#bailey blathers

[idonthaveanyurlideas]

25 animatics 2 and a half years 1 hour, 20 minutes and 39 seconds Approximately 5852 frames 349 unique characters appearing a total of 982 times

have what will most likely be my final blaseball animatic, a self-indulgent goodbye to all my beloved beams and a whole bunch of other players

Music is Celebrate the Reckless by Magic Giant - design credits below the cut

Credits: Randall Marijuana by alienmandy_ - Pangolin Ruiz by Mortimer_Mekhane - Dunn Keyes, Ramirez Winters and Pedro Davids by glassgoblin - Cory Ross and Grollis Zephyr by saltbuzzard - Lucas Petty by Dorito - Logan Rodriguez by Monthenor - Zephyr McCloud by dreambaot - Steals Mondegreen by 510five - Spears Taylor by Bells - Jessica Telephone by telekeys - Randy Dennis and Niq Nyong'o by tiny_revel - Kelvin Drumsolo by Australia-Hungary#9082 - Haruta Byrd and Erin Jesaulenko by miasmajesties - Justice Spoon and Edric Tosser by necromngo - Isaac Johnson, Gita Sparrow, Dunlap Figueroa and Mullen Peterson by _waalkr - Rivers Javier by toadparty and sidoopa - Baby Sliders by samiratu - Alvie Kesh by quilyn - Alexander Horne and Wyatt Mason VI by Fancymancer - Forrest Bookbaby by bugsbenedict - Helga Burton and Helga Moreno by electricgaunt using picrew by r4tist - Andrew Solis by rabbittraps_ - Rhys Trombone by Ephesos - Esme Ramsey by HetreaSky and grr - Mickey Woods by sol - Bright Zimmerman by staradavid - Iggy Delacruz by Karagna_ - Rey Wooten by dipppitydoop - Ziwa Mueller and Richmond Harrison by avery_helm - Workman Gloom and Beasley Gloom by shenaniglenn - Snyder Briggs by mensisritual - Jasmine Washington, Donia Bailey, Jasper Blather and Hops Chen by desmodusrotunds - Avila Guzman by jaungeedraws - Richardson Games and Hiroto Wilcox by CurseOfScots - Cornelius Games by kyl_armstrong - Nicholas Vincent by Hazel Cooper - Eugenia Bickle by awhekate - Fran Beans by thr33h3addrag - Valentine Games by deerstained - Magi Ruiz by Nofacenerd - Tiana Takahashi by VHS_DREAMER - Tillman Henderson by cryptmilk - Mcdowell Karim by ferretrix - Sebastian Woodman by Starfauna - Yosh Carptener by gfclass - Aldon Cashmoney by occultclassic - Donia Bailey and Hiroto Wilcox by crickadelic - Jasper Blather by nel using picrew from astrolava

Wiki Pages: Eugenia Garbage - Rivers Rosa - Stevenson Heat - Qais Dogwalker - Margarito Nava - Lou Roseheart - Beck Whitney - Nic Winkler - Neerie McCloud - Blood Hamburger - Kennedy Rodgers - Nagomi Meng - Lachlan Shelton - Kichiro Guerra - Fletcher Yamamoto

Other: Emmett Internet - Priya Fox - London Simmons - Cravel Gesundheit - Willow Dice - Xanthe - Jorge Owens - Carter Grimsley - Kajjala Aliyev - Guozhi Ong - Grizz El Sayed - Thomas Marsh - Amos Parveen - Kaj Statter Jr. - Anastasia Isarobot - Zack Sanders - Özlem Suttner - Malik Romayne - Sigmund Castillo - Son Jensen - Jayden Wright - Paula Reddick - Sandoval Crossing - Velasquez Meadows - Hahn Fox - Howell Franklin - Miguel James - Passenger - Nagomi Nava - Wyatt Mason VII - Wyatt Mason III - Wyatt Mason V - Dudley Mueller - Joe Voorhees - Harriet Gildehaus - Phineas Wormthrice - Elvis Figueroa - Borg Ruiz - Tot Best - Lars Taylor - Nerd Pacheco - Hendricks Richardson - Kaz Fiasco - Hank Marshallow - Beans McBlase - Sutton Bishop - Quack Enjoyable - Guy Gulp - Siobhan Chark - Alaynabella Hollywood

Unsure: Mooney Doctor - Wyatt Mason IV

[burned-lariat]

So as it stands out of the two Sprina is getting the more mature writing while ChaLynn is just hitting puberty??? Is that what's happening here?

Remember Spencer already admitted his love for Trina just not to her face. And in a similar way Chase has deeply expressed his feelings for Brook Lynn, just hasn't told her he loves her yet right? Now should be getting B putting in the werk and to our surprise she'll say ILY first hopefully like Trina will. The writers have been loosely paralleling these two couples it's no coincidence.

They've been writing Brook Lynn this way for some time now. She lied when she told Chase it wasn't a out him when she skipped town to her mother's after giving back Bailey Lou.. She was scared and overwhelmed. Chase knew and just gave her time to figure things out while he reminded her that he sees her for the beautiful person that she can become and he's not going anywhere. This thing she has with Chase is uncharted territory, very unfamiliar to her senses. Chase, being the one with the most emotional capacity, has done all that he has to show how much he deeply cares about her, manifesting his love for her over this past year. Before things fell apart you could tell Brook Lynn was it for him, faults and all.

I pray that this next phase will give B the chance redeem herself and not continue to look like the bad guy while Linc is walking free and in not a body bag.

