#not to discredit all of my amazing friends I have

[chrollohearttags]

I hope my qpb is out there somewhere. It may be selfish but I want my person. A best friend of my own I’m not sharing with anyone else..somebody who I don’t have to guard myself around or feel ashamed. Somebody who I don’t ‘fall in love’ or have to sleep with + vice versa but I would die for in a heartbeat. Somebody who I can talk to about something as trivial as anime and as deep as our purpose here on earth. It’s asking a lot but I don’t think it’s impossible. I know it’s somebody out there for me.

#cherry chats 🍒 #getting lost in thought and my feelings again #anyways good morning lmao 😂😭 #I’m fine I promise!! #just yearning #not to discredit all of my amazing friends I have #I’m just never the first option for ppl and that’s not their fault at all

[beiasluv]

arrow and papaya | o. piastri (81)

a/n: figured you guys are bored with yn adoring oscar…so here’s more 🤭

mercedesamgf1

melbourne, australia

liked by yourinsta, lewishamilton, and 629,827 others

mercedesamgf1 check out georgerussell63’s australian starter pack, featuring our non-aussie expert…yourinsta 😉

view all 197,828 comments

yourinsta thank you for the honorable expert title 🤭

landonorris how are you verified for this

danielricciardo don’t discredit my aussie protector

liked by oscarpiastri

username we clearly know why she is considered an expert 😩

georgerussell63 thank you for the flip flops 👊

yourinsta you meant thongs?

georgerussell63 can I buy you Tim tams to shut you up?

yourinsta send ‘em in 🤭🤍

yourinsta

liked by oscarpiastri, danielricciardo, and 787,828 others

yourinsta sorry, lewis. he said I’m his new favorite driverr now 🥰

view all 263,627 comments

lewishamilton so no more roscoe play dates?

yourinsta i am buying roscoe more treats rn 😦😭

lewishamilton the veggie ones 👊

yourinsta obviously, i am his godmother 🩷

georgerussell63 he clearly haven’t met the most amazing mercedes driver enough yet

yourinsta are we hearing something? 😗

landonorris did you bribe him with tim tams

yourinsta you’re supposed to be on my side :(

landonorris if we’re against george then count me in 👊

username are we getting yn and oscar baby fever???

username JAILLL 💀 they are my rookies/babies

lilymhe and I’m his favorite golfer??? 🥺

susie_wolff jack approved!!

lilymhe yasss

alex_albon not fair 🩷 you’re the only golfer he knows

yourinsta no heart emoji for lily allowed in my comment section, albon

alex_albon where’s oscar 🤦‍♂️

oscarpiastri

liked by landonorris, mclaren, and 871,627 others

oscarpiastri track n’ media day, thank you! 👊🧡

view all 227,197 comments

mclaren my favorite rookies (couple) 🧡

mercedesamgf1 OUR favorite rookies

username admins, please give us more ynos content 😩

mclaren mercedes collab when??

mercedes let me bring this to toto 🤞

username #prayforoscar

landonorris was it my camera or daniel’s?? 😒

yourinsta you’re forgetting that also have one, just admit that you’re jealous 😗

landonorris never 😎

danielricciardo i would like to be excluded from this narrative

yourinsta okay, but only because you’ve asked nicely (and you’re my honey badger) 🫶

lilymhe anyone having trouble distinguishing yn and oscar’s instagram?? 🤭

logansargeant there are two accounts??

oscarpiastri sorry that you had to find out this way 🤷‍♂️

yourinsta I’m so sorry for your lost, logan

yourinsta thank you 😘

oscarpiastri ❤️

yourinsta did you get the orange juice?

oscarpiastri yes, did you get your tim tams?

yourinsta yes 🫶

landonorris there’s a thing called dm, yn

yourinsta why are you only attacking me :(

yourinsta

liked by susie_wolff, georgerussell63 and 618,815 others

yourinsta she’s everything, and he’s just a boss 🤷‍♀️ love you susieeeee 🫶

view all 187,528 comments

susie_wolff thank you, hon 🩷

liked by yourinsta

georgerussell63 i see, the shirt has gained popularity

yourinsta would you like my shirt, russell?

georgerussell63 no, thank you. give it to oscar, maybe he’ll wear it

landonorris he won’t take it off for 3 days already 😨

yourinsta send pics please landonorris 🤭

georgerussell63

liked by mercedesamgf1, alex_albon and 736,929 others

georgerussell63 you can’t have them anymore 👊 yourinsta

view all 127,927 comments

yourinsta please. you can have them, except oscar :(

logansargeant GIVE HIM BACK!! 🗣

yourinsta thank! you!

landonorris i thought i was your friend, ynn

yourinsta okay…I’ll have lando back too (cause Zak will be mad)

lilymhe no harassing my girl 😠

yourinsta thank you, girls’ girllll 🫶

lilymhe you’re welcomee 🩷

alex_albon are you asking for me back?

lilymhe maybe? (Yessss 😘)

landonorris mate, when is someone asking for me back?

carlossainz55 i can come and get you, lando

landonorris god help me 😭

username george held oscar captive cause he is actually protective of yn and can’t accept that he can’t let her go easily. period.

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username you are delulu girl

username delulu is the solulu, ask charles about ferrari

username YOU DID NOT 😭

username george liked! I repeat, george liked!!!

yourinsta’s story

reply

mclaren

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mclaren pstt, driver(s) of the day post 👊🧡 (hi ynnnn 👋🫶)

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username not mclaren’s admin being obsessed with yn 🤭

username biggest shipper of the grid spotted

yourinsta hi adminnnn😚 i think you forgot charles_leclerc

charles_leclerc i think it is on purpose 👍

landonorris I’m sorry for you loss, charles

charles_leclerc what??

I can not stop making them. lmk if y’all are bored 💀

like, reblog, inbox me, whatever if you liked it. if not, what are you even doing 🥱 jkk

today’s a great day to take care of yourself. stay hydrated!!

#imagines #formula 1 #f1 #f1 imagines #f1 x reader #oscar piastri smau #oscar piastri imagines #oscar piastri fanfic #oscar piastri x you #oscar piastri #oscar piastri x reader #lando norris x you #lando norris x reader #george russel x reader #toto wolff #charles leclerc imagines #f1 fanfic #f1 smau #mercedes amg f1 #f1blr #lando norris fanfic #lando norris imagines #lewis hamilton #mclaren #mercedes

[andreal831]

Elijah and Stefan could live without Klaus and Damon

One of my tik toks about the end of The Originals has brought forward a lot of people saying Elijah "couldn't live without Klaus" or something to that effect. I've seen people use this same argument for Stefan. And I hate this thought process.

First, it is usually said to completely discredit their sacrifice. For instance, when I talk about how it made no sense for both Elijah and Klaus to die at the end of TO and completely orphan Hope. I will always argue that Elijah should have been the one to sacrifice his life and Klaus to live for his daughter. Would this ending have broken my heart, yes, but it would have aligned better with the character arcs and overall story.

When the fandom talks about Klaus' sacrifice, it's to say how amazing he was, how he finally got redemption, and how much he loved his daughter. When Elijah's sacrifice is talked about, it's to bring up Hayley's death and talk about his codependency with Klaus. The same thing happens with Stefan, they mention Elena and his codependency on Damon. Completely neglecting the fact that these characters did in fact sacrifice their lives for their family.

Second, it's canonically inaccurate. Elijah and Stefan both showed multiple times that they can live without their brothers. That, in fact, they are better off without their brothers. We don't know their full lives, but in most flashbacks we see, they are either separated or recently reunited. Stefan makes friends with Lexie who completely turns his vampirism around. She is his best friend and knows him better than anyone and she warns Damon to stay away because Damon has the tendency to push Stefan off his sobriety when he gets bored or angry. Damon actually does more harm to Stefan. When Damon 'dies,' Stefan creates a life for himself away from the supernatural. Sure the fans didn't like it, but he still moves on. Unlike Damon who wants to entomb himself because Elena is gone.

Elijah and Klaus do spend the large majority of their eternity together, but they also have spent large chunks of it apart. Specifically most of the 1900s. Elijah leaves in 1919 to lead Mikael away and only reunites briefly in 1933 to warn Klaus. They are only together for a matter of days before Klaus threatens to dagger Elijah. They go their separate ways again. We don't see how Elijah is coping in this time, but he does manage to live nearly 100 years without Klaus and seems to come out on the other side fine. Similar to Stefan, Elijah thrives without Klaus when he erases his memories. It's the happiest we see him throughout the entire show.

Finally, we see throughout both shows that Stefan and Elijah are a little bit unstable emotionally. They both view their lives as less than because of their trauma. Both Stefan and Elijah choosing to sacrifice themselves had less to do with codependency and more to do with self worth. They were both characters who felt an immense amount of guilt for all of the harm they had caused and viewed themselves as monsters. They did not think they deserved to live and be happy, unlike Damon and Klaus. So when we frame their deaths around their brothers, it detracts from their struggles and their deeper characters. I know the show liked to push the narrative that their lives revolved around Damon and Klaus because of ratings/Julie Plecs' weird obsessions, but it completely erases the characters to do so.

Elijah and Stefan could live without their brothers. They did and seemed to be happier. Obviously losing a sibling would be devastating and they would mourn, but it would give them a chance to find true purpose in their lives. Both families had a mass amount of codependency but it's usually only focused on Elijah and Stefan as a way to make their characters revolve around the other brother. It's sloppy and honestly tired writing. If the writers cared more about the story than ratings, we would have seen character growth and seen Stefan and Elijah learn to branch out on their own and break the toxic cycle.

