#and then because we were there and I had a coupon for a free little bottle of hand sanitizer I thought why not

[sorrellegiance]

THE TECH INTERACTIVE

[alllgator-blood]

ppl just hate 2 see a girlboss winning ,,, but also i love heket SO fucking much too man . i relate 2 her a lot bc yeah me too i'm super protective of my siblings (or just ppl i love in general , i get angry whenever anything happens 2 my loved ones) an i want to keep them safe ,,, she has a lot of anger an her dialogue in tha newest update broke my heart💔,,, i just think she's so compelling (alongside every other cotl character) an cool an awesome adn if she's single that'd be cool cuz i have this applebees coupon so if she wanted to go i'd be free this saturday adnd if we kisswd i woildny mind,

I finished this on saturday but as I'm posting it it's sUNDAY so she's fashionably late. I've literally never gone to applebee's in my life so I asked my sister "what do they have" and she said "BOOZE BUCKET BOOZE BUCKET. BUCKET OF ALCOHOL" so obviously I had to go with that. You're so right about the update having heartbreaking dialogue though like I think about it a lot when she says even though the family is made up of monsters, they were at least happy when they were still together. FUUuckk. RAHHGGjhgjH we can't think about that now because look she's ribbiting!! I've never gotten to draw her croaking I don't think. She's not used to people being anything but scared or demanding of her so she's a little flustered

[miss-oranje-disco-dancer]

no v for v day

pairing: leon x reader

cw: daddy kink/implied ddlg, anal sex, barely proofread

summary: you give leon a valentine's day present...

a/n: a drabble to tide you over until i have another fic ready

wc: 1.2k

Leon didn’t expect his baby girl to get him anything for Valentine’s Day, so when you showed up with a homemade coupon book filled with things like “one free hug” and “one free kiss”, Leon was truly touched. 

The last page was the kicker. 

Anal. Written pink crayon with a giant red heart covering the rest of the page. For the first time in a long time, Leon was speechless. He sat there mouth agape, looking at you to see if you were joking, and then back at the paper to see if he’d finally reached the age where he needed reading glasses. Nope. It really said that four letter magic word. 

“Is that something you’d want to do, honey? That’s a big step, you know… and you’d have to prepare before we could do that.”

You nodded, confident in your decision (and a little more prepared than Leon had anticipated). 

“Daddy, I need to show you something.”

“What is it, princess?”

You pulled down your pants in the middle of the living room to reveal a cute new pair of panties. 

“These are so pretty, baby,” he said, playing with the fabric. “Did you wear these just for daddy?” Duh. Everything you wore was for daddy.

“Take them off, daddy,” you whispered. 

“Okay,” he whispered back, expecting your pussy to be his final gift. Until you turned around and bent over, revealing a heart-shaped plug in your ass. 

Jesus Christ. Leon’s cock was straining against his jeans already. 

“Where did you get that, baby girl?”

“Not telling.”

“Not telling, huh? Because you were being naughty without daddy, putting this in all by yourself.” 

Honestly, Leon thought it was hot - and thoughtful - of you to get yourself ready for him. Leon’s heart was full of love for you as always, and his mind was pleased at the time you’d saved the both of you. But Leon’s dick was rock-fucking-hard and he couldn’t help but tease you. 

“It’s not naughty. I didn’t wanna spoil the present.”

“Oh, it is naughty, princess, and I think you need a punishment.”

“No, daddy! No punishment.” You turned to him with big glossy eyes and pouted. No tears. He studied you to find any indication that you did not want to be “punished”, and came up with nothing. This was all part of the plan, and you confirmed that for him with a wink. 

He clicked his tongue at you. “Let’s go, bad girl,” he said, lifting you up and throwing you over his shoulder. 

When your back hit the mattress, he removed your shirt and made quick work of his own clothes. Your eyes fixated on his leaky tip, mouth instinctively falling open.  

“You want it? Want daddy’s cock in your mouth?” 

“Don’t say that word, daddy.”

He mimicked your words, “don’t say that word, daddy” as he climbed on top of you, positioning himself so that he could give you a light tap on the cheek with his aforementioned cock. 

“Open,” he said. 

You took his tip between your lips and suckled on it like you did with your pacifier. Leon waited for you to open wider and take more, but that moment never came. You continued to suck on his tip until he decided the look on your face was hotter than the feeling of your throat around him. He was getting dangerously close when you cupped his balls in your palm. 

“Ah-ah,” he said, removing himself entirely from your reach. “Daddy didn’t say you could do that.” 

If daddy wasn’t so close to spilling his seed all over your face he would’ve let you continue for as long as you want. But, he had to hold out for the promise of your tight little hole. 

When said promise was spread in front of him, he swiped his fingers along your slit to gather your arousal. He pumped two digits in and out of you. You longed for him to touch your soaking cunt, but his focus was elsewhere. You’d done part of the work for him, but he still gave his cock a generous coat of lube. The first thrust inside was less painful than you thought it’d be. Maybe it was the groan that came from Leon that made you ease up. It was a sound you’d never heard from him, deep and guttural, almost primal. 

“Oh, baby,” he moaned. He placed kisses on your shoulders as he fucked you from behind. Slow, but deep. Deep enough that his balls were right up against your clit and you were dying for friction. 

“Daddy, daddy, daddy,” you chanted. 

“What d’ya need, baby?” Leon was stuck in a trance and his words came out slurred. 

“Touch me.”

“I am touchin’ ya. I’m deep inside ya, honey.”

“You know what I mean, daddy.”

“Right here?” he asked as he stroked your clit.

“Yes, right there!”

“Oh, sweetheart, daddy can’t touch your princess parts yet.” He feigned disappointment. 

“Why not?”

“‘Cause you were bein’ naughty without daddy. Now you’re gonna wait until daddy wants to touch you there.”

His balls continued to slap against your clit with every thrust and the brief, tingling sensation of every brush against your most sensitive area coupled with Leon’s ever-so-gorgeous moans had you dripping. 

At the first sound of a sniffle, Leon’s sympathetic hand began to play with your clit. Rubbing lazy circles around it. 

“Baby, is this a present for me or is it a way to get what you wanted all along?” he whispered. 

“For you, daddy.”

“Really? ‘Cause you’re soakin’ the sheets, honey. Daddy can hear your princess parts crying ‘cause they’re so needy.”

He removed his fingers for a moment and you cried. Leon’s heart was too soft to tease you. 

“I know, sweetheart, I know,” he mumbled into your ear. “How ‘bout daddy turns you around so he can see your pretty face?”

Leon pulled out momentarily to flip you onto your back and when he entered you again, he did so while kissing your irresistible face. 

“You’re so tight for daddy. I know my naughty girl prepared but you’re just so little. I’m surprised you can even take daddy’s cock since it barely fits in your cute little princess cunt.”

Leon wouldn’t usually be so crude but his brain was gone. You’d squeezed it out of him. 

“Daddy, you can’t say bad words,” you scolded.

“Can’t help it, baby. Makin’ daddy feel so good.”

Leon’s pelvis was flush against you and the light patch of hair was tickling your clit. 

“Daddy,” you cried. 

“What, sweetheart?” he cooed. 

“Daddy,” you cried again, sounding more pathetic the second time. 

“Is that all you can say, honey? Is daddy fuckin’ you so good that you’ve got nothin’ else in that pretty little head of yours?”

You nodded, mindlessly. The pout never faded from your face. 

“Think I know what you want, baby.”

Your eyes filled with hope. Surely, he knew you by now. 

“Is this it?” he asked with his finger pressed to your clit. You writhed at his touch. 

“Yeah,” he answered for you. His thumb rubbed circles around it and you came in record time. 

“Aw, baby,” he pouted, teasing you. “Didn’t even have time to ask daddy, did you? It just happened so fast.”

You worried that he might consider cumming without permission “naughty behavior”, but he reassured you. “‘S okay, sweet thing. Daddy knows you can’t help it sometimes.”

Leon paid you back by cumming inside you without warning (not that you minded). He kept himself buried deep inside you, filling you up with a drawn-out “fuck”. 

“We’re even now,” he said through heavy breaths as he collapsed into the mattress. 

[pumpkinbxtch]

ok so like I just requested so please take your time on this next one, I’m over here asking again alr because you’re response was so nice to my last one it made me feel ok asking again 😭❤️❤️❤️ I’ll be a little more specific with this one <3

Apollo x Fem!Reader, where the reader is a mortal who keeps reincarnating every hundred or so years and Apollo falls in love every single time 🤭 and once again it’s been a 100 or so years, and suddenly he meets her again!!! this can be god!apollo or Lester!apollo bcs honestly there’s so many possibilities with both so I’ll leave that up to you :3

Again take your time with this one and feel free not to even accept it right away!!! Thank you for the last one again and pls have a great day!! YOURE THE BEST ❤️❤️

• ° . ☆ “Free coupons, take one and cry all afternoon”

— apollo x mortal!reader

part ii

Summary: Apollo has literally loved you for years and years and lifetimes. Now that you return to him, that time his crossroads will not be long, but at least he was able to see you and fall in love with you once again. warnings: bad words, yea umm. Haha a/n: I'm so happy you liked what I wrote. It's really very important to me. AND SORRY if I'm late, it's just inspiration. The gods refused to give it to me, but it is here. Kisses.- From the other side of the milky way, María.

The first time, Apollo saw you and without hesitation passed his heart towards you. Oh gods, he had the best weeks of his life, but then he had to let you go. You were a mortal, he couldn't be with you for long without exposing you to danger.

And since he loved you so much, he decided to give up, he forced himself to see more for you than for his need to be with you.

He had already calculated it, it was about 100 years or so to see you again, but throughout those, he changed completely, he had to face a great battle against his father's ego and that of himself. He almost forgot how old and ageless he was, when you spend more than six months fighting for your life, that's how it is. Until that day when he accompanied his now friends to an amusement park, the same ones as always; Will, Nico, Rachel, Meg, and the seven. Ten young adults, one teenager and ONE “apparent” young adult. They were having a great time, actually.

The roller coasters, the ice cream, the sun (him), the kiddie rides that Meg insisted on riding. But Apollo had gotten tired, can a god get tired? Well, he's trying to keep up with so many demigods with ADHD at a fun fair.

He took a seat on one of those wooden benches with faded rainbow paint. The others looked for him and gathered around.

— Apollo! I want to go to the water attraction —  Percy said, holding Annabeth's hand, who was apparently analyzing the map of the place.

— Yes, and then we go to the flying chairs — said Jason, his practically brother. A smile that he had never seen adorned his face, next to him, Leo hung from the blonde's neck.

—Yes, come on, sunny.

—Don't be lazy, I want to go to the carousel.— Meg said, squeezing the dolphin plushie that he had won for her in the shooting game.

