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90363462 · 2 years

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9 Erotic Bucket List Adventures That Aren't Sex

Sex sells and that's on Little Bo Peep.

Kiarra Sylvester

Jul. 12, 2022 07:00AM EST

Sex sells! That’s on Little Bo Peep, Mary and her little lamb, and whoever else. We see it all over the television and even outside of it. These days, novelty experiences are on the rise and are no longer reserved for bachelor and bachelorette parties! Folks can enjoy erotic outings and ideas any time, any place. And social media is making it easier than ever to sell these products and experiences in new and intriguing ways. Seriously, do phallic- and p*ssy-shaped desserts not make for Instagram-worthy content?

Is it not aesthetically eye-catching to add those things to our Instagram Stories and feeds? It’s very similar to the popularization of selfie museums, in my opinion. They were popular by themselves but because of the new influencer agenda on social media – everyone can be someone – it makes specific experiences appear to be richer. Leave it to someone like myself, a sexuality enthusiast, if you will – the person whose friends send all the raunchy, wild content to because in their mind there’s no limit – to find a good sex novelty experience.

My documentation of my trip to New York’s Museum of Sex was followed by my TikTok algorithm recommending a bakery in NYC that sells vulva pastries. It made me wonder how many other fun places like these existed in the world. Though there are many, I compiled a list of 9 novelty sex experiences that would make the teenaged version of you that used to frequent Spencer's blush.

Kinky's Dessert Bar

New York, New York

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Black-owned and specializing in tasty goodies that are as sweet as they are sexy, Kinky’s Dessert Bar comes in at the top of the list! This adorable little pink shop is vibrant and fun-looking with a name to match it – who wouldn’t want to stop by? Alas, those under 18 aren’t allowed inside, and for good reason. However, if you are old enough to ride this ride, don’t leave feeling teased – try one of their explicit waffles, cupcakes, or cookies.

Booze and Nudes

Dallas, Texas

Booze and Nudes used to be a whole movement that began in Atlanta, however, it seems the OG promoters stopped doing this event. It garnered so much traction in ATL that they took this act on the road (trust me, I know). I’ve been pressed to find another one ever since but only recently found this new one based in Dallas. By far one of the most fun girls' night out experiences I had – dick swinging and all – it was like a less intense strip club (which is welcomed) combined with a sip and paint. The dates here are limited, so try it out while tickets last.

Museum of Sex

New York, New York

This museum covers a wide variety of sexuality-related topics rather than finding any one niche. And, the Museum of Sex also doubles as a novelty store as well making for a one-stop-shop. My favorite part about this museum is they switch out their funtivity every now and then, at one point there was a booby bounce house. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that they will run it back!

Members Only Waffle House

Toronto, Canada

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If you’re a U.S. resident looking for an excuse outside of Carabana to visit Toronto, here it goes! Similar to Kinky’s Dessert Bar, Members Only brings all the boys and girls to the yard with their phallic-shaped waffles. However, they have also expanded into making other NSFW treats, most notably ones featuring female genitalia, because balance.

Red Light Secrets

Antique Vibrator Museum

San Francisco, California

I would love to make a trip to visit the Antique Vibrator Museum, as masturbation via sex toys is one of my favorite topics. This museum is run by Good Vibrations and in all fairness, it’s just one small room so it’s probably best to plan this trip around other things to do if you are ever in San Fran. However, it’s still worth visiting to be able to see up close and personal the transition of vibrators along with the sexist history that they harbor.

Philly Naked Bike Ride

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Though the Naked Bike Ride occurs in multiple cities and countries, I first discovered this event living in Philadelphia. As much as I love riding bikes and being naked, I’ll be the first to admit this isn’t my forte as a combined act. Bike seats are already so comfortable so just imagine. Nevertheless, I’ve heard it’s nothing less than an experience. Plus, the purpose is to advocate for body positivity and eco-efficient options, and who doesn’t like nudity for a good cause?

Leather Archives and Museum

Chicago, Illinois

Leather Archives and Museum is committed to highlighting the leather, kink, fetish, and BDSM history through their exhibits. Not only is this a fun stop to make if you’re ever in the Chicago area, but it also brings better understanding to a community that is often misunderstood.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

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In addition to its architecture and canals, Amsterdam is most known for its liberal attitude towards sex and drugs. Their wild nightlife scene points to them being a city that is forever young, wild, and free. But specific to sex, they are known for legalized sex work which occurs in the Red Light District. Red Light Secrets in particular talks about the history of sex work which I think is great considering how stigmatized it is, despite the whole sex sells bit. But, the most fun part about this experience is that it’s located in an old brothel!

Seattle Erotic Art Festival

Seattle, Washington

This is a multimedia art festival showcasing the erotic via visual arts, performance, film, and literary art. Though the time to attend for 2022 has come and gone, the festival has already released dates for 2023. If all goes well with the world, you can expect to attend on April 21-23. This event has a minimum age of 21, so be sure to leave the kiddos behind for this sweet getaway.

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Kiarra Sylvester

Motor City native, Atlanta living. Sagittarius. Writer. Sexpert. Into all things magical, mystical, and unknown. I'll try anything at least once but you knew that the moment I revealed that I was a Sag.

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lordsthegames · 8 months

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Lords of the Fallen: Lit Gameplay Trailer, Epic Bosses, and an Immersive World

Lords of the Fallen dropped a lit gameplay trailer, plus that hella stylish video with Iron Maiden jams that came out earlier this year. They're showing off some heavy-duty combat and mega gnarly bosses, and I'm low-key praying they're as slick and intricate as the Soulslikes that HexWork is trying to copy. And OMG, did you peep that bizarre screeching skeleton egg monster straight-up meeting itself onto the player character? Total mind-blowing stuff, fam! Lords of the Fallen drops us into a whole new realm, like, over a thousand years after the epic showdown in the first game. This time, we're diving into a massive interconnected world that's, like, five times bigger than the OG game. Total game-changer, right? And if you're eager to dive into this expanded gaming world, don't forget to explore where to buy PS4 games to make the most of your adventure.

