#seriously what's the big deal with all this generations nonsense?

[viktoriamagrey]

If any "gen alpha" comes across this, know that generational prejudices are nonsense where it matters and that I respect you immensely! We're in this together. I support you and want to help you however I can. Remember, any "gen Z" who is mean to you is a silly mean bean and already became a cranky grandpa at a young age. Don't listen to 'em. You're cool. Live your life. Enjoy where you're at and when you were born, whatever that looks like. You got this 👍

[toocabaret]

I’ve been having some Thoughts™️ about the weird meta paradox of gerri kellman’s sexuality. as basically The Older Woman on the executive floor she’s trying as much as is possible to blend in with her male colleagues while also not being perceived to be doing so. muted colours and understated makeup. a competent filing cabinet. her husband is dead and her daughters are nameless. she was sexual once but that’s out of sight out of mind and now it’s just the work. it must be a relief in some ways to become finally unfuckable because you’re over 40. she can finally be taken seriously, but only if she toes the line between being too female and not female enough. trying but not too hard. desirable in the past tense only. an honorary man but still in a skirt. and while the men around her can fuck their much younger assistants and get sports massages and run a sex trafficking ring on a cruise ship, she is the job and only the job and that keeps her safe. for a bit anyway.

the irony of gerri saving the company from the full legal extent of a sex scandal by dating someone from the DOJ??? like i’ll never be over it. even filing cabinets have to flatter and please and fuck when called upon. i genuinely don’t believe any of the other execs could have swung it because they’re not women. she dated laurie (generally unseen unless framed from another man’s possessive perspective) to save the men from going to jail for covering up rape allegations. the irony is delicious. and even though she did that, she’s discarded once she’s framed sexually. Dick Pic Gate was out of her control and yet when confronted with any element of gerri’s sexuality (even her PASSIVE sexuality, even after using it to save his company), logan dismisses her as weak or impractical or failing or whatever other excuse he uses to justify his disgust.

i would argue that roman’s interest in gerri is not in spite of but BECAUSE of her asexual framing. it’s a challenge that he’s never going to win which is ideal for his impotency issues; he can push and push and get the thrill out of it, out of the fucked up power dynamic, but he knows he’ll never have to actually fuck her. it’s all hypothetical: down a phone, through a door, half-joking, covered in sensible skirt suits. gerri’s deliberate lack of sexualizing is counterintuitively a turn-on for roman. and i bet the game of chicken they play is freeing for her too because the fact that she has to be professional and cannot be sensual is part of the fun of it. “roman is weird about gerri”. “it’s fucking disgusting”. not because of their family history, or their professional positions, but because she’s old. because the absence of her sexuality is enough of a presence to be off-putting. shiv patronising her about it as a power play is so weird because she’s talking to her simultaneously like a child and like an old woman, and gerri, agency-less, just has to keep reassuring her “i can cope”.

BUT it’s worse than that because it’s so meta. Because gerri is hot. her actor is attractive and like roman, many people watching find her sexless, no-nonsense framing to be titillating. me included. what if roman likes gerri not because of oedipal issues but just because she’s hot and god forbid we find a woman over 50 hot? but whether or not gerri is hot in the context of the show shouldn’t be a big deal, she should have been able to escape this by now!!! she’s in her 60s she’s a widow she’s tired stop sexualizing her!!! but don’t NOT sexualize her either because that’s problematic too and old women can be hot and old women shouldn’t have to be hot and suddenly i’m making gerri do what waystar does and exist as something sexual and non-sexual at the same time. she has a huge plotline in which she’s essentially a sex object. whether or not gerri is fuckable is talked about as much in the show with mildly-disgusted fascination as it is in the real world!!! she can’t win she’s hot she’s old she’s sexually framed she’s deliberately trying not to be she wants sex she doesn’t want sex she’s covering sex with sex and she’s telling roman to leave her alone so she can just do her damn job because she knows that this is what will bring her down!!! sex scandals historically don’t get men fired but an unsolicited dick pic knocks gerri off her podium in logan’s head forever. even now i’m talking about it at such length because i’ve given it so much thought!!! she’s the only woman in the old guard and she’s one of the most sexualized characters in succession. but only as a joke. in the abstract. never actually. because that would be weird. right?

[writing-about-current-obsessions]

Sleepy

Pairings: Carlos Sainz x reader 

Words: 1686

Summary: Carlos finds an innovative way to ask a very important question. 

>Click here to check out my masterlist<

Carlos thought about it a lot. He even got so desperate he asked Lando and Charles for advice, which was a clear cry for help, in his opinion.

The thing is – they wanted to help, they really did, but neither of them had a good enough idea. Or better yet, a good idea at all. They suggested the basic stuff at first – reserve a table at a restaurant where you had a special date and hide the ring in dessert or propose during a sunset on the beach with a picnic set up nearby. Basically, all the nonsense that you would see in a typical rom-com. After a few drinks, their ideas started to get more and more ridiculous – from chartering a plane to write “Will you marry me?” in the sky, to training Piñon to bring a ring to her. Around that time, Carlos stopped listening and taking his friends seriously.

He didn’t want those romantic, over-the-top proposals, where you had to plan details weeks in advance so everything would be perfect. Public places were definitely out of question, because Carlos was sure she would not be too happy about that, but also because he didn’t want to risk being humiliated surrounded by people if she says no. Generally speaking, they were romantic towards one another, but mostly in the privacy of their own home. PDA was kept to a minimum, especially during race weekends in the paddock when there was a lot of media around. Their love language was physical touch and quality time spent together, without needing to go to fancy restaurants and buy each other expensive gifts. They were always very private about their relationship and Carlos didn’t feel like making a big deal out of their proposal because he felt like neither of them would enjoy it. Nevertheless, he wanted to do something special for her.

Simple, but unique. Romantic, but without being over the top. An act of love showing his true feelings, but in a way that would not freak her out. Do you see now what kind of conundrum Carlos was faced with?

He was carrying the precious box in his pocket, or in a bag, or suitcase, or wherever, for an outrageously long amount of time. Inside the box was a ring specially made for her that Carlos helped design with the help of his mother and with suggestions and expert craftsmanship of a jeweller in Madrid. For months Carlos paid close attention to the jewellery she was wearing in an attempt to figure out her style and what she would like to wear every day. He actually showed some photos they snapped together to his mother, showing her the necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings his girlfriend loved to wear so he could get her input and help him choose.

And even though he made it clear from the beginning he wasn’t going to do that, Carlos had still planned everything to the smallest detail. He couldn’t help himself. Everything was organized a few days before and now it was go time. Carlos had set up all of it the night before, when he came late back to their apartment and she was already in bed. He put the bouquets of the flowers she liked on almost every flat surface of the living room and kitchen. He stocked the fridge with all the ingredients needed to make her absolute favourite breakfast in the morning and then tiptoed quietly to their bedroom. She stirred awake when Carlos settled next to her in bed and they fell asleep in each other’s arms after they exchanged a few soft kisses and tender words.

He woke up uncharacteristically early the next morning and finished executing the main part of his masterplan. He cooked quietly, unlike other mornings when they would put on some music while preparing breakfast together. Everything was plated and arranged nicely even before she woke up, so he went back to the bedroom to check up on her.

