#the beyond seven stars blog is not up yet so this can go here for now lol

[savemewattpad]

we keep quiet, cause we're dead if they knew

(aka the one where loki finds out about freyja and fandral.)

taglist: @ocappreciation @arrthurpendragon @notaboutcat @noratilney (lmk if you want to be added/removed!)

Freyja knows the garden maze like the back of her hand. Every step through it is intuitive, every flower and thorn and blade of grass feels like a part of herself. She's grown up in the weeds–even when her brothers outgrew their games of hide and seek, she has always found solace in the solitude of the maze. Maybe because she was never quite allowed to train in combat the way they were, she had to find ways to occupy herself somewhere. Her familiarity of it has been hard-won, minute by minute, day by day, every footstep creating more muscle memory. 

So of course, when she began this…whatever it is, with Fandral, the maze was where she brought him. She knows the quiet places, the turns nobody ever takes but her. She knows where they won't be found. 

Their trysts are not always physical; sometimes they just talk for hours, or just enjoy each other’s company in the silence. 

This is not one of these nights. 

Freyja knows that her body is political territory; she has been acutely aware of it for centuries. As a seidr, as a daughter of Fensalir, her indiscretions will not be politely ignored the way that of her brothers are. (Loki, as a magic user, is on thin ice himself). After all, there's a reason she and Fandral are relegated to stolen moments in hiding spots. If House Valdi learned their heir was cavorting with her, the stability of the realm could be in danger of succumbing to a second civil war. 

It's an objective her father instilled in her from birth: the cold civil war Asgard has harbored since Odin married a Seidr from Fensalir cannot, under any circumstances, be allowed to thaw. Freyja was born the emblem of a union that nearly split the realm, and it now falls to her to hold it together. 

All of this to say: Freyja is already playing with fire in a powder keg. Having sex with Fandral anywhere, but particularly outside in the garden, would be a de facto declaration of war if word got out. 

It doesn't mean that some nights, she's not tempted. It doesn't mean that some nights, part of her thinks it might be worth it.

The further his lips drift down her neck, the closer their bodies press together, the further the concept of diplomacy flies from her mind, replaced by the desire, the need to know what Fandral looks like undressed and on his knees before her–

“Ahem.”

The problem, of course, is that Loki knows the garden maze nearly as well as she does. 

Fandral all but jumps away from her, at the other side of the corridor from her in less than a moment, and he’s all movement, straightening his clothes, changing his posture, like he thinks if he looks casual enough, it’ll rewind the clock. Freyja turns to her brother, standing at the junction at the end of the corridor, face impassive but eyes unbearably amused. 

I will never hear the end of this.

“Sorry to interrupt,” Loki says sarcastically.

“You’re forgiven,” Fandral replies, equally sarcastic, and she doesn’t need to look at him to know that he regrets it instantly. She pinches the bridge of her nose. 

“And you’re dismissed,” Loki replies easily. “I need a word with my sister.”

Fandral looks to her for instruction. She nods. He leaves, and she can see in his posture that he’s making a point of not walking any faster than he ordinarily does; it is taking extra effort for him to not look like he is actively trying to escape the situation. A pang of fondness hits her; she bites her lip to keep from smiling. 

Loki watches Fandral carefully as he leaves, his eyes following him until several moments after he’s left Freyja’s line of sight, and then he turns his gaze on Freyja. A staring contest ensues as she waits for him to say the first word. 

“Apologies for the interruption, again, little sister,” he says finally, smiling. It’s that smile he uses whenever his sixth sense for mayhem lights up.

“Why are you here, Loki?” she asks, exasperated. 

“Mother wanted to speak to you about the coronation and asked me to find you. She told me you’d been spending a lot of time in the labyrinth lately.” He grins. “I don’t suppose she knows why.”

Freyja sighs, walking to his end of the corridor to meet him. “No one knows, and if you know what’s good for your health, you’ll keep it that way.”

“Good for my health? Or yours?”

“All of ours,” she says, indulging his hypothetical for the lack of anything else to say. “Yours, mine, his, everyone’s. You should be furious with me right now.”

“Furious? I’m proud.” He slings an arm around her and starts walking her out. “My little sister has grown up and started reaching important milestones, like compromising realm stability. Soon you’ll be committing your first treason.”

She rolls her eyes. “I feel like what I’m doing counts as de facto treason, actually.”

“There’s the spirit.” He grins down at her. “Honestly, Freyja, I wasn’t certain you had that capacity.”

“I’m the goddess of love, Loki,” she says flatly.

He rolls his eyes, looking mildly disgusted. “Not that. I mean, I didn’t know you had that kind of capacity for chaos. This is a tinderbox, you realize.”

“Oh, is it?” she says. “I hadn’t realized, thank you so much for your guidance.”

“I mean, really,” he continues, just to be annoying. “The potential for this to go wrong for you, him, and everyone else we know is truly astounding. The scope of the damage this could do is immeasurable. It usually takes me decades to put together something of that magnitude.” He pauses. “Have you been at this for decades?” He shakes his head at himself. “No, of course not. I would’ve figured it out sooner.”

“You’re enjoying this a little too much.”

“If you didn’t want me to, you were welcome to involve yourself with any other member of nobility. There’s no shortage of suitors for the princess of Asgard, you realize.” “No, I hadn’t noticed that either, thank you.” She pauses, grabbing his arm so that he does, too, and he turns to face her. 

“This isn’t a jest, Loki. I need to know that you’ll be discreet about this,” she says. “There are lives at stake.” She always hates to acknowledge that part; it’s one thing to think that it could cause a war. It’s another to acknowledge what war entails. When she does, the overwhelming selfishness of her actions hits her like a wave. 

But she can’t ignore the potential ramifications of her actions and then ask Loki not to.

“As loathsome as Lord Valdi, I don’t think he’ll risk another war over a single indiscretion, Little One.”

Freyja stares at him. “Right. About that…”

His eyebrows raise. “This…isn’t a single indiscretion, though,” he realizes out loud.

“No.”

He studies her for a long moment, and there’s something new in his eyes–he’s looking at her like he’s never seen her before, like this is a facet of her that he hadn’t anticipated. 

“Do you love him?” he asks finally, seriously.

“Yes,” she says, and for all the wrestling she’s done with the question in her mind and soul, she’s surprised at how easily the confirmation rolls off her tongue. 

“Is he good to you?”

She can’t help but smile at that, just a little–both at her brother’s concern, and at the thoughts it conjures of the man she loves. “The best.”

He nods. “Very well. Your secret is safe with me.”

Her shoulders relax. “Thank you.”

“You’ve certainly kept enough secrets for me over the centuries; it’s only fair.” With that, he slings his arm back around her and starts guiding her back to the palace again. 

“I will have to threaten to end his life should he damage your heart in any way, of course,” he adds. 

“Please refrain from doing that, actually.”

“I will not.” 

[blueskittlesart]

So I just started Genshin Impact cause of your blog. I'm a bit confused by some of the lore. Wanna lore dump about Genshin???

ok im going to extensively spoiler-mark this so do NOT go past parts you haven't played through yet. the lore of genshin is arranged so that most of it you learn slowly through story quests. if you want to experience it as intended, don't read past quests you haven't played through yet! Also i genuinely tried to keep this as brief and barebones as physically possible but the google doc i wrote it in is seven pages long. So. brace yourself. 

NOTE. for the purposes of this explanation, the sibling you choose in the opening cutscene will be referred to as "playable sibling/PS" and the sibling who disappears as a result of that choice as "abyss sibling/AS." keep this in mind

SO. opening of the game. playable and abyss are introduced to us as twin travelers who came from "beyond the stars," meaning they did not originate from teyvat (the world which genshin takes place in). they somehow enter teyvat, and as they are about to leave and move on to the "next world" (whatever that may mean) they are stopped by an unknown figure that calls themself "the sustainer of heavenly principles." (for simplicity, heavenly principles/HP) this figure blocks their exit from teyvat, captures AS and sends PS crashing down to earth. In the next scene we see, PS tells paimon (who they have supposedly recently fished out of a lake???) that HP cast them down to the surface of teyvat and they haven't seen their sibling since. their ultimate goal as stated at this point is to find their sibling and leave teyvat together.

PS begins their journey through teyvat in mondstadt. Paimon explains to them that teyvat is made up of seven nations, each with a different god, called an archon, governing the nation. Each god has a specific guiding principle and an element associated with them, for a total of 7 elements and archons for 7 nations. (these 7 elements also make up the combat system of the game, which i will not go into bc i dont hate myself.) there are also people in these nations who have been granted “visions” by the archons, which are physical objects that allow them to control a specific element. For whatever reason, PS discovers that by “resonating” with the different statues of mondstadt’s archons in the different nations, they can also control these elements despite not having a vision.

Anyways,  Mondstadt's archon is called barbatos, and his element is anemo (wind.) the governing principle of barbatos, and by extension mondstadt, is freedom. Paimon suggests that PS should attempt to find barbatos, and eventually the gods of the other 6 nations, because they believe the HP to be a god and therefore think that other gods will likely have information on them. 

SPOILERS: MONDSTADT ARCHON QUEST

PS and paimon travel to mondstadt. I’m actually going to skip a lot of the mondstadt story quest because it’s long as hell and most of it doesn’t have any impact on the larger lore, but I will go over the key points you need to know. PS and paimon meet the governing party of the nation: the knights of favonius. The current leader of the knights is acting grandmaster Jeanvgunnhildr, but she is only ACTING grandmaster. The official grandmaster, Varka, left shortly before PS came to mondstadt and took almost half of the knights with him, on an expedition which has yet to be explained in-game. For whatever reason, though, mondstadt's government is currently operating at essentially half capacity. PS meets several other knights besides jean, including cavalry captain Kaeya, who i mention here because he will be relevant later. they also learn that mondstadt is dealing with multiple diplomatic/military crises at once. there have been a series of attacks by the "east wind" dragon stormterror (true name dvalin.) At the same time, the knights and church of favonius are enduring diplomatic pressure from a group of people from the nation sznezhnaya, which is a far-northern nation governed by the archon of cryo (ice.) they are attempting to use the stormterror crisis to seize power from the knights, and generally making life very difficult for poor jean. on top of this, the archon barbatos has not been seen for several hundred years, which isn't uncommon for him, but is not exactly helping with all the shit mondstadt is going through right now. 

PS defeats dvalin once (with the help of barbatos, unbeknownst to them at the time), earning them the title “honorary knight of favonius.” They meet barbatos, who has taken on the form of a young bard named venti so that he can get drunk and ignore the glaring problems with his nation. Venti explains to PS that dvalin is actually a good wind spirit, but he has been corrupted by an organized force of inhuman monsters known as the "abyss order," who were hoping to turn him into a weapon for their own purposes. Venti has a plan to save both mondstadt and dvalin, requiring PS to do a bunch of dungeons and steal an ancient artifact, the holy lyre, from the church of favonius, briefly turning them into a wanted criminal in mondstadt. (this will be a recurring motif throughout this story.) Venti, PS, and a few of the other mondstadt playable characters use the holy lyre to summon dvalin, hoping to purify him, but the abyss order interferes and drives dvalin away. The party switches to plan B and goes directly to stormterror’s lair to confront, battle, and purify him directly. They succeed. When they get back to mondstadt, kaeya lets them know that he has learned that the abyss order is unified under one leader. The end of the quest reveals to the player (but not PS) that that leader is PS’s missing sibling, AS, hence why i called them “abyss sibling.” 

In the final moments of the quest, venti and PS return the lyre to mondstadt’s cathedral. On their way out, fatui agents ambush and restrain them. Here, we meet one of the eleven fatui harbingers, La Signora. She is one of the highest authorities of the fatui, just under the cryo archon. She physically rips venti’s “gnosis” out of him--a chess piece-shaped relic that is essentially the “heart” of an archon, (in the japanese dub it’s literally called a ‘god’s heart.’ why they called it a gnosis in english i have no idea.) and then knocks out PS and flees the scene, giving no indication of why she wanted the gnosis at all. This is the end of the mondstadt archon quest. 

SPOILERS: LIYUE ARCHON QUEST

Onto liyue. Jesus christ. Im going to make this as brief as possible but this game’s plot is insanely complicated. Liyue is the geo (rock) nation, with the governing principle “contracts.” it’s governed half by humans and half by adepti, which are liyue’s minor gods. The huamn leader of liyue is named ningguang, and her crowning achievement is a floating castle called the jade chamber, which is supposedly representative of the achievement of liyue’s human government. The main internal conflict in liyue is between the governing forces of the adepti and humans.

 So PS and paimon are going into liyue to try and get into contact with the geo archon rex lapis when he comes down to the surface of teyvat for a yearly ceremony. (if they miss it they’ll have to wait another year to see him.) 

They get to liyue harbor, the main city in liyue, and witness the ceremony, but halfway through chaos ensues as rex lapis is shot and killed before the eyes of everyone watching the ceremony. Because PS isn’t from liyue, they’re suspected of being the killer and immediately become an outlaw in liyue. They are rescued from the guards trying to capture them by Childe, the second fatui harbinger we have the pleasure of meeting in this game. Childe’s defining character trait is that he is literally insane. Childe introduces PS to a funeral director named Zhongli, who is in charge of funeral arrangements for rex lapis. They help him out for a while, and then return to liyue harbor to find it in chaos. The human government and the adepti have finally had a direct confrontation, and childe has used the chaos to slip away and attempt to steal rex lapis’s gnosis from his corpse. PS and paimon follow him and battle him, only for both PS and childe to discover that the gnosis is not in the corpse of rex lapis. PS defeats childe, who then switches to plan B and revives an ancient god, osail, to destroy liyue entirely. The humans and adepti are forced to work together to fight osail, and ningguang eventually sacrifices the jade chamber to save liyue harbor, prompting the adepti to acknowledge her as a worthy leader of liyue. The adepti agree to retreat and allow the humans to self-govern from now on without divine interference. 

Zhongli reveals himself to be rex lapis, which is why the gnosis wasn’t in the (fake) corpse childe tried to steal it from.he faked his death as a test to see if liyue could survive without him, and, satisfied with the outcome, he decides to retire as a god entirely and live as zhongli from now on. Everything PS fought for was bullshit anyway, though, because zhongli made a CONTRACT with the cryo archon and signed his goddamn gnosis away anyway. PS is still no closer to finding their sibling, who zhongli admits he knows about but is under contract not to say anything. I fucking hate contracts. 

SPOILERS: WE WILL BE REUNITED/KAEYA STORY SEGMENTS

We will be reunited. The only quest in this entire goddamn game that has ever actually felt like payoff. In this quest we meet dainsleif, a strange man with ties to the abyss. He reveals to us that 500 years ago, teyvat suffered a horrible calamity after the destruction of a nation called khaenriah. Khaenriah, as explained by dain, was a nation which existed without the governance of an archon and flourished, making incredibly advanced technological discoveries. It was destroyed by the gods 500 years ago. The ruin machines that populate teyvat were supposedly built by khaenrians. PS begins to regain vague memories about khaenriah, but nothing concrete.  PS discovers an archon statue underground in liyue which has been chained up upside down, and dain explains that the abyss order are planning to use the inverted statue to make a weapon, but in order to power it they need the eye of the first ruin guard created by khaenrians, which currently resides in stormterror’s lair in mondstadt. (up until this quest activates, the ruin guard sits motionless in stormterror’s lair and can be interacted with, where the interact box refers to it as a “strange statue.” after this quest, it’s referred to as “the first field tiller” (field tiller being a term used by khaenrians to refer to the ruin guards.) they find the ruin guard and dainsleif takes its eye. PS and dain then return to the inverted statue, intending to destroy it, but are interrupted by a high-ranking member of the abyss order, an abyss herald, which battles PS until AS appears to stop the battle. 

AS seems more surprised to see PS and dain together than anything else. AS reveals that dain was a member of khaenriah’s royal guard, and was cursed with immortality and forced to watch his people turn into monsters after it fell. PS begs AS to come with them, so they can go home together, but AS says they can’t because unless they fulfil their goal with the abyss order, their “war on destiny will not end.” AS says that they have already traveled teyvat, and that once PS finishes their journey they will understand AS’s actions. AS leaves through an abyss portal, and dain follows them. PS is left alone in the underground ruins with more questions than answers. 

TLDR for what we know so far: 500 years ago, khaenriah was destroyed by the gods for some reason. (Dain implies that it was because the gods feared a human nation with no god to govern them, but some dialog from playable archons suggests this may not be entirely accurate.) The inhabitants of khaenriah were cursed to become monsters, and dain was cursed with immortality. Kaeya, the cavalry captain of the knights of favonius, is khaenrian and somehow either escaped this curse or managed to retain human form despite it, making him one of the sole survivors of khaenriah and suggesting that there may be more to the story than we already know. (that’s speculation so i won’t get too into it, but the kaeya thing is too important to exclude imo). PS and AS were both in khaenriah at some point prior to this catastrophe, but only AS remembers exactly what happened. AS has aligned themself with the abyss order after traveling teyvat fully themself, and are now working with the abyss to try to revive khaenriah. Meanwhile, the fatui and the cryo archon are collecting gnoses from other archons for some purpose that has yet to be revealed to us. 

SPOILERS: INAZUMA ARCHON QUEST

Now we move to inazuma. Here, we are going to basically ignore the abyss order entirely bc they aren’t relevant and focus back in on the fatui. Rather than recount the whole archon quest from PS’s perspective i’m just going to tell you everything in chronological order this time bc it’s SO long and confusing otherwise. Fair warning i did not like this quest

Inazuma’s archon is named Ei. her governing principle is “eternity” (stupid ass principle) and her element is electro (electricity). Ei was not the original electro archon, however. The first electro archon was ei’s sister, makoto. Makoto was killed during the khaenriah cataclysm, and ei took on her role in her place.

