#cheapest one is 15 but yeah i get it

[weirdfreakshow]

i’ve just realized on this blog all my asks have been random funnies only one horny post so far, sounds like me

also i want so desperately to commission you but i’ve never commissioned before and i’m scared and broke, your art is so hot void fr fr

anyways recently been thinking about the old skizzpulse teacher au from grub (idk what name they go by-) because it was so hot i love problematic high school aus like that and bully joel au, speaking of i can’t remember did you reblog the art from that one?

sorry for the random ramblings it just kinda spiraled but oh well

-🪶

oh I totally get it, commissioning is scary asf for no reason, especially the part abt talking to the person???? and making your request?? 😭😭😭 NERVEWRACKING and I TOTALLY understand the broke part, I'm taking commissions for a reason after all LOL but thank you for the energy! I prommy I'm trustworthy and very nice I don't bite if you try to commission me I prommy i prommy. But it's okay if you can't

ALSO FUCJ YES I LOVE YOU TEACHERSTUDRNT IMPSKIZZ AU AND I MISS YOU EVERY DAY I'VE BEEN THINKING VAGUELY ABOUT IT FOR WEEKS NOW. Also! Yeah! I reposted it, I'll reblog it right after I post this ask so you get to see it yeah?

Also dw I allow you specifically bcus I like you duck

[snowysosturn]

Speeding Car - Matt Sturniolo Part 5

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 Part 24 Part 25 Part 26 Part 27 Part 28 Part 29

Pairing : y/n x Matt Sturniolo

Summary : After six years with your boyfriend Alex, you start mentally check out. At a UCLA party, Alex reconnects with his childhood friend Emily, who proposes a double date with her boyfriend Matt. Your attraction to Matt grows as he pays you the first real attention you've had in years, sparking a complicated emotional journey.

Warnings : MDNI, unhappy relationship, mentions of hangover, angst

The start of the new semester at UCLA brought a sense of urgency and routine that clashed with my internal chaos. Alex was excited, his schedule packed with classes and Bruins practice. Meanwhile, I struggled to shake off the lingering thoughts about Matt and Emily from the party, the Instagram follow, and my relationship dying out. I couldn’t tell anymore if my embarrassment was first or second hand. But today was a new day, and I had to focus.

I made Alex a protein packed breakfast this morning, I had the day off so I had the time.

“Thanks Y/n” Alex said as he gave me a pat on the back.

A pat on the back.

He took the last few bites of his meal and grabbed the keys to the car. “I’m not too sure what time I’ll be back tonight, I’ll text to let you know” Alex said as I walked behind him to the front door. I saw him off as he walked down the steps to the driveway.

“Aw shit!” I hear him exclaim, realizing one of his tyres had burst. "Great, just what I needed." he muttered.

Alex and I shared a car, it was originally mine, but I let Alex put it in his name as he needs to get around more than I do. So in simpler terms, Alex has a car that I’m able to drive once a month at least.

"Take my phone and book an Uber" I offered, handing it to him. "I'll figure out the tyre later."

He accepted my phone with a grateful nod and quickly booked the ride. As he waited, I heard my phone ping. A familiar sound, from Instagram.

“Matthew Sturniolo (@matthew.sturniolo) has requested to follow you”

"Hey, looks like Matt wants to follow you" Alex said, showing me the screen with a chuckle. "Guess he enjoyed your company at the party."

My heart jumped, a burning sensation flushed through my body. Why did this have to happen when Alex has my phone.

I tried to keep my voice steady. "Yeah, probably. We did talk quite a bit. I got along well with Nick too”

Alex shrugged, accepting the request before handing the phone back. "Alright, my ride's here. See you tonight."

"See you" I replied, watching him head out the door. Not a kiss to say goodbye or anything.

The day passed slowly, my thoughts constantly drifting to Matt's follow request. It felt like a lifeline, a connection I desperately wanted but also feared.

—————————————————————————

As the evening approached, I text Alex to let him know the tyre was fixed if he wanted me to pick him up whenever he was ready. He replied saying he had an evening free and he we was going to Uber home with Emily to hang out. They had figured out they were taking the same classes and were coming back to organize a few things for the current semester.

Alex and Emily arrived at our apartment. Alex seemed in good spirits despite the tire mishap.

“We have a school trip to Barcelona in 4 weeks, Europe! How exciting!” Emily said with joy.

“We decided it would be easier to come back here and look at flights together if you don’t mind helping us Y/n, I know you’re good with all of that.” Alex suggested.

For some weird reason this lit a fire in my stomach. I knew I was being stupid since it was for a school trip, but it bothered me how eager he was to organize everything. It was almost like pulling teeth anytime I tried to organize a trip with him.

After an hour of searching, I found the cheapest flights for them and everything was booked.

"I'm going to hit the sack early" he said after a while. "Practice starts tomorrow."

"Alright, good night" I said, trying to sound casual.

Emily and I were left alone in the living room. An awkward silence settled between us, punctuated by the occasional sound of Alex moving around in the bedroom. I knew I needed to break the ice, and I also had an opportunity to see where her and Matt stood with each other after Saturday night's events.

"So, how are things with you and Matt?" I asked.

Emily smiled, her eyes lighting up. "Matt's great. I mean, he’s really sweet and all, but sometimes I feel like he’s too good, you know? I also want to apologize to you for how I acted at the party, it was out of line. We’re only newly friends and I don’t want to embarrass myself or make a bad impression. I honestly still have a hangover from it all”

“Friends?” I thought to myself.

“Oh you don’t need to apologize to me at all Emily, it happens!” I respond, trying to make her feel better.

“I feel like I get carried away sometimes. I like the attention I get from Matt, but I also love the attention I get from others."

I frowned slightly. "Others?"

She shrugged, taking a sip from her Stanley cup. "Yeah, I mean, Matt has a big following, and being with him means I get noticed too. I love him, but I can’t help enjoying the attention. It's kind of addicting. Did you not notice all of the influencers at the party?”

Her words struck a nerve. How could she be so nonchalant about treating Matt that way? He deserved someone who appreciated him fully, not someone who saw him as a means to boost their own ego.

"Oh, no I didn’t notice.." I said, trying to keep my tone neutral.

Emily glanced at me, her expression unreadable. "It just comes hand in hand with his job. I love him, but I also love being in the spotlight. Is that so wrong?"

I didn't know how to respond. It felt wrong, deeply wrong. Matt deserved someone who loved him for who he was, not for the attention he brought. The more Emily talked, the more I realized she didn’t deserve him. My feelings for Matt, already complicated, grew stronger. He deserved better, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe, just maybe, I could be that for him.

As time passed the conversation changed, I found myself genuinely getting along with Emily despite the lingering irritation from her comments about Matt. We chatted about various things like classes, mutual friends, upcoming campus events and even her life in Austin. I can’t lie, she was easy to talk to, and I could see why she was popular. But underneath her charming exterior, her earlier remarks about enjoying attention grated on me.

I knew I had to keep things friendly. Not just for Alex's sake, but for my own. Staying close to Emily meant staying close to Matt. It was a delicate balance, and I was determined to maintain it.

Later that night, Emily glanced at her phone and sighed. "I should probably get going. It's getting late."

"Do you need a ride?" I asked, half hoping she would say yes so I could see Matt again.

"Yeah, I'll ask Matt to come pick me up" she said, typing out a quick message..

Matt’s POV

I rotted away in my room all day Sunday. I needed some time to myself. Emily went back to college early this morning and I hadn’t heard from her since.

After nearly 40 hours of sitting in my room, I decided it was time to try to be social again. I left my room and walked straight into the kitchen to find Nick and Chris sat at the kitchen table.

"Rough night Saturday.." Nick asked, eyeing me with concern.

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "You could say that."

Chris obliviously laughed. "Come on, it couldn't have been that bad."

Nick shot him a look. "Matt, we need to talk about Emily. Her behavior at the party... it wasn't okay."

I nodded, feeling a weight settle on my shoulders. "I know. She's been like this more and more lately."

Nick leaned forward, his expression serious. "You don't deserve to be treated like that. You do so much for her, and it seems like she doesn't appreciate any of it."

Chris, still not fully grasping the gravity of the situation, shrugged. "Girls can be complicated, man."

Nick ignored him, focusing on me. "Look, I know you care about her, but you have to think about yourself too. You deserve to be with someone who respects you and values you."

I sighed, the truth of his words hitting hard. "I keep hoping she'll change, that she'll realize how much I care about her and start treating me better."

Nick frowned. "People don't change unless they want to. And from what I've seen, Emily isn't interested in changing."

There was a moment of silence as we all absorbed the reality of the situation. Nick then changed the topic slightly, a mischievous look in his eyes. “I noticed you got along pretty well with Y/n, Alex's girlfriend.."

My mind flashed back to our conversations. There had been an easy connection, a sense of understanding that I hadn't felt with Emily in a long time. "Yeah, she's great. We had some good talks."

Chris, always one to break the tension in the worst possible way, grinned. "That’s the girl with the fat ass, right?"

Nick groaned, and I shot Chris a look. "Dude, not the time."

Chris held up his hands in surrender. "Just saying."

The mood soured, I stood up, needing to clear my head. "I'm going to bed. Thanks for the talk, guys."

