#the reason it's called that in english is

[stollengoods]

Fine, Let’s Play Dirty.

Thanos x Fem! Reader

REQ. Thanos Smut

Warnings: Cursing, fighting, & smut

Summary: “… And I’ll make her my bitch. She’ll love it.” Was the last thing Myung-gi heard as he tried but failed to hit Thanos. He Then saw stars before his vision went completely black as Thanos had successfully planted a punch to the right side of his face. Afterwards Myung-gi didn’t think too much into what Thanos had said, he figured he was just blowing smoke but should’ve realized what Thanos had told him was a warning. He’s coming for y/n.

————

“Hola, señorita.”

You turned around to see Thanos behind you. “Sorry, no hablo español.” You grunted, walking past him.

He let out a chuckle as he turned on his heel to follow you, “That’s okay, baby.” He replied in English, “I speak numero tres languages.”

You turned around crossing your arms and watched as both of his hands held up three fingers with different colored fingernails on each.

You blew out a breath, “What do you want Thanos ?”

His hands went to his chest as he stepped closer to you, “Hey hey baby, why so hostile ?” He asked with a voice full of concern.

You glanced up and down at him not even trying to hide the disgusted look on your face, as you took a step back.

“It’s your bitch of a boyfriend, huh ?”

You rolled your eyes and bit your lip to suppress a laugh, you knew it would only encourage him more.

“Mmm.” He hummed, waggling his finger at you, “I’ve seem to have strike a nerve.”

“You didn’t strike shit.” You spat and his eyes widened in surprise.

The venom in your tone even shocked you but you continued on, “-He’s not my boyfriend, not that it’s any of your business.” You mumbled the last part under your breathe.

“-And stop calling me baby, I don’t know you dude.”

You thought about walking away, but his reaction to you not only confused you but intrigued you. His posture seemed more cocky than before as he leaned against one of the bed polls beside him.

“Señorita, you don’t know me ?” He sneered, “Your lil boyfriend told me other wise.”

You tilted your head calling his bluff and he continued, “He said you fucked with my music.”

You laughed, licking your lips in nervousness, “Why would he say that, he hates you.”

That made Thanos smile, “He told me that you would play my music in the car and he didn’t understand why because to him it sounded like shit.” He shrugged his shoulders, “I guess he considered that an insult but I didn’t.”

You felt your cheeks burn, “I liked a few songs…” You confessed, not looking him in the eyes, “Like one or two, I wasn’t a fan or anything.” Your voice sounded pathetic even to you.

His index finger and thumb pinched your chin making you look up at him, “You don’t seem to be much of a fan of your boyfriend either.”

You squinted your eyes, “Again not my boyfriend.” You corrected, ripping your chin out of his grip, “And no I’m not the biggest fan of him… You’re not the only one who got financially screwed here.”

His eyebrows narrowed, “Wait. He had you invest in his shit-coin too ?”

“Yes.”

He scoffed, “What a dick sucker.”

“You’re telling me.” You mumbled under your breath.

“That’s the main reason I came over here.” Thanos explained, “I frequently see you guys arguing… I figured it was just relationship drama, but now I know why. It’s ’cause you’re one of us.”

You raised an eyebrow, “One of who ?”

“One of the people that shit-face scammed.” He scorned, “I thought he only did it to strangers on the internet but your telling me he did it to the people he loved too ? That’s just foul.”

You weren’t buying any of Thanos’s sympathy, “Why did you really come over to talk to me ?”

Thanos smirked, realizing you weren’t falling for his charade. “Okay, fine.” He raised his palms up, “You got me.”

Your eyes glared at him as he continued, “I can beat your boyfriend up all day long, okay ? It’s easy and getting kind of boring if I’m being honest.”

“I’m so sorry.” You monotoned.

He smiled, “It’s not your fault sweetheart.” He retorted and you rolled your eyes. “Anyways, I was thinking of ways I could mentally torture him and what’s better than getting with his girl ?”

Your mouth was agape as you took in what he was saying, “You know with every word that comes out of your mouth, you’re sounding more and more like a psychopath.” You commented.

He tilted his head with a gleam in his eyes, “C’mon baby…” He said, “You’re telling me you haven’t wanted to torture him both mentally and physically ever since he ruined your life ? Don’t lie.”

You made eye contact with him, “I’ve thought about it yes, but I would never actually-“

“Why not ?”

You shook your head, “Beacuse- I’m- I’m just not that type of person.”

Thanos sniggered, “Were all complex creatures y/n.”

“Yes, but there’s a clear difference between good and bad people.”

“Is there ?” He pouted, “I’m sure you didn’t think your boyfriend would tell you to invest in something only to take all your money away.”

You pursed your lips as you put your hands on your hips and looked away in slight embarrassment.

“What category would he fall under ?” He asked.

————

That’s how Thanos got you making out with him against the men’s restroom wall. You couldn’t argue with him, even tho you didn’t think that highly of him in the education department, he sure knew how to talk his way out of things or in this case into things.

Your hands tangled in his hair as you two breathlessly made out with each other. You couldn’t lie, kissing your ex boyfriend’s enemy did spike your arousal a bit.

Thanos pulled away, scanning your face, “Are you okay to continue ?”

You glowered at him, “Please drop the nice guy act.”

He didn’t smile or laugh, “I’m serious, I don’t mind fucking with assholes like Myung-gi but I never want to take advantage of women. Only pathetic pussy’s do that shit.”

You starred at him for a bit, trying to find any hint of deceit and when you saw that he was being completely sincere you almost wanted to jump his bones. You stopped yourself tho, not wanting to give him a bigger head than he already had.

“Yeah.” You nodded, “I’m fine.”

He leaned in re-attaching your lips to his, you decided to be a bit bold and slipped your hand underneath his pants, past his underwear to his cock. He twitched in your hand and that made you smirk into the kiss.

Not only was he big but very girthy, your mouth watered as you pictured him inside of you, stretching your walls. You used your other hand to guide his hand under the hem of your shirt. He got the hint from there and massaged your boob while he discounted his lips from yours to suck hickeys on your neck.

You reached your hand up to your mouth, spitting in it to then wrap your hand around his cock, stroking him this time.

“Ahh- fuck- Thanos.” You whined as he nipped at your neck, “Why are you biting so hard ?”

“I want to make sure he sees what I’ve done to you. If he doesn’t then what’s the point ?”

“So I’m just a pawn then ?”

He chuckled which tickled your neck, “Don’t act like you’re not using me as well.”

“Shut the fuck up.” You breathed.

“Make me.” He retorted.

You pushed him back so he was now facing you, “Do you want to fuck me or not ?”

“Of course, who wouldn’t ?” He smirked and god did you want his smart-ass to shut up.

A smile formed on your lips as you thought of a way you could make him shut up for once. “Get on your knees.” You commanded.

To your surprise he sunk down to his knees without hesitation. He peered up at you as if waiting for your next order. “Take off my pants.”

He hooked his fingers in your waist band and dragged them down. You kicked them off to the side as Thanos was about to take off your underwear as well. Your hand went to his hair and you yanked a fist full of it to the side.

“Ahh-“ Thanos grunted, his hands resting over yours on his head.

“Did I say you could take off my underwear ?” You cooed.

You released his hair as he looked up at you with a mixture of confusion and anger. You felt your arousal build being able to take control of a man who could easily dominate you.

“You can take them off now.”

He blinked his eyes a couple of times before doing as told. His eyes glazed over as he saw a string of your arousal disconnect from your underwear and drip onto the floor.

Once your underwear sunk to the ground, you kicked them away. Thanos’s hands gripped your thighs as he starred longingly at your soaked pussy.

“What are you waiting for ?” You cooed, looking down at him as he made eye contact with you.

“You’re permission.” His hands gripped your thighs as he looked back at your pussy, unconsciously licking his lips.

“That’s a good boy.” You smiled, reaching your hand down you used your index finger and thumb to pinch his chin like he did to you earlier. You brought his face closer until his lips touched your heat.

“Go ahead.”

Even though you were expecting his tongue in you, your body still jolted against the wall in a lovely surprise. His hands held a firm grip on your thighs as they already began to shake.

You couldn’t help the moans that escaped your lips, the world around you fading away as all you could focus on was his soft lips kissing your clit and then periodically his tongue would lick your slit.

And just when you were about to hit your peak, he stalled the movements of his mouth. You were too much in a daze to notice until he stood up, hovering over you.

“Did I say you could stop ?” You rebuked.

He suddenly cupped the side of your face and pulled you into a very needy kiss. You tasted your juices on his lips and tongue as his hand reached down to circle your clit with his fingers.

“Listen here Señorita-“ His voice was husky and deeper than usual, “I don’t mind letting you take control every now and then but with me, control is going to be 50/50 you understand ?”

You tried responding to him, you really did but all you could muster were moans at the moment. His other hand that wasn’t occupied, grabbed your throat.

“Do you understand ?”

You frantically nodded your head, “Y-yes sir.” You squeaked out.

He smirked, “Sir ? I like that.”

He released your throat and your hands instinctively went up to it as you gasped for air. He placed his hand on your shoulder and shoved you to the floor. Your knees hit the ground first, your hands catching you before any of your upper body fell to the floor.

You were breathing really heavy now, due to the adrenaline rush. He was being very aggressive and you knew you should probably leave but for some reason you liked it. All your nerves were on edge as your body was in fight or flight right now, but all you wanted to do was fuck him.

You looked up at him, from were you were he looked like a giant.

“You know what to do.”

You gulped, before crawling forward and sitting up to pull down his pants along with his underwear. He was huge, if you had to guess 7-8 inches and you were both aroused and scared imagining him inside you.

You wrapped your hand around his base and licked the pre-cum off of his tip. A low moan escaped his lips as his hand laid on the back of your head. You licked your lips, feeling his lack of patience and took his cock into your mouth.

