#amanda here. i think this is like . full circle . etc

[mfshipbracket]

#mf ship bracket #mf ship bracket 2023 #bonus round #kylo ren #rey #anti-reylo #reylo #star wars #anakin skywalker #padme amidala #anidala #choice contender for one of the funniest bonus round polls #i call this matchup: “is attempted murder a valid love language?” #amanda here. i think this is like . full circle . etc

[qvid-pro-qvo]

under the cover of night (part i)

mike dodds x gender neutral reader. reader is a detective with the special victims unit. mike dodds is alive and sergeant of svu. special thanks to @writefasttalkevenfaster for the suggestions she gave, and @crazyshannonigans for the beta. 

part one. part two. part three.

word count: 4749

rating: mature, for the pain of having to hide what’s already hidden (canon-typical violence and themes here, with mentions of alcohol, rape, murder, etc. also, mike is reader’s superior)

-

Undercover operations are always a little bit complicated.

The case itself is straightforward, if not incredibly heartbreaking. A trafficking ring targeted towards couples, with an online storefront for access. The squad has been on them for a month now, and each step closer seems to bring you all two steps back.

But that doesn’t matter, when in the moment, you’re so damn close.

“Hey,” Mike murmurs, catching your attention with a squeeze of his hand. “You all right?”

“Yeah,” you reply, mouth quirking up as you squeeze his hand back. “I’m good. Just thinking.”

“About?” he asks, and you just squeeze his hand again, shaking your head with a little laugh as you feel him pull you just a little closer. His hand leaves yours, and when his arm wraps around you, falling into his side feels like the most natural thing in the world.

Maybe because it is. It is easy to follow his lead, to lean close, push up to whisper into his ear. It’s also easy to muffle the mic against your shirt, pressing against Mike’s side so that the sound goes fuzzy. “Nothing for the peanut gallery,” you murmur, and his answering huff hits your hair.

“Understood, detective,” he whispers back, and dares a kiss against your temple, hiding his movements behind your head so the van can’t see.

A straightforward case. A simple undercover. What could possibly make it complicated?

Well.

For a few incredible, secret months, you and Mike Dodds have actually been dating. Secret because he’s your superior officer, secret because of his father, and secret because the thought of waiting for the necessary channels, for when it would be proper, makes your skin itch when you know you aren’t gonna let this guy go.

At first, you’d thought it was a joke, getting that text from Liv. Getting that text from Liv while your feet hit against Mike’s under the table. Getting that text from Liv while having dinner with Mike Dodds, a date to finish up the end of the week, on the other side of town where other SVU detectives or nosy A.D.A.s couldn’t stumble upon the two of you. You’d chuckled when you’d gotten it, barely reading the message to the squad.

“Someone’s gonna be having fun,” you’d chuckled, shaking your head before putting your phone down. The word undercover had been the only thing that’d stuck out, and it was easy to know that you were not usually first pick.

Mike’s lack of response probably should’ve been your first clue. But it wasn’t. You’d just started chatting about something that’d happened at your gym when you realized that Mike had… had actually opened the text.

“Mike,” you’d laughed, reaching for your glass. “Come on. They’ll be fine without us.”

And when he’d cleared his throat, reached to smooth down the front of his shirt and raise a brow at you, well.

That was the hint.

“No,” you’d blurted out.

“Oh, yeah,” he’d responded, and you’d watched him try a small smile as he lifted his hand for the check.

The problem was that you were just the type that was needed – it was hard to ignore when the victims looked a lot like you, and a lot like him. When the targets were professional couples looking for a little bit of fun to “spice up” their sex life, you and Mike, side by side, could’ve been the blueprint.

“The perfect ploy,” Liv had told the two of you as you stood in front of her. Fresh off of trying to look like the two of you weren’t on a date together, smiling together for a photo she could upload onto the page that Amanda was meticulously crafting. “Thanks for doing this, guys. If we set up the profile tonight, we could have a hit as early as tomorrow morning. Find out who’s giving up these couples to the wolves.”

“It’s no problem,” Mike told her, then, hand still around your waist as she lowered her phone camera.

“Our job, isn’t it?” you said with a smile, not thinking about how you hadn’t pulled away.

And then Liv had glanced up to the both of you. A hint of a smile had played across her lips, especially as the two of you almost jumped apart at her raised brow. “We’re done with pictures now. Go look over Rollins’ work, see if it needs any personal touches.”

All of that led up to now. Running your hand up Mike’s bicep in full view of the crew. Your hands interlocking as you lean back with the sound of Liv’s voice in your ear, telling you that the mic was getting caught on his jacket. The feeling of your bodies flush against each other, glancing toward the door while waiting for your contact to arrive.

“Copy that, Lieutenant,” you say, trying to stifle your little grin so the rest of the squad can’t hear the delight in your features. “Any sign?”

“Nothing,” is Carisi’s tired response, and you can hear every inch his jaw stretches with the yawn he manages. “Dead out here.”

“Nothing from this side,” Rollins reports, her voice a little more like a tin can thanks to the distance.

“Think we can call it an early night, then?” Fin asks. “I don’t see any of you standing out in the cold.”

You can’t help your chuckle, but then there’s a sharp intake of breath from Carisi. “Looks like you just jinxed it. Look. Coming from our right, just passing the awnings.”

“That’s him.” Liv’s voice has a tone to it that makes your back straighten subconsciously, a warning that lifts Mike’s arm to wrap around your waist. “All right, guys. You’re on. Remember. We need him to tell us who he sends addresses to.”

“Copy that,” you reply, and Mike’s grip is firm. You look down at your boyfriend - well. Fake boyfriend, you suppose. “Showtime, sergeant.”

His name is Will. He’s a handsome guy, with a brilliant smile and a laugh that’s contagious. You and Mike stand to greet him, and when he shakes his grip is firm, just enough.

“Well. The picture doesn’t do the two of you justice,” he says with a grin, taking Mike in with an unsubtle up and down that makes you smile despite the situation. “I’m loving the no-tie look and show-stopping smiles.”

The answer you each give is a sheepish laugh, and you feel Mike’s hand squeeze on your waist. “Isn’t he a charmer?” you say to Mike lightly, and Will shrugs, faux-humility oozing.

“I do my damnedest. Why don’t we get a couple of drinks? Get to know one another.”

“Sounds fine by me,” Mike says in a low rumble, all warmth. It makes your hand on his back move up to his neck, playing with the baby hairs there.

“Me, too,” you agree. “What’s your order, Will? We’ll cover.”

There’s about half an hour of small talk. The conversation moves… easily enough. Verbal flirting, gentle pushes, but nothing that tells you he’s willing to come along to the hotel room you have the key to.

It’s at forty-five minutes you decide to make a move. You’re standing in between the two of them, Mike and Will, and you find yourself mimicking what you’re doing on Mike’s end with Will. Little leans closer, as much as you can manage, fingers on his arm, on his shoulder. It’s blatant, more than a little, and you try to play up the drinks as much as you can when they’re notably virgin on your end. But Mike…

God, but Mike.

It’s like a bungee cord. Pushing in to Will gets you a pull back into Mike’s side. No matter how much you try, you’re urged back close to him. It gets to the point where Will is getting visibly turned off by Mike’s movements, at the way he’s pulling you back from him.

You know, in your brain, he’s just trying to protect you. Every time Will touches you, you feel the tension from him. You both know what he does with his little team, what the body count has been.

But it’s the operation. It’s undercover.

Will’s hand reaches for yours, the one that’s settled on his knee. He covers your fingers, interlocks your hands, and you don’t hide your little laugh, ducking your head.

You feel that tug again. The bungee cord yanking you back to reality, Mike’s arm on your waist pulling you against him. It makes Will clench his jaw, makes you wince as you press against him and close your eyes tight.

“Mike,” you say, sharp, stern. His fingers release suddenly, and you almost stumble at the lack of pressure against your side.

“Sorry,” he mutters, not sorry in the slightest. You can see it in the tension of his shoulders, the feeling of his hand on your back in smooth circles. “Just…”

Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Will’s eyeing the both of you now, and you can see the suspicion start to close him off. His arm lifts from the bar, his finger on the back of your hand pulling away. He’s assessing Mike, and there’s a squint that makes you nervous. Makes you scramble.

“Mike, honey,” you say. “Why don’t you get the next round?” Your eyes don’t leave Will, who’s now facing you completely. It’s as if Mike doesn’t exist, and in that moment, you’re very much okay with that.

You know he wants to argue. Wants to keep himself glued to your side. But another look from you keeps his mouth shut, and when he nods, it’s with a small smile. Polite. Banal. He can’t help himself completely – a kiss to your temple that makes Will’s lips twitch – but you don’t look up when he does so, a dismissal in and of itself.

It’s only when Mike is out of supposed earshot that you start talking, glancing over your shoulder for the show of it. After all, Mike can hear every word.

“Sorry about that,” you sigh out. “This is our first time, and… he wants everything to be perfect. Still trying to figure out what he wants.”

“I know that feeling. And I don’t blame your beau.” Will’s voice is sympathetic, and he lifts his hand again to trace along your knuckles. “Hard not to feel that way with two pretty people to impress.”

In your head is a mantra to yourself. Flirt. Flirt like your life depends on it.

“If you’re worried about being impressive, trust me, you don’t have to,” you laugh out, leaning forward with a conspiratorial glance around the bar. “I would venture to say that’s what makes Mike a little nervous.”

“You think?” his voice goes similarly low. “A man like that? Nervous about me?”

You watch his eyes glance towards where Mike is – yours follows easily. In that moment, you see what he sees. Strong, tall, broad-shouldered, great ass. You have to fight your grin, the little rush of possessiveness that you get when he glances back and sees you. He smiles, bright and easy, like every smile he gives you, and you force yourself to look back at the man you’re trying to seduce.

“Look,” you murmur, and push forward so your mouth is by his ear, your fingers reaching up to run down his chest, play with a button. “We saw your photo, and he couldn’t… control himself.”

Not true. Mike had given a little fist pump at the sight of Will because of his connection to the case, had grinned at you with the victory. But that didn’t matter, because Will was looking, too, and turned to look at you once he’d gotten his fill. “Give him another chance,” you push. Push without being pushy, urge him without seeming urgent. Let your fingers slide down his chest to rest over his hand. “He’ll play nice. I’ll make sure of it.”

There seemed to be a beat. Will’s eyes scanning yours. And then he smirks.

“You have a room?” he asks.

Got him. “Upstairs. Why don’t you come up?”

“That’s it,” Liv’s voice sings in your ear. You fight the urge to turn your head to it. “Get him up there, then figure out what he knows.” She sounds proud, and you try not to preen at it either. Letting all your pleasure show in your smile that you hope looks a little wicked.

