#love in the age of coronavirus

[foolishlovers]

hiii!!! do u have any recs for long AUs??? thank you! :]

of course, i love long good omens AUs, here are some of my favourites:

[you can request more fic recs here.]

Golden Handcuffs by seekwill (E, 70k) Far from any city, near the Scottish coast, Tadfield College has a celebrated history, an unrivaled academic reputation, and two departments at war. When the Biology and English departments are forced to share a building, Senior Lecturer and botanist Anthony Crowley finds himself drawn into the orbit of the polite but strange English professor, Dr. Aziraphale Fell. As the new term begins, two academics navigate the politics of both their offices and academia, and try to solve the puzzle of one another.

Fifty-Two Blue by bendycello (M, 84k) It would be a gross understatement to say that Crowley simply didn't like Aziraphale. He was posh and stuffy and arrogant, and Crowley couldn't figure out why everyone else in the program liked him so much. It hardly mattered; they were competitors, and Crowley didn't need to make friends to become a surgeon. It takes several unleasant encounters, the excessive use of house plants as a coping mechanism, and getting stuck in an elevator for Crowley to start reconsidering his priorities. Or… Crowley and Aziraphale are surgical interns with competitive streaks a mile wide each, and they really do not like each other at all. Until they do.

Waking Up Slow by the_moonmoth (E, 87k) “Then you’ll just have to come back with me," Aziraphale said. “You what?” “You’ll have to come and isolate with me, at my cottage.” The thing about messing with people, Crowley thought, was that sometimes, they genuinely surprised you. After both being exposed to coronavirus, total strangers Crowley and Aziraphale are forced to wait out their isolation together. A tale of soft winter romance by the sea.

Slow Show by mia_ugly (E, 95k) In which temptations are accomplished, grand romantic gestures are made, and two ineffable co-stars only take four seasons of an award-winning television program to realize they’re on their own side (at last, at last.)

Car Trouble by summerofspock (E, 102k) Aziraphale's car breaks down so he takes it to the first mechanic he can find. From there, his mundane life changes drastically as he finds himself befriending the man fixing his car.

on the same page by Chekhov (E, 117k) Aziraphale Z. Fell is a rising star of the spiritual literary genre - the next Eat Pray Love guy - and his version of Chicken Soup For the Christian Soul is flying off the shelves. It's not that he's not grateful, but it's one thing to enjoy a career in writing and another completely to be pigeonholed into a specific genre, so much so that you are almost forbidden from writing anything else. So yes, maybe he has a bit of a secret. An outlet for his less… appropriate urges. And yes, if his typical readership got word of the sort of paragraphs he could put out on a particularly inspired night, they might suffer some form of heart attack typical for their age. But all of that is well hidden, and there is absolutely no way anyone would ever find out about his Arrangement with A.J. Crowley - the most debaucherous romantic fiction author of the decade. That is… until they have to pretend to be married to each other.

Married at First Sight by Aracloptia (T, 146k) “Well, that was a thing,” Crowley said once they were out of earshot. Without talking about it, they were both heading down the field, towards the lake where the photographer (and likely a few more people from the TV crew) was waiting. “That was a wedding,” Aziraphale replied, surprised at his own annoyance that somebody called a wedding a ‘thing’. “Yeah, obviously, didn’t miss that part,” Crowley said with a shrug, and waved abruptly in Aziraphale’s general direction. “Neither did you, from the looks of it, since you’re dressed like a wedding bride and everything.” “Excuse me, I am a—“ Aziraphale stopped himself, and started over. In which Aziraphale ends up marrying a rude stranger who wears sunglasses.

Old Vines by sevdrag (E, 189k) A.Z. Fell, one of the most respected names in wine and food blogging, has been sent on assignment with his assistant Warlock Dowling to spend six months in California Wine Country. Under direction (by his boss, Gabriel) to use this experience to double his blog followers and write a novel, Aziraphale is both excited and anxious about the opportunity. Anthony J. Crowley is the owner and viticulturalist of Ecdyses, a winery that unexpectedly fell into his lap eleven years ago when he hit rock bottom. He may be in debt, yeah, but he’s paying off his loans — and despite pressure from his lenders and their team of inspectors, Crowley has found a kind of contentment tending his little corner of terroir and producing extraordinary wine. Crowley’s old vines are the heart of his vineyard, and he’s never let anyone in. Crowley finds Aziraphale intriguing; Aziraphale finds Crowley enthralling. Turns out a famous wine expert and an experienced viticulturalist can still learn things from each other. The summer of 2019 unfolds.

What We Make of It (Shotgun Wedding) by charlottemadison (E, 213k) The important thing, Crowley tells himself -- the most important thing -- is Adam, his brilliant, creative, empathetic nephew. Being fourteen's hard enough; the kid didn't ask to deal with the weight of the world on top of it. And if taking care of Adam means Crowley has to tough it out at a job he can’t stand, so be it. And if Crowley's job means that Adam’s charming English teacher is NOT a romantic possibility, well, that's just how things go. But the occasional drink with Aziraphale proves hard to resist. They frequent the same pub, so who can object to them saying hello? Briefly sharing a table? Perhaps a little conversation? The painful knowledge that it can’t be anything more -- not without somebody getting fired or sued or both -- well, that can't be helped. Until Crowley stumbles onto a terribly reckless idea…

#you've come to the right place #i love nothing more than immersing myself in a really long good omens fic shshhs #if anyone has some recs for me PLS go ahead and send them!! #good omens #good omens human au #good omens fanfic #good omens fic #aziraphale x crowley #aziracrow #aziracrow fic #good omens fic rec #foolish recs #go fic masterpost

[yume4evere]

Message from Hino

Volume 9

the feeling of wanting to say something

Thank you for reading. This is the 9th volume of Vampire Knight Memories. As someone who loves bookstores, I am truly honored and happy that they continue to publish not only electronic versions but also paper books. What was commonplace in the past is no longer so… These are the days when I am savoring the present. I can only express my gratitude to all the readers who have been with me this far. Because, as I have said many times, the book would not have been published if there were no readers. And I don't think i would have continued the manga in the first place. So, thank you very much. Thank you for your letter as well. There are probably two more volumes of memories left.

From here on, I will explain Hino's real life now.

A worsening of a chronic disease, hospitalization for surgery, abnormalities in eyesight and knuckles, contracting the new coronavirus and its after-effects, aging parents, parting ways with a calico cat who i loved her like a daughter… It has overlapped over the past few years. I try to separate my daily joys, angers, and sorrows so that they don't affect the inner parts of the story, but I don't know if I've been successful. All I can tell is that my boldness, calmness, and sensitivity to excitement have softened. I know this, so I always worry about it. However, the damage to my mind and body that I sustained in my daily life had an impact on the series itself. The editor in charge and the people at the printing shop really made the most of their time, and thanks to that, I managed to get it to the magazine, but it wasn't very complete…it was the best I could do to write this sentence. Now that I'm on vacation, I've been receiving treatment, I've gotten used to taking on the responsibilities of my parents, and I feel like I've recovered from the damage.

Sudden suspension of publication, reduced number of pages, and above all, the completeness of the manuscript screen. There are more things that are better than pencil sketches.

That kind of thing has increased.

Just a little more.

I want to do my best. I hope you will stay with me until the end.

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the person in charge and everyone who has been involved in bringing this manga to the world, to O. Mizo-sama and his A. Ichiya-sama who are always my assistants, and to everyone who reads it.

Hino Festival

#Message from Hino #it's Good bye #vampire knight #vampire knight memories #hino matsuri #kaname kuran #yuuki kuran #yume #eternal yume #yume ship #vkm #vk #author

[qalbtalk]

Casper 🐾♥️ 2010–2024

These past few months have altered the trajectory of my life indelibly. Things you were always scared of can happen, and so can those that you never imagined. I have now lived through both.

