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spenglernot · 6 months

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STORIES TELLING: NED LOWE AND THE DEATH OF POOR REPRESENTATION IN OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH

In history, Ned Lowe was one of the most sadistic and violent pirates in the early 18th century, so he’s an obvious choice for a villain for season 2, episode 6 – Calypso’s Birthday. What is interesting is what the OFMD writers chose to do with him.

Lowe announces himself to the crew of the Revenge with great fanfare (cannon ball attack) and gets right to the point.

Ed is thoroughly unimpressed.

Cut to Ed and Stede tied up while Ned attempts to set the mood so he can monologue about why he wants to kill Ed.

Ed knows what’s coming. He is going to suffer but he still can’t be arsed to meet Ned with anything but vaguely bored dismissiveness (and Stede is happy to play along).

Up on the deck, Ned prepares the crew for his big, dramatic moment of symphonic torture.

Note that the Revenge crew is tied down, braced by vices and generally unable to protect themselves from imminent torture and possible death, but their spirits are up. They don’t seem terribly fussed.

Then Stede uses his people positive management style to happily orchestrate a worker uprising in Ned’s crew.

Ned’s crew responds instantly; severing their allegiance to Lowe and telling him off.

The crew sails away and talks profit sharing while Ned dully threatens to hunt them down.

Ned is now a prisoner of the Revenge crew and seems entirely disinterested in his own survival.

And Ned sinks to the depths, without struggling at all.

There is a lot going on in this episode: pay and labor equity direct action, gay love engagement bliss, kink humor, Stede being a hero and saving his crew by playing to his strengths, then having to decide whether to kill in cold blood and feel the consequences of that choice. Ed having one more reason to be done with piracy (while being so impressed with and fond of Stede), and then watching his man make a fraught choice and having to deal with the fallout from that. (And, damn, I haven’t even mentioned the passionate sex bit.) Anyway, back to the point.

Now for the the meta part

The Ned Lowe sequences are perfectly in keeping with OFMD’s signature blend of madcap violence, humor, and big emotional gut punches. But something about Ned Lowe just strikes me as off for this show.

Ned is seriously threatening the crews’ lives, so why don’t they take him seriously?

Why does Ned have such a boring, throwaway backstory?

Why is Ned so nonchalant about his own death; like it’s a foregone conclusion?

Why does Ned have a silver violin and silver spurs on his slip-on dress shoes?

Why is Ned sartorially monochromatic?

And then I realized who Ned reminds me of.

This guy,

Earnst Stavro Blofeld in the James Bond film Diamonds are Forever (1971)

And this guy,

Scar in Disney's The Lion King (1994).

And this guy,

Xerxes, 300 (2006).

And it sure seems like Ned Lowe isn’t just an episodic villain. He is an archetype of the one-dimensional, stereotypical queer-coded villain that has been endemic in film and television throughout history. The OFMD writers have a lot to say about what to do with this kind of character:

Don’t respect him.

Feel free to openly mock him.

Don’t let him take your joy, even though he will hurt you.

He won’t disappear on his own. You have to throw something at him (take action) to make him go away.

Once he’s in the water, he’s content to drown. He’s not into what he’s doing any more than you are.

Oh and, just to be clear,

The LGBTQIA+ community has a very long history of turning shit media into better stories. So, hey, big media, prepare to have your crap characters wrecked (improved).

Now, back to our transformative pirate show with rich, complex queer characters and a multi-layered plot that surprises me every week and makes me feel big feelings - most of all, joy.

Final thought: I do wonder if Ned Lowe is monochromatically silver as a tribute to/poke at, Hollywood and the silver screen.

This meta was written before OFMD season 2 has fully aired. No idea what’s going to happen in the finale (and I’ve generally fled social media to avoid spoilers). I’ll be back, looking at everyone’s fascinating posts after episode 8 airs.

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lauriegraham01 · 2 months

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you're still around | natasha romanoff

pairings: natasha romanoff x gn!reader (one instance where it can be interpreted as fem!reader)

summary: "i know better but i still feel you all around." you never envisioned a life spent with natasha, so what do you do now that the aftershocks of her death has uprooted your life?

wc: 2.5k

a/n: I cannot speak of my grief over natasha, so enjoy this instead! + this is me cleaning out my drafts so im sorry if quality is trash </3

You never loved the beach. You never loved the beach until you met her.

Having been assigned on a mission together in Los Angeles, you found yourself on the sand far more times than you cared for.

"Oh, you're being ridiculous it's not that bad."

"I'd rather die."

Even behind her tinted aviators, there was no denying that signature playful glint shinning in her eyes. She loved how you had a flair for the dramatics, always teasing how she's the only one who could ever put up with it.

"Look, it's only for a couple of hours until we make sure that Stavros meets his guys here."

"And not a second more."

Hours slipped away as you two soaked up the sun. You could live in this moment forever. The sound of waves crashing against the shore matched the ferocity of your heart beating in your chest. You were full of love, consumed by it. Yet how could you not.

The way her sun-kissed skin seemed to soak up the sun, how her hair danced in the gentle ocean breeze, and how peaceful she looked as she she slept in the sand.

You feared the inevitable- dreaded it even. Yet lying next to her, unable to look away, you knew it was too late.

Your bond only continued to grow, spending more time both on and off the clock. Using any excuse to be near each other in hopes of learning something new, even though that seemed impossible. Natasha was the first person you felt like you could be completely open and honest with. You were surprised yet relieved when she told you she felt the same way.

Things in those days were still fresh, you both were equally fully of worry and reservation. The fear of ruining an already incredible bond preventing either of you from pursuing something greater. There was a silent understanding of this- despite the circumstance, you and Natasha continued on as you knew best. Pushing each other to be greater, being each others cheerleader, and truly wanting the best for each other after seeing the potential you both possessed.

Each moment shared together played on repeat in your mind until you could see her again. Late nights spent sparring in the gym, pool games at dive bars, and endless romcom movie marathons that only were only respected by Wanda.

