#guy has been through a lot and has a helluva story

[heebiegeebee]

Maaaaaan...

...takes a lotta damn nerve to be standing right in front of me, with my very obviously jewish outfit, look me right in the eye, and start talking about how your jewish landlord fucked you over.

[disease-danger-darkness-silence]

The Homeless Post

Hey, guys. I've been working up the nerve to post this for a while. I'm putting most of it under a cut but I'll give the TLDR up here:

We are going to be homeless for an unspecified amount of time due to some legal issues - whole separate post. We will be living out of the car and a tent, so essentially long-term camping. We need some gear and other assorted items. Here is our wishlist.

Signal boosting is appreciated for obvious reasons.

I have a Paypal.me and a Ko-Fi; the Ko-Fi has a store that will soon have stuff available on it, and a subscription model. I also have Chime, Paypal, and Cashapp, all with the cashtag NovasPrime. At a later date I may set up a gofundme but I don't really want to right now, because guilt and self-internalized ableism is a helluva drug.

On to the story.

So, we were told (mid-December) that we needed to be out by the end of February, from the place we were living in, or eviction would be filed. I don't want an eviction on my record, so I started the process of working towards that goal.

I quickly realized that there was an Issue, and the Issue was that we simply cannot get into any of the low-income housing because… Raven has a felony "failure to comply" warrant in Oregon.

We were surprised, because we thought they were in compliance, but it turns out… No. No, they were not. The records of their attending therapy and anger management were not being sent to the place. On top of that, I discovered that they had ordered Raven to do community service, and even though they were helping with lots of causes and orgs down here, it doesn't count.

Why, you may ask? Well, for one, it wasn't being documented. Not a huge issue, it can be. But also…. They wanted Raven to do THEIR community service.

Which they wanted to charge $40 a day for.

Raven is a disabled veteran. They are limited in the type of volunteer work they can do, but also? They can't afford $40 a day for 30 days. Who the hell can? Why would that be a thing?

After a couple of phone calls, I realized we just needed to go to Oregon. So I began planning for THAT. Our roomie was still adamant about the end of February, so I started planning. We got a storage unit and started sorting shit, and packing it, and slowly transferring it to the storage unit.

And then Shit happened, as it does. The car started overheating. It has also come due for an oil change. It needs a transmission flush, too. And new brakes. Some of this I can do myself, but some of it I can't. I have a friend who could help me do most or all of it, but he's on house arrest until March 25th (he is in recovery now, but drunk driving is a bad thing, guys. Don't do it). He said he'll help after he gets off, which is awesome of him, but like. That's still about a week away (as of right now, because he works) before I can even get the overheating taken care of, let alone the rest.

In the midst of all of this, I was also trying to figure out a timeline... and realized I couldn't, because we had no idea how long we were going to be in Oregon. I have a few friends scattered throughout the state, but I wasn't counting on being able to stay with anyone. We have three cats and two people. What to do?

A friend of mine agreed to watch two of the cats for me for as long as it takes. She has her own house and cats of her own. So, until the car started overheating, we brought the two girl cats over once a week to get used to the place and meet her cats.

But we weren't packing fast enough. Winter is a rough time for both of us because of our disabilities; the weather makes it painful to move. We also had to sort through 20 years of assorted shit; at one point I had a life that hadn't fallen fully apart, so I kept everything. Plus, I had all of my dad's shit that I inherited. I've finally accepted that I can part with most of the useless stuff, but some of it I can't bear to. TLDR: our stuff is mostly still at the old place.

I was able to work out a deal with the friend who's taking care of our cats, to crash at her house for a month. WE and the CATS were out of the old place by March 1, but our shit wasn't, and we've had issues packing it up and moving it. Luckily, old roomie has agreed to just tack an extra month of rent onto what I owe him (to be paid back when we get back from the debacle in Oregon) so we're slowly moving things to storage. I'm just constantly filling the car with water to keep it from overheating and praying that the engine can take it.

However, here's the thing. The Big Thing.

We're technically homeless now, and we'll be Real Homeless as of April 1. The car cannot currently make it to Oregon (honestly? I'd rather buy a cheap minivan or SUV, and leave the car here with my kid, but I simply don't have the money, even though there's a ton of them for sale around here in good shape).

We're going to have to rough it for a while. Raven can get a pass to camp for free at all Nevada State Parks for $30 a year, so we're getting that on payday, and we have a decent tent and sleeping bag (singular, but it'll do). I have some assorted camping gear, even. But there's a lot we do need to just….fix our shit and be able to get to Oregon. Oregon has one of these as well, and it allows 10 days of camping per month. It's free and we've already applied for it. California has one too, but you have to apply in-person if you're not a CA resident. So that'll happen in a bit.

But we are gonna need… help. Raven gets VA disability. $2200ish a month. Sounds like a lot right? It's not. It's really not.

Between car insurance, gas, fixing the car, general car maintenance, phone bills, food (we qualify for a whopping $26 a month in SNAP benefits), things we have to buy to fulfill our end of bargains here, and the camping gear we DON'T have, next month is looking pretty awful.

While Raven is in jail, they get no benefits. I'm also disabled, but juuuust disabled enough on paper that I can't get disability (as you can guess, this is going to be even harder now in the Trump administration, so I'm just working on geting documentation of my disabilities so that when he's gone I can apply). I can't hold down more than really really part-time work because of pain and mental health issues, even though I have been desperately trying to find one. So I'm going to have to survive off of doordash, most likely.

If Raven's jail time isn't going to be that long, it's not that big a deal.

They could be in jail for up to six months.

So, why this post?

One, to explain that my posting will be very sporadic and frenzied when I do. More than usual, anyway.

Two, because I'm going to need your help. There are several ways to help.

Encouraging notes! Currently we have a PO Box, listed above. When we go to Oregon, if we're going to be there for more than a week or so, I'm getting another PO Box and getting mail forwarded from that one to the Oregon one. Digital notes are nice too. I just really like postcards, little cards, letters, etc. Pictures of cool shit where you live. Whatever. Something to keep my spirits up. Anything.

I have set up a wishlist, as seen above. I know, we don't like Amazon, but I don't know where else to do a wishlist that doesn't like. Give out a home address. Since I'm having this stuff shipped to a friend's house, I really don't want to do that. Once I'm in OR, I'll find out where I can have things shipped. PO Boxes are hit-and-miss with Amazon.

As noted above, I am accepting donations and I have a Ko-Fi store and subscriptions. I am working on getting things put onto the Ko-Fi store on a pay-what-you-can model; anything from short fiction to Am Adult instruction sheets to 3D designs, whatever I can manage at any given time. Raven will also be doing drawings and such. I'm also working on making things available to anyone who chooses to subscribe!

