#but i have no idea what our political situation is now and who is winning the tug of war between snps & tories

[unproduciblesmackdown]

as ever like: no two things Need to be juxtaposed, much less like material vs material deathmatch Only One Can Be Good, much less am i thinking i have thee objective word on fuckall b/c who does and it's like perfectly boring & unserious whenever someone just throws out Takes that are just "i think...[xyz] is [adjective]" like okay.

but anyways thinking of how, though differing in execution in a lot of ways ofc, deh & bmc start out in a v similar place & explore a journey to self-acceptance from a despairing starting point....it feels like a lot of the hindrance in deh's exploration of its own Theme there is in like, hey. :) hand on your shoulder. it's okay b/c you'll be able to be more normal. whereas w/bmc it's that it's okay b/c you'll be able to be more abnormal

#like hell yeah. and Normality is fake the way that things like Gender is fake so. what's more universally relevant here #versus like. the idea that a winning takeaway re: deh is Talking With Your Parents / Kid like #yeah that could be an improvement? in other situations; that Talking is dangerous &/or just not going to happen / be irrelevant #meanwhile nobody is ''normal'' & the idea of Normality & its Moral Goodness / Requirement does affect everyone #meanwhile that bmc is clear on jeremy's gaining supportive relationships means support for his relationship w/himself #whilest he's also able to feel better insulated from feeling Defined by whatever instance of feedback/input #whereas with deh it's like. All These People....but log off & all you need is at least one parent who doesn't hate you No Matter What #including your unfortunate abnormality....Just(tm) make the phone calls am i right? well now he at least has a part time job #meanwhile difficult to compare w/e's going on w/zoe/evan vs mpdg4mpdg jeremy/christine. latter are cute & a coherent relationship #former are [nothing] to [i'm taking psychic damage] & fuck if i know what's going on besides The Ultimate Romance(tm) (negative) #he was a boy she was a girl they could politely tolerate each other's presence. maybe forever :') #i really don't know what's supposed to be going on there so like. for real share Any reasons you like each other in Either love song abt it #anyways like No Need To Compare but for me the juxtaposition is natural b/c it Does feel like they can be looked at re: a v similar Essence #but one is fumbling around w/it & really Not sticking the landing especially while the other just does exactly what it's trying to do #and ofc it could only help that deh had to go so far from the original [???] ideas & more Farcical approach #vs i don't think bmc's envisioning ever changed so fundamentally along its development at any point #like deh's story does feel like it still has the remnants of the earlier farcier versions even in its bway form #story of A Bunch Of Wild Shit Happens To Our Protag Whaaat & sure ppl are humanized but you still never made room for like a quarter of the #alana & jared? they're alright but they died #anyways & in all these things it's like It's Not A Big Deal lol i am not here to strive to have thee true & final word #right tf on if you as well know them both & like deh more / think It was the more successful execution of its story #though i have natural enemies like say [trt loyalists who are Like That] or forever [deh haters who are Like That]....we're different #erased a tangent also mentioning how i like the Parent Approach of mr. heere's arc better than any parents in deh lol. like of course #it's Not about his Feelings or being Imperfect or Human. like ofc he has the feelings & is human & imperfect #but he just gets energized & focused like welp bummer but ofc i gotta give my kid more support w/whatever he's going through rn #like hell yeah. one fun song we're good to go #bmc #deh

[simvanie]

7 Sins Legacy - generation 4 (pride)

While Rohan made an attempt to stop Supriya from walking away, Supriya barely noticed that the musicians had cleared the floor for Suraj, who had taken his place behind the microphone: "Dear friends and colleagues, I would like to make an official public announcement tonight..."

Rohan: I don't get it. You've done more for our campaign in the past weeks than everyone else combined. And we are so close to winning the city's elections, why would you suddenly want to leave?

Supriya: Oh you really want to know? Imagine what will happen to the party when I quit- With all the publicity I've had, it'll be on the front page of the newspapers, and journalists will be lining up because they want to know why. And I'll tell them exactly why they're better off voting for someone other than... you.

Rohan: This job interview is for another political party, isn't it? Tell me, do you actually want to work there? Or is it because you think that you can't get to where you actually want to be in this party, so you've built your walls so high that you've completely closed yourself off from everything that has to do with it. And the only option you think you have left is to run away. Because if so, I hate to break it to you, but you probably won't make yourself happy with that decision.

"...I assume many of you already heard speculations, so it probably won't come as a surprise that the rumors are true. I want you all to know that I've decided to officially retire...."

Supriya: Oh! That's rich coming from someone who has it easy with his influential dad arranging everything for him! And you don't know what is best for me-

Rohan: Please, listen to me. It doesn't mean that I don't agree with you- Everyone deserves an equal chance, but you also have to know that there is a big chance that you'll encounter similar kind of situations somewhere else. Especially in this political world.

Supriya: What do you want then?! Do you want me to stay so I can congratulate you when your dad announces that you will get the position? Because I'm NOT going to do that- Besides, if you agree that everyone deserves an equal chance, WHY HAVEN'T YOU DONE SOMETHING ABOUT IT?!

" ...and that is why I, along with all our colleagues in the party, have unanimously decided to give the position as party leader to Supriya."

Suraj turned towards Supriya. "If you want it of course. So, what do you say?"

Supriya couldn't believe if she had heard it right and had to take a second while everyone slowly turned their heads towards her. "...Y- yes, yes of course!"

Suraj smiled and gave her a nod before turning his attention back to the public. "Very well, I suggest we leave the technicalities for the transfer until Monday and spend the rest of the night enjoying this gala that my lovely wife helped organizing."

Supriya: Did you- I... I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! Rohan: Congratiulations, you deserve it. Supriya: It's- This is amazing... That you did this!!! Oh, you've no idea what this means to me, I could kiss you right now! I-

.... Rohan: ...So why don't you?

For the first time, the feeling that had been slowly creeping up on Supriya since she met Rohan, and that she had been trying to ignore and push away ever since she found out that Rohan was Suraj's son, slipped through the walls she had so carefully built.

Rohan: ....Since I don't think you have to get up early tomorrow morning anymore, what do you say if we, when this gala is over, get some takeout from that new Mexican place near your apartment to celebrate? Supriya: Hm, I'd love that.

#still one more promotion to go and then she has maxed the career #the sims 4 #ts4 #sims 4 #the sims #sims #simblr #ts4 legacy #sims 4 legacy #ts4 gameplay #sims 4 gameplay #7sinslegacy #gen4 pride #supriya #rohan #suraj #gunita

[the-daily-dreamer]

Alright. THATS IT. TIME TO LOSE MY SHIT.

The fact that Alicent is even ON THIS LIST is just flabbergasting. Now, to their credit, she’s second to last on this list (somehow worse than JAMIE LANNISTER?!). But still. Most evil characters?!

So, for fun, I thought I’d take a look at her characterization according to the writer of this list and rebut.

For the sake of organization, I will post the whole paragraph below and then go point by point:

“This one is fairly low on the rankings as it's not quite clear how villainous Alicent could become, with her moral standing leaning toward "complicated" rather than straightforward good or evil. However, she isn't quite the most innocent character in House of the Dragon either, with her manipulation of the grieving and ailing King Viserys, covering up her son's sexual crimes and fiendish proclivities and politically maneuvering an underhanded coup from her former best friend raising more than a few eyebrows about how far she'll go to protect her family.”

“Her manipulation of the grieving and ailing King Viserys”

First of all: Alicent was a 15 year old girl, the same age as Viserys’s own daughter, and his daughter’s best friend. Viserys is a full grown man and also the most powerful person in the entire kingdom as, you know, the king. Grief is a powerful thing and can certainly cause us to act contrary to our characters; however, that is not an excuse to have sex with and marry a child you have watched grow up alongside your own child.

Second of all: Alicent was not the master manipulator in this situation. She tried to fight back against the plan as much as she was capable as a girl and child, against her father who is the second most powerful man in the kingdom. The blame should go solely on Otto for this.

Blaming Alicent for “manipulating” Viserys when: she was a child forced to do this by her father, she fought against the idea, she was 15 and Viserys was a full grown man, and most of all HE WAS THE FUCKING KING, is crazy. Alicent had no power in this situation, nor did she want it. It was Otto’s idea and Viserys’s fault. Y’all blaming a child and acting like she’s an insidious master manipulator instead of criticizing the full grown man who had sex with her is crazy. Grief is no excuse. The men in this situation took advantage of Alicent. Not the other way around.

