#non-fashion grail

[3liza]

Where do you get your corsets? I'm planning to buy one but don't know where to look for ones that are good AND affordable

hi! corsets are one of those hobbies that has like a huge huge stacks of Official Opinions about it from various experts that you technically should read and internalize, BUT, because anatomy and use cases are so incredibly different from person to person, the actual "best corset" for you might be a "bad corset" according to the experts.

That disclaimer out of the way, the current best sources of up to date corset info are probably /r/Corsets (i hate reddit but this sub is usually chill) and Lucy's Corsetry. reading the FAQs on both sites before you buy anything is a really good idea. both places are vocally pro-trans and pro-disability and pro-fat, three populations that intersect with corsetry a lot. the FAQs about "seasoning" corsets and how to take your measurements for a good fit are both really important.

/r/corsets has a blacklist with warnings about certain brands, especially Corset Story and Orchard Corsets. if you arent serious hardcore waist training and putting serious wear and tear on your corsets I'm not sure you need to take those warnings too seriously, but those brands are known to have non-anatomical patterns and to experience structural failures like the boning breaking or poking through the corset etc, which can be dangerous for tight lacers who are putting the corset under a lot of pressure. wearing a bad pattern for long term use can also cause injury to some people, but i think these warnings apply mostly to people with standard anatomy.

if you buy a corset with a weird pattern, and the weird pattern just happens to fit your weird body better than a "good" corset, then thats just how it goes. the important thing is to pay attention to body signals and stop wearing stuff that makes you hurt, numb, tingly, or have any other bad physical feedback. short term discomfort is fine, like if you need to wear it for an event or photoshoot, but long term tightlacing in a bad fit can hurt you!

for cheapies, i have had good luck with the ShaperX brand on Amazon (the steel-boned ones, not the latex 'waist trainers': those are not corsets and are useless for waist training, despite the name). these are fast fashion, low quality corsets! but they are strong enough to lace fairly tightly. they are probably not "safe" and if/when i transitioned into serious tightlacing i probably would not stick with these. i actually like that they are worse-constructed than my more expensive and good quality corset from Timeless Trends because the shittier ones are more flexible. I haven't tried Mystic City corsets yet but they have a LOT of different models for different body shapes and probably fit really well.

my holy grail corset is the Power Corset by Crimson Rose corsetry. this corset is probably the future of corsetry, and actually bends.

the seamstress has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and makes/wears her corsets as medical assistive devices as well as fashion. this corset rocks and everyone loves theirs, but it's about $350 so not a lot of people have one yet.

for trans corsetry in particular, there are some special considerations depending on if your skeleton has certain shapes. Timeless Trends makes a model called the Libra which is for larger ribcages. you can also wear a corset upside-down if the larger hip measurements will fit your ribcage better. and like i said, Mystic City has tons of different shapes for all different torso anatomy considerations.

if you are skinny and bony like me, fitting a corset will be much harder than it is for normal people! this is because the corset will be touching your skeleton instead of a nice layer of flesh. theres no way around this, its just harder so you should be aware of it going in if youre skinny.

theres debate about this topic but you CAN semi-permanently change your waist size with corseting. if you stop wearing the corset for weeks or months you will probably go back to normal, but the lower ribs are very squishy and so is the abdominal fat. long term corseting will move your ribs a bit, and will also squeeze out some retained water from your abdominal fat, which will make your waist slightly smaller. it will also act like an external stomach stapling, you can fit less food inside you when youre corseted. some people find this helpful if they want to cut down on calorie consumption, and some people lose weight when corseting. but you dont have to if you dont want to. some people find corsets HELP their digestion issues, somepeople find the opposite.

there is debate about THIS topic as well but it is my observation and belief that the clothes we wear DO change the shape of our bodies. this is observable in how fat moves around from contact with waistbands, bra bands and straps, and how the nude form of humans has changed demonstably since the origin of photography. nude pinups of girls in the 1800s look different than modern ones. their torsos are corset-shaped. it is my supposition that corseting during HRT could help move the fat around during those body changes. there has been zero study on this so im speaking completely off the cuff, but I think it could help significantly and would love to see some case studies.

heres a gallery of before/after photos on Lucy's site. the results are extremely interesting. there are no trans women represented here but i dont see why it wouldnt work for them too. Here are some photos from the gallery (these are not photos of me):

one thing my corset does for me is make my blood pressure more normal. this is because i have POTS, and there are tons of blood vessels in the abdomen. this is called the splanchnic vascular bed, and before i found out about this i couldnt figure out why it felt so awful to relax my stomach muscles and "let it all hang out". my abdominal and pelvic muscles are permanently clenched according to a few doctors, which is common with EDS patients, but until recently i didnt realize it had POTS involvement too. it's because im straining to hold my blood vessels together all the time. the corset does this FOR me, which is why im so focused on finding a corseting solution i can wear as much as possible. right now im struggling with the skinny issue because my corsets are poking some bony surfaces and triggering nerve pain sometimes. annoying!!

corsets are very tough garments and last forever, so the secondhand market is strong. depop, poshmark, ebay, and Corsets for Sale and Corsets ON Sale on FB are all good sources but require some shopping time investment. timeless trends has a returns section on their website with discounts, and Orchard Corsets sells their samples, damaged merchandise, and other discounted pieces on eBay (remember this is one of the "bad" brands so only buying them discounted is probably a good idea).

thats all i can think of for now!

[femmefatalevibe]

Spring 2023 Favorites

Bringing 2010s YouTube trends to Tumblr with this one. Here are some of my beauty, fashion, and lifestyle favorites of the moment to try out for spring/summer. Hope you love them xx

Beauty/Skincare:

La Roche-Posay Anthelios Sunscreen SPF 60

CeraVe Plant-Based Hydrating Makeup Removing Face Wipes

Paula's Choice 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment (new holy grail – I love it paired with the First Aid Beauty Hydrating Serum with Hyaluronic Acid)

e.l.f cosmetics O FACE Satin Lipstick in Dirty Talk

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Lip Balm SPF 15 (I never hear this product being talked about – I think it's the best drugstore lip balm, personally!)

Wander Beauty Baggage Claim Eye Patches

OUAI St. Barts Cleansing Scalp & Body Sugar Scrub (I've only used it on my body, but it's a holy grail body exfoliator for me now)

Essie Stay Longer Top Coat

Fashion:

Uno De 50 Chainlink Necklaces & Bracelets

Crystal & Beaded Bags (I've been loving my Shrimps, Stella McCartney, Kara, and Giarité ones this season!)

Square Toe Loafers (My favorites are from Vagabond!)

Slim Wedge Heels (I love the Reformation minimalist ones/M. Gemi options)

Silk black button-ups (My favorite ones are from Equipment and LilySilk for a more affordable alternative)

Vest & Wide Leg Trouser Co-Ords (Frankie Shop, BITE Studios, Favorite Daughter, MM6 Maison Margiela, LouLou Studio, Reformation, and Dissh are my favorites across price ranges)

Adidas x Stella McCartney Sneakers

Lifestyle:

Face Gym Face Ball Tension Release Tool (Sounds dumb but it actually works so well to relieve tension headaches/random aches)

OXO Good Grips SimplyTear Paper Towel Holder

Softsoap Antibacterial White Tea & Berry Scent Hand Soap

La Colombe Colombian Cold Brew

Brami Lupini Beans (love to pair these with a Honeycrisp apple as a snack!)

Non-Fiction book I'm currently reading: On Our Best Behavior: The Seven Deadly Sins and The Price Women Pay To Be Good by Elise Loehnen

Fiction book I'm currently reading: Beware the Woman by Megan Abbott

[mariacallous]

The latest TikTok trend might make your bank account happy.

Over the last month, beauty influencers ― a group that generally sings the praises of makeup and skin care brands ― have dabbled in deinfluencing. The trend involves TiKTokers urging followers to think twice about impulse-purchasing certain cult-favorite products.