These narratives that the brothers can't live without the other is simply pushed so the fandom can feel good about their sacrifices instead of actually looking at it for what is was: a sacrifice.

#elijah mikealson #stefan salvatore #klaus mikaelson #damon salvatore #their sacrifices matter #the writers were just terrible at dealing with mental health #and building any kind of character development #tvdu #the originals #tvd #the vampire diaries #the mikaelsons #metas #salvatore brothers #mikaelson brothers

[mystic-ang3l]

I love bg3 and stardew! I'd love to hear/read your interpretation of some of the characters meeting eachother! (Ex: Harvey and Gale, will and Elliot, karlach and Abigail)

thank you for the request :p i LOVE this idea

these are just little blurbs of the characters meeting each other and how that would go. i chose the pairings the way i did bc i felt like they made the most sense... if you want more let me know, enjoy!!

When Harvey and Halsin met..

Harvey was initially intimidated by Halsin.

Was confused by this large mass of a man entering his clinic.

They introduced and conversated with one another, seemingly getting along.

“So you’re a doctor? How interesting… I am also a healer of sorts. As a Druid, I was gifted my powers from Silvanus, as I now protect and care for his creations, whether that be animals in the forest, or fellow companions.”

Harvey kind of stares at him for a second.

As Halsin talks about his god-given power and healing abilities, Harvey can’t help but get a bit jealous.

Why was he gifted such healing powers? He didn't have to go to medical school for years, and take all of the god forsaken exams. 

“Yeah, well I went to medical school for many years. I had to learn how to help people, and I believe in the ability to use modern medicine to help my patients. I’m not too sure about your powers, but I believe that my method of healing works as well.”

Harvey spoke more passive aggressive than he liked, realizing that his jealousy was obvious.

“Pardon me… I tend to get a bit worked up when it comes to my profession. Your gift is amazing, I wish it had been that easy for me.”

Halsin registers that maybe he was gloating too much.

The last thing he wanted to do was offend anyone, especially not someone he just met, that was similar to him.

“I apologize dearly for my accidental gloating… I had no intention of discrediting your profession. I think the way that you’re able to heal people is nothing short of astounding. I know that it’s a privilege to help others and that feeling is… unlike any other.”

Harvey lets out a sigh of understanding and feels a bit better after their miscommunication is resolved.

As no patients entered the clinic, they continued to talk amongst themselves about medicine and healing, something they both are knowledgeable of.

Once it was 3:00 P.M. and the clinic was closed, they both said their farewells.

“I’ll return again in the near future. Farewell, Harvey.”

Harvey returns the goodbye, smiling as he thinks about the return of his new healer of a friend.

When Haley and Astarion met...

Astarion was walking through the small town of Stardew, observing the area.

He walks up to a wooden board with several different flyers posted.

Some are looking for certain foods, others looking for minerals and such.

But, there was one flyer that caught his eye. It was very colorful, and definitely pink.

“IN NEED OF SOMEONE TO GIVE A MAKEOVER!! I NEED EXPERIENCE FOR MY COSMETOLOGY LICENSE. SRS INQUIRIES ONLY!”

Astarion was a bit… intrigued by this.

Why? He would never let some girl use him for makeup… right?

As he’s deep in thought, a high-pitched voice from behind him made him jump a bit.

He turns around to see a short, teenage blonde girl. She had a huge smile plastered on her face, he was kind of scared.

“Hey mister, I saw you looking at my flyer! Are you interested?”

Astarion scoffs at her.

“Absolutely not.”

Haley looks a bit defeated, but something tells her she can convince him.

“Come on! I saw you looking at it for, like, 5 minutes! It won’t take long, I just need to do one makeover for my class and I can get my license. Pretty please?”

Astarion looks at her, raising his eyebrow. He never thought he’d be in a predicament like this, and he also never thought he’d be looking forward to something like this… but he’d never admit it to a soul.

“As long as you don’t make me look like a clown, dear, I guess I can fulfill your request.”

Haley jumps up and down, squealing.

Without a chance to think, Haley grabs Astarion’s hand and drags him to her house.

She seats him at her vanity, as she sets up all kinds of things. Makeup, hair tools, everything you could think of.

Astarion looks at all of this, and raises his eyebrow.

“I thought you said this wouldn't take long?”

Haley looks at him, a playful smile on her face. 

“It wont be long! Maybe like, an hour or two…”

Astarion sighs as he realizes what he’s got himself into. Although, he’s a bit excited for what the result will be.

As Astarion gets more comfortable, he also begins to talk more.

Especially when Haley starts to gossip about her neighbors.

“Yeah, there’s a boy that lives in that house named Sam, I think he totally might have a thing for me. I see him looking at me through the window sometimes. Oh! And he has this friend named Sebastian, and he’s so emo, it’s kind of scary…”

Astarion listens to her gossip, being slightly amused by it. 

He even chimes in from time to time.

After what feels like forever, Haley is finished with the makeover.

Astarion looks in the mirror, a bit taken aback by how… good he looks?

Deep down, he loves it. He loves the way the makeup looks, and how she puffed his hair up.

“So… what do you think?”

Astarion looks at her, trying to hide his excitement.

“It’s okay, a bit chalky but it’s plenty adequate.”

Haley scoffs, as Astarion laughs. 

Afterwards, Haley makes them tea as they sit at the table, continuing to gossip about the whole town.

When Maru and Gale met...

Maru was excited when Gale showed up in her mom’s carpentry shop.

She looked at him from afar, noticing his purple robe. Was he an actual wizard? With actual powers?

As Gale is talking to Robin, Maru comes around the corner and walks up to him.

“Hi! I’m Maru, I’m her daughter”

Gale looks at her, shaking her hand.

“Nice to meet you, Maru. Your mother was just telling me about how much you like science.”

Maru looks at Robin, making a face as she hates the fact that she was talking about her.

“Yeah, my dad’s a scientist, so I’m really into that kind of stuff. Do you want to see our lab?”

Maru speaks excitedly, realizing maybe she’s too enthusiastic. She doesn’t want to scare the (maybe) wizard off. 

“Of course, lead me there!”

Maru leads him to the small lab, where there are many scientific posters and instruments.

As they talk, Maru can’t help but wonder if he’s actually a wizard.

The possibility is killing her, and she refrains until she can’t help but ask.

“Are you a wizard? Like one who can cast spells and turn people into frogs?”

Gale is a bit taken aback by her sudden question, but then laughs a bit at her enthusiasm.

“Well, yes… you can call me a wizard. I have the powers to cast spells and such… and it is possible for me to turn people into frogs, though I don’t usually have reason to.”

Maru’s face lights up as so many questions pop into her head. Could he maybe show her a spell, or even teach her? Maybe he can turn her into something…

“Can you turn me into a frog? Right now?”

Gale raises his eyebrow, a bit hesitant to answer.

“Technically, it is possible… but what if someone like your mother sees? I don’t want people to dislike me already, for potentially turning their daughter into a frog.”

Maru is a bit disappointed. She pleads to the wizard, hoping he would listen.

“Please please please! I promise I won’t tell a soul! I just want you to turn me into a frog, and then you can turn me back into a human after. It would be revolutionary!” 

Gale takes a quick look around the room, before he sighs and looks back at Maru.

“Fine… but very quickly. Do not tell a soul about this.”

Maru nods as she stands in front of Gale.

As he focuses on her, a green colored hue appears around him as reaches a hand out towards her.

The next thing he knows, there is a small frog on the floor.

He crouches down to the little frog.

“There, you are now a small little frog. Can I change you back now?”

Gale is answered with a croak.

He stands back up, and as he begins the spell to make Maru human again, Robin walks in.

“Have you seen Maru recently? I can’t find her.”

Gale looks at her, eyes widening as he tries to contain himself.

“N-no, I haven’t seen her.”

Robin nods her head, and looks around. She spots the frog on the ground.

She approaches it and picks it up.

“Well hello little frog… you must be one of the frogs that keeps escaping from Sebastian’s room… I’ll go put you back.”

Gale’s heart drops to his stomach. He decides he has to tell her that the frog is Maru.

“Wait! That isn’t a regular frog. That may or may not be… your daughter?”

He speaks, his voice slightly high-pitched as he prays she won’t scream at him.

Robin’s jaw drops, as she looks at him angrily.

It seems like Gale has a lot of explaining to do, and a spell to cast after Robin finishes scolding him.

#stardew valley #sdv harvey #sdv haley #sdv maru #bg3 #baldurs gate 3 #astarion #halsin #gale dekarios #bg3 gale #blurb #fanfic #sdv x bg3

[mirra-kan]

Hi Mirra!

Have you written any headcanon, metas, discussions, or fics about your concept of the "Faithful Haradrim"? If so, could you please tell me where to find them? If you haven't yet, would you mind sharing some info of your headcanons (anything at all) about their history and culture?

I'm a big fan of your Harad artwork and concepts (including the Blue Wizards), and it's all clearly founded on a rich, complex world you've created for them in your head. I would definitely love to learn more! :) I do also plan on including more about the Haradrim culture and history in my upcoming fanfics, so I would love to hear an expert's ideas on them.

Thank you for sharing your work with us!

@sotwk Was very happy to discover your message in my ask box!

