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#RE: SEEKERS OF TRUTH.
emperor-kumquat · 6 months
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Beware of Transformers misinformation, fans!
There are a lot of blogs out there who try to act like lore masters. They make charts of Cybertronian history and/or try to make long deep posts that reference Transformers lore. They seem complex and researched so people gobble it up and happily reblog . . . More often than not, I know they got facts wrong. It's painful to see everyone eagerly spreading it like the gospel! Especially when it is Transformers Prime lore. I own the books, I have read them many times, I have carefully summarized them in videos. Some people just skim a few wiki pages then feel knowledgeable. Gah! Tips for everyone else:
~Don't assume common trends like in fanfiction are canon. Concepts like "femme" and "mech" and "spike" and "valve" and "sire" and "carrier" are fandom creations. Traits given to certain kinds of Cybertronians like Seekers (example: Seekers are more sensitive) are also fandom creations. Characters may also be adopted by the public and re-displayed with character traits not truly found in their original source material.
~Don't assume the rules of one Transformers series applies to another.
~Don't assume charts created by fans are fully accurate. For example, a chart of Cybertronian lengths of time. Units of time are unclear and have different meanings in different Transformers universes. There is no one truth. Also, charts of Cybertronian Ages, from what I have seen, have been wrong. For example, excluding the Age of Origins.
~Do not use the fandom wiki for any research. Use TFwiki, which is accurate and links to sources!
I will always try to be a very reliable source of Aligned Continuity lore. I will crack open the books and point to whatever you need. Please be more critical and double check info before reblogging and liking people's lore posts, including mine.
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capricorn-0mnikorn · 3 months
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Summary: Tracking 99 of Biden's most important campaign promises (listing in the order presented on the website)-- what promises he's kept, what promises he's compromised on, which he's broken outright, which promises are delayed/postponed, and which promises are in the works.
TL;DR (listing in my own order, 'cause it's what makes sense to me):
27% Kept* 34% In the Works 31% Postponed / Stalled (Note Well: most of the promises in the two categories above are taking so long because he has, by law, to work with Republicans who are actively hostile to his agenda, and are doing everything they can to sabotage his efforts -- which is why it's so important to vote "down ticket," as well, and not just focus on the Presidential race; case in point: just look at how much trouble Texas Governor Abbot is causing for the whole nation, right now, re: Immigration and Asylum-seekers' rights) 5% Compromised On 1% Promises Broken**
Also, Pay attention to what the promises he's made actually are, and whether you want him to keep them
(Compared to, say, the promises / threats Donald Trump and Nikki Haley are making)
*A big promise kept listed is: "Get COVID under control;" YMMV on whether that's true, or not, or if it's even possible (in other words, 'define your terms')
**Just one broken promise: No new fracking on federal lands. And I am angry about that. But not angry enough to risk Trump getting back into power.
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ecoamerica · 1 month
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youtube
Watch the 2024 American Climate Leadership Awards for High School Students now: https://youtu.be/5C-bb9PoRLc
The recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by student climate leaders! Join Aishah-Nyeta Brown & Jerome Foster II and be inspired by student climate leaders as we recognize the High School Student finalists. Watch now to find out which student received the $25,000 grand prize and top recognition!
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venussaidso · 9 months
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Rahu Dominant Themes — 𝐍𝐚𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐚 𝐎𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 (part 1 of) 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟕
warning ⚠️: movie spoilers
Lord Rudra is an angry manifestation of Shiva who is the god that destroys the universe in order to re-create it. Rudra is the version which emphasizes the destruction of illusions, imperfections, diseases etc. before change can take place. Rudra means "one who eradicates problems from their roots", which rules Ardra, where we see the shadow planet Rahu being at it's potent height. Rahu is always dissatisfied and filled with illusions. With Rudra here, we see the strong conviction to break all things illusory, that are a stain or disease. Ardra, being Gemini and Rahu together, chooses to face the cold, harsh truth by deconstructing it (Mercury). There comes an intense anger and urge to destroy the root of all problems.
The best piece of media by far to embody the potency of Ardra, especially Rudra, is MR. ROBOT.
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Ardra is quite contradictory, as it aims to expose truth by ruthlessly shining light on it ("control is an illusion") and therefore breaking the illusion, despite literally being ruled by the most illusory planet, Rahu. Rami Malek is an Ardra Ascendent and in the series Mr. Robot, he plays a cybersecurity engineer who uses his rare intelligence (Gemini/Mercury) to take down an evil conglomerate that controls the world & gets away with terrible world crimes that are swept under the rug. The Ardra character is already established as not a truth seeker, but someone who is already aware of everything and has been long disillusioned. The other important main characters also seem to be played by Rudra influenced actors which I found so incredible. These key characters show different dysfunctional aspects of society, almost critiquing them. Though Rudra is more potent through Ardra, Rudra has incarnated in different forms. Aja Ekapanda, Ahir Bhudhanya - Purva Bhadrapada, Uttara Bhadrapada. And Goddess Kali has associations with Rudra, and it rules the nakshatra Mula - which forms the axis with Ardra (being Sagittarius-Gemini). All the Rudra nakshatras are scattered across the main cast of Mr. Robot.
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Another similar piece of media that is linked with Ardra and anarchist/political themes that expose heavy truths of society and elite powers of the world is the film V FOR VENDETTA, which leans more into anti-fascism. Starring an Ardra native.
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Ardra faces the reality of things that is usually harsh and too overwhelming for others to bare, the kind of truth that is often not thought of. The series The Boys shows what would realistically happen if superheroes were a thing — none of that Marvel sugarcoating shit. Just like Rami Malek's character in Mr. Robot, the character Billy Butcher played by Karl Urban is already established as one who knows the harsh reality of superheroes (being monsters and corporate puppets) and is portrayed as an angry, disgruntled, dissatisfied person. And of course there is Rahu/Ardra influence.
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Ardra is not always about dethroning corrupt powers. It can simply manifest into meaningless chaos, purposeless anarchy as seen in Heath Ledger's Joker who only makes chaos to prove the hypocrisy in people and society. This critical nature is always within Ardra, no matter how chaotic and senseless it manifests.
Yes he's an Ardra Moon.
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It's always interesting how nakshatras with the same planetary rulership can share the same themes, despite the differences in their ruling deities. The film, Joker (2019), criticizes how society treats its ostracized members. And the character Arthur Fleck, being played by Swati Sun Joaquin Phoenix, unintentionally (and unknowingly) drives pure anarchy in the streets. Becoming the face of a movement spawned around him, called 'Jokerism'. And these masks, just like in MR. ROBOT (fsociety), V For VENDETTA, make the symbol of the movement.
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I also find it interesting that Zoro is a masked vigilante who fights against the injustice and victimization of the lower class and indigenous people. Shatabhisha can act as a saviour in this case, more than what is seen from Ardra and Swati.
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The character Hobie Brown being voiced by Shatabhisha Sun Daniel Kaluuya in the new Spiderverse film. Interesting enough, Shatabhisha being Aquarius can also have chaotic, rebellious and even anarchist tendencies. Aquarius emphasizes individualism, roots for the underdog and can absolutely despise authority – especially the corrupt kind (but mostly it's fuck all authority).
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The nakshatra also being co-ruled by Rahu, they can see through illusions and have a simple yet realistic approach to things (Saturn). There is defiance there in Shatabhisha, but rarely ever as erratic or angry as Ardra. In fact, Shatabhisha is more on what's morally right and wrong compared to Ardra where a dualistic nature is conveyed. Shatabhisha has a tougher framework, can be very virtuous.
Shatabhisha is ruled by the deity Lord Varuna who is the personification of divine authority and moral law. The theme of authority can manifest in several ways for Shatabhisha. Rebellion against authority can go to the extreme ends of violence and unlawfulness. Or it can go into activism. Critiquing the many issues in the world that are glaringly wrong and unfair (what the modern internet now calls 'wokeism'). Themes of rebellion or exposure in a political and societal context can be linked with Swati. This can somewhat be seen in the following medias:
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𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗨𝗘𝗗 𝗜𝗡 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗧𝗪𝗢:
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herarcadewasteland · 7 months
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Spin, Dare, Hide.
A/N: The full first chapter of SDH! I'm back to being motivated so you get the full chapter after so long lmao
-18+, slight violence, swearing, jisung is a little shit, ateez kinda yandere towards the end
-ateez x reader, mentions of skz because Han Jisung is your bff
1 of 2 (We'll see how much more I write from today onwards)
this is TWELVE of 14 pages i have written lol... not edited or re-read
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Spin the bottle, hide and seek and truth or dare. Three separate games Jisung had decided to combine for a game he called SDH. Spin, dare, hide. The way it worked was a little too complicated for your liking, your head going blank as you listened to him explain it eight times over. You spin the bottle, the person it landed on is the seeker. You must do a dare they ask you and then you hide. You get a minute to hide. After that minute is done, your seeker has a time limit of 3 minutes to find you. If they find you, they do what they want with you. If you aren’t found, your past seeker spins the bottle and whoever it lands on swaps out and becomes the seeker. The game continues like this until either one person has not been found by anyone or the hider is found and “dealt with”, as Jisung phrased it. The only limit to the game was the extent of pain you could put a person through with your dare. You couldn’t ask your daree to hurt themselves or anyone else in an extreme fashion. The most you could ask would be a spank or a small slap on the face, even a slap on the wrist, forehead flicks included. That limit extended to the “do whatever you want to them” prize for finding the hider. The only pain you could inflict was determined before the actions were taken and done safely with consent. 
It was something you had played with Jisung, Chan and Hyunjin before, but sitting on the floor, listening to Jisung explain it all to Hongjoong, Seonghwa, Yunho, Yeosang, San, Mingi, Wooyoung and Jongho, you wanted to be anywhere else but there. The confusion on their faces was visible, Jisung cackling as he explained the pain limits set in place. Feeling a gaze on you that you knew wasn’t Jisungs, as he was busy staring down Yeosang who had a small blush covering his face, you turned to look around. Looking past them all, you landed on Wooyoung. His gaze was… intense. He was always the flirty one but the look in his eyes was determined. Almost like he was taking the challenge of the game personally. When you met his eyes though, they cleared and he smiled at you brightly, a small one tugging at your lips in response until Jisung smacked you on the shoulder.