This game is packed with NPC quests, tons of cool characters, and a super immersive story. First thing, you'll create your hero before diving into the single-player action. But wait, there's more! You can also team up with a buddy for some epic online co-op action without any interruptions. And guess what? Hexworks, the studio behind this awesomeness, is led by the main dude, Saul Gascon. They came to life in 2020 and have, like, a squad of over 75 in-house developers and a bunch of outside peeps they work with. By the way, if you're interested in learning more about Saul Gascon and his team's gaming creations, you can also explore where to buy PS4 games and experience their gaming prowess firsthand.

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Co-op Action at Vestiges and Crafting Skills

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Lords of the Fallen: The animation feels kinda meh, just like in the OG game, but the combat vibes are lit, yo. The SFX is kinda rough, but hopefully, it'll be on fleek in-game. At 8:28, it's straight-up LOL-worthy. Realm jumping is low-key cool, but I'm low-key worried it might mess up the level design, you know? Not feeling the world and vibes, and where are the characters?

#lords of the fallen

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dreaminpeaches · 3 years

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Humble Pie AU Headcount!

Aye, here's a cool concept I saw from @paraesthetics

and @maddgicalgirl two really cool creative peeps who posted about their AUs for their paracosms, Memento Amouri and Zombie Lane! I don't have as many as them and they're not as cool as any of those but we go:

Humble Pie - OG paracosm, Beau, a former high school bully and star football athlete returns to his home town after flunking college, coming home brings back both nostalgic and bitter memories of his past, his memories haunt him so bad that they manifest into a alter ego of himself called "Stye" who makes a deal with Beau that if he can get at least half of the people he bullied to forgive him, then Stye will leave Beau forever, but if Beau fails Beau has to leave forever (either by running away, isolating himself from others even his friends and family forever so he doesn't hurt anyone else never to be seen again or ........), at the same time he finds himself falling in love with the new dorky girl in town

Bodyswap AU- this isn't really an AU more like a weird dream Beau has after eating some weird cake his little sister made for him and he was too nice to say no (it had glitter in it), the events only take place for about a day, but its basically a Kimi No Nawa (Your Name) parody just with alot of more comedy where Beau and Bonnie swap bodies, Beau spends the day in Bonnie's body as an angry gremlin woman, and Bonnie spends the day in Beau's body as a pretty boy. They both struggle with each other's usual tasks Bonnie struggles to fix cars and Beau having to wear a maid outfit, and doing anime dances on the spot while having to playfully flirt with a bunch of nerds at Bonnie's maid cafe job. Bonnie in Beau's body has more heavy moments because she can see Stye and meets him for the first time, Stye knows its not Beau in his body so he can't have as much "fun" toying with him as usual, but kind of with the "help" of Stye Bonnie is able to hop through Beau's memories (mostly his childhood ones), a lot of the memories stop halfway through or are purposely faded because how heavy they weigh on Beau's mind. Devin is the one who tries to research and help Bonnie and Beau get back to each other's bodies because while most of Beau's family welcomes Beau's brighter attitude, Dev is the only one who knows something is up.

Genderbend AU- In this AU Fem! Beau was a star cheerleader as a Regina George type of bully, telling lies, spreading rumors, and subtle causing chaos throughout the school while being seen as a beloved queen at the same time, she too flunks out of college, and returns with regrets, but as where Beau takes on a more punk cowboy aesthetic, Fem! Beau adopts a more gothic rockabilly witch aesthetic, Fem ! Beau always had an interest in witches/witchcraft since she was little (because her dad would read her a bunch of fairy tales and Fem! Beau always found the witches to be the more interesting characters in the stories) but was often made fun for it to the point where she kept it a secret, but now returning to her hometown, Fem! Beau decides to fully embrace her interest she dyes her blonde hair black and starts to study witchcraft in an effort to combat the bad vibes she's been feeling. Whereas original Stye is more of an evil Jojo Stand, Fem! Stye is more along the lines of a mix of Tomie and Junko Enoshima, she still enjoys toying with Fem! Beau and doing a noblewoman's laugh, the deal between them is still the same. Whereas Beau's bio dad left him, Fem! Beau's bio mom left her family and Fem! Beau has a really close relationship with her Dad, Lou , who works at the town's library as a libarian, he remarries a nice woman who tries to spend time with Fem! Beau by doing traditional girly activities (a thing that reminds Fem! Beau too much of her past self, but she still tries to grin and bear it), Fem! Beau works part-time at her step mom's boutique helping customers pick outfits and find the perfect outfit for them. Dev is the same tho, but Fem! Dev is a bit more into comics than games but still basically the same nerd (like Futaba from Persona 5), Fem! Beau stilll gives Fem! Dev advice on school and boys (but kind of subtlely telling Fem! Dev that most guys are pigs anyways), Carrie who is now Carter in this is a very rowdy but loveable little boy who is always seen with a cape and a wooden sword that his big sis made for him in shop class, he carries that thing with him everywhere and will fight anyone who's mean to his sisters. Like Beau, Fem! Beau loves her siblings to death and likes spending time with them

Beau has an interest in wild west media, Fem! Beau is more interested in stuff like Grease, Rebel Without A Cause, Bewitched, and West Side Story.

Male! Bonnie is mostly the same like with Dev is more into comics than anime, he has a bigger interest in clowns than mascots and wants to show kids that not all clowns are scary, he works as a children entertainer at a local fun center (like a Chuck E Cheese or Discovery Center), whereas Bonnie was taught ballet at a young age, Male! Bonnie was taught to play the piano, but he enjoys playing instruments like the keyboard, talkboxes, and one of those things that look like a musical note with a face on it (idk what they are call), he's trying to make a one-man-band performance to go along with his performance as a clown.

Whereas Bonnie and Beau meet a lot to work on Bonnie's car, Male! Bonnie and Fem! Beau met up a lot because Carter really likes to play at the fun center where Bonnie works, and when Male! Bonnie first saw Fem! Beau, he thought she was Raven from Teen Titans.

