#this quote will never not make me think of you

[lemotmo]

I'm sorry but I need to talk more about some general finale and Buddie stuff:

What was the point of wasting precious episode time to show some random neighbour walking around in the burnt down house?

Where was councilwoman Ortiz in this episode?

Why didn't Buck just show Tommy the door after that strange daddy kink thing? I rewatched it and... he really did say that he hopes Buck has daddy issues, right? To feed his kink. And I'm just... WHAT? I did read that right... right? I'm sorry, but what?

It did the job to highlight that Tommy is older than Buck and might have other expectations from this relationship. So at least there is that.

But still though... KRISTEN WHAT DRUGS ARE YOU ON? This is over the top, even for you.

Oliver Stark, why haven't you posted anything yet on social media? Is it just me or is Oliver genuinly not happy about his storyline right now? I don't know. He was so happy with Buck coming out as bi, never really talking about Tommy as more of a vehicle for his character to come out, talking about him as a 'mentor'. Now, his potentially beautiful storyline has amounted to this? Twenty minutes of boring scenes that end in a sexual innuendo joke?

I hope he is holding out for season 8, like the rest of us. He knows a lot more about this storyline than we do. If he is aware that BT is a means to an end to get the Buck narrative he wants and deserves, he will stick with it I'm sure. But it has to be annoying to know the destination and being stuck in a drab place on the way to that destination. Thank God he has shown us time and time again that he knows exactly where Buck's heart and interests lie.

It's also very telling there are no Oliver interviews after this finale. He didn't have much to work with this episode. The only scenes that made him liven up were with Eddie and Chris. The rest was uninteresting. There is no promo at all. No interview with Oliver and Lou showcasing them together as the new 'it' couple on 911, hyping them up, telling the audience excitedly where BT is going in season 8.

Watch them break up over the hiatus, just like Bucktalia. I really think it could happen at this point. I wouldn't be surprised at all. Keep Tommy there as a friend and mentor.

However, I have now read some of those Ryan interviews and WOW! Some of those Ryan quotes keep me going when it comes to the Buddie narrative. He is using a lot of gender neutral pronouns to talk about his possible future partner. The way he is talking about that future partner, makes me think he already has someone specific in mind for that role. Highly interesting.

I was talking about all of this to @buddiebeginz and she highlighted this specific part of a Ryan interview:

I mean, that last part? "The partner that's meant for me will find themselves and find me at the same time." That is so Buck-coded. I mean, if anything, this episode highlighted that Buck is still on that hamster wheel with this slightly older guy who is very much into sex, but not into feelings. Buck wants romance and genuine love. We know this because that's what he has been looking for throughout the last seasons. He still hasnt found himself, so as soon as he does, he will finally figure it out and find Eddie at the same time.

It's the only narrative that makes sense and would be satisfying to watch for Buck and Eddie. Let's just hope the show is smart enough to develop it further.

I just... overall this episode frustrated me so much. I feel like I want to hit something! I was ready to be swept away by great narratives and emotions. But I'm left feeling very unsatisfied about all of this. I feel like the season isn't done yet. I need one more episode to tie this all up and I know that I won't get it. AAAAH! I'm so annoyed.

#buddie #7x10 thoughts #eddie diaz #evan buckley #911 spoilers

[nonbinarylocalcryptid]

*rubbing my hands with mischief* guess who found an incorrect quotes generator

So here is a compilation of incorrect quotes from the Astyanax lives/daddy Odysseus AU

Odysseus: Once Astyanax thanked me and I couldn’t decide between “No problem!” and “No worries!” so I yelled “No worms!” to them as they walked away.

--

Astyanax, smol, facing a threat: I am in charge of this disaster!

Odysseus: I have a name, you know.

Astyanax, smol, a little shit: Polyphemus knows

Odysseus: ...

The threat: HAHAHAHAHA

--

Astyanax: Hey Odysseus, can I get some ice-cream?

Odysseus: Only a spoonful!

Astyanax: *Proceeds to pull out a comically large spoon.*

Odysseus: ...

Odysseus, tearing up: that's my boy

--

Astyanax, looking at Odysseus: Okay, so I need to become a therapist faster.

Odysseus: I hEaR tHaT

--

Astyanax when he's told about the whole horse thing, looking at Odysseus: What doesn't kill me better start running, because now I'm fucking pissed.

--

Astyanax, at Odysseus: Of course you have blood all over you, and pronouns.

Odysseus: I use he/him pronouns...?

Astyanax: FOR THE LAST TIME, EVERYONE HAS PRONOUNS...

--

Astyanax: But when all hope seemed lost, I had an epiphany!

Astyanax, earlier while Odysseus was messing up (again): I'm going to throw myself into the sea.

--

Astyanax "I was raised by Odysseus what did you expect" of Troy: I don’t know the first thing about clothes. Pretty much all I can do is look at something and tell you if it’s clothes or not. This chair? Not clothes. That barrel? Not clothes. That middle-aged man who invaded Troy? Not clothes.

--

Astyanax: Wow, great work on the Halloween decorations. Where did you get the fake skeletons?

Odysseus: Fake?

Astyanax: ...

--

Odysseus: We'll talk about this later.

Astyanax: Fine, I won’t be listening.

--

Odysseus: I will beat all of you in Rock, Paper, Scissors. You go first.

Astyanax: Rock.

Odysseus: Paper.

Astyanax: ...

Odysseus: First rule, never trust anybody

--

Astyanax: I am going to need you to swear-

Odysseus: Fuck.

Astyanax:

Astyanax: ...swear as in promise.

--

Astyanax: Don't have a bookmark? Try ketchup instead!!

Odysseus: What makes you think I read?

Astyanax: ...right, my mistake, that explains a lot of things.

Odysseus: now I'm offended

Astyanax: like the time I was offended by a wooden horse?

Odysseus: ...

--

Odysseus: So, I've been thinking Astyanax-

Astyanax, young but tired of this bs: That's dangerous.

--

Odysseus: Damn, the power went out.

Astyanax: Don’t worry, I got this.

Astyanax: *stomps foot*

Odysseus: What-?

Astyanax: *Sketchers light up*

--

Odysseus: Hoodie pockets are so great. I can fit like three sandwiches and a grenade in there and my hands are still warm.

Astyanax, looking at the sea: I wish Poseidon would take me now

--

Odysseus: The joy of hanging out with Astyanax. You look away for 5 seconds to make sure something is set up correctly, and he bites the tip of a marker off.

--

Odysseus: I should have left you on that street corner where you were standing

Astyanax: bUt YoU dIdN't

--

Astyanax: Odysseus, when’s your birthday?

Odysseus "I'm still thinking about the infant from that night" of Ithaca: Why? So you can look up my natal chart? So you can figure out my weaknesses? So you can destroy me?

Astyanax: …So I know when to wish you a happy birthday.

Have some Odysseus and Hermes, as a treat:

Odysseus: Hi, I'm Hermes's emergency contact.

Counter Woman: You're here to pick him up?

Odysseus: I'm here to remove myself as his emergency contact.

#daddy Odysseus AU #astyanax lives #odysseus #astyanax #hermes #incorrect quotes #epic the musical #the odyssey

[i-yap]

Can I ask for maybe a series on the batboys love languages? Them being down bad simps is so funny and cute

So i think all batboys sort of use all love languages, but in varying levels

Dick Grayson

 words of affirmation,- very direct and upfront with words, confident and very charming. Even him being vulgar is like charming . Its almost like practiced ease but its so personalized that it works. It is a little basic though. Likes it a lot when you do it too. appreciate that beautiful wonder boy please.

quality time,- He tries so hard but with his responsibilities its tough. He craves getting adventures or doing some activity together but after a really long time apart he just wants to cuddle with you in a park or hill and talk.

physical touch,- yes. no hesitation yes. he loves it , knows just how to use it. Its like he can read your mind because he knows exactly what you want and when you want it. prefers giving over receiving .

acts of service- also big yes. Since he cant give enough quality time, what is one strong way he can show how much he loves you. also very caretaker vibes..like a mother hen. Wants to tie your scarf, wash your hair, tie your shoelace to something like staying up making you food and giving you stress release hugs during exam time. "why would you want to do something when I can do it for you babe" . Will die if you do even the littlest thing gushing and telling you just how much he appreciates it.

receiving gifts- Second Best gift giver , its like a perfect mix of expensive and personal and he just loves spending on you. but prefers spending on memories more than materialistic stuff . Will cherish your gifts forever and very vocal about it.

Jason todd

 words of affirmation,- sucks at it, but he will quote you book lines when the mood is vulnerable and quiet in the night and he is really in his safe space. Which is unique and very personal . Also very vulgar and straight up in dirty talk. Will blush-glitch-brush off any sweet thing you say to him.

quality time- yes. like yes all the time just stick your skin to him will not leave you side. wants to be with you alone forever doing nothing at all just loving and its literally to an obsessive level

physical touch- made a separate post on this in detail

acts of service- its very subtle, he will never tell you about . may even deny doing it and for a while you probably thought it was a ghost. If you do anything for him, will just stare but inside his head its like an explosion...like imagines a loud screaming todd running around

receiving gifts-very sweet personal gifts . lowkey sucks at giving gifts on special occasion but gives awesome random gifts. Give him anything and its him malfunctioning ...like you saw him actually stutter 9times in a row" uh-wha-for me-why-uh-th-than-thanks-i mean- i-uh-i-uh-yea bye"

 

ill do a part2 with bruce and tim

#• #Jason Todd x Reader #Jason Todd x You #Jason Todd x Y/N #Jason Todd Fluff #Jason Todd Angst #Jason Todd Comfort #Jason Todd Headcanons #Jason Todd Imagines #Red Hood x Reader #Red Hood x You #Red Hood x Y/N #Red Hood Fluff #Red Hood Comfort #Batfamily #Batfamily x Reader #Batfamily Fluff #Batfamily x You #Batfamily x Y/N #Batfamily Headcanons #Batfamily Imagines #Batboys #Batboys x Reader #Batboys Fluff #Batboys Headcanons #Batboys Imagines #Nightwing + Dick Grayson #Dick Grayson x Reader #Dick Grayson x You #Dick Grayson x Y/N

[lycheedr3ams]

Ahhh please please yes könig analysis and characterization please 🙏🏾

I feel so bad, I forgot to respond to this when I posted my first König character analysis post. Here's the second one!

