#og: visionaries

[jendoe]

☕ — with all due respect, which is none.

template 1 (by my beloved @unholymilf) | template 2

[ambreignsfan4life]

WWE Preferences- His reaction to you sending him a sexy selfie

ROMAN REIGNS

JEY USO

JIMMY USO

CODY RHODES

SETH ROLLINS

RANDY ORTON

Credit to gif owners

Suggestions made by @bebesobrielo

[secretlovelygarden]

Feyre is a poet and a visionary. The OG Elriel shipper.

[deathnguts]

I agree with you but I also see Tiffany and Chucky as Bartylue variants. Who do you see in the scary movie franchise as Bartylus, besides Billy and Stu!

I’m gonna be so real and honest with you, the Tiffany and Chucky post was originally Bartylus but then I was like ‘no, no one’s gonna see it and they’re all gonna say rosekiller 😔’ so you definitely get it like no else anon

As for other other couple besides Billy and Stu (because I will fight until I die that that’s Bartylus and not just rosekiller, Barty is too Stu coded for it not to be), I don’t really watch anything but horror movies so I could definitely name a few! (Though I watch a lot of cheesy slashers that don’t really have a lot of characters so this is really just a fight to remember anything I’ve seen that has romance in it lmao)

Number one, and kind of not related to brief but still important to me, I can definitely see Barty as Harry Warden from My Bloody Valentine (the og or the remake honestly, the only time both were good) ((also an underrated fave of mine <3)) With how (spoilers) the killer actually isn’t Harry and is just one of the mc’s who got like a Harry Warden DID alter and started killing people and then forgot he did and was just as panicked as everyone else is very him post imperio to me. ‘Harry’ doesn’t really have a love interest in the movie, but the mc pretending to be him is in a love triangle with the final girl and another guy so you could view that as like the Bartylus vs Jegulus thing everyone enjoys so much (but Bartylus sadly loses at the end if you view it that way because they do not kiss 😔😔)

And for an actual couple I have to bring up the older couple from Dolls as an even more niche pick. That movie’s about a little girl and her family who hates her and a few other people staying at an old couple’s house for the night because of a storm and their house is filled with hundreds of dolls that are (surprise) alive and start killing people but they spare the little girl and this other guy that was helping her because of like the power of your inner child or whatever and the older couple are pretty much all the dolls’ parents and the movie ends with the little girl genuinely loving the dolls and the couple a lot and wanting to see them again soon and the couple smiles at her and tells her she’s always welcome and like fucking tell me that isn’t Bartylus when they’re older cmon now!!

Ugh and then I couldn’t just not mention Eyes Without A Face, because oml Christianne is beyond regulus coded. Her father is a surgeon who gets her into a car accident that ruins her face so he kidnaps girls to surgically remove their faces and try to give her a new one but he had to frame her death for it so they could get away with the murders and stuff, but she has no hope at all that the surgeries will work and says multiple times she’s terrified of herself and just wants to die. Also she has a fiancé that thinks she’s dead that she calls to just hear his voice because if she spoke over the line he’d know she was alive, so she literally just stays silent on the line until he hangs up. Until one day she whispers his name literally once and he recognizes her immediately and goes to the police proclaiming she’s alive and TELL ME THATS NOT THEM BECAUSE IF YOU DO YOURE LYING.

And this one’s not a movie but the Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Gothic Horror Musical is one of my favorite musicals ever and I would be willing ti argue that Barty could be seen as both Jekyll (brilliant scientist that’s seen as a delusional, sinful visionary) and Hyde (genuinely off putting and creepy man who lives for only what he desires and doesn’t know shame but does know vindication) AND I could further argue that Regulus could be seen as both Emma (Jekyll’s fiancé who’s father is the judge that ruled his research inhumane and didn’t allow him a human test subject for it, which she she feels awful about since she knows how much it matter to her soon to be husband, also there’s a whole song about the town’s opinion on their marriage and pretty much everyone agrees that Emma marrying a doctor like Jekyll rather than an heir is naive and shameful on her part, probably how the pureblood society would view Bartylus tbh) and Lucy (the hooker that Hyde is attracted to and seeks out almost immediately upon gaining control of the body he shares with Hyde, she has a whole song about how she views men as a past time and pretty much a snack to hold her over in life and that feels akin to how regulus views people to me) so I think it’s perfect because like two halves that aren’t supposed to match, yet both halves love each other?? Just say you’re meant to be and just say you’re Bartylus at that point.

