#although if this doesn't make sense and seeing it in video form would be helpful lmk and ill just link it anyway
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[image description: an ask by @arbrehoux that says “Hi! I’m just getting into spinning, and I wanted to ask how to finish off the yarn once you’ve spun all you want. I’ve tried googling it, but every website I look at skips straight from the actual spinning to soaking. I’m using a drop spindle, if that’s relevant.” end image description]
soaking usually IS the way to finish yarn ! i'll give you the best step by step i can though (and for future reference, this applies to pretty much every single spinning method, so you can do this with yarns spun on a spinning wheel, a supported spindle, a drop spindle, a navajo spindle, a charkha wheel, or whatever else you might encounter. it's all yarn, so it can all be finished the same way.)
step 0: if you plan on plying your yarn, do it before finishing. you don't need to finish singles if you plan to ply them. finishing relaxes the yarn, so if you finish a singles and then ply it, it will end up being somewhat limp unless you overply it (which makes yarn less elastic and more rough) but if you spun a singles and want it to remain a singles, never to be plied, then you can certainly finish it as a singles.
step 1: remove the yarn from your spindle (or bobbin, or whatever it is on) and wrap it around something as it comes off. a niddy noddy is great for this, but not necessary. you can wrap your yarn around a big hardcover book or the back of a chair, or whatever. when taking yarn off a drop spindle, i usually just toss the spindle on the ground and let it roll around as I wind the yarn off. if you’re worried about it catching on something, put the drop spindle in a box or mixing bowl instead and let it roll around in there.
[image description: a somewhat blurry closeup of a tattooed man’s hands. in his right hand he’s holding a hardcover book. in his left he’s wrapping yarn around the book lengthwise. a red line has been drawn in to show the path of the yarn as he winds. end image description]
step 2: tie your yarn off. you can use the messy looking ends of the yarn if you wish, or another piece of yarn or string. just tie a simple knot around the hank. you want at least two knots, but if you're really worried about it tangling, you can do more. the purpose of tying your yarn off is to stop it from tangling in the next steps, to make it easier to work with when you wind it into a ball or cake later, and to keep it looking tidy.
[image description: a closeup of the yarn on the book from the previous image. a knot has been tied around all the strands of yarn on that side. there is a red arrow pointing to the knot. end image description]
step 2.5: if you want to know your yardage or meterage, this is the time to do so. first, count how many strands you have. second, measure how many inches or centimeters it takes to span the entire length of the book (so, front, back, and the width of both the top and bottom). In this case I think it was 8 strands and 24 inches for the whole book. that means the whole yarn is 192 inches (8x24=192) and the yardage is 5.3 (192/36=5.3). same steps if it’s centimeters and meters, of course. also, if you’re thinking “wow, I have to measure whatever i’m winding my yarn on every time ? that sounds annoying”, then you’re seeing why niddy noddys are so helpful and you should get or make one. my niddy noddy takes 2 yards to span it, meaning whenever i wind yarn on, after counting it i can just multiply my result by 2 and know how many yards i have (if i have 100 strands and i know each strand spans 2 yards, that means my whole skein is 200 yards. so much simpler.)
step 3: soak your yarn. or just get it wet. i usually run my yarn under the tap for a few seconds to make sure it is fully wet, but you can also put it in a bowl with some water and make sure it's fully submerged. leave it there for a few minutes.
step 3.5: if your yarn isn't very soft and you want it to be softer, you can add conditioner (just like, the normal stuff you use for your hair) to the bowl before you put the yarn in to soak. if you're softening it this way, leave it in the bowl of water for at least an hour, or even overnight. when you take it out, rinse it briefly. this step is only necessary if you want your yarn softer.
step 4 (optional): go outside and snap your yarn like a whip a few times. this evens out twist and flicks a lot of the water off, so it will dry faster too. if your yarn has some spots that are really undertwisted or overtwisted or both, this is a good way to help reduce that and make more evenly plied.
step 5: let your yarn dry completely. in the summer i hang my yarn over the clothesline, and in the winter i usually put it over a heating vent. doesn't matter how you do it. remember that wool in particular can feel dry even when it has a fair amount of water in it, so don't grab it the second it feels dry--give it a while longer to actually dry.
you should notice that your yarn looks different now that it's dry. if it's wool, it's likely puffed up some (to varying degrees depending on the breed of animal it came from, as well as whether it was roving or a batt or a rolag or whatever else, and also depending on how you spun it. it's a cool thing to pay attention to.)
step 6: skein your yarn. pick up the hank and drape it over your thumb or hand or whatever. the vast majority of yarns will twist a little in one direction when you do this, from residual twist. some yarns will twist a lot, others only barely. note the direction that it twists in--to the left or to the right. put your other thumb at the other end of the hank, and start twisting one thumb in the opposite direction that your hank twisted in. i usually twist with one thumb until i can't easily twist it anymore, and then twist with the other thumb. your nice loop should now look kind of like a piece of rope, with your thumbs still hooked into each end.
[image description: the first image shows the yarn hooked over each thumb, with two twists in the middle. the second image shows that same yarn, which now has so much twist it looks like rope. his thumbs are still hooked into each end. end image description]
you now want to find the center point of your ‘rope’ and fold it there. your ‘rope’ should kind of snap into place, looking like a much larger version of a 2 ply yarn. it’s nice and stable like this, and can be transported or stored easily (plus it’s pretty !). the last step is to take one of the loops you had your thumb in and push it through the other loop. this stops it from unraveling.
btw: the reason we twist it the opposite direction that it wants to turn is the same reason we ply in the opposite direction that we spin. if you spin Z and ply Z your yarn isn’t going to be structurally sound, and it’ll look pretty bad, too. when it comes to skeining you’re not adding any structural stability to the actual yarn, but the looks still matter--if your Z plied yarn is twisted Z while skeining, your skein will be limp and lifeless and not very pretty. if it’s twisted S, it’ll be nice and balanced and neat looking. it’s purely an aesthetics thing, but it also only takes half a second to figure out, so why not do it ?
and you’re done ! your yarn is now finished and skeined, and you know the yardage/meterage. you can label it with all relevant info if you want (for example: 4 ounces shetland roving, 2 ply, 350 yards, light worsted weight, finished august 2022, spun on a wheel)
#sorry this isnt an ask anymore#i somehow corrupted the original post by adding images and then saving it as a draft to work on later#idk... tumblr.#anyway those pictures are from a little video i made that im now somewhat too embarassed to post#although if this doesn't make sense and seeing it in video form would be helpful lmk and ill just link it anyway#it has to be a youtube video bc its too big to post on tumblr normally even after trying to condense it so#anyway sorry this took a while to answer ! it's hard to put most fiber instructions into words#spinning#handspun yarn#drop spindle#tutorial#also im not gonna go into shrinkage bc honestly i like to pretend it isn't a thing so that it doesnt mess up my yardage measuring#but if it immediately pops off the book/niddy noddy/whatever and looks way smaller that means your yarn is definitely shorter#than the actual yardage. calculating how long it really is while still using the same tools is rly hard#so i dont bother. you can minimize shrinkage by wrapping very loosely and not pulling on the yarn or putting it#under any tension as you wind. thats what i do with yarns when i really NEED to know the actual yardage#such as for a specific project or if i want to sell it#anyway yeah !
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2011 Haylor Timeline
Timeline Tag, or years 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.
We don’t know the whole story
Although Harry and Taylor have never said when they met or started dating, often assumed to have met At the March 2012 Kids Choice Awards, because it was the first time we saw them together. 2 weeks after the awards Justin Bieber said a superstar liked Harry, but didn't name Taylor or say they met at the awards. I have a post about the Kids Choice awards/IKYWT Secret message and Harry's Jacket here.
A source close to Taylor later said to Vanity Fair he had chased her for a year, before the started dating, which was also before he kissed Emily Ostily on the 21 April 2012 and Taylor posted about infidelities to Instagram on 23 April 2012 (which doesn't make sense if they met 24 days earlier).
That would indicate they had met by March 2011. Which is likely as they were in the same city and locations throughout 2011. In 2014 Taylor told Rolling Stone:
"People think they know the whole narrative of my life, I think maybe that line is there to remind people that there are really big things they don’t know about."
As Taylor said to Time Magazine in 2023 and Harry said to Howard Stern in 2019 it's not in their interests for a new relationship to be public before they are solid. In Harry's words 'it's never benefited me' for a relationship to be public. In 2011 people were sent death threats for having dinner with him. It's no wonder they were hidden for most of that time. Special thanks to @cntfightmydemonsthyknowhowtoswim for help with this. You are the best.
2010
27 March - Harry styles auditions for xfactor
23 July - One direction formed on X factor.
25 October - Speak Now released
12 December - X factor semi final, 1D third, Syco signed One Direction for £2 million, each boy was only paid an initial £8,000. Maybe signed on the 13th.
2011
4 January - Taylor broke up with JG, All to Well - March. Taylor seen in LA on the 5th January then not again for a month.
25-30 January 1D fly to Los Angeles. The Sun reported they were in US meeting writers and producers to start recording. It's likely they first met here.
5 February - Taylor seen for first time in a month, in LA, wearing the Key necklace in LA. It later appeared in the I knew you were trouble music video (4:45) and was sold as merchandise, there was a key for Fearless too, but it stopped after this.
19 February - 9 April; X-Factor live tour. TS tour break 20 & 21, 20th was X Factor O2 show.
17 - 30 March - Speak Now in Europe.
15 March - one direction Birmingham show, fans see boys leaving on the 16th then have 4 day weekend where he is not seen.
16 March - Taylor's Lover Journal talks about Paris, seeing castles, 4th grade and career anxiety over the Mean video. She talks about visiting having visited Neuschwanstein Castle that later appears in Bejewelled MV.
16 - 19 march Taylor seen in Paris
17 March - Taylor plays speak now in Paris at Zénith de Paris, in park bordered by Canal Saint-Denis, (technically) outside Saint-Denis. Holy ground's secret message is “when you came to the show in SD” later the film clips for Begin Again, EHC, Falling and LOT tour images all reference canals in Paris. Taylor plays Soul Sister / Fearless mash-up for the first time that show. Soul Sister was Harry's first X-Factor Audition song. She plays the mash-up on/off for the rest of the tour and on the DVD.
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21 March - Taylor in London Recording Studio wearing a rose dress key from IKYWT video. Taylor wore a Rose ring and Rose Dress the day before too.
22 March - Taylor shopping at Portobello Market and photographed at Alice in Wonderland themed store (Wonderland)
23 March - a Wednesday, Taylor wore white dress (Begin again cover) in London, Harry also in London before Nottingham show. Vanity Fair article later says they'd known each other for a year by March 2012.
30 and 31 March - One Direction Tour Break, Speak Now at O2
27 May - November 22 - Speak now in US, arm lyrics start.
6-12 June - 1D in Sweden, likely record What makes you Beautiful.
13-20 June - 1D has a break, Harry unseen, not active on social and reappears in LA on the 20th. Taylor also free 13 - 16 other than the 15th:
15 June - Taylor arm lyrics "“A moment, a love, a dream, a laugh, a kiss, a cry, our rights, our wrongs.” – The Temper Trap, Sweet Disposition. Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota. Exactly one year later Harry got the lyrics from this song tattoo'ed.
17 June - Lover Journal Taylor wrote in her journal on way to Nashville “Something so unexpected and amazing happened recently... I’ve become blissfully happy with my life. Like, actually grateful for every second of the day. I've notice this onset for a while, but it's really hit me in the last week and especially since I wrote those 2 new songs. I'm happy I get to meet so many people on the road who make me feel like my music really matters to them.” One song may be State of Grace.
20-27 June - 1D in LA. Speak now break 23 & 24 June.
20 June Harry reappeared in LA at Britney concert
27 June - Taylor in Teen Vogue with photos like Babe video
2 - 10 July - Speak Now dates rescheduled due to Bronchitis. Taylor in LA and does magazine shoots.
8-15 July - 1D in LA. What makes you beautiful shot at Sycamore Cove Beach in Malibu 14-15.
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24 August - Arm Lyrics “But my heart cried out for you, California.” – Joni Mitchell, California. Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
31 August - Harry wearing paper plane necklace in heat photo shoot (1:55)
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6 September - One Direction at GQ Men of the Year Awards 2011 - London. It gets mentioned in a few interviews after.
7 September - Taylor plays Tacoma -arm lyrics: “You are the ever-living ghost of what once was.” – Band of Horses, No One’s Gonna Love You. In her Lover Journal she went to Nashville rather than LA and writes Red on the plane.
10 September - WMYB on Red or Black, Harry is anxious in his solo and his hand shake. Arm lyrics “There was always something that meant more to you than me” - Jessica Andrews, “There’s More To Me Than You”
11 September - What makes you beautiful debut #1. 21st - Up all night
14 September - asked who was most confident with girls LT says "Definitely without a question say Harry, like Harry, no matter how long is known her, or who she is he will go up to her, like if it's a celebrity, like at the GQ Awards, [Niall adds "Like Pixie Lott] he will go up and sing their song and dance. It's like 100% Harold Styles." Harry then changes the conversation to silly names, Louis brings up GQ again and Harry mouths "Stop going' on about it" (9:50).
