#<- youre so right! plus the “race” difference aspect

[ttkinnie]

Oh yes, please do write parents hantake, it's so cute! Plus with hanma being the more "caring" (laid back would be better. Kisaki wants to try online gambling and hanma is like sounds like fun!) one and michi being more stern because he's on the look about any "villain-like" behavior from kisaki + trying to stop hanma from killing the damn kid, it would be hilarious. Hanma having to face the demons of his own childhood as he's raising a little guy... Takemichi seeing himself reflected in that scared small boy, cowardly and pessimistic. Ouch my heart.

Those whump prompts saved my writing, THANK YOU for sharing them. Hehe it is, it's only going to get more fun when we get to writing. Listennn as much as I love this little guy, making him suffer is also my hobby. Chew toy. I was thinking of him putting explosives on the ship where hinata and her family are cruising on and making takemichi watch from the port, then trying to shoot him in the head. *blushes cutely*. I love your thunderstorm idea though bruh the cartoonish potential of kisaki just standing in piss-like rain and going back to his den like the ... fox villain in Dora the explorer. What was his name. Chippeur en francais. And omg the fire idea... you know that might just be better than the ship, because trying to figure out from where takemichi was going to watch was a buzzkill. Fire it is, and they're watching from outside. Kisaki... did something to alter communications and stop people from contacting the firefighters. Maybe it was a no phone evening? He planned the evening, with a no phone rule, in some place he knows hinata's parents like to go. A restaurant. And for the rest of Toman, something with Mikey's dark impulses would be *chef's kiss*. Not even using them, but maybe someone (ordered by kisaki) telling draken and the old founders who are loving normal lives that Mikey is feeling bad and losing control again, and they rush to one place to save him and bam! It's a trap. So technically it's Mikey's fault for worrying them so much and not giving them news of his well being.

I just like being contradictory ajdkfoef, making villains nice and good guys bad, and Hanma the goofy villain falling in love and having to be reasonable is hitting all the good spots. I have been starting these! Very slowly though, with the whole agitation of the server and life in general.

Omg yesss for dadchibana, that was my exact idea! Sir the boy you're trying to protect is the devil wearing clothes. He is going to murder your whole family.

You're so right about hinata and kisaki being the same though, I loooove that parallel about them. I had... totally forgotten about that quote, omg hina girl stand up?? She needs a senju in her life. It's urgent.

@gratuiciel ur tags hurt me (and I love that) I'm fascinated with depressed era hanma, the fact that he relaxed thinking that Kisaki got away! Only to find his corpse on the road. Keeps thinking about what he could've done, if he had hold on to the bike better, if he had spent less time fighting with draken, and yeah always looking back at these six (6!) months of his life where everything was so colorful and he took it for granted. Maybe the first time in his life where he actually (somewhat) cared about another human being, only to have it ripped out from him.

I always wondered how he came to be in bonten, especially as he wasn't that useful anyway. We joke about Hanma being just some guy at the end of the manga but there was something to be done with him that just didn't happen and it makes me sad. So many fanart of him going back into the past and meeting little Kisaki... I want to develop that idea cuz I feel like he would try to shape into the boy he remembers but at the same time he would be scared to death of something happening to Kisaki. Plus, with the kid not being lonely to death I doubt he would develop that same passion for Hinata. But even if Hanmas not a time traveller, just the idea of him taking revenge on Takemichi and Mikey in Bonten is just, chef's kiss. Wanna write something about that (girl who has 1384949 wips)

[thewertsearch]

EB: i would like to be culturally sensitive, but i wish it didn't have to be like that for you. […] AG: Well, thanks John. That's nice of you to say. 8ut let's face it, it doesn't fucking matter anymore, since our whole race was wiped out! […] AG: […] we'll never actually get to come of age and enter troll society, and see if we got what it takes. AG: 8ut that doesn't mean we stop growing up! AG: I think the game knows it's always gonna 8e played 8y kids, and it always rigs it so they enter right around the cusp of sexual maturity, whatever the race is. AG: Which kinda makes sense, since if they succeed, they've got their whole lives ahead of them to do whatever the hell they're going to do in their universe, like start repopul8ing and whatnot.

Vriska thinks that Sburb Players are always kids, because the game wants to give them more time to live in their universe. I'm a little skeptical, and not just because it de-canonizes my Homestucksona.

With the scale of what we’ve seen so far in the game, I didn’t expect a paltry concern like human lifespan to matter. With access to cloning, time travel and brain duplication, rejuvenating one's body would be trivial for a non-ascended Sburb Player, let alone a god of Life or Time.

AG: I really think how successfully they mature is tied to success in the game. It challenges the players in all the ways they need to 8e challenged to grow, which is different for every individual, and veeeeeeeery different for every race.

If Sburb absorbs the cultural standards of its Players, then I’m very happy we didn’t see the Quests that the game tailor-made for the Alternian Empire.

That would explain why we’ve never seen any troll Consorts, though. It's because they were conquered.

AG: I don't think we were so hot at that aspect of the game. In fact, I'm sure we were quite awful. Hell, even I wasn't that gr8 at it! I actually just kinda fell ass 8ackwards into the god tier, to 8e honest.

I wouldn't put too much stock into Sburb's idea of 'growth'. Its primary purpose is to propagate reality, and it's probably designed to mold you into someone well-suited to that task, regardless of your own desires. Your happiness and personal fulfillment is a secondary concern, at best.

Listen to what Sburb has to say, if you want - but take it with a huge pinch of salt. I doubt it has your best interests at heart.

AG: 8ut what really gets me is this didn't even occur to me until just now, while I was sitting around thinking a8out it. […] AG: That was why the game split us up into two teams. AG: It knew as we came of age, we'd pro8a8ly start killing each other. AG: So it just provided the stage. Red team vs. 8lue. It was so simple! All we had to do was what we were naturally inclined to. It might have worked out 8etter for us.

I don't agree with this take on the teams, either.

My interpretation is pretty much the opposite of Vriska's. I’ve always believed that the game pretended to split the trolls into teams, in order to trick them into joining one single cooperative group. If we assume propagation is Sburb's primary goal, then it must have concluded that this arrangement increased their chances of victory. In other words, the trolls are better together.

Plus, Sburb has never even hinted that the game can or should be played competitively. I think Vriska's just searching for reasons why everything's gone so wrong, and she's fallen back on Alternian conditioning again. Successful trolls kill, so her team must have failed because there weren't enough killings.

[meanbossart]

Just saw your latest patreon post and ugh— you're so right, Drow would've gotten away with so much murder, just beautiful.

On that note though, would DU Drow's opinion on other Drow and their society have been different if he had been a woman? His upbringing would've been a little different then, no?

Bhaal really dropped the ball there, can you imagine how much more he could have gotten done by being an arrogant woman instead of an arrogant guy LOL

But to your question:

A little, but not by much, really. (S)he would have been treated better but still left the home and the Underdark around age 10 after killing both her guardians. From that point on, culture at large would have instilled the drow stigma onto her the same way it did with the male version, plus the growing resentment of being constantly compared to a drow despite not perceiving herself as one.

She would be much more willing to weaponize her gender against male drow in the rare occasion she comes across them, but still in a way that mocks them for having that very tendency rather than owning up to the role completely - not too dissimilar to the way guy-DU drow uses his size and strength to differentiate himself from the dudes of the species, just slightly re-contextualized.

And I guess she wouldn't have such a strong reaction towards the females, since she wouldn't have been taught that she's beneath them and therefore has nothing to make up for. She'd still be equally distrustful towards them though.

It's important to remember that personal, direct experiences with drow makes for a Very Small Part of the reason why he doesn't like them. DU hates drow because he is perceived as one, and that has A) brought him a great deal of trouble growing up and b) feels insulting, since he feels so alienated from the race and superior to them in every sense.

You see, Male DU drow is very detached from his gender, and so, Female DU drow is too, which would be the only thing keeping her sex from getting to her head and giving her a vastly different perspective of the race attributed to her. I could remove that aspect of the character to arrive at a completely different outlook - but at that point we'd just be whole new guy under the same name 🤷‍♂️

[blchrsworld]

my heart just can’t be faithful for long | billie eilish x fem reader

synopsis. billie and you have been arguing constantly for some time now. after a night out, she starts an argument and you can’t take it anymore.

cw. arguing, verbal fighting, breakup, mentions of cheating, toxic relationship, angst

soundtrack. cry - cigarettes after sex

length. short

The night started nicely as Billie and you went out to party for one of your co-stars all up until a fight erupted between the two of you.

“It doesn’t fucking matter Billie – I never paid any mind to him once tonight!” With Billie following closely behind, you quarreled as you strode into the kitchen and angrily set your Chanel handbag on the counter. With an irate expression on her face, Billie placed her hands on either side of the countertop and said, "You are so full of shit." Her blue eyes met yours.