Thank you for your interest and willingness to include more Haradrim content into your writing, but I'm afraid you might find my views rather... boring 😆

I also must apologise in advance if any of my phrases may not seem polite enough or turn out to be grammatically incorrect - English is not my first language.

Disclaimer! What is written below represents my personal view! It is in no way intended to hurt or discredit anyone’s head canons, views and ideas!

My Chinese calligraphy teacher once told me: "Do you want to assume or to learn? Decide on the approach before you make theories about anything."

And I follow the strategy of "to learn" before I "assume". So, first and foremost, I'm still in search of bits of information about the peoples who inhabited Harad and Rhun (South and East) of Middle-earth.

My goal is not so much to create head cannons as to draw the audience's attention to the canon and the Professor's own vision. Accordingly, in working through his letters, essays, and volumes of the History of Middle-earth, I am trying to draw parallels that someone as educated as Professor Tolkien might have drawn.

I also categorically disagree with the images created in the movies, where the conventional evil is more caricatured than frightening, and the motives and history of the conflict are not shown at all (Faramir’s saying about Haradrim’s fate is at least included, which is great, even if it wasn’t his in books). When my best friend dragged me into the Silmarillion story couple of years ago, I was amazed at how distorted the perception of these regions was in adaptations.

So, thinking about the existence and struggles of Faithful Haradrim, I rely on the history of the region and possible historical patterns. Such a vast region simply cannot have a common culture. It is the idea that can unite them. But, as in our reality, cultural features, symbolism and colours may differ. For example, we know that those who came with Sauron's army, performed under red flags with snakes. Does that mean that the entire vast region walked exclusively in the same colours? It seems unlikely to me.

As for the Blue Wizards, blue in general is a colour very 'inherent' to many cultures in the Global South. I suppose that's why the Professor dressed Alatar and Pallando in those colours. And accordingly, in my opinion, Faithful Haradrim could use these colours in their robes and on their banners, but not necessarily. It is not the colour that reflects the inner essence of a person.

Of course, when thinking about this or that image, I think about where exactly these people live, what the level of metallurgy development is present in different Ages, whether there is a sea or mountains nearby - all this affects how their armour\architecture\symbolism could have developed. In general, I draw parallels with real anthropology and the history of the development of civilisations. Books about the regional patterns, military and weapon history etc are of big help here too.

Sometimes, of course, I make things up. For example, when I first read the lines about the Blue Wizards not returning to Valinor, I didn't take it in a negative light. After all, they could have stayed in Middle-earth willingly, having become attached and imbued with the problems of the region, of the people. After all, Alatar and Curumo were the only ones who were not afraid to volunteer to fight Sauron.

I also like the later version, in which the Blue Wizards arrive in the Second Age. It makes more "sense" given the nightmare that the Númenorians had wrought in the region. But even among them, I'm sure there were some people who sympathised and helped the local population. I don't believe in black and white in principle. But I do believe in post-truth.

So, in essence, I'm a boring canonist who treats the author's writings and views with great respect. And the myth of the Haradrim and Easterlings being bad guys by all accounts is almost as well-established as the supposed lack of religion, holy Dunedain and cute glowing elves. Which is, in my opinion, in no way consistent with Tolkien's own philosophy and stance.

Perhaps what I came up with from scratch was a sign, a Faithful Haradrim symbol, that those could use to identify each other. People need symbols, faith and ideas. Especially in such trying times. That's the way we are.

Oh, I'm afraid if I go on, it'll be a whole essay. So I think I'll stop here. Thanks again for your question and your interest! I'm sorry if I disappointed you, haha.  Good luck with your writing - I'm so happy there're people out there, who're genuinely interested in the region! ❤

P.S. If everything goes well, I plan to release a zine about Harad at the end of the year. With quotes and the obligatory notes of personal theories not to confuse the reader.

#tolkien #lord of the rings #lotr #silmarillion #middle earth #haradrim #artmirka #harad #easterlings #rhun

[moonchild-in-blue]

This is a bit of a rant/appreciation post fueled by Procrastination and Yearning. It makes little sense but yeah.

I truly mean when I say you guys are some of the kindest, sweetest, ridiculously talented people I've encountered. I find it so hard to believe that there are people out there in the world who carry me in their hearts, and think so highly and fondly of me despite us never having met, and me being a mess of a person.

I feel like such an imposter at times, because I fear would think very differently of me if we were to meet irl. It's easy not to disappoint people from a distance (and I somehow still manage to do it), and I constantly feel like I'm giving off a much better impression of me than who I am, if that makes sense. Which is incredibly contradictory, because I consider this to be a safe space where I can be my weird, awkward self without needing to conceal or muffle certain parts of me. And yet I stil am met with so much kindness and love, despite all of that. And idk, it fills my heart with joy knowing that there are good people out there, and that friendship and understanding and respect are possible, even if we are so so different from each other.

And this is not to discredit the amazing friends I have irl, but it is a highly different dynamic. To embrace someone at their core, with all of their flaws and insecurities and weirdness without any "warm-up", without knowing who they are, is a wild concept nowadays - and yet this is how we all became friends basically. I see someone from the other side of the world going through the same struggles as I do, or someone who looks at the sky and thinks of me, and wonder how in the world I got so lucky??

It's crazy to think how similarly shaped our souls are despite the oceans of differences between us. And yeah, idk. I think I lost my train of thought (if there was any to begin with), but I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm grateful for each and everyone of you, and that it makes me unbelievably happy to be existing alongside you. 🌙💙✨

#posting this and running away because im being PERCEIVED #if you read this - i love and i'm glad you exist 💙 #darya talks to herself

[scoonsalicious]

OKAY I'M HERE. Sorry, I'm late. Funnily enough, we're on opposite sides of the world so your update time is waaaayyy too early in the morning for me so I usually read it when I wake up (shocking I know, digesting this traumatic but amazing masterpiece early in the morning) but since school has started up again and I have morning classes I haven't been able to. So do expect my reports to be a lil later than usual. ANYWAYS ENOUGH ABOUT ME.

Let's start with Steve and Pocket. I totally forgot that both of them were under the influence during that time and while they did get a little frisky (I also find it so funny how Pocket doesn't have much of a reaction. it was all Steve. It was as if she already knew she could never orgasm with this man. like homegirl was dry during that I just know it) I'm glad they didn't go far and were able to actually realize how much of a mistake it would've been because not only for obvious reasons like that's your ex's best friend but also the intoxicated thing. It wouldn't have done any good to Poxket's mental state es; especially knowing Steve's feelings. But hey, he stopped it. Literally the bare minimum for any man but the bar currently in hell (looking at you Benson) so. Good on Steveioli.

Now with the heart-to-heart, I'm so glad Pocket was able to unload all that and actually have a good cry for once. And, for Steve, as much as I still find him kinda fishy (I still do think he has a hand in ruining their relationship, that he isn't as innocent or this knight and shining savior that he's showing. I just know Steve did something and pulled some strings so i don't trust him fully yet), he made some very good points. I do agree with what he said about Bentley. We can only really imagine what he went through with Hydra. And the point too where there are some parts Bison himself doesn't remember at all but his body and psyche do. We can sympathise and everything but we never truly understand it. Do I think Josiah is the only person who understands? I don't think so either. Not to discredit her experience or whatever but I don't think what she went through was entirely the same or close because I still do think she's still a spy got them (maybe that's me not liking her lol). But the fact is, she's the closest person who could understand, in Brennon's eyes anyway. Does that excuse everything he's done? Absolutely fucking not. But does that information change how I judge him? Of course. I still truly believe that there's more to this onion (because layers ha ha) than meets the eye. He still fucking fucked up and he still has so much work to do on himself before he can even have the chance to earn Pocket's trust again. But I can give him some grace, and understand that his mind probably wasn't in the best place at that time which led to bad decisions.

I saw some people claiming that Blair never truly loved Pocket, and while I can see why that seems to be the fact because he does have a shitty way of showing it, sometimes, we can't stop ourselves from hurting the people we love (to an extent obvs. if they cheat & are abusive & toxic etc. leave their ass. but again, in the context of the fic, it's definitely more complicated than that). That's just reality. But what truly matters is what we do after the fact. Not that it makes it okay, I'm not saying that at all. It's still not an excuse to hurt people and be a shitty person. What I mean is that not everything is as black & white as it seems. In this case, there's no such thing as 100% evil and 100% good (except Judas who has a special place in hell). These are flawed, broken, and complicated characters, and you the amazing writer has shown that greatly. So we should all take that into account instead of just saying this person is 100% wrong so he deserves to die, or This person is 100% right so I'm just going to support everything they're doing no matter the consequences even if it hurts other people. So I do think he truly and utterly loves Pocket with everything that he is, but when you've got someone who's out of his time, has so many issues, isn't in the best mental and emotional state, has been through so much trauma and has self-destructive tendencies, do we really think he knows what to do with such a powerful emotion? Better yet, he does love her, but in this case, it's just not enough. Love isn't the only thing that keeps a relationship healthy after all. But I will say, that love will also be the one that will push him to do better.