Casper in kaffan | Casper's body being escorted away | Casper's grave is beyond that fence

Casper passed away on Wednesday evening after two weeks of rapidly deteriorating health. He had been fussy with food and was losing weight for a while now--my brother thought it was a sign of aging, mama thought it was his dental issues again but none of us imagined that he was fighting for his life. Last Saturday his vet said that he may be suffering from FIP (Feline Infectious Peritonitis), also known as cat coronavirus. Cats are exposed to it sometime in their life and when the virus mutates, there is nothing you can do. Casper was a perfectly healthy, indoor cat. His first blood test came back normal. The vet put him on IV fluids and it felt like he would be okay because after that visit he ate a bit, groomed himself and even seemed playful. I was hopeful he would recover from whatever was ailing him. However, things deteriorated over the weekend when he threw up blood and wasn't able to use his litter box. We were back to see the vet on Monday to have fluid drained from his abdomen as his x-rays showed a steady build-up. The vet kept the fluid in case we chose to have it tested but told us it wasn't a good sign and the prognosis was not good. I prayed so much that he would somehow survive, that if he was in pain, it would end and he would be blessed with complete shifa—we all did. Between Hasan and I, we read all we could about FIP and the experimental drug that exists but is not FDA-approved. I asked the doctor to send the fluid for analysis so we can know if we might be able to do something for him but he left us before his results came back. The report showed early signs of liver failure and heart disease. We don't really know his official diagnosis.

His last few nights with us were so painful to watch. I came back home and slept in the living room with him so I could be there in case he got sick. He drank so much water and threw up a lot. Casper was super picky about cleanliness—he refused to eat in a bowl that hadn't been washed. I cried a lot when I had to wash his paws because he was too weak to do so himself. He chose to go on his own terms and didn't burden us with having to euthanize him. We always thought Casper would live for 18-20 years like an indoor cat is supposed to, in fact I planned for it. He was my baby, but we plan and Allah plans and His plans are better.

If you don't have a pet, you will not understand any of it. People can treat animals very poorly. I remember stories from back home of dogs being kicked and shot; cats being shooed away or mishandled. Casper taught us what loving an animal really means. It's been three days since he passed away. I know what I'm supposed to believe. I know what Islam says but my heart is shattered. The irony is that even on the day he passed, I attended a workshop on grief and adjustment through a trauma informed lens for an entirely different reason. I just didn't know that I would need to apply it to something else too. My manager told me to take the next two days to focus on Casper because I broke down in his office. I texted the family group chat all day checking on him, asking if he ate, used the litter box, if he was okay. I kept telling Hasan and papa not to talk hopelessly because he would sense it if we were giving up on him. We had to remain positive for him. 

Casper was my heart. He was a regular feature on my old blog. From his cute habits to his antics, he kept us all entertained for 13.5 years. He was the 3rd child, or as I liked to call him, baby 2.5. He came to live with us when he was only 8-weeks old. We used to joke that he doesn't live in our house, we live in his. He was so spoiled. He used to nap in front of the fireplace. We would leave it on for him in the winter. Mama used to heat up his food for 8-seconds before giving it to him and would say bismillah three times and pet his head before he would eat. Papa would clean his litter box every two-days because he would not use it otherwise. From his four different cat beds, he still preferred to sleep on mine even though I wasn't there. He spent the majority of his time in my room during his last two weeks with us. Leaving him behind was the hardest decision I had to make and I missed him everyday. I came over every weekend to see him. Now that he is gone, I can't sleep in that room or on that bed. It's too painful without him purring and cuddling with me. The whole house feels empty. We all feel as if he'll come around the corner anytime and ask us to pick him up or feed him. 

We all cried so much, Casper. You don't know what you meant to us or maybe you did, which is why you tried to make everyone happy on the last day you were with us. Cats tend to isolate completely when they’re close to passing but you let us remain close to you because you knew we needed it—maybe you did too. You went to see papa upstairs in his bedroom before he left for work because you knew it was the last time he'd see you alive. We all wonder how you made it upstairs at all because you could barely walk. You slow-blinked at mama to let her know it was okay when you almost slipped from her grasp coming down the stairs because you were so weak. You let Hasan pet you. And most of all you waited for me to come see you after work…  I had barely taken off my jacket and come to you before I realized you weren't breathing right. Your pupils had dilated and your tongue was sticking out as you tried to breathe. We called your vet who told us to take you to the emergency pet hospital. I quickly wrapped you in your favourite blanket. I know you didn't like going outside and it was -30°C that evening. But before we had even turned the corner of our street, you took your last breath in my arms. Hasan ran upstairs to cry when we came back inside. I called papa who was on his way home. Mama was crying. We laid you down in front of the fireplace in your favourite bed. Your heart was still beating even though you weren't breathing. The Isha azaan started and your heart stopped too… along with a huge part of mine. 

You were with me for 40% of my life, Casper, and knew everything. You were my best friend, the one who stayed with me when I was sick, the one who cuddled with me as I cried, the one who kept my secrets, the one who witnessed every phase of my life, helped write my thesis, mend my broken heart, gave me hope and strengthened my faith. After losing X a few months ago, I had given up on everything. The state of the world with Gaza on fire didn't help either. Everywhere I looked, I saw devastation. Nothing felt good or right. I was living on auto-pilot. I deleted my blog too. My only comfort was you and now you're gone too. 

Everywhere I look now, I see you. We keep finding your fur everywhere, your old toys, the name tag you never wore, your whole medical file, your food bowls and beds. I have 10,000+ photos of you because you’re all I took photos of. You didn't talk but your love was unconditional. Love between humans can hurt with words or actions but your love only came with goodness and without reproach. We had so many names for you—Casper, Capu, Capi, Chowdhury saab (papa's favourite)—you responded to all of them. You were a bit cross eyed and your white paws, nose spot and ear cut made you truly adorable. You loved creamy dairy treats, ras malai and mango-flavoured desserts though you were not interested in any other human food. You prayed with mama and I, listened to the Qur'an, and fasted with us for 13 years in Ramadan. I don't care what anyone says; you were a Muslim cat. I couldn't imagine cremating you even though that's common for pets here. If it was summer, we would have buried you in our backyard but Allah heard me and you found a place in the ground. The workers were so kind when they heard we had brought our pet. You got a special escort in the back of a service truck. The night before we buried you was the hardest to get through because we wrapped you in a white pillowcase and laid you outside in your favourite bed to preserve your body in the cold. At -23°C, it was colder than the freezer. You didn't like the cold. I visit your grave every day because I miss you so much. I haven't slept properly in days and my right eye hurts constantly. If given a choice on any of my prayers being accepted, I would choose to bring you back. Please know that you were truly loved. So many people miss you, even those that only met you once or twice. So many have sent flowers that our house may as well be a garden. I imagine even better for you in jannah.    I know you're in jannah in the largest kitty palace Allah made for you, with an all-you-can-eat treat buffet. I hope you're happy and I pray I reunite with you soon, inshaAllah. Please forgive us if we ever hurt you and made you unhappy in any way. Thank you for loving me so much that you waited for me even on your last day. I will never forget you.

#my photos #casper #i didn't know hasan took a photo of him after death but im thankful for it now

[fallingrealms16]

Sterek Fic Recs PART1 <3

Sterek fics? Yes ofc, because I know we always need them to fill our sad little lonely souls..no just me? Buckle up because this is the list of all my favourite Sterek fics that have stolen my heart and live in my shower thoughts:

The Great Bi Awakening by HisBeloved

11.8K Words // Chapters: 34/? // Hits: 34K // UNCOMPLETED

//Explicit//

The Sterek social isolation quarantine room mates fic no one asked for, OR After Berkeley evicts the students because of coronavirus and Lydia breaks up with him, Stiles finds himself living with Derek Hale. Because they are almost best friends

2. We're caught in stone, you know we might not make it by LanaCanisLupus_22

29.7K Words // Chapters: 2/2 // Hits: 80K // COMPLETED

//Explicit//

The one where Derek and Stiles are childhood buddies who lost touch and reconnect by chance at college. Only they end up doing a lot more than just reconnecting.

