#abc never fails to disappoint!

[mayasdeluca]

me to ABC after seeing that S19 Season 7 trailer:

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Vice President Kamala Harris walked onto the ABC News debate stage with a mission: trigger a Trump meltdown.

She succeeded.

Former President Donald Trump had a mission too: control yourself.

He failed.

Trump lost his cool over and over. Goaded by predictable provocations, he succumbed again and again.

Trump was pushed into broken-sentence monologues—and even an all-out attack on the 2020 election outcome. He repeated crazy stories about immigrants eating cats and dogs, and was backwards-looking, personal, emotional, defensive, and frequently incomprehensible.

Harris hit pain point after pain point: Trump’s bankruptcies, the disdain of generals who had served with him, the boredom and early exits of crowds at his shrinking rallies. Every hit was followed by an ouch. Trump’s counterpunches flailed and missed. Harris met them with smiling mockery and cool amusement. The debate was often a battle of eyelids: Harris’s opened wide, Trump’s squinting and tightening.

Harris’s debate prep seemed to have concentrated on psychology as much as on policy. She drove Trump and trapped him and baited him—and it worked every time.

Trump exited the stage leaving uncertain voters still uncertain about whether or not he’d sign a national abortion ban. He left them certain that he did not want Ukraine to win its war of self-defense. He accused Harris of hating Israel but then never bothered to say any words of his own in support of the Jewish state’s war of self-defense against Hamas terrorism. In his confusion and reactiveness, he seemed to have forgotten any debate strategy he might have had.

Something every woman watching the debate probably noticed: Trump could not bring himself to say the name of the serving vice president, his opponent for the presidency. For him, Harris was just a pronoun: a nameless, identity-less “she,” “her,” “you.” It’s said that narcissists cope with ego injury by refusing to acknowledge the existence of the person who inflicted the hurt. If so, that might explain Trump’s behavior. Harris bruised his feelings, and Trump reacted by shutting his eyes and pretending that Harris had no existence of her own independent of President Joe Biden, whose name Trump was somehow able to speak.

Hemmed, harried, and humiliated, Trump lost his footing and his grip. He never got around to making an affirmative case for himself. If any viewer was nostalgic for the early Trump economy before its collapse in his final year in office, that viewer must have been disappointed. If a viewer wanted a conservative policy message, any conservative policy message, that viewer must have been disappointed. When asked whether he had yet developed a health-care plan after a decade in politics, Trump could reply only that he had “concepts of a plan.”

Almost from the start, Harris was in control. She had better moments and worse ones, but she was human where Trump was feral. She had warm words for political opponents such as John McCain and Dick Cheney; Trump had warm words for nobody other than Viktor Orbán, the Hungarian strongman whom Trump praised for praising Trump. It was an all-points beatdown, and no less a beating because Trump inflicted so much of it on himself.

At a minimum, this display will put an end to the Trump claim that Harris is a witless nonentity unqualified to engage in debate. Harris met Trump face-to-face before tens of millions of witnesses. She dominated and crushed him, using as her principal tools her self-command and her shrewd insight into the ex-president’s psychic, moral, and intellectual weaknesses.

Will it matter that Harris so decisively won? How can it not? But it may matter more that Trump so abjectly lost to a competitor for whom he could not utter a syllable of respect.

David Frum is a staff writer at The Atlantic.

[prouvairesverse]

1 or 10 enjolferre? :DD

10. Spooning At Night - Enjolferre

from this prompt list and a submission for @lesmisshippingshowdown ! decided to actually finish this for the poll ^^

also on ao3 :]

“Enjolras stays up late working on his laptop before inevitably falling asleep. Luckily, Combeferre comes home to save him.”

Enjolras wouldn’t admit it, but he was exhausted.

He had sacrificed his usual sleep schedule to focus on a mess of work he never finished, specific things for classes that had somehow managed to slip his mind (he still couldn’t believe this had even happened) or different ideas and discussions he wanted to mention during the ABC meetings.

Enjolras let out a tired groan which quickly became a long yawn, checking the time on the laptop screen once again. 2:31am. Not even 10 minutes had passed since he last checked yet it had felt like a few hours at least. Enjolras rubbed at his eyes and adjusted his glasses, another yawn escaping him as he stubbornly forced himself to refocus on the blaring document on his screen, the white canvas of the page shining in the darkness of the kitchen as he started to type again.

Before he had even realised it, half an hour had passed and he was mostly passed out against the side of his hand when Combeferre walked into their apartment. He flicked on a lamp at a low setting, keeping the apartment dim in an attempt to try not to disturb the blonde who sat at the counter. Combeferre placed down his bag and removed his coat and shoes as quietly as he could in experienced moves, this of course wasn’t the first time he came back late to this scene though it didn’t stop him from letting out a disappointed sigh, he had just dealt with a long, mildly infuriating and busy shift at the hospital and had been prepared to pass out the moment he got home.

Quietly, Combeferre walked over to the blonde who was slowly starting to slip off the counter from where he sat. Combeferre shook his head before taking Enjolras’ shoulder and forcing him to sit up properly, the other barely stirring until Combeferre closed his laptop, the action immediately awakening him.

“I’m still working,” Enjolras said groggily, reaching out for the laptop in an attempt to stop him as Combeferre pushed it to the opposite end of the counter.

“You can work tomorrow, you nearly fell off the counter again,” He spoke as Enjolras sighed, rubbing at his eyes and removing his glasses, placing them down onto the counter as well.

“I was nearly finished,” Enjolras protested as Combeferre raised his eyebrows, giving him a stern look which immediately made Enjolras glance away as he corrected himself with a huff, “I was going to be finished eventually.”

“I’m sure you were,” Combeferre said with a hint of amusement in his tone as Enjolras kept trying to argue. “Whether or not you were, we’re going to bed, I’m not arguing with you over this now,” He said decisively as Enjolras merely nodded tiredly.

Combeferre gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder to get him to stand before heading to his bedroom and flicking on a small lamp, failing to notice the sleepy blonde silently trailing after him.

“Enjolras?” Combeferre said as he went to turn to shut the door before noticing him, the other standing in front of him with droopy eyes as Combeferre sighed. He could tell Enjolras was barely staying awake, Combeferre gently placed his hand onto the small of his back and led Enjolras to his bed. It was probably best for him to sleep with him for the night he decided, he could at least ensure he actually slept and not wake up for his laptop again.

It didn’t take long to get him into bed, Enjolras was already wearing a baggy shirt and shorts which at least meant he didn’t need to change. The blonde was basically flat out the moment he hit Combeferre’s pillow as he put the cover over him. Combeferre watched for a moment to ensure he was fine before heading to the bathroom with a more comfortable change of clothes. He quickly changed out of his button up shirt, sweater and slacks into a softer loose shirt and bottoms before brushing his teeth.

He silently walked back into his room, taking a look at Enjolras in his bed. He was completely knocked out, he was certain. Combeferre watched his chest rise and fall softly as his quiet breathing filled the silent room. A small, fond smile graced Combeferre’s mouth before he quietly slid into the bed beside him, barely making a noise past the ruffling of the covers as he got in. He took off his own glasses, placing them onto the bedside table beside him and flicked off the lamp before finally resting his head onto his pillow as well.

The room was dark and his vision blurry as he took in the shapes of his friend for a moment before closing his eyes.

As Combeferre slowly started to drift off to sleep, a weight suddenly placed itself against his chest and startled him back awake. Opening his eyes, he was met with a blur of blonde laying on him and an arm draped against him, Enjolras’ breathing remained soft as if he was still asleep. Combeferre knew better to believe that after the sudden movement.

“Enj?” He said quietly, a muffled hum from the other as he rested his face against his shirt.

“Enj,” Combeferre repeated as the other lifted his head sleepily to look at him. Combeferre could barely make him out in the darkness, his features lost in a blur as he sighed.

“Off my chest? Please?” He asked softly as Enjolras begrudgingly moved to lay beside him instead, remaining silent as Combeferre adjusted his own position to instead be wrapped around the other as Enjolras rested an arm against him and knocked his legs against his. It was slightly awkward, them both being near enough the same height and tangled together in the bed like this, Combeferre holding Enjolras as they spooned.

Combeferre let out a tired sigh and closed his eyes again before he heard Enjolras mumble, his words barely audible.

“Thank you,” He said quietly.

“Goodnight Enj,” Combeferre hummed back tiredly.

“Night Ferre,” Enjolras muttered as he felt Combeferre press a gentle kiss against his curls before they both fell asleep against each other.

[hainethehero]

Never asked about your sexuality.

And if you think introducing a queer relationship, barely focusing on said queer relationship DESPITE crowing in interviews about how they're going to "approach this queer storyline with care and respect", not making an attempt to develop said relationship in ANY meaningful way, yet STILL talking about said relationship in interviews as "learning about each other and getting over hurdles in relationships" but never doing so, making a stupid ass speech about "people that make life worth living" in one episode and then breaking up for the most UNREASONABLE reason ever, as "good storytelling", then I'm not surprised you think using queer characters as token plot devices to further other main/larger character storylines is a good thing.

Using queer characters as token plot devices to further the character development of another queer character, IS STILL BAD REPRESENTATION FOR QUEER CHARACTERS.

"Which specific socmed are you talking about?" Try all. And if u don't see the vitriol, then you're clearly blinded by your own bias.

Bucktommy fans were okay with them eventually breaking up. Most of us knew there was a chance it wouldn't last. We aren't mad that they broke up. We're disappointed at how poorly paced the break up was, how poorly the writers handled it & how quickly & pointlessly it was done. Queer fans who were promised a "respectful & genuine approach" to this relationship by Tim & even Oliver, are allowed to be disappointed. They're also allowed to critically consume media & criticize the communicators of that same media who promised something they blatantly failed to deliver.

P.S. This came up on my feed because 911 abc was tagged. And irdc about seeing the tags, I'm not some pussy to be triggered by some tags. I see delusional takes by accounts like yours all day. No big.

and another thing people are discussing this like tommy was a main character with an arc. he was supporting at best even in his own relationship. i'm sorry to say it was not disrespectful to treat a supporting character like a supporting character. he's allowed to have an unceremonious exit. bucktommy existed for buck's story… not tommy's. i am ALL FOR loving and caring for character's who don't really have a story of their own (we're all huge fans of ravi and lucy and lena hello they are/were barely around!!!), i get how fun it is. but so many people are confusing their love for tommy and their headcanons for implication that he was ever supposed to stick around and develop outside of buck. he was never gonna be his own Guy you know.

[wlw-lovestruck-fiction]

Euryale NSFW ABC maybe?

Written by @evoedbd​

A= Aftercare (What they’re like after sex)

Cuddles are a must.  Euryale is instantly all over her partner, albeit quite obliviously.  Mortals are such strange creatures sometimes, but no request is too outrageous for Euryale to follow without question when it comes to aftercare.

 B= Body Part (Their favorite body part of theirs and their partner’s)

Hands.  Hands down. The way elegant fingers can curl so viciously around the hilt of a blade, but weave so softly between Euryale’s own.  The way those fingers can be so filling, but never bring undesired pain.  Nothing is better than hands Euryale knows she is safe to shatter into.

   C= Cum (Anything to do with cum basically …)

Euryale adores feeling the evidence of lovemaking.  Yet, nothing is as delicious to her as a kiss with her lover’s taste upon her lips, or her own taste upon her lover’s.  Trading flavours in an intimate kiss is the perfect ending to any night.

   D= Dirty Talk (Pretty self-explanatory)

Dirty talk is not Euryale’s strong suit, or particularly to her tastes.  Her lovers can rail her into the next century, but they’d better not dare degrade her like some backstreet prostitute.  If one is to speak dirty to Euryale, they’d best make it sound like they are addressing royalty.  Euryale will accept nothing less.

 E= Experience (How experienced are they? Do they know what they’re doing?)

She’s over 200 years old.  Euryale has done most things at least once.  She knows what she likes, but she’s never done things with a mortal she genuinely cares about before.  For that, she relishes the experiences with her seemingly mortal girlfriend as if they are new.  This makes her seem less experienced than she truly is, at least under a certain woman’s touch.

 F= Favorite Position (This goes without saying.)

