#I was brutally honest but I guarantee

[stupidstrawberrystars]

The shit I would do if I knew I could go back in time and never do it just in case it backfires 

[balkanradfem]

The christian side of tumblr found a post where I made a little joke about how religion puts women into servitude and it's going around gathering bible quotes and arguing whether this is about christianity or other religions x_x I never thought this day would come.. I didn't think christians were on here. And even though the majority of people arguing are christians, I never wrote down 'christianity', I meant all abrahamic religions.

I'm itching to go argue but I know deep in my heart there is nothing to be gained. These people are eager to mock and personally attack whoever is disagreeing with them and that is not a honest intellectual discussion that I crave. I think if you're religious you just have to avoid thinking things like 'why is that so' and 'isn't that awfully convenient' and 'what if this promised thing fails to materialize' because once you start having those thoughts, the entire thing falls apart.

I remember being 15 and realizing that the christian god has no actual use of us, no point in caring about us whatsoever, and no incentive to pay attention to what we do or don't do, but humans very much have a need to believe in the higher power that works to their personal advantage, and that there's someone 'up there' who will make things alright for them, that they have a higher purpose and that if they follow certain rules it will pay out. And this was enough for me to figure out that god didn't create humans, but humans created god, because humans have a need of a god, while god has no need or use for humans at all.

It was only later when I learned about feminism that I realized it wasn't only that, but that it was specifically made to control, exploit and oppress women, praising them for endless servitude, sacrifice, submission and platitude, all while consistently telling them they're filled with sin and never good enough. It's now ghoulish and bizarre to me that the symbol of their faith is a m*n being brutally tortured, that what we feel is holy is endless suffering and pain and death. We're told to aspire for that. That has nothing to do with spirituality, nothing to do with human nature or healthy and happy human lives. It's a worship of death.

There are promises that religious people make towards women, to make them believe it's a path towards true love, or endless rewards for being 'faithful' and 'pure' or a life where they feel safe from disasters, safe from being abandoned and betrayed. There's nothing in life that can guarantee that. Religion can however, offer certain people a community, it can provide services where you come and listen to stories, and stories come with morals (convenient and confusing morals, but people love engaging with moral-type stories and feeling they've learned something), it provides rituals and celebrations that cultures have integrated in their life (after it destroyed the original rituals and celebrations, but we don't talk about that), and it can provide a common ground of understanding for people (sadly the common ground is that women exist to serve and that this is natural). Sometimes it also provides a feeling of superiority for some people, enabling them to mock, humiliate and patronize others for their 'lack of religion'.

So I understand there are community related reasons a person might feel safer within a religion and having this common ground and community, common beliefs, familiarity and stories, rituals and celebrations, it doesn't come off as a horrible thing, especially when the majority of the culture does it. But other things it brings are painful for women, and often hidden. Encouraging hidden suffering, sacrifice, servitude, centering torture and death, and admiration of torture and death, instead of celebrating nature, life, the world we live in and how we interact with it. Centering males as creators when everyone alive was created by women. Dismissing wars, rape, terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, genocides and male brutality, while endlessly shaming women for having feelings and not doing a good enough job pleasing the violent males. And generally making a hell for women when they have any thoughts about sexuality or lust.

I know me writing about it here will not have any effect on people personally attacking me for being ignorant and uneducated, but it feels good to write down the thoughts I've been having all day! Being forbidden from thinking in certain direction, forbidden from questioning my own beliefs, is something that plagued me for a big part of my life, and I will not have it anymore. I can say 'this is awfully convenient' when religions declare that m*n are leaders and women are supposed to follow and serve. I can say that putting up statues of a m*n dying in torture is fucked up and morbid. I can say that making me believe that I would go to hell, for not following every order I've been given, is a horrid thing to do to a female child. And I'm happy and grateful that I can think and say whatever I want, without any threat of damnation ever looming over me.

[bebx]

random don’ts in fanfic writing!

a disclaimer that these are just some suggestions from a fellow fic writer & you don’t have to agree with everything I list here. the intention of this isn’t to shame anyone but to only offer advices I personally take.

I hope you’ll find at least one of these useful.

don’t go “the taller man looks at her with a smile on his face” or “the blonde girl laughs, feeling his eyes on her” on characters whose names are already known by the readers. I admit that this is something I used to do for so long because I thought it was cool, until I learned it’s just unrealistic, because normally, if you know someone; say, if they’re your friend, you don’t call them “the taller man” or “the blonde girl” or “the older man”, you call them by their names. so unless your readers aren’t supposed to know the names of these characters yet, just say “Justin looks at her with a smile on his face” or “Sarah laughs, feeling his eyes on her” — it feels more natural this way.

don’t give readers your personal feelings. “the walls are closing in, and he still has trouble standing up on unsteady legs. panic’s making it hard to breathe as he realizes he’s going to die. what will poor Daniel do now?” — “poor” in this case is the author’s opinion, how they feel about their character. it’s unnecessary to add in your work because, with all due respect, it can make the whole thing sound like a children’s book where readers are not capable of knowing how they’re supposed to feel in this scene and so they need the author to tell them how to feel. unless you’re writing something specifically for kids, don’t do this. don’t insult your readers’ intelligence by constantly guiding them how they should feel about this particular character in this particular situation. your readers are not kids. they are perfectly capable of knowing how they feel. they will feel sorry for the character on their own. they will read your work and think “oh no, poor guy. how will he get out of this now?” on their own. you, as the author, don’t have to tell them to be sorry for the character.

don’t outright underestimate your own work. being humble is a good thing, but sometimes you just have to be proud. don’t directly say “this sucks” or “I don’t really like how this turned out” in the author’s note, it can actually drive readers away from your fic. it drove me away from a fic so many times. and it’s a shame, because I really believe your readers — I really believe I — would’ve loved your fic if they’d — if I had — given it a chance. but the disclaimer that outright says “this isn’t good” from the author themself is unfortunately more than enough a reason as to why readers decide not to read it altogether. so… don’t say that. you can be unsatisfied with your work, but your readers don’t have to know that. hell, they might even love it. so, yeah, be proud.

don’t replace eyes with orbs. I… admit that I frequently did this during my Wattpad phase, and it’s actively haunting my nightmares to this day. I guarantee you that you can just say eyes. “she looks right into his eyes” yes, you can say this, and it will always sound more professional in terms of writing than “she looks right into his beautiful blue orbs” which, if I’m being brutally honest, “orbs” used to describe eyes just makes it all sounds like a school essay where we purposefully use fancy words so that our teachers know we have those words memorized in our vocabulary. but yeah… it’s painfully cringe to call eyes orbs and it almost always makes me want to just stop reading your work, and I mean this with utter respect. don’t make the same mistake I made when I was an emo teenager. if you really must have to use other word that isn’t “eyes” just call them face balls or something (I’m joking, please don’t actually call them face balls). but seriously, literally anything that isn’t orbs. just… call them eyes. it’s already perfect.

don’t replace world with planet, if your work doesn’t include theme about space/sci-fi or if you’re not describing an actual planet (as in climate change towards the planet or a lost planet that’s never been found, for instance). — world and planet give readers two very different feelings. if you’re describing an antagonist, who is not a literal alien from another planet, whose plan is to corrupt or take over the world, just say world. “he knows he will watch the world burn in the end” sounds more aesthetically appealing and more professionally interesting than “he will destroy this beautiful planet” because, honestly, the latter sounds like I’m reading a fic about climate change, which yeah… unless you’re writing a fic about climate change, just avoid using the word planet in context like this and you’re good.

don’t avoid the use of Capital Letters at the beginning of a sentence and when you’re mentioning a specific name while writing a fic. you’re probably thinking I’m being the biggest hypocrite right now, because I’ve literally been deliberately using all lowercase phrases this entire post. I mean that’s because this is just a Tumblr post, not an actual AO3 fic. listen, I know writing fic is a hoppy, not a job. but if you really want to have your readers feel like they’re reading an actual novel while reading your work, I promise you the use of Capital Letters is your best friend, don’t neglect them.

*smut below the cut*

don’t replace cock with penis. I won’t go too deep here (no pun intended HELP💀) but cock sounds sexy, exciting and fun. while penis sounds like you’re describing a human anatomy during a lecture. smut is supposed to make readers feel aroused. it’s not supposed to make them feel like they’re reading a text book or are studying for an exam.

don’t replace cunt with pussy. in my very humble opinion, while talking about smut, cunt sounds explicit, raw, erotically mysterious and is overall a turn on while… I don’t know, reading the word pussy just doesn’t make me go AAAAAAHHHH the way reading the word cunt does (just my guess but maybe it’s because the word “pussy” is overused; we call everything a pussy nowadays that it just lost its meaning). also, from 99% of the smut I’ve read, it’s more professionally written if the author uses cunt instead of pussy.

***also, for the same reason why we don’t replace cock with penis in a smut fic, please don’t use the word vagina unless you’re preparing your readers for their anatomy class.

[fate-motif]

here's the character traits i think predisposes characters in the jigsaw franchise to get brainwashed by jigsaw and become a jigsaw killer themselves:

they have to believe that they did something wrong, and that they atoned for it when jigsaw tested them

they have to be already somewhat comfortable making life or death decisions for other people

we all know pee-paw's self-help seminar from hell isn't just an alleged self-help seminar, but doubles as retributive justice in case the person fails (in his eyes). so whoever is offered to join up with jigsaw has to be comfortable with both sides of the ideological operation in play. it's not enough that they were severely traumatized and have a hole in their lives that they could fill by being part of this cult, though those things really predisposes them for the brainwashing. multiple characters were targeted to join the jigsaw movement and did not feel the vibe, so i think i have it isolated to these two traits.

further thoughts under the cut

how we see this in the apprentices

this puts all three main character mainline franchise jigsaw apprentices in a very clear light, really. amanda thinks john helped her overcome her addiction and redeemed her for the things she did as an addict. lawrence acknowledges how he neglected his family and took them for granted so hard that he cut off his foot for them even though there was no guarantee they would be alive when he got out. hoffman is perhaps the one that feels he owes john the least (since he at least partially came in on the scheme purely through blackmail) but considering his intense passion for brutally punishing the guilty i think it's safe to say john testing him jolted him out of the apathetic, drunken stupor he had been living in since his sister was killed, and that he thinks that's a good thing.

(your mileage may vary as to whether logan nelson blamed himself for john's cancer going undetected, but as a coroner he seems to take his job extremely seriously. if john sparing his life caused him to take action in appreciating his life in any way, i think it's fair to say that it got him to give his everything when at work.)

and as for the life or death decision making for others, it's crystal clear at least to me why the people that joined up did. two are doctors and one is a cop. these are professions where making life or death decisions for others is required, even if you're doing everything you can to save someone's life. amanda isn't either a cop or a doctor but having been an ex-con i think it's safe to say the high risk environment may have predisposed her to feel more comfortable taking decisions that may lead to someone's death.

and it's not really a coincidence that it's cops and doctors, either. both policing and healthcare are embedded in the themes of the saw franchise. john kramer thinks jigsaw is a doctor that doubles as a cop; healing a sickness if the patient is worthy, killing them if they aren't. that's why i think a lot of traps that people like to claim 'don't work' because the players aren't being tested for a flaw or misdeed still suit the jigsaw ethos perfectly. because pee-paw may act high and mighty but what matters most to him is the retributive justice aspect of the traps. and this is the same for all his apprentices as well.

except for brad and ryan, really, but they're more than anything victims of saw 3d's rushed writing. they're only there to help lawrence stop hoffman, since a disabled oncologist might struggle to take down the armed and dangerous cop turned serial killer. even then i can sort of squint and see those two as thanking jigsaw for intervening on letting this one woman ruin their friendship and make them commit crimes when she didn't value them. the atoning aspect, weak as it is, may be complimented by the fact that jigsaw just netted himself a couple of honest-to-god psychopaths because they didn't look even a little remorseful to have to kill their girlfriend when they reached their truce. oh, well.

but what i like about my conclusions is that they really explain why the victims who were set up to be brainwashed failed

not every jigsaw game victim would make a good apprentice

yes, up front: john kramer has lost his mind when he thinks anyone would ever want to join his sick little crusade. most people do not want to kill and can't find killing in most capacities to be vile. also most people's reactions after being tortured would be to immediately try and attack their torturer. and yet the madman actually netted three people to help him out. it's such an insanely lucky number, really, proven by the fact that hoffman tries to recruit two cops and fails.

two cops. one of them had engaged in police brutality, let a colleague cover for him, and respected and defended colleagues that engaged in it. the other one may have been a little too classy to punch suspects in the face, but the way he treats jill tuck speaks to the opposite of any respect for people's dignity. both of them are fine murdering jigsaw game victims who were only attacking under the extreme circumstanced they were in! and yet they didn't even hesitate when hoffman tried to sell them on the life of being jigsaw, the ultimate policeman!

because neither of them thought they had anything to atone for.

while rigg has an entire library of things to atone for, what hoffman wants him to regret and feel bad for is letting his desire to save people affect the people around him. maybe if hoffman had any kind of emotional intelligence he could have pitched his traps to make him consider his actions on others, but instead all his arguments came down to 'look at these weak, pathetic people. they're sick, deep down, so it doesn't matter if they die when we torture them'. which rigg was never going to believe. he saw his desire to save people as innately good and unchangeable, which is correct, of course. it's just that the actions he takes are absolutely hopeless to actually save anyone in hoffman's eyes, because that desire makes him careless but in mine because policing saves no one. so of course he could never have become a jigsaw killer, because his traps did not make him think he had something to atone for.

as for strahm, hoffman didn't even bother brainwashing him, and that's why obviously he was never going to get in that coffin. the water cube trap was a straightforward execution. strahm had already seen a jigsaw trap mutilate perez for no reason other than to get them off his trail. by the time he reaches the coffin there was nothing in the world that could have convinced strahm to join hoffman.

it really speaks to how far gone and twisted hoffman is that in either of these cases, especially strahm's, hoffman thought there would be a chance either of them would even think about joining forces with him.

could any other jigsaw victims have made good apprentices?

i have a couple of ideas.

before we get to the candidates i'm going to address the apprentice adam angle, because it's a common au and everyone loves adam and wants him to be alive. also because it's a fun angle for chainshipping. this is your opening to send me chainshipping fanworks where larry tries to brainwash adam into joining him! but as it stands in canon i don't think adam would have found it in him to join the serial killers because he's not the kind of guy with a developed killer instinct. yes, he's depressed and suicidal in the original script. yes, the bathroom game makes him say out loud he wants to stop taking his family for granted. but he killed zepp in the very urgent scenario of trying to stop zepp from shooting lawrence, and i don't think he has it in him to deliberately put people in torture games where it's very likely they'll die. especially since, before jigsaw, adam had never met anyone he would actually find it in him to kill on purpose. though neither had lawrence, so i will give the adam apprentice girlies a point there.

the writers of the first movie say that zepp was having a blast when he kidnapped gordon’s family so he’s clearly he’s got the killer instinct needed for the job. the problem is that even john would be able to tell by a glance that zepp wouldn’t be able to stop himself from indiscriminately harming people as opposed to using violence for their ideological leanings. there’s a reason he was poisoned instead of merely asked to join. so while a rare find in that he might have already been primed to be a serial killer already, we all know john loves his delusion of doing violence for a higher purpose and zepp would ruin that illusion very quickly.

the only candidates i think would have been perfect otherwise would be brit and mallick from the fatal five. i've mentioned this before but they feel like they've atoned for their crimes through their game and were delusionally euphoric by the end of it. and so long as the victims chosen were on the scummier end of things, i could see both of them prompted into villainy.

you know who else got prompted into villainy? brett abbott. which is kind of insane to say considering he's a kid and i feel for him even though he did literally murder a man. it's just very hard for me to hate a kid suffering under institutional injustices even though he let that suffering out through murder. but all i'm saying is that under the right trap brett and the fatal five survivors were the more ideal candidates for apprenticeship... if only john was there.

yeah. hoffman doesn't have it in him to coax anyone into anything. he's a homemade nail bomb, not a leader. he would probably even dismiss brit and mallick right off the bat over their now missing hands, and you can't tell me he would have the patience to groom a teenager like brett. amanda and lawrence are also not exactly winning in the charm department. so really once the cult's charismatic leader kicked the bucket their way of life was doomed to eat itself from the inside out.

which is exactly what happened.

