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#if you like/don't mind one you are LEGALLY OBLIGATED to like/not mind the other because they are obviously the exact same
butwhatifidothis · 2 years
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Pictured: someone proving someone else completely right
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OP: Just because I have my problems regarding Claude’s writing in GW doesn’t mean I dislike him.
Genius: Well, if you REALLY liked Claude, and if you were THAT upset about [extremely poorly set up event], then OBVIOUSLY you should have been equally upset about [event that was set up infinitely better in literally every way]. I am very smart.
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kaisfruit · 6 months
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Hi! how's your day going?
I'd like to request the ninja from Ninjago and an older sibling reader if that alright? You know just cute fluffy days with siblings.
Ninjago Older Sibling!Reader Headcanons <3
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A/N; Ahhh hi!!! my day is good ty <3 tysm for this ask this is so cute 🥺🥺 i hope u dont mind hcs, but if u do feel free to ask again and i'll gladly make smthn longer :] jus thought hcs fit the vibe
warnings; none! just fluff <3
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Kai and Nya
Absolutely the most chaotic sibling trio
Nya constantly getting upset with you and Kai for playing the "i'm the older sibling" card
Nya: WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU GUYS DIDN'T SAVE A PIECE FOR ME?
You and Kai: older siblings get cake first that's just the rule. sorry <33
But Kai gets just as upset as she does when you do it to him
You guys all love each other though so it's okay
Just the vibes of being their older sibling would be the most competitive basic sibling rivalry type stuff yk
Lloyd
Constantly doting over him
You might as well be his parental figure since MISAKO AND GARMADON WERE THE WORSTTTTT
You and Kai take turns mother henning him
You and Kai are bffs btw like. I don't make the rules. Kai is just his adoptive older brother in my head, so you two bond over caring for Lloyd
Definitely his comfort person after a long day <3
You're the one Lloyd trusts the most in his life and he isn't scared to tell you his fears because, despite any assumed sibling teasing, he knows you'll take him seriously on that regard
Jay
You guys make annoying each other a full time job
Constantly fighting over who the favorite is
Y/N: At least I help out at the junkyard!!
Jay: I'm literally out saving the world everyday!!!
*aggressive slap fight ensues*
OMG no. he's definitely the younger sibling to pull the rapid fire kick tactic
His elemental abilities go out the window when y'all fight. Just straight up, falls on his back and starts kicking up at you
All fun n games until you're able to catch one of his legs
You totally embarrass him as much as you can in front of Nya too
As Jay's older sibling, you're legally obligated to be Cole's bestie since Cole is Jay's bestie. you guys lovingly torment the lightning user together <33
Cole
The most chill sibling duo to ever exist
you both didn't appreciate Lou's insistence of the singing and dancing shit so y'all just decided to be ride or dies for life
much like cole, you get along so well with the rest of the ninja
idrk what to say here
nvm i do
You guys play video games with each other and you are infinitely salty at the fact that your younger brother is better than you at most video games
like wtf? isn't it supposed to be a god given right for all older siblings to be better at video games???? the FSM screwed you!!!
but you've never let him live down the one time he lost to you at super smash bros
you have refused to play with him since
Zane
See, idk if you'd be his ACTUAL sibling yk since he's a robot? maybe more like you were supposed to be a protege to dr. julien, but decided to just be a 4 lyfer with zane after his passing
you've helped zane understand human culture so much and he's real appreciative of your existence
the ninja absolutely fucking ADORE when you're around because what's better than one zane? TWO ZANES !!!
well, obviously you're your own person but! i could see zane adopting a lot of your mannerisms so you two end up being very similar
quality time is y'alls bread and butter
working around each other perfectly as y'all both cook in the kitchen
words never need to be shared between the two of you. just hanging around the other is enough yk? like y'all are bonding just by existing near each other and it is magical
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ANOTHER A/N; i tried my best to highlight reader being the older sibling but </3 idk if i did it that well. i saw "sibling fluff" and RAN!! im willing to do a pt 2 or like a one shot or anything with a prompt similar to this !! im the youngest sibling myself tho so idk if i can properly portray being an older sibling (only in a mean light. yk like greg heffley and rodrick. do NOT recommend having older siblings y'all /j)
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hi! So I watched dp when I was younger and recently you a couple others have been all over my dash with fics from it. So i dipped my toes into some crossovers with my fandoms and now I really want more fics to read! Do you have any recs for me? I love eldritch danny and self indulgent op fics, but a good slice of life is warm an fuzzy too, so whatever your top 5 are, I want em!
aaaah most of what I read are fics I come across on tumblr that are hard to find again because of the jank search function (but you can try searching 'fic recs' on my blog and pray it works 😆) and I have a terrible habit of forgetting to bookmark fics on ao3 to find them again
so I don't have a lot to recommend but I can share the few I have saved! these are mostly quite silly fun ones
Smells Like Team Spirit
Summary:
Some mascots are great at pumping up a crowd. As Casper High's mascot, Danny has only one job: strike fear into the hearts of their opponents. This is the story of how Danny becomes the famed Mascot of Fear.
The Weird Little Shit
Summary:
A class discussion held by Wes about Danny’s weirdness was never not going to be an absolute cluster fuck
Take Me For A Ride, You Moron
Summary:
Abducting Danny is really never a good idea and it is a sure-fire way to get mocked.
as for warm and fluffy slice of life, I have a fic or two of my own you might like!
Even ghosts like cookies
Summary:
Buying and renting property in Amity Park is unbelievably cheap, cheap enough to convince an old lady with dreams of running her own bakery to pick up her life and move all the way to this strange little Illinois town.
Unfortunately for her, the real estate has no legal obligation to disclose that the entire town is, in fact, incredibly haunted.
Grabbing Smoke
Summary:
The longer a ghost is dead, the more of their lives they forget, in the same way that one forgets most of their childhood as they age
But where humans have photo albums and mementos to help remind them of things from their past, a ghost has nothing but the clothes on their back and the endless expanse of the Ghost Zone
So when Kitty visits the human realm, she can't help but feel the tickling of a distant memory at the back of her mind, somewhere, somehow, she knows she's seen Sam Manson's face before
if anyone else wants to throw in some recommendations for Anon please do!
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mikuni14 · 4 months
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Why I think the way the final episode of The Sign was distributed is wrong, offensive and unfair to fans. And how disappointing I am with this approach, because I sincerely supported Idol Factory and Saint.
Personally, I pay for Gaga, Viki and IQIYI, plus a VPN to watch shows that are not available in my country (like Pit Babe), which, you know, I already paid for 🙄 Additionally, I pay for Netflix, I have combined subscriptions with other people for Disney, HBO, Skyshowtime, Prime, last year we paid for Apple to watch Silo and Severance (I recommend both series btw 👌). I also don't mind paying one-time for a film on the platform, which is how I recently watched Oppenheimer.
Money is not an issue (<- lol), apart from the fact that I support myself and I have to work, and I have to carefully manage my budget in order to feed myself and my cat, clothe myself, pay my bills, and my loss of job will mean obviously giving up access to all these media. I say that money is not a problem in the sense that I WILL SPEND MONEY on something I like. I will save, I will give up something else, but I will spend this money on stuff I love.
The Sign has chosen a certain distribution method for international fans. They chose YouTube and chose a set airing hour. They could have chosen to distribute only in Thailand like Cherry Magic, or they could have chosen any other platform with paid subscriptions. But they chose YouTube. And they released 11 episodes for free and at a set time. And now they CHOSE to make the last ep paid and to create a complete chaos related to the distribution of the finale, because I honestly don't know at this point whether it is paid or not, what is paid and what is not, whether it is on Saturday or Sunday or it's for a ticket or for free on channel3 and apparently they have two endings????, which is always an alarming sign for me, because it's very Game of Thrones/Marvel style shit.
Besides, people have their own lives, their obligations, their schedules. Sometimes you just can't get around certain things and you can't watch a series in the available time, no matter how much you want. Secondly, releasing a product for free in order to limit access to it in the final phase is the worst manifestation of toxic capitalism. This is preying on the desperation and devotion of fans. The third thing is the selection of viewers into those who can afford it, have the time, have the resources and those who do not. And yes, sometimes even just $15 of an unexpected expense makes a huge difference in a person's budget. It's telling some of the fans that you are VIP and can sit in the front row, and the rest of the peasants should wait outside for two weeks 😄
tl;dr personally I want and can pay for: 1) the entire series on a legal platform 2) ADDITIONAL things, like specials, fan stuff, etc. I consider paying for access to the series finale, which until now was free, immoral.
