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thebearer · 10 months

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i looooove the way you wrote carmys casual dominance over the reader in the feeling. could you write something else that has that same vibe? like him being protective/ dominant over her while they’re around the rest of the crew?

ahhh thank you so much!!! the casual dominance was a must for me with carmy it just makes me weak in the knees lol.

"Why don't you let me help you?" You hummed, leaning over Carmen's shoulder, watching as he expertly cut the onions. "I can handle spaghetti sauce."

Carmen scoffed lightly, looking up at you under heavy brows, still chopping furiously- much faster than anything you could. "I got it." He nodded.

Your face fell slightly, stepping back to stand beside him. Carmen invited you to family every night before the restaurant opened, it was sometimes the only time you'd see him until that night when he'd collapse into bed next to you. It was the busy season, summer and tourist time, meaning everyone wanted to come to the infamous restaurant.

Carmen's chest flooded with a pang of guilt at your small frown. Fuck, maybe he'd been too mean. "'m sorry, baby. Here, I have prep to do. Can you put this in the pan for me? Start it."

The tiny smile that curled on your lips made Carmen's heart skip in his chest. "Yes, Chef." You hummed, pressing a kiss to his cheek, snagging the diced onions and sliding them into the pan.

You'd seen Carmen make it enough to know how to make this recipe. Canned tomato sauce, oregano, onions- you measured them, adding it all easily.

"Woah-ho-ho, look who we got here." Richie cackled, turning the corner, ignoring Sydney's screams to announce it. "We got a new chef on the roster?"

You rolled your eyes, snagging the can opener and pressing the handles together. "Yeah, I'm your replacement, Richie."

Richie's face fell slightly. He knew you were joking but a part of him worried. "Cousin, what's this, huh?"

"She's just helping, alright? Get outta the way." Carmen nodded, slicing the beef easily. His eyes watched you, flicking from his task back to you.

"Hey," Carmen called, a firm snap of the tongue that had you turning to him. "Put the hair back, baby. No one wants a hair in their food."

"Yeah, c'mon." Richie added, snickering as you snagged the hair tie off your wrist. "Gonna replace me and she don't even know how to cook right-"

"Hey, easy, cousin." Carmen's eyes were hard, glaring at Richie, the whirr of his knife sliding across the cutting board adding a dangerous edge.

Richie held his hands up in mock defense. "My apologies, your fucking majesties." He scoffed.

You rolled your eyes, moving onto the next step on the card, pouring the cans of sauce in easily and stirring, giving the side of the pan a firm tap with the spoon to get the excess off. Reaching for the knob to turn the heat up, Carmen's hands were on your waist before you could.

"Here, baby," Carmen rasped, pulling you back slightly. "Gotta loose shirt on, so you gotta stay back, alright? Tuck it in or something for me. I don't want it catchin' on fire." He muttered, hand sliding over the hem of your shirt, pressing it gently against you.

"Actually, go find an apron, ok? I'l get this started. I don't want you gettin' anything on ya." Carmen nodded towards the back.

"Yes, Chef." You saluted him playfully, passing the spoon to him.

Carmen watched you walk towards his office, stirring the ingredients before turning on the stove. He let the flame on a low flicker, reaching in his pocket for his own cigarettes, fishing one out and lighting it under the pilot light.

"Chef," Carmen called, catching Sydney as she turned the corner. "You got it?"

"I got it." Sydney nodded.

"Great, I'll be in my office." Carmen walked off, finding you in his office, lazily looking through the papers on his desk.

"Anything good?" He asked, leaning against the door, arms crossed over his broad chest.

"What is spicy Moroccan carrot salad?" You tilted your head, reading Carmen's sloppy handwriting scribbled on the notecard.

"A side Sydney thinks would go good with the flounder we're getting in." Carmen hummed, blowing the smoke out the door before shutting it behind him.

He sunk down in his chair, patting his lap for you to sit with him. "Thanks f' helpin' me with family tonight." Carmen muttered, arms around your waist, bumming the cigarette in the tray. "Shouldn't be too long tonight."

You hummed, leaning back into his chest, head lulling back so you could look at him. "Not too long like I should wait up for you or...?"

Carmen snorted lightly. "I'll be home before midnight. Sydney and Marcus are closing tonight." He sighed, pressing a tiny kiss on your shoulder.

"Good," You grinned, turning so you were straddling him, your core rocking over his, covered by the aprons.

#thebearer #carmen berzatto blurb #thebearerblurbs #the bear #carmy the bear #carmy smut #carmen berzatto x reader #carmy berzatto #carmen berzatto #carmen berzatto smut #carmen berzatto fic #carmen berzatto fluff #carmy berzatto x reader #carmy x reader #carmy berzatto x you #the bear season 2 #the bear hulu #bear

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azure-cherie · 5 months

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☀︎︎𝑃𝐴𝐶 : 𝑆𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑔𝑢𝑖𝑑𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 ☀︎︎

Pile 1. Pile 2. Pile 3.

Hey there guys , I hope y'all are having a lovely time so for this PAC

THE CONCEPT is in this pile i call upon one of your ancestors to narrate a story from their life so that you can learn something from it or just get the Ancestral tea ☕ .

Reblogs and feedback are highly appreciated !!!!

Want a personal reading: Paid readings , Paid readings 2

Masterlist

Choose using your intuition, you can choose multiple and take what resonates and leave the rest . Since this is a general reading take what resonates and leave the rest .

Pile 1 :

My dear pile 1 , i hope you're doing well

Some charms for confirmations and messages: Maple leaf , moon , bicycle , trumpet , tortoise, panther , yantra symbol , peacock , camel , flower wings , infinity symbol, clown , lantern. Some numbers : might be age , year or era ; 5,1,6,5,7 ; some initials : K , L , I , Q .

Who will I be channeling : The Empress card they could be a very nourishing female who was well regarded in their family , they were a queen , princess , authority , they married rich . They were really a successful and kind women

They want to tell you a story about : Strength , how they were courageous

Once upon a time in your ancestry , born in either Mongolian , Chinese , French or Italian roots , your ancestors were regarded as inventors of something creative , they liked romance a lot , they wanted to keep the fire in themselves alive , they could be cavemen and drew various types of architectural plans , for some buildings , could be of Moroccan descent , you had a very big family , the head of the family was a very nice man , your ancestor was the head of the family as well , as the wife of your male ancestor , she also was a very creative person , made antiques and stored them , was regarded as one of the bad bitches of that era, and everyone wanted to marry her , though she broke many hearts she married your male ancestor , they lived really happily until there was some , war in your place and some things were burned down in your place or in your home , the fire could be symbolic as well , they were left with no choice then to sacrifice themselves . Either they sacrificed themselves or something that belongs to them . I think some of your family history also burned along with the fire , could be representative of also fury of old powerful people lurking into your family wellbeing .

Through the course of wheel of fortune ,there was a change because of a smart person in your bloodline who really finally crafted a way to rise again , this could be your ancestor herself or some other person from your family I get the vibe of the sister in law , or an aunt . Because of that you were capable , your ancestors could be into herbal medicine or Ayurveda . Your ancestors helped the poor a lot and conducted lots of charity . They either had a rabbit or a furry animal by their side , the pet was one of the legacies and the pet really protected , could be a dog as well , if cat they protected from spiritual attacks .

Your ancestors later became the leader of some organization , and they were some sort of vigilante and served everyone with justice , were one of the most powerful . One of the next generation male member sore really high and was regarded , they gave everyone a head start at creative potential , they rose again from what hurt them , they later settled in some colder place probably .

There could be some curse due to which your family went into hiding , because the son of the empress was a vigilante they rose again and built up after moving places , they brought lands and could be the family was travelling , that could mean some hippie ancestors for some of you , and it could also be someone wanted to move places , lastly your ancestor went on a spiritual journey , the empress went on a quest to find herself and was looking into a peaceful life

She wanted to tell you about this lesson of strength , that no matter what happens you should go on , also they wanted to tell you that if you want something good in life you must also leave something , to understand the value of sacrifice , despite the hardships she went on a quest , her main aim to wait was to see her family well and after she was done she was ready to leave , this story might also be about detachment .she wants to tell you that though everything is nice , if you feel you're missing something , you must go after it , and that’s how your soul will feel happy

Pile 2 :

My dear pile 2 , hope you're doing well

Some charms for confirmations and messages: Fox , mermaid tail , shell, angel, coconut tree , crescent moon , sun , kangaroo, wine bottle . Some numbers : might be age , year or era ; 7,2,9,2 ; some initials : R,U,O.

