#not a design ”fix” i do not believe I am qualified for that

[unouniuniuni]

My take on Fionn mac Cumhaill from Fate Grand/Order, mostly inspired by his apperance in Shin Megami Tensei 5.

I love Fionn so I wanted to try do my own redesign of him. I simply wanted to design something that looks cool while still keeping some elements from his original design. I have never really done a sprite edit like this before but it was alot of fun.

#fate grand order #art #redesign #not a design ”fix” i do not believe I am qualified for that #fionn mac cumhaill #fategrandorder #fgo #fgo Fionn #fanart #does this count as fanart? #fan design #fan redesign #this was purely made for fun #im not looking for critisism

[joiedevivrevehicles]

Renault Triber Long-Term Month-To-Month Reports

During its 10-month stay with this reviewer, the Renault Triber did its job in a commendable manner and, suffice it to say, without any real niggles. The Triber isn’t just about clever space management though, it’s also a very comfortable vehicle.

Long Term Report: October 2020 (End of Term)

I primarily used the Triber for my daily commute to the office and back home – a run of 56km – along with some occasional road trips to the hills. And in all those months, I’ve really enjoyed its company. Mind you, by ‘enjoyed’, I don’t mean it’s exciting to drive in any way – it’s more of a compliment for its practicality, comfort, and fuss-free nature. First and foremost, the Triber is a proper seven-seater. Initially, I used to think it was a marketing ploy. But, no, as the days went by, I realised that it’s very spacious and comfortable – even in the third row, you’ve ample legroom and headroom (thanks to the cleverly scooped-out roof). You even get your own AC vents. Yes, in a sub-`8 lakh car! In addition to the space for passengers, it also has a very practical cabin – you’ve lots of storage pockets everywhere in the cabin, and there’s a cooled storage compartment as well.

The Triber isn’t just about clever space management though, it’s also a very comfortable vehicle. The ride quality is pliant, and it has typical sturdiness and road manners that you’d associate with expensive Renault cars like the Duster. However, it doesn’t feel crude or basic inside. In fact, its quality and fit-and-finish are more than decent. The Renault Triber is also well-equipped. The infotainment system is one of the best in the market. It’s large, intuitive, lag-free, and comes with Android Auto and Apple Car Play. Speaking of useful features, it also has projector headlamps, which are very good. I also quite like the design of the car – it’s a very pleasant-looking car. And those faux alloy wheels, well, that’s another smart touch. It won’t be wrong to say that the Triber looks more expensive than it really is, and I believe, the Triber’s aesthetics are one of its main USPs.

The 1.0-litre three-cylinder powertrain is a mixed bag. During daily driving or even during long drives, it felt underpowered. The low-end is weak, but the mid-range is more than adequate for daily duties or even occasional highway runs. What’s more, it’s quite refined at mid-revs, and the cabin is well-insulated. At high revs – above 4,500rpm – the engine does sound coarse, and there isn’t much juice to extract as well. The problem arises while driving with more people/load and AC turned on full blast, for the whole task becomes a bit laborious, especially in the city. On the highway, once you’re doing speeds above 80km/h, there’s no problem, as the Triber cruises comfortably, regardless of the number of people on board. The high-speed stability is also very good. Having said that, a bigger engine will definitely make the Triber more complete.

The build quality of the car is, surprisingly, very impressive, too. In the last 10 months, we haven’t witnessed any rattling panels or unwanted noises in the cabin. 

Overall, the Renault Triber MPV is nearly a perfect car for its price. It's spacious, comfortable, feature-packed, efficient, and, most importantly, very easy and pleasant to live with.

Long-Term Report: September 2020

Last month, the Triber’s radiator fan stopped working due to a blown fuse. It was fixed by Renault service quickly. However, when the car came back, the USB port stopped functioning. 

I thought it was a blown fuse again, and being the qualified engineer that I am, I turned it into a DIY assignment since I had nothing better to do. However, the access to the fuse box is really complicated in the Triber (inside the glove box), and you can’t pull a fuse out with your hands – you need to have a pair of pliers. After hopelessly trying to fix it myself for nearly half a day, I gave up and rang the folks at Renault service. They reverted promptly, sending a technician to my place the very next morning. It was fixed in just 5 minutes. The issue wasn’t a blown fuse, in fact, it was a loose connection. All I can say is that it isn’t funny to be proved wrong every now and then as an engineer, you know. The car is now running fine, and it’s back to being a fuss-free and comfortable daily runabout. It’s also hit 10,000km, meaning a service is due soon.

Long Term Report: August 2020

As soon as the lockdown ended, the very first thing I did was to drive down to where I would spend some time with my family. It was a leisurely 250km drive in the Triber. The weather was nice and the roads were empty. Everything went smoothly. Upon reaching my destination, I was quickly put into home quarantine for two weeks, meaning no driving or stepping out. Sadly, I managed to drive the Triber again only when it was time to come back home. 

When I reached home, it was pouring – which is another way of saying that our roads had turned into large water-harvesting reservoirs of sorts. Unfortunately, I drove the Triber through a heavily waterlogged street, and while it came out unscathed, the radiator fan suffered a blown fuse and stopped working. I realised this the next day as the AC kept tripping and the temperature gauge shot up. I called the Renault service, and it was fixed rather promptly. However, after the car came back from service, the USB port stopped working – I am hoping it’s just another blown fuse and nothing else.  

Long Term Report: July 2020

After being parked for nearly two months, the Triber finally went back to work with full force in the last month. Since it's the only small big car in our long-term fleet, it's our camera team's first choice for a tracking vehicle or for transporting people and equipment. Not to mention, with its seven-seat layout, we all can also maintain social distancing inside the vehicle. 

However, with full camera equipment and three heavy-weight people on board, the Triber does struggle to gain momentum, especially with the aircon on full blast. However, once you get up to 50-60km/h, it doesn't feel as 'powerless'. So, the key is to thrash the motor in each gear and get up to speed really quickly. But this comes at the expense of fuel economy. However, more importantly, this aggressive driving style has affected my 'Eco Scoring' (shows on the touchscreen) adversely, as my score now stands at 74 / 100. Plus, it's given me a mediocre 3-star rating in the 'Gear shift' category. On the upside, in 'Acceleration', I scored a 4, and I got a full 5 stars in 'Anticipation'. So, overall, I am happy that I haven't completely gone down in the Triber's estimation.  

Long Term Report: June 2020

In spite of some lockdown relaxations now, going out isn’t an option for me. This is because the border between where I stay and the office is still sealed. However, a couple of days ago, I was fortunate enough to take the Triber out on a cross-border expedition, as I had to drop a friend at the airport. It was after nearly 80 days that I was driving the Triber again! 

The drive turned out to be a very pleasant affair – after being caged for over two months, getting to drive a car back on open roads again felt so gratifying. Plus, there was virtually no traffic, so that made it even more enjoyable. That said, there were scores of private cars on the road. In some parts, it even made me wonder if there ever was a lockdown in place. Everything seemed normal, although I am not sure if I should be happy or worried about this. Strange times, indeed! 

As for the Triber, it did this short journey without any trouble. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised by its air-conditioning system. In 42 degrees of heat, the cabin remained cool and engine performance was decent. Hopefully, I’ll get to drive it more often from next month.  

Long Term Report: May 2020

Until a few hours ago, I hadn’t driven the Triber for over a month! Sure, I cranked it up once or twice around two weeks ago to keep its battery from draining, but it didn’t move an inch. However, since I had to get the odometer readings for this report, I went down to my apartment’s basement parking to check it. A few moments later, I noticed there was not a single soul in the parking lot, so I decided to take it for a spin, quite literally – I drove the car around the pillars of the parking lot for a good 5 minutes. I am happy to say that it’s the most fun thing I’ve done since the lockdown! Yes, that’s what it has come down to, sadly. 

However, before we were asked to stay home for an indefinite period, I managed to take it on another short road trip. As I have said in my previous reports, it’s not really a thrill machine because of its pint-size three-cylinder 1.0-litre engine. Despite that, it manages to cruise at 100-110km/h quite comfortably. It returned a decent fuel economy of around 16km/l during the road trip. However, it’s not that efficient in the city, as I only manage to get around 14-15km/l of fuel efficiency. And trust me, I don’t thrash the motor at all. Plus, I don’t think that it’s going to get any better in summer because of the air conditioning. But then, who knows if we will be allowed to step out this summer, let alone drive our cars?   

Long Term Report: February 2020

Usually, I prefer motorcycles to cars for commuting in cities. The reason is simple – it saves me a heck of a lot of time, and riding a motorcycle is not half as infuriating as driving a car in peak-hour traffic. But last month, it got bone-chillingly cold here, so, naturally, I ditched my motorcycle and used the Triber. And within a few days of driving to work, I realised that the Triber had turned me into a driving monk!

You see, unlike other cars, the Triber has somewhat calmed me down as a driver. Now, I am not implying that it’s the most refined car in the segment – it’s not! In fact, the engine sounds very gruff during cold starts and even in traffic, the drivetrain feels very harsh. Plus, it’s not a car to drive enthusiastically. But, truth be told, I kind of like that fact – the fact that it’s a relatively slow car. I don’t know about other road users, but the Triber’s relaxed pace has forced me to be non-competitive on the road. I don’t fight for a tight spot in traffic, I don’t chase someone down if they cut me off, and I don’t get into traffic light drag races anymore. Instead, I stick to a lane, connect my music using Android Auto, and just drive leisurely without a care in the world.  However, if there’s one thing that makes me lose my cool while driving this car – the lack of steering audio controls.  

Long Term Report: January 2020

The Renault Triber entered our long-term fleet this month, and, surprisingly, I’ve been handed the keys to this spacious 7-seat crossover. I am no family man, but I’ve to say that I like the extra space that this car offers. On the very first week itself, I drove the Triber to nearby and beyond, with four passengers and their ‘winter’ luggage on board. Of course, on paper, the 1.0-litre motor may not look ready for such a job, but, actually, it turned out to be pretty good. The engine, albeit whiny, cruises comfortably at 100 – 110km/h. Overtaking, however, requires you to send multiple requests to the engine – the motor feels strained and is reluctant to send all its horses to the wheels. Drive it at a leisurely pace, though, and it’s a very comfortable mile-muncher – yes, even when it’s fully loaded. The ride quality over bad roads stands out in particular. 

In the city, the driveability is decent. There’s enough grunt to pull the car into second gear in start-stop traffic. The clutch has a high biting point, though, and I also feel the pedal is set at a weird angle. The 8-inch touchscreen feels very premium. But I do miss steering-mounted controls. We will talk more about the Triber’s quality, practicality, and driving dynamics in next month’s report…  

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Report shared from https://wheelwonderings.postach.io/post/renault-triber-long-term-month-to-month-reports

#triber #renault triber

[chacaltaya]

something about the show The last of us scratches an itch in a very specific way I hadn’t thought about before, I think it activates the neural pathways of survival + adrenaline within me which partly come from personal trauma. The scenes are like nothing I’ve gone through but somehow put a “name” to how I’ve felt in my body for years when I’d be doing or reading something that was extremely prohibited by my parents, never fully relaxed, having to walk on eggshells, pretending to be “normal”, having to act a certain way, feeling trapped but not fully understanding the “danger” that made my stomach drop and my heart beat fast was my father and his rigid way of thinking. On the other hand I feel bewitched by the setting of the show, I think I now understand more the allure of “doomsday prepping” and the idyllic fantasy that if something really bad were to happen you could survive on your own, live off grid etc, not that I would do it but I’ve been thinking about it a lot, I believe in part that relates to me feeling like the government has failed me, I am disabled but don’t qualify for benefits according to the govt, I feel like they’re actively trying to wipe me out, I can’t apply for unemployment benefits until I finish university but I failed to finish because I was sick, I have stopped trusting institutions like healthcare or university have my best interests, however do I think that should be fixed and health, education and housing should be free. I feel like with The Plague these institutions have eroded, as if they’ve been abandoned and are covered in climbing plants and have an interior pond, but theyre still very much making lots of money for the suits at the top. I do think those things are related, and the prop, wardrobe, environment and background designers really nailed in the creation of this universe, they make watching the show a delight.

#exmormon #exmo #the last of us #TLOU

[gloverneergaard0]

Party Ideas For Pre-Teens

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#CRACKSARMY.COM

[sanchoyo]

danny phantom 14-20 thoughts!! I finished up s1 :D these last few eps were actually really really good!!!

-did. did tucker really just say esperanto was a dead language only spoken as a secret code between geeks. google says around 100,000 people actively speak it. oh my god...it being an auxiliary language doesn't mean its 'just for geeks to speak in code' ...it helps bridge gaps between people who don't have a language in common...

-danny really isn't pulling punches when it comes to fighting the ghost-cop possessed people huh. like he SLAMMED KWAN INTO THE CONCRETE SO HARD. HE THREW PAULINA INTO A BILLBOARD. will that...I mean it WOULD carry over to their bodies non-possessed, right? like if the ghost piloting their bodies gets hurt?? itd be so upsetting to be possessed, lose time, then wake up covered in bruises (and possibly, broken bones??) real horror movie stuff im sure wont be addressed in any way

-tuckers parents seem nice! I like them :)

-WULF IS CUTE AND I FEEL BAD. im so glad the gang realized he was only causing trouble bc of the shock collar walker put on him and helped. also, him wearing that big hoodie with the hood on, and thinking its subtle. we can tell youre still a giant wolfie :) THEN GETTING SUCKED INTO THE PORTAL AAAAH :( anxiously waiting to see Him Again....

-DANNY BLASTING HIS PARENTS THINKING THEY WERE OVERSHADOWED LMFAO GET THEIR ASSES. maddie marking how many ghosts she gets with lipstick tallies on the side of her portal gun? kindaaa iconic tho. (ALSO, SHE WAS LIKE, 2 FT AWAY FROM HIM RIGHT AFTER SHE TRIED TO SHOOT HIM. HOW DO YOU NOT RECONINZE YOUR OWN SON??? like sure, he might have diff hair/eye colors. but like, if one of my family members dyed their hair, and was wearing contacts, its not like id be like 'wHO IS THIS STRANGER!!!' ...he still has all his facial features!! same everything!!! I hate it here)

-paulina being #1 girl realizing danny's a friendly ghost immediately. smart queen. lancer and kwan ran away right after he made this sweet baby face at them:

which is hilarious.

-ok. im not saying his bullying is JUSTIFIED, but. dash looked so pleased with the (cute!) poster he just painted, and danny comes thru the wall and spills paint on his nice letterman jacket. his anger is justified maybe 65% of the time so far...(not the way he handles it, but STILL.) at least lancer is stepping in!! and them making a silly little bet was...cute?? until dash pulled out his GROSS UNDERWEAR AND SAID DANNY WOULD HAVE TO EAT THEM???? WHAT THE FUCK MAN. TUCKER WAS SO RIGHT ITS FUCKING WEIRD TO CARRY THOSE AROUND EWWW. THIS KID IS UNWELL. lancer was right, his animatronic setup was SUPER IMPRESSIVE?? hes actually pretty creative. danny meanwhile is stealing the fright knight's design...I hope dash is taking art classes or smth with his sports

-fright knight is the most bestest ghost so far i LOVE THAT DESIGN. I am biased towards knights, and characters with swords, but he fucks so severely. and should sue danny for copyright infringement for stealing his design for his haunted house. if some 14 yr old broke into MY house and stole MY sword, id also be pissed. his evil winged unicorn rules too with its FANGS. and he just CAN SHOVE THE PORTAL OPEN WITH HIS HANDS??? is he the strongest ghost weve seen so far? idk but hes my fav. SOUL SHREDDER IS SUCH A COOL SWORD NAME TOO. ANY NAMED SWORD ALSO FUCKS. 'flaming bedsheets of DEATH' funny king. ALSO he was polite to dash and tucker when just asking for directions and telling tucker 'oh maybe, just a suggestion, maybe be nicer to me and be more respectful :)' I LOOOVE HIM.

-I noticed this in the Ember ep, but jazz has an electric guitar in her room!! talent musical queen!! its cool to see hobbies just in the bg.

-fright knight's murder castle reminds me of the booby trapped murder castle in zexal!! another supposedly 'for kids' show with murder/trap castles! we love that. if you are a dp fan reading this, give yugioh zexal a try. its also got 13-14 year old protags and involves (alien) ghosts. the cardgame is just a vessel for the plot, which is really good. (I just want more people to watch my fav yugioh, man)

-danny. with a SWORD.

-danny doesnt NEED TO WIN this contest, dash didnt STEAL HIS DESIGNS AND STEAL A SWORD. he also got excited to hear lancer got sent to a dimension with his worst fears too just so he could win the contest? DANNY WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!!! BRO MAYBE YOURE 14 AND HAVENT FULLY DEVOLPED YOUR WHOLE BRAIN YET, BUT...THATS FUCKED. this kid casually says the most deranged things, I do worry for my spooky son. once again, therapy needed. that judo toss was great tho. I wonder if he actually did pick up some martial arts stuff from his mom?

-danny can fly 112 mph!!! thats so fast! I love the lil montage of him and his friends testing his abilities and stuff, very cute and a good way to showcase what he can do by now and how much more proficient he's gotten from ep 1!!! I'm sure he's going to get more abilities :)

-im glad...maddie's at least TRYING this ep. I do feel for her because her husband is a man baby. but the fact it took 16 episodes to get a kinda semblance of any kind of real concern or attempts at bonding. hmm. jack's 'BACK OFF SHES A MINOR' @ the ghost trying to attack jazz. also was very funny. and him wanting to make an action figure of her? are the parents redeeming themselves to me? slightly. they gotta Work Harder

-THE GHOST. IS FLYING. THE PLANE.

-fenton machete. but she doesnt carry a PHONE??? ???

-I mean I expected vlad when you namedrop him earlier in the ep, and also the title card picture, and dalv corp being fucking vlad backwards. but seeing him just pull up on a golf cart made me bust out laughing. WITH the gift baskets prepared. why wouldnt you at least be suspicious. also, if he wants danny to be his lil sonboy, why is he so fucking malicious?? dude you are going about this in such a bad way. stop it. get some help.

-maddie not even hesitating to drag danny out. fucking good. danny is so right, go on the internet to date. get a cat. how do you spend...how many years?? has it been since college?? at least 20, right, since the parents/vlad are in their 40s? hung up on ONE girl. my god, man. incel drama queen. her kung fu IS impressive, but dude. 'we both know hes a creep' SO right. it sucks but they do need a phone and shit being in the middle of NOWHERE. also, just stealing his helicopter was great. <3

-'you must be exhausted carrying the weight of that mistake you made years ago' 'well we all make mistakes. maybe I'll make one now!' WHY DID THIS EXHCHANGE SEND ME. AND VLAD WITH THE BREATH SPRAY EWWW BITCH. 'OLD BAIT BREATH' SOO RIGHT. both danny and his mom playing him HAHAH hes so dumb. or rather, I think he thinks with his emotions too too much and is...actually pretty gullible? lmao he believed danny was ready to give in SO fast. (which is sad hes that hopeful, like you have SO MUCH MONEY YOU COULD EASILY GET ANOTHER GIRL WHO HAS A KID. AND WOULD WANT TO BE WITH YOU AND BE SUPPORTED. GET OVER THIS (1) WOMAN ALREADY IM GETTING SECONDHAND EMBARRASSMENT AAAAH)

-GHOST BEAR GHOST BEAR GHOST BEAR. it was also in the title card, but I still got very excited. we love bears here

-SAM'S BAT SWIMSUIT COVERUP!!! her outfits are simply iconic.