“Should we bring the drinks?” you ask. Knowing that the drink you’re getting is as virgin as Mike’s is.

“No,” Will replies, and he presses a kiss to your cheek. “Get your handsome man.”

You turn over your shoulder. Smile at Mike, who smiles back again when he catches your gaze. You tilt your head with a nod, and he gets the picture, waving off the bartender, offering over a bill before taking a few steps towards you.

Will’s hand settles on your back. You try not to flinch away from it, try to lean into it, even, and smile as you both turn towards where the bar leads up into the hotel. “Lead the way,” you tell him, and he smirks. 

You hear Liv’s voice in your ear. “They’re heading upstairs.”

The walk is easy. You know Mike is only a few steps behind, you can hear his light footfalls, but soon he’s right beside the both of you.

“313,” You say against his ear, loud enough that Mike can hear. You hand your boyfriend the key card, and Will presses a kiss against your temple right where Mike did earlier. You try not to squirm with it, just let out a light chuckle as Mike takes the card.

“Perfect,” the bastard responds, and when you smile at him it’s real enough. “I’ve got a surprise for you, once we’re inside.”

“Oh, yeah?” you say, keeping your voice low and breathy. You watch Mike push the door open, moving forward with Will to follow him. His hand drops from touching you, and you can’t help your sigh of relief. Almost there.

That’s when you feel the gun against your back.

You can’t help the way your breath hitches. Mike turns around once he’s in the room, and you swallow tightly. There’s a digging, and you’re urged forward, stumbling as you feel Will’s hand grip your side.

“Keep walking,” he snaps. “That’s it. Let your boyfriend get a good look at you.”

“Sweetheart?” Mike’s voice is concerned, and you can tell it’s not something faked for the squad. “What’s going on?”

“Drop the act, officers,” Will snarls. “And get in the damn room.”

“Dodds?” Liv’s voice is in your ear and Mike’s at the same time, and you both wince with it, the sudden sharpness. “What’s going on?”

You’re pushed forward again, the only thing touching you now the barrel against your back. Your mind is racing, and you close your eyes, take a deep breath. “Will, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you whisper, hands lifting slowly. “There’s no need for… for a gun.”

Carisi’s voice is next, sharp. “Did I just hear ‘gun’? Lieutenant –”

“Dodds, report!”

Mike’s voice is hard. “Will, what’s going on? Come on, let my –”

“Oh, shut up.” The gun moves to your side, and Will’s grip on you returns, this time grabbing your bicep to yank you close. “Any wrong moves and I blow a hole into your partner’s side, here. Now, sit.”

Mike’s ass hits the bed quick, and you can see the way his whole body tenses when he’s down. He’s not rigid, no – you know that any wrong move from Will and he’ll leap up, rush the other man, have him down in three seconds flat. It’s only his jaw that clenches, and you watch him roll it slowly as Will shuts the door with a well-placed kick of his foot.

“This is how we’re gonna do this,” Will says. His voice is right by your ear, and you can’t see him, can’t see what Mike sees that makes him push a slow breath through his nose. “You, Mike, walk out of here. I keep your partner for insurance, and I wait for my ride. When they get here, the two of us take a little trip, and I drop your partner off at a payphone.”

A couple of slow breaths from Mike. You do your best to match them, to think. “What’s the catch?” you ask, and you just know the bastard is smirking.

“Anyone follows, I make sure that there’s nothing about this pretty face you can recognize.”

There’s a pause. There’s a lot of reasons you love Mike. He’s one of the bravest cops you’ve ever known. But that bravery makes him tilt his chin up, makes him look Will dead in the eye.

“No.”

Will growls, jabs the gun deeper into your side. You can feel it pressing into your ribs, right against the bone that a bullet would surely shatter.

“You’re a petty burglar, Will,” he continues, and lets his hands push off of his knees as he rises to his full height. He takes a step towards the both of you, and you feel Will drag you back, lift the gun to point at him.

“Fuck off and get back on the bed. I will shoot –”

But he doesn’t. Of course he doesn’t. It makes your breath hitch, the way that Will’s arm is now lifted to push against your neck. “We’re Special Victims Unit,” Mike urges him. “You’re not for us. We want the people who rape and kill right after you. You understand?”

“Mike, just go,” you snap, your anger, frustration, fear getting the better of you. But Mike, stubborn asshole that he is, stays firmly planted. He’s not even armed, and yet he stays, arms raising up, eyes steady as he looks at Will. “I’ll be fine.”

“I’m not leaving you,” Mike says to you, watches as the gun presses more firmly against your side. Anyone else would think he was unfazed, but you see the way his jaw twitches at the sight of you so vulnerable. “Let’s talk about this, Will.”

“Talk about what? All your friends surrounding the building as we speak?” he snaps, and you feel the barrel against your skin as your shirt rides up. It makes you wince, the feeling, and Mike’s slow blink is measured.

“They’re not. Let’s talk about what I can do for you.”

You can hear Liv talking in your ear. Of course, they are. In ten this whole block will be cut off. But Mike just smiles, a little small one. “We just need information,” he says. “We don’t need you; we don’t want you. All we want is who you tell about the couples. Who’s the one who hurts them?”

Will’s voice is short. “I don’t know. Now get out.”

Mike doesn’t. “How do you tell them? That these people are vulnerable? That they’re sleeping?”

“Mike –” you try, but Will is talking over you before you can get much more out.

“Get out!”

“Will, you and I both know you do.” Another step, and you can see the gun shaking as Will points it, the tremor in his voice overtaking his attempt to assert any authority. “You know who comes in. Who slashes their throats. Who makes sure they can’t scream while they –”

“Stop!” Will screams, a half-sob.

Everyone goes silent. Mike, Liv, Carisi. Any chatter dies, and your breath stops.

You wait for the shot that doesn’t come.

“Stop.” The gun is back against your side, but it’s held loosely, and it’s not pointed to you. Mike tracks it with his eyes, meets yours, before taking another step. “Stop, I don’t – I don’t know them, okay? They pay me, okay? I send a text, they send me money, and – and I don’t have to do anything –”

Mike’s voice is so, so gentle. “I know. I know, Will. You steal. You take what you need, don’t you? What you can sell. They kill. They murder. You got caught up in the wrong crowd. Let us help you.”

Will’s sobs are hiccupping now, and you can feel the way the gun is trembling against you. He’s nothing like the confident man he plays, now, the façade cracking under the right kind of pressure.

Fear.

“Let us help you. All you have to do is give the gun to me, Will.”

Your eyes are closed now. You can’t watch Mike take those steady steps forward, closer and closer to a loaded pistol. All you can do is take a deep breath in, and out, and in, holding, holding, holding –

The gun drops. You hear its clunk on the carpeted floor, feel the way Mike’s hands grab at your wrist and yank you aside. You’re barely registering Mike’s voice as you gasp for air, hands trembling as they grip your knees and you bend over, trying not to retch.

Fuck.

There’s a commotion. Up the steps. You can hear Liv shouting orders in your ear, and you lift a hand to the comm piece carefully, still heaving a little. “Suspect – suspect detained. Stand down, suspect detained.”

“Are you both all right?” Liv shouts, and you hear the sirens outside. “Tell me you’re both all right. Sergeant, report!”

You’re still trying to catch your breath. “We’re fine, lieutenant. Just. We’ll be down soon.”

When you’re able to stand upright, you turn to see Mike. He’s got Will’s hands behind his back, and when the door flies open Sonny tosses him a pair of handcuffs.

“Sergeant,” he acknowledges, and then his eyes fall on you. “You all right?”

“Fine,” you say. “I’m fine.”

“You need to get checked out,” Mike says immediately, and you feel your brow furrow at him, a glare. He’s looking at you intently, and you feel your jaw clench as you rub your hand over your forehead.

“I’m fine –” you try, feeling your hackles raise at the overprotectiveness for the second time that night. He might be your boss, but you know that this isn’t coming from a sergeant to his detective, and it makes your stomach churn.

But your words are dismissed with his turn back to Sonny. “You’re getting checked out. Are there paramedics down there?”

“There’s an ambulance,” Sonny confirms, but his voice is a little hesitant, looking between the two of you.

“Head down. I’ll handle Will and get him to Liv and Rollins.”

It’s an order, or at the very least sounds like one. You glance at Sonny with a small shake of your head before moving towards him. His hand goes to your shoulder, squeezes it, but you just shake your head again before moving through the halls of the hotel, jogging down the flights you need to before emerging into crisp night air.

They check you out, the paramedics. There’s nothing really wrong, besides the way that your heart rate hasn’t seemed to calm down. So you lean there, on the ambulance, trying some deep breathing to ignore the cool metal you swear is still on your skin.

And then Mike emerges.

He walks Will to the squad car. Loads him up, handcuffed, mournful. He talks with Liv, easy, solemn, and then immediately makes a beeline towards you. You don’t know what to say to him. There’s so much in your head, none of it particularly pleasant. All you see is his eyes widening, his hands up, the way he walks closer after you beg him not to, so clearly ready to risk it all to save you –

Yeah. Great feeling to have that on your conscience.

“What the hell, Mike?” you mutter. The back of the ambulance is cold against your body, and you shiver and wrap the shock blanket around you a little tighter. You’re fine, and you’ll stand by that. “What the hell were you thinking in there?”

You’re just exhausted now. Your bones are weary, and you can still feel the place where the gun was digging into you – it’s not bruised, you’re certain, but that ghost of a gun will linger the rest of the day.

“I was thinking that I needed to get us out of there alive,” he says, and you glance up at him before shaking your head, pulling the blanket tighter. “Are you all right?”

You nod, but it’s small. “Look, you should’ve left me in there. You were guaranteed an out –”

“Neither of us were guaranteed anything. I saw I could talk him down, so I did.”

“And if it’d gone wrong? Mike, you can’t keep throwing yourself into danger, and especially not for –”

“I can make that decision for myself,” he interrupts. Again. And you feel yourself tensing, pushing off of the ambulance to narrow your eyes at him.

“Can I speak, please?” you say. It’s sharp, and it gets his attention. Makes him stand still, lift his chin at you. “You can’t keep doing that. Your life is not expendable. Not for me. Not ever for me.”

“My life isn’t worth much at all if I have to step aside when you’re in danger. It wasn’t about whether or not we’re together, and I wasn’t solely motivated by the fact that I’m your boyfriend.”

“Okay, yes, you’re my – my boyfriend,” you shoot back, and it’s a hiss coming out of your mouth. “But today, in those moments, we’re not dating. You shouldn’t be motivated by that at all. We were undercover – we were cops. You were my sergeant. You have to realize –”

“You surely can’t expect me to just sit back and turn off the fact that I care about you,” Mike scoffs, and you find yourself inching towards the edge of a breaking point.