But tbh I really have no idea what's going on, I go with the flow 🤡Whenever I check The Sign tag, I read more and more new information related to the possibility of watching the finale, and it's different every day. And if it turns out that the cut version of the series will be available for free on Channel 3, and the uncut version with subs will be available tomorrow with a ticket, it will be the funniest thing ever. Because that would mean that people paid $15 to watch, I don't know what, a sex scene? 😄
Idk, guys, instead of enjoying the finale, people are wondering how to watch it at all. And if IF starts doing this, won't others follow suit? 11 episodes for free, oh you want to watch the finale, well you have to pay or wait and dodge the spoilers 😈
And one last thing for potential defenders of this system, like "what's your problem, it will be available in 2 weeks, just wait": so you accept that not ALL fans will have a chance to experience the final ep together, which is the basis of the fan community? That some fans will experience and analyze the episodes this weekend, and the rest will wait?
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pommunist · 2 months
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Hi, I hope your day is going as well it can be with all the news
Would it be possible to get an explanation on why the union did not initiate contact besides on Twitter? I'm not French, but is not contacting the other party common practice there? Does like the whole 'We asked him to work with us on Twitter' hold up in court? In addition if you don't mind summarizing how the laws work?
Sorry if this comes across as harsh, it's really more confusion and curiosity. Plus whenever I'm nervous, I sound like a robot. But if this gets answered great, if not thank you for all your posts on the situation going on.
Au revoir and best of wishes again (if you've already answered this already sorry and I think that's how you spell it I haven't taken French in years)
Hey finally getting to answering this !
Ok so first : Do I think the union could have sent an email ? Yes and that would have been a great thing. Now my beef is with people complaining that they didn’t as if it’s their fault that communication is this case is so bad.
So first, it’s common (at least in France) for unions to release public statements when they’ve stumbled upon a case of a company mistreating their workers in any way. This is usually to 1) Collect more testimonies if there are any 2) Let the public know that said company is hurting their workers so that people can be aware that this is what they support if they still give money to said company
The union here wasn’t obligated to help, they chose to step up after Lea’s statement since the admins testimonies revealed multiple workers rights violations in Qstudios. Their goal was for the admin’s rights to be recognised so they could work in lawful conditions. The best way to that is to try to reach an amicable solution (no one involved probably wants to go to court as it it long tiring and expensive).
So yeah you should see that in a « You did something bad, we are willing to offer our help, if you’re interested by said help please contact us » thing. I would also like to reiterate that it shouldn’t be up to the victims side to be the one trying to right the wrongs of the company.
How would Qstudios not answering a Twitter statement hold up in court ? It wouldn’t because it’s not even the point : Legally the problem is the lack of communication with the workers, not with the union. A company don’t have to work with an union and the union didn’t have to offer them their help.
I feel like I didn’t express my thoughts in the best way rip, hope it still makes sense somewhat ! I would be glad to explain how the law works here just ask me precisely about what bc french law is a big big can of worms 😭
(Also labour law isnt my specialty however I do know the basics)
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and yes ahah that’s how you type au revoir
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thedreadvampy · 13 days
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they took your stuff at the protests???
I don't necessarily know which protests you're talking about, but it does turn out that it's apparently legal for police to steal 70+ people's stuff in one go without warning or recourse and then refuse to return it (including communal property and anything that happened to be on site) unless its owners come in individually and provide ID and personal details tying them to a situation where arbitrary arrests were being made on spurious charges. I have heard that several people provided ID and details but were refused return of their property because they couldn't describe in perfect detail the contents of their bag. Several others had ID/tech or meds in their bags so had no choice but to go give their details.
Since you mention protesters, chat is that this is a valuable learning experience about weighing up risk. If cops try to block your access to your property en masse at an organised action or event, it may be a lower risk tactic to try and break their line and grab your bags than to back off and abandon them on the assumption they'll have to be returned, because cops are allowed to hold your stuff indefinitely hostage and can use this as leverage to get you to dob yourself in.
It's also a reminder that if you're in a high risk place where cops are likely to be reactive, even if you're just near something that might cause something to kick off, no identifying information should be kept off your person - phones, bank cards, ID, etc need to be in closed pockets, where they can't be separated from you and used to ID you. As a rule of thumb if it contains details you'd only give if questioned by the police (which you are obliged to give, ie full name, date of birth, place of birth, current address, nationality) or indications of those details it should either stay home or stay in a place where the only time people could have it is if you're already in custody.
Also don't bring stuff you can't afford to lose, is the other lesson here, and don't hang onto each other's stuff. So if possible don't put your good headphones in someone's bag, and also don't bring your only pair of glasses, your whole supply of vital meds, your work laptop or work phone, etc.
Given the way cops are acting lately this is probably good to hold in mind for any protests or encampments, as you mentioned, particularly anti-genocide ones, even if they're peaceful and legal. Cops are kicking off all over the place lately and it's better safe than sorry.
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not-goldy · 7 months
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So you are very ok with JK given everything by the company while Jimin is mistreated af ? You said JK AND JM. But what JM is getting ? Dust ?
Just like JK, you are being greedy only wanting him to the succeed while JM is always ignored by the company. But ofcourse JK is successful so you are ok with JM being his trophy husband, who works hard but with restricted success and won't go above JK, isn't it ?
I'm open to discussing the various ways in which one member's career could be hyped up more or invested into more by us or their company. I'm open to discussing all the ways in which their company could be abusing them or the ways in which they aren't being treated fairly.
What I would not do is hate on another member just because while secretly yearning for what he has for my bias. That's bad karma so you are on your own.
I can't and don't need to hate Jungkook in order to love Jimin.
I can't wish evil for Jungkook in order to wish well for Jimin. I'M NOT DERANGED NOR SLOW LIKE THAT.
They can both be successful artists, their individual successes don't take away from each other's.
They can both be great
They can both coexist as icons.
There's so much room and space for them to inhabit as they each speak to unique demographics. Different talents, different audiences.
I don't need to bring one down to lift one up. You are weird for that shit.
Also these are SOLO artists which presupposes they have separate deals and contractual rights and obligations with the company and I'm tired of explaining this over and over- get yourself some legal education will you.
They are both free to contract and if they are not happy with their contracts they can sue the company.
I'm okay with Hybe performing and fulfilling their obligations under their contract with Jungkook. If that contract stipulates they give all their resources to him then that's what they must do.
Jimin needs a better lawyer to negotiate a better deal for him then if the contract is not serving him because believe it or not hybe is not a charity and they don't operate outside the limits set by their contracts🙄
We know this because they refuse to get into matters that fall within the privacy clause of their artists and as Jimin said, even the food they give them comes straight out of the artist's pay.
We can talk about the different value they place on each member - which of course, they don't place the same value on the members equally. Some are valued more than others. But we been knew that. It's been that way since day one.
It's business though. Nothing personal. Companies do take risks on others more so than others because they look for different things in artists and have specific target markets in mind from the get go.
It's the reason Jungkook may not work well for Dior but Jimin does. They are unique brands and require unique artist's brand as well.
It's up to that artist and their fans to prove them right or wrong- which us and Jimin keep doing every single day. Let's focus on that. The more we sell out, the more numbers we have the better for his market value.
Jungkook is the GOLDEN MAKNAE. he has that going for him. You can't take that away from him. He's managed to capture a portion of the market that most music companies struggle to break through. He could well be the next Justin Beiber or the JB of Kpop but then again he is his own person and a unique phenomenon on his own just as BTS.
Don't underestimate his influence. Don't make that mistake.
He has all the qualities that makes A GLOBAL POP ARTIST and right now there is a gap in that market. I have several posts on this explaining this phenomenon please find any and read for further clarification on my other blog.
Btw, Jimin stans are mostly adults most of whom are lawyers and legal practitioners with the JDs and shit who understand the ins and outs of the entertainment industry. Get real and quit embarrassing us💀💀💀💀
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uptoolateart · 1 year
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Education Systems
I'm updating this because a French fan has now added to the conversation, for accuracy.
I think a lot of people have misunderstood the French education system, after watching Confrontation. I did a bunch of research into this for one of my fics - I have lived in the UK since I was 16 and have children in the British education system - and I originally grew up in the US. With all that in mind...