Now, with Mr. Bunana and his Audacity to barge onto Pocket like that. The hypocrisy is outstanding. Gold medal worthy. But then again, he did see them leave the party after basically humping each other on the dance floor, he did see Steve leave her bedroom and he did see Pocket in Steve's shirt. When you're already insecure as hell and have fucked up one too many times, I can't blame him for jumping to conclusions. I also can see how distraught he was though, and not to be mean, but he does kinda need this for him to wake the fuck up. And again, the audacity to cause a whole scene about it too as if he has any right. But, unpopular opinion, I don't see an asshole at all. I see a broken man who's spiraling out of control and is hitting rock bottom as we speak. He's grasping at straws, he has no idea what to do with himself, and he's lost everything, and for a man who's been at war for the last 70 years, what's the one thing he knows best? Fighting. So, he fights.

The toxic masculinity was so on point. When Pocket picked up the water I was cheering this whole time lmao. Absolute wild animals these men sometimes. She honestly should just have a spray bottle in hand, spray them when they act up. Also, that line about where's Steve hand was made me CACKLE. Like yes queen. They deserve to break each other's face a lil for thinking they can decide for Pocket and what she does with her body honestly.

Lastly, because goodness me this is long. We're off on this mission, and I really do share Tony's concerns (and he's so sweet and caring about Pocket. I'm glad he's by her side. Also can't wait to see how they met!) This mission is going to take a toll on Pocket more than she's going to expect. She's using this as a distraction with what's been going on recently, and that's not good. Because I don't think she fully realises the gravity of what she's about to go into. I'm thankful that Sam is there. But I just know, something about this mission is going to go so bad for Pocket. Maybe not physically, and the mission would end up a success, but mentally and emotionally? ESPECIALLY when she's already on a fragile state right now? Sigh. I won't like it, but shit about to hit all the fans.

Anyway. You're amazing as always. I always enjoy getting to pick at the details of your writing and it makes me giddy with excitement that I actually manage to nail some points hahaha. Keep doing what you're doing and don't forget to take care of yourself!

P.S. I love Sam and Pocket's friendship. I need more of them being best buds please and thanks.

— Jnon 🤍

Beloved Jnon, Please do not apologize for being "late!" It actually worked out in my favor, as I have been staying up too long into the night to respond to you, so this actually works well, because it's mid-day here and I actually got some sleep. Not enough, but I'm working on it lol. Reading Unwanted first thing in the morning sounds like a rough way to start your day! All the angst!

Yeah, Pocket had absolutely no reaction with Steve, lol. It was seriously all the MDMA, making her crave physical touch, and when she kind of came down more to herself and realized it was Steveoli who was doing the touching? Well, let's just say it was dryer than the Sahara down there, lol. Ah, the little details that don't make it into the finished work! I can confidently say though, that if Pocket hadn't stopped it, herself, Steve most definitely would not have. Steve needed to hear Pocket break down in front of him, to see how she was affected by all of this. It was a wakeup call for him, and it allowed me to say some of the stuff I wanted to say about Bucky's state of mind without having Bucky say it himself (because who could believe him?!?) In later chapters, we'll get some first-hand insight into what kind of experience Juggalo had with Hydra, herself, and how those experiences shaped her connection with Barnstormer (intentionally vague wording here). I so fucking love how you are on the same page with me re: Bucky's mental state and motivations. Fucking love it.

And he is 100% flawed in this fic. He's trying to navigate this new world he doesn't understand, with all these sexual and social rules he doesn't understand. And I'd like to take a moment to point out that, in my timeline, Bucky has maybe spent a fraction of the time in Wakanda that he does in the MCU. Like, right now, in the story, it's about 2019-ish, meaning our Bucket left Wakanda sometime in 2017, probably less than a year after the events of Civil War, meaning that our Bucky has not done NEARLY as much mental healing as Canon!Bucky. So, when Canon!Bucky tells Cap that he's a "semi-stable 100 year old man" in Infinity War (which I just rewatched last night for Unbroken research!), our Bucket is even less so.

Right now, if there's one thing he's absolutely sure of, it's that he loves Pocket. But you're right, love is not longer enough here. Not for the two of them, not any more. Pocket's already realized that, and Bucket's just starting to.

Let's talk Bucky Barnes and the Audacity of this Bitch! When he barged into Pocket's room to accuse her of sleeping with Steve, he definitely wasn't thinking about what he'd done. He was thinking about confronting evidence of the worst thing he could imagine. It was one thing for him to conjure up the idea in his head, but it's driving him absolutely crazy to see physical evidence of it with his own eyes (even if its just circumstantial physical evidence!). I want to say, though, that even after he thought they slept together after her party, HE DID NOT go running to Jackrabbit for comfort-- I think that's progress! :D Right now, all he knows is how to fight, and how to hurt-- himself, and other people. It's all he's done for 75 years. Pocket was beyond livid over the two of them fighting about her, without really seeming to care about her-- just who got access to her body. Girl lived that life too long as a child; she was done with it long ago. I do like to imagine, though, that after she and Sam left, Bucky and Steve started fighting again, but this time they're all wet from being dowsed in water, so their shirts are sticking to them, and the fight is very homoerotic.... Finally, Tony's concerns for Pocket are very, very valid. He's kind of forcing her to regress, and he's really scared about what that might do to her mentally. Not to mention, she's putting herself in a dangerous position where women are being kidnapped and trafficked. He's got the utmost faith in her; it's just everyone else he doesn't trust. I love getting your messages, I love discussing the story with you! It makes me so happy! I promise there's one more good Sam/Pocket scene!

#Unwanted #jnon report

[rosesfox]

✿ a short review about this woven kingdom & these infinite threads. ✿

❥ alizeh has already become one of my favorite protagonists. she is extremely smart, articulate, and very kind. she has a strong personality, but that doesn't stop her from being polite. she is also quite independent and knows how to make her choices clearly, even being empathetic the way she is. she's refreshing in a sea of cliched female character archetypes. (really, the way she can butt heads with all the characters, including her romantic partners, is amazing to me. she doesn't shy away from anyone.)

❥ kamran reminds me of adam, but he's like an adam with personality. i was able to be moved by his feelings and feel empathy, but he is one of the most realistic monarch characters i have ever seen. his vision of the things that happen to him is extremely limited and summarized in his privileged life. it takes him a LONG time to understand that he can act entitled, and even then he doesn't really understand. something that bothers me a lot about his romance with alizeh is how easily he discredits her even though he makes such passionate statements. he looks so volatile. although this is understandable given his position as a prince, his love is not convincing enough for me. he doesn't need much to say that he wants to kill her, he never has concrete proof and always gets carried away by the situation. alizeh's friends seem to have more affection for her than him, despite the intensity of his feelings and his passionate statements. (also, i think his feelings are almost one-sided since alizeh doesn't spend much time thinking about him and there isn't much romance in the first book.)

❥ cyrus is by far the most interesting character. mainly, perhaps, because we don't know what his motivations are for doing what he did, he's a box of surprises. he seems to have a lot of story to tell. and he's so incredibly charming, being funny and provocative at the same time. he's a pretty easy character to get attached to. his romance with alizeh, for me, is one of the best parts. in this book (as he only becomes relevant in the second book) alizeh reacts to him as intensely as he reacts to her. from the start, the two disarm each other with ease and it's clearly mutual and something that seems to want to explode. the way he truly suffers for her from the beginning, and for his own choices in life, is quite moving and makes me hope that he has a happy ending with alizeh. there's something of a forbidden romance here that is breathtakingly tragic, and i'm so excited to see what happens next!

❥ the mythology of these books was so interesting to me. the way tahereh developed it is cohesive and linear for me. i have always admired her writing, going back to the first shatter me books, but for me here it is just spectacular. although it is a fantasy book, it was very easy for me to understand the story and acquire a fluid reading pace. I'm looking forward to the conclusion of the saga!

#this woven kingdom #these infinite threads #tahereh mafi #shatter me series #alizeh #cyrus #kamran #alizehcyrus

[piratical-princess]

More bad (or in some cases pretty good) Xmas movie reviews here! I’ve tried some odd ones.

EDITED TO INCLUDE:

Christmas on Mistletoe Farm: This was EFFING CUTE. Super British. Quirky kids in hand knitted stuff and big Wellies. Baby barn animals everywhere. Comedic English overacting. As charming as a mouse in a teapot. I would watch it every year twice. The colors alone are scrumptious. 9/10

* Christmas Inheritance - As stereotypical as Christmas romance movies get. Small town, lonely innkeeper, main character returns to town to find the magic of Christmas by helping with some pageant or festival or whatnot. Bland but mainly pleasant but stop making characters do that slow head shake while sincerely singing thing, it’s weird . 4/10

A Christmas Movie Christmas - A fun swing at typical Christmas movies. Christmas magic transports two sisters into a Christmas movie of their own where they wake up every day with their hair and makeup already done and cookies already baked. Parts of it are funny, but it led me to the disturbing revelation that all B actors wear false teeth. 6/10

Christmas Chronicles 2: I was excited for this. Hot Santa, Belsneckel, Yule Cat. Nope. Bad. Please don’t bother, you’ll soil the first movie. 1/10

Dash & Lily : in spite of being about New York, this short series is really good and sweet. It’s a scavenger hunt of literature and romance and the art of loving your own weirdness against the backdrop of Christmas. It’s charming and colorful. Definitely not perfect, it is a high school aged series based on YA romance and that can sometimes lead to “youthful” acting, but it is good and I appreciated it and the music was superb. 9/10

Noelle - dang, I really liked this. It seems a discredit to say it’s like a gender bent Elf, but that is the broadest definition. Very warm and loving. 10/10