Frank handed him his ice cream, and Hazel looked at him for any injuries.

Will and Nico seemed to have moved on, they were very lovey-dovey lately.

—Thank you, Frank. I'm fine —

— If you don't like sharing, I can go get one for you.

Apollo smiled and brushed his brown hair out of his face.

—I'm fine, man. Don't worry.

But he knew that wasn't the case, he felt something in his stomach that wouldn't leave him alone.

Piper and Rachel looked at each other, both seeming to read each other's minds as they discussed something.

—How about we walk Meg to the carousel and come back for you? It sounds fun, a bunch of us riding metal animals going up and down —  Piper said, taking Meg's hand. Rachel nodded and smiled at Apollo.

— Yes, I think it will be enough for you to rest.

No one had any objections, but Apollo had sensed a certain charm in the words of Aphrodite's daughter. Was he missing something?

Everyone advanced and Rachel was the last to set off, she looked at the god knowingly.

— Good luck.

Apollo did not know what those words meant, and he waved goodbye. A remorse for not accompanying them invaded him, but he stayed sitting on the bench. He ruffled his curls anxiously and leaned on his thighs, taking in the great view of the concrete with a cooler of ants carrying breadcrumbs. Then, he felt a hit on the head and an apology.

— Sorry! Are you ok?

He looked up and oh, fuck. It was you? He could feel his heart crushing and feeling on fire. Apollo stood up from the bench.

— I-I'm fine, don't worry.

The last time he had seen you, your eyes were the color of olive, now they were brown, but the look was the same. You gave him a warm smile and placed your hands on your chest.

— Really? —

He nodded and smiled, too.  For you, Apollo's blue eyes became familiar within seconds of seeing them.

— We know each other?

“We've met thousands of times,” he wanted to say, but he couldn't. In other lives, he had told you that he was a god, and you believed him. But the situation in how you had met that day, the hurried manner of your meeting, told him that the meeting with you would not last at all. Even so, seconds or glances were enough for him, he was already in love with you, again.

His heart was immersed in melancholy, and he wanted to hug you.

— Maybe…

You opened your eyes a little and approached him curiously, you smelled like lavender and sunshine, that last one made his stomach flip. You were almost invading his personal space, which made him push his chin back to avoid bumping into your nose.

— I thought that, too. Do you come here often? It's just that I work at one of those food islands. — You told him and stepped back smiling to show him your uniform. You had a cap with the company logo embroidered on it.

— Ahm yes, with… — He thought of Meg and the others. He made a silent apology to Artemis — My sister and my friends.

You widened your smile and dug something into your pants pockets.

Apollo wanted to kiss you.

You hummed and finally took out some papers. Would you give him your number?

You held them out to him.

— Coupons!

Apollo took them gently, your fingers collided with his, and you felt a kind of electricity in your stomach. You let out a nervous laugh.

— Well, see you…— The boy came out of his trance. A name, he wouldn't say Apollo, would he?, but…

—Lester! — You smiled again and waved your hand goodbye.

— See you, Lester.

And you walked away from him, leaving him empty and wanting to take you with him to spend the rest of the afternoon at the fair, to be happy, to be together.

He spread the coupons in the palm of his hand and looked at them. He was able to gain something from his misfortune, at least. Of course, why not? Burgers for everyone.

— Apollo! — Meg's voice made him turn, and he smiled when he saw everyone. It seemed that Will and Nico had found their way back to the others.

Rachel met his gaze, she seemed slightly worried. So at that moment it all became obvious, she knew he would meet you.

Apollo sighed and held up the coupons in his hand.

— are you hungry?

[motomamita]

Blood, Sweat and Ice. Part 2.

Part. 1

Pairing: Dark!Eddie Munson x Female!IceSkater!Reader

Summary: When eddie thought he had everything under control, the past returns putting everything at risk.

Warnings: smut, +18, manipulation, unprotected sex, creampie, breeding kink, pregnancy kink, mentions of depression, cursing, idk sis.

Do not translate or copy this!

6 months later.

The summer sun was beating down with all its heat that afternoon in Hawkins. For that reason, almost all of the citizens were inside the StarCourt enjoying the air conditioning and the various varieties of food to enjoy the heat.

Eddie Munson was no exception. Sitting in one of the comfortable seats at Scoops Ahoy, he directed his gaze to the clock on the wall and the entrance to the premises. She would have to be arriving at any moment, and so she was.

(Y/n) was present at the premises when the clock reached 15:30 in the afternoon. She was wearing a white tank top that perfectly matched her torso. Eddie had seen her wearing that same garment a few days ago when he saw her leave class. She entered the place head down and trying to make as little eye contact as possible with the people who were there. To the rest she was invisible, but to Eddie she had become his whole world.

He continued to observe her clothing, surprised to see her wearing Bermuda shorts that reached above her knees. It was the first time in the last 6 months that she wore something that showed her legs, or at least a large part of them. Eddie knew this very well because he had been following her ever since. However, that garment seemed not to be to her liking because she was wearing a summer kimono that reached her ankles, hiding the multiple and visible scars. The summer heat had forced her to wear something cooler, but the insecurity on her legs led her to try to hide it as much as possible.

Eddie couldn't help but pout in saddnes. He adored her legs, and it seemed sad to see how hidden she was because of her insecurity. After all, those marks were for him a memory of the first contact with her.

(Y/n) approached the counter and hugged herself, hiding her legs with the long garment and admiring the variety of flavors. Robin Buckley wasted no time in approaching her to take her order. Eddie got up quickly from his place and walked up to them, standing next to (y/n) at a good distance.

"I recommend the lemon one. It is usually the most requested in this hot season." Robin spoke, looking up and meeting Eddie's watchful gaze.

"It's true, the lemon one is my favourite." Eddie commented placing one of his hands in the back pocket of his pants.

The attention of both girls went directly to him, especially that of (y/n) who had not noticed his presence near her. There was a silence that was interrupted by Steve Harrington, who had been watching a restless Eddie for half an hour.

"I'll take care of her, go to the cash register Robin." He ordered with a serious expression on his face, he didn't like Eddie's presence there. Much less close to (y/n) because he, like the whole group, knew what Eddie had done.

Robin didn't refuse and walked away, leaving the 3 of them in a tense silence.

"I think…I think I'll go for the lemon one." She timidly talked, puzzled by the whole situation. Steve nodded and began to assemble the ice cream.

"I want the same thing as this beauty." Eddie spoke, wobbling in place and then giving a flirtatious wink to the girl, who constantly flushed.

"I want the same thing as this beauty." Eddie spoke, wobbling in place and then giving a flirtatious wink to the girl, who instantly blushed.

"We don't do charity here, Munson. You have to pay to order." Harrington replied curtly.

"Who said I had no money, huh?" He asked amused as he took out a 2 for 1 coupon from one of the pockets of his leather jacket. "I'm going to pay for her ice cream, and you're going to give me mine for free."

"No need, I can pay for it myself..." (y/n) was interrupted by Eddie's voice.

"My treat, it's not every day you see girls as pretty as you, sweetheart." Eddie stroked her hair lovingly as she whispered 'thank you', surprised by his words. "Hurry up Big Boy, I don't want our sundaes to melt."

Steve tightened his grip on the spoon and bit down on her inner cheek, grudgingly complying.

And so, they both sat at one of the tables alone and began to get to know each other. Well, rather, Eddie reviewed almost all of (y/n)'s life as she told him about it, believing that this was new to him. The fact was that Eddie knew everything about her, or at least most of the events in her life since the last 6 months. He knew it was Billy Hargrove who found her in the locker room bleeding until she fell unconscious. He knew that the attack was the topic of conversation in all of Hawkins for at least the next 3 months. Billy had been singled out by the main culprit in the early days because of his reputation until evidence to the contrary was proven. Hargrove was released and it didn't take him long to accompany (y/n) for the first few weeks until he walked away from her, stating that he no longer felt the same way.

For her part, (y/n) had spent weeks in intensive care due to the severity of the cuts. Eddie had come to hurt part of her tendons, questioning whether she would be able to walk once she recovered. Miraculously, (y/n) was able to walk normally despite the discouraging initial diagnosis. However, her legs no longer had the strength of before, and that led her to never be able to ice skate again. Eddie knew that the news caused (y/n) to fall into a severe depression that led her to attend therapy every Thursday afternoon. There were also consequences due to the notable scars on her legs and the insecurity that showed them to the world. And finally there was the fear that this attacker would hurt her again. Because yes, the police never found a culprit despite having a lot of evidence and witnesses in front of their noses. So that incident had been forgotten by most, and that was in Eddie's favor.

Munson did not rest in those last months. Since that fateful night in the locker room, he had not stopped thinking about that girl. On her lips, her body and everything that had to do with her. He not only wanted to know more, but he also wanted to have her again. He wanted to be able to be a part of her life because she, without knowing it, was already a part of his. For that same reason, he investigated and followed her until he was finally able to approach her again. And this time, he would never let her go.

1 year later.

"Why are you in such a rush, Eds? I couldn't finish eating my birthday cake!" (y/n) groaned laughing as Eddie led her by the hand jogging back to his truck, away from the restaurant.

"Don't worry about it, I have a present at home that you will love!"

Eddie had accomplished his mission; now (y/n) was his girlfriend. Since that afternoon at Scoops Ahoy they had become inseparable and it wasn't long before they formalized a serious relationship. Eddie had managed to gain her absolute trust, and she had decided to give this boy a chance, who seemed to be everything she needed. Eddie adapted so that he could provide her with everything she needed, while she was more surprised every day by how right he seemed to be for her. He left substance and drug abuse behind, changing it to a total obsession with (y/n). He got a job as a guitar teacher in a school for children with different needs, and thus managed to earn a good reputation not only with the citizens but also with the parents of (y/n). She, for her part, was in her last year of high school and was preparing to teach as well, being an ice skating teacher for the younger children. Everything seemed to be going well, if not for Eddie's 'friends'.

Eddie drove to (y/n's) house. Once they got out of the truck, he covered her eyes with his bandana and helped her walk into the house. Laughing and stumbling they reached the living room, he removed the bandana from her eyes and the lights in the room came on.

"Surprise!" They yelled in unison.

There were Eddie's 'friends', who soon became friends with (y/n) after the two started dating. There were balloons everywhere and colored garlands were falling from the ceiling. Nancy Wheeler held a birthday cake in her hands with several candles burning and waiting to be blown out. (Y/n) didn't take long to approach and turn them off, she was still surprised by the presence of all her friends there. Robin Buckley was quick to put a birthday hat on (y/n), who laughed as Eddie struggled with his own hair to get into his own. Jonathan Byers wasted no time in helping Nancy with the cake, bringing plates and silverware to start cutting it.

