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minigirl87 · 5 months

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Damaged goods & no returns Chp.1

Steven Grant x Female reader

Summary:-

You're invited to an exclusive party that will change your life by your best friend. It turns out to be an auction for high society women to by sex slaves. While having a walk around, you find a shy and nervous man in the library. The man turns out to be Steven Grant. There are no mentions of Marc or Jake, but that they will appear in the future. I had this idea after reading a book about women's sexual fantasies as I just saw Steven in my mind.

I hope you enjoy it. Please feel free to like, comment, and reblog.

Warnings:- ⚠️🔞

Do not interact if under 18. Mentions of sex. Talk of sex slavery. I wanted to explore something darker as I've got over 100 followers. No sex in this chapter.

Word Count:- 1460

Everyone knows money runs the world, and money brings privileges. But old money is a different world entirely. it's a strange world of antiquum, eccentricity, and rules. Like a private members club where nothing is spoken about outside the members' walls.

Mrs Bradley is the epiphany of being an eccentric of New York society, an 84 year old woman who dresses and behaves like a 1960s southern belle with her favourite word if she liked you being “Darlin”. Very few times, it is an old and new mix, but between you and your friend Rebecca Mrs Bradleys, the great niece it has. Your Father had been a very successful with a transport company that had travelled all over the world now.

You and Rebecca had a solid friendship of a few years, having met at a dinner party that your dad had held to celebrate a deal with Rebecca’s dad. You both clicked, and friendship blossomed from a dinner party conversation to crying on the phone at 2 am. About both your exes and everyone in between building love and trust leading to this moment.

Everyone knew about Mrs Bradleys eccentric parties that only women attended. Rumours were abound about what happened at these ladies parties, did she run a male brothel, or was it just a bunch of women getting drunk and loose without their partners. Women from ages 20 to 100 would be seen entering the Bradley mansion. So tonight you would see for yourself.

Standing waiting, look out your lounge window for the car to collect you. Smoothing out your plum velvet cocktail dress, the scent of black opium filling the air as you do so. Your phone beeps with a message from Rebecca saying that they’d be their in 5 minutes. Putting your phone in your matching plum clutch you grab your silver grey faux fur coat and checking you have everything and head outside locking your front door and head to the car as the driver stands at the open door waiting for you to enter.

The car door clicks shut as your body melts into the buff leather of cars interior as the vehicle moves along the road. Rebecca sits smiling lips, matching her fuchsia silk evening dress

“Nervous about this evening” her voice brings you back to reality as you notice that you're fiddling with your fingers.

“A little bit, I’ve heard a lot about your Aunts parties. I don’t want to make a fool of myself” you reply softly. Rebecca giggles, taking your hand, giving it a little squeeze of assurance. “My aunt loves you, she thinks you’re the sweetest little thing and insisted you come tonight” you blush in response, you had only met Mrs Bradley a few times and you were surprised by the comments. Sitting back quietly, contemplating the evening ahead, it was as if Rebecca could read your mind.

“I must tell you about the party. It's a....well, it's a sex slave auction” she stares at you awaiting your reaction. You face drains, and your mouth hangs open a few seconds before recovering your composure “A what?” the anger and disgust evident in your voice. Rebecca stares, thinking on how to respond without this blowing up.

“Yes as I said, my aunt deals with male sex slave for women who can afford their own private little pet. She’s done it for years and is successful at it. The men are trained to do other things so no one gets suspicious” The nonchalant way Rebecca responds is horrid as though she’s talking about a piece of dirt, not a human.

The car pulls to a halt in front of the mansion. The large oak and iron doors are illuminated by flaming torches and two men dressed in moss green and gold livery great the guests as they arrive. You and Rebecca leave the car and grace the steps to go inside. Your heart is thumping in your chest, and bile rises in your throat. A man in the same livery carries a sliver tray of champagne, lifting a sparkling crystal flute of the golden bubbles in a white gloved hand passing one to both you and Rebecca nodding as you said thank you.

The entrance hall was extremely extravagant, and you now know you’ve entered a different world. As you look around, you see various men aged 20-40 dressed smartly and conversing with various female guests. You imagine they're doing this to get the best bids and get to the wealthiest woman there. Rebecca looks at you sipping her champagne

“Please understand this is how our world works. They are well looked after men” You only nod in response to her. Mrs Bradley comes over and embraces her great niece and you. Telling you to enjoy yourselves and hoping that someone catches your eye.

You smile in response before asking if you may go look around at the art. In a flamboyant manner, she agrees and walks, taking Rebecca to talk in private about something. You wander off along a oak panelled hall into the library your about to walk over to study the painting above the fireplace when you notice a nervous looking man slightly hunched over in the chair his chocolates curls bouncing as he fidgets with his fingers.

“Hello” You speak softly so as not to scare him. He looks up at you with massive chocolate eyes his reply is barely audible as he sits curled into himself. “Is everything OK?” You slowly walk over to him. A fat tear runs down his cheek as he shakes his head as his curls swaying about.

Kneeling in front of him “Are you one of Mrs Bradleys slaves? All the man does is whimper in response. You want to cuddle him and protect him. He’s nothing like the other men who appear happy in this arrangement. You’re about to ask him his name when Mrs Bradley heels clacking along the floor into the room and angrily looking at the man.

“STEVEN” she says through gritted teeth “why are you in hear you should be out mingling try to find a forever home again” You raise your eyebrows at the word again as the man known as Steven grabs your arm. You finally hear him speak he has a London accent and sounds so soft.

“Yes mistress, I won’t be returned again”

“three times Steven you’ve been returned to me. I can’t keep you if you’re returned again” The venom in Mrs. Bradleys word makes Steven shake against you. You make a decision right there and then, and you’ll deal with everything later.

“Mrs Bradley. How much for Steven?”

Mrs Bradley looks taken aback “You want him out all the other handsome and more socially astute men you want him?” Steven shakes behind you his grip on your arm tightening. “yes. How much?” You felt disgusted talking like this, but you wanted to help Steven.

“Well he’s damaged goods, and I need rid of him. No returns, and he’s $20.000” Closing your eyes and shaking your head at Mrs Bradleys words. “Bank transfer, okay?” You reach into your clutch for your phone. Realising that you’re seriou, Mrs Bradley switches her southern charm back on.

“course Darlin” she walks over to the roll top desk in the library, sitting down her bangles jingling as she sorts paperwork and a tablet. You sign and transfer the money over to her, and she gives you a receipt. You look at the receipt and see it describes the painting that’s above the fireplace. You look shocked as she nods at Steven, and Steven shakily gets up and walks to the fireplace, lifting the painting off the wall and walking up to you.

You realise what Mrs Bradleys doing covering herself so that she can’t get into trouble. You look at her and force a smile.

“I think it’s best I leave now, Mrs Bradley. Have a good evening” You walk away with Steven behind you, clutching the painting or clutching his pain you can’t decide. Mrs Bradley nods with a smile, bidding good evening as she walks along the hall in front of both you and Steven as a car pulls up at the entrance to take you home. She says something about Stevens' belongings being brought to yours tomorrow. You only nod in response as you get in the car behind Steven.

The chauffeur closes the door with a click before getting in and driving away from Bradley Manor. You look at Steven who’s sitting looking out the car window at the passing street lights. You feel nothing but pure love for Steven, and you vow to help and protect him. Steven senses you, looking at him he turns to look at you with a gentle smile.

To be continued........

@melodygatesauthor @my-secret-shame-but-fanfiction @my-secret-shame @missdictatorme @jake-g-lockley @steven-grants-world @romanarose @campingwiththecharmings @writingforcurrentobsessions2 @welcometostayingawake @guruan-is-not-here @ivystoryweaver @whirlybirbs @whatthefishh @missscarlettangel @missdictatorme @lonelyisamyw-0love @madlittlecriminal @midgardian-witch @saturn-rings-writes @madlittlecriminal @gigachadcowboy @draggolblackthorn @he-burnt-my-shake @musicsavedme98 @mess-of-fandom @hon3yboy @ominoose @jayke0 @theaussiedragon @reallyrallyauthor @romanarose @romana-after-dark

Banners and deviders by @cafekitsune

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ukrfeminism · 5 months

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Women of Bangladeshi and Pakistani heritage in the UK are earning on average almost a third less an hour than white British men, a pay gap campaigners say “should be causing national outrage”.

