#since i am a pragmatist

[hymnsofheresy]

you aren't obligated to ever label your sexuality btw. you can just have sex, hang out with people, and fall in love. labels can be useful, for both navigating what kind of relationships you desire as well as political organization. but if identifying yourself as something is debilitating, you are under no obligation to use that label even if you definitionally "align" with that label. nor are you obligated to tell everyone (or anyone) about your sexuality. you can also wear labels like a fun hat, and put it on & take it off whenever.

[lura-valentine]

Answer to my survey:

It's just a concept image, but with every stroke on my graphics tablet, a story was put together in my head. It's totally mental and has nothing to do with Shigaraki per se, but I feel the need to share this fantasy with you.

Maybe when you look at the picture you have a completely different backstory. Write your thoughts in the comments or reblog✏️ to share your ideas like I’m doing now.

I for one am curious to hear what others think, so please don't be shy and join in 🤗

!!ヽ(ﾟдﾟヽ)(ﾉﾟдﾟ)ﾉ!!

The legend of Shigaraki, the cursed daimyō

Setting: Feudal Period (Medieval Japan)

This era is characterized by wars between samurai clans, shōgun rule, and Japan's isolation from the rest of the world.

Why this setting? Most myths and legends have their origins in the Middle Ages, which is why I chose this one.

Story

As a baby, Shimura Tenko was nothing more than a shadow in a dying empire - a child of a daimyō (Provincial ruler) with no future, rescued from the flames of war. An allied daimyō took in Tenko and his sister when their father fell to the blade of an enemy daimyō. They grew up in silk and honor, in a family that considered them their own, since the ruler's wife could not bear offspring. Shortly after his arrival, Shimura Tenko was given the name Shigaraki Tomura, heir to a fair clan, a ruling family that watched over their province with a firm hand but a kind heart.

However, his seventeenth summer brought not the rush of young power, but the bitter breath of death. A famine spread across the land like a heavy, invisible curse - fields withered, wells dried up, livestock died. The old prayed, the weak died, and in the dark nights people told stories about the cause of this torment: a Gashadokuro (Japanese demon (yōkai)) - a skeleton made from the bones of the starving, driven by an insatiable hatred for the living.

Tomura went into the forests with his father and his most loyal warriors to drive away the monster. The fight lasted an eternity, and when the daimyō seemed to have defeated the beast, the yōkai struck one last time - his bony claws digging into Tomura's chest and his curse flowing like black ink into his blood. With the last of his strength, the monster breathed out words colder than death itself:

"Wretched people... your kind will suffer as I have and decay will be your downfall."

Tomura survived, but the yōkai's dark poison now pulsed in his veins. The priests of his clan bound his curse with sacred seals, forcing the poisonous force back into the depths of his heart, but the seal was no cure - just a lock on the door to damnation.

When news of the cursed heir reached the Tennō (The official, divine ruler), the emperor was overcome with holy anger. He, a pious ruler, could not tolerate the existence of such tainted blood and ordered the shōgun to remove the scum.

But the Shōgun (the de facto true ruler of Japan) was a pragmatist - he didn't waste a second on supernatural fairy tales. No honorable samurai should risk his life for a superstition. Instead, he bought the services of a horde of Kusa-Musha, outlaw mercenaries who wiped out villages and anointed their blades with blood for a sack of coins.

⚠️🔞 And so they came in the night like wolves waiting for the wind. They set fire to the palace, killed samurai as well as servants and raped the women of the house - Tomura's mother, his sister... No one was spared. 🔞⚠️

In the ruins of the burning ancestral hall, as the icy night sky shook with the screams of the dying and Tomura's father was murdered before his eyes, it happened - the pain, the despair, the burning, inextinguishable hatred broke the chains and the seal broke.

A storm of pure darkness erupted in a single wave of destruction. Tomura's body tore apart with the birth of a new being - no longer human, no longer a mortal creature, but a walking curse. Flesh and bone gave way and the yōkai within him screamed, "Free at last!”

He destroyed everything and spared nothing, neither the murderers of his family nor the few survivors who had called him “Lord” that morning. A massacre that no one would sing about.

When Shigaraki woke up, he was lying on cold stone. His palace was nothing more than a skeleton of charred wood and molten bronze. The halls where his father once ruled are now rubble and dust. The streets - or what was left of them - were covered in ash that settled in his lungs as if it was taking away the last of his humanity.

He glanced at his hands and for a moment he thought they weren't his. Too long, too sharp, too strange. His nails were black, his skin looked like it was made of parchment and was streaked with fine, dark lines.

"The Hand of Decay" he thought, but before the thought was fully formed, a strange, deep voice interrupted him:

"Not the hand of decay... the wings of decay."

The voice was like thunder rumbling in his head, as if the sky itself was speaking to him - it was the yōkai within him.

Shigaraki froze. A shiver ran down his spine, so strange and yet familiar, as if something inside him had been sleeping for centuries and had now opened his eyes. His breathing was heavy, his heart was racing - or maybe it didn't beat at all anymore, maybe it had long since become something else.

Then he felt something, a tingling sensation in his shoulders, a tugging deep in his back - wings.

With a sound somewhere between a gasp and an unnatural crunch, he spread her. Thin, ghostly wings, veined like coarse parchment, as if they had lasted centuries before finding their true form at this moment.

The wind tugged at them as if to carry them away, but they held firm, trembling as a strange heat spread through his veins, making him drunk and burning the truth into his core.

He was no longer human, no longer a daimyō, no longer an heir to any name. He was a beast, a yōkai - a dragon of destruction.

And from that day on his name became a curse. Whispered on dark nights, murmured in prayers for mercy, a shadow over the land that had betrayed him:

Shigaraki, the cursed daimyō - the dragon with the wings of decay.

Basic idea of ​​my kite design

Western Dragon

I deliberately chose a Western dragon design because the Japanese dragon (Ryū - 龍 or 竜) is different from them in many ways. They are often associated with water, storms and divine wisdom, rather than fire and destruction. Their symbolism ranges from protection and prosperity to chaos and divine punishment.

So why did I choose a Western design when a Japanese dragon can also represent chaos and divine punishment? The reason is that I know very little about Japanese culture and am only equipped with Wikipedia knowledge. I don't want to tarnish this or any other culture, so I chose a dragon design that is clearly associated with destruction, chaos and revenge.

Moth: Symbol of transience and death

Moths have a subtle but profound symbolism in Japanese culture. They are less well known than butterflies, but their meaning is often associated with transience, destruction and obsession.

In contrast to butterflies, which often represent rebirth and the soul, moths are seen more as a sign of decay.

Since moths often live in the dark and are attracted to light, they symbolize the longing for something unattainable.

There is a Japanese proverb: 「飛んで火に入る夏の虫」(Tonde hi ni iru natsu no mushi), which meant: "Like a summer insect flying into the fire." It describes someone who brings his own ruin - just like a moth that is drawn to the flame and burns up.

Some Japanese folk beliefs say that the soul of a deceased person can return as a moth to watch over the living or to deliver a message.

In some ancient tales, the moth is associated with Yōkai's and evil spirits that lurk in the dark.

Their “dust”, which remains on the skin when touched, was once considered “poison” or “curse”. It was believed that moths flying into the house at night heralded bad luck or an impending disaster.

My moral supporters

@doumadono | @alexandhisstuff | @unhinged-bratty-boy | @jake-lockley-vengeance | @taco-bee | @grossograsso

I mention accounts that my works 💜️ and 🔁. If someone no longer wishes to be mentioned, please write it.

[reasonandempathy]

The weird radical/revolutionary politic larpers on this site are so allergic to political pragmatism I swear lmao. I am definitely left of the Democratic Party and I am certainly voting for Joe Biden in November. Not because I like him (I don’t). He is absolutely horrific on Gaza and that’s only the top (and priority considering there is a genocide going on there) of a list of complaints I have about him. I even voted uncommitted in my state’s presidential primary (the Pennsylvania one; I had to write it in) to protest. However, I’m still thinking pragmatically. Trump has said things that make me credibly think he will be worse on Gaza (insane that being worse on Gaza than Biden is possible but it is unfortunately), and that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Project 2025, the potential for him to appoint more deeply conservative justices, more of his aggressively screwing over poor and middle class people with his tax policies. And does anyone else remember the spike in hate crimes after the race was called for him in 2016? Before he was even inaugurated? Whether people vote or not in November we will still have to deal with one of these two men in office come January unless all of the internet ancom larpers overthrow the government by then (doubt), so I’d rather deal with the one who will be marginally less bad and who didn’t try to overthrow the government. Can’t have your revolution if nobody’s alive cause you kept pushing off politically participating because there was no perfect option. 👍

Political pragmatist anon, sorry for ranting in your askbox but I feel like I lose brain cells watching these people talk. The other day I saw someone say Biden is bad because Roe v. Wade fell under his administration… even though the reason for that was Trump appointed justices. 💀 (2/2)

Fucking insane. Sincerely.

It's a completely, flatly binary choice for anyone with a brain stem and sincerity. It's distilled into the two below images:

Where all major third party candidates are even on the ballot

How many electoral votes the largest of those (green party, a.k.a. Jill Stein) would win if they won every single state they're on the ballot for.

