#doug if the internet comes for me i know where you live

[talesfrommedinastation]

My redneck neighbor Doug on Tech's Looks

(Me: "Doug, so you know, a lot of people are unhappy that the Bad Batch was made to be lighter then the regs. It's a hot topic."

Doug: "Well, here's my theory on the matter. I hope the kids on the Internet (his words for Tumblr) don't get too spicy over this. It's all in good fun. I hope it makes 'em smile and think a bit.")

After having a firm, peer-reviewed discussion (and by that, I mean endless texts with Doug) it has been concluded that Tech has lighter skin and hair, and a slimmer build, due to the Kaminoans leaning harder into the hillbilly part of Jango Fett’s genes, whereas the regs got the nicer, prettier, more amenable genes.��

In short, Tech looks the way he does…because he is a blue-collar white guy from the American South.  

A Florida redneck, specifically.  

And let me (by way of Doug) tell you: rednecks do not have beautiful tans, flawless fades, snatched waists, muscular thighs, diamond-sharp cheekbones, the ability to follow directions, or perfect matching armor, all of which a reg has. 

(Sorry, Howser, go back to guarding Ryloth or posing for GQ or whatever it is you do.)

Back to Tech. Look at that man and tell me the shit he gets up to would not be constantly at the top of r/floridaman

A lot of people might clutch their pearls, and be shocked at this revelation. 

“He has a fancy accent! He’s persnickety about certain things! He’s my fancy pretty boi and I’m going to dress him up in a gold thong in my fan art!”

You do you, kid. But let Doug and his neighbor here, Dr. Meat Muffin, defend this deranged argument, here. Using anthropological research applying autoethnographic methodologies that they conducted independently at one point. 

(By that, we mean that Doug is from the bayous of Louisiana and has lived in the Florida Panhandle before moving Up North. Dr. MM attended graduate school in a redneck hot zone, lived in said redneck hot zone for a while, and married a Texan as well. Hook 'em gig 'em and wreck 'em)

After all, if you want an army to win over the galaxy and work with the Jedi, you want well-mannered, shiny, handsome men with melanin and agreeable personalities.

You do not want a pale-assed weirdo in jeans and a receding hairline who can’t get off his phone to work closely with orphaned space wizards. 

Tech’s an anarchic Floridian piece of tornado bait and that’s why he look the way he do, says Doug.

Here's why Doug says Tech is a Redneck:

Mandalorians are Space Rednecks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Trx7fDdlIo0. I do not own the rights to the video, but my God, it is perfection. A masterpiece. Mandalorians are rednecks in space, who end up colonizing Space Florida, no questions asked. Our theory is Tech is merely the concentrated, Waffle House-fistfighting, chew-dipping, Mountain Dew chugging, part of that. The Kaminoans just leaned into the trailer park part of Jango Fett hard when designing Tech, because no one can fix cars while shooting a gun and yelling at his crazy brothers like a redneck (more on that below). 

Hell, all of the Bad Batch are different brands of Florida Man:

Grizzled long haired tan guy with skull tattoo, obsessed with tracking, knife fighting, and hiding from normal society? Hunter.

Bald tanned dude with weird scars who loves blowing shit up and screaming for no reason? Wrecker

Pale, freaked out man who was kept in a cult’s closet for years? Echo 

Creepy, old, Second Amendment loving white guy with a gun themed tattoo who can’t seem to die? Crosshair 

Maladjusted orphan left behind at a bar by her inexperienced caretakers and almost drowns in the ocean? Omega 

His love of vehicles: We never see Tech whip out a manual to fix anything. The man says it’s because he has an exceptional mind, but that’s edging dangerously close to “Ah don’t need no schoolin’, hoss, I can fix any Ford!”.  Doug thinks it’s just because Tech loves playing with car parts, which is some grade A, hillbilly tomfoolery. And what is more redneck than some white guy ripping apart a vehicle in the dirt while the rest of his family bitches at each other in the heat? It happened right here in Season 2 (this exact scenario has played out many-a-time in Pensacola, trust me). All they need is some Lynyrd Skynyrd blasting in the background to make the picture complete. 

His clothing color scheme: “Oh, no!” you wail. “He just changed his colors to reflect Mandalorian heritage!” 

WRONG. 

Tech’s redneckery is blatant here, because his colors switch from 

Hot Topic goth to…UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA. 

“We’re loyal to each other,” says Hunter. And by that, he means the Gators, beloved of many an NCAA following redneck in the Sunshine State and beyond. Orange and Blue, indeed.

Notice how we first see him in these colors, is while he’s parked his stolen work vehicle on a beach while his brothers are busy being chased by huge-ass crabs as their sister is quietly fishing?! 

This is PEAK FLORIDA MAN. 

Tech was probably trying to get ESPN+ to work on the Marauder, because the Devil works hard, but the SEC works harder during football season. I wonder if he has a tattoo of Tim Tebow on his buttcheek.

His home is his car: Tech, as well as his unemployed brothers and underaged sister who the cops are looking for (how trashy is THAT sentence), live in the Havoc Marauder now that their home was destroyed in a fire fight with the government. 

("Jesus Christ, this argument just writes itself now, don’t it," -Doug) 

This attack shuttle, for all intents and purposes, is a stolen work truck that they live in. It’s filled with posters of guns, as well as other weapons and explosives, and has all the comfort of a Jacksonville gas station at 2 AM. All you need is some cigarette burns on the fender and some empty take out bags from Bojangles and it might as well be parked down by the river in Suwannee County. Just Florida redneckery. Speaking of which….

He loves guns and explosions: Won’t go into detail, but the man knows how to use multiple pistols, rifles, and different tactile maneuvers with glee. Tech’s only notable complaint regarding explosions is making sure Wrecker’s new fancy boom-booms aren’t parked next to his bunk. And the look of calm joy when his sister tells his brother ‘Do some damage, Wrecker!’ as Tech pulls a Bo Duke and flings his vehicle across a locked up work site, while his deranged brother giggles and fires some guns at a government-owned power plant from the back seat. PURE. UNADULTERATED. REDNECK. 

He’s a racer: It is a fact (with peer reviewed research) that rednecks really, really love them some racing. NASCAR, motocross, BMX, you name it. And if you’ve seen ‘Faster’, well, that’s all you need to know about the man. 

He has no fear of large animals: We’ve never seen him hunt, but Tech knows how to distract massive amounts of nasty animals using light, and the first response to seeing a terrifying monster isn't running away screaming, but whispering ‘FASCINATING’., before, ya know, firing a gun at it. It’s one step away from ‘IT’S COMING RIGHT FOR US’. You KNOW that man would be sponsoring gator wrasslin' contests if he could.

His actions towards His family: This is where Tech truly differentiates himself from the typical ‘geek’ character and leans hard into King of the Hill territory. Whereas a normal nerd character might nag and panic when his sister falls down a hole while drilling for explosives in a cave (dear God Doug, how much more redneck examples can you keep pointing out, I’m exhausted), Tech merely YEETS HIMSELF down into the abyss. Or when his brother picks a fight in the mess hall? Does Tech run away, or just start punching people like it's past closing time in the Applebee's parking lot in Daytona and the Dolphins lost? And let's not discuss the season finale :(. Rednecks are some loyal folks, family first, and that’s our man’s right there. 

There you have it, says Doug. Tech isn’t lighter because he’s better than the regs. The opposite.

You can not be a deranged, adrenaline filled, sassy, goggled weirdo flying throughout space and blowing shit up and not be pale AF with twiggy legs and a receding hairline that’s edging towards Hunter S. Thompson level, born out of America's Sunshine state while a hurricane chases you out.

::turns up ZZ Top::

[cartcop]

alright casual 911 viewer roomie was traveling this week so we had to rewatch 6x11 last night, her thoughts below:

"This child (Jee)'s sleep schedule is a plot device"

when Buck get's rolled into the hospital "too many sad dads. and one very sad husband"

"HIS KIDS????????" shouted so loudly and for so long that she missed the teacher reveal and we had to rewind

Thunder by Imagine Dragons playing when coma!Buck shows up at Chimney's apartment had us both dying laughing

"No one's tchotchkes are safe" about the train in Chimney's apartment

"I hope the sister and the guy (Madney) get married at the firehouse and then gay dads (Buddie) decide to get married too in a Mamma Mia-esque 'everyone lives happily ever after' way"

Athena saying "Buck is going to be fine. He has to be" roomie responded "because this is a TV show. And he's hot. And he's one of the only single characters left"

"Awwww dream Chimney called him Buck"

"Which one is that one. They all look so similar" this is baffling to me. She got Buck, Eddie, and Doug confused all episode.

Hen saying "you'd be angry too if you lost your kid" roomie goes "THEY KILLED THE KID?????????" once again so loudly that she missed the context of how Eddie lost Christopher

"How are they not making a consistently bigger deal out of them co-raising this child. I mean I guess it's not that weird. We might have a kid together" apparently we might have a kid together, this was news to me

When Chris tells Buck he has to "come back" and coma!Buck echoes it with "I think maybe I'm supposed to come back to where it all started" she fully started sobbing. She had never seen Chris before watching this episode

"I thought she was handing him a head of cauliflower" when May is forcing a sandwich on Bobby outside the hospital. "Don't tell the people on the internet I said that!!!!" I am telling them

Had to pause for a good 15 minutes to explain the 118 extended family tree. She did not get it. To be fair the Buckley and Han parents being around does make it REALLY confusing

"ANOTHER OMINOUS TCHOTCHKE!!!!" She loved the trauma tchotchkes

"Love snarky dead drug addict dad. Wish he could stick around"

"Love how this guy floated no other alternatives beyond being in a coma dream. Like it couldn't just be a regular dream. He hasn't entertained the option that he like accidentally took a hallucinogenic drug or something" I informed her he has in fact been accidentally drugged before "Okay so I'm hearing that there were multiple other conclusions he could've come to. But he just knew it was a coma dream. okay."

"oh he knew he was in a coma dream but he was SHOCKED to see his body in a coma"

"This show is so corny"

Buck telling his parents "I know you did the best you could" roomie says "NO THEY DID NOT. They My Sister's Keeper'd you dude"

"Oop...okay. I guess" at evil!Buck

"Okay now hurry up and fix your self esteem so you can take a breath"

"through the power of self love he has summoned a magical dream ax"

Bobby asking what he was like in the dream she goes "you were like a.....spooky jokester"

"What the fuck is up with the couch metaphor"

[musiconanironingboard]

8 January 2024: 1969 Velvet Underground Live with Lou Reed, The Velvet Underground. (1988 Mercury U.S. CD issue of 1974 release)

By 1974 it was reportedly hard to find many original Velvet Underground albums in the bins, and this album was devoured by desperate fans when it surfaced (originally as a double LP in a single package) some four years after Lou Reed had left the band and even a full year after VU had detonated following disingenuous attempts to keep the name alive with Doug Yule as the frontman. Back before I'd grown conversant with the VU catalog, this album mystified me. I didn't understand its presence on Mercury, a label the band never recorded for, and something about the whole affair felt fake or unauthorized. A college girlfriend had the album and I just couldn't comprehend it. One must remember, that was roughly 35 years ago when there was no internet where I could quickly look up an explanation.

Now here I am, going nuts over the Velvet Underground in a way I swore I'd not do, and the album is an essential part of the puzzle as I spend my third full year examining every extant official VU release. This comes after another four examining the Lou Reed catalog (well beyond his official releases; I spent nine months with a bootleg CD box of live radio performances, too). My brother had previously done a VU study, after which he declared them one of his favorite bands. We'd both been exposed to the Velvet Underground long ago, but this time it was serious business. He asked if I planned to do VU after I finished Reed, and I said no way. Now look at me. Are they one of my favorite bands? I am not sure I would go that far, but if you study someone's catalog for three full years they're bound to be important to you in one way or another.

Above we see the front covers of the two volumes of this CD release. I don't know why the album was separated into two volumes you had to purchase separately, unless the label decided no one would pay for a two-CD set of this material back when it probably would have retailed for close to $40. At any rate, because the album is so long—the original double LP runs over 100 minutes—digesting it in two volumes makes for a more wieldy listening experience. After that, you see close-ups of each back cover. Note that the final song on each volume is an undisclosed bonus track not on any previous vinyl edition. (You thus get "Heroin" twice.)

