#shout out if you get the reference of 52

[whimizera-me]

finding a blonde person attractive is like getting shot 52 times for me

[prael]

Kinktember 2024 - A Retrospective

What. A. Month. I want to start with my gratitude to every single person who read, commented, liked, reblogged, sent asks, discussed, and otherwise interacted in any other possible way with this whole shebang.

To close it all out, I want to give some of my thoughts and peel back the curtain a little on Kinktember.

Some Facts

168,396 words. One hundred and sixty-eight thousand, three hundred and ninety-six words. Averaging at 5,155 words per fic. Wow.

52 unique idols made an appearance and four were featured on more than one occasion; Wonyoung, Karina, Chaewon and Sakura are the four idols who hold that prestige.

Writing time on these pieces varied heavily, while I attempted to constrict myself to writing each fic in a single day, some of them got far beyond initially planned, with the most amount of time being spent on day 18, the IU fic. That one took roughly a total of 20 hours including editing. The quickest was as short as a 2-hour turnaround on days 14 and 15 (Chaewon and Youngeun).

Special Thanks

I’d like to take a moment before giving my personal thoughts to make a special token of gratitude to certain people. While there has been so much support from so many people and I would love to shout everyone out, I’m limiting myself to just a few.

Firstly, to @maemisnippets for the message on 14/07/2024 that was simply “Stand and carry” in reference to Youngeun. That single simple message became the catalyst for this entire Kinktember.

Secondly, to @midnightdancingsol for taking the time to help me make the initial plan for all the days of Kinktember and making many great suggestions that spawned a lot of these fics. Also thank you to everyone else for your suggestions and ideas.

Finally, to @capslocked for a great many things, from discussing details as small as how to format my posts to everything else you did.

Your Questions

Did you set yourself a time to do each one like a challenge to finish each to make it manageable? I gave myself 1 day per fic, whatever time I could spare during that day would be all I had to complete it, I think for around 27 of them, I managed to stick to this schedule. Some of them did spill over into a second day, such as the longer ones like IU.

How the hell did you find the motivation/inspiration to complete the whole thing? Honestly, I found it incredibly fun. I think I often get stuck in bigger projects and my brain gets all foggy, but with all of these fic being quick and snappy, I never got that feeling. Things kept being fresh and exciting and I was pretty much always looking forward to jumping into the next fic.

How did you approach choosing your kinks? / How did you come up with more of the exotic kinks? First I started with the obvious ones, the ones that instantly came to mind, and just threw them into a list. There are some niche ones that I always wanted to write too, but never had a reason to, such as electrophilia and vicarphilia. So even the more ‘exotic’ choices, I was acutely aware of. Then to round it out I did a little research online and pulled together a list of ‘potential’ kinks, which allowed me to fill out the missing slots.

Did you find varying each entry to be easy or difficult? What went into your thought process when it came to setting up each of the entries and the kink involved? Collecting a list of varied kinks was rather easy, at least initially, once I cut that down to the ones I would like to write, I ended up with a few spaces, and those final few became really difficult. But that’s why it’s great to have a community to lean on and ask for ideas. The thought process wasn’t really anything special beyond that. I just created a list and then picked out what I wanted to write, and then decided on idols to feature in each one. This leads nicely onto the image below, I scraped this initial list from a DM with another writer. As you can see, the initial list I put together on day one contained a large number of the ideas that made it into the final cut. This also serves as an answer to the questions on what ideas I decided to drop.

How did you match the featured idol(s) to the kink you have planned? Was it based on their idol personality? Or was it just random? I approached it in a similar way to how I would with most other fics, where if I think an idol’s personality lends itself to the fic, then I will do just that. Of course, it’s impossible to be really accurate and I had to take some creative liberties where needed. Although, on some occasions, I did just throw an idol in there and write her without thinking about her actual personality too much. This usually happens with idols I know less about.

I'm curious how you went about writing some of the more nicher kinks like electrophilia? The simple answer would be to say that I approached it the same way as I did every other fic. None of the kinks required me to do any further research as they’re all kinks that I’m familiar with and am interested in. So in the end I just wrote what felt right.

Was there an idol that you started liking after finishing writing her? For the sake of my own enjoyment/motivation, I only chose to write idols I already liked. Though I would say that writing the Shuhua fic made me a lot more attracted to her than normal. I could also possibly put IU here too, since she’s not really on the forefront of my mind, but became much more so after writing her.

Was there an idol in particular that you 'wanted' to write, but ultimately switched it to a different idol instead? REI. How did I not write REI?! She was in the original draft list where I was going to do some form of bondage piece, but ultimately all the ideas I had for it were absorbed into other fics.

This feels like a good point to share this initial list I completed with Sol while planning. A lot of this remained true to plan, but you may spot some changes.

Now that it's done are you glad you did it or did you end up regretting your decision at some point? Overall, I’m happy and proud and think it was 100% worth it. I relished the challenge and it took me out of my comfort zone. Right now, the only regrets I have are the fics where I know I could have done more/better but I know that I have to accept that I did the best I could in the time constraints. There were times along the way when I had my regrets and wondered if I should even have bothered, particularly when a fic wasn’t well received, but I know now I had just to accept that.

Do you feel more familiar with your style/voice as a writer, if so: what have you discovered? Did you learn anything from this writing-wise? Discovered some new writing styles and possibly improved some? I think the most important thing I took away from this is how important it is to just get words down on the page. I have spent time previously stuck in my own head and grinding to a halt in a fic when trying to make things work. Kinktember simply wouldn’t allow that, so I had to adapt. I learned to be ruthless by deleting the things that didn’t work and pushing on without trying to be overly perfect. I don’t think I developed my ‘voice’ or style too much because I believe it did have to take a backseat at times in order to maintain pace. However, I did get the opportunity to try new things, such as FxF and writing for a gender-neutral reader and also varying the pacing within the fics. Fics such as the Kkura one where I cut together four short, connected scenes really suited the concept and were very fresh to write.

Which fic do you think the idol and the kink are a 'perfect' match? Maybe in terms of reader reception or how quickly you got into the flow state when writing it? Well, I wasn’t sure at the time, but I was told that Karina and dressing up as a maid worked really well. I also think there were a few really obvious combinations that I leaned on, such as spanking Chaewon and having Ryujin and Yeji scissor, or having Minju be a doll. Those are ones that just instantly clicked for me and I thought to myself it was a perfect match. I would say I entered the biggest flow state when writing the Moka x Yunah, I found it incredibly hot, so much so that I finished the fic and then when going to edit, I wrote the second scene. Idk I’m just really down bad for Moka rn. Also, I hear that I really nailed the Yunjin/Kkura/Chaewon dynamic, so probably that one too.

Is there a fic that you would have written regardless but just so happened to be included in kinktember, if that makes sense? I never really know what I’m going to write next until I’m writing it, and I never know if it will be posted until I post it. This makes it hard for me to really guarantee that anything in Kinktember would one day come to fruition. The closest to it would be part 2 of the Minji fic, How Sweet To Be Alone. I always wanted to follow up on it, so being able to add it as a kinktember fic became a bit of a perfect storm. There are other fics too that I always wanted to write, and maybe I would have one day, but kinktember made it a reality.

Would you do kinktember(or any other variant) again? Would you recommend writers to try it at least once? I would say I’m more likely to do it again than I am not, but I can’t guarantee it. As for recommending it to other writers… the honest answer is no. I feel that it goes against so many of a writer's natural instincts. It takes over your life. It consumes your time. You’re forced to work unnaturally hard and you’re forced to reduce your standards. I don’t think it’s healthy for anyone to push to do something like this.

Finally, throughout the month I had so many nice asks that I couldn't respond to, but I read them all and appreciated them all so much.

[longwuzhere]

My Adventures with Superman Season 2 Easter Eggs

Welcome to another week of My Adventures with Superman! My hunch about the what happened last week was true and things are not going too well for the gang...

My Easter eggs lists for season 1 is here if you haven't seen it!

My season 2 episode 1 Easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman post is here

My season 2 episode 2 Easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman post is here

My season 2 episode 3 Easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman post is here

My Easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman comic issue 1 post is here

My season 2 episode 4 Easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman post is here

My season 2 episode 6 Easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman post is here

My season 2 episode 7 Easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman post is here

My Easter eggs and references for My Adventures with Superman comic issue 2 post is here

My season 2 episode 8 Easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman post is here

My season 2 episode 9 Easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman post is here

My season 2 episode 10 Easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman post is here

My Easter eggs and references for My Adventures with Superman comic issue 3 post is here

Spoilers if you haven't seen the episode

To start things off we meet Kara on Earth! I talked more about her here. Shes's dressed similarly to Android 18 when she, 17, and 16 drive to Goku's house in episode 147 of Dragon Ball Z. While watching the episode I was wondering why does Kara's hair look so familiar? Then it hit me. Kara's got Sakuya Kumashiro's hair from Tenchi in Tokyo!

Shout out to recent DC characters enjoy ice cream for the first time like Wonder Woman in the live action movie and Justice League animated movie, and the new DC Super Hero Girls cartoon. As a mint chocolate chip ice cream fan, good first choice of ice cream to enjoy!

Perry puts Clark and Lois on a new beat for the Metropolis "Most Eligible Single" contest because Superman was chosen to be one of the five up for that title. Cat Grant self-invites herself to join the duo to figure out who Superman is through his love life. Lois is sweating bullets at this point. At the contest we meet the potential people for winning the title, Hank Henshaw, Chandi Gupta, Byrna Brilyant, and Silver St. Cloud. I talked more about Hank Henshaw here. We see a darker more bigoted side to him this time around. Will we see him get his cyborg body and become Cyborg Superman in this season or season 3? Who knows. Season 3 is confirmed though.

Dr. Byrna Brilyant is a very deep DC universe cut dating back to 1946, the golden age of comics. Back then Byrna Brilyant was an enemy to Wonder Woman going by the moniker, Blue Snowman.

Byrna in the 1940s makes her first appearance in Sensation Comics #59 (1946) [W: Joye Hummel, P&I: H.G. Peter], where she was a teacher who's father created this compound called blue ice, after his death, she uses it as a way to extort this town after freezing it over for monetary gain.

Byrna makes another appearance in 2010 in Power Girl #7 (2010) [W Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti, P&I: Amanda Conner, C: Paul Mounts, L: John J. Hill] where Dr. Mid-Nite and Power Girl are trying to stop Byrna from committing a robbery but the main bad guy, Vartox shoots a seduction musk rifle at Power Girl but the smell knocks out Dr. Mid-Nite and it works on Byrna, but not Power Girl. This all makes more sense if you read the comic.

Byrna's next appearance post-New 52 was in Superman/Wonder Woman #4 (2014) [W: Charles Soule, P: Paulo Siqueira, I&C: Hi-Fi, L: Carlos M. Mangual] where we see Wonder Woman and Hessia battling the Blue Snowman robots.

Byrna's latest appearance post-DC Rebirth is in DC: Love is a Battlefield #1 (2021) [W: Crystal Fraiser, P&I: Juan Gedeon, C:Ulises Arreola, L: Marshal Dillion, where Byrna is now gender fluid after interrupting a date between Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor. Good on Wonder Woman for letting them go and hoping the realization there is a word for what Byrna was feeling would make them feel much better. So going forward if we meet Byrna again, I'll be referring to them with they/them pronouns, but if its New 52 continuity and before, Byrna will be referred to with she/her pronouns with the continuities to help clarify the pronoun usages.

Chadi Gupta is also another deep cut from the DC universe because she's reference to her comic counterpart from Justice League Europe.