Ei sucks at being an archon. She becomes obsessed with the idea of an unchanging eternal nation, and decided to remove herself from the equation entirely. To do this, she created a sentient puppet look-alike to rule in her place. There were two of these puppets, one of which ei threw out after she saw it cry, deciding it would be too soft to endure the pressures of ruling a nation. (we will come back to this puppet in sumeru. Dont worry.) the other puppet was her success story. The puppet, known as the raiden shogun, ruled inazuma militantly and with a complete lack of emotion, using only the guiding principles ei had instilled in her. Because of this, and because ei never bothered to check in or do any maintenance on the damn thing, the puppet became incredibly susceptible to manipulation by, you guessed it, the fucking fatui. The fatui talked the shogun into enstating a total ban on travel in and out of inazuma, as well as the “vision hunt decree” which meant that the inazuman government began seizing people’s visions. 

Enter PS. they are pissed off and tired at this point. They just want to meet the goddamn archon and get out, but they, of course, end up starting a revolution in inazuma (that somehow has no actual lasting consequences btw. Help me.) Eventually they figure out that this whole thing was an elaborate plot by the fatui to destabilize inazuma, and that the raiden shogun is a puppet and not the actual archon. In order to get to the actual archon and force her to fix shit, they talk to yae miko, ei’s “oldest friend” (read: wife.) Miko tells them how to get into ei’s mind palace and snap her out of it. PS does this. Ei, after several real-life hours of bullshit dialog, agrees that she fucked up and shuts down the shogun and promises to fix everything. 

Ei also does not know anything about PS’s sibling or the abyss order, and woah would you look at that!! MIKO FUCKING GAVE AWAY THE GNOSIS TO THE FATUI WITHOUT EVEN A GODDAMN DEAL. THANKS SO MUCH GUYS. WE ARE ZERO PERCENT CLOSER TO ANY ANSWERS WHATSOEVER. 

God. at least that one was short. 

SPOILERS: SUMERU ARCHON QUEST

Sumeru. Christ almighty. Im skipping the chasm because it doesn’t fucking matter. So we get to sumeru right. Sumeru has a bunch of really weird and vaguely racist lore that i will be skipping because it doesnt matter but. prepare yourself.

Sumeru’s archon is the dendro (plant) archon, and her governing principle is “wisdom.” HOWEVER, there are a bunch of weird godly politics going on here that are unfortunately integral to our understanding of the story. So basically, there used to be 2 gods in Sumeru: the dendro archon/the greater lord, and the scarlet king. The scarlet king was the ruler of the desert and the greater lord ruled the rainforest, but the scarlet king was killed, leaving only the greater lord to govern all of sumeru. The scarlet king’s people were largely not happy about this. 

Fast forward to the khaenriah cataclysm. The greater lord is killed, but in her dying moments a new dendro archon is born: the lesser lord kusanali. Immediately, the lesser lord is swept away by the akademiya, which is the human governing power of sumeru. The akademiya resented the lesser lord and refused to acknowledge her as the new archon, instead keeping her sealed away and relying on what was left of the greater lord’s power instead. The akademiya slowly became corrupt as time went on and they didn’t have an archon to keep them in check. 

Fast forward again to present day. PS comes to sumeru, immediately passes out and connects accidentally to the consciousnes of the greater lord. During this dream sequence, they hear the words “world… forget me” and see an image of a giant tree. They proceed to ignore this vision for the next quarter of the quest. 

They get to sumeru city only to discover that the entire city is seemingly stuck in a time loop of the same day over and over again. with the help of lesser lord kusanali, who calls herself nahida and projects herself into the consciousnesses of others in order to communicate with them, PS discovers that the entire city is actually trapped in a dream, which the akademiya is using to harvest knowledge from the city in order to carry out their ultimate plan: creating a new god to replace lesser lord kusanali as the governing archon of sumeru. 

They break out of the dream, but nahida is trapped by the akademiya and imprisoned in a deep sleep again. PS discovers that the akademiya has been working with yet another fatui harbinger: the doctor/il dottore, to carry out their plan. They plan to use the gnosis the fatui stole from inazuma to create their new god, and as for the being they plan to use to house it? They’re going to use Ei’s discarded prototype puppet, also known as the fatui harbinger scaramouche. 

After being abandoned by ei, his mother, scaramouche became a directionless wanderer in inazuma. With no gnosis, he was essentially a being without a heart, always lacking something. He was hardened by several tragedies until he eventually rejected his past and decided the only way out was to fulfill his original purpose and become a god, with or without ei’s approval. He turned to the fatui to help him fulfil this wish, and sumeru’s akademiya, desperate for a new god to replace kusanali, were all too happy to help the fatui out. Il dottore and the akademiya supplied him with a gnosis and a godly body, and they nearly complete the process entirely, but they are thwarted by PS and nahida just before scaramouche loses his past self entirely and attains godhood. Nahida takes the gnosis from scaramouche. 

After this battle, nahida and PS enter what remains of the consciousness of the greater lord one final time, hoping to understand the circumstances surrounding her death and nahida’s birth. They speak to the remains of the greater lord, who reveals that as the god of wisdom, her consciousness is connected to irminsul, the tree of life and the “collective consciousness” of teyvat. When the khaenriah cataclysm occurred, the tree was poisoned by “forbidden knowledge,” the greater lord claims (what this means is your guess as well as mine) and she had to basically kill herself in order to stop this forbidden knowledge from polluting all of teyvat. In creating nahida, she hoped to give sumeru a new archon to look to when she was gone, but because her memory, tainted by forbidden knowledge, still remained in the collective consciousness of teyvat, nahida could never be accepted as sumeru’s true archon. This was the meaning of the words “world, forget me” that PS hears early on in the quest: the greater lord wanted the world to forget her so that the tree of knowledge would no longer be poisoned by her tainted memory.

With this revelation, the greater lord disappears completely, removing all memory of herself from teyvat’s collective consciousness. Even nahida no longer remembers the greater lord’s existence. PS, however, still remembers the greater lord, supposedly because they aren’t from teyvat and therefore their memories aren’t governed by what is and isn’t inscribed in the tree of knowledge. 

After all this, il dottore appears and knocks out PS and paimon so he can speak with nahida privately. Nahida offers to give him the electro gnosis in exchange for him killing the clones of himself he’s made (she reveals that she knows he has made hundreds of clones of himself. He immediately agrees to kill them in exchange for the gnosis, though, so this doesn’t really matter.) during this exchange, she also suggests that destroying the gnosis would “awaken the heavenly principles,” the first mention of HP in game since the opening cutscene. She does not elaborate about what HP is. as for HER gnosis, dottore offers her a bit of knowledge in exchange for it. The player doesn’t get to hear the knowledge itself, only dottore’s pitch: “Have you heard of the rumor that the sky in teyvat is fake?” (note: it should be mentioned that back in the 1.0 patch series there was a limited-time event in which scaramouche was briefly introduced for the first time, and this event also very briefly mentioned that teyvat’s sky might be fake. There are also a ton of references to stars controlling one’s fate in teyvat, and celestia, the realm of the gods, exists in the sky. anyways.) nahida gives away her gnosis in exchange for this information. 

When PS wakes up, nahida becomes the first archon in the history of this game to give you useful information that you don’t already fucking have. She tells PS that because of her connection to the tree of knowledge, she has been able to learn a bit about them and their sibling. 

PS is what is called a “descender,” meaning someone who came to teyvat from beyond the stars and did not originate there. They are not the first descender to teyvat, in fact there have been four others throughout history. The first of these descenders is the heavenly principles. AS is NOT a descender. 

Descenders are known as such because, since they are not from teyvat, no information about them is recorded in the tree of knowledge. PS is not recorded in the tree, but AS is. AS’s record begins when they showed up in khaenriah, and parts of it are “fuzzy” as though they have been scrubbed out. From this, Nahida draws the conclusion that AS is from teyvat and PS isn’t, which PS is convinced is impossible because they traveled with their sibling together for years before coming to teyvat, so they’re sure AS didn’t originate there. 

This is essentially where we are left as of the current patch. There’s a ton of branch-off lore and little connecting pieces i could go into but i typed this in a google doc and it was literally seven pages long and this is BARE BONES i swear there was nothing in here that i could leave out. So. i am not going to bother trying to get any more specific unless someone asks me to because jesus christ. Anyways thats the genshin story as succinctly as i could possibly put it thank you for coming to my ted talk

[taliasayar]

  ◟* hello hello babes — my name is diana, i’m twenty five years old, live in the est timezone, and go by she / her pronouns ! honestly, v shook i’m here but i’m so beyond thrilled to bring u my baby child talia ( which was perfectly described on the main as gentle chaos ) — honestly my whole blog is a huge wip so pls pls pls feel free to hit me up on discord anytime for anything ! i can’t wait to write with all of u ♡ @volumeupdates​

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give talia’s favorite band a listen !

a snapshot under the cut !

( aslihan malbora, cis female, she / her, muse m ) oh snap ! is that TALIA SAYAR ? they work over at high volume where some of the other employees have labeled them as THE MUSO. that’s probably because they can be a bit ( passionate ) but also pretty ( scatterbrained ) they’re 23 and they’ve been living in woodstock for TWENTY THREE YEARS. it must be their shift because i totally hear PINK FLOYD blasting from the record store. 

( aesthetics: paint marks on your hands, smiling without realizing you’re doing it, the sound of rain on the sidewalk, lying on the grass and falling asleep counting all the stars in the sky )

she was born in chicago but moved to woodstock when she was 2 months old

her parents got a divorce when she was a year old, so as long as she could remember it’s been her and her dad

growing up she was clearly bright, loved to read, v happy, but had some challenging parts of her childhood. she plays the drums, loves art, finds any way to express herself.

her dad bought the bar when she was four, and he’s always been bad with money, but he claimed it was a great investment. yet, all talia remembers is poor memories associated with the place

TW: MENTIONS OF PTSD, OD’ING, PARENTAL NEGLECT, MENTIONS OF SEXUALIZING AN 18 Y/O

remembers being seven and sitting outside in the parking lot while her dad loudly argued with the creeps at the bar and she played with the beetles and caterpillars crawling on the dirt

remembers the one and only time she ever heard a gunshot, right after her senior prom when she went to the bar because her dad was unable to pick her up. she remembers the way it rung in the air, and the way she sat curled up in a ball on the side of the road, trying to get the noise out of her mind

remembers being nine and seeing a woman overdose in the bathroom, begging talia to make the pain stop as talia just held her hand and screamed for help

remembers being asked by her dad to walk home in the freezing cold when he was dealing with gambling problems. it was dark, and she remembers walking so fast she could barely catch her breath due to her asthma, but she was on autopilot from the fear. she was ten years old.

remembers being sexualized once she turned 18 by all the bikers and avoiding them like the plague 

there’s one nice biker, charlie, with a long white beard who said talia reminds him of his daughter that passed. he’d told all the other bikers to fuck off every time they were creepy, and it’s the only time talia felt mildly safe in their presence

END TW

has a pet iguana named leia, after princess leia

has 2 twin half brothers on her mom’s side that live in chicago, she tries to visit and her mom is nice but she feels fairly disconnected from their lives due to the age difference

when she was in college she started experimenting with molly, coke, and some other drugs. it helps clear her head from the memories sometimes, and quiets her anxiety. 

she’s currently finishing her phd at woodstock community college, since it was too expensive to pay for any other school she got into

she plans to move out of woodstock the minute she’s done with her degree

you can probably find her in her yard like jumping on a canvas covered in balloons filled with acrylic paint to make weird art

her relationship with her father is a little tense, but at the end of the day she’s loyal and loves him and knows he’s all she got

[insomniac-arrest]

Hi there! I'm doing sort of what you did last year with the "here's all the books i read in 2020" post, as part of a resolution to myself to get myself back into reading. I wanted to see if you had a final list - I can't seem to find that post but I remember seeing a couple titles I wanted to read when I made the time :/ And have you read anything in the new year yet? I've read 2 books so far - Beyond the Ruby Veil and Serpent & Dove! The first is about a girl who gets whatever she wants and murders the person who makes water in her city out of people's blood, and subsequently finding out a LOT about the reality of her world. She is hella gay and her best friend is ALSO Hella Gay but it 2 different ways. I kind of hate her but also her story and her emotions are very compelling still???? The second is a typical opposite sides fake!married story with witches and witchhunters set in quasi-Medieval "France." Its very cute and Ansel is now my child. Plus the "twist" writing isn't for shock value like GoT was, the foreshadowing and payoffs actually make sense BUT the payoffs still blow you away!

Hello! Yes, here is my post with most of the books I read in 2020. You can also check out my Goodreads which has even more!

Here were my all-time favorites from 2020 by genre:

Fantasy: Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik, a money-lender gets in trouble after bragging she can turn silver into gold and is kidnapped and ordered to do so by a fey creature. It has a truly compelling main character and some awesome female friendships. I loved this book!

Literary Fiction: On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong, a son writes a letter about his life to his illiterate mother. The language in this is truly dazzling and the prose absolutely stunned me to the point of tearing up. 

Romance: Get a Life Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert, Chloe Brown is a chronically ill computer geek with a goal, a plan, and a list. After almost—but not quite—dying, she’s come up with seven directives to help her “Get a Life.” I just thought this was a really funny and sweet romance novel! 

I also read “Red, White, and Royal Blue” this year which was pretty good and gets an honorable mention. However, despite the later being gay, I enjoyed Chloe more as a character so that’s why it ended up being my favorite.

Science Fiction: Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel, a post-apocalyptical story about a group of traveling Shakespeare actors and a symphony. Soft! Apocalypse! A fascinating look at a world ravaged by a terrible disease (ahem) and the society that comes after it. There is something quiet and compelling about this book that I can’t explain.

Gideon the Ninth: I’m not putting this in any category because I honestly had no ideal what was going on in this book most of the time. BUT I HAD SO MUCH GODDAMN FUN IT’S UNBELIEVABLE. I laughed, I cried, I screamed out loud at the ending. This book reminded me how much I love reading.

I have finished one book in the new year! It was “Sharp Objects” by Gillian Flynn and I hated it so much that I thought to myself “huh, I guess I don’t like the entire thriller genre” and then the next day, still filled with rage, I was like “maybe I just don’t like books anymore, I’m going to become illiterate.”

Anyway, I am back to reading now and I’m doing “One to Watch” by Kate Stayman-London which is a romance novel about a plus-sized fashion blogging becoming the star of a reality dating show! I’m enjoying it well-enough so far, it is a bit heavy for me, but I hear it gets really juicy later on so I’m excited for that. 

[whatareyousearchingfordean]

Happiness Begins

Part 23

Chapter Summary: It turns out going home to Austin wasn’t all it cracked up to be. Elsewhere, Jensen has an interesting conversation with an old friend. 

Warnings: Language, angst, dealing with mental health issues

Word Count: 3.2K+

Author’s Note: I just want to start here by reiterating that this is a work of fiction and should be treated as such. I mean no harm to Danneel or her beautiful family, and I have a zero-tolerance policy on this blog. I see and legit forms of hate towards any wife and you are blocked. That being said, I hope you enjoy this part xoxo Alex

Catch up with the series masterlist and check out Alexandra’s Library for more works by yours truly. 

Two months later…

When Y/n had stepped onto the tarmac in Austin, she had believed wholeheartedly that this could be a fresh start for her. Or at the very least, she hoped going back to her status quo would help to dull that empty feeling she now held in her chest. And it had worked, at first. Catching up on everything had been just the distraction she was looking for, but as time went on and the workload steadied off, it became harder for her to mask all the emotions.

It was something she had done numerous times before. A coping mechanism that as much as she knew how unhealthy it was, she always found herself reverting back to. This time was no different, and Y/n had found herself working herself into the ground. She was doing everything she could to make sure that work was all that could consume her thoughts, which turned out great in the end for Et Cetera. 

Last week, she had received an email from the conglomerate Coty, one of the world’s largest beauty brands, requesting a meeting with her and her lawyers. Obviously, she had been immediately interested, the butterflies in her stomach on full alert even after the meeting had ceased. 

 “Just… think about our offer. We don’t need an answer right away, we understand that this is a big decision for you. We hope to hear from you soon.” Mr. Baltussen, the CPO for Coty, slid her over a copy of his business card along with the legal documents that spelled out their offer. 

“Of course, thank you.” Y/n nodded her head as the small group of executives let themselves out of the conference room. As the door closed behind them, she snapped her head to her lawyer next to her, who already had her nose in the paperwork. 

“What do you think?”

“I think this all looks pretty legitimate. Y/n this is a more than generous offer.” Her lawyer’s eyes quickly scanned the words before flitting up to meet Y/n’s. 

“So you think I should accept it?”

“Honestly?” Y/n nodded, pleading for an honest answer. “Only you can make that decision, but this says to me that no matter what decision you make, you’ll be just fine.”

“Damn, I was hoping for a more definite answer.” She dropped her head into her folded arms on the table top.

“Sorry I couldn’t be of more help, but I’m here for you no matter what.” 

 That conversation had been all that she thought about for the rest of the night and was the first thing on her mind when she had woken the next morning. Having the day off, since it was the weekend, meant she had more time to dwell on it. At first, she had been adamant about declining their offer, but the more she thought about it the more appealing it became. After all, her method of shoving everything down to avoid feeling was no longer working for her. Being in Austin, where he also lived, tended to grate on some of her nerves. She often found herself tense when out in public, which she fully understood how irrational it was, afraid that she would run into him somewhere. Her heart just wasn’t ready for that quite yet. Even with her and Jared talking again, things still hurt. He was family and she would never be able to get away from him, but Coty was offering her the ability to get about just as far away as she could from the mess she had created. 

Y/n had pulled her laundry from the drier as she went about doing her weekend chores. She plopped onto the couch with the basket in front of her and turned on the news for some background noise. The program was just finishing up as she paid no attention to it and its switch to Entertainment Tonight. She was just about finished with folding when the host’s words caught her attention. 

“Coming up next, Supernatural star Jensen Ackles and ex fiance Danneel Harris caught cozying up to each other for lunch in downtown LA.” Y/n snapped her head up to the tv and dropped the panties in her hand back into the basket at her feet. She searched blindly for the remote to turn up the tv as the program returned. 