The endless messages exchanged during meeting whenever Steve would go on forever. The getaways spent upstate thanks to Natasha swiping the keys to one of Tony's many many cars. The late night spent revealing sins to each others, and the darkest memories and fears that haunted us. The comfort that lasted till morning when you awoke to another sunrise wrapped in each other's arms. Each moment spent with her was truly magical.

You felt yourself falling deeper in love with Natasha with each passing day. You had reached a point where you couldn't remember life without her by your side, and the thought of having to go back to that terrified you both.

"I don't want this to be what splits us." Running your hands over your face, a tired sigh escaped your lips. The stress of the Sokovia Accords had everyone on edge and you and Natasha were no exception.

"I don't see why it has to," Natasha exaggerated. Her patience growing thinner after the countless back and forth and still not seeing eye to eye.

"You know why," you objected sharply. "it's not right, Nat. You know that." Your eyes met her with an unwavering look of defiance. There was no swaying you to change your mind. She always knew you were so stubborn.

"I know," she admitted.

"Then why are you signing?!" Throwing your hands in frustration you don't immediately notice the boom in your voice as you spoke.

It wasn't until Natasha swallowed thickly before averting her gaze towards the ground that you realized your mistake. Your shoulders slump as you let out a tired sigh. You felt that you were at a crossroads, and there was no right answer in which way you moved.

"I want us to stay together, it doesn't matter how," she emphasized, the edge in her voice unmistaken as she enunciated each word. Green eyes looked up at me through silky lashes, behind a determined look I saw the sadness in the mist of green eyes.

In that moment you felt all your fears cement into reality. You knew there was no way both of you could win and your heart broke as you both pledged your allegiance to opposing sides of another mans war.

Looking up at her you saw the same exact heartbreak in her eyes. You reached your breaking point, as the room seemed to close in you bolted out of your seat and aimed for the door. As your hand squeezed the handle, you hesitated- for a brief second. You didn't want to walk out on her, it was the last thing you ever though of doing.

Sparing her a final look, you see the stoic expression on her face. You always knew she was stubborn, but the hardened expression on her face only further proved what you already knew. There was no changing her mind, just as much as there wasn't changing any yours.

"It does to me."

You fought on opposing sides of a pointless war. When the dust settled, there was no morning glory to be found in its aftermath. Just bitter resentment and heartache as the family you've fought beside for years was no more.

Now considered an enemy of the state, you fled the country, not knowing if you would ever come back. By the time Steve had told you how Natasha helped him and Bucky flee, it was already too late. You were thousands of miles away and burned too many bridges that could never be crossed over again.

You thought about writing, but what could you say? Too much was said and done last, you didn't think there was ever coming back from that. You spent the next two years trying to erase the memory of her. Proving quite difficult as you saw her in everything, her love still being the fire that kept you warm even miles away.

You dreamt of a time where you would come face to face with her again. You've rehearsed the apologies you would say and the confessions you would lay bare if you ever were to see her face again. Yet all that flew out of the window as she stood in front of you, finding you amidst the crowded market square.

"Natasha?" Despite her hair now blonde and much shorter, you still could recognize her face in any crowd.

"Just shut up." She said, catching you off guard.

Taken aback, you sighed deeply as you gave her your full attention. Taking in her full appearance, you note her lose tank and green skirt that flowed with the summers breeze. You don't think you've ever seen her in something that colorful. Despite all the changes, she's still Natasha. You still saw the girl you fell in love with all those years ago on that beach.

The crease between her eyebrow reveals how Natasha seemed deep in thought. Hesitant to speak what's on her mind as she darted between your eyes, weighing her options.

"I never wanted to rely on anyone for anything," she began. "I thought that if I could be independent and alone then I could avoid the pain that comes from losing people."

Fidgeting with her fingers and from the bite marks on her lip, you sensed the urgency behind her words.

"I don't wanna live like that anymore," she confessed urgently. As if she could no longer bear having such a brilliant truth hidden for a second longer. "I love you y/n. I think I have for a long time now but I was just too scared to admit it- and I know things are complicated but i'm ready for this. I want this. I want us-" Stopping suddenly, feeling breathless the longer she looked in your eyes. "You. I want you."

"I love you."

Time seemed to slow down in that moment. The sound of thousands of people packed in the Brazilian market faded to nothing as you looked at her, her words echoing in your head. If Nat had felt even an ounce of relief from getting the truth of her chest, her face didn't show it. She had this look on her face, you studied for it moment before you realized what it was- fear.

She thought you would walk away. That you would scoff at her confession, see through her for what she thought she was, flawed.

She couldn't have been farther from truth. Her eyebrows furrowed in mix of shock and confusion when she felt a finger tilting her chin upward. Swallowing thickly, she awaited cruel rejection. However, seeing the adoration behind your eyes, she let herself believe that maybe there was some room for redemption. The corner of her lip curled upwards before the both of broke into breathless laughs, the twinkle in her eyes making your heart soar as it sang Natasha's name.

"I love you too."

After that, you never knew a life without Natasha. Having fought in Wakanda and losing so much during The Blip, you two became each other's anchor.

Never wanting to be away from her again, you moved back to New York. You helped direct the remaining Avengers as missions were still executed and help was needed everywhere. Despite the darkness that the world was wrapped up in, you and Natasha were each other's lighthouse, guiding each other back to shore.

It wasn't until Scott came barging on the compounds door and the the rest of the team got together for the time heist that hope would shine for the first time in a long time.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come instead," you lowly ask as you and the rest of the team prepare for the time heist.

"I'm gonna pretend to not be offended by that." Clint chimed in as he made his way past us.

"Shut up Barty, please!" He throws his hands up in surrender as he's met by your annoyed gaze. You don't miss hearing Bruce chuckle as he typed away on the control panels.

Facing Natasha again, you're met with her amused smile as she looked up at you.

"I promise I'll be fine," she insisted. "Clint's got my back-right Barty?!"

Clint just grunts in acknowledgment.

"Trust me?" Raising her eyebrows as she lifted her open palm toward you.

Taking her hand and turning it over, you placed a chaste kiss onto it.

"Damn right I do," you say, never breaking eye contact.

Not missing the way her cheeks flushed at the sudden gesture you bring her in and capture her lips in a soft kiss. Earning a wolf-whistle from Tony in the process.

