utterlynotperfect

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xiao zhan - yuguyao behind the scenes

Shocked and hesitant under the curled up body, the pain is hard to pull out in the condensed eyebrows and tears. The roar of thunder that hurt the ultimate traction did not reach the time shadow @X九少年团肖战DAYTOY 's pain of losing his mother...

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R. Parthiban's styling as Chinna Pazhuvettarayar was TOP-TIER. Best styling in the film (including Kundavai, Nandini (good but does it matter how you dress Aishwarya Rai lmao), and Arulmozhi Varman). Only competition is Aditha Karikalan's.

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Speak for yourself, I was a Puneet Issar!Duryodhan girly myself 😭😭

Mahabharat girlies had crushes over Pandavas, Karna and then on God himself named Krishna

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Shivaa by @vibishalakshman

Chapter 1

Shivaa: Chapter One (Deivathirumagal)

Today was Not a good day for Aditha Karikalan. First, Sambavaraiyar had tried to harass him into marrying his daughter who had blatantly told him that she had no interest in him. Then, the other chieftains had criticized his decision to give the throne to his younger brother instead of Madhuranthakan, the "rightful" heir. And finally, now, after ten strenuous months, Nandhini had gone into labor and Aditha was stuck in the court. He was going to lose it if he went one more minute without knowing what was happening.

"Manimegalai, go check on Nandhini, please." He whispered to the Kadambur Princess.

His wife's best friend nodded and left, wringing her hands together. Periya Velaar and Periya Pazhuvettarayar brought up yet another topic they couldn't agree on. Oh, Aditha was definitely going to lose it.

… In Nandhini’s Chambers …

Nandini's chest heaved as she struggled to push their child out of her body. Another scream overtook her body and she vaguely registered Manimegalai appearing by her side.

She could hear the maids whispering and the midwife looking on with concern. Nandini might never have given birth before, but she knew it wasn't supposed to be this extreme. Pain dominated her body again, her muscles contracting to try and get it out.

'Krishna,' she begged, 'Whatever good I have done in my life, use it to save my child.'

"Just a little more, Arasi, you're almost there."

Nandhini barely had the energy to nod any longer. She was exhausted and her husband was nowhere to be seen.

"They're not going to make it," she heard someone whisper.

Although she would never admit it, Nandhini was worried about the same. Her mind began to pray over and over again for the well being of her child. She could die for all she cared, but the baby in her womb should not.

With one final push, Nandhini collapsed with the distant chime of the temple, penetrating the silent air.

… 5 years later …

Deivathirumagal darted away from the watchful eyes of the maids her father had employed, crouching behind a large pillar when they passed by. They were all far too involved in their own gossip to notice that the Princess of Kaanchi was not trailing behind them.

Deiva had her eyes set on the set of large golden doors up ahead, which she had seen her father enter enough times to know that it was the throne room. Making sure no one was looking, she entered through the door which had been left ajar.

“Appa!” she giggled, running up to the unsuspecting king and climbing in his lap.

Karikalan absentmindedly stroked her hair, frowning while he listened to Periya Pazhuvettarayar drone on about political alliances.

“We have Siriya Velaar’s daughter, Vanathi, no?” he said, “What’s the harm in getting her married to the Rashtrakuta king?”

Karikalan frowned, looking down at Deiva who was fiddling with his necklace.

“Not now, Deiva.” he said, looking back up at Periya Pazhuvettarayar. “My family has hopes to marry Vanathi to my younger brother as you know.” he reminded, his voice dangerous. He knew that Pazhavur did not want Kodambalur to become the ruling clan, hence their insistence to marry off Vanathi somewhere else.

“Then how do you suggest we appease the Rashtrakutas?” one of the other chieftains spoke up, “By marrying your own daughter to him?”

Deiva looked up when she was mentioned in the conversation, smiling innocently at the man. Karikalan’s eyes darkened and he took Deiva off his lap.

“Aren’t you supposed to be with the maids right now?” he asked her coldly, “Go on, Appa has more important matters to attend to.” Karikalan didn’t want his daughter in the room in case he lost his temper at the chieftains.

Deiva whimpered. “But Appa-”

“Deivathirumagal! Now!”

She caved in on herself and nodded, scurrying out of the room. The maids found her a few moments later, sitting dejectedly outside of the throne room.

“You can’t run off like that! Come, let us take you back to your mother.”

