#very free jones energy

[imagopirateversion]

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales; Why It Shouldn’t Exist

Or how I invested time and energy into an analysis of a relatively dead franchise instead of doing it for my actual media analysis university course.

An essay by: a bitter and obsessed PotC fan since they were 7, with a lot of free time.

Lads, this is going to be long. You have been warned.

The Beginning

At the very beginning of the movie, we see a young Henry Turner looking for his dad.

Now, we're not talking about characterization problems or how likely it is that a ten-year-old child would risk his life to look for a man he technically only saw once; we're talking about plot problems, actual logical fallacies. My questions are:

How? The Flying Dutchman is a legendary ship, impossible to be found unless She wants to be found. The only reason we see Her in Dead Man's Chest is because Davy Jones himself is looking for Jack to collect his debt, and in that occasion the Dutchman's captain wasn't even doing what he was supposed to do, so he was most definitely in the living world. Will otherwise, he's doing the job Calypso gave him, so he's constantly in between. Is the movie trying to convince me that a kid was able to do something no one in the history of piracy was ever able to do? And even if he did, why hasn't anyone explained me how? He simply looks at a map and throws himself on the bottom of the ocean. How did he know The Dutchman was there? How did he know it would've come to surface?

Where is his mom? We got to know Elizabeth in the first three movies; we know she's a smart woman and we can assume she's an attentive mother. She didn't notice her son preparing himself for a trip in the middle of the ocean to go look for his dad? Was she distracted? Was she outsmarted by a 10ish-year-old? Or is she just not contemplated in this scenario?

Why does Will look like that? Will is doing his job, so... why does he look like he's slowly corrupting? That kind of corruption is the punishment Calypso reserves to The Dutchman's crew when the captain fails her, which isn't the case. Did they forget about it? Was the idea of putting algae on Orlando Bloom's face just impossible to resist to?

Alright, this isn't actually from this movie but it's bothering me, so I have to write it; also, it would make this whole movie unnecessary, so it's somehow related to it. Why (and I can't stress this enough) can't Elizabeth be on the Dutchman? Why can't they do the job together? Is it because she's not a pirate? I'm pretty sure se actually is. Is it because she's a woman? Last time I checked she was the KING. She wants to stay with Will forever, Will wants to stay with her forever, they can literally live forever on the same ship. Why aren't they?

Whatever the Hell Happened to Jack Sparrow

Imagine creating a character that is so iconic whenever you ask a person who was a kid in the early 2000 to imagine a pirate, they imagine said character.

Now imagine fourteen years pass and you decide to ruin that character by making him the most hideous, annoying, idiotic person in the whole saga, and we're talking about a saga that has Philip the Missionary in it. Why? Jack Sparrow is THE anti-hero. Never on the right side, but never on the wrong one. You can tell he's doing something morally questionable, but you still find yourself rooting for him. He's stupid enough to make you laugh, but he's secretly clever enough to always get away with it. Now he's just... drunk. And that's not even an excuse for this horrendous new characterization, because he was always drunk. The guy FORGOT HE WAS ROBBING A BANK, the same guy just one movie earlier was able to escape from the King of England's palace and steal a lady's earring (by pretending to be a literal slut) in the process. He just switched from the iconic drunk bi bestie everyone loves to my cringe uncle that drinks too much at Christmas parties and makes everyone uncomfortable. Please, if the risk is ruining an entire generation's beloved character, either don't make the movie or find a better explanation than "Bad luck dogs you day and night".

The Pearl in The Bottle

So... what you're telling me is that Jack Sparrow, the guy who was able to defeat Hector Barbossa, Davy Jones and Blackbeard thanks to his slyness, and who loves his Black Pearl more than anything else in the world, had said ship in a bottle in his pockets for FIVE YEARS... and he never thought about breaking the bottle to free Her. That's what you're telling me. This is the pivotal point upon which the entire Jack's plot hinges. I... I don't even know what to say. Was this supposed to be funny?

What an Incredibly Lucky Coincidence

A guy needs a treasure to save his father. To find it, he needs the help of a notorious and legendary pirate. He looks for him everywhere, sailing on dozens of ships just so he has the remote chance to stumble across the pirate. The last ship he's been on has sinked, he's the only survivor. He's been found in the middle of the ocean and someone brought him to the nearest city. Which city? I mean, the one that has both the pirate he was looking for and a lady who's the only person in the whole planet who's able to find the treasure he was looking for! And, oh my... he finds the both of them! In that same city! Without even LOOKING FOR THEM! A hell of a coincidence, if you ask me. Also known as lazy writing.

What's Wrong With the Guards?

Now, I know Pirates of the Caribbean isn't exactly known for its accurate historical reconstructions, but why are the guards in this movie acting like they're some sort of hellhounds ready to kill anyone in sight? Even pirates and traitors as Jack and Henry were supposed to stand trial before being sentenced to death. It would've probably been an unjust and barbaric trial, but there should've been one. We literally saw it, in the previous movie. Why's Jack been sentenced to death for simply existing here? He gave pirate vibes and they decided that was enough?

Paul McCartney

This is not an actual point of the analysis, I just wanted to remind people that Paul McCartney is in this movie and that's the only valid reason to watch it.

Salazar

I am confused. Once again, I have questions.

El Matador Del Mar was so good at his job he had almost defeated piracy. "The last ones joined together to try and defeat me". The last what? Pirates? There were no pirates left? This happened when Jack was young, so a lot of time before the first movie, right? Where were, I don't know... Blackbeard? Davy Jones? Barbossa? All the other Pirate Lords? I might be wrong, but I guess Salazar didn't kill them, did he? Why weren't they there during that "last battle" in which "the last ones joined together"?

The Devil's Triangle. I just don't understand what's the logic behind it. So, this is a cursed place. Whoever enters there, can't get out. One would think it means that if you get there, you die; and Salazar does die, but he somehow also becomes a ghost whose only purpose is to find Jack Sparrow and have his revenge. So, do people become ghosts when they get in The Devil's Triangle? We have to assume people have gotten stuck in there before; otherwise, there wouldn't be legends around the place. So why isn't it like full of spirits ready to haunt people? Why are Salazar and his crew the only ones?

Poseidon or Calypso?

What's the Trident of Poseidon? Does Poseidon exist? Isn't Calypso the Goddess of the sea? Breaking the Trident, you break all the curses of the sea, so the Trident must be more powerful than Calypso, which leads to a question. Where is she? She IS the sea, right? So she must have known someone was about to find the Trident and brake all curses, including her one. She just decided it was okay? It really feels like someone decided to suddenly change the world's mythology without giving explanations.

The Compass

This is possibly the most blatant plot hole in the whole saga. Probably the most blatant plot hole I've ever witnessed, and man, I watched all the Harry Potter movies. In Dead Man's Chest, Jack meets Tia Dalma in her "shop" and he tells her he's looking for the Davy Jones' key. She asks him "The compass you bartered from me, it cannot lead you to this?", making another pivotal point of Dead Men Tell No Tales factually senseless.

That man couldn't have given his compass to Jack, because that wasn't his compass.

So either Salazar is lying while telling his tale or they forgot about that line in the second movie. Anyway, let's pretend that line doesn't exist; even if that captain gave Jack his compass in that exact moment, why would it be the key to free Salazar, exactly? How is the compass in any way related to The Devil's Triangle or to Salazar? In the movie, they try to explain it with a sentence: “if you betray it, your greatest fear comes true”. So, is Salazar Jack's greatest fear? I really doesn't seem right, Jack almost didn't remember Salazar when Henry mentioned him. To Jack, he's only a guy he outsmarted decades earlier. Also, Jack technically already gave the compass away, twice: to Elizabeth in Dead Man's Chest, to make her find the chest, and to Beckett in At World's End, when they're negotiating.

That's... That's Just Body Shaming, Mate

Let's talk about her. So, the woman's ugly. It can happen that a woman is ugly. Was it necessary to build an entire scene around some blatant body shaming? This scene wants to mimic the similar scene in Dead Man's Chest: Jack's on an island, running from the main villain, and he's forced to do things he doesn't want to do until someone saves him, then it was Will, now it's Hector.

Except in Dead Man's Chest it was LITERAL CANNIBALISM he was facing, and yet he looked LESS TERRIFIED and DISGUSTED. What's exactly the message here? Lads, is marrying an ugly woman worse than cannibalism? I don't know... that was just bad.