... don't ask me to think very hard about anyone in jigsaw because i've forgotten 95% of that movie

[kusakabesimp]

In Defense of Kusakabe - Ch 253 and Analysis

We respect Kusakabe Atsuya in this house.  I've seen a lot of back-and-forth on this chapter, and I need to defend my King. So, let's get into it!!  Author's note: I intended this as a short post, but now it's a 1600-word dissertation, and I'm not even sorry. >_>

The chapter opens with a flashback with the narrator asking jujutsu sorcerers who is the strongest Grade 1. I take everyone at their word here: Mei Mei has praised Kusakabe's skill on multiple occasions, Nanami is known for his strong situational awareness, and Gojo is always brutally honest. They say he's the strongest Grade 1; I believe them.

Kusakabe has a reputation for downplaying his skills. We know he's confident; we've seen him hype himself up during fights, but he's not the type to brag about it. It's worth noting that he uses the masculine and assertive pronoun "ore" when referring to himself, in contrast to Gojo's softer "boku" and Nanami's ultra-polite "watashi." He has the confidence, but he keeps it subtle.

(Also, it's unclear who Usami is, but Atsuya probably knows this sorcerer well since he doesn't use an honorific when he mentions them.)

So, why defend Kusakabe?

There's a lot we don't know about Kusakabe's abilities, and what we do see isn't fully explained.  

He blocks Kenjaku's Maximum Uzumaki using a technique from New Shadow Style; however, the technique itself isn't named, and its actual execution isn't shown. Uzumaki caused massive destruction, leaving a wide zone of wreckage and a crater on par with Hollow Purple. Kenjaku wasn't holding back, so blocking his attack would have required a huge amount of strength and cursed energy.

And speaking of Kenjaku, he goes so far as to compliment Kusakabe on his technical skill, saying, "It's nice to face someone with a little know-how." This is a rare moment of praise from someone who considers all sorcerers garbage. This alone speaks volumes.

Simple Domain and the fight with Sukuna: there is a lot to unpack here. Simple Domain has different rules and applications depending on who is casting it and who or what is affected by it. The primary purpose is to neutralize the one-hit effect of Domain Expansions, but Kusakabe isn't using it as a debuff for Malevolent Shrine. Instead, he uses it because he knows Sukuna's Cleave/Dismantle can work outside his DE as a standard Cursed Technique. Kusakabe's Simple Domain is designed to cancel or at least lessen the effects of cursed techniques, making this a perfect application in a hand-to-hand fight to minimize damage or protect an ally. Kusakabe later confirms that getting hit by Cleave or Dismantle at point-blank range is a guaranteed fatality. Yet he didn't die. Even with the protection of Simple Domain, there's something else in play beyond what we're seeing. And considering the versatility of Simple Domain, it's almost guaranteed that Kusakabe can use it in several other ways we don't know about.

Kenjutsu: I've heard people describe Kusakabe as a modern-day samurai, and that's an accurate comparison. Kusakabe is highly skilled in New Shadow Style sword techniques, the style itself based on an actual kenjutsu style known as Shinkage-ryū. So far, we've seen only one of these techniques, Battō. This is an iai sword drawing technique where the katana is coated with additional cursed energy, allowing it to be unsheathed and wielded with lightning-fast speed. I say 'additional' because Kusakabe's blade is always imbued with his energy, but this technique has an extra push. We see the beginning of another iai technique called Yūzuki (Evening Moon), but he's interrupted before he can draw. He seemed excited to use the technique, whatever it was. It's worth noting that both of these techniques parallel the Shinkage-ryū school emphasis on using low stances to protect the body while simultaneously using the legs to increase speed and power. The goal is to respond to a situation as quickly and efficiently as possible, the philosophy of 'the sword cuts only once.'  Killing or cutting with one strike takes extreme precision and skill. Given that he's a master of New Shadow Style, there are definitely other iai techniques we haven't seen yet.

We know he's incredibly fast. In Chapter 246, after Higuruma's Deadly Sentencing fails, Sukuna returns to using Cleave and Dismantle. Despite being on the opposite side of the battlefield, Kusakabe managed to shield Higuruma from the attack. He was already moving in that direction before Sukuna used his cursed technique, but it's still impressive that he outran the fastest attack in JJK while simultaneously expanding the radius of his Simple Domain to include Higuruma.  

Soul Exchange CT: In Chapter 222, Yuji and Kusakabe switch bodies/souls. The switch is confirmed both in the dojo and in an aside where Kusakabe expresses his enjoyment of being in a younger body; outside of that, we don't know anything about this technique. It never reappears in the manga, and Gege doesn't explain how it works. Like with Simple Domain, each sorcerer has their own specific rules for how the body and soul interact and how their cursed technique ties into one, the other, or both. It isn't clear if Yuji inherited this technique or learned it, but there's no doubt that he mastered it under Kusakabe's guidance. It's worth considering the possibility he may have even learned it from Kusakabe himself. Gege left this scene intentionally vague and confusing, along with the many times New Shadow Style techniques are described only as "forbidden for outsiders." There are too many unknowns to rule it out.    

Other things that work in Kusakabe's favor:

The man KNOWS sorcery. He has extensive knowledge of cursed techniques, domains, and the uses and effects of cursed energy. This was made abundantly clear in the Sukuna vs Gojo fight, where he helped explain what was going on (because, let's be honest, even we weren't sure what was happening). Kusakabe's working knowledge is invaluable, which is one of the reasons he's a great teacher. Gojo is also an exceptional teacher, but he's on another level altogether and doesn't know the more practical aspects of sorcery that Kusakabe excels in.   

He's an excellent tactician. He played a crucial role in pre-planning for the Sukuna fight, creating backup plans for the backup plans. When things went sideways after Gojo's battle, he stepped up, and the other sorcerers followed his lead. He's a valuable source of guidance on and off the battlefield, identifying an opening, hitting strategic cues, and re-directing resources to support allies. He's also demonstrated an exceptional ability to adapt plans and strategies on the fly.  

So that brings us to the last panel -- where he's staring down at The King of Curses, asking himself if he's willing to fight. A lot of people say no, he won't, and brand Kusakabe as a coward, but I don't follow that train of thought. There is no doubt that he will risk his own life for those he loves, and he has proven that time and time again.  

He frees Panda from the isolation cell, and though he claims it's a way to repay Yaga for helping his sister and nephew, it's evident from other moments in the series that he holds a deep affection for Panda that extends beyond mere obligation.

A man who refused to enter platform BF5 for fear of encountering a special-grade curse later jumps in front of a special-grade technique cast by a special-grade sorcerer to protect Miwa.  

On multiple occasions, he tells Higuruma that he will do everything in his power to protect him, even if it means giving up his own life. He doesn't hesitate to jump in when he sees Higuruma struggling to keep up with Sukuna in hand-to-hand combat, shielding him with Simple Domain. He also sends Yuji to support Higuruma when he cannot do so himself.

Everyone seems to be forgetting that Kusakabe chose to be there; he's already been fighting, and he's still there. He made it clear that only those with RCT, those who wanted to die or didn't mind dying, should be the only ones going to confront Sukuna. Some sorcerers didn't go, but Kusakabe did. When he isn't supporting others on the battlefield, he's leading the teams on the sidelines, adjusting strategies and coordinating the next round of attacks. He wants to be there; otherwise, he would have left long before things reached this point.

There is no way of knowing if Kusakabe will win; I've given up trying to figure out how Gege's mind works. But I know he will fight.  

Need further proof? Let's zoom in on that last panel.  

When drawing a katana, the sheath is positioned at an angle across the body, and the tsuba (handguard) is aligned with the center of the body. The sword is released from the sheath by pushing up on the tsuba with the non-draw hand and pulling it up and out with the draw hand. The index finger is relaxed until the sword reaches a point where it can be rotated for the cut.  

Even as Kusakabe thinks, "Is this really happening?" he's already decided to fight and is drawing his blade.

Whatever happens, we respect Kusakabe Atsuya in this house.

[sgiandubh]

I want to ship SC, trust me I do and I love them together, but I just can’t fathom how far they stretch a fake relationship (her and T). Like for example the recent picture of them holding hands- now it’s not an insane gesture but definitely one we haven’t seen before. So maybe they truly are just a private couple. But in my heart of hearts I just love her and S together so much, and don’t know what to think because on one hand they are simply everything together and on the other it seems like she really is with T. I’m confused 🥲 what’s your take?

Dear Confused Anon,

I will be brutally honest: no, I do not trust you and I do not care about your crocodile tears. Not a single bit. In fact, once I will be done with my answer to you, you are most probably going to press CTRL+C, then CTRL +V. And run to the nearest Mordor sweatshop, in the hope one of the Three Sopranos will insult me again.

You see, to trust you, I would have to speak with at least a handle, not a coward in disguise. And then, even DMs are neither always safe, nor always honest - I have recently learned it the rough way, despite my best efforts, tried (and up until now failed) to forgive and will never forget.

By now, I suppose everyone got a good look at this splendiferous picture:

Take a long, quiet, hard look at it, Shire.

So organic it could kill a moth colony on the spot.

So heartfelt - she doesn't even look at him.

So sentimental - that icy smile of hers. A happy couple, indeed.

A general round of applause, all across the Nation.

You are very wrong: it is not the first time they are holding hands, I mean, sort of. The much touted London marathon pic immediately comes to mind - although you'd have to admit, I looked and looked and he seemed to be checking her pulse, rather than being lovey-dovey.

A real private couple would never stoop as low as a cheap, laborious retcon, in retaliation for a couple of thousand people speculating on a niche blogging platform.

It took four years, a month and four days after that Remarkable Week-end to see McSideburns clumsily try and claw her hand. Remarkable, indeed.

And are you trying to tell me the MC didn't shake your beliefs and this does?

This perfunctory, formulaic, scripted AF, blip?

Wow. I have no words, Anon.

That unkempt, bland person - for God's sake, mister, tuck that damn shirt in your pants! - looking like the elephant in the china shop at a carefully curated event celebrating the supreme form of French refinement?

This is insulting, to say the least. To her (and her prized image), to Chanel, to this fandom, to S and believe it or not, to himself, too. Granted, the Berluti shoes are showing some improvement and are now clean. Hmph.

So here is what I think, Anon (and I know people are going to shriek and guess what, I do not care, for once):

It's been at least one year this fandom has been asking for this specific pic and for this specific whiplash. A childish tantrum, as she is regularly throwing. Mind you, that doesn't even come close to the painfully slow, monumentally boring Flukenzie Floozy Saga and looks as staged as the Ochoa & S London sighting (ah, patterns!).

This is the reaction to our scriptwriting ineptitude.

This is also the reaction to some underground shenanigans, directly related to a birth certificate apparently being peddled around. I will not discuss this, yet know just that: this is a legal claptrap, right there. I can, and if needed I will prove it. With the cold, surgical precision Mordor is so afraid of.

But she is a mother, for Christ's sake!

A mother!

As I said, I am not a mother and never will be. I do not wish this trial on anyone. But if I know something about life, I can guarantee you a mother would do whatever it takes to protect her child(ren).

Including taking precisely this kind of sad and forgettable pic.

So, there's that. We choose and we choose now: we fall for it once more and let the playbook fiddle with our insecurities once more and post endless trails of old pics once more to soothe the searing indignation.... Or GROW THE FUCK UP and show to whom it may concern we're not buying this shit anymore.

I know what I'll do. You're on your own, Anon: my tough love took you only this far, down the road. Sorry for the length. It was needed.

For the moment, I just booked an appointment with Miss Fotoula (roughly Claire, hehe), my genius hairdresser. I will ask her to refresh my dirty blonde mane.

[ivyembracertifiedbitch]

FHJY Finale Thoughts: Episode 20

Disclaimer: I know I've been really negative about the last two episodes but I do actually have real criticisms, and I will try my best to not be just 'I hate this' about everything. No promises though. Also, none of this is hating the IH or Bleem. I respect that they're very fucking tired when shooting this and don't have a week in between episodes to think, and so these criticisms are made with that in mind. Also feel free to debate and discuss, I just wanted to share my opinions and try to pinpoint where the narrative went wrong, or where BLeeM could've made a better DM choice, but I love hearing other people's thoughts!

The Battle

The allies: Again, they have too many advantages! There is no concern here! Also, having the allies would've been more helpful at the beginning of the fight. Now? When half of The Rat Grinders are dead? When they've already hurt Porter and Jace? We know how this goes, just break out the champagne already. I appreciate that Brennan made it a Nat 20 check though, that was for me. (I do like the callback to the calling for Sklonda and the police from the freshman year finale.)

Served up a plate of redemption arc: Let's be clear here. Fig did not try to give Ruben redemption. She helped brutally kill his friends and told him 'join us or meet the same fate.' And he stuck to his guns. I'm positive that if the Bad Kids had been remorseful at all, then Ruben would've given it some serious consideration, but like this? No dice.

Kipperlilly Copperkettle: Fucking W's this entire battle. That speech Brennan gave was undeniably false and full of contradictions though. She is the definition of what Aguefort defines as a hero, but because she's antagonistic to the Bad Kids, suddenly she's a villain or boring. Also, no practical application? She dug up a teacher's grave! She killed Buddy! She might've killed more people! Her stealth is just that good that she wasn't seen at all this year! There's no world where anyone can reasonably say she has no practical application.

Mary Ann: Yeah, again. The fact that she's willingly taking 18d10 lava damage to try and kill Fig, this is undeniably a meltdown, and if anyone makes fun of it, I'm meeting them in the parking lot outside. Also, telling her she chose the wrong team, they don't know TRG! Those are her friends! How dare they say she chose the wrong team, they didn't even choose their team! Whatever!

Jace and Porter: Let's be honest for a minute here, without them in episode 20, I don't think I would've even had the strength to finish the episode. (My take on their dynamic is Jace is over here having sex with his coworker and then Porter rage stars him. And gives him 6/7 kids to watch over. Jace isn't getting paid enough for any of this. Porter chose him because he's really fucking angry under the cheerfulness, and that would be useful as a worshipper. And sometimes they fuck. Also, they hate each other.) They're literally divorcing during this fight but they were never married. They're so fun!

Squeem and Balthazar: I think the problem with this fight is that it didn't feel serious enough. There was no worry for the Bad Kids, we knew Porter and Jace would be taken out, we had a ton of allies, the victory was guaranteed and so no one was taking it seriously. Because of that, we kinda lost the plot. In past IH seasons, they've been pretty good about keeping the tone of the finale serious, if not a little goofy, and it feels odd to just have a ton of bits in the finale and then try to go into emotional shit. None of it matters! The plot was set up in earlier episodes, but we didn't give a shit about it here! (I have no problem with them being funny, this is the chill 'nothing's serious' season, but also we've been serious before! We've had plot before! It's just kinda disappointing. Also, I don't give a shit about Squeem or Balthazar at all because they were here for maybe 1 or 2 episodes)

Dispel magics: Given the way the finale goes, I'm glad they didn't just pull out dispel magics on The Rat Grinders (the whole 'rage stars completely take over you and change your personality' bullshit is not my vibe), and I'm taking it to mean dispel magics probably didn't work after you've had the rage star for too long, but why? They were just kids too! Operating under the rage stars! They didn't even try to un-ragify any of TRG! No fucking empathy to be seen in this house.

