#powerhouse work center

[focusonkayjay]

Wildly Wealthy Koreans (1); inspired by Crazy Rich Asians

Pairing: Jungkook x (f.) Reader

Genre/Tags: photographer/ filmmaker! jungkook, rich girl/ fashion designer! reader, established relationship, angst, fluff, potential smut

Series summary: When you invite your boyfriend, Jungkook, to accompany you to your brother's wedding in your hometown, Daegu, he’s overjoyed, eager to meet your family and experience a side of your life you’ve never shared with him. However, once he uncovers the truth about who you really are, he’s unable to grasp the full extent of your reality. The situation becomes even more complicated when a certain someone makes him feel profoundly unwelcome, leaving him to question not only your world, but also his place in it.

Disclaimer: This series is heavily inspired by the movie Crazy Rich Asians, with the storyline closely following the original film's plot. However, I wanted to reimagine it as a fanfiction, where Jungkook and OC take center stage as the main protagonists. While I’ve kept the core elements and themes from the movie, I’ve added my own touches here and there, such as altering certain character dynamics and incorporating a few original settings. Some scenes are directly inspired by the movie, and I’ve worked to recreate them in a way that it hopefully resonates with the fans of the movie. Hope you enjoy!!

Word Count: 6.6k+

Chapter Warnings: nothing major for now, lmk if i should add anything.

A/N: okay so after much thought, I decided to write this fic because Crazy Rich Asians is, without a doubt, my ultimate comfort movie. I literally rewatch it every chance I get because there's just something about the vibes, the story, and the characters that I can never move on from. That’s exactly why I wanted to create my own little version of it, with Jungkook as the main character. let me know your thoughts and tell me if this is worth continuing. also should i make a taglist for this?

part 1

Jungkook sits in the dimly lit corner of the restaurant, his fingers absently tracing the rim of his water glass. The soft hum of classical music mingles with the low chatter of the people around, but none of it distracts him from the bubbling anticipation inside as he waits for you.

It’s been four months since the two of you had officially started dating, and though you guys had been cautious about defining what you meant to each other, these past months have solidified everything for him. You aren’t just someone he likes... you’re someone who makes his world brighter in ways he never thought possible.

New York has been his home for years now, but it didn’t always feel that way. When he abruptly moved here with his mom during high school, he reluctantly traded the familiar streets of Busan and the ocean breeze he grew up with for the city that never sleeps.

The move was sudden, jarring even, but over time, he adjusted. The city shaped him, sharpening his edges and teaching him resilience. Now, he’s built a life here, chasing his passion for storytelling as a photographer and documentary filmmaker, capturing untold stories that deserve to be heard.

Life was peaceful... steady, even. And then you walked in and turned everything upside down, in a good way.

He met you almost a year ago, purely by chance. He was documenting behind-the-scenes moments at a charity gala, a commission he almost didn’t take, when you appeared, orchestrating the chaos of models, designs, and flashing cameras like the professional powerhouse you are.

You were magnetic, the kind of person who commanded attention without even trying. Jungkook watched from behind his lens, capturing candid moments until one of your colleagues introduced him to you.

“Ah, so you’re the genius behind the lens.” you teased, offering a hand. “I’m Y/N, the one responsible for the clothes you’re immortalizing.”

Your confidence threw him off guard, but what stayed with him was your laugh... so soft and so genuine, the kind that lingers in his mind long after the event ends.

What followed after was a series of serendipitous run-ins—an art exhibit here, a mutual friend’s dinner there. Each meeting peeled back another layer of who you are, until he realized he was utterly captivated.

Now, as he waits for you to arrive tonight, Jungkook can’t help but think of how far the two of you have come. A lot can change in a year, he thinks. His lips tug into a small smile at the thought of your teasing voice, your quick wit, the way you light up every room you enter. You’ve become the best part of his life, and for the first time in years, he feels genuinely happy.

The sound of heels clicking against the polished floor pulls him out of his thoughts. He looks up, and there you are. You wear a soft pink dress that hugs your form perfectly, your hair framing your face in a way that makes his heart skip. When your eyes meet his, you smile instantly, and Jungkook feels his pulse quicken.

“Sorry I’m late.” you say as you reach the table, placing your bag on the chair as you watch him pull out the chair for you. “I got caught up at work.” you say, taking a seat.

“No need to apologize.” he says warmly, going back to his side of the table. “You’re here now and you look... incredible.”

You roll your eyes playfully, though your cheeks betray you with a faint flush. “Says the guy who looks like he just walked out of a GQ spread.” you giggle.

“Only because I knew I’d be sitting across from you.” he shoots back with a grin. You laugh, shaking your head as you push a strand of hair behind your ear. “Flirt.”

The conversation flows as effortlessly as always, a mix of updates about your respective work lives and lighthearted banter. You tell him about the chaos of coordinating last-minute changes for an upcoming fashion week, while he shares stories from his recent project, a documentary highlighting immigrant artists in the city.

But midway through dinner, he notices a shift in your demeanor. Your laughter softens, and you begin fiddling with the edge of your napkin, a subtle sign of nerves he’s come to recognize.

Jungkook leans forward slightly, resting his hand gently over yours. “You okay?” he asks, his tone soft but laced with concern. You glance up at him, hesitating for a moment before nodding. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just... there’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”

His brow furrows slightly, but his touch remains steady, reassuring. “I’m all ears.”

You take a deep breath, your gaze flicking between him and the table as you speak. “So, um... in three weeks, my brother is getting married. The wedding’s in Daegu, my hometown and my whole family's planning.. all these... these events leading up to it, and...” You pause, mustering the courage to meet his eyes. “and I’d really like you to come... with me.”

Jungkook blinks, momentarily caught off guard. You’ve rarely spoken about your family during your time together. All he knows is that you have an older brother whose name is Kim Taehyung, and that your work keeps you far from home. You’ve always been reserved when it comes to personal matters, and he never pushed, understanding that some things take time to share.

“You want me to meet your family?” he asks, his voice careful but touched with wonder.

You nod, your fingers curling slightly under his. “I know it’s a big step, but... you’re important to me, Jungkook. I want you to know them and I want them to know you... and i just.... I just want you to be there.”

His heart swells at your words, a warmth spreading through his chest that he hasn’t felt in years. He squeezes your hand gently, a soft smile curving his lips. “Of course I’ll go.” he says, his voice steady and full of certainty. “Thank you for asking me. This means a lot, Y/N.”

You exhale, relief washing over your features as your lips tug into a smile. “You have no idea how nervous I was to bring it up.”

“Well, you don’t have to be nervous about anything when it comes to me.” he says, his tone teasing but sincere. “Though... should I be nervous about meeting your family? Any tips I need to survive?”

You laugh, the tension melting away as his words reassure you. “Just be yourself. They’ll love you... I hope.”

“They’d be crazy not to.” he grins, his confidence laced with a playful charm.

As the conversation moves forward, Jungkook can’t shake the weight of what you’ve just shared. This isn’t just an invitation... it’s a glimpse into the part of your world you’ve kept hidden. And he knows, without a doubt, that he wants to be part of it.

//

The three weeks seem to blur together for Jungkook, filled with excitement, planning, and the growing anticipation of returning to Korea. Now, he’s standing just outside the bustling airport, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his jacket, glancing at the crowd for any sign of you. He knows you’ll be here soon with the tickets, and just the thought of seeing you has a smile tugging at his lips.

It’s been years since he last visited Korea, and the idea of going back stirs up a mix of emotions... nostalgia, eagerness, and a tinge of nervousness. But it isn’t just your family he’s excited to meet... he can’t stop thinking about reuniting with Yoongi, an old friend from his university days.

Jungkook remembers how they first met. Yoongi, fresh from Daegu, adapting to the fast pace of New York, with a wit and humor that made their friendship click instantly. They spent countless nights bonding over shared meals and dreams, but after Yoongi finished his studies and returned to Korea, they lost touch. Now, the opportunity to see him again feels like a bonus to this trip.

When Jungkook had mentioned that he'd be visiting Daegu for a short trip to Yoongi during a rare phone call, Yoongi had insisted, “You better visit me for lunch or dinner the second you land, Jeon. I’ll be waiting.” It had been less of an invitation and more of a command and a promise Jungkook fully intends to keep.

His thoughts are interrupted when he spots you approaching with your suitcase. Your face lights up the moment your eyes meet, and Jungkook feels his heart lift as he strides forward to greet you. He pulls you into a hug, planting a soft kiss on your lips, his familiar warmth seeping into you.

“You ready for this?” you ask, your grin contagious. “With you? Always.” he affirms easily, grabbing your suitcase to lighten your load as the two of you head towards security.

After passing through the usual chaos of airport checks, you finally board the plane. Jungkook trails closely behind, his eyes scanning the rows of economy seats, prepared to settle in for the long flight. But you keep walking, breezing past one row after another, heading towards the front of the plane.

“Y/N...” he calls softly, a frown of confusion crossing his features. “I think we passed our seats.” You barely glance back, simply motioning for him to follow with a playful wave of your hand. “Just trust me, Kook.”

Jungkook’s confusion only grows as you step into the business class section. His steps slow as he takes in his surroundings... the stark difference from the cramped seats in economy hits him instantly. Business class looks like another world.

The seats are spacious, arranged in private compartments with high partitions for privacy. The lighting is soft and ambient, with a warm golden glow that feels more like a cozy lounge than an airplane cabin. Flight attendants move quietly through the aisles, offering passengers drinks and handing out fancy pajama sets.

Jungkook’s jaw drops as he watches you casually slide into one of the luxurious seats, making yourself comfortable. He hurries forward, his voice incredulous. “Y/N, this is business class... Our seats aren’t here!”

You look up at him with a calm smile, gesturing to the seat beside yours. “They gave me an upgrade.” you say simply, patting the spot for him to sit. His eyes narrow in confusion as he sets down his bag. “Upgrade? Can we even afford this?” he asks, using his hands to gesture towards the private compartment.

You laugh lightly, already reclining your seat with the touch of a button. “Relax, Kook. My family has some business ties with the airline. It’s just a little perk.” (Nick Young coded girlfriend)

“A little perk?” he repeats, his voice full of disbelief as he finally sits down. He presses a button on the armrest, watching in awe as the seat reclines into a flatbed. “Y/N, this isn’t a perk... this is a dream. Look at this place! It’s like a five-star hotel in the air.”

You grin, watching his childlike amazement as he fiddles with every feature. "I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to go back to economy class now...that feels like a distant nightmare.”

A flight attendant approaches with a tray of pre-departure champagne, offering the glasses with a polite smile. Jungkook accepts one hesitantly, holding it up like it might break. “Champagne? On a plane? This is insane.” he continues.

You can't help but giggle at his cuteness as you casually take a sip from your glass as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.

As the plane prepares for takeoff, Jungkook leans back in his seat, still marveling at the luxurious surroundings. He sneaks another glance at you, the contentment on your face making his heart swell. This trip is already shaping up to be unforgettable, and it hasn’t even truly started yet.

//

Jungkook feels the weight of your pout pressed against his chest as you stand in his arms, his hands gently brushing through your hair in a comforting motion. He can’t help but smile softly, though he feels the tiniest tug at his heart seeing you so disappointed.

He knew this lunch with Yoongi was important, and he knew you understood... at least, logically. But seeing the way you looked at him, that little furrow between your brows, made him feel a little guilty. “It’s just lunch, baby.” he says, his voice soothing, brushing his thumb gently over your cheek.

“I promised him, and he never takes no for an answer.” He chuckles softly, but his smile fades when he feels the reluctance in your grip on him.

You knew he had plans with Yoongi the moment you touched down in Daegu. You had known this from the start, had heard about the lunch plan in passing, but that didn’t make the feeling any easier to shake.

The thought of him going off without you, to catch up with an old friend while you drove home alone, kind of made you sad. You were fully aware of the importance of this lunch, but that didn’t stop the tiny selfish part of you from wishing he’d be with you, just for a little while longer.

“I know...” you murmur, your voice betraying the tiny bit of sulk in your tone, but you try to let it go. You weren’t going to hold him back. "Fine." you finally say, pulling back to meet his gaze.

And the way he looks at you affectionately makes you feel like you’ve won some small victory. “But...” you add with a little smile. “I expect you to be at my place at 7. You know my grandma’s having that traditional tea ceremony thing and I promised her I was bringing someone special home.”

His eyes light up at your words, the thought of joining you for something so important and so personal. “Of course.” he replies without hesitation, his voice earnest. “I wouldn’t dream of missing it.”

You smile softly, knowing he means it. And yet, despite his assurances, you can’t shake the lingering feeling of missing him. Just a little. Before you can dwell on it too much, you hear a voice break through the moment.

“Ms. Kim.”

You turn, blinking a little in surprise as your driver steps forward, his presence bringing a sudden rush of formality to the otherwise intimate moment. “The car is here.” he states matter-of-factly, and you know that this is your cue to part ways.

You sigh softly, reluctantly loosening your hold around Jungkook’s waist, but not without giving him one last lingering look. Your lips curl in a pout, but you try to hide it behind the gentle smile you offer him.

