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frozen-snowflakesandsunflowers · 9 months

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Frozen 3 thoughts: Elsa's attire

Elsa's had some really beautiful dressed and outfits over the years. From her most iconic blue "Snow Queen" attire to her white "5th Spirit" attire. All if her outfits have shown her stages of character growth, from hiding herself from everyone she loves with her coronation attire to letting herself go with her "Snow Queen" attire. But since Frozen 3 has been announced it's left the question pondering; What is her next step of her growth given she's found herself as the 5th spirit? What's the next step of her story now?

I'll be answering those exact questions in a theory regarding Elsa losing her powers and Hans returning but in this post I'll answer it by guessing and exploring the possibility for her attire in Frozen 3.

Elsa's main style is a long floor length dress with a slit be it on the right or in the middle, with a longer flowing cape and snowflake like shapes patterned all over the attire. She also likes transparency in elements of her costumes. Let's not forget she loves shoes made out of ice. So we can expect at least some of those elements in her Frozen 3 attire. Oh wait - some of you might we wondering will Elsa even get a new attire because she found herself and is the fifth spirit now. The answer to that is of course she will! There is more to her and even Anna's story to tell because if not there wouldn't be a Frozen 3 in the works. And with every new journey of finding themselves, they make, come new outfits. Here are some of Elsa's iconic looks:

She also goes for a cooler colour palette with shades of blues, whites, pinks, purples, turquoise, teal etc. There would be only a few occasions where she'd go warm which is on Anna's birthday, to match the floral theme by wearing pink and green (my personal favourite looks of Elsa). As fifth spirit, her attire includes the specific colours of each element: turquoise (water), blue (air), pale blue (earth), and purple (fire). And because she's got ice powers, and white is part of the ice and snow colour palette, it makes it the fifth spirit colour and balances out the other four spirit colours. So she'll most likely be wearing white. But as a theory goes around that she should lose her powers temporarily, her attire will reflect her powerless side. Maybe she'll wear black as opposite to her fifth spirit dress to show the title that came with the powers disappearing.

But let's look at her styles in the Broadway version of the movie. During her second solo, "Monster", she wears a different attire for it (which I absolutely am obsessed with!). She wears a pant suit. Here's a few stills of it:

It's so classy, so elegant, so Elsa! Her top half of the outfit has basically the same kind of structure as her original dress. The only difference is that this has a V-neck and that had an off the shoulder neckline and the other difference is the neckline if the bodice has a thin lining of wool. The pants are same have embroidered white pattern to it and she has below-the-knee heeled boots with a thick fur lining on the rim of it. She keeps her cape with this look which puts the cherry on the top of the cake.

I definitely would want Elsa to have this kind of look because if her fifth spirit role consists of running around the forest especially if there's danger than honestly speaking she should be wearing pants - like she did in Frozen 2 as her main look underneath her overcoat. I think I might re design the look above to make it suit for the role she was born into (Fifth Spirit).

Then we have her Disney Lorcana (Disney's trading card game) looks.

The one on the left is inspired by her attire she wears underneath her coat in Frozen 2, but it has elements of her fifth spirit attire in it. So if we see Elsa embracing new looks with her new style it could look similar to this. Her cape is along her sleeves too which is also a nod to her fifth spirit cape being 2 separate capes going down from her shoulders.

The one on the right is more a witchy look which I love. She looks like she would be called "The Northern Witch". It's inspired by one of her one of her concept arts of Frozen 2 (can be found in the Art of Frozen 2 book). Again it's got her fifth spirit emblem on it. As for her cape, it's more of a cloak here. If Elsa vanished to the North mountain again she would nail this look and if there was a magical book involved too, this would be go well.

To conclude, I would really love to see Elsa in pants again because her role as fifth spirit is less formal than her role as Queen, as it is more about protecting the forest from any kind of threats that may arise (as we are due to see hear in the upcoming podcast). Don't get me wrong, I love Elsa in dresses and skirts, it's her main iconic looks. But I think from time to time, if she wears pants it would show her change from the formal Queenly role to her free spirited role. Oh and yeah I know Elsa does have pants underneath the gown but I mean, showing it more obviously like the one in the Broadway way version. Her long capes and dress would get in the way when dealing with threats as she will in the podcast so maybe learning form that she changes.that up a bit. I mean we are going ot have new looks for both Elsa and Anna for promotion purposes too so might as well. But either way, dress or pants, I'm definitely going it be excited to see both Elsa and Anna's new looks in Frozen 3 symbolising their character or further growth in the movie.

Also I think since November will mark 10 years of Frozen, we should add the tag "A decade of Frozen". Just for celebration purposes and for fun! It feels like only yesterday we got the first movie - im not crying 🤧❄️

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succulentsiren · 1 year

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the #1 reason most struggle with accepting their dark feminine energy/side is because they carry immense shame around who they are.

no one is born ashamed. shame is taught through frequent criticism from our authority figures, usually during childhood. majority of people carry this shame into adulthood and even for the rest of their lives and can’t express their truest selves because of the weight they carry.

“you cannot live freely with shame.”

what is shame?

shame is a painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior. there is a such thing as healthy shame, which protects us and helps us grow, but their is also toxic shame which diminishes our self esteem and stunts our growth. toxic shame is rooted in insecurity, which later forms into developing feelings of inadequacy, negative beliefs about yourself, negative self talk, insecurities, people pleasing and beating yourself up for making mistakes.

why it is important to release shame?

carrying shame is a contributing factor to depression, anxiety and low self esteem

carrying shame triggers the flight response. (making self invisible, mute, lowering your voice, making smaller expressions)

carrying shame causes you loose power over you own mind, opinions and free will.

carrying shame hinders the brains ability to mature properly.

shame will always have you be looking over your shoulder and second guessing yourself for the rest of your life. you will start taking everything others say as your personal truth. you will become insecure about your body image and inner self worth. you will begin to put others' needs before own, act subservient/timid, have low self esteem, compare self, measure yourself by others’ approval or disapproval, lack creativity and self expression, you become a slave to fear.

when i was younger i was very outspoken and like many kids i was subjected to criticism for it. it made me very timid and i became afraid of doing something wrong that i could be punished for. of course as children, we want to please and receive love from our authority figures. so i believed that in order to be accepted by them i had to 'behave' because that was the only way i had any worth. this simple thinking pattern stunted my growth as a child. i was not able to express myself freely or truly know who i was as a person. i was disconnected from my hobbies, my thoughts, my voice, my personality and interests. i wasn't me. the true me was suppressed and i was living my life of what others expected of me.

no one is going to punish you for choosing your freedom. for choosing myself.

growing up i realized that i had free will and no one could punish me for choosing me. i let the past traumas go. other peoples words no longer held any weight. i no longer gave them power over me anymore.

you too owe it to yourself to be who you are. to express your truth. to live freely. and to be authentic and shameless about it.

how to release shame

#succulentsiren #writers and poets #shame #confidence #affirmations #dark energy #dark feminine energy #anxiety

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henrysglock · 1 year

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Okay so I wondered why the timespan of NINA felt so weird to me and yet so familiar.

ITS A PATTERN WITH THE NEWSPAPERS

One set of newspapers for both Henry and Edward having the Creels in Hawkins for multiple years and one set having them be there for around a month in comparison to Henry’s aging/lack thereof in the 1959 massacre retelling

“uhhhh fuck you [makes your child age weirdly]”

Henry being closer with El than he arguable should be in the span of 4 days (The ‘sleepyhead’ pet-name bit, the way El seeks him out specifically for reassurance re: Brenner’s ‘lessons’) to Owens asking Brenner how much time he skipped, as if he were skipping months instead of hours/days, plus the differences in how Henry looks between when we first see him and when we last see him before the massacre

Like look at the root growth. You’d think the hair dept would touch that up, because there’s no way that amount of growth (I’d say about 3 months’ worth) happened in the span of less than 4 days…

Oh wait. Bro got a root touch up for the massacre? Gotta look your best if you’re gonna commit atrocities, I guess 🤔

Bro stopped by the HNL hair salon on his way to the rainbow room. Could happen.

Anyway.

Both of them have a shortened version of events that’s presented as true in canon, but have evidence of them having been longer than that.

We can’t even claim that it’s a production fuck up, because the team has spoken about accounting for ages/aging child actors/etc. They know, and they’re taking it into account.

So what’s the truth?

#what is going on in the house of commons #why can’t the creels just be NORMAL for once #henry creel #timeline theory #stranger things

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insteading · 10 months

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“We Gull Way Back,” Our Flag Means Death 1.8

Moment 1: Breakfast on the Revenge. Ed and Calico Jack take the places Stede had set for himself and Ed. Calico Jack relates how Blackbeard set a ship on fire with the crew trapped inside.

Stede (stricken and disappointed): I thought you'd, uh, given up the killing.

Ed (to Stede): Yeah, well, technically the fire killed those guys. Not me. ...

Ed (to Calico Jack): I've actually mellowed a bit.

Calico Jack: Have you? Well, hopefully you haven't mellowed out too much.

Moment 2: The underbrush on Blind Man's Cove. Stede, having a pee, is joined by Calico Jack.

Calico Jack: Blackie and I, we've had our dalliances. (pause, then snottily) Oooh, I'm sorry, did I hit a nerve?

Stede: No, Ed's past is Ed's business, and I respect that.

Calico Jack (scornfully): Ed. The Blackie I knew would have snapped your neck for calling him that.

Stede: Well, perhaps he's not the Blackie you knew.

Calico Jack: Or maybe you don't know him at all. (pees on Stede's boots, because I guess we're literally turf-marking now)

Moment 3: The morning after Ed and Calico Jack leave the Revenge. They're sitting on the beach after Jack has failed to whip up breakfast from the surf. Ed looks hungover, overheated, irritated by the sand and his ex's stupid mustache.

Ed (waving away the rum): It's a little early for that, don't you think?

Calico Jack: Well excuse me, I didn't know I was having an audience with the fucking pope.