-'i'd tell you to go to the mens room, but I don't think you qualify' top paulina transphobic moments. :( and him wearing a tanktop to the swim park? hmmm! (actually I think she was overshadowed by then, so, KITTY top 10 transphobic moments??)

-kitty just piloting paulina around makes me feel SO bad tho, paulina's gonna wake up and be like 'wtf do you mean I was dating this rando' like youre leading danny on to make johnny jealous, and also just POSSESSING POOR PAULINA. dude take your relationship problems ELSEWHERE. last time we saw them, they seemed like such a cute couple!! wtf johnny!! I mean, she sucks for trying to make him jealous, he sucks for looking at other girls...maybe they need a break, but Not Like This. or, you know, just. better communication...

-and the A-listers having a full packet and a stamp system. who organizes this. kwan fucking owning being the new danny though, this is hysterical. THE TUCKER/KWAN FLOWER FIELD TWIRL. UNIRONICALLY ADORABLE. and him giving it his all for the poetry slam. bless his HEARTTTT.

-Star owns. actually, all of the extra characters are shining this ep and I love it.

-INVISO-BILL??? NOOOO THEY DID HIM SOO DIRTY. DANNY SWEETIE IM SO SORRY.

-johnny and danny bein friends and staging a fake fight (which danny takes too seriously, once again this child has aggression he NEEDS TO WORK OUT) I hope these three stay friends, I said it before but danny needs more friendly ghosts to hang with.

-at this point, Danny's ghost enemies are a lot like, I dunno, batman's rouge gallery is the first thing that comes to mind. they all have their own gimmick and unique designs, but most of them are easy to beat after learning the Moral Lesson. I still get excited when any of them show up again, though. 18 is another valerie episode!!!! :D skulker really said you two will get along if I have to handcuff you together <3 and the gym teacher really said, youre married now, have a flour baby! ngl, I'm not really watching this show for the shipping stuff (which I am very scared to look at the fandom for after I finish this watch through- I feel like there's probably discourse/arguing about ships...) but. I'm gonna put my opinion out there. valerie/danny > sam/danny. maybe I just really love the enemies to lovers trope. And the secret identity stuff adds Extra Flavor.

-SKULKER JUST HAVING THE BOX GHOST AND DANGLING HIM BY A STRING. HILARIOUS. and him watching them with binoculars and making his silly little commentary. AND MAKING THE SACK BABY CRY. LMAO. THIS DUDE IS A BABY KIDNAPPER. skulker is super fun

-danny, you just...collapsed the water tower. and then attacked the nasty burger machine...mascot thingy...out of anger..I KEEP SAYING HE'S GOT ANGER ISSUES BUT. HE REALLY NEEDS A LESSON IN MANAGING COLLATERAL DAMAGE!!! So does valerie!! They're both pretty focused on each other. I mean it's good of Danny to say he's trying to make sure PEOPLE don't get hurt, but... (I mean I guess it's not something 14 year olds WOULD worry about, but as an adult im like, who's going to fix that? how much money will that take??)

-TUCKER MAKING BANK. and sam and tucker being super emotionally attached to their flour baby and being pretty good parents. that's cute...also him just straight kissing her and being like. WAIT. O_O JDSKAFHD. his mom baking them into cookies was the funniest possible result. tbh I dont feel like this is on tucker, if anything the other kid's shouldve been more responsible! He was just taking an opportunity to get that $$ which I respect

-Danny being more understanding of Valerie's situation in the end (helping her at her job, too, and trying to keep that a secret for her!!!) And seeing them work together this ep, and also her letting phantom get her out of the ghost zone...was very sweet. LOVE that. more valerie eps pls

-me when I realize vlad's big stupid house exploded because of his own carelessness with changing the ghost portal ectofiltrator or whatever: *pointing and laughing*

-me when I realize it means he's gonna go make danny's life hell for it somehow: >:(

-SCOOBY PARODY!!! I feel like there's gotta be some scooby doo/danny phantom crossover stuff, right? also, 'guys in white' men in black wishes

-'oh, that's right! dad married the love of your life! you're bitter and alone!' DANNNNNYY GET HIS ASS ONCE AGAIN WE ARE POINTING AND LAUGHING AT VLAD

-'jack, you captured the ghost boy!!' UMM. he did nothing <3 'we have a weapon's vault??' YOU HAVE A WEAPONS VAULT??? and jack didnt put a handle on the inside. of fucking course he didnt! why would you leave that to your son!! or expect him to clean YOUR LAB when its where you work with probably dangerous chemicals and weapons and hes 14!! give him normal chores, like, I dunno, vacuuming, laundry, dishes...CMON. I hate it here. But I'm glad Jack is more chill about danny while he's a ghost, and willing to work with him for this ep. AND. I DID ENJOY JACK PUNCHING VLAD IN THE FACE. AND GENERALLY JUST OWNING HIM. the ghost punchy fists are actually amazing. like yeah, just punch a ghost in the face. that rules.

-ep 20 opens with the coolest fucking ghost lady design. her tattoos can come off and fight. MA'AM. I like ur nose ring and your cape maam hello 👉👈😳

-sam's grandma is hilarious and the most valid member of her family and I love her. thats my grandma now. and tucker covering for sam by dressing as her. thats true friendship <3 also skipping school to go to a goth circus. just bestie things! sam's parents are haters but for all the wrong reasons.

-'my family has controlled ghosts with this for generations!' WAIT. WAIT FREAKSHOW /ISNT/ A GHOST? I didn't expect that...he's just a fucked up guy controlling ghosts? anyway watching danny shoot at police cars and rob banks while mind controlled. its like, the most stereotypical 'bad' things lmao. (tbh an evil ghost circus troupe is a sick concept)

this gives off big deviantart emo edit vibes

(I'm going to assume evil circus reaper danny has a lot of fan content. people love an edgy au, except this one is canon (even tho its via mind control...having the protag go evil otherwise might be hard, I guess?) but au where he stays with the troupe...that has to exist, right?)

ANYWAY. excited to start s2!! lowkey surprised by how many notes some of these posts have gotten. I've gone back and tagged them all with 'dp thoughts' so they're easier to find on my blog! ^^ and I will probably possibly do (more) fanart on my art blog after I finish the watch of the whole show, so like. @sanchoyodraws follow my art blog :)

#sanchoyorambles #danny phantom #dp thoughts

[mittelfrank-divas]

Dance of the Black Heron chapter 4

In which lunchtime and whispers are had

Read on AO3

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Hubert knew, the moment that he stepped into the dining hall, that something had changed. The air was charged with an energy that rippled among the students, sparking and crackling with mutters and whispers throughout the tables.

He automatically stepped closer to Edelgard as she wove between clusters of students and covertly tried to scan the room for any sign of danger. Hubert was paranoid about her safety at the best of times, and the tiniest atmospheric shift was enough to make him assume a threat was nearby.

Edelgard knew this. When he stepped so close to her that the front of his jacket brushed the back of hers, she automatically slowed her pace and shifted her stance so that he could remain there: a shadow just behind her left shoulder. It meant that any threat would be hard-pressed to separate them, that he was taking the place of the shield that she would carry only on the battlefield, that with hardly a moment's notice he could use the teleportation spell that he'd spent years honing in secret, and move her to safety.

It also meant that when they stopped at the back of the lineup to await their turn at the front counter, he could easily dip his head close to hers and mutter a few words in her ear.

"More eyes are on you than usual, I think." Hubert caught a few glances thrown their way even as he said it. Had some part of their plan been uncovered? The Flame Emperor had been busy as of late, and despite all of their efforts to distance Edelgard from that persona, there was no telling what infinitesimal detail they might have overlooked that would tip somebody off. Or was movement in the Empire starting to reach noble ears, raising questions about the future emperor?

Edelgard reached up to fix one of the ribbons in her hair so that she could easily turn her head to the side and survey the room. After a moment, her head bumped gently against Hubert's jaw. "I don't think it's me they're looking at."

"What do you--" a series of particularly loud giggles drew Hubert's attention to the door on the opposite side of the hall. A trio of students were clustered conspiratorially together. One of them -- Hilda Goneril, judging by the pink hair -- popped her head up and looked directly at him, grinning wickedly.

"Oh. Oh no." The way that Hubert's blood ran cold, one would think that being caught conspiring against the church would be a preferable alternative. At least heresy was a crime that Hubert could be <i>proud</i> of.

Edelgard stared blankly ahead, her voice just loud enough for Hubert to hear over the din of the hall. "It seems that word of our chosen candidate has spread quickly."

"It is not too late for me to poison today's meal," Hubert offered weakly.

"Far too late, I'm afraid. Half the students have already finished." From where Hubert stood behind her, he could see the corner of Edelgard's mouth twitch in amusement.

He endured the slow, meandering pace of the lunch line, sharply aware of every muttering voice, every tittering laugh echoing throughout the crowded hall, certain that each one of them was directed his way. It was some minutes before he realized that he was still pressed defensively close to Edelgard, as if the mere stares of other students qualified as a deadly threat. She had made no move to pull away either, as if sensing that perhaps this was now a matter of Hubert's own reassurance.

When they finally reached the front of the line, he blindly grabbed at the first plate he saw regardless of its contents and turned to march toward their usual table, only to be met with the sight of Ferdinand von Aegir engaged in a lively chat with the Gloucester heir. Hubert hardly understood how anybody could stand the pompous Leicester noble, but somehow Ferdinand's smile was bright as ever.

"Traitorous gossip," Hubert muttered.

"Not necessarily," Edelgard said, breezing past him to find a seat. "Let us gain confirmation that he is the source of our troubles before we contemplate our method of execution."

Even with the anxious fury brewing in Hubert's chest, he released a chuckle. "As you wish, Lady Edelgard."

There were no designated house tables in the dining hall, given that it was a space used by all Garreg Mach residents, students and knights and clergy alike. Meal times were one of the few regular occasions when the houses could mingle, and social butterflies like Ferdinand and Dorothea took full advantage of that.

It had come as some surprise, then, only a few days into the start of the school year, when some of the Black Eagles had started gravitating toward the distant corner that he and Edelgard always seated themselves in. It had been an unspoken assumption between the two of them, that their classmates would be relieved to be rid of their presence between class times. It was almost a certainty that the other students would not choose to prolong their time with the future emperor and her dreary attendant.

How shocking it had been, the first time Caspar dropped his tray next to Hubert and started shouting something about a fight he'd just come from before he'd even finished sitting down. When Linhardt drifted sleepily over soon after. When Petra excitedly pushed a book in front of Edelgard to tell her about her history reading. Once or twice Bernadetta even ventured into the dining hall in the quieter hours, and latched onto the two of them as a lone source of familiarity in the otherwise chaotic space. Even Dorothea and Ferdinand found time to join them.

It was seldom that all of them gathered at once. Black Eagles trickled in and out of their orbit, sometimes staying only long enough to steal something from each other's plates before fleeing, but it seemed to now be tradition for some of them to always be waiting in that same designated corner for Edelgard and Hubert.

Today they found Linhardt already napping there with his head on the table, while Caspar rapidly shovelled the remainder of both their lunches into his mouth.

"Hey!" Caspar shouted through a mouthful. "Is it true Hubert's planning to poison the other contestants?"

Edelgard primly took her seat across from Linhardt, leaving Hubert the unfortunate position of witnessing Caspar's open-mouth chewing at close range. "I don't recall any such plan," she said. "Where did you hear such a ghastly idea?"

Caspar paused long enough in his food-shovelling to swallow some of it. "Oh, I overheard Ingrid talking about it on the training grounds. I didn't know that sort of thing was allowed for dance competitions."

So that was both rival houses now aware of Hubert's entry into the competition. He glanced past Caspar's shoulder to see Dorothea with Ingrid and Sylvain. Surely his tutor was not responsible for this treachery -- no, not even with the slightly too loud giggle that rang out every time Ingrid said something. Dorothea's flirtations were as calculated as any strategist's. She would not so easily lose her head, no matter how pretty her enemy's face.

"I would very much like to know who has taken it upon themselves to reveal our plans to the entire academy," Hubert growled.

Caspar shrugged. "Not me. Does it really matter? Everyone would have found out eventually anyway, right?"

"I would have preferred..." Hubert fumbled for some reasonable way to finish that sentence. He would have preferred for it to be a secret that he carried to his grave, but that was hardly a logical position to state out loud. "A more tactical reveal," he finally stated.

A sound emanated from the depths of Linhardt's arms, inside of which his face was buried, that could have been mistaken for a snore if it were not followed up with words. "What sort of tactics did you have in mind? Were you planning on preserving your anonymity through the competition? Perhaps you could have turned out all the lights and had the judges witness your performance only by the sound of your feet?"

Hubert glared uselessly at the green mop of Linhardt's hair, knowing his ire was going unseen and unremarked. "I was not, but please inform me if you have any other ideas of this calibre."

"Regardless of whether this was the plan or not, we can make use of this." Edelgard's pale eyes had that sharp look to them as she watched the other students move about the hall. It was a look that told Hubert she was already formulating a plan, and therefore a look that eased his nerves considerably more than any attempts to comfort him would have.

"You believe so?"

She directed her attention down to her plate, letting her empty fork play close to her mouth so that it would be more difficult for others to read her lips. Edelgard took everything deadly seriously, including a school competition. Especially a school competition. "Our opponents believe your entry into this contest is a joke? Let them go on believing that. It is better to be underestimated, is it not?"

Hubert's frown remained where it was. This was not, evidently, a plan that involved fleeing Garreg Mach or locking himself in Abyss until the competition was over with. "That is true."

"Besides," Edelgard directed a proud smirk at him. "If the other houses want to believe that we must <i>cheat</i> to best them, then they are only revealing their own weaknesses."

Hubert found himself slightly disappointed to learn that cheating was an option that they would not be choosing to take. "Even so, I am concerned that our class is apparently incapable of keeping even so small a secret. Perhaps our professor can lead a lesson on discretion."

Edelgard perked up. "Ah, well we can ask them about that right now. Hello, my teacher."

Byleth drifted through the crush of students in the same calm, self-assured way that they did everything, taking their seat beside Caspar. "Hello. Ask about what?"

Linhardt shifted so that a single eye could be seen peering out from the dark crevice between his arms and his bangs. "Hubert thinks you might help him teach his way out of being the subject of salacious gossip."

Byleth blinked slowly at Linhardt while Hubert quietly stabbed at the roast pheasant on his plate, realizing too late the mistake he had made in blindly accepting the first dish he had spotted. It was smothered in tooth-achingly sweet berry reduction, making it fit only as the subject of his frustration. Edelgard came to the rescue. "What he means to say is that it seems the entire academy is already aware that Hubert is our candidate, and we are not sure who has revealed it to the other houses."

"Oh." Byleth nodded before scooping up a forkful of mashed turnip. "I did."

Hubert paused in eviscerating his lunch. "Ah. Betrayed by the very top. I should have predicted it."

Byleth tilted their head. "Should I not have? Professor Manuela said she needed to know."

Linhardt yawned. "Ah, out-maneuvered by the songstress. We should have seen that coming."

"My teacher," Edelgard said tactfully, "did you happen to ask her who the other contestants might be?"

Byleth regarded her. "Should I have?"

"It might help. After all, when devising a strategy, it is always best to know who your opponents are, is it not?"

"I suppose that is true," their professor answered calmly, without any hint of awareness that they were being gently chastised. "I will ask her next time I see her."

Edelgard sighed. "I suppose we'll have no choice but to wait for you to report back."

"No need," Dorothea chimed in, drifting into the conversation as if she had been there all along. She squatted down at the end of the table, elbows planting between Edelgard and Linhardt's plates and chin resting on her hands. "Sylvain is more than happy to brag to any girl within earshot that he's representing the Lions. To hear him tell of it, he's been a dancing prodigy since the moment he learned how to walk."

"And is he?" Edelgard prompted, never wasting an opportunity to gather intel.

Dorothea laughed, before she noticed the serious look on Edelgard's face. "Edie, bragging is just what Sylvain does. I don't think he's told a single true story about himself in his life. The guy is all charm and no substance, trust me. He might get a few points for his smile, but I doubt he'll bring much more than that."

"Then that is one advantage that the Blue Lions have over us," chimed in Linhardt's muffled voice. "Our candidate has a smile that could make the goddess herself weep."

"Truly, your gifts of observation are breathtaking as always," Hubert grumbled, knowing that it was hardly inaccurate. Sylvain Jose Gautier was the sort of person who oozed charm merely by existing. A single wink from that charismatic redhead could easily overshadow all other factors of a performance. A wink from Hubert would more likely be mistaken for a threat.

Edelgard's focus had not wavered from Dorothea's smiling face. The Empire's future ruler sensed a threat to their success, and Hubert knew by the way her lips pursed that she would not be satisfied until she saw a method of neutralizing that threat. "I want to be certain. Do you think you could gather more intel about his ability?"

Dorothea smiled indulgently back at her, tilting her head so that the long curls of her hair tumbled down her arms over the edge of the table. "Oh, Edie. Getting nobility to talk too much is what I do."

It was remarkable how Edelgard softened in the face of that smile. Hubert had so rarely seen her gain reassurance from anybody other than himself. He once again felt a swell of gratitude toward Dorothea. "Alright," Edelgard conceded. "I will trust in your abilities on that front."

"Then that deals with the more straightforward of our opposition," muttered Hubert.

Caspar paused in his eager consumption of his third lunch (Hubert's). "How is any of that straightforward?"

Edelgard did not even need to check with Hubert before answering. She knew his thought process well. "Because the Blue Lions are the most straightforward of the classes. They approach every threat exactly the same way: directly and forcefully. Once we know their candidate's skill and style, they will become a predictable foe. The same cannot be said for the Golden Deer."

"Claude von Riegen does nothing without some scheme," Hubert muttered. The thought suddenly occurred to him that perhaps all these rumors about his own plans to do harm to the judges or other contestants might be intentionally helped along by somebody who would benefit from them. How easy would it be for Claude to slip something into Sylvain's drink the day of the competition and watch as all eyes turned to Hubert when the poison became apparent?

His thoughts were abruptly interrupted by an unmistakable voice thundering above the din. "Oh yes, it is quite thrilling. I've not seen the school this fired up since the mock battle. Of course, were I our class's representative..." Ferdinand, having apparently gotten his fill of treasonous gossip, was nearing their table with Petra. How she tolerated his bluster was a mystery to Hubert.

"Well you're not, Ferdie, so you can stop complaining about that any day now." Dorothea had perched herself on the corner of the table next to Linhardt's head, thus fully designating the area as unfit for food consumption at this time. Linhardt made no complaint of this, taking the opportunity to treat Dorothea's hip as an additional pillow.

Ferdinand frowned at her as he claimed a seat beside the Professor. In an act of small mercies, this meant that Petra moved to sit beside Hubert instead. "I was only going to say that I would have chosen to announce my candidacy immediately. Is it not something to be proud of?" He fixed Hubert with a gleaming smile that made Hubert contemplate how far into the depths of Abyss he would need to fall to escape it. "You must be excited by it, surely."

Hubert found himself wishing that he had not sacrificed his plate to Caspar's appetite so that he would have some excuse to look anywhere other than that dazzling expression. "My excitement knows no limits."