As I made my way back to my room, my phone buzzed. Emily had texted me: "Hey, can you pick me up? I'm at Alex's place."

I sighed, knowing I'd go pick her up despite everything. I couldn't shake the feeling that something had to change, but I wasn’t sure if it would be her or me.

—————————————————————————

Y/N’s POV

"He'll be here in about ten minutes." Emily said, reading out the message from Matt.

My heart danced but I had to maintain my composure.

We continued chatting until Matt's car pulled up outside. Emily grabbed her things, and I walked her to the door.

"Thanks for having me over” she said with a smile. "We should do this more often."

"We should" I replied, forcing a smile. "It was nice."

We stepped outside, and I spotted Matt waiting in his car. As we approached, he got out and walked over, his expression warm but tired.

"Hey, thanks for picking me up" Emily said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"No problem" Matt replied, his eyes briefly meeting mine. "Hi" he added, his smile softening as he looked at me.

"Hi Matt" I responded, feeling a flutter in my chest.

"How was your evening?" Matt questioned.

"It was good" I replied, choosing my words carefully. "Emily and I had a nice time."

"Good to hear" he said, glancing at Emily. "Ready to go?"

"Yep" she replied, but then she turned to me. "We should all hang out together again, the four of us. Maybe we can plan another double date or something."

"Sounds good" I said, knowing that staying close to her meant more opportunities to see Matt.

As Emily climbed into the car, I took a moment to speak to Matt. "Hey, I just wanted to say.. if you ever need to talk or anything, I'm here."

Matt looked at me, his eyes searching mine. "Thanks, I appreciate that. And same to you."

Just then, Emily reached over and playfully tugged Matt's arm. "Come on, let's go. I've missed you."

Matt turned to her, his expression softening. "I've missed you too" he said, leaning in to kiss her. Their interaction was sweet and intimate, a stark contrast to the tension I had sensed earlier.

Watching them together, my heart sank. The way Matt looked at her, the way he held her, it made me question everything. Had I misread his kindness? Was I seeing what I wanted to see rather than what was really there?

As they drove away, I stood there for a moment, feeling a mix of confusion and heartache. The connection I thought I had with Matt now felt uncertain, overshadowed by his obvious affection for Emily.

Matts’ POV

The drive to Alex's was quiet, my thoughts a jumble of emotions. When I arrived, Emily was waiting outside, looking a bit worse for wear from her two day hangover but smiling when she saw me.

"Hey, thanks for coming to get me!" she said, giving me a kiss on the cheek.

"No problem" I replied, trying to keep my tone neutral. Still wanting to keep my stance that how she acted on Saturday was out of line.

As Emily climbed into the car, Y/n turned to me.

“Hey, I just wanted to say... if you ever need to talk or anything, I'm here."

I knew fully what she was referring to. Could she relate to me? Or was it just out of pity from the events she witnessed at the party.

"Thanks, I appreciate that. And same to you." We locked eyes for a moment, until Emily tugged at me and instantly broke the contact.

We got into the car and drove off as Y/n waved us off. On the ride back home I couldn't help but think about Nick's words and the confusion I felt brewing in me surrounding Y/n. Maybe it was time to seriously consider what I wanted and needed in a relationship. Emily had her good moments, but were they enough to outweigh the bad?

Only time would tell..

a/n : i’m rushing out for dinner rn so i will proof read and do tags properly when i’m back i just wanted to get this out asaaaaap. we do go back and forth with the povs here soz. part 6 hopefully tomorrow or sunday!!!!

taglist : @muwapsturniolo @anitahunt @sturnfannn @jayde510 @chrissfavhoe @babyalliah-777 @v33angel @urmom69lol @willowrites @ribread03 @sleepyysavv @sturnsaver @sleepysturniolo @jcsturniolo11 @jessie-essie @immattsslut @mynbbys @sturniolopanini @mattsturnxoxo @delicatechrry @t77te @sturnsyaper69

[hopeluna]

𖦹 ׂ 𓈒 ⋆ ۪ — Barista!Izuku Midoriya

♡! hope's notes: this is 50% unrealistic and 50% self indulgent. Tell me what u think lol <3

It's 7 in the morning when you realise that you're truly, utterly fucked.

You try to convince yourself that it was really your alarm's fault for not waking you up. Because now you are desperately trying to shove everything in your bag, while chewing on the world's driest granola bar and make your way out of your apartment.

You do the calculation in your head as you make your way down the stairs, trying not to trip. Your class is supposed start at 7:15, so you have approximately 5 minutes to get a much needed cup of coffee. And then you need to make run for your class which is 15 minutes, hoping to whatever deity that you'll reach there in 10 minutes.

A groan of frustration escapes you on the sidewalk at the utter slow pace the lady is moving in front of you, talking animatedly on the phone.

You've been late to class enough times this entire week that you're convinced your professor is going to shoot you in the head today. The first thing you notice in front of the cafe is how cute and cozy it looked. Like something straight out of a rom-com set.

There were small little coffee shops like this scattered through almost every road corner outside the campus. Coffee shops, cheap diners and stationaries all looking out for their target customers, drained college students.

This particular coffee shop, you had realised one day talking with your friends, was new and untouched by your hands. You knew that logically it wasn't a great time right now to experiment newly opened shops, no matter how much your friends had been praising the place but you were already late, and the decor and smell of roasted coffee beans seemed too appetizing to pass up.

The gentle chime of the bell at the entrance almost made you forget that your life could possibly be on the line in less than 10 minutes. Your shoulders loose some tension at the faint but noticeable fragrance in the air, the smell of coffee and the muffled sounds of students clicking away on their computers, couples chatting away in excitement and the sound of the workers behind the counter.

Oh yeah, you were definitely forgetting about class for some minutes.

Tapping your fingers to a random rhythm, your eyes immediately go to the cheapest drink on the big menu overhead the counter. Being a college student, you weren't really raking up the big bucks and would rather like to be able to afford instant ramen in the future.

And that's when it happened.

You swore that you almost went blind for about 2 seconds at the absolute beaming, sunshine-filled smile the barista gave you. The simple words "what can I get for you today?" suddenly sounded like the most holiest piece of angel music coming out of his mouth. He was cute, like a lot, with lush green curls falling messily atop his head, freckles doted like stars across his cheeks. You briefly registered the small "Midoriya" name plate attached to his shirt.

"Um, e-excuse me?"

"Yes?"

"I- what can I get you, ma'am?"

"Your number, hopefully"

Shit. The wide eyes and the full flush creeping up on his cheeks made you almost shriek in horror, you didn't mean to say that aloud. Suddenly, the once calming air felt stifling and uncomfortable.

"Uh! I mean- no!", wincing at your own volume, you suddenly wished that the earth would just open up and swallow you whole. "You see, um, that was- a joke! A bad joke!". It took all your strength to not bash your head on the counter under your sweaty palms, cringing at yourself.

The nervous laugh that "Midoriya" let out certainly didn't help the situation either.

You felt the tension lifting off your chest when a girl came up to the counter to ask for more creamer. The next course of action was probably not your proudest moment, definitely something you would look back at and curse yourself for. In your defence, your mind felt scrambled and fried at the whole interaction, so you did the only thing your brain managed to comprehend. You ran.

A few minutes later, already at your campus, you stopped for a second for breath. The frustrated whine you let out next was met with some questioning glances your way that you could not be bothered about right now, your mind only swirling with one thing.

You didn't even get your fucking coffee.

© hopeluna. Do not copy, translate, modify or repost any of my work in this or any other site. Do not steal or modify my ideas/concepts either.

[marco-newgate]

Marco X CisFem Reader

7

You had initially thought this date wouldn't be so bad. You were wrong.

What you thought had been a Big Lebowski crack when he met you at the bar was actually a jab. He'd never even seen the movie. Who hates on bowling? You didn't mind a little sarcasm, look who you're surrounded by 24/7, but this guy was sort of mean about it.

He's a surgeon and a good one apparently, well known by most of the patrons surrounding you. One of which he got into a heated argument with. The attractive redhead eventually noticed your embarrassment and apologized before going back to his table. Law didn't apologize though; he actually didn't seem to care at all that you were embarrassed by all of the gawking their outburst had caused.

This cocky shit.

Super hot..cocky shit

The server came and picked up your menus. When he turned and asked what you wanted Law spoke instead ordering for you.

"I hope you don't mind." He started, "You seem like the type who will order the cheapest thing on the menu... to be polite or course."

Rude!

Well, there was truth to that but it didn't need to be pointed out.

"Excuse me for a moment." You smiled and stood.

Once you reached the ladies room you fished you phone out of your clutch furiously dialing Nami only to get her voicemail.

"Why would you set me up with this gorgeous asshole?? You are totally gonna pay for this."

Me: Worst. Date. Ever

Ace: Its all in your head. Give the guy a chance.

Ace: you didn't want this to work out in the first place.

Me: shut up

Me: he's a colossal ass

Ace: I'm not rescuing you so give it up and go back to your dinner

Me: I hate your dumb freckled face!

Ace: I love you too my darling sweet best friend

You sighed in defeat tapping your free hand on the counter as you scrolled through your text log and stopped on Marco's name. You could do it, but you also knew he might actually show up. And as much as you wanted him to, you also didn't.