Bonnie and Beau's relationship is like Beauty and Beast, while Fem! Beau and Male! Bonnie is more like Jessica and Rodger rabbit.

Resident Evil Village AU: This one is basically Beau is Ethan, and Carrie takes the place of Rose, and that's it! To be honest, I didn't think how everyone else would fit in this AU (an older Dev might be Chris?? maybe), I just like the idea of Beau going through a ton of crazy spooky stuff to save his little sister, and would totally sacrifice himself like Ethan did at the end if all the chips were down, and older Rose is what I think an older Carrie would look like

Walking Dead (the game) AU: Same thing as RE but Beau lives through all the seasons with both of his siblings, I just dont really dig the idea of Carrie ending Beau like how Clem had to do with Lee (that's too much man), but I could see Beau trying to teach Carrie to defend herself during the apocalypse as she gets older he tries to distance himself a bit letting her be more independent but still nearby if she gets into trouble, I could also see Dev joining another group for a bit because he doesn't enjoy his brother bossing him around so much, he ends up returning but I could see tensions raising between those two in this situation, they would end up meeting Bonnie along the way, Beau would find her a bit annoying at first but end up catching feelings for her. I could see them making their own settlement, and trying to find other lost individuals.

#paraportal #paracosm #paracosm: humble pie #para: beau #para: bonnie #para: devin #para: carrie #paracsoms Au

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fromtheringapron · 5 years

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Scary Wrestling Stuff from My Childhood

Every Halloween season, it’s not uncommon for wrestling fans to reminisce about the moments in our great sport that genuinely scared them, and I’m certainly no exception. At the end of the day, wrestling is still a fantasy world that’s seen plenty of dark, suspenseful, and even at times supernatural bullshit. In fact, one of its biggest stars is The Undertaker, who has been in turns a mortician, a zombie, a Satanic cult leader, a desert biker, and some strange hybrid of all those characters at once.

Truthfully, nothing in wrestling scares me anymore. Well, at least not in kayfabe. Real life still provides a lot of fright in and out of the ring. When I see a wrestler get legitimately injured in the ring, you bet I’m concerned. The depressingly common trend of premature wrestling deaths is a terrifying subject on its own. But when you’re a kid, where even the most ridiculous thing in wrestling can seem real, there’s a lot in kayfabe to be scared about, and you don’t even known what the hell the term “kayfabe” even means.

So, to get in the spirit of the spooky season, I’ll give you a quick rundown of some things that personally scared me shitless watching wrestling as a youngster:

Evil Doink the Clown: Doink is usually associated with everything wrong in WWF’s New Generation era⏤one-dimensional gimmickry, cheesy beyond belief, and worst of all, out of touch. But it’s a reputation that isn’t quite deserved. The original Doink character was that of an evil clown, brilliantly brought to life by Matt Borne. As someone who churned out many rewatches of WrestleMania IX as a child, which features the character at its peak, you better believe I was terrified of this wrestling clown with lime green hair. If evil Doink’s sudden mood swings and aggression weren’t unsettling enough, the entrance music is fucking horrifying to this day. Far scarier than Pennywise and the Joker could ever wish, complete with maniacal clown cackles. Yikes, yikes, yikes. It sounds like the soundtrack to a haunted carnival episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark? on Nickelodeon. Given the rise of creepy clowns in recent pop culture, evil Doink would still get over now, and scare a whole new generation of kids to boot.

Kane, Circa ’97/‘98: Hear me out: the video package to Kane and The Undertaker’s clash at WrestleMania XIV is one of the best ever. The music, the footage, and even the random Michael Cole narration all flow together perfectly to create something goosebumpingly epic. But, damn, as kid? This was some terrifying shit. Considering I was too young to stay up and watch every episode of Raw in full, that package was like a highlight reel of pure horror. Kane has become known for taking part in some of the most infamous and illogical storylines in WWE history, but it’s often forgotten how effective a job was done to build him up as a monster upon his debut. Remember when he lit that random dude on fire on Raw? Holy fuck. Not even the Wicked Witch of the West setting fire to The Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz shook me up quite like that. The eyes peeping out of his mask was, to me, the most frightening part of his appearance. Total nightmare fuel. Generations more familiar with bald, mask-less Kane could never quite know the trauma.

Papa Shango’s Sega Genesis Theme Music: Okay, this a fairly obscure one, but my brother and I would play WWF Royal Rumble on Sega Genesis back in the day. The game was complete with cute little 8-bit versions of each wrestler’s entrance themes. The Crush theme, in particular, is a minor masterpiece. The other piece of music that made an impact on me is the version of Papa Shango’s theme. I didn’t have too much footage of Papa Shango in my childhood wrestling VHS collection so he held some mythical status to me. The original theme is creepy enough, but the Genesis version really takes you to an dark, murky swamp where Shango is hexing his latest victim. It scared me so much that I’d speed ahead the character selection screen in the game so I wouldn’t have to hear it. You can scoff at me now all you want, but I must speak my truth.

Zeus and Randy Savage Attack Hulk Hogan and Brutus Beefcake: If you’ve watched Survivor Series 1989, you may remember a segment where Mean Gene interviews Hulk Hogan and Brutus Beefcake about their upcoming match at No Holds Barred. That’s not scary at all, but it’s what happens as the interview unfolds that, for whatever reason, really tore me up when I’d put my copy of this show in the VHS. Sensational Sherri crashes the interview, with the most wild-eyed glared you could imagine, shouting at Hogan and Beefcake in her dark, garish makeup. She then throws handfuls of powder in their eyes, allowing Zeus and Randy Savage to attack them. It’s so hard to describe what’s so scary about this. No Holds Barred, both the movie and the pay-per-view, were pretty notorious failures so it’s not even like it’s remembered as a major angle or anything. If anything, I gotta think it has something to do with the sudden tonal shift from a goofy babyface interview to an all-out assault, which can be pretty striking for any young viewer.