For almost four months, you and Billie had been having fights on a regular basis. Billie first accused you of cheating on her with your close friend, Jacob Elordi, who was also one of your co-stars in a recent film. Billie would obsess over the friendship, envisioning the worst case scenarios.

The relationship was not ideal because of long distance, especially since you were working on new tv shows and movies while Billie was working on her next album.

The anger that shot through you caused your face to flush, and you detested Billie for having provoked such a reaction in you over such a baseless accusation. Your eyes began to burn and well up with tears.

You confess in a nervous tone, concentrating on your nails to divert your attention from sobbing, "Billie, I can't do this anymore."

“What?” Billie asked in a sharp tone, glancing up at you as she noticed how exhausted you appeared.

When you lifted your head to gaze up at your partner of two years, you knew it was time to part ways. For now, anyway, until you two resolved your differences. You looked at Billie with a knowing expression in your eyes as a tear raced down your cheek and fell onto the dark wood countertop.

You could have sweared at that very moment that Billie's life was flashing before her eyes. She began to recognize herself and felt hopelessness creep in.

“No.” Billie spoke in an emotionless tone.

“Billie this needs to st-“

"No, no, no." Billie reiterated, at which point you sighed haltingly at her manners and closed your eyes, considering your next move and how it would affect your two-year relationship.

Your brain was warning you against giving in to her because, after all, she was the cause of the teary-eyed, restless nights. You now had a different perspective on yourself because of her. You were unsure if there was a problem with you for her to question your commitment. Although your brain was filled with a deep hatred for her, there was always a small part of you that could not help but love her.

Your heart.

That was the aspect of you that people noticed the most that was not physical. No matter how much your mind tried to remind you of the harm Billie had caused you, your heart was unable to stop loving her.

What made your heart explode was the little things about your relationship with Billie that no one else would see.

Like when she would lay her eyes on you, she would always have that sparkle in them. Or the fact that you would run out of room in your house when she would bring you flowers three times a week just because. She was always your plus one and never sought to usurp your attention, no matter what premier you had.

You walked around the counter and put your hand on hers, saying, "It's the right thing to do, Billie," but she withdrew her hand.

"It's Jacob isn't it?"

You rolled your eyes and scoffed at the remark, but you could understand her point of view and chose to stay calm. At last, her puffy red eyes looked up at you, and you croaked, "It's not him Billie, or anyone at all, it's the fact that you can't trust me anymore."

"I can fix it, we can fix it," Billie said, her eyes sad, as you returned the look with a shake of your head.

“I’ve tried — for the past four months already,” you retort with a distasteful look.

You were tired of Billie playing the victim and needed to leave this relationship.

You had never felt anything like this before, as your heart began to slowly break. Your chest started to fill with air more quickly than you could handle. You tried to knead your chest to ease the pain by placing your hand over your heart, but it didn't work. You had to leave Billie as the agony got worse and make your way to the living room.

It was when your body began to relax on the back of a couch that you broke completely. You silently started to cry, and you did so for what seemed like an eternity until you felt two arms encircle your shoulders and firmly grasp you.

Knowing it was Billie, you attempted to shake her off of you like she was a parasite, but your body was too weak from crying, so you just sobbed more in frustration when you realized there was no way to get rid of her.

“I’m sorry.”

You were filled with even more pain when she spoke those words, knowing that no matter how hard she tried to change things for the better, it would never work out. Although your thoughts strayed to all of your previous arguments and how mentally exhausted they left you, you still wanted to think that she could change for the better.

Billie withdrew and longingly gazed into your eyes as you sniffed, "You should go."

"I can't live without you Y/N," Billie vowed.

You cupped her face, wiping a tear from her cheek with your thumb, and said, "It's what's best for the both of us—you and I both know it."

Billie gazed into your eyes for a considerable amount of time, and for a long moment there was silence—it was like you two were communicating only by making eye contact.

“Goodbye Y/N.”

You refused to give Billie a glance and instead focused on your nails until you heard the front door close, which indicated that she had left.

You slept with a cold spot next to you and an empty mind after that, hoping that Billie would eventually own up to her mistakes and return to complete each other's lives...

[racinginchid3nt]

Honestly, I feel like there is more too it than Lance being scared for his seat. I deffo think that is a big factor and it must be mentally hard as well to see your team mate do so much better. But I feel like he has seemed off for a lot of the season, maybe he came back too soon from his surgery ( like Daniel has been off for so many weeks now. Lance was racing like 2 weeks after? ) maybe the lump by his ear was some sort of health scare ( or maybe it wasn't). Or maybe something completely different, but I feel like Lance normally comes across as quite calm and cool so I feel like for him to react like today there is something big.

I definitely agree. It’s been a rough year for him compared to previous, plus he was always closer to his fellow teammates point wise than he is Nando.

I think the fact that he had that ear thing bandaged for SO LONG is a bit concerning health wise. Obviously it could’ve been something small but as someone who’s had family with skin cancer and things, they weren’t even bandaged for that long so it seems a bit much for a small infection or cyst or whatever.

It’s probably at least partially stress. Combine the ear with the wrists and that’s a rough year for ANYONE much less for someone with a high stakes racing career who’s not doing great right now.

I will say I think there’s been a LOT more criticism this year of him than in any of the previous ones. He’s truly not a bad driver, he’s just not on par with Fernando. He won F3, got a podium as a ROOKIE, had a 4th place finish this season, and is still in 10th this season despite how rough the post break races have been for him. He was in 9th until last race where Oscar jumped him.

Idk if it’s because Fernando is there now so there’s more eyes (and his fans have been shown to be toxic I mean we all saw how they treated Lewis) or what but the fan comments have been BAD. The nepo baby aspect was always talked about but not like this. (And don’t get me started on my beef with the nepo baby comments in general bc I can go on about that one.) But getting THIS MUCH hate can’t be good on anyone regardless of how mentally tough you are

[unhingedsquidtm]

Veilguard CC Details from Game Informer that I really liked:

First off, if you haven't read the article yet I'd highly recommend it, it's free. Fair warning, there are some early game spoilers in there, I won't be covering those here.

Onto the CC

The Veilguard's character creator is "staggeringly rich, with a dizzying number of customizable options." They've also said that inclusivity is at the heart of it, and that anyone should be able to create a character that represents them through the CC. This is so important!!!

Apparently you can customize so many details that you couldn't before, it's not just "Pick a preset and modify" anymore, there's no base body shape. Do you realize how easily that fixes the issues of not having the right body for your character? Say goodbye to making your ocs conform to presets!

And, also, there's nudity in Veilguard. Your private parts can also be adjusted. Do with that info what you will.

Another thing I really liked was that they've got different pitches for the voices you can pick, to really pick the perfect sound for Rook. I don't know about you, but I've definitely been in a position where I've loved a voice option but would have preferred a slight adjustment.

My favourite part about the entire article though is the Camera! The camera adjusts based on character height to really set in the size of the world from Rook's perspective, whether you see it massive from a short character, or practically tower over the world with a tall one. This is a massive plus for immersion, I'm in love with this.

You'll really, I mean really, get to see the world from Rook's perspective, and aside from the fact that the world already reacts to your faction, race, and/or background, height is a very interesting perspective (ha) to include. It really makes you feel like you're in the world and it knows you're there.

From everything I've been reading and hearing about this CC is that it's going to be one of—if not—the best CCs we've seen in a video game in a long time, and certainly the best from Bioware, period.

All that being said, none of these is nearly enough to cover every single aspect of the CC from the article so definitely go read it, it's a treat.

[nopenototdaysatan]

Me just over here wondering to myself I wonder what would happen if my lalafell warrior of light met the links from Linked universe....

Chaos insued:

First thought on my mind is size. My "this is the tallest I can make for his race" lalafell is probably four size. I can only wonder at them seeing someone older than four who is still four's size. It would really put into perspective his shortness.

Second thought: If my wol dance partnered four and then four used the four sword to split, what would happen? I've determined that that 2 minute buff window would become more like an 8 minute buff window. But also what if the dance partner attribute almost keeps four from splitting as if the ability doesn't want to have more than one user and will keep you from that to the best of it's ability.

Third thought: Time and legend looking at the dark Knight lore as if the dark Knight power source makes the most sense and in some way they want it.

Fourth thought: Everyone freaks out when Scholar!wol summons Eos or Selene. You cannot tell me that all of them wouldn't be somewhat concerned by a fairy appearing out of nowhere from someone not of their world. They then become very concerned when it's revealed where we place our fairies in battle. (Death comes to any who place a fairy under the boss while with the chain)

Fifth thought: Hyrule and a wol vibing together from having friends who were "sleeping" for hundreds of years.