And while we’re on the subject of horror but not movies because I got off track, let’s stay off track and let me bring up Victor Frankenstein and Robert Walton. I’m convinced they’re the og toxic yaoi. And they’re Bartylus because: do I have to explain how regulus is Frankenstein? (They’re frail Victorian boys with practically delusional ideals for the work that they’ve admired their whole lives and then threw themselves into only ti discover they were misinformed and then send themselves into their own demise trying to prove their original ideals through an impossible mission, also they’re dramatically tortured poets who are gay as hell) and then Barty as Walton, I will defend to you now. Walton is a an explorer, he’s a free spirit who wants to find something new and above that he just wants to be out there searching. He’s implied to be wealthy yet doesn’t have a family besides his sister which is strange for the time, meaning he actively chose a different life style that most higher class people look down upon. Tell me that’s not Barty in that setting. And then you bring in when Walton meets Frankenstein and he practically falls in love at first sight? He’s tending to this complete stranger just to hear him speak, then gushes to his sister about how he’s tragically beautiful and he speaks so eloquently and he wishes he could just soothe all his problems and take that suffering from him but in the end there’s nothing he can do and Frankenstein dies cold no matter how hard Walton tried to warm him (just like canon compliant Bartylus with their school years and then regulus dying at seventeen)

And speaking of Barty paralleling sailors, let’s talk Sweeney Todd. Saying Mrs. Lovette and Todd are Bartylus is wrong because Todd doesn’t loved her back and unrequited bartylus is tired. Yknow what isn’t tired? Fairytale, angst with a happy ending, sweet, non toxic Bartylus! And yknow which couple has that? Joanna and Anthony! Joanna as regulus (the locked away beauty with a ghostly aura of tragedy practically bred into their flesh) and Anthony as Barty (another sailor who takes one look at their soulmate and their breath is taken away, only Anthony succeeds in saving Joanna and they make it out alive this time.)

And I can only fit one more picture so let’s come out of left field and throw in a horror game. Resident Evil: Village, you love to see it in the year 2024. Karl Heisenberg and Donna Beneviento are my favorite characters from the game because Donna’s mechanics are the best and Karl’s voice actor is awesome but here’s why they’re Bartylus (also I should mention that I don’t subscribe to idea that they’re siblings obviously, they were just kidnapped by the same cult which is not the same thing like some people seem to think??) so Regulus is Donna because come on, creepy doll maker in the hills/woods that wears all black and shrouds their face behind a veil and has extreme,h concerning experimental horrors in the basement of their creepy cottage? That’s literally him, what are you talking about. And then Karl as Barty makes sense to me because they’re both vulgar and brash, but incredibly intelligent and forward thinking in their schemes and also a core part of both their characters is disobeying their father/‘mother.’ And as for why they’re Bartylus since they don’t even talk in canon, I ship Donna and Karl anyway and their fics on ao3 read very bartylus to me.

And yeah that’s it because I’m out of photos. Thank you so much for this ask, it was really thoughtful and cool to explore! I hope your satisfied with the outcome of your question lol

[yinandyanglifestyle]

I went to Sydney for Alphonse Mucha

by: Icie

One thing to know about me, I was an interior design major back in my home country. I absolutely sucked at it, but I fell in love with Art History. In that minor, our professors taught us about different art styles through the ages and bit by bit I saw the progress of art through the ages. I loved the OG Gothic Style, Romanesque, was disillusioned with Baroque and Rococo from the west... It was too Western focused and it didn't interest me as much (because I was an Asian kid) until we got towards the end of the 19th century where the grandparents of weebs (of which I am a part of) hailed from and Japonisme was a thing. Japonisme inspired so much beautiful art and it triggered a domino effect that ultimately led to Art Nouveau where Alphonse Mucha was a main character.

