#Whole again that you are among us and we celebrate you being here again

[lightthewaybackhome]

I decided after my second SGA watch through to watch SG-1 and do this whole chronological order thing.

Over the weekend, I got to the divergence between the two shows and was able to start SGA over again. Guys, I'm going home!

I've really grown to love SG-1, but Atlantis will always be my Gater home. I didn't think I would have that many thoughts, because I thought all the thoughts last time through. (Y'all have got to be tired of my meta by now.)

I was wrong.

First off, it was supremely rewarding to watch this in chronological order, to go from SG-1 to SGA. It's like I've read the other half of the story, heard the other side of the conversation. I know Daniel and Jack at this point of their life and what they've been through. I know Elizabeth. I know that she's the anti-military who stood up for the military to the vice-president. I know she's earned their trust.

John "I like Antarctica" Sheppard. Of course he does. Also I love that he goes into the Stargate program basically blind, but he goes. It really shows he has nothing on earth and no one.

Highlights include:

Weir says: We need him. Everyone else with the Ancient gene can train to get better. John Sheppard does it naturally. I love that she picked Sheppard. She saw his potential.

When he walks into Atlantis, I always think: The city that lights up for Sheppard just the way Elizabeth left it for him.

When Teyla says Summner looks right through her and Sheppard asks if he does, and she says no.🥰

Okay, so when Sheppard picked up Teyla's necklace, did he activate it? Because 3 drones show up right away.

They all feel so light, buoyant. Even when you know Sheppard is here because he has no home, he's worlds away from the man he is in Doppelganger. And the same with Rodney. Rodney isn't really even stressed yet. He's kinda calm. Even when he knows they're running out of power he's not freaking out, not really freaking out. (So, does that mean the better you know Rodney, the more he's willing to whine at you?)

Also, the cinematography stood out to me because it's often framing Sheppard and Rodney in the same shot, like a hint at their friendship, or is panning between Elizabeth, Rodney, and Sheppard, hinting that they're the crew, the team, the family.

Also, Peter. Sigh.

[matan4il]

Hello hello, sending hugs as always!

I was hoping you maybe be able to give me some inspiration for a small series of food photos I'm assembling for Channukah! I'm doing an 8 part series celebrating the different groups within Judaism to 1. Be loudly and proudly Jewish at this current time, and 2. raise awareness for non-ashki Jews. In the UK it's super hard to find many non ashki peeps which makes it hard to chat to people about other classic Channukah foods, but I was wondering if you knew of any particularly good ones (that aren't latke or sufganiyot)? Would hugely appreciate any suggestions you have!!

Hi darling, sending you the biggest hugs right back! <3

Oooh, Hanukkah foods! I'm not gonna lie, some of my fave Jewish foods come from this holiday. With your permission, I'll give a small introduction, just for anyone reading, who might be unfamiliar with Hanukkah, and curious... and also talk about some of the lesser known Hanukkah food traditions among European Jews, too.

So during Hanukkah, we celebrate a miracle that happened with the oil at the Temple in Jerusalem. After the Jews defeated the occupying Greek forces that had desecrated our Temple, we wanted to light again the eternal flame of the Menorah (the Temple candelabra) with olive oil, but after the destruction caused by the Greek forces, there was only enough left for one day, and it would take 8 days to get more oil. The miracle is that somehow, that small amount of oil lasted for the whole 8 days, meaning the light didn't go out again. To remember this miracle, we eat food fried in oil! Being Jewish is so good for your health. XD

In shops and bakeries around Israel, there are already sufganiot being sold. They are YUMMY, and while some people call them "the Jewish donuts," I can say that after having eaten American donuts, I def think sufganiot are way yummier (in part 'coz they're not as "heavy" because the dough it's made of is fluffier? More... airy? Not sure how to say it, but I hope you get the idea). Also, you don't get robbed, because someone made a hole in the middle of the sufgania, taking out nearly half of it. The traditional type has strawberry jam injected inside, and sugar powder on top, but in Israel there are some crazy fancy kinds, and every year they seem to become more extravagant.

Traditional sufganiot (you can see a bit of the jam on top, but half the fun is biting and getting to the "treasure" of lots of jam at the center of the sufgania):

Fancy sufganiot:

Then there's the latkes, or as they're called in Hebrew, levivot. They're like savoury pancakes made out of potatoes, and obviously they're fried in oil.

In many Jewish communities, there was a custom of giving kids special pocket money for Hanukkah. In Israel, this "money" is given in the form of chocolate "coins." I freaking loved this as a kid! It was fun unwrapping the "coins," eating the chocolate, and then (assuming I was careful when peeling them off), make a collection of the different "coins," or just play with the wrap.

Greek Jews used to make a bread from potatoes and yogurt:

Georgian Jews made levivot out of corn flour (sometimes filled with cheese), or out of potatoes AND nuts, giving it the shape of a big omelette. Here's the corn flour version:

Czech Jews had a custom saying goose is the best meat, so for Hanukkah, they often ate goose related dishes. For example, they would make levivot from potatoes, eggs, sugar, lemon and goose fat.

French and Swiss Jews would make levivot out of apples.

The Jews of Iraq, Algeria and Buchara (which is in Uzbekistan) used to put the Hanukkah pocket money for the kids inside honey cakes. In Algeria and Buchara they also sometimes made levivot with meat added inside.

The Jews of Romania and Austria used to light potato Hanukkah candles! This was likely because they were so poor. Still, a pretty cool thing, when you can light your candle, and eat it (or at least a part of it), too.

In northern Africa, Jews used to make a type of cookie called Debla (sometimes nicknamed "dough roses"), which originated in Libya. They're usually eaten with a sweet syrup. It's more of a Purim dish (the equivalent of Hamantaschen), but was sometimes prepared for Hanukkah as well. Traditional Debla:

And a slightly "fancier" Israeli version:

Okay, maybe my fave Hanukkah dish! It's called sfinge (the 'ge' is pronounced like in "sponge"), and it's basically the Moroccan sufgania, which later became popular among Tunisia and Libya Jews, too. It can be round with a hole in the middle, it can be in the shape of a ball, while Libyan Jews make it flat. It's eaten with either honey or sugar powder, but again, in Israel fancier versions developed... I'm not a great cook, so IDK to explain why, but it's even fluffier than the sufgania, and that's why it's my personal fave.

Traditional sfinge with honey:

With sugar powder:

Israelis always having to make everything fancier:

They even made a savoury version of flat sfinge...

I hope this helps! Have a wonderful day, darling! xoxox

[beiasluv]

Hello! Do you take request for platonic relationships? May I request for a fic where the reader is Neteyam’s twin and they died instead of Neteyam? Thank you!

neteyam x sister!reader

°:. *₊ ° . ° .•

a/n: yesss, i love platonic relationships, hope u like it :)

warnings: curse words, death :( and ye bad grammar bc i am potato 💀

masterlist

enjoy!

the tale of jake sully and neytiri began a long, long time ago. until now, they had a been blessed with a baby or should i say babies

the future child of the toruk makto bear great responsibility since a youngling. even the childbirth was not private, the clan gathered around the suffering neytiri to celebrate their heirs.

neytiri screamed as her voice cracked; she squeezed jake’s hand tightly, as if she wanted him to bore the pain. jake, who was helpless to his wife held her tightly and made an attempt to calm his own beating heart.

“a boy!” the first cry echoed the forest floors and a blue baby wailed.

“neteyam!” jake held his baby high up the ground, as an offering back to eywa. and like she had noticed, the wind blew heavily among the trees.

“neteyam!” the people of omaticaya chanted as they celebrated.

jake held neteyam against his mother, “he is so precious- ma ja-!”

“neytiri!” she held his hand tightly for the second time. “what is wrong? are you injured?” he looked for mo’at and she came hurriedly.

“this can’t be!” mo’at raised her hand high towards eywa. “ewya had blessed them with a twin!” “Tsleng kä! (eywa gives)”

“Tsleng kä!! (eywa gives!)”

…

“y/n!” jake held you up in his embrace.

“y/n!” the people chanted. as if eywa acknowledged her blessing again, the woodsprites surround your body and flew off into the wind.

a twin can only be so different yet so similar at the same time. you both inherited loyalty and obedience from your parents.

however, the eldest daughter can never deny that they are a daddy’s girl. and neteyam is a mommy’s boy. a fair trade

jake will always have a soft spot for you in his heart. the firstborn daughter of a toruk makto carries a great burden all the time. he had to prepare you since young to learn how to hunt, speak intellectually, and the importance of your people.

he will call you his ‘babygirl’ when you are going through tough times and it helps calm you down 👀

you would say you guys are both calm and collected. but if compared with each other, neteyam is still leaning towards his brain, but you leans towards your heart.

you are more emotional than neteyam and for good reasons.

whenever he gets too harsh on lo’ak, you were there to support and push him up. (sorry neteyam, but we know who is lo’ak’s favorite twin here)

however, twins are twins. you guys can fight each other and screw up one another, but you are always there to back him up.

“no, neteyam, can not have my food, but here is my liver if you are going to die.”

neteyam, being the eldest he is, is very protective of his twin sister. your human hand gained a lot of unwanted attention from the other na’vis. he made each and everyone of them to learned their lesson if they decided to judge your precious pinkie.

he is very picky of what you wear and where you go

“no, you can not wear that, cover up,” he whined.

“please, as if you are not showing your whole upper body,” you slapped his abs.

“no, this is different!” he raised his arms. “there are boys drooling over you wherever you go! do not think i didn’t notice.”

“it is normal of our culture! na’vis wear this!” you complained.

“i’ll tell mom you’ve been seeing a boy out,” he raised his eyebrows.

“nete! we are just friends!”

“then cover up.”

“fine!”

whenever the boys are in trouble, you have to go bring them back. dragging them by their ears are your favorite method.

now, they’ve learned when does your footsteps mean trouble from mom and dad.

“shit! she’s coming! run!” lo’ak tapped his brother.

“neteyam! lo’ak! i am not covering for you this time!”

“then, catch us!”

“don’t make me count!”

buttt, you still covered for them because they are your beloved brothers.

patching them up most of the time. kiri is also there to help you patch them up.

kiri and tuk are your angels for lifeee. teas? spilled. you guys have girls night all thetime.

the girls like to roam the forest floor and sometimes the lab. you knew kiri and grace have a special connection, and you were there to support here through the hard times.

kiri is your spiritual sister, Period. she loves to nap in the forest with you and swim in the waterfalls.

tuk is your baby, she is so supportive and lovely to be around. your baby sister who backs you up all the time.

when mom and dad goes too harsh on you, neteyam and tuk is always there to hold you up.

spider tho. no particular comment. you had always smelled stinky feelings towards him since the beginning, but seeing your siblings grow fond of him you didn’t say anything.

he is very friendly, to the point of being weird to you. you remember to keep a distance from him

bantering with neteyam all. of. the. time. who’s older or younger, classic. who’s taller, well, you kinda gave up after puberty hit him like a BUS

you are also protective of him. girls are always surrounding him with gifts and flowers. some even took an extra step to spy him through you.

nope, not happening.

-spoilers!!-

the metkayina welcomed you guys with hospitality and same hostile behavior. which you didn’t mind, considering your dad brought much trouble to them.

you tried to be invisible to most of the people, staying away on the beach, swimming alone, or watching the sunset.

ao’nung took advantage of your solitude to make friendship. easy to say that your brothers are not happy with his attempts.

you agreed to talk with him as long as he stop bothering kiri, which he agreed swiftly. he didn’t agree swiftly to stop bothering neteyam and lo’ak, tho. but he gave in in the end.

“you have to breath in from here,” ao’nung grabbed his abs, sort of what flexing, you noticed.

“okay,” you breathed in deeper than you normally do, earning a chuckle from him seeing your puffed cheeks.

“not your cheeks, here,” his hand claps your area of shown stomach. unknowingly, his hand was burning on your skin.

“are you sick, ao’nung? your hands and face are burning,” you touched his forehead.

“oh! no! definitely not! i am fine!” he flinched his hands back. “so- sorry.”

“hey! great! you are learning to apologize!” you giggled at his words.

“only to you,” he mumbled under his breath.

“what?”

“oh, nothing,” he replied.

“y/n! let’s go! dad’s calling!” neteyam ran over to you. “look who’s here, trying to get my sister?” (giving the eyes)

“you shut up!” ao’nung retorted back.

“hey! he’s not and don’t call my brother that, you guys apologize to each other…nete”

“s..sorry” “sorry”

for someone with ego as big as his, you taught him to become more selfless. the way your father taught you since a youngling. his parents were amazed by your successful attempts and welcomed you heartwarmingly.

his sister, tsireya, welcomed you with love and affection. she is quite the opposite of her brother, which you appreciated it quite a lot.

whenever your mom needs a second hand you will always be there for her. hugging her daily and giving her comfort. neytiri sings you daily to sleep just as it was in the jungle.

…and the war came, that demon you always loathed.

“y/n! y/n! no!” neteyam tried to keep your head above the water as he is fighting against the wave himself. “bro! take her!”

“shit!” lo’ak took your body on his ilu and cradled you in his arms.

“fuck! she took the shot for me, lo’ak! what am i going to do!”

“should’ve left her dead, bro,” spider said emotional-less.

“SHUT UP! TAKE HER TO DAD NOW!” neteyam commanded lo’ak who hurriedly tightened his grip on you.

“couz, do you know what the fuck did you just said!” lo’ak called his ilu to take off while neteyam is holding on to its harness.

“she said she will sacrifice herself for her family, and this is what exactly what it is!” spider shouted back. “she wants to be with eywa! back when we were younger!”

“we’ll get back with you, spider!” neteyam shouted as he fought back the waves. “you are fucking mad! she’s our sister! I’ll never lose her to a fucking bullet! pray for yourself that I’ll not pluck your eyeballs out!”

…

“DAD!” lo’ak called out jake on the rock. “bro watch her head!” lo’ak, neteyam, and tsireya lowered your body softly on the rough surface. everyone can hear their heartbeat as well as the liquid in their teary eyes.

“fuck, pressure! apply pressure on her!” jake took neteyam’s hand and place it on her blood soaked chest. neteyam placed his shaky hands as heavy as he could on your chest to stop your blood.