I hate this Linc story, but so long as the writers clean it up in time for February sweeps I'm good with Chase's free agency. Remember he's already chosen her, it's just rebuilding that bridge of trust that's gonna take werk.

I got a good idea for a scenario on how to resolve this Linc story. I'll save it for another time.

Oops, blathering on and on. Bye.

Pretty much.

And yeah, after that anon pointed out the Sprina/Chalynn parallels to me, I agree. There are a lot of similarities between them but I do not understand exactly why Chalynn isn't getting the type of writing Sprina is getting. Both couples deserve excellent writing!

And yep - the writing during the Bailouise lie was excellent. I want Brook to keep her feisty, schemer self since it clashes well with Chase's moral goodness. And everything you described about the situation and how he feels for her was excellent and compelling. You should take over writing for them - your story would be far better than this Linc one!!

I agree - I hope Brook redeems herself and that the Linc story ends soon. Chase being free is great and I'm glad he's putting himself first after what's happened to him.

Ooh - I hope you reveal that idea soon! I'm intrigued!

[smileyrichie]

Chestwester Locals 116-120 (October 2020)

Will O. is another one of the cool kids! If anyone in the group looks intimidating it would definitely be him, but mostly he’s just bored, always wondering what they can do. He’s Dom’s right hand man for this reason. That and they’re just good friends.

Bailey is another one of the cool kids! She’s the more energetic of the group, and well known to mingle with others outside her group, more specifically the skate park kids. She also knows a good rap or two, if you dare challenge her to a battle.

Tania is the last of the cool kids! She’s the more coordinated of the group and tries to stay organized. On the side she also works with he school news team, helping to curate the news as it comes in while Ikumi and others gather potential stories.

Gregory is a clerk at GameGuys, Ted and friends’ game store. He’s a bit too passionate about geek culture and makes sure everyone knows it, chastising people for his gaming tastes. He and Eddie are rivals, constantly butting heads over who’s more nerdy.

Mr. Blathers is the crankiest old man in the neighborhood. He’s a retired veteran and just wants some peace and quiet, but his area just won’t allow that to happen. He also confiscates anything that lands in his yard, to the dismay of Ted and others.

[grogblogging-follows]

so i went to see wonder woman – here are my thoughts, spoiler-free

first off: i know gal gadot is Super Not Great and i don’t want to touch that whole thing with a bargepole because it’s really not my place. i went to see this movie because it’s the first female superhero movie & that’s really important to me, but i totally understand not wanting to support it because of her.

but on to the actual movie.

i have super super mixed feelings, honestly. im so happy there’s finally a female superhero movie, about fuckin time honestly, & i got !! at several points in the movie bc its a lady!! doing what only men have done so far!! yes!! nothing that bothers me abt the movie remotely takes away from this fact; the bottom line is, thank fuck this movie has finally been made, and thank fuck it’s decent.

diana is amazing. she kicks ass & the movie shows us how powerful, badass, skilled, and just straight up determined she is. i can think of the number of female protagonists who are allowed to be just as kickass as she is on one hand. it’s also important to note that she’s not just the “sexy badass” trope; she’s allowed moments of real vulnerability and uncertainty too. her acting isn’t the greatest, unfortunately, and she’s kinda shown up by the rest of the cast who are all great characters brilliantly acted. in comparison, her character (and acting) can feel a little one-dimensional, which is unfortunate, but not bad enough to really affect the movie all that much.

the plot is a superhero plot. it’s tropey and predictable, the twists can be seen from literally miles away, there are conveninent plotholes & movie logic all over the place, and the final, climactic battle is the least interesting fight of the movie. some scenes go on a little too long, some jokes are set up for a while but fail to properly deliver; in general the script could do with a little tightening up. it holds the movie back from being truly great, which is a shame, but again it’s not something that ruins it at all.

this is a feminist movie, there’s no doubt about that. diana is independent and has no problem telling men to fuck off when they’re trying to decide what she should or shouldn’t do. but. and there is a but here. there are several things that detract from that.

first is the costume design. all the amazons are gorgeous and badass and their armour leaves little to the imagination. it doesn’t offer good protection remotely (there are even a couple of examples of the infamous boob cups), and it’s iffy whether they’re even practical to fight in (short skirts offer a good range of movement, sure, but heels, diana?). as a feminist im kinda disappointed; as a wlw i had an absolute blast. the only thing that did really bother me about these outfits is the camera work: the first shot we see of diana pans up from her heels, in a classic misogynistic reducing-a-woman-to-her-appearance shot (we see her body before we see her face); later, when we see the amazonians fighting, and its like theres there women doing amazing athletic leaps and oh look! the camera was perfectly positioned to see her butt. great.

neither of these are Massive Issues remotely; i wasn’t aware of either of them really beyond the first couple of scenes. the rest of diana’s fights we get to see a whole lot of upper thigh but again, im gay, and also it felt like the camera was more interested in her skill as a warrior than her sex appeal. i might be wrong, but that’s my take away. she is sexualised in dialogue, though, with several references to how attractive she is (i counted three, i think? so not terrible, but enough that i noticed it).

another potential issue is the romance. steve (chris pine) is no white knight; he can hold his own in a fight but he’s nothing like diana, and she comes to his rescue on multiple occasions. but i did feel he got a teensy tiny bit too much attention in the movie. he’s not the main character by any means, but he is in almost every scene after his first appearance (pretty darn early on), and he does get several important story/emotional beats, as well as shared credit for a lot of diana’s achievements. i’d also be interested whether he has more lines than diana; honestly it might be touch and go.