“Okay then…” you start, your voice trailing off as you look at him, uncertainty settling in your chest. “I’ll see you soon?” The question hangs in the air, like a promise and a plea all at once.

Jungkook watches you for a moment, that familiar ache in his chest growing stronger as he sees the hint of vulnerability in your eyes. But then his lips curl upward, soft but sincere. “Of course, baby. I’ll be there. I love you.” His words are steady, and his eyes hold something deeper than just affection... something unwavering.

You nod quickly, feeling a mix of relief and longing. “I love you too.” you whisper back before turning away, following your driver towards the airport's exit.

Jungkook watches you walk away, his heart heavy in his chest, the pang of guilt creeping up again. He promises himself to make it up to you later. Now, he just needed to get through lunch with Yoongi.

But as soon as the sound of your footsteps fades and you disappear from his sight, his phone buzzes in his pocket. The familiar name on the screen catches his attention, and he answers without a second thought. “Hey, Mom.”

Her voice crackles through the line, warm but concerned. “Hello Jungkook-ah, I just wanted to check in. You landed safely?” she asks.

Jungkook listens to his mom’s voice on the other end of the line, the familiar warmth making him smile despite the anxiousness he feels about what’s ahead. He’s about to step into a world that’s so different from New York, where he’s spent most of his adult life. But now, back in Korea, things feel unfamiliar in a way that both excites and intimidates him.

“Yes, Ma... I landed a while ago.” he answers, feeling a small wave of relief hearing her voice. “That’s good, honey... How’s Y/N?” she asks with that gentle concern she always has for the people he cares about.

“She’s good. She just left though, and I’m waiting for Yoongi to come pick me up.” he replies, smiling softly as he instantly thinks of you. “How does it feel to be back in Korea?” he hears his mom question, her tone soft but curious.

He smiles, leaning against the nearest pillar with his luggage beside him as he waits for Yoongi. “So far, so good, but I’m still at the airport, so I can’t say much.” he jokes. His mom lets out a quiet laugh, the sound comforting.

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, she switches to a more serious tone. “Remember what I told you, Kook... Stay put there. You know how it is in Korea... with the elders and the... the people. It’s very different from here, so please take care with what you say and how you say it.”

It’s a reminder he’s heard before, but hearing it again feels heavier now that he’s here, about to meet your family and step into a culture that’s rooted in tradition and respect, something that’s been passed down for generations.

Jungkook’s smile falters for a moment as he nods, even though she can’t see him. He knows exactly what she means. He’s always been more carefree, more western in his ways of expressing himself, and in Korea, especially when it comes to elders, there’s a deep respect for hierarchy and custom that’s different from what he’s generally used to.

“I know, Ma. I’ll keep everything in mind.” he assures her, his voice more serious now. “You’re not a kid anymore, Kook, but just... be mindful, okay? Don’t let them misunderstand your intentions. I just want you to be careful.” Her voice softens with motherly concern, and Jungkook feels his heart warm.

“I will. I promise.” he replies, knowing that this trip, meeting your family... it’s more important than ever to prove to them that he’s not just another guy in the city.... he’s not just your boyfriend. He wants to show them how serious he is about you and the future you guys could have together.

He glances around at the busy terminal, the buzz of passengers and the distant announcements. It all feels so different from New York. So... foreign. But he’ll make it through. He’s used to adapting. And this, he tells himself, is just the beginning.

“Alright, Kook... you take care, yeah?” she says. Jungkook hums. "I will. Bye, Ma." he replies back and soon, the call ends.

Just as Jungkook tucks his phone back into his pocket, he hears a deafening roar that cuts through the murmur of the airport. The unmistakable sound of an engine revving... loud, aggressive, and powerful, draws his attention immediately.

His head snaps to the right, eyes scanning the street. His gaze locks onto a sleek purple Lamborghini, its engine purring with a force that vibrates the ground beneath him as it races towards him.

Jungkook’s brows furrow, an instinctive suspicion flickering across his face as the car approaches. He’s not sure why, but something feels… off, or rather, intriguing. The car comes to an abrupt halt right in front of him, the tires squealing as they grip the asphalt. Jungkook freezes, blinking in disbelief.

The tinted window slowly rolls down, and for a moment, everything seems to move in slow motion. When the driver’s face comes into view, Jungkook’s heart skips a beat. “Yoongi?!” he exclaims, his voice tinged with utter shock and disbelief.

Yoongi grins, that familiar mischievous glint in his eyes. “Ain’t no way...” Jungkook mutters under his breath, still processing the surreal sight of Yoongi sitting behind the wheel of a car that looks like it belongs to someone straight out of a high-stakes action movie. Yoongi chuckles, clearly amused by Jungkook’s reaction.

“What’s good, my man? Meet my baby.” Yoongi says with a sly smirk, his fingers casually tracing the contours of the steering wheel like this car was just an everyday ride for him.

Jungkook’s mouth hangs open in awe. He can’t remember the last time he was this speechless. The purple Lamborghini gleams under the streetlights, its polished surface reflecting the neon glow of the airport. Jungkook’s eyes follow every curve, every sharp angle, as if seeing it in person is somehow more unreal than he could have ever imagined.

Yoongi, clearly unfazed by the wide-eyed look Jungkook is giving him, steps out of the car with an effortless swagger. He’s dressed in an oversized, silk button-up shirt that drapes over his frame in a relaxed way.

The half-sleeves of the shirt billow out just above his elbows, adding a laid-back yet refined touch to his look. Paired with the shirt are matching shorts that reach just below his knees, the material soft and flowy, almost weightless.

Around his neck, a thick silver chain glints in the sunlight, its boldness standing out against the simplicity of his outfit, giving him an air of casual but undeniable wealth.

Without a word, he grabs Jungkook’s luggage from the ground and begins loading it into the trunk of his car.

Jungkook snaps out of his daze and watches him, still trying to wrap his head around the situation. “Get in, dude." Yoongi laughs with a nudge to Jungkook’s shoulder, his tone light, almost playful, as he walks back around to the driver’s side.

Jungkook slides into the plush passenger seat, still feeling like he’s stepped into another world. The interior of the Lamborghini is unlike anything he’s ever experienced. As his eyes roam around, Jungkook can’t help but feel like he’s in a dream.

Every inch of the car screams excess, sophistication, and unspoken wealth. The steering wheel is trimmed in carbon fiber, the gearshift feels solid in Yoongi’s hand, and everything seems perfectly engineered, like it was crafted for the few who could afford such a ride.

Yoongi starts the engine with a smooth hum, and Jungkook jerks his head towards him, still shocked. "You never told me you had a Lamborghini." he says, his voice betraying his disbelief.

Yoongi just laughs, his eyes glancing briefly at Jungkook before focusing back on the road. "Well, that's because I didn’t have this back in university." he shrugs nonchalantly, a casual smirk playing on his lips. The car pulls smoothly out of the airport, its engine growling like a beast waking up.

Jungkook stares at him, still processing everything. "But wow, dude? You hit the lottery or something? This car is insane." he breathes out. Yoongi chuckles again but doesn’t answer, as if the question doesn’t deserve a response.

The city of Daegu blurs by outside the tinted windows, the sun reflecting off the glass as they drive deeper into the heart of the city. Jungkook can feel the rhythm of the drive, the perfect balance between speed and luxury, as the Lamborghini effortlessly weaves through traffic, its engine purring in a low, contented hum.

The sound of the tires on the road and the occasional rumble of the car’s exhaust fill the silence between them as they talk. Their conversation drifts to more casual topics... catching up on life after university, their mutual friends, and everything in between. Jungkook listens intently, but something about the ride and everything else, still has him on edge.

Then, suddenly, the city streets begin to change. The hustle and bustle of downtown Daegu fades away, replaced by quiet, tree-lined roads and grand, gated estates. Jungkook furrows his brows in confusion. The mansions are larger than anything he’s ever seen.

Multi-story buildings with sprawling lawns, perfectly manicured gardens, and tall gates that exude old money. The kind of money that felt untouchable, like a world he’d never thought he’d be a part of.

Yoongi slows the car as they approach a massive set of gates, gleaming with metal and ornate designs. They pause for a moment, and Jungkook watches as the gates swing open effortlessly, granting them access to enter.

Jungkook’s eyes widen even more as they drive in, the long, curved driveway leading them deeper into the estate. The mansion that comes into view is nothing short of breathtaking. It’s grand and set against the backdrop of lush trees, with a modern yet classic architectural style.

The house gleams under the afternoon sunlight, its windows large and open, letting the soft glow of interior lights spill out into the day. As they pass by, Jungkook can’t help but notice the impressive collection of cars parked near the house, each one more expensive than the last.

There’s a black Rolls-Royce Phantom, a gleaming Ferrari 488, a silver Porsche 911 Turbo, and a sleek Aston Martin DB11, all parked in perfect alignment, as if they belong to the same elite circle. The cars shine brightly in the afternoon sun, their polished surfaces reflecting the elegance of the estate.

Jungkook’s mouth hangs open, his mind racing to catch up with the reality unfolding around him. He’s never seen anything like this in his life. "What is this… What is this place?" he breathes out, his voice almost reverent, like he’s stumbled into a world that doesn’t seem real.

Yoongi’s smirk is still there, a knowing glint in his eyes as he pulls the car to a stop, right in front of the grand entrance of the beautiful mansion. He looks over at Jungkook, his tone casual but with a hint of pride. "Welcome to my crib, Kook." he says.

Jungkook's mouth open, words just stuck in the middle of his throat. His mind is still processing everything, the scene outside seeming like a surreal dream. This is all too much to take in.

Yoongi was RICH rich and he didn't have a single clue about it. As they step out of the car, Jungkook notices a man approaching swiftly towards them and by the looks of his attire, it's clear that he's a guard.

Without missing a beat, Yoongi tosses his car keys at him, and the man catches them with practiced ease. "He'll grab your luggage in a bit." Yoongi says casually, already heading towards the mansion's entrance. Jungkook, still processing whatever the hell this is, follows him like a lost child, unable to do anything but take in the overwhelming sight that surrounds him.

The moment they step inside the house, Jungkook's eyes widen, but before he can even begin to appreciate the stunningly opulent interiors like marble floors or the high ceilings or the glistening chandeliers, a shrill voice cuts through the air. "Yoon, you're hereeee!"

Jungkook’s brow furrows as he watches a woman, probably in her 50s, stand right in front of them. She’s dressed in a chic, over-the-top outfit... a silk floral blouse with exaggerated puffed sleeves, tailored trousers, and a lavish pearl necklace that gleams with the faintest hint of arrogance.

Her perfectly styled hair is in a tight updo, and in her arms, she cradles a fluffy kitten, which she’s stroking affectionately, completely oblivious to Jungkook's stunned expression.

Yoongi barely reacts, his face giving away nothing as he responds, "Yes, mom." with a tone that suggests this is nothing out of the ordinary. Without hesitation, he gestures towards Jungkook, who’s still very much amused. “This is Jungkook, a friend from New York.” he introduces calmly.

She steps closer to Jungkook, her eyes widening as she takes in his appearance. "Such a handsome face." she says with a bright smile, fluttering her lashes dramatically. Jungkook feels his ears turn red, but tries to mask it with a polite smile.

"Come, come, why are you still standing by the door?" she continues in a sing-song voice, already turning towards the grand dining hall. "Lunch is just about to be served."

Without waiting for a response, she leads them through the sprawling corridor, her heels clicking against the polished marble floor. Jungkook follows, still processing the luxury surrounding him.

As they enter the enormous dining room, the sheer size of the table takes his breath away. It looks like something straight out of a royal palace, with intricately carved wood and sparkling silverware laid out meticulously. Seated around the table are five people, two men, a woman, and two little girls. The air feels heavy with formality and expectation.

Yoongi, noticing Jungkook's distracted gaze, gestures towards each person with casual confidence. "That's my dad." he says, pointing to the middle-aged man sitting at the center of the table who gives Jungkook a bright smile, as he nods acknowledging his presence.

"That's my brother, Geumjae." Yoongi continues, nodding towards the younger man seated to the left. Geumjae has the same sharp features as Yoongi, and he cheerfully waves at Jungkook. "Yooo." he says.

Next, Yoongi points at a woman sitting beside him. "That's his wife, Chaeri." he adds, the warmth in his voice making it clear they have a close bond. "And those are his daughters, Minji and Yuna." he finishes, gesturing to the two little girls sitting next to each other as they giggle shyly to themselves.

Jungkook nods politely at everyone, his nerves creeping in as he takes in the situation. Yoongi's family seems very welcoming, but he's still extremely nervous. He’s not used to this kind of environment, and it shows, but he quickly remembers his manners. He straightens up and gives a right-angled bow, a gesture of respect that his mother taught him for situations like this.

"Hello, I’m Jungkook." he says, his voice steady but laced with a slight hint of uncertainty. He smiles warmly at them, hoping his attempt at a formal greeting isn’t too awkward.

Jungkook feels a shift in the atmosphere as Yoongi's father lets out a hearty laugh. "Yahh, no need to be so formal." he chuckles, waving a hand dismissively.

"Come, take a seat before the food gets cold." His voice is warm and inviting, making Jungkook relax a little. Geumjae, his brother, nods in agreement. Jungkook looks at Yoongi, unsure, but Yoongi simply gives him a small shrug and gestures for him to sit.