As you all stood in a circle on the platform, ready to go back in time in hopes of bringing everyone back, your eyes meet Natasha's again. Heart fluttering as it did everytime you looked at her.

"See you in a minute." Her eyes glimmering as she smiled at you.

Those words replayed in your head in a constant loop for months. You never got to say goodbye, and that's what killed you the most.

You never were good with grief, and having lost so many people because of Thanos, you spiraled into a depression that lasted the better half of a year.

Yet when you were ready to face that grief, it was Yelena who was there for you. She was one of the few people around who understood what it meant to lose Natasha. To have known and loved her so intimately, and have that taken away.

Staring out into the same sea at the same beach where you first fell for your blue-jeaned baby, as comforting hand on your shoulder shakes you from your thoughts. Startled by the sudden presence your eyes look up frantically to meet with Yelena's concerning gaze.

"Hey," her voice soft, "you okay?"

"Hey-um, yeah, i'm fine really." You shake your head furiously as you blink away your tears. Meeting her eyes again, the love and sincerity that poured behind Yelena's eyes was enough to make the damn burst.

"No," you croak as a sob wracks itself out of your body. Engulfing you in her arms, you burrow your head in Yelena's shoulder as grief's uncharted weight washes over you.

"I know what she meant to you. She told me about a month after taking down the Red Room. I never would've taken her for a U-hual lesbian."

A laugh escapes your lips. Looking back on it, things did happen rather quickly. After taking down Dreykov, she felt a new found purpose in life, a need to reconnect with family and loved ones.

"Yeah, well it was a long time coming," you let out softly. You pull out of her arms, wiping away at your dried tears.

"Thank you, Yelena. I know what she meant to you too."

You don't miss the sadness that flickers in Yelena's eyes.

"She meant to look for you earlier. She told me about you while staying at one of Tony's safe house", you sigh reflecting on the confessions said that night. The fire and a shared bottle of whiskey having kept you both warm that night. "She never stopped thinking about you."

"I know," she affirms, voice shaky. "Thank you."

You offer her a soft smile, eyes crinkling as you giver her arm a reassuring squeeze. Yelena then locks arms with you, a sudden peace washing over you like the waves ashore you were watching.

"Are you gonna be okay?" Looking over at her, you note the blonde wisps of hair that moved with the wind.

"Are any of us?" She doubled back with a smirk, earning a chuckle from you.

A brief silence falls over you two. One full of reluctant acceptance as it is with sadness.

"I promised I wouldn't say goodbye." You barely heard her. You almost thought you hadn't from how low she spoke.

Looking back towards the water, if you didn't know any better you'd think she was still around. If you thought about it long enough, you could still make out Natasha's footprints scattered across the sand. Or how graceful she looked dancing in the sand.

You could hear the sweetness of her laughter as not even the call of the seagulls could sing a finer melody.

You can still feel the warmth of her pirate smile, shinning bright as she looked at you from over her shoulder.

As the wind picked up you closed your eyes and let the memories of your sweet summers spent with Natasha flash before you. If you didn't know any better, you'd think she was talking to you now. Through the way the wind echoed her whispers of "I love you."

Opening your eyes, the warmth and love of those memories still sprout inside you, even as your met with the sight of the beach's barren winter. She's still here, always with me.

"Maybe you don't have to."

You know better, but you still feel her all around.

#marvel #marvel fanfiction #black widow #black widow x reader #natasha romanoff #natasha romanov #natasha x reader #natasha x you #natasha x gn!reader #natasha romonova

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gemsofgreece · 1 year

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im looking forward to studying Modern Greek language and culture at university, and simply love your blog. i have fallen in love with this mysterious beauty! which parts of Greek culture, whether it be literature, art, history, schools of thought, anything at all, would you recommend me to look at in further depth? something less talked about, or more niche perhaps? much love x

Ohhh wishing you the best in your future studies! Hoping you will have a great time!

Some recs of things I personally enjoy from the Modern Greek culture, they are subjective, I have mentioned most before, so I am technically playing the broken record again!

Entechno, Rembetiko and classic Laiko music genres. Check the composers Mikis Theodorakis, Manos Hatzidakis, Markos Vamvakaris, Vassilis Tsitsanis and Stavros Xarhakos as a start. But I doubt you won’t learn about them through your studies anyway.

Domenikos Theotokopoulos (El Greco) is my favourite artist but a lot of modern(er) Greek art is very interesting actually

Alexandros Papadiamantis, Nikos Kazantzakis in literature

Erotokritos, both the poetry and the music and all its folk impact

Odysseus Elytis, Giannis Ritsos, Constantine Cavafy and Nikos Kavvadias poetry

I can’t not say the Greek Revolution but I doubt you can escape it in your studies anyway. Also the Axis Occupation Resistance, the Pontic Greek genocide and the population exchange with Turkey. But you will learn about all this, I believe. Check also about the civil war, which I am not sure they will teach you about at length. And the military junta.

Ioannis Kapodistrias and Eleftherios Venizelos as political profile studies. Check out those of Konstantinos Karamanlis and Andreas Papandreou as well if you are interested in politics, not because they were anywhere near as great as the former two but to explore the unbelievable impact they still have in Greek society.

Doesn’t matter if you are Christian or not, I really like Byzantine ecclesiastical music and architecture from an aesthetical standpoint so I recommend

Byzantine and Modern Greek folk fashion

Check out Georgios Gemistus Plethon, the Byzantine Greek Neoplatonic philosopher

Would I deviate if I just said Byzantine history? Oh well. It’s fascinating to explore the “relics” of Byzantium in the collective Modern Greek conscience.

Easter and Carnival traditions, their origins, historical evolution and practice today

Golden age cinema comedies (50s - 70s)

Watch the Island once you can understand Greek well (if you don’t already) or find English subtitles. It’s such a perfect and accurate window to Greek ethos in the first decades of the 20th century

Watch TV comedies of the 90s and 00s.