An analysis of pay data also reveals that mixed-race women and women of Black Caribbean heritage take home a quarter less money than their white male counterparts.

The Fawcett Society publishes the figures on what has been designated Ethnicity Pay Gap Day 2024.

Researchers have dug into statistics revealed in a big gender pay gap report published by the campaign group last November. The figures show significant differences between groups of women – and an even bigger disparity with men.

Alesha De-Freitas, the head of policy at Fawcett, said the ethnicity pay gap was “creating double trouble for Black and minoritised women” in the UK.

“The figures that we have here are so very stark,” she said. “The fact that women of Bangladeshi heritage are earning on average almost a third less per hour than white British men should be causing national outrage.”

The analysis shows there is a 14.7% pay gap between women of Bangladeshi and Pakistani heritage and white British women. Compared with white British men, the figure is 28.4%.

Between women of Black Caribbean heritage and white British men, the gap is 25%.

Dianne Greyson is the founder of the campaign group that created the annual 8 January Ethnicity Pay Gap Day. She called on the government to introduce mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting.

“Ultimately, unless companies know what their pay gap is and who it hits hardest, then how can they begin to close it?

“We need more employers sharing knowledge and putting this issue at the top of their agenda, and I’m looking forward to discussing this further at our ethnicity pay gap summit in February.”

The Fawcett report identifies bias as a significant reason for the ethnicity and gender pay gap. It says 75% of women of colour have experienced racism at work while 42% report being passed over for promotion despite good feedback. The figure for white women is 27%.

De-Freitas said mandatory reporting worked. “Mandatory gender pay gap reporting has effectively exposed and driven action to close the gender pay gap,” she said.

“We are urging government to make ethnicity pay gap reporting mandatory as well. But we must go further and ensure that companies with persistent gaps are required to publish action plans for closing and are held to account when they do not.”

It is the first data on the subject since the pandemic.

#articles #Law #community

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enigma-and-oasis · 1 month

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Vulcan Joseph: Tit-Job (or tit-fucking)

Warnings: Nudity, tit-fucking, spitting, dirty talk, blowjob

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Oh man, the hottest red-haired and tattoo guy in Special Fire Company 8. The inventor and engineer. Vulcan is not an innocent man. Don't let the warm and friendly approach with a golden smile fool you. Those turquoise eyes are a warning to let you know he has dirty thoughts about you once he is captivated by you. Those amazing muscles and abs combined with his black tribal tattoos and red hair only match the insatiable inferno in you. He has no preference for gender, as he has experience with alot of women and men and has been to sex parties and clubs before, but he surely has a huge kink for a woman, especially when it comes to your tits. You see, he likes to get nasty and slide his cock through your sternum to fuck your boobs, or get a tit-job.

These are just one of many kinks Vulcan has and loves, and being with a man who is an inventor obviously brings excitement in the sex life. But he loves to have you on your knees behind his desk where he works, pull out his lengthy cock, spit on it and mix it with his precum, before sliding it in your sternum and just fuck through them. Although most times he will have you bounce up and down from your knees (don't worry he is very considerate and careful to have a soft covering on your knees from the rustic floor) to have his dick up and down through your tits while he works, along with the intense filth and dirty talk that comes out of his mouth. The skin-on-skin contact, the way you would sometimes lick the head of his cock and taste his pre-release liquid, praising you "Good Girl," along with "You like being on your knees for me as my personal cock-warmer," and "Open your mouth for me" to have you suck his dick while he fucks between your tits.

He doesn't have shame, he is willing to do this when he wants to relief stress with a lovely reward after a hard day of work (aside from intimate kissing and erotic sex), but Vulcan is a frisky guy. He'd even have you naked and bare just for him to have you on your knees to be used as a tit-job, and you stay there like the good girl you are while he makes use of you before later tonight, because this man's sex drive is extremely high. Be prepared to have him cum on your face, neck or chest after he is done with you because he loves to paint your chest/face/neck white to let you know who you exactly belong to. "Such a pretty, dirty girl who let's me paint her like a blank canvas."

He's all in for you sucking him off while he fucks your boobs which then gives him leverage to fuck your mouth. He loves seeing his cock soaked in your spit and his cum as he is dumping his load in your mouth, telling you to "Swallow it all up, beautiful" before he smirks and kisses you passionately when you do, not minding his own taste from your mouth. "You are too perfect. Fuck I am in love with you."

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This will be the one of many, many kinks and fetishes I will write about Vulcan Joseph. He is indeed a nasty man with a golden heart. He is so underrated, as well as the series😩😩

#aged up characters #vulcan joseph #vulcan joseph x reader #vulcan joseph smut #vulcan x reader #fire force x reader #fire force smut #enen no shouboutai smut #enen no shouboutai

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1rsoldiersince2012 · 2 years

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Bound by Law (Matt Murdock x reader)

Words: 1734 (chapter 11)

Summary:

You and Matt met in the courtroom. Now, you may think that Matt was a knight in shining armour and defended you in the name of all United States laws, but that was not the case. Matt was totally destroying your client, and you wanted to tear him into pieces right then and right there, because with Murdock as your rival, your head is on the firm's plate with each case. Did Matt care? No, he only cared about bringing justice, he was a human-machine, driven by the need to bring righteousness no matter the cost. Or was he just that? What happens when you get involved in Fisk's business and Daredevil's lies against your will?

UPDATES EVERY FRIDAY

Find my other accounts on ao3 and wattpad under the same name <3

ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1rSoldierSince2012

wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/1rsoldierSince2012

11. Mixing Business

"You know, I had a great time yesterday." Foggy says, acknowledging all the people gathered in Nelson and Murdock, all three in total - him, Matt and newly employed Karen.

"When did you have time for it?" Karen asks, smiling at Foggy, but he doesn't see it with his back turned.

"After your court. We went out for drinks. You know, all-lawyer gang."

"You two call yourselves gang?" Karen asks in disbelief.

"Foggy, you were wasted before five o'clock, we had to lead you to the taxi." Matt shouts from the other room.

"We?" Karen asks again.

"Yeah, me, Matty and y/n." Foggy lifts his head from the printer's back to see Karen's raised eyebrow. "She's our new friend. Sort of. More like my new friend, because Matt always has this weird aura around himself when she's near."

"Foggy." Matt leans on the threshold, one hand resting on his hips.

"Y/n? She's a lawyer too?" Karen sits, very interested in whom this new person was.

"Yeah, kicks ass, and is considered to be too pretty to be a lawyer, but that's her hidden talent."

"Her hidden talent is that she's pretty?" Karen asks again, getting confused with each sentence that leaves Foggy's mouth.

"It's too early for him to make sense." Matt interferes in the dialogue, controlling his thoughts that were about to wander back to you.

"See, she uses her beauty to fool men into thinking that it's all she has, but then she literally destroys them with her legal knowledge. I might as well add art knowledge to the list after last week." Foggy smiles, crouching back to the printer.

"Huh, interesting."

"I think you'd like her. Although, as much as she likes to be petty in court with men, she wouldn't hesitate to do the same with women."

"But we're not in court, Foggy." Matt says, thinking again about your last night's behaviour, and how relaxed you seemed after winning the case. Yet one thing bothered him still, why you refused to sit next to him, and put Foggy in the middle? Had this something to do with your meeting in the café? Have you been-

Matt loses his train of thoughts when a loud knock shakes the glass of the doors. Foggy quickly returns to the standing position, looking confused at Karen, who returns the same look.