Content creators are throwing everything under the bus, including untouchable, holy-grail products like Olaplex’s shampoos and conditioners and Too Faced’s Better Than Sex volumizing mascara. They’re also warning against spending money on majorly expensive products like Dyson’s $599.99 Airwrap hair styler.

“Here are all the things I will deinfluence you from buying as somebody that spends thousands of dollars on health, beauty, hair products, but loves to save a buck,” TikToker Alyssa Kromelis says in her deinfluencing video, which has racked up over 5.4 million views.

In the video, Kromelis suggests dupes for more expensive products she says are not worth the hype. For instance, she recommends buying Wet n Wild’s MegaGlo Makeup Stick ($4.99 at your local drugstore) instead of Charlotte Tilbury’s $42 Glowgasm Beauty Light Wand Highlighter. (“Horrible, I hate this, never use,” the influencer says of the product.)

Kromelis considers videos like hers “recession-core influencing.” When the price of eggs has increased by nearly 60% over the last 12 months, most of your followers aren’t looking to buy $30 lipgloss; the content you’re creating has to fit with the times, she said.

“As our economy in the U.S. has taken a turn for the worse, people have less and less disposable income to spend on their personal care,” she said. “So by offering more affordable options, or dupes, I’m allowing people to still feel like they’re still part of trends that are going on.”

The same day Kromelis’ video took off on TikTok, beauty content creator @katiehub.org went viral on the app for her brutally honest review of Dior makeup.

“Just because you put pretty packaging over garbage does not mean it’s still not garbage,” @katiehub.org says in her video, which brought in 1.8 million views.

In another deinfluencing video, beauty influencer Rachel Finley walks the aisles of Sephora, dragging beloved items that she says don’t actually work.

“It’s time to leave sunscreen powders in the past,” Finley says, holding up Supergoop’s mineral powder sunscreen as an example. “You’re getting less than 2% of the protection stated on the label. These are not effective sunscreens.”

Non-makeup content creators are getting involved, too. In one video, sustainable fashion influencer Hudi Charin (@thethriftythinker) takes Kim Kardashian’s Skims to task.

“I don’t know why anyone’s still buying from Skims when there are so many better, ethical and sustainable alternatives and they’re literally the same price point,” she says, recommending brands like The Girlfriend Collective and Gaia Garments instead.

“There are literally so many brands that need your support more than a billionaire who doesn’t pay her workers when they work overtime,” she remarks.

The “deinfluencing” trend coincides with MascaraGate ― a TikTok kerfuffle centered around Mikayla Nogueira, a makeup artist who was accused of wearing eyelash extensions in a video touting a L’Oréal brand mascara.

MascaraGate led to a conversation about influencer culture and the glut of fawning, too-good-to-be-true product reviews on TikTok. Critics say content creators will happily put up a dishonest positive product review as long as they’re rewarded with brand deals, sponsorship and a steady stream of freebies.

Given the backlash to influencer culture, marketing professor Americus Reed II isn’t surprised by the deinfluencer trend.

“What we often see in marketing, which is deeply integrated with pop culture, is a constant pendulum of trend and counter trend; an ebb and flow such that when one consumer sentiment goes extreme, there’s a natural course correction to move the other way and towards the ‘middle,’” the Wharton School professor told HuffPost.

The deinfluencer movement is influencer culture self-regulating and course-correcting after years of being clocked as super-curated and lacking in authenticity.

“It’s like the TikTok version of when Dove’s ‘Real Beauty’ campaign dropped [in the early 2000s],” Reed said.

Isn’t deinfluencing a little hypocritical, coming from influencers?

Influencers admit that the concept of deinfluencing is kind of ironic: At its heart, “buy this, don’t buy that” is still influencing and driving consumerism.

Plus, telling someone something is “the worst” isn’t going to be true for everyone, as Kromelis noted.

“I do think the deinfluencing trend is less about how ‘bad’ or ‘good’ a product is, and more about convincing people that not everything is worth the crazy hype,” she said.

Anything that helps people monitor their conspicuous consumption can’t be that bad, said Karen Wu, a beauty content creator who goes by @cakedbybabyk on TikTok.

“We’re constantly fed the rhetoric that everyone needs every single viral product, and audiences are growing tired,” she told HuffPost. “I’ve made several videos on my channel talking about a range of products that I hate, as well as viral products that I won’t even try.”

Wu spends a few hundred dollars a month on makeup and skin care, while the other products she reviews are sent from brands.

“I know that talking about consumerism is ironic coming from a beauty content creator, but I believe there’s a delicate balance that can be struck if done correctly,” she said.

Do influencers like Wu worry that brands might be less inclined to reach out with partnerships and freebies if they’re hypercritical of them?

“I actually think the opposite, to be completely honest,” she said. “There are many brands that value authenticity, and if they don’t, then it’s not a brand that I’d want to work with anyway.”

Madison Potter, an influencer and brand strategist, said smart brands will look at deinfluencing as an opportunity for consumer research, something they’d usually spend thousands of dollars on.

“As a strategist, this information is a goldmine,” she told HuffPost. “Deinfluencing is unique in the way that creators are directly telling brands there’s a lack of trust. It’s a chance for brands to listen to consumers and adjust their marketing efforts.”

Some PR specialists and brand strategists are a little more skeptical.

Alex Paquin, the founder of the ad agency Zerotrillion, told Insider.com that brands may be more cautious about vetting influencers they reach out to.

“Brands have to ask themselves, ‘What is this influencer’s propensity to turn on us in the event that their followers don’t like the content they make for us?’” Paquin told the site. “Influencers need to be careful not to be too quick to use this trend as an ‘oopsie button’ for partnerships they’re mildly self-conscious about.”

Ideally, deinfluencing leads to people getting more educated about influencer culture.

For some content creators, this moment is more about education than about what not to buy or what dupes to swap in.

Monica Ravichandran, a product manager and beauty content creator, wants her followers to give some thought to who they let influence them on TikTok and question whether a cult-beloved product is really worth their hard-earned coin.

In her deinfluencing video, she suggests people ask questions of themselves like: Do I really need to buy this hot new viral foundation when I already own one that works just fine for me? And does this influencer have the same skin type or tone as me? (As a person of color, Ravichandran said she was swayed to buy the wrong products while following mostly white content creators early on her in makeup journey.)

Ravichandran, who gets some freebies but spends about $500 a month on beauty products, also talks about the need for “influencer integrity.”

“To me, influencer integrity means a creator who has built trust and honesty with their community by building a brand based off of authenticity,” Ravichandran told HuffPost.

Not everything is “amazing” or “awful.” It’s usually more nuanced than that ― experiences with any one product will vary.

“I actually don’t believe in a ‘bad product’ and really just believe that the product wasn’t a right one for either your skin tone or our skin type,” Ravichandran said. “That’s why when I review products I don’t like I always mention who that product might work for instead.”

Jessica Clifton, a sustainability content creator who runs the TikTok account @impaectforgood_ , doesn’t necessarily think the trend will result in a massive sea change on the app: “TikTok culture loves product videos too much.”

Still, as someone who has been speaking about the ills of overconsumption culture for years, she said it’s exciting to thousands of people engage with deinfluencing. In the words of overgenerous TikTok reviews, it truly is “amazing” if people are inspired to buy less, Clifton said.

“Embracing simplicity and learning to be content with less is so much better for our mental health, wallets, and the environment.”