Carlos stared at her sleeping form half-covered by the thin blanket, her legs and arms spread wide. He always teased her about taking up most of the bed and almost kicking him out in their sleep a couple of times, but he secretly loved it because they always ended up snuggling together. Her hair was sprawled over the cushion and her hand was resting next to it. Carlos couldn’t help the grin spreading across his face as he watched the ring on her finger glinting in the weak sunlight peeking through the curtains. It was absolutely stunning and the perfect fit for her – Carlos managed to put it on her hand without disturbing her sleep in the slightest. Everything was ready and perfect.

Except he forgot one crucial thing. His girlfriend is the sleepiest (possibly even the grouchiest) creature in the world when she wakes up. Carlos often jokes about her sleeping like the dead and then acting like a zombie after waking up. This is why the ‘no talking in the morning’ rule was implemented with the utmost seriousness and a firm resolve, without any exceptions.

Carlos bet on her waking up and seeing the ring on her finger, and then completely freaking out about it. If that doesn’t wake her up, then what will? He returned to the bed and started peppering her with soft kisses all over her face. She stirred awake next to him and it was then that crossed his mind that maybe he underestimated the true power and extent of her sleepiness in the early hours of the day.

“Hermosa…”, Carlos whispered in her ear as he watched her face scrunch up in an adorable grimace. “Good morning.”

“Hmpf… Nope.”, she mumbled, eyes still closed.

Carlos chuckled, now moving to kiss along her jawline and moving to her neck. He took his time pecking her skin and tasting it, even nibbling a bit in a teasing way. She hummed in approval, but with her eyes not opening. She was clinging to the last remnants of sleep that were slowly evaporating from her body.

“Open your eyes.”, Carlos caressed her cheek, kissing the tip of her nose last.

“Coffee first.”, she countered in a croaky voice.

No matter the reprimand in her voice for waking her up, she pecked his lips and then his cheek lovingly before leisurely getting off the bed. Carlos sighed in frustration as he watched her exit their bedroom, the ring on her hand still unnoticed. How drowsy do you need to be not to notice a new piece of jewellery appearing on your hand overnight, he wondered with a smile.

Still, he hastily got off the bed because he didn’t want to miss the surprise on her face when she finally realizes. He caught up to her quickly, encircling her waist with his arms just as she came up to the kitchen doorway. She halted and gasped suddenly, whether from the sight or the way Carlos embraced her from behind, he wasn’t sure.

“Carlos!” she squealed in delight, laughing a little.

“Yes, mi amor?” he asked in a casual tone, like nothing was out of the ordinary.

“Did you buy the whole flower shop?” she turned her head to look at him, her eyes wide and her mouth open in surprise.

He grinned wide, not saying anything and only planting a soft kiss on her lips.

She looked at him with wide eyes, slightly panicking. “Is it our anniversary?”

Carlos frowned. “No. That’s in five months.”

“Right. Yes.”, she stifled a yawn and nodded.

“I wanted to surprise you.”

“Well, you went above and beyond.”, she laughed a little. “Thank you, Carlos.”

A squeal of delight escaped her throat when she noticed the abundant breakfast spread on the table, with a steaming cup of coffee being the first thing she picked out. She playfully scolded Carlos for making so much food for just the two of them, although she suspected that they will finish everything soon – from the omelette, the fruit and especially the pancakes. She sat on the stool at the kitchen island and Carlos wondered if he will have to take her hand and shove it in her face so she could notice the ring.

He stood in front of her and she immediately rested her head on his chest, leaning with half her bodyweight on him. Carlos engulfed her in an embrace and noticed her eyes fluttering closed. He couldn’t help but chuckle at her.

Once again, she yawned, now stifling a giggle at her own sleepiness.

“I have something that will wake you up.”, Carlos offered, rubbing her back soothingly.

“Oh, yeah?” she smiled and her eyes opened. “What is it?”

Carlos shook his head, smiling broadly. No matter how nervous he was about all of this, as she pulled away to look at him and he gazed into her eyes, Carlos was more than sure that she was the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He brushed a few strands of hair away from her face and tucked them behind her ear. He was smiling wider than ever and she looked at him funny, furrowing her eyebrows.

“You have this weird look on your face.”, she chuckled. “What did you do?”

“Look at your hand.”, he whispered, his heart thumping wildly against his ribcage.

Of course, she raised the wrong hand first and Carlos almost burst into laughter when he considered how silly this whole thing was. She held up her other hand and before she even got a good look at the ring glinting on her finger, she gasped and then gaped at him.

Finally, she was awake and alert. Her eyes big and rounds like saucers and her hand was frozen in place as she stared from the ring to Carlos. She was in complete shock while Carlos only had a satisfied smirk on his face.

He whispered her name and then uttered the words she was dreaming of hearing. “Will you marry me?”

"Carlos! You're going to give me a heart attack this early in the morning!"

[the-nysh]

Oh sweet! Looks like Trimax vol4's when Vash actually starts calling Meryl by name on a regular basis

As before--for context, he'd typically used the more distant, but still respectful 'insurance-san' to refer to the girls, but Trigun vol2 (right before Fifth Moon) was the first time he ever said her name so seriously, which was a very Big Deal to her, and their last exchange for 2 years.

That upon their hospital reunion scene in Trimax vol3, genuinely happy and relieved but still awkwardly not quite knowing what to say to each other after all this time, she bonks him for trying his 'old' way of address--denied! No more of that please; say her name!

So aha, here in Trimax vol4, after Zazie captures Meryl as a 'weakness' to bait him and things get personal...there it is. Now he's quite direct and no-nonsense about it! Surprising Milly and shocking even his opponents (in a 'whoa wtf, he behaves nothing like Knives!' kind of way by jumping out of a window for her) with his immediate 'cut the bullshit; I don't care about your games, I'm only here for Meryl; give her back' >:[ attitude!

(For reference, Milly generally calls Meryl 'sempai' while Wolfwood calls everybody nicknames, referring to the girls by their big/small heights. So Vash asserting a First Name basis for her is pretty significant.)

And just to check if Vash continues using her name, on his Important Mission to find her, even all alone, no matter what (Trimax vol5 spoilers)...

Oh yes he does. (Face to face now.) She's that important to him.

[lemotmo]

Bless her heart 🫠

Q. From a PR standpoint what would be the purpose of the official 911 account responding directly to so many comments hinting at Buddie? And gay/queer Eddie?Isn't that highly unprofessional? It's not like they don't have audience members who don't want to see them together.

Q. I'm sorry but Ryan and Oliver are just cringe. I get it they like one another and everyone is clearly having fun with mustache stuff but it's officially over done now.

Q. As far as the audience is concerned Tommy is Buck's canon relationship and he is the one they should be pairing with Oliver for promotion. ABC isn't doing anything to discourage the Buddie nonsense and it will backfire on them when the Buck/Tommy relationship is solidified in season 8.

Q. God Oliver and Ryan are going to be insufferable aren't they? Filming runs thru March, ugh. We get it you want your characters to bang. Stop rubbing it in.

Q. Everyone involved in this garbage should be ashamed. Buddie is not canon and until it is no one, especially the shows PR, should be leaning so heavily into them for promotion.