Agent Cuspin Clark: I get that he's one of Brennan's self-inserts, he's also a cop, and only funny as a bit. I want him dead.

Ankarna: I would've liked to have seen more of a split, like, Porter is here and calling on her as the goddess of War, and Fig's here calling on her as the goddess of Justice. I would've liked some back and forth between her and the two of them. Like Porter being like 'kill them all' and Ankarna agreeing and Fig asking 'is this just?' and Ankarna being split between the two. As above, so below.

Divine Intervention: I'll be honest, just a solid fuck no. Fuck. No. I'm aromantic, so maybe this is something funny for the allo's, but I genuinely don't understand why. First off, like maybe only 5% of teenagers actually care about their virginity. They're all too busy with other things to worry about if they've had sex or not, no-one cares. Second, the idea that you HAVE to lose your v-card sometimes feels like it's bordering on the edge of sexual coercion. Sex is great, no-one should feel like they have to lose their virginity, or like any of that fucking matters. (I'm not blaming Fabian or Mazey, or any of the other Bad Kids, (I have some really good Thoughts™ on Fabian and his relationship with sex re: Sophomore Year, but that's not for this post) I think they're just parroting what they've heard and they don't realize what they're doing, but still.) And the fact that it's posed as an injustice and not, y'know anything to do with his family, or him being a maximum legend, or hell, the fact that he's going to have a half-sibling that his mother is going to be present for? Sex isn't that important. Also, I know it's funny to have an extremely powerful goddess do something funny, but I think it's an injustice (lol) to Ankarna to have her care about specifically this. Also, Ankarna's not mad about him lying to her? About him trying to kill her?

Epilogue

Riz being unfair to Fig and Kristen: I don't honestly think Riz has been unfair to Fig and Kristen throughout this season. (Yes, I'm mad he didn't do more introspection about him and Kipperlilly being foils. No, this is separate from that). Like, maybe if he had been forcing them to do it all on their own, then yeah. But he's out here helping Kristen's campaigns. He's taking stress tokens so Kristen can pass. He's helping Fig manage her workload and figure out what she wants to do with classes. And he does need them to do well so he can go to college so if he's a little overbearing, who cares? (Yeah I really think he should've had some introspection on him being similar to Kipperlilly. Because prevent change? Promoting fairness has like nothing to do with preventing change.)

Vignettes: Those were sweet honestly. Not a lot of notes there, it is a HARD pivot from silly to emotional, but it's sweet once you get over that.

Ankarna: I get that it's comedy, and it's really fucking funny to have a goddess be really fucking powerful and then turn around and make her nice or whatever, but Ankarna's not going to be a chill god! Even when she's not the goddess of war and conquest, her domain is summer, justice, conviction. None of these things are chill! These are all intense things, and justice can be very black and white. I don't know, I'm just annoyed that there's this running trend of 'if you're a god of the Bad Kids then you're nice, and if not, then you're either a dick or a turncoat or useless.' Gods are gods. They're fucking neutral, and people are either going to like them or hate them or not give a shit about them, but none of that means they're good or bad. Also, Fig's worship of Ankarna, despite how sweet it seems, really does have the feeling of 'he doesn't know what's good for you, but I do, and it's what you want to be (provided you want to be the uncorrupted version of you).' Which is very terms and conditions, I want you to be you as long as you are "good."

Hypocrisy: It's really funny that in the middle of battle, it's 'brutally kill the kids, even once we realize that a dispel magic has a chance of removing the rage stars' and outside of battle it's 'people aren't just black and white. they can be bad but they don't deserve to get sliced in half.' This is the function of DnD, to kill the bad guys mercilessly, which means playing with foils and doubt and anger doesn't work with a 2 episode combat finale.

Kalina: She wasn't evil. She simply wasn't. She's a fucking familiar, and tied to Cassandra, and can't be evil. This is full retcon behavior, and it fucking sucks. I hate it.

Mary Ann: I will scream it to the fucking roof if I have to, just because she's autistic, does not mean she was unaware. Just because she followed along with the plan at first, doesn't mean she didn't stay with the group for three years, full of rage. She's not evil either, she's 17 and fully manipulated, just like the rest of TRG. Every single IH is being weird about her. (But slay, for voting for yourself.)

Henry: He loves his nephew! Why isn't he doing anything? And if he was here the entire time, what, he's just fine that Fig eternally damned Ruben? Get yourself a personality!

Lucy: One, I think it's really funny if Lucy does in fact have a mini crush on Kristen and that's part of why Kipperlilly hates Kristen so much. Two, I am a firm believer in Lucy having also, at the very least, disliked the Bad Kids so I'm not a fan of her in the finale episode. Also, she's allowed to be glad they were killed, they killed her first, but to make no mention of Kipperlilly not coming back? Just nothing? (I adore Lucy being Kipperlilly's best friend and also crush, and Kipperlilly being Lucy's crush but Ruben being her best friend. The implications.) There was so much emphasis put on her coming back that to just have like 10 seconds of conversation with her and move on, dead wife montage for real.

The Rage Stars: Nope. Nope. Fucking nope. Nope. Forgetting everything they did? Then who gives a shit? They're all fucking innocent and nothing matters and you brutally killed 6 teenagers for no fucking reason and everything's sunshine and unicorns. Just, every teenager is so fucking angry, and the fact of being a teenager is you have to deal with the consequences. So if you full on beat up a dude, you have to go to school with them until you graduate (they'll get over it in like a month). Like, in reality, the rage stars most likely just amplify any rage they actually have, but don't completely change their personality. This season is about 'chaos isn't cute anymore,' so to have TRG do a bunch of shit but face no consequences is. The themes guys, the themes! Also, the idea that Oisin and Ivy remember more because what, they were more willing to be angry? Every single one of them was willing to be angry. And Kipperlilly's dead! Staying dead! Because she "willingly" chose it? After being manipulated by an older teacher, who we know is charming enough to deceive Fig and Gorgug, how willing do you think it was? But whatever!

Refusing to bring back KLCK: Honestly, refusing to bring back Kipperlilly highlights the problem a lot of people have with mental disorders, which is that you can be mentally ill, as long as you NEVER hurt anyone, or as long as you don't have an "evil" disorder. I've seen a lot of people headcanon Kipperlilly with more demonized disorders (I've seen BPD, Bipolar, OCD (real OCD, not the romanticized bullshit), personally I think she's repping us NPD peeps, but they're all great headcanons) and I think it really speaks to the way that some people see certain disorders as evil. You can be mentally ill, but god forbid you need attention to be normal, or have intrusive thoughts about murdering your best friend, or etc etc. Y'know what? God forbid mentally ill people do a murder.

Mary Ann "Redemption?": Just full on. If Mary Ann/Gorgug have 0 haters, assume I'm fucking dead and there's no afterlife. First off, the Bad Kids have been weird to her all season. Half of them have been terrified of her, and calling her evil, for tackling Gorgug, in a game where the MAIN GOAL is to tackle your opponents!! The other half of them have been infantilizing her and acting like she had no choice in anything and was just forced to join TRG. So the idea that she'd be just cool with that, is only acceptable if we take the idea that losing the rage star means you lose all the memories of what you did under the rage star. Also, the idea that as a female character, she's only redeemable (to Gorgug) if she's a potential romantic interest strikes me as misogynistic. Like, no! Just let her be a friend! I'd take weird sidekick friend over Gorgug's girlfriend. (None of this is on Mary Ann, she can have whoever she wants. I don't like the Bad Kids' side of it).

Worshiping Cassankarna going viral: I know the problem at the start of this season was that Cassandra didn't have enough followers, but also like the first essay Kristen writes is about how not every religion needs to have a ton of followers. Isn't it more important that people believe strongly than that you're well-known? (Also, them getting on Tracker for backing her religion with money, but making her religion go viral is like. Double standards.)

Arianwen: She lost her magic. How is she able to be a powerful wizard at work in the forest without magic? (Adaine and Aelwyn do deserve to kill her though, as a treat!)

Telemaine Lomenelda: Right, so that weirdly pointed racist remark he made to Riz, we're just going to be cool with that? Also, to leave Wolfsong in charge of Kei Lumennura and then turn around and be like, Tracker's not in charge anymore. Who's running Kei Lumennura? Nara? Because the IH seem to think she's too stupid for anything.

The child: That child is not Fabian's nemesis, it is the other way around, and he slowly falls in love and keeps pushing the date where he fights the kid back and back until it's just a family joke at that point. Fight with the wall. (I know, comedy show, this one's just a complaint. I think it's more funny if the child full on loves Fabian and he's over here like 'I will kill you when you're 18. Now, time for a nap!')

Wolfsong and Tracker: My thoughts on Wolfsong are just. Tracker wasn't doing anything wrong with Wolfsong. It's not like she went to a place and said 'your religion is wrong, worship my superior religion'. Tracker is providing a different view on Galicaea and we know not every elf believes the way she does! But she's not telling them they're wrong, she's leaving them alone! And having a little money is not the worst thing. Giving people a free place to sleep and free food is not the worst thing in the world. And calling Wolfsong a cult when the Bad Kids walked in, got a tent and hot chocolate and were able to have fun despite not being believers? (I know they're Tracker's friend, hush) Like, she cares about people and she's giving them somewhere to go. And they're not in a basement covered in mosquito bites so is it all bad? It does feel like a nice 'gotcha' moment for the IH so they can be like 'we were right for completely distrusting our close friend and her religion and her girlfriend, because that's what good friends do!'

Girlfriends and exes: Look, if Tracker and Kristen want to be messy exes who get back together again, I'm fucking all for it. I love them in an off again on again situationship. I also love Gertie and Naradriel, and it really feels like this is just to reward Kristen, and not like, an actual decision Tracker would've made. Also, calling Naradriel stupid? I am always up to bat for her! I can not stop defending her or people will think she's just a dumb kid! I think Gertie should absolutely hold a grudge, but to make her be all 'you should've never kissed me if it wasn't going to be forever' and then everyone laughing at Gertie feels iffy. Because that is how it feels in high school, and obviously that's a stupid way of feeling, but it's equally real and valid. And also it feels like another 'gotcha!' moment for Kristen to be like 'yes, I'm hurting someone's feelings, but they're being weird about it so it's fine, and I'm still a good person.'

See Episode 19 thoughts here

[romione-trope-fest]

Hufflepuff Tea (Search)Party

Fic Title: Hufflepuff Tea (Search)Party

Author Name: CowahBull

Selected Trope: OotP Missing Moment

Brief Summary: Hufflepuffs are great advice-givers. They’re the best argument mediators. Find a Hufflepuff if you need to be told the brutally honest truth. A Hufflepuff will never purposely steer you wrong. Hufflepuffs are also excellent gossip-finders. It’s a well-known fact around Hogwarts that if you ever need to know what’s going on in the school, you find a Hufflepuff. This particular group of Hufflepuffs has their eyes set on the story around a certain pair of Gryffindor Prefects.

Word Count: 2859 Rating: G Trigger Warnings: None

_____________

Attempting to be as inconspicuous as possible, Hannah and Susan exited the Room of Requirements to make their way back to the Hufflepuff Common Room. Hannah ensured that her prefect badge was securely attached as they passed a small group of third-year Slytherins in the second-floor corridor. She watched them turn onto the staircase leading to the Great Hall.

“Did you see me hit Zacharias with that Stunner?” Susan was chatting happily as they passed the portrait of the bowl of fruit, which hid the entrance to the kitchen. “He didn’t even have a chance to Shield.” Susan gave a triumphant whoop, and Hannah hushed her while giggling herself.

“Ernie got me a couple times tonight,” Hannah admitted as they approached the entrance to the Common Room. “I’m going to need to practice my Shield Charm before the next meeting. Do you want to practice with me after we finish Snape’s Potions essay?”

“I have Flitwik’s essay after I’m finished with Potions,” said Susan, giving the second barrel to the right a hard knock, revealing the entrance to the nearly empty Hufflepuff Common Room. “We’ll have work on it later in the week.”

“Damn,” Hannah said, disappointed. “Yeah, we can do that.”

They found seats around the table in the corner and prepared to begin working on Snape’s Shrinking Solutions assignment; they were joined shortly after by Justin Finch-Fletchley and Ernie Macmillan.

“Guess who I just caught snogging behind that tapestry of the unicorn hunt,” whispered Ernie, relishing in the chance to share the latest gossip.

“Peeves and Sir Cadogen?” Susan teased, trying and failing to keep her focus on the schoolwork in front of her.

“Ginny Weasley and Michael Corner.” Ernie took his seat to Susan’s left and began pulling Snape’s essay from his bag. “Third couple I’ve caught back there this month.”

“People need to find another place to snog,” Hannah said, rolling her eyes. “I found Ancrum and Hurst back there yesterday.”

“Amatures,” scoffed Justin, “everyone knows about that spot. You’re guaranteed to be caught back there. Surprised Filch hasn’t permanently posted himself there overnight.”

Susan shared a mischievous look with Ernie before returning her attention to her parchment; she still needed to add another four inches on the importance of the full moon on ingredient harvesting.

Scratching quills and the rustle of papers filled the room, interrupted only by questions asked of neighbors and the occasional curses on Snape’s name.

“So, when did Weasley and Granger start dating?” mused Ernie as he flicked through the pages of his textbook.

"Wait!” Susan exclaimed, throwing down her quill, suddenly extremely invested in Ernie’s latest news. “I didn’t know they’re actually dating. Have you been withholding information from us?”

“Haven’t you seen them in the last few DA meetings?” continued Ernie. “They never stopped flirting that entire time.”

“I don’t think they even know they’re flirting,” Hannah argued.

“They were joking around a lot between their Stunning Spells,” Justin said disinterestedly. “I don’t think that means they’re dating, though.”

“I think Neville would have mentioned it if Ron and Hermione were together,” Hannah said, not looking up as she opened her copy of The Standard Book of Spells: Volume Five. “He shares a dorm with Ron, after all.”

“Maybe he doesn’t know,” argued Ernie.

“I really don’t think that’s enough evidence to prove that they’re together,” sighed Susan, returning her attention to the book in front of her.

“We can ask Longbottom tomorrow,” suggested Justin. “We have Herbology with Gryffindor in the afternoon. Hannah partners up with him whenever possible.” He gave Hannah a playful wink that she responded to with a rude gesture, her cheeks turning pink. Susan rolled her eyes and picked up her quill and a fresh piece of parchment. She had far too much homework tonight to debate the rumored love life between the two Gryffindor Prefects.

—

Greenhouse Six housed the tropical plants, making it the hottest classroom in the school. Susan and Hannah had already shed their outer robes and had pulled their hair into high buns on top of their heads when Professor Sprout charged the class to break into groups of three to take on the task of repotting Solanum melongena. Hannah was quick to claim Neville Longbottom as her and Susan’s partner.

Tucking into a station, Susan began prepping the new pot while Neville and Hannah set off on the task of calming the plant so it would allow them to uproot it without stinging them in the process. Susan eyed Weasley and Granger across the greenhouse as they began complimenting and stroking the plant sitting in front of them on the other end of the long work bench, with Potter to the left of them prepping a transfer pot.

"Wow, you have such beautiful leaves,” cooed Neville as he stroked the plumage. “Come on, dear, let’s have a look at those roots.” He gently lifted the leaves of their plant and extracted a small handful of dirt. The melongena twitched menacingly at his touch.

“Wonderful job,” Hannah said, reaching in to take a handful of dirt for herself. “So, Neville, we’ve been meaning to ask you about something.” She began to back away as a branch jerked at her.

“Now, now there’s no reason to be like that,” Neville scolded. “Hannah is just trying to help.” He didn’t take his eyes off the flower to which he was tending while addressing the girls, “What do you need to ask me?”

Susan leaned in close to him. “So what’s going on with them?” she gestured her head towards Weasley and Granger across the greenhouse, who were chatting happily with Potter.

