#this old leopard is trying to change his spots.

[matrixbearer2024]

I know I've already mentioned my take on this. I have a post here with my own personal take on the Stan Twins' dynamic as someone with a similar kind of push and pull with their sibling but it generally disappoints me to see people doing this. It's happened to a lot of the nuanced characters I like.

I don't want this to be me excusing Ford's actions, I'm not. Like him, I did some really shitty things as well to friends and my younger brother in the pursuit of academic excellence and achievement. The need to prove myself even when I didn't and still don't know to who or why.

There's so many driving factors to a lot of things, so to condense it all and say: "Oh they're a bad person!" It's the most ignorant thing you can say. Like judging a book by it's cover without even peering a glimpse inside.

I'm all for poking fun and bullying Ford, hell- my time lord twins AU makes it a point to have him suffer, but my god don't just say he's a bad person and be done with it. Sure, he's selfish, he's arrogant, sometimes he's even irritatingly immature, but he's trying to change.

The first step often to getting better is already realizing that something needs to change. He's headed in the right direction and truth be told, with the way the show was written and ended it seems like he'll keep marching down that right direction.

I lied. Put your clothes back on. We're gonna talk about how Gravity Falls fandom demonizes Ford completly ignoring his character development, especially during weirdmageddon. Yes, he DID a lot of horrible things and WAS a horrible person over all. But at the very end when being reunited with his entire family we can see how much he wants to be a better person and actually tries to be a better person. The whole point of sea gruncles is the fact that Ford loves and cares about Stan and wants to make up for all these years they lost because of Ford. He is a complicated character with arcs, feelings, depth and (lets all say together) development. Deal with it Ford haters.

[cappuccino-bear]

Warrior Cats moment

I decided that screw it I am posting Warriors on main now and the other blog is just the archive for it.

I am gonna try to make it a whole rewrite au thing buuut we'll see how it goes! Currently calling it the CappuccinoRewrite but we'll see.

Design notes:

-Going with my own naming system which changes a few things, sparknotes is that apprentices get any suffix related to body parts or patterns (-fur, -tail, -throat, -dapple for example), so warriors cannot get them; no cats named after colors because colors and feelings/personalities are basically the same words in their language; honorifics are adverbs or adjectives like Running or Bright added at the start of a name, therefore those cannot be names; leaders get a new name upon receiving their nine lives, those names can break most of these rules because leaders are legendary.

-Fireheart my boy, I used to draw him with a full head of curls but the design felt too complex on the face so now it's just a couple tufts on the top. His cheek fluff, fluffy nose and floppy ears are going to be Firekin deadringers, everyone gets at least one. Other than that I like to make him striped and with a lighter belly to truly sell the fire look.

-Cricketpurr (Graystripe), who I love giving a stupid mustache to and then offloading it to all his children too. His nose is red because the figurine makes it red, and I like giving him a couple more stripes.

-Ravenscruff (Ravenpaw) who does not get an adult name because he dipped before that, and Dusthill (Dustpelt) (still thinking of changing it to something else... Dustmound maybe?) look alike because they're brothers. The white patches are the same, they also got a white tail tip, and the two pointed "mask" on Ravenscruff has the same shape as Dusthill's sickass eyebrows.

-Sandstorm my girlie, first time trying to give her the eyemask marking since designing her dad Stoatrun (Runningwind) and I think she looks nice, even if I might tweak the colors later.

-Bluestar! Her old name was Hailmoon. I like how the mane makes her look a bit like a wolf. Other than that I think her eyes look pretty.

-Blighted Aspenleaf (Spottedleaf) gave me trouble from start to finish BUT I think she looks pretty nice, her silly hair especially. I also love the little heart marking on her ear.

-Tigerslash (Tigerclaw) has braided stripes, which are like if leopard spots became stripes, with the center of a different color. Other than that though I might change their shape, especially the one on top of his head.

-Bogsnarl (Yellowfang) is extra fluffy and extra scruffy. Her pupils have a redder contour which I also wanna give to her son. Other than that it's a pretty standard design lol.

Hope yall like them and sorry for the hard pivot from one blog to another.

[bonefall]

wait, two children? leopardpelt had a sibling??

Yeah! Carpwhisker isn't SUPER important, but she is here now.

[ID: An anxious looking, brown, spotted cat with a white belly and green eyes.]

She is a kit save because I needed her genetics around for the RiverClan Family Tree, she is the mother of Duskfur, Voletooth, and an apprentice who dies during TNP, Splashpaw.

But most importantly, she was added because I'm telling a very different story with Leopardfur. I am very frustrated by how canon decided that a large motivating part of her villain arc is... being spoiled by her dad for being an only child with a dead mom.

So there's been some real big changes to Leopard's family.

Brightsky isn't dead. She left to become a kittypet, but gave half of her litter to Mudfur.

Brightsky and Mudfur used to be very united in their criticism of Clan culture, and the path it was taking. Brightsky decided that there was no fixing it, and it was better to get away from it completely.

She begged Mudfur to come too... but he couldn't. He couldn't leave his life and legacy behind. But he asked to keep his children-- no one knows what happens to kittypet kittens when they become too old.

She wanted at least two of them to have a peaceful life. Water and Oat stayed with her. Leopard and Carp went home.