Mick Foley, Hell in the Cell: I don’t really need to say any more, do I? The Hell in the Cell match at King of The Ring 1998 is something that warrants a post of its own, as its undoubtedly one of my favorite matches of all time. But I cannot stress this enough: watching a human being do what Mick Foley does in this match, no matter how pre-planned, is some seriously distressing shit. As an adult, you realize you’re watching this man single-handedly take years off his career. But even in kayfabe, there’s true terror in watching the full extent of Mankind’s threshold reveal itself. The dude literally fucking smiles to the camera as he’s concussed and his mouth bloodied into steak tartar. If that image alone doesn’t stay with you, I don’t know what will. Mick Foley turns this match into a mini horror movie. Years before people tuned in droves to watch Saw and Hostel, they watched Mick Foley torture himself. In the match’s most chilling moments, he turns Mankind into a character like Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees⏤just when you think he’s been completely broken in half, he’s up and ready for more.

Early Undertaker: I can’t possibly go on without mentioning The Undertaker. When you really think about it, some of things I’ve mentioned already wouldn’t have been possible without him. It seems a little cliche to even bring him up for a topic like this, but he’s the OG of cheesy wrestling horror. Plus, it needs to be said: The Undertaker, in first couple years of his WWF career, could easily scare kids. It definitely scared the kids who grew up watching that version of the character, at least. I watched Survivor Series 1990 countless times growing up so, as you could imagine, I was one of the fortunate/unfortunate children. One of the more brilliant touches of The Undertaker’s early character, outside of the creepy glare and slow approach, was the various shots of mortified children in the crowd. It seems like a minor detail, but it went a long way in establishing him as a genuine monster. Not to mention, there were things the Undertaker did during that era that, even by the family-friendly standards of early ‘90s WWF, were pretty messed-up. How about that time he locked The Ultimate Warrior in a coffin? Or when he worked with Jake Roberts to terrorize Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth? Make no mistake, those first few years were critical in letting us know for whom the bell tolls.

And that about does it for my own personal horrors. Maybe you think mine are silly, but what about wrestling scared you growing up? Does it still scare you? Does it still give you nightmares? As you ponder, I’ll be looking over my shoulder, hoping I’m not attacked by Zeus.

#wwe #the undertaker #mick foley #sega #halloween #scary

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wings-of-a-storm · 5 years

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Apparently it is that time again when the emotions of my Skam France addiction bubble over and I actually have time to write up some thoughts on scenes that have moved me.

In the stress of Incommunicado Eliott Week, now seems like a great time to revisit a slightly happier time for Elu... Hint: it involves paint.

AN OVERDUE REVISITING OF EPISODE 7: THE PAINT FIGHT ERA

Let me try and start from the beginning…

BOY GANG HELPING LUCAS

They may not always be my favourite boy squad, but it warms my heart how Lucas’ friends all gathered to support him through an emotionally tough task: painting the Mural of Heartbreak that was supposed to be Lucas’ and Eliott’s special thing together.

Come to think of it, Lucas didn’t technically even have to do it. If Daphne needed the eyesore gone that badly, she could have kept bugging Eliott to do it since he was the one who offered in the first place. With that in mind, I guess Lucas needed to paint over the mural as a form of closure. It may have always been hanging over his head as this ongoing promise between him and Eliott. By painting over it with his friends, he could cut that painful ‘what if’ from his life and close that door before Eliott can get another foot in. It is a tangible way for him to feel like he is in control and moving on (with the bonus of making Daphy happy).

The boys helping him through that was the Gang support we and Lucas had been needing! I don’t have much else to add about them in this scene but wanted to give them kudos anyway because they really helped Lucas a lot just by being there with him and helping him have a new memory of the mural. (It’s hard to say that with a straight face after knowing what happens…)

SENDING AN ULTIMATUM

I was honestly rather skeptical that the boys would be able to help Lucas navigate the strained relationship he was in with Eliott. Their relationship felt so damaged compared to other versions -- Lucas wasn’t budging or letting any softness in no matter how many well-meaning drawings he received. Eliott needed to prove his mindset was different before Lucas could even consider letting him back into his life. Eliott hadn’t achieved that by the time Lucas met up with his friends to paint the mural though, and a few texts to Eliott didn’t seem likely to appeal to Lucas. The ball was in Eliott’s court after all, to prove he wasn’t just leading Lucas on again.

But to my surprise, the text ultimatum started unfolding anyway. And even more surprising, it actually started to make sense. Lucas had chosen to ghost Eliott until he was convinced that Eliott had made his choice and was going to stick to it. What that meant though was that Lucas had taken on a passive role (just waiting things out) and he became trapped in that self-imposed limbo land. He couldn’t get out by himself because he was too in love to give up that last drop of hope that Eliott would somehow come back and mean it this time.

We’ve seen Lucas be savage before so he did have it in him to actually text Eliott (as Eliott himself had even requested with his last drawing) to tell him to knock it off and stop leaving drawings, but Lucas never quite reached that step. Perhaps he was hoping Eliott would get the message on his own after two deliberate ghostings and he wouldn’t have to say the difficult words out loud. But of course I think it was more that his subconscious just couldn’t handle cutting hope off completely that the boy he was in love with would dump Lucille for good and come back to him.

It wasn’t going to happen though because nothing was changing. It made sense then that Lucas would be receptive to (unsolicited) advice on how to take that final step and make it either a clean break or a clean reunion. Especially when his ‘experienced’ (wtf Arthur!) friends seemed so confident that texting an ultimatum was guaranteed to end Lucas’ woes one way or another. It’s hard not to get hyped up with that sort of group confidence. It was the push Lucas probably knew deep down that he needed to take to exit his own purgatory. He was only leading himself on… I love that even though the Gang gave Lucas the basic guidelines of what message to send to Eliott, Lucas, in typical Savage Style, was able to put the killer touches on his texts. He didn’t mince his words; they sure cut straight through the bullshit with a bullseye that drew blood. This, more than anything, sold the scene for me. It felt so true to Lucas that he would jump on a chance to express his frustration without any games but just needed that push from an unbiased third party.