Justice for Hector Barbossa

If you know me (you probably don't, but if you do) then you know about my obsession with Hector Barbossa. I truly believe he's the best written character in the saga, and he's in my top five of the characters I love the most in all media. I watched The Curse of the Black Pearl when I was seven and I am autistic, so I had all the time to develop a literal relationship with these characters in my head. As much as Geoffrey Rush's interpretation was impeccable, as always, it really hurt to watch Hector in this movie. He just doesn't sound like him. First of all, why isn't he on the Queen Anne's Revenge? Why's he letting someone else sail around on his ships? He would've never. Why's he just sitting on a throne and shooting musicians instead of, I don't know... being a pirate? Being a pirate is the only thing that matters to him. He says it at the end of On Stranger Tides, and he even says it in this movie, to the witch. "I'm a pirate. Always will be".

So, why isn't he pirating? What happened to him? And what about the pact with the witch? He made her curse all his enemies; that's honestly the most out-of-character thing he could've done.

Seriously, watch this movie, and then The Curse of the Black Pearl and tell me he sounds like he's the same character. Then there’s his death... was it necessary? And I don't mean if it was necessary to the plot (it wasn't), but the way he died, did it make sense? He takes the sword and sacrifices himself to kill Salazar, but WHY? Salazar was back a mortal. They could've brought him to surface and then shoot him. What was the point of his death, Disney? I will never forgive you.

I would've preferred if they never showed him again. He's alive and living his best life in Tortuga, if you ask me.

How does Carina Smyth exist?

Let's do the math. Carina Smyth has approximately the same age as Henry Turner, who was born around nine moths after the end of At World's End. At the end of that movie, Barbossa once again stole the Black Pearl (he's iconic we stan a legend), so we have to assume it is during that time (between the At World's End and On Stranger Tides) that he conceives Carina. He stays with this woman during the whole pregnancy, bacause he says he was there when she died. So nine months, at least, right? Except; Jack makes it clear that he and Barbossa met Carina's mom, Margaret, together.

When, exactly, did this happen? It can't be between On Stranger Tides and Dead Men Tell No Tales, because Hector himself says only five years passed between the two, and Carina doesn't look like a five-year-old;

it can't be between At World's End and On Stranger Tides, because we know Jack and Barbossa weren't together, and Hector was too busy losing a leg and planning his revenge by working for the King of England; it can't be during At World's End, because Barbossa was too busy rescuing Jack and then slaying (literally and metaphorically) Beckett's men to save piracy; it can't be during Dead Man's Chest, because he was dead; it can't be during The Curse of the Black Pearl, nor during the ten years before it, because he was... he was a skeleton, I hardly believe he could reproduce, despite what’s written in some fanficions; it can't be before, of course, because Carina would be too old. The only chance, but it's a stretch, is that Hector and Jack met this Margaret Smyth years and years before, and that at a certain point (while he was still busy slaying, losing a leg or planning his revenge), for some reason he decided to come back to her and accidentally had a daughter. That would mean that Jack remembered Margaret Smyth's name DECADES after he met her.

The Post-Credit Scene: What?

WHY'S DAVY JONES BACK? The Trident technically broke all the curses of the sea. He is THE cursed man of the sea. AND HE'S DEAD. The only answer I was able to give me, is that the moment the Trident broke the curses, the curse that said if you stab his heart he dies was also broken, so he technically didn't die, but it makes even less sense, because if the curses just aren't real anymore, then a man shouldn't be able to... carve out his heart and put it in a chest, right? (Which by the way, makes Will Turner being alive senseless as well). Even if so, Davy should've come back as a human.

My conclusion is that this movie should not exist, and we, as a community, should pretend it was never made. Hector is alive. Bye.

Imago

[moon8th]

Young Thug, Ashlesha Sun 🐍🐍🐍

TW⚠️: Snakes

Nakshatra deity: Serpent🐍

The sun is now transiting Ashlesha, just in time for this post lol

I 💚 Young Thug so much, and it just randomly clicked to me that he could be Ashlesha Sun, after checking, he is lol,, I guessed bc I knew he was Tropical Leo Sun,

~also it’s very hard to pass up his obvious love for snakes

Ashlesha is “The Entwiner”, “The Embracer”, both I feel fit Young Thugs persona very well, as he’s known for deeply caring for/embracing many people he chooses to surround himself with

~This nakshatra is very very choosy and very private. Also naive.. bc they are so loyal/trusting over ppl they become close to, it is a theme that these natives get taken advantage of.. think Marilyn Monroe (Ashlesha Asc) (more information on this in Claire Naktis video of Ashlesha)

In Claire Naktis’ video, she also expressed how Ashlesha Natives can love to stick their tongues out, and that is so funny to me bc ⬇️

Many natives are highly seductive/hypnotic/cunning/magnetic/etc.

This Nakshatra is deeply connected to sexual energy, relating to the Kundalini/Caduceus🐍🐍 (energy that is coiled at the base of the spine, circulating through the spine+aura, pictured below)

Young Thug has literally nicknamed his self ‘Sex’

His Sun is in tight conjunction with his Jupiter, creating a large persona, emphasizing his Ashlesha traits

While he may be an extreme case of Ashlesha, he is a really good example of how it may manifest! I even have Ashlesha Mars, and I have a baby snake I never thought I could bond so deeply with💚

I strive to see Duality of all things, no good or bad, just light and dark, I know society looks at something like a snake or Young Thug as unlovable bc they are too ‘unpredictable’ and ‘intense’.. from a surface layer. Take a deeper look into something you consider bad, and see the reasoning of why it is that way, why everything is as it should be. Anyway Free Jeffery 💚💚💚💚💚💚

really mf good video sources for Vedic astrology:

Claire Nakti on YouTube

Daquan Jones-Vedic Astrology on YouTube

[marsprincess889]

Hey Marsprincess, I love your blog! 💞

I just read your post on Ketu and your core self. I was wondering about your thoughts on how ketu in uttara phalguni manifests? I would really appreciate it because I never hear about this ketu placement.

Thank you so much 🤍🤍

I would assume you were born in 1987/1988 or, more likely, in 2005/2006.

So, I have gotten another ask asking about a particular ketu placement and I have said the same thing to them that I am going to say now: ketu, in its essence, is a part of a person that is primal, raw, instinctual, subconcious and unyielding. Ketu is the most passive(and the hottest) planet in vedic astrology. It is the joint stored energy/experiences of a person, from this and previous lives. It is what is biologically natural to you, and thus, is rooted in truth.

You have to be in a state of complete trust and passivity to connect to it and to access its energy. And since it is the place where YOU make the rules, you cannot really ask others about it.

Ketu in uttara phalguni, in general, means you are strongly and naturally familiar with the uttara phalguni archetype(like i have always been with jyeshta_my ketu).

I really wanna write and explore uttara phalguni (it's also my ascendant,hi! 😄). So, this is not even half of what it is about, but, here it goes: contracts, agreements, marriage, associations, friend, companion, partner, popularity, good reputation. This is the bare surface. It's also connected to the archetype of the "perfect wife/girlfriend/lover"(wife moreso). Uttara Phalguni's yoni is the bull (male cow, so, the bull😄) and cow yonis have this softness, naturality, but also stubbornness to them. Contrast this to their enemies_ tiger yonis, who are more confrontational and focused on building, and more bogged down by details. Cow yonis have this sense of ease and unity to them, and an aura of taking the high road. They might sometimes seem really unbothered(except when they're with each other, which is a whole another story). Uttara phalguni in particular, since its ruled by the sun, can be very direct and unbothered by others' opinions. That's why in men it often manifests as the douchebag or the prick placement(lol). In women, I have noticed that they are pretty similar to men of this nakshatra in that they also have this unbotheted and fun-loving aura, but can become way more confrontational than men who can be more intentionally ignorant, if that makes sense.

The interesting thing is that despite all of its associations of getting ahead in life thanks to relationships and connections, natives of this nakshatra are actually probably genuinely the nicest people. That may be why people like to have them close, because they know that they do not have bad intentions. It can also be associated with marrying personal and proffessional lives, like having your loved ones at your job or starting a business with yoir partner. Uttara phalguni and uttara bhadrapada really are the power couple in its classical sense, no two ways about it.

In my opinion, it's also connected to the archetype of the rich heir/heiress who everyone wants to marry.

My recommendation would be to watch/rewatch "The Mask of Zorro", the 1998 film, and really pay attention Elena(Catherine Zeta-Jones). She's Uttara Bhadrapada moon, but her Sun and Ketu(!!!) are Uttara Phalguni and I think that in that movie, Uttara Phalguni is the archetype that she's playing, esp because Antonio Banderas has U. Bhadrapada moon himself. Actually they're kinda perfect for studying their dynamic. Another good one is "The Great"(Elle Fanning_ U.Phalguni moon and Nicholas Hoult_ Uttsra Bhadrapada moon).