That might be harder to explore but I like the significance of Epitheórisi (Revue) as a theatrical genre in Greece. In general, check the tradition and huge presence of satire and satire comedians in Modern Greek society. Political correctness has made satire shrink drastically but I think it has an interesting history throughout the 20th century and first years of the 21st.

If you are interested in a school of thought, check out the work of the philosopher Cornelius Castoriadis (1922-1997)

If you don’t speak Greek yet, some of the recs are more niche than others and you will probably have to wait to be somewhat fluent in Greek before you can explore them properly. But music, art, philosophy… you can start with these. As for the history, you can also start, but make sure to also read Greek historiography once you know Greek better because… well.

#Greece #modern greek #greek culture #greek rec #anon #ask

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nontacitare · 3 months

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Laura and Esme

I got hooked on General Hospital as a child because a babysitter watched it. The storyline that got me hooked was Leslie lying on the witness stand, because I thought the courtroom witness stand was like Wonder Woman's lasso and you couldn't lie, so I wanted to see how Leslie would overcome that. (Like I said, I was just a child ;-) ) But today I was reminded why Leslie was lying. When Laura was 14 or 15, she was seduced by her mother's adult lover, and eventually snapped and murdered him. She then developed amnesia about what she'd done, and to protect her Leslie falsely admitted to the murder. But...plot twist. Laura got her memory back and pretended to still have amnesia, letting her mother go to prison for a crime she'd committed. Of course, she went on to do great things, even saving the world a few times. But she's never really been the paragon of virtue that traditional soap heroines were supposed to be. This got me to wondering if Laura sees herself in Esme. Laura had been adopted by sketchy parents only to discover her real parentage in adolescence. She was even held prisoner by the father of the man who held Esme prisoner. And then there's the whole young felon who gets away with her crimes and fakes amnesia angle. (Remember, Nicholas is the product of Stavros' rape of Laura.) I've been banging my head against the wall wondering how Laura could be so gullible as to believe Esme's lies. Now I suspect she doesn't. Even her advice today ("Don't think about the past; look to the future") suggests she knows Esme has her memories back. I think she wants to "save" Esme as a symbolic way of saving the young woman she was. Laura believes there's good in Esme because she believes there was good in her. It would also explain why Laura is more supportive of Esme than she is of Spencer. She doesn't identify with Spencer in quite the same way. If my theory is correct, it's pretty twisted, and it's too bad Port Charles doesn't have a psychiatrist who isn't Laura's husband. But it would explain a lot.

#general hospital

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dye-it-rouge-et-noir · 4 months

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Welcome to the Elliot Carver as Elektra King's weird uncle figure agenda by yours truly, Rouge/Elliot!

The concept for these two has been in my head for quite some time now and I've just gathered the motivation to write this. I would not consider this to be a proper analysis, but rather a long ramble written in one night. (Roughly 900 words?) Now, let's get right to it!

Introduction

The Brosnan era of films introduced a notable set of villains to act as adversaries for James Bond. Particularly, Elliot Carver from Tomorrow Never Dies and Elektra King from The World is not Enough hold a myriad of similarities that would make them ideal for a relatively affable relationship. Moreover, these similarities also emphasize narrative aspects within Brosnan era such as the malignancy behind given positions of power that are left hidden from the eyes of others.

Parallels

Charming the Media

They are masters of the masquerade, feigning innocence for the world with their charisma. With deception, they draw attention to themselves but as a strategic tactic to mask their thorns. Elektra knows her ability to charm others well as a femme fatale character, using it to manipulate others in order to have the world at her hands. Likewise, Elliot appeals to the media by acting like a benevolent figure that seeks to unravel the truths of the world as a facade for the underlying malignancy of his networks.

Though Elektra's charm is more oriented towards seduction and Elliot's charm more oriented towards the usage of a media personality, they both use charm to achieve power over others. It is a subtle yet effective means of control that nobody else notices. Before people know it, they will already have the upper-hand.

Mirroring Blofeld

In some ways, the both of them mirror Bond's nemesis Ernst Stavro Blofeld. The similarities are more intentional with Elektra. A notable phrase from Barbara Broccoli herself is that she notes: "With Elektra, Bond thinks he has found Tracy, but he's really found Blofeld." She is a person that manipulates others under the guise of someone contrary to who she really is. Here is an article from License to Queer by Sam Rogers that details the connections between On Her Majesty's Secret Service and The World is not Enough far better than I could: (Click here!)

Regarding Elliot Carver, there are prominent similarities with Blofeld such as his intolerance for failure and desire for control with his influence. Aesthetically, he adorns the similar attire to Blofeld as well to allude to a similar position of power. Moreover, the connection with Blofeld demonstrates how he serves to be a formidable foe in terms of his influence with his media empire.

By acting as foils to Blofeld, both characters showcase a special form of cruelty the espionage world holds for Bond. They epitomize a malevolent longing for control and the influence they hold beneath exterior appearances.

Familial Distance and Disdain

With both of their father figures, these two have a certain degree of disdain towards them. Though a trait exclusive to the novelization of Elliot's film, he was abandoned by his biological father and sought to confront his father to create the legacy he thought he deserved. Made more explicit with Elektra, she holds a disdain for her father due to how he handled her kidnapping. The both of them resorted to violent means that resulted in both of their fathers death.

However, there presents the additional layer of how her culture is being impacted by her father's operations. Though Elektra is a character who should not be taken at face-value, the lines "The new pipeline will guarantee our future, but it would be a crime to destroy what little is left of our past" and "His kingdom he stole from my mother, the kingdom I will rightly take back" cue into the importance of her mother's heritage and preserving it. Thus, this introduces the potential that Elektra would hold some distance from her father on this factor even without the kidnapping.

In a way, they are both people that will take back that should have been theirs. They will maintain their legacies for the world regardless of what it takes.

Application of Similarities

Considering these similarities, they are able to understand each other better than anybody else would. The two of them understand the power they hold over others, but also understand why they want said power in the first place. They would know the truth lurking beneath the lies they tell. They would be able to create a form of family to take the place of where there is none in a way. In terms of a business relationship, they could mutually benefit from it. With the power of the media on Elliot's end, he would be able to spread Elektra's influence along with his own.