18 - 30 September - 1D in New York, filmed Gotta be You in Lake Placid NY 29 and SUNY 29 September. Speak now break 18, 21 - 23 September, shows other days. The film clip included scenes on a train, the SBT message is "when you were on the train", she wrote it sometime on a bus. Speak Now dates in Colorado, Utah and Georgia. However, 28 September is possibly an anniversary and in the Four hang out (31-33) Harry said gotta be you was his favourite 1D song of all, which Niall clapped and said “well done Taylor your boyfriends back”. Harry met Emily Ostilly.
4 October - At Bring 1D to me Munich, when asked about ‘Celebrity Dreamgirls’ Louis says "Celebrity dreamgirls um, yeah like there's a lot of people I suppose that we think is HOT, like... Harry?" the look Zayn, Niall and Liam's expressions, and Louis this is not flirting, he is 'ribbing' Harry for making out with a famous person and sharing his secrets. Harry says his crush is Emma Watson, who the interviewer says has a crush on him, H blushes and, not willing to let it go, Louis points out a love bite. Arm Lyrics “It’s easy saying nothing when there’s nothing to say” - KT Tunstall, “Fade Like A Shadow”
5 October - Taylor tweets “Leaving Little Rock, headed to New Orleans. Writing a song on a moving bus” in the album video (8:20) Taylor said she wrote sad beautiful tragic on a bus.
17 October - Harry goes to Ed Sheeran concert with Louis at Eleanor's university then not seen till rehearsals 2 weeks later.
19 October - Harry did a 10 min phone interview alone with Grimmy and said he was passing through Birmingham. There are voices in the background at the end.
20 October - Taylor played San Diego. Harry was not seen. He posted "Finally set the correct time on my Microwave..I feel like a new man." on Twitter.
24 October- Harry is coughing in an interview and looks and sounds unwell. At 16:20 the interviewer asks about their break, Harry purses his lips for age thinking then says he is tried when he comes back to work because he spends his break rushing around to see everyone. Zayn looks to Louis who gives a loud “Hmmm” which is a tell of his for knowing more than is said.
30 October - Taylor writes in lover journal she (also) has a chest infection!
2 November - One Direction Tour rehearsals Harry back in London for month
17 November - Louis quoted in media "Harry's found 'The One' now." and doesn't name Caroline. Harry and Caroline never say more than friends, Eleanor seen with Louis often.
18 November - Up all night released. In listening party says “more than this” is his favorite, it’s a deep one. Harry in London, has dinner with Caroline Flack. On 27 November on chatty man Harry clarifies there were other people there and again says just friends. Articles and Caroline tweets about death threats for having dinner with Harry. (Like WTF would anyone date him publicly?).
22 November - Taylor posts photo of London shop for preppie rugby menswear (!) and posts a photo to instagram with "Superior Style and Quality Fit" 👀 written on the window. This is a latergram, she had a show in Madison Square Garden. On October 3 Harry had said Rugby shirts look better on girls.
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24 November Sugarscope asks if they have an eye on anyone in the US and mention Taylor Swift, all 5 are actually quiet for the first time, Liam’s face changes to serious (0:34), Harry and Zayn look at Louis, maybe because of Oct 4. Niall offers Demi Lovato and all the boys start saying Hollywood in a silly voice. The same interviewer asks about romantic Christmas plans, Louis looks at Harry again, Harry answers truthfully “Christmas at home with family” seems the interviewer and band know what’s not being said, they ask Harry twice
8 December - Caroline and Harry photo, see Caroline post from another blog
13 December - Taylor's birthday party inside her Nashville apartment. posted a photo in a recording studio, so assumed that Begin again was recorded on on her birthday. Taylor not seen again that year other than Snow on the Beach Photos. Harry seen in London on the 13th. One direction in tour rehearsals till tour begins 18 December in England.
15 December - Harry posted that he went skinny dipping, as in no shorts to avoid doubt. Taylor still MIA. Paper Rings vibes.
16 December - it snowed in Liverpool, including the "Snow on the beach" 50 minutes from Harry's house in Holmes Chapel.
I8 December - 1 July - Up all night tour, Europe till us in February
22 December - in 1D you tube the band chose a fan question “from Taylor, if you were a girl who would you date” and Zayn laughs and says Harry.
24 December - One Direction Holiday till 3 January. Taylor MIA.
28 December - Taylor posts three photos from a beach one with her face on the beach "Childhood beach memories revisited" and one with snow on the beach behind her "Nothing quite like a freezing cold, wintery beach." some have assumed this was in New Jersey, but the shadows look like an afternoon on an western coast and there was no snow in NJ, nor Taylor seen near there. It had snowed at the beach in Liverpool which is west.
29 December - Taylor posted a seashell with Safe and Sound Lyrics written (it had just been released) with the caption "Saying goodbye to the shore, writing on a seashell."
30 December - Harry got his drivers licence, on 28 June 2012 on Bert show (11 mins) said “the first thing I did was my …….. someone brought the car to me and I dropped them off at the pub” Harry was in Manchester. Louis posted he was in Paris Disneyland with Eleanor. Apart from the winter/snow on the beach photos Taylor hadn't been seen for a week, she then posted a goodbye and Harry's first drive was to drop someone secret somewhere. 👀
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31 December - Harry goes back to London flat for new years party, in same interview Harry said they spent Christmas at home
3 January - Caroline Break up announcement. Harry later tweets, he 'didn't dump' her, he never said they were more than friends. Caroline also said "95% of what was reported was false".
Continue to 2012
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Hello! Are you taking matchup requests? If yes, I'd like to send one in for Obey Me. I'd like a pina colada please
I'll go by ⭐. My pronouns are she/her and I'm demisexual
Appearance: I am South Asian with long wavy black hair. Usually tie my hair in a half ponytail at the back because I like how it looks and I don't really like the feeling of hair on my shoulders. I am 165 cm tall and reasonably fit
Personality: I'm calm, collected and hardworking. I can be a bit aloof and arrogant sometimes, but I make sure it doesn't get out of hand. I am curious and perfectionistic, and I'm also pretty academically smart (though I sometimes struggle with impostor syndrome lol). The gifted kid burnout syndrome is catching up, though. People say I do have a bit of a cold facade, but once they get to know me, they say I'm much warmer and gentler than they initially thought. I care deeply for my friends and my family, so I'll do whatever I can for them. I do face a lot of pressures too from having to be the perfect oldest daughter, the therapist friend (despite psychology not being my major, more of a special interest) and from having to do well in school (as much as I enjoy engineering, it is kicking my ass low-key). It may not look like it, but I'm very much a romantic, but I'm more practical about it if that makes any sense 😅😅
I often bake my closest friends and family a cake on their birthday with a silly message written on it. I also has a soft spot (special interest) for outer space and love to stargaze wherever the skies are clear. Don't know if this is important, but I do make some pretty mean South Asian food if I do say so myself
Likes: Books, herbal tea, art, lofi hip-hop, video games, anime, drawing, spicy food, affogato, outer space
Dislikes: Incompetence, unnecessary conflicts, bullies, fake friends dishonesty, cruelty, dog-eared book pages, anyone who dares threaten my family, loud noises, itchy fabrics
oh! we've done an exchange not too long ago.
I've decided to match you with Solomon.
• Your academia vibes definitely match his; don’t get me wrong, although he is a master of many things, unfortunately he isn’t a fashion icon (yet?) but he thinks academia style looks elegant / cute depending on the day.
• It just means that he is attracted to you at first sight. Which is always a good start, even if you don’t elope into a long talk the very first time you meet.
• (Bet she looking 🔥 when she feels comfortable and cute!)
• To be fair he isn’t here to make friends with humans; he was fine neglecting the human world for several decades. He isn’t going to care more, now that another human is here…. but curiosity got the best of him and eventually he made sure to meet you before classes. (No. He didn’t attend that class.)
• After your quick chat it became a weekly habit of his, to meet you there and then, start some kind of conversation (you’d think he was awkward and you’d be very wrong. Listen he communicates and manipluates his ways into forming a pact with almost every person there.)
• It only starts getting awkward when he starts to like your personality for real real. For example this week he arrived 5 mins earlier and was waiting for you.
• After a while you two found yourselves in front of your class’s door 20 minutes (!) before it would begin. Huh.
• He liked your cold facade ngl, he likes a challenge. However, his ice cold frozen heart slowly, very slowly starts to melt as you warm up to him more and more.
• He learned that you are reliable and trustworthy, which he very much appreciates. It lowkey made him want to get closer to you, I mean spiritually. Please help him with this or that, let me show you something, you must see this, etc.
• This went on for months, you were truly good friends when he asked you the question you were excited to hear; Would you date me? Shall we go on a date?
• Of course he jokes about it being a human thing and at first you can’t tell if hes just being funny or he is serious….
• By now he figured out that you like romantic stuff so if you agree to date him he is going to make the first date romantic just to please you! Possibly stargazing as you like that, or maybe a museum if you are not comfortable with meeting at night.
• He secretly craved for a long time to have this level of intimacy with someone and so he’d make sure to please you; whatever you r love language is he does it to make you feel loved and secure!
• The fact that you can and will cook is going to be life saving in the long run!
• Some downsides of this relationship include him making dog ears to some of the books, he is always up to no good, very known public image so it’s hard to go out in public without anyone stopping you two (in the devildom, the human realm is safe).
My second option for you was Barbatos, honestly the only downside of that relationship is that neither of you is going to start and try to have a good conversation…. so it’s a rocky beginning, but if you get past that phase somehow, it’s going to be pretty solid if I do say so myself.
#obey me matchup#obey me#obey me shall we date#omswd#obey me swd#obey me solomon#om! matchup#matchups#obey me!#swd obey me
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I 100% agree with ur predictions. It’s what I am leaning more towards too. The only thing still unclear to me is the Ben promo pic looking at Devi in her locker, would go ahead and assume it’s after NYC when they’re finally besties again. The pic of them studying or some sorts is still unclear to me which episode but will go ahead and say around 406. And that random clip of Devi in a bed (? with a metallic outfit on it must be from the NYC episode. There’s a lot of things I’m still confused about but I agree with ur theories and how everything gets a conclusion.
I think that Devi/Paxton scene is the only one explicitly romantic they’ll get because it will serve as a conclusion for their arc. The writers high key closed their arc well on Season 3 and the only reason Paxton is a coach is to keep Darren in the finale season. That’s very clear. But their arc was pretty much completed.
Devi and Ben for sure will have sex again after prom on Devi’s room but this time it won’t be like 401 because they are clear on it and Devi isn’t doing it out of rush but there’s a lot of love and softness in it. We might even see the after match of them being calm and not longer the awkwardness after their first time.
I even thought about how in that Jaren and Maitreyi celebration video for their last scene. Mait is wearing the corsage but not her updo hairstyle from prom so it must be another attempt at prom. A clever person said that it looks like it could be her graduation dress since Devi is wearing her hair down similarly to that video but the outfit is covered by the red graduation gown so this could be the same episode of their graduation (Devi gets to be valedictorian) and Ben prepares a “retry” of prom for her.
*I might go further and say the library scene is a flash toward scene to college.
hello anon! glad to hear you agree with my predictions.
the promo pic i think you're talking about (inserted below) is actually from 406! so yes, it's after the club fight in 405, which im still assuming is nyc since the settings for every scene in this episode seems different than the show's usual sets. he seems very fond of her here and i assume they're engaging in their routine locker banter. its what gave me the impression that they patch things up after the club incident.
as for the pic of them studying which i am also putting below (correct me if its not the one you're talking about) its from 409. the same episode as prom. im assuming its before because i don't really see them placing prom at the beginning of an episode, but it could be possible that it's the morning after he climbs into her window and whatever happens after.
devi in this outfit still has me confused. she looks amazing, but it's clear its in some effort to seduce a guy, im assuming. i do agree with you about it being in nyc, although im not sure. my guess? she's decorated ethan's hotel room to have sex with him. its giving the same vibes as devi trying to have sex with des. again, don't know what and why or how this fits into the main plot, but i guess we'll see. it doesn't help that i can't seem to figure out which episode this is in.
you're much more hopeful than me to believe the supply closet scene is their only romantic scene. considering she's already romantically involved with ethan in the first half of the season, id say that makes sense considering the time we have left to develop ben and devi. but this show always throws me off-guard so fingers crossed its true! really did feel like they closed off their arc in s3 but i guess some closure is allowed, still it just feels like dragging atp.
agree on prom! if not sex, some form of intimacy has to happen. whether its a really honest pillow talk, or a full on romantic scene, we'll have to wait till june to see.
you're very right about her hair! although it could be just the actress letting her hair down after filming. about the dress, it seems to be a part of an american eagle campaign which she was a part of, so i don't know if its as much a graduation dress as just a part of maitreyi's wardrobe. i could be wrong though and regardless, am holding out hope for a prom redo of sorts.
the library scene could very much be a flash forward! i actually think that makes the most sense. considering the timeline.
