#he is truly Austin’s biggest ally

[tightjeansjavi]

okay another pornstar!joel headcanon (I can’t be stopped idc) with pride month on the horizon, I think it’s more than appropriate to highlight just how BIG of an ally Joel is to the queer community 🏳️‍🌈

Miller-Co has a pride float every year for the Austin pride parade

He donates to local queer groups and organizations

He promotes local queer artists/performers on the Miller-Co IG page and his own account

He proudly flies the gay pride flag on his front lawn, and for pride month he lines the walkway and driveway with various pride flags

He features local queer artists on his Spotify podcast

At one of Austin’s gay bars he is known as everyone’s bar dad

There’s a plaque with a photograph of him surrounded by local drag queens and regulars at the bar. ‘Everyone’s favorite bar dad; Joel, Teddy Bear Miller’ is engraved in the plaque.

He wears an ally pin whenever he is in queer occupied spaces so everyone knows that they’re safe with him

He makes sure that everyone from the bar gets home safe. ie: walks couples/friends to their cars, offers to drive them home or buys them an Uber

He’s a stand in therapist when someone needs a shoulder to lean on

“oh, your parents disowned you? I’ll be your dad.”

he does this all selflessly and with the utmost care and love because his momma raised him and Tommy right 🩷

As if we couldn’t love this man anymore, right? 😩🥹

[alasarys]

Recommended books for the drivers from BookPeople, Austin, Texas (insta)

Daniel Ricciardo: Friday Night Lights – "... every Friday night from September to December, when the Permian High School Panthers play football, this West Texas town becomes a place where dreams can come true."

Lando Norris: Assassin's Apprentice – "Fitz ... must give up his old ways and embrace a new life of weaponry, scribing, courtly manners; and how to kill a man secretly, as he trains to become a royal assassin."

Alex Albon: My Brilliant Friend – "... a rich, intense and generous-hearted story about two friends ... a touching meditation on the nature of friendship."

Logan Sargeant: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – "hilarious, delicious, and brutal"

Yuki Tsunoda: A Cook's Tour – "the unpredictable adventures of America's boldest and bravest chef."

Carlos Sainz: Great American Golf Stories – "some of the best classic writings, both fact and realistic fiction, that reflect the rich history, tradition, agony, and ecstasy of one of our most enduring and endearing pastimes."

Oscar Piastri: Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting – "It turns out that talking to strangers can teach you about the world around you--and even more about yourself."

Lance Stroll: Infinite Jest – "Set in an addicts' halfway house and a tennis academy, and featuring the most endearingly screwed-up family to come along in recent fiction, Infinite Jest explores essential questions about what entertainment is and why it has come to so dominate our lives; about how our desire for entertainment affects our need to connect with other people; and about what the pleasures we choose say about who we are."

Charles Leclerc: Every Good Boy Does Fine – "[Denk] reminds us that we must never stop asking questions about music and its purposes: consolation, an armor against disillusionment, pure pleasure, a diversion, a refuge, and a vehicle for empathy."

Lewis Hamilton: The Boy with a Bird in his Chest – "A heartbreaking yet hopeful novel about the things that make us unique and lovable, The Boy with a Bird in His Chest grapples with the fear, depression, and feelings of isolation that come with believing that we will never be loved, let alone accepted, for who we truly are, and learning to live fully and openly regardless."

Max Verstappen: Atomic Habits – "Atomic Habits will reshape the way you think about progress and success, and give you the tools and strategies you need to transform your habits--whether you are a team looking to win a championship ..."

Zhou Guanyu: A Visible Man – "When Edward Enninful became the first Black editor-in-chief of British Vogue, few in the world of fashion wanted to confront how it failed to represent the world we live in. But Edward, a champion of inclusion throughout his life, rapidly changed that."

Pierre Gasly: Misery – "He's a bestselling novelist who has finally met his biggest fan. Her name is Annie Wilkes and she is more than a rabid reader – she is Paul's nurse, tending his shattered body after an automobile accident. But she is also his captor, keeping him prisoner in her isolated house."

Valtteri Bottas: Foundryside – "To have a chance at surviving ... Sancia will have to marshal unlikely allies ... and undergo her own transformation ..."

Fernando Alonso: The House of the Spirits – "an enthralling saga that spans decades and lives, twining the personal and the political into an epic novel of love, magic, and fate."

Kevin Magnussen: The Daily Dad – "366 Meditations on Parenting, Love, and Raising Great Kids"

Sergio Perez: Bad Feminist – "an inspiring call-to-arms of all the ways we still need to do better"

Building on the excellent work by @vegasgrandprix and @kritischetheologie

[xtruss]

Why Bloated US Military Spending Can't Ensure Its Dominance Over Russia, China

© r.nial.bradshaw

The White House has requested a whopping $842 billion for the Pentagon for fiscal year 2024, which is $69 billion more than the Department of Defense received for FY2023. What's behind the hike and does it truly correspond with the US' national security interests?

"The new US defense budget of $840 billion for the coming year, an increase of 3.2% over the last, includes two major figures," retired Major General Harsha Kakar, strategic analyst and founding member of the think tank STRIVE, told Sputnik. "One is $9.1 billion for basically the Indo-Pacific region. The other - for updating its nuclear arsenal, for which it has earmarked $37 billion or $38 billion. And, of course, $6 billion [is allocated] for assistance to Ukraine."

"Now, when you look at this figure, an increase of $9 billion, basically for increasing its capability in the Indo-Pacific, will possibly just about strengthen the US presence in the region. It's not going to shift any major balance of power, unless its allies, mainly in the Quad, contribute in a similar manner to the effect that the US is putting in, in terms of spending for that region," the Indian expert continued.

On March 9, the Biden administration unveiled its budgetary roadmap, with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin lauding the White House's move as enabling the Department of Defense "to continue building a Joint Force that is the most lethal, resilient, survivable, agile, and responsive in the world and is guided by our three priorities of defending the nation, taking care of our people, and succeeding through teamwork."

However, US observers immediately drew attention to the gargantuan size of the Pentagon's new budget. While the DoD's request amounts to $842 billion, the White House is requesting $886.4 billion in funding for national security. But that is not all, DC think tanks warn: if one adds emergency military aid packages for Ukraine this year and potential tens of billions of dollars in Congressional "add-ons" the total defense spending is about to reach a staggering $950 billion or more for FY2024. The Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, a US think tank, has called the forthcoming Pentagon budget the "biggest since World War II," and far bigger than at the peaks of the Korean, Vietnam, or Cold Wars.

The DoD's expenditures have been steadily growing over the past few years, adding $25 billion in 2022, $45 billion in 2023, and potentially $69 billion in 2024.

"I think they will reach a consensus on the issue of increasing the defense budget," Boris Rozhin, a Russian expert at the Center for Military-Political Journalism, told Sputnik. "So, some of the money will go to expanding the US military presence in Eastern Europe and supporting their satellites in Europe. Much of the money will go to strengthening the US position in the Far East - in the Asia-Pacific region, where they are now pumping weapons into Taiwan, and preparing for further escalation of relations with China. Therefore, these expenditures will be directed to the state strategy, where Russia and China are designated as enemies of the United States. Accordingly, the bulk of the new spending will be directed precisely against Russia and China."

The vast geography of Washington's defense plans could be explained by its belief that apart from protecting itself and its allies it should also ensure its military dominance in the respective regions, the Indian expert noted. Since the US sees a number of countries as its competitors, it seeks to suppress them militarily, according to Kakar. "So therefore, it is going to continue expanding far more than what is required," he noted.

Big Spending Doesn't Always Mean Good Quality

Still, the Pentagon's bloated spending does not always mean that the US military gets the highest quality for their money, according to Sputnik's interlocutors.

"Addressing the egregious issues present in the US Air Force, the US Navy, and the US Strategic Nuclear Forces, the so-called nuclear doctrine, there are no such big developments because the United States, having the largest number of military bases and being involved in various conflicts, has actually, let's say, brought its weapons fleet to a state close to satisfactory. Although in fact, some estimate a much more radical, worse state," said Alexey Leonkov, military expert and an editor at the magazine Arsenal Otechestva.

"At the same time, these are military developments that have been carried out as scientific research programs, the delivery of new types of weapons, and they often lag behind all the scientific and technological progress that has been developed, for example, in Russia, in China, and even in Iran and North Korea. Getting carried away with some innovative programs, the US, or rather the military budget, does not take into account the current cost of keeping the American Army 100% combat ready," he continued.

According to some estimates, more than half of the new DoD budget will go to major defense contractors, including Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon, General Dynamics, and Northrop Grumman, on buying, researching, and developing weapons. However, the observers refer to an embarrassing record of overspending and alleged mismanagement of funds when it comes to the US military-industrial complex.

One glaring example is the F-35 fighter that has already become the costliest weapon system in American history. The F-35's estimated sustainment costs over its 66-year anticipated life cycle have steadily increased since 2012, from $1.11 trillion to $1.27 trillion, despite purported efforts to reduce costs. Although the project was launched over 20 years ago and 800 airplanes have already been delivered, the stealth fighter jet's production has been "marred by excessive defects and rework" that have reduced US military readiness, as per the US press.

Military Lobbyists and Apparent Corruption

Leonkov noted that the US lobby culture plays a big role in the distribution of military funds, while Joe Biden and his administration are accepting this state of affairs and even playing into the lobbyists' hands.

"Lobbyist structures create such a paradox that despite the fact that the US military budget is the largest in the world and unprecedented for the United States itself, its effectiveness is much lower than the military budgets of Russia and China, the DPRK and Iran," Leonkov said.

For instance, the US military industrial complex has yet to come up with competitive domestically-made hypersonic weapons, lagging behind both Russia and China.

"Although Americans are spending staggering or fantastic amounts of money to develop [hypersonic] technology, they are not up to the task on their own," the Russian military expert continued. "So they have brought in hypersonic specialists from Europe, Japan, and Australia to work on this problem. And now they are trying to work together to create an appropriate flight model, which should be completed somewhere around 2025."

And still, the US has yet to achieve the speeds that Russia's hypersonic complexes have already achieved, Leonkov remarked. Meanwhile, Russia and China are not sitting on their thumbs and have already been working on the next generation of hypersonic weapons. Even heavily embargoed North Korea is claiming that it, too, has received this complex of weapons.

"So despite all the power of the US military-industrial complex, despite the enormous money they spend on its upkeep and development, they cannot make the technological breakthrough that Russia, China, and North Korea have been following and have achieved their results," said the Russian analyst.

Afghanistan and Mideast Campaigns: Where Did the Money Go?

