#which was in like 2016 or sooner

[heyitslapis]

I think I want to change my name......

[genderfluid-druid]

Hmm.

[avatar-anna]

Assistant! Reader x Harry Styles Masterlist

April 2016

“Thank you for meeting me.”

Y/n settled into the seat across from Harry. Her hands curled tightly around her mug, apprehension seeping into her bones. “Of course.”

She had been surprised when Harry called her, asking to meet at the Beachwood Cafe. She hadn’t heard from him in months, not one call or text, not even an email. Not that Y/n really expected much when One Direction finally went on hiatus, but after zero communication, she wasn’t quite sure why he’d called her all these months later. 

“How are you? I haven’t seen you in ages,” Harry asked.

Y/n’s eyebrows raised a bit, but she answered him anyway after taking a sip of her coffee. “Fine, I guess. You?”

“Good!” Harry said excitedly. “Taking a break the last few months has been…I don’t know. Peaceful, but odd, you know? I’ve never had so much time to myself before.”

“Must be nice,” Y/n said, trying to hide the irritation in her voice.

“Yeah, but I realized that I kind of miss it,” he said. “I knew once we decided on the hiatus that I wanted to do my own thing, but I thought I would take a longer break, but I feel like I’m…itching to get back to work.”

That definitely seemed like Harry. Y/n had worked for him for years, and even when there were breaks between tours, he was hard at work—writing, going to Fashion Week, collaborating with other artists, vocal training, even trying new recipes in his state-of-the-art kitchen, which led to a phone call at one in the morning where Harry asked Y/n to come over and see if his macrons tasted "fluffy enough." It seemed only right that he rested for mere months before starting a new project. She could practically picture him at either of his homes in LA or London, scribbling in his leatherbound journal or playing new melodies on his guitar or piano (and the occasional late-night pastry party). As long as she’d known him, Harry had been a hard worker through and through. A little on the wild side when he had some tequila in him, but when it came down to his career, he was focused, determined. 

“Good for you,” Y/n said, meaning it. She always thought he was capable of more. “So what comes next for you? Have you recorded songs already?”

“Not quite. I’m planning a trip to Jamaica to write and record there. It’s remote, serene, a good place to get away. So we’ll have to start booking flights and places to stay and—”

“I’m sorry, ‘We?’” Y/n asked, her brow furrowing with confusion. 

Harry matched her look of confusion with one of his own. “Yeah, I mean—I need you. I can’t do this without you.”

The sentiment warmed Y/n’s heart for a moment, but his immediate assumption that she would drop everything just because he asked her to brought the irritation swarming back. “Mr. Sty—Harry, you know I don’t work for you anymore, right?”

“What do you mean? Are you talking about the hiatus? I just thought we could all use some time off, but…I guess I just thought—”

Harry didn’t finish his thought, but his cheeks were flushed with embarrassment. Y/n would’ve found it cute if he hadn’t been so dense. Resentment still circled around her like a fog, and she wouldn’t let it go so easily, she couldn’t. 

“I was employed by your management, Harry. To be an assistant to a member of One Direction,” Y/n explained. “I was let go. I had to quickly find another job doing something else.”

“Oh.”

Y/n supposed she should’ve anticipated being fired, but she didn’t. There was a lot of information that she was privy to that most people weren’t, secrets that were tightly bound by an NDA when she was first hired, but talks of the hiatus was very hushed. She knew to suspect that somewhere down the line the boys would finally take a break, but it came a lot sooner than she was prepared for, and she was left jobless before she had the chance to line something else up. Y/n thought that Harry would give her the courtesy of a warning, but he said nothing about it to her, didn’t offer much except a side hug after One Direction’s last performance.

So yeah, she was a little bitter.

“I’m—I’m really sorry, Y/n. I know it doesn’t make up for…all of this and everything you went through, but I am truly sorry.”

“Thank you.” 

Y/n believed him, believed that he was sorry for everything that went down, but it still hurt to know she wasn’t someone he was close enough to talk to about all of this at the time. She was Harry’s assistant, she knew that, but they’d been through a lot together. But he was ever the professional it seemed, and it was her job to remember that, not his.

When she realized her coffee was finished, Y/n stood up. “Well, it was good seeing you, Harry. Good luck on your next project. I’m sure it’ll be great.”

“Wait, but—you’re not—you‘re leaving?”

“I have to run a couple errands before work," Y/n explained. She rested her hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently. “But really, no hard feelings. I wish you all the best.”

She left Harry at the table, heading for the front of the cafe and toward the busy street beyond. Her heart felt heavy as she walked away, but she tried to shake the feeling that she was walking away from more than just her boss. Former boss. Like her mother always reminded her, she couldn’t be a personal assistant forever.

“Wait!”

Y/n turned on instinct, eyes widening as Harry jogged after her, his little bun bouncing with each step. He skidded to a stop in front of her, green eyes wide and searching. For what, she wasn’t sure, but the heat of his gaze was enough to make butterflies stir in her stomach.

Putting on her best front, she raised her eyebrows, waiting for Harry to say whatever he needed to.

“I wasn’t kidding earlier. I need you, Y/n,” he said. “I—You’re the only one who really knows me, who I know will have my back no matter what. I need a familiar face in my corner.”

I need you, Y/n. Those words were her kryptonite. Year after year, Y/n heard Harry's voice over the phone as he roused her from sleep, read the text messages while she was getting her nails done or watched TV in her hotel room, or on the rare occasion she went on a date. But she had to hold strong. Y/n had been devastated by her sudden layoff, but now she had a life, and she didn't want to get sucked back into Harry's very alluring web of charming smiles, cheesy jokes, and endless adventure. That was his life, not hers.

“I have a job, Harry. I can’t just drop everything and quit because you suddenly want me to—”

“What are they paying you?”

Y/n’s brows furrowed. “Excuse me?”

Harry pushed on. “What are they paying you? I’ll double it.”

Scoffing in disbelief, she said, “It’s not about the money—”

“Triple,” he countered. Harry took her hand in his and squeezed it. He looks desperate, Y/n thought.

“I can’t just quit my job because you remembered I existed,” Y/n said quietly, pulling her hand out of his. She clung to her resolve, hoping Harry would make this easy and just let it go, let her go. “I—I deserve more.”

More of what, she wasn’t sure, but Y/n knew it was true. Harry only reached out because he needed something from her, and that hurt more than she cared to admit. 

“You’re right. I’m sorry,” Harry said, looking down at his shoes. A pair of scuffed Chelsea boots he wore practically everywhere. Y/n had bought him a pair of Vans one year, an attempt to switch up his wardrobe, but he still chose the boots nine times out of ten. “Just—At least think about coming to Jamaica. Please?”

“Harry—”

“Not as my assistant. As a guest. A friend,” Harry amended. “We’re planning on staying at a huge villa, and I want to make up for being an idiot. Just—Just think about it. Please.”

Despite everything, Y/n found herself wanting to say yes. It was that magnetic pull she felt toward Harry that had kept her working for him for so long. He was an important person in her life, and up until he’d all but ghosted her after the hiatus, she thought she was important to him too. In spite of his misgivings, Y/n still wanted to believe that she was. 

It was so stupid, but it felt good to be wanted by him. She was an idiot, she knew that. But her friendship with Harry was legitimate, he'd just acted like a complete idiot. She'd known him long enough to know he was very capable of acting like an idiot. So even though she shouldn’t, even though she had carefully lined up her reasons not to in a little line, she started to cave. 

But she couldn’t make the decision now. Not when Harry was looking at her with pleading green eyes and his sad little puppy dog face, his cologne dizzyingly lovely. No, she owed it to herself to really think about what she wanted. If getting sucked back into that whirlwind was worth it. Worth getting her heart properly broken when she knew he would never feel the same about her.

"I'll show up at work, you know," Harry said. "I'm not above it. You might think I am, but I'm not."

Y/n had no doubt in her mind that he would. Along with being an idiot, Harry was very stubborn, and very persistent. She had years with him to know that. Did she really need Harry Styles showing up at her place of work?

“Fine, I’ll think about it,” she finally said, trying to pretend like her heart was screaming to just agree. But her heart was an impulsive little shit that was bound to get her in trouble.

Harry’s face broke out into a wide grin, one that displayed those famous dimples and lit up his entire face. It was hard to feel like he didn't think she was the only person on earth to exist when he looked like that, like he was convinced she’d already said yes. “I’ll take it.”

[thankskenpenders]

I know Ken is notorious for his, um, odd creation habits, but even I’m shocked that it’s been over 10 years of work and THIS is all he has to show for it. I would maybe be a bit more lenient if each new page was hyper detailed or something like that, but as you pointed out in your review, he reused the same images across plenty of panels and so many of his backgrounds are just stock photos. The only way I can reconcile this to myself is wondering if maybe a bunch of that time was eaten up by extensive rewrites to his plans for the whole series, but even then, I’ll be even more shocked if the next volume ever comes out.