"Was that a knock? On our door?"

"Yes, somebody open." Matt urges Karen to do her job, and she runs to the door, opening them wide, when the man of the hour turns around, fake smile plastered on his face-

"Hi. Do you do walk-ins?" The man asks, and Matt feels like he knows his voice from somewhere, wasn't it the same man who called you on Monday?

As the web of lies was currently being made all around the small office of Nelson and Murdock, you were greeted by the surprise meeting with the founders of Hogarth, Chao and Benowitz. All of them sat at the round table in Linda's office, you - in front of them, feeling rather uncomfortable and intimidated by so many eyes.

"We were discussing some other things that can help make our company better, and then we-" Chao begins, falling silent, and being taken over by Hogarth.

"Recalled how you performed yesterday on live television. It was good-"

"But of course, could be much better with more practice, right?" Benowitz finishes the sentence, and you get a feeling that they rehearsed this in the morning.

"Now that the majority of Hell's Kitchen saw your potential, we expect those in need to choose our firm, and want you to represent them in court." Chao takes over again.

"But we know, how can one person do all of this? One might go insane. So-" Benowitz raises his eyebrows.

"We thought of a new policy."

"Just for you."

"Of course, we don't talk about the others, because as we all know it, they'll be stuck with those divorce cases for the rest of their lives."

"We talk about you, because you shined brightly last night, and proved that Landman and Zach are too easy to crack."

"We talk about you, and want to offer you a great deal." Benowitz stops, Hogarth continues.

"You work directly for us, any of us three, we get cases and think, oh we need an insight, let's call y/n, and then you'll get a full experience of working with real professionals. What do you say?"

You blink twice, not comprehending what they just said. "Sorry what? I'll have to be on a call just for you?"

"Right." Benowitz nods.

"And what about my own cases? I don't get to do those any more?"

"Oh, you will. If we decide that it's not worth our attention." Linda smiles, showing her teeth.

Oh. So you were about to get their trash. Amazing.

"Don't worry, the pay cheque is going to be bigger too, after all, it's a very, very important job."

"So, uh, when does this," you motion around the room with your finger, "business mixing begin?"

"Any moment from now. You're in?" Hogarth fold her hands in front of her, showing that she's done with the conversation.

"I guess..." You doubt, what was even happening right now? Were they trying to live off your sudden 'fame' by making you their associate?

"Great, then you, lady, have some days off, until, of course, we call you. Pleasure to have such understanding and good employees." Benowitz says, and you catch upon the voice change on the 'lady'. Each of them shake hands with you, and then you leave, confused more than ever about this whole morning. What the hell were you supposed to do on your off days, when the weekends have been a torture to live through?

***

"Why are you approaching us? Why not a larger firm, Mr.?" Matt waits for Wesley to respond with his last name, but the latter turns down the question.

"Confederated Global Investments is my employer."

"That's not what I was asking."

"It's the only name relevant to this discussion, Mr. Murdock." Wesley smiles, eyes not leaving Matt.

"Oh. So, why us?" Matt asks again, but Foggy is quick to interrupt.

"Obviously, the larger firms aren't able to provide the same hands-on attention that we pride ourselves on at Nelson and Murdock. I'm sure you've heard of a couple of our recent cases."

"It's a fair question. I'm here because my employer does extensive business in Hell's Kitchen, and who knows it better than two local boys who graduated from Columbia Law, cum laude and summa cum laude?"

"Uh, the "summa" part is politics." Foggy corrects quickly, and Wesley fakes a smile again.

"You set up shop right here in your backyard despite the fact that both of you were made a very lucrative offer from Landman and Zack in Manhattan where you interned. And with that lawyer from HCB, who won a televised case, I'd say it's a bit difficult for you to put the roots in here." Wesley looks around the office, hoping that he doesn't have to step in here ever again.

"You've done your homework." Matt deadpans.

"My employer expects no less."

"Then forgive me for being blunt."

"Blunt is a strong word." Foggy acknowledges himself again, sensing that if those two would be left alone, they would kill each other.

"In my line of work, I find it refreshing."

"What is that line of work exactly?" Matt asks again, desperately wanting Wesley to answer who exactly he is.

"What my partner is trying to say is we're still building a practice, so we're very particular about our clientele." Foggy tries to make the situation better.

"After all those cases, you still consider yourselves fresh?" Wesley simply couldn't believe where the talk was going. Foggy is at a loss for words, Matt says nothing as well. "I assure you, all my employer wants is for you to continue to be ethical, decent men, and good lawyers. And for that, for nothing more than your exceptional skills and your discretion, you'll be fairly compensated." He pushes a cheque towards Foggy.

"Wow, that is... Fair." Foggy stutters.

Wesley smirks, but soon notices that Matt showed no signs of happiness about the case. "Your partner doesn't seem convinced."

"Like Foggy said, we're particular about our clientele." Matt deadpans again, listening to Wesley's heartbeat, which remained steady the whole time. Perfect liar rarely gets caught.

"I'm curious about your clientele. Do they all end up working for you after you get them off for murder, or just the pretty ones?" Wesley strikes, raising his eyebrows at Karen. The latter gets scared, and quickly leaves the room. Wesley fixes his glasses, pretending to care about the situation they were currently in, "Sorry, I didn't mean to upset anyone."

"How did you know about Miss Page's situation? There was nothing in the papers, and the court was a closed one."

"I have friends in the force. I'm sure I'm not the only one." Wesley looks at Foggy, who gets flustered quickly.

"I think we might be veering off the subject." Foggy defends himself.

"I understand your concerns, Mr. Murdock. Perhaps you should review one of our cases before you make a decision? Peace of mind and whatnot." Wesley says in a silk voice.

"That's a fantastic idea. Matthew?"

Matt answers after a beat, already plotting a way to bust this man, who he now remembered to be called James. "Yeah, what harm could it do?"

"Excellent. You have 38 minutes to get to Precinct 15." Wesley stands up, Matt does too.

"What? Now? What's the case?" Foggy panics slightly.

"Everything you need is in this file. Thank you for your time, gentlemen."

"No. Thank you. Thank you very... " Wesley leaves, and Foggy instantly turns to look at Matt, "what is your problem?"

"He wouldn't even give us his name, Foggy."

"You wouldn't care if you could see the zeroes on this check. Besides, I remember him talking to y/n at the exhibition."

"Maybe you would if you couldn't see them." Matt wants to ask about you meeting this scumbag, but his time is limited.

"We're running out of time."

Matt starts to walk away, "I'll meet you there."

"Meet me? The hell are you going? Matt!" The door closes loudly and Matt follows Wesley into the street, where he gets inside a car.

"It's been taken care of, Sir." Wesley says to Fisk, and they all drive off, before Wesley's phone starts ringing. Matt manages to catch a glimpse of your voice in Wesley's phone, before the sounds of the busy street take him back to reality. Matt stops and touches his wound on his waist. He's bleeding, the stitches he redid last night were worthless.

#matt murdock #matthew murdock #matt murdock x reader #foggy nelson #karen page #james wesley #nelson and murdock #daredevil #marvel daredevil #marvel #netflix daredevil #matts superhearing complicates things for you #lawyers #bound by law

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adamsvanrhijn · 7 months

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Something interesting came up in regard to the age question. Do you think Oscar believes that he is unattractive? Or atleast unattractive in comparison to John.