(Breaking the formalities to say that I believe in Elliot Carver being the "cool uncle" archetype for Elektra King in which the latter has outrageous stories to tell and maybe end up roping Elektra into. They essentially get to "live a little" in a way, especially in Elektra's case. What's the point of living if you don't feel alive?)

Though not a necessity for constructing potential interactions, the fact that they share a Bond era allows events to be placed chronologically in a tidy fashion. As King Industries and the King family hold some recognition in the media, it would be highly likely that the Carver Media Group Network has personally reported on the firm. Prior to the events of Tomorrow Never Dies, it is plausible that the two were at least familiar with each other even if they didn't actually interact.

Conclusion

Thank you for attending a ramble of mine and I would very much appreciate further discussion! I wish that this was longer, but it is past 3 AM here as I type this and I barely have enough energy to continue any further. (Apologies if anything sounded off due to being sleep-deprived) Additionally, I cannot think of much else to say so I will end things here.

#(if anybody reads this please do not tag as ship [other than platonic/familial] for my comfort- thank you ^^')#james bond #007 #elliot carver #elektra king #my ramblings #(these two are an important duo for me for very personal reasons and i needed to gush about them! i just love them both)#(and hey gotta put the characters i like together and make connections! plus i just missed elektra a lot-)

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lizzie-bennetdarcy · 1 year

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Wip friday

Rules:

Post up to five (5) filenames of your WIPs; not titles, file names.

Post a snippet from one of them. Snippet must be words you wrote in the last 7 days. We’re posting progress here. If you haven’t made any, go make some and come back to post!

After you’ve posted, people can send you an ask with one of your file names. You must then write 3 sentences in that file.

Tagged by my dearest @hippolotamus ! 🥰

Full disclosure, I have not touched most of these in months

2nd chance romance

Romeo and juliet au

Dumpster art

David's mirror

Sleeping with the enemy au

From sleeping with the enemy au:

David hums, and ignores the bile that rises in his throat at Sebastien's words. He continues, but David's brain is racing and Sebastien's words fade into the cacophony. What happened to Alexis? Is she okay? Is she hurt? David knows she can take care of herself, but she's also never really had to. David has always been there, with bandaids when they were little, and fake passports and colored contacts once she was old enough to sweet talk their pilot into letting her use the family jet. They haven't been as close in recent years, but he was still always there when she needed him. Years. Has it really been a year since he's talked to Alexis? He quickly does the math, and realizes it's been over a year since he and Alexis have spoken. Closer to eighteen months, actually. What did Sebastien mean? "An island" is so vague, David is sick thinking about all of the places that could be. So many. Knowing Stavros, it would at least be an inhabited island. Somewhere Instagram-worthy. He hopes. David's chest ignites with an anger he thought was lost. He stopped feeling angry for himself long ago, resigned to his fate. He can't go on like this. He can't go on without knowing where Alexis is — whether she's safe. It's been too long already, and he tries not to give voice to that horrible, nagging thing in the back of his mind. What if I'm too late? For the first time since they came to this godforsaken house, David starts to make a plan.

Tagging @smblmn @mostlyinthemorning @jesuisici33 @likerealpeopledo-on-ao3 @chelle-68 @treluna4 if you would like to share 🥰

#schitt's creek #david x patrick #my wips

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aioleis · 6 days

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Arcades Project

Das Passagen-Werk or Arcades Project was an unfinished project of German philosopher and cultural critic Walter Benjamin, written between 1927 and his death in 1940.

An enormous collection of writings on the city life of Paris in the 19th century, it was especially concerned with Paris' iron-and-glass covered "arcades" (known in French as the passages couverts de Paris).

Benjamin's Project, which many scholars believe might have become one of the great texts of 20th-century cultural criticism, was never completed due to his suicide on the French-Spanish border in 1940. The Arcades Project has been posthumously edited and published in many languages as a collection of unfinished reflections. The work is mainly written in German, yet also contains French-language passages, mainly quotes.

Parisian arcades began to be constructed around the beginning of the nineteenth century and were sometimes destroyed as a result of Baron Haussmann's renovation of Paris during the Second French Empire (ca. 1850–1870). Benjamin linked them to the city's distinctive street life and saw them as providing one of the habitats of the flâneur (i.e., a person strolling in a locale to experience it).

Benjamin first mentioned the Arcades Project in a 1927 letter to his friend Gershom Scholem, describing it as his attempt to use collage techniques in literature. Initially, Benjamin saw the Arcades as a small article he would finish within a few weeks.

However, Benjamin's vision of the Arcades Project grew increasingly ambitious in scope until he perceived it as representing his most important creative accomplishment. On several occasions Benjamin altered his overall scheme of the Arcades Project, due in part to the influence of Theodor Adorno, who gave Benjamin a stipend and who expected Benjamin to make the Arcades project more explicitly political and Marxist in its analysis.

It contains sections (convolutes) on arcades, fashion, catacombs, iron constructions, exhibitions, advertising, interior design, Baudelaire, The streets of Paris, panoramas and dioramas, mirrors, painting, modes of lighting, railroads, Charles Fourier, Marx, photography, mannequins, social movements, Daumier's caricatures, literary history, the stock exchange, lithography, and the Paris Commune.

It influenced Marshal McLuhan's studies in media theory.

Structure

The project's structure is idiosyncratic. The convolutes correspond to letters of the alphabet; the individual sections of text— sometimes individual lines, sometimes multi-paragraph analyses —are ordered with square brackets, starting from [A1,1]. This numbering system comes from the pieces of folded paper that Benjamin wrote on, with [A1a,1] denoting the third page of his 'folio.' Additionally, Benjamin included cross-references at the end of some sections. These were denoted by small boxes enclosing the word

The sections of text are at times Benjamin's own thoughts, and at other times consecutive quotations. These two types of textual sections are differentiated in their typography, with a large typeface for his writing and a smaller one for citations. This convention comes from the German version, but has no basis in Benjamin's manuscript. The convolutes also make extensive use of epigraphs from obscure publications.