So I didn't get into this in the review because I really just wanted to focus on the book and the weird copyright situation that led to its creation, not Ken's personal life or his other endeavors, but he did make something else in the time since The Lara-Su Chronicles' announcement 13 years ago. That being his independent film: The Republic. Because after he left Archie Ken figured he'd move on to a career in Hollywood.

I think this was originally supposed to be a TV show, the pilot episode for which was released in 2010, but then in 2016 he decided to retool it as a commentary on Trump's immigration policies. I think the movie is still somehow not out despite being shot a few years ago, but he put out a trailer here:

Yes, the trailer really opens with 30 seconds of footage of Trump from CNN. I know writers who use subtext and they're all cowards etc. etc.

At least the cast is clearly trying their best in spite of the material. It's not Birdemic bad. And yes, that's Sean Young. THE Sean Young! Rachael from Blade Runner! I guess Ken's really eager to flex the fact that he's friends with a couple lower-level Hollywood producers.

Anyway, I think he's still looking for a distributor for this. It's truly a mystery why no one was eager to pick this up.

Ken's also said some stuff about how he waited years to put out TLSC: Beginnings as part of the 4D chess game he's playing with the copyright stuff. He has a general idea of what he can do based on the terms of the settlement, but he's eager to push it as far as he can. He tested the waters with things like a few small pieces of TLSC merch and an NFT announcement, to see if Sega would take legal action. In particular, the announcement that he was going to sell an NFT of Shade from Sonic Chronicles was a stunt designed to see if Sega would challenge his claim that Shade is legally the same character as Julie-Su. Since they haven't gone after him, and now it's been a few years, he's taking that as evidence that Sega isn't actively exercising those copyrights and isn't going to fight for this stuff.

There's some logic here. Part of the reason Dan DeCarlo lost his battle with Archie over the rights to Josie and the Pussycats is that he didn't take action against them sooner for making merch and whatnot. It's "use it or lose it" with copyrights. But it mostly just comes off as an excuse. If it was purely a waiting game and he had all this extra time, why did he need to recycle art so much in Beginnings? Why is he only releasing 30 new pages of material instead of a whole graphic novel? Where's the app? Why didn't he spellcheck the damn book?

[cstads-blog]

18 | ɢᴇᴏʀɢᴇ ʀᴜꜱꜱᴇʟʟ 63

masterlist

george russell x norris!reader

summary: you had known george for what felt like forever. sooner or later feelings would come out right?

a/n: mixed feelings on this one. i like the beginning, unsure of the end but yk lmk. aaaaand thanks for all of the love on perfect it actually makes me so happy to see so many people loving something i wrote :)

——————————————

you and george had been friends for many years, meeting through your brothers racing. george had always thought you were beautiful. your tan skin, curly dark hair and bright blue eyes captivating him from the moment he first saw them. he always felt you were more then a friend, but never wanted to overstep boundaries with his close friends sister. little did george know, you felt the exact same about him and your brother already knew.

when you and george first met, there was an instant connection. you went from just seeing each other at races, to calling and texting, to finding time to hang out alone, away from the racing. over time, the two of you grew closer and were inseparable. you never found george without you or you without george. there were countless inside jokes and memories only the two of you would understand.

it wasn’t until after your 18th birthday that george had developed a crush on you. he hadn’t seen you in a few months, him busy with racing, you with school. and while you still continued communicating during your time apart, the longing to see you in person brought something out of george. a new feeling towards you. it wasn’t quite love, but it was something similar. the feeling confused him, he had never felt this way towards anyone before, but feeling this feeling for you was something that he didn’t fully believe.

it was 2016 and silverstone was the first race you could come to that f3 season. you and george were both 18, living in the new reality of being almost an adult, but not quite. you hadn’t told george you were coming, only lando knew, and while he could suspect you would come to a home race, he didn’t want to get his hopes up. which is why when he saw you walk in with your younger brother, he couldn’t quite believe it. you looked stunning. your curly hair, longer and impossibly curlier then before, your tan skin ever darker and the freckles that adorned your face a bit more prominent. you were wearing a yellow sundress and george couldn’t stop thinking about how amazing it looked on you. he didn’t even realize he was staring until you caught his eye across the room, giving him a smile. he felt, nervous? that was never an emotion he had felt towards you in the past, but when you approached him he couldn’t help the butterflies that filled his stomach.

you walked up to him, the smile never leaving your face. as soon as you reached your best friend, you immediately wrapped your arms around him, him doing the same. you didn’t want to leave this moment. it had felt like forever since you had seen george and you never wanted to let go. when he finally did pull away, the smile was huge on his face before he spoke.

��i haven’t seen you in forever. how are you? how’s school? tell me everything.”

and thats how it went. you and george, back where you were before. talking and catching up like there was never distance, like you never were apart. and thats how it was for what felt like hours, until lando pulled you away when he found out your mum had arrived. watching you walk away, promising dinner and a further catch up was when george knew he had fallen for his best friend.

you on the other hand didn’t realize your feelings for him until much later. it was 2022, george’s first year with mercedes. you were out of school a few years, had a job and even your own apartment. you weren’t spending as much time at the paddock as you had in previous years, having to focus on work and paying your bills.

but again, silverstone rolled around and you couldn’t not attend the home event. you walked through thr mclaren motor home with your brother, waiting for when he would let you go find george. after meeting the people lando wanted you to meet, he finally let you go so he could get ready for quali. you found yourself walking through the row of motorhomes, trying to get to mercedes, to george. thats when you ran into lewis hamilton, walking exactly where you needed to be. you had never actually met lewis, but he knew exactly who you were.

“are you looking for george?” he asked, walking next to you.

“yeah, i was assuming he was just in mercedes” you responded, wondering how the man next to you knew exactly who you were looking for.

“here, i can show you where he is”

you followed lewis into the mercedes motorhome and to george’s room. he knocked on the door and then smiled and left. you stood nervously, waiting for george to let you in. when he finally opened the door, you looked up at his face, the shock and surprise evident. he didn’t say anything, just wrapped his arms tightly around you, not wanting to let go. he eventually led you into his room where he was changing into his fireproofs and race suit. you took a seat on his couch, talking and catching up while he changed. you watched him as he changed. you had seen george shirtless plenty of times before, but something about this moment felt different. more intimate. you felt different, a feeling you had never felt towards george before. when he tied the arms of his suit around his waist and ran a hand through his hair he looked amazing. there was something going on inside of you and you couldn’t quite piece together what it was. you sat there talking a bit longer before he had to go and you had to make your way back to your brother.

as you walked away you took one last glance at him and he smiled back at you and thats when you realized you were in love with your best friend.

that’s how you got to where you were right now. sitting in your brothers living room, having an existential crisis about the brunette driver who had a hold on you for the past year.

“lando i just don’t know what to do” you complained for what felt like the millionth time.

“well you know, you could just tell him how you feel instead of crying to me about it” lando said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“wow thanks, yeah. tell him, he doesn’t like me back, i ruin the friendship. sounds like a really great plan” you said falling back onto the couch as your brother got up and went to get a drink.

“well that wouldn’t happen, he’s literally in love with you” lando mumbled.

you looked at him questioningly, but he just shook his head.

“well i have plans tonight so i’m leaving, but you can make yourself comfortable and do whatever” lando said finishing his drink, grabbing his keys and walking out the door. you sighed before turning the tv on wanting to do nothing more then sit on the couch and watch netflix the rest of the night. and so thats what you did.

lando was out with a few of the other drivers that night, one of them being george. sitting in the booth at the club next to george reminded lando of the conversation he and his sister had a few hours before. that’s when lando decided to make his move, to help you out.

“my sisters at home right now” lando said over the loud music.

“what” george questioned even though he heard him perfectly.

“i said, my sister is at home right now” george just looked at lando, not knowing what to say “that means, you need to come over and actually do something about your crush because i can’t take this anymore”

george just nodded and a few hours later was at the front step behind lando.

you were lying on the couch watching an early season of british bake off when you heard the door open. you laid there in silence until you heard more then just your brother’s voice coming from the doorway. the unmistakable voice of george russell seemingly deafening you in your new state of shock. you sat up quickly as they both walked into the room with you. you smiled at them nervously, but lando had a cocky expression on his face.

“hey how was your night” lando asked you, smile not leaving his face.

“oh it was fine, just watched bake off. and you two?” you asked nervously.

“it was good wasn’t it george? i would love to tell you all about it, but i’ve got to go to the restroom. george you wouldn’t mind waiting for me would you?” lando asked cockily, before starting his exit. you knew he didn’t have to go to the bathroom. it was all part of some little plan he came up with to leave you alone with george.

george just shook his head as lando exited the room. george stood there awkwardly for a minute before you motioned for him to sit down next to you. you had never experienced this awkward george before. he was always so confident, but something was different with him right now. you both sat there in silence for a moment before george spoke up.

