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simpliao · 1 year

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let you break my heart again ; (irl) schlatt x reader

summary : silly to think he ever belonged to you.

info : based upon the song of the same name by the ever gorgeous Laufey, and shouldn't be by Luke Chiang, i love them both amazing songs that I completely recommend. cheating, depressive themes, mention of disordered eating, angst, I cried while writing this.

a/n : I have been so busy, and totally not based on experience lmao. I just needed to vent, so I hope you enjoy and can feel the hurt I'm currently going through <3 I'll see you guys in another four months

Shouldn't be.

Love shouldn't hurt this much. It shouldn't be killing me this much on the inside.

'maybe next week n/n, you know I'm busy.'

The message was all too familiar, barely legible as the world only became blurrier as tears flooded my eyes. My throat closed up, and I could only muster to text back as I always have.

'it's no problem! Can't wait for next week then :)'

I knew this song and dance would only follow into next week, my message left read and unanswered for what I know would be another dry answer hours in the future.

Laid upon a dishevelled bed, my eyes flickered my glance to my side, golden hour having already passed and no more light seeped into my room. My apartment for so many weeks deafly silent, my mind playing cruel tricks upon my heart when I could have sworn I heard his laugh echo off these walls. Always nothing more than a cope for what we've become, the sound of my own breathing and distant city sounds being my only comfort.

When that comfort used to me his arms, his hold, the gentle kisses upon my forehead and admissions of how beautiful he found me to be. No longer have I felt that way, not since. Just thinking about him causes me to choke back a sob, I promised myself I wouldn't cry. Not after I told myself I'd go with the flow, if he didn't care I wouldn't either.

He. Burnt auburn hair I still remember glowing when we'd drive out to the countryside to get a better view of the sunset at eight. Stupid jokes he'd make that would always draw a laugh out of me, his smile burnt in all corners of my mind; to only now haunt me every time I closed my eyes. He still stayed, even if I knew the same couldn't be said on his side.

I knew I shouldn't be doing this right now.

Leaving myself occupied in my mind, letting myself drown in thoughts and memories. If I were to shift my eyes I'd be able to see the school project sitting upon my desk, waiting to be done. And yet here I was, eyes permanently fixated upon the ceiling with my AirPods at its highest volume. Caught up in looking back.

He promised me to always be honest, that I was his and he was in turn mine. Those empty promises almost as empty as my stomach, the attempt of trying to get the sustenance into my body made me sick. Something would trigger of memory of us, and whatever sorry attempt at a meal I've managed to scrape together would be doused in salty tears; inedible. So empty I felt, I should have known; it's my fault.

He never had the best reputation. Twitter would have said 'told you so', Jeremiah Schlatt was never seen as a saint in the online sphere. When it came out that the two of us were friends, it shocked the community. Who would think? Two opposites would have such chemistry. Someone as blunt, sarcastic and cynical could pair so well with someone known to be so sweet, genuine.

That's all he ever wanted people to think, I question now if that's all he wanted us to be– with benefits to him.

Empty promises that when this or that would be sorted out, or when he'd be done planning something special he'd be ready to take on the responsibility. Everyone knew him to be the non-committal type, and yet he whispered into the cuff of my ear in our most intimate moments that he was mine– and mine alone.

And I supposed I was the fool to believe him.

From hours to days left on delivered, mute excuses to follow and never ending cancelled plans. We weren't together, yet he still gave the vague illusion that it was so. The use of private nicknames gave the feeling of being significant to him, and yet what we did behind closed doors was kept a tight-knit secret.

Now even wrapped up in comforters and bundled up in my warmest sweaters I still felt so cold, where his arms and warmth used to envelop now are permanently, bitterly frigid. The only thing keeping me going was foolish hope that I knew kept me foolish.

He wasn't coming back, not so long as he had my friends wrapped around his fingers. Pretending to not hear his flirty remarks while they giggled without knowing a thing ate me up from the inside.

I'd never say a thing either, lest I become the bad guy. Why couldn't I let him talk with his friends? Why couldn't he get time alone? His world didn't revolve around me so why are you acting crazy? You're wrong. We aren't even together... yet.

That last word used to tease and keep me in place, if I was good then that yet could become a maybe, and down the road a yes. I knew this was bullshit, meant to keep me where he wanted me. So he can feign guilt and use me all over again. I knew what I was, I was a toy for his amusement.

And I knew it all. I knew he didn't care about me, how his words would hurt, how he would lead me on with no more intentions than just a bit of fooling around. His eyes would wander, and a part of me hoped he'd never come back.

Because if he did I'd act the same, scared of being a nuisance, scared of being called mean names or seeing his gentle features turned malicious. I needed time for myself, and I knew I needed to cut him off to heal the scars he's left upon my heart. Keeping him close only hurt so much more, but it was a choice between loneliness or... More loneliness.

Until then, however, I'll just let you break my heart all over again.

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babyjakes · 1 year

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one of eun's alters is looking for a roleplay nonnie! requirements and details are listed below, as well as how to inquire about the role if you’re interested.

♡ friends, followers, mutuals: please reblog and signal boost this to help spread the word! thank you all ♡

♡ who's looking ♡

one of eun's alters (nicknamed 'star' for the purpose of this search) is looking for a character anon to roleplay with. for her safety and comfort, star would only like to share a minimal amount about herself in this post. candidates who she (and eun) approve will get to know her better gradually as she grows more comfortable.

looking for info about eun and her system? check out this post!

a bit about star: star is a body-aged female alter (pronouns: she/her.) star loves aesthetics and art, nature, baking, storytelling, and music. some words to describe her personality would be: soft, sweet, tender-hearted, timid, loving, and sentimental.

♡ what we're looking for ♡

characters star would prefer: jake jensen, ari levinson, or andy barber.

role requirements: to fill this role, you (the mod) must be 22 yrs of age or older. (we may consider candidates 20+, but would really prefer to have someone at least our/star's age.) you must be comfortable communicating through dm's. you must be comfortable and willing to engage with sfw age regression. you must be comfortable with the following sensitive topics: trauma and abuse, anxiety, eating disorders, and general mental illness (you won't be expected to manage any of these for or with star, but as they are a part of her and the system's life, she will require general support and understanding of these themes.)

qualities we're seeking in a nonnie and mod: patient, kind, attentive, genuine, accepting, honest, trustworthy, reliable, good at communicating, trauma-informed, flexible and accommodating of star/the system's different needs due to mental illness and neurodivergence, previous nonnie/rp experience.

♡ what you'll be asked to do in this role ♡

regular interaction (frequency and timing are flexible, but daily interaction is preferred.) establish a relationship and story with star (star is hoping for a caregiver and little relationship/dynamic, but we may be open to other relationship types or storylines.) work with star at her own pace to grow the relationship (due to past abusive relationships and negative experiences with nonnies, star will need extra time, patience, and care to grow comfortable and establish trust with a new nonnie. things like touch, affection, and vulnerability will need to be eased into. please only apply for this role if you're willing to work with star through slow and gradual relationship/story building.) help care for star when she's little/regressed (star's regression includes things like stuffed animals, toys, blankets, pacifiers, etc.) be a source of love and comfort for star (especially during times of high anxiety or need for attention/affection.)

♡ what star hopes to do for you! ♡

star hopes to engage in safe, loving, mutually beneficial roleplay with whoever she ends up choosing for this role. she wants to be as big of a support to her nonnie as they are to her! she's got a huge heart; she loves to listen to, help, and care for those close to her. her favorite thing in relationships is finding all sorts of ways to show her love: through little presents, art she makes you, songs, love notes, and more. she hopes to take good care of her roleplay partner, in and out of character, and would love to grow a strong relationship with her nonnie's mod as well!

