#-l have more shit going on these games are 90% of the time pay to win and give out special rewards for their f2p players

[soulsilencer]

People on twitter can really be out of their minds sometimes because I genuinely remember someone made a post comparing genshin impact to league of legends and which one is better like................................ those games are fundamentally different??? Unless you’re comparing character and world designs or whatever, there is no way to compare two games that are completely different in mechanics and type

Like one of them is a gacha team combat game that has an ongoing storyline and requires money to unlock characters and the other is an online moba that has no playable storyline with additional paid cosmetics. You can literally just say “I enjoy this game more personally” without doing the dumbest reaches in history -_-

[c-c-cherry]

Bucci Gang Headcanons!!!

I’m not really one to usually post this kind of stuff, but these are some lil headcanons my pal @jjadegreen and I have come up with while stuck in the same house during the quarantine!! 

These literally range from *probably would happen* to *fucking crack* so y’all have been warned...

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Giorno is one of those people that has a secret sweet-tooth. Like. An insane one where if he actually decides to indulge in it he cannot fucking stop. 

When he does go overboard, it’s usually because Bruno got his favourite ice cream flavour from the store and it’s always at some ungodly hour of the night.

He usually blames it on Mista somehow. Accidentally ate the entire tub of ice cream at 3am? No biggie. Just put the spoon on Mista’s bedside table while he’s asleep! 

Everyone blames Mista for it EVERY TIME and now he’s not allowed to eat any ice cream when they buy it. Mista thinks it’s the Sex Pistols because he swears he doesn’t remember doing it. 

Giorno just sits there like *sweats* “yeah uh no it had to be Mista, right? There’s definitely no one else it could be, right? Right??”

One time Abbacchio caught him in the act at like 4am and they have yet to bring it up.

He would spill Giorno’s big secret, but he really likes to see Mista suffer.

Narancia wears skirts sometimes and it’s not a big deal. He vibes, they all just vibe. No toxic masculinity here. 

Narancia is genuinely afraid of those “IF YOU DO NOT SEND TO 10 PEOPLE THIS WILL APPEAR AT THE END OF YOUR BED AT 3AM” emails.

One time he couldn’t do it because Bruno took his phone away and he sat in bed all night fucking trembling in fear of what chain mail monster would eat his face off this time.

Abbacchio hates geese. No one knows why. Not even Bruno.

Narancia’s real stand name IS Aerosmith, but he’s dead set on calling it Lil’ Bomber because “that’s his rapper name.”

Mista is lactose intolerant but he doesn’t know because he just thinks it’s normal to feel excruciating pain when you eat ice cream. 

“Like how pineapples hurt your mouth when you eat them.” -Mista probably

Bruno literally had to take him to the hospital one night because he inhaled too much ice cream and would not stop throwing up and Mista was like “wait this doesn’t happen to you??”

Trish hates butterflies because *fun fact!* butterflies often feed on not only nectar and fruit, but DECAYING CORPSES of animals! 

When she was a kid, she was walking in some alleyway and ran into a dead animal covered in butterflies. One landed on her arm and she fucking screamed. She will never look at them the same ever again...

Giorno loves to make things into butterflies when they all spend time together, and Trish literally has to suppress a shudder every time one goes near her.

Fugo is one of those people that is basically not afraid of anything, but when a fucking bee comes near him he will LOSE IT. He’s one of those people that will have to get up and run away from a bee when it flies near him.

If you tell him that it will leave him alone if he stops moving, he will punch you.

Giorno likes to make shit into bees sometimes just to fuck with him

Bruno does not like dogs. It probably stems from some childhood experience that went sour, but he does not care. He will be stone-faced during any mission or situation, but if a dog tries to jump up and greet him he will freak. The fuck. Out.

One time Narancia and Mista brought home a dog from the streets and mama Bruno was like “NOPE” and zipped himself out of existence.

Abbacchio found him locked in the closet under the stairs when he got home and made them get rid of it.

Leone was more of a cat person anyway.

Abbacchio eats raw pasta.

Fugo plays chess with himself. When Giorno joins the team he’s like “ugh finally an intellectual” but Giorno has literally never seen a fucking chess board in his life and is too scared to tell Fugo so he just keeps making up excuses as to why he doesn’t “have time” to play chess with him today.

Mista doesn’t shower but he has a BOMB-ass face-care routine. Even Trish is jealous. His face? Baby soft? Ten out of ten. The rest of him? Axe body spray out of ten.

Narancia went through a goth phase pre-canon. Abbacchio was not happy because Bruno kept referring to him as “little Abba” but he let Narancia use his good lipstick anyway.

Mista found his special hat in a street gutter on a rainy day and it matched his sweater so he decided to just keep it. Abbacchio does Trish’s makeup. They go to Sephora together. I don’t make the rules.

Giorno never really told anyone (besides Bruno) that he got his stand naturally so they all assume he got it from Polpo’s lighter and when he mentioned something off-hand about “when I was a kid Gold and I…” everyone’s just like “bitch hold up-”

Abbacchio wears coloured contacts and his ass literally cannot see without them. 

Yes they are expensive as fuck. He blows half his pay-check on them every month. 

One time he lost them right before a mission so he had to pull out his heavy prescription glasses from like 8th grade. They literally looked like this.

I think you can imagine the outcome

Growing up, Giorno only listened to three songs. 

The only reason he had access to these songs was because he found a really old Walkman on the side of the road when he was wandering around once. The tape only had three songs on it; Dancing Queen, It's Raining Men, and some song by Mozart. These were the three songs of Giorno’s childhood. 

He still has it and likes to listen to the tape when he gets sad

Narancia doesn’t know what a period is. Neither does Mista. 

Bruno forces everyone into the living room after overhearing this and makes them all watch one of those really awkward sex-ed videos from the 90s (you know the ones)

It was one of the worst days of their lives

They still have the tape and Narancia sometimes slips it in the VHS player when they all least expect it just to fuck with everyone

Bruno once held a capo meeting at their house (biggest mistake of his life) and all you could heard blasting through the walls of the other room was “YoUr bOdy MiGht Be gOiNg tHrOuGh sOmE cHaNgEs, fOr eXaMpLe yOuR P-”

On that note, Giorno was definitely that one kid who took notes during Sex-Ed

Abbacchio listens to Avril Lavigne

Giorno shaves his arms. It kind of started by accident but now he literally cannot stop or else his arms will look completely fucked up

Bruno has sensitive teeth. He can’t drink water that’s too cold cause it hurts his mouth. Abbacchio makes him tea :)

Fugo plays piano to help him with his anger. He would say that he plays saxophone too, but it’s more like violently screeching into the mouthpiece instead of actually playing it.

Narancia thinks that lesbian is a nationality

Even though Giorno lived in Japan for just a couple years, he’s still pretty fluent in the language because his mother would only speak Japanese to him growing up

The gang has no idea that Giorno is Japanese and when a foreigner is struggling Giorno just swoops in with perfect Japanese and they’re all just really confused.

Giorno doesn’t cry during movies or TV shows, but he’s one of those people who fucking BAWLS during video game credits

Mista and Narancia beat Ocarina of Time together and Giorno was watching from the sidelines and AS SOON as the credits started rolling there were tears.

When KK Slider starts to sing in Animal Crossing New Horizons and your character is brought into a music void and the credits start rolling he tears up just a little bit

Mista is squeamish around dead bugs. Not live ones. Dead ones and solely dead ones

Mista and Trish go thrifting. Mista goes to check the pockets of clothes for spare cash (cause he’s a broke bitch) and Trish goes to buy clothes

Everyone thinks that Mista doesn’t change his clothes but he actually just buys like 7 of the same outfit

Mista sneezes like a white sports dad. You know the sneeze.

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Bonus Bruabba shit because Jade and I always go fucking HARD when talking about our local mafia dads:

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Bruno ties up the little strings on Abbacchio’s tiddy shirt every morning.

They got promise rings. Leone’s trying to find a nice time to actually propose but the gang keeps fucking it up every time they try to go on a nice date together

Bruno and Leone watch thunderstorms together

-The rest of the bucci gang stay inside and play monopoly or something when’s its stormy but these two bring out blankets and sit on the front porch and just be all soft and shit watching the lightning light up the sky and listening to the rain on the roof above them.

Bucciarati and Abbacchio have been mistaken as the following: 

Bruno as a woman and Abbacchio as a man. Abbacchio as a woman and Bruno as a man. Two lesbians. But never an actual gay couple.

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Yeah so I have no idea what that was. These were taken from a google doc we have together that’s just all these jumbled, crack-filled headcanons just for fun. I’m sure you can sense the pure chaos in this. 

Go give my dude @jjadegreen a hello, sis made most of these!

uhhh let us know if you want any more from any other parts. Cause y’all know we probably got some. <3

[wakandascrystal]

BET. I

Erik x BlackReader

Summary: Erik and his friends place a bet to get with you little does he know who you and family are. 

Part 2 

...............

It was a Sunday afternoon. Erik and his friends had decided to hang out at their regular spot. It was a joint Jadyn, Erik’s friend found. It had a music store in the front. Wall to wall with new and vintage CD’s, Tapes and Vinyl. But at the back was a lounging area, they served drinks. You also had the option to listen to what you had bought after.

Erik, Jadyn, Cole and Trey Had been coming here since high school. They loved it and they felt comfortable there. 

"Candice just texted me...Shit! I don't know what to do about her man. " 

Erik's friend Cole put down his phone and covered his face with both his hands after seeing a text from his ex-girlfriend.

Erik slid the phone down to his side of the table. "Let me see this."

He unlocked the phone and saw the massive text chain. 

“Are you still fighting with her?” Jadyn asked 

“Why do you even talk to her bro. She is so fucking toxic.....but then again she is thicker than a bowl o-“ Erik hit Trey in the chest 

“Shut up. He’s still in love with her. Don't do that. ” He let out a chuckle so did the others. 

“Are you done reading my shit.”

He skipped over the part where she was waffling about her feelings and read the last line.

"...Cole...she misses you and she wants to talk." Erik gave him a sly smile.

“We all know what that means?“ Trey let out. 

"I told you not to fall for bitches... pretty face, ass for days...now look. She be at your job, at your mom's....she acting like Mrs Cole Smith most of the time. "

Cole threw a punch at Erik's shoulder.

"Man stop acting like you the God at getting and letting go of bitches," Trey added

"You right I don't have to act. Cause I'm a God at that shit."

"that's because you're like Swae Lee...you only got one type...The high maintenance girls with daddy issues, who just wants to sit on your face and get a ride in your whip." Jadyn teased while throwing back a handful of salted peanuts

"Are you, by any chance insinuating that I only attract one type of girl and that I cannot keep any woman's attention," Erik said dramatically

Cole took a sip of his beer amused by Erik's realization. 

"Yes ...oh yes that exactly what I'm saying....since high school all the girls you've been with have looked the same...think about." 

Erik had never really thought about. He liked what he liked...so what, he thought.

"..There was Brenda, LaTisha, Linda..." Jadyn started raping the DMX verses. 

Erik deadpanned while Cole and Trey laughed out loud.

"....and the best part is even if you did go for a girl that wasn't your type ..she wouldn't like you....you suck when it comes to the romantic department. Man believe it or not but there are women out there who have standards."

"Any bitch would be lucky to have me look in their direction." Erik murmured

Cole coughed a bit and Erik felt offended.

"You very funny.... okay!... Check this out...prove it. You see that shawty over there..with the headwrap....the one in white." 

Erik turned. He saw you picking out vinyls. He looked you up and down.

"If you can get her to go on 10 dates with you and get her to drop the L word...and you can provide proof....we will give you 1 grand each."

"What! I do not have time for this bullshit." Jadyn blurted out

" Jadyn....tell me you don't want to see Erik The almighty pussy Slayer crash and burn.."

Cole egged him on.

While the three friends were arguing Erik locked his eyes on you. The Challenge sparked interest in him. 

You were different, definitely not his type. You had no large obnoxious name brand logo on your clothes or bag. Nor did you look like a conventional baddie that he usually goes for.

You looked like you smelled of vanilla and peach oils. Like you drank soya milk, meditated 3 hours a day and did yoga. He thought your body was cute..or nice ....the ass and titties could have been bigger though. Your hair didn't bother him. It looked pretty but he was just thinking about the logistics of it.

How does it look down?

How long was it? He wanted to know.

"Okay, I'll do it!" They went quite.

"You will?" Trey asked to verify

"Yeah. 10 dates? She has to say she loves me? Got It?” He was feeling confident. He leaned back in his chair. 

“Wait...one more thing you have to smash. “ 

“Yeah“ Cole shouted. “On the fifth date, you should have smashed... “ Erik nodded his head.

He stood up from his chair, downed his beer and walked over to you.

+++++++++++++++++++

“Why don't you get both.“ 

Your eyes shot up to him. He was too close to you so you stepped back wanted your personal space back. Erik noted that.

“I can't. I'm buying one for my dad and one for my uncle.“

“You're going to make your dad choose between Diana Ross and Ray Charles.“ You huffed at the stranger.

“He loves them both. But he can only get one.“ Erik looked over your face as you held the vinyls in your hand. Your face was soft and your lips pouty.

“What's your name?” he asked, eyes still on your soft golden skin.

“My name isn't going to help me pick one.“ you said in a whiny voice stressed about the decision you had to make. You really wanted to impress your father on his birthday. 

“ Well...I'm Erik..“

“I know. Your chain told the world your Erik...In what seems like 24k carats.“

“Okay ..let's make an exchange. I buy you any vinyls you want  and I take you out sometime.”

“Eww.“ Your outburst surprised Erik.

“Is that your game plan. Buy your way into my pants. I have my own money. Thank you.“

You move past him to the 90's sections. 

Browsing the Cds Erik followed. He had to come up with a better strategy. Throwing money at you wasn't going to work. He thought as you read the cd in your hand. 

Empathy. You looked like the caring type. Maybe you the type that falls for the weak and broken type of guy. He cleared his throat.

“Okay, my bad. I just...” He let out a fake sigh “ I just came out of a bad break up...Its been a while I mean.“

“....Shouldn't you give your heart time to heal from her....or him.“ You stepped away from him again. 

“Its been a year. I need to move on now.“ He looked down at his fingers, his face painted sadness. Of course, Erik was faking it but you fall for it. You noticed how handsome and tall he was. His locs. They were much shorter than yours but still suited him perfectly. He looked hurt. Seemed like whoever he spook of had hurt him pretty bad. 

“Y/N. My name is Y/N.“ 

“Y/N that's a beautiful name.“

“I'll make sure to tell my mom.“

Erik knew he had to act now while you were vulnerable to him.

“Let me take you out. One date if I bore you ...you won't have to see me again.“

“Okay.” You gave him your phone to type in his number, after saving it you warned him. 

“Don't mess with me, Erik. I'm serious. For your own good... “ You walked away to pay for the item you held to your chest. 

[surveys4ever]

25.

Section 1 – Who were you?

Think back as far as you can. What is the first memory you have? I think meeting my (now) dad for the first time when he and my mom were dating. I was very upset because he was short and that’s not what dads were supposed to look like in my 3 year old eyes since my bio dad was super tall.

What is something you remember enjoying very much as a small child? Playing Barbies, watching Barney, Happy Meals, being with my grandma.

How old were you, when you made your very first friend? Probably preschool.

Are you still friends with this person today? Facebook friends, yeah. Real friends, no.

Was there a story somebody read or told you that has stuck with you? No one ever read to me after I learned to read for myself so one day I was sick and I came home and curled up with my mom on the couch and asked her to read me a Little Mermaid book I had and she did, even though I had to get up to go shit myself halfway through and it meant a lot to me at the time.

What is something you get an immense feeling of nostalgia from? Hannah Montana for some reason. It was my favorite show and we didn’t get the Disney channel so whenever we went to a hotel, nobody could tell me fuckin NOTHING because we were watching Hannah Montana whether they liked it or not.

As a child, were you a sore loser or a sore winner? I was the only child for 8 years and then the oldest after that so I never lost at anything and now when I do, I feel like I'm the biggest piece of shit loser there’s ever been. So that’s fun.

Did you go through the "naked phase"? I learned that you didn’t have to sleep in pajamas and you could just sleep naked so I did it for a while but then realized that I much preferred pajamas.

Which television shows do you watch the most as a child? I loved TV so basically all of the 90′s/early 2000′s shows there were.

Did you play with siblings, neighbourhood kids or by yourself? Either with neighborhood/school kids or by myself. I didn’t ever really have siblings who weren’t my kids, if that makes sense.

