#truer words are rarely spoken

[detective-jane-rizzoli]

"Whatever people consider to be normal, it never is."

[elspethdixon]

[mapicccc]

dd- "steve finally learned how to roleplay himself"

[hellyeahscarleteen]

"We all have hungry times and dry spells. While we can work with our partner to make both manageable and enjoyable, it is not healthy for anyone to have sex when they don't want to, or to have sex solely for the purpose of making someone else happy. We also cannot expect our partners to guess at what we want, or to make us familiar or comfortable with our own sexuality, self or body.

Recognize that when it comes to sex, that you can -- literally -- take matters into your own hands to solve a number of different problems, bridge a lot of partnership gaps, and establish the basis for a realistic view of your sexual self. In other words, when we are sexually involved with a partner, it should be for more reasons than because we're sexually frustrated or, plainly, just want to get off. Those are times we need to be taking care of ourselves, be it by masturbating or getting some exercise, or by abstaining. Neither you nor your partner has the right to demand sex from one another solely because you want it at that moment.

It's no one's job to make sure you're sexually satisfied but yours, and no one else can assess what your sexual needs, likes and dislikes are but you. Understanding our sexuality outside our partnership is integral to understanding, exploring and managing it within our partnership. Sex educators Anne Semans and Cathy Winks state that being able to communicate and negotiate with a partner about sex, "starts with articulating our needs to ourselves." Truer words were rarely spoken. Knowing who you are OUTSIDE of your relationship is really important to keeping it -- and you -- healthy, whole and happy."

Heather Corinna, Sexual Negotiation for the Long Haul

[caeli0306]

Chapter 5 of Violet Sorrengail's Guide to Spinning a Scandal is now up on AO3!

Chapter 5: Make Counter-Accusations is now posted on AO3: READ HERE

WAIT THIS IS SO CRAZY DID WE JUST FINISH WRITING VSGTSAS? WE TOTALLY DID! Hope you enjoy this 22.4k chapter bc hoo boy was it not fun to edit. On a more serious note, THANK YOU to everyone who loved this fic and cheered me on as I wrote it. It's such a privilege to be a part of such a supportive fandom. See my end note for full thank you :) For those unfamiliar, this is my @rq-gift-exchange fic for the wonderful @witch-and-her-witcher who has been so insanely patient waiting for their gift fic to be finished! I'm going to go sleep for three days straight now, brb.

Summary:

Violet Sorrengail is a highly effectively political crisis consultant. Xaden Riorson is poised to win his late father's old senate seat. The hatred between the two runs deep, but its been years since their fiery classroom debates in college, and Violet was certain she'd never cross paths with him again, until her expertise is required to keep doctored stories that could sink Xaden's campaign from gaining traction just before the general election.

The chemistry is off-the-charts, the tension has every other staffer fleeing when the two end up in the same room, and the fire that existed between them is as hot as ever. But as time goes on, Violet begins to realize exactly how true the saying, "There's a thin line between love and hate," really is.

===

I lean forward, closing the short distance between us, and strain upwards to brush my lips across his forehead the same way he’s taken to doing. When I pull away, I see my own feelings reflected on his face. Once this is over, once I’ve pulled off this final spin, I need to give him the answer I should have given him a year ago. “Thank you,” I say softly, not breaking eye contact so he knows how much I mean it. I’m thanking him for so many things, and I’m not even sure he knows. I twist my hand in his grip, so our fingers intertwine, and I squeeze just a bit. The smile Xaden gives me in response is soft – a word I rarely use to describe a man like him, so full of sharp edges and jagged lines. But with me, when he’s just Xaden and not the businessman or politician people expect him to be, the word fits in the best ways. “Like I said, Violence – I trust you implicitly.” His free hand comes up and boops my nose, and my face scrunches up on instinct. He smirks. “Besides, solving problems is what you’re good at. I can’t be sidelining you from what you do best.” I grin. “Truer words were never spoken.” Xaden’s thumb begins moving back and forth against my hand, a soothing motion. 

[trekkele]

Because he was ‘fine.’ He’d always be fine. If Bruce Wayne had a superpower, that was it: the unflagging fact that he survived.