3. I know that you love me, even when I lose my head by LanaCanisLupus_22

135.5K Words // Chapters: 13/13 // Hits: 464K // COMPLETED

//Explicit//

The one where Derek gets attacked by hunters, ends up with amnesia and forgets Stiles is his mate

4. Magic Words by Thomaddicted

188K Words // Chapters: 40/40 // Hits: 56K // COMPLETED

//Explicit//

Derek Hale is confused by Stiles Stilinski, or at least Derek's sexuality is confused. He knows that Stiles feels some kind of way toward him, but a discovery on Stiles' laptop leaves no question to HOW much Stiles likes him. This would be fine, if they weren't also fighting Big Bads, Bad Alphas, and age of consent laws. Add to it the pressures of learning magic, graduations, and a Sheriff for a potential father in law, things just aren't going to be easy. But they'll definitely be worth it.

5. Throw Me to the Wolves by skoosiepants

13.4K Words // Chapters: 1/1 // Hits: 165K // COMPLETED

//Teen and Up// He feels the physical embodiment of devastated, his already too strung-out mind struggling to wall up all the hurt, the rejection—he takes a deep shuddering breath and looks down at the shredded skin on his arms, at the sluggish way they’re weakly healing. There is nothing, nothing he wants more than to have Derek sweep in and make everything all better. He should have known, though, that something like that would never happen to him. OR - Stiles accidentally gets bitten, and everything goes to hell.

#sterek #derek hale #stiles stilinski #sad stiles #sterek fanart #stiles fanfiction #derek hale deserves nice things #stiles and derek #derek x stiles #void stiles #sad derek #alpha derek hale #sterek fanfic #hurt stiles #sterek fluff #slow burn #slow build #fic rec #teen wolf #teen wolf cast #teen wolf season 1 #teen wolf stiles

[wsknbfanaccnt]

I still have a few scenarios written from a few years ago so I thought why not post here lmfao

but damn I realized this one did not age well at all

im too lazy to proof read this

Panic Buying for Covid with Kuroko, Akashi and Midorima

You and Kuroko entered the grocery with a big list in hand. He pushed the cart while you took care of the stuff on the list.

“Okay, first things first. We need milk…” You ran off to the dairy section with Kuroko following behind you. The cold of the freezers made you shiver. You quickly lifted two half gallons of milk and ran away from the “North Pole”. You sighed in relief as warmth took over you. You looked around and realized Kuroko wasn’t there.

“What the… jeez, that was only two minutes and I already lost you. Tetsuya!!!” you called out, hoping that he was just near. You tried to search every inch of the store but found him nowhere. You leaned against an aisle in frustration.

“(F/N)-chan,”

“GAH! Tetsuya?! Where the hell were you?!” you shouted. His eyes seemed to widen a bit in fear.

“I was just in the bathroom. I told you but you already ran off…” he said calmly. You sighed.

“From now on, we’re doing this together, okay?”

“...alright then, (Y/N)-chan,”

“Hey, Sei?”

“Yes, my empress?”

“Do you think we need to panic buy? It seems coronavirus is spreading really fast.”

“We can buy, but no need to panic buy. I can ask my servants to buy it for us, love,” Akashi said. You scoffed, but you trusted him anyways.

“Can I make a list at least? I want to help them at least a little bit…” you pouted. Akashi chuckled.

“If you insist, my empress. But whatever you do, do not go outside. That’s an order for your safety,” he demanded.

“Yessir~” you said and proceeded to make your list. The first thing you thought of, you wrote on your list.

~~

When you were finished, You called Akashi and gave him the list. He glanced at the top of your list.

Toilet paper.

Akashi called his servants and told them to shop for everything on your list. The moment they read it, they took off.

A few hours later, Akashi received a call.

“Hello?”

“Akashi-sama, we cannot find any toilet paper,”

“What?!”

“We went to 15 different stores with no luck,”

He looked at you and you started laughing, the boy sighing.

“Check again.”

“Yes, Akashi-sama,” then he slammed the end call button. He looked at you once again as you giggled, Akashi shaking his head with amusement

“Toilet paper. For goodness’ sake..."

“You do it yourself, nanodayo,” He said after you asked him to panic buy with you.

“Shin-kun, you’re going to leave your own girlfriend in the dangers of the Coronavirus?” you said, with your cutest pout ever.

“It would be your fault, nanodayo. Not mine,” he said, turning away from you. You sighed. What would be something that would persuade him to go outside? You looked around, as if the answer was in front of you. Then, your eyes locked on Midorima’s lucky item; a pillow. It was right in front of you.

“Shin-kun~” you said. Midorima gave you a stern look.

“What is it this time, nanodayo?”

“What about your lucky items? Didn’t Oha Asa post a picture of the next months’ lucky items on their website?” you said teasingly. His eyes narrowed. Panic was racing in his head. He suddenly stood up, grabbed your wrist, and dragged you outside.

“Let’s go, nanodayo,” he said. Your plan worked!