These are lo-fi recordings. A few songs were recorded at a Dallas club called End of Cole Ave., but the majority are from The Matrix in San Francisco. Decades later, the Matrix tapes in their entirety were recovered and issued in full as the 2015 four-CD box The Complete Matrix Tape. The album opens with a track from the Dallas set, and it's always bizarre to be reminded that Lou Reed liked football. "We saw your Cowboys today," he says in the pre-song stage banter, going on to describe to a game against the Philadelphia Eagles where the Cowboys were winning 42 to 7 by halftime. "Give someone else a chance once in a while," he tells the bemused audience. Another line of talk before the first song: "Does anybody here have school tomorrow?" before asking the audience to select "whatever's easiest for you," one long set or two sets with an intermission. One young lady says she has school tomorrow. The audience opts for one long set.

Above is what both volumes look like when you open the case. One the left are the original liner notes written by singer-songwriter Elliot Murphy (and this reminds me, completely unrelated to VU I've been wanting to find some of his records). They originally appeared in the vinyl gatefold accompanied by an erroneous photo of the band with its John Cale lineup. He left the band over a year before these recordings were made. (And, of course, that's the ironing-board cover reflected in the disc's surface.)

Below is a shot highlighting one of the discs, complete with refracted rainbow effect.

Since this page was on hiatus when I bought a vinyl copy of this album in December 2022, let's show it now. Below is the front cover. I bought it new and sealed—a modern repress—but there was a big crease you can see in the upper quadrant.

Next is the back cover, a continuation of the woman's posterior.

Here's a shot of the entire cover, albeit sideways, once the gatefold is opened.

Here's the interior of the gatefold, showing that photo of the wrong band lineup mentioned above. You can barely tell, but that shadowy figure on the far right by the liner notes is holding a viola. That gives it away as John Cale.

Last, here is side one's label. I don't know why whomever made this reissue chose to go with a Mercury label design that wasn't yet in use in 1974.

(And I'm not a football fan, but I was curious about the veracity of Reed's banter; I found the Cowboys box score from the day VU played that Dallas set, and sure enough they were beating the Eagles 42-7 at the half: https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/196910190dal.htm )

[alsjeblieft-zeg]

057 of 2023

survey by chasingghosts

What is the age gap between you and your parents?

27 and 37.

How many bathrooms does your house have? Is this enough?

One and no, I would like to have one upstairs, too.

Have you sent a letter to anyone in the past year?

I don’t think so. Just some Christmas cards.

Have you ever video chatted with someone you met online?

No. I wouldn’t like it.

Are you hungry or thirsty right now?

Neither.

When was the last time you ate something, and what did you eat?

5 minutes ago, rice pudding.

Have you ever seen the film Boondock Saints?

Never heard of it.

Do you own a pair of gumboots?

Hell no.

What colour is your favourite mug?

Green. Like, close to neon green, but not quite this shade.

How far away from your town/city is your state’s capital city?

More or less 100 kilometres.

Have you ever worked somewhere where you had to clean the toilets?

Yeah, as a student. I hated this job.

Do you know anyone named Doug?

No.

What cut of jeans is your favourite and why?

Wide leg or whatever you call it, I like things baggy and oversized. I would never ever wear skinny jeans.

Do you rate people’s attractiveness on a scale of 1-10?

No, I don’t. I don’t even have a type, I find various guys handsome.

Name a few of your favourite actors.

I’m not interested in them.

Do you collect anything, or have you ever?

Yeah, pens and notebooks. Also postcards, magnets and keyrings from every place I visit.

So, how has your week been so far?

Awesome, I did some local travel.

Is there anything that you could cry about right now?

Not really, no.

How old were you when you learned how to tie your shoelaces?

Seven or eight, and then again at 32. I always lacked coordination and since my hand got paralysed in 2021, I had to learn it again.

Have you ever slept in a car overnight? Why did you have to?

Yes, as a teenager. We were coming back from our family and our car took a shit in the middle of the night. I usually sleep in the car when we go to my parents, but I can do it since I am the passenger.

When was the last time you used Facebook?

Never. I don’t trust this shit.

Do you have a PO Box or does your mail get sent straight to your house?

It’s sent straight to our house. Otherwise we would have to go to the main post office at the other end of the city.

Are you interested in entomology? Do you know what that is?

Nah. Not interested in insects.

Have you ever had to claim insurance? What for?

I mean, I have a double health insurance, so.

Do you like to listen to albums start-finish without skipping or shuffling?

No, I rarely like the whole album. Usually I like a few songs from  various artists, but not everything that they release.

Do you have any unspoken enemies, or maybe frenemies?

Not that I know of.

What was the last thing you broke?

Apparently somebody’s heart.

Do you have a favourite state/province/territory in your country?

Yeah, West Flanders where I live. We’re the only one Belgian province that has the coast.

How many vowels are in your street name?

4, if you count oe as one letter, which it technically is in my language.

What are your three top favourite flavours of ice cream?

I don’t really care.

How far away is the nearest Target?

Like... the whole Atlantic Ocean?

Do you prefer Target, Kmart or Walmart?

We don’t have any of these in Europe.

Have you ever farted in class or somewhere else you shouldn’t have?

Who hasn’t XD seriously, what a question, though.

What’s your middle name? Would you change it?

It’s Stijn and no, I don’t use it anyway.

When was the last tie you wore heels? What was the occasion?

Never because I’m a guy.

Do you find yourself lost for words often?

Too often. I have poor verbal skills anyway.

Did you share baths with your siblings/cousins when you were a child?

No. My sister is 5 years younger than me and she’s been always a girl.

Have you ever been a member of an online dating site? How did it go?

Once for a part of social experiment that me and some other members of a certain internet forum did just to check how big match we are with one another XD I’ve never been interested in taking it seriously. We did it just for lolz.

Do you know what your neighbours even look like?

Sadly I do.

How many siblings does your best friend have?

It depends which best friend.

Do you put ketchup on your fries?

Man, this is Belgium. The only correct way to eat fries is with mayonnaise. You don’t expect the inventors of fries to eat it in a fake way, do you?

Have you been lucky enough to make out with anyone in the past week?

Lucky enough?? Making out is ew, I hate it.

Have your parents ever worked in the agriculture business etc. on a farm?

No, neither of them.

Do you have an ex that makes you angry with literally everything they do?

No. I don’t care about Jay anymore, and Nielsje doesn’t make me angry at all, quite the opposite, actually.

Are you easily susceptible to brain freeze?

Tell me something new.

[fontegagrilledcheese]

Dumbasses in Quarantine

This is my Bog Exchange fic! I finally finished! This is for the lovely @herostag I hope they like it!

Special thanks to Dani and Doug for beating my grammar with a stick. Ily <3

This is 2.9K words of idiots being idiots during the plague. Just pure fluff, no CW here. Modern Au.

1. Geralt had finally had enough of Jaskier complaining about all the takeout they had been consuming since everything had gone on lockdown, so here he was, watching a pot of noodles cook while Jaskier was in the living room weeding his island in Animal Crossing for the third time that week. He stirs the spaghetti around before grabbing a second pot and the jar of pasta sauce that he had bought at some point in the last few years. Geralt pours the sauce into the pot, throws some Italian seasoning in and hmms at the consistency before ladling some pasta water into the sauce to thin it out slightly. “Dinner’s almost ready” Geralt softly calls to Jaskier before going back to his noodles, fishing one out to check the doneness. Geralt bites into it and makes a face at the sweetness as Jaskier walks into the kitchen.

 “Everything all right there?” Jaskier inquires, coming over to look into the pots on the stove. 

“Hmmm, I think so. Taste this?” Geralt fishes another noodle out to hand over to Jaskier, who eats it with a hum. 

“That doesn’t taste right,” Jaskier says thoughtfully. “But I don't know enough about cooking to dispute it.” 

Geralt hums again, “Think it will be fine?” 

Jaskier just shrugs and goes to set the table, leaving Geralt to finish putting the meal together. Geralt tilts his head at the pots on the stove before pulling out his phone to text  Eskel ‘is pasta supposed to be sweet when cooking?’

While waiting for a reply, Geralt drains the noodles and dumps them into the sauce to stir them in before his phone rings with a call from Eskel. 

“You tried a noodle and it tasted sweet?”

“Yeah, is it supposed to be like that?”

There is a moment of silence where Lambert can be heard laughing in the background before Eskel replies, “Are you sure you put salt in the water?”

“Yeah, poured a bunch of salt in there like you said to.”

Eskel hums, “Are you sure it wasn't sugar? Did you make sure to taste it first?”

The silence on Geralt's side is telling, and Lambert can be heard dying in the background. 

“Thanks Eskel,” Geralt says before hanging up and staring down at the pot of sugared spaghetti. 

“Hey Jask, how do you feel about getting takeout again?”

Jaskier sighs, “What happened?”

Geralt blushes “I… I may have put sugar in the water instead of salt…”

“Oh… but the sauce?” 

“I put some of the pasta water in the sauce to thin it.”

Jaskier starts giggling, “G-Geralt... noooo.”

Geralt sighs, wearily turning off the stove. “So takeout?” 

“Yeah, takeout is fine. Whatever you feel like.”

Geralt hums and pulls up the delivery app, “Sorry, Jask.”

Jaskier sidles up to him, giving him a half hug, “Thanks for trying.” He leans fully into him so he can see Geralt's phone as they order.

2. A while into quarantine, Jaskier decided he needed some greenery in his life, since he couldn’t leave the house. This led Jaskier to order himself a cute little cactus from a local nursery for the next time they order a grocery pick up. Talking Geralt into stopping by the shop on the way back from the store proved easier than Jaskier had anticipated. Geralt had begrudgingly agreed after hours of Jaskier’s pouting and puppy eyes wearing him down. 

Jaskier dances around the apartment with his new treasure before placing it on the sunny windowsill in their living room. Geralt rolls his eyes but smiles at his roommates' antics, “You do know how to take care of it don’t you?”

Jaksier pouts at him, “It’s a cactus, how hard can it be! I just water it every so often and bam, beautiful thriving mini Geralt!”

Geralt huffs at him, grabbing a controller for their gaming console, “You promised I could destroy you at Mortal Combat if we picked up the plant.”

“Yes, yes Geralt I’m coming, just let me water my precious child.”

Weeks later, Little Geralt starts looking a bit droopy, causing Jaskier to water him, but unfortunately Jaskier does not account for his ADHD and lack of calendar filling out, and proceeds to water the poor cactus every day for the next two weeks, water logging and eventually killing poor Little Geralt.

Once Jaskier realizes, he cries to Geralt only a little and has a funeral for the cactus as he throws it away, being the absolute most dramatic about it as possible. Geralt just rolls his eyes at the antics and adds a new plant to the order list to pick up the next time they have their outing to go get groceries.

Jaskier gives Geralt the biggest hug when he realises they’re heading to the plant store and talks excitedly about how determined he is to to not kill Little Geralt the Second; Geralt just rolls his eyes half heartedly but helps Jaskier set up a calendar to keep track of when he’s watered the cactus. This works for about a month before Jaskier gets busy and forgets about his little plant, frying on the windowsill, until Geralt notices about three months later.

“Hey Jask, your cactus is looking a bit… shriveled.”

Jaskier rushes into the living room “NO!” He yells as he slides to a stop on his knees before the  dried up little plant “Noooooooo, Little Geralt the Second, nooooo!” he shakes his fists at the ceiling.

Geralt pats his shoulder comfortingly, “At least it lived longer this time.”

Jaskier shakes his head with a sigh. “I’m a terrible plant parent.”

Geralt hmms consolingly, “We can get you another. I’ll try to help you keep better track of it this time.” 

Jaskier nods, “Thanks Geralt,” and picks up his dead plant to go throw it out. 

Geralt just hmms and pulls up the pick-up list on his phone to add a new little cactus.

Three months later, Little Geralt the Third is thriving in its place on the windowsill, happily soaking up the sun on a bright spring day as a breeze comes through the window. Jaskier dances around the living room, vacuuming and dusting as Geralt cleans the kitchen of the previous night’s actually decent attempt at cooking. Jaskier sings along to ABBA, twirling with his duster mic when disaster strikes poor Little Geralt the Third. Jaskier swirls too close to the window and pops his hip at just the wrong time and the plant wobbles before being pushed off the edge and falls three stories down to the concrete sidewalk down below. Jaskier freezes at the crashing sound and turns to look out the window, staring down at his poor, broken plant.