#anon asks#nhie asks#nhie#never have i ever#nhie s4 spec#devi vishwakumar#ben gross#benvi#bevi#ben x devi#this season is driving me nuts#and its not even out yet
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What if Arthur was fixing something on the train and the depot agent who was supposed to be in the car with him stepped out real quick right before Vivi came in, so she thought *he* was her opponent and tried to battle him? She was really, really sorry afterward, because he had gotten really freaked out when she tossed out a pokemon to try and battle poor little Galahad. They became friends after she insisted on making it up to him, maybe by taking him to Lewis's restaurant? Yes, let him feed the zoruas!! That's so cute, him being like well now I gotta feed them, they're family. I don't think Ingo has like a full kitchen or anything, though I could see there maybe being a communal one in each of the clans and Beni has one in Jubilife, but he's still gotta make food. He probably has like pots and utensils and a way to make the snacks wardens apparently make for their nobles, at the very least, so I'm sure Lewis could figure out how to do something with that.
Oooh, I love the idea of Mystery getting frenzied and changing type because of it! They probably didn't do anything like that in the games because they thought it'd be too much to have bosses that are both new variants and gain a frenzy form the player can't get. But for Mystery, we could say that the reason he does but they don't is because he's an ultra beast, so power that strong didn't mesh well with him, as he's not native to this universe. Or maybe he's just a regular legendary not an ultra beast, but the original nobles were given a sort of divine tolerance to it that was passed down to subsequent generations.
Okay, so, if we go with Ingo disappearing in the middle of a work day, what could also have happened was that something broke and Ingo called Arthur to ask about it, but Arthur was being possessed by Giratina at the time and was kinda fading in and out, not really sure what was happening. Giratina/Volo was like this is great timing and used Arthur to tell Ingo to come see him in his office or wherever. Ingo goes and doesn't tell anyone where he's going or bring his pokemon, because why would he he's not leaving the station or doing anything potentially dangerous, and when he gets there Arthur is nearly unconscious, just barely aware enough for Giratina to tell when Ingo approaches him to check if he's okay, and completely passes out when giratina pulls more energy from him to open the rift under Ingo. When Arthur wakes up, he doesn't remember telling Ingo to come see him or Ingo arriving, but he does think he vaguely recalls Ingo calling him for some reason. Maybe he goes to call him back, but Ingo never picks up so he's like, okay guess he didn't after all and it was Arthur's imagination, until it turns out a little later that no one knows where Ingo is at all. I don't think Arthur is like, a suspect or anything, but chandelure can probably get a sense of giratina's ghost residue on Arthur and in his office, and so is weird about him for a while, which makes him nervous for a number of reasons.
My guess for what keeps giving him away, given what he looks like and does in the videos vs what zoroarks look like and can do, is that he tends to get wispy around the edges, especially his hair, like how the zoroarks have wisps coming off of their bodies and wispy manes. That and he's pretty open about using like, shadow ball and, when taking about Arthur, bitter malice. I thought I remembered reading on bulbapedia that the zoruas can make illusions of a person's worst fears and make them so scared it drives them insane or something, which I think is where that fanon that they can read minds comes from, because otherwise how would they know what shape to take. It's not there anymore though, so I could be wrong or misremembering things. But if he could, yes I think he would try to see if he could do something to help. Although I'm willing to bet Ingo's Alakazam has already tried that and failed.
Lmao Emmet would be so offended. They seriously think that he couldn't take *Arthur*, who is so visibly exhausted he looks ready to fall over or nod off at any given moment and only has a single, level 4 pokemon. Not to say that Arthur doesn't have some strength to him, he's a mechanic he kinda has to, but this is definitely not Arthur at his best and in any case no matter how strong he is he's no match for any of Emmet's pokemon, let alone all of them. If he did somehow manage to kill Emmet I'm pretty sure he wouldn't even get two steps before chandelure flash fried him with a full strength overheat, to say nothing of what the others might do.
I bet Emmet has to spend like half their trip just taking breaks to make sure Arthur eats the snacks he packed and drinks plenty of water, so he doesn't pass out. Arthur wants to go go go, and so does Emmet! But Emmet also wants his employee to not die, so he has to be a responsible adult and rein Arthur in. Both are chafing at the idea that this is wasting their time, but unfortunately Arthur can't be trusted not to work past him limits, which is dangerous! The upside is that all the extremely hostile pokemon around make Arthur very disinclined to wander off without him, so Emmet doesn't have to worry about him doing something stupid like sneaking off in the middle of the night. Arthur's insomnia is so bad though that Emmet is probably tempted to catch something that can learn hypnosis, just so Arthur can get some *sleep*.
Oh man, the distortion bubbles must freak Arthur the fuck out then, even just seeing them from the distance. But yeah, I can definitely see Arthur's trauma getting swapped to both distortions and giratina. Even if he doesn't quite know what giratina was doing or that it was giratina doing it, he was possessed by it long enough the first time that his body probably still remembers what the thing draining him felt like, even if his mind doesn't. If he ever got close to giratina again he might be able to tell that this is something that hurt him before, and even possibly that it's linked to the distortion world, if his connection to ghost vibes is strong enough to sense it.
arthur panics and gets his wires VERY crossed and just full force throws what he's holding at her which happens to be a whole ass wrench. it's fine tho bc she parries it flawlessly. and it DOES make for a great conversation starter. and yess!! ooh that's true about the wardens making offerings for their nobles, i forgot about that. if we've all agreed to collectively pretend that the ride pokemon are nobles then it would stand to reason that they also have somewhere to prepare offerings. (although... iirc iscan does have you make food for basculegion and he just does it like, outside his house. but still)
YESS!! idk how i feel about him being an ultra beast, bc those are like... beings from outside reality and idk if that matches him very well? i feel like a normal legendary/mythical makes more sense with the fact that he is a mythical being in canon. anyway though. yeah i get why it didn't work in canon but augh it would be so cool... maybe there would be some kind of mechanism where like, if you go into a space-time distortion you can forme change them? or there's an item you can collect from the distortions that works like the other forme change items do? OR you literally just use the griseous core on them.
ok yeah "arthur, while possessed, called ingo over to look at/deal with something, ingo didn't bother bringing his pokemon or anything bc it didn't ping as unusual at all, then he got rift-grabbed but since nobody really noted his going at the time and arthur has no memory of it happening, nobody really connects arthur with him disappearing at all" that's a good explanation i think. and re: chandelure hmmm what i was more thinking is if chandelure knows what happened it would probably be trying to just tell anyone about it, and if arthur's spirit sensitive then he'd probably be a primary target for the HEY HEY LISTEN, but chandelure actually sensing that he's been possessed and being unable to tell anyone that is also very fun.
ooh yeah, him sort of becoming wispy/looking like spirit flame around the edges would be a very fitting tell. that and the moves yeah lol his shadow does some Funny Stuff when he talks about arthur. and. man, yeah, now that i'm thinking about it i have no idea where the idea that zoroark can read memories comes from. why did we all just absorb and accept that as fanon?? is it an anime thing that unovan zoroark can also do?? did one person just make it up for the angst and then it got perpetuated throughout fanspace? is there some throwaway trivia line that i'm forgetting?? i feel like it predates daybreak which is the only time they're mentioned in the game to my knowledge, so what gives?
anyway. yeah lol. not that lewis wouldn't just hear that and go "NO, that's what he WANTS you to think, he's using deception and getting you to let your guard down-" but emmet's like. that requires a level of brain function that i don't think he currently has. and yeah if he was actually going around murdering people chandelure would have IMMOLATED him by now, i think it can probably tell if a person's done a murder
qhqkjhqjk yeah. i feel like they're sort of on opposite ends of the spectrum here where arthur's on a 24/7 rollercoaster and emmet's just like. temporarily suspended emotions.exe so he can be a Functional Adult and find ingo and not get killed by a stray garchomp. so he is very much the one herding arthur at this point lol. bad news if the universe does manage to separate them, though
yeah i mean. i feel like... if arthur punched a hole in spacetime to get to the past, he probably already knows about giratina and the distortions to some extent? bc otherwise how would he know to like. do that. he might not have figured it out until the second possession, but he must have some idea what he's doing at this point, right. BUT. yeah. that's not gonna be a fun time
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✎... 𝘽𝙇𝙊𝙂𝙎 𝘽𝙇𝙊𝙂𝙎 𝘽𝙇𝙊𝙂𝙎
Merriam-Webster defines "blog" as a website that contains online personal opinions, replies/comments/feedbacks, videos, pictures posted by the writer. Now although the very first blogging site could be traced from the year 1994, by a journalist named Justin Hall, it wasn't really seen as one since it was simply listed as a personal homepage. (Rioja, A. 2020)
"Is blogging still relevant when Instagram, TikTok and YouTube have been on the rise?"
Okay~ so... a quick intro on what these three holy trinity of vlogging, pictures and short videos are, TikTok is a social media platform that allows you to post short videos from 15 seconds to 3 minutes long, some going as far as 10 minutes. Because it allows you to also post stories, it is considered Instagram "lite" by some. People post fan edits, original skits, repost of other viral content from other platforms, and it has gain a lot of traction during the Covid-19 pandemic. Instagram is a platform for sharing photos, videos with anyone, as long as there's engagement, your content will get views and likes, it is the same as YouTube, although YouTube had been around much longer.
To answer the question, if you ask me, blogging is still very relevant in 2023. So many people, from writers, students, teachers, fans, business owners to organizations continues the usage of blogging sites. To think a few, other than Tumblr, Twitter or now known as X, Facebook, and Weibo, which is the Chinese version of X (Twitter), Cyworld, a now defunct Korean blogging platform, are some of the microblogging platforms these people used to share tip bits of their lives, brands, engaging with their audience through replies, likes, reposting and sharing their content, and obviously it is also used to improve their online presence. Now other social media platforms like Douyin, TikTok, YouTube has gain a significant amount of popularity, but written content and blogging remains an essential part of online communication, branding and marketing.
According to Rheingold. H, 1993, "Virtual communities are social aggregations that emerge from the Net when enough people carry on […] public discussions long enough, with sufficient
human feeling, to form webs of personal relationships in cyberspace” so that is what blogging actually does, it helps us form our ideas and create a safe space for the rest of us to show sides that other platforms would judge us for. For example, in my opinion, blogging platforms like Tumblr or Twitter, aka X can be a space for me to express my interest, particularly horror movies, movie analysis, movie reviews, anime, cosplay, fanarts where in spaces like Twitter (X), I get to make personal comments and engage with my mutuals with their replies through my Inner Circle without having other people who are not my followers or close friends seeing it. Comment sections in sites like TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, while it can be private, it is only private if the post is private so when you leave a comment on a public account, people still get to see your comment and visit your profile, so it doesn't really offer that sense of anonymity like Tumblr or X (Twitter).
Other than that, blogs can be totally customizable to your likings! I'm personally a Royalcore type of person, therefore Tumblr or Wordpress offers me the freedom to customize my username, my layouts, the fonts I can use to make it more aesthetically pleasing. And again, blogging is still around and will always be around because people love sharing thoughts, love to tell their tales in an intricate manner with their writing style to engage with their followers. And getting responses from people who visit your blogs, and/or proceeds to follow you afterwards is actually a huge boost for a blogger's self esteem.
In conclusion, a person who blogs, is called a blogger. Some do it on a daily basis, some do it on a weekly, monthly basis or whenever they feel like it. It is still so very common for content creators and influencers, take TikTok food and lifestyle content creator Emily Mariko who updates her newsletter/blog on her lifestyle to updates on her engagement, wedding, and more for her followers. So. Is it still a thing? Yes. Yes it is!
references :
A brief history of blogging - Sean MCB, viewed 28 September, 2023, <http://seanmcb.com/projects/bhob/brief_history_of_blogging.pdf>>
Alejandro Rioja 2020, ‘The history of blogging and its evolution [+infographic] from 1994 to 2020’, Alejandro Rioja, viewed 28 September, 2023, <https://alejandrorioja.com/history-of-blogging/>
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relevant verse: ( dangerous touch of divinity | pjo v. )
despite the rushed journey from home to camp, there's no real sense of drama around anthea's arrival. chiron comforts her long enough to calm her down after being so scared about not knowing what was happening or why it meant leaving home, and he sits with her through the orientation video. here is this seven year old with a backpack half her size and suitcase almost her size, thrust into a brand new world of knowing but staying and believing what she's told because she trusted her dad when he said this was a good place to be.
she takes to chiron quickly too, not minding leaving her things behind at the Big House when asked while he gives a tour of the camp and explains beyond what the orientation video presents. some of the other kids wave when they see the pair, some keep doing whatever activity they're doing, and a couple even stop to come say hi before continuing on. thea feels genuinely safe within the bounds of Camp Half-Blood almost immediately.
and her things stay at the big house, for the time being. chiron insisted that she be familiarized with camp, and thea spends the entire day trailing around behind him, and later with different campers. she wasn't ever bothered by which cabin a kid was or wasn't from so much as whether they'd answer her questions or not. she doesn't even mind being put in the Hermes cabin, and the oldest couple kids make sure she has a spot that doesn't get messed with ( and although someone leaves a can of spring snakes that go flying in all directions when she opened it, no one got in trouble because she laughed instead of cried ).
she gets three days of this pattern. shortly after lunch for the day while helping in the strawberry fields ( with little else to do and not wanting to distract any of her new friends from their own tasks ) and not doing anything particularly spectacular, a golden sheaf of wheat materialized over her. anthea didn't notice at all until another kid pointed it out in excitement, and a small crowd formed until the image completely vanished a few moments later. the news spread across camp faster than she could be hustled back to the Hermes cabin for her things to move them to the Demeter cabin, and she's cheerily greeted by her new half-siblings, who'd briefly abandoned their own activities to do so.
that was the closest to fanfare about the matter, and though dinner felt a little odd at the new table, thea didn't feel any less accepted. she gave a bigger than usual offering that night in thanks, though it was accompanied by the wish that some of the still-unclaimed kids would also get their chances too...