[anemoiawithatouchofobsession]

Yesterday I remembered that Go Hyun Jung had put a Lana Del Rey song in her Instagram pictures so here's a list of artists that 8090s actors would listen to if they were young(er) and in touch with modern music :

Choi Min Soo - A$AP Rocky, Ghost

(He is definitely a rap fan. I'm sure 90s Choi Minsoo would have loved Rocky's fashion and lyrics. His homies swear they bish the baddest but he just bagged the worst one (true). He praise the lord and breake the law. You get it. But he would still like Metal or Rock so he'd listen to Ghost and oldschool Rock too)

Go Hyun Jung - Lana Del Rey, Ethel Cain

(She's a moody indie girlie for sure. Mainstream enough for recognition but she'd be thr person to listen to all the songs and post insta stories in a sepia filter. She would quote Lana lyrics all the time and has a secret coquette girlblogging tumblr account. Oh and she is an expert on lyrics and interpretation. She's your national anthem )

Chae Shi Ra - Taylor Swift, boygenius

(She is definitely the Talent squads biggest Swiftie. She collects versions and has the set list of the Era's tour memorized. She also listens to boygenius and the members as well as some country-adjacent white girl pop or pop-rock music)

Kim Hee Ae - Lorde, Adele

(She definitely listens to socially conscious and more niche, non-radio pop and likes ballads. She also likes Kendrick Lamar due to his lyrics and other alternative singers like Tove Lo and Mitski)

Ha Hee Ra - Twenty one pilots, Glass Animals, The Neighbourhood

(She likes her indie pop bands with the chill and aesthetic songs and the dreamy, carefree, melancholic vibes. She's always down for a little bit of dance and hip hop though, but mostly enjoys more indie, dreamcore albums)

Uhm Jung Hwa - Chappell Roan, Beyoncé

(She's the model r/popheads user and stans the gays and the girls, like, in a stereotypical way. I'm sure she has all Beyoncé albums memorized plus loves brazen and confident dance pop of all kinds)

Cha In Pyo - Bruno Mars, Kid Laroi

(He has a more basic pop taste but likes oldschool music packaged in a new way, and loves music that has a lot of saxophone elements. He does listen to rap but only if its white people friendly)

Choi Jin Shil - Olivia Rodrigo, Alanis Morissette

(She likes her pop rock and definitely shares the love for rock with her little brother, SKY a.k.a. Choi Jin Young (R.I.P. 💜). Jagged Little Pill is her holy grail and she plays GUTS up and down)

Kim Hye Soo - Charli XCX, Kylie Minogue

(brat. Enough said. No seriously I know she would love hyperpop)

Choi Soo Jong - Ed Sheeran

(Man likes guitar ballads like Photograph and Perfect and thats what he regularly listens to, along with music like Drake or Imagine Dragons)

[walkfromhome]

From the Guardian perspective, the origination of authentic ancient Gnosticism is sourced from the Essene, Christos Templar lineages that brought their Maji King Grail Lines through the Stargates to form the 12 Tribes. These lineages would hold one section of the genetic DNA blood record that contained the intelligent information of the Cosmic Law of One records, that sourced from the Krystal Universes, in the God Worlds. Each of the original Essene 12 Tribe lineages were seeded through the planetary stargate system, and helped to embody specific DNA coding that was to be initiated, accreted and integrated throughout the planetary grid network to gradually support spiritual ascension. This was the evolutionary plan in order to retrieve lost and fractured human soul groups, to repair and activate dormant DNA that occurred as a result of the Taran explosion, and subsequent wars with other species that resulted in the Luciferian Rebellion and Atlantian Cataclysm.

Since the Luciferian Covenant was made on the earth there has been an ongoing battle for this knowledge, in which the true ancient wisdom keepers were consistently hunted down and massacred. A major timeline trigger event began with the Celtic invasions 9,500 years ago, when the NAA and Illuminati groups attempted to create a super-race of genetic elites. This placed hijacked Ruby Sun DNA, through their propagated lines which evolved into Freemasonry, Knights Templar, Rosicrucian’s, Jesuits, and other secret societies that persist with a similar hermetic esoteric knowledge that is primarily used in the negative polarity of Service to Self. In the historical timelines, they targeted 2nd Stargate Grail lines for hijack or elimination, because this soul group is genetically connected to the Family of Michael that originate from Aldebaran. They are the natural Guardians of the Eastern direction grid network, as well as opening the access into the Golden Gate. These particular Michael-Nephilim bloodlines are the original authentic genetic lines of Ruby Sun DNA bodies on earth, that the NAA groups coveted and modified as host bodies for a variety of the invading Orion and Nordic groups.

Thothian groups took sections of the Essene Law of One knowledge and fashioned the Hermetic traditions, which were presented as non-Christian lineages of Gnosticism known as the Corpus Hermetica. Secret societies continued to form around the Hermetic tradition in Mystery Schools, which were used to hide the ancient knowledge from the common people, who were instead given opposing information in the form of religious indoctrination as a replacement. To cover up the Essene Christos Templar origins and mission, the NAA strongly influenced the revisions to sacred texts during the Council of Nicea. They further influenced other world religions to replace the authentic Gnostic information, with the intentional spreading of violent religions based on satanic blood sacrifice, holy wars and worshipping Alien False father Gods.

Later on, Aleister Crowley and subsequent satanic cults integrated some of this same knowledge, such as the Gnostic Mass information into their black magic rituals. Satanic cults focused on the same consciousness principles with an important caveat, as the first law for the Satanist is the Law of Reversal, in which blood sacrifice was required for perpetuating anti-life forces. All Laws would be inverted and their principles used in reverse, for the conjurer to extract power over others in the material world.

As a result of the genocidal agendas, the remaining Essene groups went underground and this knowledge was hidden and continued to be passed on in secret, such as to the Cathar sects. Some of those remaining records are within the contents found in the Nag Hammadi, to which the public has only been given limited access to partial information. The Nag Hammadi Library is a collection of thirteen ancient books called codices that contain over fifty texts, discovered in upper Egypt in 1945. This immensely important discovery includes a large number of primary Gnostic Gospels, texts thought to have been entirely destroyed. The discovery and translation of the Nag Hammadi library, initially completed in the 1970's, provides a major re-evaluation of defining the nature of Gnosticism in relationship to the authentic history of true Christianity.

Hermeticism stems from the Thothian distortion, and is a school of ideas and systems that focuses on the pursuit of Gnosis, the pursuit of direct knowledge and experiences that pertains to the inner revelation of spiritual mysteries. However, as with all knowledge and tools, they can be used in the negative polarity of Service to Self, or in the positive polarity of Service to Others. Whatever polarity we choose and use the Natural Laws to co-create with, will directly initiate how that content expresses from the original intention we have given it. The polarity we choose and its expression will have an internal and external effect, a correspondence made upon the results that we have created in our manifestation. If we are spiritual adepts and truth seekers on the path of the Law of One, our love will translate into pure knowledge given in alignment to serve our sovereignty and spiritual freedom, and we will organically manifest more goodness and natural order. If we are on the path of Service to Self, seeking material power, our fear will translate into ignorance which aligns with confusion and control, and we organically manifest more chaos and evil. When we are clear about the Natural Laws and we look to the globalscape, it is the clear result from the Controllers continual abuse of knowledge, the abuse of hidden technology used by human and nonhuman factions, resulting from the abuse of the Natural Laws in the negative polarity, Service to Self.

(Source)

[nicki-flemings-curls]

I posted 2,277 times in 2022

63 posts created (3%)

2,214 posts reblogged (97%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@adventuresindolls

@doll-princesse

@desertdollranch

@dolls-and-cats

@benbunny

I tagged 128 of my posts in 2022

#american girl dolls - 46 posts

#american girl - 46 posts

#ag dolls - 46 posts

#ag - 44 posts

#american girl doll - 33 posts

#molly mcintire - 4 posts

#maritza ochoa - 3 posts

#truly me - 3 posts

#my dolls - 3 posts

#luciana vega - 3 posts

Longest Tag: 136 characters

#also americangirlstar i swear i’m not putting you on blast i wish it were a percy campaign and i hope we get one when the show comes out

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Spring Has Sprung Week 1: Reading

I’m a little behind on the challenge, but I couldn’t resist the urge to show off Kit and Ruthie rereading Kit’s favorite book, Robin Hood.

This copy of Robin Hood was actually my dad’s back in the 60’s, which Kit and Ruthie appreciate the history of.