Is there something you really miss from your childhood today? I miss back when everything was simple.

Section 2 – Likes and interests  

Would you ever like to try competitive pinball playing? Ummm, no.

Do you knit, crochet or cross stitch? I’m trying to teach myself to crochet.

Have you ever, or would you like to attend a gaming or comic convention? No thx.

What's your opinion on online multiplayer games? I really liked Among Us for a while there but I don’t really enjoy how rude everyone is on online games.

Do you like to go cycling? If so, where? Uh no.

Have you ever tried woodturning? If not, would you like to? Never tried it, don’t really have any desire to, but it can be relaxing to watch!

Do you enjoy drawing? If so, what do you usually draw? I do! I usually draw graphics for YouTube videos or doodle over Instagram photos, draw things to put on shirts with my Cricut, etc. I use my iPad for so many things.

Have you ever attended a painting class? If so, what did you create? I haven’t but I would like to!

How about a creative writing course? If so, did you get any feedback? I took Creative Writing literally every year it was offered in high school and I always got awards for having the top marks in the class.

What is your favourite form of exercise? No thank you.

Section 3 – People  

Who is the most important person in your life (besides yourself)? My husband.

Do people generally approach you easily? I think so!

Do you get along with people well? If not, what's the problem? Yeah! I’m pretty friendly and easy going.

Do you enjoy being in crowds or do you prefer your own company? I would much prefer my own company than crowds.

Which one of your friends have you known the longest? I still talk to the girl I was best friends with in the 6th grade on occasion so like 17-18 years?

Do you find it easy to make friends now? If not, what makes it difficult? As an adult who works from home, making friends is hard as fuck. 

What is something about people that annoys you? Something I've noticed in recent years is just how entitled and greedy everyone is. Everybody wants something from you or for your skills to benefit them without them putting in any work or paying you for your time. It’s just gross.

What is something about people that you really like? We have really, really harsh winters and if you ever find yourself in the ditch for whatever reason, there will be a lineup of cars stopped behind you to help you push it out or let you chill in their car while you wait for a tow truck. On the really bad blizzard days, there are groups of men in big trucks that literally L I V E to go around and help pull people’s cars out of the ditch. It’s the only time I feel like there’s actually a sense of community around here.

If you live alone, what would be your criteria for a roommate? I honestly would never have a roommate because they could either be your friend or a stranger and living with friends is a good way to ruin a friendship if your living styles aren’t similar and living with a stranger just sounds like a nightmare.

How about criteria for a spouse, if you're single? I am married but my criteria was honestly that I just wanted him to be kind and funny and I got that tenfold with my husband.

In general, what's your attitude towards people? I can’t stand to be around grumpy people. If all you do is gripe and complain about literally everything, I’m out. No thank you. Why is your hobby being angry? Take up knitting or something for christ’s sake.

Section 4 – Habits

What is something you do every day without fail? Baby talk the dog and snuggle with Beebs.

What is your typical breakfast? I’m a leftovers for breakfast kinda gal but lately I’ve been having a bagel and watermelon.

Which article of clothing do you like to wear the most? I loooove me a good baggy T-shirt and booty shorts.

Is there a TV show you watch habitually? We’re currently watching Unhhhh while we eat dinner every night, haha!

Where do you usually spend most of your day? I really only sit in 4 places--bed, the couch, my makeup/work desk, or my sewing desk. Depends on the day which one I’m at.

Is there a product that you do not want to run out of? Moisturizer. I’m a dry son of a bitch.

What is your preferred mode of transport? Car!

Do you usually have something playing in the background when you're home? Nah. I’m in silence a lot of the time.

Where do you usually get your groceries? Walmart for the bulk of it, a local grocery store for the specialty items, and Target if we ever run out of something midweek because I cannot handle Walmart more than once a week.

How often do you go to your local park? Like once or twice a month in the summer!

Which of your hobbies do you indulge in most often? Sewing and Sims currently!

Section 5 – Favourites and dislikes

What is your favourite fruit? Watermelon!

How about your favourite berry? Strawberries are the only berry I like.

Which food do you highly dislike? Fish. It’s all disgusting.

What is your favourite song, and why? I hate this question. Who can pick one definitive favorite song out of the bajillions of songs that have been written??

What is a movie you cannot stand? Anything with Seth Rogen in it, any movie that's got a 3+ after it (looking @ you, Fast & Furious), and all the fuckin’ superhero movies that have the same ‘ah yes, this undefeatable bad guy that we have absolutely no chance against and will undoubtedly kill us all--but we’re going to pull through at the last second with the power of friendship!’ plot line.

Which trait in a person do you find most appealing? I don’t know how to describe it--certain people just have that spark and you can always tell right away if they’ve got it or not and those are my favorite kind of people.

Which trait puts you instantly off? If they’re religious it’s an instant no from me, dog.

Who is an actor/actress who you dislike so much you can't watch them? I really, really dislike Tom Holland. I honestly think he’s a terrible actor.

What colour are your favourite shoes? White!

What is a smell that disgusts you to no end? B.O., on me or others. I just can’t deal with it.

Which door handle/door knob do you like the most in your home? They’re all the same.

Section 6 – Culture

What is something very typical to the culture of your home country? Apple pie and baseball are the only things coming to mind atm.

Do you enjoy art? If so, which form of art is the most enjoyable? I do! But I prefer art that you can look at and know the artist is incredibly gifted and/or has put in a ton of time and effort to master their skills. None of that million dollar paint smear on a canvas shit.

What is something about another country's culture you don't understand? I feel like other cultures take their family and their family’s approval way too seriously. That might be rich coming from someone who doesn’t have a very good relationship with their family but I just don’t understand what the point of making yourself miserable to make your family happy is.

Do you ever attend the theater? If so, which play did you see last? Last thing I saw in a theater was Shangela perform a drag show, haha!

How about the opera or the ballet? Nope.

Which dance troupe do you enjoy, if any? ...they still do that?

Do you attend concerts or gigs? If so, which band did you see last? Not as much as I’d like to as no one good really comes here very often. Last band we saw was X Ambassadors and Paramore!

Are you interested in foreign food? I’m not uninterested but I’m not super interested either.

If so, which country's cuisine do you enjoy the most? Chinese...albiet probably a very Americanized version of Chinese.

Do you enjoy stand-up comedy? If so, who is your favourite comic? I doooo! Bo Burnham and Drew Lynch are my favorites.

Do you contribute to culture in some way? If so, how? I try to? I’m an influencer so I definitely have a platform of a couple hundred thousand people. Not sure what exactly I contribute tho.

Section 7 – Charity

Do you volunteer your time to anything charitable? If so, what? Newp.

Do you donate money to any charities? If so, which ones? No. I don’t trust a lot of charities, to be quite honest. A lot of them are very shady and I’d rather donate money directly to someone who needed it rather than it getting tied up in a charity where it might never actually see the people they claim to be helping.

If you have pets, are any of them rescues from shelters? We adopted our dog from one of my husband’s coworkers but she probably would have gone to the shelter if we didn’t take her.

Do you donate your old clothes, linen etc. to charitable organizations? Yes! We almost always have a bag of donations in our trunk that we always forget to take to the thrift store when we go.

If someone you know is in need, is it in your nature to offer help? If I can, yes!

Have you ever donated Christmas presents to children of poor families? We used to do that when I was a kid.

Have you ever had to rely on other people's charity? One Christmas when I was really young I remember my parents signed up for a sponsorship through the Salvation Army where a family adopted us and bought us Christmas presents and Christmas dinner or whatever.

How do you feel about donating to charities endorsed by celebrities? I would never donate to a charity simply because it was sponsored by a celebrity but I guess its the easiest way for a charity to get the word out that they need donations.

Is there a charity you absolutely never ever will not trust? PETA, Salvation Army, Goodwill, and that breast cancer one with the horrible CEO.

Have you ever donated to a cause that had a person going door to door? No. I extra wouldn’t if someone came knocking on my door asking for money.

In general, what is your opinion on charity? I already did my rant about them, haha.

Section 8 – Entertainment

Which was the very first video game you remember playing? Ocarina of Time I believe!

Which was the very first film you remember watching? That I don’t remember. Maybe that Barney movie with the magic egg?

What is your go-to form of entertainment? TikTok usually.

Do you have a large collection of DVDs/Blu-Rays? Nah. We have a drawer but we usually stream everything.

How about music albums? Beebs collects vinyls!

Do you prefer to have your music on vinyls, tapes, CDs or digital? I prefer digital and Beebs likes vinyl.

When and where do you like to entertain yourself usually? Either the bed or the couch.

Do you ever binge watch shows? If so, what are you binging now? Usually! I’m sadly in between shows rn.

What kinds of books do you like to read, if any? I honestly don’t read anymore.

Is there a book series you're currently collecting? ..

Is entertainment something you prefer to enjoy alone or with someone else? I have my shows and then we have shows we watch together. So there’s a time and place for both!

Section 9 – Internet 

Do you always have access to the Internet, wherever you go? If not, why? Yup!

Which website do you frequent the most? Website website? Google. App website? Instagram or TikTok.

Which search engine do you prefer and trust the most? Googs.

What do you use the Internet the most for? Social media or entertainment.

Do you judge people who have their phones out all the time? If so, why? Random people? None of my business. But if we’re spending time together and I’m trying to have a conversation with you and you're not paying attention to me because your nose is glued to your phone, I’m gonna be pissed.

If your connection goes down, what do you do? Go do something that’s not on the internet?

Is there something you wish you could do online that isn't possible yet? I still wish you could smell things through the internet.

Do you remember the first time you used the Internet? When was it? Yes! I believe the 2nd/3rd grade?

What was a website you used to frequent that doesn't exist anymore? I loved the Disney website with all the games.

Do/Did you ever have your own website? That was the thiiiing back in the day.

Isn't it great how much knowledge and info we have at our fingertips? It’s great but also overwhelming.

Section 10 – And finally...

What is something you consider to be highly controversial? Politics, apparently.

What kinds of jokes do you like the best? I love a good pun.

Is there a person who makes you laugh effortlessly? Oh definitely.

Which part of your body do you like the least? My eyes.

What's something random, out of context you remember from your past? I don’t do well with really vague questions.

Do you wear shoes indoors? No, I’m not a heathen.

What's the silliest thing you've worn on your body in public? I don’t think I usually wear silly things.

What's the most important thing in your life right now? Just spending time with my fam. Trying to get over this anxiety.

What is the most distant point on the planet that you've been from home? Florida.

Do you enjoy trivia games? If so, which one's your favourite? We love some Trivial Pursuit in this house!

Are you more logical or emotional? My emotions take over and then my logic brings it back in. Equal parts, baby.

[empyreandarkling]

20-ish reading questions

Tagged by @drowning-inthe-feels (All my hearts 🖤🖤🖤)

1. Hardcover or paperback?

I prefer hardcover. I just find them more tactile, and I worry less about cracking the spines so much because they feel much less fragile. That, and hardbacks make a good and solid weapon for beating up people who interrupt you when you’re reading.

2. Pay or rent?

Pay. If I love it, I keep it. If I don’t? I’ll pass it on to someone I know who might appreciate it. Everyone is a winner, right?

3. Read in silence, or with music?

Silence. I can’t concentrate if stuff is happening when I read. I try to deeply immerse myself, so anything outside of the material itself is a distraction. Maybe I’m a bit scatterbrained, but outside stuff makes it hard for me to concentrate. Likewise with music, I like to dedeicate my full attention to the music. I can’t do both at once.

4. Standalone or series?

Both. Both is good. So long as I can get into it, whether there’s one book or many, I can always look up fanfiction if I don’t have enough book to satisfy, or if I’m up for some canon divergence.

5. Annotations or pristine pages?

Pristine pages. If I wanted notes in my margins, I’d go to Uni. Guess what? Not gonna.

6. E-book or physical copy?

Physical copy for books, but I’m not gonna lie, like 90% of my literary enjoyment is fanfiction. I’m a filthy escapist who is allergic to reality, and lives to lurk on A03.

7. Dog ears or bookmarks?

Bookmarks. Bookmarks are pretty and unique and... why would you not want them? They don’t even have to be actual bookmarks? Dried flowers, bits of ribbon. Anything’s a bookmark until you get into the Hannibal fandom.

8. Mismatched series or complete set?

Complete sets. Always. I like to understand what’s happening. Life’s a confusing mess of bullshit and involuntary shenanigans as it is without setting yourself up for backtracking and unnecessary questions.

9. Cover matters, or you don’t judge?

Honestly, covers start the intrigue for me. Unless I’m working off a direct recommendation or looking for more from a particular author, it’s all about what draws the eye. I don’t spend enough time in bookshops to handle perusing everything on display.

10. Lend books, or keep them to yourself?

I keep them to myself if they’re personal favourites, but I literally give books away if I’m not more than ankle deep in it myself. Everyone has different tastes, so it’s best to move the story on in hopes someone else will enjoy it more.

11. Enjoys lit classes, or despises them?

I despise them. I don’t like being told what to read, or how fast to read it, or how long I should linger on it when I’m done. It all comes down to mood, and I find overall, it’s easier and much less pressure to read recreationally.

12. Browses shops, or orders online?

Browses shops. When I’m online, I’m not browsing books, I’m devouring fanfiction.

13. Reads reviews, or goes in blind?

If I’m drawn by the cover, I’m going to read the summary and reviews. Going purely off aesthetics is never wise unless you’re deliberately looking for surprises. I’m not a fan of lucky dip with books. There’s far too much variety out there to take chances with personal preferences.

14. Unreturned books, or clean library record?

Guilty of deliberately liberating three specific trilogy books from my school library before moving as a brat teen. The school chased me to my new house via letter and I had to send them back, but I managed to track down shiny new replacements when I was old enough to have my own money, and I still have them to this day. The Forbidden Game trilogy by L. J. Smith.

15. Rereads, or once was enough?

I’m a re-reader, through and through. It might take me time to re-read, but if the mood strikes, I do pick the same things up to enjoy. Sometimes, after enough time has passed, old loves seem new, and there are little secrets you find on the second or third passing, that maybe never seemed significant on the first.

16. Fanfic enthusiast, or a stickler for canon?

Oh baby, fanfic. So much fanfic. Pry it from my cold, dead hands.

17. Deep reader, or easily distracted?

Deep reader. I’m downright ignorant when I am fully absorbed into a fictional world. Anyone who pulls me out of a good immersive experience better brace for hell, because it is Not Safe to interrupt me mid-read.

18. Must read the book before seeing the movie, or order doesn’t matter?

I prefer to watch movies first for books I haven’t read yet, because movies drop so many things or have to change elements to excuse things that don’t require explanation in books. I like to see the movies first because they tend to be the less convoluted of the two. I can then use the books to flesh out the world building and the back history without the inconvenience of being irritated that the movie dropped something significant.

19. Neat bookshelves, or messy bookshelves?

Neat bookshelves. Clutter is... distracting.

20. Skips ahead, or resists temptation?

RESIST! RESIST LIKE GENERAL LEIA ORGANA JUST ORDERED YOU TO DO IT!

21. Reads aloud, or in your head?

In my head. Aloud is too much like communication, and let’s just say I suck at that. So in my head, where the words can rattle around with all the good shit I use to entertain myself.

22. Guesses plot twists, or never sees them coming?

I do enjoy trying to predict what will happen just off of what cues I can pick up from the work itself. I do the same with movies and tv shows. It can be quite annoying, especially if I’m watching it with my mother and I theorise out loud.

If you would like to do this, I tag @bonbon-bun, @linddzz and @cryingbilldenbrough

[mchalowitz]

where it goes, part 2

summary: early 90s x files au where fbi agent fox mulder is set up on a blind date with medical resident dana scully.

part one

Say something. Come on, Fox.

Oxford Fox Mulder behaved in this way. This brooding shy boy American routine that could barely hold on a conversation between stammers and blinking eyes. As an FBI agent, he’s confident, cool. He’s had an easier time talking to murderers than a hopefully sweet and intelligent girl to his left. He has fallen victim to the psychological dangers of instant attraction.

Fox makes a decision. He’s just going to ask how she knows the hosts, with a follow up about if she’s enjoying herself so far this evening. Snow in November, that’s always worth a few back and forths. “So...”

“Excuse me,” she says suddenly, throwing down her napkin. She leaves the table in a rush.

--

Her sister’s friend heads for the kitchen between the serving of the first round of food and the second. Dana follows.

