#these takes only get applauded on one site

[xplrvibes]

malia calling him a boy, she knows his frontal lobe has not developed yet lol

I think this take is hilarious for a few reasons.

But my chief reason is that you're all about calling a man who is in a serious, committed relationship with a girl who he openly supports and promotes on his social media in spite of shit like this an immature man child, while you've got Sam Golbach over there running through women like most people run through sponges, bragging about "ramping up" in his party boy era, and basically trying to creating a bomb cyclone of ghost dolls that he can unwittingly sacrifice his friend to so that he can be the new king of the paranormal.*

One of these things is not like the other.

Also, pretty typical of this fandom, I'd say. Continue to act like Colby's doing some horrible disgusting thing by *checks notes* oh would you look at that? Being in a monogamous relationship with a woman he openly loves and being quite happy to start settling down on his wild ways with her, while shutting those eyes and looking past all the frat boy shit Sam's been up to.

And what's funny is I'm totally going to catch heat for saying that because "don't hate Sam, he hasn't done anything wrong."

Neither has Colby (in fact, I'd say the above signifies serious growth), and yet.

*edited to add: Sam is an adult and can do what he wants as well, and I really don't care what he's up to unless it's hurting himself or others. But the fact that I have had hundreds of asks over the years nitpicking Colby for that behavior and am still getting multiple asks referring to him as a child or an immature boy for the most random reasons while Sam is doing the same stuff and sometimes even more, and it's either crickets or "don't be mean to Sam" is the kind of hypocrisy I feel needs to be highlighted because it illustrates the point we have been saying on here for ages.

[octuscle]

So I know we can make some pretty hot guys with this app but I was wondering is it’s possible to make a bear into an innocent twink or something to ruin

(Doesn’t have to be a twink just a term for example)

I love these "I'm only asking for a friend" requests. Hermano, if you want to know what it's like to be in someone other than that hot Latino muscle body, just ask:

When you're working out, you notice that somehow you're not as fit as usual. But even worse, you don't feel like doing free weights. The fellows there stink, talk like craftsmen on the construction site. Disgusting. So you switch to the cross trainer for the time being. The lads working out there look a little irritated. Fellows like you actually detest cardio training. But you want to work on your fitness a little. And then you go to the machines. You start with kickbacks. Your butt should be crisp. The hair on your chest gets thinner, gets less, until you have a smooth soft chest. Your armpits are epilated. Your tattoos disappear.

So slowly you should stop here with your training. The belly-legs-bottom class is about to start. All the girls are already here. As usual, they giggle a bit when you come to class. You are the only man here. But the other fellows don't know what's good either. The one hour here makes a fantastic six pack. And a great ass to fuck. Shit, did you really think that right now? You have to giggle. But then you concentrate on the course.

That was really exhausting again. First you all applaud your success, then you do high fives with the girls. And now all you really want to do is take a shower. Wash off the sweat, put conditioner in your blond hair, body lotion… The usual routine after the gym…. But then you see your crush in the locker room. A dream DILF. Probably already 35, but a real man…

Oops! You must have dropped an airpod. You get down on your knees to look for it. The bulge of your crush firmly in the view. He comes towards you with his legs broadly apart. Probably he wants to help you look for it…

Pics found @xdriip and @guesswho334455667788

[mariacallous]

The social media site X (formerly Twitter) went dark last Saturday in Brazil, where it had an estimated more than 20 million users. The ban followed months of tensions between owner Elon Musk and Brazilian authorities.

Musk, who took over the site in 2022, has been increasingly vocal about Brazil’s domestic politics. His personal account has boosted right-wing politicians, cast doubts on the integrity of Brazil’s 2022 election, promoted posts about an upcoming political demonstration, and told foreign investors to stay away from the country.

Musk objected to court orders to suspend certain content on X, including the accounts of many right-wing activists, and last month, he refused to name a legal representative for the company in Brazil. Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ruled that if X did not reinstate a representative by Aug. 29, the platform would be shut down.

When the day arrived, in anticipation of the ban, X’s global affairs account posted that Moraes’s moves were “manifestly illegal.” It also pledged to publish confidential Brazilian court filings containing Moraes’s orders. Musk posted that the judge was an “evil dictator.”

“Economic power and the size of one’s bank account do not produce some strange immunity from jurisdiction,” Supreme Court Justice Flávio Dino wrote Monday as part of a five-person panel that unanimously upheld Moraes’s ban. In the days since the shutdown, Brazilians have migrated to other microblogging sites, such as Bluesky and Threads.

The ban has reignited fierce debates over Brazil’s approach to online content moderation, as well as the conduct of its powerful judges. Brazilian federal judges stepped up their role in policing what they deem to be anti-democratic online content after the 2018 election that brought former President Jair Bolsonaro to power. His campaign was dominated by disinformation, and social media platforms often fell short of their own pledges to moderate it.

Brazil is globally unique for the extent to which its judges moderate online content, University of São Paulo law professor Rafael Mafei told the Café da Manhã podcast. That’s because “the institution that should be leading this discussion, Congress, is not willing to do so,” Mafei said.

When Bolsonaro ran for reelection in 2022, a group of federal judges tasked with overseeing elections—led by Moraes—ordered X, then still known as Twitter, to remove accounts that spread unproved claims of election fraud and praised demonstrations objecting to the result of the vote. (A mob vowing to overturn Bolsonaro’s election loss later stormed various government buildings in the capital, Brasília.)

At the time, Moraes’s social media policing was generally applauded by Brazil’s political center and left. But a growing number of Brazilians have also slammed his content policing as opaque and excessive. Many of the court’s takedown orders in 2022 and since were never publicized. To critics, the secret proceedings—and the fact that the banned accounts were from similar political camps—smacked of censorship.

Moraes moved alone in ordering the new ban on X; only days later did he get an endorsement from the Supreme Court panel that included Dino. Moraes also received widespread criticism from across the political spectrum for ordering a ban on the use of virtual private networks (VPN) to access X—and a hefty fine for violating it. The Brazilian Bar Association filed a lawsuit to reverse the VPN fine.

Still, many people, including Brazilian digital rights experts and Brazilian lawmakers, have defended the X shutdown. Musk’s open efforts to sway Brazilian politics raised the stakes for regulators to take a stand, journalist Rubens Valente wrote in Agência Pública. “To find something similar to Musk’s crusade, you need to go back 60 years to the role of the United States in the 1964 coup.”

“While the threat of blocking [a platform] is nothing new and is provided for in our legal system, this case stands out as the first one a large scale in which a company has completely ignored court rulings for days—and sought the spotlight for it,” Brazilian researcher Fernanda Campagnucci told Foreign Policy’s Rishi Iyengar. She added that the measure, “although drastic, was necessary.”

[dandylion240]

Jolene Reagan for Scarlett's Love is Embarrassing BC

Age: 23

Sexuality: Bi Sexual - she's been attracted to women but never been in a relationship with a woman. Technically speaking what she's had is a string of one night stands.

Traits: Adventerous, High Maintenance and Self-Absorbed. She'd also readily admit she has a fear of commitment. The closes she comes to commitment is to her career. However she does have a soft spot for family. She'll defend her family like a mama bear if she perceives a danger to them but she doesn't always see when she's being overbearing and pushing her ideals on them.

Career: Archealogist (she travels a lot)

Back Story: Ever since her parents got divorced Jolene has been seeking approval from her dad (Ethan). She was six years old when he walked out of their lives and it wasn't until three years later that he walked back into it demanding to see his kids. While her brothers didn't want want him in their lives, she did. She wanted to be his little princess again, his little girl. Her biggest dream was to live with him full time because he needed her to take care of him. But nothing she did was good enough. He always told her no.

She was 15 when she decided to sneak out and visit her Dad in San My on her own. It wasn't their scheduled weekend but she was sure he wouldn't mind her coming for the weekend. When she got their Ethan was anything but pleased to see her. And he wasn't alone. He had a whole new family. One she wasn't a part of and worst of all she wasn't welcome to be a part of either.

It was at that moment her heart shattered into a million pieces. Why wasn't she good enough to be his little girl? It was on the train ride back to Brindleton Bay that she had her first time. She was hurt and this guy made her feel better. It didn't matter she didn't know his name or how old he was she just needed someone to tell her she was special.

That nameless person on the train was beginning of a long string of one night stands. In high school she did have a steady boyfriend for two years but when he dumped to go to college all those old feelings of not being good enough came over her and...well...she knew how to get those feelings to go away. She vowed then she'd never be in another relationship.