Truer words have ever rarely been spoken. Motherfucker does not know when to quit. Or more like, he doesn’t acknowledge or care when he should bc there’s still work to do

I think Bruce is secretly mad about it. Not in a “let me die” way but in a “why cant i fucking rest” way. He’s accepted that Gotham literally wont let him die, but at this point like three months underground sounds nice. Until such a time though, he will (unfortunately) keep going

[strangedreamings]

S3E1 (spoilers abound)

Already saw the first 5 minutes on Tudum. I'm firmly in the "Colin didn't see Penelope when he arrived, he was too busy looking at her house" camp. It's sweet that Pen as LW singles out the new debutantes and tries to prop them up.

I love that one of the debutantes is deaf, more diversity on this show is a good thing.

Ah, Francesca's been in Bath since the beginning of S2, thank you, Violet.

"If I can be at ease in the chaos of our home, surely I shall find my way in the Season." Truer words never spoken, Frannie.

Francesca's not the Diamond? WTAF?

Those fucking sheer gloves. I hate them SO MUCH. Long gloves were for modesty, making them sheer makes them pointless. Somebody fetch me the costume designer, I just want to talk.

So Eloise is already "friends" with Cressida and it looks like she is trying to protect Pen from her. We'll see how long this lasts.

Can we nominate Jessica Madsen now for the Emmy for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series? I always hate Cressida but if, as rumored, we're going to sympathize with her this season, then I'm sure Jessica will knock it out of the park.

I love that Violet and Kate are getting along so well. I'm also thrilled that Violet doesn't approve of Eloise being friends with Cressida.

"I will move into a dower house as soon as I find one." Oookay, 15 minutes into the first episode and we have our first error. Dower houses aren't something a dowager FINDS, it's a (relatively) smaller house on an estate that the family already HAS. What Violet is looking for is a TOWN house in London since the Bridgertons should already have a DOWER house at Aubrey Hall!

Shonda, please, hire me as a script doctor. I assure you I'm affordable.

Lady Danbury: "Lady Bridgerton." Violet and Kate: "Yes?" I love that and I'm sure Agatha did it deliberately, it's cute.

Colin, dearheart, what in the actual fuck are you doing? Flirting shamelessly is only going to get you in trouble.

Lady Cowper is a bitch but we already knew that. I wonder if she took as long as her daughter to find a husband.

Wow, Portia really has given up on Pen finding a husband. This is giving me "Like Water for Chocolate" vibes (I hated that movie, so it's not a compliment).

Error #2. Unless I'm wrong, this is Spring 1815. (According to Wikipedia, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story had Princess Charlotte dying in November 1814, three years before her real-life counterpart.) Emma wasn't published until December 1815. Yeah, we're talking about only a few months and the book does match what El is going through, but still.

Great, another El & Pen fight. El, you can pretend all you like (and you're not even doing a good job) but you are MISERABLE without your best friend. Someone El respects needs to tell her off so that she'll finally grow the fuck up.

Benedict took care of the estate while Anthony and Kate were on their honeymoon? Um, Anthony, WHY DON'T YOU HAVE A STEWARD?! You know, a person you PAY to look after the estate for you instead of asking your brother to do it for free! It gave him something to do, which I'm sure was Anthony's intention, but still!

The Mondriches have just joined the nobility! Well, their eldest son has. Oh boy, Alice is not happy. I don't blame her -- her stress level just increased a hundredfold.

I need to do a @regencyama post about titles, specifically inheriting them. With the Featheringtons and now the Mondriches having a son inheriting from his mother's bloodline, I need to emphasize how rarely this happened in real life. Good on Shonda for including the concept but really, did it have to happen twice in the same episode?

NEWTON!!! Bestest boy ever!

I know that ballroom! Lady Danbury's ballroom either is or is inspired by the Marble Hall at Kedleston. I'd know those columns and the lines of black-and-white panels anywhere.

Pen, honey, your entrance would go better if you didn't look FUCKING TERRIFIED. Albion is a sweetheart, he's the best brother-in-law for Pen (well, on her side). Oh good, she's finally smiling. Portia! How can you think that's a bad color for her? Is she a little color blind? That would explain SO MUCH.

Suddenly get thirsty there, Colin? LOL He has no idea what's coming.

Some of the (presumably) eligible men are finally noticing Pen. How long before Colin steps in? Oh, Pen, you are so awkward around people you don't know well, glad to see that hasn't changed (yet).