“listen, i have something i heed to get off my chest, the reason lando brought me here. i’ve had a crush on you since we were like eighteen. like literally in love with you. everyone could see it. i never said anything because i didn’t want to ruin our friendship because you’re my best friend and it’s totally fine if you don’t feel the same way—“

you cut george off, pressing your lips to his. it was passionate, loving and intense. all of the emotions of the last few years poured out in just a few moments. you scooted closer to him, wrapping your leg around his waist and arm around his neck, his hands found a place on the side of your face. he pulled away a few moments later, breath heavy. he placed his forehead against yours and thats when you heard the obnoxious clapping of your younger brother filling the room.

“it’s about damn time” lando said. you laid your head on george’s chest, looking at your brother. “bud, this is the part where you ask her to be your girlfriend and then she says yes and asks you to spend the night because its late and then the two of you watch british bake off like a couple of old people until the wee hours of the morning”

“shut up lando” you said rolling your eyes, but then looking up at george.

he smiled down at you and asked you the question you had been waiting seemingly forever to hear. “be my girlfriend?”

“of course” you said kissing him again, this time calmer, with less passion since lando was standing right there.

now, everything was perfect. the boy who loved you since you were eighteen, long before you loved him.

[monarchisms]

im merely curious because of what you mentioned previously, but what do you think is different between the watcher service vs dropout? i /do/ think there is one, but i can't put my finger on it

as of right now, there are two major differences in my eyes: legacy and diversity

the first point, i had to think on for longer because though i'm familiar with dropout because my friends are into their content, my own perspective is lacking. so, i did some minor research to fact check stuff

dropout, i feel, is an exception to the rule in regards to internet-based companies making their own website/streaming services. until recently, they have existed as collegehumor since fucking 1999. they have lots of prior experiences to reflect on, and a long-term audience that often gives them feedback they're receptive to. their older content staying on youtube alongside some new ongoing stuff still being uploaded there is a nice plus. ryan and shane got popular through unsolved comparatively much sooner in 2016, as did steven in that same year with worth it, watcher currently is only 4 years old, so their foundation is more shaky right now

what also helped alongside that was that the transition wasn't as jarring as watcher's announcement. their subscription price on launch in september 2018 was $3.99 a month up until december, when they eased into tiered subs, which must've helped a lot. afaik, watcher tv has no mobile app (yet?), and many fans outside the US are region-locked without a vpn or something similar. with watcher and dropout in its current day each being $5.99, this leads into...

the second point: diversity. dropout launched mobile versions of their service 3 months after the official launch. watcher is exclusive to one official platform, as mentioned before, but in my opinion, what hurts watcher the most is series diversity. they have like, one series going on for a few weeks or months before another starts, so if someone paid them the fee, it'd be for something they might not even be interested in. likely, they'd binge the series they enjoy and unsub until the next season comes out. dropout has the advantages of both legacy series under the collegehumor name readily available, and their unscripted ongoing series coming out concurrently with a fixed schedule so than something new would be coming out i think every weekday at this point. it's reall more bang for your buck

all of this is why i said watcher "wanted to be dropout so bad" yesterday. they've created Yet Another streaming service with a price and catalogue that doesn't justify its existence. this could've been a more focused patreon. this could've been a youtube membership. this could've been a secret third thing. this could've been anything else than what we got, and it would've had the potential to be better.

tl;dr- this is watcher right now:

[louisisalarrie]

Hey how are u? I really like your point of view so I want to ask you few things that my brain frequently think about.

I’m pretty sure that sooner or later bbg will be unmasked, so how they will handle this? They created Louis’ public image around this baby. They painted him like the perfect father who obv love a lot his child.

I think that the shitstorm where his fans will throw him in will be bigger than everything. You know what I mean his solo fans paint him like the most loyal person in the world who trust his fans a lot and would never betray them. So I’m quite sure that they will start to throw shit on him, plus they’re so obsessed over this poor baby and I see a lot of them saying that if louis is not the father they will leave him cause he is just a gross person who lies to fans.

So, how will they managed it without throw him into a very big shitstorm? Plus when it will happen definitely all will be connect to the Larry situation so: when they do it, will he do also a coming out?

I don’t see it happen without a coming out, because the speculation would be so much bigger than ever and everyone would start saying that Larries were right since the beginning and that he’s a horrible person using a child…

I don’t know I don’t see a easy happy ending :(

okie dokie anon, im gonna answer this in the best way I know how, and tag it a little differently to usual so everyone knows where to find my theories on how they’re gonna end bbg/what’s the best way to end it without ruining louis’ career. anon, welcome to the show sweetcheeks!

After the absolute shit show of a smear campaign that was pushed onto Louis in 2015, of clubbing and being a gross fuckboy taking a million girls home every night, they had to repair said image when they decided this kid was actually gonna be born (in my theory it was Belfast) because to continue on with fuckboy louis when he has a child on the way further down the pregnancy/child is born, it would’ve looked even more fucking worse for one d’s demographic and louis’ image would be irreparable. His image has always hung off family values and long term relationships too, so it’s not super crazy to think “oh, louis has had his fun and now it’s serious he’s gonna buckle down and be a great dad because of his upbringing/family values and he’s a wonderful guy” etc, ya know? Plus the vast majority of one d fans at the time were Larries, we saw through the bullshit and we saw this behaviour wasn’t louis. Mgmt were like “ok if we’re actually gonna see this through, if there’s actually gonna be a child in the picture, he’s gonna have to be a present and loving dad”. It just would’ve been too off brand for him to not be. Hell, the whole fuckboy Louis thing was off brand for him, but they started that, and then had to fucking fix it because an actual child was gonna be born into this mess.

Anyway so louis’ buzzing (looks like he’d rather set himself on fire) and we get heaps of baby content on Insta/from B and her clan etc to really bring it home that louis cares about this kid. This kid is his life and he will do everything he can to be there for it because he’s a good guy (which like… it this was real, they would’ve covered up this baby real quick and silenced the mother and that’s the biggest fucking fault they made in my opinion, shit makes no sense). So yeah, fake baby, happy dad, family values. Cool, alright let’s go.

You are very correct in saying they’ve made louis being a dad a major element in his image. He’s pretty private otherwise, but boy does he love this kid! Which if we base this on how it was meant to end in 2016 with a DNA test so he’d be out free, which didn’t happen for a few reasons, the kid is now older and a paternity test should’ve been taken far earlier and louis’ trying to figure out himself in a solo career and working hard on music and it’s all too much. Not to mention he signed his fucking rights away to SC and still had to deal with this all. But I digress. They didn’t end bbg then, and he didn’t want such a scandal to hinder the beginning of his career because that’s what he’d be known for when starting out as a solo artist. “Oh did you hear about that dude from one direction? His kid isn’t actually his! Holy shit!” would just be on repeat anywhere and everywhere and something like that doesn’t really die down that quick in the media. It just would’ve jumped him off the wrong way after dealing with the heartbreak of his mum passing etc., so things are a little chaotic for him to deal with that as well. (Then the bbg contract gets amended and SC gives him publicity with the X Factor etc, but I won’t get into the contracts side of it right now).

Cool cool cool. So. He’s gonna look like a shit dude for chucking this baby in the spotlight if he’s known for ages. Everyone’s gonna hate him for lying to them. He’s gonna lose his fans. He’s not gonna be able to promo himself for a while because he’ll be “devastated”. Now, let’s have a look at how this can end with fan and GP sympathy on his side, and how they can spin this in a good way.

Now, hear me out.

We’ve talked about a few ways, but the best way to dig him out of this shit show, is simply to go down the paternity route. It just is.

Situation 1: louis and b go to court over F. this works perfectly in his current no music or tour timeframe. It keeps him relevant in the papers while he’s off, and also gives him the excuse to grieve or whatever. This is 100% the best way to do it but it drags it out so long.

- Louis, who is now on break, wants to spend more time with his beloved son little lad, and wants to take him away from B for a while to live in the UK with him and his family for an extended holiday/spend some quality time. B is withholding his son from him and he isn’t allowed to be with him for extended periods of time because B doesn’t like his lifestyle (partying, smoking, etc.)

Or

- maybe B decides Louis’ doing really well in his career so she wants more child support money. He’s getting older, more expensive, and this was all louis’ doing. He took B home, he’s also a multi millionaire, he should be paying way more than what he is!

- maybe B gets married or a long term serious boyfriend and he wants to adopt F because louis’ lifestyle doesn’t allow him to be present as much as he wants to.

Or something else ridiculous that they go to court over. In this theory, they need to go to court 100%.

So, they’re in court over whatever, and B goes “hey well I was actually sleeping with someone else around that time too, I want a paternity test” (because she never pushed for one because she saw $$$) and louis takes one and BAM, he’s actually not F’s father. Holy shit.