“Covering up her son’s sexual crimes and fiendish proclivities”

Where is the accountability on the deadbeat dad? Everyone keep blaming Alicent for how awful Aegon is. But nobody utters a word on how the other parent in this situation has done absolutely nothing. Viserys is also Aegon’s father (though this may be a shock to even Viserys himself seeing how neglectful and abusive he is to his children by Alicent). Viserys is the king. He has the power to implement whatever he wants but sits back and does nothing. But sure, Alicent is to blame because she’s actually involved and therefor her son being ruined is only her fault.

Alicent does her best at parenting Aegon and dealing with the shit he generates. What exactly could Alicent do to Aegon, a prince of the realm, to rectify the situation? Y’all are never happy when she does anything. When she disciplines Aegon, you scream she’s “abusive”. When she tries to compensate and fix the situation to the best of her ability, you scream that she’s enabling and covering up crimes. She will never win. And btw, she didn’t cover up for Aegon. Alicent listened to Dyana and tried to compensate for the pain. There’s literally nothing else she could do.

Y’all will blame Alicent for all the actions of the men in her life. Why not hold Aegon, the actual rapist, accountable for the situation. Not Alicent for trying to fix it. Because guess who’s not on the fucking list…AEGON. How will you penalize Alicent for trying to help fix the situation her son caused, but not penalize the man who actually committed the sexual crime? It reeks of sexism.

“Politically maneuvering an underhanded coup from her former best friend”

Ok. Let’s get this out of the way. Alicent believes Viserys said it was Aegon who is the heir. Stupid or not she does. But even without that Alicent does not stage a coup in some sort of villainous attempt to seize power for herself and away from Rhaenyra. She does it to protect her family. She has seen what happens when one of them is harmed, nothing. There will be nothing stopping team black from killing her or her children. This is a fight for survival. Not villainy. Fear.

Also it’s worth reminding that Alicent is the only one defending Rhaenyra’s life. Otto and other greens are perfectly fine with murdering Rhaenyra. Alicent is the only one fighting to protect her and counseling Aegon not to harm her.

In the end, Alicent is not a villain. She is the personification of how the patriarchy has abused women and torn them down in every way. Alicent has done her best to make everyone in her life happy. She has tried desperately to satisfy the selfishness and power-hungry nature of all those around her and reconcile everyone in her life. Alicent is not malicious or evil. She’s not seeking war or bloodshed. She wants her children and herself to be safe. Nobody should have “raised brows” at her defending herself and her family after she has spent decades being abused and seen more than enough proof that she is not loved or protected.

Villainizing Alicent can only happen if you’re willing to admit all this as well:

Grown men can never be held liable for having sex with teenage girls.

Teenage girls are at fault for the feelings adult men have for them.

Women are responsible for how their children turn out and men have no accountability in raising children or how they grow up.

Deadbeat father’s are ok, and the women left with the children are at fault for anything bad their kids do because they didn’t do a good enough job at being both parents.

Teenage mothers need to be perfect parents and can never make mistakes or have no idea what they’re doing because they, themselves are children.

Parents (specifically mothers) are responsible for the crimes of their children

Men shouldn’t be held accountable for rape. It’s their mom’s fault

And most of all: women who experience consistent trauma and abuse for years must hold it all in, accept further abuse with a smile, and “keep to their place”

Go ahead black fans. Admit this all. Admit you hate women and have deeply sexist beliefs. Then I’ll let you call her a villain :)

#I’m sorry I just had to get this all out #I’m so sick of everyone blaming the woman for all the shit going down #and not the numerous men who bad things #it reeks of sexism and I’m done #house of the dragon #game of thrones #anti targaryen #anti targaryen stans #anti targ stans #alicent hightower #pro alicent hightower #alicent hightower defense squad #anti viserys #anti viserys i targaryen #anti aegon ii targaryen #anti aegon #anti team black #team green

[drawingdroid]

Sweet Potato

Modern AU Firefighter Din Djarin x GN!Reder

Summary: You move to your new apartment and meet your new neighbours.

Warnings: Fluff!!!, Meet Cute Trope, Gender Neutral Reader, no y/n, Mentions of food and eating, This is literally the most SFW piece I’ve written ever, Good Dad Din Djarin!!!, But also stressed!

Words: 1336

A/N: This is just a little one shot for you to enjoy as I enjoy sweet potato! I wrote it to celebrate I’m getting my own place finally, one step further from my abusive family, so this is practically autobiographical lol. Anyway, life has been hectic and I felt a little blocked with The Unknown Regions IV, since smut is coming and I want it to feel natural between Din and Reader, but things are finally flowing. Let me know if you like this little self-indulgent piece! The lovely dividers are from @saradika by the way!!!

Edit: I added a moodboard hehehe

You had just moved to your new apartment on the outskirts of the city. Aspiring to be a cosmopolitan girl all your life, you had finally surrendered to your true nature: you craved a quiet existence. Luckily, after some searching your friend Martha had made you an offer you couldn't reject. She'd lend her spare flat to you at an affordable price if you could keep an eye on her grandma, who lived next door. The woman was a kind, sassy 80-year-old lady and you adored her, so it was a win-win situation for you.

After a busy day of moving boxes around with the help of your friends, you (and your plants) were finally settled. With a content sigh, you collapsed on the sofa, looking at the strip of blue sea that was visible from your new balcony. You smiled toothyly, proud of yourself. Finally, you broke free from your family and achieved having your own space.

The morning after you were sitting in your elder neighbour's kitchen with a warm cup of coffee between your hands. Violet, that was her name, was delighted with having you there. She had shown you all the pictures of her grandkids before breakfast and now you were chatting about which plants you could add to your new house.

“Let me give you a piece of this one, if you put it in water, the roots will be out in a week.”

You grabbed the tiny branch and tucked it in carefully.

“I have something for you too!” From inside your tote bag, you took out a paper bag that contained Violet's favorite sweet potato pie. Her face lightened up and she took one serving. But just when she was going to have the first bite, someone knocked on the door. Who could be this early in the morning?

“Oh, maybe it's Din,” Violet said casually and started standing up from the chair. You had no idea who that was but followed her to the door. People trying to scam the elderly had been sadly a common thing in the previous months.

“Good morning sweetheart!” She greeted them when the door was finally opened, and someone responded with the cutest coo. A kid? You couldn't see anything, since the old lady had the entrance only half opened.

“Morning Violet.” That was the most beautiful baritone voice you had ever heard. “Grogu, be polite, that's her pie.”

“There's more inside if he wants one.” You poked from behind your friend's white locks with a friendly smile and finally met with the stranger's eyes. And what a beautiful pair of eyes. His chocolate irises went from Violet to you alternatively and his brows frowned with a silent question. Din knew you weren't her grandkid and was aware of scammers too. Who were you?

“This is our new neighbor, Martha's friend. Just moved in yesterday.” The lady introduced you to Din and the man relaxed a bit, but you were more tense than ever. He was like a dream. Lean and muscular, tattooed arms and the softest looking face. You could sense his gaze scanning you, as if evaluating if you were a threat or not when something grabbed the hem of your clothes.

“Eh?” The biggest pair of eyes returned your look from the floor and you felt you were gonna die from the cuteness.

“Hello little man, are you here for your pie?” The child cooed enthusiastically and Din sighed in defeat. You crouched to be closer to the kid's height, dumbfounded by the little one. He chirped, visibly delighted, but then looked at the older man for approval. Violet was laughing softly at the scene, knowing how much Grogu enjoyed food.

“I'm sorry to interrupt your breakfast,” Din said, shifting his weight while looking at how you made funny faces to the kid. “The fire station just called, there's a big emergency, I'm on duty and they need backup and…”

“Of course, he can stay with us!” Violet interrupted with a dismissive gesture and Din's shoulders visibly relaxed. The kid looked delighted at the prospect and made grabby hands to be picked up by you. You indulged in his petition, obviously.

“Thank you so much, Violet, I'll compensate you.” Din looked at the kid in your arms still hesitant. You were a total stranger but he looked like Grogu already trusted you. And you were Violet's friend too.

“I have a lot of experience with kids, I'll take care of him as my own.” Your kind face convinced him and finally Din nodded. Then, to your surprise, he touched his forehead with Grogu's and he was suddenly so close you could smell his shampoo and the aftershave he used to keep that nice mustache.

“Be polite with them kid.” Grogu giggled and grabbed Din's face with his claws in a sweet embrace. Your heart melted at the tender gesture. It was clear they loved each other a lot, even though you didn't know if they were related or not.