Who will I be channeling : Ace of swords ,could be a warrior , they were really courageous , free thinker .

They want to tell you a story about : Page of coins , of abundance of a bright future

Once upon a time there was a break in your family because of lot of disagreements , everyone fought each other or just left their own ways , this could be about middle eastern , desert areas , ancient India , Mediterranean , there was lot of conquest , here comes about your grandmother or just a women in your family who was a psychic , she wanted everyone to be together , that lead to the family coming back together because she made everyone thinking she was sick , they later came to know she wasn’t ,

She realized there was someone was casting a spell for your family to break apart , your ancestor already had the vibe , and they worked hard to let it into their heads , might have conducted an uncrossing spell to get rid of the damage , the spell came from a family member who was obsessed with money and wanted to keep everything to themselves , your ancestor wanted to keep everyone safe and happy , and because of their good deeds things were right , there were minor issues but because your grandmother was so observant and a psychic , the family didn’t break and was happy . They kept lot of optimism.

They wanted to tell you this because you are having self-doubts about your abilities or judging people without knowing the whole story , listen more to your intuition , you're reaching conclusions without thinking and analyzing things properly and they wanted to let you know that . I picked another card , so they tell you to take rest and not think too much .

This is actually really cool because I was about to start pile 3 but I couldn't remember the image , haha they want to tell you one more story woah , this could either be for the same group or this story might not be for you , use your intuition

This is about a situation where they had both of their hands tied , they were people putting allegations onto them and they wanted to about sometimes to get forward you'll have to lose something , you have to work hard and put all in , you shouldn’t run , things may become severe but know that youre stronger , don’t run away , you must hope for the best because only then it comes to you , being emotionally connected is a blessing , never take your own emotions for granted

They served a king or a higher authority could've worked as warriors or oracles of their place , they were considered very courageous , this could also be someone from Salem witch trials , there's lot of fire as well as witch symbolism , so I feel this could be it , they revolted a lot against the men who were capturing them . There was someone who was so in love with your ancestors and tried to save her , she tried and got away though it was painful , they came together and lived happily ever after , this story could also go about some Brazilian , Hawaiian , ancestry .

They wanted to tell you this as a sign that hope can be found even after most gut wrenching times .

Pile 3 :

My dear pile 3 hope you're doing well

Some charms for confirmations and messages: fish , elephant, gun , cap , shell , infinity symbol, witch , cat . Some numbers : might be age , year or era ; 9,8,2 ; some initials : M, A . Please check pile 2 if you were drawn

Who will I be channeling: Knight of wands adventurous, enigmatic person

They want to tell you a story about : The Sun , of fame and dignity

Once upon a time there was someone who was a miser and wanted your ancestor to be wed off , just so they could get rid of your ancestor , they thought your ancestor was a crooked person , who wanted to be reckless all the time , they didn’t appreciate your ancestors free spirit at all , the guardian showed they were happy but they wanted to destroy the life of your ancestor , your ancestors might have been kept hostage or had an evil step parent for some of you .

Someone could have died or poisoned , the husband of your ancestor was very supportive , the guardian didn’t like it , someone might have told that to your guardian , or higher authority , only to cut the wings of your ancestor , she yet lived with happiness because she was actively practicing freedom and was loved and supported by her husband , I think she wanted to be in a higher position , in education or in the swordsmanship sector , this could go back to Europe , in the renaissance period , haha your reading is reminding me of the anime called " Arte " .

She was shown love because fate turned her life around This reminds me of " My happy marriage " (anime).

There could be a lot of jealousy shown to her by the men around, the neighbor's , but your ancestor was always rising higher , there could be someone who sabotaged her telling her that she's a bad person , she payed no mind to them , she became one of the greatest of her times , swordsman , merchant . This could also be in the education sector , they became highly educated , just saw 333 might be significant to you .

They were abundant and happy , they later became a teacher in their sector , kids loved them a lot , probably rose to nobility , were honored as a survivor and a riser .

They want to tell you this story to make you believe in the power of love , though its mostly about bravery her husband helped her get through a lot of it , she wants to show how if you take a chance in love , love can be good for you . Though her arranged marriage was scary things turned out for the better so will it turn out for you , keep the belief , I got one more card , they also wanted you to let go of your mentality that everything will go bad trust that good things will happen to you , if you hit the rock bottom you can only go higher do what you need to do

The back of the deck is Empress , how sweet is it that the pile 1 started with empress and you're finishing at it , you come from line of very powerful women who worked so much for their dreams they're always here for you just call upon them . I see 555 as I conclude can be significant for you.

Thank you so much for reading have a great day/night 🧡

#pick a card tarot #pick a photo #pick a picture #pick a card reading #pick a card #pick a pile #tarot pac #pac reading #pac readings #pac tarot #pac #tarot card reading #tarot reading #tarot cards #tarotblr #tarotcommunity #intuitive tarot reading

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icanseethefuture333 · 11 months

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PAC: What your fp/fs looks like but make it actually diverse 🌅

Feel free to leave a tip as well if you enjoyed this pac! $$$ 😌🌺

Pile 1:

Physical appearance

Hair color ranges from dark brown, light brown , ginger, & blonde highlights (Their natural hair color is mostly brown but they could dye it or a few of them are actually blonde/ginger). Their hair texture is coily, curly, or wavy. They are most likely light skinned or mixed race (I'm seeing mostly black, white, or middle eastern. This message could only be for a few but I heard someone's fp/fs could be Somalian, Moroccan, or Israeli to be specific). They have hazel eyes (eye color is a mix of green, aqua, gold, or amber). They have freckles and moles. Skintone is warm and medium or medium deep (tawny, olive, or brown). Your fp/fs's body could be more bottom heavy. If they are more feminine I'm seeing a pear shaped figure and if they are more masculine I'm seeing that they have strong legs. This person could like to workout or they are in involved in sports because they have strong lower body muscles (wide hips, big butt, thick thighs, toned calves, etc). Sagittarius & Leo could be prominent in their birth chart. Sun or Jupiter dominant.

Pile 2:

Physical Appearance

This pile's fp/fs is pretty unique! For some people in this pile, their fs/fp could have vitiligo. It's as if they have two skintones for some reasons. So either this person could have vitiligo, they either get very pale in the winter and dark in the summer, or they could have used tanners or skin bleaching creams growing up. I'm also seeing that this person could strictly only wear black, gray, and white - no colors. They like to be like a panda 🐼. For their hair color I'm seeing its gray, white, silver, platinum blonde, or bleached. They could like to wear wigs or their head is shaved at the moment. If the fp is a feminine they like to wear their hair very long while the masculine likes their hair very short, almost like a buzzcut. They also have dark brown almost pitch black eyes. Your fp/fs could have some type of scar on there face or body, perhaps from a burn, fight, or some sort of accident. Their body is angular, lean, and toned. This person likes to include stars in their aesthetic ☆. They could like y2k fashion or subversive fashion. I'm thinking of the brand "Chrome hearts". This person could be alternative or like being involved in that culture. They could be goth specifically which would explain why their skin color varies (some goths like to paint their face white). I'm seeing piercings and tattoos as well. There isn't a specific race for this pile but they could have almond eyes, a low nose bridge, and small lips (they like to wear lip liner so it looks fuller or red/black lipstick so they can appear as a "vampire" lol). So for some of you your fp/fs could be black, asian, or "other". I'm seeing that this person has Scorpio placements and a Pluto dominance.

Pile 3:

Physical Appearance

This person is white and their cultural heritage could either be Greek, Spanish, Italian, Brazilian, Portuguese, or Argentian. They have dark brown hair and it's straight with a slight bend of wave or curls. Their hair is very voluminous and shiny. Their skin ranges from pale to medium. Their eye color could be blue, brown, or green. For some other physical features they could have a prominent nose, dark circles, red lips, and a beauty mark either under their eye or next to their mouth. If feminine, their body is hourglass shape with hip dips. If masculine, they have wide shoulders, and have more of a inverted triangle shape. Your fp/fs' style is very refined and posh. It's giving "old money" vibes. Rolexes, white Polo shirts, khakis, linen blouses, diamond necklaces, etc. They could have Taurus placements as well as a Venus dominance.