Scrooge: A Christmas Carol - this is the animated Netflix version. I have mixed feelings. I thought they took the art in some really interesting places. I thought the music was pretty terrible. I thought they did the lower budget animation thing where some characters look amazing and some look poorly thought out. I thought Scrooge was weirdly hot. 6/10

Mickey and Friends: Duck The Halls - Newer style of Mickey Mouse animation that is part Ren and Stimpy and part midcentury modern, which is awesome. Donald Duck stays in the snowy north for the winter and literally falls apart from the cold, lots of body horror. Hilarious. 10/10

Jingle All The Way - I know, it is weird that as a 90s kid, I had never seen this. I was promised a bad movie and I’m slightly disappointed that I loved the hell out of it. From Arnold expecting us to believe that he works in mattress sales and saying “you’re my numbah one custahmahh” with a cheesy grin to a brawl of underground gang Santas to Phil Hartman having the balls to hit on Arnold’s wife and moaning obscenely over the phone about how good her cookies are while Arnold yells “PUT DAT COOKIE DOWN”, it’s all amazing. But really the best part is the unexpectedly complex buildup of a real hero/villain relationship - the connection, the offer of friendship that gets rejected, the ensuing battle that becomes an insane bid for revenge, culminating in a real costumed fight that ends - in the true spirit of Christmas - with the police hauling away a grown man in a latex bodysuit clutching a toy he has ruthlessly stolen from a child that would grow up to become Darth Vader. 15/10

#Christmas #movies

[honeytonedhottie]

When I was in 5th grade I got bullied . They made comments on my nose and even chest . I had fast chest growth so they used to make comments on that and make fun of my nose. Sometimes I thought maybe my marks weren't good that's why they bullied me but when I scored better than them they would discredit it. I used call them my friends. I was the friend who was always treated like a joke. They would often create stories just to criticise me . Even teachers supported that bully cuz they got good marks in maths ig and I wasn't good in maths . After 5th I gained weight cuz of depression and stress. One day the same bully came to me and said how I was fat and I should be like her and stop eating . It's really hard to gain confidnxr or self love when you are always bullied and treated as if you are invisible.

im sorry to hear that anonie :( its gonna be okay 🫶🏽 i send my love and support 💗 the best advice i can give is to focus on ur healing and what u can do to grow and let go

change the way that u talk to urself ; say ur affirmations anonie. keep ur mental diet clean and only dwell on good thoughts about yourself, let all other thoughts pass. make ur mind a beautiful place to be. start by giving urself compliments, treating urself with the love and care that you deserve. this can help u to build confidence and once you've built that confidence -> stand up and advocate for urself.

know who u are so that u can't be bullied ; an analogy i heard before that helped was to think about what ur favorite fruit is. for me its strawberries. some ppl HATE strawberries but that doesn't matter cuz its not THEIR favorite fruit. so when ppl comment on ur favorite fruit, you wouldn't rly care cuz its YOUR favorite fruit and it doesn't have to be theirs.

your so amazing anonie, and even though this is hard for right now, it WILL pass and you're literally the best so dont waste ur time doubting urself and start healing and loving urself.

#advice #honeytonedhottie⭐️ #bullying #self love

[ultrvmonogamy]

You’re honestly such a kind and beautiful person, and those who have swept you under the rug or have discredited your character can literally kick rocks.

I sincerely wish you the peace in letting go of those whom have failed you, whether that be in terms of friendship or something deeper. You’re amazing and it’s there stupid loss for missing out on everything that you are.

Much love as always friend, you deserve nothing but the best and don’t you DARE let anyone make you feel otherwise 🫶

u tho. srsly u always make the time n find the energy to send love n support my way when i'm feeling low, n that's such a beautiful way to be. it's invaluable n i am so lucky to be on the receiving end of it.

thank u. u can have all my blood or smth if u want it <3

#am gonna try rly hard to soak ur warmth n words into my heart n keep it there #ur literally precious bestie <3 #mail #anon #oc

[27-royal-teas]

YET !!! ANOTHER ANALYSIS!! And for good reason this time because people keep misinterpreting Pete’s work to be about Mikey and it makes me fucking PISSED can you not let pete have one thing in his goddamn life i get it its fine to have headcanons and opinions but PLEASE for the love of god please stop discrediting all of his hard work & good writing to be about a white boy he fucked back in ‘05 this CONSTANTLY happens with poc artists and it makes me mad to no end

yep, that’s right. today we’re talking about I Am My Own Muse. writing this essay i have listened to it a grand total of twenty three times 

i like this song a lot specifically because i do kind of relate to it a lot frequently i feel like smashing a guitar until i go insane but i dont have a guitar and i dont know how to play one regardless so. uh yeah

The thing about IAMOM is that it’s saying that in the TITLE. Hes his own muse. And obviously no one can take that away. sure , some of his songs might be inspired by someone, but in the long run, who do they come from? pete. romance songs might not be about anyone in particular. I know ive wrote songs that could be interpreted as romance, but they’re actually me talking to my younger self or my future self or my friend, and the point is, even though songs written by pete may seem like they were about someone that doesnt mean they are and you cant, you CANNOT discredit the fact that he is his own muse. just like the song title says.

The song begins with a BANGING orchestral arrangement. I think the intro to IAMOM is my favorite song intro on the album. It's just very well thought out and clearly carefully planned, and quite honestly I think patrick did an AMAZING job and I'd love to see him do a breakdown of the composition here because I am IMPRESSED. Not even to mention the vocals, he is on FIRE. anyway in the rest of this essay I’ll be interpreting the lyrics and tying them back to the central topic i just opened with: How Pete Is His Own Muse. 

The first verse is quiet, and it begins like this:

“Here i am, not sure you should take a chance

I like playing dumb, letting you figure me out

But i was faded in my own defense

So drop a bomb on the things we dreamed about”

I feel as though this verse is very clear. He isnt sure that the person he’s referring to should take a chance on him, should think that he is worth it, and he likes being able to be up to someone else’s interpretation with no outside influence. i do this frequently with strangers- i stay quiet so that they can make up their own idea in their head about me. They can figure me out themself, since i clearly cant figure myself out, and i think that’s the idea pete is really aiming for here. ‘So drop a bomb on all the things we dream about” can be referring to himself or someone else, but here let’s take it in the context that he’s discussing himself. This line is repeated in the second verse, so it’s clearly one of the main points that needed to be stated here; here he is saying to himself that (again, it’s that self sabotage) he should give it up, give it all up, it’s not worth it, destroy it all, drop a bomb on all our dreams because they aren’t going to happen. Taken together with the previous lines we can basically say that pete is saying that because he is leaving himself open to interpretation from the public, the things he truly meant to say are lost. And i think that’s the main thing here, especially with the title, and obviously im doing it myself, maybe this isnt what he meant at all, but i definitely do think it correlates along those lines to some degree. 

The chorus is repeated several times throughout the song (3 times to be specific) and it goes like this:

“Smash all the guitars ‘til we see all the stars

Oh got to throw this year away

We got to throw this year away like

A bad luck charm” 

And then that repeats twice. 

I think i can safely say everyone reading this right now has gone through the pandemic. I assume three year olds dont go on tumblr. The entire smfs album references 2020 and 2019 time and time again, most critically in What A Time To Be Alive, and it’s heavily present in this song too. “Got to throw this year away (like a bad luck charm)” vocalizes the wishes of pete and everyone else who wishes to cut those years out of their brains- pete has expressed in interviews how taxing the pandemic really was on his mental health, and i think that “smash all the guitars” could symbolize the frustration and pain he really felt in that time; destroying music (one of the main things he loves) until he can sink into that despair and just float away (“‘til we see all the stars”). Another way this can be interpreted is an act of rebellion (a lot of musical artists smash their guitars during shows, cough ryan ross cough) but i dont really think that that makes as much sense in this context. 

The next verse:

“The trumpets bring the angels but they never came

No one let them in ‘cause they didnt know my name

I know i keep my feelings so tucked away

Just another day spent hoping we dont fall apart

So drop a bomb on all the things we dreamed about”

Another very pete based verse (BECAUSE HE IS HIS OWN MUSE). This kind of links to Heaven’s Gate because it’s related to the same thing- not making it on the list, not feeling worthy of getting into heaven, because this sort of self deprecation is reflected throughout most of Fall Out Boy’s albums. I could give a million examples of this, but I don’t want to be here forever. “The trumpets bring the angels but they never came/ no one let them in ‘cause they didn’t know my name” sort of brings to mind the image of a person waiting to be carried away to something they’re not entirely sure they deserve, and they’re proven correct because no one ever came to carry them away, no one ever decided that they’d be on the list to get to heaven and the angels just went marching past and pete can hear their horns, know theyre there for people who deserve heaven much more than he does. How sad is that?

“I know i keep my feelings so tucked away/ just another day spent hoping we dont fall apart” carries the feeling of not wanting to be a burden with every emotion thought and expressed, even the good ones, and ‘we’ can be referring to himself, every single aspect of himself, hoping he doesn’t fall apart into shards of the stars his guitar is made up of. and then of course it’s the line about the bomb again, although this time it feels even more internalized and personal because it’s the second time he said it, and he dreams of getting into heaven but how can he make it up there if the angels themselves know he does not deserve to and so. drop a bomb on all the things we dreamed about, folks, because they aren’t going to happen. 

The bridge: 

“So let’s twist the knife again, twist the knife again

like we did last summer

So let’s twist the knife again, twist the knife again

Oh, i’m just trying to keep it together

But it gets a little harder when it never gets better I'm trying

To keep it together, to keep it together, oh”

To me this entire bridge just feels really deeply confessional and personal. Im going to start at the bottom because i like it the best. 