König Character Analysis

Part 1: His past | Part 2: König's MBTI

I know the validity of the MBTI/16 personalities is debated in the psychology world, but I personally think it can be a good baseline guide to understanding someone's personality. My MBTI is accurate for me and a lot of people I know, so I wanted to do König's. The MBTI is a personality assessment based on the following traits: introvert/extrovert, sensing/intuition, thinking/feeling, and judging/perceiving. you can take a test to see which traits you fit (I like this one) for example, I'm INTJ: introvert, intuition, thinking, and judging. see here for more detailed info (I take quotes from this source throughout the post)

I think König's MBTI is...ISTJ (more details at end of post)

Introvert is obvious, we all know könig prefers to be alone. it's never explicitly stated, but heavily implied based off his bio about being bullied and misunderstood. he also wears a sniper hood all the time. mans is not social

Sensing may be less obvious, but this is what it is: "People who prefer sensing tend to pay a great deal of attention to reality, particularly to what they can learn from their own senses. They tend to focus on facts and details and enjoy getting hands-on experience." I think this makes the most sense for konig. as someone who has been bullied and needs to be hyper alert to stay alive at work, sensing makes much more sense for him than intuition. konig doesn't seem like someone who has much intuition, or even trusts in such things. Being Austrian, konig is also likely very practical and to the point, so he wouldn't have any need or place value in an intangible thing like intuition.

Thinking is obvious for konig, I think. I'm not saying konig doesn't have emotions of course, but he doesn't seem like the type of person to live by his heart. Again likely a cultural difference, Konig would be practical and value facts over feelings. About people who are thinking: "They tend to be consistent, logical, and impersonal when weighing a decision." Also as a mercenary, there isn't any room for emotionally-charged decisions. Konig is for sure a thinker. I don't think a feeler would do well as a mercenary personally.

Judging suits konig better than perceiving: "Those who lean toward judging prefer structure and firm decisions." Of course konig values structure, he went into the military when he was 17! This is also another cultural thing most likely, since Austrians tend to be very formal and respect hierarchy. I'm not saying every Austrian is like this, but you get me. Also as a mercenary, konig must make firm decisions, unlike perceivers who "lean toward perceiving are more open, flexible, and adaptable." I don't think konig is the type of guy to sit down and have a democratic discussion. it's his way or the highway and you can't change my mind (unless it's coming from a higher-ranking officer). konig knows he's damn good at what he does, and he's going to make the best decisions for the team. listen to his voice dialogues, he's constantly telling people that it's "better off in my hands" or to give something to him for safe keeping. if you want something done right, do it yourself, is likely his motto

This is my reasoning that konig is an ISTJ

...

Here's the 16 personalities website description of ISTJ:

"People with the ISTJ personality type (Logisticians) mean what they say and say what they mean, and when they commit to doing something, they make sure to follow through. With their responsible and dependable nature, it might not be so surprising that ISTJ personalities also tend to have a deep respect for structure and tradition. They are often drawn to organizations, workplaces, and educational settings that offer clear hierarchies and expectations."

taglist: @osteawb, @sleepystaarr, @vvampir3s, @simpxinnie, @majocookie, @sharkyyyyyyyyyyyy, @marysdelrey, @kybeth5, @chaos-on-stand-bi, @shannonswizzies, @arcadia509, @bloodstoneruby, @cumikering, @skystreamchan, @junkratssheila-09, @kit-williams, @tangerynsbaby, @dreamdiaries777, @royalbxstxrd, @non-satanic-panic, @theweirdchick, @kiyomisan, @maylif, @mortimoshi, @eneiss, @daughter-ofthe-forest, @celi-xxmoon, @mangoguy, @babypeanut02

#konig cod #cod mw2 #konig #konig call of duty #konig fic #lychee speaks #konig personality #istj #cod konig #konig mw2 #konig imagine #konig headcanons #könig call of duty #könig cod #könig #könig modern warfare #könig mw2 #call of duty #cod #personality types #mbti types #mbti istj #16 personalities #könig headcanons #you cant change my mind on this #but open to dicussion #konig personality analysis

[captainzigo]

so unfortunately very few entries here are going to properly be vintage. also what i consider vintage might not line up with what you do. i am not old.

also i am not wealthy. and my family isn’t wealthy. this is an expensive hobby to have. i get most of my stuff from loving it and refusing to throw it away… and digging through the trash at university. you would be surprised with the stuff people throw away. planned obsolescence has nothing on the fact that people can’t be bothered to fix a sour harddrive.

i actually fix computers as a sort of second job. it’s nice to work on computers i can’t afford and that aren’t from the trash. but i love old tech. i love breathing life in to things long dead. i’m a technonecromancer. i am not including pictures of things i haven’t finished yet for the most part. and i simply am not including most things. this is but a fraction of my power

ok so these are all my computers that work. i didn’t include ones that im still working on. they all worked but needed repairs variously. mostly they just needed new hard drives.

my game consoles. again not including ones that don’t work. i actually bought that 3ds, but the rest my parents gave me after they got them used. that gameboy has needed a screen replacement that required soldering. the ds is my little trooper and has needed nothing ever. the wii needed a new disc drive. and the 3ds came in japanese and i hacked it to english.

there’s a back view of my stickers

these are some of my various devices. again not including ones that don’t work. that nano needed a new battery which was actual hell and i’m surprised it survived. that ipad is the first ipad and she works beautifully and one time i fastened it to my tummy for a tellytubby costume. i was slutty lala and i played the old spiderman movie trilogy in glorious VHS quality. i couldn’t find my iphone 3gs for this picture :( but it will turn up. i’ll include an old picture instead of cleaning my room to find it lol

here are some novelties i just like. thats an old radio i swiped from my great grandfather. i got it working but it broke again. i dont know whats wrong with it and its so old that the parts are impossible to find. on the right is the browser for DS which is just so quaint. i love it. it barely works at all but i loaded a wikipedia page one time so xP

this is my terrible stupid tiny phone i got from aliexpress that barely works BUT IT DOES WORK and is technically loaded with all modern smartphone features. i attached a video of it barely playing roblox

this is my og imac. with the og keyboard. i didn’t include it with the working computers because it doesn’t. the harddrive died and im trying to fix it but its really hard. i’ve already sought out two different adapters that haven’t worked

and this is a commodore 64 that i also got out of the trash. it does not work but im hoping to make it work. someone clearly loved it. enough to paint it crazy colors and enough to

write some weird scifi quote on the inside of the case under the RF shield. but maybe they died, or it just became too much of an undertaking.

not included here is:

• several more apple products that i just don’t think look good. all the iphones between 6 and 11 are just so ugly. and i don’t actually like the way apple watches look

• the phone, tablet, and smart watch i actively use

• various bits and bobs like the official speakers for a imac 4, an electronic pocket dictionary, various wii peripherals and so on

• all of my audio equipment

• my iphone 3gs. i just never found it or any pictures of it. i love it tho. it was my first phone (hand me down. i’m not that old) and i have had to repair it so many times and i love taking bad photos with it

• all of my monitors

• my many videogames

• my old fridge that i love and cherish and use

• anything i have fixed and then given to someone else

• a bunch of other stuff

so if you are a beautiful trans woman, are you in love with me yet? or do i need to make a part two

#old tech #old computers #hoarding lol

[crumblinggothicarchitecture]

“And the relative simplicity of her music works with people who just want something mindlessly play in the background. It's also really easy for average people- who have no musical background- to sing along with. The lines are simple rhymes, and she never really uses any specialized vocal techniques like Vibrato. Basically, it's music for bland people who think salt is a spice.”

Some of your takes are valid and it’s healthy to critique anything that amasses such a large following in pop culture. However I would argue there is a way to do this without coming across as a pretentious undergraduate who read a few required and recommended readings from the syllabus and now sips their tea with a pinkie protruding. Let’s remember that tumblr is not inherently full of academics and defining anyone who hasn’t got a certain level of education as average or bland is such an Americanised, my way or the highway way of thinking.

It is possible to have differing opinions to others without insulting their intelligence or falsely presenting them in a certain way. Average people as a term in general, is quite elitist and classist. For example, I have a PHD in literature and am a classical musician. I work in publishing and academia.

That said, I still enjoy pop music, sometimes something can just be enjoyable and it’s not that deep.

Criticising Taylor Swift is low hanging fruit for a lit major who claims to be allied with as many causes as yourself. Or, if you do decide to continue with it, I hope you do it in a more articulated manner that focuses more on the quality of your arguments, and not just an assumption that those who oppose you are stupid or “bland” when I suspect the truth is much more complex than that, as it always is.

Best of luck with further studies. I hope to see more diverse content from you in the future, maybe some literary analysis of contemporary texts, or other artists who you deem intellectual enough to enjoy, or some recommendations.

Honestly- I do not know with which tone I should address this anon. I cannot tell if you are being hostile- but I certainly feel that you are being condescending.  