“He's an angel,” Violet responded, caressing the kid's fuzzy head. “But I need you to do something in exchange for keeping an eye on him, son.”

“Whatever you need Violet,” Din responded surprised. The old woman grinned mischievously and then went inside the house. Grogu then surprised yourself to death jumping to the floor and following her.

“Does he…make that a lot?” You asked Din, confused about how such a small kid could manage that jump. Now alone with his caretaker, you felt your nerves growing in your belly. He was handsome and also imposing.

“You can't imagine.” He rolled his eyes and let a tired sigh escape his plump lips and you laughed. It was going to be an interesting day in Grogu's company. “It's so kind of you to visit Violet.” He declared after a short silence. You looked at him wondering what he was referring to. “She's been so lonely since her husband's illness. It's sweet.” He added the last phrase almost muttering and without looking at you. So the big man was shy.

“I enjoy her company, I'm glad we are neighbors now and we can hang out more often.” You offered him a wide, sincere smile.

“I'm glad too.” He responded after licking his lips, his big brown eyes now fixated on yours.

“Here you have, you weren't gonna leave without some sweet potato pie!” You didn't notice when Violet had returned, that's how distracted you were with the new neighbor. She had packed some of the pie you had baked for her and now was handing it to Din in a container. You observed that Grogu was already having his fill, stuffing his little mouth while grabbing the lady's skirt.

For the first time, you saw him smile. The warmth of his expression was contagious and you noticed the cute dimple in his cheek.

“This was the condition to take care of Grogu?” He said accepting the gift.

“Exactly. I'm sure you haven't had breakfast. Am I wrong?” Din looked somewhere else in shame, totally guilty. “And I love the pie, but this time she has baked too much to my poor sugar levels, sorry sweetie.” She apologized but then winked at you. What was she plotting?

“You baked it? That's incredible.” Now your face was red and you started to pick what Violet's intentions were. “Grogu seems to love the pie.” The kid cooed agreeing, his tiny clothes covered in crumbs. He was too adorable to be true.

Din's phone interrupted the conversation and with a concerned look, he gestured to the stairs. Violet just told him to leave with her and Grogu and you waved at the firefighter. You then crouched again to speak to the toddler.

“Let's go, little man, we're having lots of fun.” And you did, indeed.

That day in the fire station, everyone had a bite of your delicious sweet potato pie, and Din was forced to talk about the new lovely neighbour who had baked it. They wouldn’t stop teasing, but all he could think was in seeing you again, the sweet potato neighbour.

#din djarin #the mandalorian #din djarin x you #din djarin x reader #din djarin fic #din djarin x gn!reader #din grogu #grogu #the mandalorian x reader #the mandalorian fanfiction #din djarin fanfiction #pedro pascal characters fanfiction #pedro pascal characters #pedro pascal fanfiction #pedro pascal fandom #droidwrites

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for telling my friend that we have public education in this country? Content warning for politics, and sorry, this one got long.

Here goes a bit of context: I (23M) have a group friend consisting of A (23M), C (24M) and V (24F). We all study different college careers, but mine is literally focused on politics, so it is a topic in which I can get heated very quickly.

There's elections going on this year, and, at the time I sent this ask, the results were tied between two candidates, that I will call SM and JM (just in case but if you are from my country you pretty much realize who I'm talking about). So, we will go to a second round and will have an answer on who is the new president for good next month (November).

Now, in all honesty, both candidates suck (although one is definitely a lot worse than the other, but that's just my humble opinion). SM is... really lukewarm(?). He's already in a position of power in an economy-related setting, and we have horrible inflation. However, one of JM's main things and the reason a lot of people love him is that he wants to remove taxes. Which, you know, among other things, no taxes means no public health, no public education, no financial helps from the government, no anything unless it comes straight out of your pocket. He has a very capitalistic mindset, because "freedom". He has other proposals, but this is the relevant one.

All of us in my friend group go to public colleges. Our public education IS really good, no doubt about it. And when the first round of elections happened, C asked who we voted for. I didn't really wanted to talk about it, but C pressed the issue on who I voted for, which was SM. I said that, and his reply was "good job [my name], now we are going to eat polenta" (polenta is a dish commonly associated with poor people). He also said he was going to vote for JM in the second round.

Here's were I could've TA: I said "whatever, we will have access to public education either way and that's something that will not be touched if SM wins". I said public education, as I could've said ANYTHING else we have, which is public health (I consider worthy mentioning that HRT and gender affirming surgeries are free because trans healthcare is under the Compulsory Medical Program, and C is a trans man who wants to transition. Our friend, A, is also a trans man and he is transitioning for free due to this), financial helps from the government (some of which he benefits from, and I benefit from them too), and among other free things paid with taxes. I also admit that, due to my wording, it looked like I was directly telling him "YOU will have access to public education", rather than a general thing.

But it looks like I struck a nerve within C, because he said "I will not have it now because I can't pay rent any longer" (he lives in a tiny town and comes to the city I live in to study). Neither I, A, or V knew about that. I'm also a terribly anxious person, so I ended up replying "sorry, I didn't knew that, but I said public education as I could've said anything else" but he kept going and said "I don't know why people keep telling me this, when public education is not even accessible to everyone" (no idea who else "keep telling this" to him, it certainly isn't me). I didn't said anything and just stopped talking on the groupchat because I'm embarrassed.

This can look like I'm looking for validation or anything, but I'm genuinely thinking that I could've been the asshole, even if I didn't knew the situation he was going through. I could've just said that I didn't wanted to talk about politics and that's it, because I knew I could get heated and even a bit aggressive. So, AITA??

What are these acronyms?

#aita #am i the asshole

[ywpd-translations]

Ride 739: The training camp's fourth day!!

Pag 1

1: Training camp of Sohoku High School's racing team...

2: fourth and last day, 10:18 in the morning

3: Here it comes, Rokudai!!

4: Yeah!! Teh, Kinaka-kun

Pag 2

1: The training camp fourth and last day!!

The total distance we've ran so far is....

Pag 3

2: Here we go!!

5: 800km!!

Pag 4

1: We still have 200km to go until we reach 1000km!!

2: Teeh.....!! We've ran so much, teh

3: That's right, we already went beyond what I said at first, the distance from “Aomori”

4: “Aomori”!

It's still 10:30 in the morning, so if we keep going like this we can run the remaining 200km that are required!!

We can!!

Yeah!!

Pag 5

1: My legs are all sore

2: I'm trembling all over, teh

3: The Aomori thing, when we first came here

4: 700km!!

I thought it would be impossible

5: When on the first day, the senpai created such a gap between us, I resigned myself and thought that it really was impossible

6: But then, on that day's evening, you had that idea, Kinaka-kun

8: We worked so hard starting from the morning, we closed the gap, and ran until here

Pag 6

1: Being “buddies” really was our “breakthorugh”, teh!!

2: Breakthrough...!!

3: ??

4: Right!!

Teh...!!

5: Somehow, when I think about seeing the “goal”

6: I feel a surge of power, teh!!

Ohh...

7: Yeah, nice Rokudai, that's good!!

8: We've survived so far, so let's run through the end!!

Pag 7

2: Pfui

Yeah....

Let's do... our best and.... run....

5: Huh, where's my bottle?

Teh

Pag 8

3: Rokudaiii!!

6: Oooooogh

Pag 9

3: Ah....

Kinaka....kun? Huh.... I... fell.... and my bo.... ttle?

4: Rokudaii!!

5: So-sorry

You- you saved me, because you're my “buddy”!!

Pag 10

1: Because I'm your friend

3: Because you're my precious and reliable friend!!

4: Don't fall

Pag 11

1: Don't fall yet!!

2: There's still a chance

3: A small one

4: We can't know until the end of this last day of this training camp

Our

5: target

Pag 12

1: is to go together to the Inter High!!

Yeah!!

Pag 13

2: Ohh, they got back up, those first years

They ran 800km, so I thought their pace would drop for 2 or 3 laps

3: and that they would lose momentum like that

5: There are two ways of winning a road race

Pag 14

1: The first way is enduring determinedly, following without giving up in any situation

2: So that you survive and become the last man standing

4: And the other way is attacking yourself, actively passing and leaving behind your opponents

5: showing your strength and taking the victory....!!

6: They're both “victories”, that doesn't change

But the one who brings you more praises and admiration

Pag 15

1: It's the latter, Issa!!

2: That's right, Danchiku!!

3: First year Omihata, my jersey

Yessir!!

4: The heat resistance training ends here!!

5: Kaburagi-san.... he took off his long-sleeved jersey....!!

That means he's gotten serious!!