“Wait, Shin-kun. I need to get my coat,” you chuckled, pulling the away. He released his grip and you got your coat.

~~~

When you arrived at the grocery, you saw that it was packed with people. You sighed and went in. Good luck to us... you thought. You squeezed through people and navigated inside the grocery with Midorima pushing the cart and tailing behind you. You managed to get everything on your list, so it was Midorima’s turn. The lucky item for tomorrow was toilet paper.

“Oh, that reminds me. We’re on our last roll. I forgot to put it in the list, hehe,” you smiled innocently at him. He responded with a “hmph”.

When you were in the toilet paper section, Midori-

“WHERE IS ALL THE TOILET PAPER, NANODAYO?!”

Calm down Mido-kun, you didn’t even let me finish.

As I was saying, he was horrified when he saw the shelves empty.

“I need it as my lucky item, nanodayo!!!” He yelled.

“You’re worried about that?! We literally don’t have any more toilet paper for our personal use and you’re screaming over that?” you yelled back, rather frustrated.

“But-“

“FINE! When we get home, I will give you a single sheet of toilet paper and keep the rest in a safe so that you don’t have access to it. Understand?!” you bellowed. You roughly took the cart from him and made your way to the cashier. There was complete silence from then on. He opened his mouth to say something, hesitated, and closed it again. This happened a couple of times.

When you got home, you stomped inside with the groceries, still toilet paperless. You broke the silence.

“Shintaro. Go outside and don’t come back until you find toilet paper. Got it?” you hissed, still mad. You handed him the car keys and he sighed, but went off.

A few hours passed and he still hasn’t come home. You became worried. What if he was harmed? What if there was an accident? It was already dark.

Suddenly, you heard a car park in front of the house. Midorima entered the house with his hands behind his back.

“Shin-kun, it's late...! What-“ he looked away as he blushed and handed you something that you never expected.

A bouquet of toilet paper. Literally.

“I-I d-didn’t k-know how to m-make i-it up to y-you s-so-“ you started laughing in disbelief.

“W-What’s so funny, n-nodayo?!” he said, pushing up his glasses to hide his embarrassment.

“You’re hilarious, you dork,” you said still laughing. You took the toilet paper from him and took his hands in yours. You stood on your tip toes and gave him a peck on the cheek.

“I forgive you~” You said. Midorima sighed in relief. You soon realized that he wasn’t holding anything else.

“Wait, Shin-kun! What about your lucky items?” you asked worriedly. He turned his head to the side

“I don’t need them because you’re my lucky item, nanodayo..."

#kurokosbasketball #kurokotetsuya #kurokonobasuke #the basketball which kuroko plays #kuroko no basket #kuroko no basuke #kuroko's basketball #kuroko tetsuya #akashiseijuro #midorimashintaro #akashi seijirou #kuroko no basket scenarios #midorima shintarou #midorima scenarios #akashi seijuurou #midorima x reader #akashi seijuro #knb akashi

[yuzukahibiscus]

Takarazuka Revue Flower Troupe Yuzuka Rei "Try[ing] new things every day" – starting Tokyo performances from [September] 2th

(Source from The Sankei News)

Takarazuka Revue Flower Troupe had their stage rehearsals on [September 1th for their Tokyo performances starting on the 2nd in the Tokyo Takarazuka Theatre.

Musical "Singing Lovebirds" and the show "GRAND MIRAGE!" is a dual-set performance. "Singing Lovebirds" is staged as musical adapted from the Operetta film of the same name in Year Showa 14 (Directed by Makino Masahiro, starring Kataoka Chiezō). It portrays the bright love story of a ronin living in Nagaya and the neighbour's daughter, and the chaos brought up about the lord.

"GRAND MIRAGE!" is a show using canzone, latin, and bolero music to showcase the dancing unique to Flower Troupe.

Tokyo performances begin on [September] 2th and Senshuuraku will be October 8th.

After the stage rehearsals on the 1th, Top Star Yuzuka Rei and Top Musumeyaku Hoshikaze Madoka appear for the close-up interview inside the theatre.

Yuzuka said, "This is the first time since my appointment of a Top Star" that there could be close-up interview after the Tokyo rehearsals due to the impact of the novel coronavirus before, and smiles that she's "happy" to see the press.

Yuzuka said, "For the musical, I hope that this production would be relaxing.The author and the director of the show Okada (Keiji-san) says, 'I hope this could be a revue that audiences from age 3 to 100 could enjoy' and created this revue with love. I hope to deliver such sentiments to the audience concretely".

On the other hand Hoshikaze smiled and said, "It is my first time doing a Nihonmono musical, so I have learnt a lot. I think the highlights would be glamorous parts. The costumes in the revue are also amazing."

Yuzuka said, "(Before in the Takarazuka Grand Theatre,) I tried new things every day because I was thinking wouldn't it be better if we could do more here? I'm very thankful because Hoshikaze gave me courage on that", to which Hoshikaze replied, "That and the time that we could reflect together is a treasure to me", showing their chemistry.

#yuzuka rei #flower troupe #hoshikaze madoka #hanagumi #takarazuka #takarazuka revue

[hauntedselves]

List of Australian queer community support services

This is straight from this article by the ABC, copied here.

***

Please note: Services and operating hours may have changed due to coronavirus physical distancing measures. Please refer to each organisation's website for the most up-to-date information.

Urgent help (24/7 services)

Lifeline — 13 11 14

Kids Helpline — 1800 551 800

Emergency — 000

National

Qlife — Australia-wide anonymous and free LGBTI peer support for people wanting to talk about sexuality, identity, gender, bodies, feelings or relationships. Call 1800 184 527 or webchat at qlife.org.au (3pm-12am AEST).

Minus 18 — Resources help and guidance for Australia's LGBTIQ youth.

LGBTIQ+ Health Australia — The national peak health organisation in Australia for organisations and individuals that provide health-related programs, services and research focused on LGBTIQ+ people and communities.

Black Rainbow — Australia's leading Indigenous suicide prevention and mental health support source for LGBTQ+ people.

PFLAG Australia — Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.

Trans Pride Australia — Social and support group for trans and gender diverse people and their loved ones.

Transcend Australia — National peer support network and community for parents and carers supporting their trans, gender diverse and non-binary child in Australia.

Intersex Peer Support — An intersex peer support, information and advocacy group for people born with variations in sex characteristics.

Intersex Human Rights Australia — Support and education by and for people with intersex variation traits.

Headspace — Australia-wide online, phone and in-person support and counselling to young people, their families and friends. Call 1800 650 890 (9am-1am).

ReachOut — ReachOut.com helps under 25s with everyday questions through to tough times.

Beyond Blue — Beyond Blue works with the community to improve mental health and prevent suicide, so that all people in Australia can achieve their best possible mental health.1300 22 4636

Australian GLBTIQ Multicultural Council — a national body that advocates for the rights of multicultural and multifaith LGBTIQ individuals and communities.

BlaQ – Committed to empowering the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQ+ community across Australia through innovation, inclusion, understanding and advocacy.

The Pinnacle Foundation — Provides educational scholarships, mentoring and opportunities for young LGBTIQ+ Australians to realise their full potential and overcome challenges arising from their identity.

Pride In Law — A national LGBTIQ+ Law Association aimed at connecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer and questioning (LGBTIQ+) members of the legal community and their allies.

State-based organisations

ACT

Meridian ACT — Face-to-face counselling and access to social groups in the ACT for people of diverse sexuality and gender.

A Gender Agenda — A Gender Agenda aims to support the goals and needs of the intersex, transgender and gender diverse communities of Canberra and the surrounding region.

NSW

Twenty10 — Specialised services for LGBTIQA+ young people aged 12-25 including housing, mental health, counselling and social support.

ACON — Health support for LGBTI people and people with HIV.

The Gender Centre Inc. — Provides information and support to trans and gender-diverse people in NSW.

TransHub — ACON's digital information and resource platform for all trans and gender diverse (TGD) people in NSW, their loved ones, allies and health providers.

Muslim Peers Project — a collaborative Instagram page with creative and supportive contributions from queer Muslim artists and community members. It has helpful resources and anonymous online support for young people aged 14–35.

Sydney Bi+ Network — a volunteer-run, grassroots organisation dedicated to improving the well-being of bi+ people across Sydney.

NT

Northern Territory AIDS and Hepatitis Council (NTHAC) — The main point of contact for people in the Northern Territory who have questions about sexuality or gender.

Queensland