So why did a multimillionaire famous boyband member in his early 20’s who was clearly loving partying not demand a paternity test early one? Well, he never bothered to ask because he trusted B. They’d actually been seeing each other for longer than initially thought (like some articles mentioned back in the day LOL) but didn’t want to introduce her to the public because he knows 1d fans would eat her alive and the whole Larry thing etc., so he trusts her. He’s also just a really good dude, sees the best in everyone, trusted her and copped it on the chin and said well yeah… im gonna help raise this dude because I’ve always wanted a son and I have big family values and I fucked up. I’m mature. I’m a good example of what women should look for in a man.

So then shit… the fans and GP find out and he cops the public sympathy and everyone feels sorry for him. This is heartbreaking, he loves that kid so much and now he’s found out he’s not really his dad. The fans are devastated, the GP goes “well it’s stupid he didn’t get one earlier on but this is still really awful for him, poor guy. He’s too nice for his own good, and he was just a kid. Maybe he didn’t think about it. He’s so brave to say this. Heart on his sleeve” etc etc like it’s really not hard to make the GP and fans feel bad for you, even tho some folks may think he was an idiot for not getting one earlier on (which like.. that’s how it was meant to end but it was extended), everyone who’s scrutinised bbg has thought the same at some point. So, anyway, you see what I mean here? This situation ends with him looking like just a silly loving trusting guy, with a big heart. Solos will eat that shit up. I promise you. Anyway, F fades into the background and we don’t see any more content of him. He just… disappears. No one’s gonna question that. F isn’t his son, and he wants to give the kid and B privacy now. A classic example of being a good guy.

So like, this situation also upholds the idea that he’s straight. He’s had sex with a woman, it’s just this kid isn’t his. Anyway, sorted, case closed and we alll eventually move on. It does drag it out but my god does it truly spin some sympathy for him. But if he wants it over and done with quick, this wouldn’t be the way.

Situation 2: louis has known for a while, but him and B are really good friends so he’s helped raise F and helped with funds because the dad left and he wanted to be there for the kid. This brings out the lying factor though, but he truly does feel like a dad!!! He knows what it’s like to not have a father figure there, he wants to give the kid a good life, he’s taken on the role of his dad and he has the money to support B and F, so why wouldn’t he? You know, he has family values. So yeah, he wasn’t lying out of hate, and F knew all along he wasn’t his real dad either, but he gave this kid a great life. Anyway, B gets married or whatever, louis goes “im still gonna be there for F but I trust this guy and he loves F and my career is taking off even further and I can’t be there for him all the time and this guy really wants to be a dad, I’ll step back”. This also works well in terms of good guy louis, and he loves F so much. Public and fan sympathy, a little anger towards the lying but truly he’s just did what he could. He helped B out and now F has a strong and fantastic father figure in his life. Sorted, done. This can be done through an Insta live or a post of him and F explaining stuff, and F fades from the picture. Still upholds the sex with women, but he did get a paternity test ages ago, he’s just a good guy. Anyway, that also works.

You also have a spin on the above situation too though, to make it easier for a coming out. Louis and B never had sex. He’s just a long term good friend of hers and took on that role. He’s always been gay/he never fucked her. Having this onto it, really leaves it a bit more open ended. This is really the only kind of solution to say “hey I’ve been with Harry this whole time and bbg wasn’t a stunt” ya know? Still believable, a bit more murky, but if done well it ends it quicker than a court case. Still looks good for him. Plus, he can say how long he was with Harry and that they wanted to keep their relationship private because they were nervous to come out and yeah. Cool. That’s also done.

The fans might be angry about that one, but it still swings it well. I don’t think they’re gonna hate him. He might lose a few but… yeah. He’s always gonna when he comes out anyway. Yeah. The above is two birds one stone.

Situation 3: it was all a stunt. they just reveal absolutely everything. That’s it.

He’ll lose the most fans by doing this, but also… he’ll gain a lot of public sympathy. Whatever way they end bbg, he will be on the side of public and fan sympathy. He’s always gonna end up with some kind of hate when coming out, but so will Harry. It just… is what it is. Harry’s process has just been a lot smoother without a kid tied to him. But with the screaming of how shit the music industry is to artists, this will call a lot of attention to it all. Might actually make a change. But again, the hardest.

Now the thing with all of the above, right, no matter which way they take it, is that bisexuality exists. Also, sexuality can be fluid, so maybe he didnt figure out he was into dudes until later on in life and him and Harry reunited and it just kind of happened. He had to navigate queerness in a space of homophobia. He felt fucking lost as hell, and Harry helped him. Also public and fan sympathy, also works. Doesn’t put them from the beginning though, like situation 2 and 3 could, but yeah. The current conversation about queerness and how things can change is important and big right now. People would understand.

Both Harry and louis (more so louis) will and should expect fan and public hatred for lying and queerness. But it’s just something they’ll have to cop. They come out, go into hiding for a bit, and then put out a statement and they’re just gonna have to expect some hate. Hell, Harry already gets hate for queerbaiting. It just always will be affected.

To your last point, about using a kid, if they unravel everything then they’ll just shove that blame on SC etc, they had no choice! For the other situations, it may be a little scrutinised but yeah. He’s either silly and too trusting in situation 1, or does see F as his kid and is proud of him in situation 2. Those situations above are how I see a smoother end to bbg. They’re kind of the only way I see it ending. So, SC/marketing gods, if you’re watching, or if this is you, consider one of the above please and let’s end it fucking now.

So there you have it. These situations might seem stupid, but he comes out of it the most unscathed (except option 3 but again, sympathy from fans and public about being controlled like puppets). And I think in all those cases a coming out will happen shortly after, they kind of go hand in hand. But also they might let it die down for a while before announcing anything, but yeah. Speculation is gonna happen. They can’t escape everything.

Any questions or if anything doesn’t make sense because I haven’t had a coffee yet, let me knowwwwwww

Thanks for coming to the show!

[fagbearentertainment]

I’ve done pissed myself off thinking about how the fandom treated mabel in 2016 like people were acting like she intentionally caused weirdmageddon and was just evil incarnate for falling for bill’s manipulation when dipper and ford were both also tricked by bill and almost caused weirdmageddon.

Especially the dipper part people would just conveniently forget bill also tricked him and if mabel didn’t stop him weirdmageddon would’ve happened a lot sooner when discussing how evil and selfish mabel was.

She’s 12 years old of course she’d fall for someone she trusted (possessed by bill, which she didn’t know) saying they could make summer last forever when she was already distraught over it ending if she gave them something she thought was harmless.

If anything it’s more fords fault than hers for not telling stan and mabel about the rift and bills plan, if she knew the rift was dangerous and that bill was after it she wouldn’t have turned it over to anyone!!!

[tenosit]

On bit of "early and missed worldbuilding" aspect of 2001 Bionicle, there are the very fun interactions in MNOG in the Onu-Koro, between Whenua and representatives of Ussalry, miners and traders (last one doesn't get as much representation further down the line).

First one, is how Ussarlyman describes the sudden dense layer of stone (which, as we belatedly know, is Mata Nui's surface): he calls it "with high organic levels", and even elaborates for Whenua.

Depiction of GSR appears fairly mundanely robotic, so organic traits to it make it very interesting - its also a Bionicle! IIRC it has been described as organic-like in Hapka books around Bohrok, but more concrete mentions benefit that.

Before that, he also suggest moving Onu-Koro to other Wahi. This is a really cool detail - perhaps, Onu-Koro has evolved from an aboveground settlement (as it could have been in 2000 story bible), or moved from another location already.

Since miners compose the actual tangential events of the chapter, it is the third Matoran who falls into interest - evidently, a Guildmaster of the Trade Guilds.

(there is a much stronger focus on Toa "descending from heaven" in 2001 than in subsequent retellings 2001 plot; you can tell they expected to wrap it up sooner, and it is something 2016 reboot tried to play with)

The Guildmaster, expectedly, is worried about both the sudden unbreakable layer and stalling of Le-Koro route. Onu-Koro trades Protodermis to Po-Koro, where goods are finished, whereas Onu-Matoran recieve stone (? Perhaps it is higher quality, or easier to work with aboveground). Evidently all Matoran engage in trade, which is why Le-Koro route is important (Le-Matoran can access Onu-Koro, but with much difficulty); he dismisses proposition to travel by sea, as it has even more Rahi than the unlit tunnels (according to him). He even tries to drag in Onua, asking if the fabled hero is unable to help do the trade route faster.

There is a really cool characterisation to Saffire's Onu-Matoran; there is a very strong current of them being workers and traders. Later depictions sort of sidestepped that, with their former Metru Nui culture being that of miners and scholars. I wish there was more of a dedicated source to culture of Matoran of Mata Nui; it is a topic that is fraught with complexities of not exoticising oppressed cultures, but if care would be given to it, I imagine it could be a really great piece of worldbuilding.

