#maybe we can love and connect and be wonderfully human

[pyroshrooms]

anyone wanna find a third place and have a life-changing conversation and experience the beauty of community and human connection?

[mrinafria]

[contains spoilers]

I'm an eternal digger of good narrative techniques. A decent story becomes great in my eyes if the narrative is done right. And it's one of the hardest things to do really, since there's no one-size-fits-all rule for what technique works well with a particular story and what doesn't. One of the primary reasons I keep obsessing over Lovely Runner is its' narrative technique. In all honesty, if it had a linear, singular narrative, I would not be hyperventilating over it on a constant basis (I still would just a certain amount, because both Byeon Woo Seok and Kim Hye Yoon deserve awards for what they are doing). One reason it has managed to knock it out off the park and take the top spot in my forever-favorite list is how wonderfully well the narrative is done.

The primary perspective used in this show is Im Sol's. It's through her we're introduced to the story. Her perspective gives shape to the plot, the characters, because we learn things through her. Her perspective is absolutely critical for exposition. Without her thoughts and way of viewing things, you would never realize why saving Seon Jae means so much to her, or why she would bend the rules and bulldoze ahead when it comes to his safety (exhibit A, her leaving home on the day of the accident, despite knowing about her fate). She'd rather have him alive than have him in her life. Without her narrative, you'd think it's really all about a fan saving her idol (thanks to everyone who'd rejected the script listening to that pitch by the way, I'm grateful we have BWS and KHY as the leads because of that, I would not change it for anyone else). With Im Sol's perspective, you realize, she is not just a fan: she's an ardent admirer, a cheerleader, a well-wisher, a protector, an invisible friend trying to support her friend any way she can, someone who respects Seon Jae, sees him as an idol but also as a human, someone who wants to give back to him the same kindness, empathy and love she had once received from him over a radio call. To her, Seon Jae is first a guardian angel and then an idol, the angel who changed her view of life, made her appreciate things even amidst all that could be wrong with the world and her life. He saved her. Not just on that day at the hospital but every time she struggled and faltered since then, he was there, as invisible as it may have been. So this time, she wants to save him, no matter the price.

Then comes Seon Jae. Oof. If Im Sol's perspective gives the story its beautiful, beautiful shape, Seon Jae's perspective breathes literal life in to the body of the story. The show wouldn't be what it is today if not for his perspective. Without his view into things, Im Sol appears as a fangirl going to extreme measures to save her idol, clinging onto him like a monkey (yes I mean the poster) embarrassing the heck out of herself, making you cringe (in a good, enjoyable way) throughout. Then you reach the end of episode 2 and it knocks the breath out of you because WHAT DO YOU EVEN MEAN. It all clicks.

All this while we kept thinking Seon Jae was caught off guard and just kind enough to tolerate her antics, and maybe he'd slowly fall for her now, only to realize we were completely oblivious to a whole different side of the story. If Im Sol's narrative draws you in and keeps you hooked, making you root for her to succeed, it's Seon Jae's narrative that makes you irredeemably fall in love with them and sincerely, genuinely, desperately hope they get their happy ending together after all the storm.

And the motifs. Walking/running, for instance. I'll focus on just one scene here. I recall seeing a bts where KHY is discussing the OG 2008 accident scene, and it explains how she has to slow down, while running away, for just a moment, only to be hit by the taxi driver. Have you ever been in a situation of absolute panic, desperation and stress, then suddenly found a familiar face or a name or a thing you could connect to, and felt a wave of relief rush through you? She sees Seon Jae, a person who is calling out her name. Even if she didn't know him back then, the fact that he knew her (and that he had his uniform on), gives her a sense of safety she badly needed that moment. That momentary relief, so visible in her features, then overtakes the crippling fear she felt running in the middle of nowhere with no one in sight in the dead of the night. Her body, already exhausted beyond anything, responds to the relief she feels for those few seconds, slowing down her steps.

And that is when she is caught off-guard and hit. That also might have added to Im Sol's anger at the hospital when she is screaming at Seon Jae, her internal anguish that if only she had not paused seeing Seon Jae, and kept on running, then maybe she wouldn't be hit, wouldn't fall, wouldn't lose her ability to walk. It's one thing to have tropes and symbolic things, but it's a very different thing to know how to use them effectively so they elicit very specific types of emotions/reactions out of people. Lovely Runner excels in that. All kdramas more or less have 'things' that take on different meanings for the couples/viewers. It's the way motifs are used to narrate the story in this one that has me going back over and over again to all the episodes aired so far. These are not just their 'things', these are 'things' that drive the plot forward, tell you about their characters, their personal motivations, what they mean to each other and so much more.

This is getting longer that I intended it to be so will end with this. I feel valued when watching Lovely Runner. And I've seen people saying the same thing. It feels like they respect your critical thinking skills, and your ability to infer, so they don't spoon-feed you everything from the get-go, and you can't predict much despite it being primarily a rom-com. You'd be pulling your hair out (again, in a good way) trying to figure out what they will show next, and you will be somewhat or very far from the truth, which will compel you to think further about the story, the characters, long after an episode has aired...I can't remember the last time it happened with a drama. I love this storytelling.

[eddiebrockrambles]

My thoughts on Venom 3:

Warning, spoilers!

I liked it, but there’s a ‘but’.

So. I loved the first half. The dog scene was fantastic! And felt very true to them. The knocking people out part seemed a bit against Eddie’s morals, but was alright. The introduction of other symbiotes was cool. Seeing more of a focus on scientists and Jim as being imoortant characters —not just bodies— was really nice. And horse and FISH VENOM were EPIC!

I loved the ‘Space Oddity’ part, the Van family, and how you could see that Eddie was too hyper vigilant and dissociative to really be able to connect to the ‘fun’ aspects the others were enjoying. It was really bittersweet and made me feel strongly about his arc ending up where they can be happy together, even if it’s after some gnarly things, and even if the threats aren’t entirely gone. This was poignant and could have developed nicely.