“it’s going to be okay, it’s going to be okay,” your dad muttered to your fading sight.

“d- dad, i want to go home,” you sobbed, as each word hurts to mutter out.

“i know, i know, we’re going home,” he smiled softly at you, trying to keep himself together.

“no, no, no, no, no,” neytiri held your body tightly. she cradled your face in her soft hands. you remember these soft hands, they are the one who brought you to bed every night, the ones who took care of you when you are sick, and the one who held you when you first broke your heart. now you felt as if you are breaking their hearts.

“i- i- mom- dad-“ you can’t help but your body is shaking hardly.

“yes, sweetheart?” “yes, babygirl?” your mom and dad replied softly and everything blacks out.

…

“no! nooo! y/n!” neytiri screamed her heart out, her hands traveled around your head and held it close to her chest. as if she is trying to retrieve her last memory like the first time she was breast-feeding you. “my child! my daughter!”

your brothers held your body close to them as well. neteyam taking your hand and knitting his ring with your pinkie finger, “you promise! you promised!”

“neytiri, neytiri,” jake held her closely. “they have our daughters, i need you to be strong.”

“let’s take our daughters back.” from that moment on, her eyes became as emotional less as a robot, grabbing her bow she took off.

“stay with your sister!” jake commanded.

…

“what are you doing, mad animal! i don’t even care for that child!”

“A CHILD FOR A CHILD”

part 2

today’s a great day to take care of yourself, 🤍

[slyscoutess]

BLOUKOUT || FORMULA 1

I think we're all chronically online enough here to know what's going on, and rightly so, on TikTok right now, but don't worry, if for some reason you've been in a cave the last few days and haven't heard , let me explain everything with such precision.

In recent days, the Met Gala 2024 was unveiled, and with it celebrities from all lists came together with a single cause, to put themselves in the spotlight with exaggerated clothes and a ticket more expensive than yours and my life. Among these was the influencer hayleyybaylee, an American influencer who thought it would be wise to record, edit and publish a video with her exaggerated clothes, heading to a dance that only the elite within the biggest elites have the right to go to, in the audio of the video? a line that is certainly historically excruciating.

while Rafah, the only theoretically safe place, or at least that was what had been promised to the Palestinian people, was being completely bombed, Hayley was publishing a video with the audio of Marie Antoinette: “let them eat cake”. If you, like me, are a history lover, you know well the episode in history that the French people lived from then on.

With the memory of this audio, we reclaim our power as the people in control, we gave these people the platform and from these people we can take the platform away at any time we want. If the government and the rich are not giving their time to those in need, we will need to force their gaze in the direction we want.

Here we have a term: the people for the people.

because it's literally all we have.

with that, we brought our guillotines outside and decided to take from them what they don't know how to use; their voices and their platforms. blokout2024 is a line that anyone can participate in, the best way to help is to share lists and that includes your own, but it was bothering me how there were names that never appeared there, the formula 1 drivers.

These playboys who spend the year doing Vrom Vrom don't pay attention to anything that doesn't affect them and this was seen with the whole Christian Horner harassment case and some of the reactions to this case. It's time to demand some responsibility from them, they are not babies, they are not children, they are men who are always ready to defend harassers and say that they respect racists and criminals.

“but love, boys can't talk about it” Sir Lewis Hamilton, as always and once again, proved that they can. the man continues to publish links and news about Palestine, and this is not recently, and we know that when Lewis makes donations, he is not in the habit of taking a stand on them, just as he recently did for the Brazilian people with the case of Rio Grande do Sul, the other pilots and their partners just don't care. not to mention the teams and their bosses. This even affects the Formula 1 Academy, with Charlotte Tilbury as a sponsor and frequently in the paddock, for those who don't know, Charlotte recently fired Bella Hadid, a Palestinian woman, for protesting and continuing to speak about the country of her blood and family.

remembering that there are convinced Zionists within the paddock, such as Lance Stroll's girlfriend, sister and brother-in-law, the latter is also Daniel Ricciardo's best friend. Tell me who you hang out with and I'll tell you who you are.

I'm not here telling you to stop liking your favorites, I'm not here telling you to stop watching the races, I love some of these and it will hurt me to block them, but not as much as it hurts me to know that they close their eyes and remain quiet in all their luxury, I'm here saying that we need to demand a position from these men and women, we were the ones who gave them the platform, how many people in Palestine can be fans of these people who ignore their suffering on a daily basis? so keep writing fanfics, follow the gossip pages, but the officials need to take a stand

If even the swifties are doing it, why can't we do it?

Let’s Start Big:

BLOCK

FIRST HALF || SECOND HALF

HONORARY MENTION

LN4 |

LN Rancing Kart |

Lando JPG |

Lando Movie |

Quadrant |

Max Fewtrell |

Lec |

F1Academy |

Nico Rosberg |

Romain Grosjean |

Jenson Button |

Kimi Räikkönen |

Sebastian Vettel |

Mick Schumacher |

Magui Corceiro |

Ollie Bearman |

Liam Lawson |

James Vowles |

Bianca Bustamante |

Sky Sports F1 |

Zak Brown |

Christian Horner |

CS55 Racing |

Arrow McLaren |

1 paper cut doesn't really hurt, but 28 million paper cuts can kill you. Let's fucking hit the pentagon, only follow trought fan accounts.

We, the damned of the earth, have only each other. And that will be enough.

[1slightly-mad1]

This is gonna be a long one so bear with me…

Emerging once again with some more fun stuff! I attended Megacon this past weekend on Saturday and Sunday and did some pretty awesome stuff. First off I met Daniel Logan (played Boba Fett in Attack of the Clones) and he was such a sweetheart to me! I started it off by telling him I apologized in advance for how awkward I am and he said, “That’s okay! I’m awkward too! Just in an extroverted way!” He didn’t even stay behind his table he came around to stand next to me and talk and ended it by saying, “Come here, give me a hug.” And gave me the nicest hug (I always want to hug celebrities I meet but always freeze up and forget to so it was really nice of him to offer it).

Then I went over to his space dad, Temuera Morrison! The line was super long but I had my Lula plush and headphones to get me through it. Unfortunately they had to hurry things along because he had to get to his panel (which worked for me because I wanted to see the panel too) but I did manage to tell him that I think his portrayal of Boba Fett is the coolest, to which he said, “Thank you so much, but really, look at you! You’re much cooler!” And gave me a fist bump (I was wearing a Boba Fett shirt, Boba Fett jacket, Boba Fett backpack, and had Bad Batch pins on my jacket).

Then I went to the panel and met up with my friend to go meet Dee Bradley Baker afterward and we got super lucky because he was on a break so there was a very very short line to see him. We both walked up together and got Bad Batch prints and he used his Tech voice when signing mine and Wrecker voice when signing theirs. I then really wanted to tell him how much all of the Bad Batch mean to me because I’m an odd one out, but the one I really feel connected with it Tech. I told him how much the moment in Season 2 Epsiode 9 between Tech and Omega meant to me and how it made me feel seen and while explaining to him he continued using his Tech voice and then told me, “You’re not alone out there.” And that pretty much wrapped up Saturday.

Starting Sunday off early of me practically running to catch the Clone Wars panel (and accidentally making my friend think it was a different panel that they really wanted to see) and we got a free print! (I’ll show off my haul in a different post) During the panel, Dee Bradley Baker was asked who his personal favorite clone is and he talked about how much he likes the Bad Batch because they’re the odd ones out, much like him. Then someone asked the cast what their favorite mental health moment in Star Wars is and Dee Bradley Baker brought up the exact moment I told him about the previous day and talked about how he’s had people come up to him to tell him that that moment made them felt seen (I have a video of it that I’ll post as well). Once he started talking about it I was tearing up something awful (which was bad because I had done my makeup up a bit more than usual). The whole panel was so happy and meaningful, I think several tears were shed among the audience at some points. However, the main event of the day was yet to come.

I was going to meet the man who started this all, who started my social media presence in Tumblr and opened up a whole new experience for me. I, after 12 years of being a huge fan, was going to meet Tom Hiddleston. Unfortunately, the people in charge of keeping his autographs and photo ops coordinated gave me severe run arounds. I was told several different things, so luckily I covered my bases on all ends to finally make sure that I was going to the right spot at the right time. He had a panel at the end of the day right before the last batch of autographs (which I was part of) and my friend had a ticket to it (it was prepaid and I didn’t want to spend a fuck ton more) so we both went over to the area of the panel and autograph together at 3:00 PM. My ticket for the autograph was 5:45. After some extra run arounds I finally figured out where I was supposed to be and met someone who talked with me the whole time we were in waiting. For the general admission line, I was second in line.

Then comes time for the panel to start, and it gets delayed by an hour and 20 minutes (because Megacon couldn’t coordinate things properly, surprise surprise). The panel started 5 minutes after my autograph ticket said that I was meant to be at the autograph room. I was lucky to be sitting with someone who talked with me the whole time because we were both in line for 4 hours. 7:00 PM rolls around and we’re finally getting ready to go into the room, and I already know that they’re going to keep everyone’s interaction brief because the rest of the convention closed at 5:00 PM.

As we walked in I could see him and I went dead silent because I’ve never seen him in person before. I brought my Lula plush with me again for Sunday and I don’t think I’ve held onto something tighter in my life. Then I heard him talk and I was absolutely stunned. When I say this man is so soft spoken and just has such a calming energy about him, I mean it. And he’s so pretty in person, I couldn’t believe it. The person I talked with in the line was the first person in line for general admission and was wearing Slytherin robes. She started to cry and was covering half her face with her sleeve and he looked up from the print he was signing for her and said, “I can see you.” In a joking way to make her laugh. Then it was my turn and at this point I probably looked like a scared toddler clutching their plushie against them. I luckily found words and it went something like, “I’ve been a fan of you since I was 12 and I’m 25 now and your work means a lot to me and Loki is my favorite and I think you’re great I’m sorry I’m just super starstruck” (said very quickly with no breaks). I didn’t even say hi, I just started with that. His smile was so sweet and he was so kind even though they had him keep everything brief and before I walked away I told him, “Thank you so much for being here” and he stopped the interaction with the next person in line to smile at me and say, “No, thank you for being here.” I was barely holding it together now and I walked out of the room like everything was fine.

Then my friends and I stopped outside of the room to talk and dry off my autograph and they were telling me how good I did. Well, I wasn’t speaking much and my hand was trembling. My close friend immediately noticed what was about to happen and hugged me, and I hugged them back and that’s when the tears began. I apologize if this part is a little dark for some, but this is what was going through my mind as my friend hugged me. The moment I started crying, I had my eyes closed and I imagined telling younger me, “We did it, we made it.” I had some really down and dark moments in my past between 2012 and now. I’m much better than I have been, but it hit me that I lasted long enough to see the day that I met the man who basically helped me get through some of my dark moments. Tom was such a sweetheart, and super fucking tall might I say. He was sitting down and we were at eye level with each other.

Thus the Megacon weekend concluded, and I do have to say that the coordination of things was… Not great. The celebrities there were absolute sweethearts to everyone, but some of the staff were very rude, some were giving people run arounds, and some were just straight up unhelpful. There were only a handful of staff that actually helped us out and were nice enough to not give an attitude about our questions. I knew that going Saturday and Sunday would be pretty packed, and luckily it wasn’t like last years Megacon event where we literally couldn’t move if we were in the Artist Alley. Outside of the celebrities there and panels that they had, the experience really wasn’t the greatest. This portion is basically just a warning to people, if you go to Megacon Orlando you’re likely not going to have the absolute best experience (unless you pay a fuck ton of money for VIP). Overall, it was a good and bad experience, I’m just happy that I met the people I wanted to meet. If you made it this far, thank you for reading. Until next time.

[slavicafire]

were there at all household private cults and prayer to the gods? or was it all done in nature with the community?

very fun question - and as with most things regarding pre-christian slavic beliefs, complex to answer!

short answer: from archeological and ethnographic research, we can say with considerable confidence that spiritual beliefs for pre-christian slavs permeated every aspect of life, and so basically every place; there were both personal religious rituals and responsibilities, as well as those of the given community as a whole.

now, for a longer answer under the cut, let's start with a great quote from good old Gieysztor:

The corners of the house and homestead, the field, no man's land, and no man's waters, forests, mountains, and clouds were all inhabited by beings proper to them, who received the worship they deserved, that is, appropriate offerings and prayers made in the house and in the yard, in the field and at the crossroads, by the springs, by rivers and lakes, at the foot of trees of peculiar kinds and ages, by the stones and rocks, in the very mountains.

due to the scarcity and nature of the sources we have (so, for example, usually medieval christian chronicles) and the way folk culture absorbs new religions while retaining a plethora of very old beliefs often leading to the lines between them getting blurred, we have to remember that we are working within a framework of the most probable explanation - and rarely a 100% certainty. while I know that most of you here are well aware of that, I like to bring it up again from time to time.

for a long time there was great debate among the scholars of slavic beliefs about whether any sort of separate sacred space was ever present - like temples, for example, with devotional items and the separate social function of priests, and other standard religious structures. but then, as further research was conducted, it became clear that slavs had both this smaller, personal idea of a cult of gods and spirits, as well as a greater communal one, oftentimes reinforced by the presence of oracles, priests, or members of the community specifically dedicated to leading rituals and sacrificial feasts.

when it comes to this private idea of venerating deities (and spirits, and ancestors) by an individual or, by extent, a family within one household - while we know it must have existed, and in more form than one, as anthropology, folk oral culture, and comparative studies assure us - we are presented with two main obstacles making this study more difficult.

one, chronicles and other great sources for quite obvious reasons will focus mostly on greater events - festivals, communal celebrations, temples, and other religious behaviours that could have been experienced or observed by a stranger, or be worthy enough of relaying to strangers.

two, bigger objects such as statues or ritual stones, are much easier to be identified as ones of religious importance. with small objects found on sites of typical households it becomes more difficult to ascertain whether the figurine or clay vessel could have been a part of an altar - or whether it was just an object of everyday use, a toy, or an ornament. if any of you are into archaeology to any degree, you'll know exactly what that struggle is. and then, many personal objects, let's call them, could have had magical meaning and use - but not necessarily a religious one, as oftentimes magic was seen as separate from dealing with deities.

many prayers were simply forgotten, some turned into folk songs or spells, others got absorbed by the new religion and lost their original agency - and so, for prayer specifically, it is rather hard to know how it might have truly worked for pre-christian slavs.

still, both historically and in the contemporary context - when we speak of reconstructive paganism - while the communal cult was and is a crucial vital part, the personal, individual worship plays a part just as meaningful.