“A set-up, Shannon, seriously?” she snaps. “Did Melissa put you up to this?”

With a puff of heat, the ovens opens, and Shannon pulls out a casserole dish of sweet potatoes smothered with marshmallows.

“She didn’t,” she assures her. Dana crosses her arms. “Missy may have approved the idea. But Doug asked if I l knew anyone for this new young, single guy in his office. He’s perfect for you.”

“And what gives you that idea?”

“He’s a man?” Shannon laughs. Dana is going to murder her sister. She can see that none of the things she tells her are sacred, including her romantic woes. When she has any to voice, which is only when she’s had too much wine. The degrees on her mantle are more fulfilling than any relationship she could ever find.

Through her frustration, she hears something about being a smart, educated woman. Well, obviously. And Fox, what kind of name is that, is an Oxford educated psychologist with a lengthy list of accolades during his short time in the FBI. "And you say him,” Shannon adds. “He’s very cute.”

Dana admits she never gave his face a good look. He sounds intriguing enough--smart, successful. She only has an amateur grasp on psychology, it may make for an interesting conversation at best.

She still huffs a little but returns to the dining room. She pays more attention to his appearance. He is cute, with the kind of boyish good lucks she sees in afternoon soap operas, and a trim physique. Classically handsome, some might say.

“Fox?” she says, standing next to the table. She holds her hand out to him. “I’m Dana.”

There is an energy she feels when his hand shakes hers. Her sister might call it a spark but she won’t. She admits it’s beyond anything she has felt before.  

“Enjoying the food?” he asks as she reclaims her seat.

--

Well, aren’t you an ungrateful little shit. 

On Thanksgiving, of all days, he feels like an asshole to say that the food that someone cooked out of the goodness of their heart is bad. But, in his own mind, if he is being honest, his Hungry Man turkey dinners of years past have been better. Quantity was the game of this meal. 

Fox just chalks up his empty plate to pleasant conversation. He leans a little about her, Dana, and they bond over their commonality as third tier guests, equally abandoned. She by her sister, him by the other guys from the bureau that claimed they were coming as well. Both of them should’ve figured it out sooner, really. 

“I better call a cab,” she assesses after the meal, looking toward the window at the continuously falling snow.

“I can give you a ride, if you want.”

If this ends now, he’ll likely never see her again. It’ll just be a good story to tell to another guy. This one Thanksgiving...

Surprisingly, she accepts, and their hosts are absolutely beaming at this turn of events. He can see them talking about it for hours while they clean up, patting each other on the back for their superior matchmaking skills. They’ll proudly tell this story for years, unless the whole thing goes sour, then they’ll act as if they don’t know either of them. 

Both of them wait until his car is chugging around the corner to speak. She’s looking straight ahead when she says, “The food was terrible, right?” 

He almost snorts, shocked that she would be the one to say it. “It was so bad,” he agrees. 

“I’m starving.”

--

Holidays were important dates on the Scully family calendar. Events in their truest form. While she knew a few restaurants stayed open on Thanksgiving, she had never actually ended up at one. She didn’t think other people actually went. 

The image in her head of a completely deserted establishment was not completely accurate. It’s quiet, but certainly not empty, when they arrive. 

Fox jokes with the waitress, they both order coffee. He appears to already know most of the staff walking around the floor. 

“You come here a lot?” 

“My work doesn’t come with typical hours,” he explains and she understands the need to find good food at all hours of the day or night. She ate countless club sandwiches from places like this her first year of med school. 

He’s interrupted by the waitress returning with their coffee. She doesn’t pull out her pad of paper. “Turkey pot pie, Fox?”

He nods excitedly. Her eyes are still furrowed at the menu. “Holiday specialty. Pearl here makes it herself.”

“Okay,” she decides, surprising herself in her agreeableness. “I’ll have that.”

While they wait, Fox asks about her. He keeps an attentive gaze on her and smiles at her stories. He knows what a pathologist does. 

"I wouldn’t peg you for a slicer and dicer,” he comments, holding the handle of his coffee cup, his arm slung over the back of the booth. “You like being with the bodies and all that?”

“Have you ever heard a dead person talk back?”

“You haven’t?”

She gives an actual laugh before taking a breath. “I like that it’s all science. I was sending away for lab results when I was with patients and I wanted to be in the lab finding the answers myself.” 

“Down and dirty,” he tries.

“Something like that.” 

They go back and forth until the food arrives. She cuts into the crust and steam billows from inside. And it’s good. He can see his expectant expression and she affirms his recommendation. 

They eat in silence for a minute or two. Between two bites, she inquires. “You didn’t go home for the holiday?”

He shakes his head. “Mulders don’t really do holidays.”

“Are you an only child?”

“I have a sister,” he affirms.

“Are you close?”

Dana sees something in Fox’s eyes, something sad. “My sister disappeared when she was eight, I was twelve,” he tells her quietly. “There were no leads at the time, no one ever wanted to talk about it. My parents divorced a few years later, then I went to school in England. We just stopped doing holidays somewhere during that.”

She doesn’t know what kind of answer she was expecting. She can only say, “I’m so sorry, Fox.”

“This is better.” 

--

Out of the corner of his eye, Dana’s hair shines under each street light they pass. The snow has stopped for now. Full and satisfied, sated by good conversation, and pretty girls, he feels almost serene.

She lives in a little apartment complex in Georgetown. Putting the car in park, she hops out, boots sloshing in already melting snow, and leans her head back in the car. He has one chance to do this. She pink cheeked and her eyes wait.

“What are you doing next Saturday?”

“Going out with you, I presume,” she smiles.

He drives away, her phone number written on the back of the diner receipt.

[wxtaru]

LANCE’S RP PLOTTING CHEAT-SHEET

Want new-and-exciting plots for your character? Long to reach out to more of your followers, but don’t know where to start? Fear not! Fill out this form and give your RP partners both present and future all the of juicy jumping off points they need to help you get your characters acquainted.

Be sure to tag the players whose characters YOU want more cues to interact with, and repost, don’t reblog! Feel free to add or remove sections as you see fit. Template here.

Mun name: Vani OOC Contact: Tumblr IMs (either here or on my other blog) and Discord.

Read more bc length

Who the heck is my muse anyway:

Former leader of the Elite four members and the current champion of the League in both Johto and Kanto regions. If those weren’t enough, Lance is one of the two heirs of a Legendary bloodline of dragon tamers as well. He hails from an influential and rich clan in Johto.

Points of interest:

Lance is  very well known across the Tojoh region, near celebrity fame status. Although the same can’t be said for other regions, when it comes to those who aren’t assosciated with the League.

Ask anyone about what Lance is like, and they will tell you how much of a good soul he is- a true hero and an icon of inspiration for younger trainers. However, to those who have to work with him will describe him as extremely standoffish- apathetic towards everyone around him. His family will obviously describe Lance in the best light possible- how generous, helpful, caring, etc. he is. No one is quite sure what he really is like.

But no one knows Lance quite as much as Team Rocket does, as they see another side of him- that no one could possibly imagine.

What they’ve been up to recently:

It depends on the verse that you ask for really!

For standard: It has been almost an year since the World tournament in Unova, Lance is still working alongside the Interpol in their search for Giovanni- arresting Grunts and any assosciate with the organisation. All while still cheating on his wife, and Morty is watching the whole thing. He still has to go to Kalos and Alola.

I have AUs as well Deity and an ancient one!

The normal Deity Au is meant to take place in ancient times- sorta of like everything that takes place prior to the group’s Au plot/setting.

Ancient AU- doesn’t involve Lance per say, BUT his ancestor of 300 years ago (around the time that the  creation of the Legendary beasts took place in history).

CLOSED FOR MEMBERS ONLY - Audeity group: A follow up to the deity Au, BUT it is all taking place in a contemporary setting.

Where to find them:

Celadon city: Luxurious nightclubs- only the upper class is allowed in. His appartment in a luxurious condo, unless you are from his family- you are not getting in there.

The Indigo Plateau: THIS IS NOT WHERE HE IS MOSTLY AT, in fact Lance only shows up there for meetings or when a challenger approaches.

Goldenrod city: League meetings with the gym leaders.

Blackthorn city: His clan’s manor and the Dragon den- where he is  looking after the Dragonite line population that inhabits it.

Ecruteak city: Paying a visit to his fianceé and her family, Morty’s gym- requesting assistance with his clairvoyant powers.

Current plans:

I don’t do arcs where people can join in, that is not how my muses’ developments work. It goes in my own pace.

Desired interactions:

LISTEN, any interaction taking place when Morty and Lanc are having their affair- and someone by mere luck ends up getting a glimpse of the relationship’s toxicity.

Or you know any interaction involving any of my other relationship verses. (Wink wonks @ the gals)

Just an everyday routine thread- just to see how evidently different Lance is towards his coworkers from everyone else.

Someone butting in uninvited into Lance’s personal life- one thing is for sure, he won’t be happy about it in the slightest.

Any Clairs out there? Anyone from his family? P L E A S E?

A THREAD INVOLVING ANOTHER ONE OF MY MUSES!!

Offered interactions:

Nothing like meeting an important figure- perhaps a meet and greet? Signing an autograph?

For Team Rocket assosciates/sympathizer- I only offer you mercy. Lance doesn’t take these people kindly at all (especially when he is on the hunt for grunts).

Current open post/s:

Here you go!

Anything else?:

It should be noted that this is a Lance exclusively based off the games events. I don’t follow the Manga’s plot, in other words: the Elite members that serve Lance- have no involvement at all with Team Rocket. And he won’t acknowledge any events that exclusively took place in there.

PLEASE, PLEASE. IF YOU WANT TO APPROACH ME FOR THEM TO BE ENEMIES, YOU MUST HAVE A GOOD REASON FOR IT. LANCE IS AN ASSHOLE, EVERYONE KNOWS THAT- BUT EVEN THAT NEEDS A REASONING TO EVEN COME TO BE.

👏 your 👏 muse 👏 doesn’t 👏 know 👏 jack 👏 shit 👏 what 👏 goes 👏 behind 👏 the 👏 scenes 👏

👏 No 👏  smart 👏  asses 👏  thank you 👏 

👏Muse =/= Mun👏 Yes I am aware cheating/being a dick/etc. is wrong, no need to remind me about that 👏

👏 I 👏 will 👏 not 👏 tone 👏 Lance 👏 down 👏 for 👏 you 👏

ALSO: Because of a few dash shenanigans it should be said that- unless it has been plotted or throughly discussed between me and the other mun, whatever happens on the dash STAYS on it (especially because 90% of it is crack stuff, not serious at all, and it is meant to stay as such). There is only continuity between my muse and the other mun whose I have plotted things with. E.g.: Lance was being extremely harsh with forstrength’s Silver, this is an isolated event in our verse’s plot. Your muse isn’t supposed to bring that up in the future, because you aren’t involved in this whole thing. I always welcome people to have their muses react to things, but PLEASE It is annoying and makes no sense in a story telling level- when it is brought up as though it is meant to be public knowledge (the same thing applies to all of my muses tbh).

[tomhollandaminute]

Airport encounter || T.H

Summary: You’re on your way to Los Angeles to meet up with your family, however, London traffic is not so sure if it wants to cooperate. 

Pairing: Tom Holland x Fem!Reader

Words: 2255 (yikes)

Warnings: Not edited, too emotional, cursing, a bit slow in the beginning(?), I switch POVs throughout the story (sometimes you’re with Y/N, sometimes you see things from Tom’s POV)

A/N: Hehe, not sponsored by Marvel. Kind of sad, but very much true. 

"No...No... Nonononono, nooo!" Y/N looks away from her phone as the words 'IRON MAN WINS' 'K.O.' displayed on the screen. Not handling all her masters being knocked out, she left the game and turned her attention towards the driver. 

"Sorry, I tend to get quite enthusiastic when I play. Have you tried Contest of Champions yourself?" She asked the cabbie, who just shrugged in response.

"Oh, well, you should. It's this really cool game, where you're a Marvel character and you fight other Marvel characters, and... and it's just really cool! I started a few days ago, and I'm a complete addict," silence.

"So what's your name?"

"Stephen"

"Can I call you Steve?"

Silence.

"Great!"

"We're here, miss, Heathrow Airport. That will be 90 £" The grey man turned to look at the young girl in the back seat.

"Oh bloody hell, I'm late!" Y/N searched her purse for her wallet, once she found it, she quickly pulled up two fifties, and gave them to him.

"Thanks for the ride, Steve!" She said quickly before she headed out and ran past the big crowd that she didn’t even address.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit. Stupid, slow, revolving doors," Y/N tipped on her toes. She had approximately 20 minutes to get herself through the heavily trafficked airport, to her gate, and onto her departing flight. '3, 2, 1... go' and she was off. However, it didn't take long before Usain Bolt had to stop, because before her, might have been the biggest queue to the luggage drop ever.

"Oh fuck me," 

Tom could finally breathe. His tense body relaxed. He was inside the cab, and the only thing he could hear was the faint sound of the radio and the voices of the three others inside the vehicle. 

“Heathrow, please,”

Despite being exhausted for waking up so early, Tom always got some kind of adrenaline rush when he saw the happy faces of his fans waiting for him. So when the cabbie pulled over, and they had paid, it didn’t take him much effort to put up a smile when he walked out.

“Man, should’ve thought that Heathrow at 6 would be quiet, eh?” Harry said. "Yeah, heard some crap actor was gonna be here," Tom laughed at his brother’s remark. 

“Can’t believe this is happening to me, I can’t believe this is happening to me, I can’t believe this is happening to me,” Y/N continued her mantra as an attempt to calm herself while she rapidly shook off her jacket and took off her shoes.

“Miss, we need to ask you to keep your shoes on until you’re further in front of the line, please,” a security woman named Minnie told her. 

“Oh, I’m so sorry! But Minnie, you see, my flight is boarding in ten minutes, and I’m in a bit of a rush, and I– I’m just really stressed!” The elder woman saw the desperate look in her eyes and nodded, understanding the situation. 

"I see, let's get you through here quicker then, miss, follow me," Y/N did as she was told, and picked up her shoes. 

"I really appreciate this, you see, my day started off quite good, had a delicious croissant for breakfast, but then because I had so much time, I ended up stressing out of my apartment to the cab. And there was just so much traffic, you can't believe it! I thought it would be quiet for an early flight, but I guess not!" Y/N laughed when she realized Minnie wasn't going to say anything. “Sorry, my mum keeps telling me I rant when I’m nervous,” Make that all the time. 

It took her two minutes before Y/N parted her ways with Minnie and the rest of security. Before they could ask her for a car to drive her to the gate, Miss Bolt had put on her running shoes and was tens of meters away.

It was incredible how much an airport lounge could calm a man. And yes, the effect was twice as effective this early – so effective that Sam had to wake Tom up they wouldn't miss their flight. "I can't believe you actually fell asleep, mate," the brunette laughed.

"I can't believe you didn't! Man, how can you not sleep under such relaxing circumstances?!"

"Such relaxing circumstances? " Harry didn't even try to hold back his laugh.

"Oh sod off, Harry!" Tom pushed his brother, but before Niki could interfere, the airport announcement cut them off.

"Flight UA883 to Los Angeles is delayed by 2 hours,”  and that was when Tom saw her.

Y/N's legs were killing her. Running through the whole terminal along with a rather heavy bag hanging on her shoulder was not to recommend. 'Why couldn't you just wake up when you were 'posed to eh? Then this wouldn't 've happened!' She kept cursing at herself, the next step more torturing than the other. 

Finally, Y/N was there. She was out of breath, but she was there, and she would make it, and she would see her family, and she would–

"Flight UA883 to Los Angeles is delayed by 2 hours,”  

“Are you joking with me?!” Y/N was now immune to any embarrassment. This was insane! Had she just run a blooming 5K marathon for nothing?!

"Stupid traffic, stupid early flight, stupid sleep, stupid everything!" Y/N murmured frustratedly as she trudged over to one of the empty seats. 

When she sat down, Y/N quickly pulled up her phone to update her dad: 'Bloody plane's delayed. Ran 100 miles to catch a fucking delayed plane. 2 hours delayed!' Reading what she had sent to her father, Y/N quickly added: 'Sorry I am furiously enraged by my sad cock-up situation'

After scrolling through all of her social media-feeds, as well as telling all of her friends about what had happened to her in way too many pity-fulled snaps, Y/N re-opened Marvel Contest of Champions. 

"Oh fuck off, not this as well," Y/N muttered, remembering her best master was knocked out.