Sixth thought: wild and the wol vibing over exploring new places.

Seventh thought: I wonder what would happen if you just let the chain fuck around with your soul crystals(changes your job in FFXIV).

Addendum kinda wanna give fun and interesting classes to them all. This is less about their abilities and more about the chain having fun.

Legend- Red mage: legend should absolutely be given the right to both sword and magic. He would also look perfect in the red mage's armor.

On the other hand a black mage who refuses to use thunder is hilarious. Everyone else in a dungeon gets pissed off legend won't use his dot.

Hyrule: Blue mage- Chaos time! Let Hyrule both heal and cause massive damage. Also, why wouldn't I give him the job that requires you to learn spells from monsters. It's probably where he learned most of his skills from.

Twilight: monk- kinda boring but his fists are rated teen for violence. Beast master: we don't have this job yet but it is coming so that could be my second option. Would friend every animal and then be confused when they have violence in their eyes when anything tries to attack him.

Time: Dark knight: this man would absolutely use his trauma to become better at saving people. Am I wrong????

Warriors: Paladin- but let's make it fun and make him self sacrifice by having him always use cover (takes 100% of damage from a chosen party member) on his party members...even when they are already using their own shields.

Sky: Warrior- I never wanna see this man pissed off. On a more vibe aspect: Bard- just let him play his harp till the enemies stop coming.

Wind: Ninja- shut up, I know he's pirate themed and I should give him a gun but who else but wind could have a bunny of "you missed up your mudras" and make that look cool. Plus I wanna let him go fast.( Ninja's have the highest speed.)

Wild: Blue mage: Again, the monsters taught him how to fight after waking up again. Second option: Gunbreaker- fusing. Enough said. (Gunbreaker also has the highest damage ceiling of all tanks. Of course I'm giving one of the best dpsing tanks to the link who takes on lynels for fun.)

Four: machinist- no one else fits the machinist's goal of creating new and better weaponry than four. All of the different mechanisms you use to fight as a machinist just fit fours need to build and create.

Addendum for colors:

Green: viper- wanted to give him a sword plus it looks fairly swooshy from the trailer (secondary option dragoon: let my second wimdy boi fly with those jumps)

Red: black mage- fire only. Everyone keeps telling him to use ice but he refuses especially when playing with blue. Second option: Pictomancy! - let red draw his way to victory.

Blue: Warrior- he deserves to have a big axe and this way he can use his anger to help bolster his damage.

Vio: Bard- but not your stereotypical bard no, Vio is singing or reciting old takes of wars and myths. He'll use all the darkest old tales to win a fight.

(Shadow[I just wanna give him a pretty weapon.]: Dark knight: emotionally he fits it very well but Reaper: a play style that has the coolest movement ability and lots of cool effects. He likes acting like he's actually death coming for people.

Kinda wanna do all the Zelda's......)

Either thought: if the chain played FFXIV what would happen? Legend would get every class as soon as he could and then level them all to Max first. He's also on the grind to get every single achievement. May his soul rest in peace.

Sky would spend so much time crafting. Main quest? No. Side quest? No. Carpentry class quest? Yes. (He also is one of those players who stands in one of the city states and plays music for others.)

Time and twilight have their fishing class at mat lvl and regularly do ocean fishing to relax.

Wild does ultimates for fun. He also has the best glams (don't tell wars) out of the chain.

Hyrule has all of the sight seeing locations done for every expansion. He likes to go and get lost in the new locations of every expansion. It takes him at least a week longer than everyone else to finish the main content due to this.

Four: most recent crafting recipes and island sanctuary (he's here to make cool shit and relax) I could see him also enjoying the tribal quests as well.

Warrior: the most mentor to mentor out of all mentors. He does the mentor roulette for fun the poor bastard.

Wind: rps with his friends. They have a rp going on in Limsa about a land flooded by the gods.

(I think that's all of my FFXIV x Linked universe hyperfixation, for now at least. CX

[sinigangsta-ao3]

Top 10 Films (plus a bunch of honorable mentions)

Much love and gratitude to @onigiri-dorkk for the tag! This was so much fun to do and (not going to lie) lightweight stressful 😅

So, real talk. One of the most challenging questions I get asked is What is your favorite movie?

Why? Because I freaking love movies. SO MUCH. I'm certain that there is some nostalgic piece to it: watching movies as a child was always a joyful activity, and — as my siblings and I grew up — family outings to the movie theatre were highlights of our summers.

(Now that I think about it, it probably has to do with the fact that my family came from limited means: spending time at the movies was a lower-cost option for us to escape reality, especially when we weren't able to go on vacations like my peers did. But I digress.)

Anyways, I LOVE MOVIES. As a visual medium, as a storytelling device. I will give almost any movie and any genre a chance (yes, even horror and extreme gore, although I have to really build myself up to get in the right mindset to watch it). I love learning about the filmmaking process, from the movie's technical aspects, to the nuances of its cinematography, to the director's and actors' psychological mindsets when approaching the film's creation. And nothing gives me more joy than being able to talk at length about movies I've watched with other people (watching and talking about movies together is probably my husband's and my shared love language, now that I think about it).

So, after spending a lot more anxious energy than I anticipated behind building this list, here are my top 10 films (plus a bunch of honorable mentions).

(Side note: I've listed them in alphabetical order because, while I've solidified that these are — indeed — my favorite 10 films ever, please do not ask me to stack rank them because it would be like asking me to pick my favorite child. I just love them all in their own ways, for very different reasons 😭)

—

Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)

This film made me feel every emotion on the spectrum. I laughed. I cried. I clutched my chest in fear. I whooped. I was, ultimately, astounded at every minute. The mechanics of the multiverse are so unique, but — honestly — what I loved most was the fact that I actually felt seen, like my lived experience was depicted on-screen for one of the first times in over 30 years. I saw my parents in Waymond and Evelyn; I saw myself in Joy. And seeing my own emotional truths reflected back to me was enough to cement this as one of my favorite movies I've ever watched.

—

Get Out (2017)

I am usually not one to sit through horror movies (while I will give everything a chance, it takes a bit more effort to convince me, especially if it has horror elements). But THIS ONE...! Disclaimer: I am a non-Black person of color. But growing up in the U.S., one becomes viscerally aware (or not, depending on your vantage point and privilege) of race and how it influences even the seemingly most innocuous interactions between racial groups. I loved how Peele was able to take everyday microaggressions and tease them out into true racialized horror — it's the one horror movie that I gladly return to!

—

Jurassic Park (1993)

One of my comfort movies that really shouldn't be a comfort movie, lol. True, there are some plot holes. But I adore this film and its commentary on the rapid progression of technology, ethics in science, power, dominion, and the very real human folly of trying to control something that is beyond our understanding. Dr. Ellie Satler is the GOAT. And I still get chills when they first see the brachiosaurus with that John Williams score playing in the background.

—

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

I remember that my husband wanted to watch this, and that I was a bit "meh" about it. And then, when we left the movie theatre, I was FLOORED by how much I enjoyed this...! In truth, I came in thinking that it was going to be a complete "sausage fest," but it completely subverted my expectations. It touches on a lot of themes that I gravitate toward in stories that I both consume and write: freedom, redemption, community, the fight against oppression. This entire movie was an adrenaline rush, and — once I saw that flame-throwing electric guitarist shredding across the barren desert — I knew that this world and its visuals would stick with me forever.

(side note: this is also why I'm unhealthily invested in @astyraea's warlord eremika AU, "i killed the sun for you." read it if you haven't yet!)

—

The Matrix (1999)

A freaking sci-fi cinematic classic! Yes, the visuals and special effects are groundbreaking. But what really sticks with me with this film (and why it's in my top 10) is the foundational exploration of reality and the tension between free will and predestination, between nature and nurture. Honestly, I do think that the messianic allegory gets a little unruly as the franchise progresses — but this first movie alone continues to shake me to my core.

—

Mean Girls (2004)

Would I even be a millennial if this movie wasn't on my list? Sure, there are jokes that are now problematic. But, in general, this movie is one of the most formative films of my peer group/my generation. It's our equivalent of "The Breakfast Club" or "Fast Times at Ridgemont High." I still quote it incessantly. I still always giggle when I wear pink on Wednesdays or when October 3rd comes along. But, most importantly, it just makes me laugh. And reminds me of simpler times in my life.