————

Nam-gyu saw you leave with Thanos earlier to the bathroom. And when he saw Myung-gi asking one of the guards to use the restroom he jogged up to them saying he had to use the bathroom as well.

Myung-gi didn’t say anything but gave him the stink eye. Nam-gyu just smiled in return as he followed after them. The guard stopped right outside the bathroom door as they both went inside.

When the door shut, Nam-gyu’s sweater paws covered his mouth in both awe and shock. He knew that you guys were going to hook up but he figured y’all would be in a stall; not out in the open to where just anyone can walk in and see.

His eyes flicked over to Myung-gi who’s fist were clenched and Nam-gyu acted quickly. Grabbing him from behind he put a hand over his mouth and dragged him back.

Thanos was admiring how well you were suck his cock when he heard some commotion and looked up to see Myung-gi trying to charge forward at him but Nam-gyu held him back.

Thanos smiled at him, giving him the finger before yanking you off his cock and pulling you up by your hair. He quickly flipped you around, your back against the wall as he lifted you up. You wrapped your legs around him and he turned to the side to drop you off in the sink.

You pulled him into a kiss, spreading your legs further for him to get better access.

“You want it, y/n ?” He breathed as he took his dick into his hand lining it up with your entrance.

“Yes~” You whined, “Please baby.”

His smile reached his eyes at your pet name, “Baby ? I thought you didn’t know me ?” He mocked and you weakly slapped his chest.

“Fuck- Thanos- please just shut up and fuck me !”

With that he rammed himself into you, moan after moan leaving your mouth as his pace was relentless once he was fully inside you.

Nam-gyu chuckled as he felt Myung-gi really trying to free himself from his grasp now. “Hey hey hey…” Nam-gyu cooed into his ear as your moans echoed off the walls.

Myung-gi muffled something into his hand that Nam-gyu couldn’t quite understand except for a few curse words that Myung-gi empathized.

He tsked into his ear, “You like watching your bitch get fucked, huh ? You fucking cuck.”

Myung-gi then bit the inside of Nam-guy’s hand, “Aish ! You fucking-“ He retracted his hands and Myung-gi charged towards Thanos.

He reached up to yank a fist full of Thanos’s hair back. Thanos hissed and cursed under his breath as he pulled out of you. You whimpered trying to grasp at him as he turned around.

You saw as Thanos threw a punch and hit somebody in front of him. You gasped not realizing anyone else was in here.

“Hey man, I tried holding him back as much as I could-“

You screamed as you saw Nam-gyu approach Thanos, frantically trying to cover up your lower half.

Nam-gyu flinched back at your outburst giving you the side eye, “Don’t flatter yourself sweetie.” He rejoinder.

You hopped off the sink and quickly gathered your clothes. While slipping them on you recognized the person on the floor to be your ex.

“What happened ?” You asked them as you kneeled down in front of him.

Thanos smirked, “He watched his girl become mine.”

You stood up, standing next to Thanos, “I am not your girl.”

“Oh really, baby ?” He mocked.

You rolled your eyes, “Fuck you.”

He chuckled, “You just did. You trying for round two ?” He gestured back towards the sink with his hand.

You glared at him but couldn’t help the smile that spread across your face. “Not if that freak is watching us again.” You said sneering at Nam-gyu.

“I only came to see the look on Myung-gi’s face when he sees his girlfriend getting dick down by another man.” He crossed his arms, “So fuck off.”

Thanos laughed, “Guys chill.”

Nam-gyu sighed heavily and you nodded your head.

“Is he dead ?” You asked, half-serious.

Nam-gyu kicked his leg, “Probably.”

Thanos waved his hand dismissively, “No, he’s just knocked out, he’ll wake up in a few minutes.”

“When we were leaving they announced dinner was going to be soon, you guys hungry ?” Nam-gyu said, tucking his hair behind his ears.

You looked over at Thanos and he raised his eyebrows at you.

“Yeah I could eat.” You shrugged.

“Alright, then let’s get the fuck out of here.” Thanos replied and Nam-gyu hollered as he kicked Myung-gi in his side and skipped out of the bathroom following you and Thanos.

————

(A/N): This was all over the place but fun to write lol

[nionom-art]

A few curiosities on Paris and France:

Paris is actually a martial arts city, as during the Belle Epoque the Parisians decided the best way to deal with the gangs was to get early Savate instructors from Marseille to learn how they fought (the style having already acquired boxing style punching from English Boxing after British sailors won too many street fights, and being born to use knives and swords as it was intended to fight pirate attacks) and blended it with the local Parisian Wrestling (better known as Greco-Roman Wrestling for marketing reasons), fencing adapted to walking sticks (the contribution of the bourgeois and nobles), roof hopping (the distant ancestor of Parkour), and everything that came up in the streets (the gangsters could learn Savate too). And while World War I and the end of the gangs led to the sportivization of Savate, the stick fighting still survives as La Canne, and you can still find places that teach the old style that included all the above plus knee and elbow strikes, especially in Paris.

The story of the ancestor Darkblade is identical to an episode of the Hundred Years War with a few particulars omitted to not mention that the historical guy got brutally lynched or that this is how the English got Paris (the Burgundians were called in as back up and nominal overlords, and after the Parisians got their big prisoner out of jail and lynched him with a thousand ransomable guys they passed the hot potato to their English allies. Thus when King Charles VII talked the Parisians into going back to him it was an English garrison that got massacred). Look Bernard VII of Armagnac for more.

The mayor of Paris isn't elected directly. Rather, the citizens elect the city council, and it's them to elect the mayor.

While most French cities have their own local police in addition to the state-wide National Police and Gendarmerie, Paris didn't from 1871 (when the local detachment of the National Guard was disbanded for joining the Paris Commune. Just like their predecessors in 1789) to 2021, and even then it's far more limited in power. Paris instead has its own detachment of the National Police, depending from the Prefeture... And on which the mayor's office has NO authority. Paris cops also have the nickname of "Les Archers" ("The Archers") in honor of the Royal Watch, the law enforcement agency that operated in Paris the longest (from 1254 to 1750) and, upon becoming the ONLY agency in 1559 (the Burghers and Guild Watches having been abolished for having become useless), was turned in a large force of archers.

Good to know this info- definitely helps with world building and plot

[xiaq]

Would you ever write a story or book about Kuzy? I need more of himmmm ❤️ one of the few characters I'd read MF for though I feel like if anyone would be chill about finding out he was bi and going with it, it'd be Kuzy lol #yeshomo

@rainbowsandcoconut

I don't currently have any substantive plans for a Kuzy story, but if you want some of my brainworms about him/his eventual romance, here you go:

He lives right next to a firehouse and there's a cute, kickass firewoman (cis, leans androgynous) named Nicole "call me Nic" with whom he has occasional banter-moments (I used to live next to a firehouse and if they were out front they'd always chat with me when I walked the dog; I loved that community dynamic).

One night after a rough game, Kuzy is going for a walk and Nic is sitting out on a lawn chair in front of the house processing a rough call, and they have a moment of shared vulnerability together, looking up at the stars. She's the child of immigrants and they bond over how stupid the English language is. Kuzy tells her about Eli/Hawk and she mentions that she loves dogs but can't have one with her work schedule.

Over the next few days, Kuzy can't stop thinking about her. He wants an excuse to see her more often that doesn't feel creepy, so he goes to the shelter nearby and offers to exercise dogs. Now, he has a perfectly good reason to walk past the firehouse (sometimes multiple times a day!) on the off-chance the firefighters are out and he can politely offer a dog's brief company for Nic's enjoyment.

Except he's not super smooth about it because the rest of the folks at the house realize pretty quickly that the giant Russian walking dogs only happens to walk dogs on the days that Nic is on shift.

Convenient.

This continues for longer than it probably should. Until Kuzy is hosting some of the Hounds and one of the rookies does something stupid. Not sure what. I'm thinking gets his hand stuck in an expensive vase. Or maybe his head. And Kuzy very sheepishly has to walk him over to the firehouse like, "hello, this baby is my responsibility, can you please rescue him?" And they eventually get the thing cut off of his hand/head/whatever but one of Nic's bros pulls Kuzy aside and says, "maybe you should just ask her out instead of coming up with increasingly more creative excuses to talk to her—at this rate someone is going to get hurt" and Kuzy is like, “ok, this was 100% not contrived and while I would like to go out with her, she is a goddess who saves lives and I am but a goofy athlete, undeserving of her attentions," and Firefighter Bro like, "you know, I think she'd settle for you."

So, spurred on by this bit of hope, he's like, "I need to do this right, this can't just be some hookup, I like her." And he starts Operation Woo Nic.

And the whole time Nic is like, "would you just fucking take me home, I would like to bang you," but he's trying so hard to be a gentleman about it that she lets him for a while. She's never been woo'ed before. Might be fun. Eventually she gets fed up and when he's dropping off cookies or whatever on his daily dog-walk she's like, "hey, do you want to be my boyfriend? Yeah? Great. We should have sex about that. My shift ends in three hours, what's your address?"

It is possibly the best day of Kuzy's life.

Anyway. As usual, there's no real plot, just vibes. But he is Smitten. And she is hopelessly endeared. And she's certified as a paramedic, so she's constantly ragging him for his little injuries and keeping him honest about PT. At some point she gets injured in the line of duty and he gets to be suitably dramatic and probably make declarations at her hospital bedside. He dotes on her for a while during her recovery.

And eventually he convinces her to move in with him so she can be close to work and she's like, "yeah? That's the only reason? For the ease of my commute?" And he says, "well that but also because I love you more than I thought was possible and when we're not together I miss you like a limb and our schedules are shit enough as it is, I'm greedy for every second I can have with you," and she's like, "yeah, fair enough."

So. Not really sure how it would end, but uh. There you go! Kuzy and his Firefighter Lady. Also he definitely foster-fails multiple times and hires a full-time nanny to take care of all his and Nic's dogs when she's on shift and he's traveling. It's great.