But. Compared to the other two, and especially the first, I found the Knull plot to be too large scale, detracting from the two of them. The first film was like an Alien film, rooted in science. It was captivating to me, and an awesome take. I loved the interplay between the characters. Then they made it more like ‘purple man with gemstones and magic’ and maybe if it were directed by Guillermo Del Toro it would have worked, but to me, the based-in-science thing felt more like ‘them’. The Knull thing feels like sloppy writing, and a cop-out.

The Codex didn’t fully make sense, the xenophages were ‘Mary Sue’ characters, it didn’t feel like venom really died (which I’m very glad about, be it cockroach or viral shedding, but just wasn’t as emotive as I expected), the latter half lost the grit and feeling of ‘Eddie and Venom’, the montage music was an awful choice, and the Statue of Liberty scene lacked any real depth.

They coulda taken it further with the grittiness and showed how broken down Eddie would feel. They could have had more of Eddie asking ‘why’ than just going along with Venom’s decision to sacrifice himself. They could have hidden the codex and found weaknesses. They could have had a smaller scale threat, but still uniting humans and symbiotes.

They could even have worked with former ‘Life foundation’ employees to find a way to defeat the xenophages, and explored the conflicting feelings they’d have. They coulda experimented on Eddie. They could have interrogated him or all set out a clear plan. Tom Hardy’s acting is amazing and there were so many routes they could have taken to showcase it.

They needed to fuck off with the production queer baiting and have actually given us some solid romance and moments of closeness for the two of them. Even just Venom reassuring Eddie in a way we haven’t seen before.

The latter half just felt lackluster. There were great elements to it, but the montage and magical or occult elements dampened it for me.

Maybe I just feel like they deserved a PG16/18/R rating, given how beautifully intense and gritty this film could have been.

Venom 2018 captured it wonderfully.

[sapphicnaturalrights]

here are deep dives for each of the prompts for the week! if you have any more questions, our asks are open! as always, feel free to combine as many prompts as you like, just try one, or pay them no attention at all

day 1: heaven & hell / bury your gays

one of the juiciest binaries in the supernatural lore, you could start off the week with getting to grips with the angel and demon sapphics, from ambriel to abaddon. you could focus on heaven and hell together or pick one. or maybe these aren't places, but instead states of mind?

there's a lot to be said about supernatural as The Bury Your Gays show, and now it's time to focus on the sapphics! as jess moore says, "i was dead the moment we said hello". this is a chance to focus on the women the show killed off and how viscerally and violently it did so. you could reclaim that violence, get revenge, or find new meanings in it. you could also explore women in horror, and maybe bury some gays in fun new ways...

day 2: pink / chappell roan

an iconic colour on many a pride flag - the sapphic, lesbian, bisexual, pan, trans flags to name a few - pink holds a lot of symbolism, and for a lot of women, some baggage too. from the barbie fans to not like other girls, what's the first thing to come to mind when you think of pink?

imagine it: what if we had chappell roan on 2021 spnblr. what would you have created then? maybe the most prolific sapphic icon of the present moment, get inspired by her songs, her lyrics, or her wonderfully camp aesthetic.

day 3: came back wrong / monster

you can bring back the gays you burried, but are they still the same? an iconic trope which occurs in the canon of the show, but has endless potential for other women characters too - what if amara brought back [insert dead sapphic here] instead of mary? what is so 'wrong' about how they've come back? women characters are often fridged - killed for men characters' plot development - so how do these resurrected women get their agency back?

what makes a monster a monster? feel free to play with the good/bad, right/wrong, human/monster dichotomy. what about that fraught, tense, intimate relationship between a hunter and a monster? what if you love that monster; what if the monster loves you...

day 4: butch & femme / disabled sapphics

two iconic terms for queer women, butch and femme play with gender identity and presentation. traditionally, butches '...prefer masculine signals, personal appearance, and styles', and femmes '...prefer behaviors and signals defined as feminine within the larger culture' (x). we've all heard of butch!jo, but how many other supernatural women can you experiment with?

for some more reading on the roles of butch and femme in sapphic communities, here is an article by queer studies scholar gayle rubin.

when you hear 'disabled supernatural sapphic' it is all too easy to think of eileen and pamela. but we invite you to get crazy with disabled headcanons too! you could explore how sapphic hunters cope with disabling injuries, how angels and demons learn sign language for each other, or the effects of learning disabilities and neurodivergency on your favourite spn women.

day 5: lavender / one episode wonder

another colour day! as a variation of purple it is another popular colour on pride flags, and as a flower lavender has all sorts of symbolism in sapphic communities. from 'lavender marriages' between lesbians and gay men, to the lesbian 'lavender menance' movement of the 1970s, we invite you to dive deeply into the varied meanings of lavender with this prompt.

one episode wonder is for the women who only graced our screens for a single episode! they are a prominent theme in supernatural and now we get to ask - how are they doing? are they dead or flourishing; how did their experience with the supernatural world affect their connection to the hunting life? did they get into it like charlie? are they still trying to make sense of what happened? undoubtedly they met other women because of it...

day 6: new & niche / gaslight gatekeep girlboss

we all know sapphicnatural is brilliant for rarepairs, and this prompt is a chance to celebrate that! we challenge you to come up with new pairings which have never been conceived before, and get funky with them. you could also find a 'niche' pairing which is not often talked about within sapphicnatural and contribute to growing their sapphicnatural following!

for some inspiration here, check out @mrcowboydeanwinchester's sapphicnatural statistics sheet. pulling from the fics in the sapphicnatural collection on ao3, there is info about how many fics are written about each ship. you could pull from a ship near the bottom of the list, or create your own!

gaslight gatekeep girlboss is the final prompt of the week and it's time for a fun one. here at sapphicnaturalrights we support sapphics' rights and sapphics' wrongs and think you should too!!

day 7: free day

this day is a free space! go wild! you can catch up with something you wanted to work with during the week but didn’t have time for, or just explore something else completely

that's it! make sure you tag all your creations with #sapphicnaturalrights so we can see and reblog your gorgeous work!