He was still rambling about the game and you vaguely heard a question directed at you, just nodding along as you got lost in your thoughts. It wasn’t until you heard someone choking on their drink and Jisung shouting at you in pride that you snapped back into reality and looked around the group in confusion. The reactions were different, but each man now had a darker look behind their kind eyes. Mingi had been the one to choke, his face beet red as he smacked his chest. Wooyoung sported a massive smirk, looking eerily close to the joker smile. Hongjoong was watching you look at them with curiosity and the others were all just slightly red in the face. San was the only one you could really tell what he was thinking. His lips parted as his breathing picked up, his legs crossed and he stared at you with darkened, hooded eyes. It was clear he was imagining what he could do to you if he found you but a sharp nudge from Seonghwa on his side made him sit up, his previous state gone entirely as you watched him with wide eyes. 
Jisung caught your attention again, his eyes as wide as yours as you looked at him with so much visible confusion. 
“What?”
“Did you even hear me?”
“Oh.. no… Was I supposed to? You were explaining the game. I know how it works.”, you raised an eyebrow at Jisung.
He only answered with a laugh, his arms wrapping around your shoulders as he continued to explain the little details of the game he created. He gave you no indication of just what you had agreed to when you were zoned out, his attitude more cocky than usual as he held you to him tightly. You huffed in annoyance and confusion as you sat, waiting for the explanation to be over. It took Jisung about three more minutes to finish explaining everything, questions answered and players ready. 
“Okay, someone grab a bottle! It’s time to play~”, Jisung cackled and rocked with you in his hold, your eyes rolling at his maniac-esk tendencies. 
“What did I agree to? I think it’s against the rules for me not to know.”
“Wrong! I made the rules, so for you, sweetpea, it’s not gonna harm you.”, Jisung planted a loud kiss on your cheek and you grunted, shoving him away to sit on the floor in front of him.
Yunho came back into the room with a bright smile and a half empty bottle of vodka in hand, followed by Yeosang who carried a bowl of snacks to the couch to share around. You accepted gratefully, munching on a small handful as everyone got settled in a circle, Jisung excluded. You called him a traitor as the last two settled down fully, the back of your head being smacked.
“Okay, now. Let’s start with a simple round of Truth or Drink. Don’t answer the truth and someone knows you’re lying, you drink. You get away with a lie and that’s that. Got it? Good. Jongho!”, Jisung pointed at Jongho as he shouted his name, the change in volume making you jump slightly against his legs, to which he laughed.
A simple hum answered him, Jongho leaning forward in his seat as Jisung copied him. His eyes darted down to you briefly before Jisung hummed obnoxiously loud, his eyes trailing back up to meet Jisung’s.
“Do you know who has the biggest dick?”
“Yeah.”, Jongho scoffed and turned his gaze to Seonghwa, “Hyung, did you eat my lunch yesterday?”
Seonghwa had the decency to look ashamed, his ears flushing red as he covered his mouth with his hand. He simply nodded and sat up straighter, staring daggers at Wooyoung who cowered away slightly. 
“Did you take my Star Wars Lego and re-gift it to me during the holidays?”
Wooyoung choked on air, his eyes widening in fear as Seonghwa stood from his spot, rage seeping from him as he made his way to the frantically mumbling Wooyoung. Hongjoong stopped them quickly but when Wooyoung muttered a small ‘yes’ before he booked it outside, Hongjoong had no hope against the force of angry Seonghwa as he barrelled after the culprit.
You sat in your spot, lips pressed together to stop the laughter from spilling through as Jisung cackled at your back, San looked unbothered, almost like he knew about the occurrences. The others looked slightly concerned for Wooyoung as scared screams from Wooyoung echoed as Seonghwa shouted profanities at him. Snacks were passed around as the chase continued outside and was soon forgotten as you ate, conversation flowing naturally until Seonghwa burst through the door with Wooyoung, a harsh grip on his ear as he dropped him where he was sitting previously. He retook his own seat, San patting his thigh comfortingly as Seonghwa huffed in anger. You let out a small giggle, the despair in his actions pulling it from you before you could stop it. The glare was turned to you quickly and you muttered apologies and bowed your head to him repeatedly, his glare leaving his eyes soon after as he calmed down fully.
“Oh Jisung~”, Wooyoung called out to your friend, “Have you kissed Y/n?”
Gasps filled the room and your jaw dropped, staring at the cocky look on Wooyoung’s face as he sipped his drink. Jisung hummed and ran his hand over your hair, your head shaking in response to the question before he grabbed the sides of it to stop you.
“No, but I can.”, he emphasized his point by planting a kiss on the top of your head, your jaw snapping shut as you punched Jisungs legs where you could reach.
“OK, since I asked someone already, San. Would you kiss one of the people beside you?”
You watched as his head turned to either side, glancing over his friends before he nodded, “Yeah. Probably would.”
A few cries of shock followed his answer, the two to his sides blushing red as they stared at the carpet below them. You smacked Jisung’s leg again, hand reaching for the snacks as the questions were passed between the rest of the boys. Soon enough, after a few angry chases through the backyard and a few insults here and there, your name was being called by Yeosang. You met his eyes easily, head tilted in question as you swallowed the mouthful of Doritos you had been crunching. 
“Would you make out with anyone in the room…minus Jisung?”, his eyes were curious as he held your gaze but you could feel the weight of the others’ darkened eyes on your frame as you thought for a moment.
With your eyes steadily on Yeosang, you licked your lips slowly, still thinking before you no longer had to, Yeosangs answering lip lick solidifying what you were, in all honesty, pretending to think about.
“Yes. In a heartbeat.”, your face lit up with a blush as they groaned, some shifting in their spots as others hid behind their hands to save face in front of you. 
“So why don’t you?”
“What?”, your head snapped to Jisung, a smirk playing at his lips as he watched the panic course through you. 
“Make out with one of them. I dare you.”
“This isn’t the game, Jisung.”
“Good thing a preliminary game of spin the bottle is next then huh?”
You groaned and smacked him, running your clammy hands over your face as you huffed out a breath of pure tension, “I think we get that you smashed together some games and forced us to play it for your pleasure.”
A few laughs greeted your ears, Jisung’s angry huff reaching you between the laughs before you had a smack landed on the top of your head. You groaned a little and rubbed your head, glaring up at Jisung from your spot. 
“Unnecessary!” 
“Shut up. Fine, we’ll just start the game. Since our dear Y/n decided to ruin our pre-game, she’ll spin first!~”, Jisung pushed you forwards slightly, your hands catching you as you fell forward. 
You sat upright with a huff and shook your head, reaching for the bottle that Yunho still held. The level of vodka in it had dropped and you raised an eyebrow, his sheepish smile answering all your questions. You let it go and set the bottle in the middle of your circle, sitting on your knees at arm’s length away from it, you grasped the body and spun it. Watching it spin, your heart rate picked up, the bottle slowly coming to a stop as you stared at it. You didn’t want to look away from it, if it had landed on him, you knew you would be found and there was no telling just what would happen. 
You felt all their gazes on you as you stared holes into the bottle, the neck pointing somewhere to your front right. A throat clearing made your shoulders jump, your eyes flicking away from the bottle in the general direction of Jisung behind you with a glare. You took a deep breath, staring at the bottle still. Exhaling sharply as you glanced up to meet your seeker’s eyes, you froze. You were fearing being seeked out by Wooyoung but seeing Hongjoong staring you down, head tilted down slightly and to the side as he smirked, his tongue peeking out between his teeth as he watched you, you knew you had been afraid of the wrong person. 
Red rushed over your face, a sympathizing chuckle coming from someone to your left and as you glanced over quickly, you were surprised to see Yeosang smirking at you in a similar way. The blush heated your face quicker, your cheeks burning as you glanced back at Hongjoong, who had shifted to kneel in his spot between Mingi and Jongho. You met his dark eyes, his head tilting further in silence as he picked up on your spike of fear.
“The captain first. How fitting! Now, you have to give her a dare! She can’t say no.”, Jisung interrupted your staring contest, your fear dying in your chest slowly as the look faded from Hongjoong’s face. 
A bright smile pulled at the captain's lips as he watched you closely, his hands clasping together on his thighs as everyone sat in nervous silence. 
“I dare you…”, Hongjoong met your apprehensive gaze as his darkened once more, Jisung at your back oblivious to the look as he flirted with San, “I dare you to go the rest of the night without your shirt on.”
Cat calls echoed around your head, your eyes widening as you held his gaze once more, his smile dropping into a smirk in a split second as you shook your head. 
“That’s unreasonable. I’m not-”, your denial was cut off by the sound of fabric ripping, your eyes darting down at the sudden chill on your torso only to see your shirt in two halves hanging around your hips. 
You gasped in shock, one of your favourite shirts ripped so easily but as you looked to the side to see Jongho and Yeosang with similarly hovering hands, you saw red.
“What the fuck?! I get this is a game to you all but I take destroying my possessions very seriously! So if one of you wants to stop and fucking think about how much I enjoy my possessions, that would be great!”
You were fuming. Your fists clenching as your chest heaved, eyes squeezed shut in anger while you tried to keep the tears away. Silence followed your outburst, gazes set on your form as Jisung rubbed your bare shoulders. 
“Well? Is anyone gonna say something? Anything to let me know that you aren’t complete assholes?!”
The continued silence made you huff, your eyes snapping open only to make eye contact with Seonghwa who was now kneeling in front of you, eyes darker than the night sky and swirling with an emotion you couldn’t quite place as his hand shot out to grip your chin between two long fingers. 