50 notes - Posted April 16, 2022

#4

The picture of the book cover just has me thinking, I REALLY wish that we got less cartoony art for the girl of the year and the world by us books. Bc as everyone is debating which face mold the cover looks like, it’s like, well we don’t know exactly how a non-bitmoji looking makena looks. Like we do know what makena looks like, but the world by us art style looks like someone took the Disney princess face filter to every character. 🤷‍♀️ just my random rant of the day.

57 notes - Posted August 1, 2022

#3

I got one of my grail sets in a lot this week, so Samantha is ready for adventure

69 notes - Posted August 23, 2022

#2

I don’t know why I didn’t even consider that for the Harlem renaissance doll they would partner with Harlem Fashion Row considering they did that with WBU. But like I kinda adore that approach. The “look these are inspired by the fashion and glamor of the 20’s, these aren’t a part of Claudie’s story based collection, but they are inspired by fashion of the time”. I think that’s was a cool compromise to give us a flapper outfit. And that gold outfit? *chefs kiss*

95 notes - Posted August 23, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

When sellers describe their dolls as “perfect condition” then say “they are missing their original outfits and their hair needs brushing” in the next sentence.

129 notes - Posted July 30, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[abcnewspr]

ABC NEWS STUDIOS ANNOUNCES NEW DOCU-SERIES ‘GRAILS: WHEN SNEAKERS CHANGE THE GAME’ ON MOREHOUSE COLLEGE GOLF CHAMPIONS WHO CREATED THE LIFESTYLE BRAND EASTSIDE GOLF, STREAMING EXCLUSIVELY ON HULU, DEC. 14

The Six-Part Series Is Directed and Produced by ESPN’s Hannah Storm; Featuring DJ Khaled, Daymond John, Chris Paul and More

ABC News*

ABC News Studios is taking a behind-the-scenes look at the sneaker industry in the new series “Grails: When Sneakers Change the Game,” set to premiere Wednesday, Dec. 14, on Hulu. The six-part series profiles entrepreneurs Earl Cooper and Olajuwon Ajanaku, former Morehouse College golf champions who created the lifestyle brand Eastside Golf to promote diversity on the golf course.

Directed and produced by Hannah Storm and her production company, Brainstormin’ Productions, the series follows the two young Black creators who strike a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to partner with Nike, Inc.’s Jordan Brand in designing an innovative line of golf sneakers and apparel to be worn on and off the course. Their brand, Eastside Golf, is epitomized by a logo of a Black golfer, a unique insignia that they hope will disrupt the industry by authentically inspiring a community to break down barriers, aspire for excellence, and create a future where we all belong.

“I loved directing this series because the mission and story of Eastside Golf is so inspirational,” said Hannah Storm. “In a very meaningful and personal way, we were able to bring together so many incredible people from the worlds of sports, fashion and entertainment to tell this story.  Everyone wanted to be a part of this project, because they believe in what Eastside Golf stands for and the power of diversity and inclusion. Olajuwon and Earl's collaboration with Jordan Golf, resonates well beyond sneakers and golf, because it is the story of a dream come true and the journey towards making meaningful change.”

Eastside Golf and Jordan Brand dropped their first collaboration, the Air Jordan IV sneakers, in August 2021. Following the success of last year’s limited release, Eastside Golf’s latest Jordan Brand capsule collection, “Out the Mud”, launched on Nov. 12, 2022, to even more acclaim.

The series includes interviews with notable figures, including sports stars and industry leaders such as GRAMMY® Award-winning artist and producer DJ Khaled, “Shark Tank” founder and CEO of FUBU Daymond John, Phoenix Suns All-Star guard Chris Paul, sports executive Shawn “Pecas” Costner, founder of Stock X and co-founder of Fanatics Collectibles Josh Luber, sneaker enthusiast Mark “Mayor” Farese, rapper and entrepreneur Joseph “Fat Joe” Cartagena, sneaker influencer Marissa Hill, PGA TOUR golfer and former World Number One Luke Donald, former MLB All-Star pitcher CC Sabathia, PGA TOUR golfer Joseph Bramlett, professional golfer Wyatt Worthington and “The First Pair” author Christyna Pourhabib, among others.

“Grails: When Sneakers Change the Game” is produced by ABC News Studios in association with Brainstormin’ Productions. Roxanna Sherwood is senior executive producer for ABC News Studios. Hannah Storm, Steve Bartels and Shawn “Pecas” Costner are executive producers. The series is produced by Johnson McKelvey. Hannah Storm is the director.

 ABOUT ABC NEWS STUDIOS

ABC News Studios, inspired by ABC News’ trusted reporting, is a premium, narrative non-fiction original production house and commissioning partner of series and specials. ABC News Studios champions untold and authentic stories driving the cultural zeitgeist spanning true crime, investigations, pop culture, and news-adjacent stories. Its subsidiary, ABC News Films, acquires and produces feature documentary films.

ABOUT BRAINSTORMIN’ PRODUCTIONS

Launched in 2008 by award-winning broadcaster, Hannah Storm, Brainstormin’ Productions is a full-service production company that is rooted in personal relationships which help bring to life meaningful and impactful stories. Utilizing nearly 40 years of extensive television and film production and digital expertise, Brainstormin’ Productions creates entertainment in a variety of formats including short and full-length documentaries, branded content, promotional videos, talent services, and other various media projects. For more information visit https://brainstorminproductions.com/.

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[parysarchive]

gta san andreas minimap handmade rug

$275 (@RareRug on etsy)

[snake-and-mouse]

What's your Top 5 shows of 2021-current?

Alright this feels like having to write a fucking dissertation and I'm really bad at picking faves but I'm gunna try not to overthink it 😂 let's go with finished shows I've seen all of to make it a little easier, and I haven't included shows like the untamed and word of honor cuz there's the whole novel vs adaptation thing muddying the water lol, and let's be honest mxtx owns my ass so that's always a given when asking my favourites

Cherry magic. This one is non-negotiable. Cherry magic will always be my favourite forever eternal comfort watch. I literally watch it whenever I need a pick me up and my mood completely turns around the moment I get to see Adachi walk into that office and eat shit again ❤

Not me. It has it's flaws but the twins will always have a special place in my heart (derogatory) and I honestly don't think I will ever go that batshit over a ship the way I did for danyok. Plus the gender vibes? IMPECCABLE. I literally got new glasses because White and I totally copy some of their outfits.

Kinnporsche. Do I even need to say it? This will become an actual essay if I try and explain.

Hospital playlist. Very very straight media for my tastes but it's so wholesome and feelsy and it genuinely makes me tear up, not to mention the "playlist" is genuinely SO GOOD.

Old fashioned cupcake. A new favourite but definitely a forever fave. So comforting and post quarantine it has SO many messages people need to hear. Plus I started eating strawberry pancakes for breakfast thanks to this show and that's like a holy grail.

Honourable mention for extraordinary attorney woo which I will most likely decide is a top 5 or 10 once it's finished lol

[thessaliah]

What are your thoughts on the theory that the disappearance of humanity's future in 2016 which Goetia and likely Marisbury wanted to prevent was ORT awakening and wiping out humanity on Gaia's request, ending their history by transforming the planet into an "alien world" with Crystal Valley which it can do as stated in Character Material? That may explain why the empty Chaldeas in the prologue to Singularity F looked different compared to how it looked when the Earth was bleached.

The Chaldeas in the prologue is a barren world. If was ORT it'll be crystalized (as the new login screen). So it's not ORT related. ORT was probably a non-issue until LB7 BS happened. There's an emphasis on humanity doing this to themselves everywhere (including Arcade which may be connected), and ORT would be a cop-out on a story that's placing emphasis on humanity's choices and the ambiguity of correct/incorrect latched to winner/loser end.

The "alien world" is simply Chaldeas. It's "another star/planet/celestial body" to be literal. Which is. Well, Chaldeas. That is summoning Servants, and has done that in the past, you know? The whole system is how they got their Servants running in part 1. The equipment is all connected.