A. Rip to my ask box 😭. I will say I'm genuinely surprised by the number of comments they directly replied to. The Eddie Mercury one was definitely brow raising. I'm stunned they replied to that comment. That being said though Oliver/Ryan and Buddie was 95% of their entire PR campaign last season and they were the number one show on the network. Number one show in their timeslot. It worked. They're absolutely going to do it again, especially if Buddie is actually going canon this season. And you're correct, anon they're doing nothing to discourage that conversation. Some of their replies are actually only going to fan the flame. But they knew that when they chose to reply. And they replied to them in a way that would make people talk. They know what they're doing. But they do have to be careful. All implications are it's happening. But if they don't do it then t's absolutely queer baiting and it will cost them dearly. But I think they're well aware of that and it's why I don't think that's what's happening here.

Yes there are audience members that don't want them to be canon, but there are far more that do what them to be canon. Oliver and Ryan clearly want it. And they're not cringe, anon. Nearly 22,000 likes in a little under two hours is impressive . That is a quick clip. Their audience likes Buddie. Their audience likes Oliver and Ryan. You all are in the minority. And frankly it's not content for you. Your opinions of it are irrelevant. He's not there, anons. Deal with it. You'll get something small at some point, maybe, unless he isn't coming back at all. But your time is nearly up. You're going to have to settle for your imaginary content for now.

Thank you Nonny!

Ali, how are you holding up? Everything okay? Make sure to drink a lot of water and take a break when you need one. If you need a new keyboard after replying to all of those asks, we can start a GoFundMe for you. We'll make it happen. Trust. :D LOL!

Seriously though, if it all becomes too much, take a break okay? This must be a lot to handle.

Yeah, the social media team never really interacts all that much. They did now. That must mean they were told to interact and hype up the viewers. Another way of promoting the show.

But I do agree that they need to pull through with Buddie after all of this and all of the Buddie promo they did last season. There is no way back after all of this. I have no doubt that they will pull through though. It's glaringly obvious at this point that is where the story is going.

Buddie has been around for 6 seasons now. It has drawn in a big audience. Even the more casual fans of the show would like to see Buddie happen. The BT fandom is very small and most people of the general audience have already forgotten about Tommy, but they haven't forgotten about Eddie. They have eyes and see the same things we see. They can draw the same conclusions. They just aren't as openly passionate about it as we are.

Season 8 is our season.

IMPORTANT! Please don't repost this ask and/or a link that leads straight to my Tumblr account on Twitter or any other social media. Thank you!

Heads up! For anyone who is giving me the shifty eyes for reposting Ali's updates instead of reblogging. Read this.

Remember, no hate in comments, reblogs or inboxes. Let's keep it civil and respectful. Thank you.

If you are interested in more of Ali’s posts, you can find all of her posts so far under the tag: anonymous blog I love.

[crimsoncold]

WHAT IT FEELS LIKE IN THE HOTD FANDOM RIGHT now as someone who is disappointed in the show's handling of team green and really just critical the show's writing in general

Team Green Stans and/or HOTD critics:

"I know I'm going to get a barrage of criticism or even hate/harassment for saying this but...

HOTD's writing is rather biased and strays from the source material in ways that are frequently ridiculous, fails to actually improve the story, and totally ignores the anti-war and the general targ/ruling class critical tone of GRRM's writing.

Yes villain or dark character centric shows can be really good even when the purpose of the story isn't to condemn their actions- BUT purposefully changing an adaptation of a story so that it no longer contains the original message/themes that did criticize the characters and their actions is at the very least a questionable writing choice.

The characterization and the messages of the show are inconsistent in a way that doesn't feel intentional or in order to make a point- instead it just doesn't make sense. ALL characters suffer due to the choices of the writers/showrunners- including team black- but team green is obviously getting the worst of it (seriously its cartoonishly bad). It's all so nonsensical and frustrating that it's getting harder and harder to watch- really at this point its no longer even a fun bad! show that can still manage to be entertaining even when the story itself sucks.

Much like with d&d with the later seasons of GOT it's disappointing to see the poor quality of work coming from paid professional writers, this could have been a show about a tragic and dramatic conflict between characters who are mostly bad people yet are still compelling or sympathetic and instead we got ...well...this."

Some Team Black Stans:

"Come on people HoTD is an adaptation so of course things will differ from the books but the show still stays true to the heart of the book, the changes were not a big deal- in fact some were good choices by the showrunners making more disturbing and violent aspects of the book more palatable for the audience without lessening their emotional impact... B&C was toned down not to whitewash team black but because no one should want to see the multiple child homicides from the book take place on screen...and the violence here really isn't as important to the plot as it was for say GOT's red wedding... toning the violent or horrific nature of these deaths down and having it occur off screen is the right thing to do! It's still sad- and this way we didn't need to traumatize the actors OR the audience!

Really people just stop complaining... both sides of the conflict are presented as EQUALLY culpable and in the wrong as the other side, team green stans are just missing the subtle points being made in the show and are exaggerating when they criticize the writing or supposed inconsistent characterization and accuse the showrunner's of being biased.

These TG stans are just being so mean and should stop criticizing the writers/showrunners-who are just doing their job!- and even if they feel they have to criticize the writing it's really just so inappropriate to ever specifically name the writers/showrunners when doing so! It's one thing for fandom to anonymously criticize other fans- especially since TG Stan's takes are so misguided that they obviously need someone to explain to them how they are misinterpreting things- but criticizing the professional writers and showrunners through tumblr posts is out of line! Its not the writer's fault that Alicent and TG are hypocritical or less likable than TB- that may just be how they are in canon- to say that the storytellers are purposefully changing things to make TG less sympathetic or competent than they were in the books and to set them up as the unlikeable antagonistic opposite to the now more tragic and heroic TB is a ridiculous accusation!"

Other Team Black Stans:

"Daemyra is just the best ship, they have loved eachother since she was a teenager and now after years of pining and being kept apart they are finally free to be together, you never see supportive or healthy relationships like this in asoiaf, we stan a man who will do literally anything and kill anyone for his niece wife.

Lucerys was just an innocent baby when he sliced up Aemond's face, he was just protecting his big brother, it only happened because he was afraid for their lives! Viserys made the right choice not to punish anyone since the team black kids only attacked Aemond after he stole Rhaena's dragon and Lucerys was only using self defense when he used a knife on Aemond. Most especially Lucerys and his mother didn't deserve to be attacked by that bitch Alic*nt. And Rheanyra trying to have Aemond tortured for calling her sons bastards was just her being a rightfully protective mother! Team Green means her family harm and no way will a bamf like Rhaenyra let that slide... this is what a good mother does not like that terrible Alic*nt! Lucerys' death was so tragic can't wait to see a grieving mother get her revenge... TG believes in an eye for an eye don't they? Well how will they like a son for a son?

TG stans keep saying that Rhaenyra is just as violent entitled and problematic as anyone else on hotd! They are so wrong! They are just delusional haters that can't stand to see a woman have sexual freedom and be in a position of power! She is the better daughter/wife/mother and the only people she hates are the ones who deserve it!

See she isn't evil like the Hightowers- B&C was an accident and the book description was exaggerated to be used as propaganda against Rhaenyra- she didn't even know it was happening. It wasn't even team blacks intent to kill little Jaehaerys only to kill Aemond- but he's a kinslayer so them sending someone to assassinate their nephew/brother is totally in the right and not something any character in canon would judge them for!... Rhaenyra is just too good of a person to wish harm on any of her innocent family members. Everything that happened to Rhaenyra, Rhaenys, and Meleys is just so tragic... they are the only true queens in this series ...god i wish all of their pain was only experienced by team green lol.