When you finish the first major stage of education:
France - Age 15
UK - Age 16
US - Age 18
Picking your focus / specialism(s):
France - Age 15, you can pick a stream, focusing on subjects relevant to what you want to do in life.
UK - Age 16, you can pick a stream, focusing on subjects relevant to what you want to do in life - there are also vocational courses, if you’re not remotely academic, and I bet there is something like this in France.
US - You are required to take all general mandatory subjects, even if you suck at them, until age 18, at which point you can finally specialise.
Speaking personally, when I lived in the US I was only given one elective in high school, and for my junior year (age 16) I realised I would have no time to fit that elective into my schedule because of all the science and maths requirements...subjects I was all but failing, because I knew I was artistic / literary-minded from a very young age. I was forced to suffer falling self-esteem, feeling like I was stupid and not good enough, simply because I didn’t have the ‘right’ brain type to fit with what the school wanted. There were other schools in the area that had slightly different requirements, but they all did some form of the same thing.
If you don’t know what you want to focus on yet:
France - There are generalist academic options where you do the usual variety of subjects, with the proviso that you get to choose if it’s more heavily weighted towards maths / science or towards liberal arts (see my personal anecdote above).
UK - Does something similar to France.
US - I was seriously considering dropping out of high school as soon as legally able (age 16) because I couldn’t cope with the pressures of the school system and my shattered confidence, despite previously being a straight-A student. However, if you drop out, you bear that stigma for life, no matter how much else you do - even though there are countries like France and the UK that legally release you from that education system at the same age or even younger. I’ve seen this happen to a lot of extremely intelligent American friends.
At university:
UK - You ONLY do classes directly related to your degree.
France - I'm told it's the same but that you don't get to choose unrelated electives for fun (you can do that in the UK - not lots, but a few over the years).
US - You are forced to take a lot of mandated subjects that have nothing to do with your course, e.g. local government or trigonometry even though you’re doing a writing degree, and you pay an absolute fortune for these / the required textbooks. (The most I ever spent on a book for my UK English degree course was £15, whereas textbooks in the US cost in the hundreds.)
What if you change your mind?
UK - Most jobs don’t care what degree you did, just that you did a degree. If you decide to do something that does need special qualifications, you can always go back and undertake them, at any age...with the proviso that you need to find the time and money.
France - I have been told it can be difficult, although in ways similar to the UK (and probably the US), where it depends on the job. Some jobs will always require retraining. It's always easier to do that training when you're younger and have fewer obligations
US - I can’t specifically comment, as I emigrated, but see above. Also, I have American friends who have gone through a LOT of hoops to try to change career paths in later life. This is probably an area where all countries could improve.
In conclusion:
The French (and UK) system is not necessarily forcing teenagers to lock into a fixed career path with no looking back, at the age of 15. Nothing is perfect, but in many ways, I think the French system actually offers options for greater flexibility by allowing greater choice at a younger age, instead of being forced to take all these other classes they may never use again in life, possibly at the detriment of their mental health.
Don’t get me wrong - there are a lot of things I prefer about the US vs the UK system in the lead up to high school (I can’t comment on the French system during those years, as I have no experience). But I’m a big believer that we need to allow kids greater choice at a younger age, with the option to stay in generalist education if that’s really what they want.
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mysticalrambling · 2 years
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Dance with Me? (C.E)
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My Main Masterlist is here.
Chris Evans Masterlist is here.
Summary: a song can be associated with many memories...
Warnings: none.
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Seldom, do you and Chris ever throw a party. You both love your friends, yes but with all sincerity, the pair of you prefer to much rather sit at home, cuddle, watch a couple of sappy romance films; just enjoy a mundane intimate night. However, you both are actors and with that, comes the responsibility of maintaining your social lives. 
Planning a party is dreadful and still to this day, one of the reasons you try to delay doing things like this to the last minute possible. 
“Darling, you look great,” near the entryway, he keeps his gaze trained on you as you keep fumbling with the back of your dress.
“As if. I can’t get this stupid dress to knot. My hair is all kinds of frizzy today and my makeup looks horrendous.” A scoff makes its way past your lips the moment you finished your little rant.
“Say whatever you want; I’m standing by my statement.”
“You and your politically correct statements.” 
He knows that you don’t exactly approve of his recent endeavors so he tries to steer clear of the conversation. “Darling, you don’t see what I see.”
“What? An insufferable mess?”
“No, the prettiest woman alive.”
“Nice save, dumbass.”
Walking towards her, he speaks in a playful tone. “We still on that nickname?”
“Yes, for all eternity. I addressed you as dumbass in my vows so it’s legally my obligation.”
Crowding you up from the back, he gently takes a hold of the silk belt hanging loose by your sides and tugs you backwards flat against his chest. Teasingly, you glare at him through the mirror but he doesn’t really seem to care. Tying it in a perfect knot, he places a kiss on your shoulder and murmurs with affection lacing his voice, “Can’t wait to take you out of this dress.”
“How romantic.”
“It’s the best way to express m’love.”
“Sure, dumbass. Go downstairs and entertain the guests, just have to make some improvements.”
“See you on the other side.”
As he starts to walk out, you call after him with a hint of sarcasm dripping from your tone, “Stop being such an actor.”
“Too far gone, can’t stop now, darling.”
You can’t help but laugh as he leaves. 
Some people are very punctual because the moment the clock struck eight, a stream of cars came pouring into your driveway, one after the other. Chris didn’t want to rush you because you have been pretty stressed out lately. Your new upcoming project might have been a source of it so Chris was trying to give you space. 
“Any new projects you working on, Evans?” Pulling him out of his thoughts Robert came to stand right next to him. 
“You’ll get to know with the rest of the world.”
“You seriously think your fans don’t know that you’re starring in the Gray Man?”
Mouth a gape, he couldn’t formulate a proper sentence without stuttering. Sometimes, he truly did forget his fan base’s crazy devotion to him. Thank God, you weren’t here because you would’ve never let him live it down. 
The small group formulating around him subtly shifted their attention to the stairs and Chris didn’t have to turn around to guess who had captured their attention. 
“Can I have this dance?” Turning around to face you, he let a smile grace his lips. After your first party together where you asked him for a first dance, it has been like this ever since. You like to recreate moments; be it your first date or your first dance. 
“Of course, m’lady.”
Swaying to the beat of the song, he soon came to a realization that it is the same song you both danced to the first time. A loud laugh escapes him when he realizes that you are behind this. 
“You really are something else, babe.”
“And you love me for it.” Lips close to his ear, she lightly whispers to him. 
What would I do without your smart mouth?
Drawing me in and you kicking me out
You've got my head spinning, no kidding
I can't pin you down
What's going on in that beautiful mind
I'm on your magical mystery ride
And I'm so dizzy, don't know what hit me
But I'll be alright
“You’re so cheesy.” 
“What? I just really like the song.” Dipping you in his arms, he brings you a little bit more closer than you would deem appropriate for a public setting. Oh, but who are you to complain. “Boy, you really are not good at this whole dancing thing.”
“Excuse me, mister? I’m not the one with two left feet.”
“If I ask any other girl to dance with me here, they won’t constantly be stepping on my feet.”
“What makes you think any girl would like to dance with you, old man?” 
He speaks after bringing you back in his arms, “Babe, everyone wants me. Now hush, my favorite part is coming.”
'Cause all of me
Loves all of you
Love your curves and all your edges
All your perfect imperfections
Give your all to me
I'll give my all to you
You're my end and my beginning
Even when I lose I'm winning
You know that you shouldn’t be tearing up at these words but it is a reminder of all the good moments with your husband. Your first kiss, your first date, your wedding and now your first baby.
“I’m pregnant.”
“Wha- What?” 
“Don’t stop dancing, Chris. We don’t want everyone to know.”
After getting his bearing back, he whispers softly, “I’m so lucky to have you and our life is perfect.”
“I wouldn’t change anything about it.”
“Nothing, baby.” A gentle kiss at the end of the song sealed the promise of forever between you both. “Perfect time, I guess.”
“Perfect time.”
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Hope you guys enjoyed it!!
A/N: There was a note from editor that I think I should keep to myself for now💀 @peculiarpenman. Hope you all enjoy this because it has been sitting in my drafts for too long😊
P.S. poster credits: @peculiarpenman
Like, comment and reblog.
