#him and his wife have a completely different philosophy and i don't know how to fit in | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

reidsaurora · 11 months

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Can you do height difference + "one more kiss? please?" with Hotch? Pretty pretty please with Mick Mars on top? <3 - V

hmmm i wonder who this could be 🤔😉

"Coffee + Kisses" ~ A. Hotchner

pairing: aaron hotchner x wife!reader

summary: "mornings were made for coffee and kisses. at least, that was aaron's philosophy."

word count: 740

warnings: a single swear word, mentions of food, that's literally it

genre: tooth-rotting fluff, quite literally with all the sugar references in this blurb

extra notes: the aaron icon in the collage is by @ssa-sapphic (edited to fit theme better!) and the dividers below are by @firefly-graphics

masterlist | kissing prompts | ask box

mornings were made for coffee and kisses. at least, that was aaron's philosophy.

most people looked at the stoic figure that was aaron hotchner and assumed he was brash and hubristic, emotions on a completely different plane of existence from his physical form. but you? his trophy wife? no, you got to see every hidden layer underneath his apathetic walls, your own little personal slice of heaven.

so while most people assumed aaron's mornings were spent with his nose buried in the newspaper, black coffee in hand, they couldn't be further from the truth. this man was all homemade iced lattes, sugary cereals, and good morning kisses.

that last one may or may not be how you ended up here, nearly ten minutes late for work, coat and purse still hanging up by the door, one shoe on and the other nowhere to be seen.

"i have to get up," you'd told him. "unlike you, i unfortunately have to work on saturdays."

but when he gave you that look, that sweet pout that made even a grown man look innocent, you couldn't say no. one kiss turned into two turned into three, kisses turned into five minutes of snuggles, and now you were here, rushing around the house and tracking down your missing heel like a modern day cinderella.

"aaron, have you seen-"

as if on cue, the man—still sporting his pajamas and bedhead, his chin dark with a five-o'clock shadow—rounded the corner, missing heel in hand. "sammy apparently needed a snack," he chuckled, bending down and putting the shoe on for you. he stood back up to full height, somehow still towering over you, even with your extra three inches of artificial height.

"sammy needs a stern talking to for stealing his mama's shoes," you kidded, tossing your arms over his shoulders. even you wondered how aaron, the seemingly heartless man that he was, fell in love with the tiny ball of fluff that had apparently stolen your shoe.

"i'll definitely be in contact with him," he joked, pulling you up for a soft kiss. he tasted like cinnamon toast crunch, a strange juxtaposition from the manly smell of his deodorant, but not an unpleasant one. suddenly, you worried about what your own breath tasted like, making a mental note to eat a couple tic-tacs on the way to work just in case.

you forced yourself to pull away, being met with a disapproving pout from the man above you. to anyone else, his height might've made him seem intimidating, but you knew aaron was nothing but a gentle giant, akin to a teddy bear in human form. "i have to go," you reminded him, still not having unlinked your arms from around him.

"just one more kiss?" he said, his bottom lip jutting out like a child in a toy store. "please?"

and who were you to deny him, the absolute love of your life, just one more kiss? despite the logical part of your brain telling you not to give in, the absolutely smitten part of your brain won, practically telling the other part to go to hell.

you leaned up once again, your lips locking with his for one last, sweet, good morning kiss. his palms settled on your hips, holding you as close as possible, a gentle gesture in hopes of changing your mind about going to work that day. and little did he know, you were close, oh so close, to calling in sick. to making up a fake family emergency. to just saying, "sorry, i simply don't feel like it."

but in the end, you knew it was for the best to suck it up and go to work anyway. after all, the time spent apart only made the moments together that much more special, that much more worth it. "i have to go, love."

he gave you one last peck, releasing his hold from your hips. "fine, i'll just be here," he said, falling back on the couch dramatically, "longing for you, my dear."

you giggled at the sight of this grown man acting like a character in a shakespeare play. "you're so dramatic," you commented, heading for the door.

not having moved from where he lay after his performance, he shouted, "love you too!"

"love you more!" you called back, closing the door behind you swiftly. you shook your head, giggling. what were you going to do with him?

-> taglist: @1234-angelika @lowsodiumfreaks67 @drayshadow @alexxavicry @cordyandbilliehavemyheart @the-lucky-ones311 @mercuryvapours @darkloverfox @sammyrenae68 @cherrycandle @asgardprincess97 @gh0stgurl @esposadomd @randomwriter1021 @eddieharrington @paintlavillered @lavhoes @rhyanishere @namorswhore @danielle143 @handsupforamiracle @topguncultleader @ah-blossom @reidselle @dungeons-are-too-cold @bbbbbbbbbbbbbbl @louderfortheback @reidsbookclub @annahargrove @cwritesforfun @maelartasch @lover-of-books-and-tea @juismissing

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studentinpursuitofclouds · 5 months

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Got another question that might result in another novel-long response:

I learned "the truth" about Torts from RSV recently. How would the RSV townies react to walking in on the Farmer casually having a full-on conversation with Torts? Like they're talking about some deep, profound shit and playing with the water in his pond all the while treating him as if he actually understands what they're saying. He does, of course, but they don't know that, lol.

(maybe include vanilla SDV, and SVE characters, if you so choose :3)

I have to admit, I was pleasantly surprised by this turn of events with Torts :D

Got a lot of residents, so hopefully you won't mind if it's exclusively Ridgeside Village characters here. I also decided not to add Ray and Belinda because (⚠️ spoilers!), they have a special event where they learn the truth about Torts, hee hee... Anyway, thanks again for the question! Enjoy 🫰💕

The people of Ridgeside Village react to the Farmer talking to Torts:

_________________________________________

This is no surprise to Keahi, Trinnie and Yuuma - the children themselves often talk to Torts when they are caring for or playing with him. And even if it's just ordinary chatting like "do you like these leaves, Torts?" or "how are you doing, Torts?" rather than philosophical conversations, most of the words of which the trio doesn't know yet, it's not strange for them. Even the opposite, the same Yuuma will thank Farmer for keeping the turtle company while he and the others were busy. Keahi and Trinnie will jump on the spot with joy, because yay, Torts has another friend!

"Yo, are you talking to a turtle? If you want, I can keep you company, hee hee!" Oh, here comes Blair. The curious girl couldn't pass up the opportunity to find out why Farmer was talking to Torts like that. Huh, that's a little silly. Especially since Farmer might enjoy talking philosophy with her, their future wife.... Okay, she's just kidding! Doesn't really pay much attention to Farmer's weirdness, except as an opportunity to tease them a bit.

The Amethyne family, accompanied by servants, happen to catch Farmer with Torts discussing about philosophical matters, and everyone's reaction is... different. Maive, for example, will be annoyed that the current youngsters are wasting their time, Louie will start muttering about how strange and idiot Farmer is, Irene and Zayne will be slightly concerned about Farmer's mental state. Sonny will remain unemotional, but deep down will be glad that the young farmer respects fauna (albeit a bit strange), and Ariah will find Farmer's conversation interesting and would like to discuss the complex topics of sociology, epistemology and ontology (it's a pity she is completely immersed in her studies tho).

The situation was so unusual that even Daia didn't tease Farmer, and only listened interestedly to what Farmer was telling the ordinary turtle. Questions about life and death, the flow of time.... Hmm, strange. The girl's gut tells her that something is not right. She's dying to find out what's going on... But after she does tease the Farmer a bit! *giggle*

The weird and annoying Farmer does weird and annoying things, and as long as it doesn't involve Dr. Aguar - he doesn't care at all. However, if he knows that the Farmer has an innate magical gift, he might be a little interested in it. Maybe they have the gift of talking to all animals? Aguar wouldn't mind using such an ability in his next experiments...

Aguar's assistant, Maddie, would just roll her eyes and snort at the stupidity of the situation. Talking to a turtle - they must have a lot of free time to spend on such absurdity... Don't you dare, Farmer, to even think about distracting her from work!

Hah, Jeric had never thought of talking to animals as something out of the ordinary, because the young man often cooed with his hens on the farm, but discussing questions about immortality and universal power was something new even for him. And it's as if the Farmer is waiting for the turtle to answer. A little confused, but leaves Farmer and Torts alone without giving it much attention.