This was it. My favourite art style! I can never go back to loving other art styles after discovering Art Nouveau. It spoke to me about how feminine it was and it awakened something from my mostly masculine soul. I wanted to see more of these beautiful girls surrounded by flowers and stars, wearing kimono-inspired clothes in pretty pastels. The macaroni hair only added to the romanticism of it all. This is what love is like, but in art form!

Fast forward to 2024, The Mucha Foundation collaborated with the Art Gallery of New South Wales to host over 200 of this master's works which was "the most comprehensive exhibition ever seen in Australia of this visionary artist's work". I had to see it. I needed to see it! I am a big fan of Mucha and Art Nouveau, and one of my dreams was to go to Paris, Brussels, and Prague for all of the beautiful swirly-whirlies. Being a Brisbanite, I was exited. Please come to my city! Please, please, please! But AGNSW said "sorry, it's exclusive to Sydney."

Dammit. It's off to Sydney I go. I donned my Sailor Moon dress, packed my bag for a 3 day trip with my partner just so I could see this legend's works and boy, I was not disappointed. I learned to love Mucha and his works even more. We landed in Sydney, didn't check in our hotel, and went straight to the main quest:

Outside, they had this big banner of Mucha's name. Inside was this glorious area that showcased Summer (left) and Rose (right). Oh wait, the exhibit is next door. So we went to the more modern building, down two floors, bought tickets, and enjoyed the art.

In the newer building next door, I was treated to pre-art nouveau Mucha. We learned about what his life was like before his popularity. He designed some clothes for a theatre, hung out with everyone's buddy Paul Gaugin, Ludek Marold and Annah the Javanese. The tour guide said, "if he wasn't a painter, he would've been a great photographer".

Then we were treated to the meat of the exhibit: the Sarah Bernhardt stuff, his lithographs, his sketches, but what struck me most were his concept art to reality. (Excuse my phone's shadow. For some reason, AGNSW decided to put these works on a 45° angle under bright lights. The girl beside me even said "fucking glare!" and I wholeheartedly agreed.)

We were treated to so many wonderful works and I cried when I saw parts of Le Pater. I'm an atheist but this made me think that maybe there is a god. Maybe. But still, beautiful artwork that left me speechless.

I got to stand next to my favourite work of his: White Star. Joy!

At the end of the exhibit, the tour guide talked about how Mucha who was somewhat influenced by Japan, now influenced Japan. Now we come full circle with anime and manga characters depicted in art nouveau styled paintings and posters. Oh boy, we had our Lord Yoshitaka Amano's works in the gallery as well. I was so lucky to see works of my two favourite artists in one day!

It was almost 2PM by the time we finished the tour. We spent at least 4 hours in the gallery after landing just because I fangirled and was willing to spend money on Mucha. Yeah, I bought stuff. A reproduction of Alphonse Mucha's original "Documents Decoratifs" which focused more on his industrial design work (jewellery, cutlery, furniture etc) which I rarely see on the internet, a set of badges and make-up from Japanese brand MilleFée.

I went to Sydney for Alphonse Mucha and it was worth it. I end this rabid fangirling with the parting words of the Art Gallery of New South Wales' tour guide: Mucha's style has never been as well loved and as well represented as it is in Japan.

[witchofthesouls]

snorts another line of Dark Energon (Warning: Trauma. Lots of it.) Gods & Goddesses AU where the 13 OG Primes are stranded on Earth in the aftermath of Gaea's birth(???), & they decide to try & Claim these new toys in front of her. Primus/Rung manages to get them offworld, but the damage has already been done. The 13 are utterly mangled by the experience, physically, spiritually & mentally. Primus/Rung has to remove the vast majority of their power because they would straight-up die from their biology & Sparks being torn up otherwise, downgrading them from "Physical Gods" to "Immortality & mild superpowers, but that's it" like IDW 2005. He can't help with the trauma & rhabdophobia (fear of magic), tho. Prima never treated Megatronus badly in this timeline, Liege never plots against his siblings, & Quintus never makes the Quintessons (he got his optics permanently damaged, & is too afraid to leave Iacon) so...yay, teamwork? (If we want to tie this into the Prima's a Dragon-Fragger AU, then 1.) Prima would have to be clever about how he takes on Predaking due to the massive power difference between them & 2.) Predaking realizes he has to invent therapy for his small BF. And talk to his Dad so he can get some context for when Prima wakes up screaming.)