They both take their seats, followed by Yoongi’s mother, who settles herself gracefully at the table. Jungkook glances around, noticing the opulence of the setting... the gleaming china plates, the glistening silver cutlery, the rich aroma of the food filling the air. He feels a bit out of place but tries to steady himself, taking in the high-end cuisine laid out before him.

Once everyone is served, Jungkook’s mind races for a moment as he looks at the elaborate dishes in front of him. He’s unsure where to begin, not used to this kind of extravagant meal. It’s all so foreign to him, but before he can pick up his chopsticks, Yoongi’s father breaks the silence.

"So, what brings you here, Jungkook?" he asks, his deep voice cutting through the air with curiosity. Jungkook swallows his nerves before answering.

"Oh, I’m... I’m here with my girlfriend for her brother’s wedding." he replies politely, hoping his words don’t come out too awkwardly.

"Wedding, huh?" Yoongi chimes in from beside him, raising an eyebrow. Jungkook simply nods in acknowledgment, hoping the conversation will shift.

"So this is your girlfriend’s hometown?" Geumjae asks, his voice calm but probing.

"Yes." Jungkook confirms with a small smile, relieved to stick with the easy part of the conversation. "But damn, dude, when did you get a girlfriend? The last time I remembered, you were afraid to even approach girls in university." Yoongi teases, a smirk on his lips.

Jungkook freezes for a moment, feeling a flush of discomfort rise in his chest. The comment feels casual, but the atmosphere around him is so formal that it catches him off guard. He glances around the table, noticing that everyone is relaxed and waiting for him to answer, as if this were a normal part of their dinner conversation. He takes a breath and tries to steady himself.

"Well... I wasn’t really afraid to approach them." he says, carefully choosing his words. "I just had other things to focus on." He offers a half smile, hoping to deflect the attention.

Yoongi chuckles, clearly amused, but doesn’t push any further. "What did you say her name was again?" he asks, his tone light.

"Oh... it’s Y/n." Jungkook replies, a smile creeping onto his face as he thinks about you. Just saying your name makes him feel warm inside, and he can’t help but let a soft grin escape.

"Y/n?" Yoongi’s mother repeats, her brows furrowing slightly, as though the name is familiar but somehow surprising. Jungkook tilts his head, not fully understanding the change in her tone.

He nods, confirming with a small smile. "Yes, Kim Y/n. That’s her name."

The sudden shift in the room is palpable. Yoongi’s mother’s eyes widen, and her voice grows louder, almost demanding. "You mean... Kim Y/n?" she repeats, her tone now sharp, causing everyone at the table to freeze. The clinking of silverware stops as if time itself has paused.

Jungkook blinks in confusion. He can feel the weight of their collective gaze on him, a tension that wasn’t there before. "Yes, Kim Y/n. That’s her name." he says, his voice firmer this time, trying to keep his composure. He doesn’t understand why your name is causing such a stir, but he can sense something is off.

"Dude... the Y/n you’re dating is... Kim Y/n?" Yoongi’s voice is incredulous, his eyebrows raised in surprise. He leans back in his chair, almost scoffing in disbelief.

Jungkook’s confusion deepens. He looks at Yoongi, eyebrows furrowed. "Uh... yeah? You know her or something?" he asks, still trying to piece together the odd shift in the conversation.

Geumjae chuckles, clearly intrigued. "Who doesn't?" he replies. Jungkook furrows his brows, still lost. "What is that supposed to mean?" he asks, his voice laced with perplexity.

Before anyone can respond, Yoongi’s mother’s face lights up with a sudden realization. "Wait, wait, wait, so the wedding you're here for... it's... it's Taehyung's, isn’t it? It’s Kim Taehyung’s wedding!" She beams, her expression a mix of surprise and excitement, as if the revelation is the most obvious thing in the world.

Jungkook’s mind races. He’s still trying to connect the dots, but the sheer shock on Yoongi’s mother’s face throws him off balance and he wonders how she knows that information. "How... How do you know that?" he asks, still trying to process everything.

Before anyone can answer, Yoongi shifts in his seat, leaning slightly towards Jungkook, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Dude... do you have any idea.... who your girlfriend is?" Yoongi asks, the question hanging in the air like a bombshell.

Jungkook’s mouth opens and closes, not understanding the gravity of the situation. His mind struggles to keep up, but he can't seem to make sense of the turn this conversation has taken. "What?" he asks, still confused. "Why... why are you asking me that?"

Yoongi leans back in his chair, his eyes narrowing as if he’s just realized something monumental. "Dude... do you know who 'The Kims' are?? You're dating someone from 'The Kims'. That is literally insane." he states, his voice filled with disbelief.

He looks at Jungkook, half-amused, half-shocked, but when he still notices the utter confusion on his friend's face, his expression softens slightly. Yoongi leans in and places both hands on Jungkook's shoulders, trying to help him process the information.

"Dude, 'The Kims' are one of the most influential families in all of Daegu. Hell, in all of Korea." Yoongi’s voice is filled with a mixture of awe as he continues.

"They own so many companies, it’s insane. From massive real estate ventures, luxury hotels, tech firms, and even a few major pharmaceutical companies, they’re basically untouchable. Every major industry you can think of, 'The Kims' have their fingers in it." He leans back again, his hands still on Jungkook's shoulders, clearly enjoying his friend's stunned reaction.

"And Y/n? She’s a part of that family. I don’t even think you understand how big of a deal that is."

Jungkook’s mind is spinning. He sits there, his thoughts racing, but the words don't seem to connect. All he can do is stare at Yoongi, trying to make sense of everything that’s being said.

His head is still reeling from the idea that the woman he’s been seeing... someone he’s grown to care for so deeply... belongs to such a powerful family. He had never imagined that you, with your down-to-earth nature, would be connected to such wealth and influence.

Yoongi, noticing Jungkook’s silence, smirks before continuing, clearly reveling in the shock he’s causing. "If you were shocked just looking at the estate I live in, wait until you see the kind of place Y/n lives in."

His voice lowers slightly, his tone growing more serious, almost as if he’s sharing a secret. "Her family’s mansion? It’s like something out of a movie. It’s not like any place you’ve ever seen before. We're talking private security, a sprawling garden, a real private estate. It's on a whole other level."

Jungkook feels his stomach tighten as he tries to digest what Yoongi’s saying. He can’t even fathom how he didn’t know this before, how he had no clue that something about your life was so different from anything he had known.

The thought of you being part of this world, a world so far removed from his own, leaves him just sitting there, not knowing what to do with this newfound information.

part 2 ->

[spotlight-if]

Lights, Camera…Chaos.

[PLAY HERE] (October 23rd, 2024) Act 1, Chapter 1, 64.2k words.

For as long as you can remember, your dream has stayed the same—you want nothing more than to make it as an actor in Hollywood. After years as an overlooked, overworked talent, your big break comes from an unlikely source. And it’s one that changes everything, for better or worse.

Hollywood is its own character within this world—sometimes it loves you, sometimes it wants nothing more than to see you crash and burn. Navigating this ever changing landscape while balancing your own interpersonal relationships is only half the challenge. The other half is memorizing your lines.

Navigate the red carpet, bloodthirsty paparazzi, cut-throat tabloids and complicated relationship dynamics with A-list celebrities (who may or may not be completely insane.)

But, hey: isn’t this what you’ve always wanted?

Key Features:

- Customize your Actor: are you a classic Hollywood heartthrob? An eccentric and unconventional recluse? Are you kind and genuine despite the fame, or a cutthroat diva with undeniable talent?

- Navigate scandal, paparazzi, and stan culture: dodge or embrace the flashing lights. Interact with your fans, or distance yourself from them for your sanity. Wait—who are they shipping your character with?

-Build your legacy: choose between the stability of superhero blockbusters or turn into an indie darling. Or, maybe forgoe both to become a household name in the horror genre.

- Network and build relationships: whether they’re manufactured by your well-meaning publicist or spawned from real feelings, forge dynamic and ever changing relationships with other industry icons.

- Try to manage your mental health: the dark side of the industry lurks in every corner—the highs are high, but the lows are ever lower.

Characters:

Kendall Mays (gender selectable)—ever the loyal best friend, Kendall followed you into the throes of showbiz without hesitation. From fighting over toys on the playground to helping you run lines for a major motion picture, you can always count on them to have your back. That is, before they met Mason—their ever-present boyfriend who demands more and more of their time. You were never that great at sharing.

[Note: Kendall is not a romance option.]

Sutton Foster (he/him, she/her)—child star turned award winning powerhouse. Sutton Foster has everything an actor could want—well, minus the countless stays at rehab centers around the world. It’s undeniable that Sutton is a generational talent, but what’s even more notable is their messy personal life. You yourself have been caught in Sutton’s gravitational pull, once upon a time. The question lies in whether or not you’ll pull yourself away.

Wyn Grace (he/him, she/her)—on stage, Wyn is electric. The same cannot be said for Wyn off-stage. The lead singer of the up-and-coming Indie band is struggling with their meteoric rise to fame. As the awards pile up and the crowds get bigger, Wyn is unraveling at the seams. All they wanted to do was make music with their friends, but the fame makes them reconsider it all.

Lex Moreau (he/him)—an older, award-winning director with an…eccentric disposition. Yet despite his volatile nature and obsession with perfection, anyone who’s anyone would kill to work with him. Lex is always in search for a muse, a great beacon to pour all of his artistic vision into. And now, he thinks he’s found that in you. Lucky you?

[C is a conditional character, only appears based on choices you make.]

Carlo/Carmen Mencina (gender selectable)—C is harder to pin down than a stable acting gig in LA. When you’re together—it’s kismet. The problem lies in when you’re apart. C’s frequent disappearances abroad leave a bad taste in your mouth, and when a shocking truth comes to light, it’s not just your relationship in the spotlight—it’s your life, too.

Flings and other mini-romances will be available as well. But these I will let be revealed as the story progresses.

When writing this game, I knew what themes I wanted to focus on, and the care/detail needed to do so. Hence, this game is strictly 18+.

TW: death, substance abuse, suicide, bullying, explicit language, violence, and explicit (skippable) sexual content.

Thank you for reading my intro! Reblogs are welcome, and my ask box is open (:

And major thank you @thecutestgrotto for the gorgeous headers!

[killshotchaos]

Aespa’s NingNing x M!Reader choking, squirting, creampie. 1,488 words You’re assigned to be her bodyguard for the night.

-

Donatella Versace knows how to pick the faces of her luxury brand.

Nearly four years of being a bodyguard for her young and gorgeous ambassadors at high-end fashion shows has opened the window for you to spectate the A-list celebrities that the fashion powerhouse personally brought on. You’ve had the pleasure of guarding these gorgeous, charismatic women—some who are nearly untouchable.

But as striking as they are, Ning Yizhou is indescribable.

A rising performer of a big girl group, Yizhou’s sharp confidence—a contrast to her soft features—commands the attention of everyone in the room. She is meek at first glance, but treads through the red carpet with sultry eyes for the camera and a charming smile for those who greet her. She is no less of a beauty than any other model you’ve worked with, but you have yet to be at a loss for words.

Versace’s look for her tonight is simple: a sequined little black dress that barely falls to the top of her thighs, strappy black heels, and a simple handbag. The gold accents on the straps of her dress and buckle of the handbag brings some dimension to the look. Though her styling isn’t over the top, Yizhou still has you frothing at the mouth.

Conversations with her are fleeting due to language barriers and your job. You’re paid to guard these celebrities, not befriend them. 

You extend a hand in the direction of her seat on the first row, indicating that you have completed your job with her for now. She turns her head for a second before looking back at you, her lower lip tucked between her teeth.

“It’s still early,” she addresses the many unoccupied seats.

The attendees are still scattered around the premises socializing and conducting interviews. Some have already taken their seat, but Yizhou’s gaze grants the inability to turn her away. As uncomfortable as she may be without her group members, she seems comfortable enough to remain with you until it’s almost time for the show to start.

She tries her best to communicate. Her giggles, blushing, and eye contact makes you forget about the distance that’s supposed to be between you two. 

She is the star, and you are just her bodyguard for one night.

You’ve fooled around with women before, but you’d caught word of kpop celebrities being impossible to hook up with. Korean paparazzi may be small in numbers compared to western paparazzi but fans (or “fansites”) might as well give paparazzi a run for their money. 

Every corner they turn is a fan calling her name. The severity of an idol being caught with someone is catastrophic and would put their careers at risk—which you didn’t want to do. Despite all that, you somehow manage to sneak away into the bathroom where you break all the rules and become the handsy, invasive guy that you’re supposed to guard her from.

But Yizhou doesn’t want distance.

You prop her up on the marbled counter, lips entwined with hers and her fingers tucked through your hair. You can afford to have it messed up, and you have to stop your hand halfway from going through her silken, well-styled tresses. It finds purchase on her hip instead where you tug her closer to the edge of the counter and give yourself better access to her.

She clings to you, desperate and whiny. There are no words needed to tell you what she wants, though that doesn’t stop you from teasing her.

You can’t mark up her neck and you can’t ruin her dress too much. You want to inflict more damage on her but you have to be cautious with her appearance, leading you to redirect your pent up frustrations through your palm kneading between her legs.