Carp was probably sent back, in particular, because she has a family resemblance to her famous ancestor Volestar. Successor of Darkstar, creator of the Queen's Rights.

And on that note, only Hailstar was told the truth about Brightsky. Him and Mudfur agreed that the official story would always be that Brightsky had died trying to escape kittypets, but that Mudfur had been able to save his kittens.

If Mudfur had known what would happen to Leopardkit, if he could glimpse into the monster that she would become, he would have left both of them there, in that warm nest beside their mother.

Carpwhisker is not an ambitious person, and honestly a bit of a coward. She's easily walked over and on the quiet side, not the sort of person who will jump to the defense of a friend, even if she wants to. She used to like Aftergatherings, but stopped when Leopardfur told her it made her look disloyal.

She helps out in the nursery, and is one of the reliable members of the Construction Patrol. Her political profile leans heavily towards Fire Alone, but she was not trusted to be a TigerClan rebel because it was known she was rather meek.

What DID she do during TigerClan? Well, actually, it was HER idea to create a mud facade so the Bonehill wouldn't be solid bone, and reduce their workload by a lot!! And then Tigerstar decided it was his idea. ah.

[ganymedesclock]

50 and 55 for Taylor because they're juicy!!!

[meme]

50. What belief / moral / personality trait do they stand by that you (mun) personally don’t agree with?

A big theme of Chiaroscuro is essentially that there's no such thing as "good" and "bad" traits- in that virtues can be maladaptive and vices can be beneficial, and it's a lot about how you observe and think about them. Part of that is that all the heroic characters have stereotypically Villainous Traits- and since Taylor's playing on the dark tyrant / rpg final boss Lord of Demons kind of archetype, their personal trait is tyranny.

They are a very controlling, pushy person, who's got a natural impulse to kind of weave themselves into other people's lives and try to help fix them. This creates a lot of problems and tends to tick people off, but at the end of the day, it's because Taylor genuinely deeply cares about people. If you earn their sincere trust, they will be one of your staunchest defenders.

The actual trait that's quieter and sneakier- and that makes this more maladaptive than not- is that Taylor tends to assume they know better than other people. This is a very fifteen-year-old vice; Taylor's smart and astute and thinks they have a real shot at changing up the world, which is very comprehensible, but they're weakening their genuine love and fascination for other people by propping up their ego about it. They're also dishonest with themselves about it- if pressed or asked, they don't see themselves as in charge, it's just that Good Ideas (their ideas) can occur to anyone and really anybody who should be in charge should agree with them, right?

(They will grow out of this a bit, but in other regards, well, a leopard doesn't change his spots)

55. What’s something they’re expected to enjoy based on their hobbies / profession that they actually dislike / hate?

The easy thing to go with would be their magic aptitude vs. their witch training, but Taylor doesn't precisely understand why their mentor is so pushy about it. It's not actually that Aunak thinks the only possible thing for Taylor to do is follow in her footsteps (though she does lean towards the idea it'd be good for Us All, a 'needs of the community' mindset looking at their immense natural talent), as much as Aunak is trying really, really hard to force the fifteen year old fleshsculptor mage to sign some equivalent of the hippocratic oath before they piss off to go Find Themselves in the big world out there, because she's perfectly aware of how stubborn and pushy they are, and if they have no reason to hesitate they could easily start doing things like "you were mean to me so I grabbed you by the heart until you behaved"

Perhaps a bit closer to the question- they come from a culture of elder worship (vulnerable members of the society get a bit more credence because survival's difficult!) but Taylor's general argumentative nature and [gestures above at their inclination to see themselves as The Smartest Person In The Room] means they have a tendency to bicker with prospective authority figures unless said authority seems to listen to them most of the time.

[per-the-jellicle-magician]

Tuggerlurina Week Day 1: First Encounters

This story is set in my au where Jellicles and Roof Cats are both tribes in London that sometimes cross paths. Here Bomba, Tugger and mentioned Demeter are all Warsaw versions. Mentioned Macavity is Jellicle Macavity that spent some time with Roof Cats, hence the use of his Polish name.

Also on ao3

"Fancy some company?"

Bombalurina startled at the sound of another cat's voice. That shouldn't have happened. She looked down from the windowsill she was sitting on, and immediately recognized the voice's owner. Demeter's older, not at all made up brother was standing there, looking up expectantly at her.

Bombalurina nodded slowly and watched keenly as he jumped up and sat on the other side of the windowsill. He was so tall their legs and tails nearly touched when he finally settled comfortably. It was the first time, since her and Demeter's sudden arrival, that she could take a good look at him. Tall, lanky, all brown and gold and leopard-spotted, there was little in looks that he shared with his sister. Deme said earlier that he looked a lot like their mother. Way more than the daughter she actually raised. In vain, she tried to recall Grizabella's face. But still Bombalurina could see the faint resemblance between the three of them somewhere in his face.

"Seeing anything you like?" He was looking at her now. As soon as she caught his stare, he smiled a crooked smile, his green eyes sparkling with amusement. Either she stared too hard or he was more observant than she thought. A point for him, for being able to catch her off guard, twice. And something to keep in mind. She stretched, smiling back at him and laughed.