Euryale couldn’t answer that.  Some days, she simply wants to be held down into the mattress and taken violently, like an animal in heat.  Ironically, this desire seems to align with the seasons.  Otherwise she simply wants ride her girlfriend, trying to hold eye contact as long as possible, fists clenched around the knives stabbed into the headboard or wall.

 G= Goofy (Are they more serious in the moment, or are they humorous, etc?)

Euryale is as serious as a heart attack. She will not suffer a lover laughing at her.  That said, something about her mortal has her want to be a little playful.  Her knives always cameo, usually stabbed into the furniture as a handhold as the little mortal rocks her world.

 H= Hair (How well groomed are they, does the carpet match the drapes, etc?)

Waxed.  Kept completely bare.  Euryale likes her sensitive skin exposed and smooth.

   I= Intimacy (How are they during the moment, romantic aspect …)

She tries.  Truly, Euryale tries to be romantic.  Sadly, many of her partners seem to find her intimidating, or are too distracted by her knives to notice.  Strangely, it is her little mortal who seems to find Euryale’s behaviours endearing, happy to kiss any knife brought to her face with a dreamy expression.

 J= Jack off (Masturbation headcanon)

Euryale is very experienced with herself.  She enjoys teasing herself, stroking and enjoying the feeling of her smooth, sensitive skin beneath her palms until she can’t wait any longer.  This is perhaps one of the only times that Euryale will stay quiet, squeaking and moaning behind a hand clamped over her mouth.

   K= Kink (One or more of their kinks)

Knives.  Anytime Euryale can have her knives involved instantly revs her engines.  Seeing her partner kiss the length.  Freezing the blades so their chill will rile up her girl.  Creating handholds.

   L= Location (Favorite Place to do the deed)

Chairs are good.  The perfect place to ride her Girlfriend’s fingers, using her own back to shield anybody from laying eyes on her precious mortal.  Wherever that chair is sitting is completely irrelevant.  Though, she’s noticed her Girlfriend prefers her apartment.

   M= Motivation (What turns them on, gets them going?)

Her girlfriend. The woman is so unimaginably beautiful, carved by Hephaestus to show the world the true meaning of Lust.  But she is so gentle and sweet too.  She looks at Euryale’s quirks with this perfect quirk of her lips that has the Gorgon unable to focus on anything but the memories of the things that mouth can do.  The sweet kisses and kind words that fill Euryale’s heart. These romantic emotions are so new to the Gorgon. Sometimes, they overwhelm her until the heat burning in her body needs to be released.  Its then that Euryale pounces.

 N= NO (Something they wouldn’t do, turn-offs)

Incest.  No mommy kinks. No stepsister plays.  Calling Euryale “babe” is the fastest way to have the Gorgon leaping off her girlfriend’s lap with an indignant shriek.

 O= Oral (Preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc)

Euryale is an excellent giver.  Oral with Euryale is an experience many mortal women would die for.  However, Euryale herself is nervous about receiving, not because of embarrassment, but for safety reasons.  Euryale loses her mind receiving, and often forgets how strong she is when she clamps her thighs.  A traumatic experience with crushing a mortal’s skull has let her hesitant to let someone she cares about go down.

 P= Pace (Are they fast and rough? Slow and sensual? Etc)

The name of the game is passionate.  Euryale is fire, hungry and demanding from the first moment.  She’s borderline primal, all growls bites, hard movements.  Euryale is the most devoted worshipper of her lover’s body.  That animalistic intensity is tempered into a thorough claiming of every single inch of her girl’s body. Even with a husk to her voice, Euryale will snarl her praises, refusing to let her girlfriend think she is unappreciated for a single moment.  One might say that Euryale’s energy in bed is that of someone who has been edged to the point of fury. Euryale wants to feel worshipped, just as she wants to worship.  She has a goddess in her bed, and as twitchy as Euryale can be, there is no way she will disappoint.   Nothing but her lover’s requests will tame her.

Euryale’s girlfriend however is gentle, soft hands guiding Euryale instead of trapping her.  Letting Euryale wear herself out, all the while feeling that she is loved and valued.  When Euryale settles enough to surrender, it is slow and gentle, coaxing Euryale slowly into every crest of bliss.  The girlfriend is all too happy to use her body, to cover Euryale, blanketing her as the Gorgon sobs into her neck.

   Q= Quickie (Their opinions on quickies rather than proper sex, how often, etc)

Euryale is happy to shove her girlfriend into a chair and demand hands beneath her dress.  She is happy to ride to a fast orgasm.  Or shove her hand down the girl’s pants and drag a climax out of her, and a second for good measure.

   R= Risks (Are they game to experiment, do they take risks, etc)

Their very relationship feels like a risk.  Euryale’s body has the strength to crush and destroy her girl if she loses concentration for a moment.  Everything new they do is planned, often by her Girlfriend.  However, if her Girlfriend steals the marble cuffs, then Euryale is trusting enough to try anything.

S= Stamina (How many rounds can they go for, how long do they last …)

Days.  Euryale can go for literal days when it is just sex with an equally ungodly partner.  Emotionally, she can go hours before she burns out mentally.  Her girlfriend stops when Euryale’s mind disconnects, not wanting just a body.

 T= Toy (Do they own toys? Do they use them? On a partner or themselves?)

Yes.  Euryale has access to the ungodly monster category of toys, along with her Aura.   Her girlfriend has a more chaste collection of electronic toys.  Combining them on Euryale is a fun weekend.  They help compensate for her girlfriend’s mortal stamina.

 U= Unfair (How much they like to tease)

Euryale doesn’t.  If she wants, she takes.  And takes, and takes and takes.  Not that her girlfriend complains, afterall, this is what they agreed to.  In fact, the unintentional tease is that her girlfriend is always expecting Euryale to pounce.

 V= Volume (How loud they are, what sounds they make)

In private, loud.  Euryale has no qualms about growling into her girlfriend’s neck, drawing out scream after scream to the point neighbours have called the cops on them in the past.  Soundproofing the walls has helped a little. Not entirely.  Maybe because Euryale has stabbed the walls too many times.

   W= Wild Card (Get a random headcanon for the character of your choice)

Euryale’s girlfriend adores Euryale’s nose.  She continuously presses kisses or attempts to nip at the tip to Gorgon’s nose, both in sexual situations and just everyday playfulness.

   X= X-rated thoughts (let’s see what’s going on in their head)

Half of Euryale’s day is spent remembering the feeling of her girlfriend’s fingers inside her, knocking those perfect spots, thumb pressing into her clit.   How she wants to take her girl, press her into the walls, palm at her perfect ass.  Squeeze.   Going any further leads to situations, and Euryale can’t afford those until her girlfriend is off the clock.

   Y= Yearning (How high is their sex drive?)

24/7.  Euryale is one snap of her girlfriend’s fingers away from a turned-on mess.

   Z= Zzz (… How quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

Euryale holds on as long as she can, wanting to spend time snuggling into her girlfriend’s back and shoulders.  She will, without fail, stay awake until she is positive that her girlfriend understands how deeply loved she truly is.  Even if words don’t work, gentle kisses and nips, tender brushes of hands across her hips and body.  Once her girlfriend is asleep, Euryale will eventually drift off with a content smile across her lips.

[solynaceawrites]

The ABCs of Demonology [5]: Experience

Fandom: Devil May Cry Characters: Dante, fem!Reader Tags: NSFW Alphabet, Drabble Collection, Smut, Fluff, Established Relationship, Aftercare Chapters: 5/26 Summary: A series of drabbles based on the-coldest-goodbye’s NSFW Alphabet template. Each drabble has a different theme, but all of them star Dante Sparda.

»»————-　⚜　————-««

If you’ve got one complaint about your life with Dante, it’s the hovering almost that thickens the air between you whenever a touch lingers or a kiss gets heated. Despite all of his rough edges, he’s a gentleman through and through in matters of romance—or at least as much of one as he knows how to be, making sure to offer you the last slice of pizza or buying the beers he knows you like. It’s the little things, really, that make you feel like you could stay with him forever, which is why this one big thing has you twisted in knots. To put it simply, you’re more than ready to have sex with him.

He, on the other hand, seems bound and determined to miss all of your hints.

You’ve tried the subtle and not-so-subtle suggestions. Offering an intimate massage that put him right to sleep.  A candlelit dinner. Lingerie. Hell, you even went out and got everything waxed and made a show of having him feel how soft and smooth your legs were while wearing a pair of shorts that nearly flashed him when you bent over, and he’d grinned and said they were soft as silk and then gone off to see about dinner. You’re not sure if it’s something about you or just his own personal hang-ups keeping his dick securely in his tight leather pants, or if he’s just so dense that he doesn’t realize.

Either way, it’s wreaking havoc on your libido and your self-esteem, so you decide to bite the bullet and just ask upfront. No more beating around the bush. “Dante,” you call from the couch. He lifts the latest issue of Gun Time from his face to peer at you, a brow raised, and you sit up from your sprawl. “Do you want to have sex with me?”

His eyes get so comically wide and his face so bright red that you wonder if he’s about to have a stroke. “Uh . . . I, uh . . . You . . .”

Or maybe he’s just short-circuiting.

“You. Me. Sex.” You point to him, and then yourself. “Do you want to?”

“I mean, uh . . .” He swallows and clears his throat. “I’ve thought about it. Just, uh . . . Never seemed like a good time to bring it up.”

At that, you snort. “Even when I was parading around in black lace?”

“I thought you were just hot.”

“The massage?”

“A nice gift?”

“Dante,” you say, half-laughing and half-exasperated, “I was dropping hints. You know, that I wanted you to bend me over the desk?”

“Sorry, babe, I guess I missed ‘em.” He does look apologetic, which makes you wonder if there’s more to this than what he’s letting on. Curious now, you stand and make your way to him, and he wraps an arm around your waist when you settle into his lap, and he won’t meet your eyes. His cheeks are still flushed pink as he mumbles, “Never really had anyone try before.”

You blink at that. “Never had anyone try to sleep with you?”

“. . . Yeah.”

Well, that’s a surprise. A guy as handsome as he is, you’d figured he’d had more than his fair share of partners. Then again, demon hunting isn’t exactly a gig made for any sort of relationship, especially when you’ve got as many walls as Dante does; hell, getting him to date you had been like pulling teeth. “So, and please don’t take this the wrong way, you’re a virgin?”

Dante huffs and buries his face in the crook of your neck, making his reply nearly inaudible. “Yeah.”

“I see.” You mull over that for a moment, the carefully nudge his face up to yours. “You want to do this, or do you want to wait a while longer? I’m good either way,” you add when his brows furrow, getting that crease between them that you always want to kiss, “I just want to make sure you’re comfortable.”

“It ain’t me I’m worried about.” You tilt your head, and he sighs. “You know, uh . . . . a quick trigger, so to speak. Pretty sure that’s what’ll happen if we do this.”

With a smile, you lean forward to press your lips to his. It’s one of the things you love about Dante: no matter what the two of you are doing, he’s always worried about you and your happiness, and beneath the warmth that his concern causes is a thrill at being able to show him exactly what you like. His mouth is pliant under yours, opening easily, and he groans when you coax his tongue into your mouth to suck on it, his hands sliding to grab your hips. You kiss him until he’s breathless and panting into your mouth, then you draw back and play with the ends of his hair. “I’ll teach you.”

Dante considers that before he nods with a faintly there grin. “Alright. Who am I to say no to such a pretty lady?”

That makes you giggle, and you reach down to grip the hem of your shirt and pull it over your head. Given that you had no plans to do anything today, you’re not wearing a bra beneath, and Dante’s eyes immediately fix on your chest, his lips parting as his pupils go wide. “These aren’t just nice to look at,” you tell him. You cup your breasts in your palms, squeezing them gently, and his gaze is so intent as he memorizes how you’re doing it that it makes your heart melt. “Sensitivity varies by size, but a firm touch, especially here,” you caress your nipples with your thumbs, “will make anyone happy.”

He glances at you before reaching up to touch you, and you place your own hands on his forearms, stroking him reassuringly. Dante copies your actions, kneading your flesh before teasing your nipples with slow strokes and the occasional careful pinch, and you hum and close your eyes, more than content to allow him to do as he pleases. Each touch sends a pleasant little jolt down your spine; you’re so lulled by them that you fail to notice when he leans forward until his lips seal around one of the buds, and his first, tentative suckle has a gasp leaving your throat. “That’s it, baby,” you whisper.