Signal boosting this post. I need as many people to see it as possible, not just for monetary benefit, but so I can find people in Oregon maybe willing to let me and my one cat crash on their couch or pitch the tent in their back yard. I'm also going to be documenting all of this and getting documentation on the case in the first place, because Raven shouldn't have even been arrested. So I need people to see this so that word gets out about this kind of thing. Oregon needs to change some shit.

Thanks for reading. I'll have updates as I can.

[ridethecyanide]

Betrayal ends its run today and it’s been quite the emotional rollercoaster following it since February 8th; these last two weeks were especially hard for fans since Robert was absent for a majority of the extended performances. I feel so terrible for anyone who may have missed him. I just know it had to be difficult for him to miss those shows. Unfortunately, that’s the gamble with live theater. He was back last night so I hope he goes out strong this afternoon. Sending all the good vibes into the universe to the whole cast and crew for putting on one last helluva show!

I’m grateful to have found lovely people on this site who share a common interest in Robert’s work. Being an older fan, I felt alone in my adoration for the guy for quite a long time so it’s nice to see that he has become generational and I think @slowburningechoes and I are bonded forever over what went down on March 15, 2025. The will he or won’t he show up to perform. The will he or won’t he come out after the show. It was a lot emotionally, but we both have a great story to tell and I look forward to the next adventure!

We are heading into a quiet period as Robert retreats back into his home life and to be honest, there is a bit of a melancholy that sets in, for me anyway. We’re so use to seeing new content and reading fan encounters that when it’s all over, it’s a bit jarring that it just..stops. I’ve been through this a bunch of times and the feeling doesn’t last as long as it use to but what’s different for me this time, I’ve got this site and everyone here to continue sharing content that will keep us going until the next play or tv show, whatever he decides to do next. Whenever that is, I’ll/we’ll be here to cheer him on!

[battlekidx2]

Since the season of Hazbin Hotel has ended I'm going to update my thoughts on who Alastor made a deal with because this is probably the aspect of the show where my opinion has shifted the most. I originally thought he was connected with Lilith (like a lot of other people) then I thought it could be Eve, but now I'm fairly sure it's not either of them.

I think it might be Roo.

Roo is a character that hasn't yet made an appearance in Hazbin Hotel or Helluva Boss, but has been a looming presence for years now if you've kept up with Vivziepop, references to them appearing in the background of both shows, and stated to be the root of all evil. Basically the endgame "villain" of this universe.

It was that last episode that really shifted my perspective on who Alastor has the deal with. The biggest thing was something I noticed in the finale, but then saw other people point out after the fact as well, and that's the fact that eyes follow Alastor around anywhere he goes. (This post in particular shows just how prevalent eyes following Alastor is through the show)

When Alastor is having his breakdown the eyes specifically look like this.

Look a bit familiar?

Whenever Alastor is questioned about his whereabouts for the last seven years he always gets shifty. Eyes darting around, face pointedly looking away from whoever he's talking to, making sure he defuses the question without giving any indication of the real answer.

I initially thought this was because some of these comments hit too close to home and his pride wouldn't allow him to show any weakness, but pair it with the eyes that follow him around and there's the possibility that he's instead being forced to keep quiet. These eyes are watching him, making sure he stays in line. Alastor has to walk on eggshells just in case whoever it is that owns his soul is watching.

It's this ability to make Alastor stay on guard coupled with the moment in the destroyed radio tower that all but confirmed that whoever it is Alastor is, at least on some level, afraid of them. Or at the very least it's someone Alastor shows much more restraint and pause around than anyone else he has come face to face with in the series. Someone who has him on high alert.

This is the same guy who immediately started a conflict with Lucifer because he felt his pride threatened. The literal king of hell who he has to know is more powerful than him. Yet at no point does Alastor ever feel like he's walking on eggshells around him like he does this invisible entity that owns his soul.

If this is the case then what if the person that Alastor made a deal with is even more powerful than Lucifer himself? Or at least close to Lucifer's power level, but much more willing to use it? Someone Alastor can't find leverage over like he can the king of hell.

That really limits the options for who it could be.

I still think that whatever happened 7 years ago Lilith was involved, but the more hints we get to the reality of Lilith and Alastor's situations the more convinced I am that she isn't the one he has a contract with.

Whatever happened 7 years ago it was enough to get her to make a deal with Adam to stay in heaven, hidden from everyone including her family, and it made Alastor go missing for that same period of time.

I've never been a theory person, but this story thread in Hazbin Hotel is incredibly enticing. I can't wait for next season to see where they take this.

[archivedblog16]

I come around in the criticism tag often for criticism for Spindlehorse’s 2 shows- Hazbin and Helluva Boss. When they first came out, I really did try to give them a chance and had hope for them. Now both of these shows frustrate me for the lack of, well everything.

What I come to be the most frustrated about though, is how other really really good indie animation series are almost covered up because of the fame of Spindlehorse.

I saw in a recent ask that someone mentioned Monkey Wrench. I actually was never recommended that show on YT- it was through word of mouth. I watched it very shortly after watching the first season of Hazbin. Let me tell you- in all honesty, Monkey Wrench is exactly what I think most of what you guys are looking for. It has 4 episodes out rn. The story is going at a steady pace and unfolding in each RP, no rushing or having to jump over anything, it actually leaves you at the end of each EP wanting more. Its so refreshing to watch a series again that is taking its time and not trying to shove information in your face in one episode when that information alone needs a season to explain.

Beautiful 2D animation work, very unique and diverse character designs, and every character has their own charm to make them lovable. I really do recommend the series as I think its what exactly what people want in a series again that isn’t control by a bigger corps.

I say this because it frustrates me how there are actually really good indie shows out there that I wish had the same attention like Hazbin and Helluva. Maybe I just wish people were more open to watch new things too? There are a lot of cool concepts out there. It might be ill thinking, but I wish Hazbin and Helluva’s popularity fall and let some of the other ones get a chance.

Especially since a lot of them, like Monkey Wrench, don’t have anything backing them like Hazbin with Amazon, they are independently funded by those who support the show…

Monkey Wrench is another show along with Lackadaisy that are my soon to be watchlist. Since you mentioned that 4 episodes out for Monkey Wrench, I might wait till the first season is completed. In my free time, there are other shows I have been watching like Jentry Chau vs the Underworld, squid game, Ben Ten, Sonic Boom, etc.

It is nice to change it up and watch other things. Honestly, I rewatched Hazbin Hotel like once only because I wanted to take notes on it, otherwise it’s the music that catches my attention and I repeatedly listen too.

[sunnywalnut]

As someone who *was* a Helluva Boss fan for a really long time because of the obvious love and care that was put into the show by the animators and voice actors.... I really can't overlook the kind of things that Vivian has done.

And honestly?

Knowing that all of the money from views, likes, media, merch and so on goes into her pocket (and NONE of the people that actually put in the work to CREATE the show) just horrifies me to no end.