Ace sat on the sofa chuckling to himself.

"What's so funny yoi?" Marco asked rounding the corner.

"Oh F/N was trying to fake emergency her way out of her date." He waved his phone, "I told her she had to suck it up."

"She wouldn't ask if she didn't have good reason, right?" The blond slipped into his favorite teal hoodie that hung by the door.

"She's just being difficult because she didn't want to go in the first place. It's for her own good. You should have seen her before she left." Ace turned to face his brother wiggling his brows.

"That's OK." Marco shrugged.

He'd honestly rather not see you dressed up for a fancy date.

"Where you going?" Ace asked suspiciously.

"The bar. Not that I have to tell you anyway."

_____________

"Will you stop sulking?" Thatch placed a shot in front of his brother.

"I'm not sulking yoi."

"What's up with him?" Shanks nodded toward the depressed blond.

"Nothing." Marco replied.

"He's upset because F/N is on a blind date with Trafalgar Law." Thatch laughed earning a sharp glare from his brother.

"She's hating it by the way." Marco started, "She was texting Ace."

"Not surprising." A female voice chirped from the other side of Shanks.

All three males turned to the pinkette.

"That guy has a terrible attitude. He's super hot though."

"Not helping Bonney." Thatch chuckled.

Bonney shrugged continuing to munch her order of nachos.

Marco spent almost two hours at the bar getting pity drinks from women who thought he'd just been dumped. He sat slumped forward eyes barely open, mentally torturing himself. What if the date took a turn for the better because you decided to give him a chance. A surgeon certainty sounded better than a high school art teacher, right?

Thatch : Can you come get this sad sack?

[[ Image received from Thatch ]]

Me: Yes! I'll be there in 15 or less.

You shook your head at the picture of a completely wasted Marco slouched over Thatch's bar.

"Everything ok?" Law inquired.

"Ah, yeah. Seems my friend got pretty drunk and I need to go pick them up." You smiled retrieving your keys from your clutch.

"I'm sure we'll see each other around." He smirked handing the valet his ticket.

"Sure. Thanks for tonight." You nodded and made your way to the mall parking lot the next block over.

You were so glad to get away from that stuffy place. Tossing your heels in the back seat you shifted into gear and turned onto the main road.

"Over here." Thatch pointed to the end of the bar.

"Hey F/N! You're looking well ~" Shanks winked as you passed.

"Charming as usual Red." You smiled slipping into seat next to the blond, "Oi...pineapple ~"

"Heeeey F/N." Marco smiled turning his sleepy gaze to you, "When did you get here yoi?"

"I'm here to take you home you drunken goon." You laughed.

"I'm n-not drunk." He hiccupped.

"Oh of course not." You stood as Thatch rounded the bar to help you pull him off the stool.

The drive home was quiet until Marco started fumbling with your radio. You didn't mind, you shared the same taste in music. He opted for a Blue October CD that was already in turning it up before slouching back into the seat.

What if we could

Where would we go

If it felt right

Would you want me to know

I would meet you

Would you meet me

Wildly appreciate lyrics for the car ride. You skipped to the next song.

"Sorry yoi." The blond murmured.

"For what?"

"You had to leave your fancy date to get me."

You chuckled, "If anything I should thank you. You saved me from having an awkward 'I'm not coming home with you conversation."

"He was gonna take you home yoi?" He sat up.

"He didn't say it...but I have a feeling that's how most of his dates end."

Marco frowned, "Bonney said he is super hot yoi."

"Well, I can't deny that." You looked at the pouty drunk, "But he isn't my type."

"I see." He relaxed.

"Think you've sobered up enough to walk a little? The boys aren't home and I'm sure pops is asleep." You asked pulling into the drive way and parking.

"Mhm." He hummed heaving himself out of the car.

"I mean I'll help you, idiot." You grabbed your shoes and shuffled to steady him.

"Ya know, you look really nice tonight yoi." He commented snaking an arm around your waist.

"At least someone acknowledges my effort." You laughed, "I thought it was customary to compliment your date."

"He must be blind yoi."

"Thanks." You flushed.

The two of you shambled into the house.

"Where do you want me to drop you? I'm not risking the stairs."

"Couch yoi."

"Your yois are more frequent when you're drunk." You commented earning a flushed glare from the blond, "What? It's cute don't worry."

He seemed more flustered as you plopped down on the sofa together.

"You wanna sleep out here? I'll get you a blanket and some water."

"Yeah thanks." He yawned stretching out.

After getting Marco situated you retired to your room to get comfortable.

What a weird fucking night.

A light tap brought you back to your door. Rubbing your makeup remover wipe over your face you opened it revealing a swaying Marco.

"Sorry yoi... I forgot to give you your shirt." He said far too loudly in the quiet hallway.

"Hush, you'll wake pops." You pulled him into the room.

He held up a small brown bag and plopped down on your bed. You took it and continued to wipe your makeup off taking a seat next to Marco. The plain gray v-neck you'd given him four days ago now had an elaborate turquois phoenix soaring across it.

"Marco this is amazing." You held it up to get a better look at the intricate detail of the curling flames.

"I'm glad you like it." He replied sheepishly.

"Like is an understatement." You wrapped your arms around his neck.

Before you knew it his lips were on yours.

[chibisquirt]

Unfortunately, I appear to be getting into tufting.

I haven't gone off the deep end yet. I did buy a latchhook and some grid cloth so I can paddle my feet in the rug-like waters, but I haven't bought anything else, not even any yarn for it! (I'm so virtuous.) (I actually am so virtuous; I'm severely weak to yarn.)

But I have been watching rug tufting videos... and looking up tufting guns online... and plotting how I'm going to go about this...

It's a problem.

The fact that, if I get good at it, this could become a viable side-hustle... is not, actually, any less of a problem.

Anyway here's all the shit I'd need to buy to actually get started with it, along with long-range plans for equivalent pieces. Under a cut for the sake of all y'all's humanity:

Tufting gun

This is the big one, and I find myself in a bit of a dilemma on it: you can get them for cheap of aliexpress, but like... do I really wanna trust something that came off aliexpress? I have not gotten anything off there, and while I have no evidence it's any worse than amazon, I have no reason to think it's any better, either. (Actually, I'm pretty sure some of the amazon listings at least *are* the aliexpress listings, being re-sold. So, avoid that one, at least.)

So anyway the tufting gun everyone says is the best runs about $250.

2. Frame

You tuft by shooting fibers into a grid made of fabric; in order to do that, you have to have the grid solidly suspended in the air. This requires a frame.

Price varies by size.

3. Tufting fabric (or equivalent)

This is the fabric that you shoot the fibers into. You can also use monks cloth or burlap, apparently. (Not to be confused with the other fabric, backing fabric, which goes on after everything else, and is what the rug actually sits on.) Not too bad, not too bad, monks cloth is about $15/yard.

4. Yarn

Not my *immediate* starting cost, just because oh god oh god I will be swimming in vanna's choice until I die, but yarn is also not the cheapest thing in the world. You can get two skeins of red heart super savor for about $15-$20, and it goes up from there.

5. Glue

Once the fibers are in the monks cloth, there's nothing really holding them there. That's why you have to glue the shit out of them! Recommended glue is carpet glue, Roberts 3000 or 3085 or something. A gallon of that is $25, or 4 for $50 at Home Depot.

6. More glue!

Yeah, you didn't think we were done, did you? Once you've glued all your fibers in place, you cut out the rug from the grid fabric and glue the edges down, this time with a different type of adhesive. Tutorial I saw recommended hot glue and spray adhesive, which, since I don't have a glue gun, means I'd be looking about $25 all together for them.

Once you've got that done, you can add your...

7. Backing fabric!

Non-slip is good if it's going on the floor... you can do a 6' by 6' square of this for $35.

8. Trimmers

Teeeechnically, I already have some trimmers, but if I'm gonna do this with any seriousness, I don't want to use those for it, because they're designed for human hair and rugs are made with sheep hair (or hair from the noble acryligoat). You can get trimmers that come with a little guide, too, which is super handy if you don't want a giant gouge down the middle of your rug. Call these $40-50.

9. Scissors

Once you've gotten your rug shaved--not a euphemism--you want to go in and outline each color with scissors to give it definition.

So all of that comes to about $500 if you're thrifty. 😬 And then you consider the costs that repeat, like the next batch of tufting fabric and yarn, and the costs that add on as not-essential-but-nice-to-have, like yarn cones, extra frames, labels... It is Yikes.

Buuuuuut... If I were to start selling them... I mean, you can get hundreds of dollars per rug. Per small rug. A thousand plus for a big one! So I do kind of think it might be financially viable.

Better to start it as a hobby first, though. And maybe be prepared to have a pretty big initial layout. :(

[thefirstknife]

Have you heard about the season pass price hike? 1000 silver coins > 1200 silver coins. Because, man that sucks. This game is really getting too expensive for people outside the US :(

Yeah :/ It's super frustrating for a few reasons.

It's basically an increase from $10 to $12 which isn't a lot and is honestly expected. Even with that increase and the base Lightfall price increase, Destiny is still annually one of the cheapest online games per month.