Hmm, this is more of a commentary route because I got really set ideas about Gaea being a sister/daughter/reflection to Unicron and Primus.

As in, Primus would never have been able to get the remaining Primes back. Not after splitting his own power to them. Yes, they are powerful gods. However, Gaea can be taken as their originator as she is of Unicron, who is of Primus, and all were once a single entity that existed before nothing.

Basically, she took advantage of their relationship to claim them. And unlike her brothers, she's not letting them go. Ever.

In this particular AU, the variables that caused their downfall went another way, so it was Quintus who left first. He ventured off to find new species to become good neighbors to a new race. Where in one world, Quintus had found the planet Quintessa; the dreamy Prime was pulled to a hungry Gaea...

< Fragment of myself. > It crooned to a dreaming Prime, fascinated by his visionary thoughts and far-flung travels to seek out his goals. Quintus dreamt of gleaming cities and massive libraries. Stars full of treasures and beautiful singing bridges that connected everything and everywhere. < Wayward Dreamer. Sky-walker. Bridge-builder. > How could it leave such a delicious, willing morsel that stolen its dark heart with such a vision?

Quintus became the bait to grab the rest. Megatronus never returned when he went to fetch their lost brother. Solus and Liege Maximo disappeared on his trail, so it wasn't a surprise it prompted the rest of the brothers to stage a rescue with Prima hot on their heels...

And they all Fell.

Besides, I doubt they would leave after finding out that Unicron hadn't been fully vanquished.

Some of the Primes sleep so deeply, unable to awaken in physical reality. They put too much of themselves into fully caging the Unmaker. Others still walk the planet, wandering and trying to find a way off the planet.

[lanshappycorner]

Could we possibly see more of that Some Kind of Roleswap AU? Possibly more on Divine Visionary Wirth and lil bro Orter? I absolutely adore the concept so much, and I love how it looks like despite Wirth's annoyances with Orter's lack of proper communication he still cares for him. I'm also curious on what Wirth's role is if he has a new one or he fills the same position as OG Orter does

yes! wirth is actually a good older brother (unlike orter lmaoo), he knows that orter has trouble communicating with him, and as annoyed as he is, he still loves his little brother very much <3 as for wirth's role, I would imagine that he'd probably help mash (who, for the sake of convenience, does not change roles in this role swap LOL)

He'd tell mash it's because he still has some value to him, but actually he's just nice 💀

The antagonistic role would go to someone else...(no i do not know who else could pull off being an asshole as amazingly as orter but im sure there's someone on the cast that can do it. i didn't think this far idk maybe abel)

[youlackconviction]

Thank you all for the links and comments regarding Avengers. When I see the gifs of Tom w/black hair doing the spastic movements and acting dumb I can't help but wonder why ANY character would act like this?... It's beyond humiliating. And then they dare call it Loki (it's not Loki). Ah well, I will not even hate-watch the show to find out, not worth it. I hate how "creators" have no respect for characters or audiences anymore.

yeh hard agree seriously

it's so heartbreaking - when you read a really good fanfic and you think wow, imagine what the LOKI tv series might have been with a really visionary writing team and a director who loved and understood OG LOKI.

i mean the bar was so high, but consistently met three times in a row... by a different writer and director each time. so it was definitely not too much to ask.

i feel like stan lee would just be heartbroken.

we were fucking robbed. LOKI was robbed and betrayed... this is the worst timeline.

[desi-lgbt-fest]

Oh Hello there, Gaysis!

In the words of our wisest one, og mod: “If you can’t find queer media that represents you, then make it yourself!” 

Truer words have never been spoken, and by honoring those words, we bring you a space of love, acceptance, and creativity. A space to use your voice and become the visionary of what it means to be Desi, queer, and a survivor. So, once again, calling out to all the many many talented writers, artists, poets, directors, leaders, biographers, dreamers, lovers, or those who simply want to tell your story…come and show us what it means to be you. 