They are literally, legally, incapable of winning the election. They are not on enough state ballots to win and Jill Stein would need to somehow win California and Texas to even "win" all the states they're on the ballot for. Which, again, would still not be enough to win the presidency and throw it to the currently existing Republican House of Representatives. Which would put Trump in office.

It's that straightforward. That simple. That BLARINGLY obvious to literally everyone except these people.

On the one hand you have:

Significant and continuous support for Israel and it's genocide

Record levels of pardons for low-level drug offenses

the gearing up of the strongest anti-trust regime since the early 20th century

the most aggressive NLRB I've seen in my lifetime, with massive wins and institutional changes to help workers

Including getting Rail strike workers a week of sick-leave that gets paid out at the end of the year, which is better than NYC and LA sick leave laws

Millions of people (not enough) getting student debt forgiveness

Some trillion dollars (not enough)of investment in renewable resources and infrastructure

Proposed taxes on unrealized capital gains (a.k.a. how billionaires never have any money but can still buy Kentucky, Iowa, and Twitter)

Effectively an end to overdraft fees

The explicit support of leftist world leaders like Lula de Silva. Who he has explicitly worked with to expand worker rights in South America.

Has capped (some, not enough, only a tiny amount really but it's something) some drug prices, including Insulin.

Reduced disability discrimination in medical treatment

Billions in additional national pre-k funding

Ending federal use of private prisons

Pushing bills to raise Social Security tax thresholds higher to help secure the General Fund

Increasing SSI benefits

and more

vs

Said Israel should just nuke Gaza and "get it over with"

Personally takes pride in and credit for getting Roe v Wade overturned

Is arguing in court that the President should be allowed to assassinate political rivals

Muslim Ban Bullshit, insistently

Actively damages our global standing and diplomatic efforts just by getting obsessed with having a Big Button

Implemented massive tax cuts on ich people, tax hikes on middle class and poor people, and actively wants to do it again

"Only wants to be a dictator for a little bit, guys, what's the big deal"

Is loudly publicly arguing that the US shouldn't honor its military alliances after-the-fact

Tore up an effective and substantial anti-nuclear-proliferation treaty with Iran

Had a DoEd that actively just refused to process student debt forgiveness applications that have been the law of the land for decades now

Has a long record of actively curtailing and weakening the NLRB and labor movement, including allowing managers to retaliate against workers, weakened workplace accommodation requirements for disabled people, and more

Rubber stamped a number of massive mergers building larger, more powerful top companies and increasing monopolistic practices

Fucking COVID Bullshit and hundreds of thousands of unnecessary deaths

Openly supporting fascists and wannabe-bootlicks ("Very fine people" being only the beginning of it

It's really not fucking close.

[shouyuus]

Hi pretty rain!! For your drabble/blurb game: rin itoshi + 2:36 am pls 🫶🏻

writing/warmup game <3

rin; 2:36am --

rin has never considered himself a dreamer, not since he was small enough for the world to seem large, for his older brother to seem like the boy who swallowed the sun -- he prefers to think of himself as a realist now, a pragmatist, someone who trains and plans, someone who strives and achieves.

but your face is a familiar one -- he's sure he's seen it before, more than once, in fact, your peach-skin cheeks, your apricot-pit eyes, your lips sweet as summer lychees.

the first echoes of an old, childhood song floats back into his memories --

i know you... i've walked with you... once upon a dream --

you reach out and he can almost feel the warmth of your fingertips in his.

he jerks awake, pushing up to find his blankets tangled round his middle with a vice-grip. he pulls them apart impatiently, running both hands through his hair, his beating heart thrumming inside him like a wild-horse's hoofbeat.

"whoops... didn't mean to wake you."

rin jolts back, scrambling at the sound of your soft, lilting voice. he finds you perched on his windowsill, watching him with marble-dark eyes, the moon gilding your shoulders in sterling silver.

"w-who -- what -- " rin fumbles for words; it's too late, or way too early, and there's a strange girl sitting on his windowsill.

"oh don't be so melodramatic -- haven't you heard of sleep paralysis demons?" you ask, flapping your hands. it's only then that rin sees the tiny little horns peaking up through your cascade of silken hair.

"you're not real," rin says slowly, staring as you hop off the sill and saunter towards him from across the room, "i'm... still dreaming."

you laugh, the sound cool and smooth as river-stones. rin feels his stomach flip.

"sure, if that's what you wanna tell yourself."

"this... isn't real," he says, though his tongue feels thick in his mouth and his head feels heavy.

"shh... it's alright," you say, and suddenly, you're too close, your nose mere millimeters away from his, the sweet honey of your breath washing over his parted lips. he sucks in a breath and tries not to blink. "just go back to sleep..."

rin groans, slumping back into the bed as his eyes flutter closed and all his limbs go leaden.

in the morning, he wakes up to a dull, throbbing headache and the bright chirrup of birdsong. he frowns, pushing himself up to glance at the window, only to find it cracked open.

pinned to his bedside table, beneath his half-empty water glass is a tiny note, scribbled with spikey, almost childish handwriting --

may you always have the sweetest of dreams.

[komaedatulpa]

Some thoughts and ramblings about the recent Blue Lock chapter. Spoilers for ch.289 of blue lock, the latest chapter of Episode Nagi and all that. This is gonna be long so like bare with me.

OKAY, so I knew that not everyone was going to make it. While this series is a sports shonen series so it is easy to forget that "Oh right, this has killing game genre elements" so people get super comfortable of like who is expected to stay. For me though, I have been in the mindset of everyone is fair game. Some will last longer than others but who does all depends.

Like yeah yeah Isagi, Rin, Shidou, Barou, Bachira, and Chigiri were gonna make it this far. They are in the "They are going to make it until near the end" category in my brain. Kunigami making it was like a bittersweet surprise in the sense of "The hell he went through did make him survive longer but how much further can he go before both his mind and body give out" ticking time bomb of a character but also that little hope that maybe...things could be okayish...but my boy has been through it so it is what it is. Characters like Otoya, Karasu, Aiku, and Yukimiya I kind of knew were gonna make it since they were already great players but now have just gotten so much better. Aryu, Gagamaru, Niko, Kurona, and Zantetsu were pleasant surprises of "Oh damn, you are really pulling through. Good for y'all" especially my little yugioh boy Niko. Characters like Sendou, Raichi, Hiori, and Kiyora making it were the more surprising in the sense of they could have gone either direction but because of Blue Lock or in Raichi and Hior (especially Hiori)'s case Isagi's influence really pushed them to make themselves better at the game. Genuinely the most surprising ones that made the cut were Fukaku and Nanase. For Fukaku it is because I legit forgot who the fuck he was (we have three U20 players who made the cut which hey that's neat) and I don't think we really know anything about him. We might learn more idk. But Nanase making it is like fascinating. He is this polite sweet boy who by all accounts would not have made it based on what Blue Lock pushes...if it wasn't for Rin. Rin's training really made him a much better player and therefore increased his chances of survival. I could say something about how Igurashi's training and Nanase's training are parallels of each other's where no matter how hard you trained on what you were good at you just couldn't cut it (Igurashi) vs your hard training made you learn something new about yourself and therefore got better at it (Nanase). But I'll save that for another time maybe.

Characters like Igurashi and Tokimitsu not making it isn't surprising but a bit sad. Well for me when it comes to Igurashi. I know I am probably one of the only fans of my scrappy little bastard Igurashi but I genuinely did like that he did get as far as he did. In that sense he does remind me of a DR character that in most killing game series would die early but makes it to the end. Well except for this he didn't but alas. Thank you for you pragmatist service Igurashi, you would have done amazing if you were in DR.

BUT most people are talking about everything with Reo and Nagi for like understandable reasons but I wanted to get my other character thoughts out of the way. THIS...was inevitable. Like as I read both Blue Lock and Episode Nagi I knew that they were not making it together, that one of them will be cut before the other one follow suits eventually. I just didn't know when, I assumed it would be much later, but I was wrong in that. I know for some it would be easy to say Reo would go before Nagi because of what he was like early on with his clingy behavior towards Nagi. But during his time away from Nagi and being on Shidou's team he had to learn how to crawl his way through hell to survive. As the recent events unfolded it made me think back to why Shidou chose Reo,

"Humans who can't destroy themselves...can never make explosions."

Which did influence the dark path Kunigami went down but also...forced Reo to adapt. That he cannot rely on people, he has to be strong alone for himself. That even when things got better between him and Nagi...Reo has become more capable than before. He can do things on his own, with or without Nagi. He chooses to have Nagi in his life, to be part of his goal but he actually doesn't need him. However...Nagi relies on Reo.