The problem with this is that first, it's kinda out of nowhere. Two and a half weeks before the next season? And crammed into a TWAB full of a lot of really cool announcements about the next season, including that banger teaser image? Feels dirty. Lightfall was already more expensive so this is yet another additional cost, on top of also the previous additional cost of the dungeon key.

Another issue, and the main one imo, is that you can't buy 1200 silver. You can only buy 1000 + 500 or 2000. I'd recommend getting 1500 because it cuts the price to 15 instead of 20, but then you'll be left with 300 extra silver. There's not much to buy for 300 silver, so you can keep it and then next time you can just get 1000 silver and have enough for another pass. But then you're left with 100 silver that you can't spend on anything and next time you'll have to buy another 1500. It's annoying!

At least let people buy just enough silver for the season (1200) or, even better, just let people buy the season directly with the exact amount of money without involving silver. The season is $12, people should only have to give $12, not wrangle with two different packs of silver or, if they aren't aware, accidentally buying the big 2000 pack.

Good thing, I guess:

Pricing will remain unchanged for the Lightfall standard edition (which includes access to the current live Season at the time of purchase) and Lightfall + Annual Pass edition (which includes access to Seasons 20-23).

But that's kinda pressuring people into committing to all seasons for the whole year right away. Does that also mean that you can just upgrade to annual pass now and get the next three seasons effectively cheaper? I guess, but that also means committing to all three seasons right now.

Overall, I dislike it. We've had a few price increases already and while we're still on the cheaper end and 2 extra $ isn't a lot, the problem is that we're forced to spend 15 or 20 because it's impossible to buy the exact amount. Which just amounts to the season being 15, not 12. At the very least, I would like if Bungie amended the way to purchase it. Let people buy 1200 silver for the season for $12. That's like... the only way to soften this blow genuinely.

[28dayslater]

Doing the purchasing today. Three quotes for one order, all around a grand, go for the cheapest one bc we are #skint. Send the PO, get an email 10 minutes later, "oh sorry I fucked up the quote it's actually 150 quid more, is that okay" (why would it be okay?) "No, cancel the order please." Swiftly move on to putting it through under the next cheapest quote then he comes back scrambling "um er well before you cancel it can I maybe drop the price" "yeah we've had a quote for £15 more than your original price if you can match that you can have it" "Ok we can do that." CUCKED. You think you're scamming us out of money bc you're too thick to do your job right? Not on my watch

[crazy56u]

Just woke up 15 minutes ago, let's do this.

Once again, no saga sell. Meanwhile, in a pre-SAG-AFTRA Strike Hollywood...

Why do I get the feeling this guy was originally meant to be played by Kevin Costner?

"So, no filters." So, I take it this is at least in the 90s?

A movie where a scientist clones shit, I think I saw that on MST3K.

And right off of the bad, we're waxing poet about scripts. That's how you know this aired after the Writer's Strike ended.

Hey, look who finally decided to show back up to work!

I still say Tom's getting retconned through Ben preventing the time skip at the end of the season.

"This is the stuff dreams are made of." If that is meant to hint at my earlier theory being correct…

I swear to God, I thought Ian was wearing a red hat.

I feel like this was the cheapest episode to make, given how this was filmed without sets.

April 4th, 2000. Two fours, and a leap year, so of course Not Kevin Bacon died.

Hey, Ben, look on the bright side, this is pre-Jimmy Fallon-era Tonight Show. ...but, that does mean Jay Leno...

"Old address", teah, sure, keep telling yourself that…

Ben, I'm willing to bet you just lost him.

"Damn, I really suck at this Hollywood thing. … Addison, can we do commercials early?" "Yeah, why not…"

"Who loses Neil Russell?" People who don't love him?

And Ben commits a federal crime, and opens another man's mail.

A backyard wedding? In 2000?

And Ben almost gets run over by Roman soldiers.

"I think I may have blindsided people this morning, I don't think they expected me to come back to the show."

"What do you think about your first leap?" "…technically, wasn't that the bank robbery one?"

You know, while we're wasting time with this Tom and Addison shit, we could've seen more of Ben hitching a ride with the Romans.

"Hey, Rachel, no biggie, but I saw a thing on a computer, and I'm slightly freaking the fuck out."

Ben's got a golden ticket, this is the closest we will get to him leaping into Willy Wonka.

Look, who among us hasn't found themselves lying on the floor?

Ben, the biggest sitcom on TV was Full House, shut up.

…why is Neil's life slowly turning into Season 1 of Bojack Horseman?

"We get him to Leno, everyone wins. Literally the only time someone ever said that ironically."

"Look, please, I know I crashed your wedding, but I wanna get married again, this is 100% not a nervous breakdown."

"He's a sidekick, he's not a leading man! He doesn't vaguely remind the audience of Bojack Horseman!"

Uh oh, the badass brought out the whipping stick!

"Oh, wait, you're an agent, I'm not mad anymore."

"I don't wanna think, I don't wanna talk, I just wanna go on a boat-" "Okay, let's calm down!"

I wonder how Jay Leno must feel knowing this entire episode is built around him…

"I was quitting way too soon, we're only 15 minutes in!"

"We're winning Laura back!" And Ben and Addison low-key have a stroke.

Meanwhile, in... Blade Runner, I guess.

"Ian? Why are we in the blue dimension, and why do I suspect it involves Project-bullshit?"

What if it turns out this chip was what Jenn was talking about, and nothing else secretive was going on?

"Unless you find Ben, you'll never have a TV show."

Ian, you know what show you're on, you fucking know lying won't work in the long run.

"I can deal with your savior complex." That was a straight faced lie.

…was he calling Charlie Sheen? "Charlie Carter." Okay, thank God- okay, they're connected to Katzenberg, nevermind.

"You know, I once helped a bounty hunter-" "I thought you were never going to talk about Las Vegas, Summer?"

"How do you know she's the one?" "Because if she ain't, I'm getting on a boat and dying at sea."

And Neil indirectly shames Addison.

"And you're just drifting through life, lost, putting right what once went wrong-"

"We got flowers, we got the opera legend, we just gotta commit a crime!"

Robbing a wax museum. Only in Hollywood.

Addison, you can't keep shitting on Ben behind his back, he will find out, and he will get pissed.

"Ben's earned a little leadership. As a treat."

And Magic delivers some awful books. (ba-dum-ching!)

We're now in a horror movie, hot fucking damn.

Okay, I legitimately almost screamed after Not Yoda Jumpscare.

Is Not Jason Vorhees about to spring to life, I legitimately am getting freaked out the longer we stay here.

"Just get the tuxedo and go." "POLICE, OPEN UP, WE KNOW YOU'RE ROBBING THE WAX MUSEUM!"

Ben, you know what you have to do: Help Neil pick his cuffs, and escape the cops.

I don't like how quickly Ben learned the Hollywood magic of gaming the system.

But, hey, at least the cop took the bribe.

I don't know how Jenn is able to read that book, if that spotlight is shining directly at her like that.

I technically called it about that chip thing.

"So, that shitty chip is the only think letting us find Ben? Ian, no offense, but you suck at this."

"This is destiny, Summer. You know what happened the last time I tried to talk my way out of an arrest?!"

"Did Plan A go wrong?" "Ben, Neil almost got fucking arrested, what do you think?"

"It's about his daughter." "No, it's about Laura." (why-not-both.gif)

Addison, that is what we in the field like to call "Overplaying Your Hand". Now Ben's mad mad.

We have officially reached the "Relationship Bullshit Event Horizon".

"Hey, Frank, why is that agent yelling at a ghost about being abandoned for three years?" "Forget it, Jake, it's Hollywood." "I fucking hate you for making that joke."

"You know what else I did? (pointedly leaves the Imaging Chamber)"

Addison, no offense, but I'm still on Ben's side, not yours.

"Hey, Summer, why do you look like your heart got stomped on? Come on, we gotta crash a wedding!"

There is a non-zero percent chance that mug has bourbon in it.

"Hey, Addison, I know you and Ben had that fight, but I gotta talk to someone about this chip-"

"We have a few last minute flowers." "Ma'am, I know that Neil is hiding behind them."

"Summer, the bushes ate our tulips. I told you this would happen!"

Okay, having quickly looked this up, The Wedding Crashers came out in 2005, so if it turns out Ben indirectly caused the movie to exist-

"Neil, look, you're very sweet, but I am now convinced this is a nervous breakdown, do you need a blanket, or…"

"Look, time's passed, neither of us are the same people anymore. ...I can't help but notice your agent has that look on her face, so maybe that relates to her as well, but, I gotta go get married, have fun."

I'm actually impressed that Neil didn't bolt while Ben was busy apologizing to Addison.

"We still have 'The Tonight Show'." "Nah, fuck that, call me Ishmael."

[Annnnnnnnnd text limit!]

[milkybirdseed]

15 Tags, 15 Mutuals

Thank you @writeintrees for the tag!

1. Are you named after anyone?

First name no, but before I transitioned my middle name was my Great Aunts name. I just switched it to the masculine version of Louis because she was pretty cool.

2. When was the last time you cried?

Maybe three weeks ago. I moved out of my parents house for the first time about a month and a half ago and suddenly only being able to see them once a week if that, living with three strangers, and starting at a new university all at once caught up to me. I probably cried for nearly half an hour straight with my boyfriend over it.

