#i might be posting more snippets from this interview later

[bluespring864]

Andy telling us what he'd want the big four polycule to look like ;-)

[W]hat all gay tennis fans want to know, of course, is which one of his “Big Three” opponents does he most fancy.

So I ask him to rank Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in order of Snog, Marry and Avoid.

Murray throws his head back and emits a real belly laugh.

“Oh God! I’m not going to give you an avoid!” (He is nothing if not diplomatic.)

“Can I have an alternative to avoid?” he pleads, “or I’ll get crucified by whoever I pick!”

Eventually he comes up with his answer.

“I would marry Roger… and then I would have to snog the other two. I know it’s a cop-out but I’m not avoiding anyone!”

from this 2020 interview with Pride Life

[namelessdumbass]

Rite Here Rite Now

It was amazing and funny. Copia girlies and boys fucking won!

I expected different outcome, tbh. Tobias managed to surprise me and also made me a tiny bit sad (reasons will be explained in the spoilers below).

The film consists of like 95% of concert footage and 5% of off stage/plot stuff. The quality of sound and editing is just 🤌 I expected the live of Twenties to be good and gosh Ghost delivered. And Mummy Dust...Tobias let Mary Goore out! But i honestly prefer Terzo's version (CaD) better. Sorry not sorry haha. Ghouls/Ghoulettes footage. Everyone who loves them will be very veeeery well fed!

Dance Macabre live...i was'nt wrong when i called it a satanic gay party 😁

The movie is worth watching and i do hope Ghost releases it as soon as possible for all those who were not able to go.

The spoiler free review ends here. Don't read further if you don't want to spoil it for yourself. And please, don't copy them and paste it everywhere for the sake of ruining other people's fun! Seriously, don't fucking do that!

If you accidently clicked here, don't worry! spoilers will be below and you still have a chance to avoid them :)

Alriiiiight:

Movie starts with Saltarian who tells fans to record for the first 2 minutes, to show how happy they are etc and posted a qr code for fans to upload those recordings. I guess it will be put up on RHRN website. We'll see. There were also photos of fans who attended LA ritual. I fucking loved the person who showed up in a giant Plushia suit. I LOLed! Then fans were asked to put down the phones and enjoy the movie. The beginning was narrated Star Wars kinda style (a little bit) with the small recap of the chapters and about Copia's worries that he might die. And yes, it literally began in space lol. The movie is basically is like what we saw in small snippets Ghost posted earlier. Plot mixed with a really good show.

And the plot: -Short footage of Copia and Ghouls arriving. ALmost the whole set was the same as any other concert from Re-Imperatour + a few awesome exceptions. -Dews does that annoying thing with guitar, Rain stops him, takes his pick and throws it into the crowd and Dew...he freaking showed him YouSuck sticker on the backside of his guitar. Peak Dew moment! -Copia asked the right question about the Clery. He also does not quite understand what it does, why and where it goes. I suppose Tobias decided to thicken the Ghost lore a bit and will have more clarity in the nearest future. -Remember when Copia jumped at the end of the Watcher in the Sky? He ended up in one of those stage boxes (for equipment or something) and is taken to the stage B. While he's carried to it by Kevin he has a chat with Nihil's ghost. Nihil says he recorded not 2, but 3 songs. That probably means that we'll hear a new one. (UPD: the new song we heard during the credits, "The Future is a Foreign Land" is Nihil's 3rd song! Confirmed by Tobias himself in a new interview). He also tells Copia to breath in deep and then farts. -On the Stage B Copia sings "If You Have Ghosts". 3 Ghoulettes played piano and violins and the 4th one did the haunting ghost-like opera vocals. It was beatiful. Copia kissed her hand. -He then wore boxing robe and went next to crowd. Almost the whole scene was shown in the trailer. -Btw, remember that silly moment when Nihil's eyes were crossing? Well, Kevin was also included in that staring contest. -Twenties live. The skeletons, the performance and one of those skeletons who crawled between Dew's legs...that's hot. -Nihil calls Copia "son". Copia calls Nihil "Dad". Cardi will insult him later, don't worry. -Nihil/Seestor cartoon during MOAC. Yes, that's when Sis hit him with the car. Basically it's what happens after "Kiss the Go Goat" mv. Sister leaves and Nihil runs after her. "I'll never let you go". They end up kissing in a coffin on a graveyard , later Nihil wakes up naked in a bed in a motel and we see Sister leave. -There was a moment in a movie when we see Ashley (stage crew) bring Copia a new pair of shoes and put the on on his feet. Tobias, goddammit what the hell was that? :D -Seestor was a in wheelchair all the time -She and Nihil encouraged Copia throughout the whole movie and gave him a piece of advice. -About the baloon from the poster. Copia flies on it after finishing the set...or he imagined that because a few moments later after Nihil/Seestor flashbacks he ends up on the floor and watches Seestor die. All of the Ghouls and Ghoulettes also stood right next to her. -Copia has a twin brother -Copia didn't die and became the head the Clergy (Father Imperator or something like this). He found out about his new position from a letter Seestor left for him. -New song during credits (credits show dictators, assassinations, wars and the use of nuclear war). Years 1984 and 2024 mentioned. The song is not heavy. -Ghouls/Ghoulettes real names mentioned in the credits -Funny post credit scene with Copia. He had no piant on and had a new cool drip (with black jacket and red and black cross). Seestor is also a Ghost now. Tobia's children cameo. They're also Ghosts. -Papa V is teased the same way Copia was teased in a chapter 1. They even used the same music (Pro Memoria). No face reveal. Either he will be revealed in new Chapters or at some point during the new tour???

-aaaand my biggest disappointment: no footage of Primo, Secondo and Terzo. Literally ZERO.

I mean, Nihil is a Ghost, Seestor also became a Ghost, even Tobias' children made a cameo as Ghosts, but nothing for previous Papas? Really?! The same could have been done for them, but i guess Tobias doesn't care about them anymore :( And it hurts. I know that's my fault that i had so many expectations and hopes, but holy shit :( As a newbie who never saw previous Papas, i'm so sad i'll never get a chance to see them and there won't be any new footage of them. Being Terzo widow is so hard. Guess that's why i'm a bit salty Copia lives (sorry, guys, i like him, but i also hate him haha)

And yes, as it turned out the twins theory from Square Hammer was true...but not for Terzo 😭

I enjoyed the movie nevertheless. It's fun and kinda gives you an opportunity to see the band "live" if you've never been to a ritual before. And yes, the movies was'nt just about Papa IV and his fate, i believe it was also Tobias' message for us to enjoy the life rite here rite now! As i said, Copia's girlies and boys truly fucking won. Congrats, lads, your Papa lives and will live! I bet that feels amazing. Thanks for reading! P.S. since you know the plot, don't spoil it for the others please.

[yellowjacketsfashion]

Do u think they’ll play the bonus ep with the upcoming szn? What are ur theories?

The bonus episode was originally planned to air between seasons 2 and 3 but it seems like it’s postponed for the time being. Based off this Entertainment Weekly article it appears that the current plan isn’t for the episode to air before the new season on February 14th.

If it won’t air before the new season it might air after or maybe with one of the later episodes. Based on what Lyle said though it doesn’t sound like it’s completely off the table.

As to what the episode is about, there’s a couple things that suggest to me the potential plot:

(Warning: There are two images below featuring fake blood, one of which is of an article of clothing and the other with a fake dead wolf.)

The two black and white photos below show Jason Ritter on set for the second season of Yellowjackets. Before the season aired he was announced as a guest star but ultimately he wasn’t featured in any of the content released so unless his scenes were cut, I think it’s very likely that he plays a character in the bonus episode.

While the photos are in black and white, Jason Ritter appears to be wearing the plaid wool coat that was repeatedly worn throughout the season.

In an interview with Digital Spy, costume designer Amy Parris said the coat “(is) on purpose meant to look super warm and not a part of the suitcases of the Yellowjackets that flew out there. So this is something the audience will um, it will be revealed to them in future episodes where the like origin of this jacket comes from… It’s a very fun plot reveal when we find out where it comes from.”

Ultimately though this origin was not seen in any of the released season 2 episodes. Much like the exclusion of Jason Ritter, while the coat’s origin could’ve been in a deleted scene, I think it’s more likely the “origin” is seen in the bonus episode.

As to who Jason Ritter plays specifically, I believe he is the Cabin Guy whose body was found in the attic (and who was previously portrayed by William Charles Vaughan). My guess is that the bonus episode is the backstory to the Cabin and its previous inhabitants, such as Cabin Guy and the Baby.

Both the previous behind the scenes photos came from an Instagram account for the young twin actresses who are seen with Ritter. I’m assuming they played the same character as that’s what’s common for babies who act in film but it seems as though they might be playing the Cabin Guy’s child.

The baby is mentioned in the script segment below from 02x07 as well as an additional character that might be featured in the Bonus Episode:

In this snippet Van finds a page from a “manuscript” written by a character called the “Wife.” It seems like between the photos with Jason Ritter and when the page was written, something happened to the baby and the Wife is mourning that loss.

In coping with what happened to her baby, it seems like she’s seeking comfort in the Wilderness (and describes an entity similar to the one Lottie and the other Yellowjackets talk about).

I’m not sure what happens to the Wife but I was able to find a potential piece from her wardrobe!

This photo came from the Harper’s Bazaar article about the costumes in season two and it it described as “a bloodied robe from on set.” As far as I recall this robe wasn’t otherwise used in season 2 and stylistically I feel like it looks like it could be from the 70s (which is what I’ve seen people generally theorize as the timeframe when Cabin Guy was alive).

Could the robe belong to the Wife? Maybe she meets a grisly fate or maybe the blood has something to do with the loss of her child?

Speaking of blood, there was a post on Instagram from @mastersfxstudios (the group who does special fx for the show) of a dead wolf prop they made for season 2 (as seen below):

Like most of the other things I’ve mentioned, the wolf isn’t otherwise seen in the episodes from season 2 and therefore could be featured in the Bonus Episode. The photo also features a lack of snow which would be strange if it was used in the teen timeline as I’m pretty sure they’re surrounded by snow for the entirety of the 2nd season.