"Ferdinand," Edelgard leaned toward him. "You're friendly with the Gloucester boy, aren't you? What have you learned about the Golden Deer's plans?"

Ferdinand's chest immediately swelled with pride. "How right of you to value my insights into this matter. Why of course Lorenz would have been a prime candidate for this contest, but he tells me he humbly declined the offer to represent his house. Worry not, for you shall have a worthy opponent, Hubert. The Golden Deer are putting forth Miss Marianne von Edmund to represent them."

Blank expressions and quietly exchanged looks were all that met Ferdinand's announcement. Caspar finally voiced what much of the table must have been thinking: "Which one's that again?"

"Daughter of Margrave Edmond, correct?" Edelgard looked to Hubert for confirmation, though his returned nod was unnecessary. The two of them had poured over class lists in the weeks leading up to their arrival at Garreg Mach, gathering all the intel they could about their future classmates. Margrave Edmond was well known, but his daughter remained all but a mystery, even now. Hubert had investigated her, found only a shy creature who hardly spoke, and passed her over as likely a harmless noblewoman with little interest in political affairs. Now he cursed himself for not considering her possible importance sooner.

"Oh," Linhardt finally deigned to lift his head from the table. "The one without a crest. Allegedly." There was a glimmer in his eye that Hubert recognized as scholarly fervor, and he wondered if Linhardt would be sleeping through tomorrow's class after once again losing himself in an all-night study session. "A very interesting girl, that one."

"For once, possessing a crest or not is not relevant to this competition," Edelgard said crisply, heading off whatever new theory was bubbling in Linhardt's mind. "Ferdinand, do you know anything about the Edmond girl? Will she pose a significant threat?"

Ferdinand beamed again at the attention. Two questions from Edelgard in a row must have been the highlight of his day, Hubert mused. How exciting for him to be able to show off in front of his imagined rival. "I admit that I do not know her well. She keeps to herself quite a bit. But you will not find a more gentle soul. I suspect that she has quite a bit of talent hidden away."

"Rather unlike Von Riegan to choose someone so reticent." Hubert found himself frowning. "What game is he playing?"

"Why should he be playing a game?" Petra asked. "Perhaps he is choosing for skill."

"Perhaps so," he admitted, not at all convinced. Hubert thought that he should have been reassured to have his opponents' names in his arsenal now. No battle was won without intel, after all. But somehow the knowledge made the competition more than just some distant, theoretical goal. There were other people involved now. People who would bear witness to whatever foolish performance he presented.

The noise and the imagined stares of the crowded hall suddenly became too much. Hubert stood. "It seems that I have little time to dally here. By your leave, Lady Edelgard."

She met his eyes, frowning at him in concern. Whatever the source of that concern was, however, he knew she could be relied upon not to expose it in front of others. "Of course," she simply said, dismissing him.

Hubert gave her a brief, grateful bow before making for the hall's rear exit, out into the courtyard gardens. A few students milled about in the bright afternoon sunshine, but they paid Hubert little mind as he attempted to duck into the shadows.

"Hubert, wait!"

It was a rare occasion when Hubert cursed his height. Were he Lady Edelgard, he could simply slip between the hedges and vanish with dignity. Unfortunately, there would be no escaping the sound of Ferdinand von Aegir calling his name unless he wished to dive fully behind the shrubbery, a plan that he was not certain he should discard just yet. Ferdinand was jogging across the grass with a brightly triumphant expression that told Hubert that he would be better off picking leaves out of his hair than listening to whatever came next.

"Listen!" Ferdinand came to a halt before Hubert, and he had the nerve to hardly even sound winded by the effort that it had taken him to catch up. "There's more that I've learned about what to anticipate at the competition. Lorenz learned from Professor Manuela that participants may choose the style of dance they utilize, but the judges traditionally favor the waltz. Though this year one of the previous judges has been replaced by the knight Shamir, so her tastes may be a little more--"

"Ferdinand," Hubert interrupted what was clearly going to become a long lecture. "Is there a reason that you are here to tell me all of this?"

Ferdinand's smile persisted, brighter than the horrid midday sun overhead. "Why, I am helping you assess the competition, of course! We must utilize all the tools we have at our disposal if we are to triumph. Besides, a noble like me would never stand idly by without lending my expertise. Now, if you haven't yet chosen a style, I suggest..."

"Oh, I see now," Hubert interjected, his voice turning low and silky. "Yes, how foolish of me not to predict that your bruised ego would be in need of salve. You think that by meddling, you might be able to claim some of the Black Eagle's victory for yourself."

Few things brought Hubert satisfaction like the shade of red that crept into Ferdinand's face, lighting up his freckles like embers, whenever Hubert managed to find the limits of his temper. It made the redhead look less like a fiery sun god and more like a furious Mortifs plum. "Excuse me? I am merely trying to help you! It is my duty as your classmate to lend you my support."

Hubert snorted. "How very altruistic. Offering your services to me? That is positively <i>noble</i> of you." Where before Hubert was hoping to flee from the sight of Ferdinand, now he closed the gap between them. As though the grassy field were a ballroom, and the sounds of chatter drifting out of the dining hall overlaid with an orchestra. If he wished, he could have taken Ferdinand by the waist and led him in a waltz to that unheard music.

Ferdinand watched him in confusion, hesitating between his anger and this odd reversal on Hubert's part.

"Careful," Hubert said lowly. "If I am indeed the victor, I may be forced to dance in your vicinity."

"Why, I believe that is the point!" Ferdinand replied, his voice beginning to bolster once again. "You should be proud of your victory, and we as a class will share in your triumph."

"Is that so? You, Ferdinand von Aegir, would be seen dancing with one such as myself?"

Somehow, the redhead's smile did not waver. "Of course! Any would be honoured to join you in a dance, Hubert."

"Ah, I see." Hubert smiled as he moved in for the kill, tilting his head ever so slightly to whisper into Ferdinand's ear. "And now I know what lies you would stoop to, Ferdinand. We both know you would not endure being seen with a skittering cockroach such as myself."

And there, Ferdinand's face once again changed color before Hubert's eyes. Rather than the dark red flush of anger, the color instead rushed from his face, leaving him pale and stammering. "I… I would never…"

"Never say such things?" Hubert chuckled. "How amusing. The prime minister's son needs to work on his delivery, I think. The lie seems to be sticking in your throat." With a final smirk, Hubert left him there in the sunny courtyard, triumphant that he had finally stunned Ferdinand into silence.

It was not until he was nearly across the monastery grounds that Hubert finally realized that he had one other source of motivation to succeed at this contest. Something other than wanting to fulfil his duty to Lady Edelgard and to his house, other than the need to become whatever was necessary for their success. He wanted to prove that arrogant noble wrong. He wanted Ferdinand von Aegir to witness his victory on that stage.

#hubert von vestra #black eagles #fanfic #dancer hubert #dance of the black heron

[emwritesfootball]

American Girl | Mason Mount

Word Count: 1,949

Warnings: light sex mentions

A birthday gift for my girl @lionspridetingz. Happy birthday, Ads! <3

- - -

When you’d told your friend Christian you were coming to England as part of your study abroad program for a year, he’d immediately offered his place up for you to be his roommate and you’d gratefully accepted. Oddly enough, his place was closer to the university than any of the housing options that were listed, and you were excited to spend time with your childhood friend.

The day before you were set to arrive, however, you got a panicked call from Christian. He was muttering unintelligibly and you couldn’t really hear him over the sounds of the London storm, but you heard enough to know that the room he’d prepared for you had flooded and he was asking his teammates if they would let you stay there while he got that part of his house fixed. Too stunned to say anything other than ‘okay’, you hung up, shaking your head at the insane situation that would only happen to Christian.

Your friend picked you up at the airport the next morning, both of you grinning from ear to ear as he spun you around in a big bear hug. “Fuck, I missed you,” he drawled, instinctively grabbing your massive suitcases that you’d barely managed to haul off the conveyor belt at the checked bag station.

“I missed you, too,” you replied, playfully bumping his shoulder with your own. “So, where are you taking me?”

“Mason’s place. Some of the other guys also offered to take you in but he’s the one I trust most, so I picked him. I hope that’s okay.”

“Yeah, it’s fine,” you hummed absently, but internally you were reeling. You’d never met Mason Mount in person but you’d met him plenty of times over FaceTime while you’d been talking with Christian, and somewhere along the way, you’d managed to fall for the England player. You knew you’d be meeting Christian’s teammates at some point, but you hadn’t expected to be living with the one you had a crush on.

You zoned out on the drive to Mason’s place, telling Christian you were just taking in the sights when he asked. It wasn’t a full-on lie - you were taking in all the new sights that were so different from Pennsylvania’s Americana charm, but you were also thinking about Mason and wondering what it would be like to live with him.

Christian shutting off the engine to the car brought you out of your daydreams and you stared at your new home for the next few months.

***

Mason walked out when he heard Christian pull into the drive. He couldn’t believe his luck, having such a beautiful girl live with him while Christian got his place fixed after the flood. Not that you’re gonna do anything about it, the internal voice in his head screamed. Christian had made him promise he wouldn’t try anything with his friend, and Mason fully intended to keep that promise.

She was even more beautiful in person. Mason felt his throat go dry and his palms start to sweat as he took her in. She was in travel clothes - leggings and an oversize hoodie; her hair up in a messy bun - but he couldn’t help going speechless. If she looks this good now, imagine how good she’ll look dressed up for the awards dinner at the end of the season, he couldn’t help thinking, but quickly tried to regain composure as Christian’s voice brought him out of his own head.

“Mase! Thanks again for doing this, man - I really appreciate it.”

“No problem. Glad I could help.” Mason turned his attention to her. “Hey. Nice to finally meet you in person.”

You giggled, hoping your blush wasn’t obvious. “You, too. Thanks for letting me stay here.”

“Of course.” Mason reached for the duffel you were holding, his fingers brushing yours as he took the bag. “Any friend of Christian’s is a friend of mine.”

You felt a little dejected at the statement, but you tried to tamp it down. Just because you had feelings for Mason didn’t mean that he had to have feelings for you. Plus, as one of Christian’s teammates, he was definitely off-limits - no matter how badly you wanted him. You followed him through his house, trying to keep your eyes ahead of you instead of on his toned back or ass, which proved harder than you thought.

The room was beautifully decorated and you held your breath for a moment while you took it in. It was a beach theme, whites and light blues everywhere. The decor told you a woman must have decorated it, and you felt a pit in your stomach when you remembered that he and Chloe had recently broken up, but that it was entirely possible that she’d been the one to design this. “It’s beautiful; thank you, Mason,” you murmured, setting your bags down. Christian set your large suitcase down next to the dresser, and Mason put your duffel on top of it.

“Let me know if you need anything. This place is yours now, too, so make yourself at home.”

“We’ll be in the living room playing FIFA but if you want help unpacking just let us know.” Christian gave you a smile that you returned and both boys exited, leaving you alone with your thoughts.

***

Two weeks into living with Mason, and the two of you were the best of friends. Of course, you were still closer with Christian, but Mason was getting there. You did your uni work during the day while he was at training and the two of you would cook dinner at night, planning out the following day’s meal afterward so you could go shopping for fresh ingredients in-between your classes. On the nights you weren’t prepping for the following day’s uni classes, you and Mason relaxed on the sofa with a movie or some trashy British reality show. It was the best part of your week, honestly, and you couldn’t believe how easily the two of you had fallen into a routine. On the colder nights when you were both snuggled under individual blankets, you couldn’t concentrate on the movie because you were distracted thinking about how badly you’d like to snuggle under one blanket with Mason.

***

“Are you coming to the match tomorrow?” Mason asked the night before the first match you’d be attending in London.

“Yeah,” you said smiling, turning to face him. The two of you were unwinding on a Friday night, and you were once again wishing you could be snuggling with him instead of sitting on the opposite end of the sofa.

“Do you, uh, do you need a kit to wear?” Mason couldn’t believe he was stuttering over his words, feeling incredibly awkward in front of you for no reason. Well, he knew the reason but he wasn’t going to dwell on something that wasn’t going to happen.

You paused, your heart racing. “Oh. Uhm, I have one of Christian’s that I was planning on wearing?” You couldn’t believe you were turning down the opportunity to wear Mason’s kit in the stands but you knew Christian would get suspicious and wearing Mason’s kit felt too intimate for you - even though nothing was happening between you and Mason.

“Oh, right. Sorry.”

You felt bad, watching Mason visibly blush and run a hand through his hair as he chuckled awkwardly. “Don’t worry about it - maybe one day.”

Both of you could feel the tension in the air at the last part of your sentence, but neither of you acted on it. It was a line you weren’t ready to cross, but something told you it would be happening sooner rather than later.

***

Over the next month, the two of you got closer on the sofa. Soon, separate blankets became one blanket and you snuggling into his side became your legs over his lap with your head on his shoulder. You hadn’t kissed yet, but both of you knew it was going to happen sooner or later.

You shared everything with him - your thoughts and feelings on anything; your childhood; your past - and he did the same with you. Mason soon came to know what mood you were in by the tone of your ‘good morning’ and you could read him better than Christian. You knew that Mason was worried about not getting a call-up for this latest round of World Cup Qualifiers - something he hadn’t told anyone on the team - so the morning he got the call was huge.

“It’s Southgate,” he’d whispered when his phone went off at breakfast one morning.

“You got this,” you reassured him, watching him like a hawk as he picked up the phone.

Mason’s expression was neutral as he nodded and said, “Yes, sir,” over and over into the phone.

“Well?” You asked when he hung up.

“I got the call-up,” he said, the disbelief in his voice evident.

“Oh, my god! Mase!” You stood up, enveloping him in a hug. “I’m so proud of you!”

Mason returned your hug, so overwhelmed by emotion that he didn’t even realize he’d kissed you until you were pulling back, looking at him with an odd look on your face. “I-”

“Shut up and kiss me again, Mase,” you murmured, wrapping a hand around the back of his neck and pulling him in for another kiss.

***

Your relationship grew from there, but the two of you kept it a secret, not wanting to tell anyone until you were ready. Slowly, your things moved from the guest bedroom to his bedroom, and you spent every night in his bed. Mason loved having you in his bed, drifting off to sleep to the sound of your American accent as you told him stories. You loved getting to spend your nights in his bed, the feeling of waking up next to him better than anything else in your world at the moment.

Slowly, you started wearing Mason’s kit underneath Christian’s, making sure Christian’s wasn’t visible when Mason bent you over the sofa and fucked you senseless after matches.

“I think I’m ready to tell everyone,” Mason said one night as the two of you were cuddling in bed the night before another big match. “That is, if you are, too.”

“Yeah, I think I am,” you murmured, pressing a kiss to his sternum. “After the match tomorrow?”

“Yeah.”

***

Chelsea’s unbeaten streak under Tuchel continued, a big win coming against United. You hadn’t seen Christian before the match so you’d switched out his shirt for Mason’s, the ‘Mount 19’ on your back feeling lighter than air as you ran onto the pitch after the match and immediately kissed him. “I’m so proud of you, baby,” you said, kissing him again for good measure. He’d scored a goal and you couldn’t wait to congratulate him.

“What the fuck is this?” Christian’s voice cut in and you and Mason jumped apart.

“She’s my girl,” Mason explained, the words filling you with warmth as he pulled you back into him and slung and arm around your shoulder.

“We’re together.”

“I can see that,” Christian grumbled, looking between the two of you. “It’s a little weird so it’ll take some getting used to, but okay. You,” he said, pointing at you, “don’t hurt him. And you,” Christian pointed at Mason, “if you hurt her, I’ll hurt you.”

You rolled your eyes. “We know, Christian.”

“C’mon, Angel,” Mason murmured, pressing a kiss to your temple, “let’s get home so we can celebrate your birthday properly.”

“You remembered?” You asked, shocked.

“Of course. I’ve been into you since the moment you moved into my guest bedroom - how could I forget?” He leaned down, kissing you properly. “Happy birthday, Angel.”

#my writing: mason mount #writing for friends

[jeannereames]

I know this was not your intention, but I am in love with the idea of historically accurate Greek vampires. I also have a random question: did the ancients have 'horror stories' (the folklore kind) like we do?

First, I too am intrigued by the concept of a vampire-ghost story. It would be interesting to explore an idea like that: the shade who doesn’t want to go back to Hades’s Hall, whether out of pity for a grieving parent (or spouse or lover), or desire to avoid the dullness of death (or both). Plenty of pathos in that scenario!

They did have horror stories. Greek myth itself is filled with horror and violence, and those stories which have come down to us began as local tales that gained wider popularity. That’s why there isn’t a (correct) version of any given Greek myth, but multiple takes. Cultures influenced by Jewish-Christian-Muslim tradition are acclimated to a “canon,” and tend to assume canons in all world religions. In fact, relatively few had them. What’s a canon? An authoritative text: e.g., the “correct” version.

Greek religion focused on what people did in terms of sacrifice, etc. (orthopraxis), not what they believed (orthodoxy).* So variations in myths didn’t flip them out. They’re more interested in the larger “sense” of the gods, and honoring particular local manifestations (usually found in epithets connected to particular stories about them).

Greek myths and legends were dynamic, belonging to a lived tradition of storytelling that was sometimes yoked to Greek religious cult, but also told at symposia (drinking parties), or as plays in the theatre, or to children in school, or by parents or nurses. And I do mean told, not read out of books. Thus, they could—and did—change over time. One of the more interesting examples of this can be seen in the “redemption” of Helen of Troy. In most early versions, she was equally guilty with Paris, choosing to run away with him, leaving her husband and daughter. But as time passed, the stories changed, suggesting she was raped, or even that she stayed in Egypt and never went to Troy. That latter was (likely) started by the lyric poet Stesichorus, then picked up by Herodotus and finally Euripides. Theatre often altered myth to tell the story a bit differently.

It’s not unlike fanfiction really.

Most myths and legends didn’t find any “fixed” form until the later Classical and Hellenistic Eras. That change owed to the rise of academic “mythographers,” in places like Alexandria, who studied myth. Also, depictions of myth in art on frequently visited buildings—such as the labors of Herakles on Zeus’s temple at Olympia—resulted in popular ossification from the Classical period. In the Archaic period and earlier, not just how the labors went varied, but even which were included in the twelve. But the construction of that temple with the labors depicted on the metopes “decided” them. (Pictured below is one of those metopes.)

That said, we still find multiple versions of stories out there. There’s no agreement on how Ariadne died—or if she died (Dionysos’s mortal wife). Aphrodite is variously the daughter of Zeus by Dione (so Homer), or the daughter of Ouranos when Kronos cut off his balls and tossed them in the Sea (so Hesiod). And myth was still changing down into the Hellenistic and Roman period. The story of Eros and Psyche is Roman, or at least Hellenistic.

So the answer to your question is that, yes, of course the Greeks had horror stories, some of which went on to become very famous, like Medusa.

There were also local stories and even shrines and oracles that qualify as horror. The Lebadaian Oracle of Tryphonios supposedly scared people so badly, some were never the same after, and a few actually died of fright. The petitioner had to be lowered down into this cave, where scary things happened (not discussed), then brought back out, and whatever one babbled on the “throne of memory” was the oracle, recorded by a priest. Talk about a “Haunted Mansion”! Or haunted cave, as it were. “To descend into the cave of Trophonios” was even a Greek saying for having the piss scared out of you.

Similarly, before it turned into a tourist attraction in the late Hellenistic and Roman Era, there was a youths rite for Artemis Ortheia in Sparta, probably involving torches and masks in the sanctuary at night. One can see why Sparta might find useful a ceremony designed to scare the bejesus out of young men, to test bravery.