Soon, everyone made themselves comfortable in the armchairs and tasted the cake while chatting calmly. (Y/n) was listening intently to Nancy talking about her upcoming skating competition. After the incident, the competition was postponed until weeks later, where Nancy won first place and began her winning streak until today.

"Well, well, well. We're tired of hearing how you win all the competitions, Nancy. We already know how talented you are." Eddie applauded drawing everyone's attention and winking mischievously at the one with curlers. "I think it's time for my girl to say a few words." He ran his hand over the bare thighs of (y/n), who had decided to put on a dress that showed much of her legs. "Come on, say something." He cheer her up

She put the plate on the table and quickly looked at everyone, looking for the words to start talking.

"Well, first of all I want to thank you guys for this beautiful surprise that you prepared for me. Seriously, I didn't expect it..."

"It was my idea." Eddie reported proud of how well all his preparations went. (Y/n) smiled at him and kept talking.

"This last year was one of the best of my life, counting this birthday." She couldn't hide her smile. "I never thought I would meet such wonderful people in my life, I am lucky to have them by my side."

Eddie reached out with one of his hands and smoothed (y/n's) hair, drawing his full attention.

"And Eddie...I really don't know where my life would be without you." Those present looked at each other out of the corner of their eyes, uncomfortable. "After what happened to me I thought no one would ever love me or accept me again. But you did and I am grateful to you."

"Oh my girl..." Eddie whispered with a small smile on his face.

"I am sure that destiny brought us together to never separate us. I am very happy with you." (y/n) smiled embarrassed at how cheesy her speech had become.

Eddie laughed and soon hugged her tight, hiding her head on his chest. Nancy and Jonathan smiled awkwardly, while Robin played with one of the goblins to avoid making visual contact with Eddie.

"I think it's time for everyone to go home." Steve Harrington spoke for the first time, tired of all the charade Eddie had gotten them into.

"So early? I wanted you to stay and open my presents." (y/n) pouted and got up from her place, imitating her friends who began to collect their jackets and bags.

"For next year it will be." Robin spoke walking towards the entrance.

"Besides, I'm sure the two of you will have a lot to do while your parents are away, (y/n)." Nancy commented mischievously, playfully tapping her friend's shoulder.

"That's right. Now, go, go, go!" Eddie pushed them slightly out of the house while the others said goodbye.

At midnight, Eddie got ready to wash the dishes while (y/n) opened the gifts that were on the table one by one. There were several and each one had the name of whoever brought it. Nancy and Jonathan brought her an agenda so that (y/n) could organize herself with her first skating classes. Robin gave her a record by her favorite band, and Steve several Scoops Ahoys coupons. (Y/n) smiled and placed each gift lovingly to one side. There was only one letter left on the table. She grabbed it and noticed that it had no name of who had made it. She was about to yell at Eddie to ask if it was his but stopped when she heard him sing while he was still in the kitchen.

Carefully, she opened the letter, took out the paper inside, and began to read.

'Eddie was the one who attacked you in the locker room. Nancy paid him to do it so she could win the competition. Now he's obsessed with you. Everyone in the group knows but no one dares to tell you. Be careful with Eddie.'

Her mind went blank, trying to process what she had read. It wasn't until Eddie's voice pulled her out of the trance, startling her.

"I'm done cleaning, now I want my dessert.. What are you reading?"

(Y/n) moved her hand to prevent Eddie from grabbing the letter but he was quicker, taking it from her hands and reading it instantly. When Eddie looked back at his girlfriend, she was glassy-eyed and shaking with fear or rage, or maybe both. He tried to get closer but she jerked back.

"Love... I don't know who dared to write such an atrocity but I swear..." Eddie put his hands to his chest and put on his best face of innocence.

"Do you swear to me what? That you will find him and attack him like you did me?" She raised her voice annoyed at his hypocrisy. "Are you going to cut off his hands? His neck, huh? Tell me Eddie! Why did you do it?! Why?!" Tears fell from her eyes.

"I would never be capable of something like that, you know me..." Eddie took a few steps closer and crouched down, trying not to look threatening to her.

"No, the truth is that I don't know you at all." Quickly all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place in her mind.

"Of course you do know me..."

"No, I only know the version you created to get to me. The version you used to gain my trust, my love, my life!" Eddie shook his head slightly, trying to convince her that she was wrong. "My life, Eddie! How much did my life cost? My legs and my career? 100 bucks? 200? Or maybe a blowjob from Nancy?"

"God, no! What are you talking about!? I... I never..." Eddie stammered nervously.

"Tell me it wasn't you." She spoke stern. "Tell me you weren't the one who abused me and ruined my life that night. Tell me, Eddie."

A sepulchral silence formed in the room. (Y/n) heard the beating of her own heart at a thousand per hour. Eddie was trying to talk to himself that he could still deny everything and fix the situation. Lie.

"I... I didn't..." He whispered looking into her eyes but he couldn't make eye contact. He was screwed. "Shit, shit, shit." Eddie looked down and hit his head with the palm of his hand repeatedly.

(Y/n) sobbed when she saw that it was all true. She had been dating the attacker, the person who ruined her life forever. She took advantage of the moment that Eddie was still distracted to get out of there. She wanted to run, she wanted to escape from him. Walk away. She tried to go out the door but Eddie blocked her.

"Where do you think you are going?" His voice came out grim. "To take refuge with your friends?" Eddie clenched his fist angrily.

"Anywhere is better if I'm far from you." She muttered angrily, staring at him. Eddie's eyes were no longer sweet and tender, but cold and full of hate.

"Are you going to sleep with idiot Steve?" Eddie looked down, taking a better look at the girl who was trying to calm down.

"Maybe." She responded defiantly.

"I'm sure it was him who wrote that. Damn bastard." He bit his lips angrily and looked at a fixed point on the wall. "You're not going anywhere, you hear me?" He looked at her again.

(Y/n) took a breath and pushed Eddie hard, out of her way and heading towards the front door. She heard his hurried footsteps behind her until he took her arm, holding her in place.

"Without me you are nobody, (y/n)." She turned to look at him in surprise. "Everything you have is thanks to ME."

"It isn't true." Eddie gave a mocking laugh when he saw her hurt by his words.

"Your 'friends' were mine first. Without me you would not have found your passion for teaching skating either..."

"You cut off my legs!" She interrupted him now crying with rage.

"I know, I know! I was wrong, maybe, I don't know!" Eddie raised his voice even higher, scaring her. "But thanks to that now you're better with me. Or do you think that Hargrove would have dated you longer? He only saw you as a hole to discharge his sexual desires."

"Don't talk about Billy..." Tears fell from the girl's eyes.

"Look at him now! He left as soon as he saw your legs! He can't bear the thought of being with someone like you!" Eddie brought his other hand to the girl's cheek. "On the other hand, I loved you from the moment I saw you on the track. And even more after your recovery." He softened the tone of his voice, trying not to scare her further. "I really love you, (y/n). I was the one who helped you not to feel ashamed of who you are, but proud of being able to get out of a situation like this."

"You doomed me, Eddie." She cry.

"No, no, no. I didn't." Eddie knelt in front of her, bringing his hands to her waist and holding on tight. "I was responsible for us being together now, happy with each other. Don't you see, I adore you with all my damn soul. I was wrong, I admit it. But this is not the time to repent and look back, there is keep going."

(y/n) brought one of her hands to Eddie's cheek, caressing him. I was falling into his trap again. Falling before the king of manipulation that was Edwards Munson.

"What I want most now is a future with you and no one else. But I need you to trust me, that you know how to forgive me and accept that everything I did was because I love you." Eddie whispered as the first tears began to fall from his brown eyes. "Say it, love. Say you trust me."

(Y/n) closed her eyes, focusing on Eddie's caresses on her waist and on his sobs. She was not going to deny it, she loved him very much.

"I trust you." She finally spoke opening her eyes and looking at him. Eddie smiled happily, stopping crying.

"To show you how much I love you, I want to start over with you, (y/n). Hawkins is no longer safe for us." She shook her head slightly, according to his words. "There are a lot of people here who want to hurt us. Hurt you. And I'm not going to allow that."

"What will we do then?" She asked, totally swayed by him.

"We're getting the fuck out of this town. We're going to Houston." Eddie stated, still kneeling in front of her.

"Houston?.."

"I have money saved, we can buy the tickets and go together. I have some friends there who can give us a hand, until I get a job." Eddie already had everything planned for weeks. It was smelled that someone would end up telling the truth.

"And the skating?.."

"You can teach there. I know that there are many more opportunities there and several tracks need teachers. I want you to fulfill your dream." Eddie took one of his hands and put it on her belly, caressing it. "We can start a family. We can start now. I know how much you love children, and so do I. What do you say, is that what you want?" He looked at her with his doggy eyes, completely convincing her.

"Yes, Eddie. I want to start a family with you, far, far away from here."

"That's my girl." Eddie growled, picking her up in a bridal fashion and carrying her to her room.

Both undressed between kisses, caresses and praises. Eddie took the opportunity to offer special affection to her legs, biting them lightly and leaving a trail of kisses on her skin. No more was needed, she was ready.

Eddie plunged his eager cock into her, sighing in pleasure at the same time. He barely gave her a few seconds to adjust before moving his hips in a desperate rhythm, reaching deep inside her. He was anxious to make her his, to start a family and have her by his side forever.

"God, I can't imagine a life without you. Agh!" Eddie whimpered, burying his head in her neck. "You're perfect, perfect for me. And this pussy is too..."

The thrusting didn't stop, and neither did the moans. (Y/n) was so absorbed by the pleasure that she couldn't speak, barely understanding what Eddie whispered to her.

"Fuck Hargrove and Harrington. You're mine, all mine." Eddie got up and placed one of his hands on her waist, thrusting into her hard. "I will never let you go." He murmured, his voice cracking with pleasure.

"Ed...Eddie!" She moaned, bringing her hand to his wet curls, caressing him and keeping him as close as possible to her.

Eddie lowered the hand that was on her waist and rubbed in quick circles (y/n)'s swollen clit. He couldn't help but laugh when he saw her back arched and her eyes closed with pleasure.

"That's right, that's right. I'm going to cum inside you, my girl. I'm going to give you my children as many times as it takes." Eddie closed his eyes as he felt her contract around him. "You're going to give me some beautiful babies. So cute I won't stop until I have 10 mini Eddies running all over the house."

(Y/n) hugged him around the waist with her legs, pulling him closer and making the thrusts even deeper, hitting her cervix with his cock. That took her to the limit, coming hard even with Eddie fucking her.

