#Animal Wellness Center Texas

[littlemisssilvermoon]

Reader is implied to like feminine things, though gender identity is kept ambiguous.

Damian was a good brother. That’s what he always told himself. He was a good brother, a good son. He was cold, rude, and erudite, but he was able and willing to help anyone who needed it.

When he arrived at Wayne manor, Bruce told him the general run down of why you were to be avoided when it came to anything vigilante related. You were still pure, a year younger than Damian but without any of the pain. The only one in the Wayne manor that could have a shot at becoming a normal person. Damian envied that, but kept it to himself. His anger often boiled to the top, drops of green venom dripping from his mouth when you tried to annoy him into spending time with you.

Your complaints of him ignoring you was scalding water on his already raw nerves. Why would you complain about not being the center of attention for five damn seconds? He would trade anything for the life you had. A life where you could lay around after school and never worry about a rogue bullet lodging itself in your arm, or a poisonous plant releasing psychedelic spores into an open wound.

You could and would never join the Robins. You were weak; it was in your blood. Always sickly, always the pacifist. You wouldn't survive a day in his life. And you weren't living his life; you were living his dream.

But apparently the effort the family was putting in wasn’t enough.

He’d be lying if he said he hadn’t noticed that the manor felt… off about two weeks before the fight with Joker. He couldn’t trace it for the life of him at first. When he realized by the second week that he hadn’t spoken to you in days, or really seen you around the manor at all, he wrote off the worms writhing in his stomach. You must’ve been busy with a class assignment and had little time to annoy him with your demands of time together.

After the fight, however, he was a war of a thousand emotions. How dare you leave them? Why would you turn away an easy life fat on nepotism for a group of murderers, con men, the dredges of Gotham’s society?

Were you truly that desperate to be acknowledged that you’d turn your back on the family who did everything for you? He hopes you’re happy there, since you were clearly so upset at not being given attention.

Over time, however, things start to change. A few days after Jason made a full recovery, Damian looked at one of the drones Tim managed to get a chunk of code from. It took a lot of trial and error, and the development of an entirely new program to grab some of the code before it bricked itself, and enough all nighters and energy drinks that any doctor would faint, but it was managed. The code was dense, optimized to work with the least bloat possible, well tagged variables, and even a handful of comments in the code.

//Buy Bane those Boston Donuts from the donut shop on 5th //Why does this code need to be here so it doesn’t auto brick itself. What is in the code protecting it from the wrath of God //Louie likes Texas barbecue ribs. Possible treat? //DO NOT FEED THEM WHOLE RIBS. COOKED BONES BAD. //SINCE WHEN WAS THIS VARIABLE A STRING??? IT WAS AN INT 5 LINES AGO //Help the hopeless lesbians get together. //Would Harley and Ivy dating make Harley my mom or Ivy my big sister? Both???

His eyes skimmed the retrieved comments, laughing at a few. It seems that Bane, Poison Ivy, and Harley Quinn were the most common subjects of the notes, though a few mentioning the Iceberg lounge asking what non-alchoholic drink you’d like added, or Riddler offering you another puzzle to keep your mind active. Even Joker was mentioned, though it seemed mostly transactional.

It was strange seeing you in this light. You seemed to have a lot of spice in you, but a heart made of gold. You were definitely surprised whenever one othe villains offered to take you on some trip to amusement parks, regular parks, even just willingly watching anime with you. It was odd to see. Surely someone at the house did those things with you? He didn’t but he was extremely busy with school and vigilantism. Jason was legally dead, so surely he had all the time in the world.

“How was I supposed to relate to them? They’re what, 12 and into shit like that one with the cat looking dog thing and the robot girl. I have shit to do. Y’know, managing Crime Alley?”

Well, Dick had come over to hang out plenty of times. Surely he’d spent at least a few hours with you every now and then? “I have an entire team and criminals to manage of in another city, Damian. I don’t have as much time as you think to do whatever it was with them they’d wanted to do”

Maybe Tim? “I have college and stuff, Damian. And I don’t have the energy to put into hanging around them. I’d probably just be sleeping most of the time.

Bruce? “I have to manage you, Gotham, and the Justice League, Damian. I barely have time for myself.”

… Alfred? “I tried, Master Damian. However I’m constantly pulled thin between so many tasks. Besides, all you have is school most days, and you’ve had summer vacations and weekends. Shouldn’t you’ve had plenty of time to spend with your younger sibling?”

… He did have the most time outside of vigilantism. And it took him a week to realize you were missing.

You had to realize that they were under extreme stress though, right?He couldn’t spend all his free time with you. He had his own friends to hang out with. How were you two even supposed to relate?

One day at dinner, the thoughts were thrashing in his head, slamming against soft tissue and tearing through brain matter. He aimlessly poked at the food on his plate.

“You alright, replacement?” Jason asked, pausing in his extremely rare dinners with everyone else. Alfred had promised him a tray of fudge to take home this time around, and nobody made fudge quite as good as he did.

“… They were gone for two weeks.”

Everyone stopped eating as he continued.

“Two weeks. Two full weeks before they showed up at that fight. Did anyone here even know? I only noticed after a week and assumed they were just holed up in their room with a class assignment or something.” He was rambling. Everyone was quiet and looking at each other. How did it manage to slip past everyone? They were detectives, for Christ’s sake.

They were your family.

—

Dinner ended with guilt wrapping around their throats and pulling.

Eventually, all of them found themselves in your room. It had been emptied, but showed no signs of struggle. All the small items, the comforter, and your clothes were gone. But what was taken left something behind. Copies of photos of you winning state level competitions, letters requesting your attendance at seminars, photos of gold medals and blue ribbons spread across the floor. Most damning of all was the most recent photo. A certificate by some big time tech company being handed to you. Edward Nashton stood behind you, a firm, reassuring hand on your shoulder.

When had this happened? They never remembered hearing of something like this. A news clipping on the back told them it was maybe a week before you left.

“The Wayne prodigy stated that their family had more important things to see to than such an occasion. I can’t imagine something more important that either of my kids being recognized by a multi-million dollar tech company! I remember postponing an anniversary with my husband to celebrate our child placing second in the science fair. But I guess that’s just the Waynes for you!”

That’s just the Waynes to you.

But it’s ok. He can make it better. He can be a good big brother. He can spend time watching anime with you and decorating your room with lace and fairy lights and go makeup shopping with you. You just need to come home. Now.

---------------- Taglist! Ask to be added!

@jjsmeowthie , @jsprien213 , @ladyrosemone

[black-fist-order]

THIS WAS ON A FRIEND’S PAGE: An anguished question from a Trump supporter: ‘Why do liberals think Trump supporters are stupid?’

THE SERIOUS ANSWER: Here’s what the majority of anti-Trump voters honestly feel about Trump supporters en masse:

That when you saw a man who had owned a fraudulent University, intent on scamming poor people, you thought "Fine."

That when you saw a man who had made it his business practice to stiff his creditors, you said, "Okay."

That when you heard him proudly brag about his own history of sexual abuse, you said, "No problem."

That when he made up stories about seeing Muslim-Americans in the thousands cheering the destruction of the World Trade Center, you said, "Not an issue."

That when you saw him brag that he could shoot a man on Fifth Avenue and you wouldn't care, you exclaimed, "He sure knows me."

That when you heard him relating a story of an elderly guest of his country club, an 80-year old man, who fell off a stage and hit his head, to Trump replied: “‘Oh my God, that’s disgusting,’ and I turned away. I couldn’t—you know, he was right in front of me, and I turned away. I didn’t want to touch him. He was bleeding all over the place. And I felt terrible, because it was a beautiful white marble floor, and now it had changed color. Became very red.” You said, "That's cool!"

That when you saw him mock the disabled, you thought it was the funniest thing you ever saw.

That when you heard him brag that he doesn't read books, you said, "Well, who has time?"

That when the Central Park Five were compensated as innocent men convicted of a crime they didn't commit, and he angrily said that they should still be in prison, you said, "That makes sense."

That when you heard him tell his supporters to beat up protesters and that he would hire attorneys, you thought, "Yes!"

That when you heard him tell one rally to confiscate a man's coat before throwing him out into the freezing cold, you said, "What a great guy!"

That you have watched the parade of neo-Nazis and white supremacists with whom he curries favor, while refusing to condemn outright Nazis, and you have said, "Thumbs up!"

That you hear him unable to talk to foreign dignitaries without insulting their countries and demanding that they praise his electoral win, you said, "That's the way I want my President to be."

That you have watched him remove expertise from all layers of government in favor of people who make money off of eliminating protections in the industries they're supposed to be regulating and you have said, "What a genius!"

That you have heard him continue to profit from his businesses, in part by leveraging his position as President, to the point of overcharging the Secret Service for space in the properties he owns, and you have said, "That's smart!"

That you have heard him say that it was difficult to help Puerto Rico because it was in the middle of water and you have said, "That makes sense."

That you have seen him start fights with every country from Canada to New Zealand while praising Russia and quote, "falling in love" with the dictator of North Korea, and you have said, "That's statesmanship!"

That Trump separated children from their families and put them in cages, managed to lose track of 1500 kids, has opened a tent city incarceration camp in the desert in Texas - he explains that they’re just “animals” - and you say, “Well, OK then.”

That you have witnessed all the thousand and one other manifestations of corruption and low moral character and outright animalistic rudeness and contempt for you, the working American voter, and you still show up grinning and wearing your MAGA hats and threatening to beat up anybody who says otherwise.

What you don't get, Trump supporters, is that our succumbing to frustration and shaking our heads, thinking of you as stupid, may very well be wrong and unhelpful, but it's also...hear me...charitable.

Because if you're NOT stupid, we must turn to other explanations, and most of them are less flattering.

- Adam-Troy Castro

(To all who agree with its content, I ask that you PLEASE SHARE IT on your own post, and ENCOURAGE OTHERS to do the same.)