[and-her-saints]

Im sorry if this is silly, but like. I connect with catholicism in a lot of ways, in its prayers, its concepts, its aesthetics, etc. But i have a hard time with just. Trinitarianism. It doesn't make sense to me no matter how hard i try to make it make sense. How do i, like, get over this?

hiii! not silly at all!!! i feel like we all have dogmas that confuse us at the beginning. for me, it was the Immaculate Conception. could not wrap my head around it.

the Trinity is a doctrine from the very early Church. and despite the Council of Nicea (325 a.c.) having produced the Creed, many saints and theologians through the years have struggled and wrestled with the doctrine. whoever tells you “it’s easy, it’s clear to understand, you’re just not having enough faith” is honestly being incredibly rude.

St. Agustine of Hippo, one of the most influential theologians and Doctors of the Church, had a hard time with the Trinity as well!!! you are not alone!!! the (medieval) folktale goes that when St. Agustine was leaving Manichaeism and slowly converting back into Christianity, he went out for a walk near the sea to ponder about the Trinity. He could not wrap his head around it. During his walk, he saw a young child digging a hole in the sand. Quickly, the child ran back to the ocean, collected some water into a vase, and went and poured it into the hole. St. Agustine was perplexed. The child did this again, and again, and again. St. Agustine approached the child, and asked him: “My son, what are you doing?” The child turned around and said: “I’m putting the ocean in this hole.” St. Agustine laughed and said, “That’s impossible, the magnificent ocean cannot possibly fit into this tiny hole!” and the tale goes… that this child, who was no ordinary child but an Angel of God, said to Agustine: “I will sooner fill this hole in the sand with the ocean, than you will be able to understand the Holy Trinity.”

When we speak about Mysteries of the faith, like the Mystery of the Trinity, it’s not meant to be the easy answer. It’s not something you “get over,” like a stone on the road. I think it’s more about inviting these uncertainties and questions into your relationship with God. Wrestling and fighting as much as you need. But allowing some Mysteries to be. It’s alright to have questions and doubts, these are not character faults. If anything, in own personal opinion, every single doubt I’ve ever had has been the beginning of a new and exciting new journey of discovery.

Now, unto more solid theological advice. To me, the argument I find most compelling is one of St. Agustine’s points On The Trinity. This whole idea is about digging deep into the reality of God to us as Christians, and the Truths about God we find in 1 John 4:7-21. “God is Love,” we say, but what does that have to do with the nature of the Trinity? I am no theologian, but the way I understand it, is that the Trinity is the response to the statement: “God is Love.” God is Love, therefore, God must love. God must be Lover (the Father), Love (the Holy Spirit) and the Beloved (The Son). How can there be Love, with nothing to Love? The Trinity is the dance in which God loves God, at the same time of God BEING Love, without the whole ordeal being entirely self-serving, stagnant, or exhaustive. This is just the tip of the iceberg, but I am quite in love (badum-tss) with this outlook.

I have not personally read this book, but it is on my TBR, it is Richard Rohr’s “The Divine Dance: The Trinity and Your Transformation” (2016) I’ve heard wonders about it. It’s definitely not theology heavy, as far as I’ve researched (for that, I think St. Agustine’s On The Trinity might be best) but it could be an approachable glance at what the Trinity/mysticism about the Trinity looks like.

I hope this kind of helps you out!

[animentality]

You aren't "legally obligated" to vote for anyone. That's such a stupid thing to say that proves how undemocratic liberal democracy is. I really don't think you care about Palestine at all, it's all those conservatives and liberals (all neolibs really) do is lipservice and work in the interests of the white self. Kamala will not stop project 2025, which is practically already happening since the democrats did exactly 0 things to reverse trumps policies he laid in 2016-2020. Instead of actually "pushing the democrats left" by showing then their actions have consequences by voting for third party (I bet you're gonna say a stupid reply like it's a vote for trump because you have no political capability besides ticking the blue one every four years or so), you'd sooner throw Palestinians under the bus for your own interests whilst making wiley claims that trump would be "way worse." If your whole sell is that the other is fearmongeringly and mystically "way worse" then you have platform. 99% Hitler is still Hitler, and you do not have to vote for that. But there's no way a liberal would ever want to actually create change. All I ask is stop flooding leftist spaces; you lot aren't even demsocs 🙄

You seem like you're trying to talk to someone other than me.

You're having this one sided conversation with me as a stand-in for someone else.

I would suggest you find someone who's closer to your imagination.

I have no interest in speaking to a person arguing with ghosts.

[theonethatwatchesalotofshows]

I may have come across as a prude in my other post about the portrayal of sex in That 90s Show and I want to assure you I am not. I was once a sexually active teen myself who had sexually active friends, but still the way they are so casual about it is extremely unrelatable to me. The characters in That 70s Show were also sexually active sooner or later but their arcs were just so much more relatable and true to life in my opinion. And I think that speaks of a bigger trend of how media has changed.

If you watch old shows from 90s and 00s, they are just overall more innocent and wholesome? Maybe sometimes too innocent (*cough* Gilmore Girls*cough*) but overall they just portray the awkwardness and sweetness of it much better. I know there were some problematic storylines that I am glad were buried since then like the whole student-teacher thing (even though I heard Riverdale did it in 2016?) overall I think those shows portrayed teendom better. Nowadays it seems like everything is for shock value and just to create discourse around the show. Think of Seth and Summer's awkward first time on The OC. Or Kelso and Jackie's/Donna and Eric's bad first times on That 70s Show. Blair's drunken first time with an asshole that she regrets at first on Gossip Girl.

(Obviously there were times when these storylines were too prudish to the point it was unrealistic. Aforementioned Gilmore Girls come to mind where Rory had a two year relationship where the furthest they got was kissing with tongue, Dawson's Creek where Joey pondered for months if she should lose her virginity to her long term boyfriend who she had known her whole life and her dilemma was juxtaposed with Dawson's dilemma about whether to unplug a dying guy from his life support, The Secret Life of American Teenager where Amy got pregnant on her first time and Grace's dad died in a plane crash after hers. Then there was the unhinged moment in One Tree Hill where Haley and Nathan got married in high school to be able to have sex. No I am not talking about these specifically.)

Compare that to how Kat was mocked for being a virgin at *gasp* 16 on Euphoria and told she needs to "catch a dick" so she ends up sleeping with an asshole who records it, puts it on PornHub and makes her famous, which prompts her to start making money by doing porn. She's not the only one from her class too, Maddy, Jules and Cassie are all 16-17 year old girls that also have sex tapes of them. Maddy also casually lost her virginity at 14 to a 40 year old man put she was "totally in control". Jules has been sleeping with random grown men from dating apps since she turned 16. Maddy also jumps into the pool at a party with a college boy and starts having sex with him/pretending to be having sex with him in front of everyone and it's not even the most scandalous thing to happen at that party. See how that seems to be made just for shock value with no substance or attempt at relatability?

It's similar with That 70s Show vs That 90s Show- on the former the characters were sexually active but there was that awkwardness about it whereas on That 90s Show apart from Leia everyone seems super experienced, confident and like they've been having sex for years despite the fact that they are even younger that the characters on That 70s Show. Everyone even found it weird that Leia didn't have a first kiss yet at the age of 15 and took her to the mall to kiss a random guy. I really wish the point of that episode was "don't feel pressured and take your time" but no instead that episode ended with Leia literally forcing herself on a guy while he was working just so she can have her first kiss over with. What kind of message is that sending? That 90s Show characters when it comes to sex seem to have the experience of the average college student, not the average sophomore/junior in high school. Same can be said about Euphoria.

"But teen shows have always pushed the envelope" well yes and the aforementioned Gossip Girl and Skins come to mind but even then, it wasn't just constant meaningless fucking everyone all the time. Similarly to Euphoria, on the first episode of Skins, Tony tells Sid that he needs to lose his virginity ASAP because he's almost 17 and it's "embarrassing". Yet Sid doesn't succumb to the pressure and doesn't do it just because. It is implied he only does it once he is in a relationship with Cassie. And he is not even the only character who is a virgin in that generation, there is also Anwar who also loses it when it feels right not because he is pressured to. Yes there are characters that are sexually active (although it is more over the top than in real life) but also virgins, and that is more true to life than Kat being the only virgin left in the entire high school. I even know some people in 2nd or 3rd year of college who are virgins and that's okay. No one really shames them and tells them that they need to "catch a dick asap" and if someone does then they're an asshole.

However I will say that Never Have I Ever is one new show that did it right.

[securitybreach]

hellooooo what are ur favourite frostiron fics? i’ve exhausted most of my favourite tropes and i’m looking into new tropes to obsess over if u have any recs? tysm! :)

Hi emeraldfrostraven,

thank you very much for your message! This turned out harder than I thought (please excuse me for making you wait) because there are so many talented writers in the frostiron fandom. So this is a very short list but I enjoyed every single one of those stories and I hope that you might enjoy them too. There were a few other fics I would have liked to share but they're locked and I decided to respect the authors' decision.