"Good girl, that's it. You'll be the most beautiful mom all of Houston is ever going to see. All those bitches are going to be jealous of you and how adorable you'll look with my son in your belly." (y/n) nodded her head quickly, shaken by her orgasm. Eddie looked into her eyes, bringing his hand to her forehead, wiping away the beads of sweat.

"Give me your babies, Eddie! Please, please..." she moaned, gripping his hair tighter and pulling a loud moan from his mouth.

"I'm going to cum, I'm going to cum..." He repeated until his orgasm arrived.

A hoarse moan escaped Eddie's throat as his warm cum filled (y/n's) tight cunt. They both closed their eyes, enjoying the new sensation and the future together. Eddie joined their foreheads still breathing hard and still without coming out of it, he really wanted to make sure to get her pregnant.

Once they both managed to calm down, they lay in their arms around each other and stared at the ceiling. Silent until Eddie decided to speak.

"I have a present for you." He muttered with his hoarse voice. He slowly got out of bed under her watchful eye and approached until he took something out of one of the pockets of his jacket. "Here." He spread it out.

(Y/n) sat up and grabbed the small silver box in front of her. Without waiting any longer, she opened it anxiously to find a necklace of the same color. From it dangled a charm of a skate, along with a small 'E'.

"Do you like it?" Eddie asked with a smile on his face.

"I love it! It's beautiful, Eds!" she exclaimed excitedly. "Thanks thanks!"

"The best for my girl. Now, let me put it on you."

(Y/n) turned around and Eddie carefully placed the collar on her. Turning around, they both admired the gift in silence, still stunned by it all.

"I can't wait to start a new life with you, a better one." She murmured looking at him in love. Eddie smiled at her, caressing her lips and chin gently.

"Me neither, beautiful."

[sirfrogsworth]

The Manfrotto Saga Conclusion

You ever go past being upset to the degree it becomes funny?

I finally got the courage to open the email.

And it's bad.

But I actually got a good laugh, so at least there is that.

This is what they sent me...

"Thanks for reaching out. We're sorry to hear that this happened.

Unfortunately, this can happen from time to time. The cost of parts and labor are not usually too bad, but when you add tax and shipping, it can become close to the point of it not being worth it.

We don't usually do this, but as a show of support, I'd like to offer you a 30% coupon code to aid in offsetting the cost of a replacement. The code is good on anything on the Manfrotto website, excluding sale items or close-outs. It will expire in 30 days and is not replaceable."

Yes, it was the tax and shipping that put me over the top. Not the actual repair cost being more than the item is currently selling for as new.

Now, you might be thinking that is the funny part.

The funny part is the 30% coupon.

You might also be thinking, "30% is a decent discount! SCORE!"

But you may have missed the "Manfrotto website" detail.

You see, manufacturer's website pricing is mostly used so the actual retailers can point to those prices and say, "Hey, look at this great sale!" even if that is the item's perpetual price.

So, let's look at this geared tripod head on their website. It's what I would upgrade to if I were to stick with their brand.

So with a 30% discount I am down to about $175. Plus those darn taxes and shipping.

Say, what is this going for on Amazon with free shipping?

So, basically what I've learned is... Manfrotto just sucks.

When I bought this originally, I was a photography noob. I didn't realize they were a bit like the Nickelback of photo gear. Very popular, but most experienced photographers try to avoid them if possible. Mainly because they use proprietary plates. If you need a ball head for landscapes and a fluid head for video and you want to easily switch between them, you need two heads from Manfrotto. They trap you in the ecosystem.

Whereas other brands mostly use "arca swiss" plates which are standardized. You can put one plate on the bottom of your camera and switch to any head from any brand that has that mount.

So I am going to save up for something with an arca swiss mount. Something that isn't fucking Manfrotto. Someone already donated about half of what I need (thank you so much) and I think I am going to sell a few things to cover the rest.

IN THE MEAN TIME... I spent all Friday night digging through my basement. I bought my tripod like 10 years ago and I knew it had some kind of head on it originally. And in the recesses of my stuff I found an old ball head.

And while I hate ball heads and think they are a pain in the ass, it will do everything I need at the moment.

Also, it doesn't wiggle.

My big upset about all of this was mostly how wasteful it is. They are going to trash something that can be fixed because they have purposely marked up the parts to force people to buy a new thing. It does not cost Manfrotto $127 to make the parts needed. I'd be surprised if it cost them $10 for those parts.

And it is my big fear that if we win the "Right to Repair" fight, all manufacturers are just going to mark up their parts like this.

But the repair company seems a little scummy as well. I emailed them before I sent in the head for repair. I showed them the video and they did a basic diagnosis.

"The lever may be loose, or the top housing may be damaged."

And they were right, the top housing was damaged.

But they didn't say, "Hey, parts for this are super expensive. It may cost over a hundred dollars to fix."

They didn't say, "We charge $30 to ship it back to you."

I suppose I should have asked, but never in my wildest imagination did I think this repair would cost that much. It was just a wiggle!

So, I'll just get something that suits my needs better. I was planning to do that eventually, but this just accelerated those plans.

[nancypullen]

Monday

Ugh, Monday. I knew it was going to be an exceptionally busy day at work and I was right. Normally I enjoy being right, today...not so much. I got up and got myself ready, choosing comfortable and cool clothing. I fortified myself with caffeine, and headed in to do battle. We're in full blown summer programming at the library and my first task of the day was to teach 25 kids how to build a bee hotel. Most of them did a fabulous job (*cough*the girls*cough*) and left with a home for mason bees that was beautifully decorated and even named. My favorite was The Buzz On Inn.

There were a handful (*cough*theboys*cough) who had no intention of following any sort of directions and built everything from rockets to cowbells. I think their moms made them attend. Still, they were well-behaved and they all left happy. They learned a lot about mason bees whether they wanted to or not. I'm not sure why the library scheduled this program at the end of June when those particular bees are not looking for homes, but we've flooded the bee hotel market with properties and all are welcome. I was able to clean up pretty quickly after the program, and once I'd tucked some things back in their boxes up in the haunted attic, I realized I actually had some...*gasp* unscheduled time. That never happens. I grabbed my book list for July's displays and started pulling from the shelves. Once I had a full cart I slapped up the pitiful decor that I'd made and called it done. In honor of the 4th...

Not my best work, but an appropriate place to display books about Revolutionary War spies, pirates, and women -a little something more than the stuff we learned in history class. George agreed with me.

I designed those silly posters and then printed them at Walgreens. There's almost always a 50% coupon on their website so you can do it for just a couple bucks. Comes in handy if you ever need a poster or a protest sign- I've used it for both.

The second display is awful, so I need to jazz it up a bit. They've taken my bookcase to use for summer reading prize and t-shirt storage, so I'm stuck with this dumb rolling cart.

I think I should add snowflakes or icicles... or just leave it alone because I'm the only one who cares. Actually I'm caring less and less because I PUT IN MY NOTICE. Ohmygosh, I just said it out loud. I have mixed feelings, but it all comes back to the fact that I originally just wanted a volunteer gig, or at most a part-time job. I was not looking for a career or the many, many, many hours of programming, planning, and after-hours work just to keep the place afloat. I really, really didn't want to be a quitter. When people around me were resigning left and right I became more determined to stick it out. But honestly, at this stage of my life my time and my health are precious and this job was sapping both. They've been very kind and have asked what they might be able to change that would make me stay - my kneejerk reaction was, everything. I don't want to leave on a sour note, so I'm just thanking them for the opportunity. I may even propose to them that now that they know my work ethic and I've already been through the background checks and all that - perhaps they'd like me to volunteer now. I could pop in and do the never-ending shelving and even continue the monthly displays. I'd love to do that. Do I expect them to be smart and take advantage of capable and free help? No. I suppose it's time to just put it all in my rearview mirror and appreciate what I've learned. Besides, I just *might* have something even better on the horizon - something that would be on my own time, from my own house, and involve tapping away on this keyboard while my brain spills out ideas. I suppose I've cursed the whole thing by even mentioning it, so I'll stop there and just hope for the best. So that's it. My big news on a Monday is that I won't have to worry about Mondays much longer. This Friday we'll collect the grandgirl for a couple of days, then Matt will fly in on July 1st and we'll all gather to celebrate the 4th. Matt leaves on the 7th (our 40th wedding anniversary!) and Mickey leaves on the 8th for Atlanta to see his mother. She's having a little medical procedure and he's going to be stepping and fetching for her. As of the 8th I'll be home alone, enjoying the silence, and I'll start painting my desk and hutch. Just me, a can of paint, and a true crime podcast...sounds heavenly. I'm finding my groove again. I hope that you're all surviving this awful heat. There's just no reason for it. What good is it? I think the National Weather Service should issue a no brassiere advisory. It's torture. Anywho, things are changing for the better around here, maybe the weather will too. Ever the optimist. Take care of yourselves. Sending out love, take what you need and pass it on. Stay safe, stay well, keep cool. XOXO, Nancy

[glucosehighs]

Everyone on MSBY knows about Sakusa’s penchant for giving unnecessarily extravagant gifts on his teammates' birthdays. Because of his privileged upbringing and his small circle of friends growing up, Sakusa apparently has zero conception for what constitutes appropriate gifts.

Hinata’s birthday celebration is held at a little izakaya near the gym. The humble, quiet setting is completely at odds, however, with the giant claw machine Kiyoomi wheels in.

“Happy birthday, Hinata,” he grunts as he shoves the machine upright with his shoulder. 

“W-what’s that, Omi-san?” Hinata asks.

Sakusa looks at him like he’s the one making no sense. “I asked you what you wanted for your birthday and you said you like arcade games? I asked Komori, and apparently this is the kind of game people play at those arcade places.”

Hinata looks faint. “I meant that we could all go to an arcade, or something! You didn’t need to get me a whole claw machine!”

Sakusa shrugs. “Too late, I already bought it. If you don’t want it, you can sell it, or something.” 

Before Bokuto’s birthday, he’d been very careful not to drop any hints whatsoever about his gift of choice. Still, the entire team breathes a sigh of relief when Sakusa arrives at the party absent of any large boxes. 

That is, until the time came for them to present their gifts.

After Inunaki gifted Bokuto with a voucher for his favourite sportswear brand, Sakusa clears his throat a little and places a long rectangular box on the table. Bokuto opens it and finds a row of five beautiful, incredibly expensive-looking watches, laid in crushed velvet.

“Uh,” Atsumu finds his voice first. “So are ya gonna make him choose one, or...”

“No? Those are all for him. Bokuto’s always late, so maybe if he has a watch he’ll finally learn to tell the time.” Sakusa’s jibe does little to hide the pleased smile playing at the corner of his lips. 

Bokuto, on the other hand, is completely terrified. All the watches are clearly authentic models of some fancy European brand he can’t pronounce, and- oh god, are those diamonds embedded in the watch’s face? Bokuto cannot deal with this level of responsibility. He’s going to be mugged the moment he leaves this place.