[iimplicitt]

OFF TO THE RACES | LN4

parings: lando x cowgirl unnamed fem! character (faceclaim bella hadid)

summary: the mclaren team gets taken to a rodeo ahead of the austin grand prix. lando takes the saying; “save a horse, ride a cowboy” a little too literally. let’s take Jesus off the dashboard, he’s got enough on his mind.

warnings: 18+ smut!!, car sex (it’s crime don’t do it), unprotected p in v (also don’t do this), one night stand, lando in a cowboy hat, hickeys, spitting, praise, size kink? kind of, lando has a thing for making her cry (in a good way), social media posts towards the end

wc: 3.8k

a/n: i’m a born and raised texan so don’t come for me with the stereotypes in this LET ME DREAM

Sweat coated his skin as they walked, the road cracked and uneven as they made their way up to the exposition center turned rodeo. It was Zak’s idea, a bonding experience he said for Lando and Oscar even though that was completely unnecessary. They probably spent too much time together as is.

Their boss smiled at them, already sun burnt a bit as they got closer and closer to the blaring country music. “You can’t get a more American experience than this!”

Lando and Oscar looked at each other for a moment before shaking their heads, smiling despite how ridiculous this all seemed. Lando had no interest in watching animals run around in dirt while shitty music blared through speakers all the while someone’s beer might be spilling on him. Then again, maybe he was being cynical and the South was about to be full of surprises.

The whole venue was crowded, making it seem even hotter despite the setting Texas sun. There was a carnival going on as well, a good chunk of people still running around playing games or going on rides. The other half were pouring through the large open doors, the Mclaren Formula One team being a part of it.

It was loud, the metal ceiling and walls echoing the sound of music and people talking and shouting. It was lively, he could admit that. Maybe it would even be fun drunk, but that was a big no go in regard to the rule book of a race weekend.

Someone met them near the entrance, a man who clearly worked with the venue based on the obvious cowboy get up he had on. Boots, hat, the whole thing. Zak did most of the talking while Lando and Oscar looked around curiously, watching as people bustled about and waving at those who recognized them.

Eventually they were led to a section close to the floor, front row seats to all the action. Neither driver really knew what to expect, but the very last thing Lando was anticipating was seeing the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on riding out on horseback.

He was awestruck immediately, his eyes not leaving her as she made her way around the perimeter, smiling and waving as she went. Fuck, she was stunning. Her skin was tan and glowing, her grin bright and brown hair tucked loosely under a cowboy hat. He felt his heart skip a beat as she got closer and closer to where he was sitting, and Lando became acutely aware of himself as he leaned his elbows against the railing. Hoping he didn’t look like a dumbass and for once hoping he didn’t look too British.

Would she even be interested in an Englishman? The thoughts running through his head were ridiculous but everything seemed to go mute as she passed right by him. Tipping her hat down and sending him a wink before the horse continued on its path.

“Careful mate, I think you’re drooling.” Oscar laughed from next to him, nudging him knowingly.

“Shut up, Osc.” Lando barely spared his teammate a glance before he tracked his gaze back to her. Watching in awe as she did whatever the hell she was doing, maneuvering the horse expertly around obstacles, dirt kicking up around her but her face didn’t give anything away but pure determination and focus. He’d never seen anything so graceful.

The rest of the night he kept an eye on her whenever he was able to, his gaze flicking up to the big screen to catch her name anytime she was shown on camera. When she laughed at something her friend said, her head thrown back and eyes crinkling, he thought the earth was opening up underneath him with the desperation to hear the sound of it.

When the rodeo was over, Oscar just about had to drag him away from the railing to get him to leave. “I’m sure this is how your fans feel,” the Australian joked, not at all bothered by the glare Lando was throwing his way.

“I’m not her fan. Merely an admirer.”

“And I'm sure that’s the mindset all your fans have. Besides,” he gestured to where a decently large group of men were waiting near the exit at the back of the expo center shouting her name. “Seems she already has groupies.”

Lando ticked his jaw, not seeing how waiting around would help them at all. He didn’t want to pull the I’m an F1 driver card because then he’d come off like a complete arse. So, cutting his losses he followed everyone else and headed into downtown Austin to find a bar to attend.

Not that he saw the point given; no drinking.

The music was even louder in the bar that was also combined with that he knew very little about like line dancing. Mulling over his water as he scrolled through his phone, he hesitated for a moment before typing her name into instagram.

“Christ,” he muttered. Every time he saw her she seemed to get prettier.

He debated on following her but he knew someone somewhere would take notice and spin it into something it’s not. Even if he wished there was something to blow out of proportion.

Someone bumped his arm and his thumb hit the follow button.

Lando blinked at his phone for a moment, watching her follow count tick up by one and he squeezed his eyes shut. Letting out a sigh he shoved his phone back in his pocket, no point in undoing that hiccup given she’d see the notification. Some small part of himself, or maybe a larger portion, wanted her to take notice. Take an interest, and maybe follow him back. Hell, he’d beg the universe for a DM if he had to.

Oscar appeared and gestured with a hand, smiling as if he knew something. “Look who it is.”

Following his friend’s gaze, Lando looked around before his eyes fell on what Oscar was looking so fucking smug about.

There she was, barely twenty feet away and leaning against the bar. Her smile was contagious as she talked with her friends animatedly with her hands.

“Go and talk to her.”

Lando spun around, looking at Oscar as if he just suggested he commit suicide. “What?”

He laughed, shaking his head. “Since when are you nervous when it comes to girls? Just go and say hi.”

“I’ll look like a stalker who followed her here from the rodeo.”

“Right, like she even remembers seeing you.”

Lando's hands went to cover his heart, his features warped into offense. “Ouch, Osc. Low blow.”

The Aussie was hearing none of it as he lightly took hold of Lando’s hoodie and shoved him in her direction. “Thank me later.”

His annoyance wasn’t all that genuine, in fact he was thankful for the shove of encouragement as he made his way over to her. Fuck, was his hair alright? Did he smell bad? He’d been sweating all day. He hadn’t even talked to her yet and she had his mind reverting back into his insecure teenage self.

She caught his eye before he was too close, recognition flashing briefly across her face as her friends continued to talk. Her smile slipped into something more sultry- more knowing. Like she knew exactly why he was here. He wouldn’t be surprised if she got approached a lot, she was stunning.

He came to a stop, her friends' voices slowly fading into silence as they all looked at him. The air tense and a bit awkward but he forced a casual laugh. “Hi.”

Was that really all he had?

She bit her bottom lip, clearly amused by him before he was finally graced by the sound of her voice. “Howdy.”

Even that was heavenly.

“Do people here really say that?” Stupid non flirtatious things were pouring out of his mouth.

Her and her friends laughed, looking at him as if he was a court jester and he wanted to punch Oscar next time he saw him.

“Do you really say cheerio?”

This time he laughed, feeling more relaxed and he shook his head. “No, I don’t at least.”

Her pale green eyes slated to her friends for a moment, something silent passing between them and before he knew it they were alone. She gestured her head for him to come and stand beside her and Lando obliged like a lovesick puppy.

She leaned in close, the smell of her perfume mixed with polished leather was addictive and he wanted to bottle up the scent and keep it forever. “For the record,” she began, her accent light but noticeable. “I do say howdy as a greeting.”

He grinned at her, leaning down to match the level of her gaze and her slight whisper. “It’s cute.”

Her eyes flicked over his face, taking in his features and for the briefest moment her gaze danced over his lips. Making him feel dizzy and he wondered what the woman was doing to him.

She leaned back slightly and took a sip of her drink. “I saw you at the rodeo earlier.”

“I’m glad I’m memorable.”

“You’re hard to miss. You don’t exactly scream you’re from the south. Especially wearing this when it’s almost a hundred out.” She tugged lightly at the string of his hoodie, her lips pulled back in a playful smile and he wished he could just grab her and kiss her. The thought was overwhelming but he had to remind himself not to be an absolute creep.

“Well, it seems the stars are aligning then. I was hoping I’d get to run into you at some point.”

“You sure you didn’t stalk me Mr. Norris?”

He blinked at her. “You know who I am?”

Her cheeks were dusted a rosy pink as she waved her phone at him, his instagram page glowing at him and he shut his eyes. “That was an accident and a coincidence that you happened to be here.”

“Aw, and here I was being flattered.” She scrolled through his page, a giggle leaving her as she came across a picture of him in the ocean with mud all over his face and wearing a pair of sunglasses.

“No, don’t look-“ he tried to cover her screen with his hand but she took hold of his wrist and playfully shoved him away.

“This is golden.” She laughed. “This is what millionaires get up to?”

“You’re looking at all the wrong pictures.” He tried to reason, surely blushing as he made to cover her phone again and she pushed him away, this time with her hip and he felt his mind slip into a numbness that craved her touch again. She was pressed against him now, laughing for another moment before she eventually followed him back.

Her back pressed against his chest, turning to look at him over her shoulder and flashing the screen at him. “There.”

He looked down at her and completely ignored the phone, one hand falling to her waist absentmindedly as his other arm kept him upright against the counter of the bar. Her face was so close and he took in every minute detail. The way her skin glowed, dusted with a faint blush. Her nose was adorable and long lashes fanned out over her glowing eyes.

She was breathtaking.

The feeling of pure want coursed through every nerve in his body, acutely aware of the pressure of her against him. Her jeans tight around her hips and thighs before beginning to flare out and her top was snug fitting and complimented her wonderfully.

His grip on her waist tightened and he heard her breath hitch as she blinked up at him, her pupils blown wide and the smile that stretched his lips was anything but innocent.

Lando had her.

They barely made it into the back seat of her truck before his mouth was colliding with hers in a way that was almost violent as they fell back onto the seats. Lando settled himself between her legs, grinding against her in a way that was shattering his sanity second by second.

Her nails raked up from his neck and into his hair, a groan escaping him and being swallowed up by her mouth. She tasted sweet and had the faint taste of whiskey on her tongue, utterly maddening and he would never get enough of it.

“Take this damn thing off,” she managed to say between bites and kisses, tugging impatiently at his hoodie.

He smiled into the kiss, his hands blindly taking hold of the hem of the fabric before breaking away for a moment to rip it over his head. The truck was a bit cramped but he’d make it work, his mind was consumed by her at the moment and he wanted this to last for an eternity.

Her nails dragged down his body, letting out a content sigh as she took in the sight of his tanned skin and muscle, her fingers hooking into the belt loops of his trousers and the way she looked up at him would’ve been enough to send him over the edge. The sight was heavenly and the innocent look to her in that moment as her brown hair fanned out around her like a nimbus was devastating.

