#a misunderstood performance

[nopoodles]

Prompt: Lost

OCs: Merry + Kalik From: Guardian Cadet Series Spoilers: Mild (They’re in a relationship here, which doesn’t happen until the end of the first book, but I’ve told you now so)

Title: A Misunderstood Performance

“Okay,” I hissed into Kalik’s ear. “I’m lost. What’s happening now?”

The way his cheek moved under my mouth told me he was smiling that specific smile that meant he was about to tell me I’d opened his world up… again. He leaned over, pressing his own mouth to my ear. “Haven’t you heard this story before?”

“No.”

“It’s a tragic romance. Their families are feuding but they fall in love anyway.”

“I got that part. It’s where we are now that I’m struggling.”

“I’ll tell you at the interval.”

I didn’t ask him what an interval was. No need to open that particular jar of magic. The idea of going on a date to see a show had been appealing when I had thought it would be more like Lior’s shows at Jhoto's – not specifically that after her decree that I was no longer welcome in the bar but something akin to it. A show that happened for people to dip in and out of, the purpose to put some background to the outing, to fill any silence that might otherwise become uncomfortable.

This, however, was an entirely different beast. Rows of seats lined one behind each other, too close for my personal comfort levels and with an uncomfortable arm rest between me and the only person in the entire building I wouldn’t have minded sharing space with. And we had to be quiet and watch the story play out in front of us, with melodramatic and archaic human language. Maybe it if had been in ancient Elven I might have stood a better chance.

Thankfully it wasn’t too long before the performers disappeared into the wings and the lights came up in the seating area. I lurched to my feet, desperate to move, even if it wasn’t the end yet.

“Let’s get some air,” Kalik suggested, taking my hand and leading me past the other audience members with some difficulty. Seriously, who put these seats so close together? I’d waited tables and it was easier than this.

The night air was pleasantly cool. I leaned against the rough sandstone of the building and let out a soft groan. “Okay, explain it to me.”

“You’re not having fun,” Kalik said instead.

“What?”

“I thought you would like it. I thought it would be an accessible story for you. Like your Tale Of The Moon Prince but… We don’t have to go back in.”

The offer would have been tempting but the way Kalik’s shoulders had dropped told all too well that not subjecting myself to another hour or more of confusing melodrama would seem like a rejection. Would hurt him. And I didn’t want to hurt Kalik. “Just try explaining it to me again,” I insisted.

“It’s an old Human story. These two kids meet and fall in love but their families won’t let them be together.”

I nodded. Again, I understood that part. But now we’d reached a different stage of it where all the different characters with unfamiliar names were running around with apparent purpose that I couldn’t understand.

“They’re both supposed to be engaged to someone else and they want to leave their fiance’s to be together. We just watched them sneak away to get married without telling anyone.”

I frowned. Didn’t seem like legitimate marriage as far as I understood it but this was an old Human story so maybe their rules were different.

“But I brought you because I thought, since reading isn’t your favourite but you like stories, and you used to work at Jhoto's, that a play might… I should have picked a musical.”

“Musical?”

“Music and play all in one. The characters sing when their emotions get too much to bear.”

“That does sound more… But the tiny chairs, Kalik!”

“What?”

“The chairs, they’re tiny. And people keep giving me looks.”

“Because you came in normal day clothes.”

I looked down at my baggy hooded overtop and trousers. “What’s wrong with my clothes?”

“People tend to dress nicely for dates.”

My head jerked to take in his outfit. Now that he mentioned it, he wasn’t in Uniform either. He wasn’t even in one of his might-as-well-be-Uniform outfits of white shirt and black trousers. Instead Kalik had donned a purple buttoned shirt. He’d even plaited his hair off his forehead.

“I didn’t know,” I whispered.

He smiled that soft smile. The one that carried just a little guilt. “I should have said.”

“I should have asked someone. I told Kitty I was going on a date and he didn’t say anything!”

“Merry, do you even own other clothes?”