♡ our promise to you: star and eun both hope that this can be a mutually beneficial arrangement. we promise to always respect your boundaries, talk things through with you, and work with you to make sure you’re feeling positive and fulfilled in this role. ♡

♡ if you’re interested: please reach out to @babyjakes via dm (through a personal or character anon blog) and further details can be given, as well as any of your questions or concerns addressed! ♡

#star's anon search #nonnie search #anon search #chris evans #chris evans rp #chris evans roleplay #jake jensen #jake jensen anon #jake jensen nonnie #ari levinson #ari levinson anon #ari levinson nonnie #andy barber #andy barber anon #andy barber nonnie #the losers #the red sea diving resort #defending jacob #signal boost

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sophietv · 10 months

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The Multidimensions Of Taylor's Art

I wrote this piece on Twitter back in May when people were very loud about the fact that trying to attribute a song to a muse was disrecpectful and was diminishing Taylor's art.

I think today is a good day to repost it:

Taylor Swift's art is multidimensional. She said it herself and as we keep repeating over and over again, she's a Mastermind.

The message she conveys with one song is larger than just being a good song with beautifully written lyrics.

I see a lot of people talking recently about how when people talk about the muses of the song they are "reducing" Taylor's art to her muses. And how gaylorism was somewhat "better" before because the focus was less on this.

(I would like to differ on this, but it’s a whole other conversation).

But Taylor's art is multidimensional and intentionally directed to her fans. ALL her fans.

In one song, she manages not only to create a masterpiece with incredible lyricism.

She also manages to include deep queer references, ingrained in queer history.

She also managed multiple times to reference queer arts, books, poems, artists etc.

Acknowledging all of it and appreciating it is, yes, very important. I mean, it's the core of her art and a beautiful part of gaylorism.

Who hasn't learned a lot about our own history all thanks to Taylor?

But while this part is very true. Taylor also manages to make sure in every song that we can identify the muse.

It has always been an important part of her artistry. Remember liner notes from Debut to 1989?

She even decided that it was not enough, and starting with reputation, she started including Taymojies, making sure you knew very well who and what that song was about.

But she doesn't even stop there. For most of her songs starting with 1989 all the way to Midnights, she's also making sure that you can identify said muse through her lyrics.

Ever wonder why, for most of her songs there's parallels you can easily make with social media posts, articles, interviews, videos etc?

She's making sure that she references things in her songs that will point to the muse and that you'll be able to track back with some simple google search.

All of this is very very clearly intentional.

She also uses the same imagery that she knows very well her fans can recognize since 1989 while talking about her muse.

Using recurring themes that she's well aware her fans (us) will associate with the person (Sun, gold, New York, daisies etc.)

But the depth of her work doesn't even stop there. She'll even use timestamps in her songs to communicate certain messages or references to certain persons. And this is when the length of the song is not simply intentionally referencing one person:

Ex Sweet Nothings: Karlie's birthday

And so much more…

This can clearly be qualified as pure genius. But she pushes it even farther.

If we take Midnights for example she even samples her songs to older ones to help you identify the time, the event or the muse this song references.

Lavender Haze - I Think He Knows

Question…? - Out Of The Woods

Maroon - King Of My Heart

And it's not even the end of the massive amount of information that she manages to put out in a 3-4 minutes song.

This is simply astonishing.

Her brain truly is amazing.

Her lyrics videos are made to help you identify what and who the song is about. With visual clues and very intentional uses of capital letters and comas.

For example: "Your Midas touch"

Making sure you know she's referencing king Midas who turned everything he touched into gold (gold again, interesting).

Or: "some name dropping sleaze tell me what are my Wordsworth"

From The Lakes, referencing the poet William Wordsworth.

And it still goes further. She will include small details in her songs that you'll pick up on if you pay attention but will fly right past most listeners. A sort of secret message for those who really pay attention.

Ex: in Getaway Car, when she sings.

"Ain't a circus, ain't a love story and now we're both sorry (we're both sorry)"

This is two girls singing "we're both sorry. Meaning the relationship she was trying to protect with this getaway car was with a girl. Once again pointing to the muse.

I already wrote a novel and I haven't even touched the music videos and tour visuals…

But her genius in songwriting doesn't even end there.

Because, if you don't know the muse or refuse to see it. She'll also manage to buy some plausible deniability in her songs so it kind of points to her PR relationships too.

Not much, just enough so that if you really want to believe those Hollywood stories, you can hold on to these lines/visuals and be happy.

But she manages to do so, while staying true to the real muse and not so much to the PR relationship.

A good example is Invisible String and the famous Yogourt shop line with the wrong shirt color.

If your life depends on Toe, it's enough to make you happy and you won't search much further.

However if you search a bit, you'll find out how she intentionally messed up the lyrics.

I could still go on and on about the depth, the genius and the complexity of her songwriting, but I think you see my point now.

She said it herself, her songwriting is painfully autobiographical. And she puts an immeasurable amount of effort in it to make sure you get the story right.

Dismissing the muse of the song to not reduce her work is just as bad as dismissing her queerness and all the references she does to it, to not "speculate" on her.

In both, of all the multidimensional approaches that she uses in her art. You are keeping yourself from enjoying and dismissing about 50% of her hard work. If not more when you include music videos.

Acknowledging her muses to the songs is not reducing anything but more embracing as much as you can the genius and hard work she puts behind every song and every artistic decision she makes.

And I'm not saying that you HAVE to acknowledge the muse or else you are not a true fan. Art is meant to be enjoyed differently by every person and at the end of the day you take what makes you happy, simple as that.

My point is to say that acknowledging the muse in her music is not reducing anything. Quite the contrary.

#kaylor #gaylor #lsk #lgbetty #taylor swift #gaylor swift #gaylor twitter #gaylor theory #She is a lyrical genius #songwriter of our generation #I'm in awe #She never ceases to amaze me

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fancoloredglasses · 6 months

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The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Making it fun to yell at the movie since 1975), Part 1

[All images are owned by 20th Century Fox Disney....wait, really?! Anyway, please don't sue, kill, eat, or...whatever they did to everyone at the end...me]

WARNING: This review is NSFW, as it deals with sexual themes. You’ve been warned.

Are you OK with this? Good, then let’s continue.

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(Thanks to 20th Century Studios)

In 1973 a little-known actor named Richard O’Brien decided to write and compose a musical stage production as a way to explore his own questions about his sexuality. Two years later, it was adapted for a movie…and late-night movies (especially around Halloween) haven’t been the same since.

While the movie wasn’t well-received as far as ticket sales went, when theaters started doing midnight showings of the film it developed a cult following, as well as becoming a banner for the queer community, with patrons of both genders dressing as the cast, as well as in their best feminine intimate wear…

(Thanks to Liverpool Echo)

…and talking back to/over the movie (a la MST3K) and bring props to display/throw (much to the employees’ chagrin. After all, they have to clean it all up after the movie’s over). Most theater-goers have a “script” of how they choose to do so (of course, if everyone has a different script in their head it can get very chaotic) If you’re curious, there are several versions online. Here’s one such example.

This review is going to be done slightly different than most, even the one that was essentially a musical in that I will be going over the songs after the clips (as most of the plot is driven through them) and will be including audience partici…

SAY IT!

…pation lines (at least the ones I do) on occasion. These will be done in chat font, as above.

(Word of warning, despite whatever I may say at the movie, it’s not intended to be mean-spirited. I’m just going along with the show)

So, without further ado, let’s get on with the show! If you would like to watch the film, it's behind your favorite paywall, or if you want the full experience, find out which of your local theaters is showing it on Halloween!

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(Thanks to Dr. Frank-N-Furter)

So just whose lips are those? Well, scuttlebutt says that Mick Jagger volunteered his, but was turned down. Instead, those belong to Patricia Quinn (who plays Magenta). However, the voice is not Quinn’s, but O’Brien’s. Now, if you actually paid attention to the opening credits instead of just responding to the song, you’ll know exactly who is playing what. However, I will clue you in when they make their first appearance anyway.

Now, back to the movie as we dissolve to a church…

These lips died for your sins!

…where a wedding has just transpired (This is where the audience should start throwing rice at the screen). The photographer gets a photo of the happy couple and the family.

Now I have their souls!

The groom has a quick chat with his best man, Brad Majors, ...

ASSHOLE!

...played by Barry Bostwick (who was the mayor in Spin City) as the bride throws the bouquet

Hey, who has herpes?