The Desi LGBT Fest Mods welcomes you to,

✨ Desi LGBT Fest 2023!!!✨

Where we share stories, poems, essays, art, photographs, and more: 

Queer in themes: this is inclusive of trans, asexuals, aromantics, and all the other niche identities of the LGBTQIA+

Set around desi characters and/or desi settings. Desi including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Shri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, etc.

That’s it! It can be any genre, any desi language, any length. Engage as much as you want, as many times as you want, however you want. 

🧡💛💚💙💜💓

The main tags that will be featured for this year’s fest are: 

#desilgbtfest23 for the overall main contents

#dlf23day[#] (ex. #dlf23day1) for submission-specific prompts each day of the fest

Mods and Creators can include any tags they deem necessary outside of these two for their content, however, if you want your work featured in our blog, then MENTION US at @desilgbtfest on your post and use the tags above. 

And of course, follow the blog for future updates

[imthepunchlord]

What's the elements you think that is best fitting for the other OG 7?

This can depend on where they wind up and what other Miraculous are they with. And will ultimately depend on what I do elementally. But in general doing a mixture of classical and Wu Xing...

Fox is one of the tricky ones as there's a couple of elements it can match with.

Wood can work off being vibrant, supportive, bold, and expressive, but also cunning, ambitious, and underhanded (like roots spreading out)

Fire also stands out as Fox does have ties to Fire in various myths (the eastern foxes and Finnish Firefox), and that can also play off charisma and brilliance, knowing how to work a crowd.

Metal also stands out as a Fox plays by their rules, can be ambitious, and confident. And there can be a disconnect between themselves and others, as they prioritize their goal, which can play into the Fox is often more selfish.

Bee I would vote Wood as bees are heavily tied to plants, as this element can be sociable and supportive, but also tenacious and ambitious, seeking to thrive.

Turtle would be Earth or Water. Both elements are tied to wisdom and knowledge, survival and adaptability. Both are also known to move at their own pace. Turtle matches Earth in being very grounded and steadfast, but matches with Water in being withdrawn and introspective. Typically, it's more tied to Water in various myths but it can be flexible between the two. There is the World Turtle which is tied to Earth itself.

And Peafowl has a similar struggle to Fox where it could match with various elements, essentially, points could be made for all.

Air is an easy match by default of being a bird. It can also play off Peafowls being sociable animals and visionaries as this is a very idealistic element. It can also play off this element is very colorful.

Wood has a lot of the same appeals to Air for Peafowl, only it's more grounded and stable in contrast. This can also work off Simurgh, a Persian mythical bird that is tied to peacocks (often having the head of a dog or wolf, though I have also seen portrayals of just a straight up peacock) and the Tree of Life. Wood can also work off the Peafowl being bolder and a little more aggressive than Air, but not to the intensity of Fire.

Fire works off Peafowl's vibrancy, boldness, charisma, and colors. It's attention grabbing, and can work off ties to the Phoenix. Fire though may be more intense/aggressive than Peafowl should be, but that can depend on each person's view of the Miraculous and how it should be. Fire can also work off leadership as peafowls are tied to leaders.

Earth works off Peafowls regarded as the earthly phoenix, being typically seen as a grounded bird, and often it's a steadfast and harmonious element. It can also be seen as a source of provision and protection.

Metal can work off the vanity and pride of Peafowl, their preference to do things their way. Metal can also connect to the themes of truth and clarity.

Water works best off their coloring (as water is often blue), and you have Peafowl tied to healing, rejuvenation, and spirituality. Water is often associated with healing and cycles, and has ties to the soul. Water is also introspective and seeks to learn, playing off the truth aspect.

[jendoe]

❤ — baby, i can be your problematic bi wife.

template 1 (by my beloved @unholymilf) | template 2

[ambreignsfan4life]

50 Days of Rolleigns

22/50

Credit to gif owner

[chorus-communities]

did a messy traditional redesign (its less of a redesign and more of just some tweaks). everyone cheer and clap for my silly visionary oc.

more stuff under cut

most of his changes were just little tweaks. i made her turtleneck sleeveless to match the general '70s vibe, gave her bellbottoms to relive my childhood nostalgia and made her glasses hearts. here's their old og design from like 2021

[les-scripta]

AO3 History

A couple weeks ago I randomly ended up on ao3's fanlore page and from there I spent the next several hours reading about fandom events starting in the early 2000s. (Yes, I did have other things to do that day. No, my ADHD did not care.)