I know that all of us have heard about her tyrades on Twitter, or her tearing apart critics and cursing them out, or just her all around messy and rude attitude towards everyone and anyone who pokes even a LITTLE fun at her(like that one video of "The Amazing Digital Circus If It Was Written By Vivziepop). I know that we've all heard about it. And a lot of us have already made up our minds about her. Good or bad.

But the fact of the matter is that a lot of us don't have the full story. And for me, it was because a lot of it was either conspiracy, treated as a one off thing, or just an assholeish thing that happened years ago. And her fans defending her poor behavior and claiming she's apologized for it or that it's "okay" because she's been through trauma haven't really helped.

Plus. I'm a firm believer that you shouldn't have to put that much extensive research into figuring out if the person you are supporting(through watching videos, buying merch, etc etc) is a good person or not.

Which is why I want to share with you all a link to a post I found on Twitter. A compiled list of evidence of things that Vivziepop has said or done without additional commentary(besides simply just labeling what the screenshots consist of) so everyone can make their own decisions on what they want to believe or not.

I for one am not the kind of guy to care about what kind of things you do with fictional characters(or at least. What you write with them. All of us are capable of writing shitty stories and posting them online) and honestly? I don't care about what personal things you have going on in your life.

A lot of people do.

And that's not wrong, of course. Some people believe that it is a way to see what kind of person you are based off of how you treat your fictional characters or the ways that you interact with sexuality. Which has some truth to it. To some extent.

However. It holds a problem when that is the ONLY evidence you find against a person.

Making a shitty joke 3 years ago doesn't condemn you to hell. Or at least. It shouldn't.

Making a sexualized character? I mean. Who doesn't?

But running a hierarchy where you are running your friends mental health into the ground for the sake of a show you aren't even animating for anymore? Now that is something that I would like to educate myself on.

And this thread does just that.

I definitely recommend you read. Or at least bookmark for later. Because it has a LOT of new information that people might not know yet.

[bindeds]

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 100 FOLLOWERS ! — i genuinely can’t believe i’ve come this far with posting my brainrot for hazbin. it has and will continue to be such an honor to keep posting for you guys, and to celebrate you guys i’ve prepared a little something for you guys, hehe!

requests.

i am willing to do any requests you guys might have which includes art, gifs, character ships (radioapple, huskerdust, etc) and of course character x reader ships despite generally being an x reader blog. though of course as any sane person would, i am not entertaining angel x val.

some fics along the way …

i have been cooking up something specifically for lucifer though nothing is confirmed yet except for the fact that i want to make a longer fic for him (AT LEAST 10k words long), but i’m kinda having trouble for the plot so this kinda connects to the first thing which if you have any ideas for me to write i am implore you to hit up my askbox, please! i’m gonna need all the help i can get! i’ve also gotten a radioapple worm in my head and the premise is too good not to act on though i will say it will be shorter than the lucifer fic. because of this both of these will be on my ao3 so stay tuned!

selfships.

i thought it would be cool for you guys to tell me a bit about yourself and then from there i pick a character from hazbin/helluva (depending on which show you prefer) that i think you would like/be with romantically (or even queerplatonically for the aro/aces out there)!! i’ve seen other people do this as well and they do 3-pic moodboards sometimes and i’d love to do that for you guys! or if you guys wanna go in depth i could also make short fics dedicated to you personally upon request!

get to know me + qna!

besides all the stuff that’s stated in my pinned, i’ve been writing since i was 10 (i am 18) and i’ve wanted to be a published author for the longest time, though as i grew older i realized there’s a lot of other ways i can get my stories out to the world, like screenwriting, animating (or being both the creator and writer of my own show AHEM totally not talking about hazbin) so i’m not really sure of things yet, but i will say i’ve learned a lot about writing since i first started and even though i know this is all for fun, i take the way i write things seriously, so any constructive feedback you might have will be valuable to me! anyway, i have A LOT of opinions on everything hazbin/helluva so you can ask about those or more about me! i’m a very open person so i like to give in depth responses. but yeah feel free to ask about my opinions on helluva/hazbin as well as my personal life too!

another thing i wanted to disclose about myself since i feel comfortable after having met such wholesome people after starting this blog, is that i have been through abuse very similar to angel dust’s meaning his character meant a lot to me and he was my favorite character when the pilot first came out so yeah! definitely ask me about angel too if you have anything to ask!

[cailjudy]

My Top Reads of 2024

Hey gang. We are freshly into 2025 and you might be thinking of ways to spend your time a little differently this year, perhaps venture down a path you haven't gone before. Maybe take a good book to join you. Any of these would be a ready companion.

10. A Swiftly Tilting Planet 

This is the third book in the Time Quintet by Madeleine L'Engle. Charles Wallace is 15 now, and he teams up with the unicorn Gaudior to undertake a journey through time to stop an atomic bomb from destroying the world.

This series is wonderfully strange and bizarre, and this book has a lot of historical fiction woven in. Very much worth reading, but only if you've taken down the first two. It rewards being read in big chunks so you can keep the difference voices straight. A lot of time jumping.

The Time Quintet has had a big influence on the novel I'm working on! The mix of religion, sci-fi and fantasy is special.

9. Crypt of the Moon Spider 

Nathan Ballingrud is one of our leading lights in strange fiction. His stories stand-out in any anthology they're placed in. Wounds in particular was a very impactful read when I read it back in 2019, and I've been a huge fan since I first picked up North American Lake Monsters and started to tweet at him about the body horror in “You Go Where It Takes You” and he sent me a thoughtful reply. Ballingrud just keeps moving the bar up with every book he writes.

This story is a tasty novella that slaps you across the face halfway through. Unexpected, truly gothic with all the weird moon-worship you could want. Recommended!

8. The Life and Death of Conan, Book One + Two

This was straight-up fun. Jason Aaron gets Conan in a big way, and he created a narrative structure that allows him to jump into different periods of Conan's life. We get King Conan, then see him on the high seas, later fighting the Picts and massive snakes, reaving his way through the desert and so much more. It's kind of an incredible run, and he leaves it all on the table. If you're looking for a well-written, engaging entry point for the world of Conan, look no further than Jason Aaron's run. I wasn't familiar with Aaron's work before this and I was very impressed.

7. The Bell Jar

How have I not read this until now? One of the best books we read in my book club this year by far. The first half feels a lot like Salinger and the voice continues into the dark abyss, but really Plath wields a sword that is entirely her own.

6. The Bright Sword

This put me into an Arthurian tailspin I'm not sure when I'll get out of. I loved reading The Sword and the Stone by T.H. White a few years back, and I'd been meaning to read more King Arthur. I mean, he's the KING, right? Well this book came out, heard Grossman interviewed on the NYT Books podcast, and goddman it blew me away. The prose is strong, crisp, clear, moves live a train and his command of story and language is incredible. I WILL be reading the Magician trilogy after this. This guy is incredible. A lot of "fucks" and and a helluva good time.