“I… don’t.” I’d never seen the need to expand my wardrobe past what was appropriate for work at Jhoto's – where the rule had been ‘wear black’ and then my Guardian Uniforms. I rubbed my face. “I feel like I’m making a mess of this already.”

“You’re just unique.”

I levelled a soft glare at him. “That has never proved a positive trait so far.”

“Well, I like you anyway.”

“For now.”

“Hey.” He brushed soft fingers across my cheek, encouraging but not forcing me to look at him. “Not just for now.”

I pressed my lips to his. “Tell me what’s going to happen in the next bit and we can go back in. If I know the story I’ll follow it easier.”

“I’m not a great storyteller.”

“Can’t be worse than me.”

He laughed. “That’s true.”

This has been A Misunderstood Performance by Will Soulsby-McCreath. Feel absolutely free to reblog around Tumblr but don't copy and paste to anywhere else (c) Will Soulsby-McCreath

#ockiss24 #oc kiss week #writeblr #writing #fiction #short story #fantasy #lgbtqia+ #lgbt characters #guardian cadet series #merry arlan: breaking the curse #merry arlan: finding the heir #a misunderstood performance

[mymp3]

minato is literally fucking jesus why cant people be nicer to him I'm going to throw a car into oncoming traffic

#compendiumnotebook #it's forever annoying that people boil him down to 'annoying little shit emo boy omg hes so mean loll" LIKE #no shit but you're missing the entire point of his character is that he's infinitely kind #INFINITELY #he didnt just do what he did for sees he did what he did for everyone #because he loves everyone so deeply #and even though he was treated poorly by the world and by those around him #INCLUDING sees #he still performed it #sees only became friends at the end and thats so important #sees were not friends in the same way as actual friends were. they were coworkers. they were peers at most. #and minato #who is constantly expierencing chronic and burning pain #who is always tired and sick #tries so hard #but hes snappy and mean and percieved that way because he goes through a million different hoops that people dont know about #he works 15x as hard and is misunderstood #he lived a misunderstood boy and yknow what #that's still true for when he's dead #misunderstood in life and death #AND THEN PEOPLE BOIL HIM DOWN TO EMO BOY IM GONNA COMMIT A FELONY

[bookshelfdreams]

friendly reminder that

"I love everything about you."

#GOD #this obliterated me. hit me like a distracted driver in a semitrailer hits the end of a traffic jam #its perfect <3 #as beautiful as a well-executed 'i love you' can be it's also a bit generic #can be said to anyone; you can love people for any reason and without really knowing them #(in fact not really knowing them can b prerequisite to the sentiment lol) #you can love the idea or the concept of someone #& i'm not saying it's always or even usually like that; just pointing out that someone who is used to putting on a performance for others #wouldn't be likely to interpret it as anything than a general statement of affection that comes with some conditions. would he. #& anyway ed seems to have a casual relationship w the word love. 'i love you' doesn't have to b a big deal #this though. this is 'i KNOW you. your best your worst and everything inbetween #and i love all of it' #which is just so. #okay first of all the perfect way for stede to express that sentiment; of course he would say that #of course he who constantly tries to create for others the sort of environment he never had #constantly tries to supply the things no one ever gave him #(because he never wants anyone to feel like he did; lonely misunderstood unloved) #of course he would fucking say that #but also just. hhhhrrrrrrrrrgghgggggghhhhhhhhh. you know. #our flag means death #ofmd trailer

[susansontag]

not to vent about my flatmate but my other flatmate (let’s say B) and I were texting a bit earlier bc A was in the kitchen on loudspeaker to her bf having a really loud conversation whilst we were trying to work in our rooms (this is normal behaviour for A, I have no clue why she has to be so loud just talking on the phone). some yoghurt had spilled out of the fridge when A opened it and she seemed to be very dramatically playing up this event on phone to her bf, so I sent a really mild text saying I know she was experiencing difficulties but I was really trying to finish my essay and it was a bit noisy. all seemed fine when I sent this she said sure ok hope it’s going well

walked into kitchen a bit ago, A is cooking, and she turns to me and says she really doesn’t appreciate that I effectively sent ‘hey, shut up’ whilst she was having a really hard time and it would have been nicer of me to go out of my room and ask if she was okay. she said she’d been crying at the time. this was news to me and I told her that I thought she’d been laughing about the spilt yoghurt over the phone to bf and that it hadn’t been that serious. she said okay I understand that but then revealed she’d been upset because she’d had a dream about her assault... idk I’m just oddly baffled by this whole interaction, I can’t really be blamed for not having known this