Pile 4:

Physical Appearance

I feel for most people in this pile their fs/fp naturally has ginger, reddish hair or they have brown hair with reddish undertones. They have dark brown eyes, pale skin, freckles, rosy cheeks, and heart shaped lips. They could look like a cat or have features similar to cat. Their eyes are big and upturned. Your fp/fs is either east asian or "wasian" (half white half east asian). Their style is grunge with warm autumn tones or they dress very colorful (they could wear a lot of primary colors with brown and green). They could like to wear khakis, cargo pants, converse sneakers, and striped sweaters. This person gives off obvious Gemini energy 😂 but I'm also picking up that they could have Virgo placements. They have a Mercury dominance.

Pile 5:

Physical Appearance

This person has a very rich, deep skintone. If your fp/fs was a man they would remind me of the saying "tall, dark, and handsome". I'm seeing that they are either Black or South Asian. They have thick curly/coily hair and it's the color onyx. Their eyes are the color chocolate brown. They have a balanced and proportionate body type. I feel that this person really embodies having Venusian energy and could have Libra prominent in their birth chart. Their style is casual with a touch of luxury. They like to wear black blazers, white shirts, sundresses, gold hoops, pearls, and jewels. I'm seeing purple, red, and green (sapphires, rubies, emeralds, etc) so they could like to wear very regal colors as well or they could just look like royalty.

Pile 6:

Physical Appearance

I channeled a few different people for this pile so this might not resonate for all of you but only for some! So for those who are attracted to people with a feminine appearance. Your fp/fs could like to have their hair very colorful and it's always changing. They either wear wigs or dye their hair blue. I'm getting a "2014 tumblr girl" vibe from them. They are just naturally beautiful. As for those who are attracted to people with a masculine appearance. Your fp/fs could have short to medium length blonde hair. Their hair is very shaggy and they like to style it in a messy, carefree, tousled way. They could have slight wavy hair as well. They could look like a "surfey boy" or a "skater boy". Both feminine and masculine fp/fs could have blue eyes, a button nose, and pink lips. Their body type is petite and thin with a narrow waist. I'm not seeing a specific race being stated for your fp/fs but I wanna lean towards for most people who picked this pile that they will have a white partner. While for a few of you, you will date/marry someone who will be considered racially ambiguous. They could have Aquarius placements and a Uranus dominance

Pile 7:

Physical Appearance

This person has black or dark brown hair. Their hair texture could be straight or wavy. They could have siren eyes as well. Something about their eyes are very captivating. Their eye color ranges from light brown to dark brown. While their skin color is like copper. They are average height and their shoulders and collarbones could be very beautiful. Your fp/fs could be of West & South/Southeast Asian descent, this message might only be for some but I'm hearing that they could be possibly be Sri Lankan, Tamil, Iranian, Saudi Arabian, Bengali, Malaysian, Singaporean, Pakistani, Thai, and Indonesian (very specific, I know 💀). I feel like you would meet then while they are in their cultural attire or during a special holiday. If you are not from these countries perhaps you go there for a vacation and meet them there (how cute!🥺). I feel like their faith or beliefs are very important to them, so they might wear some sort of necklace to represent that. Capricorn could be prominent in their chart and they could have a Saturn dominance.

Pile 8:

Physical Appearance

For your fp/fs I feel that they could have a duality to them, so it is possible that they are mixed, have two cultures, or they have a dual citizenship somewhere. I believe that they are Aboriginal, Pacific Islander, and for a few, South East Asian (I'm getting the Philippines to be specific). They have thick wavy, curly hair. They might like to switch up their hair a lot by either straightening it or curling it sometimes. They could even do perms on their hair or use relaxers. The skin color varies from person to person. Their body type will be more fleshy and muscular, some of them have a prominent tummy. They could have Cancer placements or the Moon is dominant in their chart.

Pile 9:

Physical Appearance

Your fp/fs is indigenous or Latin indigenous descent. They have straight, dark brown hair. Their skintone varies from medium to dark skintones. Some of them have a hooked nose or will have a upturned nose. The corner of their lips could be downturned or when they smile it looks like this ^~^ (adorable 😭). I feel that these people have a very loud but infectious laugh. They could brighten your day when you are sad. For some of you these people could be a cowboy/cowgirl or work at some sort of ranch or farm (I'm not from the South so idk how all that works but you get what I mean 😅). They have a natural connection to animals. They could wear stetson hats, beaded necklaces, bolo ties, flannels, boots, bone shells, and silver or turquoise jewelry. They could have Aries placements and a Mars dominance.

#pac #pick a card #future spouse #tarot #tarot readings #tarot reading #free readings #astrology #witchcraft #soulmate

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redbleedingrose · 3 months

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I fully believe that Zermatt, Switzerland is the real life Velaris. That place is so beautiful during the winter with all the snow

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRcHL2qT/

I wanna live there😔😔

That is stunning!!! It def is the real life Velaris according to the books. It would be so pretty to see Starfall from there!!!

Maybe it is the desi girl in me, but I also get Moroccan and Turkish vibes when I think about Velaris. Maybe it is the open concept, or the marble, or the carpets on marble, or the general cozy vibes, or the fact that I feel like there is just a lot of open space and exposure to the night sky with this kind of architecture, but it always leaves me stunned.

I also think back to home country vibes when I think about Velaris, my grandparents home has a ceiling that is also kind of a balcony that opens out to the night sky. I feel like most Night Court homes, especially those in Velaris would have a similar architecture style where the upper floor is actually open to the sky, and there are seating areas with carpets and furniture. Tables to gather around for tea or drinks, or even fire pits for cold, late night scary story telling.

This is another Velaris mood board that no one asked for, but you're gonna get anyway!

Lemme know what you think!!

#rose rambles #rose answers #acotar #night court mood board #Velaris mood board #acotar mood board #roses mood board #acotar rhysand #acotar night court

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xatsperesso · 1 year

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I made so search about Ifrit and I found some interesting things:

Ifrit, also spelled as efreet, afrit, and afreet is a powerful type of demon in Islamic mythology.

In Moroccan belief, the afarit form a more powerful type of demon, compared to the djinn and other supernatural creatures. With the aid of a magical ring, the afarit might be forced to perform certain orders. -Ifrit appears frequently in film and video games. In the Final Fantasy video game series, an ifrit appears as a summonable spirit or/and an enemy. Like its mythological counterpart, it is a spirit of fire and can use an iconic spell called Hell-Fire Demon Summonable Fire In Iruma universe, it probably meant that this family of demon has a history of being summoned by humanity. So much that they left a trace on history, folklore and myths like we see now in games and stuff like that.

It also mean that Ifrit is perfectly aware that humans exist. Even if he has not been summoned himself, his ancestors have been.

Imagine if Iruma's parents find the summoning circle of Ifrit after some shady searches. or maybe they weren't shady and that they used the first circle that they found in their searches and it happened to be the ifrit one.

So Ifrit-sensei is summoned, he literally dispear during a meeting with his coworkers.

And he appears in the human realm like "….really? it has been centuries since last time a member of my family has lived that. and that's my turn. Damn!"

Iruma BAD parents: "Hello mister demon, we summoned you for a affair!

Ifrit: …i hope that you don't call a demon for nothing because someone less patient than me could have been angry you know, especially that your circle is badly made. My ancestors would have eaten you on the spot ya know.

Iruma BAD parents: We want money

Ifrit: sigh humanity will never change, they were right. light up a cigarette I'm really disappointed now.

Iruma BAD parents: we give you our son as payment.

Ifrit: ….I'm sorry what?"

And the teachers of Babyls have a son now.