3. Do you have kids?

Nope, and I fully plan on never having any. I’ll be the cool present uncle to my brothers kids with a handful of cats and other small creatures.

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot?

Oh yeah. My humor is really ironic recently so I try to be overt about I am joking by using sarcasm so no one thinks I’m actually insane.

5. What’s the first thing people notice about you?

This question is unfair, I’m not other people. Used to, I can say it was my eyes. I’d get compliments pretty often on my eye color before I started wearing glasses all the time. Now I’m not sure? Hopefully my personality, I try to be kind to people.

6. What’s your eye color?

🔵👄🔵 guess

7. Scary movies or happy endings?

When I’m with people? Scary movies. I love horror in a group setting or as a date movie, but alone I can’t get enough of cheesy happy ending movies.

8. Any special talents?

Finding the cheapest frozen pot pies in a 100 mile radius. I literally just found some for 99 cents at Aldi.

9. Where were you born?

Houston Texas baby

10. What are your hobbies?

Procrastinating my Chem homework by over-studying for my rock identifying geology labs. Oh, and writing, and a little painting.

11. Have you any pets?

I have three beautiful (stinky) rats making a racket in my room as I type this.

12. What’s sports do you play/have played?

I used to do color guard way back when (like nearly 6 years ago), but once I recover from top surgery I want to get in to rock climbing.

13. How tall are you?

5’5” :(

14. Favorite subject in school?

Geology and earth sciences

15. Dream job?

The goal is environmental conservation, but the dream is honestly something along the lines of a park ranger. I just want to be outside and in nature.

No pressure tags @jamieanovels @writingmoth @honeysoiair @unvelle @baroquesse @writingforevren @eli-writes-sometimes @pluromantic @adaltiorawrites @saltysupercomputer @gilgameshians @nightdoves

[potatoes-tomatoes]

Those questions are all so good, I can't pick!

1-30 pls? The ones you feel like doing 🫶

I have special interest in your thoughts on veganism tho

chipotle order?

carnitas bowl with pinto beans lettuce tomatoes crema guac and cheese

2. thoughts on veganism?

ain’t for me. I wasn’t born and raised to say no to meat as a hispanic texan. I feel it’s too self righteous a lifestyle, and somethin that’s very…hm… class restricted I’ll say. You gotta be able to afford sayin no to animal products. I understand in practice it’s so that one doesn’t partake in the loss of life or harm to an animal… but it’s like, why restrict that guilt to animals? Why restrict it to signals only we easily perceive? Trees and plants communicate to each other too, they also send their own signals of distress when in danger. They’re their own form of sentient. Whatever we eat, we are taking some or all the life of. (I guess except for eggs? bc that's just chicken period) That’s just something we must accept.

Also sometimes the marketing for it I find is funny. “vegan leather” you mean synthetic shit?? "yeah I'm sippin outta my vegan cup oh what brand is it you ask heh, Solo." like c'mon man. get outta here.

3. a specific color that gives you the ick?

I believe all colors have the potential to be beautiful within the right palette

4. mythical creature you think/believe is real?

answered!

5. Favorite form of potato?

Frenchly Fried

6. do you use a watch?

nah just my phone

7. what animal do you look forward to seeing when you visit an aquarium?

the seals

8. do you change into specific clothes for the house when you get home?

ya my pjs (old shirt and sweats)

9. do you have a skincare routine (and how many steps is it)?

wash my face with face cleanser, put on moisturizer. every other day or so I put on an innisfree mask.

10. on a plane, do you ask for apple or orange juice?

I ask for a coffee with two creams and no sugar.

11. anything from your childhood you’ve held on to?

Oh many things, i got a bin full of em. sketchbooks, elementary yearbooks, diaries. My prized posession is my first stuffed bear, Clover. She’s stuck with me since I was 6 years old!

12. brand of haircare/bodycare/skincare that you trust 100%?

;–; none of them they all did me dirty. and I get too overwhelmed to look into what brands are the cheapest and best for my skin/hair.

13. first thing you’re doing in the purge?

stealing money to pay off my goddamn loans. That or I'd like to know who directly could cancel my loans (like is there a. like a "cancel loan" button on a computer or what. who's in charge of that button. I'm so smart guys I know exactly how the banking system works) so I could spook them into getting it done for me. I wouldn't hurt anyone, but I'd look the part to get them to do what I want.

14. do you think you’re dehydrated?

nah i drink plenty water.

15. rank the methods of death: freezing, burning, drowning

oof that’s tough. They all seem equal to me.

16. thoughts on mint chocolate chip?

LOVE LOVE LOVE!!

17. an anxious compulsion you do everyday?

I often check to see if my back is straight or if I’m not pursing my lips

18. your boba/tea order

matcha or taro, blended.

19. the veggie you dislike the most?

lima beans eughhh

20. favorite disney princess movie?

Tangled

21. a number that weirds you out?

my ex's (badum tsh)

22. do you have an emotional support water bottle?

I am in possession of only one water bottle

23. do you wear jewelry?

no. I own some though for some reason.

24. which do you find yourself using, american or british english?

American, but I prefer using the british grey instead of american gray.

25. would you say you have good taste in music?

My taste in music is the only thing abt myself I’m confident in hgjkfd yes I would say so.

26. how’s your spice tolerance?

Take a look at my hispanic card you’ll see “güerita“ in bright bold lettering. 

27. what’s your favorite or go-to outfit?

jeans and a t-shirt with my chanclas 

28. last meal on earth?

Fettuccine Alfredo

29. preferred pasta noodle?

Bowties, they funky

30. ask me anything !

well gosh how am I supposed to answer this one y’aint sent me nothin on it pinsky XD 

[beachtoosandytranscripts]

3: Car Washes in Minneapolis, MN

“Welcome to Beach Too Sandy, Water Too Wet, a podcast featuring real reviews written by people who just need the world to know what they think. Between you and me, I wanted to like this podcast, but I'd give it zero stars if I could.”

Hello, everybody, and welcome back to Beach Too Sandy, Water Too Wet, the podcast where we read the worst reviews in the most dramatic fashion.

Yeah, welcome, this is episode three.

Already, wow.

Already, yeah. I came up with the theme for this week, and it was car washes in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and you gave me a very mean challenge.

And I have no idea what I said, because I don't remember.

And that makes it so much worse.

What was it?

You gave me the challenge of finding a review written by a vegan of a barbecue place. That was awful.

That's very, very funny. Good job, me.

Yeah, good job. Well, but first we're going to go into our car wash reviews.

Right. And so exciting.

I'm going to go first.

Okay.

This is a review of Soapy Joe's Car Wash.

Oh, I looked at that place.

It was written by RS.

Okay.

And it was a one-star review, of course.

Sure.

And this is what RS has to say. Minnesota winters destroy the outsides of cars. Four-year-old kids with a $2-a-day Cheez-It habit destroy the insides of cars. Soapy Joe's is not the place though, to help with either. If your business is, you know, washing cars, then for God's sake have the ability to wash a car.

Makes sense.

If I go there, wait in line 15 minutes, only to find out that it will be another hour to have them clean my car, then maybe they shouldn't be in the car wash business. By the time you find out that it'll be forever for a full-service wash, you're at the front of the line and you can't escape.

Oh my God.

There's no turning back. So I get the cheapest wash, the one I don't need, and get the crap-tastic, fuck you, $6.99 version. The one where you drive it through and they pretend to dry your car.

I can do better at my neighborhood BP.

Oh, she's having a bad day. The lady or guy, do we know?

No, just RS. Yeah, this was rough.

Sounds like a bad time.

But like when you pay $6.99, then you're like, I could do better at my BP. Aren't the BP ones more than $6.99 anyway? But that's not all.

Oh, God, of course it's not.

You vacuum yourself. That's like going to a Starbucks and brewing your own coffee.

No, it's not, but OK.

It's disdainful of the customer.

I don't think that's how that word works.

I don't think so either, RS. But yeah, I don't think that's what happens. That's Starbucks.

$6.99. You pay $6.99 and then you have to vacuum your car.

It's pretty disdainful.

I'm no free market expert.

Oh, no way, RS.

But if you want to wash cars, wash cars. I mean...

That's basically what the free market boils down to.

I don't know what they're...

They hit it right on the head.

I say this every time, but I don't know what their logic is. I'm never going to understand.

There's no plot.

I mean, I'm just spitballing here. But here are some options. One, hire more people.

Two, do things better. Three, sell and get out of the business all together.

Why didn't they think of that?

End of review.

Do things better.

Do things better.

That's just rude.

RS needs to write a business management, like, Bible for everyone.

It's like the Michael Scott, like, manager book that he's writing.

Oh my gosh. What was the title? Who's managing who?

Somehow I manage and he's shrugging on the cover.

Oh, yeah, of course.

Of course somebody made an actual, like, replica of it on the Internet. Somehow I manage.

RS needs to get into that game.

And then he says over one billion sold. Okay. Anyway, RS needs to hopefully take a nap.

Or open up their own car wash.

Nobody needs that.

Well, maybe they can do things better and then sell and get out of the business. Before or after they hire more people. Three steps to business.