Chandi makes her first appearance in Justice League Europe #47 (1993) [W: Gerard Joes, P: Ron Randall, I: Randy Elliot, C: Gene D'Angelo, L: Willie Schubert] where she's escaping her family and comes across the the JLE and wants to join them. Her energy projection and construct creation powers came in handy for the JLE in issue 50 where she and the rest of the JLE were able to fend off Sonar's attack and that earned her a spot on Justice League Europe as the superhero Maya.

Silver St. Cloud is probably one of the more prominent characters from the DC universe who showed up in MAwS. She got into the pop culture zeitgeist through the Gotham tv show when it aired.

Silver St. Cloud makes her first appearance in Detective Comics #470 (1977) [W: Steven Engleheart, P: Walter Simonson, I: Al Milgrom, C: Jerry Serpe, L: Ben Oda] where she meets Bruce Wayne at a party on his yacht. She eventually becomes one of Bruce Wayne's more prominent love interests and one of the few who were suspecting Bruce to be Batman thanks to his constant disappearing.

She shows up in post-new 52 in the maybe possibly out of cotinuity anthology, Legends of the Dark Knight (2014) digital comics, specifically as a cameo in issue #50, Dr. Quinn's Diagnosis [W: Jim Zub, P&I: Niel Googe, C: Kathryn Layno, L: Saida Temofonte], where Batman is getting psychoanalyzed by Harley Quinn.

If you want to read a comic with a fun appearance of Silver St. Cloud give Batman/Elmer Fudd Special #1 (2017) [W: Tom King, P&I: Lee Weeks, C: Lovern Kindzierski, L: Deron Bennet] a read cuz goddamn is it noir AF and beautifully drawn (a while back DC superheroes crossed over with Looney Tunes characters and its very good. They have also done it with Hanna Barbera characters as well. Give those a read too! They're all fun!)!

The charity that MAwS Silver mentions was first mentioned in Superman #152 (1967) [W: Bill Finger, P&I: Al Plastino] where Superman is accepting a clock medallion for a charity event. In the comics Silver St. Cloud isn't usually working for charities, shes mostly a Gotham socialite.

At the event, the MC (who gives off Funky Flashman vibes imo), asked if anyone has questions and the first to jump on that was George Taylor of the Metropolis Star. I talked about the Metropolis Star here, but for George Taylor...

he actually makes his first appearance here in Action Comics #1 (1938) [W: Jerry Seigel, P&I: Joe Shuster, C: Strauss Engraving Company] where he is the editor-in-chief of the Daily Star.

In the silver age, George Taylor makes his first appearance in Superman #366 (1981) [W: Bob Eozakis, P: Kurt Schaffenberger, I: Frank Chiaramonte, C: Adrienne Roy, L: John Costanza] where he assigns Perry White on the Superboy scoop to see if he's active in Metropolis. In post-Crisis on Infinite continuity, George makes a cameo appearance in Adventures of Superman #451 (1989) [W,P,&I: Jerry Ordway, C: Glenn Whitmoore, L: Albert DeGuzman] where we see George's office door.

In the New 52 continuity, George Taylor makes his first appearance in Action Comics #8 (2012) [W: Grant Morrison, P: Rags Morales, I: Rick Bryant, C: Brad Anderson, L: Pat Brosseau] as editor-in-chief for the Daily Star where in the comic he's proud of Clark and encourages him to take the job at the Daily Planet.

Kara and Jimmy make it into the studio where Lois, Superman, and Cat Grant are and Kara confronts Superman showing off that she's the one in the armor. She is on a two-way radio communications with someone named Primus. Whether that is Brainiac's designation when Kara is on the field or its a different character all together, there is a Primus in the DC universe, not just in the Transformers universe. Btw this isn't Kara's first time siding with an evil faction, she was part of Darkseid's Female Furies in the 2004 Superman/Batman series, specifically in issue #11. You might have also seen it happen in the Superman/Batman: Apocalypse animated movie too.

Primus aka Pren makes his first appearance in Green Lantern #141 (1981) [W: Marv Wolfman, P&I: Joe Stanton, C: Carl Gafford, L: John Costanza] where he is the leader of the alien group, the Omega Men from the Vega star system. They jump Hal when he and Carol Ferris were on vacation thinking Hal is part of the Citadel, an extraterrestrial empire that is conquering the star system the Omega Men are in.

Primus/Pren NuParr makes his New 52 first appearance in Deathstroke #9 (2012), but gets a more prominent role in the Omega Man limited series from 2015 [panel from The Omega Men #1 (2015) W: Tom King, P&I: Barnaby Bagenda, C: Romulo Farjardo Jr., L: Pat Brosseau]. In this continuity, the Citadel is now a corporation that was exploiting Krypton's destruction by by selling stabilized planet cores to other worlds. This comes at a cost where the Vega star system is enslaved by them and those who resisted we killed and the survivors formed the Omega Men.

And with that another episodes Easter eggs and references are done! Come back next week to see what episode 6's Easter eggs and references are! In case you missed it:

My Easter eggs lists for season 1 is here if you haven't seen it!

My season 2 episode 1 Easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman post is here

My season 2 episode 2 Easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman post is here

My season 2 episode 3 Easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman post is here

My Easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman comic issue 1 post is here

My season 2 episode 4 Easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman post is here

My season 2 episode 6 Easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman post is here

My season 2 episode 7 Easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman post is here

My Easter eggs and references for My Adventures with Superman comic issue 2 post is here

My season 2 episode 8 Easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman post is here

My season 2 episode 9 Easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman post is here

My season 2 episode 10 Easter eggs and references in My Adventures with Superman post is here

My Easter eggs and references for My Adventures with Superman comic issue 3 post is here

[euhla]

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ BLUE SIDE | ron kamonohashi

ʚɞ ron kamonohashi x fem! reader 𓂃 ❪ wc 1k, before you read: manga spoilers, fluff, comfort, BLUE student!ron, ron is whipped for you, love confession, pet names, a lot of teasing ‹𝟹 ❫ 𓂃 ⓘ a/n : okay so . . . i may or may not whipped for this man right there. i also have a huge crush on his BLUE student era, cs cmon he looks so cool in that hairstyle and that stupid confident face (also i’m so desperate for ron x reader fics cs i can’t find a lot of them on tumblr or ao3) ୭˚. ᵎᵎ

.𖥔 ݁ ˖ summary : “ i want to put you in my blue dream,” ron’s voice almost feel like a whisper. you stopped your walk to turn to face him. feeling your heart beating painfully fast, you ask. and he reply,”i want to hold you in my blue dream.”

or a love confession in ron’s way.

the smell of rain and wet trees has been wandering around BLUE academy for a while now. a stunning blue-violet hue in the sky while the rain fog still linger is an enough reason for other students to stay still at their dorm.

well, except for a certain people.

a male student, with his polished and neat hairstyle. eveything about him is perfect, and he knows it. he knows it all too well. and that’s why he’s so annoyingly confident about his attractive appearance and his brilliance mind. that damn smirk when he knows that no one dare to get on his way—

and a female student, you, who’s brave enough to even stand next to him. other students, even the teachers question your sanity everytime you’re together with him. i mean, they prefer eating a burnt expired toast than trapped in a same room with the infamous lone wolf— ron kamonohashi.

and again, you’re an exception for that.

you rather trapped in a same room with the ron kamonohashi, as if it was a normal occurrence.

“this case is strangely interesting,” you hear ron’s mumble that almost feel like an excited shout.

you stopped writing, and then look at him that’s beside you. “mind if i remind you that this is a library? please don’t suddenly shout like that, ron.”

“well, mind if i remind you that there’s no one here beside us? the librarian also left us here alone. no one’s gonna complain about it anyway.” ah, he’s right. you exhale, and then let out a, “sure.”

“what’s the case anyway?” you ask. completely forgetting about your writing and now focusing on whatever ron gonna say.

“about the sun prison case.”

“ah.. the case that no one has solve.”

ron smirk, the damn smirk that you know too well. but you rather refer it as ‘the calm before the storm’ because the next thing he’s gonna say is—

“as my detective partner, shouldn’t you help me solving that case, dear?” —that damn same line.

that nickname he called you always managed to make you blush. “i told you to stop calling me that.” he chuckled, and you never believe that you’ll hear something heavenly before.

“i love seeing that expression of yours.” and he’s confident that he can always make you too stunned to protest.

“if you ever tease me again, i’m not gonna buy you a brown sugar syrup,” you say with a smile. and ron whined in defeat.

“come to think of it, i think you’re more like a whalien 52 rather than a lone wolf,” ron almost choked on the brown sugar syrup he’s drinking. really? that thing? like him?

some students that’s not far from you immediately try to go away from both of you as far as they can. because they don’t want to get splashed by ron’s sacred brown sugar syrup, again.

“now the students don’t want to get near you.” you cross your arm, looking at ron with a bored eye. he remained silent. but it suddenly makes you realized how attractive he is.

“why would i need them when i already have you, anyway?”

now it’s you who choked from the air. “y- you—! ugh..” you try to regain your composure again, but it’s difficult since he just said that casually.

you’re too busy to hide your flustered face when you failed to see his smile. “anyway, let’s go to fin-sensei! she must be waiting for us. also don’t ever compare me to whalien 52 again,” he excitingly said.

ron patted your back, then grabbed your wrist gently. this is a normal thing to you, but never to others. so it’s understandable that the other students who see that was jaw-dropped seeing that scene.

“it’s ron and his... detective partner?”

“how can she get a different treatment?!”

yeah, very understandable.

it’s normal, you think. it’s normal, you try to convince yourself. no, it’s not normal when he only do that to you! your mind shouts, and starting to feel the heat on your face again.

it’s lucky that ron is behind you while holding your hand right now, so he can’t see your flustered face. and you can’t help but feel secure everytime he’s like that. it’s like he got your back.

we’re close, just a few steps to fin fennec’s office. until ron called your name in that unusual soft tone (he always call you softly). you answer his call without stopping your steps, just like you always do.

“i want to put you in my blue dream.” ron’s voice almost feel like a whisper. and you don’t know what’s strange right now; what he just said or his sudden change.

you stopped your walk to turn to face him. feeling your heart beating painfully fast, you reply:

“..what an odd thing to say.” he’s always been like that, too complex for everyone to understand. and even if he got you on all of his exception, you’re still far away to understand him completely.

but as far away as you are, you’re not stupid enough not to notice a faint red hue on his cheek and ears. for the first time, the ron kamonohashi feels like his words stucked on his throat.

“i want to hold you in my blue dream.” your fingers are still linked to each other. everything feels so fast; you open your mouth to ask him what he mean with that, but he already continue—

“in other words, i like you, you idiot.”

oh

oh.

you can’t even think straight anymore. it’s like you’re overheating with all of this things. also, is he trembling now?

“and my perfect deductions said,” he inhales. trying to find his usual confident. “that you share the mutual feelings with me.”

you can’t hold back the smile anymore, so you smile.

“of course the genius ron kamonohashi’s deductions always right,” you immediately hug him. “i like you too.”

“glad to know that my deduction is right again.” he returns your hug, letting himself fall into your embrace. and cupped your face, and with that damn confident of him, he kissed your lips. “my pretty baby got me whipped for her.”

…

….

“seriously?! that damn lovebird just kissed in front of madame fin’s office!” someone shouted inside the office.

“finally that lovesick ron confessed his feelings after these years. you must be happy for him too, shachi.”

[athena-xox]

All the known cards from the deck of instructions the Queen of Hearts gave Lizzie. 30/52

Worms speak, indeed they do,

but not to such as me and you.

All they ever say is “mud mud food,” so you need not listen good. Practice Not Listening to worms today. And by worms, I mean people.

Never ever ever ever ever ever ever ever admit there’s something you don’t know. Because you know everything.

You may have just forgotten

a piece of the everything. Also, don’t tell anyone you forgot.

A queen stands and shouts in hollow rooms when feeling faint,

for she is her own echo.

She is the thing that stands between

the been and the seen,

and pushes either side wide.