This is not a dig at the actor or anything just in universe of the show kind of how Downton sometimes referred to Edith.

oh what an interesting question...

i would say. i think oscar is vain and can appreciate his own appearance. & blake ritson is nice looking, and oscar is framed as handsome from the very beginning. so it isn't quite the same as the edith thing where everyone in the real world knows laura carmichael is beautiful and everyone in the show thinks edith is plain and unappealing.

so. oscar handsome = yes. oscar Attractive...

there's a different connotation there. in some ways.

because i think the context in which oscar has wanted to appear Desirable / has most cared about appearing desirable is most likely, To Other Men, to whom no doubt he is a catch (regardless of age), and for whom he is also a Type. of course he also is good looking and wants to show off in mixed company and be regarded as handsome and whatever, i'm sure all of that is true, but oscar has not been living his life, i do not think, with a legitimate air of I Hope Women Want To Have Sex With Me, until VERY recently.

and we see the glimpses of this in season 1, particularly 1.08, where john is pleasant and charming and makes gladys laugh and when he does it he has a way with young women, How Nice. oscar does not.

and then in 2.01 oscar has his attention very abruptly and violently drawn to the fact that yeah, actually he is a Type, in a way that makes him a target, and is threatening to him. and it is decidedly not a type that would aid him in finding a wife. oscar is the type of man that a violent person in a bar thinks is easily duped into going with a man alone to a place where he can be made a victim, and turns out to be right about that. which has to do with a whole host of things, not only appearances - i doubt for example that oscar would be giving off that precise vibe if he and john were together and oscar was still manifesting his own reality about how perfect his life is. (i could write at least one additional paragraph here about where oscar being john's type specifically comes in but i won't. because i love you all and nobody needs to read that) but appearances and his dress and his manner... all a factor.

so.

in the real world, when the girl oscar is hoping to marry is out, and oscar has competition... he knows what the competition is (younger-by-extension-more-attractive-to-a-young-woman or richer or both) and he knows that there are certain axes where he pales in comparison and he has just been very brutally and traumatically made aware of what that could mean for him...

of course he's going to be insecure about how he looks to others.

#oscar van rhijn tag #the gilded age spoilers

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attheexactlyrighttimeandplace · 2 years

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The Rings of Power is such a treat! Each episode is a gem in its own way and i can't get enough of it.

The best part being how each week is like an injection of a powerful mix of excitation for LOTR universe and desire to reread all Tolkien's work, as if rewatching the episodes multiples times isn't enough (I'm having very modest ambitions so far and starting with the appendices of the Lord of the Rings and planning The Silmarilion and the Unfinished Tales for next month...)

Some thoughts on episode 4 (full of spoilers for the series),

Episodes with no hobbits and more dwarves are a win. Actually anything involving Durin father and son, Disa and her children whom we see and don't see at the same time is a delight.

Howewer i don't see there a happy family story with their friend Elrond as a gentle and benevolent sponsor, like everyone seem to describe their bond. I think Elrond appreciate them a lot individually and as couple, enjoys truly their company, but he's by nature incapable to be a friend to them. I can't call friendship a relationship where he doubts his friend's intentions and invades their privacy with suspicious questions he has no right to ask. It could have been another kind of secret more personal to Durin like a real affair. So why did Elrond think it was ok to follow him and his wife and overhear their conversations? The little advice he gave to Durin in the end of the episode, under the form of a confession about his own his father, redeemed him a little bit, but only a little bit. I don't think the couple should trust him or consider him genuine. And it's not because they're dwarves that Elrond is acting this way in my opinion, but really because he can't trust people and can't resist manipulating them to serve his goals and ambitions, like he did in the first episode by colluding with Gil-Galad to send Galadriel to Valinor, out of their way, instead of discussing with her what the elves king has foreseen for her future.

The visuals of Númenor submerged by a giant wave were terrifying and stunning at the same time. What a way to start an episode! I totally empathized with queen Miriel: her panic is completely appropriate. This is the stuff of nightmares, more than any orc or Dark Lord could be and it's not even the work of the dark side. How could an alliance between elves (who are going to be blamed for it) and men work after so much destruction? But at the same time: what a way too to end a season! Because i can't imagine another season finale now than the real destruction of the island...

Loved all the scenes between Tar- Miriel and Galadriel. The verbal sparring between these two strong/competent women leaders was the best moment of the episode: be it the ego fight during the audience or the emotional revelation in the king's tower. In this later scene, the dialogues and acting were especially moving (all this inner conflict for Miriel, so ready to follow Galadriel but incapable to deal with any opposition and conflict, was really good characterization). My favourite part was Elendil staying by the side watching quietly "his" queens (queen of his heart for Galadriel and queen by legal authority and loyalty for Miriel) fighting each other, while trying a little joke to get some attention.

Romeo and Juliet aka Kemen and Eärien are too good and pure for this world, so of course, they will die. They had a dark cloud announcing their doomed fate on their head during the all episode, following them everywhere. It's insane how strong this vibe attached to them was despite all the cuteness of their dialogues and the extra romantic spirit of their costumes.

As expected Adar turned out to be an elf who has been seriously wounded, more likely tortured (captured or left behind by his squadron?) and has now joined completely the dark side. It's a charismatic and quite sad character and i'm really curious to know more about his past. I consider him to be literally the father of the orcs: the one who created them by torturing elves. In the first episode Arondir explained to Bronwyn that the elves healers are in fact artists who reveal the beauty inside everyone. I think Adar was doing the opposite job for Sauron Morgoth, a perversion of his past noble mission.

On the other hand i'm trusting less and less Arondir: did he make a deal with Adar or did Adar release him in a sick game to catch him later and make the hunt of the strong elf who deserted more interesting? Arondir got an interesting mix of action and romantic scenes for a character who was so close to die at the start of the episode. Almost too much, in as he's getting all the focus before getting really killed or turned evil like Adar. This dark turn wouldn't be surprising because the guy has no luck, not in love at least: the timing to kiss Bronwyn is never but never right. I think it will happen eventually (more than some kissing) but they might both deeply regret it. I mean i've got this theory that Theo's father is Halbrand, mostly because it's the only way i can explain for now the ongoing mystery about Halbrand's homeland (i think he was maybe from the same village as Bronwyn, the one that was emptied completely and burned to the ground by the orcs of Adar - that would explain Theo's attraction to the dark side if you believe like i do that Halbrand is the futur Witch King - and i fear his reaction if he catches Bronwyn and Arondir at one point (if Adar doesn't before him).

So far, all the human characters of the Southlands were invented only for the series and had little connection to the books or the films, that's why it was very satisfying when, intentionally or not the writers wrote the attack of the tower of Ostirith like a call back to the battle of Helm's deep. Of course it won't be as epic as in the LOTR films (there's no armies only civilians and the scale is something else), but just the awakening of my memories and of my nostalgia alone is a very nice feeling.

Halbrand and Galadriel keep getting a lot of attention and i still fail to see why? Sure they have chemistry but he's so clearly reducing her in the best case to her race, calling her elf all the time as if he's holding a grudge against elves, and in the worst scenario to someone he wants to dominate, to tame/control (like an horse to use a word that he used), and eventually possess sexually after the blacksmiths planted in his head that she wouldn't want him because she prefers men of better origin (the comment was clearly sexual, there's seduction/attraction but no really romantic feelings in his interactions with Galadriel)

Also this subplot makes Galadriel so stupid: why would she jump to the conclusion that he's a king in disguise just because he wears an insignia? Why does she refuse to believe his protestations and explanations that he found it on a dead man (whom he possible killed)? How can she believe that a real king would act like he did since she met him? He was traveling with poachers who were hunting the worm and have shot it with arrows, that's why the marine animal attacked them (she saw the arrow when she was underwater), he abandoned his shipmates to death, started a tavern brawl, stole the guild crest from the blacksmiths and beat them savagely etc.. In which way does this attitude compare to queen Miriel's regal posture in everything she says and does, or even a "lesser" noble man like Elendil? I don't know why she wants this bad to make him a hero, why she's being so blind to his objections. She keeps bringing his people and the emergency to save them and he showed no interest or care. It makes me crazy and that renders their scenes painful to watch, even though they were well acted and written.