"Um... Everything okay, Farmer?" Walking together, Paula and Anton worriedly glanced at each other, not knowing how to react to this. It just looked to them as if Farmer, unable to bear being alone, had started talking to the turtle. Taking a seat next to Farmer, Anton will awkwardly start a conversation, trying to see if Farmer is okay while Paula, sitting on the other side, observes Farmer's behaviour and reactions. Both convinced that Farmer is okay, they reminded lastly that they can always talk to them.

"Oh, it's a... little weird, but we won't bother you..." Shanice, Richard, Pika, Malaya, and Rorenzo were trying to be as polite as possible to Farmer, who is talking directly to the turtle. At the same time, Ezekiel, Burt, Olga, and Bryle will sincerely make a WTF face and ask what's wrong with Farmer. A group of residents that were trying to be polite, slightly shush the other group so they don't hurt Farmer's feelings. Well, they talk to the turtle, so what? That's no reason to be mean to them.

To be honest, the first thing Philip wanted to do when he saw such an unusual situation was to check on Farmer's condition. Because it's very hot today, and wonder if Farmer might be a little sick..... No offense to him, the doctor's instincts in him kicked it harder, so he decided to check on Farmer's health just in case. Well, as long as all is well, then Phillip won't keep Farmer from socializing with the, uh, turtle.

Lenny is sure to get a laugh out of this situation. "I see you've decided to befriend absolutely everyone here, ha ha!" Even though she is teasing the youth, deep down she is happy to see that the newly arrived farmer, whom Lewis had earlier praised, treats not only people but animals as well with kindness and respect.

Interesting, but Flor, Kiarra and June will ask permission to join Farmer to talk about different topics. Their dialogue with the turtle seemed quite interesting, and they would like to answer Farmer's questions directed towards Torts (which the turtle won't answer, naturally). Who would have thought such an interesting discussion could happen near a small turtle pond. Weird? Oh no, they don't think Farmer is weird.

"Don't even try to offer fish. He's quite fussy about food I gave him... Aye, did give this turtle some nice pollock - I could eat that fish myself!" Carmen will only smile radiantly at the Farmer, who will sit next to the turtle pond and play with the water. In the eyes of the industrious fisherman, the Farmer is exactly like her hija, not averse to playing, and therefore not at all surprised at the Farmer playing with Torts.

Man, Sean would have loved to stay with Farmer and ask why they were chatting and hanging out with a turtle.... Except Ian grabbed his coworker by the collar of the shirt, urging Sean back to their office. So much work and packages to do - and Sean's picking on the Farmer and the turtle! Ian doesn't have time to find out what Farmer is doing, and no, Sean, you don't have time either.

"Maybe he's... hungry? We've already had some fruit ripening." Kimpoi is still making attempts to learn how to communicate with people again without worry, but the situation where Farmer is discussing the meaning of life with the turtle caught him off guard. Well, he's trying at least...

"Good day to you, young adventurer." Given that Lola and Freddie had seen a lot of strange things in their line of work, a farmer talking to a turtle was not unusual for them. Though they themselves were assassins in their youth, the couple has seen all sorts of adventurers wielding magic: the elements of nature, the invisible, talking to animals and trees.... So Freddie and Lola just smile at the farmer politely.

"Farmer, I think your friend has left you." Shiro thought that Farmer was talking to one of the residents, and didn't even notice the person they were talking to was no longer with Farmer. Recognizing that it was the turtle they were talking to, Shiro let out a quiet "ok" and walked away.

"What are you doing, Farmer?" Faye, Ysabelle, Corine, and Alissa were discussing what dresses they would wear to the next party as Corine noticed Farmer sitting near a small pond. The girls literally take an interest in Farmer and Torts for a couple minutes, and then immediately leave Farmer alone and move on to more important matters. Except that Alissa will offer some fresh fruit or berries from the farm for the cute turtle, and Corine will offer some lettuce leaves that were definitely left at Pika's restaurant.

"Kiwi tried to climb on the turtle's back. Kiwi wanted to go for a ride! The turtle got angry and threw Kiwi off..... Kiwi will get revenge! Got knives!" Kiwi keeps her distance, watching Farmer and the Torts, but doesn't dare come any closer. After the 'Torts Rodeo' ended in failure, Kiwi still holds a grudge against the turtle. And will now keep an eye on Farmer: what if they and turtle are evil duo?

Depending on how well Jio knows Farmer, his reaction will be different : if they barely know each other and Spirit's Realm is still under Gabriella's control, Jio will just think Farmer is an idiot. But, after all the events... Hmm, there's a reason Farmer would be talking to a random turtle.... He need to follow up on that.

Kenneth remembers how he too used to mumble about his inventions to his dog, Buddy. Buddy always barked happily at all the stories his master told him. Kenneth misses him so much..... Farmer's philosophical discussion with the turtle reminded the electrician for these times. He felt a little sad at the memory. And no, it wasn't strange to him that the new Farmer was chatting with the turtle.

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libbee · 2 years

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Life lessons and astro lessons

Parents who traumatize you don't really intend to traumatize you. I have moon in 8th house; my parents were emotionally and psychologically abusive. Throughout my teenage, I was just tolerating a lot. I held a lot of resentment against my parents for traumatizing my development years. But now I realize that my parents didnt know what they were doing. They thought they were disciplining me and making me a good person. They did not know healthy ways to talk, punish and raise children. It is hard to swallow but it is the truth.

Not everyone will get their karma. I have seen a lot of people committing infidelity, financial crimes, lying, manipulating, abusing others but they do not face any setbacks. They go on living comfortable lives. Conversely, if an 8th house native tries to copy them, he will face karmic consequences, disease or being exposed in public or public image tarnished or career setbacks. 8th house placements keep giving you karmic lessons but a lot of people without 8th house placements feel no consequences at all. For eg, I saw man cheating on wife but his public image is flawless. People even call him "so innocent and modest man".

You have to unlearn a lot of things you were taught since childhood. Unless your parents and surroundings were spiritual and self aware, the fact is you would be acting our unconsciously things you learned directly or indirectly growing up. Once you realize that everything you were told was wrong, you start to unlearn everything and relearn things using your own thought process, self reflection, psychological education and mindfulness.

Although ethics and morality are called subjective in universal basis (sometimes even legal. For eg, adultery is legally punishable is some countries but not in others), however on karmic plane, all actions have their consequences. It is simply fatalism, cause and effect, domino effect. It is very hard to figure out what actions cause what consequences but suffice to say that your inner conscience tells you when you have done something wrong or right.

How others see you and how you see others is your "perception". You perceive your parents, partner, friends. You don't objectively see them how they are. You only see them from your own perspective. Different placements have different perspective. Water placements are emotional and deeply feelings based. In personality disorders like BPD, the person does not perceive himself and others in a right manner. He is intensely emotional and acts on his feelings.

Most of us act "right" because we fear consequences of doing wrong. If there were no consequence at all, not many people would choose to act right. There is no such thing as unconditional love. Parents and partner love you because they want emotional needs, want good karma for themselves and don't want to face the consequences of neglect/abuse (society saying "look, he doesn't provide for his wife/family).

Conmen are not always doing crimes, doing frauds, being players. Most conmen are in your family and surroundings. Many people use spiritual wisdom and rote memorize one liners, philosophy liners, spiritual liners to impress others and present a fake persona. For eg, many times people who claim to be spiritual and doing self improvement are actually completely lying. Behind the scenes, they commit all sorts of bad things (smoking, drinking, cheating) but pretend to be so innocent, wise, spiritual and even convince you that they are so great. Beware of these conmen who play with your psychology.

Conflicts and disagreements are a part of life. Water placements people will benefit from knowing that they dont need to run from disagreements to avoid hurting their feelings. You are not supposed to be happy and friendly 24x7 with others. You are supposed to argue, self reflect and improve yourself.

Sometimes life seems to be meaningless nihilist. If you try to create a meaning in life, you can choose to. Most of the times, we find meaning in life because our actions directly and remotely impact other people. For eg, if a kid gets good scores in exam, his parents will be happy, he will get awards, etc. If he gets into good college, his career will improve, his actions will impact his friends, etc. If he starts doing job, he will impact lifestyle of his family, productivity of his nation, his job will impact lives of other people. Doing things for other people gives a lot of meaning to life (and also this is how karma works).

10. There are some people who are genuinely good people, for eg. those who fit into "the innocent" archetype (many water placements natives who have matured and evolved are self aware and rightful in their actions). And then there are others who pretend to be good people because they know this is what the world wants to see. I personally find inauthentic people intolerable but it takes experience and brainwork to be able to spot fake people.