Lando reached forward and took hold of her cowboy hat that had gotten knocked off and placed it on his head, sending her a wink.

When a mewling sound left the back of her throat he raised a brow at her and he felt his cock get impossibly harder. Lando smiled down at her knowingly as he began to undo his belt. “Is this really doing it for you, darling?”

Her eyes nearly looked black with desire as her gaze trailed up from what his hands were doing to his face. “You have no fucking idea.”

He tugged his belt off and tossed it to the side, but before he worked on undressing himself further his fingers danced out and began undoing each button of her too tight shirt. Her breasts had already been tugging at the seams so when he popped one open they practically spilled out for him. No bra and on display and the sound that left him felt primal.

Lando needed her. All of her. Everywhere and every second of the day. If he could have her the way he wanted as he pleased he even considered fucking her in the middle of the paddock if she let him.

His fingers trailed down further and made easy work of her belt and zipper before he leaned back and took hold of each of her legs to rest them on his shoulders. “Lift up for me, baby.”

She didn’t hesitate as she lifted her hips for him and the immediate submissiveness made his mind melt into a puddle of pure desire. He tugged her boots off and then her jeans, and when the sight of her lacy white underwear graced his vision he suddenly wished they would’ve had the patience to get to the hotel.

“Fuck, I bet you taste incredible.”

But there was simply no room. He half debated on saying fuck it and bring her to the bed of the truck so he could ruin her in every way he was dreaming about, but that would probably lead to an arrest and a very unhappy meeting with the team and stewards.

“Please.” Her tone was needy, desperate even as she lifted her hips to him in an attempt to get her closer. There was already a damp spot appearing and Lando wanted to take her away and keep her to himself for the rest of his life.

“Where have you been all my life?” He sighed, his fingers dancing down her thighs and delighting in the way she trembled against his touch. “Tell me what you need.”

She bit her lip so hard he thought it might bleed and his hands dug into the soft flesh of her thighs, earning himself a moan from the back of her throat. “Use your words, baby. I need to hear you.”

“Fuck me, please.” She yanked his hips flush against hers by his belt loops. “And please lord, keep that hat on.”

His grin was wicked as he leaned down to capture her lips again, open mouthed and sloppy. His tongue dancing against hers and exploring, teeth clinking together as he pulled himself out from his trousers and used his other hand to tug her underwear to the side.

Lando never skipped foreplay but he was desperate and so was she. Not to mention she was practically dripping already and when the tip of his cock rubbed against her entrance and clit he shuddered as she let out a gasp, her nails digging into his back.

“You’re so fucking wet for me, darling.”

“Please,” she choked out, pulling him even closer by the back of his neck and kissing him.

When Lando sank into her till his hips were flush against hers he knew he finally found salvation. Purpose is what it felt like. The missing part of his life that he hadn’t even been aware of but now made him whole. He groaned into her mouth, matching her moan.

She was so warm and tight, the muscles of her cunt clenching around him. “You take me so well,” he ground out as he pulled his hips back and watched as he sunk back into her pussy slowly. The sight was other worldly. He wanted to film it but he was now determined that this would not be the last time he had his way with her.

She grinded her hips against him, matching his agonizingly slow rhythm and trying to get more. More satisfaction and he laughed at her desperation before burying his face in her neck, sucking and biting as he continued the slow pace.

“Lando, harder.” She gasped out, clutching at his shoulder with one hand while her other twined in the curly hair at the nape of his neck that was peaking out from under the cowboy hat.

He pulled back, teeth tugging at her skin before he released it with a pop. He got a little carried away, a hickey on her neck already forming but he couldn’t find himself to care as he got lost in the sensation of her cunt around his cock. She was perfectly made for him.

His hands pressed into the seat on either side of her head. “Open.” His tone was sharp and her lips parted immediately at the command. He smiled as he let saliva drip from his tongue and into her mouth, not giving her a moment to get a grip on reality before he then spit on her at the exact same time he pulled his hips back and snapped them hardly forward, burying his cock even deeper inside her.

She let out a cry, pleasure mixing with pain as he brushed against her cervix before pulling back and dragging against her g-spot, only to repeat the process over and over again. Bending her knees up so he could get a better angle, his thrusts brutal and being driven mad by the sound of his name being cried from her lips.

“So fucking gorgeous,” he said through heavy pants, watching her unravel beneath him and when his eyes caught sight on her naval the sound that left him didn’t even sound like himself.

Lando could see the outline of his cock as he fucked her, her smaller and skinnier size making it easier. “Oh fuck, you’re gonna kill me, baby. Look at you.” He pressed a hand gently to her stomach, feeling himself thrust in and out.

She bucked against him at the added sensation, tears streaming from her eyes and leaving pretty trails of mascara down her cheeks.

“Lando, oh my god—“ a scream left her as his other hand began rubbing tight circles into her clit. “I’m gonna—“

“Do you want to come on my cock, darling?”

She nodded, words lost on her and Lando knew he was on the verge of crashing as well. Feeling each of his nerves winding tightly. “Why don’t we come together, can you do that for me?”

“Yes, yes, yes. Please.”

“Such a good girl,” he praised, his tone soft. A complete antithesis to the almost violent pace of his cock slamming into her.

He switched the direction of his fingers on her clit. “Now, darling.”

Not a moment later she was convulsing against him, her cunt clamping down in his cock and Lando groaned out her name as he threw his head back, his cum filling her up nicely as the muscles in his stomach clenched. Sweat was coating both their bodies, all the windows completely fogged up and he felt delirious as he collapsed on top of her, settling comfortably between her hips and still buried inside of her.

He could both feel and hear her rapid heart beat, her warm breath coating the side of his neck as she buried her face in the crook of his shoulder.

“God, I love the English,” she muttered breathlessly against him and he laughed, loving the way she fit so snugly against him.

“And I’m in love with this form of southern hospitality.”

She snorted, the sound heartbreakingly adorable and he never wanted to let go of her. “All I said to you was howdy.”

He turned his face to hers, pressing a kiss against her forehead. “Say y’all.”

She raised a brow at him but complied. “Y’all?”

He groaned and kissed her through her laughter. “I’m done for.”

Eventually, and not with any thrill, he had to pull out of her and she shivered as he did so. Picking up his discarded hoodie from the floor, he gestured for her to sit up. “Lift your arms,” his voice was soft and his heart clenched as she smiled at him, doing as told.

He didn’t know what was wrong with him but he felt like he was struck by cupid’s arrow or something. Lando didn’t want this night to end and he wanted to see her tomorrow. And the next day, and the next. He wanted her by his side till he was rotting away in the earth.

He needed to thank Oscar next time he saw him.

Slipping the hoodie on her, he brushed the hair out of her eyes and dusted his thumbs over her cheekbones as he cradled her face. The air was quiet but not tense, a comfortable silence and he sighed slightly through his nose.

“What?” She asked, her brows furrowed and her smile timid. A bit shy despite the events that just unfolded.

“Would it be mental to ask you to come to the race this weekend?”

His eyes caught her tongue as it darted out to wet her lips, which were slowly forming into a grin. “I would love to, but I don’t know anything about it.”

He shrugged, pulling her in gently by hooking a finger into the collar of his hoodie she was wearing. “Just cheer for car number four and I’ll be on top of the world.”

She bit her lip, eyes searching his before she nodded. “Okay, but I want to do something for you.”

“You don’t need to—“

“It’ll be fun.” She reached her hands up and straightened the cowboy hat on his head. “Besides I haven’t seen enough of you dressed like this yet.”

landonorris

liked by carlossainz55, youruser, oscarpiastri and 307,284 others

landonorris am i doing this right?

photo creds and tour of austin courtesy of youruser

*tap to load more comments*

userone: THIS IS EVERYTHING

youruser: you are definitely doing this right

landonorris: taught by the best

oscarpiastri: i’m still waiting on a thank you

landonorris: shut up

usertwo: i need to know the tea

userthree: AND WHOS THE GIRL???

f1wags

liked by 56,029 others

f1wags oh? who’s this? potentially a new wag spotted in the paddock this weekend at the usgp and rooting for lando norris!! some sources say they were seen together afterward, but nothing is set in stone yet! pictured is; youruser

*tap to load more comments*

userone: OH MY GOD THEY WOULD LOOK SO GOOD TOGETHER

usertwo: right?? i hope it’s true

userthree: lando dating a cowgirl is not something i knew i needed

userfour: ew? really? not an american LMAO

userfive: she’s literally stunning what do you mean

usersix: the way she was screaming and cheering for him has me SOBBING she already seems so supportive

userseven: everyone needs to chill we don’t even know if they’re together, just because they follow one another doesn’t mean anything

usereight: you must be fun at parties

youruser

liked by alexandrasaintmleux, lilyzneimer, iamrebeccad and 67, 892 others

youruser south side of heaven

*tap to load more comments*

userone: PLS TELL ME THATS LANDO

usertwo: oh my god?? all the wags liking it???

userthree: CHAT PLS I NEED HER AND LANDO TO BE REAL

userfour: he’s been seen in texas NUMEROUS times over the break istg i think they are dating

landonorris and youruser

liked by carlossainz55, charles_leclerc, oscarpiastri and 702,299 others

landonorris happy birthday pretty girl

*tap to load more comments*

userone: oh. my. GOD

usertwo: I KNEW IT

carlossainz55: the black and white made me think she had passed

youruser: i thought i missed my own funeral

landonorris: i hate you both

userthree: IM LOSING MY MIND WKSKSJW

userfour: he looks so happy IM SOBBING

taglist: @theonottsbxtch @fortunapre @ashbone @c8lap1nto @taasgirl @stopeatread @dying-inside-but-its-classy

[reasonsforhope]

"From south Texas comes the incredible story of how a TikTok content creator channeled his channel for good—rescuing a cat and a cat shelter by inspiring thousands in donations.

Broken by Victoria Lopez at My San Antonio, the story is a reminder of social media’s stunning potential to do good if it can just manage to capture enough people’s fleeting attention.

Spencer is the brains and motor behind the SB Mowing TikTok and YouTube channels, which document his hobby of finding people who can’t mow their lawns and doing it for them. With a combined following of 15 million people, it’s a great showing that kindness pays.