AND I imagine some very funny cultural confusion moments when her family (Japanese) interacts with his family (Russian) but they all generally bond over their shared love of fermented foods and dumplings. And alcohol. There are hijinks.

Ok. The End!

[emojunkdog]

honestly idk if its culttural difference or something else bc i remember the whole emo thing in eastern europe (west ukrainian city specifically) and it was a bit different.

first of all there wasnt really the word "scene". they called themselves "trash" for some reasons (well maybe it should be written differently in english, like tresh or smth..not sure). and yeah there were some wars about "its not emo, its trash!!!" but many ppl still called them emos (including emos themselves). also many girls who look like "scene queens" with their puffy hair and colorful skirts actually called themselves emo princesses. and many emos were actually pretty bright. the typical emo defintion by non-emo kids were something like "emotional ppl wearing black and pink". there were almost always something bright pink, red or purple. jewerlies were also something common, usually bright and childike (not kandis tho, they wasnt really a thing here). ppl on the pictures who you said "absolutely would have been considered scene in the late 00s" would have been consideren emos in ex ussr. +they were more busy arguing about who is true and who is poser than who is emo and who is trash. the picture below is about "emo posers" but its basically how most emos looked, i mean the bright black-pink thing. (loosy pic translation: "what is an emo poser made of? tears, empty head, clothes(cheap and/or ugly), suicide attempts, photomania(means obsessive selfie making i guess), pseudoemo music, toys") this picture is literally from 00s, i found it in one of the countless abandoned accounts of emo kids, and they were actually pretty bright. especially girls.

and since in ex ussr spaces gender roles and stereotypes are somewhat stronger, emo kids not always tried to be more androginous. emogirls were still very girly. there was desire of being childlike. the pic above was most likely made by some emoboy that was like "im an emo but like a normal emo guy unlike those miserable fags"

it is so wild to me the fashions that are called “emo” today. especially given the fact that probably 80-90% of it is actually scene, not emo. this would have started full on wars 15 years ago

[malsmind]

first tattoo

texts for context to this blurb

series link

warnings: tattoo needles

wc: 1.4k

english is not my first language!

after you and matt texted back and forth about you wanting to get a tattoo, you sat on your couch, thinking about if you should really do it. it was permanent, likely painful, and for scome reason just scared you. you couldn't explain to yourself why it seemed so bad, you had piercings after all, so it can't be THAT bad. seeing the tattoos on your bestfriends arm was so cool to you. you loved tattoos. the look of them, how amazing they looked on some people, and the creativity of the various art designs and meanings behind the art pieces that people engraved into their skin. so after sitting there for hours on end, scrolling trough pinterest and finding ideas to what you really wanted to see on yourself, you decided to finally make an appointment. a hip tattoo.

it was a bold decision. the typical pain level for a hip tattoo was at about a 7 out of 10. you googled that, even asked a few people you knew who also got hip tattoos done. you texted back and forth with your tattoo artist aswell. usually, for a first time tattoo, people wouldn't reccomend to do anything that's known to be quite painful, but at the end of the day, it was your call, and you really wanted it.

so here you were, sat in the passanger seat of matt's car, matt driving to the adress of the tattoo studio that you booked your appointment with. "you nervous?" matt asked you, his eyes staying on the road ahead of him. "kind of a dumb question to be honest" you huffed out a chuckle, growing more nervous with every mile you got closer to your destination. matt chuckled. he knew how bad you wanted a tattoo, but he also knew how scared you were of actually getting one done. he understood your fear and doubts, especially since the place you picked for your first wasn't going to be too nice. "you'll be fine. y'know, once you have one, you can't stop. you'll just keep getting more, trust me." matt tried to reassure you, thinking about his first tattoo and how he got many more after that. it is known to be addictive to some people, some of your friends told you that, telling you constantly about how they want another one after they had just gotten one done.

you neared your destination and your stomach started doing small flips, excitement mixed with nervousness making your palms sweaty. when the car came to a halt, parking right infront of the studio, you took a deep breath, stepping out of the car. the stress was overwhelming but your excitement kept you going, you were going to do this. you stepped inside, the smell of stencil and burnt incense hitting your nose, it was a comforting scent. the tattoo artist who was already waiting for your arrival held his hand out to you, giving you a warm smile, "y/n l/n?" you nodded, "nice to meet you. so we're doing your hip today, huh?" the tattoo artist asked you, gesturing for you to sit down on the black leather chair and you did, matt following behind you to stand by the chair. you had asked your tattoo artist if it was okay to bring along someone and he didn't mind. "yeah," you sighed, "i'm really nervous" the tattoo artist smiled, nodding, "most people are, you'll be fine. we can stop whenever you need to take a break. did you eat?" you nodded, "have you consumed alcohol or any other substances in the past twentyfour hours?" you shook your head no, watching the tattoo artist pull out the stencil sheet with your desgin that you chose. "alright. whenever you're ready. i'm gonna have you lay on your side, you can get comfortable, watch something if you need to, maybe take his hand and squeeze it." the tattoo artist suggested. you tugged your sweats down, keeping them on, hanging loosely around your knees. you laid down on your side, getting comfortable, taking the tattoo artists advice and holding your hand out to hold matt's. matt placed his hand in yours, giving you a reassuring look, his thumb rubbing over your hand in a comforting manner.

the tattoo artist started his preperation, shaving the spot on your hip where the stencil paper would be placed and your tattoo design applied. the transfer gel made you shiver a little, the cold smily feeling on your hip making you nervous, reminding you of what you were about to do. you watched the tattoo artist intently, a small, proud smile forming on your face. you were actually about to get a tattoo. matt saw your face and smiled aswell, thinking back to the countless of times you told him about how bad you want to get a tattoo done.

the tattoo artist placed the stencil paper on your hip, dabbing it lightly to get the stencil ink on your skin. he pulled it off carefully, "alright, you can get up and walk over to that mirror, see if it's good for you like that". you got up, walking towards the mirror and turning to the side to look at the design. "yep, that's perfect!" you were happy with the positioning, so you walked back over to the chair and laid down on it, taking matt's hand in yours again. the tattoo artest nodded, finishing up with his preperation, positioning himself by your hip with the tattoo gun in his hand. "you let me know if you need a break at any point, yeah?" you nodded, giving him an appreciative smile.

the sound of the tattoo gun buzzing, made you take a deep breath, mentally preparing for the constant sting of the needle going in and out of your skin. when the needle made contact with your hip, repeatadly poking in and out, tracing its first few lines, you sucked in a sharp breath, your face contorting in pain. you squeeyed matts hand, and he squeeyed back, rubbing his thumb over your hand soothingly as he watched the ink being tattooed into your skin.

it wasn't a big design, or anything complicated, just a few small finline stars. the tattoo artist asked you if you were okay to keep going after he finished the first star, you said yes. you had a hard time getting used to the sting as it spread trough your hip, aching in places the needle wasn't even getting close to. it fascinated you how that worked, how you could get a tattoo done on one spot and feel pain somewhere else too. it was painful, worse than any piercing you've ever gotten, but it was bareable. after the third star, you started getting used to the pain. it didn't fade away or hurt less, but your skin and body became used to the sting.

matt kept comforting you, letting you squeeze his hand whenever a fresh wave of pain washed over you, squeezing back and placing his other hand on your shoulder for comfort. you looked down at the tattoo artist doing his work, inking your chosen design into your hip. a wave of excitement washed over you when you caught a glimpse of the small stars on your hip, you definetly made the right decision. you were proud of yourself for finally growing the balls to get a tattoo done, matt was too.

when the last few touch ups were finished and the tattoo artist wiped the cleansing foam off, wrapping it in tattoo wrap, he spoke up, "alright, you're all done". you sat up, stretching a little from being laid down on your side for the past hour. you got up and walked over to the mirror, matt following you, looking at the finished tattoo on your hip trough the mirror like you did. "looks nice." he smiled, placing his hands on your shoulders, rubbing them up and down. you nodded, smiling ear to ear at the result. you loved it. "it looks amazing, thank you so much."

"of course," the tattoo artist smiled, getting up. "looking after it is easy, i'm sure you looked into it aswell. no swimming and no direct sun until it's healed, use tattoo soap once a day and moisturize it at least two times a day." the tattoo artist instructed. you nodded, following him over to the desk to pay and buy the tattoo butter and soap directly from him.

˗ˏˋ ꒰ ♡ ꒱ ˎˊ˗

after everything was paid and done, you and matt got in the car, driving to McDonald's to get some food. "see? wasn't that bad, right?" matt nudged you "oh no, it was. but one hundred percent worth it"

matt shook his head with a small laugh, looking over at you. "you did good, it looks amazing" you smiled at him, appreciative of his words and that he came along with you as a mental support. "sorry if i crushed your hand by the way" you laughed, nodding towards it. he scoffed, shaking his head. "yeah, honestly can't tell who was in more pain. you or me."