…where it’s caught by Brad’s girlfriend, Janet Weiss, ...

SLUT!

...played by Susan Sarandon (who was half of Thelma and Louise)

This inspires Brad to sing to her. Before we get to the song, I have to wonder…

…who the hell puts a billboard in the middle of a cemetery? OK, on to the song!

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(Thanks to Goldie McDuck)

OK, that’s an efficient church!

Those who are observant will recognize the church workers as O’Brien, Quinn, and Nell Campbell (AKA “Little Nell”). We’ll be discussing them later. For now, we go to the expository section of the film, narrated by “the Criminologist” (played by Charles Gray, who played Blofeld in a number of James Bond films)

…and has no fucking neck!

The Criminologist explains that, after getting engaged, Brad...

ASSHOLE!

...and Janet...

SLUT!

...decided to visit their old friend and former professor Dr. Everett Scott. He then foreshadows that the night is going to be memorable, but not in the way they’d hoped.

Speaking of the lovebirds, they’ve gotten hopelessly lost. Even worse, Brad’s car gets a blowout! Brad remembers passing a castle.

Castles don’t have phones, asshole!

Brad and Janet trudge through the rain to the castle. As the weather worsens, music starts to swell…

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(Thanks to Gothic Witch Chick)

(Quick note: Susan Sarandon had pneumonia during filming. Props to her for doing this number in the rain in her condition)

Does the castle have what they need or is this the end for the happy couple? Tune in for Part 2 and find out!

#rocky horror picture show #tim curry #barry bostwick #susan sarandon #richard o'brien #meat loaf #musicals #audience participation #lgbtqiia+#Fan Colored Glasses

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eggmarr · 2 years

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hi!! could i ask 4 number eight favorite crime with kazuha please?? cuz hes yk.. kinda a criminal? thank you so much if you do my request!! <3

things i did (143 event drabble)

pairing: kazuha x gn!reader (wanderers, pre-storyline)

warnings: angst, feelings of inadequacy and being unused to love on both sides of a relationship, possible commitment issues on reader’s part, communication issues but technically they just don’t talk about it but understand, possibly ooc kazuha but this is supposed to be part of his character development, a pinch of comfort at the end,

a/n: this genuinely gave me pain to write. angst. and if you’re asking yourself how this fits in with the event theme, i want to say that this represents the kind of love that only shows itself proper when it’s lost / right person wrong time (GOD IT HURTS JUST TO TYPE IT 😔) also i kinda wrote this in bits and late at night so forgive the coherence in some places :,)

songs: favorite crime - olivia rodrigo, anaheim - niki, movies - conan gray, oceans & engines - niki

The fact that neither you nor Kazuha are used to this kind of love is the bittersweet truth hidden behind each tender embrace.

You can see his hesitation, oh so easy to find when it mirrors your own in the wake of sweet nothings, in linked fingers that stop just short of intertwined and ignoring the fitful nightmares you take turns waking for.

Silent tears stream down his cheeks, a quiet kind of sorrow that only grows as time passes. Your thumbs brush the mourning dew away as it sparkles in the sunlight - something picturesque yet ill-fitting for two wanderers.

Kazuha is bound by his wanderlust; it is his yearning to see the expanse of the world at his fingertips that attracted you to him on that fateful day, and it is that same feeling that splits you into two.

Now, he rests deeply in his cot on the Alcor, breath after breath fading away with the sway of the ship and flickering lamplight. Your fingers card through his loose hair as he slumbers, smoothing the streaks of red and pale blonde across the blanket you share.

(“If you’re still planning on going, you should do it while you still can.” Beidou whispers in your ear, inclining her head at the faraway Kazuha. “You’ll always have a spot on the Alcor, if that’s what you want.”)

…What do you want?

Shouldn’t it be this? This momentary lapse in time, this spare break in the turning wheel where you can simply rest in the hold of someone you-

Ah. That’s it.

You’re scared, aren’t you?

Your hands retract from Kazuha’s, tracing the space as if his touch has burned you.

He’s just as aware of it as you are, and yet this facsimile still persists.

(“You are what appears when the word ‘serendipity’ comes to mind.” He murmurs, tracing patterns and letters into your skin that he has yet to speak aloud.)

He’s still in your grasp, and yet he’s already gone.

You shouldn’t have to convince yourself that this is for the best.

But, before your heart can speak, your head has already made way to mark the end.

———

“For my dear Kazuha,” He reads, ruby eyes stinging at their corners. “I’m sorry.”

Fingers that once stopped just short trace the lines of your script, following line after line of harsh strokes and wrinkled dots in the ink.

“You, of all, understand the quandaries that plague wanderers, no? To follow the wind, and to be truly free, is to understand and release the burdens that haunt you first.”

He finds it within himself to curse those words, letters that fell from his tongue with little thought.

“I despise the fact that I couldn’t say this in person,” Your voice echoes in his ears. “But if I saw you, I don’t think I’d be able to leave.”

He can feel your hands against his face, yet the tears still carve their path.

“Neither of us are at the point where we can stop searching, traveling, yearning for the answers to the questions that follow us to every port.”

How did he not see? How could he be so blind?

“I know you well enough that you must be beating yourself up about this, but the answer is plain and simple; you would regret it for the rest of your life if you found yourself settled right now.”

A sob escapes his throat, stifled with the hand you rewrapped only last night.

“Now, I can’t linger too long-“ He has to blink away the haze, begging your words to last until he can find you again. “-But I do want you to know that our paths are sure to meet again. If not, I’ll make sure of it.”

Kazuha’s voice echoes your final line - “To you, my hope, be well and stay true.”

(Oh, how he hates telling you later that you were right, stumbling through the words as you brush away his tears with a smile brighter than sunlight.)

#kazuha x reader #genshin impact x reader #kaedehara kazuha #genshin kazuha #genshin impact #genshin x reader #forgive me anon #kazuha my beloved i’m sorry #god i need sleep #cass.100

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ardenpodcast · 1 year

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Greetings Good People of Tumblr! It is I, Andy Wheyface, logging in to give you my insights into the most spectacular television program - a little show called DUCKTALES, starring my fellow billionaire, Scrooge McDuck! (And his nephews, who I presume are locked in perpetual battle with each other to secure his affections and inherit his vast riches!)

To celebrate Arden's Indiegogo campaign for our third season hitting another big milestone, I've just watched the DuckTales theme song sequence. And I must say, my mind is positively RACING from these intriguing (and highly realistic) sights and sounds.

For starters, look at this! A WAVE of MONEY? Genius! Naturally I also have an unimaginable quantity of golden coins in a big vault such as this one (more on that later) - but I never considered installing a wave machine capable of creating a monstrous, crashing tsunami of gold that will rain down upon my body and sweep me up in its unstoppable path... until NOW!

Next, consider this helicopter. I know what you're thinking - "Andy, you're an eccentric billionaire! Surely you're not impressed by a helicopter, of which you must own several!" How well you know me!

But what I don't own... is a helicopter piloted BY a DUCK! But of course, it makes perfect sense - ducks are masters of the skies already, flying as they do upon their majestic wings. So naturally they'd make excellent pilots.

And now, I can hear you saying, "Andy, if you're building a powerful duck army in New York City, a legion of ducks stronger than anything this world has ever seen before, perhaps you should provide them with helicopters," and let me assure you: plans ARE already in motion. But I thank you for the suggestion just the same!

Now what exactly is happening here? It's unclear, but if I had to venture a guess, I'd say that Scrooge McDuck is walking through some sort of rejuvenating energy field that will make him feel younger in mind, body, and spirit. Based on this image alone, I can promise you that my duck army WILL be equipped with state-of-the-art rejuvenating energy fields, as I've gathered that they must be extremely important to ducks of some prominence!

Ahh, now this view will look familiar to all of you - we all have a spiral staircase leading down to our money vaults, do we not? I certainly do!

And THIS view will look familiar to those of you who have been hospitalized for trying to dive into an enormous custom-built vault full to the brim with golden coins, as inspired by Scrooge McDuck himself!