In Corpus Christi, Spencer was fighting back a terribly overgrown yard when he found a little tabby cat with puncture marks from a fight with a dog or another cat, which to Spencer’s mind seemed infected.

Spencer called rescue centers in the area to see if anyone would help the cat, who would later be named Esbee, and only one reached out: Edgar and Ivy’s Cat Sanctuary and Rescue.

Edgar and Ivy is run by Director Anissa Beal, who was falling into a growing financial pit attempting to fund the cat rescue center. She had vowed to call it quits at year’s end if she couldn’t manage to turn things around.

“I’ve never seen so much passion put into helping people and helping animals,” Spencer wrote, who gave them all the cash he had on hand as a thank-you for saving the animal when no one else would.

He explained to Beal he had a large social media following and that he would set up a GoFundMe to try to help them better fund operations; Beal thought little of the gesture.

But in a matter of days, the fundraiser shot up to $190,000 in private donations, catapulting Edgar and Ivy’s Cat Rescue Mission out of debt.

Then, in the days that followed, some of the other followers of SB Mowing who had decided to pay for supplies had their contributions recognized: when four truckloads of orders showed up at Edgar and Ivy’s front door.

“He saved us,” Beal told My San Antonio, referring to Spencer. “I kept praying that I’d get some sort of a sign if I should continue because I told myself if I couldn’t make it this year, I was going to end it. I was not going to continue this rescue.”

Beal decided to dedicate the mission’s new building to Spencer, who was given the opportunity to name it: The SB Mowing Wellness and Recovery Center (for cats). Esbee, who has received dozens of offers for adoption, is right at home.

“Esbee, no doubt would have—with the wounds he had—would have died within the next 48 hours from sepsis,” Beal said, adding that she would only accept in-person adoption offers from genuinely interested parties and “not just while he was in his 15 minutes of fame.”

Since this incredible act of charitable giving and compassion, Edgar and Ivy’s Mission has rescued 700 cats."

-via Good News Network, July 19, 2024

[limehaspassed]

Teaching Thomas Hewitt

how to Sign

(Thomas Hewitt x GN!Reader)

▬▭▬▭▬▭▬▭▬▭▬▭▬▭▬▭▬▭▬▭▬▭▬▭▬▭▬▭▬▭▬▭▬▭▬▭▬▭▬

In which you teach Tommy how to sign and speak his mind.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

You weren’t born deaf but you always had an interest in deaf culture and the way they went about life. In high school, you took classes centered around sign language and deaf culture. By the time you graduated and moved onto college, you already had a job as an interpreter. College just affirmed your credentials.

You moved to Texas a few years after you graduated college, that’s where you met Thomas.

You had gotten a job at a local gas station when the owner had brought her son in to help move some boxes that were too heavy for the two of y’all to move.

You had never seen a man that large in your entire life, it left you in a state of shock. For a while, you thought you had been imagining him, however, you hadn’t.

Being kind, you said hello to him, signing it as you spoke, a natural habit at this point. Thomas hadn’t answered, he just gave a grunt.

“Does he not speak?” You has asked your boss, Luda Mae.

She had shook her head no.

You vowed from that day on out that you would teach him how to speak in his own language, a language you could teach him.

Each time he would come into the store, you would teach him a new sign. He was against it at first, brushing it off but eventually he gave in and actually paid attention to what you were showing him.

You taught him everything you knew, from signing order, to facial expression, to signing locations, and even some deaf culture/history as well. He would sit there and listen the whole time.

Luda Mae had picked up on this connection between the two of you and brought the boy to the gas station often, so that he could see you.

You enjoyed teaching Thomas how to sign and enjoyed watching him express himself. He seemed to expressive with the way he signed, the urgency he had to speak his mind to you. You were glad you could bring this side of him out, it was a gratifying experience.

One day, when you had a particular bad run in with a customer, Thomas had stopped by and brought you a flower. He finger-spelled the entire word, not knowing the sign yet. For the rest of the day, you taught him different signs for plants and even animals.

His favorite sign was lizard because of how silly it felt to sign it. (It really is a silly sign.)

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Just a small idea that popped in mind 🖤

[clockways]

After undergrad, I was done living with people. People didn’t turn off alarm clocks or clean up their messes or, perhaps, people even blamed you for their mental breakdown. I had had enough of people.

But I couldn’t live alone.

Luckily, I knew the perfect solution. See, other than the semesters of undergrad, I had always lived with cats. There were also dogs and hamsters and reptiles, but cats were the constant. It was a noble line going all the way back to Yoda, whom my mother got to be her cat in college.

It was only the start of summer, and I was already surreptitiously walking past the adoption area of the pet store. It was a good thing I did.

There in the cage, the only animal in the whole adoption area, was a tiny kitten. As soon as he saw me, he started to meow and kneed and reach through the bars. It was probably as close to love at first sight as I will ever get.

After finding out when adoption was and leaving and coming back at what was the wrong time and talking to the kitten through the glass—I finally was able to hold him.

He was perfect.

This little kitten with brown so deep it was black and a white underside and a very pink nose settled right into my arms and purred up a storm. I adopted him then and there.

Depressingly, with this adoption center, the little boy had to go back to get sniped before I could take him home. I often joked that the poor guy never had a lick of testosterone in his body with how early it all happened. (That didn’t stop in from growing into quite a tall, long cat, mind you.)

While he came home without his balls, he also came home with a kitten cold. My poor little perfect boy was sick to the point that he could die. Cats, if you didn’t know, don’t eat if they can’t smell. Stinky food was bought, force feeding was attempted, and in the end it was some Vick’s in hot water that cleared his sinuses up enough to eat.

Now that he was well, it was finally time to find the right name. Name is a process in my family. In rather reverse fae rules, by giving the pets the right name, they are cemented as family. My mother even adds them to the family bible.

This boy took two tries.

His first name was Underwood as you see, once he got is energy back, he was constantly walking across my lap and the laptop that had a pretty permanent place in it. My friends swiftly got used to getting ‘kitten messages’ sent to them. Annoyingly, some of the same friends wouldn’t stop calling him Carrie, even after I asked them not to, and I decided that I wasn’t going to put up with that for the next fourteen plus years.

As he was my ‘squirmy worm’ for his lack of desire to be held and ability to pop right out of a hold due to his silky fur, I combined the two and, finally, he found his right name of Wormwood. (This also, unbeknownst at the time, started the naming convention for my next two cats.)

Wormwood and I went off to graduate school not much later. The old but passable apartment I was in had a (rather shoddily) screened in porch. It became Worm’s favorite spot to sit, even in the middle of Texas heat.

Paper balls were discovered to be his favorite thing, followed by very tiny pompoms. If I was ignoring him, he’d knock my remote off my table to play. Even with that playing, I often joked that Worm was my semi mobile throw pillow. He loved to lounge and nap to the extreme, even for a cat.

Worm never wanted other cats in his life, though he managed to accept Bugsy—my Siamese mutt—into our home in time, though Worm never ceded the foot of the bed to him. Together, we three moved back in with my parents (to total a too many five cats) until I could afford my own place. Worm had to suffer through another new brother, Beetle, about three years ago. Then not quite two years ago we moved to a new state.

All three boys did wonderful on the very long drive, and I like to think that it was worth it because of the fabulous sunroom in the new house. All of them had their favorite spots to sit out there and soak up the sun.

This winter, Worm took a turn. He dropped some weight while I was gone on a trip. I got him a heated bed that became his very favorite thing in the whole house. He would just melt into it.

Then it got worse.

I took him to the vet, and he had gone from about fifteen pounds down to five and a half. Blood work was clean though, so we increased his food and changed some things around.

Tueaday he was quite ill.

Wednesday was the first time there was a moment where he wasn’t there mentally. It felt like it was going to be time.

Thursday, today, I found him laying in a sunbeam. He didn’t even ask for food. At eleven today I took him to the vet. For about an hour before I held him, resting against my chest, and the two of us sat in the sun, listening to the birds.

I think he was ready to rest. He hardly moved at the vet during the shot and then… then he was gone.

And I had to leave him.

For sixteen years, nearly half my life, he has been my family and one of my best friends. I would have been so lost without him. I’m so sad to have to say goodbye, but I’m glad that he can rest now.

I’m glad that it was a pretty day and that we got to sit in the sun together and listen to the birds.

[pawsidentjack]

Jack’s First Holiday Season: From Autumn Leaves to Christmas Trees

As autumn settled in and the college football season came and went, Jack experienced his first Thanksgiving and is now eagerly awaiting his first Christmas. This season has been full of warmth, change, and lots of cozy moments with Jack at the center of it all.

Autumn Adventures

Thanksgiving brought an array of new sights, smells, and sounds. Jack curiously observed the hustle and bustle of meal preparations, his little nose twitching at the scents wafting through the air. During Michigan games, Jack would often sit by my side, perking up when we cheered, and occasionally watching the screen when something caught his eye. Every Thanksgiving night our family’s tradition is to watch the movie Christmas Vacation; Jack curled up alongside Aureous, his golden buddy. I love having our animals together with us for family time and traditions, especially it being Jack’s first year. He will be 8 months old this Christmas. He’s getting fluffier by the second.

A Texas Winter Approaches

As we try to beat the heat and look forward to winter's arrival, Jack is experiencing the magic of the holiday season. I wasn’t sure how he’d handle the Christmas trees. After all, Jack’s playful and tactile nature (not to mention his love of climbing) seemed like a recipe for chaos. To my surprise, he’s been more well-behaved. He watches the twinkling lights with wide, curious eyes, occasionally pawing at an ornament but never causing trouble.

I’m so proud of him for not attempting to climb the tree or knock it over—a real Christmas miracle! It’s clear that he finds it fascinating, but he’s showing remarkable restraint for such an adventurous little guy.

A Special Gift for Jack

Jack’s favorite toy since his first day home has been a small stuffed bunny that we call his 'baby'. Over time, it’s been loved to pieces—quite literally. His original bunny is now just a few scraps, but it still holds a special place in his heart (and in his mouth as he trots around the house with pride).

For Christmas, I am surprising him with a brand-new bunny toy, red and white, specially themed for the holidays. I can’t wait to see his reaction. Knowing Jack, he’ll grab it right away and make it his new constant companion (aka prey).