“I’d watch how you talk to us if you want to make it out later.”, his voice was deeper than you had ever heard it, rivaling Mingi’s as he leaned forward to whisper darkly in your ear, “You won’t be walking out of this house normally anyways, don’t make it worse for yourself, pet.”
He pulled away abruptly, his harsh grip leaving your face as it heated rapidly, his eyes brightening as he took his previous spot. All eyes were on you as you inhaled shakily, your eyes clearing of the anger that was previously swirling in them and instead fogging over in a headspace you never thought Park Seonghwa would be able to induce, even if just slightly as he promised you your demise. 
Jisung cleared his throat sharply, smacking his hands down on your shoulders. You jumped in your spot at the touch, your mind miles away from the current situation until that moment as Jisung began rambling off the rules again. 
“One minute to hide, as soon as you leave the room, Y/N, it’ll start. Hongjoong you have three to find her. You fail, you spin and swap out. Then it starts over until we either run out of men or our dear hider is found.”, Jisung made eye contact with everyone in the room, making sure they nodded before he slapped you over the head, “Get a move on! We only have so much time.”
You nodded slowly, avoiding the eyes of everyone as you stepped to the edge of the living room, your legs hesitating mid-step as you glanced back at Jisung for reassurance. Seeing his answering nod at your gaze, you sighed lowly and booked it from the room, your steps echoing as you clambered away from the heavy energy. Jisung’s shout for the timer starting had your heart quickening as you looked into every room you could, eyes searching for that perfect spot you knew no one would look in.
You even considered the trash can in the kitchen before you heard low laughs coming from the room across from it, looking up to see San watching you. The darkness in his eyes had you sprinting from any room even remotely close to the living room, your hands shaking as you considered just jumping in the shower or the linen closet and praying that whatever Hongjoong had planned for you was innocent and painless. 
You figured that closets, under beds, in the shower or behind curtains would be searched first, followed by behind chairs in corners or large piles of blankets or clothes, your mind racing with thoughts on how you could possibly hide in a way that would ensure you would be free to win the game and have the boys fight it out as they hid amongst themselves. Jisung shouted ‘20 seconds’ into the house, the slight murmur from the group dying down slightly as you froze, head turning around the room frantically.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck. Hide goddamnit!”, you scolded yourself, scanning every last corner of the room before you came up with a plan. 
Grabbing pants from the closet, you stuffed them haphazardly with pillows, standing them on shoes behind the curtains before closing them to create a space of darkness, Jisung starting a countdown from 15 seconds as you frantically stuffed another pair of pants to hold with you for your plan. 
“3!”
Your hands shook as you closed the door to the room, body pressed against the wall as tightly as possible to minimize the obvious gap when it opened.
“2!”
You held the pants and shoes in one arm, tucked against your chest as you covered your mouth with the waistband. 
“1!”
You heard shuffling from downstairs, your eyes closing as you tried to control your breathing. 
“Ready or not, here I come~”, Hongjoong’s voice carried up the stairs as he climbed them steadily, “I’ll find you sooner or later, bunny. You can hide, but you can’t run.”
The sharp edge to his words made you clam up, your hands slipping slightly and causing your elbow to knock against the door lightly. You gasped as quietly as you could, free hand clamping down harshly on your mouth as a shadow filled the doorway, the hallway light only silhouetting his figure as he opened the door. He swung it open slowly, his hand splayed on the wood as you waited for it to collide with your body. The hit was far from obvious as he left it to rest just centimeters from your body, his eyes narrowed and predatory as you shook slightly.
The curtain rings did you a favor, sliding slightly to adjust to the positioning and drawing his attention from the other side of the room. His smirk grew noticeably in the darkness of the room, the hallway lights seeming to glint off his canine as he stalked towards the curtains, his eyes trained down on the set of shoes just barely peeking from behind them. 
“Oh little bunny. You could’ve at least tried to get away~”, his smug look was wiped from his face as he violently pulled open the curtains, the noise allowing you to slip out of the room as Jisung shouted ‘2 minutes left’. 
The door creaked slightly as you snuck out of your spot, Hongjoong freezing as you booked it. A cruel laugh filled the air moments later as the sound of a door slamming shut took over the house. Shivers went down everyone's spines at the following laughter, his words making you stumble as you ran into the library room that was really just a desk and a few bookshelves. 
“If I find you, little bunny, you’ll wish you never ran. I’ll make sure of it. You’ll make such a pretty bunny for us, covered in our marks and drenched in our cum.”
He made no indication that he heard the door to the room squeaking but as you slid between the shelves on the wall of the door, your stuffed pants casting a shadow under the desk for him to see as he swung the door open fully, a mocking click of his tongue following, you knew he had heard it. 
“Oh bunny. You should’ve been quieter. Maybe then you would have had it easier.”, he stood still in front of the desk, his shoulders lifting with his heavy breaths as he stared down the top of it, “But poor bunny thinks we’re dumb-”
“Hey Captain! 10 seconds!”, Jisung shouted up the stairs.
“Your tricks may have worked, but whoever is next will not be as accepting of your tricks.”
“Game!”, Jisungs shout startled you slightly, Hongjoong leaving the room before he paused.
“Your little games will get you hurt, bunny. I’d be careful.”, he growled his words at you, fingers tapping against the bookshelf you were squished between as he left the room. 
You sighed in relief, slipping from your spot to breathe properly for a minute as you gathered your decoy, going back to gather your other one as Jisung shouted up to you that you have some extra time as the bottle spun. Your hands steadied quite quickly with the news, your hands working double time to stuff some more pillows into pants, placing one behind the curtains again, another in the shower, replacing the one under the desk and shoving one under a bed. All that was left was you, Jisung’s call of your official time starting putting the shake back in your hands.
You had one minute to hide again, your decoys calming your mind slightly until you ended up in front of the locked door at the very end of the hall. The red light that was usually on in the room was absent for now as you stared at it, a call of 30 seconds shaking your mind as you turned away from it, stumbling into the closest room you could reach. 
You looked around frantically, eyes finding the doors that led to a small balcony quickly. You huffed but gave in, opening the doors with a huff. You could hide behind chairs, the giant potted plant or you could stand on the edge and pray no one walked out. SIghing heavily, you pressed yourself against the wall beside a large plant right by the doors. A faint shout of Jisung’s voice told you that the new seeker was out and searching for you. Opening doors slowly sounded less muffled as he approached the room you were in, his voice muffled while he searched for you. The door to the room opened slower than the rest of the doors, the slow squeak of the hinges making you cringe as you pressed yourself against the cold wall. 
“I see you know what you’re doing. I don’t appreciate these little games you think you can get away with, doll. When we find you, you will regret it. Mark my words. If I don’t ensure it, then I know for a fact that the others will when they find out your little mind games. Jisung forbade us from telling the others what happens on our hunts…”, a door slammed open, “So you’re safe with your little decoys until someone doesn’t fall for them.”
The growl his voice took on was bone-chilling, the anger and anticipation behind it making you shiver more violently than the cold breeze had been, your entire body tensing as the patio doors opened one by one. 
“You’re lucky my time just ended, doll. A shame we don’t get to play just yet… I’ll have my chance with you and by god will you regret everything.”, his head poked through the doors, making eye contact with you immediately and you whimpered.
The smirk on his face was nothing less than cruel as he watched you shiver, your eyes wide as he watched you until you gasped, fully registering your situation. You shook your head, hands waving in front you as you stepped back slightly. 
“J-Jongho no, t-the time ended!”, your voice trembled as he watched you panic, an easy smile replacing his smirk.
“I’m aware, doll. It’s best you come inside for now if you keep planning to hide out here. You’ll get sick.”, he tugged you inside, his large hand warm against your smaller one as the warm air of the house washed over you.
“Thank you…”, you murmured as Jisung shouted for Jongho again, his heat disappearing back downstairs to spin the bottle as you warmed up slowly.
The minute it took for the bottle to land and Jisung to shout up to you felt like ages, your last decoy being replaced under blankets on a bed. Your brain was short-circuiting. You had no idea who was next, it could be Wooyoung, it could be Seonghwa or it could be Yeosang. Either way, you were terrified of those three for the moment as you slotted yourself under the bed the decoy was on. It was a dumb spot and you would be lying your ass off if you said you couldn’t hear past your own heartbeat for a few seconds as footsteps trailed up the stairs, oddly heavy for any of the boys. 
The sound of two doors swinging open at once sent alarm bells off in your head again as you picked up on two separate footstep patterns entering rooms opposite your hiding place. You had closed the door to be extra safe, leaving the door to the room of your last hiding place open just to throw them off. Regret filled your panicked being as you watched four shadows extend from under the door to the room you were in.
Of course they sent up two and of course Jisung allowed it. Why wouldn’t he? He was always rooting for your failure in a best friend way, just as he was always trying to get you laid. Maybe that was his plan with this godforsaken game, you thought. The door opened slowly with an extended creek sending shivers down your spine as you indirectly met Wooyoung's dark gaze from under the bed, San’s sharp eyes scanning the room slowly, gaze just as filled with a promise of danger.
Watching San’s arm lift to point subtly at the decoy on the bed, you let out the smallest whimper you could, hands clasped over your mouth and nose to hide your heavy breathing as they approached opposite sides of the beds. 
“Oh princess. You could have hid so much better!”, San’s voice was overly cheerful as you watched his foot tap in eight counts.
“Unless our little baby just couldn’t wait to be found~”, Wooyoung's voice matched San’s cheerful tone as he added to the teasing.
The swoosh of blankets covered the noises of shock they no doubt made, the muted thump made your heart race, knowing they wouldn’t leave the blankets on the floor to sweep up the dust of the day. The veined hands gripping the pile confirmed your thoughts, a slight peek of hair nearly exposing your spot as they bent to pull the covers over the decoy. They whispered to each other, the annoyance hidden in their tones now present as they scanned the room once more before they left with heavy steps.