Perhaps the wolf was killed by Cabin Guy or is otherwise found by him or his wife? Maybe the blood on the robe is connected to the wolf or maybe it suggests the wolves might play a bigger role in the episode?

I think it’s especially interesting that the wolf is entirely white as it reminds me of the white moose that plays an important role in the teen timeline during the second season.

There’s still a lot we don’t know about the bonus episode but it’s definitely cool nonetheless! What about you guys, what do you think about the Bonus Episode?

[bluedalahorse]

Blue’s self-absorbed YRS3 “revisions”

I’m someone who liked many parts of Young Royals season 3 and enjoyed it overall, but didn’t like other parts of it. As someone who enjoys breaking down story structure and character arcs and such, I’ve thought a lot since the season aired about what I would have done if the season had been in my hands and I’d been allowed to make revisions.

I decided to finally organize some of these ideas into a post. This post will be a bit broad, as I haven’t done a rewatch in a while, but I can see myself getting more specific after I do my annual Christmas-season rewatch of the entire series. (Soon!) So maybe that will show up later, in a future post. Or maybe it won’t and I’ll spend all my time writing fanfic.

These are, of course, solely based in my opinions, and my personal likes and dislikes as a writer. I’m sure there’s other ways the series could have gone. You might have different ideas of how to “fix” things for your own personal preferences, and that’s ok! This is a post that might appeal to some fans and have the opposite effect on others. But I figured I’d post anyway, because isn’t that what tumblr fandom is for?

Anyway, here are my unsolicited suggestions…

Part I. Return Felice to her investigatory roots

At the end of season 1, Felice got to be a detective and figured out it was August who leaked the video.

In season 2, Felice acts as Wilhelm’s sympathetic ear. (Wilhelm owes her compensation imo.)

I wonder about a version of season 3 where Felice could have been the gatherer of stories from her fellow Hillerska students. Not in a way where she’s solely doing emotional labor, but in a way where she’s trying to uncover the truth about the school and give the school inspectors the information they need to make their decision. Maybe she starts out thinking things at Hillerska aren’t too bad for most people, and her own negative experiences are a fluke. But the more Felice digs, the more she realizes the system has problems. This would integrate nicely with Felice coming to realize her friends are kinda fake, and rebuilding her relationship with Sara.

(I also would really love to see a conversation between Felice and Nils about what it’s like being two of the only students of color at the school, and in a “model minority” sort of way. Even an awkward, halting conversation. Ever since I read it in a fic snippet, I want MORE.)

I don’t love that they cut away from Felice’s interview in canon. I wish we’d actually gotten to see it, so we could feel the impact her testimony had. And maybe in a storyline where Felice is a more deliberate gatherer of stories, we can see her impact multiplied. I want her to feel like a key part of the decision to close Hillerska down!

Part II. Let Sara navigate an abortion storyline

I’m actually shocked this didn’t happen in canon. There were so many little moments that felt like foreshadowing for a plot where Sara is pregnant. On so many levels the show is about the line of succession to the monarchy, and also the question of whether or not we become our parents. What better way to make this question feel urgent and relevant than a storyline where Sara could be pregnant?

Obviously Sara’s feelings are the most important here, and I think it would encourage Sara to think about her own parents a lot and what she inherits them, the way she already is thinking about them in season 3. She’d also be processing her own shame and loneliness, and I think her potentially being pregnant might add to her reasons for self-isolating.

At the same time, this kind of plot would also add increased depth and stakes to Sara’s relationships. Sara and Simon? Both of them are becoming adults, and both experienced rather tumultuous first loves with some intense risk associated with them. Sara and Felice? Time to explore the role that women play in the class hierarchy, and how much emphasis is placed on reproduction in the Hillerska culture. Sara and August? August is still grieving his dad, so the notion of him potentially becoming a parent could throw him through an emotional loop. Pretty much all of these are grounds for rich storytelling! Again, I am shocked the writers didn’t choose this as a plot because it ties so many things together.

Of course there’s one relationship the show could choose to develop further…

Part III. Give Wilhelm and Sara a tie to one another

One of my biggest disappointments in season 3 is that Sara and Wilhelm didn’t get to build a relationship with one another in season 3. After all the time paralleling one another in seasons 1 and 2, it really felt like a letdown. They only exchanged one line!

Building on the idea that Sara could have started the season pregnant, I wonder what could have happened if—somehow, in episode 1 or 2–Wille walked in on Sara holding a positive pregnancy test. We’d have to somehow maneuver them into the same space, and that might be challenging, but I don’t think it’d be impossible. We can be creative!

What I was hoping for was a situation where Sara and Wille have a conversation about this, and Sara’s freaking out a bit, as she would be. And Wille actually manages to calm her down, and talks her through getting abortion pills and finds a way to stay with her on the day when she takes them. They see that day as a temporary truce between them, at first, though of course it allows them to open up to one another a little bit, and they begin texting even just a little bit, when they can. They agree to keep the abortion a secret, and promise to not even tell Simon about it. Of course, Sara opens up to the other main three over the course of the season, by her own choice.

If Wille helping Sara through an abortion storyline is too much, him helping her navigate a pregnancy scare could potentially hold similar emotional weight. I’d also like to see Wille meaningfully interact with a female character where it isn’t him and his mom in conflict, or him over-relying on Felice for emotional support without giving much in return. Like can we just have unexpected reproductive rights ally Wilhelm? As a treat?

Part IV. Give August and Simon a tie to one another

As I envisioned this Sara-Wilhelm scenario in my head, I realized it could be balanced out by a parallel storyline where Simon and August have to interact with one another in new ways. The season opens with the legal settlement between them, but it’s clear that the legal settlement doesn’t create catharsis. I actually like this decision. I wish we had gotten a chance to see Simon and August interact around their conflict, though, because the Simon-August conflict and the Wilhelm-August conflict were set up as two very different conflicts in season 1. By season 3 this had somehow become “Simon and Wilhelm together against August” which… I didn’t love. I’ve written about that before, so I won’t rehash it too much here.

So I asked myself what would happen if Simon and August were the ones who got into a fistfight in the library, instead of Wilhelm and August, and then it’s Simon and August who are thrown into mediation together with Boris. I get why Wilhelm and August were the ones fighting canonically, and it wasn’t a decision I hated. But in the universe in my head where Sara-Wilhelm interaction is happening, I like the idea of Simon-August-Boris interaction happening alongside it.

What follows is an opportunity for August to make real restitution to Simon, and for Simon to have a real chance to articulate how everything with the video on down affected him, and tell the truth to August. I’m basing this not in my own silly little thoughts, but in what I’ve read about restorative practice and how it can be used to work through these kinds of incidents. Simon and August don’t have to forgive and love one another and suddenly be besties, but it would be interesting to see them come to understand one another, especially given the things they have in common, and maybe talk more authentically. The scene where Simon notices August’s disordered eating tendencies during the sit-in would also have a lot more resonance if they’ve been in these mediation sessions together.

And then it could lead to my next idea…

Part V. Keep the Erik reveal, but change how it’s delivered

I know a lot of people didn’t like the Erik reveal. It was one of my favorite parts of the season, and built on a lot of what I imagined to be true about the characters. I cried when Malte delivered his monologue.

What if August doesn’t tell Wille it was Erik who oversaw the homophobic initiation? What if he tells Simon instead?

And then Simon is sitting on this piece of information knowing that Wille is grieving Erik, but that the truth could come out at any time, and it would hurt Wilhelm more. Simon is agonizing over whether to tell Wille the truth. Then, sometime during Wille’s birthday celebration, as the family tension escalates and Simon feels increasingly uncomfortable with the family’s verbal hagiography of Erik, he tells Wille.

Wilhelm is furious and breaks up with Simon in response. Simon leaves the palace. I feel like this would be an interesting twist on how their relationship has played out in the past—usually we have Wilhelm pursuing Simon and Simon setting boundaries, but now we have Wille shutting Simon out when Simon confronts him with something he needs to hear but doesn’t want to.

And over the next few days, Wille seeks out August and asks him, why would Simon say this? to meYou know this wasn’t true, that Erik wouldn’t do this, you were there. And August corroborates what Simon says, which leads him and Wilhelm into a difficult—but ultimately cathartic conversation—about what it means to grieve highly flawed people. Maybe there’s even a callback to their conversation from 1.4, where August talks to Wilhelm about grieving his dad. As a coda, August encourages Wilhelm to go and make an effort to win Simon back. August has lost his romance with an Eriksson sibling, so he knows how much the heartbreak hurts. He thinks Wille still has a chance with Simon, so he pushes him to do that. And thus the endgame endgames the way fandom wants it to.

In my mind this still leads to Wilhelm leaving the monarchy. It could even end in Wilhelm and August leaving behind the monarchy together, in solidarity. I’m leaving that open for now, but I like thinking about this as a storyline that could have been.

Thanks for reading if you read this far! I enjoy filling up my brain with these thoughts.

[notquitejiraiya]

9 Years

Well, here we are again. Back to spew some nonsense you could’ve done without about fic writing and otherwise. As a small introduction to myself, if you miraculously come across this before anything else I’ve done online: hiya, I’m Becks. When I was fifteen years old I decided that I was going to create a Naruto specific blog to post fanfiction on and 9 years later, I’m still here.

This is only my third reflection of those 9 years, the first and second of which you can find linked respectively, but it’s the 24th of September, and so here I am, ready to continue a tradition set by the wonderful @unioncolours of documenting her years in fandom. Sink your teeth in below the cut off if you so wish. If not, have a wonderful day ♥️

Before I talk about myself, a little thank you to her, to Bex. Two days ago, she posted what I consider to be her most powerful reflection yet, and I command the lot of you to read it, feel it, and walk away demanding you treat yourself and others kindly for this year and all those to come. Her heartfeltness and honesty is something all of us should learn from, and it is an honour to share my forename, space, fandom, world with her. Thank you, Bex, for all you do, here and away.