Two years ago she was involved with the brother of one of her archealogy professors that resulted in her getting pregnant. It was on a dig in Salvadorado. When she told him about the baby he just laughed and said he was no ones daddy and he left. This time when the feelings of not being enough came over her she went home.

Her parents weren't happy she was pregnant but were supportive of her decision to keep the baby. Finally she'll have someone who would give her the unconditional love she's always craved. But it was harder than she thought it would be. It wasn't easy or convenient to bring a baby on dig sites not to mention to find qualified babysitters. A lot of times she wound of leaving her son with her parents.

Over the next couple of years she's felt her life has been lacking in meaning. Her best friend and favorite cousin has pulled away from her and telling her she needs to be more responsible. Her brother hasn't talked to her since he found out what she did when they were kids. Her parents are telling her more and more that her son needs her and that it's time for her to settle down and raise him herself.

Her professor suggested she talk to a professional. At first she refused but as the feelings of worthlessness overwhelmed her she admitted she needed help. It was after her second visit that she saw the advertisement for Scarlett's BC. She recognized her from the video she made outing her father, Theo. Jolene remembered how she thought Scarlett was gutsy for doing what she did and wished she had the courage to do that to Ethan. The only downside would have been hurting her dad's (Jonah) feelings and she couldn't do that to him. Silently she applauded Scarlett for what she did. Now she could actually meet the girl and she was so pretty. Maybe this was exactly what she needed to get her life back on track.

So she sent in her application against the advice of her therapist and her family. Who knows ... maybe she'd get her own show out of this even if she didn't win the girl???

@theosconfessions

[sorryimananti-romantic]

hi! i just wanted to come on here to firstly ask a question, then praise your work!

first, my question is what’s your writing process? whenever i try to write, i always end up getting distracted because i worry so much about how i start the story. should i begin with a line of dialogue? should i start with a rhetorical question/vague backstory that leads into a character’s current situation? should i just start with action straight off the bat? i literally never know. there are some days where i get the inspiration to write all day, but i never end writing anything because i get stuck on the intro or research.

i even have a document with the first few paragraphs of multiple works that i like just to see how these wonderful pieces start. one document of mine is like one page long and it’s only filled with possible intros. LITERALLY NOTHING ELSE!! and they’re all so different from each other! yours always lead into the story so well and they’re never the same, so i applaud you!

anyways, onto your well deserved praise! you are literally the only writer on this site that i genuinely look forward to. when you released guerilla, i literally squealed and i don’t do that. maybe a giggle here and there, but never a squeal. not only do you write long stories (which i personally prefer. 20k - 50k words? AND it’s good writing?? you deserve a kiss on the head from God himself!), but quality writing, good punctuation, no overused dialogue tags, badass reader characters, and always a happy ending. you’re truly a godsend! especially because of your happy endings (and badass reader character— emphasis on badass). there’s this one seonghwa piece that’s like over 50k words, but it doesn’t have a happy ending so i haven’t read it. for me, fiction should end with the reader being happy so if i won’t be happy at the end, i don’t want to read it. but that never happens with you. i’m sure i’ve read all your pieces at least once and i can positively say that i’m always smiling like an idiot after i finish.

overall, you’re a writer that i learn from and you’re writing is absolutely awesome. keep up the good work and make sure to take care of yourself! i may not know you personally, but that doesn’t mean i can’t think you deserve all the good things in the world for creating a universe that readers can get immersed in and forget about reality for some time. all for free at that too. you deserve the world and more. so does everyone else reading this though! can’t wait for your next release! you’re awesome!!

omygod. this has to be the best message i have ever received and i'm smiling so hard. i read this like three times before i came up with a few words to respond (if you know me, you also know i struggle with this ahaha 😭)

first of all, thank you so much for the praise, i can't tell you how much this means to me and this came at the right time- perhaps, you're godsend for me! (struggling with this one fic and i refuse to write anything else until i finish this one bc it's collected dust for far too long now). you squealed when you saw guerrilla? 😭 you prefer long stories? 😭 and you like happy endings? 😭😭 that's me yes ahaha

thank you so much, glad to have another person here who likes the length of my fics (bc of you all i have been physically unable to keep my oneshots short). i'm glad my writing style appeals to you! i know my english isn't perfect but thank you for appreciating it! one thing i refuse to write is a basic reader character (not that we don't like a basic reader character once in a while-- i just always gotta add a little sth 😭) (might write a basic reader soon tho ahaha) as for the happy endings, i do have a few tragedies planned for the year but you're absolutely right-- we love our happy endings. if i have to make sth tragic, it will be ending on a bittersweet, it-had-to-be-this-way note and i hope i can write it well and i hope you read that whenever i post it too! i'd love to hear what you think of it (it's far in the future but one day i will)

to answer your question, my writing process for a long time was literally just sit and write whatever's coming to me. most of my fics have been spontaneous like that-- sudden impulse, unplanned everything, just a general idea of the roles of the main characters and a basic idea of the plot-- not even the ending. i don't like to plan the ending, actually. i like to simply plan how it begins, what the key points are, and the ending comes naturally from there.

one thing i've started doing recently is just write my thoughts in a paragraph or bulletpoints (bc i have the memory of a goldfish) but it helps if you want to prefer planning and then writing. the most important advice i can give to anyone here is to not be afraid to write. literally write whatever you want, and do not be afraid to edit. or even rewrite. cannot stress this enough. i'll give an example:

with guerrilla, i had the trope: serial killer/doctor/biker yunho and crime fiction writer reader. no background of the characters. no ending in mind. simply that they were housemates, there will be dark humour involved and yunho will gradually warm up to the reader. that was literally all i had! when i opened the doc to write, i thought about how i would want it to start-- i think with intros, you gotta write sth that gives the readers a basic idea of where they are, why they are there, who they are, etc. and then you can continue the story, so you gotta shape the intro to attract their attention with a general idea, right? now i just went with the flow, wrote whatever i wanted to, and whenever i would add some detail, i would go back and edit it in- either in the form of dialogue or some foreshadowing (we love foreshadowing). when i thought of their tragic past? went back again to edit that in. so basically just a series of writing, editing what's written, cutting what looks unnecessary now, and voila.

so how should you start your story? depends on the story. sometimes, it needs to start with action when it's an action heavy plot, right? we would like to find ourselves in a middle of a fight or sth like that to set the tone immediately. so whatever the theme of your story is, you gotta set the tone in the first part! also, don't be afraid to start from wherever you want- you can always add parts later! like my series take me home-- i literally started from the middle and when i came up with a plot twist that supported what i wrote, i went back and wrote the first half LOL and then i planned the ending from there. i think readers also prefer if you don't add unnecessary details/scenes in the beginning, yeah? fillers are for inside the story, not in the beginning or the ending.

also, don't be afraid to experiment! write what you're the most comfortable writing, don't be too hung up on research and facts-- you can literally make anything up because it's fiction. it's your world and your rules. i literally make up whole new universes to save myself from the hassle of real-life technicalities (you may have noticed how i never use real places or setting lmao). if you have an idea that you really want to write, start with there, and simply, write. let the words flow, let it go wherever your mind takes you. you'll find your hands typing by themselves! you can worry about if it's good or not later, just write! (you won't believe me but as i'm finishing writing a fic, i begin to kind of hate it. no amount of reassurances convince me that it's good enough bc i am the writer. i still post and when i receive feedback, that's when i realise it might be good! and when some time has passed and i reread it, i'm sometimes amazed- i wrote that? how will i top that? and the cycle continues 😔✌️)

also, thank you for that sweet little msg at the end 🥹 literally sending my best to you. you deserve all the good things too! i'm glad you're able to get yourself lost in the universe i create for my fics, that means i'm doing a good job 🥹 thank you again! <33 i hope you won't be afraid to write and simply wing it LOL that's how i do it and you know what?

the most unplanned and spontaneous fics have been the most loved here.

[drifting-pieces-blog-blog]

Breaking down the comics: Shattered like Stained Glass (issue 24)

Moon Knight, Issue 24: Scarlet Moonlight. 

IT’S HER! Also look at this cover. I love when they do this well. And that pose! She is just stunning. 

And then you have Moon Knight over there…Not sure what he’s doing. He’s having a moment. 

I’m so excited to bring you this. I love Stained Glass Scarlet. Her relationship with Moon Knight is so amazing. She does good in her own way, acting as a deadly vigilante and in a way acting in ways that Moon Knight/Marc would love to act. 

Considering that when we first met her, she was a grieving mother set out to kill her own son who had turned into a murderer… It’s facinating to see her progress in her goals and abilities. 

So let’s get to it! 