Omg that'd be so cute

Like i see it very vividly they'd all be very protective of him!

of course there'd be that one teacher who's like "can we eat him?" And the rest would be like "wtf no"

I can see ifrit being the wine aunt who'd fucking kill for iruma like just say the word sweetie and they're a goner

Kalego would pretend he doesn't like iruma but he's such a dad an so in denial and everyone would make fun of him

Of course balam would be a mother hen making sure iruma is ok from the trauma of his parents leaving him, meanwhile iruma is there like "this isn't as bad as i thought it'd be. I think I'll stay" ( ya know without all the bs sullivan pulled on him at the beginning and all these people making sure ma boi doesn't get caught and keeping him safe+well fed like why wouldn't he want to stay)

Sullivan would be watching them like "haha these demons antics" but then he'd have one interaction with iruma and he'd be like "he's mine now" and try kidnapping him

Iruma would just smile at opera like "nice to meet you, opera-san!" And opera would immediately help sullivan in kidnapping iruma

I cant help but see dantalion being a little shit who always messes with iruma idk why that's just his vibe

I feel like marbas would just be hanging around in the back like "iruma already has all these demons taking care of him he'll come to me if he needs anything" and then iruma goes to him in his very sweet iruma-way and halfway through marbas would be like i would die for this kid

It'd just be so cute

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disgruntledkittenface · 1 year

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snippet

thank you @louisandtheaquarian and @nouies for tagging me to share a snippet! I finished a draft of the first chapter of the fic I’m working on and I think it’s rough but I reallllllly like the story

“So you all live here in Southampton?” Harry asks, looking around as Zayn and Liam nod.

“Not me,” Louis says, trying to subtly inch away from Zayn, who still has his arm around his shoulders. “My dad has a place here, but I live at my mom’s house in Sag Harbor.”

Harry rests his hand on Louis’ knee, as if to comfort him. No one he’s ever had a crush on has been able to read him so well, so quickly. He angles his body toward Harry, finally disentangling from Zayn, who’s distracted by something over by the game of cornhole.

“It’s really nice,” he says, keeping his voice down so only Harry can hear. “Our house is on the water, and the downtown area is really nice. It feels like a small town. Well, that’s kind of true everywhere in the Hamptons…”

“Yeah, there’s lots of…” Harry gestures vaguely with his free hand. “Like small businesses and American flags and people saying hello on the street.”

“See,” Louis says, tilting his head. “You already get the vibe, you know the area.”

“So why’d your mum pick Sag Harbor? Because it’s a good place to raise a family?”

“Yes and no,” Louis admits, smoothing his hair off his forehead. “It is good for families, but since the divorce, she does whatever she can to avoid my dad. She doesn’t even come out to the house in the summer, she always goes to Europe. I think she’s in Saint-Tropez right now.”

“Oh, I love it down there,” Harry says, grinning. “We try to go every year. There’s this great little Moroccan restaurant that’s a little off the beaten path, Salama. You should tell your mum to go there.”

“Oh,” Louis says, his back stiffening as he realizes that the restaurant Harry is talking about is closed. He doesn’t want to say anything in front of his friends, so he just nods. “Yeah, yeah, I will.”

“Uh, didn’t that place shut down, like, five years ago?” Luke laughs derisively from the log across the fire. “Thought you said you go every year, dude, how did you not know that?”

“Oh, shit, that’s right,” Harry says, rubbing his fingers over his mouth as he appears to remember. “Now that you say that, it’s been longer than I thought since I’ve eaten there.”

“I don’t even know if she’s still there anyway,” Louis says to Harry. He’ll have to murder Luke later. For now, all he wants is to talk to Harry outside of a tennis lesson. “She could be eating Moroccan food in Morocco for all I know. She only checks in, like, every other month.”

“One time, my parents went to Croatia for a month,” Harry says, a laugh bubbling in his voice, “and no one told me. I thought I just kept missing them at breakfast.”

“Oh my God,” Louis laughs. “Really?”

“It’s the God’s honest truth,” Harry insists, holding up a hand as if to swear it.

They huddle together by the fire, and Louis tells Harry more stories about the lengths his mom goes to in order to avoid his dad, and how she ends up avoiding him in the process. The party continues around them, and after a while Harry finally gets up to get a drink. He cracks open a can of beer on his way back from the coolers, bumping into Luke and spilling about half of it on him. Louis hides his laugh behind his hand as Luke’s date dries him off with a beach towel. He almost never gets to see Luke get any karma. There’s a twinkle in Harry’s eye when he sits back down next to Louis, and Louis starts to suspect that Harry spilled the beer on purpose, but then Luke starts cheering at his phone, distracting him.

I’ll tag @crinkle-eyed-boo @allwaswell16 @louandhazaf @kingsofeverything @haztobegood @beelou @wabadabadaba @neondiamond

#my apologies to hot luke in this fic!!!!#an american tragedy au

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werewolfbneimitzvah · 5 months

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Hold on I'm going to make a vague post about something incredibly silly and unimportant.

I follow the mika zibanejad tag on here bc he's very pretty and i like when i get automatically shown new gifsets from people i don't follow. But I've been getting shown a post that's tagged with mika and two other nhl guys, matthew tkachuk and nolan patrick, and the post is like a jokey post about like "ugh how dare men be beautiful while definitely using horrible oil-stripping 3-in-1 products" or whatever, like it goes on a bit and is clearly meant to not be serious. But, ok listen i know nothing about npatrick's personal care routine, i don't care about him being tagged, whatever. And obviously i don't know the details of mzibanejad or mtkachuk's. But like first of all i once dated someone with curly hair for like a year and just from that i can tell you that mtkachuk is not using some 3-in-1 bullshit bc his hair would never let him in a million years. That texture demands real conditioner just by virtue of existing. Second of all mika's bestie chris is on camera being asked "if mika could only bring one item with him to a deserted island, what would he bring" and answering "moroccan oil (for his hair)." His buddy knows what hair products he uses. Just looking at a photo of mika it's extremely obvious how deliberate he is with his appearance, and chris and mika both acknowledge this in that same video when asked which of them takes more time to get ready in the morning or whatever the question was and they both immediately said mika.

Anyway I'm just saying, 2/3 of your examples are bad. Granted the 3-in-1 mention might not be intended as a specific accusation so much as vibes, which maybe makes the mtkachuk one more forgiveable, but even then idk, i think he puts at least some thought into his personal care and appearance even if his "thought" is to wear fucken polos and bucket hats.

Anyway that's all, this is incredibly silly but i keep forgetting to tell tumblr to stop showing me that post so i keep seeing it and fuming all over again at the thought of someone with hair that curly going near it with something like that or looking at a photo of mika and not immediately knowing that that man knows what he's doing irt his appearance

#yelling into the void about people being wrong about hockey players sorry

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deci-doodles · 4 months

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Misc assortment of OC doodles from recently that I had no idea how to post individually so I’ll just compile them :p feat previously shown family members+Tiziri in some outfits besides her Eremite one, and also me attempting to design Itto’s parents coz why not

More info+rambling under the cut

Aight SO,

Tiziri’s the Eremite lady that Tesey’s head over heels for and can’t blame him, she’s very charming, very competent, and won’t hesitate to call him out lol. She’s also the current successor in place for the matriarch (Tizemt) of her adoptive tribe (the Ifri, named after the goddess not the demons lol). They don’t exist in lore since the other two main GoF worshipping tribes don’t really fit the area of influence I wanted to use and Tanit were also a definite no go so instead, the Ifri are a smaller tribe that had branched off from the Tanit but under their current matriarch, have been slowly trying to make themselves more self sufficient and independent, with Tiziri being taken in by them as a child. after they took down the raiding party which had targeted her original tribe and family.

As of current game events, Tesey had been trying to collaborate with the Ifri with textile trading since he believed their work could sell really well in a more international market, so Tiziri’s been assigned to keep an eye on him and also just get a grasp of what kind of a person he is before letting him into their territory and all that (luckily for him he’s long passed the vibe check but after Fontaine’s AQ he had to make an emergency trip back to Morepesok).