The subtitle of Harriet Lerner's The Dance of Anger may be “A Woman's Guide to Changing the Patterns of Intimate Relationship,” but IMO what Lerner identifies and argues isn't limited in its usefulness to women. Lerner's argument can be generalized to, Those of us whose loved ones are used to us interacting with them in a particular way often act out when we change or grow in directions they didn't anticipate. They may resist our growth and try to push us back toward the ways we used to interact with them. The fact that us setting boundaries might occasion a negative response doesn't actually mean we shouldn't set boundaries. Either our loved ones eventually adjust to The New Us, or they will probably eventually become people who get less access to us.

Having been on both sides of this: I have some compassion for Izzy and Jack, who want Blackbeard to stay suspended in the amber of myth, rather than to break open and let Ed step out. To see a loved one grow in a direction you cannot go, and lean hard into that growth, feels like a loss. But if you try to keep someone Who They Once Were by guilt-tripping them (Calico Jack: “I saved your life, man”) or expressing your contempt for Who They Are Becoming (Izzy: “I serve Blackbeard, not Edward: Edward had better watch his fucking step”), you'd both be better off admitting you're no longer each other's people, grieving that lost closeness, leaning into your own growth, and moving on.

#ofmd #stede bonnet #edward teach #calico jack #izzy hands #exes are exes for a reason #harriet lerner #dance of anger #breakups

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work-of-waking-up · 1 year

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don't get me wrong, im enjoying the show for the most part, but why did you say it's not fantasy, it's real? literally like the first 5 minutes of the first episode proved how unrealistic it is when the science guy says there are no treatments/preventatives/cures for fungus. and then the lady in the second episode says the same thing

Alright I guess strap yourself in for this one. You’re gonna learn stuff you didn’t ask about. So, everything the guy says in the opening scene of the first episode is real except that there are no treatments. This was to demonstrate how the story straddles the line between fantasy and (a potential, far off, probably not as apocalyptic) reality. I keep seeing articles pop up all over, so I’m pretty sure most viewers are aware by now that this specific fungus, othiocordyceps, exists in real life. But we’ve also been reassured in those same articles that it can’t survive in human hosts, and if it ever were to it wouldn’t be anytime soon. Instead of humans, we see it in ants and the term “zombie ants” has become quite popular. It takes over the ant’s central nervous system, allowing it to alter the behavior of the ant for the benefit of the fungus, as far as growing and spreading, which is literally it’s only goal and purpose. It manipulates the ant into moving to a more humid and/or wet area which is more conducive for fungal growth. It then kills the ant, continues to grow within it, and eventually grows out of the ants head and ruptures, releasing spores. It’s terrifying but it hasn’t yet evolved to survive in humans. But it’s not impossible for it to, which is why I thought that intro was a smart move. Because then he offers a scenario in which it could be possible. It’s no longer a matter of opinion, but rather an undeniable fact that the earth is warming at an alarming and unprecedented rate. Glaciers melt and once thought to be extinct pathogens are released. Climate changes alter animal migration patterns, forcing them closer to humans, thus causing disease to jump from animal to human like so many already have. Deforestation causes viruses to look for new hosts. This change in the environment that is already happening, is changing all organisms. Look at candida auris.. a relatively new fungus that seemed to come out of nowhere. It inexplicably emerged independently on 3 different continents simultaneously and then quickly spread across the globe. There’s a theory that it’s the first fungal infection to come from climate change. It causes severe illness, is very invasive, and very treatment resistant.

So, back to the show. What the epidemiologist says about there being no treatment is something we know to be false. Antifungal medications exist, but there aren't many of them, especially when compared to the 100+ antibiotics currently in use, there are a much smaller number of approved antifungals. This is because fungus and humans are both eukaryotes (bacteria on the other hand are prokaryotes). Fungus is much more closely related to humans and share the same basic cell structure. Because we are so similar, it's harder to create drugs that target and damage fungus cells without also damaging human cells at the same time. Now what he says about there being no preventative or cure, what the woman in the second episode says about there being no vaccine, this is true. There is currently no approved vaccine for fungal infections.

So to answer your question simply... generally speaking, almost all of what's said is real. To reiterate, they exaggerated it just enough to demonstrate that the story straddles the line between fantasy and (a potential, far off, probably not as apocalyptic) reality, and that's what makes it so compelling and scary. I'm not saying that I think cordyceps will evolve to survive human hosts (not anytime soon at least), and if it did, I definitely don't believe it would turn humans into “zombies," although I do think whatever it would do would probably be pretty bad. But it is possible, and what I do believe is that if climate change continues at this rate, or god forbid an increased rate, it will lead to catastrophic consequences of innumerable kinds, including altering pathogens in a way that would cause them to pose a much greater threat than they currently do. It's fantasy, an exaggeration of truth, but it's also a warning and I'm happy to see people are actually talking about that. Who would've thought? 🤷‍♀️

#tlou spoilers #tlou #tlou hbo #the last of us #the last of us hbo #i researched this when I was playing the second game #I wouldn’t even consider myself educated on the subject but this is what I know lol

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nono-bunny · 3 months

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Thoghts from watching the ATLA live action!

Episode 4:

Holy shit Iroh and Aang are cellmates this is such a fun scenario!! Gives some strong Crossroads of Destiny vibes, ngl. Also, the crytals look cool!!!

Oh I'm genuinely so glad they didn't just... Move on from Sai working for the Fire Nation, I was genuinely doubtful they were gonna adress it tbh! Now I just need a Sokka and Jet confrontation and I'll be happy, though, that isn't likely to happen unfortunately.

I really do like what they did with Sai and Sokka though- this kinda feels like him starting a pattern of trying to look for replacement father figures tbh, which really fits with how much more visibly he's fixated on being like Hakoda here. It's sad and sweet at the same time, and I'm really interested to see how they'll write Hakoda!

Fuck yes, spy Zuko!!!

Smh kid Bumi isn't crazy enough, is it really THAT hard to find just. A completely unhinged looking kid?? Nah obviously I'm joking, he's cute haha it obviously wouldn't have been possible to have the visual similarities we see in the og so just having his unique laugh to identify him by works!

Idk what was up with Iroh's writing in the first episodes, he felt really foreign to me but over time he genuinely finally starts feeling like Iroh so I'm glad they got into the groove with his writing! He's still a bit too open which feels weird, but he uses more veiled language now while doing it so it works better. Also? I heard they used Leaves From The Vine, but damn it still got me!!

Haha YES, this was genuinely a change I always wanted: Sokka and Katara in the tunnels instead of Aang and Katara!! Not for shipping reasons, because that's gross, but because I always felt it would've been real funny haha

Wait are they fr sending Iroh to face punishment? I was sure he was next to Aang as part of a White Lotus thing or just until Bumi heard he was there!! I'm guessing he... Still doesn't know? I'm guessing this whole thing is a spin on when Iroh gets taken from the hot springs, but Bumi being directly in charge only works if it's all a ploy or if he hasn't been informed that they have the Dragon of the West in captivity- which would be wild!! Unless he's busy constructing puzzles for Aang lmao idk

So like. Given that the siblings are going to the tunnels, Aang is meeting Bumi, and Zuko is rescuing Iroh... I guess we just drop the Jet plot until next season??? Man, what a bummer. That was too short and didn't even hit all the high point of meeting him in the original. Like, they honestly could've had him try to appear and try to atone by trying to help and getting rejected and yelled at, but instead he just confirms his evil plans and is never seen again? Like, literally, what did he even do here? Despite being on screen for longer, his betrayal somehow doesn't seem as impactful because there's no time for Katara to process it last episode, like. Again, I hope to god this is a thing she has to kinda wrestle with a lot next season- I also kinda hope Sokka somehow independently meets him with Aang again and doesn't realize that the guy from the cart is the same guy Katara talked about, and that these two get to have their own Jet disappointment because again!! So far taking Sokka out of the Jet plot is genuinely the biggest issue I have with this show. Katara's arc seems to be headed to the same place albeit in a very different pace, but this is something that would be INCREDIBLY hard to fix. Like? I get it, I understand that what Sokka learns in that episode doesn't have to happen there, but. It's genuinely one of my favorite episodes because of how both of the water tribe siblings get to learn something from interacting with this charming duplicitous guy, and taking out Sokka's growth kinda just? Leaves us with Katara getting betrayed while bottling it up (likely until either they meet again or until Zuko's actions remind her of it- it'll probably also be important with Hama), it kinda just becomes "Katara gets a crush on a bad boy and gets hurt" which? Idk it feels weird, it was presented differently here and she feels much less silly and willfully blind because for the longest time no one tells her to be wary of Jet but. I still don't like how ultimately Jet was just there to disappoint Katara and interact with literally no one else. I mean!! I love Jet, of course I too had a crush on him, he's iconic and important and of course he had to be a part of this, but. Truly, they minimized the hurt he causes so much that I just kinda feel like he might as well not have appeared with how little he ultimately impacted things, at least for right now. I'm really hoping he gets an expanded role next season that helps to make up for how much his appearance was minimized, or that we see this have a tangible impact on Katara, because as it stands... It was just kind of a disappointing cameo appearance rather than something that felt like it needed to be there. Anyway this is all more about last episode but I still held out a bit of hope for it to be resolved better so. To see that Sai and Teo get to face a bit of emotional fallout set up last episode because they get to further the plot, while Jet just vanishes... It sucks, and it hurts, and I hate it. Anyway, onwards, I guess!