Neville furrowed his brow. “Dean and Seamus?” he asked, barely lifting his eyes from the plant. “I’ve been wondering about them too…”

Susan stifled a laugh. “We all have.”

“Come on,” sighed Hannah, pulling a root from the pot. “You know exactly who we’re talking about.”

“Granger and Weasley,” Susan whispered. “When did they start dating?”

“I don’t think Hermione likes him like that,” Neville said, looking at them with mischief in his eyes. “Besides, isn’t Charlie a little old for her anyway?”

“Stop taking the piss, Longbottom,” added Susan, crossing her arms and glaring at Neville.

“Sorry, Susan.” Neville shrugged and returned his attention to the Solanum melongena, dodging to avoid being hit by one of its swinging vines. “I have no intelligence for you.”

–

That evening, Ernie was patrolling the west side of the castle, being sure to check behind every alcove and tapestry he passed. When he turned the corner to the third-floor staircase, he spotted a pair of Ravenclaws. Just who he was hoping to see.

“Michael, wait up,” he called, going up the stairs toward Michael Corner and Terry Boot.

The boys stopped as soon as Ernie reached them. “What’s up?” Michael asked.

“You’re still dating Ginny Weasley, right?”

Michael’s eyebrow cocked. “What’s it matter to you?“

“What’s the deal with her brother and Hermione Granger?”

“It’s not like we spend our time together talking about her brother’s love life.”

“So,” Ernie prodded further, “Ginny hasn’t said anything about their flirting during…” he looked over his shoulder. “–Er practice?”

“I’m not there to watch everyone else’s business,” Michael snapped. “I’m there to learn,” he added in a lowered voice.

“It did seem like Granger did hold his hand for a little longer than necessary when helping him up,” interjected Terry. “That’s hardly worth a fuss.”

“You could ask Lavender or Parvati,” shrugged Michael. “Do you think Hermione would have said anything to them?”

“I doubt it,” moaned Terry, appearing to be almost as interested in the rumors as Ernie. “Hermione doesn’t exactly seem like the ‘braiding each other’s hair and chatting’ type.”

Ernie considered their suggestions. “Hannah asked them before. No luck.” He turned to Michael. “His sister-”

“Yeah, I’ll ask Ginny what she knows.” He looked over Ernie’s shoulder suddenly and hitched his bag up his shoulder as Draco Malfoy and his usual posse came around the corner. “Better get out of here before he starts making trouble,” he added in a low tone.

They turned and walked away from each other before Malfoy could reach them. “No unauthorized meetings are allowed, Macmillan,” he sneered. “Ten points from Hufflepuff.”

Ernie scowled at the Slytherin gang and continued down the stairs. Making rude hand gestures when he was out of sight.

At the entrance to the Great Hall, Ernie found Hannah and Susan skipping toward him from the direction of the library, mischief in their eyes.

“Do you have any idea why Amanda Comstock would be in an empty classroom with Dexter Woodworth after curfew?”

“No way!”

“Yes way!”

–

Justin jogged past a group of third-year Ravenclaw students waiting outside the Arithmancy classroom.

“Sally-Anne, wait up!” Just who he wanted to see. As he caught up to her, he leaned to whisper, “What’s this I’m hearing about Comstock and Woodworth?” He matched pace with her as they made their way to double transfiguration.

“What is it that you’re hearing?”

“Something about the Prefects’ bathroom…”

”No, that was Cedric and Cho last year.”

“Oh right,” Justin waved for her to go on. “A classroom?”

“Yes, a classroom.” Sally-Anne nodded. “I heard that Miss Maisy Blackmon was out on patrol when she heard rustling in Binn’s classroom.”

“NO!” Justin’s shout startled a pair of first-year Gryffindors walking past. “Old Binnsey’s room? I wouldn’t consider that the most romantic place.”

“He’s got a thing for troll riots, I guess,” Sally-Anne shrugged. “Anyway,” she continued, ”Maisy goes into the room expecting to find Peeves-”

“Were they making that much of a ruckus?”

Sally-Anne only looked at him before continuing. “She goes in and sees the two of them all tangled up against the professor’s desk.”

“Here, I thought she liked girls.”

“She likes hot people,” Sally-Anne shrugged. “Hey, what’s the news on Ron and Hermione?”

“The rumor mill is all over the place.”

“You think Granger is still seeing Victor Krum?”

“She’d be crazy not to.” Justin jumped to tap his hands against a discolored brick above his head. “He is internationally famous, after all.”

“But we have no solid evidence?”

“I’m convinced they’re dating.”

“Granger and Weasley?” He had her full attention now. Justin had to pull her robe sleeve to help her avoid walking right through a passing ghost. “You have evidence to back up that claim?”

“Ron and Hermione have been seen in each other’s company more than Potter’s for the last few weeks.”

“They were doing an awful lot of laughing during dinner yesterday,” Sally-Anne added.

“The flirting really is getting out of hand.”

“That’s couple behavior, if I’ve ever seen it,” said Sally-Anne, shaking her head and smiling. “I wonder when it happened.“

“I’ll let you know when I find out,” sighed Justin as they reached McGonagall’s classroom door. “Troll riots, you say?”

–

Professor Binns droned on in front of them as Ernie spent his time scribbling on a scrap piece of parchment.

Don’t look now. What’s Weasley doing?

Hannah stretched in her seat, stealing a peek behind her. The Gryffindors were seated at the bench a few yards away. Hermione sat scribbling furiously in her notes, giving Binns her undivided attention. Harry was asleep with his face in his hands and his glasses propped on top of his head. Ron had his eyes closed and his head resting–

Oh Merlin! How long has he been resting on her shoulder?

A WHILE!

Does she even notice?

She was looking at him with total heart-eyes earlier.

Ernie drew a stick person with giant hearts for eyes and big curls coming from her head.

Hannah nudged her elbow into Susan’s side, jolting her out of the sleepy trance into which she was slipping. At her confused look, she passed the parchment in front of her and signaled for Justin’s attention as well. They both sat and read the note intently before they both found themselves with sudden cricks in their necks that simply needed to be stretched out immediately.

Susan gasped but covered it up with a cough. Justin stole the paper and his quill.

So they are dating!! We need to figure out when

A head on her shoulder does not equal dating. I do that to Hannah all the time.

Ernie craned his head to read the note sitting between Hannah and Susan. He shot them a look that meant one thing: ‘You’ve got to be kidding me’. Taking the paper, he scrawled.

You didn’t see the heart-eyes. If they’re not dating now, they will by the end of term. I guarantee it!!

He tossed the paper back to the group with a look of pride. The bell rang, rousing everyone in class from their stupor. Ernie watched as Ron jolted up from Hermione’s arm, both blushing and refusing to look at each other.

–

Prefect patrol duties were really cutting into their study schedule. Hannah complained to Ernie about their course load as they aimlessly roamed the halls for the last hour before curfew.

“She’s a sadist,” she cried. “Who assigns a four-foot assignment on Shield Charms without including class practice time?”

“Maybe Harry will be able to go over it with us again on Monday.” Ernie pulled his magic coin from his pocket to confirm the date. “I need to get Justin back for that Stunner he sent to my face.”

“I’m going to ask Hermione if I can look at her notes for Arithmancy. Mine just don’t feel complete enough. And you know how strict Professor Vector can be about thoroughness. I don’t know how I’m going to finish those problems for her by class tomorrow.”

Hannah talked non-stop for three floors while Ernie halfheartedly looked inside every classroom they passed.

“Shh,” he said to Hannah before calling into the long, unused classroom. “It’s almost curfew; you better get back to your Common Room.”

A mop of red hair appeared from behind the teacher’s desk, pulling up a very embarrassed-looking girl.

“Weasley, please,” Ernie started. “I’m much too tired to deal with this tonight.”

“Not a problem at all,, my friend,” laughed Fred (or was it George?) as he reached into his pocket and pulled out two small packages. “How about we part ways here and pretend it never happened?”

He put the bags of Weasley Wizard Wheezes products into Ernie and Hannah’s hands before pulling an apologizing Angelina Johnson down the hall toward the Gryffindor Common Room.

“No detours!” Hannah called after them, but they were already gone.

“That has got to stop happening,” said Hannah as she pocketed her bribe. “I’m going to be able to start my own joke shop with everything hiding in my trunk.”

“We could just report them.” Ernie shrugged. “But where’s the fun in that?”

Continuing their patrol, they peered into classrooms and behind statues periodically but found nothing but cobwebs and dust.

“We should head back to the Common Room,” Hannah yawned. “Double Potions with Slytherin first thing tomorrow.”

Ernie yawned his agreement and opened the door for the second-floor corridor. Before she could get through the door behind him, he froze. At the bottom of the stairs were Ron and Hermione, on their own patrol. Hermione was laughing animatedly at the impression Ron was making of Umbridge, their fingers interlocked.

Hannah shut the door, and the two leaped an arm’s length apart, realizing they were not alone. “Good evening, Ernie. Evening Hannah,“ Hermione said nervously, her cheeks pink. Ron nodded but refused to make eye contact with either of them.

"Hello, Hermione,” Hannah said, her voice a little too polite. “Good evening, Ron.”

“Evening,” Ron said as he and Hermione began ascending the stairs.

Ernie seemed to have found his legs again and continued to descend, passing them in the middle. Hannah followed close behind, her mind buzzing but her face remaining as neutral as possible.

As both parties met on the staircase, Ron cleared his throat and spoke in a low tone. “Er Harry hasn’t sent the notice yet, but -er- it moved to Thursday after dinner.”

“Right,” Ernie said, nodding. “Thanks.” He gave a weak thumbs up before he and Hannah passed through the space the Gryffindor students had created between each other.

The moment they were around the corner and out of earshot, Hannah turned to Ernie, her eyes alight. ‘Oh my god’ they mouthed to each other before hurrying toward the ground floor.

Ernie scratched his knuckle from pounding on the barrel blocking the Hufflepuff Common Room, but he gave it no notice as he and Hannah went running up to the table where Susan and Justin sat, absorbed in their homework.

“Oh my gods, you will never guess who we just saw!”

[oraclekleo]

[18+] Pick-A-Pile: Ultimate Future Spouse Tarot Reading (PART 1)

Hello, my dear followers and random visitors of this blog of mine! Some (LOOOONG) time ago I promised a detailed and wholesome Pick-A-Pile tarot reading on your Future Spouse. This has originated in the fact I have received so many pretty repetitive Future Spouse requests that instead of doing the same type of reading 20 times, I decided to turn it into a PAC reading. Sorry to everyone who requested the future spouse reading but I’m sure you can choose one of the piles. I have made 6 piles which is a bit too long for Tumblr so this PAC reading is going to come in two parts. Make sure to treat them as if they were one reading. Remember this is still a general reading. Take what resonates with you personally, the rest was probably not meant for you. I have included physical appearance traits. And again not all of the aspects will apply to your future spouse. Dismiss the ones that don’t sound like your type. In case you need any further clarification, don’t be shy to contact me through DM or inbox or my email. If you don’t reach out to me, I will consider all your future spouse requests completed.

Disclaimer:

All of my tarot readings have purely entertainment nature

Tarot isn’t an exact science, I can never ever guarantee any of what’s said in a reading

Tarot isn’t a law or dogma to follow. You have a free will to decide no matter what the cards say.

Never make life decisions based on tarot only.

This is a general reading, take what resonates.

PART 1: PILES 1 - 2 - 3

PART 2: PILES 4 - 5 - 6

PILE 01 - POSEIDON

Cards: 19. The Child (The Oracle of Roses), House Seven (Heavenly Bodies Astrology Oracle), The Goat and Willow (Woodland Wardens Oracle), Dragon, Hawk (The Wild Unknown Animal Spirit Oracle), King of Cups, VII The Chariot, 6 of Wands, 4 of Cups (The Light Seer’s Tarot), 5 of Wands, 0 The Fool, XII The Hanged Man, 5 of Cups (Dark Wood Tarot)

Dear Pile 1, your future spouse is a person with integrity and very mature. It’s possible they are older than you but it’s not a rule here. The string of mirroring runs through the whole reading. Your future spouse is a person of great composure, they don’t lose their nerves easily and usually maintain calm in stressful situations. People are likely to look up to them and praise their wisdom and dignity.

Your future spouse knows that nothing comes for free in life, they know they will always reap what they have sown. They have the ability to see value in everything and to see beauty in everyone they meet. Your future spouse is a compassionate person but they don’t let the emotional outbreaks of others sweep them off their feet. They can navigate through the emotional waters like professional sea captains and they rarely slip into anger.

Pile 1, your future spouse has been through tough times. Some of you might relate to the fact that your future spouse is a widower / widow. They carry sadness within their heart and soul, some of them even from previous lifetimes. It has taught them to never lose hope, though. Despite all the hardships they have been through, they still have a life drive, they overcome obstacles and face challenges with courage.

When your future spouse is in a bad mood, they might have a tendency to exaggerate and suspect others. Be careful not to give them a reason to get jealous as they don’t forget easily and once they start suspecting you, you will have a hard time convincing them that nothing happened. Be honest with your spouse, even brutally honest as they have excellent intuition and will see through lies and deceive.

Your future spouse, Pile 1, is a deeply curious person and they are likely to be interested in ways of communication. If it’s not their job, they are likely to adopt a hobby that will allow them to express their thoughts in a sensitive way and reach an audience of adoring fans. They like to be admired for their achievements so don’t forget to compliment them meaningfully. Don’t try to tell them empty flatters, though. They want you to notice and appreciate what they truly did. They are likely to use their words in order to influence other people’s lives for the better. They are likely to be teachers, gurus, counsellors, and therapists. Their life purpose is to reveal other people’s greatness, help them to see the beauty within themselves, as your future spouse can see it at first sight.

Dear Pile 1, your future spouse is a mature and mentor-like person on the outside but deep in their heart, they are pure and even childishly naive sometimes. They believe all people have good in them. They might sometimes be tricked by malicious people but they never lose hope.

When it comes to your future spouse’s love life, they are probably not that experienced. They might only have one or two lovers before meeting you as their relationships tend to be serious and long term. They are more traditional when it comes to dating, they probably believe in old-fashioned courtship. Your future spouse is a gentleman (even if they are female or nonbinary). They are likely to treat you with kindness and utmost respect. While they are old-fashioned, they are not likely to stand for the traditional role stereotypes. You don’t have to worry they would leave cooking and dishes to you while they would sit on a couch motionless. They will treat you well but also put as much effort into your relationship as you do and they will respect your opinions and let you use your unique voice freely.

I mentioned your future spouse is not likely to have many partners before you. That doesn’t mean they are inexperienced when it comes to marital pleasures. Once again, they are more likely to prefer traditional ways, they are not much into extremes or experimenting and the missionary is likely to be their favourite position. Your future spouse might prefer to control the show in the bedroom, not exactly from the position of the dom but as I mentioned, they are gentlemen and they want to treat you and make you feel relaxed. In their eyes, you are the most beautiful creature in the world and they want to worship you as the goddess you are for them. If you have picked this pile, it’s unlikely you’re the type to take charge in bed and you will like your spouse’s proactive approach.

You and your spouse are likely to have a very balanced relationship. You might be very similar in nature, probably started as good friends and just step by step fell in love with each other. For other people you might even look like you mirror each other, you probably subconsciously reach hands to each other at the same moment, you finish each other’s sentences. You are one soul dwelling in two bodies.