Anyways I thought it’d be fun to draw her in a modern Moroccan caftan, but also a Ukrainian folk outfit since she does eventually make a trip over to Morepesok to visit Tesey’s family when they get together. Anyways like Kirena, Tonia and their mother, Oksana (I’ll post their design eventually wsojcndwoc), I’ve based it off outfits from the Luhansk area (go check out these blogposts for references I used for the embroidery it’s such a life saver, but yeah their mum’s side would be from the Donbas irl, dad’s from Zaporizhzhia). Jewellery’s primarily based off Amazigh jewellery from southern Morocco, as well as some Tuareg ones and also a few strings of Ukrainian korali ehe (they’re a gift from Tesey later on as a sign of his intent to take things more seriously and his sincerity). I tried my best with the tattoos since I didn’t want to just trace someone else’s given how personal they are but if anyone has any sources on Moroccan Amazigh tattoos please let me know 🙇🏻‍♀️

Next bit is just me realising that a good chunk of my labelled OCs (most aren’t) happen to be aspec, which I find absolutely hilarious (fyi I’m ace myself so this isn’t malicious I just think it’s funny how it keeps happening). Kageharu and Mingli are probs also some flavour of aro but I haven’t figured it out yet so they just have their ace labels for now

And, finally, Arataki Natsuki (荒瀧凪月) and Arataki Takenosuke (荒瀧岳之輔). Apparently I felt like revisiting old ideas from 2021 again weciswnjdsq, but still was fun to do. I’m aware it’s more likely Itto’s mother was also an oni (judging by his troubles voiceline regarding Granny Oni) but I thought it’d be interesting to explore what it could be like for humans given how prevalent oni discrimination is, both towards them but also towards humans who are close to them (again: see the voiceline on Granny Oni), as well as people learning to look past assumptions and all that fun stuff. They could’ve lived out a nice cottagecore life with their son if it weren’t for those damned robberies they got blamed for smh

Bonus concept portrait of Natsuki while I’m at it. Tbh one of my biggest pet peeves in designing related characters is making any character too similar to whichever canon character they’re related too and I just really wanted to show that yes, Itto does have quite a few of his mother’s features. It’d be more helpful if I actually drew him to compare ofc, but motivation do be funky like that and my brain wants me to draw Oksana next 😔

#deci doodles #genshin impact #genshin oc #genshin ocs #tiziri #tesey neschadymenko #Kirena Neschadymenko #kaedehara kageharu #Kaedehara Suzuka #Cheng Mingli #Arataki Natsuki #Arataki Takenosuke

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fandxmslxt69 · 2 months

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howdy howdy, can you tell us about your 1920s mafia based character 👀

HOWDY FRIEND!!!

let me just go copy paste my whole character chart bc its SOOO MUCH i cant type it all out

Leila is the daughter of some business man (Moroccan Mafia!!!) associated with the mafia, and to make good business her father and her man’s father set them up to make business ties!! She just moved back to New York after finishing her studies abroad. She tries to blend into the background and typically doesn’t like drawing attention to herself, but she won’t hesitate to bite if things start getting questionable. She & her man (NAME TO BE DETERMINED) have a sort of like…enemies(ish) to lovers vibe solely because they don’t want to do this fake marriage thing, but she’s ready to protect him fiercely. While she’s kind of just seen as a castaside, she’s been working in the background to get rid of her father and take over his business - she’s slowly managed to turn parts of her father’s business and partners to be on her side and change loyalties.

She spent all those years away from New York building her own empire slowly, and now she's back - her father may think she agreed to a marriage just out of being clueless obedient little Leila but it's a lot more than that - all her steps are counted for. She only agreed to such a marriage because she knows this man has good connections within the mafia, and she's managed to strike up a good business deal with him!!! get this marriage running, convince people that they make a good powerful duo that can build a successful empire, and get rid of her father. she gets to build her empire and he can help her with it on the business front and get to own some of it!! its all good!!

So ever since she got back and got married, she spent that time attending parties and events to try and win over her father's customers and partners, and strike up new deals that are better and bigger than what her father had, and win over people her father has been chasing after. All of this done because yknow of course she's already built a decent underground on-the-downlow company but she's got the connection to this guy she's now married to which wins points!!

Every time someone mentions this obv to her father he's like "oh please she's just little old Leila. she can't even open a door herself" and she's very good at keeping this role she's playing up. the perfect daughter, the shining wife.

this is a murder mystery duh, so her motive for murder is her ambition. she'd do anything to be better and bigger than her father, and to get rid of him - even if it means needing to kill the wrong people (his close circle/his board of directors/loose ties who can't keep their mouths shut etc)

umm yeah. will my teacher have a HEADACHE reading this bad boy to plot the murder mystery? YES. do i care? NO!!!!!!

she's my #1 girl. umm her man.... is silly too. He's kind of obsessed with her - like yeah they're business partners, but he's so obsessed with her ambition and that obsession leads to falling for her (CREDITS TO @the-lady-amphitrite FOR BEING SOOO SMART TO PIECE THAT TOGETHER.)

anyway

i love her

i;ve talked abt her to like 10 friends and each time im just copy pasting all my rambling onto the character chart to fix her up. she's my bae. thats her whole backstory. :DDDDD

#THANKS FOR ASKING IM OBSESSED WITH HER!!!!!!!!#sighing heavily as i open a new google doc titled MAFIA IDEA #clem talks <3

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sbrown82 · 1 year

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I love your old school tea posts as I'm a big Stones fan. Can you say anything more about the P.P. Arnold and Brian Jones relationship?

So, here's more ☕️☕️☕️ from P.P. Arnold herself:

"One Saturday morning in 1966 while I was still in Epsom, I’d received a phone call from Brian Jones inviting me to London. He sent his Rolls-Royce for me and I was driven to his beautiful flat in Courtfield Road, South Kensington.

When I rang the bell, Brian came to the door. He was soft-spoken and polite as always, greeting me warmly. I’d heard gossip from Mick [Jagger] about his drug habits but we’d never talked directly. Besides, all the Stones had shown us respect and love throughout the tour.

If Mick was an extrovert, Brian seemed just the opposite, but that was fine, as I too felt sensitive, vulnerable and wary. He rolled a hash joint and made me feel welcome as we talked about Epsom.

…Brian’s flat was really just one huge room, a small kitchen and a bathroom. It too was decorated with rich fabrics, rugs and embroideries from Morocco, but was fairly disorderly next to Mick’s flat. A wooden staircase led up to a minstrel gallery and I loved its high-beamed ceilings, big windows and skylight. Magazines, papers and clothing were strewn everywhere. The antique chairs needed reupholstering and the bed was just a big mattress on the floor. There was a real hippy vibe, an intoxicating mix of past centuries with psychedelic ‘60s, including Indian and Moroccan influences. The hash joint was also pretty powerful, but it helped me to relax.

Brian was annoyed about Mick’s behavior towards me, which was very sweet. I explained that Mick and I had not made personal commitments. Yes, I was hurt, but I was in no position to judge. I hadn’t stayed in England to be Mick’s girlfriend. I knew Mick and Marianne had a thing going. Afterwards, I wondered if Brian’s compassion for me reflected his own estrangement within the Stones camp.

He was very cute and sexy and looked aristocratic, eccentric and yet elegant in his flamboyant attire, his dandy scarves and beautiful smoking jacket. I thought he had a mystical charisma about him. I was never physically attracted to Brian and didn’t want to send out the wrong signals, but he was a perfect gentleman and host. He played some blues and R&B and I felt at home right away. While we smoked, he introduced me to some mystical Indian sounds. I’d smoked marijuana with Gabriel and hashish with Mick, but this was my first time in an environment that let me experience its effects fully. There was a piano and a beautiful collection of guitars, mandolins and other exotic string instruments. I was in awe of his musicality. He was deep and very talented, but there also seemed to be a sadness about him.

We talked about my roots and family and he talked about music and art. I felt comfortable and safe, not intimidated at all. With so little experience dating, I still believed that if you were drinking and smoking alone with a guy, they wanted sex with you, but he made no advances and I appreciated this respect.

He had to go out for a while and after showing me how the rolling machine worked he left me on my own…After a while he returned with his close friend Tara Browne, the heir to the Guinness fortune.

…Brian’s vibe had drastically changed and the hash wasn’t helping me join them. I suggested it was time for me to go. He urged me to stay over and said someone could drive me back to Epsom the following morning. I was apprehensive, but he assured me I had nothing to worry about. I decided to trust him and not get paranoid…

It was a lovely evening in very interesting company, especially after the delicious Indian food they had brought back with them. Tara left in the early hours and I joined Brian in his one bed, feeling secure enough to enjoy a cuddle and warm, gentle kisses with him.