You know what ...are TG stans children or something? Why do they keep complaining that team green is being unfairly villainized to make team black look better? Don't they know they can just watch a show where the characters are flawed/bad people without needing the story to spoon feed the audience the message that bad people need to be condemned? Why do they take things so seriously? Why is this their whole personality? Get a life and stop overthinking a book/tv show -not everything needs to be deep you know so just shut up and enjoy watching the dragons destroy things.

But for real how can you people stan misogynistic women haters like team green or a trad wife/women for trump like Alic*nt? Like yikes what does your fictional character preferences say about you as a person. Hey EVERYBODY look these weirdos are really out here defending and woobifying violent predatory and sexist characters like team green! This fandom is the worse i swear lmfao."

Meanwhile...

Showrunners/Writers:

"What if the civil war, brutal violence, and tragic kinslaying that happened in the dance of dragons was really just a series of accidents and misunderstandings?

What if Rhaenyra and Alicent were friends who never really hated one another, and Alicent was pining for Rhaenyra's friendship and acceptance for the last 20 years, what if neither of them even wanted to go to war?

Who cares about house stark or the pact of ice and fire, or Jace's interactions with Cregan or Sara? You know what Sara Snow doesn't even exist, Jon i mean Jace would never betray his betrothal/loyalty/vows to his dragonrider soulmate and future wife for some stark girl! This whole stark side plot isn't important lets just go back to the dragons!

What if Rhaenyra wanted the throne because she knew that from her descendants the prophesied saviour/prince that was promised would be born? What if instead of her surviving son Aegon being so traumatized by the horrors of this meaningless war that he actually hated and feared dragons afterward- and supposedly was even responsible for killing the last one- it is Rhaenyra who was actually responsible for saving Daenerys' future dragon eggs- and thus she the one who ensured the return of dragons to Westeros! It will be Rhaenyra through her choices and her descendants that will be responsible for saving the entire realm and defeating the others with dragon fire!

What if Alicent pushing her son to be crowned was all because she was a fool who misunderstood the words of her dying husband NOT because she felt her son was unfairly robbed of his birthright by his father?

What happened with Daenerys in the later seasons of GOT was so unfair- just terrible writing -she NEVER should have been made out to be a mad queen and i bet Rhaenyra wasn't actually a cruel or violent ruler either! I bet it was the men who slandered her, and the men who were pushing for war and violence while all the women were actually trying to keep the peace.

Wait...wait.... What if everything in the book that criticized Rhaenyra was actually propaganda made by her enemies to ruin her reputation!?!!? Yeah B&C and team black arranging the horrific murder of a child? That story was TOTALLY team green exaggerating the violent murder of their child/grandchild. Daenerys I mean Rhaenyra deserved so much better... and all the injustices that happened to her will be the most impactful and tragic element of this show.

What if TG didnt actually have strong bonds with their dragon or spend much time riding them?... just more propaganda! Yes! CGI is expensive so this also means we dont really have to show their dragons unless they are fighting the blacks. Team Black's bond with their dragons is much more powerful and important though so we should still show them spending time together and riding them.

What if the book description of the respect and loyalty team green had to one another and the terrible grief they felt at the loss of their family members was ALSO just team green propaganda? What if Alicent only ever struggled as a mother and failed to connect with her kids and actually didn't even like or respect her children? How many kids did she have anyway? Three? Yeah that sounds right. Oh wait! Wait! What if none of TG got along with or trusted one other? No...no...What if they actually hated and betrayed each other? YESSSS!!!!!!!

Team black and their descendants are the true Targaryens, no one is really interested in the boring team green anyways so at least these changes will make them more interesting and better foils for team black! This type of story is exactly what people want I just know they are going to love it."

NOTE: (because i know idiots will be lurking in the anti tags to complain or harass people)

this is mostly meant to be very critical of the showrunners and somewhat critical of a specific type of stanning behaviour and the weird criticism or harassment that gets directed at people who like team green or who criticize hotd - sure i may be exaggerating slightly for effect but l'm STILL pulling from real posts/comments/opinions that I see from TB stans ...Like sure they aren't putting ALL of this in a single post but collectively this is definitely the type of attitude and language many TB stans have

Fandom is just about enjoying a special interest - I dont actually care about or want to police who you stan or ship. I DO care that some of you purposefully and directly harass real people because you disagree with their opinion on fictional characters and that some of you leave uncharitable, ignorant, critical, or unpleasant comments on properly tagged Team Green/anti or TB critical/or hotd critical posts.

Most of all i just find it really funny the juxtaposition there is between how underwhelming and juvenile the show's storytelling choices are compared to how eloquently, persistently, or vehemently fans will write up either criticism or defense pieces for these characters, this objectively bad show, and it's deeply unimpressive writing... like sure some fans put more effort into understanding the source material and comparing it to the show and some put more effort into criticizing or defending the show,the writing, or specific characters but collectively nearly all of us are putting in more time, effort, and thought into hotd than ANY of the showrunners/writers.

In conclusion Guys just like or dislike whatever show/characters you want...you don't have to justify the things you like by being willfully in denial about what canon sources say/the nature of certain characters/or the quality of the show's writing. You definitely don't need to be disrespectful or attack people on behalf of fictional characters or the well paid hbo showrunners/writers.

[tuwann]

social media is pushing their luck lately on all fronts. even when you understand their mindset these changes are risky - mainly operating under "social media is like a slot machine" kind of mindset, since thats effectively the same thing.

my point is: the best thing they can do is make it as easy as possible to use the website and develop addictions, any friction hurts this and this is why selling data is their strongest practice, *its invisible to the user*. ads, like promoted posts and such, are less intrusive. theyre just another post. ads, like how youtube does it, are very intrusive and frictional. ads still need to exist for data collection to be worth anything to the corporations, but from a social media companies perspective data collection weighs more on the scale.

but recently, theres been a few interesting developments. its not like ive been to shareholder meetings and can predict exactly what the baby eating ceos are thinking, but - i think they believe the addiction the average person has is so powerful over them that they can get away with putting more friction (or theyre just fucking stupid). the examples im talking about right now are twitters "$1 subscription" and youtube waging war on adblockers. twitters seems like just a fucking stupid descision but youtubes seems more calculated, but its still some big friction.

seriously the twitter thing is unbelieveably stupid friction if youve ever been like... on the internet without access to a credit card you know the difference between free and not free VERY well. the subscription idea will probably get dropped but if it somehow does go through like. every kid will not use it for certian, anyone who... yknow... evaluates the worth of the thing theyre buying even SLIGHTLY will quit, like... the only people that will remain are the blue checks who are not beating the nonsentient allegations. anyway.

i dont know how "normal people" use social media. i surround myself with people who are quite aware about the mass gangstalking of users and are generally above average in tech-proficiency. i dont know the social media habits of jimmy age 25. maybe jimmy will just deal with the friction, but the people i know are fairly averse to the friction and are just... using the sites less because of it. there doesnt really seem to be a stopping point in adding this friction until the site owners get burned somehow (unless youre twitter lol theyre gonna keep doing shit until the servers cant afford to be paid they have NO brakes). i guess we just have to see how much it takes for the lowest common denominator to get too annoyed with social media before sites stop their nonsense

uh, anyway, im gonna take a break from youtube until theres a way to use an adblock on it. a week? a month? never? well, thats fine. i quit reddit basically for good after the API change i can drop a site again if i need to

[starry-skies-116]

My AU Synopsis for the main trio + June and Fowler: Jackson Darby: 16 yrs. Neurodivergent, Intersex ADHD Queer Black Pakistani-American kid from Brooklyn when he moved to Jasper Nevada at five, socially ostracized. bi as FUCK and not even subtle about it. dead father at seven lost due to illness and is being raised by his single mother June has a little drone friend named Emily for max gay adventurer scientist chaos energy. Huge fan of a show called Celestial Odyssey, side passion for music and gaming (bonds with Raf over it). Gains way too many parental figures over the course of the series. Hacked into the Pentagon at ten years old on a dare.