Teo has genuinely been changed so much he straight up isn't the same character anymore, and it's... Strange. I don't really like it too much, tbh. He's like, EXTREMELY cynical and eager to fight, and it's such a strange change from a character whose entire purpose originally was to kind of mirror Aang and help nudge him along on his journey. I genuinely can't tell if they just thought that living in a city under constant threat rather than literally amongst the clouds would mean he would kind of have to be different, or if it was an attempt to make him cooler or whatever. Regardless, I don't like it, tbh he kinda pisses me off a bit? He's SO serious and angry all the time and it just. Feels weird when he only resembles his original counterpart through his name and use of a wheelchair. Everything else about him is nowhere to be seen! If you compare his situation to Katara, it might seem similar on the surface- except, Katara is a main character who clearly still has a character arc ahead of her (and also all of her defining traits are still there), while Teo shows up like twice. It's kinda vital that he isn't too complex and keeps his original personality because he doesn't have the same leeway to grow that a main character does, otherwise he risks just becoming someone else entirely... And that's what happened. The thoughtful and cheerful boy with an interest in Air Nomad culture is all but gone, replaced with yet another angry warrior, and? While I get how it's probably more likely for him to become the latter, I also very much miss and lament the loss of the former. Sai is very much the stronger adaptational character of the two, and he's the only one of the two to get to have a real impact on one of the Gaang. It... Sucks.

Lmao Flopsy my beloved what have they done to you?? Guess they ran out of CG budget haha

Oh, this Bumi has a very strange and uncomfortable vibe, so like... Perfect! He was always gonna be hard to translate to live action, and I saw a lot of people dislike how they portray him here, and I kind of get it? He's not very likeable, he feels like kind of a bad ruler and a bit cruel... And that actually tracks? I read the showrunner said he wanted to focus a bit more on how upset Bumi is about Aang disappearing and reappearing in his life, and that underlying anger absolutely comes through. Bumi is... Kind of scary, and as someone that has a rep for being The Crazy King or whatever, I feel like that perfectly fits!

Jet!!!! He's here!! Kinda feels like it might be a dream ngl, it just has that vibe? Or maybe that's just how happy I am to see they didn't abandon him haha. He's... Still only gonna interact with Katara though, isn't he? :(

Uh? So, I'm gonna have to be filled in on when Katara learned physical self defense. It was very cool, but it felt like nothing I've ever seen her to do before. Anyway real cool moment for Katara there overall, it was great! It in particular really stands out against the cartoon in the way she manifests her anger. She's like. Definitely angry here, and it's very clear she's also just once again tempering it and moving on- no time for this, no time for Jet, no time for fighting... And at some point all of those repressed feelings are gonna have to overflow. It was a very cool scene, but it was, once again, sorely lacking Sokka's presence. More than anything, I just. Wish for these two to meet independent of Katara and get to have their own clash. Honestly? I feel like they could potentially catch two birds with one stone by having the Gaang split up earlier next season, specifically, have Suki help them get to Ba Sing Se earlier so get to meet Jet or something. Idk, the idea isn't fully formed, but it definitely feels like the most likely point for them to get to meet and it would make me really happy for everyone to have a bit more interaction with Suki before she formally joins them in the last season. Like? Maybe Jet and Sokka meeting could be Sokka's story in a Tales of Ba Sing Se sort of episode? As much as I love the haiku club... It's almost certainly getting the chop- also, I heard that the biggest and most important plotpoint of that episode already gets revealed in this first season so? It's likely just not gonna happen, or if it does it might just be like, a bonus one for fun idk. Regardless that season has a lot of "filler" that can easily be dropped, and Jet and Sokka meeting feels to important to just. Never happen, and!! I want it so badly, fuck!!

Yo ngl Zuko's helmet do be making him look like Melonlord

Lol prompting a conflicted Zuko with "well? Are you just gonna stand there? What are you gonna do?" Is fucking hysterical

Bumi is fr so pathetic, fucking no one likes his jokes but his the king and having people have to laugh this time is genuinely hilarious. It also makes everything so much more menacing!! I get why people didn't like what they did with him, but I think it's an interesting direction to go with his character and I think they handle it really well. If anything? Having to stick to some of the original characteristics and reusing the jokes really hurt his momentum imo

The Omashu story looks beautiful!! Ngl I don't really understand why they changed it to a lesbian couple? It literally changes nothing, their genders doesn't matter to the story, so I genuinely don't care one way or the other, it's just... A strange choice to make haha

The singing nomads are always fun, though in my ideal Secret Tunnel scenario they go in with Sokka and Katara and annoy the shit out of Sokka. Miss them already. Also, I do miss Dee Bradley Baker- just. In general, but also, can't help but think of him when I see these guys- it's his song after all!

Forgot to comment on Iroh taking the Lotus tile last episode, so I'm happy to see it back in action here! Do kinda wonder how June will track him in the last season without his smelly sandal though haha

Really cool scene with the rock candy!! Obviously the original way it's presented is off the table, and they instead made it into a really beautiful little action scene!

Ngl something about seeing Zuko pick up a White Lotus got me choked up a bit. The hesitation with Zuko between Aang and Iroh didn't really feel like that big a deal here given the different circumstances behind Iroh's capture, I mean? Obviously Zuko was never gonna abandon Iroh after he sacrificed himself, so not going after Aang here wasn't really that much of a sacrifice on his part in comparison, just... Basic decency to return the favor, which kinda lessened the impact and you might as well miss there was even a conflict with how little of the episode he spends thinking of Aang, but. I like it, it's sweet to see their connection here anyway. Definitely does feel like Zuko is a bit too close to redemption at all times during this season though, Iroh is being WAY too obvious about his true allegiances imo, but tbf... I doubt anyone could go into ATLA blind nowadays, and maybe making Iroh more transparent and Zuko more sympathetic is a way to later drop the shoe ever harder during Crossroads of Destiny- like, THAT'S how much of a wrong choice he makes there, it goes against his entire characterization thus far... But the bait Azula used was too alluring. Or something like that, idk, maybe it's just. Tough to write such a beloved character back into his worst version? Idk, I kinda get why people wish he was less obviously on a path to redemption but frankly? I think it's just an Iroh issue again, they really seem to struggle with writing him to appear silly or without depth as the first season kinda necessitates, and his unwavering support and pushing for sure make Zuko a lot less lost here. I wish he got to be a bit more, but again: this show was the first time in a long time, maybe ever, that ATLA managed to make me be afraid of Zuko, so. Idk. Mixed feelings- he's not all sugar here AT ALL, but he definitely still is a bit too much for this point. I genuinely do think that Iroh's ability to reach him and be straight to the point needed to be heavily nerfed tbh, I think that's the main issue with Zuko's appearing too sympathetic here

Okay, so. Genuinely not exaggerating here when I say: Sokka saying he has a hunch stole my breath away, made me choke up, and tears welled up in my eyes. Like! THAT'S how taken off guard I was with them bringing back my favorite underrated Sokka trait: his instincts. The time it took me to write this was enough for me to genuinely just start crying while thinking about it, like. Genuinely I'm so happy and relieved this managed to find its way into the show, I'm. A bit overwhelmed rn and I don't know that I can put my feelings about it into words rn so I'll be back when I have something else to say, for now: I am RIDICULOUSLY happy with this development, it means a lot to me personally.

Wait I'm immediately back: this is strange, right? The initial utter joy blinded me but this is like... The exact opposite of what Sokka initially does in this episode, this is kinda funny lmao

I think I can pretty confidently say by now that Sokka and Katara's relationship is my favorite part of this adaptation. They always bring out both the best and the worst in each other, their scenes are always bot fun and also just... Cathartic to me in a personal way because they always manage to hit everything that feels missing until they go at each other. It's genuinely perfect, I love them so much. Like? Yeah Ian Ousley is possibly a stinky liar, but he and Kiawentiio have a great rapport and work really well as the unique twists of their characters that this LA is going for. I really, really enjoy them.

Istg Sokka in the cave is just spitting out one pop culture reference after another and it's genuinely bizarre

So, Iroh was provoking that guy to let him take out his anger, right? That's genuinely the only way I can read that scene for it to make sense. Sympathizing with the guy wouldn't have helped, he wouldn't care that Iroh knows he was wrong and that he only realized it when he lost someone too, so he just let him vent by playing the bad guy ig? Idk what I think of that scene tbh- Iroh being a hated general is something that needed a bit more fleshing out for Zuko taking the throne to make sense, so I don't hate it, but. It was weird to see Iroh be so obstinate in the face of someone who was clearly hurting because of his actions. The expected Iroh move would have been some wise words any sympathy that leads to bonding and healing, and it felt SO weird that it just. Didn't happen, and yet... At the same time, I kinda got it, and I do really appreciate this scene, even if the characterization feels off in a way- which, tbh, most Iroh scenes do. It wasn't a bad one, it just felt really strange to keep expecting him to do something and for him to just... Not. Iroh is definitely both the same and yet feels really different and I just. I can't get used to him tbh.

The flashback mourning scene immediately after was also nice, although it was a bit funny how Dallas just looked exactly the same age when it should've been more than three years in the past. Once again Zuko is slightly too sympathetic too early, but at this point I kinda think that's just what they're going for- they're doubling down on showing him as misguided and wilfully blind rather than cruel, which is a realization you do come to during the first season of the original to be fair... It's just a lot less subtle about it here, with much less time where you just view Zuko as The Enemy. It's very clearly from very early on that this is also his journey, and as that gives me more Zuko... I don't even necessarily hate it lmao, it's just different. I think that so long as they keep being consistent about why Zuko is still refusing to "turn good" it can work really well, and ig with Azula coming early... They increased the pressure on him from both sides, which is actually kinda interesting and something i didn't realize until literally just now. Honestly I think half of the point of me writing these is just... To help me get my thoughts in order, to help me see the show for itself rather than just as a cut down version of the story, and honestly? So far it's actually working really well in terms of helping me come to terms and appreciating some of the weirder/bigger changes they make. Still the one unforgivable change is no Jet and Sokka confrontation- I'm glad they didn't entirely drop what Sokka learns there, but. I just love that episode so much that it being changed so severely really hurts in a way I can't reasonably reconcile. Everything they did and all the reasons for it makes sense, and it all works really well in the end but. It's still just a terrible personal loss haha

I do think that ultimately Katara was right and said something Sokka needed to hear (he's not his dad) and I don't like how it was brushed under the rug a bit but I guess he's not really ready to confront that quite yet- that'll probably come when he reunites with Hakoda, huh?