Now that he’s got your approval, he works your body feverishly. What he lacks in experience, he more than makes up for with his enthusiasm, and it’s not long before your clit is throbbing and your panties are soaked. It’s a bit of a struggle to get your shorts off, but he helps by lifting you to his desk and pulling them down your legs, which he stands between as he leans down to kiss you. “Bent over the desk, huh?” he teases.

“Close enough,” you agree.

You take one of his hands and guide it down to your weeping sex. His eyes narrow when he touches your heated flesh, a hiss escaping him, and as he presses a finger into your opening, you reach down to unfasten his belt and trousers, your mouth watering when you finally grasp his cock. “Big boy,” you murmur. And it’s true; Dante’s not only long, but thick, and the thought of having that girth stretching you has you arching into him. With a grunt, he braces a hand next to your head, the other helping you line him up. He lets out a shaking breath when the head of him nudges into you, and you cup his face to pull him down into a kiss, slowly urging him on with gentle rolls of your hips. With every inch that sinks into your sex, both of you moan. You’re so full by the time his hips are flush to yours that you can barely breathe, let alone think, and he must feel the same, because his chest heaves as he pants against your mouth.

“Babe,” he groans, “I gotta . . .”

“Please,” you breathe.

He thrusts slowly, never drawing more than halfway out, and you can see the strain in the tightness of his shoulders beneath his shirt. “Like this,” you say quietly, and you hook a leg around his hips, using it to both encourage him and to shift the angle so the stretch is more pleasant and his cock rubs against a spot that has you seeing stars. He follows immediately, working his hips slow and deep, and even if you don’t wind up finishing too, it’s going to be worth it for the sight of him: face screwed up in pleasure and concentration, his mouth open as he pants and groans, sweat beading on his brow. 

The only warning you get before it’s over is a hitch to his breathing. Then his teeth sink into your shoulder as his hips jerk between your thighs, liquid heat filling you and making his movements silky. You cradle his head, running your fingers through his scalp; despite the faint stab of disappointment that it’s done so soon, there’s an undeniable satisfaction at the seed that drips between your thighs when he pulls out, in having him come apart so fervently thanks to you. 

“‘M sorry,” Dante mumbles. He kisses the mark on your shoulder, his weight all but smothering you.

Not that you mind. “You can make it up to me,” you tease gently. “Just let me shower first. I don’t think you’d enjoy the taste of yourself too much.”

He stiffens and you think you’ve said the wrong then. But his eyes are blazing when he lifts his head to look at you, a red shine over his pupils that has excitement thrumming through you. “Don’t care,” he rumbles. “Just tell me what to do.”

And you do.

[joaquinfeed]

ABC’s of Arthur Fleck (fem!reader)

A/N: I’m not sure if this has been done before many times, so sorry if it’s repetitive. I saw this prompt list online and thought ‘why not?’ ALSO. I don’t know who to credit for the list. So, if you know…tell me and I’ll give credit where it’s due! :) 

A = affection (how affectionate are they in day to day life? Do they show affection publicly or keep that more in private?)

It’s no secret that Arthur is touch starved. He is always finding some way to show you his deep and meaningful affection for you. He’s not used to public display’s, and he likes to keep you all to himself, so he’ll typically opt for private moments over public ones. He absolutely adores playing with your fingers, placing soft kisses on your neck, or drawing patterns across your skin. He has to feel you to know that you’re really there.

B = best memory (what is the best memory they have with you)

Arthur finds something new every day that he swears will be his favorite memory. He cherishes every single moment with you, even the little arguments, because it all reminds him how much you love him. If he was forced to choose, he would say that his favorite memory is the first time he opened up about his mental illnesses to you. You, of course, were incredibly supportive and patient. He had never felt so loved before in his life.

C = cat or dog person (this is pretty obvious)

Arthur loves all animals, but he has always wanted a little kitten. They are playful, but not too hyper. They also don’t require as much care, and Arthur already has a lot on his plate. Although you’ve never talked about it, he secretly hopes you both will get a pet one day. 

D = dreams (what do they want to do in life?)

Besides spreading joy and laughter, his biggest dream has already come true. If Arthur could, he’d spend the rest of his life making sure that you’re happy. He wasn’t sure if he’d be a good father or not, but if a baby was something you wanted or desired, he would put every last inch of effort into making that a reality when the time is right. He barely believes that you love him unconditionally, let alone another little human. He would be grateful either way.

E = evenings (how do they spend their evening? Do they go out? Do they read?)

Arthur’s perfect evening would go like this: cuddle with you, cook you some dinner, practice his standup routine to see your pretty little smile, cuddle with you, watch the Murray Franklin show, and then cuddle with you. He couldn’t get enough of your arms around him, and if he had to save up a little extra money to buy a few more soft sweaters (just so you would lay your head on his chest), so be it. Let it be known that he’s also not opposed to spending the evening in the bedroom. He can always watch Murray another time.

F = first date (what was it like?)

It was a little awkward for the both of you. Arthur was still so new to dating, and he didn’t want to do anything wrong. Plus, neither of you are rolling in money, and so you just stayed in at Arthur’s apartment. He cooked a nice meal for the both of you, put on a Charlie Chaplin film, and introduced you to his mother, Penny. It was unconventional, all over the place, and different from what you were expecting. However, you wouldn’t trade it for the world. The night was very Arthur, and it only made you fall harder. 

G = giggle (what is their laugh like? What makes them laugh?)

He has different types of laughs. Some fill you with absolute adoration and joy. Others fill you with sadness and pain. His attacks come when he’s feeling anxious, dissociative, or under-appreciated. His beautiful, real laugh comes out while watching Murray, joking around with one another, and when he plays practical jokes on you. You taught him a few pranks because you knew they would make him happy, and boy did they. Switching sugar for salt is funny, but only the first time.

H = hugs (do they like hugs?)

He LOVES hugs. He likes ‘goodbye, I’ll see you after work’ hugs. He adores ‘we just had a fight, and I’m really sorry’ hugs.  He fonds over ‘I missed you so much’ hugs. He feels lucky to get ‘it’s okay, I’m here for you’ hugs. But his favorite hugs are ‘there’s no reason, I just wanted to be near you’ hugs. Yeah. He loves hugs.

I = instrument (do they play an instrument?) Arthur doesn’t play an instrument. When he was a child, he never had the time or money to learn. As an adult, he thinks it’s too late to try and get into the hobby. He figures he probably wouldn’t be very good at it. You assure him though, if he wants to try, you’ll find a way to make it happen. He feels music deep within him, and you know he’d be a wonderful musician.

J = joy (what brings them joy in life?)

You do. Nothing brings more happiness to Arthur’s life than you. Your smile, your laugh, the way you look at him. It’s all so overwhelming sometimes. Not many other things bring him to pure joy; Gotham hasn’t been kind to him. However, the city almost seems like Heaven when you’re around.

K = kisses (what kind of kisser are they? Shy? Passionate?)

It depends. When Arthur is feeling confident, he can take charge and definitely get caught up in the moment. His first priority is pleasing you. Early on in the relationship, he was incredibly shy. He felt like he would break you, or scare you away if he touched you too much. He’s come a long way, but he still has days where all he can give are small, timid kisses. Either way, you love them. 

L = love (how do they act when they have a crush)

Arthur doesn’t mean to, but he’s pretty obsessive. As soon as he set his sights on you, he knew he had to be near you. It took him awhile to get the courage to actually talk to you, but he admired you from afar quite a bit. 

M = memory (what’s their favourite memory?)

Again, Arthur loves every memory with you in it. His childhood memories weren’t exactly pleasant, and life before you was…difficult. He can’t wait to spend the rest of his life creating new memories with you.

N = no (what is their pet peeve?)

His biggest pet peeve is unkind behavior. Sure, he hates when people are so mean to him. Especially when he’s only been kind to the people of Gotham. But no. Unkind behavior to himself was one thing, but unkind behavior to you? It made him livid. If someone was rude, said a snarky comment, or harassed you in any way, he would furiously write his feelings down in his journal. So much so that his therapist asked when his joke diary turned into a Y/N diary. He just blushed at that.

O = occupation (what’s their dream job?)

It’s always been Arthur’s dream to be a comedian. Well, except for that one brief moment when he was a child when he wanted to be a pirate. But he doesn’t talk about that. He knows just how cruel this world can be, and he wants to spread love and joy as much as he can. What better way than making people laugh?

P = parent (what kind of parent would they be?)

Arthur would be a…nervous parent. During the pregnancy, he would be constantly afraid that you or the baby would get hurt. Not to mention, he’s read stories about women dying during labor. 

It terrifies him to think of that. 

After you and the baby were safely home, he would always make sure you both were happy and healthy. He often wrote his worries down about parenting in his notebook. A few of them being: “What if my kid thinks im as weerd as other people do?” “My baby mite have some of the same mental illnesses as me. Maybe insomneea.” Arthur also knows how bad he is at spelling. What if his child needed help with their homework? Would he be smart enough to do so? Would his kid be embarrassed by him? These thoughts often plagued Arthur’s mind. He kept it to himself for now though; he didn’t want to worry you.

Q = questions (do they believe in the super natural? Aliens? Anything along those lines)

Arthur doesn’t even know what’s real in the natural world around him. Or at the very least, he questions it quite a bit. He spends too much of his time trying to convince himself that you’re real; he hasn’t had time to think much about ghost or aliens. 

R = romantic (are they romantic during the relationship?)

Of course he is romantic. He gets discouraged by his gestures, and he wishes he could do more for you. He hopes every day that you’re not disappointed in him (you aren’t). He loves cooking you good meals, buying you flowers when he can, or taking an extra shift at HaHa’s in order to buy you a gift. He’s seriously considered selling his Charlie Chaplin movie collection to take you out to a fancy dinner. The only reason he hasn’t is because he knows you’d be upset if he did.

S = smile (what makes them smile without fail)

Is this even a question? YOU! When you’re smiling, Arthur’s smiling. The Murray show often makes him smile too, but he still loves you more. (You hope!)

T = together (how clingy are they? How long do you two spend together per day on average)

He’s pretty clingy. Being apart from you for too long makes him anxious. You’re the one who grounds him and makes him think positively. Without you, all he’s got is himself and his thoughts. Both of which, can lead him down a spiraling path. He prefers to be with you at any hour he can; if he could spend all 24 hours with you, he would.

U = unbearable (what habit do they have that’s unbearable? What habit do you have that they find unbearable?)

You love Arthur, but you hate how insecure he is. You’re patient because it makes sense, and you understand him. However, you wish more than anything that Arthur could see just how beautiful and amazing he is. You hate when he talks down about himself; after all, that’s the man you’re in love with. As for you, he likes everything about you. The only thing that irritates worry’s him at times is your need to make sure he’s okay. You’ve nearly fought people who are blatantly rude to him, and it upsets him to know that you could be hurt in the process. 

“I’m not worth it,” he’ll tell you. 

There’s that self-doubt again.

V = videos (do they take lots of videos or photos during your relationship?)

You don’t really take any videos; neither of you have the money to spend on a video camera. You do have a polaroid camera that you’ve kept with you, and you love taking pictures of Arthur. Pictures of his face are scattered around your apartment. Sometimes you’ll take pictures of yourself too and tape them where he can find them. It helps remind him that you’re real, and you love him.

W = wedding (what will the wedding be like?)

The wedding is small. Neither of you even expected to get married when you did. Arthur decided it was time to marry you, and so he asked. He saved up money for months to buy you a ring. The ring still wasn’t all that big, but you didn’t care one bit. It was beautiful to you. His speech was short and sweet, complete with nervous stutters and blushes. 

“I-I’m sorry I couldn’t buy you something better,” Arthur blushed, looking a little ashamed at the small ring he held in his hand. “But-but I wanted to marry you now. Or, I wanted to ask you. Shit! I didn’t- I didn’t ask you. Do- do you want to marry me?”

It was perfect. You both were so excited to marry one another that you couldn’t care less about the actual wedding process. That night, and way into the morning, you both surely had fun celebrating your love. 

X = eXtra (what’s an interesting fact about them that they don’t tell anyone about?)

The 1920′s silent film Treasure Island made him want to be a pirate when he was younger. He thought he would go on adventures, find treasure, and sail the open seas. As a kid, that looked like ultimate freedom. 