And right off the bat we have an opening page that is just outstanding! 

Onec again Bill Sienkiewicz and colorist Christie Scheele have just gone OFF. I applaud them and am so enjoying seeing their style get finer and neater and just AMAZING. 

We open on a meeting in a restaurant where a group of mob bossess setting up new territory. As they come to agreements, they shake on it and an figure in red appears in the doorway. 

"The Crossbow, an odd weapon of choice in these days of more convenient guns, is a customized job equipped with a clip of five "Quarrels" or "Bolts"... All of which cna be fired in rapid succession without reloading." 

And with that, the mob bosses are dead. 

The culprit? Signs her signature with lipstick. 

Look at that crisp looking Moon Knight. That is beautiful. Also, again we see him relying on instinct. A theme we will see pop up a lot with him. Going where he feels he is needed or where he feels the call. 

The running man is a waiter that worked at the resturant. He points Moon Knight in the right direction and keeps going. 

In the distance, Moon Knight spots someone in a red cloak making a run for it. 

She takes a shot at him, making him dodge and giving her enough time to dissapear. 

Of course WE, the reader, know who the bad guy is because of that amazing cover. A common problem with comics. They'll put a huge spoiler across the cover to draw in the reader, but then it leaves no mystery. 

Moon Knight turns back to the site of murder to find Flint struggling to open a bag of chips. 

Can we just say that I love Flint. He’s so tolerant of Moon Knight. This is about as close to friends as Moon Knight himself gets. 

Seeing the S on the wall, Moon Knight is able to figure out just who it was that he was chasing. 

"Suspicions confirmed. A woman, a red "S" overlooking death...One year to the night after the first death. Scarlet.... Stained Glass Scarlet... Scarlet Fasinera... Lady of sorrow and darkness..." 

"Eh? You mumbling, Moon Knight? About what?" 

"About a lady, Flint. A lady who thought she might be a nun, or maybe an actress... And who turned out to be both. A lady whose son did his carzy best to kill me a year ago... Just before dying himself." 

I just love her design. She’s just stunning. 

He tells flint how Scarlet was left alone 'in this bleak, decaying neighborhood'. 

Flint notes that the men that died were making money from the decaying neighborhood. Big shots in the mob. 

He asks if Moon Knight knows her. 

Moon Knight says he does then runs off. 

"Then what's her name? Hey! What was that you mumbled back then?!" 

I love Flint. He puts up with so much. 

Moon Knight returns to the last place he saw Stained Glass Scarlet: The Cethedral. 

He finds it the same as before, decaying and being broken down by time. 

Climbing to the attic, where Scarlet had previously made her home, he finds a receipt from a florist shop for a funeral wreath delivered to the Bronx memorial cemetery. 

And there, he finds her. 

"There'll be five more like that soon." 

"I know, Moon Knight, and it's only the beginning... But they won't be cheap granite like this one... They'll be venetian marble and they'll cost fourty thousand dollars apiece." 

She left the clue on purpose, drawing him there to find her. 

He asks her if she believes in ESP. 

"It wasn't coincidence that I found myself drawn to this neighborhood..." 

"And you think it was ESP? Call it fate, Moon Knight, and I'll believe." 

"All right--Fate. What's it about Scarlet, why?" 

"I've declared a one-woman war on crime, Moon Knight, focusing on the syndicate." 

She wants to stop the ones that have made a living out of destroying neighborhoods and that made money off of victims. 

"Oh, I'll stop a cheap hood from mugging an old lady, all right - but my real targets are the ones who've set up shop in boardrooms and tax shelters." 

The ones that turned her son towards crime and forced her to kil him. 

Moon Knight is disturbed by this new vendetta. 

He asks her if she's the same Scarlet he met who wanted to be an actress or a nun. The one that tried to save the lives of her husband and son and who hated guns. 

She is, but she is no longer 'passive' or 'fatalistic'. She has 'lost her religion and gained a realistic attitude'. 

He asks her why she took the money too. 

"Why not? It doesn't belong to them. Besides, I... I've always wanted to remodel the churge...After my other work is done." 

He then asks if she's going after the mob leader "Manny Sindone". She tells him how Manny was a cold blooded killer at 18, killing a girl brutally just because she refused to date him. 

She talks about how the police and press all know exactly what's going on with Manny but have been looking the other way. He's seen as a respected member of his community. 

Moon Knight gives a good point: "You're telling me nothing new, Scarlet. Why do you think I'M dressed like this?" 

Oh Moon Knight... You know damn well why you're dressed like that.... 

Scarlet tells Moon Knight that he was the one that gave her son his first Heroin and this is how her son became "Mad Dog". 

She puts it to him that Manny will die come nightfall. "Who would you rather have walking the streets? Me....Or Manny Sindone?" 

She leaves and Moon Knight watches her go. 

"Morning at Grant Mansion: The black wreath commemorating another death--that of Marlene's brother, Peter Alraune has been removed from the door by the Butler Samuels only moments earlier... And now having changed to Steven Grant in his mind if not entirely in his garb, the man who is sometimes Moon Knight enters the hall." 

This signifies that Moon Knight is officially being recognized as their own alter by the writer. 

My question is where did this get lost during the other writers and iterations? 

Back to this story, recall that in the last issue that Marlene lost her brother and with her father also gone, she's gone through a lot of loss since meeting Marc. 

Steven comes to her with a question: 

"Marlene... Can I pose a hypothetical question to you? Suppose some one you knew to be basically good... Had done something bassically bad..." 

Steven my friend... Read the room. 

Marlene is upset by this. 

"This doesn't sound hypothetical to me--in fact, it strikes altogether too close to home." 

She turns to leave. 

"Hey, what's wrong? Come here, Babe..." Steven tries. 

"Not now, Steven. Just get on with your question." 

"Uh....All right... And suppose this person were about to do something even worse..." 

"Such as?" 

"Well, for example....Eliminating someone." 

"I'd stop it." 

"Yes, but say it wasn't that easy. Say the person being eliminated were...evil. Say the person deserved to be eliminated." 

"If you mean killed, why don't you just say it?" 

"Okay, Killed." 

"Then maybe I wouldn't stop it." 

"But then you'd have to stand by and watch a murder committed by someone you...you care for. And the alternative means letting a previous murderer go free..."

Steven is having a hard time with this. 

"Why settle for either?" Marlene cries, reemembering her brother. 

Steven is still oblivious. 

He wanders off, still deep in thought about Scarlet and fails to notice that she's still deeply in pain over her brother. 

But then again, Steven hasn't lost anyone, has he? Marc has lost his brother and many others. Even Jake understands the pain of loss and comfort of his friends. Steven has always stood solitary with just Marlene and his mansion staff. 

Back at the church, Scarlet looks over pictures of her past. Pictures of her young son before he became the killer he was. 

Done with the past, she collects her crossbow and sets out. 

Moon Knight on the roof is ready to go. He tells Frenchie to get ready to head to Jersey. 

"Marlene was right--It doesn't have to be a choice! There's no reason I have to accept either of the two evils!" Moon Knight is back and ready. 

Stained Glass Scarlet is sneaking past security guards of Manny's mansion. 

In the mansion, Manny Sidone is holding a meeting with his big time guys, talking about the murders at the restaurant. 

She considers killing them all. After all, not a one of them is innocent. 

Moon Knight arrives as Scarlet prepares to enter the mansion. 

He tackles her telling her that he has to stop her now and then stop Manny once he's committed a crime that is stoppable. 

Waiting for Manny to commit a crime is something Scarlet clearly does not agree with (She and the Punisher would get along and I want to see this so much). Especially since Manny now commits his crime by just telling others to do it. There is no way to catch him in the wrong. 

Their argument is noticed by the guards. 

She apologizes to Moon Knight and he tells her not to do it. 

Too late. She shoots and kills the guard. 

Forced to work with her, she starts to take out and kill the guards. Moon Knight feels the conflict as he begs her not to kill them. 

She breaks away while he's fighting a guard and heads inside. 

While Moon Knight keeps the guards busy, she makes her way to Manny. 

She takes her shots and they take theirs. Taking a bullet in the arm, she advances on Manny. 

She tells him who she is "A mean mother" created by his destruction of her son. 

She wants everyone to know who she is and pauses to write her "S" mark in the wall in her own blood. 

As she writes, he pulls a gun on her. 

Moon Knight bursts into the room to find the crossbow and gun aimed at one another. He knows they will both go off and he can only chose one to save. 

"Both hearts targeted and only a split second in which to choose... Which will it be-Avenging Angel or Corrupt Devil?" 