Oh my god it's happening again!!! Istg it feels like some characters just. Straight up accidentally exist in the wrong universe- Bumi and Kyoshi both chide Aang for traits he doesn't have here, and he never gets called out for the in the original. Genuinely it feels so bizarre, like these characters come from another world where what they're saying is true. More than ever this show feels like it was made by fans who loved the show so much they wanted to see it be better, and when given the opportunity they just kinda... Went ham on both fixing the flaws while also directly acknowledging and trying to fix them, except it doesn't make sense because they don't exist here. It's so disorienting and, frankly, super funny and personally validating to realize the writers also probably had screaming meltdowns over Aang being a bad main character, and feeling so strong about it that they just had to include it still. It feels like the biggest callout post possible, it's genuinely so funny, and as nonsensical as it is... I love it, and for me it makes the show feel like it was written by like mined people- I get it, y'all, I too would both fix and yell at Aang if given the opportunity! It's genuinely such a mood and so relatable of them, so even if it's kind of a mess... I love it, because I get it.

I think it's a really cute and fun twist to have the crystals not be the way, but rather, the badgermoles. It gives both aspects of the cave a chance to show up, and even though I do kinda wish we got to see a disgruntled Sokka strumming his way out of the cave... This was a really sweet resolution. Also, spending most of the time they're in the cave be in the dark and thus under the light of the crystal made for a much more visually interesting episode than it would be otherwise, while also being a nod to them originally being trapped in crystal in Aang's Bumi Adventure. Tbh THESE are two episodes that work great when separating the cast- Sokka and Katara literally did nothing in Bumi's episode, while Aang being there in Cave of Two Lovers did more harm than good in my humble opinion. As I thought I would, I like Sokka and Katara going through the cave together MUCH more- it allowed for a more organic conflict, had more potential for funny moments (that wasn't really utilized because for the most part this adaptation doesn't really do or seem to get comedy- I mean, the funny Bumi moments absolutely bombed here!), and just... Wasn't Kataang focused, which is always a plus!!

Ngl it's kinda embarrassing how much I cared about Sokka's instincts to the point that it made me THAT emotional- btw I don't like that it wasn't followed up on like originally, here it was just brought up and he turned out to be wrong which sucked a bit- unless the crystals were meant to lead them to the badgermole? Idk, wish this was a stronger through line because now he just looks like a fool- which the original episode made sure he wasn't, that was like, the whole point there!!

Genuinely WHERE was this Bumi in the original show,,,,, Anyway this Bumi fight kinda feels like the first cool earthbending we see, which. Ngl, checks out with the original lmao.

My god do I wish Katara and Sokka were able to actually do anything in the original episode with Bumi after seeing this, this was fantastic!!! I'm tearing up, genuinely, this was fantastic!! It really feels like what Aang could've become originally if he was challenged more. I really do appreciate and feel for Bumi here, and for once in a very long time.... I'm also rooting for Aang. That's genuinely not a small thing to accomplish for me! As much as I think what Bumi is saying here has merit, I also believe that this is an Aang that can learn to mediate and make the hard choices when he must- so long as he considers other perspectives, allows his friends to help him, and does the same for them in return. And for how distant Aang feels from Sokka and Katara right now? I believe they genuinely can and will grow closer to a degree they can be this for each other. This was an awesome moment and. Idk. Having genuine faith in Aang feels so foreign to me at this point, almost novel, and I hope to god they don't squander this later on. Watching this episode was actually so healing? Idk if it was just that it took me like, literal hours because I kept pausing to write a lot here so it felt like a long journey to get here, but. I'm really happy with where things ended up, generally!

Uhhh so. Zuko's lot in life is being on water, is it, Iroh? Lmao I know that's absolutely not what he meant but of course my brain IMMEDIATELY started barking "Zutara! Zutara? ZUTARA!" like a rabid dog- that is MY lot in life. Anyway I do think the two Iroh and Zuko scenes at the end here were probably the best ones of the two of them so far! And closing with Zuko having another "Aang vs Iroh" moment just to cement the message here was probably a wise choice especially given how brief the first one was. This one worked a lot better, and it was also really pretty visually!! Actually, for whatever reason I think this show generally looks the best when it's working with blue tones for whatever reason, and as this episode had a lot of them it was one I was constantly really impressed by visually! The green here was a bit hit or miss, but the blue scenes kinda always look really good!! Actually, Wolf Cove looked cool too, and it was pretty blue as well! Hmm. Something to try and pay attention to from now on and if I do a rewatch ig?

This episode honestly did a much better job at adapting two storylines simultaneously, and it was just... Overall better for the most part than the previous one. Bumi was a bit questionable in that he initally leaned too heavily on his original personality and gags rather than embrace this new version (ironically, the opposite of what they should've done with Teo), but for the most part I like the changes they made here! Iroh remains the shakiest and most immersion breaking part of this show- due to no fault of the actor, by the way, he does a good job, the writing is just really inconsistent with him- but if I ignore how uncanny and ooc at times he feels to me, I did generally like his scenes here and what they were meant to do. Genuinely don't know if Iroh is an issue for other people or if for some reason I'm just fixated on him feeling off tbh? Anyway Katara and Sokka were in top form this episode, as I came to expect from scenes that focus on their bond! It was definitely brought down a bit by having to resolve the weaker previous episode and its weird adapations of Jet, Sai and Teo right at the start but it managed to pick itself back up really well- and the Sokka and Katara fight put a nice little bow on it for now, so I'm relatively satisfied with how they wrapped it up. Still hope for a big Sokka and Jet fight though, and still don't really appreciate what they did with Teo. But the bulk of this episode was great- if not in execution, at least in the ideas it portrayed, so I'm happy enough with it tbh.

This post was, once again, a mess as it's just me writing down my thoughts as they occur to me with very minimal editing, if I bother with it at all, but. Yeah it's pretty funny that I'm constantly just lamenting how they remove something and then they still include it later haha, it's becoming kind of a pattern!

#avatar the last airbender #atla #atla live action #avatar the last airbender live action #natla

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aortaobservatory · 8 months

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So I have a question, what do you think a seer of hearts quadrants would be like considering you are one? Or rather, what classpects would fit best with a seer of heart?

I'll admit, beyond defining the classpects themselves, I never really thought about what might other classpects might match best with them. I suppose it depends on the individual in question. As varied as the mythological roles are, I already know that I as a Seer of Heart will find different partners and people to keep in my life than another Seer of Heart.

Though, this subject has me curious if there is a formula for this as well. Though individuals in the same classpect are still varied individuals, they do hold the same classpect as well, so would that mean it is more likely for them to find likeable qualities in certain aspects and certain classes when combined?

I would also want to account for Lunar Sway as well. I am a Seer of Heart swayed to Derse, which makes me extremely adept at analysis and logistical standpoints regarding the soul or emotions or identity of another person. I believe that if there is a formula to crack for which classpects are best for which quadrants of a specific classpect, it would depend heavily on the Lunar Sway of that person.

Of course, this also means that, with 144 unique classpects and 2 Lunar Sway variants, that there are 288 total different classpects combined with sways to analyze and match to the same 288.

If there is a formula for this, and I'm certain now that there probably is, it will not be 100% certain or correct because individuals are quite varied even within their own classpects and sways. There are far too many factors to account for, and the nature of a classpect is one of growth towards the ideal. A fully realized Seer of Heart will very likely not have or find the same value in the relationships a fledgling Seer of Heart will.

To account for:

Lunar Sway of all considered relationships

Current point in one's own classpect journey

Current point in other party's classpect journey

Though I suppose I could tell you that I as an almost fully realized Seer of Heart swayed Derse, am currently queerplatonically engaged to an almost fully realized Page of Space swayed Prospit, and we've known each other for seven years. My best friend, whom I've known for approximately two decades and whom I grew up with, is an almost fully realized Rogue of Life swayed Prospit. I'm close friends with a Maid of Breath and a Rogue of Breath, both of whom I'm uncertain of their sways, but strike me both as Prospit on first thought. I'm also friends with a Sylph of Light that, last I recall, is swayed Derse, but if I am being honest, we have lately been having trouble keeping our friendship maintained (though not for lack of our mutual attempts at trying).

I've had many close relationships over the years that I've had to break off for one reason or another, but who has not? I unfortunately could not tell you the classpects and sways of those people, however, and I would not dare attempt to guess at them now (as it feels disrespectful to them as people I am no longer in contact with).

This is quite an interesting question! I will think on it and see if I'm able to parse a pattern based on my current theories.

#classpecting #classpect analysis #lunar sway #homestuck #ao classpecting #ao pesterlog

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transmascore · 1 year

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is hair loss on t specifically in any way reversible or avoidable altogether? im not on t yet ( probably won't be for A While and im 18 rn ) but i always experience pretty bad hair loss and im worried that it'll get very very worse post-t. now of course there's the option to not go on t in that case but 1. in my country, you can't get your gender marker changed ( not even to just "transgender" let alone "male" ) unless you medically transition and 2. i DO want the other changes like body and facial hair and bottom growth deep voice all that. and of course being bald is fine and beauty standards are fucking stupid but at the same time i guess i have always kind of wanted to pull off the long haired guy thing but going on t might just get in the way of doing that and i won't do that without t because Dysphoria. and i think all of this is making the dysphoria worse because 1. im experiencing hair loss and not even male pattern ( altho this one i can turn into a joke sometimes like "the baldness isn't even male pattern 😔" ) and that's a silly thing but it's still sort of there. 2. because again. i have wanted to have long hair for A Long Time. so i couldn't live my childhood and teenage years as A Guy and once i get to do that i can't do this other thing which yeah minor problem but hhhh and 3. when i do complain about this sort of thing online i get a stock response of like??? either being told to just join the rest of the male population ( understandable ) or that i can't let go of "the beauty standards of my agab" ( help as if cis men don't worry about going bald you don't see them being told they are women for it ). and like. transitioning is supposed to be a euphoric thing and i was so so excited about the prospect of it all before this one singular thing kicked in. it's all very hhhhhh all over the place

I totally get you, anon. Especially as a Long Haired Man myself. My long hair is really important to my gender identity and I would also be pretty upset if I went bald, even though there's nothing objectively wrong with hairloss.