Now, the first thing I must address about this Rebecca here is “job no1”, as I called it in last year’s recap. “Job no1” was to become more concise.

It is safe to say that I did not get hired for “job no1.” Not yet, anyway. Perhaps on the future. Maybe. We’re still in the interview stages, and you know how many rounds these things take.

To set the tone of this past year, I will admit that it is the 24th of September, not just when I post this reflection, but as I write it. As mentioned, I have only written two recaps of this sort in my fandom career, both of which were written ahead of time and posted on the day with little stress. This one is being bashed out when the sun is already setting, and time is running out.

Time is something that has fascinated me for years; it’s something I’ve written scientifically on, written fiction about in short spells, and something I’ve come to respect a bit more over the last year, too. It’s something I’ve especially enjoyed playing with and writing about in the one fic that I’ve published/added to this year. In Grandmaster, one of my favourite passages from the fic and one of the bits I’m most proud of involves time. But I won’t dwell on that. Grandmaster — or GM, as I affectionately call it — will get its moment later on. For now, let us focus still on time.

I’ve had a strange amount of it this past year. I wouldn’t say I’ve had too much, nor particularly little, on average, but I certainly feel as though I have. Even if not, it’s slipped away from me, and this year that feels rather damning. You see, as you might know, I live in Finland at the moment. I say ‘at the moment’ because this time next year, when I’m writing my next recap, that will no longer be true. I already no longer live 40 minutes from the front door of my best friend — moving in the summer upped it to almost an hour — and by next year I won’t be able to jump up, hop on a train and see her when the mood (and life) suits. Many rather saddening things have hammered home time to me since last September, but even considering that one thought makes time seem rather fleeting. I need to treasure it until the summer, and so forgive me if my time at my laptop is a little less than it once was.

More relevant to you reading this, perhaps, is the amount of this year that I have been able to spend writing. Without examining the statistics, I feel like I’ve barely written this year. I know that that is ultimately not true; I have made good progress with GM, and have written snippets of works to come. But I still feel as though I haven’t had the time in year 9 that I would’ve liked, and even less than the small amount I dared to expect.

In the time I did spend writing, though, I largely spent it on GM, so it only feels right that I dedicate a sizable portion of this recap to that fic.

I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that GM has consumed me. I view the world through a different lens having conceptualised, written, and frankly breathed the world in that story. I see situations in the real-life chess, and I imagine where that might happen in the GM-timeline, were it there. I see the people I envision when the scene play out like theatre performances in my head, and I think about GM, even when it’s totally irrelevant. Even just a face. I hear songs, and I think about GM. I watch movies, and I think about GM. I sit on the bus or god forbid the train, it rains or it shines, and I think about GM.

I have never, in my life, felt a story in my bones like this. When it ends, which this year it certainly must, I will cry. Don’t get me wrong, I won’t cry because it’s over — I will cry because I will remember all the countless hours that have gone into not just writing but thinking about this fic. It is a part of my daily life and has been for such a long time now. I don’t go an hour, let alone a day, without thinking about it. It has been in progress for over 2 years — during every every wrapup I have written, it has been in progress — and 2 nights ago, I finally posted a chapter, the heart of which I first sent to my friends almost as long ago.

I won’t spoil the contents, as I’m sure many of you may not have read it, but I’ll admit now that I cried as I went to sleep after posting it. It took me three months to be happy with that chapter. Three months. That long to accept a chapter that I knew I had the core, important part of set and the was happy with since almost two years ago. It felt and still feels ridiculous to me. Even three days ago I felt like, surely, I had forgotten how to write. Or maybe I just had never known how to write in the first place. I had lost my touch, at the very least, the very spark that made anyone read more than the first paragraph. How in the world could it be that I manage to write these core lines two years ago, when GMverse was Strangers and only Strangers, yet having honed the voice of this story for so long, I now couldn’t write a single good word?

I felt like such a failure. I felt like there was no way I was ever going to finish it, and if I did, I was sure I wouldn’t be happy with it. But I told myself that I was going to post the fic on Majsasaurus day and so I said, “Fuck it,” to my assignments and I finished it.

I was late hour, but I almost did it. When I read it back before posting, I cursed myself for all the clunky sentences and obnoxious descriptions — which may not even exist, I don’t know — but I still pressed post at the end, and I immediately felt proud of it.

It’s incredible when you realise you can do that. I think perhaps it’s a skill that doesn’t make sense to people when they first start writing. Not giving a fuck, that is. I know I was guilty of it for a very long time, but there’s no point in being a perfectionist, especially if you’re trying to write about realistic people. Real people are so far from perfect that you’re fucking kidding yourself if you waste your time on such things. Year 9 has been a lot about that: settling. Settling for grades in uni I once would’ve beaten myself up over. Settling for a sentence that I know could be worded better, in theory, but I’m not yet the writer who can word it that way. I’ll meet her one day, maybe. But before I get to, I have to mould her. I won’t do that without writing more and more.

In any case, in the words of Shikamaru in my own fic: “They’re just words. They don’t mean anything unless you let them.”

In line with that thought, I want to thank you all for your theories and thoughts and engagement with GM. The fact so many of you have managed to find some meaning or emotion in it that matters to you specifically, even if that differs between people, amazes me daily. It makes me emotional and humbles me and all manner of things I could write an entire reflection on.

It is on that note that, I would like to extend a particuar mention to @twnj who has brought to life so many scenes in GM with her beautiful artwork as well as created so many fun headcanons for outside of it. I am so lucky to have met and to know you, and it is a pleasure being rambly with you, my dear.

I also would like to shout out @backgroundcharacterno5 for creating one of most incredible things I have ever seen by way of this comic. You brought that scene to life more beautifully than I ever could’ve imagined even in my own head, and I cannot thank you enough for thinking of GM at all. Thank you.

And finally, the book club. Learning of your existence blew my fucking mind, and it continues to. I refer to you this way because I do not know exactly how many of you there are, but I bloody love you all, even those of you I have never spoken to. The comments I received from you and from every reader, even if I am shit at replying to them, move me and inspire me endlessly. Your analysis and theories and reactionary comments thrill me and make my heart sing. So thank you. So much.

With GM this past year, I feel I have reached a point as a writer that I never expected to, and am endlessly proud of. I never expected people to be so engaged with something I wrote — I thought I was a one- or maybe two-trick pony with song inspired banter-filled one shots and depressing britishisms. But this year showed me that that isn’t true. Do I have the widest range? No, and I’ve made peace with that. But does that devalue what I make? No. I love it. I have fun making it. And as an incredible, frankly unexpected cherry on top, so do some of you. So thank you for that. You’ve ticked so many of my author bucket list dreams in a single year.

As I have certainly mentioned in past ‘blog’-type posts, there are elements of GM which are personal to me, but in the coming year, I will introduce to you what I consider my most personal fic yet. While I may lend things I have overheard or observed, I rarely let myself into my own work too heavily. I value the power of looking over a shoulder, and do try my best to do that. But I rarely force my shoes on a character.

Piano Man (affectionately referred to by myself and those closest as GMJ) will not be like that either. Not on purpose. It will not be a 1-to-1 retelling of my life, the opinions and feelings and experiences within it will by no means be my own, but it will be an expression of things I love and know more directly than before.

GMJ will be set some 20+ years after Strangers, so I am still not escaping this universe I’ve built for myself (not that I want to escape it). It will follow one of my most beloved characters in Shikadai, and how he meets someone he really ought to have known his whole life, but by chance, has not: Inojin.

Any writing I have done that is not GM this year has been ShikaJIn. I know that many of you who follow me, do so for ShikaTema. I wonder if there are even so many of you now that joined for GM that ‘CHESS’ and ‘Cloud Nine’ are now irrelvant in my list of past fics. But regardless of what you’re here for, and whether you ship them now or not, I hope that you’ll stick around for GMJ. It is not a ship fic anymore than GM is, and I like to think that perhaps you trust me by now to tell you a story you might enjoy.

Besides GMJ I have dabbled in a couple of other potential AUs, the most promising of which is a wartime au, which came about after my dear friend Bex suggested that @clumsydragon28 and I read a book she was reading: In Memoriam. IM was one of the most fun reading experiences I have ever had, and I cannot reccomend reading with your friends enough. The joy is something I can’t quantify, and I will treasure that experience forever.

I myself have read more books this year than I have in years. I haven’t read so many fics, which saddens me, but I am so pleased that there is space in my life for fiction and stories again besides thsoe in my own head.

One of the books of this year will no doubt come when I return home to England for Christmas, because last year, darling Barb sent me (and Bex) a goodie box from across the Atlantic. In it, she placed the US edition of my favourite book: The Beach. It will get loved and cherished this year with its first physical read. I promise.

There are so many other things that I could say here, but ultimately, I don’t know that I have the time. All I can say is that I am so grateful for the people of this fandom space, old friends and new, and even those that have not shown me kindness this past year — you have hardened me to realise I am worth more than I thought.

The next recap I write will mark a decade of notquitejiraiya. That, in itself, seems absurd. But I am certain that I go into it lucky, and grateful, and really really fucking inspired.

Thank you, all, for another notquitejiraiya year. May the next be sweet and full of more frequent updates than the last! ♥️

(PS - I’ll try to be more consice next year, but I’m not making any promises)

[soulsisterif]

Progress Update 18/12/2024

First of all, Merry Christmas to all of you celebrating, and Happy Holidays for those just enjoying the season.

Wow, I look back at this past year and I wish I'd had more time to write because I have certainly not achieved as much as I had hoped.

I've been scrolling through the blog and, girl, so many things have changed as I developed the idea... When I first started writing this game I thought I would release the demo in, like, a month tops, and that it would be about 5k or 10k words.

And yet, here we are in December, 80k words in just counting Chapter One's file. To be fair, I could probably have released the demo as a teaser many months ago, but at that point the only character you would have interacted with is Dawn, and there would be no romance in sight, so it felt kind of better to just wait. Still, I'm kind of disappointed in myself that I haven't managed to finish Chapter One.