the final thing that i noticed, and the only thing that actually properly bothered me, was the way diana was characterised as the source of most of the movie’s comedy. remember that video that went around recently about the ‘born sexy yesterday’ trope? y e p. diana has no understanding of our world, needing basic things explaining to her, and, worst of all, is into the very first man she meets ever in her entire life. her faux pas in this world are amusing, theyre sweet, theyre honestly even really pure and lovely at points, but there’s too much of it. i’ve been trying to work out in my head how exactly it differs from thor’s inexperience of the world in his first movie, which was also played for laughs. i haven’t hit on exactly how it’s different – although i know it is – but i think the sex thing definitely plays a part. diana implies she’s not a virgin (also the only line that implies she and the other amazons aren’t straight), but she’s consistently shown to be unexperienced, using weird terms for sex and relationships, being confused by courtship tropes, and arguably being unaware of men’s attraction to her. it’s not awful, and it does provide some of the only comedy in the movie (which gets pretty fuckin dark in places, it’s ww1 and it’s not pretty). i do think it’s handled poorly, and at the very least overdone, which is a real shame.

honestly, in a plot twist that surprised everyone, diana and the whole feminism aspect of the movie weren’t what i liked best about it. i’d only seen a bit of one trailer and no other promotional material, so i don’t know whether i would’ve realised this if i had seen more, but i was so pleasantly surprised to see not only how diverse the supporting cast was, but unfraid the script was to get real about racial issues. a first nations man talks about the atrocities committed against aboriginal americans and gets taken seriously; a french-moroccan speaks candidly about racism. i don’t want to big this up too much – these are both single lines, not the focus of a scene or anything – but i did appreciate that these moments were included. this isn’t colourblind casting; it’s great that half the supporting cast are characters of colour, but even better that this isn’t just passed over without comment or made into a trope or charicature. the movie did really well in this regard, i think, and i am really pleased to see it.

all in all, a historic film, a decent movie, disappointing in a few places but very pleasantly surprising in others. it’s not my favourite movie ever, and i won’t be rushing out to see it again, but none of its faults could ever remotely detract from my excitement at there finally being a female superhero movie. about time, y’all.

[wvsteria]

post event starters call!

can double as a starter/plotting call. 

for the after effects of the ball or whatever really! 

if we do a new thread here, then most likely we’ll end the event thread (a swap-aroo if you will)

( 3 / 5 ) audrey rose | sarah jeffery | descendants | 22 | not aware

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( 1 / 5 ) dani powell | aurora perrineau | prodigal son | 32 | aware

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robb stark ( @skyfcll )

( 3 / 5 ) missandei | nathalie emmanuel | game of thrones | 33 | aware

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drogon ( @youllalwaysbemyporcelain )

blathers ( @mvsicinthedvrk )

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leia organa ( @mcrcki )

ezra bridger ( @skyfcll )

( 1 / 5 ) bail organa | adam rodriguez | star wars | 30 | aware

leia organa ( @mcrcki )

( 2 / 5 ) emily fields | cassie steele | pretty little liars | 25 | aware

spencer hastings ( @viicnna )

hanna marin ( @mccnlighht )

( 1 / 5 ) ekko | jonathan daviss | arcane | 20 | newly unaware

noah czerny ( @mvsicinthedvrk​ )

( 1 / 5 ) laenor velaryon | jordan fisher | house of the dragon | 24 | not aware 

eddard stark ( @svnlvght )

( 0 / 5 ) kiara carrera | madison bailey | outerbanks | 22 | newly aware (and now a vampire)

( 1 / 5 ) jacen solo | jacob elordi | star wars | 27 | not aware

winter celchu ( @skyfcll​ )

( 3 / 5 ) rue | celeste o’connor | the hunger games | 20 | not aware

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( 2 / 5 ) kang sae byeok | jung hoyeon | squid games | 25 | not aware

ji yeong ( @mccnlighht​ )

kim jihyo ( @devilsmenu )

( 4 / 5 ) pietro maximoff | jesus castro | marvel comics | 29 | aware

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loki laufeyson ( @mischiefxmuses )

lorna dane ( @devilsmenu )

( 2 / 5 ) america chavez | herizon guardiola | marvel | 23 | aware

james sirius potter ( @svnlvght​ )

azari t'challa ( @devilsmenu )

( 6 / 5 ) alaric saltzman | andrew koji | the vampire diaries | 34 | aware

rebekah mikaelson ( @viicnna )

elena gilbert ( @mccnlighht​ )

mabel pines ( @mccnlighht )

hayley marshall ( @ofxbloomed )

katherine pierce ( @hiddenpxpercuts )

alec lightwood ( @hiddenpxpercuts )

( 1 / 5 ) willa lykensen | chandler kinney | disney’s zombies | 20 | aware

addison wells ( @youllalwaysbemyporcelain​ )

( 6 / 5 ) roxanne weasley | zendaya | harry potter | 21 | aware

dora tonks ( @mgrhee )

nancy thompson ( @withinthem )

anne wheeler ( @viicnna​ )

ginny weasley ( @hiddenpxpercuts )

fred weasley ( @svnlvght )

fleur delacour ( @mischiefxmuses )

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reggie peters ( @hiddenpxpercuts )

noah foster ( @devilsmenu )

( 4 / 5 ) lucas sinclair | keith powers | stranger things | 23 | aware

eddie munson ( @recklcssabandon​​ )

maxine mayfield ( @hiddenpxpercuts )

henry creel ( @mischiefxmuses )

jamie/nine ( @devilsmenu )