Anyways, I think I have more to say but I cannot remember them now and I hope that what I did say is understandable and interesting.

Thank you so much for asking 🤍🤍🤍 feel free to ask more.

[justsomerandomfanfic]

Family Of Three - Indiana Jones X Female (Wife) Reader (feat. Shorty)

Title: Family Of Three

Indiana Jones X Female (Wife) Reader (feat. Shorty)

Additional Characters: Shorty, Indy's dad (Mentioned)

Requested by @doctoriletyougotogalaxy!

WC: 2,170

Warnings: Super cute, family fluff, fluff, Indy being a dad, flirting, slight suggestiveness, teasing, taunting, we love Shorty, references to other Indiana Jones movies, real life plot hole, happy tears, all the hugs for Shorty, and a slight bittersweet ending

"Hurry up, kid! Don't want to be late!" Indy called out as he placed his infamous hat on the top of his head. You made sure your pants were dust and grime free, brushing them and making sure your button-up was neatly tucked into your slacks before you glanced at Indy from the living room mirror, raising an eyebrow as you watched him put on his hat.

"Why are you wearing your hat, Indy?" You asked, turning to your husband, "You don't usually wear it when we go out." You mentioned and Indy shrugged.

"I feel like it," He spoke up, adjusting his tie and glasses.

You smiled softly, walking over to help him to fix his tie, making sure it was straight, "I don't understand the point of the hat after you spent half an hour combing your hair." You tilted your head slightly, as Indy's hands landed on your waist, his fingers looping through your belt loops, pulling you closer.

"Well, sweetheart," He began, leaning down to brush his nose against yours, making your cheeks and ears flush, "I just feel like it."

You scoffed, rolling your eyes as you softly pushed away, turning towards the hall, "Shorty, honey, you about ready?" You called, only to hear the quick pitter-patter of feet and Shorty to reveal himself; running down the hall.

He skidded to a halt, dressed pretty sharply in new brown pants, a flannel, new shoes, and his New York Giants baseball cap. "How do I look, ritzy eh?" Shorty asked, feeling confident in himself as you smiled and nodded your head.

"Absolutely, Shorty. Very handsome. Little ladies will surely swoon upon seeing you." You stated only for Shorty to make a face, shaking his head.

"Ew, no. I have no time for ladies, Y/N/N. I am too busy taking care of you and Indy."

You couldn't help but let your smile widen, "Alright then, are you ready to go?" You asked and the little boy nodded as Indy grabbed his car keys and opened the front door. 

"Where are we going?" Shorty asked as he got into the back seat, leaning over the middle console to look at you and Indy, fidgeting with energy.

You turned slightly in your seat, glancing from Indy to Shorty, "Well, it's a surprise. We have a whole day planned out for you."

“And don’t try and bribe us into telling you, it won’t work.” Indy added making Shorty roll his eyes as he leaned back into his seat.

~~~

You and Shorty sang along to the radio, a bit obnoxiously, trying to get Indy to join you but with no luck as you drove to the National Museum. The trees passed in green blurs as you and Shorty sang to ‘Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy’. Indy couldn’t fight the amused smile on his face as you pretended to hold a microphone in your hand as you sang. 

Sooner than you thought, you all arrived at the museum. Hopping out of the car, Shorty stared at the large building with wide eyes, walking with you and Indy up the large stairs and entering the museum, he looked all around the giant room.

"Wow!" Shorty exclaimed, his eyes widened as they met the glass display cases that held various items from the museum; his jaw slackened. Indy chuckled softly, placing a hand on his shoulder and leading him around the room with you. "Did you find these, Indy?" He asked and Indy nodded.

"Some of them," He began, stopping in front of one glass case, "Here's the Holy Grail, I found it with my... Dad." Indy spoke and you smiled, watching the two bond as you loop your arm through Indy's free one. Looking at each and every artifact that Indy had recovered. "And this one..." Indy continued, going up to the next artifact, "Is the Headpiece to the Staff of Ra that I found during my time in Egypt. It's made out of very precious gems and gold."

Shorty looked up at Indy with wide eyes of awe and curiosity, "What's the most precious treasure you found, Indy?"

Indy grinned, staring at the artifact with a soft gaze before looking down at you, "I'd have to say Y/N."

You immediately looked up at him in shock and surprise, feeling your face warm, "What?" You chuckled awkwardly, unbelieving, "Don't be ridiculous." You said, giving a light slap to his arm.

Indy smirked down at you, "You don't believe me? I would show you if the kid wasn't here." At his words, you gasped lightly, narrowing your eyes and feeling your face flush.

"Indy!" You scolded, swatting at his chest as he laughed, dodging your attempt to hit him again. He grabbed your hand and pulled you forward, causing you to stumble into him.

Indy stared down at you, leaning down before pausing, his lips just brushing yours. Pulling away slightly, Indy covered Shorty's eyes earning a 'Hey!' from the boy as Indy leaned down to press to your lips, kissing you softly. The kiss ended much too soon for your liking, but was nonetheless sweet; you blinked back your surprise as Indy rested his forehead against yours.

"You done yet? I got artifacts to see." Shorty spoke up, pushing away Indy's hand with a huff, making you smile down at the kid.

"Yeah, honey, we're done. I want to see the Cross of Coronado. It's my favorite." You spoke, leaving Indy behind as you and Shorty headed off to see the cross.

Indy watched you and Shorty, a smile on his face before he joined you, taking his hat and placing it on your head; you chuckled as the hat covered your eyes slightly. You pushed the hat back so you could see as Indy wrapped his arm around your waist.

"Why is the cross your favorite?" Shorty asked and you sighed, remembering when Indy took you to see it for the first time.

"I guess it's because of Indy's past with it." You began, giving the boy a smile before looking back at the cross. "I love how Indy never stopped looking for it. Even after all those years, he kept searching. And the way it inspired him to become someone great." You finished quietly, feeling Indy hand on your waist tighten. "That dedication to seeking the impossible and unknown has always been one of Indy's strongest traits, ever since I met him."

"And I think Y/N's beautiful charm and passion to find the answers to all kinds of questions is something that I admire deeply," Indy commented and you smiled at him, squeezing his hand. “Half the reason why I married her.”

"Don't think you're going to get any brownie points for that." You teased, making Shorty look up at you both eagerly.

"Brownies? I want brownies!"

~~~

Indy continued to talk about everything from the cross to other treasures, pointing out places in the exhibit as you all walked down the halls. After a while at the museum, you both left and got back in the car, heading to one of Shorty's favorite diners, where he always got a chocolate milkshake and a slice of his favorite cherry pie.

He sipped on his milkshake before taking bites of his slice of cherry pie as you bit your lip, glancing out the window nervously. Indy took your hand in his, intertwining your fingers together, gaining your attention. He gave you a small smile, calming you significantly as you returned to eating your slice of pie. You were a bit worried and very anxious the entire week. A couple of days prior, you and Indy had gone to the adoption office, filling out a few forms and completing a few piles of paperwork to try and get confirmation that you could adopt Shorty. 