The demo has changed a lot since May, particularly in the last three months. Most of the changes revolve about how I wrote Abbie into the story, and I must say that I personally like it better now.

I've played games that give you your bestie as an RO before, and some of them left me a little indifferent. Even when the routes were well written and interesting, they didn't feel any different from the others. That made me see that I had to do a rewrite because I realized that there was no point in offering a best friend to romance if the character was presented the same way other ROs were. I had to give you snippets of Abbie's shared past with MC during the interview with Dawn, and more interactions with her during the process of signing up to enter the show, all of that before meeting the rest of the cast. If their bond rings hollow, what's the appeal in a friends-to-lovers route, right?

Unfortunately, this also meant taking some scenes out altogether, and changing the way I introduced stats, since I needed to know your MC's personality early on so that I could write her behaviour in flashbacks accordingly. Basically, the way I first structured Chapter One was unusable.

Some of the scenes I added are short, and others, considering all variables and flavour text, are like 4k words. You can even unlock special interactions or references, later on. Unique tattoos, inside jokes, specific gestures, fond memories, special places... The kind of thing that you would share with someone who's been close to you your whole life.

With that out of the way...

What's new:

• Some choices will block romance. You can choose to be shown which ones they are and they'll be marked with an x. As an example, the first one you'll encounter very soon into the game. If your MC is in her 40s, Vega's romance will be blocked.

• You can pick some family background for the MC.

• There were initially unique scenes for each pre-set names and the custom name. They now share the same scene that gives you another glimpse of Abbie and MC's past, as well as Abbie's relationship with her mother. The deleted scenes will be used later on in the story. I like them too much to let them go completely LOL

• I've added two new stats: Empathetic/Clueless & Easygoing/Hardass. Stats have changed, if slightly, since the first posts I made about them. Right now, things are:

• Since she has a nickname for your MC, MC will now be able to give one to Abbie, too.

• Abbie and MC can be roommates.

And that's it. I'm so sorry that it's taking me sooooo long to write this game. Thank you all for sticking with me, despite my lack of posting!

I'll also try to answer some of the asks that have been sitting in my inbox for a while. I might not answer all of them but they always mean a lot, so thanks for sending them in :D

[londonhalcyon]

Fic Writer Interview (20 Questions)

This tag game passed by twice, once in January (because apparently this post has been sitting in my drafts that long) and again several months later, so forgive me for not remembering who to tag! These questions seem fun, so if anyone wants to join, feel free to say I tagged you!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

20 at the moment, with plenty more WIPs.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

480,895 words and counting.

3. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Not counting TMW bonus content, the top 5 are:

The Mad Witch (758 kudos)

"The Scarlett Cauldron" (77 kudos)

"Fear Itself" (76 kudos)

"The Most Powerful Witch" (72 kudos)

"Piper's Best Worst Day" (57 kudos)

4. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I try to! I love engaging with my readers and other members of the fandom. Every comment always makes my whole day. Life gets busy sometimes, so I don't always have the time to respond to every single one, but I definitely see and appreciate all of them!

5. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Usually my fics have fairly hopeful endings, but "3 Years Ago," a pre-canon Murdered: Soul Suspect fic might fit the bill. Sometime in the future, it has the potential to be topped by "Will of the People," a Fallout 4 WIP that revolves around the Diamond City anti-ghoul riots.

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

My Secret Santa fics, "It's Not the Fall" and "Flawed Phials," definitely have the fluffiest endings!

7. Do you write crossovers?

Nope!

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

I get rude or condescending comments on occasion from people who don't know how to hit the back button and/or are unfamiliar with fandom etiquette, though nothing actively malicious. The one time I received a transphobic/homophobic message in response to TMW it was private (if it was public, I would have deleted it; I don't give a platform to that kind of thing at all), and honestly I hope that person is in a better place now because they really didn't seem okay at the time. I'm fortunate that the vast majority of my readers and mutuals are such wonderfully amazing and kind people.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yes, BUT, before you get too excited, not in The Mad Witch. Smut is by definition graphic, and TMW has a Teen rating that shall remain unchanged.

The smut scenes I've drafted so far (F/F and F/M) are for my Rosemary Reaper series (post-canon Fallout 4 WIP). Those fics will all be rated Mature, so while not overly explicit, they'll definitely be spicier than TMW. Maybe I'll share a snippet sometime if there's any demand for it.

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of?? I have long since deleted my Wattpad account, so my fics should only be on AO3. If anyone ever finds one of my fics elsewhere in the wild, please let me know.

11. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I have not, which is probably for the best. I would like to make some heavy edits to the beginning of TMW when I'm done with it.

12. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Not a fic, though I have co-written a short fantasy story with a friend, with him writing for one POV character and me for another. We agreed on major actions and story beats, but we each kept a major secret that we didn't reveal until after we had written our individual parts. It was a lot of fun (though we were both painfully unskilled at the time).

13. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

I don't know if I really have one. I have ships I enjoy and characters I like to pair with OCs, though nothing I feel properly obsessive over. This might be a consequence of primarily writing for video game fandoms. But I do have my default game romances: Merula in HPHM, Piper in Fallout 4, Marcurio in Skyrim, etc. I'm also a sucker for unrequited love interests, like Serana in Skyrim and Aveline in Dragon Age 2. The ANGST.

14. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

I never want to say never because I'm currently 83,435 words into the last fic I said I would never write. But there are two fics that I'm almost certain I will never finish, which I'm kind of sad about: my post-canon Murdered: Soul Suspect longfic, A Certain Darkness, and my RWBY OC team longfic, DSRT.

I made it just shy of 200,000 words into A Certain Darkness before I had to drop it. My writing skills ended up surpassing the progress I had made, and by the time I realized how many characters, relationships, and plot points were just straight up bad, I had written myself into a corner. I do love Joy and Angel so much, a medium/ghost duo with way more homoerotic tension than my closeted teenage self ever intended. Maybe one day I'll gut the story, drop the characters into a different setting, and make it something original. One day.

DSRT ran into a similar problem, though fortunately I only ever wrote the first few chapters. I could probably reattempt it if I really wanted, but with the overwhelming number of WIPs I already have, it's hard to imagine finding the time. I do miss my team of teenage idiots: Dustin, Saul, Rosemary, and Talos. It was supposed to have a really tragic ending too, which I don't often get to write.

15. What are your writing strengths?

I often receive compliments on how human I make my characters feel, which is the highest honor anyone could give. I've been told my dialogue frequently flows smoothly too.

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

Conciseness. Why is this post so long omg.

17. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

Do it carefully and with necessity. Maybe a character is bilingual and blends languages, so it's part of their characterization. Maybe a password or spell needs to be said in another language because it's old or pretentious. It can work, but it can also be easy to mess up. I personally avoid writing dialogue in languages I don't have a good grasp of, or I try to consult other people if I do (not Google Translate, which sucks).

There's also the matter of if the POV character even understands the language being spoken. If they don't, then I don't write the language out (unless it's a phrase the character is going to learn later on). In these instances, it makes more sense to write something like, "The man muttered a phrase in a language she didn't recognize," or "She fired off something in Spanish, the words too quick to catch."

18. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Star Wars the Clone Wars, baby! I was like ten or eleven. Never published, but my worldbuilding for that longfic (a saga, more like) was insanely elaborate. Alas, another story for the WIP graveyard.

19. What’s a fandom/ship you haven’t written for yet but want to?

Eventually, I want to get back to my Skyrim WIP, which includes a main Dragonborn/Marcurio ship. Maybe even with a little Dragonborn/Serana infidelity on the side (which Marcurio absolutely does not deserve, the poor guy).

20. What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

I mean, I have to say The Mad Witch, don't I? That fic is where my community is, where every time I post a chapter I have a ton of people who get excited about it with me. It is the story I think about constantly, that I have spent literal years writing and daydreaming about. No matter what I've written before or will write since, this will be the defining fic in my journey as a writer.

That, and I have a special fondness for "Case by Case." I just think it's neat.

[yatagarasuarchive]

Thank U sm for compiling all the content!!! I finished reading all 6 novels and I'm dying for more T.T

Are there any translations/snippets of the side stories for this series? I rmb there's a book of side stories and a continuation 🤔

First, I would like to preface this post by apologizing for making you wait so long for and answer. I've been busy.

Okay, so this is going to be long. Brace yourselves.

Well, once you've read the first six books (AKA the first part of the Yatagarasu series), the next book is supposed to be a spin-off.

This is Karasu Hyakka: Hotaru no Shou (in english it would be something like "The Many Flowers of the Raven: the Firefly Episode", but I barely know any Japanese, so I'm not the most reliable source for translations). Don't be confuse by the two covers: it's just one book.

Apparently it tries to fill some characters backstories and it has some additional POV of different characters during some events of the first part.

Then we can start head on with the second part.

The first book of the second part is Rakuen no Karasu (Raven of the Paradise). Again, two covers. This one also has some isekai elements.

The second book is Tsuioku no Karasu (Raven of Memories?). It has adult and young Yukiya on the covers, which is always a treat. There is another spin-off that came out before this one, but I'll talk about later.

The third book is Karasu no Midoriba (The Raven's Green Feathers). It Natsuka on the cover and Rokon on the back.

The fourt book and most recent one is Mochizuki no Karasu (The Full Moon Raven). This one came out in February this year. Thus the second part remains incomplete as of the time of writing.

But this is not all. There is a second spin-off.

I present to you Karasu Hyakka: Shirayuri no Shou (The Many Flowers of the Raven: the White Lily Episode). More backstories of characters.

And you might be thinking that is all, but I have a couple of extra things to share.

This is the Yatagarasu Series Fanbook. From what I read it has interviews with the author, a recap of the what happens in the story, stickers, a detailed map and many other things. It was released to commemorate the ten years of the series.

And finally, Abe Chisato publishes side storied sporadically on her column. This is the most recent one that was published this week. From what I understand, it's about Hamayu. You can find more information here.