Y = yuck (what do they hate? Could be a food, scent, word, anything)

Arthur hates bully’s. He also hates when you shrug after he asks you something important about yourself. For example, all the times he asks what’s wrong, or why you feel insecure, or if you think you’re beautiful, and you shrug? Yeah, he hates that. He knows you might just need some time, but he doesn’t like to see you upset.

Z = zzzz (how heavy of a sleeper are they? How do they sleep? What mood do they wake up in? Really any sleeping headcanons)

Arthur is a heavy sleeper when he can actually fall asleep. Because of his insomnia, he has a hard time getting to sleep and staying asleep. You often find yourself awake with him, keeping him company or stroking his hair until he’s tired again. When he does get a few hours in, you try to be as quiet as humanly possible so you don’t wake him up. Arthur loves falling asleep with you tucked into his side, or he into yours. He has to admit, he’s never slept more peacefully than with you by his side.

[johnandrasjaqobis]

abcs thing: F IS FOR FRIENDS WHO DO STUFF TOGETHER; U IS FOR YOU AND ME; N IS FOR ANYWHERE AND ANYTIME AT AAAAAAAAAALL!

are u ready for more vic because aha that is my brain nonstop lately

listen i just love oc questions

F: Fun 1. what do they do for fun? He really enjoys good sparring, uhh,,, honestly shopping? Not even necessarily buying much but just wandering shops with friends. He definitely prefers just kind of tagging along, not too picky about what they’re doing as long as the others are there.

2. what is their ideal party? As long as he can keep to light drinks and keep something of a close eye on things and boy that makes him sound very unfun but Vic’s never been one to like. Seek out parties? He’ll go, of course, but it’s hard to get him out of the Watchful Eyes mode

3. who would they have the most fun with? There’s probably like,, different kinds of fun with most of the dreamteam (can PAT do fun right now, he is not sure). Overall I’d say Ziggy and Anthe in the most classic sense? at least when it comes to being a little ridiculous.

4. can they have fun while conforming to rules? He managed it while literally being in the military so yea, I’d say so. A lot of that was y’know, while out on missions and not under direct supervision, but still no real blatant rule breaking, there wasn’t really need to.

5. do they go out a lot? If the rest of the party’s going out, so is Vic. He’s not one to go out on his own very much, really, but a bathhouse trip or tea with the girls, roaming the library while Nol does research, he’s always down for that.

U: Underdog 1. have they been bullied? I don’t ?? really think so tbh, like sure he got into some little fights as a kid (sometimes because his sister started them) but Vic’s always been a rather intimidating figure before he starts talking. Not really the first target.

2. have they bullied anyone? lord just imagining the Disappointment from his parents,,, he picked on the little siblings, of course, that’s mandatory, but Vic has always been the protective sort. Like, since his sister was old enough to start toddling into trouble. Good-natured ribbing happens but he will always feel Immediately Terrible if there’s any indication he goes too far with it.

3. have they been physically attacked by a bully? I don’t think so, there was always the aforementioned Intimidation that deterred any real attempts, and that extended to anyone going after Theru (Fela’s even bigger and seems to be able to talk her way out of anything, so). 

4. have they ever been doubted? Oh I am Sure. And Vic is doubly sure. He knows he’s not the brightest one around, especially compared to some of the people he worked with, so there was probably some doubt regarding his ability to think tactically, to make plans in the middle of a fight. There’s a portion of his drive to Not Fail Again that stems from just. needing to prove to everyone (and himself) that he can do his job, that he’s capable of just keeping someone alive. He is of the opinion any doubts are pretty well-founded ones, so he has to work twice as hard to prove them wrong.

5. have they surprised people with being good at something? He surprised himself with how quickly he picked up the echo abilities. There’s a reason it’s not an overly common skillset, even in the Dynasty, and he is still quietly very proud that it was something that just. kinda came naturally. the idea of anyone outside of the dreamteam eventually seeing him do any magic at all is a Delightful one tbh, Vic has always been so adamant about not being the magic type (which he was legitimately fine with) and whoops I’m getting feelings about all that again because lord what a long-shot and literally decades away but if Illy ever got to see him do magic, aha

N: Never Have I Ever 1. what would they never do? Betraying his friends seems a little too obvious but y’know. In a similar vein though he’d never willingly work against the Dynasty. The desertion was bad enough, but you could not make that boy do something to intentionally hurt his country. Loyal to a fault and all that.

2. what have they never done that they want to do? Vic has been to the coast, but he’s never gotten a chance to really visit the coast, y’know? It was all work and looking for work and there has been talk amongst the team of going down south when things calm down a bit to just. Get a vacation of sorts, and he is so very for that.

3. is there anything they absolutely can’t believe people do? After this Extended Worm Hell he absolutely cannot believe that one day someone looked at those giant purple worms and thought “hey, y’know what sounds fun? training those and willingly working with them.” It is just. Very insane and he has both a newfound respect and slight fear of the troops that utilize the worms.

4. what is the most embarrassing thing they’ve done? In recent memory, that entire Encounter with the innkeeper who was very convinced he wanted some Nice Company and apparently could not be told otherwise was. A Time. He is also very glad no one really witnessed just how little he got out of that book when they were researching for the Amalthea work. He is also. Not a fan of how much he fell apart after Anthe’s very brief death. But that’s a very complicated sort of embarrassment.

5. have they done anything they thought they’d never do? [gestures to everything in the past couple months] He was just looking for a dwarf, okay, none of this was expected. Vic did not expect to be fighting demons in the basement of an abandoned slave trader base. He did not expect to be nearly killed by a Thelyss. He did not expect to fight the undead remains of the mage that killed Ilharess. Definitely did not expect to find something that might help him learn magic. He didn’t expect to get friends like this.

[amillioninprizes]

A Tale of Two P.I.s: How Stumptown Succeeded Where Veronica Mars Failed

A hardboiled female private eye with a drinking problem, a litany of temporary sexual partners, and trauma resulting from her romantic soulmate dying in an explosion that’s partially her fault solves mysteries.

This could describe either the freshman ABC show Stumptown, starring Cobie Smulders as military veteran Dex Parios, or Rob Thomas’s intended vision for an adult Veronica Mars in the wake of the recent S4 that aired on Hulu. Many VM fans turned to the former after the supreme disappointment that was S4 in order to get their kickass lady detective fix; a common refrain that I’ve seen is that Stumptown is the show that adult Veronica Mars should have been. Notably, Stumptown was recently renewed for a second season, while Hulu has declined to order more seasons of Veronica Mars. Now that the pain of VM S4 is less fresh, I recently watched the first season of Stumptown to see if it was worth the hype. Here are the reasons why I think that Stumptown has been renewed for a second season while Veronica Mars has, much like Susan Knight, been left dead in the water:

Dex is a competent detective

Like, I shouldn’t even have to say this, but: if you’re going to make a show about a private investigator, that character should be able to crack cases. Rather infamously, Veronica did not solve any mysteries in VM S4: Keith solved the bomber mystery, Logan solved the congressman blackmail mystery, and Vinnie solved the missing ring mystery. Veronica just kind of floated around being a mean party girl.

Meanwhile Dex, despite being less experienced as a detective, uses her smarts and background as a military interrogator to solve the mystery of the week. She notably utilizes disguises and undercover work, two former features of Veronica’s investigating that were missing in S4. The show also makes a decent attempt to portray the realities of her having to obtain a license to be a PI and work legally, including an internship and dealing with consumer complaints. Contrast this with the proposed future seasons of VM as a traveling detective--something that would be nigh impossible giving licensing requirements.

I think the contrast between the two’s abilities can best be seen in their opening scenes of the season: Dex, at the casino, is able to suss out a married dude hitting on her pretty quickly, comprehensively listing his tells. Meanwhile, Veronica’s first scene in S4 has her randomly smashing a client’s belongings to find hidden cameras and then unprofessionally overcharging her. If that’s how she treats clients, it’s no wonder that Mars Investigations is financially struggling at the beginning of S4.

Stumptown also does a better job than VM S4 of showing why the protagonist chooses to be a detective. For Dex, it gives her stability and a sense of purpose that had been lacking since her return from Afghanistan. On the other hand, Veronica is shown to be somewhat dissatisfied with her life in S4, but it’s never explicitly addressed why; it’s also not examined why she remains in Neptune as a detective when she could use her Ivy League law degree at any time and live anywhere, especially when she appears to no longer have a talent for being a detective. Logan briefly broaches the subject in one scene, but it’s dropped just like every other VM plot thread.

Dex is a marshmallow

As has been covered extensively elsewhere (including the pages of this very blog), probably the largest issue that people had with S4 of Veronica Mars outside of Logan’s death was Veronica’s characterization. Rob Thomas said in interviews that he told the writers this season to write Veronica like a porcupine; the end result was a portrayal that dialed all of Veronica’s negative traits to 11, added new ones, and completely removed the softer aspects of her character that made her such a compelling and complex protagonist. There was an attempt to give Veronica an emotional connection to the bomber mystery via the character Matty, but for most viewers it didn’t resonate due the flat affect of both actresses and poor writing. It was hard to feel like Matty was a sympathetic underdog when she had a wealthy mother ready to whisk her away to Paris for Spring Break. Veronica also doesn’t appear to have retained her former drive for justice; she mostly seems interested in collecting a paycheck (and if that’s the case I again ask why she isn’t using her Columbia law degree). She also weaponizes her white womanhood against a Latino teenager. What a great role model!

Contrast this with the also outwardly caustic Dex, who initially IS only in it for the paycheck. First off, even that’s somewhat noble in that she needs to take care of her adult brother with Down’s syndrome. Yet she quickly finds her sense of justice overcoming her desire to make bank. We see this early in the season when she turns against the PI she is shadowing in order to help a young mother obtain custody of her child from her wealthy, abusive ex-husband. This is also seen when she brokers a deal to protect the privacy of the biological child of a political candidate she’s been hired to find dirt on.

Dex also relies heavily on her support system--namely her brother Ansel, best friend Gray, food truck purveyor Tookie, and even police detective Hoffman. She resists her brother moving out because she’d be lonely without him, and her entire found family are instrumental in helping her with her cases. This isn’t necessarily different from Veronica per se, although Veronica treated her loved ones cruelly in S4. Additionally, Rob Thomas wanted to continue the show without them, despite how heavily Veronica relied on them both to help her with cases as well as emotionally.

Stumptown also shows that even if Dex hasn’t fully processed her trauma, she is capable of growing. She makes nice with her high school enemy after clearing her daughter of suspected drug dealing. Contrast this with Veronica, who punched her high school nemesis at her high school reunion (and for the five millionth time, no one wanted to see that) and was shown to have regressed as an adult to be more immature at age 35 than she was at 17. That didn’t make her seem more cool or noir, just sad.

Also, Dex actually manages to brush her hair. (But srsly I need to know how they get her hair to do that great wavy thing).

Dex’s trauma is thoughtfully addressed

As a corollary to the above point: there was obviously Something Wrong with Veronica in S4, but the show didn’t bother to explain what had transpired between the end of the second book and S4 to explain her seeming personality transplant; as a fellow fan has said, the show pretended to deal with her trauma but glossed over it in reality. For example, in addition to depicting her as being depressed and cruel to her loved ones, she is shown drinking heavily and doing drugs, both of which are out of character for her. Yet the show seems to glamorize it; none of her loved ones express any concern about this behavior and there are no references made to her alcoholic mother, whose actions negatively affected her growing up to the extent that Veronica had previously expressed wanting to avoid becoming like her. But despite the fact that she was obviously struggling with something, Rob Thomas and Kristen Bell stated that they needed to kill Logan because Veronica was somehow not traumatized enough. Apparently, putting Logan’s ring on her finger just magically erased her previous issues (unrealistic and harmful messaging to trauma survivors), and he needed to die because women can only be interesting if they’re damaged (misogynistic). Adding insult to injury was Rob Thomas’s assertion that Logan’s memory wouldn’t play much of a part of the show going forward because it would be too depressing and he needed Veronica to not be consumed with thoughts of him while engaging in “strange sex”, whatever that means. Yeah Rob, it would def be realistic for Veronica to just get over the fact that her husband and love of her life died of a bomb due to her oversight in a year and then continue on her merry way without any support from her loved ones!