“The two ex lovers were seen having what seemed like a friendly, and funny, lunch together. Could this be the start of a rekindling romance? Only time will tell as their reps declined for comment.” Images of the two flashed across the screen, paparazzi photos of the two of them, both had wide smiles on their faces as they sat next to each other on a patio table. A pair of sunglasses sat on both of their faces, but even she could see the small crinkles around his eyes from that beautiful smile on his face. 

Her heart sank into her stomach as she sat back on her couch and pulled her knees into her chest. All those emotions she had fought so hard to push down were now bubbling back up to the surface and threatening to explode out of her throat in a sob. Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes as she fought the stinging in her nose. 

Deep down she knew she had no right to feel the way she was. After all, Jensen had ended things with her, and she certainly didn’t leave the door open for him to come running back in. But all she could think about was his promise to her, his promise that he was over the one woman that had the pleasure of wearing his ring on her finger. The images on her television now told her a different story, though, and that brought up every insecurity in her. 

What was it that Danneel had that she didn’t? There were the obvious physical differences that she wouldn’t even dare to delve into in her fragile state. But what else about her made her more desirable? Was she smarter, funnier, better in the bedroom…

Ugh! Y/n ran her hands through her hair, tugging gently at the roots. She was so far beyond over feeling like this. She was supposed to be better at handling herself when she got this way, but more so, she was supposed to be over comparing herself to other women. It had been so long since she had relapsed like this, and she had reached her breaking point. Y/n was not okay anymore, and she needed help. 

****

Y/n rifled through her living room, tossing pillows and cushions from her couch. She had been so sure that she had left her laptop on the coffee table when she went to bed last night. It was nowhere to be found. Not in her bedroom, living room, not even in her kitchen. 

“Damn it.” she growled to herself. There was no more time to look for it, she had to be at Jared and Gen’s soon, so she would just have to push back this search until later. Quickly she put her house back into a semi clean order and ran out the door. Luckily, her brother didn’t live too far from her and she was still on time when she pulled up in their drive. 

Three little bodies had the front door pulled open before she could even open her car door. “Aunt Y/n!” Odette was the first one out the door. Y/n knelt down in front of her niece, sweeping her up into her arms and squeezing her tight. It had been longer than usual since she had seen Jared and his kids, in person at least. Things were still… tense to say the least between them. They were still working on their issues… slowly. 

Y/n picked up the toddler and made her way inside, hugging the boys as she went. Gen was waiting just inside the door, offering her a tight hug as well. 

“We miss you around here, you know that?” Gen smiled as she let down Odette and the kids ran off to continue what they were doing before she had pulled up. 

“I know. We are getting there.” Y/n agreed, it really had been too long. She missed her family more than she had thought. They had been so close since forever, that she never understood what it was like to be at a distance from them. 

“Then come around more often, please?” Gen urged her sister in law to follow her into the kitchen. 

“Gen,” Y/n tried, casting her glance away from the woman who was pleading with her. That was the last thing she needed to hear right now. “I have some news.” 

“Should I grab Jared…” She started towards the stairs that lead to their second floor before Y/n moved to stop her. 

“No please, just listen.” Gen leaned against the island, giving Y/n her full attention. “I had a meeting on Friday with executives from Coty. They uh,” She chuckled, still in disbelief that this was even happening. “They want to buy my majority shares in Et Cetera.” 

“Wow, Y/n that is huge.” Genevieve’s word’s didn’t match the inflection in her voice or the crease that appeared between her brows. She was just as skeptical as Y/n had been when they first presented her the offer. 

“That’s not all. Coty offered me a VP position where I would be in charge of US operations. My lawyer said it’s a more than generous offer since I get a seven figure salary plus benefits and bonus’, not to mention the money from the sale of my shares.” Y/n played with the fruit in the bowl in front of her. 

“There’s more, isn't there?” The woman was too smart for her own good, Y/n thought to herself. Of course Gen picked up on that fact that she was holding something back. 

“I would need to relocate to New York.” Her face scrunched up as she prepared for some sort of outrage or surprise from Gen, but nothing came. Her next words were softer than she deserved.

“Do you want to accept the offer?” 

“I didn’t, at first.” Y/n admitted. That was the easy part, admitting to what had changed her mind on the other hand would be a lot more difficult, because she didn’t even want to admit it to herself. “But I don’t know now. It feels like everyone around me is moving on with their lives while I’m just stuck on some sort of endless corporate hamster wheel. I don’t feel the excitement for what I do anymore. Hell, I don’t feel anything anymore. Moving to New York could be just what I need.”

“And what about us? What about your family here in Texas.” 

“We have facetime. And I’ll always just be a plane ride away. I mean, it's not like I’m going to Yemen or something. We will have the holidays too.” The catch in her voice broke on her last sentence. She didn’t know who she was trying to convince more, herself or Gen. 

“Is this about Jensen?” Gen stood up straighter, her head cocking slightly as she spoke. 

Y/n huffed, what a stupid question. “Of course it is. He’s clearly moved on, our time together just a distant and horrible memory. Why shouldn’t I be afforded that same luxury?” 

“Come on, you don’t really believe that? Y/n, you have worked so hard for everything you have. And it is all yours, right here in Austin, where your family is too. Why throw all that away over some guy?” Gen’s hand found its way to Y/n’s shoulder, her fingers squeezing the flesh there to try and ground her. She hated seeing her making emotional decisions, especially ones that would affect not only her. 

“Jensen wasn’t just some guy, Gen. But I did lose him, and I’m trying my damndest here to move on, but I just haven’t found the ability to do so yet. That’s all I’m looking for.” Y/n cast her gaze down into her lap, where she was now picking at the cuticle on her thumb. 

“And all I’m saying is, don’t make this kind of decision without talking to the people around you. Get all the perspective you can, because I don’t think you are seeing this clearly right now.” 

“I hear you Gen, but I don’t know if I’ll change my mind again.” Gen nodded her understanding, only wishing she could get through to her sister in law somehow. She pulled her into her chest, hugging her again, because she didn’t know what else she could do. 

Neither of them noticed Jared standing on the landing of the stairs, catching every word his sister uttered. His heart sank as he listened to his sister talk. Never before had he heard the defeat in her voice. Y/n was one of the most strong willed people he knew, but she had just… given up. 

Before now, he hadn’t noticed how far she had fallen. But maybe that was because he wasn’t looking. The two of them didn’t talk like they used to, and right now he was feeling incredibly guilty about that. Why hadn’t he seen it before? Was it because all he could focus on was the steam coming out of his own ears when he found out she had been sleeping with his best friend? Or was it because as much as she chastised him for it, he still saw her as his baby sister and not the independent woman she had become. It was not like her at all to give up on something she had been working so hard towards. Y/n was not the type of woman to balk at money, and she certainly wouldn’t be the one to walk away from her family for any amount of it. 

Jared couldn’t see anymore why he had ever been so adamant that the two of them should not be together. Maybe it was because he knew too many of the intimate details of Jensen’s sex life to think about his sister in that way, or maybe it was even because he thought they wouldn’t be a good match. He could see it now though, having known both of them for so long. Jared shook his head at himself for not seeing truly how much those two were made for each other. He had only stood in their way when he should have been playing matchmaker. After all, didn’t he owe it to two of the most important people in his life to help them find their way to each other?

Jared vowed in that moment, he would fix this. He had to fix this. 

 Meanwhile, in Los Angeles...

The waiter set down their plates in front of them with a quick ‘enjoy’ before running off. Danneel bit into the salad placed in front of her, chewing delicalating as she decided on what to say. 

“You know, I have to say I was surprised you called me.” She thought back to his cryptic text that he had sent. ‘I’m in town and need to talk, can we get lunch?’ was all that it said. He had sent her the name of the cafe when she had agreed on meeting him. The two had exhausted the small talk in the time it took for their food to come and she wanted to get straight to the point. 

“I was too, to be honest. But I’ve been thinking a lot lately, and I think you may be one of the few people who can help me.” Jensen took a drink of his water, not looking in her direction. 

“Me? We haven’t exactly been pen pals all this time.” 

“I know, that means you have an outsider's view point on all of this. And you know me better than almost anyone, I trust your opinion.” Jensen stated. Danneel mouthed a ‘wow’ and sat back in her chair, wiping her face with her napkin. 

“This must be big then.” Danneel eyed the man sitting next to her, waiting for him to start with whatever it was he wanted to tell her. 

“God, where do I start, uh… I met this woman.” He began, his hand fiddling with the fork against his plate. 

“Mmmm.” Danneel hummed, the realization finally hitting her. 

“I… she is probably the best thing to ever happen to me. Actually, she’s a lot like you in some ways, brilliant, witty, and beyond beautiful. I fell for her, and I fell hard.” 

“So what is the problem exactly?” 

“I had to break things off with her. I thought what I was doing was best for her and me, but as time has gone on I’m not so sure. I can’t seem to get rid of this churning in my gut.” His tongue jetted out to wet his lower lip as he poured his heart out. This was not an easy thing for him to admit, the last thing he wanted was to hurt Danneel. 

“This girl wouldn’t happen to be Y/n Padalecki, would she?” A small smirk graced her features as Jensen snapped his gaze up to hers. 

“H...How?” 

“Well you weren’t exactly subtle when you ran after her at your birthday. Not to mention both of you were gone for too long and you returned with that little post coitus smirk you tend to get.” Danneel swirled her finger in a circle to emphasize her point. Jensen chuckled under his breath, his head shaking in disbelief. The noise grew in his chest before bubbling up into a full bellied laugh. Danneel couldn’t help but to join in, his laughter having that effect on people. 

“Would you believe that Jared asked me not to get involved with her?” Danneel nodded, she had known Jared for a while, and that did not surprise her at all. “We saw each other behind his back and when he found out, all hell broke loose. The two of them weren’t talking for two weeks.” 

“Oh, Jay…”

“Am I an idiot?” He asked her, his voice soft, as if afraid of her answer. 

“No, you are not an idiot. You’re in love, but you’re not an idiot.” Danneel held out her hand for him across the table. He took it and she squeezed his palm. “Listen, I know what it’s like to walk away from something because it is the best option for both of you, but I also believe that what’s meant to be, will be.”

“What are you saying?” 

“I’m saying if you truly love her and she loves you, you’ll find your way back to each other.” Danneel reiterated. 

“And what if we are too late?” Jensen tried. 

“Then don’t make yourself late. The least you can do is go to her and tell her how you feel. Then it’s in her hands.” 

“You make it sound so easy, Dee.” 

“Oh it’s not.” Danneel dropped his hand. “It’s downright terrifying. But do you want to live your life wondering what if?” Jensen shook his head. “Then go get her.”

Part 24

Forevers: @spn-impala​​ @22sarah08​​ @turtlepad​​ @callmekda​​ @chaldei​​ @hobby27​​ @cowboysnwinchesters​​ @tranquility-or-chaos​​ @pikabootoyouchu​​ @dawnie1988​​ @grease222​​ @awesome-badass-cafeteria-sauce​​ @polina-93​​ @clarinette07​​ @moonlight-babeh​​ @suckerforfanfic​​ @witandnargles​​ @sleepylunarwolf​ @stiles-stilinski-24-dylan​ @geeksareunique​ @akshi8278​ @superfanficnatural​ @malfoysqueen14​ @deanwanddamons​ @waywardbeanie​

Et Cetera: @jbbarnesgirl​ @hillface89​ @arses21434​ @thevelvetseries​ @sslater34​ @mrsirishboru​ @smoothdogsgirl​ @spnfamily-j2​ @encounterthepast​ @facadeformyrealblog  @supernatural-bellawinchester​ @screechingartisancashbailiff​​ @rebeccathefangirl​ @squirrelnotsam​ @heartinmyhead1​ @1d-killed-me​ @samsgirl93​ @deans-baby-momma​ @deanmonandnegansbitch�� @woodworthti666​ @supraveng​ @onethirstyunicorn​ @heartsaved​ @know2grow​ @littlewhiterose​ @surprisinglysarah​ @stoneyggirl​ @carryon-doctor-lock​ @thebookisbtr​ @youaremyfiveever​ @kalesrebellion​ @lilulo-12​ @winchester-fantasies​ @vicmc624​ @supernatural3002​ @winchester-writes​ @maralisa124​ @therollingstoners​ @parinarain​

[pitchburgh]

Hey! I have a multi-part question for you, because you are one of a few of my mutuals who cares about baseball and I value your opinion. Part one: did you read Harper's "modest proposal" for the return of baseball, and what are your thoughts on it? Part two: should you not agree with his or anyone else's suggestions, what would be your plan for starting this season/postponing it/cancelling it? Hope you're doing well during all of this (and after finding out about Yeasayer)!

Hello, and thank you! This is a deeply flattering ask to receive, and I'm always interested your takes as well. Sorry it took a couple days for me to come up with a response - I've been a bit Out Of It recently and haven't had the mental capacity to form an opinion beyond "Manfred ba d," and I knew this would be a bit long-winded and you deserved a thoughtful response. Thanks for your patience 💜

So, I actually hadn't seen Harper's ideas before you referred me to them! (as I said, I haven't quite been With It). The furthest I'd gotten down that rabbit hole, prior, was his support of Blake Snell's "we shouldn't have to take on more risk for less money" sentiment.

Here is a link to Harper's post where he spitballs a few suggestions for the 2020 seasons, for anyone who's been chillin under that rock with me!

It's cool that he's talking about it and encouraging a dialog. His proposal is heavy on some details and sparse on others (like a solution to the current salary battle, or the locations of the games, or how to ensure proper testing...) but he's not a pundit and the solutions to those particularly thorny problems fall to the people responsible for peaceful and mutually beneficial negotiation. I mean, we'll see; but in theory.

The first thing that gets my attention here is that 135 games between July and November means a LOT of baseball; virtually no days off, but with a roster expanded to 30 men that becomes more feasible. In theory, no one but the manager (and other support positions) would have to work every day. Though I'm not sure about the frequency, I like how it would mix up the roster a bit. The Pirates wouldn't have gotten Reynolds on the field last season if circumstances hadn't forced them to dig a bit deeper, and he made a case for roty! Really doubt most other players would side with Harper on this, but there are positives.

Splitting the league into 15 east/west teams seems unnecessarily complicated, and it would be a lot more challenging logistically for the west teams because they're geographically much further apart. More travel = less practice and downtime = sizable disadvantage. For example, the Pirates are within a five hour drive of seven other teams. Apply the same radius to the Mariners, and the number of "nearby" teams drops to zero.

Ending the season in mid-November hearkens back to the lack of detail about location. You could play that late in Minute Maid or Marlins Park, no prob, but the further north you go the less viable it becomes.

The postseason is already in danger of being thoroughly altered under the current proposal, and with Manfred hoping to go to a 14-team postseason (HALF the damn league???), so... Why not. Especially if it's ACTUALLY just for one season, it could be fun to try something new.

The ASG and HR Derby right before the World Series would be a hoot, and without the usual fears that an all-star might sustain an injury mid-season in an exhibition game.

My favorite part is his proposal that the game be made available on all platforms without blackouts. In a world of increasing cord-cutting, that sort of change will eventually be necessary to keep fresh eyes on the game. A lot of baseball fans are "legacy" fans, brought on by their parents or a cool aunt - but many others got into it by chance, because the right game was on at the right time.

Finally, my personal take? Hate to say it, but at present I think the 2020 season is a wash. Of course, things change - in February I said on this very blog that COVID-19 "probably wouldn't affect much other than attendance" which proved false within weeks. That could happen again.

But what it comes down to is this: if we don't have the resources to provide tests and care to the most vulnerable Americans, we can't justify pouring part of the nation's limited supply into a 2020 baseball season. And even if we could, it still places vulnerable parties at risk. There are diabetic players, players with heart problems - to say nothing of the advanced age of much of every team's coaching staff, and their families, and so on. It's our nature, as a species, to be connected to one another, for better or for worse; inevitably, this means a lot of potentially vulnerable are connected to MLB.

Also, no mascots?? What's the point???

Taiwan and Korea are fundamentally different, in that their countries' new cases are in the single digits. I think our energy would be better spent taking advantage of their willingness to share, by improving North American distribution of both leagues and making every game accessible to English and Spanish speakers (and perhaps beyond) with subtitles or, better yet, live broadcasters. The original broadcasts of the games are still fun, of course; but it would be great to broaden their appeal.

I miss baseball. You miss baseball. The players miss baseball. The owners really mi$$ ba$eball. But, at risk of sounding like all the godawful advertisements we've been subjected to over the last few months, this is an unprecedented event. We are in it together.

So... Baseball can wait.

Thanks again for reaching out, friend! I'd love to hear your thoughts on all of this as well, even (especially?) if they differ from my own. Til then, I hope you're staying safe and sane! 💕

[sometimesrosy]

(1) Thank you for the gif(t)s of Misters Elba & Morley. I could always use a little more of them in my life ;) Sorry for the last rant but I’m perplexed by those regarding Bellarke as a six season platonic friendship possibly to turn romantic in the last stretch or not at all. And “turn” is generous since some prefer to use “forced” instead. I suppose it can technically be true but only in the strictest, most surface-level sense. It’s been a long time since I’ve thought of Bellarke as NOT part

(2) of a romantic narrative. I look back and see Bellarke as a three-sided dynamic- partnership, friendship, and romance, with each side of the triangle pushing and influencing the others and each season deepening the dynamic. Even season 1 had elements of all three. I’d say progression is the most accurate term to describe their story. Strangers of different hierarchical classes to political rivals to co-leaders to friends to lovers separated by trauma, politics, death, time, other partners to

(3) future couple. Not a single step exists in a vacuum. Their relationship and individual character development are pieces fit to form a complete puzzle over time. Or as I’ve come to see, a seamless 100-episode tale with interconnected threads from start to finish. The only right way to decipher meaning is to look beyond a collection of scenes to the full picture of what we have so far. All stories are chronicles of progression from one point to the next and romance plots are no exception. JR

(4) didn’t invent some newfangled revolutionary storytelling protocol. His story just requires us to look beneath the surface and connect the dots across a seven season sequence. By 6x10, there are no layers needed to be looked under. The romance is smack dab in the middle of the room for all to witness, figuratively and literally. Even the nonshippers can see it, it’s not exclusive to the trained eye of the romance lover. I thought I signed up for a great story years ago. But I never would’ve

(5) known HOW great it was without the thought-provoking, deep-dive analyses by you, jeanie205 and the 3rd in the triumvirate of fandom heroes, travllingbunny, the kind of insights that bring an accompanying joy to the show itself and leave one stupefied in awe. Thank you all, truly. I don’t have sure plans to watch the prequel yet but if the 3 of you will, it may just tip the scales for me into the affirmative. It’d be fun to geek out with you guys on a new-ish adventure from the start.