You throw your hands in the air. The paramedic inside the ambulance almost gets hit in the face as he steps out before you’re pinching your nose, taking a breath in and out. “No, but do you think I could finish a damn sentence?”

His jaw ticks before he relents. “Okay. Fine. Say what you want to say. I’m all ears.”

The two of you are nose to nose, now. Bristling with the exhaustion, the fear, the energy that’s built up and pent up.

“What I wanna say? Fine. You know what I wanna say? It’s that your attitude almost blew this whole thing!” you shout back, and you see Mike’s shoulders tense, the way his breath goes low and slow through his nose. “What the hell were you thinking, going at his throat like that?”

“I was thinking that he was putting his hands on you,” Mike mutters. “What, I can’t look out for you now?”

“Are you kidding?” you retort. You’re incredulous, and you have to force your voice low before speaking again. “It’s an undercover operation. Not the time to suddenly be aware of us. And not exactly a great look for a couple of undercover swingers to be so damn stingy, Dodds.”  

His brow is furrowed deep as he looks at you, breath coming in short huffs, and when he rolls his eyes, it stings. “All right. Well, since it’s so easy for you to forget you have a boyfriend, I’ll stop acting like one. How about that?”

The silence is heavy. It seems to push down on you, from all sides, and you find yourself falling back against the ambulance. His words seem to crash on him once they settle on you, and his whole body slumps.

“I didn’t mean –” he sighs out. He sounds so… defeated, but you just rub your hands over your face as he takes a step closer to you. “You know I –”

“I know what you meant, Mike,” you say, and there’s nothing but exhaustion that bleeds into your tone. “Just. Go see Liv. I’m fine.”

He starts to reach out to you. “Baby…”

“Baby? Nice try.” It’s said with a scoff, and you just pull away, standing tall again and brushing him off. When you move, it’s to walk towards one of the squad cars. “I’ll see you at the precinct, sergeant.”

“Wait – don’t –“

But your steps are quick and focused, to where Liv and Amanda stand. You tell your lieutenant you’ve been cleared, and then you’re free to go. Precinct for paperwork, home for the night, and knowing that Mike won’t dare to be right behind you.

- 

tag list: @crazyshannonigans // @hurricanejjareau // @writefasttalkevenfaster // @altsvu // @ssaic-jareau // @encounterthepast // @mijop // @1234-angelika // @wanniiieeee // @averyhotchner // @barbasbodaciousbeard // @xxlovingfandomsxx 

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#my fic #mike dodds x reader #mike dodds #gender neutral reader #canon-typical violence #tw alcohol mention #tw rape mention #law and order: svu #olivia benson #sonny carisi #amanda rollins #odafin tutuola

[the-last-rat-standing]

i read many articles about her (because i wanna know about Maria's fiancee) tbh i felt Maria's too kind for her. #justmyopinion

I generally keep my opinions on those matters to myself (or I share my judgments privately with friends. Lol!), so I won’t comment on their engagement here. I don’t know them. If they’re happy, I’m happy for them. That’s not to say you can’t have your opinions! When people put their private lives out there for public consumption, that’s the trade-off they create.

My public opinion as more to do with this odd disconnect wealthy people seem to have with the reality of day-to-day average (read: poor/financially troubled) people. We’ve all seen the McDonald’s/Visa ‘budget’, where they legitimately think an average person can not only live on $2060 a month, but is expected to work 2 jobs to do it. Two full-time jobs. Not 2 part-time jobs. Not 1 full-time job and 1 part-time job. Two full-time jobs. We’ve seen where Bill Gates doesn’t know the price of, well, anything related to daily life. (Google his appearance on The Ellen Show.) And yes, I know Mr. Gates gives away hundreds of millions to charity. But he’s still worth 113 BILLION DOLLARS. And don’t get me started on Jeff Bezos. 

The thing is, we have no problem seeing that and ranting about it. We’re ‘woke’. There should be no billionaires, they should pay more, etc. Of course they should. But part of what I see following Maria Bello on Instagram is how it’s not always about the super-rich; it’s about people who have grown accustomed to a certain lifestyle that prevents them from relating to someone not inside their financial circle. I was gobsmacked when Amanda Demme bitched about not being able to claim Covid employment insurance because she was a freelance photographer. Yeah, a freelance photographer whose portfolio is bursting with photographs of some of the most famous people in the world. A freelance photographer who was legitimately complaining that she didn’t know what she was going to do. (Fortunately, she somehow found enough money to go on a cross-country road trip with friends and family.) Bet she doesn’t live on $2060 a month.

And, I’m afraid, it appears that Dominique Crenn is no different. Don’t get me wrong, I think her heart’s probably in the right place on most things. But setting up a gofundme page for employees she had to lay off due to Covid was a really bad misstep. (The irony is, even Maria donated to the page!!) There’s so much good intent with so little reality. Crenn Kits that offer you a chance to experience fine dining, with the recommendation that you buy an extra one so that the restaurant can give it to someone in need. Yes, I know the restaurant business has some of the finest profit margins of any industry, and that Covid is putting the hurt on so many, but you mean to tell me Atelier Crenn couldn’t give out free meals? (Interesting that they did it later, when they bought all that food thinking the restaurants were going to open, only to have California close them again.) To put it in perspective, even with a nearly 50% loss due to Covid, her 3 restaurants will make anywhere between $5 and $8 million this year.

By all means, have the money and spend it how you like. I don’t get on Mark Harmon’s case for buying $12,000 Omega watches, but that’s because 1. I know of his quiet philanthropy and 2. He doesn’t ask for charity when he can damn well afford it while he’s wearing that $12,000 Omega.

(Wow, this ended up being much longer than I anticipated! Guess I really needed to rant! Lol!)

#Anonymous

[productivelia]

Starting a Bullet Journal ...

Well my tips on how I started.

So I got a comment underneath my post asking for advice on how to start a bullet journal and what supplies to get. There’s a couple of other bujo-ers (is that even right?) who have mentioned their tips but here’s mine.

I unfortunately found out about bujos when I was getting ready to graduate but it still helps me productively and creatively. Now like everyone tells you .. you don’t need fancy materials to start bullet journaling unless you want to. Bullet journaling is to keep you productive and on task. Okay here’s my tips hope they’ll help! (& omgosh sorry it’s so long!)

Find inspiration : look at others bujos for inspo.

I started April 2018. I searched #bulletjournal on Instagram and tumblr to see how everyone was doing their journal. I even looked it up on YouTube and found Amanda Rach Lee which really helped me start. From there I would practice calligraphy in class and my friends would give me words to write down (pay attention in class don’t be me lol). If you look at my journal you’ll see I don’t really do calligraphy because I like the way I write my headings and all as a regular handwriting type. I’d also test practicing drawing banners, weekday titles, and others until I figured out what I wanted.

Figure out what format you like

Everyone has different ways to format their weeklies and monthlies. I talk about these later on but I usually do one page of my week and the other page is an overview. When I started, I put the weekdays on both pages and added little things like a full week overview at top. Some make rectangles of each weekday on both pages. You really need to try different ones to find out what you like. I say start simple and add on as time goes to see what it is you truly like. I found my way as time went on and I still look at inspos.

Supplies

Here’s what I got when I started:

- a muji a5 dotted notebook

- muji washi tapes (the red set with the polka dots and the neutral set with gray, brown, and red tape)

- crayola super tip markers

- a muji 0.7 blue pen (my favorite)

- Tombow black pens for calligraphy on amazon (thick and thin)

Yeah ... a lot of muji but they’re not that expensive. As time went on I got other supplies but as a start, all you need is a book you want to start in. It can be lined, grid, or dotted and it doesn’t need to be from muji. Some people have midori or moleskine but there’s a bunch of others especially on amazon. I personally like dotted but for my personal journaling I tried grid and it was pretty nice. Any markers work and so does any pen. If you want to do calligraphy I suggest the Tombow pens but you can also fake calligraphy with a regular pen by making down strokes thicker.

Simple points of journals and pages

Here’s what’s in most people’s journals. Again you don’t need to follow them.

- a key: task, completed, next time, cancelled, events, etc. Mine is a empty circle, filled circle, circle with an arrow, crossed out, and a triangle in that order. For birthdays mine is a cake with a candle. Yours can be anything.

- some people do a year overview in the beginning of the book

- a month’s cover (this year I do this with the number and a quote) simple or themed again up to you

- monthly calendar (can be full two pages, a half a page with monthly goals ... I add monthly victories, monthly horoscope, and a gratitude circle)

-weeklies (mon-sun or sun-mon which ever way you like. Some people add trackers, a weekly overview, quotes, etc. It’s really up to you)

- tracker as a page or in your weeklies or both really (I don’t do trackers because I find they don’t help me 😅 I track on my phone) if you want to track your habits you can make one. Some track water intake, spending and budgeting, exercise, mood, etc.

Making your journal “pretty or aesthetic” (it’s probably the reason you feel you don’t know how to start)

You don’t need to make your journal pretty or aestheticly pleasing. You really don’t. But it’s probably what you want yours to look like or the reason you feel you don’t know how to start. I can’t tell you how to do that but if it helps ....

I say start with a theme — Most journals either have a theme for the month or they go with their own flow. When I started I did clouds .. regular puffy clouds and added them in different ways around the journal. Now I go with a palette and if a theme pops up for me with that color, I use it.

Get 3 colors in markers. A highlight, a main and accent color. These can change around (your highlight can be a main and your main can be an accent, etc.) but this will help you keep a “vibe” going.

Fill space. You also probably think you need to know how to draw. Not true. There’s many ways to fill space. I make “scratchy try to be contour drawings” sometimes lol. It’s your journal make it how you want it. But seeing that you want yours to look “aesthetic” use the two points above and doodle little things around your weeklies. Oh! or you can get stickers if you don’t want to draw. They really help fill space. Or you can use your washi tapes. You don’t have to draw all the time. That’s only if you feel it’s to bland or empty

Now if you’re asking how to start a “studyblr” mines is not really a studyblr more of a productiveblr and if that’s not a thing well mine is lol. Just start. Take pictures of your book in a style you want and post it. Hashtag them with hashtags like studyblr, studygram, studyspo, bujospo things that go with what your posting and people will gravitate to your blog .. it takes time of course.