6: Let's go with with Full Spec, Danchiku!!

Now that our bodies are ready, we'll definitely do our “human sacrifice”....

Pag 16

1: We'll defeat Sugimoto-san and go to the Inter High!!

Of course, Issa!!

Pag 17

3: Let's catch him, Danchiku!!

4: So you're here

Pag 18

1: You two!!

2: We've come to give back to you that “you allowed us to train with you”!! Sugimoto-san!!

Pag 19

2: Danchiku has already mastered the new bike he's riding, and he doesn't stagger anymore

Thanks to you, he's now in perfect condition!! Perfect!!

3: Yeah

Pag 20

1: I'm just next to you and yet I can feel your pressure enough!!

3: Sugimoto-san, sorry but I'm gonna defeat you in one blow

4: I won't let you beat me in one blow

Pag 21

1: Is that your “expectations”? Or your “hope”?

2: Yeah.... for now

3: I'll also take off my arms warmer!!

4: Sugimoto took off his arms warmer!!

5: If you come at me seriously....

Pag 22

1: It's only polite of me to get serious too!!

Pag 23

3: Sugimoto himself hit their handles!!

Even though usually his play-style is to avoid rough play and contact!!

4: You're in high spirits....!!

5: Not as much as you!! Danchiku!!

Pag 24

1: Honestly, I'm surprised that you're going all out like this.... you're worth defeating!!

2: I'll let you train with me one more time, Danchiku!!

Pag 25

2: Ah crap, they've started already!!

The last battle

3: of the fourth and last day of this training camp!!

4: Danchiku-kun!! Sugimoto-kun!!

Pag 26

1: I'll pull now, teh, Kinaka-kun

Yeah, thank you, Rokudai!!

2: Please....

3: No....

4: I'm beaten....

Even though I've finally... cut the 200km left point...

5: That moment.... I overdid it a little....

6: My legs hurt.....

#yowamushi pedal #yowamushi pedal translations #yowapeda #yowapeda manga #yowamushi pedal manga #yowamushi pedal spoilers #ride 739 #i have so many things to say about this chapter that ill probably use up all the tags LMAO #But the most important one is NAKAROKU!!!! MY PRECIOUS PRECIOUS BOYS YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH THEIR FRIENDHSIP MEANS TO ME #they're so important ;A; i cant believe kinaka really had to spelli it out to roku that theyre friends??? #youd think it would be the other way around given kinaka's chara and the fact that he never had any friends and all that #but no! I HELPED YOU BC WE'RE FRIENDS BC YOURE MY PRECIOUS AND RELIABLE FRIENDS #and roku: shocked pikachu face asdshgdkdfg #how did he not realize they're besties PLEASE if he thought theyre just 'buddies' for the training camp #what did he even think of their relationship before these 4 days - kinaka bby you didnt go so out of your way to be nice and good to him #for him to not even realzie youre friends sadsdhfa #im already writing a fic about this because its just that importan OKAY #i dont think i have enough tags to talk about everything sugimoto and danchiku and kaburagi #but lemme say that its so funny to me how everyone is busy fighting and all and meanwhile onoda and naruko are just doing their thing lmao

[astroluvr]

Jack taking noah to the grocery store and he gets hit on and they say noahs really cute so noah goes “thanks i look just like my mommy” or its the reader with noah, you can choose. Cause i like the idea of noah snitching on one of them when they get back home like “daddy/mommy got asked on a date”

-🌎 anon

a/n: this request was a while ago, but i haven't seen my 🌎 anon in a minute... but noah is around three in this story! making jack and y/n 20/21! not very important to this particular story tho lol

***

You and Noah had been out all day long, having a bonding day. After the both of you had a long week with school- being that you were still only two years into your studies, and Noah was just mastering his alphabet- you both got dressed and took the stores.

After getting dressed in a black dress that coordinated Noah's matching sweats, you both had a breakfast at a tiny diner that you all loved to have breakfast at before Jack left for the studio.

Following that, you and Noah treated yourselves to a series of activities. From the zoo where he mimicked each animal with ease, to ice cream at a park where you just so happened to catch a live band. After dancing around the park and making yourselves look silly underneath a tree, you decided to head to the mall where Noah's favorite toy store was.

There was once a time when all you and Jack could do was frown sadly when Noah dug his heels in the floor in front of the store, but now you could walk inside proudly and buy him almost anything he wanted.

Now, with Jack's new singles slowly rising towards popularity, you guys had the ability to splurge more. It wasn't long ago that you all bought a new house- one that was probably bigger than you needed, but Jack was adamant about it- not budging on having enough kids to take up all the room.

You were happy to see that although Noah didn't have an understanding of how he had the new things he did, that he didn't seem significantly happier now than before. Which to you, was a win as a parent.

"Is this what you wanted, bubba?" you asked, reaching towards the giant dinosaur plush.

"Yes, please." he lisped politely, bouncing on his toes as if he could reach it from where he was.

It was just out of your grasp, and you realized just how often Jack was there to pull things that were out of reach down without you even having to think about it.

"Alright, let me get someone to help because-"

The long arm coming from behind you, startled you both, making Noah squeak out a 'hey' and you place a hand on his back instinctively. The man who held the dinosaur chuckled as he handed it to you.

He was obviously much older than you, and you certainly knew that you didn't look to be in his age range- which made the situation all the more uncomfortable when he smirked at you before leaning his head back towards Noah.

"How you doing, shorty?" you cringed at his delivery, and Noah giggled too, forcing a smile from you that the man mistakenly took as his own. "I noticed you couldn't reach it, so I had to come help you."

"Thank you, I was just about to get someone to help us, but..." you gestured out awkwardly and the he chuckled.

"So, who is little man you're with? Your nephew?"

"This is my mommy!" Noah frowned, and you rubbed his back.

"Yeah, he's my son. It's hard to tell because he looks just like his daddy, I know."

"He with you?" the man quirked an eyebrow, and you laughed. "What?"

"I think this is all very flattering, but I'm engaged." you tried to ease out of the exchange before Noah's fist balled up any tighter, but the man was seeing no way out.

"I don't see no ring. What? Your dude can't afford it?"

That line irritated you. You had heard it a thousand times in every variation, but it always came from someone who had no idea how amazing Jack was, or how much you loved each other.

"Actually, my 'dude' is the reason that I'm in this store right now, and I'm able to buy our son whatever the fuck he wants out of this store."

"Chill." he said, laughing as if he hadn't been in the wrong. "I'm just saying, I could buy your son whatever he wanted. And however many of these dresses you want because you look good."

"There is no way in hell I'd leave my man for your sorry ass." you scoffed, and Noah unballed his fist from the fabric of your dress.

"That's how you feel?"

"Was it not clear?" you raised an eyebrow and in the beat of silence, Noah gathered up his entire vocabulary.

"My mama loves my daddy, not you."

And without another word, you pulled Noah to your hip and grabbed his plush to head straight for the register.

The drive back to your home was short, but it was enough for Noah to giggle to himself several times. After stopping for one more treat to have for desert, you were both walking into your home to find Jack in the kitchen.

"Hey, baby, hey bubba!" he yelled out, setting down what he was using to cook to get to you both and kiss you respectively.

"Hey, shorty!" Noah yelled back, and your cheeks warmed before Jack laughed and looked down at the boy.

"What did you say?"

"Said, hey, shorty!" Noah let out another round of giggles that made Jack shake his head before looking at you.

"What have you been teaching our son?"

"I-"

"Mama didn't teach it, the man did?"

"The man?"

"Noah, baby-"

"Ah, ah, ah. Let me hear this." Jack picked up his son and set him on the counter, crossing his arms to hear.

To spare yourself from the imminent teasing, you tried to walk out of the kitchen, but Jack's arm wrapped around your waist to reel you back into him.

"When we were at the store, somebody said, 'hey, shorty' to my mama!"

"Oh, yeah?"

"Mmhmm. What'd Mama do?" Jack turned to look at you to find you rolling your eyes.

"She said bad words! A-and I said that Mama loves you, not him!"

"That's my man." Jack grabbed Noah's face to leave a loud kiss to his forehead. "Alright, you're free to go until dinner."

After Noah ran towards the living room, Jack turned back to you, pulling you against his chest and kissing your forehead. You assumed that he'd let it go, but with Noah being inclined to tell anyone everything, that was not very likely.

"So, you cussed someone out because they flirted with you? I knew you had a little crush on me, but damn."

"I really don't like you that much." you eased your way from his arms and went to the fridge to pull out a water bottle.