Excitement for His First Christmas

I can’t wait for Jack to enjoy his first Christmas. In addition to his new bunny, we are spoiling him with plenty of other gifts—a stocking full of treats and toys that I know he’ll adore.

This season has been extra special with Jack by my side. His curiosity and joy for the little things remind me to slow down and appreciate this magical time of year. Whether he’s playing with his bunny, curling up with me in a cozy blanket, or gazing at the glowing Christmas tree, Jack is making this holiday season one to remember.

Here’s to Jack’s first Christmas—and many more to come. This little orange boy has brought so much joy into my life, and I can’t wait to spend our first Christmas together.

Happy Holidays!

~Jack & May

[noahtally-famous]

heathette / seastar 'watching movies' hcs

⋆ canonically, heather loves scary movies, horror is her favorite genre. the saw movie franchise is her favorite.

⋆ bridgette clutches heather's hand in a death grip throughout the entire movie whenever it's heather's turn to pick. by the middle of the movie, she's got her arms loosely wrapped around heather like a koala; by the end, she's half on heather's lap and peeking out with one eye

⋆ heather complains half-heartedly but they both know she doesn't mind it one bit

⋆ bridgette doesn’t even try to hide the fact that the jumpscares get to her. she’s stuck to heather’s side throughout and watching with her head on heather’s shoulder, one eye peeking out, at the slightest hint of tension and/or when the background music changes. both her hands have both heather’s hands clasped tight

⋆ halloween movies are always a toss-up between them ranging from bridgette's cheesier halloweentown and hocus pocus to heather's scream franchise, friday the 13th, and texas chainsaw massacre. the whiplash between cheesy goofiness and full-on gore and horror can be startling to any other person who may bingewatch with them, but they're so used to each other's attunement they basically don't even notice

⋆ heather pretends she hates the 'mindless gore and horror' trope to keep up pretenses, but coming from the girl who adores the saw movies, that's a basic lie right there. she's a horror girlie at heart

⋆ while she loves any sort of actual horror movie/show, heather holds a slight preference toward the older horror movies--more unfiltered gore, and jumpscares

⋆ bridgette prefers the adventure-type of genre, as well as ocean documentaries. heather doesnt mind the former, but the latter can get pretty boring to her (or so she says) however she still lets bridgette pick them because it gives her the opportunity to watch how invested and excited bridgette gets

⋆ particularly whenever a documentary about the ocean and/or sea animals is on, bridgette can get pretty rambly or, at some points, even rant about the welfare of both cases. she sits up with her knees on the couch, waving her arms around, gesticulating. heather listens and hums in agreement, she loves when bridgette gets passionate about literally anything

⋆ on some occasions, heather tried to connect the dots and chooses movies like jaws and the meg to watch because it's a combination of their two interests; the ocean/sea animals and horror aspects. these types of movies are a wild card for bridgette, heather finds out. sometimes she enjoys them, tolerates them, doesn't mind them, (which are all surprises to heather ngl even though she was the one to choose them because she lowkey expected bridgette to be scared, especially when it came to the sea animals), but in some rare cases depending on the plot of the movie, bridgette doesn't necessarily get scared but she gets horrified. the reactions are more or less the same though; heather's hand is in a death grip, bridgette's head is on her shoulder, invested despite herself. (heather counts that as a win, still)

⋆ its a habit for movies nights to involve loads of blankets. bridgette adores them, whenever it's time to watch a movie, there is either going to be a blanket fort or blankets piled all over the couch with bridgette at the center of them--she turns more and more into a blanket burrito the more horror-y the movie is

⋆ heather starts off sitting on top of the blankets; bridgette places one loosely over her shoulders...then she wraps another one...eventually heather is tugged into her blanket pile and they're both wrapped up in an assortment of them

⋆ or heather has on like one or two blankets max, but ends up with a blanket burrito in the form of bridgette plastered to her side or half on her lap

⋆ heather half-heartedly grouches again, but again they both know she doesn't mind it. especially when bridgette's arms are around her, which, in her opinion, is much better than all the blankets

⋆ sometimes bridgette turns her into a blanket burrito, takes pictures of the end result, and teases heather endlessly about it. (she calls her the 'pouty burrito' and has a folder in her camera roll dedicated solely to it)

[imthepunchlord]

Can we know more about your animula?

Yes!

Their term is Latin for little soul, and it's a nice little pun off animal.

They are more of what I wanted from kwamis. No mentality of children, no mob mentality when together, and no slaves of humanity. Personalities mainly work off animal archetypes as a base.

I've gone through varies ideas on what to do with them, from doing something global to something more Europe centered and working off virtues to doingan original zodiac to matbe tying them to the Arthurian legends. What has remained consistent is keeping colors and elements in mind, as well as concepts of strength, heart, mind, and soul.

I've also gone back and forth on many but 1 power to lesser but multiple powers.

Recent planning of the Bugettes has me thinking I should just work off the theme of colors, as I'll have guidelines but still be able to be flexible and creative with the idea.

I do know for sure is that I want the main focus to be gather them all questline, like Cardcaptor Sakura, Xiaolin Showdown, Jackie Chan Adventures, ect.. And as the leads were trying to gather them up, they were dealing with two warring factions that also sought to have all animula: the Dawnguard and Twilightvigil.

Bee and Peafowl I knew I wanted to be major leads to focus on, so was Cat but not a 100%.

Peafowl I wanted to go to a lead based on Marinette, as I do genuinely like her a lead, and the peafowl!Marinette design I've done with first with animula.

And what was fun is that the Peafowl anumula, who's name I still haven't found, was going to be vain, bold, and theatrical, paired with a human who in contrast is humble, has potential to show off her brilliance but doesn't really aim for it, and rather subtlety to flashiness. Claire and Renae are the two names that float around for her, and maybe she has a twin brother, maybe not.

Bee I thought to go to a Texas cowgirl, and her set up was being a lone ranger who got Bee to learn to work with others.

I've also wanted to do a lead based on Toby from Trollhunters because I really love him and felt he got shafted so hard.

And that covers the over all basics of the animula concept. I don't know if I could do it as a book series or comic, would love to, but it's always been fun to think about and explore.

[bubbashusbanddd]

-Tug of war-

You managed to survive the dinner and were kept as a pet by the youngest brother. One of your chores as "an outsider" was to bring game ideas from the foreign world to the Sawyers.

[In this sfw fanfic both Nubbins and Robert are alive, so I would imagine it being somewhere between the original tcm (1974) and the 2nd tcm (1986) after Sally got killed by grandpa and Robert got back from the war]

Word count: 709

Pairing: Bubba Sawyer × gn!reader, although the others are present too and there's not much romance happening

-

The chores were done and the family was bored. Nubbins had threatened you playfully with his knife multiple times, eventough you asked him to stop- which he probably just ignored. And after Robert started to ‚play' with you too, you had enough and decided to do an actual fun activity with the brothers. Only problem was what they'd considered fun.

You previously tried to entertain them with card and board games such as Uno, Chess and Monopoly, but the only one who seemed to really try playing the game was Bubba. The concentration and excitment on his face when playing those simple games were humorous, but you knew better than to laugh at his attempt to impress you with his intellect.

Since games that required strong brainpower seemed to not be enjoyed by the Sawyers, the idea of something more physical popped up. And the simplest game in that matter appeared to be tug of war, so you managed to find a thick rope in the dirty house and gathered everyone outside. The rules were easy to understand, at least to sane people, and you explained them thoroughly a few times until even the stupidest stone in Texas could understand them.

They started with the twins -Nubbins and Robert- on one side and you together with Bubba on the other, since Drayton called himself ‚too mature to play these silly games'. It didn't take much long until those two maniacs were pulled over the center line, leaving you and Bubba as the winners of the round. The next round had the same result and it became clear that you didn't even need to do anything- Bubba simply pulled them across the field himself. As the twins laid in the dirt you chuckled with delight, until one of them pulled you down. "Join our team! We can use every helping hand!" the other begged and you complied, wanting to find out how many people it takes to pull Bubba.

And although you and the twins pulled with all you had, Bubba surprisingly managed to pull everyone over the line again. But as he had tugged hard on the rope, you fell into face first into the mud below, much like the twins had earlier. The youngest brother immediatly rushed to your side and cooed something unintelligible, which you guessed were apologies.

"I'm fine, Bubba! No need to apologize!" you chuckled, amused by his worried attire. That statement wasn't enough for him though and he put a hand on your cheek, wiping the dirt off of it. His eyes were a bit watery and his posture slouched submissively.

"I promise you, I'm okay. Don't worry, Bu-"

The bonding situation got interrupted by Robert, who yelled at Drayton, telling him to join the war. "I already told you. I'm not doing that childish shit."

"But it'll be fun, Drayton! Come here!"

"I don't wanna fall into the mud! Unlike you animals"

Nubbins walked over to him at that insult and dragged him to the game.

"J-Just this o-once! Th-then we'll leave y-you alone!" he offered, his stutter present like always.

With a huff and an annoyed ‚fine' Drayton agreed. Bubba let your face go as he mumbled another ‚sorry' and went back to his place at the other end of the rope. Everyone got ready to pull and when you did, Bubba actually got hauled to the center. At the speed of light the twins began howling like wild animals, celebrating their success in their own way. You couldn't keep your laughter to yourself neither and watched Bubba as he came closer, squealing as well.

After the small party of excitment everyone got inside and you put away the rope, joining them inside the living room not much later. Nubbins and Robert were already on the couch, chugging down some energy drinks together, Drayton stood beside them, searching for the tv remote, and Bubba waited by the door for you. The moment he saw you enter the room, his face lit up in pure happiness and he hugged you with all his strength.

The evening got enjoyed by watching movies together and eventually going to bed, Bubba soon snoring lovingly into your ear as he laid beside you.