She instantly bucks against you. You shift from your palm to the tips of your fingers, centering the pressure on her clit through her panties. The damp patch on the cotton grows as the kiss is more heated with her whimpers morphing into profanity.

She breaks away from you with a huff—lips swollen, gloss smeared, and the corners of her mouth turned downwards. 

You chuckle. “What’s the matter, my pretty girl?”

She pauses. “Stop being funny.”

“Yeah?” You raise a brow as you slip a finger under the soiled panties and feather over her slick folds. “You want more?”

She nods.

“Use your words. Talk to me, pretty.” You encourage her as you dip past her folds and press on her clit.

You earn a swift reaction. Her lips part slightly, her eyes hooded as you continue circling her sensitive clit. She teeters between small whimpers and incoherent muttering. You only desire to ruin her more, to tease her until she’s pushed to the edge—but you’re losing your own game. You give her what she wants to satiate your own pleasure of hearing her pretty little noises.

You slide a finger inside her. The waters are tested with a shallow thrust, and you quickly enter a second digit to pry her open. Something in your brain tells you to be gentle first but she squeezes your wrist and meets eyes with you.

“Please. More. I can take it.”

I can take it.

Yizhou is bent over the counter, proving that she can really take it. Her moans fall from her open mouth in intervals as she struggles to stay quiet. Your hips are relentless now that she encourages you to not stop, your cock perfectly sheathed in her aching pussy.

Her panties are pulled to the side as you fuck her. Just as you intended to tuck it in your pocket as a souvenir, you decide to keep it on her as her reminder of their rendezvous during the show.

You pause with a shallow thrust, forceful enough to shove her hips against the counter, and her thighs tremble. She shudders at the whirlwind of euphoria suddenly coming to a stop, but she’s taken aback when you wrap a hand around her throat and drag her off the counter. With her back flushed against your chest, you resume your pace with twice the force.

She certainly can’t hold back her moans now. The reflection of the mess that she’s become turns you on more. Her strap has fallen down her shoulder, exposing more of her tit than you’re supposed to see, and you eye her chest through the mirror as each thrust makes them bounce.

“You’re doing so good, pretty.”

She grunts when you squeeze her neck. You’re driven by her brief struggle to pound her harder, polluting the bathroom with the stench of sex and a hint of fragrance. You kiss behind her ear as praise, though you demean her through your hands as they commit sin. With one focused on her neck, your other hand slips between her thighs. You stroke her pulsing clit and she promptly clutches the counter with a cry.

“Right there, huh?,” you smirk.

“Yes,” she breathes. “Yes, please.”

You only have so much coordination when you’re also that close. Nonetheless, you work through it for her. She trembles and thrashes, but you reinforce your grip on her and stroke her clit in tandem with your sloppy thrusts. You ignore the ache in your wrist and bask in the moment she squirts all over you. You hear her arousal spilling onto the floor, but you don’t stop.

You can’t.

When you let go of her, she slumps over the counter heaving and gasping for air. Though you let her catch her breath, her walls squeeze your cock in random tangents. You try to hold back from her recovery but you’re in desperate need of release too. 

The silence is broken once again by her cries and the sloppy squelching of your cock pounding her overly sensitive cunt. With your hands secured on her hips, you resume your pace and watch yourself ruin her pretty little pussy. You force your way through the resistance of her walls, groaning as she takes you that much closer to orgasm.

She shudders as you unload inside her. Isolated thrusts push your cum in deeper, and she’s greedy for every last bit of it. 

The post-coital clarity eventually settles in and you realize you’d done the impossible: hooking up with a kpop idol.

How can someone still look so pretty after being thoroughly fucked?

You pull away and straighten yourself up. Yizhou does the same, tucking her panties back in place, but her refresh takes more effort than yours. She has just minutes to do so, however, as the show is about to start. But all your eyes can focus on is her thighs because she’s holding your cum inside her.

That alone makes you hard again.

She notices your gaze through the mirror and looks at you over her shoulder with a cheeky smile. “It will be okay.”

For her? Who knows.

For you? … Who knows either.

[sensiblereblogifposts]

A while ago, I posted a petition, to stop the closing of a much loved museum, Syndeys Powerhouse museum, a place that's been under threat for years.

I need your help with this once again, (especially if you are an Aussie)

After years of threatening to close down and demolish our only science, tech and applied arts museum, and one attempt to turn it into an events center, they've come back with another plan, which basically amounts to "we're going to clear out the museum and demolish most of the structures inside. We definitely have a plan to put some cool stuff back, but we can't tell you it, but it's definitely gonna be great. Don't mind that a bunch of purpose built structures to display delicate objects are set to be demolished."

(That's an F1 Apollo rocket engine, very rare outside the USA. Almost 60 years old, now delicate, but it's going.)

"We've garunteed 3 of the most iconic items (not their accompanying collections) will come back. Pay no mind that we haven't allowed for where they're gonna go, or that the one object we can't move (rare, 250 year old working Boulton and Watts steam engine) is set to end up inside a corridor)

(There used to be room, elevated planforms even)

"Oh, also, you know that museum storage hall, so close by and practical, with a loading dock and workshops, that's also sitting on prime real estate? We're building a second loading dock and workshops in the main museum! Right where the all classrooms where!"

It's supposedly a heritage restoration, but in truth, it's based of a skewed heritage report which has been heavily criticised as I'll informed, and rigged to allow the place's removal.

Almost every detail goes against the spirit of the original musuem. The orginal museum was a fun, post modern place with a sciencey vibe,

Which transitioned fluidly into historic halls, with historic products and technology to match

The Musuem has an upper entrance designed to be welcoming, full of natural light, and evoke the feel of an old grand train station. This is to be bricked up.

Rather than restore the older galleries, theyre taking several of them out reducing display space from about 15,000m²ish to about 6000m² ish.

The historic halls included restored generator room filler with steam engines. This really put the museum on the map.

But that's going.

All that is going, in favour of

This kind of thing.

The plan to do this is on display untill end of may May 30th, Aussie time. It would help a lot if you (might be only Australians) log on and make a short comment opposing the project:

A lot more commentary on the project can be found at:

@protecpowerhous on Twitter

Or if you cant make a submission, and still haven't, please sign that petition:

The people reporting to government planning will be see it, and attention helps.

[skyloftian-nutcase]

For the prompt event, if I’m not too late…?

Healthcare Legend and some whump? Idk exactly how that would work but if that’s not something you can work with, just regular Legend whump, if that’s okay.

Thank you very much for considering!

Gritting his teeth, Legend pushed himself to get up. His knuckles were bleeding from where he’d been desperately scrabbling for purchase as he’d fallen down the small, rocky cliffside. His hip was killing him from where he’d landed on it, and his world was still spinning a little.

That didn’t matter. He had to find the others and warn them. He had to make sure the monster horde didn’t catch them unawares as it had him.

They’d split up to do reconnaissance. Legend had originally had the option to go with Wild, but after having explored with him before, he’d declined, going alone.

It was a stupid move. He knew that. He knew that. But he’d wanted to stay on the trail while Wild was going to wander off, and instead of arguing with him, he’d let the champion and the traveler scamper away into the woods, giggling as they went.

But now they could be in danger.

It started to drizzle, the cold rain pelting against him. It felt like tiny needles digging into his skin, intensifying every ache.

Get up. You can’t let them get to the others.

If the monsters got to Hyrule and Wild, it would be a disaster. The two were powerhouses in their own right, but they were uncoordinated as a pair. Legend didn’t usually step in to lead the group, but he’d seen how strategy would quickly fall apart the instant something went wrong. Hyrule and Wild were among the worst offenders.

Legend took a step forward, grabbing his hookshot, and fired it at the vines at the top of the cliff. He had his sword at the ready as it pulled him, feeling his shoulder scream in protest at the sudden jerking motion. He’d long since learned to brace against it, but falling down that cliff seemed to have aggravated the area.

An aeralfos noticed his approach, charging towards him as he flew upward. He didn’t exactly have any maneuvering ability while his item pulled him to the top, but he managed to use his moment to drive the sword towards his enemy, slicing at its throat as it hissed and tried to claw at him.

The black blooded creature fell to the ground, injured but not defeated (if it hadn’t been cursed it would have been eliminated - this blasted shadow monster had to make everything so stupidly difficult), giving Legend a moment to catch his breath and drive his tempered blade into its chest. It twitched a little under the blade before growing still.

Legend nearly fell backwards when he removed his blade, completely off balance and dizzy. He shook his head, blinking water out of his eyes again.

It was just water, right?

He scrounged through his pouch, hoping to find a potion. Instead, he just found magic elixirs. He rolled his eyes. Typical. He’d forgotten he’d given his last potion to Four. How could he have been so careless, wandering off his own without the proper equipment?

Some veteran of the hero business I am, he grumbled as he trudged forward.

Whatever. They all had off days. He wasn’t going to let this one lead to the others getting hurt.

Legend marched ahead, sword at the ready, eyes alert for the other monsters that he hadn’t yet eliminated. They couldn’t have gotten too far.

That assumption turned to utter bewilderment as he continued to move onward. He wandered into a clearing in the forest with a burnt out husk of a building in its center. He… didn’t remember this. But he hadn’t wandered off the road, either.

When had he wandered off the road? He’d been tracking the beasts, had they come through here?

Legend shook his head a third time. Was it still raining? His face was wet.

Movement caught his attention, and he crouched down, hiding behind a half destroyed foundation. He saw a few bokoblins ahead, and he realized he’d finally caught up.

He remembered there being more monsters than he saw. He could handle three bokoblins and a few keese. And with swift work and expedient use of his varying weapons, he wiped them out quickly.

It was strange, how relieving that was. It was so relieving, in fact, that he promptly fell over.

“Ow,” he grumbled irritably, trying to push himself sit up again, noticing that his knuckles had at least scabbed over from their earlier cuts.

Again, Legend dug through his pouch, wondering if he really didn’t have a single potion to spare. This was dumb. This was so unbelievably dumb.

Groaning, he let himself collapse on the rocky ground. Fine. He’d just lay here. Whatever. The battle was over anyway.

The sky was glowing golden, like embers of a dying fire, heralding the coming night. Legend scrunched his face in annoyance at it. He’d rather just lay here and die than let anyone find him in this state, but he knew they’d start looking if he didn’t make his way back to camp.

The only problem was, he had no idea where he was. He wished desperately for a bloody map.

It was amazingly frustrating, how he could be so experienced in these journeys yet he could still find himself in such a predicament. It wasn’t like he hadn’t been doing this since he was a kid.

Thunder rumbled in the distance, and adrenaline shot through his entire body, jolting him into alertness.

His mind immediately started trying to rationalize that he was okay, despite his automatic reaction to the storm. You’re not at sea. Relax.

He was in the middle of a clearing, though. Exposed.

Legend immediately sprang to his feet, stumbling towards the trees, and promptly fell on his face as soon as he got some cover.

Okay, something was definitely wrong with his head. And his hip was still killing him.

Legend suddenly felt entirely alone. He felt so utterly alone in a place that was completely foreign. It was a disturbing feeling, and far, far too familiar.

He’d always traveled alone. He’d make friends along the way, but inevitably, he adventured by himself. And that was fine. So why did he feel…

He sighed heavily, rolling so that he was on his back, hissing as his hip protested the maneuver.

He missed Zelda.

He missed his uncle.

He missed his fellow heroes, his friends.

He was going to die here alone, wasn’t he?

He couldn’t die here. He had a mission to accomplish, and he’d never let anyone down.

But there were eight other heroes who could do the job jus as well, weren’t there?

Pff. Hmph. Do it just as well. Whether they can do it or not isn’t the point. I set out on this quest myself.

The rain started up again, heavier than before, soaking him to the bone. He shivered, and the tremors turned to outright twitches whenever lightning tore across the sky.

The noise was overwhelming and deafening, and Legend suddenly wished he was laying face down again. He closed his eyes, trying to ignore the flash of light behind his eyelids every time thunder roared.

When a warm hand touched his forehead, he nearly jumped out of his skin.

“Hey, easy! It’s just me.”

The voice was familiar, the subtlest hint of a twang, like a rabbit poking its head out of tall grass.

The Hero of Twilight.

Legend felt an insane amount of both shame and relief. Of all the others to find him, at least it was Twilight.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Warriors as well, and his cheeks immediately flushed.

Shooting to his feet, he nearly headbutted the captain by accident as he insisted, “I’m fine, I was just resting a moment.”

“Right,” Warriors drawled, completely unconvinced. “Veteran, you’re bleeding. Just sit down and let us help you out.”

“It’s okay,” Twilight assured him, ghosting a hand over his back, knowing Legend didn’t particularly care for physical contact all that much.

The veteran hero looked between the two, soaked and freezing and in pain, and he relented, easing back down to the ground with Twilight’s help.

“What happened?” Twilight asked gently while Warriors looked for a potion in his own stash.

“Monsters,” Legend replied dully, not quite wanting to admit that he’d wandered off alone. “I… didn’t want them to find the others. Or you guys. Or anybody.”