Okay, so that it's all I could compile. When it comes to translations, I'm afraid I won't be of much help. The only thing I could find online is the prologues of Karasu ni Hitoe wa Niawanai and Karasu wa Aruji wo Erabanai. They're both in Japanese, so it's not even a translation.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help. If you anyone knows anything more in that regard, please let me know.

[threewaywithdelusion]

RoyJamieKeeley Fic

Still working on my RoyJamieKeeley post-S3 fic. I got stuck again for a while, but I got unstuck tonight, so he's a little snippet to celebrate.

A few days later, Keeley and Jamie left for Brazil for Jamie’s Nike shoot. Left alone for a week, Roy tried to keep busy so he wouldn’t think about them. He spent time with Phoebe, who was starting to get impatient for summer holiday but could be convinced to spend all her wayward energy on playing football with Roy. He saw the yoga mums twice, once for actual yoga and once for a night of drinking wine, watching rom coms, and gossiping. He told them he’d gotten back together with his ex-girlfriend and they all smiled and told him how happy they were for him and how much more of a grump he’d been without her. Roy didn’t mention that said girlfriend was dating another man at the same time and told himself it was just leaving out unimportant information and not actually lie, but he wasn’t sure he believed himself. 

Roy also had a meeting with Rebecca, who told him she wanted to promote him to manager of Richmond. He called her mad to her face and she still seemed to think giving him the job was a good idea. 

“I don’t want to do press conferences and shit,” Roy said. 

Rebecca was unfazed. “Here are my options, Roy. I can make you manager, which is a job I think you’ll be good at. You know football, you know these boys, and they trust you, which makes you the best fit. I can make Nate manager, which I don’t particularly want to do after he defected to West Ham last year. He has experience and the boys seem to have forgiven him, but I don’t trust him enough yet to give him that much power. The other option is to bring in someone from outside the club. Higgins gave me a list of candidates and a lot of them are very qualified and are interested in working for Richmond now that we placed second in the Premier League, because they think they can get us a trophy next year. However, anyone I bring in is going to have their own style and they’re going to undo all the hard work Ted’s done over the past three years. And what Ted did, however unconventional, has been working for us. So, if you don’t take the job, any thoughts on how I should proceed?”

Roy grunted. It was a good argument and Rebecca knew it. 

Roy liked coaching Richmond. He didn’t really want to work with some new shitbag coach who would come in acting like he knew anything. Who might tell the team to stop playing total football or take that shitty, ripped-up “believe” sign off the wall. Who might not flip Jamie off in the middle of a game or push him to go back out even with an injured ankle. Who might not support Sam’s protests when they cost the club their main sponsor or might not like the fact that Colin had a boyfriend. Who might not defend Isaac in a post-game interview after Isaac attacked a fan in the stands for his homophobic comments or who would hear that famous women got their private photos leaked and react with less horror than the rest of the Richmond boys. 

Roy liked the culture Ted had created at Richmond. Sure, his methods had been downright insane at times, but they’d worked. This was a team that respected Keeley and Rebecca, that accepted Colin, and that tried to be good people as much as they tried to be good footballers. 

Roy didn’t want to lose that. 

“Fuuuuck,” he said, a curse of resignation and realization. 

Rebecca knew him far too well at this point, because she just smiled victoriously. “I’ll have Higgins send you the paperwork this week. We’re also going to be looking at player transfers, so I’ll send you tapes for anyone we’re considering. Do you have any thoughts about which players we should take a look at?”

Roy grunted. He’d had this job for all of three seconds and Rebecca was already giving him work. He hadn’t even told Keeley yet. 

“We need a centre back with more speed,” he said. 

“Noted,” Rebecca said. 

On the way home, Roy felt a strange kind of loneliness take over him. 

He’d gotten a promotion and even though he’d resisted it, he kind of wanted to celebrate. Like when Keeley had been made a CEO of her own company and they’d popped champagne and Roy had spun her around and they’d fallen into bed together. 

But Keeley was halfway around the world with Jamie. On vacation, even though she’d refused to go on vacation with Roy to Marbella last year. And Roy knew it was different — this was a work trip with some fun thrown in — but Keeley was just restarting her business with Rebecca as the main investor and she couldn’t possibly be less busy than she’d been last year. 

A tiny, mean voice in Roy’s head said that the difference was Jamie. That Roy hadn’t been worth the time away from the office, but Jamie was. 

Roy shoved the thought away. 

He went home to his big empty house and stared at the bottle of champagne in the fridge. He couldn’t tell the yoga mums he’d been promoted because they still believed he was an accountant and he had no fucking clue what accountants did or what the fuck their position was when they got promoted. Plus, he didn’t want to spend all evening lying about the job he was celebrating. 

The team was scattered around the world, visiting their home countries and families while they were on summer holiday. What other friends did Roy have? Keeley, who was his girlfriend again? Jamie, who was Keeley’s other boyfriend and was also not in the country? Rebecca, who was more his friend through the transitive property than anything and was also his boss?

Fuck this. 

Roy took the bottle from the fridge. He was about to pop the cork and drink straight from the bottle when his phone dinged with an incoming message. 

It was a series of photos from Keeley, showing her and Jamie shopping. One photo showed Keeley in a dressing room, trying on a dress that made her look fucking amazing. Another showed Jamie with about fifty bags dangling from his arms, posing like he was lifting weights. Keeley was standing beside him, holding one tiny bag, and grinning widely at having a fit footballer to play her pack mile. Then there was a picture of Keeley standing next to a suitcase with a price tag on it, presumably something she was buying to bring all her new clothes back to England, a cute guilty smile on her face. The last picture showed the two of them in a store, both wearing black leather jackets. The one on Keeley was ridiculously oversized and the comical frowns on both of their faces told Roy that they were dressing up as him. 

Another text arrived from Keeley. 

Miss you! Do you want either of these jackets?

Roy was very picky about his leather jackets, something that Keeley had learned early in their first go at a relationship when she’d tried to buy him a present. It may seem like Roy put no effort into his all-black look, but he was very particular about what clothes he thought was worth buying. 

It was sweet of Keeley to ask. 

Send a video, Roy texted back. 

A minute later, his phone dinged. The video was of Keeley in a dressing room, wearing a shimmery grey dress with one of the Roy-sized leather jackets over it. Roy had clearly interrupted her in the middle of trying on half the store because there were clothes over every inch of the dressing room. Keeley did a little spin for the camera and Roy caught Jamie’s reflection in the dressing room mirror, smiling at Keeley like he was in love. 

Fuck. 

Would Roy have had that indulgent, lovestruck expression on his face if Keeley had dragged him shopping for stupid graffiti clothes for Jamie? This was Jamie’s holiday with Keeley and she was still taking the time to message Roy and Jamie didn’t seem to mind at all. 

Roy’s phone dinged again, this time a message from Jamie. It was another video, showing Jamie walking along a wall of all-black clothes, including at least four different leather jackets. 

“I think we found your store, mate,” Jamie said, panning the camera so Roy could see the words John John lit up in the back over the counter. 

Fuck. Roy was being a sorry sad sack and a bit of a prick. And he absolutely refused to be the biggest prick in a relationship that included Jamie Tartt. 

You look beautiful, he sent Keeley. I like the jacket Jamie was wearing. 

Keeley sent back a series of smiley face emojis. 

Roy called her and she picked up on the second ring. “Hi, babe? How’s London?”

“I miss you,” Roy said. It was probably the easiest thing he’d ever said. Usually, Roy had trouble expressing any emotion that wasn’t anger and he knew that. But missing Keeley was all-consuming. It was a physical ache inside him, just as real as the pain from his knee, and he didn’t know how not to say it. 

“I miss you too,” Keeley said. 

“How’s Brazil?” Roy asked. 

“It’s good! I think the photoshoot with Nike went really well. They might offer Jamie a larger deal as a brand ambassador when we get back, but don’t tell Jamie that. I’m negotiating right now and I’m not sure it’ll go through.”

“I’m sure it well,” Roy said. “You’re a brilliant negotiator.”

“You’ve never seen me negotiate,” Keeley said. 

“Sure I have,” Roy said. “What about that time you convinced me to try being a pundit.”

“That was in your best interest, and I’m pretty sure we were arguing.”

“Or that time you convinced me to go to that launch party for that watch company you were promoting.”

“You have to admit, that was great press,” Keeley said. “Everyone’d heard the story about your ex stealing your Rolex, so you replacing the Rolex with a John Hubert watch really connected the two brands in everyone’s minds.”

“Well what about the time you convinced me to both cook and do the dishes when I made you a fancy dinner?”

“I bribed you with blowjobs,” Keeley said. “I don’t think I can use the same strategy here.”

Roy laughed. He felt so much better after talking to Keeley for just five minutes. Suddenly, he didn’t care that she was a continent away. He still wanted to tell her the good news. 

“Is Jamie there?” he asked. 

“He’s in his own dressing room,” Keeley said. 

Roy was surprised. He figured Keeley and Jamie would take shopping as a chance to watch each other strip in the same dressing room. But he knew fuck all about shopping, so maybe it wasn’t that weird that they were in two different stalls. 

“Can you get him?” 

There was a long pause that Roy knew was Keeley working through her surprise before she said, “Yeah, just a sec.” Her voice sounded slightly farther away as she called “Jamie!”

A moment later Keeley’s voice came out sounding a little more robotic. “You’re on speaker, babe.”

Roy cleared his throat. “I talked to Rebecca today. She made me manager.”

“What?” Keeley said, sounding stunned. 

Yeah, maybe he should have worked up to that instead of announcing it right out the gate. 

“She gave me Ted’s job,” Roy repeated. 

A whoop went up from Jamie, so loud that Roy had to pull the phone away from his head so he wouldn’t blow out his eardrums. 

“Congrats, mate! That’s fucking mint.”

Roy grunted. He didn’t say that he was bricking it over trying to fill Ted’s shoes, but Keeley must have released because she said, “You’re going to be amazing, babe. I’m so proud of you!”