EDIT: I just rewatched the episode and i realized that her position was clearly explained during the audience with Tar Miriel: Galadriel is desperately in need of a royal figure that could gather the men of The Southlands. They clearly won't follow an elf, and not even a numenorean queen can convince them given Númenor's closeness to the Elves. Only a leader born in the Southlands would be able to gather them under one banner. Thus Halbrand is her only and best shot at any attempt of an alliance, whatever the circumstances in which he came into the possession of the insignia, no matter if he's a real king or nobody. She's just trying praying very hard that he's not as bad as he pretends to be and taking a bet that nobody will detect his lies. Or rather, i really hope this interpretation will be proved to be true, because if not, i'm back to the part that i crossed out.

There's so much more to say, notably about Isildur who had a big episode, and his relationship with his sister Eärien, Pharazôn and his relationship with his son Kemen but this is already too long. I'm keeping the rest of my thoughts for future posts.

#the rings of power #episode 4: the great wave #numenor #durin iv #princess disa #elrond #galadriel #queen regent miriel #elendil #eärien #kemen #halbrand #arondir #bronwyn #adar #my trop reviews

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bitterarcs · 8 months

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UNEXPECTED FLAWS.

People generally assume Reno, and all the Turks really, are proficient at using every weapon. Some of them may very well be. In order to pass basic training and even be considered for the Turks, all rookies need weapons training and pass a marksmanship test. Reno was fairly competent and a good shot upon joining the Turks, but now he's pretty awful. Yeah, give him a gun, and he can shoot someone from a close distance. Reno has never liked guns, hence his poor mastery of it and absence of gun at his side.

It's likely people assume he's good at first aid and field medicine. Yes, Reno knows how to do the basic. His life depends on it and the lives of his comrades. He knows what to do in the case of heat exhaustion, hypothermia, and blood loss, but he is quite terrible at treating actual wounds. Staunching a wood and disinfecting a wound is one thing, but anything with fractured bones or suturing wounds together . . and it'll look like a shitshow.

UNEXPECTED SKILLS.

Writing skills, language, and office work. Look, Reno fucking hates paperwork. He'll try to get Rude or even Elena to do his, but when he actually does it? It's pretty flawless. Takes fucking forever, but it's pretty spectacular when he completes it. This is only because he takes an extraordinary amount of pride when it comes to ShinRa and his work for the company. Very very few people would know this, and would only come to this knowledge witnessing first hand, but Reno can speak and write in three different languages.

Reno is a really good fighter. Like seriously. He doesn't need the mag-rod to kick ass. When it comes to fighting machines and monsters, he definitely needs an accessory weapon, hence the mag-rod. Otherwise Reno is exceptional in mixed martial arts. He can't hit them as hard as the SOLDIERs or even like Rude, so Reno hits them fast. And it's not just about hitting fast, it's about taking an enemy down quickly. Before most people realize exactly what is going on, Reno will either have their limbs pinned in a place which will break if they do not submit or he'll have thighs wrapped around their neck to cut off their air supply. He has taken down men head and shoulders and hundreds of pounds heavier than him with quick submission maneuvers. People either submit and come out of it with a bruised ego or end up with a few broken things.

EXPECTATIONS.

Reno enjoys keeping people on their toes around him, because he enjoys seeing the surprise in people's face when they realize he isn't singularly dimensional. He actively tries to beat people's expectations and deviate from the norm which people's opinions have built around him. Of course not every aspect of Reno can be shocking, and he does not actively do or say something different just to be like hey, i'm not what you expect. For one thing, Reno flirts with women openly and readily. He has even been seen leaving bars with women at his side, however his relationship with women is strictly platonic. A lot of people find it shocking to discover that Reno is homosexual. I could go on just on the subject of his sexuality and the perception, but that's really all I'll say in this post. People also expect, for some reason, him to be dirty and lazy. To some point it is true. His office space at ShinRa is pretty much a mess, but the paperwork he submits is immaculate. Parts of his home are messy, but it's not a pigsty; it's at its messiest when Reno returns to Midgar from abroad missions.

Some specifics: Reno never makes his bed and doesn't fold his laundry, BUT he keeps his fridge clean and really organized ( helps there's very much in there ), clothes are hung up to prevent wrinkles, and his bathroom is kept cleaner than most men's.

Overall Reno's cleanliness throws people through a loop. He'll have no problem eating the greasiest of foods and if he gets a piece of food stuck on his shirt, it's no big deal. If his shoes gets cuffed, it's no big deal. As long as a tear in clothing looks fitting, he'll keep wearing the article of clothing. On the flip side, he typically showers daily and really, really takes the time to keep up his appearance. From head to toe, he doesn't like a hair to be out of place. Depending on sexual activity, he's really good about cleaning his sheets. Sheets are always cleaned after sex, if sex takes place in his bed, and regardless he'll clean his sheets and towels about twice a week if time permits. I also won't go into too much detail about this, but I will say that this is caused by multiple competing factors.

Reno literally grew up in terrible conditions in the slums, so he appreciates cleanliness now that he has it. At heart I think Reno is more on the dirty and lazy side, however he does have certain obsessive compulsions. Looking at how and why he smokes gives insight into this too. Cleaning and maintaining his appearance provides his ritual which helps reduce stress. . . . This is all to say Reno is complex and when people realize how cleanly he actually is, it's funny to see them surprised.

There are plenty of other examples of meeting and exceeding expectations. For enemies who just give him one glance or for newbies entering ShinRa, Reno tends to surprise almost everyone with precisely how agile he is. I've gone into detail about this in the above section.

Okay, super super short and simply. People think Reno is idiotic, just a clown, and a slacker, but he's quite the opposite. He does purposefully make himself look clownish to get the advantage on people.

Random question re. headcanons for Reno but is there something that one would assume Reno is very good at and he isn't (or vice-versa)? In what ways does he defy expectations and is this something he actively enjoys and/or seeks to do or doesn't really care about? @stingslikeabee ( is this a love confession, melissa ? )

#[ ⁰⁰⁵ ; reading your confessions live on air ]#stingslikeabee #THANK YOU #[ ⁰⁰⁴ ; EXPOSING THE WIRES IN MY HEAD ]

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bifairywife · 2 years

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jaystephroy concept:

fashion industry au 🚶🖋️📸

i had way too much fun conceptualising all of this so i'll be posting some edits to help visualize (and explain a bit) this au <33

imagine: jason as a model, steph as a fashion designer, and roy as a photographer - it's basically a power trio in the fashion world

jason is one of the top models of wayne enterprises' fashion branch alongside dick and cass, it's kind of a family business. they all got their share of modelling (tim ultimately decided to go with marketing, damian initiated making a sub-branch for pet clothes, and duke decided to help out with the creatives team in making commercials + social media posts).

steph made her first spoiler costume, so it's safe to assume she designed it too. plus her cute lil red headband as robin? cute and iconic, a statement piece none of the previous robins ever bothered to have. and if you check the notes on her clothing style in wfa, it'll totally solidify my point:

highlights from the notes: young and trendy, likes to customize her clothes → this is a girl that has style and someone you'd want in the designing team (+ in canon she's a good cartoonist too, she got the drawing skills)

now onto roy, i'll admit my thought process really just went: "well he's an archer, right? so he has good eyesight and he can quickly have a good scope of his surroundings taking into account of its details while he's at it - so that'll make him a good photographer." for the sake of this au, i want him on team wayne enterprises already.

some notes on jason:

with dick on men's formal wear & undergarments (hehe) and cass on women's athletic and formal wear, jason got the men's casual and athletic wear covered.

he's been planning on dropping his modelling gig. he's interested in a career change with helping out in a different aspect in the company's fashion branch. but with his popularity, it's a risky move to pursue it.

between him, dick, and cass - jason's surprisingly the best trendsetter. dick can be flat out embarrassing sometimes and although cass is iconic, she's a whole new league of her own for being able to be the only one that can really carry a look the way she does (some can copy her, but they don't hold a candle to her). the looks jason serve on his own is a mix of classic and functional - which is why leather jackets are never out of style in gotham.

some notes on steph:

steph couldn't afford fashion school but she was discovered by selina. she's under a sort of apprenticeship with her (selina gets what steph is going through and she wants someone to take over for her now that she wants to focus on designing jewelry).

she's also very active on social media. she's got a super cute and semi-consistent theme on instagram (featuring a mix of her works and shots of herself), and her stories are a mix of aesthetic shots of her designing process or photos of her snacks.

steph is closest with cass. when she started out, selina assigned her as one of cass' designers. steph and cass work together often and they easily bonded.

steph is also close to tim and duke. she gives them insights on how to appeal to the audience better, and they help her be updated to current trends.

some notes on roy:

i always hc roy as the type of guy that enjoys travelling a lot. he's originally a landscape photographer, doing a lot of mountain-hiking and rock-climbing which are risky but worth it for the view. problem is: he got into an accident so those activities need to be put on halt.

he still wanted to continue photography though. even if oliver doesn't play favourites, he doesn't want to work for queen industries where people can assume he got in the "easy way" so he picked the next best company: wayne enterprises.

he's a generally friendly guy, so having to work with new people was a breeze. the problem lies with how different this particular genre of photography is. he's so used to snapping photos of landscapes that focusing on people (and clothes) is an entirely different level.