[httpknjoon]

recently with the a-listers... | ksj

plot | A dating rumor with another personality there, a Taylor Swift collab here. This is one of the confusing days to be in the a-listers fandom.

words | 1.4k+

genres | humor/crack, fluff, angst, actors!au

pairing | actor!jin x famous!reader

note | usernames used in the fic are all fictional.  this was set in September to October 2022.  I love writing for this series! feel free to send me your bets for the a-listers! Enjoy reading.

main masterlist | drabble series

JIN Spotted Out With Model Lee Sung Kyung Four Months After Rumored Girlfriend Y/N Takes A Hiatus

The Hollywood actor and international model were spotted together, walking out of a restaurant in New York on Wednesday night. According to many eyewitnesses inside the restaurant, the two were seen chatting and dining alone at Carbone’s. The ‘Still Alive’ actor and the Chanel brand ambassador were even heard laughing about something on JIN’s phone.

Lee wore a Chanel three-piece pink tweed coordinates and white ankle boots while JIN picked out a classy black suit. Both celebrities have their individual appearances for that day’s schedule for New York Fashion Week. The model walked the runway for Chanel while the actor attended the Tom Ford couture show.

Paparazzi captured images of the famous personalities walking out of Carbone’s quietly and not answering any questions. The two were seen fleeing the scene separately in their own cars.

This was the first time the two were seen together in public. As everyone knows, JIN has always been rumored to be in a relationship with actress, Y/N, for years now. It was never confirmed. But the said actress suddenly took a hiatus earlier this year to the surprise of the fans. Without any clear reasons for this sudden break, fans were left to speculate. It sparked buzzes about breakups, pregnancy, and changes in career choices.

But with this recent sighting of the actor on a date with a new female personality, it can be safe to say that JIN is back in the market again.

It was chaos and madness all over the internet. Everyone, even the general public, expressed their surprise at the images from that said sighting. News outlets and gossip pages are having a blast while the fans were like sailors in a storm, not knowing what to do with their ship.

@/PopCrave: JIN and Lee Sung Kyung spotted out in New York City during New York Fashion Week. [insert photos]

@/YNJINUpdates: putangina???? [translated: son of a bitch????]

@/se0kjinsyn: i swear every time i come back here in twt, shit happens 😤😤

@/maybemaybeyn: i miss you user YNOFFICIAL 😔

@/jinhourly: oh my god people calm down

@/jinhourly: it’s not like yn and jin ever confirmed their relationship and sungkyung is probably just a friend!

@/ynstanonly: wbk that 🤡 is just with yn for clout

@/cloudedmoon: THIS IS PROBABLY FOR PR 🤔 

@/YNJINUpdates: We are sorry for the last tweet. One of our account handlers forgot to switch accounts.

The whole news caused a big stir and division among your fans and Sungkyung’s supporters. Of course, everyone wants to defend whoever they support.  It resulted in names and words being on Twitter’s trend list for the whole day. Including the tag: YNJIN IS OVER. It didn’t benefit that there were also immature fans from both sides that said some words. It was just a relief that your, Jin’s, and Sungkyung’s Instagram posts have their comment section limited. 

@/YNUpdates: Please refrain from interacting with malicious articles. We won’t tolerate hate sent to anyone. Be kind, ppl 💖

But no matter how messy the fandoms got after the articles, each celebrity went on their life, unbothered. Sungkyung still got three shows for that fashion week. Jin didn’t have any public appearances again and it was unknown to his fans if he was working on something. And you, you went on your break. Your fans don’t have any idea about what you were doing but they hoped that you are doing well.

Just when everyone thought that the fire is already cool, another photo and news article dropped.

JIN and Lee Sung Kyung stroll around on a morning coffee date in Cambridge

Kim, 29, and Lee, 32, were captured by a local fan in Cambridge, Massachusetts chatting and walking on the streets with cups of coffee on the chilly morning of September. The two seemed to be in good spirits while strolling the city with smiles and laughter as they talk. The actor wore a casual outfit: a green knitted sweater while the model is seen wearing a beige coat over her white turtleneck. The fan who took the said photos didn’t get to know where the two celebrities were heading but shared that the two seemed to know each other well.

This is the second sighting of Jin and Sung Kyung together after sparking dating rumors two weeks ago after being spotted in New York City with one another. 

Fans were divided by the news, especially since the actor was always linked to another Hollywood A-lister, Y/N. The romantic relationship between the two was never confirmed. But also, never denied. Sources claimed that the two broke up badly which later resulted in Y/N taking a break last April to recover.

Nonetheless, Jin seemed to be confirming these claims as he openly go out with Sung Kyung.

More tweets were expressed. A scary mix of emotions from fans was represented through social media: anger, confusion, and sadness. The fans don’t know what to do and what to believe in. There are even theories made online about all of this.

Due to the growing amount of gossip and confusion, teams from both personalities had to finally comment on the rumor. Their public relations teams only responded with a shared statement for the news outlets that kept on asking for the artists’ response. Which, both Jin and Sung Kyung denied the rumor.

Although it caused relief to some fans, it didn’t stop fans who love to make theories out of everything. 

@/hellojinnie: maybe they just denied it to stop the hate toward them

There are fans who claimed that the two are really in a relationship. They just had to deny it in public to stop the hate that’s pointed to the celebrities. Some also claimed that Jin probably cheated on you with Sung Kyung. But again, none of the claims were ever verified.

On the other side of the show business industry, Taylor Swift has been doing these TikTok series for announcing the titles of the tracks in her upcoming album, Midnights. The series was called Midnights Mayhem with Me. it caused excitement to the singer’s fans. Especially when her collaboration with Lana Del Ray was announced in the last part of the series.

But what really adds to the joy on the day of the release of the said album was when the songwriters were publicized.

@/PopCrave: Y/N is back co-writing songs for Taylor Swift. She wrote songs for the album.

You’re On Your Own Kid, Midnight Rain, Labyrinth, and Sweet Nothing were the titles of the songs you co-wrote. Instantly, your fans rejoiced with the reveal. They were happy to see you back working again with the singer and thrilled to hear the songs. And when they did, it has some great reactions.

@/ynswifties: i swear all the songwriting credits under yn’s belt is gold

@/REPUT4TION: taylor & yn both grew up in the toxic industry & chose to write a song about it

@/goodnightnjin: y/n co-writing labyrinth :(( oh my heart

@/sunshinecatlady: just listened to labyrinth 🥺

Replying to @/sunshinecatlady

– @/sunshinecatlady: i really hope that you are happy and safe right now, love. u deserve it 🥺💝

@/sayhell0: midnight rain is about leaving a relationship with a person who’s been wanting to settle down…

Replying to @/sayhell0

– @/marigolds4bubbles: oh…

@/s0ngsynwr0te: sweet nothing is like sweetest love letter ever 🤍

@/YNJIN1208: i can imagine ynjin while listening to sweet nothing. I miss them sm

@/whoisyn: someone stop me from making theories about ynjin after hearing midnight rain!

To celebrate the release of the songs, you posted a series of Instagram stories. The first one was a picture of your hand on Francheskat while she sleeps with the song, Sweet Nothing. Then, you posted something with a question sticker that says, come on, send me something! 🤠

Fans were overjoyed and within minutes thousands of questions were being sent to you. Of course, you only answered a few of them with random pictures on the background of the Instagram Story.

You were asked how are you, and you replied with a selfie of yourself sipping from a teacup. The photo was really close to your face. With a reply, “Thank you for asking, love. I’m feeling wonderful today. Been reading a lot of books and drinking green tea! 😊✨ I really hate coffee rn…”

Someone asked what was your favorite song from the four tracks you co-wrote, and you replied: midnight rain and you’re on your own, kid ❤️

One of the last questions you replied to was a random question that probably caused murmurs in your fandom: tips to move on from a long term relationship?

You replied with an image of the clouds: take some time for yourself. cry if u need it. Feel every emotion u feel. don’t be afraid to explore the world of singleness again 💕 

taglist rules

THE A-LISTERS TAGLIST

@seolaquotes @bangtannieshope @jub-jub @yoontaethings @kissme-ornot @sleepy-daydreams @veronawrites @cuteipat @ratherbefangirling @babystarcandy-gcf @akirawhore @alpacaparkaseok @rjsmochii @lovesickbangtan @zealouslightcookiebasketball @rapmonie2047 @btsiguess-kpop @angelarin @walkinganxiety @tpwk-280 @bloopkook @stopeatread @yoooonie @amara-mars @firesighgirl @zwiehe @hiii-priestess @lojocas @juju-227592

PERMANENT TAGLIST

@dunixxd​ @cixrosie​ ​@jksjx​ @embrace-themagic ​ @buttvi​ @starbtslove​ @missseoulite @vanntaesworld @kenqki @pixybear @miyukihoshi

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

New Rule: The Truth About Christmas | Real Time with Bill Maher

Finally, New Rule: Praise Jesus, it's a Christmas miracle. For the first time in the 21 year history of this show we are on in December, which gives me a chance to explain to everyone something I've always wanted to expound upon in this show.

You know that whole thing about Jesus being born on December 25th? Well it's a crock of shit. Now, this is not an attack on Jesus. Although, he was a nepo baby. But also a revolutionary philosopher with a beautiful message. As to whether he's a God, that's up to you.

But if the subject is "Gods born on December 25th," we have enough of those for an entire Jeopardy category.

He was the Egyptian god who took the form of a falcon. Who is Horus?

He is the god from ancient Persia born bearing a torch. Who is Mithra?

He is the Greek god of rebirth. Who is Adonis?

He was the fertility god in Cleopatra's time. Who is Osiris?

This Greek deity was known for having a good time. Who is Dionysis?

So you may be asking - those are all real by the way, I think that was the problem, they think I'm making this up but I'm not - why do all the gods want the same birthday? Well, because December 25th was a pagan holiday coming a few days after the shortest day of the year, when primitive peoples noticed that the days were starting to get longer again, and so a cause for celebration.

Cut to:

And that's the story of Christmas. A holiday I love by the way. The tree, the presents, the music, the Christmas memories with my sister and our cousins filling the bong with eggnog. It's the only time of the year it's okay to put alcohol in milk. Christmas is fun if you just accept it's pretend time. Like a Hollywood wedding.

Yes, I love Christmas and always have. Just don't try to make me take it seriously.

And that is what has been going on a lot lately here in America. We have a new Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, who says America is actually a Biblical Republic and that he's even got a flag picked out that hangs outside his office, and which also could be seen in the mob on January 6th. Mike also says, "the separation of church and state is a misnomer," and congresswoman Lauren Boebert concurs saying she's, "tired of this separation of church and state junk." So too Marjorie Taylor Green, who says, "I say it proudly, we should all be Christian nationalists."

Now I know it may seem like this is just a few crazies, but I gotta tell you, dumbass Republicans who believe horrible ideas are like ants: there's always more that you can't see.

And in in fact, these ideas are no longer the fringe. According to a recent survey, over half of Republicans are either adherents of Christian nationalism or sympathetic to it. And they agree with statements like: "The US government should declare America a Christian Nation," and "Being Christian is an important part of being truly American," and "God has called Christians to exercise dominion over all areas of American society."

I'm sorry but I don't want anyone exercising their dominion over me unless I pay them and we've established a safe-word.

Boebert says, "The church is supposed to direct the government. The government is not supposed to direct the church." Well, no and no. Neither one is supposed to direct the other. That's what separation of church and state means.

Republicans, Jesus fucking Christ. First you stop believing in democracy - Senator Mike Lee said it, among others. Trump lives the idea every day, and here we have the Speaker of the House saying it. And now Republicans also don't believe in the separation of church and state? Does anyone in that party remember what fucking country you're living in?

We're the place that stakes so much of our greatness on being the first to specifically prohibit having a state religion. There are dozens of countries that have an official religion. There's 13 where being an atheist is punishable by death. Four have "Islamic" right in the title of the country.

And maybe that warms the hearts of the TikTok crowd who lately have found heroes in Hamas and Osama Bin Laden. But that's not us. That's not what we do here. I get it you kids like to switch things up. But I can only handle one side at a time being ridiculous about religious fanaticism, and right now I've got my hands full with Mike Johnson.

Because Mike Johnson has the power to actually make laws. And I don't want my global warming policy decided by someone who is rooting for the end of the world so we can get on with the Rapture. And who once filed a legal brief before the Supreme Court arguing that what he called "deviant same sex intercourse" should be a crime. Even the lesbian stuff?

Mike thinks God personally chooses, raises up our leaders, which is a very dangerous thought, because then when you lose an election you think it's just another of God's tricks to test your faith. Like fossils. Mike says, "We began as a Christian nation." We didn't. Did you miss that day in home school, Mike? If you don't know that the pilgrims came here to get away from the Church of England then you don't know, literally, the first thing about our country. Mike says, being a Christian nation is, "our tradition," and, "it's who we are as a people."

It's not. We're the people who have a First Amendment which says, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion." And we have an Article Six which says, "no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office."

So, I take these people at their word when they say that they think we should be Christian nationalists. But then they have to take John Adams at his word when he wrote, "the government of the United States of America is not an any sense founded on the Christian religion."

But I still love Christmas!

--

Introduction The rising influence of Christian nationalism in some segments of American politics poses a major threat to the health of our democracy. Increasingly, the major battle lines of the culture war are being drawn between a right animated by a Christian nationalist worldview and Americans who embrace the country’s growing racial and religious diversity. This new PRRI/Brookings survey of more than 6,000 Americans takes a closer look at the underpinnings of Christian nationalism, providing new measures to estimate the proportion of Americans who adhere to and reject Christian nationalist ideology. The survey also examines how Christian nationalist views intersect with white identity, anti-Black sentiment, support of patriarchy, antisemitism, anti-Muslim sentiments, anti-immigrant attitudes, authoritarianism, and support for violence. Additionally, the survey explores the influence Christian nationalism has within our two primary political parties and major religious subgroups and what this reveals about the state of American democracy and the health of our society.