The free market indeed. All right. So I'm going to give you a review written—I keep doing this and I'm sorry, but it's a five star review.

Is that allowed on these?

They're just so he didn't have. Just let me do it.

And then if it's not, if it doesn't work, we'll let the fans decide.

We got the fans.

We'll let the free market decide.

We'll let the free market dictate what we do next. So Will G had this to say of the downtowner car wash in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

I went here with my mud covered jeep to give the piggy a bath. Inside and out. I have had this jeep five years and decided it was time to clean the inside, especially considering I sprayed mud all over the inside off-roading the other day. Fun, but messy.

Wait, this is the first time in five years they wash the inside of their car. That's disgusting.

Only because they sprayed the inside with mud off-roading. You know how it is, fun but messy. They went through this thing in detail inside and got it clean like the day I bought it clean.

Oh, man.

Five years go by, nothing needs cleaning in there and then all of a sudden just everything happens. Mud, energy drink.

This is actually uh Will's cry for help I think. Never in the five years that I've had this Jeep has that ever happened? Heck, in the 30 some years that I've owned cars, I've never had a can of soda explode in one.

I mean, really?

Wait, this was heat?

Yeah.

Like in Minnesota?

Maybe that's why.

The heat, but shouldn't the cold?

That happened to me one time.

I feel like that happens when it's really cold.

That happened to me with the diet coke that was in the car exploded.

Oh.

Because it was too hot.

It was hot?

Renee was in the car. We almost crashed into a pole.

I think that happens no matter what's going on.

It didn't have anything to do with the can of soda. Okay. I mean, really?

The day after paying $50 to have the inside detailed? Who hates me?

Anyways, the downtown people are awesome. They did a great job. End of review.

Wait, he didn't go back? Okay, but you know what I have to say? Good on him for getting a great clean and then writing that five star review despite the fact that it was ruined the next day.

Yeah, I think he just wanted to talk about that soda. I don't think there was any other reason. It was a good excuse.

Anyway, so that's Will's review.

Oh my gosh, Will.

I'm ready for it.

I wonder who hates him.

I mean, I kind of do. Just kidding.

Oh no. Well, I followed your lead on this one.

Oh, what does that mean?

I also found a five star review for my challenge.

Oh, oh God. So we are really...

Yeah, but that was fine for the challenge ones.

Oh, okay. So I'm just cheating. Got it.

That's what we're used to. It's okay. It's okay.

So this one, and I guess, you know, this balances things out because you'll just listen to the first sentence here. Oh, and I was inspired by last week's Monty review.

What's Monty again?

Oh my gosh.

What did he do?

Monty. He gave us the full Monty.

Wait, what was he? Was he reviewing? Oh, he's reviewing the stadium.

Yeah. What was it? Onion?

I don't even remember.

Uh, hashbr- no. Potatoes?

I don't remember.

Garlic fries. Garlic fries. Garlic fries!

I was close with the potatoes, just saying.

Okay, tell me. Oh, God, you're like really getting set up here.

I'm ready. This is this is Marlowe's review.

Marlowe.

This is not Marlowe's review. No, this is Jason's review of Marlowe's ribs. I can read my own notes.

Wow, you must—this is, I'm so excited to hear what you came up with.

From Memphis, Tennessee, by the way, when I was looking at barbecue places, I went I went to Nashville, Atlanta, and finally found the best one in Memphis.

Okay, I'm ready.

I used to be vegan until I came to Marlowe's.

What?

True story.

Are you serious?

I see that's where I was kind of like this might be cheating because technically now he's not a vegan.

Well, he was.

But he was when he went there.

Time is a construct.

Oh, yeah. In the free market, it doesn't matter what kind of food you eat.

Everyone's learning a lot about business today and philosophy.

Yeah. This is a podcast. That's what it's all about.

All right. True story. I was traveling through to check out Graceland.

I had been vegan for four years.

My God.

We got picked up in the pink Cadillac and taken to the restaurant. I asked the driver how the black bean burger was. He laughed.

When I walked in, something changed.

Oh my God.

I ordered pretty much one of everything. My girlfriend thought I was kidding. After I ordered, she said she couldn't eat all that.

And I quickly informed her that I was eating it.

It's not for you.

As I was eating, the server came over. My girlfriend told the server that I was vegan until just now, after four years. And the server didn't believe her.

No, because why on earth would that make any sense?

Exactly.

That's not a thing.

He was vegan until just now, for four years.

Until he ordered literally one of every item on this menu.

Literally the server was carrying plates and plates and plates over. It's like so annoyed.

And also, wouldn't you get so sick if you haven't eaten meat in four years?

Oh, it seems like a bad idea. But let's have a quick rundown from Jason about what he ate.

Oh, are you kidding?

OK, all caps, all of these food items and all of these reviews of food items are all caps. Brisket to die for, pulled pork to die for, pulled chicken to die for. This isn't all caps.

Well, the last word is cornbread, non-Yankee cornbread and amazing Mac and cheese. The bomb barbecue ribs, the best I've ever had.

Oh, the best he's ever, the most, the one that he's ever had because he's fucking vegan.

Fried pickles, amazing. Marlowe's doesn't play around. Their meat is cooked perfectly.

How would you know?

That's what I was thinking this whole time. I'm like, this guy hasn't eaten meat in four years. And then all of a sudden he's a meat expert.

Well, not because he spelled meat M-E-E-T.

No, are you serious?

I'm not kidding. It's got a fantastic flavor and smoke ring. It doesn't need the crutch of barbecue sauce.

It's not dry. I mean, Marlowe's is what I have compared every barbecue to since. It has turned me from vegan to carnivore and literally ruined barbecue for me because I compare everything I eat to Marlowe's, which is what he had just said.

But okay. Last year, I rode my motorcycle from Los Angeles to Memphis specifically to eat at Marlowe's.

I'm kidding. So wait, this vegan suddenly decided to eat barbecue and buy a motorcycle and...

Christina! He walked in and everything changed.

I— it must have.

Literally everything. I'm not retired by the way. It was just that important to me.

What?

I checked into my hotel, walked over to the store to pick up a beer and some guy tried to mug me at knife point.

Wait, hold on. Where did this come from?

Oh yeah, this is where it gets even juicier. He literally rode his motorcycle to Memphis to get this barbecue.

From Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles. Was there.

I'll just let that one slide, okay.

Went to go get a beer and was mugged at knife point.

Oh, my God.

I decided not to dine in after that. So I just ordered the food delivered to my room and barricaded myself inside. I couldn't make up my mind, so I ordered the above mentioned, brisket, pulled pork, chicken, pickles, mac and cheese and ribs.

Yeah, thanks.

I was in heaven. The mood of this has shifted very suddenly, like very back and forth.

I am having a hard time following this.

I couldn't finish about 85% of it. So I hope the cleaning crew at the hotel ate the rest.

No, they did not. They didn't eat the food you left behind. That's disgusting.

Marlowe's literally changed my life. I now own a smoker and barbecue ribs, pork and chicken a lot.

I'm not, was not even gonna say it, but I just the whole time was like, this is that guy who buys a smoker and then tells everyone he knows about his smoker. And clearly I was right. Okay.

Yeah, no, that's what Jason's become. I will ride back one day to eat it again. Consider opening up a restaurant in LA?

End of review.

I don't want to ever run into this guy, so.

Could you imagine?

No. And I just feel like I'd know instantly when I saw him, who he was. Also definitely the owner of this place wrote that.

Yeah, right? Although I did look at his history and he does review other things, like most of them are vegan restaurants, even still.

Wait, are you being serious?

Yeah, like he's— vegan restaurants in LA.

Wow, this guy is crazy town.

He's changed.

I've changed.

Yeah.

After that.

Yeah, there's just...

That was really-

I'm ready for some barbecue.

That was a lot. I know I am actually a little hungry right now.

I know. Thanks, Jason.

Thanks, Jason or Marty's or whatever.

Marlowe's.

Marlowe's. I guess in LA is the only place you would see a vegan riding a motorcycle. So maybe that makes some sense.

No, I don't know. I still don't think it does.

I'm grasping at straws. Anyway, well, that was a very successful... That was like extremely successful.

What, his trip to Memphis?

Yes. No, the restaurant's attempt at converting vegans. No, you're stepping up to the plate of my challenge.

Yeah. I did find some other ones, but they were like, oh, this place actually has vegan options. I had the black bean burger and it was great.

Did you know fried pickles are vegan?

Oh, I was actually wondering that while you read that.

And that's what people wrote reviews about fried pickles and stuff, but they were very boring and it's kind of like, okay, I know where to go if I want a vegan barbecue place.

That's gold. Okay. So we're going to announce our challenge in next week's theme after this little spiel we do to tell you where to find us on the Internet.

You can find us on Instagram and Twitter at Beach Too Sandy, on Facebook at Beach Too Sandy, Water Too Wet. Our website is beachtoosandy.com.

You can find us, I guess, wherever you're listening now or on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Play, anywhere you listen to any podcatcher, anywhere you listen to podcasts. And please leave us a review if you can. That would be super great and helpful and would help us kind of kickstart this thing.

All right. So now it's time for you to give us our theme for next week and I'll reveal your challenge.

Oh, God. Okay. So the theme for next week is tech stores in Jacksonville, Florida.