@grace-sturnz @rcklessheavn @sofia-is-a-sturniolo-triplet-fan @chrissturniolossidebitch @sl4ttformattsturniolo @priscillaog @oopsiedaisydeer @sturnzzlovee @dollyvuu @xbahaaha @h3arts4nat @sturniolosymphony @powpowjinxlife @idkwhatthisis2009 @surprisecurlyfriess @izzylovesmatt @chrislittleslut @alyssa-sturn @canihavemattsturniolopls @lizzysmith110 @bells-sturn @2muchofaslvt @kaybug88 @sturniolohohoho

[sunnemona]

☆hello esteemed users of Tumblr Dot Com here is my extremely disorganised indigenous (arawak tribe) dreamtale twins post as promised

☆quick note; everything i say here is Only in the context of a human au, this does not apply to regular magic skeletons (obviously lol). other than that, everything i say here somewhat ties into the storyline of my dreamtale rewrite (with the only change being that the twins are human for this post); among other headcanons featured in my rewrite, dream is transmasc and throughout this post is referred to with she / her when being talked about pre-incident. the entirety of this post is extremely self indulgent. i, myself, am also indigenous arawak. cw for allusions to colonisation & heavy discussions of racism. that is all i think

☆first and foremost - “Dream” and “Nightmare” are not the twins’ true names, they are english “names” forced onto the twins; they have True names in lokono dian (the language of the arawak tribe) following arawak naming practices. their “true” names are Hadali & Kathi, lokono words meaning “sun” & “moon” (which is also where my blog title comes from)

^ what i headcanon their full true names to be :)

☆they used their english “names” (names in parentheses because "dream" and "nightmare" are hardly names at all) in the village (as the village refused to call them by their true names), & used their true names with each other. (side note; i like to treat the village as a metaphor for colonisation in some way)

☆nightmare hated his english “name” (for obvious reasons!!) and refused to acknowledge it as something that was meant to refer to him as it hurt So much to be called Nightmare like he was repulsive - Dream disliked hers too for the simple reason that it wasn't hers and because of how the village dehumanised her (being given a “name” that wasn't hers & also wasn't a Name was the least of it, actually) but she never expressed this

☆however. However. After the apple incident. The twins both kept the “names” the village forced on them. And abandoned their true names as they began subconsciously leaning into the roles & expectations the village placed on them both. Do you hear me. Do you hear me .

☆okay quick intermission so i can discuss appearance headcanons - i think dream & nightmare (pre incident) were identical and looked like normal human children (except dream had white hair - contrasting with nightmare’s black hair - & both the twins had unnaturally coloured eyes). Nightmare was allowed to keep his hair naturally long and braid it however he pleased (the village wanted nothing to do with him, and it was easier to other him if he looked visibly other anyway) but Dream’s hair was forcibly cut by the village in an effort to force her into being “civilised” / conforming with the culture of the (white, european) village

☆post incident dream’s white hair has been changed to gold (not blonde, it's. Gold.) due to the apple he ate (he has also figured out he’s trans but that's not important here).

☆i think dream hates his gold hair - not the hair itself but the fact that the incident changed him in so many ways not just mentally (which he can attempt to ignore) but physically as well (which he can't). i love the mild horror of your body changing against your will (even in miniscule ways that really shouldn't bother you but they do)

☆also. unrelated to his discomfort with his hair, dream keeps his hair cut & partially covered (with nightmare’s hood.!!!) as a sign of mourning / loss as per tradition. he believes the True nightmare is dead (he isn't) & misses his brother very dearly.

☆nightmare on the other hand is. Like his skeleton counterpart, he is still made of Sludge LOL sorry. he has no skin. he exploded from the inside out. the Sludge hatched out of him like an egg. However, if i’d drawn him less stylised (i was lazy & in a rush sorry LOL) he’d be still very obviously indigenous from his facial features, even if made of non newtonian liquid. there isn't much to say about his physical appearance he’s thriving being Evil and Monstrous (which is in part why he purposely kept the name the village imposed upon him & abandoned his true name as he started leaning into it)

☆speaking of which - i believe both the twins suffer from internalised racism imparted onto them. Post-Incident, Nightmare puts so much emphasis on being refined and elegant and holds himself to such a high standard of dignity because of constantly being told he was uncivilised & “savage” & etc etc you get the point. internalised racism. this isn't even something he’s consciously doing, it’s so ingrained in him.

☆dream on the other hand wasn't outright violently discriminated against like this but was constantly dehumanised by the village as well as constantly told to “act civilised” and as mentioned already above forced to conform to the (white! european!!) culture of the village. nightmare, being fundamentally excluded from the village, still had some level of freedom. dream did not. He too suffers from the racism he’s internalised (which also intersects with the general pressure to be Perfect at all times the village put on him)

☆i’ll be so honest i don't know how to end this post. there is more i want to add which i May add later but i am so sleepy and my bed is so comfortable. i apologise for how disorganised all this is. the twins are indigenous In My Heart. you understand. thank you for reading. thumbs up emoji heart emoji.

[coochiekrab]

Is there a reason why kuri mixes up her words? I remember there was a mini comic you made where she said she didn’t know english yet which makes me curious if english wasn’t her first language or am I missing something??

she used to be a non native english speaker but atp i think i prefer kuri to actually be monolingual + super alienated from her Culture TM just so i can relate to her better as someone who grew up Deeply Immersed in latino culture but never learned spanish. i think it suits her more and it would be incredibly beneficial for her dad to not teach her japanese so that she couldnt call her family and ask for help lol. easier for him to convince her that their family wants nothing to do with them, etc etc. with that said kuri still sucks at speaking because she had all Normal Skills beat out of her at a young age and was kept in a tupperware jar for 16 years and eats black mold

[evelynthecreature]

it's not about any of that! it's not about them not paying taxes, most immigrants pay taxes! and they get taxed without receiving the majority of benefits citizens do, most don't get food stamps or social security checks. most immigrants aren't "undocumented", that's why we know how many there are, it would be pretty hard to have a head count of people you don't know about, and most "illegal" immigrants just have lapsed documentation, because this or that paperwork expired. And the United States doesn't even have an official language, so there's no real ground to stand on for them needing to learn English, we don't revoke citizenship from the mute, the deaf, or those who never learned to read or write.

The real reason the right wing is so concerned with immigrants is the same reason nobody gives a shit about Canadian immigrants with lapsed paperwork, or the same reason nobody has ever called ICE on me. Racism. they view the problem as being the fact that Mexicans are even here in the first place to be the issue, and they will sell you whatever lies you can swallow to get you on board with their plans

Do you realize that all these ICE raids and deportation flights cost money?

Probably more than it would cost to just give every immigrant everything they need unconditionally so they can be the freeloaders that you accuse them of being?

[entamesubs]

Yu-Gi-Oh! Go Rush!! Episodes 140-145 Sub Release

Torrent

Support us on ko-fi

Please make sure to read the FAQ if you have any questions.

There are translation notes below for 142+, so spoilers ahead.

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

臼と黒 / usu to kuro Usu and Dark

When Yuuhi accidentally reads it as "White and Black" during the preview, it's because 臼 (usu) and 白 (shiro, which means white) look very similar in terms of kanji, so Yuamu is chastising him for reading it wrong as they're two different characters.

翁丁臼 Otei Usu

Here's a funny one. Otes' "old-timey" name can be read as "old guy with mortar". Do with that information what you will.

お殿様 / otonousama + 武将 / bushou "Honored Lord" + "Military Commander"

There's some liberty taken with the titles the characters use in this arc as there's really no good English translation of them.

First, "Honored Lord" can mean a high minister or a lord (or both, it's not exactly exclusive). One of the synonyms given was "daimyo", but that is very much something completely different (and also, if they really wanted to call him a daimyo, they'd have just said it).

Second, Yuudias refers to himself as a 武将 (bushou), though as I researched it, 武将 (bushou) is normally translated to "warlord" which was fitting for that time. However... Yuudias is not a warlord. He neither has his own soldiers nor his own land. Given that he's basically trying to introduce himself the old-fashioned way to "fit in", and as a nod to his own military accomplishments, he probably just thought it was the right word to describe himself.

Though, it also felt strange to try and translate that as "military commander" considering that "Commander" is a real position in real life, and in the context of the show, was also something that Zwijo used to be titled with ("Supreme Commander"). We know that Yuudias' official military designation within the Velgearian army was "Captain" (from episode 20 & later 49).

Anyway, I went back and forth on this in my head. It was genuinely a little hard trying to think of appropriate titles that didn't make me feel as though I was mislabeling them. This strict adherence to the correct military title is the reason why Zwijo is usually referred to as "Lord Zwijo" in the subtitles when Dinois and Myuda address him as Zwijo-sama. They're still showing him the due respect he deserves as their Supreme Commander, I cannot call him "Commander Zwijo" since he is no longer part of the army.

It goes against what I personally would like, but given that I have no other ideas, "military commander" had to do for Yuudias.

This is basically a lot of words to say that the original idea was the best one, LOL. I guess Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu were also known as "military commanders" back then, so it's not that bad... I just have a little bit of a complex about correct titling.

Speaking of Ieyasu...

Ah, how pleasant! Two awakenings and one sleep. This dream of a fleeing world! The roseate hues of early dawn!

Otes' summon chant for Outerverse Oblivion is a nod/reference to Tokugawa Ieyasu's death poem. It was customary back in the day to compose a poem on the verge of death by learned men (noblemen and monks, mainly).

This translation was taken from Phillip Johnston. While translating SEVENS/Go Rush is my forte, I defer to the professionals for poetry-related matters. It is so much more complicated translating poetry than it is some dialogue from a card game anime.

"The Yuudias Incident"

I cannot give a crash course on Sengoku era Japan in the span of a single translation note, but basically the era was very hectic due to the different lords fighting over land and to rule Japan. These lords also betrayed each other constantly, backstabbing and overthrowing the masters they served like changing clothes.

When Otes said that Yuudias rebelling is "fitting" for the time, he's referencing that same backstabbing endemic to the era.

The title of the episode is also a reference to one of these betrayals, known as "The Honnouji Incident". It was when Oda Nobunaga was betrayed by one of his vassals and forced to commit seppuku (kill himself).

from the hour of the rooster until the crow’s evening cries

The "hour of the rooster" is mainly known as around 5-7pm. I'm not quite sure when "the crow's evening cry" is supposed to be, but I assume around 9-10pm. Zwijo makes his proclamation as a way to say "children have to work until this time, then they can play" (as was the case back then).

Episode 145

Not really a TL note, but just wanted to point out something really cool about this episode.

The episode is a reference to "Blink" from S29E10 of Doctor Who (the season where David Tennant was the Doctor and the main female lead was Martha Jones).