In the beginning Nagi depended on Reo for motivation when it came to playing soccer. Reo is the reason Nagi began playing soccer, Reo is the reason he is in Blue Lock in the first place. When I look back on it all I see moments that seemed like Nagi would start becoming more independent and learn to play for himself and not have to rely on Reo. Like when he joined Isagi because he made him feel frustrated, an emotion he probably hasn't felt in a LONG time. Or how in the match between Rin and Isagi, Nagi told Bachira that his own reliance on Isagi (similar to his reliance on Reo) is holding him back. Gave these hints of Nagi growing and becoming stronger but now that I have looked back...it was just another relying on someone else. Nagi relied on his pure desire to beat Isagi that once he technically did...he had nothing else. He got what he wanted, what else was there left to do? What new goal did he have? And what did he do? Go back to Reo. Back to square one. He could not let go of his dependence on Reo, he never could. Karasu in Episode Nagi pointed out that Nagi's softness and nativity is going to plunge him into despair someday. I didn't think much of it at the time (clueless) until the recent chapter...it hit me like a brick to the face. Nagi's fatal flaw he just couldn't let go of completely clinging to Reo. Reo in a way was the death of him. His love for Reo did him in. That love and friendship dragged him down. By the time Nagi realized that he needed to fight and get stronger for himself it was too late. Bachira's harsh words called back to when Nagi did similar to him but Bachira, unlike Nagi, was able to let go of relying on Isagi. This recent chapter HURTS but a good kind of hurt in an odd way. The type of pain I WANT in a killing game. The unfairness, the tragedy, and despair of it all. These (ego) deaths are suppose to hurt and matter. This was a twisting of a knife that at this put could stop or keep going. Nagi is one of my many favorites in this series and his future is uncertain as I write this and whatever happens...happens.

[spatial-jump]

Spoilers for all episodes of the Umbrella Academy Season 4 and profanity below.

What the actual fuck was that finale?? Was I watching the same thing directors looked at and went, “Yeah, this is cool!”

Those last two episodes were a total shit show. An absolutely horrendous finale to a wonderful TV show.

The first thing I am so fucking pissed about is how they’ve written Five in this season. They ruined him. They tore apart the aloof apocalypse-obsessed arsehole who loves his family, destroyed it, spat on it, and then danced on the grave before crushing it under an anvil.

In no fucking timeline whatsoever would Five and Lila be a thing. I understand where some people would come from to defend it — that yes, they were both isolated for seven years and could only find company in each other, distorting their relationship as they sought comfort which mistakenly and incorrectly transpired into ‘love’. No, it’s messed up. It’s so fucking messed up and creates unnecessary drama that the writers probably wanted since they were undeniably lacking in the finale. When I first saw the camera angles and shots they were getting prior to Year Five in the subway, I was naïvely thinking, “Surely not. Please don’t tell me this is where I think it’s going.” And lo and behold, I was right. And I’ve never hated to be right so much in my entire life.

Lila (WHO HAS THREE ADORABLE CHILDREN WITH DIEGO, BY THE WAY) has known Five for absolutely ages — since he was in the body of a thirteen-year-old child. Mentally, he’s however many decades older. Regarding the actors, Aidan and Ritu, themselves, there is a fifteen-year gap between them. But my point is, Five is not a home-wrecker. Five is the type of character who would not deliberately fuck around with his brother’s wife because he absolutely adores his family. It’s not in the nature that has been presented to us, and goes completely against his values — and for what? To serve exclusively as a shitty love triangle so that Diego and Five would fight in the finale and break up the family even more at the most crucial point for them?

Five is your textbook example of a pragmatist. He knows how to prioritise, and would certainly not decide that the time to fight Diego was when two of their siblings were badly injured and another had merged to bring about the Cleanse — a.k.a. end of the world, again.

I am so, so disappointed with this, especially as Five is the character I’ve had the strongest attachment to, ever. I think I’ve managed to disconnect S4 him from the first three (that fucking greasy rat’s nest hair of his has finally been given a beneficial purpose), but I’m still sick to my stomach.

Anyway, next thing: the episodes. I know we were told in advance about how there were only going to be six episodes, and we knew they had a lot to fit in to make it work.

It didn’t. It was executed very poorly. I understand some fans didn’t like the unnecessary subplots and fillers from the previous seasons, but S4 was a bit too rushed? I mean, they found and drank the marigold within the first episode. And floundered around at the end, not even bothering to stop the Cleanse until it had been aired on TV. I get they might’ve wanted to make the show more fast-paced, but it could’ve been handled differently. They didn’t have to do a ‘Stranger ThingsTM’ and make four goddamn films for a Part One. They just needed to properly iron out everything, and that didn’t happen, which is a massive shame.

The finale itself (not the erasing their identities, but from the moment Ben is shot) deserves some YouTuber to pick it apart with a four hour video until it’s dust. It was badly structured. Normally, you see a rather pleasant — not exactly linear, but in the concept we’re progressing positively — pattern as the episodes and plots build up to the finale. We see the family find out about an apocalypse, they fight and break off individually, then they slowly pair up, eventually coming together to save the world. This was not like that.

Instead, you had one sibling fucking around in a subway with his physically much older and mentally much younger sister-in-law, another that was hopelessly obsessed with a girl he just met (but no hate for him — no one exactly told him that being closer to Jennifer was just harming them both and the world), one germaphobe who, despite not taking drugs or drinking, is off looting money wherever he can find it and deciding that was the moment to pay off his debts??, three others doing fuck knows, and then the last one who actually gives a shit, teamed up with his hideous father, and tried to prevent him from killing Ben as long as possible because he knows what it’s like to end the world, and is therefore the only one who did anything useful. God, that was a long sentence, so I’m sorry for those of you who struggle with it.

The finale was not your Umbrella Academy finale. Once everyone had (I say this in the lightest way) been ‘brought together’, they had no bloody idea what to do. In the meantime, they’d disbanded about three times within the thirty minutes of screening because of petty fights and the drama I’ve already discussed. Five leaving them at the most essential moment (due to Lila and Diego, blah, blah, blah) was an error in his character. This old man has survived through apocalypses, the one who tries to round everyone up despite everything he has seen. Even with his doubts in the S3 finale, he was still there — and his doubts were shared enough that they created a majority. In this S4 finale, there was no majority. It was just Five, and Five alone. There were gaping holes and shredded pieces of the beautifully developed characters the show had done so well in portraying. They did this with Allison during that scene in S3, where they took her villain arc too far. There are so many flaws in this, and there is definitely many people out there who can communicate it better and more concisely, but here is my two pennies anyway.

I have a lot more thoughts, but I’m currently bone-tired. I might post another rant if I remember anything else — but don’t be too surprised if it’s Five x Lila related.

I am thankful and appreciative that the Umbrella Academy was one of the lucky shows that saw its way to the very end, but I think all of us are entitled to a little disappointment at its quality and execution as it was brought to a close.

[eallyrayadbay]

Let's turn the tables, shall we? If you, Asagiri Gen, had to choose between saving your friend, your lover, or yourself... who’s walking away? And spare me the magician’s misdirection—just give me the raw answer, no smoke, no mirrors.

I see. I’m on the receiving end now..hm.

…FUNSIES!!

And I don’t know what you mean by the magicians misdirection, dear.. what can I say it’s just the way that I am! Can’t blame me for getting used to a life on the stage

But since I feel you have a knife to my throat (and you seem very intimidating) I’ll answer. Truthfully. Or will I….

Id choose myself obviously!! I am the most superficial man in the world after all~

.. which is what I want to say. I want to say myself. Years and years of prioritizing myself and making myself believe I’m a cold pragmatist. I can’t break down now. Call me a coward call me selfish, you’ll only prove me right.

But. Now in this new world, I do believe if the time comes, I might choose a friend. I hate to admit it I really will. Because what good can a mentalist do? A scientist with a heart of gold and a mind full of knowledge , an incredibly strong yet noble warrior, a kind pacifist peacemaker, so so many more- and a cold hearted narcissistic liar. Tell me who would least contribute best to the new world?

[corviiids]

might i possibly ask what you meant in telltale when L says this?

“Do I love you?” Light asks. “It doesn't really matter to me,” says L. “Do you love me?” “That doesn't really matter to me, either,” says L.

if he had said it doesn't matter, i would have thought it was a comment about Light, but since he says it doesn't matter to him, i am curious about what L is feeling here.

i mean, L is a projection of Light's feelings in the first place, but "accept the premise for the sake of argument that you can think for yourself," amirite? ;p

hello GREAT question thank you so much for reading and for asking i appreciate your attention (fic in question) (and death note spoilers in this post) i don't know if this answer is going to be very satisfying because the whole thing is very abstract on purpose and the answers just don't really exist, but i can at least share some thoughts. sorry I've been sitting on this ask because i forgot to answer it

the dynamic i was going for in telltale was domesticity and romance without truth or feeling, which ideally should create a kind of sickening facsimile of intimacy. canon to telltale is that neither L nor light had romantic feelings for each other when L died. their soppier interactions in the dream world should feel sort of uncanny and incongruent in that light. L says: “Domestic life, it's more a matter of going through the motions, isn't it?” so the romance in the dream world is more a manifestation of/metaphor for some other unresolved thing

assuming L is real to any degree:

i pretty firmly believe L doesn't love light in general. i also pretty firmly reject any "happy ending" concept which involves L switching sides to protect light/kira, ESPECIALLY if his reason for doing so is because he developed feelings for light. i just can't see that ever happening, and i don't personally want it to happen. the thing is i also believe L wouldn't really give a fuck about light if he wasn't kira. so this thing they have basically would never work. there's almost no situation where they get and stay together.