Their posture screamed disappointment but being under the bed stopped you from seeing the small smirk shared between them as Jisung called time moments after your door closed. The silence and heat building in the room suffocated you slowly, your hands fumbling with the door until you were able to breathe in different air, your mind racing at the possibilities of them sending up another group of two, maybe even a group of three if Jisung was feeling like causing more chaos. 
The troublemakers next call of your time had you rushing into the bathroom, hands fumbling with the decoy to chuck it outside, no longer caring if it led whoever was next straight to you. You were flustered, scared and becoming increasingly panicked at what the others were planning as they sent away each seeker. A heavy set of footsteps trailed slowly up the stairs, your mind jumping Yunho as the stairs creaked under the weight of whoever was ascending. They had to be larger than Hongjoong or Yeosang, their stature a little too small for you to believe it was one of them making their way up
. Your thoughts came to a sudden stop as you heard a mumble, his deep voice chilling you to the bone as you realized it was probably Mingi who was now searching for you. You weren’t afraid of Mingi for the game, but he was observant when he needed to be and he needed to be, so you were concerned. Your hands trembled as you flattened yourself against the bottom of the tub, the showerhead staring you down threateningly as the sound of his footsteps got closer. 
The panic clouding your brain hid the change in heaviness of the steps, the lighter tone of the voice responding to someone you could only pray was downstairs, but hearing no shout from Jisung at that moment, you just knew they had sent up an overly coordinated pair. That, or they walked so slowly up the stairs trying to match their steps that they lost all of their time, Jisung’s voice shouting ‘5 seconds’ confirming your running thoughts as 3 separate voices began complaining. You could recognize the tones of Mingi, Yunho and Yeosang. A shiver traversed your spine as you realized that Yeosang could have found you in that moment, their overly careful planning to walk up the stairs saving you for one last round. Saving you for Seonghwa. 
Sitting up in the tub, you couldn’t help but think that maybe leaving you to Seonghwa last was on purpose. The feeling he gave you before, surrounded by the other boys in the circle only spelled danger and dominance. You were terrified of it. The sharp change in the way he acted towards you to how he acted on the regular like a Care Bear murdering a child. Unexpected and completely out of the usual character you were used to. Your mind raced at the hiding spots you could get away with, mentally checking off places you hid decoys or hid for the others until you reached the small office room in your pacing, Jisung’s delayed call of your start time only fueling your fear knowing that Seonghwa had probably asked for his call for your time to start later. Letting you sit in your panic, letting it build slowly for him to make it burst when he began his hunt.
HIs confidence was overwhelming from that one non-verbal cue to you and you knew he would find you, probably paid off Jisung to let the guys tell him where you were so he could narrow down your location. He was already in your head and Jisung had just called your start time, your hands shaking as you closed the office door slowly so the hinges wouldn’t creek as they did when Hongjoong had followed you into the room previously. 
Your decoy sat under the desk still and you sighed, deciding to hide between the shelves on the far right side of the room, the desk nearly perfectly parallel to your small hiding spot. Hongjoong’s mocking call of ‘ready or not, here he comes’ did nothing to help your nerves, your hands sweating against the dark wood of the bookshelf in front of you, your ears straining for any sound of Seonghwa that you couldn’t find.
He was deadly silent climbing the stairs, no doors squeaked as they opened (if he opened them) and you were trembling as the door to the office slowly swung open. The large, veined hand on the wood was the only thing giving away his presence until he stepped into the room, eyes fixed on the desk with an intensity you never saw in his eyes. His lips curled at the shadow under the desk, his head tilting as his tongue poked out to run over his plush bottom lip.
“I appreciate your commitment to the decoy under the desk, pet. It’s clever. For dumb little girls who don’t know when to give themselves up.”
His voice was deep again, eyes never leaving the desk as he approached it, hands slamming down the surface. He hung his head slightly, his fluffy hair dropping to hide his eyes from your  fearful gaze. 
“I’ll give you a choice, pet. You come out of your own free will, walk downstairs with me in that pretty little bra and we go easy on you.”, he scoffed out a small laugh, his hands drawing your attention as he reached into his pocket, a small pocket knife glinting in his pretty hands, “Or~ You don’t. I pull you from that pathetic little hiding spot and drag you down those stairs where you get used by us until you can’t even lift a finger. Jisung was a good little boy…”
The silence made him hum, his hand flipping the knife open and closed over and over with a steady click. He laughed mockingly as the silence carried, your stubbornness amusing him as he tilted his head.
“He was too easy for San to seduce. All it took was a few touches on his thigh, some compliments and he was caving, telling us all your dirty little kinks. Yeah he gave us everything we needed to know. And then he left!”
His cruel laugh made you tear up. Of course Jisung caved to San’s false advances. The fucker probably took the car too, not even leaving you a text to explain how he fed you to the wolves. You were drawn from your angry thoughts towards Jisung by the rough scrape of the blade on the wooden surface of the desk. 
“I’ll give you… one minute. You had a minute to hide for us. You get a minute to decide how good you want to be for us.”, He was standing up straight again, his fingers drumming the desk as he put the knife away. 
The silence was only broken by his drumming and a slow, mocking countdown to your inevitable demise, his voice deep but airy as he counted to your end. Your heartbeat was rapid in your chest and you could swear if Seonghwa was silent for even a second, he’d hear it pounding against the wood of the bookshelf. Your thoughts overwhelmed your awareness of your actions, your breathing getting a little out of hand with your increasing heart rate as the countdown dropped to ‘5~’ and suddenly stopped.
By the time your mind caught up with the lack of counting and the heat of the darkened eyes suddenly on you, a harsh grip was on your hair, pulling you from your spot roughly. You hadn’t even seen him move, your legs buckling at the sudden motion, causing you to stumble into Seonghwa’s chest, his eyes beating down on the top of your head as you pushed away from him slightly to get some space for your racing thoughts to calm. You had no time to begin to calm yourself as his soft lips brushed your ear teasingly, his voice nothing but a growl as he whispered to you. 
“Run for me now, pet. Let’s have some fun~”
Your mind ran blank as he nudged you towards the door, your feet carrying you faster out of the room, your panic leading you to the bathroom once more, closing the door with much more force than necessary. The coldness of the tub stole your breath as you laid down again, the reflection of the showerhead letting you see the door open slowly just as every other door had. The image was too distorted for closer objects, a slight blur showing you Seonghwa’s figure walking further into the room but not allowing you further sight on him. You closed your eyes, trying to calm your breathing and your heart to listen to his movements.
Hearing none, just a slight shuffle you were sure you made, you opened your eyes just in time to see his large hand twisting the cold water tap for the shower. You gasped at his hand, his dark eyes peeking around the curtain just as ice cold water poured down onto you from above, your eyes closing as you shrieked at the cold, hands raising to try and block some of the stream. They were soon tugged down though, a new face hovering above yours as you thrashed about in the tub, heart racing as you glanced up.
———
part 2
there’s just something about cruel seonghwa that gets me going istg
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helluva-shit-show · 8 months
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So I was re-watching "Oops" grabbing some screenshots for a different rant when it occurred to me, damn, Striker really should not have been in this episode. I know it's not a hot-take, lots of ppl have said this already, but I mean even for the way the writers want the show to go, right down to tone, they really botched an opportunity. I'll let someone else talk about how Striker working with Crimson makes both antagonists so much less intimidating, right now I'm just gonna focus on the narrative so far, and unfortunately for a lot of critics of the main ship it's pushing, this will have a lot to do with Stolitz.
So when we first meet Striker, it's in "The Harvest Moon Festival". The episode starts with Stolas inviting Blitz and the gang to be his royal guests at said festival. Blitz makes him promise it's neither murder work nor a sex thing and Stolas agrees. This is (to the audience's knowledge) the first time Stolas has invited Blitz out to be seen together publicly without any strings attached. He's not being bought, he's not acting as a bodyguard, and he's not expected to bang anyone at the end of the day.
Blitz meets Striker, Striker boosts up Blitz's ego immediately, they enter the pain games together, split the win, have a general good time, and at some point off screen, Blitz offers Striker a job at I.M.P.
And then Blitz catches Striker trying to kill Stolas. He's pissed, but not as pissed as he gets when Striker almost causes him to shoot Moxxie.
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Blitz bites the man and puts a hole through the wall during the fight. They really go at it, it's a pretty intense fight, and you can really feel the rage in Blitz during it.
Putting a pin in Stiker for a minute, let's skip to the next episode, "Truth Seekers" we get a peek into Blitz's headspace surrounding Stolas. He feels chained to Stolas, but through his expressions during the staircase climb, it feels like he wants it to be more than just transactional. Well, at the least, hopes it can be more. Stolas swoops in at the end of the episode and (not without belittling Blitz verbally) saves Blitz and the people he most cares about. And then Stolas asks for a "reward". This 100% highlights Blitz's torn feelings. Does he let himself believe the care is real, or is it just for sex at the end? Well...
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He got his answer didn't he? Stolas doesn't stand up to Ozzie for him. He doesn't make a clear statement that Blitz is more than just a cheap lay. And that hurts.
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At the end of the night Blitz can barely get the words out to set a boundary for himself.
The next time we see these two interact is in "Seeing Stars". Do we get to see the resolve of the night at Ozzie's? Nope. But something has clearly changed since then, bc not only does Blitz show genuine concern for Stolas and try to reassure him, at one point, briefly, he's even receptive to Stolas's flirting again.
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Two episodes later, Striker is back. Blitz very much so has complicated feelings surrounding Stolas at this point, but he shows not just concern, but both fear and rage again at the thought of Striker harming Stolas.
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One could definitely argue at this point that this is about his means to continue his business and source of income and that of his employees, but there is something to be said about him almost cancelling Loona's doctor appointment to go save the rotten owl. Loona is always Blitz's first priority, and though a single vaccine might seem small in comparison to a life, if it really took five years for an appointment, that could be his daughter's life as well, assuming "hellbies" is just rabies but it's in hell. He thought about it. He was ready to turn the car around when Millie and Moxxie stepped in.