I am, OF COURSE, talking about ME, Andy Wheyface! As it turns out, slamming into a mound of solid gold at a high velocity is not nearly as comfortable as you'd think!

The pain was agonizing!

Good People, this particular screencap sent a chill down my spine, so much did it remind me of when another type of vicious underwater beast (sea lions) attacked my underwater casino - an event that is still having unexpected consequences upon the duck community to this day!

And such occurrences remind us of the fragility of life, of the constant danger lurking around every corner, of the need to ARM ducks against threats of all kinds. Which is why I've already commissioned robot duck suits just like this one, so MY ducks will not have to live in fear! I told you this title sequences was full up to the brim with inspiration! I have no idea what's happening here, but I DO know with every fiber of my being that it's a SPECTACULAR idea!

Now, this moment made me pause, so deep in contemplation as I was. When they soar above the clouds, flapping their wings mightily as the wind carries them across the heavens like a starlit highway... do ducks dream of going to space? Do they have ambitions of seeing the Earth from above?

Would that we could ask them such lofty queries....

Anyway, I've now commissioned a tiny rocket to carry ducks to space, so I suppose we'll find out soon enough!

Another interesting thought here - ducks accessing GENIE technology! What would a duck wish for, had it access to all the powers and mysteries of the universe? Wealth? Power? An unlimited supply of pretzels? ALL OF THE ABOVE?

YES!!!

And if someone - say, an eccentric billionaire and owner of Wheyface Industries - provide the ducks with such things... would they view ME as a genie? Or even as a GOD?!

And that, good people, has been my commentary on DuckTales, a vivid documentarian glimpse into the upper crust of duck society!

And if you have been inspired by this magnificent program, let me offer you this advice:

Put on some body padding before diving into your coin vault. Your bones will thank you!

If you'd like to earn more rewards like my DuckTales commentary, donate to Arden's season three campaign on Indiegogo and help us reach more milestones!

#arden pod #Wheyface Wednesdays #arden podcast #andy wheyface #support arden season 3 on indiegogo now #arden season 3 #indiegogo #ducktales #scrooge mcduck

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animebw · 1 year

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Short Reflection: Belle

In a sense, Belle feels like the movie that Mamoru Hosoda has been building up to his entire life. Looking back at his work, Hosoda is primarily obsessed with three themes that appear time and time again in his movies. 1: Fairy tales (Wolf Children, Boy and the Beast). 2: Sci-fi, particularly time travel and cyberspace (The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Summer Wars). 3: How those fantastical elements intersect with naturalistic, real-life stories of family and coming of age (Literally all those previous films). Those three themes permeate Hosoda’s filmography, but they’ve never all intersected at once... until now. Here, at last, we have a near-future sci-fi yarn that uses cyberspace to re-imagine a classic Disney fairy tale as the backdrop of a classic teenage coming-of-age story involving complicated family matters. All of the director’s fixations have finally been married in a single package, the definitive example of everything that inspires his creative process.

It’s just a shame the end result is such a disaster.

Okay, “disaster” is probably too harsh. Belle is far from the worst film ever made, and in the rare moments where everything clicks together, it’s damn near perfect. But my god, this movie is a mess. It’s at least three different stories fighting for attention at once, never coming together in the way they’re so clearly trying to, continuously pushing each other out of focus so no one thread is ever developed enough to matter. It jumps back and forth between ideas with minimal justification. It switches its emotional core at least twice without properly resolving what came before. And when it tries to tie everything together for the climax, it runs into yet more problems that transform what should have been a barn-burner ugly cry masterpiece of a finale into a confused and troubled message that doesn’t seem to know what it’s saying and might even end up saying some unintentionally really shitty things. I have liked and loved so much of Hosoda’s work, but this is unquestionably the worst thing he’s ever put out.

Our story, as you can probably guess from the name, is a take on Beauty and the Beast. Well, sort of. It actually starts with our protagonist Suzu joining the new cyberspace world U, a place I can only describe as VR Chat on all the steroids ever. It’s basically an entirely new virtual world that’s supplanted or fully integrated all other forms of social media, so the entire digital world uses it as a community hub. And if you’re already thinking this sounds suspiciously like the premise of Summer Wars, well, yeah. Hosoda likes his motifs, what can I say?

Anyway, the reason Suzu is drawn to U is because it’s an outlet for her to rediscover her love of singing. Singing was something that she shared with her mother, but after her mother died saving someone else’s kid from a flood, Suzu sunk into a depression that basically crippled her ability to sink without descending into a mess of emotions. The real world has become a listless place for her, a place where her connections to other people- including her father, who god bless him is trying his best to carry on- fray and fade more and more every day. But in the virtual world, hidden safely behind an anonymous, much-prettier-than-her-real-face avatar? Suddenly, she’s able to connect with those emotions again and sing unchained by her trauma. And thanks to a lucky video of her performances going viral, she suddenly finds herself possibly the most famous person in the digital frontier, a mega-diva whose songs inspire millions without anyone knowing who she really is. Everyone flocks to hear her sing, she’s beloved and over-scrutinized by everyone... while in real life she’s still an emotionally stunted teenage girl trying to reconnect with what it means to find happiness in life.

It’s at this point in my plot summary that a lot of you are probably asking, “Okay, but where does the whole Beauty and the Beast thing come in? Because that seems like an awful lot of setup for an entirely different movie that doesn’t leave much room for that Disney homage I was promised.” And... yeah.

Yeah.

This is what I mean about Belle feeling like multiple stories fighting for attention. After speedrunning the mom-death-to-digital-superstar plotline I mentioned above with liberal use of montage, the Beast literally comes crashing through the wall of one of Belle’s concerts, and she decided to take an interest in the bestial avatar pursued by justice-seeking mobs because... well, pretty much because. It literally feels like the story’s been hijacked and yanked down an entirely different path than the one it was setting up. And from then on, the plot just never comes together, it bounces back and forth between Suzu’s teen-melodrama struggles in the real world and full-on Disney homage in the digital world, but there’s almost nothing tying them together until the finale. The two sides of Suzu’s journey feel so disconnected they might as well be separate movies. And sometimes it feels like not even Hosoda understood these two stories were supposed to be part of the same movie. Suzu literally has two romantic subplots running simultaneously, one in the real world with her childhood friend and one in the digital world with the beast, and never once does it acknowledge the fact that she’s pining after two guys at once. It’s like she entirely forgets the other guy exists as soon as she leaves his world behind and goes right back to devoting all her attention to the other dude. This is literally the easiest conflict generator you can come up with in a YA story, and Belle can’t even do that right.

And because of this disconnect, both sides of the story are left feeling painfully skin-deep and skeletal. We don’t even get to hear Suzu sing once before her mom dies, so the attempts to wring drama out of her re-finding her voice in U feel like development for a conflict we never even set up. This should be the driving force of the movie’s emotional core, but because the setup is so rushed en route to aping Disney, huge parts of it feel like an afterthought. And the cyberspace side of things is somehow even worse. I don’t ask for exhaustive realism in my speculative sci-fi, especially one that’s literally based on a fairy tale, but I could write a whole separate essay on how U’s world makes no goddamn sense as anything beyond paper-thin allegory. It seems to exist as a perfect libertarian utopia where everyone has true freedom and everyone gets along perfectly, which is so laughably Not How Real Life Works I have to wonder if Hosoda’s actually, like, spent time on the internet at all. The closest it comes to doing something clever with the concept is re-imagining the Gaston figure trying to kill the beast as essentially a moral police doxxer who goes around trying to unmask “dangerous” users’ public identities while spouting the rhetoric of self-righteous justice to justify his hate campaign. But even that is shamefully under-utilized because of how fragmented the narrative is.

Actually, that’s a lie, the best part of the whole cyberspace side of things is a brief moment where Belle’s exploding popularity is showcased by people remixing her songs into different musical styles like electro-swing and hard rock. As someone who’s consumed his fair share of Megalovania jazz covers, I had to laugh at how accurate that was to the online experience.