“Nooooooo, Geralt!” Jaskier yells, and Geralt comes running in from the kitchen, startled by Jaskier’s cry. 

“Jask?!” 

Jaskier just points down at the sidewalk, falling to his knees “Geralt, I killed him! I killed our son! To ABBA!” 

Jaskier sprawls out on the floor dramatically, mourning the fate of poor Little Geralt the Third, who had been thriving wonderfully before going splat on the pavement. 

Geralt sits down next to his dramatic roommate and pats his leg, “That one was actually doing pretty well. Maybe we could get another and just find a better place for it to sit?”

Jaskier sniffles and looks through his lashes at Geralt, “Really?” 

Geralt nods before being tackled to the ground in a tight hug. 

“Thanks Geralt.” Jaskier whispers, nuzzling into his friend.

3. Geralt stood staring into the mirror at the red roots growing into his perfect silver platinum hair. He pouts at it, looking at his hair and then back down at his phone at the pictures of his past beautiful silver hair. 

“I can do it, how hard can it be?” he grumbles, glaring back at his roots. He nods to himself before searching different bleaches, toners, and silver dyes that are available at their local beauty shop.

A week and two trips to the store later, Geralt is once again standing in the bathroom and glaring at his roots in the mirror. “How hard can it be...”

Five hours later, Jaskier comes home from the park to Geralt sitting on the couch in a hoodie with the hood on and scrunched up around his face, pouting.

“So how did it go?” he asks.

Geralt grunts in response.

“Oh it can’t be that bad,” comes Jaskier’s exasperated reply, reaching for the hood over the back of the couch.

Geralt growls and catches his hand, yanking and pulling Jaskier over the couch and partially into his lap.

Jaskier laughs and reaches up again with both hands, trying to use one as a distraction. Geralt growls again and tackles him to the floor to pin him, where they tussle around before Jaskier gets an upper hand and pulls the hood off. Geralt freezes as Jaskier stares at him with wide eyes and a growing smile.

 “Don’t,” he growls.

Jaskier’s grin turns into giggles, then into full on laughter. “Geralt! Your hair!” 

Geralt sits back with a pout, still sitting on Jaskier. “I know, it's horrible.”

“It's bright purple! What did you do!?”

Geralt flushes, “I forgot to set a timer and left the toner in too long. It should wash out and wear off in a few weeks,” he grumbles.

Jaskier continues to giggle. “Well at least it's not permanent, and you bleached the roots pretty well.”

Geralt sighs and nods before laying down on Jaskier for a consolation cuddle. “Yeah, at least there's that.”

4. Geralt’s birthday was coming up and Jaskier was determined to celebrate it, even if they couldn’t go on their customary birthday bar crawl that they had gone on for both of their birthdays since they had been roommates in college. Jaskier wanted to go the extra mile for his bestest friend in the whole world and decided that he was going to make Geralt a homemade cake, icing drizzle and all. Jaskier had scoured the internet for weeks trying to find a cake he thought geralt would like and that he thought he could make with his limited baking abilities. He finally found the perfect recipe for a simple strawberry pound cake that he only had to buy a minimal amount of extra ingredients for. 

The day of Geralt's birthday, Jaskier sets up in the kitchen and banishes Geralt to the living room to play his new Witcher game while Jaskier makes the cake. 

He starts by setting out everything he needs and getting the beaters set up and his recipe out. He preheats the oven and then gets to work measuring everything out carefully, looking back at his recipe often, so often he doesn’t quite notice that he’s grabbed the salt container instead of the sugar and measures out the three cups the recipe calls for before adding it into the wet ingredients bowl to cream together as stated by the recipe. Jaskier goes about making his cake and mixing it up, carefully pouring it into the disposable cake tin they had bought specially for the event before putting it in the oven and carefully setting a timer on his phone.

He takes a break for a moment to make a cup of tea before cleaning up the mess from the cake and mixing up the simple drizzle icing for the cake.

The timer goes off and Jaskier pokes the cake with a toothpick as he has been directed, frowning at the lopsided cake. 

“Is that how it should look?” he mutters to himself, looking at the clean toothpick. “Guess it’s done.”

He pulls the cake out of the oven and  sets it on the rack to cool, poking little holes in it with the toothpick to help it cool and absorb some of the icing later.

After 30 minutes, he drizzles the icing over the cake, humming happily to himself. 

“Geralt, do you want to do cake now or later?” he calls into the living room. Geralt hmms and stands before replying, “Now.”

Jaskier grins and grabs them plates, forks, and a knife to cut the cake with.

Geralt stands beside him at the counter, smiling softly at the cake Jaskier has made him. 

“Thanks Jask,” he says softly. 

Jaskier grins fully at him. “Happy birthday, Geralt!”

They cut into the cake and serve themselves. Geralt happily eats his, reaching out to get seconds while Jaskier frowns at his slice. “Does this taste right to you?” he takes another bite while Geralt shrugs.

“Tastes fine to me,” he replies, happy to continue eating what his Jaskier has made him. 

Jaskier frowns more and looks at his recipe, “I dunno, doesn’t it taste salty?” 

Geralt hmms in thought before continuing to eat, “Suppose so, but it’s not too bad.”

Jaskier gasps. “Geralt! No Geralt, stop eating that! I must have mixed up the salt and sugar when I was measuring, oh! It's terrible, I’m so sorry, Geralt,” he whines, looking almost at the verge of tears. 

This causes Geralt to pause his gremlin-like cake eating, setting the plate down before pulling his best friend into a tight hug, resting his head against the others. “So maybe you had a booboo with it and it’s a little salty. You know I’m not picky, and it tastes fine and vaguely like strawberries. I’ll eat it anyway, Jask.” he grumbles out.

Jaskier sniffles. “But you deserve a good cake that’s made correctly.”

Geralt hums, “Maybe, but this is something you’ve made for me with all your heart, and I think it tastes alright, and I will keep eating it, because you made it for me and that makes it taste all the sweeter.”

Jaskier sniffles again, squeezing the man in his arms tightly “Oh, you big softy! You don’t have to eat it.” 

“But I want to.”

“Fine.” Jaskier sighs, nuzzling the broad chest he’s pressed against. “Love you”

Geralt smiles softly, pressing a kiss to Jaskiers temple. “Love you too, you disaster.” 

Jaskier gasps and smacks his chest “You!”

Geralt laughs and grabs his cake before dragging Jaskier to the couch. “Come on, I demand my birthday cuddles.”

Jaskier puffs his cheeks but settles against Geralt on the couch, holding the controller for him “If this is my penance.”

5. Usually Jaskier did the laundry while Geralt did dishes. This was because Jaskier had many a delicate piece in his wardrobe and he did not trust Geralt to treat his clothes the right way if he were to do the laundry. Geralt didn’t care much either way who did the dishes and who did the laundry, as long as the chores ended up done in the end. This was how their kitchen, laundry nook, and part of their living room ended up absolutely covered in bubbles.

They had decided to switch up the chore rotation for the week because the dishes weren’t too bad and Jaskier hadn’t worn any of his ‘delicate’ pieces in the past week and a half, meaning there was nothing of his Geralt could mess up. The switching of chores had unforeseen consequences however, in that neither remembers exactly how to do the new chore, as they hadn’t had to in at least a year. Rather than ask the other for help, both Jaskier and Geralt decided to wing it and try their best. 

Jaskier stares down at Geralt, slav squatting, staring at the bubbles that were slowly invading their apartment via the laundry and kitchen. 

“So, I couldn’t remember which dish liquid was the one for the dishwasher and put the red one in, which was apparently the wrong choice…… What did you do to create the bubbles in the washer?” 

Geralt grunts. “That was the dawn dish soap that we hand wash the alcohol glasses with,” he sighs. “I may have put a full cup of laundry detergent in the washing machine”

Jaskier gasps “A full- Geralt! The entire cup!? That’s at least double the amount you’re supposed to use!” 

Geralt pouts. “I couldn’t remember how much,” he grumbles

“You could have asked me!”

This earns Jaskier a raised eyebrow and the stink eye.

“Fair enough,” he giggles. “We should have asked each other when we were confused.”

Geralt nods before standing. “Well I guess we should turn the appliances off before the bubbles get worse… wish me luck”

Jaskier nods and jokingly salutes him. “I’ll remember you dearly.”

Geralt chuckles and shakes his head before wading into the bubbles to stop the dishwasher and washing machine cycles.

A minute later he reappears, covered in bubbles from head to toe, looking like some sort of grumpy snowman. Jaskier laughs at him before Geralt smirks and captures him in a bear hug, causing the man to shriek. “Nooo! Geralt my clothes! Ackkkk!”

Geralt swings him, picking him up slightly. “I think if we let the bubbles settle we can clean up in a little, but we should change first.”

Jaskier pouts “The point of you doing it was so only one of us had to change.”

Geralt gives him a toothy grin, carrying him towards their bedrooms to change. “But you laughed at me, that demands retribution.”

Jaskier just sticks his tongue out at him before being set down in front of his room. “Wanna play Smash while we wait?”

Geralt grins, “What, wanna get wrecked that badly?” he winks to Jaskiers affronted gasp before going in his room to change.

guess I’ll add my tag list huh

@geraltrogerericduhautebellegarde @jaskiersvalley @jaskierswolf @dani-dandelino @wherethewordsare @softnerdypeter @thecomfortofoldstorries @dapandapod @lindianaj0nes @kuripon​ @elliestormfound @veritasrose

Hope y’all enjoyed it >///<

[forabeatofadrum]

Then maybe time would not erase me

Summary: Luke’s parents find the YouTube video of Julie performing with her band. Her band that includes their dead son.

Notes: I have had this fic in my drafts ever since I first finished the show (back when there was still hope for renewal, Netflix meet me at the parking lot) and I finally finished it. The idea has been stuck with me ever since my first watch.

Enjoy.

AO3

--

Mitch Patterson has never really gotten along with the new technologies. He isn’t as tech savvy as his neighbour Doug. Yet, Mitch knows that the internet is great for finding people.

Julie Molina’s name has never escaped his mind. That girl has done so much for them with one kind gesture. After she handed over the paper, she left and Mitch and Emily resigned themselves to maybe never seeing her again. Their paths have crossed and it has ended, but Emily desperately wants to find her again to thank her properly for what she’s done.

Doug gave Mitch the idea to just use Google.

Mitch types ‘Julie Monila’ in the search bar and he’s not surprised to find out that she has a band. After all, she’s told them that she writes music in the same place that Luke used to write music in. The link to a YouTube video with a couple of million hits catches Mitch’s attention.

He clicks on it. If Julie’s in the band, then that is how he and Emily can support her. He watches as Julie starts to sing and even though Mitch has never really gotten into music, he finds himself nodding along.

And then three boys seem to appear out of thin ice. And Mitch presses the space bar immediately.

That’s his son on guitar.

Mitch sits in silence for a few minutes. His son is in this YouTube video. It’s been 25 years, but that is definitely Luke. He forces himself to watch the video in full and by the end, he’s in tears. 

“Emily, come here!”

--

Google is Mitch’s new best friend. Not only has he found out that Julie and the Phantoms is a ‘hologram’ band, but he’s also found her address. That’s probably how she found his, so he doesn’t feel too bad about the breach of privacy.

He and Emily walk up the driveway, hand in hand. Emily is eerily silent and Mitch can’t blame her. There wasn’t much information about the three boys on the internet, but that guitarist is definitely Luke. Mitch and Emily also recognised the other band members. They’ve only seen the other two boys once, but they were too caught up in their grief to properly look at them. After all, they were called in to identify their dead son.

Mitch and Emily never spoke to their parents, since it became pretty clear that things weren’t perfect. The parents of one of the boys condemned him for living a sinful life and left without sparing their son another look. The other parents were too busy fighting to talk to Mitch and Emily.

They wonder how those parent would feel if they were in this situation. But what situation? How is Luke in the video? How does Julie really know him? 

Luke’s dead. There’s no denying. They buried him in 1995. 