And even though Striker got majorly character assassinated in the episode, he tore up Stolas really bad. Him and his angelic weapons do carry real stakes with them, however much they want to make him a joke character. (Again, such a waste of potential)
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With the narrative we know the writers are going with, Blitz does care about Stolas. The realization he can get hurt is probably shocking and terrifying to Blitz. He'd probably both be angry with himself for not going, but getting to the original point, he'd probably be furious at Striker.
Now I know Helluva has a huge tone issue. Is it a comedy? A lot of the time, yeah. Is it a drama? There's definitely drama in it. Romance? Highly debatable. Horror? I mean, it does take place in literal hell, so. Action? It's mixed in there too.
Personally though, I would like to think that the next time Blitz saw Striker, he'd tear him to shreds. I'd think the tone would be on the more serious side. He's hurt Millie and Moxxie very badly in Harvest Moon, he's hurt Stolas to the point he was hospitalized, that's three of the four people Blitz is currently close with. Narratively speaking, Striker could easily be Blitz's main external antagonist. It works both from a more action based tone, but also if you want to push Stolitz, which we know they do. And yet...
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He's just an irritation for Blitz.
He didn't need to be there, it could have just been Crimson and his sharks. Would it have felt weird having him be a stand alone villain again just 3 episodes after he was first introduced, sure. But not any weirder than Stella's personal hitman looking for work in Greed and just happening to find it with said Mafia boss.
I know this was a Blitz/Fizz episode, I get that, I'm not complaining about that, hell, it literally could have been just them figuring their shit out together. But that just makes it even more glaring that Striker shouldn't have been there. This wasn't about him, this wasn't for him.
He's cowboy themed, right? And he's given Blitz plenty of reason to beat the absolute shit out of him? After hurting Stolas like that, (narratively speaking) his next showdown with Blitz should have been some high noon duel shit. Blitz rocked the vest in Harvest Moon, just give him the duel revolvers and start counting steps.
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chaifootsteps · 7 months
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Re: Loona calling Moxxie fat
I remember people bringing it up as fat-shaming and the defenders going “it’s an ironic joke bc he’s NOT fat duh!”
And I just…so, what, the irony is Loona is just a huge bitch that says whatever to be hurtful? (Which says something about choosing fat of all things.) Like aside from the fact body dysmorphia is a thing someone could suffer from and see themselves as fat when they’re skinny and calling them fat would be cruel—even if it was intended to be irony it’s not really that funny??
Idk even from like an edgy offensive humor’s view I don’t really see any appeal there from a joke or irony standpoint? It’d be like calling Millie a dumb blonde even though she isn’t blonde yk? There’s just no substance.
I'll confess, I actually used that one to defend it too until someone pointed it out that that's still the kind of thing that gives people eating disorders in real life.
Either way, if there was ever a time for the Moxxie fat jokes, it was before Truth Seekers. The fact that Blitzo is still treating Moxxie like shit and calling him fat after promising to be a better friend shows that Vivzie isn't actually interested in having her characters develop, not if it means she misses out on even a single cheap joke she wanted to do.
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ecoamerica · 2 months
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youtube
Watch the American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 now: https://youtu.be/bWiW4Rp8vF0?feature=shared
The American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 broadcast recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by active climate leaders. Watch to find out which finalist received the $50,000 grand prize! Hosted by Vanessa Hauc and featuring Bill McKibben and Katharine Hayhoe!
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silverlining317 · 11 months
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Seeking Advice
@hinnymicrofic July Day 9:Broomstick
''It was a fresh, breezy sort of day and as they passed the Quidditch stadium, Harry glimpsed Ron and Ginny skimming over the stands and felt a horrible pang that he was not up there with them. . . . ''-                                                    Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix, Chapter 25,  a.k.a Harry and Cho disaster date.
"Weasley, 10 minutes have passed. Bring me that snitch. NOW!"- Angelina yelled
"I'm trying" -Ginny spun harder. They had started practice thirty minutes ago and it felt like forever. 
She loved Quidditch, she loved flying, she loved Quidditch, she loved flying, Ginny repeated to herself, going around in circles in the sky. Although to tell the truth, the lack of action was beginning to creep up on her nerves.  Angelina, Alicia, and Katie flew from one side of the court to the other in shimmering splendor. Like three parts of the same person, scoring goal after goal, despite her brother's best attempts.
Meanwhile, Ginny was flying at low speed near the entrances of the stadium in search of an invisible gold. Instead, what was visible at that moment was the line of students heading towards the castle gates towards Hogsmade. Line in which a certain couple she desperately avoided thinking about was heading for a dream date.
-''Weasley''- Angelina stopped near her- ''Keep your eyes on the pitch. 12 minutes have passed since I dropped that snitch. HARRY COULD CATCH IT IN LESS THAN 4.5!"
 "But Harry is busy with Cho right now," Alicia laughed and the whole team joined her. Including Ginny who gave her fakest laugh to date. Ron somehow seemed to notice her pain. 
It was not surprising that Harry had no feelings for her, she was a lousy seeker, unlike Cho who, even with everything that was happening, had managed to resume her performance and finish the previous match in 15 minutes.
-''BY THE BEARDS OF MERLIN!''- Angelina flew in her direction once again- ''Is Ravenclaw paying you to make us lose the final? Or is it that your boyfriend convinced you to sabotage us? THE SNITCH JUST PASSED BY YOU, OR IS IT THAT YOU ARE SO DISTRACTED THINKING ABOUT ...''
At that very moment the quaffle sped by millimeters from Angelina's ear, to Katie's apologetic cries behind her, but before Angelina could react Ginny stepped forward catching the red leather ball against her chest. Just what she needed, Ginny thought.
Angelina extended her arm: ''Throw it back to me, if it's not too difficult for you...''
But before she could finish that sentence, Ginny was already halfway towards the posts. His brother's expression filled with terror as he quickly readjusted back into his Keeper position. Ginny just smiled at him, and with the accumulated frustration of that day, that practice and that date, she threw the quaffle with all her might. The ball described a perfect parabola on its way to the center of the third and highest hoop.
-''WEASLEY'' - Angelina screamed like never before.
"That's 10 points" -Ginny said.
-WEASLEY DOWN IMMEDIATELY- Angelina said
-"Which Weasley?" -Ginny asked innocently.
-''DOWN OR YOU ARE OUT OF THE TEAM''
Ginny nodded and descended to the center of the court, followed by her captain.
-''You owe me 10 laps for disobeying me.'' - Angelina said- ''15 for not being able to catch a snitch... and 20 for not telling me before that you could play as a chaser.''
Angelina fought the smile on her face and for a moment Ginny thought she heard a ''That was wicked'' from her captain.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Back in the Gryffindor common room, after the longest shower of her life, and the most shameless gossip session with Hermionie (in which obviously cupids and tea rooms were not lacking). Ginny saw Harry alone at the Gryffindor common room, watching the last of the night's flames fade away.
"Harry" -Ginny came closer- "Do you mind if I sit down?"
"Go ahead" -Harry pretended to go back to his nearly empty essay, though for minutes he didn't write anything.
"Actually I came because I need your help in a delicate matter " -Ginny said.
Harry rests the quill on his lap and leans into her a little. Always used to secrets.
-''Angelina threatened to kick me out of the team if I didn't improve my skills...''- Ginny began, earning Harry's interest- ''and well, it's not that I think you're the best, nor the youngest seeker in 100 years, but Charlie doesn't answer my letters, and well I don't think the rest of the teams want to help their rival, so...''
"So you want me to give you some advice?" Harry said beginning to smile.
-"No need to be so smug about it" -Ginny tossed him a piece of parchment which Harry quickly caught.
"First, it's the reflexes..." Harry said.
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nicnavarrocage · 3 months
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Obnoxiously and Conveniently Venting Over Personal Issues Because I Have to Part 1
I'm pretty ignorant. I'm critical against a lot of things, I'm pretty intolerant, and I'm really idolent.
I'm inexperienced, I have a small variety of interests (mostly occupied by Andrew Hussie's works) and I think I'm going insane.
I sometimes can't handle opinions and often never precisely remember things that others think are important. My short term memory boosts these issues to another extent. May I inform my mind has been rotten?
Of course, I think what I've been diagnosed with at a young age is a disability and not a speciality or a personality quirk (seriously, what the hell?), because it might've given me issues I've rarely gotten to notice or might could notice at some point in my life.
I'm socially inept. My parents are afraid that if I meet someone in real life, I would be glad to hurt him or her. And I would, sadly.
The key thing to do when first meeting someone is to not be intimidating or dangerous, otherwise your client would run off ignoring you. But I can't even do it.
I'm acting like a lolcow on the internet. I can't even bother to act like a normal person because I've been demolishing my psychosis with endless re-runs of True Capitalist Radio, host of which inspired me to be who I am at my teenage years (he's an angry conservative mind you).
Most notable of all, I'm terminally online, but I only go to 4 websites. YouTube, DeviantArt, only one subreddit, and this very hellsite.
Not to mention, am I an attention seeker too? You can tell by this very post.
I need help. I don't want that hippie shit or anything that's overly positive and too sappy. I want ground truth. Not from people who obsess over their horoscopes or people with lousy opinions.
I want advice.
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I see so many people say that Blitzø doesn't feel any guilt or remorse for robbing Verosika in the past, that he willingly goes out of his way to publicly humiliate her for no reason, and that he doesn't take any accountability for his past actions, and it baffles me to no end.
There are many bad HB takes that make me say "Are we watching the same show?" but this is the one i've been wanting to talk about lately.
Blitzø never denies or corrects what Verosika says about him. He says "Goddammit w**re, you will NOT let that go!" Implying that he DID do it. His bad trip in Truth Seekers shows her not only angry at him for pushing people away when they try to get close to him, but he doesn't retaliate. He doesn't even respond. He just has a look of regret on his face when she calls him out.