The initiation rite in Dancing with the Lion at the end of Book 1 Becoming has some fear elements mystery initiations often had, meant to simulate the fear one faced at death. These mystery rites had stories attached. The murder of toddler Dionysos is pretty horrible.

Likewise, the Rape of Persephone is an ancient Blue Beard equivalent story that spoke to the fears of young women (and their mothers) before marriage. It would eventually transform into the Eleusian Rites, probably a local Thesmophoria that became panhellenic.

There are lots of stories about witches (like Circe and various Thessalian Witches), too.

If you (or others) have an interest in the darker side of Greek myth and religion, I’d recommend picking up Daniel Ogden’s Magic, Witchcraft, and Ghosts in the Greco-Roman World. It’s a reader, or sourcebook, so he gives passages from the ancient sources themselves on various topics from witches and ghosts to raising the dead (necromancy), weird oracles, etc. I use it in my Greek Myth, Religion, and Magic class. 😊 He’s also got a book on Greek and Roman Necromancy, Drakon: Dragon Myth and Serpent Cult in the Greek and Roman Worlds, and Night’s Black Agents: Witches, Wizards, and the Dead in the Ancient World. Daniel does a lot with Alexander (and Macedonia) but also writes copiously on Greek religion, especially its less publicly acceptable manifestations.

---------------------------

*This has a parallel in their attitude towards sex: what you DO, not who you do, or what you believe about your “sexual orientation,” which wasn’t even a thing. I like to point to these parallel approaches as it helps give a larger sense of Greek culture.

#horror stories in ancient Greece #Greek myth #Greek witches #Greek magic #Circe #Tryphonios #Tryphonius #mythographers #how Greek myth developed #fluidity of Greek myth #Daniel Ogden #Classics #Asks #ancient Greece #tagamemnon

[osakaso5]

Halloween Event Story

~Fluffy Blast Racing~ Chapter 4: A Transformation

Chapter Index

Minami: ...I see. So they followed you here without your knowledge.

Haruka: Aren't these the things you were just talking about, Minami..!?

Torao: What do you mean?

Haruka: Minami said you and Toma would find something today.

Toma: Seriously..? I didn't know his fortunes had gotten that accurate...

Minami: Hee hee, though there was no way I could've predicted how cute they'd be.

Haruka: I've never seen these things before. What are they?

Minami: ...They may well be the extraterrestrial lifeforms Nagi told me about...

Toma: Extraterrestrial...? So, aliens?

Minami: I don't know for certain, but my heat sensor reacts to them, meaning they should be similar to certain types of animals...

Torao: Hey. Where did you guys come from?

???: Tora... torara...

Torao: Ah, I forgot you can't speak our language.

Toma: ...Hey, Minami! Can't you make some kinda translator thingy for us?

Toma: It feels like these furballs could really use our help with something.

Haruka: ...Ah..! Minami, the mat..!

Minami: Right. We should give that a try.

Toma: You already have something!?

Minami: Just a prototype I based on a translator Momo made, but it might do the trick...

Haruka: It's called Peep Mat, and it's supposed to tell you how inanimate objects feel...

Torao: Hmm... so it's for peeping into their thoughts.

Toma: P-peeping..? That sounds kinda weird, what were you planning to use it for..?

Haruka: Oh yeah, it was super weird.

Minami: Was it, now? Thanks to the mat, you got to know how much Spanny...

Haruka: Aaaaah!

Toma: "Spanny"..?

Haruka: S-Spanny's just the name of a dog that lives in my neighborhood. Don't worry about it.

Torao: ...In any case, let's test out that mat.

Toma: Do we just put these guys on the mat..?

Minami: Yes. Then, you push this switch...

Torao: Alright, get over here.

???: Tora... torara...

Haruka: ...Doesn't that one kinda look like you, Torao?

Torao: Press the switch, Minami.

Minami: Haha, how exciting. 

Click

???: .........

???: Toma... ma...

???: Haa... ha... ple...

???: Mi... lp.. us...

???: Please help us!

All: ........!?

All: Help you..?

- - - -

Minami: I see... So you did come from another planet, like I thought.

Haruka: They're space aliens...

Beige Cotton: Yes, we cottons come from another planet.

Beige Cotton: Do you work for i7 Corporation?

Toma: Nope... We know people from there, but we're only working for the P.G. Garage, racing and fixing up cars...

Green Cotton: Fixing cars?

Brown Cotton: Racing..!?

Toma: Y-yeah. But if you've got business with the Corp, them we can call 'em...

Cottons: .........

Cottons: We have a request for you!

Toma: No need to get all shouty on us... What's up?

Red Cotton: P-pardon us! We come from a planet called Desert Colony.

Red Cotton: It was once the Mecca of car racing, where people from all over would test their skills.

Red Cotton: But then the dusts appeared, taking over our races and making a mess of our circuits...

Beige Cotton: We asked our fellow cottons on another planet for help, and they told us of Earthlings who had helped them...

Torao: And that's how you ended up here.

Cottons: Yes..!

Toma: How did they just take over like that?

Green Cotton: The dusts are violent in nature, and only seek to do bad things.

Brown Cotton: They reproduce quickly, turning streets uninhabitable for anyone but themselves...

Brown Cotton: There was nothing we could do to stop them...

Cottons: Earthlings..! Won't you please help us!?

Minami: The ones who helped your fellow cottons were the people of i7 Corporation, not us.

Beige Cotton: Perhaps so... But you race and repair vehicles for a living, do you not?

Torao: Yeah. We operate a car workshop to fund our racing.

Torao: That way, we get to make our own rides!

Brown Cotton: ...Then you are exactly who we need!

Brown Cotton: We and the dusts are also racers, but we cannot match their skill as we are now...

Brown Cotton: Won't you give us a hand?

Torao: I don't know... How are we supposed to beat those dusts, exactly?

Red Cotton: The dusts have decreed that everyone must obey the winners of the race, so that is all you would need to do.

Minami: But if you're also racers, couldn't you try beating them yourselves?

Brown Cotton: ...To tell you the truth, we do not even have a proper car to race in.

Beige Cotton: The dusts have a monopoly on everything from engines to tires, leaving us unable to build a vehicle that could race...

Minami: ...I see.

Haruka: Then what difference does it make if we go to your planet and try to race there?

Green Cotton: Though the dusts have all the good parts to themselves, there are still less than optimal parts available.

Beige Cotton: We lack the skill to build a suitable vehicle from such parts...

Haruka: ...So you want us to help?

Cottons: Yes..!

Beige Cotton: You have that Earthling's driving techniques, as well as the technical prowess to support his skill.

Beige Cotton: Both are simply incredible, I might add! I believe that you will defeat the dusts!

Minami: Oh my, I do enjoy a good compliment.

Haruka: Hehe, of course our tech's incredible! Minami planned it, and I built it.

Torao: You guys certainly have an eye for races.

Toma: ........

Minami: What's the matter, Toma?

Toma: ...Nothing.

Red Cotton: And we mustn't forget the designs! They are so very cool! Especially these lightning bolts...

Toma: I KNOW, right!?

Haruka: Whoa! Stop yelling!

Minami: Good for you, Toma.

Brown Cotton: I believe you may be even more qualified than the Earthlings we originally came here for..!

Cottons: Please, help save our home!

All: .......!

Toma: Guys, let's help 'em.

Minami: At the risk of sounding callous... We don't even have enough money for our own race, and we can't just leave our work undone...

Haruka: ...He's got a point...

Torao: As much as I'd like to help, we've got our own share of trouble to deal with...

Toma: But guys...

Red Cotton: Worry not! If you win our race, you will receive the prize money!

Red Cotton: And it's quite a sum, since the race will be held between the greatest racers from all over the galaxy!

All: .......!

Toma: In other words, if we win that race for you...

Haruka: We'll get...

Green Cotton: Yes..! And you won't need to share the prize with us, of course.

Toma: N-not even a little?

Minami: We're grateful for the offer, but are you sure?

Brown Cotton: Yes! All we want is to stop the dusts, which we'll be able to do as long as you win!

Torao: I guess that'll solve everything for the both of us, then.

Toma: Awesome! Let's do it!

Toma: Ain't this what you'd call a prize-prize situation!?

Haruka: I think you mean "win-win situation".

Toma: Haha, whatever!

Minami: Now, how do we get on your planet?

Beige Cotton: First, you'll fuse with us, forming a fluff.

All: A fluff..?

Beige Cotton: Yes. Through fusion, we should be able to transport you to our planet.

Haruka: What do you mean by fusion?

Beige Cotton: It'll be faster if we show you! Let us begin.

Torao: Sounds fun. Let's do it.

Toma: Go ahead!

Beige Cotton: Here we go!

Cottons: Fusion!

Haruka: Whoa... What!? T-they got sucked in..!

Minami: They're going inside our bodies...

Toma: ...Is it just me, or do you guys feel warm..?

Torao: Yeah, and now we're glowing, too...

Haruka: Are you sure this is safe!?

All: .......! 

- - - -

All: ........

Toma: H-hey, Haruka... You need to look in a mirror, quick!

Haruka: Huh!? I could say the same to you! You're all fluffy now..!

Torao: H-hey! Don't tell me, we...

Toma: W-we...

Haruka, Toma, & Torao: We turned into fluffs!?

Minami: Hee hee. You all look adorable.

Toma: How are you so calm, Minami!?

Minami: Oh, are you not excited by our mystical transformation?

Toma: I'd rather not find excitement by leaving my body...

Haruka: Was that the fusion..? We're fluffs... Fluffs...

Torao: My body's so round now... And I've got short little arms and legs...

Toma: H-hey! Get a grip, Haruka and Torao!

Minami: What is the science behind a transformation like this, I wonder?

Beige Cotton: <We don't have the time for a detailed explanation now, but this is what you'll look like when fused with us.>

Beige Cotton: <As long as you're fluffs, you should be able to use the warp zone to get to our planet.>

Toma: W-what..!? I can hear a voice talking in my head!

Torao: Hey! Tell me we can still go back to normal! I can't take girls out for dinner looking like this!

Haruka: Are you sure girls are your biggest worry right now?

Torao: Of course, there's so many of them waiting for me.

Toma: At least worry about our race or something, man.

Torao: Just turn me back to normal, now!

Brown Cotton: <Our apologies, but the only way we can dissolve the fusion is with elements from our planet's atmosphere...>

Minami: ...In other words, we'll get back into our human forms if we go to your planet and help solve your problem.

Torao: Should've told us up front.

Brown Cotton: <Apologies, but you did not ask...>

Torao: ........

Red Cotton: <In any case, you are the only ones who can help us!>

Minami: ...I suppose all we need to do is get to their home planet.

Minami: I'm sure space travel will be fun.

Haruka: You just wanna see what it's like...

Minami: What was that, Haruka?

Haruka: Nah, forget it...

Torao: I'll just prepare for the worst...

Minami: So, how do we warp to your planet?

Green Cotton: <From the manhole behind this building!>

Haruka: A manhole? That sounds way simpler than I thought.

Torao: And now we're diving into a manhole... At least it probably won't stink...

Toma: You don't know that!

Minami: This is all so exciting. 

- - - -

Red Cotton: <Over here, Earthlings!>

Toma: Alright, here goes nothing! Let's jump..!

Toma: Waaaah!

Minami: I'm right behind you...

Haruka: Yep..!

Torao: Aah, I'm falling..! 

- - - -

Haruka: ...D-do you guys feel something soft in here..?

Minami: Where are we..?

Toma: Why am I upside down!?

Torao: .......! Hey, I see something!

All: Waaaaah! 

To be continued...

Translator’s notes..? 

all of the cottons are technically only referred to as “cotton”, but I added their corresponding colors to their names to make it easier to know who’s talking

#idolish7 #fluffy blast racing #translation #event story

[bumblebee-moreno]

I just wanna make a quick post about interacting with kids, because people on here seem to not know how kids work. (quick note before I start though: this is all spoken from my experience in working with kids--I do not have children of my own. I volunteer every year at an elementary school, working closely with younger kids who are struggling with learning certain subjects but don’t necessarily qualify for special ed (COVID has put a pause on this but I fully intent to resume as soon as it is safe to do so.) I am also a facilitator for a support group through a nonprofit--I’m part of the team in charge of facilitating the middle school group (ages 11/12-14). I didn’t really want to make this post because a lot of people get offended by these viewpoints, but the more I observe how kids are being treated by the adults in their life, the more I realise I need to say something.)

***I encourage you to reblog and add your own thoughts: I want to have an open discussion about this. 

Ok, first of all: Kids are a LOT smarter than you think they are. 

The problem is, they don’t know how to communicate and apply this yet. Calling them dumb and treating them as if they have nothing to offer conversations doesn’t support their development at all; in fact, it is one of the easiest ways to discourage a kid. This doesn’t mean turn off your filter and talk to kids the same way you’d talk to your friends. It just means, genuinely listen to their perspective and allow them to be part of intelligent conversations. Kids can’t learn responsible, mature ways to communicate if you don’t give them the opportunity to try it. 

One city in Colorado did a project that got kids involved in city development. In fact, this project was so successful that they are still continuing it! The classroom I volunteer in did a project inspired by this a few years ago. The first grade classroom was tasked with creating a city that could be applicable to real life. Their only restrictions were that they had to include four things: recreation, housing, jobs, and education. How they did that and what else they included was up to them. They were allowed to be as creative as they’d like. 

The teacher, other volunteer and I expected the city they made to be something out of a fantasy world. What we saw, though, was absolutely incredible. 

The kids created a detailed park complete with a pond for wildlife, a pool for recreation, walking trails, parking, wheelchair ramps, disability accessible bathrooms, community gardens, playgrounds designed specifically for younger kids, and another for older ones. They included apartment buildings and bus stations. They added traffic lights to intersections and lowered speed limits nearby their school. They made several large public schools, as well as a college (which they insisted, unprompted, was low-income accessible. They made a hospital and a fire station. 

Their instructions were only to create a city with only four boxes to check. They weren’t required to do any more than build the layout of it. But when we asked them to give us a tour of their city, they not only told us what each building was: they described laws that protected minorities. They told us about what roles people would have in their city, including the roles of kids.

No, it wasn’t to the great detail and precision that an adult could. Yes, there were many holes in their creation that would cause problems in the real world. They obviously weren’t thinking in terms of budget or government restrictions. But in a way, that made their ideas so much better. They weren’t tied down by the expectations adults had. They added features that we’ve been fighting for for years, such as basic accessibility, both physical and financial (such as their insistence about free college education).

Kids’ lack of experience doesn’t make them stupid. In fact, I believe it’s part of what makes them so smart. They observe the world around them and aren’t seeing things in terms of criticism and limits. They see something that needs to change, and they aren’t afraid to come up with creative ideas to make that change.

Talking at kids doesn’t do shit.

Telling a kid to do something or not to do it is probably the quickest way to encourage them to do the exact opposite.

But you know what I’ve found works almost every time? TWO WAY CONVERSATIONS!

Saying “don’t talk to people like that” is a very easy way to not change behaviour. Rather, help them understand why they shouldn’t talk a certain way. 

When working with young children, I usually start off with saying “When you said [x], my feelings were hurt because...” And then they usually figure it out for themselves that they said the wrong thing. 

This works so much better because:

1) the kid doesn’t get defensive. When you scold them for misbehaving, they quickly learn to guard themselves from that. When you can calmly explain to them what was wrong about that situation, they’re less likely to try to protect themselves from your words: because they won’t need to.

2) They learn exactly what was wrong about what they said. When you just tell them they’re wrong but refuse to talk to them about how or why they did something hurtful, they can’t always take it the right way. When a kid says “you look dirty” and you tell them that’s rude, they don’t understand why. In their heads, that may have been them trying to say you have mud smeared on your pants, or you have food spilled on your shirt: they may have just been trying to help you. When you explain to them exactly what about that statement was hurtful, and perhaps offer a kinder way to say it, they’ll recognise their mistake much quicker and remember it better.

3) They’ll learn how to express their own feelings in a much more healthy way. Kids learn from their surroundings. When you snap at them for making a mistake, you teach them to do the same. Then, later on down the road, you may hurt their feelings, and they may lash out at you. When you teach them to communicate more openly, they’ll learn how to address their problems in a productive manner.

4) It gives them the opportunity to problem solve. When you say “this hurt because” instead of “you’re wrong”, it allows them to come to the conclusion that they made a mistake on their own. It’s basically the child-equivalent of providing someone with sources to try to disprove them. Except when it’s taught from a young age, they’ll learn to accept the criticism instead of attack it.

On a related note, when you see a problem coming up repeatedly, or a child is growing upset about something: Share your feelings about the situation, ask them to share theirs, and then help them come up with solutions.  

Mistakes are healthy

Stopping a young person from making a mistake isn’t always helpful. Obviously, if they’re about to hurt themselves or others, stop them. But if it’s a little mistake, let them make it. And then talk to them about it. Help them come up with ways to first fix this mistake and then to avoid making the mistake again in the future.

It conveys the message of “you’re human and mistakes are normal: I’m here for you.” instead of the message of “You can’t do anything right, just let me do it for you.”

You can’t learn and grow as a person if you’re never allowed to put yourself out there and make mistakes. Give young people the chance to try things themselves: but make it clear you’re here for them when they need support. 

Listen to them.

This piggybacks off of a lot of what I said above, but listening to kids is important. 

When a teenager says they need help, it’s far more effective to ask them how you can help them than it is to tell them why they’re struggling and then refuse to help them solve it. I can’t tell you how many kids I’ve had reach out to me saying they feel alone because of this. They’ll come to me saying that they went to their parent to say they feel depressed (or even are on the brink of hurting themselves in some way), only to be met with “well you should think about how I feel” or “you’re just being dramatic.”

When a kid says something hurt them, LISTEN TO THEM. Kids’ feelings are every bit as complex as those of an adult. You don’t turn 18 and suddenly have a real brain with real emotions. You have that your whole life; humanity doesn’t come with age. experience based decisions do.

And, spoiler alert: kids know themselves better than you do. No, this doesn’t mean when your 11 year old refuses to eat vegetables or brush their teeth, you can shrug and say “well they know themselves best”. This means when they try to share how they’re feeling (ESPECIALLY when they’re sharing a feeling about something you did), listen to them and try to compromise when it’s reasonable to do so. If you hurt their feelings--apologise. If they feel like they deserve more freedom, offer up ideas for how they can earn your trust. 

TL;DR: Kids aren’t brainless creatures you can ignore and wonder why they aren’t becoming functional adults. They don’t lack intelligence: they lack a method to communicate that intelligence

Treating kids like adults (in an age-appropriate way) gives them the opportunity to learn the skills needed to act like adults when they’re thrown into the real world. You can’t treat them like they’re dumb their whole life and then ask why they’re not succeeding.

#This post mostly references young kids but it applies to kids of all ages #childcare #kids #teenagers #tips for interacting with kids #some of y'all wonder why kids aren't listening to you??? #I honestly can't believe these things have to be said #I just... #*sighs* #I have more to say on this but the post was getting long and its late #come talk to me about this #I genuinely want to hear other perspectives

[oh-so-scenarios]

Loose Ends | one

⇢ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴀ ʟᴀsᴛɪɴɢ ɪᴍᴘʀᴇssɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ...ᴛᴏᴏ ʙᴀᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅɪᴅɴ'ᴛ sᴛɪᴄᴋ ᴀʀᴏᴜɴᴅ ᴛᴏ sᴇᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀᴍᴀɢᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀᴜsᴇᴅ.