11. Astrology tells you about yourself, your life theme and time frame when things will happen in your life. You dont need to convince others that "astrology is real, astrology works, astrology is scientific etc". You see validation of truth of astrology when things happen in your life according to your chart. Every single person is living according to their charts; whether they understand astrology or not is their destiny. Most people are simply not meant for occult. No need to convince them or argue them.

12. Most of what you see in movies and media is lies. They are fantasy. They are idealism. Somtimes some passionate people make good movie or song as art but most of it is crap for money and benefits only. Even then, art really adds no value to your life except to 1. express your personality 2. manifest your symbolic mind 3. relax your stress and provide relief from chaos buzzing of life and 4. if you are a professional, yes it can add monetary value to your life too. But don't really trust movies and music. They are deceptive and Rahu illusions.

13. Some people are naturally funny. Sense of humor takes natural skills and practice. Air placements Gemini, Libra, Sagittarius can be really funny. They are the ones to write and act in sitcoms. Look up chart of your favourite comedian and see their sun and moon placements. I have Gemini moon and was the funniest clown in my class. I was totally silly and shameless comedian. Now I have sobered up though. 😉😉

#astro community #astrology observations #astrology #astro observations #shadow self #occult #astroblr #8th house #astro notes #astro tumblr #astrology and mental illness #astrology blog #astrology notes #dark astrology

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dulcewrites · 1 year

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What is your opinion on show Aemond? In books he was basically psychopath, in show not yet, but I wonder what do you think of him besides the things you said before like he is arrogant. Btw, you are probably the only person who sees his arrogance and inability to rule (despite having Vhagar, being great swordsman and studying history and philosophy) because I swear to God, every Aemond stan views him as perfect and not arrogant at all and perfect material for a king. And you know what is the funniest thing? That they only acknowledge his traumas when they are comparing him to Daemon, you know, Daemon is the bad guy from episode 1, groomer and many other things but Aemond is hurt and insecure and disabled, but when confronted, they all view him as perfect. You know, just because he has traumas means he is perfect. But it never crossed their minds that any sort of trauma affects the process of thinking, self confidence, perception of people around us and does it in not positive way. And no, just because Aemond is traumatized doesn't mean he will be good father and husband because how in madieval world would he have any opportunity to even acknowledge that he has something called trauma and then starting to work on it, slowly realising how this worked and made him the person he is now?

It's 2022 and people are talking a lot about mental health which is great, but seeing how many people not even understand how Aemond's traumatic past shaped him and thinking it won't have negative effect is really sad.

And maybe the reason you got this terrible anon message because his stans really have no clue how his past will affect him and people close to him. They focus on how a good and dutiful son he is, but in fact he is parentified child. I also am one and believe me it could be great for strangers, me caring about my mother, but they don't know how hard it was in childhood when I was the one to take care of her where it should have been other way around. And my relationship with her is not a testimony of any kind of strong bond, but the fact I was burdened by her problems and needed to find solutions to them, because she couldn't. And in episode 9 when Alicent says If anything has happened and her panicked expression, it reminded me of my mother and everytime she relied on me.

You are basically the only person I saw admitting that he is a piece of work. Others believe that after all he has been through he would be perfect father, husband and king. No one sees how his past shaped him in bad way. Because it's like knife that cuts on both sides, sure, after losing an eye he became full of determination, dutiful, but also full of anger and having many repressed feelings. And this will affect all his relationships, but his stans doesn't see him as flawed character, they point out Daemon wrongdoings and use it to put Aemond on pedestal. And once saw one of them saying Aemond will get rid of his traumas once Viserys and Luke died. So thank you for portraying him in realistic way, I know it was request to write his wife being killed over a lie, but you captured his essence in such amazing way.

Well I appreciate that you like my different interpretations of Aemond. To be fair/honest, the way I write him in fmo or even in that request is not how I personally would want him written in the show. I don’t enjoy seeing women, regardless of the context or nature, being treated so poorly. There are times where it makes me sad when writing. But I’m also an admittedly sensitive person lol. Those anons I got, while complete weirdos who need help, I see as outliers compared to a lot of people who enjoy hotd. It’s just when you are in a large fandom, the wronged opinions tend to be the loudest. I do a lot of people misinterpret characters but they also have the good sense to not harass people.

I think that all the layers that make up show Aemond is why he is extremely compelling. He can be messy or arrogant, and probably a bad king/Prince regent. But he can also be a young man who had to deal with a losing his eye, a neglectful father, a mother who takes on a lot and probably projects a lot onto him bc he is so dutiful and kind to her, and having unique sibling relationships. And that does not even mention the possible piety or the strained relationship with intimacy he may have. I do think a lot of writers on here know and understand show Aemond but maybe choose to paint a prettier picture bc why not. Like I don’t plan on writing Aemond as a terrible father or husband in everything I do. I have some stuff in the works that is the opposite actually. He can be a lot thinks at once bc most people are. You just have to pick your threshold of what you can tolerate, irl and when you engage with media.

As for how I feel about show Aemond. I like him. I wouldn’t take the time to write about him if I didn’t. There are certain changes that I think the show did well, and I would argue and say his characterization is one of them. It also doesn’t hurt that ewan plays him extremely well. Older aemond could have fell flat if they did not have someone as talented playing him. So much of that charisma is not the text, it’s ewan acting his ass off. I’d say that’s the case for all the Hightower/targ kids. Phia, Tom, and ewan did the best with what they got, especially Tom and phia

#asks and requests

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cksmart-world · 21 days

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SMART BOMB

The Completely Unnecessary News Analysis

By Christopher Smart

May 14, 2024

THE POPE OF SALT LAKE & HIS NEW LAND OF OZ

It's gotta be nice to be a taxpayer in Salt Lake City right now 'cause they're about to embark on building someone else's dream and it's only going to cost 'em $900 million. Ryan Smith, the owner of the Jazz and a new NHL hockey franchise, is going to love it — and so will you, like it or not. Alright, so what does this Oz look like. Well, it's going to be big and cool and we'll find out later about the details. But first the City Council must go off down The Yellow Brick Road to see the Wizard and create a 100-acre Oz District where the Delta Center, Salt Palace Convention Center, Utah Museum of Contemporary Art and Abravanel Hall now sit. Bonus: no height limit zoning that includes magic beans and giant bean stalks. What grows there will be big and cool but you'll just have to trust 'em, like when they were solving homelessness with three new homeless “resource centers.” Yes, that was a rush-rush job, too. But this time it might work out because Ryan Smith is a billionaire and he's been anointed the Pope of the City of Salt. What the Pope wants, the Pope gets. Sure, many studies show that publicly funded stadium projects provide little to no economic benefit for taxpayers, but this one will be different — remember, the new zoning includes giant bean stalks.

MAKE AMERICA GAG AGAIN — STORMY TESTIFIES

Warning: Parents, do not let your children read this. It could warp their minds permanently.

Stormy Daniels, the porn star at the center of Donald Trump's “hush money” trial, took the witness stand in a New York City courtroom and what we learned was... well, not pretty. Here are the takeaways:

10 – Donald Trump likes paisley Hugh Hefner silk jammies.

9 – Trump and his wife, Melania, sleep in different sound-proofed bedrooms.

8 – He prefers “paper-scissors-hammer” as part of a foreplay game of grab-ass.

7 – The “Orange Turd,” as Stormy called him, abhors condoms.

6 – But he delights in getting spanked, she testified.

5 – Trump wears Barocco Greca boxer briefs with a trap door.

4 – The former president insists on the “missionary position.”

3 – After the assignation, Trump called her “Honey Bunch” and “Snooky Wookems.”

2 – Stormy testified she would have needed a stop watch to time the event.

1 – As she stumbled out of his hotel room, Trump said, “I'll be in touch — no pun intended. Haha.”

WHY ARE PEOPLE SO MEAN TO CLARENCE THOMAS

Washington, D.C. is such a nasty place, lamented Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. “There’s certainly been a lot of negativity in our lives, my wife and I, over the last few years, but we choose not to focus on it.” Hey Wilson, do you think all this “negativity” has anything to do with the $260,000 motorhome and lavish vacations Thomas got from a billionaire. Or maybe it was the role his lovely wife, Ginni, played in the plan to overturn the 2020 election? Nah, couldn't be. People have always been mean to Clarence, according to his biography. Bummer, man. So why should he recuse himself in cases where he has an apparent conflict, like Trump's claim that as president he had absolute immunity — how else could you launch a failed coup and then run for president again. It's curious that the court, overseen by Chief Justice John Roberts, is in the public-opinion dumper. It couldn't be its ruling that overturned Roe v. Wade and a woman's right to an abortion. It couldn't be the finding that money is speech and corporations are people. And it couldn't possibly be the conservative justices “originalism” philosophy that means it's 1788 all over again — except for the AR-15s, of course.