He’s trying. He’s trying so damn hard- to be optimistic, to be hopeful and stay full of happiness and love but it’s SO HARD when there’s no light at the end of the tunnel to motivate him. This is still talking about quarantine, i think; i remember i was in middle school at the time; they said that we would be back in two weeks. I remember i was grateful to get a break and time off. Then two weeks turned into two years and it got really, really hard to see an end to the pandemic. When things stop improving it gets harder and harder to keep it together when you can’t see the results of any of your actions, when you’re trying your best but it still gets you nowhere. Wouldn’t you stop trying? i know i would.

And let’s talk about “let’s twist the knife” just a little bit. “Last summer” might refer to the last album release, which is Mania (even though it was released in January). Another album cycle, another twist of the knife; another bit of words that pete has to pull out of himself like ribbons, and although he loves it, that’s his job, it still feels like dredging up all the pain again. So let’s twist the knife again, dig it in just a little deeper, just like we did before. 

So, yeah. Pete is his own muse and i truly do think that that is heavily reflected in this song, even this whole album. A lot of songs in smfs seem more him-centered, because he is the writer and he is talking about himself. So Good Right Now and What  A Time To Be Alive are especially good examples of this. 

And the interesting thing about the title is that it’s pulled from a Frida Kahlo quote, which goes like this: 

“I am my own muse. I am the subject I know best. I am the subject I want to better.”

And isn’t that just it? This whole album, it’s an album of self discovery and going back to your roots and staying current anyway. It’s patrick pulling pete out of his funk and getting him back in the game; it’s an exploration of a new style, a new fall out boy. And like a phoenix, every album they rise again, still the same but somehow completely brand new. The orchestral arrangements displayed in IAMOM and SMFS and LFTOS showcase this, the new feeling but still the same, something bettered, and I’m really, really happy with how far they’ve come not only in their expansion of music but also with themselves. And I feel like this song and this title- I Am My Own Muse- is really a stand up, it’s a show of how far they’ve come. Because they are the subject they know the best.

#Toby speaks #Toby’s meta #fall out boy #fob #pete wentz #patrick stump #andy hurley #joe trohman #fob meta #meta #lyric analysis

[tropes-and-tales-archives]

Sonny Carisi:  The Three Second Rule

Word Count:  1751

TW:  Fluff.

It was an undisputed fact that Sonny Carisi loved food – loved eating it, loving creating it.  He had grown up in a home where love was expressed through food; whether it was to celebrate a happy occasion or commiserate with something sad, food was always involved.  

By his own admission, Sonny Carisi was the king of the kitchen…but there was currently a war being waged.

Sonny had met you through work:  you managed an independent testing lab that NYPD used to verify results sometimes, and Barba had brought you in to testify as an expert witness during a case.  Sonny had fallen for you quickly during those few days.  Maybe it was the way your eyes lit up when you explained the science behind DNA testing, how you became animated on the stand because you loved your job and loved science even more.  Maybe it was the way you parried back all of Calhoun’s attempts to discredit you.  Maybe it was the way your hand felt in his when you parted at the courthouse, how you smiled at him and wished him luck on his case.

“You know where to find me if you ever need anything,” you had told him that day on the courthouse steps.  When he visited your lab only a week later under the flimsiest of pretenses, that was that.

Sonny had never met anyone like you.  You had set hours – a stark contrast to his own chaotic schedule – but you never gave him a hard time about all the rescheduled dates and cancelled meetups.  You slipped into his life, filled in the empty spaces until it felt like you’d always been there.  Sonny was smitten, but there was one area where you clashed.

You loved to cook too.  When he asked you to move in with him, you did – but you also rearranged his entire kitchen with the same sterility and precision that you ran your lab.  You boxed up his cookware and brought in your own, and when he complained (half-joking, half-not), you walked him through each of your pieces and why it was superior to his (the stainless steel versus the seasoned cast iron, the enameled pot, the knives that could parse a hair).  

You got that same animated expression as you’d had in court, so Sonny couldn’t really be angry.  Besides, you were an amazing cook.  It was hard to complain when he went to work in the morning with a belly full of perfectly poached eggs, homemade hollandaise, and the flakiest biscuits he’d ever eaten.

Now, though, it was the holidays.  Sonny loved to bake cookies for his friends and family, but in the final weekend before Christmas, you had laid siege to his kitchen.  You, it turned out, loved making candy for your friends and family.  There were trays of fudge firming up on the table.  The coffee table in the living room was covered in boxes of homemade peppermint marshmallows (“they melt perfectly in hot chocolate,” you had informed him).  And you stood at the kitchen counter, cutting what seemed to be the hundredth batch of caramels.

And you didn’t seem to be close to wrapping up anytime soon.

Sonny looked at his watch pointedly and sighed.  “I am running out of time here,” he said, petulant.

You looked up at him with surprise.  “Time for what?”

“Time to get my baking done,” he huffed.  “You’ve monopolized the kitchen all weekend!”

You turned back to your candy, cutting a perfect line down the middle of the pan.  “You’ll have plenty of time this evening…” you started, but he cut you off.

“This evening?!?”  Another huff, and Sonny felt his irritation start to rise.  “I have triple batches of four different recipes!  I’ll never get done!  We’re going to my parents’ house tomorrow afternoon!”  He stopped then; his voice was getting progressively higher the more panicked he got, and aside from bickering over little things, you’d never had a real fight.  Sonny didn’t want your first fight to be on Christmas Eve Eve, but he was at that point.

He should have told you that food was love in the Carisi household.  He should have told you that he had to show up with cookies.  He always gave a gift and food-gift.  What would his nieces think if he only handed them their gifts without the accompanying lemon drop cookies?  What would his mother think if she didn’t get her annual container of almond biscotti?

“There’s plenty of time,” you assured him in your cool, calm voice that Sonny secretly thought of as your ‘scientist voice.’  It didn’t soothe him like it usually did.  It only made him madder.

“There’s no time left,” he snapped.  “I’ll never get everything done in time.  You spent all weekend in here, making stuff for your friends and family, and now I won’t have time to make stuff for my family.”

At this, you sat down your knife and turned to him with a weird look on your face, but you didn’t say anything.

“What?” he asked, annoyed.  He was already doing the math in his head – figuring the prep and baking time, planning to let one recipe cool while the other baked, then icing – he might be able to make it work, if he stayed up late and woke up early….

“I thought we were giving your family candy this year,” you said.  “We talked about it.”

He thought about it and couldn’t remember any conversation like that.  “When?”

“I dunno – a few weeks ago?  We were talking in bed about plans for the holidays…”  You trailed off, and Sonny watched as a faint panic shimmered across your face.

“I kinda remember,” he said.  He remembered talking about the logistics – Christmas Eve at his parents’ place, Christmas evening at your parents’ place – but that was it.  He remembered being tired, and he distinctly remembered the feel of your fingernails as you had run your hand through his hair and soothed him to sleep.  “I think I might have fallen asleep.”

You gave him a small smile.  “You know that you keep talking when you’re falling asleep, right?”

“I do.”

A nod.  “I suggested the marshmallows for your nieces, remember?  We bought that fancy hot chocolate for them to go with it?”

He did remember that.  Sonny felt his earlier irritation fade, and it was replaced by a feeling adjacent to shame. “Ah, shit.  I’m sorry.”

Another smile, wider this time.  “Did you think I was making all this candy and wasn’t going to share with you or your family?  Most of this stuff is for your family.  And your friends.”  You gestured to the tray of caramels you’d been cutting.  “These are specifically for your sisters.  It’s infused with espresso.  You said they love coffee.”

“Seriously?”

You nodded, and you turned to pry a piece out of the tray.  “Here, try it,” you said, and you tossed it to him.  But he felt terrible about getting mad at you, and he fumbled it.  The candy hit the floor, and Sonny bent over to scoop it up.

You pried a second piece of candy for him, but when you turned to hand it to him, Sonny was already halfway through chewing the first.  It was delicious – buttery and sweet, with a hint of coffee.  But you looked at him aghast.

“Don’t eat food off the floor!”

“Three second rule,” he mumbled as he chewed.

“The three seconds rule doesn’t apply to sticky food,” you said, still scandalized.  “How can you be a germophobe and eat food off the floor?”

“Kitchen floor germs are different than precinct germs.”  He pointed at the floor.  “These are localized Carisi germs.  It’s a, uh, closed system.  Completely benign.”

You grinned at him despite your apparent disgust.  “Are you trying to use science-speak on me, detective?”  It was one of Sonny’s favorite things, using scientific terminology with you.  It always made you smile, and it usually made you laugh.

He nodded his head, but then he frowned.  “I’m sorry I got testy,” he said.  “I didn’t remember talking about holiday food gifts.”

“Apology accepted.”  You leaned against the kitchen counter and crossed your arms.  “But you should take better care to not talk when you’re sleepy, Sonny.  You never know what I might get you to agree to.”

Sonny stepped over to stand in front of you, and he put his hands on your waist.  “I’d agree to pretty much anything you suggest,” he joked.  “Like, I’d agree to kiss you right now if you said so.”