But it’s in the Beauty and the Beast re-creation itself where Belle’s biggest ambitions and failures lie. Because of how little reason we’re given for Suzu to care about the Beast, every scene she has with him, recreating or paying homage to the most famous beats from the original Disney movie, feels hollow. It’s not until we reach the final act and finally discover the Beast’s identity in the real world that it becomes clear what this whole enterprise is even about. And good god, it is a can of worms. I won’t spoil anything, but the final act is where Belle finally starts trying to pull all its disparate threads together, connecting Suzu’s emotional trauma to what the Beast is suffering and dropping in some uncomfortably real portrayals of familial abuse and the difficulties our world has responding to it. It’s the moment the fairy tale crashes into reality, where the larger-than-life emotions become a vessel to channel something real and raw and powerful... and it ends up Disney-fying the issue to such an extent it honestly feels kind of insulting. You cannot treat real, grounded abuse the same way you treat a fairy tale about a monstrous being learning to love again. You cannot wave a magic wand over something this potent and pretend that makes everything okay. Hosoda used to be so good at marrying the grounded and fantastical sides of his stories, but ever since Wolf Children he’s just been getting worse and worse at it. You were a pro at this, man, what happened?

Look, I don’t hate Belle. If I’m honest, I don’t even dislike it. It’s a wildly ambitious movie trying to do so much at once, and it’s so earnest about it I want to root for it on principle. If nothing else, it’s certainly a gorgeous-looking movie, and the entirely-CG portrayal of the digital world marks another strong step forward for gorgeous and artistic CG anime. Belle’s avatar in particular does a freakishly good job of capturing the precise feel and movement of modern day Disney Princess design; you could slot her into Frozen and she wouldn’t feel out of place. But when the best, most fully realized scene in your movie is a romantic confession between two minor side characters with almost no impact on the main plot (I’m not even kidding, that scene is fucking wonderful), something has clearly gone wrong. Despite trying to say so much at once, it just isn’t well constructed enough to properly say anything at all. And unless Hosoda pulls himself out of this slump very soon, we may sadly have to come to terms with the fact that his days as a certified master are behind him. Until then, I give Belle a score of:

4/10

God, that was disappointing. Please let his next movie be better.

#anime #the anime binge-watcher #tabw #belle #Mamoru Hosoda #mamoru hosoda sr #2021 aniwatch

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lets-talk-spirituality · 4 months

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Hello!♥️ I've been having lots of dreams about my soulmate I suspect and there's been really strong messages through songs as well as angel numbers. Water is also a big recurring theme in my dreams with them. I was wondering if you had any insight on your part or messages from my soulmate that might bring me more clarity.

Hmm well there’s a few things that could be going on… you could be drawing on their energy because you need a boost or may be having a hard time so they are there to comfort you; they could be searching for your energy to comfort them; and it could be that they are indicating something about your life path, or some lesson. I sometimes think that we get those signs as indicators that all is well, trust the timing. Like hey we’re still on track, it’s find.

“Sit through the loneliness” just came on my co-Star notification, maybe that is also a message for you.

Water can mean many things in dreams depending on what it is. Usually water symbolizes cleansing, or clarity. But I’m gonna see if spirit has anything to contribute.

Spirit, what clarity do you have about this situation between anon and a sm?

You’re meant to learn acceptance. Accept that you aren’t in control and aren’t meant to be. Trying to know things you aren’t already aware of is part of control seeking. Do you not trust that you will know when you know? Do you not trust your own inner guidance telling you what you think? We don’t mean to shame you it’s more like we want you to realize how powerful you are and how out of your power you become when you try to control instead of surrender. Your power comes from the peace of knowing you are fine no matter what. Maybe you need to boost your confidence and make yourself feel that you will be fine no matter what. Your soulmate wants you to embody all that you are. When you get reminders of them, examine where you are not that day, or even in that moment, holding yourself in your own power. Are you not showing up as your true self so someone may like you, are there fears you need to work through?

Chakra Exploration Deck

Spirit, what chakra needs healing/how can anon integrate the soulmates message more deeply?

Solar Plexus Chakra— with what in your life can you release the desire for control and simply allow what is?

Mantra: I cultivate surrender and release control of things, situations & people, remembering that I can only control how I respond

Sacral Chakra— what stories from your past are you still holding shame or criticism around?

Mantra: I release shame towards past versions of me and give thanks for their crucial role in my becoming.

Confirmation! Work through need to control and your shame. That’s what your sm wants to communicate when you get signs of them.

Hope this helps and would love to know how it resonates.

#ask box #chakra work #free tarot reading

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cljordan-imperium · 5 months

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WIP SONG SATURDAY

@moon-and-seraph host the event HERE

This week's optional theme is "First & Last", so I'm making it my interpretation of what song started as a theme for my First WIP (oldest) @theimperiumchronicles and hits everyone to the newest @sehnsuchtrising (even if I haven't posted yet).

Since I heard it @ 2017 ESL Masters

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_m1BO50H3-eQrb8isbbEJtTBaHUI4MhHJI&si=tlLgVSSzChbxFgQI

With every breath and every stride

I still need you here by my side

And take me by the hand when once again

I'm blinded by the light

We won't back down from a fight

No, we won't back down from a fight

There's nothing that I wouldn't do

After everything that we've been through

We won't back down from a fight

If we would stay alive

Why below cut

@theimperiumchronicles - Back in 2017, we are talking the CORE group here, and they were not Horesemen. Brie, Cruz, Dez, Talon, Talia, Raquel, Arioch, and Arch. There were a LOT more fight scenes, which will be coming back soon, too. They were fighting each other, fighting themselves, and fighting demons/evil. Lots of battles of all kinds. This was the perfect song.

@behindthesemasks - During the RP phase of Melania's existence, she was paired up separately with a Bucky Barnes and a Brock Rumlow. You can see how those pairings helped shape her current team some. 🤣 While my friend and I wrote some complex and twisted storylines, when she left RP, I chose not to pair Mel up again with anyone and so began her solo adventure in a story. Since bombs, guns, and mercenaries have always been part of her past, along with her cursed relics...it morphed easily. From RP to current posting and writing, the song fits with the theme of the storylines and staying alive as they battle adversaries.

@bendingthelaws - You have a whole law enforcement entourage at all levels, taking on (at least one) organized crime family. Pretty self explanatory. I'd say this fits the LEO community more than the mobile.

@the-andromeda-effect - I see this is more from Caliban’s crew regarding taking care of Adira and getting revenge on the Kalavati’s. Also, ferreting out those who helped Kondrat try to kidnap Adira, and a few things that happen in the future.

@devil-in-the-details-ay - After their honeymoon, Astaroth and Yara are going hunting for her parents. They will find then...and a few extra relatives. Her parents and relatives thought she was dead and are NOT happy with old Luc. Lucifer is also plotting against them. So, Royal Rumble anyone?

@magical-mistakes-vm - If you're following along, you're soon going to meet Balor. He's going to reveal something that the others should have realized, who Mahala’s dad is. Hint - it's not a good thing. From there, the news gets worse, and it is going to culminate eventually in a major conflict where Vollrath’s death is asked for in exchange for Mahala’s life. First, though, there are going to be a lot of smaller confrontations, as well as Mahala being trained how to use her magic to be deadly. You know, stay alive.

@princess-of-thieves-id - Right now is groundwork and worldvuilding. Soon comes the actual pirating. Then my little trio are going to depend on one another to stay alive.

@sehnsuchtrising The idiots are going to need each other because they all seem to have a death wish. It's not that they consciously try to get themselves killed. They just all are inept. But they don't back down from a fight and do want to stay alive.

@tapperhet-em - If they are found, they will have to fight to survive. Meeri has a price on her head , and now the other four do for helping her. None of them will back down, all are ready to die for one another, and all want to stay alive to take down her uncle, pay back her father, and figure out who put the idea in her father's head she betrayed him.