There are a few readings on twitter that wouldn't Types be as relevant because Tsukihime's describes the "Will or Sense of the Planets (Hoshi)" as a foundation of their universe (in Melty Blood) while in Fate, it's stated in the prologue of FGO, what runs the universe is the "Common Sense/Will of Humanity (Jinrui)." So necessarily, this crisis and what happened is humanity messing around, the system somehow went haywire. If Goetia had an issue with ORT, he'll just travel back in time to put some wall in space like Qin (he doesn’t even need energy to move around in thousands of years, as you know from how he delivered the Grail in Babylonia personally before even becoming a mature Beast), but his issue was with humanity and Earth's lifespan, death in general. ORT is even introduced as a Plan B kind of thing for Olga's power up, so he's framed as not really the source. Nasu and Takeuchi both said LB7 (thus ORT) is a set up chapter.

I have a small theory that ORT is going to be the elusive Beast V (which we absolutely know nothing about) and not just Type OORT. You can be both, Beasts are classes rather than a species, like how Lostbelt Zeus was stated to be a Ruler class enemy. It just fits because he needs to be incorporated in Fate setting and if Fou was made one, so would be ORT (matching also his DAA number of Tsukihime which Nasu would think "poetic"). He’ll probably be a Mesoamerican god in the same fashion as Quetz, so has a connection with humanity and Nasu handwaves explanation about the love of humanity when is convenient to him. He was associated with “hopeless despair” in mats once, that’s a good evil to assign him.

[blackboujeebeauty]

My Fall & Winter Wardrobe Favorites! 🍂❄️

Coats/Jackets

Tall Khaki Maxi Belted Coat

This Olive Green Maxi Belted coat from PrettyLittleThing has been a favorite of mine during this season. It has great weight to it, feels luxurious and does an amazing job at keeping me warm. The belt is a great way to accentuate your figure in a form fitting way. The only con to this jacket for me is that the pockets are faux pockets so there's no where to stuff your hands if you're cold. This jacket is easy to pare with just about anything as you can dress it up or down depending on how you're feeling. I ordered mine in a size 6(medium) and find that it has a lot of room for movement.

Chocolate PU Contrast Coat

Another favorite of mine from PLT is this chocolate contrasted with faux leather trench coat that I ordered in a size six. Just like the Olive maxi belted coat this jacket is giving quality and luxury. As of 12/13/21 this jacket is currently sold out in all sizes on the PLT website but there is a good chance it may come back in stock as I waited a month after seeing that it was sold out for it to reappear on the site and sell out again fast!Upon receiving the jacket I was nervous that a running theme for PLT coats would be non existent pockets but unlike the Olive belted coat the pockets on this one are real! and they are deep leaving you with a lot of room for protecting your hands. Another detail that I love about the jacket are the tortoise buttons. We all know that Brown is just that color in fashion right now and with the unique contrast of the brown faux leather I knew I had to have this piece in my closet.

Cream Aviator Jacket

The classic Aviator style jacket is one of my favorites for the Fall & Winter seasons. This shade of cream on brown skin is so beautiful. I feel so radiant whenever I wear this color. The jacket has that edgy biker style while still being feminine, I love pairing this piece with other cream shaded clothing as well to give a monochromatic look.

Puffer Jackets

Whether it's cropped or long line puffer jackets are great for streetwear or athlessiure wear. They're a great option to throw on over something casual and great to pair with puffer style bags that have been a current fashion trend.

Shoes

Black Faux Leather Chelsea Boots

Chelsea style boots are back and it makes me so happy. Even thought they never really left I appreciate the love that they're getting now. Coming from a girl that used to faithfully wear the classic Doc Martins platform boot I love a chunky boot especially for the Fall and Winter to keep me going through those tough snow storms. These boots from PLT are amazing quality at a fraction of the price for a pair of Doc Martins. Chelsea boots are so versatile as they come in various styles short and long. If you plan on getting these definitely stay true to size. You can wear these boots with thick socks underneath and still have great room atop of your foot.

Faux Leather Heeled Boots

Talk about feeling Sexy and Feminine. These boots give just that. Shein has been mentioned a few times already but if you take your time, look at the reviews, listen to what people are saying about the product you can find great buys on there and these are definitely one! They are very comfy and sturdy for their pice point. I am so obsessed with these boots and now want them in every color, texture, etc.

Olive Coquette Ugg Slippers

We love a good comfy slipper for when we just wanna put something on but still keep it cute. These Ugg Coquette slippers also make as a great gift this Holiday Season! Ugg offers so many different styles of their slippers and boots there's something for everyone.

Bags

Telfar x Moose Knuckles Medium Puffer

This item is currently not available on the Telfar website but is available for resale on other sites such as Stockx, Grailed and Depop. I am so grateful that I was able to purchase this bag not once but twice on drop day and for anyone who has ever been through that high intense moment of trying to get a Telfar before it sells out, it's intense but so well worth it. I abosloutley love this bag, it definitely is a head turner whenever I go out. I love the Telfar brand and what they are bringing to the fashion industry, If you haven't already you can check out my Buy Black Series blog post that I did on the company and a step by step tutorial on how to Secure that Bag on drop day!

Buy Black Series: Telfar ✨

Secure That bag! TikTok✨

Taupe Quilted Clutch

This Quilted Clutch from the Charles and Keith company is a stunner and my oh my they are onto something. Charles & Keith is a great brand for my budgeting beauties out there that still wanna be boujee on a budget. I would most compare the quality and feel somewhere between H&M and Zara’s.Their bags offer premium quality while being more affordable then the higher end brands. The gold hardware on the back accents the taupe beautifully and the chain strap has good weight to it making it feel even more luxurious. They offer so many different styles of bags perfect for any occasion. This bag also comes in white, black and mauve. I might just have to get them all.

End Systemic Racism Tote

Unfortunately the End Systemic Racism tote bag by Brandon Blackwood is no longer available for purchase on the website but it is available for resale on websites such as Stockx and Depop. This bag is great for any season with the material being made of canvas so it is light and also has two longer straps on the inside which makes for a great crossbody bag. I am already waiting to gather looks together for the Summer of 22' with this bag in hand.

I hope ya'll enjoyed this look into my current favorites for this Fall & Winter! All links to the items if still available for purchase are in title 🧥🤎✨

[dumdumdrawstumtums]

Do you have any belly or muscle headcanons for the f/go knights of the round table?

I think I'm gonna play favorites here a bit just because only a couple of em hold my interest hahaha

SO YEAH first and foremost there's the Sun Knight himself, G.awain! And why he's so prominent is because like... by anime standards this guy is jacked, like--

They make it a point to have his pecs poppin' in that shirt. And in that Camelot movie they really don't skimp on making him beefy either-

SO YEAH, the guy's swol. It's shown in his F.GO iteration, what between him having three Buster cards (meaning he's devoted to hitting hard) and at least one of his attacks is him sorta just.. ramming his body into the enemy like a linebacker. All in all Sir G.awain is clearly dedicated to beefing up for his knightly duties, which means he eats big to gain big. Granted he fancies himself as the Round Table's cook...

But apparently his cooking is horrendous, so I really hope it isn't his own food that he's using to bulk. If he's enjoying someone else's food, he'd be eating A LOT of it, both because of aforementioned duty to his cause, and because so long as there's food set down in front of him he won't turn it away. And since he draws his power from the sun, methinks his appetite would be near-endless when out eating under it.

Yeah you eat that packed burger o' gallant hero.

... Anyway, he's got all the courteousness befitting a knight, so heavens forbid he be rude. It'd be especially apparent if he's doing so for his Master, because he is incredibly loyal to a fault. Which of course means if he's asked to eat enough to bring any of his fellow knights to shame, or devour an enemy, well... he can be surprisingly merciless when carrying out his orders.