"Then, why, Mama?" Jack narrowed his eyes at you as you opened the water bottle. "Hm?"

"Because he was talking shit about you."

"He doesn't even know me, it doesn't matter."

"Either way, he has no business talking about you. It just irritated me." you shrugged it off and Jack frowned when he noticed how closed off you became.

"Is that all?"

"Yeah. I'm the only person allowed to talk about you." you teased him, and he chuckled before pulling you back into him.

"You know I don't care about what people say about me, right?" he told you, his voice low as he spoke into your neck.

"I know, but you're good to us. And I know it was stupid to go off on that guy, but I'm tired of hearing it. You work hard, and you love us."

"I love you more than anything."

"I love you, too." you told him, leaning up for a kiss.

"Oh, I know you love your man." You rolled your eyes and Jack laughed before letting you go. "Now, I really have to put a ring on that finger, so people know you're my girl."

"Yeah, that would save me a lot of trouble. I mean, look at me, I'm bound to get hit on." you turned slightly to give him the best angle of your butt and giggled when he blushed.

"Hey, that's mine!" Jack yelled behind you, as you ran out of the kitchen before he could grab you again.

#this was lowkey poorly written but im still rusty on noah!jack so 😳 #noah!jack #jack harlow #jack harlow x reader #jack harlow concepts #jack harlow blurbs

[josefavomjaaga]

Hello! I was wondering if you’ve ever come across anything regarding Eugène’s relationship with Fouché? I was just browsing Hortense’s memoirs and she off-handedly mentions that Fouché disliked Eugène. It’s the first time I’ve seen either mentioned in regard to the other so now I’m curious. Here’s the excerpt; the “attempt” in question was when Friedrich Staps tried to murder Napoleon in 1809:

“The generals and other officers, shocked that such an attempt should have been made and alarmed at the idea of what might have happened, had considered seriously the situation arising from the absence of any direct heir to the imperial throne. They debated who might have been chosen as the Emperor’s successor had the attempt succeeded, and unanimously voted for the Viceroy. Public opinion throughout France indorsed the verdict. Rumors of this reached the Emperor and displeased him. They revived all his ideas concerning a divorce and later caused him to say to me during one of our conversations: “It became a necessity; public opinion demanded it.” I believe also that Fouché, with his skill for intrigue and dislike for my brother, took advantage of the episode to bring the matter of a divorce again to the Emperor’s attention. He perhaps even mentioned that my mother and I were deliberately engaged in promoting Eugène’s popularity.”

Hi, and thank you for the Ask! 💖

Of the top of my head, I could not point my finger to any particular interaction between the two, neither negative nor positive. Once Eugène was in Milan, while Fouché stayed in Paris, there was barely a chance for them to be at odds with each other, at least directly. And before that, Eugène simply had not had a high enough rank (officially) to be of much importance.

That Eugène was not fond of Fouché, especially after Fouché had tried to talk Josephine into a divorce in 1807, that I will believe. Josephine wrote to Eugène in detail about it. When Fouché in 1813/4 went on his mission to Italy, he not only saw Murat but also Eugène, and in his memoirs he (or whoever wrote in his name) claims that only after Fouché had explained it to him did Eugène understand that his future, too, was in jeopardy should Napoleon fall (which, I believe, is somewhat contradicted by Eugène's own correspondence with Auguste and their constant worries about the future of their children). 

And then, during the second Restauration, Fouché, on the run and kicked out of France, asked Eugène for protection and an asylum in Bavaria. Which Eugène politely but very firmly declined. And that's rather unusual, for him.

As to the events Hortense relates in her memoirs, being the malicious person that I am I always read that a little differently 😊:

First of all, I assume it to be blown somewhat out of proportion, with Hortense trying to give Eugène more importance than he truly had. Though, in fairness, there are Austrian sources that point in the same direction, so something may really have gone on in the army (Napoleon's main base of support!). That there was a huge portion of dissatisfied men and officers ever since the Polish campaign, that much at least seems to be clear (the "Roi Nicolas" affair in Portugal, with several high-ranking officers either conspiring with the enemy or at least revolting against Soult, happens almost at the same time). It's possible that they (or some of them) picked Eugène as a rallying figure, as somebody who might bring some calm and restraint for the future.

And secondly, I always understood this to mean that Josephine and Hortense of course really had intrigued on Eugène's behalf and tried to win public support for the idea of Eugène as Napoleon's successor. Fouché had reported to Napoleon about it - as was his job! -, Napoleon had not taken it well (as was to be expected), and now Fouché was an enemy of Eugène's in the eyes of Josephine and Hortense 😁. (Napoleon did react badly to all signs of Eugène gaining a reputation of his own at this time, there's also Eugène's panicked reaction about a book someone had written about his campaign and that he had not managed to seize in time before it reached Paris. And as to Hortense and Josephine pushing Eugène into the limelight, there is another incident during the Russian campaign, when an account of the Battle of Malojaroslavetz praising Eugène and the Army of Italy to the sky "accidentally" found its way into a French newspaper...)

So, from the little evidence we have, I'd argue Fouché was rather Josephine's enemy, and only in extension that of Eugène (Eugène being designated as Napoleon's successor would of course have resolved the question of a divorce forever). If he acted in opposition to Eugène, it surely was in accordance with Napoleon's plans (which may or may not have coincided with Fouché's own). 

As usual, I wish I had a better answer. But I'll pay attention from now on, maybe I come across some more actual interaction between the two in the future. Thanks again for the Ask!

#napoleon's family #eugene de beauharnais #joseph fouché

[scrollsfromarebornrealm]

prepare (1)

Riven exhaled as she shut the door to Sunward. Wuk Lamat had been set up at the Baldestion Annex. For the forseeable future, there was a great deal of preperations to be made...but first things first.

"What did you all think?" She asked, turning around to face the others.

"Green." Reinhardt, Mathye, and Augustine said in unison, causing Sebastian to blink in surprise.

"She is green." Mathye said. "Fresh out of the training hall and running about in new-made armor green. If it weren't for the fact that she does have skill in combat, I'd doubt she'd even gotten any type of first blood."

"She's got smarts, however." Reinhardt added. "And bold. I imagine she probably was the only contestant who had the idea to approach foreigners and ask them for help. It means she's flexible in her thinking and can adapt quickly to a changing situation."

"But something's wrong somewhere." Augustine mused. When the others looked at him, he gestured.

"Think about it. It's one thing to hire foreign adventurers--mercenaries even. But instead she pings directly onto us--Erenville's stories aside. It's one thing to want our battle skills--but with everything else? We're overkill. And while she's being honest about her reason to win--I can't help but feel there's something more to the story."

"That was my thought as well." Riven admitted. "But Tural may not know about us. And from the little I read, I don't think they had any effects of the Calamity, or the Final Days."

"I would suggest we talk to Alphinaud." Sebastian said. "He can handle the politics of the situation much better than any one of us. In fact, when we make it over there--let's leave anything dealing with governmental affairs to him. As far as everyone's concerned, we're just the hired help to Wuk Lamat." Riven hummed at that, crossing her arms.

"With everything we've been though, it never occurred to me that someone would want to threaten Eorzea's peace from the other side of the world."

"Honestly I don't think anyone has." Augustine replied. "And now that I think about it...we never saw anything with the Empire considering going that far out."

"Nor the Allagans now that I think about it." Sebastian added. Mathye frowned.

"...That...does seem strange. The Garleans made inroads to the farthest reaches of the east, but not the west? It's not like they didn't have the ability to do so."

"Technological constraints?" Reinhardt offered. "Airships only have so much fuel."

"No. I've seen plans that can turn them into nothing but flying ceruluem tanks." Augustine mused. "And it's a known fact that there's plenty of untapped wells in Tural. And an Agrias-class airship can fly though almost anything."

"Might be something worth asking Jullus about." Riven offered. She exhaled. "At least we've got some time to prepare. I've got to get my requests in to the Arcanists' Guild library, and quickly."

"All done with Aloato Island then?" Sebastian asked. Riven offered a weak grin, shrugging.

"Not really, but my rotation turn to go out there won't be for a few weeks. And I'd rather not fight someone for their spot--or have somebody challenge for mine." The Arcanists' Guild had been forced to create a rotation research schedule for their students and members who wanted to study the still-unknown arcane geometry of the Thavnarian island. And in true Limsan fashion, academic combat had been decided as a way for one to possibly advance to a higher spot in the rotation schedules.

"If it's alright, I'm next on the supply delivery list for Garlemald." Reinhardt offered. "I'll poke Jullus's brain, see if he heard or knows something."