El and Cressida talking to some of the new debutantes while Pen is still being awkward with the men. Forget flirting lessons, she doesn't even know how to just talk to men. And El, lowkey making fun of Miss Hartigan for liking embroidery. Grow up, El. At least this girl is true to herself, unlike someone I could name.

Fife is giving off the CREEPIEST vibes as he talks to poor Frannie. What do you bring to the table, good sir? A title? Look around -- titles are a dime a dozen. Surely you can do better than that.

That's what sets Fran off? This scene was one the clips that Netflix released early. I assume the gentlemen had said something offensive but they simply asked her who she is beyond her hobbies. Well, she has been doing nothing but practicing the pianoforte for what, two years now? Maybe she feels there really isn't much to her than that. Well, she's what, 17 now? She's got plenty of time to find herself.

I love how sympathetic and sweet Pen and Frannie are to each other. They're like sisters already.

Cressida with a steel chair! Seriously, there would be a small room off the ballroom reserved just for mending dresses -- tears happened all the time, as well as melted wax dripping from the candles in the chandeliers, spills, etc. But back to Cressida -- she must think very lowly of herself if she truly cannot abide any competition at all.

Too little, too fucking late, El. Choke on your apology, it's neither needed nor wanted. (I love El but haven't liked her for a long time, if that makes sense.)

Another scene Netflix gave us early -- Pen confronting Colin about what he said about her the end of S2. She was already having a bad night and Colin being all smiles was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Uh oh, Pen's writing a new LW column without even getting changed first. Honey, you're writing this in anger, you're probably going to regret at least half of it.

Portia's sweating now with that phony document about the title being questioned. Oh, this guy is threatening her, in that so very English way.

Ooo, are we finally seeing the real Cressida?

A whispering bench! Sorry, I have the tiniest landscaping nerd inside me.

Looks like Kanthony will have a three-month-old with them the beginning of the next Season.

Colin comes the morning after to apologize. Good boy. Still clueless, but good boy.

The Mondriches at their new house and their eldest boy is addressed as Lord Kent. I'm horrible at guessing children's ages but I think this kid is a preteen at most and his life just changed forever.

I will say the portrait of Edmund and Violet is very good. (I assume it's an actual painting and not a photo that has undergone Photoshop or whatever.) Have the writers made Francesca aro? Or at least demisexual? It'll be interesting to see where this goes.

I fucking told you you'd regret that column, Pen. The funny part is that she's not wrong about Colin, but she's certainly not nice about it.

Colin, for fuck's sake, MARINA AND ELOISE RUINED THEMSELVES! If LW hadn't said anything, things actually would have gone a lot worse for Marina, El, your whole family, and especially you, so shut the fuck up.

Four whole minutes of end credits, seriously?

Well, that was certainly an interesting start to both the Season and the season.

[katarina-writes-about-jesus]

Watching Judas in the Chosen is so bittersweet. Especially the scene where he is talking with his sister in the episode "Homecoming". It's so strange to think about him as not just a horrible, almost comical, evil figure that he became in my head when I was a child. He was a person. With a heart. Who smiled. Who was once a baby whose parents had high hopes for. He had dreams and hopes. And all I've seen from him in this series so far, he is such a "nice" person.

Who was it that said that part of being a Christian is learning to love Judas? Truer words are rarely spoken.

[gaybichon]

it's so rare to hear "gay" as a pejorative anymore so when my client just said "of all the highs i've experienced, love is the gayest" i actually laughed out loud. truer words never spoken my friend

[theseventhoffrostfall]

Decided to look through some part of The King in Yellow again after we talked about it the other day and found examples of my favorite thing about it, Hastur's theme of appropriating Christianity. In both The Yellow Sign and In The Court of the Dragon, the two stories to my knowledge that feature an overtly real servant of Hastur, his servants are layman workers at a church. The organist in Court of the Dragon and a the church's night-watchman in Yellow Sign. And having read it again I remember now that in Court of the Dragon, when Hatsur appears at the end in blinding light and waves of fire with thundering voice, it's Hastur himself who maliciously quotes Hebrews 10:31 to the protagonist. In Repairer of Reputations he's referred to as "a king whom emperors have serve," which reminds me of Christ's title of "King of Kings" and the name for God from which it's derived, Melech Malchei HaMelachim (the King of Kings of Kings). The King in Yellow has a kernel of my beloved fusion of Religious Horror and Cosmic Horror in there somewhere. If only that had been the focus instead of art hoes and the men that fuck them.