[nerdy-talkie]

What makes a movie memorable? Is it the dialogues? Or the cinematography? Or is it the people you watch it with? There can be one answer or there can be multiple. For me, Past Lives was memorable for multiple reasons.

The movie revolves around the lives of Nora and Hae Sung, two childhood friends, well, they're more than just friends but also not exactly lovers. Fate comes between them when Nora immigrates to Canada from Seoul. The conflict begins when they meet again after 12 years through a social media platform. It takes them another 12 years to meet in New York, physically.

It's hard to come to terms with the fact that this movie was the debut of Celine Song, it's meticulously crafted and the nuances of a love story are wonderfully captured. It's refreshing and takes its time to bring you into its world. Shabier Kirchner has done a wonderful job with the camera, the frames are neither flashy nor are they boring, there is just enough depth and just the right amount of colors to compliment the story. If that's not perfect cinematography, I don't know what is. The cities in the movie, especially New York and Seoul, are beautifully shown, they're so well integrated into the script that they feel like supporting characters in their own rights.

The story is also wonderfully paced, although there isn't much in the second half of the film, it still doesn't feel out of place or awkward. More than anything, Past Lives is a cozy watch, it's a movie you may want to watch on a comfortable day when regular rom-coms may feel too artificial and a European art house might feel like too much of a work to understand. Infact, this is why I love some of the Asian dramas, the last time I felt like this was when I saw Koreeda's 'after the storm' and 'still walking'. These movies don't complicate the plot, neither do they introduce unnecessary drama, they understand that there's enough drama in everyday relationships and show just that. In the case of Past Lives, it shows the regret of two lovers, two souls that never got a chance to be together and explore what could have been.

In the end, this movie is not so much about past lives or future lives, it's about coming to terms with the present life. We all make choices that define who we are. Nora chooses to immigrate, she chooses to live in New York and become a playwright over going back to Seoul. Hae Sung chooses to stay in Seoul, he chooses a traditional job over a creative one. The choices they make continually push them apart, but something holds them together. Maybe it's In-yun, a Korean concept that says people are brought together based on interactions in their previous lives. Or maybe it's something more. But whatever it is, it's not strong enough to win over reality, and the characters are painfully aware of that.

A Korean proverb says, "even simply brushing clothes with someone is a fate". The movie stays true to this philosophy, maybe even the all powerful director didn't have enough power to change the fate of these broken lovers. But that's okay, because maybe in another life, they'll find comfort in each other's warmth.

If someone tells you that past lives is about a love triangle, don't believe them. Rather, it's about human connections, proper good-byes, overcoming regrets and coming to terms with one's life.

Watch the movie if you want to watch something that's grounded and simple, but beware of the emotional hangover it may leave!

[lavender-long-stories]

For the fruit game: 🍊🍑

This was in reference to: The Fruit Ask Game

🍊 Who’s a character you don’t write for that often, but keep meaning to write for more? (They’re so interesting! But maybe you have trouble pinning them down, or keep getting distracted by another blorbo…)

Gaara @_@

After writing Lavender Sand, I have really struggled to do another GaaHina because I felt like I had already explored the deepest depth of their canon possible relationship there. He pops in here an there as a secondary lead when I need him, but I really wish I could pin him down again.

I wrote Beauty and the Sand Beast as another attempt at a cannon-ish universe, and though it turned out cute, I didn't enjoy writing it as much.

I plan to force out a modern AU that I have been trying to figure out how to write for a long time this year. It's going to be really weird to not have Shukaku in his head. We will see if I can do it.

Also Deidara

Another character who is getting his own story this year, whether I like it or not. I have him as a background side character quite a bit, but his POV just doesn't come as naturally to me as some of the other Akastuski, and I find he is hard to bounce off Hinata's personality because they don't have an easy conflict. Thier both too laid back.

🍑 If you could make a connection between your favorite character and another work you care about (whether a crossover/fusion or a wonderfully “pretentious” literary reference) what would it be? How would it work?

Uuuuuuuuhhhhh. ????

My brain rot doesn't usually work very well with cross-overs.

But I guess you could say that I would love Hinata is just about any supernatural boi K-Drama I've watched, which is why I determined to make a bunch of non-human boi AU's.

Death Wishes (ItaHina) came from my love of shows like Goblin and Doom at Your Service, but I was going more for the trope than the universe.

[chartreuseian]

🍉, 🍓, 🍑, and 🍈! 😁

Thank you! 😁

🍉 Do you prefer to write short fics or long fics? Multichaptered works or single ones? Why?

Depends on the mood, but I do love me a good saga where you see these big, longer term transformations. Oneshots are fun when I want to look at just one aspect of a character, but multichaptered fics give me more to play with in terms of the tension and the way that we get to see them grow.

🍓 What’s a fic you’ve written you feel is underrated?

Hmm... I really liked 'Stupid' and I don't know if lots of other people did. Though given it's pretty kinky (for me) I do sort of get it.

Outwise, I feel like maybe 'Lessons in Domestication'? I reckon people skip it because it's tagged not just as Helen/Nikola, but also Helen/Nikola/James/John. But I love it the most of that series right now because bby Nikola is learning many things and loving it.

🍑 If you could make a connection between your favorite character and another work you care about (whether a crossover/fusion or a wonderfully “pretentious” literary reference) what would it be? How would it work?

This one is haaaaaaaaaaard. I dunno... My brain isn't wired for crossovers, tbh. I do love historical references (like Helen on the Titanic, etc) though. Does that count? It's fun to see her (or the others) as a part of these fixed events in human history.

🍈 Who’s your blorbo and what are some of your favorite headcanons/ideas about them that repeatedly show up in your fics? Free pass to rant about blorbo opinions.

*deep breath* (smart to put this one last, I reckon...)