Miko Nakadai: 16 yrs. Heir apparent to Nakadai Industries. Short petite Japanese-American jock girl with slightly toned muscles that can actually send you to the gulag if you fought her. Was in multiple sports clubs and took Shaolin classes. Youngest daughter of a rich family of three other siblings and a lot of extended family back in Japan with a controlling immigrant businessman father, mood disorder af while dealing with the aftermath of generational trauma and a dysfunctional family. Has two older siblings that are both twins, older sister is Himeko and older brother is Sora. Himeko and Sora are both 18. Is the champion of multiple street brawls. Has gotten into many street-fights and fights at school. Secretly a nerd too, so it makes sense that she'd fall for the nerd.

Rafael Esquivel: 12 yrs. White, Italian-Cuban American, from a huge family. Basically near-blind without his glasses. Skipped a couple of grades due to his talents in IT and hacking, and regrets it immensely now due to the burnt-out gifted kid spiral that he's going through. goes to the same high school as Jackson and Miko, and nobody takes him or his decisions seriously since he's younger than the rest. being the youngest is hard honestly-

June Darby: 37 yrs. African American woman, passed down her broader and curvier physique to her intersex son (of whom's also genderqueer and bi as FUCK omg). M-spec, male-leaning. Learns about the Autobots later on and about the work her son does and the wonderful family and life he's building for himself, and instantly allies herself with them the moment she does. Quit her big-shot engineer job and became a mechanic just to be able to be home take care of her son. automatically adopts everyone else. best friends with Optimus Prime and Fowler naturally. she'd give the sun and moon and stars and universe and galaxies and planets and nebulas and black holes and MORE for her babies and our blood and all of us LIVE to see it. Closeted nerd and neurodivergent as well. (oh and btw Mama Darby once called Team Prime a more affectionate/familial nickname in French and the familial love +2 modifier was too much for them once their processors translated it and they understood what it and the connotations meant. Bumblebee was trying so hard not to break out into tears while Arcee was struggling to hold back a smile)

William Fowler: 35-37 yrs. Black American. Grew up in Detroit. Knew Jackson's father from his time in the army- they were both best friends. FBI agent and government personnel. Stern and no-nonsense authority figure at first, strict yet disciplined, takes it upon himself to be one of many Jackson's 'older sibling' figures that he gains. he and the kids both fight a lot but they are literally a package deal so do not separate anyways. HUGE cat-person, bonds with Miko over it. Actually really likes Emily because the drone behaves like an affectionate and excited puppy who's just happy to be there. He and June work together from the time she finds out the 'truth' to co-parent her son and his friends and to support them and the Autobots in all of their missions.

[riley-phoenix]

My Review On Obliterated (Spoilers)

Critics described Obliterated as a "Teenage boy's fantasy. An action series filled with explosions, guns, naked breasts and penises". In all fairness, it was.

And I loved every second of it.

Anyone that's followed my blog, or any of my social media, knows I'm an avid follower of Shelley Hennig's work. Given, I only gave Obliterated a try because of Shelley. However, despite only coming for her, I stayed for everything else.

Right from the get go, Netflix defined Obliterated as an action-comedy that was never meant to be taken seriously. Despite that, the show was serious enough when it needed to be, and managed to find an appropriate divide between seriousness and comedy.

At face value, Obliterated seemed to be a cluster of Gen-Z toilet humour, jumbled together with softcore porn, but upon deeper inspection, it had a very real, very vivid story, and on top of that, something that alot of streaming service shows are missing these days - Subplots! That's right, tangents that move away from the main storyline. There was a time when we all thought this was a concept that died off with 22-episode network shows, but kudos to Obliterated for finding a way to introduce them. Whether it was Ava being more than a generic, forced-down-our-throats, bad bitch boss lady and actually secretly dealing with the death of her fiancé, all while leading a team of drunks to save Vegas, or the big, strong muscle-man having to come to terms with his sexuality, or even the no-nonsense sniper assassin learning that you don't have to be completely emotionless to be good at your job, Obliterated's characters did an amazing job of developing both a background-plot and actual character development. Something else that's been missing in newer 8-episode streaming service shows.

The final plot-twist was one of the best I've seen. We spent the entire season trying to figure out who the actual bad guy was. At times, it felt as though there was an invisible supernatural force threatening Vegas rather than a real person, due to the fact that every time the team caught someone, there was someone else ready to press the big red button and blow Sin City away. Introducing us to a dumb blonde TikTok-influencer who seemingly knew nothing about what's going on and allowing us to warm up to her, only for her to be revealed as the actual terrorist, was a genuinely mind-blowing piece of scriptwriting.

Overall, Obliterated managed to be irreverent, hilarious and of course, action-packed from start to finish. And if you like unfiltered sex, coarse language and romance, mixed together with explosions, an imaginary goblin and a terrorist threat to the United States of America (USA! USA! USA!) Mixed together with clever and innovative hints of comedy, I can't think of many other shows to recommend. I am eagerly awaiting Season 2.

[once-upon-a-stolas]

An addition to Stolas’s sick day saga that I missed the first time around. It doesn’t add enough for it to be a major issue, but I feel it’s worth talking about nonetheless.

We can see right away that Blitzo, in his own Blitzo-ish way, takes the construction of this care package very seriously. He calls his unseen horse -- probably the most important person in his life barring Loona at this time -- for advice. He asks Moxxie and Millie for advice, which he immediately disregards. He fills the package with something he finds comforting above all else (Spirit) and things Stolas might find comforting (candles) and then a bunch of unhelpful nonsense items, because it’s Blitzo. But in spite of that, and in spite of the fact that he delivers it through Stolas’s closed window, this is a pretty big deal for him. Even as he insists that this is purely a courtesy gesture, this is further than he generally goes out of his way to please anyone -- and because the grimoire isn’t on the line, he has no incentive to do it save genuine concern for Stolas, who he has movie nights with and who got him a Spirit hoodie just because.

And this, guys, is why I get prickly when people reblog these posts analyzing present day Stolas through the lens of things he did as Before!Stolas. 

If you like their current relationship, that’s fair enough, but Before!Stolas and Blitzo had their own love story, and in spite of how brief it was, it was hard earned. Before!Stolas genuinely wanted to know more about Blitzo, respected him as a person, respected his found family, and that’s what Blitzo responded to.

Before!Stolas put the work in. They both did.

[literaticat]

Hi Jenn! If an author is lucky enough to be in a multiple-offer situation with some wonderful and prestigious houses, and House 2 is offering a slightly lower advance than House 1 BUT House 2 is promising that the book will be a 'lead title', publicity wise, would you advise your client to take the slightly higher offer from House 1, or the lower one with House 2 and the big marketing promises (from a very senior editor?) How much does being a 'lead title' impact sales? Thanks so much.