==

Freedom of religion and freedom from religion are the same thing.

[tparker48]

Throughout the week a tournament was being held for the giant players of the school. Many of the students around the university celebrating the upcoming games, however the smaller players weren't so Happy. With each game that came up during the day, they hoped to get action of their own and play to their hearts content, but no games would be held specifically for them. Most of their funds going to the bigger guys as they prepared for their last one tomorrow.

Managing their routines as best they could, They prepared themselves for the match ahead. The coach Bringing the players to the field for them to have a scrimmage match against each other. Eying for what skills they could improve. They're passes, their strategies, everyone would be required if they were to win the final game. Keeping an eye on.

the quarterbacks and the linebackers, he noticed That Walker, one of the side linebackers was lacking behind along the line. Their tussles seemed weaker, their pushes projecting like a soft nudge as their opponent barely moved. Why was that? He's usually the main players that gave their all during the past matches. Blowing the whistle he called Walker to the side of the field. The moving into a slight jog before finally deciding to walk.

"What seems to be the problem Walker? Im noticing you don't have the drive like you used to."

"I-its nothing coach. Its just something outside of sports."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah.."

"Alright, then let's see some effort out there. Im sure the action will clear your mind." Coach said. Patting his shoulders pads before sending him back onto the field.

he continued to observe the them as they moved back onto the line. Readying their stances as they awaited for the whistle to blow. Coach's eye lingering scanning the other players, before locking onto Walker, who stood crouched higher than the rest of the linebackers. As the whistle blew, he watched as the team clashed together. The linebackers pushing their target up the field. All except Walker, who was in a struggle with his opponent. Still, he was overwhelmed. His efforts more weaker than the last time as he was dragged back. Toppling to the ground like a tossed trash bag as his teammate stood over him.

The coach blew the whistle again. "Walker! Over here!"

Getting up sluggishly, walker jogged over to the coach. His helmet keeping atop his shoulders, but his head slumped inside. As the others continued, coach brought Walker to the back locker rooms. Pulling him to the side of the panel. "Alright, clearly something is going on Walker. What is it?"

"It's nothing coach.."

"Don't lie, I'm here to help you get through it. So be honest."

Walker paused before giving out a deep sigh. "My girlfriend's been busy and we haven't had our time together throughout the whole week. She hasn't done..uh..stuff in a long time, and I'm too pepped up yo even focus."

"I see, and this is effecting your mood?"

"Yes.." Walker took off the straps to his helmet as he took it off. Pulling off his helmet before looking to the ground. "Maybe its best if I don't go to the tournament. I may get in the way."

"Don't cut yourself short, Walker. You've got a lot of heart in what you do in your role, Your going."

"But I can't participate like this. its all I can think about."

"Don't worry about that, I'll help you."

"How?"

"You'll see." Coach patted his shoulder. Leading them back to the field. "But for now, keep practicing."

If this keeps up, the game would be already over before they even got out of first quarter coach thought. So Walker's feeling pepped up inside because of his girlfriend's absence? Okay then, that narrows it down. But he's not exactly able to help with that on his own. He needed extra help, one of the smaller kind.

**********************************************

On the day of the tournament, the players were gathered into the locker room to prepare for their matches. Walker among them as he held his backpack on his shoulder. Meanwhile, coach would inhis office as he talked to Travis, one of his Division's rugby player.

"Okay, we've got a few minutes before our match goes on out there. Do you remember what we talked about?" Coach asked.

"Yes yes, I remember. You want to help you Walker become motivated out there. However in order to do that, you want to wear..this?" Travis pointed to the jockstrap jockstrap on the table. An empty seat laying across one of the straps.

"Yes. Talking to him won't do him much good in the state he's in.He needs that oomph if he's gonna give it his all."

"Well I have an Idea. Though it be a hasty one. We can always use one of the little from the smaller division. They don't exactly have a lot of status when it comes to the university, however they seemed to have the muscle to get the job done."

"Hmm..if they do this it could give Walker just the energy he needs. But which one do we choose, none I've seen will even set foot near a player's ass."

"Heh, oh I know one" Travis replied, reaching for his phone as he texted something. A loud but small knock soon coming from the door. Opening the door, Travis bent down to pick them up. "Coach, this is Wilson. A friend of mine that's got a knack for asses."

"You need an ass that needs tended to Sir? Well I'm the tiny for the job." Wilson saluted in Travis's palm. Putting aside the greeting as he rubbed his hands together. "Now who's the target?"

"Your task is to ensure that Mr walker gives his all in field" coach responded,pulling up a photon of Walker to show them. His form was broad as it covered most of the image. Shaped Like a large barrel as the number 55 displayed into the frame.

" Big boy" Wilson admired, eying the image to judge the scale of the player. "Looks like I got some work to do."

"Yes. Do that, and you and the rest of the small players will have recognition for your efforts."

"Effort is good for the others, but Inwant something else in return."

"In return? What is that?"

Wilson ushered Travis to loom forward. Holding the small player close to Coach's ear as he whispered into it.

"That's really what you want?" Coach asked, puzzled on the condition.

"Yup!" Wilson confirmed.

"I..will see what I can do. Fulfill your part of task and I'll fulfill mine.

"You can count on me sir."

"Good, Now comes the question on how we're going to get this strap on with Wilson in it. And that seat seems pretty exposed for him not to see it."

"Leave that to me." Coach answered.

**********************************************

10 minutes had past since the players entered the lockers. The announcers on the speakers calling for them to the field as they moved to the locker's exit. Walker joining with them as he followed the line, but stopped when coach ushered him to the side. Leading him away from the other players as they talked.

"You want me to what?!"

"Put these on before you go out to the field." Coach said, holding the jockstrap that dangled from his finger tips. A large bundle of tissue resting along an additional strap. "This should help you get that drive that you need for the tournament."

"Coach..I really don't think that's gonna help-"

"There's no talking your way out of it Walker I told you that I would help as best I can, and this is it." He held the jockstrap closer and dropped it into his hands. The blue straps dangling to his fingers as the thick pouch drooped over Walker's palms.

Walker sighed as he nodded to the coach. "I guess I have no choice. But I'm not going to like it."

"You'll get used to it. But if it helps you feel any better, just think of your girlfriend." Coach replied. Patting Walker's shoulder before heading out to lead the team to the field.

"How am I supposed to do that?" Walker said, confused on the gesture the coach gave. But he didn't have time to think about it. Proceeding to take off his briefs as he dropped them to the floor. Lowering the jockstrap on top of them as he glared at its surface. The cylinder like cushion resting at the center specifically. That thing can't possibly be comfortable he thought, but didn't have time to consider it as the whistles blew from outside. Pulling up the jockstrap, he hoisted the fabric up to his waist. Bracing himself as the wooled pouch slipped cock like a sheet, the cushion envelopes into his ass. He shuttered at the sudden pressure between his cheeks. Fighting the peculiar sensation as he pulled up his pants, before went out to the stadium.

"Ugh it's like having a bottle up my ass" Walker groaned. Walking through the hallway to light ahead.

Meanwhile outside, the band began to play on the field. The players on each side of stadium watching the band play their instruments as they measured the competition. Among them, coach and Travis stood on the sidelines. "What a lovely day for a game." Coach said, raising a hand to his face to block the sun from hitting his eyes.

"Indeed, but I can do without the heat though" Travis commented, pulling at their shirt to air out their body. "You sure Walker's gonna wear that jockstrap? I wouldn't think he would in this weather."

As the two talked, grunts lingered from behind them as Walker came from the entrance. Waddling to the others as he stood behind the other players. "I think he's wearing it..." Coach smiled. Looking toward the band as they reached the end of their song. "Now let's see if this does the trick."

The area would quiet down as the band finished their number. The refs and coaches soon took to the field. Greeting each other as they wished for them a good game before they moved back to the side lines. Their teams soon replacing them as they got to the field. Starting off with the kick off starters as Walker stayed on the sidelines for the time being. Watching as the play commenced, but looked behind him to adjust his rear. "This damn thing is so uncomfortable." He groaned more. Shaking his pants to loosen up the pressure.

Inside his asscrack, the mounds jiggled around the cylinder-like cushion. Matting into the corner of the structure before a cheek brushed it to the hole above. "Man this guy's a rowdy one!" Wilson's voice muffled from the cushion. A hand extending out from inside to spread the tissue apart. Creating a window for him to see through, but wasn't much to view. Walker's dark pucker winked above, quivering while its folds pressed against the rest of the cushion. "Hehee, To think I signed up for my hobby."

"Don't over it in there" Travis said through an earpiece. "We've got a long day ahead of us, and we don't need him to tire himself out."

"Yeah yeah, I got it." Wilson replied. "Nothing of the extreme, just the minimal."

"Good. For now, just sit tight. We'll let walker get comfortable first" Travis said, eying the player sitting on the bench. Still shifting periodically in his seat to ease his discomfort.

"Oh ho, I can do that" Wilson said happily, nuzzling into the cocoon of cushions as he watched the hole above. Slowly winking as its star shrank and grew in place.

After a few plays had gone through, the sun casted over the field. Heatwaves flowing in far distant school as the benches shined with its golden glow. As it did, Walker's team finally received the ball, the coaches finally giving the nod to send Walker to the field. "Give it your all Walker. Remember what we talked about."

"I'll do my best sir.." Walker replied, jogging to the field to join the rest of the team.

Inside his pants, Wilson occupied himself with his phone. Holding it in the available space he had to tap at the screen, his earpiece soon began to ring. "Wilson, you're up." Travis announced.

"About time, was almost getting bored in here" will replied. Tucking his phone into the cushioned cocoon before worming himself through the soft window of tissue. Moving his hands forward, he placed them onto the puckered hole in front of him. Its surface shifting against the player's thighs as he made his way to the line. It was like trying to steer an earthquake as the mounds around squashed and pressed the muscle around the cushion. His fingers dancing around the the plump anus before they sunk between their folds.

Outside, Walker approached the line to face his opponents. Standing with the rest of the linebackers to await for the play to begin. Getting in position, he crouched down and placed his fingers to the ground. Squatting as the rest of the players joined him. The ball soon being placed in the middle of the line, the quarterbacks hand resting upon it. Looking at the ball, Walker turned his gaze to his opponent. Lowering him self lower, but sat up as the cushion moved in his asscrack. Coach better be right about this jockstrap.

"Down...set...hike!" The quarterback yelled. The ball flinging backwards as the players clashed. Thrusting forward, Walker charged into his selected opponent and pushed with all his might. His palms grabbing onto his Jersey as he dragged them backwards. "Grk..grk!" He grunted, pushing harder into them to push them away, looking back to see the quarterback with the ball. Holding it to the air to go for a pass. But he looked back as his opponent pushed harder, Walker's cleats dragging backwards, his arms getting weaker.

"Haha, what is this amateur hour? A kid can push harder than this!" His opponent commented, leaning more against Walker as his weight overwhelmed his.

"He's not gonna hold much longer if he keeps that up" The coach's noted.

"Wilson, it's time." Travis said through the earpiece.

"Way ahead of ya!" Wilson gritted, wrestling away the clumped muscle that hardened against him. Moving his arms towards the hole as he sunk them into the puffy orifice. With a thrust, he plunged them between the pucker as he grinded his arms together like sandpaper. Feeling the tight pucker wrap around his arms like a vice, before finally loosening for his limbs to move.

"Ugh?!" Walker yelped from the outside. His hole gripping at Wilson's arms, tugging him forward as his body brushed against the tender walls.

"This one's a grabber!" Wilson noted, moving his hands faster to keep them loose between the meaty folds.

Walker stepped forward as he tugged against the other player. His muscles beginning to bulge as his back arched forward. "What the?" His opponent said. The player's cleats beginning to slide as the two moved backwards. Their knee caving in as it sent them tumbling backwards to the ground. Walker standing above them.

"What was that?.." He asked himself, Looking behind as the quarterback raced by him. The quarterback's running? How long was he holding them? Shaking off the question, he followed behind as he ran down the field.

His body wasn't built for this type of situation, his legs were thick to move compared the quarterback back thin legs. But he had to get down the field somehow. As he continued to run, that feeling of pressure returned Plunging into his hole, it was like putting keys into an ignition as his body jolted. His muscles growing tighter, his speed growing faster, racing down the field to join the rest of the team. Pushing aside some of the opposing players as few were knocked off their feet. Catching up to the quarterback as he crossed the goal line.

"Touchdown!" The announcer yelled!

"That's the spirit!" Coach shouted.

"Way to go!" Travis chimed in.

The team cheered as the quarterback danced around the field. Walker following behind them as he looked to the field. The enemy play behind him glaring at him as their eyes met Walkers. But his gaze looked to his rear, the feeling still going on, swirling around his hole as it tempted to sink deeper. "I guess this jockstrap's got more to it than I thought.." He muttered. The whistle blew behind them, the teams around recollecting at the goal line for a kick off.

Squatting down, he faced his opponent again, the two locking eyes as they reached for the ground. "I admit, you caught me off guard back there. But you're not knocking me down a second time!" They scorned, their fist digging into the grass.

Walker was silent to the their comment, focusing behind him as his jockstrap spun around his mind. When the whistle blew, the two clashed as they tussled to knock over the other. The feeling returning against his hole, his muscles growing more tighter the further it climbed inside. That feeling, It was strange, and yet..satisfying. Before Walker could focus on it more, his mind drew a blank as gravity shifted. His feet caught on the grass as he pushed the his opponent again. The two knocking to the ground as the ball flew through the air.

"Goal!" The announcer shouted.

"Again?!" The player yelled. Walker landing on top of him as the two locked helmets.

"Sorry again for knocking you over. I really don't know my own strength." Walker said lightly.

"Yeah yeah, get off of me!" The player replied, rolling his body in frustration as he knocked Walker to the ground. Getting up to his feet as he dusted them off. "Your ass is grass on the next play!"

"I look forward to it." Walker replied. A light smile spreading across his face. He didn't think it was possible, but he was actually enjoying the tournament than he thought he would. And the jockstrap..guess coach was on to something when he said to think of girlfriend. As the whistle blew, Travis turned on the ear piece to check on Wilson. "Well done with pick me up, Wilson. We can see the change in Walker's mood from here."