…Brian was kind and had displayed genuine friendship. I felt true sensitivity towards him. It had been a magical day at a delicate time of transition and had helped me put my decision to stay in England in perspective. He said I was welcome to visit whenever I got bored and I did so a couple more times, though I wish that I had been more open with him. I’ll never forget his kindness.”

So, sis messed around with BOTH of them! 💅🏿

#p.p. arnold #brian jones #mick jagger #the rolling stones #interracial #black women #rock & roll #rockstars #old school tea #anon

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khodorkovskaya · 7 months

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life as an econ major: first impression

17.09.23

so here's the thing, the school year starts tomorrow but i still don't have my exam results... so am i actually gonna start my masters this year? who knows. i guess we'll find out tomorrow.

but the info session for this program took place on friday so i went despite the fact that i still don't have my results. and here's how it went.

so first we had a big info session for all the masters programs at the economics and management faculty. and there are like 5 different programs, we were about 50-60 people id say. the session was quite boring bc it was mostly for people who are new to the university overall. so they just like explained all the administrative stuff like how to sign up for courses, what moodle is, etc. so i didn't learn anything new. and i looked around to see what kind of people study economics and management. and i really felt out of place. idk, maybe it's my "not like other girls" syndrome or idk what. but i really felt like i didn't belong. contrary to what id imagined, it was mostly women. mostly my age and older. a couple of people in their 30s-40s too. but mostly like yeah, girlies in their mid to late twenties. dressed in skinny jeans. and michael kors bags. all with straight or straightened hair. the vibe was very much french, no offense... and the few guys who were there were also very french. like skinny jeans and hair that's like shaved on the sides. it was giving tiktok fuckboys circa 2020.

then we were split up into our different master programs. and our group only had 11 people. 3 guys, 8 girls. mostly foreign and like half poc. so there was me, a girl who just moved from spain who worked for this like eu organisation in paris, an indian girl who did econometrics and maths, a hijabi girl and a moroccan (?) girl who both did their bachelors here, a guy who just moved from lebanon, an asian girl who did international relations here, a girl who's doing a second masters, and a guy i went to hs with who studied in exeter. and that was quite awkward cos he came up to me like "heyyy you went to [school name], right?" and i was like ummmm who are you. and he was like "yeahh we had german and maths together". and i had no idea who he was. and then he said his name and that also didn't ring a bell at all. i was like bro i am so sorry.

so yeah, the head professor explained how the program works, like how many credits you need, what classes to take, etc. he was very cool and i started to get more enthusiastic about doing this actually.

and then we all had drinks in the main hall and i talked to the spanish girl, the 2nd masters girl and the high school guy.

and yesterday i looked at my schedule and registered for each of the courses on moodle. and... had a mental breakdown...

because it sounds like my worst nightmare.

first of all, im gonna have to write essays. i haven't written an essay since high school. i don't know how to cite. i don't know how to read either tbh. like how do i read a paper about economics?? i don't know what any of it means.

i looked at the syllabus for every course. and none of it makes sense. i don't even believe in inflation. like isn't inflation a deviantart fetish? and wtf is gdp. like.

secondly, 60% of the grade for these courses is group projects. again, i haven't done a group project since high school. it terrifies me. like. the responsibility of working with people. is terrifying. and you have to make a powerpoint presentation and write a paper. in a group! like.... how???? i don't know how to do either of these things.

and for the elective courses i was like okay im gonna pick the maths ones bc there's no way in hell that im gonna choose to write even more essays. but! the maths electives that i have are all programming! i don't know how to code! you need to know python! and like how to do like time projections and shit. ive only done matrix multiplication on matlab in like the first semester of my bachelors. i fucking hate computers and matlab was hell, i didnt undertand any of it, it was my worst grade. so how am i gonna do python?

another thing that sounds like absolute hell is coursework. in maths it was easy. you go to class (or don't, up to you!) and you have an exam at the end of the year and that's your grade. but here you have papers to hand in every week. and graded homework. and presentations. my lazy ass is actually gonna have to work throughout the year. i thought about it yesterday and cried.

anyway, studying economics sounds like a neurodivergent nightmare.

and okay i thought id stop there but!!! the topics that im gonna have to write papers on... y'alll.... i don't give a shit about the economic impact of russian sanctions like

how do i give a shit ????

and i looked at the first problem set and at first i was like oooo maths! looks familiar! but the thing is, i can't read. like whenever i see a word problem my brain just makes the internet dial up noise. wtf does this mean???

i showed it to my stepdad and he was like "huh that's easy, that's just cross multiplication". and guys. you don't understand. but i don't know how to do percentages. i don't know how to solve first degree diff equations. i can't do basic maths. i can only prove theorems on abstract topics and that's it. 2+2 i don't know her. what the fuck is a growth rate. like. i can't read.

fuck. i am so stressed.

#september

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kammartinez · 8 months

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When Roxy Music was recording “Street Life” for the 1973 album Stranded, they hung a mic out the window of AIR Studios above Oxford Street, but they didn’t like the results and they ended up mixing in the sounds of a Moroccan market instead. As “Street Life” begins, we hear traffic amid four haunting chords and a shimmering hi-hat rhythm, and then Bryan Ferry belts out that he wishes everyone would leave him alone. He goes out for a walk. “Each verse seems to have its own character,” he later said, “like blocks on a street.” A fan since my youth of early Roxy Music, I still hear that song’s ethereal city vibe when I, too, wish everyone would leave me alone and, like Bryan, hit the streets.

If I go left, heading into what I think of as downtown Echo Park, I glimpse the green folds of the Angeles Crest as I pass Craftsman and Victorian houses and courtyard bungalows. I turn onto Sunset Boulevard, passing barber shops, burger stands, bookstores, and botanicas. I can get my knives sharpened and my shoes repaired, shop for groceries, eat eighty different kinds of food. The streets are full of people of all kinds, even as Echo Park comes twentieth in a walkability ranking of L.A. neighborhoods, according to some website. MacArthur Park, which is more population-dense than parts of Manhattan, ranks higher, as does Hollywood. But here I have the option of avoiding commerce by going three blocks north to the park, where I can walk miles of shaded trails. Or stroll my little residential enclave, where people are sitting on their stoops, a guy is working on his ’68 Camaro, trees are heavy with citrus, softball-size dragon fruits shine redly through a fence. I can walk to Echo Park Lake, due west, entirely through an alleyway, where among overgrown fig trees and sidewalk pulverized to dirt you might think you were in some Mississippi backwater Barry Hannah was describing, but you’re parallel and just behind Sunset. At the lakefront are picnickers, food carts, fishermen creating what my son refers to as “pressure on the lake.” One day I watch a guy and girl furtively produce a pristine white duck from a knapsack and release it. They’ve clearly just bought the thing at a live-poultry shop and are trying to rewild it among the mallards and grebes, but the mission seems also to be a form of courtship.

On these walks, minutes from home, I am certain that Los Angeles, which I moved to from New York twenty years ago, is the most beautiful city in the world (and yes, I have seen the world). But that’s only if I go west or north or south. If I head east, toward downtown, 1.5 miles away, my booster talk ebbs. It’s freeway overpasses, empty lots, and fortress-like buildings, a dead zone.

I should be able to walk to the opera house, Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Broad, the Bradbury Building, or City Hall, to the grand old theaters on Main Street, the jewelry district, Union Station. To Philippe the Original on Alameda, a hundred-year-old deli where undertakers from the nearby mortuaries park their hearses and stop in for a sandwich. To the new Frank Gehry building on Grand, across from my son’s music school. (Late in life, Gehry now seems to believe in design that prioritizes not postmodern showiness but plazas and shade and places for the passerby to sit.) But to get to the pedestrian-friendly world downtown involves several blocks of monolithic residential architecture along freeways, all by the same developer, inward-facing buildings with dark and empty storefronts, bunker parking, and sky bridges. The tenants of these places don’t have to ever step foot on the street. I’ve heard they are mostly USC students, but you don’t see them. The only people I might encounter are unhoused individuals, and those in this particular area often appear to be in severe mental crisis, as they linger beyond buildings that are as obdurate and closed as medieval armories.