Post script — That'll just about do it for another beautiful week here at Smart Bomb where we keep track of voter fraud so you don't have to. Well Wilson, you know all those “illegal aliens,” aka undocumented workers, vote all the time. They put down their mops and brooms, find someone who can speak English and then take Uber to vote even though they can't read English. That's why Republicans in Congress are working on legislation to make that illegal even though it already is against the law. Oops, hold the phone: In 2017 then-president Donald Trump put together the Voter Integrity Commission to sniff out fraudulent voting across the country. They searched and searched and searched — but just like a bad Easter egg hunt, they didn't find a damn thing. Then quietly, the commission went the way of Donald's yacht, the “Miss Stormy.” Just ask Donald if there's fraudulent voting. That's why, he says, he lost the last election and if he loses the next one it will be déjà vu all over again. It's a new twist on the old “win/win” situation: if you win, you win and if you lose, you still win. You'd never guess, Wilson, but that's the motto of entire Trump Organization.

Well shucks Wilson, poor old Clarence Thomas is bummed out. People are mean to him just because he's a know-it-all prima dona, right-wing originalist. It's just not fair, so how about you and guys in the band roll out some road music so he and Ginni can have a soundtrack as they get out of Dodge:

Running my rig around ninety-five, Rockin' and rollin' in overdrive My heart's beating like a jackhammer, It's the midnight ride for the gear jammer Nine long days through twenty-three states, I gotta see my baby soon you know I just can't wait The police catch me I'll end up in the slammer, 'Cause the law don't want no gear jammer Running my rig in a mighty high gear, I don't care where I go just long as it ain't here Something gets in my way you know I'm gonna ram it, Nobody fools around with this gear jammer Running my rig about ninety-five, I'm a-rockin' and a-rollin' in overdrive My heart's beating like a jackhammer, Don't you get in the way of this gear jammer

(Gear Jammer — George Thurgood and The Destroyers)

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jeramewrites2 · 3 months

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March 16 23

Good morning internet. This will be the start of something. I feel like I keep starting time and time and time again. My problem is finishing anything. I guess that is most people's problems but this is special because it is mine. I was watching a YouTube video yesterday and the topic of burr grinders came up. I have had the oxo one for I think about 3 or 4 years at this point. I make decent coffee. I don't go crazy. I have not bought a moka pot yet nor do I have an espresso arm. But this both look interesting. Anyway there was a fair amount of discussion about the fact that you should really clean your coffee grinder once a month. Or at the very least quarterly. This has not been the case for me. I think I have cleaned it maybe once in the 4 years I have had it. So this morning was the day to do it. Honestly it only took about 15 mins. There are not a lot of parts to pull off and clean and it is a rather simple machine. I am looking forward to the next grind.

Another topic of discussion is the slander of a French press coffee maker. Apparently that method is shit and I don't even need a 100 dollar coffee grinder if I am going to make my coffee that way. Well to that I will say. I am going to do what I like how I like and I don't care what the internet says. See I was raised baptist and the one thing that I learned from my time in the church is that you don't take everything that is said as gospel. Only take the parts of a philosophy that you like. The other parts you don't really even need to listen to or even understand.

I am standing at a crossroads now. I have Saturday off and I can read or I could try and write but I also need to study for my next exam in my Logic class. Which if I am being completely honest I can't believe I am doing as well in it as I am. But that is beside the point. I think that the Teaching Assistants are grading very easily right now. So I am hoping I can still pull out an A. I don't know just yet. The information is not that difficult it's just like learning a new way of thinking and writing. I will do at the very least some of the practice problems and see what goes from there.

I don't know if this is really something I just want to have out in the world. After all this is more of a journal entry but then again do I think anyone is ever really going to read this? No. Absolutely not. Not when you can think of everything else you can do and read on the internet. Ok I have been able to write for 10 mins without even really stopping which is a lot better than I have been able to do in a while.

Ace and Shadow's deaths have hit me hard and has made writing difficult. I am not over their deaths but I think I am getting ready to process them through my writing. I have had a few relations die in the last 3 years or so and well they didn't really effect me at all. My grandfather died but I had not been close to him since I was a kid. The same goes true for my uncle Matt. Once he had a wife and kids I was not a priority or even an after thought. Then again upon looking back isn't that the way that it should have been? Why would he hang out with his nephew when he had a new kid to take care of. I just wish that I had... I don't know if I actually wish things had been different. Both Helen and James are dead as well. I believe Covid got them both. Again I had not seen or spoken to them in 20 years probably. I remember talking to James as a kind but short of him buying me a subscription to National Geographic that I never read I don't know how close we really were even when I was a kid.

I did always like his truck though. That one I can say. As a kid I always got the feeling that I was someone to put up with and not someone that my family wanted around. That feeling still holds to this day. That is most likely low self esteem and I can say that all day but no one is calling me to come hang out. Everyone has their own lives and I am not to be involved in them. So here I sit and here I will stay. I am getting better and better with being alone.

#journaling #self pity #mental health #history #my writing

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faelapis · 2 years

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since disney discourse is a hot topic still, i have one more thing i wanna say - i dont love how often, when both parents are present, they just slot into traditional 'parent gender roles' of the mother cooking, cleaning, being kind and tender, and the dad being more authoritative, easily angered and masculine, or, in newer films, relaxed, "bro-y", distant / "the cool parent" (because he doesnt have to do any of the feminine emotional work of actually being there or stress about housework).

there's subversions of this, but it usually also follows a very set pattern - if its the dad, he's like a neurotic 'doing his best' self-insert for the male storytellers who never knows what he's doing. if its the mom, she's just... a massive controlling asshole, triton style.

at the very least, i wish they would mix it up in interesting ways. have both parents be stern jerks, or other mismatched parenting styles, or have a soft mom actually take issue with what the dad is like and stand up to him. the most common subversion is just that the dad is softer but the mom is still like a glorified housewife.

i guess by listing different tropes i make it seem like there's actually a fair bit of variety here, but idk, it still feels very... gendered. like no matter the iteration, i look at them and see a very nuclear gendered family setting. its hard to get away from the "castrating nag wife" if the mom isnt completely submissive, or the "bumbling / emasculated dad" if the dad is anything less than an asshole.

to step outside that mold for a bit, think of like... well they're not both present, but think of rose and greg. they kind of have similar "parenting philosophies" of the kid not having to deal with authority, but rose being gone + keeping secrets and greg being too unstructured and lenient for steven's tastes still plays out in ways that don't feel so... heteronormative nuclear mush. they feel like interesting characters who arent Stock Mother & Father Tropes.

i know when the parents are minor characters its kinda hard to make them unique, but idk, i think it could work. it also just plays differently in different contexts - since nemo's mom is gone, marlin (nemo's dad) is caring, neurotic, bumbling and sometimes authoritative without any of those feeling like gendered traits. when we do see nemo's mom, its the rare instance of her actually being somewhat in control, a calming presence while being chill who frets less about the kids than marlin does, almost a female Cool Dad.

idk. this is all a ramble, but i've yet to see a dynamic where both parents were present where it didn't feel super gendered one way or the other. they can still be interesting and make good commentary on that - elinor from brave IS interesting and DOES interrogate gender because of the context of the movie, but the dynamic with the dad isn't my favorite. he's got a serious case of Cool Dad.

anyway, the real "problem" - if it can be called that - is that in most other movies, it just feels like a quiet status quo. like. This is How Parents Are, and we're just gonna keep reinforcing that over and over again. i think it stands out to me in part because i've grown up in a family without strict gender roles, as well as (slight!) cultural differences. i feel like mothers are still expected to behave a certain way in america more than here in norway, and when i still see these stock parent tropes its like... weird to me. it feels like it should be old-fashioned but its just treated like the norm.

#not su /#disney

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n1kolaiz · 3 years

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The Six Realms

Okay, so I was pretty close to giving up on writing analyses but I'm back LMFAO plus I see we're close to 100 followers and I just want to thank you guys for being so very supportive <3

Alright, I'm not sure if anyone's ever written about this, but if an analysis like this exists, please do let me know because I'm kind of curious as to what other people think about this, too!