He throws his dart and knocks the gun from Manny's hand. Not a second later the crossbow fires and an arrow plunges into his heart. 

"Thank you, Moon Knight...The night's work is done." 

She leaps through the window. 

"One side of him says it's over, let it be... The other side says no." 

She stops at the train tracks where a train approaches. She tells him that she is too tired to keep running. He can stop her now, but she will always be who she is. 

He takes a shot, but he misses. He doesn’t have the heart to stop her. He knows he can’t. He knows she is right. 

(Also spoilers to the next review: Black Spectre review coming soon!) 

This is why I love Stained Glass Scarlet. Her relationship with Moon Knight has always been a fantastic thing. She isn’t a friend, she isn’t a love interest, but she is his first moral ambiguity. 

He respects her. He wants her to heal. He wants her to give up the violence and bitterness, and revenge. He wants her to be happy and move on. 

Perhaps he sees himself in her. Perhaps he sees Marc’s pain and inability to let go. Perhaps he sees the reason he became Moon Knight the hero. He wants to protect her, a fellow traveler. She kills those that have caused great harm and pain. But Moon Knight himself can’t stand the thought of murder. Of her losing herself in the darkness with each step into death. 

He also notes that he is afraid she will die in her quest for vengeance. A woman that once had such a promising life destroyed by so many things that fall close to home. As Marc lost his own family through choices that left him running… 

Steven does not understand Stained Glass Scarlet, but you see him confused and questioning why he feels the way he does. Moon Knight is also upset and doesn’t know what to do. 

Honestly, I think they see Marc in this. They see their own system. They see how wounded she is and her choices and they see where they could have gone. They see how Marc could have come from the desert and taken up his guns and done the way she did. They see how easily Moon Knight could have gone on a different path. They see all her pain and wonder if Marc will ever be able to heal. If there is still a chance they too could go her way. 

Considering who they are going to fight next, this is a concern that will stay on the back of Moon Knight's mind for a long time.

[eretzyisrael]

Weeks after being flagged for her pro-Hamas agit-prop pushed on toddlers at PS 59 on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Siriana Abboud remains on the payroll and unpunished — because it’s next to impossible to discipline, much less fire, misbehaving New York City teachers.

And also because she has friends in high places.

Last month, The Post’s Susan Edelman broke the news of Abboud pushing an anti-Israel agenda on pre-K tots and sharing tips on indoctrinating kids online: Her site’s Allusio Academy preschool program seems to have come directly from a Hamas pre-K curriculum guide.

Her Instagram page is chock-a-block with pro-Palestinian content: skewed teach-ins on the history of Palestine, Zionism, European colonialism, and “orientalism,” plus how to help your child advocate for Palestine.

Days after Hamas’ Oct. 7 atrocities, she wrote on Instagram, “we stand with those still tearing down border walls” and “we show solidarity with those still fighting to free their stolen land.”Last month, The Post’s Susan Edelman broke the news of Siriana Abboud pushing an anti-Israel agenda on pre-K tots and sharing tips on indoctrinating kids online.Instagram @sirianajanine

Parents have asked the city Department of Education to investigate this teacher’s hate, but so far all that’s happened is that she’s gone on indefinite “medical leave” — an obvious sign that the DOE is simply hoping to wait out the storm.

State law makes it nearly impossible to fire a bad or even dangerous teacher who has tenure: The union-inspired arbitration rules can drag out the process for years.

In one infamous case, a city teacher accused of misconduct toward his students earned over $1.7 million in salary in the course of a 20-year “rubber room” stint.

But that’s not all that’s going on here.

Abboud’s issues go back at least a year: Jewish parents and teachers at the school complained back in October 2022 when she put a crude antisemitic poster on the bulletin board outside her classroom.

Other than having her take it down, the only official response was a single “restorative justice” session, where her colleagues could express their feelings.

Within weeks of that, the city Department of Education honored Abboud with a 2023-24 Big Apple Award, applauding her work “as a liberation-inspired educator” who “centers children’s agency and global consciousness,” raises the “societal expectations” of young children and other woke claptrap.348

In other words, she won official acclaim for the radicalism that now has her out of the classroom, but still getting paid.

Schools Chancellor David Banks plainly hasn’t cleaned house at DOE headquarters, if he’s even tried.

No wonder alert middle- and working-class families are fleeing the DOE’s schools.

[regatoni1]

~Chapter One~

chapter one of twenty-eight

When you arrived at Dolle Harbor, you knew that the bus was not the way to the exam site.

Really, how stupid are these people?

You watched with pity as many people get on the bus.

You looked around, taking in the sights of what could be your competition. You wore a baggy sweatshirt and sweatpants, and always kept your hood up. You weren't stupid, you knew that as a woman attempting to become a Hunter, you'd already have the odds pinned up against you, and as sad as it was, you knew you needed to keep your gender a secret to stay under the radar and to just be another candidate for the exam, and not some girl just trying to run with "the big boys".

As you looked around, you noticed a young trio arguing about which way to go. One was a young boy who couldn't have been older than 13, who was wearing a green sweater with green shorts and matching green boots and wanting to go towards a big cedar tree, and a slightly older blonde boy wearing white undergarments and a blue shawl who decided to follow him, while the oldest of the three was wearing a blue suit with a cyan tie that wanted to take the bus.

You sighed. That's cute.  I think that boy has a lot of potential. Ah well, better make my way to the exam site before nightfall.

You made your way there on your own.

As you walked into the first phase of the exam, a small green bean approached you and handed you a number. 406? Damn, I thought I would at least be in the first 100 to arrive here. As you waited for an examiner to make an appearance, the boy you saw in the harbour walked up to you.

"Hi! My name's Gon. What's yours?"

He seems so sweet! I guess there's no danger in having at least one friend.

"My name's (y/n)," and with that simple statement, Gon's eyes lit up like you just told him the best news in the world, and you couldn't help but smile at his innocence. You could tell that you were going to get along with him just fine.

"Do you want to come meet my friends, (y/n)?" Gon asked with excitement in his eyes.

"Uh... M-maybe later. I think I'm going to walk around and scope out the area," you responded nervously. Having one friend was nice, but you really didn't want too many people knowing that you were a female.

"Ok. See you later (y/n)!" Gon said excitedly as he ran back towards his friends. You chuckled and waved at him.

You started to walk around the place, and saw a commotion happening to your right, so you walked over to see what was happening.

You couldn't believe your eyes. You saw a man kneeling on the ground, screaming out in agony as his arms turned into flower petals that calmly drifted to the ground. You watched, only intrigued by what was happening in front of you.

"My how unusual," you heard a voice say. You wanted to look up, and see who caused this mans arms to disappear, but the sight was too interesting for you to peel your eyes off of. "Seems this poor man's arms have turned into flower petals," the voice said almost playfully. "Now you see them, now you don't." You finally looked up from the crumpled mess on the ground, and what you saw was far more interesting.

You don't really know what you were expecting to see, but a tall man who dressed himself like a magician was definitely not it. He had a mix of deep pink and a nice shade of purple hair, and he was wearing a white crop top with puffy shoulders on top of a pink undershirt. You mentally applauded him for his questionable, but refreshing style.

"You should be more careful," the mysterious stranger continued. "And do apologize if you bump into someone." he finished.

You knew you shouldn't have been so intrigued by him, but you couldn't help it. The danger he showed was enticing to you, and made you highly curious, but also highly cautious. You looked back up to his face and noticed he was staring straight at you with a smirk. You silently cursed yourself for staring, and walked towards a wall so you could rest. As you walked, you felt a strong presence behind you.

[seaofolives]

we played #Sk8Shorts in the limping bird site! these guys aren't on ao3 yet bc uhhhh smth smth titles so I'll dump them all in here first for readability etc:

day 1: kiss

The thing about dating Kaoru is that he only ever has two moods when it comes to kissing: a) the one where he absolutely does not want one and the one where it can only be possible on his terms.

One might think that for a touchy-feely guy like Kojiro, Mood A is the absolute worst. But no—he actually prefers that over Mood B.

“Thanks for dinner, love.” Mood B always comes like a burglar—a rare tender word, warm arms wrapping from the back, then the fatal kiss on Kojiro’s shoulder. He shakes him off as if he were a roach in the kitchen but by then, the deed is done: Kaoru is swooping away like a ghost while Kojiro is left to claw his white chefʼs jacket from his back to inspect the damage.

And there it is: a kiss mark painted in bolognese sauce. On his newest jacket—!