⇢ᴄᴇᴏ! ᴋɪᴍ ɴᴀᴍᴊᴏᴏɴ x ᴀᴅᴍɪɴ ᴀssɪsᴛᴀɴᴛ! ғᴇᴍᴀʟᴇ ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ, ᴇx-ғɪᴀɴᴄᴇs!ᴀᴜ, ᴀɴɢsᴛ, ᴇɴᴇᴍɪᴇsᴛᴏʟᴏᴠᴇʀs

A/N: This one jumps right into things. First chapter is a bit...meh. but we gotta lay down the foundations first right? Not edited! (Word Count: 5K) Is this 

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                                                    PRESENT

Y/N:

Egotistical. Cold. Detached. Aloof. Inconsiderate. Narrow-Minded. Rigid. Narcissistic. All negative personality traits you could think of. Throw some more out there. Unfriendly, Greedy and more. All those words could describe my bosses. My past bosses and probably my future bosses. 

I’ve looked into the eyes of the coldest and most unbending people in the business industry. I stared them down, pulled a tight smile and flutter my eyelashes while speaking in a calm tone. That is my job. That is my career. Though I have only been doing this for 3 years, I live for it. 

Secretary, CEO’s assistant, Executive Assistant; there are many names for what I do. Call it what you will, I make sure important people know what they have planned for the day. I make sure they don’t fall apart and they do what is required of them

I am the most requested worker from Trim Line, the hiring agency I work for. My contracts never exceed 6 months; I come in to fix things up, find and train a new secretary and see myself out. I’ve declined too many long term offers and though it’d be more stable to stay in one place ...I don’t want to.

“Accept it.” Ms. Kwon said. I glanced up from the open folder that laid on my desk. I looked back down and bit my lip. She stood in front of my smaller desk with her arms crossed. Her amber-brown hair was resting on her shoulders. She’d just cut it short a few days ago. It made her appear to be younger. Her face was lacking wrinkles and though she was 54 she looked no older than 35. She often brags about her skin routine, the one she refuses to share with anyone.

Everyone has come to the conclusion that it’s some expensive serum we couldn’t afford anyway. 

Ms. Kwon is the CEO of Trim Line. she started the company 23 years ago and has been growing since. Trim Line provides qualified Lawyers, accounts, Secretaries and more. I am simply a secretary. I have refused all her offer to be trained in a different department. She believes I am limiting myself, but that’s fine with me. 

My hard work over the last 3 years has made Ms. Kwon draw me under her wing. She often checks on me, and always recommends me to potential clients. I’m thankful for her support and the support of the company. I tell everyone that Trim Line is just the place to work if you have the skills but can’t seem to find a job. 

Just be able to speak Korean and that’s enough. It doesn’t matter your gender or race, Trim Line will find work for you. The company was founded in South Korea but locations have been opened in Japan, China, and Taiwan.  The growth of the company is something Ms. Kwon takes pride in. Her eyes twinkle and her chin raises up while she puts a hand over her heart. 

She has a hard time believing she’s come so far. That’s why I appreciate her.  

“It’s 8 months,” I answer, speaking like that statement justified my answer. She places a hand on my desk and leans on it a bit. She narrows her eyes and cocks her head.

“I don’t know why you keep battling me on this Y/n. Take the offer. The pay is good, the ability to network is there as well. It’s just two months longer than your regular contracts. I don’t see the problem.” She argues, glancing down at the folder again. 

I sighed and leaned back in my seat, “This offer is...sketchy.” I always speak with her honestly. 

“Everyone knows KM Publishing. They are on top of the world right now. All the books that come out of there are best sellers. Published in Korea, then translated for many countries. They practically came out of nowhere and took over the publishing industry.” I said. 

Ms. Kwon took her hand off the desk and held her arms open as if her point was made, “Aren’t you supposed to be arguing against me, Y/n? Everything you said is correct! It’s a wonderful opportunity.”

I shook my head, “You know what else is correct, Ms. Kwon?”

Her eyes shift around the room as if waiting for someone else to answer. She shakes her head and shrugs. There was something childish about the action and I almost laughed at how childlike she looked at that moment.

“There isn’t much known about the CEO, but what is known--”

“--Yes, yes! I’ve heard it!” Ms. Kwon cuts me off, “I heard he’s awful.”

“Correction, he’s the worst,” I added sharply, “and it was Mina who said that! Mina, of all people!”

Mina is a co-worker of mine. She does her job well and isn’t a pushover. However, I remember hearing her experience with Mr. Kim of Moonchild Publishing. She met him in passing when working on as a lawyer for a smaller publisher. 

“His aura is terrifying.” She’d said. 

“He didn’t say a word but the look in his eyes was so demeaning. Like a father that sees his child as a failure.”

Mina looks for the best in people. She’s someone who has worked for some rude people but I’ve never heard her speak negatively of a person, let alone call some terrifying.

“But you’re tougher than Mina! That’s why I brought this offer to you!” 

“How is anyone gonna improve if you bring all the tough jobs to me?” I muttered under my breath. I crossed my arms over my chest and almost glowered at Ms. Kwon. She brushed off my irate gaze and continued with her lecture.

“This isn’t one for someone who wants to grow Y/n. I need someone who is qualified and can deal with whatever stuck up, arrogant man is thrown her way. That’s you.” She points her manicured finger at me, before wagging it around the office. 

“No one in this office has been able to work under such pressure. You’re the only secretary Mr. Jeon, CEO of JJK IT, hasn’t made cry.” She reminds me. 

Oh right, Mr. Jeon. A young man whose brilliant idea brought him to a high status of power. The way his company has been overtaking the IT world is alarming. It makes me wonder just when it’ll become too close to a monopoly, because the short 3 months I was there showed the young man’s desire to expand.

His attitude was...condescending. He walked about looking down on those around him. He was the King and we were the lowly help. He was one of the most talkative CEOs I’ve worked for. He’d often grin at me, while his eyes racked up and down my body.

I never mentioned his attempting to wine and dine me to Ms. Kwon. He felt no shame in letting me know he was interested. Ugh. The more that I think about it, the more I realized how much I disliked Mr. Jeon.

Mixing personal desires into work is so unprofessional. I lost some respect for him, but there wasn’t much in the first place. 

I pick up one of the papers from the folder and scanned it, finding what I wanted. 

“Who put in the offer to the company? He did?” I ask, pressing my lips into a tight line. 

“The Chairman of the company did. They need someone who can keep up with the CEO’s demands and fast-paced workday.” She explained. She peeks over at the paper in my head, her gaze flickering between my unmoving face and the printed words.

 “The pay is exceptional.” She pokes at me.

I chuckle, “Ms. Kwon,” I almost sang in a warning manner. 

“I want you to accept this offer Y/n. It’s not only good for you but also for the company. Moonchild Publishing has connections with production companies. You know a lot of their novels are being made into movies. In the 23 years of building Trim Line with my bare hands,” She pauses and sighs. 

I have to stop myself from rolling my eyes. Here she goes!

“...I haven’t been able to break into the film world. Imagine if we Trim Line could provide agents, writers, and even graphic designers! This may be the step I need to get my foot into the door.” She pouts, fluttering her long eyelashes.

“Y/n, take the job ...for me.” 

 I close the folder and give Ms. Kwon an apologetic look, “I’m not taking the job.”

I TOOK THE damn job offer. Why! Why! Why?! It was probably Ms. Kwon’s begging. The way that a grown woman would follow me around the office with a sad look in her eyes for the last week. Sighing loudly in my presence and muttering sad phrases to herself, but of course loud enough for me to hear.

She was being over-dramatic, saying stuff like I was opening a massive door for her. The future and growth of the company were sitting on my shoulders. 

No pressure! 

Ugh, I just gave in, finding that my co-workers were pushing me to take the job. They didn’t want the offer pushed their way if Ms. Kwon got desperate. She’d result in sending someone who could at least manage with Mr. Kim or KM as he often goes by. 

That’s how I found myself standing in the large elevator that had a gold interior. The elevator moved fast, taking me up to the 23rd floor where Mr. Kim would be found. I leaned against the wall, looking at the box of my things in that white office box I’d used too frequently. I looked down at my outfit, wondering what to wear tomorrow. My red flare pants came a bit higher up on me, like high rise jeans. I had on a plain black blouse with a black blazer. 

My heels were a dull white but were concealed by the flare of my pants. My nails were nicely due, but not long enough to get in the way of my work. My hair was slicked back into a well put together ponytail. I kept the accessories to a minimum.

Another adventure is beginning. An 8-month adventure. This isn’t anything new to me. I was ready to come in and do my work. I know I am amazed at my job and no one can tell me otherwise. There were no butterflies, not nervous or worries. I am not here to befriend anyone or become the CEO’s favorite. I know my place and my purpose. 

The elevator pings before the doors open to reveal a white hallway with a grey granite floor. The ceiling was lined with gold and the walls were so white I’d be afraid to touch there no matter how clean my hands were.

I picked up my book and stepped out of the elevator. I walked to my right because the left was a dead end. My heels clicked and echoed through the hall. Anyone would think it was vacant on this floor. The hallways were so wide, it made you feel small. 

I turned the corner and could faintly hear the sound of a buzzing office. The sound of paper shuffling, keyboards clicking, and small conversation. I kept walking and saw a foggy glass door in front of me. 

“Oh!” A small voice said. I turned my head to see a girl sitting at a large white desk. She stood up, giving me a full view of her small frame. I was so focused ahead that I hadn’t noticed the two items on either side of me. The desk where the quiet girl stood and across from her desk, two wooden double doors. 

I looked forward again, staring at the fogging glass door that was on the wall adjacent to the wooden double doors. 

“Ms. L/n?” The young woman said. I turned my head to look at her again, finally giving her my full attention. I walked towards the desk, showing her a small smile. 

“So you already know of my arrival?” I ask, and follow it with a small giggle. I walk around so I’m behind the long white desk. There are two seats and two computers, on which the young woman was occupying. 

“I’m Sana.” She stretches her arm out as I set my box on the floor beside what I presumed to be my seat. Her hair was so silky straight, I’d thought it was a wig. I shook her hand swiftly gently before bending down to take the top off my box. I started taking out the all-new planner I’d bought, as I always do with a new contract. I took out some folders and took out my phone that I’d carelessly thrown into the box. 

“I’ve heard a lot about you,” Sana says, trying to stop the silence. I didn’t find the silence awkward, and frankly, I didn’t feel the need to speak to her. I don’t start my first day going around the office and learning everyone’s names. 

I did at first, but I’d notice the friendships I made at each office would die over time. 

“I heard you’re a pro at these types of things.” She kept talking even though I didn’t reply. Ugh, I already know what type of co-worker she will be. 

“Mr. Kim--” I cut her off. 

“--is in a meeting, I know,” I said, before digging through the box again. Sana must have forgotten I’d already asked her to email me Mr. Kim’s schedule two days ago. I already know what’s on the agenda for the next week, which leaves me prepared. 

I kept rummaging through the box until I made it to the bottom where my ID badge was. I put it on over my head and kicked the box under the desk. I took a deep breath before plopping down in my seat. 

I laid my hands on the desk and closed my eyes. I took a deep breath in and out. When I opened my eyes Sana was peering at me with her brows furrowed. 

I opened up the new planner I had bought and was already filled with Mr. Kim’s schedule. 

“Oh wow!” Sana gasped from beside me. She moved her chair closer, it is easier since there were wheels on both our chairs. 

She stared at my planner, reading over everything, “You really are a pro at this!” The tone in her voice shows that she was doubtful. The way her eyes shined at my organization was kind of cute. She smiled widely as she looked at my face. 

“I am so glad you’re here. I could tell Mr. Kim was getting frustrated with me.” She relaxed in her seat, her shoulders dropping in dejection.

I raised an eyebrow at her, “What exactly is your job? I didn’t know Mr. Kim had another secretary?” 

She straightens up and puts both hands up. She shakes her head and hands in a ‘no’ fashion.

“I am not a secretary by any means.” She laughs awkwardly, “I am merely the receptionist. When clients come for appointments or authors come for interviews, I show them their way. I make appointments, I restock the staplers…” She trails off as if hearing herself and regretting her words. 

“I just mean that I don’t have to deal with anything pertaining to Mr. Kim.” She says softly. 

I nod and look back at the schedule, “The previous secretary?” 

“Her last day was a few days ago, so I was attempting to handle Mr. Kim’s stuff. He was getting frustrated because my abilities were limited.” She pouted and turned her chair to face the front again. 

I only nodded in response before taking my planner and rising from my seat. Sana watched me in curiosity, the question written all over her face. She was wondering where I was going. She probably didn’t want to face Mr. Kim along when he got back from his meeting. 

As I pushed the heavy glass door open with my hip, I remember that I didn’t ask what Mr. Kim’s first name was. He goes by KM and a few said he accepts Kim J at times. But what is his first name? I didn’t do too much research on Mr. Kim as a person, cause that shouldn’t matter much.

I did more research into the company and its functions. Did I even look up a picture? I don’t remember. I’ve done this too many times to waste the effort of such trivial things. I stood in the middle of a big room with different cubicles and desks, people seated at all of them. Only some people noticed my presence, stopping to size me. The stares of the women turning sour and the men ogling. 

My eyes move around the office, avoiding eye contact with any of those who were watching me. I finally notice the names of each employee on their desks and outside of their cubicle. 

“Mr. Min,” I muttered looking back down at the planner. Mr. Min is supposed to have a sales report for the latest release. Mr. Kim will review it then proceed on the restock of the book. I started walking through the office, noticing the floor was carpet when I didn’t hear my heels clicking. 

I walked past desks and wandering gazes to I came to the name I wanted to see. 

‘Mr. Min -- Accountant” My joy was short-lived as I noticed the desk empty. My mouth fell into a frown and I looked around the office, checking if maybe he’d left his desk for only a moment. I was about to turn around to leave when I spotted a packet of paper on the further right corner of the desk. I stepped closer, noticing a pale blue sticky note with a message written.

Completed Sales Report for new Secretary. I smiled to myself, scooping up the packet and spinning around on my heels. I started out the way I came. 

“Are you the new secretary?” Someone called out. My footsteps slowed to a stop and the office felt a lot quieter than before. 

I spun towards the voice to notice a man in a white dress shirt with black slacks. He stood not too far from me. His hands were in his pocket while his eyes studied me. His tongue poked the inside of his cheek and his gaze was hot on me. 

I stared back at him, bored. Ugh, at least try to not be oblivious. 

“Yes, I am.” I hold the packet and the planner close to my chest. I take note of the other employees tuning in. 

“I have to admit,” He smirks, “You’re the cutest one by far.” I scoff at the comment.

“That's what you stopped me for?” I ask, “How disappointing. If you’ll excuse me.”

“You seem so sure of yourself.” He calls out again, his tone harsher this time. I only took one step and stopped. I turn to face him again, listening as he continued his insults. 

“I give you...a month.” He says, turning to his co-workers who giggled in agreement.

I look over my shoulder, “Give me 8 months instead. That’s how long my contract is.” I turn to face him again, looking him up and down with a scrutinizing gaze. 

“Maybe the reason it’s so hard working for Mr. Kim because rather than focus on your work, you’re standing here eyeing me so intensely that I just might have to call HR.” The light and kind tone I used made the man’s confident smile drop, for it took him a moment to process my retort. 

“It’s 10 am, I’ve only been here for such a short time. At least let me have lunch before you start your, what I am guessing is frequent, harassment.” The open mouths of those in the office weren’t of the only shock but of laughter. Some were clearly stunned by my words while others tried to keep their chuckles low.

I didn’t stay to watch the man gather his thoughts in an effort of a rebuttal. I had already wasted too much time. I headed towards that same glass door, pushing it open with my hip as I’d done before. Sana only looked up from the computer screen to acknowledge me. I walked right to the double doors.

“Is he back?” I asked over my shoulder. I could barely see Sana shake her head no. I made my way into the office, not spending too much time on the decor. I was too focused on my thoughts. The details of the rest of the day playing in my head. 

I want everything to go smoothly. I place the packet on the walnut wood desk, peeling off the sticky note in the process. 

I spend the next 30 minutes out at my desk with Sana. I’m making arrangements for dinner Mr. Kim suddenly emailed me about. The footer stating ‘sent from iPhone’ told me that his meeting went well. I also sent emails out to Mr. Kim’s driver, travel agent and more. They need to be familiar with me and I with them.

I am typing away at my computer, ignoring Sana’s gleeful humming. I’m sending out documents and sending things to the printer. I push myself away from the desk and stand up, heading back into the office area. The copy room has to be around here somewhere. Everyone can tell that I’m looking for something, but no one makes an effort to help. 

Good.

I find the copy room, grabbing the sheets of paper I sent. I looked over them, making sure it’s how I wanted it to be. I hear whispers when some women entered the copy room. I sighed, already tired of the people here. My goodness, how many times has Mr. Kim gone through a secretary? Are they not used to it by now? 

Or were they trying to feel me out? I grabbed my sheets of paper and strolled out the copy room, not giving them the chance to say whatever it was. I am not going to be joined into any cliques. I strolled through the office space and back out to the lobby to meet a panicked Sana standing up in her seat. 

“What’s up?” I ask, my face scrunching up. Why did she look like that? Her eyes dart to the double doors and she fumbles with her fingers.

“Mr. Kim is in.” She says then nods towards the doors, “He would like to see you.” She swallows, looking like he’s asking for her instead of me. 

I set the freshly printed papers on the desk and grab my planner with a pen. I straighten my blazer and hold my head up high. 

I knock on the doors and hear a faint, “Come in.” 

I push one door one and waltz in. He’s sitting in a chair at his desk, but with the back facing me. I didn’t notice the beautiful square windows that were behind his desk till now. Under the windows were some bookshelves. There were awards, books, and figurines. The walnut desk was complemented by the black spinning chair I was staring at the back of.

There were no pictures on his desk. It was cleaned off except for the report I placed down later. I could barely see the side of his arm that rested on the armrest of the chair. Was he looking out the window? 

I stood there in silence, waiting for him to say something. Nothing. Did he not hear me come in? Ugh, I can already tell how this guy is going to be. 

“You called for me?” I asked as kindly as I could. I shouldn’t get on his bad side so quickly.  I’ll admit, he does have a commanding presence. The silence was heavy and almost disapproving. Now I used what mina was saying. I feel like I’m about to be scolded, though I haven’t done anything wrong.

“Did you make the reservation?” He asked. 

“Yes, for 8 pm,” I answer, flipping the planner opened to today’s date.

“8 pm is too late.” He retorts in plainly. 

“I’ll change it to 7 pm. Anything else?” 

“You’re the one who put the report on my desk?” 

“Yes, sir.” 

“Don’t do it again. Don’t enter my office when I am not here unless you’re told to. I don’t want anyone snooping in here.” He almost spits. 

He thinks I care enough to snoop? Anyways. 

“Got it. Anything else, Mr. Kim?”

It’s silent again. I stand there, waiting. He’s gonna ask me to do something else isn’t he? I can tell he wants to say something. Say it. Say it so I can leave. 

“Make calls to these authors in regards to their release dates. Get availability from each other them and schedule dates according.” 