#( dangerous touch of divinity | pjo v. )#( not every mask is a lie | hcs )#[ vibrates about demigod brainrot ]#[ no drama on this one tho which is Surprising:tm: ]
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Social Media Marketing: The Art of Captivating the Algorithm and Your Audience
In the age of digital dominance, social media has become the bustling marketplace of ideas, connections, and of course, marketing. It's the virtual water cooler, the never-ending town square, and for businesses, a potential goldmine of customers and brand advocates. But navigating the ever-changing landscape of social media marketing can feel like deciphering hieroglyphics in a hurricane. Fear not, fellow entrepreneurs! This blog is your compass, guiding you through the jungle of hashtags, algorithms, and engaging content.
Why Social Media Marketing Matters
Think of social media as a vibrant party where your brand is the guest of honour. You want to make a good impression, spark conversations, and leave a lasting impact. Social media marketing helps you do just that:
Boosts brand awareness: No more shouting into the void! Social media puts your brand right in front of your target audience, making you a familiar face (or should we say, avatar?)
Drives engagement: It's a two-way street! Social media lets you interact with your audience, build relationships, and foster a sense of community.
Generates leads and sales: From subtle nudges to persuasive CTAs, social media can guide your audience through the sales funnel, converting followers into loyal customers.
Provides valuable insights: Social media analytics offer a treasure trove of data about your audience's preferences, allowing you to tailor your content and strategies for maximum impact.
Conquering the Algorithm Beast
But like any party, social media has its gatekeepers: the algorithms that decide who sees what. Don't worry, these aren't mythical creatures! Understanding how they work is key to getting your content seen:
Know your audience: Tailor your content to their interests, pain points, and preferred formats. Would they devour long-form blog posts or crave bite-sized video nuggets?
Post consistently: Be the reliable friend who shows up regularly, not the flaky acquaintance everyone forgets.
Engage, engage, engage!: Respond to comments, answer questions, and participate in conversations. Show your audience you're a real person, not just a branded bot.
Hashtags are your allies: Use relevant hashtags to help people discover your content, but don't go overboard with #stuffedanimalrainbowunicornmagic.
Visuals are key: A captivating image or video can grab attention faster than a Shakespearean sonnet (although well-written content has its own charm too!).
Content is King (or Queen, or Non-Binary Royalty)
Remember, social media is about more than just self-promotion. It's about storytelling, sharing valuable information, and entertaining your audience. Here are some content ideas to keep your feed fresh:
Informative blog posts and articles: Share your expertise, educate your audience, and establish yourself as a thought leader.
Eye-catching infographics and visuals: Data doesn't have to be dull! Present information in a visually appealing way that's easy to digest.
Behind-the-scenes glimpses: Show your audience the human side of your brand, build trust, and foster a sense of community.
Humorous content and memes: Laughter is the universal language, and a well-timed meme can go viral faster than a cat video.
Live videos and webinars: Get real-time with your audience, answer questions, and create a sense of immediacy.
Remember, social media marketing is a marathon, not a sprint. Be patient, experiment, track your results, and adapt your strategies. With dedication and a sprinkle of creativity, you can turn your social media presence into a thriving hub for your brand, connecting with your audience on a deeper level and achieving your marketing goals.Reference:http://uniquemarks.com
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Development | Final Design Solution
After much deliberation, I decided to further narrow down the scope of my research. As it stood, my series of shorts covered a large scope of topics, from insects to death to fear to their representation in media to trauma. The issue at hand was coming up with a design "solution" to insects in relation to death. I realised that this in and of itself is not a problem, and thereby there is no solution to this. If anything, insects and death are interesting topics in their own right with several satisfying connections that bled into modern day science, psychology and art.
So then, what is the problem? I posit that the problem is the result of insects and their association with death; that being entomophobia, specifically irrational entomophobia in correlation to anxiety and psychosis. As scary as insects are, they are also beneficial to our environment and some are even beautiful, although some cases of irrational entomophobia do include the fear of all insects, despite their physical appearance.
Hearkening back to my initial research on the subject, I found that the primary treatment for entomophobia (and most phobias for that matter) is exposure therapy. Exposure therapy or prolonged exposure (in the case of traumatic events) is a form of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) used to systematically help a person get over their fears in gradual increments * . This is mainly seen in cases of people with social anxiety, but as mentioned before is used in part to help people overcome certain phobias.
youtube
In the case of entomophobia, the way this works is surrounding oneself with insects themselves. The issue with this is that it seems to ignore the primary part of exposure therapy that deals with easing the patient into their fears. According to Dr. Taylor Wilmer, a clinical psychologist who specialises in exposure therapy, the treatment is to be done in increments between a period of 16 to 20 weeks (see the video linked above).
There really isn't too much documentation on exposure therapy in relation to entomophobia, but those that exist seem to focus on the more traditional fears such as cockroaches. This really got me thinking about how there was no dedicated space for exposure therapy that wasn't absolutely terrifying to the patient.
This was when I remembered a butterfly garden I had visited as a child in the Singapore airport. There are specialized gardens meant to house traditionally beautiful insects but it doesn't really extend past butterflies and moths. Conversely, I remembered the concept of aquariums and wondered, is there a land type equivalent to this? Terrariums do exist, but always on a small scale (it makes sense, as insects don't take too much space, and some terrariums don't really focus on insects and more so creating a mini ecosystem for aesthetic purposes).
I also wanted to keep in mind the whole concept of exposure therapy being that it was treated in increments. This was when the final idea blossomed in my mind. My final design solution would be a large scale terrarium, structured like a butterfly garden. Essentially, the garden would be a specialised treatment space divided into zones for each of the stages of exposure therapy in relation to entomophobia. The first section would contain a small amount of insects, and as you went deeper into the gardens the density of insect population would gradually increase. The space would not just function as the treatment for entomophobia but also mental illness in general, as intrusive thoughts and such have been likened and are heavily linked to the metaphor of insects.
Ultimately, the design solution also manages to bring home the concept of Beauty in Terror, which is why I am fond of this. In terms of the visuals for the final solution, I decided to focus on the tactile nature of this solution. The idea I have is the imagery of an eye focusing on a beetle or an insect of some sort, transitioning from abject horror to relief. The pupil of the eye then transitions into a humanoid figure and leaks into the silhouette of the insect. The final shot reveals the humanoid figure surrounded by insect like tendrils, symbolising the acceptance between bug and man as both parties get accustomed to each other in their lives.
Foa, E.B., 2011. Prolonged exposure therapy: past, present, and future. Depression and anxiety.
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Deus Ex Machina|| Aizawa x Reader Chapter 7
Where quirks, inventions, ideas and bodies collide.
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I arrived at Hizashi's classroom, gently knocking on the door and introducing myself to the teacher as I handed over the required form. Hizashi and Shirakumo had not yet returned from lunch, but their classmates were already present, their curious gazes making me a bit nervous. Nonetheless, I managed to muster a smile and politely waved to everyone, while also taking mental note of the information about their quirks that I observed.
As I left the classroom and headed back to my own, a realization struck me. It would be wise to carry a notepad with me at all times. I should jot down the quirks I managed to catch a glimpse of, as it could provide valuable leverage for Aizawa and me during the upcoming sports festival.
Soon, my own class began, and Haruki passed me a note, requesting to see my notebook again sometime. I agreed, and throughout the class, I intermittently scribbled game plans for the festival in my notebook. It crossed my mind that I should watch videos on the computer to get a sense of previous festivals, although I doubted if audience members were allowed to record them. Nevertheless, I'm confident that I could find someone who had managed to sneak in a camera at some point in time.
I had my notepad out, diligently jotting down the necessary preparations for the sports festival while Haruki observed my notebook. After class, we both decided it was time to head home, as the development studio was crowded with too many students at the moment.
"I love this model! I want to include it in my equipment for the sports fest! Is that okay with you, (Y/N)?" she asked eagerly, presenting me with an old version of bouncy boots.
Panicking slightly, I shook my head. "Wh-while it may seem great on paper, but trust me, I've actually tried it out, and it doesn't work the way you'd expect it to. It's not as functional as it appears." Taking the notebook from Haruki's hands, I flipped to a different page.
"Instead, try this version. It's a more improved one... although I haven't tested it yet. There are some key details that could help you when developing bouncy boots 2.0." I stated, pulling out a piece of paper tucked between the end pages of my notebook and handing it to Haruki.
The paper contained all the necessary details to enhance the device she desired. Since I had no intention of using it myself, she might as well benefit from it.
"Are you sure, (Y/N)? Don't you want to use this for yourself?" she asked, concern evident in her voice.
I nodded. "Yeah, don't worry. I have other plans in mind. I'm going to use a few different things." My reassurance seemed to give her enough courage to take the paper from my hand.
"Thanks!" she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling as she held it up, examining it with a satisfied smile.
We continued walking towards the gate, our conversation fading into a comfortable silence.
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What am I even doing here?
Aizawa stood by the gate, a sense of ennui permeating his being. He couldn't help but question his presence in this situation. What was he doing here? Students passed by him, their chatter and footsteps blending into a dull background noise. He waited impatiently for the person he had agreed to meet, his thoughts swirling with a mix of curiosity and skepticism.
He had to admit, (Y/N) had caught him off guard with her proposition of getting him into the hero course. It wasn't something he had anticipated, and the fact that she had a plan only added to his intrigue. However, a flicker of caution tinged his anticipation.
If it's something stupid I'm leaving.
Lost in his musings, Aizawa's attention snapped back to reality as a figure with familiar (H/C) hair caught his eye. His gaze followed the person beside (Y/N), a presence that immediately put him on guard. As their eyes met, (Y/N)'s ongoing conversation abruptly halted, and her face lit up with a radiant smile at the sight of him.
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I turned my head and saw Aizawa standing at the gate. The conversation I was having with Haruki quickly faded into the background as excitement surged through me. I approached him with a beaming smile, genuinely surprised and grateful that he had shown up instead of dismissing my invitation.
"Hey, you actually came!" I greeted him warmly, my voice filled with joy and surprise. I truly appreciated that he had given my idea some consideration instead of outright ignoring it.
Aizawa scratched his head, his gaze averting elsewhere as he replied, "I wanted to hear your plan..."
Haruki caught up to us, her voice laced with curiosity as she asked, "(Y/N), who's this?"
"This is Aizawa," I introduced him, my words laced with gratitude. I couldn't help but feel indebted to him.
Aizawa looked away, seemingly embarrassed. I decided to ease off and not overwhelm him. "Anyway," I quickly redirected the conversation, hoping to shift the focus. "Let's part ways here. I need to talk to Aizawa about something."
I had to get Haruki out of the conversation somehow, I didn't want to let her know what I was planning, it'd be disadvantageous to me if she did the same thing.
Haruki gave me a mischievous look, raising an eyebrow and smirking. "Alright~ I get it. I won't get in the way of your plans~" she playfully teased.
Perplexed by Haruki's implication, I furrowed my brow, but before I could inquire further, she was already walking away, humming contentedly to herself.
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God, that was embarrassing. How can someone be so clueless? Aizawa thought to himself, unable to bear the situation any longer. Haruki's implications seemed to completely fly over (Y/N)'s head, leaving Aizawa feeling a mix of frustration and second-hand embarrassment.
"Let's get going. I-I'll explain on the way," (Y/N) said nervously, starting to walk. She pulled the bag strap on her shoulder, signaling Aizawa to follow her lead.
Nodding silently, Aizawa fell in step behind (Y/N), prepared to hear what she had in mind.
She took a deep breath before she began, "Based on my knowledge from previous sports festivals, the first phase is always an individual competition, the second is some sort of team battle, and the third is a one-on-one match to determine the winner," she explained, looking at Aizawa with one finger raised.
"While I can't help during the first phase, I'll be able to assist during the second and third phases with permission from the teachers. What I want is to develop a support item that can complement your quirk, something that can give you an advantage in battle."
She paused for a moment, her expression turning serious. "This should be a showcase of your skill rather than relying solely on your quirk, just like mine. If you shine, I shine. Understand?" (Y/N) asked, pointing at him and then herself, a smile playing on her lips.
Aizawa was taken aback by her sudden confidence. It was a stark contrast to her usual demeanor, showing just how serious she was about her goal. And she was doing it for his sake as well.