Sakusa is still looking at him with an eager sparkle in his eyes though, and no one has the heart to tell him that once again, his gift is completely inappropriate. So Bokuto smiles weakly and thumps Sakusa on the back, and then surreptitiously shoots a panicked text to ask Akaashi to hire a few armed bodyguards to escort him home.

On Meian’s birthday, he decides that enough is enough. For all he appreciates the nanny Sakusa hired to babysit his kids, the sheer amount of money Sakusa is spending on his teammates’ birthdays simply does not sit right with him. More importantly, his teammates are increasingly pressured to match the extravagance of his gifts. Much to Bokuto’s despair, he can no longer give out his signature “free hugs” coupon book for birthdays. Adriah has had to switch from convenience store-bought wine to actual supermarket-bought wine. 

“No more buying expensive gifts,” Meian says firmly. Sakusa pouts, and strikingly resembles Meian’s own children. 

“We love them, but you know we’ll appreciate anything else you give us just as much, right?”

Sakusa reluctantly agrees, and Meian considers the matter settled.

By Atsumu’s birthday, he and Sakusa have started dating, and Sakusa announces that, as Atsumu’s boyfriend, he will be organising the celebration. 

“Are you sure he won’t go overboard?” Barnes mutters worriedly to Meian. 

“I talked to him about it,” Meian says dubiously. “It should be fine, right?”

They were proven wrong when the team arrives at Universal Studios Osaka at 10am on Saturday, to find the area completely deserted.

“Omi, are you sure the park isn’t closed today?” Atsumu asks tentatively.

“I should hope so,” Sakusa’s brows furrow. “Seeing as I requested for it.”

The team is suddenly aware that they are, indeed, the only people standing in the park. All the rides are operating and all the food stores are open, but apart from a couple of park attendants welcoming them in, the park is deserted.

“Sakusa-kun,” Meian says sternly. “I thought I said no more expensive gifts.”

Sakusa’s expression is immediately petulant. “You said no more buying expensive gifts. I simply rented the park. Atsumu hates waiting in line for amusement park rides.”

“Oh my god,” Meian thinks he’s about to have an aneurysm. “From now on, no one spends anything more than 3000 yen on birthdays. Understood?”

Sakusa looks mutinous, but nods anyway. Meian sighs, and lets the team loose in the park.

At the end of the day, Sakusa and Atsumu take the kiddy balloon ride to watch the sunset over the amusement park. In the peaceful silence that only comes with the absence of their rowdy team, Sakusa becomes Kiyoomi. Atsumu waits until the balloon is all the way up before venturing a cautious question.

“So,” Atsumu says, trying to focus on something other than how Kiyoomi’s eyes are gorgeous in the last golden rays streaking across the pink sky. “I love all of this, really. But without it- I’ll still like you just as much! I guess what I’m tryna say is- you don’t have to do all this.”

“I know,” Kiyoomi says. He gives one of his rare, precious smiles, and Atsumu tucks it away carefully in a corner of his heart. “But I want to, because I want to show you how much I like- no, love you.”

(Later, when the team asks why Atsumu’s eyes are red and swollen when they get off the ride, Atsumu will blame it on his allergies.)

With all this in mind, it’s understandable that Atsumu goes through something of a crisis when Kiyoomi’s birthday approaches. After all, what do you get the guy who has everything? After exhausting option number 42, Atsumu gives in and decides to call Komori. 

He endures Komori’s shrill laughter for a whole minute after he explains his predicament to him. “Dude,” Komori says. “Don’t sweat it. Kiyoomi’s a simple guy, really. In fact, he’d probably hate any kind of extravagant party. In any case, you’re the unlucky bastard dating him. Shouldn’t you know him best?”

Unfortunately, Komori is right. Atsumu is forced to return to the drawing board to come up with something just as thoughtful as anything Kiyoomi gives his teammates on their birthdays. 

On the day itself, Atsumu invents a few thinly veiled excuses for Kiyoomi to pick up some items at the supermarket, and enlists the help of Bokuto and Hinata to stall him there for an hour while he begins his preparations. 

“... What’s all this?” Kiyoomi stops short in the doorway when he finally returns home at a quarter to seven.

Atsumu stands nervously in the middle of the sea of fairy lights that is their living room. “I was gonna have everyone over, but I knew it would make you stressed out about cleaning up and disinfecting after they left,” Atsumu says. “And I know you like eating at home more than anything. So I got ‘Samu to make some umeboshi onigiri and I rented the DVD for Spirited Away. I know it’s on Netflix, but you like supporting DVD rental shops so I-“

Atsumu is cut off, abruptly, by Kiyoomi crossing the apartment in a few strides and pressing their lips together. When they finally break apart, Kiyoomi rests his forehead against Atsumu’s and looks straight into his eyes. “Atsumu,” he says. “This is better than anything I could have asked for.”

It’s Kiyoomi’s birthday, so why on earth is Atsumu the one on the verge of tears? Kiyoomi laughs when he says as much, and Atsumu thinks, with a stunning degree of coherence, that he is going to marry this man one day.

“So you don’t hate it?” Atsumu asks again, for good measure.

“I love it,” Kiyoomi says emphatically. He presses a line of kisses from the tip of Atsumu’s ear to the base of his neck, and it takes a heroic amount of self control for Atsumu to pull away. 

“Good,” Atsumu says, and steps aside to reveal their friends’ faces grinning at them from a laptop screen. “Because our friends are on video call right now, and we have to stop right here unless you want them to watch us, y’know...“

“Get some, Kiyoomi!” Komori’s tiny face hollers from the corner of the screen. Inunaki and Bokuto join in with shrill wolf whistles of their own. “Happy birthday, Omi-san!” Hinata shouts.

“You are all idiots,” Kiyoomi tells them, but his eyes are curved into little crescents so Atsumu knows that despite the quiet, nondescript celebration, he’s succeeded in giving Kiyoomi a birthday as memorable as any gift he’s given his teammates.

[faithintaiwan]

august 1st - lotus pond, qishan train station

Today was Amy's birthday!! Happy birthday!!

Our first stop was the Lotus Pond where we went to the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas and the Spring and Autumn Pavilion. It was absolutely gorgeous and something I had been looking forward to so I was really happy!

Unfortunately, the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas were closed for construction so we were only able to go through the mouths of the creatures and not up the towers. Then, we walked over to the pavilion where Peter told us about the Sea Goddess who is really popular in Taiwan because of the ocean trip that everyone had to take to immigrate here. This one was fully open and we were able to walk through everything. On the way back from Lotus Pond, some people in our group were stopped by a religious ? group and were given these cute little flower keychains.

After we went to another Mongolian BBQ place to eat lunch! I love a free lunch and it was delicious! I even got to watch more AOT during it so it really was perfect. Then, we headed an hour out to the Qishan Train Station.

Some people took some photos and there was a cute baby battery powered train. We also got these coupons for 30 NTD off so most of us bought matching banana keychains for only 29 NTD!! They're so cute and mine will be staying on my bag for Gainesville.

When we finally ended our program day it was time to celebrate Amy!! Fanny and I got her a birthday cake after going to two bakeries because the first was closed. A group of us celebrated by eating her cake and watching the sunset from the Great Harbor Bridge before going to a bar and dinner. Fanny and I had so much fun despite being exhausted from the long day and I hope she had an amazing birthday!!

Academic Reflection

Both the Pagodas and the Pavilion had images on the walls that depicted Confucius stories. Peter explained that when he was growing up he learned the stories of the good child. The stories are called the Twenty Four Paragons of Filial Piety or the Twenty Four Filial Exemplars and each strive to teach children the lengths to which they should go to honor and follow their parents. Some stories include the son lying down bare chested on ice to melt it in order to bring home fish for his mother or him sacrificing himself to the mosquitoes so his father will not get bit throughout the night. One particularly horrifying one to me is the story of a mother whose teeth fell out so her daughter sacrificed herself and breastfed her… I think we all know the stereotype of the tiger parent in Asian-American culture and now I understand where some of these ideas came from! On the walls of the pagodas and pavilion, I was able to see the ice one specifically and the rest were images of the rest of the stories. On the other wall was an illustration of hell.

Our second stop, the Qishan Train Station was located in a town with many bananas! It was even nicknamed Banana Kingdom according to Taiwan Everything. It used to be a distribution point for bananas and sugarcane which is why the image of bananas is plastered everywhere on billboards and on merch even within the station.

[irismfrost]

July 21 - Independent Excursion 1: The Economics of Taipei Nightlife

The cultural aspect of Taiwan that I’d like to focus on is the profitability of the nightlife here, particularly the club scene. 

During my time in Taipei, Taiwan’s capital city, I’ve been out 3 nights. The first night, my group arrived at our first location (Club A) around 10:30pm. We were planning to get there early to avoid the line and pay a cheaper cover. The line didn’t start moving until about 11pm, but we were glad we got there early because the line was getting pretty long and cover was cheaper before 11:30pm. Once 11pm hit, the doors opened and the line started moving pretty fast. The bouncers scanned our passports, charged us cover (500NTD for girls and 800NTD for guys), gave us a receipt with a ticket attached, gave us a wrist band, and sent us through a metal detector. It was quite a process, but one that they perfected. Once in the club, the ticket we got with our receipt at the beginning could be used for a free drink. We found out that the cups were refillable, so if you finished your drink and still had your cup, you could get a free refill. This meant that you could ideally get free drinks all night, so we did and we stayed at club A all night. 

The second night, my group did a bar crawl tour. This included a tour guide who showed us 3 different bar locations and gave us a little background on each. Our first stop was a traditional looking bar (Bar B) where our tour guide highlighted a famous Taiwanese liquor, Kinmen Kao Liang 38, a 38% ABV liquor made from sorghum famous for its mild taste (it tastes like a mix between vodka and whisky). We all had a free shot and received a 50NTD coupon. The drinks were expensive and definitely made up for the fact that we all got a free shot. Our second stop was a famous brewery with craft beers (Bar C). Again, we all got a small sample for free and paid for the rest of our drinks there, which were also expensive. I had some tea beer which tasted like tea with beer flavor - it’s hard to describe but was actually really good. Our next stop was a “pour your own” bar (Bar D). We got a small sample of one of the drinks and had to buy a full drink separately. Our last stop was a club, which our tour guide did not join us for (Club E). Similarly to Club A, they had perfected a system for letting people in. We got to cut the line because we were with the bar crawl group, but the process is: you get your passport scanned, a wristband, a hand stamp (it didn’t show up, but may have been a black light stamp), and a bouncer gives you a pat down and waves a handheld metal detector over you. It was free for girls and 300NTD for guys, but you get unlimited free drinks and didn’t need your cup like Club A. We were in the club for about an hour when all of the lights suddenly turned on and the police came. I’m not sure exactly what they were looking for but they took all of our passports and typed the numbers into their system and gave it back. It wasn’t scary as much as it was annoying because it took so long. The second they left and the lights turned back off, the beat dropped and every cheered and it was like nothing happened. It seemed like club raids are a common thing in Taipei.