Yuamu font changes

Baloo 2 -> Sephora Sans Serif Medium

This is the same font that all the Darkmen (+ Dark Meister) use, but now with Yuamu's old colors. I felt like it was a cute change to recognize who she was before and how she's changed since then while still retaining her old flair.

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

Well, if the dub is to be believed, we have anywhere from 6 to 7 episodes of Go Rush left. It feels kinda strange being so close to the end and yet not quite seeing where the end could be, but I suppose the same thing happened with SEVENS.

Regardless, have fun and keep enjoying Go Rush!

"Are you back on normal weekly releases?" 🤷‍♀️しらん

[kathlare]

double tap disaster

Lando Norris x Amelie Dayman

Summary: Lando Norris spends Christmas Eve with his family, but his mind keeps drifting to Amelie. When he accidentally likes a beach photo of hers on Instagram, a seemingly harmless mistake spirals into a panic as he scrambles to undo it before anyone notices.

Wordcount: 1.2 k

Warnings: none

full masterlist // request over here!

December 24th, 2021 - London, United Kingdom

liked by kit.connor, landonorris, and others

ameliedayman: back home for christmas 🎄✨ turns out the beach is still hot, the food is still elite, and i’m still the family favorite 😌

View all 5,482 comments

charles_leclerc: You forgot to mention the ocean is boiling now too. → ameliedayman: @charles_leclerc don’t be shy, just say you miss me 😌

madisonbeer: i’m convinced you were sculpted by the gods. unfair. → ameliedayman: @madisonbeer tell them to give me a tan that lasts longer then ����

jackdayman: Mum said stop posting thirst traps, it’s embarrassing. → ameliedayman: @jackdayman mum also said you’re not funny, but here we are 🤷‍♀️

lanation44: THE WAY SHE JUST CASUALLY DROPPED THIS BOMB ON US??? MA’AM, WE CAN’T BREATHE.

mxmexican: i’m filing a complaint bc how is it legal to be this hot?? → sunsetmelie: @mxmexican respectfully, i’m on my knees.

elysiadayman: wow, can’t believe i’m related to this. → ameliedayman: @elysiadayman u mean perfection? yeah, crazy.

lilacvibes: my toxic trait is thinking i could pull amelie.

mickschumacher: Not even the sun is shining that bright ☀️ → ameliedayman: @mickschumacher poet era??? omg

lovingamelie: my wife. my queen. my reason for living.

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

Lando stretched out on the couch, legs crossed at the ankles, absentmindedly watching Home Alone while his family chattered around him. His mum had insisted on putting on a "Christmas classic," but honestly, he wasn’t paying much attention. His phone was in his hand, screen dimly lit, thumb mindlessly scrolling through Instagram.

It had been a long day—Christmas Eve at home always was. His mum buzzing around, making sure everything was perfect, his younger siblings running around in excitement, and his dad attempting to keep some level of order. It was warm, familiar, and exactly what he needed. But despite the comfort of being home, his mind kept drifting elsewhere.

To her.

It was stupid. He knew that. It had been months—more than half a year, actually—since they last spoke, and even longer since things between them were good. Lando found himself on Amelie’s Instagram.

She had posted earlier today.

A beach photo.

Lando's fingers hovered over the screen as he took it in.

She was sitting on the sand, legs stretched out in front of her, skin sun-kissed and glowing under the golden Mexican sun. Her pink bikini stood out against the warm tones of the beach, the fabric hugging her body in a way that made his stomach tighten. Her hair was styled in two neat braids, and she had that effortless, relaxed look about her—one he had seen a hundred times before but still managed to make his chest ache.

She looked happy. Peaceful. Untouchable.

And he hated that it still got to him.

Lando bit the inside of his cheek, hesitating before tapping the comments. They were flooded with heart emojis, compliments, and a fair share of thirsty replies—some in Spanish, some in English. He skimmed through them, jaw tightening at a few particularly bold ones.

Right. Because that’s what he needed to be doing on Christmas Eve—getting pissed over some random guy calling her “mi amor” in the comments.

He exhaled through his nose, shaking his head at himself. He should exit out, close Instagram, and focus on the movie.

But he didn’t.

Instead, his thumb absentmindedly hovered over the screen, and before he could even process what he was doing...

Double tap.

The little heart turned red.

Lando froze.

For a second, he stared at the screen, waiting, hoping that maybe—maybe—he imagined it. But no, his name was there, clear as day.

Lando Norris liked this post.

—Fuck. Fuck. FUCK.—

Panic slammed into his chest. His body moved before his brain fully caught up, bolting upright so fast that he nearly knocked over the bowl of popcorn on the table. His mum shot him a questioning glance, but he barely registered it.

He needed to undo it. Now.

Fumbling with his phone, he bolted out of the living room, ignoring his dad’s confused “What’s going on with you?” as he took the stairs two at a time.

—No, no, no, no, no. Fucking hell, you absolute idiot.—

Reaching his bedroom, he slammed the door shut behind him and leaned against it, heart pounding. His fingers scrambled over the screen as he reopened Instagram, tapping on the post.

The like was still there.

—Delete. DELETE.—

Just as his thumb hovered over the heart, his phone screen went black.

Lando blinked.

No. No fucking way.

He pressed the power button. Nothing.

—No, no, no, no, no, NO.—

His phone was dead.

—You have got to be shitting me.—

He threw his head back against the door, staring at the ceiling in sheer panic. He needed a charger. Now. He needed to undo the like before anyone saw it, before Twitter got a hold of it, before someone took a goddamn screenshot.

—Fucking hell.—

Lando tore through his room like a madman, pulling open drawers, yanking blankets off his bed, rummaging through his duffel bag. Where the fuck was his charger? He always kept one in his nightstand—except, of course, when he actually needed it.

—Think, Lando, THINK.—

He rushed to his desk, throwing papers and random cables aside, but his charger was nowhere to be found. His breathing was quick, panicked, hands trembling as he ran a frustrated hand through his curls.

—Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.—

He darted back out into the hallway, nearly colliding with his younger sister.

—Lando!— Flo huffed, clutching onto the railing. —What are you doing?—

—No time,— he mumbled, brushing past her and sprinting downstairs. His mum called something after him, but he wasn’t listening. His brain was on autopilot.

Charger. Find a charger.

He darted into the kitchen, yanking open drawers. Nothing. Living room? He scanned the area, but his siblings were sprawled across the couch, tangled in blankets. He didn’t have time to dig through their mess.

—Think, think, THINK.—

The guest room. His cousins were staying over, and they always left their shit everywhere. Without hesitation, he rushed down the hall and flung the door open. Sure enough, there it was—an iPhone charger plugged into the wall, abandoned.

—Thank fuck.—

He lunged for it, nearly tripping over a suitcase in the process, before bolting back to his room and slamming the door shut behind him.

His hands were shaking as he plugged his phone in, eyes locked onto the screen, silently begging it to turn on faster.

—Come on, come on, COME ON.—

The Apple logo appeared. Lando swore he had never been so relieved to see it.

His knee bounced impatiently as he waited, fingers drumming against his leg. The second his lock screen appeared, he unlocked it, rushing back to Instagram.

He tapped onto Amelie’s profile, her post still staring him right in the face. His heart was racing as he pressed the heart again, removing the like.

For a second, he let out a breath, relief washing over him.

And then...

Lando Norris likes Amelie Dayman’s post.

Trending.

Lando felt the blood drain from his face.

—Oh, for fuck’s sake.—

Twitter had exploded. Screenshots. Reactions. Theories.

—NO NO NO NO NO NO.—

His fingers gripped his hair as he scrolled through the tweets. Some people were freaking out, some were making jokes, and others were just straight-up confused.

Lando groaned, collapsing onto his bed.

He was so fucking stupid.

He had spent months pretending she didn’t exist. Acting like they were nothing. And now, he had practically announced to the world that he was still checking her Instagram.

Lando shut his eyes. He was never going to hear the end of this.

[bengiyo]

Theory of Love Romcom Rewatch Episode 2: Love Actually (2003)

Once again I am watching Theory of Love because @lurkingshan gets specific pleasure out of making me change my mind about this show. This week we’re continuing with Love Actually (2003), a film I watched for the first time this past Saturday. Shan already wrote about how much she hated Third making us watch this film, and @solitaryandwandering posted similarly (though their post isn’t showing up in the tag for some reason). Let’s get into this.

Love Actually (2003)

This movie sucks! This might be one of the worst Christmas movies I’ve ever seen. As Megan already wrote, this movie is ridiculously misogynistic, racist, homophobic, and fatphobic. Ostensibly, this film is about the fact that Love is All Around, which it tries to remind us of constantly via a horrible cover that plays over most of the film, by starting with the feeling of seeing people reunite at airports. It then takes us on a journey with about nine or ten different relationships. There is a version of this that could have been interesting, but this film is so obsessed with its masculine hetero fantasies that it never gets there.

The film tries to weave these dubious plots together through a web of connections between characters, starting at a wedding. We have a man at his best friend’s wedding resenting that he never got with the man’s wife, which eventually leads to the iconic cards scene. We have a secretary that the film literally calls the devil trying to seduce her married manager to cheat on Emma Thompson!!! We have a budding romance between two sex scene stand-ins. There’s a dubious romance between the prime minister and one of his staff. There’s a woman who can’t consummate things with her crush because of her sick brother. There’s a guy who realizes the best thing he can do as an undesirable Englishman is to just go to the Midwest in America to score multiple girls. We have a wife realizing that her husband was going to cheat on her. There’s a…language barrier romance (?) between an English writer and a Portuguese woman. There’s a sort of bromance between an aging rock star and his manager. Finally, there’s the relationship between a recent widower and his stepson. 

That’s too much! There’s just way too many plotlines in this movie, and they collectively reveal this entire film as a weird masculine fantasy. I was put off constantly by the fatphobia of this story, and I cannot believe that this film went out of its way to edit a black man out of his own wedding! In the wake of the Bill Clinton indecency scandal, this film decided to do that as well, but it’s okay because…he’s defending his aide from a gross American president (played by BILLY BOB THORTON)? 