Physical Appearance

(Take only the ones that resonates, this is a general reading, if there are features you are not particularly interested in, they weren’t meant for you)

✩.･*:｡≻───── ⋆♡⋆ ─────.•*:｡✩

PILE 02 - VULCAN

Cards: Seahorse (Wild Mystic Oracle), Freedom (Sacred Destiny Oracle), Eagle, Key, Bag (Tea Leaf Fortune Cards), 8. Commitment (Urban Crow Oracle), 13. Child (Gilded Reverie Lenormand), 37. Descendant (Starcodes Astro Oracle), 4 of Pentacles, 3 of Swords, 9 of Wands (Crow Tarot), 10 of Cups, Knight of Wands, X The Wheel of Fortune (Edgar Allan Poe Tarot)

Dear Pile 2, your future spouse is truly a family person, a daddy, a mommy, the one born to build a family and what’s even more important, they actually truly wish to have a spouse and start a family with them. Your future spouse is reliable both personally and financially, they are likely to be hard workers but also smart workers with a vision. They might start working hard from 9 to 5 but they have ambitions, they are quick to learn and it’s very likely for them to climb the corporate ladder fast or to start a business of their own to make sure their family is well secured.

Dear Pile 2, your future spouse is probably someone who has a big family already or if it’s not a family by blood, they are very close with their friends. If they don’t already have children from a previous marriage when you meet them, they are probably the fun uncle for their nephews, nieces and their friends’ children. They have a fantastic relationship with children in general.

I have mentioned previous marriages and it’s actually pretty possible, your future spouse is a person who went through divorce. The 3 of Swords speak of heartbreak, while the 9 of Wands suggest perseverance. Your future spouse is likely a person who doesn’t really hold grudges. Their divorce might have meant an end to a chapter of their life but it’s possible they maintain a decent and polite relationship with their ex spouse simply to make the whole thing easier for their children. Dear Pile 2, if you have picked these cards, you are probably a person, who will accept and welcome your future spouse’s children from their previous marriages. If this is not your case, pick a different pile.

Dear Pile 2, your future spouse is not a fan of extreme sports or any other kind of hazardous hobby. They are more on the timid side. They might enjoy doing DIY’s, gardening, casual cycling, nature (especially bird watching, I’m getting that strongly). I can sense a certain neatness in your future spouse so it’s very likely they will be willing to help with house chores, maybe even be better in them than you are. They might be good cooks as well. They are truly more of homely types to enjoy the peace and comfort with you and your family.

All these might make you think they are a bit boring when it comes to romance and sex but that’s not the case here. Dear Pile 2, your future spouse is actually a very passionate lover and while they might not be into super kinky practices, they do have a certain curiosity in them and will be willing to explore some of the more pleasurable positions or techniques you might suggest to them. I mentioned they have a thing for nature and it’s possible your future spouse is keen to get down to business outdoors. Camping with them is likely to be fun. Your future spouse has a certain playfulness in them, they might not always let others know always but they do like to tease you. They are no beast but more like a playful kitten. I also see gentleness in them and an open mind. They have no problem being submissive now and then. If you prefer them in a dominant position, they are the soft and caring type of dom.

Dear Pile 2, your future spouse and you seem to have a truly good chemistry. You can see the seahorses how they are in love. Seahorse male is also the one being pregnant which suggests your future spouse is capable of understanding you and stepping into your shoes when you ask them. If you are the housewife but suddenly have to travel away, you don’t have to worry because your spouse is perfectly capable of managing your responsibilities. They are not the type to say they were babysitting. It’s not babysitting when it’s your child, right? Your future spouse knows your children’s schedules and needs and they are capable of taking care of anything. It gives you a fantastic feeling of security with them. The cards are mostly positive and it’s pretty possible you would rarely ever argue.

As I mentioned before, your future spouse is a family person and it’s very likely they will seek a job with good work-life balance. It’s very important for them to feel purpose at work, to be needed and on the other hand, to be adequately rewarded for their hard work. They might try several jobs but if they can’t find a good balance as an employee, they are likely to set their own business up.

In general, your future spouse is likely to always pursue the happiness of their family and they are willing to do anything for it. They are loving, caring and responsible.

Physical Appearance

(Take only the ones that resonates, this is a general reading, if there are features you are not particularly interested in, they weren’t meant for you)

✩.･*:｡≻───── ⋆♡⋆ ─────.•*:｡✩

PILE 03 - HERMES

Cards: Clover (The Seed & Sickle Oracle), XX The Caiman and Poppy (Woodland Wardens Oracle), LXVII Sublimation (The Wild Unknown Alchemy Oracle), 48. Risks (Oracle of Visions), Growth (Prism Oracle), Pioneer (Archetype Cards), 8 of Cups, 5 of Pentacles, 0 The Fool (Tarot in Wonderland), VIII Strength, 5 of Wands, IX The Hermit (Tarot of the Divine)

Dear Pile 3, your future spouse is a dreamer and idealist. They are always on some sort of a quest - to learn something new, to master a new skill, to help someone, to fight the big evil corporate company, to save the world, you name it. They can’t just sit back, relax and ignore when there’s something wrong or evil going on. They are the hero type of a person. On the other hand, they don’t really have a master plan on how to win the fight and how to achieve their goals. They have passion, curiosity and good will, they go into endeavours head on, they jump into the unknown without thinking about consequences. And that might be challenging for the people around them, specifically you, my dear pile 3. While their intentions are all good, your future spouse might walk around with their head in the clouds, always occupied with some noble mission of theirs, forgetting about all the everyday life details.

Dear Pile 3, your future spouse is likely a person with high values and always trying to become the best version of themselves. Sometimes they rise so above ordinary life, they might lose contact with reality, though. They might become detached from you, family, friends, your community. On the other hand, when like Icarus they fly too close to the sun and fall back down, they will seek help. The only trouble is that people might not be so willing to help someone who left them behind before. You might need to keep your future spouse’s feet on the ground so they don’t cut ties with reality. Their vision and intentions might be excellent ones, they only need the reality check.

As mentioned, your future spouse is a person with goals to achieve and it’s very likely most of their hobbies and interests are ones that will help them on their way. They might not really have a hobby purely for fun, all their leisure activities are actually small steps towards their big goals. They have a very curious mind and it’s likely for them to remain a student for life, constantly reading and learning. That’s something they find pleasure in.

Speaking of pleasures, your future spouse, pile 3, is a person of contradictions. While they seem rather soft, gentle and compassionate when it comes to their noble quests, they truly turn into the beast in sheets. The caiman looks as if in trans most of the time but it becomes fast and furious once it’s after a prey. Your future spouse is similar in that matter. They might seem so deep in thoughts, so well composed while sitting by their desk and the next minute they wipe all things down the desk and have you seated there, ripping the clothes off. I also get a sense of them being well equipped in case your future spouse is a male. They probably aren’t overly romantic in a traditional way. They might be too occupied with all the suffering in the world to remember your wedding anniversary. On the other hand, if you manage to remind them in time, they will come with gifts to you, they probably prefer giving jewellery or perfumes.

I can see a lot of pushing and pulling in your cards so it’s possible your marriage isn’t exactly one made in heaven. You probably will fight and argue. Your future spouse might struggle to compromise, they probably believe they are always right. That’s something that might cause tension. They want to win any argument and they might not always think about possible consequences. Your future spouse is a tricky person to deal with but on the other hand I can see that a more gentle and even cunning approach might be successful for you. If you manage to make your future spouse think that your ideas are theirs, you will live a happy life.

Dear Pile 3, your future spouse might struggle with their career. I mentioned it multiple times, they are idealistic and whenever they feel their employer is being unfair or immoral or whatever issues your future spouse might have with them, they will fight the management or just straight up leave. It might lead to financial struggles as once again your future spouse can’t compromise their values, they can’t overlook any wrongdoings. It might take them a while to find a way to make the world a better place and still be able to pay the bills.

In general, your future spouse is simply too good for this world and you are the one balancing the scales and making sure the mundane issues will get as much attention as the global problems.

Physical Appearance

(Take only the ones that resonates, this is a general reading, if there are features you are not particularly interested in, they weren’t meant for you)

✩.･*:｡≻───── ⋆♡⋆ ─────.•*:｡✩

See the rest of the piles in PART 2 of this reading.

Please, remember that this tarot reading is purely for fun. Thank you.

Let me know what pile you picked 😊

Consider supporting me on KO-FI

[questintheskies]

1. CM Punk says people in AEW felt “betrayed” when he visited WWE Raw backstage in May 2023.

2. CM Punk confirms that no one came to pick him up at the airport for AEW All In, didn’t cry about it, calls it irresponsible.

3. CM Punk says he told Tony Khan that “this place [AEW] is a fucking joke, you're a clown”. Then he quit AEW.

4. “I don't like the drama but the truth is the truth. He's not a boss, he's a nice guy. That's a detriment to the company [AEW] but it's not my company." — CM Punk when asked about Tony Khan

5. CM Punk talking about AEW: Says it’s not a real or sustainable business, not about selling tickets, not about drawing money. Having good matches maybe which there’s nothing wrong with. Will always exist as long as Tony Khan keeps pumping money into it.

6. “If you're more than happy with some goof saying you had a 5 star match & the building is a quarter full…then we're not in the same business." — CM Punk

7. CM Punk was a consultant to Tony Khan in AEW, working with 2 contracts. One was a talent contract, the other was the consultant contract.

8. CM Punk believed AEW was an alternative to what WWE was. But 90% of the problems he had or identified about AEW were the very things that made AEW different…

He's happy that AEW exists because it allows wrestlers to make more money, but then also says "guaranteed money kind of ruined pro wrestling. If you had to get paid off the house, things would be a lot different"

9. CM Punk on the infamous Hangman Page promo before DoN.

Says Hangman went off the script, and that he wanted to double leg him and “murder” him on live TV if it wasn't for his professionalism. Says he went to TK and the lawyers to get the situation fixed.

10. CM Punk says nobody in AEW talked to him for 6 months after Brawl Out, he had to sort his tricep surgery by himself. He says the difference between getting injured in both companies is “night and day”

11. “I don’t regret my time there (AEW). Im just brutally honest about some things — And it’s done.

I hope they’re happy, I known I am. I would like to leave it at that. I understand fans and the tribalism, I’m a Blackhawks, I’m a Chicago Cubs fan, so I will always troll and needle White Sox fans, or Blues fans, or Predator’s you know?

But some of the shit was so outlandish, talking about my Dog and all this awful stuff”

12. CM Punk says before joining AEW, he was close to re-joining WWE, even before being on WWE Backstage.

He said they had a handshake deal in place but then it didn’t happen. He says Nick Khan lead the charge even before Khan joined WWE as he was with CAA.

13. CM Punk says stories of him being violent backstage are overblown and not true. (Earlier he admitted to choking a co-worker backstage and wanting to murder Hangman Adam Page for going off script)

14. CM Punk didn't have a non-compete clause after being fired from AEW.

15. Samoa Joe told him to stop acting up at All In Wembley, so he did. Then he turned to Khan and told him, “This place is fucking joke, man. You’re a clown. I quit.” Joe and Jerry Lynn came to his room and got him to do the PPV opening match. He said he was “too fired up” then and now rehashing it, and will probably regret talking about it, but “that’s what happened.”

16. He says he wrestled the match for Joe, referee Paul Turner, Lynn who was the agent on the match, and the fans. But he knew it was his last time wrestling Joe, and in the company.

17. He hasn’t spoken to Khan since backstage at Wembley when he quit. He didn’t do anything to make him fear for his life, as Khan said when announcing Punk’s firing on Dynamite, but Punk sayd “he is who he is.” He believes there was a “concerted effort to try to slander [him] and try to ruin [his] character.”

18. Spreading “rumors and lies and bullshit” was the genesis of all his issues at AEW. He thinks it might have been jealousy or envy, but doesn’t understand why anyone would try to dim the star of the company’s top guy.

19. Punk says his remarks at the post-All In scrum weren’t planned, but when he saw “reporters” there who are friends with other wrestlers and who wrote things about him without checking with him, it set him off. He does say it’s in his “top three CM Punk promos”, though.

20. There was nothing it the scrum that Khan hadn’t heard before. Punk doesn’t think he can talk about what happened afterwards. Confirms he is referring to Brawl Out, but says he “didn’t have to sign an NDA for anything I did wrong.” He has nothing he wanted to hide, but Khan wanted him to sign an NDA — he doesn’t know why.

21. As to why he did agree to come back, “I have a lot of friends there”, and Khan wasn’t going to let him go. Rather than sit at home, he thought he’d try to “get some guys together and have some fun shows.”

22. Asked if there’s anything he’s proud of from his time in AEW, he says he made a lot of friends and got to a lot of “cool shit” — specifically mentioning getting to work with Sting. “I think the positives outweigh the negatives”.

23. He talks about attending an indie show recently and telling someone that what happens there works at that level, as evidenced by it selling out an arcade bar, “but that shit doesn’t fly on national television — I think that’s being proven right now.”

24. He’s proud of the work he did with MJF, and thinks MJF’s future is bright as he’s immensely talented. He wasn’t great when he catered to the “niche internet audience”.

25. Punk doesn’t think he’ll ever bury the hatchet with Colt Cabana. He says Cabana approached him at some point before the All Out ‘22 incident, but he told him he wouldn’t speak to him without a lawyer present.

[solar-serpent]

（＋１８） １０ ｔｈｉｎｇｓ ａｂｏｕｔ ｙｏｕｒ ｓｏｕｌｍａｔｅ ｐｔ． ２

Since someone already asked for it, I bring you guys a new list of 10 messages that would help you identify the energy of your future partner or spouse. Just think of your intention before picking one pile (or two? We are never too greedy in matters of the heart) from below.

I warn you: this reading is like a Pandora Box 😈. Once opened, you can expect anything to come out! Such as your SO's personality, physical description, career, preferences at sexy time (guaranteed) or a direct message for you.

English is not my mother language, so please bear with me.

Pile I → Pile II

Pile III → Pile IV

✨Pile I✨

To honor the masculine energy from this pile I'm going to use he/him to address the person being described here, ok? He is an inventor. He might be an engineer or scientist. His mind goes so fast! I was bombarded with images as soon as I pulled one card and I felt he experienced the same with his innovating ideas. He got a great imagination and intuition, and tends to hold his chin frowning when he's pondering over an idea. Plenty of "Eruka!" moments. Jimmy Neutron’s vibes. For some of you, this could be your future spouse.

Not going to lie. This person could be Asperger or be within the autistic spectrum. He’s highly functional, but his social skills and the way he deals with intimacy is not what you might expect or had encountered before. This is a brutally honest man. He means no harm, I would even say he remains innocent and incorruptible, but he lacks tack. Plus, he enjoys being alone a little bit too much and can lose all sense of time easily.

He is a star in his job field. He's known for his polemic ideas and inventios. Has earned many prices and recognition from their professors and well-known people. He's like a celebrity. This person seeks glory and surpasses himself all time. He's goal oriented, ambitious, and hard-working.

He looks like a golden retriever. I swear I'm not making this up, lol. Light curly hair, brown eyes under thick glass, rounded face (which makes him look younger), and a dimple or scar on his chin. He likes wearing flannel shirts, the green one he owes is his favorite. They're a walking cliché. He looks like a nerd and is a very cute one.

His personality is as complex as his feelings. He’s easily misunderstood, people think he’s too caught up with his own ideas, heavily criticized for his hyper focus. He has experienced rejection his whole life, leading him to be a hermit by choice and focus on his interests alone. A random fact: he has a comfort item. I think it could be an action figure from their childhood. He could a be collector as well.

Despite of all the above mentioned, they're kind and funny. Sometimes a bit childish, too. He's genuinely a good person, yet a bit obnoxious and detached. Gets excited quickly and he is bright like the sun! Got a big wide smile. If he chose you like his friend, you would belong to his inner circle forever.

He’s patient and methodical. He operates the same way in love. You will feel under no pressure by his side and like you're dating a celebrity, but he's too focused on his work/interests and will make you wait for days/weeks to go meeting you. He might give you the impression he is not interested in you at all, but big news! He has acted the same way towards past lovers and he hasn’t learned anything from then. It's only his fault his dating life is dead.