5. The Poet, The Lion, Talking Pictures, El Farolito, A Wedding in St. Roch, The Big Box Store, The Warp in the Mirror, Spring, Midnights, Fire & All

Long, winding poems that twisted around my brain like a brook. I only read three books of poetry this year, and I enjoyed dipping into this first thing in the morning at my desk to get my head into writing mode. Stunner of a book.

4. Don't Skip Out On Me // Lean On Pete

Both of these books consumed me. I read Lean on Pete in a couple nights, one of those books you nurse a beer and read into the wee hours for. I loved the cover for Don't Skip Out On Me and it was the first book of Willy's I was aware of. Both devastating, life-affirming, staggeringly well-written. Like a glass of clear water, I adore Willy Vlautin's writing.

3. Provinces of Night

This book....you gotta read it if you have any predilection for Southern gothic writing. It's like Gay is putting a spell on you. It's hard to put down, takes hold of you like a fever. Every couple pages Gay cracks you with a thunderbolt of a line like this:

“Life blindsides you so hard you can taste the bright copper blood in your mouth then it beguiles you with a gift of profound and appalling beauty.”

I'd read two short stories, which are what he's more known for, but by God he can write the hell out of a novel. I loved everything about this book. William Gay was one of the greats.

2. Lonesome Dove

When I finished this enormous book, I was at a coffee shop near my house. I turned the last page, over a thousand pages into this novel, and by God I could've read a thousand more pages.

This is a book that lives up to all the hype. It takes it's time to get going, provides an unbelievable amount of characters to get to know, and it takes hold of you (a term I keep coming back to in these reviews). If you're looking to get into a western, this is the greatest of all time, and well deserved. I read the sequel as well, Streets of Laredo, which was also great, but very dark, and it didn't quite have the magic. Still a great book, and it was a pleasure to spend time with those characters again. McMurty was a real one.

1. Watership Down

Watership Down has been on my bookshelf my entire life, waiting for me. Literally THIS copy. When I finally started it at the end of 2023, it was like reading C.S. Lewis for the first time. The rabbits and their society is so well-articulated and believable. I was in this world from the start and it was a pure joy. I loved it so much I designed a long-sleeve for my buddy Tim’s bookshop!

[chaifootsteps]

I wanna start this out by saying I’ve known about vivzie for at least maybe 5 years or more now, and have never been interested in her shows until my YouTube recommended was bombarded with videos covering Hazbin which forced me (sarcasm) to watch both series overnight.

I started with ep 4 first because it was the most controversial and I wanted to actively torture myself, half of the interest in ep 4 for me was the fact that I generally have a strong stomach when it comes to certain shit, including what I’ll call trauma porn, which is basically just a constant flow of traumatic horrible shit happening to a character or characters on screen for sympathy or to poorly simulate a provocative, deep story through a constant bombarding of terrible things. I like horror and I was groomed using some fucked up shit so emotionally I’m not easily fazed by a lot of things outside of extreme sexual violence. I also have a noncon kink as a victim of sa. I’ll say that I wasn’t as disturbed as I’d initially thought I’d be, but like. Very confused and bewildered by everything that was happening, it’s difficult to describe, but at some point I stopped trying to be immersed and kept thinking about how this got published as is. The moment that it all turned into what I could best describe as a music video I almost wanted to laugh at the absurdity and how bad this all was. Like. They thought this was what? Thought provoking? Not clearly just a fetish put on screen for the shock value of it all?

It’s not one of the most tasteless depictions of sexual assault I’ve seen, but that’s mainly because it’s so juvenile, it’s akin to how children write things like this in their fanfics and oc stories. I definitely understand why people were caught off guard by it — especially younger viewers because this is tasteless as all fuck. I get having certain fucked up kinks, but like. Inserting certain things into your works meant to be seen by a larger audience is so fucking stupid.

But like, I’d argue it’s all over the place as someone who’s seen media like this. Like in helluva boss, I’d argue the stolas kidnapping episode was full of it. In a lot of yaoi stuff that I was groomed on violence is a sort of “foreplay” in the story, it preludes the noncon bits, plays into greater themes of humiliation and domination. Moxie also has a bunch of weird shit done to him that fits a lot of the shit I’ve seen including that whole episode where they meet his dad. Admittedly, I liked fizz and asmodeus because the next time we see them they’re being domestic and shit and it was a good break for my brain because I couldn’t stand the plot and a good chunk of our cast, but yeah they also fall into yaoi tropes though it’s not the most egregious. Stolitz is just your general yaoi trope, questionable consent paired with a will they won’t they with the objectifying party realizing they’re actually in love with the person they’re constantly objectifying who is made out as the bad guy for not reciprocating their feelings for obvious reasons. Also the royalty x poor person plot line where the poor person is bought at some point for the royal, the only thing inherently different than most stories I’ve seen as that stolas is the bottom and blitz is the top. Half of the reason I can’t stand any of this shit is that most of the masculine characters will definitely have a male love interest or character that they use to write in more yaoi storylines and. Yaoi storylines suck ass. It’s a shame that this is counted as queer fiction at all because it is just plain yaoi shit, and as a gay guy I hate that.

Anyways fuck this show actually coming out and fucking with the YouTube algorithm enough to get my attention, I wish I could take those hours of my life back, but I will definitely rant about this again.

Please come by again to share if you do! Lord knows there's so much to be ranted about.

[baobhanlore-art]

So Vivzie just tweeted this and I have thoughts that won't fit well into tweets so here I am

For starters, the criticism of fanfiction isn't targeted towards the queer aspects. In fact I've found that some of the most extreme critics of fanfiction culture are also queer people. From the fujoshi fandom that causes an extreme rise in MlM shipping but largely for fem gazey smut, the unrecognised untagged unhealthy relationship tropes, to the misogyny often within these works, stories like these come with many issues.

The criticism of writing feeling like fanfiction, especially towards Helluva Boss, is that the elements of the stories people heavily critique feel unnecessary, tropey, and derailing from consistency.

In The Circus, I do not fault the idea of a queer character having a childhood crush on a same sex friend. The problem is more to do with how it stunts the desperation Blitz has to keep his business alive, since he's no longer just sleeping with some rich guy but an old friend, and the sudden unexpectedness of their situation. It's also a common trope where the live interests actually knew each other as kids so it feels overdone and generic.

In Exes and Oohs, the mafia setting feels completely bizarre considering the intense bigotry and classism within the world. Not only that but the daddy issues, fridged mum, forced marriage and overall unrealistic depiction of the mafia is very common in fanfiction written by teens who do no research and just want the aesthetics.

Secondly, there are plenty of straight works that have a similar label attached to them. ACOTAR and TOH both have writers who originally wrote fanfiction and they didn't develop out of the negative habits within fanfiction writing. Therefore their original work feels like fanfiction. Riverdales "I'm weird, I'm a weirdo" speech was heavily critiqued for sounding like a fanfiction line.