( 5 / 5 ) rachel green | haley lu richardson | friends | 27 | not aware

joey tribbiani ( @jessiwrites )

marta cabrera ( @svnlvght )

monica geller ( @nightwhispcrs )

carrie bradshaw ( @viicnna )

ororo munroe ( @rainbowmuses )

( 5 / 5 ) rosita espinosa | lindsey morgan | the walking dead | 31 | not aware

aerith gainsborough ( @hxartbreaker )

daryl dixon ( @ofxscavengcrs )

siddiq ( @mgrhee )

andrea harrison ( @withinthem )

glenn rhee ( @softsliders19 )

[spontaneousmusicalnumber]

i drink like three times a year and im lEETLE so. im very susceptible. tonight i had one of thoes itty bitty sample bottles of baileys in a hot coco and i lost my shit crying sobbing laighing because i guessed joker in 0:01 second in blather round. one time i had two mikes hard lemonades and my friends would;nt let me get up off hte floor because they were afriad id hurt myself.

[aplushemporium]

���🌟🌟🌟 go wild! :3

Send 🌟 for a headcanon about our muses’ relationship (accepting!)

//THANK YOU!! I hope I won’t let you down!!

Mama has absolutely gon HAM with preparing romantic meals for Felix when requested. Don’t worry, unlike the Waddle Dees (and Momo), she does not do these unprompted (least...most of the time). Though in her defense, she does have other catering stuff to deal with.

Keiko and Bailey sort of bounce between having the chaotic energy...though a lot of times they just sort of vibe in that crazy idea mode and probably drive the other Miis nuts. Keiko, please stop encouraging Bailey to go crazy.

Baby Shark has absolutely vibed in the Zendo museum aquariums and the aquarium-esque structures/furniture of the Smash mansion (...well I imagine the mansion might have such cuz fancy~). This has absolutely brought Blathers grief when he escapes but Baby likes visiting Felix and Kamui! (actually this applies to Kururun too, rip Blather’s sanity, a pink seal and a yellow shark that comes and goes would be startling.)

Admittedly, Ana is still shy around most of your gang, kinda including Felix, but Felix is probably the one she trusts most cuz they known each other for...a mysterious amount of time that feels long but isn’t long at the same time. Plus, Felix seems to be supportive of Ana trying to incorporate dance in the dojo classes (that perpetually struggles to get students).

[ducknotinarow]

BaileyRichard] ♤ for a kiss on the palm

| Softer prompts | Richard's interests were well inlined for the eagle. He was as Bailey liked to point out a stick in the mud. The posh background he grew up in did aid in that but so did just who they were as a person. He wasn't big on being spontaneous. He was far quieter and so were the things he enjoyed doing. Cooking, making up drinks, even his art, and of course reading. Richard had been a bookworm from the moment he learned to read as a little eaglet. And, that hadn't changed too much even down always having a book on him just in case he had a chance to read. Though he was bad about buying more, he may never read them all by the time he passed. Was that going to stop him from buying more? of course not. Hell, he was between three books as is anyway. Looking over the back of the said book that had his interest now, slightly smirking as he caught sight of his husband in the corner of his eye. "I know you're bored. Give me a second and well leave and I'll take you out to where ever you want." Bailey pointed out Richard had said that thirty minutes ago "It was five drama king." Richard retorted with, but still showed he was done as he made his choices for his latest haul of books.

Telling Bailey as they were purchasing the small pile, to start thinking about what he wanted to do now. Bailey throwing out suggestions of what seemed to be appealing and would be fun after being stuck in the stuffy old bookshop for half a day. Richard again correcting the exaggerated time frame as he playfully rolled his eyes. Offering his arm for his husband to hold still as he escorted them out of the prison he forced them into. When the truth was Bailey happened to just come across him, well Richard was on an actual break from work. Opening up one of his latest finds with his free hand, sure walking with your beak buried in a book wasn't too wise, he was at east keeping aware of where he was going to make sure he didn't run into anyone or thing well mind his blathering husband as well. Who wasn't too thrilled about Richard reading now. Richard just shrugged in turn though. "I just found the subject interesting is all, going meanings of common gestures we don't really see in the same light. Even going on to explain other meanings they can have" keeping that brief. But it Seemed Bailey still needed more answers "like did you know different kisses hold different meanings? on where the kiss is placed?" Raising his head up from the ink and paper as he snapped the spine to and turning to look at Bailey now. The two of them stepping off to the side so they wouldn't be in the way as they stopped to talk. Richard leaning in a second to place a kiss to Bailey's forehead "This meaning I care and respect you" of course he couldn't help but rest his own to Bailey's forehead "any affection here tends to be to say that." a small peck given to the to[ pf Bailey's beak " A 'nose' kiss means I like you and find you cute." Smiling at Bailey they both knew Bailey was the cutest after all. Adjusting a bit so he could kiss Bailey properly on their beak now, holding it longer than needed in one sense. "A kiss on the lips, means I want you. And when don't I?" Slight chuckle as he pulled away lifting up Bailey's hand now, specific on his choice on the left, gently rubbing his thumb over Bailey's wedding band a moment "Of course you know I like to place kisses to the back of your hand as well. It's polite and necessarily romantic but to say I respect and admire you." Placing a kiss there and then gently shifting his hold turning Bailey's hand in his own so the plan was facing out towards him now. Slowly leaning in to kiss the palm of Bailey's soft black feather-covered hand. His beak slightly brushed against their ring when he did so. A more tender place on the body as he let his kiss linger once again. Kissing the very hand on the one who held his heart and he trusted like no other with it. "Is not so different from the other meant to say I respect you." Lowering it keeping his own meaning there to himself. "Least I find it interesting," locking his fingers with Bailey's as he gestured with his head for them to continue walking again. "Though if you like later I can give you, even more, kisses there are some other areas I'd like to but wouldn't be quite appropriate in a public setting to kiss you at."