"What kind of equipment are you planning to give me?" Aizawa asked, a valid question considering he knew nothing about (Y/N)'s abilities. All he knew was that she had shown selflessness and appeared physically weak during the previous exam, only scoring five points.
With a smile, (Y/N) raised a finger. "Something that will suit you," she stated, deliberately leaving it vague. Then she shifted the focus of the conversation. "I want to learn more about you, about your body's capabilities and your limits. To do that, I need to analyze you up close. So, train with me," she proposed.
"When?" Aizawa asked, wanting to set a time for their training.
"Tomorrow, at my house. My dad has a spacious testing area for his gear. We can train there," she replied, pulling out a notepad from her pocket.
A glimpse of the notepad revealed a wall of text labeled 'SPORTS FEST GAME PLAN.' Aizawa couldn't help but wonder just how much planning she had done.
Leaving him astounded, (Y/N) handed him a torn piece of paper with her address on it.
(Y/N) handed him the piece of paper with her address, her words lingering in the air. "Here, since tomorrow is the weekend, we have time to test and train together right away. You can come around early morning if that works for you. I'm usually up pretty early," she said, her anticipation palpable as she waited for his response.
Aizawa accepted the paper, feeling a surge of determination within him. "I'll come around 8 am," he replied, taking note of the excitement that sparked in (Y/N)'s eyes upon hearing his answer.
"That's settled then," she declared, a sense of purpose in her voice. As they reached the train station, (Y/N)'s train arrived first, signaling their impending separation. With a smile, she turned to Aizawa. "This is my train. I'll see you tomorrow." With a wave, she hopped onto the train, leaving Aizawa standing there, watching as the doors closed.
Lost in thought, he found himself staring at the piece of paper in his hand, the address written on it a symbol of the path they were about to embark on. Tucking it safely into his pocket, he awaited the arrival of his own train, his mind abuzz with anticipation for the training session that awaited them tomorrow.
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The morning sun cast its warm glow on Aizawa as he stood before the grand gates of what appeared to be a mansion. Despite the house itself being of regular size, the sprawling land surrounding it exuded an air of opulence and grandeur. Aizawa couldn't help but feel a sense of unease at the numerous guards stationed at the gates. With a deep breath, he mustered his determination and approached the intercom.
Pressing the button, a voice immediately crackled through the speaker, its tone direct and precise. "Purpose for visit?"
Aizawa stumbled over his words for a moment, momentarily forgetting (Y/N)'s name. Gripping his bag tightly, he managed to mumble, "My name is Aizawa Shouta. I'm here to train with..." His voice trailed off, frustration lacing his tone. Before he could gather his thoughts, the voice from the intercom interjected.
"You're here for (Y/N)-sama, correct? One moment." The voice spoke again, and after a brief pause, the massive gates slowly swung open.
Aizawa mentally scolded himself for his forgetfulness as he proceeded towards the house. Standing by the entrance was a woman dressed in a maid's uniform, who greeted him with a formal bow.
"My name is Elena, I am the maid of this household. (Y/N)-sama has asked me to bring you to the testing grounds." Elena's eyes seemed to penetrate Aizawa's being for a moment before a warm smile graced her face. "Please follow me," she said, extending a guiding hand. With a nod, Aizawa followed her lead as they made their way along a rocky trail connected to the side of the house.
As they walked, the distant sound of clashing reached Aizawa's ears. His curiosity piqued, he quickened his pace, and soon the sight unfolded before him—a massive stone platform, resembling a colossal tile, situated in the middle of the field. And there, engaged in a fierce hand-to-hand combat, was (Y/N) struggling against an older man—her father.
Aizawa couldn't help but be taken aback by the intensity of the fight. The determination in (Y/N)'s eyes and the unwavering spirit with which she faced her opponent captivated him.
With a swift motion, (Y/N) tumbled to the ground, clearly outmatched by her opponent's superior combat skills. The man chuckled, extending a hand towards her. "You're getting rusty, (N/N). Has being in the support department taken you away from proper training?" he teased.
Wiping a smudge from her cheek, (Y/N) shot him a defiant glare as she accepted his hand. "As if!" she retorted, her determination shining through.
Interrupting the intense moment, Elena's voice rang out, calling (Y/N)'s attention. "Your guest is here, (Y/N)-sama," she announced, causing both father and daughter to turn their heads.
The realization struck (Y/N) like a bolt of lightning, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment as she noticed that Aizawa had been observing their sparring session. "A-A-Aizawa!" she stammered, panic seeping into her voice.
Her father's gaze shifted from (Y/N) to Aizawa, a mischievous smirk playing on his lips. Remembering the conversations with his daughter, he recalled her determination to support Aizawa and help him gain recognition, having felt like she had held him back during the entrance exam.
(Y/N) hastily retrieved her jacket and quickly zipped it up, her attempt to conceal her sparring session in vain as Aizawa had already witnessed it. However, his focus shifted as his gaze locked onto the man standing behind (Y/N). She turned to see her father, and her anxiety skyrocketed.
"P-please don't tell anybody!" she blurted out, bowing deeply in a desperate plea.
Perplexed by the sudden request, Aizawa tilted his head in confusion. Just as tension started to build, Elena interjected, her voice calm and reassuring. "He doesn't know who (F/N)-sama is, it's alright," she explained with a gentle smile.
Relief washed over (Y/N), her eyes sparkling with hope as she raised her head to meet Elena's gaze. "R-really?" she asked, her voice filled with gratitude.
Elena nodded affirmatively, and (Y/N) let out a sigh of relief. She turned back to Aizawa, her expression brightening. "This is my dad," she introduced happily, as her father approached them, waving his hand in greeting.
"Hi there, pal. I'm (Y/N)'s father. I heard she wanted to create a support item for you. Feel free to use my garage as much as you want," he offered with a warm smile. Suddenly, his phone rang, interrupting the conversation. "Ah, I'll have to take this call. Elena will keep an eye on you two while I'm away," he said, answering the call and walking off, leaving (Y/N) and Aizawa in the care of the trusted maid.
As her father departed, (Y/N) couldn't help but call out, "S-stay safe at work!" She then turned her attention back to Aizawa, her fingers fidgeting nervously.
After a moment of silence, she gathered the courage to speak up. "D-do you want to spar for a bit? It'll help me evaluate your combat ability," she suggested, shyly tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Sure. How do you want to do this?" Aizawa inquired, already stretching his muscles in preparation for the spar.
(Y/N) smiled, getting into a comfortable stance with a hand on her hip. "We'll fight hand to hand, no quirks. Sound good?" she proposed.
Aizawa nodded in agreement. "Sounds good to me."
The two of them walked over to the platform, positioning themselves across from each other. (Y/N) discarded her jacket, revealing the black tank top she wore underneath. From her pockets, she retrieved a pair of fingerless gloves, tossing them over to Aizawa.
"Here, just so that we're even," she said, handing him the gloves. Then, turning to Elena, she commanded, "Elena, tell us when to start."
The maid nodded in acknowledgment.
Aizawa took a moment to slip the gloves on, his gaze returning to (Y/N). Her eyes were focused, shimmering with determination.
They both assumed their stances as Elena's voice rang out, "Start!"
#aizawa x reader#hizashi yamada#yamada hizashi#eraserhead#aizawa x y/n#present mic#aizawa shouta#aizawa sensei#mha x reader#my hero acedamia#my hero academia#boku no hero academia#boku no hero acedamia#aizawa fluff#my hero academia aizawa#aizawa headcanons#shouta aizawa imagine#shouta aizawa headcanons#shouta x you#aizawa#eri
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What is a staging site? How do you set one up?
This page was last updated on 5 July 2022. Website development is likely to involve some risk. It can sometimes be difficult making a change and then finding that the live website crashed. Thankfully, staging sites provide safer environments when developing and implementing websites and software. This article will cover several development environments and their similarities and differences to staging site environments. This guide covers several ways to build a staging site. We start. separate category
Staging site tech audit
Resolve the fundamental problem before it becomes an issue. You should conduct an online tech audit to check if there is anything that needs to be checked before moving forward. Problems can range from improper links, slow website loading speeds or video not playing. If your site doesn't work well for synchronizing to your server's servers and is crashing then the problem will be fixed before you can start the site. Waiting until the site goes live to see technical problems would be the same as constructing a tower before blueprint approval was given. The website will become more complicated and more expensive once it gets operational.
A needle in a Haystack
Facebook's website contains more than 60 billion lines of code. It's very likely you can add several thousand lines in one website. Depending on what site you run, your directory number may look a little more like Facebook. Using your code to search for links and harmful keywords can be dangerous. But it is expensive. Particularly since destructive errors sometimes take form in snippets, which is hard to detect within big code. A client in SEORADAR discovered it by accident when a developer accidentally inserted a noindex tag into their page. This was just some code, and the impact on my mind was immense.
Tell me the staging site?
Simply stated: staging site clones your real web site. This will allow testing changes to major new functions you are preparing on an encrypted server. Most developers use staging sites before they can begin production testing. Your stage site will be the same as your website — same plugins, the same settings. There is only one real difference to the live web site compared with the staging site. Instead it'll be displayed inside a sandbox where you can look at WordPress' response in a typical scenario. Anything happening in a stage environment will not impact your live web site.
Auditing the staging site's architecture to ensure keyword relevance
A staging site is a testing site that can resemble your actual website or be built as an actual model of that site. When preparing a new site or a migration to another website you can test new feature changes and improvements in safe environments before going live. Is there anything I should use for my SEO for the staging website? Yeah! Start by reviewing the architecture of staging sites in the hope that keywords are relevant. How do we find a niche keyword? Do I understand why people ask such questions in searches?
Mapping the redirects to ensure link equity is preserved
Secondly, you can check the redirect. Creating a new version is a good way to find these pages. You have the option of using the map tool to generate 301 redirects, which will help preserve the backlink equity vital to your site authority. A 301 redirect is the basic method for search engines to redirect users from your site to the new site. Using mass redirects makes sense more so – although you can do it in different ways. The redirect will then be checked to make it efficient for the user as soon as possible.
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Haikyuu manager headcanons!!
Okay so these adorable teams all have the softest spot for their tiny little manager-chan, and here's how they all treat her.
[Ari's note: okay manager fics and headcanons are my absolute favourite and I love writing them]
*.` | Karasuno
They are extremely laid back with you, compared to some of the other teams. They give you your space, at the same time listen to you when you have something to say.
Respectful simps. Similar to how they act with Kiyoko (ugh yes queen-chan) they're in tears whenever you do things to motivate them, like cheer at their practice matches or give them good luck charms.
They still have the good luck charms you fastened on their bag before one of the matches.
Tanaka and Noya would literally worship the ground which you walked on. Like wow how did they get so lucky as to have three?? Cute managers?? On their team??
Yachi and you would probably subtly simp over Kiyoko with them too ngl.
Hinata and Kags would probably see you as an older sister, eventho you're their age because you're so caring and responsible.
Suga is literally your mom and Daichi is your dad. They make sure you're all healthy and you're doing well in school.
Asahi gives you hugs whenever you're sad or upset! Fite me but I think this gentle baby gives the best hugs ever >:( he's like your comfort senpai and you'd do the same for him, especially when he's feeling insecure or down.
Yams would probably be very shy around you, but he'll warm up in time.
Ahhh the best part. Tsukki! He'd find you annoying and simply not get why you're so Mcfreaking happy at first (shut up u salty beanpole, manager-chan is just a ray of sunshine, okay?) But he soon finds it endearing and slowly gets closer to you.
You walk home with Yams and Tsukki every day since your houses are close, and Tsukki walks you to your door to make sure you're safe!
Ennoshita, Kinoshita and Narita all see you as a little sister and often help you with your managerial duties.
The team cares and respects you so much, and are so thankful you've joined them!!
Meat buns at Ukai's are your hangout spot, and everytime you see them chilling you're so thankful to have such great friends.
*.` | Aoba Johsai
Aaah we're at the team of one of my favourite characters!! I'll start with Oikawa (can't you tell I'm so biased omg)
Oikawa absolutely adores manager-chan because although she's tiny, she's very strict, and doesn't let his fangirls near the gym when he's practicing, which he appreciates.
"yn-chan, you're so good to me, can I take you out as a thank-you?" Cue Iwa-chan's ball which comes flying at Oikawa's head. "Stop flirting with the manager, shitty-kawa"
Iwa's very fond of you too, but he doesn't let it show too often. Sometimes he picks up your favourite coffee from the vending machine and claims that he bought it by "accident". (How believable<3)
Kunimi probably sends you weird tiktok videos and tags you in funny memes. Very wholesome 10/10.
Kyotani just?? Doesn't understand you?? Like wow, she's small but the team listens to her?? Why?? He later finds out you're the manager. Mad dork here didn't know you were managing the team for the past month, and thought you just came to the gym to watch them practice. Smh.
Matsukawa and Hanamaki give you headpats and like taking selfies with you, much to Oikawa's dismay. He wants to be the only one taking pictures with you.
Like no manager-chan. Stop. Get away from them. My phone's right here I wanna take selfies with you :(
Kindaichi is cool with you. Y'all are bros and you game together sometimes.
Watari and Yahaba join too, and they're surprised to know that you're so aggressive when you game.