——

I really hope that answered what you asked for and I hope it helps anyone else who’s wondering how to start. You can look at others for how to start. There’s @eintsein @hannybstudies @studylustre @studyquill @stillstudies and much more that can also help. I believe some of them are also still in school if that’s something you’re looking for too. 🙋🏾‍♀️

#bullet journal #how to start bujo #bujo #productivity #tips #supplies #stationary #help #bujospo #studyblr #studygram #pages #productivelia #bujocommunity #bujoideas

[holymyth]

damon    +    sorting .

okay,   so as someone who’s super sick of seeing the tvd characters thrown into houses at face - value,   i got invested in sorting damon in a way that was somewhat unbiased .     throwing him into slytherin just because he’s a ~bad guy~ is such a cop out and failure of me to properly analyze his personality,   so i started diving into house analyses in order to help understand my own take on his characterization,   since those of you who were with me at eternaels know my goal is to completely revamp him as a character .      so i hope you’re ready to buckle up for this NOVEL of a post .      by the way,   all things quoted in this post are coming from this post analyzing the houses per potterm.ore .      xoxo gossip amanda

𝑔𝑟𝑦𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑜𝑟      ---      let’s  start  with  the  staple  harry  potter  house .      courage,   bravery,   chivalry,   blah  blah  blah .      this  is  my  own  house,   so  initially  i  wouldn’t  have  pegged  damon  as  a  gryff .      but  the  more  i  got  thinking,   the  more  i  do  see  certain  traits  from  this  house  in  him .      he’d  be  a  very  unhealthy  sort  of  gryffindor,   the  more  recklessly  impulsive  type  with  little  consideration  for  any  casualties  or  trouble  left  in  his  path,   but  some  of  that  gryffindor  fire  can  be  seen  in  him  throughout  canon .      “ gryffindors  also  like  being  around  people .      they’re  not  group - focused    [   .   .   .   ]    and  hate  being  bored .       (    they may feel the need to make a little mischief to keep from being bored .    )      a  gryffindor  never  has  to  worry  about  being  overlooked    -    they  need  to  keep  friends  around  them  and  are  a  more  extroverted  house  on  the  whole,   but  they’re  generally  too  active  to  be  ignored . ”      damon  definitely  has  the  extroverted  tendencies  gryffindors  typically  have,   and  his  ‘mischief’  often  comes  in  the  form  of  more  destructive  habits .      whether  it’s  self - aimed,   or  the  trouble  he  stirs  with  other  people  in  his  life .      he’s  not  the  type  to  shy  away  from  conflict  the  way  some  other  houses  might,   and  he  doesn’t  flinch  away  from  risks  at  all .      he’s  often  one  of  the  first  to  jump  into  action,   with  the  kill  first  think  later  attitude,   or  tendency  to  leap  into  a  fight .      (    even  though  the  selfishness  it’s  generally  driven  by  will  be  addressed  later  in  this  post .    )      

with  all  of  that  said,   he  doesn’t  necessarily  willingly  have  the  gryffindor  ‘hero - complex’  that  he  gives  stefan  shit  for  a  lot  of  the  time .      “ gryffs  do  care  about  people,   and  seek  external  validation  from  others :    they’re  very  interested  in  proving  themselves . ”      sure  he  has  some  ‘heroic’  moments,   but  most  of  the  time  they’re  done  begrudgingly .      that  ‘morally  gray’  thing  i  love  to  harp  on .      but  the  ‘external  validation’  bit  resonated  with  me  a  touch :    he  has  this  big  bravado  regarding  how  he  doesn’t  need  anyone  other  than  himself,   but  we  do  see  on  several  occasions  where  he  does  desperately  seek  approval  and  validation  from  others  on  a  certain  level .      whether  it  was  his  dad  in  the  past,   from  katherine,   from  his  desire  to  be  chosen  first  in  any  aspect  he  can  manage .      to  prove  that  maybe  he’s  worth  it,   maybe  he’s  capable  of  being  deserving  of  the  validation  he  never  received  from  his  father  or  a  woman  he  loved  so  much .      

my  take  on  damon  doesn’t  have  the  full - fledged  gryffindor  desire  to  be  a  hero  that  canon  liked  to  say  he  does,   but  he  does  have  that  fire  and  action - driven  nature .      the  reason  i  don’t  think  he’s  totally  a  gryffindor,   is  mostly  because  bravery  isn’t  something  he  values  most .      i  do  think  he’d  be  a  damn  compelling  poster - boy  for  ‘gryffindor  doesn’t  mean  good’  though,   tbfh .

𝐡𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐩𝐮𝐟𝐟      ---      lmao  who  are  we  kidding,   damon  is  as  far  from  hufflepuff  as  a  person  can  get,   really .      human  damon  may  be  an  analysis  for  another  day,   but  vampire  damon  really  morphed  into  a  person  far  beyond  a  hufflepuff - type  personality .      he’s  too  conflict - oriented,   not  keen  enough  on  teamwork,   and  not  one  to  shy  away  from  any  sort  of  risk  or  danger .      considering  he   .   .   .   frequently  is  the  danger .      when  it  comes  to  his  own  personal  sense  of  justice,   he  typically  has  few  limits  to  the  extent  he’ll  go  to  reach  his  idea  of  equity  depending  on  the  situation,   etc .      he  doesn’t  care  if  his  methods  mean  someone  doesn’t  like  him,   so  long  as  he  accomplishes  what  he  believes  needs  done .      he  does  passionately  care  for  those  that  he  finds  himself  loving,   and  he  can  be  fiercely  loyal,   as  loyalty  from  others  is  important  to  him    (    as  we  see  how  much  it  wounds  him  when  his  hard - won  trust  is  betrayed    ),   but  it’s  not  particularly  his  most  dominant  trait .      let  it  be  known  that  loyalty  IS  something  that’s  super  important  to  damon  though !!      

𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐰      ---      i’m  gonna  be  straight  up,   this  is  the  house  i  was  convinced  i  was  gonna  put  him  in  when  i  started  writing  this .      damon,   overall,   values  intelligence  and  competence  above  many  things .      and  as  a  person,   he’s  far  more  intelligent  than  given  credit  for  in  the  show .      he  has  a  low  tolerance  for  incompetence  /  stupidity,   which  is  what  overlaps  with  a  slytherin  bit  down  below  about  not  tolerating  unnecessary  risks .      but  he  also  shares  the  ravenclaw  tolerance  of  even  some  of  the  most  high - flying  plans  or  ideas,   as  he  often  comes  up  with  some  of  them .      he  has  the  wit  of  the  house  and  he  may  not  share  the  stereotypical  drive  for  knowledge  fanon  likes  to  put  on  ravenclaws,   it  doesn’t  mean  he’s  not  a  curious  creature  in  his  own  right .      it  just  tends  to  show  itself  in  a  more  obsessive  way,   where  he  fixates  on  what  he’s  interested  in  at  a  particular  moment  until  it  becomes  borderline  unhealthy .      when  he’s  looking  to  learn  more  on  something,   or  figure  something  out  /  solve  a  problem,   he  latches  onto  it  if  he’s  really  interested  or  invested .      it’s  a  selective  sort  of  thing,   though  he  himself  surely  has  a  couple  of  degrees  under  his  belt  from  the  past  century  when  he  got  bored .      he’s  an  incredibly  individualistic  character  who  is  hard  to  cage  like  most  gryffindors  or  ravenclaws,   whose  intelligence  doesn’t  always  display  in  book - smarts,   and  rather  instead  street  smarts .      sometimes  his  plans  are  as  blunt  as  a  gryffindor’s  can  be,   but  in  other  occasions,   they  share  the  creativity  of  that  of  a  ravenclaw .

“ on  the  sorting hat,   ravenclaws  are  least - likely  to  do  what’s  expected  of  them  in  many  cases . ”      damon,   as  a  basic  rule,   is  a  highly  unpredictable  character,   reliable  only  in  his  sometimes  explosive  volatility .      in  canon  he’s  often  the  one  seen  to  throw  a  childlike  fit    (   e.g.   killing  jeremy,   alaric,   you  know  the  drill   ),   but  in  my  portrayal  he’s  much  more  intelligent  in  the  moves  he  makes .      it  can  be  read  as  slytherin  deception  /  clever  nature  on  occasions,   but  it  can  also  be  argued  that  it’s  the  ravenclaw  competence  and  creativity  with  the  way  he  thinks  on  his  feet .

𝑠𝑙𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑛      ---      alright  so  HERE  is  the  house  i  always  see  damon  thrown  into,   which  isn’t  fair  to  the  house  to  put  all  not - great  people  into,   but  anywhomst .

“ the  river  in  pottermore  represents  unity,   and  slytherin  is  a  group - oriented  house .      like  gryffindor,   slytherins  are  seeking  individual  greatness    -    but  slytherins  look  out  for  their  own  group  and  see  themselves  as  much  more  unified  than  ravenclaws  or  gryffindors . ”      i  went  into  this  as  not  seeing  it  as  a  damon  thing,   but  after  reading  the  hufflepuff  analysis,   the  ‘looking  out  for  their  group’  part  rings  more  accurate  for  damon .      once  his  trust  is  won,   he  is  generally  incredibly  loyal  to  those  who  earned  it    ---    he’s  very  selective  with  who  gets  his  trust  and  loyalty,   but  once  they’re  within  that  circle  of  people,   he’s  more  likely  to  do  whatever  it  takes  to  protect  them .      but  that  trust  is  also  easily  lost  as  we  can  see  often  in  the  early  seasons,   as  he’s  fairly  volatile  when  it  comes  to  his  emotions  and  general  nature .      which  somewhat  conflicts  with  some  ideas  of  the  slytherin  house,   but  also  coincides  with  others,   so  that  aspect  of  him  is  just  another  area  of  his  personality  that  overlaps  houses .

slytherins  are  known  for  their  ambition,   which  is  usually  the  token  trait  put  on  them .      damon  isn’t  the  most  ambitious  character  out  there,   but  he  does  share  the  slytherin  cunning  and  resourcefulness,   which  he  uses  to  accomplish  his  own  ends  in  whatever  way  he  can .      slytherin   /   cunning   ≠   selfish,   but  in  damon’s  context,   it  often  does  equate  to  that .      like  mentioned  alllll  the  way  toward  the  beginning  of  this,   damon  is  often  one  of  the  first  characters  in  the  show  to  shamelessly  leap  head  first  into  a  conflict,   and  in  canon  it  can  often  be  dumbly  reckless    (   re :    elijah  during  the  dinner  party,   his  desire  to  off  someone  as  soon  as  they  betray  or  wrong  him,   etc   ),   but  in  my  take  on  the  character,   is  often  done  in  a  more  calculated  way .      regardless  of  all  of  that,   when  he  decides  to  jump  into  a  fight  is  often  driven  by  more  selfish  reasons .      he  usually  has  a  personal  vendetta  against  whatever  person  /  big  bad  they’re  facing,   vs  wanting  to  join  the  battle  for  the  better  of  mystic  falls .      it  can  be  argued  that  sometimes  that  attitude  is  a  front,   but  even  when  that  is  true,   it  goes  back  to  that  slytherin  desire  to  protect  his  own  group .      the  rest  of  mystic  falls  be  damned .      