Stumptown, however, explicitly connects Dex’s self destructive behavior with her past trauma: in the very first episode Dex is shown frantically texting contacts for a sexual hookup in the midst of a PTSD episode. The most powerful scene of the entire season in my opinion is one where, after experiencing a flashback to her time as an interrogator in Afghanistan, she goes on a bender at home and trashes her house to the soundtrack of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain.” (As an aside, I would also like to point out that Stumptown deftly portrays the trauma and grey morality associated with military service, which could have been an amazing (and noir!) storyline for naval intelligence officer Logan in future seasons of VM if Rob Thomas wasn’t such a dimwit).

Additionally, the death of her not quite-fiancé Benny hangs over her, even though the event took place twelve years prior to the start of the series. Even before Benny is introduced onscreen in flashbacks in the penultimate episode of S1, the show does a good job of portraying just how much he and their relationship meant to Dex. The season culminates in Dex finding out that his death in an explosion in Afghanistan was not in fact her fault, as she had previously assumed. Interestingly, the show’s writers considered revealing that Benny had faked his death, but the head writer later stated in an interview that doing so would invalidate the trauma Dex had experienced for 12 years and would ultimately be cruel. While on a shallow level I wouldn’t have minded them bringing Benny back since the actor who played him was super attractive and had great chemistry with Cobie Smulders, the decision the writers made instead makes more sense for the world they have built and is far more thoughtful: it allows Dex to obtain a sense of closure and growth while respecting her grief.

Women over the age of 35 aren’t Satan

A criticism of VM since it originally aired is that the show generally portrays female characters, especially mothers and other women over a certain age, in a negative light (and Rob Thomas has been defensive about it just as long). The books partially rectified this by introducing the characters of Petra Landros, the former model turned owner of the Neptune Grand, and Marcia Langdon, the new Balboa County sheriff with a murky past. Marcia was brought back for S4, but considerably dumbed down and less complex than in the books (and there’s definitely something to be said that the first time a BIPOC woman is shown in a position of power on screen in VM that her character is diminished).

Stumptown, on the other hand, has two women as older female mentors/nemeses in positions of power: Sue Lynn, the matriarch of the local Native American tribe, and Lieutenant Cosgrove of the Portland PD. Both have complicated relationships with Dex: Sue Lynn ended Dex’s relationship with Benny, her son, yet repeatedly seeks her out for help with matters on the reservation. Lieutenant Cosgrove often finds herself at odds with Dex while the latter is attempting to solve a case, though she also encourages her to legally obtain her PI license. It shouldn’t be revolutionary to have complex older female characters as supporting cast on a female-centered show in 2020, but after 15 years of misogyny from VM it certainly feels refreshing.

Where Stumptown falls short

All of this is not to say that Stumptown is flawless. Despite my praise for including older female characters above, the show is still pretty dude heavy, especially Dex’s inner circle. The mysteries of the week are of fairly average quality, and several were reminiscent of some seen in VM’s original run--the season even ends with a “Who’s at the door?” gambit. I also didn’t love the storyline where Grey’s girlfriend gets Dex drunk and tricks her into thinking they had slept together in order to drive Grey and Dex apart--that felt like something out of the mind of Rob Thomas. It also bears mentioning that in the context of current events the generally positive portrayal of the police department and Dex’s close relationship with them should bear more scrutiny. And while the show is well done overall, it never quite reaches the emotional resonance of original flavor VM (but then, neither did VM S4).

Despite those quibbles, I think it’s a good show overall. I felt like as the season progressed the creative team figured out what worked and the cast seemed to gel together. I love the classic rock soundtrack (another area where VM S4 failed, given that it abandoned VM’s signature indie soundtrack for generic pop music), which in conjunction with Dex’s wardrobe gives the show a fun retro feel. By the end of the season I was firmly won over, and I look forward to S2. Hopefully the writers of Stumptown paid attention to the backlash to VM S4 as a lesson in what not to do going forward.

[kiraalexander]

I’m terrible about doing these, but because i adore @jimmy-mcgillgill I am making an effort with my terrible internet to post... 7 COMFORT MOVIES!

1. Laura, Otto Preminger. Gene Tierney, Vincent Price and Clifton Webb tearing scenery apart and typing in bathtubs? Please! Also this is my 94 y/o grandmother’s favorite movie that she shared with me, and in turn I brought my blu ray to her when her health failed. She recovered and her health is still strong now, and I pray it stays that way for as long as it can in these horrifying times.

2. Charade, Stanley Donan. Another grandma pick with Audrey Hepburn in pillbox hats being screwball-y with Carey Grant. Imagine my disappointment when I found out it was referenced in Pretty Woman, which I have not actually watched? Charade is precious and untouchable, THE NINETEEN-EIGHTIES.

3. Sense and Sensibility, Ang Lee. There is nothing in this film that is not perfect, especially Emma, Kate, Alan and Hugh (Laurie not Grant, Hugh Grant is bland af, screw him)

4. Notorious, Alfred Hitchcock. Look I cannot stray far from noir, and this is my favorite Hitchcock, and YES I watch vertigo on the regular, YES it’s a masterpiece but have you ever witnessed Ingrid Bergman and Carey Grant finding secret uranium in a wine cellar and having to clean it up the pretend/not pretend to make out to distract Claude Raines? NOTORIOUS.

5. Die Hard, John McTiernan. The greatest Christmas story ever told.

6. Lawrence of Arabia, David Lean. My favorite film of all time, I can quote it in its entirety, every time I watch it feels like the first time.

7. The Ten Commandments, Cecil B. DeMille. Look it’s that time of year and I never miss it when The Ten Commandments airs on ABC on Holy Saturday. But tbh I usually fall asleep after the Egypt parts are done, which means I’m more into the campy stuff than anything else which is extremely on brand.

I get nervous about tagging people so if you feel like fill omg this out, please go right ahead, I’m interested in all y’all’s picks.

[lesbiansastiel]

i asked my gf who’s never watched spn to tell me what these pictures of spn characters make them think:

he has very bad promo pictures

ofc its sam! .. is that sam?

your favourite, theres at least 8000 lgbt headcanons for him

he definitely peels apples before eating them

no idea

he looks like hes in a cereal commercial

propably plays fortnite???

oh my god what the fuck

his parents needed money so he was forced to do promo pics for a school and if u uncrop this picture hes holding a backpack and a book that says like. ABC

haircut is making me think thats young sam but im not sure

me: that is young sam

ok cool!

thats a homophobe. i know a homophobe when i see one

me: the actor is

i know that thats dean, leather jacket looks smelly

i dont like or trust him bc his voice is too low, no offense

but he was funny in that episode when they thought they were... when they were the actors, i like that they shamed the actors (jensen ankles?) trailer

i always assume hes dead, every time i see him im like oh fuck hes not dead yet????

he looks like he dies first in a zombie game protecting the protagonists daughter

opens beer cans with knives (stabbing them from above)

has touristy fridge magnets

hillbilly neighbour that just stuck around

later: OH HIS NAME IS bobby

um........ lost journalist from a chick-flick

looks too enthusiastic to be in this show

name starts w an R and dies dramatically and causes trauma for multiple people?

me: its charlie

oh....

me: do you know who that is?

shes the one that causes angst in ur fanfic? someone’s ex? writes paranormal articles- like someone who works in a pokemon centre and takes care of the reporting to the media i know this is not true but that’s how it should be based on characted design

why.. what is that shirt

she looks like she’s from twin peaks but like a weird 90s techno nostalgia version

probably not real, but someones hallucination, like a little sister that someone lost and then hallucinates coming back?????

me: that’s jess.. from my fic

oh no im so sorry, i thought that the previous one was that one

then thats like a college person who sam did like drugs and beer with and they were happy and then she died.. tragic :(

umm öööööö, uhhhh

kinda looks like a serial killer, like a bad one who hasnt killed anyone in years so his face is tired. he wants flesh

um,i say um to everyone im so sorry

he has a conflicted expression

i think he’s sassy or just tired of everyone

no idea who that is.. i just feel sorry for this character idk why

*laughs*

a 12-year-old who got a toy gun for christmas bc hes american

hes gay probably and pretending to like guns so his dad doesnt get disappointed

for real, in this show, a young new hunter and messes up and then does one heroic thing and dies immediately after?

this looks like the perfect love interest who dies dramatically and is relationship with an important man character whose controlling when she wants to be independent and doesnt want to hide in a basement like the man wants her to

me: ??????????????????

she also looks like a cop like every woman in this show somehow but her character design is too soft to be a tv cop woman lady

2009 hair

probably a cop?

is styled in a way that always looks way too make-uppy and probably wears heels to work bc this is a bad character design show

me: shes not a human i can say that much

then shes a demon bc thats what all the women are in this show, theyre all demons

i hope shes not evil, this might be trap she looks friendly but that isnt the truth

this looks like a slightly messy and like, bohemic twin of the reporter that works in a pokemon centre

is probably rich

lots of anger that is not showcased in this picture

clenched fists

all in all, suspicious

probably supposed to be related since theyre in the same picture and different ages but they dont look related at all

they look like they’re from teen wolf

and probably would star in a scene where they see that someone has key’ed their car and theyre like fuuuuck

i think this character is supposed to be a cool friend woman whose not supposed to be super feminine and love-interesty bc shes wearing plaid and drinkin beer but they Failed

probably a werewolf

also is she wearing nothing under that plaid what is this...

me: oh fuck why is this picture so HQ compared to the rest...

it’s bc he’s an angel

obscene amount of powers that seem useless bc if he actually had Power they wouldnt need this show and he could just figure everything out

i know that people wear those annoying pins that say theyre waiting for an angel in trench coat. but i dont think he’s ever going to come :(

i think his name is castiel and mishaapocalypse happened w his face

and i saw his face taped to a mcdonald door in a small town in finland

yet another teen wolf character

looks like a suspicious teenager who lives in a town where they (the brothers) stop to get gas and he’s hanging out at the gas station

hes like heyyy youre not like other people here are you perhaps... hunters bc my mom died and now my house is haunted

daddy issues

me: correct

um. another beer lady. probably, people have decided, a lesbian

looks like a stock photo of someone eating salad at a rural setting after a hard day at work milking cows

also somehow looks like works in a lab

is related to the weird open-flannel-no-t-shirt woman (the beer one), probably her mom

thats all

um. major demon

probably has a scene where she tries to kill someone with a knife seductively

hated in the fandom and in fanfic someone who tries to steal deans man (which is stupid bc deans a homophobe anywaY)

also looks like fantasy show self-insert but evil

me: i think that’s a teenager

welcome to my twisted mind

im sorry...

happy

which is making me think that he probably dies, sadly.

probably takes care of an older family member

has some demon problems

that’s all

post-apocalyptic show character where theyre trying to have something else than 40yo white hilbilly men bc thats not media sexy

i hope that she doesnt die but probably does bc shes not a major character

me: can i reveal something i know

yes please

me: her and the blonde that you called demon had a thing canonically

cool!!!!

probably lives in a ranch that has no electricity due to demon problems

me: :D

and still does her hair somehow

uuummmm this looks like someone’s weird flashback version that is supposed to look like a teenager but actually looks older

me: uhh this is a bad picture let me find a bettter one

me: there we go

looks like this character needs a cowboy hat

probably writes dean’s name in her diary??

COMPHET

thats all

[howtotrainyouragents]

Agent H’s AOS Rewatch

Season 3 Pro’s and Con’s 

We’re done with the season 4 rewatch, and I’m over here still trying to process season 3. First time watching, it was my least favorite season and I nearly stopped watching the show because of it. Second time watching…it’s still probably my least favorite just by comparison, but I have infinite more respect for it. Anyway, I needed to sort out my thoughts on this, so it’s all under “keep reading” and don’t get mad at me.

Cons (because let’s get the bad stuff out of the way)

-I really dislike revenge stories, so all the revenge stuff with Hunter and Coulson and Ward and all did not sit well with me and felt even OOC. 

-Speaking of, from the S2 finale through most of this season, there’s this theme of the men protecting and revenging their wounded or fridged girlfriends. It’s not super fun because this is a show where the women are clearly just as, if not more, competent than the men, but they’re not given the same opportunity to protect/revenge the men, much less given the same importance even in their own stories. I’m blanking on what MCU movies were going on around the time of this season, but I remember seeing this even in the movies. If I remember correctly there was a head of MCU who was later removed, but was apparently responsible. 