'Spider-man it is then,'

"Are you joking with me?!" He saw a beautiful figure tramp over to some empty seats, and all he could do was wondering what this incredible woman was like.

"Hey movie-star, you alright there, mate?" Harry made out a laugh when his brother didn't answer. 'Who are you?'  It didn't take the two to figure out who their big brother was giving all his attention to.

"Just go over there, talk to her!" Sam nudged Tom, and Nikki looked around to see who they were talking about.

"I can't do that! She probably won't even like me!" The twins just rolled their eyes at Tom's statement.

"Well you can't just stare at her and not do anything, man, that's kind of where the line between being a stalker and interested goes..." But Tom just diverted his eyes away from the Y/H/C and to his friends.

"I'm don't understand what you're talking about, I'm not staring!" He gave away a nervous laugh and brushed his hair away from his forehead. That statement just made his friends laugh more though.

"Piss off!"

"Well that's not entirely true, Tom," Nikki said, "just go talk to her, use your charm!"

"What charm?" Tom had lost all confidence.

"Go over and just say hey, dude, you're Spider-Man for Christ's sake!" Harry said, but Tom just shook his head. 'You can do this. You're cool, you're spider-man. You're Tom holland! Just go!' And then he was off.

"You have a Marvel game on your phone?" She suddenly heard from the side. Needing to pay attention to her screen, she didn't even look at him when she answered: "Yeah... YES!" She won. Thoroughly happy with herself, the Y/H/C haired woman did a little victory dance in her seat.

Tapping her way further into the mission, Y/N yet again skipped the conversation between Spider-Man and Black Panther. She had a bad history on big spoilers, but was it one movie she did not want to get ruined, it was Avengers: Infinity war. Some would say she was stretching it a bit far. Y/N called it being procacious.

"Why do you skip all the chats?" She heard from the male beside her yet again.

"I don't want any spoilers," Y/N answered, upgrading her masters before their next fight.

"Would've believed the probability for that in a Marvel game would be rather small eh?" the man continued with a little chuckle, getting fascinated by the woman next to him.

"Well, you sort of learn not to trust Spider-Man with keeping secrets nowadays," Y/N looked up to address the man she had been talking to.

"Oh fuck, you're him! You're Tom Holland!"

"Well, you sort of learn not to trust Spider-Man with keeping secrets nowadays," Tom didn't know if he was relieved or didn't care that she already knew who he was.

"Oh fuck you're him!" Her surprise amused him so much he couldn't hold back his smile. "You're Tom Holland!"

"I am," he grinned "well, now that you know my name, darling, I only find it fair that you tell me yours," the girl didn't react at all, her eyes were still just as wide, her lips still apart.

"Uhm, Y/N, I'm Y/N Y/L/N," it finally came out of her. "I'm sorry, it's just that, you're Tom Holland, and I've wanted to meet you since Civil War, and you're just making me really nervous!" 

For some reason, knowing this calmed Tom's nerves. It was nice to know such a beautiful girl could feel the same jitters that he had. "Me too! You have no idea, my brothers almost had to push me over here to you,"

Y/N's eyes lit up, it was weird talking to someone she had watched on YouTube and movies. 'Shit, it's been silent for a while now, should I say something? What the fuck do I say to a guy that I feel I know everything about?' 

"Are you also going to LA?" 'nice, Y/N!'

"Yes, I am,"

"That's right! The press tour for Infinity War is ongoing! How could I forget, I literally cried when I found out the world premiere would be the night I landed!" Tom's cheeks started to hurt, but he didn't care. How had he not met this wonderful woman before?

Y/N looked hopefully at him, and Tom got nervous. 'Shit did she say anything? How could I miss her saying anything? What do I do?!'

"Tom? Are you alright?" His heart melted when her eyebrows furrowed in worry.

"Hm? Oh yes, sorry, what did you say?" Y/N laughed. Oh God, her laugh. It might have been the most beautiful thing he had heard in his life.

"I asked you how it has been seeing the world! You know, I envy you so much. All I dream of is travelling and exploring new places, it's literally the reason as for why I'm in uni and taking my degree," 

"Oh, it's amazing! I'm so thankful for getting to do what I do, and I just feel so privileged, you know? I have this job that I love, and I get to meet all these amazing people... But what about you, what do you study?"

Tom didn't want to talk about himself. He answered questions for press and interviewers all the time, and even though he found it super cool and nice that people were interested in him and his life, he wanted to know you better. 

“Oh, it’s probably going to bore you, it’s not really that interesting. My life’s shamefully dull compared to yours, I mean, you hang out with Robert Downey Jr! The RDJ!”

Tom shook his head at this, how could anything that she did, be boring? “I find that very hard to believe. What I am sure of on the other hand, is that your life must be very interesting, I’m very interested at least,” 

“I find that very hard to believe. What I am sure of on the other hand, is that your life must be very interesting, I’m very interested at least,” Tom was making it really hard for you not to just melt then and there. How could a boy your age be so nice?

“Want to switch?” Y/N laughed. 

“How about you start selling it to me before I agree to anything?” Tom laughed too, and then she started telling him everything. Y/N told him about where she grew up, her childhood friends and embarrassing moments. She talked about her life in a way a narrator would tell its story. Tom was hooked.

Suddenly, two hours were up. The plane was boarding, and Y/N and Tom were out of time.

"Y/N?"

"Hm?"

"Can we do this more times?" Tom asked, afraid this was the last time he would ever see her again. 

"Talk?" Y/N tried her best, but failed to mask her happiness. He had liked talking to her too?

"Yes, and maybe hang out other places than airports?" The number of butterflies in Tom's stomach grew by the milliseconds of Y/N's silence. But then she gave him that beautiful smile, and all his butterflies flew away.

"I would love to do that, here's my phone number, hit me up whenever" Y/N took a pen and wrote the digits on Tom's hand before she kissed his cheek and fled.

At that moment, Tom didn't care for the yelling that was to come from Judi. He had gotten Y/N Y/L/N phone number. And she had kissed his cheek good bye. A goodbye for now.  

A/N: Oh God, I haven’t written an imagine for so long (check out my retired blog @so-flashtastic for some of my previous works;)), and I’m honestly kind of sad for how badly this was written. I think it’s because this is my first Tom-imagine, so I don’t know how to write from his POV. Let’s just call his lines and scenes a work in progress, yeah? Well, I hope I didn’t lose too many readers along the way of this piece, so please give me a chance? 

[rickstexaschick]

Random Picks, Chapter 5:  Coach Sanchez, Part 1

You have to satisfy your PE credit before you can graduate. You thought this would be an easy option...

It was in the mid-90s when I went back to college to finish my degree, having taken the "long route" path through life to get there.  A few years working at different fast food restaurants, then worked my way up through management at a retail clothing store at the mall...  I even tried being the assistant to a family photographer -- who turned out to be less than family oriented in his handling of his employees...

"No" apparently didn't mean "no" to him; and the whole "Me Too" movement wouldn't happen for another 20 years.

Finally, even I had to agree with my patient and long-suffering parents and admit that I was getting to Nowheresville fast.  So, I went back to school, taking mostly night classes wherever possible while working full time during the day, until I was down to the final semester, getting ready to register for those last few courses and then I'd be done.  That's when my advisor told me that I wouldn't graduate without completing the 2 hour physical education requirement.

Christ.  28 years old and I still had to do Phys Ed?!  It was so fucking stupid.  I scanned the listing for the less-strenuous courses -- archery? bowling?  Nothing held any appeal for me whatsoever.  I still had a week or so to come to a decision and was sitting in the Commons area.  I was “Slamming and Cramming,” which was basically slamming coffee and doing some last minute cramming for a final exam.  I overheard 2 students talking about their racquetball class.

Ooh!  Racquetball.  I'd missed seeing that on the listing.  I tuned out the students' remaining conversation and pulled out my worn and tattered copy of the next semester's course listings.  Quickly flipping to the PE section---sure enough, there were 2 different classes offered.  I had to pick the late one at 6pm, which would give me an hour break at the end of my work shift.  Yuck, a PE class at 6pm.  Oh well, it would have to do.

Fortunately I come from what you would call a Racquetball Fanatic Family.  Other families did tennis or golf, ours was racquetball.  My dad had gotten really into it, when it first became popular, and for a number of years he participated in semi-pro tournaments.  Then he became a rep for one of the bigger equipment companies.  My older brother did even better and started playing in junior tournaments when he was 15, then turned pro at 18 and continued doing it for years.  Not that that was a lucrative thing, but still...  Then he, too, took a job as a rep with the same company as my dad.

I dabbled in it, playing in junior tournaments here and there while I was in high school, but I wasn't as good as my brother or my dad, or maybe it just didn't appeal to me as much.  And I didn't really want to travel around selling sporting equipment.  So, that was my racquetball story.  At least now it would pay off, and this would be an easy "A."

The semester ended and the new one started.  I was standing in a long line at the textbook store, waiting to check out when a guy standing in the line next to me happened to see the slim, used copy of "Handbook to Racquetball" on the top of my stack of books.

"Racquetball, huh?  Too bad you have to get Coach Sanchez this semester."

"Never heard of him," I said, hoping to avoid a long, drawn out conversation about some evil-tempered asshole.  So often these types of stories had no basis in fact, were more Urban Legend than anything. The scary calculus professor who failed everyone, or the female English professor who would sleep with 1 or 2 of her male students and would let them miss every class and still give them A's.

"He came out of retirement to coach this semester.  The regular coach was in a bad accident over Christmas."

We shuffled closer to the check-stands.

"You seem to know a lot about it," I said, finding my curiosity growing.  At least, the accident story sounded interesting.  I can rubberneck along with the best of them when it comes to passing a car pile-up on the road.

"I'm a Kinesiology Major — that's Phys Ed.  Gonna be a professional trainer when I finish," he said proudly, swelling himself up, holding his stomach in and puffing his chest out.  The guy looked the type---all bulky muscle, tanned, confident.  Probably more muscle than brains, like so many jocks.  He adjusted the heavy stack of books in his arms and continued.

"We heard all about Coach Radcliff's car accident -- he almost died.  Anyway, the way I heard, this guy Sanchez was pro for long time.  Taught here for a few years, then disappeared.  That was a while back.  Not the easiest guy to get along with, is what they say.  Kind of an asshole."

Huh, I thought.  I'd never heard of anyone with the last name of Sanchez, and the Racquetball World wasn't exactly huge...   We each stood in silence after that.  I paid for my books -- Holy Crap, these damn things were expensive.  If only I would actually read them...maybe I'd have better grades.

The first day of class came and I was running late from work, of course.  Story of my life...  The course listing said that the first 3 or 4 classes would start in the classroom setting, so at least I wouldn't make myself any later by having to run into the locker room to change first.  I opened the door to the classroom and was grateful when I realized that the door was in the back of the room -- so no "walk of shame" past everyone and the professor, interrupting the lecture.

I slipped into a desk at the end of a row as quietly as possible.  The room was long and narrow and there was a tall guy sitting in front of me.  I couldn't see the front without leaning past him and halfway out in the aisle, which I sure as hell wasn't going to do -- no need to draw anymore attention to myself.

"We-urp-ell.  It l-l-looks like our star player, our celebrity has finally fuckin' arrived..."   The man's voice was deep, rough.  And sounded very annoyed.  I looked around to see who'd come in behind me and realized to my horror that he meant me.

Oh shit.  Please don't let this class, my last semester, be like this...  Everyone in the room was looking at me.  I felt my face burning and tried to slide down a little in my chair.

The guy in front of me had turned around sideways in his seat to look at me, giving me a clear view of the man at the front of the class.  He was tall, lean, with a shock of blue-grey hair sticking out from his head in unruly waves.  Like he didn't own a hairbrush.  Even from the back of the classroom I could see his blue eyes piercing me.  Damn!  He was fucking sexy!  I sucked my breath in and felt myself growing wet.

He frowned.  "N-n-nice of you to join us.  Y-y-you didn't feel the need to change?"

I looked around and realized, to my horror again, that everyone was in shorts and t-shirts and had their racquets.

"Um, sir," my voice croaked and I had to clear my throat and start again.  "The course listing said that the first few lectures would be in the classroom.  So I thought..."  I trailed off lamely.

"Th-Then you thought wrong.  Go change.  Meet us on the courts.  Everyone else, let's (urp) go."

I gathered up my things and headed for the locker room, my face still burning with embarrassment.  How was it that I'd made this mistake, that everyone else knew to be in work-out clothes?  Then I stopped in my tracks at the entrance to the locker room, my hand on the door.  I didn't have any work-out clothes with me.  I wasn't expecting to need any yet.  Shit.  Shit, shit, shit.  Now what?

I turned around and went to the racquetball courts.  Coach Sanchez was trailing up the rear, the students having disappeared around a corner, and I caught up to him.

"Coach, I don't have anything with me.  I wasn't expecting to play today.  I'm sorry."

"Hhmmph."  He refused to look down at me, barely acknowledged that I'd said anything.  He continued walking, his long legs taking great strides and I struggled to keep up, taking two steps to his one.  We got to the wing of the building with the courts, everyone was standing around, waiting for instructions.  Coach paired everyone up and sent them off to the courts.  He turned and looked down at me.

"Go wait for me -- go up on the gallery."

Some racquetball courts are designed with the rear wall made of plexiglass, so observers can watch.  But being a classroom setting, this facility's courts were regular walled, with a viewing gallery on the second level so that the coach could look down on the various games and call out instructions.

I went up to the second level and set my things down in the corner.  I peered down onto the first court and watched two students clumsily knock the ball around.  I went from court to court and saw that this pretty much was the caliber of all the students in the class.  I ended up above court #9 and watched two guys hitting the ball wildly, laughing at themselves.  The tenth court was empty.

"This group f-f-fucking sucks."  He was standing right next to me and I nearly jumped out of my skin.  "Can't believe they talked -- talked me into this shit."  He pulled a metal flask from the hip pocket of his shorts and unscrewed the cap then took a deep pull.  His long fingers were wrapped around the flask, his other hand rested on the rail, his fingers taping it lightly.  I stared at them and wondered what they would feel like on my body...  He offered the flask to me, nudging my arm.  "Want some?"

"Uh, no thanks..."  I was pretty sure it wasn't Gatorade in that flask.  He stood uncomfortably close to me and I began to breathe quickly.  Occasionally he'd lean into me, on the pretense of craning his head down into the court below to watch a player, but he didn't immediately move away afterwards.  Soon he stayed pressed up against me.  His skin was warm and I started to feel wetness and heat bloom between my legs as the skin of his arm continued to rub against mine.  Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and took a careful sideways step away from him.  I could feel his eyes on me, but I kept my gaze steadfastly downward, pretending to watch the game below.

"Hhmmph," he chuckled.  "All r-r-right.  You can take off -- you can go.  Be here, be back Thursday, fucking on time and ready to -- you're gonna play for me."  He looked me up and down, smirking.

I stammered a goodbye, thanking him, then gathered my things and left.  My legs were so weak I nearly tripped down the stairs.

When I got to my car and started the engine, I had to sit there for a few minutes, waiting for the throbbing in my pussy to go away.  God, what was it about this man that made me so fucking horny?  Everything about him screamed "drunken lech" but all I could think about was him fucking me.  I wanted to reach down and rub my clit, finger fuck myself right there.  I took a quick look around the parking lot and didn't see anyone.  Coast clear.  Being winter, it was already dark out...should be safe enough.

I reached a hand down inside my pants and leaned over the steering wheel to hide myself.  Then I slowly rubbed my clit, thinking a quick orgasm would ease my tension before I drove home.  Reaching further, I pressed two fingers deep inside and began to stroke, thinking about his tall body, those elegant, long fingers...I was breathing heavily and sweating, I felt myself coming close --

A hard rapping on the driver's side window brought me back to reality and I yanked my hand out of my pants but stayed bent over the steering wheel.  Oh my God, here I was, caught masturbating in a school parking lot by the campus police.  What the fuck had I been thinking?!  I was too afraid to look up, but then the hand rapped on the window again.  I turned my head and it was Coach Sanchez.  He motioned for me to roll the window down.

"Y-you left without the -- without a copy of the syllabus."  His eyes gleamed and his smirk was positively lecherous.  He looked down at my hand where I had it down on the seat and I imagined that my fingers were dripping with my juices.  I was mortified.  I wanted to melt down into the floor boards of my car.

"L-L-Looks like you, uh, you could use some help there."