"Oh wouldn't you like to know pretty boy. Try again another day. Maybe I'll be in a mood to tell you. Any other questions?"

"A few actually" his smile grew wider, sharper. "For starters, what is Bombalurina, the Red Queen, Makiawel's right paw doing here, with the Roof Cats of all places?"

Bombalurina expected this question, although maybe not from him. After all, Macavity found himself a replacement for her the same day they left. The other one, the red one with the same name. So the Red Queen was not missing, not officially. Very few knew she was a different cat now. Mac took advantage of her always working in the shadows, rarely seen in action. They knew her name, but not her face. Seemingly easily replaceable. And yet this tom here knew. Another point for him. She took her time picking her words under his curious gaze. His smile did not falter, nor did he stop his comfortable lounging, but there was something sharp in his eyes now and his tail twitched anxiously.

“Things have changed... Macavity... Well, he's been making some... rather unwise decisions lately. A lot of them actually. I got tired of cleaning up his messes. And I wasn't very keen on getting dragged down with him if he'll keep things up as they are. And then Deme wanted to leave so i left with her. You can call it a fresh start if you want. As for why here... he told Demeter once that he knew a Roof cat whose mother shared her mother's name. A bit of a long shot, I know, but it was worth a try" She held his gaze. This was some sort of test. Maybe to see if she's here as a spy. Maybe something else.

"So you just took him up on his word and hoped we'd take you in?" he sounded surprised. A little bit of tension left his frame.

"For all his lies, Macavity never lied about brothers. His or otherwise." Echoes of Mac's old rants swirled in her mind as silence stretched out between them. She looked out at the courtyard below. There were still a few cats out there, oblivious to their windowsill rendezvous. Maybe if she tried, she could recall their names. Hard to tell after hearing them only in passing so far. As the tom beside her considered her answer, suddenly something he said earlier stood out to her.

“You called Mac by a different name. Makiawel...? Why?" she looked at him again. "And what is your name anyway? I don't think I caught it earlier" She waited. He was looking out the window, just like she was before. It took him a moment to answer.

"That's how he introduced himself here. We knew him as Makiawel, so it kinda stuck around even after he left" he shrugged, his voice soft. "As for me, it's Ram Tam Tam if you want to be formal, Ram Tam Tamek if you're feeling cheeky, or just Tam if you actually want me to listen" he grinned. She couldn't help but chuckle at that.

"Well Just Tam, did I pass your test?" she smiled and looked at him expectantly. She thought she did, at least judging by his relaxed demeanour, but now there was a bit of anxiety nipping at her brain.

"Yes, you did Bomba" he looked her in the eyes and smiled. "Now that we have that out the way, fancy a little walk? I could give you a little tour of the place, now that you're staying here" he was already up, holding out his paw to her. She looked out the window again and then back at him.

"I'd really like that" smiling, she took his paw and let him help her up. He did it more delicately than she expected.

"Any special requests, pretty lady?" he raised his eyebrow suggestively, still holding her paw between them. Bombalurina thought about it for a moment. His tail moved in anticipation.

"Take me up on the roof" she looked up at him and squeezed his paw. Tam smiled softly and returned the squeeze.

"Sure. Oh, you're gonna love it, I promise, you can see the whole neighbourhood from there and –" he talked as he led the way. As they walked she slowly relaxed, for the first time in days.

And he was right. She did love it.

[aller-geez]

Get to know my OC, Remington!!

(Im sure it can be confusing since that is my name also, but I actually got my name from him 🥰 so he came first)

Full Name: Remington Connors

Age:

28

Sex:

Male

Description:

Remington is a large, stocky 28 year old. Hes very stoic, and keeps to himself 99% of the time to avoid spending time around other people. He is also a wolfboy, and can have pure black wolf ears & tail. He is hot headed, and very stubborn, and will not tolerate others pushing him or his mate, Levi around. He loves to play on his natural intimidation. He has shoulder length black hair, and radioactive green eyes that always glow, however the light dims significantly if hes ill. He also has 1" red tunnels in his ears, the bridge of his nose pierced, as well as two piercings on each side of his bottom lip.

Other:

He also constantly has blood stored within his body that runs out of his nose/mouth whenever he experiences extreme emotions, as sort of a defense mechanism for his species. When sneeze attacks get too intense, he cant help the small sprays of blood that accompany them.

Allergies:

Only allergy is cats, which seems to be a fun game for his mate Levi who can freely switch between human and snow leopard, and enjoys teasing the normally very dominant male.

How severe are they?:

Hes a sniffly, hitchy, sneezy mess for the next few days if Levi is feeling extra mean, and coax out some desperate fits just rubbing his tail under his nose 🥰

Anything else that makes them sneeze?:

He does have a photic sneeze reflex and is sometimes sensitive to temperature changes.

Do they get sick often?:

As strong, and healthy as he looks and acts on the outside, poor Remi catches a cold every few weeks, unless hes been extremely lucky. As much as he tried to deny the existence of the "Man Flu", hes a big baby every time he gets sick again.

How bad is it usually?:

Every cold involves at LEAST one box of tissues in his lap, with a couple single ones never not clamped tightly to his nose as he constantly tries to fend off the coming onslaught. His whole body quits, and he definitely isnt much help when out of commission. Can get pretty messy, and definitely will have used tissues everywhere.