Thank you again for sending this ask. I hope there are a few fics on my list you don't know already (that's why I decided to pick some older stories). I'm wishing you tons of fun!

Everything by the very wonderful @fullofleaves, whose glorious fic Are You There, God of Mischief? It's Me, Tony (Explicit, 2013) was the first frostiron fic I ever read.

Let's Go Get Lost by hypnotically: Loki doesn't want to be here. Tony doesn't know how he got here. They probably should have taken the jet. (Teen And Up Audiences, 2013)

Bostock by hannahrhen: Tony sets out a lure with almonds and powdered sugar. (General Audiences, 2014)

of Trust and Necessity by @roseapprentice: A story of card games and dubious claims. After five years, Loki finally escapes Thanos's pack. And immediately gets all snared up in a new one. (Mature, 2014)

Those Sinned Against by Arkada: When Asgard invades Earth - led by a huge blond man in a red cape and wielding a massive warhammer - it takes six months for Tony Stark to come up with a plan to turn things around: let himself be taken prisoner, and bring the Asgardians down from the inside. But it takes less than an hour for the plan to get away from him, thanks to the black-haired Asgardian prince who takes personal - very personal - charge of him. (Explicit, 2014 - 2015)

Taking the Fall by @usedupshiver: Everyone expects Tony to end up eaten alive sooner rather than later when he is put in the same cell as the Lyesmith, a man so dangerous even the members of his former gang are afraid to come after him. But sometimes it might actually be wise to just grin in the face of danger. (Mature, 2015)

A Matter Of Inertia by @roseapprentice: There was a tall, lanky omega getting into his car, holding an especially shiny-looking switchblade pointed in Tony’s general direction.Tony was fairly sure he’d had more than one wet dream in his life that started about like this, and the thought distracted him until the passenger door slammed shut and the omega snarled, “Drive!” with deadly ferocity.Yikes. Tony turned his wheel to steer away from the barrier and stepped on the gas.In which Tony makes a lot of bad decisions, and regrets none of them. (Mature, 2015)

Project Snowflake by @usedupshiver: When Howard Stark met his untimely death he left behind a secret project no-one ever knew about. (Teen And Up Audiences, 2015)

Did You Do Something With Your Hair? by STARSdidathing: Loki cuts his hair and Tony is extremely fascinated, almost to the point of obsession. Honestly, Tony's just trying to ignore this wonderful new problem. (Teen And Up Audiences, 2016)

From Anonymous by STARSdidathing: When Tony was caught in a lab explosion three years ago, he was lucky to walk away with his life. He gained a lot of injuries and retreated from the world. He now lives in seclusion in an apartment complex he owns, but his retreat doesn't stop him from noticing his neighbour or developing a crush on the handsome man. (Teen And Up Audiences, 2019)

Clockwork by @amidnight--dreary: When Loki's suppressants fail, he registers to be paired with a companion during his next rut. It's a lot easier than finding an actual mate, which he's already given up on, anyway. He doesn't expect much to come of it except the very-much needed relief and a few days of casual fun. He certainly doesn't expect to fall in love, but it just kinda happens, anyway. (Explicit, 2022)

(This list is also my contribution to the @frostironflashbingo May to August 2024, Card 1: Free Space)

[darklydeliciousdesires]

London Will Burn - A Sean Wallace/OFC Story.

I couldn't wait to share this with you, besties. Here, have the first chapter! I know that Sean is pretty niche as he doesn't seem to have all too huge a fandom, but if I can garner a few readers, and you guys could help me out by reblogging this, I would be very appreciative. Commentary is very welcome, as usual, so yes, dive on in and hopefully enjoy! If you like it enough, you can have chapter two sooner rather than later, too :)

The story begins seven years in the past, but will then run semi-canon to the Gangs of London plot and timeframe.

Tag list - In the comments, please DM to be added/removed

Words - 3,826

Warnings - 18+ content throughout. Minors DNI.

May 24th, 2016. 

Coffee, the financial times and resounding quiet. These were the defining components needed for Finn Wallace to begin each day within the spatial surroundings of his corner office, the floor to ceiling windows offering the widest view of the city he ruled over with an iron fist.  

“Mr Wallace, please. Sir...”  

The words of Minnie, his secretary, delivered outside of his office with mildly pleading desperation tore his attention from fastidiously studying the FTSE 100, Finn looking out from above the pink sheets of paper. He witnessed her scurrying along, her eyes pleading while trying to match the long strides of his son as he approached. “You know your father doesn’t like to be bothered...” 

...between the hours of eight and nine. He needed a full hour with nothing but a newspaper and a good supply of anything that came from Whittard of Chelsea prior to starting his day. His son had other ideas that morning, though.  

Placing his coffee down, he lifted his chin as Sean strode through the doors, a heap of paperwork within his grasp.  

“One print off of the e-contract signed late last night by Kevin Cavanagh, and one verbal assurance that the vessels may port within his dock space for the original agreed amount.” The paperwork hit the desk so hard, it was almost splashed in coffee, Sean looking thoroughly pleased with himself. As he should, his father thought. Kevin had been extremely tricky in this, his son’s first solo deal for the company. 

Reaching for the contract, Finn could scarcely believe it, but there it was. K. Cavanagh. Signed, sealed and delivered. “How the fuck did you swing that, boyo?” 

Kevin Cavanagh had shown himself to be a rather large thorn in the side of the Wallace empire for weeks, the investor digging his heels in over their proposed deal, an influx of two hundred million sterling into the company’s legitimate holdings to fund the proposed apartment complex they wished to build, and a grant of passage for boats containing large shipments of heroin porting from Pakistan to enter his docks.  

The terms and conditions set by Sean had been made clear, but having the upper hand in it all, Kevin had gone back on their proposed arrangement out of sheer greed. It had not gone down well at all. Especially since Finn considered Kevin to be a long-standing friend as well as a business associate. He wasn’t about to involve himself, though. It was Sean’s deal, and he had to learn in going it alone, friend or not. 

In their world, though, alliance and friendship were subject to change at any given moment. Friendships aside, Sean had been advised by his father to do whatever it took to secure the deal by the required deadline, which had passed at midnight the night before. 

Looking upon his son expectantly, Finn was under no illusion over Sean’s self-satisfied pride in his achievement. His poise did not slip, though. Not even for a second. “I have my ways, all of them effective.” 

He raised an eyebrow. “How?”  

His son smirked, the same bloody smirk he’d had since he was three, back when he’d usually hoodwinked his mother into the offering of a second reach into the biscuit tin. “If you knew that, then you’d know as much as me.” 

Finn felt himself losing patience at his allusivity, but couldn’t quite keep the grin from spreading across his face. “Wiley little shit.”  

He chuckled, checking his watch. “I have a meeting to get to. Lunch at The Strand, 1pm? I have a table booked. See you then.” 

“If I’m late, order my usual.” Looking over the contract once again, Finn rested his chin upon the pinch of his thumb and forefinger. If he’d gotten a result without them having to yield to Kevin, it surely didn’t matter how Sean had procured the deal.  

As time would tell, though, it would.  

Striding from the building, Sean climbed into the waiting car, ready to be whisked across London for a viewing on another apartment complex currently under construction. It would take up most of his morning, but such was the nature of his role within the company. Build big, reap big, remain on top. 

Leaning back against the plush leather upholstery within the black Mercedes, Sean winced, feeling the soreness that remained from his weekend of sexual hedonism. Clawed scratches marking the freckled alabaster of his back from his shoulders right to the rounded muscles of his arse had certainly felt good at the time, but now the scabbed wounds stung and itched.  

That itching sting was experienced internally, too, a rolling wave of cold discomfort washing over his insides once again. Guilt. Maybe even a little remorse. Who’d have thought it? Certainly not him. He had previously considered those emotions to be completely superfluous, with a nature such as his, and most definitely not when his actions had reaped such rewards.  

Sean was, if nothing else, completely ruthless in the pursuit of attainment.  

His go to in attaining a desired result didn’t always equal the exertion of moral turpitude, but in this instance it very much had. There was no going back on it either. He had struck out, used his bargaining chip of blackmail and garnered the desired results. At twenty-five years old, he’d thought himself perhaps above the actions he’d resorted to, considering his bartering and negotiation skills to be proficient enough.  

They hadn’t been.  

However, Sean knew that blackmailing Kevin Cavanagh into agreement by threatening to upload a video to the internet of himself fucking his eighteen-year-old daughter would work like a charm in securing a signature, and it had.  

He’d understandably been beyond livid with him, after receiving an edited version of the hour-long filming, showing just enough for Kevin to know that Catherine would be subjected to great personal embarrassment and emotional anguish if he didn’t comply.  