I get her being upset in the moment if she thought I’d sent that whilst I knew she was crying but she’d just been dramatically describing her bad luck to her bf in a not v serious sounding way... and my knowing she was actually upset kind of relies on her thinking I should have been fully attuned to her convo whilst I was busy working anyway. like ugh I feel crummy about this a bit but I actually feel a bit pissed that every time I take one for the team and express what B and I feel about something it’s turned back on me as though I’ve behaved wrongly. this sort of happened before too when A’s bf was round a lot without her clarifying it properly. I’m not always the bad guy like............. why must you perform a monologue in our flat so much. AITA? yet to be seen ;_;

oh also she came in initially to say to me can I please not move her yoghurt around the fridge as it had been moved to a basket and that’s why it dropped. I said it hadn’t been me because it wasn’t lol. idk it was just frustrating to feel like I was being blamed for everything when she was being like. just so much

#anyways im just venting #but it's like she's performing she's so loud #B said it sounded like a soap opera and also had no clue she was rly upset. for context #if she'd said she'd misunderstood then maybe I wouldn't be annoyed but I feel like I'm still being blamed for like #not being psychic #moth.txt

[musicvideo-aesthetics]

The Animals: Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood (1965) (x)

#music video #Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood #The Animals #the animals edit #don't let me be misunderstood edit #1960s #live performance #tv performance #black and white #music video edit #gif #gifset #song of the day #music

[ironmanstan]

something something the portrayal of masking in american psycho was very interesting when looked at from a neurodivergent angle. bateman being so agonizingly desperate and caught on things like business cards and his beauty routines and such even moreso than his colleagues due to him prioritizing what he sees everyone else valuing rather than him valuing these things internally, and thus does not know what to do other than overcompensate in these areas to present a base level of "normalcy" and fit in. this coming to a head in the end when he realizes society is so stuck on these things rather than whatever may be going on in his internal world that he can get away with literal murder as long as he masks and blends into the crowd since the people around him can't even tell who they're talking to half the time to the point where his lawyer says he had lunch with a dead man

#this is my biggest thought on this entire movie i promise im not being like omg he just like me forreal #i just thought that it was really REALLY fucking interesting how they showed batemans interactions with others #and how he plays such a fucking performance of himself #and all his interactions with other people felt very hollow/weird/forced and its like #yknow mirroring #mirroring not in copying actions but in the mirrored acknowledgment of your emotional needs and those needs being met #<- something that doesnt happen with a lot of nd people and leads to them feeling eternally misunderstood #or not seeking out comfort when emotionally distressed #anyway its like hes stuck the entire movie being mirrored incorrectly due to this as well #guy is going down a spiral of murder and giving in further and further to his impulses #and yet hes met with smiles and people loving and trusting him #and then at the end this mirroring and the issues its caused come to a head and you REALLY see it blatantly #with him practically begging for his murder to be acknowledged but everyone thinks its a joke #its so fucking interesting #once again i know im comparing him to neurodivergent experience etc and i am nd but im not #one of those FUCKING FOOLS on tiktok #being like omg hes so me im just like him omg #look into my eyes understand my meaning and interpretation #compares him to the nd experience bc well this is the only experience in life i have #american psycho #the gamer speaks uwu #rohan rambles

[ellrond]

i deserve to be pretty and thin and good at social interactions instead i was born ugly and got fat and cant be normal around anyone ever i hate every part of who i am and it makes me even uglier

#awful to behold awful to be around etc etc #i would be so much happier if i was pretty and if i wasnt awkward #i know everyone feels misunderstood i know this is human experience #but does everyone else feel genuinely out of place and alien almost all the time #i dont feel out of place i feel like im performing at all times but im getting all the lines wrong #perhaps i could stand being ugly OR being weird #but being both is ummmmmmmmmmmm #i feel like a troll i feel like a monster i dont feel like a person