Cue a jealous Oikawa who struggles learning how to game just so he's invited to play with you. Simp smh.
They're all very gentle with you, and since you're their first female manager, they make sure to never make you feel uncomfortable.
You guys like grabbing ramen together and having eating contests. They really bring out your aggressive side but you love them for it.
*.` | Shiratorizawa
Can I just say Semi bsf material? Yes? Yes. Semi Eita is best friend material.
Makes you cute little Spotify playlists and you help him write lyrics to songs occasionally. You play an instrument too and you guys can just jam out for hours on end together.
You get the idea of applying to be the manager because of him, and it all took off from there.
Goshiki loves you. You're fond of your kohāi, and you genuinely just give this touch-starved future ace a lot of hugs and cuddles, which he's SO grateful for.
Like wow, y/n-chan isn't just pretty?? She's also so sweet? And smart? And capable? Semi why have you been hiding her for so long??¿ >:(
Goshiki is just so protective of you, he'd commit murder if he had to.
You have to earn Ushiwaka's respect, yk? And slowly but surely he comes to realise how dependable and responsible you are, and treats you like an indispensable member of the team.
He's got your back. And if he ever senses you're upset, he's trying to cheer you up as best as he can.
"do not feel upset, those grades will mean nothing to you in the future. I doubt you will be able to remember what you got in your second year, third monthly test." You think he's being sweet, and yes he is (in a way), but he's also trying to be reasonable and logical.
Tendo loosens you up and you tend to play pranks on the others with him.
The funniest was when you tried to prank Ushijima by adding wasabi to his onigiri and he?? Didn't get it??
Like "y/n-chan, Tendo, why did you add wasabi to this onigiri? It would've been so much better with tuna mayo??" And he has no reaction whatsoever?¿?
Cue Goshiki who tries the onigiri because he wants to prove he has spice tolerance like Ushijima, eventhough you can low-key see him tearing up.
Shirabu is your voice of reason and you and him often study together. You also have deep and philosophical conversations at 12 a.m. over text, and it is just so wholesome.
He respects you so much, not just because you care for him, but because he finds your brain so fricking smexy.
These eagle babies bring out the best in you and you're always eager to push them forward and bring out the best in them.
*.` | Fukurodani
First thing's first, besides Akaashi, you are the only other person who can cheer up an emo-mood Bokuto.
Just say "Hey Bo, you're gonna look so much cooler when you spike the ball like the true ace that you are" and his hair's all perking up and his eyes are shining.
Akaashi thinks you are an angel sent from heaven.
You're very soft on your baby owls, and they genuinely just love getting positive affirmations from you.
Akaashi always blushes when you compliment him on his sets. And you can hear him murmur genuine words of gratitude.
The other members do too. They're glad because sometimes people focus on Bo too much and forget to give them recognition, yk? It's easy to get overlooked :(
But thanks to manager-chan who's so attentive with all of them, and who's aware of all their quirks and moods, they're all so touched and so so happy.
You have a habit of getting cold pretty often, especially since practice finishes late and it's pretty chilly by then.
Konoha always lends you his jacket and walks you home, since your home's are the closest. There's just something about you that makes you soft.
You get along really well with Kaori and Yukie, and you'd definitely consider them your best friends, considering y'all are in this thang togetherrrr!!
The Fukurodani team are just all a bunch of crackheads, but they're your crackheads and you wouldn't trade them for the world.
You're a very tight-knit family, (like ugh I just get lots of comfortable, safe vibes from Fukurodani :(( <3)
You guys hang out at the store near your school pretty often to recharge after grueling days of practice together.
*.` | Nekoma
My second favourite team, Nekoma!! They are precious, gentle, soft babies and I love them to bits and pieces >:(
I'll start with Kuroo. You've always had a tiny soft spot for Kuroo ever since you've become his lab partner in chemistry class.
His notes are immaculate. I mean, cmon we're all hoes for pretty notes
You think he's so incredibly smart and talented, so when he suggests you become the Nekoma manager, you just agree right away.
You guys grow closer since you've started spending more time with him, and you banter around more often than not with chemistry pickup lines.
"hey kitten, let's form a covalent bond"
He's so whipped after you retort back. Like wow she called me sodium fine and said I'm like an exothermic reaction? Permission to simp??
(Ari stfu this isn't a Kuroo fanfic)
Kenma and you definitely play animal crossing together, and he even lets you try his switch, after you guys grow closer.
Kuroo is so insulted, he's never even touched Kenma's switch before >:(
You also push Kenma to do better during practice and he starts to care more about volleyball, since you seem so enthusiastic about it.
Yamamoto isn't even subtle about his simping smh T-T unlike Kuroo, he shamelessly flirts with you, and can't wait to show you off to Tanaka and Noya at the next camp.
"we have such a gorgeous manager now, Nekoma is ThRiViNg" he says in his head with this ridiculous dopey ass smile on his face +_+
Since deep down inside, you're a huge baby, you, Lev, Shibayama, and Inuoka get along so well. They're just happy energetic kittens, and they make you feel so happy.
y'alls energy just match, yk?
Although Fukunaga is shy to tell jokes, he tells them to you, because he knows you'd never judge him, and you actually kinda enjoy laughing along :) he's so touched.
Momma Yaku!! Yaku always lends you his jacket and makes sure to carry snacks for you in his bag. He knows you care so much about the team that you often neglect your own health, which is why he's always there to make you're feeling healthy and good.
Kai and Teshiro help you with your homework and like talking about their favourite singers with you.
They're all just such amazing human beings who treat you so well, and you feel so blessed to be a part of their team. You adore them so much, and they adore you back tenfold.
*.` | Inarizaki
[Ari's note: Ello there luvs, you've made it to the bottom of this sweet hc post and just get ready for Inarizaki :( they're my favourite team of all time, and I'm just so biased, I'm sorry ;-;]
Inarizaki's entire team just adores you so much, they think you're the light of their lives.
They're all super touch starved babies, and once you realized that, you've made sure to ensure they never feel that way.
Aran is kinda like your protective senpai, and his heart flutters ever so slightly when you call him that senpai kink oops and give him headpats, and he loves patting your head in return.
The twins are so incredibly soft for you.
Their fangirls are sometimes pretty mean, but one glare from the duo is enough to shut them up.
Osamu cooks bentos for you and gives you the warmest hugs when you ask for them, burying his head in the crook of your neck.
Your hand is almost always in Atsumu's because he's so slick?? Like y'all, this mf would be like "y/n-chan, my hand has been aching for a while now" and when you go to observe it, he just pulls your hand into his and pulls you to follow him.
His entire body heats up when you kiss his cheek after a particularly good game, and his brain literally goes "grrrr empty", when he's usually so sly.
The twins are your bodyguards, they follow you everywhere and protect you all the time.
Enter Suna Rintaro, your meme king. He definitely records funny moments that happen during practice and send them to you, just to make you laugh, or memes of the members.
He also definitely takes pictures of you when you aren't noticing, simply because he likes the way your hair looked, or because you looked so beautiful.
Like the twins, his eyes widen whenever you kiss his cheek or ruffle his hair, and it's literally like suna.exc has stopped functioning.
Congrats manager-chan, you broke the kid -.-
Omimi might come across as stoic and cold but he's actually a huge softie, and you often give him positive affirmations.
He's also definitely a huge lover of your hugs, and looks forward to them as motivation to play well.
He'd never tell you though, he's shy™.
My baby Kita compliments you all the fricking time.
"y/n-chan, I mean this is the most sincere way, I think this hairstyle looks stunning on you"
Or "you're so capable and you work so hard, I'm so thankful to have you by my side"
And he has the most genuine expression on his face, his eyes are so earnest and shining so bright.
And when you smile at him, he's like oh shit I made her smile, depression whom? I only know serotonin.
Ginjima is usually rash but with you, he takes his time and weighs everything he says.
He doesn't wanna accidentally hurt you and regret it since he was being careless and not thinking at all.
You calm him down when he's getting too hotheaded with gentle words and he's suddenly a blushing mess.
Unlike some of the other teams that tease you a bunch, Inarizaki treats you so gently. Their little princess, as they think of you.
So mf-ing protective, like if someone looks at you wrong, you can totally bet Atsumu's going for their ankles, sangwoo style, or Osamu is trash talking them to their knees.
Would drop anything and everything to help you if ever needed.
They think you're they're entire world because you go above and beyond for them, and they genuinely love you. Like actually LOVE you to bits and pieces.
—*.`
[Ari's note: AHHH so the manager fic is done this was literally such a joy to write!! I hope you enjoyed it
Big big hugs <3 have a beautiful day, luvs!!]
#inarizaki x reader#inarizaki manager#haikyuu!!#haikyuufanfics#nekoma#inarizaki#seijoh#karasuno#shiratorizawa#atsumu#atsumu headcanons#haikyuu hcs#haikyuu headcanons#haikyuu scenarios#haikyuu managers#haikyuu manager#anime headcanons#kuroo headcanons
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Rant/Vent
trans discourse, transphobia, bullying, sui tw
You wanna know what i've seen?
I've seen truscum telling non-passing trans people they're cis. I've seen truscum telling ppl to kts for existing as a genderfluid person.
I've seen truscum and transmeds harass nonbinary people and gnc trans people on the internet. I've legitimately seen them bully them on the internet. Because they don't think the person's gender exists. I've seen people speculate whether or not somebody has dysphoria over A SINGLE VIDEO OR PICTURE. and i'm not just talking 'die<3' I'm talking misgendering, harassment, [remember the person who literally almost kts because of harassment from kalvin garrah?? and then proceeded to get harassed MORE at the mental health facility they went to?] like this is extremely harmful. Especially to those who can't pass no matter how hard they try, and to those who may be questioning but are fearful that they'll get called a trender because they can't pass. Or for trans people who have given up on trying to pass and instead dress for joy. [not saying passing isn't joy for some people!!]
Yes, trans people should have easy access to medical care. But that includes ALL trans people who wish to medically transition**, which is something we still have to fight for, especially for BBIA/BIPOC people. [whether they use neopronouns, xenogenders, other microlabels, or they're a binary trans person who wishes to just exist as the gender they know themself as. ]**
But i have also seen people telling truscum and transmeds to "die <3'"
very far, but is also counter productive unless that person has made it very clear that they aren't open to discussion and or has openly harassed and bullied other trans kids/people, then i can see the reasoning behind it although i don't condone it.
I don't understand the exclus point of view at all. /srs it makes zero sense to me. Microlabels aren't harmful to the lgbtq+/queer community. They are to help people find themselves if they want to.
People forcing labels onto others isn't cool either. It's fine to be a binary trans person. it's fine to use non microlabels. But it's also fine to use microlabels, and be a non-binary trans person. I was a transmed when i first discovered the trans community when i was 12.
I have figured out that it was due to internalized transphobia and wanting to be a "good trans" because I really just wanted to be gendered correctly. Now I've realized that i'm genderfaun/gendersatyr, ace-spec, and cinthean/vincean and predominently t4t. And i've realized that I hated neopronouns and xenogenders so much because I knew that if I ever wanted to use them nobody would use them for me. But that is not my fault. And i've accepted that I like neos and xenos.
as a young trans person who couldn't pass due to family situations and i secretly did like skirts still- truscum ideology fucked me up and made me extremely suicidal. and made me hate myself and repress my identity. and i projected that hatred onto others who had the courage to be themselves. [luckily i was 12-13 during this phase so I couldn't harass anyone online for this]
Sure neopronouns don't make you trans, being GNC doesn't make you trans. Using a diff set of pronouns doesn't make you trans. BUT you can be trans and use neos, and be gnc, and use dif pronouns.
Pronouns are a form of gender expression, and therefore do not equal gender. I've never seen a tucute say that "oh ur a tomboy??? no ur actually [insert gender]" In fact i don't think i've ever even heard that from anyone. [for reference me and my entire friend group are tucutes. and we are all trans with some form of dysphoria]
And it really pisses me off, the terf-esque characatures that i've seen truscum use. The fact that they'll go out of their way to misgender people. And if i'm being completely honest
THERE ARE BIGGER PROBLEMS THAT TRANS PEOPLE FACE THAN WHETHER OR NOT SOMEBODY USES NEOPRONOUNS OR MICROLABELS OR IF SOMEONE IS NONBINARY AND ID'S AS GAY OR A LESBIAN.
sOME OF THESE THINGS INCLUDE [tw for m//rd//r, transphobia, hatecrimes, etc]
Transwomen, especially Black, Brown, Indiginous, asian, and other POC trans women getting murdered and hatecrimed and abused for simply existing, and they're the ones carrying the majority of the trans community in activism
Transphobia WITHIN the queer/LGBTQ+ community
Trans human rights
people gettign kicked out of their homes
ppl being outed
Trans rights WORLDWIDE
racism within the trans community
#im so tired of this shit#gender#trans#lgbtq#transgender#enby#lgbt#trans men#trans pride#trans vent#bullied#outing#trans rights#dysphoric#nondysphoric#tucute#transmed#anti-exclus#trumed#truscum are scum#trans community#seriously there are bigger issues than arguing if someone has dysphoria or not#plus it's really fucking exhausting to argue over somebody else's identity
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Basic Training
This post has been sitting in my drafts for months now, during which I've come up with a few ways I wanted to write this post. This is what I've come up with.