You might feel insecure by his side because of his continuous absent or how slowly your relationship seems to evolve. He is sort of well-off, the smartest person you've ever met, and good looking... "I bet the ladies are throwing themselves at him when I am not around", could be one recurrent thought of yours. He can seem unpredictable to you, too. But let me tell you two secrets: I swear this person is not fully asexual/aromantic by a biological miracle, so some worries of yours would be unfounded. Secondly, they might not be overly affectionate, but they would be both fascinated and touched by your warm and care. This relationship has a karmatic quality to it. You two could’ve ignored people and hurt them in the past, were self-absorbed and lost in vanity, one of you or both had to deal with a narcissistic parent. You would be projecting on each other.

You're an insecure person and this relationship will hit your Achilles's heel in order to heal your wounds and expand your conscious. You're probably used to fast paced situationships which would be the opposite from this one. But you're not the only one here to be challenged, dear. Your person got to learn to listen and understand his lover and see you're more than a pretty face and a baby maker... He is old fashioned in the sense he thinks he should tight the knot and reproduce with the person he dates for the longest.

In sex they could be into role-playing. He would pretend to purchase the services of the most alluring and dangerous female fatale in town, or you would have to pretend you're guilty of charges and your lover would handcuff you before passing down the sensual punishment on you. He also likes sex in the water but making it comfortable with candle lights around, soft music playing on the background and he might even insist on washing you. He would pour liquid soap on your tits then proceed to rub and massage them tenderly, delighting himself at the erotic image and your loud moans. You can expect to spend a Saturday night within a jacuzzi or a private hot spring with your sweetheart. He's fascinated with the idea of having sex in the rawest and more natural way… yes, with the idea of creating life.

I'm glad you've made it so far! I hope this reading was to your liking and I would love to read your thoughts if want to share them on the replies.

I can give you a "10 messages of your soul mate" reading for a reasonable price, so feel free to contact me for more info.

I do accept tips or donations through this link.

✨Pile II✨

I’m getting prominent masculine energy from this pile, so I will address this person as a man for a matter of convenience. He’s facing the same hardships from a colleague student or a rookie at his work field. He hates capitalism and his current job. He might feel misunderstood or pressured by his parents and/or society, but he’s too proud to open up about his worries or problems with his friends. You already know this young man or you’re about to. You will know it’s him by how thin he looks, the dark shadows under his eyes and his five o’clock beard.

He would like hanging out with you. It distracts him from his drawbacks, plus he feels you’re sticking out for him in a different way. You don’t ask him difficult questions, you focus on having a good time and his comfort. You would be worry of his health, and he finds enticing you would always suggest meeting at a place where you can have a meal and chat in a relax environment.

I hope you haven’t been disappointed by the first hint I dropped at his appearance. He’s slender, yes, but possesses muscles in all the right places and wide shoulders. White complexion and defined cheek bones, people joke about him almost being casted as a vampire in the Crepuscule movies or something along those lines. He’s tall and has a fine bone structure, this man possesses such a sex appeal and his masculinity is fully displayed. There’s a queue of females hoping to get his attention.

There would be a high sexual tension between the two. He knows he should be focusing on reaching his goals first and settling down later, but he can never ignore your calls and would try to leave some time in his schedule to go meeting you. He won’t be able to shake you off from his thoughts, but not everything in the garden is rosy, dear. He tends to castrate himself from pleasure in favor of status and success. He relies on security a lot and he’s also the type to believe he can’t commit to a partnership if he doesn’t have the resources to provide for his lover. He might find himself at odds about what to do with your connection.

This man is emotionally complex. He’s a serious and logical person, but he acts fatherly at times and is empathetic with the people he cares about. Lowkey, he seeks for compression and to have emotional connection with the other. He would like to be friendlier and vulnerable, but I think he missed the chance to nurture that tender side of his as he once was a child required to grow up quickly. He would instinctively hide these truths from you because he’s ashamed.

He hates to be treated like a child or nuisance, yet he’s infatuated with you and your motherly affection and thoughtfulness (mother issues detected). He’s quick to feel guilt and you might notice when he’s feeling remorseful around you. He’s a terrible liar. I sense he directs his anger towards himself alone, he doesn’t have issues with facing off, it just… it’s useless to him. He might be half diplomatic, half profit-seeking, so he might not upset anyone that could be useful to him. This stubborn and proud man would give the cold shoulder instead.

He is into outdoor activities, he feels called to be close to nature, thus you could go hiking together or taking a stroll in a park. He’s definitely a dog person, he might owe a dog and you might end up in a date in a dog park or having a picnic day and he took his dog along. He is a magnet to animals, so don’t get surprised when all the strays come running to be petted by him. At this point it’s painfully obvious he’s an Earth sign. If you google “Capricorn” and search for images, the first to pop up would show you a picture of his face.

He’s a mother’s dream son-in-law, lol. He seems to be popular around elders, mothers and daughters. He’s well educated, polite, accommodating, and money orientated. People will trust him quickly and believe he got a great future ahead. But he can’t help to feel he’s being watched all time. The expectations of others on him pressure him to surpass and innovate himself over and over. He got to deal with a lot of stress in his daily life because of this. Thanks to his unique circumstances, he was able to fully cultivate his cognitive intelligence and become a great advisor. He could be a law or psychology student.

Not going to lie to you. Your connection might feel highly therapeutic to each other, but specially to him. We got he has issues with being vulnerable, yet he would find himself opening up to you slowly. There would be times when he would just spill the beans and feel embarrassed later. Whenever he’s feeling frustrated or like venting, his speech would turn sharp and slightly violent. It would feel like you’re watching a play, you could find it dramatic and incredible how deeply this man’s feelings can run. You will pity him, but can empathize with him, too. Both will share a sense of mutual protection and trust. A traumatic confession might turn into a night of passionate sex.  

It’s an all-or-nothing-in-bed type of person. He’s into practices that seek “trust” and “vulnerability” and that might inspire fear to the inexperience. I’m not talking about dark or forbidden sex per se, but he’s diffidently into bondage, blindfolding, gagging, sex toys, and dom-sub dynamics. You can expect him to pin down your wrists above your head while he’s thrusting into you, and giving you deep kisses that would leave you without oxygen if they last a bit longer. He’s an intense lover, and once he had left all inhibitions behind, he would go wild below the sheets. You wouldn’t have to worry about being mistreated, since he would be sticking out for you inside and outside the bedroom.

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✨Pile III✨

I’m getting a lot of feminine energy from this pile. This could be a woman but if you’re into men, this one is not afraid to express his divine feminine energy. He’s tender hearted, thoughtful and serene. He’s a natural teacher, people are attracted to him because they’re sure they could learn something from him, even if they don’t know what exactly. He might give off the image he’s a religious man or highly spiritual. He’s a luminous being, children and animals are attracted to him. His chart is a curious mix of Taurus, Aquarius and probably Gemini.

He might not be very talkative, though. He rather listens, watches and then act. He’s sort of a prodigy, he’s fairly young but he was gifted with wisdom and fortune in regard of opportunities and/or wealthiness. He’s like a hermit, he would warm up to others, but wouldn’t allow them to get too close. He might feel used by people and then discarded at times or it’s a primal fear of his, but I’m getting it’s him who does not know how to set healthy boundaries.

I’m going to be frank with you. You will have to chase after him and gain his trust. This is a challenge and although you might feel discouraged at times by the seemly lack of progress, you would recharge your motivation each time you are recalled of his potential and the loving person he actually is (while it’s charming you believe in him, beware of making up too many excuses for him). I know it might not be enough or worth the effort for some people, your friends might even try to dissuade you from wooing this person, but he could’ve reminded you of your past self and that’s why you wouldn’t give up easily on him. This pile is for the go-getters that were timid once and the people who has not confessed their love for anyone ever. This man would inspire you to try new things and get in contact with the side of you that still believes in romance.

This is not a heartless or invincible person. He won’t ignore you if you approach him to talk or to seek advice, he’s always eager to provide guidance and to have intellectual exchanges. He responds to kindness and humbleness very well, so you will be able to melt the ice wall between you eventually. This could be the best student of your class or your boss’s son, for some reason or another you two can't avoid to interact since you belong to the same community. You might bond over light themes like a favorite tv show, music, food or pet peeves… He will be very invested in the conversations you have and might find your perspective on things really innovated or the way you speak is witty and full of emotions.

Oh my, Cupid's arrow will hit this man and he might not realize it right away. He could start overthinking of your conversations and the way he would like to pick up where you left next time he meets you. He wouldn’t be fully aware of how often he’s reminded of you. You might catch him staring at you from afar or approaching you to ask you for small and almost absurd favors. You might find yourself thinking, “it’s really simple. Why is he asking me to do that?” His odd behavior will confuse you since he’s unable to tell what’s wrong or what he wants from you. You would frustrate him equally while making him experiment new emotions. I’m getting this person is not known for dating or engaging in love affairs, but you would shake his resolve.

He doesn’t fool around. He’s worry of hurting people so that’s partly the reason why he doesn’t go for flings either. He’s sensible yet ignorant of the emotional world and stuff like romance or dating. He might not see it as a necessity, plus he´s under too much academic or professional pressure to care for those things. But he´s tempted, you know? This connection would take off when the Universe is inviting you both to do some inner work and integrate major changes. He’s only slow-witted when it comes to relationships, so it might take him some time to digest and start acting on his feelings consciously. You will wake him up and make him realize of his longings and the neglected parts of himself.

I don’t know how old some of you are, since I’m getting messages for seemly young people and some of you might be older but new to love experiences. This connection will bring you a lot of “firsts”, like your first date, love confession or sex encounter. You will explore together the stars and while that could be an allusion for pleasure, there’s something about nighttime, secrecy and making wishes that would be important to you. I’m getting you will go star sighting or on a date in a planetary museum. None might feel comfortable sharing with the rest you’re seeing each other or you would wait until you’re officially together to release the news. You would be very intimate with each other and exchange your deepest secrets.

I think he’s an old soul. This hasn’t stopped him from learning and trying new stuff, though. He speaks multiple languages, do well with math and could be interest in one specific culture (he might be a descendant of immigrants then it’s his culture). He’s very artsy and might excel at activities like sewing, cooking and cleaning. He’s into painting, doodling and making jewelry. He’s an overall clean person, like mentally and physically. He could be an architect, teacher or nurse at present or later on.    

This connection could suffer some delays. He might need to go overseers for work/studies or you might need to focus on working on your thesis (in case you don’t belong to the same class). This is a general reading so the scenarios will be different for everyone, what I can tell you right now it’s you would be texting each other a lot until you can finally meet again. I can tell you might lose easily to each other and forget about the real world and responsibilities. It might even happen so often that you would be facing hard consequences later and “those delays” are actually you two dealing with jobs behind or unattended life areas. Be careful guys, you might fall hard for this person and would be required to mature sooner if you want this relationship to last.

He is a massive freak in the sheets. His fantasies would leave you speechless. He’s into handcuff, blindfolding, belts and oral sex. He’s such a dom! He wants to immobilize you and make you beg for his cock. He will get you to scream out of pleasure. He can come off like too intense and he will thrust slowly and in depth you. He might not mutter a word during the act, only grunts and heavy breathing. His approach to sex is very intuitive and raw. He might enjoy to be watched by a third party or sex in the open is a go for him. He likes to fuck, he’s not cute in the sheets and he might have to hold himself a little so he’s not too rough on you. While he’s not very emotional involved during the act, he’s all into aftercare and cuddling and would seek your praise.

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✨Pile IV✨

Another pile with prominent masculine energy, thus I will use he/him to address this person. He’s known for being a lucky person and quick-witted. He got expressive and bright eyes, they could be green or light brown. He’s tall with long limbs and with a good sense of fashion. I don’t know why I’m seeing the image of a man wearing a tuxedo. I suspect he might have to dress formally because of his job, although I can´t tell whether he’s a salary man at present or still a student. He has a youthful appearance that can fool anyone about his real age, plus his personality is warm like melted caramel and charming. He’s the type to gift lollipops to children and flowers to ladies. He might not even suspect that’s a sign of flirting for the latter case, so yeah, he can be oblivious too.

He’s cunning yet he doesn’t have anything to hide or his every action is see-through to anyone. He might be a childhood friend or someone you would get along so well and have such a familiarity with that you might feel like you’ve known each other forever. You might have a group of friends in common or you would start interacting more openly during an event or game. I can sense people around, but the way he would treat you is different, almost intimately and you couldn’t help to feel all fussy inside yet very confused. You might believe he’s hard to read and would obsessively compare the way he addresses you with how he speaks to the others. I see a lot of overthinking and suspicion coming from you, but let me enlighten you, the experience would be real and his interest for you genuine.

You might’ve gone through a recent breakup or there would be something haunting you (could be mental illness or having too much on your plate) by the time he would display full interest in you. It could’ve started with him noticing you were down and wanting to cheer you up, then he would get more engaged after knowing you farther. You might not take him seriously at the beginning, you might think of him like a clown or someone out of your league (I’m sorry to say this, but some of you might not admit he’s out of your league so you called him a “clown” instead to delude yourself.) Trust issues detected, but they do come from you, not him. He would still persist on getting closer to you and eventually you would warm up to him.

He’s into games and sports, so he might challenge you to compete on your area of expertise. You might be a sporty person too, or you’re more into gaming or board games. He’s super versatile, he can do all those, but he would definitely follow your lead. His love language is providing quality time, so he will try to make the most out of the time you spend together. He wants to have fun and this person is mentally restless, so I see him asking you questions or going for intellectual exchanges. He would fascinate you and leave you breathless at times. You might feel like this is the first time someone has ever gave you so much attention or like you’re hanging out with the most interesting person around. He has anecdotes to share and he’s so good at storytelling.

He will take you on an emotional roller-coaster or any equally adrenaline ride. If you’re a bit closed-up or got issues opening up to others, you will to this person and he would become your best friend. This connection might not have tittles for a while, but it would be painfully obvious to anyone your confidants and into each other. He would want to introduce you to his friends and take you to parties, but don’t worry, he will keep an eye on you all time and he would be fairly protective of you too. He’s a social butterfly and he will attempt to make you get loose a little. He might come off a bit forceful at first, only because he got your best interest at heart, but you got to tell him when to stop or whenever you’re feeling uncomfortable and he will back off. Remember, none of you is a mind reader, so communication would be key for this connection.

This connection will trigger positive changes for both and getting expansion within social and emotional areas. I think this person is too good on putting on a “everything is fine” mask, so you might have troubles seeing him for who they are or not idealizing him, but with time this mask will crumble down and you will see the human behind and the unattended wounds. He might be friendly and popular, but he too got trust issues. He doesn’t usually speak about his hardships or emotions with others, so your friendship would be really special to him by providing him a safe space to vent and be himself. You would have to be a little bit patient with him since he might not fully realize his romantic feelings for you until later. He’s dense as a rock when it comes to love. He might be a bit of a flirt, but if you confront him about it, he would tell you he’s only being nice to people. He’s not lying to you, but I get why it might still annoy you. Here’s a secret: he might turn uncharacteristically shy and loss at words before the one he's crushing on.

He’s someone who is very sensual and possesses the gift of timing. The pauses in his speech, the side looks or the seconds it would take him to bite his lower lip and release it look rehearsed by how smoothly they’re conveyed. This is not someone loud or childish per se, but he might be filterless when speaking and he cannot stay put on one place. He’s always ready to go on an adventure and will drag companions along. You might not like him upon meeting him. You might find him inconsiderate, fake-ish, and a show up. This is the type of person you tend to ignore based on your own prejudges until he managed to turn the table on you. I don’t think you’re bad people pile 4, I see you will be projecting your longings on this person. You actually wish you were like him and are bit envious of his outgoing personality. Just remember you have good qualities too and this person's admiration for you is not an illusion, they would like you for who you are.        