“You—!” Kojiro stomps towards the door and screams at the empty stairwell. “You ingrate, youʼre sleeping on the floor tonight!!”

day 2: guests at a wedding

Master Ainosuke gasps and mumbles, “But of course!” which sets Tadashi on the prowl for the thing that caught his eye. There’s lots of things to see here, of course—guests in sleek suits and gowns, red hibiscus flowers and bright sunflowers decorating the elevated walkway…it’s a summer wedding, after all. But because none of them are nearly as elegant as roses, they can’t be what has enamored his employer so.

So he keeps searching still…and there, around the tail of the groom’s white suit. That hem is definitely cut into the shape of flowers which only serves to bring out the faint flower garden detailed onto his back.

“Roses, of course,” Master Ainosuke talks on, and because he loved the idea, now he’s applauding the newlyweds more loudly as they leave the conference room. “Mine must be roses.”

Tadashi keeps his smile hidden in the corner of his lips. On his phone, he opens up the document called Master Ainosuke’s Wedding Plans and notes it down.

day 3: hair

“By the way, did you cut your hair?” Langa only remembers to ask when the bottle of sparkling strawberry water rolls down the chute. He picks it up and twists it open.

“Yeah.” Reki moves his deck to his other arm and takes the proferred drink. “Hey, you noticed!”

“I was about to ask earlier, but then the train arrived.” Langa smiles, uncapping his bottle of sparkling mango water. “It looks good on you.”

“Yeah?!” Reki breaks out into a grin. “Thanks. And here’s your reward for being the best boyfriend.” When he puts up his thumb, Langa cracks up.

day 4: create something using more than 1 prompt (prompts used: domestic, broken)

“Ah—!”

The bowl lands with a dull crack, and Kaoru curses his luck because that specific bowl was a souvenir from Paris.

“What was that?!”

Nothing! is what Kaoru wants to tell Kojiro in the living room, but that will definitely arouse suspicion.

So he cries back instead, “What was what?!” as he grabs a plastic bag and cleans up.

“Did something fall?”

“No, nothing fell!” Kaoru sweeps the floor for good measure. “I’m craving ice cream, what flavor do you want?”

“Huh? Oh, get me vanilla!”

“Okay!” Kaoru leaves the house through the back, taking the evidence with him.

day 5: flowers

“Huh?” Miya says when he approaches. “You’re actually here. I thought youʼd be at Crazy Rock by now.” And itʼs rude to chastise this mannerless kid during the service so Hiromi reins his tongue in.

“Somebody has to deliver these flowers and I wasnʼt gonna let anyone else do it.” With the wreath standing perfectly parallel to the door, Hiromi steps back to inspect the bursting ring of yellow chrysanthemums and white lilies, the sender being simply noted as DOPE SKETCH and friends. It was the “most reputable” way they could express their collective sympathies without indicting his, Cherry blossomʼs and JOEʼs day jobs.

“Huh. Thanks, I guess.”

“Donʼt mention it—” Hiromi finally snaps. “Punk, thatʼs not how youʼre supposed to behave as a relative of the deceased!” Squaring his shoulders, then, Hiromi bows low to him. “I am deeply sorry for your loss.”

Miya sighs. “Itʼs just my grandma—”

Hiromi glares at the kid.

Swallowing up whatever protests he may have, Miya returns his bow with a quiet note of acceptance.

day 6: firsts

Kaoru wouldn’t admit it but when Carla told him that Kojiro was calling, he’d been about to tell her to tell him to call him tomorrow, after he’d napped for a few hours. But a guilty conscience eventually brought his thumb to the green phone icon.

And all just to listen to this poor guy wail like a monkey who’d been abandoned by his ape mother in the middle of Italy. He’d tried to get some there-theres in edgewise, but all his words were simply devoured by the howling, even when he started badmouthing the chef who badmouthed his dish.

So obviously none of his bright ideas are working, all of it having been spent troubleshooting some stupid defect in Carla’s scheduling module. But then there’s actually a rare lull in the call and he could hear Kojiro gasping and sniffling, and he thinks he owes it to the sad idiot to try again.

So he does. He comes up with something new and gives it a whirl for whatever it’s worth. “Hey, remember that time I burned my thumb trying to make instant noodles? And I had to call you all the way from the taco restaurant because I was panicking. And you were so scared, you forgot to put the frying fork down when you ran off to my house.” That story always made Kojiro laugh, at his expense.

Well, he’s just glad now that it’s working. Kojiro’s sobs have transformed themselves into the sounds of a madman cackling.

Kaoru smiles, having missed this song. He’ll get him for that one day, but for now: “Remember what you told me, then?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Kojiro sighs, sniffling. “There’s a first time for everything. I know.”

day 7: confession in the middle of an argument

“This,” Kaoru is seething, “is your fault. This evening is ruined because of you.”

“And you’re just overreacting, you dramatic robomaniac!” Well, if Kaoru thinks two can’t play that game, he’s wrong! Kojiro matches him glare for glare, fang for fang, both of them hunched over the VIP counter, nails digging into the wood. “I already told you the truth, but you won’t listen to me!”

“You’re just making excuses so you can wash your hands off of a commitment, you spineless gorilla!”

“What commitment are we talking about! A commitment with you?” Kojiro’s laughter comes through in derisive barks. “What kind of relationship are we in, anyway, a contract?! You’re just pinning your mistake on me because you couldn’t do anything about it!”

“And you didn’t do anything about it!” Kaoru drags in a deep breath, hot and rolling. “You know how important this was for me! No, I thought you knew how important this was for me. I trusted you, you insipid baboon—!”

“It was me!”

The voice is new, partly because he wasn’t there when they started quarreling and partly also because he’s normally so quiet. But when Kaoru and Kojiro turn to face the newcomer, they find Langa standing smack dab in the middle of the restaurant.

“Sorry, Cherry, I took the cheesecake,” he exhales. “I was hungry, and JOE said I could have whatever was in the fridge. I didn’t know that you were saving the cheesecake as an after work treat. Sorry.” Well, that explains it.

Kojiro straightens up and sighs loudly. “Well, to be fair, I should have already put a sticky note on it when he asked me to reserve it for him yesterday.” When Kaoru stomps off to confront the delinquent youth, he grabs the aggrieved man by his skinny wrist. “Itʼs not worth it, moron, he’s just a kid.”

[boysplanetrecaps]

Build Up Episode 8 Recap: Episode 8 conclusion

Hello! It’s time for to finish recapping MNET’s Build Up, episode 8! In the previous one, we saw a team of balladeers sing a pleasant ballad. Now it’s time to find out who won the night, and who will have to pack their knives and go. Let’s do it! 

So, we learn that the ultimate ranking for the night will be determined by the judges, the onsite, and the internet based views. Dahee announces that it’s time for the audience to vote. 

The guys are nervous while the audience votes. The judges wonder what the audience voted.

Now time has passed and the audience seems to have left. Dahee announces the top 2 teams -- it’s DongupJarur / Partners....

and Milky Up

Backstage, the members of Waterfire just sit in silence

while the sounds of their neighbors in other Small Rooms are going nuts celebrating. 

Bitsaeon feels defeated and Minseo is deeply anxious, but Jay is cool as a cucumber. 

Hey, stick with me, kid. Ride the Jay-coaster and we'll ride back up to safety. It's going to be ok. I'm Jay, if you didn't notice. -- Jay, probably

He knows how audience votes work. 

And then, AND THEN, AND FUCKING THEN, THE FUCKING JUDGES SAY 

…that the battle between Milky Up and Partners is “atmosphere versus skill.” They’re openly admitting that Partners is skilled while all Milky Up had is atmosphere. I can’t. I can’t. 

The scores are revealed.

Milky Up has taken first place, despite being voted Low Tier at the midterms!

Haram falls to his knees. His legs just give out from under him.

Jeup, who is classy as well as a genius, smiles genuinely and applauds.

He also pats his teammates on the back and says “good job, good job.” 

We find out that Milky Up ranked first in both the judges’ and the on-site evaluators scores, and Partners came in second in both as well.

Seohyung thanks his team, and Donghun says they finished the performance without any regrets. 

Then something awful happens and Baekho is like “I have something to say” and he calls Bain out for not having abs. 

Ugh. I know in Korean culture this kind of thing is allowed but also Korea has the highest su!cide rate in the developed world so…. IDK, maybe rethink it? A little? 

The judges basically imply that maybe if Bain had also had abs the team would have won and I hate it, I hate it so much, I hate it so so so much.

On a brighter note, team Uptown Funk is super happy and it’s cute.

The guys in Partners are like, “aww, let the babies enjoy the moment.” Not in a mean way, though.