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quantumshade · 10 months
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🔥favorite and least favorite doctor who episodes (if you can choose at all lol)
OUGH this is hard... can i do top five and bottom five maybe
bottom five:
let's kill h*tler. do i need to explain this one? i don't think i need to explain this one
spyfall part 2. i don't think i need to explain this one either.
girl in the fireplace. i know that's the one my pfp is from. rose is just so pretty in it. anyway. it's a poorly written episode that gets way too much praise, not to mention just how painfully ooc everyone is. you can really feel how much moffat hates rose in that one. and also it feels so gross when you think about how the real madame de pompadour was groomed from age 6 to be a king's consort and basically allowed no agency in her life whatsoever, coupled with moffat's weird obsession with "someone meets the doctor as a little kid and grows up to be obsessed with him" is so painfully... icky.
kill the moon. outside of being an awful episode with a weirdly anti abortion message, it's the episode that made SO MANY PEOPLE give up on my baby girl twelve. if you stopped watching twelve because of that episode i'm begging you on my knees to give him another shot his era is so so good other than a couple stinkers.
legend of the sea devils. i cannot even begin to express my sheer hatred for this episode. everything about it sucks so so bad and i'm beating it with hammers in my mind 24/7. it's just everything i hate about the chibnall era coalesced into one steaming pile of dogshit.
top five:
heaven sent. sorry to be basic but. heaven sent. i love it so much it's so perfect. and reading it through a classics lens makes it even better. i'm planning on doing the capstone for my degree (partly) on this episode as a modern representation of katabasis. the acting, the music, rachel talalay's directing, g-d. it's so good.
dalek. honestly every single one of nine's episodes fuck so hard and i don't dislike a single one of them. but eccleston really acted his ass off in this one and it's such a wonderful exploration of the doctor's time war trauma. it's the only episode that manages to make daleks scary. rose is amazing in it. "it's not the one pointing a gun at me" and "and what about you, doctor? what the hell are you changing into?" "oh rose. they're all dead" OUGHHHH. the ending hits so fucking hard.
mummy on the orient express. i think i'm legally obligated to put this one on my top five because i have watched it nearly a dozen times this year alone. it's such a good episode. great monster. clara and the doctor both get to be incredibly bisexual. it's the one episode of doctor who in which the phrase "sex machine" exists. what more could you possibly ask for.
the christmas invasion. it's sooooo good it's so good. it's tied with the husbands of river song as my favorite christmas special, but it's higher on my list of Overall Episodes. if that makes sense. again rose is incredible in it. david tennant makes the entrance of all time. they're so in love and so fucking stupid about it. song for ten... well i woke up today... and the world was a restless plaaaace.... it could have been that way for me........
the pilot. bill is gorgeous and perfect and wonderful. twelve being a wacky professor was the best choice anyone has ever made. it's like a crash course in doctor who but also a fun and well made episode with absolutely gorgeous music. i love it i love it i love it. murray gold put the s10 soundtrack on spotify right now.
it's so hard limiting myself to just five... i'm sure i'll think of an episode tomorrow and be like DAMN that should have been on the list... but that's okay <3
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greyfacade · 2 months
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Ask game questions! 5, 7, 8, and 23 for spamton bc I'm legally obligated to ask about him. You don't have to do all of them tho if you don't want!
5. What's the first song that comes to mind when you think about them?
I'm Gonna Win - Rob Cantor
First song I thought of, though I'm sure there are other more suitable songs I could come up with. But honestly, due to my illness I don't get to listen to music often. I'm sensitive to sound.
7. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you like?
There's been some really nice fanart, and I love the fake ad ones people make, and the pinups. I love buying merch from people.
Its also nice when people treat their plushes nicely, or actually see him as more than just the "funny salesman." Don't get me wrong, Spamton's is an awesome a salesman and all, but that's not all he is.
Oh, my fave part though, is how everyone celebrates his fan birthday. Thats super sweet. I love seeing people make fanart for that.
23. Favorite picture of this character?
Hm.. there's lot of great fanart of him, and you can see what I post already.
But I guess his shop sprite. It's fun to talk to him.
I do wonder what he would be like in person though.
8. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you despise?
Haha... heh.... well, this will get long... (Sorry.)
Mostly just the fact that the fandom is made up of a LOT of hateful people, who hatepost about Spamton because he's "popular," or because their fans of Swatch/Queen/Addisons and are in denial about what those guys did to him so they try to pin it on Spamton by saying "he deserved it" or saying it never happened.
Which is REALLY ironic in a way. But wait, we got more!
(_WARNING: RANT INCOMING!_ You dont have to read this.)
Many people can't get past the "funny salesman" trope. They think the salesman pitch Spamton puts on is literally all he is, that he really is this guy who is silly, obsessed with money, and batshit crazy. Does no one know how entertainment works!? Has no one ever followed a YouTuber or Twitch streamer, or gone to the circus or seen a live show? That how people act in front of a camera, isnt how they act all the time!? Spamton doesn't actually care about money, he said it himself; he does all he does because he's an entertainer trying to survive! The Spamton Sweepstakes, the Fangamer ads, the Twitter replies... while they contain truths and genuine things about him, for much of it, he's playing everyone like fiddles! He's saying whatever the hell he can to make you buy his shit, because funny thing, its his job! And the things is, it WORKS. Everyone totally buys in to it! But while I'm sure he does find joy in what he does, it can also be kind of painful that everyone actually thinks that's all he is in a way... they infantilize him, they treat him like he's crazy/stupid, they stereotype him, they make fun of him, they talk about wanting to hurt him... and they think its okay, because "he's in on the joke." Yeah? You really think anyone would find joy in seeing you make art of them getting abused/hurt/killed? REALLY? Ever thought that maybe... its not actually okay....
I guess I feel bothered by it. Sure Spamton chooses to play up all the stereotypes about him so that people will buy his stuff, and its cool that he can still joke about things like that. But... I wish people saw more of the real him sometimes, and realized he deserves kindness and respect like anyone else.
But I think Spamton is a good example of how people go too far, how they'll greedily take everything from someone, even their dignity, if it means feeding their own happiness. How they can't separate entertainment from reality (... yeah yeah, some irony there as I'm talking about a fictional character...)
In a way, the Spamton fandom, often represents to me, much of the things I hate about the entertainment industry, hell even fandom. I'm glad people love him and buy his stuff, but I also wish they liked him for kinder reasons. I hope that if he continues to be in entertainment, he gets to make something he loves, that allows him to be who he wants to be. Because like many of us, he sometimes gets trapped in a role, determined by other people. And while some of it is true, like he is funny and has a dark sense of humor, and I'm sure he does enjoy many of the things he does... but some of it, I think is sort of forced on him. It's like if you don't act the way everyone wants, they'll get angry or abandon you. And that, thats awful.
(And Im not saying don't enjoy his salesman persona, just that, I wish people saw the rest of him too. Because he's a kind, caring and brave guy, and I really wish him the best ya know?)
.... of course, I admit this might be some of my own self-projection too, but lets not unpack THAT.
...
......
You made it this far, wow... uh... *gives you a gold star saying "I just wasted several minutes of my life to an insane fan rant." except all the words don't fit on the star, so it just says "I just wasted."*
... *runs away while you ponder the star*
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mischievouschan4 · 8 months
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WIP Wednesday - Club!AU (QuiObiAni)
I may have missed Wednesday by 10 minutes local time, but IT'S THE THOUGHT THAT COUNTS! Here's another "what I'd like to write Wednesday" post that isn't truly a WIP:
Obi-Wan so very rarely goes to clubs these days. He'd had his wild streak when he was in college, but now that he's closer to forty than thirty, most of his nights are filled with mugs of steaming herbal tea, a thick novel, and maybe a relaxing bath.
As the owner of a local bookstore, he's already obligated to spend most of his time reading, but he just loves exploring new worlds through the pages of the latest thrillers or feeling the full spectrum of human emotion in a romantic comedy. He never complains about reading more, it's one of his favorite things in the world. But his own life, as calm and predictable as it is, reads in stark contrast to the exciting places that his mind visits in his books.
...Which is why he feels so out of place sitting at a small round table in the second floor bar area of a packed nightclub. The dark space is occasionally lit by the strobe lights flashing up from the open dancefloor below, and the air is filled with a pulsating beat curated by the live DJ. Obi-Wan leans over the railing to take a peek at the writhing mass of bodies all jumping up and down in time with the music.
No, thank you. Hard pass, he thinks to himself.