Do they stifle?:

About 50% of the time, as too many full sneezes can cause him massive nosebleeds, resulting in an extremely sore throat.

How loud are their sneezes?:

He tends to have pretty good fits, but they dont tend to get louder until the very last, desperate sneezes. Plus, he doesnt like to draw attention to himself sneezing if at all possible.

What do they sneeze into? (Hands, handkerchief, nothing?):

Honestly, Remi is HORRIBLE about remembering to cover his sneezes. Levi will constantly have to nudge a sick Remi to gently remind him to at least sneeze into his elbow. But prepare for the splash zone until Levi has to remind him again.

How often do they sneeze?:

When sick, hes a continuously sneezy mess that cant concentrate on anything other than his nose itching and bothering him. When healthy, you can still expect at LEAST 3 in a day.

How many times do they sneeze in a fit?:

Usually 3-4 is a normal fit, but he has personally counted and got to 142 sneezes in one day from one of his usual nasty colds.

Do they have buildups, or are they sudden?:

Allergies come suddenly and completely unexpected, which tends to be a problem for the wolf since he had no time to prepare. However, when dealing with a cold, he is constantly twisted up in a presneeze face, with a balled up soggy tissue trying its best to keep up with both the ITCHY tickle, and the lake pouring from his nose.

Do they sneeze in public?:

He'll try his best to avoid it, as having someone notice that his hard, tough exterior has a weak spot, is definitely not what he wants. But yknow, its Remi and his nose, so its not out of the question.

Some examples of their sneezes?:

-' TSCHh!

Hih-ITSHuu!

hhn'TSCHH'huh!

AH'SCHUu!!

[hvbris]

𝐂𝐀𝐄𝐒𝐀𝐑 𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐍 . 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐒 or me rambling about Caesar because I love him

Caesar hates Jubilee, his father’s parrot. In his defense, Jubilee has traumatized Caesar ever since he was a boy. The bird has a tendency to enter episodes of frenzy during which he screams for hours. Also he used to bite Caesar a lot.

Surprisingly enough, Caesar is an amazing listener. It’s just a trait he reserves to his loved ones. After a long day spent talking and talking and talking... There’s nothing Caesar enjoys more than sitting down and listening to someone he loves talk about something (anything!). 

The Flickerman are one of the richest Capitol families, if not the richest. And yet, Lucky Flickerman’s style has always been more nouveau riche than old money, a trait that rubbed off on his son a little bit. Caesar grew up surrounded with leopard fur and sparkly things, of course he still loves these things as an adult!

Lucky named the different rooms of the Flickerman mansion with ridiculous names. But even after his death, Caesar never had the heart to change them, so the rooms still have ridiculous names.

Caesar grew up subjected to Capitol propaganda, and his family profits openly from the Capitol regime. Because of that, his support and empathy for the tributes is incredibly limited, and usually confined to the stage. He can develop friendships with Victors, but it’s because Victors often spend a lot of time in the Capitol and leave the limits of the Games and their district lives. 

Just like anyone else in the Capitol, Caesar’s sadness for the tributes that die is short lived at best. He does try his hardest to make all the tributes shine, but it’s out of professionalism more than kindness. 

Caesar has always (secretly) blamed his father for his incompetence as host, for it’s the reason Caesar was pushed into the spotlight at only 20. Yes, Caesar loved the popularity and the sparkles. But any place of power in the Capitol is a dangerous spot to navigate, and it’s a lot of pressure to put on a 20 years old.

Caesar is one of the rare people President Snow trusts.

[flipseed]

The Rewritten Timeline

Period One

- Ancients: LionClan, TigerClan, LeopardClan rule the forest, told through dramatic epics of lions getting their manes, tigers their stripes, and leopards their spots.

- Dawn: DOTC except they do not come from the Tribe of Rushing Water or the ancient cats from the lake. they are descendants of tigers and lions and leopards, with the five clans taking traits from the three big ones and dividing the forest amongst them to share in peace and harmony. there's the in between the AE and DOTC, with the Tale of Two Brothers (Gray Wing & Clear Sky), One Eye's Demise which created the Dark Forest, the Bloodiest Battle and the creation of StarClan, and Moth Flight's Vision which led to the Moonstone and creation of medicine cats. Thunderstar and Skystar are not father/son in this au. All Clan founders are the same age in this au 👍

- Might of Justice/Code Era: the warrior code is established in a series of events that have since become fables. The tradition of the Gathering on the full moon is also established by Birchstar of SkyClan after the events of Cloudberry's Lament. Half-moon meeting for medicine cats is also established in this era by Swiftfoot of WindClan during the events of The Medicine Cats Decide

- Skyfall Era: SkyClan gets driven out. The name initially puts blame on SkyClan, but this era is eventually referred to as StarClan's Failing or The Four's Secret in modern versions of the stories

Period Two

- Golden Era: After SkyClan was forced out of their home, the four remaining Clans seemed to prosper, proving to those who sympathized with SkyClan that they were better off without them and the four Clans were righteous. Peace and harmony were restored for a brief period, until Ripplestar's attack