The other three teams come up on stage to find out who is going to be eliminated.

Judge Wendy voice overs: “I don’t feel well.”

Who will come in third? After a lot of wasting time and speculating, we find out that it’s Hunminjaybit, Jay’s team! 

The judges are shooketh. 

Solar is all, “jinjja?” Yeah, really, Solar, really. The audience saw the performance and liked it because it was good. You guys were, I don’t know, waiting for the second coming of Jesus or something. I don’t know what happened there. 

Jay is doing a little act of being astonished by the score. You knew the fans were going to come through for you, you goober. 

Either that or he really needs glasses. 

Jay’s team scored last in the judges ranking, but third in the evaluator’s score. (We are told the various points from various sources -- I’ll go through that at the end, never fear.) 

The fourth placed team is finally announced after lots of Vivaldi and speculation (and a commercial): It’s Waterfire who has survived, while Doremifa has been eliminated. 

Doremifa is like, welp. What’cha’gon’do.

Everyone else is sad. There are some talented singers in this group.

Junhyeok takes the mic and thanks everyone in general. He says he only regrets that this team could only perform together once. 

Yeo One seems cool with it. He is ready to go back to his solo career. 

We don’t get to hear from Waterfire at all and find out how they feel about surviving. Thanks, MNET! Themnet. 

We see a brief preview of next week’s episode and I’m already annoyed so that’s great. 

Ok, so let’s talk NUMBERS.

Here are all the points from this round. I got this from reddit and now I can’t find the post, so I apologize to the awesome Redditor I stole this from. Hopefully she’ll reply to the comment I left on her post so I can find it again! 

As you can see, the online voting score counted almost not at all. It was really just the one-site evaluation that really ended up mattering, since the difference between the highest and lowest judging score was only 30 points and the difference between the highest and second highest audience vote was more than twice that. But I do think it’s interesting that the online voting ranked Drowning so high. I wonder if it was actually kind of bad in person somehow? Like if they messed up in some way? Seunghun interviewed that the performance was “regrettable” in someway, so I do wonder about that. I didn’t notice any specific problems but maybe they’ve done better in rehearsal.

I was also curious about Youtube views. So, I checked the views on all three versions of all five performances, and then I did a bit of math. Well, my spreadsheet did a lot of the math for me. Check it out. 

The percents column is the percent of all views on all fifteen videos. Clearly, Drowning is way in the lead in terms of views, though it does trail slightly behind Guilty in the “full cam” version. As of now, March 23, Drowning’s three videos account for 36.18% of all the views of all fifteen videos. That’s more than a third. Guilty is solidly in second place, 27.71% of the views. The other three together have 36.10% of the views -- less than Drowning has all by itself. 

As for me, my ranking of the performances is:

Guilty

Guilty

Drowning

Uptown Funk

Drama

Gift

Is it weird that Gift came in sixth place when there were only five performances? Nope. 

Well, I may or may not write a rant about how much I love Guilty at some point, but the storm stopped and My Fella wants to watch X-Men ‘97 and eat popcorn, so I’ll see you in the next one! 

[sacrificialblackdragon]

Hello everyone and thank you for following and / or lurking !   I am REKI, I am a 29 year old female, with two jobs and three cats, who has been roleplaying for a few years. This is an INDEPENDENT & SELECTIVE blog and is meant for a 21+ AUDIENCE. TRIGGER THEMES ARE PRESENT AND WILL BE TAGGED !   I used to have a Hak blog but have long since forgotten the URL. ; A; My best friend actually got me into the series and I collect the manga. Sadly, I am missing a few of the beginning volumes. Please hit that like, follow or reblog button if you would like to interact with Hak!! Rules Below:

RULES, LAWS, IMPORTANT STUFFS.FIRST AND FORMOST! I love ALL pairings. I will not tolerate any hatred towards any character.

1) These rules are subject to change.

2) There will be no hate messages on this blog. Meaning if I get sent a hate message it will just get deleted. I will not waste my time brooding over your message so you are just wasting your time typing it up.

3) No god modding. Understandably my characters can’t win EVERY single battle and will not win everything. I usually like taking a few and then your character takes a few. I will always, ALWAYS, come to you and ask how the end of the fight will turn out that way I can write accordingly.

4) Writing. I don’t expect a novel back if I write a novel, and sometimes I do. However, I do expect something to work with, please do not respond back to me if I leave you with a detailed post only for you to give me a one liner, it just kills the mood. – In addition! If you would like to respond to an ask please link the ask on a fresh new post, and tag me just in case, that way it looks more appealing. I do that with other roleplayers. C:

5) Original Characters. I love original characters, I personally suck at writing and developing them so for all of you original characters out there I applaud you. However, please don’t use me to come up for ideas of your original character, that’s not my job. If you like for a starter please understand that I will be staring at your character about page for a long, long, long time. It’s a little difficult for me to write for an original character so please be patient!

6) Ships. Here we go … This is a huge one for a lot of people. I am a Multi-shipper or trash – I’ll accept either lol. You are free to jump in my inbox or IM me and be like “Hey baby. You and my muse * suggestive eyebrow wiggle*”. I will most likely be like “FUCK YES LETS GO!” and bam! We ship. But here is my problem with most people: I have a lot of ships that I absolutely adore however, if you don’t like the ship me and my roleplay partner are doing you can either unfollow or shut the fuck up and ignore it, black list it – whatever. I’m saying that in the nicest way possible. I’m tired of people complaining that they “Hate this ship but I saw it and read it so now I’ll bitch on my blog about it.” Calm down, grow up and again, unfollow that person or ignore the post. Plain and simple or else you’ll probably be hearing about it from me. I have been in too many fandoms where this goes on.

7) Exclusives/Relationships. I am a-ok and more than happy to exclusively ship when it comes to main ideas and plot, but please remember that I am only one person and I do like interacting with other people. Exclusives doesn’t mean you own me in anyway. Exclusives to me normally mean that you are a close friend and most likely already have my discord. The more was talk IC or OOC the more likely I will pick you as an exclusive for main plots.

8) Reblogging when you have no permission. During my time of roleplaying on many sites tumblr is probably the worst for this rule. Anyone who reblogs threads, asks or any other communication between my partners that they are not tagged in will be kindly asked to delete the post. If not deleted within 24 hours you will be blocked from my page and I will not remove it.

9) Nsfw. Is only available for people who are of age and adults. I am 29 and I do not take light of being tricked when it comes to age. I will be asking your age if it is not in your mun section or anywhere visible, I will not be held liable if you are lying to me. You MUST be of legal age, please ask if you are interested in rping nsfw.

10) Personal Tags & Passwords. I don’t do personal tags or passwords. Final answer, if you follow me then it means you understand that I will NOT be tagging any personal tags.

11) Triggers. I don’t expect people to tag my trigger mainly because it only happens around Halloween time. I understand people are in the spirit but I absolutely hate seeing scary things pop out at me. It leads me to paranoia and I just can’t sleep at night. Anything paranormal I can’t handle, which is why I can’t watch scary movies. If I do see this on my dash it does lead to an unfollow, but not a block.

12) Icons. These icons have been created by me, but I do not claim that the art is mine. Anything from the managa or fanart I do not claim to be mine.

13) Other. Other than all of this “Don’t do this, and don’t do that” I really just want to have fun with each and every one of you. Thank you so much for either reading or skimming over my rules.

[floraldecorimports22]

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Our merchandise is fiber cement pots, fibetstone pots, planters, jars, vases, urns. We allow you to supply suppliers, negotiate prices, place orders, and monitor deliveries. We looked at business plans and decided this was a challenge we want to tackle. These extremely aesthetic and fashionable ceramic items are an absolute stand- out. The thoughtful ceramic tray to position these four pieces on is only a simple further product that is ready to make you be extra noticeable that opponents. We believe in small runs made with the highest degree of consideration for the element. We give our makers inventive freedom and collaborate with our factories to grasp techniques and processes - ceramic pots manufacturers - ceramic pots manufacturers.

We are one of the biggest ceramic pots and planters manufacturers we make the best beautiful ceramic pots and planters. We make the best quality beautiful ceramic pots and planters. We offer a captivating collection of wholesale ceramic pot. We take pride in offering a diverse. We can also deliver ceramic pots and planters as per the samples taken, ensuring every minor detail is included in the finished product. Ceramic Planters are widely accepted by our customers. We are applauded and appreciated by the customers due to our quality product. Garden becomes adorable when plants are arranged in proper sequence.  The greatest method to make sure the reliability of a supplier and understand the manufacturing means of a product to regulate the progress of a project, is to go directly to the manufacturing facility. The clay first gets sloppier and wetter, before is begins to dry within the environment. For more information, please visit our site https://floraldecorimports.com

[thezfc]

THAT'S Jamie Lloyd?!?!?!?! What.the.hell.happened.there. He looks like an MS-13 gang member now. Yikes. I don't mind tattoos, I even have one myself, but the all over head tattoo will never ever absolutely ever look good on anyone. Beyond ugly.