The paperwork arrived that morning, and it said you were both approved to adopt Shorty just as long as he wanted to be adopted. It was a relief to know that you could adopt the kid. You and Indy loved that kid as if he was your own. Shorty was such a sweet, caring, brave, and smart kid; you wanted nothing more than to give him a wonderful home and raise him with Indy. You cared so much for Shorty and wanted to make sure he had the best life that you could give him. You had the chance to give him the life he deserves, a life in which he could go to school, and learn about fantastic and interesting things; give him a chance to be a kid. Shorty deserved the world.

~~~

You all headed home with full stomachs, the three of you collapsing on the couch together with a laugh, Indy’s hat on top of Shorty’s head, covering his baseball cap. You sighed, feeling content as Indy turned to look at you, glancing at Shorty in your arms before he stood. You turned down to look at Shorty.

"Short, honey, we have something for you." You began softly, your heartbeat increasing as you thought of what might await you. You glanced up at Indy, who reentered the room with the envelope, a nervous grin plastered on his face.

"What is it?" Shorty asked, sitting up on the couch. You sat up as well, Indy sitting beside you and handing Shorty the envelope. Shorty took the envelope, looking at both you and Indy confused yet curious as you gave him the nod to open it. Shorty carefully ripped open the envelope, pulling out the paper from inside. He read it over, and you bit your lip and fidgeted with your fingers in anticipation.  

"What's this about?" Shorty asked, still reading the letter with a confused expression on his face.

You glanced at Indy before speaking, his arm wrapping around your shoulder, "Well," You began, swallowing, "We would like to adopt you, Shorty." You finished, smiling softly at the little boy who was staring at the paperwork in his hands.

"You serious? You really adopting me?" He asked, looking up at you with big eyes that seemed to grow larger.

You nodded, unable to contain your smile. "If you want us to. This is your decision." Indy spoke up, holding you closer to him.

"I do! Yes, yes yes!" Shorty exclaimed, jumping up from his seat and hugging the both of you tightly, tears welling up in his eyes. You chuckled softly, rubbing Shorty's back gently as you hugged him back, tears falling down your own cheeks at the sight. "Really?" He asked, as if you weren't serious, but Indy nodded.

"Yeah, kid. we really want to adopt you." He spoke and Shorty smiled.

"Thank you!" Shorty cried in complete joy. He pulled away and looked at you and Indy as you wiped away the tears that ran down his cheeks.

"Of course, honey. We love you very much. More than anything." You responded and Shorty smiled, throwing himself back into your arms.

"I love you too." Shorty muttered into your shirt, snuggling close as he held onto both of you. You felt Indy wrap his arms around the two of you, pulling you tighter against him as he laid his head on top of yours. 

You let out a shaky happy sigh, resting the top of your head on Shorty’s cap, before letting out a small laugh of pure joy. 

~~~

In the next couple of months, Shorty was enrolled in school, learning great lessons from science to astrology. He improved on his English and even joined a few school clubs. During breaks and Summer, Indy would take you and Shorty on trips around the world, Greece, Egypt, New York, and even Iceland. You spent birthdays at parks and arcades, playing pinball machines and eating ice cream. He even started calling you and Indy, mom and dad…

Then there came the point that Shorty was old enough to go to high school, where he made more friends and joined more clubs including joining the math decathlon and even an art club, to which he was both very successful at. During breaks and Summers, Shorty would participate in helping Indy find artifacts, finding Archaeology to be a real calling to him, just like his dad.

When he wasn’t finding gold and treasure with Indy, he was with you at home. He’d help you around the house, cooking and even taking up a few chores so you had less to do. He was going up to be such a sweet and kind gentleman. Yet, he never lost that bravery and curiosity that he had as a child. 

Before you knew it, he was off on his own. Traveling the world with Indy and recovering old artifacts. Though he was pretty busy, Shorty would never forget to write you letters home, retelling his amazing adventures and all that he discovered. You’d keep those letters close, rereading them often as you missed your son. You’d check off the days on the calendar, waiting patiently for your son to come home.

[hwsing]

cowboy! alfred f. jones

notes/warnings: 18+, nothing crazy just me being a loser over this man, gender neutral reader, bottom reader, top alfred. PSA i am not exactly a cowboy expert so this might feel more like just southern! alfred lololol. not very long feel free to rq more

cowboy! alfred who rides into your small town on a sturdy, beautiful white horse. he comes with so many stories and has a sweet southern charm that’s not too fancy and all the more boyish. he’s got the biggest grin you’ve ever seen and has more dreams than you can count

cowboy! alfred who’s dick print is hardly contained by his jeans; somehow, the fool seems unaware of his display. he has no idea why you look so skittish, sweetheart, he ain’t gonna bite

cowboy! alfred who comes home to your house after a long day in the sun, sweaty and dehydrated, the only thing he wants to help being your juices; regardless, he’ll spend the night between your legs as long as you let him, getting his share until you can’t anymore. regardless of what he’s sucking, he puts his all into it — it’ll make you wonder how he still has so much energy after a long day of work. while he is naturally an energetic young man, the sight of you as he comes home is enough to get him rowdy and sometimes, the blood drains to his cock so fast he almost passes out! he’ll always spoon you once it’s over, a sleepy grin on his face as he kisses your shoulder and thanks you

cowboy! alfred who offers to teach you to ride if you don’t know how — and, he means both his horse and his cock. his grip on your hips is stronger than intended, he really doesn’t know his own strength, but you barely seem to mind. after all, the feeling of his cockhead pushing against your gummy walls again and again and again relentlessly as he bounces you on his cock. he’ll stretch your hole all night if you let him, really <3

[naturepointstheway]

Because 90s Zurich Cats lives rent free in my head, more little gifs from there

Witness Munkustrap being befuddled by a friendly fistbump from whoever that cat is who was with him for the "terrible bore" line (wasn't Alonzo as usual). According to a post I saw somewhere, that's supposed to be Plato fistbumping Munk, which makes it even more adorable. (I'd initially saved this as "the Zurich production walked so the Munkjerrie ship could sail" but I'm not even sure that's Mungo anymore lol)

#GiveMunkAFistbump2024

Meanwhile, during Bustopher Jones' number, I love this quick subtle moment of Cori turning his paw point at Bustopher Jones into also checking in with Misto to see if it's okay to lean on him before doing so. The little nods are so cute too. Cori and Misto friendships are the best things (or just Cori flat out crushing on him--yes, 1998 Cori during Mistofflees' big number, I'm looking at you!)

JennyAnyDots: "I know, I know, my high C is the best ever, give me all the praise." *pats own head fur like a human would their hair*

On a not so jovial note, but interesting to point out during Gumbie Cat is that Jelly looks like she's trying to stop one of the other kittens teasing Misto about him thinking it was his song now. She looks like she's reaching out toward the kitten (while still on the car) to try and be like "hey, leave him alone!"

Also wow, the way that kitten just STARES into his eyes has got to be the most uncomfortable (not to mention rude) thing, especially if Misto is the type to generally not like eye contact (at least not prolonged eye contact). This has the energy of a cat staring down another feline interloper in its territory without blinking.

No wonder Jelly was like "Hey, stop that" from the car (her head looks like she's following the kitten back to where she had been sitting before as well.)

Also, Munkustrap's wiggle dance there is absolutely 100% chef's kiss. Best quality: his Munkustance, but also his wiggles.

Both Bomba and Jelly lean down to Misto when he goes to the car, but Demeter is very aloof and ignoring them (though it's hard to tell from the quality. I think she's too focused on Munk--so can't see through the heart eyes what's going on next to her ;) )

Despite what looked earlier like Jelly possibly trying to get the kitten to leave Misto alone, those still look like some very impatient "Get up on the car already!" arm/paw swipes. Meanwhile, Bombalurina is unfazed as usual, returning to her "paint me like you paint your French felines" pose as always (and probably wondering where Tugger is.)

As this was a slightly less happy way to end this on, let's wrap up with Misto going into a very fantastic conjuring turn (not yet upgraded with the "Speed It Up Halfway" DLC--still fantastic, regardless!)

[midsummer-semantics]

Tagged by @hornedqueenofhell

this is exciting!

divider by @/saradika-graphics

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

37

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

552,698

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Stranger Things primarily, but I have written for Harry Potter and Marvel

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

- Free-Use Healthcare - Forehead Kisses - Big Dick Energy™️ - cherry on my lips - Gold Rush

5. Do you respond to comments?

I didn't really respond much in the beginning but I try to respond every time now. Even if it's just a heart or "i loved this," I want everyone to know that I appreciate them taking the time to read AND leave a comment.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

holy palmers' kiss I suppose has the angstiest ending considering it exists in the canonverse. At the very end, Steve thinks "Maybe we can save each other," but we know from a fan perspective that Eddie dies because Steve isn't there to save him that Steve and Eddie live happily ever after.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

This is entirely personal opinion because I really only do HEAs lol It's either my big boy The Fool, The World, and Everything in Between because Steddie fight to live as normal a life as possible in the wake of s4 and end up getting engaged at the end, or it's Best friends, ex-friends ‘til the end (better off as lovers) because they bonded, like, a day into being reunited because they were soulmates.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Aside from one comment from someone being marginally racist about how Italians aren't darker skinned (Steve is Sicilian in one of my series and Sicilians are notoriously darker skinned), not really. But I recently heard that some people use priv bookmarks to make sure they avoid reading something again, and while I think that's counterproductive to the bookmark count, I don't really want to know if it's happened to me.

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

Yep! Almost exclusively, but I do have a few fics that are smut-free which I'm always surprised by. All Steddie, all gay, and it ranges from soft love-making to filthy, dirty, wet and messy sex.

10. Do you write crossovers?

The only crossover I've written was for Marvel, and that only counts on a technicality that it was a crossover between Eternals and Daredevil.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of, but I haven't actually scoured the internet to check. I hope if something was stolen, the people reading it still enjoyed it.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I think so? I had a HP fic translated into Russian but I never followed up on the website to see if it ever got posted.