A queen stands for herself,

and by herself, and on her legs.

For legs are what make her stand.

But not four legs. Or forelegs.

She also stands for land. Her land. Wonderland. Without land, one wonders where one would stand. Especially queens.

In summary: Push. Shout. Stand. Be a queen.

It is better to be gloved than bearded, and better to be fearded than loved.

When in doubt, shout!

If you want something done right, you must do it yourself.

So make sure you personally order servants all by yourself to do what you want done.

A ship is only as floaty as its leakiest timber, and friends are the leakiest timber of all. Sail not on the Friend Ship, Lizzie,

lest you drown in an ocean of tears!

Already Been Chewed food (hereafter referred to as ABC food) can appear appetizing, but not for such as you. Eat no ABC food today.

Frogs are mostly faces. Notice a frog today and make a face.

ON WITH ITS HEAD!

:) JK. Behead something today!

Rugs are the unnatural spawn of Rabbits and Hugs. Beware rugs. (Could also be Rubber and Bugs. In any case, BEWARE RUGS!)

Worms NEED things. But a princess such as you ORDERS things. Today, put your things in order by ordering things to be what they are. And then, for fun, order them to be what they are not

Whether up or down, inside or out, it is yours. Own the down. Own the up.

A queen worrying about others is like a baker worried he’s making too many muffins.

As if there could be such a thing as

Too Many Muffins. Ha! WORRY NOT! AND EAT MORE MUFFINS!

Above all else, avoid these things: vats of poison, Jabberwocks, paper cuts on fingertips,

and Concern For Others.

If ever you detect Concern For Others squirming into you,

shout at people till the feeling goes away.

Or the people do.

Things are never lost to you; you are lost to them. If ever in need of a Thing that has lost you, simply stop hiding from it.

Beware Empathy! Empathy forces you to Understand how others are feeling and to Care! Danger! Danger!

Friends are one R away from fiends. Avoid friends at all costs!

Also anyone to whom the R does not come naturally (pirates are okay).

(A Wonderlandiful World)

Rule my way.

I’ll be watching.

(Lizzie Shuffles the Deck)

Everything has a place and should be put in it. That will be your job, since people, things, and in-betweens tend to forget their place.

Secrets are secrets and cannot be told. If anyone tells you a secret, they are lying. If anyone tells you a lie, they might be secreting. In either case, step away. Lies and secretions are to be avoided.

To succeed in life as a queen and princess, you need four things in your brain and two in your pocket. The pocket things are solid, and the brain things are not. Be sure not to mix them up.

Puddles are the thing you think is the thing, but is really the top of the thing, and the bottom makes you drown.

Hair hides skin, but hide can also be skin, especially if you have four legs. Count your legs and comb your hair.

Depending on where you live, a boot can be a foot case, a trunk case, or a preposition. Be sure you know where you are before getting dressed. When in doubt, go barefoot.

Never believe a lie. Unless it’s the truth—then go right ahead.

Fish love to be confused. Tell a fish a riddle today that has no answer.

Clouds are well and fine up in the sky, but never let one into your mind. Not even if it says “Please.”

Tomatoes are sneaky. They love to trick you into believing they are strawberries or cherries or apples. Before taking a bite, point at the thing and declare, “You are a tomato!” That’ll show ’em!

Yelling “Off with your head!” is a lot more fun than actually following through. Invest time in more pleasant pursuits, like croquet and competitive eating.

(Once Upon a Time)

If you want similar content links to the books, eah slang dictionary and more is here.

[asma-al-husna]

Allah calls Himself Ash-Shaheed— The All-and-Ever Witnessing— on 18 occasions in the Quran. Ash-Shaheed is the witness whose sight no one can escape. He is the One with full knowledge of all matters, witnessing the apparent and hidden, anywhere, any time.  Ash-Shaheed is the witness and observer of all creation, thoughts, and actions, and the ultimate witness on the Day of Judgment!

 

The Witness, the Testifier, the Certifier


Shaheed comes from the root sheen-haa-daal, which points to three main meanings. The first meaning is “to bear witness.” The second meaning is to offer testimony, and the third is to have knowledge of something.

This root appears 160 times in the Quran in nine derived forms. Examples of these forms include yashhadu (“to testify”), ashhidoo (“to take witness”), shahaadati (“the seen”) and shuhadaa (“witnesses, martyrs”).

Shaheed refers to Allah’s awareness of everything; He hears every sound, loud and quiet, and sees the small and the large. In addition, He is the One who will testify for or against His servants for their deeds.

Ash-Shaheed Himself says:

Say: What thing is the greatest witness? Say: Allah is shaheed between you and I; this Qur’an has been revealed to me that I may warn therewith – you and whomsoever it may reach. [Quran, 6:19]

Allah is Witness over all things. [Quran, 58: 6]  Allah is sufficient as Witness. [Quran, 4: 79]

Allah (Himself) is Witness that there is no god save Him. And the angels and the people of knowledge (too are witnesses). [Quran, 3:18]

A Scene of the Souls

When Allah created Adam, He wiped Adam’s back and every person that He will create from him until the Day of Resurrection fell out from his back. [At-Tirmidhi and Al-Haakim] Allah stated that He brought the descendants of Adam out of their fathers’ loins, and they testified against themselves that Allah is their Lord and King and that there is no deity worthy of worship except Him. Allah then said,(and made them testify as to themselves (saying): “Am I not your Lord” They said: “Yes!”) [Tafseer ibn Katheer]
This was your first testimony and it means we will have no excuse on the Day of Judgement!
It will be said to a man from the people of the Fire on the Day of Resurrection, “If you owned all that is on the earth, would you pay it as ransom’ He will reply, `Yes.’ Allah will say, `I ordered you with what is less than that, when you were still in Adam’s loins, that is, associate none with Me (in worship). You insisted that you associate with Me (in worship).” [Tafseer ibn Katheer]

How Can You Live By This Name?

1. Say the sahahda, live the shahada. The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: Man shahida an la ilaha illallah dakhala al-jannah – Whoever witnesses that there is no god but Allah alone enters Paradise.[Saheeh Muslim]. Your testimony of faith in Allah is something you not only utter, but must live by. When you say I bear witness there is no god but Allah it means that in your talk and actions, in your house or outside you show that you love Allah more than anyone else, you accept Him as your Creator, Master and Ruler of the universe, that you worship Him alone in all matters and not your desires or others’ directions. Next time when you say the shahada in your prayer, reflect upon the meaning. Increase in saying la ilaha illallah to renew your emaan!

2. Trust in Ash-Shaheed. Ash-Shaheed says in this beautiful soothing ayah: So wait patiently for your Lord’s decree, for surely you are in Our sight. [Quran, 52: 48]  Rest assured that any unjust treatment by the hands of others you go through, slander, gossip or abuse, Ash-Shaheed is your Witness and you will get justice.

3. Remember that you are a servant. It’s sometimes easy to shout at your family or children inside the house, or even oppress someone when you are in a position of authority over them. Remind yourself in each situation, wherever you are, whoever you talk to, whatever position you have, that you are a servant of Allah. Ash-Shaheed is witnessing every step you take and will you to account. Use this tip: when you are about to do something wrong, look up at the sky and imagine Ash-Shaheed watching you!

4. Don’t make your limbs testify against you.Use your tongue for speech beloved by Ash-Shaheed, your eyes to read the Quran, your limbs to pray to Him as they will all testify as what you used them for! The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: I was amazed at how a servant will dispute with his Lord on the Day of Resurrection. He will say, “My Lord, did You not promise me that you would not treat me unjustly” Allah will say, “Yes.” The man will say, “I will not accept any witness against me except from myself.” Allah will say, “Is it not sufficient that I and the angels, the noble scribes, are witnesses” These words will be repeated several times, then a seal will be placed over his mouth and his organs (or limbs) will speak about what he used to do. Then he will say, “Away with you! It was only for your sake that I was arguing!”)” [Muslim and An-Nasa’i]

5. Always stand up for the truth. Always stand up for the truth in your testimonies, even if it is against yourself! Sometimes it is hard to admit a mistake, or testifying for the truth might even endanger you, but know this characteristic is one of true honour of a believer, which earns you not just a place in Paradise, but a place of honour!  And those who are in their testimonies upright and those who [carefully] maintain their prayer: they will be in gardens, honoured. [Quran, 70:33-35]

Wallahu ta’alaa ‘alem.

O Allah, Ash-Shaheed, we know that You witness all things. Guide us to live by the shahada and make us utter the testimony of faith on our deathbed. Help us remember that You are witnessing us, and make this awareness an inspiration for us to increase our good deeds. Make us always stand up for the truth and join us with the prophets and shuhadaa in the highest Paradise, ameen!

[thatstheproblemwithnapkinman]

@bluejaysgonerogue i wanted to do a proper post so:

more people can see it

people can add to the list

(this is my opinion, please please if you have other comics, add them to the list)

im actually a big fan of the "newer" stuff, we're talking new 52 onwards, purely bc it works nicely in the times

new 52 starts strong with a storyline that's all about dick's past, and given it ocvurred after a hard reset, it's easy to get into

so:

nightwing 2011 (30 issues + 1 annual)

grayson (20 issues + 3 annuals + futures end, a weird special that i would honestly skip)

nightwing 2016 (109 issues and counting + 5 annuals + nightwing rebirth that comes before the run)

there's also the 2? previous nightwing runs:

nightwing 1995 (five issue limited run + alfred's return #1 special that comes first)

nightwing 1996 (153 issues + issue 1/2 + issue 1,000,000 + a whole host of specials)

2? because does nightwing 1995 actually count as a proper run???

you might also hear them referred to by volumes, 1995 is vol 1, 1996 is vol 2, 2011 is vol 3 or new-52, 2016 is vol 4 or rebirth

grayson is a bit weird but my absolute favourite dick ever. it's a spy thriller and doesn't have a lot of batfam/titans/yj characters in it BUT it does have a lot of dick being awesome. there's also an 'event' that takes place during grayson called robin war, very fun and a good show of dick's skills and manipulation.

to top it off, robin year one is always quoted as essential reading so i'd check it out too (before anyone shouts nightwing year one, it's issues 101-106 of vol 2)

there's also a lot of batman that features dick, he has a nice feature in both hush and under the (red) hood but nothing major, both giving us some nice interaction with bruce. both are also just incredible and deserving of being on the list of iconic batman

batman and robin 2009 is a lot of fun bc it features dick as batman, and damian wayne as his robin. this is a dynamic that i just love and is where episode 113 os WFA just hits hard (and why damian leans on dick so much, he is dick's robin)

oooooo and a lonely place of dying (1989) is brilliant. it's the introduction of tim drake and features dick. it's great, you should read it. it comes after a death in the family which is also just amazing. no dick, just jason, but fun (dick was in space at the time with the titans, tamaran i think)

i do just want to give a warning for nightwing 2016, it gets weird from issue 50 onwards. there's a period where the comics shift massively (#50-77 no spoilers) and then the current run by tom taylor is fine but misses a chunk of his character. i still like it but it's not the best thing for his character

OMG i forgot about titans runs lmao. ngl, i haven't read that much titans so i will leave that to one side so any experts can accurately recommend. i will say that i have enjoyed the very recent worlds finest: teen titans (2023) limited run a lot, back in the robin days, deals with dick and bruce's relationship and his relationships with the team. (also wally is there and i love wally)