Likewise, it's hardly surprising that the US military has complained about the depletion of their ammunition stockpiles as Washington is flooding Ukraine with weapons and shells. Leonkov cites American experts as saying that it would take 15 years to replenish the amount of ammunition that has been delivered to Ukraine from US military warehouses.

"This indicates that the production of the military-industrial complex itself is not yet expanding," the military expert stressed.

Washington's earlier campaigns have also been marred with scandals surrounding an apparent misappropriation of funds and excessive spending.

"Over $2 trillion has been spent in Afghanistan," said Rozhin. "I mean, an enormous amount of money was spent in Iraq, where the United States ended up achieving somewhat different goals than it had set out to achieve."

Indeed, the Taliban* ended up winning in Afghanistan, while the Americans had to flee the country, leaving behind, among other things, huge stockpiles of military equipment and their puppet government, Rozhin noted. As for Iraq, in the wake of the US invasion, Iran has dramatically increased its position in the Middle Eastern country, something that runs contrary to Washington's interests.

To cap it off, while the Pentagon's total spending in the Middle East and Afghanistan is estimated at about $7.5 trillion, it was possible to find confirmation of the spending of about $5 trillion, while $2.5 trillion vanished into thin air, Leonkov remarked.

Why Biden Will Have Hard Time Getting New Pentagon Budget Through Congress

The Pentagon's gargantuan military request has already been met with criticism from Joe Biden's own party. Representatives Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) and Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) have brought forward the “People Over Pentagon Act,” which proposes a $100 billion annual cut in the Pentagon budget.

“Year after year, this country pours billions into our already-astronomical defense budget without stopping to question whether the additional funding is actually making us safer. We know that a large portion of these taxpayer dollars are used to pad the pockets of the military industrial complex, fund outdated technology, or are simply mismanaged,” Barbara Lee said in a statement on February 22.

The Democrats' concerns are by no means surprising, given that increased defense spending "would be one area that Biden would seem to run counter to general Democratic preferences," according to Timothy Hagle, a political science professor at the University of Iowa.

"Republicans are generally in favor of defense spending, though the amounts may be at issue," Hagle told Sputnik. "The current situation with US spending to support Ukraine almost reverses that. Democrats seem willing to spend more to support Ukraine and Republicans more on the skeptical side. If the additional defense spending is just to compensate for the money spent to support Ukraine, then Republicans may be skeptical of it. If the money is being spent on projects that are needed, such as upgrading various defense systems, then Republicans would likely be more in favor of it."

At the same time, however, Hagle pointed out that Biden's overall budget, which envisions trillions of dollars in new spending, is likely to trigger criticism from US lawmakers, especially given that its promise to reduce deficits by raising taxes on businesses and the wealthy does not look realistic.

"The national debt continues to grow and the tax increases he proposes are not likely to even cover his desired new spending," the political science professor underscored. "Part of the problem is that tax increases along the lines proposed by Biden generally do not work out. Corporations can pass the taxes on to their consumers and the rich (however you define them) can usually move their assets around to limit their tax liability. Thus, it ends up that the middle class have to pick up the tab for the increase in spending, either directly by having their own taxes increased, or indirectly by higher prices on goods and services or lower returns on their investments."

Given all of the above, Hagle expects that Biden "will have a hard time getting such a proposal through the US Congress, especially the House, which is controlled by Republicans."

Even though the increase in defense spending might be a way to entice some House Republicans to go for it, Hagle is not sure that it will work.

—March 10, 2023 | Ekaterina Blinova

[dreamersparacosm]

big fan saying congratulations on 3.5k!!! can i have ❝ i truly can’t control my heart when i’m around you. ❞ for ab?

please and congrats again!!!

sfw!

note ; wow whoever requested this… my biggest fan… must be a real homie for this one…. ur not slick ally

warnings ; none bc we are all aboard the fluff train

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

when austin butler first lays eyes on you, he’s 24 and foolish and a goner. heart skips a few beats, palms too wet to even grip onto a nearby surface, eyes blinking to confirm he’s not living in a dream. he’s 24 and reckless, still living in a world where he believes the sun rises and falls according to his being. he’s 24 and very, very immature, which is what you’re supposed to be.

but, you’re not. you’re 24 and tightly wound, a person with a real job and a real life, not some frivolous career that yanks you across oceans and state lines. you enjoy mundane things; reading, knitting, and sipping a cup of green tea are all part of your morning routine.

it’s supposed to be a recipe for disaster.

somehow, somewhere, in this unpredictable universe that twirls on its axis, it’s decided that you two must fall in love, experience something that’s beyond what you’re used to. you’re not ready to love someone like him, who lives life as if consequences for his actions don’t manifest.

but, suddenly, you blink. you blink, and you’re 30. you’re in a home, one that you share with austin. it’s a cozy little place, outside of the hustle and bustle of his career, that allows you to have a sanctuary outside of the flashing lights that plague his vision. you’re in a bed, one that you use to make love with every night. it’s normal, ordinary, mundane. and it all makes sense, why the universe would put two unsuspecting people together.

you lay there, in the bed you make every morning after he leaves for the day, his hands playing with your fingers, imagining what a diamond ring would look like on them. suddenly, he’s 30 and mature, wiser beyond his years, thinks that the sun rises for you and you only. he cherishes the moment. imagines what the ring should look like, what nail color you should paint before the engagement.

you place your head on his chest, feeling the warmth of his bare skin radiate. the silence of the room encapsulates you, leaves you in your thoughts that are all soft and warm and full of adoration for the man that lays next to you. he lets go of your hand, brushing a loose strand of hair from your forehead, kissing the skin, “i’ve missed you.”

he’d only been gone for two days. felt longer somehow.

“i missed you too,” you hear the vibrato from his voice in his chest. you press your ear to the skin, letting your eyes flutter shut for a second. you hear the beat of his heart, the proof he’s there with you. the booming is furious and incessant. it is his heart, which seems to swell into a mallet and swing against his rib cage, a drum full of dirt that might burst at any moment.

but, the noise doesn’t relax you. instead, it fills you up with worry and negative thoughts about his health, empty promises that he would take care of himself more after filming elvis. “does your heart always beat this fast?” you sit up, eyebrows furrowing.

he chuckles, “what?”

“i laid my head.. on your chest.. and then i heard, like, your heart go thirty miles a minute,” you rush to say, something like fear settling behind your eyes. he notices the shift, reaching out to cup your face in his large hands.

“baby, i’m fine.”

“but, but—“

“it’s not me,” his eyes soften, ice-blue orbs less cool.

“huh?” you scrunch your face in confusion.

suddenly, he’s 24 again. he’s back in that bar, the first time he saw you, your hair cascading down your back, eyes sparkling under the sunlight that spilled in through the window, skin glistening with sweat from the warm summers day. feels his heart leap out of his chest. feels the triggering of his primal flight reaction or something like it: a massive flood of adrenaline that shoots through him like a drug.

this time, he embraces it.

“it’s you, sugar,” he kisses your nose. “just can’t control my heart when i’m around you.”

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

join my celly here!

[enigmaticsal]

I apologise for the person I'm about to become under this post. I am well aware that the Austin & Ally fandom might just be the most inactive one right now but I'm 5 episodes away from finishing the show entirely & wish to aggressively ramble & absolutely go bonkers about the song 'Stuck On You' by Austin Moon sung in Episode 10 of Season 3 titled 'Critics & Confidence'. I've heard this song on repeat for the past hour and my brain is a serotonin filled mess.

All the madness and screaming is located under the cut so enjoy if you like :))))))

credits to @/austinswoons for the gifs~

I'M IN SO MUCH PAIN CAUSE OF THIS GOSH DARNED MASTERPIECE OF MELODY AND LYRICS IT IS NOT EVEN FUNNY ANYMORE. LIKE THIS SONG MAKES ME WANNA CRY MY HEART OUTTA ADORABLENESS AND WRITE LETTERS OUTTA MY HAPPIE TEARS CAUSE IT'S DESTROYING ME THROUGH AND THROUGH.

This is the only song that'll ever make me go all warm and mushy inside & lemme explain to you why through the lyrics :))))

"Okay maybe I'm shy but usually I speak my mind but by your side, I'm tongue tied."

The general tone he sings this entire song in, holy hera I need a serious breather cause I'm too soft. Someone hold me before I turn to a puddle of goo and before you have to collect me in a freaking jar 🙃

Like one touch and I will evaporate into thin air or turn into a pile of dust and fade away JUST SAYING.

"Now I'm singing all the words I'm scared to say."

PLEASE. HE IS TOO PRECIOUS FOR THIS UNIVERSE LIKE I'M CLEARLY LOSING MY MIND AND OBVIOUSLY HAVE VERY STRONG AGGRESSIVE FEELINGS FOR THIS SONG BUT I DO BECAUSE IT'S SO PURE????? AND WHOLESOME???? AND SO VERY FLUFFY AND TOOTH ACHE AND DIABETES INDUCING????

'I'm hoping you feel what I do, cause I told mom about you, I told her.'

CAN YOU IMAGINE AUSTIN TELLING HIS MOM ABOUT ALLY AND RAMBLING WITH EXTREME PUPPY HEART EYES AND FANGIRLING ABOUT HOW SHE NEVER LETS HIM TOUCH HER SONG BOOK, THE PROUD LOOK IN HIS EYES WHEN HE TELLS HER THAT SHE FINALLY CONQUERED HER STAGE FRIGHT AND SANG INFRONT OF A CROWD, I WILL SCREECH. VERY LOUDLY.

AND THE CHORUS. LET US NOT.

"And like the night sticks to the moon, girl I'm stuck on you."

No words just 🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥲🥺🥺💔💔💔🥲🥲🤧🤧🤧 💔💔💔💔🤧😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭🥲🥲🥲🤧🥺🥺🤧🤧💕💕💕💔💔💔💔🥺🥺💔💔💕💕🥲🥲💕💕💕💕🤧🤧🤧🤧

I mean COME ON, he calls himself out for being a perfectionist, talks about not liking rules and making his bed, flossing his teeth to keep them perfect, admits to being a workaholic and feeling at home on his phone. (WHICH SAME MY DUDE, SAME.) such honesty???

He is trying his best in this song to tell Ally that he still likes her in the most perfectly devastatingly cheesy way possible and I'm here for it with every single fibre of my mortal existence :)))

AND THE FACT THAT THIS IS THE SONG WHICH HELPS HIM GET OVER HIS SLUMP OF PANIC ATTACKS AND NERVOUSNESS AND GETS RID OF HIS STAGE FRIGHT AND BASICALLY MAKES AUSTIN BELIEVE IN HIMSELF- I'm truly the biggest mess rn :))))))

He looks at Ally like that throughout the ENTIRE song........lemme just 🧍🏻‍♀️🧍🏻‍♀️🧍🏻‍♀️🧍🏻‍♀️

sighs ✨ young love ✨

He is so whipped and so am I. End of story. Goodnight it is almost 2 am 😎

[bandsanitizer]

8 songs, 8 rules (or something)

RULES: 8 song prompts & tag 8 people

thank you for the tag @staticsounds @redrattlers @tirednotflirting and @reachthezeneth !!