Well, my client has to make the decision for themselves, and I'd advise them to take ALL the factors into account.

I'd personally make an apples-to-apples spreadsheet detailing not just the advance, but royalties, the bonuses, the territory (is it for World or for North America? or what? If it's for NA or World English, we can still sell translation, so what seems like a "lower" advance might actually pan out to be the same or better than a World advance would be), and the payout (is it 1/2 on signing/1/2 on D&A? or are there three payments? More? When exactly would the payments come, and how much would they be?) Because what looks on its face like a "lower" offer might actually not be when more than just the advance is part of the calculus!

Also hella important though, are just... vibes. If the author had the chance to talk to all the editors and get a sense of their vision from the book -- who did they get along with best? Who seemed to "get" the book the most? Who seems like they have a similar communication style, etc? Those things are important!

And yes, for sure, the marketing piece IS important. Being a "lead title" for a major publisher is a BIG DEAL, and might well sway me if I were an author! (It's also really meaningful to me when the editor gets a bunch of other folks at the publisher to ALSO weigh in about how much they love the book -- like "this is what our publicity manager said, this is what our sales director said" etc -- like, OK, they seriously got EVERYONE to read this and support it? That feels REALLY good!)

But that being said -- you do also need to know that it's not really possible to make a real tangible marketing plan a year or two before the book is even going to be an ARC, and publishers will often (usually? always?) give you hot air when you ask for it that far in advance -- because the landscape could change dramatically by the time your book comes out. So like -- yes absolutely, marketing is super important, could shift the balance in a competitive situation -- but also, grain of salt, because it COULD be kinda nonsense when the actual book comes out. The publisher that had an "ordinary" kind of marketing presentation or didn't really mention it at offer time might end up doing a fantastic job with it when the time comes -- the publisher that was going "lead title rah rah amazing" could totally drop the ball when the time comes. So you do need to be happy with all the OTHER stuff, too.

Basically, if the differences between the offers are really fairly minimal, they are both generally "alike in dignity" and you get good vibes off each editor -- I would for sure go for the one with better marketing talk, myself, even if the dollar amount was a little lower.

But if one offer is far and away obviously clearly much better, I'd take the money and run. (However, it's also not MY decision! So go with your gut!)

[driftward]

Ask meme for Quinnelle, please!

What does their bedroom look like?

Sexual Orientation? And, regardless of own orientation, thoughts on sexual orientation in general?

How organized are they? How does this organization/disorganization manifest in their everyday life?

What is their biggest regret?

What makes them feel guilty?

Superstitions or views on the occult?

If they were to fall in love, who (or what) is their ideal?

So, here's the deal.

Some stories end. Even in a perpetual MMO.

And I made contingency plans for the possibility that one day, Zoissette's story might end, for whatever reason. So while Quinnelle may not ever meaningfully exist, she's still there, in my head, causing trouble and making fun stories.

With that in mind, Quinnelle Vidalle, the fastest of the fast couriers in Eorzea, ready and standing by, one Fantasia away when Zoissette finally bows out of the spotlight. (Importantly, this lets me keep all the stuff on a new character, and Quinnelle is designed to be able to nick in as a replacement WoL easy as you please)

What does their bedroom look like?

Piles and piles in different places on the floor. Single small bed. A potted plant that died probably before the last calamity. Cobwebs everywhere, what do you have a problem with spiders she likes spiders spiders are friends. That one's named Jeorgeaux.

Sexual Orientation? And, regardless of own orientation, thoughts on sexual orientation in general?

Sexual orientation is yeah, sure, if she's bored. Finds discussions on such faintly boring and nonsensical though. Swive who you wanna if you wanna she don't give a shit. Also gender is bullshit.

How organized are they? How does this organization/disorganization manifest in their everyday life?

About the only thing they keep neat and clean is the uniforms in their closet, and they are -picky- about anything doing with mail, they take that shit stone cold seriously. Everything else is whatever. Knows she'll be perpetually late if she lets herself be so, so instead shows up early and just bitches.

What is their biggest regret?

Regrets are for people who aren't charging forward half enough. Any given day generates a few dozen small regrets that she usually forgets within the half hour. Can't have regret if you're always rushing to live in the now.

What makes them feel guilty?

Okay, fine, they'll feel guilty over not meeting obligations, like getting packages to the right person or mail to the right place on time or missing muster or that one time she plumb forgot she was supposed to meet a guy for a date but look it was a really good triple triad game okay she won a plushie she'd wanted for a long time out of it his name is G'george. The plushie, not the date. No, she doesn't know how Sun Seeker names work, the Moon Keepers are far more personable in her opinion.

Superstitions or views on the occult?

She believes in every single god and goddess and holds any of a number of tiny little rituals for each one every day. It doesn't matter that some of those belief systems contradict other ones; she's not telling the gods, and nobody else should be either, and what they don't know won't hurt them. Definitely believes in hedging her bets in this regard, so there's always a deity to call on in a moment of trouble.

Primals are just assholes trying to get in on the god action though so swive 'em. But not literally. Well maybe Ifrit. He's hot. That's a fire joke. Get it? Hahah but no seriously.

If they were to fall in love, who (or what) is their ideal?

Someone who would put up with her shit. I mean, swive, that's the only way it'd possibly happen, right?

But if we're handing out prize Chocobos and making wishes on stars, a big strong man with muscles under just the right amount of flab, with big beautiful lips and a strong wedge of a chin and a nose chiseled out of rock and oh shit she's just describing her boss. That's literally just her boss Raubahn. Swive don't tell him don't tell him don't tell him she meant to say uh you know someone hot like uhm Merlwyb wait crap that someone else's boss uhm you know maybe someone adorable but in a lady way like Momodi wait that's kind of her other boss crap QUESTIONS OVER GOT MAIL TO DELIVER.

[reitheist]

I'm rewatching t&b 2 in dub this time and idk if it's just me but it seems... straighter than the sub? (Caution: this a big nonsensical ramble, don't take it too seriously. I just wanna rant and not edit this for typos or flow)

Like I'm at the scene where Ruby talks about her dads paying for doctors (if I'm hearing it correctly, she says otousantachi, so I don't think it's a mistranslation), but the dub changes it so she just talks abt one dad. This is the most obvious change.

In the prev episode, we saw that red haired lady talk about her love for Anna, but the dub very conspicuously uses "like." The sub uses "suki" so it's not really a mistranslation, but either way the dub makes it feel like a more ambiguous than the Netflix subs portray it. I don't really know if this one was intentional or not and it's not major, but it stood out to me anyway.

In the same episode as Ruby's dad thing, Kotetsu is repeatedly worried abt Barnaby's leg. When Barnaby strains it in the fight, he yells out in pain. Kotetsu's reaction in the dub goes: "Bunny, go! Huh?" In the sub he just says Bunny in a concerned way. In the dub Kotetsu sound less concerned and more mildly annoyed with him, at least pre-realization. Sub Kotetsu knows there's something up immediately, because the entire episode (and entire 2nd cour) has been building up his bond with Barnaby and how he worries over him. This moment in dub feels weirdly ooc. Like, the man just screamed in pain Kotetsu! Kotetsu is oblivious in a lot of respects, but has never been oblivious to Barnaby's suffering. That's the point of the episode!