… In Nandhini’s Chambers …

Akka,

I have tried my best to be patient and supportive, but I am afraid that Ponniyin Selvar will be better off without my presence by his side. Let him and Samudra Kumari be happy, I am coming to you in Kaanchi. If Ponni Thai does not want me as her daughter-in-law, will Kaanchi accept me as its daughter instead?

Sincerely,

Kodambalur Ilavarasi Vanathi Devi

Nandhini sighed and rubbed her temples. What had Arulmozhi done now?

She lay back on the bed and rubbed her growing stomach, feeling a wave of nausea overtake her. Should she send for Karikalan? No, he was probably busy with the chieftains right now.

The door opened and her maids carried in Deiva, who was sitting sadly in their arms. Nandhini smiled at her pouting face and reached her arms out for her daughter.

“This one tried to run away from us today, Arasi.” they laughed.

Nandhini kissed her daughter’s forehead weakly. Deiva curled into her side, breathing in her mother’s scent. The Queen of Kaanchi gently hummed to her, ignoring the fatigue she felt. Despite her best efforts, however, a coughing fit took over her body, causing the maids to rush to her and usher Deiva out of the room.

“Best if she doesn’t see this.” they said.

Nandhini reached out for her daughter, whose face she saw fall just before the door closed.

Outside, Deiva curled into a little ball on the floor. Her mother was constantly sick and ailing, too weak to take care of her. Her father, on the other hand, was able bodied but too busy to pay her any attention.

Was there anyone who still needed Deiva?

.......................

Penny for your thoughts?

@harinishivaa @thelekhikawrites @hollogramhallucination @chiyaanvikram @thegleamingmoon @whippersnappersbookworm @rang-lo @curiousgalacticsoul @rapunzels-stuff @ragkee @nspwriteups @willkatfanfromasia @sowlspace

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PLEASE 🥺😭🙏🏾

On second thought... this may come today.

Here's a teaser for Shivaa.

@harinishivaa @thelekhikawrites @hollogramhallucination @chiyaanvikram @thegleamingmoon @whippersnappersbookworm @rang-lo @curiousgalacticsoul @rapunzels-stuff @ragkee @nspwriteups @willkatfanfromasia

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Ponniyin Selvan + text posts for @foolgobi65​ my beloved

+BONUS

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Yeah.

He did play every point like that.

“Crazy dreams take crazy effort”.

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@Fanfic writers:

My friend send me this link, is a series on a profile on Ao3 (tumblr) that has different tutorials to insert things to fanfics via html code, I thought I would share bc it’s really cool

Lists of tutorials:

How to make images fit in mobile browsers

This is a tutorial/live example on how to make large images fit on mobile browsers but remain normal size on desktop browsers.

How to mimic letters, fliers, and stationery without using images

This is a tutorial/live example on how to mimic the look of letters, fliers, and stationery (as well as other forms of written media) without using images. For all your epistolary fic needs.

How to make a “choose your own adventure” Fic

This is a tutorial/live example on how to create a "Choose Your Own Adventure" fic. While this has been explained before (see here), this particular tutorial shows you how to use a work skin to hide the next parts from the reader until they click through to get to them.

How to make linked footnotes on Ao3

This is a live example of how an author can create linked footnotes in their work with only a little bit of HTML and no workskins required. This is best viewed by clicking "Entire Work". While I've included the actual coding in bold and italic once you click "Hide Creator's Style", there's a more detailed explanation here.

How to change text on Ao3 when the cursor is hovering over it (or clicked on mobile)

This a tutorial/live example on how to have text change or appear once a cursor is hovering over it. Helpful for pop-up spoilers, language translations, quick author's notes, etc.

How to mimic author’s notes and Kudos/Comment buttons

Anonymous on tumblr: do you have a skin that would mimic the author’s notes and review/kudos buttons section from the end of a fic? the desired effect being that the fic could go on after the “end” of the fic, so after the author’s notes and review/kudos buttons

Here's a tutorial/live example to do just that, with some of the buttons actually functioning. I'll explain more inside!

How to wrap text around images

This is a tutorial/live example on how to align images to the left or right of the screen and have text wrap around them.

How to mimic email windows

This is a tutorial/live example on how to mimic email windows on AO3 without the need to use images.

How to make ios text messages on Ao3

This is a tutorial/live example on how to mimic iOS text messages on AO3 without the need to use images. There's also a chapter on how to have emojis displayed on AO3 as well.

How to make Customized page deviders

Bored with the default page dividers? This is a tutorial/live example on how customize your page dividers with no images needed (though I do show you how you could use images if you wanted to do such a thing).