even if L is in any way real, this is a world that only exists in light's dreams. L didn't of his own volition seek out light to date him. there's no coherent timeline to their relationship. in one dream they've been married two years, in the next it's ten. so basically, L only exists within this realm of "light's dream world relationship". this is the reality of that world and it only exists when light is dreaming, there's no timeline outside of it, it's not the afterlife, light isn't dead yet. so L is in this relationship whether he'd want it or not. it's a fact of the world just like whether or not their living room has a chair. and he's a pragmatist. so the feelings don't matter.

separately, i don't think L cares if light loves him, because L doesn't love him back, and their relationship is clearly being carried on for some other reason entirely, though light never really works out exactly what it is. i realise this is a super unsatisfying answer haha because im basically just telling you there isn't one, but I really enjoyed playing with the dream rules where their behaviour shifts constantly and is never really internally consistent - L is affectionate with light as though they've been established for years, but also freely tells him it's irrelevant whether there are any feelings in their relationship or if it's just being played out like a script, doesn't seem bothered at all by light's standoffish confusion. all of that happens simultaneously.

assuming L is a construct of light's:

i think it would still say something about light that his projection of L doesn't care if they love each other. i do think dream!light eventually grows feelings for dream!L, but not real ones. more just like....... emotions that grow from proximity or habit. it's still not a real relationship. light understands that. and once he wakes, his waking self doesn't have those feelings anymore. so i think light understands dream!L to be a construct, and he also believes L is not the kind of person who would feel or act in such a soppy way in a relationship, which is why again his behaviour should feel so uncanny. ironically dream!L saying this makes him then feel more real, because light probably thinks love doesn't matter much to L.

this is one fic i did intend to leave pretty open. some of my death note fic is less intended to be open (although people sometimes interpret it that way anyway if i didn't explicitly write down what happens), but in telltale i really did want to leave it mostly up to interpretation as to whether L is real at all. as a matter of interest only, i personally think he's a construct of light's but also not solely a construct of light's. there isn't necessarily anything supernatural going on, but you know. there's probably something in between those

[thecoleopterawithana]

Lennon may not be at his most dynamic in Get Back but he’s still compelling, partly because he’s not the character we expected to meet. At least, he’s not who I expected. Having ingested many books about the Beatles I thought he was going to be fiery, caustic, domineering, and - in this period - bitterly scornful of McCartney. Yet the Lennon we see here is for the most part a rather gentle presence who acts as a calming mediator between Paul and George. He grins at Paul, laughs heartily at his jokes, listens patiently to him. There is something quite childlike about John, particularly when his face opens up into a smile as the band hits a groove, or when he’s sitting patiently on the floor with a guitar and Yoko, waiting for another take. When Ringo starts playing Octopus’s Garden with George, John says “What am I doing, Ritchie?” and gets on the drums. There is bravado, of course - as when, following George’s departure, he immediately suggests they get Clapton in and split George’s guitars. But there is tenderness, too: after George leaves, it is John who brings the three remaining Beatles together into a hug.

We are used to thinking of Lennon as the visionary and Paul as the pragmatist. Yet here it’s Paul who throws up wildly impractical ideas - a news show that ends in an announcement of The Beatles’ split, a TV spectacular, an album full of songs they haven’t written yet, by next week - and John who suggests, mildly and sympathetically, that they consider what’s actually possible.

— Ian Leslie, "The Banality of Genius: Notes on Peter Jackson's Get Back" (January 26, 2022).

[I was curious to read more of Ian Leslie's approach to the Beatles in general and Lennon-McCartney in particular, since he's currently writing a book about John and Paul's relationship: “John and Paul: A Love Story in Songs". He's also the author of that New York Times opinion piece that came out today.]

[bucket-of-spiders]

Chapter two of my Good Omens swap AU is finally done!

This is Bad Omens: A Comedy of Errors Made by the Two Most Incompetent Celestial Beings Ever

Link to Chapter One

CHAPTER 2: Antichrist Time

Crowley was tired. He’d been tired for the last few centuries and the feeling was certainly not threatening to let up any time soon.

He’d spent the last few hours trying to keep up with the backlog of miracles and blessings he was supposed to preform, since his meeting with Aziraphale at their usual spot might last him the rest of the day, and it was exhausting.

It was exhausting because he cared. He cared so deeply for the humans and some days it seemed as though he never did anything but see them hurt and suffer and self destruct.

The only bright side was Aziraphale. He’d liked Aziraphale since they met on Eden, and as they met over the centuries, he grew to love the demon, platonically and romantically and with his whole being. Aziraphale was everything that Crowley wasn’t. Aziraphale was confident, bold, unapologetic, and, though he’d deny it, so very kind. He stood in stark contrast to Crowley, weak and small and angry and fragile. Crowley often thought Aziraphale would make a much better angel than him.

He was jerked from his thoughts by a sudden presence by his side.

“Hello, my dear,” Aziraphale said. Crowley jumped off the park bench he’d been sitting on, cursing.

“Hey Aziraphale,” Crowley sat back down, running a hand through his hair. “I told you to stop doing that.”

“Oh, but it’s so fun,” Aziraphale grinned wickedly.

“I know,” Crowley sighed, unable to bring himself to be actually annoyed. His gaze trailed down to a basket in Aziraphale’s hand. “What’s that?”

He had assumed, at first glance, that it was a kitschy wicker picnic basket, something that was very in character for Aziraphale to have. That is why he was so shocked when Aziraphale said:

“It’s the antichrist.”

“The fucking what now?” Crowley hissed, slowly turning to fully face Aziraphale, hoping against how that the angel was, for some ineffable reason, joking.

“The Antichrist,” Aziraphale repeated. “You know, the Son of Satan? The Adversary? Destroyers of Kings? Angel of the-”

“Yes, I know who the Antichrist is!” Crowley bristled. “...I just thought we had more time.”

He let out another long sigh and buried his face in his hands. He knew he was supposed to be on board with the idea of armageddon, it being the final triumph of Heaven, but he really just wasn’t. As frustrating and tiring as living there was, he quite liked the earth.

“Well,” Aziraphale sighed. “We had a good run, I suppose.”

Crowley began to nod miserably, but then abruptly stopped, an idea taking shape in his head. “Wait. What if we stopped it?”

“What, Armageddon?” Aziraphale tilted his head to the side. To the casual viewer, he might have looked confused, but Crowley could see intrigue written all over his face.

“Yes. We know when and how it’s coming, so we can put a stop to it,” Crowley explained, unconsciously dropping to a quieter tone of voice. You never know who’s listening. “Just think: we like things how they are, and we could keep things that way. All we’ve gotta do is figure out how.”

“Hm,” Aziraphale nodded, then paused for a moment, as if considering something. “And you’re not… worried? About what your superiors would think?”

“Of course I am, I’m not an idiot,” Crowley hissed, because even though he didn’t quite believe in the supreme goodness of heaven anymore, he still feared them. “That just matters less than everything else at the moment. We’ll figure out what to say to them afterwards.”

“I think your idea would work splendidly, then,” Aziraphale said, then, ever the pragmatist, went on to immediately suggest: “So, how about we just kill the little hellspawn and get it over with.”

“No,” Crowley’s eyes widened in alarm.

“Why ever not? It’s for the greater good. One life to save billions.” Aziraphale countered.

Crowley knew that because it’s wrong would not suffice as an answer, and he knew better than to get into philosophical debates with Aziraphale, so he decided to take the practical angle as well.

“They’d just get another one, then. And they probably wouldn’t give it to you this time.” Crowley replied.

“Ah. That’s true. I suppose we’ll have to think of something else, then,” Aziraphale sighed. They both thought in silence for a long moment, before Crowley stood and offered his hand.

“Perhaps we could talk about it over lunch?” Crowley suggested. He knew that lunch would probably not be conducive to better planning, 

“What a splendid way idea. You do still owe me from that time in Paris,” Aziraphale smiled, warm and beautiful, and took his hand. 

They went to the ritz together, and the baby thankfully stayed silent throughout. Whether that was a miracle on Aziraphale’s part or not, Crowley would never know.

They did not come up with anything over lunch, or after they went back to Aziraphale’s bookshop, or after they had made their way through several bottles of wine.

“M’point is,” Crowley said, then proceeded to struggle to come up with a point. “Point is… the, uh… the horsemen! Yeah! We kill ‘em, then boom! World doesn’t end!”

He smiled, feeling very self satisfied, until he caught the doubtful look on Aziraphale’s face.

“Well, no. See, they can start the whole apoc- apocl- apa- end of the world without the horsemen, if need be,” Aziraphale countered. Crowley frowned, considered it, then threw his hands out in an outraged gesture, nearly knocking over a stack of books on a nearby table.

“What- wha’s th’ bloody point of having ‘em there in th’ first place then?” He demanded, equally frustrated at the theatricality of it all and their lack of good ideas. “F’r- for fuckin’- dramatic effect!?”

“Seems like it,” Aziraphale shrugged, though Crowley could tell by his expression and the set of his jaw that he was annoyed as well.

“Tha’s beside the point though, point is… we got nothing.” Crowley said quietly, sobering slightly. “We’ll think of something, though, right? We always do.”

Aziraphale did not answer, but instead asked. “You’re not scared you’ll Fall for this?”

He had always had a talent for redirecting a conversation utilizing questions he knew would completely floor Crowley.