Thanks for at least direct quoting my words with which you draw issue. I appreciate it- some people send me critiques but fail to outline which of my posts is the problem.  

I can capitulate to exactly one of your points- and admit it is a good point- that I am overly sassy on occasion. The post you are angry about is just me chitchatting with someone about Swift’s live shows- it wasn’t a literary analysis. I cannot do an academic analysis of her live shows- but that does not mean I don’t have an opinion of them.  

Again- it was opinion not argument or analysis. Not a serious post. This is not a blog where I am going to speak like an academic all of the time. I’m here to have a little fun- and try to remind myself why I actually do love what I do for a living.

Generally speaking- I will try to make a more obvious, clear difference between what is just an opinion and what is a researched, literary argument on Taylor Swift in my future posting. Thank you for bringing this to my attention.  

There are some other things about your ask that I want to address, because it struck me as a bit unnecessary.  

You say that I’m “coming across as a pretentious undergraduate who read a few required and recommended readings from the syllabus and now sips their tea with a pinkie protruding” (para. 1). This is condescending. No, I did not simply “read a few required and recommended readings” to complete my education. You say you’ve got a PHd in the same discipline- and yet you want to tell me all I did for my degree was read a couple of books? You should know the kind of intellectual work that goes into real literary study. I am trying to show people with this blog, at least in some small way, that while literary study is not so straightforwardly quantifiably valuable like, for instance, physics- it is still a real discipline. With real requirements on argumentation and logic. It takes intellectual skill to wrestle with concepts in literary theory – but more so to apply them in synthesis and interpretation of textual evidence.   

SO, why are you essentially patting my head and saying “aw-cute she read some books and now thinks she’s smart?”   

To be clear- I am not in undergrad. I have finished two different degrees and am currently working on my third.

Why would you accuse me of classism and elitism predicated solely on a bad joke in a post wherein I am not even doing any real literary analysis? What prompted that? I made no effort to even pretend the post in question was little more than opinion- my real posts however, about literary analysis, I take great pains to research and edit those together with care.  

Also, “Americanized” what? Are you American? Because people ‘round here don’t care about what level of education you’ve got? The access to education varies remarkably state to state- and down into Latin American too- and we all know it. So, there is very much a culture of “help each other out when struggling” and not a culture of thinking that everyone of Earth needs to go through American University in order to matter. What are you talking about? Do you think American’s hold the monopoly on having Dogmatic views or “my way or the highway” thinking? That’s obviously not true- so what are you trying to say here?  

Did you miss the part of my Bio where I talk about being a teacher? I am a teacher in one of the poorest- most unfunded places in the country. My friend- I am repulsed by the idea of classism- I take my position in my community very seriously. Knowledge is not a stick with which I attempt to beat others down- Please understand that.  

Next, you say it is possible to critique without insulting people’s intelligence (para. 2). um, I did not insult anyone’s intelligence? I said their taste in music was bland, which does not correlate to an assumption on their intelligence. Um- I have also said many times that I like simple pop- music. Am I calling myself stupid because I’ve been listening to “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter on repeat? NOpe. It’s just a silly little song- and dancing to it makes me feel cute, young and free- but it’s still a bland song with no literary or moral value. What exactly is the problem here?  

Okay, within this same point you draw issue with my use of the word average, saying that “average people, as a term...is quite elitist and classist” (para.3). Okay, you misinterpreted my use of the word “average” here- as I was not referring to people as “average” because they have no education, or a different education compared to my own. I was only using the term in the most colloquial sense- meaning “in general” or “on average” as in the median percentage of people have no musical background- therefore they find simplistic pop music the easiest to digest and the simplest thing to play in the background or sing to on car trips. It’s pleasing to the ear because we don’t have too much “work” into understanding it- that's what I mean when I say it’s bland. 

If oatmeal was a type of music- it would be pop music. bland filler- but you know it can still be good.   

Okay, let’s talk about your final point “Taylor Swift is Low Hanging Fruit” (para. Whatever I can’t be bothered to count). Ummm? A billionaire musician who has massive worldwide acclaim and social impact is “low-hanging” to you? I mean yeah- she's clearly not worth study through the lens of poetical semiotics, or God forbid- Linguistic Morphology; however, there are several different ways a good analysis of her work could function- through feminist, Marxists, Post-colonialist, or anything under the umbrella of cultural studies. I also intend to do a rhetorical analysis on her use of “lower class” aesthetics and how that attracts the audience she wants. And, I’ve done a couple of syntactical analyses. However, I had to prop those up with a dichotomization of her work to someone with more impressive literary value, like Kendrick Lamar, because her work alone is not strong enough for that type of analysis.  

Apologies if I have written a return, you did not expect or want- perhaps, I should be less sensitive on the internet. I do often brush off people's condescension, especially when I notice that they are extremely young or just do not know anything at all about my field of study. Because why worry about uninformed opinions? I wanted to speak with you, however, because you do care. It is obvious, and I am glad that people do care. I admire you for caring about the integrity of the discipline- but I really wasn’t doing what you thought I was doing.  

 I admire anyone who also studies Literature, and you say you’re a classical musician, I think that’s so impressive! I love classical music! Rachmaninoff makes me feel insane! I love it! You know that one O’Hara poem? The one that is an ode to Rachmaninoff’s birthday that ends “you’ll never be mentally sober” because I feel that line in my bones. And don’t even get me started on Tchaikovsky- Truly, you might never hear the end of it. (CAnnoNS!!!!??? what a guy)

 I just wanted to clear up anything that you found offensive- but I also defended myself because you do know what I’m talking about when it comes to literary study- and so the conversation took priority over the other meaningless “hate” messages I get. And- boy howdy- I've been getting hate messages pretty much daily. 

Promise to no longer be condescending to me and I think we ought to be friends and not fight- let me start- what did you concentrate on for your PHd? 

 I, myself, focus on post-colonialism, feminist theory, and post-modernist thought in American Literature. I work mainly within US Multi-ethnic literature, though, outside of school, I have an intense fascination with medieval or ancient Literature- primarily, these days, classical Sanskrit poetry. Last year it was an obsession with old Norse literature- lol I like to switch things up. Have you ever read the Heliand? It’s about Viking Jesus- so cool and written in old Saxon! But, anyway, I think the unique prosody of Sanskrit is so neat-o. My other obsession is this one old french poem called "le roman de silence" what a crazy little gender-bending 13th century thing that is (haha). And this doesn't even get into my philosophical preoccupations- though I believe I will discuss those on my blog, too, at some point.

Anyway- perhaps I will talk about my more niche interests on this blog- all good things in time. I have no interest in solely focusing on Taylor Swift forever- but I do want to finish saying all the things I’ve been holding back for years. I think it’s important- because Swift holds such a massive influence over people. It’s healthy, as you said, to critique people like that.  

Okay- Sorry I talked soo long. Peace Out :)

#anti taylor swift #ex swiftie #linguistics #literary criticism #literary theory #literary analysis #academia #english lit student

[guacemolyarts]

please please tell me how u perceive ellabs 😭😭😭 from a shipping standpoint😭😭 also i love ur art so much

Abby has always been number one. From being Jerrys daughter, to becoming the WLFs top Scar killer, to leading her entire friend group into a murder plot with her, etc. Abby has always been the one to take the lead and do whatever she wants by her own command because she has never not gotten what she’s wanted. When that attitude got the best of her in the end (her friends turning on her, realizing what they had participated in was fucked up, etc.) she became prideful and cowardly. Lev was able to reinvent that attitude with her by giving her a purpose to protect and love someone more than herself. Lev let her have a break for once, gave her a chance to have her guard down, and not always have to feel stoic. She stood up to the only person who could crumble her *just* a bit (Isaac) and Ellie, who unknowingly had been leading her down a death trap. Even when figuring that out, Abby never backed down, Abby still got the upper hand, Abby still had what Ellie wanted- someone to care about her and her life.

Now Ellie on the other hand? Ellie has NEVER had it easy. Grew up an orphan, was a bit of a loner without Riley, was regarded as a “sad kid” by Winston, the only adult who ever really gave her the time of day. This girl has been searching for love and support her entire life. Despite her bratty attitude and hotheaded tendencies, no matter what, shes always a softie. And when she gets fixated on anything, it becomes her purpose and the force that pushes through whatever situation shes in- on a lighter note, Savage Starlight quotes, on a darker note, Abby. Ellie finds strength in just *doing*. She doesn’t need to force anyone to abide by her order (unless you wanna argue Nora, but even then, what a sloppy attempt at getting her way). She steam rolls any situation she thinks is gonna get her to her goal (jumping off the bridge into the water with Joel, the entirety of Seattle Day 2 and 3, becoming a deadbeat).

And together? You get two women who come from remarkably different upbringing’s and backgrounds, who in the end, crave to care for and to be cared about. Abby who has the explicit need to put herself in any dangerous position, knowing she can get out of it unscathed, with the entire goal of making sure what she cares about makes it through safely. Ellie, who has only ever fought through survival, to not have to do it anymore. Who can just feel protected and at peace. Abby, who is meticulous in her planning and execution, Ellie, rough around the edges and will figure it out when she gets there.

Despite how opposite they are in those regards, they are similar in their unifying need to find inner peace and strive to do their best. Both of them are incredibly strong people- and together, in any dynamic and in any situation they must get through together, I perceive Abby to be the one who is more level-headed, less inclined to blindly walk into Ellies fire, and to take the reigns in any struggle they get themselves in. To guide Ellie down the smarter, albeit longer path, and for Ellie to complain and annoy her to every end because she thinks being safer is worse than being in a rush. Ellie, the tough, agile little moth who learned everything on her own and by Joels hand, who can cut through 7 men at a time and is quick on her fight or flight. Abby, the trained in combat ex-soldier who can wipe out any path she needs to get through just by one intimidating scowl.