Nikola is my favourite on so many levels, because I feel like he's such a nunanced character and there is so much to play with there. In terms of headcanons, I think the major one I rely on in is that he really was in love with Helen from way back when, but he didn't really understand it. And it was a very surface level sort of love where he wanted the idea of her more than the reality (because he is an idiot bby). So when he says it in Rome, he does mean it as much as he is capable of meaning it. It just also happens that he wasn't capable of really understanding his feelings for her.

Also! I feel like his 60 years in hiding was because, for a big part of it, he was sort of mad that she hadn't sought him out, so it became a bit of a game of chicken where he was refusing to come out of hiding until she contacted him first (stubborn bby). It is the only way my head can rationalise how he stayed away for such a long period of time.

(can you tell I rewatched 'The Five' this week!?)

Also, 10/10 believe he and Helen were lovers on and off not long after the turn of the century. I think when she moved out of London, they started to fool around (pretty casual) and Nikola found any and every excuse to come visit (or lure her down to New York for adventures). In particular though, I think the first time they slept together was in Egypt because it was the first time they were both properly alone and things just felt so easy and fun. And Nikola was so desperate for her that he'd take whatever he could get. Plus he sort of believed that he could seduce her into loving him the way he loved her. And because it doesn't work, it's why he gets snippy and sassy as their relationship goes on.

Nikola was drawn to Helen for the same reason she was drawn to him back at Oxford - they were both the outsiders in their group. It's why, even after all this time and all his idiotic moments, she is still able to forgive him. She still sees that only person who, way back when, understood what it felt like to be treated as a novelty or curiosity, rather than taken seriously. It's why their relationship developed differently to the rest of the Five, and why John doesn't understand her affection for him.

... I think that's probably enough for now. Whoops! 😅

[persianflaw]

hey prax <3 we are in completely different fandoms but 🍒 and 🍑 please 😍

hellooooo nirou!! 😁 we are bonded brothers now, there is no need to share fandoms. sorry this took a couple days to get to, travelling always has me tied up lol

🍒 What’s your favorite character dynamic to write? (Can be romantic or platonic, specific or general!)

characters who really, really like each other. this is so cheesy, but it's true! they could be friends or lovers or family, but i love writing about that big, swelling feeling of love you get when you really care about someone. it's the best feeling in the world and it makes me feel so warm and fuzzy to write about it. :melt: my characters are happy thinking about their buddies!!

🍑 If you could make a connection between your favorite character and another work you care about (whether a crossover/fusion or a wonderfully “pretentious” literary reference) what would it be? How would it work?

my first thought was hawkeye x it's a wonderful life. since it's such a flexible concept, you could write it a few ways; it could be a full crossover, a role transplant, you could have hawkeye experience george's "never been born" trip with clarence during the war. maybe it's along the lines of "follies of the living - concerns of the dead", which is an episode where we follow the ghost of a soldier who has died at the 4077th and a main character is able to see and partially communicate with him (not believed bc of his fever). whether or not you want to think of this as a literal, real supernatural thing that is happening or a narrative device to give the audience an outsider perspective on the main cast and act as a reminder of the cost of human lives in the war is up to the viewer in my onion.

i think hawkeye would have a really similar reaction to george, tbh! the initial disbelief, the dawning horror masked by anger. you'd want to play it carefully, so it doesn't come across as military apologia - the presence of the army in korea IS bad. and i think it would be less bombastic than IAWL's conclusion because george's impact on the lives of those around him is very much about his presence in the community, whereas hawkeye is like... he's a good surgeon, and it's good to save lives, but he is by design an interchangeable cog in the war machine, helping to fuel it and provide maintenance to other cogs whose jobs are to take the lives of others, and that is his central struggle throughout the show. any outcome to the fic where hawkeye comes out feeling good about his presence in the 4077th would go against that very significant aspect of hawkeye's beliefs. (and, tbh, it would run counter to my own principles!) so i'd want to tweak the concept a lot to make it fit better.

[nothingbutloveforyou]

my partner made me believe in love!! not just that other people can love me but also that i can love unconditionally. i was very hurt before, very afraid to create meaningful connections, i didn't stand up for myself and i thought being insecure and all my traumas were something that would be an obstacle in my life forever. but then i met them and for the first time in my life i felt true connection with another human. no human relationship is free from hurting each other, we obviously bickered and had our turmoils as well, but there was so much.... respect? willingness to be the best for the other? support? i've had someone like me before but i felt so odd and disappointed when i realised in the past that person only wanted me in their life if i could retribute their feelings, despite our friendship. with my partner it's different. their love was never conditional to begin with. i felt valued as a person but i also discovered a new side of me. a part of me i genuinely like. being so full of love and knowing i have it inside of me made have hope. that maybe i'm not as doomed as i thought i was and that maybe i'm not as terrible as i told myself. i'm not sure if this is the type of story you were hoping to receive but this is what made me believe in love :3 me and my partner aren't really in good terms at the moment, things are a bit complicated and uncertain. i'm not sure if i'll have them in my life for a long time but i'm really grateful for everything we had together so far <3

puhhh anon!! thank you, for pouring your heart out like that!! tysm for taking the time and sharing your story <3

there is no right or wrong answer to this whole thing, so u did wonderfully!

i'm very glad u got to experience love like this (as u deserve) and regardless of what happens, you will always be worthy of love

i hope things go well with you and your partner, but if it won't (for whatever reason) i'm glad u have this positive outlook because again, that love u have isn't any less precious and wonderful, because it might end !

lots of loooove <3

[shadowbunnydragon]

To Bailey, Lily, and Russell: Since you’re dating a predator, what kind of relationship challenges do you face? I’m only asking because I’m a guy and I’ve had a male wolf friend recently come to me and ask me out

Russell, his ears turning pink: "Uh... w-well..."

Baily: "You do have to remember that us humans are omnivores, making us predators as well. Granted, our lack of claws or sharp teeth kinda make that a bit hard to believe for some mammals..."

He reaches into his coat pocket to pull out his buzzing phone, accidentally swiping up and hitting the speaker option.