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

When I wrote the Marvel fic, yes. I was working on and Eternals Ikaris/OFC while my best friend wrote a Daredevil/OFC and my other friend wrote a Jessica Jones/OFC, and we had them all in the same room multiple times.

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

Steddie, hands down. Nothing has had be in a chokehold quite like this.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you will?

So many, and I've lost interest at the moment in one I was actually posting, but I'm hoping to pick it back up after the Big Bang is finished. Probably with massive re-writes.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think I'm funny, so I would like to say I have a lot of really solid lines in fics that make people laugh out loud. Also my world-building tends to be extensive (so much plot in my porn every damn time), but I don't want to classify that as a weakness so strength it is.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I don't tend to plan things out. I usually have a scene or two in mind and then I write around them and piece it together like Frankenstein's Monster. It's worked out for me so far, but I wish I planned things better sometimes.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I've done it a few times. For my Italian Steve/Mexican Eddie series I have both boys speaking second languages but not well lol I just make it part of the bit because, like Eddie in this, I also speak Spanish but not well. This is my official request that if you do speak another language that I've written in and it's wrong, feel free to let me know lol

19. First fandom you wrote for?

My Chemical Romance. I was 13. We don't talk about it.

20. Favorite fic you've written?

I'm really attached to The Fool, The World, and Everything in Between because it's a chonky boy (107k words) and it took me 9 months to write, but We'd rather be six feet under (than be lonely) is a very close second because I really got to play with Steve's inner monologue there and I think the approach I took to the fake dating trope was really original.

non-pressure tags: @tedewitt @malikat24601 @mojowitchcraft @lexirosewrites

[reality-detective]

Thinking that there is going to be a BIG biblical scenario where they make out it's WW# but really they are activating Militaries then bombing all of these Satanic Luceriferian landmarks. Enacting GESARA funds and We The People rebuild.

THE EVENT. IT IS BIBLICAL.

WhipLash

What are some of the Very BIG Satanic Illuminati landmarks in the world. Q showed us them. Vatican, Buchinghan Palace, Whitehouse x 2 (USA, Germany), 3GD in China. Cern on the Swiss/French Border possible. What about Russia?

Another Post from WhipLash347

Big Pharma in Wuhan = Isreal

Isreal/Khazarians controls CCP.

The Media etc

34 Satanic Buildings and Dams will Fall.

Rods of God

WORLDWIDE over the coming days to Easter. Ending of Biblical Period.

Planes & Trains grounded

Lights/Power switched off

Changing over to Tesla Free energy

34 Satan buildings & dams bombed

Bitcoin Servers trued off

99.5% of Crypto gone China Coins.

WW3 Scare Event. Nuke Sirens

Water Event

Stock Market Crash

Global Martial Law

CASTLE ROCK -Scenario

Quantum Systems. Project Odin Switched on.

Nesara/Gesara/RV

Election Flipping via Military Courts

Military Tribunals/confessions/10 day movie

Revals

Inauguration

The ISRAELI MOSSAD control the WORLD's MEDIA out of the US.

Attached is Q1871 outlining this.

Project Odin as mentioned by Ron CodeMonkeyz is a POWERFUL Anti-Deplatforming Tool.

Project Odin is part of Quantum Starlink. Our new Quantum Systems are to be protected by Secret Space Programs out of the Cabal's reach.

Q2337 tells you Mossad Media Assets will be removed. Think people like Alex Jones, Anderson Cooper etc and also Mossad Satellites.

Israeli intelligence - stand down.

[TERM_3720x380-293476669283001]

Media assets will be removed.

This part of 2527 tells you that something powerful is going to knock out Mossad Media Satellites. This will blackout the media worldwide, Switch us over to the Quantum Systems. This is PROJECT ODIN. All in All give the reason to Activate the Military EBS.

Starlink [17] seems to of tactically placed itself at the right time.

If you look up the TURKSAT Rocket that launched from the USA in January you will see it was specifically for MILITARY COMMS to peoples TV's & RADIO's in AFRICA, MIDDLE EAST, EUROPE & CENTRAL ASIA.

THE EVENT has many facets too it.

The WorldWide Blackout to change over to TESLA Energy. Knocking out Media Satellites, QFS, Rods of God on Dams & 34 Buildings & much much more.

34 Buildings will be in the EVENT.

They are very significant.

Ie Whitehouse, Royal Castles, Buckingham Palace, Vatican, Getty Museum, Playboy Mansion and the like.

This will surely make the Stock Market collapse. It is all a show, 99.5% of Crypto's will be removed from existence with the event.

Swapping from Rothschilds Central Bank Notes to Rainbow Treasury Notes now backed by Precious Metals (Not Oil/Wars)

Tomorrow free money stops for backs. Bonds sell of to get off books. Seems all is lined up for scare event...stay safe.

Are we still comfy ?

Or are we scared ?

A little bit of both is normal.

Trump keeps his promises.

Have faith in the Lord Our God.

He will comfort you through the storm.

Who saw in January up to 10 countries at once have their power all turned off by the Space Force?

Just before that Israel had that happen for 30 mins too.

If they can turn 10 at once off all together. They can do the whole lot. Welcome to Tesla.

BLACKOUT NECESSARY.

Have a look at all the Global Military "Exercises" now being put in place.

Defender Europe 21 covering Europe & Africa.

Australia has one same time as Defender Europe. US just announced involvement.

Its all happening in front of you.

It's a GLOBAL MILITARY Operation

Transition to Gesara.

Now they just have to play out a fake WW3 scenario to ring sirens in every National Military Command Center.

This is to justify to the Whole Entire Planet many things that have been taking place already. The fact that Gesara Military Law has been in place. The Secret Military Tribunals, Confessions etc. The executions the lot. And like all militaries normally do they will help build new things.

- Benjamin Fulford

[void-botanist]

Standing, Asalun, & Associates

An AOM &c. AU that nobody asked for, so I'm delivering!

This is me taking Mystery Incorporated, Dead End: Paranormal Park, Hilda, Mob Psycho 100, and let's be honest, the whole ghost segment of The Sword Interval that lives rent-free in my mind into one vibeful concept: Horatio and Marcus run a paranormal investigation business.

Due to all of their proposed names being terrible puns or just not catchy, they gave up and called it Standing & Asalun. They run it out of what is Horatio's Flowers in AOM, and they do extremely lackluster business. However, Celia thinks it's the most delightful fucking thing and inserted herself into the investigation so much that they essentially hired her. She still has a day job, like Marcus, and unlike Horatio MyOwnBoss Standing. Eventually Allison joined in, and even if they would hire him he doesn't actually want the job, so he's technically a contractor. Still, the addition of another regular meant that they finally felt like they had to change the name to Standing, Asalun, & Associates.

Season One

Season one is the alternate story to AOM and begins with things going poorly as usual - they're not actually that bad at their job, but they have a hard time finding people who actually need paranormal things investigated, or even stuff they can put on their video channel - until Sid blows into town, with his parents not far behind. Horatio is instantly convinced that something is Off. No one else agrees - obviously Sid is just having a bad time and is also sixteen years older than when they last saw him. Horatio is ready to acknowledge that he was just too hungry for a lead when Sid starts having dreams that are very clearly not normal weird but paranormal weird. On an island that seems to have nothing paranormal going on, there's nowhere they could possibly be coming from...unless Sid's recently arrived parents have something to do with it. But they're not even witches, let alone known to be capable of whatever this is. So why do they seem to make the dreams worse but their muddy message clearer? SAA - but especially Horatio and the newest associate, Sid - will stop at nothing to find out.

Starring

Horatio Standing

keeps the books

makes the pepe silvia boards

lives above SAA

brings the Fred Jones energy

Marcus Asalun

makes most of the money that goes into the books with his art

designs the ghost science experiments

lives elsewhere but if he could fit his studio into Horatio's place he'd probably just live there. it would cost less

brings the Velma Dinkley energy

Celia Standing

manages the morale

gives the pep talks

lives with Allison

brings the Daphne Blake energy

Allison Hughes

keeps to his own schedule

bakes the snacks

lives with Celia, but it's his house

brings the Shaggy Rogers energy (or Scooby, because wolf)

Sid Reid

keeps a log of his strange nightmares

makes all the food that's not snacks

lives with Horatio and also in fear of his parents, paranormal influence or no

brings the Mr. E energy

with additional appearances by

Avis Peynon

is not your fucking chauffeur service damn it

Sorian Shank

inherited Fred Jones's legendary trapbuilding abilities

Phil Shank

will be your chauffeur service if you don't kill her vibe

Leon Standing

has a book on that but no he doesn't know what the text means either

Edith Standing

banned from contracting with SAA because she pranked them too much

Donovan Reid

is obviously a paranormal intensifier because he's clearly the coolest guy in the world

Emma Reid

read a book about this once and yes she's sure she knows what the text means

[drarrygirl27]

Hello Peeps!