“I… I don’t- it- I mean- I-“ Crowley floundered. He did fear Falling, of course he did, he always always did. Every action, every sin, he worried that it would push him over the edge and he’d Fall. Every time he met with Aziraphale, every time they drank together, every time he drank alone, every time he shirked or half assed his responsibilities or lied. He was constantly scared, and it never stopped him and he didn’t know why and sometimes he hated himself for it. He did not know how to say this, so instead he said, “‘m not drunk enough for this.”

Some time later, he woke up in his apartment with a splitting headache and no clue how he got there. At least their lights were off and he had his sunglasses.

Crowley’s apartment was sleek and modern and everything in it was either white or gray, with some accents of black when needed. It was very nice by modern standards, and Crowley detested it. It was the place heaven chose for him to live, however, so he just had to deal.

He got up to get a glass of water and tried to ignore how much the place reminded him of Heaven.

He sat down at his kitchen table and stared blankly into the distance for a while, still thinking about the Antichrist problem. He decided that he probably couldn’t stop it outright, unless he could convince heaven that the war could be avoided, but he hoped he could delay it. The issue was, how he would go about that. He thought for a long while, and then realized that The Antichrist, still had to grow up, he could try to interfere and raise it not to be, well, the Antichrist, something heaven had to approve of. He could change things, or at least give them more time.

Crowley stood up. He had work to do.

There it is! I’m already working on chapter three and I’ll hopefully get it out sometime next week.

[qqueenofhades]

While I generally agree with your writings, I find myself confused by the term "Online Leftist". As a 75-year-old who has had a Social Democratic bent (and because of that has seen more of his votes lose than he ever wished in these United States), I have voted in every county-through-federal level election in my life since age 21. I also use social media sparingly, but I feel I certainly could be considered to be a leftist who is online, but I don't share the viewpoint of those you call "Online Leftist". Please clarify the meaning of that phrase in your writings.

I have to add that I've voted third party only once. I voted for John Anderson in 1980 and instantly regretted that action when Ronald Reagan won. (At that time, Jimmy Carter wasn't perceived as the great humanitarian and climate visionary he truly was, and the economy and the hostage crisis ruled the election arguments.) It was a lesson that was hard-earned. Thus in 2016, even though I supported Bernie Sanders's ideas and philosophy, I voted for Hillary because 1) she had unimpeachable (no pun intended) qualifications, and 2) not to vote for her would ensure that a really nasty and incompetent clown would be leading our country.

Thank you for all of your Tumblr postings. I find myself reblogging them hoping to reach the idealistic voter who tends to want to vote "purist" rather than "pragmatist."

The term "Online Leftists," as myself and others use it, refers to the specific group of often-young, often-white, often-western terminally online social media users, usually on Twitter, who post frothing manifestos about how corrupt the world is (specifically, how corrupt and fascist the Democratic Party of America is) and how the only way to fix it is to have some mythical leftist Revolution that will destroy late-stage capitalism and the current world order and somehow have no bad effects whatever and then a magical "progressive" utopia will spring into existence and everything will be fixed. Even the ones who don't go that far are heavily influenced by the ideology that the establishment/country is corrupt beyond repair, voting (especially voting for Democrats) is morally evil and indefensible, that there is no difference between the political parties of America, and that America/the West is the cause of all evil in the world. It has become especially visible with the Russia/Ukraine and Israel/Hamas wars, when they enthusiastically or at least tacitly support Russia and Hamas simply because those states/groups are "anti-western."

It also has to do with the whopping western leftist levels of virulent antisemitism and eagerness to call Israel a "white western colonialist settler state," as discussed in previous posts. Even while they decry Israel's genocide of Gaza, they will twist themselves into knots to excuse Russia's genocide of Ukraine or any legitimacy to a Jewish state or need for Israel to defend its own civilians, because you see, those genocides are committed by people they like in support of something something, Advancing the Great Revolution Cause. This is partly influenced by the belief that modern far-right fascist Russia is somehow a standard-bearer for old-school USSR socialism (which itself was horrifying enough) and should be defended and cheerled as a principled enemy of the West. This is the same group of people who unironically spend all their time posting fulminations that Biden is a genocidal fascist and America is a dictatorship, because they know that literally nothing will happen to them and they will face no real-world consequences, because none of those things are actually true. But as long as they can claim it for the rhetorical martyrdom, that does not matter.

By political beliefs and presence on Tumblr, I too am definable as a leftist who is online, but the Online Leftists (used together and with capital letters) are a distinct group whose ideology is marked by righteous nihilism, rejection of voting, support for a mythical "Revolution" in place of ever trying to work within the flawed political system, support for violent genocidal states or groups as long as they are "anti-western" or "anti-Israeli" (witness how they flocked to quiveringly defend the Houthis) while simultaneously yelling at everyone else for supporting genocide, making no attempt to incorporate actual politics, history, or reality into their all-consuming ideology, and shaming everyone else who doesn't agree with them. As you say, they are focused on some "pure" level of political engagement, which is of course impossible and therefore means the only thing they do is spend their time on Twitter rampantly spreading misinformation as long as it fits their beliefs. Pragmatism, harm reduction, nuance, or making a flawed choice that puts any kind of "moral burden" on them does not exist to them and is a dirty word, because it might conflict with bringing about La Revolution. So yeah.

[brimstoneandbooks]

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Book Review 

“It takes ten times as long to put yourself back together as it does to fall apart.”

Goodreads Summary 

My name is Katniss Everdeen. 

Why am I not dead? 

I should be dead.

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding. 

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans—except Katniss. 

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. She must become the rebels' Mockingjay—no matter what the personal cost. 

DETAILS/GENERAL

Pacing: Fast. It does feel a bit slow at times, for me personally… not because there’s a sudden attention to detail but because some of the things that did happen just didn’t always feel… important or necessary, and a bit boring at times… 

Dialogue/description: more description than dialogue (?). (Same notes as my first two reviews.) 

Language: Simple/easy to understand.

POV/narrator: Present tense, first-person from Katniss’s point of view. I liked hearing the story from her point of view, since it brings out her inner conflict, even though she doesn’t always tell the reader everything. It did make me more invested in the story since the POV helps the reader to identify with Katniss, understand her feelings and therefore root for her. 

CHARACTERS

Katniss

In this one, running away isn’t really in question anymore. Instead, Katniss is faced with the inner conflict of whether she should be District 13’s icon of rebellion, their Mockingjay, or not. She wants to take action, but will her role as the Mockingjay allow that? Or is it yet another gilded cage? I feel like the love triangle plays less of a role in this one, which I was happy about, but Katniss did have to deal with the blow of how Peeta has changed. The way she took it… although understandable, it did seem a bit selfish, not in her actions but rather her thoughts. However, it was nice to see her reflect on herself and realise that she’s been taking things for granted. It was also interesting to see the evolution of her relationship with Buttercup, Prim’s cat. Katniss also seems more aware in this one, that romantic love isn’t the only form of love, which was nice. And jeez… it applies to the other books too… but Katniss and the others are far too young to have to go through any of this. (In terms of romance too, btw. Newsflash, Gale, she doesn’t have to pick a life-partner at 17. Especially not while she’s living in constant fear of the Capitol’s wrath.) 

Peeta

I can’t give too much away without spoilers, but Peeta has a drastic and extremely traumatic change in this book that causes a lot of hopelessness. Although sad, it’s interesting to see how other characters deal with him and the way they try to help him recover is surprisingly uplifting and makes for one of the, in my opinion, most memorable scenes in the book and for the progression of the love triangle. 

Gale

He is the pragmatist against Katniss’s idealism. He resorts to violence against innocents in order to defeat the Capitol, whilst Katniss wants to avoid harming innocent people. His determination is unbeatable, which can be both a good and a bad thing. He’s aggressive, not caring how many people die if it’s for the greater cause. He works together with Beeteee to create weapons against the Capitol and still tries to protect Katniss and her family as best he can, which is admittedly commendable. He and Katniss do have some arguments in regards to hurting people but he still stands by her side when she needs it most. He’s a good friend, when he’s not trying to be something more. 

President Coin

As mentioned, District 13 and thus President Coin are very interesting in the sense that they are not the undoubtable good against Snow’s irredeemable evil. Good and bad are not so clear cut. As shown (see notes in worldbuilding), Coin is very controlling and wants everything to be uniform and her way. In regards to Snow, she is more “the lesser of two evils” than the saviour to abolish all evil. This makes for interesting conflict, though, in my opinion, the resolution of that conflict was a bit… off. It felt rather anticlimactic, and because Katniss doesn’t add all of her thoughts to the narration it was even a bit confusing and a surprise. But maybe I just wasn’t paying enough attention to subtle foreshadowing. 

Boggs

Coin’s second-in-command and later, Katniss’s bodyguard. At first, I wasn’t sure how to feel about him since I was sure he would end up just being there to surveil Katniss and stop her from getting out of hand. But I actually ended up loving him! He seems very trustworthy and like a good friend, maybe even a father-figure. He trusts Katniss’s judgement, stands by her side and respects her. He makes his own judgement rather than letting Coin dictate his goals, motivations and the way he thinks. 

President Snow

There’s a lot of new exposition about Snow and some things he’s done in the past in this one that really just nails down how terrible of a person he is.