“ slytherins  are  more  interventionist  and  more  risk - oriented  than  hufflepuffs  or  ravenclaws .      they  won’t  fall  back  or  be  cautious :   they  want  their  wand  out,   ready  to  fight,   and  they’re  not  going  to  cede  ground  to  anyone .      on  the  other  hand,   they  also  consider  gryffindors  to  be  needless  risk - takers,   perhaps  a  little  too  overt  and  blunt,   and  so  they’re  not  going  to  go  looking  for  trouble  or  charging  directly  into  the  fray . “      this  ties  into  what  i  was  saying  above,   but  also  suits  him  in  regard  to  an  argument  i  had  to  make  for  him  as  a  ravenclaw  up  above .      damon  as  a  character  isn’t  one  to  not  speak  his  mind,   which  puts  him  a  bit  more  into  the  gryffindor  field  vs  slytherin,   but  he  is  also  the  type  to  not  go  for  risks  he  doesn’t  find  necessary .      key  word  is  he :    other  slytherins  may  find  him  to  be  taking  unnecessary  chances,   but  he’s  also  the  type  to  think  that  of  others .      another  gray  area  between  houses .

“ slytherins  are  cunning  and  confrontational    -    and  lack  a  sense  of  fair  play .    they’ll  cheat  in  a  fight  if  they  can  get  away  with  it,   but  woe  betide  anyone  stupid  enough  to  get  caught    [   .   .   .   ]    despite  being  a  group - oriented  house,   slytherins  are  cerebral    -    they  don’t  care  so  much  for  people,  particularly  people  they don’t  know . ”      this  suits  my  portrayal  in  a  nutshell,   tying  right  back  in  with  my  arguments  about  him  not  caring  a  bit  about  collateral  damage  and  his  general  disregard  for  human  life .      with  all  that  said,   the  analysis  i’m  pulling  from  is  based  on  the  pottermore  quiz,   so  there’s  some  room  for  error  here .

“ where  ravenclaws  want  to  explore  mysteries  and  shed  light  on  them,   slytherins  want  to  be  the  mystery :    great  and  prominent,   but  distant  from  the  masses .      darkness,   the  flip  side  of  the  coin,   the  dark  side  of  the  moon :    all  of  these  are  very  essentially  slytherin .”      cough  dramatic  ass  crow  motifs  cough .      damon’s  entire  game  of  dancing  along  the  line  of  being  discovered  by  the  public  and  the  mystery  of  his  victims  goes  alongside  the  mystery,   his  balance  on  the  tightrope  of  darkness  that  he’s  so  curious  about .

he  really  couldn’t  give  less  of  a  shit  about  tradition  though,   thx

tl;dr  i  went  into  this  post  telling  myself  he  wasn’t  gonna  be  a  slytherin,   but  i  played  myself

#long post / #` i. well fed devils behave better than famished saints . ( 𝐃𝐀𝐌𝐎𝐍: 𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐃𝐘. ) #i love!!!! morally gray characters!!!! and juul plague could never deliver!!!!! #in today's episode of: sorting my muses helps me grasp my characterizations better #anyway soon im gonna actually be writing those season-by-season posts abt my vd muses canon changes

[oftwitz-saved]

( WORK FRIEND ) anita alessi ( 21 / she/her ): cis-female & mallory’s coworker at the bookstore. ( amanda arcuri ) ( B / 21 / SHE/HER )

*Hello my loves! I’m B, aka your neighborhood est bean, here with my mighty munchkin child Anita. I’m super excited to plot and rp with y’all so please head under the cut if you’d like to read her (messy) intro.* ➘

❥ 𝔹𝕒𝕤𝕚𝕔𝕤:

Full Name: Anita Noemi Alessi

Nicknames: An, Ana, Nita, munchkin, etc.

Birthday: August 3

Zodiac Sign: Leo

Age: 21

Gender: Cis Female (She/Her)

Place Of Birth: New York City 

Sexuality: Bicurious

Occupation: Bookstore Clerk/Freelance Illustrator 

Hobbies: Reading, drawing/painting, partying, & listening to music.

Positive Traits: Easygoing, empathetic, adaptable, creative, independent, & dedicated.

Negative Traits: Rebellious, naive, lonely, self conscious, fickle, & candid.

Tv Trope: The BlackSheep (?)

Archetype: The Paradox (?)

❥ ℂ𝕠𝕟𝕟𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤 𝕥𝕠 𝕥𝕙𝕖 ℂ𝕠𝕦𝕡𝕝𝕖:

Mallory: They were coworkers at the bookstore that did not get along by any means. Anita couldn’t stand Mallory’s demanding nature and steered clear of her every chance she got. Apart from working together, the two were practically strangers.

Grant: They met once at her workplace when he showed up looking for Mallory. The two shared a short conversation and his seemingly kind and polite nature left a good impression on Anita. It left her wondering why such a nice guy would want to date someone as apparently difficult as Mallory.

❥ ℍ𝕚𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕪 𝕆𝕧𝕖𝕣𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨:

She was born in NYC to renowned judge, Carina Alessi, and an unrevealed lover. Carina raised her daughter on her own and Anita never knew her father, whom her mother refuses to speak of. 

Anita’s uptight mother was always very strict and tried to instill "traditional" values on her. She always implored that Yael do well in school, avoid trouble, stay away from bad influences, and eventually get a reputable/practical job (doctor, lawyer, teacher, etc.). Anita was essentially encouraged to be obedient and "perfect" by her mother, a task she completed for the most part. She kept her grades up, tried to stay out of trouble, developed very few friendships, and essentially did as she was told. 

That is, until she crossed paths with her troubled classmate in her last year of high school (ex WC). Having always strived to be a "good girl" he was outer-worldly to Anita. He was everything her mother told her to avoid in a guy, yet Anita couldn't help but be smitten. Although she wouldn't admit it, everything from his rebellious nature to his seemingly easygoing personality intrigued her. After some time of him persistently attempting to pursue her, Anita finally admitted her mutual attraction, initiating their relationship. Through him, Anita learned to embrace her individuality and be more open minded. He also introduced her to things like partying, art, which she developed a passion for, and music, that she she was encouraged to ignore by her mother. 

Anita began to change significantly as a person after entering this relationship. She took up an edgier sense of style, started to pay less attention to school, focused more on spending time with her boyfriend, took up art, and became much more outspoken. This drastic change in her overall self caused her to constantly be at odds with her mother, who was unhappy with the person her daughter had become. After almost an entire year of continual fighting, Anita’s mother ultimately made her choose between her or boyfriend, who she blamed for her daughter's changes. While she put off the decision for a while, Anita ended up choosing her boyfriend over her mother after entering a nasty verbal fight with the latter. Emotionally devastated, Anita packed up her things that night and ran off her boyfriend. The pair used Anita’s saved up college fund to move into a quaint apartment on the other side of town. 

Things went smoothly for them for about a year, the two worked hard to make money to support themselves, with Anita taking a part time job at the bookstore while also working as an illustrator on the side. That is, until she caught him cheating on her and their entire relationship fell apart.

Since they’ve gone their separate ways, Anita has been working harder than ever to support herself. She’s also taken to partying and the occasional random hookups in order to fill the void of loneliness she now feels.

❥ 𝔽𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕤 𝔻𝕦𝕞𝕡:

Anita is the spunky artist 

She’s is an independent individualist, who has built herself off of her originality and "artistic integrity.” She takes pride in the things that make her unique and doesn't mind standing out from the crowd. 

Her dislike of conformity tends to make her an outsider amongst others. 

While not particularly outgoing, she is quite opinionated and is never afraid to speak her mind. This gets her into trouble from time to time.

Notes creativity as her greatest strength 

She has an impressive attention to detail, especially when it comes to her work

A free spirit, Anita isn't one to be weighed down by the troubles of life. She always remains true to herself regardless of the situation or the opinions of others. In this way, she strives to live her life to the fullest, but can be quite stubborn. 

Tiny but mighty with an attitude to boot

Her hair color changes more often than anyone can recall

Very open minded to the point where it might be problematic

Is secretly a hopeless romantic but has terrible luck when it comes to love

Acts confident but is very self conscious 

Looks sweet but would probably fight you

❥ 𝔽𝕒𝕧𝕖𝕤:

Favorite Color: Baby Pink 

Favorite Drink: Hard Lemonade 

Favorite Film: The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Favorite Story: The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe

Favorite Fictional Character: Nell Crain

Favorite Poem: Alone by Edgar Allan Poe

Favorite Food: Beef Empanadas 

Favorite Dessert: Fudge Ice Cream

Favorite Flower: Peony

❥ 𝕎𝕒𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕕 ℂ𝕠𝕟𝕟𝕖𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤:

*Ex Boyfriend: They met in high school. She was the quirky good girl, he was the troubled bad boy and just like magnets they clicked. He brought out the real her and helped her realize her dreams. As easily as they clicked they also clashed, mainly over money and commitment (he was lazy, didn’t want to work, and expected her to be faithful when he wasn’t). They were together for roughly two years until the relationship finally fell apart due to his cheating. Even after everything Anita never really got over him completely. (For inspo think of Cook if he ended up with Pandora??) *He’d likely be either 21 or 22 by now. : OPEN

Best Friends (1/3 spots taken): Anita isn’t the kind of girl to have a large group of friends. She mainly just keeps a small tight knit circle of people she considers her true friends. *No prerequisites : OPEN

Other Acquaintances (Unlimited): People she’s friendly with but not close enough to officially consider a friend. *No prerequisites : OPEN

F. R. I. E. N. D. Zone (Unlimited): People Anita put in the friend zone or vice versa. *No prerequisites : OPEN

Rebound (0/1 spot taken): Only get together when they break up with someone, or get their heart broken. *No prerequisites : OPEN

Toxic Friend (0/1 spot taken): A bad influence that encourages her to do bad things, potentially self destructive. *No prerequisites : OPEN

Cat & Mouse (0/1 spot taken): They basically chase after each other, back and forth, but it’s never really gone anywhere. *No prerequisites : OPEN

Party Friend (0/1 spot taken): They really only hang out when there’s a party or event to attend. *No prerequisites : OPEN

Past Hookups (Unlimited): Let’s just say she gets around from time to time. *No prerequisites : OPEN

Rival (0/1 spot taken): More TBA *No prerequisites : OPEN

Polyship(?): More TBA *No prerequisites : OPEN

*Slow Burn: Let it be slow and sweet. More TBA *No prerequisites : OPEN

Congrats and kisses if you’ve made it this far! Feel free to hmu if you’d like to plot or just give this a like and I’ll slide into your dms instead!