1. Favorite song at the moment.

Starting Line by Luke Hemmings she says to the surprise of no one. also That Funny Feeling by Bo Burnham and Goodbye by Bo Burnham

2. A song you associate with your favorite ship.

This requires me picking a favorite ship which like I don’t know how to do that. So we’ll go with my narrowed down top 3 ships.

so first CALM bc ot4 is superior. I have decided. their whole existence and meeting is fanfic material (childhood besties malum. we both thought the other was too cool cake. enemies to besties muke. met online mashton. we’ve met before! lashton. was angry bc where tf were you but then I fell in love with you cashton.) anyways song from my ot4 playlist Never Be by 5sos and my biggest writing goal is to write a fic based on it bc I could go on forever about colors in 5sos music.

next ship is birdflash and the song I associate would be Heroes by MIKA and like specifically YJ!verse but could work otherwise. and the other ship is Blam (from glee) and I associate them with Sick of Losing Soulmates by dodie.

the real moral of the story here is that I love the friends to lovers trope and most of my favorite ships exist in this realm of I’m okay with them being strictly platonic or being romantic and what matters to me is how they see ALL of the other and still choose to love them (platonic or romantic). and that said… there’s a lot of overlap on songs lol

3. A song that could be about you.

26 by Paramore bc even though that’s about her… the first time I heard the song I started crying and it’s just… learning to navigate being your biggest critic and most important supporter is a Struggle. trying to stay grounded and not give up on dreams. I just RELATE to this song with my whole being

4. A song that you think is underrated.

At the End of the Day by Mali-Koa. Listen like this whole album is phenomenal but I really think we don’t talk about this song enough. It’s really about this idea that everything you want to be and need to be is already inside you. that whatever you’re searching for you’ll find it because you already have it. idk it’s a comforting song for me and I think one of the best lyrics on the album (okay honestly the whole album is just lyrically a masterpiece)

5. A song that reminds you of a good memory.

Sevens by Samuel Hazo. My high school band never followed through on performing this in a concert, but learning this piece and everything was such a positive experience during band. Also 11/16 & 7/16 was just really fun to play! Learning the xylo part was an adventure but truly something I enjoyed and it’s just very tied to the best feelings of being in band. Notably a memory of one run through that was just spot on! (Also that feeling of finally getting the piece right? YEAH)

6. The last song you listened to.

Sticky (with SHAED) - Piano Version by The Maine (or well technically Upside Down by Austin Moon bc I watched Austin & Ally) like Sticky is a great song and then make it all pretty with a piano and then make it a duet???

7. A song that makes you laugh.

P*rnstar by ModSun. Censored bc I feel weird about that word being on my blog. Like it’s not even a bad song either? It’s very secksual though. And was like unexpected despite being completely expected based on the title. IDK it’s just like… made me laugh while listening to Internet Killed the Rockstar.

For a more sfw song: The Turd Song by Big Time Rush. Iconic. Amazing. Genius. Invented music. James’ run at the end?!?!

8. A song you want your mutuals to listen to.

I don’t think a day will go by where I don’t find a way to rec flights by twentylove. Like it’s just… a great song. lyrics and all it’s a favorite of mine. but for a different song Watercolors by Will Jay like it frustrates me this is the only version he’s released bc this song is sooooooooo good.

tagging (if you want to!): @takemealive @calumsash @hoodhoran @thenervousduck @in-superbloom @karajaynetoday @opheliascribbles @ladybugnoah

[newstfionline]

Wednesday, August 11, 2021

Beating The Heat Is Out Of Reach (IPCC, AP News) The U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published a shocker of a report Monday summarizing the latest authoritative scientific information about global warming. 234 scientists contributed to the 3,000-plus-page report. Global temperatures have already risen by 2 degrees Fahrenheit (1.1 degrees Celsius) since the 19th century, the highest in over 100,000 years. Further warming is already “locked in,” meaning even if emissions are drastically cut, some changes will be “irreversible” for centuries. Ice melt and sea-level rise are already accelerating, and wild weather events like heatwaves and storms are expected to worsen and become more frequent. Earth is warming so fast that by the 2030s, temperatures will probably exceed the Paris climate accord’s ideal goal of no more than 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit and 1.5 degrees Celsius by the year 2100. The report called it a “code red for humanity.”

Infrastructure bill approved in Senate (AP) With a robust vote after weeks of fits and starts, the Senate approved a $1 trillion infrastructure plan for states coast to coast on Tuesday, as a rare coalition of Democrats and Republicans joined together to overcome skeptics and deliver a cornerstone of President Joe Biden’s agenda. “Today, we proved that democracy can still work,” Biden declared at the White House, noting that the 69-30 vote included even Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell. The overwhelming tally provided fresh momentum for the first phase of Biden’s “Build Back Better” priorities, now heading to the House. A sizable number of lawmakers showed they were willing to set aside partisan pressures, at least for a moment, eager to send billions to their states for rebuilding roads, broadband internet, water pipes and the public works systems that underpin much of American life. The measure proposes nearly $550 billion in new spending over five years in addition to current federal authorizations for public works that will reach virtually every corner of the country. There’s money to rebuild roads and bridges, and also to shore up coastlines against climate change, protect public utility systems from cyberattacks and modernize the electric grid. Public transit gets a boost, as do airports and freight rail. Most lead drinking water pipes in America could be replaced.

COVID vaccines to be required for military under new US plan (AP) Members of the U.S. military will be required to get the COVID-19 vaccine beginning next month under a plan laid out by the Pentagon Monday and endorsed by President Joe Biden. In memos distributed to all troops, top Pentagon leaders said the vaccine is a necessary step to maintain military readiness. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the mid-September deadline could be accelerated if the vaccine receives final FDA approval or infection rates continue to rise. “I will seek the president’s approval to make the vaccines mandatory no later than mid-September, or immediately upon” licensure by the Food and Drug Administration “whichever comes first,” Austin said in his memo, warning them to prepare for the requirement.

For first time, average pay for supermarket and restaurant workers tops $15 an hour (Washington Post) The U.S. labor market hit a new milestone recently: For the first time, average pay in restaurants and supermarkets climbed above $15 an hour. Wages have been rising rapidly as the economy reopens and businesses struggle to hire enough workers. Some of the biggest gains have gone to workers in some of the lowest-paying industries. Overall, nearly 80 percent of U.S. workers now earn at least $15 an hour, up from 60 percent in 2014. Job sites and recruiting firms say many job seekers won’t even consider jobs that pay less than $15 anymore. For years, low-paid workers fought to make at least that much. Now it has effectively become the new baseline. Economists caution that a higher average wage is not the same as a $15 minimum wage. Half of workers in these industries are still making below $15 an hour. Nonetheless, rising pay is still a game-changer for millions of workers.

Dry California tourist town to guests: ‘Please conserve’ (AP) Tourists flock by the thousands to the coastal town of Mendocino for its Victorian homes and cliff trails, but visitors this summer are also finding public portable toilets and signs on picket fences pleading: “Severe Drought. Please conserve water.” Hotels have closed their lobby bathrooms and residents have stopped watering their gardens in the foggy outpost about 150 miles (240 kilometers) north of San Francisco after two years of little rain sapped many of the wells Mendocino depends on for potable water. Mendocino’s water woes were compounded in recent weeks when the city of Fort Bragg a few miles to the north—its main backup water supplier—informed officials that it, too, had a significant drop in its drinking water reserves after the Noyo River recorded its lowest flows in decades. “This is a real emergency,” said Ryan Rhoades, superintendent of the Mendocino City Community Services District, which helps manage the water in the town’s aquifer.

Nicaragua recalls four LatAm ambassadors in tit-for-tat move (Reuters) Nicaragua has recalled its ambassadors to Mexico, Argentina, Colombia and Costa Rica for “consultations,” the government said on Monday, deepening the Central American country’s international isolation over its crackdowns on the opposition. Mexico, Argentina and Colombia recently recalled their ambassadors to protest against moves to clamp down on the opposition in Nicaragua, while Costa Rica a few weeks ago suspended the appointment of its ambassador to the country. On Saturday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused Ortega of taking new “undemocratic, authoritarian actions.” Blinken also singled out Ortega’s wife, Nicaraguan Vice President Rosario Murillo, and said the two were seeking to hold on to power “at all costs” with a strategy of disqualifying potential opposition candidates. Nicaragua is due to hold presidential elections in November in which Ortega is seeking a fourth consecutive term.

Twelve Days In Office, and Crisis Swamps Peru’s Leftist President (Bloomberg) Peru’s new president is off to a rocky start, selecting contentious ministers, alienating allies and setting the stage for a brutal face-off with congress, all within days of taking office. A rural teacher and union activist, Pedro Castillo won the election after reassurances that he’s his own man, not beholden to his party’s Marxist ideology or chief. But when he named his cabinet—including a prime minister who’s under investigation for being an alleged apologist for terrorists—analysts, opposition figures and even some who’d backed him expressed alarm, so much so that the word “impeachment” was heard more than once. “His political capital went up in smoke in 24 hours,” said Rodolfo Rojas, a partner of the Lima-based Sequoia political advisory group. “If he doesn’t change course, there’s no future for him.” Impeachment isn’t imminent, Rojas said, but a clash with congress looks likely. And while Peru has made a habit of ousting presidents, it’s rare for such a discussion to take place within days of inauguration.

French wine production set for a 30-percent drop (Washington Post) A confluence of weather woes is hurting France’s wine harvest. First, there was severe frost in the spring, which laid the foundation for disaster by damaging 30 percent of the production. Then, torrential summer rains hit western Europe in July, leaving parts of Germany and Belgium ravaged by floods, and leading to fungal attacks on grapes and their leaves in France. All of this has set France up for a wine supply drop of 24 to 30 percent this year—the lowest output since 1970, France’s farm ministry said Friday. For champagne, harvest potential has been slashed in half, some producers warned. In Italy, the world’s largest wine producer, high temperatures in the south caused an early harvest, while heavy rains in the north caused a late harvest, according to farmers association Coldiretti. Output is estimated to fall by 5 to 10 percent.