"What'd I tell ya, I can do a lot of things when it comes to butts like these." Wilson replied, the sounds out wet muscle squishing against the microphone. "So what's next?"

"Keep him warmed up for the time being. We still got a long game ahead of us. For now, have a field day."

"Hehehe, you don't gotta tell me twice" Wilson replied. His voice no different than a child at a candy store before the mic shut off. Travis and coach turning their attention to the game. The grunts and groans of the players stretching through field. The ball flying across it, as the teams chased after it.

Time flew by as the game went on. The observing Walker's performance as he raced up and down the field. Enjoying the plays as it he gave his all through the through the second and third quarter. When second quarter arrived, the enemy team had the advantage as they took a two-point lead. But when third quarter came around, Walkers team soon gained the lead.

When the final quarter arrived, the sun shifted over the field. The game continued into half time as most of the audience left for snacks. The teams continuing to play as each team scored a point over the other. the seats became more empty as the sun casted over the bleachers. Heatwaves flowing around the metal seat as it flowed into the field. The players working up a sweat as they awaited for the next kickoff. Walker along the bleachers as he waited for his turn to the field. But focused on his jockstrap as the felt the cushion deep inside his crack.

Inside, the cushion would be soaked with sweat. Tainted with brown around the corners of the tissues. Underneath the crack, Wilson would be laying there, retreating into the small gap he made as he tucked himself back into the cocoon The window he created acting as a skylight, the hole resting above as it winked with anticipation. "Just look at it, to think I get to spend the whole day with an ass like this.." he huffed, the glistening flesh dancing around the entrance. The light rocks almost soothing as the thick mounds moved the cushion around. Soon contracting as Wilson felt himself lift upwards.

" Game's just about over Wilson, We're sending Walker for the play" Travis announced.

"Rodger that." Wilson replied. Shimmying himself back to the entrance of the cushion. he pressed against the puckered anus and squeezed lightly at its edge. Slipping his fingers into the tight center as it climbed up his arms. It had gotten used to to his touch, the flesh was like putting on a giant glove as the ring contracted over his elbows. Rotating them around to adjust himself before his focus drew to the loud grunts above.

Outside, the Walker's team would be on offense as they got to the line. Walker and the opponent player locking eyes for the last time, both covered with sweat as they shook their heads to dry off. "You ready to kiss the ground?" The player threatened.

"I was about to ask you the same thing." Walker replied.

The two readied their stance when the ball set on the line. The rest of the teams getting down in their positions as they waited for the signal. Silence entered the field, the players eying each other for any movement, But held firm as they focused ahead of themselves.

"Down..set..hike!" The ball flung to the enemy team as the quarterback backed away from the line. The linebackers charging forward as they clashed against each other. Walker and the other player locking into a struggle as the two pushed into their jersey's.

Walker pushed into them once more. Adding his own motivation to the mix as he tussled with the linebacker. The lingering feeling in his crack slowly resonating as his body hardened. "I'm..getting through!" He gritted. Pushing into the player as they leaned backwards.

As Walker occupied himself from the outside, inside Wilson would be in a challenge himself. Rubbing his arms around the ring to stimulate it more. His forearms became more slicker as the glistening sweat lathered into his skin. "You gotta give him some more juice Wilson! He's almost got them on the ropes." Coach rang through the earpiece. Him and Travis watching from the side lines as the two seesawed their strength.

"Easier said than done, Im giving it all I've got! With this much space, there's only so much I can do." Wilson replied. Rubbing his arms faster as the ring tightened. But loosened as they came more conditioned to Wilson's rubs. A sudden tilt from outside catching his attention as the fabric behind him pushed at his back.

"No..you...don't!" His opponent gritted, thrusting his arms forward as he knocked Walker to the ground. The impact sending him on his rear as he slid back. The lingering feeling becoming more known, pushing inside his hole. It was a strange feeling, like a plug of some kind that rotated in place. But before he could focus on it, the player towered over him. "Haha! Not so grand being knocked on your ass isn't it?! That'll teach to make a fool out of me!" They said pridefully. Basking in the moment of dominance before the quarterback ran by. Running after them to join them down the field.

"Alright!" Walker got up from the ground. "Now you're really gonnaa-aa!" Getting up from his spot, he tried to move forward to give chase. But the feeling inside began to stir. His muscles tightening before as he jolted backwards. "Ah! Ooo! That's a new feeling!" He muttered. Shifting in place as if he was doing a dance.

As Walker wobbled around the field, Coach and Travis observed from the side lines. Coach reaching for the earpiece as he turned it on. "Wilson! Is everything alright in there?!" Coach asked. Still keeping an eye on Walker as he waddled around, no response coming from the device except the sound of muffled squelches. But a moment later, Wilson's voice started to come through.

Inside, Wilson was jammed up to his waist in ass flesh. The ring quivering over his body like an inflatable, the orifice inside gumming at his upper half as Walker shifted around. Prying a fold apart, Wilson managed to create a pocket for himself. "Haha..Hahaha! Yes, that's the change I was looking for!"

"Wilson, can you hear me? Are you alright?"

"Am I alright?! I've never felt better! Oo this ass is so soft and squishy I can almost sleep in it!" Wilson huffed. Rubbing into the tender flesh with his head. Knocking into the soft crevices of the hole. Walker's grunts and moans lingering around as the walls as they clenched in response. "That's it big guy! Purr for me!" Wilson shouted. Wriggling his body between his hole as the muscle tightened.

"Aaa-aah!" Walker's body tensed as he raced down the field. His flustered face hidden by his helmet as he took off. Coach and Travis watching from the side lines as he zoomed past them, Wilson's cackling filling the speaker.

"Did he hurt his head or something?" Coach puzzled.

"Nope. That's just Wilson being Wilson for ya" Travis chimed in.

As Walker raced, the opponent player gained distance on their quarterback. Nearly a foot away as they ran behind him, but managed to keep up in his slow pace. "Almost..got it..we just need one more score to get-"

"Make way!" Walker's voice said from behind. Catching the player off guard as his large mass loomed from behind. Slamming his back as his form alone pushed him to the side. "What the?!" They yelled. Flung to the side as he toppled to the floor. Heavy cleats stomping ahead of him. As Walker gained speed.

The clock was ticking as the audience glued to the field. The player was almost there, just within reach of the goal. Gaining a meter with each step he took as he reached his hand for the goal line. There eyes lighting up as their foot hovered just above the golden line. But with a sudden tug, their vision moved side ways. Large arms wrapping around him like sandbags as he was hoisted to the air.

"Where'd you come from?!"

"I got him!" Walker shouted in victory. Hugging the player against his body. The clock reaching 5 seconds as the two stood still.

"Hey! What are you-grk!" The player flailed in Walker's arms. Clinging to the ball as he was spun left and right. "Let me go! Your gonna make me-" With a sudden jerk the other way, the ball flung out from the players arms. Dropping to the ground as it rolled to the side.

"Fumble!!!" The audience shouted.

Walker noticed the ball as it rested next to him. Letting go of the quarterback as he lunged onto the ball. Tucking it underneath him as the other players scattered around. Lifting up his jersey, but not his body.

"Hurry up! Get the ball!"

"Im trying! But he won't move!"

"Well make him move! We don't have much time before-"

**Beeep!** the alarm would sound from the bell.

"And that's game! The home team takes the win!" The announcer claimed. The teams running to the field as Walker got up from his laid position. Circling around him, many jumped onto his shoulders, While others patted at his back.

"Well done man! I didn't think you could run that fast!"

"You nearly had me there, thought we were gonna lose that one."

"Hehe, thanks guys" Walker smiled. Basking in the praises his teammates gave him as they huddled around. Travis and coach standing at the sideline as he made his way toward them.

"I told ya you had that spark in ya. Well done Walker." Coach congratulated

"I couldn't have done it without your help coach. This jockstrap really helped out."

"Happy to help out." Coach commented.

"I mean it, it really helped. Er..if you don't mind me asking, could I keep these on for tonight."

"Hehe, go on. Wear it with pride. But I expect to have them back first thing tomorrow at practice. Those are my lucky ones after all" coach winked.

"You can count on that coach! Thanks."

"Yo! Walker!" One of his teammates said near the entrance. A few other players with them as they had their bags in hand. "Wanna join us for some grub. We're hitting the steak and shake!"

"Be right there!" Walker said. Waving to the coach as he made his way toward them. Coach and Travis waving back before he turned to Travis. The two walking back to the lockers to grab their things.

"And you're sure Wilson is okay with it." Coach whispered. "I wouldn't want him to bite off more than he can chew."

"That ass addict? Trust me, as much as I know Wilson, he'll be just fine."

**********************************************

As the evening came, Walker enjoyed his time with his teammates as they ate their food. Soon returning home where his girlfriend laid waiting, watching the livestream of his match as he walked into the door. He greeted her by bringing her in for a soft kiss, giving her a soft hug before the two of them went to the bedroom. A few minutes passed, their clothes would be off as they went at it with each other. Her body resting up the bed, While walker's rested on his knees. Humping his cock inside her as he longed for their awaited intercourse. Still keeping the jockstrap as he used it to celebrate the victory.

Meanwhile between his cheeks, Wilson would be in a blissful situation of his own. His surroundings covered by sweaty muscle. The ring still surrounding his waist as he swished and stirred around the rim. "ooh man, this has been a day." He huffed heavily. Smelling the musk as it filled his nostrils with the aroma of salt, an earthy smell following it as the walls contracted and pressed into Wilson. The little guy grabbing a fold like they were covers as he hugged them close. A distant, but rumbling moan echoing from Walker. But as Wilson began to relax, his earpiece would ring.

"Alright Wilson, the day is done. Time to head back to coach." Travis spoke.

"Ah come, can't I just have a little more time."

You had a day and a whole hour in there, I think you've soaked enough. Let's go, I'm outside the window."

"Ah fine.." Wilson groaned, slowly moving his hips around to draw himself out. Making it last while he still could as the orifice climbed up his body. Relishing in the deep squishes of the ring against his face before he was squeezed out fully. Climbing through the meaty mounds to the pierced lighting the peeked from behind the asscrack, moans echoed from the outside. "That is one lucky gal. Would I give to have something like that." Wilson thought. His upper half peeking out from between Walker's glutes. Their surface jiggling as he wobbled heavily in place. "Aah I could rest here forever."

"Well I can't, so let's go before someone starts staring."

"Alright alright, such a worry wort." Wilson replied. Looking to the round edge of Walker's ass as he rubbed its surface softly. "Fare the well, sweet ass" he said to the muscle. Raising his hand to the air, he smacked against the thick hide as the glutes reacted. Squeezing at Wilson's body as he catapulted from them like a rocket.

"Yie!" Walker yelped, thrusting forward as his cock plunged inside his Girlfriend. Looking back to what it was as he rubbed his ass. "The heck was that?" He puzzled, spreading his ass apart to check his hole. Missing Wilson's little foot jiggling from the window as he slipped out.

The next day, Walker did as his coach asked as he returned his jockstrap. Even washing it a little as its wool fluffed up in his palms. But he couldn't help but notice the change in the atmosphere. His teammates holding the smaller ones on their palms whereas other rested on their shoulders. Travis coming to greet him as the two.mingled amongst the others. "Glad you could make it Walker." Travis greeted. "You good to go?"

"Yeah im ready. But uh..what's with all the little ones in here. I thought they didn't wanted us in separate division.."

"Guess the board had a change of heart. But hey, you'll have plenty of time to think about it during practice." Travis assured, walking with Walker as the two made their way through the lockers.

"Huh..yeah suppose your right. Perhaps a little time with get me to adjust" Waker replied. Grabbing his bag before he made his way to the gate. "By the way, since their part of the division now, how's Wilson holding up on this change."

"Oh he's livid. He's enjoying the new position he's got for his efforts of practice."

As the two.headed out to the field, a closed door would rest at the other side of the locker. Inside, a group of Giant Player would be huddled in place. And in the center, would be walker as he had a towel wrapped around his waist. "Looks like we got quite the group today. Im sure your performances have been well noted, but now comes the test of quality. Hehehe, ass quality. Bend them down boys." he ordered.

Some of them groaned as they turned their rears towards Wilson. Removing their towels as they bent down to display themselves. Some were more rounded as their smooth rear stacked neatly, while others were more bulky between their thighs. "Yees. Yes, most fitting indeed. Hard to choose which to start with first."

"Do we really have to be doing this?" one of the players groaned. Their rear more bubbled than the rest of them. "We should be out there practicing. Not showing our asses to this..squirt."

"Ahem, this "Squirt" is your coaches honorary checker." Wilson corrected, taking off his towel as he spin it in place. "And I expect to see asses of the utmost for your sakes."

Fwack! Wilson whipped the towel forward as the nipped at the players rear. The left cheek jiggle before the startled player hugged their hands over them. "Ow!"

"Otherwise I have no choice but issue a mandatory workout for your quads. You want to practice? You can start with some laps over the fences. Or you can sit in here, and let your checker see those mounds."

"Alright I get your point!..I didn't want to over do it anyway." The player replied. Digging their fingers into their crack as they parted them towards wilson. The others doing the same as the showed it in his direction. It was lile looking at a bud of flowers as their puckers winked in place.

"There! Happy!"

"Hehehee, most definitely."