- Bloodstained Era: The Clans quickly fell into old habits of killing and plundering one another, still relatively lawless in regards to battles and borders. Four new rules were added during this era in order to prevent the copius amount of bloodshed that had happened without rules to guide the Clan cats. The Clans realized that in order to distinguish themselves from rogues, they had to maintain some semblance of dignity and honor as well as respect for each other

Period Three

- Secrecy Era: The Clans stopped relying on each other and Gatherings became short due to each Clan trying to prevent inter-Clan romances after Mapleshade's death. Oakstar is also conducting his raids on Twolegplace during this time in order to appease StarClan and make sure none of his warriors betray him again

- Thunder's Beginning Era: Goosefeather's birth marks the beginning of this era. His prophecies changed ThunderClan, and by extension all five Clans, forever. Pinestar's Secret was added to the code during this era and an interpretation of the code began to gain traction: where loyalty is stressed, might = right, and some rules are deemed not as important or are tossed completely. This era ends with Brokenstar succeeding Raggedstar

- Fire Alone Era: Rusty is brought into ThunderClan and eventually becomes Firestar. This era covers the events of the first series and ends with Scourge's demise. This era also establishes the banning of cruel renaming in the code. Also Longtail is made deputy instead of Graystripe at the end 👍. After Longtail loses his vision, he steps down as deputy and then Graystripe is chosen 😊.

Period Four

- Midnight Era: This era covers the events of Brambleclaw and crew leaving to the Clans making it to the lake

- Sunset Era: Begins with Tallstar making Onestar leader instead of Mudclaw and basically the second half of TNP. Ends with Firestar choosing Brambleclaw as his deputy in replacement of the missing Graystripe

Period Five

Some cats argue if Period Five and Four are actually separate, since all the events that happened are so close together time-wise, but others argue they are distinct and separate due to the different prophecies that ruled both periods

- Beyond Stars Era: Covers basically all of PoT, with changes to who knows about the Three and Sol's influence and Firestar dying in the fire scene. Hollyleaf's Gathering outburst is what officially adds the medicine cats can't have kits rule to the code

- Omens/Apocalypse Era: Covers all of OotS, with Bramblestar taking over ThunderClan and Rowanstar taking over ShadowClan. The Clans are uneasy with Hollyleaf's disappearance, since they all thought she was part of the Three. Dovewing's discovery of her own powers puts most cats' minds at ease. There are small groups of cats in each Clan that fear the Three and their power and believe they are going to bring the worst and destroy the Clans with their power. This era ends with the Great Battle

- Recovery Era: Dovewing's Silence & Bramblestar's Storm take place during this time, where the Clans are trying to decide how to deal with the DF trainees and the loss of a good chunk of their Clanmates. Two new rules are added to the code during this time. One for dealing with DF trainees and Bramblestar's rule about helping the Clans

Period Six

- Return of SkyClan Era: covers all of AVoS, Hawkwing's Journey, and Tigerheart's Shadow. The Kin stays for longer this time, Onestar and Darktail still die together but at the end instead, and Tree's mediator position is added to the code

- Longest Night/Cruel Season/Ashfur's Reign Era: begins with the long leaf-bare and ends with Bristlefrost's double death and the restructuring of the code

[universitypenguin]

Has Lloyd ever opened up about his past with princess? Does she know about his childhood? I’m sure she’s able to get some details about his time in prison as well solely from files but has Lloyd ever talked to her about that part of his life as well?

Lloyd has never opened up about his childhood with Princess.

The only occasion where he’s discussed it was with his psychiatrist Dr. Blair. He struggled even with that, because articulating the events of his past is very hard for him.

Lloyd finds emotions challenging. Three or four years ago he wasn’t as able to process them like he can during the timeline of the story. His past is a stressful topic for him. While some of the work has been done, there’s a deeper layer of trauma remaining. He copes better with the unpleasant emotions thinking about his childhood brings now that he’s gone to therapy. However, he doesn’t talk about it with anyone, unless there’s a very good reason to do so.

In anger management therapy he learned his childhood memories are a trigger, and decided to avoid situations that brought them to mind. It usually works well. For Lloyd, out of sight does in fact equal out of mind.

Lloyd appreciates that Princess is a fresh start for him. She doesn’t have memories of what he was like before, she just sees him as her friend. Other people are baffled by his transformation. They don’t trust him, and Lloyd considers that evidence of their good judgment. He believed for a long time that a leopard couldn’t change its spots. It doesn’t surprise him to find that attitude directed at him.

Instead, he used his growth to build a new relationship with someone new. Then he found himself in the healthiest friendship he’s ever had. The kind he used to think were make-believe, crafted by Hollywood writers and marketing executives. But he put in the work to earn her trust and respect. He did things for her without any ulterior motives, and through close observation, learned to understand her feelings. Without realizing it, he fell in love with her.

The last thing he wants to do is unravel in front of her. Unfortunately, Lloyd still has that masculine pride that refuses to acknowledge his weakness, especially in a romantic relationship. There are painful memories that make him feel helpless and afraid. Those emotions trigger an intense rage and he doesn’t want to live like that anymore. So, he only talks about “before” in snippets. His justification is that he’s trying to leave the old Lloyd behind and improve himself. The truth is he’s afraid of reigniting the anger that used to control him.

Is this something Lloyd needs to work on? Yes. Absolutely, yes.