[brokenmusicboxwolfe]

Note to self: write down the name of the dude that did the commentary on this movie so you can NEVER play one with him again!

He’s annoyed me before, but when he’s such a lazy jerk he can’t do basic research before his commentary and dismisses actors he doesn't remember the name of as  “Joe Blow” or “Zeppo” I get angry. 

Oh, and BTW fella, in Rumpole of the Bailey we DID see Rumpole’s wife Hilda. She was an actual character and IMDB says she was in 24 episodes. Now Columbo, his wife was never seen in his show. And while we are at it, Leo McKern was in 3 episodes of The Prisoner (Chimes of Big Ben, Once Upon a Time, and Fall Out).  You could just Google on your damn phone before blathering out whatever you half remember.

With commentaries I forgive cast and crew for not knowing or remembering things. If the commentator is a specialist in one area, say music, I forgive them not me mentioning anything else. But folks brought in as experts for general commentaries that don’t prepare, give opinions as facts, or think they are funny when they are just damned annoying I do NOT forgive!

Yeah, I should be asleep, but this commentary I played while sculpting riled me...

(Bit of trivia about the movie X the Unknown not mentioned by the dude doing the commentary: The little boy that dared his pal into something unexpectedly terrible was played by a very young Frazer Hines. Years later he would be the 2nd Doctor’s companion Jamie McCrimmon in Doctor Who. 

I won’t blame the dude too much for not saying anything since this is probably niche geek interest. I mean, even if UNIT era Doctor Who had a lot in common with the film and there is plenty of Hammer/Who fandom crossover, I doubt he’s a fan and he was just rambling based on his own interests.  Considering he made it clear he didn’t give a flying fuck about the smaller parts I didn’t expect him to say anything anyway.)

[eldritchsurveys]

863.

When you were a kid…

Were you happy or sad when you found out your babysitter was coming? >> I didn’t have a babysitter, my father was retired and basically just stayed home all the time (or took me wherever he went). I only recall being left with someone overnight once when I was a child, and that’s when my father went to Washington, D.C., to join the Million Man March. He left me with my aunt and I got sick because I wasn’t used to being away from home like that.

Did you have a boyfriend in kindergarten? >> I did not????? Because I was in kindergarten? And obviously I find this whole concept weird as fuck but I guess I’m the only one.

Did you ever play hopscotch at school? >> No, because most of those kinds of games involved playing with other children, and I wasn’t socially accepted.

Did you refuse to eat your vegetables? >> I was raised in an almost-vegan household, I would have starved to death if I didn’t eat vegetables. Plus, I don’t recall ever having a problem with vegetables. It was dried fruit that I remember butting heads with my father about, I hated those.

What did you usually dress up as on Halloween? >> I wasn’t allowed to participate in Halloween.

What was your favorite television show? >> I don’t recall having a preference,  and  it’s not like I had many options anyway. I watched PBS shows and Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, and the news, and whatever movies or documentaries or other historical blather my father was into. Did you have D.E.A.R. time in school? (Drop Everything and Read) >> Yeah, I have a vague recollection of that. Did you ever read the ‘Magic Treehouse’ series? >> I’m not sure I’ve ever heard of that. How about the 'Bailey School Kids’ series? >> Not sure I’ve heard of this either. Do you remember the first movie you ever saw in theaters? >> Yeah, it was The Prince of Egypt and it changed my life. Who was your best friend in elementary school? >> Didn’t have one. Did they continue to be your best friend in middle school? >> --- Did you ever watch 'The Land Before Time’ movies? >> No. Did you ever watch the show 'Arthur’? >> I think I saw it when they played Nick Jr shows at lunchtime when I was in fourth grade. Did the tooth fairy give you a lot of money? >> I don’t remember if my father did the tooth-fairy thing. How often did you visit your nearest grandparents? >> I had none. Did you ever play with 'Little People’ toys? >> No. How about Polly Pockets? >> I don’t think so. Did you collect anything when you were a kid? >> Not really. Did you get an allowance? >> No. What was your favorite sport to play? What is it now? >> I didn’t like sports then and I don’t now. What foods did you not like then that you do like now? >> I don’t think my tastes have changed all that much. I like pretty much all the same things, and dislike pretty much all the same things. Were you into American Girl dolls? >> Yeah, but I didn’t have any. I just pored over the catalogues over and over again. I think I had some Addy books but I wasn’t really as interested in Addy as some of the others. What was your first pet and what did you name it? >> A dog, named Roxie. I don’t think I named her, I was pretty young when we got her. But maybe I did. Who knows. Did you ever read the 'Junie B. Jones’ books? >> I might have; those I remember. What did you want to be when you were a kid? >> Oh, you know. Stuff. What was your first word? Your first sentence? (If you remember) >> I have no idea, my father didn’t tell any stories about that. Have you moved into a new house since you were a kid? >> I moved multiple times during my under-18 years. Were you friends with your neighbors? >> No, I wasn’t allowed to talk to the neighbours. Did you enjoy exploring your backyard? >> I did. Especially when we moved to the Pine Barrens! So much cool nature. Did you bake cookies with your grandparents? >> --- What was your biggest fear when you were a kid? >> Thunderstorms, definitely. I would lose my shit. Who did you look up to most? >> I don’t recall looking up to anyone. Did you ever play the 'Reader Rabbit’ computer games? >> No, but I played a few other educational computer games. Did you have a swing set in your backyard? >> No. How about a sandbox? >> No. How old were you when you learned how to ride a bike? >> Six or seven, I presume. Did you ever spy on your neighbors through the window? >> No. Were you a teacher’s pet in kindergarten? >> I think teachers in general were either fascinated by or annoyed by me because I was precocious. Until middle school, that is. Did you ever build a treehouse or a fort in your yard? >> No. Did you ever find anything interesting in your yard? >> I mean, maybe. I don’t remember now. Did you ever have 'themed birthdays’? >> I didn’t have a birthday party until I was 16, and nothing about that party was my choice so... Did your parents let you drink soda? >> No. Did you ever watch 'The Powerpuff Girls’ or 'Dexter’s Laboratory’? >> No. Did you sleep with a blanket or stuffed animal? >> I don’t remember. Probably. Did you ever have a night light? >> I don’t know. I wasn’t afraid of the dark, so that wasn’t a problem. Did you watch 'Winnie the Pooh’? >> No. Did you ever have an imaginary friend? What was their name? >> I’ve had an Inworld since I was very young, so. What kinds of games did you play with your friends during Recess? >> --- Did you dream of being a princess or did you not really care about that? >> I did not dream of being a princess. Did you have a special name for your pacifier? What was it? >> I don’t think I really had a pacifier. Did you watch 'Blues Clues’? >> No. What kind of car did your parents have? >> My father drove a Buick Elektra and a Chevy Silverado, both from the seventies. Also a Harley-Davidson. Did you ever flush anything down the toilet by mistake? >> I don’t think so. Were you afraid to sleep by yourself? >> No. It’s not like I ever slept in my parent’s bed in the first place... What was your favorite subject in elementary school? >> I don’t know. I don’t think I really cared about school, like, ever. I did like art class when I was in one school, though, because that was the class I learned about perspective in and I was obsessed with drawing things using perspective for a while. How often did you go to the park? >> Pretty often. There were a lot of nice parks to go to, really big ones, too. What was your favorite kind of cake as a kid? >> I didn’t get cake as a kid. Did you ever want to grow up? >> I wanted to be free, basically. I was always an adult Inworld, so I think it felt really strange to have to live out a child’s life cycle. I can’t imagine ever wanting to be a child; the nostalgia people feel is so alien to me. I didn’t have as awful a childhood as some, but I’ve unmistakably got the effects of childhood emotional neglect and abandonment and shit, so....... still bad! Still not great! Still fucking traumatic!