Leodore: "Hey there, Barney! Just calling to let you know that I've mulled it over, and I still find it silly that you guys are predators. No offense, but you kinda look more like how we'd make a felt puppet mascot for a show to teach very young mammals tolerance and understanding and all that nonsense towards predators. Basically you're predator lite, if you catch my meaning. Also wanted to let you know that I'm gunna be kinda late for our next card reading session, things did NOT work out in the waste disposal union like I had thought it would. Seriously, you make one, or several, jokes about organized crime connections, and suddenly everyone gets up into a tizzy... oh great, it looks like I'm getting pulled over now. I probably shouldn't be talking on my phone while driving, but this is just getting ridiculous. Anyways, see you in maybe an hour."

The phone goes silent, the three humans staring wide-eyed at it in silence.

Lily: "Anyways... it's true that there have been some challenges. Like smaller herbivorous mammals sometimes being nervous around us and giving us side-eyed looks and wide berths."

Russell: "Patricia and David told me that it was a lot worse towards predators a few years ago, but that it's gotten better. The specism towards predators in general, I mean. But then there's also... some members of Jackson's pack aren't too happy with him not dating another jackal, or at the very least, another canid... and sometimes, despite the brave face he puts on... you can see that it does in fact hurt him from time to time..."

Lily: "Some of Renato's family has voiced similar concerns... with his great-grandmother suggesting that we are some kind of evil spirits that have started appearing to work a dark mischief... whatever that means."

Baily, rubbing the back of his head: "I might be kinda lucky in that regard. I'm sure some members of Sophia's pride might not be too happy with her bringing in a human... especially one who was, until very recently, homeless. But thanks to a 'certain someone' and their increasingly embarrassing antics, I guess I'm looking golden in comparison..."

His phone buzzes again and, after receiving now somewhat amused nods from the other two, Baily swipes up and enables the speaker function yet again.

Leodore: "No, officer, you've got this all wrong! That wad of money just fell out of my pocket! It was not a bribe! Speeding and talking on my phone when driving is around $150 here, I've gotten enough tickets for that to know by now; so why would I try to give you $400 when I can just bite the bullet and pay this fine?! OOF!" A loud slamming sound followed by a muffled voice speaking. "Oh, uh, Basil, we're gunna need to have a rain check for that reading. Apparently someone needs to FILL A QUOTA!"

The call ends.

Lily: "... Anywho, opening your heart to someone can be scary, and each time there will be their own sets of challenges. But, there's the chance that you could find someone who makes your heart sing... ahem, and whom you get on with wonderfully. Ultimately, I wouldn't have it any other way. I love my big fluffy Marshmallow."

Baily: "I never thought I could feel the way I do about Sophia. Sometimes I wonder if she isn't an angel..."

Russell: "And I'm really glad that I said yes to Jackson! I don't know how things will go down the road, but I'm really happy here and now!"

Lily: "I think that it's safe to say that all three of us here wish you the best of luck with this wolf boy!"

[clockworkspider]

I'm coming into your inbox to complain to you about rustica and chloe (and fandom shipping) because i can

I wish people would stop trying to painfully shove them into either "lovers" or "father and son" because both are very inaccurate and far-fetched.

Like, yeah rustichloe care about each other a lot but caring about people=/=romance? And yeah they're really cute together but again, wholesomeness=/=romance either?

And on the flip side, even if Rustica saved chloe when chloe was 13, older man caring about younger male child=/=family. Also, if you read any rustichloe story, 99% of the time it's chloe trying to stop rustica from getting scammed or getting otherwise taken advantage of. Like, if we're sorting people by what traditional family roles they're closest to, chloe would be the dad lol. But also at the same time chloe really needs someone as stupidly caring and comforting as rustica because god knows this poor baby never got comfort.

Anyways it drives me insane when people fight over them like "it's so obvious that they're lovers" "eew no, it's clearly a family" ALL OF YOU ARE WRONG. Clearly people are projecting hardcore when they look at rustichloe, and like, fine i guess. You can have fun with fiction and make your own interperpretations. But how do they not realize just how much they're projecting when they interact with other fans who come to entirely different conclusions? How do you not look at yourself after that and realize "hmmm, maybe my own experiences and wishes lead me to interpret these relationships in a biased way" and instead directly go to "i am right and these other people are wrong😤"

Rustichloe aren't lovers, they aren't family, they are mentally ill travel buddies who care about each other greatly. Why do fandoms try so hard to interpret things into text that just....aren't there. Canon gives you wonderfully weird relationships and you try to make it either family/friends/lovers? Why

In conclusion, live laugh love rustichloe, that one scene in mainsto 1 still makes me cry, holy shit chloe's VA is really good for that delivery

THEY ARE SO LIVE LAUGH LOVE!

Where are you even finding these fandom discourse? I don't really wanna know I just haven't seen any 😂

The funny thing is it's not that I would describe them as neither it's more like I could describe them as "all of the above". Cause I do think there's aspect of infatuation between Chloe to Rustica.

And like. Going off topic a bit. Specifically regarding romance it's like. Us as 21st century humans have a certain definition of romance that's connected to like... Marriage and the elusive thing called "romantic attraction" cause "dating" is a fairly modern concept that's almost paramount for romance to exist in the contexr of our lives. But like. A lot of people in history across different culture didn't "date".

"Dating" is a process in which people spend time together deliberately to get to know their romantic compatibility, with a special focus on "romantic attraction" and "chemistry". And I think the concept of dating is so integral to the modern understanding of romance that concepts like marriage and lifelong companionship also gets tied together in one big bundle.

And then here you have, like, characters who are wizards and they can live very long. They're also in a culture different from ours. They form companionships that either last for life or can last hundreds of years. They're often bond by fate in ways uncommon irl cause they're story characters. So really a lot of time the characters are very much like... Soulmates. They don't have to fit into our definition of romance but it's also Not not romance because like. Frankly we have very limited model of lifelong companionship irl.