I haven't been on here in a long ass time once again. At this point, I think it's just to be expected of me. LOL! 😆

Anyway, a lot has happened since I last posted. So... First of all, Nezuko is doing well. She's already a year and 4 months old already. Where in the hell did the time go?! She hasn't gotten too much bigger though which is why Doug and I both refer to her as our forever kitten. She's on the lean and petite side which is pretty common when it comes to female cats. She has recently gotten fixed, but if her surgical site looks like it is mended at least for the most part (It's been healing very well from what Doug and I have seen throughout this week.) by the time Doug gets back from work today (This is officially her 7th day of recovery since we had her fixed.), she'll finally get to be completely free and not have to stay in a relatively well sized dog kennel for most parts of the day anymore which would be awesome for all because she's missed her freedom to do as she pretty much pleases in the apartment and Doug and I have missed her and her kitty cuddles and such and she has missed that as well. We have fairly recently allowed her some supervised time out of the kennel in our bedroom with the door shut so she can get a little exercise and such which of course she has really liked and just yesterday, she went back and forth here and there between where Doug was at and where I was at in our bedroom to get some good quality time and get nuzzles, snuggles, and cuddles in too as well.

Second of all, we've had another cat for probably about 2-3 months now considering that he was estimated to be 6 months, 3 weeks, and 2 days old on May 30th for when him and Nezuko both got fixed. His name is Tanjiro. Unfortunately, with a lot of things that were going on at that time and the time before then, we couldn't seem to find the time, money, and or energy in some cases to get some things done including getting both Nezuko and Tanjiro fixed at technically a good or decent time so that by now, they could have been properly socialized and such, but recently we've been getting some things going and prepared which is good because of the 3rd really big thing that has been going on for a long while now. However, before I get to that, please keep us in your thoughts and prayers for when it comes to anything and everything pertaining to all of these crazy changes. We are most definitely going to need it for many reasons. You'll see why for when I mention the 3rd and biggest change that is very life-changing in and of itself that is happening in the Jones and Filkins household.

Third of all, I'm pregnant! Doug and I both have been trying to get pregnant from June 1st of last year. I officially stopped taking my birth control pills on that day after we discussed it with my OB prior to that. I started feeling mild nausea for about 3 months starting in August or September I want to say in the early morning hours to about late afternoon hours of the day everyday and around that time and sometime after my period had started to regulate naturally, my flow was starting to fluctuate in quantity here or there (I made myself some charts that went from that specific pack of my birth control pills, including listing the last day I took one, and the day I stopped taking them altogether, that I was stopping on to June of next year because that's what my OB suggested for Doug and I to do before looking into our fertility and such like that (Not the detailed month charts. Writing down the month charts was my idea to keep track of things.). Then there was some spotting here and there happening more and more frequently as the months went by until there was almost nothing to absolutely nothing really showing up sometime in September or October if I'm remembering the months correctly so Doug advised me to take some pregnancy tests. I took the first two from the package on Nov. 5th and both the digital and + or - said positive. Well I did my due diligence just to be on the safe side of things and waited exactly a week after Nov. 5th to take the second two from that exact same package (a digital and + or - one) relatively around the same time in the morning that I took the first two and both of those also said positive.

We both were pretty sure that I was pregnant given my symptoms and the 4 positive tests that were taken exactly as the directions written in the pamphlet, but whenever we told his immediate family about it, we did both say that it's still just a possibility that I could be pregnant and that this wasn't technically an official announcement and that we won't know for sure for sure until getting it officially confirmed with my doctors so to please not say anything about it to anyone else until we get confirmation on it. They were of course very excited just like we were about the real possibility that I could be pregnant.

Fast forward to Nov. 28th, where we get told by my primary physician that the pregnancy test that they just did had come back positive. So... By that point, we have 5 pregnancy tests in total all saying positive which in and of itself was incredibly surreal, but nothing and I mean absolutely nothing could have prepared me for how more surreal things could get until I went to get my first out of 4 total ultrasounds I've had done where I got to see my baby for the first time right there in front of my eyes on the screen and hear their heartbeat on Dec. 7th. No words that I could ever think to say would be able to describe even a little bit of the feelings that I felt hardcore while I was seeing this little human inside of me and hearing their heartbeat especially for the first time. That was the moment it felt incredibly real, but still so surreal at the same time. After trying to conceive for just a small number of months, Doug and I were officially on our journey of parenthood.

So... As you can see here a lot of changes are heading mine and Doug's way and any day now I'll be having our baby because I am now according to the What to Expect App, 39 weeks and 5 days along and the estimated due date is literally this Sunday, June 9th which is insane because my own birthday is this coming Monday. Either way, you look at it Doug is going to be dealing with not only two Geminis (We be crazy sometimes. We're fun, but things can get crazy with us here and there.), but two female Geminis. May the Lord and all the highest, bless him and his soul is all I have to say. LOL! 😆

So... Yeah those are the biggest changes from last year to now that has happened and or is happening still. Oh and Doug and I both have a raise coming up in September and it's actually a really good one to be honest especially his because he gets paid more as a Plumber for the school district than I do as a Custodian for the school district, but what I have coming my way per hour is pretty damn good. I'm not at all complaining about it. Oh and another thing, whenever I get back to work from my maternity leave, I'll be at a different campus. I'm going to miss my boss and my co-workers and the people I've cleaned for and such, but I have to do what is best for my daughter which is why I'm being transferred to a different campus so I can work the morning shift while Doug works the evening shift. I'm a bit nervous and anxious about it, but a tad bit excited too because while the morning shift custodians get paid a little less than evening shift custodians do, it's also usually from my very little experience doing it at other school campuses a bit easier cleaning wise so that's a plus in my book especially being a new mom and all. My new work shift will be 6 am-2:30 pm instead of 2:30 pm-11 pm, but I know I'll be all right. I adjust to different work shifts relatively well. It'll take me, mind and body wise probably at most 2 weeks to adjust to that time difference especially as long as I allow myself enough time to eat a good breakfast and enjoy a cup of coffee before getting my work day started.

Well... I believe that just about covers it really at least for now. Have a good day and Ttyl, Peeps!

Sincerely, Kendra E. Jones

[ionlydrinkhotwater]

In Other Lands Fic recs

Wanted to recommend some amazing IOL fics and give some love to the writers!

7. The Next Chapter by coslyons

Elliot and Dragons who are full on thirsty for him need I say more? It's actually very sweet and wholesome, Ns extremely funny I really enjoyed it and I am certain you would too

6. Be Bold, but not Too Bold by meguri_aite

Another Elliot dragon fic but this one is from Lukes POV and is very sweet and romantic. It has Diane Wynne Jones energy and I am here for it

5. Yule in the Borderlands by FrenchRoast

Omg this is a delight!!!!!! Nice Xmas vibes and very cute. This fic highlights that the Borderlands is a big place with its own culture! I really enjoyed this fic it was warn and hilarious

4. Gratuitous Hypothermia Prevention Fic by betp

This fic was so sweet lots of adorable Sunbrat and everyone doting on a sick Elliot.

3. All I Want Is You by frogy

Imagines of the residents of the Borderlands could travel to the human world and for the best reason ever! Goldens Bachelor Party! Luke is SUCH. A bird in this fic it's great Goldens friends are PERFECT and it's easily one of my favourite fics it's too funny

2. Elliot Enchanted by @elliotschaferr

This fic is still ongoing and it is INCREDIBLE. The premise alone: Ella Enchanted meets IOL its too good. The author captured the characters voices really well and I cannot wait for more

1. Pick Your Poison by Penndragon27

OK this fic is so good I've re read it so many times cause I can't get enough of it. The writer not only captures the characters so well but had me laughing and crying every chapter. I cannot recommend this one enough!

Feel free to add your own recs as well!!!!!

[cadybear420]

If the HSS characters were a heist crew in TH:M

Feel free to add any thoughts or suggestions, my brain farted out on ideas for the last two of these

The Mastermind/Leader (Role of TH:M MC): Maria or Michael.