—

Moulin Rouge! (2001)

Seeing the majority of the movies on this list so far, you'd probably think that I'm an action and/or sci-fi movie junkie. Which, sure, I do love a great action flick. But, in my heart of hearts, I am a musical theatre kid, and the one movie musical that I adore wholeheartedly is "Moulin Rouge!" The forbidden romance! The odes to creativity and poetry and love! The absurdly lavish sets and costumes! The Broadway-fied pop tunes!! Add on the tragic ending (spoiler, but c'mon - this movie is over two decades old), and it's the perfect mix of all my favorite outlandish tropes in one movie.

—

My Cousin Vinny (1992)

Okay, this one may seem out of left field, but this is truly a movie that I never get sick of. I remember that my dad put it on for my family one random evening when I was a teen, and it has stuck with me since. Not only is it hilarious (Joe Pesci's brazenness works seamlessly here), but it is also a surprisingly poignant exploration of how bias affects the U.S. justice system. ALSO, Marisa Tomei as Mona Lisa Vito is PERFECTION. Yes, her wardrobe is TO DIE FOR. But, more importantly, her climactic witness testimony as a "general automatic expert" is a beautiful middle finger to misogynistic assumptions everywhere.

—

Ratatouille (2007)

I love Disney, and I love Pixar. So the fact that this is the only Disney and/or Pixar movie in my top 10 is kinda mind-boggling. But "Ratatouille" is BY FAR my favorite Pixar film, to this day. I realize that I am very much drawn to the story of the underdog, seeing how they're able to accomplish their dreams when systemic realities prevent them from being able to do so. A rat as a chef?! The concept itself is so silly, yet so charming. And the fact that he overcomes the "villain" (the "evil" food critic) by cooking him something so heartwarming it reminds him of home?! Ugh, it warms my heart and my tummy rumble with hunger just thinking about it.

—

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

Okay, I know there are a lot of Marvel superhero movies out there, and I love them all in their own way. But none — NONE! — come close to the genius that is "Into the Spider-Verse." Technically speaking, the animation is BREATHTAKING, so seamlessly blending different styles as all the different universes converge. And the attention to detail just blows my mind! (One of my and my husband's favorite behind-the-scenes facts is that, until Miles fully embraces his powers, he's animated at a frame rate of 12fps, while the rest of the movie is animated at 24fps. This slight difference depicts him as slightly choppier, "less refined" than the rest of the universe, until he truly "becomes" Spider-Man — the scene in the above GIF is the first moment when Miles is also animated at 24fps.) Plus, while I love Peter Parker and the myriad of iterations that have come up over the past decades, it was really refreshing to see Miles Morales' story being told — and diverse representation is always a plus for me.

—

Runner-Ups for Top 10:

(I'm including these here because I literally kept going back and forth for maybe 30 minutes to figure out where they should sit in my top 10 😭)

10 Things I Hate About You (1999): the superior 90s teen movie and modern-day Shakespeare adaptation

Pride & Prejudice (2005): my ultimate comfort movie; this is what romance is

—

Honorable Mentions:

(These are other movies that came up as I was thinking through what films I love. I warned you at the beginning: this was a very difficult exercise for me to do lol, and I am just way too damn indecisive to fully commit haha.)

(500) Days of Summer (2009): amazing nonlinear storytelling and excellent subversion of the manic pixie dream girl trope

Atonement (2007): the tragic romance! that green dress! the library scene!!!

Bridesmaids (2011): raunchy comedies are my guiltiest pleasure, and I especially love them when the women are messy and problematic with minimal judgment

Clueless (1995): highly quotable, hilarious yet earnest; plus, young Paul Rudd as the goofy former stepbrother with whom she falls in love <3

The Dark Knight (2008): I love many, many, MANY superhero movies, but this will forever remain the blueprint for a top-tier, live-action superhero movie

The Devil Wears Prada (2006): a staple of the mid-2000s; the wardrobe STILL lives in my mind rent-free, and the Meryl Streep-Anne Hathaway-Emily Blunt trifecta is unmatched

The Little Mermaid (1989): while this may not be the most progressive movie, it is so magical — this was little Nina’s favorite (and Howard Ashman did that with the soundtrack)

Tangled (2010): a criminally underrated Disney Animation Studios movie, honestly; love this movie for many reasons, but ESPECIALLY the lantern scene and Mandy Moore as a Disney princess

When Harry Met Sally (1989): a rom-com classic and, truly, the ultimate template of friends to lovers and slow burn love

[1d1195]

Hi Sam my love!! I know I’ve been gone for a bit but for once life has been super busy! I’ll explain later obviously lol (also I fear this will also be a part one of two ask lol)

Bestie when I tell you I SCREAMED WHEN I SAW YOU MENTIONED AUDIO PORN BAHAHAHHAHA OMG absolutely obsessed with how your train of thought led you to that 😂

It’s probably just the blindness speaking tbh! Idk all I know is if given a chance even with a mullet I WOULD TAKE IT HAHAH plus I can’t say shit when I literally have a fuck ass bob rn soooo yeah HAHAH and omg look we all have different hair types and routines so honestly if it works for you and you like it then that’s all that matters lol plus finding the proper hair care/routine is TOUGH bc scalp stuff is involved and like hair types too lol plus i TOTALLY feel you about the hair washing aspect! My hair luckily doesn’t get greasy if I don’t wash it BUT I simply will not feel good or “clean” if I don’t wash it lol

SAM WDYM WE ALREADY MET THE HARRY WITH THE BREEDING KINK?!? BESTIE?!?😭😭😭😭 you have no idea the way my mind is RACING to figure out who!!! Like realistically I think all of them lowkey would bc they are obsessed with their MC BUT I feel like some just radiate that vibe more than others if that makes sense lol

Oh I’ve tired the Quinn app and the Dipsea app and cannot lie I was pleasantly surprised!! (Btw there’s nothing wrong with indulging in that too!) and the plots are honestly so good?!? Like I had low expectations the first time I tired it but these plots kinda go crazy in a good way lol love that these audios have inspired you!

I genuinely believe any route you would have taken you would genuinely be so good at it!! Given like your strong work ethic and the way you do get things done, i wouldn’t be surprised if you thrived in it! You’re teaching AP calculus this year right(I’m so sorry if it’s wrong 😭) so anything AP is kinda hell in general so the fact that you aren’t too exhausted from teaching is good at least! I’m glad this year’s group isn’t too bad and HOPEFULLY it will stay that way!!! I’m always sending you the best vibes and I hope things will stay pretty calm for the rest of the school year💗

The shimmery dress is a bit out of comfort zone but the fabric is just so top tier and it was a STEAL for the price so I’m super excited! Awww Sam you have no idea the smile I had on my face while reading this!!! THIS IS BIG!! It makes me so happy that you’re finding your vibe and style!!! It’s so nice and fun to find things you actually like to wear and feel good about it! And the fact your students notice it like thats so adorable! Especially since kids are super honest sometimes so I don’t think they are fucking with you lol and honestly some people just are so naturally good with their own personal style and they are so lucky!

Truly loved that spin you did for Sunflower! Thought it was really cute!! Also the way I’m not even surprised that you have all these drafts outlined/planned lol like it’s very you thing to do and I mean this in the nicest way possible way! I love that about you bc I wish I could be that organized!

I support any check in tbh! Like you know I’m basically a Stan for all of them it’s crazy lol I typically have so many questions and not because you don’t do a good job or anything! I’m just a curious person lol miscommunication tropes are always so painful but I’m a good way!! But honestly idk why angst always comes to mind for certain couples lol

ALSO BESTIE WHAT ABOUT THE MADE TO BE COUPLE?!?? I saw someone get hit with a baseball(don’t worry they’re fine lol) and it reminded me of them!! And I kinda miss them like how’s their life now? Did the delivery go okay? How’s life changed with the baby?! Any insecurities popping up about being good parents???? Anyways maybe it’s time for a re-read lol

Hopefully October can be manageable at least! So please don’t feel pressure to post anything if you simply can’t do it! -💜

I would sell my soul for mullet Harry. I would probably shave it off once present but still. I would sell my sould.

HEHEHEHEHE You're honestly so right about the breeding kink 😭 they probs all have one. This one I've mentioned before and I think you've commented on but I like the idea of it being a surprise kinda? I'm sure it'll be obvious once I write it.

I haven't heard of Dipsea. Seems like it would be up my alley though... 🤭 Totally nothing wrong with it. It's hot af but I think it's funny I like the plot more than sex part of things (naturally) 😂 y'all get smut from me like once a month and it almost always coincides with I'm ovulating 💀 whoops. OH WELL at least I'll stay inspired long after everyone is done hearing about Harry (which I hope is never).