'We fought a great battle': Greece defends wildfire response (AP) As Greece’s massive wildfires were being largely tamed Tuesday, the country’s civil protection chief defended the firefighting efforts, saying every resource was thrown into the battle against what he described as the fire service’s biggest-ever challenge. Nikos Hardalias said authorities “truly did what was humanly possible” against blazes that destroyed tens of thousands of hectares (acres) of forest and hundreds of homes, killed a volunteer firefighter and forced more than 60,000 people to flee. Two other firefighters were in intensive care with severe burns. “We handled an operationally unique situation, with 586 fires in eight days during the worst weather conditions we’ve seen in 40 years,” Hardalias told a news conference. “Never was there such a combination of adverse factors in the history of the fire service.” Greece had just experienced its worst heat wave since 1987, which left its forests tinder-dry. Other nearby nations such as Turkey and Italy also faced the same searing temperatures and quickly spreading fires.

Smoke from Siberia wildfires reaches north pole in historic first (Guardian) Smoke from raging forest fires in Siberia has reached the north pole for the first time in recorded history, as a Russian monitoring institute warned the blazes were worsening. Devastating wildfires have ripped across Siberia with increasing regularity over the past few years, which Russia’s weather officials and environmentalists have linked to climate change and an underfunded forest service. One of Siberia’s hardest-hit regions this year has been Yakutia – Russia’s largest and coldest region that sits atop permafrost – which has had record high temperatures and drought. On Saturday, the US space agency Nasa said its satellite images showed wildfire smoke travelling “more than 3,000km (1,800 miles) from Yakutia to reach the north pole”, calling it “a first in recorded history”. It added that on 6 August most of Russia was covered in smoke. According to Russia’s forestry agency, this year’s fires have ravaged more than 14m hectares, making it the second-worst fire season since the turn of the century.

Lockdowns In Manila (Guardian) The more aggressive Delta variant of COVID-19 has led to record case numbers in countries across Southeast Asia. Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and Vietnam have reported record cases in recent weeks. The variant was detected in the Philippines in mid-July and has spread to 13 of 17 regions. On Friday, the national capital region of Manila, with a population of almost 14 million, was placed under strict lockdown until August 20 in an attempt to slow the spread. Only authorized people, including those buying food, traveling for medical reasons, or frontline workers are allowed to go outside. The day before the lockdown went into effect, thousands rushed to vaccination centers and waited for hours hoping to get a shot. Rumors had spread that unvaccinated people wouldn’t be allowed to claim government aid or go outside.

Taliban Capture Sixth Provincial Capital (Foreign Policy) The Taliban’s advance across Afghanistan continued on Monday with the capture of Aibak, the capital of Samangan province, marking the sixth provincial capital to fall to the group in less than a week. Monday’s seizure was hastened by the defection of Asif Azimi—a prominent warlord with ties to the now defunct Northern Alliance—a worrying sign of shifting allegiances due to a rapidly changing situation on the ground. As the fighting drags on, pressure is building on President Ashraf Ghani to get a handle on the situation or get out of the way. Reports in Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal paint a picture of an isolated leader whose best hope lies in rallying support from anti-Taliban groups ahead of an all-out civil war.

[gloryblooded]

with a gif of achilles/austin being a major mood ( i mean, who doesn’t want to nap all the time ? ), i hope to catch your attention & say HELLO !   i’m hanna, i’m 22, and i use she/her pronouns! i’m a hufflepuff, a libra, and ISFJ ( what a shocking combo, i know ). anyway, over here i’ll be playing everyone’s favorite disaster hero, achilles, and his new mortal self, austin pelham. i’m so excited for this group and getting to write & plot with all of you. 

anyway, below the cut you’ll find some info about both achilles and austin ! it got kinda lengthy ( especially achilles’ part ) + it’s messily written. sdfsfdsdhsfbh im truly sry about that & pls still love us.

ACHILLES.

disclaimer: i’ve utilized several sources to form my portrayal of achilles, namely the iliad and the song of achilles. i have not read the pjo books, but i googled achilles’ role in it & i’ll incorporate that to my characterization to the best of my abilities.

so, achilles. a son of peleus, a king, and thetis, a nereid. boy was destined for greatness long before he was even conceived; great enough that the gods chose to dilute it by giving thetis to a mortal man. despite this, his destiny was to still become the greatest warrior of his generation. thetis, wanting to further protect him, dipped him in the river styx and boom, the powers of almost complete invulnerability ( except that one heel ) were achilles’. 

his childhood was actually quite lonely? sure, he had peleus’ orphan boys to keep him company & plenty of admirers, but there was always a certain distance between them, especially he had separate, private lessons. that is until a certain awkward young prince arrived in peleus’ court. achilles was instantly smitten ( a shoutout to that time when he became that ‘g2g chicken’ meme after their first kiss ) and this feeling just became stronger through the years as they studied under chiron’s tutelage at mount pelion. 

AND THAT’S IT. NOTHING HAPPENED AFTER THAT. ACHILLES GOT HIS HAPPY ENDING.

just kidding. unfortunately :sob emoji:

tHEN PARIS HAD TO DO HIS THING AND RUIN ACHILLES’ HAPPINESS ( thanks a lot dude ). the war started and, despite the ordeal with thetis where achilles was yeeted to lycodemes’ court & ended up knocking up deidamia, he was off to fight in the trojan war ( with his emotional support philtatos right by his side ).

during his years there, he does his thing. he fights, kills more trojans and their allies than anyone else, is a great leader to his men, and spends his free time with his boyfriend. also i wanted to add that he was not as hostile toward briseis as he was in tsoa. like, ofc they weren’t as close as patrochilles or pat and bri, but he wasn’t as jealous as implied in tsoa. 

anyway, now we’re getting closer to that period of time. stuff goes fairly normally, but then aging meninist ( idk how to spell his name & im too lazy to look it up, but u know who i mean ) decides to dishonor him by unlawfully taking briseis from him. and oh boy, do we get to see achilles’ non-chill side. victim-playing & stubborn spite game is strong af. someone tries to reason with him? he becomes that ‘i suddenly can’t read i don’t know’ gif. 

anyway, shit turns bad enough that he eventually, although reluctantly, consents to patroclus donning his armor and leading the myrmidons out there. that obvs ends super badly and achilles, true to himself, reacts even worse. he goes ballistic and even fights a river before he finally gets what he wants --- hector dead. after that, he stops caring. he fights, sure, but every single time he wishes his death would come. death eludes him for a while after that, and when it finally arrives & that arrow lodges itself in his heel, achilles vc: finally some good fucking food.

except sike, not ! his bitchass of a son delays the reunion he’s been yearning for. achilles curses him & 100% disowns him because he dared to disrespect his final wish. bUT EVENTUALLY HIS PERSON ARRIVED AND ACHILLES WAS SO !!!!!!!!!!!! BECAUSE ALL WAS FINALLY GOOD. achilles got a good dose of positive character development bc he realizes the error of his ways when he was alive, but most importantly, he never had to part with his one true love.

until the gods got themselves into another mess & dragged other, innocent people with them. smh ( uncle sam and/or the gods better square up when achilles regains his memories bc how dare they interrupt his lovely afterlife with pat!!!! )

AUSTIN.

so, enter the man achilles thinks he now is: austin pelham. his full name is austin alexander pelham-niarchos, but for the sake of simplicity, he goes by austin pelham most days. he is the only child of us army general & greek heiress to a shipping empire. not really a happy marriage, but they wouldn’t divorce either. both adored austin, though, so the boy didn’t pay too much attention to his parents’ marital struggles.

austin’s future was laid out from a young age too. he was to follow in his father’s footsteps and become an army official as well, possibly one of the greatest this nation had ever seen. considering his natural athleticism and gift for commanding crowds, it seemed a feasible future path & austin himself accepted it without complaining.

however, he was a mere kid when all this was told to him, so he couldn’t be too bothered. sure, he excelled in school ( his mother insisted he should only attend the best institutions ), but mostly he enjoyed the perks that came with having been born to a lap of such luxury. 

contrary to popular belief, austin had basically no true friends; sycophants and other admirers, yes, but no one he truly bonded with. he wouldn’t have minded finding such person, but they never came along & that was fine with austin. he was independent enough to “survive alone.”

so years have gone by, manhattan’s boy king has graduated from harvard with a degree in history, and it’s time for him to join the army, right? sike, no ! austin’s mother had never been particularly enthusiastic about the idea of her son joining the army & possibly getting killed in action, but this is the first time she has a major argument with her husband about it. 

before he could do anything about it, she made her move. she used her connections to get him his movie role and manipulated austin by telling him that if he were to abandon his military plans & pursue a career as an actor, he could achieve more fame than he had ever dreamed of. austin, being a trusting person, had no reason to believe otherwise, so he accepted his mother’s offer and began working as an actor.

and what a rise to stardom it was. after his role, he got more and more offers, most of which were action / war films. austin did not mind being known as an action star; those were his favorite type of movies to film anyway. recently he finished filming what is supposed to be next spring’s ( & year’s ) biggest blockbuster and now relocated back to new york city where he plans to stay for a few months at least.

personality wise, i’d say he is most similar to pre-trojan war achilles ( when he’s at mt. pelion & lycodemes’ court ). he still has that certain brand of innocence to him and fairly easy to manipulate if you know where to strike. however, he has earned a reputation of being somewhat challenging to work with ( he knows what he wants / how he wants something done & isn’t afraid to demand this respect ). this hasn’t tamed the constant flow of work offers, though, because a) he has a way with the crowd, so fans love him, b) money is guaranteed due to his large crowd of followers, and c) he always gets the job done when he sets his mind to it. slightly more prone to making bad decisions, since he doesn’t have his impulse control person. austin is often up for a good time, though, and an evening with him won’t be a boring one.

AND THAT’S ABOUT IT, I THINK ! I DON���T YET HAVE A CONNECTIONS PAGE UP, BUT I’LL START WORKING ON IT ASAP. IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS, FEEL FREE TO MSG ME BECAUSE I’M UP FOR P MUCH WHATEVER. I’LL DO MY BEST TO COME UP WITH IDEAS MYSELF & MSG YOU LOVELY PEOPLE! ugh im so excited for this group!!

[moonlightobrien]

You're My Home - Stiles Stilinski AU Part Five.

Prompt: “How am I supposed to decide this? How can I possibly stay without mom and dad? How can I leave without Winston? Or Stiles? This is too much. I don’t even understand how it all works, why I’m here in the state that I’m in or how to get out of it if I wanted to. If I were to say, I want to wake up, would I wake up right now?”

Warnings: Angst!!

Relationship: Stiles Stilinski x Reader.