Wiki

The Flaneur and Urban Phantasmagoria

Towards the City of Thresholds, Stavros Stavrides, 2010

As a figure, the laneur is in many ways the opposite of the private individual. The flaneur lives in public space. The streets, the boulevards and, above all, the Parisian arcades are his home7. In a way, the laneur seeks and produces at the same time marks of individuality not in his private shelter but out there, in metropolitan public space. He observes and often writes about city-life while being “jostled” by the crowd, inside “an immense reservoir of electric energy”, as Baudelaire describes metropolitan crowds (Benjamin 1999:443).

A true physiognomist, he seeks out what is distinctive, what is particular in the everyday panoramas of city life as they unfold in front of his eyes. He attributes value to small incidents, he explores leeting images, leeting gestures, ephemeral and chance encounters. The flaneur thus becomes a sublimated detective (ibid. 442).

His passion for minute details revealing small dramas or well hidden misdeeds makes him the perfect tracer. His hypersensitive sight interprets everything as a trace.

Whereas the private individual collects in his private shelter traces of a studiously fabricated individuality, the laneur searches for traces that will reveal individual trajectories in public space.

The individuality that he seeks out in the streets is the very same leeting individuality that dissatisies the private individual who feels that there are no individual traces in public space.

And whereas the private individual dedicates the phantasmagorias of interior to a ‘monumental’ individuality that resists the transitoriness of modern life, the laneur discovers in the depth of this transitoriness traces of an ephemeral, anonymous – if this is not a contradiction in terms – individuality. Immersed in public phantasmagorias he likes “to read from faces the profession, the ancestry, the character”(ibid. 429).

The private individual as a city-dweller crosses public space with his eyes “over-burdened with protective functions”(Benjamin1983:151). Eyes that have lost the ability to meaningfully communicate and return the gaze, are eyes that are only used to inform, protect and guide.

A protective anesthetization prevails in the behavior of the city dweller8. Being in the street means being able to conform to rules, to adapt to typical situations with minimum involvement.

On the opposite, the flaneur empathizes with the crowd (ibid. 54). He feels the energy, the sparks, the dangers, the passions. And this attitude is expressed through an aestheticizing of metropolitan life. The flaneur is a aesthete. He views everything as aesthetically meaningful.

That is why he presents himself in public through gestures of emphatic theatricality: taking a turtle for a walk, dressing sometimes as a dandy, appearing strange in the middle of the crowd, playing with imitative behavior, vanishing and surfacing again in many disguises.

Zygmunt Bauman is right to suggest that “the job of the flaneur is to rehearse the world as a theatre, life as a play” (Bauman1994:146). This attitude, as opposed to that of the private individual in the streets who, an aesthetized, cannot feel or recognise auratic elements in metropolitan landscape, is an attitude of auratic appreciation.

City life resumes in the eyes of the laneur a peculiar aura. Through a day-dreaming gaze that reintroduces a perspective between the flaneur and the leeting metropolitan images “a unique manifestation of distance” is perceived. What for others is protectively presented as ordinary, for him becomes strange. Everything assumes the status of a work of art, every object becomes able to return the gaze.

Such an aestheticization of metropolitan experience makes the laneur a possible co-producer of urban phantasmagoria. Adding through his gestures or writings to the spectacular character of a culture dedicated to “commodity worship”, he may eventually become a mediating igure in the re-enchantment of public life.

“The flaneur-as-idler is thus doubly phantasmagoric: in what he writes (the physiologies) and what he does (the pretence of aristocratic idleness and the reality of bourgeois commercial interest)” (Gilloch 1997:156).

The decline of aura connected to anesthetization and alienating shock absorption is positively reserved in a constructed metropolitan mythology: The modern “transitory gods”(Buck-Morss 1991:259) only participate in a fetishization of newness necessary for the cult of consumption. And newness “is the quintessence of that false consciousness whose indefatigable agent is fashion” (Benjamin1999a:11).

Public phantasmagorias are enhanced by the laneur, this peculiar intellectual aesthete, who makes his profession to pursue the novelties of modern life. Everything he observes is above all marked by a halo of newness, originality. This turns out to be a quest for individuality and distinctive particularity, a quest for fashionable novelties in every aspect of public life (dressing, behavior, the arts, city places, views, technological gadgets etc.). https://www.academia.edu/30170865/Loafing_Papers_on_Academic_Life_14

#about #walter benjamin #arcades #imaginarylandscapes

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rmd-writes · 1 year

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I feel like Moira and Pez would get along splendidly, thoughts?

My thoughts are that you are a genius for thinking of this! I cannot believe I’ve never considered this but you are absolutely correct. Now that I am thinking about Moira and Pez, have some thoughts in no particular order:

- They met at the Met Gala where they were the only two people there who were really committed to the theme but go so far that they’ve almost gone too far (is that possible? idk).

- Of course they hit it off immediately because Moira and Pez are the same level of extra at different ends of the colour spectrum (monochrome vs technicolour). Please imagine the insanely chaotic conversation that would ensue. Writing Moira and Pez dialogue is definitely a weak spot for me so I’m not going to attempt it here but if someone else wants to PLEASE DO

- Moira is immediately won over by Pez and his flattery. Pez is, of course, completely enamoured with her fabulousness.

- Somehow, Pez gets himself invited to Moira & Johnny’s house. Johnny’s eyebrows are sky high when he sees Pez but he says nothing. This is post-Rosebud Motel Group and Sunise Bay reboot success, so Moira once again has a wig room.

- Pez is certified in wig care and maintenance. By the time Moira finds this out, she has already discovered that Pez changes his hair colour as often as she changes her wigs. She’s got such a soft spot for him that she allows him to try on the wigs. Alexis finds Moira and Pez in there.

- Alexis has actually already met Pez before, on a yacht owned by one of the many Stavros she’s dated, she can’t actually remember which one.

- Because all of the Stavros are kinda sketchy, Alexis is Worried about Pez being allowed into the wig room and whether Pez is some kind of scammer trying to con her mother. She facetimes David to show him what’s happening. David “doesn’t have time for this, Alexis” and almost hangs up on her but then he sees Pez and demands to know what’s happening and why a person wearing a vintage Balmain jacket that David has coveted for years is wearing his mother’s wigs.