I cleared my throat, "Um, no.  I'd dropped my ID under the seat.  Was just trying to find it..."  It was such a blatant lie.  I couldn't look him in the face.

"Uh huh.  Here."  He leaned into the window and handed a copy of the syllabus in to me.  I could smell the faint odor of liquor on his breath.  "I let those fools out -- I let class out early.  Wanna get a drink?"

Now I really was mortified.  My coach had caught me masturbating in the car...Surely he knew I was thinking of him, and now he was asking me out for a drink?  My mind raced.  I can't say that I wasn't tempted...There was something about him.  Duh.  Obviously.  But, no.  I'd already had one affair with a professor.  It ended badly.  His wife had found out about us.  Threatened to have me kicked out of school -- but this would have ended her husband's career, so fortunately she didn't say anything.  I couldn't put myself through that again.

"Thank you, Coach Sanchez, but I worked all day and I'm really tired.  I think I'll just head home."

"Tired, huh?  D-d-don't let that be your -- affect your performance in the future."  He straightened up and stepped away from the door, rapping on the roof twice with his knuckles.  "See you -- see you on Thursday."

Grateful at finally being released, I rolled up the window and backed out and drove away.  I looked in my rearview mirror.  He remained in the same spot, watching my car until I turned down the row of the parking lot.

tbc

This was originally posted on Archive of Our Own:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15708732/chapters/36759801

[narrymusings]

“You’re always number one.” jealousy pleaaaase

He meets Niall on a Thursday.

He’s had a long day — a long week, really — and he doesn’t feel like cooking and he’s heard that the pub just on the outskirts of campus has the best Mediterranean salad, so that’s how he finds himself sitting at the bar, menu open as if he doesn’t already know what he wants, when a pretty blond-haired boy steps in front of him. The first thing he notices about the boy is his hair; dyed blond, a little bit dry but soft at the same time. Then, it’s exactly how blue his eyes are; like the sea. And his lips; thin enough that they don’t take up his whole face, but plump (and pink) enough that Harry catches himself staring as they move.

He’s pretty sure he’s on autopilot when he orders, because he doesn’t remember ordering the cocktail the boy brings him — right before he introduces himself as Niall, and then asks Harry what he’s studying. Harry tells him that his major is business, with a minor in script-writing; admits that his ultimate goal would be to write a movie one day. Niall, in turn, says that he’d love to write music, perhaps even record his own album, but he’d settle for producing it which is why he’s taking sound engineering.

They fall into an easy conversation, after that. Harry talks about his roommate, Liam. Niall tells him about both of his flat mates, Zayn and Louis. Harry talks about his sister, and his mother. Niall talks about his nephew. They do a lot of talking, in between Niall manning the bar and stepping in to help serve the other paying customers. For the first time all day, Harry doesn’t feel like pulling his hair out.

When he goes to pay his bill, the cocktail is missing from the receipt — and Niall says that it’s on me. “You looked like you could use a drink, so- I’ve got this one.”The only words that Harry can manage are ‘thank you’, before he’s heading out the door.

And he wonders, later, if what Niall had said — I’ve got this one — is an indication that he should go back, some day.

+

That day just so happens to be Saturday, because it just so happens that Liam wants go out — he’s in somewhat of a rebound period from his ex-girlfriend, Sofia — but he doesn’t want to venture too far away from home.

And Niall just so happens to be working that night, so Harry pays him back by ordering a beer alongside a cocktail — and leaving the beer behind as he goes to sit with his friends in a booth on the other side of the pub.

Later, when Harry and the lads are leaving, he tells Niall that they’re even now.Niall responds by telling him not to be a stranger, then.

+

So, well- Harry isn’t a stranger. In fact, he sort of becomes a regular; finds himself sat at the bar every Thursday evening, and sometimes he drags Liam out on Saturday.

He tells himself that it’s just because he likes Niall’s company, thinks Niall’s cool, and nothing more. They’ve sort of become friends, is the thing.

At least, Harry hopes they’re friends.

+

The first time it happens, Harry is right there.  He’s sat at the end of the bar, on a stool, running his index finger around the rim of his vodka cran. And Niall is but two feet away, behind the bar, leaning forward on his elbows as he listens to the girl on the other side — clad in literally nothing but a the tiniest of black dresses and a pair of sparkly, silver stilettos — flirt with him. But that isn’t the worst part. No.

The worst part is that Niall is flirting back. Harry can’t hear everything that he’s saying, because the pub is much too loud at this point, but he can tell that Niall is flirting — because, well, Harry knows what Niall looks like when he’s flirting from personal experience. He knows the signs; the tilt of Niall’s head, the way his gaze constantly flickers up and down from her eyes to her lips, the way that he plays with his hair like it’s a nervous tick, right down to the way he smirks, looking all mischievous and sly.

Harry has loads of personal experience with what Niall looks like, and how he is, when he’s flirting — because Niall has spent every Thursday, and sometimes Saturday, flirting with him for the last two months. In fact, as recently as this past week, they’d gone beyond just flirting within the confines of the pub Niall works at; they’d exchanged phone numbers a few weeks ago, has been texting each other mainly for swapping jokes and new music they’ve found — you know, the usual stuff — until this past week, when Niall had started flirting with him over iMessage too. And, well- It’s a problem.

It’s a huge problem. For Harry.

Because his stomach sort of churns, and his chest sort of aches when he sees Niall now, flirting with someone else. Right in front of him.

He hates it.

The girl twirls, quite literally, away with a wink aimed at Niall and a smile tossed over her shoulder. She’s very pretty. Short and slender. And Harry finds himself more than a little bit jealous of her as Niall watches her hips sway as she walks away.

Harry’s head is down, and he’s gazing into his empty glass, when Niall returns from serving a couple of blokes down at the other end of the bar, with another vodka cran to replace the one that Harry has finished.

“Sorry,” Niall says, wiping a cloth over the counter beneath Harry’s old glass before setting the new drink down in front of him. “It’s mad busy and John fucked off on his break.”

Harry shrugs, brings the glass to his lips to take a sip. “Seemed pretty occupied with that girl before too,” he finds himself saying — and he prays that he doesn’t actually sound as bitter as he feels on the inside.

Niall smirks. “Sometimes the words just come out and I don’t even really know what I’m saying,” he says, leaning forward on the bar much like before — only closer. So close that Harry can smell the shot of whiskey he’d down not five minutes ago. “My mates always say that I have the ‘best game’, but the truth is- I don’t even know what I’m doing 90% of the time, it just happens.”

Harry hums- Doesn’t get much of a chance to respond, even if he’d had something to add, because the bell above the front door opens, signalling new patrons, and then there’s a shout of Niall’s name before four blokes come stumbling inside from the cold — and, once more, Niall’s attention is dragged away.

He doesn’t stay long, after that. Can’t stomach the possibility of Niall pulling that girl, from earlier, or anybody else for that matter.

+

The forth time it happens, it’s with a bloke. A lad, who’s all dirty blond curls and green eyes and dimples (that almost rival Harry’s) and a leather jacket. A lad, who’s hand reaches across the counter to brush fingers against Niall’s arms; a lad, who laughs with his entire body every time Niall speaks; a lad, who leans in close, across the counter, to whisper something in Niall’s ear that makes Niall blush.

This one is worse than the others. This one makes the butterflies in his stomach a little bit more wild, makes his chest a little more tight. This one hurts.

Because, well- Harry had almost convinced himself that Niall was straight. That Niall was only into girls. That Niall only flirted with Harry, a boy, because maybe he didn’t want to hurt Harry’s feelings, or something. But this-

This is proof that Niall isn’t only into girls. This is proof that Niall just, probably, isn’t all that into Harry.

+

The only good thing is that Niall never actually leaves with anything. At least, he doesn’t leave with anyone except Louis, his co-worker (a mediocre cook, at best) a roommate. It’s the only silver lining that comes from Niall flirting with, well, anyone.

Niall might not ever go home with Harry, but at least he doesn’t go home with anybody else.

Sometimes he wonders why.

Most of the time, he doesn’t care to know why.

+

He’s nursing his last drink of the night, alternating between his Purple Haze and a tall glass of water that Niall more or less forced on him 20 minutes ago when John locked the front door behind the last of straggling patrons as they left for the night. Most nights he helps Niall, John, and Louis clean up; they usually just get him to flip the chairs over onto the tops of the tables. Tonight, however, Harry is a little more drunk than he probably should be on a Thursday night and Niall has forbidden him from leaving his stool until they’re all ready to leave.

He’s watching Niall split the tip jar into three other, smaller mason jars when he makes a comment about how he might going into the wrong line of work, seeing as they’re “rolling in the dough, these days.”

“We have Nialler to thank for that,” John says, slinging an arm around Niall’s shoulder. He takes the mason jar off the counter when Niall has finished. “Don’t we, Tommo?”

“Right fuckin’ flirt he is, isn’t he?” Louis calls from the kitchen.

Niall rolls his eyes, despite the smirk that tugs at his lips. “Flirting gets the best tips. You lot should try it some time- Pay me back all the money I’ve lost by splitting with both your lazy arses.”

And, oh. Is that it? That’s why Niall was flirting with those girls tonight? Is that why Niall flirts with everyone?

Is that why Niall started flirting with him? Is it why Niall still flirts with him?

“What?”

Harry blinks, feels as if he’s been physically pulled out of his thoughts by Niall’s words. “What?” he asks, confused.

“What do you mean- Is that why I still flirt with you?”

And, oh- Shit. Those thoughts hadn’t just been in Harry’s head.

He opens his mouth to respond, except that his mind is blank so nothing comes out.

John clears his throat. “Right. Well, I’ve gotta go, so- See ya.” Harry watches, silently, as John claps Niall on the back before he walks around the end of the counter towards the front door.

Louis emerges from the kitchen, then, and plucks his own mason jar off the counter. “Saw this one coming from a mile way, if I’m honest,” he snicker, only narrowly avoiding the hand Niall throws out to push him with. “Good luck.” He nods at Harry on the way out.

Only then, does Harry finally look at Niall. Niall, who seems to look right through him. And, suddenly, Harry feels entirely too vulnerable.

“You think I’m flirting with you to get tips out of you?”

Harry shrugs. “It’s what you said.”

“No,” Niall says, shaking his head. “I said that flirting gets the best tips. Not that I flirt with you for tips.”

Harry blinks, confused. “Then- Why do you flirt with me, if not for tips?”

Niall cocks an eyebrow. “Why do you flirt with me?”

“You started it,” Harry says, his tone rather weak. He reckons he probably sounds a bit childish, but oh well.

“Actually you started it,” Niall tells him. “‘If I had a type, Niall, it’d be you.’”

Harry feels like he’s frozen. Like he can’t move. Like he might throw up, and if he does then there’s nothing he can do — because, shit. Niall is right.

“I don’t flirt with you for tips, Harry.”

He stares at Niall, and feels a bit dumbfounded. “Then- Why- Why did you never say anything?”

“I thought I was,” Niall sighs, running a hand through his hair. “Why did you never say anything?”

“Because you also flirt with everyone else,” Harry mutters, casting his gaze towards one particular ridge in the countertop that his fingers are playing with rather absentmindedly.

“Only when I’m working,” Niall points out. “‘s not like I’ve gone about giving my number to everyone I meet.”

“You gave me your number,” Harry says, slowly.

“Exactly.”

Harry’s brows furrow as he begins to realize exactly what that means. “So- We could have been dating this whole time if I wasn’t such an idiot, then?”

Niall shrugs as he comes around the end of the counter, stops directly in front of where Harry’s sitting on the stool. He’s standing so close that Harry can smell his cologne, can feel the heat in Niall’s body through the thigh that’s touching Harry’s knee. “I reckon we were both idiots.”

“Yeah,” Harry whispers, biting the inside of his cheek as his gaze falls to land on 

Niall’s lips. “Reckon I was just a jealous one, though.”

“Yeah,” Niall agrees easily, grins cheekily. “You’re number one though, Haz. You’re always number one.”

[johnnymundano]

Class of 1999 (1990)

Directed by Mark L. Lester

Written by C. Courtney Joyner

Story by Mark L. Lester

Music by Michael Hoenig

Country: United States

Language: English

Running Time: 99 minutes

CAST

Bradley Gregg as Cody Culp

Traci Lind as Christie Langford

John P. Ryan as Mr. Hardin

Pam Grier as Miss Connors

Patrick Kilpatrick as Mr. Bryles

Stacy Keach as Dr. Robert "Bob" Forest

Malcolm McDowell as Dr. Miles Langford

Darren E. Burrows as Sonny

Joshua John Miller as Angel

Sharon Wyatt as Janice Culp

James Medina as Hector

Jason Oliver as Curt

Brent David Fraser as Flavio

Jill Gatsby as Dawn

Sean Hagerty as Reedy

And Rose McGowan as girl briefly glimpsed sat in a chair

Class of 1999 is one of those movies which were once set in the future but are now set in the past, which is always funny. It must certainly have tickled director Mark L. Lester since this is his second such movie, the first being Class of 1984 (1982). The intellectuals out there will have noticed both movies are also set in schools. Judging by the content of them I think we can infer Mark L. Lester has strong emotions about his schooldays. Negative emotions. Back in 1982 in the UK Class of 1984 upset a lot of people who decided what we could watch, and so it was not passed as uncut until 2005. Unfortunately by then I was busy self-destructing and by the time I surfaced as a functional human being DVD was passé, alas. I’m waiting for the Blu-Ray now so I still haven’t seen it, basically; but I will, I will. That cinematic bad boy sure sounds a lot harder and nastier than Class of 1999, which is the kind of goofy pulp schlock that video store chains were built on. “The year is 1999 and school’s out – FOREVER!” the tag line doesn’t run (but totally should, in howling electric lime green if possible).

Teens! Little shits! Always a problem, but particularly so in the ‘80s when feral gangs ran wild and committed heinous crimes, in fact just like they had since the teenager was invented (the 1920s) but sometimes it’s politically expedient for reactionary assholes to pretend it’s a new problem, and the ‘80s was particularly rich in reactionary assholes. So we were constantly being told that the kids weren’t alright. Movies like Class of 1984 probably helped feed the fires of hysteria and Class of 1999 seems like a kind of belated atonement for this. This time Lester seems to be mocking the ridiculous reactionary horseshit which turns troubled youth into a patsy for political and financial gain, and all the ridiculous reactionary bullshit solutions proposed which never actually address the root causes (because that would require thought, money and time) and hence do nothing to ameliorate the problem, but always end up making someone rich (usually , spookily enough, the someone sponsoring the reactionary assholes involved). You know, the kind of Twinkie® head who thinks the solution to school shootings is arming teachers. Shit, just cut straight to arming the kids as well and whoever walks out at home time wins. Televise it, monetise it, get some revenue streams going. Don’t piss about, people!

Class of 1999 certainly doesn’t piss about. By 1999, every reactionary asshole’s wet dream has come true;  all across America youth gangs with bandannas and guns have established free fire zones, where the police fear to tread and schools have begun shutting down. Obviously the problem must be the bandannas as it can’t be the guns, because what your latte drinking, book reading, cat grooming “Leftee” never gets is that no problem in America is ever down to guns; not even when it involve guns; especially not when removing guns would remove the problem. Because of the easy access to bandannas things are in such a state that the Department of Education is now the Department of Education and Defence (DED; geddit?). This rebranding allows for some real blue-skying and results in a joint project with MegaTech to take back the schools by piloting the introduction of android teachers. Mega-Tech, like any responsible corporation that probably doesn’t pay its taxes, decides to cut corners and use three military androids gathering dust due to the early end of a recent war. Things escalate quickly, and lessons are learned about simple solutions to complex problems and the evil fruits of a society which treats its kids as monsters and where bandannas are legal.

Miles Langford (Malcolm McDowell), the new principal at Seattle’s’ Kennedy High School, agrees to the use of his school for the initial introduction of the android educators. Langford is clearly a “progressive” (spit!) who wants the best for the kids (or “scum” to real, decent, working people) but is undone by his ambition; it’s a strangely nuanced performance in a remarkably (and deliberately) nuance free movie, but that’s the magic of Malcolm McDowell. Stacy Keach as MegaTech’s Dr Bob Forrest (Stacy Keach) doesn’t need nuance as he has decided to play his role in a white wig and white contacts, as an albino corporate asshole who remains perpetually unruffled no matter how bad things get. “The teachers are making hats out of the pupil’s internal organs.” a tech-head (probably a liberal who owns a book) might exclaim, only to have Dr Bob say “Wait, let’s see how things develop.” as he eats a banana. I’m not convinced Keach can actually see out of his white contact lenses but who gives a shit, it’s Stacy Keach! (The last time I saw Stacy Keach onscreen he was singing Elvis at a karaoke bar in Alexander Payne’s delightful Nebraska (2013). Stacy Keach, people!)