PLOT

Rebelling against the Capitol, with Katniss as the icon of rebellion/representative “Mockingjay” and District 13 as the leaders. 

Subplots

Katniss deciding to be the Mockingjay. Filming propos (propaganda films). Peeta trying to remember who he is and what’s real→ Katniss coping with that and helping. 

TROPES/CLICHES

Love triangle, history repeating itself, oppressive government, persecuted protagonist as the hero, great divide, icon of rebellion, idealist vs. pragmatist, outside world, propaganda hero, star-crossed lovers, tired of running.

WORLDBUILDING

District 13 still exists as an underground society. District 13 is interesting with it rebelling against the Capitol but something about them still seeming off (The daily schedule printed onto skin, needing other people to reproduce since so many of them are dead or infertile, precision and control in terms of time, food and stuff, keeping the prep team captive and the conditions they are put under, wanting to hold another hunger games for the capitol children). It shows that there is no clear-cut good and bad, and ending the dystopia isn’t as easy as just defeating one bad, which is the Capitol. 

SETTING

District 13, Capitol. This time there isn’t much focus on the luxuries of the Capitol, since it is a full-on warzone. One interesting thing was that there were the traps (check what they’re called) that were also used in the arena, practically turning the Capitol into an arena with way more people in it. As to district 13, although it’s underground, which opens the way to some cool ideas, it isn’t too interesting since it’s meant to be such a controlled environment with uniformity. This isn’t to say the settings don’t match the story that’s being told, it’s just that, to me, there’s nothing too grand or interesting about them.

THEMES

Revenge vs. Remorse, punishing citizens for the system they live in, blame and mercy, who is the enemy, killing children, death as release > being captured and tortured by the Capitol, fear of killing the entire population, oppression, rebellion, living vs. surviving, Inequality, poverty/unfair spread of resources, dependence, materialism, survival.

CRITIQUE

I can’t go too much into it, without revealing spoilers, but I thought a lot of deaths were unnecessary. With one in particular just being thrown after us like “oh, btw, they’re dead,” without it having any relevance to the plot as far as I could tell. And the reason, I say they feel unnecessary is because I don’t think it would have any effect on the end of the book. Because either way, Katniss is irreversibly traumatised and has lost a lot. Either way, there will be one person that she depends on most while the others fall into the background, continuing their own lives. Sure, you can say that a dystopia shouldn’t always have a happy ending. But she wouldn’t anyway. Like I said, Katniss would be traumatised either way. I know that a lot of deaths are to show how terrible and ruthless the enemy is. But a lot of deaths felt like they were purely there for shock-value, and had no other point, besides maybe that the author just didn’t know what else to do with the characters and instead just decided to weed them out. 

There’s a lot of open questions at the end of the series (and no, they don’t all get answered by the prequel) which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it isn’t for everyone, so beware if you don’t like that sort of thing.

As I already let on, I found parts of the book to be rather boring at times, especially throughout the middle. A lot of it was to show how bad the Capitol is. A lot was to characterise district 13. But it just… felt like nothing was happening. We know that the capitol sucks. Our protagonist has been put into two death games because of it. It destroyed a whole district that couldn’t fight back. It kills helpless children. We already know that.

[littlecrow-rogue]

Trough the Lens: A Mötley Crüe fanfiction - Chapter One

Hi!

So the other day I made a post aboute writing a Mötley Crüe Nikki Sixx x OC fanfiction.

I did it!

I am bit nerves posting it cause english is not my first language so this was a bit hard, and even tho I asked some help from Google and transolaters to fix my grammer mistakes probobly there are still some mistakes left or wrong usage of words. But I hope it's still enjoyable.

If you read this have fun and let me know if you think and if you'd like a second chapter for it.

XoX - V

Chapter 1: "The Beginning"

The band members of Mötley Crüe sat huddled around a cluttered table in Nikki's flat, the air thick with anticipation and the remnants of their brainstorming session. Empty beer bottles mingled with scattered papers, evidence of their search for the perfect promotional plan and a testament to the chaos of their creative minds.

Tommy tapped his fingers impatiently against the table, his dark eyes darting restlessly around the room in search for inspiration. The weight of their first gig hung heavy in the air, a silent reminder of the task at hand.

Suddenly, Nikki's voice shattered the silence, cutting through the haze of uncertainty that had settled over them.

"Alright, guys, time to get down to business," he declared, his tone commanding attention.

Vince lounged back with a smirk, tossing out a suggestion that earned a mixture of amusement and disdain

"A little spray-painted graffiti on the side of Sunset Boulevard could drum up some serious buzz”

Nikki shook his head with a wry smile.

"As much as I appreciate the guerrilla marketing approach, we need something more polished," he said, running a hand through his tousled hair as he leaned forward, his gaze fixed on his bandmates.

Mick nodded in agreement.

Nikki arched an eyebrow, his gaze locking onto Tommy’s with a curious intensity.

"Do you have any ideas, Tommy?"

A mischievous grin spread across Tommy's face as he leaned back in his chair, confidence radiating from every pore.

"Actually, I do," he declared, capturing the attention of his bandmates.

"My sister, Katie, she's a photographer. She could help us make some flyres with some killer shoots."

The mention of Tommy's sister piqued the band's interest. They had heard stories about Katie Lee, Tommy mentioned her a lot, but none of them had ever met her.

Mick, ever the pragmatist, cut to the heart of the matter with a single question.

"Is she any good?" he asked, his skepticism evident in his gravelly voice.

Tommy's response was immediate.

"She's incredible," he declared, his voice brimming with pride.

"She's been working as a photographer in downtown LA for the past two years, but she has been obsessed with photography since we were kids. Trust me, guys, she's the real deal. "

Vince grinned.

"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's go pay Katie a visit and see if she can work her magic for us."

As their car glided to a halt in front of SutterLux Studios, the first thing that caught their eyes was the imposing sign, polished to a mirror like perfection, a testament to the studio's prestige as it boldly announced its name to the world. It stood as a beacon of elegance amidst the bustling cityscape, its modern architecture a symphony of clean lines and sleek facades that mesmerized passersbys. Every detail, from the smooth curvature of the walls to the precise symmetry of the windows, spoke of craftsmanship and artistry that left an indelible impression on all who saw it. Surrounding the entrance, a meticulously curated garden, a lush oasis of greenery, provided a tranquility to the building's exterior.

As they stepped out of their car, the band's rock and roll style clashed brilliantly with the polished surroundings. Leather jackets, ripped jeans, and a smattering of tattoos made for a striking contrast against the backdrop of elegance.

Stepping into the studio, they were greeted by a receptionist girl seated at a marble-topped desk, her workspace packed with notepads and notebooks in neat order wich spoke volumes about her attention to detail. With a shy smile playing on her lips, she chirped a warm welcome, while her eyes scaned the group of men before her.

"Welcome to SutterLux! What can I help you?” her voice was light and airy.

Tommy leaned casually against the desk, flashing his trademark grin as he addressed her.

"Hey there, we're here to see Katie Lee. Is she available?" he inquired, his voice laced with confidence.

The receptionist's bashfulness only added to her charm as she inquired about their appointment, her eyes flitting towards the calendar as she searched for any openings.

"I'm her brother, and I just want to talk to her if she's free," Tommy explained with a nonchalant shrug, his charm evident in every word.

Recognition flickerd on the receptionist's face as she realized who Tommy was

"Oh, you're Katie's brother Tommy? She's mentioned you," she remarked, her shy tone melting into a warm, friendly demeanor.

"Let me see if she's available. Please take a seat. I'll be right back."

With a graceful gesture towards the plush black sofas on the other side, she disappeared into the depths of the studio, leaving the band members alone in the lobby. The air crackled with anticipation as Vince, Mick, and Nikki exchanged nervous glances, unsure of what to expect when they finally met Katie Lee.

As the receptionist girl reappeared with Katie by her side, the room seemed to brighten with her presence. Her fiery red hair cascaded down her shoulders like a waterfall of flames, framing her face with an aura of vibrant energy. Her eyes twinkled with a mischievous sparkle, and every step she took radiated confidence.

"Tommy!" Katie exclaimed, her voice filled with genuine delight as she enveloped her brother in a tight hug.

"What are you doing here?"

Tommy returned the hug with equal enthusiasm, his grin stretching from ear to ear.

"We came to see you, sis," he replied, pulling back to gaze at her with fondness.

"Who’s we?” she asked couriously as her gaze shifted to the other men standing behind Tommy, her smile widening at the sight of them.

"Nikki, Vince, and Mick," Tommy introduced, gesturing to each member of the band in turn. "Guys, this is my sister, Katie."

The band members exchanged greetings with Katie, their admiration for her evident in their eyes. Her easygoing demeanor and magnetic charm left an impression on each of them, drawing them in with her infectious energy.

"Do you have a little time to spare for us sis?” Tommy asked eagerly.

"I hope so.” Katie replied with a grin.

"Sam, when's my next client scheduled to arrive?" Katie turned to the receptionist girl, who quickly returned to her desk.

Sam scanned the schedule and checked the clock on the wall before responding,

"You've got about an hour and twenty minutes until your next appointment."

Katie nodded thoughtfully.