+++

I got chills when you said, 

Not a single step exists in a vacuum. Their relationship and individual character development are pieces fit to form a complete puzzle over time. Or as I’ve come to see, a seamless 100-episode tale with interconnected threads from start to finish.

That was the most unexpected thing about this show. That it wasn’t just another fun show with hot people in the apocalypse with shocking twists dealing with complex questions-- which would be good enough, you know? Lots of fun. No, it was more. I did NOT figure out that it was a novelistic show until we got to season 3 and even then I didn’t understand how LONG TERM a novel was being told here. Not a novel, more like a series. A novel would be season long, but the narratives here have lasted for 7 seasons. 

It is seamless. Subplots weaving in and out of the 7 seasons. Character arcs taking the whole series to complete. That actually really confused me in season 3, because I expected both Clarke and Bellamy to finish their hero’s journeys in that season, and instead, there I was, feeling like it was unfinished because they HADN’T returned from their journeys wiser and stronger, ready to change their worlds. Nope. They were still struggling and learning. 

Just because I SAW the hero’s journeys in season 3 (a little late, mind you, since they started in s1 in the ‘hot people in the apocalypse’ phase,) doesn’t mean THAT was the entirety of the hero’s journey. It actually stands to reason that if they’re on a hero’s journey, that it’s a whole series long journey. Oooh. But then this hiatus, someone was like... are you sure Clarke isn’t on a HEROINE’S journey? And I, not really being an expert on the heroine’s journey and only seeing the hero’s part of it (which is like the first half of the heroine’s journey?) had to go research it and LO AND BEHOLD, her journey was the HEROINE’S journey, which TOTALLY fits with the dual protagonist, yin/yang, dark/light, head/heart, binary stars, feminist, mythic, epic love story of it all. NOW it all makes sense, why I couldn’t understand that her hero’s journey hadn’t finished yet (because it shifted into the more unexpected heroine’s journey.)

It always frustrates me when people say I can’t admit I’m wrong and am delusional about bellarke, because I have continually adjusted my theories as the story has gone on, changing them when something is off and doesn’t match canon and THAT’S why my theories are still holding up, which they are. Because I keep checking them back against canon. And when canon confirms the theories I have, I keep using them. When canon josses my theories and headcanons, I adjust. I ask myself, okay where did I go wrong? what is he really saying here? I’ve been struggling, particularly with Raven and Murphy’s roles in the show, and talked to various people about them, because I couldn’t grab ahold of them. With shipping, particularly, things can get confused. I’m wondering if Raven’s love story is not for another person at all, what if it’s self love? Because her most consistent relationships have actually been with familial relationships. Clarke as sister. Bellamy as big brother. Abby as mom. Sinclair as dad. While the romances have failed her. (whether they intended to start out this way or not idk, since all the actors who played her love interests asked to leave or were fired.) And I’m wondering if Murphy’s main love story is actually a spiritual love story. His romance with Emori is a good one, but here he is now wondering about immortality and morality, and he’s always been concerned with that just not secure enough to have answers. Maybe spirituality is his route to finding peace within his soul and coping with his mental illness and trauma? IDK. ANYWAY

I don’t think this show is flawless, and maybe they’ve had to franken-stitch some of their plotlines together to fit when things didn’t work out, and maybe some of their subplots ended in a way that didn’t satisfy us because we wanted something BETTER for those characters even though the tragic ending was part of the larger narrative, but I agree that it is seamless, one leading to the other to the next. When I look back at the storylines I didn’t understand or didn’t like as much, I can see how they fit with the larger narrative. How they lead to the ending the whole show is heading towards.

It’s actually very exciting. It’s not a new way to tell stories, it’s an old one, but it’s not one we see on tv very often, with its ratings and early cancellations and dependence on seasonal !POW! endings to keep people watching, and it’s impatience with slow story telling. They COMMITTED to a long term story despite the risk, and that must have been really hard with the pressures from hollywood and the money people and fandom and reviewers and even the cast. it’s remarkable and I can’t wait to see how it’s wrapped up. No matter what the endings are for our fave characters, I think it will be fascinating to see. And being able to watch the whole show, knowing how it ends, and that it was all crafted to be that way, is going to be really cool. It’s impressive, actually. I think the future will actually be much kinder to this show than the present is. Watching it week to week, you can’t see the development so much, but when we get the whole thing, everyone will be able to see it. I think this series is going to count as a future classic. 

It’s like the reverse of GOT. We expected GOT to be novelistic, based on the epic ASOIAF novels as it was, we expected it to have a grand structure that pulled everything together and gave it a bigger meaning, and in the end, it was trash shlock with no meaning past boobies, action, trauma porn, and dragons. HOWEVER, The 100 was thought to be some trash teen scifi soap with no meaning but hooking up, action, trauma porn and apocalypses, and it’s ending up being an epic novelistic series with a grand structure that pulls everything together and gives it meaning. Basically, if JR had been hired by HBO to do GOT, he would have done it right. But D&D were hollywood hacks and flim flam men who only know how to do surface and don’t understand story. (and are also racist and misogynistic bullies.)

ANYWAY, nonny. Do you have a blog? You should be writing this stuff down under your own name. If you send it to me on anon because you don’t have your own blog, you should think about it. I’m pretty sure that @jeanie205 and @travllingbunny would agree with me. I have limited what meta I reblog due to past experiences, but I think other people would like to follow you.

[cssns]

Event Roundup Time!!!!

I am SOOOOOOO sorry y’all!!! I completely forgot to do an event roundup!!! Please forgive me!!! Fanmail from @killianjones4ever82 brought it to my attention and I’m so glad she did! We had an incredible summer and we need to have a post that can be easily accessed with all the fabulous fics and gorgeous artwork that dropped for the event! So without further ado, here we go!!!!

Under the cut, because this is gonna be a LOOOOOOONG post!!!

Here is a link to the entire collection of fics on ao3.

@welllpthisishappening opened us up this year with her first fic for the event, All the Subliminal Things. Rated T with four chapters. COMPLETE. Artwork by @resident-of-storybrooke.

Emma Swan does not believe in soulmates.

Or so she says. Because if her soulmate did, actually, exist, he should have shown up by now. So, she must be a fluke, a broken cog in a system that really doesn't make much sense anyway. It is, she figures, why she agrees to meet David's friend before Regina and Robin's wedding. This guy doesn't believe in soulmates either.

She's intrigued.

Until she hears him talk. And everything flips after that.

At the end of June, Laura posted All Was Golden In the Sky. Rated M and we have five chapters left. Artwork by @resident-of-storybrooke, extra artwork by @distant-rose and @optomisticgirl can be found on Laura’s chapter blog posts.

Magic is dying.

Emma knows it. She can feel it, the emptiness rattling around in her, like it’s trying to make sure she disappears as well. What she doesn’t know is what to do about it, because, suddenly, there is a man in Storybrooke claiming she’s the Savior and a seeress certain a prophecy promises the same and the last thing she expects is for her minimal amount of lingering power to pull her away.

To New York City.

And another oddly familiar man with blue eyes and a smile that sinks under her skin and makes magic bloom in the air around her. Things are about to get interesting.

@darkcolinodonorgasm posted One Day, a LadyHawke AU with artwork by @sherlockianwhovian. Rated T and we are two chapters in. 

By day, Emma is the beautiful swan gliding over the waters of Misthaven's pond, but when night falls, the voice of the wolf the people living in the little town hear is Killian's cry. The curse was meant to be forever, to keep them always together yet eternally apart. No force in Heaven would be able to break such spell, nor any force on Earth. Or so Emma and Killian thought.

Towards the end of June Sara posted Hidden Paths Between the Moon and Sun, the sequel to her Hades and Persephone AU, Until the Stars Are All Alight. Artwork by @sherlockianwhovian. Rated M with one of six chapters so far.

The King of the Underworld has never taken a vacation before, not a proper one and not one that lasted more than a few months. Now that his firstborn is capable enough to take the throne ad interim, Killian can finally show his beloved Queen the world, giving her the honeymoon they never had the chance to have. But the King’s plan doesn’t stop quite there.

@allons-y-to-hogwarts-713 posted original art Killian Falls for Siren Emma

Come all you pretty fair maids, whoever you may be

Who love a jolly sailor bold that ploughs the raging sea,

My heart is pierced by Cupid, I disdain all glittering gold, There is nothing can console me but my jolly sailor bold.

and Paranormal Photographers/Reporters.

When you hear the knell of a requiem bell Weird glows gleam where spirits dwell Restless bones etherealize Rise as spooks of every size

@donteattheappleshook posted Just Human Vol2, the sequel to her submission last year, Just, Human. Artwork by 1 2 by @djlbg. Rated M with five chapters. COMPLETE.

A continuation of last years CSSNS story Just Human. Now that Killian is a ghost and Mary Margaret knows everything, what does life have in store for a group of supernatural misfits? With the threat of Gold gone, Emma learns that sometimes just being human is the most complicated challenge of all.

@thislassishooked posted Wake Me Up Inside. Rated M with three chapters so far. Artwork by @tennant-the-tigger.

Killian Jones has lived longer than any man has a right to live. Most would argue that what he was doing was not living, but merely existing. The day he lost the love of his life was the day he lost the will to live, but instead of ending his life he inadvertently became the strongest being on earth and unfortunately indestructible. His mortal enemy followed him into immortality and craves the power only Killian possesses. With his brother by his side and the help of a quirky, blonde hematologist, who makes him question whether he is ready for death after all, he will fight against evil, but more importantly, for the cure.

@let-it-raines posted Not Your (Soul)Mate. Rated M with sixteen chapters. COMPLETE. Artwork 1 2 3 4 5 6 by @captainsjedi. 

Killian Jones doesn’t like the idea of soulmates. He sees how happy his friends are with theirs, but he still doesn’t like the idea, not when he’s found love and lost it time and time again only to still not know his sign. He has no markings on his skin, no voices in his head, but then one day he meets Emma Swan and everything changes. Because, well, he may not have ink on his skin to tell him who to love, but the very first time that he hears Emma’s voice he knows that she’s the one for him. Then again, that could simply be his desire talking. After all, for every word she speaks, he becomes aroused.

It’s not the worst thing in the world to be incredibly attracted to a beautiful woman, but things aren’t that simple when she doesn’t have any interest in being his soulmate.

He’s screwed. And not in the good way.

@shireness-says posted A Drowning Soul Will Clutch at Any Straw. Rated T one shot. Artwork by @hollyethecurious.

Though this is far from Killian Jones' first encounter with a mermaid, he's never met any quite like this blonde siren. Together, can they break a cruel curse?

@snowbellewells posted her first fic for the event, Face to Face in the Broad Daylight, her sequel to last years Run to Me (In the Dead of Night) in early July. Rated T with five chapters so far. Artwork by @branlovestowrite.

Here we have a sequel to my werewolf, alternate season two and beyond fic from last year’s CSSNS. You probably want to read that story "Run to Me (in the Dead of Night)" first, or it might be a bit confusing in places. This second story in the same universe partially exists just because I wanted to revisit these couples and enjoy a bit more of their fluffy happily ever afters. However, we may also see them get into some new surprises and challenges, and of course we need to see if Rumplestiltskin is still under control or back to his usual scheming and plotting. I hope you will enjoy. 

Marta also posted at the end of July A Story Told at Last. Rated T with three chapters. COMPLETE. Artwork by @branlovestowrite.

Historical Literature Professor Henry Mills has the chance of a lifetime before him. He might finally uncover the truth of a folktale that has intrigued him for years. But, when the whole story comes to light, will he be able to accept the story that needs to be told?

@thejollyroger-writer posted her first fic of three for the event, Love After Death: The Afterlife Hotel. Rated T one shot with artwork by @captainsjedi. 

Emma Swan has spent sixty years in the afterlife believing she was never going to meet her real soulmate, after believing in the wrong name tattooed on her wrist. But when she keeps seeing the same new guest of the Afterlife Hotel around, might she be able to learn how to love again?

Megan’s second fic for the event was What Happened in Berkshire. Rated G with two of three chapters posted. Artwork by @captainsjedi.

When Emma’s boyfriend leaves her for the woman he’s been cheating with, she accepts an offer from her hospital to move to England. While she is out celebrating her thirtieth birthday with her friends before they head back to America, she drunkenly kisses the statue of Captain Hook in front of Eton College, and he comes to life. Together, he and Emma try to figure out what this curse means for them by searching for the witch that cursed him in the first place — are they really True Love, as he wants to believe they are, or did Emma’s magic go awry?

Megan’s third fic for the event was Falling Paws Over Heels. Rated T one shot. Artwork by @captainsjedi.

Captain Killian Jones -- the notorious Captain Hook -- has heard all kinds of stories during his travels around all of the realms. But the story that has always interested him the most is that of the enchanting sorceress of Storybrooke, a small town in the Enchanted Forest's Misthaven, the sorceress who takes men to her bed, but will only give her heart to the man who befriends her cat. Will Killian be the one who finally has what it takes?

@gingerchangeling posted Luck of the Irish. Rated M with one chapter of seven so far. Artwork by @resident-of-storybrooke.

Emma needs parent volunteer hours. So she offers to chaperon Henry's upcoming field trip to the museum. Its just a pack of prepubescent angst ridden children, an exhibit about dead people, and a rock used in blood sacrifices with a curse carved into it. What's the worst that could happen?

@jarienn972 posted A Simple Spell. Rated T with six chapters so far. Artwork by @cocohook38. 

This story is my entry into the 2019 Captain Swan Supernatural Summer event and is my first venture into AU territory. Storybrooke remains our setting but I've switched up some of the characters and familial relations to better suit this tale of prodigal witch Emma who returns to her birthplace to learn lots of secrets about herself and cast a spell that could change everything.

@profdanglaisstuff posted The Very Witching Time. Rated M with six chapters. COMPLETE. Artwork by @gingerchangeling. Extra artwork by @mariakov81 can be found on Saira’s chapter posts on her blog.

Emma Swan is a hereditary witch, last in a long line of wise women who for centuries have guarded the coast of Maine and the small village of Storybrooke with their homemade cures and their ancient magic. She holds the delicate balance between magic and mundane, but now that balance is threatened by a new foe, one capable of bringing an end to everything Emma is and everything she loves. To defeat it she will need all her power, help from her friends and neighbours, and the loyalty of a very unusual dog who answers to the name of Killian.

@searchingwardrobes gave us the first of two fics for the event, An Education in Southern Gothic. Rated T with two chapters. COMPLETE. Artwork by @hollyethecurious.

Fact: there’s a graveyard between the football field and the science building. Debatable: a ghost haunts the halls of Misthaven Hills High. Emma Swan is about to get an education. Killian Jones is about to get a whole lot more.

Melanie’s second fic was titled Until the Day Breaks and the Shadows Flee. Rated M with eight chapters. COMPLETE. Artwork by @hollyethecurious.

Every night, she traces the contours of his body as Killian whispers words of love against her skin. But can Princess Emma ever be fully happy with a husband who only comes to her in utter darkness? A Captain Swan AU of the Roman myth of Cupid and Psyche.

@spartanguard posted Sick of Love. Rated M with three chapters. COMPLETE. Artwork by @sherlockianwhovian.

If Emma’s not careful, she just might bump into her soulmate. Physically. And while she might like the idea of what comes with that—an almost psychic connection whenever they make skin contact—she’d rather not deal with the awful withdrawal sickness that can come when they inevitably leave her; she’s got a son, so she doesn’t have time for that. So she keeps herself covered and thinks she’ll be okay. Until she meets Killian, who does the same thing. Will their barriers protect them, or just hurt them more?

@snidgetsafan posted Whom the Gods Love Die Young. Rated G (for the moment) with one chapter so far. Artwork by @tennant-the-tigger.

The bride bit into the shiny red apple as everyone cheered around her, the wedding ceremony ending with this ritual gesture. The clapping and hurrahs soon turned to screams of horror as Snow dropped the apple, choking and clutching her throat as she fell in her groom’s arms, a last I love you leaving her lips before she died, David’s screams the loudest of all.

David and Emma travel to the Underworld to claim back Snow after her untimely death. In order to do so, they're going to have to face the dark and mysterious God of the Underworld and complete his challenges.

Seems simple enough until you add magic, divine quarrels, and the worst thing of all: feelings.

@eastwesthomeisbest posted original artwork, The Love of the Samodiva Pts1 and 2.

In Bulgarian folklore Samodiva is an ethereal female wood nymph. She is unearthly beautiful and eternally young. Her hair is blond and long, her waist is thin and petite, her eyes can bewitch and dazzle or even kill. Any man who lays eyes on her instantly falls in love. Samodivas’ attire consists of long white gowns and shirts and a rainbow-coloured or green belt. They have a white mantel, also called a shadow, in which their power lies. They like to ride deer, using twisted snakes for reins and often carry with them bows and arrows.

If a huntsman accidentally kills a samodiva’s deer, she will make him blind or give him a disease which will inevitably lead to his death.

The wood nymphs live in dark forests, in big old trees, caves or forgotten huts which are near water sources, wells or rivers.