So, the good news is that you have a couple of options here.

You could do what I did, which is to go on T for a few years and then stop once you have the changes you want. Most changes on T are permanent changes (voice, facial hair, adam's apple, bottom growth, body hair.) Stopping T DOES have changes, though, both good and bad: menstrual cycle returning, fat redistribution, clearer skin, reversal of vaginal atrophy, and... sometimes... cessation or reversal of hair loss. Now, T and E affect everyone differently - and it's important to have realistic expectations. Even though I have long hair, my hairline DID recede, and it's remained there even after stopping T. So stopping T isn't going to resolve everything for every person.

What most guys do, however, is take finasteride and minoxidil (Rogaine) in addition to their T in order to keep their hair healthy. Some guys start it after they begin hair loss, and other guys take it as a preventative. However, like all medications, it's important to read up on side effects and interactions to make sure that this is the right choice for you. Some people can't take finasteride.

Something else to keep in mind is proper hair care in general. Like, if you have curly hair, are you using the proper products for it to keep your strands strong? I have wavy hair, so I have a specific wash routine I follow in order to keep my hair healthy (it's not an ideal routine, but it IS a routine.) Making sure that you minimize shedding and breakage will keep your hair healthier for longer. As much as I hate to say it, Reddit is a great resource for this. Just look up your hair type ("curly hair", "wavy hair", "straight hair") plus "Reddit" and you should be able to find guides, recommended products, and communities where you can ask questions about hair care.

Making sure that you get haircuts frequently will also help, even if it seems counterproductive to growing long hair. Just have the hairdresser or barber cut off as little as possible. It's important to get rid of split ends for healthy growth.

Now, I don't have a ton of advice re: finasteride and minoxidil because I've never used them myself, but if any followers have any insight: please feel free to add on to this post!

#asks #anonymous

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circethesinner · 2 years

Text

the puppeteer ✿ molted - chapter 25 ✿

pairing: steve harrington x original female character (can be read as x reader)

warning(s): strong language, descriptions of violence, mature themes

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previous chapter ━ ✿ ━ next chapter

masterlist

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Bambi walked with her arm linked with Max, much to Dustin’s annoyance, apparently. He kept looking over at them with a glare that would have terrified Bambi had it come from anyone but her sweet little Dustin.

“If you want me to take you home, say the word,” Bambi whispered to Max, making sure the boys didn’t hear. “I know this is absolutely batshit crazy and not what you signed up for on a Saturday night, or any night probably. I’ll make up an excuse, and we’ll get you home.”

“I’m fine,” Max confirmed quietly, giving her best smile up at Bambi. “I mean, this is better than being home with… him.”

“You know, I ran away from my… home, I guess you’d call it… when I was 14, George adopted me and asked no questions. I just showed up at his diner one day, shaved head, couldn’t understand social queues, stomach rumbling so loud I think the patrons of the diner mistook it for an earthquake, clothes that belonged to an old woman twice my size… I’m pretty sure I didn’t even have shoes come to think of it… I was just walking around in socks….” Bambi rambled on as she recalled the circumstances she’d met George under. “Sorry, I’m getting distracted… What I’m trying to say, I guess, is that I reckon we could pass as sisters if you ever need to make a quick getaway. George won’t ask questions. He’ll probably just accept that he went from being a grouchy 60-something-year-old man to an even grouchier guardian of two teen runaways.” Max had started laughing as Bambi described George.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” She grinned up at Bambi, who squeezed her arm with an equally large smile. “We probably could pass as sisters, with the hair and freckles and everything.”

Before Bambi could continue, the boys’ conversation had increased in volume to the point where they could no longer tune them out.

“You're positive that was Dart?” Lucas asked.

“Yes!” Dustin confirmed. “He had the same exact yellow pattern on his butt.”

“When and why did you look at its butt?” Bambi asked, almost laughing at the idea that Dustin, in the face of danger, somehow found time to examine the butt of the monster that was seconds away from killing them.

“When he was running away!” Dustin sighed, annoyed at the questioning. “I’m telling you it was Dart.”

“He was tiny two days ago,” Max butted in, still not completely believing that the thing Dustin had shown her a couple of days ago was now a giant monster which was hungry for flesh.

“Well, he's molted three times already,” Dustin explained.

“Malted?” Steve asked, confused by the wording.

“Molted, babe,” Bambi corrected. “Like when a creature sheds its skin to make room for growth. You know that slimy thing we found in the basement? The one I dared you to lick? That was Dart’s molted skin.”

“Yeah, he shed his skin to make room for growth like hornworms,” Dustin clarified. He paused before speaking again. “Wait, did Steve lick the skin? Gross!”

“Nah, he didn’t,” Bambi sighed dramatically. “He chickened out and wouldn’t even let me lick it when he fired the dare back on me. No balls Harrington.”

“You wanted to lick it?” Lucas asked, horrified.

“There is not a corner of my soul I wouldn’t turn over for the sake of a dare,” Bambi grinned, shrugging her shoulders as she walked, still arm in arm with Max.

“It’s true. She’ll do anything,” Steve confirmed, looking back at them. “She’s been arrested multiple times because she won’t back down from a dare. It’s honestly horrifying to watch.”

“Arrested but never charged!” Bambi announced proudly. “The arrests never even go on my permanent record because Callahan is scared of me and even more so of George, and Hopper has a soft spot for me after what happened last year and because I make sure he never has to pay for food and drinks at the diner.”

“You terrorise Callahan. I’m surprised he’s not resigned,” Dustin added, kicking a stone as they walked. “In fact, I’m surprised he’s not changed his name and skipped town. I remember you being arrested outside the arcade when you punched Keith, and he called the cops on you, and then screaming ‘I know where you live’ in Callahan’s face and reciting his address multiple times until he took the handcuffs off of you and drove away as fast as he could.”

“Did you see the look on his face when I did?” Bambi was full-on cackling by this point. To an outsider, she would have looked like some sort of supervillain recounting their plan to take over the world. “He struggled to get the cuffs off of me because he was shaking so much!”

“You gotta give that guy a break, Bee,” Steve shook his head, though he was unable to suppress his own laughter in between words. “I think his hairline recedes every time you do anything.”

“Maybe I’ll reconsider getting a ride to school from you,” Max joked, still not unlinking her arm with Bambi’s. Bambi gave Dustin a glare when she saw him open his mouth to speak. She knew he was about to complain about Max joining them for the rides to and from school, and she wasn’t going to have it. Her kids would get along whether they liked it or not. And if not, she’d blast Billy Joel until their ears bled and they couldn’t think for long enough to form any bad thoughts towards one another.

“So, when's ‘Dart’ gonna molt again?” Max asked Dustin, who had received the message ‘be nice’ from Bambi loud and clear.

“It's gotta be soon,” Dustin confirmed, briefly looking back at them. “When he does, he'll be fully grown, or close to it. And so will his friends.”

“Yeah, and he's gonna eat a lot more than just cats,” Steve added. Lucas froze and stopped Dustin and subsequently Bambi and Max from walking any further.

“Wait, a cat?” He shouted in disbelief. “Dart ate a cat?”

“No, what?” Dustin denied. “No.”

Bambi sighed and shook her head, realising Dustin hadn’t kept anyone else in the loop regarding Dart’s newfound diet. She decided against butting it. It would be better for Dustin to tell Lucas himself.

“What are you talking about?” Steve had turned around to join the conversation and apparently didn’t see the wide-eyed look of ‘don’t say anything’ Bambi was trying to give him. “He ate Mews.”

“Mews?” Max asked Steve. “Who's Mews?” Still not getting the hint, Steve explained that Mews was Dustin’s cat. Bambi slipped her arm away from Max with a light squeeze to her hand as they parted ways. She set her sights on Steve and grabbed the front of his t-shirt, pulling him to the side while Dustin and Lucas argued.

“A word?” Bambi didn’t give him a choice in the matter, just pulled him as out of ear-shot as she could get.

“What’s wrong?” Steve asked, genuinely confused by the interaction and why Bambi was upset. “Stevie, I know you mean well, but you need to read the room sometimes,” She pleaded, her grip on the front of his t-shirt loosening as her palm flattened against his chest. “I’m not happy with Dustin, and believe me, I’m going to be having some strong words with him when we’ve sorted this shit out. But there might have been a reason he was keeping it from Lucas, and meddling with that isn’t going to help because… Well, look at them.” Bambi used her free hand to gesture over at the argument that had now drawn Max in.

“Shit…” Steve sighed, looking between the kids and then down at Bambi. His hand came up to cover the one that she’d subconsciously left on his chest. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realise-”

“I know, I know, I’m sorry I got annoyed for a second there,” Bambi frowned, looking down at their feet. “We’re a team, yeah? We work together. We babysit together. We kill monsters together.” Bambi was surprised when Steve suddenly pulled her into a hug. It was almost suffocating how tight the hug was, but not in a bad way. It was immensely comforting given what lay ahead.

“Together,” Steve confirmed, his voice muffled by Bambi’s hair as his face was nuzzled on top of her head. She could have sworn she felt him press a kiss to her head, but she figured it was just the way his mouth pursed together again once he’d spoken.

While she could have easily stayed there for a thousand lifetimes, they both amicably pulled away when they heard the distant screeching of the pack of monsters. They had to move fast to follow them, which meant wrangling the kids up again.

“Hey, guys?” Steve called out to the three, too engrossed in their arguing to hear him. “Guys!” He yelled louder, but they still weren’t listening.

With a sigh, Bambi lifted up her hands to clap a quick pattern. Dustin and Lucas both stopped in their tracks and clapped the pattern back to her. “How did you do that?” Steve asked, bewildered as Bambi motioned for them to start following, which they did without any further arguments.