Although a large chunk of my time was actually spent looking into the wild story of Laura Hale (a real person in the fandom community, not the teen wolf character), the best part was reading about the creation of OTW and AO3. Knowing some of the history behind it all just makes me appreciate it that much more.

Before my fanlore dive, I hadn't really thought about how and why ao3 was created (beyond the obvious). I had no idea that the post proposing the idea (on livejournal!) was in part a response to the announcement of a commercially-owned fanfic site, one that didn't have a single woman or even fanfic reader or writer on the board. And this visionary on livejournal (astolat) wrote about how we "need a central archive of our own" (can't explain how happy it made me to see that phrase in the OG post) for fanfiction, one that's run by and for the actual fan community. It was so inspiring to read all the supportive comments and then subsequent posts and status updates as it went from an idea to a reality. Also, it was amusing to see some of the silly drama and the skeptical "this is bound to fail" reactions.

This was a bit of a ramble but basically I just want to acknowledge the awesome history of ao3 and recognize those folks who made it all happen (as well as those continuing the work).

[la-pheacienne]

What is the most romantic story you have ever read or watched?

This one will be long, sorry, I can't just pick one. I looked for the definition of "romantic" in various dictionnaries and I singled out these definitions (excluding the Romanticism of the 19th century although the two can coexist obviously) :

"marked by the imaginative or emotional appeal of what is heroic, adventurous, remote, mysterious, or idealized"

"characterized by, or suggestive of an idealized view of reality"

"visionary"

"conducive to or characterized by the expression of love"

"exciting and mysterious and having a strong effect on your emotions"

So the main things to look for here are 1) idealism (as opposed to realism) and 2) strong emotions, which leads to 3) love, that is naturally the perfect form of idealism evoking strong emotions.

Most romantic stories I have ever read, in no particular order:

A Tale of Two Cities. "I wish you to know that you have been the last dream of my soul". A man sacrificing himself for the woman he loves, taking the place of the man she loves in the guillotine, you can't get more romantic than that.

Les Miserables. It is a Romantic story and a romantic story, both, of course. It is in every way THE romantic story by definition, every single possible version of romantic love is present here. Marius and Cosette's love at first sight is the definition of idealistic love as a copying mechanism for misery, loneliness and abandon. "What Is Love? I have met in the streets a very poor young man who was in love. His hat was old, his coat worn, the water passed through his shoes and the stars through his soul". Eponine's love and sacrifice for Marius and Cosette's happiness is the purest form of selfless devotion, born out of a context of complete vileness and depravity. Grantaire sacrificing himself for the ideals that Enjorlas believes in, out of pure love and devotion for Enjorlas as a person and not because of his personal political ideology, is also purely romantic. I would even include Valjean's love for the Bishop Myriel here because it is just so idealistic and wholesome and heartbreaking and life changing and larger than life.

The Great Gatsby. The romantic element is one sided here. It is personnified in Jay Gatsby, whose fatal love for the unworthy Daisy is the essence of "romantic", it is purely idealistic and thus completely clashes with the harsh reality, but we can't help but be drawn to his utter devotion, emotional drive and integrity. That's why he's The Great. "They're a rotten crowd. You're worth the whole damn bunch put together". "Can’t repeat the past?…Why of course you can!"

After these three I have to mention:

Wuthering Heights, for the dark side of romantic love. Here love is mainly the force of evil, but still, it is presented in its most idealistic form. "He's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same". "Be with me always - take any form - drive me mad! only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you! Oh, God! it is unutterable! I can not live without my life! I can not live without my soul".