"I'll come with you to Limsa." Mathye said to Riven. "I need your Mastery clearance anyway for the medical libraries. I think we'll need updated vaccinations and I'd like to know what diseases we'll need to look out for."

"I'm going to track down Nero." Augustine said. When the group blinked at him, he continued. "I think getting you a backup leg might be a good idea, Mathye. We don't know how long we'll be over there. And we have to discuss ways for your maintenance to be easier on you." His older brother started.

"I--"

"No." Riven interjected. "That's actually a good idea." Mathye flushed, crossing his arms and looking away.

"If it's alright, I'll go speak with Wuk Lamat and do some research in Sharlayan." Sebastian offered. "She might be willing--or let something slip around me." He paused, chuckling.

"This is actually strange, preparing for something that isn't world ending."

"It's a little unnerving." Riven admitted. "But...exciting. And I'm glad we're all doing this together."

#ffxiv #wol riven #riven fortemps #dawntrail #ffxiv dawntrail #mathye bishop #augustine bishop #reinhardt sauveterre #sebastian astralyas #wuk lamat

[messrsbyler]

Okay, on byler: who is the more polite of the two? Like. They’re both judgey af, but who is more obvious about it & in what situations? Does one of them kick the other under the table when they go too far or is it a united front thing? How does Will react to mike’s dad saying dumb bs at the dinner table? How does MIKE react? Does ted even know they’re a couple? Does karen? What’s holly’s stance on byler lol?

Srry for multiple questions in an ask! Have a nice night, & happy holidays if you’re currently celebrating!

i reaaaaally think will gets the image of being more polite, not because he's not sassy and sarcastic and rolling his eyes 24/7. but will knows all about timing while mike doesn't. will is more of a quick jabs when they aren't looking and mike is more of a let's scream right before we attack to blow our cover.

both of them kick each other under the table but because of what i said before, will gets to do it more bc again, mike needs to practice timing. he is easier to make explode and to be loud about his sarcasm and sassiness and will more times than not has to keep him on check with a quick kick under the table.

i think will would painfully offer a polite smile whenever ted says stupid bullshit, grabbing his fork tight and biting his tongue to not say anything. mike is the kind that explodes like he saw in s1 when he said "i'm the only one acting normal! i'm the only one who cares about will!" and then he storms out. but i also think will is clever and when he gets older he learns to slip in a couple of passive-agressive comments, all well aimed, that leave ted tripping not sure if this kid just offended him or not.

about ted knowing, my ongoing joke is that he's always known about byler and already think they are a couple lmao but in reality i don't think he knows and i don't think neither of them are inclined to tell him since we all know about ted's political views and all. i think karen knows, esp bc i think (and want) karen will be finally involved in the supernatural plot next season and once you enter all that mess let's be honest... how are you still going to be homophobic with all the horrors and the real awful things you've seen? sure, maybe karen will have a bit of a hard time adjusting to the idea first, but she'll get there. also bc i hc her as being a closeted lesbian that fell under the pressure of heteronormativity and who back in her cheerleader days in high school used to have a crush on joyce maldonado hehe.

holly thinks byler are dating already. she just assumes as much lmao if you asking me in canon tho, i think holly is young enough to unlearn the few things she's already learned about homophobia along with karen. my hc is that she simply assumes byler are boyfriends already lol anyhow she would love them bc will is her favorite from the party (after mike ofc) and now will is around the house a lot more so holly wins.

loved answering all of these and I AM SO SORRY FOR TAKING LITERALLY HALF A YEAR TO REPLY AAAAHHH-

#asks #st headcanons #byler #my headcanons

[justarabidlittleyingzhao]

LBFaD has three main locations that explore different ideas within the narrative: Shunteiyan, the Moon Palace, and Yunmeng Lake.

What I find fascinating is how the narrative then repeats the journey in reverse. If LBFaD was a piece of music, I'd say the structure was most like Arch form: abcba

To me, the story moves like the curve of an arch, each smaller storyline building on the one that went before, but with a new melody. After the third location, it goes back in reverse. There's a repeat of the previous themes / storylines explored within each location - with variations - but they're essentially the same.

Shunteiyan (A)

The main idea explored at the beginning is how power wielded by goodness can completely undermine power used for violence. Bullying doesn't reward those who indulge in it, but gentleness and compassion bring what people most desire.

For example, Danyin wants to pass the exam and win Chang Heng's love. Her bullying not only makes Orchid stand up for herself (which CH sees and admires), but I think it's a contributing factor drawing DFQC to watch over her during the exam. This leads to Orchid not only defeating her bullies and passing her exam, but also leads to Orchid saving Danyin's life - and that's a lesson for DFQC, too.

But of course the main focus while we are in Shunteiyan is the dynamic between someone who does not know their own power (Orchid) versus someone who knows his power very well (DFQC - as 'Da Qiang') - but he's unable to use it, thanks to the Xilan Seal.

2. The Moon Palace (B)

I feel like the main theme in the Moon Palace is authority = responsibility.

It's not just about bodyswapping shenanigans with DFQC. Although Orchid does it half as payback and half to get out of her Arbiter Hall 'jail' - she quickly finds out that being DFQC, she has to make political decisions that affect people's lives too. And with every choice that is made, we see a consequence (not always a positive one) after.

But intertwined with the theme of authority demanding responsibility, is the sweeter theme of compassion creating opportunity.

Orchid's compassion spontaneously moves her to swap bodies back with DFQC in order to save his life - an act which permanently changes her situation. Her compassion moves her to help him heal his tree of emotions. Even at personal risk to herself, she heads to the underworld to find out the truth behind what his father was thinking when he tortured the son he loved. This gives DFQC the opportunity to choose his new (and raw) emotions over being forced into losing them again. That compassion also opens the door - yes, even this early on - for Glazed Fire to replace his Hellfire (but I feel like that should be a whole other post).

3. Yunmeng Lake (C).

This part had a unique energy to me. Kind of reminded me a bit of Much Ado About Nothing, or Twelfth Night, with all the subterfuge and disguises and misunderstandings.

It seems like the main idea explored here is that Deception can bring about the very thing you really don't want to happen.

The themes of responsibility, power, compassion, and violence vs restraint from the previous storylines are woven in here too, in the actions of multiple characters.

Orchid and DFQC pretend they don't know what the other is up to, while trying to figure out exactly what the other is up to: the power play between them is almost constant.

Orchid begins to feel the weight of responsibility of her choices regarding DFQC and the future.

Mortal!CH is now sworn brothers with DongFang (ohhhh my god the fics, the bromance fics I need right now for them).

Our leads have UnConfessed feelings for each other but both eventually have to accept marrying someone else (because, Fate. Tribulations. Primordial Spirits.)

All of this with a spicy side dish of evil qi and supernatural antagonists.

But it's after this that the narrative themes start to reverse after they return to the Moon Palace (B), and then finally to Shunteiyan (A), where DFQC regrows Orchid from her seed.

It's in these last two stages - narrative mirrors of the first two stages - that the relationships and the dynamics are also reversed.

Orchid returns as the goddess Xishan: powerful and virtually emotionless. She has the power - both supernatural and emotional - to thwart DFQC's attempts to draw close to her, and uses it.

She's a painful mirror of DFQC's character from the beginning; painful because their dynamic is minus the delight and pleasure of their first interactions.

He becomes a mirror of Orchid's original compassion, helplessness and tenacity. He could fight her, forcing a power match with the new goddess, but it doesn't even occur to him to do that.

If we could hear this storyline as music, it would be bittersweet - teasing us with hope, but stretching out the melancholy until we almost can't bear it. We watched the first few episodes avidly for DFQC to slowly thaw in the face of Orchid's sweetness, and we were rewarded. We watch again for *some* evidence of thawing from the new-born goddess in the face of DFQC's sweetness, but it almost doesn't come.

The locations, the themes are the same: but almost to the very end, the dynamic is not.

There's far more visual and emotional parallels between the first three episodes when contrasted with the last three that I haven't spoken about here - but that would make this post waaaay too long (maybe I'll revisit more of the finale's parallels later, in another post).

(P.S. also, thanks LBFaD. for killing me)

#cang lan jue #love between fairy and devil #xiao lanhua #dongfang qingcang #lbfad #dylan wang #wang hedi #no really #thanks for killing me #bitches #brilliantly adapted acted and directed #now don't do that again

[starry-blue-echoes]

Okay no but Jolyne in Shattered Glass AU is such a funky idea to me.