“I don’t know,” Jamie said. “I mean, mostly Roy’s been coaching me so far. I’ve got more talent than all the boys on the team and I’m a pleasure to coach, so you can’t measure Roy’s success by how brilliant a player I am.”

“You’re a fucking nightmare to coach,” Roy said, even though it wasn’t actually true. Jamie did anything Roy said, even when it was embarrassing or he was pushing his body beyond what most coaches would demand of him. Roy liked telling Jamie what to do and seeing how hard he would work to achieve the impossible, even when the only reward was a little grunt from Roy. 

“I guess we’ll see if you can bring the other lads up to my level,” Jamie said, cockiness and disbelief in Roy’s coaching skills rolling together in his voice. 

Weirdly, Jamie’s pestering filled Roy with confidence that he could do this. He would be the best damn manager Richmond had ever seen, if only to prove to Jamie that he was wrong. 

“Be careful what you wish for,” Keeley told Jamie sweetly and that buoyed Roy the rest of the way up. Keeley believed in him. She believed in him enough to tell Jamie to suck it, even if she did it in nicer terms. 

Roy wanted to tell her he loved her, but the first time he told her after they got back together couldn’t be over the phone, with Jamie listening in, while Keeley was on another continent. 

Instead, Roy just said, “At least I know what the fucking offside rule is.”

Jamie and Keeley both laughed, though Jamie laughed harder. Roy wasn’t sure Keeley knew the offside rule, which was a travesty given how many footballers she’d dated.

“Well celebrate when I get back,” Keeley said. “That’s wonderful news, babe. I’m so happy for you.”

They said their goodbyes and when Roy hung up the phone, he felt a lot more determined and a lot less alone. 

He checked his inbox to find an email from Higgins with his new contract and and some player files with stats and videos. Several promising young players were listed, as well as some old-timers on their way to retirement from some of the better clubs. 

He poured himself a glass of champagne and settled in to do his job. 

[sanddusted-wisteria]

An update on my fics

hey wow it's been 4 months

Nearly six months on both longfics lmao. I've been busy and will continue to be busy, unfortunately. Grad school is a different beast entirely to undergrad (be careful taking 3 grad classes in a semester. 2 heavy ones can really make you regret it), I need to prepare for job interviews and PhD program applications, and this summer I've been wrangling an internship and research work.

Even so tho, my MTAS brainrot is far from dead. It takes a lot of time and effort, but I still have a lot I want to do with the My Time verse and my OCs, both art and fic. So here's a quick update on where I am and what the plan is with my fics and fic series going forward, and some previews of what I have so far (on a separate post bc this one's already too long lmao)!

TL;DR: busy, but still writing! WIP snippets on the next post.

[Long post and rambling belowwwwww]

Earth and Sky

Currently my primary focus. E&S has evolved a TON since I decided to rewrite it. How much? Well...

[Drafting = first draft is in progress; Revising = draft is plot-complete, set aside for future editing passes]

In fact, I haven't even outlined the ending chapters since I recently had a change of heart in the kind of resolution I wanted. I got stuck on it enough that I decided to forego outlining anything for now and playing that one more by ear. I think any more time I spend tweaking these outlines might put me off this fic altogether :P

As someone that started writing with nameless/generic builders, writing for an OC is a different kind of challenge. I'm working to try and strike a good balance of focus on Wis vs Qi vs them together, and making Wis a very human, if not enjoyable character. Still, I think that this is one of those projects that if I can get right, it will be VERY right. It'll just take a bit to get there first :>

At minimum, I'll wait until most if not all of the chapters in the first third/quarter are done (chapters 1-16) to start posting, though hopefully I'll also have a solid idea for how some of the later chapters will go as well. Those are the really (internal) conflict-heavy chapters and I want to make sure it won't come out as shallow :P But I am excited to show you what I've got cooking!

A Cosmic Garden

This is the broader series for Wis and Qi. E&S will be the biggest fic, but it only goes up to a little beyond MTAS's Act 2. Beyond that, my plan is to write some side stories that go into Wis's Lore(tm), namely her origins as an Old World clone and her interactions with other Wis clones around the Alliance.

Why side stories? Well, a) any plot involving Wis as a clone is relatively spread out across the timeline of MTAS's story, since it's actually not that closely tied to her "main" storyline (being the first clone I made when the clone story was just kind of just a bullet point on their lore descriptions, it's less involved), b) it therefore doesn't really affect the story of how she and Qi get together, and c) I know that people might be far more interested in just the romance story with Qi (which is totally okay! I understand, I'm pretty much in the same camp with OC-centric stories a lot :P)

As for the equivalent of MTAS's Act 3, this won't be one cohesive fic, but a small series of smaller stories, since I don't really have too many ideas for a fully fleshed out telling of Act 3 that doesn't just walk through the main missions without much deviating from that. Some of those stories include:

A series of conversations between Qi and Miguel post Act 2

A Nia/Mi-an story

A silly little oneshot of Qi and Rosie interacting (tentative)

The original idea that Strangeness and Charm sprouted from; Wis and Qi conducting a methodical study on non-sexual intimacy (tentative)

The finale of the MTAS main story

A Builder, a Researcher, and a Rooftop

Currently on pause. For now, there's just too much OC brainrot for fics and on OTAS that I just need to get out. Don't worry! I'm absolutely not abandoning this one. I just can only really focus on one big project at a time lol. We're close to the end of this story's act 2, though not much of the remainder is written. In fact, chapter 34 is already done, but not chapter 33, so I can't quite post it yet. I think after I get the first part of E&S done (or I suppose whenever I feel like picking it up), I'll switch gears to at least get to the end of Act 2. Act 3 will need some reevaluation...I've hemmed and hawed over it forever, but I do want to finalize the plot for that one, and also potentially get started on that as well.

Others

To the...5 people that read my Grace/Wis miniseries, I really do still want to get that done a;sdlasdralsdrkj It's been hard since my thoughts on how Grace and Wis interact after Act 2 have changed a lot. But even so, I hate to leave it hanging there, so I've started working on it again. It's already outlined, I just need to get it filled in.

Someday I should come back to Quiet Moments in Sandrock... My art's gotten a ton better since then and there's a few ideas I still have leftover that I never got to. Unfortunately I need to make room for it somewhere in the 13438525 other art ideas I have that I can only do like 1 per week at MOST asdlrkasdasdrjksdrj

Sitting on the back burner forever in my writing folder is a fusion of Junji Ito's Uzumaki and MTAS... An MTAS version of Uzumaki's story works SURPRISINGLY well, and Wis and Qi I think make for stronger protagonists in this setting than Kirie and Shuichi in theirs if I do say so myself lol. It's fully outlined and everything, but that's gonna forever be on the back burner until either my longfics get done or I figure out how to write horror, whichever comes first 😂

So all in all...still cooking! Thank you if you read all this, and thank you for your patience, especially if you've been closely following any of my in progress fics. Hopefully once the interview and application cycle is out of the way this fall, I'll have more brain capacity to really plug away at all these and share with you all! :>

[aemondtargaryens]

Is there a reason you don’t post sources? I see multiple people asking.

if you don't see me linking or mentioning the source it's more likely i got it from a private source (long short story i got it from ppl who know their stuff and There Is money involved). anyway you can actually watch the full interview here but as i mentioned before the audio is fucked up so i might upload the fixed version i edited later 🥴 there are also more snippets here (audio is fine) but i only got the one where he's talking about social media

[tonydaddingham]

LWA with a short-winded addendum to a recent set of posts about what the characters know & don't know about each other: the fanon "they've been pining for 6000 years" and, for that matter, Crowley's "they've been friends/a balked couple for 6000 years" not only don't conform to what we see on the screen, as I said before, but also don't conform to anything the /actors/ have said about what they're playing. DT and MS both describe what's happening in terms of two characters being drawn together slowly and inexorably over millennia, not two characters falling in love at first sight (with MS noting in one S1 interview that the one-character-split-in-half bit absolutely informs what he's doing). Aziraphale really doesn't fall in love until 1941! (It may even be mutual: Crowley's decision to buy the eagle lectern suggests that he realizes /something/ important happened to their relationship there, even if he can't name it.) Crowley really doesn't have any idea that he's in love until whenever S2 is! You can even make a good case that he doesn't consciously understand how /much/ he feels about Aziraphale until the bookshop fire in S1.

hi again LWA✨ little lie down and strengthening tonic (see: wine) have been administered and i now have the strength to answer this, although it will be a bit more succinct - exactly this! i think you've said about this before (your asks blur into one sometimes im afraid, even without the wine) and it really is just that: i do hold that they are somewhat fascinated by each other (to varying degrees, at different times, and nearly always one sided until the later years), but they are not in love.

i am particularly concerned about the eden scene; is aziraphale that put off by crowley having become a demon, compared to his little crush he sported pre-fall? almost seems a bit unkind and disingenuous of him (and maybe that's the whole point, but [insert memory wipe theory]), and even though we have the "i remember the angel you were" line, i do wonder if aziraphale is recollecting the same scene we were shown? idk, probably over-analysing it and haven't thought it through properly, but he does go remarkably cold from eden onwards, up until job i guess, and that seems a little... odd.

the lectern is a good point re: where crowley's head might have been after the events of the 40s minisode... still fairly certain that there's more to come of this snapshot in their history, because whilst on one level the tension of the 1967 scene does make sense to follow the events of the 1941 minisode, it also... doesn't? i feel like we're still missing something key here that truly hammers home why aziraphale seemingly does a 180 from his behaviour in 41, and ends up with, "you go too fast for me, crowley"... willing to bet a fair deal of money that that snippet of their history does not end with the dinner.

but yeah in any case; absolutely i do not think they were in love from the first, as lovely as that might be to think. attraction, interest, intrigue - yes, all possible... but not love.