Soft tagging - @aohendo @winterandwords @flowerprose @kaiusvnoir @ceph-the-ghost-writer

My peeps - @blind-the-winds @saltysupercomputer @aziz-reads @outpost51 @pheita @writingmaidenwarrior @late-to-the-fandom @thebejeweledwatercat @dreaminggoblin

#wip song Saturday #writeblr #writeblr community #writeblr connect #music inspiration

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shiitnoonecaresabout · 8 months

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my music alphabetized

PART TWOOOOO time for the second letter baby.

B is for............

BOYGENIUS FUCKERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

all time favorite(still together)band. u guys don't get it. getting these three on a song together is best decision ever made sorry. i love these three a lot. phoebe, lucy, and julien are BRILLIANT songwriters who make explosive material when they're together. every song is breathtaking and every song makes u feel every emotion in the book. it may be a 'controversial' opinion but their ep (2018) is my favorite album. they each have their respective moments the same way they do on 'the record' (2023) . it also came out on my birthday so maybe i'm biased. overall, their ep hits every mark perfectly even with a whopping SIX SONGS. the lyricism within that album will hit every time. to put a song calling out ur fans ('bite the hand') as the OPENER for ur debut ep is absolutely insane and perfect. do not get me STARTED on 'me and my dog'. i won't stop:

'me and my dog' has been my comfort song for a while. but its true resonation came through more recently. in a mundane wrap up by 'Beyond The Stage' magazine, the song is essentially about an imaginary situation that is "a peaceful escape from anxiety - one that includes an entire solar system and Phoebe's late senior dog, Max" (Pasterchick, 2023; https://www.beyondthestagemagazine.com/me-my-dog-boygenius-lyric-breakdown/). i have always loved the lyric "i wish i was on a spaceship/just me and my dog and an impossible view" because it makes me think of my darling baby boy, stanley, my very bestest dog friend who has made my life insanely more bearable. the only difference is he's not very senior, being only 5 years old. but recently i had to deal with him passing and listening to this song made me feel so seen and it put that final nail in the coffin of why i love it so much. it's interesting to think how something so devastating can bring about a relation to something i had found so much happiness in beforehand. it comforted me when i needed it the most and boygenius i'm oh so grateful for that. in my safe spaces i can always imagine stan and i on a spaceship. he sure would love that view.

their ep could make me talk for hours but 'the record' is an absolute masterpiece next to it. for them to have a hit debut album like that is so well-deserved. the writing within that album is perfect and 'we're in love' only solidified my love for lucy more. to be able to hear such mundanity in the instruments in order to amplify her soft voice is a beautiful use of sound and very understandable when she is spitting the bars that she is. i have consistently attempted to dissect meanings that could be hidden within this song just because i know lucy is way too smart for any critic to know what she is singing about. people may try to dissect those songs but julien, lucy, and phoebe are tooooooo big brained for them. it's not up there but 'true blue' is another beautiful representation of lucy's talent and to write that about her bestest friends is very sweet :)))))). 'without you, without them' is underrated but is a gorgeous way to introduce the album, especially a debut one. to open themselves up to us is not a small thing and their appreciation for that intro should be larger. tell ur friends, father, mother, sister, brother, they are opening up girl LISTENNNN.

another thing i love about 'the record' is the amount of JULIEN we get. the triangle between 'anti-curse', 'satanist', and '$20' is grammy worthy. the way the album flows together is 'folklore' level and no i do not say that lightly. the friendship that flows between each and every song is important to truly understand the tight community they have formed among themselves. 'anti-curse' focuses around julien's encounter with the ocean and getting pulled under a wave "making peace with [her] inevitable death." and listening through the album you start to notice her underlying theme of feeling grounded by the two people next to her on this whole journey, phoebe and lucy. their friendship has had a strong and lengthy lore that has brought devastation among many fans realizing just how much they really love each other. which is also emphasized by their common theme of playing the "big three," as some fans like to call it, at their shows: 'please stay,' 'favor,' and 'graceland too.'

now, i saw boygenius live and experiencing those three songs was another experience for me. and that was the most i cried the whole show (can u believe that?) knowing their friendship was so strong that they could write those songs about such a vulnerable moment within it was a beautiful thing for them to feel comfortable sharing with us. i think people took for granted the way they were able to perform those songs for us after the history that has happened to produce them. additionally, i think the creative decision to place julien in the middle of all three was essential to solidifying the sole reason all those songs were being performed. they have found strength and solidity in their friendship and turned it in to some of the greatest music of 2023.

whoever said trios don't work should really meet boygenius.

this is my boygenius cover playlist. if someone wants to get it to them thank you. i need them to cover these songs.

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freegancreations · 8 months

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FC-Pride2023

“Equality means more than passing laws. The struggle is really won in the hearts and minds of the community, where it really counts.”

– Barbara Gittings

(Skip to the bottom if you just want to know about the CC)

Dear Freegan Babies!

First off, Happy Pride Month! I'm sorry I'm a little late on uploading but I wanted to try and make this set a little special. I originally planned that each item would have it's description and then I wanted to include special LGBTQIA people in my life and what they taught me while I grew up. I wanted to give them a day of knowing how much they impacted my life, but I have quickly realized that it may be too painful for me to bring those memories back up right now. So instead I decided to add some songs that I've fallen in love with that remind me of all the beautiful and sometimes painful aspects of life. Some are LGBT themed and some are just simply talking about lost love...

I just hope you find them as lovely as I do, and hope that you understand that even though I don't know you in person, doesn't mean I don't care. Every download I get, I think of how many people chose something I created to express themselves or the person that they wish they could be. And I'm truly honored by that. Its one reason why I always try to make the clothes Unisex. I want everyone to have the opportunity to experience the things that make them happy. I just want everyone to be happy, healthy, and thriving. We're community animals at the core, and we all need to feel loved and respected, right?

Listen, I'm not here to give you some speech, and I'm sorry if it seems as such. I just feel like I'm struggling to express how deeply this community has affected me and allowed me a safe space to just be while I learned to heal. I hope to do the same. If there is ever a design that you cant find in Unisex, reach out to me and I'll see what I can recolor to make that happen for you. If you need to just vent to a stranger for a while, I'm here for that too. Just reach out to me. I got you, and I'll hold your hand through the tough parts. If I can't help, then I'll try to guide you to someone who can.

My dearest freegans... I love you dearly, no matter who you love, and as long as you are happy in your body, then that's all that matters. In the end, its your life to live, so please live it well!

Lots of love,

Ashley J Williams

P.S. Straight Folks, Please know that you are also included in this. Please don't feel left out, and for the love of everything good in the world, be kind. Luke 6:31, “And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.” Simply put, this phrase means to treat others the way we want them to treat us. <3

#sims 4 cc #thesims4 #the sims #sims 4 cas #sims4recolor #simblr #sims4cc #sims 4 #sims #sims4 #sims 4 maxis cc #the sims 4 #simstagram #ts4 #the sims community #sims4pride #sims4cas #sims 4 custom content #sims 4 creator

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t33th-t00th · 1 year

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today I went to a drag show put on by my colleges gsa. the only one in drag was the gsa president. I had thought about putting on an outfit with a skirt on but a lot of people I know would be there, and I don’t want the cis people in my life to associate me with femininity. I'm friends with the gsa president, I make him lunch nearly every day since I work at the college café, we sit next to each other in class, worked on a project together, and chatted a bit on discord. on discord he told me about the drag show.

Someone had posted a picture of their flyer to twitter, and our state representative quote tweeted the post with the caption “call to action!”. When he told me that I started to dig around the original posters twitter account, the person would have to be at my college. the original poster had tweeted some other concerning and borderline threats about trans people, the college board, women, democrats, the works. a republican with a bit of a Nazi twist. comparing every group he doesn't like to them. having joe bidden photoshopped over Hitler in front of a swastika.

Since I found it I’d be repeatedly frantically scrolling through this dudes twitter to keep tabs on it, cause its scary! someone who is typically the shooter so close to my location during a queer event. I was scared to put on a dress. I wore my very subtle rainbow pride shirt, but no trans flag, cause I was scared that if something were to happen it would just be a target to shoot at. but I had fashioned my very first t shot bottle into an earing. it felt personal. I wore the boots that I've only ever worn around my very best friends twice.