There are really only a few watchable plotlines in this film. I enjoyed the runner with the sex scene stand ins. I enjoyed the growing father-son relationship in the wake of a tragedy. I thought the plot with Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman, and Emma’s character realizing her marriage was a failure, was excellent. The rockstar realizing his closest relationship with his manager was almost a good moment ruined by a huge No Homo aura. 

Genuinely, this film was way too long and far too offensive for me to ever want to watch it again. I will never watch it again, and I have words for Third!

Theory of Love Episode 2

On to Theory of Love, we spend this week sitting in Third’s crush on Khai and why he even likes him. Two spends the episode giving Third horrible advice about how to get closer to Khai, culminating in Third lying to his friends about his housing status to move in with Khai. 

I had a lot of fun with this episode, because we slowed down to understand Third’s crush and why he doesn’t think he can succeed, after establishing the friend group in the last episode. We see that Khai sincerely believes that Third is his best friend, and is more than happy to spend time with him. They work well together on their projects, and Khai pays attention to Third’s preferences and moods. Khai is also openly affectionate with Third. When they thought Third was homeless, Khai sucked up his own doubts and offered Third a place to stay. 

This section is always hard for me, because I get it! I was deeply closeted in my youth, and it’s hard not to fall for some of your friends when you spend so much time with them. It’s especially difficult because Third is actually trying to tell Khai the truth about his feelings. Unfortunately, Khai has a hard line in his head about his relationships and has no way to reconcile what Third is trying to say to him because it would forever alter their dynamic. I’ve been in Third’s shoes trying to gauge what a friend is saying and reading into it, and I have guessed wrong (to devastating results). It really hurts to love a friend who can't reciprocate, and I always find myself incredibly sympathetic to Third (at least at this stage).

So, when Third was looking for a way to confess his feelings to Khai, I actually liked Bone’s recommendation that he turn to movies for inspiration. Bone also doesn’t suggest Love Actually (2003) right away, but it doesn’t surprise me that Third goes for that terrible choice. Third doesn’t actually believe he will succeed with Khai, so it is no wonder that he chose a scene grounded in failure. Third probably projected onto Mark’s feelings that the person he wanted would always be unavailable, and so went for the same approach. 

I wondered about the films Third has access to, and so I reached out to @happypotato48 about what queer films Third could have seen at that time (considering the language barrier). He considered Dear Dakanda (2003), One Day (2011), and 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) (which at least got us a great Thai version of the singing in the stands scene), before Third went with Awful Actually. We confirmed that Third could have watched in Thai Brokeback Mountain (2005), Love, Simon (2018), Call Me By Your Name (2017), The Wedding Banquet (1993), In & Out (1997), Beautiful Thing (1996), The Way He Looks (2014), Weekend (2011), and Mysterious Skin (2004). From Thailand he had Love of Siam (2007), Bangkok Love Story (2008), The Blue Hour (2015) (that Gun starred in with Oab!) and How to Win at Checkers Every Time (2015) 

With that as his selection, I almost understand Third reaching for het romcoms for guidance here. I always end up feeling so much for Third because I understand why he holds back. He genuinely tried with Khai at least twice this episode and had his intentions misread. On this, my third watch, I still feel for Third, but definitely frowned at his decision to move in with Khai. It wasn’t Two’s first recommendation either, but I understand why 20 year olds would think that proximity would be enough for things to happen. 

I remain disaffected by Bone’s thing for the teacher, so will not be commenting on it. Anyway, I guess we’re watching Friend With Benefits (2011) this week…Oh, Third…

[vidavalor]

Dining at The Ritz

Nowadays, we use the verb to dine as a general term meaning to eat. It doesn't matter what type of snack or meal you're consuming or where or when, as dining is now an all-purpose synonym for eating. This was not always the case.

Originally, the term to dine referred to only one, very specific meal:

breakfast.

The reason why to dine originally only meant to eat breakfast is as a result of the overlapping evolution of words relating to meals in French, which also influenced what we call these meals in English.

To dine came from the Old French disner and originally meant "to take the first meal of the day" because disner had evolved off of the (evolved from Latin) Gallo-Roman desjunare, which meant "to break one's fast."

That's also the part of the choice of Crowley's use of saying they were going for "an extremely alcoholic breakfast" in S2-- to break the fast of having not had an Us Time since the prior week-- and also influencing one level of how Aziraphale tells Crowley that, holy water or not, it being legal in England or not, it's still too dangerous for them to try to live together. Our angel was also in one of his periodic depression-induced fasting periods in 1967 and he knew one day, breaking the fast would be in sight, and he hoped that, one day in the future, there would come a time when breakfast was also possible.

Crowley and Aziraphale using etymology in their hidden language, as they are in so many scenes, would then mean that they could use to dine both to mean to eat, in general, and also in its original meaning to refer more specifically to breakfast, within the different levels of the same sentence. Then, there's the homophony-- words that sound alike but are spelled differently and have different meanings-- involved in Aziraphale expressing wishes for the future...

Ritz is homophonic for writs. A writ is a written work.

A place that has multiple writs is a bookshop.

This opens up a second thing that Aziraphale was saying in 1967 that he would like to do with Crowley one day:

To dine at The Ritz = to have a meal openly together at famed restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton in London and

To dine at 'The Writs' = to have breakfast together in the bookshop.

Why was it aspirational for Aziraphale in 1967 to want to both dine at The Ritz but also to have breakfast together in the bookshop?

Because they don't have breakfast because they purposefully do not spend time in the mornings together in an effort to keep their relationship a secret.

For Clues to that effect, think of: "that would break all the rules" in Lockdown... the fact that even after Armageddon began in 1.01, the chiming clocks in the St. James' Park scene indicate they waited until noon the next day to meet... Crowley always parking The Bentley streets away when he's staying into the evening... the fact that Nina didn't know who Crowley was when she runs a coffee shop across the street but Mrs. Sandwich, who lives and works at night diagonally across the tiny alleyway from the side door of the bookshop, is one of the few people who are aware of both of them and that they know one another in S2... how one level of the several levels of the nightingales being related to how it was used in Romeo & Juliet (which Crowley and Aziraphale, being "Shakespeare", might have written themselves) and that being in the scene of Romeo sneaking out of Juliet's bed before the sun came up to avoid them being caught and killed...

They don't do mornings to help make it look like they're not together at night, all in an effort to not give anyone watching them the impression that they're lovers so, as a result, they don't have breakfast together. One of them has always left before dawn and, since the bookshop has been the safe place for the last few hundred years, that's usually been Crowley in recent centuries.

This goes along with how every episode of S2 pretty much begins with the dawn creeping up on Aziraphale while he's alone and miserable once again and trying to figure out how they can safely find a way to more openly live together. You know what it's like when you don't know anything yet you are totally certain that everything would be better if you were just near one, particular person?

Crowley calls this whole breakfast-free arrangement their nightlife in both seasons. Going to Alpha Centauri when we're talking about the literal star system would be pointless running away together when there's nowhere to run but going to Alpha Centauri more figuratively/in Crowley and Aziraphale's hidden language means openly living together. If they go the South Downs Cottage route in The Finale, they've gone to euphemistic Alpha Centauri.

Without Aziraphale, Crowley can't go there, as we saw in S1 because...

He'd love to be, though, just the couple of decent planets that they already are, openly living together on euphemistic Alpha Centauri, like they've both have always wanted to, as we saw Aziraphale bring up back in 1967.

This then makes it all pretty funny that their response to Armageddon beginning was to do the more literal and surface-level of things on Aziraphale's wish list-- dine at The Ritz.

Since that list isn't quite complete, though, it makes it seem likely that, by the end of The Finale, they'll be able to wake up and have any and all kinds of breakfast together all they like. 💘

[call-me-rucy]

Cetaganda ch. 8: Poetry

Mia Maz again! For a vervani, she sure is tagging along with Barrayar a lot...

Offering of elegiac poetry, huh? I'm beginning to see why the funeral is 10 days long.

Wait wait wait. Is this a date for Vorob'yev and Maz?? And Miles is just, tagging along??? lol

If I ever reread the Vorkosigan saga from the beginning I'm gonna make myself a map. For this round I'm good just keeping track of the translations.

Speaking of which! Uterine replicator! "Replicador uterino". (I believe Miles had thought "replicator" before but we now get the complete term). It is the same as in "Barrayar" so yay for consitency! Unyay becuase every other book is different. But oh well. So far the only consistenly translated term has been plasma arc. I hope there are plasma arcs in this book.

Consorts!! Ladies!! The plot thinkens. I wonder if Lord X will end up being Lady X, taking into account that a bubble was needed for the murder...

MILES POETRY!! This is so fun.

Una emperatriz Degtiar de nombre Lisbet atrapó a un sátrapa en su red. Tentado a la traición sin ninguna razón, pronto tendrá un choque con su propia sed.

which translates as

A Degtiar empress by the name of Lisbet caught a satrap in her net. Tempted to betrayal for no reason, he will soon have a clash with his own thirst.

ANOTHER!!! :D

Una hermosa dama llamada Rian hipnotizó a un joven Vor galán. El pequeño de cuerpo increible cree que es un detective, y no sabe que lo van a castigar.

which translates as

A beautiful lady called Rian hypnotised a young Vor gentleman. The little one with the unbelievable body thinks he is a detective, and doesn't know he's going to get punished.

So while in English Rian is supossed to rhyme with scion and lion, in Spanish translator says it rhymes with galán and castigar, so in this case Rian would have to be pronounced "Ree-AHN".

Rice hand arranged grain by grain! On the one hand, wow the cetagandans, and on the other hand, wow the world-building.

Ah! Weaponized hosting etiquette!! Good job, Miles.