With his arm figuratively bent up his back, he had agreed, the money immediately transferred, and the contract signed the evening before, once he and his wife had returned from their weekend away. Kevin had also struck a permanent black mark against the son of his old friend, knowing that Finn likely had no part in the blackmail. As chillingly cutthroat as he could be, it wasn’t his style. Words would be had, though, and Sean knew he likely had that coming to him sooner or later.  

Just as he would when Catherine caught up with him. He highly doubted Kevin wouldn’t tell her. 

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out his phone, placing his earbuds in and locating the video he had promised to delete. He’d been hesitant there, not because he intended to nefariously make good on his threat and upload it anyway, he had no cause to. The reason behind his stalling was much more complex, and not one he was in a hurry to admit. Not even to himself.  

Hearing her sweet moans as he watched himself on the screen, face buried between her legs, a jolt ran right through him. He could almost still taste the sweet honey of her cunt on his tongue, feel her skin against his, and with a shift in his seat, experience her nails clawing at his back.  

It was only ever meant to happen once. Once had led to an entire weekend, and there it was again, the unpleasant sting rolling through his guts as he closed his eyes and remembered it. Remembered her.  

Her... her. 

It was only ever meant to happen once... 

St Augustine’s Grammar School for Girls was one of the most exclusive private Catholic schools in the entirety of London. For an eye watering yearly fee, it boasted unsurpassed examination results, a sterling OFSTED record, and much to the fury of the young ladies within its prestigious halls, a strict code for uniform. A black skirt to the knee, high black socks, a white shirt and a navy blazer and tie.  

Even the students attending the adjoining sixth form college had to still adhere, much to their loathing. For Catherine Cavanagh, as soon as she was out of the front gates with her friends, adjustments were made.  

Her neatly pleated skirt was rolled over a few times to hitch it up, her folded over socks pulled up until they came over the knee, her blazer and tie stuffed into her bag and her shirt undone to reveal a little of the black lace bra she wore beneath, as well as being knotted at the waist. She liked to show off some of what she had. 

Lashings of smoky black eyeliner were applied, her lips liberally glossed and her shoulder length blonde waves all shook free of their ponytail prison before she sauntered away, ready for a coffee with her friends, of whom also made similar adjustments to their own uniforms. They were young women at eighteen, all mildly incensed that they still had to stick to the rules of their frigidly stalwart school.  

Catherine, or Rin as she preferred to be called, was far from frigid.  

“Oi darlin’! Fancy gettin’ in the back of me van and lettin’ me give ya one, eh?” 

Ugh. Builders. The worst of the worst for shouting pervy obscenities from the open window of a slowed down Ford Transit. She immediately rolled her eyes. “No thanks, but I fancy giving you this.” Raising her middle finger, her confident smirk grew, her friends cheering on her usual chutzpah.   

“Fuck you, then! Little slag!” 

Rin snorted. “You wish, mate.”  

“I don’t get it,” Rashida, her bestie mused, fiddling with her necklace as she cocked her head. “He wanted to shag you five seconds ago, and now you’re a slag because you didn’t take him up on his offer?” Her face was a picture of bemused disgust as she barked a laugh. “Wanker.” 

“Yeah, sums him up. Right, let’s hit the coffee house. I’m fucking gasping for something strong, hot and foamy.” 

Their friend Carly couldn’t help but pipe up, laughing at her own joke before she’d even spoken it aloud. “What, you want the big fella from Game of Thrones in a bubble bath? What’s his name?” 

“Tormund,” Rin confirmed, her eyes dreamy. “You know I’m weak as fuck for a redhead!”  

While the prospect of Kristofer Hivju, the actor who played the aforementioned character awaiting her in a bubble bath was preferred, it was a double shot cappuccino she needed most at that moment. After a day of hard studying for her ongoing A Levels, Rin needed the coffee like air. For no other reason than to stay awake for the duration of her journey home.  

She wouldn’t be driving, though. Yet to pass her test, she would simply call for a driver in the employment of her father to collect her when she was ready. Being rich certainly had its perks. Entering the coffee shop a ten-minute walk from the school gates, she paid for her order and stood back to wait, sensing someone behind her before a familiar voice spoke into her ear. 

“I am unsure whether your mother would approve of that skirt, young lady.”  

Turning, her eyes widened. “Bloody hell! Hello!” It had been at least five years since she’d seen Sean Wallace other than fleeting moments in passing, the last proper time being when he was home from university in his final year. The occasion had been when her parents had thrown a garden party for her father’s friends and closest business associates, plus their families.  

“How are you, darling?” He drawled smoothly, kissing her cheek as they exchanged a brief hug. “It’s been a bloody age.” Looking down upon her, his gaze was nothing but clearly appreciative, thinking just what a beautiful young woman she’d become. In fact, beautiful was an understatement; she was an absolute knock out.  

In any other circumstance, Catherine Cavanagh would be his perfect match. She came from a similar family, steeped in criminality and staggeringly wealthy, with the best education money could buy, just as he himself had received. They were cut from the exact same cloth, she and Sean. This was not an exercise in procuring the perfect match long-term, though. Far from it.  

“It has, I was just thinking that myself,” she confirmed as they parted, feeling a little flustered. Oh, how she’d always fancied the arse off Sean. She might have been extremely confident for an elder teen, much more woman than girl in that respect, but still. Sean was the bloody holy grail as far as she was concerned. “As for me, up to my eyes in all things A Levels, only two more exams left and then its fingers crossed I do well enough to take the provisional place I’ve been offered at LSE.” 

He remembered that the London School of Economics had been her long-term goal from the last time he’d spoken to her at length, back when she was just a kid of thirteen. “I remember you telling me, yes. Forgive me, but I forget just what it is you were aiming for?” 

A flutter delighted her insides at that, how he hadn’t forgotten her desires to attend LSE when it had been so long since they’d last talked in depth. She’d thought he’d merely been entertaining her thirteen-year-old self and her long-winded plans for her future, but no. He’d actually listened. Then again, he was always very attentive when engaging with someone, no matter who they were. “BSc in mathematics, statistics and business.”  

“I bet your father is very proud,” he commented, Rin turning to pick up her coffee.  

“Well, I suppose he will be if I actually pull it off and attain the necessary grades. It’ll stand me in good stead for taking over the family business too, when he eventually retires.” They were birds of a feather in that respect, both primed to one day sit at the helm of their respective family empires. “Speaking of which, how are things with you? You’re doing very well at the Wallace Corporation, according to dad.” 

“Your father is correct, I am.” He was still very sure of himself. Anyone else would call it arrogance, but Sean was merely infectiously confident. He knew what he wanted, and he went right after it, Rin completely oblivious to the fact that his cool blue eyes were directly focused upon his present target. “Long hours and probably less pay than I should be garnering, but I must confess to be doing rather well for myself. Especially considering I have only been there just over four years.” 

They eventually became so lost in their catch-up chatter that Rin completely failed to realise that her friends had moved to a table, turning to see them wave at her. The looks on their faces spoke volumes. 

“I’ll be there in a sec,” she assured them, praying Carly didn’t open her mouth. No such luck. 

“No, no,” the girl herself chirped right on cue, waving her hands gently in Rin’s direction. “You stay there with your fancy man; we’ll be over here when you’re ready!” 

���Oh, shit off!” she chided, feeling her cheeks burn. Turning to Sean, she shook her head. “They’re embarrassing as fuck.” 

“I can’t say I’m embarrassed, being labelled as your fancy man.” Pulling out a seat, he gestured to it with a flirtatious smile, ensuring her heart virtually catapulted against her ribcage. She definitely blushed furiously at that. Ahh, it was almost too easy, but then again Sean’s charm was legendarily flawless. Being well spoken, powerful, and as dangerous as he was gorgeous didn’t hurt either.  

A red-haired bad boy in a Balmain suit. If Rin had a type at all in this world, it was Sean Wallace. And boy, how the man himself saw that loud and clear.  

“So, I hear your parents are away in France right now?” 

“Yes,” Rin confirmed, the smidgen of envy in her voice clear. How she would have loved a long weekend in the French Alps skiing, too. “They’ll be hurtling down a mountain right now, while I’m stuck here in dreary London, slogging my guts out all in the name of revision.” 

He smirked, picking up his espresso and sipping it. Sean liked his coffee one way; strong and black. “Ah, but you do get Mulford Hall all to yourself for the weekend. Quite the party palace, one would assume.” 

She crinkled her nose, shaking her head. “The staff will grass me up if I even so much as open a can of cider with more than four friends in attendance. Mother dearest likes to keep her fucking tabs on me.” Rin didn’t dislike her mother, but it was no secret that she was daddy’s girl through and through. If he had his way, he’d have arranged for the antiques to be removed from banquet hall and allowed she and her friends run wild. Diane was not quite so lenient.  

Yes. A banquet hall. The Cavanagh’s were truly that wealthy, to have such in their fifteen-bedroom, eighteen-bathroom, sprawling abode located in Westminster, just around the corner from Hyde Park. Half of their sprawling gardens backed onto the park itself, in fact.  