Then why is he now on YouTube?

They ring the bell and a man with a kind face opens the door. “Hello?”

“Hi, we’re looking for Julie?” Mitch says. Emily is still unable to speak.

“And you are?” the man asks.

Emily and Mitch look at each other and Emily nods. Mitch turns back to the man and says: “We’re Luke’s parents.”

The man looks surprised and he shakes both their hands. “Oh, hello, I’m Julie’s father. Nice to meet another parent! Are you all the way from Sweden?”

“S-Sweden? No, we live in the suburbs of LA,” Mitch says, confused. This man knows of Luke, which confirms that the guitarist is Luke. Where does the Sweden come from?

“Huh. Is Luke in school in Sweden, then?”

The story becomes more and more complicated. Julie’s father obviously does not know that Luke is dead, so Mitch quickly plays along: “Oh yes, we’re originally from Sweden. Guten Tag.”

“Neat, I didn’t know they spoke German in Sweden. Let’s go to the garage. Julie’s in there.”

Julie’s father walks them to the garage and Emily shoots Mitch a look that says ‘what are you doing?’, so Mitch just gestures to her to let him handle it. 

Julie’s father knock on the garage door and then he opens it.

“Julie, there are some people for you. Luke’s parents are here.”

Mitch and Emily join them inside and Julie’s eyes widen when she sees them. 

“Mr. and Mrs. Patterson!” she exclaims.

Her father nods. “Yup. Did you know that they speak German in Sweden?”

“Do they?” Julie says with a high-pitched voice.

Julie’s father kisses her on the head and says: “Well, I’ll let you guys be. Your tia is once again coming over with food, so I’ll go back inside. I don’t trust Carlos to be the one to accept it.”

Julie’s father leaves and Emily gets straight to the point. “We saw Luke on YouTube. He’s singing with you.”

Julie looks like a deer caught in headlines. Mitch wanted to bring the news more gently and he wanted to emphasise on the fact that they’re still grateful, but he can’t blame his wife for wanting answers. Ever since they saw that video, their thoughts have been scattered.

Julie looks to the side and then nods.

“Julie, are you- are you talking to our son?” Mitch asks.

Julie looks to the side again and suddenly, they hear singing.

“Can you/Can you hear us?” an unfamiliar voice comes from out of nowhere. Mitch and Emily look around in shock.

“Loud and clear!” three voices yell.

“What- what was that?” Emily asks.

Julie nods and then says: “That was your son and his friends.”

Emily loses her balance and Julie and Mitch both rush to her to steady her. Mitch has trouble standing as well. “How?”

Julie shakes her head. “I have no clue. We have no clue, but your son and his friends- I can see them. I can hear them. They’re ghosts and only I can communicate with them. We think it’s because of our music.”

“Luke... he is here?” Emily reaches out in thin air.

Julie grabs some air before moving towards Emily. “He’s now holding your hand.”

Mitch puts his hand on Emily’s, but he can’t feel anything.

“He’s only corporeal to me. You won’t be able to feel him, but trust me. He’s here and- and he’s crying. He is happy to see you.”

Emily sobs and she tries to cup Luke’s face. Mitch grabs Luke’s arm. They both feel nothing, but Julie doesn’t correct them. They’re holding their son in the first time in 25 years.

“Can he- can he come back with us?” Mitch asks. Julie looks into space again, which probably means that she’s looking at Luke’s ghost. Mitch can’t fully wrap his head around it.

Julie shakes his head. “He’s dead. All three of them are dead. But he wants you to know that he’s been visiting you in the past few weeks. He’s only been a ghost for a short time.”

Emily sobs even harder. “How? Just... how?”

“Again, we have no idea. According to Luke, Reggie and Alex, they died and their ghosts floated out of the ambulance and then they got stuck in a dark room for an hour and then they arrived in my garage. Only they hadn’t been gone for an hour, but for 25 years.”

Julie looks into space again and she nods a couple of times. “Oh, you’re right, Reggie!”

Mitch wants to ask what is going on, but then he hears: “Can you/Can you hear us?” with that same unfamiliar voice.

“Yes, yes we can! Luke?” Emily cries out.

“Loud and clear!” three voices yell again, although the voice of one cracks. It’s Luke’s.

“We also don’t understand how and why, but the boys can be heard when they make music. If Luke sings, he might be able to talk to you,” Julie says.

Mitch and Emily thought that they had heard Luke sing Unsaid Emily when Julie gave them the piece of paper. They’d talked about that, but they both thought that it was because they wanted to hear their son, so it was in their heads.

But... he was there? 

Mitch asks Julie if Luke were with her that day and Julie nods. A tear rolls down her cheek. “Yeah. He rang the bell and he was next to me the entire time. And yes, he sang.”

Emily cries again and Mitch also lets out a sob.

Julie nods again. It’s weird to see a one-sided conversation. “We should leave you guys alone. If it’s not working, then Luke can come and get me. I’d be happy to act as some kind of medium, but I can imagine that you want some time alone.”

“... Thank you.”

“Let’s go, boys, let’s leave them to it.”

--

Mitch and Emily are staring into space, or so it seems. They can’t see it, but Luke is probably looking back at them. He’s probably still in front of them and Mitch desperately tries to tighten his grip, as if that’s suddenly going to make his son corporeal. 

“Luke?” he cries.

“Mom, oh mom, mom/I am glad you got to hear that song,” they hear.

Emily drops her hand. She looks around, trying to find the source of the voice, and her tears keep flowing down her face. Mitch wraps his arms around his wife.

“Dad, oh dad, dad/I hope you will no longer be sad.”

“I will always be sad, Luke,” Mitch says sadly, “But this has soften the hurt.”

“How?” Emily cries out again. It’s all she can say.

“Parents, I really do not know/But at least in a way, I now get to grow/Up.”

Mitch wipes away his tears, but it is no use. The tears keep coming. Luke is right, in a way. He died at seventeen and he looked like seventeen on that YouTube video. Mitch has no idea how ghosts work. In fact, he didn’t even fully believe in them until a few minutes ago. Still, he’s certain that Luke will forever be seventeen.

“You get to make music,” Emily says. It’s the first full sentence she’s said. She bursts into a fresh round of tears. “I am so sorry for our fight. I am so- so sorry!”

“I know, and so was I/But at least we now get by/You heard my song, Unsaid Emily/Now we can finally be free.”

Emily nods her head.

“I was gone for 25 years/To you, those were filled with tears/But please tell me more about that/They cannot be all bad.”

Emily is still a bit unable to speak, so Mitch tells Luke what’s happened in the past 25 years. Their shared life isn’t very exciting. The death of a child changes people. Some people completely reinvent themselves, but Mitch and Emily never did. They stayed in the same place for the past 25 years.

They were never able to move on.

Luke is right, though. It wasn’t all bad. But the death of their son was too apparent.

“I still don’t understand,” Emily interrupts Mitch while he’s talking about their trip to Italy of 2003. 

“Understand what?” Mitch asks.

“This!” Emily yells through her tears. She gestures towards seemingly the empty space in front of them. 

There’s silence. 

After a while, the garage door opens and Julie pokes her head inside. “Hi, Luke, you called?”

Silence. Well, there’s silence for Mitch and Emily. Julie seems to listen to Luke talk. She nods a couple of times.

“Yeah, I can do that.”

“Do what?” Emily asks. 

“Luke asked me to explain what we know. It’s, uhm, less personal, so he’s fine with me being here,” Julie tells them, “Also, we don’t really understand it either, but you can ask Luke questions and I’ll tell you his answer.”

“Can you come back?” Emily immediately says. 

She sounds hysterical, but that’s understandable. Mitch is constantly on the verge of hysterics as well. He tries to be calm in order to ground her, but it’s getting more and more difficult.

Julie shakes her head. “He’s dead, ma’am. In fact, it looks like he’ll disappear forever one day.”

“What?” Mitch says loudly, losing his composure. They really just got their son back. Are they going to lose him again?

Julie messages her temples. “Yeah, okay Reggie, I will,” she mutters.

Mitch so desperately wishes he could hear the voices of his son and his friends. Listening to only Julie is confusing.

“It looks like the boys are stuck in the living realm, but as ghosts,” Julie tries to explain, “They have to find a way to ‘cross over’. It’s like those ghost movies where the ghosts need peace or something. They don’t know what waits ahead, but they haven’t gotten there yet. Reggie insists on me mentioning that Alex has a crush on the ghost who told them that.”

Silence, but Julie smirks towards the air.

Mitch waves to get her attention.

“Oh, sorry!” Julie says to him and Emily, “Alex is turning as red as a beet.”

“I- I remember Alex,” Emily chokes out, “And Reggie. By name. We didn’t meet them, because of the music thing, but I’m- I’m glad the three of them are together.”

Julie nods.

“Reggie says: ‘Best friends for the rest of their lives. Literally. And their deaths’. We’re pretty sure they’ll ascend together.”

“When will you… ascend?” Mitch manages to say.

He also doesn’t want to think about losing his son again, but he’s seen ghost movies. It brought him some comfort after Luke’s death, even though he never expected those stories to be real. But because of that, he knows that ascension or moving on is a good thing. The thought of not being able to talk to Luke anymore is devastating, but in the same vein, the thought of his son being completely happy and content with life makes his heart soar.

“They don’t know that either,” Julie says, “We were certain they’d move on after the concert, but we’ve been stuck on this issue ever since. Although it did make them corporeal to me.”

“That’s… enough,” Mitch eventually says, especially since he notices that Emily wants to ask something.

He knows his wife.

He knows she wants to ask Julie if Luke can become corporeal to them too, but Mitch already knows that the answer is no. It might be better to cut Emily off before she can get the answer she doesn’t really want to hear.

“That’s enough,” Mitch confirms, sounding more sure now, “Luke is here. It’s better than I could’ve ever hoped for.”

Emily still looks a bit conflicted, but then she nods.

Beggars can’t be choosers. The fact that they are able to talk to their deceased son through Julie is already a gift. First, Julie brings the song, then Julie brings Luke in the best of her ability.

Their moment is interrupted by Julie’s dad, who tells Julie that her aunt has arrived. He goes back to the main house when Julie asks him for a few more minutes.

“Luke would love to see you again,” she says and Emily breaks out in a new round of tears, but now they’re tears of happiness, or gratitude, or relief, or all three of them. Julie talks about how they can make this a regular occurrence and how she can also visit them at their home.

Emily and Mitch agree without a moment of hesitation.

“I mean, until he moves on of course,” Julie adds nervously.

But Mitch and Emily look at each other and they come to an easy understanding. It will definitely hurt when Luke finally crosses over or whatever ghosts do, but at least they are warned this time. And any second with him is worth it.

“Yes, yes, we’d love to,” Emily says.

Emily and Mitch say their goodbyes, but it isn’t heartbreaking, because they know they’ll be back and their son will be there waiting for them.

[madamewriterofwrongs]

I'm so sorry, it's such a horrible day all around and I'm sending you al the good vibes I can find. I've never really sent a prompt before, but if you felt like writing some Buddie 2.01 AU, where their first meeting wasn't actually their first meeting, that might be fun? Or literally anything, everything you write makes me smile! Hope it gets better soon!! ❤

Hey! Thank you for sending this. Tonight has been an absolute shitshow of emotions but having something to focus on definitely helped. 

So, yeah. This is a First Meeting AU of sorts. Again, thank you for giving me something to do other than cry. I really appreciate it.

Dear Eddie,

Thank you for being my bunk buddy. I had a really good camp with you. Please write me from Texas.

From, Buck.

 Dear Buck,

Hi from Texas. Thank you for the bracelet. My sister said bracelets are for girls but I don’t care. I also had a really good time at camp and I can’t wait to go next year. Will you be there, next year? Maybe we could bunk together again. School starts soon and I’m a little nervous because fifth grade is my last year at this school and I don’t want to leave my friends behind. What’s your favourite subject in school? Mine

 Dear Eddie,

Please tell your sister than anyone can wear bracelets and that if she tries to make fun of them again, the ghost of Camp Kuriakas will haunt her dreams. I tried that on my sister but she just laughed at me so maybe you’ll have better luck. Mom says I can’t go back to camp next year because we’re moving and it will be too far away. But don’t worry, you can write me from camp and tell me all about it. I don’t really like school but I do like the library. I’ve been reading this book called

Dear Buck,

Camp wasn’t as fun without you but you were right about Suzie Pecoski, she had to leave a day early because the popcorn got stuck in her braces. Jose laughed but I told him not to and he told Counselor Lia that I punched him. So after dinner, I did. He didn’t tell that time. I still missed you though. I hope your new house is nice. What is your room like?