Diverse Voices — Peer-to-peer telephone and internet counselling for LGBTQI people.

Queensland AIDS Council — The Queensland AIDS Council (QuAC) promotes the health and well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex Queenslanders.

Open Doors Youth Service — A drop-in centre and support service for young people who identify as sex, gender or sexuality diverse.

QSpace — QSpace is a non-profit service specifically for LGBTIQAP+ young people.

South Australia

Bfriend — Phone, email and face-to-face support for LGBTQIA+ people.

SHINESA —Sexual health and clinical services for people who are intersex, gender diverse and of all sexualities. Plus counselling and peer support for people who are transgender, gender diverse and gender questioning.

Tasmania

Switchboard — Anonymous and free telephone counselling, information and referrals for the LGBTQIA+ communities of Victoria and Tasmania.

Working It Out — Tasmania's gender and sexuality support and education service provides free and confidential counselling, support groups, education programs and workplace training.

Victoria

Switchboard — Anonymous and free telephone counselling, information and referrals for the LGBTQIA+ communities of Victoria and Tasmania.

Zoe Belle Gender Centre (ZBGC) — An online service supporting the health and wellbeing of Victoria's sexuality and gender-diverse community, with information available to anyone in Australia.

Thorne Harbour Health — Offers a range of programs and services for people living with HIV and sex, sexuality and gender diverse communities.

Queerspace — An LGBTIQ+ health and wellbeing support service with a focus on relationships, families, parenting and young people.

Rainbow Door — A free specialist helpline for LGBTIQA+ Victorians, their friends and family. The service is also connected to a multi-language interpreter support service, including Auslan interpreters.

Transgender Victoria — The leading body for trans and gender diverse advocacy, training, and resource development in Victoria.

The Shed — A Melbourne based support group for trans masculine people, including AFAB people who are non-binary, and those who are questioning or exploring their gender.

Parents of Gender Diverse Children — Parents of Gender Diverse Children provides peer support to parents and those parenting trans and gender diverse children.

Pride Disability Services – Tailored and specialised disability support services for members of the LGBTQI+ and gender diverse communities and their allies in Victoria.

Queer Refugee and Asylum Seeker Peers (QRASP) — A peer-led social support group for LGBTQI+ refugees and people seeking asylum. Based in Melbourne with members across Victoria.

Monash Gender Clinic — Specialist public health service for the trans, gender diverse and non-binary community in Victoria.

Melbourne Bisexual Network — mental health and advocacy professionals working to improve and promote bisexual+ inclusivity in LGBTQIA+ programs and services.

Bi Alliance Victoria — a non-profit volunteer-run organisation dedicated to promoting the acceptance of bi+ people. It also runs monthly discussions and support groups.

Spectrum Intersections — a free Melbourne-based peer-led group for people 18 and over who identify as neurodiverse and are on the LGBTIQA+ spectrums.

Australian Gay and Lesbian Immigration Taskforce Victoria — The Gay and Lesbian Immigration Task Force (Vic) Inc (GLITF) provides support and assistance to gay and lesbian couples (the applicant or sponsor or both) who are seeking Permanent Residence status for the non-resident partner of an individual who is an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident, or an eligible New Zealand citizen.

Western Australia

Living Proud — Provides support for LGBTI people in Western Australia, including the QLife national LGBTI telephone counselling and referral line.

The Freedom Centre — Provides safe social spaces, peer support, information and referral for young gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, intersex, queer and questioning young people under age 26.

WA Aids Council — Provides counselling, wellness, referral, general and financial assistance to people living with HIV.

TransFolk of WA — A support service for transgender people and their loved ones in Western Australia.

Bi+ Community Perth — A safe place for people who are not gay or straight to engage in respectful discussion, connect with people, and form community online.

Sexuality Education Counselling Consultancy Agency (SECCA) — A non-profit organisation designed to support people with disabilities, in their efforts to learn about human relationships, sexuality and sexual health.

DISCHARGED — Facilitates support groups for people with personal experience of suicidal thoughts or feelings, including a suicide peer support group for trans and gender diverse people.

Youth Pride Network — A group of LGBTIQA+ young people passionate about using systemic advocacy to create a Western Australia in which all LGBTIQA+ young people are fully included, accepted and celebrated by their community.

#dogpost #australian resources #queer resources #resources #ofc a lot arent limited to queer people

[argumate]

Due to the US government's failure to combat the epidemic, some 200,000 US children were orphaned by COVID-19, according to an Atlantic Monthly article. One out of every 12 orphans under the age of 18 suffers the caregiver loss because of the epidemic, and in every public school in the US, on average two children have lost a caregiver to the epidemic. The article commented that even after two years that have inured the country to the carnage of the coronavirus, the scope of the loss is so staggering that it can be hard to comprehend. 

...

However, the lives of ordinary US citizens lost in the epidemic have attracted less and less social attention, as Washington has concentrated more on Wall Street figures and even foreign geopolitical games. In the rush to declare the "end" of the COVID-19 epidemic, those trapped in the pain of the epidemic have been forgotten, intentionally or not. 

This seems natural in the US system, as orphans have no political spokespersons, no lobbying capital, and no right to vote, so how can they expect the lawmakers to speak for them? But should they be abandoned because they have no capital and no votes?

...

Today, the number of deaths caused by the COVID-19 epidemic in the US is approaching one million, which means that the human tragedy of accidental deaths has repeated one million times. This is a horrifying number even for places suffering turmoil of war of extreme poverty, let alone for the US -- the most powerful nation in the world with the best medical conditions. In a scene full of social Darwinism, people living in the bottom of society, the old and the sick are silently and ruthlessly "eliminated." For policymakers, it is the most natural logic of "capitalism" to protect the economy over human lives, and to save the stock market rather than deal with the epidemic. But for countless families at the bottom of society, those cold numbers mean not only the loss of their loved ones, but also the collapse of their life.

Protecting the weak to let them enjoy the rights as the strong ones do is an important measure for any human society to enter the age of civilization out of barbarism. When disaster occurs, the moral bottom line of a country's ruling elites will be tested: Should they treat the weak ones as if they are all in the same boat or to kick them off the boat without hesitation to "reduce the burden." Washington always boasts that it is a "human rights defender" and a self-appointed "human rights judge" on various occasions. But these paper-thin labels appear to be rotten when really put to the test. The failing American dream because of the "COVID-19 orphan" is the tragedy of the "superpower."

covid has not been a propaganda victory for the United States

#covid19

[eddiediaaz]

8 questions for nine people

thank you @usernace @maygrantgf for the tag! mwah <3

Last Song I Listened To : pure as the driven snow by rachel zegler from the ballad of songbirds and snakes

Favourite Color: blue and pink

Last TV Show or Movie I watched: the hunger games: mockingjay part 1

Currently Watching: the gilded age, fellow travelers

Sweet, Savoury, or Spicy? love them all but probably more sweet

Relationship Status: newly "partnered up" (we literally made it official today lol)

Current Obsession: not sure i'd call it an obsession but i do love the soundtrack of the ballad of songbirds and snakes right now

Last Thing I Googled: the book kissing the coronavirus LOL

tagging anyone that wants to do this <3

#tag game

[foolishlovers]

11, 14, and 30 for the GO fic game please : )

11. South Downs Cottage

You betcha by golly wow by NaroMoreau (3k, T) Crowley makes a huge mistake moving out to South Downs with the angel. One mistake only Aziraphale can fix.

14. There is only one Bed

Waking Up Slow by the_moonmoth (87k, E) “Then you’ll just have to come back with me," Aziraphale said. “You what?” “You’ll have to come and isolate with me, at my cottage.” The thing about messing with people, Crowley thought, was that sometimes, they genuinely surprised you. After both being exposed to coronavirus, total strangers Crowley and Aziraphale are forced to wait out their isolation together. A tale of soft winter romance by the sea.

30. Florist AU