AP Calc is new to me this year and AP Stats as well (old news though, this is my fourth year). I am LOVING AP Stats because now I know what I'm doing, but Calc is really throwing me for a loop. I love Calculus (nerd alert, I know) so I want to be good at teaching it. I'll get there I'm sure :)

I bet the shimmery dress is going to look stunning on you! Getting it for a steal is also almost better than the dress itself. I think I've always had a very basic style but I like colors and flowers so it's fun to play with a little. You're right about the honesty. My kids tell me all the time I look tired and I'm like "ten out of fourteen of you have asked me to go to the bathroom in the last fifteen minutes and I haven't been able to ask what (x + 4, y - 2) means without being interrupted; of COURSE I'm tired." I'm a lucky teacher, my students seem to genuinely enjoy my presence. If one of them tells me I look "bad" it would be like if a friend told me I had food stuck in my teeth 😂

If I don't right my idea down it's *poof* bye and then y'all will have to wait ten to fifteen business days for it to reappear.

Angst is really fun to write tbh. Gets the plot moving. My next check in is super mushy. Like 0% angst and it's so cute, like I thoroughly enjoyed it but obviously without angst we don't have a storyline.

You know I had an idea for them the other day! Maybe I'll have to revisit them. I had a fun little idea unrelated to yours so maybe now I'll have two (heading to my drafts to write it down before I forget!) I also have another teacherry idea as well. Gotta write that down too!

Hopefully 🤞

See you in part 2!

xoxo

[the-firebird69]

We do have a large project starting today it's very big and it has to do with one of the things we've been talking about it is construction it's a particular aspect of it we did start the water and sewer no that's what we're starting now. It is massive and we have contracts now and that's why we have to start it we have 10 contracts and they are gigantic they're much larger than we said it's not true but they're huge and they're in city areas and they're to process sewer and we are going to start hiring now. We are also hiring people of ours to try and get into sports and keep on saying we can't do anything they want us to be like the clones. And a son and daughter say we have to have sports and we can be mixed in with the teams from the states that are out in the Midwest and upper Midwest and it's true how it goes is probably going to be very tricky but really they're just smaller people they'd say after a while. We're gonna start doing that and for racing too. This project is gigantic it's going everywhere 10 huge projects one of them is in New England it's not Deer Island it is near it it's not spectacle of course there is not it's not an island it's a peninsula and it's north of it he sort of knows the area south of Somerville pretty far south you'd have to look but he knows where it is there's a certain name for it he says he's been there and he used to build battleships and ships there and that's where it is and they call it the North Shore but this is a particular part of it. it is vast and it is our job as Morrison Knitson and they've been planning to do it for a long time they're digesters they have a weird shape there's new methods we want to employ so won't take thousands of years and we want to get up there and get going on it. We have nine other projects of this magnitude that treatment system will treat the entire city plus they expect an influx we are going to go ahead with it momentarily so we are assigning people up for duty there's other places too of course one of them is San Francisco believe it or not they have different crews there this facility is enormous it's 10 times the size of Boston and it has Humongous Digestors that are 10 stories high we are going to start that on Monday water treatment facilities that we have 300 very large ones for 300 areas and cities and about 10,000 medium and 200,000 small ones all over the world and we're setting up emergency water filtration systems in many many areas right now

Olympus

All those available for this duty who feel that they want to sign on we accept people who have done any job please do so now this is an emergency project and we need personnel. All those who are not signed on who wish to work on these projects please do so now. Our people get sick too we need your help on Earth

[scentedsstuff]

The Love Con

By Seressia Glass

Rating: 1/5⭐️

DNF at 60%

I wanted to give the romance genre a try, I really did, but somehow I came out of this perhaps even more sure that romance isn't the genre for me, and possibly never will be.

*Quick disclaimer/heads up: This book does have spicy/steamy scenes

Quick Plot Summary:

The Love Con finds our main character Kenya as a contestant on the reality cosplay competition show ‘Cosplay or No Way.’

She’s made it to the finals and is one challenge away from not only establishing herself in this industry but also proving to her parents that this was the right choice for her, that she could do this.

The next challenge is unlike the rest, it’s a duo challenge. When faced with the reality of the challenge Kenya names her long time best friend Cameron as her partner, which is no shock to Cam, the real surprise comes when Kenya announces on live TV that Cam just so happens to be both her best friend and boyfriend to the shock of both everyone they know as well as Cam himself.

What follows is a story which dives into the more technical side of cosplay, the pressures of both societal and familial expectations, the micro-aggressions faced by a woman who is both black and plus sized as well as the complications of falling in love with your best friend.

Thoughts:

I can see how this might appeal to fans of the romance genre, especially those looking for more modern and diverse stories. It’s packed with romance, romantic tropes, pop culture references and all the cheesiness to go along with it, but me personally, I couldn’t get into any of it.

However, not all was lost so let’s start with what I did like about the book:

1) The Dual POV.

If you’ve got dual POV in a book that is immediately one thing I like about the book already. I enjoy getting to see a situation from both perspectives and in this case it’s getting to see how their relationship develops.

2) The exploration of what it’s like to want to pursue an artistic career especially when you're family aren't as supportive

I get this, I understand the feeling of not wanting to voice your interest in more artistic fields especially when your parents only see value in anything but that. I appreciated getting to see this explored in the book, especially through the main character.

3) The way the interracial romance was handled

I like the way the author handled the fact that this was an interracial romance. By this I mean that it was acknowledged that it was such but then the story goes on because it is first and foremost just A ROMANCE regardless of who is involved, which as a black girl I love to see. I’ve found in a few books that the race aspect is heavily focused on at times and that can get annoying. If it’s in a book set in a time where this aspect of the relationship would greatly affect it, I can understand that but nowadays I think we can have romances that focus solely on the romance that just so happen to involve two people from different backgrounds.

Now for the things I didn’t like:

1) It reads as very YA and not in a good way.

These two were supposedly adults but it all read as very YA. I cringed a lot at the dialogue between them which I don’t think helps as the two romantic leads. Once anything resembling dirty talk was introduced, I WAS OUT.

2) The pacing of the romance

This book utilises both the friend's to lovers trope and the fake dating trope which in this case meant a lot of miscommunication. I get it, there has to be some drama and the characters can't just immediately resolve it (which I can appreciate) but it was getting well past halfway in the book and these two were still lost, heck, I WAS LOST! The pacing was just too slow when it came to the romance which is supposed to be the main event here.

Besides that I couldn’t bring myself to really care about the romance/relationship in the first place. I read hoping that with each page I would grow to like the characters more and be invested in their stories but instead I felt mostly indifferent. As a result of this, other events and situations in the book regarding the main characters failed to matter as much. This included the whole situation regarding Kenya and her parents (even though I can understand where she’s coming from), the relationship drama etc.

The reality cosplay competition itself took a bit of a back seat for a while before being brought back but by then any interest for the book had slowly dwindled.

So, suffice to say, I took a chance on a romance book and things just didn’t work out.

[translations-dark-matter]

Living as an Extra in an Omegaverse novel

Chapter 23

Until now, Se-hyeon believed that there was no better boss than Shin Tae-oh.

First and foremost, the most important aspect was money. The salary was higher than other places, and performance bonuses were also provided. Not to mention the additional allowances for work outside regular hours. The salary was so good that even if Se-hyeon stuck by Shin Tae-oh's side 24/7, laughter would naturally emerge.

Next, it was great that the boss wasn't a strange person. Shin Tae-oh himself was a decent human being.

Moreover, as Shin Tae-oh was a celebrity, the perks that came with it were considerable. The items bought as gifts for Jin-ha ended up being quite valuable. Plus, there was the joy of being able to watch the original performance from the front row, which added to job satisfaction.

Until just five minutes ago, that was the case. Se-hyeon truly loved it to the point where he wanted to make it his lifelong job...

"I want to run away."

The desire to quit intensified.

Se-hyeon couldn't hide his flushed face as he pondered how to respond to the words I had just uttered.

"Because of me, Se-hyeon's heart raced."

Should I say that it's normal for a person's heart to race because they're human?

"If I hadn't said it, you would have never known."

Se-hyeon bit his lip. It seemed he had heard it, and he didn't think twice about how embarrassing it would be for me if he had. Seeing him smiling so happily, it was infuriating.

"Well, everyone has different things that make their heart flutter."

"Where... on earth did you learn such words?"

I wondered where I had picked up those cringe-worthy words.

"Um, well…"

When Shin Tae-oh pointed somewhere, Se-hyeon quickly turned his head. And as soon as he saw it, he understood.

"Advertisement."

It was the company's promotional slogan, carefully chosen to leave a lasting impression for the apartment brand they were working on.

-Where everything becomes a point of excitement, right at your home.-

"Boss."

After confirming what had happened, it was now Se-hyeon's turn to speak.

"I will accurately explain what I felt."

"Do you know your own heart well?"

"It's mine, so I know it well."

"Is that so? I didn't know..."

Se-hyeon was determined to express his feelings, asserting his perspective to Shin Tae-oh.