He's only here because it's Quinlan's birthday today, and the man had dragged Obi-Wan and a bunch of their old college friends out for 'an exciting night out, c'mon Obi-Wan, don't be such a sourpuss'. Obi-Wan had signed resignedly, but didn't deny that he could probably do with a little more socializing beyond occasionally chatting with his clientele. His life isn't lonely, per say, just quiet. And while he usually appreciates the tranquility, sometimes he does wish he could have someone... to fill in the blank spaces of his monochrome existence with a bit of color.
So here he is, nursing a Scotch and contemplating the state of his life as he oh so carefully guards his friends' belongings that they'd left scattered on the table and chairs around him. They'd gone off to do who knows what, and Obi-Wan is halfway convinced that he should pull out his phone and start answering some emails. Suddenly, someone moves the purse off the chair next to Obi-Wan and slides smoothly onto the seat in its place.
"So... aside from being sexy, what do you do for a living?" a sultry voice asks. Though, a bit of the effect is ruined by the need for him to shout.
Obi-Wan squints through the low light (maybe he should have brought his glasses) to make out the shadowed shape of a young man, really young, probably late teens young, with a handsome face and a headful of bouncy curls. He's also wearing the tightest outfit Obi-Wan has ever seen on a person.
Is Obi-Wan... being hit on right now? By a barely legal twink?
Obi-Wan clears his throat awkwardly. "I- I sell books," he says loudly, leaning closer to speak directly in the other man's ear in order to be heard over the din. The newcomer smells like expensive cologne. Musky. Alluring.
The kid leans back and raises his eyebrows as he blatantly appraises Obi-Wan up and down. "Well, it's a good thing I have my library card then, because I'm totally checking you out," he yells back, shooting finger guns in Obi-Wan's direction.
It takes Obi-Wan a second to even register what was said, too distracted by the juvenile display. "That's what you're leading with?" Obi-Wan questions as he shakes his head.
"You don't like?" the kid brushes off the snub. "How about this one? Baby, if you were words on a page, you'd be fine print." This time, the younger man drags out the words 'fine print' as he leans an elbow on the table and gazes up at Obi-Wan through his lashes.
Obi-Wan winces at the exaggeration.
"Still no?" The kid straightens and flicks his head to get the hair off of his forehead, unfazed. (Why was that so attractive?) "Okay, so I was reading the book of numbers, and I realized I don't have yours."
Obi-Wan sighs and holds up a hand, "How about we start with your name?" (He's actually mildly impressed with the kid's ability to think of so many book related pick-up lines on the spot, but something tells Obi-Wan that he doesn't need to inflate the kid's ego any more than it already is.)
"I'm Anakin," the kid, Anakin, answers. "What's yours?"
They sit there shouting at each other for a while with Obi-Wan becoming increasingly drawn in by the younger man's gorgeous eyes and attractive smirk. Anakin's smile should be illegal, Obi-Wan thinks to himself. He looks like sin incarnate. And the kid keeps touching Obi-Wan, finding every opportunity to lay a hand on Obi-Wan's bicep or trail his fingers across Obi-Wan's thighs. It's starting to drive Obi-Wan a little mad, his cock is definitely half hard in his pants.
All of a sudden, a busgirl comes up behind Obi-Wan, leaning over his shoulder to place a brightly colored shot onto the table. She pushes it towards Anakin as she yells, "From the man at the bar." Obi-Wan notices that she winks at Anakin before rushing off.
Anakin, clearly unconcerned about the safety of accepting drinks from strangers, lifts the glass and looks over Obi-Wan's shoulder to where the bar is, toasts someone - presumably the surprise benefactor who had bought him said liquor - and downs it in one gulp. The bob of Anakin's Adams apple as he swallows looks... incredibly tempting.
Obi-Wan feels annoyance stab through him, couldn't this 'man at the bar' see that Anakin was already taken? In fact, Anakin was the one who'd chosen Obi-Wan! But then, Obi-Wan reminds himself that it doesn't matter, it's not like he and Anakin are actually going to do anything. Right? Right?
"You're popular tonight," Obi-Wan points out neutrally.
Anakin just shrugs and puts his hand back on Obi-Wan's thigh with a smirk.
Obi-Wan quickly forgets why he's even miffed in the first place.
After a few moments, however, another man approaches their table and immediately invades Anakin's space. The man doesn't hesitate to thread his fingers into Anakin's curls and clench them into a fist, yanking Anakin's head back to bring their mouths together in a filthy kiss. They're clearly putting on a show for Obi-Wan.
Obi-Wan feels his mouth fall open at the sight.
The other man, who is dressed to the nines in a full suit (tie and all), has his long hair pulled back in an elegant braid. He's also significantly older than Obi-Wan himself, and he moves with a well-practiced air that speaks of intimate familiarity with Anakin.
Obi-Wan watches, transfixed, as the man reaches up and wraps his fingers around Anakin's throat. Instead of fighting it, Anakin seems to arch his back further, putting himself on display while simultaneously pushing into the older man’s ministrations. The man doesn't squeeze, but Obi-Wan is getting all sorts of ideas as to what kinds of sexual activities these two get up to in private. Obi-Wan covertly adjusts himself in his pants as he watches Anakin enthusiastically respond to getting tongue fucked in public.
When the two finally break apart, the older man keeps a possessive arm around Anakin's waist as he extends a hand to Obi-Wan. In a bit of a daze, Obi-Wan registers that the other man's hand practically engulfs his own as they shake.
"I'm Qui-Gon," the man introduces himself. "I understand that you're the one my boy wants to fuck tonight." Qui-Gon also gives Obi-Wan an appreciative onceover. "Not bad," he compliments with a sensual smirk.
Obi-Wan instantly flushes red when he realizes that (somehow) both men are hitting on him? (How is this real life?) Maybe it’s due to the sheer implausibility of such a situation, or maybe it’s because he’s just that horny, but Obi-Wan lets himself get ushered into a back room of the club, a fancy office with a huge couch and, thankfully, soundproof walls.
"Are we allowed back here?" he asks tentatively. Finally able to speak at a normal volume.
"Yeah, we come here all the time," Anakin answers nonchalantly.
"But won't we get in trouble?"
Anakin smirks as he starts to shimmy out of his skin-tight outfit. Right there. In the middle of the room. "The owner of this place doesn't care," he says flippantly.
"In fact," Qui-Gon says as he comes to stand behind Obi-Wan and wrap his big hands around Obi-Wan's waist. The taller man brushes his nose against the shell of Obi-Wan's ear, sending shivers down Obi-Wan's spine. "The owner of this place likes to watch." Qui-Gon's voice rumbles like gravel, low and husky, and Obi-Wan can’t possibly resist. He pushes his hips back into the taller man and whimpers as Qui-Gon's hands slip in and dip below the waistband of Obi-Wan’s pants.
Anakin is completely naked at this point, and he goes to sit on the couch, hard cock on full display for the two older men. "And in case you're wondering," Anakin explains as grabs some lube hidden in the cushions, "Qui-Gon is the owner."
The long-haired man hums in confirmation as he tilts Obi-Wans face up for a long-awaited kiss. Qui-Gon is clearly very experienced at this, and Obi-Wan can do little except wind his arms around Qui-Gon's neck and cling. His knees have gone weak, and his brain is fuzzy.
Obi-Wan has his first threesome that night, with Anakin fucking into Obi-Wan with fervor at the same time Qui-Gon fucks Anakin at a more leisurely pace. The kid finishes before either of the other two, overwhelmed by the double stimulation, and Qui-Gon ends up fucking Obi-Wan until they both cum. By that point, Anakin is hard again, and Qui-Gon guides Obi-Wan to suck Anakin off as Qui-Gon fingers the younger man's hole.
Needless to say, Obi-Wan is thoroughly embarrassed afterwards, but Anakin just bulldozes through any awkwardness with his loud personality, and Qui-Gon seems to know exactly what Obi-Wan needs. A towel. His phone. A reassurance not to worry about Obi-Wan's friend's personal effects because Qui-Gon has already thought to ask a security guard to watch over their table.
Something about Obi-Wan must really make an impression because Anakin and Qui-Gon find ways to worm their way into Obi-Wan's life. Qui-Gon likes to stop by Obi-Wan's shop during the lunch hour to whisk Obi-Wan off to a fancy date. Anakin, who is actually older than Obi-Wan initially guessed (but not by much), is finishing up school to be a pilot, so he spends afternoons doing homework in the bookstore.
Obi-Wan is reluctant to believe it at first, but gradually, as weeks bleed into months, and months into years, Obi-Wan realizes that they are invested.