No Picture Can Express by nutmeag83 (12k, T) Ezra Fell prefers books (and discretely watching the lovely florist down the street) to social media, but takes up the hobby at Madame Tracy's urging. Anthony Crowley has been pining after his neighbor for ages, happy to keep his distance until Ezra asks him to tutor him in using Instagram. They find they have more in common than just having shops on the same block in Soho.

send me a number for a good omens fic rec

#here u go 💜 #skinnyscottishbloke #answered #good omens #good omens fic #good omens fanfic #good omens human au #foolish recs

[scotianostra]

Birthday, singer and actress Lorraine McIntosh born 13th May 1964 in Glasgow.

Lorraine was brought up in Cumnock, Ayrshire from about the age of three. She has been a member of one of Scotland’s favourite bands Deacon Blue since they formed in Glasgow in 1985.

Lorraine didn’t have an easy upbringing, she lost her mother and she said her Dad coped for a while then fell apart, hitting the bottle he started missing rent payments which led to them being evicted, she said the council waited until she had turned 18, a week after that the were out. In an interview for The Big Issue Lorraine poured her heart out saying………..

“I got a phone call from a social worker saying I wasn’t to go home, as dad had been evicted. I was at the bus stop with my friend, but couldn’t get on the bus. She phoned her mum and I ended up staying with them at first. No clothes, no nothing. We lost everything. It just got put in the street. And the saddest thing was I lost all my mum’s things, her clothes, wee bits of jewellery, all put on the street. Gone.”

I empathise with this entirely except I actually got home from school and found all our belongings on the street after we got evicted, I was 13 at the time………..

Lorraine was a regular on the Scottish soap, River City, she has also appeared in three episodes of Taggart playing different roles, more recently she turned up on Outlander last year as Mrs. Sylvie, the owner of a popular brothel in the town of Cross Creek. Also last year Deacon Blue’s 10th album, City Of Love, shot to No 4 in the UK album rankings the week before lockdown, giving the Glasgow outfit their biggest chart success since 1994.

During the pandemic, as well as coping with the strain of lockdown, Lorraine, who lives with Ricky in Glasgow, was taken ill with coronavirus in the early stages of the outbreak.

She said: “It has taken quite a while to get over it completely. I was in bed for three weeks, and then recovered.”

In 2020 Lorraine joined up with the Simon Community’s Nightstop campaign, to encourage people to open their homes to vulnerable young people. The Nightstop service offers young people aged 16 to 25 a safe place to stay when they find themselves in a crisis. All the volunteer hosts are fully vetted and trained. Since starting in Glasgow last year, eight families have provided 96 nights of emergency accommodation. She and her husband, Deacon Blue frontman Ricky Ross, are considering signing up as hosts – but only if the Simon Community think that their high profile won’t get in the way.

I really like Lorraine, and Ricky’s humanity, specifically Lorraine visited Rwanda two years ago to raise awareness of sexual violence against women when she was moved to tears by the testimony of victims. She has recently spoken out against the plan to send refugees coming to the UK to the country and said the country was still recovering from a genocide inflicted during the civil war in 1994 and for ministers to consider sending asylum seekers there is deplorable.

On her trip, she heard of shocking conditions, including child slavery, youngsters being burned to death, and rape being used as a weapon of war to destroy communities.

On her final day in Rwanda, she made a pilgrimage to one of the most infamous genocide sites in the country called Nyamata where thousands were slaughtered in and around a church.

She said: “I was unprepared for the sight of thousands of items of clothing from the fallen folded and piled up on the church pews. The ceiling pockmarked with bullets and a line around the bottom of the wall which our guide tells us is the blood line from the carnage. A river of blood. In the gardens outside 50,000 people lie buried.

Hubbie Ricky made a simple tweet yesterday, the post read "33 years today ❤️" with the photo

Lorraine is set to appear in the new season of Shetland.

The song is my favourite where she sings a strong vocal.

#scotland #scottish #musician #singer #actress #happy birhtday #Youtube

[jerseydeanne]

Sophie, Countess of Wessex to gain new title if Edward becomes Duke of Edinburgh

It may be considered a final, poignant nod to the daughter-in-law who called her “Mama”.

Queen Elizabeth II’s title of the Duchess of Edinburgh will pass to the Countess of Wessex if, as expected, Prince Edward succeeds his father as the Duke of Edinburgh.

Such a move would elevate the status of the Countess at a time when her role becomes notably more significant - one of just a handful of working royals in the new, slimmed down monarchy.

The decision rests in the hands of the King, who has held the title ever since his father’s death.

However, the late Prince Philip had made his wishes clear: when the time comes, his youngest son should be given the title. Prince Charles was said to agree and the deal was all but rubber stamped.

Duke of Edinburgh title 'will not go to Edward'

Last year, following the Duke’s death, speculation swirled that Charles had had a change of heart.

One source told the Sunday Times: “The Prince is the Duke of Edinburgh as it stands, and it is up to him what happens to the title. It will not go to Edward.”

Even the Earl, the only one of the late Queen’s three sons who does not have a Dukedom, appeared to be having doubts, telling the BBC in an interview: “It was fine in theory, ages ago when it was sort of a pipe dream of my father’s... and of course it will depend on whether or not the Prince of Wales, when he becomes king, whether he’ll do that, so we’ll wait and see. So yes, it will be quite a challenge taking that on.”

But experts believe it likely that the title will eventually be passed to the Earl, who has already taken on the responsibilities associated with his father’s hugely successful Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme.

To do so, a new dukedom of Edinburgh would have to be created by letters patent but such a move is not unprecedented. The gesture would provide a fitting link between the late Queen and her daughter-in-law.

Their relationship may have blossomed behind closed doors but few this week can have been left in any doubt about the close bond between the two.

The depth of the Countess’s grief has been plain to see; as she crouched, ashen faced and red-eyed, to view flowers at Balmoral on Saturday and when she gazed from the car window, lost in thought, during the procession from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to St Giles’ Cathedral on Monday.

Queen treated Sophie 'like a second daughter'

When the devastated Princess Royal dropped to a deep curtsy as the late Queen’s coffin was carried past her into the cathedral, it was the Countess whose arm was outstretched in support. That brief human touch said more than a thousand words.

Sophie, 57, had grown so close to the late Queen that she is said to have been treated like a “second daughter”.

It was when she lost her own mother, Mary Rhys-Jones, to stomach cancer in 2005 at the age of just 71, that their relationship flourished, as the Queen provided much needed support and solace.

The Wessex family home, Bagshot Park, is just a few miles from Windsor Castle, enabling the whole clan to spend many precious hours in the company of the Queen and Prince Philip.

Sophie and the late Queen are said to have shared a love of military history and enjoyed poring over documents in the Royal Archives at Windsor.

When her busy diary did not allow her to visit in person, she made sure to contact the Queen by telephone daily.

The Countess was the first member of the Royal family to speak publicly about the death of Prince Philip last April, a sign of the level of trust and affection with which she had come to be regarded.

When coronavirus restrictions were eased, it was the Countess who would often join the monarch for walks around the Windsor estate.

The Oxford-born former PR girl is one of a small coterie of senior royal women on whom the future of the monarchy now rests.

Through sheer hard work and loyalty to the Crown, she has gradually become one of the most pivotal members of the family, a safe pair of hands who works tirelessly behind the scenes.

It is to Sophie who the new Princess of Wales is said to turn for advice, having watched her successfully balance royal duties with the care of her two children, Lady Louise, 18, and James, Viscount Severn, 14.

Rather than take up fashionable causes, she has worked with sexual violence victims, travelling to counties affected by conflict including South Sudan and Sierra Leone.

She works in other fields to promote women, having founded the Women’s Network Forum in 2014 which she chairs, and bringing together a cross-industry group of senior figures to promote gender balance and equality in the workplace.

Her daughter’s sight problems as a child inspired her to campaign for several charities for the blind and visually impaired.

By taking on the Duchess of Edinburgh title, Sophie will raise her profile further. The Queen now gone, she is rapidly becoming an integral part of the future Firm.