-The use of Ward is muddled. I’m cool with his takeover of HYDRA, that seemed natural. But you expect it to lead to a huge standoff with SHIELD because he, their worst enemy, is now head of their worst enemy organization. Instead, he gets converted to the HYDRA religion and literally becomes a vessel. Which is fine, but the transition was really hurriedly and poorly done. This is a man who has complex views of loyalty (Garrett not HYDRA. Skye and Coulson but not SHIELD), so I’m gonna need a lot more convincing that he’d believe Gideon’s HYDRA.

-This will be on both lists: I’m disappointed about how after three seasons HYDRA is taken out so quietly and quickly.

-I don’t know where to put this, but: I didn’t actually hate the space boyfriend arc as much the second time around, but the potential overall got squandered and I dislike that. 

-Rosalind’s death and possibly her whole arc was pointless. She was literally created and killed to serve Coulson’s character. Gross. And it’s a shame because it would have been really cool to use her as an actual foe-turned-friend for SHIELD throughout the season; she could have easily taken Mace’s place in S4 and that way at least would have been important for two seasons

-Okay, this is ABC’s fault not AOS’s. But like I remember how hard they advertised for Secret Warriors. Like that was the name of the arc. And. Then. They were a team FOR AN EPISODE.  Imagine my disappointment. Also, there really weren’t enough Inhumans this season to suit me.

-Bobbi and Hunter leave for a failed spinoff and I will never forgive Marvel for doing that.

-I mean…I appreciate that they give Andrew a noble death, but like…was it really necessary to have him turn and later die? Really? It gives Ming Na Wen and Blair Underwood opportunities to do extraordinary acting and they nail it, but like maybe don’t kill a guy to solve your inevitable ship? Don’t kill off your second black actor?

-The time jump in the season finale is too sudden. Like we barely get to grieve over Lincoln and they hit us with a time jump and Daisy on the run and new director in charge. Uncool. 

-This was the season I started to dislike Fitzsimmons. Don’t hate me. To me there’s an undercurrent in the writing that seems to favor Fitz over Simmons. FS’s subject to the same sexism that I mentioned in the first bullet. Like the story post-Simmons’ return focuses a lot more on Fitz’s feelings than on hers. He’s the one who has to stop her from getting tortured. He’s the one who saves Will, when it makes way more sense for her to go. He’s the one they all turn to for answers, when it should be both of them combined. And Simmons just gets a little pushed aside in her own story arc, but she just goes along with it anyway. 

-I had to write this last because this is the thing that hurts the season the most for me: Lincoln’s treatment. Okay, first, he’s a great character who got a major personality change between seasons. I don’t like the personality change, but I’d be okay with it if they didn’t do worse. For starters, we barely know him. His life and backstory are so vague, the guy he visits in 3x03 is just “a friend”, and like we get zero information on how they know each other. They spend the entire season having everyone in SHIELD (except Daisy) be against him, dislike him, belittle him, and mistrust him WHEN HE DESERVED NONE OF IT. Like they make it really obvious that Coulson dislikes him father-style because of his relationship with Daisy. They make him petulant and act out to prove that Mack and May are right to mistrust him when really given the fact that he was an Inhuman guide and a medical doctor and a recovered addict, he’d be a lot more under control. They make Fitzsimmons talk down to him just because no one can be smart except Fitzsimmons, when clearly he would know more about Inhuman biology and medicine in general THAN THE BIOCHEM PHD (sorry that one will always bug me). Like they make some work on him with Coulson and May, and that’s good, but overall he is not allowed to have a solid relationship with anyone but Daisy. I think the writers 1) knew he was gonna die and decided not to invest in him or his relationships. 2) were trying to get a moody bad boy in the cast, and decided to cast him as it when it didn’t really make sense. Also, while talking about Lincoln, I really wish they did some more interesting things with his powers than lightning blasts. He has electric powers!! There’s so much you can do!!

-Okay, this one is just real personal. LINCOLN IS A MEDICAL DOCTOR. Or at least a medical student or resident or fellow (I mean, he’s in the hospital doing rounds). TREAT HIM AS SUCH. HE WANTED TO HELP PEOPLE, LET HIM HELP PEOPLE. LET HIM DO THE SURGERIES AND KNOW THE STUFF ABOUT BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE. LET HIM RETURN TO HIS OLD LIFE AS A DOCTOR. You had such a good character who turned himself around from addiction, dedicated his life to saving lives, got thrown multiple curve balls, and now has to decide how will he continue to serve others. Yes, he’s a hero in the end. But all that in between time, he could have been saving lives too.

Pros (because there is good stuff, I promise) 

-Someone mentioned that this is the first season to have a unified storyline throughout, and that’s so true and it’s so well done! 

-There’s a good natural continuation of the HYDRA and Inhuman storylines from S1 and S2. I think we can look at AOS as two large arcs: S1-S3 is about powered people and HYDRA. S4-S7 is about bending the limits of reality with Ghost Rider, LMDs, Framework, Space, and Time Travel,. S1 was about introducing us to powered people and HYDRA, S2 was about developing the history and politics of them respectively and how they relate to SHIELD. S3 is when Inhumans get involved with SHIELD and with the world directly and the fallout from that. For HYDRA it’s when we get the history and reasoning of the group, and even if it’s a retcon, I appreciate that it introduces the background of HYDRA as a way to end this arc

-Overall, I really do appreciate how this season fills out a lot of worldbuilding. We get a complete history on HYDRA, and we get way more info on Inhumans, but we also get to see how the human world is reacting to and divided on Inhumans, which carries over into the net season

-On both lists: It’s good that they take HYDRA out so quickly and quietly. That plotline had run its course, and it was so bittersweet because they finally had defeated their biggest enemy, but now they had even bigger problems to deal with it. That scene of Coulson and May watching HYDRA fall is one of my favorites because it mirrors that S1 scene of watching HYDRA takeover, but it’s so quiet and not celebratory like it should be.

-Like I said, I hate revenge arcs, but I do appreciate how it came full circle at the end with Coulson admitting his mistake and regret in seeking revenge. That’s much more on brand with Coulson and MCU even I had to sit through a painful arc just to get to that point. 

-Episode 1, Daisy’s entrance and, for that matter, Fitz’s entrance. HOT DAMN.

-One of my favorite things about AOS is the way that they mix up pairings and everyone feels like friends and family. This season did a fantastic job on that with like Fitz/Bobbi, Mack/Daisy, Hunter/May, and way more.

-I complain that there wasn’t enough Inhumans to suit me, but also I really enjoyed the ones we got. I expected them to do Inhumans with basic powers like water, fire, plants, shrinking. But AoS writers were like nah, how about a guy who melts metal?? How about Medusa eyes?? How about a guy who can predict deaths? Like they just went straight to the extremes and I respect that. And yes, we have our typical speedster and fire guy, but the sheer joy that comes from those characters makes up for the predictability of their powers.

-We get Joey and Yoyo who are the effin’ best and deserve the world. And with Lincoln and Daisy we got SECRET WARRIORS!!!!

-First time, we get introduced to Charles and Robin and manipulating time, which obviously becomes important later, so I like that they introduce it so early in the show.

-I also love the way things come full circle with Lash. I wish he didn’t die, but the reveal of his true purpose was amazing 

-THE FITZSIMMONS KISS. THE FITZSIMMONS SEX SCENE. Do I really need to say more?

-THAT FITZ vs MONOLITH SCENE. That is top like five moments of the show for me, and I’m gonna need the Emmys to give Iain de Castecker his belated Best Actor award any day now.

-4722 Hours was a work of art, and Elizabeth Henstridge, I will be getting you that Best Actress Emmy one way or another. 

-Brett Dalton’s acting. This rewatch served to highlight how brilliantly he developed Ward’s evilness over the course of the three seasons and then the way he flipped the switch and played a completely different character as Hydra. You can feel it in his voice and mannerisms, it’s a totally different person even if it’s still technically Ward’s body. And to top it off, that finale where he pulls of a brilliant two-minute psychotic breakdown and a kickass fight scene. Standing ovation, good sir. I miss you.

-After S2 fridged three women of color, I do appreciate how this season chooses to take out four of its white characters even if I’m sad that they had to go.

-The Star Wars references were so effin’ funny

-Spy’s Goodbye. I will never be okay about this.

[imagine-always-and-forever]

Being Klaus’s daughter would include...

he would never admit it but he made some genuine inquires more than once into finding out how to keep you little for a few decades

on your first day of school, you got in trouble for painting on the walls

you informed them that your daddy NEVER yelled at you when you painted

they called your father and told him this

suddenly art time was extended by an hour and your least favourite class was gotten rid of

Elijah taught you to read well before anyone else your age had even learnt their ABCs

you had an affinity for pink at the age of three that worried Rebekah into thinking she’d never get you to wear any of the cute little dresses she bought you in all those other colours

you could do no wrong and your father made sure everyone knew it

Kol was teaching you how to do magic before Elijah could start teaching you to read

you once pleaded so much to have a puppy as a six year old that your father had to hire a permanent dog sitter, a dog au pair, if you would, because he knew you were too young to really care properly for one and nobody else wanted to and he wasn’t going to say no to you either

your favourite toy was a plush wolf. not a coincidence.

finger paintings you had done covered an entire wall in the house somewhere

Klaus’s favourite day became Father’s Day because you would always make him something you did yourself and you also always made him breakfast in bed (which Elijah supervised)

when you asked Rebekah to buy you a training bra Klaus almost had a heart attack

suddenly you were growing up

your art was developing

your activity list elongating (and NOT including Klaus nearly as much)

your teens came and Klaus wondered if he could single-handedly convince the fashion industry that crop tops and short shorts were not in at all

then you started noticing boys

everyone had been waiting for the day with bated breath since Klaus first held you

it came up at a family dinner when Kol, as he usually did, asked if there were any boys you liked at school

he did this all the time since you could remember but it was just to see you pulling a face at the gross suggestion (a reaction that your father was pleased to see every time)

but you said yes

and the table got very quiet

Klaus asked questions

you didn’t know

if you had known you wouldn’t have said anything

the next day, the boy didn’t show up

he and his family had left suddenly with no explanation

Elijah tried to tell his brother that he couldn’t compel away all the boys you liked

Klaus begged to differ

then one day a boy stuck around and you really liked him

he became your boyfriend

and it came to the point that it was time to introduce him to the family

Elijah and Rebekah just hopped the boy survived the night

Kol was hoping for some entertainment in the form of some seriously embarrassing fatherly interrogation from Klaus and awful cringing from you

he was disappointed

Klaus was calm. Weirdly calm. He was polite. He listened and watched

this seemed to quiet the nervous boy’s racing heart

everyone knew that was much worse for the boy

Klaus wasn’t being courteous. He was waiting for a reason.

finally, you escaped to the kitchen with Rebekah to ask how she thought things were going while you brought out some dessert

Klaus took the opportunity to make sure the boy understood one very important thing.

under no circumstance was he to hurt you in any way. if it was between you or him, he was to choose you. even if that meant dying. 

if he failed in the slightest, if he caused a single prickle of tears in your eyes, Klaus would know and he would come for him

“I will make it my cause that you never know a moment of happiness”

then the cake was served

[shannonw122]

Women in the music industry: Intersectionality, double standards, feminism, and more.

What is intersectionality?

Intersectionality is a term that came about in the late 1980s when Kimberle Crenshaw was searching for a word to describe the discrimination that often occurs when different social factors, such as race, gender, sexual orientation, and age overlap with each other (Dillbray and Edwards). While Crenshaw was originally attempting to describe the discrimination that black women face all too often, the term has been expanded to include anyone and everyone who experiences discrimination as a result of a combination of social aspects. In fact, women in the music industry have been viewed as less than equal to their male counterparts, time and time again, especially in recent years. This has prompted several female musicians to speak out and take a stand for themselves and their fellow artists. 

This blog will take you on a journey through some recent examples in popular music where women have been overshadowed, told to “step up,” and when they have spoken out on topics such as gender inequality, double standards, feminism, and intersectionality. 