This is an interpretation based on canon, i could talk in circled about them for hours. So heres a little tidbit of what i perceive them as as individuals but how those traits work together.

#ellabs #ellie/abby #ellie x abby #ellie williams #abby anderson #tlou 2 #the last of us part 2 #tlou

[accio-victuuri]

my mostly calm(er) reaction and reflection post on the magnolia awards nomination list 🥀

sir i don’t understand. why aren’t good people rewarded? // as the old saying goes, evil doers get gold belts and good people can’t even keep their corpses. { war of faith episode 24 }

the quote above is one of my favorites from the show and i feel the truth to it now more than ever. i have already posted about my initial rage and that hasn’t changed, it’s not okay and will never be. i’m mostly a pacifist but i’m not a doormat. there is a reason why the WOF account or the other nominees like the director and “best actor” have not posted their thanks as soon as the nominations were out because they are guilty. it speaks volumes and they should be ashamed of themselves. if you look at the most recent post for WOF weibo account, they are being torn apart. not to mention blog accounts and the same audience who supported the drama calling them out.

this should not be a surprise to those of us who watched the show and understood it’s meaning. because this is what the show thought us, to not stay quiet when there is injustice. much like how wei ruolai said that he is ashamed to be in this mountain. how he was not afraid to leave his dream and literally walk back to Jiangxi for what he believes is the right thing to do. i don’t think you will fully understand the hurt, this is not just me being a yibo stan but someone who saw myself in Wei Ruolai.

the drama was about how the youth can change the world. the reality, and what just happened is proving otherwise. i’m sharing this quote here cause it perfectly explains the problem:

"If the youth are strong, the country will be strong" but the truth is the youth are strong, but you don't recognize it.

this incident exposed the problem with these acting awards. i daresay, not only that, but with other industries where everything has to be about seniority. which in turn makes the younger generation feel burned out and contribute to wanting to lie flat. because what’s the point if the game is rigged. the CCP have always given importance to the youth. often inserting the message of why you all should have kids now because they are the future. they are important blah blah blah — but this simple award? you can’t even show fairness? Wang Yibo is the poster boy for CCP’s propaganda on how an upstanding Chinese Youth should be. He has been in the most recent years, we all cannot deny that with how prominent he is showing up in nationalistic programs tied to the “youth”. So if someone as popular/well-known/talented as WYB can’t be treated fairly. can’t be rewarded with his efforts, then what more for a normal citizen?

WOF team and Magnolia Awards really opened a can of worms here. It goes deeper than nominations and a fandom. In a way, it’s good how this exposed the corrupt system and contributed to why people are so angry. The tag for him continued to stay on top because a lot of netizen can relate, even if you didn’t watch it, i bet they had something to say. It’s been happening for some time but definitely is magnified because of Yibo’s popularity and it made them look really bad.

I am aware of Yibo’s chances with the history of older nominees when it comes to this Awards show but I am confident that he had a good chance of getting it. What made me livid was Wang Yang taking the nom. You can slice and dice it however you want, but Yibo carried that show. He is the main lead. The story is about Wei Ruolai. If Yibo didn’t get it i will still speak up but with the betrayal, not only to him but also the screenwriter — i can’t stay silent and be the “rational” vic that most of you are familiar with. WAR OF FAITH is still one of my favorite dramas with how it affected me and is largely contributing to why i’m reacting the way i do.

I’m not gonna defend anyone. Only Wang Yibo. Honestly. Fuck them all. I watched the show and supported it for WYB — everyone else don’t matter. I won’t post any hate message on their accounts but they get no love from me either.

So now let me get to the good part. Because no matter how hurt we all are, there is still a lot of good that came out of this. The silver lining(s) if you will.

1. Everyone who said that WYB has some backers can fuck off. This proves that he hasn’t. He has no background. There is no big-name pulling the strings for him. He is where he is because he is WANG YIBO. His name alone is enough. WOF got the green light because Wang Yibo’s name was on it. Now more than ever, it is proven that he is where he is because of who he is and what he can bring to the table.

2. We are reminded once again that producers are not our friends. LOL. if you know, you know. it’s all business. So don’t kiss their ass.

3. The fact that he trended #1 for hours, and still is right now at number 4 is proof of how great he represented the character of Wei Ruolai. People now recognize him as an actor who deserves a nomination and a win. The general public are now on his side. He is the underdog and there is nothing more that we want to see than a beaten down person rise above it and win. In a way, this creates more buzz and anticipation for his next movie that will be out. 🫶🏼

4. This has really set him apart from his peers of idol actors who crossed over to being professionals. He did it so effectively and in a short span of time. What happened is sad, but he won people’s hearts and those who already do stan him are more geared up to support him in the future. 💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼

I’m happy for WOF’s nomination. If i’m being honest, it was a sure thing. I’m proud WYB was part and led this amazing drama to what it is. He will continue to give us more excellent works because that is his gift to the audience who always support him.

In the next coming days, if WYB or most likely YBO puts something out, that’s what i’m gonna follow. The most i will do is congratulate WOF, but the others? no thank you.

#wang yibo #personal #war of faith #i cannot sleep so i wrote this instead #i cannot sleep cause im so mad lol #yizhan

[theother-will-grayson]

Well the class is over and I doubt a few years after wrap anyone is still under NDA so let me finally tell this story.

I just finished a stage combat SPT class (bear with me I'm about to drop a few fun facts but all of this is relevant info I promise) -- I was getting my certification in smallsword which for anyone not in the know is the smaller, faster, fancier son of the rapier -- the weapon of choice for dueling among nobility and the predecessor to modern day sport fencing. It was used around the time of the golden age of piracy. Think the Jack/Will fight in Pirates of the Caribbean.

Well if you hear that description, you might be like me and think "Oh like Our Flag Means Death" as well. (You have to also have a scene around the fight to get your SPT because they judge your acting as well as your technique.) So on the day we pitched scenes, I walked in and told my instructors I wanted to do the Izzy/Stede scene in Our Flag Means Death.

Instructor A gets this goofy little smirk on his face and turns to Instructor B and goes "I suppose you'll be coaching them on that one, then." (NOT a direct quote but it was something like that).

I go "Why."

A goes, "Oh because he worked on that scene."

WHAT

I never got full clarification whether he actually choreographed it or if he was just the style/technique coach but apparently he worked with Con O'neill for approximately 5 hours on smallsword technique and with Rhys Darby approximately 2 hours (because apparently Stede didn't need to be super good at it which is HORRIBLE practice for safety reasons. Like...the actor still needs to be good at it lmfao). He says he told Con that he's gonna teach him to wield a smallsword but they would undoubtedly give him a rapier because it's very common for Hollywood to just merge the two. He was like "I guess they'll explain it as he was trained in smallsword but the rapier would be whatever they could find laying around on a pirate ship which doesn't make sense because he's supposed to be this super skilled swordsman...I don't know." From what I can gather fight directors are generally perpetually tired.

Let me tell you as a fan that 5 hours SHOWS because Con definitely looks like a skilled swordsman. But half of that has to be Con himself because 5 hours is also in the grand scheme of things NOT THAT MUCH TIME especially for what I can attest to be a very difficult weapon. And also the additions this gives to Izzy's lore because he's so skilled a dueling with that weapon specifically...

Anyways if I ever get my hands on the video of me doing the scene I'll post it. Also this is not a homestuck cop story. I live in Los Angeles and all of my professors have been industry professionals. If I wasn't afraid of doxxing the guy I'd post proof. But the way my mind blew in that moment.

#Also he says he didn't work on season 2 because they filmed in New Zealand. #God I love living in LA #toby talks #ofmd #our flag means death #con oneill #izzy hands

[lau219]

Enemies with Benefits

Part 11

Previous part here

***!!!Warning: Mentions of a gun, violence!!!***

..........................................................................................

“I’m sorry, Mr. Dresker; there seems to be some confusion. Did Steve give you some sort of indication before he left that I’m an idiot?”

Y/N was sitting behind her desk and staring at the man who was occupying one of the seats across from her. She crossed her legs as she waited for him to respond.

“Excuse me?” he asked.

“Well, the only conclusion I can come to as to why you think I would agree to any of these prices is because Steve told you that I’m a naïve idiot,” Y/N said. “Although, I find that very hard to believe, seeing as he and I have done business together for the last eight years.”

She maintained a look of cool composure as she awaited another reply from the man who was her new liquor rep, having taken the place of her previous rep who’d recently retired. He had come into her office with the obvious mentality that, due to the fact that she was a woman, she was unaware and not very business savvy. He was currently trying to convince her that the pricing sheet he’d given her with numbers higher than what she knew were current was accurate.

“Steve never called you an idiot, Miss Y/L/N,” Dresker replied.

“So, you made that assumption on your own, then?” she said.

He shook his head.

“Of course not; I’m merely sharing our current price points with you and trying to make sure you get what you need before your shelves are empty.”

Turning her chair slightly, Y/N looked to Tommy, who was casually reclined in the other chair opposite her desk, his ankle over his knee. He’d remained silent up until this point, and Y/N cocked her head as she looked at him.

“So considerate, isn’t he, Mr. Shelby?” she said sarcastically.

Tommy met her eyes, and inwardly, he smiled. On the outside, however, his expression remained neutral.