Thirdly, a big reason for being compared to fanfiction is the unfinished feeling of the scripts. I've already pointed out in a previous post that some of the dialogue in Western Energy felt like it needed to be cut down by an editor. And most people agree that the situations and logic aren't often very well thought through, such as how the aging machine could have just been reversed or how DORKS should have been killed off. The scripts feel like loose first drafts that could use additional edits. Fanfiction usually doesn't have an editor or even a beta reader, I've seen more "no beta we die like *insert character*" tags in many of the fandoms I read for than "beta" tags.

If people critiqued the owl house for feeling fanficcy because it had a diverse cast in a highschool setting with a quirky MC, I'd agree it's a bad descriptor because it's directly the queer and neurodivergent stories that are being attacked. Or if Murder Drones was labelled as fanficcy because it has an edgy teen female MC I'd say it's unfair because a lot of girls genuinely act like that and deserve to be represented and have our stories told. But most of the criticism about Helluva Boss to do with its LGBT rep is less to do with its inclusion and more to do with people feeling it's falling into yaoi tropes. Not the fact it includes queer stories.

This is something We Are Not Alive said recently that such with me, but just because it's an indie project doesn't mean we have to settle for subpar writing. There are loads of indie productions you can support! Murder Drones, Lackadaisy, the animated Anne Frank movie, and these are just some of the more popular ones!

And I wish people would stop weaponising every single argument to try and defend issues in Helluva Boss. The fandom says "of course it has issues" then cries when we point that out.

[alwek]

So, people didn't like episode 4 of Hazbin because of how it "poorly displays SA." Well, let me ask you, have you ever been in that situation? Where you're a porn star who's being forced into it?

I used to do porn. I used to enjoy doing porn. But I became a favourite for my willingness, I ended up in practically the same situation as angle. Doing a job because I had to. Do you guys just think that SA survivors can no longer ever enjoy sex again after their assaults?

When I watched episode 4 I saw someone who went through the exact things I did. A sex lover who had their control taken away from them by shitty people. Angle Dust is not and never will be bad SA survivour rep because he represents me to an almost T.

None of you get to decide what is and is not good representation. Not liking the way something was done doesn't make that thing bad. Episode 4 made me feel more seen, more loved, more respected than any other media depiction of SA in current existence. I felt like, especially with how episode 4 is hardly even the start and end of angles in show depictions of being SAd, his story was telling me that I will be okay decpite the pain i felt. That it's okay to still like sex even if I've had bad experiences. That I'm not putting myself back there by letting myself be touched again. That I can find my way out from that past, that I can find happiness and respect and people who love me decpite where I come from.

Honestly, not a single bit of hazbin hate that I've seen has any grounded criticisms. They replaced the pilot actors? That's entirely normal for animated projects that get picked up. They swear a lot? Okay, it's hell, with sinners. Suck it up, it doesn't even matter. The animators were abused? That was all quite swiftly disproved by the people who animated the show, and who animate in general. She's basically woman butch hartman? Butch hartman still made like 4 generationally beloved cartoons for kids. Vivian doesn't make cartoons for kids. So you people that seem to be all concerned about her "child audience" you are just quite frankly, a fucking moron.

There is literally no good reason that this show should be getting so much hate. Especially with Helluva Boss ALSO being made by her, and it also being very cuss heavy and raunchy. But it didn't get anywhere near this amount of backlash.

If you've got nothing productive to say juat don't say it. Accept that you have no real criticisms if the show. Accept that people like something you think is cringe. I thought we were on the cringe be beloved website anyway

[starry-eyed-never-satisfied]

Get to Know Me and My Obsession with KISS 🎸

Thanks for the tag @sluttery-withoutshame

1. Who is your favorite member?

Paul

2. Who is your least favorite member?

MSJ

3. Best album?

Ooh this is hard cause my favourite changes depending on my mood, but Revenge is usually up there.

4. Worst album?

I'm so sorry, I don't wanna be one of those people, but Monster

5. Favorite song?

Love Gun

6. Say one nice thing about each member.

Ooh only choosing one thing is hard! I love these guys soo much!

Paul- Only one! Okay, the soul of KISS, there would be no KISS without him

Gene- sweet lovable demon teddy bear!

Peter- energetic crazy idiot (positive)

Ace- baby girl

Eric C- such a sweetie

Vinnie-talented songwriter

Mark- ummm? Filled in the gap between Vinnie and Bruce

Bruce- the loveliest guy on earth

Eric S- friendly and fun

Tommy- loyal, sensible, stepped up when he was needed and has taken shit for that he didn't deserve

7. What do you dislike about each member?

Gene- Can take the obnoxious act too far sometimes.

Paul- Paul, my love, please stop being so critical of what you've done in the past. The Elder is a great album, let it go!

Peter- He was really bitter for a while (seems okay now though, hope that is reality)

Ace- Sorry Ace moots, but I really despise his attitude rn

Eric C- I wish he had been able to conquer his insecurities

Vinnie- a bit pushy in some of the interviews, answering questions that Paul or Gene should have been answering

Mark- yeah, I don't need to go into that

Bruce- too nice

Eric S- I've heard he talks a lot and i don't usually like people who talk a lot, so maybe that

Tommy- he's not Bruce! Sorry Tommy, I know it's not your fault

8. How did you get into KISS?

Sorry to anyone who's heard this story before! When I was 10 or 11 I saw the Crazy Crazy Nights music video on tv, and loved them!

9. Have you been to a concert?

3! (shoulda been 4 😡) 1997, Reunion, Auckland, 2008 Wellington, 2015 Auckland

10. Do you have any merch?

All the albums, too many t-shirts to count, books, figures

11. Unique thing you have related to KISS?

I don't know if I have anything especially unique. I have two of Paul's guitar picks, from the 1997 and 2015 shows and a copy of the Kiss my ass cd that is signed by Paul, Gene, Bruce and Eric (no they didn't sign it for me, I won it on a radio competition.

12. Who is/are your favorite lineup?

Paul, Gene, Bruce, Eric

13. What's your favorite era?

Revenge

14. What are your opinions on Tommy and Eric?

I love them! They stepped up, kept KISS going through the 21st century, and in all honesty I reper them to Ace and Peter. I would hae cried (not for joy) if they had been kicked off the stage in the last show to bring those two back

15. A question you would ask the band if you could?

I don't know that i can think of anything. I'd probably fall to my knees Wayne's Word style and go I'm not worthy!

16. What other bands/artists are you into?

Iron Maiden, Metallica, Led Zeppelin, Alice Cooper, Judas Priest, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath

17. Do you have a KISSona?

I'm not sure what that is

18. Who are some of your favorite blogs?

@ladyshandioftheendless @namelessbutters-doodles @elrohare @insanityisdivine @loveherallican-blog @tanookikiss @therockywhorerpictureshow @doctapuella @spacefoxy

19. If you could spend a day with one member who would it be?

Paul of course!