 Dear Eddie,

I can’t believe I start high school tomorrow. I tried to call Maddie and ask for advice but she didn’t pick up so I guess I’m on my own for this one. Except I’m not alone because I have you. You’d answer if I called, right, Eddie? Anyways, I’ve been thinking about your theory about the island being purgatory

 Buck,

I have no idea what I’m doing but I definitely think I just asked Kylie Wilcox to the dance. I am freaking out! Kylie’s nice and she’s so pretty but I didn’t mean to ask her. I just meant to ask if she needed someone to help on the committee. But I guess I have a date to the dance. What do I even wear? I’m not asking Sophia. One: she’s two years younger and would just make fun of all my choices and Two: she would definitely tell Adriana who would tell mom who would tell dad and then I’d never hear the end of it. Help me, Buck, you’re my only hope!

 Eddie,

You do remember that these letters take weeks to get to me, right? Didn’t the dance already happen? I hope you didn’t trip over your two left feet and fall flat on your face. Oh wait. Yes I do. That’d be so funny. And you need to have more fun, Diaz.

 Buck,

Have you ever had feelings for a guy that you thought you could only have for a girl?

 Hi Eddie,

Isn’t email so much better? We’re one step closer to communicating like human beings. Welcome to the 21st century. Anyways, graduation’s coming up and my dad keeps asking me where I’m going to go to college and I don’t know how much longer I can keep avoiding answering him. How do I tell him I failed? How am I going to face him? He’s going to be so disappointed in me. Maddie and Doug are driving in for the ceremony and I haven’t even told her that they’re letting me walk across the stage out of pity. I’m scared.

 Dear Buck,

Greetings from El Paso! Remember when I said I was never going to work for my father? Guess who���s the newest employee. I suppose it’s a good thing. This thing with Shannon is getting serious and I know I should have a stable job. I just thought I’d have a little time, you know? I thought I’d get to be me for a little bit. Sorry Seattle didn’t work out. Hey, maybe you could try Texas next. Try all four corners of the country, right? That wouldn’t be so bad.

 Dear Eddie,

I am writing from an internet café in Guatemala. Don’t ask me how I got here, I’m not entirely sure myself but I know it involved tequila. And possibly the guy I woke up next to (I think his name was Nico?) but who knows. Congratulations on Shannon getting pregnant!!! I know you’re freaking out. You don’t have to tell me that you’re freaking out because I know you. But you’re going to be a great dad. Hell, you’ve been half-raising me since you helped me learn my times tables at camp. I can’t believe what losers we were that we stayed up all night doing math. Anyways, I’ll let you know when I’m back in the states. And STOP FREAKING OUT.

 Dear Buck,

I’m sorry it’s taken so long to reply. The WiFi’s shit over here. I’m actually typing this from a hospital bed. Don’t worry, I’m okay. Or at least I will be. They said they’re sending me home and (you’re the only one I can tell this to) I got scared. I don’t know what’s waiting for me back in Texas. I don’t know what I’m coming home to. The officers keep telling me that it was an honor to serve my country and Shannon keeps telling me that she would rather I serve my family. I thought I was doing that but I was wrong. I was wrong about a lot of things, Buck, but there’s one thing I do know. Only one of us is throwing our life away for a worthy cause.

 Eddie,

You are a pretentious asshole, you know that? You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. Just because I don’t have a wife and a kid and a white picket fence, you think I don’t know what I’m doing with my life. You’re wrong. You think you know me because we shared a room one summer when we were kids but you don’t know me, Eddie Diaz. You just want me to be like you.

 I’m sorry, Eddie. I didn’t mean any of it. The truth is I’m lost. You were right. You’re always right. I know I’m just a screw up but please don’t tell me I’ve screwed this up too.

 Eddie, I’m so sorry. Please respond.

 Hey Buck,

It’s been a while (two years, I think?). I just wanted to see how you were doing. A little update on my life. Shannon left me. Sort of. It’s complicated. Christopher and I actually just moved to California so I could start a new job. I’m hopeful that this is the right change for us. I hope you’re doing well. I know I never said it but I forgive you and I’m sorry. You were my best friend, Buck, and I hope we can be friends again. I didn’t realize how much I relied on you until you were gone. I know I’m the one who shut you out. I really hope you can forgive me for that because I miss you. I miss my friend. Anyways, if you’re ever in Los Angeles, let me know. You know after all these years, I don’t know what you look like. I still remember the skinny kid with the birthmark over his eye who tried to go skinny dipping in the lake but slipped on the docks and bruised his elbow. I wonder what he’s up to.

 Dear Eddie,

You’ll never believe this, but I ran into a guy at work who has the same name as you. What a coincidence, right? I think I was in denial for most of the day that, of all places, I would reunite with you at a fire station in Los Angeles. But I’m really glad we did.

 Buck,

I’m sending instructions for Christopher’s birthday party (I know, I know, you are the party planning expert but I’m the father so you have to at least pretend to listen to me). He’s really looking forward to it. It’s the first one without Shannon so Buck? Please make it perfect for my kid? I could really use a win this year. And no ice cream cake (don’t think I don’t know he’s been trying to talk you into it). I’m already going to have to deal with a room full of hyper nine-year-olds, I don’t need melted ice cream on top of that. What am I saying? You’re the party planner, you can clean it up. What would I do without you?

 Eddie,

I was going to text you but that seemed too informal and there’s too much pressure on a phone call so I thought I’d go back to what we do best. You were right when you said I was afraid. I’ve never felt this way about anyone and it’s you. We’ve known each other our whole lives and it never occurred to me that I might be in love with you. But that doesn’t mean I’m not. Eddie, I think I’ve been in love with you since we were nine years old and you kissed my bruised elbow. When you kissed me tonight, I don’t know, I froze. I’m so sorry, Eddie. If I could do it over, I’d still be kissing you. God, I really hope I haven’t screwed this up for good.

 Hey Buck,

Turn around.

Love, Eddie.

[yournewapartment]

YNA, I need help or advice or something: there's this video going around Facebook, that my cousin just sent me, from a woc who is saying that "racially motivated police brutality is a myth" and I'm so angry like how can she say that? "White men are more likely to be killed by cops," "cops are more likely to be killed by black men," and crap like that. I dont believe any of it but how do I prove to my cousin it's bs? The woman was citing figures and yelling "look it up!!" Was she bluffing?

I recently listened to a wonderful podcast from In The Dark about the case of Curtis Flowers, a POC who had to endure an unprecedented number of murder trails in Mississippi for a mass murder he did not commit. The prosecutor on the case, an asshole named Doug Evans, was a racist, and tried the case six times. There is only one other case in all of United States history, to have been tried even close to this many times. One other case! Curtis’ case kept getting overturned because his defense team was able to prove time and time again, that Evans and his team were racists. They used their legal power in the courtroom to strike as many black people from the jury pool as possible. Out of the six trials (think 12 jurors and 3 alternates), I believe only eight POC made it onto the jury. That’s 8 out of 90 possible! My memory might not be 100% correct, but you get the point. 

It’s a wonderful podcast and I highly recommend you listen if you’re interested in true crime. BUT, my point...

During several of the trials, Mr. Evans used jail-house informants who were POC. All of them have since recanted their testimony and have said that Evans paid them to testify or helped them get lesser prison sentences. But this is after the fact. In the Dark investigators interviewed different jurors who sat on different juries (the jail house informants were used at almost every trial). Many of the white jurors said that they gave the jailhouse informants more credence than they normally would have, because they were POC. They said that they did not think that POC would turn on other POC if it wasn’t for a good reason. Which is, my friends.... wait for it... just another form of racism against POC! 

The few black jurors that made it to juries did not give the jailhouse informants more credence at all. Several even said that they found the jail house informants very untrustworthy and unreliable. Because the court literally tells you: “Hey, these are jail house informants, you have to take their testimony with a grain of salt.”

I haven’t seen this video and I obviously don’t know the background of it or of the POC on it. But it sounds to me like white people are watching this video and thinking: “Well, this is a POC saying these things, so this video has to be an honest take on the situation.” It’s sounding like they’re giving this video more weight and importance than they would a video of a white person saying the same exact things. 

Which is... racism! 

Racism is not always brutality and violence, thought it often times is. 

Racism can be your white grandmother saying: “I don’t have a problem with black people, their music is just too loud.” 

It can be your friend saying the n-word when she’s singing along to a Kendrick Lamar song: “He said it first, so why can’t I say it?” 

It can be a co-worker assuming a POC co-worker speaks a different language based on their skin color. 

It can even be you! If I’m walking around at night by myself, and I see a group of black men hanging out in a park, doing their own thing, why am I uneasy? I have to ask myself- if this were a group of white men, would I still feel uneasy? Why do I feel this way? Do I carry inherent racism with me as a white person, just based on the way I react with society as a white woman? 

Guys- I definitely do! And if you’re a white person reading this, I bet you do too. My parents are die-hard liberals who have always touted equal rights for everyone. In my education, I never had a teacher spout openly racist view points or try to “brain wash me” into being racist. It was a default. A default, because every interaction I’ve had with everyone I’ve ever met, has in some part been a judgment based on my appearance. It’s not a conscious thing, it’s what we as humans do, we take in our surroundings. Living life as a white woman has granted me invisible privileges that POC do not share. 

And... that’s a hard pill to swallow. I’m sure that I’ll get comments on this post and asks in my inbox with angry white people criticizing what I’ve just said. Because nobody wants to be called a racist! White people who spend their whole lives with POC, who have never intentionally said anything negative about POC, do not want to hear that they were essentially born into racism. Fam, I didn’t want to hear it either! But it is not enough to “not be a racist”. We’ve come too far as a species to sit back idly and occasionally tweet “Black Lives Matter” and congratulate ourselves for the effort. As a white person with my rights and privileges, it is my duty to society to be actively “anti-racist”. 

It is my duty to educate myself. It is my duty to stand with POC. To amplify POC’s voices. To listen when POC talk. And most importantly- to not make it about myself! Which I have in this post, I know. But as semi-popular blogger who is white, I feel that I needed to write this out to help other white people.  White people- get angry! Be the change you wish to see in the world. Step up and do what you can to support POC. 

I know I’ve somewhat indirectly answered your question, so more to the point. I don’t know who this POC is in the video. But on a very basic level, I know that you know, that what the woman in the video is saying is not the truth. It’s been proven time and time again that POC (particularly black POC), have been murdered by the systemic racism of our justice system. Just scroll back on my blog and check out the posts I reblogged #blacklivesmatter for more specific details. This is not to say that the justice system magically works 100% if you’re white, it clearly doesn’t. But as a white person, you have a much better chance of getting a fair shake of things. Whether that’s being pulled over by a cop, being arrested, or even getting an impartial jury. These are basic human rights that we should all enjoy! 

Anyone can hop on the internet, record a shitty video, and act like it’s the truth. I can record a video stating that I’m an FBI agent who has been hunting serial killers using the nanotechnology of gusher candies, but nobody is going to fucking believe me. Every video on the internet needs to be treated with scrutiny, and frankly, your cousin is a fool if she’s willing to end her education on racism just because she watched one video with a POC condemning it.

In this case, I would message your cousin the following resources on racism and police statistics so that she can educate herself. There are countless articles all over the internet:

https://mappingpoliceviolence.org/

https://www.citylab.com/equity/2019/08/police-officer-shootings-gun-violence-racial-bias-crime-data/595528/

Also important resources:

https://blacklivesmatter.com/

https://www.aclu.org/

How to be anti-racist: https://weedmaps.com/news/2020/06/where-to-start-being-anti-racist-educate-yourself-with-black-voices/

https://medium.com/wake-up-call/a-detailed-list-of-anti-racism-resources-a34b259a3eea

Check out the case of Curtis Flowers on all your favorite podcast streaming services: https://www.apmreports.org/in-the-dark/season-two/curtis-flowers-updates

I appreciate everyone who read this. I feel a little uneasy posting this if I’m being honest. I am white, this isn’t about my voice. So if you are a POC and have feedback for me, please let me know. I will keep on keeping on, and will do my part to support #blacklivesmatter.