TL;DR

start with nightwing 2011 and work forwards moving to grayson and then to nightwing 2016. then go back and read the older stuff

i have absolutely missed a lot BUT this is kind of my "short n sweet" run down, iconic dick grayson is like, most of dick grayson, so it's hard. the common advice (and what i did) was new 52, grayson, rebirth

tbh this is like a basics list, the required reading if you will, not that you need to read any of it but if you do want to, this is a good starting point. a lot of the runs have these crossovers, like robin war and death of the family (not the jason one, this is a weird vol 3 thing), so you get to read other comics too for those issues)

also sorry for the just random other non-nightwing comics, i got excited

i definitely forgot some stuff, again i'm sorry, but go vibe with dick and have a good time and also your fic?? if you'd be willing to share??? i'm always looking for new stuff to read (do not feel pressured into sharing it if you don't want to tho)

i hope you enjoy your nightwing experience, it can seem overwhelming but take it slow, comics aren't that long, and just remember that even yj and WFA are better than nothing (or the live action titans /hj)

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

The Burden Against the Valley of Vision

1 The burden concerning the Valley of Vision. What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops, 2 Thou that art full of uproar, a tumultuous city, a joyous town? Thy slain are not slain with the sword, nor dead in battle. 3 All thy rulers are fled together, Without the bow they are bound; All that are found of thee are bound together, they are fled afar off. 4 Therefore said I: ‘Look away from me, I will weep bitterly; Strain not to comfort me, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.’ 5 For it is a day of trouble, and of trampling, and of perplexity, From the Lord, the GOD of hosts, in the Valley of Vision; Kir shouting, and Shoa at the mount. 6 And Elam bore the quiver, with troops of men, even horsemen; And Kir uncovered the shield. 7 And it came to pass, when thy choicest valleys were full of chariots, And the horsemen set themselves in array at the gate, 8 And the covering of Judah was laid bare, that thou didst look in that day to the armour in the house of the forest. 9 And ye saw the breaches of the city of David, that they were many; and ye gathered together the waters of the lower pool. 10 And ye numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and ye broke down the houses to fortify the wall; 11 ye made also a basin between the two walls for the water of the old pool— But ye looked not unto Him that had done this, Neither had ye respect unto Him that fashioned it long ago.

12 And in that day did the Lord, the GOD of hosts, call To weeping, and to lamentation, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth; 13 And behold joy and gladness, Slaying oxen and killing sheep, Eating flesh and drinking wine— ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we shall die!’ 14 And the LORD of hosts revealed Himself in mine ears: Surely this iniquity shall not be expiated by you till ye die, Saith the Lord, the GOD of hosts.

15 Thus saith the Lord, the GOD of hosts: Go, get thee unto this steward, Even unto Shebna, who is over the house: 16 What hast thou here, and whom hast thou here, That thou hast hewed thee out here a sepulchre, Thou that hewest thee out a sepulchre on high, And gravest a habitation for thyself in the rock? 17 Behold, the LORD will hurl thee up and down with a man’s throw; Yea, He will wind thee round and round; 18 He will violently roll and toss thee like a ball into a large country; There shalt thou die, and there shall be the chariots of thy glory, Thou shame of the lord’s house. 19 And I will thrust thee from thy post, And from thy station shalt thou be pulled down. 20 And it shall come to pass in that day, That I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah; 21 And I will clothe him with thy robe, And bind him with thy girdle, And I will commit thy government into his hand; And he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. 22 And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; And he shall open, and none shall shut; And he shall shut, and none shall open. 23 And I will fasten him as a peg in a sure place; And he shall be for a throne of honour to his father’s house.

24 And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups even to all the vessels of flagons. 25 In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall the peg that was fastened in a sure place give way; and it shall be hewn down, and fall, and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off; for the LORD hath spoken it. — Isaiah 22 | JPS Tanakh 1917 (JPST) The Holy Scriptures according to the Masoretic text; Jewish Publication Society 1917. Cross References: Genesis 45:8; Genesis 50:5; 1 Samuel 2:8; 1 Samuel 3:14; 1 Kings 7:2; 2 Kings 16:9; 2 Kings 18:18; 2 Kings 20:20; 2 Kings 25:4; Esther 9:24-25; Job 18:18; Job 40:11-12; Psalm 52:5; Isaiah 3:24; Isaiah 5:11; Isaiah 10:4; Isaiah 10:6; Isaiah 21:15; Isaiah 36:3; Jeremiah 1:15; Zechariah 6:13; Matthew 10:27; Matthew 16:19; Matthew 27:60; Luke 17:26; Luke 19:41; Revelation 3:7

[yhrkcnrk]

Tainted Hearts

Chapter 52 - Winter Winds

The chill of winter had already begun to seep into the school, with some students now sporting sweaters and scarves over their uniforms. The once warm classroom now had a different energy, with students excitedly chatting about the upcoming winter break.

Riko, Chika, and You were seated together, enjoying a break between lessons.

“It’s starting to get cold!” Chika exclaimed, rubbing her arms dramatically as if to emphasize the chill in the air.

“You know what that means,” You said with a grin, her voice full of anticipation.

Chika and You then shouted in unison, “Winter break!”

Riko couldn’t help but laugh at their synchronized excitement. “Winter break, huh?” she murmured, her tone more thoughtful than enthusiastic.

Noticing the change in Riko’s demeanor, Chika and You exchanged a look, then turned their attention to her.

“Don’t be sad, Riko-chan,” Chika said with a sympathetic smile. “Winter break doesn’t mean you won’t see her anymore,” she added, referring to Yoshiko with a knowing glance.

“Yeah!” You chimed in, leaning in closer. “You can go on winter dates, you know. And Christmas dates too!”

Riko chuckled at her friends’ eagerness, shaking her head. “No, it’s not that…” she started, but before she could continue, one of her classmates overheard and decided to chime in.

“What’s this? Sakurauchi’s going to miss all the schoolwork?” the classmate jeered, laughing loudly and drawing the attention of a few others who joined in the mocking laughter.

You clenched her fists, clearly annoyed, and was about to stand up when Riko reached out, placing a gentle hand on her arm. “It’s okay, You-chan,” she said softly, giving her friend a reassuring smile.

Reluctantly, You sat back down with a groan. “Fine...”

Chika, on the other hand, glanced into her bag and pulled out an orange, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “Can I throw one of my oranges at them, though?” she asked, holding it up as if ready to hurl it across the room.

Riko giggled at her friend’s antics. “No, Chika-chan.”

Chika pouted. “Aww...”

You sighed, her frustration still lingering. “Riko-chan, I don’t know how you can stand getting bad-mouthed like that.”

Riko shrugged, her expression calm. “I guess I’m just used to it now,” she said, her voice even. “I’ve heard all of their insults by this point. It’s nothing new.”

Chika stared at her in admiration. “How cool, Riko-chan!”

You and Chika shared a glance, both of them marveling at how composed and strong Riko seemed in the face of constant teasing. Riko, for her part, simply smiled at their reactions, grateful for her friends’ support.

------------------

A few days later, Riko was in her room at the Sakurauchi household, diligently working on her homework. The soft scratching of her pencil against the paper filled the quiet space when a knock came at her door.

“Riko dear?” her mother’s voice called softly from the hallway.

“You can come in, Mom,” Riko replied, putting her pencil down and sitting up a little straighter.

Her mother opened the door, stepping into the room with a gentle smile. “You know, we always go to visit your father in Canada for winter break and Christmas, right?”

Riko nodded. “Yes, that’s right,” she said, wondering where this conversation was going.

“Well,” her mother continued, a slight smile playing on her lips, “your father and I got to talking, and we’ve come to a decision... or, rather, I asked him to agree to something.”

Riko’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Why? You’re going to leave me here?”

Her mother let out a small laugh. “Yes, but no,” she teased, clearly enjoying Riko’s puzzled expression.

Now looking extra confused, Riko stared at her. “What do you mean?”

Her mother’s smile softened as she stepped closer. “Well, we were thinking—or, rather, I was thinking—that you could spend your winter break with your lover.”

Riko’s eyes widened in surprise, a blush instantly creeping onto her cheeks. “Mom…”

Her mother continued, undeterred by Riko’s reaction. “Since this is your first lover, it’s important to spend time with them. Especially on Christmas.”

Riko’s heart skipped a beat as her mom went on.

“And since you mentioned Yoshiko lives alone and isn’t very close to her parents, she might be lonely during Christmas. That’s why I’m giving you permission to spend your winter break with her.”

Riko blinked, absorbing this new information. Her mom’s words finally sank in, and a smile of disbelief spread across her face. “Really, Mom? Thank you!” she exclaimed, jumping up and hugging her mother tightly.

Her mom laughed, hugging her back. “You’re welcome, dear. Just make sure to tell her tomorrow, okay?”

Riko nodded eagerly, her heart racing with excitement. Spending winter break with Yoshiko? She couldn’t wait to tell her.

------------------

The next day during lunch, Riko and Yoshiko sat together inside Yoshiko’s classroom as usual, enjoying their bentos. As Yoshiko took a bite of her food, Riko glanced at her and asked, “So, what are you doing during winter break?”

Yoshiko paused to think for a moment, then shrugged. “The same thing I always do. Stay at my apartment and play games all day,” she said with a laugh. “You know, hibernating, just like I always do.”

Riko raised an eyebrow, a small smile on her lips. “That’s what you always do?”

“Yep! I’ve got a lot of games lined up, since I’m always busy with work. And winter break is long—it’ll be the perfect time to finish all of them.” Yoshiko looked proud of herself as she outlined her plan for the break.

Riko, however, gave her a playful yet stern look. “I bet you’ll eat unhealthy things too,” she said, a little mad, her brow furrowing.

Yoshiko froze for a second, then let out a nervous laugh. “Well… maybe…”

Riko sighed, shaking her head lightly. “Well, you don’t have to do that this winter break.”

Yoshiko blinked in confusion. “Why not?”

Riko’s expression softened as she explained, “We usually go to see Dad in Canada during winter break, but Mom said I don’t have to come this time. She said I can stay with you instead.”

Yoshiko’s eyes widened in surprise, her face lighting up as she processed the words. “You’re staying at my place? Really?” A beaming smile spread across her face, her whole demeanor practically radiating joy. Riko could almost imagine Yoshiko wagging an imaginary tail from how happy she looked.

Riko couldn’t help but laugh at how Yoshiko lit up. “Yep! We can spend the winter break together... and also on Christmas.” Her voice grew soft as she blushed slightly, reaching out to gently pat Yoshiko’s head.

Yoshiko’s smile grew even wider at the touch, her heart practically leaping at the thought. “Riri… staying with me…” she mumbled, still in disbelief as they continued eating lunch, her mind already racing ahead to the break.

------------------

Later that evening, Yoshiko lay sprawled on her couch, watching TV in her apartment. The soft glow of the screen lit up the room, but her mind wasn’t on the show at all. Instead, she found herself smiling as she thought about the news she’d received earlier.

“I can’t believe I’ll be hanging out with Riri for winter break…” she thought to herself, grinning like an excited child. “That’s like… a whole week living with her.”

Her smile softened, and a warm feeling spread through her chest. “This is my first time having someone around during the break… I can’t wait.”

But as the reality of the situation started to sink in, Yoshiko’s smile faltered. She sat up suddenly on the couch, eyes wide. “Wait a minute…” she muttered to herself. “I’ll be with Riri… alone… for an entire week.”

Her thoughts raced, her hands moving to cover her face as she blushed deeply. “The two of us… alone together!” She could feel her heart pounding in her chest, and the temptation of being around Riko so much flashed through her mind. She imagined herself trying to resist the urge to get closer, to touch her. “I… wonder if I can…?”

Shaking her head vigorously, Yoshiko forced herself to calm down. “No! I must resist!” she said to herself firmly, trying to push the thoughts aside. But the idea of spending so much time alone with Riko was making her mind race.

She slumped back on the couch, her head tilted back as she stared up at the ceiling. “This is going to be so hard for me…” she groaned, her hands covering her face again as she imagined how many close moments there might be.

A part of her couldn’t help but smile at the thought. It was going to be a very interesting winter break, that much she knew.