[transassbuttwriting]

My 27th Birthday: We Couldn’t Get Much Higher

Word Count: 2,592 Warning(s): Depressing narrative, scars mentioned

His day wasn’t going how he originally planned it to go, but Geoff wasn’t complaining. It had been a while since he last hung out with Alan Wilson. The first time they ever interacted was when Brian had walked Geoff back to the club from their walk. Geoff had swallowed any doubts he had and just walked up to Alan, only knowing him as the blues rock singer that had performed before him. Now, they were walking along the sidewalk with Bon following behind closely. Bon had started to visit Geoff every couple of days. Geoff didn’t mind. He liked the company.

Alan was blathering on about the difference between the blues music genre and the rock music genre. Geoff couldn’t remember what the conversation was originally about, but Bon had mentioned how the music they played was similar. After that, Bon continued to feed ammunition to Alan.

The three of them were heading to a cafe that Geoff heard about from other members of Club 27. It was supposedly filled with the best treats in the entirety of Haven. Geoff wasn’t sure about those claims, but he knew that the employees would hate hearing Alan and Bon bicker.

Bon skipped ahead and opened the door for the other two. As Geoff expected, Alan continued, drawing a few looks from other customers. Geoff wanted to shrink into his coat like a turtle.

“Here, let me go ask one of the workers.” Alan said. He started to walk up to the register before Geoff grabbed him by the collar.

“We are not going to do that. The customers knowing is enough.”

Alan gestured to Bon, “Well, he doesn’t.”

Bon shrugged, his smirk only grew, “You know it sounds very similar. It’s like they were inspired by similar sources.”

Before Alan could step forward and sock Bon in the face, Geoff grabbed him and held him in place.

“You do know that he’s doing that just to rile you up, right?”

Alan paused. He scuffed, turning away.

“Yes, but I’m still mad.”

“Yes, we know, but for now, can you calm down enough to not make a scene?”

A second passed and Alan nodded.

“Good. Now that this is resolved enough, let’s order.”

Geoff had to admit there was a vast selection of snacks and coffees for them to choose from. He didn’t know where to start. His eyes avoided the more festive drinks until he found the regular drinks. Bon and Alan had already ordered, somehow passive aggressively interacting with each other. Bon had ordered a coffee with a good amount of Baileys in it. Geoff couldn’t imagine how he handled that stuff. Alan, on the other hand, was simple. Just a black coffee. When it was Geoff’s turn, he decided to get a drink with four espresso shots, earning a few looks from the employees. He didn’t care. They didn’t know what he had to do that day.

As they started to head for the exit, their drinks in hand, Geoff stopped in his tracks. Bon and Alan hadn’t noticed since they had reopened the conversation from before.

Across the cafe, he saw a tall man who looked so small as he hunched over. He looked tired as if he hadn’t slept in a couple days. He turned to look at the decorations that the cafe had put up and Geoff saw a large, long, red scar that started at the corner of his neck and continued down into his shirt. He played with his fingers, shifting his weight from his heels to the balls of his feet.