#minehqintro #♥ i’ll paint the world with color ~ about ♥ #this is trash but come love me #and my munchkin #this probs won’t show up in the tags fml

[dna-creative-blog]

The Handmaid’s Tale  Season 1, episode 1

I’ve been anticipating this series adaptation for quite some time now, and after watching the first episode - I am quite pleased at the treatment. In general the most important elements got incorporated in smart ways. The acting across the board is quite excellent! Below are my thoughts on the episode and the differences between the book/show I noticed. Feel free to reply or send me a message on your thoughts! I would love to discuss! I will try not to go too far into the later story from the books, but fair warning that the show does skip around a little and more might be revealed to you in my writings as I navigate around those story points. 

Review/Recap S1.episode 1 

The show starts with the forest scene in the book where Offred (Elizabeth Moss) describes how she tried to escape with her husband & daughter. In the book, this scene happens much later, but for the purposes of the show, I thought it was appropriate to frame Offred’s motivations in terms of her family unit. It is, after all, her main intrinsic motivator throughout her story to keep going and to take the risks she takes. For me, the scene where Hannah (her daughter) is ripped away from her is gut wrenching and we witness it right from the start. It’s an early indicator that this show is going to pull all the punches - they will not shy away from anything hard or uncomfortable from the story. 

I think it’s interesting that they show Offred being taken into the van in the opening. It alludes to a point in the book later on - those of you who’ve read It know what I’m talking about ;)

I am pleased that Offred’s character relays a lot via voiceover in the story. As you get to know the society of Gilead (not yet revealed in the show), it is of course extremely repressive. Being as Offred and the other handmaids, Martha's, etc cannot speak/chat with each other freely about their emotions and what they’re really thinking. The voiceover mechanism is really useful in letting us in to her inner workings and everything she’ll be working through as the story progresses. 

Offred’s first meeting with Serena Joy (Yvonne Strahovski) and Commander Waterford (Joseph Fiennes) was a very awkward affair. I don’t recall if in the books the Commander exchanged that many word with Offred in their first meeting, or if at all? But it does emphasize the awkwardness with which these social interactions carry on, because Gilead is still very fresh. The behaviors of the caste society they are imposing are not yet engrained into everyone’s natural day to day - most of the lower caste (handmaids, Martha’s) were all taken and forced into their new positions. 

Commander, “It was nice to meet you.” Offred, “...You too.”

You can literally see in everyone’s faces how freaking weird that was.

During this meeting Serena Joy’s most important line was, “It was like training a dog.” - when she was talking about the previous handmaiden. It is very clear between Serena Joy and Offred the relationship dynamic Serena will be keeping with Offred. It’s obvious Serena does not like Offred’s presence. 

When Offred comes down to the kitchen to speak with Rita (the Martha played of Amanda Brugel), we see the wings for the first time! I like the design and in general I love the designs of everyone throughout the show. In the book, I always imagined them as really large, but these wings are sensible - gets the job done of blocking things out/hiding a handmaid’s face, and doesn’t get in the way of their daily duties. 

When Rita is making the bread, Offred talks about how “they” fought for Traditional Values. Now you can come to interpret that in many ways, but as the story goes on, you get the sense of where the values are truly being glorified from. 

There’s an extra scene here with Serena Joy and the Commander interacting during their breakfast. Not particularly significant, but I think the show is trying to build up Serena & the Commander’s relationship more than in the books. 

Nick and Offred’s dialogue is quite refreshing - although they are still very conscious of the social restraints that are supposed to be dictating their interactions. I definitely felt the immediate chemistry between Nick & Offred! Max Minghella, who plays Nick, is for sure giving me that smolder-y, hunky vibe ;)

As we meet Ofglen, Offred’s internal monologue really kicks it up a notch and we really start to get her own brand of edginess. 

“I sincerely believe that Ofglen is a pious little shit with a broomstick up her ass.”

We have not lost our sense of humor!

When they get to the supermarket, I’m kind of surprised. Honestly, from the descriptions in the books, it sounds like a bunch of independent shops like in a small town or something. Repurposing the supermarket is a very smart idea - but it does give off some sense of abundance, and in the book there is to me a sense of scarcity. The war or ongoing military action could be causing shortages here and there of food and supplies. The image of the supermarket is kind of jarring, because as a viewer it feels so familiar and innocuous. These women who have shopped for themselves their whole life with their own money are basically shopping as part of their household duty as part of the household ‘staff.’ 

I was not prepared to actually see the wall. Yikes.

Offred has her first flashback of the Red Center and sees Moira (Samira Wiley). In the books, Offered is in the Red Center before Moira gets taken there. Aunt Lydia (Ann Dowd) is exactly the way I imagined her. Spot. On. 

The first glimpse of the Red Center does a good job of the purpose and lengths they go to in order to indoctrinate the women into their new roles as handmaidens. 

When Offred gets in her bath we see an ear chip that has a designation & number. Here she has a flashback of her daughter at the aquarium and we get some gorgeous cinematography by Colin Watkinson. Beautiful!

We get another flashback of the Red Center, this time of the confession circles. It is truly chilling to witness them forced to indoctrinate each other of the victim blaming mentality that is still very prevalent in our present society. It’s always the part in the book that makes me nauseous and super cringe. Yuck. However! In this scene we get an INCREDIBLE cameo by Margaret Atwood herself when she slaps the heck out of Offred! I was super happy about that (sorry Elizabeth Moss).

Getting ready for the ceremony, Rita & Nick line up behind Offred. I had hoped that Cora - another Martha from the books - would pop up by now, but it looks like she’s not going to be included. Maybe she’ll appear later in the series, but not for the time being. I always liked the character of Cora. Cora was sort of a happy go lucky sort of person (considering the circumstances). Her presence lends a sort of levity to the otherwise very tense and anxious mood of the Waterford house. Rita is usually very terse and Nick is mysterious at best. 

“In this house, little things mean everything.”

We get alluded to the fact that women in Gilead are forbidden to read - and the Bible literally being locked is such a clear sign the lengths they’ve gone for even the Bible - the one text that everything in this society is based on. 

So the Ceremony... the entire premise of Offred’s servitude and story is about this moment when the Commanders actually have to have intercourse with the Handmaids. The Handmaid’s duty and servitude is in the hopes that they can reproduce. The looks here express everything. Everything else is very business - all clothes on, no touching. So. Damn. Awkward. You get every sense of how weird and wrong and crazy this all is. 

Afterwards, I liked Serena’s scene. You really don’t like Serena for the way she treats Offred, and her whole complicit role in this society. However, I really couldn’t help but feel bad for her in this scene. You can really feel how attached she is to her husband, and the immense sense of loss she feels that this has to happen in order for her to have a family. 

Next we go back to the Red Center, where Janine (Madeline Brewer) is having a full blown mental breakdown. Kudos to the acting here. 

“Keep your fucking shit together.”

We go back to the present and The Salvaging. Now I’ve always thought how diabolically clever and fucked it up it was that Gilead came up with the “Particicution.” Here we see Offred triggered by the news Janine tells her - Moira was sent to the Colonies and is probably dead. Offred’s intense emotion - rage, sadness, frustration - is the perfect embodiment of all the things that get bottled up inside from being forced into sexual slavery by a militant government. Now with all of this pent up emotion, it would be natural that a group use that energy to resist or revolt. However, the Aunts administer this Particicution and it allows the Handmaids to have a catharsis. This tool helps keep them in submission and control. Juxtaposed to the execution, Janine has a crazy, joy in the sunshine moment. That imagery together definitely gives you the uneasy and disjointed feeling - the continued corruption of the society but it’s all based on “traditional values.” Now you can take that to mean that traditional values = good, but in this case not really. 

You can see the internal turmoil Offred has after the salvaging. She let herself go in that moment of the particicution, thinking about Moira and everything else she’s lost in the world. She does not feel good about what she’s done. 

Ofglen reveals to Offred that there’s an Eye in the Waterford house. This really does not sit well with Offred obviously. She can’t piece it together, but her resentment for her station grows.

She goes back to the Waterford house with a new sense of purpose - 

“Her name is Hannah.

“My husband was Luke.”

“My name is June.”

Overall, this is an excellent first episode! You got A LOT of information, enough to get some perspective. Still much more to come! Most importantly, I really get the spirit of Offred in this first episode. It’s an exciting character - she’s relatable, she’s complex and she’s really trying to survive. It’s a great platform for the things ahead. 

#the handmaid's tale #Margaret atwood #Hulu original #books #literature #tv show #review #recap #offred #ofglen #ofwarren #serena joy #waterford #aunt Lydia #red center

[fierceautie]

 There are two major tablets that have been advertised on different social media outlets that claim to improve behavior and make the parents life easier. After receiving a message about them, I decided to look more into it.Goally"Goally is the only standalone device designed by leading behavior therapists, child psychologist and learning experts. . . . Designed for kids with ADHD, Autism and SPD. Perfect for developmental ages 4-12."They use the term "neurodiverse" when talking about ABA for kids! They have 3 BCBA, one token autistic and 2 psychologists on staff.  The device is a stand alone tablet that runs the program for the parent or therapist. The person controlling the device will have an app on their phone that will look like the photo below. It reads like an ABA data sheet. Goally is a tablet that advertises that they can bring:less stress and conflict, more quality family time- your child learns to stay on task, on their own, with a distraction free device with built in graphics and engaging soundsThis is to make it more appealing to the parents, so they have an easier time. They mention nothing about what the child thinks or feels. Structured routines and tasks step by step-access an icon library of built in routines and tasks or customize your own with pictures you can take and uploadstructured routines that are on a list are not created by the child. This is only to make the parents life easier. No consideration is given to the childSet Goally points and rewards-keep your child motivated to complete tasks, while building confidence and independenceThis is straight out of behaviorism. They use rewards to manipulate the child. block the distractions-improve your child's focus and help them make progress while achieving desired behavior with rewards, not yellingThis is where they use kind language to make this approach seem therapeutic. It is not, it is harmful. According to research that has not been completed yet at the University of Wyoming:69% fewer meltdowns42% less stress for kids and parents (reported by parents)74% fewer promptsI spoke to someone in customer service for more information :Chat with nate:nate: Hi There! Do you have any questions about Goally?please introduce yourselfme: Do you have an information packet for therapists?nate: Hey Amanda, What do you mean by information packet?me: More information on your product. Your site does not give much. Do you have research studies, etc to show the science instead of stating there is science behind itNate: While we don't have a booklet there are places on our website dedicated to therapists and providing research. https://ift.tt/3iTvZ1Vhttps://ift.tt/2E1nvGDnate: These two pages and a couple of videos that talk about the information behind it and are geared towards a professional audienceme: but you won't show the actual studies and where they are published?Nate: we are currently working with the University of Wyoming to conduct a thorough research studyMe: I would not suggest it unless I see the science myselfSo you put this out before you conduct a study. InterestingNate: Additionally, Goally builds on over 30 years of research into the power of routine, habit and schedule plannersme: where is the research?Nate: Goally doesn't try and reinvent the wheel but rather put a longstandingtechniques in the field into a piece of technology kids love to use and is easy to navigateme: You are talking in circles. This may work for uneducated parents but no for meNate: I'm not trying to sell you on anythingme: Do you use behaviorism in this method?Nate: I'm not familiar with what behaviorism isMe: You have BCBA on your staff but you dont know what behaviorism is?Nate: I work customer service not with the science behind the productme:ah ok thank you. Just so you know that ABA which is practiced by BCBA caused many autistic people PTSD and your product seems to further that so they can bring it home. Me: Here is a research study proving it: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/AIA-08-2017-0016/full/htmland a study by the US navy showing that ABA doesn't work https://www.altteaching.org/us-government-reports-that-aba-doesnt-work/me: Have a nice dayNate: I'm sorry if Goally promotes and continues things that you completely disagree with. From my limited experience with the company, they seem to be doing a lot to support the company outside of selling a product (free workshops, blog posts, scholarship funds). However, you are clearly far more educated on the topic and seem to take great issue with the product. I will check out these studies. Thanks for the information! Hopefully he does read the studies. The seed has been planted. Lets hope it grows. From this exchange, they claim science. They do not want to prove the science so they say they "don't want to reinvent the wheel." When asked for studies, they do not have any to back them up. They are in the processes of studying it and have not been published but push the product anyway. Their testimonials are by parents only. There are non that show what the children think. This is DIY ABA at its best. Lets force the children to mask to make the parent's life easier. They use the term "neurodiverse" to drawn in the autistic community not knowing we do not fall for this. Source: https://www.goally.co