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That broken heart on her cheek, which mind you, looks like a normal undamaged heart in reality, is an indication that Blitzø KNOWS he broke her heart. All he tries to do is run away from her instead of making excuses or trying to defend himself. Deep down, Blitzø DOES feel bad about hurting Verosika.
When she talks shit about him in Ozzie's, again, he doesn't even say anything. He looks guilty and ashamed of what he did to her.
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And for the record, Verosika doesn't come off much better than Blitzø for not moving on and subjecting him to public humiliation at every chance she can get to the point of assaulting his employees just for being associated with him. Moxxie didn't deserve to be gangbanged against his will. He had nothing to do with Blitzø and Verosika's breakup.
She also didn't have to willingly steal their only parking space left and spray paint on their logo. It's not like she didn't know her ex was working there. She did that on purpose. Nobody forced her to summon a gaint sea monster on Earth. She did that on her own accord.
To people who say that Blitzø subjects Verosika to public humiliation just as much as she does to him, no, he really doesn't. In Spring Broken, he didn't even know that it was her who stole his only parking space available for him until she stepped out of her car. He was just mad that ANYONE would have the nerve to purposefully take his only place left to park his car. It's not like he yelled at her just for being there. He didn't even say anything to her in Ozzie's until she joined Fizz and Ozzie in on their roasting song. He was actively trying to avoid her and almost forgot she was even there up to that moment. The only time he publicly humilates her is when he gets her arrested on Earth, and even that was done out of revenge for sexually harassing Moxxie.
The only thing you could really count as Blitzø "not taking accountability" for stealing Verosika's car, spending her credit card on horse riding lessons and breaking her heart is that he hasn't really apologized for it yet. But just because he hasn't apologized, that doesn't necessarily mean that he's proud of hurting her or that he doesn't feel any remorse for it.
Verosika also needs to get over it already, because it's been YEARS since they broke up and not letting Blitzø forget about it isn't doing any good for her mental health. And no, it's not victim-blaming to say so. Brandon Rogers said that Verosika was just as responsible for their relationship ending on bad terms as Blitzø was and that she wasn't a flawless girlfriend any more than he was a flawless boyfriend. I haven't actually seen the source for this, but I can imagine that once it becomes undeniable evidence that Verosika wasn't a completely blameless saint and that Blitzø was also possibly hurt by her just like she was by him, her stans will NOT take it very well at all.
Also, if either of them isn't taking responsibility or being held accountable for their actions, it's Verosika. I haven't seen her bring up anything she might've did to Blitzø in the past (the only reason he doesn't is because he's clearly moved on and she hasn't) nor I have seen her feel any remorse for what she did to Moxxie. It's totally possible that the reason for that is because she knows that as a rich and famous musician, she'll get off scot free and her in-universe fans will take her side no matter what. Not because she "did nothing wrong".
I wonder how many people would absolve Verosika of her own actions if she were a man and Blitzø was a woman. Imagine a man who was still bitter at an ex-girlfriend for something shitty she did years ago back when they dated, raped one of her employees just to upset her, and bragged about how passionate of a lover he was in bed while she "did no reciprocating" just to publicly humiliate her because he won't let go of the past even if she already has. Or, imagine an ugly poor woman doing the same instead of a beautiful celebrity with big boobs. I'm pretty sure only THEN would people realize that Verosika isn't exactly as innocent as people make her out to be....
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This is the look of regret in Blitzø's bad trip that I mentioned earlier. You CAN'T tell me that he doesn't look guilty here.
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splatasha-jumpinoff · 2 years
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To not grow old in | n.r
Pairing : Natasha Romanoff x truth!seeker reader
Warnings : None.(angst?)
Summary : You`re there when Clint comes back without Natasha. But are you really? 870 words.
Song : Another love - Tom Odell. A/N : i am no writer. This is just for fun.
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"See you in a minute." Natasha smiles, giving your hand one last squeeze before dissapearing in a flash. A vague smell of peach scented shampoo hung in the space she previously occupied.
You tried to remind yourself that she would be alright. She was a trained assassin, she knew what she was getting into. You knew she wouldn't get herself into a situation unless she saw a way out. You tried to ground yourself in that knowledge and in the lingering feeling of her palm in yours.
A beeping sound started coming from the computers Bruce was sitting at. Beep, beep, beep. The sound was disturbingly familiar, almost like a-
"Something is wrong on Clint's side!" Bruce yelled while furiously typing away.
Clint's side? Natasha was on that side.
"What's wrong Bruce?" As the words died on your tongue, one of the miniscule lights on one of the many screens plastered on the wall flickering then going out. A bad feeling made your heart skip a beat.
"Bruce-" Before you could ask a second time, the sound of your teammates returning filled the room. A minute had already passed.
The bad feeling only spread further as you noticed the absence of Natasha and Clint. What had happened?
"Where's Clint?" Steve still sported a cheerful look despite the others quickly catching up with the fact that something was up. A few seconds later, a beaten up Clint made his appearance in a burst of light, a yellow stone clutched in his hand.
But you couldn't care less about Clint's state, or the stupid stone, or the looks the team was exchanging. Where was Natasha?
"Clint...?" Your voice trailed, almost inaudible. You couldn't bear thinking about the worst, no matter how much Natasha insisted you do so in the past. The look he gave you made your knees weak.
"She's gone."
Two words. Two words you had foolishly hoped to never hear in your lifetime. You felt the world sway, and you would've colla^psed right there had it not been for Scott catching you in time.
"Y/N-"
"No! Surely we can do something about it! I can go back in time, I can save her-"
"Y/N." Clint was by your side now, arm extended towards you. "She's gone. Even if we could go back, there's no pills left." His voice wavered. "She's gone."
You felt numb. There's no way she would be gone. You were going to sleep and wake up to her smiling face tomorrow. The image of emerald green eyes still hazy with sleep staring at you in adoration filled your head.
Clint touched your arm, and before you could recoil, scenes started playing through your mind like some grotesque movie;
Clint and Natasha, talking to what seemed to be one of Harry Potter's Azkaban guards.
Clint and Natasha, racing toward the edge of a cliff.
"It's okay." A whispered pardon while she dangled from the end of a flimsy rope.
Then a thud.
The vision ended abruptly, your powers coming to a stop, leaving you wide eyed and panting. So he was saying the truth. She's gone.
She's gone.
She's gone.
She's gone.
The phrase rang through your mind like a mantra. It still didn't sound like the truth, but your powers never lied. It brought an anger with it. And anger was better than crying. Better than showing weakness.
"What are you still doing here? Don't you have a gauntlet to make?" Your voice was harsher than you meant, but you didn't care.
One by one, they exited the warehouse, casting worried and apologetic glances towards the ring on your left hand. It wasn't fair, she was their teammate as well. But you didn't want their pity. Not now, not later.
Not never.
She had promised.
"'till the end of the line."
She was the best there was.
You scoffed."was". That's what death did. It turned "is" into "was".
You don't know how you got there, but after a while you became aware aware that you were in your room, sobs getting louder by the second.
-
You wake up in a cold sweat, your alarm blaring in the deserted apartment. The window is open, a cold breeze swaying the curtains.
After shutting the windows, you quietly pad through the cold kitchen to the small living room, turning on the TV on and setteling on a rerun of FRIENDS. the nightmare was already fading from your memory.
"Fanny!" Silence. "Fanny girl! C'mon Fanny." A shuffling sound was heard, and your dog stumbled in the living room, plopping on the couch beside you and providing a source of warmth for your frozen feet.
On the kitchen table? your computer lays forgotten. A notification lits up the screen, a messge from your friend. Your browser is open, a few news articles and other pieces related to what your thesis was going to be;
"The multiverse : Real or fake? A study by Dr. Strange."
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mushi-shield · 2 years
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so I re-watch  Blitzo song from truth seeker and stolas song from  The Circus
and 
they both see the other as the one with the higher power in there relationship.
that’s all, I just wanted to share what I notice
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astrolovecosmos · 2 years
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~Sagittarius Season~
What are some keywords or stereotypes that come to mind when you think of Sagittarius? Adventurer, traveler, wanderlust, maybe life of the party, comedian, typically you probably think of some sort of globetrotter or maybe a very forward, boisterous, fiery person. While Fire is connected to being extroverted and Sagittarius is the icon for traveling and “commitment issues”, their main traits don’t always add up to these stereotypes.
Honesty/bluntness: Being open and honest does not = outgoing or bubbly. It may mean naive, wearing one’s heart on their sleeve, or just plain being truthful. I’m sure many Sagittarius are very blunt, even downright insensitive but honesty can come out with gentleness or politeness. Sagittarius is also associated with storytelling, exaggeration, ethics, being a know-it-all, and some may describe them as charismatic or at least funny and entertaining. Sagittarius can have a complex relationship with truth and that doesn’t always manifest as being extremely forward, tactless, awkward, or rude.
Optimism: Sagittarius is the famous optimist. Typically astrologers describe their disposition as happy-go-lucky and carefree. When looking at Sagittarius Sun, Moons, Risings, and really any of the personal planets I think it is good to be reminded that even though Sagittarius are normally idealistic they can still suffer from depression, they can be deep and sensitive... and with their philosophical side this may be more obvious or maybe heavy than people assume. Sagittarius who mature or face many heartbreaks and disappointments can form a more serious or intense nature, but for most it doesn’t erase their optimism, but it likely re-shifts it. Another way to look at Sagittarius’s optimistic trait is “forward-thinking”. They are always looking towards the future, believing the grass is greener on the other side, they are a sign of hope, and sometimes they may look at the future with fear and despair, but I’d like to think for most this is a temporary viewpoint or setback.
Inquisitive: Seeker, questing, adventuring - these are all things associated with Sagittarius. Much like their polar opposite Gemini they have a great curiosity. They have a spark and hunger for life that can be hard to satisfy. Sagittarius likes to ask the big questions, sometimes they live in what ifs, they think more abstractly or possibly impractically. They crave knowledge but maybe more so experiences. They embody the spirituality of fire that doesn’t involve just vitality and courage but understanding, acceptance, and belief.