Basic Training is the episode which made me hate Ben the most. The whole episode consisted him of being a stuck up brat only to be rewarded for it in the end.
This episode was the perfect opportunity to have Kevin in the spotlight and show how skilled and smart he is.
Gwen's presence in this episode was actually fine, there's no change needed for that.
Look, I know the shows named Ben 10 but we have seen Ben be the hero tons of times already.
And Ben being egoistic about his heroism is not something new in the franchise.
There have been episodes on the OS where Ben got a big head, yet I dont ever see anyone complaining about that.
Was is it because he was 10 that we excuse this behaviour? Nope.
15 - 16 is still pretty young and his attitude can be excused at this age as well.
My opinion? It was handled better in the OS.
There were times when Ben wasn't always the main focus.
In Lucky Girl, Ben has his ' who's your hero?' Moment.
They showed Gwen feeling jealous and hurt by the fact she wasn't noticed much.
It was realistic.
Then the epsiode proceeded to focus on Gwen , having Ben being kind of like a sub plot to the story.
Towards the end Ben compliments her.
So yeah Ben got big head, but at the same time they shifted focus so that the audience wouldn't find it annoying.
Gwen was in the spotlight for a bit, giving people a break from Ben.
Secondly , in Be Afraid Of The Dark, Ben again is shown to be slightly stuck up, but towards the end of that episode he learns and acknowledges Gwen and Grandpa for help and understands his crime fighting is more of a team effort.
In Galactic Enforcers, we are shown there are other heros besides Ben as well.
Ben wasn't the sole focus of that episode. Yes it was about him but also about the Galactic Enforcers.
I don't think he was shown to be over confident here , but it was nice to see some other heros in the scene.
The Ben 10,000 episode focuses on how Ben was too focused on his job and the lesson at that was Ben needed to relax and have them Galactic Enforcers take the lead instead.
Again , his attitude towards everything was brought in focus but towards the end he learnt something.
I recently started watching Generator Rex and I can't help but compare Rex's character to Ben's.
Rex is also proud , rushes into things and considers himself to be a hotshot. But they also show him being down ,having trouble with his nanites and actually voice out his insecurities.
He's still the hero, still has things go his way most times but it's not annoying like Ben.
( I've only seen like 7 episodes so far so I don't know if this going to go down hil or not but so far so good)
The issue with the sequels after the OS was that Ben was the focus a bit too much.
We as the audience were rarely ever given a break from him.
Other than a few conversations here and there about his attitude, nothing really was done about it.
Gwen should've been appreciated more for saving Kevin and Kevin should've been appreciated for stopping Aggregor.
But they weren't.
If it had been Ben , they would've made sure to show him getting some sort of recognition or trophy.
Back to the Basic Training episode.
We know he's the legendary Ben Tennyson, we know he's a hero. We didn't need another episode on it.
Instead the plot should've focused on Kevin. His skills, his abilities.
Ben would act the same but Magsiter Hulka should've put some sort of cover so Ben couldn't use the omnitrix.
Ben goes on breaking rules, and having a hard time being a hero without the watch.
Towards the end, it should've been Kevin who cracks the case and saves Hulka. Ben is mad he can't use the omnitrix but instead uses the guns and other weapons he's learnt to use at the academy
He's not amazing at them , but it makes him realise that he is hero , watch or not, something that has been emphasised in the show. Its not impossible for him to function without the watch.
Towards the end, Ben getting a 95 was a stretch. I'm sorry , but the guy wasn't great with using weapons and without the watch I dont think he would've been able to complete that hostage excercise.
I'm thinking more like 89%.
Gwen gets 98, that's fine and Kevin gets a 100.
Hulka comes in and awards the medal (?) to Kevin, suggesting he's becoming more like his father.
( im ignoring the ret con, plus the retcon I'm assuming wasnt thought off at this point by the writers)
Ben is shown to take one of the guns back to earth, because he thinks they're cool and he wants to practice and get better at them.
The whole hostage situation makes him want to get better at making strategies.
Yes he's good at improv, but he needs to learn to properly plan as well.
It doesn't matter if he's never shown to use the gun ever again, and he's back to relying on the omnitrix.
Or maybe some time down the line, he could use the weapon, even if it for a second, to show that he is improving and getting better.
Before you say 'he's already a hero, he doesn't need to learn anything ' sorry but no.
He's 16. He may have saved the world but he still has growing up to do. Different battles are going to arise all the time.
Saying he is perfect at 16 is dumb. Saying he's perfect when he's ben 10k , it'll make some sense. He's been around for a while and is pretty experienced.
The watch is a part of him, but seeing him try to explore other options would've been a fresher idea.
Another scene that made me mad was the court (?) scene in Vreedle, Vreedle.
Ben being a hero shouldn't make him above the law.
Domstol ruling in favor of Ben just because he's the legendry Ben Tennyson was stupid.
After Ben's little monologue , and destroying Domstols desk, the judge should've just informed him that being a hero does not excuse him from following the law.
Kevin could've had his little moment doing some negotiation ( would've been nice to see how he works as con artist) and Ben could've jumped in and helped while making some good points for the argument, showing us he's not stupid.
Then having Domstol rule in their favor would've made sense.
On the way back to earth there could've been a joke about how Ben watches Judge Judy too much which is where he learnt about trials and stuff. Or maybe Gwens dad taught him a thing or two at some point.
All this doesn't mess with Ben's character all that much, he's still the hero of the show, he still has his ego but it makes him more likeable, shifts focus from his attitude, and shows us he's pretty smart and is growing into a good hero.
Ben's not a bad guy. I mean he is the hero of the show. There are tons of scenes which show he's good , like the whole sacrificing thing so the ultimates could live and all.
But little scenes here and there tend to be enough for someone , especially for someone who isn't a super hard-core Ben lover to form negative opinions on him.
Although calling him a psychopath / narc is out of line because I don't find him to be like that. His attitude was magnified by him being in the spotlight too much and writers not having a good balance in writing situations.
Ben being the main character of the show is at risk of becoming hated or less appreciated just because he's the font runner of the show.
Admit it, side characters tend to get more love most times than the main agonist of shows.
I've been watching videos on YouTube on this topic as to why this happens , and what I've come up with is that writers of shows tend to focus too much on main character. Things seem to go their way most times and this tends to get on peoples nerves, consciously or subconsciously because it's not exactly realistic.
Having shows where everything focuses on one person most times tend to backfire.
I don't mind Ben having a big head, I dont mind him making jokes and being so casual.
It's his defense mechanism to protect himself from drowning into the struggles and pressures of being a hero. But always having him be that way isn't good.
The writers should've executed it properly.
( okay this post got really long, more than I thought it would. If you're read the whole things , congratulations on making it here lol.
I'm not going to stop anyone from replying to this because everyone has different opinions and we all have the freedom to express them.
Although I believe I've made my point and I've made sure to keep in mind all the arguments about why bashing Ben is wrong when he's not a bad guy while typing this out.
I don't think I've directed any major hate towards him , its mostly towards the writers for making the situations like that,but if you think I have you can reply to it.
I'm not gonna reply back though , because again I feel I've made my point.
Any agreements / disagreements you have with the post feel free to share because it is your right.
Any disagreements you have with other members, as long as its related to the post you can share it.
Any issues you have personally with other members, please keep them to your selves.
I will not tolerate bullying , harassing, name calling and petty arguments on my post and blog page.
If this happens I will simply delete this post and re-upload it.)
#ben 10 au#ben 10#kevin levin#ben 10 alien force#ben tennyson#ben 10 reboot#ben 10 omniverse#ben 10 analysis#ben 10 series#ben 10 critical#ben 10 classic#my take
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Ok, so I've played VTMNR a few times now, and I've noticed something which I think is interesting. Near the end of the book, if you've romanced Lettow and choose to fight the SI with him, you'll have the opportunity to kiss him in the hallway. If you decide to kiss him again, or just return to the room with him, there will be one retainer left. Depending on your relationship with Lettow, he'll act differently here. If your Lettow/Camarilla relationship is moderate (3 dots), he'll become cool and composed in front of the retainer. Additionally, he'll touch your wrist in a lingering way, which you realize he's doing in order to check your watch. If your Camarilla relationship is high (5 dots), the part about about him being "cool and collected, even in the presence of a single retainer he is the Eagle Prince" is not mentioned, and Lettow will touch your face instead. In my opinion, the nature of the relationship is more unclear in the 3dot interaction. Personally, I find that it feels more manipulative (though I'm probably not clever enough to explain why). With 5 dots, I follow him to Egypt everytime, but with 3 dots I still follow him. I'm just much more wary about how "happy" their relationship will be. Will he sacrifice my character to the Sabbat if needed? Who knows! Although, really, who's to say you're not being played by him the entire story, even with a full relationship meter.
Another variation I've noticed is during the confrontation with Donati when Lettow flutters up the steps, he will A) see you and force himself to stand, B) stand (because he's an elder), or C) rise to his hands and knees, but is too weak to get up more. I'm not sure what the trigger is for whichever action he takes (or if there are more variants of this), but my more moderate relationship characters got either scenario A or B, while my high relationship character got scenario C. When I played through it, I personally liked scenario C the best because to me, it feels like he trusts the main character enough that he's willing to afford a moment of weakness around them. Afterall, he's still able to attack Donati no matter if you get A, B, or C, so he's clearly not that close to the brink of death.
While I love Lettow and his romance, I'm pretty confused by it all. First of all, I don't really understand his character or ambitions too well. Despite how friendly and trusting he seems in the the first chapter (showing you Jasper's death? Why?), he's suspicious of the courier from the start (if you spy on Carlos in the parking garage, he'll reveal that Lettow thinks you might be an SI agent). And I don't think that suspicion ever goes away, it just evolves. He dismisses the idea that you're SI, but then he thinks you're allied with *potential diablerist* Julian (even if you aren't) then quickly seems to realize it's you (maybe by sensing her in your blood?). He continues to suspect you, until he seems to REALIZE realize that you diablerized Aila. Before the final confrontation between you, Julian, and Lettow, there's a moment where Lettow is reading his book and asks you in a tired, soft voice "I need to know why you--". He never gets to finish that thought, but I'm pretty sure he's asking why you killed her. However, after the warehouse meeting, Lettow decides to spare both you and Julian?? Because he's tired and lonely?? I dont get it, what's his agenda? Why spare them? From what I know, the traditions say that killing/diablerizing a fellow vampire is punishable by death, so isn't Lettow actively going against the Camarilla? I can kinda understand if he doesn't want to kill the player character, since he thinks Aila is in our veins, and he's potentially formed some sort of attachment to us (though I think at this point, Julian's formula has completely eradicated any traces of Aila from our blood, so surely Lettow can detect that?). However, I can't really understand why he spares Julian. Maybe he does it because the author wants to highlight that Lettow is a rare breed of kindred, one that's truly benevolent with a high humanity, but that's the only reason I can think of. Really, I'm just not sure what type of person Lettow is, or what his game is. Julian is clearly depicted as being pretty manipulative and as having these huge ambitions that he needs the courier to help him achieve, but I don't think that's true for Lettow. Asides from running packages, he doesn't really benefit from them (asides from the whole "maybe Aila's reincarnated" thing). So maybe he's manipulating the player at this super high level, but you know, maybe he's just actually a great, merciful person (except he did actually kill a ventrue in his court for having conspired to diablerize Invidia Caul. So what's up with that?)
Anyway, thanks for taking the time to read this monster of an ask, and please let me know what you think!
THANK YOU ANON FOR THIS BEAUTIFUL ASK.
TL;DR at the bottom!
If your Lettow/Camarilla relationship is moderate (3 dots), he'll become cool and composed in front of the retainer. Additionally, he'll touch your wrist in a lingering way, which you realize he's doing in order to check your watch. If your Camarilla relationship is high (5 dots), the part about about him being "cool and collected, even in the presence of a single retainer he is the Eagle Prince" is not mentioned, and Lettow will touch your face instead. In my opinion, the nature of the relationship is more unclear in the 3dot interaction.
Honestly, personally? I just write this off as him not trusting you nearly as well. "Lingering" suggests he *wants* to touch you, but the biggest giveaway is that he doesn't seem to have the need to check your watch at all in the five dot one (if I’m understanding you correctly). That tells me that with five dots, he just openly wants to touch you and isn't afraid to show it (aww), but with three dots he's a little more reluctant and is just *pretending* to check your watch.
He's got walls up in three dots he doesn't in five.
Another variation I've noticed is during the confrontation with Donati when Lettow flutters up the steps, he will A) see you and force himself to stand, B) stand (because he's an elder), or C) rise to his hands and knees, but is too weak to get up more. I'm not sure what the trigger is for whichever action he takes (or if there are more variants of this), but my more moderate relationship characters got either scenario A or B, while my high relationship character got scenario C. When I played through it, I personally liked scenario C the best because to me, it feels like he trusts the main character enough that he's willing to afford a moment of weakness around them.