Remember that time Fukuchi spoke about bringing "about the five signs of an angel's death"?

I read a little bit more about it, and as a minor content warning: this analysis will focus on a few religious aspects (Buddhism + Hinduism). So if I get any of the facts wrong, firstly: I do not mean any disrespect to either religion, and secondly: please do correct me if I interpret anything in the wrong way.

Spoilers for BSD chapter 90 onwards + BEAST!AU under the cut!

So I'll start by talking about the Decay of Angels. As we all know, the members include Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Nikolai Gogol, Sigma, and Bram Stoker, and their leader, Fukuchi Ochi. After Fyodor's arrest, the Decay of Angels came into light with Nikolai murdering four government officials in a week. These murders symbolise the Buddhist cycle of existence, or otherwise known as samsara: the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.

"We are the Decay of Angels—hiding here as terrorists, a 'murder association', five people who will announce the demise of the celestial world."

Nikolai Gogol, chapter 57

Samsara is described to be a concept beyond human understanding. According to Hinduism, samsara is the physical world where every being has its soul trapped into a physical vessel. The Hindus believe that everything has a soul, and due to a soul's attachment to desire, it is forced into a deathless cycle of being born, dying, and reincarnating into a different body. In Buddhism, the ultimate way to break free from this cycle is by obtaining nirvana.

Nirvana is a Sanskrit word for the goal of the Buddhist path: enlightenment or awakening. In Pali, the language of some of the earliest Buddhist texts, the word is nibbana; in both languages it means "extinction" (like a lamp or flame) or "cessation." It refers to the extinction of greed, ill will, and delusion in the mind, the three poisons that perpetuate suffering. Nirvana is what the Buddha achieved on the night of his enlightenment: he became completely free from the three poisons. Everything he taught for the rest of his life was aimed at helping others to arrive at that same freedom.

- TRICYCLE'S definition of nirvana

As Fukuchi mentions in the panel above, there are six different realms of existence. These realms represent every possible state of existence, but one cannot live in a specific realm forever. Depending on whether or not one's past actions were morally good or bad, an individual is born into one of these realms. Basically, the controlling factor of which realm a person is born into is dependent on their respective karma. The realms are separated into two categories: the hellish ones and the heavenly ones.

The Deva Realm: where beings are rewarded for the good deeds they have done. This realm is void of anything unpleasant. It is basically paradise— empty of unfulfilled desires, any form of suffering, and fears of every kind. Religious individuals, however, do not seek to be born into this realm since its attitude is more or less carefree.

The Asura Realm: where demigods are admitted. Asuras are driven by greed and envy, and may come in conflict with human beings since they are quite similar. They are powerful beings, but quarrel with each other quite a bit, making this realm quite undesirable to be reborn into.

The Animal Realm: where beings are given the form of an animal (you probably guessed that lol). Individuals here don't actually have good karma to take pride in, but rather, they are born into this realm to work off their bad karma (by being slaughtered, hunted, or forced to work, etc). Being born into this realm forces one to atone for their past sins by living out their life as an animal.

The Hell Realm: where one is punished for their evil actions. The most merciless of realms, where one pays for their transgressions through pure suffering, methods of which include: dismemberment, starvation, and psychological/physical torture. However, once a person's term is fulfilled in this realm, they are presumably promised to be reborn into a higher state.

The Preta Realm: similar to the hell realm, in which beings pay for their past sins (specifically: greed and stinginess) by having to survive through hunger and thirst. This realm is also known as the 'ghost realm,' because some pretas are psychologically tortured by being forced to live in places their past selves have lived in. They are invisible to human beings living at that time, which pushes them to face the depths of despair and loneliness. Your typical horror movie, really.

The Human Realm: the only realm where one's actions determine their future. The status (social ranking, physical wellbeing, and so on) of a human being in this realm is determined by their past actions, but due to the fact that a person has their own conscience to differentiate good morals from bad, the actions they commit in this realm have the power to determine which realm they are sent to next.

Okay, so now that I've got that out of the way, let's shift our focus to the Book. Very little is known about the Book, but the basic fundamentals of how it works is that whatever is written in the book will come into existence only if its contents follow the rules of karma. In addition to that, only a few sentences can be written into a single page of the Book, and it must follow the current narrative of the story.

If I'm not wrong, the first time the Book was mentioned was by Fitzgerald, who wanted it to resurrect his deceased daughter in hopes of restoring his wife's mental health. The next time the Book is brought up is when Fyodor's intentions to possess it are divulged; his goal was to decimate the global population of ability-users. And now, the current arc has the Book as its central focus, with a single page in Fukuchi's possession.

[ BEAST!AU spoilers ]

The Book acts as the central point of multiverses, with each character's lives differing from universe to universe.

Dazai committing suicide in this alternate universe stands in sharp contrast with how he decided to start up a new life in the main universe.

Oda staying alive to act as a mentor to Akutagawa in the ADA differs from how Oda uses his death to prompt Dazai to "be on the side that saves people."

And of course, the way Atsushi and Akutagawa have their positions switched in the two universes depicts how different their lives would be if they were given the chance to be mentored by different people— these are just a few examples of how the Book houses an endless amount of possibilities.

[ end of BEAST!AU spoilers ]

Hypothetically speaking, this kind of reminds me of the differing realms I mentioned before, where suffering is promised in some realms, and better things are granted in the rest, depending on one's karma, or the deeds they've done in their past lives. In this scenario, perhaps one's past life can be understood as one's current life in a different universe. That's just a personal opinion though. Take it as you will.

side note: Keep in mind that the person who is more or less impervious to the Book's effect is Dazai, with his nullification ability. I wouldn't want to propose any theories in this aspect (I don't believe I'm fully fact-checked ;_;), but I could use Dazai as a raw example of how your choices affect your future. If Dazai had decided to stay in the Port Mafia after Oda's death, or if he even decided to go through with his suicidal fixations, life would've been different for him in the root universe (obviously, ryley) I mean, you could basically understand that from how he ended up in the BEAST au, but imagine if he really did slip up in his decision-making in any of the universes.

Many analysts have proposed that he went MIA (early in his life) from the main universe for a while to figure out how the BEAST universe worked, whilst having the Book to his advantage. Perhaps his actions were guided? I'm not saying he's all-knowing, but he's sure as hell smart. I'm not sure if Kafka was trying to highlight the concept of karma when it comes to Dazai, but if he is, then I suppose you could say that Dazai is pretty much unaffected by the rules of karma, existing as the centerpiece of all the multiverses. No Longer Human is the namesake of his ability, but the book talks about disqualification from societal norms and generally, the world. I was talking about it with a friend, and they reminded me that Yozo (the main protagonist) was pretty strong in his views against society. Like he didn't speak out of total defeat, he spoke out of defense. If there was anything Dazai actually lost to, it was his guilt— "Living itself is a source of sin."

Then again, that's my personal interpretation since everyone has their unique perspective of his writings. In terms of the actual adaptation, you could translate the word 'disqualification' to 'insusceptibilty' when if it came to the Book's effects on Dazai? This side note is becoming really long lmao anyways I'll link a few theories which afflicted me with brainrot down below.

Another thing before I wrap up, the name 'Decay of Angels' stemmed from Yukio Mishima's book entitled 'The Decay of An Angel.' This is the final novel to the author's tetralogy: 'The Sea of Fertility.' The main protagonist, Honda, meets a person he believes to be a reincarnation of his friend, Kiyoaki, who takes the form of a young teenage boy named Tōru. The last novel of this series enhances Mishima's dominant themes of the series as a whole:

the decay of courtly tradition in Japan

the essence and value of Buddhist philosophy and aesthetics

Mishima’s apocalyptic vision of the modern era

Again, this could be referred to what Fukuchi goes on to say:

Some people view the concept of samsara optimistically, justifying it by saying that perhaps each individual is given a second (third, fourth, fifth, who knows) chance to refine their actions in order to be birthed into a better realm, with their karma being the independent variable.

On the other hand, other people, specifically the Hindus, view the cycle of existence as some sort of plague. To them, the flow of life and being forced to endure the suffering of mere existence in any form was somewhat frowned down upon. Some Hindus viewed samsara as a trap. Besides, having one's soul being limited to a physical body for the rest of eternity was not very appealing, especially since where they ended up at depended on the karmic value their past actions surmounted.