Word Count: 2741

Author’s Note: I FUCKING HATE TUMBLR!! Other than that, hey everybody, I love this series so much and I love writing it so much, I hope you all enjoy this chapter as much as I do. Disclaimer: had to re-uploaded it 3x!! Also I apologize for this chapter to be this long to be published, work is keeping me busy plus other things on my mind. Enjoy!

How can I chose this impossible decision that defines the rest of my life? How can I leave the people I love the most, but how can I stay knowing that the family I loved so deeply is gone and to never return ever again? I’ve never asked for this to happen to me, why does life have to turn so unexpectedly that you don’t even know why this happened to you, all of these confused emotions running through my head making my head pound with so much anxiety in my heart, I am so scared, terrified even knowing that if I do end up staying then my life will be different, Y/N won’t be able to smell the delicious coffee that her mother makes, she won’t be able to hear her father jamming out to his old band or Winston being his goofy, silly self with Dad. Y/N won’t get to experience it all - she won’t be able to be with Stiles hearing his amazing drum skills, she won’t have those perfect, romantic moments with him. But, if she ends up leaving, all Y/N can think about how her family will feel and how Stiles will feel and that one word is pain.

___

Being with Stiles was like learning to fly. It was exciting and scary, all at the same time. That spring was a magical time.Stiles's band was playing bigger clubs and festival in different cities. Once he graduated, they started getting booked even more. By the fall, record labels were taking notice. People were taking notice of me too. I was the first high school student ever invited to perform solo at the college's fall recital. And even though Stiles was away a lot, when he was in town, we spent all of our time together. “I can't believe I'm stuck at school for another year.”

“It’ll go by fast.” Y/N smiled at him, he was so cute. “You still thinking of applying to Lewis & Clark?” I ask with a smirk on my face, “Yeah, of course. I mean, they have a great music program.”

“I need someplace with financial aid.” Is he saying what I think he is saying. “Maybe we can live around the corner from each other.” Stiles gives a smile to her beautiful girlfriend. “Or we could shorten the commute and get a place together.” Y/N loved that idea, she couldn’t imagine a world without him, she truly loves him like she never loved anything else in the world. “That actually sounds kinda perfect.” Both of them smiled at each other, Stiles leaned in pressing his lips to hers.

__

“Sir, I told you, you can't go in there.” The nurse said, Stiles was getting more angry, he doesn’t understand why he can’t go in there, that’s his girlfriend so he should be able to go inside, What do you mean I can't go in there? This is bullshit.” He yelled at the nurse. “Sir,

you can't be in there. You need to calm down. ICU visitations are restricted to immediate family only. Are you family?” She questioned. “Alright, you got me. I’m not family.” his voice was getting edgy, this is so ridiculous! Just let him in! “Do I need to call security?”

“Adam.” Allie called, Stiles went up to her wrapping his arms around her crying into her shoulder, he wants Y/N to be alive, he wants to see her smile, he wants to hear her theories, he wants to hear her voice, she wants to see her.

__

“Dad, can I ask you a question?” Y/N ask. “Always.”

“Do you ever miss your band and being in your band?”

“What brings this up?” he asked wondering why Y/N is asking this particular question. “You always say that you left your band to become a better dad. But you were a great dad when you were in the band. You didn't have to give up something you loved so much just for us.”

“No, baby, l didn't give anything up. I played that adventure out, and then it was time for a new adventure with you guys. And sometimes you make choices in life, and sometimes choices make you. Does that make any sense?”

“Yeah. I mean, I think that the piano was a choice that made me.” Y/N realized that the piano was made for her specifically, it chose her. The piano was the reason why she was chose for Juillard, the piano was the reason for everything. “There you go,”

“Do you think the band would ever relocate?” she asked. “No, why?”

“I don't know. To see someplace new. Maybe New York. ”I can't imagine. Portland's where we're from, you know'?” Y/N’s father said, “Oh yeah.”

“I'm going to buy all of these albums,”

“Whoa. The whole three bucks? Slow down, big spender.”

__

Y/N was playing the piano getting ready for her audition, she was a nervous wreck - her heart was pounding in her chest so crazy that she thought she wasn’t even breathing. “Whoo!!”

“Mom, Seriously, that just makes me more nervous.” My nerves were in shock, my heart was in my stomach, it felt like there wasn’t any oxygen in my lungs on how nervous I am right now. “Sorry. Just ignore me. Yeah. Just pretend we're not here.”

“Dad, honestly, how was that one?” Y/N answered so nervously. “I thought it was fantastic, Y/N.”

“You say that about everything.” Y/N said annoyed, does her parents understand that this is the biggest opportunity of a lifetime and if she screws it up, they will never give her another one ever again, so this is a BIG DEAL. “Because you're awesome. They have to give you an audition.”

“Yeah, but you don't understand.This is Julliard. This isn't just some punk album where you can throw music at a wall and hope it sounds alright.” Y/N took a second and realized what she just said to her father, she obviously didn’t mean what she just said, it’s just all the pressure on her, she is just overwhelmed by everything that is going to happen to right now in this moment. “I'm sorry. I really didn't mean that This is pointless. I'm not good enough.” Y/N put her head down removing her fingers from the keys not saying anything until her brother Winston comes up to her, “I thought the last one was amazing.” he said, “Really? I think I can do better,”

“Then let’s do it.” Y/N nods at her brother and looked at her father, “Yeah, let’s do it.” Y/N nodded her head putting her fingers back on the keys starting to play.

THE NEXT DAY

“I miss you every time you go.”

“It'll just be a few days. Maybe more.” It still hurt Y/N that Stiles had to leave, but she understands why. “Well, I know you guys are gonna kill it at City Limits.”

“Are you sure you can't come? I'm pretty sure I can fit you in Adam’s guitar case.” Y/N chuckled at the thought, “I would, but I got school.” Like that, the school bell rings for the students to go to class, “Wow. Never thought I'd hear that again.” He chuckles. “Come on, man, we gotta hit the road. Okay.” One of his bandmates said. “I'll be back before you know it. Okay.” Y/N nods. Stiles smiles at her, giving her a quick kiss before he leaves. “Come on. We gotta go.” Stiles pulls away entering the van shutting the door behind him. Y/N goes up to the window, “Bye, I love you.”

“Have fun, love you too,” with that the van started to drive off, Y/N started walking to the school entrance already missing Stiles.

Later on that same night, Allie and Y/N was at the coffee shop drinking their usual drinks as always, “So what's the what's what from Austin? Hear from Adam?” Allie said taking a sip of her coffee. “No. I called him, I haven’t heard anything since.” Y/N started to be worried about him, usually Stiles answers his calls, “It's fine. I mean, he's slammed. Life on the road.”

“Don’t give me that face,” Y/N is happy for Stiles with his band skying high with his music, but at the same time, she is so scared of losing him to some other rocker chick. “Mmm! Speaking of the devil.”

“Hello?” On the other line, Y/N can hear people screaming, having a good time, laughing, sounding like a party, “Hey, babe.”

“So, you all rich and famous now?” she questioned. “Not yet. But Merge Records made an offer to sign us. It’s been crazy.” Y/N was shocked, a record label signed his band, “Shut up. That's amazing, Stiles.” She can’t believe that his band got a record label, that’s huge!! “Yeah, they're throwing us a party right now.”

“Well, I miss you.”

“Dude! You got champagne all over my phone!” and then the connection ended, “Hello?”

The Following Night.

“Y/N, wait.” Stiles stopped playing his drums for a second to see Y/N, he missed her so much, it was insane. He couldn’t wait to see her face again, “Sorry, I didn’t see you there.”

“No worries. Just bringing food for you guys.” Y/N has been waiting to tell Stiles that she got a audition for Julliard, she just couldn’t. “Oh, cool - Thanks. We're just getting ready for tomorrow night. It's gonna be a total homecoming. It's our first gig in town since we got signed.”

“Stiles?” this is it. This is the moment where she needs to tell him, “Yeah?”

“I applied to Julliard.” she smiled, she was so excited for this to happen in her life, she never thought that in her wildest dreams that she will applying to this amazing school. “What?”

“Yeah, it’s a amazing school and this can be a chance of a lifetime..” her heart was building with so much excitement yet so much nerves how Stiles will react. “Isn’t it in New York?”

“Yeah,” she said. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he ask, “Well, I tried but I figured, why tell you until it was real?”

“Okay. So why you telling me now?”

“Well, I got an audition. In San Francisco.” his eyes went wide by the surprising news, “Wow.”

“Julliard. Y/N, that's... Way to go. That's cool.” he gives a smile to her, at the same time, he was angry at her for not telling him, “Yeah, well, I won't get in. But it's kind of a big deal that I even got an audition. Most people don't.” she shows a smile, she is so excited that she can burst. “Well, Yo Mama better watch his back. Right?” Y/N giggles at his response.

The homecoming concert was different than any show the band had played. They were tighter, better, more confident than ever before. And Stiles seemed, well, like he was becoming a full-blown star.

The band finished up their song, Stiles stepped down from the stage going towards me, “You guys were insanely good up there.”

“Well, I’m glad that you could make it.” A bunch of fans came to him trying to get his autographs and pictures which I didn’t mind, “Can I get your autograph?” a blonde chick said. “Yeah, sure.” she pulls her hair away from her boobs, “Oh wow, okay.” Stiles ended up signing it which made Y/N leave, she couldn’t believe what he just did, it is feeling like he is turning into the person I fell in love with.

“If you're so bored you have to read, maybe you should've just stayed home.” Stiles said angry at her, “I'm just trying to get some homework done. And researching what phrase I'm gonna have tattooed over my left boob. What's all this?”

“We got booked last-minute to do a string of shows in Seattle. We gotta leave tonight, so…” he continued packing his instruments in the trunk, “For how long?”

“I don’t know...a week? maybe ten days? Hard to say..”

“Yeah, but we had plans. Remember? For my birthday dinner?” how could he forget? Is this fame changing him so much that he doesn’t care or anything. “Oh, shit. Sorry.”

“Well it's fine. I just wish you would've told me.” Y/N was getting more than annoyed, why is he acting this way? “What, like you told me about Juilliard? And for the record, I didn't even hear about the tour until tonight right before the show, so…” Is he being serious? It wasn’t easy for me to tell you Stiles. “So that's what "Glad you could make it" was all about? That's why you're so pissed at me?”

“Why would I be pissed about you going to a school 3,000 miles away'?” Y/N was getting heated. Does he not understand that this is my chance to live out my dream. “I'm not going there, Stiles. It's just an audition.”

“Which you didn't even tell me about, Y/N! And besides, this isn't about Julliard. This is about you ditching on our plans. You're a liar.” ARE YOU KIDDING ME! “Whoa! Screw you, Stiles! I haven't ditched out on anything.” Y/N yelled. “Am I crazy, or did you say that us getting a place together would be perfect? Huh?”