You snorted and shook your head.  “Absolutely not,” you said.  “You are full of Carisi germs, kitchen floor germs - ” Your words were cut off by your own sudden laughter, as Sonny tried to kiss you and as you turned your head to dodge him.  Finally, though, you consented to kiss him, and Sonny could taste the remnants of caramel in your mouth.  You’d obviously been taste-testing.

You broke the kiss before it could get too heated.  “You know, if we work together, we can probably make your cookies too,” you offered.  You laid your hands on his chest and gazed up at him, and Sonny felt the same flush of love that he always felt when you looked up at him like that.  “What do you say, detective?  Stuff your nieces full of sugar and then send them home to wait for Santa?”

He pretended to think about it.  “I can think of something else we can work at together,” he whispered, his voice low.  “If you’re willing to risk more Carisi germs.”

You snorted again, but you raised yourself on your toes to kiss him, lingering and full of longing.  “I’ve been acclimated to the local microbes by now,” you murmured against his mouth.  “And I can spare five minutes.”  Sonny could hear the smile in your voice, and he relished the little squeal of surprise you gave when he scooped you into his arms and carried you into his bedroom.  Well, it was your bedroom too, now.

“It’s Christmas, doll,” he growled as he tossed you onto the bed.  “You’re gonna get five minutes of foreplay alone.” He relished your laughter at that, and the way you sat up in the bed to tug him down on top of you, and by the time it was all over, many minutes had passed and Sonny thought that he might just be okay with letting you rule his kitchen after all.

#sonny carisi #sonny carisi imagine #sonny carisi x reader #sonny carisi x you #law and order svu #law and order svu fanfiction #tropes-and-tales

[takebugs]

My Unhinged Theory That Paul Is a Liar and Actually Instigated the Fateful Meeting Between John and Himself

I will open this tinhat tirade with an invitation to absolutely rip me to shreds with hard facts and discredit the ever loving shit out of this post. Please, please prove me wrong. Please let this be just the insane chain linked events that my mind has conjured all on its own. I only ask that you review the evidence (albeit based on personal anecdotes rife with their own inherent bias) and my own interpretation based on my (woefully limited) knowledge of one Paul McCartney. If you dare to get into this crazy hellhole, then please read on...

tl;dr Paul went through hot girl summer and then scammed Ivan into introducing him to the hot Teddy Boy he kept seeing around.

Alright so we’ve all heard the age old story of how Paul and John met. It was July 6th, 1957, fate intervened and all that jazz. Or in the words of Paul:

“My memory of meeting John for the first time is very clear. … I can still see John now - checked shirt, slightly curly hair, singing ‘Come Go With Me’ by the Del Vikings. He didn’t know all the words, so he was putting stuff in about penitentiaries - and doing a good job of it. I remember thinking, ‘He looks good - I wouldn’t mind being in a group with him.’ … Then, as you all know, he asked me to join the group, and so we began our trip together. We wrote our first songs together, we grew up together and we lived our lives together. And when we’d do it together, something special would happen. There’d be that little magic spark. I still remember his beery old breath when I first met him here [Woolton church fete] that day. But I soon came to love that beery old breath. And I loved John. I always was and still am a great fan of John’s  -Paul in Bill Harry’s, The Paul McCartney Encyclopedia, 2003

Another account of the meeting by Paul is as follows:

“I remember coming into the fete and seeing all the sideshows. And also hearing all this great music wafting in from this little Tannoy system. It was John and the band. I remember I was amazed and thought, ‘Oh great’, because I was obviously into the music. I remember John singing a song called ‘Come Go With Me’. He’d heard it on the radio. He didn’t really know the verses, but he knew the chorus. The rest he just made up himself. I just thought, ‘Well, he looks good, he’s singing well and he seems like a great lead singer to me.’ Of course, he had his glasses off, so he really looked suave. I remember John was good. He was really the only outstanding member, all the rest kind of slipped away.” -Paul McCartney, Record Collector, 1995

But let me posit a different take on that day.

So we know for a fact that Ivan Vaughan was the one to “officially” introduce Paul to John. He was a boyhood friend of John’s and later a schoolmate, and friend, of Paul’s. We also know Ivan was a sometimes member of the Quarrymen himself, playing tea-chest bass. So as the story goes he invited Paul along to the fete to see the Quarrymen perform, and during a break in their sets he brought Paul back to meet the group (although I have seen variations of the exact time at which the meeting occurred). 

Here are some quotes that I think shed some good insight (although likely biased and likely subject to the fault of anyone recalling past events) on the actual meeting:

“Just then the side door opened and Ivan breezed in, panting for breath as though he had just run a marathon. “Hi there, fellas. Look, I’ve brought Paul along.” The next figure to step through the doorway was Paul McCartney carrying his guitar. I think I was the only person in the group to look up as Paul walked over. John, by this time, had gathered another chair for himself and had his feet up, intent on replacing the broken string on his guitar. I knew Paul from the Institute and he recognised me. “Hiya, Paul, glad you could make it,” I said. Paul’s face relaxed a little as he saw a face he knew. “Hiya, Len.” There was no response from John; he didn’t even look up. After Ivan had introduced Paul to the other members of the group, he then approached John, who was still engrossed in tuning up the guitar string he had just put on. He looked up as if to say: “What are you bothering me for now?” It was an impatient sort of look. “John, this is Paul. Paul McCartney, you know. I told you that I would bring him along.” John took his feet off the chair and said simply, “Hi Paul,” then carried on tuning his guitar. There was no shaking of hands, and he didn’t stand up to greet him. Paul just stood there. “Hello John,” he said in his polite manner. “Do you need any help with that?” John pulled up the now vacant chair. “Yeah, okay. Sit down.” Paul sat down, took John’s guitar and handed him the guitar that he had brought along. Paul’s guitar was left-handed and so his guitar was strung the opposite way to that of a right-handed guitarist, but that didn’t matter when it came to the simple tuning of a guitar. “Hey,” exclaimed John as he inspected Paul’s guitar. “It’s strung the other way round.” “Yes, I play left-handed.” Paul then took a pitch pipe guitar tuner out of his pocket, playing the first in an open manner and at the same time blowing into his tuner. “There, that’s better. I’ll just check that the other strings are in tune.” The rest of us looked on admiringly as Paul showed his dexterity with the guitar. “Hey fellas,” said John, looking at us, “he’s good – we’ll have to have him in the group.” As I explained previously, this was our joking response to anyone that ever showed musical talent, rather than a serious or literal proposition. He was not as yet officially inviting Paul into the group. Ivan looked on happily with an expression which seemed to say: “There, you see, I told you he was good, didn’t I?” “Thanks Paul, it would have taken me ages to do that,” said John sincerely.” -Len Garry, John, Paul, and Me: Before the Beatles, 1997

“Right off, I could see John was checking this kid out,” says Pete Shotton, who was standing behind John, off to the side. “Paul came on as very attractive, very loose, very easy, very confident – wildly confident. He played the guitar well. I could see that John was very impressed.”  -Bob Spitz, The Beatles: The Biography, 2005

“Paul must have picked up on it, too. He seemed to zero right in on John, whom he recognized as the band's legitimate front man. Not wanting to lose his edge, he launched into his own rendition of "Be-Bop-A-Lula." It impressed John that Paul knew all the words; John could never remember them, preferring to make up his own as the rhyme scheme required. Paul's version of the song drove harder, was sharper, bringing the tonic fifth in on cue, which the band had simply ignored. And he sang it with all the stops pulled out, belting it with complete abandon, as if he were standing in front of his bedroom mirror, without anyone else in the room...” "It was uncanny. He could play and sing in a way that none of us could, including John," Eric Griffiths recalls. "He had such confidence, he gave a performance. It was natural. We couldn't get enough of it. It was a real eye-opener." After listening to Paul play, John recalled, "I had thought to myself, 'He's as good as me.' Now, I thought, if I take him on, what will happen? It went through my head that I'd have to keep him in line if I let him join [the band]. But he was good, so he was worth having. He also looked like Elvis. I dug him." -Bob Spitz, The Beatles: The Biography, 2005

“I also knocked around on the backstage piano and that would have been ‘A Whole Lot Of Shakin” by Jerry Lee. That’s when I remember John leaning over, contributing a deft right hand in the upper octaves and surprising me with his beery breath. It’s not that I was shocked, it’s just that I remember this particular detail.” -Paul McCartney from Philip Norma, John Lennon: The Life, 2008

So what exactly about any of this is important? Okay so here is where my theory comes into play. I present the theory that Paul went to this fete with the sole intention of meeting John and performing for him. Why, you may ask, am I making this assumption? Well let me provide you with some further information.

Paul McCartney, as interviewed by Sean Ono Lennon for Lennon at 80, revealed to Sean that he had actually known of John prior to their first official meeting.  You can listen to the full interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCe8fdBeTCs&ab_channel=GisselaPereyra

But for the sake of this deranged rant here are some quotes:

“The funny thing about your dad was that I'd seen him around a couple of times, because I realised later what it was, my bus route, he would take that bus, but he would be going to see his mum who lived kind of in my area. And then he’d take the bus back up to his Auntie Mimi's. So I'd seen him a couple of times and thought, ‘Wow, you know, he’s an interesting looking guy.’

“And then I once also saw him in a queue for fish and chips and I said, ‘Oh, that's that guy off the bus’.” “I’m talking to myself, in my mind I thought, ‘I saw that guy off the bus, oh he’s pretty cool looking. Yeah, you know, he’s a cool guy.’”

Asked if he knew John was a musician then, the Beatles star replied: “No, I knew nothing about him except that he looked pretty cool.