[skeleton-richard]

A Fact About Me That Sounds Fake

But is true. I went to Dashcon.

Dashcon, for those unfamiliar, was the one attempt at a convention organized by and for tumblr users, much like a regular geek convention like Comic Con, just smaller and essentially limited to people on tumblr. At the time, early 2014, it didn’t sound as crazy as it does now, I swear. July 11th, 12th, and 13th, 2014. I was 19 and had just graduated high school. I was a nerdy autistic homeschooler who had made most of my friends through online fan communities, on tumblr and deviantArt. One of these friends was planning on going to Dashcon, since she was in Illinois at the time, and I ended up deciding to go as well. The previous year I’d gone to ChicagoTARDIS and it was a blast, so this would basically be the same thing. I lucked out that not only would my parents let me go, I would get to stay at the hotel hosting the convention by myself, they were getting a room at another hotel. I had never been away from my parents for more than sleepovers and I’d never been entirely on my own. I was going to go to college that fall, but I would be living at home, so this was my one chance to experience that sort of thing. The convention… the convention has entered internet lore for how poorly it was managed and how some of the organizers were flat-out shit. I won’t waste time recounting it here – if you’re interested in the whole story, YouTuber Sarah Z has done a far better job than I could explaining what went down that week. The important parts to my story are 1) my friend and I would finally meet and we would on the last day cosplay as Cecil and Carlos from the science fiction podcast Welcome to Night Vale, and 2) the actual Night Vale podcast would be doing a live show on Sunday. It was great getting to meet my friend M, who I’d known for a while now through our mutual interest in Doctor Who. In fact, we’d made a trade of our skills, she knitted the Fourth Doctor’s scarf for me and I sewed a replica of a particular jacket from the Third Doctor. Oh yeah, I used to sew. Anyway. The insanity on the first day, Friday, happened. No, I didn’t give them any money (Please, if you don’t know what I mean, watch the video I linked above, its explanation is the best I’ve seen). The next day was way better, though. I got to meet my fellow Hoosier Doug Jones, the modern Man of a Thousand Faces, who played Abe Sapien in the Hellboy movies. Doug is 6’ 4" and one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met. I told him about an essay I’d written for school about the Christian themes of the Hellboy comics, since I knew he’s a Christian like me, and he thought that was awesome.

Me meeting Doug Jones. I’m wearing my Eighth Doctor cosplay. My hair is not actually curly, it was a perm. My hair does not perm well. Then Sunday, the last day of the convention, Welcome to Night Vale was scheduled to do a live show, which cost extra. In the end, they walked because the con refused to pay them. I don’t blame them, honestly, but it was a little disappointing. Until someone had the idea to have a fan panel. They had several Cecil cosplayers and they asked if there was a Carlos, and my friend told me to go up and be on the panel, which she joined too. I have massive anxiety issues and I don’t like being the center of attention or even having multiple people looking at me. I’m always nervous when I have to go in front of people, but I gathered my courage and sat at a big table in front of a lot of people and talked. We answered audience questions in character, which was very fun, especially when an audience member asked me as Carlos how I escaped from the desert otherworld he was at the time trapped in. I had one of my rare moments of quick thinking and said “Have you ever heard of a man called the Doctor?” The assembled geeks, with many Whovians among them, cheered my response. It sounds conceited to say that, but they applauded and I knew I’d made someone– lots of someones– happy. That’s the best feeling in the world. Then we decided to do our own show,  and we chose “Old Oak Doors Part A,” which had been released the month prior. It’s a great episode, the beginning of the end for Strexcorp, and in its original form was a live show. Sharing iPhones and tablets to read a transcript online, we recreated it. My friend M played Intern Dana, I playing Carlos. There’s a part where Dana calls Carlos a hero, to which Carlos replies “I’m not a hero. I’m a scientist.” I read that line and the audience went insane. It was my finest moment. Dana’s next line was “Then scientist will always be my word for hero.” The audience exploded again and to this day I marvel at how a short exchange between two characters had such an impact on those listening. This panel and reading are, as much as I can recall, the first time I’d ever really had people applauding something I’d done on my own rather than as part of something else, like plays at church. And what made it even better is that it was something I would never have thought I would do. The convention was a disaster and many things could have gone better, and I still feel sorry we didn’t get to do some of the things we’d planned. But the good things that happened were worth it, to me. I listen to WTNV while doing chores and every year I start from the beginning again, and when I get to “Old Oak Doors,” I’m reminded of the spontaneous reading and my Big Line and how I’d faced a ton of fears that weekend and come out making others laugh. There is, as far as I know, no recording of that panel and reading online. I’ve searched YouTube and googled it but nothing has turned up. If anyone ever comes across it, I’d love to see it again. I’m also looking for pictures that were taken that I know were on my old blog at some point, in the hopes that I got them to my current blog before I deleted the old one. But even if I never find those pictures I have the memories. And a line that reminds me that I may not be a hero, but I still am what I work on being.

(I was originally going to post this on my Dreamwidth, but it was too big. Wow.)

[girlsgonemildblog]

Idiot in Paris - Emily in Paris Pilot Recap (Spoilers!!)

All photos from IMDB

Emily in Paris, created by the brilliant mind who gave the world Sex and the City, Darren Star, has been received online by a LOT of criticism. Meaning, I instantly knew that it was the perfect show for me. It’s a beautiful mixture of faux-French culture, poor writing, a hateable protagonist, and so-ugly-they’re-cute outfits. It’s like Gossip Girl if Blair and Serena were a singular non-rich girl.

The pilot begins with Emily (Lily Collins) about to be promoted at her job in Chicago, stepping into the shoes (to use the show’s own words) of her boss, Madeline (Kate Walsh). But, unfortunately, #girlboss Madeline is also a bit promiscuous and gets pregnant. Of course, a woman cannot both WORK and be a MOTHER! Don’t be fucking ridiculous! So Madeline has to give up her self-described dream job working in Paris, and instead, the job goes to her 22-year-old assistant, Emily.

After asking permission from her unnamed boyfriend (Roe Hartrampf), as all women apparently need to do before making career decisions, Emily takes the job and moves to Paris. It immediately becomes apparent that she is wildly underqualified for this job. Not only does she not speak any French, but she also has all of her experience in marketing pharmaceuticals, despite this job being focused on the fashion and beauty industry.

She’s apparently there to teach her new French coworkers about social media marketing, which makes absolutely no sense because pharmaceuticals are NOT marketed on social media. Like ever. On top of that, are we just supposed to believe that people in Paris don’t know how social media works? This is France, not North Korea. They have the same internet we do.

And even if we suspend our disbelief that all these other marketing professionals have no idea how social media works, the glimpse we’re given of Emily’s posts on her “@emilyinparis” account (roll credits) tells us that she sucks at social media too. Her posts are very 2015 mommy-blogger and, honestly, cringe-worthy. It is also not specified where she is posting to, as the graphic does not resemble Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or anything else for that matter. We also see her follower count rise as she posts, but no indication of clicks/interactions, which anyone with any knowledge of growing a social media presence would recognize is more important.

She shows up to her first day of work with a shirt with the Eiffel Tower on it. 

If wearing a band t-shirt to their concert is bad, wearing an article of clothing with the tourist trap of the city you’re in should call for jail-time. Her new coworkers are mean to her (rightfully so), and on her second day, she wallows in the park where she meets another American girl, Mindy, who sits weirdly close to her on an empty bench. Mindy (Ashley Park) is a nanny for two French children, who Emily takes a photo of and posts to her social media account without anyone’s consent. Absolutely wild move.

Another ridiculous moment comes when Emily tries to let herself into her downstairs neighbor’s apartment. This confusion comes because she remembers she lives on the 5th floor, but in France, they don’t count the ground floor, so what Americans called the 2nd floor is the 1st to the French. I totally understand Emily’s confusion because this confused the fuck out of me when I studied French in High School. Here’s my issue, though; Emily lives on the top floor of her building. So, if you live on a middle floor, it makes sense that you wouldn’t be sure what floor you are on. But if you live on the top floor, and you see another staircase leading upwards, you HAVE to know that you are on the wrong floor. Emily might be the dumbest bitch out there. But it allows for a meet-cute with the hot French neighbor, so I will allow it.

The episode ends with Emily facetiming her boyfriend (we finally learn from Caller-ID that his name is Doug), who conveniently forgets it’s 3 am where she is because he misses her so much. Then, with absolutely no subtlety, he transitions their call into phone-sex, and they both supposedly get completely naked. I say “supposedly” because they have their blankets pulled up to their shoulders, kind of defeating the point a bit. While masturbating, she starts confessing all of her job frustrations to her boyfriend, who does not listen to even one bit to anything she says. While this is a weird move on Emily's part, Doug is also a dick here. The wi-fi sucks, and she loses the call, leaving her frustrated in more ways than one.

Overall, the pilot was a clusterfuck, and I loved every second of it. I have not determined if this show will be one I love to hate or just flat out hate, but as of now, I am leading towards the former. I cannot wait for the next episode.

[amplesalty]

Halloween 2021 - Day 8 - Hellraiser: Hellseeker (2002)

All problems solved...

Ooh, we’re on to Hellraiser? Time for the news!

Following the end of filming, word got out on the full cast of the upcoming reboot to the series and there’s no Doug Bradley to be found. I guess that’s hardly surprising, he is getting on in years and he’s been on the outs with this franchise for a little while now. I suppose there was a chance he could be won round if he was pitched something he thought was worthwhile and not just another means to maintain a stranglehold on the rights but I guess it wasn’t to be. But that begs the question, who is going to take on the iconic role of Pinhead?

You guessed it; Frank Stallone. No, wait, been watching too much Norm Macdonald lately...

It’s Jamie Clayton. Wait a minute...*reads notes*, she’s a woman AND she’s transgender. That’s like...double woke! Oddly enough though, when I saw Pinhead was trending on Twitter, all the tweets I saw on the matter were people reacting to apparent ‘THEY RUINED PINHEAD’ types by citing that in the book, Pinhead’s gender was ambiguous. Maybe the algorithm is so trained on me that it doesn’t bother showing me the offending tweets, or maybe everyone was just straw manning based on the assumption that ‘HELLRAISER GONE FULL WOKE?!’ is the typical response to this situation from a certain section of the internet.

And really, if there are people coming out of the wordwork to scream about the franchise being ruined by this, is Hellraiser really the hill to die on? A series that has been going downhill critically with each passing release, whose last two outings have been ashcan copies pumped out within weeks in order to help the studio retain the rights and has had one sequel referred to by Clive Barker as being ‘not even from my butt-hole’.

At least Barker is back as a producer on this one and David Bruckner is directing who has some pedigree in the horror field, he was involved in the original V/H/S and V/H/S 94 that just came out on Shudder which seems to be getting some praise. The fact that the movie is only coming out on Hulu though, does that raise some eyebrows? Obviously living somewhere where Hulu doesn’t operate warps my frame of reference slightly but in my head they don’t seem like they’re amongst the elite of the streaming game. Like, obviously Netflix is on top and you’ve got the likes of Disney+ and Amazon hovering around as well due to the size of the companies running them. I feel like I hear more about HBO Max than I do Hulu though.

Anyway, Hellseeker, Hellraiser VI to be specific. And hey, Kirsty is back. That feels a little unceremonious to suddenly drag her back into it after such a gap, she hasn’t been around properly since 2 and that’s like 14 years ago at this point. It’s all a bit underdeveloped and doesn’t really make much sense in the grand scheme of things, at least how I understand it.

Just skipping majorly ahead here, she’s the wife of our main character, Trevor, only they’re involved in a car accident right at the start and Kirsty is presumed dead from drowning. Hang on, isn’t that how Beetlejuice started as well? Only, the police can’t find the body so think she might have survived so the movie follows their and Trev’s journey to find her whilst unraveling details of Trevor’s sordid past.