Which is why that’s the next character arc we’re going to take on, starting in Part Ten. I’m not going to take a deep dive yet, but I’m laying the groundwork. Lloyd has done a lot of work. The last thing needs to address that remaining layer of unprocessed trauma, so he can be the partner Princess deserves.

And for evidence from the main plot that Lloyd is still very damaged… when he realized he loved Princess during dinner, he didn’t tell her. He didn’t even consider telling her.

[mischiefxmanagcd]

mischiefxmanagcd asked:  i’m ready to try again.

"Too little, too late, baby."

A mere few months ago, Amanda would've been thrilled by the idea of Weston wanting to give their marriage another chance to become his number one priority. Unfortunately, she'd recently come to the conclusion that no matter how hard she might've wished and tried to make it happen, a leopard simply couldn't change his spots. It could've been a few weeks, or it could've been a couple of years. Either way, her husband would eventually revert back to his old ways and old habits, and she would once again be left to pick up the pieces of the mess he left behind. His career would forever be his mistress, and she was tired of always playing second fiddle to outdated oil.

"I met with my lawyer the other day, and everything's already been set in motion. I'm divorcing you, and I'm taking the kids with me." Weston didn't necessarily need to know other details like the fact that she'd already found a house and planned on moving up to Dallas just as soon as she closed on it. As for what all else she wanted from the settlement, he'd find out soon enough.

Grabbing another suitcase from the closet, she slung it down on the bed and began carefully cramming more clothes and various other items inside. "Did you need something else, or was that all you stopped by to tell me?"

Losing his wife was not in the forecast for Weston’s future. For too long, he had put his work before everything, including his marriage and family. Now he was facing the prospect of losing it all.

“I can’t stop you from leavin’,” he began, shaking his head. “But I’ll be damned if you think you’re takin’ my kids away from me.” That was something he wouldn’t simply roll over and take. He would employ the best lawyers he could find if that’s what it came down to. “I may not be the most present father, but I love my kids and you ain’t keepin’ em away from me. You got that?”

While the words and tone were both harsh, there was almost a hint of pleading to them. He would be a better father - had to be - but only with his kids in his custody. It would be a big uphill battle, yes, but it was one he was willing to take. // @prettytragcdies​

[movementsofmylife]

kinnporsche ep 7

so this was the episode that made me go from watching an ep every few days and documenting my thoughts to, watching the entire rest of the show in one sitting and staying up until 2 am. and it fully coincides with the increase of vegas and pete and consequent vegaspete for a reason.

so this shot of pete when vegas pulls out his torture briefcase. the quick once over he gives him. as if he had to rethink some of his opinions of vegas because of this.

the complete emotional flatness with which pete takes this torture in comparison to the others.

i feel like this is the scene where vegas starts becoming a whole person to pete. i genuinely think vegas's ability and desire to get in to it and not just watch the bodyguards do the dirty work changed how pete perceived him.

also like, power and kink and w.e u know. pete is definitely having a "this might awaken something in me" moment. but as we all know, when those words enter your mind it's already far too late lol.

this show is clearly doing a lot of stuff with color that i only started noticing this ep.

vegas wearing his red, and then layering the black and white of the major house's body guards and korn, colors which wipe away the personality and emotions, and then the spray of red on top. like how no matter how hard he tries his violence and the mafia blood come through.

fuck both of these men. truly the dregs.

but also the teal here is intriguing, will look out for it more.

firstly, velvet in thailand is a fucking choice.

also clearly the green is associated with the minor family, but maybe like the true minor family, so porsche? (porsche is wearing it in the final ep.)

it also seems to be related to emotionality and feelings in general maybe?

the forest where kinnporsche finally talk and learn about each other is green. and kinn is even wearing a muted green.

and interestingly porsche is wearing a blue, which i think could stand for the non-mafia world? (chay wears light blue a lot)

and then in this episode there's so many scenes where the green is a backdrop to vegas's red. in a literal way his colors are showing. (he fucking wears a leopard print jacket when he tries to force porsche to make out with him, the spots are showing idiom thing was taken to its most literal form)

this is simply another fuck this dude and his vendetta against feelings, and i'm so mad no one shot him through this entire show.

but on the theme of color theory, i think the red is the old mafia, and it's violence and familial strife. with new gen mafia being green?

and vegas is shown to be more aligned with korn's ideals of a mafia heir than kinn in this ep. vegas is constantly in red, and kinn in the light green.

over the past few episodes kinn has dressed in red a bunch of times, with noteworthy occurrences: his red suit when kp first meet, the red velvet during the auction, and also the burgundy that porsche wears when they first kiss after he finally experiences mafia life.

and i think for kinn he wears it when he's trying to truly be the heir to the major family, but i don't think it's his actual color.

i actually really like this ep with them. you can see how kim is slowly being convinced by chay's innocence and care.

back to the colors and all, i mean the green background and vegas finally not in red and it's just for pete!

it was really interesting that they showed us this madonna in green and then most of the next bar shots are from the perspective of this statue? (i do not know enough about catholicism to interpret what the madonna could mean, and would love it if someone could let me know)

and we see that vegas is looking at porsche and waiting for him to get drunk and overall being manipulative. but then we're shown pete who is reporting to kinn about what's happening and it's not the story he hears.

maybe green is a lens of truth?

and finally we finish here. porsche trapped as always but this time with a kinn asking for forgiveness and with slightly more emotional vulnerability than ever before.

it's some kind of growth at least.

so, i think at the end of this ep this is where i've landed in terms of the colors:

teal is the color of the older mafia generation

green is porsche's color, and the color of the next gen

red is vegas, and his violence and the epitome of a mafia heir

blue is kinn's color and also the color of the non-mafia world too

i think the implication being that kinn isn't made for the mafia world but vegas is, and porsche will remake it to fit himself?

and pete is there in his blacks and neutrals fading into the background until he shows up covered in vegas's red in a few episodes and things start changing for both him and vegas.