Warriors and Twilight exchanged a look, and it appeared that the captain was gearing up for some kind of speech when Twilight interrupted his attempt, putting a reassuring hand on Legend’s shoulder. “We’ve got it from here, okay?”

“They’re gone,” Legend said. “I took care of it.”

A proud smile crossed the captain’s face, and he helped Twilight sit Legend up as he held a potion. “I’m always impressed with your ability to fight. It’s definitely clear that you’re the veteran among us.”

Legend swallowed, feeling strange about the compliment coming from another Hero, especially from a knight. He felt unbelievably vulnerable and small in this storm.

Twilight pulled off his pelt, wrapping it around Legend’s shoulders, while Warriors held the potion to his face. The veteran tried to huff in protest, but it petered out of him before he could even try. Instead, he leaned more into their support, feeling the warmth of the wolf pelt, and wordlessly let Warriors help him drink the potion.

Even with its bitter taste, with the warmth of its magic flowing through his veins, he felt utterly spent. The world was no longer spinning, though, and he shriveled into himself as he was made even more aware of his pathetic state.

“Little better?” The captain asked, his tone surprisingly gentle.

“Yeah,” Legend mumbled, cheeks flushing. “Thanks.”

Twilight smiled warmly, wrapping the pelt around him a little more. “Let’s head to camp, then.”

Legend tried to protest the coddling, moved his shoulders a little to get the pelt off him, but it was so blasted warm, and…

The elder heroes took either hand, helping him stand, and though he didn’t wobble and tremble as he had been, he let them guide him along.

He was having an off day anyway. He… might as well just… let them help him.

He didn’t always have to be alone, after all.

[microwave-core]

Lifeline

Cynthia x Fem! Reader

You’ve had a crush on your dear childhood friend Cynthia for as long as you can remember. Facing against each other as champions reminds you of that fact.

SO, I know the Masters 8 thing from the anime was a part of gen 8, but I’ve decided to make reader a champion in Paldea, kind of representing the region on Geeta’s behalf, in place of Alain. Lumiose Conference or whatever my ass. 

Looking back, you were always meek as a child. A little shy, a little nervous when talking or the center of attention, a little shaky when issuing your pokemon commands. Not that it mattered, not when you always had your dear Cynthia to rely on. The young girl you had met in your mutual, sleepy home of Celestic Town. 

Maybe she wasn’t as good as you remember her being at the time, not with her current level of strength, but as kids she always seemed so, so… confident. Unstoppable. And maybe that really is just your nostalgic, crush-induced rose-tinted glasses talking, but that’s how you saw her.

You always believed she could be champion. More than that. Perhaps even the best in the world. Something other’s didn’t believe at the time. Who would have thought that some spunky ten year old from a backwater town and nothing but a bumbling Gible at her side would become such an unbelievable powerhouse?

But you knew, even way back when. Even before either of you had your first pokemon, you knew she was destined for something great. Not just because of some implicit skill or natural born talent, but because of her unrelenting determination and resolve. A feeling that only solidified in the depths of your heart the day she ran up to you, announcing the hatching of the egg she was entrusted with. 

You had begun your journeys side by side, vowing to journey across the region, collecting gym badges, and becoming champions together. And yeah, maybe there can only be one champion of the region, but neither of you cared about that. You were young, full of joy and excitement and energy. Gible by her side, Swablu by your own.

It was apparent to everyone that she was stronger than you. Her team and battle prowess were higher, her confidence soaring high above your own. Not that you cared. Well, okay, that’s a lie. It did bother you a little, admittedly, but in the way that spurred you on to be stronger. Be better. The kind that made you work towards her in the race to the finish line. You weren’t a sore loser, she wasn’t a sore winner, you both worked to make the other stronger.

But by the time you both managed to collect each and every one of Sinnoh’s gym badges, your interest in becoming the region’s champion waned. Not that you didn’t want to try, but because you knew that, even if you did try you would surely lose to Cynthia. Her radiant confidence, her cool and collected nature, her dazzling smile… 

Yes, you had feelings for her. Major ones at that. Ones that obviously stemmed all the way back to your childhood. It was apparent to everyone in your old hometown. The way you followed behind her like a lost Shinx, the way that you were hooked on her every word, the way heat crawled up your face and traveled through every inch of your body whenever she smiled or laughed or did… much of anything, honestly. 

As kids, though, neither of you cared all that much. Romance and kissing were icky to you both, things that adults did that you would stick your tongues out at. That didn’t stop your parents from teasing you about getting married to her one day, or her grandmother from jokingly calling you her granddaughter-in-law.

When you went on a journey together, those feelings only grew stronger. You wanted so desperately to hold her hand, to huddle together for warmth when camping out under the stars, to kiss her softly and all of that other mushy stuff you once found gross. If kissing her would give you cooties, you would embrace them with open arms.

You knew it was obvious, or maybe it wasn’t. Maybe it felt like it was due to everyone at home knowing. Regardless, you felt hopeless. Did Cynthia feel the same? Did she catch on to the feelings you’ve harbored since you were kids and was just too nice to say anything about it? Was she too dense to notice? Did she even care about romance? You didn’t know. You didn’t want to find out. You’d rather keep her as a friend than ruin things when confessing.

Pinning for her was enough for you. 

Unfortunately, some time after your journey for badges concluded, you had to deliver to her awful news. Your family was moving to another region, to Paldea, to a place where she wouldn’t be with you. You stewed on telling her for a few days. Even if she didn’t share your feelings, you were still her friend, her best friend. Losing you was going to hurt. Your Altaria, who had long since evolved from the small, clumsy Swablu you once knew, was there for comfort, at least. 

Cynthia quickly noticed something was up, you told each other everything (most things, anyways), and she could tell something was weighing on your mind. And, as expected, she was devastated upon learning the news.

The last day in Sinnoh, the two of you spent together. Going on a trip down memory lane, visiting your favorite spots, returning the places you caught each of your pokemon… She hugged you tightly at the end of the day, whispering softly into your hair about how much she would miss you. You wanted desperately for her to confess some feelings, to reveal that she too was so desperately in love, but it never came. You left early the next morning, sharing one last hug, her vowing to get even stronger and become champion, just for you.

Letters were sent back and forth, turning into texts and calls as you got older. Even if it wasn’t in person, you still talked and chatted and told each other as much as you could. It wasn’t the same, but it was something, enough to keep her in your life. Enough to keep the flame in your heart alive. 

That’s why you went out on another journey, determined to collect another set of badges, to become the champion, and to stand on even footing with her. Your resolve was only bolded when you watched her become the new champion of Sinnoh. From behind the TV screen, of course. Her and that Garchomp, the sweet yet mighty dragon you watched grow stronger and stronger each day alongside her beautiful and capable trainer…

Unlike other regions, there was no tournament for the top spot, instead having a title, a class, just for people capable of defeating Paldea’s strongest. La Primera gave you lots of trouble, but your team was strong, much stronger than when you first arrived in the region, and you couldn’t back down from the challenge. If you lost to her, how could you ever beat your Cynthia?

The phone call you had after the fight with her was one of the most exciting calls you’ve ever had, loudly and happily proclaiming your victory, and she couldn’t be more happy for you. Even if you weren’t on her level at the time, Cynthia knew you were strong as well, and she believed in you just as much as you did in her. If being champion didn’t keep her so busy, she would have been here with you, to celebrate your accomplishment in person..

So when she heard you would be in the Masters 8 tournament to represent your new home, she knew she had to be there. To see you in person for the first time in years. To see just how strong you had become. And, right now, staring at you from across the field, tension high and adrenaline higher, the wait to see you was worth it.

“You’ve changed so much since we’ve last seen each other… but I have no intention of losing here.”

God, even her voice alone was enough to make your heart want to explode.

For you, the current moment was exciting and also terrifying. You had longed for this kind of moment for years, For over a decade at this point, and it was finally happening. A chance to show the woman you’ve pinned for for years just how strong you could be. Your fights with Steven and Iris before were incredible challenges of strength and skill, but neither had such intense feelings on the line.

“I, uh. I don’t intend on losing either!”

Not your finest moment. Not very cool sounding. You couldn’t care less about the hundreds of thousands of people watching, the idea of looking uncool in front of Cynthia made your nerves spike, but the angelic, albeit small laugh that fell from her lips as a result of your words might have made it worth it-

No. no time to think like that. You couldn’t be distracted by her marvelous presence when so much was on the line.

And so, you both exchanged words as your pokemon began exchanging blows, praising each other’s strategies and throwing in bits and pieces of trash talk to please the crowd every now and then. Not that pleasing the crowd was even on your mind, not much was, honestly. You were so focused on the battle and Cynthia that your mind circled around to being filled with white noise.

In the end, it was mutual destruction. You were both left with your last pokemon, both left with your starters, with no gimmicks at your disposal. Her Garchomp and your Altaria clashed against one another, each move kicking up dust and debris from the battlefield, until the two rammed into each other with the remainder of their energy.

Both of them were done for, but Altaria fell before Garchomp, who followed almost immediately after. A photo finish, a battle that came right down to the wire. A battle that proved you were evenly matched. Coming this far only to lose hurt, sure, but knowing that you were as strong as Cynthia filled that wound and more.

The blaring noise of the commentators and crowd were a blur for you, and likely Cynthia, too. You had knelt down next to your fallen companion, thanking her for all of her work, praising her for pushing it to the limit, and returning her to her ball for a well deserved rest. Cynthia was right in front of you when you looked up, smiling and extending a hand.

Your breath hitches as she pulls you back up on your feet, the feeling of her lovely soft hand making your tired mind nearly short circuit. Unfortunately, she retracts her hand, only to place it on the back of your shoulder, leading you both off of the battlefield into the privacy of the hall between the public eye and back rooms.

“You were incredible out there.”

Her tone is gentle, and probably would have been quieter if it weren’t for the echoes of the roaring crowd from outside.

“Me? Oh, you were the real star! You… you won, after all!”

“You’ve always been too modest. You drove me against the wall back there, not to mention the other trainers you championed over before me.”

You scratch the back of your neck, stumbling through your words, mumbling out a quick thanks. Embarrassed, but oh so warm on the inside. A silence came over you both, not an uncomfortable one, per say, but one underlined with tension, as if neither of you knew what to say. Unsure of where to start.

“You know, it’s been so long since we’ve seen each other. There’s a cafe around here that we could go to-”

“I’m in love with you.”

The words barrel out of your mouth before you could stop them. The pounding in your chest was too intense to ignore. Years of built up feelings finally boiling up to the surface.

“I’m… come again?”

Her cheeks were painted an adorable baby pink, for once in her life unsure of what to say. 

“I… I love you. I think I always have, and I just… I don’t think I can stand it anymore. Knowing that I’ve finally caught up to you, that I could almost beat you back there, it… I just can’t hold back anymore”

You shut your eyes tightly. Even if her expression was so lovely and perfect and one you wanted to burn into your eyes to cherish for forever and ever, you couldn’t bear to see it potentially distort into rejection. The constant thump thump thump of your heart was deafening, filling your ears, overtaking the sounds of the cheering crowd, of the outside world. Her hand on your shoulder tightens slightly as she utters out your name, the syllables falling off her slips sounding like the sweetest song in your mind.

“I’m… I’m flattered.”

“You don’t have to soften the b-blow. Just say you don’t feel the same if you have toI… we can still be friends.”

Your shoulders slump ever so slightly, trying your absolute hardest to keep yourself together.

“That’s not it.”

“It… it’s not?”

Opening your eyes, you see the sickeningly sweet smile on her face, eyes pooling with warmth and crinkling. So sweet and genuine.

“You’ve worked so hard to get here today, I don’t need you to tell me to know. I’ve always known you were strong, seeing you so full of confidence was so wonderful, so…”

“So..?”

“Attractive.”

“Oh! Um, haha… That means a lot. From you.”

Your string of babbling is cute off by her laugh, soft hand leaving your shoulder and instead landing on your cheek, caressing it softly.

“How about we just take things slow for now, alright? Go out once all of the celebration ends and see how things go?”

“That… I’d love that. A lot.”

“Perfect. Oh, I just know you’ll love the place I have in mind. It has some of the best ice cream I’ve had in my whole life. You can get as much as you want, my treat.”

“It’s a date then! A.. a date.”

You can’t help the giddy smile on your face, or the fit of giggles bubbling in your chest, or the way your mind runs in circles because you’re getting the chance to be with the woman who’s been on your mind since you were a child. Her own smile brightens even further, patting your cheek before once again taking your hand in hers, walking through the rest of the hall.

“My heart has been desperate to claw its way out of my chest to engrave itself next to your own for years.”

“Hmm? I didn’t quite catch that.” “Oh, it’s, uh… nothing. Nothing at all.”

You can take it slow for now. Keep all of the feelings and thoughts in your heart contained for just  a little bit longer, knowing that you could bare your soul for her to see in full one day. For now, a simple date was all you could ever ask for.

[sufferu]

Damn, I saw one (and some) of your and I really wanna know. It feels like you really dislike Priscilla lmao. (With her accepting fate and all)

I wanna hear your detailed response, may I?

Sure, alright.