And in the end it turns out that Trev planned to kill her all along in order to cash in on an inheritance she was owed from her Dad and Uncle Frank, and he was just using her the entire time. But he’s shown introducing the puzzle box to her again and I don’t really know why. If it’s purely a greed thing and he does want to kill her so he gets the money, maybe that’s a long winded way to do it that kinda absolves him of any guilt? Like, technically he wouldn’t be killing her, she’d be opening the box and the Cenobites would be killing her. But even then, they’re not the most clean, efficient killers in the world so that’s a bit of a mess to clean up, literally and figuratively. And if you’re trying to plan this murder, surely allowing someone else to commit said murder throws all sorts of variables in that are out of your control.

The other thought would be that he’s actually just interested in the Lament Configuration and is using her because she’s the best one suited to open it due to her past history with it. Which actually would be a bit of a retread of 2 now that I think about it. But there’s no suggestion that that’s what’s happening here and there’s no real motive for why he’d do that anyway.

And when she does open the box, there’s initially some dialogue from Pinhead that he’s been seeking her out all this time and that upon her opening the box originally all those years ago, it set wheels in motion that Pinhead must take her soul and he will not stop until he’s done that. Only, she immediately counters that by offering him 5 souls in place for hers, which he just accepts. So it’s not as if Pinhead is particularly bothered about claiming her soul above anyone elses, he’s more quantity over quality.

So, it feels a bit pointless Kirsty even being here? She’s interchangeable with any other character in both aspects of her place in the story; as Trevor’s wife and the connection to the Cenobites. I get bringing her back if you’re still keen on pumping out entries in the series but you’re lacking content, there’s history built right into her character and it brings some credibility when you’re facing criticism for slapping the Hellraiser branding on any old script you find laying around. But she’s barely even in this film, and the parts that she is, there’s no real mention of her past outside of her freaking out a bit when the puzzle box comes up. I guess it would be a bit like beating you over the head with it though, when you’re six films deep and watching a direct to DVD release, you’re pretty invested that you don’t need the cliff notes of her origin story. Still, if you’re going to bring her in then at least have her do something. Maybe elaborate on that whole thing with Pinhead not having closure until her takes her soul, explain what she’s been doing for a decade, maybe there’s some fateful aspect to the puzzle box that keeps somehow following her around and claiming the lives of people she gets close to so she’s finally had enough and draws Pinhead into one final showdown. There is an element of this at the very end because somehow the puzzle box ends up in her possession once again. I’d suggest sequel bait but I think she’s done after this movie.

As for the story they do tell, hubbie Trevor is trying to piece things together following the accident at the start of the movie but there seems to be a lot of twisted things going on, whether they are actually happening though or visions in his own warped mind is up for debate.

Trevor, incidentally, is played by Dean Winters who is notable, to me at least, for his time on Oz playing Ryan O’Reilly. Actually, I didn’t mention that Harold Perrineau was in 28 Weeks Later and he was in Oz as well as Augustus Hill. Man, I should watch that show again.

I’d normally say that’s the ambiguous storytelling is a welcome thing but it all feels a little disjointed and can be a bit weird shit for weird shits sake. That’s not to say that Inferno didn’t have a lot of weird shit going on too but that felt a little more grounded and that whole cop aspect gave it some stakes. There are a lot of similarities between this and Inferno, with these flawed lead characters that ultimately have their indiscretions twisted and reflected back at them. Both these characters are serial adulterers, maybe that’s another route they could have taken for a sequel; just rip off SE7EN and have Pinhead targeting people based on the seven deadly sins.

In the end it all feels a bit Jacobs Laddery, David Lynchy I don’t really get on too well with those kind of movies (he says whilst having Eraserhead on his watch list).

I’m surprised they had the budget to spring for Han Solo trapped in carbonite for their set dressing though.

[drarrygirl27]

All right. So... I don't know what to call this, but it is something that I feel is personally important for me to address.

Now before I go much further, I would like to say that first & foremost, I am not saying all of this to be a jerk, an asshole, a bitch, a cunt, or whatever anyone is possibly going to think during & after reading all of this.

I am simply just trying to make sure that something that is very, very important & precious to me is anything & everything, but misunderstood & not very clear.

Lately, I have been getting messages from people that have made me a bit uncomfortable & unsettled to be completely & totally honest. I don't know if that was their intention or not, but the fact of the matter is that I have never been the best at reading social cues from people whether we are face to face or over the internet. Maybe it is because I am an undiagnosed Aspie as they are called, maybe it is something completely else, or maybe it is a mixture of the two or three or whatever. I really don't know. That is something that I really, really hope that I will be able to figure out before it is my time. The only thing that I do know for sure when it comes to things of that nature is that I am most definitely something underneath the Neurodivergent umbrella. I'm just not sure what I am exactly.

Anyway, I know that I am an attractive woman. It took me a little more than a decade of my life to finally see how beautiful I truly am inside & out with all my flaws & such, but it is a fact.

Also, I am not going to name names because I think I am a bit more of a classier person than that. With that being said, these messages have been outright saying that they were looking for someone to pretty much hook up with while some have been just simply saying Hi Dear and such like that.

Now again I don't know if the ones that have addressed me as Dear, Sweetheart, or whatever term of endearment they have given to me are meant to just be friendly or if they're looking for someone to hook up with or date or whatever the fuck ever, but the thing is sometimes sexual & or romantic attraction can start out as people just being friends. I mean that is how Doug (my boyfriend, future husband, soulmate, lover, best friend, & Dom.) and I first started. I won't get into too many details about it because then this whole thing will turn into a much longer novel than it already has.

Anyway, I was 17 and Doug was 21 when we first met. It all started when a best friend of mine handed me her phone to talk to her boyfriend at the time while she went to do whatever she told me years and years ago at my house from that time period. An instant attraction happened between the both of us during that one phone call. It was one of those cases, where two people's chemistry & compatibility was literally off the charts. It was so much off the charts where years and years later people, family, friends, and even exes could see something more between both of these people even from all the way back then. However, both of these people, a man and a woman were never at the right parts of each other's lives to be together romantically or other wise. One would be single while the other was taken or it just wouldn't be a good time for whatever reason for them to go out like they been desiring to for years and years. They both literally either at the same time or not had to put their attraction and more than friends feelings on the back burner so to speak.

Years would go by where they would keep in steady contact with each other, but even when they wouldn't be and they would just contact each other out of the blue it would be like no true time has really passed them by. They could literally talk to each other for hours and hours about anything & everything. It literally took them years and years, but especially on the woman's end to realize that this man has been her best friend & confidant for practically all of the years they have known each other.

Anywho, eventually about 2 years or so after the woman had broke up her engagement after being tired of all the stupid lies & broken promises from an idiot that she was with for almost 6 years and the man had been divorced by that time from his wife (one of the woman's best friends & his girlfriend at the time when the woman & her both were 17.) for 9 years, both the man & woman start talking again after he has been through what he has been through and the woman went into the Army for 5 months, received an uncharacteristic discharge, and her Daddi-o died literal months after her Grandma Jones's died. The man got the woman to truly laugh and smile again, but most importantly he got her to live again. After a little more than a month of talking about the pros and cons of going out with each other after knowing each other from 2006 to 2017 (13 or 14 years I believe.), they eventually got together on her Grandma Jones's birthday of all days. The woman barely realized it at the time, but she when she did it realize it she thought it was pretty cool.

Now the woman & the man have been together for about 3 1/2 years and are still going strong. His ex-wife who was one of the woman's best friends from high school hasn't been a friend of hers since 2019. Apparently she couldn't and I quote be friends with them anymore because it hurt her too much. Something about the girl code and some other middle school & high school type bullshit. She wasn't very happy with it when they (the woman & the man) told her about them being boyfriend & girlfriend. She literally thought that they were asking her permission & blessing or some other shit about them going out with each other. However, that was NOT the case and they both made that very, very clear to her. The only reason they told her about it at all was that they felt like she had the right to know about it being who she was to them years ago & then. She even took the woman to the side and warned her about going out with the man. It was stupid shit really that she said.

Any la who, the woman and the man didn't take anything that the ex-wife said to heart. The woman & the man knew each other for years, but most importantly out of anyone that they were ever with or not, they always felt like they could trust in each other the most. They were each other's best friends from the time they first met face to face and talked til now. Why would they take anything seriously from someone like the ex-wife and who is still now an ex-friend?

I don't know why I referred to Doug and I as the man and the woman. I just did. Maybe it is because I'm crazy or maybe it is because I think it gives our friendship love turned to romantic love story a more dramatic vibe.

Any la way, from what and how I have talked about all of this, it should be quite obvious that I am not looking for someone to hook up with (I am Biromantic Demisexual, after all. I have to have a very strong emotional connection with someone before physical, romantic, & sexual attraction sets in which is how it all started with Doug and all of my adulthood exes.), or have a romantic and or sexual relationship with. I am perfectly happy & satisfied emotionally, mentally, romantically, physically, and sexually with my D.

I am flattered by some of the messages to some tiny extent. I'm not going to lie about it, but again I am with someone very seriously and all I ask is for anyone who finds me attractive or whatever the case is to please respect that. I don't mind nice comments about me, but just know that just because I am flattered by what anyone says that something more than friendship is going to come from it.

However, if someone just wants to be friends with me and that is it, anyone of you is more than free to talk to me. I love getting to know people on here and to be perfectly honest I could use some friends on here. Again I am not posting this to be a bitch or any other derogatory term. I am doing it to make some things clear and also to make sure that no one tries to sabotage my relationship with someone who I already consider my future and not just my for now. Thank you for coming to my Ted talk as they are called.

P.S.-- If you click the more in my description, you will literally see that I am happily taken.

Sincerely with nothing, but good will & good intentions for all, Kendra E. Jones

[blogspersonal707]

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More ways to help Fritch, Texas after wildfires

–St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church Amarillo -Fritch Fire Volunteers — please note! The address for the multi-agency resource center — MARC — has changed. The new address is 308 Ridgeland, Fritch TX 79030. Please follow the Red Cross signs. –Toot’n Totum … Continue reading

Posted inAmarillo, Community, Fires, Lake Meredith, News, Panhandle, Texas, VolunteersTaggedamarillo, Amarillo Area Foundation, Benefit shows, Borger Texas, disaster relief, donate, donations, Fritch Texas, help, Hutchinson County, Hutchinson County Texas, Lake Meredith, May 2014, Pantex Federal Credit Union, Red Cross, St Andrews, Texas Panhandle, Toot n Totum, volunteers, wildfiresLeave a comment

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[oldtimefamilybaseball]

In this space, I usually share a few jokes and link to some of the pieces I’ve worked on in other internet places. 

But things aren’t so funny right now. And my voice is not one we need to be listening to. 

Black lives have been treated as less than for the entire history of this country. We’ve seen that from the very first moment that the United States became a country. We’ve seen that in the cases of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Eric Garner, Stephon Clark, Philando Castile, and so many more, going on for far too long. We’ve seen that in our laws and our communities, in the redlining of suburbs and how, even now, black-owned businesses struggle to get approval for necessary payroll protection loans. There are two realities in this world, and your access and safety depend so heavily on the color of your skin. 

So, rather than link to my work, I wanted to share the words of black players from the past few weeks. These are the voices that have been ignored or pushed aside to make people who look like me feel comfortable for far too long. 

Gary Sheffield recently penned a piece in the Players Tribune about the racism and police brutality that he suffered first hand, and which -- during his playing career -- few wanted to hear about. 

“So I ask you: ​Now​ do you believe me?

Because I stood alone then. But we stand together now – and that’s why I’m sharing my stories.For black people, these injustices are nothing new. 

But for white people, people of privilege, this is revelatory. Their eyes have been forced open to view life through the same harsh lens as a person of color.”

The Mets’ Dominic Smith shared on Twitter how racism has impacted every day of his life, and that “Silence Kills.”

"As a black man in America you encounter racism on every level. Your parents prep you for it. They prep you for routine police stops. They prep you on how to talk to people with respect. When you have one strike against you [your skin color] you have to make the people you come across like you, and you do it with respect, with a smile, with love."

Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge, Jackie Bradley Jr, Andrew McCutchen, CC Sabathia and more black MLB players came together to release a video where the players shared in one very important message: 

“We’ve been told that our peaceful pleas were not made at the right time, in the right place, in the right way. We’ve been told to wait, but we remember when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. warned us that the word wait has almost always meant never. We will wait no longer. We will make our voices louder. For all of us who can, and for all of those who could not.”