I know. The obvious answer is to put the MC here, they're the glue that holds the group together and all. But since the HSS MC is a very flexbile character, I've decided to leave their position a little more ambiguous. They're in whatever role you feel suits your MC the best :)

So besides MC, I've decided to put both Maria and Michael here. I can't pick one or the other. With Maria's experience in organizing missions such as the Ollie the Tiger investigation and the Principal Isa investigation, and Michael's experience

The Genius (Role of Rye): Maria, or maybe Aiden?

I mean, come on. This one speaks for itself.

The Demolitionist (Role of Eris Huang): Koh, Skye, or Michael.

Koh has the pyromania energy, but Michael and Skye would have the technical skill.

The Hacker (Role of Samira/"Blackbird" or Anton Edison): Michael

Do I even need to elaborate?

The Muscle (Role of Lena Ortiz or Uppercut Jones): Anyone on the football team– Caleb, Julian, Frank; or Koh.

This goes without saying as well. I imagine the football team has some good experience in this category.

I also add Koh in here because she did show to have good skills for defense in the quarterback tryouts.

The Thief (Role of Sybil or Niles Eddison): Emma.

This motherfucker learned how to pick locks from Nancy Drew books. And she seemingly knows how to break into safes too (granted she does have a little more trouble with it).

The Grifter (Role of Peter Graves or Miranda Moreau): Any of the actors from theatre– HSS:CA MC, Rory; maybe HSS:CA MC's twin, Emma, Caleb, or Michael too; maybe Aiden?

The actors thing speaks for itself really.

I also picked Aiden because it would be an excuse for him to get dolled up in a slinky dress and makeup.

The Getaway Driver (Role of Fabien Ahmad or Tillie Marshall): Uhhhhh... Julian? Maria?

IDFK honestly. It was Julian's car that they went in for the Hearst Heist... IDFK.

[thedevilsrain]

Loving your blog on eroica, your art is beautiful btw.

It's nice to see you talking abt the problematic political stuff the manga deals with, i read for the drama and gay ness and how the tropes are well executed. May i know your most fav and least fav arc and why??

thanks so much i'm so glad! i actually started reading it for the gay stuff as well but it awakened my seven year hyperfixation on the cold war

i've actually answered this before but now i've read these chapters more + i have a new Least Favorite Arc. so lets go

so, i don't know how much of a consensus this is, but my favorite arc is definitely the alaskan front, full stop. i also love eau de cologne and the free shooter/der freischultz

but i think that alaskan front captures FEWL's essence perfectly - the comedy is great, the characterization is at its' best, the art is gorgeous - the perfect balance between aoike's shojo artstyle and all the gun and machinery - and every character has a chance to shine, from agent Z, to the forgotten mr. jones, to mischa and to, of course, dorian and klaus.

plenty of my favorite panels and scenes come from this arc alone. one of my favorite scenes in the manga is one where eroica and his team manage to outsmart the KGB and even NATO, to the point that when dorian tells eberbach he had the KGB hospitalized (through giving them laxatives), he doesn't believe him

there's also some classic moments, like klaus saying his love of nescafe (just 'instant' here lol) for the first time, mr. bonham calling eberbach nato old man (or nato geezer lol), and whatever the hell this third picture is

i just find it great, all around. it struggles with pacing, as most of these longer eroica chapters do lol, but it still manages to be entertaining as you're building the web of spies in your head, and watching the funny interactions throught. this too is one of my favorite scenes ever. absolute great ride 🌹❤️🐗

now! my least favorite. this i won't expect to be a consensus, but it's seven days in september. readmore cos it turned out too long. here's some dorians from the alaskan front as a mental preparation

so right from the start, seven days follows midnight collector, the story about dorian's past interluded with im trying to steal the man in purple and another painting (i should mention that while the story about klaus' backstory doesn't have dorian, the major has a whole subplot in dorian's chapter), and as the arc proceeds, it starts a recurring theme of eroica's story being cut short/overshadowed by whatever's going on with the major.

i would only find this mildly annoying, if it weren't for the fact that the stories can become slow at best and boring at worst without dorian's more campy and, let me just say it, gay energy

this arc also starts another recurring thing for FEWL: very long and convoluted arcs. by the second half of seven days, we have: major and eroica crashing a plane in a convent, mischa and his KGB guys and salim and his misogyny and a brief appearance by lawrence and the SIS. they've already traveled three countries, and honestly by here i was already lost. it just gets to a point of too much information where the only thing keeping you going is the gags

(we can get into salim another day lol)

another thing that begins to suffer in this arc is the characterization. it's prolly somewhere around this arc that you might start to think 'wow, it's been a long time since eroica and the major have had a soft moment', and it's all downhill from here. there is such a focus on keeping eberbach as an asshole with zero development that their characterization actually begins to sufer -- klaus is more and more unbearable, and dorian is more and more stupid.

in this arc, there's a scene where, after dorian fails to get klaus drunk (story for another day) and klaus is the one that gets him drunk instead, he does a striptease, before klaus takes him to a bathroom. klaus tells him he hates him and threatens to beat him when he's asleep, but when dorian actually blacks out, klaus buttons up his jacket around him so that he isn't half-naked in a bathroom.

but! the scene is then completely ruined because shortly afterwards klaus and mischa (the bear cub) literally WATERBOARD dorian when he's still blackout drunk, in a scene that's actually hard for me to read

and again, it's really all downhill from here. seventh seal is another arc i really dislike, bc it follows this trend of eberbach manipulating and tricking dorian, and dorian's affection towards him stops being this funny if unlikely thing, and starts being more... sad lol

i had to get that one out of my system BUT. this is Not The Worst Yet! this arc features the single WORST scene in the ENTIRE manga and i will not be taking criticism about this

mischa, knowing the major's dad was a... tank commander... in the german army. in ww2, brings klaus to the el alamein desert, where a nazi generla or whatever lost a battle to the allies, with the intent of humiliating him. and it actually WORKS -- and once mischa obviously loses to eberbach in the end, it's supposed to be this moment of... reinvidication, almost? klaus says he doesn't care, but mentions how it hurt his pride, you know?

i find this one actually gross to read JFGJLKJGLGF its so incredibly bad either way you read it -- the major is offended mischa would remind him the germans lost the war, or mischa, a mischa, clinging to the past when the russians won the battle, but now in the current day the germans are better.

by this point you'd think we'd be over the 'major's dad was a soldier in ww2' thing or at least consider it an obvious Bad Thing -- but here's aoike, in 1982, still coyly playing up how germans are good and noble and all that

there's plenty other pretty bad eroica chapters -- insha'allah with its' messy orientalism and.. child brothel, midnight collector's messy handling of dorian's trauma, the seventh seal having dorian 'trick' a man in drag, the panda's maze everything etc. but seven days in september still remains at the top of me for having a moment where eroica actually stopped being fun, a moment where i actually had to stop to think about the author's politics and how they end up being cast over the story.

anyway read the alaskan front lol

[living-a-charmed-life]

More shifting ish quotes

I got a book called “wisdom for our times” and thought i’d share the quotes that made me think of shifting

“Success seems to be largely, a matter of hanging on after others have let go.” - William Feather

“You can have anything you want if you want it desperately enough. You must want it with an exuberance that erupts through the skin and joins the energy that creates the world.” - Sheila Graham

“I was taught that the way of progress is neither swift nor easy.” - Marie Curie

“I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble.” - Helen Keller

“Learn from the past. Do not come to the end of your life only to find you have not lived. For many come to the point of leaving the space of earth and when they gaze back, they see the joy and the beauty that could not be theirs because of the fears they lived.” - Clearwater

“Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained.” - Marie Curie

“You can transcend all negativity when you realize that the only power it has over you is your belief in it. As you experience this truth about yourself you are set free.” Eileen Caddy

“I was always looking outside myself for strength and confidence but it comes from within. It is there all the time.” - Anna Freud

“… if you want something very badly, you can achieve it. It may take patience, very hard work, a real struggle, and a long time; but it can be done. That much faith is a prerequisite of any undertaking, artistic or otherwise.” - Margo Jones

“How can you hesitate? Risk! Risk anything! Care no more for the opinion of others, for those voices. Do the hardest thing on earth for you. Act for yourself. Face the truth.” - Katherine Mansfield

“We ought to remember that we are not the only ones to find ourselves at an apparent impasse. Just as a kite rises against the wind, even the worst of troubles can strengthen us. As thousands before us have met the identical fate and mastered it, so can we!” - Dr. R. Brasch

“Courage is, with love, the greatest gift. We are, each of us, defeated many times - but if we accept defeat with cheerfulness, and learn from it, and try another way - then we will find fulfilment.” Rosanne Ambrose-Brown