“It’s…” tears started to swell up in my eyes, I can’t believe that he is acting this way, “No, you know what? It's fine. Whatever.”

“What? You get to follow your dreams, but I can't follow mine unless I have your permission? And I just have to sit here and wait around, hoping that you'll come home every few weeks? How is that fair?” Y/N wiped the tears away from her eyelids, her heart breaking every second. “You lied to me, Y/N! We had plans. One minute, it's one thing. The next minute, it's the other. I grew up with that shit, okay?I don't need it.”

“Even if I do go to Juilliard, we can figure it out. Baby, we can text and we can Skype…”

“Skype? Skype? Jesus, Y/N! Have you ever even had a long-distance relationship? It's bullshit. Okay? It's like dating a ghost. But Skype, it solves everything right? You know, you're so naive, man. You don't know shit about the world.” Tears went down my cheeks like a river, this isn’t him or maybe it is - whatever it may be, this shouldn’t be happening. “I can't believe you just said that to me.”

“What? You want me to write it down.” they stared at each other for a moment of hurt in their chests, his bandmates were calling his name to get in the van, Stiles started to walk away from her. “No! No. You cannot leave me like that!” Tears kept rolling down her eyes, she was so hurt by him, but she didn’t want to lose him either. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I am terrified of losing you!” They stared at each other with a look of anger, and hurt. Stiles looked down, “You know what? You do your thing. I'm gonna do mine.” Is he being serious??

Her heart was shattering piece by piece, it felt like she couldn’t even breathe, “Fine, but for the record, you're the one who's getting in the van.”

“Yeah, whatever.” he shuts the door behind him, then they drove off. Y/N beings to cry, she couldn’t believe that happened now the question is, what are Stiles and her now?

__

“Mr. and Mrs. Hall?” the nurse called, everyone was on their feet waiting for Y/N’s conditions. “Yes?”

“So, Y/N’s still unconscious. The respiratory therapists are going to run some tests to see when they can wean her off the ventilator.”

“So, that's good news.” Grands asked, “If she can breathe on her own. With comatose patients, the first 24 hours are critical. If she shows any signs of awareness…” Stiles couldn’t hear anymore of this, his heart breaking with so much pain inside of him - he started tearing up. “Stiles..”

“I’m sorry, I gotta go.”

I love you Stiles, but I don’t know how long I can go with staying or going, but just know that I love you so much and I never stop loving you.

[tightjeansjavi]

he really went to a whole other planet when baby love was like yeah, I wanna suck yours and Tommy’s cock at the same time 🥵 men are so simple sometimes, y’know?

My poor girl was going through it and I think if joel wasn’t there to be her grounding force in her moment of need, she would have absolutely tapped out of the experience completely

He truly does know what to say because he’s so intuned with her feelings and emotions and he understands just how much reassurance and security she needs in that moment. It’s beautiful, it’s raw, and it’s so so real

He is truly the biggest ally in all of Austin! It’s very Joel coded for him to go and show his support for his loved ones through a gesture like buying the bumper stickers! Sometimes he feels as if his words of affirmation are not enough :(

Thank you so much for reading! 🩷

The Rite of Movement | part eight

“you are the rite of movement”

A/N: wow so this is officially the longest chapter of TROM yet! I suggest you get your vibrators, dildos in check + tissues because baby love, you’re gonna need them! 😭 thank you to my sweet L @endlessthxxghts for betaing this chapter and screaming at me in Google docs over how much you love these characters! It seriously warms my heart 🥹

~word count: 11.8k~

Summary: After jokingly telling Joel that you think that Tommy may have him beat in the pussy eating department, you’re eating your words immediately. It’s a night filled with firsts and of course, lots of orgasms.

Pairing | pornstar!joel x pornstar!female reader x pornstar!tommy

Warnings: smut, fluff, angst, dom/sub vibes (heavy on the dom in this chapter) degradation kink, oral f! & male receiving, unprotected piv, denial of orgasm, edging, overstimulation, squirting, daddy kink, praise kink, aftercare, mentions of food, sexual trauma (not done by Joel), mentions of the porn industry, threesome (Joel and Tommy do not touch don’t make it weird pls) there’s a lot of vulnerable and intense sexual moments between Joel and baby love but there is immediate communication after and breaks in between, consent, intimacy, established relationship, Joel is in his 40’s, reader is in her 30’s, coming out, biphobia and aromantic phobia in the queer community, language, pet names, readers nickname is baby love, +18 minors dni!

series masterlist

The tension in the room immediately sparked back up from the words you so innocently and breathlessly uttered. The Miller brother’s briefly made eye contact at your admittance and they too could sense the fast rising tension.

Joel’s lips hovered above yours, just barely touching. He held fierce eye contact with you, brow cocked in an almost condescending fashion, “you didn’t mean that, right baby love? M’sure you didn’t, sweet girl.” He rasped, dragging his thumb against your plush, lower lip, pressing down on it gently, “cus’ we’d have a bit of a problem on our hands if ya meant it.”

“We certainly would.” Tommy chuckled.

“Mean what?” You feigned innocence, leaning in to kiss him, but he was playing hard to get.

“You know exactly what you said, baby love. You really think Tommy can eat your pussy better than I can?”

Oh fuck.

“He did a pretty good job, daddy. He might have you beat…”

He clicked his skillful tongue against the roof of his mouth, letting his hand dip from your face and settle around the base of your throat like a necklace, “baby love…” he warned you, “I’d be careful with what you’re sayin.’”

You giggled softly, “why, daddy? You gonna get jealous if I think Tommy is better?”

“Jus’ might.” He grumbled.

“Well, I see there being only one way to determine who’s the better pussy eater.” Tommy chimed in.

You tore your gaze from Joel’s face over to Tommy’s smirking one, “what way would that be exactly?”

“Oh, just a little friendly pussy eatin’ competition. Winner gets to fuck you first.”

Joel fought the urge to scoff at his brother's suggestion. “Yeah, well, you’re at an unfair advantage cus’ of my bad back and all that. Ain’t gonna be able to kick your ass if we’re doin’ this right here, right now.”

Now the attention was turned directly back to you. Two pairs of dark brown eyes locked on your face. “I like your thinking, Tommy. Why don’t you both take me upstairs? That way Joel has a fair advantage.”

“Aw, well ain’t that sweet! Babygirl wants to make sure you get a fair advantage with your old man back. Now, if that ain’t true love, I don’t know what is!”

“Shut up, Tommy. I ain’t that old.” Joel grumbled, leaning in to brush his nose right below your pulse point. “S’that what you want, baby love? Want me and Tommy to eat your sweet little pussy and you decide who’s better at it?”

You swallowed hard, taking a sharp inhale of breath when he pressed a kiss against your pulse point, nipping it gently with his teeth. “Yeah, daddy. I want that.”

“Good girl.” He murmured against your skin, blindly reaching down to tuck himself back into his shorts.

Your legs felt like jello when Joel and Tommy stood on either side of you, helping you up from the chair. Tommy pressed a kiss to your cheek, letting it linger for a moment before he headed up the stairs first. Joel stayed back with you, bending down to grab your discarded shorts and panties. “You won’t be needin’ these for the rest of the evening, unless you wanna take a little break?” He was studying your face intently, leaning over to kiss your forehead.

“I’m okay, baby. Thank you for checking in on me. Think I’m just gonna get a glass of water. Would you like one?” You draped your arms around his middle, hugging him loosely.

“Of course, baby love. Gotta make sure my girl is enjoying herself, after all. I’d love a glass of water. I’ll pack up the leftovers real quick and then we’ll head upstairs?”

“Oh, she’s enjoying herself plenty. Dream come true, honestly.” You kissed his cheek then, dropping your arms from around his middle. But before you could slip away, he was pulling you right back in and kissing you sweetly.

“Good, I’m glad to hear it.” He was, truly. With past partners, both in the industry and out, there was a level of acting that Joel would find himself partaking in. Sometimes it felt genuine and natural, other times he felt awkward, but not necessarily forced. With you, there was no second guessing, no nerves or apprehension. He was simply acting upon his feelings.

After Joel finished putting away the leftovers and you grabbed yourself and him a glass of water, he followed you up the stairs, fingers playfully tickling your sides, eliciting soft giggles to slip past your lips.

Tommy had made himself comfortable on the couch pushed up against the wall while he was scrolling through his socials. He sat up at the sound of yours and Joel’s voices echoing up the stairs. “Damn. S’about time! Thought y’all were gettin’ busy down there.” He tossed his phone to the side of the couch, hopping up enthusiastically.

You made your way over to the bed, flopping down on your back, wasting no time to rid yourself of your flimsy tank top and tossed it to the side. Now you were completely naked, thighs spreading open, knees bending at a relaxed angle while your hand slowly dipped down between your parted thighs, dragging your fingers through your slick folds, gathering up the pearlescent fluid from your prior orgasm and spread it languidly around your clit with a soft, content hum. “So, which one of you boys wants to have a taste first?”

Tommy was already making his way towards the bed before Joel stopped him, giving him a firm shove with his shoulder. “You’ve had your fill.” He nearly growled, eyes set in a challenging stare, “move the fuck outta my way.”

Tommy retreated very much like a submissive dog with its tails between his legs. He held his hands up, taking a few steps back from the bed. “Someone is a little antsy.” He muttered under his breath.

Joel didn’t even hear Tommy muttering, he was zoned in on you completely as he peeled his shirt over his head and tossed it to the side with yours. One big hand dropped between your thighs and lightly slapped your hand away, eyes narrowing on your surprised face. “Did I fuckin’ say that you could touch yourself, baby love? Actin’ like such a needy little slut for daddy, ain’t ya?” He pressed his thumb directly against your clit, rubbing the little nub in slow circles.

“I’m sorry—daddy.” You squeaked out, leaning back on your elbows for support. “Are you angry with me?”

“No, baby, course not. Jus’ think you’re a bad girl for sayin’ that Tommy can eat your pussy better than I can. Think m’gonna have you eatin’ those words right up in a few minutes.” He exudes confidence, making it very clear who is in charge here. And god, does that make you drip along the sheets with want.

“Are you sure you’re not upset with me, daddy? Because if you are…I think you should punish me, and Tommy films it.”

“Bet your slutty little pussy would love a good punishing, huh baby love? S’that what she wants?” He didn’t wait for you to respond as he leaned down, spitting a glob of saliva right over your clit, smearing it in with his thumb. “Bad girls don’t get what they fuckin’ want, baby.”