Does that make sense?

Yeah, it definitely does. Have you been watching? What have you been watching?

The Good Place?

Like that's exactly what I thought of.

He doesn't need to steal. Doesn't Jason's? And Jason.

Oh, maybe it's all in my head. Yeah. I think Jason robs a radio shack or something.

No, he robs a bar. But Atypical. What's his name?

Sam works at a. Oh, that's probably just mixing shows together and getting something good. That's a good one, though.

I like that one.

So what is my challenge? Because I'm nervous about that.

Well, because of Jason's wonderful food related review, I was very hungry when I thought of this. You are going to find a review of a candy store that mentions broccoli.

Oh, my God. OK, that's fun.

Yeah, I think so.

I like it.

I'm expecting someone who really hates broccoli and just needs to tell the world.

I'm going to eat that broccoli candy. All right. I will work on that.

Sounds good. Until next week.

See you then.

[jayreviews]

Apples are falling very far from the store

Hey it’s Yaj!

Quick update on the headphones: they’re amazing. I love them even more than I thought I did. The noise cancellation is a god send and I’m not even joking.

From previous posts I said how I lived with a big family, and said family has so many kids, and said kids make a lot of noise, and said noise is lowered when I turn on my headphones. Thank god I bought them cause my window was looking really tempting.

I did want to buy AirPods so I went to the store next to my house and asked for the cheapest not gonna lie. He said they were ten dollars and warned me that they weren’t the original and I was like ‘Well yeah they’re like ten dollars how would they be original?’ so I bought them but my tiny little shrimp brain didn’t think of asking about the sound or even seeing if I can try them at his store first.

So when I went back home to try them, in the nicest words I can think of: they were very much not what I wanted. The sound was very bad, the packaging was very good for ten dollars.

Anyway, I returned and got my money back.

I don’t need AirPods anyway.

Also I haven’t been playing as much as I did in summer cause obviously?? I have classes. And it’s exhausting. I went to my last class of the day today, spent money on the bus, sweat a lot cause summer sucks, walked to my class and finally sat down, only to get a text from my friend sending me the email our doctor sent saying ‘Oh there’s no class come in the weekend’ like?? Miss ma’am sir that should be illegal.

Anyway so I sat in the air conditioned room cause I wasn’t dumb?? And went home after an hour.

And new topic: What is up with apple?

I keep hearing about how the iPhone 15 overheats when you use a charger other than the one you buy, breaks when it bends but honestly why would you even buy a phone that expensive only to bend it?? rich people man. I want to be this rich in the future so I could but an iPhone just to bend it.

So I updated my iPhone 12 to the new iOS update because it hadn’t stopped bugging me about it, and what do you know, it’s been hell on earth.

My battery is more draining than before, my applications keep crashing, the new auto correction wON’T TURN OFF AND I AM FED UP BECAUSE WHY IS IT LIKE THAT??

And there’s another update to the one before, but it needs at least 6GB for it to update and like?? I have the 64GB you think I have enough space??

I’m crying.

Also my computer is lagging too much, the stupid thing won’t click unless I restart every time I open it. None of my applications will work unless I do that.

So I need a new phone, a new computer, and because I’m a hoarder and I like collecting things that are not normal and because it would look so cute, I want an iPad. With a keyboard. And an apple pen.

You think if I got just the iPad with the keyboard and the pen it’d replace my computer? Not like replace replace but it’d help for college right? Idk.

Yeah the window looks very tempting. It’s calling out to me.

Plus I’m responsible for this club in college and I have to do so many things and buy stuff and talk to so many people for this other thing and we don’t even have the budget so we’re all paying from out of pocket.

(We had the first meeting last week and so many people were starting at me. But then my best friend wad like ‘Well yeah it’s cause you’re the president’ and I blocked her. But there were two cute guys staring at me the whole time. Let me be delusional okay??)

Oh oh!! And there’s this cute guy in some of my classes but I’m terrified he’s a minor (like he’s 17 not 18 yet fresh out of high school) and like ew. So I’m remaining safe and keeping it close from a distance. Like, friends is okay. If he’s 18 then woohoo I can have a crush. But if he’s 17 then haha jail looking real fine right now.

So.

How are you guys doing?

Until next time.

Byebye!

[athena5898]

Okay speaking as someone who is from ass no where in the middle of farm country. We still need public transportation.

here i'm going to say it again in case someone didn't hear me

WE STILL NEED PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION!!!!!! It takes me 16 FUCKING HOURS to get back where I grew up. and the cheapest thing is to drive a hybrid to get there. Now Plane tickets are now getting to the point of being the same fucking price as fuel. And god forbid you are a dumb ass who only has a big giant truck they pretend is a work truck. (all hat no cattle types, they are the ones bitching about public transit cause they have fucking money and it doesn't matter to them) then yeah the plane ticket is probably going to be cheaper. In SW OK, I should be able to drive 1 hour to a city and get on a fucking bus or train. at LEAST. Do you know what you do reader if you don't have a car or if you can't drive living in a rural town with a graduating population of 32? Do you know what you do? JACK NOTHING THAT' WHAT. I knew a fucking kid in the foster program who walked a 15+ min car ride to school once cause he had no other way to get there. I kid you the fuck not. And yes, I put it in car time, cause that's what you measure things out there and I honestly dont' remember anything else. Like if we lived in a society worth a fucking damn, there would be buses at LEAST that went around. I don't care if it was a god damn old school bus at this point. We need anything out there that would help. We all need public transportation. We all fucking need it. Yes the first few posts were dumb asses. Yes we need farmers (though our farming is shit and we do not grow with the land, I could spend hours alone ranting about WV trying to force fucking cows in the goddamn mountains, but that's a different rant and not the focus here) But we still need public transportation. The cities that do exist need to be walkable. If anything cause the people who live there, supplying things to the farmers, can move about and live in a nice fucking town instead of a parking lot that gets hotter and hotter each passing year cause we destroyed all the god damn trees. Like, if needed put up some parking garages on the edge of town and shit, and let us walk around the damn town in the cool of shade please! I mean at least in OK, they probably can just park in a field like a school's football game anyway.

They use cars to trap the poor in these areas, and it's fucking disgusting. (the heat in this isn't directed at anyone up top per say, I'm just so fucking tired of people thinking that public transit wouldn't be useful in the rural. The problem is it wouldn't be *profitable* cause that's how we think of our public services and it needs to fucking stop)

The other thread on this was started by chuds so I'm gonna reboot it myself: it's really sad that people don't understand the Midwest is where food gets grown and we're supposed to grow a lot more of it.

Suggesting people just move to the cities is astonishingly clueless and would only make the situation worse. Some Americans have truly no idea what it's like out there, tiny communities separated by hour long drives if you even have transport, millions of people really are just abandoned and left behind by what we consider progress and have no way out.

[honeybeedewdrops]

Lost Friends | B.Bradshaw

Summary: You are Mavericks kid and had a falling out with Bradley when Maverick pulled his papers. Years later you meet up again at The Hard Deck.

______________________________________________________________

When one of Maverick's random one night stands showed up on his door step with you. He was shocked to say the least but he took you in despite knowing so little about children. Sure he's babysat Bradley but he had no idea how to care for a child. Over the years with some help Maverick became a great father to you.

From the moment Maverick introduced a 7 year old Bradley to you he knew you'd be best friends despite the age gap. He knew Bradley would protect you when he couldn't. He sure was right about that. As you two grew up together you grew attached at the hip and spent nearly every waking moment with each other. You even grew to have a crush on him but you never told anyone that.

Sadly that all went away in a flash the minute Maverick pulled Bradley's papers he cut all ties and that included you. So when Bradley stopped answering your texts and phone calls you knew something was up. You asked your dad but he just gave you some bullshit answer. You called and texted Bradley everyday even when they stopped delivering, But as you got older Bradley fizzled out and just became another memory buried deep down.

Time went on and you moved out going to college but for some reason you would always find your way back to North Island so that's where you lived now.

-

You were wiping the bar top down when your dad walked in. "Dad" You call forgetting about the customers and running up to hug him. "Hey kiddo" you roll your eyes at that one "I think i'm a bit too old to be called kiddo" you say walking behind the bar again. "Nah your never to old besides you are my kid" "whatever you want something" "sure i'll take your cheapest beer" you grab a glass and start pouring.

You talk to him for a while before Penny told you could go on your break before the big rush came in. You spent your break a little ways down the beach listening to the calming waters.

You step behind the bar again and see many faces you recognised and some you didn't. You kept your eye on a very specific group in the corner playing some pool. That's when you heard it "Bradshaw" You froze hearing that name. It can't be. You watched as a man walks up to the group. You couldn't tell if it was him because you had yet to see his face but how many Bradshaws are there in the world and how many are there in the Navy.

When the man turned you knew it was him. It had been so many years he looked good. You watch Bradley's every move not being able to take your eyes off him. but you were interrupt by Penny ringing the bell and you looked over and saw your dad looking at you for some help but the Bar started to chat overboard making you shrug. "Sorry rules are rules" you mouth as he gets picked up.

You watch the three men throw your dad as the singing started. Hearing the familiar tune you smiled he's still got it. Hearing this simple song made you think back on all the stories your dad would tell you about Goose.