Braves Minor Leaguer Trey Harris joined the Effectively Wild podcast to talk about what it’s like to be black in America and in baseball, and the additional barriers players of color have to cross. Listen here.

Royals Minor Leaguer Nick Heath and Johns Hopkins third baseman Matt Ritchie went on the Baseball BBQ podcast to discuss the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, as well as how baseball can do a better job at being a more diverse and welcoming sport. Click here to listen. 

Negro Leagues museum curator Ray Doswell recently gave an interview highlighting how far we’ve come, but also how far we still have to go. 

“It's important to understand the history of it because none of these issues are new. These things have been happening for many, many decades. So you'll come here and you'll see some things that are mostly triumphant, but you'll see some things that you don't like, that should make you uncomfortable. Because it wasn't comfortable for those who had to go through it. And I hope that we're not overly romanticizing the story (of the Negro Leagues) too much. We're probably guilty of some of that. But there are folks who come in and get a sobering look at least at what that part of the story is, from roughly 1860 to 1960, and how that leads to the rest of the story.”

In The Athletic, retired baseball players including Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, Dontrelle Willis, Doug Glanville, and Torii Hunter got together on a call to share their experiences. It’s a sobering look at just how different these worlds are, and it all comes down to if you’re black or white.

Jimmy Rollins said:

“Obviously, our white counterparts, they have a completely different view. They don’t have to grow up having that talk — and we all know what that talk is. They don’t have to get in a car, drive down the street knowing I didn’t do anything wrong, but this cop has been behind me for two blocks, something’s about to happen. They don’t have those fears. And every time something like this happens, as a player, you know exactly what is going on. When you get in the clubhouse, you do look at your counterparts, they’re going about their day as if nothing happened. And you’ve got three or four guys in the clubhouse looking at each other like, “Man. You see that? You know what that’s about. What can we do?” Then it’s four versus 21. It makes you a little uncomfortable.”

Negro Leagues President Bob Kendrick moderated a discussion on race in baseball with Josh Bell, Lorenzo Cain, Mychal Givens, Dwight Smith Jr., Taylor Hearn, and Delino DeShields Jr. Click here to view it. (I’ll also embed it at the bottom of the post.)

Jack Flaherty posted his thoughts on the ongoing police violence against black communities: 

“The system continues to fail time and time again and nothing seems to change. Officers are not being held accountable for their actions. The badge and blue uniform are not a pedestal that puts a citizen of the United States of America above the law. The badge and blue uniform are there to distinguish those who are meant to PROTECT their communities, not terrorize and kill those that are meant to protect and serve. That being said, not all police officers are bad, but those who are not bad need to be speaking up about the injustices. Your voice needs to be heard. Your silence is speaking just as loud.“

If you’ve been out there protesting, stay safe. And if you haven’t, I hope you’ve done what you can, from reading, listening and supporting black voices to donating money.

Organizations that I’ve donated to include the Brooklyn Bail Fund, Black Lives Matter, and Black Visions Collective. But things have changed recently and there may be better places where your money can do more good at this moment. Here’s a piece from Vox that might help. 

[ryssachrysalis]

cars are spying on you

Some revealing information from the Washington Post:

We’re at a turning point for driving surveillance: In the 2020 model year, most new cars sold in the United States will come with built-in Internet connections, including 100 percent of Fords, GMs and BMWs and all but one model Toyota and Volkswagen... Cars are becoming smartphones on wheels, sending and receiving data from apps, insurance firms and pretty much wherever their makers want...

There are no federal laws regulating what carmakers can collect or do with our driving data. And carmakers lag in taking steps to protect us and draw lines in the sand. Most hide what they’re collecting and sharing behind privacy policies written in the kind of language only a lawyer’s mother could love...

Modern vehicles don’t just have one computer. There are multiple, interconnected brains that can generate up to 25 gigabytes of data per hour from sensors all over the car...

The author and friend Doug extract his car's "infotainment" computer...

It was worth the trouble when Mason showed me my data. There on a map was the precise location where I’d driven to take apart the Chevy. There were my other destinations, like the hardware store I’d stopped at to buy some tape.Among the trove of data points were unique identifiers for my and Doug’s phones, and a detailed log of phone calls from the previous week. There was a long list of contacts, right down to people’s address, emails and even photos.

For a broader view, Mason also extracted the data from a Chevrolet infotainment computer that I bought used on eBay for $375. It contained enough data to reconstruct the Upstate New York travels and relationships of a total stranger. We know he or she frequently called someone listed as “Sweetie,” whose photo we also have. We could see the exact Gulf station where they bought gas, the restaurant where they ate (called Taste China) and the unique identifiers for their Samsung Galaxy Note phones...In our Chevy, we probably glimpsed just a fraction of what GM knows. We didn’t see what was uploaded to GM’s computers, because we couldn’t access the live OnStar cellular connection. (Researchers have done those kinds of hacks before to prove connected vehicles can be remotely controlled.)..But there were clues to what more GM knows on its website and app. It offers a Smart Driver score — a measure of good driving — based on how hard you brake and turn and how often you drive late at night. They’ll share that with insurance companies, if you want...There are more questions. GM’s privacy policy says it will comply with legal data demands. How often does it share our data with the government? GM doesn’t offer a transparency report like tech companies do...And Mason’s hack brought home a scary reality: Simply plugging a smartphone into a car could put your data at risk. If you’re selling your car or returning a lease or rental, take the time to delete the data saved on its infotainment system. An app called Privacy4Cars offers model-by-model directions. Mason gives out gifts of car-lighter USB plugs, which let you charge a phone without connecting it to the car computer. (You can buy inexpensive ones online.)

[thespnfriends]

When A Monster Strikes- Chapter Seven

*Disclaimer: We don’t own Supernatural, it belongs to it’s respective creators.* -TheSPNFriends

The Hunt Continues

(Dean's POV)

    Dean walked through the motel door with dinner in hand just as Jessica started jumping around and attempting to high-five Sam, but it looked like it didn't quite work. That's what he guessed anyway as he watched Sam stagger back from the tiny girl. Sam hadn't looked like he was expecting it when she decked him in the face. 

    Dean failed to hide the grin on his face.

    "Sorry, Sam." Jessica said with a grimace on her face as she scratched the back of her neck. The elder Winchester was taken aback and honestly tried his very hardest not to laugh. It looked like Jessica could hold her own.

    "Do I wanna know?" He asked as he shut the door, both turned to him and Jess shook her head at him.

     She moved over to him and Dean flinched and sat the food down. He wondered if he was gonna be slapped as well. Nothing happened so he started dishing out respective foods to everyone.

    Dean wasn't scared of the young woman but even he knew not to get on the bad side of any lady least he be met with full force. Something about Jessica reminded the hunter of Jo Harvelle...excitable and determined to help.

    Sam instantly started chewing on his salad while holding an ice pack on the portion of his face where Jessica had hit him. 'Must've been a harder hit than it looked.' Dean thought as he opened the wrapper on his sandwich. Jessica took a drink of her cola and said.

    "Sam figured it out."

    "What did he-," Jess interrupted him by shoving a handful of fries at his face.

    "Dean if you're going to keep talking then I can't tell you what's going on." she huffed.

    "Yeah Dean, listen to her before she hits you and we both have bruises because of her." Sam complained between a mouth full of salad. Jess sheepishly apologized again and looked to both of them from her seat.

    "So anyway, both of us ran into multiple dead ends after searching for a while. There was literally nothing on the internet which was a little disheartening. Originally he started looking into Pestilence but nothing was turning up so Sam thought it may've had something to do with zombies, hence the dead vegetation, but it was a bust. After a while, Sam and I found a mediocre website about 'equine' monsters. I didn't even know that was a thing but the internet is a crazy place and-"

    "Anyway." Dean interrupted trying to lead the girl back on track.

    "Right anyway, turns out this guy Doug has devoted his life to studying the supernatural." Jess finished as she took a bite of her sandwich. Sam sat his water bottle down before adding onto this spiel.

    "I didn't want to call Bobby because he and Rufus are busy doing that job in Seattle. So, I'm thinking this guy Doug could be our ticket to finding Rachel." Sam filled in his brother and Dean nodded, throwing his napkin down after wiping his mouth.

    He had spoken to Bobby yesterday...the case they should have taken instead of this one had everything to do with the oncoming apocalypse and as much as Dean wanted to pack up and head west; he couldn't just leave without trying to help Jessica find her friend.

    It was his job after all.

    "So who wants to meet Doug?"

 • • • • • •

    (Rachel's POV)

    The sun was still shining but there was a chill in the air. Rachel thought this was odd for the time of the year because it was basically summer. Nonetheless here she was, in a cozy sweater, trying to keep the air off of her. Global warming definitely had to do with all the sudden coldness which in itself was unpredictable but Rachel guessed it was the new normal and she would just have to deal with it. One day it was eighty degrees and the next day a cold updraft could sweep through town and right into her bones. 

    She pushed thoughts like that away and tried to focus on the good things in her life. Her wonderful little home, her best friend/sister Jess, and Nick. She smiled at the thought of the young man. Nick was a dream. He was honest and kind and very handsome. And he loved horses.

    She had really grown to like Nick over the year they had communicated with each other and she could see them maybe even being together. They knew everything about each other and had a crazy amount of stuff in common with each other. She didn't want to look too much into it though because she really hadn't had the best track record with guys, well to be honest she actually she hadn't had a track record at all. During high school, she had the lowest running score in track... but that was because she wasn't the best at running.

    Rachel focused on her studies and throughout her college life she liked guys but she never took the next step and went on dates so, she stayed friends with all the guys she met. She went on one blind date once after graduating and while it wasn't bad, Rachel wanted to meet someone in a natural setting kind of like a Disney film. She was a sucker for a romantic gesture and Nick was fulfilling her checklist so far. It was like she was living in a fairytale.

    She was just glad to be out in the warm sunshine and fresh air even if it meant skipping work and lying to Jessica. She was sure that Jessica would understand because that's how Jess was. She always gave second and even third chances and she always saw the best in people. Rachel was lucky to have such a great best friend and besides it wasn't like she was going to die or whatever. She was just at the beach with Nick and she trusted him with her life. What was the worst that could possibly happen?

    Rachel just really wanted to see this famed horse. It had been her dream for years now and after Nick had told her about seeing them she wasn't going to let anything get in her way. Words of wisdom from some dude came to her head then 'don't let your dreams be dreams'. This could be her only chance and she had to take it, besides she knew Nick would take care of her.

    "I can't believe we get to go to the beach and see this horse! I mean I know it's just a horse but..." Rachel said gesturing with her hands excitedly. 

    She knew this was a once in a lifetime opportunity and still felt bad that she didn't tell Jess or anyone else but she pushed those thoughts aside and took some pictures with her camera. She of course had to document every part of this trip so she could remember it and show Jessica when she got home.

     "No, I totally get it," He stopped and took her hand in his and then continued to walk along, "I'm sure there are reasons to doubt what I've said but you've stuck by me, Rachel. It's hard to find someone that you have so much in common with and that brings so much joy to my life. You bring me so much joy...and happiness, I just want to thank you." He told her, making Rachel blush at his words. 

    Never had a boy talked to her this way and she was very flustered but she enjoyed the doting from him. Nick wasn't like other guys and Rachel was so happy to find someone like him.

    "Well, you're welcome, Nick and I don't think you'd lie to me." Nick smiled and brushed a stray hair back behind Rachel's ear.

    "I know we just met in real life, Rach, but I feel like we really understand each other." Rachel's heart fluttered. She couldn't believe any of this.

    "I feel the same way, Nick." Rachel was so lost in his sea-green eyes she didn't see the maniacal smile slowly creep across his face. Nick turned from her swiftly and remarked about the weather. 

    Rachel didn't hear him at all though because she almost fell flat on her face. She gave a slight cough and pretended that she hadn't almost just tripped over her own shoes and smiled. She was glad he hadn't seen her almost wipe out as she blamed her clumsiness and continued after Nick.

    "Come on, we should probably get to the beach." He called and Rachel yet again followed Nick, unaware of the trail of decayed vegetation he left behind them.

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