before you do something stupid. There’s only so much that I can do, but I wasn’t the one that took him in, Bruce.” Marinette turns to Alfred and gestures her head towards Bruce. 

“I saw that, mom.” Marinette scoffs then gets out of her seat. “I promise that I’ll hang out with Dick before all this is over.” 

“And somehow, that doesn’t make me feel that much better. He’s your problem now, Alfie.” Marinette takes her to leave, grabbing a cup of tea from Alfred before leaving the Batcave.  

“Joy.” Alfred sighs, but there was an underlying hint of love there. 

Life with Dick in the household was an interesting transition, especially for Marinette. Usually, when she's here, it’s silent, as Bruce is either working as Batman or being for Wayne Enterprise. The only sounds were her and Alfred talking during their afternoon tea sessions. With Dick, the manor is full of laughter and ambitious feet, running around; practically, Mimicking the sounds of the past. 

With Marinette in the house, Dick didn’t feel so alone. Even though he didn’t have it in him to call Bruce dad yet, he'd definitely called Marinette Mamie on more than one occasion. When it first happened, she cried. Poor Dick, he thought she was upset or something. That day, she took them out for ice cream and to the gymnasium. 

Marinette did not hide her disdain when Dick became Robin. There were a lot of baked goods in the kitchen from her stress baking. It got so bad that Alfred had to ban her from the kitchen. 

Of course, once she did become comfortable with the idea of Dick out crime-fighting, she places strict rules in place so that Dick wasn’t out late at night on a school day or dealing with highly classed villains. Marinette had her fair share of fighting crime as a child, and she did not want to place that down on Dick. 

On top of that, she refused to have Dick going out at night in underwear in the name of pants. That was a big no-no in this household. 

Bonus: 

“Mamie Mars, has there ever been a time you benched Bruce?” Dick asks one day while Marinette was helping him with his homework. 

Marinette thinks for a moment. “Yes, it was within his first year of being Batman, actually. He challenged me and you know how I am when challenge, Dickie. Gotham was without their hero, excuse me, vigilante for about a month. Ladybird sure had a fun time in his stead.” She chuckles at the memory, causing Dick’s eyes to widen. He quickly finishes the rest of his homework.

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