source: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2022/09/13/sophie-wessex-gain-new-title-edward-becomes-duke-edinburgh/

#prince edward #sophie wessex #duke of edinburgh #british royal family #duchess of edinburgh #queen elizabeth #prince philip

[phanfictioncatalogue]

First Meetings (3) Masterlist

part one, part two

airport meetings (ao3) - pasteldanhowells

Summary: Dan is having a bad start to his morning, and you would think a stranger crashing into him, literally, would make things worse, but actually, it makes Dan's morning somewhat better when Dan sees how attractive the man is.

all i want for christmas (is you) (ao3) - lestered (clonetrobed)

Summary: He finds himself huffing out a small, high-pitched laugh that he couldn’t even dream of passing off as part of his natural register. “Hah… yeah. Mhm. Nice. Morn… ing. Yup. Sure is.”

Dan’s smile falls a tiny bit, a hint of confusion flickering behind his eyes. Unfortunately, that’s an expression Phil is all too familiar with receiving.

AU where Dan is Phil’s Christmas coworker crush, and awkward boys are awkward.

A million little suns (ao3) - jestbee

Summary: Dan is just trying to get as far away from his home town as possible at Christmas when he gets stuck in a snow storm. He’s rescued by an enigmatic stranger who take him back to his cabin in the mountains. What Dan doesn’t know is that his rescuer is prolific, best-selling writer of erotica, Ricky Blitz. Will Dan end up with a porn-worthy situation all of his own? (hint: yes)

Porn with feels and some Christmas magic.

Beautiful Liar (ao3) - withawhimper

Summary: A devastating revelation from a cute stranger sitting in the bar where Dan is supposed to be meeting his boyfriend rocks Dan’s world- but it turns out that might not be such a bad thing

canon in d (ao3) - danhoweiis

Summary: dan goes out to a bar and a stranger buys him a drink. what happens next may surprise you! [not clickbait]

Colour me rosé (ao3) - Tarredion

Summary; nineteen-year-old Dan Howell is looking for a sugar daddy to help him achieve the dream of luxury and romantic affirmations. Phil Lester, newly 24 and very rich, is searching for a romantic and sexual relationship. When stumbling upon the other on the internet, similar interests and all, have they found their match?

Exit, Exile (ao3) - lovestillaround

Summary: Dan and Phil meet at the airport.

Fix the Connection - jestbee

Summary: Dan has had a crush on the IT guy in his office for ages, not that he’ll ever admit to it

Guilty Pleasure (ao3) - ThoughtaThought

Summary: Dan and Phil meet at a BDSM club and decide to play. Dan is a rigger and a masochist. Phil is a sadist and a rope bunny. It’s perfect.

i jump for my phone every moment it lights up (ao3) - natigail

Summary: Dan left YouTube behind to become an actor, but years later when coronavirus hits and forces him into self-imposed quarantine he rediscovers an old passion of his - AmazingPhil. He hadn’t counted on becoming internet friends with him, or falling in love for that matter.

just another stupid holiday (ao3) - pasteldanhowells

Summary: Dan hates Valentine's Day. He thinks it's a stupid holiday and wants nothing to do with it. When his co-worker Cat mentions some guy named Phil who happens to be single, who Dan eventually meets when he comes into his coffee shop, Dan thinks maybe this Valentine's Day might be different.

Just Making Sure - placingglaciers

Summary: In which Dan unpredictably meets his favorite radio personality, Phil, by being late for the train journey home. It is quite the encounter as they both had the worst possible day ever before meeting.

Like Father, Like Son (ao3) - INeverHadMyInternetPhase (BirbWatcher)

Summary: Phil is a good teacher, he is. He just can’t control Samuel Howell. And turns out he can’t control Samuel Howell’s single dad, either. (Or, the one where Dan's a single dad and a bad influence, and Phil's the teacher who has to deal with the consequences)

Questionable - allthephils

Summary: Dan’s date went very badly and Phil’s didn’t go at all. Good thing they found eachother.

Record Store Day (ao3) - americanphancakes

Summary: Dan’s claimed a copy of one of the RSD exclusives available at the small indie record shop that he owns, but someone else wants the same record.

slutty, slutty soulmates (ao3) - sierraadeux

Summary:

Easy, not stupid. And maybe Dan does have some standards. Not like he’s thinking about settling for anything while he looks the guy up and down, so many of his boxes ticked it’s honestly a little overwhelming. or soulmates and where not to find them

Stranger Danger (ao3) - intoapuddle

Summary: Dan thinks he’s the most awkward guy on the tube until he spots a guy that seems to be in an even worse condition than himself.

up for the new buzz (ao3) - jestbee

Summary: Dan remembers getting his ears pierced and how he’d felt so adult at the time, like he’d done something revolutionary and rebellious. But it hadn’t been in a place like this, it had been tame in comparison to the type of world he’s just walked into with no idea if he’s out of his depth.

With enchantment on your side (ao3) - jestbee

Summary: Dan finds photos, and then he finds the person in them

#phanfictioncatalogue #phanfiction #phanfic #phan #masterlists #firstmeeting #firstmeeting masterlist

[nicklloydnow]

“Mr. Knight, 75, is the founder of the Voluntary Human Extinction movement, which is less a movement than a loose consortium of people who believe that the best thing humans can do to help the Earth is to stop having children.

Mr. Knight added the word “voluntary” decades ago to make it clear that adherents do not support mass murder or forced birth control, nor do they encourage suicide. Their ethos is echoed in their motto, “May we live long and die out,” and in another one of their slogans, which Mr. Knight hangs at various conventions and street fairs: “Thank you for not breeding.”

On Nov. 15, the Earth became home to a record eight billion human beings. Despite declining birthrates, the number is forecast to peak at 10.4 billion in the coming decades, in large part because of increases in life expectancy and decreases in child mortality.

(…)

One of the most effective ways to combat global warming, say both climate activists and those concerned about overpopulation, is to expand access to education for girls around the world, in addition to birth control and family planning. Nearly half of all pregnancies worldwide, some 121 million a year, are unintended. The Center of Biological Diversity, for its part, has handed out a million endangered species-themed condoms, colorfully packaged with slogans such as “for the sake of the horned lizard, slow down, love wizard.”

But it is rare to find anyone who publicly goes as far as Mr. Knight, who never had children and got a vasectomy in 1973 at the age of 25. Beyond advocating for universal access to birth control and opposing what he calls reproductive fascism, or “the lack of freedom to not procreate,” Mr. Knight says that despite our many achievements, humans are a net detriment to the Earth.

“Look what we did to this planet,” Mr. Knight said during a chat in his sunlit backyard one warm morning this fall. “We’re not a good species.”

(…)

“We came to be and then ran amok,” Mr. Knight said. “And because we’re smart enough, we should know enough to end it.”

“People mention music and art and literature and the great things that we have done — it’s funny they don’t ever mention the bad things we’ve done,” he continued. “I don’t think the whales will miss our songs.”

While the United States saw an increase in births during the coronavirus pandemic, reversing the country’s declining birthrate, a 2020 poll found that one in four Americans who had not had children cited climate change as a reason. Research has shown that having one fewer child is perhaps the most significant way to reduce one’s carbon footprint, and while Mr. Knight doesn’t like to push his beliefs on people, he likes to think there are some humans who don’t exist because of his efforts.”

#voluntary human extinction movement #antinatalism #over population #les knight #vhemt

[aroomwithspace]