#i was gonna make a dnd-esque concept about them first but it's so hard to find pics for it 😭😭#jaysteph #jayroy #jaystephroy #jayroysteph #jason todd #stephanie brown #roy harper #red hood #the spoiler #red arrow #dc comics #polyamourous #polyamory #summer.txt

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thestobingirlie · 1 year

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Hi, sorry to bother you and feel free to ignore this ask, but can you explain how Steve and Robin are so close? I don't understand why they're portrayed as extremely close friends in fic a lot. I probably missed something or misunderstood something because Robin was kinda mean to Steve and they were tortured, Robin comes out, and then they're sharing a resume? I get how they got close after the Russians, but I don't understand the whole platonic soulmate thing that I see a lot of in fic. I think their friendship is great - we don't see a lot of purely platonic (You can fight me on this, but I don't think Steve actually had a crush on Robin. Crushes are confusing and easily mixed up new friendship feelings. I think that's what happened with Steve because his confession kinda blindsided me, but then again, I could have missed something) relationships between men and women in Stranger Things and I think that's something that the show needs more of. And just character relationships in a meaningful way, not just as a way to move along the plot. I just don't understand why fics portray them as so close. Sorry if this is offensive in any way, I'm just trying to understand, and you seemed like a good blog to ask.

hi! don’t worry, it’s not an offensive question, and i’d love to answer!

we’ll start with s3! so, even at the very beginning of the season, when robin is teasing steve, steve still seems to enjoy her company. he likes snapping back, and annoying her. in the confession scene, he even tells her that he’s laughed more that summer than in years!

he’d only just started speaking to robin that summer and he was already telling her about how he hid parts of himself for fear of getting made fun of, just like she confesses that she’s always wanted to popular and accepted. like, the both of them are already revealing really intimate parts of themselves to each other! then obviously, robin comes out to steve. i think this is so important for both of them, and honestly i think some people underestimate just how much that moment meant. it’s the 80s! robin had to have had so much trust in steve to come out to him. obviously she’s scared, but she could’ve lied to steve about why she wouldn’t date him, but she chose to tell him. and steve just totally accepted her. no hesitation. like, that kind of connection isn’t just co-workers. they love each other! at the end of the season they wait to get a job so they can still be together!

(oh! and i totally agree that steve never actually had romantic feelings for robin. he spent the season flirting with girls, and he loves spending time with robin! dustin is telling him that whole season that he and robin are perfect together, and robin confesses that she was obsessed with steve. so it’s no surprise that he asks her out! he thinks that’s just kind of what he has to do. what makes sense for him to do)

and onto season 4! so, steve drives robin to school every single day, even though his work doesn’t start for another three hours! he’s willingly pulling himself out of bed at like 6 in the morning just for robin. he knows who her crush is and has actively paid attention to her so he could see if she was attracted to women purely to know whether to encourage robin and give her pep talks! and we see throughout the season that robin also involves herself into steve’s love life. like, they just both care so much about the other person being happy, that they will go out of their way to make sure they are.

like, robin wants them to combine into one person! she literally wants to permanently tie herself to steve. every single time steve’s in danger, robin is beside herself with worry.

also! when steve is on a date, he postions himself close to the band solely so he can chat to robin! like, he’s on a date! and he still goes out of his way to chat with robin.

we just see throughout the show that the two of them go out of their way to hang out with each other, to take care of each other, make sure they’re happy. like, these are all kinda small moments that you’ll only notice if you really care enough to pay attention, but they just all show that their love for each other is more than just friends. they’re soulmates! like, they are as close as friends can possibly be.

i suppose, at the end of the day, it is an opinion thing. but i just can’t see them as anything other than the most important person in each others life.

#steve harrington #robin buckley #stobin #stranger things #i’ll put it. because people freak out everytime you say they love each other and don’t add platonic in front. but this is platonic stobin #asks #anon

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icharchivist · 10 months

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Having observed many a series over the years, i think the thing is that companies aren't used to sexualizing men /the same WAY/ that they sexualize women, and THAT'S what's a risk. anime and its sister industries have been perfecting the art of sexualizing guys for decades, that's why those idol raising games are so popular, but they use a very different kind of sexualization that i don't think we recognize as easilly because it seems more normal. there's a reason that so many series will decide to put its male characters in nice fitted suits for special occasions, the fans lose their MINDS over it. but if i were to look you in the eye and tell you "zhongli is one of the most sexualized male designs in genshin impact and it is very much on purpose", a lot of people would raise their eyebrow at that because it doesn't show very much skin, and the conversation around sexualization has been so firmly rooted around female characters, where more skin and skimpier ways of covering it has been the default since time began. people don't "count" things like voice direction, posture, the use of particular personality traits, because those are all just normal things to em. if you think of it as "just cus the fans find him hot doesnt mean he's sexualized", you very quickly get confused as to why these series are so consistently good at getting fans to rave about basically every character. but there's porn everywhere for a reason. they're all systematically designed to get you as horny for their pngs as possible so that you hand over the cash. all of this said? yes please more female-style sexualization on the men, mama needs her fix.

oh yeah, agreed completely.

It comes from different type of expectations from the audiences being targetted by and everything, i think you summed it up quite well.

in a sense this type of sexualization is extremely gendered and imo i think there's something interesting with blurring this line a little.

Granblue has always been a bit "ahead" in a sense because it has been doing "slutty sexualization" of men for a long time, ever since they started rolling summer units for men (back then it was really not heard of a lot in games with mixed gender casts, i remember it stood out a lot). And even there Granblue's sexualization didn't stop at "man shirtless" but in arts that are supposed to be seductive in some way

to name a few.

But they don't really stop there either. Like, one of the unit that had a lot of people lose their mind in term of male sexualization had a man fully dressed up, just. acting like a complete slut:

but the sexualization we had of Belial and Wilnas do feel more pushed because this... isn't what generally gets sexualized in men?

Male Sexualization, per granblue standards, is either the men acting flirty or them being shirtless (and even there we have shirtless men i wouldnt call sexualized so, it's a whole package).

So ultimately the whole "balls out" and "ass out" units were shocking at that time because it's like. it's genuinely not something you usually see when they push the sexualization of men.

Women have their boobs and crotch and ass sexualized all the time, especially in Granblue. This is old news.

but men sexualization is usually kept safe, and it generally is enough to have people go wild about something.

But this? this is to the level of what women usually get with sexualization and stuff.

Anyway i don't really have a professional opinion and stuff, and like, there's a whole lot of male design in the game that are sexy without having to show skin either.

But yeah the women sexualization designs have never been seen as super risky by Granblue at least, while the male ones are rarer but effectively trying things out in ways other similar mobages (and i mean by that, RPG mobage with a mixed gender cast) do not.

Anyway. yeah. the more we know!