Even so, particular types of Buddhists don't seek nirvana, but instead, like the Hindus, they make an effort to be good people of society, building up their good deeds to increase the likelihood of being reborn into one of the better realms.

As mentioned before, the Deva Realm was the home of angels, the most carefree, gratified beings to exist. Fukuchi describes these angels as the people who don't get their hands dirty, the people who act as the puppeteers of society: politicians.

In terms of parallels, angels were the most fortunate and powerful, but they didn't have anyone ruling over them. A lack of supervision would lead to the abuse of power, which is what I believe Fukuchi was referring to. Deeming himself the Decay of Angels, he sought to prove himself as the 'sign of death that falls on the nation's greed.'

A few fun facts (okay, not really) about Yukio Mishima: he committed seppuku (ritual suicide by disembowelment) on the day he held a speech to voice out his unpopular political beliefs to the public. Mishima deeply treasured traditions and opposed the modern mindset the nation was advancing forward to adapt eventually. In his last book, The Decay of an Angel, he spoke about the five signs which complete the death of an angel:

Here are the five greater signs: the once-immaculate robes are soiled, the flowers in the flowery crown fade and fall, sweat pours from the armpits, a fetid stench envelops the body, the angel is no longer happy in its proper place.

The Decay of an Angel, p.53

The reviews about this series I've read so far describe Mishima's works to be quite complex; his writings demanded a lot of time to deconstruct and understand. They were highly symbolic, and he was pretty obsessed with death and the 'spiritual barrenness of the modern world.' I think you could attach a few strings from here to the mindsets of the DOA members. Of course, this parallel is completely abstract, but I'll go on rambling anyway:

He should have armed them with the foreknowledge that would keep them from flinging themselves after their destinies, take away their wings, keep them from soaring, make them march in step with the crowd. The world does not approve of flying. Wings are dangerous weapons. They invite self-destruction before they can be used. If he had brought Isao to terms with the fools, then he could have pretended that he knew nothing of wings.

The Decay of an Angel, p.113

I suppose you could resonate Nikolai with that excerpt. As much as Fukuchi takes the lead in this whole murder association, I'd like to believe that each member of the DOA plays an equally interesting part in whatever movement they're trying to execute. Fyodor feels it is his god-sent purpose to cleanse the world of its sins, his motto being, "Let the hand of God guide you." Sigma doesn't know where he belongs, since his origination comes from a page in the Book, and is fueled by the desperation to find a reason to live. Bram holds one of the most powerful abilities which is counted to be one of the "Top Ten Calamities to Destroy the World."

What I mean to say is that the DOA members are incredibly powerful, and they're not your ordinary antagonists (or I'm just biased). It's not just overthrowing authorities, mass genocide, and world domination— you could say that each individual is trying to utilize their purposes to their fullest expenditures, and the way they're trying to assert their plan into action is a little more passive-aggressive (framing the Agency, having a convo with a suicidal dude in jail, etc). They're the gray area between evil and good. As they framed the good guys for their own crimes, they're trying to conquer the bad guys for exploiting the innocent as they please.

This post would definitely age well if all hell breaks loose in the current arc (as if it didn't) and Kafka doesn't give us a happy ending.

That's all I have to say for now I guess! Thank you for reading, and once again, if anyone else something they wanna share, feel free to do so <3

sources (tryna follow Q's example ^_^) :

the six realms

samsara

the decay of angels

beast!au

the book

the sea of fertility

yukio mishima

theory: dazai’s emotional/mental state in beast!au

q’s theory: dazai being the protector of the book

theory: beast!dazai and the book

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ssickprimus · 3 years

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I just want to bring this up because I feel like it's important. In the episode with the memory parasites I don't think we get to see any of Jerry's flashbacks of the family so that he can identify them as real. As far as I know we only get to see Rick's, Morty's, summers and Beth's. My explination is that Jerry already knew that his family was real but he wanted to enjoy the false memories of being happy with someone because during that time sleepy Gary was one of the only people who didn't hurt him. The more emotional explination is Jerry felt happier with sleepy Gary and would rather live knowing he was loved by him rather than being constantly hurt by Beth. Sorry if this was long but it's been on my mind for awhile.

yeah, we haven’t seen him having any flashbacks about the family at all. more so, it never was brought up, if jerry thought of them as real or not. but i agree, i don’t think that he ever considered them to be parasites. jerry only ever thought, that he might be the one, which for the most part ties up to him having a strong dissociation on main. the first signs of it were demonstrated in early episodes, mostly being squeezed into narrative as a joke. but aside from him having a very tame and slow reaction to weird circustemses, like sky raining blood, he has more severe signs of being not-all-there. in the simulation ep, he downright doesn’t notice the difference between the real world and cartoon-like background universe. and while some people argue, that it was a stab at him being stupid, i actually think that for jerry this is how everyday look-like. a dream-like mix of happenings. he didn’t seem to question simulation logic even once, bc for him it’s no different from everyday life.

i won’t make a list, but there are quite a few things, that point at jerry having a mental illness. living with beth only made it worse. she’s one of those people, who would weaponize your fears and uncertainty, and then hit you with it, until you start believing it. and it's so easy to do it with jerry. bc jerry smith always has someone else’s standards to meet! his wife, his parents, his employer, his kids. in rnm narrative, there is always, always someone, who he needs to impress, and it being treated as the norm, as the ‘how it should be’. so honestly no wonder, that he doesn’t feel real, bc no one ever treats him like a real person! he was abused (emotionally, mentally and sexually) and gaslighted his whole life. puppeted around, since he should only ever be this and that. not ever allowed to do smth, that he wants to do! it’s like he’s an object for others to shove around. and eventually, it looks like he have no choice, but to try and meet those expectations of him, bc jerry must feel that he have nothing past those labels. bc people made it out like he's unlovable and difficult, and ‘why are you so difficult? what’s wrong with you, jerry…? why you're not ideal adult/father/worker/husband? why don't you just do what I want you to do!?'

*sigh* jerry’s surface personality is based on all those bits, but it’s not his inner core. in fact, jerry’s inner emotions are a pure mess. we saw him acting downright enraged and crazy a few times, and it was uncharastically (at first glance) intense for an affable person, that jerry usually portrayed himself as. yet, if we take in account all the abuse that he suffered through the years, this makes sense. his brain must protect him from certain things. leaving him forever restless, but somewhat in one piece (for time being). i mean, jer's philosophy is that life as an effort. not smth that you enjoy. for him life is smth that you have to endure.

the parasite ep not only makes an accent on jerry’s mental issues and general unhappiness, but it also shows how he pictures being ‘loved’ looks-like. and it’s important to note, that his happy memory was NOT being a father and NOT being married. the parasites basically re-written jerry’s memories completely. they made him happy to be some dude’s friend. not married nor having kids. so yeah, the narrative of him being ‘da man’ and ‘da father’ in fact is jerry’s false desire. his true, the happiest place was away from his family, being with some man, who wanted to ran away with him.

personally, i like that gary was a small, private fantasy that was commited to loving jerry. i love to think that gary was smth that was created based on jerry's needs and wrapped up perspective on love. since like it or not, but what gary did was a dub con-ish at best.

*takes a deep breath* welp, i ranted enough for one day, i think lol. and no worries, i love long messages. i mean, i talk a lot myself, anyway lol.

#ask #jerry smith #cw implied PTSD #cw mention of long-term abuse #cw dissociation #rnm

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xxisxxisxxis · 4 years

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Deleted Scene: Gateway Drug

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"Fool Me Once" -- [1987]

I run a hand through my done-up hair, snagging it on hairsprayed strands, wincing.

"Thank you for coming today, I know you're busy as busy can be but you made time for this, so, we appreciate it." Danielle tells me me as I sit down and she readies her notepad and pen, switching her recorder on to tape audio.

"No problem." I reply, glancing at Duff in the corner by the door.

"I know this might be a little strange but I always like to start my interviews off with a icebreaker, if that's okay?" She offers.

"No, that's fine." I tell her, getting more comfortable in my chair.

"This philosophy we've been trying to pan out in some of our shoots is the difference between beautiful and sexy, and explore that notion and gauge if people even think there is a difference, so my question for you is: do you think there is a difference between 'sexy' and 'beautiful' and which would you rather be?"

"Oh, my God, okay." I breathe out, laughing, and she joins me.

"You said 'okay' so I asked." She reminds me and I nod.