How to make invisible text (That can be highlighted)

This is a live example how to make invisible text that can only be seen by highlighting the text. Tutorial is included in text, and you can always leave comments about questions you may have.

MOBILE USERS: Sadly, this probably won't work for you, since highlighting in a mobile browser is different than web. I've tried correcting this, but have yet to find a solution.

How to make a rounded playlist

Original coding and design is from layouttest. I make no claims for it, just tweaked it so it will work on AO3.

How to create notebook lined paper on Ao3

This is a live example of my AO3 skin that allows the author to recreate the look of lined notebook paper in their work. To learn more about it, you can find the tutorial here.

Sticky notes on Ao3 without using images

This is a live example of my AO3 skin that allows the author to recreate the look of sticky notes (aka Post-Its) in their fic. To learn more about it, you can find the tutorial here.

How to make deadpool’s thinking thinking boxes on Ao3

This is a live example of my AO3 skin that allows the author to recreate the look of Deadpool's thinking boxes in their fic. To learn more about it, you can find the tutorial here.

How to make newspaper articles on Ao3

This is a live example of my AO3 skin that allows the author to recreate the look of a newspaper article in their work. To learn more about it, you can find the tutorial here.

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Hihi~ I hope you’re doing well ^^ just wondering if you might’ve moved on from updating Bildungsroman? Also, I thought PoT kind of finished after New PoT but they just put out the U-17 series??

Hi! I'm doing okay, thank you :) just real life caught up with me big time + writing tennis is HARD. I'm still writing it though; it's crawling, but still in motion. I wrote about 200 words three days ago, and the file is still open on my laptop. I just... Can't open my laptop a lot these days due to studies.

The story is not gonna touch NPoT and U-17. That's way too much 🤣

I'll try and update one chapter a month from now on, but can't make any promises. I'm studying for arguably the toughest exam in my country, so 🥲🥲

Thank you for checking in, and hope you're doing well too! Feel free to message from time to time and keep me honest lol.

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Therapist: And what do we do when we are feeling sad?

Me: We watch the Match in Africa?

Therapist: *nodes* we watch the Match in Africa.

In case anybody needs some self-care, here is the link to watch the full match.

Some higlights: 46:50 for Trevor & Rog competing for the best Rafa impression 50:00 for Rafa making fun of Roger making fun of his grunting 2:16:56 for Roger teasing Rafa about his between leg trick shots (but also admitting that Rafa's really good at trick shots) 2:24:27 for Rafa's horrendous serve 3:22:26 for Rafa lip-synching to Sweet Caroline 3:24:18 for Rafa's outrageous 360 point 3:38:20 for Rog & Rafa being husb- *sbaaf* bros

And for Rafa having the time of his life, just click anywhere.

[Part 2]

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i still think about this moment a lot. this man is just so endearing and cute whaaaa!

his little confused ‘whot?’ and how he immediately searches for roger, desperate for a little help. but of course roger is useless, because everything rafa does makes him giggle like a fool.

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Concerning Juliet’s age

I find a big stumbling block that comes with teaching Romeo and Juliet is explaining Juliet’s age. Juliet is 13 - more precisely, she’s just on the cusp of turning 14. Though it’s not stated explicitly, Romeo is implied to be a teenager just a few years older than her - perhaps 15 or 16. Most people dismiss Juliet’s age by saying “that was normal back then” or “that’s just how it was.” This is fundamentally untrue, and I will explain why.

In Elizabethan England, girls could legally marry at 12 (boys at 14) but only with their father’s permission. However, it was normal for girls to marry after 18 (more commonly in early to mid twenties) and for boys to marry after 21 (more commonly in mid to late twenties). But at 14, a girl could legally marry without papa’s consent. Of course, in doing so she ran the risk of being disowned and left destitute, which is why it was so critical for a young man to obtain the father’s goodwill and permission first. Therein lies the reason why we are repeatedly told that Juliet is about to turn 14 in under 2 weeks. This was a critical turning point in her life.

In modern terms, this would be the equivalent of the law in many countries which states children can marry at 16 with their parents’ permission, or at 18 to whomever they choose - but we see it as pretty weird if someone marries at 16. They’re still a kid, we think to ourselves - why would their parents agree to this?

This is exactly the attitude we should take when we look at Romeo and Juliet’s clandestine marriage. Today it would be like two 16 year olds marrying in secret. This is NOT normal and would NOT have been received without a raised eyebrow from the audience. Modern audiences AND Elizabethan audiences both look at this and think THEY. ARE. KIDS.