[the-alan-price-combo]

Alan mouthing Eric's words

~~~

"Around and Around" // 1964

"Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" // 1965

"Brother Bill (The Last Clean Shirt)" // 1976

"We Gotta Get Out Of This Place" // 1982

#i've wanted to gif all of these moments for ages... look at them........ #alan just falls into a rhythm whenever he performs with eric.... #even in 'misunderstood' where eric is already lip-syncing.... alan still can't help himself #that smile he has in the first set and the way he just gets... taken away in the last says it all #he does love 'eric burdon's singing'.... #alan price #eric burdon #the animals #classic rock #british invasion #rock music #the girl can't help it #so comfortable performing with each other.... #just....... look at alan in that second to last gif #no matter the year they're wonderful together and comfort me so much #gif #aleric #pricedon

[reikunrei]

it really honestly cracks me up that even when this idea of moral grayness is stated Explicitly on screen time and again, people still don’t take it to heart and actually apply it to all of the characters. yes, even our “big bad.” like, y’all didn’t realize that was the core theme of the show in season 1? and season 2? are you for real? “i’m the monster” “no you’re not. you saved me.” like that wasn’t clear enough for you? to see this little girl do bad things like kill people and call herself the monster right after doing something to help someone she just met? the fact that she opened this gate and let out this monster that killed and kidnapped people all across town and that is a Bad Thing, but she’s not a bad person for it? that wasn’t clear enough for you? and now they have to say it On Screen in the Fucking Script that there are no monsters and no superheroes, nothing is ever that black and white, and you’re STILL not??? listening??????? bye

#sorry im mad fhgjsdhkf it's just !!!! i dont fucking get it!!!! #moral grayness is only okay if you're the Good Guy i guess #but also you can't do something Too bad like *checks notes* hate cats #because NO THEYRE GOOD THEYD NEVER DO THAT #listen. sometimes. people who are trying to be good. also do bad things. and have bad things in their past #like that's normal. that's a normal thing #and more often than not. someone who is coded as Bad or Evil #either has a reason for the choices they made. or theyve misunderstood something. or they are being misunderstood by others #get off of the internet and out of your preachy self righteous echo chambers please please please #go talk to a stranger at the supermarket i beg of you #stop making moral goodness into a performance WE ARE ALL ON THE SAME LEVEL PLAYING FIELD. WE ARE ALL HUMAN #go take an anthropology course or smthn jesus christ #i say things #stranger things #you dont want me to start going on about how brenner had a reason for being as fucked up as he was and he thought it was a Good reason

[bonnysis]

.

#aotv #aotv spoilers #I just saw the doc and if one thing really came through is that Louis is an amazing person (to sit and admire what he’s like? yes) #who loves and cares deeply for people around him like his family and his friends #and here I am reading anons and blogs being all like ‘why is he portraying a stunt and using the passing of him to sell it’ #and I am just shocked that some people would rather believe he would do that #than to admit that they were wrong #anyways #if you still believe this is a stunt #then Louis should get an Oscar or something #because he was crying and he was really overwhelmed by emotion when his kid was to see him perform #so there’s that #*the passing of his mum #P.S. adding just to clarify #yes I was here in 2015 & 2016 etc etc and yes it was sketchy af #but it is clear now years after that we misunderstood what that was #I am putting myself among those people who at some point had to say ‘oh well I guess I was wrong’ #and don’t give me the if you believe Larry is/was together then Louis can’t be a dad #because that’s not the real world works #in my humble opinion #the 2 things can coexist #and probably did at some point

[idabbleincrazy]

So... we're all basically of the consensus that Spike's middle name was Henry, right?

#i still find it odd that they gave him Karloff's real name instead of tying him to Legosi somehow #you know...the guy who was actually famous for playing a vampire??! #guess they were going with the misunderstood monster theme of his Frankenstein performance 🤷🏻‍♀️

[1discolover]

i know i need to move out sooner than later cause i get pissed off whenever my mom comes back home and the fun/relaxation vibes are over.