I only have one minor issue with the scene: the pacing of the Gang’s solution just felt a little disproportionately quick. Is it a French language thing? Are things just expressed so much easier and quicker in French than in English so it takes longer to read and process? Because the Gang’s advice kind of gave me whiplash -- especially when they were able to even digress with the ‘wtf Arthur’ tangent in almost the same breath.

Or is it just a Skam France thing because they have that painful time limit that always messes with the pacing? I guess I just get frustrated that some scenes feel a little rushed when they don’t have to be. Even with a time limit, you can still work your pacing around it by cutting certain lines out to give pivotal scenes the space they need to breathe. For example, they could have left out Arthur’s mysterious past relationship or Lucas listening to a story about a recently deceased hoarder… By rushing the Gang’s advice, you don’t really have time as a viewer to anticipate whether it will work and whether Eliott will even show up or not. It wouldn’t have ruined the sense of urgency to slow it down even just a little… But maybe that comes down to my personal taste.

LUCAS: THE ARTISTE

God love Lucas for his highly convincing I’m just an Artiste holding a paint brush while pondering a mural on a Friday afternoon pose. How relatable was that. Of course Lucas needed to feel unaffected and strong even though he was practically trembling with nervous energy. His fear of turning around after hearing the door open was palpable. It doesn’t matter how many times I rewatch it, I am always scared for him. Plus the soft, tentative piano music accompanying Lucas’ nerves is almost too much to bear with its earnest fragility…

The man he is desperately in love with has just walked into the room and might break his heart all over again…

A WILD RACOON APPEARS: ABOUT TIME

Eliott Demaury, don’t you ever leave us again! Lucas had missed Eliott; I had missed Eliott; we all had missed Eliott, so of course the very second we saw his beautiful, earnest racoon face peep around the door it was like OH MY GOD, THE SUN HAS COME OUT!

Seriously, shout out to the mise-en-scene crew for placing that It’s About Time poster right beside Eliott during his close-up arrival shot because truth. Those hell weeks were totally like Titanic and Interstellar rolled into one: even though only two weeks had passed for the characters, for our reality it had been 84 YEARRRRS. But back to Eliott’s beautiful, earnest racoon face.

How nervous was he before he let the bravado slip back into place! And excuse me, child? “Need a hand?” Pretty smooth for a guy who has been leaving drawings of droopy-eared racoons around and getting ignored. Oh, to have that kind of fake confidence! He really had nothing to lose. (Was the wording in French dripping in double meaning too though? Good times.)

Guys, Eliott is really strong though. How did he have function left in his legs to walk over after being hit with that face…

THE MURAL METAPHOR:

I really like the way Skam France turned the common room mural into a metaphor for Lucas’ and Eliott’s relationship. The final clip opens on both of them examining it in silence, looking at what they have to work with and what can be done to fix it. Their first words to each other in this moment complete the metaphor with their double meaning:

- “What were you planning on doing?” - “I don’t know right now.”

Eliott is of course the one to nominate a solution to the ‘mural’ because he is the one who needs to fix the error of breaking up their relationship and hurting Lucas. It is up to Eliott to salvage that mess and lead them in a new direction (Lucas’ texts made it clear that he won’t budge until Eliott does).

So Eliott dips his paintbrush into his tub of emotion and flings his feelings at the wall in wild, raw abandon. (And he says they should paint with every colour because Lucas brings out all his colours and Eliott is putting all of himself into this. Ugly sobbing!)

Eliott urges Lucas to try it too. And his dumb, beautiful, earnest racoon face is so hopeful that Lucas will because that will mean that Lucas is willing to try and forgive him.

Lucas halfheartedly gives it a go but his heart isn’t really ready to commit yet, so his flick of paint ‘misses’ its mark (allegedly at least). Eliott can see that Lucas isn’t ready yet and needs to find a way through to him. He makes a joke to try and soften things further but all that does is manage to stick a paintbrush through his own heart because Lucas actually smiles and Eliott remembers (probably for the nth time) just how much he has missed seeing it.

In the face of that emotion, Eliott simply can’t sustain his bravado anymore and he confesses: “It’s nice to see you smile. I missed it.” For once, Eliott reveals the sadness that he normally tries to keep hidden from Lucas. His words have in fact stripped both of their masks away.

And even more emotional than all of that perhaps: this moment was a clear nod to the passe på meg scene in og. Even though Isak is the one who uses that line, what is actually revealed by Even in that scene is that he saw Isak on the first day he came to school. In Skam France, Eliott has obviously already revealed that to Lucas early on, so this line (the last remaining bit from passe på meg) seems to act as an extension to its original sentiment: Eliott seems to be revealing that he has continued to watch Lucas from afar at school and hasn’t stopped since that first day. He has noticed Lucas’ changed demeanour and absent smiles. He hasn’t seen Lucas smile for a long time. (It all links nicely with Eliott’s ‘In case you ever foolishly forget’ sentiment too.)

Like yes, technically that line can also be interpreted as ‘I missed seeing your smile in general because Lucille’s can’t compare’ but the use of the passe på meg line seems to scream significance… Eliott has noticed.

SAVAGE LUCAS:

As sweet and well-meaning as Eliott’s sentiments are, we can always count on Lucas to cut right through them to reach the heart of the matter... I love him so much for cockblocking Eliott’s attempts to open an intimate channel between them with his straight up: ‘You miss my smile and yet you looked sooooo happy with Lucille the other week. It’s totes amazeballs that you’re ‘talking’ to her again after supposedly dumping her ass.’ Like yassss Lucas, don’t let him get away with that type of seductive sentimentality! He’s not deliberately trying to lead you on but the results are the same and you deserve better than that back and forth!

(Beware, guys, because a small rant is about to start.)

Eliott’s response to Lucas really frustrates me. There is a pattern to it and I just can’t ignore it…

His response to Lucas’ ‘You looked happy with Lucille’ was “You can’t say that.”