Samodivas can be spotted from spring to autumn. In winter they live in the mythical village Zmeykovo, which is located at the edge of the world and is a home to many mythical creatures. When they are on earth they are active at night and disappear immediately when the sun comes out, because they fear it.

At twilight, the samodivas go to fresh water sources, strip naked, wash themselves and their clothes which they lay out to dry in the moonlight. They keep a watchful eye on their drying clothes, because if a man steals their mantle, where their power lies, they turn into normal women and have to obey the man. After washing themselves and their clothes, the samodivas gather around and start singing and dancing. It is known that the samodiva’s songs are the most beautiful and their dances are the most graceful. If a late traveller sees the samodivas’ dance, he is enticed to join them and dances with them from midnight to dawn. When the sun’s rays appear, the nymphs disappear in haste and leave the traveller to die from exhaustion. The samodivas love music and often kidnap shepherds, so that they can play kaval (shepherd’s pipe) for them while they dance.

Samodivas are not always harmful. Sometimes they appear like normal working women and help with the harvest. They would especially help women with children. If a man does something good for a samodiva, she becomes his patron or a sworn sister. Sometimes, a samodiva can fall in love with a human and bear him children, who grow up to be great heroes.

Samodivas are forest creatures and therefore knowledgeable about herbs and cures. However, they never share their secrets willingly. The only way to obtain their knowledge is to eavesdrop on one of their gatherings.

@courtorderedcake posted two fics for this years event. Hallow rated E with eight chapters so far with accompanying artwork 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11.

"The Goblin King was prepared to host the Darkness, stealing Fae women away to their corrupted lands underneath the ground as concubines. The Darkness chose another in his stead, but not before this selected vessel enacted a devastating attack in its vengeance, revealing its hatred & rage. The battle was a lesson the old kings had forgotten; never underestimate an opponent. Many more lives were lost as they razed over any who dared defy The Goblin King's will. Only the pure love of our rulers united in matrimony, breaking the Vorpal Dagger, sealed the darkness and the Goblin menace away. The light flourished under their fair rule, and the queen bore a child as pure as moon beams, swan feathers, and starlight. They lived happily ever after, and shall be written in history as Heroes for All Time."

This is the history Princess Emma memorizes from the day she is born, paraded about and presented only with the highest protection. The palace is a cage she wishes to escape, desperately. Not careful what wishes she made, Emma discovers history is written by the victors - The Dark One has an entirely different version of the events that took place.

Roses, rated E with two of four chapters so far. Artwork by @eastwesthomeisbest.

A CS retelling of Tam Lin, the classic fairytale. Liberties taken. Magic and Fae BS in play.

@pirateherokillian posted Wanderer Redeemed. Rated T with just the prologue so far. Artwork coming soon from @tennant-the-tigger.

Emma, Goddess of Hope and Happy endings, finds herself in need and her only real chance of ever getting what she desires comes in the form of Killian Jones, a shunned outcast of their kind. A Modern-Day Gods Captain Swan AU written for CSSNS.

@ilovemesomekillianjones posted The Soldier, the Witch, and the Dragon. Rated M one shot with artwork 1 2 by @spartanguard.

When soldier Killian Jones shows up on witch Emma Swan's doorstep, two worlds will collide. He will learn of worlds and wonders he never imagined possible and she will learn that true love might just be in the cards for her. Witches, Dragons and Magic, Oh My! A CS story for the 2019 Captain Swan Supernatural Summer event.

@whimsicallyenchantedrose posted Until the Stars Are All Alight. Rated T with two chapters of twenty so far. Artwork by @clockadile.

CS LOTR au: When Emma Swan steals a yellow Volkswagen Beetle, she has no idea it will lead her toward an adventure filled with danger and intrigue, sacrifice and a love stronger than anything she could imagine. Tasked with bringing the Savior home, the elf, Killian Jones of Misthaven travels to the Land Without Magic. Can he convince Emma to fulfill her destiny before the Dark One regains power and takes over all of the Enchanted Forest?

And last but certainly not least, @teamhook posted Rionnag Dorcha Gorm (Dark Blue Star). Unrated with two chapters so far. Artwork by @hollyethecurious

It is said that evil is not born but made. This is how an act of kindness is twisted into a story about revenge. Emma and Killian are childhood friends until a tragedy separates them will another reunite them.

I’ve read all of these fics and they are all absolutely FANTASTIC!!! It’s been so much fun reading all these wonderful fics and staring at the gorgeous art that went with them!! Be sure to let them know how much you’re enjoying their hard work! The WIP’s will continue updating until they are finished and I will be back at the end of the month with everything that has updated in September! Until then folks!

[montereybayaquarium]

Welcome to your new home on Mars, InSight ❤️

Yesterday was a big one for the people of Spaceship Earth: Just before noon PST, @nasa ’s InSight lander successfully touched down on the surface of Mars—only the eighth mission to ever do so in human history.

We were fortunate enough to be at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory as, together, scientists, engineers, journalists, reporters, family, friends and, yes, even one marine biologist, held their breath while we waited to hear if the million things that needed to go right to land on Mars did. 

We’ll never forget the hopeful, heavy silence that blanketed the auditorium during those seven minutes of terror. And we’ll never forget the eruption of pure joy, relief and awe from every scientist, engineer, journalist, reporter, family, friend and, yes, even this marine biologist, that followed. 

As we look up from our tide pool to the stars and back again today, we celebrate the courage, perseverance and indomitable curiosity of the human spirit to adventure among the cosmos and to answer the existential questions of what it is to be an Earthling. 

We didn’t know if InSight would make it. Fewer than half of all missions to Mars have. Ken Smith, a senior scientist over at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institue (@mbari-blog) has a favorite saying when we build and deploy new tools to study our ocean home: 

“Don’t put something in the deep sea if you’re not okay with losing it.” 

We have a feeling @nasajpl can sympathize 😅

And yet, we continue. Our curiosity pushes boundaries, here on Earth and beyond. We dream big, and we hope even bigger. We “dare mighty things” because the risk is always greater than the reward. 

After 162 days of screaming through space at nearly 13,000 miles per hour, InSight’s destiny has arrived and its mission can begin. This lander will study the interior of our red neighbor for the first time, and in so doing will help us shed light on just how exactly our own water world came to be.

InSight is a beautiful example of what it means to be human: We are the universe attempting to know itself. From our deep sea MARS (Monterey Accelerated Research System) Observatory in our backyard, to our closest interplanetary neighbor, to in-fin-ity and beyond, every day we celebrate the work we humans do to learn, to understand and to protect. 

Yesterday, we were all astronautiluses. 

Congratulations again to all involved, and good luck in your new home InSight! We look forward to your transmissions. 

Sin-sea-rely,

Your family on the pale blue dot suspended in a sunbeam

[lostinfic]

1. Indonesia, summer

Summary: She writes for magazines about luxurious resorts in exotic places and five-star hotels in glamorous cities. He’s photographed devastated war zones, refugee camps and child soldiers. For both of them travel is an escape, but he’s had enough of this grim reality, and she’s had enough of this disconnected fantasy. Perhaps together they can find something in between, something real, and stop running from themselves. Each season, a new destination and a chance to grow closer.

Pairing: Alec Hardy x Hannah Baxter Rating: Mature~ish (for now) Word count: 3.9k

A/N: Thank you to @onthedriftinthetardis​ for sharing her insights on being a photographer. Chapters are named after airport codes.

Prologue  |   Ao3    |    Gifset

The large, multi-level pool stops just short of a rocky cliff that dips into the Indian ocean, but the turquoise shade of the chlorinated water creates a nearly seamless continuity. Only the white froth of the waves breaks the illusion. Soak up the sun and let your mind wander beyond the horizon.

Hannah dotted her sentence and flipped back through her notebook. She placed a check mark next to “pool” in her list of resort services and amenities to review.

Soaking up the sun and letting her mind wander wasn’t something she had time to do. This was actually her first time lounging by the pool and even now she couldn’t let herself go, couldn’t just close her eyes and enjoy the warmth on her skin. Her brain noticed every detail and translated them into sentences for her article.

In her job, she often did in one day what others did in three. In the last four days, she had tested the Aquatonic seawater therapeutic pool, four of the five restaurants, the art gallery and shopping arcade, the yoga class, the Canang Ketupat demonstration, the Balinese dancing course, the cycling tour, the sailboat tour and the Segway tour. All the while looking into the eco-tourism aspect of things, she’d noticed the solar panels and the reusable straws in drink, but she wanted to dig deeper. She still had to check on the botanical garden, the activities for kids, the cooking school, the gym, the martini bar, ballrooms and, worse of all, the golf course. Only three days left to do all that.

Perhaps it was time to check out the rooftop bar as well.

A young man worked under the hut-like awning of the bar. He spoke basic English. As he prepared her cocktail, she chatted with him, asking about the band on his t-shirt and his hobbies. But soon, her gaze drifted away from the bartender and the beautiful beach vista, to the island itself, beyond the resort. Too far off for details, it appeared as a chaotic array of colourful houses under palm trees, quivering in the heat like a mirage. The Mahal Kita resort was nothing short of paradise, but her feet itched to explore the rest of the island.

She asked the bartender for recommendations, but he only mentioned activities offered by the resort. When Hannah insisted she wanted to see the town, he laughed, something she’d learned meant “no” here. She questioned him further and found out he wasn’t even from Pulau Kesuma and neither were his nearest coworkers. The employees lived in a dormitory on the premise and left the island on their days off.

As nicely as possible, Hannah insisted to speak to a local person to answer her questions. At last, a maid was waved over. She drew a crude map of the town with indications to the market and a beach. When she expanded her drawing to the west side of the island, the bartender stopped her with such vehemence that both Hannah and the maid started.

“No, no. No west. Dangerous,” he said.

The two Indonesian exchanged a cold glance Hannah couldn’t decipher.

“Okay, then I’ll be careful. Thank you…” She eyed their name tags. “Budi and Alya.” She tipped them both generously.

The hotel’s main entrance opened directly on the jetty where the ferry from Jakarta docked. With water on either side, there was nowhere else to go, so Hannah spent a good twenty minutes looking for another exit leading to the town.

“This is ridiculous,” she muttered to herself.

All the service doors required I.D. cards. Finally, she spotted a kitchen helper and asked him for a light for her cigarette, she offered him one in exchange. She’d found it was always a good way to strike up a conversation with a stranger in a foreign country. Or, in this case, to ask for a favour. The kitchen helper opened a service door and they sneaked out of the hotel.

Hannah felt like Alice stepping through the looking glass. Out of the conditioned and, she now realized, perfumed air of the resort, heat and a hundred scents assailed her: dusty earth, petrol from the old motorbikes used by the locals, and the sweet green fragrance of flowers that gave the island its name, Kesuma. A goat bleated. A bike zoomed past her. And wanderlust stirred butterflies in her stomach.

She donned a large, floppy sun hat and set out to explore new grounds.

*

“Let me the hell out of here,” Hardy said to a security guard.

Five minutes and he had already run out of patience with this place. Jet lag stretched like a tight rubber band around his head. He had a meeting in town with Ellie and her partner, but couldn’t figure out how to get out of the hotel.

He’d arrived late last night, and the ferry took him straight to the resort. Aware of the scam, he hated giving the resort his money, but he had to be inside to investigate.

The security guard let him out a service door and vaguely indicated the direction of the market.

Hardy walked fast. His previous trips to other parts of Indonesia and Ellie’s instructions helped him navigate the unknown town.

The messenger bag holding his camera equipment bumped against his hip with every step, a sensation he’d grown accustomed to. Camera in hands, he was on the lookout for signs of the tourism industry already affecting the local population. On a street corner, a young woman, barely able to meet his eyes, lowered her dress and bra strap. Anger boiled in his stomach. He averted his eyes.

Along the way, he snapped pictures, almost aimlessly: crumbling houses, drunk men, working children. None of it exactly what he needed.

He knew he’d found what he he’d been looking for when he saw it: fishing gear propped against a wall. The composition was perfect: the sun shone on the shiny reels and the hooks dug into dry, cracked soil. The contrast between the fairly new equipment and the dust and spider webs covering it told a story of wasted potential. He took many pictures from different angles.

*

Hannah made her way toward the market as best as she could given the lack of street signs. She turned onto an unpaved narrow street. Small wooden houses crouched between tall palm trees and laundry hung to dry above her head. Women squatted in front of small brick fire places, cooking on a grill set directly over the flames. Chicken pecked around them. Bare-feet children, with dry snot under their noses, played with rusty bottle caps.

It reminded her of a trip to Thailand four years ago. She was no less shocked, and yet fascinated, that people still lived like that. But this time, the nearness of a luxurious resort accentuated her discomfort. And Hannah thought she’d rather be in Europe or North America where poverty wasn’t so confronting.

She felt the eyes of every local on her, they weren’t used to tourists yet. She had only seen one other white person, a weird bloke taking multiple pictures of fishing rods. Some children hid behind their mothers, others called her “Bule!” a slang word for white foreigner. But she never felt threatened or shunned, most people she came across smiled at her in the friendliest manner. She returned the greetings but didn’t engage further. There was always that push and pull within her, between keeping her distance from people and yet wanting to know them.

A girl of about nine with fierce dark eyes and braids approached her and touched her arm. Hannah smiled though she was ambivalent. She wasn’t naturally drawn to children but it would make cute pictures and a good story for her blog. As soon as the thought crossed her mind, Hannah resented it.

“Where can I eat?” Hannah asked the child, miming the action.

Instantly, other children came to her, five of them, with dimpled cheeks and second-hand superhero t-shirts. They all giggled. The eldest little girl, the one who had approached her first, whistled loudly and they all followed her. Hannah had no idea where they were taking her.

Shrubs lined the street and a little boy picked a fruit and handed it to her. It was a small, pinkish ball with green hair. She scrunched up her nose at it and waited until the children had eaten theirs to make sure it wasn’t a joke. A boy, no more than seven, took a knife out of his pocket and expertly sliced open the fruit for her. Inside was a milky white ball, similar to lychees. As she tasted the fruit, her brain looked for the right words to describe the refreshing, mild sweetness of it to her readers.

The children gave her more fruits, and she thanked them in Indonesian, “Terima kasih.”

“Rambutan,” he said.

“Rambutan?” she repeated.

He pulled on his black hair, “rambut,” he said. Then on the hair of the fruits, “rambutan.”

She snapped some photos of them and the fruits with her mobile phone. They all pressed around her, wanting to see the result on the screen. The photoshoot lasted longer than she’d intended. An adult passing by yelled something along the line of “stop pestering her”, and the kids scampered away. All of them except the little girl that had first approached her. In fact, she looked unimpressed by the adult. Hannah felt she’d found a kindred spirit in this kid.

They reached a sort of town square, with a mosque and a park where a group of men had gathered. A tin roof held up by hand-carved columns housed the market place. Hannah marveled at… everything. Behind makeshift stalls, men shouted prices for rice noodles and fruits. On the ground, large, shallow baskets displayed grains and legumes. An eyeless pig face, hung like a mask above a meat stand. Underneath, a bored woman wearing a headscarf chased flies away with a palm leaf.

The whole place was alive with chatter but a tension brewed underneath. Something was amiss.

Hannah wanted to go inside the market, but the little girl guided her elsewhere.

On a street corner, many local people queued. Before them, an old woman, at least eighty years old, hunched-back and sun-spotted, served food to them. Old, misshapen pans and plastic buckets surrounded her. Her knobbly hands efficiently wielded a string to slice through a green, cylindrical fruit. She then dropped handfuls of shredded coconut, balls of sesame seeds, and what looked like tiny pancakes onto a folded banana leaf. She covered carelessly the whole thing with a ladleful of brown syrup. It looked nothing like the “authentic and locally-sourced” food served at the hotel. And it was certainly less hygienic. But the scents— and her own sense of adventure— were too enticing to resist. She’ll try anything once.

*

Hardy spotted Ellie across the road, waving at him to come over. Her youngest son was with her.

“Hiya! Sorry for making you walk all the way here, we’re not allowed near the resort anymore.”

She gave him that grin of hers, with her small upper teeth pushing forward.

They’d first worked closely together in Bangladesh, after a sweatshop collapsed and killed over one thousand workers. She was a journalist for BBC World. It was her first time covering such a tragedy. Despite a rocky start, they’d developed something like a friendship, but it was hard to keep in touch when they both worked around the world. Last he’d heard of her, her husband had been arrested for murder

“You look well,” Hardy said.

It was an understatement. Her hair had grown, and her loose white linen shirt accentuated the healthy bronze glow of her skin. She seemed happier than he expected given the circumstances.

Beside Ellie stood a short man with a young, russet face, smooth skin safe for a little patch of hair under his bottom lip. He wore a suit despite the heat. He shook Hardy’s hand with nervous enthusiasm and introduced himself as Kadek Suardika Rahi.

They sat on the terrace of a restaurant. An outsider wouldn’t know this was a place of business: a dozen makeshift stools under an awning made from old vinyl advertising banners. In the heat, a rubber-y scent emanated from it.

Hardy was eager to learn more about the scandalous practices of the Mahal Kita Resort, but cultural norms demanded a beverage and small talk first. He opted for a cold drink made with coconut milk rather than the local variation on Java coffee.

“I met Kadek when I was covering the tsunami,” Ellie explained. “He was a doctor in England, but when he saw what was happening in his country, he decided to come back and help his people.”

“And Ellie helped make sure the natural disaster was not forgotten by the international community.”

They shared a smile and so much seemed to pass between them, reminiscence and adoration. And Hardy was surprised to feel a pinch in his heart, a longing for that kind of intimate language without words.

Hardy cleared his throat, suddenly uncomfortable. “So you live here now?”

“Not on Pulau Kesuma, no, not all the time. We live in Jakarta. Tom attends an international school there. Kadek’s whole family is here, though.”

She’d quit her job and now taught journalism at the university on top of helping local newspapers and free speech organizations.

“How’s your daughter?” Ellie asked.