#ichareply #ichafantalks gbf #anonymous #hornposting

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from-the-clouds · 11 months

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So I got on tumblr again just to tell some people who have blessed the world with some amazing writing how much I love their work. I finished Texas Sun a couple of weeks ago and haven't stopped thinking about it since. I've been struggling with reading the last couple of years (-and I'm generally quite picky-), but I couldn't stop.

I prefer fiction that leave things to the imagination. That being said, I'm also very curious about what happened to reader before she came to Jackson. Mostly because I would have wanted to stay in this story a little longer. I'm definitely drawing some conclusions, but english is not my first language, so I might be reading more into it than there is. I want to know but I don't want to know, you know? This is absolutely not a criticism, nor a suggestion that you write more, because it's perfect the way it is. I just want you to know this story has stayed with me, and I find myself thinking about often. I loved it.

hello thank you so much!! that's such a high compliment because i can be the same way when it comes to reading :)

and yeah! i purposely left her backstory vague. my thought was that since she was alone and without joel people wouldn't really want a bunch of chapters about what she went through. but i can elaborate a little more on what i imagined for her, even though there are still some things that are vague even in my own mind. (spoilers/more info after the cut)

tw: death of family members, miscarriage mention, general trauma & TLOU canon-typical content

maybe within the first 5-10 years of the outbreak, she was with her brother, and they were in pretty safe company and made it work for awhile. well, that had to end eventually and her brother got bit, and maybe it was reader who had to take him down. it was obviously very difficult for her, so after he died and she was alone with ethan, she was desperate to find someone to latch onto.

that's where bea comes in. i think with bea she maybe got mixed up into a group that was somewhat similar to david's. they were in a remote place living off the land and trying to make it work. i also liked the idea of it being a community primarily made up of women, with only a handful of men or children mixed in. but maybe there were some rules/traditions within the group that were a little cult-like which is why ethan sort of has issues with his experience there. but from reader's perspective, she ignored the red flags because she was trying to keep him safe and bea was a good support system.

i imagine that community crumbled or was overrun shortly before the 'post-outbreak' stuff starts in the story. she had lost bea, and her and ethan were ambling around looking for food/shelter before tommy finds them.

there were probably also periods where she and ethan were on their own, just trying to make things work. and i like to think she tried looking for joel here and there, but probably gave up on that after a few years. i think despite how much she loved him, she knew she couldn't abandon her family when she had no real leads or any idea if he was alive at all.

at one point i thought i might try to incorporate the idea that reader was actually pregnant at the beginning of the outbreak (with joel's baby) but lost it in pretty early stages due to stress/starvation. in my mind, that's why when joel says to her "you don't understand what it's like to lose your own child" she had such a reaction. but i never wanted to confirm it either way because there was a part of me that felt like that was too tragic and not entirely necessary.

but yeah! i hope that helps fill in the gaps a little and give you a better idea of what she went through.

#asks #writing #texas sun

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coochiequeens · 2 years

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Men in dresses made it possible for other men to spy on women

A London Metropolitan police officer who secretly filmed a woman in a unisex Primark fitting room will not serve a prison sentence — despite also possessing hundreds of “disgusting and extremely distressing” pornographic images and videos of children and animals.

Former officer Swaleh Chaudhry, 36, pleaded guilty to to one count of voyeurism, one count of possession of extreme pornography, and three counts of making an indecent image of a child. He was handed a 10-month prison sentence at Kingston Crown Court on Friday, suspended for 18 months.

In the United Kingdom, a suspended sentence indicates that the offender avoids jail completely and is instead released into the community and expected not to commit another offense within the timeframe of their conditions.

On March 30, Chaudhry was spotted recording video of a woman while she was changing at the Primark store in Wandsworth, South West London. Prosecutor Stephen Apted said that Chaudhry, who was off-duty at the time, had entered the gender-neutral changing rooms 15 minutes before the woman arrived. The woman, who was in her mid-twenties, noticed Chaudhry pointing his phone up at her from the next cubicle after she heard a “rustling” sound, the Wimbledon Magistrates’ Court heard in April.

The victim then shouted “Are you recording me?” and heard Chaudhry respond “No,” an interaction which was overheard by her boyfriend. Following a confrontation, Chaudhry was escorted to a separate room while the victim called the police.

Initially, Chaudhry had “continued to protest his innocence.” Yet Prosecutor Suleman Hussain said officers found “various videos of the defendant upskirting… and the videos actually show the defendant’s face.”

Following his arrest, an investigation of his Wandsworth home uncovered a collection of “horrific” pornography. More than 1,000 Category B and C indecent images and videos of children were uncovered on numerous devices, as well as at least 52 files of the most serious kind, the court heard.

In 2015, a trans-identified male named Joni Bendall shopping at a Primark in Suffolk was directed towards the men’s changing area by a sales associate “who was about sixteen years old.”

Bendall said: “I paused to take a breath and said: ‘I’m not a man.’ And the assistant turned around and kept folding clothes… It made me feel dysphoric.” Writing about the incident, Bendall described himself as “6 foot 1 and built like a refrigerator,” and compared himself to butch lesbians.

Additionally, in 2018, Primark was ordered to pay £47,000 to a trans-identifying male retail assistant who filed a lawsuit for harassment. The court found that Primark had conducted “very severe” injury to Alexandra de Souza E Souza’s feelings.

Labour MP Rosie Duffield responded to news of Chaudhry’s sentencing by highlighting the necessity of preserving safeguarding measures for women and girls. “Women need safe, single-sex spaces,” Duffield tweeted.

Yet the issue of mixed-sex spaces has been controversial in recent years, with supporters framing opposition as intolerant or transphobic.

Discussing the policy in March 2019, novelist and broadcaster Lucy Beresford told Good Morning Britainhosts, “My worry is that there’s too much segregation in society… We should break away from this idea of segregation because that sets up this idea that there is something very hostile about somebody who is different to you.”

Beresford went on to say that she believed gender-neutral facilities ought to have cubicles. At the time of Chaudhry’s voyeurism offense, Primark’s changing area had single-stall cubicles in place.

Journalist Eleanor Mills hit back by saying “This is the transgender lobby [pushing] really hard against companies to try and get them to change these policies. The vast majority of the public do not want this.”

Numerous studies have found that unisex changing areas are more dangerous for women and girls than single-sex spaces. Research conducted by The Sunday Times in 2018found that nearly 90% of sexual assaults, harassment and voyeurism reported in locker rooms and changing rooms occurred in unisex facilities.

According to Nicola Williams, spokeswoman for women’s rights organization Fair Play for Women, “spaces where women are undressed should be single-sex as a matter of course. This is obvious, elementary safeguarding.”

By Genevieve Gluck Genevieve is the Co-Founder of Reduxx, and the outlet's Chief Investigative Journalist with a focused interest in pornography, sexual predators, and fetish subcultures. She is the creator of the podcast Women's Voices, which features news commentary and interviews regarding women's rights.

#UK #abusive men in law enforcement #Women need single sex spaces #Women’s safety is more important than men’s feelings

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gleedreamcasts · 11 months

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I know you did Company, but maybe the revival version too w/ female Bobbie? (Bonus points for Blaine as Jamie because he did an AWESOME Getting Married Today at Broadway Bares a few years back!)

Oh yes, Darren was amazing in that video! I will cast it, but I have very mixed feelings on the new Company revival. @sondheimfam does a good job of doing into depth about it, but here are my main problems with the revival.

*steps onto my soapbox*

BOBBIE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A LESBIAN!!!! It would make so much sense in the context of the show. Feeling like an outsider in her mostly cishet friend group. Fearing the heteronormative "settling down" life, but also longing for it at the same time.

On top of that, it would have made her proposal to Jamie less weird because instead of it being "i hate men lolz" it would be, "Neither of us feel ready for marriage because we live in a society hasn't shown us that this is a possibility for us as a gay man and a lesbian."