20. How would you explain the band to someone who isn't familiar with KISS?

I'm not good with verbalising my feelings, these guys are, after my family, my everything. People who dismiss KISS are missing out on a helluva lot.

[pupstim]

Aa I am late as usual but I came into QSMP sometime midyear and it's been one helluva ride. This blog has taught me a lot and got me a bit for a while back into drawing and writing.

Seasonal depression has been kicking my ass but I still have ideas bouncing in my head and I love watching the cubitos. It's been an absolute blast to be exposed to so many cool streamers and to see new faces in the SMP community. I am a BBH die hard fan so it has been a LOT of fun to see BBH get some of the recognition he deserves, he is just a funny lil guy.

I'm running on too little sleep so this is rambly but it's crazy to me how amazing it was to just write whatever the heck I wanted and some people agree or disagree or talk about it. I've kinda fallen off when the eggs disappeared :( it hit to hard for me but slowly been getting in the groove and having ideas (new eggs are so precious)

I dunno, through it I've met a lot of people I'm really willing to ride or die for now. QSMP in a lot of ways have brought everyone closer together. It's opened me up to new opportunities. In some small cases it's saved me from making terrible fucked up mistakes. It's made me want to be creative again if only to tell stories that I feel like people would actually want to hear. It's made me realize as well jsut how wonderful it all is I guess. Meeting other people and befriending them and I don't know.

It's been one hell of a year 2023 but I'd go through it all and again just to experience QSMP all over again.

[wexhappyxfew]

shannon! hello! i was looking at your pinterest boards again (they're so aesthetic i love it!) and marty's really stood out to me! so i wanted to ask, what's his story like? any fun things about him? :)

OMG blu!!! ( @xxluckystrike ) hello!! :D i hope you're doing well! <3 (and thanks so much for stopping by the askbox!) AWWWWE thanks so much!!! :') that means so much to me omggg, my pinterest boards for my OCs are truly some of my favorite things to collect and put together - it just helps so much with writing, the vibes i try to go for, the aesthetic of course, quotes, face claims, scene inspo for them.....i could go on haha! it truly helps so so much for me, so i appreciate it SO much!! :)

my sweet bean marty!!! you can absolutely ask about him (and i am beyond happy to talk about him!) and i've been working with writing him a bit more for the fic and just !!!!! i love him so so much! :)

SO!!!! Marty - or to others Martin Armstrong, or to Esther, her little brother by about 14 months haha! In the story, we won't really see a *whole* lot about Marty face-to-face, but Esther thinks about him a lot and does mention him throughout the story when thinking about home and her childhood (two major things that hang off of her like a comfy cardigan). My best way to describe Marty is that not only is he Esther's brother, but he's tough as nails, intelligent, charming, resourceful, loyal, a ride-or-die type of friend, and one helluva medic out in the Pacific (corpsmen, he's in the Marines, but for sake of better word)!

Marty worked at the nearby Navy Yard, with a few school friends, but once Esther went to school and war rumblings crossed the Atlantic, he decided to sign up for the Marines - he wanted to be with the best of the best, and with Dad as a Marine, he wanted to follow in his footsteps. So when Esther went to work at Fort Bragg with W-Sector, Marty was sent to Parris Island, South Carolina where he underwent his training before being sent to the Pacific.

He gets close with a group of guys in the Marines his age - Charlie Godfrey (his closest friend in the platoon) along with Joey Merrie, Calvin Hindton, Glenn Jercovic, Roger Kaplan and Warren Whitwatcher. Fun fact: Charlie Godfrey's little sister, Flo, is on a certain base in Europe, working as a mechanic on the ‘Flying Fortresses’ throughout 1943, helping take care of a dog named Meatball (lol!).

Marty’s role in the story is really this enigma of being Esther’s brother and someone consistently important to her life (to then parallel another OC, Jeannie, the tragic story of her and her brother, Fitzgerald, but more on that another time).

Him being a medic is one of the things that really defines his character, especially being out in the pacific, and I purposely write some of his letters to Esther where he describes what that experience is like and what he goes through to further exemplify his character and his inherent need to help people. From the way Esther talks about him early on in the fic, you wouldn’t really *guess* that about him but the more we hear and see of him, and once he starts mentioning it, we see where that makes sense.

And if anything, Marty is VERY proud of his sister! :) [#1 supportive lil brother truly]

SO NOW…..a I have a moodboard and a snippet for you as a thank you for asking about him! :) ENJOYYYYY!!!!! He truly is one of my favorites and such a good person! <3

Another fun fact: Esther has brought up Marty 71 times and I only have 23 chapters written! Lol!

Everywhere she looked, she saw her brother; she saw Marty in the doorway to their home, with his backpack and long socks on his first day of 1st grade. She saw Marty at the kitchen table, his usual spot left open for him ever since that day he left. She saw him in the family room, not only in a few notable pictures, but in his usual slightly dented spot on the couch that the majority of people left open. Half the time it still felt like Marty was there.

-> excerpt from Chapter 14 of And Then The Dawn Came

[totaldramafan-lauri]

Mammon is indeed a sad sack of-

OK, finally, time to give my thoughts on this episode. I know it's been a while, and I normally don't take this long, but other stuff kept taking my energy, and I knew this was likely the last episode of the year, so I didn't wanna rush it out when I wasn't in any hurry.

Now, this episode...I don't have as much to say about it as I did about Oops. Everyone knows what's good about this episode. It isn't just entertaining, it isn't just funny, it isn't even just dramatic. It's a statement. In a way, this is kinda like Helluva's version of a Very Special Episode, but it doesn't come across as preachy in the slightest. It still feels like the same show, except it has a lot to say this time, and does practically all of it flawlessly. The messages within this story are all things viewers can take to heart and learn from. The most obvious one is about cutting toxic people and abusers from your life, but there's also stuff about how idols aren't always who you think they are, and about perfectionism and how it's OK to not always have to be The Best, which even I can relate to (with how often I bash my work for not being perfect), and even stuff about the entertainment industry, all of which other people have discussed by now. There's almost nothing new to add at this point.

Fizz is still a great character, and this episode made his relationship with Ozzie grow on me SO much. I love them together now! I love how Fizz pushes himself not just to please Mammon, but also because he fears that without Mammon, he'll lose everything he has including Ozzie. This isn't just him blindly idolizing Mammon, this is him believing that Mammon made him who he is and without that he's NOTHING. This hurt even more when you consider that Fizz was left crippled after the circus fire...He has REASONS to trust Mammon, who was likely the one who helped rebuild him after that, and just- aaaaaaaaarrrrggghhh!! You WANNA tell Fizz that Mammon shouldn't matter to him, but you SEE WHERE HE'S COMING FROM and it's- MAN it hurts!