Um, yes, yes he can. Just because Eliott knows he isn’t happy with Lucille, doesn’t mean Lucas can mindread… Like Lucas has stated that that is the impression he got when he saw them together and he has a right to that interpretation. Dictating what Lucas is allowed to think without elaborating on why he has misinterpreted it isn’t helpful, it’s actually really dismissive. Of course that is going to rub Lucas the wrong way. I am so happy Lucas heard that response and served up a sassy ‘Oh yeh? This will be good’ face to counter it. He was not having any of that crap.

But Eliott only makes things worse by saying: “Because none of it matters.”

Ugh again, yes it does, Eliott. It obviously matters to Lucas. He has just told you that he saw you back with your ex and is hurt by it. If he is hurt, then that matters. I know Eliott doesn’t mean it that way, but it is really harsh to be made to feel like you’re just being stupid and your hurt isn’t important.

It is a shame that Eliott has a habit of sweeping aside Lucas’ emotions without properly acknowledging them out of fear of rejection and a misguided need to prove him wrong because of it. We saw the same brush off in the cafeteria scene and later again in the kitchen scene. Eliott means well but I really wish he would validate Lucas’ emotions so Lucas can at least feel heard.

And like I get that Eliott wasn’t elaborating between each audacious statement because he was trying to build up to the surprise revelation he had in store for Lucas, but boy did he choose the wrong method, for me...

Back to their conversation though.

“It doesn’t matter?” Lucas rightfully echoes, for all the above reasons.

And finally Eliott has his cue (the cue he has been building up to during their whole exchange) to go in for his grand gesture kill: “Ever since I met you, you’re the only thing that has mattered.”

Cue piano music returning. Cue Lucas basically stopping breathing. Cue a literal light flare hitting the screen beside Lucas. Cue Eliott smiling because Lucas has finally heard his Truth.

And cue the return of the mural metaphor: while Lucas is stunned and left to process this grand romantic declaration, Eliott turns to add lots more paint to their Relationship Mural. It is like the tangible release of his sentiment; like his way of physically proving his own commitment to Lucas. He will work on this mural/relationship with everything he has, for as long as it takes.

The question is: will Lucas work on it as well?

Once Eliott has finished adding splashes of colour (because he is all in with his feelings!), he turns to Lucas to both make sure Lucas has seen how serious he is and to see what Lucas has decided.

Lucas’ response is to silently pick up a paint brush and add to the mural too. And if that is not the most powerful response… Some things need no words.

PAINT FIGHT

Well. When we speculated that Eliott’s grand gesture in the common room might be to paint a hedgehog, who knew that Eliott would literally be painting his hedgehog...

Eliott came into that room with the determination to get Lucas back. As soon as he got his sign that Lucas was willing to forgive him, his rush of happiness could no longer be contained and he darted towards Lucas with an impromptu paint dab on the nose.

It was so unexpected for Lucas, it allowed him to forget all of his deep-seated Lucille insecurities for the moment and fall back into that easy, old, familiar rhythm with Eliott. It must have been such a relief to suspend the recent heaviness and just be together like that again, as dumb, playful, carefree teenagers.

And because they are dumb, playful, carefree teenagers, their paint fight escalates. It gets more physical, it gets more exciting, their hearts start to race more… And in a brief stalemate, they get caught in each other’s eyes and their play-fighting drops away to reveal what it had been substituting for all along: their desire to physically connect with each other and consummate what they are feeling.

And what an intense love it is to make you forget you are tasting paint and having sex on school property, where anyone could walk into that room since it is, you know, a common room.

Their love making (grinding, rubbing, being handsy, whichever method they were making love to each other with) was a literal piece of art, as others have already said. It was an explosion of colour in a world that had been dark for both of them.

I’m squeamish with paint and other questionable substances, but when I put all that aside, I can imagine just how amazing it would have felt to have that slippery addition to their sense of touch. Feeling skin against skin, body against body, palms against skin that is sensitive precisely because it isn’t normally touched is a very heady thing, let along adding a kinky lubrication onto it. Even paint-covered fingers running through hair would feel different with strands clumping together and exposing parts of your head to cool air.

Not only that but you’d be able to see the marks your hands are leaving on the other person; like you are drawing them into existence and -- dare I say it -- claiming them for yourself after seeing them with other people and being denied them. How alive would you feel with all those heightened sensations?

And what has been evident with Lucas and Eliott from the very beginning is how important touch is for them. Even during their first kiss, their hands were running over each other’s bodies and tangling in each other’s hair. Then their morning after kisses were filled with even more sensuality with their (basically) naked bodies pressed up against each other so that they could feel each other’s weight and warmth. This new lovemaking scene had all of that in it again. It was so vibrant and so loving, it was almost too much to bear…

They just get so much comfort from the physicality of each other’s presence. Perhaps it is that reassurance of feeling someone physically there, of not being abandoned, of every part of them being loved. Whatever the reason behind it, they are so compatible in that way.

It was a stunning scene to end the episode with. Especially the way the light kept increasing and engulfed them at the end. They lost themselves over to pleasure but they never lost each other in it. They both went there together.

And I felt that. We all felt that, I think. What more is there to even say?

#Skam France #Elu #skamfr thoughts #3x07 thoughts

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trekadvisers · 5 years

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12 Stops to Make On Your Southern California Family Road Trip

Courtesy of The Points Guy by Jon Bailey

We’re all California dreamin’ once in a while, so when the Golden State calls you for a visit, bring along this handy list of hot spots for a family road trip with kids stretching from San Diego to Santa Barbara.

One caveat: There is so much to do in Southern California, that it can be overwhelming. Take it from a local — don’t make yourself crazy trying to hit everything in one trip. Plan for at least five nights so your family can properly enjoy the sights and avoid being stuck in the car the whole time.

The view at sunrise from Santa Barbara’s East Beach.

San Diego

Start with flying into the super easy San Diego International Airport (SAN) and hop the shuttle to its brand-new rental car facility. Once settled into your vehicle, you and your family will be ready to roll on over to some of the great experiences San Diego has to offer.