#my relationship with her is the way it is because i suck at performing perfect dutiful obedient daughter #like i always felt like there was something wrong with (me) but i realized all along i’m just who i am and i’m surrounded by people who #cannot accept me nor love me unconditionally and just want to box me into a role in order to (love) me and that just .. isn’t love #if i have to be a certain way dress a certain way or even believe in the same things they do then i’m worthy of their love but i refuse #to compromise on that cause that isn’t even compromise it’s just control #so many ppl know nothing about what love truly is unconditional love especially #its so painful #i guess i’ll have to get used to being constantly misunderstood but that’s just a sign that i’m surrounded by people who don’t/will never #bother to make the effort to understand me #cold and emotionally closed off then when i finally closed myself off from them IM being called the cold/emotionally closed off #idk where this has gone off bud i’m just venting at this point #being raised around narcissists be like: 🤪

[namimikan]

honestly most dukat ships were great on the basis of hating dukat and never budging an inch, no matter how ingratiating he got. dukat/sisko, dukat/kira, dukat/winn, dukat/garak. i looked forward to all these interactions and them getting increasingly more fed up with him.

damn you mark alaimo for that fantastic charisma

#trekking stars #unfortunately i do think you need to believe from within that dukat is a misunderstood hero to deliver such a fab performance #but like… he isn’t a hero at all

[smalleevee]

trying to listen to music while I fall asleep but I keep getting too excited when a song I like comes on (they are all songs I like I am listening to my own music library)

#you expect me to lay here motionless while visions by bmth and drive by pale waves are playing in these headphones? #back to back nonetheless?!?! #I am filled with the spirit of Joan of Arc I am a misunderstood young woman I am performing for an audience of none #and I have work at 6:00 in the morning so I'm gonna turn the music off now #this did remind me to hang my Joan of Arc print though so that's good #personal

[meetmeinthesandbox]

In 1992, Sinead O'Connor ripped up a picture of the Pope on live television, in protest of the rampant child sexual abuse the Catholic Church was actively covering up.

Ten days later, she was scheduled to perform at Madison Square Gardens, as part of a celebration of Bob Dylan. As soon as she got to the microphone, the audience began loudly booing her, seemingly in unison.

The organizers tasked Kris Kristofferson with removing O'Connor from the stage. He instead went out and put his arm around her and checked in on her and stayed until she'd steadied herself and was ready to perform. When she came off stage, he wrapped her in a bear hug.

"Sinead had just recently on Saturday Night Live torn up a picture of the Pope, in a gesture that I thought was very misunderstood. And she came out and got booed. They told me to go get her off the stage and I said 'I'm not about to do that'

I went out and I said 'Don't let the bastards get you down'. She said 'I'm not down' and she sang. It was very courageous. It just seemed wrong to me, booing that little girl out there. But she's always had courage."

#sinead o'connor #kris kristofferson #punk rock #timeless cool #courage

[lifeonmarz-blog]

What I think of Lilith through the houses

Both polarities blended together, Enjoy!

Sb: pls take it with a grain of salt if it doesn’t apply let it fly.

1st: dogmatic views, do as I say not as I do, attracted to the bad boy/bad girl, relationships with promiscuous people, openly opinionated, body dysmorphia, magnetic aura, captivating presence, traditional views when it benefits them, competitive, strong work ethic, very attractive but it may be hard for them to see it, money is power and they know this, dark humor, gets people to open up easily, self imposed restrictions, victim mentality.

2nd: jealous co workers, insecure without money, focused on long term success, thinking outside the box, quirky, illusions around upbringing, favorite child, should embrace new perspectives //possibilities, attracted to the outcasted, can feel pressured to help others, victims of betrayal, takes shortcuts to get what they want, responsible with money, loves the idea of love but not the commitment, pressure to perform well.

3rd: secret teller, uses sex for power, uses communication for power, odd sex appeal, unique style, entrepreneurial mindset, self motivated, driven, spiritual blessings through others, easily adaptable, loved by women, team player, liar, familiar with the underworld from a young age, ambitious, fast thinker, prefers to be coupled up, questions others authenticity.