[weaversweek]

Uncool Two 50, the master post

This is UncoolTwo50, a further list of fifty great songs released between 1977 and 1999.

It's based on the Uncool 50, which I did a couple of years ago, telling the story of my life through songs. This time, I'm listing great songs. Ones that have stood the test of time, and still sound great today.

Other lists in the same vein: Let's Do It 1954-76, and Fear Of Mu21C 2000-23.

Other people are contributing their lists, and project sponsor Arron will come up with an overall top 250. But this is my list.

DOUZE 1) "Since yesterday" - Strawberry Switchblade ELF 2) "Constant craving" - k d lang ELF 3) "Torn" - Natalie Imbruglia ELF 4) "Im nin'alu" - Ofra Haza ELF 5) "Buffalo stance" - Neneh Cherry 6) "Sign of the times" - The Belle Stars 7) "...Baby one more time" - Britney Spears 8) "Like a prayer" - Madonna 9) "Take a chance on me" - ABBA 10) "Careful" - Horse 11) "Cloudbusting" - Kate Bush 12) "Independent love song" - Scarlet 13) "You get what you give" - New Radicals 14) "You oughta know" - Alanis Morissette 15) "Independence day" - Martina McBride 16) "Winter" - Tori Amos 17) "You're moving out today" - Carole Bayer Sager 18) "What's up?" - 4 Non Blondes 19) "Barcelona" - Freddie Mercury & Montserrat Cabaillé 20) "Kids in America" - Kim Wilde 21) "Désenchantée" - Mylène Farmer 22) "Steal my sunshine" - Len 23) "Doo-wop (that thing)" - Lauryn Hill 24) "Listen to your heart" - Roxette 25) "Step by step" - Whitney Houston 26) "Last Christmas" - Wham! 27) "Duel" - Propaganda 28) "Closer to fine" - Indigo Girls 29) "Piano in the dark" - Brenda Russell 30) "Echo Beach" - Martha & the Muffins 31) "Footsteps following me" - Frances Nero 32) "Crying" - Roy Orbison & k d lang 33) "Birdhouse in your soul" - They Might Be Giants 34) "Ba-ba-bankrobbery" - EAV 35) "Indestructible" - Four Tops and Smokey Robinson 36) "Lean on me" - Red Box 37) "Indian" - Eg and Alice 38) "The night" - Intastella 39) "Stay (I missed you)" - Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories 40) "America blue" - His Latest Flame 41) "Wuthering Heights" - Kate Bush 42) "I'd do anything for love (but I won't do that)" - Meat Loaf 43) "Louise" - Human League 44) "Better days" - Gun 45) "Leave a light on" - Belinda Carlisle 46) "Prince Charming" - Adam and the Ants 47) "Shout" - Tears For Fears 48) "Fairytale of New York" - The Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl 49) "Coisich a' ruin" - Capercaillie 50) "Never gonna give you up" - Rick Astley

Median entry is from the very start of 1989, which is the joint most common year with 1984 (five singles each). I've blanked 1979 and 1983; no slight on either year, but the songs didn't quite click for me. About half the singles made a year-end top 100.

49 different acts are represented, Kate Bush gets two entries, and k d lang is a soloist and a duetter. Four songs are completely in a language other than English, and one is partly in another tongue.

There is, again, a clause to stop too many white men; I think there are 10 songs solely by white men on the list.

In retrospect, I missed "Cannonball" by The Breeders, and chose the wrong Pet Shop Boys track as "Always on my mind" is less than "Left to my own devices". Ho hum.

Through the write-ups, I make reference to the "longlist", about 500 songs which I weeded down to a "shortlist" of 104 by assessing the quality of the song, performance, emotional impact from the song, and whether I want to hear it again straight after listening. Radio airplay in 2024, and sales when the record was released, these helped to weed out picks unlikely to get any other attention. Bonus marks for having a woman / someone non-white / being not in English.

I presented it as a ranked list; as with Let's Do It, I was precise down to position 18; beneath that it's too much hassle to make exact rankings so go for something that felt right.

And, for my records as much as anything, the next few groups.

51 Sixpence None the Richer “Kiss me” 52 The Waterboys “The whole of the moon” 53 Black “Wonderful life” 54 A-ha “Take on me”

55-61 Alisha’s Attic “Alisha rules the world” Boy Meets Girl “Waiting for a star to fall” Debbie Gibson “Electric youth” Dream Academy “Life in a northern town” Duran Duran “The reflex” Fools’ Garden “Lemon tree” Heavy D and the Boyz “Now that we’ve found love”

62-69 An Emotional Fish “Celebrate” Don Henley “The boys of summer” Goodbye Mr Mackenzie “The rattler” Princess “Say I’m your number 1” Runrig “Hearthammer” The Big Dish “Miss America” The Goo Goo Dolls “Iris” Wah! “The story of the blues”

The rest of the longlist included some that might make the eventual top 250: The Bangles "Hazy shade of winter" (if I'd voted for this, it would have made the overall top 250) ABC "The look of love" Cyndi Lauper "Time after time" Macy Gray "I try" Madonna "Into the groove" Sinéad O'Connor "Nothing compares to you" Soul II Soul "Back to life" TLC "Unpretty" Chesney Hawkes "The one and only" (...er)

[capseycartwright]

52 for the touching prompts 👀👀🥰

52: gripping thigh

Buck wanted it on record that he hated the doctors. It wasn’t a fear, no – he hadn’t been one of those kids who’d been scared of going to the doctor. No, his hatred was relatively new: and as a result of all the long days, and lonely nights he’d spent siting in hospital waiting rooms, or lying in a hospital bed himself, waiting on news about the people he loved the most in the world – or waiting on news about himself.

News that would impact on the rest of his life, his career – impact all of the things that made him happiest.

He avoided going to the doctor, as much as possible – they had the yearly physicals from the LAFD, and routine checks after fires, but he rarely went of his own accord.

Until today.

Buck’s leg had been playing up. It had started a few weeks ago, now, a twinge after a long rescue, and Buck had just assumed he’d twisted it. He’d gone home, and done the hot-and-cold therapy, Eddie a diligent nurse as he counted down fifteen minutes on his watch, switching out Buck’s ice, for a heat-pack, and back again.

It had been okay, after that. Not perfect, no – it wasn’t perfect because Buck’s leg was never going to be perfect again, not after having the weight of a fire engine on it, but it was as okay as it ever was. Buck had – well, he’d learned to live with the pain, and the way his knee would ache, when the weather turned colder.

Except –

It got worse.

Buck had gritted his teeth, and worked through the pain, and he hadn’t told Eddie, and he was getting away with it, too, until his leg had given out in the shower, and he’d slipped, and he’d had to shout for his husband to help.

Eddie had been the one who’d made the doctors appointment after he’d scooped a wet Buck out of the shower and ran him through concussion protocol. They’d gone to their GP, and their GP had referred Buck to an orthopaedic specialist, who’d sent Buck for what felt like dozens of scans, and now they were sitting in his office, and Buck felt like he was having a panic attack.

“Breathe, baby,” Eddie’s voice was steady, as he spoke.

It sort of made Buck want to scream.

“I can’t,” Buck shook his head.

“Buck, you don’t know what he’s going to say,” Eddie’s eyes were wide, pleading, as he looked at Buck. “You need to calm down, or you’re going to work yourself up into a panic attack.”

He was already halfway there, frankly.

Buck shook his head. “I can’t,” he repeated, and he hated the way his voice cracked, mid-sentence, his own terror, and upset, escaping the vice he’d tried to clamp them in before they’d walked into the doctor’s office. He didn’t want to cry. “Eddie, how can I calm down? I don’t – I don’t know what he’s about to turn around and tell me. What if – what if I can’t work? What if there’s something really, terribly, horribly wrong, and he’s going to tell me that I can’t go back to being a firefighter?”

Eddie looked crestfallen. “Buck,” he admonished gently. “Why haven’t you talked to me about how you’re feeling? I didn’t – I didn’t realise that was where your head was at with all of this.”

“I don’t know how to talk about it,” Buck admitted, and that was the truth of it: it had been years, now, since the bombing, and he still woke up in a cold sweat, the phantom weight of the fire engine crushing his leg feeling as though it was pinning him to their bed. It had been years, and sometimes Buck still didn’t know how to talk about it, how to talk about the way it made him feel, talk about the fear that always lingered in the back of his mind, wondering if an injury he’d gotten at 28 was going to be the thing that forced him to retire from the only job he’d ever loved years before he should have to.

He didn’t know how to talk about it.

“Buck...”

“Eddie, don’t,”  Buck shook his head. “I didn’t talk about it because I can’t – I can’t take the platitudes, I can’t deal with you telling me that everything is going to be okay, because you don’t know if it’s going to be okay. You don’t, and I can’t handle you telling me everything is going to be fine.”

Buck squeezed his eyes shut. He’s not sure that he could handle the sympathetic look that he knew was on Eddie’s face right now, because he was pretty sure that the sympathy would be the thing to send him over the edge.

“Buck. Can you look at me, for a second?”

“No,” Buck mumbled. “I’ll cry.”

He could hear the barely concealed laughter in Eddie’s voice. “That’s okay,” he said. “It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve seen you cry.”

Buck opened his eyes and glared at his husband. “Are you calling me a cry-baby?”

“I’d never,” Eddie grinned. “I think you’re in touch with your own emotions in an admirable and healthy way.”

Buck rolled his eyes. “Shut up,” he huffed. “Eddie – I’m terrified that he’s going to walk in here and tell me that it’s over, and I can’t be a firefighter anymore.”

Buck hadn’t realised his leg was bouncing up and down until Eddie put a hand on his thigh, his grip tight. The gold of his wedding ring was striking against the navy material of Buck’s trousers, a reminder of the commitment they’d made to each other only a few months ago, now.

“I won’t sit here, and tell you that it’s going to be okay,” Eddie said, giving Buck a reassuring smile. “But I will sit here and tell you that no matter what he says, and no matter what he says, we’re going to get through this. Okay? I mean – it’s not really okay, I know, but – well, you know what I mean.”

“I do,” Buck flashed his husband a watery smile.

“Take a deep breath for me,” Eddie encouraged, and Buck was too tired to fight it this time, mimicking the way his husband was breathing in, and out. “That’s it. Take another one for me.”

Buck breathed in, and out, and as he breathed out for the second time, the door opened.

“Mr Buckley-Diaz,” his doctor greeted, holding a sheaf of paper. “I’ve got the results of your scans here.”

Eddie’s grip on Buck’s thigh was tight enough to be uncomfortable, but it was grounding, in a way. Buck nodded. “Okay,” he breathed in again, long, and slow. “Hit me with it, doc.”

send me a touching prompt

[jiminieloved]

Ultimate Jikook Timeline Pt 104

Map of the Soul: 7 Era part 2

1. March 1, 2020:

a) BTS Twitter post

b) Inkigayo - Waiting Room Interview

1:30 Jimin does a part of the “Black Swan” choreo while JK sings and looks at him

c) 'ON’ Inkigayo 1st Place - Encore Focus CAM

3:50 Jimin gets excited during JK’s part on “On”

2. March 4, 2020:

a) Black Swan MV Making Film

1:48 JK holds Jimin’s hand in the background

7:30 Jimin is insecure about the MV shooting and JK assures him that it is all good

8:21 watching the MV scene they just recorded and teasing eachother

9:03 Jimin suggests him and Tae do friendship earrings and when JK gets close to them Jimin asks him “do you want in?”, and then says “you always copy me, anyways. You always like my earrings”

9:37 Jimin tells JK what time he is leaving the shooting and them the staff tells him he is going to be part of JK’s solo scene

10:53 Jimin acts playfull while doing the shadow for JK’s solo and JK watches him, then Jimin says “Jungkook, I love you!”