They each have their preferred sleeping positions in bed at this point (Anakin always wants to be in the middle). Qui-Gon has even become a business partner as he generously lends out the club space during the day for Obi-Wan to use for larger events that don’t fit in the bookstore, signings and club meetings and drag queen readings for kids. And every time he's home between flights, Anakin barrels through their lives like a hurricane, sexually and in other ways. The gifts he brings back from other cities are becoming too numerous to count in their new shared home.
Obi-Wan realizes he doesn't need a ring or a formal marriage to know that he's found his people. And maybe the matching tattoos the three of them get represent that promise. A stylized bird rising into the air, its wings spread to form the shape of a circle. Together forever, Anakin had promised. And without Obi-Wan consciously realizing it, he slowly comes see how Anakin and Qui-Gon have taken a palette to Obi-Wan's cookie cutter life and painted it in brilliant swathes of color. Together forever, Obi-Wan thinks to himself.
In the end, he gets his fairy tale ending.
------
Ho boy, where did my mind go this week? I originally just wanted to write the tag-team club pick up, but then my mind went to bookstores and fairy tales and color metaphors. WOOPS!
ALSO: Yes, it's Qui-Gon that buys Anakin the shot. It's their little play, if Anakin drinks it there, he wants Qui-Gon to come over. If he's bored, he'll take it and walk away to enjoy in Qui-Gon's lap hehe
Anyways, hope you enjoyed!
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mariana-oconnor · 1 year
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The Cardboard Box pt 1
An uninspiring title, but apparently it's controversial? All my brain is thinking (I am still le tired) is 'Big fish, little fish, cardboard box' over and over again.
If you don't get that reference, that's probably for the best. the early noughties were weird.
Anyway. I hereby do swear that this time I shall read the text more carefully and all my claims, accusations and harebrained ideas will be based in textual evidence and not mere vibes alone. One cannot thrive on vibes alone!
I'm going to try anyway. I may still dislike characters on principle, though.
He did however take a particular fancy to some of the paragraphs at the beginning of the tale and urged me adapt them for later revisions of my story ‘The Resident Patient’, which I sent to you in January.
OK, so is this going to be an AU version of The Resident Patient? Because I feel like that gives me a head start on the guessing.
I did a side by side of the two and overall it seems pretty much the same, except we're now in August and it's blazing hot. I shudder to think how Watson would have described August in the UK last year. Then we have the discussion about Holmes reading Watson's mind body language. Until we get to the first significant difference:
"Have you observed in the paper a short paragraph referring to the remarkable contents of a packet sent through the post to Miss Cushing, of Cross Street, Croydon?” "No, I saw nothing."
Aha, the titular cardboard box, one wonders?
Watson is really falling behind in his paper reading duties. Holmes is doing all the legwork here. Honestly. You just can't get a good chronicler these days! But he's still making Watson read it aloud.
Holmes does like hearing things read aloud. He'd be all over audiobooks, but he's got Watson for that so it's all good.
I picked up the paper which he had thrown back to me and read the paragraph indicated. It was headed, “A Gruesome Packet.”
Ooooh, I think I might remember a bit of this one. I might remember what's in the box, anyway.
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Sorry, that was my contractual obligation.
“Miss Susan Cushing, living at Cross Street, Croydon, has been made the victim of what must be regarded as a peculiarly revolting practical joke unless some more sinister meaning should prove to be attached to the incident."
If it's what I think it is then practical jokes were significantly more aggressive in the Victorian Era. I don't think even TikTok has graduated to this level. We're getting a pretty weird look at the 1800s English sense of humour: beating other children with sticks and... this.
"A cardboard box was inside, which was filled with coarse salt."
Everyone needs some seasoning on their... "two human ears [...] quite freshly severed".
Okay, poor taste, poor taste. I know it's there for preservation. Also weirdly I thought it was going to be fingers. Don't know why I thought that. But yes, this is quite the jape, my friend. I just cut off some human ears and sent them to you.
How is this a practical joke? These are genuine freshly cut ears. Even if they're from a cadaver, that's theft and criminal damage at the very least. Isn't it? And I thought they were particularly strict on stuff like that in the 1800s. We're a little late for the Resurrection Man and Burke and Hare, but they did not like people messing around with corpses.
Okay, research research: 'The Anatomy Act of 1832 made it legal for corpses from workhouses that remained unclaimed after forty-eight hours to be used to satisfy the demands of the anatomists.'
Welp, I guess it was okay to do anything to corpses if they were the corpses of poor people with no friends or family (or at least no friends/family who could afford to claim them).
I mean, on one hand it stopped people from being murdered and science needed bodies to learn how bodies work better (good lord did we need to learn how bodies work better) but on the other hand, this does make me uncomfortable. Workhouse in life, still put to work in death. Also, from a purely scientific viewpoint, your sample is biased. You need some rich people bodies in there, too.
"There is no indication as to the sender, and the matter is the more mysterious as Miss Cushing, who is a maiden lady of fifty, has led a most retired life, and has so few acquaintances or correspondents that it is a rare event for her to receive anything through the post."
So, either she's secretly running an underground crime ring. Or the ears were meant for someone else with the name S. Cushing.
"...she let apartments in her house to three young medical students..."
Oh, yeah, fine. All makes sense now. Medical students are fucking feral. I have met literally one in my life who I would have been comfortable to have as a doctor, and I think he was just really good at hiding it. Guy once got 'kidnapped' by an entire female hockey team and ended up in an entirely different city. Another one I know just kept a dead squirrel in the shared freezer so he could do dissection practice on it.
I'd put the Dead Dove, Do Not Eat gif, but he didn't even label the fucker.
"...their noisy and irregular habits..."
Medical students... yeah.
"In the meantime, the matter is being actively investigated, Mr. Lestrade, one of the very smartest of our detective officers, being in charge of the case.”
Oh hai, Lestrade!
At least the police are putting an actual detective on the case and not just saying 'oh it's a silly prank' and ignoring the transportation of human body parts. Was it illegal to send human remains by the royal mail at that time?
“I think that this case is very much in your line. We have every hope of clearing the matter up, but we find a little difficulty in getting anything to work upon."
'We're totally going to do this, we just don't have... any idea how. But we totally could!'
"The box is a half-pound box of honeydew tobacco and does not help us in any way."
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Did somebody say... TOBACCO?
A specialist subject has entered the chat.
If Holmes doesn't use his extensive and very detailed knowledge of tobacco to help solve this case, I will be v. disappoint.
Lestrade, as wiry, as dapper, and as ferret-like as ever...
Watson is contractually obliged to remind you that Lestrade looks like a ferret every time he appears. His publisher insists on it.
I'm informed that an antimacassar is an arm cover for an armchair or sofa. My Nana used to have them. They had tassels and I'd get told off for plaiting the threads in the tassels together. Good times.
“Why in my presence, sir?” “In case he wished to ask any questions.” “What is the use of asking me questions when I tell you I know nothing whatever about it?”
Miss Cushing has very strong Done With This energy and I am here for it. Those are not her ears. She has perfectly good ones thank you very much, and she does not need any more. Why are you still bothering her?
“Quite so, madam,” said Holmes in his soothing way. “I have no doubt that you have been annoyed more than enough already over this business.”
Holmes once again showing that he does have emotional intelligence no matter what people might think.
“The importance lies in the fact that the knot is left intact, and that this knot is of a peculiar character.”
Oh, not the tobacco knowledge, but the knot knowledge. I see 'peculiar' and 'knot' in the same sentence and I immediately think 'sailing'.
Address printed in rather straggling characters: ‘Miss S. Cushing, Cross Street, Croydon.’ Done with a broad-pointed pen, probably a J, and with very inferior ink. The word ‘Croydon’ has been originally spelled with an ‘i’, which has been changed to ‘y’.
Our sender has poor handwriting and poor spelling, then. The 'wrong person' theory is growing stronger. The likelihood that Miss Cushing is a criminal mastermind diminshes. Shame.
He took out the two ears as he spoke, and laying a board across his knee he examined them minutely.
Is he wearing gloves? Please tell me he's wearing gloves.
“Bodies in the dissecting-rooms are injected with preservative fluid. These ears bear no signs of this. They are fresh, too. They have been cut off with a blunt instrument, which would hardly happen if a student had done it."