[lemonlyman-dotcom]

In light of this week’s Rewatch theme it seemed an appropriate time to bring this fic back. Follow Marjan’s journey of finding and building a new life and found family after moving to Austin, Texas. Canon compliant, this fic follows Marjan’s life from Season 1 through a year after Season 4 with flashbacks to her childhood, her time in the Fire Academy and her relationship with Salim. We also explore Marjan’s friendships with TK, Carlos & Paul and the similarities & parallels between them and the ways they’ve come to support and lean on each other as chosen family. 🥰

love in a series of bursts & inches

beautiful fan art by @whatsintheboxmh

It’s a new tradition they started this year, volunteering as a way of giving back to the community on their shared days off during Ramadan. So far they’d volunteered at a health clinic and at a food bank handing out groceries. Tonight they chose to help out at the homeless shelter where Iris worked. TK helped administer medication and treat minor wounds while Marjan changed bedding and restocked toiletries.

“Early Eid Mubarak,” he said sheepishly, pulling a box out of his backpack as they sat in her car in the shelter’s parking lot after their shift.

“I know you lost your favorite scarf that day.” He said, letting the uncomfortable reality remain unsaid, that she’d almost lost her life that day as well. That she’d been shot on the side of a highway in the middle of nowhere, hunted down like an animal by a monster named Grant Harlan. That she’d been forced to kill the man, shooting him in the neck with a flare gun to avoid a similar fate for herself.

A year of therapy had done little to assuage her guilt. It was the antithesis of her life’s work; instead of risking her life to save another, she’d taken one to save her own.

Her eyes misted when she opened the box, the scarf was wrapped neatly in soft pink tissue paper. It smelled faintly of vanilla and cardamom, the scent instantly transporting her back ten years; to Saturday afternoons shopping with Sahar, trying on outfit after outfit, layering on bangles and dancing in the showroom to see what they sounded like when they clinked together.

She held the scarf up to her face to get a deeper whiff of its fragrance. “It’s beautiful, TK, where did you get it?”

He ducked his head and rubbed a hand across the back of his neck before looking bashfully at her from under his lashes. “I called Sahar? She told me about the boutique y’all used to shop at when you were kids. I ordered it from there.”

She dove across the center console to hug him, and they both broke into a fit of giggles when the seatbelt she’d forgotten she already buckled hamstrung her and pulled her back in her seat.

[romanceyourdemons]

the well-known cult film pearl (2022) provides, like its precedent film x (2022), an interesting perspective on film, film history, and stardom. first of all, the film is technically beautifully done. it beautifully replicates the feel of an early technicolor film, from the slightly garish color timing to the wipe and iris transitions to the sweeping, full-orchestral soundtrack. whereas x (2022) had a more rough and openly indie feel, visually and tonally drawing on the texas chain saw massacre (1974) and narratively exposing the wires of film creation, this film focuses on stardom in its most abstract, dreamlike state. in many respects, stardom and the cinema are the female version of the american dream—the way a woman can gain financial independence and even financial leverage through hard work and gumption and iron will, or so the narrative runs. as with many post-wwi “american dream” stories, this one centers around what happens when hard work and gumption and iron will are not enough, and when, even if they were, the reward is no reward at all. pearl grows up in the rubble of her parents’ more traditional, my antonia-style american dream, a dream centered around a desire to nurture. pearl’s mother is trapped in a state of constantly, single-handedly nurturing and caring for her husband and her farm, bitter and betrayed by her dream. pearl’s american dream is the twentieth-century dream of stardom: to perform for an audience and be loved for it. and yet, as pearl’s attempt at gumption and struggle for this dream only draws it further away, it becomes clear that to perform itself is agony. pearl is constantly performing a role, and she resents being witnessed and observed—by her parents, by her husband’s portrait, by the projectionist and by mitsy and by the animals on the farm. to be a dancer and an actress, to be, technically speaking, a star, one must relinquish one’s will and play a role for the pleasure of others—precisely as pearl could not bear to do on the farm. this is not the freedom pearl’s fantasized american dream promised. what pearl truly wants to do is not just perform, but to write and direct, to place the people in her life as props and smile big for the camera when she decides it is time for it to turn to her. unlike x (2022), in which those in front of the camera prove to have more power than those behind it, pearl (2022) argues that being a beloved performer is not enough: to truly be an american-dream star according to pearl’s definition, one must also somehow occupy all the other roles in the filmmaking process, or else one is no better than a scarecrow dragged down from its post for a waltz

[mariacallous]

Though the Take Our Border Back convoy has largely been a mess so far as the small group makes its way toward the Texas-Mexico border, experts warn that it has acted as a lightning rod for militias, far-right extremists, and even long-dormant vigilante groups. It could reach a tipping point this weekend, as multiple rallies are planned against immigrants and the Biden administration along the border in Texas, as well as Arizona and California.

“Data we collected tells us emphatically that the standoff between Texas and the federal government has become a magnet for far-right vigilantism,” said Devin Burghart, the executive director at the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights, during a press briefing on Thursday organized by the immigration reform group America’s Voice. “From the convoy steering committee on down, the protest comprises many of the same dangerous elements as the January 6 insurrection: militia members, election deniers, QAnon conspiracists, Covid deniers, and other hardcore far-righters.”

Those groups include the Proud Boys, neo-Nazi militias, and other vigilante groups. Last week, the Republic of Texas Proud Boys shared a post in its Telegram channel calling immigrants “brown immigrant invaders,” and the South Texas Proud Boys told followers to “grab your guns.” Meanwhile, the neo-Nazi Aryan Network issued a rallying cry in support of the Texas ‘resistance,’ asking for white men to join. In another post, the group added, “to hell with the United States of America.”

“The convoy itself has really inspired some of these more fringe, really extreme sects of the far right to engage in operations down in border states,” said Freddy Cruz, the program manager for monitoring and training at Western States Center, during the briefing. “Discussions around the convoy and just the convoy itself really animate extreme anti-democracy groups to go down to the border.”

The convoy had an inauspicious start; just 19 vehicles set out from Virginia on Monday, and within minutes some were lost. There has been paranoia and infighting within the small group, and a convicted pedophile showed up. But on Thursday night, when the convoy organizers held a rally at the One Shot Distillery and Brewery, owned by former US Army colonel Phil Waldron, who was a key figure in proposing plans that ultimately led to the January 6 insurrection, a different picture emerged.

Hundreds of people gathered at the event, which featured far-right speakers that included Chrisitan nationalist pastors calling for “drawing a blood line around Texas, around America.” Convicted January 6 insurrectionists threatened another insurrection. There were Covid deniers, Pizzagate adherents, and sovereign citizens. Former conservative news presenter turned conspiracy booster Lara Logan was also onstage, talking in graphic detail about child trafficking and the dark web. Michael Yon, one of the convoy promoters, screamed and ranted at the audience about how Jewish people were funding an NGO that works along the Texas border. He also claimed that Hamas and Hezbollah are coming across the border: “Allahu akbar, when you hear that shit, you better get ready, your thumb better be hitting that safety.”

Sarah Palin, the former governor of Alaska and the late senator John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign running mate, introduced musician Ted Nugent, who called President Biden a “piece of shit.”

Elected officials were also present: Republican Texas state representative Carrie Isaac repeated the conspiracy about “terrorists at the border.” She was introduced onstage by Chris Burr, a board member of the Texas GOP.

Though tensions surrounding immigration have been simmering for a while, the most recent crisis was sparked earlier this month when the US Supreme Court lifted an order by a lower court and sided with the Biden administration to rule that Border Patrol agents could remove razor wire installed by the Texas National Guard and state troopers. Rather than stand down, Texas governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, replied in a letter that Texas has the right to “defend and protect” itself against an “invasion” of migrants, adding that this “is the supreme law of the land and supersedes any federal statutes to the contrary.”

The vast majority of the GOP has backed Abbott, including more than two dozen Republican governors, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, and former president Donald Trump, who called for National Guard troops from other states to be sent to Texas.

The rhetoric from the right has continued to ratchet up. “This is an invasion from third-world countries,”Texas’ lieutenant governor Dan Patrick told Fox News. “They're coming here with health issues, they're uneducated, unemployed, and all they do is commit crime on the streets.”

Since the standoff began, there has been “an online explosion of invasion and great replacement rhetoric, the idea that white people are somehow being displaced intentionally with immigrants,” said Heidi Beirich, cofounder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. “We've seen white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups all taking advantage of the standoff to push their propaganda and recruit new members.”

On Friday, the convoy will reportedly conclude in Quemado, Texas, and the Cornerstone Children’s Ranch, a humanitarian charity which provides food and support for low-income families in the US and across the border in Mexico. “The people that are coming here are doing a religious prayer for the border,” Lori Mercer, the director of the organization tells WIRED, adding: “We have to be peacemakers.”

The location was picked by Pete Chambers, one of the people organizing the convoy, who claims to be a former Green Beret. Last week, Chambers spoke with school-shooting conspiracist Alex Jones about how the convoy planned to travel to the border to hunt migrants in collaboration with sympathetic law enforcement. Other convoy organizers have said that the effort is “peaceful” and that they are not going to the border. But comments made by members of the group on livestreams, online videos, and in Telegram channels indicate that not everyone feels that way.

“We will engage decisively, and if it gets worse, in the infantry we call it ‘fix bayonets,’” Chambers told a pastor in one online video this week, adding: “That’s war, we don’t want to go there, but that’s where we’re at right now.”

On Saturday, the group will take part in a trio of rallies along the border: in San Ysidro, California; Yuma, Arizona; and Eagle Pass, Texas, the epicenter of the current standoff between Abbott and the Biden administration.

“They've discussed calling out militias or posses and needing to ‘show force,’” said Burghart. “One organizer, who is also a militia leader, even threatened, ‘We'll do whatever we got to do to put a stop to it.’ Leading border-conflict figures have also stated that their convoy is meant to pick up where January 6 left off. Moreover, they've amplified the specter of kicking off a second civil war.”

While it’s unclear what is going to happen over the weekend, there are already signs that the convoy and the standoff generally are activating long-dormant vigilante groups.

“Earlier this week, we did see vigilante group Women Fighting for America in Arizona livestreaming the group's expedition to try and track down a migrant camp in Arivaca, Arizona,” Cruz said. “Women Fighting for America have previously been on the border, but they took a two-year hiatus, and all of a sudden they're back on the border because the media is covering the convoy.”