Dr Bob’s three androids are Mr. Hardin (John P. Ryan) for History, Ms Connors (Pam Grier) for Science and Mr. Bryles (Patrick Kilpatrick) for P.E. (and probably Geography; P.E. teachers always have to do Geography as well, in my experience; P.E. not actually being a real subject). Anyone who has wasted their eyes on the quirkier side of movies will already be excited by that list. John P. Ryan, whose jaw-popping performance in Runaway Train (1985) earned him a place in Movie Valhalla, is full-on here as a history teacher who prefers strategy to strangling but will strangle if pushed. Pam Grier should need no introduction and, despite returning to the screen here after illness, she is as lively a screen presence as ever, memorably taking an axe to the chest like it’s a gnat bouncing off her. And Patrick Kilpatrick’s name might not be known to you but he has probably died at the hands of your favourite ‘80s/’90s action star, probably as revenge for being a better actor than any of them. Basically, these three ‘droids rock. As does Bradley Gregg as Cody Culp, the youthful ex-gangbanger recently released from pokey who is caught between the gangs and the teachers like a pretzel in a car crusher. Gregg acts like he’s in a serious movie and his earnest solidity helps stop the comic book ridiculousness swamping everything. Which is no mean feat in a movie where an albino Stacy Keach eats a banana.

Obviously I was taken by the banana bit, but a lot more stuff happens in Class of 1999 than albino potassium ingestion. Unfortunately quite a lot of it involves the rival gangs who are not the most interesting part of the movie. But they do fight a lot so there is that. In fact they fight more than usual as the robo-teachers niftily set them against each other, before the kids “wise up” and take on the real enemy in a night time school siege, which swiftly descends into a slaughtertastic game of cat and mouse, or android and pupil, if you will. Despite its limitations, in 2018 Class of 1999 remains a fun film for teens, fans of films that mock reactionary assholes, people who wish The Terminator (1984) was set in a school, and, crucially, P.E. teachers who wish they could use a flamethrower on that kid who took the piss out of them for teaching Geography.

[curriebelle]

Episode Ignis Feels Like Fanfiction and That’s a Good Thing

Ok so I’m having a Thought.

You know when people say something reads “like fanfiction”, and it’s meant to be a criticism? The phrase is one of those intangibles, one of those agreed-upons, where no one can define it quite accurately but everyone thinks they know what it means. Usually it’s a combination of deviation from the original tone, bleaching out character flaws and complexities, a lack of understanding of nuance, and a reverent or worshipful attitude towards old characters, moments, settings, and iconography (and iconography is just the Stuff. Star Wars iconography is lightsabers, wookies and Jedi robes).

That’s a pretty reductive description of fanfiction of course, because a lot of fanfic - whether it’s well or poorly written - doesn’t necessarily follow those patterns. Weirdly enough, saying a sequel or reboot reads “like fanfiction” often implies that the writer doesn’t understand something about the source material - that they’re oversimplifying, or they’re fanning about while failing to understand what a “good” sequel would actually require. And that’s pretty ironic, because fans - obsessive detail-hoarding, secondary-character-worshipping pastiche-crafters that they are - often know the source material better than anyone, sometimes better than the creators themselves, and they are very aware of what they are erasing or changing when they move Marvel into a fluffy coffee shop AU. 

But I’m kind of digressing, because my point is that “this feels like fanfiction” shouldn’t be seen as a criticism, but rather as a gut feeling that we need to unpack. Sometimes it leads to legitimate criticism that, while worth addressing, actually has very little to do with fanfiction. And sometimes it leads to this weird 4:30 am conclusion: Episode Ignis is when “this feels like fanfiction” should be deployed as a compliment. Spoilers onward, for both Episode Ignis and FFXV.

I’m talking specifically about the alternate ending, here, which is tantamount to an FFXV fix-it fic. In this version Ignis averts the tragic ending of FFXV, and though he prepares to sacrifice his own life to do so, it ends up costing nothing. Ignis survives with even prettier hero-scarring than he gets in the regular plot. The episode fills in a sizable story gap after Leviathan knocks Noct out, and closes a few additional plotholes (I wondered what happened to that one obnoxiously overdesigned Imperial guy: turns out Ravus stabbed him). It spends some time with likable characters (Ardyn, yeeee) and underdeveloped characters (again, Ravus). Ignis gets roughed up and drenched, loses the glasses, and I’m 90% sure the animators made his eyes bigger in the cutscenes for extra pretty. He gains maximum plotline power, and Adam Croasdell voice acts the shit out of some sassy comebacks and anguished screaming (ok, this is unrelated, but when he’s doing the regular stormbind combo, it sounds like he screams FUCK in one of his battle grunts and it makes me laugh every time). He can liberate Altissia more or less by himself, and that’s before he drives a goddamn speedboat away from pursuant megarobots. So for anyone calling Mary Sue, yes, Ignis dives headfirst into that. He basically becomes Magic James Bond.

The whole episode is also pretty blatantly queer-coded. We get a very cuddly flashback to kid Noctis, and Ignis’s vow to stand at his side. Ignis is monomaniacal when it comes to finding Noctis. Noctis eiher drops the l-word, referring directly to Ignis and the freshly fridged Lunafreya (I’m still salty about that one, sorry), or says Ignis will always be in his heart depending on the ending. There’s a fantastic gifset going around of the official couples in previous Final Fantasies (Squall and Rinoa, Tidus and Yuna) declaring the exact same thing Ignis does in the alternate ending. “Rinoa, even if the world turns on you, I’ll be your knight”. “There’s no way I’ll let Yuna go”, even if I have to break all the rules of your stupid religion. Even if it costs my own life, I won’t let you take Noctis away. The queer subtext here is one of those things where it’s purposefully vague - just enough emotional evidence and physical contact that you can read romantic feelings there if you want, but just short of an actual romance to leave interpretations open. If you’re convinced Noctis and Luna were in love, Episode Ignis probably won’t debunk that.

So Ignis and his Episode are both powerful, emotional, pretty, potentially kinda gay, and ridiculously awesome.

And honestly, it is phenomenal.

Episode Ignis is a blast to play. His combat style is very fun and quick and fluid and flashy, and the grappling hook in the first portion makes you feel superheroic. Killing Ardyn, meanwhile, makes you feel godlike. It is an incredible surge of adrenaline to take on armies and deities by your lonesome. The gameplay and narrative reflect each other here, just like they do in the base game. FFXV seems happy at first, and the combat is pretty entertaining with all the goofy combo-attacks, but that game is a tragedy. It’s all the more tragic by how fun it is to begin with, and by the end it is painful to play. Characters get older, places fall apart, people die, and you have to escort Ignis around for a chapter while he grows used to being blind and Gladio constantly bitches at you for walking too fast. The photo mechanic is introduced to break your heart later, to show you how fleeting youth and pleasure can truly be under backbreaking destiny.

And in retaliation, Episode Ignis thrives on the power of Fuck You. Long commutes by car, mundane in the moment but peaceful upon reflection decades later? Fuck You, I have a grappling hook. Sections that force you to walk slowly through a dungeon and think about what you’ve done? Fuck You, I’ve got two daggers, lightning teleportation and button-mashing hands. Musings about the ravages of time, and aching nostalgia for youth? Fuck You, Ignis is prettier than ever. A tragic ending pre-ordained by prophecy? Fuck You, Ignis is going to re-write that fate by being clever, patient, and brave enough to sacrifice his life, but double Fuck You, he gets to live as well. Bullets flying, health bar low, multiple explosions and Atlas Ripped decking airships in the background? Fuck. You. It’s time to make some fucking soup.

With all that in mind, it makes sense that people might accuse Episode Ignis of being tone-deaf, of being fanfiction in all the “bad” ways - it neglects the nuance of the original, and papers over complex themes so everything can end up hunky-dory, but I still think that’s too easy.

Here’s the thing: Episode Ignis can only exist as fanfiction - or as alternate-ending DLC, I guess. FFXV is the story of Noctis and his story has an ending and it’s horribly, horribly sad, but it’s also what the story is built around. You might find it too depressing or too grim or you might find it just right, but it is well-structured. FFXV is careful with its themes and patterns and foreshadowing.

Because of that care, Ignis screwing Ardyn’s plans out of whack and saving Noctis from his fate couldn’t occur in the main game. FFXV is not about Ignis. It’s about Noctis. And the gameplay, built as it is around creating nostalgia - photographs, long car rides, camping, friendship - wouldn’t work if the ending wasn’t agonizing enough to make you long for the good old days. Maybe Noctis didn’t have to die or maybe he did, but the ending of FFXV was always going to hurt.

FFXV is an emotional project, and that project is to make the player painfully nostalgic. With that intriguing goal achieved, Episode Ignis exists as a response, and it can never really be more than that. It’s an ending I like better, but it is an alternate ending.

If you think about it, Episode Ignis didn’t need that alternate ending. It could have existed perfectly well as a companion to FFXV, filling in a much-needed blank (and without the alternate ending that’s exactly what it does). But in making a response to FFXV instead, they challenged a lot of assumptions FFXV needed to make in order to tell its story. FFXV assumes its prophecy is the only answer, as do its characters. FFXV yanks a great deal of agency away from Ignis, Prompto and Gladio when it asks them to sit still for a decade and wait for their friend to die without hunting for an alternative

Why can’t they try something else? Why can’t they defeat their nemesis on their own terms? I mean, who the heck does Bahamut think he is, anyway? Who says the ending can’t be happy, and the future can’t be bright?

Those are exactly the questions a fanfiction writer would ask. FFXV created those questions, and Episode Ignis addresses them, but in a way that acts as more of a breach than a closure. It’s one route to a happy ending - so maybe there are more. This is also the reason I brought up the queercoding in Episode Ignis. If there is any genre that needs a complete overhaul from grimdark tragedy into happy endings, it’s the scourge that is the modern queer romance story. There are so many of those bloody stories ending in anguish or separation or suicide or displeasure, and not nearly enough fairytales. Having a tragic ending overturned by the power of queer love is an insanely empowering experience, and that’s probably why you see so many posts about how Ignis’s gay love can pierce the veil of death and save the day. Episode Ignis didn’t need its queercoding any more than it needed its alternate ending, but the two make sense together: both of them are stories that people are absolutely aching for.

I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anything quite like this - a company actively revising their story, overturning its mood, questioning its plot, granting a completely different ending, and then asking fans to pay 6.99 for it. It’s different from alternate film endings, because those are DVD extras and one always wins the theatrical release. It’s different from re-imaginings or adaptations because Episode Ignis is...just not quite that. It can’t exist on its own, unlike most remakes. Video games are always fluid texts to a certain extent, but now developers are even relinquishing the solidity of lore and cutscenes. It’s so odd.

At the decision point of Episode Ignis, you can use R1 and L1 to flip the camera back and forth, moving between a shot of Ardyn and a shot of Ignis. It’s a tiny, insignificant moment, one that almost feels like a mistake - like maybe the developers couldn’t figure out how to stage a normal shot-reverse-shot. But that moment became an oddly powerful synecdoche for what Episode Ignis was to me. If you want to look at this story from a different angle, well, go for it. Here’s another place you can point the camera. Maybe the sun will rise over there too.

[sanabakkoushisanangel]

Heeey. Sorry if I disturb you by something or anything but could you maybe list some good shows? (It's not a must that LGBT couples are included) thanks a lot ❤️❤️💫

Hi, Anon! 

You’re not disturbing!

So I’m the type of person that watches a pretty random variety of shows so I’m not sure what your taste leans toward exactly. 

If you have any suggestions, make a comment or drop me a message with the show and why you like it! And if you want, make a suggestion on how to make this list better!

** Is for shows other people suggest to me. I’ll comment if I’ve heard of it or seen any of it. 

*I’ll try to put if it’s LGBT friendly. And also I want to put down if it’s diverse or not and a note if you suggest a show is diverse…I’m looking for either the main character that is a POC or more than 1-2 minor characters that show up often enough to make a difference to the plot. Don’t tell me a show is diverse if it’s 3 black characters are just window-dressing…👀

***UPDATE*** (8/11/2019)*** SO I'm finally getting around to updating this list. As always let me know if y'all have any suggestions! This thing is getting insanely long! I might try to make it a link on my page (which is in serious need of renovation lol). Oh Lord, I still have so many shows I didn't add. I might have a problem...

Enjoy!!

Derry Girls: Man I hope you all get to see my recommendation for this show!!! It's truly a gem! I can't say it's diverse but it's also based off a small town in Northern Ireland so not really faulting them. Very LGBT friendly!! Spot the tiny rainbow pins our main 5 wear in the entirety of the second season!! It's like the cutest, most wholesome unspoken way of showing support! I literally watched the second season, went back to rewatch the first season and then rewatched the second season again. They're so loveable!

Four Weddings and a Funeral: I surprisingly haven't watched the 1994 film that was one of the best movies of the 90s apparently. But Mindi Kaling is producing its remake that's now a TV show on Hulu. Features a much more diverse cast (TWO main characts being Black, the main love interest being Muslim, actually portraying Muslim character seamlessly without making it campy or oversimplified!). There's a lack of LGBT characters (Tony 1 and Tony 2 don't really count since that feels slightly degrading to me...). I'm hoping they'll get better at that in future episodes!

Dark: A German TV show that's like a mystery time travel thriller. Not really diverse? It does feature a deaf supporting character and some minor supporting characters are LGBT but other than that...It IS a good story that's really interesting and gripping to watch.  

3%: A sci-fi post-apocalyptic story based in Brazil that's Hunger Games ish in that young people fight for their right to live in the ideal land of plenty. But because it's a show, you get to explore the ethical aspect of it a little more. I have a beef with how this show treats its PoC character to be honest. But it does have a lot of PoC characters and there's I think an LGBT plotline in a later season. But, I feel like the first season may have been its peak. Definitely still a good show and y'all might enjoy the later seasons more than me. 

Patriot Act: Not really a story obviously but I have to plug this show because for once I'm seeing a nonproblematic Indian Muslim man (side-eyeing Kumal and Aziz) that's actually doing great episodes highlighting a lot of important issues that we're totally not getting informed about that we should really be paying attention to more.  

Kim's Convenience: A Canadian sitcom based on a Korean family's convenience story. Really cute wholesome show with a great cast that really tries to be diverse and thoughtful and respectful of its PoC. I don't think they have an LGBT main character but it's friendly to it!

-Shadowhunters: I love this trash show. It’s actually not all that great but it’s got some absolute gems of characters you end up watching it for anyway. I def recommend but S1 was watched with a ton of skip Clary/Jace scenes for me. This is LGBT friendly and diverse.  

-Eastsiders: One of my Netflix finds. So super LGBTQ friendly because it revolves around a gay couple. The revolving door of characters includes many people at different spectrums of sexuality. It’s unapologetic and fun to watch. Our main couple is self-labeled slutty mcsluttersons but they’re committed to each other. The diversity of race is meh but it does have the Constance Wu from Fresh off the Boat in it and she’s lovely. 

-Riverdale: I tried man, I used to read Archie comics when I was younger but um, this show…I think it’s supposed to be ironically pretentious? It just falls flat for me tbh. It’s popular though so you can check a couple of episodes out to see if it’s your thing. There’s an openly gay character in this that should get more story than he does. Also, kind of LGBT baits too at times so not sure if I trust them completely. 

-Narcos: One of my recent shows. Very very intense show. Just really well done. It’s male-centric in that most of its main characters are male and its portrayal of women isn’t varied or flattering or significant in any way so that definitely sucks. But I don’t watch all my shows through that lens. For a show about Pablo Escobar and the drug wars it’s a really gripping watch. Beware of heavy subtitles because it’s set in Columbia. 

-The Expanse: My sci-fi pick. I love this show. It’s a gorgeous, diverse, rich story, funny without trying too hard. I just get sucked into every character. It had one older married gay couple that was really minor characters but I don’t recall any current mains that are. But It’s an inclusive show so I don’t think it’s particularly averse to the idea. Based on books I haven’t read yet! 

-Veep: This is like a completely meant-to-be-offensive comedy show with the amazing Julia Louis-Dreyfus. While I wasn’t in love with the last 2 seasons, the first 4 are amazing. No clear-cut character you root for in particular but it’s so close to politics you can’t help but laugh/cry. Watch it for the absolutely unapologetic legendary burns. Also, has a lesbian couple in it although it’s offensive comedy so prepare for that.