I wrote down the names and phone numbers as he called them out. I can’t say I'm surprised by his cold and detached personality. I’ve worked for businessmen and women like him. No hello, welcome to the company or it’s great to have you type of bullshit. He doesn’t care who does the job, he just wants the job done. That’s fine with me.

As I scribbled down the information, I heard a chair spin around. Oh, how kind of him to finally put his eyes on me! 

I wrote the last phone number and closed the planner looking up to ask for further instruction. But I couldn’t speak as I looked up at the man seated. 

He stared daggers at me, his eyes shuttered while his arm was propped on the armrest and his hand was on his chin. It was hard to tell what he was thinking or if he was thinking at all. All I could do was stare back in a gut-wrenching manner. It felt like my heart stopped for a few beats before accelerating to the point of concern. Was I about to have a heart attack?

My body was growing hot while my heart continued to pound in my ears. A shiver traveled up my spine and for a moment it felt like I lost all the strength in my legs. 

I blinked a few times, thinking that the man in front of me would disappear if I looked away. I cleared my throat, moving my eyes to the way on my right. Though it felt like I was losing all control of my body, it wasn’t showing on the outside. Rather my heart and body were reacting on the inside. 

But to any regular person, you’d just see me blink multiple times. 

What is this? What is this thick and weighing quiet? Should I say something? Is he going to say something?

Mr. Kim gazed back at me with an unreadable expression. His eyes took in every corner of my face. My hair, my eyes, my nose, my lips and once again, he did the same thing. What is he thinking? His eyes move to down my body, all the way to my feet and back up to my face. I thought he was going to say something. Do something. Make a face of disgust or recognition. But worse, he looks away.

He leaned forward, taking the report in his hand. He sat in a crisp navy suit with his black hair slicked back and out of his face. He looked sharp and expensive. Not a hair out of place. He looked like a higher class man. The energy coming off him demanded attention and obedience. 

What a scary man indeed. 

I became aware of the fact that I was watching this man read in silence. He wasn’t going to dismiss me so I dismissed myself. I moved slowly, not trusting my legs to carry me out in one piece. I gripped onto the handle of the door for dear life, using it to steady myself. I flung the door open and zoomed out of the office. 

I didn’t pay any mind to Sana concerned eyes as I strolled past the desk, down the white-walled hallway, and to the elevator. I pushed the button, my breathing became heavy as I waited, my eyes stinging so painfully small gasp left my lips. 

I coughed, a choked sob coming up quickly after. The sob shook my chest and physically made me hunched over with my hand on my mouth. The elevator doors opened. I was glad to find it empty. I walked into, leaning against the wall while I caught my breath. I didn’t press a button so the doors closed, and the elevator stayed still. 

I took in a shaky breath and pressed the button for the lobby. The elevator started to descend and so did. I slid down the wall, a sob getting stuck in my throat as tears ran down my cheeks. My body felt like it was freezing over and I shivered violently. My throat suddenly felt dry and all composure was leaving me. 

Joonie. Joon. Namjoon. Mr. Kim was Kim Namjoon. My old schoolmate, my childhood friend, my first love ...the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. 

A man I loved with all my heart and soul stared into my eyes like he was watching grass grow. Like I was a stranger. Maybe...maybe I am a stranger because that emotionless man in there couldn’t have been my Namjoon. 

I clutched at the fabric of my shirt, sniffling, throwing my head back and closing my eyes. 

Get it together Y/n! Get it together! You’re supposed to be collected one. You’re supposed to have your shit together. Don’t do this now, don’t do this here. You’re better than this! 

The feelings of pain, bitterness, and regret were overwhelming. Sadness overtook me as memories of the past years replayed in my mind. 

What right do I have to feel so sad? What right do I have to pity myself in such a way? 

Everything fell apart 3 years ago, and it was my fault.

∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ∙ ❣

Thank you so much for reading! Let me know what you think! I didn’t drag out the reunion cause that’s not the main point of the story! 

#kim namjoon #bts #bangtan boys #kim namjoon scenarios #namjoon scenarios #rm #bts kim namjoon #bts rm #rm scenarios #kim namjoon reactions #bts reactions #bts angst #kim namjoon angst #namjoon angst #kim seokjin #min yoongi #jung hoseok #park jimin #kim taehyung #jeon jungkook #kim namjoon x reader #namjoon x reader

[dappercritter]

Random She-Ra Season 4 Thoughts:

After much thinking and suffering, here are some random thoughts I had about season 4 inbetween feel episodes.

Going into S4 be like.

Coming out of S4 be like.

Grief and failure to communicate. This season is off to a great start!

You know, I still like Swift Wind but I’m starting to see why most people, uh… don’t.

If you told me before I started the show that I would hate a sexy catgirl and feel sorry for a creepy-looking cyborg conqueror, I would have called you a liar, paused, then said, “No, wait. Yeah, that sounds like me.”

Queen Glimmer looks nice, but I’m definitely going miss her old Cutie Honey-esque hairstyle.

Shame that Huntara didn’t join the Rebellion full-time but it’s for the best. Not just so she can liberate the Crimson Wastes, but let’s face it, nobody in the Rebellion would be able to think straight with a butch Amazonian warrior goddess hanging around.

I really can’t give Double Trouble enough praise: they have so much personality, a fantastic design combining reptilian and theatre-kid traits (two of my favourite kind of characters!), are morally ambiguous but likeable, and help alleviate all the dramatic stress that this season is packed with.

Flutterina and her village has thoroughly convinced me we need more moth people in fantasy.

Why? Simple. THEY’RE SO FLUFFY

I have some minor issues with the Flutterina controversy: yes, Adora and the Rebellion recruited a young girl to fight in a war and took her from her home and all that, which is a valid concern to have and indeed just a little hypocritical given that was how she was forced to grow up, but I feel like the fact that Flutterina is actually Double Trouble, a young adult spy with what I assume is a fair amount of combat and espionage training, makes it ring hollow for me.

Also, do we know if there’s a real Flutterine that Double Trouble impersonated or is she just a persona they made up?

Either way, it’s funny to imagine the Elberon locals trying to make sense of this little girl that just showed up out of nowhere, went off to war, and then the real one shows up right after and everyone just has to go along with it otherwise people will think they can’t keep track of their own kids.

Okay, so I’m not happy about Shadow Weaver slowly being treated as just another member of the cast, but I’m also sort of glad that it’s being implied that we’re still not supposed to trust her either.

That said, leave it to Shadow Weaver to go and potentially destroy Glimmadora on us.

Rogelio confirmed for best boyfriend.

Watching Kyle’s near sacrifice gave me some Chaos Vortex PTSD. (Pit-Truama Stress Disorder)

(If you understood that reference, you have earned my respect for life.)

Light Hope, you’re scaring the adults now, too.

Emily has a holographic projector and was at one point wanted by a ruthless conqueror of worlds. So I guess she qualifies as an astromech droid now?

Speaking of holograms, seeing Catra, Scorpia, and Entrapta when they were all friends was the worst kind of bittersweet.

(After watching Scorpia leave her toxic friendship to embark with Emily on an adventure to save Entrapta) *on the verse of tears* Fricking superb you funky little lesbian! *sniff* Fricking superb…

That’s right, Catra. You reflect on the consequences of your actions like a good kitty-cat.

Sea Hawk surprisingly looks the part for a good noir protagonist.

In his own head, of course.

Is it just me, or is Frosta acting mature again? Hyperactive Little Sister Frosta is fun, but The Only Sane Person in the Room is a Literal Child Frosta would be a missed opportunity.

Oh no, Adora and Glimmer are fighting!

Yay, they were just pretending to catch Double Trouble!

Oh no…

“Boy’s Night Out” or, “How to Delight and Emotionally Destroy Your Audience At The Same Time”

Believe it or not, Sea Hawk possesses special abilities like the Princesses. Those being:

Great singing

Superhuman positivity

Nigh-invulnerability

I’m not sure if Madame Razz is a time-traveller, a Doctor, or just has some sort of Alzheimer’s, but regardless, I’m proud of how the crew handled it.

Swift Wind might be annoying at times but if showing concern for the elderly doesn’t make him a likeable character, I don’t what does.

Looks like I can add “Hero” to the list of She-Ra episodes that deserve an Emmy or Annie.

Words cannot describe how happy I was to see Scorpia pop-up in Bright Moon amid all the drama.

Glimmer is tip-toing the line between “pure-hearted character forced into morally grey responsibilities” and “grey-area wet wipe” and I am not loving it.

So between She-Ra, Huntara, and Scorpia, we all agree Perfuma has a type now, right?

I know it’s just Double Trouble making fun of her (and my love of Elvis Presley, Johnny Bravo, and Kishidan showing) but I think Adora looks pretty dang cool with a pompadour.

Beast Island: It’s Annihilation for Kids!

Yay, King Micha really is alive!

However, he still doesn’t have a wife to come back to and his daughter is making some poor life choices. Bummer.

Nice to see Bow’s still on the Hates Shadow Weaver bandwagon.

Entrapta’s got a Kamen Rider mask now and no one call me otherwise.

And she’s got a mecha that used Godzilla’s roar.

Well, even if my She-Ra-fan-heart is dying, my tokusatsu-geek-brain is happy.

How Entrapta adjusted to life on Beast Island is both nothing and everything I expected from her at the same time.

Well what do you know, Glimmadora saves lives!

BREAKING NEWS: Non-binary reptilian theatre-kid makes breakthrough with angry lesbian cat!

Light Hope, you’re breaking our hearts…

I’m glad that the show is hopping on the anti-power-up bandwagon as well. As someone who grew up with shows like Power Rangers where everything was immediately solved by new merchandise or powers, I get a sort of twisted satisfaction seeing that the shiny merchandisable new toy is more trouble than its worth.

Oh, and of course, it makes a for a good lesson on the danger of absolute power.

Before I started S4, I hated Horde Prime because he wasn’t a giant eldritch cyborg monster anymore, but I’ve actually gotten quite accustomed to his new design. Now I hate him for being a callous perfectionist world conqueror with no sense of personal space that may or may not be into selfcest.

(*praying intensely*) Please let Adora turn into She-ra through sheer-will power next season, please let Adora turn into She-ra through sheer-will power next season, please let

Yup, I was right! This season didn’t fix damn thing the last one broke!

#she-ra and the princesses of power #she-ra #spop #spop spoilers #ramblings of the critter #adora #glimmer #bow #catra #hordak #entrapta #entapdak #glimmadora #perfuma #frosta #scorpia #spop emily #double trouble #horde prime #flutterina #king micah #madame razz #light hope

[confettipizza]

Lunar Recap

How it started. How it’s going. How it ended for the last lunar cycle of 2020.

This lunar cycle began with the New Moon on Jan. 12, 2021 @ 11:01 PM CT (Jan. 13 @ 05:01 UTC). It was the 13th Moon of 2020 according to the lunar calendar. And it ended Feb. 11, 2021, just before the 1st Moon of 2021! Happy Lunar New Year 2021, Year of the Ox!

South Korean Court Orders Japan to Compensate Women Forced into Sex Slavery

Colorado AG Opens Grand Jury Probe of Police Killing of Elijah McClain

Guantánamo Bay Prison Starts 20th Year of Indefinite Detentions

Pfizer to Boost COVID-19 Vaccine Output as WHO Warns of Vaccination Inequality

Lawmakers Catch COVID-19 After Sheltering in Room Where GOP Reps Refused Masks

FBI Warns of “Armed Protests” in All 50 States and at Biden’s Inauguration

Tomorrow is Sun conjunct Pluto. Something that’s been lurking in the shadows bout to jump out. Might be pretty big, but there’s also the individual personal experience of this event and might feel more like an early Full Moon for you.

House to Impeach Trump as GOP Shows Signs of Backing Removal

Well this is dumb. Sun conjunct Pluto?

The $3,000-a-month toilet for the Ivanka Trump/Jared Kushner Secret Service detail

I also remembered/realized how much I really love Anna Sui designs since I was a kid which is pretty random to pop up on my radar, but this woman gets that all I want is sparkly heart shaped objects in lacquered black and flowy hippie dresses

Trump Tells Aides Not to Pay Giuliani’s Legal Fees as Bid to Overturn Election Fails

All I know is talking about dreams and discussing them with others makes you feel better. The tarot angle is there to shed some light on what the dream is actually telling you.

Joe Biden Unveils $1.9 Trillion Coronavirus and Economic Relief Package

ICE’s Acting Director Resigns After Two Weeks on Job

Found out today the woman at the car mechanic I've been faithfully taking my car to for the past two years can speak to the dead and had some messages for me from my dad who passed in October-

Intuitive guided tarot card pull.

Waxing crescent into Aries Monday, January 18, 2021 at 1:06 AM CT Today’s Astro x Tarot forecast valid for the next 24 hours: Feelings are flaring up for you to make a statement, a very zippy move or a quick decision about someone or something.

So long as you remain flexible and agile, whatever you choose to do with them will work to your advantage. If you decide not to impose hyper-agility into your decision making rn, then kudos to you! You’ve gained practice points in self-control experience.

More Than 760,000 Pounds of Hot Pockets Recalled

‘I Answered the Call of My President’: Rioters Say Trump Urged Them On

Raphael Warnock and the Legacy of Racial Tyranny

The Extraordinary Courage of Aleksei Navalny

Whoa, I was like a cycle early on celebrating the lunar new year! I’ve been a month into the future for a week now. My bad! I apologize for any confusion.

I was thinking that the soul's law of attraction is probably pretty unstoppable even concerning partners, so like, if someone didn't love you back then it's not some mistake or human misunderstanding that you or they need to fix.

To find one's soulmate looks something like 2 souls flying towards each other from opposite ends of the galaxy to join their physical selves together in a collision force so brutal you're stuck like that and if that's not what yours looks like then maybe that ain't your soulmate?

All the men going to jail for their poop smearing Capitol rioting have online dating profiles and that’s reason no. 2 I do not date online! Reason no. 1 is ain’t nobody cute on there.

The Witch’s Myth: The true story of the crane husband

Where are your witch stars, Circe and Hekate, located? Their location can explain your relationship to witchcraft. Circe is in my 1st house influencing my outer appearances and Hekate is conjunct Jupiter influencing my domestic style and home to be distinctively witchy.

Sun into Aquarius Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at 2:33 PM CT Here is your Sun into Aquarius forecast effective for the next several weeks of Aquarius season. 

Down to earth and grounded is our most qualified position to receive everything we need and use everything we receive. This is the reality of ourselves, the human condition.

We love reality based reality.

Get ready for reality-grounded White House press briefings

Why do people believe the lies they’re fed? Because those lies are designed to be more palatable than reality. Lies offer a quick easy patch, but what you’ve gotta ask yourself is are those lies actually designed to support the flow of all things into your life?

~* First Quarter Jan. 20 3:02 PM CT (21:02 UTC) *~

Biden and Harris Attend Memorial to Honor 400,000+ COVID-19 Victims in U.S. on Eve of Inauguration

Steve Bannon Among Final Trump Pardons and Commutations

Trump Admin Declares Multiculturalism Is “Not Who America Is” as WH Releases Racist, Revisionist Report

4,000+ Columbia Students Back Largest-Ever Tuition Strike

Today, whatever you’re doing or are wishing to become will be to the benefit of this unifying, love-aligned uprising.

Joe Biden Sworn In as 46th President of the United States, Ending Trump Era

Good inauguration Astro climate this morning feels like. #BidenHarrisInauguration

“What has shaken the U.S. population so badly, this assault on the Capitol yesterday, is really nothing by comparison to what U.S. operations have done in Latin America, in Asia, in Africa, in the Middle East, to other democratic movements and elected governments over the years.”

Progress towards wholeness can’t be made until we own up to the roles we’ve played in the past.

Read the full text of Amanda Gorman’s inaugural poem ‘The Hill We Climb’

When did politics get so vibrant and fashionably uplifting? Please and thank you! #Inauguration2021

The two of wands says to review your options, do your research, crunch the numbers, imagine the outcomes, but there’s no need to force making a choice if you don’t have to. Buy yourself some time and let the plans for a resolution find you, not the other way around.

Donald Trump Leaves Office and Washington, D.C., Threatens “We Will Be Back”

Watchdogs Demand Transparency as Corporations Pour Millions into Biden-Harris Inauguration

Senate Dems File Ethics Complaint Against Sens. Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley over Jan. 6 Insurrection

Federal Forces Arrest Ex-Marine for Beating Officer with a Hockey Stick During Capitol Riots

It’s Friday and it just feels good to be alive, a socialist and calling Bernie Sanders cute on Inauguration Day week! What a difference a pandemic makes.

Instacart Lays Off 2,000 Workers, Including Group Who Started Company’s First Union

Mars square Jupiter January 23, 2021 @ 1:49 AM CT (7:49 GMT) Someone wants you to know that you are ready to conquer your perceived limits to arrive at expansion in your thoughts, feelings, emotions and understanding today.

Waxing gibbous into Cancer January 25, 2021 @ 12:51 PM CT (18:51 GMT) It’s a supportive Moon for dreaming for mental health and well being. Begin a dream journal or review your latest dreams, reflecting on them for a few minutes today.

You are opening yourself up to an emotional practice that includes care for yourself in ways no one else (besides you and your connection to the Moon) can provide.

And too my Tarot Dream Readings are open if you would like guidance or support on a particular dream. See my pinned tweet for how it works.

When one’s soul is allowed to lead one’s life, working in the dark shadows, the invisible silence, the soul’s manifesting results are way more lasting and way more powerful than egocentric anything.

Good morning, self! A reminder my ego has never done a thing for me my soul can’t do better.

National Guard Deployment at U.S. Capitol Becomes COVID-19 Superspreader Event

Russia Violently Cracks Down on Protesters Calling for Release of Alexei Navalny

Trump Plotted to Oust Acting AG, Use DOJ to Force Georgia to Overturn Election Results

Hunts Point Market Workers in the Bronx Win Wage Increase After Week-Long Strike

This mourning brooch is a mindful way to mark the death of a loved one while paying tribute to the impact it has had on you. Bring back this Victorian trend!

Veteran Talk Show Host Larry King Dies After Hospitalization for COVID-19

Hank Aaron, Who Overcame Racist Barriers to Become Home Run Record-Holder, Dies at 86

We don’t give our bodies or our intuition enough attention and nourishment a lot of the time, so today’s the day we practice finding and sitting quietly with our inner voice.

~* Full Moon Jan. 28 1:17 PM CT (19:17 UTC) *~

House Delivers Article of Impeachment to Senate, Triggering Trump’s Second Trial

Dominion Voting Systems Sues Rudy Giuliani for Lying About 2020 Election

President Biden Increases U.S. Vaccination Goal to 150 Million Shots in 100 Days

President Biden Reverses Trump’s Transgender Military Service Ban

Biden Restores Plan to Feature Abolitionist Harriet Tubman on $20 Bill

Value is further added the more you mint your words with a most whole and complete love. Love is the greatest asset we can let appreciate in our lifetimes.

This Full Moon tomorrow sends a flash point that reminds you to circulate this wealth because it’s the greatest emotional gift we can bestow upon our loved ones, family, friends, neighbors, elders, members of our community, etc.

Venus conjunct Pluto in Capricorn January 28, 2021 @ 10:18 AM CT (16:18 GMT) Going through your day today uncovers a forgotten desire or creative goal. You find yourself asking something like: Remember when I wanted to become a pastry chef?

Although you decided to pursue a different course, take a moment to focus on and honor this memory when it arrives and then release it. What did you become instead and why?