“She’ll start uni next fall.”

He skimmed over the strained relationship with Daisy. He’d taken all the blame for the divorce, and rightly so, he had been away too often. His daughter had once accused him of caring more about children in Africa than about her.

A flash of blond hair and pale skin caught his eye. He scoffed at a young woman in too short shorts and a large hat. She didn’t even notice her selfie stick was in the way of a man and his cow. “Parasite,” he muttered. As far as he was concerned, these tourists were as guilty as the corporation who owned the resort. They should educate themselves and stop encouraging unethical tourism.

Kadek related to him what he’d heard from his family and other local residents. While the people were still struggling with the physical and psychological damage of the tsunami, foreign investors took advantage of the chaos to seize the land. Masked men, armed with machine guns, forcefully evicted the families. They built an electric fence around 400 acres of land. The land acquisition extended into adjoining bodies of water thus denying access to fishing grounds.

“It’s not just about the loss of income,” Kadek insisted, “we are a fishing people. This is our traditional way of life. Now we can be charged with illegal trespassing! On our own land!”

“What about the government?” Hardy asked though he had little illusion as to their role in this.

“The Navy helped the foreign investors,” Ellie answered. “At first we thought it was just a small part of the Navy gone rogue for profit. But when we petitioned the authorities for help we were shut down. They’re bloody shareholders.”

“Ellie received threats after she wrote about it in the Jakarta Post,” Kadek added, putting a protective arm around her shoulders.

The blatant abuse of power made Hardy’s skin crawl.

“Do you have any proof of all this?” he asked.

“Only what people told us. The security guards at the resort know us. We can’t go anywhere near. They don’t like us sniffing around. That’s why we need you.”

Hardy, Ellie and Kadek spent the afternoon touring the island. They talked to evicted families and angry fishermen. Hardy documented the destruction, but the resort people were good at covering their tracks, most of it could be chalked up to the tsunami.

One thing that kept coming back was talk of discolored water that poisoned the mangrove, dead fish drifted to the village like bad omens. No one knew where it was coming from, but a portion of the west side was completely off limits, enclosed by an electric fence and guarded by armed men. Hardy couldn’t risk antagonizing them. Not yet, at least.

He ate supper with Kadek’s parents who welcomed him like a member of the family. He admired how Ellie had adapted and built a new life, a new family, for herself.

When the sun started to set, he left the Rahi family with a promise to help. Wherever he went, he met people who had almost nothing yet demonstrated such generosity. It both soothed him and stoked his drive for justice. And so, he headed back to the hotel to investigate under the cover of darkness.

*

Hannah stepped out of the shower and grabbed the complimentary bathrobe. She noticed its softness. One look at the tag informed her it was made of organic bamboo fibers. She made a mental note to mention it in her article along with the nice mango shower gel that now perfumed the steamy bathroom. These were important details. Her readers expected to learn everything about a hotel, including the quality of the clientele which is why there was a German man in her bedroom. Presently, she caught him hastily pulling up his trousers to sneak out. Shame passed quickly over his handsome face.

“Maybe we can get a drink tomorrow night?” he said.

“Yeah, maybe.”

She was relieved he was leaving on his own so she wouldn’t have to get rid of him with increasingly unsubtle hints. It occurred to her after that he might be here with his wife and family.

She closed the door behind him and fell back on the bed. The room had a high, peaked ceiling made of dark wood and the dim light didn’t reach all the way up it. It looked like a void opening above her, growing as the evening turned darker.

Hannah reached for her phone. She sent Ben a text message, but doubted he would answer; he was sulking. She turned to social media. She posted a picture of the food bought in the market asking “what is this?”. She added a line about the cooking class she would take tomorrow and tagged the resort. Notifications popped up, but somehow only added to the oppressing emptiness growing in her chest. She dismissed the feeling as nothing more than her unsatisfactory hook up. The man had a nice body that promised more pleasure than it had delivered, leaving her keyed up.

Her hand ventured between her thighs. There was nothing but the sea outside her open windows, so she discarded the bathrobe, let the warm night air caress her body and set out to finish what that man had started.

“Hmm, much better,” she sighed after.

She cleaned up and wrapped a long sarong under her arms. Time to get back to work.

With her trusty Moleskin notebook in hand, she sat on the doorstep. A couple of rooms to her left, people were laughing and splashing around, but the sound of the surf, just a few meters ahead, interested her more.

Her pen moved fluidly across the paper, and she found herself writing about that little girl and the old woman serving food. She wondered about their paths in life, about one’s past and the other’s future. How different they were from her own life. She knew none of it would make it into her article, Elite Travelers wasn’t interested in that, but she felt compelled to put her complex feelings into words.

A flash of light disturbed her focus, followed by shutter sounds. She jerked up and squinted through the darkness.

In the bushes, a man was taking pictures of her. How long had he been there? Had he seen her masturbate?

“What the fuck are you doing?”

The man ignored her and kept taking pictures.

“Oi! Stop that, you perv!”

“Wha’? Get back in your room, ma’am.”

She hadn’t expected to hear a Scottish accent. He stepped closer, into the pool of light from her room. She recognized him from earlier in the village.

“Are you stalking me?” He looked at her like she was nuts. “Go away or I’ll call security.”

“Just get back inside. I’m a photojournalist.”

“What? For Playboy? Go. Away.”

“I can’t, I need—”

“That’s it, I’m calling security.” She turned to head back inside her room.

“For god’s sake. Wait!” He climbed the steps up to her. “The hotel management can’t know about this… I’m investigating the resort. Look.”

He showed her the pictures he’d taken: foundations and more brick work, the beach and swamps, portraits of local people. None of her. It was a relief (although having a stalker would be kind of flattering).

She took a good look at him: with his canvas shirt, sleeves rolled up, and scruffy cheeks, he looked overworked rather like a relaxed tourist. There was something about his stance, the hands on his hips, the unwavering gaze on her, an air of detached authority that made her trust him.

“Alright.”

“Good. So, you get back in there and let me do my work,” he said.

“Hold on, I’m a journalist too.”

He quirked an eyebrow, skeptically.

“I am. What are you investigating?”

With more probing—and threatening— he revealed, in vague terms, he was interested in the environmental impacts of the resort.

“What about what’s going on the west side of the island?” she asked.

He perked up at this— as much as this man could perk up. “You’ve seen something?”

“Well, I went sailboating— ”

He scoffed.

“What’s wrong with sailboats?”

“Local fishermen were banned from their own ancestral fishing grounds so you could go on a bloody sailboat. That’s what’s wrong with it.”

The accusation stung. Hannah took a step back. “And that’s my fault, is it? You know, sharks almost went extinct here because of the fishermen.”

He didn’t reply, though she had the feeling it wasn’t because she’d won the argument. He obviously knew more than he let on. As annoying as he was, she wanted to know more too.

She invited him in her room, to show him something she’d discovered on her photos. During the sailing excursion, Hannah had spotted what seemed like a lovely secluded beach. However, when she asked about it to the captain, he immediately veered the boat away. That beach was on the west side of the island, the one she’d been warned against this morning.

She handed him her phone, but he frowned at the selfie displayed.

“No, look closer, you muppet, in the background.”

She zoomed in. There was a high fence, partly covered with vegetation, and what looked almost like a bunker.

“Maybe there’s another way in,” the photographer mumbled. “There are rumors about— oh...”

He’d swiped too far and reached a picture of Hannah in a rather revealing bikini. She tittered at his blush. He shoved the phone back in her hands with a scowl. He considered her for a moment. His sharp gaze openly scanned her, and Hannah became very aware that she was wearing only a sarong.

“Alright,” he said, having come to some conclusion. “Could you take me there?”

“Yes,” she replied with more confidence than she felt.

Hannah went to the bathroom to put on a pair of shorts and a white t-shirt. She felt like she’d drank too much coffee. She was excited by the secretive nature of the investigation and the shared complicity with this photographer.

She slipped her phone and keycard in her back pockets, and they headed out through the patio door.

“I’m Hannah Baxter, by the way.”

“Hardy.” They shook hands. “C’mon, Baxter, stop withering.”

#

Chapter 2: Indonesia, summer (cont’d)

A/N: Pulau Kesuma is a fictional place but what happened there after the tsunami is based on real events that took place in Sri Lanka.

[mwcowan]

Mark & Georgia’s Big Trip

Chapter Seven – Miscellaneous Ramblings II

Another busy week, but that’s become the norm. At least this week we saw good progress towards getting everything together that we’ve been trying to get together. But not much of a theme so just some thoughts on the important events of the week.

Caretakers

The biggest milestone this week was that we selected and hired our housekeeper and caretaker. Plus their two boys – we will soon have a new family in our home, and we’re very excited. You’ll soon meet Ranny and Pina, and their boys Prince Denver and Ethan, who will take up residence in our caretaker’s apartment.

Ranny (pronounced “Ronny” – remember that the vowels AEIOU are pronounced here, without exception, Ah, Eh, Ee, Oh, Oo) for the previous seven years has worked as a groundskeeper for Kawayan Cove so he comes with excellent gardening and tree maintenance chops. Pina has been a homemaker, is a great cleaner and a good cook; Georgia says she’s a good student and will quickly learn our favorite dishes. She already knows that I like fresh fruit every morning – half the battle’s won already! Prince Denver (8 yrs) and Ethan (4 yrs) are just normal boys, though very polite. I think it’s going to be fun having them around.

Capiz

Capiz is both a province in the Philippines, on Panay Island, as well as an oyster from the area known for its special shell. A capiz oyster is on the left, the harvested and cleaned shell on the right. One shell of the oyster is flat, growing to 3-5 inches in diameter, and importantly, translucent.

You find all sorts of items here made from capiz – Christmas ornaments, outdoor lights, ashtrays, you name it. When we lived in the Bay Area, Georgia always said you could tell a Filipino’s house because of the capiz lights in the trees. Harvesting and producing craft items from the shells is today the principal livelihood of the people of Capiz. Historically, capiz is important in Philippines heritage and culture, one that’s given away by the Capiz oyster’s Western name: windowpane oyster. For thousands of years the shell served as the “glass” in Filipino windows; many older homes still feature these windows today.

So why this story about capiz? On this week’s trip to Manila, we were wandering around a mall and walked into an antique store. Stacked against the back wall we found a number of dusty old capiz windows. The shop owner had no hard information about their provenance but said they were likely from the 1800’s. They looked it; the Narra and Molave wood was weathered but the craftsmanship was still evident and not of this century. No nails or screws, the window frames are joined with hand-made mortise and tenons, held with wooden pegs. The capiz was dirty, but almost 100% intact – it looks fragile but is actually pretty sturdy stuff. We’re not sure yet what we’ll do with them, but we now have three panels. After an afternoon spent cleaning them we have a treasure we’ll proudly display.

Calamansi

I don’t think Calamansi has been featured in my Strange Fruit of the Day series; it’s really not that strange anyway. Calamansi is the citrus fruit of the Philippines. About ¾ to one inch in size, they look a lot like a key lime but aren’t limes. The insides and juice are orange, but they’re not oranges. They aren’t lemons either, they’re just Calamansi. They flavor many Filipino dishes: you’ll typically squeeze one onto your Pancit before eating, or onto your grilled fish, and they’re often an ingredient in the dipping sauces served with many dishes.

There are no limes here, so I had a dilemma: how to make a proper Gin and Tonic. Finding decent gin was easy (S&R/Costco), and after searching a few stores I found tonic water. But no limes. Calamansi to the rescue! I’m now able to enjoy my favorite summer cocktail. And it’s always summer here! Cheers!

The Massage Table

Massage is a way of life in the Philippines. Go to almost any beach and there will be massage tents set up, in the city there are plenty of establishments, or just call for home service. My only complaint, actually my neck’s complaint, is that the traditional Filipino massage is performed on a flat bed, not a massage table. You’ll sometimes find a real massage table but it’s rare. Fast forward to our weekly trip to S&R, and there it was! My neck had a sudden seizure as I tried to walk past, so into the cart it went! We set it up on the “meditation deck” and brought in a masseuse that Hervé and Lett turned us on to. She’s expensive, about $12 an hour, but good. Very good. Ahhhhhhhh, heaven!

Friends with Furniture

Our friends from Manila, Noel and Michelle Tanada, who have been mentioned before in my blogs (they’re the members at the Balesin Island Club with whom we’ve had some memorable trips) visited us yesterday. I don’t think I’ve ever said much about them. Michelle is a former local TV star/singer; after that career a serial entrepreneur, starting and running businesses in the advertising field. Noel was originally headed for a career in law, but left that world for his art, which encompasses traditional forms such as painting and sculpture, but his real passion lies with interior design and furniture design. In all they do they only use native and sustainable materials, or recycled materials, and always local labor. You can learn more and view some of their products at www.ecohomeart.com. They are also both active environmentalists, deeply involved with coral rehabilitation (www.coralmovement.org). This shot is with them at Balesin Island last year.

Today’s visit was more than a social call as they delivered a van full of furniture, some of the last items for our living room. We’d asked Noel to create some custom bar chairs, a breakfast table and chairs, and a credenza. Since we live in Kawayan Cove he chose a bamboo theme (kawayan is the Tagalog word for bamboo). He also brought a special floor lamp for us. All beautiful and unique pieces we’re proud to have.

House Tour

Finally all the major furniture is here and the house is feeling pretty livable (though we did fine with just a plastic card table and a mattress on the floor for the first 2 weeks…). So, I’ll wrap this up with a photo tour of our newly furnished rooms.

First up is the living room. The coffee and end tables from the acacia slab have arrived, we’re very happy with them and like the way they go with the sofa and love seat. The turtle on the coffee table is from Puerto Vallarta and has a special connection with Kawayan Cove – every fall Olive Ridley sea turtles arrive at Kawayan Cove to lay their eggs.

These are two of the barstools Noel designed for us. Using 100% native and sustainable materials, the backs feature split bamboo and the upholstery is hand-woven Tikog grass from Leyte. Besides a warm an inviting look, Tikog is durable and has a very nice, soft feel. It’s woven into many items here, historically the Banig which is the traditional Filipno sleeping mat.

Also in the same style and materials are this breakfast table and chairs. Noel feels the table design is sexy, resembling a woman’s curves. You decide!

One of Noel’s more creative pieces is this dramatic floor lamp, reflected in our corner windows. The lamp is made of water hyacinth reeds. Beyond being a sustainable material, the use of water hyacinth has an additional benefit as it’s a nuisance here, growing quickly and clogging rivers and harbors.

New in our master bedroom is this computer desk, made of mahogany from our design by Boyet, one of the construction foremen for our contractor. Boyet also made all of the cabinets in the house.

Our small guest bedroom, the one with the great view, has two new side tables of acacia, which we picked up pre-made at the same place where we got our slab. Note the baskets on the wall, which made their way here from the White Sulphur Springs Ranch rummage sale!

Last up is our second guest bedroom. In trade for the lack of a view you get a larger room, with a sofa and coffee table, which is the final piece of our acacia slab. Any of you who visited the Mokawk Community Resource Center last fall will recognize two paintings by Tyler Jacobsen, and a woven wall hanging by Salli Wise. Sorry the bed’s not made, we’ll make sure that’s done before you arrive!

[brydigdraws]

Goblin Week Day 1

Another year, another Goblin Week! Unfortunately, this particular week will be very busy for me so I’m unsure if I can actually do all seven days.

For now, though, please enjoy this short snippet about my goblins Rzekamien’s (originally made for D&D 5e) and Loc’s (originally made for a modified version of WH40K: Rogue Trader) first meeting (you can find out more about them by checking their respective tags on this blog). Please bear in mind that I’m not really a writer, and that this is a first draft and thus contains a few placeholder names and such.

It was an ordinary day as far as Rzekamien was concerned. The sun was shining through the trees, the birds sang their songs, and the wind was but a pleasant breeze. He liked it that way.

He sat in his cottage, writing in detail about the anatomy of the Etruscan shrew, referencing a skull sitting in front of him on the desk. He wasn't a published author or anything of the sort, nor did he wish to be. And even if he so wished, books written in Goblin weren't exactly in demand (not that he couldn't write in other languages - he was, in fact, quite the polyglot, but he held a certain fondness for his mother tongue). He simply wrote for himself, present and future. He also had a knack for illustration, at least given a reference. The sketches were scattered all throughout the book, complimenting texts about various plants, animals and fungi. This was volume twenty. He had opened a window to appreciate the ambient sounds it let in. For now, the forest was calm.

It was decidedly not an ordinary day for Loc. He was travelling through the galaxy at several times the speed of light, desperate to shake off his pursuers. He hadn't done anything wrong, really. Scavenging wasn't technically illegal, and how could he possibly have known that the wreckage of the huge ship that hadn't given off a single sign of activity for hundreds of years still, some-fucking-how, had survivors on it? Really aggressive, possessive survivors. With fully functional mini ships to chase his poor ass for way longer than was reasonable. He really wasn't the one in the wrong here.

Loc was quite a skilled pilot, but his ship could only go so fast, despite its small size. As he performed some impressive void acrobatics to stall for time, he also checked the radar for any planet that may be safe to land on.

Gas, gas, too cold, too hot...

After a while he came upon one with not only a survivable temperature, but also solid ground and breathable air.

Jackpot!

He headed straight for it, but just as he was about to enter the atmosphere, one of his pursuers finally managed to hit him with a projectile. As the error messages filled up the monitor, he did his best to regain control of the brakes to cushion the inevitable crash.

As though someone had snapped their fingers, the calm of the forest had come to an abrupt stop. Rzekk jumped at the sudden sound of branches breaking and trees falling not far from his home, quickly followed by a deafening boom. It was no longer an ordinary day.

After calming himself down a bit, Rzekk looked out the window to try to see what possibly could have caused so much noise and destruction. All he was met with was a tower of smoke beyond the trees - at least he didn't smell fire. He contemplated whether he should go and take a proper look; someone might have been seriously hurt, and he was a healer after all (not by choice, mind you, just came with the whole druid schtick). Then he remembered all the times curiosity had nearly killed him, and decided it was none of his business. It was probably just a powerful spell an incompetent spell caster had tried their hands at, or something of the sort. That was their own fault, and they'd have to deal with the consequences themselves - that's part of becoming competent. He went back to studying the skull.