Lucia Bosé (1931-2020) by Truus, Bob & Jan too! Italian postcard by Bromofoto, Milano, no. 270. Today, 23 March 2020, Italian actress Lucia Bosé passed away in Brieva, Spain. She died of pneumonia caused by the coronavirus. Bosé was famous for her films from the 1950s with a.o. Giuseppe De Santis and Michelangelo Antonioni. In the same years and after she also worked with other famous directors such as Juan Bardem, Luis Buñuel, the Taviani brothers, Liliane Cavani, Francesco Rosi, and Ferzan Özpetek. Lucie Bosé was 89. Lucia Bosè was born Lucia Borloni in Milan, Italy in 1931. She comes from a peasant and working-class family and began to work at the age of twelve years. She was first a messenger for a law firm, later a clerk in Milan's fine pastry shop Galli. In 1947 she participated in the first Miss Italy pageant, where she was able to win against competitors like Gianna Maria Canale, Eleonora Rossi Drago, and Gina Lollobrigida. Had Giuseppe De Santis still preferred Silvana Mangano for Riso amaro/Bitter Rice (1949), he chose Bosè for his next film, Non c'è pace tra gli ulivi/No peace among the olive trees (Giuseppe De Santis, 1950), a typical Neorealist film about a poor shepherd (Raf Vallone) who tries steal back his sheep stolen from him while he was at war. In the same year, Bosé starred opposite Massimo Girotti in the well-to-do set, modernist crime story and drama Cronaca di un amore/Story of a love affair (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1950). It was Antonioni's first full length feature film, about an adulterous couple plotting to kill her husband. Numerous screen engagements followed. Antonioni cast her again in La signora senza camelie/The Lady Without Camelias (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1953) about a newly discovered starlet and her experiences in the Italian cinema. Juan Bardem cast her in Muerte di un ciclista/Death of a Cyclist (1955) about an adulterous couple that runs over a cyclist and leaves him to die. Bosé also acted in Francesco Maselli's debut Gli sbandati/The Abandoned (1955) and Luis Buñuel's Cela s'appelle l'aurore/That Is the Dawn (1956). In 1955 Lucia Bosè married Luis Miguel Dominguín, a five years older, popular Spanish bullfighter and occasional actor. From the marriage, which ended in divorce in 1967, sprang three children, two of whom - Paola Dominguin and Miguel Bosé - are also active as actors. Luchino Visconti was godfather to her son Miguel, Pablo Picasso to her daughter Paola. At the time, Lucia Bosè lived in Spain and put her career on halt, except for a sporadic appearance in Le testament d'Orphée/Testament of Orpheus (Jean Cocteau, 1959). In 1968 Bosé returned to film acting after almost a ten-year break and worked first in Spain and afterward in Italy. There she worked among others in Federico Fellini's Satyricon (1969), the Taviani Brothers' Sotto il segno dello scorpione/Under the Sign of Scorpio (1969), and Liliana Cavani's L'ospite/The Guest (1972). Other interesting films with her were Nathalie Granger (Marguerite Duras, 1972), Lumière (Jeanne Moreau, 1976) and Violanta (Daniel Schmid, 1977). After 1978, she acted significantly less but remained active, also on television. She had memorable film performances in Cronaca di una morte annunciata/Chronicle of a Death Foretold (Francesco Rosi, 1987) starring Rupert Everett, El niño de la Luna/Moon Child (Agustí Villaronga, 1989), Harem suaré/Harem (Ferzan Özpetek, 1999) and I vicerè/The Viceroy (Roberto Faenza, 2007). Her most recent screen appearance was in Alfonsina y el mar/One more time (Pablo Benedetti, David Sordella, 2013), as an 80-year-old actress who returns to the small Chilean town of her youth to fulfill her father's dream of creating a TV channel in a place which has never known television. Sources: CinéArtistes (French), Wikipedia (German, English, and Italian) and IMDb. https://flic.kr/p/2iH3q9T

#IFTTT #Flickr #luciabosè #lucia #bose #bosè #italian #actress #filmstar #pinup #european #sexy #glam

[nanchan-night-owl]

The Encounter

Japanese original by Shunya Shiraishi, September 29, 2022

While “Poison Berry in My Brain” was playing on stage, my home was a mess.  Things like printed A4 copies and plastic bags from convenient stores were tumbled onto the floor.  Clothes were spilling out like a waterfall from the washer.  Kuromame tea left a stain and almost-empty plastic bottles were scattered on the dining table.  Dishes with surface grease and grime were barely washed off with water only and piled up in the kitchen sink.  Since it wouldn’t be a surprise if any harmful bug might come out of this crazy house, I have decided to hire housekeepers.  They have such faithful personality that even no one gave them any assignment, they inspected the house from corner to corner in a 24-hour shift.  Thanks to them, let alone cockroaches, not even small flies appeared anywhere.  Their name is Adanson’s house jumper.  It is a common species of small black jumping spider found in most Japanese households named after the naturalist Adanson. In other words, they are house spiders.

Due to my work, I don’t have a healthy daily lifestyle.  But only when working a stage performance, I have a daily routine.  My meals are always taken at certain times. I get a restful sleep because I must move and will get tired.  Although it’s a very healthy and stable lifestyle, a part of me suddenly felt trapped like birds without feathers.  And “thanks” to the yet-still-popular coronavirus, basically I cannot go out much.  Having some communication with two Adanson’s house jumpers can serve as a little healing therapy.  It reminded me of a TV show or something of which a prisoner who stayed alone in jail for a long time secretly kept a cockroach as a pet. When the roach died, he was so sad that he cried.  

This September Toei offered me an appearance on their YouTube because it was the 10th year anniversary of Kamen Rider Wizard, of which I played the lead.  I was worried about what to talk about nowadays on the program.  But if the main cast could gather, I told them I would love to join it.  I didn’t remember exactly the last time we met. It was THAT long time ago.  When I was as young as 20 years old, when we were still literally kids, having spent a year and a half together as buddies meant nothing but special memories.  Nuh. Not just that.  Even we worked close together for a long period of time, not one person has ever once had a negative feeling about each other.  They were all so nice!  Despite being at the age who would be aggressive and would sideline someone, they all supported me as the lead.  They all have cooperated for the purpose of making an interesting work.  Since I have had a slight feeling of wanting to blame myself for not providing a regular gathering opportunity to these lovable buddies, I truly appreciate the passionate support from Toei who offered this opportunity and from Kamen Rider fans.

The YouTube recording was on September 2nd, that day my stage only played matinee. It was unbelievably the exact date of the 10th year anniversary.  The recording included Makoto Okunaka, Tasuku, Yuko Takayama and me. Four of us.  Another main cast member Junki Tozuka who was acting for a stage in a different prefecture joined us via video.  It was a bummer that we couldn’t meet Junki in person, but it was an emotional moment being that 10 years have passed since we were altogether. As we recalled the real events then, those feelings came back to life. Whatever we had not talked about in the past, gaps were filled and answers were checked.  It was a wonderful time.  That night I was carried away by all kinds of memories.  I didn’t know why but I had a hard time falling asleep.

On the other hand, Tokyo performance of “Poison Berry in My Brain” at Meiji-za, which has continued since last month end, has finally come to an end.  Although I had a day off, in order to bring my flying squirrel to my friend’s house for pet-sitting, I cleaned the cage.  I was also busy washing three loads of clothes.  I entrusted the housekeeping task to the Adanson’s house jumpers and hurried to Osaka performance.  I checked in at a long-established hotel not far from the theater.  A hotel which has spectacular cleaning service contrasted to my own home.  And I started my hotel living there for a while. Laying down in bed while trying to reply to cumulative messages on my LINE app, I received some unexpected information.  Believe it or not, Junki Tozuka, who we couldn’t meet the other day, was currently staying at the same hotel!  His stage in Osaka was at the theater next door. Their schedule also mirrored ours. Immediately I reached out to him.

One morning, Junki and I met up at the breakfast hall in the hotel.  Since we both had a stage to perform, we learned to behave at breakfast. The once-abandoned buffet style due to COVID has now been revived.  A queue was formed at the breakfast hall.  While I was busy getting a table, Junki came.  He showed me a sentimental expression suitable for our reunion, but I simply replied with a “long time no see” in a considerably flat tone as I struggled to secure us a table.  Junki and I and other actors at his stage who I have known and gotten along with ended up sitting altogether and enjoyed the buffet. I felt bad to others, yet I couldn’t help but kept talking to Junki.  We talked about what has been going on lately to what has happened at the recent YouTube recording.  Then we discussed our near future.  Little less than two hours ended quickly in no time.  As long as I live, this kind of strange twist of fate can come along like a reward.

I returned to my dirty home lined with lots of hang dry laundry.  I folded the dried clothes and reluctantly started cleaning my room full of never-ending mess.  There was no indication of any pest.  Not sure if the house spiders have finished their work, but they were nowhere in sight. After spending a whole day cleaning, my room has become quite presentable.  I jumped to the shower.  Then when I opened the closet to get my pajamas, a tiny black thing as small as dust walked across the closet door.  It wasn’t an Adanson’s house jumper.  It’s too small.  Who are you? Don’t tell me you are a newborn cockroach.  Because it would be a hassle.  

Adanson’s house jumpers! Did you guys slack off at work while I was away?  Hey, spiders! Where are you?  I was yelling at them in my mind.  However, they were not there.  I took a piece of Kleenex and chased after that tiny black thing.  It’s there!  In order to make sure I could catch it, I approached slowly.  As if it sensed danger, that thing jumped and escaped from me.  Wait.  Did it just jump?  What?!  It was a newborn Adanson’s house jumper, Jr.  

#shirapages #shunya shiraishi #白石隼也 #kamen rider wizard