“Saw it in a movie and taught them to do it,” Bambi shrugged at Steve. “You’d be amazed by how much they argue, but it stops them a good 85% of the time, I’d say.”

“No, no, no. Hey, guys, why are you headed towards the sound?” Max called out from behind, having not moved. Bambi stopped in her tracks.

“You go on with the boys,” Bambi told Steve, who nodded and led the way. She turned back and walked over to Max. “Sweet pea, my offer still stands. If you want me to take you home, we can track back right now, and I’ll drive you home, no questions asked. I’ll give him an excuse as to why you were out so late and take the full blame for keeping you.”

“I…” Max stood there, carefully considering her options. Bambi didn’t want to pressure her into anything she didn’t want to do.

It felt good to have another girl in the party, particularly one who seemed to be more level-headed than the dinguses Bambi had wound up with and probably more level-headed than Bambi herself. But, there was no shame in turning back. The whole situation was crazy enough to someone who had lived through the previous year’s antics. She couldn’t imagine how it must have felt to be thrown into the deep end the way Max had.

Max took a deep breath in before shaking her head. “I’ll go with the party.”

“Atta girl,” Bambi smiled, offering out her hand out. She didn’t mean to be so openly relieved that Max was joining them, but it slipped out anyway.

Max took her hand, and they started jogging to catch up with the boys who had gone on ahead. Bambi found it was difficult to talk while being mildly out of breath - or very out of breath if she was being perfectly honest with herself. A diet consisting of diner food and avoiding all exercise wasn’t the healthiest and certainly wasn’t helping her, but she managed to provide as much comfort as she could to Max as they caught up with the boys. “Don’t worry. Steve is great with that bat. He’s saved my life with it once already. I have complete faith in him.”

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I like to think that bambi is the epitome of the "I think I will cause problems on purpose" meme

my girl has not got a single scrap of self-control in sight and absolutely no respect for authority because why should she? when has authority ever respected her?

likes are very much appreciated and I will give each and every one of you little kisses on the forehead for each comment you write :)

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taglist (let me know if you want to be added!)

@missyviolet123 @littlet-holmes @buzzybee111 @preciousbabypeter @youmakemyhearthowl

#steve harrington x original character #fanfic #fanfiction #strangerthings #steveharrington #stranger things #stranger things fanfiction #steve harrington #steve harrington fanfic #steve harrington x oc #steve harrington x reader

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shipcago · 2 years

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You know, I’m rewatching CPD and I’m currently on season 5. My thoughts are that Voight could have remained a far more compelling character if they’d actually developed him more. He can be complex, yes, but even complexity goes stale when it’s presented without growth and development. He’s stagnating now, badly. Characters have to learn things or it feels cheap after ten seasons, leaving Voight feeling more like a cartoon villain at times imo. These characters see trauma on the regular and Voight is the only one who hasn’t changed because of it. He has this ability to see the dark sides of the characters trying to be decent cops, from Antonio to Jay and Hailey, even Kev. That’s super interesting to me! He wants them to embrace that part of themselves when everything else tells them it’s wrong to even feel it. But also this means he walks a line that needs him to change and develop, or face consequences for not being able to. So far every character who’s been his second in command, trying desperately to be decent and good in a space where Voight invites them to be otherwise and assures them he’ll keep them safe, has been written off haphazardly, meaning there’s no space for any development and the show has doomed itself, in my opinion, to repeat this pattern time and again. I enjoy the way Voight challenges our truly good, wired through the heart like Jay characters. But setting that dynamic up all over again, for a third time with a third second in command? Idk. They could have landed this with Antonio but they didn’t think he had any potential left as a character. Hard disagree. They could have done it with Jay, but then this. My guess is Hailey’s next, and I’d love to see her as sergeant someday but it seems like something so many characters can aim for, be primed for by the writers, but will ultimately never reach because they won’t let Voight face change that might add to his character and the show. They all hit a ceiling because Voight has to stay up top and that’s a shame. I also don’t know how much longer they can keep this stuff up before even the less invested audiences get a little tired of it…just my opinion. (I didn’t mean to write you an essay lol sorry, I love your blog and I’m super grateful for your time and all your posts ❤️❤️)

You love my blog?

I LOVE YOU ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Now let’s focus on the important parts of this ask:

I completely agree on your assessment with Voight. To talk about other characters, like Antonio, going stale when Voight hasn’t changed since the start is laughable.

I don’t understand how he is looked at as the center of the show. Is it because he’s the sergeant? No other show does this. Not Med, not Fire, not the law and order shows. The only one remotely close to having the same status is Benson from SVU, but that’s earned.

Voight was placed at the top and he has never left. It’s ridiculous. He doesn’t deserve the team.

And the thing that pisses me off the most is how he is with Jay (and Hailey). He’s telling Hailey that they need Jay the way he is. Fine, yes, couldn’t agree more.

But then when Jay, being the way he is, calls out Voight he’s being told to leave if he doesn’t like the way Voight does things????? Pick. A. Lane.

The writers can’t seem to decide if they want to condemn or justify Voight’s actions and it’s so tiring. It’s the same thing every time. The most used up thing on this show is how predictable his behavior is and I don’t think that’s going anywhere.

And yeah, Hailey’s pretty much next in line to take over handling Voight’s leash. It’s why I have no interest in watching because I don’t want to see her further pulled down than she already has been. Tired of it. Don’t want it.

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maximumwobblerbanditdonut · 2 years

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There’s something different about his hair? Has SH had a hair transplant?!

In Sam's IG live chat with The Tasting Alliance, his hair looked extremely short for the first time in years, but three days later it looked significantly different, and first impressions count. He underwent a surgical procedure? by a variety of elements. Her bald crown was easy to spot by thinning or loss of hair on the crown, while hair growth on the sides remains constant; accompanied by a receding hairline. Hair loss with ageing is totally normal, but there are many things you can do to combat it. Is this his best way to combat it?

In 2021, he was still showing signs of hair loss. He started to grow his hair out. But toward last spring before his Live talk on IG with The Tasting Alliance, SH swapped the long curls for a much shorter hairstyle.

SH may have used established hair loss treatments like finasteride and minoxidil to make his locks thicker. But come on, do you think he looks like the kind of person who rubs hair loss products into his scalp morning and night?

Recently, SH's hairstyle choice has been a big departure from the trendy cut of the past. What has been done? And it seems doubtful that he would have been able to achieve this look with his previous hair. Although SH was never completely bald, his hair in the front was very thin compared to what it is now. SH's hairline at the right time seems to be the problem as he has more hair at the moment. But with his wet hair it was clear in 2020: MIK1 when his head come out of the water, there was no hiding the fact that his hair loss was continuing and had become more and more apparent.

Even before his 40s was displaying the early signs of androgenetic alopecia (male pattern hair loss). Now, though, he seems to be sporting a different hairstyle every week! So what’s he done? This short style disguises his receding hairline far more effectively than longer hair did. In fact, it was barely even noticeable.

So he could surely afford the best hair transplant surgeon. If I had to guess, I’d say he had the procedure at some time between the end of Outlander season 6 and July 2022 during his long summer break holidays.

He could have had a hair transplant. He has hair on the nape and sides, making it an excellent donor area to harvest. Why not just take hair from other areas and move it to where you need it? If you have money and time… He went for it.

Before the alleged transplant? Then he seemed to be holding on nicely, for years with toupée, and hairpiece after the sort of Nw 3A+ (The Norwood scale is the standard measure of hair loss progression in men. Androgenetic alopecia also called male pattern baldness) he was before this video, looks like a good recovery or great maintenance. But I agree that for such a neat hairline he likely has had a transplant as a final touch. If he’s still under pills/topicals the result is not that outstanding, because he only needed to restore the hairline.

But it is required to respect certain deadlines after a hair transplant. Wearing a motorcycle helmet after your hair transplant, it is necessary to wait a while, at least a month and a half so as not to damage the newly implanted follicles so that they can take root correctly and avoid direct sunlight on the operated area. It appears he ignored medical instructions and rode a motorcycle with a helmet on in Venice. CA driving in broad daylight, and it was not the time to wear a helmet, again after surgery.

He may start razoring his sides and donor area a month after the hair transplant. But, for the new hair, he must wait 6 months to be able to cut it. (Sam cut his hair) But, he cannot observe and understand the recommendations and guidelines, not even himself, by not complying with the procedure. It is part of his behaviour to make fun and evade any guidance.

His hairline is mature, with male pattern baldness. His receding hairline eventually thins out into a noticeable retreating hairline. He will not shape it like a youthful hairline. It doesn't look *so* good. The actual hairline on his forehead has that all-too-perfect Ken doll look. We'll see.

He has short hair, and patients who have had FUE or DHI hair transplants can frequently wear their hair very short, like a grade 1 or 2 cut. But the hair did not increase that much in three days between the live chat on Thursday and Loch Lomond video on Sunday. It would mean that the Live on IG was recorded in advance. It could be after the result of the competition on September 9, with about 20 days of difference for his hair to increase.

SH in 29.09.2022 (left) SH 02.10.2022 (right)

Many patients may prefer Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) as with DHI, Direct Hair Implantation (DHI) the maximum number of grafts that can be implanted is 4000, whereas the FUE method can cover much larger surface areas. But in SH’s case is a different.

There are several reasons people choose to have DHI hair transplants. DHI direct hair transplants are suitable for both men and women. HI Hair transplants are cosmetic surgical procedures. Some reasons people choose to have DHI hair transplants are: Patients who want to have hair in areas on the scalp that are receding or balding

I don't know if he still expects a better result than Daman’s magazine cover, but we will see his result when his hair grows back 1 year after surgery, but the recession and thinning in the hairline and temples are the same. His bald spots in the middle and the top of his head disappeared. Perhaps corrective transplants could be considered shortly, but if he has resorted to a treatment to overcome baldness, it directly affects his image.