For our last adventure, we wanted to try a new club. After some searching and questioning locals, we discovered that this club had closed down. We saw another club (Club F) with no line and asked them what cover was - they said free. They gave us all a wristband and the second we got in there, we knew that we weren’t staying. There was hardly anyone there. The tables were almost filled, but there was no one in between and no one on the dance floor. There were 4 bouncers just standing next to the dance floor and they were doing nothing because there was no one there. We used the bathrooms and left. We noticed that there was another club in the same building, but we weren’t sure how to get in (Club G) but saw it was on the basement level. We took the elevator and miraculously skipped the line. When I went up to the entrance, they noticed that we didn’t have a stamp or a wristband and told us to go outside and wait in line. We did not because there didn’t seem to be a lot of people in there as far as we could tell and after we left the building, the line seemed short. Disappointed, we went to Family Mart to regroup and all grabbed a drink to sip on while we waited in our next line - this time, we were determined to go to a place that had people in it. We ended up trying a famous club (Club H), as it was listed online as a nice and established club. We avoided it in the past because the comments said that it was a little racist towards Americans, but those comments were from a while ago, so we decided to give it a shot. We tried our best to down the rest of our Family Mart drinks because they didn’t let outside drinks in the building (I was unsuccessful, as I probably had less than ¼ of my beverage). There was suspiciously practically no line, but we went through a metal detector again and this time, they were a little biased against the guys in our group. I was able to hold onto all of my things going through and the guys had to send everything through the conveyor belt, including their literal own belts. We took the elevator upstairs and there was a longer line waiting for us. After we got to the front, they checked all of our passports while we were inas we got closer to the front of the line and we found out that the cover was 1000NTD and you only got your first 4 drinks for free, as opposed to clubs A and E with unlimited drinks. We left the line and gathered by the elevators. As we were deciding if the 1000NTD was worth it, the other elevator opened and was filled with the police - this club was about to get raided just like club E. We ended up leaving and going next door to Club A. We went through the same entry process and paid the same cover as the last time we went. Unlimited drinks were included and we also discovered that you could turn in your cup for a chip so that you didn’t have to carry your cup around when you were on the floor. After being in there for less than 30 minutes, the police came and must’ve just finished raiding Club H. Club A had two stories with bars on each and also took a long time. But once they were done, everything went back to normal and we stayed the whole night. 

Reflection

We all had a great time at clubs A and E, but how are they still in business? They are giving out free drinks all night that are definitely worth more than the cover that we paid to get in (at least if we were to buy the drinks ourselves). Maybe the alcohol itself costs less than our cover, but when you also consider staff (bartenders, bouncers, promoters, management, etc) and rent, people like us shouldn't be worth admitting. 

According to a Harvard Business School Case Study done on a famous New York Club, Marquee, most clubs fold after being open for about 18 months, and the longer a club is open, the harder it gets for it to stay open. The Marquee is an exception to this statistic, as is Club A, E, and H. Club A has been open since March 2018, almost 6.5 years. Club E has been open since September of 2020, coming up on 4 years. Club H has been open since June of 2018, a little over 6 years. Of course, these clubs are highly rated and have a reputation to support them, but if everyone there was like me, they wouldn’t be making any money - it’s a business after all. 

The Marquee case study explains a little more about the revenue drivers of clubs. There are two types of customers that visit a nightclub: bottle service customers and filler crowd. Bottle service customers are the people who sit at the tables. They are high end customers who are ready to buy a lot of top shelf liquor. According to the study, these customers account for 40% of all people in the club, yet 80% of revenue. However, in order to attract these customers, the club needs to be at capacity. Just like how our group left Club F, no one wants to be at a club with no one in it. Even if all of the tables are full, it still looks empty. This is where people like me come in. I am part of the filler crowd. We are always standing or dancing and fill the space between the tables, making the club look full and attracting the high-end clients. People like me are more of an investment that will drive revenue than the actual revenue itself. These clubs do not make as much of a margin on the filler crowd as the bottle service customers. Places like Club E also seem to partner with 3rd party promoters, like the bar crawl tour, to help generate the filler crowd. Even partnerships like this, must be a large expense, but the investment must be worth it. 

According to the Marquee study, another large factor is the relationships built between these high-end clients. Running a club, and a bar, is a service, and consistent service is what keeps these establishments in business. Prioritizing repeat customers is what helps these clubs maintain and build their reputation, while retaining the clients themselves is also a huge revenue driver. 

High revenue must offset the costs to create real profit, but providing a nice service means that you have higher costs. For example, Club A has plenty of tables, two stories, a balcony with a view of Taipei 101 (prime real estate), multiple bouncers, and probably plenty of promoters. To stay in business for 4-6 years, these clubs must be making a nice profit from these bottle service customers, especially since they are giving out free drinks all night to the filler crowd assuming the crowd is staying all night. 

I also want to point out a distinction between the Marquee case study and the night clubs in Taipei. New York clubs, like the Marquee, charge between 10-20USD for a single drink, and there is some profit made from the filler crowd, especially compared to the nightclubs in Taipei that offer unlimited drinks, most-likely making much less profit than New York clubs. Yet, these clubs still are able to maintain their business for long periods of time, therefore supporting the idea that the majority of profit comes from bottle service customers. 

Overall, nightclubs in Taipei may seem to not be making much profit from the perspective of the common club-goer, but in reality, rely on high-end bottle service clients for a majority of their revenue. The common club-goer is the filler crowd, an investment to attract the high-end bottle service clients. Despite the high costs of running a night-club, the revenue created by these high-end clients results in enough profit to keep these clubs sustainable long-term. 

Resources:

Club A: https://www.instagram.com/wave_taipei/?hl=en 

Club E: https://www.instagram.com/ruff.taipei/ 

Club H: https://www.instagram.com/ai.nightclub/?hl=en 

Marquee HBS Case Study: https://thegetwell.co/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Marquee-Harvard-Business-School-Case-Study.pdf

[pbandjesse]

We just got back from Paul and Sam's third wedding. And it was a good time. A little bit more low-key than the others. Took place on a plantation though which was very interesting as a choice. But it was beautiful and I understand. We were joking that was reclaiming. And while we were all incredibly overheated and sweaty I still had fun.

I do wish I had a little bit more time to just do nothing today but I made the most of my half day off. I didn't go to the market. Instead I slept an extra hour and got up around 8:15. I wanted to leave until 9:00 but I couldn't fall back asleep. I would get up eventually though and clean myself up and got dressed and I felt pretty good.

I wasn't really interested in eating. My stomach was hurting today. I don't know what's wrong but it just hurts a lot. And I would pour myself a soda and pretty quickly I was out of the house. I had things to do.

Big things I need to do today work at James awake long sleeve button down shirt. And get the materials to make a larger indoor enclosure for crab cake. I want to see about using a big box. That storage bill. And that ends up working out really well. It wasn't as large as I was picture but I still think I did a good job.

I went to Target first and went and found a shirt for James. Slim Pickens for sure. Especially because there's just skinny. But I think that the one I chose worked out really well in the end. And then I had an idea about mini non with garlic spread and butter and cucumber. I thought it would just He's a nicest lunch. And I got myself a person pizza and then I went and measured the boxes. I had measured my table and I figured it had to be around 24x44 which is. I ended up getting one that was about 19 or 38 in which is not exactly the right size but it's close and it was only $16 so I can make that work for now. He's still little. In the future I'll have to do something a little bit bigger I'm sure but for now.

I still need a dirt though. And I wanted to get some more coconut fiber so I went to the pet store and I did not know I had $18 in coupons on my account so I use those and got a big bag of coconut fiber, and some terrarium materials, and some more moss. I ended up not needing the extra ball so I'm going to keep that for later But I think I did a really good job and I had a really nice conversation with the girls at the cash register without crab cakes full name. Crabcake Franklin Lentzwiler, first of his name.

I drove over to Ace hardware next and is able to get two bags of fertilizer free topsoil. I also talk to a couple about their brand new puppy his name was Marnie. And I was like have you ever seen the Chicago model and they have not So they said they promise to watch it. I told him it was one of the weirdest movies I've seen. Because it was very weird.

Went home and I decided that my plan would be get inside get sweepy into the basement for everything and go and preheat the area start working on the tank. Then when the oven was preheated I would make my pizza and we'll pizza here I would make my little naan flatbread thing. I have my little snack for the pizza was cooking I was building my employer and it didn't take very long. And Crabcake loves it. He was digging and climbing. I still want to get him another log but they didn't have a big enough one so I'm going to check a different pet store at some point this week. But I was just so pleased. And it fits really nicely on the table still. I was not sure how I'm going to fix the lid because I need to make sure the heating element is not melting the plastic. And I tried to cut the lid and then we're cutting my fingers and I was very upset because then I broke the scissors in the process which is how I cut my hand. Ouch.

I was getting really overheated and very tired so. And it was still early but I needed to eat and my food was cooled down enough so I would cut the pizza and bring it to the couch with my other snack. Then just hang out in front of the fan for a while. Eventually I would decide to go and shower and get changed for the wedding. It's not really a wedding. It was a another reception because not everyone in Baltimore could make it to the actual wedding obviously. And I had already picked out my dress months ago so I didn't have to think much it was more just me getting myself together. The hair was a little wild. But that was mostly from humidity. I would take a shower and clean myself up and make myself feel pretty. I originally was going to be wearing a shirt with this dress but it was so hot out today that I nixed that and wore it as a tube top dress. I was a little nervous about that because a little self-conscious about my arms but only a little bit. It just feels like a lot of open skin but I would feel very pretty. I went through a couple different belts before I decided which one I liked the best. But I was very happy with my outfit in the end.

I would sit outside for a while on our swing. I had crab cake walking around the backyard and then in his enclosure out there and sweet pea was chilling with us. It was the Harry Potter. I was enjoying swinging but I was not enjoying how sweaty I was getting. I had just taking a shower so I wasn't thrilled. But I eventually went head inside and pulled down pretty fine and then I was just chill on the couch and eventually brought everyone back inside. I gave crab cake some food and made sure sweetp was good. And I just started making sure I was ready for the event.

I got James's suit in the car toiletry bag for them in case they need to clean up. And texted them asking what time I should come get them.