Then, Dubtetsu makes a sarcastic joke (at least that's my read?) at in the next scene about it "...thanks for dropping in the end there Bunny. *chuckle* Hey what's the deal with that leg though?" (For context, he literally fell onto the criminal.) In the sub he just says "Hey Bunny, your leg..."

I guess there's something to be said that this preserves Kotetsu's joking characterization in this scene? But it comes off to me that Kotetsu in the dub isn't all that concerned because of this random quip. Kotetsu makes jokes at his own expense, sure, but I can't recall him ever really making light of Barnaby's issues, especially when he's been shown be be worrying over Barnaby's recovery the entire second half of the season. Again, weirdly ooc imo.

A little after is the bike scene, where Kotetsu confronts him about his leg injury, sub Kotetsu brings up that Barnaby seemed off that morning too. Dub Kotetsu doesn't seem to mention this at all? He just mentions how he screamed earlier. He also says, "Level with me about your leg." as he approaches instead of "Does your leg hurt?" like in the sub. A subtle change, but this just feels too casual for how Kotetsu's feeling right now. Plus it's phrased as a command instead of a question, which really doesn't convey much worry at all. Sub Kotetsu consistently centers Barnaby's experience, but Dub Kotetsu doesn't, so it sounds more like he's annoyed with him for being injured rather than concern.

The sub rounds out the conversation with Kotetsu saying "You screamed in pain, Is it so bad that-" before he's cut off by Barnaby. Again, this centers Barnaby's suffering as Kotetsu's subject of worry.

Dubtetsu says "You don't have to hide it from me, just tell me how bad it is-" in a (no offense to the VA I'm sure he's lovely and great) really wooden tone.

In general, the cadence between Barnaby and Kotetsu's interactions between sub and dub is really different. Barnaby's side of the conversation seems the same, but dub Kotetsu just seems way more sarcastic than sub. Sub Kotetsu is occasionally sarcastic and goofy a lot of the time, but he also has very serious moments. Above all, he has a heart of gold. Dub Kotetsu comes off as incredibly jaded sometimes. We saw this a couple times in the sub of season 1 as well, but never in season 2 as far as I can recall. By season 2 Kotetsu is more mature and has learned to fully put his trust in his friends, and especially in Barnaby.

Now that I'm on a tangent, there was also a couple of weird moments in the dub finale of cour 1 between Rock Cyclone(?) and Fire Sky. Specifically where they reunite in the hospital. Nathan mimics Keith's catchphrase in the sub to cheer him up and it's very sweet, but the dub they just kinda talk? It's really weird. The sub has a joke between Antonio and Ivan where Antonio is worried abt something and pulls the 'don't ask about it" thing, Ivan takes him seriously, and Antonio complains about him not asking and they laugh abt it together. In the dub instead of "don't ask about it" he says something like "I don't really know" iirc, which kinda ruins the joke, but they laugh about it anyway? It's a very weird scene to watch in dub bc it feels like a lot of non sequiturs they're saying at each other.

Also also correct me if I'm wrong about this, but the dub seemed to have changed Kotetsu's desire to "go to dinner" with Barnaby to be consistently asking to "go out for drinks," which doesn't change much in the scheme of things but also makes it seem a little less like a date, if that makes sense? I mean either activity can or can not be a date in different circumstances, that's just my take on it. Because Kotetsu goes drinking w Antonio already, 'going to dinner' feels less like a friend activity for Kotetsu than 'grabbing drinks," if that makes sense.

Then again, there was that one scene in the elevator w Subaru and Kotetsu. The dub seem to have Kotetsu imply he thinks Subaru has a crush on Thomas, but the sub doesn't really imply this, at least to that extent. So I guess the dub doesn't straightify everything?

The changes wouldn't irritate me so much if I unilaterally disliked this dub, but I really like it! It's a shame it suffers from really strange moments like these, because I really love some of the changes the dub makes to better the flow and humor of the series. I adore the voice acting on pretty much everyone, so I believe the dub's issues are a mix between inconsistent writing/interpretation/translation and the occasional weird direction choice. Anyway, those are sort of my thoughts thus far. Might make a followup once I finish off cour 2.

[dollarbin]

Shakey Sundays #34:

Archives 3: Takes

I've gotta say, Archives 3 is underwhelming so far.

Now, of course, I'm experiencing it in true Dollar Bin curmudgeonly style: I've got my hands on a digital copy of the sampler Takes collection and that's it so far. Unless one of you gifts me the yet-to-be-released $800 vinyl version of the whole thing, I frankly don't want a physical copy of Archives 3.

Here are a few of my cranky, middle aged white guy, reasons why that is so, penned while I guzzle generic booze on ice in a Southern California heatwave:

I don't ever want to own a CD again. I can't stand the things. Neil used to agree with me on this point; now he wants me to have 17 more of them. For shame Neil!

Same thing with Blue Ray discs. 40 million years from now the only thing left on this planet will be cockroaches, scratched up and unplayable CDs and Blue Rays and Willie Nelson - that crazy guy will never die.

Neil continues to clog up his Archives collections with tracks that we've all had for decades on original releases. If he took off all the previously released stuff, including most of the incredibly dull Hawks side of Hawks and Doves, Archives 3 would be half the size and half the cost. Give me a break, Neil. We can already experience your career in consequential order by simply listening to your original records, which we all already own, in order.

Dude, this collection covers 78-87. I love Neil's music from this era, but let's get real: Archives 1 and 2 were both a way bigger deal. And Archives 4 will be as well. (Archives 8: The Montsanto Years Uncut? That will be another story...)

My house is already full. Where the hell would I keep that big box? It'd wind up in my underwear drawer - and that drawer is already full of valuable undergarments that I actually need in my life.

What's more, the sampler "Takes" collection is pretty damn underwhelming. Sure, we get a tantalizing taste of Neil teaching Nicolette Larson and Linda Ronstadt Stars and Bars; and, sure, the new 76 version of Drive Back, in which Neil momentarily forgets how to play guitar altogether and then suddenly remembers how and sets our souls on fire, gets me fired up for all the new Budokan-era stuff he's finally letting us hear with soundboard quality.

And, wow, for sure, yes, the Boarding House Trasher, which comes complete with heated pool and, at last, the air-conditioned bar that Neil's original lyric sheet promised (and which I would love to access right about now), reminds us of that song's windy chasms and forlorn depths.

But there's plenty of underwhelming nonsense on Takes - and the collection is supposed to make us want to get our hands on the whole shebang.

After all, because my famous brother has been hooking us up with Shakey bootlegs for over two decades, we already know that:

Joe Freakin' Lala dominates much of If You've Got Love. His bongos fill me with rage.

Bright Sunny Day makes me pray for an immediate hurricane.

The baby from Devo singing Hey Hey, My My from Human Highway makes me hate all babies. Hate them!

Happily, there is one immediate revelation on the Takes collection: Neil Young's solo effort to emulate the Faith-era Cure.

Seriously: compare The Cure's The Funeral Party to Neil's initial attempt with a track my famous brother and I have both spent time on lately, Razor Love; in 85 Neil was, knowingly or unknowingly, emulating Robert Smith in his first, metallic, somber and sparse, heyday:

Did Neil know how to work up a dark wave of Cure-level depth and complexity? Nope.

But do I wish that he'd spent more time in the genre and recorded an entire solo album in this vein instead of pumping out Old Ways?

Hell yes.