After a hair transplant, it takes a while before the newly transplanted hair begins to grow. Hair will look improved at around month 6, but it takes around 18 months for a hair transplant to achieve its maximum potential.

This is very hypothetical and recent, so it is not good to compare or suggest similarities with other people even though they supposedly used the same procedural technique.

But, Many people confuse FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation) FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction or Follicular Unit Excision) and DHI (Direct Hair Implantation).

FUT: is also known as strip grafting. The surgeon takes a strip of skin containing the hairs from the donor site. Afterward, he takes the hairs from the extracted skin and cuts the grafts into shape. After which the hairs are placed on the recipient site. Which led to the “hair plugs” look.

FUE: It’s a hair transplantation removes the grafts one by one from the donor area using a micromotor or manual punch. Taking individual hair follicles from your skin and moving them to another part of your body where the hair's thinner or absent. In FUE, a surgeon manually cuts channels in your scalp before implanting hair follicles.

DHI: It’s a modification of the FUE technique, in DHI, the surgeon uses a specialized pen-shaped tool that can do both at the same time. Taking individual hair follicles from your skin and moving them to another part of your body where the hair's thinner or absent, not cutting the scalp before implanting hair follicles.

After looking at different points, there are two possibilities for Sam's surgical procedure which could be FUE or DHI. It looks like a DHI surgery procedure to stimulate hair growth in bald areas by transferring follicles from other regions of the scalp (usually at the back of the head, at the nape of the neck). It involves the removal of healthy follicles from donor areas on the back and sides of the scalp. These are implanted in the scalp to stimulate growth in bald areas. There is no need to create incisions on the patient's scalp with DHI. The DHI implant better controls the depth, angle, and direction of the implant. The hair follicles will grow and form new hair over time.

SH in 2021 (above) SH in 2022 (down)

SH’s hair appeared thinnest behind the hairline in 2021 which would be an unusual pattern for androgenetic alopecia. SH experienced hair loss of the frontal scalp. His hairline receded to the point where he lost his hair on the frontal scalp. The hairline, temples, mid scalp, and crown had thinned out significantly.

For the amount of hair loss he had, at least 1500 grafts would get him where he is with DHI

The FUE technique expects patients to have their heads totally shaved before the system, while the DHI strategy just requires the donor region to be shaved. The DHI technique has a quicker recuperation period and can be performed with less draining compared with the FUE strategy. This gives a huge benefit to female patients.

The expected outcome of these two treatments is that twelve months after the procedure, the complete results start to show. The recuperation period is also comparable and shorter for both treatments. It is a relatively expensive procedure to have hair implants.

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DHI is normally preferred to treat smaller, specific sections of hair loss, whereas FUE is better for when there's more significant balding for those seeking hair transplant procedures that look as natural as possible, DHI hair transplant surgery is a convenient option. You won’t lose any hair when the implantation surgery is finished, and your hair will stay on your head permanently. The DHI hair transplant method allows complete control over the angle, depth, and placement of the hair and produces results that look entirely natural is its most significant advantage.

The DHI hair transplant method permits transplantation without shaving the entire head just the donor region. This angle shows his hair growth in the donor area and shows he didn't shave whole head . His donor hair area is the sides and back of the head. The technique followed SH’s hair direction in the frontal region. In the photos angles, of the result. The photo shows part of the recovery is the Redness of the Scalp around his newly relocated follicles.

SH seems overly proud of his hair. Before his grafts, he had a high natural hairline and some of the styles he was trying to pull off with toupée or wig didn’t work, He looks very desperate and self-conscious, but at least he keeps us amused.

I don't know if SH will confirm that he underwent a hair transplant at one of the top clinics in an attempt to restore his former glory. Perhaps in a post on Twitter, the Scottish actor can say that he was "delighted" with the result for his Outlander fans 🤷‍♂️

It is one thing that he no longer needs to hide his problem and another thing is to confirm it. Sam chose to show off but would like to avoid confirming the truth about his new hair. I don't know if he is a confident enough man to confirm his hair transplant to help others do the same and take the step towards fuller hair.

SH's hair transplant would make a good article for the Scottish media and Sam's friends to write something relevant about him, after all, they are journalists in the light of the news. Who will dare to write an honest article? And not massage Sam's ego by writing irrelevant stuff twice a day to get it out there🤷

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#hairtransplant #DHI #FUE #FUT #Damanmagazine

#Youtube

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snarltoothed · 1 month

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okay… weird tangent. but like, brute force manual labor aside women actually ffr literally do everything better than men? even stereotypically manly things if the woman in question is interested in doing and (especially in the case of what i’m about to discuss) able to do the “man thing”.

i was thinking about it and honestly, i have never seen a woman with a beard or moustache whose facial heard was objectively unattractive… if you disregard the fact that facial hair in general never fits into what society considers “objectively attractive” for women.

women with beards aren’t that common right. there are not all that many women with actual full beards (probably more than you’d think considering that a lot of women remove their facial hair… even when it’s unpigmented peach fuzz… but dermaplaning is another fucking discussion), that’s just how sexual dimorphism works, women generally have lighter and lesser facial hair.

however… whenever a woman DOES have the hair growth pattern for a beard (for whatever reason) and grows it out… she always keeps it nice, clean, well-groomed, even shaped well if she boasts a thick enough face rug for shaping to matter… and it is obvious WHY, dgmw, i know women are socialized to care more about being attractive and “presentable” — but frankly some men will have the fucking ugliest unkempt beards and i think female socialization is correct on the “take some pride in your appearance” front with this one.

i literally had to explain to my last ex that he might come off as more professional in interviews if he like… invested in a beard trimmer and shaped it every so often. because the man’s beard was rectangular. like, disturbingly rectangular. i’ll give him credit for keeping it in… a bubble braid (?) most of the time, that was kinda cool aesthetically… but when he took those hairties out and smoothed out the kinks… the man looked like he’d walked straight out of minecraft.

and the thing is… he didn’t even know what i meant. he was like “what do you mean shape it?” and i just had to fucking white guy blink at him and patiently explain that the mid-length beards you see on like, “attractive” actors don’t just… grow in shaped like that and that men with longer facial hair often still trim small parts of it to shape it in a way that better flatters their faces? and that if he wasn’t sure how to shape it himself he could absolutely just get it done at the barber’s…

and of course he had to ask if i personally thought it would make him more attractive like dude… obviously, but i was bringing it up gently! and as a serious tip on how to maybe come off as more hirable in interviews which could’ve been completely unrelated to my personal thoughts about it because i literally don’t look hirable in my day to day either. not that this entire paragraph is even related to the point i just forgot how annoying men can be. i’m actually not entirely sure how asperbergers even became a thing, because i swear on my mother i have never met a man who DOESN’T have trouble reading social nuances. (i’m aware that aspergers is no longer a thing and that instead we now acknowledge that all parts of autism exist on a spectrum and i’m also aware that the nazis came up with it but please let a woman make a joke)

back to the actual point tho… like dude? you are in your early thirties and have had a beard since your mid twenties bro you… you aren’t familiar with the idea of being able to trim your beard into a different shape? that’s like being unaware of the existence of hairstyles as an elemenary schooler??? and did he just… never look in the mirror at any point before i mentioned this and notice that his beard was literally rectangular, right angles and all? or did he and he was just like “whatever i guess that’s just how my beard looks nothing i can do about that”? baffling.

and women, no on expects women to have facial hair, in fact it is discouraged. women with beards don’t have as many beard-having peers to learn from. and yet… they keep those beards looking fabulous.

even just a little moustache looks better on a woman, but that’s not a fair comparison. men never look good with JUST a moustache. it either looks like they’re a teenager, really into like… steampunk, or a creep of some sort depending on their natural hair growth and style of moustache.

#ramble #tw male mention #but also #bearded woman positivity #female body hair positivity #female FACIAL hair positivity #!!!#that was the original point i just. need several mental health diagnoses probably but no thanks <3 #also like…#misandry #lol

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denimbex1986 · 4 months

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'"Maybe I didn't hold you / All those lonely, lonely times

And I guess I never told you / I am so happy that you're mine…"

An adult Adam is cross-legged on the floor, gazing upwards, child-like. His deceased mother mutters the words, never once breaking eye contact, while decorating the Christmas tree.

On the surface, the candles and fairy lights should have evoked a homely warmth, stirring early memories of festive joy. But in this scene the air is thick with regret, and the song's poignant lyrics say more than dialogue ever could.

All of Us Strangers first introduces Adam (Andrew Scott) years after this, in his London tower block, with little but his laptop for company. That is, until his neighbour Harry (Paul Mescal) arrives at his door. What unfolds is a cross-generational gay love story, both heartbreaking and beautiful.

But when Adam decides to revisit his childhood, the film also hits home in another way. Watching through tears, in the dim of the movie theatre, I'm struck by how profoundly it resonated with me, as a mother to my boy.

Motherhood is a redefining experience, one that pushes you to reflect while also looking forwards through new eyes. The film articulates that reconnection with your inner child, and the notion of wanting to do things differently for the baby who's now in your arms.

All of Us Strangers captures a weight carried through to adulthood by many queer people: the distance that can be born from your parents not really knowing who you are. The film arrives as a new generation now starts to navigate its own approach to parenthood, determined not to repeat the past.

All of Us Strangers is steeped in grief. But for a story that orbits a man who lost his parents at the tender age of 12, it's far deeper than a physical absence.

Stuck in a sort of purgatory, Adam is seeking out things that make him feel closer to what he's missing. Against a score of '80s hits, which would have formed the soundtrack of his formative years, Adam arrives back to his childhood home. From the wallpaper to his record collection, it's just as he remembers. His parents are still there too, just as they were on the day they died.

Through Adam's conversations with his dead parents, it becomes clear that even in life they were out of reach.

A father, too repressed to comfort his son when he was crying; a mother, too overwhelmed to centre the needs of her child.