[cleverhottubmiracle]

Taylor Swift is once again facing public controversy—this time reignited by Kanye West’s disturbing and sexually explicit remarks. Just as the pop icon seemed to be enjoying a calmer chapter in her life, touring globally and maintaining a relatively quiet relationship with NFL star Travis Kelce, she has been dragged back into the eye of a social media storm. In a recent online tirade, Kanye West made lewd comments about Swift, reigniting a feud that many had hoped was long behind them. While Swift has remained silent amid the recent outburst, the implications of West’s actions are anything but minor. His public statements, which include fantasies of having sex with Taylor Swift, have prompted an outcry from fans and critics alike. More than just an offhand comment, West’s words are part of a much larger history—one that’s tangled in misogyny, manipulation, and a decade of back-and-forth drama between two of the world’s biggest celebrities. The Infamous Beginning: “Yo, Taylor…” The Taylor Swift-Kanye West saga began on a now-iconic night in 2009 at the MTV Video Music Awards. As 19-year-old Swift accepted the award for Best Female Video, West interrupted her speech, grabbing the mic to declare, “Yo, Taylor, I’m really happy for you, I’mma let you finish, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time!” The moment shocked viewers worldwide and became a symbol of celebrity disrespect. Though West later apologized, the damage was done, and a bitter rift was born. At the time, Swift handled the situation with grace, refusing to retaliate and continuing to build her career. However, this would not be the last time the names Taylor Swift and Kanye West would make headlines together. “Famous” and the Fallout In 2016, the feud escalated with the release of West’s controversial track Famous. The lyrics—“I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex / Why? I made that b** famous”—shocked fans and reignited public outrage. West claimed that Swift had approved the lyrics, but she quickly denied this. The situation worsened when Kim Kardashian, then West’s wife, released snippets of a phone call that appeared to show Swift giving the green light to the song. Swift countered that she was never made aware of the specific “I made that b** famous” line. She addressed the controversy in her 2017 Reputation album and again in interviews, expressing that she felt “gaslit” by the entire ordeal. Despite the drama, Swift largely focused on her music, while the Kanye-Taylor Swift feud became part of pop culture history, revisited every few years by fans and media alike. The Recent Revival: Kanye’s Explicit Posts Fast forward to 2025, and the Taylor Swift-Kanye West saga is back in the spotlight. In early April, West took to Instagram with a sexually explicit post where he claimed to still fantasize about Swift. The post was deleted shortly after it went live, but not before screenshots began circulating online. Many saw this as yet another attempt to demean Swift and drag her into a narrative publicly she’s repeatedly tried to leave behind. Unlike past incidents, Swift hasn’t commented or posted a response. However, her legal team is reportedly reviewing the situation, with some insiders suggesting potential legal action. Because West’s comments were aggressive and suggestive, many believe Swift has grounds for defamation or harassment claims. The public’s response has been swift (no pun intended). Social media platforms have been flooded with support for the singer, and advocacy groups have called out West’s behavior as toxic and misogynistic. Once again, the Kanye-Taylor Swift saga serves as a mirror reflecting broader societal issues—how women are treated in the public eye and what consequences exist for men who refuse to respect boundaries. A Pattern, Not a Coincidence Photo: @kanye___west__only/@taylorswiftfit/Instagram What’s striking about the Taylor Swift-Kanye West feud is its cyclical nature. Every time Swift achieves a major milestone—whether it’s an album release, a major award, or simply enjoying personal peace—West seems to re-emerge with controversial statements that pull attention back to himself. It’s a troubling pattern that has played out in various forms, from award show interruptions to explicit lyrics and now to invasive social media posts. Moreover, it reflects a broader issue in celebrity culture: the entitlement some male figures feel toward women’s narratives, bodies, and public personas. Swift has worked tirelessly to shape her image and use her platform for good, yet West’s behavior continues to undermine her efforts by trying to center himself in her story. Where Do We Go From Here? If Swift chooses to take legal action, it could set a precedent for how public harassment, especially when it comes from one celebrity to another, is addressed. The Taylor Swift-Kanye West controversy has long been a tabloid staple, but it’s also emblematic of real-world issues many women face. It’s not just about two famous people feuding—it’s about autonomy, consent, and respect. Swift’s silence, as always, is deliberate. She’s repeatedly demonstrated that she prefers to respond with her art, resilience, and choice not to engage with toxicity. Whether it’s through new music or legal measures, fans are confident she’ll make her voice heard when the time is right. Until then, the public watches as the Kanye Taylor Swift feud enters another chapter—one shaped not just by fame, but by the battle for personal dignity in a culture that often forgets celebrities are human too. For the latest in fashion, lifestyle, and culture, follow us on Instagram @StyleRave_ —Read also Ranti Ishola An enchanting wordsmith and style virtuoso. My collection of vintage scarves reflects my love for stories, beauty and style. Each scarf whispers its tale of inspiration. At Style Rave, we aim to inspire our readers by providing engaging content to not just entertain but to inform and empower you as you ASPIRE to become more stylish, live smarter and be healthier. Follow us on Instagram @StyleRave_ ♥ !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments); if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script', ' fbq('init', '496558104568102'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments);if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n; n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script',' fbq('init', '1453079628754066'); fbq('track', "PageView"); Source link

[norajworld]

Taylor Swift is once again facing public controversy—this time reignited by Kanye West’s disturbing and sexually explicit remarks. Just as the pop icon seemed to be enjoying a calmer chapter in her life, touring globally and maintaining a relatively quiet relationship with NFL star Travis Kelce, she has been dragged back into the eye of a social media storm. In a recent online tirade, Kanye West made lewd comments about Swift, reigniting a feud that many had hoped was long behind them. While Swift has remained silent amid the recent outburst, the implications of West’s actions are anything but minor. His public statements, which include fantasies of having sex with Taylor Swift, have prompted an outcry from fans and critics alike. More than just an offhand comment, West’s words are part of a much larger history—one that’s tangled in misogyny, manipulation, and a decade of back-and-forth drama between two of the world’s biggest celebrities. The Infamous Beginning: “Yo, Taylor…” The Taylor Swift-Kanye West saga began on a now-iconic night in 2009 at the MTV Video Music Awards. As 19-year-old Swift accepted the award for Best Female Video, West interrupted her speech, grabbing the mic to declare, “Yo, Taylor, I’m really happy for you, I’mma let you finish, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time!” The moment shocked viewers worldwide and became a symbol of celebrity disrespect. Though West later apologized, the damage was done, and a bitter rift was born. At the time, Swift handled the situation with grace, refusing to retaliate and continuing to build her career. However, this would not be the last time the names Taylor Swift and Kanye West would make headlines together. “Famous” and the Fallout In 2016, the feud escalated with the release of West’s controversial track Famous. The lyrics—“I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex / Why? I made that b** famous”—shocked fans and reignited public outrage. West claimed that Swift had approved the lyrics, but she quickly denied this. The situation worsened when Kim Kardashian, then West’s wife, released snippets of a phone call that appeared to show Swift giving the green light to the song. Swift countered that she was never made aware of the specific “I made that b** famous” line. She addressed the controversy in her 2017 Reputation album and again in interviews, expressing that she felt “gaslit” by the entire ordeal. Despite the drama, Swift largely focused on her music, while the Kanye-Taylor Swift feud became part of pop culture history, revisited every few years by fans and media alike. The Recent Revival: Kanye’s Explicit Posts Fast forward to 2025, and the Taylor Swift-Kanye West saga is back in the spotlight. In early April, West took to Instagram with a sexually explicit post where he claimed to still fantasize about Swift. The post was deleted shortly after it went live, but not before screenshots began circulating online. Many saw this as yet another attempt to demean Swift and drag her into a narrative publicly she’s repeatedly tried to leave behind. Unlike past incidents, Swift hasn’t commented or posted a response. However, her legal team is reportedly reviewing the situation, with some insiders suggesting potential legal action. Because West’s comments were aggressive and suggestive, many believe Swift has grounds for defamation or harassment claims. The public’s response has been swift (no pun intended). Social media platforms have been flooded with support for the singer, and advocacy groups have called out West’s behavior as toxic and misogynistic. Once again, the Kanye-Taylor Swift saga serves as a mirror reflecting broader societal issues—how women are treated in the public eye and what consequences exist for men who refuse to respect boundaries. A Pattern, Not a Coincidence Photo: @kanye___west__only/@taylorswiftfit/Instagram What’s striking about the Taylor Swift-Kanye West feud is its cyclical nature. Every time Swift achieves a major milestone—whether it’s an album release, a major award, or simply enjoying personal peace—West seems to re-emerge with controversial statements that pull attention back to himself. It’s a troubling pattern that has played out in various forms, from award show interruptions to explicit lyrics and now to invasive social media posts. Moreover, it reflects a broader issue in celebrity culture: the entitlement some male figures feel toward women’s narratives, bodies, and public personas. Swift has worked tirelessly to shape her image and use her platform for good, yet West’s behavior continues to undermine her efforts by trying to center himself in her story. Where Do We Go From Here? If Swift chooses to take legal action, it could set a precedent for how public harassment, especially when it comes from one celebrity to another, is addressed. The Taylor Swift-Kanye West controversy has long been a tabloid staple, but it’s also emblematic of real-world issues many women face. It’s not just about two famous people feuding—it’s about autonomy, consent, and respect. Swift’s silence, as always, is deliberate. She’s repeatedly demonstrated that she prefers to respond with her art, resilience, and choice not to engage with toxicity. Whether it’s through new music or legal measures, fans are confident she’ll make her voice heard when the time is right. Until then, the public watches as the Kanye Taylor Swift feud enters another chapter—one shaped not just by fame, but by the battle for personal dignity in a culture that often forgets celebrities are human too. For the latest in fashion, lifestyle, and culture, follow us on Instagram @StyleRave_ —Read also Ranti Ishola An enchanting wordsmith and style virtuoso. My collection of vintage scarves reflects my love for stories, beauty and style. Each scarf whispers its tale of inspiration. At Style Rave, we aim to inspire our readers by providing engaging content to not just entertain but to inform and empower you as you ASPIRE to become more stylish, live smarter and be healthier. Follow us on Instagram @StyleRave_ ♥ !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments); if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script', ' fbq('init', '496558104568102'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments);if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n; n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script',' fbq('init', '1453079628754066'); fbq('track', "PageView"); Source link