The song finished and many people came up and asked for more drinks. That's when you spoke to Bradley for the first time in 15 years. "Hey miss can I get a beer" "yeah sure" you say. He looks at you like he knows you "Do I know you" you bite your lip and turn away "no I don't think so" "yeah no no I do" and he looks to your name tag and every thing clicked. "Y/N. Y/N Mitchell" "hey Brads" you say tucking your hair behind your ear.

He stays silent so you turn to walk away "wait I didn't think i'd every see you again" "yeah and who's fault is that?" you mumble "Y/N-" he starts "no I don't want to hear it" you say "I'm sorry" you scuff, the nerve he had. "Sorry, you're Sorry. Bradley I was 13 when you cut me off stopped talking to me and I didn't even know why. and my dad wouldn't tell me so don't tell me your sorry. Just leave me alone" You say walking out the bar Penny calling after you.

__________________________________________________________

A/N: I will be doing a part 2 so enjoy this for now sorry it's not Fluff but we gotta change it up a bit.

[the-possum-writes]

Hi, could I ask for a 'there's only one bed' trope with finn the human? Thanks!

There's Only One Bed!

❥Ship: Finn Mertens/Reader

❥Tags: Oneshot, Fluff, humor, fanfic tropes, gender neutral!reader

❥Synopsis: A terrible storm has lead you and Finn to stay at an inn, confesiones are made and tropes are expected.

❥Taglist: @watchingfromthefloorboards

You wish you could call this an ordinary storm but after witnessing a metallic billboard get blown off its hinges and crash land on a car, it's understandable why you don't want to risk traveling in this weather. The safest idea was to cut this expedition short and seek refuge in a nearby town, preferably the cheapest inn you two could find.

"Yeah we're alright, just gonna wait out the storm at an inn," you hear Finn talking to Jake through the phone line. It isn't like you're actively eavesdropping on him, it's just that you happen to be within hearing distance. What a coincidence. "Chill man, we're gonna get separate rooms-" Finn gives you a side glance before placing a hand over the receiver end and purposely turn his back, but you can still manage to distinguish a few lines. "No, no, I don't need you to lecture me on tier 15 again... Cause I'm not a preteen anymore geez! I'll see you in the morning." he eventually hanged up in a furious whisper, looking rather agitated.

"Something wrong?" you ask him, going so far as to fan him with a pamphlet.

Finn scratches the back of his head with a brief laugh. "Nothing, just Jake being Jake." he changes the topic by pointing to the reservation desk. "Did you get our room keys?"

You lower your sight to the ground, scratching the back of your ear. "Yes and no. They told me all the rooms were taken except for one..." to demonstrate your point you raise the single key hanging from your index finger.

Finn exhales from his nose in a tiny laugh. "Really? Uh, that doesn't sound too bad. We've camped together before, you'll just take one bed and I'll take the other."

You nod with uncertainty, too embarrassed to explain the situation until he sees it for himself.

Finn didn't see an issue until you two reached said room in question, opening it to reveal the only thing you've been dreading after watching countless cheesy room coms with Pb and Marcy. A single king sized bed in an otherwise spacious room, not only that but it's decorated with hearts, shades of pink and typical lovely dovely imagery usually reserved for valentines day. "Reception said the honeymoon suite was the only one available," you shift awkwardly as you take a step inside the room, it reeks of lotion and flowery scented candles. "The decoration is awful, but look at the bright side! it had a 2x1 discount price." Finn can tell you're trying to make light of the inconvenience but it's pretty hard when everything in the room screams romance while the two of you are just friends. Right?

Okay that's a partial lie, there's been some growing tension between the two of you for a while now but for the sake of the friendship neither of you took the initiative.

"No biggie! You're probably more tired than I am. You can take the bed." Finn reassures you, funny enough he turns around to avoid meeting your gaze. You lower you back pack beside the bed and it's overly exaggerated amount of pillows. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'll just sleep on this weird curved sofa."

"... Uh Finn, that's not a sofa." you pause momentarily, realizing you'd rather not explain what that piece of furniture is. Or even less, explain why you know what that piece of furniture is for. "You've done a lot of heavy lifting all the way here, maybe you should have it." you raise a hand to his shoulder but the boy flinched to your touch.

"No, no its alright. Honest!" his tone is slightly raised, proving the opposite.

His conversation with Jake started making sense now. You firmly press your hands on Finn's shoulders and force him to turn him around, that's when you're met with what he was trying to hide, the tomato red blush spread over his boyish face. "Finn, we're both equally tired after that trip, we both deserve a good night sleep. Besides, we've known each other for a long time and I trust you won't do anything inappropriate, so I don't see an issue with sharing a bed for today."

"But..."

"Do you trust me?" you interrupt him, keeping eye contact.

"I uh, I do." he nods.

"Good," you end the conversation with a stern nod. "Now I'll go take a hot shower and get out of these wet clothes."

Finn watches you grab a change of dry clothes and make your way to the bathroom, he admires how mature you handled the situation while he's standing here with his face hot enough to fry an egg. Normally he has no issues sharing beds, but the obvious embarrassment reveals his true feelings about you. Despite how you handled the situation in front of Finn, the second you hide behind the bathroom door you find yourself blushing madly as you squeal under your breath.

After the two of you warm up, tuck into bed and turn off the light, you feel your roommate turn his back to you on his side of the bed. If anyone walked in on the two of you they would think you and Finn are a couple who had an argument. You don't know why but you feel at peace, maybe it's the tranquility of sleeping in a bed after camping in the wilderness, the blankets warmth compared to walking in the rain, or the water droplets smacking against the windows in an almost rhythmic melody. Truthfully, you think it's because of Finn's presence next to you, something about it makes you feel safe and comfortable. Like when he watches over you when you sleep during stake outs.

"Hey Finn, are you asleep yet?" you fear he’s already long asleep, but he responds with a raspy voice, as if he was on the brink of sleeping.

"Not anymore," he chuckles. "What's up? Can't get some shut eye?" he asks.

"Kind of, sorry about your own sleep though. I'm probably a terrible roommate." you lament, hiding deeper in the covers.

"You're not that bad, at least you don't snore like Jake after a house party." you appreciate his comforting words with a brief laugh, but there's still something bothering you. "Then why were you so adamant about sharing with me?"

Finn didn't respond immediately but you feel the bed shift lightly. "Cause the thought of being so close to you made me feel funny." The response wasn't exactly what you were expecting. "A good funny or a bad funny?" you indulge yourself in his explanation. "Well, it makes me happy and warm inside so it's probably a good funny." he's no fool and neither are you, but Finn is being careful about this in case you don't feel the same, almost like he's treading on thin ice. Which is dumb, because you share the same feelings.

You lift the top portion of your body so you could turn around and face Finn, where he still has his back to you. "You also make me feel happy and warm." Finn finally turned around, his shocked face turning into a pleasing smile. "And here I thought I would make for a terrible roommate." you laugh one last time before breaking into a long yawn.

"Let's talk about this tomorrow."

If it wasn't for last night's confessions it would've made the next morning much more awkward, you woke up wrapped around in Finn’s arms with your legs tangled within his in a domestic display you've only seen in romance movies. Looks like overused tropes aren't so bad after all.

[variouslengthsofwire]

Fuck it, I’m reblogging, and putting my tag essay in the post.

There was a Walmart near me that suffered from a large amount of theft/shoplifting. You know what they did? They closed the Walmart. All of those jobs - gone. Only, it was the anchor store of a struggling mall in a majority black neighborhood that is now dying.

Hundreds of jobs are gone. Dozens of small businesses closed. Maybe most would have closed anyway, there were already some empty storefronts in the mall. But now, pretty much no one there has a chance. Half the food court stalls are empty at any given time, and restaurants rotate in and out, failing very quickly.

That mall was and could have remained a great, fairly low-cost, medium traffic place to start a small business. An easy entry point with some hope of success. Black business owners selling to Black customers, keeping money local in their community. Now, there’s really no hope. People can’t succeed there because there’s no foot traffic.

Of course no one shoplifter is responsible for killing the Walmart and all those other businesses. But sometimes our actions have unintended consequences. Major corporations aren’t going to take losses forever. If you make a store unprofitable or too difficult to manage, they close it, and people lose jobs. An area becomes (even more, if it was relying on a Walmart) economically depressed.

People who relied on that store for medications (Walmart is often the cheapest place to get certain prescriptions, especially insulin) are SOL. Sometimes they don’t close the place, but put things behind glass doors and make you talk to an employee to get them. This can limit access when there aren’t enough employees. I once waited 15 minutes for cold meds for my wife that didn’t contain an ingredient she can’t have (these can be very hard to find in stock) before giving up because I was late to pick her up, there were 3 other people waiting by that point, and it was clear that no one was coming. There can also be language barrier and disability access issues, especially with some store policies dictating that the employee be the one to handle the merchandise, so the customer can’t just pick it out.

So yeah, theft from big corporations is fine when the big corporation is the only party harmed. But that’s simply not the case a lot of the time. Be more careful about it. Only take what you need. And be aware that you might be hurting the people you intend to help.

Yall gotta stop stealing. Not for any specific objective moral reason but because you fucking suck at it