Considering that she's separate from the whole Joestar-culty business, I feel like maybe she, as well as Josuke and Giorno, would still remain somewhat on the side of good!!

I wonder if, like, her situation in prison would either be similar to Cult of the Lamb, where she gets by exploiting the religion, or just like canon, where it's simply hell for her.

Also, maybe Ermes, Foo, Anasui and co. are like!! Reoccurring rivals that she just gets stuck with (Why did this remind me of Mean Girls??). Even better if they're actually the weird cultists here and just. Automatically assume Jolyne is also culty. She's gaslighting, gatekeeping, and girlbossing.

The idea of like,, fate would probably tie in so heavily here. Where she's part of this evil, cursed lineage, and decides to be free from that sort of burden by being something ELSE than a Joestar. She's Jolyne. It's why she changes her last name, even better in prison, 'cause she knows what that name entails and now decides to truly make it her own.

Would Jolyne even win in this one?? Part of me hopes so, was absolutely gutted watching the end of Stone Ocean, so maybe this time our girl can get a win.

- Bread

I'll admit I don't know much about Cult of the Lamb but yesssssssssss

just. Jolyne slowly learning with a growing horror just who exactly her father is and what he's done. Every wish for her father to have been more present in her life is shattered to pieces left with only a surging relief and terror at what could have been

honestly, the thought of exploiting the cult that Pucci's built up probably does cross her mind, but I think the possible dangers of revealing her name would out weigh the possible benefits. Who knows what they might make her do or expect of her when they learn she's a direct decendant of one of history's most famed dictatorships

so she opts to stay hidden, even though it'll mean getting information is gonna be a lot harder

I'll admit, I'm not super sure on her allies being part of the cult (genuinely a part at least, I can definitely see Hermes pretending to buy into it to get closer to Sports Maxx) but Rivals to Friends could definitely be fun to play with

actually, out of everyone Weather could definitely be part of the cult..... maybe he can get an arc where the gang helps him out of that specific situation. Perhaps Hermes is the one who makes contact first since she's "part of the cult" and since according to everyone he's been here the longest she thinks he'll know the most about the prision

also, Foo is definitely going to be an interesting character and looking on at all the human shenanigans and politics that have been going on with morbid curiosity but also "guys what the fuck-"

I think Jolyne And Co should get to win this one, just on the principal of the mater and to add more contrast to canon. Also, remember how AGES ago I mentioned a SWF Agent arriving in the prision who slowly ends up helping and growing to trust Jolyne? What if it's Dio

(also for a bit of dark humor, Jolyne gets REALLY badly wounded in the end, bad enough she Needs A Hospital and is unconcious for a while, and when she wakes up Dio makes a joke about how she's kept the running "Elder Joestar Dies In The Fight While The Younger One Survives" trend going (since in the first fight, George died while Jonathan survived, then way later Jonathan died while Joseph survived, then Joseph died and Jotaro survived, and then there's now)

also for some angst....... what if the first person who learns Jolyne's secret is Emporio

Emporio, who's mother was murder for the sake of supporting the Joestar Clan and has been on his own for his whole life, learns that one of the people who's the closest thing he's ever had to family is related to them

had he been older, Emporio might've understood things a bit better. He would've been able to connect how Jolyne had no allegiance to the Joestars and that she barely knew her father at all

but he isn't. Emporio is 11 years old and traumitized to high hell and in his eyes someone he loves has betreyed him in one of the worst possible ways

#shattered glass #jjba #jojo’s bizarre adventure #stone ocean #stone ocean spoilers #jjba part 6 #jjba jolyne #jolyne kujo #jjba jotaro #jotaro kujo #jjba hermes #hermes costello #jjba weather report #weather report #jjba foo fighters #foo fighters #jjba dio #dio brando #jjba emporio #emporio alnino #sb answers #bread anon

[alatismeni-theitsa]

Hi Theitsa <3 I was wondering how the civil war in the 40s has affected people today? Is there still stigma associated with the side your grandparents took in the conflict? Are people still loyal to that political stance?

That's more complex than a Tumblr ask allows, and I'll be the first to admit that not matter how much I try to read on the matter, there are so many complex POVs in the situation that I don't consider myself having the full picture. I'm certain someone will find mistakes in my phraseology - if not everywhere else - but I'll do my best to answer this.

I can say for sure that the victor spread their version of the story in the whole country, and also shaped our present and our national policies. Since the history of the civil is kinda recent compared to (most) other events, it tends to get buried and people don't recognise the subtle ways the winning side (the Right) is still influencing the perception of society towards the past actions of the Left and WW2 (like ΕΑΜ-ΕΛΑΣ 's huge role in the resistance against the Axis Powers, how ΕΑΜ-ΕΛΑΣ was largely supported from the Greek folk except from two areas during the Civil War).

Sometimes avoiding talking about it helps the victor hide their old nazi affiliations and their decades-long crimes (imprisonment, torture, state executions, banishment) against the Left too, so as long as the matter stays buried it's good for tbem. I don't want to imply that EAΜ-ΕΛΑΣ were saints, I just want to point out how the victor had the chance to shape History in their own favour, like it always happens.

So, many things have been swept under the rug since the end of the war and people don't talk about it in their day-to-day lives. You will find many articles of different opinions and arguments but in our daily lives it's not a thing we discuss. We didn't even taught about it properly in school. It's certainly a complex and multifaceted issue since so many countries took part in it, and the context is tenfold more complex. We are talking about prehaps the beginning of the Cold War here.

I think that this complexity is another factor hindering our discussions. Also it's perhaps the darkest point in our recent history and as a country it hurts us to talk about it - unless we are in the heated comments of a political video, and even there the references are scarce.

I believe each Greek has already a stance in their mind regarding the civil war, and perhaps sometimes you can guess if their family was affiliated with what side, but as I said it's not something openly discussed. If you ask many young Greeks now I think they have little to no idea what their grandparents supported at the time.

Anon, if you are Greek diaspora can you let us know if the Greek famiiles around you still think about the Civil War and if they judge (for lack of a better word, sorry!) other families according to their affiliation? This would be very interesting to know. I sense that such history is crystallized when one is abroad and lives with memories of Greece, while people who are in Greece have these memories buried by the shitstorm of modern Greek reality.

#answered #civil war #greek history #this answer reflects my own experience in the matter obviously #if you want add yours in reblogs and comments

[american-politics-by-raz]

George Santos is the best thing to come out of Washington this year

He’s gone. He wants to come back. He’s a scoundrel. He’s the “it girl.” He’s everything. He’s just Ken. He’s George Santos, and the question we’re asking is: what do we do now?

Love him or hate him, or lovingly hate him, as many do, it’s hard to know where to start with the former Congressman from New York’s 3rd district. Santos became only the 6th member of the House of Representatives to ever get thrown out by his peers. Currently facing a federal indictment on 13 criminal charges, Santos’ expulsion is unusual as in the other 5 cases, the Member of Congress had actually been convicted of a crime first.

This is not to say that Santos isn’t guilty. His various lies and fraudulent behavior are well documented. He lied about the schools he went to, the companies he worked for, the idea that he was Jewish and his family was in the Holocaust, the story that his mom died in 9/11, being a star volleyball player at a school he never attended, and being a model in Vogue, among many, many other things. Santos has been cheating people out of money for years and just viewed running for Congress as another grift. He stole money (lots of money) from his own campaign to pay his rent, spend on luxury brands, get Botox, and buy OnlyFans subscriptions. And that’s only the recent stuff!

Santos is also the most memeable thing to happen to Congress in an already memeable year. Every new wave of debunking that happened in the media was often followed by a flurry of Santos memes on social media. The ridiculousness of the subject material and the relative ease with which these memes could be digested by a low-political-information audience contributed to widespread mocking of the Congressman from New York.

Politics, for all the talk of the details of policy, is a narratives game. Santos easily fit the narrative of the corrupt politician, in it only for the prestige and the cash, and willing to say literally anything to further his own goals. He fit this narrative because it was, for once, the truth. For the low-information observer of politics, it just confirmed their suspicions.

Now this notion may be gloomy, but I’d like to offer a counterpoint. I think the whole George Santos debacle and the memes surrounding it are a net positive. Here’s why.

One, it attracted attention and interest from people, particularly the younger population, who may have otherwise overlooked the current political situation. In the era of the tired voter (shameless plug of my last post) and with the utter lack of satisfaction people have with both Biden and Trump, both Democrats and Republicans, having a ridiculous, comedic “hook” to get them to pay attention is not a bad thing.