"Great. In that case, why don't we head over to that coffee shop down the street? We can grab a table and chat," she suggested, turning back to the band with a warm smile.

"Sounds like a plan," Tommy cheered, his excitement matching hers as they left the building.

As Katie and the band strolled down the bustling streets of downtown LA, the city pulsed with an electrifying vitality and amidst the vibrant chaos, they sought refuge at a quaint corner table in a cozy café, where the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee enveloped them like a warm embrace.

After placing their orders, Nikki leaned forward, his piercing blue eyes fixed on Katie.

"So, Katie, Tommy's been singing your praises as a kickass photographer," his voice as smooth as silk. "We're on the hunt for someone with your skills to help us make a splash with our upcoming gig."

Katie nodded, her interest piqued.

"I'm all ears," she replied, leaning back in her chair.

Tommy, unable to contain his excitement, leaned forward eagerly.

"We've headlining at the Starwood Club next month," he announced, a grin spreading across his face. "But we're not just looking to play; we want to rock the joint!"

"And to light up that stage, we need some badass posters, flyers, and all that jazz, something that draws  a lot of people in" Vince chimed in, his voice hyped.

Katie soaked up their vibe, a glint of excitement dancing in her eyes.

"Consider it done" she declared, a smirk tugging at her lips.

"But first could guys maybe show some of your music for me? Just to get a better image of Mötley Crüe.”

The band exchanged looks, a smirk playing on their lips.

"We'll crank up the amps and give you a taste," Tommy promised, a grin spreading across his face.

"You just got a backstage pass to our sonic circus," Nikki added, a playful twinkle in his eye.

"Why don't we invite you to my place? We've got a rehearsal space set up there, so you can experience what we're all about."

Katie's eyes gleamed with excitement.

"That sounds perfect," she exclaimed, a radiant smile gracing her lips.

"Then it's settled," Mick declared with a decisive nod. "We'll make our way to Nikki's place once we're done here."

With the first part of their plan solidified, the band and Katie lingered over their drinks, their conversation flowing with easy.

As the time drew near for Katie's next appointment, the group decided to escort her back to work. Upon the arrival, Katie vanished into the studio to finish her job for the day.

As the band settled into the reception hall, time seemed to stretch out before them, each minute feeling like an eternity as they waited with for Katie's return.

At long last, the door creaked open, and Katie emerged with a satisfied smile playing on her lips.

"Sorry for the wait, guys," Katie apologized, her voice carrying a note of excitement as she joined the band.

"I'm ready to roll now."

With a renewed sense of anticipation, Katie and the band made their way to Nikki's car, the excitement practically crackling in the air around them. As they headed to the Sunset Strip, Katie couldn't suppress the thrill bubbling within her, eager to delve deeper into the realm of rock 'n' roll.

Arriving at Nikki's apartment building, Katie was greeted by a surge of excitement at the thought finally getting to know the band wich her brother was part of.

As Mötley Crüe and Katie entered Nikki's flat, they were greeted by a space that perfectly encapsulated the rock 'n' roll lifestyle. Posters of iconi musicans adorned the walls, while instruments were scattered haphazardly around the room. Amplifiers hummed softly in the background, hinting at the music that was created within these walls.

The furniture was a mix of vintage pieces and modern comforts, giving the space a lived-in yet stylish vibe. A plush couch sat against one wall, its cushions worn from years of use, while a sleek bar area beckoned from the corner, stocked with an impressive array of spirits.

Nikki led the group into the room with a grin, gesturing for them to make themselves at home. "Welcome to my humble abode, where the magic happens" he said, a twinkle in his eye turning to Katie

"Make yourself comfortable."

As Katie and the rest of the band settled in, Nikki made his way to the fridge, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Alright, folks, what'll it be?" he called out, opening the fridge door to reveal an assortment of beverages.

"Beer, wine, whiskey? You name it, I've got it."

The band members exchanged glances, a collective smirk crossing their faces.

"Surprise us, Nikki," Vince replied, a playful edge to his voice.

Nikki chuckled as he retrieved a selection of drinks from the fridge, passing them out to the group with a flourish. As the band settled in with their drinks, Nikki turned to Katie with a grin.

"Are you ready for your private show, Katie?" he asked, his eyes alight with anticipation.

Katie's face broke into a wide smile.

"Absolutely," she replied, excitement coursing through her veins as she leand back comfortably in the couch, drink in hand. With a casual ease, she propped her legs up on the coffee table, fixing her gaze on the band with eager anticipation.

With that the band took their place on the stage, wich was the other side of Nikki’s living room, and launched into their first song. The music was filling the room with its raw energy. Katie's eyes danced with delight as she listened, completely captivated by the electrifying performance unfolding before her.

Song after song, Mötley Crüe poured their hearts and souls into their music, each note resonating with passion and intensity. Katie couldn't help but be swept away by the sheer talent and charisma of the band, her appreciation for their music growing with each passing moment.

As the final chords faded into silence, Tommy and Nikki took their seats on either side of Katie, their faces flushed with exhilaration. Vince and Mick settled into the armchairs surrounding the coffee table, their expressions mirroring the sense of accomplishment that filled the room.

"So, Katie, what did you think?" Nikki asked, a hint of nervousness in his voice.

Katie's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm as she took a sip of her drink, considering her response.

"I loved it," she said, her voice filled with genuine admiration.

"Each song had its own unique energy"

With the mood buoyed by Katie's praise, she launched into her ideas for the flyers and posters, drawing inspiration from the music she had just heard.

The band members listened intently, nodding in agreement as Katie outlined her vision for the promotional materials.

"I love it," Vince exclaimed, his eyes shining with enthusiasm.

"It sounds like you really understand our vibe and what we're all about."

Katie smiled, feeling a surge of pride at the band's reaction.

 "I'm glad you think so," she replied.

"I can't wait to get started and see what we can create together."

As the excitement of their collaboration filled the room, Katie and the band members of Mötley Crüe quickly settled on a date for the photoshoot.

"How about Saturday, two days from now?" Katie suggested, her eyes alight with enthusiasm.

The band members exchanged eager nods, they couldn’t wait to see Katie's vision come to life. "Sounds good to us," Nikki replied, a grin spreading across his face.

"We'll make sure we're ready to rock and roll."

With the date set and plans in motion, the group toasted to their upcoming photoshoot, excitement buzzing in the air. As they continued to chat and laugh late into the evening, Katie couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation for the creative journey that lay ahead.

As the evening wore on and the excitement of their collaboration began to wind down, the band members of Mötley Crüe started to make their exit.

Vince, with a mischievous glint in his eye, rose from his seat, his voice laced with playful banter.

"Alright folks, see you on Saturday. I'm off to see my girl" he declared, his announcement met with teasing cheers from the rest of the group.

Shortly there after, Mick followed suit, offering a nod of farewell before vanishing into the nocturnal embrace of the city.

Tommy glanced at his watch, realizing it was time to pick up his new flame.

"I better get going, my date is waiting" he said, flashing a grin at the others.

"New girl?” Katie asked quirosly.

"We will see” he answered with a huge smile still plaster on his face

"But before I head out, Nikki, do you mind taking Katie home?"

 "I'd be happy to make sure she gets home safely." Nikki nodded in agreement, a warm smile on his face.

Katie smiled gratefully

"Thank you, Nikki," she said

"I appreciate it."

With goodbyes exchanged Tommy dissapiered and soon after Nikki and Katie made their way down from the flat to Nikki's car, the cool night air greating them as they stepped out side. They exchanged casual banter as they walked, their laughter echoing off the surrounding buildings.

 "So, Nikki, where did you and my brother crossed paths?" she asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.

Nikki's gaze drifted to the road ahead, a nostalgic smile gracing his lips as he recounted the story.

"Well, it was after I had a falling out with my former band's singer and decided to quit London," he began, his voice tinged with nostalgia.

"I was feeling pretty lost and unsure of what to do next."

He paused for a moment, lost in thought, before continuing.

"I found myself sitting in a diner, flipping through the ads of musicians looking to join a band," he explained.

"That's when Tommy walked up to me out of the blue."

A smile tugged at the corners of Nikki's lips as he recalled the memory.

"He was this cocky guy with wild hair and an even wilder personality," he said.

 "I remember him saying he had my poster on his bedroom wall” he laughed and Katie started giggeling next to him.

"And then he just seated himself infront of me and started twireling his drum sticks and as they say the rest is histroy”

Katie glanced over at Nikki, a smile playing at the corners of her lips.

"It's amazing how things just seem to fall into place sometimes," she remarked, her voice filled with admiration.

"It's like the universe has a way of bringing people together when they need it."

Nikki nodded in agreement, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Yeah, it's funny how life works out like that," he replied, his voice tinged with reflection. "Sometimes the most unexpected encounters can change the course of your life in ways you never imagined."

They fell into a comfortable rhythm of conversation, sharing stories and laughter as they made their way through the city streets. Before they knew it, they had arrived at Katie's apartment building, the glow of the streetlights casting a warm halo around them.

As Nikki pulled up to the curb, he turned to Katie with a smile.

"Well, here we are," he said, his tone lighthearted.

"Thanks for the company, Katie. I had a great time tonight."

Katie returned his smile, a sense of warmth and gratitude filling her chest.