That's my exact same impression too -- there's trust with five dots that doesn't exist with three.
Despite how friendly and trusting he seems in the the first chapter (showing you Jasper's death? Why?), he's suspicious of the courier from the start (if you spy on Carlos in the parking garage, he'll reveal that Lettow thinks you might be an SI agent).
Okay I actually do have thoughts on this.This gets a little bit beside the point of your ask, so bear with me.
Regarding Jasper -- all I can say is, "Why NOT show you Jasper's death"? He doesn't have any reason NOT to show you. It doesn't make him vulnerable for you to know that Jasper is dead, or how he died. It doesn’t give the Courier any kind of edge against him. So Lettow has nothing to lose and everything to gain (your trust) by making you think you’re important enough that you get to watch the video.
Regarding Lettow thinking you're an SI agent -- I know this isn't the point of your ask but I do have thoughts on that, so please humour me for a moment before I go back to your point --
There's something very subtle in VTMNR that is never shown outright. It's very, very subtle but if you think about it, there's a really big reason why Lettow could think you're an SI agent despite being a vampire.
Think about it. Lettow himself points out that he's the only Prince that is as paranoid as he is about the SI, and yet Tucson is swarming with their agents. All the other Princes are emailing and texting and they're not dealing with the SI to nearly the degree Lettow has.
So what's the difference between Lettow and those Princes?
Lettow has an Autarkis in his Domain who's constantly blowing the Masquerade, that's why!
Who keeps calling you and speaking openly about being Kindred?
Julian.
Who keeps pinging the SI in his phone calls, forcing you to switch phones over and over?
Julian.
Who keeps loudly saying things like "WE CAN'T LET ANYONE KNOW WE'RE VAMPIRES" potentially in earshot of the SI, who you KNOW are watching you?
Julian.
Julian flaunts the Masquerade CONSTANTLY. And in doing so, he makes Lettow a target, because Lettow’s the guy in charge of the area!
So what has this got to do with Lettow thinking you're an agent of the SI? I have to admit, I can't quite connect the dots here, but I think it goes back to Julian once again. Julian's operating under his nose. Julian doesn't give a fuck about the Masquerade. Julian has links to you. I wouldn't be surprised if those factors, combined perhaps with stuff happening behind the scenes that the Courier never sees, is why Lettow at first believes you're an agent of the SI.
Basically -- Lettow sees Julian pulling shit, and at first thinks it’s because he’s part of the SI. Lettow sees you have connections to Julian (or perhaps the other way around) and thinks that because of that you have connections to the SI as well.
Later, Lettow does admit the idea is ridiculous, because he sarcastically tells Dove (paraphrased) “why yes, I’m sure that this vampire isn’t helping the vampire hunters.”
(I also believe that Julian is the one that actually SENT the video of Jasper's death to Lettow. I honestly can't think of any other explanation as to who it can be from. Obfuscate doesn't work with electronic devices, indicating the video has been doctored to hide Julian, and who would do that except Julian himself, especially since he tells us that he has video editing skills? Julian knew that Jasper was recording, but didn't wipe the video or take the camera to erase evidence of his crime. So who else but Julian sent that video?)
Anyway, moving on --
Before the final confrontation between you, Julian, and Lettow, there's a moment where Lettow is reading his book and asks you in a tired, soft voice "I need to know why you--". He never gets to finish that thought, but I'm pretty sure he's asking why you killed her. However, after the warehouse meeting, Lettow decides to spare both you and Julian?? Because he's tired and lonely?? I dont get it, what's his agenda? Why spare them?
My impression is that it was just that -- because he was tired and lonely.
At first he lets you live because his couriers are dropping like flies and he needs every one he can get. And as the story goes on, he gets tireder and tireder until he seems on the brink of succumbing to torpor himself. (Bitch is 200 years old and whining about how old he is even though he had an 800YO girlfriend!) At the end of the story, he's exhausted.
And he's also quite clearly severely depressed. And apathy is a strong symptom of depression.
So yeah. I think he spares both the courier and Julian simply because he's too tired and depressed to give a flying fuck any more. Aila's gone, killing the courier won't bring her back. What's the point in killing them? What's the point in killing Julian, when he demonstrates several times he thinks Julian is no threat? (He's wrong, but he clearly underestimates Julian -- he tells Julian that the Masquerade will survive Julian, and he tells Dove that Julian is "just an Anarch.")
I also think his feelings regarding Aila herself are complicated -- it must HURT to survive someone who died via what's essentially suicide. He knows Aila was suicidal. He must have complicated feelings regarding that -- feelings like he wasn't enough, feelings like maybe she didn't love him as much as he loved her.
So yeah. I think he was too tired and lonely and too devastated to care about enacting justice against either of them. I think he just wanted to put it behind him. Run away to the Middle East, let it go, put it behind him, never think about it again.
As for Lettow’s agenda itself?
I’m not going to say he can’t be manipulative. But I do believe he isn’t as manipulative as the other Princes, and that he sincerely does want to do better than they do.
The biggest evidence in support of this, if nothing else, is that Lettow is Gangrel. Gangrel, as a rule, don’t do political bullshit. They tend not to participate in the Jyhad. They tend to be loners, and they often don’t raise their own childer -- so they (often) lack a mentor/mentee relationship that other clans have, meaning that nobody was there to mentor them in ways to survive, let alone thrive, in political bullshit.
So that means Lettow would be drastically inexperienced in manipulation and bullshit outside of what he’d have seen as a mortal aristocrat, and would also probably be way less tolerant of political bullshit than other Kindred. He doesn’t have Dominate to help him. He doesn’t have Presence to help him. Just a magic bird, his own shapeshifting skills and what his friends can give him.
Remember that Lettow became Prince because there was literally nobody else available. He said so himself that he basically stepped into the job because there was nobody else -- he was the one that killed the old Prince (and in a rather extra way, no less) and there were no other Elders in the area.
Plus, by this stage, Aila was dead and he wanted to hunt down her murderers. Or, if I have my timelines incorrect, she was in torpor and therefore vulnerable and in need of protection.
What better way to do that than with the resources a Prince had at his disposal?
I don’t think it’s a complete coincidence that he stopped being a Prince on the same night that he finally confronted her killer.
TL;DR --
Lettow doesn't trust the Courier as much if their relationship with the Camarilla isn't great.
Lettow underestimates Julian, and doesn't think he's a threat at all, even though it's almost certainly Julian that drew the SI to Tucson like flies to honey.
By the end of the story, Lettow is deeply depressed, apathetic, and on the border of succumbing to torpor and ennui himself because of that, and so literally doesn't care enough any more about bringing Julian and the Courier to justice.
Unlike other Princes, Lettow is from a clan that typically is separate from all this political bullshit, has no social Disciplines, and had a motive to be Prince in that his lover was dead and he wanted to find her killer with any resources he could get to be at his disposal. So I truly believe that while he may feel the need to be manipulative from time to time, he truly did want just what was best for the Kindred around him.
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Put On Your Raincoats #28 | American Babylon (Watkins, 1985)
Roger Watkins spent most of his career making pornos, something which he apparently hated, and in American Babylon he turns that hatred directly at the audience. The movie is about two bozos. Losers. Schlubs. One of them, played by Bobby Astyr, spends his days doing little but watching pornography, oblivious to his surroundings and annoyed by interruptions. When his wife steps in front of the projector, he grouses at her to get out of the way. "Evaporate, Joan!" The other, played by Michael Gaunt, is weak-willed, easily goaded into doing or saying anything, whatever is the path of least resistance. Neither Astyr nor Gaunt are what you'd call conventionally attractive, and combined, they are some of the least flattering portraits of masculinity to grace the screen. I read somewhere that the popularity of unattractive men in straight porn is to help the target audience relate more easily to the proceedings. Watkins brings into focus the implied contempt in that trope.
As someone who spent a non-zero amount of time over the last year delving into vintage pornography, this movie hit a little close to home. When Astyr starts critiquing the camera angles in the movie he's watching, I felt personally attacked. Astyr's choice of entertainment here is in the form of plotless reels with titles like Teenage Pigmeat in Heat, a film by Bernard America, and Butt Girls in Bondage, directed by Hank Packard (which sounds like a dig at Henri Pachard's pretentious porn name), and starring Lonnie Lee as the Butt Girl. Astyr appears to be getting off on their dehumanizing quality ("Hey Robert, I just realized something. They don't show anybody's faces in this movie." "Of course not, it's so much better that way, it could be anybody.") The reels are shot in cold, sterile black-and-white, their mise-en-scene (power tools, gym equipment) suggesting a parody of masculinity. (I admit I was a little concerned when the male performer was firing a blowtorch in the direction of the female performer while they engaged in sexual congress.) Watkins had been steadily removing any sense of warmth or eroticism from his sex scenes, but also seems aware of the limitations of this approach (especially when you cast a performer like Taija Rae, sporting a lady mullet, hubba hubba). His critique seems targeted at the genre as a whole, which despite the level of artistry it can contain (and I'm very much on the side of pornographic films being artistically worthwhile), is ultimately in the service of prurient interests, but in retrospect, feels prescient of the kind of gonzo pornography that would become the norm in the decades that followed. There's no need for plot, character, warmth, humanity, just body parts mashing against each other. That Astyr is seen usually in a raincoat and motorcycle helmet drives the point home.
Gaunt's character is depicted just as brutally but with a bit more humour. This is a guy whose most strenuous decision in his marriage (and source of tension with his wife) is whether or not he'll drink his milk. (His wife, seen topless and in panties and heels, in a skewering of genre demands, leaves him an angry note: "P.S. Drink your milk".) Astyr's wife, played by Tish Ambrose, in need of the kind of intimacy she doesn't get from her husband, sees Gaunt as an easy mark and sets up a rendezvous at a country western bar. Their exchange and her attempt at seduction are telling.
"You strike me as the kind of guy who's good at taking orders."
"Yeah, I guess so, my wife thinks so anyway."
"You want something to drink?"
"Yeah, I guess so, my wife thinks so anyway."
"I'm not wearing any underwear."
"I beg your pardon."
"The only thing separating skirt and my quivering pussy is a layer of air. What do you think of that?"
"Me? I don't know what to think."
Gaunt reveals a talent for physical comedy with his gawking, indecisive face during their tryst, his slapstick-like scramble out of his clothes, his dash with an empty cup as part of his excuse sneak out for another tryst ("I told my wife I was coming over to borrow a cup of sugar"), and his nervous patting of strap-on before he excuses himself out of a threesome. One encounter occurs when watching a porno with Astyr, who seems entirely oblivious to what's going on right beside him but also happy to have them around. ("My best friend and my best wife, finally taking an interest in my one true passion.") Their attempts at bonding seem self-defeating from both directions, as when Astyr tries to initiate a heart-to-heart, it's not clear how truthful Astyr's tale of young love or his recollection of a threesome that sounds suspiciously like one of his movies and the one Gaunt partook in. ("They were sisters, Thomas, sisters! That's what they told me afterwards. They might have been lying of course, It's human nature to lie.") When the visual style switches over to those of his movies, the indictment is complete, but in the final ten minutes, the movie finds something of an emotional core with a montage (Menopausal Males in Bondage) that recontextualizes the proceedings from Ambrose's perspective, while dissolving the boundaries between Astyr, Gaunt, and their porno movies. A beret and checked coat, first sported by Taija Rae, helps provide a visual throughline.
While I won't deny that the kind of masculinity exemplified by the protagonists, while flawed, feels a lot more benign than the kind of toxic masculinity that's been the focus of modern discourse, the laser focus of Watkins' indictment makes the movie work. Where the movie is less cogent but admirably bold is in situating its protagonists and their pathetic suburban existence as some kind of endpoint for American civilization. The opening credits have illustrations of historical images, evangelical radio is heard on and off throughout the movie, and after the aforementioned montage, the film closes with "American the Beautiful". In a brief but forceful sequence, we hear news of Lee Harvey Oswald's murder by Jack Ruby, Walter Mondale's acceptance speech at the 1984 DNC ("Mr. Reagan calls it "tokenism". We call it America.") and the bombing of North Vietnam, while Gaunt's wife (seen again in the nude, to sate the horndogs) fires a shotgun and the screen cuts to black. Watkins produces a passage from "The Harlot's House" by Oscar Wilde to drive home the sense of finality. ("The dead are dancing with the dead, the dust is whirling with the dust.") The protagonists' suburban homes are presented effectively as purgatorial spaces, captured in cold, isolating cinematography by Larry Revene, who had collaborated previously with Watkins on Corruption and Midnight Heat. Like the latter, I watched this in a not very nice video-sourced transfer, although it didn't seem quite as detrimental here (aside from the terrible audio quality, which made Gaunt's whistling sound like nails on a chalkboard). The look of the movie is effectively sterile, with a heavy reliance of moody bluish lighting that comes through even in a less pristine copy. (I understand that this didn't play theatrically, so I'm willing to limit my complaining.) It's also worth noting that while not detrimentally so to the film's overall argument, I did find Astyr's porno movies stylish in their way, and that I was not immune to the charms of Taija Rae, particularly with the beret and lady mullet I alluded to earlier. Folks, I'm not made of stone.
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