"You're with me because of who I am at my best!" Dang, that line....I remember when Fizz appeared to be the picture of confidence, the foil to Blitzo's internal self-loathing. Yet another thing I got very wrong...

This is such a feel-good episode for Helluva standards...It has its harsh, raw moments, but the support Fizz receives from everyone around him at every corner, culminating in one of the most satisfying, happiest endings in the show...It's hard not to smile when it's over.

I loved seeing Ozzie calm Fizz down from his panic attack. That whole scene was just unbearably sweet, and cemented me as a Fizzarozzie supporter when I wasn't sure if I liked them before (that was really me just having to get used to them being nice guys and not villains).

And it wasn't just Ozzie - I loved having an immediate follow-up after Oops with Fizz and Blitzo, confirming that they're indeed on good terms again. I really like how Fizz doesn't pronounce the O in Blitzo anymore. And I just really like having another episode were Blitzo doesn't mess up at all - he's JUST patched things up with Fizz, so it's really cool to see that he intends to keep things like this and not lose his old friend again. He's really supportive of Fizz the whole time, and I like seeing him take a relationship seriously, as well as him seeing right through Mammon's BS.

And that scene with the deaf kid....c'mon. What more can I say about that? It's just perfect.

The only thing about this episode I didn't like at first was that creepy ex-fan of Fizz's. For a bit, I thought he was a pretty...pointless character. I didn't know why he needed to be there, and his scenes were just uncomfortable to watch for no reason. Mammon was already an effective villain who sets off Fizz's anxiety, and the Glam sisters could've also easily have taunted him more, since they were already showing off and getting attention. Just have the sisters rub their success in Fizz's face a bit more, have THAT make him panic, and there's no need for that guy.

But...now, after giving it some thought....I get why that guy needs to be there. He's there to show how, even if everyone else surrounds you with love, when even just one person hates you, that's the person who's words will still stick in your head. That guy was just one voice in the crowd, but he was the only one booing, and his voice stuck out to Fizz, who ended up giving him even more of an opening. I still don't like watching that guy, I think he's way too over-the-top and his toxic fan behavior is very exaggerated, but he definitely does his job at the end of the day.

So, yeah, the story's great, the messages are great, but I really have nothing new to say about either at this point. However, you wanna know what my FAVORITE part of this episode was?

The. Songs.

Holy crap, the FLIPPING SONGS-

Not gonna lie....Up till now, season 2's songs had really not been as good as season 1's. There hadn't really been any WOW songs yet. The only songs in season 2 that I'd really gone out of my way to listen to were "You Got The Power" and "Crashin' A Muthafuckin' Wedding", neither of which were amazing songs, just ones I have a soft spot for (The former, I just tend to really love 80s inspirational anthems and I think it's a good parody of one of those, and the latter, I think it's really catchy but I also admit to not liking it as much as a song on its own away from the awesome scene it plays during). Not to mention, most of them are pretty short? Which means less impact. The only song this season you could tell they were trying to make a scene out of was "Look At This!" which ironically had the opposite problem to me, overstaying its welcome.

But then.....THEN....we got this episode. And my wishes were granted. Every single song in this episode is phenomenal. "Klown Bitch" is super catchy and a lot of fun. "Crooked" is the sweetest thing I've ever heard (that "I think you're messy, but I'm messy too" line still melts my heart).

But....both of those songs, as great as they are, don't measure up to "Two Minutes Notice", the BEST song of the season so far, and my new second-favorite song in the whole show. I'm dead serious when I say that. I ADORE that song! I've listened to it on its own sooooo many times already! Everything about it just hits the spot for me! That big emotional release for Fizz as he FINALLY calls Mammon out for everything he's made him suffer through, Mammon not realizing it's directed at him until that uber satisfying namedrop towards the end, was brilliant. The lyrics are both meaningful ("I have suffered for profit and suckered for fame / Made a fortune you could steal") AND funny ("Kiss my ass goodbye, you CUCK")! Music-wise, it's SUPER climactic, with a nice big chorus, and that part where Fizz gets the audience clapping along is super catchy! And not only is the song incredible, but we get three whole minutes of it! A whole scene, dedicated to a song THIS FLIPPING GOOD!! I literally could NOT ask for more!

So....yeah, this episode is GREAT. There's not really any issues with it! It's a really good self-contained story, extremely satisfying, very real in places, and Fizz and Ozzie are super cute! Sure, Mammon isn't very interesting, but he does his job, too!

I keep seeing people say this is an absolute masterpiece and the best episode of the season...maybe even of the whole show. And if you're someone who has that opinion, I completely understand why. The story can really hit home to a lot of people. People like Mammon really do exist out there, and if you know someone like that, I get why seeing Fizz get away can be extremely satisfying. Buuuuut, for me personally....

This...isn't my favorite episode of the season. It's actually third place for me. I like Oops and Exes And Oohs more.

N-now, lemme try to explain why-

This episode just...doesn't hit me as hard as those two did. And I think I figured out why.

It's cuz....this is literally our first time seeing Mammon at all. And Fizz broke free of him in one episode. I feel like if we'd known Mammon longer, it'd hit harder to see Fizz earn his freedom, but no, he quits at the end of their first episode together. This is why I said this episode is a good self-contained story. When you place it in the timeline of the show, it feels like it happens way too fast. Thankfully, it still WORKS, mainly cuz I care about Fizz, and the episode DOES give us JUST enough moments of Mammon's abuse that we're able to get the gist of their relationship, but it does cause the episode to lose a bit of impact it could've potentially had if we'd had more Mammon beforehand. Compare this to Oops, which almost had me in tears.

Sure, the emotional moments here still hit, particularly the stuff with Fizz's panic attack, but none of it carries the same weight as Blitzo shouting "I DID CARE!" I saw a few people say the ending to that episode was rushed, but I personally didn't care cuz....it's Blitzo, the guy in every single episode, breaking down and pouring his heart out. We know him, we know how his mind works, and seeing that flashback made the whole experience satisfying when he finally mends a relationship.

As for Exes And Oohs...now that I think about it, that episode is....kiiiiinda similar to this one? In that, we learn that one of my fav characters has been suffering under the boot of an abusive father figure and the episode features him standing up against that father figure. Moxxie and Fizzarolli are my two fav characters in Helluva Boss, but of the two, I've always related to Moxxie harder. I don't love Fizz for relatability. The only thing I relate to Fizz on is being a perfectionist. Everything else he's had to go through - being exploited and marketed against his will, having to deal with toxic fans, etc. - are thankfully things I have no experience with. But Moxxie's near-constant battles with his self-esteem? I always feel those so badly. Not to mention that Exes And Oohs recontexualized nearly ALL of Moxxie's character and cast him in a tragic light (I explained it in a past post), when I thought I knew him so well. Not to mention.....something I've never talked about with Exes And Oohs is that, despite how dramatic its stakes are....it also manages to be a really funny episode too? Like, it legit has some of my fav jokes of the whole season still. It's just a very well-rounded episode that made me understand one of my fav characters more.