(And like. Regarding QPR, it's a term that exist because we exist in a culture where lifelong companionship = modern romance = monogamy, so I don't think it quite applies to characters in settings where the culture isn't. Like. Modern 21st century queerspace.)

So anyway I think the way that Chloe and Rustica chooses to stay together make them very much like lovers, I also think Chloe's infatuation lends itself to exploring the concept of desire very easily. His dependence and Rustica's comforting nature also lends itself to exploring the concept of seeking love from parental figure very easily. And like. People looking for parental figure in their lovers? As common as one might think!

So yeah my two cents is I think they're more than either labels but I do think there's a strong resemblance to both.

[usernamesuggestionsarefunny]

Finally on episode 3 of The Chosen we see a little more of Jesus' personality. I love this series but, like you said in your post, he's often too distant and too "perfect" here and i struggle to connect with his character. I'd love to see a show where Jesus is portrayed as a fully human (and also fully God of course) with some serious doubts, fears and flaws even without sin, but i know it would cause controversy and charges of blasphemy. However, i appreciated a lot this episode dedicated to Nazareth and totally adore Lazarus, he's wonderfully chaotic and didn't disappoint me.

I kinda disagree on the first part, I don't think the portrayal of Jesus has been too different in episode 3 of season 3. I actually think He has been consistently portrayed exactly as you say in The Chosen since episode 1 season 1: very, very human without taking away from His divinity and sinlessness, and it already HAS caused blasphemy accusations lol I don't have a problem with the characterization per say, so maybe I didn't explain myself correctly. It is what I (very personally) feel is missing I have a problem with.

When I said He comes across as distant sometimes I meant in comparison to His portrayal in “Risen” + relatively speaking, meaning He has these perfect, very close and deep emotional scenes with some disciples (aka Little James and Mary Magdalene, Nathaniel in some ways, at least in their first scene together), friendly bonds (Simon P, John) vs other disciples with which He seems to have a type of “cool guy, but still your boss” relationship with (Matthew, Simon Z, Ramah for that matter, etc).

I know there are time constraints and they can't develop each individual relationship and whatnot and I can leave stuff to the imagination but this frustrates me to no end with Matthew, there is no excuse with him (imo), because with this character there are sooo many opportunities for Mary-M-being-reedemed-again-type of scenes and yet there is none. Matthew’s scenes with Jesus are mostly there for comedic relief and theology lessons (I actually loved the planning-the-sermon scenes and how they explained the salt of the Earth metaphor, which I didn't understand before, that is not the issue). We never see Matthew opening up to Him like Mary and Little James do. Matthew gets waaay more meaningful scenes character-development-wise with other disciples such as Philip and Mary than with Jesus. Again, cool boss and improving work environment more than divine love incarnated. You could say Him making Matthew feel like he is helping and using his talents by having him give advice on His sermon (And even thank him) is meaningful in its own right and shows how much He knows each of His disciples, and I fully agree, and I DO notice these things in the writing, but I personally think there is space for something more.

Little James gets an answer as to why he hasn't been healed, and I think it would be nice to have a scene where Matthew gets an answer too as to why he feels different (Which, as his conversation with Philip shows, it is something he struggles with), and why being in some ways different the way he is isn't bad, that God loves him the way he is and not let anyone make him feel any different.

On the last part I fully agree, Lazarus is exactly how I imagined him to be. I don't know why but his character always screamed “comedic relief sidekick!” to me. He is the opposite of Jesus in many ways and yet they love each other. It is endearing.

[shallowseeker]

Angelic hedonism, angelic asceticism: Anna and Hannah

Anna and Hannah are a study of two opposites.

///

Anna + dissociating from angel-ness (angelic brutality)

Anna is THE poster child-angel for complete dissociation and non-integration of the angelic self.

"Angels don't feel ANYTHING, so 'being a human' is the only WAY forward; the angel part MUST be torn out."

Interestingly, it's a self-defeating argument. If Anna felt nothing, she'd have never wanted to tear out her grace in the first place. She's horrified by the brutality of angelic instinct.

However, she takes her grace on when people need to be protected! It's very tied up with hyper-masculine-soldier concepts of war, duty, and emotion. Anna walks the path of hedonism but reaches for duty when lives are on the line.

Even when she returns to angelicity, she wants to be connected to her emotions and experience of being human. Subconsciously, she wants to be integrated. She "pulls a few favors" to inhabit the human shape she connected with and that helped her move through the world and understand her emotions and meaning-making.

She was just beginning to balance her sense of past and present when the authoritarian force crushed her progress.

///

Hannah + dissociating from human-ness (angelic emotion)

In season 10, Hannah quickly realizes angels CAN feel things but decides that they really, really shouldn't. She pushes down these emotions (art, love, poetry) and elevates Caroline's above her own.

Although it's wonderfully altruistic, it's also so interesting how Hannah downplays her own emotions in the process. "These emotions aren't for us." Hannah's emotions, in essence, "don't count." Maybe she even rationalized that her feelings for a fellow soldier were just a side effect of inhabiting a body. Hannah reaches for complete dissociation and non-integration of the "human" self, which is really just how she chooses to label angelic emotion. If angels aren't allowed to be emotional, then it's something that has to be characterized as 'human' instead.

"Angels feel SOMETHING, but it pales in comparison to human emotions, so maybe it doesn't count; the human part MUST be abandoned for the greater good."

Hannah swears off 'human' things in order to be her idea of ALL ANGEL, and yet she struggles to do that, even when she participates in the torture of Cas in season 11. Hannah walks the path of asceticism, and it ends for her almost as brutally as it began.

///

Very few angels decide to integrate the angelic self with the concept of "human" emotion. It's why I'll always love Meredith's Good Intentions script. It GETS it.

I think it's so interesting, because season 10 sees Cas tentatively describing himself not as "A" human, but like "LIKE" a human. Then, seasons 11-13 see Cas letting his angel nature shine through. Eventually, he even stops pretending to be nice on cases! We see a return to growly-off-putting Cas. "You think this is funny?" "No, sir."