[thedreadvampy]

like clockwork someone who's been openly a sex pest for decades gets named as a rapist and sexual predator and we all get to play the hit parade with such classics as:

oh my god oh my god did you know this industry full of rich people who are rewarded for exploitative and abusive behaviour...has an issue with rape and abuse??? CAN YOU BELIEVE THERE'S ABUSE IN THIS INDUSTRY???? (yeah man we know. we've known for quite a while actually. for longer than I've been alive for sure.)

oh my god I can't believe there are rapists among us (1 in 3 women have experienced rape, who do you think is doing it?)

but he seemed so nice! (not really tbh)

well I met him and he never raped me and like, I'm really hot so if he was really a rapist he would have (Jesus fuck get help)

is it really rape to fuck 16 year old girls when you're in your 30s? (yeah it is if you fucking rape them mate)

can't believe everyone knew but never said!!! (they literally did say and also hey imagine if you will what reasons there might be too not say anything, such as, say, it's not your story to tell and the victim had expressed a wish to not be at the centre of a whole shitstorm)

Real Victims wouldn't go to journalists they'd go to the cops!!! (hey guys I have some upsetting news about the experience of reporting rape to the cops)

This is a conspiracy to make this irrelevant celebrity look bad! (please touch grass)

it's all just a bit of fun innit (no)

and every time we all over again have to go to this place where rape is simultaneously a significant threat and common experience (agreed) but also everyone who's ever talked about being raped is lying, and nobody's ever done a rape even if there's 20 years of documented evidence and on camera confessions and also their whole public persona is 'cheeky sex pest' (fucking. what?)

and then that guy hopefully gets cancelled and people feel a bit more guilty about watching him. and then they'll go HOORAY THE EVIL IS DEFEATED WE HAVE GOT RID OF THAT GUY THAT DID THE RAPES. OUR WORK HERE IS DONE. COMEDY/FILM/MUSIC/TV IS FREE OF PREDATORS NOW

and then 6.5 seconds later allegations will come out about someone else and we will start the whole thing again from scratch OH MY GOD CAN YOU BELIEVE THERE'S ABUSE IN THIS INDUSTRY???

[pixiemage]

When All Is Said and Done

[Story based on this comic by @shepscapades.]

This work can also be found on Ao3

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Jimmy ended up standing in front of the bracket board for far longer than was really necessary. The poll results from the most recent round of voting had been revealed a few hours ago. The cacophony of sound that had filled the tournament facility back then had long since lessened to only a small scattering of voices and laughter. Everyone who had been bombastically celebrating victories or mourning losses, discussing potential outcomes or jokingly squaring up against their next competitor with an air of friendly competitiveness…many of them were long gone, either heading back to home servers to do a little more recording before the next set of results came out, or leaving with friends to enjoy the rest of the tournament from afar. Some, too, were probably going to kick into campaigning mode the second they left.

Scott had done that, Jimmy knew. Scott had promoted his own name and sent out a call to arms among his viewers throughout the competition, asking for their votes and using sly tactics to sway the poll in his favor. And it had worked.

Scott had won and Jimmy had lost.

Jimmy tilted his head to the side, the feathers around his ears flaring as he squinted at the little percentages below their names. With himself at 46% and Scott at 54%, it had been a close race. Closer than Jimmy had expected, if he were being honest with himself, though that thought didn’t dissuade his disappointment. He had hoped to do well, of course, but he had also known that Scott was a fairly well-known name in the Minecraft world. Between MCC and the multitude of SMP series he participated in on a regular basis, he definitely had a lot of supporters…and in a competition like this, one couldn’t discount the fact that being popular was an asset.

His eyes trailed a little lower to a pair of names four spots down on the bracket from his own. WilburSoot – 54%, TangoTek - 46%. Tango had lost as well, by the exact same margin as Jimmy himself had. Despite the loss, Jimmy felt a small smile tug at the corner of his mouth.

Almost as if summoned, a familiar and warmer-than-human hand slipped into his, tugging gently.

“Hey Jim,” Tango spoke up, coming up to stand close at his shoulder. “You’re still here?”

Jimmy hummed noncommittally, his eyes dancing from name to name again. He had initially come to the bracket board to make some guesses on who exactly might move on in the next round, but…well. He had gotten a bit distracted.

There was another tug on his hand, almost playful.

“It’s over, man. Almost everyone else has left.”

Jimmy finally dragged his focus away from the board to look at Tango. His soulmate was watching him with a soft sort of understanding in the red of his eyes, his head tilted ever-so as he took Jimmy in. Jimmy’s smile brightened a little and warmth swirled beneath his ribcage. Against his back, the tension melted out of his wings. He hadn’t seen Tango much since this whole thing had begun. He wasn’t ashamed to admit he missed his partner.

“...yeah, I know,” he said finally. “I was just - looking.”

“Heh, I can tell,” Tango chuckled. “You’ve been just looking for a while.” His eyes flicked over to the board and lingered on the spot Jimmy had been stuck on for longer than he’d care to say. “...are you alright? I knew Scott was gonna be tough competition, but…still.”

Jimmy took a slow breath. Was he alright? He pondered it for a moment, his thumb tracing circles against the back of Tango’s hand where it was still held in his grip.

“I’m good,” he decided finally, smiling sideways at Tango. “Great now, actually. This was fun! It’s just a silly game anyway, isn’t it? And hey!” His wings puffed up, a bit of cheeky humor lighting up his eyes. “I wasn’t out first this time!”

At that, Tango laughed, a brilliant grin lighting up his face.

“You weren’t out first!” he agreed. “You did good, buddy!”

“We both did,” Jimmy corrected, even as the compliment from Tango settled like warm honey in his chest. He cast one last glance at the board before turning away, letting Tango lead him out of the little poll center that he had been in and out of for the better part of the past few days. “Don’t think I didn’t see how close you and Wilbur got in your poll as well.”

“I wasn’t even campaigning!”

“Well neither was I!” Jimmy countered, setting Tango off into bright barking laughter again. He grinned, chuckling, and squeezed Tango’s hand where they were joined between them. Their shoulders bumped gently as they walked, Tango’s slightly lower than his own, and Jimmy curved his right wing out to curl around his partner’s back. Void, but he’d never get bored of this. “...did you notice our results were almost identical?” He spoke up after a moment. “Forty-six percent, both of us. What’re the odds of that?”

“Hmm, weird…” Tango mused. He cast Jimmy a sly sidelong glance. “I dunno, that’s a heck of a coincidence. It’s almost like we’re soulmates or something–”

“Wh– Tango!” Jimmy laughed, bumping Tango’s shoulder on purpose this time, and Tango’s shoulders hunched up with the quiet snickering he tried to hide behind his hand.

“Alright, alright, enough talk about polls!” he said instead, yanking Jimmy off toward the portal back to the server hub. “I’ve missed you. I need some proper cuddle time with extra cuddles. So you pick - your place or mine?”

“Mmm…mine,” Jimmy said. The comfort of his own bed after such a tension-filled morning was more tempting than anything.

“Back to the ranch, huh?” Tango’s eyes were bright when he cast a glance back over his shoulder. “I like the sound of that.” He stepped into the purple swirl of the portal and tugged Jimmy after him, both of them tucked close to fit through the obsidian doorway together. Tango grinned up at him and Jimmy had to tuck his wings close to keep them from puffing up under his soulmate’s affectionate gaze.

“C’mon, rancher. Let’s go home.”

[lovelytayforce]

Shifu's not so complicated relationship with fraud

Why do we as a society not talk about how comfortable Shifu is with committing fraud?

Now, first, let’s talk about fraud itself, this is what it means: wrongful or criminal deception intended to result in financial or personal gain. Or a person or thing intended to deceive others, typically by unjustifiably claiming or being credited with accomplishments or qualities. Now before we start, I want you all to know I am not condemning Shifu for his crimes, if anything I love the fact Shifu is so unapologetically happy with himself and who he is to just wake up a day after “the worst day of his life”, his words not mine, and choose violence and fraud above all things against his Master’s wishes because he didn’t get his way. Girl boss, Gate keep, and Gaslit amirite? Like what an icon!? I love this and think we should talk about it more cause it’s canon Shifu loves him some fraud and if he doesn’t get his way he will ruin everyone’s day for it. Again, we have to start from the beginning, because again, THIS IS IMPORTANT. “Oogway is choosing the dragon warrior.”, simple enough but the thing is Oogway never says it’s going to be one of the five anywhere in the film. Just “It’s time.” So, it could be anyone, he could point to the west and say “The Dragon warrior is not here but to the west.” and no one could say he lied about anything because it was Shifu hyping the whole town up with posters at the ready for HIS WIN. Not his student, his own. This is all about him. This is all about Shifu. This is Shifu’s show. And I have to highlight this short exchange between Oogway and Shifu before the tournament because it's so telling in their arcs. I know people love the joke, Oogway just dipped on Shifu to deal with his own bs, and tbh I would too cause that’s your family drama, not mine. But he warns Shifu, he feared he would not live to see this day and even implies “Whomever I choose.” again not a single confirmation he would choose one of his students, would bring him peace. And Shifu is left to ponder those words as this elaborate celebration he’d created for this “historic day they’ve been waiting 1,000 years for!” is also for him. Imagine that for a second. You are also a part of this historic day and its results.  But Shifu, our beloved idiot does not intake that in immediately, no. He’s ready to show off his five totally awesome lotto tickets, I mean the furious five. That and he’s so focused on his own grandeur, he’s out here sounding like a wrestling narrator, selling the strength and technique of his students rather than who they are outside of that skill. Which shows even he does not understand who the Dragon warrior is meant to be. Again, Oogway only says “I sense the Dragon warrior among us.” That doesn’t mean his students, just anywhere in the area. HE WAS WARNED. And then the Dragon warrior is chosen and Shifu’s immediate response is to try to stop everything even though it’s moving as it should just not in the way he wanted what’s the first thing this man does when his students, specifically Tigress apologizes for failing him?

That’s right baby, FRAUD. Didn’t even hesitate or think about it for longer than 10 seconds. Just straight up creating a toxic situation for fraud and bullying while his Master is alive and well in this world. But as we’ve established Shifu is an angry gatekeeping girl boss. And it only gets worse from here. Shifu not only threatens to kill Po but oh no. Cause that wouldn’t be enough for this Girlboss, okay? No, he’s got to demean and make fun of Po for his body and insinuate how the Dragon warrior is chosen and given the scroll when again, OOGWAY HAS NEVER SAID ANY OF THESE THINGS. And when he realizes Po is aware of the history of the Wuxi finger hold + how it affects the holder, etc, etc and even states “Oogway may have picked you and when I’m through with you. You are going to wish he hadn’t! Are we clear?” which means he’s VERY VERY VERY aware of what he is doing. Shifu willingly committed fraud. And even laughs about his decision, he is so happy with his ingenious idea to underplay what his Master, who sees him as a friend and a loyal student at his side and even supports his efforts for the tournament that wasn’t needed. It was just a flashy appetizer before the main meal. But nonetheless doesn’t tell him to stop because his hard work deserves to be shown off but also Shifu, a 60+ year old man is not only beefing with a 20 year old but also stepping all over Oogway’s decision because he is super upset he’s not the center of attention. He even throws away every shred of honor and dignity within Kung fu to make sure Po feels as unwelcome and inadequate as possible, we’ve all seen the “Level zero” scene but did y’all notice how even the furious five goes to help Po when he falls into the training Hall and Shifu straight up STOPS THEM WITH HIS HAND, and then smiles as Po screams in pain. This man enjoys fraud and revels in it with joy, it brightens his damn day more than the sun itself!!

Shifu willingly breeds and approves of his students also bullying Po because he didn’t get his “I trained the Dragon Warrior” trophy with his five lotto tickets-I mean The furious five… Which translates to the next few scenes that define their latter interactions with Po because students tend to mimic their masters. In good ways or bad ways… Especially to his daughter, Tigress who especially perpetuates Shifu’s ire toward Po even though her goal as clearly shown in the flashback was never the scroll but Shifu’s love as a father. Which the scroll would have never given her cause Shifu’s a selfish twat.  Shifu even laughs RIGHT IN FRONT OF HIS DAUGHTER, about the fact his beautiful fraud and bullying got Po to quit and he’s so smitten with himself about it as they walk to the training hall and even says “All we can do is resume our training and trust that in time, the true dragon warrior will be revealed.” He’s just outright ignoring the fact, Oogway will never change his mind about who he chose. This is peak delusion ladies and gentlemen. So, if you ever wonder why Tai Lung so easily brought up fraud in their fight scene together, just know from this moment before they opened that door to the training hall. Shifu was all about that fraud to fix his problems. Until he got into one last argument about peach trees and seeds, and Oogway died, showing he wasted his time being a controlling asshole on the final days of his friend's life. And then remembered: “Oh wait bro fraud is actually wrong, oh god what have I done!?” And then he got physically beaten up by the consequences of his actions via Tai Lung and the mere sweet scent of fraud again, which he says no to. And that’s Shifu’s not so complicated relationship with Fraud. We need more fics where people have Po and the five bringing up the fact he was cool with fraud once upon a time. It’d be funny.

[popculturebuffet]

Superhero Wedding Special III: The Wedding of Wally West and Linda Park

Happy belated valentine's day all you happy people! And it's time once again for my favorite tradition on this blog: the superhero wedding special.

For those just joining us I love a good wedding "episode", wether it be a good tv wedding like Adventure Time or Community, a good wedding movie like Father of the Bride or a good old fashiond superhero wedding. And since there are both so many comic book weddings and so many I haven't covered, for the past three years i've let my patreons each pick one, picked one myself, then put all four in a poll for you fine folks to choose from. First year was a tie between Rogue and Gambit's stolen wedding and Aunt Man and Doc Ock's near marriage that ended in a nuclear explosion off the coast of Canada, and last year Hulking and Wiccan had a quick wedding via mid crossover flashback among friends, then had another celebration for the whole superhero community post crossover.

Both races were tight: one was a tie and last years eeked out a win against the Batman/Catwoman wedding fiasco. So this year was a bit diffrent. Not only did I use Tumblr's minty fresh new poll system.. but the results.. weren't even remotely close.

Yeah Wally and Linda won HALF of the 18 votes for this poll, beating out Emma's choice of Lex Luthor's Space wedding, Kev's roulette wheel choice of the recent Emma Frost Tony Stark Wedding, and Brotoman.exe's runner up Luke Cage and Jessica Jones. All good choices.. but it's clear what the people wanted. Ya'll REALLY love Wally West on here, love him even more with Linda and I wholeheartedly agree. While I didn't see this landslide coming, I'm pleased as punch it happened.

So before we introduce our couple, as is tradition let's track how we got to these nuptials.

Wally was in a weird place when he met Linda, both in and out of universe. In universe.. he'd been turned into a porcupine man somehow and was being hunted by Captain Cold during his stint as a bounty hunter.

Point is he met Linda as a newswoman. Out of universe Wally had a bit of a creative rough patch in the 80's. Wally started the 80's in one of the most influental and important books of the decade and one of it's best, The New Teen Titans. And he was easily.. the weakest member of the team.