The other one I'll ramble about is a new addition to the F.GO game, Sir P.ercival! As you can see they were very generous in showing off his bod, especially with pronouncing them bara tiddies. The fandom has been ALL over that as soon as he was announced, trust me. And it turns out showing off his muscles isn't without reason - in the legends this guy apparently has incredible superhuman strength. Like, "tear a tree out by the roots and tear it up to fashion a weapon" levels of stronk. So it's only right that he have the muscle to back that up.

He is however also pure of heart and really... simple-minded. Like, kept failing the Holy Grail's trials because he just didn't realize despite how very bizarre they could be. Or cuddled a lion because thought they were all just big pussycats. SO that could be taken advantage of in encouraging him to eat... pretty much however much one sees fit for him. Like G.awain, but even moreso in that he's just really nice and won't turn down yet another plate set in front of him. Speaking of, apparently they're very good friends and like to play chess together, so it'd be fun to think of them having a fun (and rather epic) eating contest.

That purity though does hamper vore thoughts a smidge. For P.ercival I'm thinking he'd mostly just be involved in protective vore, swallowing his Master or other such friends for their own good, or because they really wanted it and he'd agree if it's non-fatal. Otherwise I guess he could eat up the truly wicked if he has no other means to vanquish them!

[oak23]

So usually a holy grail doll of mine is one that I feasibly can not make myself. It's why Disney Store designer Ariel dolls rarely make my wishlist since it's essentially a play line doll dressed up. One of my holy grail dolls is this 1991 Masudaya Corp Ariel doll because of how obscure it is and that she's one of the earliest non Tyco Toys Ariel dolls ever made. I think people forget that Disney, before The Little Mermaid came out, Disney wasn't a super profitable brand due to the animation dark ages, so the amount of companies lining up to make merch wasn't a lot. So having non Tyco Toys Ariel from before the 1997 The Little Mermaid re-release is a bit of a fun thing for me. 

Anyway, @dollsorwhatever alerted me that a Yahoo Japan Auction had this Ariel for a very good price, especially since it was the deluxe set version that came with a dress and tiara. I nervously bidded on it expecting the price to climb but I won her! Ariel is indeed much more of a Sofubi toy than a fashion doll, especially due to her scale and the fact she's only jointed at the head and shoulders. But I do love the fact she has a vinyl tail rather than a fabric one, and the fact she has a stand really makes her a pleasure to display. 

The dress she comes with seems to be an amalgamation of the pink ball gown and nightdress Ariel wears but constructed super simple. The tiara absolutely is far too large and I honestly wouldn't think it even belongs to this Ariel if it wasn't for a Japanese blog post about her with the same tiara. Anyway she's a funky new edition to my Ariel collection and I'm super glad to have found her since I rarely see anything about her online in English speaking collector circles.

 #disneydoll #disneydolls #ariel #arieldoll #thelittlemermaid #thelittlemermaiddoll #masudayatoys 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CTKTIJdB1VD/?utm_medium=tumblr

[ggukkieland]

📕BTS Fic Reads - 2020 August

Okay so I’m such a hoe for fics that I probably have about a hundred on queue but I can’t help appreciate all the works that these awesome writers put here on Tumblr and AO3. 

Here’s my attempt to organize my readings - though if my mood fluctuates, I’d just end up going through my reblogged fics for reading or sorting through my watchlist of ongoing/incomplete fics/series

✅ -  done reading   | S (smut) F (fluff) A (angst)

🥕[Ongoing Series - to check weekly]🥕

Dangerous Pairing @nightowls388 - KNJ |  supernatural  au, fantasy au, forbidden romance

[2/?] “Whether you’re a vampire or werewolf, love is still love. Betrayal is still betrayal.”    

Queen Cobra @fantasybangtan - KTH | mafia au, undercover au, arranged marriage, enemies to lovers, thriller, s, f,a

[8/?]  when your boss offers the chance to take down the nation’s most lucrative gang from the inside out, you know you’ll do it no matter what the cost… even if that means entering an arranged marriage with the kingpin himself.

Arranged by obiwrites (AO3) - JHS | arranged marriage, unrequited love, angst, pining, jhs in love with someone else

[19/?] If you thought entering an arranged marriage with the person you love would be a dream, you were in for a rude awakening. Jung Hoseok was far from the doting husband you’d dreamed of and most of it could be chalked up to the fact that he was in love with his best friend. And you are without a shadow of a doubt, not her.

Image, Bad Boy @kittentaegu​ - JJK | badboy, fwb, angst, smut, more angstttt (I binge-read on this for the angst), adorable JJK when he’s not an fboi

[14/?] I chose to read this on AO3. Incomplete, but Ch 14 had such a satisfying ending -  When by chance you walk in on the school’s infamous bad boy, not once, but two different times in one day; your life quickly spirals out of control.

I’ll Sue You, Min Yoongi by hosexi (AO3) - MYG |  neighbors, enemies to lovers, angst, smut, lawyer!reader

[9/10] Yoongi is the neighbor from hell

Whiskey Neat and Whisking Trips by lacielre (AO3) - KTH | comedy, fake dating au, baker!reader, veterinarian!taehyung, funny 😂🤣, ex!Jin

[2/4]  This is a story about the night you poured your heart out to your ex outside his apartment building as a stranger yelled at you to “shut the fuck up,” and that stranger, who was just as wounded as you, was Taehyung, and he needed your help.

His Side, Her Side @scriptaed - JJK | he said, she said, f, a

[11/?] a collective snapshots in time shared between two, whose fates were undeniably intertwined and futures would never come to be  - one last chapter before series ends 😥

Black Swan @softlyjiminie - PJM | professional dancer, enemies to lovers, fake dating, figure skating, s, f, a

[2/?] a life of skating was all you’d ever known, your heart craving the feeling of ice beneath your feet and the light brush of cool air against your skin under thousands of sparkling lights… what a shame, if only you’d known that one night, one accident could rip you from the life you’d grown to love, leaving your career in the unsteady hands of the prince of ballet, park jimin.

The Key to my Drawer @jjungkookislife - KTH | bestfriends to lovers, s, a

[10/?]  A key, a drawer, and a secret Taehyung planned to take to the grave

The Nanny @jjungkookislife - KSJ| lawyer!seokjin, nanny!reader, single dad au

[2/?] Jin hires a nanny for his son, but when he hires you, he gets that and so much more

Acatalepsy @1kook - JJK |   survival au, apocalypse au, s, f

[2/?] Jungkook didn’t understand, and the longer he ponders it, he realizes maybe he never will. Some things are just better left unknown, he supposes. But that didn’t mean one had to face them alone. 

Aphrodite in War @jungblue - JJK | angst, exes au, fake dating au, roommates, sorority/frat wars, college au *this is really good 😍😍*

[2/?] Everyone knew about the war that had been brewing on the edge of campus for the past two years. Sorority versus Fraternity; a showdown for the ages. However, when the escalating antics between them yields the consequence of possible suspensions for both chapters, the presidents of each house must come together to try and figure out how to end this battle… Which is kind of hard, considering they were the ones responsible for it in the first place.

Palate Cleanser @btsmakesmehappy - KTH | agent au, fwb, strangers to lovers, s, f, a

[5/?] Part of The Company series -  Taehyung needs something to take his mind off his broken heart. His best friend, Jimin, suggests that he should meet another woman and the first woman he met was you. Would you help him even though you have your own problem, that you hate men?

Bad Guy @taehoneys - JJK | college au, fratboy au, badboy, good girl(?), 

[3/?] chose to read this on AO3 A certain video circulates the school after your big mistake and you never do mistakes, but you did this time…a big one: J e o n J u n g k o o k

Good Girl Series:  Good Girl || Sweet Girl || Smart Girl || Brave Girl  @bonny-kookoo - JJK |  good girl au, bad boy au, roommates, established relationship, s, f, a

[5/?]  Jeon Jungkook was known to have a specific type when it came to his partners; tall, gorgeous, dominant and older. When a new girl answers to his ad online searching for a roommate, he didn’t quite expect such an innocent being to turn up at his doorstep And what he definitely didn’t expect was his growing interest in her and the feeling of having her under him, all submissive and ready to be ruined. 