- ultimately, Pez becomes Moira’s unofficial stylist - she needs one because the Sunrise Bay reboot is wildly successful and she is very much an in-demand actress. They often bicker over Pez’s attempts to work colour into Moira’s wardrobe, beyond her wigs. Moira tries to call David for back up over these arguments but he refuses to weigh in. Reluctantly, David accepts that Pez’s style is flawless and he only has Moira’s best interests at heart.

#once i started thinking about this i couldn't stop #i will never write this as a fic though #but if anyone else wants to please feel free to take this and run with it #just tag me so i can read it #moira rose #pez okonjo #schitt's creek #red white and royal blue #rwrb #rmd answers

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alalumin · 1 month

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True love is actually the two old people I saw on the street carrying a grocery bag by holding one handle each, so it was like they were indirectly holding hands

#stavro has a thought

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bklynmusicnerd · 3 months

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I heard that Patrick loves the Cassadines, but my thing is, the Cassadine family is borderline none existent right now and have no storylines 😩. Nik is always off, Spencer is off right now, Ace is still a baby, Victor is dead, the show refuses to have Alexis and the Davis girls be centered in a Cassadine story, idk what they doing with Valentin, seems like they dropped the Charlotte story. They need some new blood Cassadines to pop into town. Especially on the YA side. A distant cousin or something😂

Eh, I feel the same way about the state of the Cassadines as I do about the state of YA scene, it's been dire for a while in my eyes, so I'm not as concerned as everyone else. I actually think fixing the Cassadine situation is probably easier than the YA scene. The Cassadines have never really been as numerous as the Quartermaines. They were just larger than life, so it felt that way. Even the 90s revival of the Cassadines was really just Stefan, Alexis and Nik as regulars (and then Helena and Stavros would pop up and cause some trouble).

The biggest thing is making Nik a contract role again. He's the head of the Cassadines. He needs to be firmly regrounded onto the canvas. From there, you eventually reintroduce Spencer once he's back from the "dead". Spencer's "death" should inspire a return back to form for Alexis where she doesn't claim the Cassadine name but she's invested in the wellbeing of her Cassadine family members.

For some reason C&D missed the memo where the whole internal struggle of Alexis is that she hates her family's reputation and what they stand for but she actually loves her Cassadine family members and feels a pull toward being protective of them.

Victor being "dead" was nonsense and I don't even know why they bothered showing a body, but you can easily use Cassadine sci-fi shenanigans and make him the Helena type figure where he pops in to cause trouble and dips out again (I only say this because the show seems committed to Helena's death sticking and I'm assuming that's per CT's wishes).

I'd personally love for them to bring Stefan back from the dead since I always thought his death was bullshit and it'd be interesting to see what he'd think of the type of man Nik has become and how he'd interact with Spencer's chaotic self, but I recognize that's me being greedy. Valentin and Charlotte are the cousins and will always factor in, but I'm guessing that's very structured on the Valentin actor's schedule.

Either way, rebuilding the Cassadines is not this impossible feat that requires all this new blood. It just requires a writer who's invested enough in reestablishing that larger than life mythos of the Cassadines. But Nik absolutely has to be a contract player for this to work, on that, we agree.

#general hospital #im really hoping that's one of the things PM was brought back for #wyndemere effectively being an abandoned home is crazy

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andie-cake · 1 year

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andie made another hatchetfield oc, and this time, they're a bastard!

Lysander Stavros, but more often goes by simply "The Performer"

28 years old

Accepts any pronouns, but prefers they/them

Coming from a long line of artists and performers, Lysander has a multitude of artistic talents. Singing, tap dancing, playing the viola, juggling, puppetry/ventriloquism, and an occasional dabbling in painting and stage magic. Lysander's got it all! Problem is, they're also a major perfectionist thanks to the pressure of trying to live up to such a spectacular family legacy, and they've got a bit of a short temper when things don't pan out quite right for them. Not to mention, bearing such an esteemed name as the Stavros' has given them something of an ego. Which- while easily covered up onstage as an undeniably charismatic sense of bravado, makes them rather insufferable to work with.

While able to score quick performing gigs around Hatchetfield with their talents (the Honey Festival was their bread and butter for a while, they even got to host the Honey Queen pageant one year!), their difficult-to-work-with personality made securing any long-term creative work a struggle. Especially without the funds to leave town. But just when they were growing desperate, they happened upon a help wanted flier for Watcher World promising steady work for talented creatives.

When Lysander came to the job interview, they were promised more than steady work. The interviewer told them that they could create and perform for the will of a god, that their work would last for eternity, as would their very life. As long as they agreed to give up everything else, and devote their very existence to serving and entertaining the Watcher with a Thousand Eyes, Bliklotep.

Persuaded by the notion of them and their art lasting forever, Lysander accepted the job, and now works full-time as a performer at Watcher World and a worshipper of Blinky himself.

Ever since signing onto Watcher World's eternal contract, all of Lysander's faults have increased tenfold. They have to be a stern perfectionist, otherwise Blinky will hate their work. Their anger issues have gotten worse because these idiots they work with simply don't understand the vision of their art, and they will not stand for that! And of course, being a god's lapdog will definitely do some shit to one's ego, especially if it's already inflated higher than normal. Even worse, they're also a total suck-up to Blinky, and anyone considered their superior. How much Blinky appreciates their ass-kissing depends on how satisfied he is with their current performance.

Also, once they accepted the job, Blinky basically took their name like in Spirited Away. They're simply called "The Performer" now, and if you approach them and call them Lysander, it'll take them a second to realize you're talking to them. Even they're a little freaked out by that one.

This last one is relevant to me and me alone, but in terms of dreamcasting, Lysander would be played by Jae Hughes. Literally the easiest decision I've ever made in my life, I had this settled the second I thought up the character.