4th: self driven, “been there done that” vibe, quirky sense of humor, untrustworthy mother, misuse of sexual energy, confusion around self identity, jumping from relationship to relationship, doesn’t know when to let a relationship go, generous in relationships, charming with their words, idealistic about love, passionate, cold demeanor, manifest desires easily, persistent with what they want, right place right time, hard worker, likes/requires routine, attracts/likes conflict, dramatic relationships, impulsive, loves adventure, victim of betrayal, liar, self destructive, possessive, comes across as intimidating.

5th: charming, witty, self destructive, overly emotional, lashing out, makes friends with common interest easily, convincing, attracts money easily, make it and get it right back mentality, lacks patience, needs to do things in moderation, anxiety, worry, fear of the unknown, depression, needs to find peace within themselves, overly serious, scattered brain, life of the party, big personality, attracted to big personalities, lives outside the box, always standing out in the crowd.

6th: requires stability, shame around upbringing, lacks self esteem, thinks too much before acting, hasty careless movements, overworks the body, running from thoughts, overwhelms themselves, feels they have something to prove, intellectual, restricts sexual desire, attachments issues, addicted to ideas/belief systems, reliable, helpful, resourceful, natural leader, feels they have big burdens, should let go and be more carefree.

7th: feels misunderstood, values family dynamics, strength, disconnected from others, integrity questioned, do what they want not what their told, distorted view of family and relationships, strong intuition, divine feminine, nurturing spirit, frequent conflicts, lacking accountability, escaping justice, partners that bring out the worst, popularity, unique voice, charming, very opinionated, sexually explorative, calm before the storm.

8th: relationships that alter view on sex, emotionally manipulative, self critical, overworks themselves, always stressed about time, too much on their plate, overwhelm, self sufficient, luxury, abundance, doesn’t rely on others to make things happen, can see their plans through, should flow more with life, slow down and take your time, receives a lot of gifts, also gives a lot too, gift of gab, dark humor, sneaky vibe.

9th: comes off quiet but really a social butterfly, confident, independent, determined, chooses partners that talk disrespectful to them, lacks self discipline, easily unmotivated, changes paths often, loves podcast, sweet words, jack of all trades master at none, trust your intuition, many rebirths, it’s okay to be the student, don’t fear growth, insecure about how their perceived, feeling misvalued in relationships, hard time feeling ready enough”.

10th: home body but equally likes being outside, big family lots of kids, multiple baby daddy’s/baby mamas, impulsive decisions, gets a lot of attention from their outfits, defending your beliefs to the public, advocating social issues, underdog, very intelligent, people come to them for advice, secret relationships, weighs the risk vs reward, doesn’t value others opinions, brushes issues off, truth seeker/ truth teller, would rather work alone, loves love, attracts a lot of haters and secret fans, always partnered up or wants to be, gets lied to a lot, so much potential, generous, loves to be a provider, doing the same thing and expecting different results, strong emotional world.

11th: inflexible, likes to dominate others, would benefit from connecting to Mother Earth, jealousy, overwhelmed by responsibilities, loves to be in a relationship, creative, doesn’t invest time properly, wasteful with their energy, sharing wealth, attract fake friends, friends are very different from them, very confident demeanor, don’t get along with women, very convincing, two sides like a Gemini, a lot of love to give hopeful it’s not being misused.

12th: reserved, quite but a social butterfly, courageous, loves learning new things especially darker subjects, wants their voice heard on a public forum, should take time to be alone to hear your own voice and strength intuition, fear of change, escaping at the nick of time, learning to develop personal beliefs, people pleasing, strong will, persistent, misuse of power, direct, quiet power, reads the room.

#astrology #12th house #astrology101 #astrologyfacts #8th house #wellbeing #astro notes #pluto aspects #Lilith #chiron #astrologychart #pluto astrology #astrologyzone