13:50 JK says he thinks they are lucky to have someone in the group who trained in contemporary dance, referring to Jimin, and says he is satisfied with how great Jimin did

b) Bangtan Bomb

2:15 Jimin does the shadow for JK’s part of the MV

c) Bangtan Bomb

0:53 JK stares at Jimin and then they pretend to be musical actors

d) Black Swan MV reaction

0:03 JK says “wow Jimin!” when Jimin appears in the beginning of the MV

0:34 Jimin says he did JK’s shadow on the MV

1:02 JK shouts Jimin’s name again

2:29 JK shouts Jimin’s name again

3. March 7, 2020:

Vlive

0:42 sitting close

3:55 Jimin caresses JK’s hair and asks if he is crying

4:36 Jimin leans closer to JK and stares at him while he talks

8:16 Jimin caresses JK’s hair again and watches him taking the plastic out of the bottle

10:37 Jimin says he was worried about the scene JK went underwater, because it was cold, and then caresses his back

15:08 Jimin takes JK’s bottle and seems to tease him about something

17:44 Jimin says he likes the scene where Hobi raps while JK is lying behind him

18:33 JK says it was hard to run with his hands tied and Jimin says “let’s be honest, you enjoyed it, right?”

19:38 Jimin says he got food for JK during the shooting but he refused it, so Jimin ate it

21:13 JK reminds of Jimin doing the shadow during his solo shoot on the “Black Swan” MV

23:33 Jimin helps JK to take the paper where he wrote his wish for 2020

24:47 Jimin is cutting the plastic with scissors and JK tells him to be careful

28:15 Jimin laughs while leaning on JK and at 28:52 he leans on JK again to read his paper

32:12 Jimin leans on JK to read Hobi’s paper and

33:25 Jimin leans on JK again and rests his head on his leg

36:16 Jimin asks JK to tell them a story

37:43 Jimin shows his toe to JK

41:47 It’s Jimin’s turn to talk and JK caresses his back

43:35 JK is supposed to say what his favorite things are and Jimin says “you like sleeping” and at 44:39 JK seems to want to continue talking, Jimin notices and insists for him to continue

45:51 Jimin says it is amazing that JK often films videos of his family members

47:03 Jimin holds JK’s and Tae’s knees0:42 sitting close

3:55 Jimin caresses JK’s hair and asks if he is crying

4:36 Jimin leans closer to JK and stares at him while he talks

8:16 Jimin caresses JK’s hair again and watches him taking the plastic out of the bottle

10:37 Jimin says he was worried about the scene JK went underwater, because it was cold, and then caresses his back

15:08 Jimin takes JK’s bottle and seems to tease him about something

17:44 Jimin says he likes the scene where Hobi raps while JK is lying behind him

18:33 JK says it was hard to run with his hands tied and Jimin says “let’s be honest, you enjoyed it, right?”

19:38 Jimin says he got food for JK during the shooting but he refused it, so Jimin ate it

21:13 JK reminds of Jimin doing the shadow during his solo shoot on the “Black Swan” MV

23:33 Jimin helps JK to take the paper where he wrote his wish for 2020

24:47 Jimin is cutting the plastic with scissors and JK tells him to be careful

28:15 Jimin laughs while leaning on JK and at 28:52 he leans on JK again to read his paper

32:12 Jimin leans on JK to read Hobi’s paper and

33:25 Jimin leans on JK again and rests his head on his leg

36:16 Jimin asks JK to tell them a story

37:43 Jimin shows his toe to JK

41:47 It’s Jimin’s turn to talk and JK caresses his back

43:35 JK is supposed to say what his favorite things are and Jimin says “you like sleeping” and at 44:39 JK seems to want to continue talking, Jimin notices and insists for him to continue

45:51 Jimin says it is amazing that JK often films videos of his family members

47:03 Jimin holds JK’s and Tae’s knees

4. March 6, 2020:

“Who” by Lauv and BTS release

5. March 8, 2020:

a) SBS Inkigayo Making Film

1:09 Jimin playfully touches JK’s butt during the pre-recording

1:41 they watch the video of the performance and Jimin yells “JK!” and then agrees when someone says JK was flirting with the camera

5:40 Jimin says he is tired and JK tells him that he can rest when he gets home

10:39 Jimin says he feels sad to have to do the performance without the fans present and JK touches his shoulder

b) Sharing a car on their way home

6. March 10, 2020:

Run Ep. 95

9:16 JK asks Jimin about the game rules

11:18 they both fall backwards laughing after JK’s game mistake

15:23 JK says Jimin’s hands are small

31:33 JK tries to give advice during the game and Jimin shushes him

34:31 JK touches Jimin’s shoulder to ask for a snack

Behind

7:40 laughing about something together

7:56 JK shows Jimin his game technique

8:18 laughing and playing together again

10:25 Jimin tells JK that he is the director, then said he did well and gives him a candy

7. March 17, 2020:

Run Ep. 96

3:18 Jimin sees that JK is upset for not getting the top he wanted, so he gives his to him and takes the one no one wanted

11:32 Jimin keeps throwing his top in the background and JK laughs at him

22:52 they shake hands before competing against each other in the game

23:56 Jimin wins and JK claps for him

33:45 Jimin stands up to lift a heavy box, so JK stands up as well to help him if he can’t hold it

Behind

Cute Jikook moment from the behind

8. March 24, 2020:

Run Ep. 97

5:48 drawing on their socks

11:14 JK is lying in Jimin’s lap and they play with their socks

22:12 JK pokes Jimin’s butt with the stick they are playing with

22:37 JK puts a Cooky cushion on the stick and Jimin laughs at it

22:55 JK fixes Jimin’s socks

23:52 Jimin plays with the Cooky cushion and JK touches it as well, then the camera cuts to something else

Behind

2:41 Jimin asks Tae to sit next to him, but JK goes instead

3:04 Jimin draws on his sock while resting his foot on JK’s leg

4:05 Jimin seems to find JK adorable while he draws on his socks

5:25 adorable moment where Jimin pulls JK to lie on his lap, and they stay there for a while and show each other’s socks while making silly noises

5:53 Jimin rest his foot on JK’s back while drawing on his sock

9. March 26, 2020:

Jimin’s Vlive

22:33 Jimin says he and JK used to wake Tae up all the time to go to school and then talks about JK’s hair style back then

39:39 Jimin says that all his friends are older than him (not sure if relevant, but this is often discussed in the fandom)

10. March 30, 2020:

Jimin’s Vlive

35:08 this is a popular moment that is discussed within the fandom, Jimin gets a phone call from Jin and many people believe he gives the phone to JK at 36:09 because there seems to be a voice change (watch and draw your own conclusions)

11. March 31, 2020:

Run Ep. 98

7:16 Jimin says “please let me get at least one question on right”, so JK stops trying to guess the answer

Behind

1:20 Jimin tells JK he didn’t get any answers right

7:50 JK attaches the J and M ballons to his clothes and shows it to Jimin saying “JM!”

Credits for the Run episodes timestamps to @ladyc0312​​​​​​​​

Information compiled by @lagalaxiedemochi.

previous l next

[moodymelanist]

One Thousand Followers Celebration

okay I’m honestly kind of shook that we’re even here but thank you to everyone who’s a part of our little corner of the fandom. I love you all so so much and I’m so happy to be here ❤️ most people requested something cute and fluffy so here’s Cassian being drunk and and Nesta comes to get him. I hope you all enjoy!! 💘💘💘

feel free to read it on AO3 here too!

word count: 2975

—————

Nesta was halfway through her latest read when her phone started buzzing incessantly. It was just getting to the good part, where the main couple started to realize maybe there was something more between them than burning hatred, and she didn’t want to put it down. Frankly, it reminded her of her own love story, but she’d never admit that to anyone out loud.

She was forced to look away when her phone was vibrating so constantly with texts she thought someone was calling her. Sighing, she reached for her phone, unlocking it only to see her husband had sent her almost twenty messages.

Cassian, 11:52 PM

Nesta

Nes

I love yiu sooooo muche

Youe so pretty

I weish u were here

everyons laufghint at me but i miss u

wyd

nesssssssssss

are u ignoringme for a book agwain

:(

Swethearft<3

did i tell u i luv u td

wait its ok I ddid

i want a kiss when i see u ok

The remaining messages were a jumble of Spanish and English words mixed together, and while she had a working knowledge of Spanish, she didn’t know it well enough to even attempt to decipher what he was trying to tell her. Still, she couldn’t help but smile as she read through them all, affection blooming in her chest for her favorite person in the world.

Cassian, Rhys, and Azriel had gone out to their favorite bar for guys night, and Cassian was clearly drunk off his ass. It was really hard to keep a straight face with him normally, but when he was drunk, she thought it was one of the most adorable things she’d ever seen.

Nesta, 12:01 AM

I love you too, you big goofball

I’ll give you a kiss and a hug when I see you how’s that

Her phone was ringing within seconds, a picture of Cassian filling her screen before she answered.

“Hello?” she said, marking her page with a bookmark before closing it.

“Nesta!” Cassian exclaimed. She had to pull her phone from her ear for a moment, but she smiled again anyways.

“Hi, Cassian,” she replied, trying not to laugh. He was just so cute. “Are you having a good time?”

“Leave me alone, I’m talking to my wife,” he said, his voice sounding slightly further away. He must have been talking to Rhys or Azriel, but the way referred to her made her want to melt. They’d been together for years and married for just over one, but it still sent a thrill through her to hear him claim her out loud.

“Nes?” he said, his voice back to normal volume.

“I’m here,” she said, getting off the bed to begin looking for her shoes. He normally called her and started getting ridiculously affectionate when it was getting close for him to come home, so it was only a matter of time before he asked her to come get him.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Looking for my shoes,” she replied, spotting her boots on the floor. Leaning her phone against her ear, she bent down and put them on over her leggings before walking back to her dresser.

“Are you coming to find me?” he asked. She couldn’t help but smile at how excited he sounded by the prospect.

“Yes, baby.” Nesta hit speaker and put the phone down on their dresser as she took off the oversized shirt that she’d borrowed from him, slid a sports bra on, and put on a plain tee shirt over it.

“Oh thank God,” he said, and then dropped his voice to a loud whisper. “You’re much more fun than the dumbasses I’m with.”

She’d opened her mouth to reply, but then Cassian began talking to someone else nearby. “Tarquin! Fancy seeing you here! Are you still mad about your windows? Nes, I gotta go. Love you.”

It was a cool September evening, so Nesta grabbed a denim jacket before throwing her hair up into a bun and leaving their apartment. Once she got to her car, it was a short fifteen minutes to get to The Sidra. Thankfully there was ample street parking around the corner, and the bouncer let her in with a quick flash of her ID.

Nesta walked inside, spotting her husband and his friends immediately. They took up a ridiculous amount of space in one of the booths, and she couldn’t resist smiling as Cassian visibly brightened by her appearance.

“Nesta!” he shouted, grinning widely as she got closer. So much for subtlety, she supposed. She offered repeated apologies as she walked over to where he was sitting, but thankfully most of the people there seemed to think his behavior was too cute to be a serious nuisance.

Once she was next to the side of the booth he was sitting on, he pulled her in for a hug, wrapping his muscular arms around her waist and laying his head on her chest.

“Cassian,” she said at a normal volume, endlessly amused as he snuggled into her. She leaned down to press a kiss to the top of his head before turning to greet Rhys and Azriel, both of whom looked seconds away from breaking out laughing.

“Don’t you dare,” she told them, tightening her arms around Cassian as she gave his friends a look. They both hold their hands up in surrender, Azriel raising his beer at her before turning back to Rhys.

“I missed you,” Cassian said against her chest, his voice muffled. “So much.”

“Every minute without you was excruciating,” Nesta said, playing along. He looked up at her with a pout.

“Stop teasing me,” he told her. He was frowning slightly now. “I did miss you a lot, you know.”