See while his teamates were either fresh new characters Wolfman and Perez refined as they went (Starfire, Raven, Cyborg) or ones who had long since needed a new coat of paint and got a second act out of the deal (Dick Grayson, Donna Troy and Beast Boy), Wally.. was the odd man out. The team tried to make him the token conservative and a reluctant hero: one who knows he has a duty but is just.. tired of it and wants to retire. NOthing wrong with that, it can be a good angle. The problem is Wally spends the book either whining about not wanting to be a hero instead of just being honest with his friends, who have plenty of power without him, or declaring raven evil out of hand. And he does have a leg to stand on in not liking her, she made him love her. But instead of focusing on that he just assumes any time she looses control slightly she's evil now and stops carring about her because of something that, unlike the brainwashing thing, was entirely out oc her control. You can read more about all this here in this mammoth I did on the series.

The takeaway is that Wally sucked. Then Crisis on Infinite Earths Happened and Barry died heroically sacrifcing himself. Wally swore at the end of that series he wouldn't become the flash... but one year later with the next crossover Legends he did.

So Wally got his own brand new solo written by Mike Baron who reworked Wally's character.. and somehow made him MORE insufferable, making him into an egotisticla impulsive ladies man who cheated on his girlfriend, let his mother walk all over his new girlfriend, a married woman he was having an affair with. He also was a giant dick to Chunk, a neurotypical genius with black hole powers and planned to exploit him. He also won the lottery, a thing that sure did happen and sure was necessary and not a cheap gimmick no one asked for yes sir.

THe baron run.. was a mess. With Wolfman and perez I can at least see what they were going for and tha tit simply failed. Here I don't know what the fuck Baron was thinking.

Thankfully soon after William Messner Loebs took over, and while i've only read a smidgen of his run and wish more was collected, it's an instant improvment: Wally looses his fortune and becomes more of a relatable every man, the "you could have a beer with him" sort whose just at home at a hockey game as he is fighting snake themed terrorists.

So with Wally's new personality came a stable love intrest in Linda. Linda was just what Wally needed: someone who saw through all his bullshit, that all the swaggering and screwing around was compensating for the mountain of issues he refused ot work through.

Linda ended up seeing enough of Wally's good nature to start dating him casually, which lasted into the Mark Waid run, where the two were truly fleshed out as a couple.. and which i've read a solid chunk of. Mark Waid is seen as the man who truly made wally the flash and it's hard to argue that as Wally grew as a person bit by bit over the run. He was still impulsive, down to earth and quippy as fuck, but the overcompensation, horn doggery and assholishness were gone. He also gave wally his full backstory, and helped him finally get over comparisons to barry, making his speed limit that internalized imposter syndrome I mentiond: he was scared of replacing Barry.. but more scared of letting THIS BASTARD DO IT.... god I gotta cover the Return of Bary Allen sometime.

So through all this growth for Wally, he and linda grew as a couple: When Linda asked just how serious they were Wally balked, then got caught up on a flash thing... before speeding his way on a train to ask her to stay. The two have great chemistry: Linda likes Wally's fun nature, down to earth stylez and the fact he dosen't treat her like she's made of glass.. most of the time (Some incidents shook him up a bit), while Wally loves her no nonsense atittude, the only thing that often cuts thorugh his bullshit when he hyperfixates on his latest problem. She's his rock, he's her roll, and they need that ballance. She keeps him grounded.. and not just in the speed force, as discovering it nearly caused wally to loose himself.. but her love anchored him back.

So their marriage was inevitible and while I coudln't find the proposal issue, it's no suprise it happened: the two loved each other deeply and there's a reason they got so much love in this poll, and it's nice the two are back solidly as a couple with no signs of more ediotial fuckery making one of them not exist or forget the other or whatever.

So with that we're at the wedding. It came towards the end of Mark waid's run, right before Geoff Johns also super special awesome run, with Johns getting to define their married life more. It also begins a bit of a weird arc i'll talk about when we get to the end of the issue btu for now it's a blessed day for a blessed couple under the cut.

Since the wedding itself is supervillain free, we open with a big action set piece. Said set piece is excellent: Waid really knows how to write a flash story and sneakily choose villians who were key to Wally and Linda's history: Kobra

I had to and Mark waid had to know what he was doing introdcuing a snake themed terroist group. Kobra is a cult/terriorst group ran by Kobra with a K. They nearly destroyed Keystone City during the Terminal Velocity arc, with Wally forced to go as fast as he possibly could to save Linda, nearly loosing himself in the process. This is where the anchor thing happened. What I really like is the story.. dosen't bring this up. He just mentions he's "tussled with them" before, so newer readers don't have to get an info dump, but people who've been reading a while get the continuity nod.

It's a fun opener too as Wally zooms around, interogates a guy by shaking him real hard, and finds out Kobra's hiding at Broome Plaza, a nice nod to Wally co-creator John Broome. Kobra can teleport so he nopes out, but wally uses a neat trick: since he's faster than sound, he can catch up to what their saying.. and thus evacuate city hall before their bomb goes off. Said attack annoys wally a little but he's able to catch his marriage certificate. It's a good cold open that gives us some flash action.. and allows the rest of the issue to just be a simple plain clothes wedding.

Granted no wedding is simple and Wally reacts to hearing the cake may be off.. is to kidnap a chef from paris.

I.. I want to know how Wally knows this guy, and why he can just kidnap Pierre at a moment's notice. Did he kindap a random chef or do they have a history? Who was he fighting in paris? he WAS part of Justice League Europe for quite some time so it's plausable but dammit I want this story told Mark.

Linda rather than overreacting.. is greatful she has a soon to be husband whose so kind and considerate he'd run al lthe way to paris to kidnap her a baker. The two get down on the floor but before they can get doooowwnwnnn on the floor Linda's parents walk in. Thankfully their quickly distracted though Wally notices something's off: while Linda's had nothing resembling cold feet she freezes up a bit when Wally brushes off his parents, not even having checked if their coming. As you'll soon se he has every reason not to give a shit.

What he does give a shit about is Linda making Bart, aka impulse the ring bearer. Impulse was Wally's equilvent to kid flash and eventually his kid flash, before Wally became Wally's kid flash more recently. That wasn't a typo, there are two of them, it's not important to any of this.

For those less familiar with my boy, Bart is a hyperactive mess, having been raised in virtual reality simulation in the future and thus having trouble slowing down, not helped by being a speedster whose all but said to have ADHD. Wally's relationship with bart's a contrast to Barry's with him: While Barry was a fair mentor and the father Wally needed, Wally.. simply dosen't have the patience to actually train his young ward. Wally and Bart are too much alike, both impulsive, both running a mile a minute, and thus Bart was trained instead by Wally's own secondary mentor Max Mecury, a golden age speedster who has nothing BUT patience and when Max went into comic limbo, the almost as patent first flash Jay Garrick took the reigns. It's a detail I like as it not only set up Bart's own series well but makes sense: Wally can help Bart in small doses and dosen't abandon him, but simply can't handle the kid. It's telling that noawadays while he's taken a roll in mentoring his cousin, Wallace is both way calmer and Wally's matured enough from being a parent to actually handle being a mentor.

Thankfully Linda has patience for both of them and takes care of bart in a really clever way

Sadly the good times can't last and Wally's parents arrive and we see WHY he was so aphrensive about them showing up.

Yeah besides the .. questionable gifts, Waid does a godo job showing WHY he dosen't like them without getting into their histories: Wally's dad gives him a cheap gift and brings a date younger than his own son, and Wally's Mom's every action towards him is some veiled crticisim. Their awful and waid has never sugacoated that, and their constant baggering may explain New Teen Titans era wally in canon: Wally was less himself at the time because he was BADLY trying to be what they wanted and once he got the freedom of being the flash, he snapped back into being who he truly was.

Wally gets them to go away by playing "LOOK A RELATIVE WANTS TO TALK ABOUT THEIR INHERTIANCE" and linda tenses up again, not getting at WHY she keeps doing that. Wally is quickly distracted by this hair crime

Oh all the ways i'm going to have fun with this. Okay for starters Dick, your the son of the world's greatest detective. Bruce has taught you better wig game than that and you damn well know it. 80's metal hair is not Nightwing level disguise work Richard.

Second... how is the "Theodore Logan" look less conspcious than the adopted son of a millionare being friends with a public figure?

Third: All this is going to do is have papparzi asking "Whose Wally West's Best Man?". Does Dick have a cover identity all set up for this or did he only think of this plan the 5 minutes it took to buy a "babies first winger costume" wig.

Fourth: right after the rest of the titans show up, and Donna herself is a public figure, having taken pictures of starfire and being a high profile fashion photographer, Roy himself is ward of a billionare and Garth has no secret identity. how is "bruce wayne's son" any less conspcious.

And fifth WHY of all the wigs did he choose a perm that resembles their teammate jericho they watched get stabbed in front of them not a year ago probably in universe. Maybe two.

To my shock by the end Joey was apparently fronting whitesnake so what the hell dick. Why remind all your many friends present "oh yeah remember our friend who got stabbed in the chest in front of us".

So the rest of the titans arrive and somehow don't razz Dick for this hair crime, though even through that perm dick can sense somethin'gs off with linda. We get mor ehints why as Wally dosen't intorduce the titans to his family: Linda was the one to invite them and while he's glad they came he's not really.. close to any of them. The people he is make a bit more of an intrance, as the JLA arrive, with Superman worried about paparazzi. I mean dick will never live down that perm if they see it.

Wally kept the location on the DL.. which won't really stop paparazzi , even 90's paparazzi, and just makes Dick's hair somehow more rediculous. Any more and it'll become a force unto itself.

Thankfully more of Wally's REAL family shows up: Iris. for those wondering why this is a big deal at the time Iris was living in the future: she's from the 30th century, it's a long story, point is she stayed there after Barry's death both to raise her kids and to avoid spoiling the future. Ironically she'd come back full time during the next run as the future changed enough she had no idea what to expect, but for now Wally's worried she'll give her dad a heart attack.. only for her to explain she already went and saw her dad and explained stuff. Family is important.

This finally snaps Linda's bugging into focus for Wally: family. Wally's been icing his out and THAT'S what linda keeps being nervous about. So , not supposed to see the bride be dammned, he goes to iron this out in a beautiful scene that both explains WHY he's like this to his family, something we've clearly seen, and why Linda's in no danger

IT's really well done, and I like that Wally acknowledges his extended family.. did nothing wrong. He was just so determined to keep his parents away he accidently kept them away too and geninely wants to work on it. I don't think he DOES, but the comic both changes gears then changes writers after this, and I can't blame Geoff for not following up on this. He was never scared of her.. he just has bad parents.

I also like that the comic has the aseop that it's ENTIRELY okay Wally wants to push his parents away and wants nothing to do with them. There are far too many bits of media that ar elike "Oh your birth family is important, you shouldn't pusht hem away. Your parents mean something".. but forget that sometimes parents are abusive shit stains. I was lucky to get a wonderful mom and a dad I can at least talk to, but not everyone has a good relationship with their parents or wants to be around them. WE've seen how little they actually care about wally or his big day, and how much having them there throws him off. Yet we've also subtly seen.. wally HAS family. He's found family with the titans, with the League. You don't need blood to be a family. You just need love, to respect one another and to be there.. and Wally and LInda have that.

So it's time for the ceremony with the wedding party apparently only consisting of Beavis, Jesse Quick (Close ally of Wally's and fellow speedster) and Bart. It's then Wally realizes something and handles it like the responsible about to be married man he is.

Yeah the fastest man alive, who was hovering over his wife as she planned this ceremony... forgot his vows. it's so wally it hurts and i'm here for it. Thankfully he's the fastest man alive and after thinking back on their history, the good, the bad, and how she's always made him feel... he simply says his vows from the gut, which really is again the most wally west thing imaginable and i'm still here for it.

It's a beautiful speech that sums up their relationship, what they mean..and is also something Wally REALLY shoudl've thought through. You'd think after a decade as a superhero, at least he'd know not to tempt fate as suddenly.. Linda dosen't exisit. Wally finds something with her name, asks dick about it, Dick assumes wally horny Richard, and Dick dosen't even question the haunted wig in his apartment. Linda is trapped and yeah that's how the issue ends.

Yeah, the big milestone wedding.. ends with a fucking kidnapping and leads into an arc I haven't gotten to. And look i'll do a LOT for reasearch, I just covered 20 some issues of Transformers Robots in Disguise so I could cover the crossover with More than Meets the Eye next month, entirely so i'd do it right.. but even i'm not so through that i'd read 18 issues of the flash in an arc i'm eh about reading some day but will probably get to complete the mark waid run for a one and a half issue review.

So the short version of what you missed: Wally disappeared into time and space without LInda to anchor him. Replacing him was Wallace West, an angsty wally from another timeline who replaced him for a while, a storyline I mostly know about because it leaked into JLA for a bit, with Wally revealing his identity to a few people to get their trust. Wallace was the darker and edgier flash no one asked for, fought crime, fell in love... and then Wally came back and rescued LInda, who it turned out had been kidnapped by his old nemisis Abra Kadabra, a magician from the 60th century who as you can tell by how elaborate and dickish this plot is, has a flair for both trying to ruin wally's life and the dramatic. Hilaroiusly, as I read, Wally gets him to undo it.. by pointing out no one knew what he did. So Wallace was supposed to go back and go back miserable because fuck him for wanting to be happy I guess. Can you kinda.. see why I have no real intrest in this storyline outside of Wally and LInda? Maybe pick that up?

So for expediency's sake and to give us a better ending we WILL be covering the flash #159.. but just the wally and linda parts as we don't really need Wallace's dramatic exit.

We do start on it though as the League demands he go home and can't take his girlfriend with him. He picked up a girlfriend it's a thing. Superman is being an uncharactristic super ass while Wally is being less than helpful.. albeit given Wallace DIN'T have his memories of Linda erased and could've been helping them, I can't say I blam ehim.

So once Wallace leaves to have one last good day, Bart, having the tact of a tornado on roller skates, asks when the wedding resumes. Wally decides right the fuck now and speeds into actoin to get everything: catering, her parents farmhouse ready again, the lisence.