Loc groaned. It was a rough landing, to say the least. But he did seem to still have all his limbs intact, thanks to his airbag suit. It looked absolutely ridiculous when inflated, but had played a big part in the drastic reduction of the amount of spaceship accident-related deaths in the last 20 years.

He pressed a small button to deflate the suit, and examined himself in the rear view mirror. Just some bruising, it seemed. ... Maybe internal bleeding? Oh, and definitely a headache. His bones seemed whole, at least.

He stepped outside on wobbly legs, and groaned anew when he saw that his ship now looked more like a pile of scrap than something he had spent 20.000 zilcons on. He put a caring hand against the hull.

"Don't worry, baby, Daddy's gonna fix you right up! Just stay put." And so he was on his wobbly way, hoping to find an engineering guild. Maybe a pharmacy, for some painkillers. When he was some hundred meters away, the engine exploded.

"Goddamnit."

Rzekamien was once again interrupted, this time by a loud knock on the door. Visitors were very rare this deep in the woods, so it did surprise him. But more than that, it annoyed him. He had been in the zone, and that knock knocked him right out of it. He was just about to ignore his visitor and get back to work, when they knocked again. And again. And again and again and his ears hurt. He sighed and went to open the door.

Before him stood a... goblin? He thought so, at least. They were about a head taller than himself, with blue-tinted, green skin, and big ears. However, he had never seen a goblin with such a nose before - it reminded him more of a bat's. And those clothes, they were made of materials he had never seen. The goblin's hair was as pink as lyre flowers - no dye he knew of was capable of such a rich, bright colour. ... Where the fuck did this person come from?

"Hey! I'm Loc, from star system LX-933-B. Nice to meet you!" The stranger stretched out a hand in greeting. Rzekk looked at the hand, then back to their face, then back to the hand. He really didn't want to touch it, but still did so reluctantly, for a lack of better alternatives. He retracted his hand immediately upon feeling the stickiness of the stranger's palm, and let out a small croak of disgust.

"Oh, sorry, forgot to retract the hairs. ... So, what's your name?" Rzekk didn't answer, he just looked at his unwelcome visitor suspiciously. He couldn't see behind their extremely dark-tinted goggles, which actually helped him sell the illusion that he was looking them in the eyes.

"Not much of a talker, eh? That's okay. Anyway, I just, uh, happened to crash here, so I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of the nearest engineering guild? Oh, and do you have any pain killers? ... It wasn't a very pleasant landing, y'see." He laughed awkwardly. "Sorry, I'm asking for a lot here." (he really wasn't) "I could give you something for the trouble? Not sure what, though, I didn't have much on me to begin with, and I'm not sure how much is whole at this point." With every word, Rzekk grew more and more confused. He knew five languages, and had heard pretty much all others on the planet enough times that he could easily recognise them. But whatever this person was spewing? He didn't have a clue. Loc noticed the confusion in his eyes and came to a halt.

"Oh, don't tell me... Your planet's that backwards? You don't have translators? You know, those chips installed in your ears? You don't have those? Oh boy, have you even made contact with the rest of the outside universe yet? What about your technology? Do you even know what velcro is? What-" Loc got interrupted by a sudden coughing fit, which made Rzekamien jump backwards in surprise. It was so violent one could think his heart would jump out of his throat at any moment. When the coughing finally stopped, Loc noticed the blood on his hands, and felt it trickle down his chin. He wiped it off unceremoniously. Rzekamien just stared at him in disbelief.

"Ohh, shit. I'm worse off than I thought, huh? Hey, is it alright if I crash here? I'm not... I'm not feeling very well." And that's all he managed to say before he went limp and collapsed before Rzekamien's feet. After trying his best to process what had just played out in front of him, Rzekamien begrudgingly dragged his unconscious body inside (he was a healer, after all). Ordinary days as he knew them would never come again.

[anglaland]

count the change, and keep my heart

Fandom: Hetalia Relationship: USUK Rating: Teen Word Count: 1530 Summary:

Written for the @usuknetwork​ Secret Santa event. Happy Holidays @love-and-libertea-writes​! I went with your prompt, “Omegaverse pregnant Arthur and his mate Alfred going Christmas shopping”

AO3/FFN links will be the most recent post on my blog if you prefer reading on those platforms.

Arthur turns to look pointedly at his mate. “I’m pregnant, not made of glass.”

Alfred smiles guilty, his scent betraying him. “I didn’t say anything,” he says, but Arthur lifts an eyebrow in challenge. “Maybe I am a little worried,” he admits. “But Dr. Oxenstierna said he was considering bed rest!”

“Yes, and then he said he would hold off on it,” Arthur replies. “I’m only six months along, love. You’ve got three more months to coddle me to your heart’s content.”

Alfred manages not to blurt out that he already has those months planned out. Instead, he pulls Arthur closer, wrapping his arm around the other to rest his hand against the side of Arthur’s swollen stomach.

The crowd around them is relentless, hundreds of others dashing to find gifts for their loved ones. Normally, Alfred & Arthur wouldn’t wait until the week before Christmas, Arthur preferring to carefully identify the best gifts for their friends and family, and Alfred tasked with finding the best deals for them (and Alfred was already planning to induct their unborn child into the art of extreme couponing). But between the toll the pregnancy had taken on Arthur and the last-minute project Alfred’s boss had assigned him to, they hadn’t had the chance.

Of all the years for this to happen…! Alfred cursed silently, before putting the thought away. For the last three months, the bond between him and Arthur had strengthened, the two of them almost frighteningly in sync. It had its benefits––Alfred was still living off the sweet sex the two of them had last week, when he had come home with the exact craving Arthur was thinking of. But other times, the two of them could sense even the slightest hint of discontentment the other had.

Or the baby could, even though Dr. Oxenstierna had said no one knew if that was true. Arthur could tease Alfred for being overdramatic all he wanted, but he wasn’t taking the chance with their first child.

“I can’t believe we had to park on the other side of this bloody mall,” Arthur grumbles, interrupting Alfred from his thoughts. “Doesn’t anyone shop in advance? Christmas is the same day every year!"

Alfred chuckles. “Not all of them have your finicky organizational skills, babe.” He discreetly elbows a beta who is getting a little too insistent at pushing their seven bag ensemble through his side. “Besides, we’ve never seen the mall look this Christmas-y!”

“Yes, we have. They put up these decorations before Thanksgiving this year,” Arthur says, without bothering to hide the disgust in his voice. “Honestly, it’s shameful...they get worse every year…”

“I’d play All I Want for Christmas is You from September if I could,” Alfred suggests with pure innocence. It’s worth the look of absolute horror that crosses Arthur’s face. In the next second, he’s regretting it, mind already jumping to the swaths of Facebook posts he’s read about “bad vibes” and “negative energy” or “my pregnant omega yelled at me once and my baby came out with no scent and the doctors won’t admit we’re right!”

Well, maybe not the latter. But there have been a lot of Facebook posts. Arthur called it all useless drivel, and Alfred always agreed...until it was 2 am and he was watching pregnant omega vlogs.

Too sharp for his own good, Arthur catches the thread of guilt immediately. “What are you worrying about now?” he sighs, curling closer to Alfred as they two of them make their way to their destined shop.

(Alfred was used to the translucency of his scent. Their first meeting wasn’t as smooth as he liked think––it went a little something more like: a younger him, star struck at the handsome omega sprawled across a classroom desk, the other snidely advising him to keep your scent low, or you’ll tell the whole school about how much you’d like to fuck me.)

“I just want to keep you safe,” he murmurs, almost shy to say it. No one around them cares, but Arthur looks at him with rapt attention––and some confusion.

“...Christmas music isn’t going to kill me,” Arthur says. A beat passes. “And neither will this pregnancy. I know you’re worried, but it’ll be okay.” Looking up at Alfred, Arthur grins wickedly, the look out of place in his unassuming maternity clothes. “I didn’t fight off all those omegas to die before giving you your first child.” His eyes flick over to Alfred’s mating mark, a mirror to the mark on his own neck. “I’m certain I get all my energy from imagining their sour looks once our child is born.”

Alfred bursts out laughing. “Our high school reunion is in six months too. I’ve totally got to RSVP yes."

“Hmmm...the look on Francis’ face would be perfect...and he said I wouldn’t be mated ‘til I was thirty!” Arthur’s eyes are bright, his pace quickening in excitement. The residual excitement infects Alfred and he follows, the two of them cackling over whatever petty work they’ll put into showing up.

In no time at all, they’ve arrived to the front of the woodworking store that holds the last gift on their list: an expensive feather board for Alfred’s brother, Matthew. Privately, Alfred wishes Mathew had stuck with hockey as primary hobby–– at least then he could understand what he was buying. He had no idea what this ‘feather board’ did, but he had it on good authority (and by that, he meant his coworker Ludwig had recommended it in a single sentence with no elaboration) that this was a premier (and expensive) item in the field.

He’d get a gift receipt just in case.

For such a niche shop, it is annoyingly busy. Alfred keeps Arthur close as they scan the shelves for the item.

“Is this it?” Arthur asks, gesturing to one board.

“No, the one in the picture is bigger,” Alfred replies. “What about this one?”

“Wrong shade of tan,” Arthur answers, already flicking his eyes back to the shelves. Alfred grumbles underneath his breath, putting the item away and crouching to check the names of the other boards on the price tags.

He doesn’t find it. Scowling, he stands up, already preparing to annoyingly hang around the cashier until some assistance could be rendered. As he turns, he catches a display off to the side behind Arthur––highlighting the exact item they need.

“Arthur!” Alfred exclaims, and the other man jumps at the shout in his ear. Alfred cringes, and lowers his voice. “I think it’s behind you!”

Arthur turns, and his eyes widen in recognition. “That’s it,” he confirms. “Only one left––we got lucky!”

As if a greater power conspires against them, they catch a pair of alphas also pointing at the table. In growing horror, one of them begins walking towards it.

“Arthur,” Alfred hisses. “You jinxed it!”

Arthur is already moving away from him. Just as the other alpha begins to reach for the feather board, Arthur body checks him, swiping the item from under the other’s nose. In one of the fakest looks of innocence Alfred has ever seen cross his mate’s face, Arthur says, “Oh, please excuse me.”

The alpha looks ready to snap, before catching the mark on Arthur’s neck and the swell of his stomach. Alfred comes up behind his mate, hand possessively placed in the small of the other’s back. “Is there a problem?” he asks, struggling to suppress his mirth.

Glaring, the alpha has no choice but to back down. “Keep your omega close,” he says, almost spitting the words out. Arthur looks at Alfred and smirks.

Alfred’s laughter is slipping through his teeth. “Why did I think pregnancy would make you calmer?“

Arthur raises his eyebrows, maintaining the picture of innocence. “Whatever do you mean? I’ve always been calm and proper.” He pauses for a second, struggling not to laugh as well. “Now if you’ll join me, we have a purchase to make.”

They walk out with their spoils of war. “Hope you paid close attention to that, poppet” Arthur says to his stomach, arms curving underneath.

“Oh god,” Alfred mutters. “If our child takes after you, we’ll be stuck in the principal’s office every single day.”

“I met you in detention,” Arthur reminds him. A few seconds later, “...maybe it’d be best if our first child was a little calmer.”

First child.

The words were almost impossible to comprehend. The two of them had been trying for so long, and Alfred had comforted his mate through too many sleepless nights, as Arthur confessed to feelings of inadequacy and self-blame. But they were here, at six months even with all the difficulty Arthur was having, and they were going to make it.

Alfred steals a glance at Arthur. The other man’s face is flush, and Alfred can detect the weariness seeping into his mate’s scent and body. But beyond that, a small yet triumphant grin coats his face, enthused at the conclusion to their Christmas shopping. Alfred ignores his worries, for once, not out of fear, but determination for the future, and kisses the head of the love of his life.

[freshginandtonic]

State of Play (and the state of Australia’s press freedom)

This week I got to thinking (insert Carrie Bradshaw voice here) about one of my favourite television shows, ‘State of Play’. I try to rewatch it every three to six months, scheduling it in like a dental check-up. There is in fact a big screen adaptation of the same story, starring a then-hot Ben Affleck and Eternal Queen of the World Rachel McAdams that came out in 2009, but I’m here to talk about the BBC originale.

I’ll skimp on the plot bc it twists and turns more than my stomach after I’ve had full dairy milk, but here’s the main thrust: a young kid gets shot on the streets of London the same morning as a young political researcher falls (or gets pushed hmmm) under a train. They’re connected by a single phone call. The researcher is discovered to be having an affair with her boss, who happens to be an MP. A conspiracy is introduced that may involve all of them, the British govt and a shady oil company. Enter stage left the scruffy maverick journalist and his team trying to find the truth. Have I whetted your appetite yet?

Now here’s the reason this particular series was floating around in my subconscious. On Monday multiple Australian newspapers ran redacted articles and documents on their covers, as part of a campaign called Your Right To Know. They were all heavily edited and asking the same question: ’When government keeps the truth from you, what are they covering up?’, as well as my personal favourite ‘News restrictions. Secrecy. Jail terms for journalists and whistleblowers. It couldn’t happen in Australia? It’s happening now.’ This exact same thing happens in State of Play. Now this isn’t by any means a political website (lol, blog) and I’m not here to make it one, but hopefully we can all agree that press suppression is Bad, and holding the govt to account, plus questioning their decision-making and actions is Good. We all know the govt (and practically all govts around the world) do some Questionable Things. Things that we don’t, and probably won’t know about for a number of years, if ever. Despite whatever political beliefs you subscribe to, when it comes to govt cover ups I dare u to try watching the masterpiece of cinema ‘Enemy of the State’ and come out of it not being slightly paranoid and mad about the unknown powers our or any political authority may have.

But getting back to the current issue. Since 2002, there have been 75 pieces of federal legislation have been introduced, intending to protect the public from national security threats but their purpose is essentially to stop the public from knowing what the Federal Government is doing. Journalists are being targeted, raided and silenced. We all know press suppression always starts before the really bad shit hits the fan.

To cap off the dystopian nightmare our country is falling into, new research has revealed  87 per cent of Australians value a free and transparent democracy only 37 per cent believe this is happening in Australia today. Love!! this!! for!! us!!

The issue of press freedom is constantly raised in State of Play, over 15 years ago. Fortunately British reporters are more protected than they are here in Australia where they have no constitutional safeguards, while in the UK journos are protected under the Human Rights Act. They're not perfect but it’s a more than our own country has done. 

A scene plays out in State of Play which is what I’m sure (I mean, hopefully) went down in the newsrooms of the Sydney Morning Herald, Daily Telegraph and countless others earlier this week - an editor runs a redacted front page calling attention to a huge issue - in this case Bill Nighy’s superb Cameron Foster is targeting the UK govt over their dealings w an oil company. He runs the headline ‘The story we can’t show you. Because Westminster have gagged us. Ask U-Ex Oil why. Ask your MP why.’ It’s a deafening threat to their foes in Westminster and basically a declaration: whether you try to bury the story or not, there’s no way it’s not getting out. Later we see the final story being printed and delivered, uncensored to readers - a victory for the fourth estate’s triumph over government might.

The show was written by Paul Abbott, who has his own fascinating and tragic backstory and directed by the man who helmed the last four Harry Potter films (and two spin-offs), David Yates. 

Beyond the plot, the series tackles issues of class, race (a black kid is killed in the opening scene and subsequently profiled as a drug user despite there being no evidence to support the theory), and adultery, (don’t get me goddamn started on this sub-plot) while examining the personal repercussions that come with reporters - or anyone finding a story and sticking to their guns on it. That’s not to mention characters becoming completely desensitised to the death and destruction that follow them. One of the most fascinating exchanges in the series is between a police officer and a reporter. One refers to the events around them as a case, with real lives and people involved, the other a story that has a deadline, damn the consequences. It’s clear then the price for exposing the worst of humanity is to lose some of your own. 

John Simm is our leading man, the aforementioned scruffy journalist Cal McAffrey. Boardwalk Empire’s - or Nanny McPhee and Trainspotting depending on your vintage - Kelly McDonald is his fellow lead reporter Della, seemingly the everywoman among the occasional madness, and she has a special place in my heart due to her large number of denim jackets. 

I’d like to also acknowledge to the excellent supporting characters beginning w James McAvoy who gives a spectacularly smarmy yet hot - despite a terrible wardrobe - performance as a journo working for a rival paper who then joins the team. Amelia Bullmore and Benedict Wong round out the main gang of reporters as Westminster correspondents Helen Prager and Pete Cheng. David Morrissey plays the perpetually sad and wounded politician Stephen Collins who is an absolute puzzle. Special mention to Bill Nighy as their editor-in-chief who says things like ‘I’m the sceptical one, so don’t push it Tonto’ and ‘bring us a bottle of red and four glasses’ when confronted with a piece of incriminating evidence. Another shining star is Liz the newsroom intern who is too good to describe here but is possibly the best part of the entire series and gets away with the best lines (excluding ‘ole Bill).

I kept an article that talked about State of Play and other smilier films and series on my cork board for about seven years, till the paper got yellowed and fragile. It described the tactics the journos in State of Play use as ’..Like a road map of the horrors of modern British journalism: phone-tapping, withholding evidence, more lies than the News of the World. And these are done by the good guys; the people they go after are murderers.’

In short: I’m never going to be able to describe all the ways I love this show, but for now I say: watch it. Watch it for six hours of absolutely cracking television, the character arcs, the terrible 2003 fashion choices, for Bill Nighy, for young James McAvoy. But most of all watch it bc you’ll see what’s going on right now reflected in every action and every scene. When characters are arrested in their newsroom, intimidated by both politician and policemen alike think of what’s going on rn in our dang country. When Cal protects his anonymous sources remember that Australia’s shield laws  are still quite limited the it comes to preventing journalists from being charged over naming confidential informants. And most of all when the team are pressured into dropping the story by the higher-ups, think of the blacked out papers we all picked up on Monday morning when our press agencies decided to ask ‘what are they covering up?’