“I’m sorry. You’re just so cute like this, it’s hard not to tease you a little bit.”

“Not as cute as you.” Cassian smiled up at her, pleased with himself. She couldn’t help but roll her eyes good-naturedly and let him tug her into his lap.

“Sorry to crash your guys’ night,” she said to Rhys and Azriel now that she was facing them.

“He’s not as much fun when he gets like this anyway,” Azriel replied, chuckling. “In his old age, he’s turned into a sappy drunk.”

“Hey! We’re the same age!” Cassian protested from behind her, tightening his grip around her waist. Azriel and Cassian had both turned thirty earlier this year, while Rhys’ birthday wasn’t until November. Nesta had turned twenty-eight back in April.

“Good thing I like sappy drunks,” she said, twisting around to face him. He gave his friends a smug look as she pressed a kiss to his warm cheek, his stubble scratching her face in a way she loved.

“You two are the worst,” Rhys groaned.

“Like you and my sister are any better,” Nesta shot back as she turned around. Feyre and Rhys had been together since their college days and had tied the knot once they’d both graduated.

“Speaking of her, I’d love to get back home to her,” he replied. He pulled out his phone and began texting, and Nesta guessed he was asking if she was still awake.

“I guess that’s it then, huh?” Azriel asked, raising an eyebrow at Nesta.

“I’m sure Gwyn is dying to see you too,” she teased, smiling softly at him. She and Emerie had colluded with Cassian and Rhys to set the pair up on a blind date last year, and everyone had been thrilled when they’d agreed to keep seeing each other.

“She has a performance tomorrow, so she’s probably already asleep,” Azriel answered, raising a hand to catch the closest server’s attention.

“I told you my wife was hot as fuck,” Cassian said suddenly, shifting to point wildly at Nesta as their server – a young woman named Nuala – came by to bring them the check.

“I’m thrilled,” she replied dryly, raising an eyebrow as she looked at Nesta. “He hasn’t shut up about you for the last half an hour, you know. Thank God he wasn’t making you up.”

“Thanks,” Nesta said, her lips twitching from trying to hold in her laughter. Rhys put down his card to pay for all of them, waving off Cassian and Azriel’s attempts to give him money for their share of the check. Within a few minutes, the four of them were getting out of their booth and beginning the walk to the exit.

Cassian immediately went for Nesta’s hand, intertwining their fingers before bringing their hands to his mouth so he could kiss the back of hers.

“That is so unhygienic,” she said, exasperated. “I haven’t washed my hands since I left our place.”

“It’s a risk I’m willing to take,” he said, grinning at her. He kissed the back of her hand one more time before lowering their hands to swing them between the two of them as they kept walking.

“Who’s that guy glaring at you?” Nesta asked, noticing a tall Black guy staring Cassian down from a booth near the door. He had silver curls that stood out brightly against his dark skin, but he couldn’t have been much older than any of them. It had to have been natural, since his eyebrows and lashes were the same color.

“Oh, that’s Tarquin,” he replied, waving at Tarquin with a sheepish grin from where they stood. Tarquin flipped him off before turning back to his companions, who both shared the same dark skin and silvery hair.

“Why is he glaring at you? Do I need to talk to him?” Nesta asked, frowning. She was the only one allowed to glare at her husband like that.

“No sweetheart, it’s fine,” Cassian replied, laughing as they walked by the table. “It’s our inside joke. He threw a party senior year of college and I might have gotten drunk and broken a few windows in his house.”

“You what? Cassian, that’s not an inside joke.”

“It’s fine, Nes. I paid him back for it, but his parents were pissed. I’m banned from his neighborhood, actually.”

“That is not fine.”

“I might be drunk, but I know when I’m right,” Cassian said, just before walking right into the door. Azriel had accidentally let it swing behind him and Cassian hadn’t grabbed it in time, and it got him right in the face.

Nesta burst out laughing before she clapped her free hand over her mouth. “Oh my God, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have laughed. Are you okay?”

“The love of my life just laughed at my pain,” he whined, yanking open the door. Azriel and Rhys were absolutely losing it on the other side, making it hard for Nesta to keep her composure in solidarity with Cassian.

“Let me see it,” she said once they were outside. Cassian had pressed his hand to the side of his face, but Nesta got him to move it with her free one. His cheek was red from the impact, but she was sure it’d be fine with some ice once they got back to their place.

“It’s not so bad,” she reassured him. It was hard to keep a straight face with his friends – mostly Rhys – still howling in the background, but she got on her toes to give him a kiss on his face.

“It still hurts,” he said, pouting at her. “Can I get another kiss?”

“You big baby,” she said, but she leaned in and kissed his cheek again. “That’s all you’re getting. When we get home, I’m putting ice on that.”

“I love it when you boss me around,” he said dreamily, letting her tug him past his friends. “It does things to me.”

“Please take him home,” Rhys called from behind them. Nesta flipped him off before Cassian could, earning another wide grin from him as they walked towards her car.

“Thanks for the best thing I’ve ever seen!” Azriel added, both of their laughter fading the farther Nesta and Cassian walked.

“They’re so mean,” Cassian grumbled as she dug into her pocket for the keys.

“You want me to yell at them? Hurt their feelings a little?” she offered, unlocking the doors.

“No,” he said, pouting again. He got into the passenger seat as Nesta walked around to the driver’s side, and he immediately reached for her hand once she sat down.

“I’d do it if you wanted me to,” she told him, shooting him an amused look before starting the car.

“Maybe a real kiss would make me feel better,” he suggested, leaning towards her and puckering his lips.

Nesta leaned in and brushed her lips against his, but he wasn’t having it. He cupped the back of her head as he deepened their kiss, warming her up inside from the cool September air.

“Come on, let’s go home,” Nesta said, pulling away even though it was the last thing she wanted to do. He huffed and pouted but thankfully put his seatbelt on.

It was a quick ride back to their building, and thankfully Cassian managed not to walk into any more doors on their way upstairs. He wrapped his arm around her as they got off the elevator, which Nesta thought was as much for balance as it was to hold her close.

“Thank you for coming to get me,” he said once they were back in their apartment. He immediately walked into the bedroom and flopped on their bed, somehow managing not to knock anything over or hit Nesta’s book.

“You’re welcome,” Nesta said back, taking the time to take off her jacket and shoes before walking to the freezer to grab a bag of frozen peas. She wrapped it in a paper towel before coming to lay next to him, taking down her bun so that her hair was down around her.

“Can I tell you a secret?” he whispered, turning to look at her. His eyes lit up when he noticed her hair was down, and he reached over to play with it. She handed him the peas instead, making sure he pressed them to the side of his face.

“I thought I knew all your secrets,” she whispered back, smiling softly as she indulged him. She loved that she was the one who got to see him like this, that she was the first person he saw in the mornings and the last person he saw when he closed his eyes at night.

“You do,” he confirmed, pulling the peas away to smile at her. She gave him a disapproving look and he quickly put them back before continuing. “I love nights like these.”

“Why’s that?” she asked. She reached out to brush some of his loose waves away from his face so they didn’t get in the way of the peas.

“I never thought I would be as happy as I am right now,” Cassian said seriously. His other eye was blocked from the position of the peas, so Nesta just held the gaze of the one she could see as he moved his hand to cup her face.

Sometimes he would say things like this that made her feel like her heart was going to burst from how sweet he was. “Really?”

“Yeah.” He shifted closer to her, and Nesta inhaled deeply at the lingering scent of his cologne. “I remember when you wouldn’t even say my name out loud. Now you’re here with me and my peas.”

She laughed before answering. “It was the peas that really sold me, you know. I should have written them into my vows.”

“And you’re telling jokes? Tonight must be my lucky night.”

“Shut up before I take the peas from you, Cassian.”

“You love me too much to do that, Nes.”

“Stop using my love for you against me. It’s unfair and you know it.”

“Never,” he said, running his thumb across her cheek. “I love you too much not to use every advantage I can get.”

“I taught you too well,” she said, smiling softly at him. “Come on, let’s get ready for bed.”

She turned to kiss his palm, as unhygienic as it was, and then got up and started changing into pajamas. He groaned as he rolled off the bed, stretching as he stood up to reveal a strip of golden-brown skin at his abdomen before walking towards their bathroom.

Nesta joined him to brush her teeth in another one of his oversized shirts and no pants. He finished first, squeezing her hip as he walked by her and went back into their bedroom. She quickly brushed through her hair and pulled it into a loose braid for sleep before turning off the light.

Cassian was waiting for her under the covers, laughing as he examined the back of her book. “Is there smut in this one?”

She rolled her eyes before grabbing it from him. “You’re insufferable.”

“That’s a yes, then,” he said, grinning. She turned the lights off and put the book on her nightstand before she slid under the covers, snuggling up next to him anyway.

“I’ll let you know when I get to the juicy parts,” she grumbled eventually. He laughed under his breath, pulling her tighter against him as he maneuvered them so her back was to his chest as usual. His heart was beating its usual steady rhythm against her, a familiar baseline that let her know she was safe and everything was right in the world as long as she could curl up next to him every night.

“I love you,” she whispered, not sure if he was asleep yet. He could fall asleep anywhere, and ridiculously quickly at that; she wasn’t too proud to admit she was jealous.

“I love you, too,” he replied, tangling their legs together.

It didn’t take long for either of them to fall asleep after that.

tag list (lmk if you want to be added/removed): @live-the-fangirl-life​ | @nessiansimp | @bookologist | @simpingfornestaarcheron | @sayosdreams | @dealingdifferentdevils | @rowaelinismyotp | @arinbelle | @swankii-art-teacher | @angelicvoice19 | @teagoddess99 | @dontgetsalmonella | @champanheandluxxury | @chloepereyra | @bookstantrash | @houseofcalores | @lysakirova | @generalnesta | @gwynberdara | @sv0430 | @catplayinvioline | @julemmaes | @secretlovelybeauty | @flora-shadowshine | @imsointobooks | @sophilightwood | @lemonade-coolattas |

[bigpeepee]

I posted 14,532 times in 2022

That's 3,830 more posts than 2021!

1,013 posts created (7%)

13,519 posts reblogged (93%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

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I tagged 7,266 of my posts in 2022

Only 50% of my posts had no tags

#freak (affectionate) - 210 posts

#dongula daily - 94 posts

#cats - 88 posts

#cpow™ cinematic universe - 57 posts

#canada daydream - 52 posts

#me - 51 posts

#skrunklstiltskin - 50 posts

#for reference - 46 posts

#owen squad - 45 posts

#the last kingdom spoilers - 39 posts

Longest Tag: 124 characters

#😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

the fucking try guys thing is getting people to share the wildest takes on How To Spot An Adulterous Husband 101, on how Wife Guys™ are overcompensating and if you love your spouse you don't need to share it with the world and it's kind of a red flag if you do, and everyone in the notes being like "oh my god this is such a good take" and im like. sorry but it's really not lmao ??

this is not how relationships work, everyone is different! some people love their spouse and are content with keeping it between themselves. some people love their spouse and feel the need to shout it from the rooftops. and yeah, sure some people will also pretend to love their spouse but actually disrespect them or cheat on them. but if anything, I'm pretty sure that among "regular people" (who don't need to keep up a particularly loveable public persona) this last group is quite rare. the whole ball-and-chain schtick is still so prevalent among straight ppl that I have very rarely seen men talk about how much they love their partner irl, and when they do I'm inclined to believe them because I know them.

but that's the thing, you don't know these people! I love my parasocial relationships with celebrities like any tumblrina but y'all need to remember that! and being a Wife Guy is just like any other aspect of a celebrity's character: you have no way of telling if it's real or just their persona! hell, even with people you know, you might not notice that they're being insincere, but that doesn't mean they always are!!

tl;dr: PLEASE stop trying to pull behavioural patterns out of your ass and let us Wife Guys gush about our partners in peace lmao

1,511 notes - Posted September 29, 2022

#4

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1,867 notes - Posted April 18, 2022

#3

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2,130 notes - Posted March 26, 2022

#2

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2,499 notes - Posted February 14, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

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2,850 notes - Posted March 22, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[asma-al-husna]

Allah calls Himself Ash-Shaheed— The All-and-Ever Witnessing— on 18 occasions in the Quran. Ash-Shaheed is the witness whose sight no one can escape. He is the One with full knowledge of all matters, witnessing the apparent and hidden, anywhere, any time.  Ash-Shaheed is the witness and observer of all creation, thoughts, and actions, and the ultimate witness on the Day of Judgment!