In trying to integrate his concept of self, he allows himself to showcase his baseline instincts as an angel instead. We stop seeing him grooming and worrying over his appearance in order to "appear more harmless/human." He still shows an interest in human culture and his practice of language (metaphors & sayings), but it feels more comfortable.

I think late season 14 and 15 showcases Cas being more levelheaded in assessing how humans aren't a monolith...and how angels aren't either. He makes great strides (and some backwards progress). Really lovely stuff!

[nikkireedsource]

Nikki Reed: What I Wish I Knew About Beauty When I Was Younger

Our columnist was playing with makeup before she knew how to ride a bike, but it took more than a skilled hand to establish her relationship with inner worth.

Welcome to Take Five, my recurring beauty and nutrition column onELLE.com culled from a lifelong passion for animals, the outdoors, and feeling good. For me, the notion of taking five—whether the number pertains to ingredients in a food or just a moment to ask your body how it's feeling—can make all the difference. Consider this your 300-second-long wellness retreat.

A woman's hands tell a story. Her journey, a masterpiece, beautifully painted line by line, with each spot and vein in its perfect placement. I remember staring at my mom's hands as a child, watching her tap the steering wheel of the car with her knuckle rings to the beat of whatever song was playing, knowing that mine would someday look just like that; I couldn't wait. I remember the first time I was told I looked like her. It was the response to a side-by-side photo of us, both smiling, cheekbones pronounced, every line on my mom's face exposed, showcasing her beauty in a way I had never noticed. I delighted in the thought of growing into a woman with that kind story etched so wonderfully on her face, with signs of a life filled with deep belly laughter and adventures many wouldn't believe; once again, I couldn't wait.

But it wasn't always that way.

I grew up fast. In fact, ​Mom gave me my first makeup kit, a hand-me-down from her best friend, Alex, before I could ride a bike. She let me do whatever I wanted when it came to my self-expression as it pertained to my image. I had a perm by the time I was five years old. I was the first girl in third grade to have magenta hair. I even got my tongue pierced around the ripe age most young girls were trying on their first pair of earrings. Needless to say, makeup was something I didn't skimp on. I went through the sparkly eye shadow phase for a little longer than most, I wore a full face of foundation for at least one of my three middle school years, and I learned how to put on my own false eyelashes in the backseat of a car. I enjoyed every part of the process.

Like most girls that age, there was no bigger compliment than being told I looked older than I was. Oh, the irony. Whether we're chasing womanhood or chasing our youth, we're never satisfied with the present. As I got older, I began to recognize the beauty in a natural, makeup-free visage. In my early twenties, I discovered my love for oils and my disdain for the smell of chemical-laden perfumes. (This was after years of bathing in the Country Apple scent from Bath & Body Works.) And although I once made fun of her for it, I was undeniably following directly in the footsteps of my amber-patchouli-wearing mother.

And eventually, I found myself wondering if the connection between people was dulled as our senses became sullied by the overwhelming effort we make to cover ourselves up, be it with makeup, deodorant, or perfume. There is something to be said for pheromones, and I knew I was onto something after reading a few articles on "human connection through scent." It's true that my job requires a certain amount of "made-up" days, however, I still have an immense amount of affinity for the majority of my days, the ones spent au-natural. Truth be told, when I'm not working, I enjoy letting my hair air dry, tossing a little homemade oil concoction onto my face and body, and then calling it a day. I believe in taking care of myself, but always with a healthy approach that stems from treating my body right, not from the desire to fit in, stay skinny, or look younger. I suppose it's about balance. Whether it's attempting to purchase reduced-chemical or chemical-free products when you can, or maybe even researching vegetable-based dyes for your hair, the most important part of being a consumer is being aware that we do have options. And it all starts with one ideal: love yourself. Finding a holistic approach to skincare and the products we buy begins when we stop succumbing to the gloss of advertisements and we start glorifying old photographs of our mothers and grandmothers looking perfectly imperfect, their natural beauty on full human display.

I'll be first to tell you that I love a day of expert glam, but it's the days I get to let my skin breathe and my frizzy hair fly free that I cherish the most, that I feel the most "me." So if there is one message I could have given my younger self, it would've been this: Be gentle with yourself. Know that every girl your age has acne, that it's okay to feel insecure about your height, your weight, or the size of your boobs. Don't beat yourself up about it. Don't spend your energy wishing you could change it. Embrace it. Love every imperfection. Imperfections are what make you beautiful. They're what make you "you."

As you grow older, you'll find more and more opportunities to either tear yourself apart or stand up for yourself, both physically and emotionally. Someday you'll look back at that one photo in the bikini on the lake, the one that made you feel insecure, fat, pale, or less-developed than the other girls, and think, 'Wow, I really was beautiful. How I wish I had known it then.' Another day, you'll look down at your aging hands knowing that those very hands are the tangible evidence that you've lived, truly lived; that you are a woman with a unique story, a woman with perfect purpose. You'll feel empowered as a woman who no longer dissects every angle of her body but instead the ingredient labels on those trendy products, because you care about what goes in and on your body as you strive for health, strength, and longevity.

And one day, down the road, you'll look at your mom and really see her. In that moment, you'll understand what it is that makes her so beautiful, and you'll long for hands that tell a story like hers.