Now, someone, bring me more booze and ice. I'm gonna listen to Takes all over again.

P.S. My famous brother, who is a showoff, just lambasted my review of Archives 3, insisting it is a tear-jerking monster of greatness. In the process he showed off his very own gargantuan box. Enjoy adding on to your house so as to make room for all those new CDs bro!

[taboufansclub]

GET FREE GEMS/DIAMONDS, TICKETS/KEYS all without paying anything in your Tabou Stories game.

CLICK HERE FOR Tabou Stories HACK TOOL!

Some of the characters in this story are:You: The main character of the story. You are a smart and ambitious employee who works at a prestigious company. You have a secret crush on your boss, but you are not sure if he feels the same way about you.Liam: Your boss and love interest. He is a successful and charismatic businessman who runs the company. He is also a single father who has a cute daughter named Emma. He seems to have a soft spot for you, but he is also very professional and strict.Emma: Liam’s daughter and your friend. She is a sweet and adorable girl who loves you like a big sister. She often asks you to babysit her and play with her. She also wants you to be her new mom.Zara: Your co-worker and rival. She is a cunning and manipulative woman who wants to sabotage your career and steal your boss. She is always trying to make you look bad in front of Liam and the other employees. She is also very jealous of your relationship with Emma.Bodyguard: A story where you play as a celebrity who falls in love with their bodyguard.

You have to deal with the dangers and challenges of being famous, and find out if your bodyguard feels the same way about you. Some of the characters in this story are:You: The main character of the story. You are a famous and talented singer who has a loyal fan base and a successful career. You are also a kind and generous person who cares about your friends and family. You have a stalker who is threatening your life, so you hire a bodyguard to protect you.Jake: Your bodyguard and love interest. He is a former military officer who is now working as a private security agent. He is a strong and brave man who takes his job seriously and does not tolerate any nonsense. He is also a caring and gentle man who has a soft spot for you.Mia: Your best friend and manager. She is a smart and savvy woman who handles your business and publicity. She is also a loyal and supportive friend who always has your back. She knows about your feelings for Jake, and she encourages you to go for it.Ryan: Your ex-boyfriend and rival. He is a famous and handsome actor who used to date you. He is also a selfish and arrogant jerk who cheated on you and broke your heart. He still wants you back, and he is willing to do anything to get you. He also hates Jake, and he tries to ruin your relationship with him.The Proposal: A story where you play as a journalist who gets hired by a mysterious billionaire to pretend to be his wife for a week.

You have to cope with the billionaire’s demands and secrets, and discover if there is more to him than meets the eye. Some of the characters in this story are:You: The main character of the story. You are a hard-working and honest journalist who works at a reputable magazine. You are also a curious and adventurous person who loves to explore new things. You accept the billionaire’s offer to pretend to be his wife, hoping to get a scoop for your article.Ethan: The billionaire and love interest. He is a powerful and wealthy businessman who owns a multinational corporation. He is also a mysterious and secretive man who has a dark past and a hidden agenda. He hires you to pretend to be his wife, but he does not tell you why.Lily: Your friend and co-worker. She is a cheerful and friendly woman who works with you at the magazine. She is also a helpful and supportive friend who always gives you advice and tips. She knows about your deal with Ethan, and she warns you to be careful.Max: Ethan’s rival and enemy. He is a ruthless and greedy businessman who wants to take over Ethan’s company. He is also a cunning and dangerous man who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. He suspects that you are not Ethan’s real wife, and he tries to expose you and ruin your deal.The game has two main game modes: story mode and free mode. In story mode, you follow the plot of the story and make choices that affect the outcome. You can also replay the chapters that you have already completed, and try out different choices and outcomes.

[direwolfrules]

Hey, so, vent time. If you only follow me for Star Wars related nonsense then this is your warning to escape now. If you hate LGBTQIA+ individuals then please just fucking leave. Get out, block me, drown in a river, whatever. Just leave.

My dad’s an old school Bensonhurst type of guy. He drops slurs like the US government drops bombs, liberally and with great intensity. And some of his favorites happen to be the homophobic ones.

Now, I feel that I should mention that I’m only out to my mom. My dad has no idea that his daughter is anything less than 100% heterosexual. Part of that is because of the reasons in this post.

So, my dad loves to throw around a certain word that begins with D. I’m not censoring it because of any bullshit TikTok nonsense btw, but because I physically cannot type it out with wanting to cry.

Dad loves the D word. Him and my uncle, always throwing it around. Any woman who looks slightly butch? “She looks D***y”. Any time my mom mentions her multitude of sapphic coworkers? “Is that the D**e one?”

And in one particularly fun incident, when I was 13 my mom and I got into our eight millionth fight about my wearing a dress to a school function (I wanted to wear my really nice pantsuit and seriously how the fuck did my mom not know until I came out?!) and my dad decided to throw in his two cents. Can you guess what he said? I’ll give you a hint. It rhymes with “You look like a shmike”.

Great thing for little me who was first realizing that straight girls don’t think about kissing other girls to hear. Set me so far back in the closet I didn’t even see the door again till senior year of high school. Can you see why I’m not out to this man yet? Or possibly ever? I can just hide a part of myself away forever, right?

Now, this brings me to what happened not even a full fucking hour ago. Family dinner, everything was nice, until we started talking about how a guy we were once associated with got blacklisted from a local vet because he got into the face of a woman who also does animal rescue. My dad asks “Was it a woman who’d need protection or one of those really d**ey looking ones?”

I tell him not to say that word again, because I have friends in the community and I fucking hate slurs (again, not out and not coming out to him anytime soon). He gets pissy, tries to say it’s just a word, he’s always used it, he doesn’t get what the big deal is, it’s just a descriptor, etc.

My mom plays peacemaker between the two of us, corrects dad on his vocabulary and introduces him to the word butch, and my mom tries to tell me that I have to understand her and dad are from a different generation (you know, that old excuse, as if my great-grandfather who served in WWII didn’t wash out his children and grandchildren’s mouths with soap for saying slurs, because “Hateful language doesn’t need malice behind it to be hateful”).

I admit, I escalated it. I, with tears in my eyes because it fucking sucks hearing slurs that apply to you from the mouth of someone who’s supposed to love you unconditionally, brought up the incident from when I was 13. That he knew that word is an insult because he used it as one against me. He knows how to use that word in hate.

It was the first time I’ve brought up that incident since it happened. You see, we don’t talk about stuff in my family, we bottle up all our emotions until they explode in either rage or near suicidal depression. Healthy, I know.

Anyway, dad got pissy, things got tense and silent, until I asked him to pass the bread. He fucking flung the bread knife down on the table in front of me. Which. I’m a 19 year old with out of wack hormones, it’s expected that I be a little bitchy (literally what my doctor said, love her). What’s his excuse?

So like, yeah. Now I’m just doing that fucking shame spiral thing in my room where I hate myself and wishing I didn’t think girls were just like, fucking amazing. I think my life would have been a hell of a lot easier if I was only into guys. At least then I wouldn’t feel like someone took an ice pick to my heart every time my dad and uncle make another fucking gay joke.

My mom tries at least, but she’s got no fucking idea what to say to me. She was raised not to rock the boat. Unfortunately, it’s already been rocked and I’m off the side, drowning under the waves. I’m drowning, and instead of pulling me up my dad’s wacking me over the head with the oar, and he doesn’t even fucking realize it.