In these new interactions Adam's instinct is to suppress his feelings, comforting and tending to his parents' emotions instead. It speaks of a child who learned that his own feelings were a burden, that vulnerability wasn't welcome.

These post-mortem exchanges offer a chance for catharsis, though. Adam is given the opportunity to come out to each of his parents in turn. Their responses are filtered through the moral panic of their time, but having them meet this older, more worldly, version of Adam allows for some growth.

Adam's inner child continues to push through, still yearning to be seen for himself rather than the image that his parents once cultivated. Much like the film's own use of reflection, his parents saw what they wanted to see mirrored back at them, projecting their own expectations rather than truly seeing Adam for the boy he was.

It's a generational cycle that needs to be broken, and this is echoed in his mother's own regret. There's a push and a pull, as his parents start to realise that they were themselves stuck in a pattern passed on to them.

As Adam crawled between his parents in the middle of the night, in his childhood pyjamas that no longer fit, she told him of her yearning to get better, with time.

But of course in reality, a fatal car crash robbed her – and Adam – of these chances. The thought of the childhood that could have been still continued to tighten with that knot in his chest.

For those of us now trying to parent more consciously, to be led by our children, giving them space to discover exactly who they are, free of assumption and expectation, All of Us Strangers has struck a chord.

Our sons will not keep their tears hidden away, un-wiped, behind closed doors. Neither will they be given a complex about sitting with their legs crossed, or burdened with the presumption that they should surely have a girlfriend. Their childhood home will be a sanctuary, removed from those that don't understand, not a place they want to run from at the first opportunity.

The film and the thoughts it has provoked cling as tightly as that final farewell embrace between Adam and Harry.

Days after sitting in that movie theatre, now two-stepping and twirling around to The Housemartins with my own baby, who loves to dance, in his childhood home, these feelings are further solidified.

"Let's build a house where we can stay [ba ba ba ba build], add a new bit every day…"'

#Pet Shop Boys #Always on My Mind #The Housemartins #Build #All of Us Strangers #Andrew Scott #Paul Mescal

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knight-gwaine · 4 months

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Tumblr gets all the new tea on my crush situation okay, I need to freak out SOMEWHERE

Okkkkaaaayyyyy, sooooooo we went on a cute lil walksieeeee today. Ehem, he invited me to his (parent's) house waaayy out in the mountains so we could go look for one of my favorite Alaskan birds, the dipper. It was beautiful and he seems like he comes from a very healthy, happy, WELL OFF family. Love that for hiiiimmm.

My intention this time was to be vulnerable and open upppppp, UGH so i orgaannniically tried lol to talk about my weekend and all these big life reflections I've been having with like coming into a new stage of my life of healthy love and safetyyyy in myself, in my home, around me etc. being careful not to trauma dump but like give some context of like. Heeyy, I grew up in unhealthy environments where it trained me to be some typa way that isn't healthy in this part of my life and I'm working to release!!!!!! Which was great to like. Let that off my chest?? And also give space for hiiimmm to open up. THEN WE SPENT. A SOLID LIKE FIVE HOURS (again hah) hanging out just chatting, doodling, and listening to vinyls together. Aaaah, yeah so

THE CONCLUSION IS Y'ALL. THIS IS A NEW EXPERIENCE FOR ME GUYS. IM SO PROUD OF ME. THIS ALL WAS SO HEALTHY. like I took it slow and was mindful and comfortable and like. I was brave and struggled yes to open up but didn't force myself and let it just like come to me.

And despite my rational brain knowing it went well, the emotional side is used to those previous unhealthy relationships where a "good" date leads to sex so that's something to adjust from. This discomfort, this feeling of oh maybe it wasnt a good date, comes from unfamiliarity. Unfamiliarity is good because it means this is healthy, not a repeating pattern, and I'm changing. It /was/ a good time, and healthy dudes can keep it in their pants lmao to actually build stable foundations with someooonnneee. This was sweet, we both like to linger and it's was like an awkward goodbye of like hmm I don't want you to go but I guess you should tehe.

Ahh, guys the longer this goes on the more wild it is. Exciting!!! Though, I'm just expecting it to pitter patter out at any time but like... wow what a concept. A healthy relationship that I asked for. Stable. Consistent. Slow growth. Like safe and predictable iiisshh.

#a DUMP y'all #what is this #a diary entry lol #yeah basically #WE LOVE THE GROWTH SOMEONE CELEBRATE WITH ME #personal

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mvanr · 6 months

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Legacy & Destiny

My daughter Meg recently told me that a meme doing the rounds claimed that the average bloke thinks about the Roman Empire twice a day, and she asked if I thought it were true. I just picked up my copy of Meditations, written by Marcus Aurelius nearly two thousand years ago, off my bedside table and showed it to her. She sent a photo of it to her friends and they were in stitches. The proof was complete.

I don’t think that Marcus Aurelius ever dreamed that the thoughts he wrote down in Meditations would be read by others and I’m sure he would have been astounded to learn that they would be widely published and read millennia later. I think he likely just regarded his writings as a kind of journal, jotting down thoughts and everyday struggles he faced in order to define them and bring them into full consciousness. Meditations is full of practical and sometimes mundane thoughts, like a dialogue that he has with himself about whether to stay in a warm bed or to get up and attend to the duties of the day. I gave my copy to my son Sam a few days ago because I thought he might benefit from some of its insights (hint, hint). Besides, it’s kind of cool to get a glimpse inside the mind of one of the greatest Roman leaders. At least for me.

Marcus Aurelius is probably the best known of the Roman stoics. Like all stoics of the time, he regarded stoicism as a life philosophy - defining in essence, how to live, behave, and view the world and one’s role in it. Adherents to its contemporary philosophies such as scepticism and hedonism, each with their own sets of followers, had completely different beliefs and codes of behaviour. Most of the figures that I admire from the Greek and Roman eras were stoics. All concerned themselves with how best to live, and I’m sure all centred their behaviour around the four ancient virtues of fortitude, prudence, justice, and temperance.

I don’t think many people nowadays tend to think of themselves as following a particular life philosophy, even though we of course do through our thoughts and actions. I’d guess most relatively affluent people today follow a kind of involuntary moderated hedonism, living often mundane day-to-day lives between episodes of indulgence. While I believe in the good in people and I do think most of us go about our day to day activities trying to do the right thing, I wonder how many people hold themselves to account at a higher, longer-term level, especially as we get older. Sometimes I get the feeling that when it comes to matters like careers, relationships, and long term goals and endeavours, many of us behave almost by default and as though we don’t really have a choice.

The reality, of course, is that we do. Our lives and our destinies are, by large measure, of our own choosing. As I get older I’m increasingly concerned about the prospect of one day looking back and regretting the choices that I didn’t make. That if I’m not to become embittered, I need to ensure that I live boldly and that I don’t just coast from day to day without questioning the larger patterns of my life. There’s good reason of course that we often avoid challenging or changing these patterns - it’s at this level that change is most difficult. But it’s also at this level that change provides the greatest opportunities for personal growth and fulfilment.

It can be hard to find a balance between apparently conflicting ethical concerns when it comes to life choices that impact others, especially those we love. Do we stay in dead-end careers for fear of sacrificing financial security? Or remain in relationships longer than we should for fear of hurting those we love? These are some of life’s hard questions that we should not shy from, even if only to make peace with our acceptance of the compromises we make.

Of the four ancient virtues, fortitude is often cited as courage, but this opens the door to its misinterpretation as courage in the narrow sense of bravery. Fortitude is the broader strength of will to confront what we must, and deal with it in the face of adversity. To do what needs to be done. It includes courage in all its forms, but also includes the capacity to endure difficulty and see things through. But prudence, another virtue often cited as wisdom, will more often than not need to work hand in hand with fortitude lest the consequences of our actions be rash. The same applies to temperance and justice - it’s seldom that these four virtues work in isolation from one another and getting the balance right is not always easy. It’s here that I think we need to let our inner light be the guide and I feel St. Paul was right in citing Love as the greatest of all the virtues. I’ve long thought of Love as the source of all virtue and the one thing without which even the concept of virtue would lose all meaning.

I’m not sure if it’s just part of getting older, but I sometimes look back over my years so far and get the feeling that it’s almost as if it’s all been scripted by some hidden hand. So many opportunities to make mistakes were missed almost as if by accident; I could easily have been so much less fortunate. What a privilege life is and what a time to be alive. Yet, despite all the incredible progress in human endeavour in my lifetime, I find myself now yearning for simplicity and freedom. To somehow escape from the darker aspects of our time like industrialised agriculture and the shallowness of social media and the mob, and to try to ensure real connections with others, with nature, and with what I consume. To rebel against the artificialness of AI and engage instead in the true crafts of old, working with wood and stone and iron and clay. We have a small farm in the Karoo with lots of stone artefacts from a bygone era, two hundred years ago, when the people that lived there had nothing but time; the complete opposite to the world of today. Even though I never knew those people, I know something of them by what they left behind, I know they loved and pursued beauty, and I love the idea of honouring them by restoring what remains and leaving something for those that follow me. But time is running out.

Ridley Scott’s Gladiator is one of my favourite movies, not least for Richard Harris’ portrayal of Marcus Aurelius. Like in so many stories that resonate with us, the protagonist Maximus undertakes the typical Hero’s Journey, so deeply engrained in our mythology, with all its difficulties, agony, and ultimately triumphant, if tragic return. But Harris portrays the emperor as an old man in Gladiator, while in reality Marcus Aurelius died relatively young at 58. Today, it's become so normal for people to live beyond 90 that we've almost come to see anything less as a premature ending. It hasn't always been so, as the echo of my grandmother's "three score years and ten" reminds me. Perhaps we need to look on the additional years conferred on us by our ancestors as a gift that they would have cherished, and as an opportunity to reflect on our own lives and how we live them. To endeavour to live, as the ancient Greeks believed, as though all of our ancestors are living again through us. Like a mighty river. After all, as Maximus reminds us, what we do in life, echoes in eternity. Do we dare?

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