As Cameron says ‘Big day. Big story. Big hitters.’

[uglypastels]

Writing Challenge!!

Writing challenges are always so fun to do, so I decided to make one myself for a change. It’s also almost (not really) my birthday and I want to celebrate!!

It’s that time of the year again where it is cold outside, the leaves are falling off the trees, you just want to curl up under a blanket with a cup of hot chocolate and watch a movie... Or is that just me? 

Anyway, I love watching a good movie, or even a bad one sometimes.

This is why in this challenge, all prompts are quotes from movies! 

Rules are pretty basic, I’m not fussy about anything.  (prompts > “Keep Reading”)

You don’t have to be following me, but it would be nice of you, of course, if you did

Reblog this post to join and/or spread the word

Send me an ask wherein you choose a prompt 

Make sure you have a possible back-up if the said prompt is already taken

Preferably, I would like to have one story per prompt, but just in case anyone is really set on a prompt that has already been chosen, or if somehow by miracle every prompt is picked and more people want to join, each prompt will have two slots. (so one regular, one “emergency” slot)

All prompts are movie quotes, but your story doesn’t have to be based on the movie itself or have anything to do with the movie. Interpret the quote any way you want.

BE ORIGINAL! 

BE CREATIVE!

HAVE FUN! 

I would like to call myself a multifandom blog, but who am I kidding. I’m MARVEL’s bitch. 

Write about any MARVEL character/ actor (+ the Hollands/Harrison) you want but

if you want to do a different fandom, you are more than welcome!

Just don’t forget to tell me in your prompt request who you will be writing for.  

Fluff, angst, smut ... everything is allowed - just make sure to tag it.

NO UNDERAGE SMUT! Just don’t be gross, in general 

No, first person, but other perspectives are good to go

Any length of writing is good, but if it is longer than 500 words, make sure to use the “Keep Reading” option.

so the story can be a one-shot, two shot, a series < including a part of a series you already have going on.

When you post it, make sure to tag me and use the tag: 

#Z’s Movie Night Challenge

FOR AN EXTRA CHALLENGE (or if you just can’t pick): hmu with an ask telling me and I will pick for you! But do still mention who you will be writing for then.

Deadline is my birthday - December 18th! 

I will be making a masterlist of all the submissions

I think that’s it. Any more question? DM me or ask

(way too many) Prompts, but at least nobody can complain there is nothing to chose from: 

“I love you.” // “I know.” Star Wars, Episode V: Empire Strikes Back (@andwhatdostarsdobest w/ Tom Holland)

“Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” Gone With the Wind  ( @procrastinatingparker w/ Tom Holland) 

“After all, tomorrow is another day!” Gone With the Wind

“Go ahead, make my day.” Sudden Impact

“Here’s looking at you, kid,” Casablanca

“I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship.” Casablanca

“Of all the (gin joints) in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.” Casablanca ( @butwhyduh w/ Avengers cast)

“We’ll always have Paris.” Casablanca

“I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse.” the Godfather

“Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.” the Godfather: Part II ( @sunsetspidey w/ Tom Holland)

“Just when I thought I was out, (they) pull me back in.” Godfather: Part III ( @sleepwalkingdragon w/ Harrison Osterfield on hold)

“You talkin’ to me?” Taxi Driver

“Fasten your seatbelts. It’s going to be a bumpy night.” All About Eve

“Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” Love Story ( @rainbow-marvel w/ Tom Holland)

“Forget everything you think you know.” Doctor Strange

“Pain is an old friend.” Doctor Strange ( @theamazingspiderlingg w/ Tom Holland)

“What we’ve got here is a failure to communicate.” Cool Hand Luke ( @scholarlyspidey )

“What is it?” // “The stuff that dreams are made off.΅ the Maltese Falcon

“Alright, (Mr. DeMille), I’m ready for my close-up.” Sunset Boulevard

“There is no place like home.” Wizard of Oz ( @peterrrparkour w/ Tom Holland)

“I love the smell of (napalm) in the morning.” Apocalypse Now

“Show me the money!” Jerry Maguire

“You had me at ‘hello’.” Jerry Maguire ( @anxiety-in-a-getaway-car w/ Sebastian Stan)

“You complete me.” Jerry Maguire

“Why don’t you come up sometime and see me?” She Done Him Wrong

“Hey, I’m walking here!” Midnight Cowboy

“I want to be alone.” Grand Hotel ( @aw-hawkeye w/ Tom Holland)

“You can’t handle the truth!” A Few Good Men

“I’ll have what she’s having.” When Harry Met Sally ( @sleepwalkingdragon w/ Harrison Osterfield)

"When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible." When Harry Met Sally (@somethingtoavenge  w/ Bucky Barnes)

“I’ll be back.” Terminator

“Hasta la vista, baby.” Terminator 2: Judgement Day.

“Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.” The Pride of the Yankees

“We rob banks.” Bonnie and Clyde

“Well, nobody’s perfect.” Some Like it Hot

“Houston, we have a problem.” Apollo 13

“I could do this all day.” Captain America: The First Avenger/ Civil War

“We’re still friends, right?” Captain America: Civil War ( @starksparker w/ Tom Holland)

“Have you been playing Space Invaders? Because you’re invading my space!” Pixels ( @cas-backwards-tie w/ Peter Parker)

“Well, a boy’s best friend is his mother.” Psycho

“Well here’s another nice mess you’ve gotten me into!” Sons of the Desert

“Say hello to my little friend.” Scarface

“(Mrs. Robinson) You’re trying to seduce me. Aren’t you?” the Graduate

“What a dump.” Beyond the Forest

“Is it safe?” Marathon Man

"Wait a minute, wait a minute. You ain't heard nothin' yet!" the Jazz Singer

“I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.” A Streetcar Named Desire

“Hello, gorgeous.” Funny Girl

“Surely you can’t be serious?” // “I am serious. And don’t call me Shirley.” Airplane!

“My precious.” Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

"Listen to me, mister. You're my knight in shining armor. Don't you forget it? You're going to get back on that horse, and I'm going to be right behind you, holding on tight, and away we're gonna go, go, go!"  On Golden Pond ( @musiclover1263 w/ Peter Parker)

"Carpe diem. Seize the day(, boys). Make your live(s) extraordinary." Dead Poet Society.

“I’m the king of the world!” Titanic

“I’ll never let go, (Jack).” Titanic ( @spider-puck w/ Spideychelle)

“You make me want to be a better man.” As Good as it Gets ( @thewackywriter w/ mob!Tom Holland)

“As if!” Clueless ( @fratboievans w/ Peter Parker)

“They’re here!” Poltergeist

“We know each other. He’s a friend from work.” Thor: Ragnarok

“Gentlemen, you can’t fight in here! (This is the War Room.)” Dr. Strangelove

“I wish I knew how to quit you!” Brokeback Mountain ( @petersshirts w/ Tom Holland) 

“I’m not bad. I’m just (drawn) that way.” Who Framed Roger Rabbit (@lovelymalira w/ Bucky Barnes)

“Why so serious?” the Dark Knight

“Magic Mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest one of all.” Snow White and the Seven Dwarves ( @thequeensardine w/ Harrison Osterfield)

“.... I dare you. I double dare you.” Pulp Fiction ( @hollandofthefree w/ Tom Holland)

“Look I probably should have told you this before but you see... well... insanity runs in my family... It practically gallops.” Arsenic and Old Lace

“It’s just a flesh wound.” Monty Python and the Holy Grail ( @sarahwritesfiction  w/ Steve Rogers)

“He might be okay….Well, no, probably not now.” Groundhog Day

“Life’s a bitch; now so am I.” Batman Returns ( @idontknowhowtowritesosorry w/ Shawn Mendes)

“That rug really tied to room together, did it not?” The Big Lebowski

“No, it’s a cardigan, but thanks for noticing.” Dumb and Dumber

“Is that all he said?” Lost in Translation

“Excuse me, I believe you have my stapler.” Office Space ( @totallytomholland w/ Peter Parker)

“You wanna come over?” // “No, thanks. I don’t want you fucking up my life, too.” Office Space (@mobtomsgirl w/ Tom Holland)

“Okay, sounds like a case of the Mondays.” Office Space

“And suddenly, I felt nothing.” Fight Club ( @brokennccrown w/ Steve Rogers)

“You can tell a lot about a person by what’s on their playlist.” Begin Again

“(Veronica), you look like hell.” // “Yeah, I just got back.” Heathers ( @peter-is-the-best-avenger w/ Peter Parker or Tom Holland)

“Lick it up, baby. Lick it up.” Heathers

“But… I guess if I love you, I should let you move on.” 17 Again

“I want my life to be like an 80’s movie.” Easy A

“What makes life so hard?” // “People.” An Affair to Remember

“Have you ever been in love?” // “I think so.” Love, Simon (@fandomscombine w/ Peter Parker)

“I don’t wanna go.” Avengers: Infinity War (@fantasyizlife w/ Tom Holland)

“I don’t want another single pop culture reference out of you for the rest of the trip. You understand?” Avengers: Infinity War

“I am going to die surrounded by the biggest idiots in the galaxy.” Guardians of the Galaxy ( @fantasyizlife w/ Shawn Mendes)

“You actually were telling the truth?” // “I do that quite a lot, yet people are always surprised.” Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest ( @fantasyizlife w/ Harrison Osterfield)

“I have what they call an unattractive face.” Gainsbourg: A Heroic Life

“Oh, somebody, stop me!” The Mask

“I didn’t come here to tell you I can’t live without you. I can live without you. I just don’t want to.” Rumor Has It ( @marcymakemagic w/ Peter Parker)

“Are you always this cocky?” // “Only on Tuesdays… and whenever beautiful women are involved.” // “So, you think I’m beautiful?” // “Actually… it’s Tuesday.” the Three Musketeers  ( @tomhollanders2013 w/ Tom Holland)

“I’m going to be a lady if it kills me.” Dinner at Eight

“Prove it…” Shane

“I’m sorry, (Dave). I’m afraid I can’t do that.” 2001: A Space Odyssey

“Kiss my hot lips.” M*A*S*H*

“You have my sympathies.” Alien

“Get away from her, (you bitch)!” Aliens

“You can be my wingman anytime.” Top Gun

“Have you ever danced with the devil by the pale moonlight?” Batman

“Love your suit.” The silence of the Lambs

“Quid pro quo.” (= A favor for a favor) The Silence of the Lambs

“Always.” Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II ( @peter-parker-life w/ Tom Holland)

Good luck, have fun! 

Tagging some peeps to spread the word because this is one thing I don’t want to die:

@tomhiddleston-is-myboo @tonyintexas @andwhatdostarsdobest @tomsfireheart @spinneret-holland @rainbow-marvel  @lovelyh0lland @de-lir-i-ous @peter-parker-life @tomhollanders2013 @tomhollandthirst @lifeisabitchandsoareyou @darlingtholland @sweet-pea-imagines @anxiety-in-a-getaway-car @manhoeparker @h-osterfield  @positiveparker @casuallytumblingdownthestairs @justmesadgirl @fandomscombine @tom-holland-and-textposts @my-current-obsessions-hehe (Sorry to bother anyone.)

[eversoslinky]

Who created Jessica Rabbit?

The ultimate male fantasy in the form of a cartoon. Gravity defying hour glass curves and legs that go on for years, Jessica Rabbit is an icon and one of my happiest childhood memories was sitting on my Auntie's sofa and watching "Who framed Rodger Rabbit?" the film itself impressed me because it merged cartoons and real life together. Nothing impressed me more, (maybe except the scene in the Wizard of Oz when everything turns to Technicolor.) The film itself and the story didn't hold my attention ,however the gorgeous red haired lady did.

I wanted to BE Jessica Rabbit, still do. In fact she's my Halloween costume this year. I think if I look beyond the obvious the reason I love Jessica so much is because she's a married lady, she loves her husband. I'm a hopeless romantic who aspires to meet the one man to share my life with. But also I love the idea of being sexy, so sultry and inviting to men and women and then... when they get too keen on me on push them away... and purrr in a husky Scarlett Johansson/ Lauren Bacall tone. "Sorry, but I'm marrrrried... I lurrrrve my husband." She's the ultimate burlesque performer and yet she doesn't remove a single iteam of clothing... her sex appeal is obvious in her appearance and that's what I love. There is no little giggle, no cuteness she's pure, one hundred percent vamp. In this blog I am going to explore and celebrate an absolute icon.

The first time you see Jessica she slinks on stage in a gorgeous sparkling red gown, which is probably the outfit Rita Hayworth would of worn in Gilda back in 1946 had the censors of allowed it. (That spilt on the side of her dress is so high!) The way Jessica moves on stage and performs reminds me of Cameron Diaz in The Mask. (Maybe this inspired her role as a nightclub singer at the Coco Bongo club) Of course I love the fact she sings "Why don't you do right?" Which was originally sung by Peggy Lee as she strides across the stage. Four year old me was watching this going "This is who I want to be when I grow up"

But who created this absolutely beautiful cartoon ? She was the brain child of an animation team, Gary K. Wolf, Richard Williams and Robert Zemeckis. With each adding bits of their favourite movie stars to create a hybrid of the ultimate bombshell. Personally I think Jessica's body is very Jayne Mansfield. That massive chest can only be compared to one real life human woman and seeing Jayne wiggle down the street in "The girl can't help it" I think, could of been one of Jessica's design muses. However... here are the original Hollywood icons who inspired Jessica.

All the best female cartoon characters have red hair! How beautiful is the little mermaid? Jessica's whole look was supposed to be modelled on Rita or maybe just Rita's character Gilda. Gilda was a nightclub singer/ slight striptease artist (Who only removes one glove, but removes it in such an incredibly sexual way that that one glove is enough!) Perhaps this inspired Jessica's costume of elbow length gloves? (Who knows?) The ultimate pin up girl and force's sweetheart was definitely inspiration for the animation team who drew Jessica Rabbit but she was one of many women who's beauty inspired the team...

A little known fact about Jessica Rabbit is her predecessor... "Hot red riding hood" another curvy redhead who made her first appearance in 1943. Another Night club singer HRRH was another cartoon babe to steal the show. However, HRRH, I feel needs a blog all of her own so let's return to her another day and focus on Mrs Rabbit...

I just love Veronica Lake! I love the fact she was only 5ft 2 and weighed just over seven stone she was so sexy and vampish but also tough! Why am I not surprised they used her likeness to create Jessica Rabbit?! That peek-a-boo hairstyle is absolute genius, not being able to see half the face adds mystery and allure to a person... It's like a burlesque show only done with hair not clothes. As Veronica herself once famously said "I never did cheesecake like Betty Grable, I just used my hair." And who needs to remove clothes when you have a face like Veronica? (The picture I've used on this blog I have on my bedroom wall) She's got perfectly high cheekbones and a lovely heart shaped face with the most narrow part being her mouth, jaw and chin.

Ingrid Bergman was a Swedish actress who came to Hollywood, they tried (like they did with many others) to change everything about her to make her into their idea of a movie star, she refused. If they didn't want her the just way she was she would simply move back home (Taking her trained stage acting talents with her). I just adore her! What an awesome lady! Could you imagine an actress today being told she's "too tall?!" Ingrid was 5ft 9, but some high heels on her and she'd be over 6ft but she was perfect and carried herself with such elegance and poise. Watch any on her films and check out that stride! I think Jessica Rabbit's statuesque frame was definitely inspired by Ingrid. So what if a leading lady is taller than her leading man? As a stage actress Ingrid sure knew how to carry herself.

"What about that look, that look Lauren Bacall had?" Said Robert Zemeckis during a brain storming session when drawing Jessica for the first time. Those sexy heavy lidded eyes and that pout, that dark alluring quality that gives away absolutely nothing and puts you in your place at the same time. That's Lauren 's look, the ultimate femme fatale, it kind of keeps you guessing... is this woman good or is she a villain? Or can it be possible for a woman to look like one of the bad guys but be really sweet with a heart of gold? How did Lauren create that signature stare? Well, apparently during the filming of "To have and have not" she would get so nervous she would shake(!) Lauren was a strong confident woman off camara but when she was being filmed she would get anxious. The only way to stop the shaking (and hold the ever present cigarette to her lips in a effortless manner) was to tilt her chin down to her chest slightly and look up. Creating the sexy Bacall look we know and love today.

Vikki Dougan, a name you may not of heard of. Unless you follow me, Eversoslinky over on Instagram. (I like to acknowledge the forgotten stars of Hollywood) Vikki was an unknown actress during the 1950s who used to crash Hollywood parties, when I first saw pictures of her I just had to post them, she's so unknown and under the radar and yet her fashion sense inspired one of our most loved cartoon characters- Jessica Rabbit. Those gorgeous backless dresses are just mindblowlingly fantastic and pretty daring considering they were worn during the 1950s (!) It's been some great debate as to which actress inspired Jessica Rabbit the most, with some people refusing to acknowledge Vikki as she never "hit the big time" or "made any popular movies" never the less she was a party girl and gained many column inches during her time, she was a style icon who I believe should be celebrated as the woman who influenced Jessica Rabbit's body con backless dress.

I have many more pictures I'd love to post on this blog but unfortunately Tumblr won't let me post anymore... apparently the number is ten and I've hit my limit (!) ... Sorry people but then again... NOT sorry cause it ain't my fault!... All that's left to say now is Jessica Rabbit is a cultural icon and who knows? maybe if we are really lucky she might appear again in another film. Until then I will start working on my tribute to her. The next time someone asks you who inspired Jessica Rabbit, you won't reply back with "Veronica Lake" but with "Rita, Veronica, Lauren, Ingrid and Vikki" cause they all have features that have made up the greatest cartoon of all time. xoxo 💋