In a video posted in the group’s Telegram channel, Christine Hutcherson, Women Fighting for America’s founder, is seen wearing night-vision goggles, talking about a camp run by a Catholic charity set in a remote part of the Arizona border region. “I’ve been here before a couple of years ago. They are housing migrants, illegals, mostly single adult males of fighting age. And we’re getting ready to go into this camp right now,” she alleged.

Experts are concerned about the impact of this kind of extremist rhetoric long term. “It’s important to keep an eye on how these types of efforts are successful in mainstreaming fringe far-right ideas and far-right groups into a much larger context,” said Burghart.

[evieismol]

BIG BEND Chapter Twenty Three

A/n: as i mentioned on the last chapter, I’m posting a more polished, edited version of this story on both ao3 (here) and wattpad (here), if you’d like to check it out! As always, I appreciate any and all support and feedback!

Content warnings: Cursing

Word Count: 2940

Previous Chapter

Zoey

I lay in my tent, staring at the canvas ceiling. It had faded from light green to nearly black as the sun light outside faded.

God, life has a lot of plot twists.

If anyone had asked me if I thought I’d be sort of living in a tent in some random part of Texas last year, I probably wouldn’t have considered it likely. I’d actually thought I was going to be married by now.

Thank God that didn’t happen.

Texas was, at least, one place I was pretty sure he wouldn’t come find me, if only because it was literally on the other side of the country. At least, I hoped so. I tried to push that unsettling thought from my mind. It didn’t work. It never really did. I’d found myself jumping at every crunch of the gravel, half expecting to see a familiar red pick up truck coming up the road.

I had gotten some good news recently, at least. The gift shop at the park was hiring, and I’d had an interview for a position there earlier that morning. It had gone well. More than well - I’d been offered the job. That, in turn, offered some sorely needed hope, given that my savings would only last so long. Better yet, it also offered housing. I hadn’t really been playing on staying at the park for more than a night, at first, but then again, I hadn’t really been planning on any of this. And a job was a job.

It wasn’t like I disliked the park anyways. Pretty much the opposite. From what I’d seen of it so far, it was absolutely gorgeous. It also seemed to have no shortage of interesting characters, from the less than friendly woman I’d bumped into yesterday to the Aphirial the park service had decided to hire. He seemed nice, if not kind of sad.

That’s something I can relate to.

I’d long felt like I didn’t really fit into the world. Of course, he quite literally didn’t fit in, and I considered what that was like. Probably pretty alienating. He had looked like he’d been crying when I ran into him the first time. Also something I could relate to. I’d been doing that a lot in my tent recently. I found myself wondering if he sat outside by that cliff frequently - if I’d find him there again.

Is that weird? I don’t want to seem like I’m stalking him or something. Then again, he did recognize me yesterday and seemed happy enough to talk. I think. I could just go on a walk, get some fresh air, and if I happen to run into him, that wouldn’t be too weird, right?

Totally.

Getting fresh air and stretching my legs did sound like a good idea either way, admittedly. I’d spent most of the afternoon curled up in my tent, a variety of less than fun memories swirling through my mind. I nodded, committing to my decision, and pulled myself up. I fumbled around for my flashlight - it had grown pitch black in the time I’d been laying there. I felt the hard plastic casing after a moment, and switched it on.

Ability to see now returned, I grabbed a hoodie and pulled it on, followed by some socks. I had actually stopped by the visitor center and learned that the only notably dangerous large animals in the area were cougars, but that they didn’t frequently attack people. Just in case, though, I also grabbed the bear spray I’d brought from up north, deciding I probably didn’t need to tempt fate by making a habit of horror movie esque decisions.

The desert air was far cooler than it had been during the day - chilly, almost. That still felt amazing to me. There definitely hadn’t been as much variation in temperature where I’d lived previously. It was mostly just cold or really, really cold for the better part of the year.

I made my way past a few other campsites as I walked down the road. A group of people sat around a fire at one, laughing as they roasted s’mores. I felt a pang of longing at the sight. My relationship with Jake had ended with me being isolated from pretty much everyone but him.

The laughter eventually faded into the night as I continued down the gravel road. I’d been right - the fresh night air was pleasant, and it was nice to stretch my legs. As I found myself nearing the rocky area I’d run into Easton previously, I found myself second guessing the other part of my plan. Did I really even want to socialize? I had neared the ridge from the other night, and felt my old friend anxiety rearing its head full force. Would he even want to talk to me? Maybe he was tired of talking to people, maybe he’d find it annoying and presumptuous that I came out here. Maybe he’d find me annoying - he wouldn’t be the first. It wasn’t too late to go back to my tent. I stopped, about to turn around.

This is stupid. I’m going back.

“Zoey?”

Fuck.

What I’d thought was a rock formation shifted, and I realized with no small amount of awe that it was instead the giant alien I’d previously met as I shone my flashlight in that direction. It illuminated his light blond hair, making it look almost white. Had I been paying closer attention, I might have remembered it hadn’t been there before, but I’d been lost in my thoughts.

Apparently that thing about Aphirials having super senses wasn’t an exaggeration.

“Easton - hi! I didn’t see you,” I said. Okay, so, now it was too late to go back to my tent.

“I don’t get that a lot,” he said, a faint laugh in his tone.

“I was kind of zoning out,” I admitted. “Lost in my thoughts, I guess.”

“Thinking about anything in particular? I mean, you don’t have to tell me,” he said. He didn’t seem annoyed to be talking to me, so far, at least.

“Uh, whether or not I’d run into you again, actually. Sorry, that sounded weird, probably. I just mean, I’ve kind of ended up staying around here longer than I thought I would, and I ended up getting a job at the gift shop for the summer season, so I guess I’m here even longer, and I don’t really know anyone else.”

“That’s awesome! That you might work here, not that you don’t know anyone else, of course.” He sounded genuinely excited when he replied. He paused before continuing. “I don’t really know that many people here well myself.”

“Seriously? You seemed really popular at that ranger talk thingy the other day.”

He gave a slight shrug. “Yeah, I think the novelty wears off quickly.”

“Huh. I’ve never gotten that. Then again, I still think planes are super exciting, like, if something’s cool the first time, I think it just gets cooler the more you think about it, y’know? Anyways, you seem like you’d be fun to hang out with regardless of novelty. Like, as a person, even if I did know other people here.”

“Oh-thanks,” he said, surprise filling his voice. “And, you do too.”

“Thanks,” I said. I wasn’t sure what else to say after that. Small talk had never really been my forté.

“I was getting ready to head inside,” Easton said after a moment.

“Of course, right. Have a nice-“ I tried to keep the disappointment out of my voice. Yep, he definitely thinks I’m annoying.

“You could come. I could make you some hot cocoa or tea or-well, John could, we could watch a movie-if you want to, of course. You don’t have to. Obviously.”

“I’d like to!” I said quickly. Okay, maybe he didn’t think I was totally annoying. And that sounded way better than going back to my tent.

“Okay! Cool! Uh, I have to ask John first, actually. I can call him. It’ll only take a minute.”

“Take your time, I don’t have anywhere to be,” I replied. It was kind of endearing how excited he’d looked when I agreed. As if he’d been pretty sure I was going to find his offer annoying, just like I’d been fearing he found our whole conversation. I watched as he pulled his phone from his pocket. It was at least twice my height, serving as a stark reminder of how much smaller I was in comparison to him.

I wondered, probably later than I should have, how I was supposed to get to his house. The most obvious answer was probably that he could literally pick me up to bring me over there. He had carried John by hand the other day. That prospect was slightly terrifying, now that I was thinking about it. I wasn’t scared of heights, thankfully, but it seemed like literally putting my life in someone’s hands would require a lot of trust. And it occurred to me that I didn’t actually know him that well.

Of course, he picked up plenty of tourists for pictures every day. He’d never hurt any of them. I was more than certain that would have made the news. He didn’t seem like he’d hurt me either, but of course, I had thought that before. And been very wrong before.

Maybe I should make up a reason to go back to my campground. I could say I didn’t realize how late it was getting.

Then I remembered the group of friends that had been laughing around their fire, and how empty my campsite was. And somehow, the idea of going back to my dark tent suddenly seemed even more terrifying than letting a giant pick me up, which maybe said something about how isolated I’d been feeling recently.

Besides, he’s a park ranger. That’s like, the least sketchy job you can have, right?

“John said it’s okay!” Moments after I’d come to a conclusion that I wasn’t going to dip, Easton placed his phone back in his pocket. “And he said he could make you tea or coffee and he has pizza from last night if you want some.”

I smiled. “Cool. I mean, I’m never one to turn down food.”

Especially not recently.

“So, are you just going to pick me up or like-“

“Oh-uh, I can. There’s a trail down the cliffs that way and a human sized elevator at my place, if you want to walk, but, I can carry you if you want. And you’re comfortable with it.”

I immediately felt a little silly at my previous worries - I’d apparently made several assumptions. I’d already come to the conclusion that I was fine with him carrying me, though.

“I’m cool with it. But whatever you want.”

“Okay,” he said, sounding uncertain about where to go from there.

“You can just carry me. It’d be quicker. And I’d probably find a way to fall off the cliffs getting down anyways,” I said. I wasn’t entirely sure why I went with that option. I’d already psyched myself up for that, and I hadn’t psyched myself up for climbing down a desert trail, I guess.

“Are you sure?” He asked. I nodded.

“Yeah. I mean, you can see in the dark, right? So out of the two of us, you’re way less likely to trip over something in the dark.”

“I guess so.” He lowered his hand to the cliff where I stood. He amended his statement quickly. “I mean, I definitely won’t trip over anything, I swear. I don’t know if you’ve heard the whole spiel I give, but you can climb on whenever you’re ready, please stay seated in the middle of my hand once I start moving, I won’t get up until you say you’re settled and ready.”

I nodded. “Sounds good.” Taking a deep breath, I stepped towards his hand. His skin was way warmer than I’d thought it’d be, I thought as I climbed onto his hand. Like, heating pad warm. That made sense, I supposed, given how comparatively ginormous he was. I glanced up at him. He was watching me attentively, which felt somehow reassuring. I half crawled to the center of his palm, quickly realizing it was also far harder to stand on someone’s palm than I would have guessed. After a moment, I glanced back up.

“Okay, I’m ready.”

“Great. I’ll move slowly, and just let me know if you want down at any point,” he said. I nodded, watching the ground grow farther away as he slowly lifted his hand and stood up.