Okay, so — I want to start off by saying that my analysis of her as an embodiment of fate isn’t actually connected to any sort of personal sense of like/dislike that I might have of her (that would be a terrible way to do character analysis lmao). It’s that — the more you look at the scenes she’s in with that lens in mind, the more obvious that symbolism becomes. Her first meeting and gamble for the appas with Subaru in that alley in Arc 3 is blatant foreshadowing for Subaru’s fight against fate in the rest of the arc, for example, with him losing every round of rock-paper-scissors due to the world turning in her favor right up to the point where he finally wins by being clever and breaking the rules a little. Her relationship with him, too, resembles that of his with fate: she only favors him when he fights back. Her relationship with basically everyone in the cast is like this, actually. Priscilla and fate only begin to smile on Emilia when she starts standing on her own two feet instead of shying away due to her insecurities, they both beat Heinkel into the goddamn dirt, they both lead Aldebaran around by the nose due to him being a Stargazer — hell, the whole Arc 5 scene where she just shows up and challenges every other Royal Candidate gets a whole new level with this framework, with every other candidate explicitly resolving to rise to HER challenge, specifically. Which makes even more sense when you realize that they’re all challenging fate in some way (Crusch and Gluttony, Anastasia and her terminal illness, Felt and her defying her fate as a street rat, Emilia and Subaru and all their bullshit). I could go on, but my main point is that interpreting Priscilla as a symbol of fate makes all of her scenes MORE interesting, not less — and also that there’s too much here for it to be a coincidence.

As for my personal opinion of her character…it’s not so much that I dislike HER as that I dislike the interpretation of her as a moral center.

Priscilla works best as a villain. On a Doylist level, her whole character is being arrogantly self-assured that she is in the right at all times. If she were supposed to ACTUALLY be in the right all the time, then that would make her absolutely infuriating to listen to, because it would arguably turn her into nothing more than a mouthpiece for the author. I’d even go as far as to say that it would…arguably basically turn her into the most annoying example of a Mary Sue. BUT, giving her a perspective that is off-center from that of the narrative — while still allowing for her to maintain her dignity, right up to the very end — that makes her SO much more interesting. She turns from just “the person who says the correct thing all the time” to this very multifaceted, self-contained juggernaut of a character with her own very unique perspective and ideology separate from the narrative as a whole, and that makes her stand out as an actual powerhouse within the meta of the story. And her perspective IS off-center. Priscilla may value integrity and being true to oneself, just as the story does, but she also values the use of the ultimate sacrifice in favor of one’s goals, and heroism, and all the things that Subaru COULD accomplish through Return By Death that he absolutely should not attempt. And that is very, very pointed and purposeful.

And on a more Watsonian level — Priscilla is just a horrible person. Like, she’s not someone who goes around kicking puppies or anything, and she has some genuine moments of kindness, but she’s also got moments where she’s completely unapologetically horrible. She murders Aldebaran regularly. She almost slaughters Heinkel on the spot due to his accidentally shaming her with his poor behavior (Heinkel was in the wrong but that would absolutely have been an overreaction). Her response to Subaru in that failed Arc 3 loop was absolutely nasty and vindictive in a manner that was genuinely overblown, especially because she wasn’t just abandoning HIM, but also abandoning everyone in Irlam just to SPITE him. And again, it’s not like this is all there is to her — she’s got her moments — but like, you can’t ignore All That. Because there is a lot.

And I think ignoring it would do her a disservice, frankly, because it’s part of what makes her so fascinating. Tappei said in an interview once that she was “born complete,” and how I interpret that is that she has had this ideology and self-assuredness of hers basically from birth, has never had any reason or willingness to change, and eventually passed adhering to her own sense of morality and integrity down to her final breath. Priscilla isn’t a character that works if you try to reduce her to being “good” or “bad,” because above all else she is unapologetic about being herself, and so the point is not to judge her but to just…let yourself see everything that she is. —But then again, that’s also how Tappei writes all of the monsters in his story. Rowan, Cecilus, Elsa, Arakiya — all of the monsters are people who will absolutely never change, to the point where the narrative doesn’t even try to make them do so. And in Priscilla’s case, this isn’t even really a condemnation: it’s more…the story allowing her to maintain her dignity right up through the very end.

Anyways — I guess my point here is that Priscilla is genuinely a very fascinating character, but trying to interpret her as a Good Person (or worse, a moral center) shaves off a lot of what makes her so interesting just by design. Also her ideological framework is actively antithetical to a lot of what Re:Zero is about and I think that trying to ignore that misses the point of what her place in the story is there to accomplish.

[imthepunchlord]

YoU know I just realized there is one set of colors that appear a lot in character color coding, and those colors are red, yellow, green, blue, and pink. What do you think of this color combination and why do you think it appears so often in media?

My guess would be that, primarily for children, those are the most iconic colors and the easiest way to given a sense of what the team is like.

Red is often the leader because they're driven and passionate and maybe a bit hothead. Often always involved in fights so they get to be the center stage.

Yellow is a color of positivity and warmth and being happy, which it shares with orange, so this is someone you can rely on to be vibrant and energetic and silly. Yellow is also a color of intellect and brilliance, so they can be the brains of the team, but usually they're more known to be bright and take on the silly role.

Green is a color tied to being grounded, and because they are stable, they're usually the most logical and reasonable one, often defaulting to being the brains/tech person.

Alternatively, green can also extend to someone being a powerhouse and be the strong man of the group because they are so rooted and it's not easy to push them around. It may even play a part into the Smart and Strong characters often paired together, given the duality of green and the role it can play on a team.

Blue is a color tied to confidence, loyalty, and friendship. Often, they're the cool contrast to red, pushing back against them when they want to charge in. Typically the most ride or die of the group and could rival pink in being the heart of the group.

Blue is also a color tied to sadness and being cold, and that can work off the loner trope, that one character who is reluctant to join the group but ultimately will.

And in recent years, working off confidence, blue has also been tied to being the joker, the wisecrack, and team troublemaker. Blue also, in recent years, has been on the rise for leader role, now rivaling red a bit for it.

And lastly pink, which often defaults to the "girl" character, cause apparently it's the only color to be tied with a gender (and in present day, yeah there are people out there who do frown upon the idea of pink not being girl exclusive). By default, pink is meant to be the "heart", the glue that holds the team together as it works off it's the woman who keeps the household running, and typically they're the default love interest and are regarded as the "softest" character of the team. And thankfully, there is more push back to spice it up, where pink doesn't mean soft/weak and, if anything, the pink can be a surprise powerhouse.

So, that would be my guess. For children's media, those 5 colors easily define and shape a team, but there's a lot of flexibility they can do for those colors. A lot of these themes tied to these colors actually pop up so much that they make up the 5 Man Band very easily.

And the two excluded colors, orange and purple, well what they can do theme wise can go elsewhere.

Orange is often warm and spontaneous, well, that can go to yellow and red.

Purple is often tied to leadership, which goes to red and blue, and it's a color of mystery, which also applies to blue.

So that's my guess on why these specific colors pop up most in media.

[whencyclopedia]

Caesarea Maritima's Role in the Mediterranean Trade

Caesarea Maritima was located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Built from the ground up in 22-10 BCE by Rome's client king, Herod the Great (r. 37-4 BCE), its location in relation to ship traffic and proximity to historical trade routes indicates a purposeful plan to capture income, making Caesarea a commercial gateway to the West.

Roman Harbor Scene

Carole Raddato (CC BY-SA)

Major Players

The context for Caesarea's existence lies in Rome's rivalry with Parthia: Rome's ablest competitor. With the defeat at the Battle of Carrhae, 53 BCE, and retreat from Media in 36 BCE, the failure to take Parthia's lucrative northern silk routes through Mesopotamia caused Rome to sue for peace in 20 BCE. As a result, Rome's efforts to round out its dominance in the Mediterranean Sea and the Near East took on a commercial tone. In an attempt to control the lucrative southern east/west trade routes through Arabia and the Red Sea, Caesarea would serve as the springboard. As a key hub in the Eastern trade network of ancient Rome, Caesarea's connections to major players in the early centuries of the first millennium would include Gaza, Petra, Sidon, Tyre, Alexandria, and consumer cities like Bostra. Further afield were the commercial centers of Antioch and Patara.

As a major commercial center in the northern areas of the Mediterranean, Antioch benefited from its location at the western terminus of the Silk Road of Mesopotamia. Besides being a major center of wine and olive oil production and the fulling of cloth products, Antioch played a major role in the distribution of silk from China, lapis lazuli from ancient Afghanistan, dye-works from the Levant, and weaved silk from Damascus.

West of Antioch, on the southern coast of Anatolia (modern-day Turkey), was the coastal city of Patara, providing export service. As evidence for the traditional production of agricultural goods and animal husbandry in Anatolia reaches back to the first centuries of the 2nd millennium BCE, the production of Anatolian copper, gold, silver, iron, and lead was documented by Pliny and Strabo. As James Muhly adds:

Anatolia is a land blessed with abundant natural resources, including a wealth of mineral deposits and abundant forests, the two elements necessary for a major metal industry. Recent calculations provide the following figures: 415 major copper-rich zones, more than 136 complex lead-zinc-copper ore deposits, and almost 200 silver-lead deposits, as well as numerous deposits of gold, zinc, antimony, arsenic, and iron. (858-59)

Modern surveys also confirm that, from 3000 BCE to the Ottoman period, Anatolia was an important producer of copper and possibly tin, essential ingredients of bronze.

Then, sharing the eastern coast of the Mediterranean are the two Phoenician city-states of Sidon and Tyre. As Caesarea was built over the ruins of Straton's Tower - named after King Straton I (r. 365-352 BCE) of Sidon - Strabo reports it had its own "station for vessels" (16.2.27). With its location in the midst of shipping and trade routes north of Alexandria and 120 km between Gaza and Sidon, Straton's Tower reflects Sidon's scale of commercial influence. Once providing ships and goods for Persia, Sidon was also an important manufacturer of luxury goods such as glass, dyes, and embroidered garments. Just south of Sidon, the island of Tyre was also a commercial powerhouse. Besides its famous purple-dyed cloth, according to the biblical account in 1 Kings 7:13-45, Solomon sought help from Tyre to manufacture and furnish bronze finished products for the temple.

Roman Rule in the Levant, c. 200 CE

Simeon Netchev (CC BY-NC-ND)

Though their spheres of commercial influence were reduced with the control of the Phoenician coast by the Seleucid Empire (312-63 BCE), then by the Romans, Sidon, and Tyre would continue to play a part in the overall network of trade in the Eastern Mediterranean. Conversely, while Tyre and Sidon were known for their finished products, west of the Nile on the northern coast of Africa, Alexandria shipped goods from Egypt. Besides the bulk manufacturing and export of textiles and papyrus, with Rome as its main consumer, Egypt commonly shipped its oil and grain products aboard the famous Alexandrian ships. One such ship, the Isis, as described by Lucian, had a length of 55 meters (180 ft) and a beam of 14 meters (45 ft); with a cargo hold depth of 13.5 meters (44 ft), it could carry 1200 tons of product.

Finally, within Caesarea's direct orbit were the important cities of Gaza, Petra, and Bostra. Gaza served as a conduit to Western markets, receiving goods from Africa, Arabia, India, and Indonesia, the most lucrative of which would have been pepper and frankincense. Gaza was one of the first cities to come under Caesarea's direct control when Augustus (r. 31 BCE to 14 CE) granted it to Herod in 30 BCE. However, as the Nabateans of Petra were major traders and middlemen for goods coming from the East through Arabia and the Red Sea by way of their port Leuce, Roman interest in Gaza, Petra, and Red Sea connections would be fully realized when the Roman emperor Trajan (r. 98-117 CE) annexed the Nabatean Kingdom as the Provincia Arabia in 106 CE. In addition, important consumer cities within Caesarea's regional neighborhood would include Jerusalem, Samaria, and Bostra. For Rome – perhaps to cut out Nabatean middlemen – Bostra's commercial importance would be elevated when it later usurped Petra as the trading center of the region to become the Roman capital of Arabia, after which a road was quickly constructed to connect Bostra to the Red Sea.

Continue reading...

[talonabraxas]

“The seat of the soul is where the inner world and the outer world meet. Where they overlap, it is in every point of the overlap.” — Novalis 1772 – 1831 CE

Solar Temple Talon Abraxas

Tiphareth – Beauty

“The Sixth Path is called the Mediating Intelligence, because in it are multiplied the influxes of the Emanations; for it causes that influence to flow into all the reservoirs of the blessings with which they themselves are united.”

Spiritual Experience: Vision of the Harmony of Things. Mysteries of the Crucifixion.

To enter into Tiphareth is to enter into the realm of Limitless Light. It is the Limitless Light because this is the mind that realizes that all our motivations, all our goals should be aligned with the greater Truth we have found at Yesod. Tiphareth is essentially a more stable version of the experience at Yesod, and is a state of being that we need to work on and refine many times until it is perfected. Thus, Tiphareth is the natural completion of the realization at Yesod.

It is the mind with the unfailing determination to pursue the spiritual path. It is the Limitless Light for it will ever be dispelling the darkness, driving back the frontiers of delusion, and ever forging new ground for the journey. It is what is known in Buddhism as the “turning-about” or in the Bible as “metanoia” the Greek word that has been poorly translated as “repentance.” “Metanoia” actually means a transformation of our being, a transformation to one that is focused purely on the spiritual quest and not on worldly attainments.