http://www.fierceautie.com/2020/08/quackery-exposed-diy-aba-tablet-goally.html

#SEO #Local SEO training

[holdon-goingdowntherabbithole]

Take it back now, y’all.

Whenever I’ve thought about the stages of grief, I associated them with death. It never occurred to me that it was possible to mourn the loss of someone who is still very much alive. It still didn’t occur to me that that was what was happening, until I felt myself going through the motions. I have written about my divorce in one way or another a few times now. I realized that even in doing that, it was part of this bigger stage that I was in. I’ve decided to pick apart each stage and write about how I was affected in each one, so that if nothing else, someone else going through this or something similar, has the comfort of knowing they’re not alone. I don’t think that these stages necessarily come in order, they didn’t for me, and I think it’s entirely possible that I have circled back around to the same ones a few times. I also believe that I have yet to go through all of them, and because of that, I will only give my opinion, based on what I know about myself, on what I think is to come. I would wait to complete this when I have undergone each stage, but I would feel like I was unintentionally rushing myself to feel things that I might not be ready to feel yet, for the sake of completing this, and that would be cheating myself out of a vital part of healing.

 “ACCEPTANCE”

When everything came to a head, I was on a long drive back to Pennsylvania from Mississippi. I remember texting Amanda and asking her point blank if she wanted to be with me anymore. At the time, her tone had changed recently and I think I had chalked it up to it being a stressful time for both of us. My Nana had just passed away, and Amanda had just left for deployment. In between these two events, we had a matter of weeks to pack up our belongings, get a storage unit, say our goodbyes and map out the course for the next six months or so.

 When I asked Amanda that question, I thought the answer would have been yes, without question. Looking back, I think the real reason I asked was because I had felt a shift and I wanted the validation of that definitive “yes” to quell my uneasiness. I was convinced it’d come with an air of confusion, because I figured she would have been floored by me ever thinking anything different. I didn’t get that “yes,” well, not entirely. I got an answer that was the truth disguised with a pleasantry. It took all of a few hours for more of the truth to come out, at which point, we had landed on a nauseating “I don’t know.”

For as long as I can remember, my anxiety has been in idle time. In the moment, I am very fortunate to possess the quality of keeping a clear head, despite how hard my emotions try to pull me in a different direction. So, like with anything else that may cause panic in the moment, I replied that that was okay, that we would always be best friends, that I still loved her, and that I understood.

The reason that I have this section titled “ACCEPTANCE,” is to signify that this was not at all acceptance. This was a knee jerk reaction to something gut wrenching. No matter how I try to compartmentalize it and even go the extra mile to wrap it up and put a bow on it, this box could never be filed under acceptance.

 DENIAL

It’s more than likely that when we’re growing up, our parents will always find that one friend that they wish we wouldn’t hangout with, but being kids and wanting to defy any logic, we continue to hangout with them until it turns out that our parents were right all along. Denial has been that friend for me for months. I have to give Amanda credit with this one, we had a lot of conversations that ended in her saying she was unsure of her feelings and once or twice, she seemed to think that maybe we had a shot, but not once did she rescind altogether and say that she wanted to be with me for sure. I was convinced that despite that, it was going to come eventually. For months I had this voice in the back of my mind urging me to stop crying, to stop begging, and to brace myself for the reunion that was bound to happen. I convinced myself that Amanda and I were this unstoppable force and that this was just a rough patch that would blow over in all of our years together to come.  I was convinced that loving her with all of my might was enough to overcome the worst of obstacles, and that eventually she would see it that way too. On too many occasions, I called her with news about my day and would work “when we get back together” into the conversation. Each and every time, she kept talking, or listening, or laughed, but even those not so subtle hints didn’t stop me from believing it to be true.

Denial might be the hardest stage, in my opinion. I say that because I feel that it’s the foundation of some of the more mentally draining stages, such as depression and anger. Either way, denial stuck around like a bad habit and it was only till very recently that I discovered that I was working my way out of that stage.

 DEPRESSION

Crying is bound to happen when anything upsetting occurs. I knew that was normal. I even knew that it was normal how much I was crying. I didn’t start to worry too much about my mental health throughout this, until I noticed myself slipping, in more ways than one, and noticing that I wasn’t doing anything to change it. I wouldn’t sleep, or I’d sleep for an entire day. I wouldn’t eat, or I’d eat so much that I was uncomfortable, way past the point of being full. I’d lay in bed and feel nothing. I had no will to get up, get showered, get dressed, see friends, or do much of anything that didn’t involve me being horizontal, in bed, and starring at the ceiling.

I had spent so much of my life making decisions contingent on two people. My goals and dreams for the future were always built for two. When Amanda left, I felt like my entire world had been ripped away from me, I felt like I lost my home, my things, my friends, my sense of stability, comfort, support, and love. I suddenly felt like I had no idea who I was, because who I had been was sculpted into a marriage that ended up crumbling. Feeling like you don’t know yourself is one of the weirdest things to try to explain. It’s eerie, because although it was scary, it came with no desire to find myself. I was convinced that I did something to deserve this, so be it for me to be lost and numb.

Most times I am an open book, but unfortunately there are parts to this stage that I have no choice but to keep private, because I simply can not put into words where my mind went some days. I lost the love of my life, and living that truth makes things far from pretty while you’re going through the brute of it.

 BARGAINING

When I was a lot younger, I remember stumbling across an episode of The Girls Next Door, and being so confused on how one man had multiple girlfriends and that they were all okay with the other one being in his life. Again, I was a lot younger so money, publicity, “made for TV,” and adult content in general wasn’t in my wheelhouse. Fast forward to middle school. Riddled with puberty acne, slightly overweight, and not having yet mastered the technique of waterline eyeliner, I was pretty insecure. I saw a lot of budding romances within my peers, and eventually, I longed for the same thing. I remember making a moral compromise with myself, by willing the universe to bring me a boyfriend, in exchange for my willingness to share. Cue the for-mentioned fascination with the thought of sharing a significant other. My self esteem told me that it just wouldn’t be possible for me to have someone interested in me solely, but I figured if I could work my way in and respect that I was not the only person of attention, that I could be happy with what little space I would hold, because in my mind, it was better than nothing. Let’s jump forward again, years later, I remember that thought coming up as a painful memory of how low I considered myself to be, and I almost laughed at the idea of that ever being a rational thought, and I promised my younger self, that we were better than that, and I apologized to my younger self for ever feeling that unimportant.

Bargaining is a broad stage, in my opinion, because throughout this, I bargained with Amanda to let herself fall in love with me again, with myself to be better for her, with some sort of higher power to bring her back to me, with my friends who had to reality check me time and time again to respect her process and accept that I had accepted my pain was the trade off, etc. At one point, I digressed into that little girl with low self-esteem, and I figured that I could sit by and wait for Amanda to date other people, so long as it meant that I was in the mix too, and because I loved her in a way that I was desperate to salvage, that was good enough for me.

Looking back, just a short while after, I am saddened for myself all over again, that I would accept that just to keep someone around that so clearly didn’t want to be there.

 ANGER

I will write about what I have already experienced here, but if we’re being completely honest, I believe that I am still feeling the effects of this stage. Anger manifests from so many things, feeling abandoned is definitely something that will cause that to flare up for me. I try very hard not to get angry over little things, and to look at the bigger picture (that, being that, Amanda, though we are not together, is happy, is safe, and is healthy) but sometimes, its hard to look at how well she’s doing and not want to scream. It’s such a catch 22, because I want her to be happy, but I selfishly want it to be with me. I want her to reach her goals, but I thought we would be reaching goals together. I want her have nice things, but why does she get to keep all of our nice things for herself? Channeling my anger constructively has been one of the most taxing parts about this whole ordeal and I have lashed out more times than I’d like to admit.

Something that bothers me, more than most, is that a very big part of this process for me has been embarrassment. When I first told people that Amanda and I were getting married, I was met with tons of negative opinions from friends and family. Despite their lack of well wishes, I decided to marry her because I felt like they were wrong. I opened my soul and gave all my trust to one person. I don’t regret it, but when these things end, the vulnerability of the situation can be overwhelming, and that leaves a lot of room for embarrassment to creep in when you’re seeking comfort from the same people that told you not to do it in the first place. This, in itself, causes a great deal of frustration and resentment.

I’m angry because I feel stupid, because I can’t fathom how things ended the way they did and why she could walk away so easily. I don’t want to be mad at her, but I am trusting this process in hope that in time, I can stop being bitter.

 ACCEPTANCE

It’s probably of no surprise that this stage has yet to come on, at least not fully, and I’m sure that’s because I have more rounds to go with each stage already mentioned. My hope for acceptance is that I learn something in the process. I hope that I can someday I look back, smile and have made peace with it all. I don’t have much I can say here for the time being, and I couldn’t speak frankly if I let myself type anything other than truth. The hard truth is that I know this will come, but I don’t know when, and I will allow myself to get there when I get there.