Se-hyeon had the impression that Shin Tae-oh's murmurs grew heavier, likely due to the subdued look in his eyes. Se-hyeon pretended not to hear for a moment, as it seemed like a continuation of the story Shin Tae-oh had been telling. For now, he wanted to convince him of what had happened earlier before hearing about Shin Tae-oh's situation afterwards.

"I have three desires."

"Desires?"

One of Shin Tae-oh's eyes twitched as if questioning what kind of nonsense Se-hyeon was talking about. Suppressing the thought that closing one eye seemed oddly sensual compared to both eyes squinting, Se-hyeon continued.

"Appetite, the desire for sleep, and..."

He deliberately excluded one desire that Shin Tae-oh could anticipate.

"The desire for recognition."

"The desire for recognition..."

Se-hyeon's words hung in the air as Shin Tae-oh processed them.

"That's right. I think the desire for recognition played a role because I received praise from you. That's why my heart raced."

Se-hyeon didn't avoid Shin Tae-oh's gaze, emphasizing that there was absolutely no other meaning behind his words. Believe me. If he didn't believe this, Se-hyeon didn't know if he would go home and start writing a resignation letter.

In truth, the desire for materialistic things was even stronger than the desire for recognition, but he kept that a secret, deep within himself.

"I definitely understand the appetite part."

Shin Tae-oh murmured as he slurped up the soup from his ramen. It was only then that Se-hyeon realized they were in the middle of a meal and picked up his spoon.

"I've finished my explanation."

"Alright. Eat up."

Shin Tae-oh crossed his arms and pointed at the ramen before Se-hyeon could put it in his bowl.

"Aren't you going to eat?"

"...I should eat."

Seeing Se-hyeon unfold his arms, Shin Tae-oh poured some of the ramen into his bowl as well. Two ramen servings were indeed not enough from the beginning.

As Se-hyeon was about to take a bite after pouring some into his own bowl, he felt a gaze directed at him and lifted his head.

"Why are you like that?"

"Can you just pick one?"

"Please explain."

"Cat, dog, cute, not cute."

The common mention of 'cat' caught his attention. Had I ever revealed my fondness for cats?

"What's the matter?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"I want to give a nickname to the cat."

A cat, huh?

Se-hyeon nodded his head. The nickname I had given to Shin Tae-oh was 'Shin Tae-oh + Seungnyangi,' which was quite elaborate.

"Then I'll go with 'Bulnyangi'."

[TL note: Fiery Kitty, "불냥이" (bulnyangi) from "불" (bul) meaning "fire" and "냥이" (nyangi) meaning "cat."

For some reason, I liked the rough pronunciation of it.

"So, the secretary likes that."

Seeing Shin Tae-oh nod as if understanding, Se-hyeon turned away. There was no need to delve into the details of what it meant.

***

Now that all the tasks were completed, Se-hyeon could go home. However, something unexpected came up.

"Why on earth are you giving me a ride?"

Se-hyeon asked, puzzled by the sudden offer.

"Because you've always given me a ride."

Shin Tae-oh explained that he wanted to give Se-hyeon a ride home. Se-hyeon was taken aback and tried to decline several times, but he couldn't break Shin Tae-oh's persistence.

As usual, Se-hyeon's place was in the passenger seat, but the driver was not a chauffeur but his boss. Se-hyeon couldn't just casually turn his head in that direction due to the discomfort it caused.

"Did I really like Jin-ha that much?"

Shin Tae-oh's words echoed in Se-hyeon's heart. It was a heavy feeling that settled somewhere in his chest upon hearing those words.

Until now, Se-hyeon had known and happily observed Shin Tae-oh's fondness for Yoo Jin-ha. While Shin Tae-oh sympathized with Jin-ha and carried out tasks for him, Se-hyeon faithfully performed his own assignments.

"Order a cake and send it."

"Understood."

As expected, Yoo Jin-ha declined, and Se-hyeon informed Shin Tae-oh about it.

"What should we do?"

"Can the cake be refunded? Just let the staff members have it."

"Understood."

The chocolate-covered coffee beans that fell in between were also very sweet and delicious.

"Why are you looking at that watch? Is it pretty?"

He just glanced at it.

"Send that to Jin-ha too."

Se-hyeon knew Jin-ha would probably decline again, but he didn't stop Shin Tae-oh. Se-hyeon had no intention of meddling with the original work, and he believed that Shin Tae-oh faithfully expressed his affection through the service he provided.

"Since he's busy with work these days and probably doesn't have time to check the time, tell him to wear a wristwatch."

Se-hyeon made the suggestion, knowing that it would likely be rejected as well.

Se-hyeon didn't even mention that it would be cooler to give without saying anything. What was I thinking?

"If he refuses to accept it... just let the staff members have it."

At that time, I had been delighted, thinking it was a win-win situation.

I thought that if I just played along with Shin Tae-oh's strengths and weaknesses, the original work would come to an end, and I wouldn't doubt that I would be completely merged into this world.

But...

"Did I do something wrong to Shin Tae-oh?"

Because I understood him, because I didn't interfere with him working with a secretary who didn't match his intentions for long. I enjoyed watching his heart gradually diminish.

Shin Tae-oh is a CEO, so there's nothing to be done about the difference in status. That's why I turned away from him...

"I regret it."

Se-hyeon realized that he should have taken the time to understand Shin Tae-oh's feelings without directly asking. After over three years had passed, he felt remorseful.

"Let's start treating him well from now on."

Se-hyeon turned his head, thinking that it could be a small way to apologize to Shin Tae-oh. As if sensing Se-hyeon's gaze, Shin Tae-oh turned his head for a moment while the car was briefly stopped.

"Do you have anything you like?"

"What do you mean by 'like'?"

Shin Tae-oh asked in return, staring at Se-hyeon without providing an answer. Even though Se-hyeon didn't expect him to willingly share, it was still uncomfortable to be stared at so intently, so Se-hyeon averted his gaze first.

"I want to repay you for giving me a ride."

Se-hyeon thought it would be a reasonable excuse. Honestly, it's not common for a boss to give a ride to their secretary.

"Then..."

As Shin Tae-oh pressed the accelerator again and looked straight ahead, Se-hyeon secretly swallowed a sigh. Just five minutes after making up his mind to treat Shin Tae-oh well, he was on the verge of retracting his decision.

Was my question too difficult?

Lost in thought, Shin Tae-oh didn't respond, and Se-hyeon couldn't bring up any other topic, so they arrived at Se-hyeon's house in silence.

When the car stopped, Se-hyeon unbuckled his seatbelt and pondered on what to say. It was difficult to start a conversation easily because it seemed like Shin Tae-oh was lost in thought due to what Se-hyeon had said. Se-hyeon looked outside, observing the surroundings and the people passing by, feeling increasingly impatient. Finally, he had no choice but to speak up.

"Thank you for giving me a ride."

Se-hyeon thought that if there was still no response, the only answer would be to simply get out of the car. Fortunately, Shin Tae-oh opened his mouth without further delay.

"I just remembered something you might like."

"Oh! Please tell me."

Fortunately, Se-hyeon was able to receive a response before the day ended. It was the moment when Se-hyeon looked at Shin Tae-oh with an unexpectedly joyful feeling.

"You like instant noodles."

"Instant noodles...?"

Did he find the instant noodles tasty from earlier?

"Understood."

Se-hyeon replied, acknowledging his preference, and got out of the car. He thought that he would have another chance to cook instant noodles for him in the future.

However, as Se-hyeon heard the sound of the car door opening, he looked up to see Shin Tae-oh getting out. They met eyes again, with the car between them, and Se-hyeon lowered his head as a farewell gesture. Just when Se-hyeon thought that it was really time to part ways, Shin Tae-oh spoke.

"You're not just trying to send me off, right?"

"Then what's left?"

"If it's me, I like it..."

Se-hyeon looked at Shin Tae-oh with a questioning gaze as he muttered meaningfully.

"You don't mean you want to have instant noodles at our house...?"

"That's fine."

No, I was just asking.

"You had it earlier, but can you have it again?"

"If we cook two servings, anyone who hears about it will think we prepared a lot."

We even had a full meal.

"I asked you what you like with great effort."

"...Come in."

It's not even a "Do you want to come eat instant noodles?" but rather a "Do you want to eat instant noodles and then leave?" situation.

Prev / Next

[coastoutdoors]

Get Ready to Paddle: SUP for Sale Now!

Exploring the Different Types of SUPs for Sale - Which One is Right for You?