“What’s it like? Being able to carry people literally in one hand?” I asked, looking up at him again.

“Kind of weird,” he said, then once again jumped to amend that statement. He did that a lot, I was noticing. It seemed ironic that an actual giant would be so unsure of his words, if not also relatable. “Not in a bad way. It just feels like…a lot of responsibility. Since you guys are putting so much trust in me.”

“That makes sense. I can’t imagine how anxious I’d be about accidentally dropping someone or something,” I replied.

“Yeah, no shit,” he said, almost half to himself. I couldn’t help but laugh. He looked surprised for half a second, then joined in.

“Sorry,” he said. “I don’t mind carrying you or anything, it’s just…hoping tourists don’t decide to like jump up or something when I’m holding them all day is…”

“Extremely anxiety inducing?”

“Yeah,” he agreed.

We’d arrived at his tiny house - I’d decided I was going to keep calling it a tiny house, even if size wise, it was anything but. He opened the door with his free hand, golden light pouring out to greet us. The interior was just as modern as the outside, seeming almost mismatched with the rustic posters of plants he had adorning the walls. While it was certainly spacious for me, I guessed it was probably smaller than the average dorm room for him. There was a desk to the right of the door. A human sized table sat on top of it. Then there was a bed against the far wall and right wall. Also against the far wall was a small kitchenette, and a door I guessed led to a bathroom.

Also against the right wall was a platform with a railing and a human sized doorway. A walkway along the wall led from it to the desk, where there was another human sized door against the front wall. Probably the elevator he’d mentioned. Moments after we’d stepped inside, John appeared from the door behind the platform. He made his way down the walkway towards the desk.

“I’m going to lower my hand to the desk, and then you can climb off. Just please don’t until I’ve stopped moving.”

I nodded, waiting patiently until he’d firmly placed his hand on the desk. I climbed off, managing to do so semi gracefully. John had made it to the desk as well by that point.

“It was Zoey, right?” He asked. I nodded.

“Yeah. Do I call you John or like Agent-“

He laughed jovially, shaking his head. “Just John is fine.”

“Okay! Also, this-,” I gestured to the building around us, “-is so cool.”

“Isn’t it?” He said. “I have my own little apartment back there,” he said, nodding towards the door he’d come from. “Speaking of which, Easton mentioned you might be hungry?”

“Oh, I mean, only if it’s not an imposition. I’m fine-“

“I have way too much pizza to finish myself anyways,” John said. “You’d be helping me out, really.”

“You could just give it to Easton too.” There I go again, just saying the first thing that came to mind. That did seem like the most obvious solution, though it occurred to me moments later John was probably mostly just trying to make me feel comfortable.

What does Easton eat anyways? It’s got to be a lot of whatever it is.

“It’s pepperoni. He’s a vegetarian,” John replied, seeming to take my literal interpretation and subsequent suggestion in stride at least.

“In that case, yeah, I’d love some,” I said.

“Great. I can bring it down, or you can come with me to heat it up and we can come back here. Whichever you prefer.” John turned, heading towards the walkway.

“Um, I guess I’ll wait here?”

John nodded. “I won’t be long. And I think you were going to make dinner too, Easton?”

Easton quickly glanced between us. “I’m fine. I can eat later.”

“Are you sure?” John asked.

“Yeah. You guys enjoy the pizza, though.”

“Alright. I’ll be right back,” John said. I watched as he headed up the walkway, then turned to look up at Easton. He’d taken a seat on the chair next to the desk.

“You’re not hungry?” I asked.

“Not really,” he replied, changing the subject. “So, any ideas on what movie you want to watch? I don’t have a tv, but I do have a laptop, and it works with earth technology so I have like, Hulu and stuff. I hope that works?”

“I think that’s probably better than a tv - it’s probably IMAX-sized compared to me,” I said. He gave a slight laugh.

“Fair enough.”

“I don’t really watch that many movies, though, so I’m cool with whatever. Wait, have you seen very many earth movies?”

He shook his head. “Only a couple.”

“Damn. Well, we could see what’s new out I guess.”

“That works for me,” Easton said. I smiled. This evening really was looking up

[basedkikuenjoyer]

2024: A Year In Review

2024 was certainly a year we can all go home and reflect upon. It had its ups, its downs, its utter stupidity, and its signs that augur a much worse 2025. But hey, there are probably some bright spots too.

As the 2020s have finally crystallized into their own cultural identity there's plenty to like and dislike. I hope I don't have to end up eating these words but I kinda feel like this past year was where we hit "Peak Internet" in a lot of ways as AI and botnets have really degraded a lot of the subculture. Being part of that Millennial boom of early adopters it kinda feels like we finally "got grandma online" and everyone regrets that but it pushed a lot of us to move on and remember the real world is cool too. Now we're watching as an upcoming generation and our elders slog through this bastardized version of the platforms until they too realize sitting around staring at a steady drip of ragebait is no way to live a life.

With that dreary assessment out of the way, let's have a proper best of to highlight the bright spots in pop culture, or at least the ones I liked:

Album of the Year: Beyonce - Cowboy Carter

If nothing else, great year for music! And I mean that. Pretty much every major (American) genre had a lot going for it. Except for rock, they're free to get over this weird, middle-aged dad whining about cancel culture era anytime now. There were a lot of ways I could take this. Kendrick Lamar's fiery output was great for hip-hop and Chappell Roan finally breaking into the mainstream were both worthy. But even if I haven't really been the biggest Beyonce fan since her Destiny's Child days this was a great album and one that kept itself in the conversation throughout the year despite being an early release.

Being honest, the griping from country music fans to me. If some little blonde white girl released a song like Texas Holdem it'd be a generational hit on those charts, which had plenty of washed-up white rappers from the last decade getting a crossover hit on. Which is especially funny when Beyonce actually does have more of a "country" background than most of what's coming out of Nashville. And I noticed a lot of country fans around me sure seemed to like Cowboy Carter in the few weeks before it became trendy to hate, but who really cares? In my experience country tends to have a brief mainstream moment when pop culture doesn't really know what it wants, and that sorta defines 2024 for me. This was a great album I was bopping to all year.

Movie of the Year: Anora

Yeah I'll be a bit of a weirdo here because I didn't really hear much about this one. But it was a pleasant surprise when me and sweetie went to see it. Excellent comedy about a stripper who marries a wealthy foreign fuckboy and how everything falls apart when his parents find out.

What really helped Anora stand out to me was the choice to tell a story about a largely Eastern European cast. Gave everything a sort of Crazy Rich Asians vibe but for Russians in Brooklyn. Was it anything truly groundbreaking in cinema? No, but what we got was a funny and well-made story centered around very human characters who were all believable. And it was nice seeing something a little more grounded when most trips to the theater recently seem to be focused on big, grandiose productions. Not necessarily a bad thing, but I do hope we're winding down the era of bigger and grander remakes and rehashes and getting to some more original films in coming years so I'll give Anora the bump in the hopes it's a sign of future trends. Especially if like with Everything, Everywhere All At Once I end up having a solid hunch about something that'll get a lot of attention come this year's award season.

Anime/Manga of the Year - Frieren: Beyond Journey's End

I know it started in 2023 but it finished this year and I saw it this year. Frieren was amazing. You probably don't need me to tell you that. But I cannot say enough good things about this series starting with my absolute love for something so utterly unique. Fantasy story about the ancient elf mage's journey's after the evil Demon King has fallen. The premise alone is worth attention but the execution is where it excels. I make it a point to not give a lot of 10/10s on my anime lists but this one was an instant classic and the only criticism I can level is the art being a little weak in the manga but the anime picks it up so well. Cannot wait to see more of this come to life. If you still haven't taken the plunge my God what are you waiting for?

TV Show of the Year: Shogun

I mean, "TV show" is kind of an arbitrary category these days but you know what I mean. I didn't really watch a whole lot of domestic content because despite Frieren's massive lead over everything else we had a lot of great anime and the wide world of sports had a lot to offer as well. But I'm glad I got to see Shogun. Based on a novel about one of the first Europeans to arrive in closed-off Japan, this was just such an event all around. The way they used language to really capture how alienated our dear Anjin was excellent and the story was solid all around with some great action.

Meme of the Year: Raygun

Sports were fun this year. The Olympics were not part of that. I kinda wish we could just forget the entire thing happened, especially the absolutely ugly attitude towards Imane Khelif in boxing. Fuckers so desperate for trans women dominating sports they have to make up examples, glad she won in the end. And you know what best sums up my entire attitude towards this Olympiad? This bitch. No disrespect to breakdancing because it's cool as hell but it never should have been an Olympic event to begin with and it was all made a lot worse with this whack-ass white lady my age fudging the criteria for getting a spot and making an utter ass out of herself in front of an international audience.

But if there's some silver lining, in a year where a lot of stories were very charged and nasty...at least this was stupid fun we all agreed was worthy of mockery. Hitting that kangaroo move was always good for a laugh.

[melmac78]

Photos from my last trip to Corpus Christi this past weekend. I included the Lexington at night, where they light it up blue to mimic its nickname the blue ghost. (She’s normally dark grey in daytime, and isn’t painted in WWII blue camo like the Battleship Texas Is)

Most of these are from the Texas State aquarium, and to clarify on all these animals, they are ones who were rescues but injured to the point that it is safer for them to stay here than go back to the ocean. What’s the dolphin show are some of the training they do for dolphins that can be rehabilitated and taken back to the sea.

The aquarium is very particular about this, especially as it is a rescue as well. All the sea turtles to my understanding our permanent residence due to air bubbles in their shells consistent beaching themselves or a missing flipper.

I have a photo with three of them stacked on top of each other because they thought it was feeding time, but I decided the two was easier to see them. That particular photo the small turtle on right has an air bubble so he can’t quite as low.

They recently opened up a rescue specific center, which is an extension of what they currently had. It was open, but Mom and I had to go back home because I had to go back to West Texas the next day.

The sailboat and Marina shot at sunrise are from one of the hotels that you still can go out on the balcony and take photos. Is the most sailboats I’ve ever gotten to see but this has been the calmest the Gulf has been in a while.

And that’s what I did on my first break in two months where I wasn’t going only to three cities every single day.