This episode was really really good, but it lacks the impact of those other two cuz I feel like it didn't have enough buildup. That's really about it. And that's just my opinion. If it's your favorite episode, I understand why completely. Everything else about it is flawless. I have zero complaints. I'm happy Fizz is outta there, and I'm curious to see what he's gonna do now. I love the stuff with Ozzie, I love the stuff with Blitzo, and above all, I'm super happy that I FINALLY got my big Wow Song from season 2.

And we're only halfway through the season, holy fffffffff- W-we still have time to get even more good songs- H-how many have they saved up? We'll see XD

.....

One more thing this episode did.....was it finally helped me move on from my old image of Fizz. I'm ready to let go of him for good now.

So, like I said in my Oops post....in the interim between Ozzie's and Oops, I got excited to see Fizz again, and built him up in my head as who Ozzie's prepared me for....a villainous Fizz. I thought he was gonna be this sadistic, chaotic force with a grudge against Blitzo, who would turn on a dime from being goofy to being cruel, yet still with the ham and charisma of a performer. I would imagine him mercilessly taunting Blitzo and using their history together as friends as ammo to tear Blitzo down. He was the shadow of Blitzo's past mistakes, a monster he created, and he'd NEVER let him live it down. I was very disappointed when the real Fizz wasn't like that at all, but decided I liked him anyway (in a different way).

Now, after this episode, I can say....it's better this way. The Fizz we have is a much more dynamic character than what that would've been.

When I think of "my" Fizz (I feel weird saying "my" Fizz, so I'll say villain!Fizz or Ringleader!Fizz after the old fan song "The Ringleader" by PARANOID DJ, which if you listen to it, gives you a pretty good idea of how I perceived his character after Ozzie's, if you're curious), yeah, he would've been FUN, but he wouldn't have been very original. Not only do we have a lot of villains in Helluva, but even in terms of the imp villain with parallels to Blitzo, we already have Striker. Ringleader!Fizz would've been another Striker but with a goofy exterior and a more personal connection to Blitzo. That's pretty much it. Striker even has the sadist angle, too.

I still love Ozzie's to death, but man, that episode is aging really weirdly as time passes, huh? XD Knowing my fav song was sung by...two of the nicest characters in the show....pfffff....Sorry, Stolas, geez....

S-sorry about the tangent-

U-uh....yeah....good episode, can't wait to see what we get next year! I don't really have any hopes for next episode except....I miss Moxxie. Now that I feel satiated on Fizz content after these past two episodes, I miss my other boi. Lemme see him soon. Also, for the rest of the season overall....LOONA EPISODE PLEASE. I can completely understand if some people are frustrated that Fizz, a supporting character, has gotten two episodes this season while Loona has had NOTHING outside of that one scene in Seeing Stars. And finally.....what's going on with Stolas and the crystal situation? What's Blizo gonna think about this? I think this is gonna set up for some kinda misunderstanding where Blitzo will think Stolas doesn't want anything to do with him anymore and UGH, just get it over with already!!

[therecordchanger62279]

Excerpt from my unpublished novel:

     The noise from the next boat kept me up half the night. The redhead, and her senior boyfriend must’ve had a helluva party. I think it finally broke up about 5 a.m., and I must’ve finally gotten to sleep shortly after. I slept past noon, and woke up tired anyway. I spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning, and scrubbing the boat, getting her ready to….to stay docked, I guess. I wasn’t planning a trip. It was just busy work. I was spending most nights on the boat these days, and I like that just fine – until the neighbors get too loud. I could’ve gone to Kate’s, but that could’ve been worse. I was getting tired of her moods. It was nice to have a hiding place.

     I quit working about 7, and decided I’d go down to the 3.14, and get a sandwich, and a beer. I stepped off the boat, and heard my name. “Joe! Hey, Joe!” It was Steve, Dan’s son.

     “Where you been? Haven’t seen you lately.”

     “Aw, I’ve been on the boat, mostly workin’ down below, tryin’ to get organized. I’ll be spending more time on it now.”

     “Weren’t you seein’ that waitress…Kate? Was that her name?”

     “Yeah, I was. I mean, I guess I still am, but things have been a little chilly lately, so I’ve been sleepin’ here.”

     “Where you headin’?”

     “Down to the 3.14 for a sandwich, and a beer. Want to join me?”

     “Sure. Sounds good.”

     We took my car, and being a Wednesday evening, the place wasn’t too crowded. We sat at the bar, The barmaid took our order, and we sipped our beers, and munched on peanuts until she brought the burgers out. We talked about Dan, Steve’s dad, and I shared a few stories with him about our “glory days.” When that topic was covered, Steve asked again about Kate.

     “So, you’re still seeing Kate…sort of?”

     “Yeah, I guess. That woman has a mean temper, and a hair trigger, too. That’s not a good combination. I like things quiet. No drama. But, it’s always something with her. When it’s good, it’s really good, but lately…”

      “I thought maybe you found a second wife, the way things were goin’?”

     “Oh, no. Definitely not. What’s the line from that song? I ain’t ready for the altar, but I do agree there’s times when a woman sure can be a friend of mine. That’s all I need is a friend. I did marriage once. Once was enough.”

     “Sounds like the first time ‘round left a few scars?”

     “Yeah, but they’ve all healed. But I don’t have a taste for it anymore. And I don’t have the temperament. Age makes you a lot less tolerant, and tolerance is something every marriage has to have. I should stop eating out, though.”

     “Why do you say that?”

     “I have a real weakness for waitresses.”

     Steve smiled, nodded, and then asked, “Any luck with the job search?”

     “Not so far. I can always sit for a while, and try to write another book – if the neighbors keep the noise down, that is. If I’m careful, I’ve got enough to keep me for a few months, at least.

     “Noise? What noise?”

     “That old guy on the next boat has got a very young girlfriend that likes to socialize into the wee hours. They kept me up past 5 this morning.”      “Do you want me to have a word with him?”

     “No, it’s fine. It’s not every night. Just now and again.”

     “I didn’t know he had a girlfriend. How young is she?”

     “She’s not a day over 22, if I had to guess.”

     “Really? He must be getting some revenge on his wife.”      “Wife? He’s married?”

     “Oh, yeah. But she never comes to the boat. He told me she hates the water. I think he bought the boat to get away from her.”

     “Well, I guess I can’t hold that against him.”

     Steve chuckled, and just then I saw the redhead walk through the door with a much younger guy in hand. “If you want to see why he stays up so late, she just walked in,” and I nodded toward the door.

     “Wow! That’s her? You weren’t kidding. She could be his granddaughter.”

     “Trust me. She’s definitely not. But it looks like they’re not exactly going steady. She’s hanging all over this one, too. How can she look that good with no more sleep than I had?”

     “Like you said, not a day over 22.”

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