Tiphareth is the Sephirah with the largest number of paths linked to it. It is the center of activity on the Tree of Life, and is the center of the Noble Eightfold Path. The paths radiate from it like the spokes of the wheel that symbolizes the Noble Eightfold Path, and the paths are depicted in exactly the correct clockwise sequence as outlined by the Buddha.

Tiphareth is also known as the Mediating Intelligence because here is the powerhouse, the engine room that will propel us forward, the place where the influxes of the Emanations, the realizations, are multiplied. The second line in the Yetziratic text passage tells us how this is done. The words “it causes that influence to flow into all the reservoirs of the blessings with which they themselves are united” is a description that the paths centered around Tiphareth take a circuitous route.

This primary circuit flows from Tiphareth to Chesed, then from Chesed to Geburah, and back again to Tiphareth. The blessings originate from Chesed, and flows to Tiphareth via Geburah. Tiphareth then causes this influence to flow back into Chesed and the cycle repeats. The circuit has to be traversed many times, each time refining further the spiritual qualities of Tiphareth until it is finally ready to take us up into the World of Yetzirah. When ready, it does this by opening two long paths that reaches upwards from Tiphareth to Chokmah and to Binah, the paths depicted, in the Noble Eightfold Path, as Right Intention and Right Meditation. In all of the paths linked to Tiphareth, Tiphareth plays the central role, the role of the Mediating Intelligence.

The primary circuit involving Tiphareth in Assiyah represents the first of the Three Principles of the Path in Tibetan Buddhism: the determination to be free. It is the determination to be free from the vicious cycle of suffering of unenlightened existence. It is thus the commitment to take the spiritual path, the will to climb as long as we see to climb, higher and higher, until our chains run out of length and fall away behind us. This then is the Limitless Light and is the process of unveiling the first of the three Veils of Negative Existence, Ain Sof Aur.

The Spiritual Path – 6

[scraftyisthebest]

You know, in the recent episodes of Horizons, both Liko and Roy had one of their Pokemon learn new moves. But what's really interesting is the kind of moves each one learned. So far Roy's Pokemon have been learning a lot of offensive moves, like Fuecoco learning Stomping Tantrum, Flamethrower, and now Disarming Voice, and him trying out a combo offensive attack with Fuecoco and Wattrel. In other words, he's all about power and offense. Liko's development has been comparatively slower as far as moves, but her Hatenna recently learned Heal Pulse, which is a move to heal other Pokemon. Notably, this is a move that is not only a supportive move, but one that works at its best in a team setting. Liko's Sprigatito hasn't learned anything yet but is naturally more skilled than Roy's Fuecoco and a notable thing it has going for it is that it uses Leafage to unleash its natural sweet scent to lull its opponents into an entranced state, letting their guard down.

Liko herself is notably very perceptive in battle and she's quite analytical and strategic. Roy is more headstrong and about attack and isn't as naturally skilled in battle as Liko is. But the throughline in what I pointed out above is that Liko's Pokemon seem to be gearing more towards a support/defensive battling style, while Roy has a more offensively oriented battle style intent on really dealing damage. I feel that individually, they have some shortcomings, but together their skillsets are developing in such a way where they complement each other, to a point where as a duo, they'll eventually be a powerhouse duo whose skillsets work in tandem with one another to really outsmart and overpower whatever's in front of them, and their already excellent chemistry as friends lends to the potential for incredible teamwork between the two of them.

In a sense it feels like their developments as Trainers really is designed to complement each other, so that they work best **together**. Their battle styles align with their personalities but their skillsets would work so well in tandem together that as a duo they would eventually grow to become unstoppable, able to overcome challenges as a team. Liko being a strong defensive/support backbone that Roy can lean on, while Roy is the heavy hitter between the two who really dishes out the dirt.

Their stories to begin with were always deeply intertwined with each other, which was hinted at when Roy's Poke Ball and Liko's pendant resonated with each other. Roy wants to become a strong battler who can challenge the Pokemon of legend like Rayquaza, though he lacks the talent and skill to be able to battle. Liko started out with no real goal, but eventually learned of Lucius thanks to Roy's Poke Ball revealing the Black Rayquaza and that her pendant was related, and now wants to understand the feelings of Pokemon. She is also more strategic and skilled, and the development of her Pokemon's skillsets so far while still just starting out is aligning with that too. Together, they will both be able to achieve their goals, Roy being able to go toe-to-toe with Rayquaza and other powerful Pokemon as a team with Liko, who can also eventually help Terapagos and its friends and whatnot and overcome the Explorers as a duo with Roy.

Teamwork will be what eventually allows Liko and Roy to overcome the Explorers in particular I feel, since that's also where the Explorers contrast them: unlike the RVT, the Explorers do not value teamwork and each admin is self-centered and they are constantly trying to one-up each other instead of working together (think Kakashi's first lesson to Team 7 in Naruto, for instance), which I think will be their downfall that will eventually allow Liko and Roy to, as a team, win against them.

Long ass neurodivergent ramble but just some thoughts haha.

[watchnrant]

Daisy Johnson: Marvel’s Hidden Powerhouse Deserves the Spotlight

Daisy Johnson, better known to some as Quake, is one of those Marvel characters who, despite being packed with potential, often flies under the radar. With her complex backstory and incredible abilities, Daisy stands out as a character who could easily take center stage in the Marvel Universe. Yet, despite her many contributions to various teams and storylines, she remains one of Marvel’s most underappreciated heroes.

The Origin of a Seismic Hero

Daisy Johnson’s story begins with her debut in Secret War #2 (2004). Born to the supervillain Mr. Hyde and a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, Daisy inherited more than just a complicated legacy — she developed seismic powers that allow her to generate powerful earthquakes. These abilities immediately set her apart, making her one of the most formidable characters in Marvel’s roster. But Daisy isn’t just another hero with an impressive skill set; she’s a trained S.H.I.E.L.D. operative, a force to be reckoned with in her own right.

Throughout the years, Daisy has proven herself time and time again. As part of the Secret Warriors, she worked directly under Nick Fury, handling threats that required the utmost discretion and skill. For instance, her leadership during the “Secret Warriors” storyline showcased her strategic mind and ability to navigate complex missions, yet these moments often didn’t get the spotlight they deserved. Similarly, her role in the “Avengers: Standoff!” storyline, where she played a crucial part in resolving the conflict, further cemented her status as a key player. However, despite these significant contributions, Daisy’s moments of glory have often been overshadowed in the broader Marvel narrative.

The Missed Opportunity in Marvel Comics

What’s frustrating about Daisy’s journey in the comics is how often she’s been pushed to the sidelines. Despite her vast potential, Daisy is often cast as a supporting character — a powerful ally who steps in during crises but rarely takes the spotlight. This is particularly disappointing when considering the rich narrative possibilities that come with a character like Daisy.

Her seismic abilities alone could easily be the focus of epic battles or catastrophic events. Imagine a storyline where Daisy’s powers are central to averting a global disaster — her seismic waves could be both the cause and solution, adding layers of moral complexity to her actions. Coupled with her experience as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, Daisy has everything needed to take on leadership roles in high-stakes missions that blur the lines between espionage and superheroics. Unfortunately, these opportunities are rarely explored, leaving Daisy in the shadow of more mainstream characters.

Learning from Marvel’s Success Stories

To understand how Daisy Johnson could transition from a supporting role to a leading one, it’s useful to look at other Marvel characters who have successfully made this leap. Take Carol Danvers, for instance. Originally introduced as Ms. Marvel, Carol underwent a significant evolution to become Captain Marvel, eventually rising to prominence as a symbol of strength and empowerment within the Marvel Universe. Her journey from a secondary character to a leading figure in both comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is a testament to what can happen when a character’s potential is fully realized.

Similarly, Natasha Romanoff, who started as a supporting character in Iron Man 2, grew into one of the Avengers’ central figures, both in the comics and films. Her story arc, filled with complexity and depth, transformed her into a beloved and central figure in the MCU. These examples illustrate that with the right narrative push, characters like Daisy Johnson can ascend from the background to become vital parts of the Marvel Universe.

A Star in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

The contrast between Daisy’s treatment in the comics and her portrayal in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) couldn’t be more stark. In Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Daisy, portrayed by Chloe Bennet, is not just a side character — she’s central to the show’s narrative. Viewers watch her evolution from a rebellious hacker named Skye into a powerful Inhuman leader, embracing her identity as Quake and becoming one of the MCU’s most formidable heroes.

The show succeeded where the comics have struggled: it recognized Daisy’s potential and gave her a fully developed character arc. She wasn’t just a member of the team — she often was the heart of it, driving the narrative forward with her growth and deepening connection to her powers. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. highlighted what makes Daisy special: her ability to balance her humanity with her extraordinary abilities, and her relentless determination to do what’s right, even when the odds are against her.

Exploring the Future: Where Could Daisy Go Next?

Looking forward, there are numerous ways Marvel could reintegrate Daisy into major storylines, giving her the spotlight she deserves. One possible direction could be to have Daisy lead a new iteration of the Secret Warriors, perhaps in response to a global crisis that requires her unique combination of intelligence, training, and seismic power. This would not only showcase her leadership abilities but also reconnect her with her roots as a S.H.I.E.L.D. operative.

Another intriguing possibility could be exploring the tension between her powers and her sense of responsibility. A storyline where Daisy is faced with a moral dilemma — using her powers at the risk of causing widespread destruction — could add layers of complexity to her character. Such a narrative could challenge her in new ways, forcing her to confront the limits of her abilities and the weight of her decisions.

Why Daisy Deserves More

Daisy Johnson has all the qualities that make for a great Marvel character: a compelling backstory, unique powers, and the potential for significant character development. Her journey from a troubled young woman with a mysterious past to a confident leader and hero is one that resonates with fans. She embodies the struggle between destiny and choice, power and responsibility, in a way that few other characters do.

It’s time for Marvel Comics to bring Daisy Johnson out of the shadows and into the spotlight she deserves. She should be leading major storylines, tackling threats that require her unique blend of intelligence, training, and raw power. There’s no reason why Daisy couldn’t be a central figure in the Marvel Universe, especially given her deep connections to S.H.I.E.L.D., the Inhumans, and the Avengers.

In a universe that’s constantly evolving, with new heroes rising to prominence, Daisy Johnson deserves to be at the forefront. Marvel has a hidden powerhouse in Quake, and it’s time they let her truly shake things up. By giving Daisy the attention she deserves, Marvel could unlock a treasure trove of untold stories, bringing new depth and excitement to their universe. The potential is there — Marvel just needs to unleash it.

FAQs

Who is Daisy Johnson, and what are her powers?

Daisy Johnson, also known as Quake, is a Marvel Comics character with the ability to generate seismic vibrations, effectively causing earthquakes. She is the daughter of the supervillain Mr. Hyde and a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, and she is a highly trained S.H.I.E.L.D. operative.

Why is Daisy Johnson considered underappreciated in the Marvel Universe?

Despite her significant powers and contributions to various teams, Daisy Johnson often plays a supporting role in the comics. She has not been given the same level of prominence or storytelling focus as other Marvel characters, leading her to be somewhat overlooked.

How is Daisy Johnson portrayed in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)?

In the MCU, Daisy Johnson is portrayed by Chloe Bennet in the television series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. Her character evolves from a hacker named Skye into a powerful Inhuman leader known as Quake, playing a central role throughout the series.

What potential storylines could elevate Daisy Johnson’s status in Marvel Comics?

Daisy could take the lead in a new Secret Warriors team, or she could be involved in storylines that explore the moral and physical implications of her seismic powers. These narratives would provide her with more opportunities to be a central figure.

How does Daisy Johnson compare to other Marvel characters like Carol Danvers?

Like Carol Danvers, who evolved from a secondary character into a leading superhero, Daisy Johnson has the potential to rise to prominence. Both have compelling backstories and unique powers, making them strong candidates for more significant roles in the Marvel Universe.

Why should Marvel Comics focus more on Daisy Johnson?

Daisy Johnson has a rich history, unique abilities, and the potential for deep character development. By giving her more attention, Marvel could explore new storylines and add depth to their universe, appealing to fans who enjoy complex and powerful heroes.