(1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)

[stilltoolazy]

When my brother and I were young, my parents would take turns telling us bedtime stories. Often it was read from a book - various children's books, then as we got older, a chapter or two (or three or four...) of Artemis Fowl, the Bartimaeus Trilogy, Harry Potter, Warrior Cats - but sometimes, my dad would tell us stories that weren't from any books (at least as far as I know). There was the one about Krokodillen Konrad, who didn't want to brush his teeth and most definitely didn't want to go to bed, and the one about the leopard who lots his spots; washed off in the river, and various other animals doing both strange and mundane things. And we always loved bedtime stories, regardless of the source, but those stories dad made up are the ones I remember most fondly now. I should ask him if he still remembers them. - I know he remembers some, at least, because I crocheted a little crocodile for him some years ago, and upon me giving it to him, he asked if it was Konrad (it was, and he now lives on the dashboard of my dad's car, and is significantly more green on one side than the other).

I told a story to my youngest cousin once, about the tapestry of some vaguely Arab architecture on my wall, and how it was actually magical and could take her to see the world at night (I guess I'd watched Aladdin recently...) - her mom told me later that my little cousin had kindly asked the tapestry not to take her anywhere that night. But other than that... I don't think I've ever told a made up story, just like that. Not out loud, anyway - I do write a lot, though most of it is fanfic. In my after school art class we did talk about narratives and make up lots of weird, more or less collaborative stories. But day to day? not really.

I don't want to cry Capitalism in the face of everything, but I do think the seemingly continuously diminishing amount of free time, of family time, is at least partially to blame here, if this really is a more universal tendency. Another reason might be the abundance of easily available entertainment/stories in the form of books, TV, games, etc. Pedagogues/caretakers/teachers seem to be both overworked and underfunded/-staffed, which likely doesn't lend much time or creative energy for storytelling either, though I know a lot of libraries have readings/story tellings for kids, at least.

I don't really know where I'm going with this. I guess I want to say, story telling is important! And while I don't think we should be too torn up about the shape of that story telling changing and multiplying, I do think we should try to keep the 'old' forms alive, too.

Has anybody else noticed that it seems that nobody tells children fairytales anymore? It seems that they only read them books or have them watch movies; oral storytelling appears to have vanished. Perhaps it’s just in my area, but it has quite literally been years since my friends, family, and I have met a child who has even referenced a fairytale character that didn’t appear in a Disney movie.

[treadmilltreats]

Being open to learn new things

I have learned a lot these last 12 years since my separation and divorce.

I learned change is good, I learned what I will except in my life and what is an absolute deal breaker.

I learned lessons from trusting people and being hurt from them. I learned I am okay on my own, but the biggest lesson I've learned is to be open to learning.

Yes, you have to be open to learning. Otherwise, you stay stagnant and close-minded. These lessons taught me so much about who I am and what I am made out of. I realized you will never be too old to learn new tricks, and if you ever feel that you are too smart to learn something new, then you are truly a moron.

I remember having this argument with my ex. He would say a leopard can't change its spots. I believe that, yes, a leopard can not change its spots, but we are not leopards. We are humans, and we can change at any time. No one has to stay in the same situation and keep doing things over and over in the same way, expecting different results. That is the definition of insanity. See, it's up to you to decide to change and learn a different behavior.

Since buying this house, I have learned how to do a lot of things I never thought I was capable of. Starting with taking care of myself, going through negotiations and bank mortgages, paperwork, and many decisions I had never made on my own before.

I learned how to do things in my home out of the necessity of trying to save some money. I learned how to put down hardwood floors, how to put up closets, change light fixtures, and even how to put up a fence and do a paver patio. I am excited about learning all of these things and grateful that I am open-minded enough to try.

I remember when I was doing my triathlon, everyone had their age marked on their calves as I was running, thinking I couldn't do this. Then this woman runs by me on her calf, and it said 79. Yes, 79, and she was running past me! Look, she didn't let her age stop her. She learned that age is just a number, and yes, you can do anything you set your mind to. This gave me the courage to go on. She was my inspiration to always keep trying new things at any age.

I want to keep learning and keep an open mind until I no longer have a mind left. Because it is when you think you can't learn anything new that you are dead.

So today, my friends, have an open mind, try new things, never think you're too old to learn new tricks, know a leopard may never change it's spots but you can. S be open to learn new lessons. It's amazing what you can learn when you try and are open to it.

"Be the change you want to see"

@TreadmillTreats

"Be the change you want to see"

@Treadmilltreats

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[prettytragcdies]

i’m ready to try again. Weston to Amanda

mischiefxmanagcd

"Too little, too late, baby."