Agent of Love @ppersonna - JJK |  social media au, agent au, s, f, a

[1/?] as the FBI agent assigned to your phone, Jungkook keeps a diligent watch. he takes a special interest when you try your hand in online dating AND online sexting. desperate to keep you from bombing yet another potential date, Jungkook breaks his vow of silence to assist you in your plight to get laid.

Irregular Heartbeat @ppersonnakookies - MYG | social media au, surgeon!yoongi, intern!reader, 

[5/?] hot girl meets hot guy at a bar, lets him buy her a drink, then hooks up with him in the bathroom without even asking for his name. your typical friday night cliché. except for the fact that you’re a virgin, and the guy you drunkenly lose your v-card to is your superior at your new job.

Somewhere Only We Know @userseok - JJK | hybrid au, pining, angst, fantasy, smut

Prequel SOWK 1 SOWK 2 [being revised by author] Epilogue [to be posted]

you’ve been chasing after jungkook for years. after a harsh verbal altercation between both of you, you decide to leave him alone and pursue a relationship with someone who seems genuinely interested in you, thinking he would never return your feelings.

Elysee @ironicarmy - KSJ |  angst, drama, CEO!Seokjin, personal assistant

[1/?] Being the CEO of Korea’s largest fashion house is no easy feat. But to be the person behind the man, that being his assistant, is an even harder spot to maintain. In a company filled with affairs, bribery, deceit, lies and blackmail, you must struggle to survive and, eventually, climb your way to the top of the food chain. Seokjin, your boss, trusts you more than anyone, but when exactly does the line between friendly camaraderie blur with carnal desire? 

Beautiful Deception @jiminwreckedme​ - MYG? | mystery, thriller, ex!yoongi, angst, smut

[3/5] When your ex-boyfriend’s wife goes missing, you are the only one who can help him find her. But in a world where everyone is a friend and everyone is a culprit,  how will you find out what happened to the woman he loves?  Without falling for him all over again?

🥕[Completed AUs/Series/Drabbles -  to read]🥕

One Thing Right @hobios - JJK | fake marriage au, childhood friends, enemies to lovers, fluff, angst, slow burn, smut

01  02  03  04  05  06  07  08  09  ✅ (done, read it twice - this is just perfect ⭐ holy grail status)

Carousel @yoonia - MYG | mafia au, arranged marriage, heirs, CEO!Yoongi, suspense

Index: 16 Chapters & Epilogue | Drabbles and short stories |  Playlist |  Fan Edits

*a re-read this holy grail of a fic 🥰

Risk It @kookiesjoonies - JJK | social media au, exes to lovers, angst, smut ✅

Driving Me Wild @joonkookiemonster - JJK | demon prince!JJK, roommate au, comedy, fluff   ✅ (done reading, this is really cuuute 🥰)

Redefining Destiny @threeletterislife - JJK |  soulmates, enemies to lovers, mafia, fluff, crack, angst

01 02 03 04 05 06 07 (*have to read Yoongi’s story first*)

Rattled @gukslut - JJK | single dad au, angst, pining, enemies to lovers, neighbors, smut 

Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three  Chapter Four   Chapter Five  Chapter Six  Chapter Seven  Chapter Eight Epilogue ✅(done)

*was reading this when it was ongoing, but stopped at Ch 5 (angst was too much for my heart 😢) - thrilled to binge-read this from the start 😍

Guarded @xjoonchildx - JHS | mafia au, enemies to lovers, slow burn, tsundere, smut

01 02 03 04 05 06 Epilogue  ✅

Never Falling @yoonia - PJM |  Enemies to Lovers!au, Singer!Jimin, non-idol!au, Assistant!reader, Smut, Angst, slow burn ✅(done)

Spellbound @minflix - PJM |  witches au (sort of based on the secret circle),  smut, comedy, fluff, light angst, enemies to lovers

Lie @yoon-kooks - PJM | angst, fluff, based on movie “Flipped”

0 // 1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12 // 13 // 14 // 15 // 16 // 17 // FINAL

On the Sidewalk of Champ Elysees @taeramisu = KTH | journalist!KTH, exes to lovers, smut, angst, paris, slow burn

Little Monsters @yoon-bug - MYG | established relationship, unplanned pregnancy, s, f  ✅

Take One @taetaewonderland - MYG | pornstar!yoongi, fanfictionwriter, strangers to lovers, s, f ✅

The Habits of a Broken Heart @softykooky - JJK |  soulmates au, unrequited love, art student!JK, english student!Y/N, angst, fluff, subtle enemies to lovers  ✅(done)

Into the Wilderness @gukyi - PJM | camp counselor au, unrequited love, friends to lovers

Oops @honeyj00ns - JJK | love at first hear, comedy, fluff, smut, “ You don’t know who the wonderful voice singing in the shower is, but you need to know”  ✅

A Song Request @n8dlesoupguk - JJK | drabble, romance,  where you always listen to the same radio station and he lives in the apartment complex opposite of yours ✅

Oh My God, They Were (Quarantined) Roommates @ot7always - JJK | roommates, quarantined life, college, smut, fluff ✅

Your Favorite Cardigan in Summer Nights @prodkkyu - JJK | one shot, angst, high school sweethearts, exes au, summer fling  ✅

Crimson Park @heartbeatan - JJK |  mafia, boss!reader, mystery, angst

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 (Final) ✅

Pranks @mysecretatticsstuff - JJK | enemies to lovers, prank wars, angst, smut, fluff ✅

Too Long, Didn’t Read @fortunexkookie - KTH | college, writers, enemies to lovers, fluff ✅ (done reading, love love this)

You’ve Got Mail @minyoongijjangjjangmanboongboong - JJK |  Barista!Reader, Graphic Design Student!Jungkook, angst, ex-lovers, enemies to lovers  ✅ (done reading, love this)

Love at First Oink @glodenclosetau- KTH | social media au, neighbors, friends to lovers, piggies 🐽, romance, fluff, comedy ✅ (done - the cutest smau ever)

Sugar @seokjxnnie​ - MYG | ceo!yoongi, escort!reader, personal assistant, smut ✅

Amor Vincit Omnia @sunshyngal - MYG | Mafia au, arranged marriage, angst, violence, drama

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20  ✅

My Euphoria @beyochu​ - JJK | fake dating au, fluff, ceo!jungkook, florist!reader, romance  ✅ (done, really adorable)

All Aboard @ve1vetyoongi​ - KNJ | smut, officeworker!namjoon, enemies to lovers  ✅

[dwellordream]

“…The ideas that animate Harlequin romance novels, Game of Thrones, and Disney movies alike can be traced back to the nineteenth century. Look at the paintings of the Pre-Raphaelites and others influenced by them—works like John William Waterhouse’s “Lady of Shalott” (1888) and Frederic William Burton’s “The Meeting on the Turret Stairs” (1864)—and you’ll see some very familiar figures.

These canvases reflect popular Victorian understandings of medieval ladies: passive, slender, aristocratic, the objects of knightly devotion. These women have never laboured in the fields with sunburned necks or callused hands. Their clothing and flowing hairstyles are eclectic, designed more to make nineteenth-century audiences think about a distant, misty, heroic past than to accurately reproduce any given moment in the Middle Ages. And, they are, invariably, white.

Art doesn’t exist in a vacuum. These paintings were produced when European imperialism was at its zenith; when Darwinian theories of evolution were twisted to justify colonialism and social hierarchies based on race; and when a supposed early-medieval “Teutonic”—or Germanic—ancestry for the white Protestant populations of Britain and North America was claimed to be the reason for the explosive economic growth of those regions.

They were also painted at the same time that white people in Europe and the Americas were enjoying steadily increasing standards of living—in large part thanks to the backbreaking, and often coerced, labour of those in colonised places. Black and brown women helped to shape history, but Victorian society excluded them from the category of “lady” because of the colour of their skin.