#this might be a new fave oc tbh i love this asshole <3 #hatchetfield #nightmare time #andie's hf ocs

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rogue-trader-samuel-drakon · 10 months

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Crew Ranks 3

Master-At-Arms: 3216-Keled

Once a member of the Death Corpes of Krieg, he was abandoned on a world that was seen as unnecessary and left to die at the hands of Orks. Samuel and his crew had rescued him and later made him his Man-At-Arms. His lifetime of training has made him able to stay focused while under fire and lead men to do the same. He doesn't exactly have a sense of humor, and when he isn't on duty, he can he pretty distant. But he is willing to give his life for the crew and nearly has ten times over. He had lost his vat brothers long ago, and despite that being what they were made for, he finds himself not wanting to lose anyone else.

Master Helmsman: Victoria Stern

Her father served as Helmsman back when Samuel's father was Captain. She has been on a ship all her life. It's all she knows and it's all she cares to know. She has learned how to helm a ship ever since she was a little girl and she is damn good at it. Anyone who says other wise can take it up with her sword, as she has a short temper, and cares little for nonesense.

Master of Ordnance: Alexei Vladimir

Best shot on the ship, he served with Samuel's father, and his father before him. He knows every gun on the ship top to bottom, and he never misses. He often has stories to tell if you buy him a drink or two. He gets serious during the job, but when off duty, he has a smile as he tells his tales, looking back on all the good times. But behind that lays a sadness, for friends long lost.

Master of Etherics: Stavros Gronmar

When many on the crew think of Stavros, they don't exactly think much of him. Not in a negative way. But more in a literal way. He is quiet, reserved, and keeps to himself. The only time he speaks up is when on the job keeping the ship from going blind. He usually spends his free time reading when doing nothing else.

Chief Chirurgeon: Katrolivon Veltrak

As mad as a psyker plagued with voices, Veltrek loves to experiment. Oftentimes, he has to be told to take it down a peg, much to his disappointment. In his opinion, healing just isn't as rewarding as hurting. He just wants to unearth the ways of improving upon the weak flesh. Samuel has thought about replacing him. But he is the best damn Medicae on the ship.

Master of Whispers: Elam Chowl

He has eyes and ears all over the ship. He makes sure there is nowhere slhe can't see or hear. He takes his job seriously, and has dedicated hid life to it in the god emperor's name. Vowing to strike down any cancer that seeks to poison the ship with descent.

Choir-Master Telepathica: Elotynn von Myr

Calm and reserved, she keeps her mind clear at all times when she searches the mental void for communication to receive. She often meditates when not leading her fellow Astropathes in their choir songs. She believes that her mind must remain on guard at all times, lest she falls to darkness within the warp.

Warp Guide: Fiora Zuhepiac

Flora acts as a second mother to Samuel at times. She is kind and caring, fitting for one who's duty is to guide others to safety through the warp. She spends most of her time knitting and sewing when she is not needed. As well as seeing what other ways she can help. No matter how small.

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starry-eyed-pkmnlvr · 8 months

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♣ - a fading memory

“You’ll fall in again if you keep walking all weird,” a child says, a hint of worry in his voice.

“No, I won’t!” a young Starry retorts, arms held out for balance. “Besides, this is more fun!” They slip on a damp rock and almost go careening into the swamp, but he catches herself. They stay frozen a moment, then ruffle their little brother’s hair when they see him giving her a look. He opens his mouth to say something, probably “I told you so,” but something rustles in a nearby bush and the two turn to look at it. Starry stomps over to the bush with their brother holding onto their shirt, and the rustling turns frantic, like something inside’s trying to get away. Starry parts the bush, coming face to face with… a child?

Starry’s face lights up while the kid in the bush looks even more nervous. Long, messy hair covers their eyes, and they look more like a part of the nature trail’s dreary scenery than a human child.

“Wanna play with us?” Starry asks excitedly, still leaning over the kid. They stay silent a moment, then mumble, “I-I’m not allowed to talk to strangers…” to which Starry frowns. Then he grins again.

“My name’s Stavros! And he’s Novus!” She points to her little brother peeking over her shoulder, and he waves. “There! Now we aren’t strangers! So, wanna play?” The child simply stares at them, then gives up and nods. “Great!!” Starry offers a hand and pulls them up.

“Your hands are so cold! Do you need a sweater? I can go get one from my Auntie.” The child flinches a little at the remark and pulls their hand away. “No, I’m fine, you’re just really warm…” they mumble. Novus has a sweater on and Starry doesn’t, so maybe they’re right.

“We’re going to the playground, right?” Novus tugs Starry’s arm to get their attention. She nods. “Wanna come? There’s swings and a slide! It’s kinda small though.” The strange child agrees, so the three go trudging off through the swamp, being careful not to slip into the muddy waters. Once they clear the forest, Novus goes to play on the slide. He’s counting something on his fingers, playing some game he made up to make sliding more interesting. Starry motions for their new friend to join them on the swings, and they go back and forth a little while Starry tries to climb the bars supporting the swings.

“Isn’t that dangerous?” they say worriedly as Starry stands on the swing seat and tries to haul himself up onto the beam. “Not really,” she says, sitting down hard on the seat after failing in her endeavor. “I did fall once.” He starts swinging normally and the child follows. “Hitting your head on this metal stuff hurts.” They jump from the seat mid-swing, stumbling with the momentum and falling on their knees in the grass. They shout triumphantly, then walk back to the swing and flop on their stomach across the seat. “But it’s fun!” He grins, and the kid gives a small smile back.

Suddenly the kid’s head snaps up and they turn to look at the forest behind them. “I have to go now,” they say quietly, turning back to Starry, who nods. “Novus, come say ‘bye’!” Starry calls out. Novus falters in his finger counting and looks up. “You made me loose count!” He calls back indignantly, but waves goodbye and goes to slide a few more times. Starry huffs at his lackluster farewell.

“Thanks for today,” the child says with a smile. “I had fun playing with you, Stavros.” Starry beams in return. “I had fun too!! We should play together again sometime.” They nod, and Starry holds up a hand for a high-five, which they lightly smack. They give one last little wave before disappearing back into the forest. Starry flexes the hand they high-fived with. They didn’t feel as cold that time, he thought.

#ask upon a star #((I may have had too much fun writing))#((was the ending lacking?? eh who cares))#pkmn irl #pokeblogging #pokemon rp #long post #memory ask

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