You might like wearing jewelry or have a special attachment to some type of clothing. This man too, so you might find him the most attractive when he’s wearing that jacket or you find yourself staring often at a necklace or piercing he always wears. He’s a “main character” in your opinion yet this person would want to please you and might even let himself be bossed around by you. He sees a queen bee in you, his queen bee, and will shove you in front a mirror so you can see the masterpiece you truly are.

This connection has the potential to be one unforgettable and like a romance of a fairy tale, but both will need to work hard for that. You would need to be more trusting, since I see you ignoring him for a long time or playing hard to get. This person is not a victim nor a saint either. His obliviousness can hurt people and they might beat around his feelings for you. He might fear the real shit, you know? You two got to find a way to be vulnerable with each other, otherwise you would be stuck in a friendship that would turn into a psychological torture and you would have no option but to split up.

You might dancing around each other before making a decisive move on your connection like a love confession or stuff, but you have it easier for sex if you both are into casual flings. Well, this person won’t deny you and you might even make his day if you propose to have a night of passion. You can expect he would want you to ride him at some point of your encounter. This person is versatile outside and inside of the bedroom, he can switch from dom to sub at the snap of your fingers. He could wear a gag and be tied up to the headboard while you’re having a feast on his hot body. He would want you to be vocal too, and I’m not talking about moaning loudly or swearing (he might like that, though). He would appreciate if you say you are feeling good, comfortable or not. He is very romantic in bed and he would expect reciprocity, like you opening up to him and trusting him. Sex with him would be passionate and healing.

I'm glad you've made it so far! I hope this reading was to your liking and I would love to read your thoughts if want to share them on the replies.

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[darklydeliciousdesires]

Sky Full of Stars - Chapter Eleven.

Huge thanks as always to my little devoted audience! This chapter brings us into part two of the story, aptly entitled Siege. You'll soon see why.

Previous chapters - One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine Ten

Tag list - In the comments

Words - 3,564

Warnings - 18+ content throughout. Minors DNI!

After such an idyllic start to married life, absconded to the privacy of their upstate home, reality had to hit eventually. When it did, it took them both by surprise, just how invested the media had become in the details of their whirlwind romance and marriage.  

They’d thought they might’ve gotten away with it, but in the age of every single cell phone across the world now coming equipped with a camera, privacy was no longer guaranteed. Theirs had been sold to a major publication from a passerby who’d witnessed them leaving city hall hand in hand, very obviously having just gotten married. 

It wasn’t the way they’d wanted their families to find out, but sadly, it had been. While they’d been busy enjoying their first day together as husband and wife, ignoring their phones, the news had blown up all over the internet. 

Their missed calls lists were extensive.  

“I guess it had to catch up with us eventually, baby,” Jade spoke, wrapping her arm around his waist as she towel dried her hair, all bath fresh. Bath fresh and blissed out, after being treated to sub-aqua orgasms in the huge tub courtesy of her husband.  

He nodded, placing a kiss atop her head. “Family first, then publicists. I’m advising no comment, because it isn’t anybody’s business but ours. I’ll talk about my marriage in my own time or not at all.” 

While he wandered outside, Jade took a seat on the couch in the vast kitchen, the only place downstairs that was inhabitable enough to do so, ready to call her parents. As soon as she heard her mother, it had stung her heart, Gemma very upset not to have been notified that her eldest was to be married, having to pass Jade over to her father while she had a little cry. 

“You’ve driven mommy in the direction of the wine,” he chimed, Jade closing her eyes and groaning. 

“I guessed as much,” she winced, sighing. “I’m so sorry, dad. The last thing I wanted was for you guys to be upset.” God, how he knew that. At her core, his daughter was nothing but kind, hating to think she was the cause of somebody else’s pain. 

“To be brutally honest, kid, I can’t say I blame you,” he began while taking a seat in his favourite armchair, tired beyond words after a performing a lengthy coronary bypass procedure earlier that day. “If it had been foreplaned, something along the chain of all the preparation that goes into a wedding likely would have been leaked, you’d have ended up being hounded by paparazzi, and it would have spoiled your day. Remember back when Madonna married Sean Penn? Those poor kids had choppers flying overhead during the ceremony, trying to get pictures. Absolute circus.”  

She’d have been lying if she’d said it hadn’t entered her head, that their decision to marry at a moment’s notice didn’t come with the added advantage of extreme privacy, with nobody but themselves and the lovely city hall staff knowing. Not that it had lasted too long, though.  

“Yeah, it had that advantage. I hate that mum is upset now though. We ran that risk, not telling anyone, but if we had of told people then it would have snowballed, telling the parents, and then I’d have wanted to have told Jen, Adrien his buddy Lewis, too. Kind of better keeping it simple, innit?” 

“I hear you, monkey. I do.” Monkey. He’d called her that ever since she’d learned to walk, and subsequently climb. She’d spent a good sixty percent of her childhood scaling the trees in their local park back in London. “Don’t worry about mommy, I’ll talk her down. Listen, it isn’t like you can’t do something in the future too, have a little ceremony for the families and all your friends.” 

“Yes, we said we wanted to do that eventually, when our schedules calm down.” 

Steven hummed a soft laugh. “So, I can expect an invitation in around twenty thirteen, then?”  

While Jade had chatted with her dad a little longer, Adrien had a much more successful reaction from his mother, thankfully. Lois had been nothing but thrilled, telling him it was beautiful and insane, but that she was very happy for them. Patrick had a few of his own thoughts, too.  

“Now, who are you, and what have you done with my sensible, level-headed son, hmm?” he asked, sounded mildly entertained. “Running off with rockstars and getting hitched. Are you a super groupie now, son? Is this where we’re at? Pamela Des Barres will be interviewing you for her next book, I feel.” 

“Fuck you.” 

Patrick threw his head back, booming a laugh. “Oh, now, now. There will be less of that hostility, my boy.” Taking a seat in his lounge (they had two, one his and one Lois’s) he reached for his gin, resting his feet up on the coffee table. “Was there a specific reason to the speed of this? Inquiring minds wish to know.”  

“When you know, you know,” he shrugged, his bare feet hitting the grass as he walked from the patio steps out onto the lawn. “It just felt right.” 

His father smiled, adjusting his glasses. “I trust your intuition, son. I must say, in lieu of actually meeting the woman for myself, I have endeavoured to become acquainted with her. She is a truly fascinating juxtapose, from what I have garnered while watching her on stage and being interviewed. Jade is both the storm and the eye, a truly unique individual.” 

It never failed to impress him, just how perceptive his father was, with how astute he’d always been at reading people. “She is, yeah. You’re right. I can’t wait for you to meet her.” 

“I too look forward to this, very much so. If you two are free this weekend, perhaps your mother and I could venture up?” he suggested, picking at the label on the side of a new book he’d purchased earlier that day.  

“Can’t, I’m afraid,” he lamented, “I’ve got to head to London for publicity, so we’re getting that done and then spending a few days at Jade’s house over there, then we have an event in Paris, then we’re home for about three days before she’s heading to Montreal to film for a month and a half.” 

“The rigours of the job,” he chuckled, “well, let’s hope you can pencil us in at some point soonish.” 

It was easier said than done, truly. “I’ll check my schedule and hers, and we’ll see what we can come up with.” 

“Appreciated. I’m very happy for you, by the way, Adrien. You sound content.” 

“I am,” he smiled, looking back at the house, seeing Jade still talking on the phone. “She makes me a happy man.” 

"Happy is the man who finds a true friend, and far happier is he who finds that true friend in his wife,” his father spoke warmly, Adrien pulling out his cigarettes and lighting one up. 

“Is that a Patrick Brody original musing?” 

“Franz Schubert. I thought it to be quite fitting.”  

It was.  

After finishing his cigarette, he headed back inside, sitting with Jade while looking at their schedules in the calendar apps on their phones.  

“So, for the next twelve months, we have a grand total accumulated time of eleven weeks with one another.” It wasn’t even full weeks either, save three over the Christmas period, and ten days in late summer. The rest were pinpointed days where they both would be home at the same time, Jade sighing as she leaned against him. “Twenty eleven looks good for you, though. You have one project to film, but I’ll be locked in the fucking studio out on the west coast for the first eight weeks while we record.”  

“There’s nothing stopping me coming out there with you when you do?” Leaning back on the couch, he put his phone down, pulling her against his chest. “It’ll be hard, but we’ll make it work.” They had no choice but to, the album, and then seven months of touring scheduled for twenty eleven, and two further months to get them around Europe in the first months of twenty twelve.  

With the success of their last album and demand for ticket sales, the girls would be switching up a gear, the demand to see them live so great that they’d already been informed by their management team that the next tour would be shorter, playing at arenas.  

The idea both delighted and terrified Jade.  

She had just over a year to panic about that, though, her first priority being more focused on her private life and enjoying her time with her brand-new husband all she could. It wasn’t without its issues, though. All of them external.  

“You have got to be fucking joking me,” Jade spoke, her body stiffening as they approached the main doors at Gatwick airport, the entrance rammed full of photographers. 

Adrien felt her muscles all tighten, his hand sliding to grasp hers. “It’s okay, baby love. There’re worse things than having your picture taken, even though it’s annoying when there’s that damned many of them.” 

She’d been hoping it would be different, the press intrusion usually way less ferocious in England than it was back in America, but she realised that wasn’t the case as the flickering of many flashes almost blinded her on exit of the airport, their driver holding the door of the waiting Range Rover open for them to jump straight in, ignoring all questions thrown at them on their way.  

“Thank fuck for window tints,” she muttered, clipping her seatbelt in, resting her head to his shoulder.  

He placed a kiss on her head, hand clutching hers again. “It’ll die down. Promise. You feeling okay with it, though? I know all of this is somewhat new for you, at least to this degree.” 

It was so on brand for him, to check in with how she felt, ever conscious over her wellbeing. “I’m still baffled that so many people are invested in our life, but I’m okay. Ish. I just don’t like intrusion to this magnitude, but you’re right. It’ll die down once us being married becomes old news. Come on, Britney. Do something scandalous and take the attention away from us.” 

He laughed softly at her comment, both then looking to their phones and catching up with missed messages during the flight. While she was there supporting him through his small publicity venture, she had some engagements of her own to fulfil, arranging with her management to be interviewed by a well-known rock radio station there in London.  

After checking it at the hotel and kissing Adrien within an inch of his life, she headed straight back out to the waiting car, being ferried across the city to the radio station headquarters, being greeted warmly by everyone she encountered once she’d reached the third floor.  

Her interview was being conducted by Sam Riley, a radio DJ and rock journalist she had a very good rapport with, the lady herself coming to give her a big hug prior to going live, also presenting her with a massive, gorgeous bouquet of flowers. 

“I have way too much respect to say anything while we’re on the air, but I just wanted to give you these with my warmest congratulations,” Sam spoke, handing her the flowers. “I hope you’ll both be very happy together. 

“Oh, Sam,” she cooed softly, leaning around the blooms to kiss her cheek. “Thank you so much, my darling.” If there was one set of people in the rock and metal world who respected her without question, it was the other women in it with her. As for Adrien, he was asked point blank at the end of his first interview, but in a way that didn’t prickle him, so gave a respectful answer to the respectfully delivered question. 

“While I’m not content to speak of my private life in any great detail, I will confirm that yes, we got married. We’re very happy, and out of respect for my wife and our privacy, that’s all I have to say.” 

He made a note to his publicist to forward on to any other journalists that he wasn’t willing to be further quizzed on his private life at that time, only prepared to speak about it on his own terms. The two days they spent in London flew by, and before they knew it, Jade was driving them up the M25, Buckinghamshire bound.  

The property itself was set upon many acres of land, a huge, dark wood gate bridging the gap between the high surrounding wall, ensuring them all the privacy they could want. Keying in the code on the pad, Jade shifted the car back into gear as the gates slowly opened, revealing a tree lined driveway. 

“Woah, this place is gorgeous!” he exclaimed as the house aptly named Lakeside came into view, turning to see Jade looked very happy to be home.  

“Isn’t it nice?” she smiled, turning her white Range Rover into the space outside of the double garage, feeling thankful it wasn’t a rental she had to worry about returning, her assistant having it driven down to London for her the day before. “I really wanted something much older, but I’m glad I went with a newer build. My friend Pamela who I told you about, she bought the other house I was looking at over on the other side of village and she’s had untold issues with it, being pretty much all original from when it was built in sixteen twenty.” 

It never ceased to blow his mind, just how old the buildings were in England, stunned when Jade had told him that the local village pub dated back to the fourteen hundreds. “And how old is this place?” 

“Built in nineteen eleven.” Nearly a hundred years old, and she still referred to it as a newer build. Insane. Inside, he fell in love with it, noting how they both had very similar tastes over architecture and interiors, Jade’s taste a little darker in the colours she preferred, the brilliant white welcome hall peeling off to a dark blue lounge, a deep, olive-green library and a claret red games room. The kitchen was down a level, the house built on a hillside, the back doors opening out into a sprawling garden, the stable block accessible from a side path.  

After they’d put their stuff down and furnished themselves with coffee, the horses were her first port of call.  

“There’s my boy!” she called with joy, watching the head of a huge grey horse shoot up, making soft whickering noises from his velvety muzzle. “Be careful, he’s a little man aggressive.” 

“Oh, that’s Dante, huh?” He’d been informed before about the horse who had an issue with men he didn’t know, only still mildly tolerating Bob, her estate manager who looked after him and the other steeds.  

“He is, yeah. Just keep back a few steps, because he lunges sometimes if he feels threatened.” 

He kept a distance, Jade unbolting the stable door and throwing her arms around his neck, patting his big shoulders and scratching his mane.  

“How are you, big fella? Awww, look at this beautiful face. I missed you; shall we go for a nice, long gallop in the morning, hmm?”  

Seeing her around animals was witnessing Jade in her natural habitat, Adrien well used to it at that point. If there was ever a cat on the street back in Manhattan, she had to stop and pet it, or if she saw a cute dog, the same approach was taken.  

The giant of a horse then noticed him, taking a few steps forward, reaching his long neck over the stable door to sniff. Adrien remained still, slowly bringing his hand up to scratch the side of his face, Dante accepting it completely.  

“I think your person has overplayed your evil, Dante,” he spoke, the horse then attempting to get into his coffee. “No, you can’t have this. It’s hot, you’ll burn yourself.” Looking away from the horse who was leaning into the scratch beneath his forelock, Adrien snorted a soft laugh. “What’s with that face, Moo?” 

“He doesn’t do this!” she exclaimed, standing there stunned, her mouth dropped open. “He hates men, all men. Seriously! It took Bob three weeks to even be able to go into his stable without being bitten to death!” 

“What’s his beef with guys?” he asked, holding the cup away again when Dante persisted. “Nope, still hot.” 

“He was abused in his last home by a man, neglected, too.” 

“What asshole did that to you, huh, pal?” he asked, laughing softly as the horse sniffed and nibbled his hair. “I’ll get ‘em.” As it turned out, all her other horses had been saved in some form or another. The next in the row of stables was Beckie, a little chestnut mare who had used to race, retired at four and with no use for breeding because of a small flaw with her legs, faced the slaughter yard. After her was Eddie, an ex-eventing horse who had been bought for two teenage boys and ridden into the ground over a season, the family not wise in horse husbandry, meaning he had been rail thin and exhausted by the time he made it to Lakeside.  

The fourth was being exercised in the large arena behind the stable block, being jumped over a set of eye wateringly large fences by a tall, greying man who Adrien presumed to be Bob. 

“Alright, chief,” he spoke warmly, riding over to the fence line, leaning to drop a kiss on her cheek upon his arrival. “Adrien, nice to meet you, mate. I’m Bob, also known as that mouthy bastard as your new missus likes to call me,” he added, winking at his boss.  