They said that basically I could leave now and as long as I got them before 2:00 we were good. Merrill would end up stuck in traffic so we wouldn't leave until a little after 2:00 anyway but it was still really nice to get over there early especially because I also ran into traffic because there was an event happening down in the harbor. Or I got there at 1:37 we were not in a rush at all.

I want to sit with James for a bit and they made me feel very pretty. And I would walk around the museum and collect some of the donations of materials that they have put aside for me. And I did not expect to have to take home the 20 lb box have gotten but I have that app so I have plenty of material to make more stuffed animals and actually a few this week but I'm not sure when I will have time to cut the bear so that will probably be something I am working on all the kids are making their projects. We will see.

Soon Merrill was there though and we would head out into the world. I knew that today was going to be kind of all over the place timeline wise but I wasn't that worried.

We'll get out to the mansion. And that's when we realized that it was a plantation. And so I read the Wikipedia page for it so that I would know what the history was. And this place was originally gifted from the king of England and then bought my guy named Dorsey and he had 97 slaves in the 1700s on those property. They were doing cash crops and pig iron. So I found her. And it was beautiful but very sad history. We were joking about we hooked up the couple gotten BED, A black Advent discount. And honestly I'm only partially joking. I think that is plantations are going to do weddings if a black couple or event wants to have them at their space they should be giving them a discount because of the atrocities that happened on their location. I don't think that that's an outrageous thing to say. I might be saying in just in the name but I truly believe that would be appropriate.

And it was a lovely time. We got there and I would go into the big house with James and we went to find the boys. We were in the billiards room. So hello to everyone and then went to wander around the house to look to see what it was and how it looked. It was beautiful. I loved all the details and I liked some of the signage but that wasn't a ton of historical signs around because it's not treated as like a museum space. Which is expected I guess. Thank you really only are there if you're there for an event or I guess maybe a tour? I'm not very sure about that though.

Eventually though I would hear the girls and I would join them up in the bridal suite. And Sam went beautiful. Not shocked and she always looks beautiful. And it was so good to see everyone. They were also cute and they're getting ready jammies and I would hang out with them for a few hours while they got ready and I talked about history with them and art and dentistry and tortoises and what we've all been up to over the last couple months and it was just so much fun being with girls. Like I don't get to do girly conversation and talk stuff because that's not the type of people I tend to gravitate towards. I'm kind of a dirty gremlin girl. Not like they are. They're girly girls. And I love being able to experience that too. It's great.

I had a great time talking to them too and Sam's app was there and while the girls were getting photos we sat and talked about education and a state of the world and parents and art and she's just such a lovely person to talk to. I'm really glad that we got to sit down and talk like that because we would get separated later on and things were very busy.

There were a lot of photos being taken so James was indisposed for a lot of the day. But we got to spend time together. I would go back down to the billiard's room eventually. But first I went and found Paul's mom Dawn. And her mom. I did not catch her mom's name. But I would hang out with them outside for a while and we talked about life and my new tortoise and animals and Paul and James and the event. And eventually I went to do some investigating for them to figure out where he was supposed to go because there was the big tent out side but they were saying that there was a garden on the other side we were supposed to go to the first and I couldn't figure out how to get to. Eventually I would lead them around and drop them inside the pool for a bit and get some water and use the bathroom. And then I stood and talked with Sam's dad and Paul's dad. I went downstairs to get water and Sam's dad was standing there and I said something about getting water and he was like I don't work here as you know I just need like you're not going to accuse me of crimes when I go into this part of the staff only. And then he came and got water as well.

I would go outside and went to our car to find my charger and could not find it so I texted James cuz I was getting very hot and sweaty and I was not thrilled about that but they had the charger so they would make me later on. And it ended up being a really nice time. I went and found Ann and Tucker And we eat hors d'oeuvres. The keys that I put a fancy dip on that they had put out for the crab cakes. And it was excellent. Made it a little bit spicy. But we are all kind of melting in the sun so I suggested we move to the shade. And then James joined us. The wedding party came out it was so nice to see everybody all dressed up and pretty. Everyone honestly was beautiful. The whole party. Someone had beautiful dresses on and I'm so lovely and I was having a great time even though I was hot.

I think that was kind of the vibe though everyone was kind of melting. And it caused some people too I think leave a little early or go and find shady or cool spots to just escape the heat. Having an outdoor event this time of year was a little bit of a wild choice but it's their third wedding if that's what they want.

I had some really nice conversations and me and James took pictures and I would speak to the girl doing social media about Baltimore and doing social media and life and the city. It was nice just to connect with people. I was having a really good time even if I was overheated and sweaty and gross.

My feet was really hurt. They are still split on the bottom It's really uncomfortable but even if when I try to put Band-Aids on them they just fall off immediately so I'm just trying to baby them. But it does not comfortable. And I'm doing my best. My new sandals are nice and they're not bothering them as much but still becomes painful pretty quickly.

Eventually it was time for dinner. There wasn't a lot I can eat but I wasn't really hungry anyway. It was mostly just so hot and dehydrated. So I am really glad I brought my water cup and I would just keep drinking as much as I could. We ate dinner though and I went to find James because they have been pulled away for pictures. I made up two plates for them so that they wouldn't miss out on food. And then I went and sat on one of the velvet couches that they had put out on the lawn. Where Ann came and joined me and we talked for a little bit about camp and how crazy this week has been. Hopefully next week won't be as wild.

I would dance with James for a bit and we took a photo with photo and we talked to our friends and we danced some more and it was just really fun. eventually we were told that there was an ice cream truck so me and James would walk down there and the photographer took pictures of us which I thought was very sweet she called us for ice cream couple. And we would later on feed each other ice cream for her to take pictures but James put way too much in my mouth and him gave me a media brain freeze and I was like no no and it was very laughing silly giggling pictures. I hope that I get to see them soon.

James and me would have to leave though. James has work in the morning and I have a full day with Jess. So we would do our round saying goodbye to everyone. Stephanie had some questions about fireflies and I told her the stuff that I knew but then it turns out that fireflies are not just in America like I thought they are everywhere? Now I got to do research into fireflies because that's crazy to me. And I am excited to have a new thing to look into.

We will take a bite to everyone now and gave lots of hugs even though we were all sweaty. And then I drove us home.

I would play music on the way home and we were just singing together and having so much fun and even though James hates how that I have the music I was just having such a nice time being silly with them. And then we were home and there was lightning and there's a storm rolling in and tomorrow's supposed to be thunderstorms all day. And while that is not the best for me and just going to the beach I am still looking forward to it. I think it will be interesting. And I love an interesting time even if it's not the time that you expected.

I just got out of the shower and James did too. And I am very much ready to go to bed. I hope that you all have a great night tonight did you have fun tomorrow. Until next time.

[harmonyckrs]

Act 2, Scene 4 of Twisted Veronaville: Love Flying Through the Air

THE LAST PAGE

As Antonio was setting up his master plan, Kent had received a surprise visit from aliens, where he had spent the entire night.

Bianca: Welcome home, Kent! How are you feeling?

Gavin: CONGRATS ON THE BABY!

Ginger: Gavin, come on! We don't even know if he's pregnant!

Gabriella: I don't want another sibling!

Kent: I'm not pregnant! And even if they did impregnate me like they did to that guy from Strangetown, I'd just get an abortion! We don't have much room for any new siblings!

Gavin: True.

*RING RING*

Kent: Hello?

Aktu: Heydoyouwanttogooutonanotherdate?

Kent: Sorry?

Aktu: I said, um...

Ripp: You can do it, Aktu!

Ripp/Mercutio/Sita: Aktu! Aktu!

Tybalt: Guys, cut it out! He won't hear what he's saying if you're all chanting. Let the man speak!

Kent: (Is that Tybalt?...and was that Mercutio's voice, too?)

Aktu: ...Alright. So, someone gave me a coupon for two free date night meals at Monty's, so I was thinking we could turn it into an actual date. I had a great time with you despite us never getting food, so...I want to see what a perfect date with you would look like.

Kent: I'd love to, but I'm going to be scheduling a check-up and potentially an abortion today. Got abducted by aliens last night.

Aktu: Oh! Are you okay? The aliens can be pretty rough.

Kent: Yeah, I'm fine. It would've been cool if I could even remember anything...anyway, maybe we can do it tomorrow?

Aktu: Of course! I'll see you in a bit. Love you-er, see you later! Goodbye!

Kent: (Antonio definitely did something here).

On the other side of the river, Miranda had snuck out of the house once more to pay a quick visit to the Montys. With Albany occupied with her siblings, sneaking out had become exponentially easier.

Miranda: (This is it, Miranda! You can finally ask him!)

Romeo: Mercutio's out hanging with some people at Monty's. But I'm here, if you want to talk!

Miranda: (I mean, I guess Romeo's a good option too. Whatever gives me a reason to leave the house more.) Okay! You want to go out on a date, Romeo?

Romeo: Like, what kind?

Miranda: Nothing serious. I just want to chill out and have fun, you know?

Romeo: Neither am I!...wow, we have so much in common! Where were you at the Summerdream party?

Miranda: At home looking after my siblings because Goneril was at work and Albany was out grocery shopping.

Romeo: That late at night?

Miranda: He specifically did it so I couldn't go.

Romeo: Damn, that's shitty.

Miranda: Yeah. But I don't have to worry about it anymore, since he can barely find me on most days. All he thinks about now is Pascal and I've been paying Desdemona money to distract him whenever I need to leave the house.

Romeo: Damn, girl! That's epic.

Miranda: Thanks! Anyway, you wanna like, make out or something?

Romeo: Sure!

As we return to the other side of the river, Albany and Cornwall were discussing important affairs in the latter's newly installed hot tub.

Albany: And he hasn't contacted me since!

Cornwall: Hmph. You deserve better, Albany.

Albany: Thank you. All my children are mad at me as if it's my fault that he seduced me. The little devils are teaming up together to make MY life more miserable.

Pascal: Wow, okay. You beg for my love in my DMs and now you're talking trash about me to other people?

Albany: AH! Pascal! Where did you come from?

Cornwall: Wait, THIS is the guy you've been cheating on her with? Pascal! I thought what we had was special!

Albany: He's been seeing you too?

Pascal: I already told you I was cheating on my husband with you. You never thought to consider that maybe I was cheating on you with other people?

Albany: Pascal...

Pascal: I have a nice idea. Maybe you can help Cornwall cheat on his wife instead of using me...anyway, I'm going to go. If I'm lucky, this will be the last time we see each other.

Cornwall: ...He does have a point. What was it that we were planning to do after we got the money?

Albany: I don't think we ever got that fair.

Cornwall: ...Want to plan it together?

Albany: Eh, sure.

And as the day began to close, Mercutio and Tybalt returned to the Monty house after their group hangout with Hermia, Puck and Ripp.