Stand-up paddleboarding, or SUP for short, has become one of the hottest water sports in recent years. Whether you're a seasoned athlete looking to challenge your balance and core strength, or simply seeking a serene escape on the water, there's no denying the appeal of gliding across calm waters atop a paddleboard. But with so many different types of SUPs for sale, it can be overwhelming to know which one is right for you. Fear not! In this blog post, we'll explore some top options from leading retailers like Boardworks, Dick's Sporting Goods, and Tower Paddleboards. So grab your sunscreen and get ready to dive into the world of stand up paddleboarding – because finding your perfect board is just a stroke away!

Collection: Stand Up Paddleboards

When it comes to stand up paddleboards, there is an incredible variety of options available. From inflatable boards that are easy to transport and store, to rigid boards designed for speed and performance, the choices seem endless. Some popular types include all-around boards, touring boards, racing boards, and even yoga-specific SUPs.

An all-around board is a great choice for beginners or those who want a versatile option. These boards are typically stable and provide good maneuverability in various water conditions. If you're looking to explore lakes, rivers, or coastal areas on longer excursions, a touring board might be perfect for you. These are designed with efficiency in mind and often feature extra storage space.

For the competitive souls out there seeking speed and adrenaline rushes, racing SUPs offer sleek designs and advanced features such as displacement hulls for maximum glide. And if you want to take your yoga practice onto the water for an added challenge, yoga SUPs provide stability and ample space for poses.

With so many different types of stand up paddleboards available on the market today from reputable brands like Boardworks, Dick's Sporting Goods,and Tower Paddleboards – finding the right one has never been easier! So let's dive into these options further!

Finding the Right SUP for You

When it comes to finding the right SUP (stand up paddleboard) for you, there are a few key factors to consider. First and foremost, think about your skill level and experience on the water. Are you a beginner looking for stability and ease of use, or an experienced paddler in search of speed and performance? This will help determine the type of board that suits your needs best.

Next, consider where you'll be using your SUP most often. Will you primarily be paddling on calm lakes and rivers, or do you plan to take on ocean waves? Different types of SUPs are designed with specific conditions in mind, so choose one that matches your intended environment.

Don't forget about budget. Stand up paddleboards can range in price from affordable options to high-end models with advanced features. Determine how much you're willing to invest in a board based on your personal preferences and financial situation.

By taking into account factors such as skill level, intended environment, and budget, you'll be better equipped to find the perfect SUP that suits both your needs and desires. So go ahead - start exploring the exciting world of stand up paddleboarding!

Stand Up Paddle Boards at Boardworks

If you're in the market for a stand-up paddleboard (SUP), Boardworks should definitely be on your radar. They offer a wide range of SUPs that cater to all skill levels and preferences. Whether you're a beginner looking for stability or an experienced paddler seeking speed and manoeuvrability, Boardworks has got you covered.

One of the standout features of Boardworks SUPs is their construction quality. They use durable materials like epoxy and carbon fibre, ensuring that your board will last for years to come. Plus, their attention to detail is evident in every aspect of their designs – from the sleek aesthetics to the comfortable deck padding.

Boardworks offers various models designed specifically for different types of water conditions, such as calm lakes or choppy ocean waves. With options ranging from touring boards for long-distance adventures to surf-style boards for catching waves, there's something to suit every water enthusiast.

So if you're ready to take your paddleboarding game to new heights, check out the impressive selection of stand-up paddleboards at Boardworks. Their commitment to quality craftsmanship and diverse range of options make them a top choice among SUP enthusiasts everywhere. Get ready to hit the waters with confidence and style!

Stand Up Paddle Boards at Dick's Sporting Goods

If you're in the market for a new stand up paddle board, one place you should definitely check out is Dick's Sporting Goods. They have a wide selection of SUPs available, making it easy to find the perfect one for your needs.

At Dick's Sporting Goods, you'll find everything from beginner-friendly boards to more advanced options for experienced paddlers. Whether you're looking for a board that's stable and easy to maneuver or one that offers speed and performance, they've got you covered.

Not only does Dick's Sporting Goods offer a variety of SUPs, but they also carry all the accessories you need to get started. From paddles and life jackets to roof racks and storage bags, they have everything you need to make your paddleboarding experience complete.

So if you're ready to hit the water and explore on a stand up paddleboard, head over to Dick's Sporting Goods. With their wide selection of SUPs and accessories, finding the perfect board has never been easier. Start browsing today and get ready for endless hours of fun on the water!

Stand Up Paddle Boards at Tower Paddleboards

Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP) is a fantastic way to enjoy the water and stay active. With so many different types of SUPs for sale, it can be overwhelming to choose the right one for you. In this article, we explored a few options from Boardworks, Dick's Sporting Goods, and Tower Paddleboards.

Buy paddleboard, you can find a wide selection of high-quality SUPs that cater to various skill levels and preferences. Whether you're just starting or an experienced paddler, they have something suitable for everyone. Their attention to detail and commitment to craftsmanship make them a reliable choice when looking for a SUP board.

Dick's Sporting Goods also offers a range of stand-up paddleboards with different features and designs. They carry well-known brands that have established their reputation in the industry. You can count on finding durable boards that provide stability and performance on the water.

Tower Paddleboards stands out as another excellent option with its innovative inflatable SUPs. These boards are convenient for transportation and storage without compromising on quality or performance. Tower Paddleboards has gained recognition for its exceptional customer service as well.

When choosing your ideal SUP board, consider factors like size, weight capacity, construction materials, intended use (such as touring or surfing), and your own experience level. Don't forget about accessories such as paddles and fins too!

Finding the perfect stand-up paddleboard requires careful consideration of various factors mentioned above. Whether you decide to explore Boardworks' offerings known for their craftsmanship or opt for Dick's Sporting Goods' reputable brands, there are plenty of great options available in the market today.

[ketodiet2]

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[aboatwithlegs]

I have no dog in this race (aside from $40 on a greyhound named "Santa's Little Helper 2: Boxing SLAY"), but I am famous for being right about things so I've come to mediate this issue that is tearing our society apart.

Answer me these riddles three:

1) Why is torture bad?

2) Why is pedophilia bad?

3) Why is rape bad?

Now there are a few different approaches to this. You could go with the "God says so" approach, but seeing how the internet is a land of sin and debauchery at the best of times I'm gonna set that aside. You could also say that things are bad because they are illegal, but this is contrary to the well known fact that one should, and I quote: "Be Gay, Do Crime". Plus, the assumption that law proceeds ethics absolves lawmakers and cops of their culpability in making/enforcing unethical laws so I'm vetoing that one.

That leaves us with two broad schools of thought: "Because it violates a coherent set of universal principles that are utilitarian enough to warrant broadly enforcing on others" and "Because I find it icky, ew". I'll set aside that latter one as an option of last resort for now. So what principles are being violated here? I'm noticing one in particular come up a bunch, and that's consent. The principle here is that when something is intentionally forced upon another person who does not or cannot have a way to meaningfully refuse, that thing is unethical even if the recipient believes they enjoy it in the moment. We all Gucci comprende?

Well here's the thing. Fictional characters are incapable of consent. Every piece of writing or art that strays outside the realm of 100% factual documentary reporting is an exercise in abusing a one-sided power dynamic to literally force a character to say, act, and even *think* what you want them to. There is no greater violation of consent than having ultimate control over someone's mind and soul and forcing them to act out your fantasies.

"But oh Master and/or Mistress," I hear you plead in that quivering little goblin voice of yours, "fictional characters are not real! How can we violate consent if they do not exist independent of our greasy little meddling fingers? The fundamental issue isn't that those things are unethical, it's that it is insensitive and potentially triggering to people who have experienced similar things for REAL!" I'm proud of you maggots, it's almost like you're keeping up. It's fiction. Actions confined to fiction bear no intrinsic moral weight outside of how it impacts real people (unless we find out that stories are actually real worlds Neverending Story style. Dibs on Artax.)

That's it then, right? If it could be triggering to someone it shouldn't be written right? No, you ignorant slime. And to think I considered being proud of you for a moment. Would you like a list of things that can trigger people? I have one and it's called a dictionary. Every random noun, verb, adjective and pronoun, will connect to a triggering experience for *someone*. Even conjunctions might not be safe if that Conjunction Junction guy from Schoolhouse Rock ever gets revealed as a sex pest. Some of my own triggers include the Canadian sit-down restraint on a budget Swiss Chalet, helium balloons, and the concept of masculinity. Seriously, none of those three are a bit, each one has the capacity to ruin my day if it catches me off guard. But I wouldn't expect a work to avoid those three equally fundamental aspects of life, you can't just write a complete story without at least one appearance of Swiss Chalet's famous slow-roasted Rotisserie Chicken, served with their Signature Chalet Dipping Sauce, a dinner roll, and your choice of side.