“Quite,” Tommy agreed with her. He then turned to Dresker and continued speaking, addressing him now instead of Y/N. “Although I’m afraid that your underestimation of my manager here has overshadowed any good intentions you say you have, mate.”

As he’d said, “my manager”, Tommy had gestured his hand towards Y/N, and Dresker looked between the two of them, clearly trying to decide which one of them he should address next.

“No one’s being underestimated,” he said as his eyes darted from Tommy to Y/N, and then back again.

“Really?” Y/N spoke again. “Then why is it that the numbers you’ve shared with me here are fifteen percent higher than the costs you gave the four restaurants on Main Street that also get their liquor from your company?”

As she’d said that, she’d folded the pricing sheet he’d given her in half and tossed it back across her desk. After she’d spoken, Dresker had raised his eyebrows in surprise that she had that knowledge.

“Businesses talk to each other around here, Mr. Dresker – I have relationships with my colleagues. And I happen to know that these numbers you’re quoting me are different than what you presented to them,” Y/N said to him. “Now, we can either cut the crap and you offer me the same prices as you did to the others, or I can completely transfer our business to my back-up supplier who’s helped us in the past when your company has been out of stock of certain items.”

Dresker’s eyes widened again momentarily before he turned to Tommy and spoke.

“Wouldn’t a change like that be your call, as the owner?” he asked him.

Tommy cocked his head.

“Miss Y/L/N and I make decisions together here, Mr. Dresker,” Tommy replied, highly annoyed that he’d been so disrespectful to Y/N as to ask that question, especially right in front of her.

Tommy glanced at Y/N and their eyes met briefly before he looked back to the man in the chair next to him and continued.

“In fact,” he said, “I leave it solely to her most of the time, as she’s been skillfully running this place since long before I came into the picture. But all that aside, the fact of the matter is that you’ve still quoted us prices that are higher than what you’ve offered elsewhere. I doubt that your superiors would be happy to find out that you lost a loyal client of eight years because you decided to get cocky.” He paused. “You do work on partial commission, yeah?”

Now looking like a contestant in the hot seat, Dresker slowly nodded his head as he realized he’d been bested.

“Well, ball’s in your court, mate,” Tommy finished as he stood from his chair and headed to walk out, stopping as he grabbed the handle on Y/N’s office door. “But I recommend you start over, and try to get on Miss Y/L/N’s good side. Trust me, on her bad side is not a place you want to be.”

Looking at Y/N over Dresker’s head, Tommy gave her a wink before he then opened the door to her office and headed back out into the club.

•.•.•.•.•

“Seriously, love, what are you doing in this industry? You missed your calling as a closer.”

It was later that night – well, 3:00 a.m. the next morning – when Tommy and Y/N finally had the chance to regroup after their meeting that afternoon with Dresker. 

Tommy had had to head to his office across town after their meeting to get some work done, but he’d returned to the club later that evening and spent a few hours going over the books in Y/N’s office. After that, he then made his way to the bar and occupied his usual seat at the far end. While she worked that evening, Y/N would stop by Tommy periodically between tasks, and the two of them had begun creating a schedule and itinerary of sorts for the evaluation of the other clubs Tommy had purchased. While the music wasn’t overwhelmingly loud, Y/N had had to lean across the bar multiple times to get closer to Tommy so that they could hear each other better, and there was no denying how much electricity they each felt when lips were skimming skin as they spoke into each other’s ears.

Now, Y/N just smiled at him over her shoulder as she was replacing a few bottles on the shelf, and Tommy continued.

“Screw this entire club thing,” he said. “You should be working at my office instead. I could use you for business deals.”

Y/N smiled again.

“Nice try, Shelby, but I’m not leaving this job, or abandoning our bet,” she said. “You may have stolen this place from me, but I’m getting it back.”

His expression becoming more serious, Tommy tilted his head.

“I didn’t steal it from you, Y/N. Are you really gonna keep thinking of it that way?”

Y/N fully turned to look at him.

“Well, the way you went about it sure made it feel that way,” she said. “And although you told Dresker that we make decisions together, you have yet to actually consult me on anything. You decided without me that we could no longer give any freebies, and you pulled that shit with the lights. You’ve done everything behind my back, and then expect me to think of it as a favor you’ve done.”

Tommy released a deep breath, bothered by the fact that she still felt this way about everything. He thought she’d come around to being OK with what had happened, but she obviously still had some resentment.

“I told you, love, that was never how I meant it. I’ve only ever tried to put you in a better position.”

Y/N held his eyes intently.

“You need to find a better way to go about it, then,” she replied. “Because how you currently function makes you seem greedy and dishonest, and like you don’t care about people.”

Frowning, Tommy stepped back from the counter and then walked around to the other side, moving to behind the bar and stopping several feet away from Y/N, their eyes connecting again as he spoke.

“Is that really how you see me, love?” he asked her.

Looking back at him, Y/N tilted her head. She opened her mouth and was about to speak, but before she could, they were startled by an ear-piercing bang towards the front of the club.

Both of them whipping their heads towards the noise, they had absolutely no time to even register what was happening before another identical sound rang out, preceding only a second before a man holding a gun appeared from around the corner and strode into the main bar area. Quickly, as he realized what was happening, Tommy tried moving closer towards Y/N to pull her behind him, but she’d already dashed away.

“Y/N!” Tommy called as she became out of his reach, and he saw her dart to the counter at the end of the bar to reach for her phone. But as soon as she grabbed it, she just as quickly dropped it, her hands shaking so wildly that it slipped from her fingers and landed on the floor several feet away. She moved to retrieve it, but another shot rang out as the man fired his gun again, Y/N shrieking in fear as the bullet whizzed past her dangerously close and hit a bottle on the back bar near where she was standing. Glass shattered everywhere and several additional bottles fell to the floor as her heart raced. Tommy looked at her, his heart pounding as he saw how narrowly the bullet had missed her, and he tried to get closer to her as she screamed.

“Don’t move!” the man shouted, still holding up his gun and aiming it at them again. 

Tommy reluctantly froze, his eyes darting to Y/N, but as she took a final step to steady herself, one of the bottles on the floor rolled under her foot, and she yelped again as she slid on it and tripped, falling against the counter, her ankle sprained. The commotion she created startled the man enough to cause him to shoot again, and Y/N cried out a short scream as she ducked. Tommy’s heart still pounding, he quickly shouted as he saw that the man was still aiming the gun towards Y/N.

“HEY!” he called, and the man turned, quickly refocusing on Tommy, aiming at him as they stared at each other. Still ducked down, Y/N quickly dropped the rest of the way to the floor, sliding down the wall of the back bar and landing roughly on her butt, her ankle throbbing. 

“Put your hands on the bar!” the man shouted at Tommy, who could see Y/N down on the floor out of the corner of his eye. Before he raised his hands in compliance, he quickly reached his flattened palm out in gesture to Y/N, indicating to her to stay down. He then slowly lifted his hands up and laid them on the bar top.

“What do you want, man?” Tommy calmly said, trying to keep the guy’s focus on him. As he spoke, Y/N looked up from below and saw Tommy’s face remaining neutral as he got the guy’s attention. Her heart was pounding, worried that Tommy’s attempt to temper the guy would lead to him getting hurt, or worse, shot.

“Where’s the register? Where’s the money? You just closed up, didn’t you?” the man asked, his shouting a stark contrast to Tommy’s calm tone.

Wincing at his volume, Y/N lowered her head again, and as she did, she saw her phone laying on the floor a few feet away, near where Tommy was standing. Slowly, and trying to be as quiet as possible, she shifted onto her hands and knees.

“It’s back here, mate,” Tommy said, still looking at the guy. “But it requires a PIN to open. You’re gonna have to let me move if you want me to open it for you.”

As Tommy spoke, Y/N began slowly crawling towards her phone, and Tommy could see her movements out of the corner of his eye. He silently prayed that she wouldn’t do anything stupid, noticing she clearly had an intention of some kind as she kept crawling closer.

The man took a few steps closer to the bar, his gun still raised, as he responded to Tommy.

“Open it up,” he said to him with a nod and then a jerk of his head, indicating to the register over Tommy’s shoulder.

Slowly, Tommy turned around, and as he did, he lowered his eyes to see Y/N crawl a few more feet across the broken glass on the floor before slowly reaching out with one hand and grabbing her phone, which he now realized was on the floor near his feet. He continued to move intentionally slowly, entering the PIN for the register on the digital screen and then pushing the button to open the drawer.

“It’s all yours, mate,” Tommy said, speaking loudly to try and allow Y/N to whisper without being heard. He intentionally jostled the drawer a bit and made the coins jingle in order to create even more noise.

As Tommy moved and spoke to the guy, Y/N silently opened the screen on her phone and dialed 911. As soon as the operator had answered, she waited until Tommy made noise above her before she whispered into the phone.

“Robbery. Guy has a gun.” She then waited again until Tommy made more noise before whispering their address. She then lowered the phone from her mouth, keeping the call active and silencing the ringer as she set it back down on the floor. As she looked up again, Tommy’s gaze lowered to her once more, and their eyes briefly met before the man with the gun shouted again.

“Hurry up! Now!”

Reaching into the till and pulling out all the cash, Tommy then grabbed the vinyl zip pouch kept next to the register. Slowly turning around, he laid it all on the bar top as he looked at the guy once again.

“Here ,” he said.

Still pointing the gun at him, the guy shouted again.

“Bring it to me!” he said to Tommy, but Tommy remained still.

“You’re the one with the gun, mate,” he said as he looked at him and shook his head once. “I’m not making any sudden movements.”

Narrowing his eyes, the man evaluated Tommy for just another moment before he jerked the gun in a gesture again.