Critically, it is also not normal for fathers to force daughters into marriage at this time. Lord Capulet initially makes a point of telling Juliet’s suitor Paris that “my will to her consent is but a part.” He tells Paris he wants to wait a few years before he lets Juliet marry, and informs him to woo her in the meantime. Obtaining the lady’s consent was of CRITICAL importance. It’s why so many of Shakespeare’s plays have such dazzling, well-matched lovers in them, and why men who try to force daughters to marry against their will seldom prosper. You had to let the lady make her own choice. Why?

Put simply, for her health. It was considered a scientific fact that a woman’s health was largely, if not solely, dependant on her womb. Once she reached menarche in her teenage years, it was important to see her fitted with a compatible sexual partner. (For aristocratic girls, who were healthier and enjoyed better diets, menarche generally occurred in the early teens rather than the later teens, as was more normal at the time). The womb was thought to need heat, pleasure, and conception if the woman was to flourish. Catholics might consider virginity a fit state for women, but the reformed English church thought it was borderline unhealthy - sex and marriage was sometimes even prescribed as a medical treatment. A neglected wife or widow could become sick from lack of (pleasurable) sex. Marrying an unfit sexual partner or an older man threatened to put a girl’s health at risk. An unsatisfied woman, made ill by her womb as a result - was a threat to the family unit and the stability of society as a whole. A satisfying sex life with a good husband meant a womb that had the heat it needed to thrive, and by extension a happy and healthy woman.

In Shakespeare’s plays, sexual compatibility between lovers manifests on the stage in wordplay. In Much Ado About Nothing, sparks fly as Benedick and Beatrice quarrel and banter, in comparison to the silence that pervades the relationship between Hero and Claudio, which sours very quickly. Compare to R+J - Lord Capulet tells Paris to woo Juliet, but the two do not communicate. But when Romeo and Juliet meet, their first speech takes the form of a sonnet. They might be young and foolish, but they are in love. Their speech betrays it.

Juliet, on the cusp of 14, would have been recognised as a girl who had reached a legal and biological turning point. Her sexual awakening was upon her, though she cares very little about marriage until she meets the man she loves. They talk, and he wins her wholehearted, unambiguous and enthusiastic consent - all excellent grounds for a relationship, if only she weren’t so young.

When Tybalt dies and Romeo is banished, Lord Capulet undergoes a monstrous change from doting father to tyrannical patriarch. Juilet’s consent has to take a back seat to the issue of securing the Capulet house. He needs to win back the prince’s favour and stabilise his family after the murder of his nephew. Juliet’s marriage to Paris is the best way to make that happen. Fathers didn’t ordinarily throw their daughters around the room to make them marry. Among the nobility, it was sometimes a sad fact that girls were simply expected to agree with their fathers’ choices. They might be coerced with threats of being disowned. But for the VAST majority of people in England - basically everyone non-aristocratic - the idea of forcing a daughter that young to marry would have been received with disgust. And even among the nobility it was only used as a last resort, when the welfare of the family was at stake. Note that aristocratic boys were often in the same position, and would also be coerced into advantageous marriages for the good of the family.

tl;dr:

Q. Was it normal for girls to marry at 13?

A. Hell no!

Q. Was it legal for girls to marry at 13?

A. Not without dad’s consent - Friar Lawrence performs this dodgy ceremony only because he believes it might bring peace between the houses.

Q. Was it normal for fathers to force girls into marriage?

A. Not at this time in England. In noble families, daughters were expected to conform to their parents wishes, but a girl’s consent was encouraged, and the importance of compatibility was recognised.

Q. How should we explain Juliet’s age in modern terms?

A. A modern Juliet would be a 17 year old girl who’s close to turning 18. We all agree that girls should marry whomever they love, but not at 17, right? We’d say she’s still a kid and needs to wait a bit before rushing into this marriage. We acknowledge that she’d be experiencing her sexual awakening, but marrying at this age is odd - she’s still a child and legally neither her nor Romeo should be marrying without parental permission.

Q. Would Elizabethans have seen Juliet as a child?

A. YES. The force of this tragedy comes from the youth of the lovers. The Montagues and Capulets have created such a hateful, violent and dangerous world for their kids to grow up in that the pangs of teenage passion are enough to destroy the future of their houses. Something as simple as two kids falling in love is enough to lead to tragedy. That is the crux of the story and it should not be glossed over - Shakespeare made Juliet 13 going on 14 for a reason. 

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“Guys, I can’t hear him. Please, show some respect for Jim Courier, he won here twice. Let him speak please guys, if you respect somebody, at least respect Jim Courier.”