Mostly, Mulford Hall was used as a successful wedding and events venue, half of the house sectioned off as a private family residence and inaccessible to the public, also being a historical location of interest for tourists. It had been in her family for centuries, gifted to one of her ancestors, the very first Lord Mulford by King Charles I. Now with no elder male heir and her grandparents having passed on, it remained in the family by the residing Lady Mulford, her mother. 

“I suppose the little ones would have plenty to say, even if the staff did keep schtum.” Oh yes, Sean was correct there. Her younger brother and sisters would likely relish in telling on her to their parents. Keeping secrets that did not directly benefit them was not in the interests of your average twelve, ten and nine year old children. “I mean, if they could even hear the sounds of partying. Does your mother not keep them in a turret or similar?” 

She snorted laughing into her coffee, spraying a fine mist of foam from the large cup, “Shut up, you shit. You know we’re not that grand.” Suddenly, she felt the cold wave of discomfort when he frowned, wondering if she’d pushed it a little in calling him a shit, even in tease. After all, they did not know each other beyond the boundaries of acquaintance. It was their parents who were friends, not them.  

He then reached, wiping a fleck of foam from her cheek, the corners of his mouth upturning as he watched her blush, leaning across the table. “It takes a brave person to refer to me as a shit.” 

Regaining her confidence, she licked her top lip, shrugging lightly. “Or a gobby little twat such as myself.” 

She was a pistol. He enjoyed that perhaps more than he should have. He laughed softly through his nose, sipping his coffee again as she continued. “I actually have the place to myself, staff aside. The nanny has taken the little terrors to Legoland for the weekend, and there aren’t any weddings on, so I’m enjoying pottering around the old pile in my pants.” 

He raised an eyebrow. “Just your pants?” 

“I like to give the gardeners something nice to look at.” 

God, and how nice her body was, he wagered, his eyes sweeping her momentarily. “I bet you do.”  

Lust. Lust delivered from behind full, long auburn lashes tinged with gold, eyes that burned like cool fire as he stared her dead in the eye, Rin feeling as if she was caught in a searchlight she could not avoid. Not that she’d want to. Being illuminated by the desire of Sean Wallace was something she’d only ever fantasised about as a girl. As a young woman, acting upon it now seemed within her grasp. 

And grasp for it she would. “You’re thinking about me in nothing but my pants, aren’t you?”  

Playful, yet direct. He liked that, liked that she was so easily wandering right into the jaws of his trap with such little effort. “I am.”  

She leaned closer, watching him retrieve a packet of mints from his pocket, placing one into his mouth. The way he so effortlessly pressed the white disc onto his tongue made her shiver, imagining the skill a mouth that clever and effortlessly cool might possess. He offered the packet, but she shook her head, the strongness of Trebor’s finest too much for her delicate tastebuds. “What else are you thinking?” 

He mirrored her, leaning near, eyes fixed unblinkingly as he ran his fingertip in a circle over the back of her hand. It was an action that made every single hair upon her arm stand on end. “I’m thinking that the next thing I want on my tongue is you.”  

Fireworks exploded in her chest and gut, a fizz of excitement glittering. Unexpected afternoon sex; it was a proposal most definitely to her liking. “Where’s closer, mine or yours?” 

“Mine,” he confirmed, rising from his seat as he pulled out his phone. “Westminster is a fucking ball ache of a drive at this time in the day.”  

He wasn’t wrong. While Sean called his driver, giving him the name of the coffee shop, Rin made a phone motion to her friends while mouthing ‘I’ll call later’, Rashida and Carly looking as alert as two meerkats keeping the watch at seeing their friend leave with the handsome young mystery man.  

Rashida couldn’t help the joke she made. It was too uncanny. “Little slag.” 

“Love you too, you knob.” Leaving to the sound of her friend's laughter, Rin joined Sean at the side of the curb, only waiting a few moments for the sleek, black Mercedes to pull up before them. He opened the door for her, Rin sliding in and moving across so he didn’t have to walk around, Sean climbing in and shutting the door with a soft clunk.  

“Home please, Tony.” he spoke to the driver, his eyes remaining ahead. She turned slightly to view him, feeling somewhat uneasy when he didn’t return her glance. Dropping her gaze, her thoughts began to race a little, jumping slightly when after a few moments, she felt his hand press to her thigh.  

It was a plan of effortless execution, Sean tracking her movements from afar for a few days prior, learning her daily routine. It truly had been as simple as turning up at her regular coffee shop prior to her usual time of arrival, turning on the charm and reaping the rewards. Leaning close, his beard tickled her earlobe, sending a thrill right through her. “I can’t wait to put my mouth between these fantastic legs of yours.”  

Neither could she.

[communist-octoling]

Even if the election was rigged, like it was in 2016, it is now clear that the current systems of our "Democracy" have failed us. The only way for the downtrodden and the Proletariat to break free of the systems of oppression that have held us captive since the creation of this nation is a violent revolution and overthrow of Capital, and the Bourgeois who control it. I believe that the only reason that this revolution has not taken place sooner is because of the lack of organized Socialist in the US, which is fully on purpose, as the ruling class have done everything in their power to stop the common folk from organizing for as long as the ruling class of this nation has existed (which, to reiterate, is as long and even longer than the amount of time that the US has existed). Another catalyst seen in successful revolutions that is absent in the US is a power figurehead, like that of Lenin, Castro, or Mao. This is once again the fault of the ruling class and their purge of forward thinking ideas from this nation, taking those who were suspected of being Socialists and Communists and arresting them and killing them. The largest organized Socialist group withing the US was the Black Panther Party, which, as many of you probably know, the Government eventually destroyed, by assassinating all of their leaders. However, while the Government has opposed every large scale left wing group within our country, this can be changed. With the recent election results (which haven't been fully counted, however Trump is only three votes from winning) many people who were previously opposed to Socialist ideology, will move further left in their politics, as they will be able to clearly see that the only way to stop a Fascist Autocrat from taking power is revolution. This is why I believe that, unless you somehow are completely unable to, it is every Americans duty to become involved in large scale Socialist movements, and to join in the revolution, even if you move abroad to escape the rise of Fascism.

To reiterate, the only route that will truly free the common people of America, is the violent overthrow of the current Capitalist system, and the trial and death of those who ruled it.

-Bel

[booasaur]

Not a surprise or a coincidence that two show with lesbian couple have been cancelled S19 and NCIS, almost in the same month and now on lesbian visibility week, they really hate us!

And another anon:

gahhh so sad ncis Hawaii was cancelled 😢 I really thought they had the green light for a fourth season. Feels really bleak for a show doing so well to be cancelled. Was it really just the wlw rep that killed it?

It really is upsetting. And I WAS surprised, anon! Not so much by S19, seven years is a long time and with 9-1-1 moving to ABC, it was a long shot they would keep both. But NCIS were supposed to be safe! All through the rest of the cancelations these last couple years, I'd think, well, at least NCIS Hawai'i will be fine. Look at the longevity of these series (cancelled in red):

It was a baby! It didn't even get a proper season 3, with the strike.

And to be replaced with what? The conservative safety of an origin story of the franchise's first main white guy and a show with also a long-running popular m/f couple, where one lead's a Mossad agent and the other's played by an abuser?

As with the BYG trend, it's not just the loss of representation that's so unsettling, it's the awareness that this is a bellwether for society at large. If there's no longer the same safety in writing us in as there's been in even these last few years, which hadn't reached any kind of parity, that's kind of worrying.

As for whether they hate us or if these were cancelled because of the wlw rep? While these last few years have given us an especially intimate look into the kind of openly terrible men in all kinds of powerful positions, from Elon to Zaslav, I think at this level this is mostly a business decision, which is almost worse? In the same way that a bunch of corporations decided it was good business to start marketing to us during Pride was, pulling back also indicates how they think things are going.

And how they think things are going is also pretty crucial here, because there are a lot of biases at play too. During the 2016 BYGs, it wasn't so much a matter of bad trends for us at large (at the time, lol, the bulk of them happened in spring and summer), it was more a culmination of a bunch of writers going "I have no use for this wlw character and can create drama from a death", more a disinterest than an actual hate. While I don't think networks are cancelling whole shows based on f/f ships not even involving leads, I think there are still some things to consider here:

First, it's simply more likely that significant wlw rep will be on a show that's more diverse in general. THAT might get a target on their back in this climate. It's not just queer rep but POC-led shows getting cancelled in high numbers too.

Secondly, that disinterest in queer rep means there's no real buy-in or championing of these shows, you know? Where an exec might have fought for another show, really believed in it, they're okay with letting this one go. Like, that's not where they see a big success.

There suddenly seem to be so few ongoing shows in general, I think any kind of course correction will have to take that into account, but hopefully it's sooner rather than later.