“Put your hands where I can seem them!” he barked at Tommy.

Slowly raising his hands in the air, Tommy remained otherwise still as the guy slowly approached the bar, gun still aimed. Once he reached the counter, he looked at Tommy for just a moment before lowering one of his hands from the gun as he reached out for the stacks of bills in front of them and began hurriedly stuffing them into the vinyl pouch.

Tommy watched the guy for just a moment before quickly looking down to Y/N once more, who was huddling as close to the bar as she could in order to remain unseen. Returning his eyes to the robber, Tommy waited until the guy had lowered his head more while grabbing the money, and then he reached down and quickly grabbed a full, heavy bottle of liquor from below the rail.

In one forceful swing, Tommy lifted the bottle and then brought it crashing down over the guy’s head, glass shattering and liquid exploding everywhere as the guy shouted out and dropped his gun, which landed on the floor somewhere. Y/N winced again and covered her head with her arms as the debris fell down around her.

Immediately, Tommy’s arm then flew outward as he followed up his assault with a powerful blow to the guy’s face. Shouting out, the man stumbled and fell backwards, the punch enough to knock him out, and he landed roughly on the floor, slamming down onto his back.

Once he saw that the guy was unconscious, there was a brief moment of silence before Tommy slowly turned his head, looking down at Y/N who was several feet away and still clinging to the bar. Somewhere in the distance, the sound of sirens became more and more prominent as they approached, and Y/N looked up at Tommy, meeting his eyes as her body was trembling.

Tommy quickly took the steps to get to her, and then he immediately bent down and reached out, securing his arms under hers and pulling her up off the floor. As she reached standing position, Y/N wobbled on her feet slightly as Tommy held her. She raised her head to look in his eyes, and they stared at each other for just a moment before she let out a sob and Tommy pulled her against him.

His arms wrapping around her, Y/N uncontrollably released another sob as she willingly fell against him as the tears began running from her eyes. Hugging him back, she felt his grip protectively tighten around her, and he pressed his cheek against her temple as he spoke quietly to her.

“It’s alright, love,” Tommy said, his voice steady and soothing. “It’s alright now. I’ve got you.”

@nyxxie-pooh @xsweetcatastrophe @betty21rose @allie131313 @febris-amatoria

@beastofburdenxo @hannibellector @meister95 @fairytale07 @alltoowellbeneaththemangotree

@hudson-bay-girl @garrison-girl-08 @devotedlyshadowytheorist @natalie--rushman @galactict3a

@wild-rose-35 @judig92 @ladyvenera @ceirinen @fuseburner

@runnning-outof-time @neonpurplestars89-blog @aphroditeslover11 @peskybinders @yay-im-fucking-trash

@k1ng-l3on @shaddixlife

#modern tommy shelby x reader #modern tommy shelby #modern tommy shelby x female reader #modern tommy #modern tommy fic #modern tommy shelby smut #cillian murphy #cillian x fem!reader #cillian murphy smut #cillian fic #18+ only

[matan4il]

911 ep 710 first watch reactions

Ha, so Chris is upset, Eddie is distraught and his go to person is Buck, who drops everything else and comes over right away. And not for the first, or second, or third time. Yes, this is exactly how every platonic friendship I've ever had has played out.

The way Buck reads Eddie, knows him so well, that Buck can vocalize the part that Eddie can't say out loud right away... Soul mates.

"What you always do." Married soul mates.

LOL The way Hen and Chim don't even blink when Buck and Eddie show up at the hospital together, like the married couple they are. XD

This group of fire fighters being the best amateur detectives on TV since the Scooby Doo gang will never not be funny. Also, highly implausible, but that just makes it funnier.

"You go to hell!" "You first!" So 911 was having a western kink kinda month, and decided to set up this very likely storyline, just to be able to quote Tombstone? Hmmm.

"This one, we both walk out of." See, 911 is the show where I can roll my eyes 30 times during a storyline, but the climax moment still gets to me with its humaneness. That's the show's power. And the follow up reunion with Bobby! I had no doubt he'd live, but it was still very emotional to walk with Athena down the hospital hallway into his room and get to not only see, but also feel it.

"Bobby is the father I've never had." We know, but it was still nice to hear. "Your father's alive." Oh, Tommy. How little you understand Buck. "So maybe we both have daddy issues." "I don't." "But you think I do." "God, I hope so." lol Is this supposed to be flirting? If so, it's so off the mark for me, the dart ended up in outer space. I mean, Buck obviously has daddy issues, and I guess whoever needed that confirmed can celebrate (I'm sure there will be even more fics digging into this now), but pointing that out in the middle of a date is hardly the sexy move this ep's writer seems to think it is? IDK, I'm obviously a Buddie shipper, I like BuckTommy better than any other r/s Buck's had with a non-Eddie person, I do enjoy it as a part of Buck's journey (and I also generally believe in ship and let ship, even when something isn't my endgame), but even if I was a BuckTommy shipper, IDK that I would have liked that line. Especially when it treads a bit close to the issues I had with the BuckAbby r/s, which the show has never properly addressed. Oh, well. I'm still mostly amused that someone thought this was a great flirty line.

"He's 13, he should have a say!" To be heard? Yes. To have the final say? No. He's 13, not 18. There's a reason why at that age, we don't let kids make decisions for themselves yet. Also, the Diaz parents trying to pretend like the fact that Chris suggested him living with them for a while isn't their secret fantasy come true (or that they have no past where they hurt their son with this idea) is just crude. Also, hinting to Eddie that if he doesn't let Chris run away from his problems, then he'll be just like Ramon, is fucked up.

Also, kinda hilarious that Buck and Eddie's daddy issues are both brought up in the same ep. Sometimes being soul mates means exactly that, getting your partner perfectly because you have the same emotional baggage.

So, Chris is leaving, and the first one to talk to him on screen since the Kim debacle, and since he got the green light to go, is Buck? And Buck's also still there for the actual parting moment? Speaking of actual dads rather than bio ones...

I really liked Eddie just hugging Chris, using no words. There might not be anything he can say to fix this right now, but he still loves his son more than anything, and he can still let Christopher know that. And then when the message didn't get through, even though he's not a words person, Eddie managed to verbalize it. Don't mind me, I'll just be bawling quietly in the corner.

Buck's comforting hand on Eddie's shoulder is the real MVP. <3

I'm glad Mara's back in touch with Hen, Karen and Denny, but this feels a bit like a "deus ex machina" moment, even if it's just to wrap up the season finale, and not the final resolution of this storyline.

Bobby and Amir are actually so similar. They both lost everything, they both were at their lowest, they both chose to help others when they had nothing else left to live for. That handshake was a nice ending to their story, and it did feel more "earned" for not coming quickly or easily.

Ha, that ending. It's a good twist of events as a build up for season 8, it's just interesting because 911 doesn't usually do end of season cliff hangers. I also feel like, knowing the show, I can already predict more or less how it will turn out, so I'm not even feeling that much suspense. But it's not a bad turn of events, so long as it works for most viewers, I suppose. Overall, I enjoyed most of season 7, it feels revitalized, better paced and structured (despite being shorter) than seasons 5 and 6, and I have no doubt everyone will flock back to see how things unfold in season 8. Especially when this season was a nice reminder of everything this show can do right, and why we love these characters and fire family so much.

Thank you for reading! If you’re looking for more, you can find my s7 reactions tag here, and more of my Buddie meta and content in my pinned post. xoxox

#911 spoilers #9-1-1 #911 meta #911meta #911 abc #911 show #911abc #911 #911 on abc #911onabc #911reactions #athena grant #bobby nash #bathena #evan buckley #buddie #eddie diaz #buddie meta #karen wilson #hen wilson

[generic-anime-boy-bracket]

Final Round

Kim Dokja vs Shinpachi Shimura

Reasons for being generic + Propaganda below

Kim Dokja

Reasons:

Everything about him screams generic. Generic hair generic face generic eyes (dare I say: generic name). Multiple times in the story he tried to pass himself off as one of his (much handsome-r) companions and everyone is like. Hmmmm I'm not too sure about that. I've heard he's a lot more handsome and you're kind of mid. There's practically a running gag wherein his closest companions say something like "wow kdj has anyone ever told you that you're ugly"

Chapter one he tells us that he’s an ordinary salary worker with no friends whose most interesting hobby is reading webnovels on the subway. This hobby proves to be useful thanks to the entire plot of the story but there is a running gag that people think he looks mid or can’t remember what he looks like at all

Propaganda:

"Hi my name is Kim Dokja :) no there isn't anything weird or off-putting about me :) I am a perfectly normal man :)" <- real quote from Kim Dokja seconds before doing something weird and off-putting Jokes aside he is. Very very generic. It's an actual element in the plot that he's generic. He also keeps trying to convince everyone else he's just some normal dude but he's NOT and they DO NOT BELIEVE HIM He also keeps trying to pass himself off as his much more handsome companion and it only works because they've never seen him before (there's at least three paragraphs every time this happens of "hm no I heard YJH is really handsome. This guy is kind of ugly ngl")

Shinpachi Shimura

Reasons:

black hair - brown eyes - literally 16 - usual attire for the time and place he's from (late 19th century Japan) - glasses (which the other characters mistake for him regularly because of how boring he is) - THE audience surrogate - so generic that in a q&a in one of the anime episodes(https://youtu.be/7GkFQ7nCwPU?t=49), the answer to the "how do i draw Shinpachi" question was "draw [an ordinary guy]. make it lack as much personality as possible. then, give it glasses. <...> all the characters are based on Shinpachi."