And I wouldn’t have changed the genders of all of the other characters because they are a commentary on our preconceived social norms for gender. Having Bobbie see all of the women in her life be ✨girlbosses✨ and her not being into that, given the statement that the revival wanted to make, doesn’t make much sense.

The revival removed Joanne attempting to seduce Bobbie??? Like hello???? If Joanne had also been attracted to women (maybe she and Larry are a sapphic couple), it would make Bobbie's realization that she's ready for love pretty impactful, because all of her friends are trying to show her how to be in a relationship, but it isn't until this older, wiser queer couple reaches out to her that she can have the lightbulb moment.

They removed "Bob, have you ever had a homosexual experience?" which is one of my favorite lines. Imagine if instead, Susan had asked Bobbie when she realized she was gay or something. We can still imply one of the characters is attracted to Bobbie but has to hide it because of ✨heteronormativity✨

ANYWHO, this revival had potential, but I was dissapointed. I'll still cast it with a genderbent Bobbie, Larry, Jamie, but everyone else will stay the same. However, the cast will still significantly change based on how I think their chemistry would be with Female Bobbie.

#asks #company

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lindsaywesker · 2 years

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Good morning! I hope you slept well and feel rested? Currently sitting at my desk, in my study, attired only in my blue towelling robe, enjoying my first cuppa of the day. Welcome to the weekend!

Wow! Here we are again: Friday! Where did that week go? No, seriously, where did that week go?

Naturally, the highlight of my week was my birthday on Wednesday and, trust me, I will be celebrating my birthday all month! I have enough alcohol in here to sink a battleship, plus I have a couple of very nice dates in my diary!

The Mighty Josiah has returned from Brooklyn, so we will see him tonight and he will stay with us Friday and Saturday. I am his personal assistant, so I will be at his beck and call. You know how scrumptious he is, so I will attempt to hug and kiss him – attempt! – but he always screams and runs away.

My mother had her first experience of racial profiling this week. My daughter’s mother is black, so my daughter is mixed race, dual heritage, whatever you want to call her but, in a shop in Hove, she’s a black woman! My mum wrote, “Today, in Marks and Spencer, a security guard stopped your daughter and said she looked like a shoplifting suspect of theirs. At that minute, l appeared, all hell let loose and they were full of apologies. She was shocked, of course! It just makes me aware of how penalised black people are.” Yes, this week, Lady Wesker got a life lesson. You’re never too old to learn.

Mars has decided to trial a ‘No Bounty’ tub of Celebrations this Christmas, after its consumer research confirmed their status as the least popular sweet. The experiment comes after nearly 40% of those polled told the company the Bounty should be permanently axed from the Celebrations line up, where it struggles to compete with the star power of “all-time favourite” Maltesers. To be honest, 40% sounds like a pretty low number to be making such rash decisions. Personally, given half the chance, I would eat Bounty until it made me sick! I love it! I’m down at Sainsbury’s this morning, so I will be stocking up on Bounty bars for those lazy Christmas days! Celebrations can do one! It’s a rip-off anyway!

The ‘follows’ keep arriving at Scam HQ a.k.a. Instagram. Every day, so many follows from women with an ‘Only Fans’ page, people dealing in Cryptocurrency or just people with no profile pic. For every person I follow, I literally delete about 20 wanting me to follow them. El*n M*sk calculates that about 90% of our followers are bots! I suspect he might be right but that won’t be happening on my IG profile. Not me, mate!

Yesterday, I forgot to post a photo on IG of some of my wonderful Wednesday students, which I have done today. Some people are a bit funny about selfies. They worry about the way they look, or worry about people knowing their whereabouts, or just worry about being in selfies. For my money, when people pass away, I am so grateful for my selfies with me and them. Beautiful moments, never to be forgotten.

For those of you that follow me on Twitter, if I suddenly disappear, I will have gone to @TribelSocial. As Twitter is now allowing very extreme right-wing people back on their platform, I may back away? Let’s see what happens?

Very sad to hear about Noel McKoy passing away. ‘Family’ by McKoy was released in 1991 and we must have played it hundreds of times on Kiss FM! I think anybody listening to Kiss at that time will remember ‘Family’ as being a huge radio and party record. In 2014, Noel became part of The British Collective, an exceptional group of young men, who many of us have enjoyed in recent years. One of the most distinctive voices in UK soul music. He will be missed.

Matt Hancock is about to find out how much people hate him!

Be warned: someone has created a FAKE Lindsay Wesker profile and they may send you a friend request. Do not accept it!

Hope you can join me tomorrow at 1.00 p.m. for ‘The A-Z Of Mi-Soul Music’. The Letter J (Part Seven). Some of the tunes are a bit saucy! You have been warned!

Have a fabulous and funky Friday! I love you all. You’re probably thinking, “You don’t even know me!” but, if people can hate for no reason, why can’t I love?

#mixcloud #mi soul #dj #music #new blog #lockdown #coronavirus #books #weekend #democracy #brexit #cronyism #election #autumm #christmas #radio

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ahopkins1965 · 2 months

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Good Morning Everyone 🙏. I am still up this morning watching television. My neighbor's who live across the hall from me are smoking Fentaynl right now. During the past 13 months, my neighbor's have been smoking marijuana that is mixed with Fentaynl. I also know that 615 has been very busy selling Fentaynl material and other drugs just to make money inside of Wentworth HI Rise Apartments. I know that have been smelling a very toxic order that is coming from this floor.

Next, I want to inform everyone that every person who lived inside of Apartment 615 has been smoking marijuana and other substances. This stuff reminds me of a substance that only the majority culture indulge in on a daily basis. I know that I do not smoke marijuana or anything that is capable of killing me. My life up to this point consists of ups and downs during the past few years now. Some of the residents are smoking marijuana that is mixed with other drugs. My mother told me before she died that I will be going through a great deal of stress in my life.

Further, I have been smelling this unusual order that has been coming from that apartment as well as other apartments that are located in this building. The men who are smoking this mess are simply sick right now. The women are the same exact way. I remember when I was an alcoholic and addict, I used to smoke marijuana and Crack cocaine for three years from 1987-1990. This is the reason why I can relate well with these types of addicts who are living inside of this building.

Moreover, I know that 65% of the residents who live inside of Wentworth HI Rise Apartments are involved in active addiction right now. My family members refused to come over here again. You cannot mixed Fentaynl and Crack cochise because it will kill you. I understand that man has made a decision to destroy their own Temple. God does not want mankind to destroy each other.

In Addition, I know that I have been living here for 13 years now. I know that most of the activities tend to occur between the hours of 6pm through 9am when it comes to drug activities. However, I know for myself that all 6th floors have drug activity right now. I will admit that a lot of activities usually occur at night. I have been applying for jobs with various companies and they did not hire me.

Finally, I want everyone to know that Northwest Dayton, Ohio has a lot of illegal activities in this area right now. This area is segregated and integrated right now. This is a mixed community that consists of diversity and crime. Only Jesus Christ will have to officially come down from Heaven just to resolve this discrepancy between God and man. I really need to pray for everyone who live here. I do believe that this entire city is infested with Fentaynl right now.

In Conclusion, I know that this Country is facing a Last Day dilemma right now. It is going to get worse before it gets better. People are really making a decision to destroy their own Temple due to their own foolishness. I might not be able to save the entire world. If I can save at least one person; then my job has been fulfilled. I have to go see my therapist tomorrow evening at 5pm. My Life up to this point has meaning right now. This is very serious because people would rather kill themselves by using drugs of all types because they do not have hope.

In Summary, I can only speak for myself! My recovery is my own responsibility 🙏. I am not going to perish foolishly. God Loves You and So Do I. People have to accept God's Love in their own lives right now. I know that victory is on its way from Jesus Christ. Who would want to destroy their own Temple that God has blessed us with? This is very dangerous! My life up to this point is really changing each day. It is the environment that I am living in right now that is not conducive towards my personal needs. My physical and mental problems are getting the best of me right now. My family members are not supportive of me.

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