I actually like Zawe's dress, but not on her. She should have worn the belt that came with it. Also the color is all wrong for her. Navy blue belongs on cooler skin tones. Zawe needs warm colors, like gold, reds, darker greens, oranges, darker pink shades like fuchsia, and darker purples. Zawe and Tom need a new stylist ASAP. Holly White has absolutely no idea how to dress people.

The anon who compared Zawe to TS. While I would say Zawe isn't even close to being as bad as TS ... every once in a while Zawe has her moments, so, although that anon was exaggerating, they do have a point. The arse-slapping we all saw tonight on the Evening Standard red carpet is one example. Very tacky and Tom was clearly embarrassed but tried to laugh it off. When one is dating someone who clearly has different boundaries about PDA, one doesn't pull stunts like that. It's disrespectful and desperately screams "Look at us." Even the worshippers won't deny that Zawe shows off occasionally, although when Zawe does it it's not only ok but they applaud her. If it was any other celeb, esp. TS, people would call it out for the PR stunt that it is, but ZAWE gets a free pass. Not trying to argue here, I'm legitly curious to know why Zawe gets a free pass, but every other celeb is dragged for it.

First of all hardly anybody publicly calls out TS for PR stunts. I posted about that sportscaster earlier he still was very careful with his words. All of the major news/entertainment/gossip sites live for her antics and know she gets clicks. Her disciples are sure to take down anyone who publicly criticizes her, so now one does. She’s also one of the most famous people in the world.

I think maybe what you need to do is log off of Tumblr for a while. Zawe is not a famous celebrity, nobody gives a shit about her, nobody is talking about her touching his butt for 2 seconds on a red carpet except for the people that already obsess over everything they do anyway. Don’t make this out like it’s some kind of major news story lol. 

[hjellacott]

Unable to participate in AO3 any more

Hi.

Some of you might know me from publishing fanfics in AO3, mostly Cormoran Strike ones. But for the past year or more, I've been mostly unable to put anything up in AO3. In fact, I've removed work from it and I'm seriously considering removing all of my work.

Don't get me wrong, I love AO3 as a platform and a community, there's nothing wrong with them.

Mostly, I think, English is not my native language but I live in London and I do life in English and am completely fluent. I love writing, it's been a passion for over a decade, I've been posting fanfics online for ages. But then you have to put up with people.

The first off putting experience came a few years back when some big fans of my work proudly told me they'd illegally gotten PDFs of my work. They said there were websites that illegally and without permission kept copies of fanfiction as if they wrote it and then you can download it from them, and said it as if I, who have never made a penny for my writing and who uses writing as a means not to kill myself, should be proud of having my work stolen. Back then I wrote in fanfiction net, so I deleted everything there and left the site.

I went to AO3 next and although I've got lovely readers in general who say very nice things, then I've got some readers that take my will to publish away. They take the love for publishing away. I've always said I write daily, just for myself, simply as a mechanism for survival. I don't care who reads or doesn't and my loved ones don't know I write. I have no ego need to have my work seen, complimented and applauded. Not fanfiction anyway. I don't do it for the comments and the kudos (although positive feedback of course feels wonderfully). Notice I say I haven't published in over a year - but I've written every day of my life for well over a decade. I've got hard drives full of completed stories many of which are not published or only a few chapters. If I don't publish is not for lack of material to share.

The thing is, first I began deleting some old material that I no longer wanted to share, because I considered that both my English and my writing skills had improved a lot and that old work no longer represented me. I didn't want the work given away, orphaned, I wanted to keep it mine as one of my children, simply not share it and not have it stolen. Then I got some truly hateful comments from people who considered I was some kind of fanfic thief taking their stories away without permission - I had to remind them the stories are mine and I only share them to help people, but I can take them away as I please.

Then my mental health got a bit fragile by life bullshit as it happens and I wrote what I considered some of my darkest (and best work) only for it to pretty much be ignored. And that made me feel so alone, like nobody could relate to my darkness. Of course it's an unreasonable thought rooted in my own mental health struggles, but I began to feel less keen to share dark things.

I began to notice that people's response to my darker themes sometimes was horrible. I got blamed for others' problems and bad mental health, accused of fucking with them, I got told I made them miserable... of course it all had a deep effect on me, even if I tried not to let it get to me. I said to them, look at the summary, the tags, the category, the fanfic being +18... you're reading under your own responsibility. I won't put in the summary detailed descriptions of every dark thing because it's just a summary and also I don't want to spoil the whole thing, but I use tags and categories like a proper Ravenclaw, so they should be enough guidance to protect yourself if you don't feel you can handle it. Don't blame me.

After that, I wanted to delete more work. Start over. Delete unappreciated work because it makes me feel lonely, heavily criticised work because people don't understand it anyway... each is like a child I'm trying to love and protect, each containing parts of me and my story and past that I want to keep safe and appreciated. Even the comments begging for new chapters felt unnecessary nagging. I felt like a filmmaker who can only sell its most commercial, empty films, while the deep, profound, heavily complex work gets ignored or hated. The fans of the popular, commercial things feel owners of my work, steal it or bs me for not giving more, and when I write truly meaningful things, they're misunderstood and disliked and with them, parts of my soul. It's not about not understanding or appreciating constructive criticism: it's that my work isn't for you, it's for me and about me, it's free, and you should feel privileged to get to see into my very soul like y loved ones don't.

And then one day I didn't want to publish anything any more. Is this happening to anyone else?

[casspurrjoybell-22]

Master - Chapter 1c

*Warning - Adult Content*   

I look around at the surrounding luxurious vehicles as I pulled into the painfully familiar property, undesirable memories beginning to ascend confirming that we were undoubtedly in the right place. 

Getting through security without trouble, I park near the exit wanting to leave within a moment's notice. 

We took our time walking in.

It'd take a couple of weeks for Malcolm to transfer his shares and possessions into the cash which was handled today, so I was his living piggybank for now.

Once we'd been enlisted, we made our way into the large exhibition hall. 

Eyes quickly drifted towards the two of us, hushed whispers quickly morphing to silence as we passed.

It was no secret who we were and after not being spotted in such a long time, I almost couldn't blame the hundreds who sat silently and watched us in awe.

It would be something they may boast about the next day, seeing 'The First' with their own eyes and with the fifth made.

The space in all its size and high ceiling deeply resembled a theatre, with several rows all circling the grand center stage which several spotlights shone down on. 

I follow Malcolm to our seats near the front.

My stomach begged to empty itself at the number of vampires that filled the room.

For as long as time, vampires had an intransigent lifestyle. 

One which deemed them masters and humans, slaves. 

They bought and auctioned off people to be their servants, tools... toys. 

They used them because they had the means to. 

It was a common practice, engraved so deeply in the bones of our society that it was impossible to erase. 

I've tried.

So I shift uncomfortably in my seat as the lights dimmed, leaving only the center stage as the light source. 

It remained quiet, eyes focused on us until the sound of crisp, rushed steps filled the large space. 

Leading to a thin elongated man walking to the stage, a vampire I recognized to be one of Diablos' workers.

I'd expected him to have been killed by now. 

‘Bummer.’

"Good Evening Ladies and Gentlemen," he greets prestigiously with a large smile. "Thank you all for joining us. It promises to be a special night with exotic treasures." 

‘People. They're people.’

"I hope you all are ready," he continues as he lets his thin, fingers curl around the microphone. "There are twenty categories tonight, each better than the last. So without further ado, let the bidding begin."

Applauds follow as the man steps aside and the stage shifts slightly, allowing ten young humans to appear from beneath the one clear middle. 

All in cages, stark naked, with tears lacing their faces. 

I look away from the site.

I could break this all apart, let the humans go and find a witch to rid their minds of all these awful memories. 

But then tomorrow, there would be another auction in another theatre like this.  

I could tear that down as well but they'd just find another and another. 

It would grow with another branch, making two instead of one, both much safer this time. 

Anything I did would just hurt more in the future, I'd come to learn that.

The bidding starts and I watch one by one as they are each sold off in the blink of an eye. 

And that's exactly how the night continues, alongside my ignorant pleas with Malcolm to just pick one so we could rid this disgusting space. 