So it's a matter of degrees. We calculate the number of people potentially harmed, multiplied with the likely severity of that harm, and offset that against the--- no, you dolt. None of you are doing that. Who here has crunched the numbers on how psychologically damaging gore-related triggers are for survivors of war/murders/suicides vs. how damaging age-gap triggers are for people who were groomed as adolescents? I'd love to see the methodology for that study. But no, it's not a calculation, it's a gut thing.

That brings us back to the fourth school of thought -- "Because I find it icky, ew". Not really a popular rationale to acknowledge out loud, but one that's pretty universal nonetheless. We generally acknowledge that incest is wrong and we come up with excuses like power dynamics, possibility of consent, birth defects in case of pregnancy, etc. But in the case of same-sex siblings who are close in age (or twins for that matter) those rationales don't really apply and yet is still condemned. Even the concern over the possibility of birth defects edges uncomfortably close to an ableist eugenics-y rationale that most of us abhor in other contexts. No, we react like we do first and foremost because we find it weird and yucky and we don't like to feel weird and yucky so we tell people to stop doing things that make us feel weird and yucky.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Every person has certain macabre interests that they are willing to explore within the safe confines of fiction. When they come across someone else doing the exact same thing for an interest they don't share, they go with the forced moralizing to cover up the fact that they're ashamed that they're experiencing the same dumb bog-standard human revulsion that bigotry is also made of. I'm here to tell you that's ok. You can judge people for being different. Heck, I've judged gods and men alike and found both lacking. Just don't be a dick about it, and be honest with yourself and others about what you're feeling. Be honest with yourself about your macabre interests too, while you're at it. Is it really coming from a healthy and detached place of thematic exploration, or is it a reflection of a shameful side of yourself that you're in denial of and your moral grandstanding is just you trying to let it out using the plausible deniability of fiction? So yeah, if you don't like something, don't interact and move on. If you're making something, tag and trigger warning clearly so people can make informed decisions. And if you have ethically compromising fascinations remember that it's totally normal and that looking critically at that part of yourself makes you self-aware, not immoral.

Ok, I just solved Discourse once and for all. You can all go home now.

I almost don't wanna make this post bc I feel like it will be misinterpreted, but I've been thinking about the odd sort of double standard in specifically the danny phantom fandom, where the most popular thing (bafflingly, to me, given canon, but I won't digress) is to write/draw about a 14-year-old boy being mutilated, tortured, dismembered, vivisected, and generally brutalized, BUT,

if people try to ship him with, say, Vlad, suddenly that's a step too far

TO BE CLEAR I AM NOT DEFENDING THE SHIP. I do not like it, it skeeves me out, I've blocked people on sight for shipping it, I've gotten into heated debates with other folks in the fandom about it, you can ask like anyone and they'll back me up on this lol

MY POINT is that I find it so strange that one of these things (shipping a 14-year-old with an adult) is seen as abhorrent and heinous, whole the other thing (brutally torturing, mutilating, and traumatizing a 14-year-old for our Amusement) is A-OK and is in fact the most popular activity in the fandom 👍

and some of this shit is DARK! the few times I've poked into the dark fics in the fandom, especially the more popular/well-known/infamous ones, some of them have made me feel genuinely nauseated (and horror is like, my favorite genre for writing lol!!!!!!!)

I'm very curious about this phenomenon because I think it says something interesting about the old 'differentiating between fiction and reality' conversation that comes up every time dark fic/fic that features taboo elements is mentioned. Am I intelligent enough to articulate what that something is? Probably not lol

Although I do think a factor is that one of the situations in question is much less likely to happen to real kids and teens, but again I'm not intelligent enough to put into actual specifics why/how much that might matter.

idk!!!! I'd be interested to hear other people's opinions about this, cause it's def something that's been percolating in my brain

[hedgethemaze]

You always bring great korrasami art on my dash!! So I was wondering what your favourite korrasami fics would be?

Aw, thanks^^ But I can't take that credit (never have, never will). It's not me who 'brings' the Korrasami art, it's the artists - whom I always tag first in my reblogs 😁

But see? this is why rebloging/sharing is so important, to spread others' talent and make it seen by more people that like it as well. And to credit the right source is equally important so - as much as I aprecciate the compliment (at least, I take it as such) - please, let the real creators know how much you like and appreciate their work.

That would make me really happy 😄

Okay anon, you asked for it! Long answer ahead because you just asked about my favs and I'm such a broken record about'em!

Also, I apologize in advance because this is going to look like fic recs and I don't know if you asked for that, specifically. But these ARE, indeed, some of my most favorite korrasami works (as for as fanfiction is concerned lol)

From the top of my head this are the ones I can't stop reading (a.k.a. I've read more than once)

It goes without saying, lanagotconed20's Road Trip series is at the top of that list. Specifically, I remember part 9 , 'All In, All Yours' being one I almost know by heart💘 but seriously, you can't go wrong with ANY of Lana's stories. They're all fantastic, and I actually did a ranking of her works to date (the complete ones, at least) a few months back, here

@hohfics Marriage or Bust has 2 complete works (same universe different paths) and damn, what masterpieces!🤩

I couldn't possibly decide between them because both are incredibly well written and convey so much emotion! Plus, there's moments on both stories that get your heart racing (either because of how intensely romantic or frightening they are) But from the two I have to give a shoutout to 'The Honeymooners' for being the very first Korrasami fic I ever read - a really high bar that I'm elated to know has been met by many great authors!

ireallyshouldnt_behere's 'Would you risk it ALL?' is a doctor au, with Korra being a cancer patient and it's fine if you're not into that but, just so you know, amongst the medical drama aspect of it there's many fun and heart warming moments and quite the satisfying ending - well, technically not an ending since is the first part of a series, but it's not complete, and the second part hadn't hooked me as much as this one. But the author has other korrasami works you may want to check out 😉

The Seeking Balance trilogy by @simplykorra is the best canon-divergence fic I've read! The way Korra's struggles and traumas are depicted through these stories (specially, the first two parts is MIND. BLOWING. and though I couldn't recommend one story more than the others (the journey is best experienced from start to finish), there's something so heart wrenching about the second part, 'Relapse' (as if the tittle didn't pull you in deeply enough) that just makes me point it out - if only to read Korra's parting letter to Asami at the end of that story. It squeezes my heart every time I read it and I can only imagine Asami's anger, sadness and fear as she reads it.

This is without a doubt my favorite 'what if' korrasami fic and I can't thank the author enough for the way it turned out! 😄👏

Last, but not least, my latest discovery/obsession is *drum rolls* @greatestchange Roll with the Punches series, it isn't complete (yet) but there's tons of top-notch content amongst the 10 works it has written by now. It is my latest reading and it easily skyrocketed to the top of my fav korrasami works, I'm still in shock!🤯

But this series comes with a *warning sign* as it is the most painful, intense, gut-punching stuff I've ever read. Some of these works, e.g the main tittled story, and the ones I'm about to be mentioned are basically "angst turned up to 11".

I gave a brief description of my experience reading that one here, if you want better understand what I think/feel about it (my opinion holds up to this day!) plus, you can check out my rwtp tag for some really good art and a few highlighted passages of certain chapters that got to me very deeply.

One tip though, I can't recommend enough that you read the main RWTP first before reading certain other works, namely 'Senna', 'Nebraska', 'The Offer', 'Family Reunion' and 'Shattered' (all in that order).

But in case you want to read some of the 'lighter' ones (and I use that word loosely because they're all intense in some way or another), some I really enjoyed reading, besides the unskippable ones are 'Say You'll Be There', 'The Assistant' and 'The Fire Place'(ch. 7 of Afterward, which is a collection of snippets). These latter works are one-shots but give you a good taste of the main story without being the main story.

I know, I know, that's a lot of reading but I really hope you get around to check at least some of these and maybe leave a comment on them. Let the authors know of your thoughts, they all deserve to know how much they're appreciated and a simple 'I love this story/your work' are never small words!

And I should've said this before, but since I don't know how old you are, please check the rating and tags of the stories since there's very mature stuff in there.

Road Trip, I think is the more PG of these literary creations, and by far the one with the most fluff out of these, but honestly - with over 30 works made - it has something to please all kinds of tastes. Though, is not excent of explicit content. But trust me, it's absolutely NOT in bad taste and very organic.

RWTP, I'd say is the extreme opposite with almost zero room for 'fluff' and, by FAR, the most mature series of them all (it deals with lots of heavy topics), but while most of the time you get pain instead of pleasure, the moments you spot the latter are that much, much sweeter, and in my experience they're more than worth it to reach!

And as far as AU's go, those two along with Marriage or Bust, are must-reads for any Korrasami shipper.

Thanks for writing, sorry it took me this long to answer😅 And I hope you enjoy your reading, anon! 👋