Propaganda:

- he ranked 8th in the Gintama popularity poll, and was told in-universe that it's the highest possible position for an ordinary and boring character such as he - the normal one™ in the universe of weirdos and morons (affectionately) - calls everyone out for their bullshit (before doing the same as everyone else) - the braincell holder™ - he's an idol otaku. what's more generic - the straight man™ - he looks even more generic in comparison to the other characters from the same animanga - the only other normal/plain/boring character in the source material is still somewhat bizarre - in the obligatory NGE Congratulations Parody Scene he was parodying Shinji Ikari, The Generic Anime Boy Blueprint

#generic anime boy bracket #tumblr tournament #orv #omniscient reader's viewpoint #kim dokja #shimura shinpachi #gintama

[wordy-little-witch]

Incorrect quotes bc I need some dopamine-

It's long and this is a mix of shit I've heard in my life, random scenes my brain conjures up, and the result of a ridiculous amount of cold medicine.

Roger pirates edition!!!!

Roger: hey buglet, what have you got there?

Buggy: a bomb! :o3

Roger: .... ah. Seems like something a responsible parent would never let their child play with.

Buggy: :o(

Roger: good thing I'm a captain!

Buggy: :oD

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Shanks: Bugs?

Buggy: what?

Shanks: would you love me if I was a worm?

Buggy: .... hmmm....

Shanks: you have to think about it?!??

Buggy: well duh! We're pirates! We're on a pirate ship, dumbass! How would I keep a worm alive, let alone happy and safe, on a pirate ship?? Not to mention all the different species of worms! What kind of worm would you be?? What kind of care would you need? It's a big question- *goes on a tangent about worms, worm care, and is slowly working himself into a panic*

Shanks, who just heard a landlocked girl ask her boyfriend it and wanted to ask buggy bc he thought it would annoy him: .... a h

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Rayleigh: .... what do you have there, Captain?

Roger, holding a baby in a treasure chest and another, smaller baby in his sash: an ADVENTURE!

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Gabban, trying to teach the kids their numbers: one~ twoo~ threeee~

Shanks: t'wee!!!

Gabban: right! And what comes after three? Do you know, Buggy?

Buggy, with the confidence of a pirate toddler: FUCK!!

Gabban:

Rayleigh, appearing out of thin air, menacing smile in place: :)

Gabban: :/

Buggy and Shanks: :D fuck fuck fuck!!!

Rayleigh: remind me to kill Roger later, please.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Crocus: alright boys. Let's work on that math, okay? So, Bug, if you had seven treasure chests-

Buggy: yesss!!!

Crocus: focus! Seven treasure chests. Now Shanks asks for three of them. How many treasure chests would you have left?

Buggy: seven.

Crocus: no, Shanks asked for three of them.

Shanks: it's okay, Buggy, you can keep your treasure!

Crocus: no- I- okay, Buggy has seven chests. I ask for three of them. How many do you have left?

Buggy: seven.

Crocus: okay, I'm not asking, I am taking the three treasure chests by force. How many do you have now.

Buggy: seven and a corpse.

Crocus: .....

Shanks: ......

Buggy: ......

Crocus: ................ is this why Rayleigh made math time my job

Buggy: probably. I bit him last time.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Whitebeard: Roger! I never expected you to take on children! Taking a page from my book, are you?

Roger: something like that hahaha! Eddie, meet my brats! This redhead here is Shanks, he's a tough little cookie.

Shanks: hi!!

Roger: and the bluebelle here is Buggy. He's my little cupcake!!

Whitebeard: aw, because he's small and sweet?

Roger, smiling widely: no, because cupcakes can easily contain many varieties of mortal harm, I have learned, and he is small, cute and deadly.

Buggy, pouting: it was one time!!

Roger: three times, and that's not counting that one time with Garp and the arsenic

Buggy: >:o/

Whitebeard:

The Whitebeard pirates:

Roger: isn't he the cutest??

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Marco: GET YOUR FUCKIN CLOWN-

Shanks: he don't bite

Marco, trying desperately to shake Buggy off of his leg: YES HE DO, HELP-

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Buggy, 3 years old, slams his sippy cup onto the table top: I need a dwink.

Sunbell, trying not to laugh: aw, what's up, little man?

Buggy: S'anks is twyin' my patience. Gimme da good stuffs.

Sunbell: okay. Apple juice or-

Buggy: wum.

Sunbell:

Buggy:

Sunbell: baby bug, rum is for grown ups. How about some milk?

Buggy: no. Papa Rayray has wum when cap'in is being extra dumb. And S'anks is being extra EXTRA dumb ri' now. I need wum.

Sunbell: ...... alright then-

((He does not in face give Buggy rum, but he DOES make a point of saving a small rum bottle to fill with cranberry juice for future reference.))

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Rayleigh: hey, buddy, what's wrong?

Buggy: I have a headache that comes and goes.

Ray: aw, here, let's go to Crocus-

Shanks: hi, Buggy!!

Buggy: there it is.

Rayleigh: ..... yeah Crocus can't help with that.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Buggy, laying on the deck at 3 in the morning:

Roger: bugababy, what are you doing up?

Buggy: what is the point of life, if not only to suffer? What is the purpose of being here if it's all a cyclical preordained destiny of agony and heartache? Why would the Spirits see fit to put us into this hellscape if not for their own sick amusement-?

Roger: Buggy, is this because Shanks ate your gummy worms?

Buggy: that red haired fucker knew they were mine-!

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Shanks: hey, Captain? How does one confess their undying love to someone?

Roger: just because I'm with Rouge doesn't mean I know how it happened, son.

MEANWHILE

Buggy: hey, mom?

Rouge: yes, ma fleur?

Buggy: I think Shanks is in love with me.

Rouge: neat. Do you love him too?

Buggy: unfortunately.

Rouge: nice.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Rayleigh: I didn't choose parent life. Parent life came to me, mid-drink, in the form of an unhinged adult man, and then expanded further with the addition of two tiny humans.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Roger, with Shanks in a front facing baby carrier: you know what's cute than one baby?

Random pirate enemy, trying to figure out why this man showed up to a fight with a baby:

Roger, turning to show Buggy in a carrier on his back: two babies!!!

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Buggy @ Garp: were it not for the laws of this land, I would have slaughtered you.

Gabban:

Shanks:

Rayleigh:

Roger: I mean.... we're pirates, so laws-

Garp, sweating, who just set down a draw 4 in Oro Uno: No, kid's right, gotta listen to the law

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Rayleigh: I have no fear

Shanks, pale and shaking: Buggy hasn't slept in two days he's making bombs

Rayleigh: I have several fears.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Sengoku: Garp, you've been acting strange ever since you came back from your last excursion.

Garp: no i haven't.

Sengoku: you just leveled a circus tent after seeing a bunch of clowns.

Garp, having flashbacks to being bitten by a tiny clown, thousand yard stare: their joyful levity is a lie

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Buggy: if I had a nickel for every time I had a traumatic experience on this damn crew, I'd have enough to pay for my therapy bills.

Shanks: if I had a nickel for every traumatizing experience I had here, I'd have enough to pay for my drinking problem.

Gabban, looking at the 11 year olds: .... maybe pirates aren't built for being parents.......

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Whitebeard: I fear no man.

Also Whitebeard, thinking on that first time he interacted with Buggy one on one: but that thing..... it scares me.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

BONUS CROSS GUILD CONTENT

Buggy: it's hard being Easy, Breezy, Beautiful, Cover Girl, but a bitch makes due

Crocodile: how did you survive this far

Buggy: I may have had rabies

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Mihawk: why does Shanks huddle in a corner when someone plays circus music

Buggy: bullseyes are red.

Mihawk: what does that have to do with-

Buggy: throws a knife and hits dead center of an apple, some unknown source playing circus music in the background

Mihawk:

Buggy:

Mihawk: this explain so much and yet so little

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Crocodile: have you been sneaking money

Buggy: I would love to do that, but unfortunately the clap of my big dumpy cheeks would alert you to my hiding place.

Mihawk, fighting a migraine: do you ever think before you speak

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Buggy: hey, want a card reading?

Crocodile: a what

Mihawk: you read cards?

Buggy, laying a card down: oh, look it's a Caterpie.

Croc+Hawk:

Buggy: I means you're a douchebag.

((Buggy does in fact read tarot cards, smth he and Mihawk eventually bond over))

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Buggy, after almost dying part 2847164917: no mister reaper we have to stop meeting like this....

The guy who just shot him with seastone: what the fu-

#the grim reaper has a crush on buggy send tweet #incorrect quotes #one piece #silly hours #buggy the clown #roger pirates #buggy can be feral #as a treat #cross guild polycule

[rachelsshowerthoughts]

Not Aware AU exactly but kinda tangential. I always toyed with this idea of "Kagami was transferred into Adrien's class when she joined the school."

This could be in S2, or be because Tomoe saw Adrien was attending school and she's got those later season machinations & sends Kagami to make sure he's not snagged by a gold digger.

(In the former case its just in S2, while in the latter it starts after Princess Fragrance.)

This was fine and fun at first, but Kagami is more willing to start shit with Chloe & much less patient with Adrien's continued softness.

Plus, Adrien can't really explain why he's fond of Chloe cos its a mixture between he can't imagine his life without her (Sibling coded) & stuff like, "She was there for me when mom disappeared & got me into school".

This leads to her at some point losing her patience and dragging both off to a classroom and basically saying "Either she needs to improve or you need to drop her, because this cannot go on."

You'd expect it to be a two on one but Adrien's efforts to play peacemaker lead to Kagami arguing with him as well.

Then when one of Chloe's major blows lands hard against Adrien, "Our parents harm more people every day than I do in a year and you still love them, hypocrites!"