“There are no impossible dreams, just our limited perception of what is possible.” - Beth Mende Conny

“You are everything that is, your thoughts, your life, your dreams come true. You are everything you choose to be. You are as unlimited as the endless universe.” - Shad Helmstetter

“Each second you can be reborn. Each second there can be a new beginning. It is choice. It is your choice.” - Clearwater

“Whether you think you can or you can’t, you’re right!” - Henry Ford

“… victory is often a thing deferred, and rarely at the summit of courage… What is at the summit of courage, I think, is freedom. The freedom that comes with the knowledge that no earthly power can break you; that an unbroken spirit is the only thing you cannot live without; that in the end it is the courage of conviction that moves things, that makes all change possible.” - Paula Giddings

“Shrug off the restraints that you have allowed others to place upon you. You are limitless. There is nothing you cannot achieve. There is no sadness in life that cannot be reversed….” - Clearwater

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” - Theodore Roosevelt

“Our lives are like the course of the sun. At the darkest moment there is promise of daylight.” - London ‘Times’ editorial, December 24, 1984

[beardedmrbean]

Am I dreaming? The woke Left are suddenly worried about freedom of expression. The very people who have spent years calling cancel culture a myth, and dismissing the rise of censorship as some pearl-clutching moral panic, are now railing against the clampdown on dissent and protest, specifically Suella Braverman’s attempts to ban tomorrow’s “pro-Palestine” Armistice Day march. 

Owen Jones, Guardian columnist and Corbynista TV personality, has slammed what he calls the “deliberate and hysterical campaign” to ban the march. In a video, he took aim at those Right-wingers who have forgotten their supposed liberal principles where these demos are concerned: “[S]ome of those who talk about threats to free speech, cancel culture, ‘the Left are dangerous authoritarians’, they’re the ones leading the charge, trying to ban a mass, peaceful protest because they don’t like it.” 

Novara Media’s Ash Sarkar has also been getting in on the act. “Why is it that supporters of Israel have such a low tolerance for dissenting opinion?”, she asked on Twitter / X.

The University and College Union (UCU) is similarly up in arms after the government sent a letter to UK Research and Innovation, the national funding agency for science and research, demanding to know why it had appointed two people to an advisory group on equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) who had made questionable comments in response to the Israel-Hamas conflict. (One had said the government’s planned crackdown on “Hamas support” was “disturbing”.) The EDI group has since been disbanded and UCU chief Jo Grady has written to the secretary of state for science, innovation and technology, Michelle Donelan, expressing her concerns about a “chilling effect on freedom of speech and academic freedom”. 

So, in an apparently stunning turnaround, the bourgeois, academic Left has gone from sneering at we “free-speech warriors” to trying to claim the mantle for themselves. Last night, Owen Jones tried to do just this at an online UCU event. “We hold the flame of genuine free speech”, he said, calling on the Left to mount a campaign for “actual free speech” – as opposed to the presumably phoney free speech advocated by all those awful culture warriors. UCU put out a clip of his speech online, but then deleted it, following an almighty roasting on social media.

The reason the clip was roasted was, of course, because Owen Jones and the UCU and many other Left-wingers currently speaking up for the right to dissent are completely full of it. It is clear to me that they do not believe in free speech or academic freedom at all. If they did, they wouldn’t have expended so much energy in recent years insisting that campus censorship was a non-issue, all while demonising dissenting academics. 

In 2020, Jones tried to get an Oxford employee sacked over an unpleasant tweet he posted about Sarkar. UCU, for its part, is a paid-up supporter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign, which blacklists Israeli academics. It has also led the crusade against trans-sceptical voices within academia. Kathleen Stock, the gender-critical philosopher, finally decided to leave the University of Sussex, after months of agitation against her, when her own UCU branch denounced her and sided with the trans activists who had been making her life hell.

As for the right to protest, the woke Left had nothing to say when anti-lockdown protesters had their collars felt, time and again, during the pandemic. Apparently, those opposing the unprecedented theft of our civil liberties were undesirables, unworthy of the right to assemble. Meanwhile, those who have taken to the streets every Saturday in recent weeks to chant genocidal slogans like “From the river to the sea”, while plastered in pro-Hamas stickers, are actually noble freedom fighters whose rights must be respected.

To say that Jones et al are inconsistent on free speech isn’t strictly accurate. They’re incredibly consistent… in their double standards. They only ever defend free speech and the right to protest for those who happen to agree with them. They’re fierce supporters of the freedom to think exactly as they do. Which is why they can carry on like modern-day Mary Whitehouses one minute, then bemoan the clampdown on dissent the next.

No doubt, there have been many on the Right who have jettisoned their free-speech credentials in the wake of Hamas’s brutal pogrom in Israel and the disgusting response it has sparked on Britain’s streets. To my mind, the best way to oppose this anti-Semitic bile is not censorship, but more speech, more counter-protests and more agitation. We need to challenge the Israelophobes out in the open and deny them the status of free-speech martyrs.

But the Tories’ double standards on free expression are as nothing when compared to the rank hypocrisy of the woke Left. They don’t believe in free speech. They believe in me speech. And we shouldn’t let them get away with pretending otherwise.

[clochanamarc]

u get another teaser drabble for what's to come in 2024 for aisling and the squad, but before i dive into it: this year is a whole JOURNEY, yk? a real saga of so many parts for aisling and the family and ur muses too (if u want!! bc i very much want ye to feel like u can be involved!) but this is like. i've been so excited abt this for so long, and that's all i wanna say atm, but i will be making a post to outline stuff if y'all wanna plot smth involved w this year's overall arc!

she's never driven as fast as this in her life. rubber burning, tires defying every natural law of physics as they power through puddles and thin air and loose gravel to bring her to the blooming flower of smoke that protrudes from the familiar block. the police have already set up the tape, not for a crime scene but rather to keep the others safe, when she skids to a halt next to them, abandoning the keys in the ignition, door open, knowing nobody would be stupid enough to steal it tonight.

" will! " she's racing forward, and the officer instinctively lifts a hand. " where are they?! "

" aisling-- "

" where?! " she's about to move past him, but he plants a hand on her shoulder with admittedly lacking wisdom. adrenaline and terror and trauma collide. she catches his wrist, twists it down and away from her arm, and uses a swirl of energy to pin him down against the bonnet of a police car.

" wait! dammit, wait, wait, wait! " he's yelling, his free hand waving out frantically, and it takes a second for her to grasp that he isn't speaking to her, but to the alarmed back-up who take positions and size her up, a hair away from a chaotic choice. " she's alright! she's fine, ais, you're okay, i'm sorry, let me explain-- "

" where the hell are they?! " she's releasing him, brushing past the others like flies, when she sees a familiar face emerging from the rubble of the diner. " woo-- "

" alright, let's all just take a second... jones, we found seven of the kids. they're fine, they're unharmed. well... eli dislocated an arm, but-- "

" i have eight children. "

" ... you still do, yes. but aisling, we... we need to talk about that-- "

" what... " she's not sure which way is up anymore. jimmy has an arm outstretched, but her gaze is fixed on the destruction around them. blackened bricks. scorched rubble. veins of darkness that spiral across the tarmac. metal lampposts twisted and contorted. her fingertips catch on a piece of lightly melted tinsel, flames reflecting against the cheap gleam of the plastic. " who's missing? " nobody answers her. nobody wants to say it. her hands curl into tight fists, and she turns, eyes filled with tears of heartbreak and rage and disbelief. " who did he take, woo? "

" well... that's just it, jones. aisling... mister kelly was not responsible for this. they did. they fled shortly after, and... there's something else you should know. "

" you're not making any sense; you mean one of my kids did this? one of my kids melted concrete and levelled a four storey building? "

" please. aisling-- "

" aisling. " the voice alone drives her stomach into the ground. he's standing in the hazy smoke, soot and dust staining the holy collar, black shirt crumpled from the madness. oisín. the boy who forgot. the man who remembers. the lost-and-found brother who opens out his arms, and places her in a gentle, feather-light embrace. " i need you to listen now... "

" no. " her voice betrays the full measure of fear and devastation that besieges her heart. but he won't let her pull away; he holds her tighter, and places a gentle hand on the back of her head, voice thick with tears.

" he's gone, ais. i'm sorry-- "

" shut up, shut up, don't you-- oisín, please, please-- "

" he's dead. "

she's crying, and her legs give out beneath her, but he holds her upright, forcing her to bear it all. " don't do this- "

but he has to.

and so he does.

" stanley's dead. "