I walked in nearly half an hour late, and on the way to the building I pass two people, holding Easter buckets with religious church cards about an event the church is doing, as well as some Easter themed candy. I could tell those people were there to be against the event, but I smiled and took the card and a candy anyway.

I go into the drag event and its just tables set up along the wall leaving space in the middle for would be performers, catering against the wall with the people I work with, and a place near the entrance to get pictures. The gsa president is giving a long winded disjointed speech, but you could feel how scared he was. wither it be general anxiety of being on stage in drag or the stress of possible agitators. but he spoke. and he wore the dress. and I didn’t.

At some point someone walked up to me and asked if they knew me. we were in theater together, although and they just weren’t 100% able to recognize me after being on T for a while. The food was spaghetti with meatballs and pasta sauce, with the spaghetti noodles being neon rainbow colored pasta. I remember hearing the cook be so proud in the most adorably cishet ally way about it. the positive people to negative was ten to one. I felt seen for the first time in a long time. The cis girls in the gsa who were all dolled up sung karaoke songs, all of them a little younger then me. one getting stage fright while singing butch for butch, a song I know by heart, we all cheered her on and supported her. it all eventually devolved into them singing musical numbers so after a while I went home. it was boring in the most small town queer club way and I don’t think I could have asked for more.

Things are scary right now, but we as trans people have so much support from all over. What you see online is not representative of the whole of reality and you will hyper focus on the negatives but that’s not 100% real. We must be as active in our communities as we can because we are so much stronger together!

#irl stuff #ok to reblog #anti semitism #transphobia #transgender #ftm #queer #gsa #long post #story

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hopepaigeturner · 1 year

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🎄Giftmas Day 6: Subscription Service--Philoise

Modern AU set about three years after the events of Six Days and Six Poems. But you dont have to read them to understand anything here. (Check them out on AO3 username: xxHope_Paige_Turner_99xx)

El recieves a book subscription from Benophie and starts chatting to another recipetant--@PlantDaddy01.

*~*~*~*~*

Christmas: Foreword

“What the?”

Eloise slipped open the envelope to find a little notecard.

Rare Birds Book Club: Welcome Aboard.

“It’s a book subscription service,” Sophie explained snuggled in Benedict’s arms. “Monthly, you get two anonymous blurbs to choose from, then it arrives all wrapped up to ensure it is a surprise!” Sophie’s eyes sparked, like when the pair talked about literature—particularly Sophie’s PHD. “They specialise in female authors—ofcourse—and there’s a whole community you can access.”

“We thought, with your big move, that it might be a nice reminder of home and a possibility for something new.” Benedict chimed in. “Until you find your feet and your favourite book café.”

“A new chapter,” Sophie added.

Eloise put on her best smile. She had always wished to fly the nest, but her heart still panged. No more would she be able to pop over to Benedict and Sophie’s for a late-night chat. She wouldn;t be able to pop down from Manchester for a comforting embrace and listening ear.

“Yeah…yeah.” She turned the postcard over, “I’ll give it a go."

1.Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Everisto

“I found the balance between the individual plots/styles and the overarching themes/structure of the novel to be a line well-toed. I feel it reflected the nature of race in Britain; at once so individualistic yet also overlapping.” PlantDaddy01.

“I agree with @PlantDaddy01. While I am not from a racial minority group, I liked how the book was intersectional, not just with race but class, gender and sexuality.” @E_classic-not-plastic_Bridgerton

“What do you mean by ‘intersectional’ @E_classic-not-plastic_Bridgerton ?"

“I’m referring to the idea of ‘intersectionality’. An idea that we need to look at issues through multiple lenses together—e.g. race AND gender—to fully understand the complexities of an issue. I can send you some articles if you want?” @E_classic-not-plastic_Bridgerton

“@E_classic-not-plastic_Bridgerton, that would be great. PM?”

2. Unwell Woman by Elinor Cleghorn

“Another great read! As a scientist myself, I found it very enlightening.” @PlantDaddy02.

PRIVATE MESSAGE:

El: A scientist?

Philip: What? I am a multi-faceted individual, a man who is “intersected by a variety of other determinations and ideologies”. Don’t judge a book by its cover, Eloise.

El: You read the essays I sent you?

Philip: Yes? Why wouldn’t I?

El: Oh, I usually overwhelm people with my opinions. Most of my family tune out or roll their eyes now. LOL 😂

Philip: Well those people are not worth your time—or are too narrow-minded to appreciate proper intellectual brilliance.

It had taken Eloise a while to respond after that.

3.Circe by Madeline Miller

Philip: I’m never looking at Greek legends the same way. Rick Riordan who?

El: I know it was so gripping! The description utterly entranced me, the romance, the heartbreak... Sorry that was a bit of an emotional spiel.

El: Also—Rick Riordan is still solid, thank you very much.

Philip: You like those too? After How to Train Your Dragon, that was my childhood book series. Going to be a bit controversial—Percy Jackson > Harry Potter. * goes and hides in his allotment*.

El: I TOTALLY AGREE!! I still hold the belief if stupid Universal hadn’t f—ed up the films then PJ would have been just as big as HP. FIGHT ME!

Philip: I think I know by now not to get in the ring with you—but always up to listen. Educate me El!

4.Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Philip: Wasn’t there a movie adaptation about this? Have you seen it.

El: I heard. And not really. I don’t trust movie adaptations that much. PTSD from the PJ movies.

Philip: I understand the pain.

Philip: I’ve just look it up, T Swift did a song for it.

El: I’m always in two minds concerning TS. As a teen I really brought into the whole ‘she only writes about boyfriends’ crap. Gradually appreciating her music—especially Folklore.

Philip: Oh, Amanda loves her.

El: Is that a friend?

Philip: Sort of, not really.

Eloise decided not to look too closely at why relief flooded her system after that message.

Philip: Anyway, we could still see the movie.

Eloise’s heart stuttered.

El: Yeah, that might be nice. If it’s terrible we can throw popcorn at it.

Philip: I’d have to sort a couple things out, but you could come over to mine? Could only do Friday tho.

El: My roommates out this weekend so the flat is free. I have a sofa bed if you need to crash?

Eloise swore.

What the hell was she thinking?

Yes, she might have had a couple fantasies about Philip over the last months, (maybe more than a couple), but he didn’t need to know that.

However, a couple moments later a little star popped up in her notifications.

Philip: Sounds great. It’ll be nice to meet you in person. X

El put her hand over her mouth—even though there was no one to see her blooming beam.

5. Oh no! Unfortunately, your surprise got lost in the mail!

Philip: Hey El. I know after last week you might not want to see me again. I get it, trust me, I do: a 24-year-old single dad with 6 year old twins isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. My life is a mess, I’m an utter mess. I should have told you about Amanda and Oli, that’s on me, and I am so sorry. I totally understand if you want to go back to messages or break contact.

But I really, really like you, Eloise. You’re smart, witty, intelligent, funny and gosh, just beautiful in every way. When I talk to you, for those moments, I feel like me. The real me. Not the reposnible dad, not the researcher, not the guy-with-the-kids. I can just be. I love it, I love us…whatever we are. I loved our night last week and I meant every word that I whispered to you under those covers and the ones I said when we woke up.

But I will respect your decision, Eloise. I will, whatever you decide. I don’t care if you want to return to being friends or pen pals…I just need my life to have you in it.

6. Diving into the Wreck by Adrienne Rich

Eloise tucked her book under her arm and rang the doorbell. She bounced on her toes outside the ground-floor flat and tried not to fiddle with her scrappy bun.

She hadn’t dressed up--hadn’t even applied makeup—on the virtuous idea of vulnerability. She had wanted to be Eloise, just Eloise—brash, coarse and raw. After all, Phillip was literally opening her heart up to her due to the invitation.

However, a ride on the bus had slowly eroded that conviction. She tried to inspect her features in the faint reflection of the window. No use.

The door swung open and Eloise’s heart fluttered.

Theo's smile transformed his face.

“Hi." He pushed his wire-framed glasses up his nose.