Tybalt: Thanks for letting me relax in your family's hot tub for a bit, Mercutio. Grandpa has been acting unreasonable. He acts as though I've been possessed just because I have friends now.

Mercutio: (Hermia said the same thing when it was just her, Puck and I.) Yeah, I get it.

Tybalt: And...sorry for beating you up all those times. Fighting you was often the highlight of my day, but I like these moments too.

Mercutio: Aw, don't get sappy with me. And it's all in the past, right? So let's just...not worry about it.

Mercutio: Trying to fight you was pretty fun, though. The idea of beating you one day did keep me going during tough times...but anyway, there was something I've been wanting to ask you, now that nobody else is around us...

Tybalt: Sure. Spit it out.

Romeo: (...Bruh.)

THE NEXT PAGE

[dafukdidiwatch]

As much as I think this is a brilliant idea to liveblog and would absolutely love to do it, I have unfortunately already seen Epithet Erased. I remember watching it since Dec 2019. I’ve watched it so many times on repeat that I mentally watch all 7 episodes. I manage to get a Giovanni Plush when they were on sale. This was a Pandemic Comfort Show for me and my sister when 2020 happened. I absolutely recommend this show every chance I get because it is incredible and amazing and everyone should watch it.

So yeah, sorry about not liveblogging it, but here’s some of my opinions about the show:

Ramsey Murdoch is my favorite character, I have a preference for rat bastard con men

I actually really disliked Giovanni when he first appeared. I thought he was just annoying Team Rocket. It took me to his and Molly’s heart-to-heart before I turned. Now he’s tied for Second fav

My sister’s most hated line in the series is “Why does your knife have a bat taped to it” which makes me laugh

I have never NOT quoted Indus whenever we go see dinosaur anything

In fact, we use a lot of quotes from this show all the time. “They Tried their Bargain Bin Best” “EVIL! Evil! Evil! Evil! Evil!” “Let me do my goddamned job”

Indus is also Second Fav. You can’t argue with stupid or himbo, and my man has both. He’s just way too earnest to hate even a little bit

Coupon Boy has top tier epithet power just for the sheer audacity of it being an actual decent power while being stupid as fuck

Ramsey’s line “Am I having an aneurysm what is happening” almost broke me which was bad because I was working at my old job when I first watched the series, so I had to really try not to laugh by my coworkers

I’ve nicknamed the mystery Red Robe dude at the end of the series Barry Bluejeans because why not, TAZ lives in my head rent free

Not sure what Epithet I would have if I pick one, but I would definitely rather it be more Creative than anything. I like being versatile and clever overall. 

I love figuring out powers based on single words, because it makes it my mission to come up with as many abilities as I can for it lol

Redwood Run is my favorite part, since it has all the coolest characters interacting with one another and the best action scenes (Zora, Howie, Percy, Ramsey, Giovanni)

I got a headcanon that the Epithet Erased world is either A) how things started out when Quirks first appeared like in MHA or B) the American version of how we would have treated Quirks

I have a whole ass thing on detailing the power-structure of Quirks vs Epithets vs Devil Fruits (If I can find the time to actually write it lol)

Absolutely feel free to shout at me about anything Epithet Erased related because I love this show with all my heart and will Absolutely chat your ear off of things

[lady-asbestos]

so back in junior high in my repressive, mormon-ass town, I had to take a health class whose sex ed section was essentially “sex is only there for reproduction, queer people don’t exist, contraception doesn’t exist, and if you ever have sex before marriage you’ll explode at the speed of light”. then they gave us this slip where if we signed our name promising to never have sex before marriage we could get a free pizza from dominos, and I just kind of laughed a bit and then signed it because free fucking pizza and like what were they gonna do?

flash forward to now. it’s been like 10 years. i’ve since realized I’m ace. i’ve transed my gender. i’m just generally full of gay. anyways, a memory of that stupid little no-sex coupon i signed popped into my head out of nowhere  and i realized that i have 100% earned that free pizza i got when i was like 13. and you know, i’m sure that this is just exactly what those repressive ultra-mormon curriculum writers had in mind when they made that a part of their repressive sex ed classs.

[kitkatcadillac]

i cant stop thinking about this lady a couple of weeks ago. i hate some facets of internet lingo because a lot of time i feel like theyre so niche but get blown into these ridiculous proportions but ive never met a more karen karen in my life.

lunch rush. and she comes up already looking like shes here for war. i say hello, how are you, she responds immediately by explaining that ONLINE, it says theres a buy one get one free deal at PARTICIPATING LOCATIONS, and that YOUUU GUYS are participating. it says so.

listen. i know people love their little coupons. i will not rob you the joys of a little treat at a discount today, as much as i loathe coupons in a franchise setting. please be free. be happy. have a sammy.

but i had never heard of this promotion. i have not. i never do. we arent participating location. nobody asked us. the app tells you everything automatically participates so you haul your ass off to get a sandwich and get into the store, thats the first step to spending money, which is all a company gives a shit about.

but i told her. i told her we do not participate. we cannot participate. also, nobody asked us. (politely and professionally. it did not keep her from being grouchy.)

she repeats herself. her eyebrows are angling down further in threat.

i tell her theres nothing much i can do for her.

ive never. in my life, in real life, outside of a youtube parody, seen someone turn around, scoff, and tell me "Well I'll just go to another store then!" like its the most scathing, horrific set of words to inflict upon my person. like id go diving across the counter to beg her please, no, god! anything but that!

but im neurodivergent, and its lunch rush, and in my little walnut brain ive had a conversation and its reached its climax, weve come to an understanding, that is reasonable, and she is leaving and i need to have my manners and then move on to the next customer politely too. people are hungry!

i tell her (quite sincerely actually) "have a nice day!"

the way she WHIPPED her head around to look at me like ive insulted her entire bloodline. like ive trashed her entire wardrobe and then slapped her mother. i genuinely had no idea this woman was pissed beyond pissed until this moment and i wasnt even LOOKING at her, i was already started on the next person- but i promise you, the way her mouth thinned out and she froze there, boiling for a second. if there were not 8 people there all trying to hurry along and get food, she would have unleashed like three decades of pent up frustration on me for... what. not taking a coupon? not signing onto the company website and updating the damn thing myself??? (i cant) good lord. settle down.

[actuallyanansi]

Do all of them except you switch two answers and don't say which ones

ask and ye shall receive

Yellow: i want to live somewhere with decent public transportation, a large public library, and an international airport nearby, ideally with few cops and fewer natural disasters.

Orange: when i'm not in bed, i usually want to be in bed. when i am in bed, i usually want to still be in bed, but at a nice hotel.

Lilac: my dream is to be in an unfamiliar city with striking features, good food, and a long history, alone, with an internet connection and enough english or french to get by. barring that, a beach resort is fine.

Beige: picture it: two guys, curly hair, perfect smiles, and i was making out with both of them surrounded by soft white linens. people kept walking through the background and interrupting, but they never stayed too long.

White: he was a vegan jock i met sophomore year on a local campus app, and his roommate had just moved out. because i lived at home, way off campus, and never hung out with anyone, our hookup was the first time i had actually seen a dorm room at the college i attended. i remember vividly that his mouth tasted like wet dirt, and i lied to my parents about where i was a lot over the week we spent together—not because it really mattered, but because i could. our whatever we had ended...poorly, but what a rush those first few days were. after he ghosted me, i downloaded grindr.

Purple: he was almost miraculously kind (and also very cute), he took my concerns about covid safety seriously, he bought me dinner on j*ff b*zos' dime, and he let me subject him to the incredible pinoy drama gaya sa pelikula (the best limited television series of 2020, argue with your mother). we still talk daily, and i'm so thankful i met him ☺️

Tangerine: physically, i don't have much of a type. i tend to like guys who are grounded and even-keeled, but interesting enough to keep up with me in conversation. guys who can translate those conversations into making out on the couch. guys with rich inner lives who enjoy my attention without needing it, who enjoy giving me attention in a way that isn't just compulsive. guys who are smart when i am stupid

Gray: he was kinda dumb and probably toxic, and i tell myself i didn't know better at the time, but i did! he also gave me strep 💜 (and i still went back 💜)

Green: i was in the car with my aunt and my dad. he was driving us home from visiting nana in hospice. there was a rainbow over I-75 that lasted for miles. they discussed the details of her car insurance, the will we couldn't find, how my uncle, my dad's twin brother, was supposed to inherit her little house. we were still pretending to hope she would wake up; we were no longer pretending to hope she would wake up. my dad pulled off the highway to stop at a wendy's. we had gone without food for most of the day. the three of us ate in the car and spent a few minutes talking about the new strawberry frosty. my aunt had used a coupon to get hers for free. at some point, we kept driving. there was nothing left to talk about. the rainbow was gone by then.

Gold: he was a friend of a friend, and we spent a few weeks carefully circling the elephant in the room before we finally admitted we were into each other. it was extremely goofy how long it took us to work up the courage to even kiss, but i also don’t regret it. he was a sweetheart, and it’s hard not to think back on it fondly ☺️

Black: as a child, for some reason i knew how to pronounce the word nazi before i knew how to spell it. for some reason after i learned how it was spelled i assumed people had been pronouncing it wrong, and i tried to "correct" it while talking to my mom. the way she laughed…i will never recover, i fear 😔

Blue: i cannot remember the last time i spoke to someone i knew in elementary school. baruch hashem 💜

Magenta: around the age of eleven or twelve, i used to legitimately wonder whether my brother would grow up to meet the requirements for the antichrist, and then i'd feel intense guilt about it

Red: i write poetry against my better judgment. i read, sometimes. i watch video essays. i play piano. i cook, i bake, i listen to podcasts, i doomscroll. i start new obsessions and drop them.

Violet: bestie i didn't even plan on attending the college where i did four years of undergrad, so i'm really not pinning too much hope on any specific school in the future. that being said, i am begging all wealthy potential patrons to make grad school feasible. so mackenzie scott, if you're reading this,,

Brown: our culture puts so many expectations around traditional relationships that it's hard not to feel exhausted, and historically i'm also fairly bad at them. fwbs usually offer less risk and more reward, but also i'm trying to move beyond the idea that either of these has to look like anything in particular.

Peach: i've never taken a class from her per se, but mariame kaba has had a greater impact on my education more than just about any other individual person. as far as actual professors go, dr. jen cohen was a pretty good one, and the only econ professor i had who told the truth about how capitalism worked. (thanks for letting me sit in on your class when i wasn't really supposed to!)

Pink: anansi has such a vast mythology and is kind of an aspirational figure in a lot of ways. (not the part about being a spider.) it's about the subversion of the presupposed order of things, the capacity for gracious failure and the potential for unexpected success, the shaping of a story through its telling and retelling...