Jane Eyre. "I have for the first time found what I can truly love–I have found you. You are my sympathy–my better self–my good angel–I am bound to you with a strong attachment. I think you good, gifted, lovely: a fervent, a solemn passion is conceived in my heart; it leans to you, draws you to my centre and spring of life, wrap my existence about you–and, kindling in pure, powerful flame, fuses you and me in one". I mean. Self explanatory.

Pride and Prejudice. Not exactly my definition of romantic because the realism is strong on that one, but still, it is the OG story where two people change their very personality because of their love for each other and it merits a place here. And also for quotes like this "In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you".

Gone with the Wind is also pretty romantic imo, despite the strong realism of both Scarlett and Rhett. Well, it merits a place here because this book really cemented the trope of a fictional character that is morally ambiguous (rotten even) and very realistic in the raw sense of the word but at the same time has an intense, soul-crushing idealism. Both Scarlett and Rhett are big idealists and they have an inner conflict between that idealism and their natural tendency to focus on the here and now. I love that. Very popular trope in American fiction.

As for the most romantic stories I have watched, that should be a post on its own I think because I can think of plenty of movies/shows, if we don't count the adaptations of the books I just mentioned here.

[good-realtor-bad-realtor-dynamic]

Living+ and That Gleam in Kendall's eye

Succession 4x6. Why does almost every new episode this season end with me feeling both sick to my stomach and buzzed to all hell? My hands are still trembling.

I have so much to say!

About Kendall and Roman watching their dead father insult them on videos played on loop whether real or edited, Shiv finally confronting her brothers like I always wanted her to instead of bottling up her hurt over their betrayal, the cheapening of the siblings' hug as everything "real" becomes repackaged as a negotiating tactic, ...

... Roman's spiralling grief and insecurity manifesting as he pushes people away and carelessly fires any woman who appears to question him and his place as Logan's son, Gerri noticing something off and giving him a reality check only for him to turn on her so viciously, ...

... the rekindling of Tom and Shiv's unconventional romance when they play "bitey", tease one another and she lets him in with Matsson, Tom's greatest strength being his honesty and his ability to show vulnerability in admitting that the money does matter to him but also calling her out in the process, ...

... Ken's event-planning fact-fudging number-cooking night of chaos and Hollywood mania, his businessbro techspeak jargon at an all-time high, Karl confronting him and trying to straighten him out with a dose of reality, only for Kendall in his Maverick-from-Top-Gun-inspired flight jacket to brush him off, unphased, ...

But I just have to talk about IT.

The gleam in Kendall's eyes.

Kendall's presentation was somehow more harrowing, more painful, more ridiculous and just all-round worse than L to the OG.

The sincerity with which he lays himself bare before the world — "big shoes, big big shoes, big big shoes" big nervous breakdown — the palpable second-hand embarrassment from watching him try to talk to an edited deepfaked video of his father to gain some kind of closure after death — the sickening nature of enterprises like Living+ which take advantage of people's fear of their own mortality and prey on the elderly — the horrifying realization that creeps up on you as you realize while watching this play out, that Ken is exploiting and commodifying his grief and confusion over his father's death, his vulnerability and fragility here functioning as manipulation, as a marketing tactic, whether he knows it or not — all as the world watching him (incredibly) applauds his stark raving mad proposal because nothing is ever sacred to these people.

It's the funniest and worst thing all at once.

And somehow — and this really says something about the state of the world — when these cringe billionaires hopped up on their own hype, hallucinations and delusions of grandeur, especially the ones in tech, make outlandish promises even a child would know better than to take seriously, the world feeds their egos, cheers their cults of personality and allows them to get away with anything because they're not insane! They're just eccentric visionaries, maybe even geniuses. It's genuinely frightening.

Hey, but at the very least, when Number 1 Boy walks into the ocean, an image that had my heart leap into my throat and fill with foreboding, he's floating up with his head facing the sky.

(When this new high inevitably fades, he will definitely sink, and I can't bear to watch it.)

And yeah, of course Lukas Matsson tweets disgusting Holocaust "jokes". Fuck him.

Oh, and was I the only one who thought I might have been watching behind-the-scenes footage or a special feature by accident when the episode first came on with Logan Roy against a green screen? I really though it was just Brian Cox for a second there and thought HBO had fucked up!