   To anyone feeling these emotions, going through something similar, or just having a rough time – I get it. Don’t loose yourself too much, you’ll find a way.

[powerlighton-blog]

I Finally Watched That! The Flash Season Two

My last post pretty much summed up what a fan I am of the Flash- not just the TV show but the character himself. When season two originally aired I watched the first six episodes and then stopped for a couple of reasons. First and foremost I was a little upset that they decided to use yet another speedster as the main villain. The other problem was that I had to wait a week between episodes to find out what happened. I eventually got too far behind and gave up. Despite my initial reservations I have now finished season two and I like it even better than the first. Spoilers ahead and laced throughout.

Plot: After defeating Harrison Wells/Eobard Thawne in season one the team had to immediately deal with a singularity that would have destroyed the earth. Thanks to that dilemma a total of fifty-two breaches appeared throughout Central City. Those breaches connect Earth-1 and Earth-2. A new enemy, Zoom, brings meta humans from his earth to Barry’s in order to kill him so far as we know. Barry struggles to get faster which he has to do to beat Zoom, he gets betrayed not once but twice, and then has a life-altering experience in the Speed Force. As you can imagine the good guys win in the end which sets up season three. I won’t ruin any of the specifics for you though.

Good: There are a lot of problems I had with the first season that have been fixed for the most part, but I’ll get in to that in a minute. I want to start by mentioning the story in this season is phenomenal. It really couldn’t get much better. We saw a good number of hard times last season, but the way everything seems to crumble around our heroes made it all matter that much more. The writers kept me on the hook through all twenty-three episodes even with  the sub-stories like Barry and Patty and Barry and Iris. I hope the next season is as good as this one.

The throwbacks and shout-outs remain, and they are as great now as they were in season one. Jay Garrick (Teddy Sears) appears very early on (episode two) and dons his traditional garb in the same episode- winged helmet and elongated vertical lightning bolt from waist to shoulder. It was very welcome to see the detail. In the same episode you also see a recreation of the cover for the classic comic “Flash of Two Worlds” with Barry on one side of the screen and Jay on the other both rushing to help a new character/love interest named Patty Spivot (Shantel VanSanten). I have to admit I nerded out pretty hard. Along these same lines there are also new important characters. Most notably we find Wally West (Keiynan Lonsdale), who was the original “Kid Flash” in the comics, and Jesse Wells (Violett Beane) who is referred to as Jesse Quick by her father at least once. Jesse Quick is another less well-known speedster. While neither of these characters developed their powers this season I’m hoping to see them both evolve very soon. Of course old favorites have also returned- John Wesley Shipp plays Henry Allen, Amanda Pays shows as Dr. Tina McGee, and Mark Hamill is once again the Trickster. All reprise their role in this second season. Of course, what CW superhero show about DC characters would be complete without some crossover episodes- those are here too. Both Arrow and DC Legends of Tomorrow story lines cross paths and in the same episode at that. All of these aspects combined make for some amazing nerdy moments that you can’t miss.

The CGI effects I was so adamant about last time have been greatly improved throughout most of the show. I became convinced of this when Grodd reappeared. In season one he is mostly animated in dark areas and never leaves the sewer. Here in season two we see him in broad daylight and he looks (mostly) real and definitely terrifying. There’s also a great fight scene between Flash and Reverse-Flash (yes, he’s back, no you don’t have to worry) that is visually stunning in ways that they didn’t achieve last season. It also shows how far Barry has come, but that’s a different topic. Throughout the show the special effects have gotten better, but it still falters at times. Slow motion speedster scenes still look cartoon-ey. Barry travels back in time and has a brief fight with himself and it all looks pretty awful. In the second-to-last episode Mercury Labs is attacked and Flash saves Dr. McGee, but Amanda Pays and the crumbling edifice and The Flash all look obviously animated. It puts me in the mind of Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within styled graphics. It has gotten better, but they still have work to do.

Bad: There are still some oversights in the show. Jay Garrick mentions his helmet was dragged in to the same breach/singularity he did, but it came through the particle accelerator at a different time. Either that was an oversight behind-the-scenes, or none of the characters caught on to the implausibility of that. That was the biggest continuity issue/oversight I found. There are more but they are smaller and make little difference.

I’e made this complaint before and it’s gotten better, but there are still instances of bad acting. Really. Bad. Acting. In episode four Caitlin and Professor Stein are talking to Jefferson Jackson (Jax for short) and there is a decent portion of Jax’s dialogue that doesn’t work. He sounds wooden and uninterested and the scene does not recover well from it. It is a minor complaint in this season, but it’s still around. On the positive side there are also a lot of good moments to cancel out those that I consider less-than-stellar.

My big problem with season two is the way I felt like I was being treated like an idiot. I first noticed it early with Jay Garrick explaining everything regarding why he was there, how he got there, what he knew, etc. I attributed this to necessary backstory and let it go. When I made it to episode nine which features the Trickster I changed my mind. That whole episode is rife with moments where they lay everything they have out on the table and slap you with the information that could have been revealed better or later. In this episode there is a scene where Santa is in the park handing out gifts wrapped up telling the kids to not open them until the next evening. Specifically we see one little boy on Santa’s lap with the above exchange. At the end of their interaction Santa pulls down his beard and, surprise, it’s the Trickster. It was completely unnecessary for two reasons- you can almost guarantee it’s him just from his voice and Mark Mardon later tells you everything about that scene. From that point on the show decided to explain just about everything in express detail (with the exception of Time Remnants which still cause a bit of confusion for me, but it’s for a different reason) to make sure you’re all caught up and don’t have to think for yourself. As much as I dislike not getting a decent explanation what I dislike more  is getting everything shoved in my face like I couldn’t possibly understand it otherwise.

Verdict: This is better. The Flash was already a great show and they stepped it up in a big way. Everyone grows in to their roles or characters or powers and in to themselves as people. If you feel like the pace is lagging near the end don’t worry. I felt like that going in to the last two episodes. I was curious how they were going to close out this season reasonably without ruining everything I had just seen. Episode twenty-two does a fantastic job of bringing everything full-circle and justifying episode twenty-three being the last for this season. I was concerned there was going to be no real purpose for reason for an ending, but I was proven wrong and thankfully so. I still recommend this series, of course, and I can’t wait for season three.

Are you continuing as well? What’s your favorite season two scene? Are you still loving the show? Let me know below.

#Flash #CW #Review #Barry Allen #Iris West #Wally West #Harrison Wells #Zoom #Reverse

[nofomoartworld]

NASA's New Exoplanet Posters Have Us Booking Rockets to Trappist-1

The news of NASA discovering potentially habitable exoplanets a mere 39 light years from Earth, announced Tuesday, is big. The seven-planet Trappist-1 system is exciting not only for both UFO truther, but those who, like Elon Musk, want to get the hell off Earth before we burn it to a crisp. 

To get the word out that our great-great-great-great-great-great grandchildren might grow up on one of the three wet, Earth-sized planets orbiting Trappist-1's star, NASA, the Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL), and the UK's Institute of Astronomy have commissioned a series of artworks advertising the new planets.

NASA's tradition of releasing retro travel posters with each exoplanet discovery continues thanks to designer Joby Harris. One of the eight visual strategists who make up JPL's The Studio, Harris explains to Creators, "We serve the scientists and engineers at JPL and NASA with design to help them 'think through their thinking' as we say. This could involve data visualization, mission or instrument conceptual development, outreach such as these travel posters, and anything involving ideas coming to fruition." Harris has built replicas of the hatches on space stations, tested astronauts' VR equipment, and even constructed a scale model of a moon with functioning geysers, all in the service of science.

Illustration by Joby Harris, courtesy NASA / JPL

The travel poster's purpose is to convey why the discovery of Trappist-1 is worthy of our attention. Like an alluring travel destination, this poster says,  One day you (yes you!) might be able to go there! 

For inspiration, Harris met with Canadian-American MIT professor Sara Seager who detailed what it might actually be like to stand on one of the new exoplanets. "It was an hour of dreaming about possibilities visually while looking at strong science data Sara and the other scientists had," Harris says. "What if we could go there? What would we do?" 

IoA/Amanda Smith

Along with Seager, the JPL team's input and data helped kept Harris' illustrations honest while allowing minor visual liberties. Setting the poster on Trappist-1e, the fourth planet from the star Trappist-1a, allowed Harris to capture a whole string of planets without sacrificing scientific accuracy. He combined the available scientific data about the star system with research into 40s, 50s, and 60s-style travel posters to nail the color, composition, and title placement. The poster design work of Drew Struzan and advertising and magazine cover legend J.C. Leyendecker are Harris' biggest visual influences. 

Sketching in pencil, he composes the basic structure of the poster, which takes anywhere from a few hours to a day. "This one took some time to get right: fitting in the planets—all of them while looking out a window, with people who I need to make as nondescript in gender and race as possible to make sure there are no roadblocks to people imagining themselves there, before adding color," he says, which is done digitally. The whole process takes about a week.

IoA/Amanda Smith

In addition to Harris' poster, the Institute of Astronomy at Cambridge commissioned two more abstract illustrations from their Chief Graphics Technician, Amanda J. Smith. While Harris' post is nostalgic for the future, Smith's contributions feel like Kandinsky in space. "I asked Amanda if she could produced something fresh and bold, a new way to represent exoplanets (and other astronomical objects by extension), that is inspirational and optimist," University of Cambridge Kavli fellow Amaury Triaud tells Creators. 

The result is powerful splashes of color suspended in a friendly, colorful version of outer space. "The primary themes of discovery and the potential for finding earth like planets inspired the use of blues for water, reds for the dwarf star etc," Smith explains. "Amaury's data was also a strong influence in terms of the color coding for each planet." Smith combined physical techniques like collage, screen printing, and mono printing with Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and Cinema 4d.

Triaud also commissioned a slew of short stories and poetry about the exoplanets to further draw them into the collective consciousness. This is a tactic that Harris believes is a powerful asset to the scientific community. "Most scientists we work with were inspired by art, design, media, TV, films, books, comics, and short stories growing up so there's a huge appreciation for what we do at the studio using design and visual story to inspire others," he says. "It's a full circle of influence."

IoA/Amanda Smith

Learn more about The Studio at JPL here, the Institute of Astronomy here, and check out more art inspired by Trappist-1 here.

Related:

We Talked to the Artist Behind Space's First Native Sculpture

 This Artist Prepares You for Space by Sealing You in Metallic Membranes

Here's Your Daily Video Reminder That We're Tiny and Insignificant

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