[chilimili212]

Taylor Swift is once again facing public controversy—this time reignited by Kanye West’s disturbing and sexually explicit remarks. Just as the pop icon seemed to be enjoying a calmer chapter in her life, touring globally and maintaining a relatively quiet relationship with NFL star Travis Kelce, she has been dragged back into the eye of a social media storm. In a recent online tirade, Kanye West made lewd comments about Swift, reigniting a feud that many had hoped was long behind them. While Swift has remained silent amid the recent outburst, the implications of West’s actions are anything but minor. His public statements, which include fantasies of having sex with Taylor Swift, have prompted an outcry from fans and critics alike. More than just an offhand comment, West’s words are part of a much larger history—one that’s tangled in misogyny, manipulation, and a decade of back-and-forth drama between two of the world’s biggest celebrities. The Infamous Beginning: “Yo, Taylor…” The Taylor Swift-Kanye West saga began on a now-iconic night in 2009 at the MTV Video Music Awards. As 19-year-old Swift accepted the award for Best Female Video, West interrupted her speech, grabbing the mic to declare, “Yo, Taylor, I’m really happy for you, I’mma let you finish, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time!” The moment shocked viewers worldwide and became a symbol of celebrity disrespect. Though West later apologized, the damage was done, and a bitter rift was born. At the time, Swift handled the situation with grace, refusing to retaliate and continuing to build her career. However, this would not be the last time the names Taylor Swift and Kanye West would make headlines together. “Famous” and the Fallout In 2016, the feud escalated with the release of West’s controversial track Famous. The lyrics—“I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex / Why? I made that b** famous”—shocked fans and reignited public outrage. West claimed that Swift had approved the lyrics, but she quickly denied this. The situation worsened when Kim Kardashian, then West’s wife, released snippets of a phone call that appeared to show Swift giving the green light to the song. Swift countered that she was never made aware of the specific “I made that b** famous” line. She addressed the controversy in her 2017 Reputation album and again in interviews, expressing that she felt “gaslit” by the entire ordeal. Despite the drama, Swift largely focused on her music, while the Kanye-Taylor Swift feud became part of pop culture history, revisited every few years by fans and media alike. The Recent Revival: Kanye’s Explicit Posts Fast forward to 2025, and the Taylor Swift-Kanye West saga is back in the spotlight. In early April, West took to Instagram with a sexually explicit post where he claimed to still fantasize about Swift. The post was deleted shortly after it went live, but not before screenshots began circulating online. Many saw this as yet another attempt to demean Swift and drag her into a narrative publicly she’s repeatedly tried to leave behind. Unlike past incidents, Swift hasn’t commented or posted a response. However, her legal team is reportedly reviewing the situation, with some insiders suggesting potential legal action. Because West’s comments were aggressive and suggestive, many believe Swift has grounds for defamation or harassment claims. The public’s response has been swift (no pun intended). Social media platforms have been flooded with support for the singer, and advocacy groups have called out West’s behavior as toxic and misogynistic. Once again, the Kanye-Taylor Swift saga serves as a mirror reflecting broader societal issues—how women are treated in the public eye and what consequences exist for men who refuse to respect boundaries. A Pattern, Not a Coincidence Photo: @kanye___west__only/@taylorswiftfit/Instagram What’s striking about the Taylor Swift-Kanye West feud is its cyclical nature. Every time Swift achieves a major milestone—whether it’s an album release, a major award, or simply enjoying personal peace—West seems to re-emerge with controversial statements that pull attention back to himself. It’s a troubling pattern that has played out in various forms, from award show interruptions to explicit lyrics and now to invasive social media posts. Moreover, it reflects a broader issue in celebrity culture: the entitlement some male figures feel toward women’s narratives, bodies, and public personas. Swift has worked tirelessly to shape her image and use her platform for good, yet West’s behavior continues to undermine her efforts by trying to center himself in her story. Where Do We Go From Here? If Swift chooses to take legal action, it could set a precedent for how public harassment, especially when it comes from one celebrity to another, is addressed. The Taylor Swift-Kanye West controversy has long been a tabloid staple, but it’s also emblematic of real-world issues many women face. It’s not just about two famous people feuding—it’s about autonomy, consent, and respect. Swift’s silence, as always, is deliberate. She’s repeatedly demonstrated that she prefers to respond with her art, resilience, and choice not to engage with toxicity. Whether it’s through new music or legal measures, fans are confident she’ll make her voice heard when the time is right. Until then, the public watches as the Kanye Taylor Swift feud enters another chapter—one shaped not just by fame, but by the battle for personal dignity in a culture that often forgets celebrities are human too. For the latest in fashion, lifestyle, and culture, follow us on Instagram @StyleRave_ —Read also Ranti Ishola An enchanting wordsmith and style virtuoso. My collection of vintage scarves reflects my love for stories, beauty and style. Each scarf whispers its tale of inspiration. At Style Rave, we aim to inspire our readers by providing engaging content to not just entertain but to inform and empower you as you ASPIRE to become more stylish, live smarter and be healthier. Follow us on Instagram @StyleRave_ ♥ !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments); if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script', ' fbq('init', '496558104568102'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments);if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n; n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script',' fbq('init', '1453079628754066'); fbq('track', "PageView"); Source link

[abarbaricyalp]

Angel in the Centerfold

Rated E // 8.6k words // AO3

Professional baseball player Sam, professional rugby player Bucky, a sports magazine Body Issue, lots of unresolved history

The dummy copies came in a few days before the debut and dinner. These were the kinds of things people could point out a misspelled name or complain about a bad photoshop job. It was also where publicists could leak out interview details and athletes could accidentally post a snippet of a picture to social media. It may seem like a parasitic relationship with the magazine, but that early-access attention and buzz helped sell more copies than the prestige and history of the issue.

Sam hadn’t looked at it yet. He’d grabbed the mail before running out to a practice and left it in the kitchen. He was not surprised to come home and find Riley flipping through it. Well, flipping might be generous. He was staring at one page with a fine eyebrow raised intently.

“Did they edit out the gap in my teeth?” Sam asked, setting his things aside and dumping his keys and earbuds by the door. 

“You made such a fuss out of it the one time it happened, I don’t think anyone else will ever make that mistake again,” Riley said drily.

“And I’ll throw a fit again if it ever does.”

“Can I go to the dinner with you?” he asked suddenly.

Sam looked up at his friend with, first, delight and then apprehension. “Why?”

“Well, you just said everyone would be there, right?”

“Should be. It’s part of the contract. Minus, y’know, professional commitments or whatever.” Sam eyed him warily and tried to see what Riley was staring at. Riley snapped the magazine shut.

“Good. Let’s go. You’re right. I should see some of the guys again.”

“Give me the magazine,” San demanded, swiping for it around Riley’s shoulders.

Riley kept it out of his reach for a few seconds before he hissed and ducked his head out of the way, handing the magazine off in favor of getting an ice-pack brace for his neck. “You’re on page 43.”

Sam flipped to the page. Stared at himself, blushed, then stared some more. They’d used both pictures that Sam liked, one on each page of the spread while the interview ran down the center columns. He skimmed that for inaccuracies too, though he had a publicist for that.

“This looks fine. Why are you…” He flipped the page and came up short.

Grinning back at him was a ghost from the past. Sam’s brain was only supplying thighs thighs thighs thighs thighs thighs thighs thighs as a running monologue, so he wasn’t sure he was really staring at his first college boyfriend. Except that wasn’t really true either. He’d know Bucky with his eyes closed probably.

Bucky’s professional career was even more twisty-turny than Sam’s was next to Riley. He’d moved across the world to play rugby of all things, had played professionally for a few years, had an accident that lost him his arm, played in a para-league for a few years, and then petitioned to be allowed back into the professional league. He’d moved more to keep playing rugby than Sam had moved to play baseball.

They hadn’t kept up with each other. The break up was…not bad. The fully-expected couldn’t be bad, could it? But maybe that was the issue. Maybe neither of them really expected the other to go pro or to move so far away. Maybe they’d been hoping it could all work out for them. But it hadn’t and they’d parted a little coldly and distance and fame were a hell of a thing. Sam had thought about reaching out when he’d heard about the accident, but it felt hollow. Bucky didn’t reach out with Riley’s a few years later.

And now he was staring up at Sam with a wide grin and a wink. The image was longways across both pages, like a damn centerfold poster, and it made him look even taller than Sam remembered him being. He was broad as hell. He’d always been muscular, but in a contained way. Now he looked like a tree. In the image, he was wearing his shiny metal prosthetic. Two straps criss-crossed over his chest to hold it in place. It made him look like a gladiator. He was holding the ball over the important bits, but that absolutely did not hide any part of his thighs.

He had not had thighs like that in school.

“Yeah, that was approximately my reaction too,” Riley agreed and Sam startled back into awareness. He didn’t want to know how long he’d been staring at the picture or how slack-jawed he’d been the whole time. “You have to take me to meet him.”

“No way. I had no idea he’d be there. I mean, I didn’t even know they brought in international players for this. Hang on, maybe I can convince someone to have batting practice with me that night.”

“Nuh-uh. No way,” Riley said quickly, snagging the magazine back from Sam. “You’re going to that dinner and you’re gonna talk to him.”

“I don’t want to talk to him,” Sam said, reaching for the magazine again, though he wasn’t sure why.

“You’re the one always talking about how healing it’ll be for me to talk to the guys. To put some closure on my past and open a new doorway for the future.”

Sam grimaced. “It just sounds corny when you say it.”

“Trust me, Sam, it sounds corny when you say it too,” Riley laughed. He rolled the magazine up and stuck it in the back of his waistband. “Call Mel. Tell her you’re bringing a guest after all. She’ll be happy to hear my name.”

“She hears your name all the time,” Sam grumbled. “When I’m complaining about you.”

“Call,” Riley said. “I wanna hear you say it. I wanna hear the confirmation that we’re going.”

Sam glared at Riley for a few extra seconds before he snagged his phone from his pocket and called the publicist.