AND RIAN IS CALLING AGAIN :D

[roseazura]

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧'𝐬 𝐋𝐮𝐥𝐥

𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 – 𝗥𝗼𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗮 𝗭𝗼𝗿𝗼

Summary: Although the goal of a guardian is to ensure the safety of his protégés, which he did wonderfully, sometimes he, deep down, wanted a break.

Genre: Fluff, Romance, Comfort.

Pairing: Roronoa Zoro x Reader.

Warnings: Pure fluff, maybe a little overthinking, established relationship, no mention of (Y/N).

Words count: 3.7k

Spanish version

A/N: Hello there! This is the first mini-story published so I hope you enjoy it. I did my best to portray the beloved Zoro in the best possible way, there is also a good chance that there will be more content about him here. It should also be noted that English is not my native language, so please forgive any errors. Have a good read!

A guardian, in its essence, is a person in charge of protecting, watching over or taking care of something or someone. For Zoro, it was something that went far beyond simple protection or surveillance, for him a guardian was someone who defended with skill and honor, a figure who stood firm, sword in hand, ready to face any threat that approached. A guardian represented an insurmountable barrier between danger and those who depended on his protection.

For that reason, when the veil of midnight was approaching and the sea swallowed every trace of light that did not belong to that of the moon, accompanied by the symphony of the whistling of the wind passing between the sails and the waves crashing against the ship, causing it to emit some creaks and squeaks, at that moment, Zoro took the position of night lookout to make sure that, while the others rested, the Merry was safe.

After years of training and a lot of experience, his vision had become as sharp as his swords, allowing him to have a better view when the light was practically low, like now. Credit was also given to his Observation Haki, of course, but his physical capabilities were also notable.

In the silent night, standing behind the railing of the Crow's Nest and with one of his hands resting on the handle of one of his swords, his state of wakefulness served to distract him, there was not much to do when you were the only one awake in the middle of the night and with the sole objective of being alert in case something bad happened. He did not want to call a bad omen, much less put the crew at risk, but on many occasions, he sometimes had the slight desire for something to happen, something that would make him fill himself with adrenaline and give meaning to his sleepless nights. Something that would give meaning to his role as guardian.

However, in another corner of his mind and perhaps his heart, he also wished he could take the place of any of the crew, whether it was Luffy to just sneak into the kitchen in the middle of the night to try his luck that the Stupid Cook hadn't locked the fridge with padlocks, or even Nami to sleep in peace without worrying about the scandalous companions she shared the ship with. Any of them, except the Cook, he wasn't that desperate either, but he would be any of them for just one night so he could rest.

Resting was not a concept he was used to, since he was a child he had been in constant movement, either training or traveling from one place to the other in his old job as a Pirate Hunter, so danger and adrenaline had always been part of his daily life. Now, as a young man, the idea of taking a break was almost like a joke, an impossibility, as much as he wanted to do it, something in himself wouldn't allow it, as if he were failing his code as a swordsman and guardian.

Like he was failing himself.

Zoro sighed, what was he doing thinking about that kind of thing? Without a doubt, being alone at night took its toll on the mind; too much time in silence made thoughts stir like bees in a honeycomb. Although soon his solitude was interrupted by the creaking of the mast that supported the Crow's Nest, as if something, or rather, someone, was climbing up it. He didn't have to think as hard to assume who it was, and he couldn't help the slight upward curl at the corner of his lips.

"Nothing interesting tonight?" your voice came before your figure until your head peeked out of the trapdoor of the Crow's Nest, flashing a smile at the swordsman.

"You say it as if there had been something interesting the previous nights," Zoro snorted, which made you giggle as you finished climbing the Crow's Nest, walking towards him, “Can't you sleep?”

You shook your head once you reached his side, leaning your torso forward to rest your weight on your forearms on the railing, "I took a nap in the afternoon, I guess that gave me enough rest to have energy now.”

Zoro hummed in response and a comfortable silence continued, now not only could he hear the soft salt breeze and the waves but also your calm breathing, which made him feel calmer, accompanied.

He didn't know when he had become so accustomed to your presence, he was only aware of it when he was able to relax his guard being with you, when his mind was completely calm and his body was relieved from just having you close. At first he believed that you had some special gift with the ability to calm those around you, but over time he learned that it was just your effect on him.

"The night is beautiful, don't you think? The advantage of being in the open sea is that it gives us more visibility of the stars," you broke the silence but your voice was not abrupt, tranquility flowed from it with the same fluidity of your words, "You're lucky, you can see this every night, although surely for you it must already be something vain.”

Zoro clicked his tongue with a sly smile, shaking his head and then looked up at the stars. Indeed, that night the stars shone brighter due to the lack of nearby lighting, but if it had not been mentioned before, he would not have given it any importance.

"Something like that, I just don't pay much attention to it, I must be focused on other things beyond the sky." With that said, he lowered his gaze towards the horizon again, continuing with his task.

Unaware of it, you looked at him, Zoro always looking like the formidable warrior he was, ready for battle and prepared to defend the crew if necessary. Strength, bravery and loyalty, that was what he constantly demonstrated. However, you saw and noticed beyond that face, beyond what he exhibited to the world.

Even the strongest person deserved to rest, no matter how unwavering they might appear, tranquility was always necessary to strengthen themselves and continue with their daily tasks. In the face of exhaustion, a break to revitalize those energies, to continue living.

In addition to being extremely strong and capable, Zoro was extremely stubborn and proud. For him, he would go first into battle even though he was seriously injured, rather than wait to heal while the others fought for him, while putting themselves in danger. He was admirable, of course, and it was one of the qualities that had fascinated you the most from the first moment you met him, but in many cases you wanted to be able to intercept all that warrior spirit and make him see that rest was also part of the greatness of the strenght.

There he was, dignified and rigid in the middle of the night, watching while everyone else slept with the goal of keeping them safe, even though it sacrificed his necessary hours of sleep. He was incredible, that was more than a fact, and although his face remained serene and handsome as always, you noticed those details that betrayed his fatigue, such as the subtle darkened rings under his eyes, his lowered eyelids and glassy eyes, as well as his slower and heavier blinks, and the way he moved his shoulders every so often in an attempt to change his position to stay alert. Without a doubt, Zoro needed to rest.

"Did you learn to sleep with your eyes open or are you not even trying to hide the fact that you're staring at me anymore?”

His raspy voice brought you out of your thoughts, more like a daydream, which caused you to quickly change the direction of your gaze, thereby preventing him from noticing the blush on your cheeks at first glance, although from the chuckles you managed to hear from him you knew that he had noticed it anyway. No matter how long you had been together, it was still hard not to be embarrassed by your infatuation with him.

"I think I stopped giving importance to hiding since we were clear about what we felt, I don't see any more sense in doing it, don't you think?" Despite the shame because he caught you, the situation was comical in itself, so why not respond with the same grace.

He hummed in response and his lips curved into a smile, "You're right, I don't mind you staring at me either, I can find it flattering even, as long as you don't do it in the middle of a fight or you'll be in trouble for being distracted." He continued, earning more laughter from you.

"Oh, don't worry, I'll save my moments of admiring your face for when we're alone, and anyway, even if I'm distracted by your blinding beauty, I know you'll have my back covered." With a playful smile, you gently nudged his arm, which spread his smile.

Moments like this were treasured by both of you, due to your lifestyle, tranquility was something that was in short supply in those days, so being able to enjoy some time alone, without much to worry about other than responding to the other's teasing comments with something equally intelligent and playful, was truly sacred.

But as much as you enjoyed being by his side, under the cover of night and on a calm sea, there was something that flooded your heart since you could notice it, a feeling that was the main motivation for you to stay awake that night.

Cautiously you stood up and put your hands on his shoulders, applying a little pressure to notice how tense his muscles were, a symbol of tiredness and, at the same time, a way to stay awake. He shuddered at the touch, but he let you be, to which you continued to massage his muscles with delicacy and precision, which brought sighs of relief from him.

"You need to rest, you know that?" You whispered as your hands moved almost expertly over his shoulders. Zoro sighed and called your name tiredly, knowing what you were going for, but you interrupted him, "Yes, I know it's your duty to keep an eye out during the night in case something happens, I really appreciate your effort because it's how you protect us, but don't you think it's time for you to take a break?”

Of course he thought about it, more than once since the weight of his sleepless nights and few hours of sleep during the day became more intense, especially when with each hour the night drew closer and, with that, his job as a watchman. But he would never admit his needs, nor would he complain about his role, he should not show that weakness, who would they trust if he weakened with something as simple as guarding?

"It's not that easy, love," his voice, even when raspy and lower with exhaustion, remained soft towards you, without a hint of reprimand.

"I know it’s not, big guy, after all you're the one in charge of protecting us, which is a pretty tough job considering we're trouble magnets sometimes," that comment made him laugh softly, which made you smile wider, he was more relaxed, "but thinking about yourself and your needs from time to time doesn't make you selfish, rather it helps you stay strong, both for yourself and for us, and that's a good thing, right?”

When Zoro did not respond instantly it was because he was meditating on your words, a skill that you could proudly boast of which consisted of making that huge and stubborn man pay attention to you, or at least listen to you, even if your thoughts did not coincide with his at that moment. Maybe it could also be due to the analgesic effect that your massages were having on his body and mind.

"You are always looking out for us, Zo, you are the first to jump into the fight when one of us is in danger and the last to abandon it until you see us all safe. That is admirable, very honorable such a swordsman." Your massages continued at the same time that your words flowed with affection and warmth, wanting to make your intentions clear, "I trust you blindly, if you are in the equation, I know that I will be fine, and for that reason, I want you to be well too and with your needs taken care of.”

Zoro listened to your words, he really listened to them, he let them flood his mind and hug his heart so that the feeling reached his soul. He knew that you cared about him, more than he would have thought anyone could care about him, so it felt comforting and good to have that kind of unconditional love and support. After all, he felt the same way about you, he would give anything to see you safe, happy and at peace.