Geoff wanted to walk over to him and introduce himself. The man seemed to be by himself so, he wouldn’t mind having any company, would he? Geoff blinked and thought how weird that actually was. Still he wanted to know the man. Looking over him, he noticed more about him. He had delicate features and his hands were buried into his sleeves, his fingers the only part visible. Geoff had to admit it was cute.

Then his stomach turned and he scurried out of the cafe, catching up to Alan and Bon. They had nearly missed his absence and their argument was finally coming to an end. Geoff didn’t feel right and he took a sip of his coffee to calm his senses. He cringed at the taste, but swallowed it down since he needed it for later.

“You ready, Geoff?” Bon asked, pulling him along.

Geoff just nodded. As they started to walk, all Geoff could think about was if he would ever meet that man again. His stomach twisted and he took another sip of his coffee.

It was going to be a long day.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Maybe five or six espresso shots was better. Four shots wasn’t enough. Geoff did want to listen to Jim talk about...whatever he was talking about. It was just how his sentences flowed and how soft his voice was. By the time Jim had finished a sentence, Geoff forgot the beginning of it. He didn’t mean to. It was just...just that it was...was…

“You tired?” Jim asked.

Geoff’s eyes shot open to see Jim staring at him, waiting patiently to answer. Geoff shook his head and rubbed his eyes.

“Sorry about that.” Geoff mumbled.

“It’s all okay. You should get more sleep, you know? If you’re feeling this tired.”

“No, it’s...I’m okay. Just had some coffee today.”

They were alone together in the upstairs lounge of the club. It was always empty so it was the perfect space for relaxing. The noise from the stage room was muffled out enough that it was sitting in the room like the rays of sunlight coming from the windows.

Jim nodded and scribbled something on a notepad he had. Geoff had noticed it, but didn’t bring it to attention. Yet with each small note Jim made, Geoff grew more curious.

“What are you writing down?”

For a moment, Jim’s eyes widened as if no one had asked him before. He composed himself and grabbed the notepad.

“I’m just working on some poems.”

Geoff perked up, “May I see them?”

Jim hesitated, blinking at couple of times at Geoff. For a quick second, Geoff’s stomach flipped as he thought he had offended Jim. He had no idea how, but what if he did? Jim gave in eventually, handing the notepad over. Geoff took one look.

Jim was his friend and friendship needs honesty. He believed the poems would make some sense to him, but reading his poems were like trying to sleep on a pile of bricks. Geoff didn’t want to say this out loud, but Jim’s poems were not for him.

Just above the notepad, Geoff saw Jim’s face drop. His stomach turned again.

“Not your thing, right?”

Geoff panicked, “No, no! It’s great! I like how you...uh...used metaphors. It’s very descriptive! It’s very inters-”

“Don’t lie, Geoff.”

There was a pause between them.

“Yeah, I don’t get it.”

Jim chortled and took the notepad back. He scribbled down another verse and tapped his pen on the paper.

“It’s fine. You don’t have to get my stuff and I don’t have to get yours.” Jim said.

Geoff readjusted his sitting position, “Well, A for effort. At least you’re doing what you want to do. I couldn’t write a poem if you forced me to. I wouldn’t know where to start.”

Jim stopped tapping and furrowed his brows at Geoff.

“You know, you can just...write one. It doesn’t matter the length or quality.”

Geoff laughed, “Nah. I couldn’t.”

Jim flipped to a blank page and pushed the pen and paper to Geoff.

“Give it a try.”

“What?”

“Go on.”

“Jim, I can’t-”

“Just write something.”

Geoff stared at Jim and wrote down a sentence. He smiled smugly as he turned the paper, showing off the sentence in large bold letters. 

I CAN’T WRITE FOR SHIT

“Alright, smartass. Stay here. Don’t move a muscle.” Jim stood up and walked downstairs.

Geoff sat still, moving in small increments just in spite. He looked around, tapping his hands in a silly rhythm before he saw Minou climb up the steps and jumping onto the couch beside him. He started to scratch behind her ears as he wondered what was taking Jim so long.

Jim rushed back up the stairs, one of Brian’s guitars in his arms. He dropped the instrument on top of Geoff, making Minou jumped to the other couch before she was hit.

He sat down, “Play.”

Geoff blinked, “Excuse me?”

“Play something.”

Geoff looked at the guitar and back at Jim. He waited with Minou hundled into his lap. The eyes staring at him made his hands clammy and his brain run fast.

“I can’t play.”

“You’re telling me you can’t write a poem or play a guitar, but you can wear popcorn shorts, thinking they look okay.”

Geoff recoiled, his hands tightened around the guitar.

“Hey! Stripes look good on me!”

Jim raised a brow, “Popcorn shorts.”

“Shut up. Your style isn’t any better anyway.”

Jim ignored his last comment and waited again. Geoff readjusted his hands, forming the few chords he knew. He played a progression of the chords, not knowing the order he chose was a horrible combination. He then poorly played a melody that Randy had taught him, cringing at each note he played. 

Jim smirked, gesturing, “See? You can play a guitar.”

“Not well, though.”

“But you can play.”

“I suppose...Just because I can play and I can write doesn’t mean that I should or that I’m good at it.”

Jim rolled his eyes and reached over to take his notepad back. As he did, Geoff saw through the open buttons of his shirt a birthmark about the size of his fist on his chest. He frowned. He couldn’t remember Jim having a birthmark there. It would have been plainly obvious since during Jim’s life, he had been shirtless countless times.

“What is that?” He asked, placing the guitar down beside him.

Jim looked down into his shirt and smiled.

“Oh, that! That’s just my deathmark.”

Your what?