Nineteenth-century thinkers drew on the medieval past in order to justify racial and class inequities, or burgeoning notions of nationalism. These thinkers racialised the medieval lady. They idealised her as white, passive, and unsuited to manual labour. In doing so, they made her into a rationale as to why her elite, white, female descendants could sip tea in parlours while brown and black women toiled in the fields—or in their houses—to bring them that tea. The status quo was given such a venerable heritage that it was made to seem natural, even inevitable. Such ideas were then, and are now, pervasive and insidious. They were absorbed by white women, by Disney animators, by the makers of Halloween costumes, and even by those who write histories.

But what happens if we take the medieval lady off her pedestal? What kind of woman do we see inhabiting the Middle Ages if we try to peel off the Victorian veneer of chivalry and politesse? Does looking at what medieval people actually did in the past tell us something about our own assumptions concerning race and gender? In part, this is a process where we have to reconsider the language we use. What do we mean by “lady”? What did medieval people mean by the term? Or, rather, since most texts produced in western Europe in the Middle Ages were written in Latin, what were the connotations which they associated with the word domina?

The first key difference is that the modern English word “lady” simply doesn’t have the aura of power which the Latin word domina did in the Middle Ages. A domina was a woman with authority and moral rectitude in her own right, not simply the consort or complement to a dominus (lord). A domina (and holders of other Latin titles applied to women in medieval records, like comitissa, vicedomina or legedocta) administered estates and adjudicated legal disputes. It did not matter whether she held her title by inheritance or through marriage. Those who held titles in their own right, or those who were widowed, could exercise significant power over fiefs and vassals.

For example, when Matilda, countess of Tuscany (1046-1115), was referred to as domina, it was because she controlled a large swathe of northern Italy. She was the mediator during the famous meeting between Pope Gregory VII and the German emperor Henry IV at her great fortress of Canossa. In doing so, she influenced the outcome of a major medieval power struggle. On his accession to the throne in 1199, King John of England installed his mother Eleanor of Aquitaine (ca. 1122-1204), as domina of the French territory of Poitou and gave her authority in all of his lands—a tacit acknowledgement of her political skill.

Eleanor even managed to expand queenly authority in some ways. She seems to be the first queen of England after the Norman Conquest to have regularly collected the “queen’s gold”, a one-tenth share of some of the legal fines paid to the king. This gave her a valuable (and somewhat independent) source of revenue—and with money comes power. As a more modest example, one contemporary of Matilda of Tuscany’s was a woman named Mahild of Alluyes, domina of a far smaller territory in northern France. She wasn’t a player in papal or imperial politics. Yet as wife and widow, she oversaw the affairs of her vassals and witnessed charters which they drew up in the chapter house of the nearby abbey of Marmoutier, which gave her considerable influence over their lives. And there are many, many more dominae in the sources.

Medieval aristocratic women were sometimes seen as passive by their male contemporaries; those with power who broke this mould were sometimes described in plainly misogynistic terms. But equally, their deeds could be lauded. For example, one of the great chroniclers of the early twelfth century, the Anglo-Norman Orderic Vitalis, wrote that the French noblewoman Isabel of Conches was “lovable and estimable to those around her.” He complimentarily said that she “rode armed as a knight among the knights”, and compared her favourably with Amazon queens.

Matilda of Boulogne (ca. 1105-1152), queen of King Stephen of England, was one of her husband’s most capable partisans during the Anarchy—the period of civil war that tore twelfth-century England apart. Not only did she head the government during her husband’s captivity, but proved herself a capable military commander. She directed troops into battle at the so-called Rout of Winchester and arranged for her husband’s release when he was captured.

A generation or so later, the English countess Petronella of Leicester (ca. 1145-1212) participated alongside her husband in the Revolt of 1173-74; she gave her husband military advice, rode armed onto the battlefield, and was even wearing armour when captured. These actions may not have been normal behaviour for a domina—administration and adjudication were more usual. But they were still within the bounds of possible behaviour for a medieval woman without endangering her status as a “lady.”

The Matildas, Mahild, Eleanor, Isabel, and Petronella: it is hard to imagine any of these dominae as the subject of a Waterhouse painting or the centrepiece of a Disney movie. They weren’t always victorious or virtuous; they could be ambitious and high-handed and hold ideas which most people today would find distasteful. And yet, whether medieval chroniclers approved or disapproved of these women individually, they didn’t think the very fact that they were active, decisive, and opinionated was out of the ordinary. Neither should you.

Nor would the colour of their skin have been thought a defining aspect of their status as a lady. There was certainly prejudice about skin colour in the Middle Ages. The relatively small number of non-white people in northern Europe means that we can’t definitively point to a woman of colour exercising political power there. But things were slightly different in southern Europe, in areas like Iberia—modern Spain and Portugal—which was long home to Christian, Jewish, and Muslim populations of multi-ethnic heritage.

While there were religious prohibitions against Muslim women marrying non-Muslim men, there are some scattered examples of intermarriages between dynasties in the early Middle Ages: Muslim women of north African or Arab descent marrying into northern, Christian royal families. For instance, Uriyah, a daughter of the prominent Banū Qasī dynasty, married a son of the king of the northern Spanish kingdom of Navarre; Fruela II, king of Asturias, married another Banū Qasī woman called Urraca. Their ancestry doesn’t seem to have posed a barrier.

Western Europeans may have only rarely had direct contact with non-white female rulers further afield—like the powerful Arwa bint Asma, queen of Yemen (r. 1067-1138)—but when they did, it could be in dramatic fashion. Shajar al-Durr, sultana of Egypt (d. 1257), famously captured Louis IX of France during the Seventh Crusade and ransomed him for an eye-wateringly large sum.

While historical examples of women of colour exercising prominent roles in Europe during the Middle Ages are few in number, skin colour didn’t limit the imaginations of white medieval Europeans. Medieval people often had clear anxieties about skin colour and blackness, but despite this racism they could still envision a brown- or black-skinned woman as a member of the upper classes, just as they did the white-skinned Mahild or Isabel.

For example, the early thirteenth-century German epic poem Parzival centres on the eponymous hero and his quest for the Holy Grail. Parzival has a half-brother, the knight Feirefiz, who is mixed-race. His mother, Belacane, is the black queen of the fictional African kingdoms of Zazamanc and Azagouc; the narrative praises her beauty and her regal bearing. As another example, a Middle Dutch poem written about the same time, Morien, recounts the story of the handsome, noble knight Morien, “black of face and of limb,” whose father Sir Aglovale fell in love with his “lady mother,” a Moorish princess.

However, the most vivid example is provided by medieval depictions of the biblical Queen of Sheba. Scholars think the historical Sheba likely lay somewhere in southwestern Arabia; other traditions place the kingdom in east Africa. Regardless of the queen’s historicity, various traditions grew up around her in the Middle Ages. Some of the most popular of these claimed that she had a son by the biblical king Solomon. She frequently appears alongside him in art, in elegantly draped garb as on the late twelfth-century Verdun Altar, or accompanied by courtiers as in an early fourteenth-century German illustrated bible: a beautiful black woman and a regal queen. When you think of a medieval “lady”—you could do worse than to think of her.

All of this should prompt us to look again, to reconsider how racialized Victorian ideals of womanhood still impact us—both in contemporary popular culture and also in our understandings of the medieval past. When we think about the Middle Ages, we should consider the impact of race, and especially whiteness, on how we think about it. That is not necessarily because our medieval forebears did so, but because our nineteenth- and early twentieth-century ones did so very much.

The idea of the “lady” was one of the useful fictions which they and others employed, glorifying white, upper-class womanhood as an apex of western achievement. This helped to make existing racial and imperial hierarchies seem like they had such a long history that they must be innate, biological: a simple fact of life. But it was a fiction, and a harmful one. If we are to better understand the medieval past, it is one we must set aside.”

- Yvonne Seale, “My Fair Lady? How We Think About Medieval Women.”

[wizzard890]

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