“He had long sideboards and greased back hair and everything…it was the Teddy Boy look, yeah.”

“My friend Ivan, who I knew at school, was a friend of John's and took me up to the village fete, introduced me there.

“So it was like, ‘Oh, that's that guy who I've been seeing.’”

“And then obviously I knew he was a musician because he was in the little band, The Quarrymen, and I got to sort of hang with them in the interval.”

-Paul McCartney, Lennon at 80

So we know that Paul knew John before the fete, not only that but he was clearly interested in John. Paul thought John looked hot cool and wanted to get to know him. And then seemingly did nothing about that for years until the fateful meeting? I think not.

So the second part to this unhinged hellscape is Chubby McCartney. Yes, my friends, Paul McCartney believes in hot girl summer.

In an interview with Russel Harty from 1984 (you can watch the interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoqWlb2lXXs&t=2221s&ab_channel=sirpaulru) Harty talks to Paul about how he was a “fatty” (yikes). Paul seems visibly uncomfortable when a picture of himself as a 14 year old appears showing a cute, chubby version of himself. They kind of move past the topic quickly, as Paul explains it was a touchy subject for him.

If you are wondering what exactly Paul looked like then here you go:

This, my dear, dear friends, would have been the Paul that encountered John prior to the fete. We do know, however, by the time Paul joined the Quarrymen he was much trimmer and taller as often happens with teenagers.

Sure there’s still the baby fat in his face, but a much more acceptable, or what I'd assume Paul thought was acceptable, look.

Based on the above information this is my theory: 

Paul was embarrassed and uncomfortable with the way he looked. He saw John, a teddy boy, around Liverpool that he really dug but was afraid to talk to him because of how he (Paul) appeared. Over the course of a year or so he managed to grow into himself more and no longer felt as self conscious about his appearance.

Paul is friends with Ivan who is a member of John’s group. There is no way Paul would be unaware of Ivan’s involvement with the Quarrymen. How would Ivan know Paul would be interested in seeing the Quarrymen unless there was some level of awareness? Sure, maybe they were friends who didn’t talk about those things, but don’t you find it way less likely that Ivan, part of a musical group, wouldn’t tell Paul, someone who clearly enjoyed music, about his involvement in a musical group? 

So yes, even if Paul did know about the Quarrymen that wouldn’t necessarily mean that he would know that John was the same person he had been seeing around Liverpool. I acknowledge that big black hole of doubt that throws a wrench into this whole depravity of thought, however the level to which Paul performed at the fete just won’t leave me alone. Not only that, but wouldn’t one assume that if Paul was friends with Ivan he would have gone to watch him perform with the group at least once? 

Either way, by all accounts of that “first” meeting Paul didn’t just play something for the heck of it -he went out of his way to show off. He played the guitar backwards, sung not one, not two, but three songs?? One of which was the same song John had just finished performing??? He fucking tuned John’s guitar with a tuner he just so happened to be carrying with him? How could anyone just pull any of that out at the drop of a hat if they weren’t trying to be impressive, or impress someone? It’s almost as if Paul had been prepared to give a show, almost like he knew he would be performing with the intent of making a strong impression. He even fucking wore a sparkly white sports coat, who the fuck does that if they aren’t trying to look their best for SOMEONE!!??

Also, in the Len Garry quote he mentions Ivan saying he had told the group he would be bringing Paul around. Doesn’t that sound like a purposeful introduction? Doesn’t that seem like a premeditated, planned out event instead of some fateful encounter???

GUYS WE ALL KNOW PAUL CAN BE A MANIPULATIVE BITCH, SOMEONE WHO IS KNOWN FOR GETTING HIS WAY BY MANUEVERING PEOPLE. IS IT REALLY SO FAR FETCHED TO MAKE THIS ASSUMPTION!?

So, to make an incredibly long theory short, I believe Paul went through a glow up, convinced Ivan to introduce him to the Quarrymen with the sole intention of showing off to the hot cool teddy boy he had seen around town, then ghosted them until he got back from camp (what about the time we met? well, I suppose that you could say that we were playing hard to get) and joined the group. 

Thank you and goodnight.

#i'm so sorry for all of this #tinhat theory time #john and paul #paul and john #mclennon #my theory #please roast me #please correct me #ridicule me #john and paul's first meeting #I just can't not believe that the og john girl paul wouldn't be capable of this kind of next level stalker shit #the beatles

[missdeepend]

The Grand Exceed- Happy

Often when we look at the main group of Team Natsu, I feel like we often discredit the two little furballs among them. You could say they contribute the least to the team with Happy and Carla both usually only being there as a set of wings and Carla's human form and foresight being a little less than useful.

But when we look at Happy as a character it is so nice to see him in all aspects. We have his silly side that he often portrays with being a comedic relief, but other times he has those epic and serious moments of being an amazing friend and standing on his own two feet? Paws?

It is a nice change for the comedic relief which most would count as useless in a story like this. A stupid silly mascot cat that can fly as his magical power. We really didn't even need a backstory as to where he came from before he hatched. Of course when Carla was brought into the show as another talking cat it raised that question, but we never needed it to be answered. Most mediocre stories most likely wouldn't have delve into that territory.

Of course leave it to Fairy Tail for our silly blue cat to have a heartbreaking past with being stripped away from his parents before meeting them and destined to kill his best friend. It is parts like this that really make Happy shine. He is young and with that comes the whole weight of the world on your shoulders for how you should grow up to be. While Carla knew what her destiny was to eventually kill Wendy, despite her unwilling to do so, Happy had no idea. He just thought he was a simple cat who was found and taken care of by his best friend and going on jobs and eating fish was going to be his life.

Thus, our Happy is then faced with a dilemma. He could either betray his best friend and do what he was always meant to do or he could save his best friend but be looked down upon in his home country after just being praised. This is when Happy's purpose changes, just a bit.

Yes, Happy is still our cute little furball who eats fish and can be sometimes annoying, but he knows where he stands. He stands for Fairy Tail and will through thick and thin. His comedic relief status is still there but when he needs to give a good talk down he will. He went against his own people and a few arcs later (Key of the Starry Heavens) he shouts at a man for his terrible morals. Not to mention the fight with Jackal and his sacrifice.

We see key points of Happy that I don't feel are represented or respected enough in the community. His willingness to stand against all odds when the world is against his small figure is a reason as to why I don't mind the fact he never gets a transformation. It just goes to show that little hearts do make an impact. We watch him go from a scared cat fighting with a stick to eventually joining head on and sacrificing himself if it means that Natsu is protected and lives to see another day.

It is something else I feel was lost in 100 Year Quest and why I dislike the events of it. It looks and sounds like Fairy Tail in many instances, but it doesn't FEEL like Fairy Tail where it matters.

So what do you guys think of Happy as a character? Do you feel he is a waste of a character or do you think that he is good the way he is now? I'm curious to know your thoughts.

As always my lovelies, I'll see you later in the Deep End!

#anime #fictional characters #manga discussion #fairy tail #fairy tail anime #fairy tail discussion #fairy tail characters #happy the exceed #fairy tail happy

[moonchild-in-blue]

I'm gonna be meta for a little bit, but huge shout out to George Lever (Sleep Token's previous producer).

Like, don't get me wrong, I love Carl Bown (he's worked with soo many of my favourite bands and killed it), and I love that Vessel himself got involved in the producing process of TMBTE. The album is amazing, everything sounds extremely clean and professional, and very, very concise.

But George Lever? That guy has a way with music that just... It's very innate. I think One was self-produced (although I'm not entirely sure), but everything else apart from TMBTE was produced by him - and you can tell.

There's this very raw and organic feeling to his work that I think it's quite rare to find nowadays. Especially the drums - I really wish he could've been the one mixing it for the last album because man, he just gets it.

When I first listened to Eden, I remember thinking "man, this drummer is insane". But then I went all the way back to One and slowly made my way to TPWBYT and ket me tell you, Jaws' drum line left me flabbergasted. I know that George and ii have been friends/working together for quite a while prior to ST, so maybe that's one reason why. But they just work so well together, everything sounds so clear and crisp, it feels almost impossible.

This is not to discredit the amazing, fenomenal work done on TMBTE - there's a reason why it's my favourite album and why it gained the traction it did - nor to downplay ii's insane skills (as if one could ever do that, he's just that good). But George's work with ST is just so, so brilliant, and I really needed to put it out there.

It's been a while since I've checked in on him, but it seems he's a bit inactive nowadays? Idk. Whatever the reason why he's no longer working with them, or why he's a bit mia (or was for a while), I wish him all the best, and I'm just so thankful for all his hard work.

#his work on tpwbyt in particular is just - fantastic #i do think it speaks volumes to the kind of artists vessel and ii are #they're obviously incredibly talented and knowledgeable and they have a very genuine approach to their work #they seem to be very careful and particular in choosing the people they work with and how their music is supposed to sound #if you haven't seen George's q&a on the subreddit i highly recommend you do. also his yt channel #i love the way he talks about his work and mindset. it's so very interesting #all of this to say that one of the reasons st is so successful comes from the amazing team behind it and all those surrounding them #it really makes a difference when you have the right people working with you. and it makes me appreciate all the background people even more #cus at the end of the day sleep token is not just 2 or 4 or 7 people - it's everyone involved #excuse my ramblings but yeah. feeling very grateful on this friday night #george lever #sleep token #darya is unhinged