Warm Sands: Visit La Jolla Shores Beach for warm sand, clean beaches and family-friendly waters. You can bring a picnic lunch and spread out on the grass, or walk into the nearby village for sandwiches or tacos. Up the road a bit is the stunning Scripps Institute of Oceanography and the UCSD Birch Aquarium. (Entrance to the aquarium is $19.50 for adults, $15 for kids 3–17 and free for kids 2 and under.)

Wild Animals: San Diego is famous for the zoo, and it is really an amazing place. However, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park is a less-crowded and very interesting alternative when you have a car. (A one-day pass is $56 for adults and $36 for kids 3–11.) The safari park is about 32 miles from downtown San Diego, and well worth the drive to see wild animals in their natural habitats. Giraffes, gazelle, rhinos and more all graze on open acres of hilly grasslands. For an extra fee, consider the Caravan Safari package that allows families an even closer view of the animals. ($125 per person plus park admission; participants must be 6 or older.)

Get up close and personal with the animals at San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

Legos for Days: If your kids are younger, Legoland California is an all-time favorite. Exhibits and characters made completely of Lego bricks dot the park landscape. Rides and shows are geared to an audience 12 and under, but parents and older siblings will have a pretty great time here too. For an amusement park, the food is pretty darn good and there is plenty to keep you busy for the whole day. Legoland is in Carlsbad, about a 40-minute drive from downtown San Diego. (Admission is $90 for kids and $95 for adults if bought in advance online.)

Related: The Best Credit Cards for Entertainment Spending

Anaheim

Just over an hour up the coast from San Diego, Anaheim is home to the Disneyland and Disney California Adventure parks, among other attractions. It would be hard to drive past the Matterhorn and Space Mountain without stopping for a visit, so by all means stop and stay a spell.

Always a favorite — everyone loves the Mad Tea Party ride at Disneyland (except Dad — ugh).

So Much Disney: Anaheim would be a sleepy orange grove without the dreams of Walt Disney, and his Disneyland and Disney California Adventure Park are a magical legacy. The parks, just down the road from Disney studios, are a little more quaint and OG than Florida’s Disney World. Buy the two-day Park Hopper Pass as you simply cannot do it all in one day, though three days might be too many unless this is your only destination. Admission to Disneyland parks varies. (Here’s where to stay at Disneyland.)

Knott’s Berry Farm: Amusement park junkies should consider including a quick visit to Knott’s Berry Farm. Just 10 minutes from Disneyland in Buena Park, Knott’s is one of our kids’ favorites for straight-up thrill rides. Without all the Disney hoopla, this park does a great job with crowd management and plenty of entertainment (and some stomach-dropping rides that had us all in laughing fits). Plus, they have darn good berry pie a la mode — it is the same family that started the jam empire. (Daily admission for ages 3 and up starts at $49 per person.)

Rides for both daredevils and littles are easy to access at Knott’s Berry Farm.

Trendy Food Hall: When you grow weary of amusement park food, drive 10 minutes to the Anaheim Packing District for decent grub. A converted orange-packing warehouse, this collective is a group of interesting food vendors spread across two large floors. We love this place because the food is fresh, healthy and diverse, so we can all get different things and still sit together in the center court.

Lots of great food choices at Anaheim Packing District.

Los Angeles

Broadly known as “LA,” the Los Angeles area is vast. It’s comprised of many cities and neighborhoods that run together in a jumble. A car and much patience is necessary for getting around this area, and a good mapping app on your smartphone will help you gauge traffic flow. (Don’t make these mistakes that travelers make in Los Angeles.)

The rides on Santa Monica Pier

Carnival Over Water: The Santa Monica Pier and surrounding beach, often used for TV and movie scenes, are a must-see. On the sand near the pier, locals and visitors can show off their skills bouncing on a springy tightrope, rolling across the sand in giant inflatable “hamster balls” and swinging on giant monkey bars. On the pier, enjoy the rides at Pacific Park throughout the day and into the night. Restaurants and shops help entertain those who might be less ride-inclined. You can buy a wristband that entitles you to unlimited rides all day for $32 (ages 8 and older) and $17 for kids 7 and under. Otherwise, pay per ride. Admission to the park itself is free.

Glass Slide Above Downtown: Not for the faint of heart, OUE Skyspace is part Hollywood museum/part observatory/part thrill ride as it perches 70 stories above Downtown LA. The views from here are exceptional, with outdoor balconies sporting nearly 360-degree views of the Hollywood sign, Santa Catalina Island, the sometimes-snowcapped San Gabriel Mountains and more. But that slide! Curving around the outside of the building, the slide is completely made of high-strength glass. Sliding down that tunnel means stomach-dropping views through the floor to the streets more than 1,000 feet below ($25 for adults and $19 for kids 3–12, plus $8 per person for the slide).

It’s unnerving to slide on glass 1,000 feet in the sky.

Planets Day or Night: At the famous Griffith Observatory, our solar system and galaxy are on display in various entertaining and scientific ways. Exhibits feature discoveries about the planets, space and our views of them throughout human history. The huge telescope was not in operation when we visited, but good timing might allow guests a peep into the stars. Along with an excellent planetarium ($7 for adults, $3 for kids 5–12 and free for those under 5) and various shows throughout the day, this is a different kind of star-struck Hollywood experience. (BTW, the Hollywood sign is directly adjacent and looks enormous up close.) Note that the observatory is closed April 22–May 6, 2019.

The first telescope Griffith J. Griffith used to view the stars, on display at Griffith Observatory

Santa Barbara

One of our favorite cities in California, Santa Barbara, is about two hours up the coast from LA. The view as you hit Ventura and drive up along the beaches and oceanfront is one of the most beautiful highway vistas on the West Coast and well worth the drive. (You could plan to fly out of Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) or choose to drive back to Los Angeles and depart from LAX.)