This feels like something the police should already have noticed. If the questions are 'Where did these ears come from? Has a crime been committed?' you would think someone would have considered whether they were from a preserved corpse or someone fresh. I know that policing has changed a lot since then and forensic medicine wasn't really a thing, but clearly they suspected foul play was a possibility, because Lestrade called for Holmes.
"We know that this woman has led a most quiet and respectable life at Penge and here for the last twenty years. She has hardly been away from her home for a day during that time."
Oh, Lestrade. The things you can do without leaving your home. She might have anyone buried under the floorboards. She might have been sending blackmail letters to her neighbours. She might have been doing any number of things. I still think the wrong person got the parcel, but saying that she's just too respectable for this is very optimistic of you.
I do agree that if she knew what the ears were about, she probably wouldn't have told anyone about them. Unless she's in such a secure position that she doesn't think anyone would ever trace anything back to her. In most situations, it wouldn't be the best move.
"One of these ears is a woman's, small, finely formed, and pierced for an earring."
Did no men wear earrings in Victorian times? Admittedly, probably not 'respectable' men, but the knot's already pointing me at sailor (as is the tarring on the string, tbh) and it used to be a thing that tattoos were mostly a sailor thing over here, and piercing is a similar kind of body art. So a woman or a sailor with small ears.
omg. pirates.
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"The other is a man's, sun-burned, discoloured, and also pierced for an earring."
Oh, okay, so the earring wasn't the thing. Doesn't prevent the first ear from belonging to a small pirate, though. Sunburned also makes me think sailors. They have to be outside a lot with no shade. Sunburn on your ears is the worst. They have my sincere sympathy.
Also, y'know, cause they got their ear cut off - with a blunt blade, which... eesh.
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"These two people are presumably dead, or we should have heard their story before now."
I mean, they could have been kidnapped and this could be proof of life. These days if you get an unsolicited body part in the real life mail the mind does go to kidnapping. Maybe that originates here - but they have no way of knowing whether the ear was detached ante or post mortem at this point, do they? So it's more proof of having, rather than proof of life. And I don't think I'd recognise my friends or family by their ears, so it's not even really that. If the earrings had been attached then I might recognise them.
Yeah... s'weird. But it doesn't necessarily mean they're dead. Although... Victorian hygiene and understanding of germ theory.
...
Yeah, they've got sepsis. They're dead.
Question spiral! Holmes just asking himself question after question is very relatable. And bringing up all relevant points about how if Miss Cushing knows what's going on, taking the ears to the police but telling them nothing is the weirdest possible response.
I'm assuming that the subject of this email is wrong, because if this is part 1 of 1, there is no conclusion to this story and so without further evidence, I am forced to believe that one large pirate and one small pirate, genders unknown, are currently dead/dying of sepsis and the true recipient of these ears, M. S Cushing (any or all letters interchangeable) has heard nothing of their fate. Although, given it was in the newspaper, they probably have heard about it by now. So maybe they don't need the ears.
No idea why the ears were sent though. Proof of a hit? Proof of life? Just a creepy serial killer who likes to send the ears of their past victim to their next victim? Probably not that one, seems a bit Criminal Minds for a Sherlock Holmes story, but you never know.
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tiny012 · 7 months
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I say the "age gap" has got to be one of the most stupid, predictable, tiresome, and annoying "criticisms" of Usagi's and Mamoru's relationship. The supposed "creepiness" actually comes from the fact a university student (Mamoru) is seemingly "stuck" in a relationship with a toddler (Usagi), thanks to the writers who seem to hate the titular character and made her that way. The age gap ain't that wide so people can piss off with the "grooming" accusations on Mamo's part.
I have said this before and I say this again.
The age gap is not the problem since on paper it's three years and legally checks out. ( I don't know how many many times I have said that! Lawd have mercy! lol )
It's the way it was written in the 90's anime is the problem.
When you have a 15 year old getting upset that her  boyfriend offered an older lady who is older enough to be his grandma his Umbrella which shows how nice and kind he is… 
In which the lady acted cold to him thinking that he was being nice just to get her money.
In which Diana was pretty much was ready to defend Mamoru and let that woman have a piece of her mind for her treating Mamoru like that when all Mamoru was doing was being nice. 
Meanwhile ,Usagi is pretty much upset at him for sharing the umbrella which she going over there not to tell the lady “ Hey My boyfriend was the one offering you his umbrella the other day. He’s nice like that and he’s not looking for your money. “ 
No She going over there to confront an older lady that is old enough to be her freaking grandma“Why you shared a umbrella with my boyfriend?”  
That's a problem.
That's a huge ass problem.
Because in Sailor Moon SuperS?
My fucking goodness they had her acting like a damn two year old to the point if Mamo wanted to break up with her because he got tried of her antics, I don't blame him.
The most petty ass shit Usagi got mad for when it comes to Mamoru SuperS. Either at him or regards to him.
1. Helping Chibiusa with her homework. 
2. Saying a how pretty a nun is. 
3. Helping Ami with her homework. 
4. Rei having inviting him to stay over the Shrine so he can finish his paper. 
5. Not saving her even tho he was going to do but Diana put her foot down. 
6.  Offering his umbrella to an older woman to shield her from the rain.
7. Thinking he was cheating on her with his mechanic.
8. How she acted at the aquarium in the first part of Fish Eye episode
The fandom always blaming and accursing him for not being attentive of her, placating her or just with her because of obligation but never say a peep on some of the shit she did to him ( cough Birthday episode in S)
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t1meslayer · 3 months
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Trying something a little different today.
Inspired by the incomparable @alchemicallymoon, I'm going to do a postmortem commentary on my latest fanfiction. If you haven't read "Stone-Cold Lovers" Chapter 3 on AO3, now's your chance!
I've done similar things in the past, with my Pre-Preparation of Shiver post for "Splatoon B-Mix," but I'm really testing the waters to make this a more regular occurrence — possibly even going back to older works. If you enjoy, let me know!
Tons of rambling beneath the cut. You've been warned <3
Alright. I can't think of any better place to begin talking about "Stone-Cold Lovers" than to mention it's a classic piece (in the era sense, though also in the literary sense). I started publishing fanfic in 2019, right around the time I was graduating from college. A bunch of pieces I wrote are still exclusively available on FanFiction.net, but I've slowly been transitioning them with a fresh coat of paint.
"Stone-Cold Lovers" was the sixth story I published on FanFiction. As I mentioned in Chapter 1 of the AO3 version, it came back to mind after Pokemon Masters EX introduced a Halloween alt for Roxanne.
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Pokemon Crystal was my first "real" video game (not counting educational content like Sesame Street games), but Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire began my infatuation with the series. This was partially due to the fact that I could read the text on my own, which meant I could keep replaying to do little challenge runs.
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Fun Fact: One of the most prominent challenge runs I can recall involved catching a full team of Wingull. I named the Pelipper of my team "Sergeant," and the rest had other army designations. I would later copy this idea using shiny Ambipom and Aipom in HeartGold and SoulSilver that I obtained through entirely legal means for a rare item Pickup group.
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More Fun Fact: My favorite challenge run to this day is completing Pokemon FireRed with a single Clefable. I always really liked how many TMs a single Clefable could learn.
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All of that is to say I seared Ruby/Sapphire/Emerald into my brain by playing it all the time on the schoolyard and at my grandparents' house in Florida. It remains my favorite region to this day. However, I didn't fall in love with Roxanne until the Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire character designs came out.
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Important note: I have shipping charts for basically every character-heavy... Anything. Something about pairing people up always makes my brain go brr. My body of creative writing speaks to many of the headcanons I've whipped up over the years. Similarly, I have headcanons about which Pokemon protag serves as the "main character" or "rival" in each title.
Yes, you can ask about my opinions. I will undoubtedly answer.
Brendan and Roxanne came into this framework because as much as I also love Brendan and May, I quickly fell into the rabbit hole of Brendan Champion/May Contest Idol, and therefore I'm legally obligated to ship May and Lisia. My original FanFiction Author Note says I'd been thinking about the idea for "a while," but frankly I don't remember where exactly it originated. All I know is that my goal was May scolding Brendan for being an oblivious dope.
This is not autobiographical.
As far as I know.
My truest sense-memory regarding this piece is writing the Rustboro opening in a Barnes & Noble parking lot at night, on the same night that I scored a new freelance gig (it didn't last all too long in the end). However, I helpfully noted that the Brendan and May banter was inspired by a FanFiction story called "Critical Hit" by Alphinia (it's still live!) and Carly Chaikin's Darlene from Mr. Robot. That was ending in 2019. Pokemon Sword and Shield were about to come out. The timeline lines up.