Dubbed the Renaissance Collection, these buildings form a plaque that separates the people of Echo Park from downtown L.A. They were built by Geoffrey Palmer, a little man who resembles a ventriloquist’s dummy and is gifted at making enemies. Palmer buys up forlorn and odd plots alongside freeways, where he builds his “Italianate” developments, as Italian as leatherette is leather, but less charming. In 1973, the artist Gordon Matta-Clark purchased random little slices of land around New York City for a conceptual art project he titled Fake Estates. Perhaps the unsavory parcels that Palmer acquires would remain similarly conceptual were it not for the very real fake estates he builds on them. This is his own defense—that he’s building where no one else dares—but he seems to take almost libidinal satisfaction in perching rows of apartment balconies over the 110–101 freeway interchange. The off-white stucco exteriors of his buildings are coated with soot within days of completion. In 2003, he illegally bulldozed the last Victorian of Bunker Hill while building the Orsini, a few blocks from my house. Palmer is vehemently opposed to affordable housing and has spent tens of millions on lawsuits and ballot measures to ensure that he won’t have to build any. He recently settled a class-action suit over systematically keeping tenants’ security deposits. One of Trump’s biggest donors, he has bragged that his company hasn’t paid federal taxes in thirty years. In the fall of 2014, a fire was deliberately started in Palmer’s half-built and wood-framed Da Vinci, a block down from the Orsini. Flames shot higher than many buildings downtown, stretched a city block, melted freeway signs, and cracked one hundred and sixty windows in the iconic John Ferraro Building, headquarters of Water and Power. The consensus among architects, residents, and journalists was that almost anyone could have started the fire, given how many people hate Palmer. City commissioners joked, in a planning meeting, that they sure hoped everyone present had an alibi. The city sued Palmer for the reckless conditions that allowed the blaze to grow so large. The person who started it was caught and sentenced to prison. He supposedly did it for Michael Brown, to protest the police killings of unarmed black men. No one was hurt. The Da Vinci was promptly rebuilt.

“Why is Everything So Ugly?” wondered a recent editorial in n+1. The editors structured their thoughts on the subject around a Situationist-style dérive they take through New York City. They begin by pondering a new condominium tower limply called the Josh, which has been erected in place of a recently demolished hundred-year-old building. The Josh, they tell us, is made of plastic, concrete, and “an obscure wood-like substance”—materials that have been chosen not for quality and beauty but on the basis of global supply-chain availability, a cookie-cutter design review process, and a cost-saving preference for semi-skilled labor. The Josh is already looking shabby at five months old. When it rains, its façade gets “conspicuously . . . wet.” Their dérive continues past more than one Bank of America, alongside a vape shop, and into a theater, where a shitty franchise based on a TV show of a comic book is playing. After the movie, there’s a run-in with blindingly bright LED lights, resulting in a visit to urgent care.

Google reveals that the building the editors are calling the Josh is actually the Greenpoint—located, as you might guess, in Greenpoint, Brooklyn—but the Josh does more work to illustrate certain ideas than the real name might. I think I know eighteen Joshes. No offense to any of them; I too have a common name and would wager the Josh could have been called the Rachel in the blink of an eye. Still, the Josh has a certain sound when isolated as a branding mechanism, with its soft landing into sshh, whether put to service selling wine or machines for living. I chuckled about the Josh. It, or he, made me think of that guy Tom from MySpace, everyone’s first friend. I imagined Tom living at the Josh, enjoying an industrial salad at a particle-board table. But names are merely symptoms. They are not the cause of “the violence of the new ugliness” that the n+1 editors ponder. Branding arises from standardization. If the things that are made are more or less the same, difference itself must be manufactured.

The Situationists first began undertaking their dérives—which means to drift, to walk without a fixed plan—in response to a rail strike. Guy Debord and others tumbled drunkenly through the night, walking or hitchhiking, and found that the new routes they forged promised a change of orientation, a new outlook. In Debord’s autobiographical Panegyric, at a point in his life when he had lost hope in the city and headed for the hills, he regrets that a “flood of destruction, pollution, and falsification had conquered the whole surface of the planet, as well as pouring down nearly to its very depths.” (Had Debord, too, noticed how wet the Josh was looking?) Five years later he shot himself in the heart. It wasn’t just that everything was ugly and the revolution stalled, if not foreclosed. Alcohol had done him in.

I decided, on a recent afternoon, to conduct my own dérive, straight into the morass between my street and downtown. I left the house, took a right, another right, and then a left over the 101 freeway. If this overpass could talk, I thought. It might tell of the many women and the many nights of flinty bargains with men in cars. By daylight, it was empty. I turned left onto Temple Street, passing a hotel that abuts the 101, and a sun-blasted bus stop where my kid was let off in grade school, and from which he began conducting his own dérives. This block of Temple has a bakery, a liquor store, and until recently, D’Bongo Party Supplies, then falls into a post-human stretch: there is a tow yard, a recycling center, a cul de sac against the freeway where there was a tent encampment until it burned, and a huge and empty bus yard. That’s all on one side of the street. On the other is the massive retaining wall of a high school baseball diamond. The reason there is open land here, greenery, even if it’s chemically treated monograss beyond chain-link, is that this was an oil field, and it isn’t safe to put up buildings. (What look like lampposts around the field are actually vents that allow methane gases to escape.)

Beyond the baseball/methane field, I pass our own version of the Josh, but it’s called the Charlie. The Charlie is new. There used to be an auto repair and car wash here that was run by a family. Now there is a narrow eight-story building in “space gray” with a gaggle of red real estate balloons bobbing on the wind. I have driven past at night. The units are dark, while the Charlie’s eight-story “parking podium” glows meanly, prison-bright.

From the Charlie I cross the street toward a new Palmer monstrosity on a ten-acre site that used to be a Bank of America data center. Construction is not yet finished. The invasive palms that have been chosen as Palmer’s signature “lush Mediterranean landscaping” have just been trucked in and still have their fronds gathered into ponytails. Even with their fronds let down, they will provide no shade. There’s a giant piss-elegant fountain but it’s dry. now renting 2 months free + free parking, a big sign says. The name of this new addition to Palmer’s suite of Italianate freeway rentals is the Ferrante. Maybe the name came from his wife, a Parisian who seems a little more cultured than he is. Perhaps she’s a fan of Elena Ferrante’s books. I have no proof. I’m guessing.

We’ve been told for years now that Elena Ferrante is a fiction, a made-up name, like Tom, or the Josh. But someone is of course writing those books. Whoever they are, they’re talented, but the insistence on anonymity is starting to seem a little showy, even a bit tacky, if not as tacky as the Ferrante and its 1,150 units. I pass its blank row of street-level commercial spaces. Palmer won’t even try to rent them out. And apparently there’s no fine for leaving them empty. As an architect explained to me, he doesn’t build that income into his plans. Why should a developer care if there is street life? I turn left and walk under a highway overpass and approach the rangy back edge of our neighborhood CVS. What does CVS stand for? No one seems to know. Everything you might want to buy there is now locked up, and you have to press what feels like a panic button to get access to the shelves.

I cross through the parking lot, past a weird machine with a tower on it, flashing a blue light. This is some kind of automated security apparatus, but I’m not sure how it works. A barefoot boy asks me for a light. I don’t have one, I tell him.

Remember how outraged everyone was to discover that the author JT LeRoy, supposedly an ethereal rent boy/lot lizard, was actually a middle-aged woman? They acted like this was the ultimate con, something ugly and counterfeit masquerading as something genuine and tragic and hot. Meanwhile, Elena Ferrante is purporting to be a middle-aged woman. What if she’s a teen boy turning tricks in parking lots? I think, as I turn out of the lot and go right on Sunset.

I walk toward Palmer’s Orsini, which lines both sides of the street, all of its commercial space dark and empty and locked. There is no one here except one man in rags setting bits of trash on fire on the sidewalk. Is it Palmer’s fault that people are setting things on fire? It’s more complicated than that. But with no street activity, people act out. Or, their actions are starker, and less muted by a variety of people and vibrancies that a healthy street should reflect. At the end of this very long, sterile block is one other person, a young woman. Her arms are covered with injection scars. She seems not to notice me. She’s in a kind of Sisyphean struggle, attempting to push an e-scooter that is not activated, its wheels on lock.