It does nothing to Kagami, because she doesn't love her mother, she respects her, obeys her and fears her wrath but she doesn't love her even a little and she assumed Adrien was the same.

He is not the same & is in fact kind of defensive of his father at such a blatant rejection of one's own family and how uncomfortable it makes him.

It basically descends from there, cos I love slow burns but sometimes its just like, "Hmm what if they all started screaming their issues that they do not realize are issues at the top of their lungs?"

None of these kids know therapy talk so their languages on it is already going to be shit even before we remember literally not a one of them has much in the way of healthy communication or good social skills outside of formal events so:

So you have Chloe defending stuff like destroying Roses' letter because "That's how Mama handles it when I give her bad gifts, she's telling me to do better and one day I'll get it right!" As well as "Why would Papa want to see me when he doesn't need me for something? He's not a lunatic control freak like your parents."

Then you have Adrien defending stuff like, "I know my dads cold and has impossible standards and barely lets me do anything I want but he is protective and just wants what's best for me!" & "My mom was always kind to me, she was perfect even if she never let me go out or have a birthday either!"

& Kagami defending Tomoe with, "It doesn't matter how I feel about Adrien, or my instructions, I act as I do because it is for the good of my family. My emotions, my life don't matter at all before that duty!"

So its just three incredibly fucked up abused kids steadily airing each others and their own families laundry list of abusive traits and experiences under the pretext of saying "No my family is normal & OK yours is the bad one" and "How dare you call 'that' bad, when your parent does this!"

(Also Chloe may think Gabriel killed Emilie or otherwise would rather have Adrien sealed in amber forever than as an actual living boy,)

With this continuing until it either gets physical or they basically collapse.

Meanwhile the class is just watching in mounting horror and disgust and discomfort. (Nino is likely especially pissed) Like even with Chloe it may not justify her behavior but it puts so much of it in a new deeply messed up context where it kind of makes sense she doesn't even know how to be nice.

To quote a friend of mine:

The rich kids have taken knives to each other. They've cut open their festering wounds. The rot is exposed, scrubbed raw. While they lie angry, bleeding, crying, and dying [inside], they have the opportunity to look upon themselves once more and apply new dressings.

I can see it, but unless Gabriel is ACTUALLY out of the country, all three get Akumatized. My thoughts are a weird mix Grimm Brothers Fairytales - Cinderella, Snow White, Hansel & Gretel, etc. Not in specific, but like. More fairytale tropes?

Adrien is the "Cinderella"-style. Rapunzel, Snow White-style, "One Day My Prince Will Come"-style. The type of character that has to sacrifice and sacrifice, and will eventually be rewarded. If he does one more photo shoot, one more public appearance, *scrubs one more floor*, his father will finally love him. He'll finally have the happy ending he wants. He just has to stick it out - cause his dad DOES love him, right? (As a possession, if at all.)

Chloé is more of the "Trials"-style. Complete this mission-style. Knit twelve sweaters from nettles, and your brothers will become human again. Find the right goose, and get set free. Defeat the evil witch, and the spell is broken. If Chloé tries hard enough, does and says the right things, her parents will love her, show her affection. She'll finally be worth something. (All of it performative and shallow, until they raise the bar to another impossible height. Always keeping her dependant on them.)

Kagami, weirdly, I see as more endurance, or contract style - like a flipped version of Adrien. She isn’t really trying to "change" her situation the way Chloé or Adrien are, (for value of "trying to change it", ie, playing along with their parents games because that’s all they know to do) she's accepted this is the way it is, and is simply trying to endure it. Go through the motions. Hold up your end of the bargain. Work within the bonds of your deal, to do as little harm as you can, while still fulfilling your end. One day, you'll be out. You'll be free. (As if her mother will ever set her free.)

[merrybloomwrites]

Spencer Agnew - My Favorite Pizza Oven

Summary: Spencer and Y/N spend a weekend babysitting Courtney and Shayne's son.

Word Count: 728

AN: Welcome to the first of 9 weeks of ficlets! Come back every Thursday for a little fic of Reader x Smosh! Most are Spencer x Reader but there will be a couple Ian x Reader and Damien x Reader as well!

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When Courtney came up to you and asked if you and Spencer could watch her and Shayne’s son for a couple nights so they could go on vacation you immediately said yes. 

“Shouldn’t you check if Spencer is on board?” She asked. 

“Trust me, he’ll be on board,” you replied. You and your boyfriend had watched Ryan for a night a few months ago. Spencer had been asking for weeks when you thought the two of you might be able to babysit again. 

“Thank you so much! I’ll text you with the details.”

“Perfect! I’m looking forward to it!” 

“That’s because he’s always a little angel for Auntie Y/N and Uncle Spencer,” she said. 

“Because we absolutely spoil him and say yes to pretty much whatever he wants,” you replied with a laugh. “It’s our right as aunt and uncle!” You add and she conceded, joining in on your laughter. 

Later that night, when you filled Spencer in on your conversation with Courtney he got super excited and started listing all the activities he was hoping to do throughout the weekend with Ryan.

You just listened and sighed, hoping Spencer would behave and you wouldn’t have to rein in two excitable children. 

A couple days before your babysitting duties were set to begin, you and Spencer made a trip to Target after work to stock up on a few things for your home. You’d split up, wanting to get done quickly since it was getting late.

You always worry a bit about sending Spencer out on his own, never knowing what he’ll return with, and your fears are often valid. This time was no exception.

When you met back up, he was carrying a basket with the items on his list, as well as a Play Doh pizza oven set. 

“Are you thinking of getting into crafting now?” you asked, skeptically eyeing the item.

“It’s for Ryan!” he replied. “Shayne said he’s really into play-doh lately so I thought he might enjoy it. And I figured coming in with a new toy might help him be excited for a weekend with us, rather than sad that his parents are leaving.”

“That’s a really good idea,” you replied. You gave Spencer a fond look, as you’re reminded once again how thoughtful this man is. Even after years together you continue to fall more in love with him. Even while standing in the middle of a Target on a Wednesday night.

Two days later you arrived at Shayne and Courtney’s home with your overnight bags, prepared for a weekend of babysitting. Courtney went over all the instructions again, and finally you sent the two on their way to enjoy some time alone. 

As predicted, Ryan was a bit upset seeing his mom and dad leave, but Spencer quickly stepped in and showed him the new toy. It worked like a charm, and the two boys made lots of creations together.

Even better was the moment when dinner arrived. After making plenty of pretend pizzas, Ryan was ecstatic to see they’d be eating real pizza for dinner too! 

The weekend went smoothly, and that plastic pizza oven went everywhere Ryan went. Including the playground. He was truly obsessed. 

“I love this pizza oven!” he exclaimed during breakfast Sunday morning. “It’s my favorite!”

You couldn’t help but laugh as he reminded you so much of his dad in that moment. You had come up with a plan, a perfect way for Ryan to greet his parents when they got back home. 

A couple hours later, when Courtney and Shayne walked in the front door, Ryan had run up to them, new toy in hand.

“Hey buddy! I missed you,” Shayne said, hugging his son tight. “What’s that you got there?”

“It’s from Auntie Y/N and Uncle Spencer! It’s my favorite pizza oven!” All the adults began to laugh, as Ryan practically quoted one of his father's most famous lines.

Later that night, when you and Spencer were back home having dinner, you couldn’t help but think back on the weekend, and how wonderful your boyfriend was with the little guy. Your mind imagined what your future will be like, when you and Spencer have a little one of your own. One look at him told you he was thinking the same thing, and you knew you’d picked a good one.

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AN: Thanks so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed, and can't wait to share more with you!

#spencer agnew x reader

[palmtreepalmtree]

My mom and I have taken two tour-group style outings for day trips outside of Amsterdam. I haven't loved either of them, but there were still things to enjoy about each. They both reminded me of that quote from A Room With a View:

We residents sometimes pity you poor tourists not a little - handed about like a parcel of goods from Venice to Florence, from Florence to Rome, living herded together in pensions or hotels, quite unconscious of anything that is outside Baedeker, their one anxiety to get 'done' and 'through' and go somewhere else. The result is they mix up towns, rivers, palaces in one inextricable whirl.

As hard as we tried to select options with plenty of free time to explore on our own, the logistics of a group tour feel very impersonal and almost time squandering. And the tour groups by design take you to the most touristy places. Theoretically, tour guide help make the experience more interesting, but most of the information is very superficial, nothing a quick internet search wouldn't tell you.

The above photo is from our day trip to Bruges. The tourists (ourselves included) were like ants crawling all over the city. It felt like Disneyland rather than a medieval Belgian city. Hard to appreciate what a special place it is.

On both of our tours, we befriended a solo traveler. I mentioned to mom that as a person who really enjoys solo travel, I don't think I would ever go on one of these excursions alone. I was having a really hard time explaining why.

It's not like these places aren't beautiful or worthy of seeing just because you're traveling alone. And surely there is a convenience in having someone arrange all the transportation for you. But for me the joy of solo travel is the insane amount of freedom I have to do and see whatever I want. And you just don't have that kind of freedom on these tours.

I like taking in a city by wandering around on my own, stopping when I see something interesting and looking it up online. Or following a walking tour at my own pace. Stopping for coffee and just people watching for a while. Learning the neighborhoods and enjoying them. This is a particularly nice thing to do in cities with good public transit or small city centers where I can really roam safely at my own leisure. I like starting in the tourist centers and radiating out. Going to a park or a botanical garden, hitting the museums.

I'm glad I got to see Bruges and Giethoorn, but I probably would never travel this way again.

#drunken musings on travel #missives from abroad