“Hi.” Eloise did a little wave. “It’s good to see you.” Philip startled slightly and nodded.

“Yeah, yeah—sorry,” he leant forward and kissed her cheek, “I just… his eyes slid over her body. “I am a very lucky man.”

“So am I,” Eloise replied with a blush, “a lucky woman that is—not man. Obviously.”

Philip chuckled and went to reply when—

“OLIVER! THAT’S MY CAR! GIVE IT BACK!”

Philip winced.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” He asked.

“A wise man once told me to ‘never judge a book by its cover’.” Eloise replied, stepping up and entwining her fingers in his own.

“He sounds like an interesting guy.”

“The best,” she said, allowing him to lead her inside to start the next chapter of their story.

*~*~*~*~*

Post Christmas I might add to this, (so it's not just text messages) to add to the Six Moments series.

I used Phillip in this one even though I am more drawn to Theo (in the show, especially in comparison to bookPhilip). Although I have my own feelings about who showEloise's love interest should be.

#12 days of giftmas #bridgerton #philoise #book club #online love #long distance romance #honourable mention:Benophie #writing challenge

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rabbitcruiser · 2 years

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National Happiness Happens Day

Read on to see how happiness happens and see how you can make it happen today, on Happiness Happens Day, August 8. Happiness — it’s what people want most out of life. If we aren’t actively looking for it, we are talking about it, spreading it, dreaming about it, or, hopefully, experiencing it. For many, it’s a goal to be happy. Then, there are those who always just seem happy. How do they do it? Is it naturally in them or do they work at it?

History of Happiness Happens Day

The Secret Society of Happy People, founded in 1998 by Pamela Gail Johnson, was originally a ‘secret’ society to allow members to talk about everything that made them happy because they were genuinely happy people, but they did so secretly so as not to allow overhearing Debbie Downers to rain on their parade. From this came their slogan, “Are you happier than you admit you are?.”

They created Admit You’re Happy Day in 1999, which eventually evolved to Happiness Happens Day. In 2000, they declared the month of August as Happiness Happens Month because, well, why limit a celebration of happiness to one day? Every year, a theme is chosen for Happiness Happens Month. In 2019, they encouraged everyone to acknowledge people who make them smile, also known as our ‘Smile Starters.’

The Society offers many tools and resources to promote happiness, personally, at work, and in the community. For example, they created a Happiness Counter to help you recognize daily happy moments that tend to be overlooked. It lists 31 ‘types’ of happiness that people often feel or experience throughout the day. At the end of each day, you can reflect on how many of them you experienced and realize you had more moments of happiness than you acknowledged and embraced during the day.

Over the years, more and more people have talked about happiness — how to get happy, be happy, find happiness, spread happiness. With that, the popularity of the Society grew — so much so, they outgrew the need for secrecy! So, in 2019, the group became simply the Society of Happy People.

Happiness Happens Day timeline

Early 1880sHappy Hour

Women’s social clubs begin holding social events referred to as ‘Happy Hour Club’ or ‘Happy Hour Social Club’ — the concept continues to this day, thankfully.

1912Happy Birthday to You

The lyrics and melody to the famous birthday song appear in print for the first time with no credit references or copyrights.

January 15, 1974“Happy Days”

The wildly popular television sitcom airs for the first time, running through 1984.

October 1977Happy Meals

McDonald’s introduces a packaged children’s meal, complete with a toy, in the Kansas City market — it rolls out nationally in 1979.

Happiness Happens Day Activities

Be a smile-starter

Give kudos

Make a list

Make others happy through small, smile-inducing gestures: write a handwritten letter, call, send flowers, or bake cookies. The list of ways you can spread cheer to others is truly endless but be sure to mention today is Happiness Happens Day and that they can make it happen by passing it on!

Seek someone out to thank or compliment them for a job well done. When we let people know how much we appreciate or admire them, it exponentially increases happiness, not only for them but also for you.

Make a list of things that make you happy and things you see as happiness zappers. Knowing the zappers may help you avoid them or, at least, better prepare for responding to them. Also, when you recognize happiness zappers for what they are, you can more quickly reframe your state of mind and move thoughts to the list of things that make you happy.

5 Amazing Ways To Choose Happiness

Gratitude

Volunteer

Give

Encourage

Reminisce

Expressing gratitude leads to an overall optimistic attitude; it is consistently and strongly correlated to feelings of happiness.

Giving of your time to help others has been shown to decrease feelings of depression and improve optimism and a sense of worth.

We’ve all heard the phrase: it is better to give than to receive — yes, giving is another action that leads to happiness and benefits the giver as much, if not more, than the receiver.

Lifting others up brings about a reciprocal effect — put out positive thoughts and feelings and this is what you will likely receive in return.

Spend some time looking at old photos, flipping through high school yearbooks, or reading old letters and you will find feelings of happiness overflowing as you stroll down memory lane.

WHY WE LOVE HAPPINESS HAPPENS DAY

We want to be happy

Happiness is contagious

Happiness helps you live longer

In a 2016 survey, when Americans were asked which they would prefer: to have a happy life or a life of achievement, 81% of people answered they would rather be happy! Being happy is important so we love having a day dedicated to making happiness happen.

Studies of social networks have revealed that not only does your direct circle of friends impact how happy you are but people you know indirectly can, too, so we want happiness to extend well beyond our innermost circle.

Medical studies have shown happy people are more likely to live longer due to having a stronger immune system, fewer aches and pains, and decreased stress, blood pressure, and heart rate.

Source

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maybebecomingms · 2 years

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Make the change, it’s worth the try

May 4th, 2022

“Boy meets girl! For the rest of the story...”

This was the header on my wedding invitations. Yeah, yeah. I know. Even having married a Wisconsinite is no excuse for *that* much cheese. But you know what they say: young & dumb.

I don’t have a clever or cheesy or, well, anything headline to announce we’ve split up, after 9+ years married/11+ years in a relationship. How DO you even announce that?

I know you have sacrificed Time, life, love; time to fly

Those I’ve told who know me well were not shocked, even if they weren’t getting a play-by-play of everything. I have contemplated leaving for about 2 years now and I’m finally following through.

I don’t know how to concisely explain the *why,* but that’s why I made this. We were young 20-somethings who met in a church Bible study at what would be considered our community’s megachurch, committed to an exclusive relationship on our very first date, and checked all the good evangelical boxes on our journey to lifelong companionship. Except one.

I have been certain for my entire adult life and then some that I would never want to be a mother. I wasn’t exactly shy about it. But he, like most everyone else, was certain I’d change my mind, and has been biding his time all these years. I had sterilization surgery in December of 2020; I knew by having it done that I was most likely ushering in the end of my marriage.

Church Premarital Counseling 101 taught one VERY important theme: Do NOT vent about your spouse, EVER, and especially not to people close to you. They will affirm your bias, turn you against your spouse, and then you’ll no longer feel compelled to fight for your marriage.

“Don’t talk to your mom or sister about marital problems,” was very specific instruction I got early on. “They will not help us.”

There have been so many red flags over such a major incompatibility I’ve ignored over the past decade-plus because I was trained to do so. I thought I HAD to do so. And now I’m trying to process trauma over so many things stuffed, things that have warranted “are you fucking kidding me?” responses from even those closest to me: my mom and my sister.

And, because I am kind of emo, I tend to fixate on various songs and wring every last bit of comfort and reassurance out of them as I can when they fit the occasion. Currently, it’s “Embers and Envelopes” by Mae. There’s so much packed in those 4 minutes and 18 seconds of music that fits here. In the future it’ll probably be other songs, which I’ll feature here, too.

Content warning that this blog will cover a multitude of uncomfy things, including but not limited to: mental and emotional abuse, spiritual abuse, cultic religious activity and dynamics, reproductive coercion, hypothetical gun violence, and possibly topics of sexual confusion and thoughts of unaliving myself.

Welcome aboard.

Embers, we're burning bridges down Oh, envelopes stuffed with feelings found To write this down as means to reconcile

#marriage #separation #embers and envelopes #mae #exvangelical #exchristian

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