45 Senate Republicans Back Dismissal of Trump Impeachment Trial

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Supported Violence Against Pelosi and Others in 2018 Facebook Posts

Taking the time to recognize and honor your past desires gives the respect these memories deserve and it integrates them into the whole wider scene of the individual, both shadow and light on your path builds confidence in your steps, confidence in yourself.

You are who you are for a reason.

Had no idea how literal this grassroots King of Pentacles card was gonna materialize today, but here it is folks! When a subreddit takes down a hedge fund!

Leader of Proud Boys, Enrique Tarrio, Was a Government Informer

U.S. Freezes Arms Sales to Saudi Arabia, Reviews Deal with UAE Made Under Trump Admin

Poland Enacts Near-Total Ban on Abortions, Triggering More Protests

Honduras Locks In Total Ban on Abortions, Attacks Marriage Equality

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Confronts Parkland Survivor David Hogg in Newly Resurfaced Video

The stock market this morning: Sh*t! Normal working class people read the market and figured out the game! Time to change the rules again. Let’s write it in ancient Babylonian hieroglyphs this time. They’ll never figure that sh*t out.

A message crucial to promote the awareness of your personal role in the collective will become evident over the next three weeks. You will come to ask yourself, What am I doing with my life?

If you aren’t familiar or comfortable with seeking your inner journey, then the greatest clue I can offer you at the start is to become open to the invisible world within you. How you learn to relate to it is completely personal and uniquely your own

Speaking in more concrete terms the next few weeks may manifest a life event for you where you must apply both logic and feeling in order to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion concerning an interpersonal relationship or the question what am I doing with my life?

This Mercury retrograde should be a cinch, but during it don’t buy tech if you don’t have to. And remember to triple check communication before hitting send. If you arrive at conflict be quick to apologize and say no more until tomorrow 

President Biden Expands Affordable Care Act Enrollment Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

House Speaker Blasts GOP for Assigning Racist Conspiracy Theorist to House Education Committee

Lawmakers Demand Probe into Trading App Robinhood After It Blocked Stock Sales That Hurt Hedge Funds

Pioneering African American Actor Cicely Tyson, Winner of Two Emmys, Dies at 96

Sun in Aquarius square Mars in Taurus February 1, 2021 @ 4:33 AM CT (10:33 GMT) The warrior’s edge has melted away and now you can take the scenic route through a field of wildflowers and mushrooms instead of blasting your way through a hillside of obstacles.

This energy catalyzes a scene that supports growth through varied experiences and it encourages everyone to seek their own way to resolutions, conclusions and understandings that are uniquely their own. Searching out your own way illuminates a strategic aspect of your purpose.

Happy Venus in Aquarius! The idea to refresh your wardrobe, hairstyle or redecorating by public opinion can be too hard to ignore under this influence. Your personal style will be influenced by the collective for the duration.

Burmese Military Stage Coup, Detain Aung San Suu Kyi

FBI Uncovers Evidence Jan. 6 Attack Was Premeditated as More Far-Right Rioters Face Charges

Trump Faces More Businesses-Related Woes as His Legal Team Departs a Week Before Impeachment Trial

It’s only the 21st day of the lunar cycle and already we’ve gone from the end of a rotten presidential era to the people’s revolution of the stock market, ok? And this moon ain’t even finished yet!

~* Last Quarter Feb. 4 11:38 AM CT (17:38 UTC) *~

U.S. Tops 26 Million COVID-19 Vaccine Shots, Surpassing Confirmed Coronavirus Cases

Moon Last Quarter in Scorpio February 4, 2021 @ 11:38 AM CT (17:38 UTC) A time for Descending, settling, closure, receiving compliments for doing a good job. Prime time for tying of loose ends and wrapping up unfinished business.

Democrats Say Trump “Singularly Responsible” for Jan. 6 Insurrection in Impeachment Brief

With consciousness humans are able to transcend the unconscious and reconfigure our relationship to it.

Though we can transcend the unconscious through viewing ourselves objectively, we are still apart of the the unconscious. Those rules still apply to us even as we contemplate their logic.

Jeff Bezos Steps Down as Amazon CEO After Amassing Huge Personal Fortune

Amazon to Pay Contract Drivers $61.7 Million After FTC Probe Finds It Stole Tips to Pay Wages

Republican Leader Won’t Punish Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene over Racist and Violent Rhetoric

Prosecutors Seek Rearrest of Kyle Rittenhouse, Wisconsin Teen Charged with Killing 2 Protesters

Sometimes the right thing to do is protect your one actual valuable thing not by defending it, but closing up all the channels the valuable thing is being attacked from the outside. Sometimes you just gotta block, delete or remove your account and move on with/to what's good.

What if we wake up one day and COVID has disappeared, like poof! It vanished into thin air? Maybe it’s the moon opposed to Uranus that’s got me wishing wild problem solvers would pop up overnight.

Poll Reveals 25% of U.S. Adults Plan to Gather at Super Bowl Watch Parties

VP Harris Casts Tie-Breaking Vote to Move Ahead with Democratic COVID Relief Bill

House Removes Marjorie Taylor Greene from Committees over Violent, Bigoted Rhetoric

Smartmatic Sues Fox News, Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell for Election-Related Lies

I unfollowed some lawmakers this morning after feeling second hand anxiety over the handling of their interpersonal conflicts. Realized they were me on IG two years ago and I’ve moved on since. Can relate, but don’t wanna relive, thanks!

I just want to let y’all know that I’m coping w insufficient candle syndrome & will be studying the art & science of candle making to save myself potentially hundreds of thousands of $$ by making my own delicious smelling coconut wax babies in diy terra cotta flower pots.

Wyoming GOP Censures Rep. Liz Cheney for Backing Trump’s Impeachment

Mass Protests Continue in Burma Opposing Military Coup, Removal of Aung San Suu Kyi

You may tell others like it is today, but hopefully this inspires you to check in with yourself and be honest/come clean about something you've been overlooking.

Indian Farmworkers Blockade Roads as Mass Protests Show No Sign of Slowing Down

Black Sheriff’s Deputy in Louisiana Dies by Suicide After Condemning Police Violence and Racism

Amazon Workers in Alabama Begin Historic Vote on Unionization

Second Impeachment Trial of Donald J. Trump Opens in the Senate

Georgia’s Secretary of State to Probe Trump’s Efforts to Overturn 2020 Election

Mercury square Mars February 10, 2021 @ 6:14 AM CT (12:14 UTC) Still talking about talking, it’s also Dark Moon time to shape or let a habit form. This practice can come from breaking free of outdated relationships with yourself or with others in order to spur growth.

Dreamed Jungkook was correcting my pronunciation of Korean last night. I’m sorry! I’ll try harder to take this lesson seriously

Senate Votes to Proceed with Impeachment as Managers Present Harrowing Video of Jan. 6 Insurrection

Gov’t to Send Vaccines to Community Health Centers as U.S. Continues Ramping Up Vaccinations

WHO Team Confirms COVID-19 of Animal Origin; Ghana Shuts Parliament After Outbreak Infects Lawmakers

Journalists Decry Raid on Progressive Indian News Site NewsClick

U.S. to Pursue Extradition of Julian Assange as Press Freedom Groups Warn of Dangerous Precede

Fossil Fuel Pollution Causes One in Five Global Deaths

Four Louisiana Officers Arrested over Police Brutality Cases and Other Misconduct

Two NYT Journalists Exit Paper Following Revelations of Improper Conduct

Venus conjunct Jupiter February 11, 2021 @ 8:59 AM CT (14:59 UTC) Receive the overflow of creativity into your life. Welcome it even if you aren’t sure what to do with it. Write down project ideas if you don’t have the energy to start on them now. You can work on them later.

I'm cool with double masking, but a lot of folks still aren't even doing the one :|

“The Inciter-in-Chief”: Democrats Accuse Trump of Being “Singularly Responsible” for Insurrection

U.S. COVID Death Toll Tops 471,000; Half of All Deaths Occurred Since Nov. 1

Saudi Women’s Rights Activist Loujain al-Hathloul Released After 1,001 Days in Prison

Biden Administration to Continue Trump-Era Policy of Turning Away Asylum Seekers at Southern Border

Sen. Bernie Sanders Grills Neera Tanden, Biden’s Pick to Head OMB

Sen. Bernie Sanders: “According to The Washington Post, since 2014, the Center for American Progress has received roughly $5.5 million from Walmart, a company that pays its workers starvation wages; $900,000 from the Bank of America; $550,000 from JPMorgan Chase; $550,000 from Amazon; $200,000 from Wells Fargo; $800,000 from Facebook; and up to $1.4 million from Google. In other words, CAP has received money from some of the most powerful special interests in our country. How will your relationship with those very powerful special interests impact your decision-making if you are appointed to be the head of OMB?”

Neera Tanden: “Senator, I thank you for that question. It will have zero impact on my — on my decision-making.”

#lunar #news #headlines #tweets

[margridarnauds]

XCalibur: My Review

So, it’s been a couple of weeks since XCalibur came out and, while I’m trying to sort out my own thoughts about this, I decided to do what I do best: Force everyone to read an overly long, barely coherent post.

First off: Let’s get this off the ground. The fact that we got to see this at ALL was phenomenal. This is really, really fantastic, as a step for KMusicals getting a wider western audience, and it’s something that I DESPERATELY hope that they will continue to repeat in the future. I’d have supported it if it was anything, simply because that would give a clear message that there IS an audience for this.

However...

[warning for spoilers, brief discussions of rape]

Overall Impressions: Look....it’s WILDHORN. Wildhorn and me....we go way, way back. Like, to 12 Year Old Rachel listening to Jekyll and Hyde. And the Scarlet Pimpernel. And....quite a few musicals after that. I CAN’T hate it. It’s WILDHORN + ARTHURIANA. Two of my favorite things in the world. But, that being said....this might very well be my fault, but I did find myself a little disappointed, in the sense that, listening to the cast album, I was expecting a much, much better musical than what I really got. Which was a huge order to fill, given that I’ve always considered Artus: Excalibur to be one of Wildhorn’s more problematic musicals. But, in all fairness, they DID kind of promise me more, given that they retitled the musical and said that this was the “World Premiere”™. The set is fantastic, the music is stunning, but it just felt a little hollow to me.

Sets/Costuming: I LOVED the Dark Ages aesthetic to it. The costumes really were great, Morgana’s in particular stole the show, but Guinevere, Merlin, Arthur, and Lancelot gets some nice looks as well, and it all serves to give this idea of the Middle Ages (albeit HEAVILY preying on the old stereotype that it was The Dark Ages, with a very dark color palette generally being observable throughout). This also serves to make it visually very distinct from the Korean production of La Legende du Roi Arthur, given the two of them showed VERY close to one another. (2019 was just the year of the Arthurian musical.) As a Celticist....it isn’t REALLY historically accurate, it’s still fantasy, albeit more Guy Ritchie’s Arthur VS The Crystal Cave Trilogy in terms of how MUCH fantasy it utilizes. LRA (and Artus: Excalibur) took the approach of it being PURELY fantasy, there is....nothing. Historical. In there. One thing that irked me about Artus was that it, in particular, had a CHEAP feeling, like it had roughly as much thought put into it as a 80s comic book idea of Camelot that they were going to slap on the back of a cereal box or something. (LRA, to its credit, was GLORIOUSLY anachronistic, but it was high budget and sleek. I loved it for that.) XCalibur is TRYING for a more historical feel, and, for the most part, it does succeed. Whether the set is a forest, a deserted hall, or Camelot in its prime, they SELL the medievalism. It’s a bit of a pity there’s no WELSHNESS to it, but that is me being nitpicky about my field not being in there. For an Arthurian adaptation, I’m not really going to ask for anything more; it gives what it promises and it does it well. (Though I will say that, every once in a while, one of those costumes would flash in the stage lighting and I would question whether I’d seen that gold fabric at a Ren Faire etsy. BUT in all fairness, those costumes weren’t designed to be viewed in close up like that, and this is probably me being needlessly mean. OVERALL, the effect was good.)

Music: It’s a Frank Wildhorn musical, so of COURSE I’m going to like the music. This is DEFINITELY a stronger musical than Artus, with several new songs (including “The Tempest”, “Let the Sword Make the Man”, and “If he were standing here”, both of which are highlights to me) that really stand out. Since settling himself firmly in the Asian market, Wildhorn’s stuff has developed a polish that wasn’t really there in his Broadway stuff. It sounds much more modern, much more streamlined, with Death Note, the Man Who Laughs, Robespierre, and Mata Hari all having a distinct SOUND that I’ve started to call Wildhorn 2.0. There’s this distinct energy that runs through this production that wasn’t really there in Artus, and I found that it makes the cast album REALLY a treat to listen to. As with Artus, “Celtic” (which, in this case, of course, means “Riverdance”) musical motifs are present in the instrumentals, but I found it MUCH less heavy handed than before, and it’s evenly balanced out by more traditional tunes. I didn’t feel like it was AS overloaded as before, where I routinely found myself napping in between swelling instrumentals.

As with all of Wildhorn’s stuff, there are certain songs that sound very similar to other musicals of his, if you know what to look for. “Why am I here?” for example is nearly a carbon copy of “Who do you Trust?” from Tears of Heaven and “Wenn das Shicksal dich ereilt” from Rudolf, which themselves form part of a distinct genre of his songs that can be traced back to “The Riddle” from The Scarlet Pimpernel and “You and I” from Svengali. “The Mark of the Wolf”, a new song, sounds very similar at points to “How Many devils?” from The Civil War. Etc. etc. I don't really consider this a BAD part, at least in the case of the former, since the songs in that genre, to me, represent the best of Wildhorn’s music. And, after all, with over 30 years on stage....the man can only come up with new music for so long until he starts producing SOMETHING that sounds similar.

Overall verdict? Strong music. Not my FAVORITE of Wildhorn’s stuff,  but I’ve definitely spent a few hours listening to the cast album on its own merits, and definitely more energetic and polished than the German run to my ear.

Plot: So, a big draw for me was “Has the plot been fixed from the days of Artus: Excalibur?” and.....I have many mixed feelings. I DO feel like we got more of a solid musical, but I also feel like it had some really, really sour notes and, in some ways, the transition to a new musical feels only half-way done. Like, they HAD a new musical in mind, they went halfway through the process, and then they shrugged their shoulders, said “That’s good enough”, and left us with a Frankenstein’s Monster. (Oh, wait, wrong KMusical.)

One of the biggest casualties was Morgana. Morgan le Fay has been one of my favorite characters in anything, ever since I was 7 years old and developing one of my first crushes via The Magic Treehouse. Morgana is always the FIRST one I look to in an adaptation to see how they handle her, and her plotline in Artus always felt weak for me, ESPECIALLY her relationship with Merlin, which Wildhorn once described as something along the lines of a “bit of a romance” but that was painfully underdeveloped, especially on her end. We knew that he was weak for her, to his detriment, we knew that she wanted what he had, and that they do.....the do together, but there’s very little REAL development in there, and no sign, on my end, of that “little bit of romance” as opposed to just. Using one another. When I heard that that plotline had been revised, I was THRILLED. Now, I feel like it was a monkey’s paw situation.

(1) Morgana goes from more or less apathetic to Merlin’s situation to.......being totally obsessed with him, to the point where she says he’s the only man she ever loved? Like, she goes from someone HIGHLY motivated by what she believes is her rightful inheritance to being motivated by Merlin’s dick.

(2) The timeline. My God, the timeline. Making Morgana a child when she’s shipped off AND then doing the “Only man I ever loved” thing (and SEEMING to imply that Merlin did love her as well, but refused to say it) is.....it’s bad. No other way around it. They did NOT think that timeline through.

(3) I HATED Guinevere getting Morgana in the back with an arrow, but you know? That was yet another monkey’s paw situation, given that at least it wasn’t “Morgana falling for a very obvious ploy that she SHOULD have seen coming from a mile away if she wasn’t, as has been established, obsessed with Merlin’s dick.”

I will say that, reworking the plot so that Morgana’s obsessed with Merlin’s dick DID work out better in the sense that at least the Madonna/Whore complex with her and Guinevere isn’t really there: We no longer see Evil, Sexy Morgana VS Sweet Forest Maiden Guinevere, and Guinevere in this version of the musical is allowed to be much gutsier than her German counterpart. They did give her quite a bit of character as opposed to “Naive Girl who believes Arthur is The Best but finds out Wrong”. Now, that gutsiness flies out the window once she marries Arthur and is mainly confined to singing sad songs and stepping in between Arthur and Lancelot, but see above for Frankenstein’s Monster.

I will say that I did appreciate that this adaptation was willing to really give us a DEEPLY flawed Arthur; it’s something I’ve seen relatively little of post-White in terms of Arthurian adaptations, and it’s something I’ve missed. (Once Upon A Time’s Evil Arthur notwithstanding.) Arthur is really rarely allowed to BE a character in his own right, he has to be an Ideal™ or, if he’s a flawed character, flawed in an acceptable, palatable way; here, he’s an angry young man who’s shoved into a position that he’s not really qualified for and has to grow into it. He shoves people away, he shouts, he trusts Morgana too blindly, and he basically causes the Guinevere/Lancelot situation on his lonesome. It’s actually a little great to see.

BUT. But. Monkey’s paw. I LIKED seeing Arthur being a little bitch on occasion, but, for better or worse, he is our main character. And, outside of his bonding scenes with Guinevere and Lancelot early on, we really....don’t get to see that many scenes where he’s LIKABLE. There are a few moments (the scene where he tries to get Morgana to dance at his coronation is ADORABLE), but the first time we’re really introduced to him, he’s in a fight, he (understandably) snaps at Merlin, decides that, hey, being king might not be so bad, is fun for a little while, and then he spends a solid chunk of the second act being a dick because his father died. I don’t really know. I feel like this is going to be one of those things that I keep rolling over in my mind, as far as whether I REALLY like HIM as a main character, or whether I like those individual moments where he’s likable.

A part of me liked that we had, instead of the two siblings fighting during “Was Will Ich Hier”, we have Morgana and Arthur bonding. That sibling bond was, in my opinion, one of the more interesting possible dynamics in the show. But, unfortunately, the resulting conflict with Merlin felt very “been there, done that.” It’s more PLAUSIBLE than in cases where, say, the Enemy of the Week poses as a little girl and suddenly the main cast, who have known one another for twenty years, are suddenly slinging accusations against one another, but it STILL felt rather forced and predictable.

I was actually really grateful that we didn’t have the Morgana/Lot relationship in this particular production--Making Morgana an actual domestic abuse victim and then killing her off NEVER sat well with me, but as a result of that, now we have this situation where we have two more or less unconnected villains: Morgana and Wulfstan, and the plot only really needed one. Wulfstan, as a character, just....isn’t interesting. He’s a more or less generic “Barbarian Warlord” type who’s pissed Arthur killed his son and creeps on Morgana. I can’t REALLY say anything more there. Their plotlines intersect in the very beginning, when they capture Morgana and she guides them to Uther’s old castle, but other than that, there’s a general disconnect between them, and there’s no real PAYOFF to that. Instead, it just feels like it makes the plot needlessly busy.

One thing I’ve noticed, with both La Legende du Roi Arthur and XCalibur, is this pressure to fit as MUCH Arthurian in as possible, and as a result, the final musicals become rather crowded, so there’s no real time for DEVELOPMENT or substance.