-Archer: Also another meant-to-be-offensive show that’s hilarious but so terrible and inappropriate. I don’t usually like that kind of comedy but I binge-watched this when I was sick and got hooked. 

-Vikings: I love this show. If you like Game of Thrones, you’ll like this one only it’s got less nudity and more idgaf fight scenes. It’s got brilliant characters, beautiful battle scenes, really interesting storylines, and just good snarky humor. Watch it! Also, they’re not shy about same-sex couples even if they don’t explicitly say it. 

-Mr. Robot: Really good show, very different and…I actually don’t know how to describe it? The main has mental health issues. It’s a sociopolitical commentary type show. It’s about hacking and network security and corporation conglomerates in control of our everything and the fight against it. Also from @cherryrebel : Mr robot has a shit ton of diversity in both race and LGBT, the lead is mixed race but the actor is Egyptian, Tyrell is bisexual, Gideon is gay, Angela, Elliot, and Darlene are implied being lgbt+, I think I’m forgetting about someone but watch that show, it’s the shit 

-Legion: A superhero show that’s so incredibly NOT like the other superhero shows. You'll find yourself in a serious mind trip thinking you’re the one that’s crazy. But it’s really really good. Go watch. 

-Mozart in the Jungle: About a bunch of musicians and a crazy conductor you absolutely love. It’s really good. LGBT friendly! And diverse-ish.

-Luther: One of the best crime shows in my opinion. Idris Elba just does things and you will want to watch him do it. Anything he does is beautiful and brilliant. But the show actually IS brilliant and amazing and go watch!! 

-This is Us: one of those, where-the-hell-did-you-come-from?? shows. Really heartfelt stories that make you laugh, cry, and go aww a million times. 

-Killjoys: Another sci-fi show I love. It’s got diversity and great characters and great action and story. It's a complicated plot though and if you skip episodes you're really going to struggle with the story. But if you don't care, it's still fun to watch ladies being brilliant and kicking ass. Also LGBT friendly and diverse!!

-True Detective: Crime detective show. It’s great, very gritty and serious but good stories and character-driven. I actually really enjoyed the third season despite my reservations of this show. Definitely needed subtitles! Also, I got major unspoken LGBT vibes from the characters (3rd season) here but I feel like they didn't go the distance with it. 

-Humans: Sci-fi show about android robots that are part of normal life- they look human and are basically live in maids. Only five of these have consciousness. Really good UK show. Diverse AND LGBT friendly!

-Broadchurch: Another good UK crime show. David Tennant and Olivia Colman are brilliant and bicker in the most endearing way! And Jodie Whitaker is so amazing! Slow and gripping and bingeworthy. @iamacolor mentioned a lesbian character in this one too. Wouldn't say it's LGBT friendly but there is diversity in the characters. 

-The Americans: Russian sleeper spies in America that lead normal lives, have American children, and are like totally Russians carrying out secret missions. It's fantastical and exaggerated and sometimes I side-eye it like really?? But it's a fun casual watch. Not really diverse or LGBT friendly even if there might be some peppering in there. 

-The Get Down: Great show that was recently canceled :( has about 1 season out. I’m not sure how to describe it and do proper justice. It’s lovely though with amazing characters. Also, LGBT friendly and clearly diverse!

-Stranger Things: Great show sci-fi mystery thriller type show. Diverse cast, wholesome even with a dark and violent plot. LGBT friendly but it's got a list of problems in my opinion. But still a fun watch.

-Dear White People: Black college students from all kinds of backgrounds dropping truth bombs all around and being amazing. Go watch. It's definitely a smart show with a lot of humor. It’s balanced with amazing depth to its characters. LGBT friendly! *so while it's definitely diverse in that the entire main cast except one is Black- I do find it weird that in an ivy league college there aren't many Asian students? Like it seems like they tried to fix that in the third season but it could definitely stand to do more in terms of its recurring supporting characters*

-Brooklyn Nine-Nine: an Amazing funny cop show that manages to be winsome, hilarious, endearing, quirky, diverse, balanced, and just amazing all around. Very LGBT friendly and diverse! It's a consistent show. 

-Fresh Off the Boat: An Asian family comedy show that’s endearing and hilarious. (Also check out Jane the Virgin for crazy telenovela-esque antics that are hilarious and cute). 

-Orphan Black: Sci-fi show about clones. A really amazing show, LGBT friendly. Great story AMAZING characters…most of which is played by one woman. Diverse and LGBT friendly.

-Preacher: Great show based on the graphic novel…uhh not sure how to describe it but it’s good. Reth Negga is in it!! 

Also adding Sense8 for its LGBT and diversity. Good show but I’ve heard something about the directors/producers being racist? Not sure so I’m recommending with caution because the show itself esp s2 where the nonwhite characters got a better fleshed out plot is good. But since I don’t know what the producers/directors have done, I’m giving a heads up for someone else to fill me in.

Poldark: I just started this one 2 days ago. 2 episodes in I’m really enjoying it. It’s from PBS’s Masterpiece series. Aiden Turner as a Cornishman is delicious. So far I adore his wife and immensely enjoying yet another period show.  

Grantchester: Adding this to the list after I discovered it on my prime account. I’m only one season in and I love Sydney Chambers and his gruff buddy cop Geordie? This isn’t a show that is going to have you sitting on the edge of your seat. It’s totally a procedural type of show. But it’s characters are likable, its story feels comfortable, and honestly, if it’s a shitty day for you and you just want something that’s easy? This is it. @iamacolor  :)

Entourage: So I binged 8 seasons and a movie in a week so let’s just say I fell into this gaping manhole…So it has one very prominently gay character on this show that gets a fair amount of screentime and a plot considering he’s a side character. He’s a fairly loveable character you really enjoy watching develop and grow. However, I should warn people that this show has really colorful language that is quite frankly really sexist and homophobic. For those of you that don’t know, it’s essentially a show about a popular actor from Queens that makes it big in Hollywood and brings along his 2 best friends and older brother to live with him and share in his wealth. If you can get past the language and inherent sexism, it’s actually a decent show about 4 guys with an extremely tight unbreakable, ride or die friendship. Lots of cameos by famous actors and directors, etc. I admit I might have a thing for Kevin Connolly and Adrian Grenier…

Jane the Virgin: Okay firstly, I LOVE this show. I wasn’t caught up because I had too much on my plate but like this show is so tongue in cheek and has great Latino rep! Including a character that speaks like 98% in Spanish so it’s great. AND they have LGBT rep so there you go. Enjoy and thank me later!

Superstore: Almost disappointed no one reminded me to recommend this show?? It’s basically centered around a store much like Walmart where you have a colorful cast of employees. It’s funny, it’s cute, it’s very socially aware. A disabled character (of color!), a gay character, and a smattering of all sorts. PLUS America Ferrera whom I adore!

The Good Place: Great show, great diversity, really funny. I binged it aaaallllll. Seriously go watch this show!! 

Cable Girls: Netflix Original from Spain. Do yourself a favor, watch it in Spanish with subtitles. The dubs feel so off. So the music choices for this show are the biggest con. Like it’s modern English songs in a show set in the 20s. Whoever chooses the music really doesn’t read the tone of the scene because it always throws me off. BUT, it’s a show about women gaining their independence through working as operators. You don’t have a diverse cast (so another con) but it’s LGBT friendly. There’s an exploration of sexuality minus the harmful abuse of it. It’s got its own set of flaws for sure but there’s a lot of potentials for it to be a good watch. 

Atypical: Autistic boy on the cusp of adulthood that’s navigating how to grow into it and live as normally as possible despite his limitations. Diverse characters, funny stories, and most importantly, endearing af. I think it handles the touchy topic wonderfully and allows people in this show to both be good people and also make mistakes both big and small. What I really enjoyed about this show is that it feels unafraid to let it’s characters just be. It doesn’t fall into tropes and it just has really well-written characters. Can’t wait for Season 3. Also, def don’t want to spoil but LGBT friendly.  

Lovesick: If nothing else, watch this show for Antonia Thomas. I’m lowkey in love with her so I will watch anything she’s in. But it’s one of those shows that might not be for everyone. It’s about three great friends where two have been in love with each other at different parts of their lives and keep missing each other’s feelings. It plays via flashbacks quite a bit so your story isn’t quite linear but it doesn’t make it difficult to watch. I personally loved it but I’m biased because well Antonia Thomas…

Santa Clara Diet: So I confess I dropped this show mid first episode when I first watched it. Its pilot was so strange and bonkers I was just so incredibly confused. I think the projectile vomiting just turned me off. But boredom is a great motivator and I came back to it later. And man, I am so so so glad I did. It’s just such a lovely show. I love every character to bits. LGBT friendly for sure. It’s so incredibly far-fetched so you just go with it and enjoy the ride. 

On my Block: Four friends transitionally into high school and navigating changing dynamics in their lifelong relationships while also dealing with real life, high school, gangs, and growing up. It’s a good watch. Really hoping for a second season. 

Sisters: Aussie show about a woman caring for her ailing elderly father who finds out he used his own sperm in his fertility clinic in order to help parents struggling. Now she has new half-siblings all over the country and gets to navigate dealing with that shitshow. This is a good show. Flawed people being selfish, good people getting the short end of the stick, people being real, things getting ugly. It gets interesting and awkward but it’s a good watch.    LGBT friendly.

Homecoming: Really gripping show about soldiers that return stateside wanting to return to society, join a program to help them do so, turns out things aren’t as they seem. Check it out on Amazon Prime. Diverse…umm one of the main supporting characters is black?

Bodyguard: Richard Madden from GoT plays a completely different role in this show about a bodyguard that finds himself part of a bigger conspiracy plot that forces him to face his own demons. Overall the story is good. Intense, gripping, intriguing in all the right places. But the ending has you rolling your eyes at how cliche they made it out to be. My biggest gripe being romanticizing characters that really don’t deserve it without highlighting their problematic behavior. It sweeps a lot of questions under the rug and concludes what would have been a highly conflicting plot with some really shoddy tropey shortcuts. Still it’s definitely a bingeworthy show. Diversity is for shit though all things considered. 

Recommendations by Other Blogs:

-**Shameless: Based on the UK show I believe. Has an openly gay character in a really complicated loveline that’s one of the major draws of this show. Very good show but definitely not for everyone. Expect LOTS of cursing, nudity, etc. But it’s hilarious, weirdly heartwarming, really fun to watch. Adding based on an anon suggestion- I haven’t watched the seasons in full but I love popping in to catch up. LGBT friendly and also somewhat diverse. 

-**Crazy Ex-Girlfriend: I have not watched this show myself but @blueberrysenpaii suggested this and said: Should add CEG. There’s a veeeery proud bi guy! So LGBT friendly! Someone tell me if it’s diverse?

-**Stitchers: Another show I haven’t watched but it’s been recommended a few times so it’s probably worth a watch. LGBT friendly! Someone tell me if it’s diverse? From Anon: There is a lesbian couple (Camanda) and they’re happy and healthy. It’s a great interesting storyline, it’s funny, super loveable characters, there’s some mystery and suspense in every episode, I love it so much, and it’s so underrated

**Black Sails: Have not watched this show either. LGBT friendly and diverse cast! But here’s @foolbrite ’s recommendation: black sails!! its an AMAZING  story plus there is such good lgbt rep in that show

**One Day At a Time: So I have watched a couple episodes of this. It’s so cute! Diverse and LGBT friendly! But here’s the recommendation from @jcarizma : One Day At a Time is really good. Has an LGBT main character and most of the characters are Hispanic as well and the show actually talks about topics that are importantes and it still manages to be hilarious. It’s on Netflix. and also @onyourleftbooob : one day at a time is INCREDIBLE and i loved how they dealt with their lgbt character

**Black Mirror: San Junipero: Again never watched this show but I have seen gifs of this episode?story arc? Diverse and LGBT friendly! Anywho another rec from @onyourleftbooob : black mirror’s san junipero is great  *Update: I did watch this myself so I can definitely say it was really nice!*

**How to Get Away With Murder: I actually was a little reluctant to recommend this show. Mainly because *spoiler* one of my favorite main characters got killed off in a way and point in the story where it was pure shock value and I’m forever upset. *end spoiler* I personally dropped the show at that point. However, it was great until that point and it does have an great LGBT rep and just as important a very diverse cast! Also recommended by @onyourleftbooob  

**The Bold Type: I have not yet seen this show personally but I have seen lots of mentions of it on my dash and it seems like it’s really good. Good diverse and LGBT friendly show! @im-the-trashqueen-of-my-fandoms recommends this: One of the 3 leads is black and discovers that she’s not really straight when she starts developing feelings for a lesbian Muslim photographer :)

So I think I got most of the ones I really enjoy. Not including like Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones because those are hugely popular. I hope you enjoy! If I think of more, I’ll add them here.  

[mlpsimta]

Let me mumble about Activision’s shitty patent

Today a patent filed by Activision has surfaced and let just say that it isn’t something that is reassuring for anyone who likes gaming. Now before everyone pulls out the pitchforks and the torches this is just a patent. It doesn’t mean that Activision is using it in its games and it is possible that maybe they just filed it so they can patent troll other companies who are trying to do something shity like this.

In case if you haven’t heard about it already this is the description of the patent:

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=9789406.PN.&OS=PN/9789406&RS=PN/9789406

Feel free to read the whole thing on the link provided

In short they patent a multiplayer matchmaking system that would put low level player against higher level player. By doing this they want newbies to purchase microtransactions so that they can catch up to those who are more experienced or just have better/cooler stuff to play with.

Now if you think that this is an absolutely scummy move than you would be correct. A good matchmaking system should always strive to put people who are on the same level against each other. Doing so allows new players to learn the mechanics of the game, unlock some new gear to be more versatile and obviously help them enjoy the game, for the simple reason that they won’t get their asses handed to them by someone who is much better than them, all the time. Of course perfect matchmaking system is simply not possible, but a good developer always has to go for an extra mile and make sure that the gamers who decided to pick up the game for their hard earn money can enjoy the game and not get fed up with it. Again mistakes can happen but to see that Activision is willingly trying to put together low levelled players against seasoned ones to sell more bullshit microtransactions because of frustration is –and I can’t state is enough- is scummy.

Also it’s always good to remind us that this is the same company who chained a beloved game to another and after that put microtransactions into it and after that some DLC to hurt it more.

For me this patent undermines the legitimacy of every multiplayer matchup that happened with me in any Activision or Activision-Blizzard title since this was filed, and makes me question every upcoming game from them. What is the possibility that while playing Heartstone or Call of Duty I am going to get a fair pairing against someone? I don’t mind losses even from higher level opponents because I tend to learn from those. But what if the lessons from a loss like that is buying more microtransactions so I can keep up? Are they really undermining their integrity for some quick buck? Makes me wonder and vomit...

The face when you realize that your publisher is acting like an ass and you want to pull out

Also I find it extremely comedic that someone thought that making people frustrated and mad at a game would make them open their wallets to support the game. It’s like a bad comic villain who wants to destroy the world but not realizing that he/she need to world to live on. Maybe it is just me but I tend to support games and its developers monetarily if I *gasp* enjoy the game and stop playing or not even purchasing ones that I know will fuck me over.

Finally this document shows me that Activision puts money first and making a good game and ensuring the enjoyment of their customers far behind. I know that game making is expensive. I am a programmer myself and I truly understand what a shit-show can be making a code run, and god forbid work as intended. But scamming your customers can not be ever a good way to earn your money back. (Also thanks’ to Super Bunnyhop we know that Activision also evading taxes and spend less on their games). Maybe use a more realistic budged during development, re-use the engine, some models and most of the code and have more grounded expectation when it comes to sales.

While not perfect, Splatoon 2 can deliver constant updates and contents while not ripping of their player base. Wish it could work for one of the biggest best selling franchise too...

But who am I kidding? Most of them already using cost saving methods, making sponsored deals with pizza places that I have never heard of, focus test the shit out of everything to appeal as many people as possible even if that would kill a game’s identity, charge 90$ for a new game (60$ base + 30$ season pass) and riddle them with pay to win microtransactions because you gotta have to earn your money back. If all that I have stated has to be done to break even or make a small profit that you are doing you business wrong. Other developers already figured out how to deliver a quality product that even has the full experience from day one. So I am going to support them even if that means that I have to give up my favourite franchise, because even if you can’t keep up monetarily than how do you expect me a single (tax paying) person to keep up?