Geoff continued to stare. Jim opened his shirt a bit more, showing it off with what seemed to be satisfaction. It sat over his heart and it was light in colour. He began to think about the other members and how he never noticed any of them to have deathmarks.

He asked, “Does everyone have one?”

“For all I know, yeah. I know that if the cause of death was internal, it’s like a birthmark.”

“What if it’s external?”

Jim replied nonchalantly, “Then it’s a scar.”

Geoff froze as he came to the realization. He jumped from his seat and ran into the room on the right. He leaned over the sink, searching his face for something new. Then he found it. Sitting in the middle of his forehead, only slightly off center, was a small, round scar. He couldn’t believe he missed it every time he had looked into his bathroom mirror. It was grooved like a bullet, but sat on the surface of his skin.

Jim followed him with Minou meowing at both of them. He leaned gingerly on Geoff’s shoulders.

“Strange, right?”

“That’s fucked.”

Jim laughed, “Yeah, kind of.”

Geoff touched the scar. He couldn’t believe it. Out of all of the emotions he was feeling at the moment, frustration was the strongest.

“How did I not notice it?”

Jim looked at the scar and shrugged, “It isn’t very noticeable with its size and all.”

Geoff shook his head, “It’s just...that’s real fucked up.”

It was probably the years between their deaths, but Geoff found Jim’s calm attitude toward the scar was a bit unsettling. He was frustrated and felt cold thinking about why he had it.

Jim’s face lit up, “You know, you could write about it. Poetry can help people process things better.”

Geoff rolled his eyes and shoved Jim off of him. He couldn’t help, but smile however.

“How many times do I-Look, a painter can paint, an actor can act, a singer can sing, a writer can write. What am I? A singer. I didn’t even write that many songs for Needles. They were heavily edited by David and Randy.”

Jim crossed his arms and wore a smug grin. Geoff really wanted to smack it off, playfully or actually. He didn’t care.

“And what were they?”

Geoff’s eyes widened. He just backed himself into a corner, even Minou squeaked in agreement with Jim. He lifted his arm in defence, trying to climb out of the hole he had just dug.

“I’m just saying poetry, stories, essays, whatever else, I can’t do stuff like that. Not in my blood. I’m only a singer, that’s what I was raised to basically be.”

He turned back into the lounge area, moving the guitar to make room for himself. Minou skittered around the room, jumping into Geoff’s lap and mewing up at him. Geoff smiled at her and ran his hand along her entire body, hearing her pur back.

Jim leaned against the door frame. He was frowning down at Geoff; not like a disappointed father who was ready to tear you to pieces, more like a concerned mother, ready to listen.

“What do you mean raised?”

Geoff looked up, still petting Minou.

“I don’t know. Just that my sister and I were in the church choir as kids. Music was the start of my life and that’s what I’m good at.”

Jim shook his head, “Yes, you’re good at singing. I’ve heard you, this whole building has. Just because you’re good at one thing doesn’t mean you can’t be good at other things. I mean, look at Brian or even Alan. They both are musicians, but Alan is great at researching music and Brian doesn’t just play one instrument.”

Geoff raised a brow. He wasn’t going to listen to Jim, no matter how much he tried to convince him.

“You think I only do poems?”

Geoff nodded.

“I went to school for film, Geoff.”

Oh, shit.

Jim sighed, clasping his hands together.

“Look, if you ever listen to me once, please do now. If you sit still, you’re going to be stuck and you’re not going to grow. That’s what life, the afterlife, is about; growing.”

Geoff stared at Jim, his mind processing the words. Maybe Jim had a point. Maybe he needed to do something, whether it was just to please someone or it was genuinely something he wanted to do.

“Don’t think you can’t,” Jim finished, “Do or don’t, you know?”

Geoff let out a chuckled before he could stop himself. Jim furrowed his brows at Geoff, not realizing that Geoff’s mind had jumped when he accidently made a reference.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m sorry. I totally get it.”

“Alright,” Jim’s body relaxed and he grabbed the guitar, “I have to return this. I promised nothing bad would happen with it. You know how Brian gets.”

Geoff chuckled again and nodded. As Jim headed toward the staircase, Geoff called out to him.

“Hey Jim. Do you know if there’s like...a poem club or something like that?”

Jim paused, his eyes focused on the stairs as he started to think.

“I think so. I would have to check again though. Why? Are you interested?”

Geoff looked down at Minou sheepishly, “Could you take me there one day?”

Jim gave him a soft, side smile, “Of course, Geo.”

He turned back and walked down the stairs.

[grogblogging-follows]

I JUST REMEMBERED THAT THIS BLOG STILL HAS FOLLOWERS

just, ah. a heads up. u might wanna go ahead & blacklist ‘my bonny lies over the ocean’ im bein real fuckin gay 2nite

[punchdrunks-blog]

BASED ON | open to m

        quite frankly, bailey doesn’t even give half a fuck about the movie that’s been playing on the tv for about an hour now. it has served merely as background n o i s e for the tiring blather her boyfriend and his friends have been going on about, which sends her to hang out in the kitchen by herself. the scene is nothing new, although other times she’d find herself somewhere else, like the porch or the backyard. but it’s late in the evening and those places get pretty LONELY, so her best solution in preoccupying herself is alternating between a tub of frozen yogurt and a bag of chips as she’s perched on the counter top, enjoying a random 80s smash hits spotify playlist blaring from her phone. she’s not looking for peace and quiet. just air to breathe in from the smoke clouds in the living room, and the constant threat of wanting to break down in tears. it’s just another a shitty day, with the same shitty people in it and she’s not really expecting a dramatic turnaround in mood.