The Queen of Missions: Built in 1786, the Santa Barbara Mission is the 10th of 21 constructed as part of Father Junipero Serra’s sojourn from Mexico to Northern California. Every California fourth grader learns about the missions of California, which means our kids could recite interesting facts about how adobe bricks are made and the fine art of basket weaving. This stunning mission is so well preserved that guests can really get an authentic feel for mission life in early California. Time your spring visit to coincide with Santa Barbara’s I Madonnari Italian street painting festival, when renowned artists paint masterpieces on the pavement outside the mission steps.

Visiting the Santa Barbara Mission on the right day, we enjoyed the chalk painting festival.

Bicycle Built for Two (or Four or Six): On the waterfront near Stearns Wharf, a variety of two- and four-wheeled cycles are available for rent by the hour (prices vary). The ride along the paved boardwalk is one of the most beautiful in California, with wide beaches, waving palms and gorgeous ocean views. For families with younger kids, the four-wheel buggies might be the best bet. On our last visit, we left our kids asleep in the hotel room and rented bikes for an early morning view of the local fishing boats heading out for the day’s catch.

A ride along the Santa Barbara beach boardwalk is a great way to enjoy this city.

Food and Photos: Near the wharf, a once-blighted warehouse district has been reclaimed as the Funk Zone. Wine-tasting rooms, trendy restaurants and fun art exhibits have given this area a lot of character. We explored the Funk Zone by taking a great food tour called “Eat This, Shoot That!,” an combination of a walking eat-a-thon and food photo class. Our tour guide instructed us on how to take great pictures of food with our smartphones while we tasted and sipped our way through the streets. (The tour costs $99 for adults and $89 for non-drinkers and kids 6–21.)

On the Eat This, Shoot That! walking food tour, we sample great dishes.

Where to Stay

We’ve done this drive a few times now, discovering new things to do each time we visit. Along the way, we’ve stayed at some great hotels. If you’re planning your own Southern California road trip with kids, you may want to choose one hotel group for the entire vacation to consolidate using elite status or earning points via various promotions. We chose Hilton, largely because of its extensive Hilton Honors program that allowed our family to cash in points for some stays while amassing new points at other properties.

Every view is fantastic from the Hilton San Diego Bayfront.

San Diego

Hilton San Diego Bayfront: Downtown on the waterfront, this high-rise hotel is centrally located with all the conveniences. Award rates from 31k–60k points per night.

Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines: Overlooking the famous Torrey Pines Golf Course and ocean beyond, this hotel is near beaches and a fun hang glider port. Award rates from 43k–50k points per night.

Anaheim

Hilton Anaheim: Across the street from Disneyland, the Hilton Anaheim is in the midst of it all and slightly removed from the bustle of Disneymania. (Here’s some information if you’re debating staying on-site at Disneyland or at an off-site property.) Award rates from 33k–50k points per night.

Los Angeles

Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City: Literally walking distance to Universal Studios and Universal Citywalk, this large hotel also is very close to Hollywood. Award rates from 50k–60k points per night.

The Beverly Hilton: Steeped in Hollywood history, the Beverly Hilton is an original grand dame and host to the Golden Globe Awards each year. Award rates from 60k points per night.

The Beverly Hilton Hotel has been host to many celebrities over the years.

Santa Barbara

Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort: This hotel is right across from the city’s main beach and is a short walk to the wharf, Funk Zone and more. From 59k–80k Hilton award points per night.

The view from our room at Santa Barbara Hilton.

If you’d like to stay at Hilton properties on your Southern California road trip too, there are some good welcome bonuses available for its cobranded credit cards.

Credit Card Welcome Bonus TPG Bonus Valuation Annual Fee Elite Status Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card 150,000-point bonus after you spend $4,000 in the first three months. Terms Apply. TPG values the bonus at $900 $450 annual fee (See Rates & Fees)(up to $500 in annual travel credits) Hilton Diamond status Hilton Honors American Express Ascend Card 125,000-point bonus after you spend $2,000 in the first three months. Terms Apply. TPG values the bonus at $750 $95 annual fee (See Rates & Fees) Hilton Gold status Hilton Honors American Express Business Card 125,000-point bonus after you spend $3,000 in the first three months. Terms Apply. TPG values the bonus at $750 $95 annual fee (See Rates & Fees) Hilton Gold status Hilton Honors American Express Card 75,000-point bonus after you spend $1,000 in the first three months. Terms Apply. TPG values the bonus at $450 $0 annual fee (See Rates & Fees) Hilton Silver status

Want to read more about family road trips? Here are a few related articles:

6 Tips for Surviving a Road Trip With a Large Family

10 Remarkable Road Trips in the U.S.A.

5 Epic Road Trips Across America

9 Ways to Help Your Children Remember Family Trips

Best Credit Cards for Road Trips

Jon Bailey covers LGBT family travel for TPG and blogs at 2DadsWithBaggage.com. Follow Jon and his family’s adventures on Facebook and Instagram.

All images courtesy of 2DadsWithBaggage.com

For rates and fees of the Hilton Aspire Card, click here. For rates and fees of the Hilton Ascend Card, click here. For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors Business Card, click here. For rates and fees of the Hilton Amex Card, click here.

Original Article: https://thepointsguy.com/guide/southern-california-family-road-trip/

Check out the original post here: http://www.jamcosolutionsllc.com/12-stops-to-make-on-your-southern-california-family-road-trip/

#travel #traveler #traveladdict #travelblog #travellife

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90363462 · 2 years

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9 Erotic Bucket List Adventures That Aren't Sex

Sex sells and that's on Little Bo Peep.

Kiarra Sylvester

Jul. 12, 2022 07:00AM EST

Kinky's Dessert Bar

New York, New York

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Booze and Nudes

Dallas, Texas

Museum of Sex

New York, New York

Members Only Waffle House

Toronto, Canada

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Red Light Secrets

Antique Vibrator Museum

San Francisco, California

Philly Naked Bike Ride

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Leather Archives and Museum

Chicago, Illinois

Seattle Erotic Art Festival

Seattle, Washington

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