Was it for a negative reason? Sure. Did it significantly move the needle towards a well-educated voter population? Maybe not. But it did get a few more people invested and got them thinking. The controversy around George Santos showed, in my opinion, the value of paying attention to local congressional races and the potential ramifications of ignoring them and the candidates running. If the Santos incident got at least a few more people, especially the younger people who are not as likely to vote in congressional primaries, to take a look at their local races and local Congresspeople, then that is a win. If it got voters asking the question, “if they could elect a guy like George Santos, who’s to say our district couldn’t too?”, well, then that is a step in the right direction.

Another important key point is the resurfacing of the ongoing battle local newsrooms have with funding, resources, and manpower. We’ve known for a long time that the state of local media is dire, and that many small newsrooms don’t have the ability to fact-check on the scale that large publications do. The North Shore Leader, a local paper in New York’s 3rd district, raised concerns, but largely they were too late or fell on deaf ears. Additionally, the war against the media has not spared even the smallest of publications. Our media silo and increasing tendency to ignore news we don’t like or don’t believe in is not just a national problem. We have to, crucially, learn to separate valid concerns raised by journalists from partisan rhetoric. This is clearly a larger issue that deserves more than the passing mention I’m giving it here. We have to learn to know when we’re being educated and when we’re being handled.

Additionally, Santos is a worthy reminder that as of late, there has been a bit of a quality control issue in candidates up and down the ballot. There are, despite beliefs to the contrary, still good people in politics. But the kind of candidates that attract attention in today’s environment are ones increasingly willing to make outlandish claims and parrot only national talking points that have little real relevancy to people in their communities. The nature of the game on the hyper-partisan and hyperbolic field which it’s played allows those good at both those factors to excel more easily than the “Mr. Smiths” of the world.

Candidates that spout well-worn lines from partisan news media may not actually know or care about the local issues that will impact constituents, especially when what they are spouting are debunked lies. Telling voters what they want to hear is a systemic problem in politics, despite how many claim to want people who “tell it like it is.”  There is a burden on both the voter and the political system to hold each other accountable in pursuit of the common good, a burden which has seemingly fallen to the wayside. Santos is a cautionary tale for both voters and the political establishment of the perils of enabling falsehoods. Neither will really get what’s in their best interest.

Beyond that, there is a larger point to be made about corruption and politicking. Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman exposed this in an excellent way when he used a Cameo video (the site for C-list celebrities to monetize themselves and Santos’ newest post-Congress grift) starring Santos to troll New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez. Menendez has also been indicted. Corruption, as Fetterman implicitly points out, is not a single party issue.

The answer to the question “how come it took so long to get Santos out of office?” is related, and is two-pronged: deep party politics, and a double standard. The vote that expelled Santos from Congress was not the first he endured. In the previous two votes, there wasn’t enough support from the Republican majority to get rid of him. The House Ethics Committee’s report, following an 8-month investigation, seemed to be the push that many needed to finally hammer nails into Santos’ congressional coffin. But despite the damning report, 112 Republicans still refused to vote to expel him. This is a sign of the intense political calculation being made to value holding the majority over ethical concerns. Losing Santos makes the slim majority Republicans have even slimmer, especially if they lose the seat for good in the upcoming special election in the district.

There were also concerns among Members about precedent. Santos has only been indicted, not convicted, opening the door to the chance that the threat of expulsion could become a political weapon like impeachment has. There is certainly merit to these concerns. But more problematic in my mind in the double standard which has seemed to encompass all of American politics.

Simply put: truth or evidence of wrongdoing are no longer important to the calculation of whether to stand by or even believe a member of your party. Partisan affiliation has become the ultimate indicator of innocence or guilt. If he’s your guy, he’s innocent. If he’s the other guy, he must be guilty. The trouble to which many Republicans had disavowing Santos or the trouble to which many Democrats are having disavowing Bob Menendez is proof that this is an issue across the board.

George Santos’ greatest public service was bringing all these factors I’ve discussed out into the open. His often-comical crimes allowed an opening to not only educate people about the current partisan dynamic, but also to allow us to have a real, open conversation about the kinds of candidates we’re putting into office, and why. He’s the best thing to come out of Congress this year. And note that by “come out,” I also very much mean “to leave.”

#george santos #us politics #raz's analysis #long post

[enkisstories]

A protocol droid... the governor's honor guard... some junior officers...

Everytime Gavin Dree entered the officers' club, he realized that he wasn't the odd one out, but fit in perfectly. Or would have fit in perfectly, if not for the fact that he was betraying pretty much everyone.

Gavin: "For real, Hank, some days I have trouble telling whom I spy on on whose behalf."

Hank: "If you have any doubt where you belong, then the answer is "right here", in my household. So what if you rashly joined the rebels instead of waiting for my reforms to take effect? Different approaches aside, our goals are the same."

Gavin: "Uh... okay? Thank you, Hank."

Hank: "Now if only you had an idea how to quickly raise a five digit sum. We need to get the missing government funds back, before the Supreme Leader gets wind and sends an inquisitor."

Gavin: “The quickest way would be to hack the holotable in Lt. Agnon’s base. Great payout for middling risk.”

Hank: “Gavin... did you... hack... Lt. Agnon’s holotable?! In the recent four weeks?”

Gavin: “Maybe?”

Hank: “Well, THANK YOU VERY MUCH! I took the money to fund my social reforms from the military’s budget! No wonder my calculations suddenly showed a negative balance!”

Gavin: “Oops...”

Hank: “We really need to coordinate better!”

Connor: “I’m not interested in politics, but... Do you two maybe want to tell me something...?”

Hank: “Yes. That you need to win the summer race. In fact, to cover the whole missing sum, we need to place a correct trifecta. Who would you say is the best jockey after you two in this region?”

Connor: “Gavin and me are second and third best after Oga Garra’s champion and it’s not even close. First place is practically locked in.”

Hank: “Dang. That’ll lower the payout.”

Gavin: “So Oga’s champion first, then you and me third. Check.”

And that was the moment when Connor realized how serious the situation was. For never in their life had his foster brother ever relented or let him win.

(The actual outcome will be determined by using the ingame horse race mechanics, just saying.)

#sims4journeytobatuu #simblr #battleforbatuu2

[thewittyphantom]

Next in Duel Links came the ZEXAL Cup, with Trey as our partner! Teams included Tori and Anna, a new team of Alito and Girag, Rio and Shark, and a new team of Kite and Quinton.

Trey: I'm Trey. I'll be your tag partner. It's nice to meet you! We should start by learning about each other's decks. My deck has Chronomalies and Xyz Monsters that can adapt to any situation. So no matter what moves you play, I know I can back you up. We can fine tune our strategies when we actually get out there and Duel! This is so exciting!

Girag: A Tag Tournament? These humans have the wackiest ideas! Alito: What's the problem? Sounds fun to me! Girag: Say what...? Are you actually gonna take this competition seriously? Alito: Of course I am! I take every Duel seriously! Girag: Sigh...I guess that means I can't slack off either. (they lose) Girag: I know we didn't give it our all, but I can't believe we lost. Alito: Hold on a sec, Girag...You didn't give it your all!? Girag: Huh? Well uh...It's just a figure of speech! Alito: That's not the definition of "figure of speech"! You cost us the win! Back to your training, Girag! Girag: What? Right now? Don't tell me I gotta wrestle a bear again!

Quinton: It's been a long time since we've Dueled together, Kite. Kite: Not long enough. You better not get in my way. Quinton: That's not very polite. Perhaps I should teach you some manners. Kite: If more manners equals more wins, go right ahead. Quinton: Heh...At least you still remember the importance of victory. (they lose) Quinton: There were no weaknesses in our strategy. They simply had one thing that we did not. Kite: What's that? Quinton: Trust. Though we may trust each other too, their bond was much deeper. Kite: .......... Quinton: You used to dismiss the power of friendship - but what about now? Kite: I know someone who believes in that nonsense too - maybe there's something to it.

Trey: Hooray! We did it! We won! Yaaaaaay! Oops! I got a bit carried away. I'm just so happy that I couldn't stop myself. Umm...May I ask you something? Will...Will you be my friend? I do have family, but I don't have many people in my life that I would consider a friend...Because stuff happened in my past that makes it hard for me to open up...But since we Dueled together, I just thought...well......Really!? Thank you! Look at me - I'm blushing. If you ever need my help, don't hesitate to call. I'll be there in a snap. Because you're my friend!

#yu gi oh #duel links #yu gi oh zexal #trey #tori meadows #anna kaboom #alito #girag #rio kastle #reginald kastle #kite tenjo #quinton