Truer words are rarely spoken.

The topic of fusing religious horror and cosmic horror is an interesting one because they do blend well when done well, but "theologically" they border on opposite approaches ("the governing consciousness of existence is an incomprehensible thing that doesn't know orcare we exist" vs. a default value of "the governing consciousness of existence knows, sees and hates you") and a typically opposite perspective (lay clergy/believers vs. men or rationale and science). I'm not sure there's a formula for blending the two but it's interesting to see the various ways it's done

[femmefighter]

Star wars asks...#6 and #15 please?

6. Planet

Ah, soz, someone’s beaten you to this. So short answers:

Favourite = Hoth

Least favourite = Tatooine.

15. Line of dialogue

Oh this is a good one. And I feel I’m allowed a few answers from a few different shows or mediums.

Favourites:

Ahsoka, from her own series:

“I want you to see with more than just your eyes.”

Damn, that line rewired my brain chemistry. Ro delivered it like a caress direct to the skin with her voice, and if I was Sabine I would have melted there and then on the spot. Was it ground-breaking to the plot? Hell no. But was it ground-breaking in my fkn soul? Ohhh yeah. I also just love the message it calls across in general.

I also love any little Obi-Wan quips.

“Hello there.” “How uncivilised.” “Negotiations were short.”

He is a sass queen and I love him for the demon that he is.

And on the theme of Obi-Wan, he clearly inherited some of that sass from Qui-Gon, because I love the burn that man delivers from The Phantom Menace:

"The ability to speak does not make you intelligent."

No truer words spoken, ol' friend...

Obviously, the whole Andor series was written well. Words were rarely wasted. But I have to choose something. So naturally, Luthen Rael’s monologue is a must-mention, the best of it being this line.

“I burn my life to make a sunrise that I know I’ll never see.”

Alright, last one: Jyn Erso’s impassionate plea to the Rebellion council.

“What chance do we have? The question is, ‘what choice'? Run, hide, plead for mercy, scatter your forces? You give way to an enemy this evil with this much power, and you condemn the galaxy to an eternity of submission. The time to fight is now!”

Then her following it up by quoting Cassian Andor when the nay-sayers nay:

“Rebellions are built on hope.”

Damn, woman. How I wished you lived.

Least favourite.

“I hate sand.” ~ Anakin Skywalker, trying to flirt, and it working. FML.

Thanks for the ask!

[tsunflowers]

truer words have rarely been spoken

[rohanofgondor]

"When words fail music speaks." It's a famous phrase with few truer words spoken. Music is such a beautiful tool; just with a few sounds, we can evoke powerful emotions rarely felt otherwise. Sadness, pride, anger, fear, motivation. It can bring people together, and can also tear people apart. It can help struggling people find happiness and yet it can corrupt the happiest person into darkness and despair. There is no finer oxymoron than music

[tournament-of-x]

Couple of warriors' deaths with Laura and Illyana, my god. Testaments to how great they both are that they came so close against two of the most popular and beloved X-Men of all time.

Truer words have rarely been spoken. Or written, rather.

[unicyclehippo]

‘When we get to town, you simply must buy some nicer clothes. Or take some of the ones you’ve entrusted to me,’ Astarion offered pointedly.

Dante frowned at him. ‘Why?’

‘What do you mean why? There’s countless reasons why—not least because what you’re in, I think, could be classified as rags. Where did that illithid pick you up? Off the street?’

There was a subtle thoughtless cruelty to Astarion’s words that Dante noted and set aside. If they didn’t, they would be overcome with urges to cut him until he begged forgiveness, or take his tongue for the suggestion of an insult, or work their dagger between his ribs to see what terrible music those lungs could be coaxed to perform in place of the snide commentary.

‘I don’t recall,’ Dante told him flatly. Their tail twitched.

Astarion tensed. ‘Ah. Yes, of course. Ha ha—quite slipped my mind. Well,’ he eyed their empty hands and pressed on carefully. Dante noted he didn’t sound nearly as condescending. ‘Clothes maketh the man, as they say. A nice dress or cape or suit—who needs memories! You could be whomever you please!’

‘I am who I wish to be.’