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my favorite daniil being a little shit moments. bonus:

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The biggest giveaway about Colonel Lennox’s character is the fact that he looks like Novak Djokovic.

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Today, let’s talk about Rudy Galindo.

His victory at the US Championships in 1996 is an underdog story if figure skating ever had one. It’s an iconic performance that could easily be the climax of a movie without changing a thing.

In 1996, Galindo arrived at Nationals without having won it since his days as a novice, or even having stood on the podium since he was a junior. (In singles, that is - he and Kristi Yamaguchi also skated pairs and were double national champions together.) He’d had some success as a junior - bronze, then silver, then gold at junior Worlds, the last the year before he and Yamaguchi also took the title in pairs - but once he and Yamaguchi split for good, he spent years without any big international assignments, with a best of fifth place at Nationals. By this competition, he was 26, old enough for people to start remarking on his age.

That wasn’t the only disadvantage he had working against him, though. First, after years of feeling like the judges were biased against him for being too camp and because of his Mexican heritage, he had come out as gay in a book published just days before. It was a bold move in a judged sport rife with homophobia and with very few active competitors who were out at the time.

Second, while skating demands large amounts of money, Galindo was lacking it. In the run-up to 1996, he was given zero funding or encouragement from USFS. He biked to the rink because he couldn’t afford a car; his sister started coaching him for free and helped to cover some of his expenses.

And lastly, he’d been through enough personal tragedy for a lifetime in only a few years. In 1989, his and Yamaguchi’s coach died of AIDS complications. In 1993, his father passed from a heart attack; in 1994, his brother, who he helped nurse, also died of AIDS; and in 1995, yet another coach of his died from AIDS as well. No wonder he needed to take an eight-month break from training after 1995 Nationals.

But the 1996 championships were in his hometown. And Galindo decided that he wanted to give everyone a performance they wouldn’t forget, not one they would cheer for just because he was the local competitor.

Spectators at practice sessions noted a composed confidence in Galindo, and he carried that through his short program. He was not the fastest skater on the ice, but his performance was enough to land him in third place (apparently to boos from the crowd, who thought he should be higher).

For his free skate, he wore a costume that not even the most conservative judge could object to, and skated to one of the most standard pieces of music in all of figure skating: Swan Lake. Galindo’s Swan Lake was unique, though, in that rather than a swan or a prince, he characterized himself instead as the evil wizard Rothbart.

Though he was last to skate, he betrayed no hint of nerves as he started his program, striking a few dramatic poses before landing a smooth 3A3T that made the commentators exclaim aloud. The bombastic opening section merged into a calmer one, where he showed off his flexibility:

And man, remember dramatically held spread eagles in big circles?

The music went light and playful, and Galindo became light with it, completing each jump and then continuing through his choreography with ease and grace:

In the last minute of the program, you can see him begin to smile to himself as his movements become celebratory.

He even took a moment to wave to someone in the audience :)

He finished his program with the traditional spin, showing off his nice layback position while the audience started to cheer and then didn’t really stop. Those who were there say that people were on their feet for him before he was done skating.

As he came off the ice, he hugged his sister, before he turned his head and shouted upward to convey his love to some of those he had lost. When the technical marks were announced, the crowd didn’t just scream their heads off - they started to chant their opinion for the artistic ones: SIX. SIX. SIX. SIX. SIX.

Two of the judges agreed, and the rest placed him high enough to win over the favorite, Todd Eldredge. And Rudy Galindo, the twenty-six-year-old who had never stood on the senior podium at Nationals or been sent to any major competition as a singles skater, who was bearded and Hispanic and gay, was now the US men’s champion.

(He’s often cited as ‘the oldest in 70 years’; however, this number seems to be closer to 60, going back to Roger Turner, and he was only a few months older than Tickner was in 1980. Still an impressive accomplishment!)

His exhibition was a tribute to those he and so many others had lost to the AIDS crisis, the theme made loud and clear by his simple costume consisting only a black suit with a large red AIDS awareness ribbon around his neck.

At his first and only senior Worlds in men’s singles, he won the bronze medal. Following this successful season, he considered making a run for the Olympics, but instead retired to the pro and show circuit, always receiving a very warm welcome from the audience. I highly recommend his pro program to Somewhere Over the Rainbow, which yeah, is pretty gay and always makes me tear up at this moment:

Despite his struggles with depression and addiction, and an HIV diagnosis in 2000, nowadays he seems to be doing well. He works as a choreographer and has become a coach, and he often posts proud videos of his students.