 

The Witness, the Testifier, the Certifier


Shaheed comes from the root sheen-haa-daal, which points to three main meanings. The first meaning is “to bear witness.” The second meaning is to offer testimony, and the third is to have knowledge of something.

This root appears 160 times in the Quran in nine derived forms. Examples of these forms include yashhadu (“to testify”), ashhidoo (“to take witness”), shahaadati (“the seen”) and shuhadaa (“witnesses, martyrs”).

Shaheed refers to Allah’s awareness of everything; He hears every sound, loud and quiet, and sees the small and the large. In addition, He is the One who will testify for or against His servants for their deeds.

Ash-Shaheed Himself says:

Say: What thing is the greatest witness? Say: Allah is shaheed between you and I; this Qur’an has been revealed to me that I may warn therewith – you and whomsoever it may reach. [Quran, 6:19]

Allah is Witness over all things. [Quran, 58: 6]  Allah is sufficient as Witness. [Quran, 4: 79]

Allah (Himself) is Witness that there is no god save Him. And the angels and the people of knowledge (too are witnesses). [Quran, 3:18]

A Scene of the Souls

When Allah created Adam, He wiped Adam’s back and every person that He will create from him until the Day of Resurrection fell out from his back. [At-Tirmidhi and Al-Haakim] Allah stated that He brought the descendants of Adam out of their fathers’ loins, and they testified against themselves that Allah is their Lord and King and that there is no deity worthy of worship except Him. Allah then said,(and made them testify as to themselves (saying): “Am I not your Lord” They said: “Yes!”) [Tafseer ibn Katheer]
This was your first testimony and it means we will have no excuse on the Day of Judgement!
It will be said to a man from the people of the Fire on the Day of Resurrection, “If you owned all that is on the earth, would you pay it as ransom’ He will reply, `Yes.’ Allah will say, `I ordered you with what is less than that, when you were still in Adam’s loins, that is, associate none with Me (in worship). You insisted that you associate with Me (in worship).” [Tafseer ibn Katheer]

How Can You Live By This Name?

1. Say the sahahda, live the shahada. The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: Man shahida an la ilaha illallah dakhala al-jannah – Whoever witnesses that there is no god but Allah alone enters Paradise.[Saheeh Muslim]. Your testimony of faith in Allah is something you not only utter, but must live by. When you say I bear witness there is no god but Allah it means that in your talk and actions, in your house or outside you show that you love Allah more than anyone else, you accept Him as your Creator, Master and Ruler of the universe, that you worship Him alone in all matters and not your desires or others’ directions. Next time when you say the shahada in your prayer, reflect upon the meaning. Increase in saying la ilaha illallah to renew your emaan!

2. Trust in Ash-Shaheed. Ash-Shaheed says in this beautiful soothing ayah: So wait patiently for your Lord’s decree, for surely you are in Our sight. [Quran, 52: 48]  Rest assured that any unjust treatment by the hands of others you go through, slander, gossip or abuse, Ash-Shaheed is your Witness and you will get justice.

3. Remember that you are a servant. It’s sometimes easy to shout at your family or children inside the house, or even oppress someone when you are in a position of authority over them. Remind yourself in each situation, wherever you are, whoever you talk to, whatever position you have, that you are a servant of Allah. Ash-Shaheed is witnessing every step you take and will you to account. Use this tip: when you are about to do something wrong, look up at the sky and imagine Ash-Shaheed watching you!

4. Don’t make your limbs testify against you. Use your tongue for speech beloved by Ash-Shaheed, your eyes to read the Quran, your limbs to pray to Him as they will all testify as what you used them for! The Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said: I was amazed at how a servant will dispute with his Lord on the Day of Resurrection. He will say, “My Lord, did You not promise me that you would not treat me unjustly” Allah will say, “Yes.” The man will say, “I will not accept any witness against me except from myself.” Allah will say, “Is it not sufficient that I and the angels, the noble scribes, are witnesses” These words will be repeated several times, then a seal will be placed over his mouth and his organs (or limbs) will speak about what he used to do. Then he will say, “Away with you! It was only for your sake that I was arguing!”)” [Muslim and An-Nasa’i]

5. Always stand up for the truth. Always stand up for the truth in your testimonies, even if it is against yourself! Sometimes it is hard to admit a mistake, or testifying for the truth might even endanger you, but know this characteristic is one of true honour of a believer, which earns you not just a place in Paradise, but a place of honour!  And those who are in their testimonies upright and those who [carefully] maintain their prayer: they will be in gardens, honoured. [Quran, 70:33-35]

Wallahu ta’alaa ‘alem.

O Allah, Ash-Shaheed, we know that You witness all things. Guide us to live by the shahada and make us utter the testimony of faith on our deathbed. Help us remember that You are witnessing us, and make this awareness an inspiration for us to increase our good deeds. Make us always stand up for the truth and join us with the prophets and shuhadaa in the highest Paradise, ameen!

[writebackatya]

⭐ for the fanfic ask game! 🙂

Okay first off, thank you @shychick-52. Second, dealer's choice, huh? Well okay, let's see here: I know for a fact you're a big Gyro fan and I'm a big Della Duck fan so let's talk about what I think their dynamic would be

So like many DuckTales (2017) fans, I too am disappointed we never got to see Della and Gyro interact with one another. The closest thing we got to interaction seen in the beloved episode Timephoon!, but hey I don't see this as a bad thing. It's really fun trying to figure out the dynamic between characters that unfortunately never interacted

So based on their personalities, their relationships with others, comments about Gyro from Della, Gyro's cute little note about Della in the manual etc; I like to think that Della and Gyro would have this dynamic that I can best describe as "frenemies" mixed with sibling rivalry

So far, I've only written two things with Della and Gyro interacting with one another; The Indi-Quack! story Convergence at Bud's Dispensary! and the first chapter of The Three Caballeros (and Della)! but it certainly won't be the last time I write stuff featuring those two. In fact originally Gyro was only supposed to appear three times throughout the story; once in the first chapter of The Three Caballeros (and Della)! and then have a small moment in the middle of the story and then appear at the end. But I had a lot of fun writing the phone call scene with him and Della so I think I'll have Della update Gyro on her and Donald's journey throughout the story. And as for Indi-Quack! I have WIP that'll mainly focus on Della and Gandra, but there's this moment between Della and Gyro at the beginning of the story that I really want to talk about but can't because I don't wanna spoil it, so I'mma just gonna talk about what I have already written and published

Something I noticed whenever I write the two interacting with one another is that Della is always the one who is trying to start shit with Gyro. It's like she's playing this game of "How Quick Can I Make Gyro Stoop Down to My Level?" and Gyro is well aware of her game, but can't seem to help himself from giving into her little game

Anyway, let's talk nicknames! IMO one of the best part of writing interactions between characters that did not interact with one another on the show is coming up with nicknames for said characters to call one another!

One of the nicknames I love having Della call Gyro is Gadget Man, which is a reference to the original DuckTales series episode Sir Gyro De Gearloose where in that episode Gyro constantly reminds the audience that he is tired of being known as Duckburg's "Gadget Man" who fixes people's stuff by angrily shouting "Gadget Man" in frustration whenever he feels like he's being seen as just a "Gadget Man". Anyway, when I first watched that episode I remember immediatley thinking "Oh my god, Della would definitely call Gyro "Gadget Man" just to piss him off." I remember reading this one one-shot called Black Licorice?! and I thought it was funny that in that story the writer also had Della refer to Gyro as Gadget Man, so it's nice to know I'm not the only one who feels Della would call Gyro that. But hey, I'm not saying the first person to do that, I just love opportunities where I can make the older character make references to the original DuckTales

And because I love making dumb puns, I like the other nickname Della has for Gyro which is Lab Rat. Some context for those who haven't read Indi-Quack! but in the story it is revealed that in the past Gyro had once caught Della smoking in his lab and tattled on her to Scrooge or in other words, "ratted her out"

And all though she was not brains behind this final nickname for Gyro, Bowtie, she has adopted it because she knows it gets on Gyro's nerves. More context for those who don't know. Bowtie is a nickname that I have Gandra call Gyro in the same vein of her calling Fenton, Suit. Della just thinks the name is funny because it's making fun of Gyro's bowtie which she thinks is dumb

As for Gyro's nickname for Della, it was a no-brainer. He knows he only needs one name to get on her nerves and that's Dumbella and yeah, it pisses her off

And all though the majority of the dialogue I write for the two are just petty bickering back-and-forth, I do try to imply that no these two do not hate each other and are really good friends, this is just how they show it

In Convergence at Bud's Dispensary! I like the moment where Della finds out that Fenton and Gandra were seeing one another while Gandra was working for F.O.W.L

and she responds with "Oh that is so cool! I've been on so many different adventures and met so many different people, but not once have I ever had a realtionship that came from someone that was once an enemy and/or rival!"

To which Gyro rolls his eyes and asks, "Oh what, that one Greek goddess you had thing with just wasn't enough."

To which Della responds with "She was never an enemy or rival, Gyro! It's not the same thing!" Because duh, it isn't. Come on Gyro.

I like that moment because Della and Gyro knew each other during a time when homosexual relationships were a taboo to society, so the very fact that Gyro knew about Della's relationship with Selene implies a mutual trust between the two and that they can confide in one another if they ever needed to. Which is why I also picked out Gyro to be the one who Della picks out to watch over the mansion in The Three Caballeros (and Della)!

Picking out Gyro as the one who watches the mansion for Della and Donald while Scrooge and Duckworth are gone in The Three Caballeros (and Della)! just made sense to me and I'm really happy with how the phone call scene between Della and Gyro came out

It starts off with Gyro answering his landline phone with a professional yet somewhat arrogant way by referring to himself as a "genius inventor" to which Della immediately responds by saying "Whaaaaassssuuup, Gadget Man!?" (this is a pre-canon fic that takes place in the year 2000 in case you couldn't tell) and then proceeds to treat him like a handyman service and asks him if he could fix her...well, there could be kids reading this post so I'm not gonna say what it is here

While writing the rest of their conversation I wanted to imply that they both know how to rub the other in the wrong way but know when to not take things too far with the other such as Della being extra careful not to offend Gyro about the subject of his robots always turning evil (but then immediately throwing that at him as soon as he insults her and Donald). As well as showing the two are willing to help one another out when needed such as the moment when Della and Donald get caught up in little slapstick on their end and Gyro immediately showing concern for Della and asking if she was in any danger. Or at the end when Gyro is in danger (because of one of his robots), Della asks if he needs them to help him out of his little mess before they head out. Another note about this story: I'm still proud that I gave Gyro the first proper F-bomb in the story. I just felt he deserved it

Anyway, hope you enjoyed my ramblings! Thanks again for the ask! It's funny when I started writing DuckTales fanfics, I did not know I was going to enjoy writing Gyro this much. Hopefully I can finish up the final chapter of Up, Up, and Away! so I can finish up that Indi-Quack! story where Della and Gandra work on the Gizmocloud in Gyro's lab and get super high. As well as writing for The Three Caballeros (and Della)!. So expect more Della and Gyro interactions from me in the future