However, although he wished that he could let himself be carried away by your sweet words, that he could give himself the rest that his body and mind had been crying out for for a long time, within him there was still that sense of honor and savior complex that required him to stay awake and alert, far beyond any shred of basic need that his body demanded of him. If he gave in to his tiredness and something bad happened, if he put the crew at risk, if he put you at risk, he would never be able to forgive himself.

Sensing his hesitation, you stopped massaging his shoulders and instead turned him around so he could look at you. Face to face, you smiled fondly at him and brought your hands to his cheeks, caressing them with your thumbs.

"Nothing will happen if you take this night to rest, you can't lie to me, you know very well that you need it," your voice was like a balm for his insecurities, something that had always managed to calm him, "You are human, my love, an extraordinarily strong and skilled one, but you feel and need like anyone else, and you deserve to rest.”

Zoro watched you in silence, letting your words walk him from head to toe, and he only dedicated himself to admiring you. You were so gentle with him, with so much dedication to giving him that much-needed break, with so much concern for his well-being that you made his heart go crazy and hurt at the same time. What had he done to be in the care of an angel? He had spent much of his existence on the rustic side of life, dedicating himself every day to getting stronger, alone, and now he had someone by his side who would give anything to see him healthy, stable, happy.

He loved your eyes, of course he had rarely said it out loud, but they had a charm that left him breathless, they seemed to shine every time they saw him and that caused a warm feeling in his chest. He used to get lost often, but your eyes were like two lighthouses that guided him to you, every time he looked at them only you and him existed and mattered, and he could never have been more grateful to have that pair of stars in his life.

"Plus, I bet Mihawk takes his breaks from time to time too," your gaze took on a mischievous glint, making him chuckle, "To have gotten to that position, he definitely had to take a break… And drink a lot of wine, but we can skip that last part for now.”

Zoro continued to chuckle as he shook his head, amused by the way you were trying to convince him to go to sleep. Honestly, he admired your persuasion and perseverance, although deep down he also reproached the ease you had in reaching his heart. After a defeated sigh, he closed his eyes and leaned towards you, pressing his forehead to yours as his hands found your waist, which he caressed with his thumbs. You smiled and enjoyed the moment, raising your hands to his hair to caress it.

"You are very persistent, you know that?" He smiled still without opening his eyes, to which you giggled, finding his comment funny.

"I know, if I weren't we wouldn't be here, don't you think? And considering you're as stubborn as a century-old oak, I'd better be.”

Laughing in unison, he pulled you close to him with gentle firmness and brought your lips together, savoring the sensation that washed over him every time he kissed you. If your voice was a balm, your lips were an elixir, more delicious and addictive than any Sake he had ever had in his life, and of which he would never tire of trying. Of course you followed the kiss with all the enthusiasm there was, losing yourself in the moment shared with the man you loved most in the world.

As you separated, Zoro left another short and chaste kiss, somewhat reluctant to having to move away from your lips, which made you smile, and soon you opened your eyes, taking a little more distance between both faces to look at each other better.

"We can't leave the Merry without a watchman and I doubt any of the others will be awake or willing to wake up." He reasoned, although more resigned to the idea of going after his break, which was a good sign.

"I'll stay, and before you protest! You know perfectly well that I'm capable of taking care of myself, the Merry, and you guys, it won't be a problem for me." You assured with a smile, now noticing the indecision in your lover's eyes, worried. Your smile turned into a tenderly one and you leaned towards him to place a kiss on the tip of his nose, "I'll be fine, my dear Zoro, just as you would do anything to keep us safe, I would do anything to make you okay, completely okay.”

And there you were, with that ability to make him fall at your feet with just one look and to feel like a teenager in love just by hearing your voice, by just hearing you call him “my dear.” What had you done to him? It seemed even comical at some point, but love was as mysterious as many of the waters they still had to explore.

With another resigned sigh, which seemed more like a defeated snort, he nodded slowly, finally convinced, "Very well, I will listen to you, but only if you promise that if something happens or you suspect something is off, anything, you will wake me up.”

You nodded, with an inner pride that he easily identified in your eyes by the way that shone. Adorable, he thought, only you could be happy about something as basic as him prioritizing himself over the crew.

"I promise, love, although you'll see that you will have a long, restful sleep until morning." You assured confidently and placed your pinky at the level of his eyes, to which he, after raising one of his eyebrows in surprise and letting out an incredulous chuckle, intertwined his own pinky with yours.

You decided to accompany Zoro to the cabin you shared, both to make sure that he was, in fact, resting, and to keep him company until he fell into the world of dreams that he had not had the luxury of enjoying for a long time. When Zoro was ready and under the covers, you sat next to him on the edge of the bed, gently caressing his strands in a way to make him succumb to sleep more easily.

"It's not fair that you have so much power over me, it's dangerous." He whispered, sleepy and with his eyes closed, which made you smile softly and you leaned down to kiss his forehead.

"I consider it more than fair, big guy, especially since you have the same power over me." With that answer, he grinded, satisfied.

When minutes passed in silence and Zoro's breathing became slower, you assumed that he had finally fallen asleep, and you devoted yourself to watching him, admiring how good he looked. His features and muscles relaxed, his chest rising and falling calmly, his hands extended without being gripped on the handle of a sword. He looked at peace, calm, resting, like he so deserved to be, and like you were always going to want to see him after so much having been together.

About to leave his side to let him sleep and take his position guarding, a whisper of your name made you stop, returning your attention to him.

"Thank you for this, for everything, you don't know how much good you do me." He recited sleepily but sincerely, and when you thought your heart would explode from so much love, he finished: "I love you, baby."

In that moment, your heart accelerated at the same time that your chest warmed, as did your cheeks, trying to process the happiness, tenderness and love that invaded you thanks to such words full of feelings. Oh, you undoubtedly loved that man with every breath that left your lungs and with every beat of your heart, and that would continue to be so as long as life allowed you to.

With one last kiss on his cheek, you whispered, "My pleasure, my love, thank you for staying strong and being here. I love you with all my heart, my guardian."

With your mission accomplished and your heart satisfied, you went to complete your new goal, the smile never leaving your face for what you had just achieved.

A guardian is known for their strength and dedication, able to give their life for those they have sworn to protect, but at the same time now allowing themselves to be guarded. The guardian, in their turn to be cared for, is like an ancient oak that rests among younger trees to recover and renew itself. Without losing their essence as a protector, they accept the support of those around them, trusting that their rest and recovery strengthen their ability to protect in the future.

Because in the end, everyone deserves to be protected as much as they protect, everyone deserves to have someone who cares about their well-being and ensures their safety and stability. Being a guardian does not inhibit you from feeling, from needing, from being vulnerable. They, as well as their protégés, deserve to be valued, remembered and deserving of affection and rest, and that does not take away the weight of their role as protector, much less the greatness of their strength.

[riverofjazzsims]

As we get closer to contestants packing up and heading to meet Winter let discuss briefly where they will be staying.

Winter and her family live in a wonderfully special place and though its of this world its very much hidden and doesn’t necessarily operate the same as what most may be used to. Watcher your guys will board their respective modes of transportation and go to the closet designated train station.  The train will be leaving promptly at the time on the invitation that will be going out soon, its in your best interest for your sim to not be late. Please also make sure you have packed your ticket. If for some reason when the ticket agent comes to collect....., just please make sure you have your ticket mmk.

Winters parents own a lodge nestled deep in what the locals call the Forever Pine Forest. There for the next undisclosed time is where the men will be staying. If we run into additional sims showing interest alternative arrangements may be made.

The name of the actual township that the contestants will be staying by is only known to the residents. Those that somehow manage to find their way there be it invite or a fluke in the fabric of time, find that when/if they leave have very distant memories if any at all.  Only a special few people that are not residents of (redacted) ever recall their time or what they may have seen as such a mandated NDA is imposed on them the moment, they cross the boarders, along with a little something extra added to the mix.

What does that mean for your sim, watcher, well the moment they would want to discuss anything about (redacted) it’s been said that sims have started talking gibberish, or something called English, break out in a random Winterfest songs mid-sentence, get instantly cold, one even reported an acute case of Bloaty Head followed up by gas n giggle for 24hrs. I trust they will have, overall, a good time but please be aware that these contestants are going someplace that is infused with magic ranging from the elemental to blood.

For reasons of transparency, please note that over the last few months there have been several odd instances, (that’s saying a lot for the area) and some recent unexplained passings of both residents and visitors that have left the township on edge. The matchmaking service that is setting up the potential love interest for Winter has been in contact with one of the township chairpersons and have let them know that its been a few weeks since the last incident and believe the threat (blink, blink)

🎵🎶Ooh kukla troob, ooh kukla troob

Vo bronky gwib des norbles🎵🎶

wait what was being said

Oh anyway good luck all

Main Post ❄️

Contestant Submissions ❄️

Countdown ⏱️

[robot-roadtrip-rants]

Yes.

The Hebrew name for the United States is Artzot HaBrit. "Artzot" is the plural form of "eretz," the word for land (compare "eretz Yisrael," "the land of Israel.") "Ha" is the Hebrew definite prefix, equivalent to the word "the" in English. "Brit" is literally the same word used to describe the bond between the Israelites/Jews and God, usually translated as "covenant" in English. If you ever hear a quote from the Bible or a (Jewish) religious text that uses the word "covenant," I guarantee the word used in the Hebrew original is "brit."

Put that all together and you get "Lands of the Covenant." Of course there's various words in Hebrew to describe agreement, unification, binding, etc. For comparison, the European Union is called HaIkhud HaIropi. But for some reason, whoever devised the Hebrew name for the US went for the word used to describe the covenant with God in the Bible. That is waaaaay more hardcore than the term "United States" is.

I gotta admit, the Hebrew name for the United States is way cooler than the English name. "Lands of the Covenant." That's fucking badass.