The next day I drive back down this street, heading to pick up my son from music school. I spot the woman who tried to push the scooter. She’s still here, as if this bleak zone were her proving ground. Her shirt is off now, and she is throwing her half-clothed body against the brick exterior of the Orsini. But the building is constructed not to feel her, the street not to see her, and I barely see her myself, because my light is green.

While parts of the designed world might be ugly at any speed, it is only the slowness of traveling on foot that causes true discomfiture, by forcing a walker to behold, worry over, brood upon, those to whom this ugliness shouts loudest.

#essays

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mchiti · 8 months

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I actually dont know if Ziyech will be playing in this week but I can't wait to see him on the field soon. Okan Buruk does not want to use the new transfers immediately. (some are not fully prepared, some have injuries that need to be careful like that etc u know) Even one player not have a injury or something like that, he wants to be sure that he is full ready because he is fearing that he might be get injured in this field.

When Mauro cameback from vacation he didnt use him like 1-2 match (because Because he hadn't trained at all for 2 months.) but i think Icardi himself thought he should go out as 11, and as he was used to the team, he gave that confidence to Okan.

Tete was training with our U21 team, even he played with them on their match before he was able to join our fully training.

I think, from Okan's perspective we will wait for 1-2 weeks. Maybe we not. (I think Ziyech will be like Icardi. He's just lacking in training, but he's self-confident. He will give the confidence.) Maybe we can see him in team practice just after Molde.

That's absolutely great for the club to do that ❤️ Last year he played minutes here and there and was a starter a few times but then he was dropped completely at some point (more because of the club president's plans to start over and break with the old guard & the old ownership, you see how they bought 948372612 players and spent billions only to end up failing hard. As a player he was better than lots of them combined, he just didn't fit the club's plans anymore). So yeah, I feel like I haven't seen him in years but that's cause in the last 3-4 months of last season he wasn't playing. Also what club buys so many players to the point they leave actual players in the stands? 🙄 And he didn't do pre-season and had to train on his own so it does make sense he's training separately now. I hope Gala's fans will be as patient too bc it'll be worth it!!

I imagine when Icardi arrived it was kinda of a similiar situation for him, I remember all the shit with psg etc. I guess it's not easy neither quick for players to get back on a perfect form when stuff like this happens, but also think that Hakim did a whole world cup and played greatly without having constant time at his former club. He is a confident player for sure, always had that in him. But I think he's also an emotional player (the two things can coexist) and needs to click with the environment (which happened at ajax where felt the love and it happens with morocco cause he's always put on a pedestral by moroccans. he's vice-captain and he'll be the captain soon). I know it will happen with Gala because the vibe is just pure fire and as soon as everything clicks you (WE) will get to enjoy the best of him. 100%. But yeah I'd love to see him training with the club from next week inchallah ❤️

also ramos rumours are getting stronger right??? 👀

#asks

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truedairship · 11 months

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Tagged by @ladytharen a while ago (thanks love). It’s been hiding in my drafts for way way wayyy too long but I finally remembered to finish it.

Current top 5 songs

Not that I have the self control to stick to five since it depends on my mood and this kinda got out of hand and that’s why it took such time oops

Statements - Loreen

Both the original and the acoustic version are amazing and what keeps me going at times. For me the lyrics is very personal, and working in a high-stake job with no room for mistakes where there is an unavoidable competitive element us coworkers (and roommates!) in between, well… it’s… interesting, to say the least. This song is like that softest blanket in the house that you hide under to relax after a long day.

I adore the performance with the dancers representing Loreen at different stages in her life, and the part in the bridge with the old lady lifting her up… yeah. It is both comforting and hurts in the best ways okay. Sadly the performance was too dark and a bit to politically loaded for the general public to vote for so she didn’t make it to the finals in Mello that year.

Also yes I’m cheating Tattoo and Neon Lights are two of her many other songs that give me life. Tattoo is just visual heaven and Neon Lights is another comfort song. (The song is about this comfort persona that Loreen herself sometimes needs / wishes she was) Honestly if you are in need of comfort vibe songs check out all the music she’s made. And the music videos are always worth watching.

Lost Again - Kings Elliot

Such a vibe. All the lyrics is so painfully spot on. Another artist worth checking out bc wow. I have the very bad habit to shut down my emotions but those songs make you feel stuff and are a great way to let some of that steam out.

*sneaks in Bitter Tonic, ‘Til I Die and Someday, Somewhere as well.

Rainbow Connection - Sleeping at Last

Sleeping at Last is one of the artists I especially listen to when I’m sensory overloaded. The way the different sounds are combined makes my brain focus on hearing the details which can help me to calm down and stop myself from spiralling into a meltdown.

Honorary mention to Saturn, Neptune and Touch as well.

Girls - Marina

Sometimes you need to get some irritation out okay. And I cannot stand being around people who regularly have that “mean girls” behaviour. It drives me crazy.

Are you satisfied?, Oh No, Solitaire, Happy Loner and you know what? Check out her songs as well. The lyrics are always so spot on. She’s one of the artists I’ve listened to basically forever, and her music still feels so relevant and personal.

Fiction Feels Good - Loreen

Yes she gets one more bullet point okay. This one is made based on her three Mello entries (til that point). And yes. Once again. It’s the lyrics that gets me. The Arabic influence is an homage to her Moroccan culture, and I don’t know why but the feeling I get from all of it combined is comforting.

I’m not gonna tag anyone in particular in this since it’s being posted way after I was tagged myself. So instead I’ll just say whoever wants to do it, consider yourself tagged.

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soloorganaas · 2 years

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"red lips and rosy cheeks" - 13, 15, 7?

my beloved Italian romcom

7: Where did the title come from?

I usually come up with a title off the top of my head from a quote or snatchy symposis about the fic's theme, but this one totally stumped me bc I didn't have much of an idea beside fluffy sexy summer in Italy wolfstar. so I went to my default source for titles - swiftie - and obvs wildest dreams was perfect

13: What music did you listen to, if any, to get in the mood for writing this story? Or if you didn’t listen to anything, what do you think readers should listen to to accompany us while reading?

wildest dreams for the general vibe see above. BUT there is so much mizrahi music that gave me the inspiration for sirius's character i could for real make a whole playlist for him/this story

literally anything by nasrin kadri but especially albi ma'ak (lyric translation here but obvs the beauty of it is in the original language)

shni meshuga'im by omer adam PLS GO READ THESE LYRICS it literally means "two crazy people" and i stg some of the lyrics are actual scenes from this story (accidental and something i realised just now but that's how well the vibe fits)

la galana i la ma which is a ladino song by mor kabarsi which i ADORE. mor karbasi is persian-moroccan but she works on reclaiming ladino (traditionally sephardic) music because, as she says, 'the blood remembers' (aka her long ago ancestors were from spain) which CRY i could not relate to more

habib galbi by A-WA are an israeli yemeni sister trio. I reference them in chapter 4, and this is my fave song of theirs

chaim sheli by eden ben zaken this song is SO MUCH (lyrics here) it's definitely sirius in all his yearning for moony

i was honestly driving around listening to my mizrahi faves and was like... omg... this would make so much sense for sirius... and so that interpretation was born

15: What did you learn from writing this fic?

this fic started as a silly romcom to have fun with that i brought in a bunch of cultural/historical/linguistic things i know for more realism and its become a full self-recognition through the blorbo moment

like my version of sirius in this story i have a v mixed identity between england/europe/the mid east, switching languages depending on which of my loved ones i'm talking to, mixing and matching food/music/art etc. there are some v conflicting identities (conservative england vs israeli mizrahi for instance) and i felt for a WHILE that i had to pick one in some way, esp bc like sirius i grew up in a family with a long history and v firm identity which i wasn't supposed to shake (rip) although thankfully my parents are incredibly loving and kind. so yeah trying to be loyal to all of these parts of your history/culture/family whilst also going off and pursuing things you're passionate about, making friends who are different from where you came from, falling in love etc has always been incredibly difficult for me, and writing sirius do this definitely a lot more easily than me has helped me figure a lot of stuff out

i also learnt a bit of italian bc whilst i also speak 1000 dif languages italian tragically is not one of them. but now im doing my little duolingo lessons and reading harry potter e il prigioniero di azkaban lmao

#this turned into an essay #i have a lot of feelings about this story #narcissa-black-supremacy #otp: i'm mental about you #ch: we choose who we really are #hp

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