He laughed, reaching to shake his hand. “Sounds like something she’d say.”   

“Well, he bloody is, innit!” Jade exclaimed, poking her tongue out at Bob. As well as an employee, Bob was also one of her closest friends, as she’d previously told Adrien. After wishing to move from her previous British residence, it had been Bob who’d found the house for her, living locally himself in the village of Fulmer and noticing it for sale when he used to have to travel forty minutes each way to reach Jade’s former abode just outside of Oxford. “How’s my lovely Dolly Dagger?” 

Of course, Jade would have named her gigantic, dark bay mare after a Jimi Hendrix song. “A bloody dream, as always. She’s been a lot better for the heart bar shoes, too.” 

“I knew she would, having something to help spread her weight more evenly,” she nodded, patting Dolly’s sweaty neck. “My little frog with her flat feet.”  

Adrien stood with it all sailing over his head, the horse speak he didn’t have a clue over. All he knew was that it was probably expensive.  

“How much do horseshoes cost, then?” he asked as they were walking away again, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. 

“About eighty for a set of four, but Dolly’s are specialist, so those set me back a hundred and ten quid,” she revealed. 

“And what, they need those a couple of times a year?” 

Oh, bless him. “No, baby. Every four weeks. Each time the farrier comes it costs me five hundred and fifty to have four of them shod and their hooves trimmed.”  

“Ouch,” he spoke. It was a good job her careers were lucrative, having that kind of outlay, and just for the shoes. He shuddered to imagine what the four of them cost to feed. “Mind you, there are much worse things to spend your money on than animals.”  

“I’m glad you agree,” she chirped, beaming widely. 

He knew where this was going. “It doesn’t mean you get to fill our New York house with many and varied creatures, Jade.” 

“Yes, it does!”  

Oh, god. He loved animals, but truly, he knew with the excuse of them having land, his wife was likely to take that to the extreme. 

“I’m definitely getting horses, I need something to ride in the place I’ll be living most often,” she commented, Adrien immediately smirking. 

“You have me for that,” he winked, giving her a little shove with his shoulder.  

Spinning around to block his way, she draped her arms around his neck, her eyes full of suggestive promise. “I could really go in for some of that right now, you know.”  

She’d never been thrown over somebody’s shoulder so rapidly, Adrien carrying her back to the house and following her guidance in finding his way to the bedroom. It was a completely different vibe to her New York abode, the room painted a bluish grey with white furniture and dark grey furnishings, including the soft bed linen he dropped her down upon. 

“Do you have any plans for today?” he asked, fingers creeping beneath the little black vest top she wore, pushing it up to begin placing kisses upon her stomach. 

“Other than not leaving this bedroom, nope,” she confirmed, pulling her top off as he flicked her bra undone. 

“Good.”  

A whole lot of Adrien and nothing else. She could definitely get on board with that. 

[nouearth]

i'd really like to share some clark/supermanthoughts cause i'm a firm believer that the big blue boyscout is....a bit of a perv. maw's superman especially...all consensual, some roleplaying of dubcon though...

his perverted desires started with him being absolutely addicted to you two having sex while he's in his superman costume, his tight suit and shorts can't hide the massive bulge underneath even when its just you two kissing in it...

perv superman would be into sex that involves you being...helpless in one way or another. (his guilty pleasure.)

holding both of you hands behind your back with just one hand while he stretches you out brutally despite your struggling and begs for him to slow down and let you adjust...he keeps going and opts to ignore your pleads to praise you instead for taking him so well <333

squirming and whining under him in a chokehold as he drives his cock deep inside you, clark absolutely reveling in the way he's overpowering you with absolute ease, drool trailing down his muscular arm due to your mouth.

gagging you with the iconic red underwear that he wears? always, sometimes he even wears it directly on his cock and sweaty balls, for a little something extra when he shoves it in your mouth to quiet you down. (bonus points if you suck on his cock through said underwear, guaranteed to make him cum quick in them.)

there's one thing he enjoys most though-and perhaps the most daring one, a scenario that even you has become addicted to. (and this one, you two re-enact daily with courtesy of your...washing machine.)

clark in his superman suit (pants and underwear he can pull down ver.) takes you flying at night, to some secluded alleyway in the city, the building is abandoned and its just you two there...a routine built up between the two of you.

clark makes a small hole on the wall of the building with his laser eyes and you insert yourself in there, your lower body being the only part sticking out-a diy gloryhole if you will- clark's throat hitches and his cock throbs at the inside of his suit's pants...

you begin calling out to superman for help, squirming your place and exclaiming that you're stuck. "have no fear, i'm here to rescue you, civillian." he says in a low voice, pretending to try and pull you out by placing his big hands on your waist, except he was just obviously dry humping and grinding on you...

"w-wait what are you doing!?" you'd say, "shhhh, just let the hero handle it. " superman exclaims lowly, pulling down both your pants and his...pushing his heavy, leaking cock inside of your tight, quivering hole. whenever this happens, he loses whatever self control he has and goes absolutely crazy in fucking you in his perverted craze, your mind going blank as you beg for the man of steel to dump his cum into you.

and he does, multiple times, cum overflowing from your hole as he pulls out, looking down at the mess you made on the ground as he finally saves you out of your...predicament as he pulls you out, saliva trailing down your mouth.

but you wish to thank superman properly for saving you, so what better way to do that than by sucking and cleaning up his cock covered in cum?

p.s, congrats again on 500 followers and definitely more to cum come with all the great fics you give us! smut or not :DDD (lowkey inspired by servicing justice this ask)

omg, this fantasy, faklfalklakla. perhaps, you're inspiring me........

i think what makes perverted!clark so endearing is because he's so... gentlemanly. he's constantly cautious of how he's perceived to others, so he always does his best to be kind and helpful. whenever he gives into that darker side, it feels like something he shouldn't be doing, something that he shouldn't be having an interest in at all. something that he should repent for. but he's addicted to the way you make him feel. and in a way, it's really his only outlet to really de-stress himself of the day. :(((

i love the concept of being helpless under him, too. to be honest, i'm pretty sure we all have had those thoughts where we just want clark to manhandle us and take us for himself, greedily. because clark is always so selfless and it's rare that he gets to have something of his own, to fulfill his own desires and pleasures when he constantly has the world on his shoulders. :((((

honestly, idc. use me however you want, clark!! you deserve it, big boy!!!

and thank you for the sweet message (and hot fantasy)! i've gathered a great community of pervs under my writing. :D

[allwaswell16]

Hi lovely and thank for your sharing and caring in this fandom!

A bit finicky question, I'm here with. Don't know if I managed to mention different perspectives enough and contextualize it the way I wanted to, but anyway, do feel free to ignore or maybe just leave some tags:

What are your thoughts, your two pennies and just today (tomorrow is another day and maybe a new perspective), about the conversation going on about the commenting culture (nowadays in AO3):

the lack and/or decline of it

the urgent need for community, engagement, participation and positive feedback loop for authors

but also the growing and changing audience for fanfic

the growing idea that a fic is not a gift (it most certainly is) but some "factory produced and guaranteed content that keeps on coming and you are entitled to it"

the lack of reading comprehension skills

and the lack of skills to figure out the appropriate time and place for giving critique

but also the small but growing portion of authors who demand only certain kind of praise, worded in a certain kind of way and if not delivered accordingly attack brutally on everything and everyone

the cultural differencies as a player in participating, giving positive feedback and even using foreign language words

and of course the ever growing and spreading comment anxiety on "both sides"

and so on...

So how do you see it? What's your perspective? You are both an author and a reader. But then again, you are a reader who writes, so you actually know, what a writer likes to see in their comment field...

Hi, anon! Whew, well this is a lot, but I'm going to answer as much as I can haha. As you said, this is just my own perspective on things. I'd say I also have a little added perspective of being a writer who reads and writes in more than one popular fanfic fandom. So I can't help but compare my experiences in both.

I don't think the One Direction fandom has ever been overly generous with the kudos and comments to be perfectly honest. I think if you talk to writers who are active in other fic fandoms of similar sizes/popularity, they'd likely agree with that.

I want to be clear to start with here that I feel like readers have been very kind to me over the years. I've been here a long time now though, so I get the benefit of the doubt with some long time readers and those who subscribe to my ao3. But I also think that in part I have encouraged comments in a way that not every writer can or wants to do.

I answer every single comment. I answer them in a way that mirrors back the comment that was made. If you leave a long comment, I answer back in detail. If you send me something shorter, (which is fine and I love any and all comments!) I will answer back in a similar way. I also answer back pretty quickly. There are times I get behind, but I rarely get behind more than a month or so. And the day my fic posts, I try to answer every comment that gets posted on that first day.

Am I saying everyone needs to do what I do? Absolutely not! It takes a lot of time and energy to do that! But I do think there's a correlation to be made there. Readers see all the comments, see they're being answered quickly, and feel comfortable or like it's okay to leave one, too. OH, and also I want to say that me answering back (maybe obsessively) quickly is something that probably isn't possible for people who have a fic explode in popularity. I might have some popular fics but none of them were like overnight explosions in popularity. They've all been slow burners lol.

As for concrit with fic...I think it depends on the fandom. It is not something that is looked upon kindly in ours. There are definitely writers out there who ask for it which is fine, but the etiquette in our fandom is not to offer it unless asked for it. In my opinion, this makes a lot of sense for our fandom. Since writers are not getting the numbers of kudos and comments that are given more freely in other fandoms, it's a bit of a hard pill to swallow that we'd then expect them to also take unsolicited writing critiques.

Just using my own fics as an example, by the time I publish a fic multiple other writers have already read it. It's been proofread and betad by a writer with an MFA in creative writing. I'm not going to be taking concrit seriously from someone whose background in writing I don't know. When I publish the fic, it's done, I'm happy with the result, and I'm not going back to it to make changes. So there's not much point in telling me what I should have done differently with it.

Your point about some writers being perhaps overly sensitive about some comments...I wanted to say a few things about. There are a few common comments that immediately came to mind that writers have differing views on, and I think it's worthwhile for readers to think about.

One is something like I wish this was longer or please write more of this. If you comment this on any of my fics, I'll smile and consider it a compliment that you enjoyed it enough to want more. If you go through my comments, you'll see this is indeed what I've replied back to comments like that. There are other writers that are going to be exasperated by that comment or even offended by it. And even though I'm not one of them, I would say try to see it from their perspective.

What if that writer has spent months on that fic the reader considers "short"? I think readers sometimes forget just how much TIME goes into these fics. Just because a fic is 10k, 5k, whatever doesn't mean it didn't take a long time to write. And someone who spent months of time on something who likely didn't receive a whole lot of comments in the first place, and then one of the few comments they get could be interpreted as this wasn't enough. That's disheartening, you know? I think if you have the urge to leave that comment, maybe think first about the writer you're leaving that comment for. Or even think of a different way to say it like, "I could have lived in this fic forever" which is what I like to think is what most readers are trying to convey with comments like that.

Another one is who tops? Just don't, I'd say for that comment. I simply don't answer ones like that. But I'd say check the tags. If it's not tagged, either choose to move on if you have to know to read it or ctrl+F the fic yourself for the word "cock" or whatever. If the writer doesn't tag it, it means they didn't care about that. Or they got annoyed with their fics being reduced to that too often. PWP eh fine, but my 80k amnesia au I had a nervous breakdown writing that has one sex scene...eff off that's not what the fic is about. I once wrote a fic about grief. GRIEF! (well, and Antarctic scientists) that people argued over whether it was bottom Louis. And I resolved to never tag it again after that.

As for the fic as a gift vs not a gift I agree with you...I don't know what else you'd call something that is given for free. That's the definition of "gift." If someone reads the fic, a kudos is like a verbal thank you and a comment would be like a thank you card.

The comment anxiety thing I don't have an issue with myself, but I know writers who do and can't bring themselves to answer their comments. One of my friends feels so badly for not answering but when she tries she says her replies don't feel like enough. It's too bad that she can't answer due to actually loving her comments TOO much! Anxiety is a bitch for sure. For anyone who wants to leave a comment but is worried about it, I promise that super short ones or even keysmashes or emojis are very welcome! I have a mutual on tumblr who leaves the same comment on every one of my fics that simply says she loved the fic and I promise it makes me happy every single time because now I know she read it and enjoyed it whereas I might have missed whether or not she left a kudos. And when I see her on my dash, I think that's the one who loves my fics! :)

I swear I'm gonna stop rambling, but I want to end with one more thing. I think it would be interesting for readers and writers to experience a different fandom sometime if they're only in this one. It's not always a better/worse thing, but it might make people more open to trying new things like commenting/replying more or in different ways.

[balanceoflightanddark]

It's been implied by the fandom that Iroh can't be fire lord because of the other two nations' hatred and distrust for him given his brutal reputation as the dragon of the west.

It would make more sense and more consistent if Iroh explained that instead of assuming his own nation would turn on him for usurping the throne because that's exactly what Zuko did and it mostly turned out okay for him.

I think this is true on some level. While we never see anybody from the other Nations not trust Iroh, I could still see some people getting a little antsy about the guy who torched Ba Sing Se being crowned Fire Lord. Like there's no guarantee he's not gonna try to vie for Fire Nation supremacy just because he helped end the War. I don't even think he'd be well-liked by his own people since his retreat after Lu Ten's death basically spelled the end of his own military career.

That being said, by that logic Zuko would have his own problems being seen as a benevolent ruler since he did help overthrow Ba Sing Se, attacked Kyoshi Village, and raided Sokka and Katara's village. Sure it's small potatoes to what Iroh pulled, but it's not something anybody else is gonna overlook. I mean the Gaang threw what he did back in his face during his initial attempts to join. Who's to say the rest of the world isn't going to let him live that kind of stuff down? It'll be an uphill battle for the guy in terms of foreign relations.

Admittedly, you do bring up a good point about nobody really caring that Zuko was essentially a usurper. It would be telling that people just got used to this sort of power struggle with the Royal Family...which STILL isn't gonna be a good look for Zuko if his own people's first perception of the guy is that he did the exact same thing his father pulled with his sibling.

I'll be honest...the places where they left Zuko and Iroh at the end of the series don't exactly rub me the wrong way. I'm still not convinced that Zuko's finished his redemption arc and that sentiment hasn't really gone away with how the comics have handled him. And Iroh should NOT be able to retire into the city he burned to the ground. I guess the finale just left me with a colored perception of the two that I'm not sure I'm going to be able to shake off so easily. Your theory is good, obviously. And I think it makes more sense than Iroh assuming the populace would turn on him considering he pushed Zuko into fighting Azula in what was a power grab (even if it was justified). It's just when a retired war general who's guilty of starving the populace in a grueling 600 day siege gets to live in the city who suffered at his hand, the narrative just clashes with your idea.

Which I don't think means you're in the wrong here. It's just the narrative is that skewed.

[insanityclause]

I really wonder how that went down when she read it. Like, it was HER story and article and didn’t have anything to do with Tom (they do seem to want to let their careers stay separate from each other and personal lives private from everyone, all very smart moves). That HAD to be an unexpected gut-punch.

And yeah, I bet the writer was pissed they couldn’t get more out of her about their personal lives and slipped that in to get the clicks they wanted. Feels similar to me about how it seemed Taffy kept pushing Tom for info on TS, he would resist, she’d extrapolate everything he said to be ONLY about TS. (Let’s be honest, he’s too smart to do that and she’s brutal when she doesn’t get the story she wants and will fill in a LOT of gaps and add jabs)

His obituary (in the media) will mention dating TS in 2016. I guarantee it.

Same with the NY Times profile in 2019. No matter if he'd asked for no TS questions or not, they would have found a way (like this article did) to include her name. You don't need to ask the subject a question about it, you just do it 'as context'.

Oh yeah, the obit definitely will have that. No matter what else he does over that 50 year period. Been saying that for years.