"Beautiful implies to more than just outward appearance, it applies to someone's soul and their spirit, their attitude, how they carry themselves, how they treat others, whereas 'sexy' literally means sexually exciting which is usually based on looks mostly." I point out.

"Okay, and I also asked which you'd rather be--or which one you think you are." She rewords it.

"You sure did, um…" I already know my answer, but don't want to make it seem like I want someone to tell me I'm pretty. "...I don't…" I sigh and she looks like she's dying to hear my answer, and so is Duff. "I'm pretty." I reply and she furrows her brows. "I mean, I think I'm decently pretty. I've been called beautiful before but I still have a lot to work on within myself before I feel comfortable with that. But I appreciate it when I'm called that."

"And what about 'sexy'?"

"Oh, no. I'm not." I say it matter of fact, and she looks stumped.

"What?"

"I mean, if I try I probably can be but just everyday I don't see myself as 'sexy'."

Duff's laughter quickly erupts, and I look at him to see his hand on his mouth to stifle it before he clears his throat.

"Sorry." He mumbles to Danielle when she looks back at him before turning back to me.

"I assure you, Vivian, you are a very sexy, very beautiful woman." She promises.

"Thank you." I smile shyly at her.

"Okay, I was wanting to talk about you a little bit because I feel like people know who you are but not much about you other than what's, I guess, painted on you in a certain way, so if you would tell me who Vivian Sixx is." She crosses her legs, brushing a hair from her eyes as she patiently awaits my answer.

"Oh, gosh, nobody's asked me that, yet." I blurt, thinking for a moment as she brushes my comment off with a small giggle. "Um," Nikki Sixx's wife, maybe?, "to be honest I'm not sure." I chuckle out, rubbing my lips together. And she looks at me like she fucking pitties me. I force myself to save this close-call shitshow, giving Duff another look and he gives me an encouraging thumbs up as he mouths, "you got this."

"I dance." I let out, and she raises her brows. "Ballet, not stripping." I clarify. "I have since I could walk."

"You've never considered a professional career in it?" She asks me next.

"I was going to but then plans changed and I put off school. But I do plan on going back and finishing at some point." I explain.

"Did those plans involve your marriage?" She questions and I chuckle a little.

"I got pregnant--or I thought I got pregnant. It wasn't until after we got married that I found out it was a false positive." I admit. "And I'm sure people are going to say that I was never pregnant, that I was just trying to trap Nikki in a marriage but that's bullcrap because nobody can 'trap' Nikki or make him do something he doesn't want to do, so..."

"I can’t see him doing anything he doesn’t already want to do.” She agrees with a smile, glancing down at her notes before clearing her throat. “On the lines of Playboy, being that some of our executives saw you in the music video for ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’, you were voted ‘easiest on the eyes’ in this past weeks poll out of eighty-two other women.” She informs me and I raise my brows. “Does stuff like that flatter you or do you see it as misogynistic?”

“Well, um, firstly, I’m sure glad you said ‘on the eyes’ because I was about to ask you who started the survey and where do they live?” I reply and she laughs. “So, I’m glad it wasn’t what I thought it was going to be, but, um…” I lick my lips, letting out a breath. “...I don’t think it’s necessarily misogynistic so I don’t mind it, but I don’t really like the fact that there’s eighty-two other women at risk of feeling less-than now.” I admit. “I appreciate it, though. I’ll take it.”

“You don’t like competition?”

“I do but I’m pitted against women constantly in my personal life or the media tries to, at least, and it’s just stale at this point, you know? It’s stupid.” I rub my forehead.

“Are you referring to what’s recently happened with Vanity?” She blurts and I force myself not to be phased. “Do you have any comment on that particular situation?”

I look at Duff once again, screaming internally while faking a smile.

“It was honestly a misunderstanding.” I lie. “I know we’ve already said it was misunderstanding before but it truly was.”

“Have you spoken to Vanity since?”

“Yes.”

“So, you two are still on good terms, even though she told the world she was engaged to your husband?” She presses more and I brush red hair from my face, trying to keep my tears from growing in my eyes as I see Duff from the corner of my eye, looking at me sympathetically.

“I love her to death.” I say, honestly--even though I shouldn’t love her, I do. Even if she’s a part of the reason my heart broke, I still love her. Even if I’m not acknowledging her existence, I love her. “And I wish and pray nothing but the best for her.” I finish and she grins slightly, knowing she’s getting a good story.

"Is she a woman you've felt like you've needed to compete with?" She asks next, her words hitting me in the gut.

"Subconsciously, maybe, but I've never gone out of my way to compete with her. I've never had to."

"What about groupies?" She raises a brow. "Or do you care because you two have been married for a while?"

"I'm sure a lot of women think, 'oh, I'm married to him so I've won', but I've seen guys take off their wedding rings before walking into a strip club or a bar and leave with three girls under each arm--a marriage doesn't solidify anything we think it does, it should but it doesn't so of course there's been moments where I've been pissed off about women doing everything they can to cross a line but, again, I don't wake up every morning and say, 'what do they have that I don't?' in comparison to groupies. They're termites: they swallow wood, ruin homes, and then it's on to the next." I say and she swallows uncomfortably.

"Does that not contribute to society's stigmatic view on promiscuous women being 'sluts'?" She asks me.

"Having sex with people doesn't make a woman, or a man, a slut. Pursuing a taken man or woman, knowing they are taken, makes a slut. Cheating on a significant other makes a slut." I state.

"What about posing for Playboy while being in a relationship?" She counters.

"Posing naked doesn't make someone a slut." I defend what I said earlier.

"Just wanted your view on that since you come from a strict upbringing in the Christian faith, is all." She tells me. "Especially since your mother is bound to hear of all this and probably have plenty to say."

"I haven't talked to my mother in years so if she has something to say but can't say it directly to my face, it's not worth hearing." I tell her. "My dad is the one I'm antsy about all this happening because of." I feel my skin prickle with nervousness because I never gave much of a thought to my dad seeing me on Playboy.

"Do you have a good relationship with him?" She asks me, intrigued, and I nod.

"Yes." I say. "I always will, he's the most important person in my life for sure."

"I think we all thought that'd be Nikki from the way we see you look at him in pictures and in passing."

"Oh," I say it a little flat, a small inkling of a look coming to her face and before I plant any doubt in her mind, I add, "I'm still completely head-over-heels for him but my dad's always gonna be my number one."

"Does he and your father get along or does your dad keep his distance, too?"

"No, no, he and my dad get along fine." I assure her. "He really keeps his distance out of respect for my mom, but lately he's been more involved, so...but, no, he doesn't have any problem with Nikki. He really appreciates him and all he's done for me, um, yeah, it's really a blessing they get along."

At least he did. Before he found out Nikki had an entire mistress...on national television…along with the rest of the country.

"That is very nice." She agrees. "And what about the other boys, do you get along with them as well?" She refers to Vince, Tommy and Mick.

"Oh, yeah, absolutely." I rub my lips together.

"Is it true you and Tommy and Vince and our very own Tansy Lyn grew up together?"

"Yes. I met Tommy in elementary school, and Vince and Tansy in middle school and we've been friends ever since."

"What are they really like? Outrageous news reports, complaints from parents and the church, girls, parties, drugs and booze aside, what are they authentically like and how do you coincide with them and how has being alongside them from the start of their journey, to now, shaped you?"

"They seem larger than life and it's hard to see them as anything but that, but I've seen them all be so overwhelmed indescribably with joy, and I've seen them all be completely broken and not know what to do, and I've seen them be piss poor and then have more money than God it seems, but they aren't these huge rockstars behind the scenes. They have diva moments, of course, but Tommy and Vince still act just like the boys they were when I first met them, and the same goes for Nikki and Mick. They act out for publicity, and everything in the press is obviously exaggerated but they're normal guys. They're honestly just regular, gross, messy, disgusting, perverted, immature stinking boys--talented, but still normal." I admit. "And I think the effect it's had on my life is just that I've had to mature faster than maybe I would have because it's like I have children. Like I'm constantly going and someone's going through a crisis whether it's Tommy one day or Vince the next, or whatever so keeping them out of trouble the best I can and then trying to be there and as present as I can be when they need me is stressful but it's rewarding. I like helping out where I can and they need all the help they can get so, it's really helped mature me a little more, I guess, is what I'm trying to say."