[romanceyourdemons]

with incisive visuals, powerhouse performances, and a keenly presented narrative, the substance (2024) functions as a feminist revisiting of the picture of dorian gray and the strange case of dr. jekyll and mr. hyde and their attendant eugenicist fears of the nascent presence of the troglodyte within the superior man. with stark and oppressive sets and framings homaging stanley kubrick, the flesh-centered cinematography and soundscaping of the younger cronenberg turning the everyday functionings of the body into body horror, and of course practical body horror effects that match the work of the elder cronenberg in his prime, this film’s visceral sensory overwhelm firmly denies the audience the reprieve stevenson and wilde indulge in by identifying the audience safely with an unaffected, untouchable, normal observer. instead, the audience of this film must identify with, must be the disintegrating, disgusting, self-destroying protagonist. the feared and despised troglodyte that this work centers around is not delineated on racial and socioeconomic lines like the troglodytes of dorian gray and jekyll and hyde—othered parties ostensibly escapable by getting oneself in with whiteness and then violently pulling up the latter behind oneself—but rather is delineated along the lines of age. she is the despised and discarded figure of the older woman, whom, no matter how loudly one performatively shuns her, each young woman will inevitably become. although of course the issues raised in this film are not novel questions, particularly not in regards to the entertainment industry around which the film centers, the immediate, engaging, crystal clear way in which it presents them hits like a countertop and cuts like a needle, from its two leads’ electrifying performances to its stunning effects and soundtrack to articulate intertextual engagement, including an ironic use of also sprach zarathustra that recalls both the appearance of the appearance of the “evolved” man through violence in 2001: a space odyssey (1968) and the rights and role of the “evolved” man as described by nietzsche. everything about the substance (2024) is stunning and overwhelming and as powerful as blunt force trauma, and i would highly, highly recommend it

[harmonyrae]

Power Couple

CHAPTER 6 - Burning Love

One more day. One more day until you meet with Sylus. It’s not that you’re nervous, but your stomach is definitely flipping every time you think about it. You flip through the pages of the contact in front of you, reviewing the changes before sending it to the client. You need their signature before tomorrow. While you’re just changing their delivery date to allow for Sylus’ search for his mystery protocore, you’re worried it will put more strain on the relationship you’ve fought to repair over this past month. 

“Boss?” Dorian’s voice is muffled behind your office door. 

“Come in!” Dorian turns the door knob gently and lets himself in. His expression tense as he approaches your desk.

“I’ve reviewed the blueprints for the house and my team has a plan and route ready if you give the signal.” His matter-of-fact tone is so different to his usual sarcastic demeanor. 

“Thank you. And the team knows what exactly?” You turn your gaze back to the contract.

“Contracted for security of a high-level client. They’re not asking any questions.”

“Good. I’ve finished the contract and I need it delivered as soon as possible.” Dorian approaches the desk and swipes the contract away. If it wasn’t clear that he was frustrated before, it is very clear now. 

“Okay, what? What is it?” You lean back in your chair and cross your legs. Dorian turns on his heel to face you.

“Why are you doing this? Working with Sylus? Meeting with him? Helping him? Having dinner with him? And why is that a part of the deal? It makes no sense and it sounds like…” You stop him in his tracks.

“Dorian, my deal with Sylus will keep the peace. It gives us time to plan. I know this deal won’t keep us safe forever, but it’ll be worth it. You trust me, right?” Dorian sighs.

“Of course I do. I just… I don’t understand why this is the play?” You stand and approach him. His bright green eyes stare down at you. 

“I have questions that only Sylus seems to have answers to. Or rather clues to help me find the answers. You know better than anyone that my evol has always been unstable and my heart’s always been at the center of things. Something about this mystery protocore, it might hold the answers I’ve been looking for for years. I am taking a shot in the dark and I am asking you to trust me and have my back. Now can I depend on you or not?” You try to make your tone harsh, but when it comes to Dorian, you can’t be angry with him long. 

“I have your back. I always have. I’m just…” He places his hands on your shoulders. “This is dangerous. Sylus is dangerous. He whisked you away from base so fast I… How the hell did he even do that?” You smile up at him.

“I intend to figure that out. Trust me.” 

Dorian drops his hands to his sides before looking at the contract in his hand. He looks up at you with renewed confidence.

“I’ll get this to Vivaca Protocores. Yanus will sign, I’ll make sure of it.” He turns to leave, but you grab his arm and pull him into a hug.

“It’ll be okay. I promise.” You try to reassure him. Dorian is reluctant to hug you back. He finally relents and hugs you tightly. 

You’ve known Dorian since you were a kid. He volunteered to help you run Himitsu, even take on the title of “boss” to keep you safe. He gathered intel, made connections and risked his neck countless times to give you the chance to make Himitsu a powerhouse in the zone. You’ve been terrified he will get hurt or targeted. But there’s nothing you can do, he’s as stubborn as an ox. You’ve learned to stop trying to convince him. But you’ll be damned if you let him refuse your hug.

Dorian pats your head, pulling you back to the present. You pull away and cross your arms before looking up at him. He gives you a weak smile.

“I trust you. Just be careful.” With that, he leaves your office with the contract. 

You curl up in your office chair and pull the burner phone Sylus gave you from your desk drawer. You only use this phone to talk to Sylus. You open up your recent messages.

(Sylus) Good morning, kitten.  (Sylus) Are we still on for Saturday? (You) Yes, we are.  (Sylus) Perfect.  (Sylus) Cabernet or Malbec? (You) What? (Sylus) Cabernet or Malbec? Or maybe Merlot? (Sylus) You strike me as a Merlot kind of woman.  (You) And how did you reach that conclusion? (Sylus) While you can certainly enjoy something bold and savory…(Sylus) You appreciate a bit of sweetness. Am I right? (You) Hmm… (Sylus) Or maybe you like something with a bite to it? (You) Why not both? (Sylus) I like the way you think, kitten. I’ll talk to you soon.

You put the phone back in the drawer and slam it shut. You hug your knees to your chest. You place a hand to your cheek and feel the flush. What are you? Twelve? Why are you letting this man fluster you like this? He probably didn’t even mean to be suggestive. No, he definitely did. You remember how he spoke to you when you first met. He was practically striping you with his eyes - not that you weren’t doing the same to him…Why are you even thinking about this right now? You have a business to run. 

And then you hear a low buzz and a muffled song starts playing.

Lord Almighty Feel my temperature rising

Your eyes widen and you scramble to search your desk for the source of the sound.

Higher an’ higher It’s burning through to my soul

Then it hits you. You fling the drawer open.

Girl, girl, girl, girl You gonna set me on fire

The burner phone is ringing. Sylus’ name lights up the screen. He set a custom fucking ringtone. And it’s ELVIS FUCKING PRESLEY?? You grab the phone and you don’t have a moment to think or take a breath before swiping to answer.

“Hello??” You can’t hide your breathless and frantic tone. A low rumbling laugh greets you.

“Everything alright kitten?” Sylus has certainly caught on to how flustered you are. 

“Yeah, everything’s peachy. It’s perfect. What do you need Sylus?” You pinch the bridge of your nose trying to ease the headache building behind your eyes.

“Really? Perfect? Interesting.” Your eyes widen as you realize how you said that.

“No, I just meant, it was a surprise. I didn’t expect… It doesn’t matter.” You clap a hand over your mouth to try to top your word vomit.

“No no, please continue. I’m curious what you thought of my song choice.” You can hear the smile in voice.

“Elvis Presley is great. An icon. Great, amazing. Are you going to answer me now?” Not that you wanted him to hang up, but you just… you were floundering and Sylus could hear it. You were sure your cheeks were the brightest shade of pink.

“I told you I’d call the day before. Well, it’s the 19th isn’t it? I’m checking in.”

“Ahh, right. Well, I’m fine and I’ll see you tomorrow.” You hang up, drop the phone in the drawer, slam it shut and press your palms onto your desk in a huff. This man. What is it about him that gets under your skin? You barely even know him. 

Ding

The muffled ding of the phone in your desk brings you back to reality. You open the drawer slowly and open your messages. Sylus sent you a picture. You hesitate before opening it. Holding your breath. The picture is of Sylus with a bottle of wine. Specifically, a vintage bottle of Le Macchiole Messorio, a premium red wine that you know costs a fortune. Along with the picture is a short message.

(Sylus) I’ve had this before. It can be intense, but you can handle it.

You slam the door shut again, swallowing hard. He looked so fucking good in that picture. Smug, like you expected, but well dressed and the light reflecting in his eyes. The wine choice, how he described it… You definitely feel your temperature rising.

Tag List (comment if you wanna be added!): @trishiepo0

Chapter 1: https://shorturl.at/Bx95C Chapter 2: https://shorturl.at/3PwTi Chapter 3: https://shorturl.at/a7xnF Chapter 4: https://shorturl.at/fKYgX Chapter 5: https://shorturl.at/7YtTh

[byneddiedingo]

25th Hour (Spike Lee, 2002)

Cast: Edward Norton, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Barry Pepper, Rosario Dawson, Brian Cox, Anna Paquin, Tony Siragusa. Screenplay: David Benioff, based on his novel. Cinematography: Rodrigo Prieto. Production design: James Chinlund. Film editing: Barry Alexander Brown. Music: Terence Blanchard. 

Spike Lee's 25th Hour is a "day in the life" movie, and a very good one. The day is the last one of freedom for Monty Brogan (Edward Norton) before he goes to prison for seven years. He spends it with his girlfriend, Naturelle (Rosario Dawson), his friends Jacob (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Frank (Barry Pepper), and his father (Brian Cox), and also makes a visit to the Russian mobsters who got him into the business of pushing drugs. It's also one of Lee's best films, less celebrated than Do the Right Thing (1982) or Malcolm X (1992), but worthy of being mentioned in their company. The only reservation I have about the movie is that Lee doesn't let his powerhouse cast bring their solidly written characters to life without indulging in a few distracting cinematic tricks. He and his longtime editor, Barry Alexander Brown, can't seem to resist techniques like freeze frames and moments in which the action is repeated from a different angle. There are showy montages and tour de force episodes, some of which work, like the "fuck you" episode in which the embittered Monty anathematizes almost every racial, social, and economic group in New York City. And the film ends with a beautifully realized sequence in which Monty's father proposes to help him escape and imagines the life he might live. But other episodes don't quite work, like the long take in which Jacob and Frank talk about their friendship with Monty, a scene that must have involved careful preparation on the part of Pepper and Hoffman, But it's staged in front of a window in Frank's apartment, which somewhat improbably overlooks Ground Zero, where crews are clearing away the rubble of the World Trade Center. I couldn't help being distracted by the scene outside the window instead of concentrating on their dialogue. Still, the movie, which was planned before the 9/11 attack and completed and released afterward, beautifully integrates that event into the theme and tone of the film, which deserves to find the audience it never quite did when it was released. 

[fairuzfan]

Can you help me break down my family's arguments? It's just that they're on Israel's side

And they say that Palestine deserves what is happening

Their arguments are:

"But Hamas started, taking people hostage, raping women and killing children. Israel is just fighting back. If someone did the same to you I would kill their family."

"But the hospitals on Palestine are Hamas' bases"

"But cutting off energy and telecommunications in Palestine is just to prevent Hamas from communicating"

"But Gaza is a place promised by God to the Israelites, Israel is taking what is rightfully theirs"

"But Hamas was trying to make an exchange between the lives of the hostages and Gaza with Israel and Israel did not accept it because Gaza is theirs, and Hamas should have released the hostages instead of exchanging their lives"

Hello, thanks for asking. I'm going to generalize these arguments a little more just to make it more widely applicable.

"Well Israel is just taking revenge/defending itself"

Well a couple things. Taking revenge is not an actual reason for people to attack other people. Just naturally, it's not a good ideology we should ever live by.

About claims that it's defending itself: Israel is a military powerhouse dropping TONS of bombs, I mean literal TONS. To say that anyone is defending someone with that level of ammunition and pure destruction, is just cruel. No one should experience that even in an equal footing type of war. Shouldn't we strive to protect people? Isn't it right to help others?

Now for your specific case, if they're arguing that they would "kill their family" as revenge, I'm not gonna lie, I think you're going to have to delve into that with them and dismantle that idea by emphasizing revenge is never justified.

You should center the humanity of Palestinians and emphasize that they should never experience such horror in their life.

"The hospitals are Hamas bases"

There is absolutely no evidence provided of this other than Israeli propaganda. I'd show them this video, which is a testimony from a European doctor.

There's also this pamphlet they released saying that they "know that Hamas is safe" and still willingly bombs the people of gaza anyways.

You should center the humanity of Palestinians and emphasize that they should never experience such horror in their life.

"Gaza is promised by God to the Israelites"

Why is it necessary to enforce one's religious beliefs on someone else? Why must the Palestinians experience violence in order for Israel to exist? Besides, if it was "promised" to them, does that mean God is allowing them to kill people indiscriminately? Does God, the most loving Being in the Universe, ever condone such acts of horrific violence on people? I speak as a Muslim that grew up being taught that Judiasm, Christianity, and Islam are quite similar religions, so I doubt that any of these religions would condone such large scale violence.

I'm not an expert of actual religious scripture of different faiths, so I can't provide quotes or anything like that, but I'd argue that God's main purpose in our lives is to remind us to love each other.

You should center the humanity of Palestinians and emphasize that they should never experience such horror in their life.

"Hostages—"

I'm not sure what the argument in your specific case is, but I think any argument having to do with hostages does not make any logical sense. Wouldn't Israel want to protect the hostages? Isn't bombing indiscriminately dangerous for everyone, but especially the Hostages?

But even hostages aside, Palestinians shouldn't have to suffer en masse! They've been sectioned off into the largest open-air prison for 20 years! It's just plain cruel to blame them for the genocide they face when they've been victims for 75+ years!

I'd recommend introducing them to this resource that explains the history of Palestinians from around 1948 to now:

There is also this that has scholarly research for and by Palestinians:

Let me know if any of this is useful. Good luck, and thank you for sending this in.