Chart: yw Boston

Nicki Minaj calls out the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards 

It would not be an award show without some controversy which is what came with the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards when Nicki Minaj, rightfully, expressed her disappointment with the nominations. Her video for her hit song “Anaconda” broke records when it got 19.6 million views in just one day yet failed to be recognized for its choreography and overall artistic vision as video of the year (Mei). “Anaconda” without a doubt had an impact in 2014 as one of the most watched and discussed videos of the year. Minaj took to Twitter to express her disappointment, saying “When the ‘other’ girls drop a video that breaks records and impacts culture they get that nomination.,” possibly referring to Miley Cyrus’ video for “Wrecking Ball” which had previously held the record for most views in one day. Minaj also tweeted “If your video celebrates women with very slim bodies, you will be nominated for vid of the year” likely referring to Taylor Swift’s video for “Bad Blood” which was nominated in 2015, although she said she was not referring to Swift. It turns out that Minaj was subtly calling out racism within the music industry and her disappointment came when past videos that were deemed controversial (Brittney Spears’ “Toxic,” Emily Ratajkowski in Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines,” Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball”) were all labeled “impactful,” praised, or awarded. Minaj’s on the other hand was without a doubt impactful but not recognized as such. The major difference between Spears, Ratajkowski, Cyrus, and Minaj is that the former consists of white female bodies while the latter is a rapper who just so happens to be a woman of color. Unfortunately, Minaj was experiencing intersectionality as a woman of color. Simply just being a Black woman is what put Minaj at a disadvantage in this situation as well as others. Race and gender overlap here, and played a huge role in Minaj not being recognized while other female artists like Brittney Spears and Miley Cyrus can create controversial videos but are praised as white women. 

Photo: Kevin Winter/MTV1415/Getty Images For MTV

Few female artists insight at the 2018 Grammy Awards 

The 2018 Grammy Awards ceremony was a controversial night as female musicians were not honored like their male counterparts were. Of the eighty-four awards handed out, only eleven were awarded to women and some questioned the winners (Zielinski). Many were upset when Ed Sheeran won for Best Pop Solo Performance for his hit song “Shape of You” when his competition were all females and included powerful songs such as Kesha’s “Praying” and Lady Gaga’s “Million Reasons.” Another big criticism of the ceremony was all of the nominees for one of the top categories, Album of the Year, were all male except for Lorde. However, the bigger controversy surrounding Lorde and this category is that all of the Album of the Year nominees were allowed to perform solo while Lorde was only offered to be apart of a tribute performance. Many questioned why her male counterparts were allowed to showcase their work that was being nominated but not Lorde. In response to this, Grammy executive producer, Ken Elrich, said that it was because there’s no way that they can “deal with everybody.” However, rock band U2 performed at the ceremony and they were not even nominated for any awards this year. The overall treatment towards women at the 2018 ceremony created a buzz which prompted the Recording Academy President, Neil Portnow to respond. When asked about gender representation he responded that women who “have the creativity in their hearts and souls, who want to be musicians, who want to be engineers, producers, and want to be part of the industry on the executive level” need to “step up (Coscarelli).” The truth is that women did “step up” and have been “stepping up” for years especially within the music industry. It just appears that some people within the industry refuse to acknowledge the impact women have made given that over the last five years, only 9.3% of Grammy nominees have been female (Zielinski). One could argue that simply just being a female put these talented musicians at a disadvantage at the 2018 Grammy Awards ceremony. While there were no overlapping social factors for Gaga, Kesha, or Lorde this night, they were instantly overlooked and it appears that they were not deemed as worthy or valuable as their male counterparts.

All musicians write about love, why is Taylor Swift the only one getting hate for it?

Love is a popular topic to write about but why is it that Taylor Swift is the only one who receives backlash when she writes about the men she has dated? Male musicians such as Drake and Ed Sheeran never receive backlash for their romantic lives and instead receive praise. Taylor Swift, on the other hand, gets made fun of and has memes and shirts made mocking her dating life. In 2014, she penned her hit song “Blank Space” as a way to let the media know she knew how she was being portrayed by them. Just recently, Billboard named “Blank Space” as a song that defined the decade. In a recent interview with Billboard, she explained that she wrote the song in response to the “overly harsh depiction” of herself in the media and that she was “meeting and dating people the way that everyone should be allowed to [in their 20s] (Atkinson).” There is a clear double standard between men and women in the music industry because when a female writes about her own experiences she might be labeled as a “serial dater” and be publicly shamed, while a man can write about his relationships and be praised. On her most recent album, Lover, Swift wrote a song titled “The Man” where she addresses double standards and sings about what it would be like to be a man in the entertainment industry.

Source: http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/3qjd15

Photo: Imgur 

Women in country music: Jennifer Nettles, the 2019 CMA Awards, and more

The 2019 CMA Awards was supposed to be a night of celebration and appreciation for the women of country music, however the attempt went downhill as the night went on. While many females were showcased through their performances, some felt that they could have been awarded more - particularly in one category. Entertainer of the Year is the top prize at the CMA Awards and Garth Brooks took it home this year...for the third time in four years (McKenna). This year, all the Entertainer of the Year nominees were male except for Carrie Underwood who was generally favored by most to win (McKenna). The attempt to celebrate women in country music comes after a study of country music radio was done and found that women in the genre receive far less radio airplay than their fellow male musicians. Dr. Watson of the University of Ottawa published a report in April 2019 that examined country music radio airplay for women artists and male artists from 2000 to 2018. Dr. Watson’s study found that by years-end in 2000, women held 33.3% of songs on country airplay reports but by 2018, they held only 11.3% which is a 66% decline (Watson). Even more recently, in 2018 the ratio of men to women on country radio was 9.7:1 (Watson). The most shocking finding from Dr. Watson’s study is that over the last seventeen years (883 weeks), male artists spent 749 weeks (14.4 years) at the top spot while women spent 98 weeks (1.8 years) (Moss). These findings are shocking and prompted leader of country band, Sugarland, Jennifer Nettles to make a statement at the 2019 CMA Awards. On the red carpet for the event, she made her outfit her own by writing “Play our f*@#in records please and thank you” across it with the female gender symbol displayed on her leg. When asked about her outfit, Nettles responded that she was trying to “send a message to the industry” as well as gain the public’s attention. Lack of airplay for women in country music has increasingly gotten worse but thanks to those who are paying attention, like Dr. Watson and the women of country music, hopefully improvements will be made in the very near future.

Photo: John Shearer/WireImage

Photo: ABC

Works Cited

Atkinson, Katie. "Songs That Defined the Decade: Taylor Swift's 'Blank Space'." Billboard, 21 Nov. 2019.

Coscarelli, Joe. "Grammys President Faces Backlash After Saying Women Need to ‘Step Up’." The New York Times, 20 Jan. 2018

Dillbray, J S., and Griffin Edwards. "An Empirical Analysis of Sexual Orientation Discrimination." The University of Chicago Law Review, vol. 86, no. 1, Jan. 2019. 

McKenna, Brittney. "The 2019 CMA Awards’ Attempt to Honor Women Goes Sideways." Rolling Stone, 14 Nov. 2019.

Mei, Gina. "A field guide to Nicki Minaj, Taylor Swift, and intersectionality." Hello Giggles, 22 July 2015.

Moss, Marissa R. "New Study Examines Impact of Country Radio Programming on Women." Rolling Stone, 26 Apr. 2019.

Watson, Jada E. "Gender Representation on Country Format Radio: A Study of Published Reports from 2000-2018." WOMAN Nashville, 26 Apr. 2019.

Waxman, Olivia B. "Pound the Alarm! Nicki Minaj's 'Anaconda' Video Breaks Record." Time, 22 Aug. 2014.

Zielinski, Noelle. "The 60th Grammy Awards stir up controversy." The News Record, 6 Feb. 2018.

[politicallycorrectinnocentteen]

How is Loving Parker Like? (ABC Fluff) Part-3

Note- This continues from where the previous one finishes.

=========================================================

He takes a sip of his coffee, as we look expectantly towards him. 

“It’s about time we wrap up.” Vance smiles, “But I promise more soon.” He gets up and goes inside… 

A disappointed groan escapes our lips as we watch Vance vanish behind the doors of his house.

“Some coffee right now would be good…” we ponder as we head towards the only café in Pine Springs. Opening the door, we smile as we come face to face with- 

DANNI… 

“How can I help?” she politely asks.

“Can you tell us some stories of Vance…?” we ask, like a curious kid. She glances at the watch, unsure, and then shrugs. “My shift is off anyway. Let’s talk over a coffee.” She grins.

.

.

.

“So, what do you want to hear?” She asks, as she puts a stray lock of hair behind her ears.

“Something fun.” We sheepishly grin. (…and intelligibly cut the part of how it had to be about Parker and Vance).

“Ok, you got to listen to this.” She has a devilish grin of a prankster as she continues-

 ===========================================================

7. Date…

  Danni was cleaning the counter table with her napkin, when she heard the door open. 

“Vance!” she lights up as she watches him enter the shop smiling faintly at her, only to be followed by-

“PARKER?” She grunted a little. What was office Buzzkill doing here? And more importantly, why is he buzzing around Vance? 

“Vance, why are we here? There are literally thousands of better places to eat.” 

Parker’s ‘encouraging’ whispers were enough to confirm her suspicions. She took a writing pad as an excuse to take orders, as she proceeded to shamelessly eavesdrop the conversation.

“You said that you got a lead about what is this ‘Power’?” Vance said, “I think Danni should also know this.” 

The ‘Power’ card again?

Danni felt the need to punch Parker right on his face. Like...Really?

Last time Parker had something to tell about the ‘Power’ to Vance in private turned out to be some otter making splashing noises in the lake. Previous to that, he mistook Imogen riding horse in woods as the Lake Ghost hee-hawing across the woods and asked Vance to accompany him to a lonely hike to see it himself. It did not take her even a split second to put two and two together once she saw how Parker’s forehead was covered with cold sweats under her intense glare. It was pretty obvious that, he was lying again. 

Now, there are three type of people in the world. The first type of people are angelic innocent. People like Vance, on whom God definitely spent eons sculpturing the fine looks, the kind soul and the irresistible personality. Who deserve all the good things the world has to offer, and those for whom the world would rather die than see them shed a tear. Then, there were people like her, normal guys and girls, knowing some things about hook and crook, pretty much average – but highly deserving. And last type has those who are incredibly dumb, pathetic, moronic and as sad excuse of cops as one ever could be. Those who are good at nothing – who can’t even lie nor have courage to say the truth, and most importantly, those people who should simply get the fuck away from Vance. 

“What’d you like to order?” She sweetly smiled at Vance, watching Parker from the corner of her eyes. 

“Listen Danni!” Vance’s eyes light up as he speaks. Did she tell you how giddy that thing made her feel? The sparkle in his eyes which makes her feel the world as inconsequential and makes her feel as if there exists a part of Vance’s heart which lights up on seeing her and for which- 

“Can you give me a glass of water please?” Parker stressed the last part of his sentence startling Danni and earning a glare from her. 

“Of course, ‘officer’. “She grunted as she turned to leave. 

“Wait! Danni!” Vance stopped her, much to Parker’s horror. “Let’s sit and talk, I think Parker has something important to tell- “ 

“DANNI ASTURIAS? THE LAST TIME I CHECKED YOU WERE PAID TO DO THE JOB AND NOT CHIT CHAT WITH CUSTOMERS.” Her manager’s scream came from behind the counter. She visibly flinched on hearing that and shut her eyes tight. Why did that asshole had to scream when she was in front of Vance?

“I am sorry…” Vance apologized to Danni as she nods understandingly at him.

“Will join you after my shift...” She sighs. As she turned, Parker shoved a napkin onto her hand.

‘Call 1-0-0 and that bastard is dead.’

She watches surprised at Parker who nods, and then smiles. Ok, perhaps the cop wasn’t so bad after all? She smiles a little, and is glad that no matter how much of a catfight she and Parker may do, they are what people call ‘friends’ at the end of the day. 

“Oi.” Parker shouts as she reaches the counter, “Two ice-creams and one pizza here please. Oh! And some coffee as well.”

She froze in horror on hearing Parker as her manager shook his head angrily at her. “Next time, when you chit chat with customers, at least take their orders.” He growled as he went into the kitchen.

Danni felt like ripping Parker’s head off then and there. She turned frustrated at Parker, only to find him returning that usual innocent smile – which meant that the moron had no idea on what he did wrong. 