"Thank you for the ride, Nikki," she replied, her voice sincere.

With a final wave goodbye, Katie stepped out of the car and watched as Nikki drove off into the night. As she made her way up to her apartment, a sense of contentment washed over her, grateful for the unexpected connection she had formed with Nikki and the band.

[docholligay]

Genuinely just contributed to the Harris-Walz campaign because it enters you for a chance to meet them, and, as jetty has observed, Tim Walz is the dad I always wanted.

He hunts (his opener of 'I can shoot pheasants better than JD' had me from the first moment), he owns an International Scout (one of my three dream cars), he is a country boy who is into education and thinking and trying opinions on. I haven't wanted someone to be my dad so bad since I met that farmer in Circle (pop 600) with a poetry degree.

Actually, it's funny-- in the us at least, a fair amount of politicking is about **relatability** and on the national level, I do not relate to these people. I, too, thought Hillary was an upper crust seven sisters snob who couldn't repair a goddamn leaking pipe. I just also thought Donnie couldn't repair the pipe neither, and was a cunt besides. Every time I volunteered for Obama's campaigns i was well aware that someone with such education and clean Midwestern news announcer diction would probably assume things about me from my less clean voice. I just... do not care. Because I am a pragmatist. I can not feel like a special girl sometimes. It's good.

but my wife and I were talking that on a federal level...Walz is the first person either of us has felt like a guy we might know. I would get a beer with him!

This is a shitty endorsement--policy, and not just voiced policy, but what they have voted for in past, should be your guiding star-- and I guess that's because it's not meant to be! But it's the first time I've seen the dems bring out a rural dem... of which I know a number, who doesn't disavow that link.

[etz-ashashiyot]

Making a new post so as not to derail the previous reblogged post, but in that same spirit I am looking to connect with Palestinians who are interested in cross-community conversations and collaborative peace work. My outlook is mostly in line with this approach and this method of talking about things, but since I am based in the US and not Israel my focus would be on what we can do in the diaspora to help put pressure on the third parties and the international community to stop using Israel and Palestine as proxies and start doing real humanitarian work. I am very interested in helping to advocate for pragmatic steps that will actually make progress and save lives in the short-term while working towards a longer-term peaceful coexistence goal. It seems too many people aren't willing to listen but I think it's absolutely critical that these intermediate steps especially are led by the people who are directly affected.

If you are interested in connecting and share my humanist and pragmatist views that both peoples deserve safety, freedom, dignity, and self-determination in this land and no maximalist position will actually achieve that but coexistence will? Please reach out!

[sofoulandfairaday]

honestly, your analysis and headcanons on the Blacks are always very interesting. If you don't mind, can I ask you for your opinion and headcanons about Andromeda?

Hi! I don't mind at all, thank you for the question (and the compliment!) ❤️

Andromeda is one of those characters I mostly have soft headcanons about, meaning that I can comfortably and happily read many different versions of her. Let's say that I dislike the soft little girl ones, the poor, poor Andy abused by her mean parents the most.

My favourite Andromeda is a steely sort. Oh, she's kind, soft, gentle (more than her sisters), but only to her own. Heart-of-gold, would-mother-the-whole-world-if-she-could, à la Molly, is not my cup of tea.

So, I can speak about how I personally write her but unlike many other characters, this is not a very fixed idea in my head.

Beautiful, but not as beautiful as Bellatrix, who she resembles quite a bit. Definitely less charismatic, less striking. This breeds insecurity, especially in a young teenage girl. She's the Regulus to Bellatrix's Sirius.

Also not as brilliant as Bellatrix, in school. Again: this breeds insecurity.

I think Cygnus and Druella loved their daughters, but since all three of them were quite remarkable young ladies, Andromeda still suffers from Middle Child Syndrome - she's the forgotten one: Bella was exceptional (she was after all noticed by LV himself, and was one of the most powerful fighters in the second war) and Cissy was the baby, so unintentionally it was sorta-maybe-true.

Consequently: a bit of a social butterfly. Much warmer than both her sisters, more beloved in school. Had good relationships with the other Prefects (of course she was a Prefect; all the sisters were) from other houses.

That's how she became close with Hufflepuff Prefect Ted Tonks.

Also also also can I just say they don't have curly hair like Bella has in the movies? Dromeda's is a lighter shade, but still somewhere in between straight and wavy.

Out of the three of them, she had the best people skills, the best soft skills, she might have been the best at manipulation. For years after she left, and when she was tasked with making meaningful connections with other Death Eaters' wives, Narcissa would lament not having the same soft skills as Andromeda.

Unlike Sirius and Bella who have, as I've mentioned in the past, a very black-and-white morality, Andromeda sees the world in shades of grey. She's more flexible. A pragmatist, unlike her idealist sister and cousin. For this reason:

I don't think Andromeda ever let go of all of her biases. Not enough fanfictions explore what it means to unlearn all the notions that your blood-supremacist upbringing may have ingrained in you. Sirius is the one in the family who hates Dark Magic, who befriends the broken, the beaten and the damned. He is the one that would fight for social equality.

I don't think Andromeda cared much for Muggleborns at all. I think she cared for Ted. I am convinced that before she left, she and Bella had some kind of showdown and she basically said something along the lines of: look. I don't think that Muggles and Mudbloods are equal to us, and I don't think that they deserve to be equal to us in society, but I am asking you, as my sister, to make an exception for Ted and me.

Ted - smart, funny, future Healer Ted Tonks, who worshipped the ground she walked on - was her exception (like Remus was Sirius', like Lily was Snape's).

Ted who showed her unconditional love and support, who was the only thing her family wouldn't approve of- her only, only act of rebellion after years of being the perfect daughter, the forgotten child. But they gave her an ultimatum and she chose him.

Oh, it broke Bella and Cissy when Andromeda left. But as I say here, Andromeda was convinced that Bella betrayed her first, by choosing her Master instead of her.

Andy & Bella were always the closest. The three sisters were very close in general and both Bellatrix and Narcissa were closest to Andromeda, but Andy & Bella shared a bond which was so exclusive to the two of them that it could never be replicated, not even when Bella & Cissy grew closer after Andromeda left. They both loved their youngest fiercely and would have done anything to protect her from harm.

She loved Transfiguration.

Absolute prodigy with Household charms (and this is canon), but also the best, out of all the sisters, with healing magic and healing charms. (She does cure Hagrid after the Battle of the Seven Potter, after all, and he's tricky because he's half-giant).

I think she might have been a private Healer, more on that here.

She disliked cruelty (Muggle hunting and the sort) but she could be ruthless when she wanted to.

Now. The following are my personal headcanons which have no basis in reality whatsoever, but I love them. Was sorta-involved with Rabastan as a child.

Andromeda & Rabastan (& Regulus), for the way I write them, all suffer from being in the shadow of their older siblings. I think they might have played together as children, and that she had, at different points in time, a bit of a crush on both the Lestranges. Rabastan first, as kids, when he was still in his phase ewwww girls.

Joke's on him because later he became absolutely obsessed with her. To a creepy degree almost. He didn't think it fair that his older brother got to marry a Black and he didn't, he didn't understand why, all of a sudden, Andromeda seemed to hate him when she had been a comfort to him in the past... And he had grown up now, he could see that she was beautiful, hard and perfect but softer than Bella, someone he could handle.

The less she wanted him, the more he desired her.

But she had become more and more disgusted with him as the years went by. At first, he had been a sweet kid, but he had turned out much worse than his older brother, definitely a bit of a sadist, too tightly wound, with a much-too-cruel sense of humour for her liking.

She was also already smitten with Ted at this point.

Both she and Cissy had a teeeeeny tiny crush on Rodolphus at a certain point and were generally very soft and over-indulgent with him, especially in his bickering with Bellatrix (which drove her insane and made Rabastan extremely jealous). But who can blame them, my man is hot.

Rocks short hair (by ‘short’ I mean a cool bob like Shiv Roy) which is something that Ted encouraged her to get after she had Nymphadora. Apart from that, she always had long hair, like her sisters.

Speaking of which. All of you must know by now that I headcanon all the Black women (Walburga, Narcissa, Bellatrix) as having fertility problems: either they couldn't conceive or when they could they never managed to carry to term. Not Andromeda. No. Maybe it was the new blood, Ted's blood, or maybe it was sheer bad luck, but when Andromeda was sleeping with Ted as a 19-year-old, she wasn't that careful. She figured that nothing would happen - it was- oh, it was so unlikely that anything would happen. But it did.

Andromeda ran away because she had fallen pregnant with Nymphadora. She loved her darling girl from the very first minute - more than her sisters, more than anyone in the world. Her family wouldn't accept her, which hastened things.

Yeah, maybe in another universe she could have been Rabastan Lestrange's bored wife (by the way, my boy Rab is bisexual just so ya know), having an affair with Ted on the side, Lady Chatterley-style (someone write that fic!) But not in this one.

In this one, despite the love she has for her parents, her sisters, and the luxuries of her old life (her pureblood friends, the tea parties, the balls, the gowns and vacations...) she is willing to throw everything away for Ted. And most of all, for Dora.

Horrid taste in names. Rabastan is lucky he didn't end up with her, his kids would have been named something obnoxious and self-referential like Alpheratz.