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vacker-katastrof · 7 months
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Helluva Boss: S2 E7 - "You're Gonna Die Alone" Theory
TL;DR at the bottom. Okay, so I was re-watching Helluva Boss S1 E8, and with Oops being out, I think this deserves to be noticed. I'm 90% sure I'm not the only person who noticed this and is theorizing it, but since we might get the episode tomorrow (written Oct. 28th, 2023) I figured I'd suck up my anxiety and just throw this out there. lol
When Blitz is back home from the party with Loona he says that Fizz was right, and that he's gonna die alone. But in Oops, we got proof via flashbacks and dialogue that immediately before the fire, they were on good terms. After that, they didn't meet up again for 15 years, they confirm that when they realize someone (I assume we'll find out exactly who tomorrow/Halloween) made them think the other didn't care anymore immediately following the accident. And at the beginning of Oops Blitz states they've only seen each other twice in 15 years, so at Ozzie's, then running into him at Greed. If we go back to S1 E7 to when Blitz and Fizz first see each other again at Ozzie's, Fizz never said that Blitz would die alone. He commented that his love life "is a pile of shit", but this "die alone" quote didn't come from the disaster at Ozzie's. We did hear it in "Truth Seekers", but it was Blitz repeating it to himself - and before you comment the hallucination of Fizz already had robotic limbs, remember by this point in time we know Blitz is aware of Fizz' robotic limbs since he worked and Loo-Loo land with the robot for awhile. Now, yes, the robot could have said it, but Blitz's emotional reaction when he repeats it makes be believe it was said by the real Fizz.
With the GIFs we're getting, and since frames in "Helluva Boss 2022 Trailer" have all been fulfilled except for the last batch that are just of Ozzie, Fizz, a reference to Mammon, and Blitz/Fizz as teens, I think we're gonna get one more flashback, hopefully with dialogue and more substance. Continuing onto the theory;
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
These teen Fizz/Blitz frames in particular are what make me think the following: Fizz said this to Blitz back when they were teenagers, but he didn't mean it with malice. From the flashback we just got, Fizz was happy to see Blitz and Blitz appeared to be trying to tell Fizz he had feelings for him. So, if we take into account the image Blitz has of Fizz and him on his phone wearing Mammon-brand clothing, the concert shot could be part of the flashback. Perhaps, on their way to said show or back from it, whatever is making Fizz look happy here might have something to do with adoration of something/someone, the cliché of "love sounds great" comes to mind as a reason, and when Blitz looks away nervously he's probably going to say something about not meeting the right person or just avoiding what would be awkward for him. In response, perhaps Fizz says something the effect of "you're going to die alone if you never try to find someone". If that is what happens, I'll bet this is what gave Blitz the initial push to write that letter he planned to give Fizz. But then of course we got the flashback in Oops and see that didn't really go well.
So, the TL;DR for my theory is: I think we'll get a flashback of Blitz and Fizz when they go to a Mammon concert (maybe a gift for Fizz's birthday before the smaller party in the circus), Fizz makes the comment while they're on an romantic topic or something involving love/adoration, Blitz writes the letter, then loses the courage to actually give it to him when Cash gave Fizz that "wish you were my son" birthday card. Which, hell, of course that probably made Blitz feel even more "less than" compared to Fizz than he already felt. It was just the last straw that confirmed that Fizz was way out of Blitz's league.
Anyway, that's just my opinion, and that's what I think would make the most sense for a flashback portion since Oops only gave us a small explanation and left at least me with just as many questions as answers.
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ladedanixie · 8 months
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I'm just gonna address this under the cut.
I love helluva boss. Its not a perfect show, but I deeply enjoy it and have re-watched it to death, especially when I was in bad spot. So when I critique it, its not from a place of hatred or pettiness, its more from a place of knowing how good it could be with better execution and focus. Now that I have gotten that out of the way, onto what I wanna say.
Just because someone critiques the show, or dislikes something you liked, does not mean they lack media comprehension or are just a hater. For example, Western Energy and Ozzie's being addressed in texts on Stolas' phone or people not understanding Blitz also cares about Stolas. Or even Seeing Stars, or Queen Bee not giving time to have an awkward moment or two. They say it'll be addressed eventually or its subtext.
And I'd concur. The show isn't over yet, it has 2 and 1/2 seasons more to go. But, that doesn't mean everything done so far is perfect.
First off, I understand that Blitz cares, Truth Seekers proves that, Ozzie's proves that, but if you're defending the texts in Western Energy or even the picture Blitz has on his phone of him and Stolas in Ozzie's, I'd like to counter that with not everyone is as obsessed with the show as you or me. There are casual fans, who yes, will throw their hat in the ring and critique the show, they usually don't pause or go back to read or double check the photos. That and some world-building elements, like the difference between Sinners and demons and imps, aren't explicitly addressed in the show. Sure Season 2 has somewhat addressed it, but there wasn't clarity and most causal viewers only know because other more invested viewers tell them. I know this because I'm a huge fan, and my friend who I got into the show, often asks for explanations.
People nitpick sometimes sure, like in Oops, when most people asked why didn't they just shoot Fizz (my friend was one of them), whereas I didn't think anything of it (probably mostly because I play dnd and I accepted Fizz's song as a Nat 20 on performance). Or claimed the song was too long, I loved the song and how long it was.
But nitpicks aren't bad, nor is all nitpicks made by solely casual fans. And not all critiques are nitpicks. I personally think that some bring up good points. Such as Western Energy and how Ozzie's was addressed in a series of texts between Blitz and Stolas, which if you blinked, you could have missed it. That and in order to read them, you would have to go back and go by frame by frame to read it. Pausing in-between. I am not of the belief that the texts should have been cut, but I do believe it could have been acknowledged if only a little in Seeing Stars (which I do have my opinions on, but I'll that in another post.) Because that would have been better structurally and could have set up the texts better.
Now to address another argument people make against critiques. And I will use Season 2 as my main example. Most people argue that the reason why Season 2 has gotten so much flack is due to people's built up expectations, the fanon, they created in their head. And sure that might be true. I've seen it in the reaction to Stella, which Sarcastic Chorus on youtube did a fantastic video on that that addresses the issue about that far better than I ever could. So check that out.
But I'll touch on it here anyway. Season 1 Stella was barely fleshed out. All we knew was that she was angry that Stolas cheated. Some eagle eyed views noticed her anger seemed to be mostly about him sleeping with an Imp and not the cheating, but aside from that, a picture, and a few split second scenes (Pilot: Blitz apologizing to her. Her telling Stolas to get up instead of her. Octavia briefly mentioning her.) We didn't know anything else about her. Some folks theorized about her in ways that created a lot of depth, only for Season 2 to reveal she was purely one dimensional with no sympathetic virtues whatsoever.
She was an abusive wife bound to Stolas out of a non negotiable duty to the Goetia family. It absolved Stolas of any responsibility or fault. Western Energy took it a step further and then robbed her of any weight as a villain in the story by introducing her brother and making him the mastermind. While Stella was painted as a pretty, petty, short-sighted, spoiled, impulsive brat. Which that's ok. I'm fine with her one dimensionality. Since the show never promised more than that. But some folks were really angry about it, claiming that the show did promise more. Now, that is a good example of building castles out of nothing but a potential future. Not to say that people aren't allowed to be disappointed with Stella's lack of depth. Because while the show didn't promise more, the lack of concrete evidence to the contrary allowed the space for potential. Thus, this is also a good example of how the show could have avoided this, if it were only clearer about Stella's personality from the beginning. Perhaps a scene or two more illustrating this.
This doesn't mean, that I think the creators suck. I do think they are doing the best they can, and are putting a lot of effort into the story. No, I don't think that I could do it better. Which sidebar, sometimes dissatisfaction with the execution of a story, and wanting to do it better i.e. your way, can lead to some pretty cool things. Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao comes to mind (The author took inspo from Darling in the Franxx, they were unhappy with how it executed it's concept and they took it and made Iron Widow.) Or any multitude of fanfic. Or stories inspired by stuff in the public domain. But critique is ok, it helps with becoming a better writer/story teller. It tells you what works and what doesn't. Moreover, critique is always a suggestion not a command. Yes, haters exist, entitled fans exist, and people who completely miss the point exist. And yes, smaller projects tend to get more flack, especially when it involves queer stories, but that doesn't mean the rest is all noise. Multiple things can be true at once.
Claiming that people just don't understand subtlety or that they are plain stupid, is just disheartening. As though the only way to enjoy a show is to do so without complaint. I will admit I dislike negativity as much as the next person. I do in fact avoid it. Hell sometimes I don't like seeing critique. And yes, people are allowed to dislike, or express distaste with people critiquing the show. But again, it feels as though its being held on a pedestal, as though it can do no wrong, and its kinda a dangerous mindset to maintain. Nothing is above critique, nothing is perfect, and that includes your favorite shows.
Now does this mean that Helluva Boss is inherently a bad show? No. Are there problems with it? Yes. But, Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder though. Which means not everyone agrees. But I love this show. What's wrong with wanting to see it do its best, live up to its potential? (Oops is epitome of Helluva Boss's potential in my opinion, btw, and I look forward to more.)
Besides, Helluva Boss's creators are still gonna do what they are gonna do. Does it matter what someone on the internet says about it?
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cyarskj1899 · 1 year
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Shakira, a Strawberry Jam Jar, and the Cheating Rumor Captivating the Internet
Twitter is obsessed with the idea that Shakira caught ex-husband Gerard Piqué cheating because...she found her jam eaten, and Gerard never eats jam.
Shakira’s ex-husband appears to have found himself in a bit of a...jam. 
The singer has been no stranger to controversy as of late, but that hasn’t stopped the internet from globbing onto an unsubstantiated theory about how the singer may have caught her ex, soccer player Gerard Piqué, cheating on her. The plot of said theory can be summarized as follows: Who stole the jam from Shakira’s jam jar?