For closing I want to say thank you for your reading my post and of course have a great day!

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[freakishlemon]

I’ve been thinking a lot about the gendering and socialization of work lately with regards to my growing frustrations with my youngest brother, so I’m throwing words at this screen. Might be interesting to you folks, might not, so I’m putting it behind a cut below.

((Read More should start here, mobile users))

So some basic background, I’m the oldest of 4 kids in my family and we live in a rural town that’s been start-stopping it’s way to suburbia sorta kinda maybe, so our upbringing is pretty squarely centered in this little corner of the world. There me (trans-masc genderqueer) born in ‘88, there’s my sister (woman) born in ‘90, middle brother (man) born in ‘92, and the youngest brother (man) born in ‘96. Myself and the middle brother both still live at home, but we are employed and are paying off loans or looking into continuing education, so we’re doing pretty well. My sister has been moved out with her fella and their co-owned pets and she started her own business last year, in addition to subsidizing her income with part-time bar-tending/restaurant gigs when she needs to. All three of us have completed the middle-class white person requirement of earning a Bachelor’s degree (yay debt :/ ).

My youngest brother has a chronic gut illness and had to have surgery on his intestines last December, which prompted him to really think about his college education (that he was failing) and opt to not finish school. I think that was a surprisingly mature decision for this brother. So he takes the time to recover from the surgery and he’s been back to his normal for a while now, so my parents have been prompting him to start seeking employment since about March-ish.

He’s still unemployed, which does not surprise me based on our location/job market/the incredible hell that is Finding A Job, but I find myself and I see my parents becoming more and more frustrated with him.

Now, my parents’ frustration I understand because they’re in their late 50s/60s and they do all those prior generation stereotype things like tell you to make a million follow up calls and go bother the management and just start asking businesses for jobs, which is what they know. The rest of us sympathize with that portion of my brother’s current position, but... it occurred to me that my youngest brother is doing nothing to alleviate this from my parents because he hasn’t learned how to deflect them.

Because he’s looking for his first job.

His. First. Job.

It hit me this morning that the way our society socializes work for afab folks starts so god damn early. If we define a job as Somewhere You Are Scheduled To Be To Perform Work, I started working at 11 at my local library as a volunteer. I outgrew the summer reading program for the young kids and there was nothing for the older kids. I had to be there for my siblings because I was too young to stay home, so I was shelving books or assisting at the Scholastic book fair. Listen, I worked at this library as a volunteer for so long that the retiring children’s librarian had me run the summer reading program for two years, then she retired and there wasn’t a children’s librarian for a year so I ran the summer reading program, AND THEN I TRAINED THE NEW CHILDREN’S LIBRARIAN ON HOW TO RUN A SUMMER READING PROGRAM. It was her first librarian job and I was sixteen. 

My sister started doing the same thing when she aged out of the summer reading program. My brothers didn’t.

But if we count paid work, my sister and I took our first job together at 14 and 12 when we were offered a pretty sweet babysitting gig. We’d finish middle school, walk over to the elementary school down the street to pick up this first grade girl, and hang out at the library doing homework for an hour and a half until the girl’s mom could come pick her up. Three days a week, paid on Thursday like clock work. 

And we both did things like that until we were old enough to be legally hired - babysitting gigs, pet sitting, helping older people with physical tasks (I mean, mostly my grandma just having us doing a day’s worth of chores for pizza and ten bucks, but it’s still work).

And we applied for jobs all through high school and if we didn’t have jobs during the school year, we went for summer jobs. The only time either one of us was without something for at least part of the summer was my summer before senior year of college when I was s c r a m b l i n g for an internship to meet my graduation requirements (the coordinator at my school was no god damn help and I’m still mad about it).

Neither of my brothers was prompted to find paying work until after highschool, except when family friends needed pet sitters and my sister and I were already working. They were only encouraged to do volunteer work during highschool because it was a graduation requirement.

I was unemployed for a few months after graduating college, which is pretty normal, and that’s when I learned to balance out the actual reality of job hunting and my parent’s expectations of it. And you know the easiest way I found to do that? Work around the god damn house. Do all the dishes. Sweep floors. Vacuum. Is there a junk closet mom’s been meaning to go through? Empty it out, clean it, and go through what needs to be done with the stuff, and then do it for her so that she only has to make the decisions without taking her two days off to do it herself. Shit like that. Honestly? Yep. Yeah mom, I put in nine applications today, one of the places I applied to last week should be calling by the end of the week, and look at your sparkling kitchen. Done. I acknowledge my advantage of being a physically healthy person to pull this off and the amazing support of my friend who would call me at six in the morning to wake up my ass to take a walk, talk shit out, and then start the day with a scheduled thing. I know that’s not in the cards for all of us, but even doing a few simple chores like wiping off the flat stove top did a lot to get my parents off my back.

(Once my sister started working for actual paychecks, she’s pretty much always been employed because she rocks at this stuff. When she got her at-time-dream-job-in-her-actual-degree-field at a photo studio for $50k a year, she had three part time restaurant jobs and still managed to have more of a social life than I’ve ever had. And then when she hated that job, she started her own business and is making it work. She’s a rock star. It’s amazing.)

So my middle brother was unemployed for the better part of a year after his retail summer job stopped giving him hours and he was searching for a job in his field-ish. He wasn’t socialized to pick up housework the way my sister and I were, but due to his recently-diagnosed-bipolar-flavoured mental illness (i’m not sure the exact diagnosis, but it’s in the bipolar type family) he would have manic episodes and needed shit to do to manage his brain so it quickly became a thing that mom would leave him a list of shit that had to be done around the house each day/week and he would get it done (less done on depressive days, but still to the point of acceptably done). He built the routine and when he couldn’t get calls back for interviews, he sought out gig jobs from friends and family, which is how he ended up in his current job. And even now after lots of balancing acts and sorting himself out, he’d on a pretty even keel these days, but if he’s got fewer work hours than the rest of us that week and mom leaves him a list, he gets the must-dos done.

My youngest brother was diagnosed with his gut illness at 9, which is a shit hand of cards to be dealt. Flare ups are bad and can lay him out for days. I know that’s a part of his life and is probably affecting how he’s looking for a job and all, but... it’s very frustrating to me that this is his first job hunt (or temporary gig hunt) and he’s 21. 

He was prompted to get summer jobs while he was in college and relatively healthy, but it wasn’t enforced by my parents on him the way it was on the middle brother and certainly not the way it was enforced on my sister and I. It’s very frustrating to me that my mom will leave a list for my youngest brother with things like 1) empty dishwasher, 2) do your laundry, and 3) play with the dog outside for 20 minutes, and not a single one of those things has been done by the time my mom or I get home (we have similar work schedules). And my mom’s response is to just roll her eyes and grudgingly do it or ask me/middle brother to do it. She doesn’t make him do it. She’s never assigned him to make a simple dinner for the rest of us, the way she has middle brother and myself. She’s never assigned him big projects (clean the basement, vacuum the whole house, scrub out the refrigerator) the way she has middle brother and myself, even as something to be done over the course of the week instead of that day. 

It’s just super frustrating to hear him snap at my parents when they pester him about getting a job because mom, dad, middle brother, and myself are doing full time jobs plus sometimes side jobs (middle brother is running a daily livestream and/or podcast, I’m slowly working fiber work business stuff into my life, mom’s starting a yarn dyeing business) PLUS ALL THE HOUSEWORK and he’s sitting there in his room all day filling out applications for a bit and then playing video games for fourteen hours.

Like... I’d feel less frustrated if I knew or suspected it was the gut illness or something that was kicking him all the time, but I don’t think it is. We learned to recognize that kind of stuff when he was in school because there were times when he could only do a half day or couldn’t go at all. Honestly? I just don’t think he knows how to work. Not the way my sister’s and my gendered upbringing taught us. Not the way my middle brother’s mental illness and brain coping taught him. We ended up as people who need stuff to do during the day. It just looks to us like he’s not trying when the reason he hasn’t emptied the dishwasher in two weeks without my mom standing there making him do it is “I forgot."

Just... ffffguh. Venting. 

[anactualferret]

II’m too well known on other media sites... and now I’m going to hope they don’t follow me here. I have to get everything out. Even now I am terrified to write this and may not even post it because I’m too scared that they will see. Less than two years ago- I had a horrible falling out with my roomates. Long story short, they were costumers and blamed me for their mess. Eventually i stopped caring to pick up after them, and they began spouting horrible things behind my back. Without so much as speaking to me about the things being thrown around, I lost at least a half dozen friends. None of whcih ever told me why they suddenly wouldn’t speak to me, avoided me, and outright ignored or yelled at me whenever I was in the room. I still remember that time I finally got over my fear and went to a get together at a friend’s house- I hadn’t been there in some time. I walked into the door and say Hello- immediately greeting by my roomate telling me angrily that my ferrets had chewed a cord and that I owe her $10. Not another cord, $10. I politely accepted, but mentioned that ferrets don’t chew wires, and it was more likely that her loose chinchillas had frayed the cord. No. This was unacceptable and it was clearly my ferrets. I was ignored the rest of the night, and left early.

I quickly found myself making fast friends with another group. This group saved me at the time. Instead of staying at home with my favorite box cutter, thinking of new ways to disguise the wounds, I would stay out with them and be invited and welcome. Instead of forgetting to load the spare gun, I was laughed with and met with cheer... I quickly begun seeing only these people. I made it a point that I would rather be with them than the “Friends” who were patronizing me. They shortly began chiding me for hanging out with new friends, rather than them. One friend even went as far to say “Well, Carissa, Don’t forget, We’re your friends, too,” snobbishly to me as I politely refused to join them for another get together. My reaction was mixed whenever they decided to move out... together. They were essentially packing up and leaving me behind. My other roomate even refused to take our shared dog for *Any* amount of time. He is rightfully mine now, and he is far better off. It was to be the two of them and one’s new boyfriend. I figured this would be the end to all of my friendships from that group. Every day our whole house was littered with props, costumes, fabrics and scraps... Making it impossible for our dog to get around and dangerous for my cat as they would leave scissors, pins, needles and other dangerous things laying in the middle of the room. Small accessories and beads that any animal would try to eat. And everytime I tried to be helpful and move their things, I’d get yelled at for “Touching their stuff” before they were done using it. Good Riddance. Could finally clean my damn house. I was mostly happy because four of the friends I had come to love in the other group had decided to move in. Two would live upstairs, and two downstairs. At first, we noticed an electricity problem with the basement. This caused us concern, but my wonderful father was able to swoop in and save the day. With his own time, money and resources he was able to set up several outlets and circuit breaker just for the basement. It was phenomenal. They were happy. They basically had a whole house downstairs at half the price. They said it couldn’t get better. They said they were planning on staying for a long time. They all did. Things went wrong. The first issue happened near Christmas time. We had been warned before that our downstair’s roomate had issues with new years and Christmas because his Grandma had commit suicide. We all felt badly for him, and gave our condolences and told him we’d try to make it better for him. That was well in theory, not in practice. I don’t remember how it started... All I remember is the slamming on my door. I remember the insults “You’re fucking filthy” “You have no idea how to handle animals” “You’re dog is a piece of shit” “You’re fucking stupid” ... I could only meekly stand in the doorway as these things were screamed at me, right to my face, centimeters away. I remember willing myself not flinch as he rounded on me threateningly- seemingly towering above me at that instant. I also remember not a single person in that house standing up for me. At one point, I yelled back. Screaming as he left after insulting me about my animals and intellegence. “You need to come back here, and say that my Fucking Face!” I didn’t know i was able to yell anymore. I don’t remember what ended it. He suddenly seemed to snap out of it, and apologized. He hugged me and light heartedly told me I snapped him out of it after yelling (This was another 5 minutes after he continued to scream). I was shaking. I was shaking too badly to even react. I did not want to hug him. Everyone forgot about the incident after that. They sat with each other joking about his “Bad temper”... It was over for him and the others. I stayed in my room and cried myself to sleep. Days went by, and I convinced myself that it was me. Maybe the ferret cage could stand to be cleaned more. Maybe the dog would benefit from a tie out and more tricks. Maybe I am stupid. Maybe I don’t deserve the job or animals I have- and all of the animals in my care- at home, and at work- are suffering. We began to roll back along, and he assured me that it wouldn’t happen again and that he would be seeing a therapist. I just remembered what started it. I usually park my car in the carport, and that night I had parked it in front of the house instead. The girlfriend downstairs came into my area, mad that I had “Taken her spot”- we had no designated spots, and I had previously stated that our driveway was a 90 degree angle and that sometimes I couldn’t get up it. A neighbor had taken up the other spot in front of the house, forcing her to park several more feet away. “I’m sorry, I can’t control where the neighbors park. It’s just going to happen sometime.” I said back. She left, seemingly appeased. Not five minutes later there was slamming on my door for the first attack. Screaming and Demanding that I “Move my fucking car right this fucking second”... That is how it started. Little attacks would happen here and there. He would get angry about noise, slam his way upstairs, throw something against a wall, tell we’re all fucking idiots and that would be the end of it. He works morning shifts, so often has to be in bed by 7:00pm. We tried our very best- but none of us were used to be dead silent by those times at night. It didn’t help that downstairs girlfriend would bark at us if even a sliver of noise was made while she was sleeping. There was no talking allowed most times. Between 7:00pm to Noon the next day there was no singing, talking, no cleaning or vacuuming... Heaven forbid the dog bark or try to play... There are two instances that stick out. I’ve started a youtube channel- one that focuses on letsplays and cover songs. Original, right? One night, around 9:00, my other GOOD roomate and I decided to do a letsplay together. We were playing and talking at a less than normal volume- laughing and having fun. Not ten minutes into the game, Downstairs girlfriend texts us “You’re being too loud and I open tomorrow. Please quiet.” She opens at 9am. There was another instance where I was finishing up a cover song, and silently singing in my room. I get a text “You’re voice sounds wonderful but trying to sleep” Irked, I decide to at least practice and whisper sing. I am listening to a track on headphones, and whispering it in order to get some work in. “I can still hear you. Pls shh” I closed my program and gave up. There are other little things. Making me seem the outcast of the group in a joking way- “Everyone come sit on the couch that Carissa’s NOT sitting on!” or “Oh, Carissa’s here- Time for everyone to leave!” ... Small things that I assumed were just their way of showing love... Odd love. None of the other four roommates ever said anything.  Until my good roommate began to catch on. She would go out of her way to include me- not call me stupid names and invite me with the others. They would often leave without saying anything. By they- I mean the three actual, paying, roomates- and their friend who lived in our living room three days out of the week for free. No one has ever seen this as a problem? He stays here three days out of the week, every week. He uses the shower and toiletries every day.. He sleeps with the TV on and uses our WiFi and data... No one can use the main room while he is here... Three days out of the week.. He makes a mess out of the kitchen, but it’s okay that he doesn’t clean up after himself because he made everyone food? Oh- Just you guys because you paid for ingredients? LET ME REPEAT. NONE OF THEM SEE WHY THIS IS WRONG EXCEPT MY GOOD ROOMMATE AND I. We have brought up the cost of the extra person to all three of the others, even the good roommates BROTHER chided her for not being “Welcoming to our friend”. Our friend who rudely chastises her and I. A friend who frequently ignores and doesn’t speak to the two of us. A friend who has recieved gifts and praise from us without so much as a thank you. Our friend. It didn’t help whenever the brother roommate actually managed to land a girlfriend. I’m sad to say that I had been crushing on him FAR TOO LONG (At all) and I essentially set him up with his new girlfriend. Upsetting at the time, but Thank Hell it happened. Within a month of dating, she is here several days and nights out of the week. She as a person is wonderful- very friendly and sweet and always brings baked goods... But also another person using internet, electricity, utilities and shower and such... We are essentially living as a Seven Person Household in a house meant for three. By this point- It is never clean. Sure- it’s “Clean” but how clean can a house REALLY be with seven people essentially living there, one living in a room you can’t touch for days because they sleep in there ALL THE TIME throughout the WHOLE DAMN DAY. Good roommate and I notice a trend. The dishes that don’t get done all belong to the roommates who have now been hassling us about keeping the upstairs clean. The towels and underwear that are left in the bathroom belong to no one on the upstairs. The mail and papers left littered on the table belong to other hands... The floors are dirty and we hadn’t walked on them in days... Good roommate and I were getting fed up with cleaning for the others. At this point my hand is insanely cramped. I am going to take a break for a bit and come back.