A mere few months ago, Amanda would've been thrilled by the idea of Weston wanting to give their marriage another chance to become his number one priority. Unfortunately, she'd recently come to the conclusion that no matter how hard she might've wished and tried to make it happen, a leopard simply couldn't change his spots. It could've been a few weeks, or it could've been a couple of years. Either way, her husband would eventually revert back to his old ways and old habits, and she would once again be left to pick up the pieces of the mess he left behind. His career would forever be his mistress, and she was tired of always playing second fiddle to outdated oil.

"I met with my lawyer the other day, and everything's already been set in motion. I'm divorcing you, and I'm taking the kids with me." Weston didn't necessarily need to know other details like the fact that she'd already found a house and planned on moving up to Dallas just as soon as she closed on it. As for what all else she wanted from the settlement, he'd find out soon enough.

Grabbing another suitcase from the closet, she slung it down on the bed and began carefully cramming more clothes and various other items inside. "Did you need something else, or was that all you stopped by to tell me?"

[speedgeek]

Playing around with an idea: I haven’t seen any time travel fics that go back and change the outcome of the skirmish at the Fett farm. Most go to Korda VI or Galdiraan, obvious points for major change. But how different would things be if the Fetts survived and Jaster didn't adopt Jango? I don't know how things would change for Jaster, but Jango ends up being a crucial piece to the future of the GFFA. A lot would change if Jango Fett wasn't the son of Jaster Mereel. He might not become a bounty hunter, certainly wouldn't be Mand'alor, wouldn't be in position to be used by the Sith, no clone army, no Boba- at least not the Boba Fett we know and love. Also, a different Mand'alor means a different future for Mandalore.

Here's what I'm thinking about: Anakin messes with an artifact he shouldn’t and gets sent back in time. Mission, archive duty, I don't know. I'm thinking shortly after the Obi-Wan & Anakin comic, after Palpatine has gotten involved but before he really gets his claws into him. He lands at the Fett farm while Death Watch is looking for Jaster.

Between Obi-Wan and Tatooine, he knows the shriek-hawk and black/blue armor = bad, especially when the people in that armor have somebody (Pa Fett) on their knees in front of their crying kid (Jango). Anakin doesn't need the Force to know which side to choose. He's sure Obi-Wan would attempt to negotiate, but he's not that good with words. He attacks the guy closest to him, which is the guy holding Pa Fett. The Mandalorians were surprised by Anakin's appearance (he just materialized out of nowhere) and weren't prepared for him to immediate start going at them with his laser sword. A woman (Ma Fett) comes out the house with a blaster rifle and takes out the guy holding Jango. Pa Fett tells Jango to run, Jango goes into the fields. Now, in another universe, Death Watch would've followed, gotten shot at by True Mandalorians and then would've set the fields on fire. In this one, they're too busy with Anakin, who knows enough to not bother hitting the armor, but hit where the armor isn't (several Death Watch are already in multiple pieces), and Ma Fett's blaster (she shot someone with a helmet between the eyes at a distance, she's good) to do anything about Jaster Mereel and his crew in the fields. By the time the True Mandalorians join the fight, Tor Visla's pulled out the Darksaber and is trying to hold off Anakin. But Anakin is a lightsaber prodigy and Tor's bes'kad training isn't meant for something with a non-solid blade. He loses his head to a 12/13 year old Jedi padawan.

Ultimately, Anakin would be rejected by the Jedi a second time (still has the fear issues from before and he's just killed a bunch of people with little remorse), but without Qui-Gon's support (whatever he felt on Tatooine, he's not feeling now). So, Jaster does get a kid out of that fight, just it's Anakin getting adopted instead of Jango. Fetts offer to adopt him as well and there may be threats given to Jaster regarding Anakin's well being (they owe him a debt, they will see him taken care of). Anakin eventually opens up to Jaster about his life in the future and Jaster might be taking notes about who to kill. Once he gets to Palpatine, because Jaster can't tell Obi-Wan and the Jedi don't currently care, Anakin tells him all the things Palpatine has said and the places Palpatine took him (like in the comic). Jaster's not an idiot, he knows grooming when he hears about it, and makes definite plans to kill Skeevy Sheevy (cause a leopard doesn't change his spots). He's not a Senator at this time (this is just before the election he rigged), and certainly not Chancellor, shouldn't be a problem. It's when the assassination fails, he finds out he's dealing with a Sith Lord, not a child molester. The Jedi get involved because Sith, and the entire thing starts unraveling.

Plagueis offs Palpatine as a loose end, but it doesn't save him in the end.

No Korda VI and no Galidraan, because Death Watch is gone. No Naboo and no Clone Wars because Palpatine and the Sith are gone. And everybody that's not Palpatine lives happily ever after. :)

[sleepstory]

And furthermore…there’s a variant of jaguar called the black jaguar or black PANTHER.

Black panthers may appear solid black.

But when the SUNLIGHT hits them, you can see that they actually have spots. (Shade never made anybody less…)

And finally… there’s an old saying, “a leopard can't change his spots” which means it's impossible for one to change their character, even if they try very hard.

🫣

It’s a cheetah.

What is?