Original article

[justagirlinacape]

I am deep in my feels rn and I’m just thinking. Like, humanity as a whole is just so fricken amazing. We were all in different parts of the world and slowly we began to interact and share experiences and story’s together and everyone is so different but we all seem to be similar even though we developed separately and there’s just this togetherness and strength that happened and then we combined forces and look what happened. There are so many things that have been done in the past century that seem to defy the rules of the universe but we made them happen. And there’s so many issues with how things are done but compare today to 100 years ago and see how much progress has been done and if we keep going and fighting and in another 100 years or even shorter we could fix it and we could love each other and be happy and express where we came from and who we are, each of us, individually and maybe that is possible because look at what we’ve done already. Hell If we can make air plains, and allow a species that was never ment to fly to travel the earth up in the sky, or we made a way to talk to someone on the other side of the globe at any point in time, we can fix everything that’s shitty in the world, let everyone be themselves unapologetically, we can reconnect with nature and the other inhabitants of this world, we can make it all better because we are strong and connected and that’s so beautiful. Because from the moment we become aware of our life we are aware that it will one day end and so we have to make the most of it. Cause sometimes we get delt a bad hand but we have friends and family and ways to support ourselves and sometime it feels like it’s impossible to keep moving but we do anyway because we have to and we want to because today is never gonna happen again so we need to live now while we still can and it’s all so messy and hard and exhilarating and wonderfully imperfect. And that’s beautiful

[lets-talk-spirituality]

hello mod! it's my first time being here and i'm just scrolling and really interested in your hard work. your love for anything spirituality-related is apparent and greatly appreciated! i am clairsentient, but unfortunately i am unable to do readings on myself (my divine guardians are probably looking out for me lol) But i was wondering, could you channel anything about my soulmate? Anything regarding appearance, personality, literally anything you might find important about them / our connection like where we might even meet? Love ya! :) xoxo

Hi! Thank you. It’s not always love that drives me with spirituality, in fact a lot has been desperation lol. When everything is falling down there’s only one place to turn. I’ll do my best to see what comes up.

Green. Green clover fields, spring time. I feel like maybe your person grew up somewhere off the beaten path with lots of fields or hiking maybe, valleys. Fresh forest scents. Like evergreens, crisp air, so somewhere that gets cooler, I’m thinking north, very New England America vibes, not necessarily there but similar like topographically, white linen and swaying laundry, a very simple person, very down to earth and calm. Very chill, like I almost get this like home on the prairie vibe like they just want to sit in the wood house and read, maybe they are into off-grid style living? Maybe they’re very sustainable and environmental, that feels very right to me, so they may be a little extreme. I definitely get sort of hippie vibes with like flowing hair, flowing clothes. I feel some tension in the top of my shoulders so I’m thinking they may engage in a lot of physical labor, maybe logging or something like that for work, maybe even construction?

What say you soul mate?

Very quiet and shy, sort of not much of a talker I’m getting, like much more of an observer and listener, very thoughtful before speaking. What they want you to know? (Lol) All is well (this feels so on brand for their vibe) Don’t worry or stress, allow life to flow like the river over rocks, let life mould you, but never break you down. You never know where the pieces of you are being spread, you never know what future that leads to, you never know where you’re headed, like dandelions let your wishes drift in the air (I think they may be very spiritual with nature, an animist, and maybe follow a lot of more native viewpoints about spirituality and the planet, very very connected to the earth) I think you need to look at the sky more, take in the stars and remember they shine regardless. My love, I think you’ve forgotten that stars don’t care how bright other stars are, they shine their unique power and light, you don’t need to outshine anyone, you need to see that you don’t compare with anyone for you are beautifully and wonderfully made. You don’t need to compete, you need to release and receive. You need to heal the internal feminine and mother within you. This will allow you to move out of your own way. (This person feels almost like a monk, or like highly evolved to me, very wise and understanding, very calm, it feels like you maybe need their energy and assistance more than they need yours at this time)

To call on this energy from your soul mate, go outside and ground yourself in nature, bask in the color of green like bright grass green specifically. Oh maybe this has to do with your heart chakra? That can be tied to healing your energy of reception. Maybe you have grief that you need to heal and clear. Wow. Yeah, definitely do some heart chakra meditations. And let yourself cry, definitely let yourself cry as much as you need. Stop trying to be so strong all the time, be human instead. Listen to soft music, solfeggio sounds for heart chakra, allowing yourself to breakdown your walls will allow you to feel the love and peace of your soul mate more.

Card pull

Ugh I just have this strong feeling of like you having been through a lot of like pain and grief and that it’s blocking you from your own manifestations and magic. Like I’m feeling anxiety in my heart and my head is tingling as I write this. Whatever you’ve been through that you’re holding onto, I feel like I need to cry now. Baby. You gotta open up to life again. Even if you’re scared. Wow. Yeah I’m not sure but I feel like so much coming up in my heart chakra right now. So I did yours differently bc this message isn’t coming about your soulmate, I’m strongly getting they are trying to support you. I saw in my mind a card from the starseed oracle deck I have so I pulled a tarot and two oracles. The starseed oracle card I feel like goes along with this energy is cracked open “surrender to the alchemy of life” “don’t let the weight and density of the world squash your tender spirit”

Tarot card

Queen of wands upright

To me this is asking you to find your way back to your fire, your strength, your leadership, to find your passion again. Let the way you handle your pain and grow from it inspire you and others.

Starseed Oracle

I remember “soul plan, the fated life vs the destiny life”

Man something is majorly shifting for you baby. No wonder your soul mate wants to lend peace and calm and tranquility to you. You’re at a fork in the road between choosing your life for you or still playing the societal game. This card reminds you that you chose all the things that have happened in your life, trust your soul path, I feel you may be having internal and possibly career shifts. This card also talks about surrender. Whatever pain you are going through is trying to lead you to your soul path, allow it to. (Anxiety in my heart space) damn. Are you scared? Worried? It’s okay to be scared and have doubt of whatever this is. You’re being asked to do something different than before and it’s normal to be scared when faced with the unknown. But that’s not a reason to hold yourself back, it’s actually all the more reason to push forward.

Goddess Guidance

I asked what goddess you can draw on for strength at this time and you got Ishtar, boundaries “love yourself enough to say no to others demands on your time and energy”

Okay, well damn. I didn’t expect the reading to take this turn. I hope this helps you. Your soul mate is there trying to support you, you can share your stress and pain and burden with them. Just talk to them and open your heart space so they can send love to you. Sending you all the healing and strength as you make some big changes.

I’m hearing Kesha’s praying. If there is someone you need to forgive and release to karma, please do.