After a 12-year romance, Shakira, 45, and Piqué, 35, ended their relationship last year after Piqué allegedly left his wife for 23-year-old Clara Chia Marti. Though Piqué’s relationship with Marti had long been reported as an affair, Shakira was apparently “devastated” when sleuths uncovered footage of Marti in the back of a Zoom interview Piqué had given from their shared home in 2021. The two were reportedly still together at the time.
Fast forward to the juicy stuff: the strawberry jam. In August of last year, Shakira put out a single with Rauw Alejandro called “TeFelicito.” One particular scene in the music video for the single shows Shakira peering into a fridge, and when asked about the scene in interviews (according to a very murky string of sources, I must add), Shakira reportedly said she was hoping to “find the truth.” In the fridge!
The story gets increasingly blurry from here, but accordingto ShowNews.today, a Spanish TV program called Socialite declared that Shakira caught her husband cheating after discovering a partially eaten jar of jam. She had been out of town promoting her music…but Shakira is supposedly the only one in her household who eats strawberry jam! Gerard hates jam! So who could’ve eaten the jam other than…his mistress?!
As always, the internet loves a cheating scandal, regardless of the accuracy of the jam tale. Shakira shall go forth and be known as the keeper of the jam and the seeker of re-jam-ption. Because what could be more painful than a vision of some bitch eating Shakira’s special strawberry jam in Shakira’s house? The roof that Shakira raised her children under?! Shakira may have put a voo-doo doll in front of her mother-in-law’s house, and she may be accused of tax evasion, but God willing, the internet be damned if another woman sticks her claws in Shakira’s jam jar ever again.
Apparently the semi-famous former tenants of the Hype House, including Lil Huddywho is now just going by Huddy because maturity, caused more than $300K in property damage. Now, their landlord is suing. That’s so not hype!! [TMZ]
Singer Anitta wants to be honest: She thinks it’s totally fine to use apps like FaceTune to “make you prettier,” so long as you’re transparent about it! She’s also encouraged others to be open about their plastic surgery journeys like her—she got a nose job, jaw-shaping procedures, and breast augmentations. I feel so empowered now! [E! Online]
Channing Tatum’s daughter and Sandra Bullock’sdaughter got into an altercation when they were in preschool. Now 9 and 11, respectively, Tatum says the girls now love each other. We love a redemption arc. [E! Online]
Pamela Anderson said her relationship with Tommy Lee might be the only time she was ever really in love. No, I’m not crying, it’s just really bright in here. [People]
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tawakkull · 7 months
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ISLAM 101: Spirituality in Islam: Part 158
Safa’ (Purity)
Safa’, in the language of Islamic Sufism, signifies the state of a heart at peace because it has been purified of all kinds of things that contaminate it, such as sin, feelings of vengeance, jealousy, and hatred, and suspicion of others. The verse (38:47), They were, in Our sight, among the most purified, chosen, truly godly ones, which expresses the holiness and greatness of some Prophets, stresses purity in the greatest degree. The word mustafa, derived from safa, and which means pure essence, extract or the cream of something, is the special used to express in particular the rank of our Prophet, due to his being the essence and cream of existence and the master of both worlds-this and the next. So, having a special distinction among all ranks and being a symbol of transcendence among the Prophets, it has always been a goal toward which the Prophets and the purified, saintly scholars have tried to rise.
Purity originates from the purest and most blessed of sources and reaches the pool of the human heart, from which it issues and flows into other hearts to enlighten them on new wavelengths according to the capacity and disposition of each and the requirements of time and conditions. It sheds light on the ways of the travelers to the Truth so that they can follow them easily. It purifies their hearts and equips them with sincerity, guiding them to the truth of Divinity, causing their spirits to move in ecstasy with the infinite pleasures of supplication and their hearts to move with love, zeal, and yearning for meeting the Beloved. It is usually dealt with in three categories:
The first is purity of knowledge. It occurs when a traveler continues the journey under the guidance and in the light of the knowledge taught by the Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings. The Book and the Prophetic Sunna are followed strictly and with utmost care during the journey, the requirements of doing so being never neglected. With the good pleasure of God as the sole aim of the journey, the traveler faces all hardships and difficulties, without ever losing the resolve to continue on the way.
In other words, purity of knowledge occurs when an initiate who is traveling under the guidance of the sun of Prophethood, puts heart, spirit, and reason under the command of this sun. Following him to the utmost possible in all thoughts, actions, and attitudes, the traveler is annihilated and revived in him, and appeals to his judgment to solve all the problems encountered. The traveler is honored with various favors to the extent of love and knowledge of the supreme goal-God-and zeal and yearning to meet with Him in the footsteps of the pride of Messengers, upon him be peace and blessings. The author of the Gulshan al-Tawhid (“The Rose-Garden of Divine Oneness”), talks about this rank as follows:
Go and pursue such knowledge that It can open your heart and solve all your problems.
By contrast, any knowledge that does not inspire in people the true aim of life and, in order to realize that aim, does not equip their sight with the necessary light, their will with strength, their spirits with love and zeal, and their hearts with the desire to reach the realms beyond the heavens, is not promising, even though it may not be a delusion or mere illusion.
The second rank in purity is purity of state. It occurs when the heart opens and closes with the awe of God and love of the truth. It expresses its excitement and anxiety in supplications and entreaties to the Almighty, removing feelings of loneliness and gloom that come between it and the truth, becoming a hill where the breezes of peace blow. Setting itself solely on God alongside all the other faculties, such as the emotions, consciousness, and perception, the heart flings all else except the Almighty into the abyss of nothingness, like a stone, in order that nothing should veil God from it.
When seekers after Truth attain the state of purity and refinement, their hearts overflow with the manifestations of the truth of Divinity, their spirits are flooded with the love of truth, and enraptured with the real beauty of existence which they observe through the windows that have been opened in them. In this state, they turn to the Realm of the Holy Presence with the most enchanting of supplications voiced with the full force of their sincere feelings, feelings that have begun to speak instead of themselves. They unburden themselves, feel that God is turning to them, and taste the deepest of pleasures. It even happens that in this state they invoke the Divine Being Himself as Allah-the Proper Name of the Supreme Being encompassing all other Names-and as the All-Merciful (al-Rahman)-the primary Title of the Supreme Being which, like the Name Allah, can be used for Him exclusively-among the Attributes with which they qualify Him. In the rising waves of their feelings, they sense the pleasure that the angels have in worshipping the Almighty, witness the self-possession of other spiritual beings, are enchanted with the mysteries of the higher, incorporeal realms of existence and the beings that inhabit them, and feels as if they have transcended the limits of humanity. In the following couplet, the author of al-Minhaj points to this spiritual state, which one who does not experience it cannot grasp:
Sometimes a person is dumbfounded in this state, without being able to utter a word, And sometimes only one who experiences it can know what state this is.
Purity of meeting with God, which is the third rank in purity, occurs when the worshipping servants become as nothing or, to put it in other words, feel and know annihilation of their own being, attributes, and actions in the Being, Attributes and acts of the Necessarily Existent Being, and live immersed in observation of the blazing manifestations of God’s Existence and Knowledge. In other words, the pleasure that the worshipping servant feels in God’s service is combined with, and melts away in, the duties of servanthood due to His being the Lord (One Who creates, sustains, brings up, and protects), and the mysteries of existence become unveiled and come into view on all sides. The manifestations of God’s Existence and Knowledge that pour in completely pervade the conscience, and the shadow of the truth, which will become visible in the other world, begins to be seen with the eye of the heart. To paraphrase the state, God declares to His servants whom He has made near to Him: He hears by Me, and sees by Me, and holds by Me, and walks by Me.[1] So, such servants observe from their observatories of heart and innermost faculties, such as the Secret, the Private and the More Private, the pure spiritual realm with some of its mysteries, and the pure realm of the Divine Dominion with some of its particularities, and the spiritual realm of the Divine Power with some of its aspects, and the truths originating from the Divine Being. They know the substantial truth behind realities that are evident to everybody, and acquires certainty in their knowledge, and their certainty rises to the degree of certainty that comes from direct experience (haqq al-yaqin) according to their capacity. Peculiarities vanish and particular natures melt away in the burning rays of the manifestations of His Face, and only His Self-Subsistence is felt. In this rank, initiates, who have reached a state of pleasure that pervades the whole being, feel as if a drop has become an ocean, a particle the sun, and everything has turned into nothingness. They feel and know Him only, and begin and end with Him, and work by Him. They may go so far as to confuse His Being with His manifestations. Those who are not able to enlighten their feelings, consciousness, and faculties of perception with the light brought by God’s Messenger, may make mistakes or be confused in their comments. Many people have uttered words showing this confusion:
When you have seen the lights of the sun, You no longer exist, (burnt away by the lights of His Face). A drop is lost in the waves of the ocean, and you, being a drop, Have been lost in the ocean of mysteries. You will no longer be able to find the drop. Though it is not in the capacity of everyone to be lost, Those who are annihilated like you are not few.
If those who try to explain purity of meeting with God use words that suggest incarnation and union in order to convey their states and pleasures, they are apt to be confused in their interpretations. Therefore, they must immediately appeal to the light of Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, and correct their confusion. On the other hand, those who adopt an interpretation and attitude that arise from a spiritual state and pleasure simply as a thought system and philosophy, are clearly misguided and are regarded as being in rebellion against God until they enter the way of the Messenger and his Companions.
O God! Show us the truth as the truth and enable us to observe it; show us falsehood as falsehood and enable us to avoid it.
O God! We ask You for forgiveness, health, and approval. O God! Guide us to what You like and are pleased with; and may Your peace and blessings be upon our master Muhammad, the sun of guidance, and means of happiness, and on his family and all of his Companions.
[1] Al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi, Nawadir al-Usul, 3:81; Ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-Qur’an, 2:580; Ibn Hajar, Fath al-Bari, 11:374.
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