"I mentioned earlier their reputation within churches and religious groups and I'm curious as to know how you, as a Christian yourself, feel about songs like 'Shout at the Devil' which really got a rise out of politicians and church-goers everywhere, and most recently 'Wild Side'--which is a song that you are an accredited writer on--that's off of their 'Girls, Girls, Girls' album and is a mockery of the Lord's Prayer?"

"First of all, to clear this up, I didn't write anything in 'Wild Side', Nikki asked what the Lord's Prayer was and I told him and his brilliant mind gave me a writing credit which will plague me the rest of my life, I suppose, but to answer your question...it's 'Shout at the Devil', not 'Shout with the Devil', therefor it doesn't bother me. Now, 'Wild Side' bothers me. A lot. But that's a way Nikki felt when writing it, and I'm not going to tell him those feelings aren't valid just because I don't feel the same way. That's not fair to him, and I'm certainly not ever going to tell him not to express himself and channel how he feels into his work because that's what makes music and art individual and unique. So, it doesn't matter how I feel. If it makes him happy and he's proud of it then that's that and if I don't like it or don't agree with it or find it insulting to my beliefs then I just, 'forgive him, God, he knows not what he does' and just get over it."

"Do you think there will be a new 'Filthy Fifteen'?"

"I would say Tipper Gore and her group of desperate, dry, housewives can go get screwed by other men because their husband's are clearly inadequate but then I suppose they can't find bigger pricks than who they're married to, so..." I blurt and she widens her eyes, a little smirk on her lips as she laughs.

"I take it you weren't a fan of the censorship?"

"The only plus side to censorship and stickering everything is that kids know what to play in front of their parents and what to save for themselves." I finish and she chuckles some more.

I talked some more about marrying so young, what it was like being married to one of the biggest names in rock music at that time and so on, all while hiding the fact that once I left there, I was going to go back to the tour, sleep in a separate room than my husband, not talk to the friends I grew up with who were supposed to have my back, and be so completely miserable.

The moment Duff and I leave the room once I've said goodbye and thanked everyone who was apart of the process for my shoot, I feel lightheaded.

"Viv?" Duff asks me, concerned, and I take deep breaths, bracing against the wall. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." I lie, nodding a little. "Just tired, I think."

My voice cracks painfully and my tears are already beading at my lashline.

"Viv, if you need a second--"

"--No, I'm fine. We gotta go." I deny, making myself walk again before he stops me. "Duff…" before I can argue, he's putting his bass down and pulling me to him, hugging me tightly.

I give up, knowing that he knows me too damn well to buy my shit.

I wrap my arms around him, burying my face in his chest, feeling my tears, hot against my cheek, soak into the fabric of his t-shirt as the warmth of his lips press comfortingly to my hair.

#gateway drug

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sillyhnytheories · 3 years

Text

*Please note that my knowledge of Wuxing only comes from reading some online articles on the subject. I am far from an expert . Yashahime appears to be using it in a very simple way and what follows is my attempt to explain how. But just know that it much more complex than what I go into here. I recommend additional research if the subject interests you.*

Wuxing, or the 5 phases is a Chinese philosophy that is applied to various and widely different things like martial arts, tea ceremony, cosmic cycles, politics, even music and the interactions of medicine.

The Phases are often likened to the classic elements of earth, wind, water, and fire. However, while generally it would be incorrect to make such a comparison, I think in Yashahime's case we can because they are using it in such a simple manner.

Each Phase is has it own "element" with associated colors, seasons, animals, cardinal directions and more.

The Phases are:

Earth

Fire

Wood

Water

Metal

Thus far, I have found this chart from wikipedia adequately displays the phase associations Yashahime is referencing in the show and additional material. The phases are called a "movement" in this chart which is another way to describe them.

I think the pearls, children and parents have been assigned an phase. Also, some of the villians and others have been connected to a phase as well.

Metal

Metal contains two columns and has two color associations of indigo and white. Overall, white is used to represent the phase. Silver is used instead of white in Yashahime. So the silver pearl belongs to this phase. At the moment I also think Riku's blue pearl is actually supposed to be an indigo pearl and also goes here.

I think Towa has been assigned the metal phase and needs both the silver and indigo pearl to be "complete". I noticed Sunrise has posted many close up pictures of her eyes where the glow of sword cause her right eye to appear blue. I think this is a clue.

At the moment, no villian has been shown to represent metal. At least that I have noticed, except perhaps Riku if he turns out to evil.

Originally I thought Sesshomaru would be a sole representation of Metal. Now I think Yashahime is using a combination of Metal and Earth to represent both parents.

Earth

Earth also contains two columns and is associated with purple and yellow (gold) with yellow being the general color association. Thus the purple and gold pearls are assigned to this phase. I think Setsuna is the earth phase and needs the two "earth" pearls to be complete.

As with Metal Sesshomaru/wife jointly represent Earth.

Kirinmaru, Lady Kyuki and Joka are the earth associated villians.

Yawaragi is also a earth associated character.

Fire

Fire is pretty simple. It the red pearl, Moroha and Inuyasha. Tokotsu is assigned villian.

Wood

Wood represents Kagome, the green pearl and Konton.

However, it gets a little tricky. First, although green is often used to represent the wood phase, it's true color is actually called qing which is more of a bluish green. And like metal and earth, it has two color associations of scarlet and green. Now everyone thinks Jyūbei has the green pearl but it could be Konton. Notice he has two qing orbs hanging off his sleeves. The green pearl in promotional materials is qing too.

I think they made them both qing for simplicity's sake. Technically one should be scarlet.

Or if Jyūbei does have the real green pearl, I think it's possible that there is second wood associated pearl we don't know about and it could be green or scarlet.

ETA: In episode 15, Riku was seen to also possess a green pearl. It could be this is the real one and the others are fakes. Or maybe there are multiple sets of pearls.

Water

This phase is represented by the color black, sometimes it's a very dark blue.

Assigning anyone or anything to this phase is complicated.

In the second opening we see Moroha's red pearl flash black temporarily. I think this is a hint that the red and black pearl are connected like the gold/purple and silver/indigo pearls.

Inuyasha's black pearl and it's purpose really fits the association connected to the water phase but he himself does not.

But I do think that Moroha is being connected to this phase as well as fire.

Rin also belongs to this phase at the moment. Her current situation really reflects the deeper associations with the water phase. If I am right about my yukionna theory then this will be a permanent association.

So how is Yashahime using the 5 phases?

Besides what I described above, there is:

Konton's fu dogs were named wind and thunder and were also green and scarlet, connecting him to the wood phase.

The purple coded villians, Kyuki and Joka, both had mountain lairs. The purple part of the earth phase is associated with mountains.

Yawaragi in the last episode is also a earth associated character but they drew from the two different earth columns to indicate this. She was associated with yellow and mountains.

The dream gazing flashback has Setsuna standing on a field and bathed in golden light. In the yellow (gold) section of the earth phase, a field is the association.

As I said, Joka is a "Earth" associated villian. In her episode, the round part of her earrings went back and forth between purple and gold and I think this is so viewers will make the connection that the gold and purple pearls go together.

The recent Christmas themed article calls special attention to the present in Moroha's hand and it's wrapped in red and qing, representing her two parents.

There have been other, smaller visual call outs where the colors of blue/white/silver and purple/gold/yellow are used together.

Using the Wuxing associations alone for clue detection is very much not recommended. I do sometimes but I have also gotten very familiar with the way I think it's used and have reseached the subject on a deeper level than what's presented here.

Yashahime mostly uses the color associations and there is a limited number of colors. Every instance of red is not going to be a reference to the fire phase and the characters associated to it.

Wuxing simplified

There is a very simplifed way to use the Wuxing theory by focusing on the combination of colors Yashahime has assigned to the families.

For InuKag/Moroha: Red, Black and Green.

For Sesshomaru/wife/twins: Yellow or gold and purple. Technically the metal phase colors belong here too but I noticed that they rarely use it except for with Towa.

If you see a combination of those colors focused on in a scene, character or object then maybe it's meant to be associated with the respective family. I would make sure there are additional contextual clues to support the idea.

For example, when I saw the comet in episode 15, I immediately thought Inukag reference because it was red black and green. And I think it is. The comet is an analogy for the shikon jewel and also the 500 years between Kikyo reincarnating into Kagome.

It's not completely tied to Wuxing but Yashahime does a similar thing with the MirSan/Kohaku family and Rin. They get associated with orange/black/dark blue and diamond patterns a lot. Why Rin is associated with this is explained in my Yukionna theory. I will link to it as soon as I clean it up.

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