It's also very funny to imagine May as a raunchy, tomboyish smartass who also happens to love the fame that comes with princess-y Pokemon Contest shenanigans. Good headcanon.
The seeds of an idea for a date follow-up existed back then. My first inkling was to do a scene where, essentially, Brendan fucks the whole thing up by using Sandstorm in the middle of a food court because he's trying to impress Roxanne. Most of the set dressing around that, such as using ORAS' Street Thug trainer class (here portrayed by Shio — after ramen to reference the naming scheme of every trainer in Mauville Food Court), came later.
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Fun Fact (again): This is the first piece I've written using a new program called StimuWrite by Eve Harms, which was suggested by my beta reader. I liked being able to put my brain somewhere other than a blank white page, though all of the extra bells and whistles aren't all that necessary for me. Plus, I wound up jumping back-and-forth between the page and my 20 tabs of research anyway, so...
We'll see where this tool lands.
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A lot of my decisions regarding the style of "Stone-Cold Lovers" Chapter 3 were based on concurrent reading; I recently joined a book club, and we just finished Babel by R.F. Kuang. My experience with Zine editors such as @kiliofdurinsline (Shrapnel) on Homemade in Hyrule (still available to pre-order!!!) helped me focus on creative writing structure and clarity rather than the more "vibes" based approach I leaned on. But Babel's rich descriptions suggested that I perhaps moved too far in the direction of snippets. So, here I tried to more robust scene-setting.
The bit about Gardevoir reading Brendan's emotions is being back on my bullshit trying to capture "vibes," though. I'm often a proponent for Psychic-types having full telepathy, especially Gardevoir given its canon emotional connections, but I decided the silent implications were more fun to play. I'm also a big proponent of leaning into the medium by using all of AO3's formatting HTML for things like Gardevoir's text. Hence my abundance of italics, or even the House of Leaves-style page falling apart for Arven's nightmare in "Paradiso."
Another note from Shrapnel that I took to heart: Give each character a stable of description types to help them emphasize their personality. That's why Gardevoir's movements use ballet terms (many of which I had to look up, like "bras bas").
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One bit that I thought about a lot was Roxanne's response to weather talk. I knew that she should flirt by saying any weather would be great alongside Brendan, and the verbiage "would that it were" stuck. A bit of Googling revealed that the phrase doesn't mean what my brain thought it does — it actually refers to wanting a better reality than you currently have. But it rolls off the tongue... So, I decided to play with that disparity by having know-it-all Roxanne correct her old professor, even when recounting a heartfelt memory.
Also, I'd be lying to you if I said goofy teenager who can't speak French wasn't an integral part of my planning.
The battle scene is pretty straightforward, it was mostly fun to incorporate the idea of Brendan being over-leveled by having him immediately wipe the floor with this tough guy, Shio. This especially goes well with the Mauville Food Court gimmick of finishing your battles within set time limits. Hopefully little descriptors like the space-warping Boomburst help make up for how short it is.
But with all of that said, there's only one place left to go:
Roxanne's outfit
That's right! Brendan wears his contest attire, but Roxanne wears an entirely unique creation. I did something very similar to my experiments with Shiver by digging around Tumblr tags for specific outfit pieces to cobble together as part of Roxanne's preppy and academic wardrobe.
I essentially wanted to put Roxanne in an "elevated" version of her typical uniform. For example, something with a nicer blouse. When I saw this post by stiefel-rock-bluse, I knew it was the one. That ruffled 'V' is perfectly suited for comparisons to a fossilized ribcage.
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Had to tuck that blouse into a nice skirt, too. I did toy with the idea of going full suit-style with slacks, but Roxanne feels like a skirt girl to me. So I settled on this pleated skirt shared by zoesrepository, at least in-part because I wanted a brown-and-white motif to reflect... Rock stuff.
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Having exposed legs also introduced the opportunity to describe a bit of Roxanne's obsession with fossils. If I get callouses on my hands from doing ceramics, she can have some scuffs on her legs from digging in the dirt.
My inspiration for her off-the-shoulder draped jacket is largely me doing silly cape shenanigans with my jackets, but for the style I went with this cover image from an article by The Girl From Panama:
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In brown, of course. That really emphasizes the idea that it looks like strata.
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Because rocks.
Unrelated to rocks, I was originally toying with a different idea for her jacket, one based on this image of Kendall Jenner uploaded by disarmluna:
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Ultimately I liked the draped idea better, but I kept on the idea of it being corduroy. Also, I took Roxanne's "loafers" from here.
For accessories, I riffed on one of my favorite pieces of lore introduced by Pokemon Masters EX: the idea that Steven Stone is in a club with all of the Rock-type experts who love collecting shiny rocks. Steven knows how to give some specialized gifts, and in this case I gave Roxanne a single earring, as shared by gemville, because 1) red; 2) flowers; and 3) stalactite. I went with one rather than a pair because I think it's a cute asymmetrical thing.
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Then, of course, I imagine her nails alternate blue and red ala Nosepass/Probopass. Finally, Roxanne's elevated school uniform look had to retain a tie. What better way to keep that tie in place than with a clip inspired by the one, the only, our boy: Anorith.
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If the Yanma inhaler from "Peaks and Caverns" is anything to go by, y'all know I love to invent kitschy merchandise that will unfortunately never be acknowledged by Game Freak/The Pokemon Company.
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That's about all I've got. I'm not sure whether I'll return to this story again — the five-year pipe dream is already a big accomplishment in my book. But I'm really glad I finally closed the book on a longstanding idea in celebration of Valentine's Day! And I'm sure one day, if I can get through the rest of my insane backlog, I'd be happy to write further shenanigans between these two Hoenn lovebirds.
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chthonic-cassandra · 10 months
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Thinking a lot about work, and writing, and why it is that lately I have been feeling so strongly the wish to go inward, to read and bake and drink tea and not be seen.
I had a coworker with whom I worked quite closely who is very concerned about prestige; she really wanted a certain title, she kept applying to present at conferences (this was annoying for me because I am a much better presenter than her and have expertise she does not have so when she did this I also had to present with her at the conferences, which I don't particularly want to do). The place I work isn't a satisfying place to get a lot of prestige, so she didn't stay long, which was annoying but also sort of a relief.
Meanwhile, I have gradually built up a certain professional reputation in my very limited circles, and I have been gradually getting more responsibility and authority. It's not that I mind this; it feels good to be respected for what I do, and when my authority means I can make things happen in the ways I believe are best that's very satisfying. But I don't want the prestige part; I don't feel great about my name being known. I like to be quiet, and private, and respected by those who interact with me directly.
Similarly, I want to write. I want to keep writing; I want to write more. I've been learning anew the ways that writing lets me be most myself. I don't want to publish; definitely not under my legal name and maybe not at all, though that's something that very well might change. My partner made a comment the other day about me probably publishing eventually, and I panicked. I really love sharing my writing with people in the delimited ways that fic lets me do, letting it impact people and receiving their responses, but I don't want the other parts. Not right now.
There's something in that about safety, and self-protection, and also something about wanting to limit the ways in which I am responsible to/for other people. In my work I have a lot of responsibilities to other people; I want that to be all. The ways I have been hurt are so much, the things that are in my head are so much that it has been, probably always will be right on the edge of what it is possible for me to live with. Outside of my work and what I owe to my gods and the limited interpersonal obligations I take on, I need the other things to be for me.
(And certainly there's a part of me that resents even the above obligations, of course that's a part of it, always has been, of course there's this bitter, resentful part who thinks, I have been hurt so much and no one protected me from it, what do I owe to anyone? but that's not all of me)
I don't know. I haven't gotten enough rest probably ever in my life, and this is part of what is washing over me right now, the despair that I ever will, because when you spend your adolescence being [.....] instead of sleeping no amount of rest will ever be enough. When I think about that I want to cry. And this morning, even though I didn't want to be seen I went out into my neighborhood and everyone was lovely - the man at the farmer's market who called his boss for me to see if the cheeses had vegetarian rennet and then gave me tastes of each one; the gay couple who run the pastry shop and called us their favorite customers; the librarian who teased me, as he always does, for checking out so many books. It's good to be seen in those little ways. Maybe I can say yes to some things and no to others. But how will I ever get enough rest, enough time without being seen, enough time not being afraid?
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