‘Naturally. Naturally! And you’re so good at it too.’ Astarion hesitated. Then, his facade lowered a touch more. ‘Look, I didn’t mean to offend you. All I meant was that you’ve been travelling hard and fighting and we’ve amassed a small fortune, most of which you give to me or the others.’ He lifted his hands to show off the faintly magical gloves Dante had scavenged off their latest enemy. ‘If anyone deserves a treat, it’s you. That’s all I meant.’

Dante eyed him coolly, judging his sincerity. It was edged with no small bit of fear of them—an instinctual thing, the shiver of prey—but the sincerity was there. Dante glanced down at their clothes. They were a little bedraggled. And their boots splashed with blood, mostly, but grime of various kinds. They plucked at a dangling thread from their shirt.

‘I might have more luck in persuading folk if I looked nicer,’ they admitted slowly. ‘Intimidation only gets us so far.’

‘Truer words,’ Astarion nodded.

Dante squinted at him. ‘Truer words what?’

He frowned back—then slapped his forehead dramatically. ‘The memory. Right. Truer words were never spoken - another prattling saying.’

‘Hm. I like that one.’

‘Use it as much as you like. As if anyone could stop you.’

They smiled. ‘Truer words.’

//

When they camped that night, Dante dunked themself in the lake and stood there waist deep, considering. The shirt in their hand hung sopping wet. The soap they were using did little for the blood stains, and mostly stung, caustic, at the slash across their hand and wrist they’d taken in the fight. It hurt but it was probably good to do it—goblin weapons were rarely cleaned.

‘Copper for your thoughts?’

‘They’re worth platinum, my friend,’ Dante returned, and turned to smile at Astarion, who lounged by the lakeside.

‘Oh? We’re in a good mood tonight, I see. What’s brought that about?’

‘What’s not to be happy about?’ Dante dragged in a deep breath, tilted their head up to drink in the fathomless sky—an ocean, just as Lae’zel described it, stars like glinting tears, winds like the sweeping currents. ‘It’s a beautiful evening and we still have our lives. We killed monsters and saved a child.’

‘You saved a child.’

Dante returned their attention to the moonlit man. ‘Do you think—‘ They stopped. Let their shirt slither out of their hand to float on the water.

‘Dante? Are you unwell?’ Astarion sat up in a fluid motion, looking half-panicked.

Before he could call out for a healer, Dante held up a hand to stop him. ‘Relax, boar-friend.’

Astarion rolled his eyes at the nickname. ‘I show concern for a boar once… Tell me that won’t be my epithet in whatever epic you’re scribing.’

Dante didn’t answer. Instead, they finished the question they had halted before. ‘Do you think I should have fine clothes?’

‘Whatever do you mean? Of course! We’ve earned plenty enough for whatever clothes you like. Perhaps not magically enchanted, but you could dress in silk head to toe if you liked. In fact, I just might.’

Dante’s smile slipped. ‘No, Astarion. Should I have finery?’ they asked again. ‘You travel with me day and night—you have seen the things I do and say. There is a cruelty in me that would drown the whole world in blood and fire and screams, if I let it.’ Dante’s eyes flickered to the lake. For a second, they saw not the black water and the sky reflected—they stood waist deep in blood, deep red, glorious, iron-tang filling their nose and mouth. They forced the sweet image away. ‘Saving a single child does not balance the red in my ledger. Nor do coins, nor gentle refrains. How could clothes begin to help me in that effort?’

Astarion sat in silence. When Dante finished washing and waded from the lake, he spoke.

‘Clothes cannot do all of that,’ he told them solemnly. ‘But it may help you hold on to who you want to be. Or start to define that person. And that cannot hurt.’

Dante picked up the towel from the fallen tree and slung it around their waist. ‘Truer words, my friend.’ Astarion laughed, and the serious moment gentled. ‘Now come—I came up with a song about that couple we interrupted in the shed and asked Shadowheart to practice her secrecy and not to mention it to Gale. I’m hoping to surprise him with it over dinner.’

[bi-bats]

patron saint of long ass chaptered fics

jpeg my beloved, truer words have rarely been spoken. I feel like this ask is holding hands with the ask about being a stuck writer. They go together 💚

fr though I don't choose to be like this. An idea worms its way into my head and informs me that this is how it's going to be. And then I must simply type until my fingers bleed 💖💖

(I'm kidding that's never happened I promise)

send me an ask telling me what you think I'm the patron saint of!!