“Okay, we have to have the pulling from the sword here!” “Right!” “Hm, Morgana le Fay is one of the most iconic antagonists, we probably need her there.” “Saxons?” “Sure!” “Everyone’s expecting Lancelot and Guinevere, we can’t not have them in there.”

I FEEL like XCalibur is LESS bogged down than LRA with regards to that factor, since the latter also threw in Maleagant as a secondary antagonist to Morgana and the Grail quest, but I still feel like XCalibur bit off more than it could really chew. Which is a pity, because there are Arthurian plot lines that have gotten comparatively little attention in recent days that you could include instead of going the “Paint By Numbers” route.

This also really shows in how it deals with certain plot lines, which are either dropped (Wulfstan V. Morgana), or come out of nowhere. This is REALLY obvious with Lancelot/Guinevere, which is a pity because I found myself, against my own will, rooting for them more than any other pairing in the show. Lancelot goes from a cocky lady’s man to...suddenly being smitten with Guinevere.....and then suddenly, after Guinevere is sad about Arthur being a dick, the two of them are fucking. Now, it would be NATURAL, as far as “Guinevere goes to Lancelot when she feels like Arthur’s being cold to her”, but we don’t SEE that. We literally cut from her in the forest, singing a sad song, and the next time we see them, they’re postcoital. It feels like it comes out of NOWHERE. My investment in them, as a couple, is more due to the strength of the two actors involved than the actual WRITING, which thinks that because the BEDROCK for something is there (”Oh, Guinevere beat Lancelot in combat! Oh, she feels neglected!”) that that means the house is there as well (”Oh, Guinevere beat Lancelot in common....so NOW he’s totally in love with her and is never going to flirt with another woman again. Oh, Guinevere is feeling abandoned by Arthur.......so we don’t NEED to see her going to Lancelot.”) They jump from Point A to point D and the audience is left with a sense of whiplash.

Some things, like Merlin’s actions re: Igraine and Uther, as well as Morgana, are just not explored to a depth that I would really find is satisfactory. “Oh, I did all these terrible things....because of Fate!” is something that we’re REALLY supposed to pull behind, but, given the pain to everyone involved, ESPECIALLY the women (Igraine, Morgana, and Guinevere ALL suffer from Destiny™), you have to REALLY wonder if there was literally anyone else who could have done it.

...so, really. BBC Merlin. BBC Merlin.

MOVING ON FROM MY SALT...as a medievalist, I was actually relatively happy that for ONCE in an Arthurian adaptation, the conflict between Christianity and paganism (WHICH HONESTLY WASN’T EVEN THAT MUCH OF A CONFLICT IN TERMS OF THE CELTIC WORLD, BUT MOVING ON) was presented as being pro-Christian. I’ve dealt with WAY too much media, in my time, that treats, say, 8th century Catholicism in Ireland the same as 16th century Catholicism in Spain, and NO. They were VERY distinct. I am saying this as a confirmed, happy atheist. They were distinct. I do not need or want The Mists of Avalon 10.0 on my screen, no thank you.

That being said...Monkey’s Paw. Monkey’s Paw. I was NOT happy to see the conflict presented as “Christianity taking over is Destined and Good, the Old Ways™ have had their time.” There’s this rather ugly fatalism that runs through it, along with the idea that followers of the pagan tradition HAD to die for Christianity to take its place. It’s...not my favorite thing in the world. Perhaps I’m simply unpleasable in this aspect, but there has GOT to be some medium between the two. Maybe this is my Medieval Irish Bias seeping through here, given that, with what I’m used to, the druids were mentioned in law books through the 8th century. I own this. (”But Rachel,” you might say, reasonably, “This isn’t 8th century Ireland”, to which I would of course say, “BUT IT SURE AS HELL ISN’T 6TH CENTURY WALES OR CORNWALL EITHER.”) Medieval people, historically, while they didn’t REALLY have religious tolerance as we know it, didn’t always see it in stark terms of “PAGANISM IN ONE CORNER, CHRISTIANITY IN ANOTHER”: They were, as a whole, FAIRLY good at integrating aspects of both in, even when they didn’t really mean to. The entire thing is just mangled horribly.

Anyway. Celtic Studies Salt Over.

Actors/Actresses: I’ll be honest, I was expecting, primarily, Morgana, Arthur, and Lancelot to pull the plot along, mainly because they get, together, most of the primary numbers, and because, in the German, Sabrina Weckerlin essentially carried the show on her back. As it was, Kim So Hyang’s Guinevere was the one who REALLY, in my opinion, ended up carrying the show. She had a wonderful voice, strong voice, and her Guinevere was able to make a full, smooth journey between a young, bold girl to the troubled wife of a troubled king to a woman wracked with regret. I’ve seen her in a lot of things, but I don’t think I really NOTICED her until now. She did some truly phenomenal work here, I was really glad, actually, that I got to see and appreciate her Guinevere. (Though, as a Min Kyung Ah fan....I would have LOVED to have seen her Guinevere.) She had great chemistry with both of her leads, lending credibility to both relationships, more than the script itself might really give.

Kai isn’t really an actor I ever really LOOK for in a musical, I wouldn’t say that I’m a MASSIVE fan, but that’s only because I don’t actively search for his stuff. Every time I’ve seen him in something, he’s been solid, and I did very much like him in the press calls. It does seem a little unfair that he got both the press calls AND the pro-shot, but c’est la vie. I did like his Arthur, he had a steady voice to back up the role, his acting was solid. Arthur, as a character, doesn’t REALLY stick out for me, but that isn’t HIS fault so much as the script’s, really, and my pre-built in bias towards Morgana. I didn’t find him to be REALLY likable in the role, very angry and sullen, but.....well. See above for my take on Arthur’s general likability here. I do think the man did the best with what he had, though I also feel like he’s more natural in Arthur’s dorkier, more relatable moments, especially with, say, Guinevere, Morgana, and Lancelot. (Though I’m not sure if that’s because I like Arthur as a CHARACTER more there or if I’m reacting to his ACTING in the role. This is one of those times where I’d have really liked to see Do Kyum or Junsu’s take on the role, since that would help me iron out what parts are the WRITING and what are the actor, but, lacking that, I’m going to err on the side of generosity.)  

Shin Young Sook....I WANTED to like her Morgana. I did. But, I’ll be blunt, even as far back as the press call, I was feeling Jang Eun Ah’s Morgana more, I was, definitely, feeling a little disappointed when the proshot cast list was announced. So, in some ways, the poor woman would have had to have done miracles to get me to REALLY warm up to her. And I didn’t really see miracles on the stage. Her voice remains reliable, she is a belter like few others on the Korean stage. I give her that. But her acting basically totally ruined the character for me. My issues with the role, as detailed in the “Plot” section, aside, I believe that the overall character COULD be salvaged, from an audience perspective, with a nuanced enough portrayal. But, when I saw this particular take on Morgana...I didn’t see MORGANA. I saw Shin Young Sook, Having Fun, instead of Morgana, as portrayed by Shin Young Sook. An actress having fun in a role can definitely be GREAT (Park Hye Na as Eva in Frankenstein is one role of hers I will cherish forever), but in this case, which required a lot of nuance to pull it off and make the villain sympathetic....it does clash when you can tell that she’s one step away from evilly cackling and releasing a final belt before running off the stage. There is a time to ham and there is a time to not, and this was one of the “not” roles. There came some point, perhaps during the song “Desire”, perhaps before it, that I actively started DREADING Morgana appearing on stage. I don’t KNOW that Jang Eun Ah would have done it better. She could have done it worse. But it is a tragedy of only having a single cast available that I will always wonder. I was disappointed here. I was really, really disappointed.

Kim Jun Hyun as Merlin was solid. It’s well known at this point that I have a soft spot for him, but for what it’s worth, on a comparative level, I feel like this role suited him much better than, say, Orléans in Marie Antoinette (where, personally, though still liking him, I found him a little too cold for my taste). He is appropriately distant and otherworldly, showing a human side and conflict as the musical continues. Is he enough to make me LIKE Merlin, as a character? Not really, given how many people suffer because of him and how little the narrative actually QUESTIONS it, but damned if he doesn’t try, and he does lend a subdued charisma to the character, to the point where I know that at least some people noticed him more than they did Arthur or Lancelot. I did think he had -40 chemistry with Shin Young Sook, but that could be because I was ALREADY attached to him and Jang Eun Ah’s chemistry in the press call, and that is not so much a failing on one actor’s side or the other’s (I want to emphasize this, because I do NOT have anything against Shin Young Sook SPECIFICALLY on this point), rather it’s something that can’t really be qualified. (And is entirely subjective, I’m sure that plenty of viewers saw NOTHING wrong.) For me, it did cause me to actively cringe at certain scenes, such as the “This is where your Arthur came from”......”seduction”.....scene.

“Lord....I actually have fewer problems saying no to this than you might think, nvmind.”

It COULD be that that’s the look of conflicting desire, but to me, personally, watching it, it rather looks like Merlin just realized that he forgot to turn the stove off at home. Which is a pity, because I was REALLY going in here expecting to like Merlin/Morgana more than the love triangle and instead found it to be very awkwardly handled. I haven’t ENTIRELY given up on it as a ship, in some abstract way that would involve another rewrite of the entire musical, but I can’t REALLY say that there’s. Anything I like about it either. And I think that if I was less stubbornly determined to find SOMETHING in it to like, I’m fairly certain I would be even more uncomfortable with it.

My final verdict: Watching this, despite some impressive visuals (though not QUITE to the same level as fellow Wildhorn musicals The Man Who Laughs, Dracula, and Mata Hari) and performances, I found myself continually wanting to go back to the cast album rather than actually WATCH the musical. Changes have been made since the German production, but I found that, while some of the changes definitely served to make a stronger musical, some of them actively weakened the show, and it's still a little too busy for its own good. I’m also not REALLY sure that the changes made really justified it being given the label World Premiere™, given the hype around it. If it was available for streaming again, would I do it? Yes, because it IS worth at least one watch and the industry NEEDS to do this more. If it was available to buy, even, for $20 or so, I would probably get it. But I’m not sure that, if it was for the~ $100 price that Toho musicals tend to sell for, I would seriously be able to say “Yes, get this”, and I’m not sure that, if an American/European tour of it was miraculously announced, I would REALLY bend over backwards to get tickets.

6/10

Tl;dr: “WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY SISTER?”

#xcalibur #artus: excalibur #arthuriana #excalibur crit #(For anyone who doesn't want this in the tags) #long post

[kinetic-elaboration]

October 25: 1x20 Court Martial

Now that Chopped is done I am free to watch TOS again. Today’s ep: Court Martial, a wonderful combination of two of my favorite things: Captain Kirk and Legal Stuff.

Look at that backdrop. I forgot how many Very 50′s backgrounds they had in this show.

The Intrepid is here for repairs! Such a lost opportunity to show more Vulcans in Starfleet.

I don’t entirely get why the Commodore has his own special transport pad. I guess it must allow him to beam himself places without the use of a ship but like... to where is he beaming?

Lol that absolutely terrible sailor suit outfit on the little girl. I can only assume it’s a school uniform as it’s the only thing she ever wears.

Can you believe how this whole episode is based, essentially, around allegedly broken regulations? I mean I know it’s more than that and they do a good job explaining why it’s bad to eject the pod early (”when there is no emergency”) but like, essentially, the underlying conditions of emergency are not in Kirk’s control. It’s possible to just skip officially calling the emergency while nevertheless acting in a way that is appropriate for an emergency, and so it comes down to “did he first declare the emergency officially and then act in accordance with the declared emergency or did he just skip the first step?” rather than “did he act too quickly?” since HE was the one who determined if the conditions warranted an emergency.

Having said all that I still don’t get what an ion pod is or where it was or why it had to be ejected at all. Or how Finney got out of the pod if it was ejected.

Vulcanian expedition?!?

Kirk’s default voice is just flirty; I’m sorry but it is. Even talking to his old school classmates, who are VERY quick to judge him harshly and hate on him, implying they were probably never friends, he’s All Charm by default. And he doesn’t drop the charm even when he starts politely fighting with them.

Bones using Jim to flirt--with Jim’s ex-girlfriend! “Did you see that guy over there, he’s pretty famous, and we’re friends!”

I love Areel Shaw and I’m just gonna say I think she’s my favorite Kirk girlfriend.

Charged with culpable negligence. As opposed to...not culpable negligence?

When he was a midshipman...

What’s with all these professor & student friendships??

I cannot believe part of the Finney & Kirk backstory is that he literally named his daughter after Kirk. Like that’s so intense! I feel like it kind of changes everything but I can’t entirely untangle how.

This “I can’t believe you filed a report about my error” backstory is literally the beginning of STID except Kirk is the Spock of this scenario.

Star Trek: Law and Order. Bum bum.

This whole idea of pitting Kirk against a computer is clever in that people to this day are like “but computers are infallible?” but also dumb because Kirk >>> Computer obviously.

Having drinks with the ex and he turns the charm up to 11.

All of this is wildly unethical, from her telling him about the prosecution’s case, to her BEING the prosecution.

I actually read an article recently about this isn’t, or shouldn’t be, her job as prosecutor, to drum him out of the service in disgrace. Her job should be to find the truth in a more neutral way.

Wtf are all these totally useless federal reporters doing here?

I’m a pro-book person but this is a HILARIOUS anti-computer speech. Like--the law is in the computer dude! It is! It’s the same law as in the books. Intergalactic Westlaw is available to you. And then he goes off on this weird rant about Moses, like--dude, Moses isn’t in the reporters OR Westlaw OR whatever Starfleet code is actually at issue here.

Kirk likes him though.

Shaw in the dress uniform with the long skirt hot damn.

Not even the computer can pronounce Spock’s full name. And he’s been demoted again.

Vulcanian Scientific Legion of Honor.

Spock isn’t having any of this. “I don’t dispute it. I just... actually I do dispute it because it’s nonsense.”

His entire testimony is the equivalent of “You don’t have all the facts.” / “Which are?” / “I love him.”

The defense doesn’t need to question him because he’s already testified for the defense.

This is such a hilarious use of McCoy. For the first time ever we’re told he’s actually a psychologist on top of being a surgeon and GP and then his whole testimony isn’t even really medical? It’s just like wild speculation, which being a doctor and an “expert in psychology” somehow qualifies him to provide?

I love how Kirk’s service record just goes on and on and on. Areel doesn’t do herself any favors objecting to it; that just draws attention to it. As the defense lawyer knows by insisting it continuing and then cutting it off for being comically long.

Kirk: “I can be level-headed in an emergency. This wasn’t my first rodeo.”

This chair design is SO BAD. I know it needs to be like this for the plot but omg putting the pod release button on the chair at all (like does the captain have to jettison pods a lot?) and then especially directly under the red alert button, and then putting both of them just out there without any kind of cover or anything--that’s just waiting for someone to lean on his chair arm and make a deadly mistake.

Also nothing else is even labeled lmao.

This is a very impressive deep fake.

This whole ion storm does not really seem like a scary emergency situation lol. It seems like Kirk and everyone else are basically keeping their heads.

“You may be able to beat your next Captain at chess” Kirk as chess master confirmed.

“I didn’t realize how close you and my father were even though I was literally named after you.”

Obligatory Bones accuses Spock of not caring about Jim scene.

“Why thank you, Doctor, my blood is very cold.”

I can’t believe Spock programmed the computer to play chess with him. Probably so he could practice for Jim.

The lawyer’s outfit is hilarious: little pocket for a pen in front. Is he... a civilian lawyer? Is that even allowed?

Here is talking about the Bible again. And the Magna Carta. First, it’s always funny when a bunch of real things are followed by some fake science fiction things. And second, he’s pretty obviously just talking about the Constitution, and like maybe a very tiny bit about the Magna Carta. There’s no right to counsel in the Bible.

Really glad to know the Martians care about the right to an attorney though. And that the Alpha 3 Colonies protect the right of confrontation.

I bet Spock is unimpressed with this Drama.

Why did they change out of their dress uniforms?

How convenient that Finney was one of only three people who could change the computer. I mean I guess this is a permissions thing--but why would the records officer have that? Not that I know what a records officer is.

“White noise device” you can’t fool me, that’s a microphone.

Also another hilarious use of McCoy. Do they really NEED the ship’s surgeon to put a microphone against people’s chests? “Don’t mind me, just stealing your heartbeats.”

Like the general concept of this is nifty story telling but some of the details are....uh.... funny.

Captain’s log: “We brought a young girl onto the ship even when it’s in a dangerous position so we could use her against her father.”

Finney really was playing the looooooong game of revenge lol. And yet it still doesn’t seem well thought out. What was the next part of his plan? Somehow get back OFF the ship once Kirk’s career is ruined, and then live the rest of his life under an assumed name? Never seeing his daughter again? No Starfleet career even though it’s allegedly so important to him? Seems a little bit like everyone loses.

Lol not letting Spock leave the bridge because the court martial’s not ever. “Sorry, we all might die, but court IS still in session.” Even though they ALREADY KNOW the alleged victim is still alive!

I love that Uhura is essential personnel. They didn’t keep the navigator on board, even though they apparently need one, but they did keep Uhura.

Oh no, Kirk’s flimsy shirt, falling apart again!

“Beaten and sobbing, Finney told me how to fix the ship.” Bitter much?

Kirk, being a badass, fixing the ship all by himself.

Honestly I just really love a narrative in which an upright man plays by the rules, does the right thing, and behaves in good faith and is ultimately vindicated and rewarded.

Now everyone agrees there’s no crime and thus no point to continuing the court-martial.

He’s defending Ben Finney! Good luck with that.

I love how Kirk’s face goes from full-on-romance to slightly-embarrassed-serious-Captain as soon as he remembers, hey, I really AM on the bridge!

“She’s a very good lawyer.” / “Obviously.”

This was such a good Kirk episode, both for showing off all his good qualities, and for getting some interesting insight into his character. He strikes me as the kind of person who, because he’s so by-the-book, and because he’s smart and successful, inspires jealousy in other people, and thus has a lot of strained acquaintanceships--like with the other men at the bar. But he also has these really, really strong friendships and relationships: Areel Shaw, Spock and McCoy, and even Finney. I feel like he’s probably rather awkward with most people, but then when the relationship is established, he’s ride or die. And, he doesn’t hold grudges. I don’t think he really knew how upset Finney was about what happened literally 10+ years ago--especially if he had any say at all about Finney serving on his ship, and I suspect he could have at least vetoed him. And even after Finney tried to disgrace him and then actually kill him, he still didn’t seem to upset about it, or about his lawyer turning around and defending Finney.

I think Kirk likes the military in part because it gives him this very strict set of rules about interacting with other people, so he doesn’t have to make up his own. I bet the intensity of the service also allows him to form these stronger relationships, which do seem to suit him better. And when he doesn’t have anything else to fall back on, he INVARIABLY pulls out the charm: he does it with old classmates, random 21st century pilots, immortal teenage girls, and actual love interests. It’s his default mode. I think that makes sense for someone who’s very ambitious, very precise, very nerdy, very rules-oriented, and whose default mode as a young man, by his own admission, was “grim.”

Wow it is so much later than anticipated... I need to get to sleep!

Next ep is Return of the Archons, which I’ve only seen once and don’t remember super well. I think it’s a ‘society ruled by computers’ thing, which is fine. Maybe not as much of a classic as some other S1 eps, but it should be fun anyway.

#the year 2020 #2020: star trek #2020: fandom thoughts #star trek tos