But he refused to, claiming quite adamantly that he had to pick the right one.

We were at category nineteen now and everyone was on the edge of their seats, anticipation a blinding mistress to the greedy.

"Now, for one of the best categories of the night. I present category nineteen," the host exclaims with excitement which only further encourages these vermin’s excitement. 

This time only four people emerged from beneath the stage. 

Each possessing breathtaking beauty that held the audience's tongues but one of which held their stares.

A thin young elf, his white cloud-like skin glowing brightly against the violent stage lights. 

With pointed ears that tipped their way out of his cascading, ice-blonde locks that trailed down the length of his naked body. 

Unlike the others that passed throughout the night, he didn't cry, he didn't try to hide his body. 

He stood tall instead, showing both his impressive height as well as his unwavering confidence and bared his fangs at the lot of us. 

I smiled.

‘He was defiant.’

"Him," Malcolm whispers from beside me drawing my eyes away from the being.

"You've got to be mad," I hiss back as the bidding for the others began.

Elves were probably the strongest supernatural creatures. 

With heights that started at six feet and strength that rivaled that of an Alpha Wolf, they made a formidable opponent. 

Rare to see as they lived in their own realm, they become something of a myth for those without a never-ending clock. 

They hated all others which weren't themselves and made vicious warriors. 

It was astounding that they managed to capture one but the moment he was let out of the cage, his new owner would undoubtedly find their throat slit.

"He's beautiful," Malcolm replies, his eyes never once leaving the Elf.

"He's a he, Malcolm. You're straight," I say as if informing a child of their name.

"Not anymore," he says with a smile.

"He's also an Elf. Elves hate Vampires," I continue but he brushes me off as the bidding begins for the Elf.

"Starting at three thousand dollars.."

"One million," Malcolm shouts standing to his feet making my eyes widen considerably as he pants with excitement. "One million of whatever the currency is. One million of it," he repeats like a fool. 

The elf stared at him as if recognizing him as the idiot I knew him to be.

"Going once, twice.....sold." 

The cage was carried backstage and Malcolm retook his seat.

"You're a fucking idiot," I growl once his eyes finally find mine again. "A stupid piece of fried horse shit."

"What?" he asks innocently.

"Nobody else wanted a fucking Elf, you idiot. You could've gotten him for three thousand or probably, for free. Not one million dollars," I hiss angrily as the bidding continues for the last category.

"I'm lucky I got him for one million, he's worth so much more," he sighs as if lovestruck making me roll my eyes.

"Whatever, let's just go," I grunt pulling him to his feet. 

We make our way back to the entrance we came through, needing only collect Malcolm's new slave before I could retire in my usual, comforting solace. 

Except, it was the last bidding for the night and the crowd was wilder than before. 

I look down at the Vampires as I made my way up the steps, all their fangs were down and their eyes bloodshot with lust. 

They toppled over one another with their verbal bids, shouting loudly and desperately for the last candidate. 

Their eagerness prompting me to seek a glimpse of who they were so desperately fighting for.

I couldn't breathe.

The air was thin and refused to feed itself to me, my stomach in binding knots as my eyes took in the most beautiful creature I'd ever laid my eyes on. 

My chest contracts as my attention focuses on the small, sickly thin boy in the cage who's large hazel eyes danced around the audience nervously. 

He was gorgeous.

Despite the way his bones hugged his skin and how pale he was, he was undeniably gorgeous.  

Stunning a way nothing had any right to be. 

So beautiful, my mind blanked as I stared at him.

I take a sheepish step forward as my body sizzled at the sight of him. 

Sparks igniting through me uncontrollably as I search his features. 

He had short, black hair which stuck to his face with sweat and dirt, his skin pale with malnourishment but didn't harbor a single blemish. 

A look of innocence filling his frightened eyes as he curled into himself. 

Every inch of him made every fiber in me scream to connect the two of us.

"Four million going once.." 

I zoned back in at the sound of the bidding closing. 

"Twice..."

"Stop," I roar making all the chaos dissipate within a single moment.

The fangs instantly retract as the vampires still, the reckoning power I'd left untouched for centuries creaking to life with a newfound purpose to it’s name.

They shivered, trembled with fear and blatant weakness. 

The few eyes that could, turned to witness the strength that had grown to be folklore but all I saw was the honey, brown eyes which found me.

Tears flooding from them stopping momentarily as he looked at me. 

I could feel my heart creak to life with a phantom beat as his eyes stayed glued to mine.

"I-I'm sorry Sir but t-this is an auction," the worker stutters making my eyes cut across to him, he'd seen me enough times for him to know I wouldn't hesitate to kill him. 

"I'm taking him," I say calmly as I make my way back down the stairs.

"B-But M-Master D-Diablos....Y-You c-can't just t-take....." his words fumble off when my eyes meet him once more.

"I can and I will," I reply easily, my eyes never once leaving the boy's. "Diablos can tell me himself if he has a problem with that."

"B-But," he stumbles, looking around to a docile audience who wasn't foolish enough to argue against me. 

They just watched, felt my power suffocating them into a state of submission they detested enough to be quiet, as I climb up on the stage.

I barely register the worker running off the stage as I stand before the precious boy.

I break the lock that held the cage with ease before opening the cage door. 

The boy looks up at me with wide curious eyes, hazel eyes that shone with such life... such light.

[feathersandblue]

@gazingattheradianceofthesun replied to your post “So Google banned AO3 from showing up in search...”:

Why?

The short version?

​Because they want to protect German youths from realizing that there's Peter Parker/Tony Stark underage rape/noncon A/B/O fic (mating cycles, in heat, come inflation, daddy kink, humiliation, object insertion, dom/sub) freely available on an archive that does not care how much porn or graphic violence you put in your story, that's why.

Even worse, easily impressed teenagers might stumble accross that gen-rated meet cute coffeeshop AU where they're BOTH barristas and there's only ONE brewing machine! Imagine the scandal.

The long version is this: Germany has a relatively strict pornography law wich makes it a criminal offense to make pornographic material available in any shape or form to people under eighteen. Which, according to a court decision from 2020, can also extend to written and fictional content (for example, sexting with minors). There's been a legal battle with pornhub and xhamster as they're not requiring age verifiction from users. Some providers have already blocked access to their sites.

It's still somewhat of a gray area whether erotica actually falls under the porn category. Especially since "Shades of Grey" features prominently on book store sales counters and Amazon makes explicit erotica easily available to everyone. If the fictional characters are underage, that area gets a lot grayer, however.

But just to illustrate what it means when someone takes the issue seriously: the most popular (*cough*) German fanfic archive fanfiktion.de has been complying with German youth protection laws for years by reminding their writers NOT to make sex the focus of their stories (sex scenes are only allowed to make up up to one third of a text, no PWPs, no heavy kink), and by making possibly entwicklungsbeeinträchtigende* 18+ rated fic available only to adult users (who need to register with official ID) between 23.00 and 4.00 o'clock. Depictions of sexual abuse of underage characters, bestiality, necrophilia are all forbidden without exception.

*entwicklungsbeeinträchtigende = negatively affecting the development of of children and youths

The status quo, for years, has been that fanfic archives based in the US and operating under US terms were flying under the radar. But we've reached a new stage in the fight for net neutrality and control of the free internet. It's not really about porn, it's mostly about politics. It's become a free speech issue.

Countries like China and Russia have been limiting their citizens' access to social networks and content-featuring sites with the help of Big Tech fior quite a while, and now the US and Europe are striving to do the same. Only that our governments are struggling with inconvenient laws that technically forbid any kind of censorship. Hard to keep up the pretense that you're protetcing free speech when you're actually not.

What's happening now is that under the pretense of protecting people from misinformation and disturbing, offensive, or "harmful" content, both the US and the European Union are trying to introduce legislation that forces Big Tech into compliance and thereby forces everyone into compliance because everyone ultimately relies on the tech giants (Google, Meta, Twitter, Amazon, Apple) to access content.

If Google excludes "alternative" media from its search results, that's the fight against misinformation, and everyone applauds. If Google excludes AO3 from its search results (in compliance with German youth protection laws) everyone is aghast. But it's really only part of the same package.

Ultimately, both things are the consequence of governments interfering and trying to control what you are allowed to see. They only have the best of intentions, of course. Never doubt your benevolent beloved parent, The State.

For now, you can still access AO3 from Germany by simply typing the url or using your bookmarks, or access the page through external links. The next step is to block access to the site. I don't think that AO3 has the means to do anything against it. But it would be interesting to know whether the OFTW was contacted in advance on the issue of age verification by the German officials.