You mewled softly, thighs falling open further till you felt his calloused palms halt your movements entirely, he grasped the outside of your thighs, pushing them towards your chest. “Grab onto those for me and don’t let ‘em go.” He rasped.

You did as you were told, grabbing onto the underside of your thighs and kept your knees pressed against your chest.

“Good girl.” He preened, “how do you feel about us filmin’ this, baby love? You want that?”

“Fuck, yes, please daddy.” You didn’t even take a second to think through your answer. It was an immediate and eager yes.

He snapped his fingers, glancing over his shoulder at his brother. “Make yourself useful and grab my camera off the charger, Tommy.”

Tommy muttered something unintelligible under his breath, fighting the urge to flick his brother off as he went to grab the camera. He situated himself alongside Joel, turning the camera on and wasted no time to zoom in between your thighs just as a drool of slick dripped down from your hole.

“See that? She’s drippin’ for me. That ain’t for you.” Joel snarked.

“Yeah, yeah. We’ll see how long that lasts.” Tommy quipped back.

The rules to the competition were simple, whoever made you cum first with just their mouths alone, would get to fuck you first. No hands, no toys, just some good ole fashion pussy eating. Joel did already have an advantage considering he knew your body like it was the back of his hand, but that didn’t rule Tommy out completely.

The prospect of the two Miller brothers beefing over you had you giggling at their competitive nature, but when you felt Joel drag his tongue from your hole and up your slit to your clit, your giggles quickly turned to soft moans. Unlike Tommy, Joel liked to take his time savoring you on his tongue. He suckled your clit between his lips, dark brown eyes peering up at you between thick lashes. He gently rolled the nub between his teeth, the sensation sent your eyes rolling back into your skull, a broken cry breaching your parted lips.

“Those are the sounds I fuckin’ love to hear from ya, baby love.” He murmured against your mound, pulling his face back to spit on your clit again, “can’t wait to fuck your sweet little needy pussy when I’m finished with ya.”

You clenched from his words, lips moving, but no coherent words left your mouth. Of course once he was really getting into it, Tommy got impatient, pushing Joel out of the way in a similar fashion that was done to him.

“My turn.” He nearly snapped as he placed the camera in Joel’s hands. “Drop your thighs for me babygirl, and spread ‘em nice and wide.” He wrapped his arms around your middle, big hands splayed across your stomach to keep you pinned down in his hold. He shot you a wink between your thighs before he got to work, using his tongue to fuck your little hole before dragging it up to your clit, flicking it at a faster pace than his brother.

When Joel felt like Tommy had enough, he forced his way right back in, pushing his brother out of the way and this time the camera ended up in your hands where you shakily filmed from your own POV while Joel brought one of your thighs over his shoulder for easier access. His mouth was becoming more aggressive, your sharp cries alerting him that you were close and he could nearly taste his victory on the horizon. This time, Tommy had nearly shoved Joel off the bed completely resulting in the two men to snap at one another between your thighs like two feral dogs fighting over a piece of meat.

The sight alone had you seeing stars behind your eyes. You let out a surprised yelp when Joel had manhandled you onto your stomach, causing you to nearly drop the camera when he pried your thighs apart with his thick fingers and buried his face between them. The slurping sounds his mouth was making was nothing short of obscene as he shook his head back and forth, his beard scraped against your inner thighs as you arched your back and ass into his face.

“O—oh fuck! Joel! FUCK!” You cried out, thighs beginning to tremble and quiver, the coil in your stomach was pulled impossibly tight and threatening to snap at any given moment.

“That’s it, baby love. Good fuckin’ girl. Want you to come all over daddy’s face. You know who the winner is, sweet girl. It’s your fuckin’ daddy.” He growled possessively against your pussy as you rocked your hips back against his face.

He pulled back from between your thighs with a triumphant smirk plastered on his face at the sight of your release slowly dripping from your hole and down the inside of your thigh. He reached around for the camera, gently removing it from your hands and brought it up close to your leaking pussy, “fuckin’ look at that. Drippin’ all over the goddamn sheets, baby love.” He preened.

“Guess I shoulda thought about eating her out from behind before you did, huh brother?” Tommy snorted alongside him, leaning over to grab both of your cheeks and spread them open so they both could see your pussy slowly pulse and push out another trail of slick.

“I—I need a minute.” You breathed out and slowly let your stomach come to rest along the comforter as you caught your breath, letting your eyes flutter shut.

Joel flipped the camera off, setting it off to the side of the bed before he crawled up alongside you, Tommy settled in behind you while Joel gently lifted your face from the comforter to rest it along his lap. He stroked your cheek with the back of his knuckles while Tommy was nuzzling his face against the nape of your neck, pressing a few kisses to your skin while his hand curved around your ass, gently massaging the plump flesh between his fingers.

“That—that was something.” You finally spoke again, glancing up at Joel while his fingers were now giving your head a gentle massage, blunt nails scratching at your scalp in a soothing motion.

“We know, baby love. You did so good for us.” Joel cooed, “We don’t have to do anything else tonight if you just wanna rest.”

“No—no. I want you both to fuck me.” You shook your head, curling your fingers around his bare knee, “and the rules were that whoever makes me cum first gets to fuck me first. So, daddy. What are you waiting for?”

“Mmm.” He hummed, “baby love, you’re truly jus’ the sweetest thing. Ain’t she, Tommy?”

“Mhm” Tommy rumbled behind you, his fingers had slipped down between your cheeks, gently gliding his fingers through your slick folds to keep you stimulated. “She sure is a sweet thing.”

“How about you give him a little bit of sugar while daddy goes and sets up the cameras. How’s that sound, baby love? I bet he would love it if you sucked his cock. Give him a little bit of lovin.’”

You lazily grinned up at him before slowly sitting up and glanced over your shoulder at Tommy. “You were a close second.” You reassured him and reached behind you to palm him through his shorts, “Joel’s right, you deserve a little bit of sugar, too.”

“Thanks, babygirl, but Joel had me beat from the start.” He chuckled, “M’never one to turn down receiving a bit of sugar.” He grinned, shooting you a playful wink as he slipped his hand out from between your thighs and rolled over onto his back to shimmy his shorts down over his hips.

You stayed resting on your stomach, ankles crossed behind your head, as you scooted southwards along the bed. His cock sprung free, gently slapping against his stomach. His pubes, including his balls, were shaved completely compared to Joel. A small detail that you didn’t notice the first time you and Tommy fucked. You wrapped your fist around the base of his cock, giving the soft, velvety skin a few slow tugs before you leaned over and left a few kitten licks across his tip. He let out a soft grunt of approval, tilting his head back as you slipped the crown of his cock past your lips, sucking sweetly on it.

Joel was preoccupied with maneuvering himself around the room, setting up multiple cameras and messing with the lighting and such.

“Christ, brother.” Tommy sharply inhaled. “Your girl sure has a sweet mouth on her, fuck.”

“Mhm. She sure does. Best head I’ve ever fuckin’ had.” Joel mused, setting up the final camera to face the bed on the side that you were laying on. Once the camera was set, he leaned over the side of the bed, thumb gently brushing across your cheekbone. Even with your mouth stuffed with Tommy’s cock, he could tell you were smiling.

“Bein’ such a good sweet lil’ cockslut for Tommy. Ain’t ya, baby love? Probably s’a nice break for your pretty throat.” He snickered.

All you could do was dumbly nod at his question, taking Tommy’s cock deeper down your throat as he let out a deep grunt, thick fingers curling around the crown of your head. “Fuck, yeah. Such a pretty sight gettin’ to watch your girl suck on my cock like this.” He gently pressed down on your head, silently encouraging you to take more of him down your throat till your nose was pressing against his pubic bone, “seriously, could just lay here for fuckin’ hours.”

Joel fought the urge to roll his eyes at his brothers goading as he leaned down and pressed a tender kiss to the back of your head, whispering, “suckin’ on his cock so prettily, got daddy here nearly leakin’ through his shorts.”

He pulled back slowly, addressing his brother directly, “yeah, well, you ain’t about to steal away all the fun from me, Tommy.” He snipped.

You whimpered softly around Tommy’s cock, drool pooling around the corners of your mouth as you gagged around him, giving yourself a moment to breathe as you slowly pulled your mouth off from his cock with a wet pop!

“Relax, Joel.” Tommy chided, “I wouldn’t dream of takin’ that away from you.”

“C’mere, daddy.” You beckoned him sweetly as you sat up on your knees, scooting over to the edge of the bed as you reached for the hem of his shorts, “wanna gag on your cock again. Get it all nice and wet before you fuck me.” You grasped the hem of his shorts, pulling the elastic back before letting it playfully snap against his hips.

Your eagerness to please him sent blood flowing southwards between his thighs as he leaned over and grasped your chin between his thumb and pointer finger, tilting it upwards so you were looking up at him. “Yeah, baby love? That’s what my eager little cockslut wants, is daddy's cock stuffed down her pretty little throat?” He mused, lips curving into a grin as his thumb gently swiped through a stray strand of drool that was glistening on the corner of your lips.

You nodded dumbly, eyes bright, nearly twinkling under his gaze as you reached for the hem of his shorts once more, leaning in closer, “yeah, daddy.” You cooed, “I want to suck on yours and Tommy’s cock…at the same time. I want to be a good little cockslut for both of you. Do you want that, too?”

It was at that moment that Joel fucking Miller not only forgot his own name, but his birthday and his age. His brain short-circuited, pulse rushing fast in his ears. He nodded, swallowing hard as he regained his composure, “y-yeah.” He stuttered, “fuck—yeah, baby love.”

“Well, I’ll be damned.” Tommy snickered. “You damn near broke my brother, babygirl.”

Something indescribable flashes across your lover's eyes when you teasingly pull his hard cock free, beckoning him to come closer with a simple curl of your fingers, and that devious glint in your eyes.

“Get to it then.” He snips, surprisingly both you and himself at his sudden change of tone.

Tommy immediately picks up on the obvious shift in the room, and opts to fall into his submissive role beneath his brother. When he opens his mouth to speak, Joel shushes him.

“No. You ain’t gettin’ outta this. She wants to suck both our cocks like a good fuckin’ slut and that’s what she’s gonna do, and then I’m goin’ split her apart with my fuckin’ cock and you’re gonna watch and patiently wait for your turn.”

“Daddy—” you start, but Joel isn’t having any of it when he bends over to the side of the bed where you’re sitting back on your thighs looking up at him expectantly. His big, meaty hand comes to grasp your chin, yanking your head upwards as he leans down further, asserting his dominance, “zip it, baby love. Don’t wanna hear a peep from you. Jus’ the pretty sounds your mouth makes when you’re chokin’ on daddy’s cock, you got that?”