She sighed as she went on to prepare the coffee. Vance, like a child, liked it sweet and with whipped cream. Parker liked whipped cream as well. She rolled her eyes as she poured some extra whipped cream into Parker’s. Contrary to what one might feel, she is not mean. It’s just that Parker’s idiocy at times puts her off. Actually no, it’s not Parker’s idiocy. It’s the fact that he is stuck to Vance like a bloody leech that makes her want to punch him. How obvious can one make that he is in love? Parker never failed to set a new low in setting that, and she has to admit she herself is surprised that Vance did not realize it yet. Heck, Vance did not even realize her signs, forget realizing Parker’s. Vance was, as she said, too innocent and angelic to even know of such things. She sweetly sighed. 

She picked the ice creams, the pizza and the coffees overflowing with lovely whipped cream (her manager is surely not going to like this…) and took it down to the table with a smile. Vance, took a spoonful of his favourite coffee delight and shoved it in his mouth, humming like a kid. Parker and Danni smiled at that, bathing in the warmth of his smile like a sunbather bathing in sun. Vance had no regards on how he looks when eating it – clearly evident by the moustache of whipped cream above his creamy lips.

Not a good thought ... Danni shook her head as she tried to put her mind off how erotic it’d had been to kiss Vance in such a state.

“Hey Danni,” Parker said in a low voice, “Got some pepper for the pizza?”

She looked at the table, she was definitely sure that all tables had a pepper sprinkler. To her surprise there was none on that table.

“Coming.” She nodded as she turned towards another table which had the pepper sprinkler. Picking it up, she turned around-

…only to find Parker’s hazel irises staring intently at Vance, who merely blinked back in confusion.

And then she noticed it – beneath Parker’s seat, the pepper sprinkler originally belonging to their table – straight and upright.

No… she gasped. That…that couldn’t be possible! The…The police moron outsmarted her? That he hid that pepper beneath his chair so that he could send Danni away and- 

“Vance…” Parker’s voice was husky. “You got cream all over your face.” He involuntarily licked his lips. Danni knew where this was going…she clutched the damned pepper sprinkler tight.

“Hmm…? I guess?” Vance sheepishly grinned, unwary of Parker’s advances. “Let me try to take it off.” Vance said as he ran his thumb over his lips.

“Nopes…” Parker whispered as his face advanced towards Vance. “There is still some cream left…”. Parker’s could feel Vance’s breath on his face now. He stopped to absorb the sight for a moment. He imagined how it’d feel running a hand on those lips he dreamt of kissing in so many encounters they had. He intently watched the small whipped cream at the corner of Vance’s lips – the corner which he could caress with his thumbs for eternity. He could breathe in Vance’s scent – he smelled of perfume and soap, fresh and clean – unlike him who’d constantly smell a little sweaty and a little pungent. And he found it tempting, tempting enough for him to forget the world and just smash his lips over Vance, forbidding them to ever leave. And judging by how Vance was looking into his eyes instead of going away, he was sure Vance liked his acrid scent as well. 

He finally put a thumb on Vance’s lips, slowly moving it to the corner, trying to relish every millimetre of the smooth skin as long as he could. He then cupped his cheek, his thumb finally at the corner where the whipped cream lay. With a slow horizontal glide, Parker wiped it off, his hazel eyes darkening with the thoughts going on in his brain. Although the cream was wiped off, he had no desire to move away his hand, which cupped Vance’s cheek and kept him from going away. He could feel Vance’s cheeks heat up a bit, his breath hitch up a bit, his heartbeat increase a little. Perhaps he realized that this intimacy is clearly not shared between friends? But he made no effort to move, his eyes were stuck to Parker’s which were full of desire and…thoughts.

Has the moment finally come?

Parker felt that Vance within his reach for once. He felt that if he just pushes himself a little, if he just pulls Vance a little, if he just dares a little – so much as to close the minimal distance between their lips – he would get everything. He again licked his lips, not wanting to pass chance to feel how Vance’s lips would feel after delighting on whipped cream. And with a final resolve, he tilts his head a little, moving his face closer to Vance to –

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

“ACCHHOOOOO”

To his horror, he sneezed at Vance’s face.

“ACHHOOOO”

“ACHHOOOOO”

“AAAACHHHHOOOOO”

Parker sneezed loudly – his spit becoming the latest topping on the pizza while a stealthy drop of mucus fell from his nose into his coffee.

Danni, who might have ‘accidentally’ sprinkled pepper over Parker instead of the pizza, burst out laughing as she handed Vance a napkin and asked him to go wash himself in the washroom. And she was definitely content at watching Parker sneeze for next five minutes, and realize that he could not have any of the delicious looking whipped-cream coffee which Danni made. He gave a pleading look to Danni, who merely whipped her braid behind her head and walked away.

“My shift is over.” She laughed, “Which means now we can actually talk about what you have to say about the ‘Power’ together.”

She’d never forget Parker’s horrified face, or his stuttering to Vance afterwards as he struggled to apologize normally given his social awkwardness. What she could forget was, the gibberish nonsense which the embarrassed Parker stuttered as he threw some random gibberish theories at Vance and her explaining that bear steak was source of Lake Ghost’s immense power.

.

.

.

.

.

“LOL” we clutch our stomach, laughing as Danni shows a photograph of Parker’s tomato-red, embarrassed face. “More! More! PLEASE MORE!!”

“Hm…” Danni pretended to think. “Ok, fair enough.” She smiled. “But only if you can convince me to…” She grinned as we gave her a confused look. “Tell me something which would make me tell you another one.”

.

.

.

.

Q. What should be say to Danni to make her reveal more stories?

a) Vance is home alone right now.

b) Parker and Vance are the best couple and she should fuck off.

c) We can put a good word for her in Vance

d) She and Vance definitely make a good couple.

  CHALLENGE- The first part of the fluff focuses on Danni’s perspective, and the latter part (Except the ending) focuses in Parker’s perspective. The challenge is to re-write this fluff with first part focusing on Parker’s perspective and latter part on Danni’s perspective.

ART CHALLENGE - Does this fluff inspire any drawing? I’d personally like to see the scene where Danni watches Parker and Vance with a pepper sprinkler in her hands :p 

   ==========================================================

Credits - A big thanks to ALL the people who reblog and like my fictions. It’s just you guys who keep me going <3. I can’t even describe how much eagerly I wait for a review on them, thinking on if you guys liked them or not!! Requesting you to be equally kind with me here as well <3. Love you all!!

Also, really sorry to @brightpinkpeppercorn - I promised her a fluff but I am sick right now (guess where the sneeze inspiration came from? XD) and I will complete it asap :D. I want that one to be a treat for her <3

  Tag List- @brightpinkpeppercorn​ @pbmychoices​ @zuaovca​ @dumbbrowngirl​ @fluffy-cat-whisper​ @danniseyebrows​ @danni-whatshername​ @danniasturiass​ @sherjules​ @rayssa10-blog​ @flammingred​ @strangelycami​ @griffinsbigdickenergy​ @europeanguy​ @darley1101​ @personthatlovesshippings​

[latinalesbi]

It’s ridiculous how Bradley and Co are like we’d love to do a mom spinoff but that’s all lies because if they truly wanted to do one they pitch the idea to networks. It just sucks because they’re just telling the fans what they want to hear. They have no intentions of doing one. The sooner people realize it the better. They’re only setting themselves up to be disappointed.

I am not sure why people don’t realize that they have just been playing the mom fans for a long time. It’s high time everyone just ignore them and their manipulations.

Anonymous said:                                                                      Finally watched the spinoff ep that starred Sheri and Teri. Didn’t enjoy it at all. They were being used for laughs. It was such a downgrade for me. Yes the end was kinda sweet but otherwise.. I imagine and hope they got paid well that’s the only positive and the fact they got to work together again. I know they’ve another episode so maybe it will improve but otherwise..oh and was Maia’s acting really wooden? Or was that just me? I know she was meant to be awkward about her moms being there but?

Yeah, they were used for laughs and to prop up their regular characters. The next episode is here and I don’t think it’s going to be better at all. Maia can’t act. I agree there.

Anonymous said:                                                                      The amount of sex in GTrouble is hilarious. It like the writers think shit there hasn’t been a scene in the last ten mins- let’s stick one in 😂 Iremember the days where people would ask for a little Stef Lena 1 on 1 not even sex just an intimate moment between the 2 & we were told if we wanted that we should watch porn 😂 Oh but GTrouble is more grown up and messier and the girls are now in their 20’s. HELLO Stef and Lena were in their 40’s!!!! That’s not edgy enough though for Peter and Brad😜  

I am so glad that I am not watching GT because I have no desire to see those two having so much sex. What a great message, right? Middle aged women hae no sex drive.

Anonymous said:                                                                      Must be hard for the two girls, the only time Good Trouble now generates any buzz is when the guest stars from The Fosters appear. I don’t really have much sympathy for them though, they’re earning at the end of the day. Doubt they care, out of sight out of mind.

In the end, no one can give them the fosters ratings we were used to getting. They gambled for 2 seasons and got it, which was better than one season max for the fosters. I mean, I hope they enjoy.

Anonymous said:                                                                      Sherri is the cutest woman on the planet. How the creators of the show let her go I don’t know. She was the Fosters biggest cheerleader. Every week she’d live tweet, the ‘kids’ couldn’t even bring themselves to send a tweet out reminding people the show was on once a week. Then the lies about the season 6 and her still tweeting about it when they knew it was dead and buried. My heart!! Even now she’s still amazing. We’re lucky to have her!!   

I am glad she has new shows, even though I don’t have the heart or time to watch. I am happy for her. I think she misses Teri though, at least that’s what her recent tweets and deleted tweets tell me. She was so ready to fight till the end but she was betrayed and I’ll never forgive them for that.

Anonymous said:                                                                      Been watching the early seasons of The Fosters again recently. Reminded me how wonderful the show was. Those early years the quality was so good. I think what happened is that it got diluted with all the guest characters and individual storylines that formed. The family parts whilst still there got fewer and fewer. There was just too much going on all at once. It also felt a whole lot more mature strangely for me. Particularly the Stef and Lena parts. Strange considering it was ABC fam back then  

I do agree that they immediately pulled back and tried to sell Callie more. The biggest mistake was Girls United. They really thought that people wanted less of the family and more of the issues and that’s not the network, but the writers. And they actually made a webshow about them, but it failed and that should have been their lesson, people want their family. I heard them say they got it, but all they brought back was the family dinners, which they try to sadly recreate on GT.

Anonymous said:                                                                      Noah’s back lots of social media buzz. The moms are back again social media buzz. Imagine it will be the same for Brandon. Otherwise there’s so little interest past the few people actually watching. It’s never going to be a smash hit for Freeform but it’s cheap and as someone said a filler for them.

It didn’t do much for the ratings. Slight bump, nothing huge. And David brought them down. I don’t think that there’s anything anyone can do for this show to make it at all buzz worthy. It’s just filler.

Anonymous said:                                                                      It is funny how Noah became an overnight success just as The Fosters was ending. If gets had the foresight and ordered a season six they’d have had him locked in for 20 episodes. Would have done Freeform the world of good. Plus they never realised the popularity of Lena and Stef either. I imagine that’s been a shock to them. They thought Marianna and Callie were standalone popular, they’re not. That was part of the downfall of The Fosters at the end, it was too much Callie sans her family

If they had bagged Noah for another season of the Fosters, yikes, it would have even made any spinoff that much more profitable. Everything would have been better, they would have had good will, things would carry forward, but they carried on in the dark thinking this would please everyone. God no, we aren’t idiots. Well, some people are, but not most of us.

Anonymous said:                                                                      Did you post that video of Sherri and Terri hugging after their final scene? I can’t find it anywhere.

I am sure, I could. Hold on. I don’t think there is video, lots of different stills, but no video that I can see, maybe someone else can share if they remember.

Anonymous said:                                                                      I’m sort of glad (never thought I’d say that) that the moms spinoff didn’t happen. The creators of the Fosters didn’t really know what to do with them in the end. They created these characters, that Sherri and Teri made their own. However the writing for them in later seasons was haphazard and all over the place imo. I’m not sure they’d do it justice and satisfy the fans. Having said that there is a ready made audience, not many shows have that.                  

They still don’t know what to do. That new trailer is like... really, this is it? That’s what you came up with? Thank god the spin off wasn’t about Lena’s election because lol, you would make it about the same circular story telling. Fucking keep it.