Wally spends the day even more hyperactive than usual... which is somehow indeed possible. The superheroes around Linda assure her it's fine, with Donna being the only one to make sure things haven't changed. Linda still LOVES wally.. but she can see something's wrong. And unlike with her on the previous wedding day, Wally's FAR less subtle about it so I don't know why no one else is like "okay maybe we shoudl check on him.

We get to the wedding itself.. and Linda holds it, not wanting to Marry wally while he's having what's clearly a barely supressed emotoinal breakdown.

I love this because it really.. boils down their dynamic: Linda loves wally, who he is and dosen't doubt that for a second.. but she's also 9/10 the one who pulls his head out of his ass. Wally's a good guy, we've seen it here.. but he acts first asks later, and LInda's one the remind him that you have to slow down every once in a while and have a conversation. Also yeah, between Dick's wig and Clark's super pope hat he's bummed he didn't get to wear to this because you bastards didn't ask him to officiate, they've seen weirder.

Wally agrees, yeah that's it. He saw a version of himself who went down a dark path.. and really wasn't THAT diffrent. All it took was loosing linda, which is WHY Walter is an edgelord for the record. Linda.. isn't amused, especially since Wally implies part of this is to widen the gap between them. Wally's friends are.. less than sympathetic. Well okay Roy is. It's just roy actually, Max is worried and Jay knows they just need to work it out and will. But roy well..

That is both a perfect exchange for those two.. and entirely why Roy isn't invited to weddings that much. I only think he got into this one as Donna's +1.

Wally however.. assures her that's not the case and once again gets a fantastic speech in

It's a heartfelt speech and get's linda to just.. skip to the i dos, the two kiss and one of the most solid marriages in all of comcis begins. It's a beautiful speech.

As for the issues themselves.. their okay. Yeah for such a great couple and with so many great moments, the first issue feels a bit short, like we needed more time for the wedding and the whole stupid kidnapping plot means we get cheated out of a reception, which as we've seen from both Rogue and Gambit and Teddy and Billy's nuptial's, is often some of the best stuff, allowing a bunch of characters to bounce off each other. Instead since the circumstances are dire after the intital wedding and dire right before the makeup, with our heroes recovering for it, we don't really get to have FUN with this. There's good moments, but these weddings are a bit of a disapointment and I don't know what Mark Waid or Ediotiral was thinking with this. It's still JUST good enough to not be a complete waste of your time, I recommend at least 142, but it still coudl've been SO much better and it's a shame this is the first wedding for this feature I just. .haven't been that jazzed about. I wanted to like it. the art for the first issue does not help, being all kinds of rediuclous and giving us the enternal shame that is Dick Grayson's perm.

So where did Wally and LInda go from here? Well honestly.. marital bliss at first. As I said Geoff Johns run, a brilliant followup to what Mark Waid did that brought back the Rogues after Waid wrote them out and redefined Captain Cold, follows them as newlyweds: they deal with space, moving, and LInda going back to college for a subplot that ultimately goes nowhere outside of one kidnapping by a prince from another dimension. Story for another time.

The two were solid for the most part and even had an unexpected suprise: TWINS. The two were happy to start their family... but unfortuantely Wally's freshly minted new arch enemy Zoom undid the babies out of his warped thinking tragedy makes better heroes. Which it often does, but feels like a critqiue on piling on tragedy because "that's what sueprheroes are". Granted Geoff Johns isn't innocent of this, but it's still a good lesson.

Afterwards Hal Jordan wiped everyone's memories of wally's identity and after re learning it Linda disappeared before coming back, the babies were restored, and the two had a happy marriage again with kids till infinite crisis. Then wally was put through the SHIT for nigh on a decade until a recent return, a wonderful run you should check out by Jeremey Whitley and a sci fi run I haven't that sounds neat by by my Boy Simon Spurrier. The two aren't without conflict. .but they have a love and understanding that makes them get past it. Wally and Linda have a beautiful relationship and I can't wait to see them again on this blog some day.

For now thanks for reading.

[nythtak]

you know i gotta do it to ya 🥸

The dresser is completely covered in makeup, jewelry, magazines, and a scattering of gin and vodka bottles - they all have interesting or pretty shapes so Venetia collects them, and it makes for easy gifts so long as Felix is willing to trawl through a bunch of shops. Farleigh is to blame for the six-litre light-up vodka bottle currently glowing pink at the very edge of the dresser, the one they all made themselves as sick as dogs trying to drain a few years ago.

xD Thankee now I've got to remember but THANKFULLY mostly do lol

I kinda rambled a bit?? So, under the cut here

Venetia's room was very much influenced by Alison Oliver's interview (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygMQn0viPcE) where she describes the room as being full of makeup, jewelry, mags etc (Elspeth's effect shining through here), and very pink and black.

And just the general MESS in Saltburn really heaping up for Venetia's room as an extremely deliberate choice of hers. A sort of control/ownership in it, especially since she's there all year around, and it can be so comforting to have a bedroom as an escape and let it be a complete tip that's just yours, no one else's.

The gin/vodka bottles are inspired by my sister specifically xD She doesn't collect them the same, but the prettier ones do get kept sometimes (and we even had this MASSIVE whiskey bottle (think knee-height) filled with coins never above a 10p in our living room for years that was my granddad's), and it's kinda impressive how elaborate some can go.

SO for Venetia, it's a few things.

The casual alcoholism across the board with the Cattons, the idea of underlying fucked-ness with so many bottles of pretty but cheap, mass-produced glass and the lingering smell of the alcohol inside, a few drops where it wasn't cleaned out properly and maybe some still half-full, reflecting the lights on the dresser and her distorted reflection back at her, lovingly enabled. The half-hidden sentimentality of her keeping the gifted ones on prime display, but mixed in among a whole load of mess so there's too many things to draw your eye. And they're all very cheap in the grand scheme of it all, but these end up being what last for years on a dresser used every single day, compared to priceless gifts tossed in a pile and forgotten.

(hi yes I'm still going??? Oops) Now, the vodka bottle specifically...Again, blame my sister for being super into vodka and flavoured ones until she got really sick on it once and then stopped drinking it xD Also, blame a google search for 'pretty vodka bottles' or something like that, and a light-up one popped up which felt too perfect.

Flashy and objectively cheap but it's 'saw this and thought of you' and 'isn't this silly' and 'let's get sick together for no good reason just to celebrate you and us' and 'here's something for you to look at and think of those memories when it was just the three of us when we're not here but you still are'.

Pretty pink and tacky and a shared mockery but if *any* of those bottles were moved even a centimeter, Venetia would notice. Left at the very edge like she wants it to fall, but would *absolutely* cry if it ever broke.

(Felix is the one who got the sickest on their binge attempt, and would've fallen into the pond if Venetia and Farleigh didn't grab him in time.)

(I COULD RAMBLE MORE BUT IM STOPPING NOW ISTG-)

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

First off... Definitely go see THE BOY AND THE HERON / HOW DO YOU LIVE?

Number two... I can't believe I have to say all of this, but... Some avenues of animation fan-land need to C-H-I-L-L... Not just with this movie, but with a multitude of other things, but I won't get into them here. I just wanna talk about how Miyazaki's new film did in the U.S. Fantastic $10-13m opening, already bests the domestic totals of SPIRITED AWAY and PONYO. Looks to make a decent gross, maybe even outgross WISH- hey wait a minute...

So, one of my first questions is... Why are we even bringing "Disney" into this?

Or WISH for that matter?

I feel bad for the WISH filmmakers honestly, for all their hard work to culminate in their movie losing money at the box office. It barely passed $100m just recently. That all has zilch to do with Miyazaki's new movie. Or anything, for that matter. You might as well single out DreamWorks and TROLLS 3 while you're at it.

This should be about Miyazaki's new film, possibly his last, that he came out of retirement - in his EIGHTIES - to make, and how it's doing.

This and GODZILLA MINUS ONE's successes should be looked at, it shows that there are markets for other kinds of movies, it shows that some audiences will be there for some things... And that's great! We need more room in multiplexes for these kinds of movies, and their respective successes I feel are a positive sign for that...

Buuuuut, what the hell does HERON's success have to do with Disney?

I get that Disney is one of the largest players in both animation and mainstream movies, but really- BOY AND THE HERON's success is only going to tell Disney executives one thing, and it's what I just laid out above. It's not going to singlehandedly convince Disney execs to allow Walt Disney Animation Studios to open a full-on 2D unit and greenlight a 2D animated movie. HERON would have to make MARIO numbers in order to possibly do that, and that's being generous... And Disney used to distribute Ghibli films, too, even well after they called it quits on 2D films. (They released THE WIND RISES through the Touchstone banner in 2014.)

Like, let's celebrate the new Miyazaki film doing great without having to center Disney all the damn time. There are so many 2D movies that get made every few years all around the world, and they're far more accessible than ever before.

Why do we need big bad Diz to try again when so many other filmmakers are doing new and innovative stuff with that medium? And besides, what if they make a 2D movie and it has the same writing style as WISH, STRANGE WORLD, RAYA, etc.? "You made a 2D movie Disney, that's great! But it's still MID!" Disney gave you back the evil bad guy villains with King Magnifico, but WISH still sucked to you... You're just not going to get what you want out of this company anymore.

I get that Disney's 2D films are the bedrock of the enterprise, and of feature animation history. I get that in their official "canon", 46 of their 62 features are largely 2D/hand-drawn... But, we gotta stop expecting this big conglomerate to do it when they've steadfastly refused to for a decade now. They're answering to market research and what they think audiences want, not people like us who can detect a Milt Kahl head swaggle from a mile away...

Instead of making shallow remarks that only put down the animators/filmmakers, and not the bigwigs at the company (this whole "that'll teach 'em a lesson" mentality is among the dumbest on twitter and a few other places), just go find cool 2D stuff being made elsewhere and put your energy into making that stuff more known. You've got internet, right? Just google every year's crop of animated movies and even TV shows (like, say, SCAVENGER'S REIGN. Go watch that!), it's all right there, yeesh.

Like, let's celebrate BOY AND THE HERON's success, not make this another Disney Animation and Pixar bash-fest. Miyazaki didn't come out of retirement and hand-craft this film - which is an often heavy and painful reflective work on loss and grief and life and death and the universe - at his old age... for people to act like this is a playground, pitting it against another movie that has its own reason for existing. It just seems, among other obnoxious things some animation fans are currently doing, disingenuous to me. What is this hierarchy? Can we just enjoy and celebrate the art for once?

[goodnightmemes]

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON, S01E03 “SECOND OF HIS NAME” SENTENCE STARTERS

❛ Come out and face me! ❜

❛ And surely by the end of this hunt, we shall have more to celebrate. ❜

❛ Then it lies with you to make him see it. ❜

❛ It's been three years. It can wait another three days. ❜

❛ Come, eat. Fortify yourselves for the journey. ❜

❛ If the crown were ever to intervene now is the time. ❜

❛ Can someone tell me where in the Seven Hells [name] might be? ❜

❛ Perhaps the Princess might like to hear something else? ❜

❛ Play it again. ❜

❛ Did I say to stop? ❜

❛ Your presence is wanted in the outer courtyard. ❜

❛ I've decided to remain here and read instead. ❜

❛ He wants for us all to be together. ❜

❛ Is it the King's command? ❜

❛ None of it needs be this way in truth. ❜

❛ Well, isn't this splendid. The whole of our family off to celebration and adventure in the Kingswood. ❜

❛ Should you be traveling in such condition? ❜

❛ Well, you will be with your own child sooner than late. ❜

❛ You should ride out with me today. ❜

❛ The boars squeal like children when they're being slaughtered. I find it discomforting. ❜

❛ I fear the gods did not make me for hunting. ❜

❛ I wouldn't know. I've not spoken to [name] in years. ❜

❛ And how have you served the realm of late, by eating cake? ❜

❛ I don't think we've been properly introduced. ❜

❛ Is that what I am to you? A prize to proffer about to the great houses? ❜

❛ You are of age. And [name] is an excellent match. ❜

❛ He's arrogant and self-serious. ❜

❛ I have tried often to discuss it with you, but you've refused me at every turn. ❜

❛ Even I do not exist above tradition and duty! ❜

❛ There's been a sighting of a white hart. ❜

❛ What happened back there? ❜

❛ Do you want me to kill him? ❜

❛ It's a beautiful day. We should take in the Kingswood. ❜

❛ How lucky you are to have a say in your own life. ❜

❛ Many in the realm would gladly trade positions with you. ❜

❛ All that I have, I owe to you. ❜

❛ That man's pride has pride. ❜

❛ It is not my wish to command her. I want her to be happy. ❜

❛ I came here to hunt, not to be suffocated by all this fucking politicking. ❜

❛ Let us speak no more of it. ❜

❛ The girl is a heedless contrarian. ❜

❛ Do you wish to hear my opinion on the matter? ❜

❛ I must make a final plea that we return to the camp. ❜

❛ What is the power of a dragon... next to the power of prophecy. ❜

❛ Many in my line have been dragonriders. Very few among us have been dreamers. ❜

❛ The hour is too late, husband. ❜

❛ I sought that vision again, night after night... but it never came again. ❜

❛ What if I was wrong? ❜

❛ And does this not please you? ❜

❛ To deny that he is heir to the throne is to assail the laws of gods and men. ❜

❛ The road ahead is uncertain, but the end is clear. ❜

❛ You must guide [name] towards reason. He'll never find it on his own. ❜

❛ The gods have punished me for my indulgences. ❜

❛ Well, if you truly believe that, my dear... then you possess a generous spirit. ❜

❛ I am forever doomed to anger one person in the pleasing of another. ❜

❛ It is no consequence to what I think... as I'm often reminded. ❜

❛ I was trying to help you. Will you not be helped? Why must every effort on your behalf be resisted - as if to the death? ❜

❛ The lords of the realm gather like vultures to a carcass, hoping to feast on my bones. ❜

❛ It is true that as rulers we must marry for advantage to forge alliances and bolster our strength. You have always understood this. ❜

❛ I've heard that story since I've had ears to. ❜

❛ You've been much alone these last few years. Alone and angry. ❜

❛ I will not live forever. I wish to see you contented, happy even. ❜

❛ Show me the knight who will march into that hell pit, and I will show you a madman. ❜