“Yes—”

He shakes his head, applying a bit of pressure to your jaw, causing your eyes to widen slightly. “What did I just fuckin’ say? Not a peep. Nod your head if you understand what daddy’s sayin’ to ya.”

You dumbly nod your head in tandem, squeezing your thighs together from his authoritative nature taking over.

“Atta girl. That’s a good cockslut. Now, open up that pretty mouth for daddy and put it to some good fuckin’ use, baby love.”

Your mouth falls open on command, and maybe a bit of shock as well. You’d be lying if you said that you didn’t want to see Joel’s dominant side more often. You loved when he called you a slut, his slut, his whore, his to take. Did this make you a bit of a masochist? Maybe, but that meant fuck all to you when you obediently stuck your tongue out, awaiting his cock.

A satisfied smirk crossed his handsome features at your willingness to obey. It had been years since his time at Brazzers, and even in Miller-Co his partners before you preferred sex with him to be vanilla, and sometimes he would sprinkle in a little dash of dominance, but nothing quite like the display he was putting on now. A phase of him that once laid dormant, was quickly reawakening right before your very eyes. As if a switch inside of him was flipped on, whirring to life.

He grasped the base of his heavy cock between his fist, guiding the fat cockhead to rest along your tongue.

“Wider.” He rasps as he slowly begins to feed you his cock, watching tears spring to the corner of your eyes when he forces you to stretch your jaw further around the thick girth of him. “That’s it.” He preens, “you can fuckin’ take it. You can take all of me down that pretty little throat. Gonna have you chokin’ and droolin’ all over daddy’s fat fuckin’ cock, baby love.”

his freehand comes to rest along the back of your head, nails scraping at your scalp when the tip of his cock nudges the back of your throat. You gag around him, drool leaking from the edges of your stretched mouth as you try to pull back for air, but he doesn’t allow you. “No.” He sternly chides, brows furrowed as he looks down at you, “Breathe through your nose, baby love. You’re doin’ so good for daddy.” A brief moment of softness, and a reminder to you that you were safe. This wasn’t Brazzers, this was your Joel.

Your nostrils flare at his words, tears beginning to spill over your waterline, not due to being in any physical pain, but more-so for the fact that this is an incredibly intense moment for you both to be experiencing.

“That’s it.” He coos, “relax your jaw. Relax, baby love. You’re safe.” He loosens his grip around your head, tenderly stroking your hair in a soothing motion. “That’s my girl.”

Tommy captures the whole thing on camera. From your drool trailing down your chin and throat, to the girth of his cock stretching your mouth open, to the way that you and Joel are looking at one another through your tears. An intense gaze that neither party breaks. You’ve never trusted anyone in your life like you trust your Joel.

You breathe through the discomfort, dragging your nose through the thatch of curls at the base of his cock, lashes fluttering, eyes rolling back when he slowly juts his hips into your face in a gentle rocking motion. He does this for a few thrusts before he finally releases you, slipping his cock out of your mouth as you gasp for air.

His big palms come to rest along your cheeks, wiping away your tears and shushing you with soft praises. Just as he expected, you’re hungry for more, feeling a newfound confidence wash over you as you reach for both of their cocks. The two brothers exchange a brief glance at one another as you take Tommy’s cock into your mouth, wrapping your fist around Joel’s cock to keep him stimulated.

What a sight you are, sitting prettily on your knees, eyes still glassy from the tears you shed around Joel’s cock. Tommy holds the camera between his hands, getting a close up of your mouth working around him, staring directly into the lens with that sultry gaze. Your pussy is drooling for attention, pulsing at the prospect of getting fucked very, very soon.

The room is heady and coated in a fine layer of sex-induced haze that hangs around the three of you like a cloak. Joel is the first to make a move when he feels that you’ve had enough of Tommy’s cock down your throat and pulls you back to him.

You can’t deny how much you’re enjoying being a little fuck toy for the two Miller Brothers, your throat now stuffed full of Joel’s cock as your fist works around Tommy’s. When you feel like you need a breather, you slip Joel’s cock from your mouth, a translucent thread of saliva dangles from the tip of his cock all the way to your glistening lips.

Now with one hand around Tommy, and one hand around Joel, you rub their cock heads all over your cheeks, lightly slapping yourself with the smooth velvet skin with a cockdrunk look plastered all over your pretty face.

“That’s it. That’s the fuckin’ shot of the century right there.” Tommy chuckles, “we got ourselves the prettiest little cockslut on her knees for us, brother.”

“My cockslut.” Joel doesn’t hesitate to correct him. “My pretty little cockslut who is gonna be stuffed fuckin’ full of daddy’s cum soon.” He rasps, shooting you a subtle wink from above.

Your eyes roll back from his words, spreading your knees further apart in a desperate attempt to grind your pussy along the mattress for any form of relief. You’re aching for any attention, and your Joel revels in the sight of you looking like this.

“Please, Daddy. Please.” Are the only words you’re able to get out as you roll your hips against the mattress.

“Please what, baby love? Look at you,” he coos, “filthy lil’ thing rubbing your sweet cunt all over the mattress like a fuckin’ desperate cockslut. Need your pussy stuffed that bad, baby? S’that it? Need daddy’s cock so bad?”

Oh.

You didn’t expect your Joel to be so…mean and condescending, but you welcomed it eagerly with a swift nod of your head.

“‘Atta girl.” He smirks. “Now, drop Tommy’s cock, baby love and come to daddy.” He demands, curling one of his broad fingers at his side in a come hither motion.

You work on autopilot, dropping Tommy’s cock from your grasp and focusing all your attention on Joel.

“Fuckin’ spit on it, baby love. Spit all over daddy’s fat cock and get it nice and wet for me with that pretty mouth of yours. Don’t think we’re gonna need extra lubrication with the way your pussy is droolin’ all over the goddamn mattress.” He snickers. “But just for the hell of it.”

You waste no time to spit a glob of saliva all over his fat cockhead, watching in a transfixed gaze when he wraps his own fist around himself, smearing in your saliva with his precum. “Good girl, baby love. S’good for daddy. M’gonna reward you now, okay?”

You nod expectantly, briefly glancing over at Tommy who is leisurely stroking his own cock to keep himself hard and stimulated while he would patiently wait his turn to fuck you after his brother.

“Thank you, daddy.” You let out a relieved sigh thinking that he finally was going to give you his cock and stretch you open.

“Wouldn’t go thankin’ me so soon, baby love. Haven’t given ya nothin’ yet.” He reminds you with a stern look that sends your heart racing. “Now, on your back for me. Spread your thighs so daddy can see that pretty soaked pussy. Wanna see all of her.”

There’s a soreness and slight ache in your jaw that you haven’t felt in years up until now. Remnants of your tears stained your cheeks in a salty trail. Joel can see the gears turning in your head, the flicker of emotions behind your eyes. You’re not afraid…it’s more of an apprehension if anything as you reach one hand up to gently rub the soreness in your jaw.

Joel clocks in on your discomfort, glancing over at his brother before he leans over and murmurs something to him. Tommy nods in understanding, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and pads out of the room, his heavy cock bobbing between his thighs.

“Baby love, you doin’ okay?” Joel softly asks as his hands gently slide up the expanse of your thighs, easing you onto your back. “…Am I bein’ too much? Baby, I can dial it back, okay? I shoulda—”

“Joel.” You sigh softly, meeting his softened and concerned gaze, “I’m okay, baby. I’m just…feeling a lot right now.”

“I can tell.” He nods in understanding. “Can see it in your eyes, my sweet girl. That’s why we’re gonna take a breather.”

You attempt to sit up on your elbows, feeling shame creep its way up your spine. You’re afraid now, afraid that you’ve disappointed him so soon. That silly brain of yours can be so fucking mean sometimes and you truly wish that you could just turn it off, especially in a moment like this.

“No—no, it’s fine, Joel. I’m fine.” You weakly argue, attempting to put up a façade that he immediately sees right through.

“You ain’t, and that’s okay. I can see the fuckin’ gears whirring in your brain right now, baby.” His argument is soft spoken, not meant to further upset you as his fingers gently play with the tuft of damp curls above your mound.

“I just…I don’t want to disappoint you, okay? I know it seems silly, but I just feel so fucking vulnerable right now.” There’s a moment of relief and weight lifted off your shoulders when you finally put your feelings into words. You’re half expecting a snarky remark with a clipped tone. He can feel you tense up, thighs growing stiff as an unpleasant shiver runs down your spine.

“If you think that this is about to turn into a therapy session where you make everyone in the room to take pity on you, you’re dead fucking wrong, girl. You honestly think your feelings matter? They don’t. Not in this industry, and you knew this when you signed up. No one here is gonna wipe your tears, so I suggest you wipe them yourself and suck it up. You want to get paid, don’t you? Good. The sooner you quit your whining, the sooner you can ice your jaw.”

You can hear the director at Brazzers snapping in your ear now after you tapped out from a gangbang scene that got too intense. Making you feel worse than you already do. But you were young, fresh to the industry and you thought that maybe you could handle it, but the truth was…you couldn’t.

Joel’s eye begins to twitch, his hand on your thigh flexes, knuckles growing tight when he imagines the degradation and cruelty you faced at Brazzers. It split his heart right down the middle, tearing it by the seams when he hears the pain in your tone, and your fear that you have disappointed him. This couldn’t be further from the truth; you could never disappoint him.

“Baby love, you could never disappoint me, okay? Never. Not in a million fuckin’ years. You just being here in this moment with me, is all I can ever ask for, okay? If you’re feeling scared right now, I need you to tell me. If I’m being too much, too aggressive, too dominant, please tell me, okay?”

“My jaw just really fucking hurts.” You blurt out, masking your words with a forced laugh.

“I know it does, baby. Tommy’s getting you some ice, okay? We don’t have to do that again.”

You sit up finally, grasping him by his broad shoulders and pull him up your body so he’s straddling your hips. “I’m not scared, Joel. You’re not being too much, okay? I actually really love to see this dominant side of you, baby.” You press a sweet kiss to his lips. “I want to do that again because I trust you, and want to have these experiences with you.”

“…You do?” He sounds unsure of himself as he kisses you back, winding his arms around your waist as he gently lifts you into his lap, his cock is still hard and wedged between your stomachs. “I won’t dial it back then, but I just want you to know that I’m not going to push you past your limits, but I will always encourage you to go further because I know that you can. I think back to when we first met and you were so fuckin’ scared over how I would react to the list of things that you were uncomfortable doing, and how from that point forward, i’ve wanted to show you that those painful, and fucked up experiences at Brazzers can be turned into something…liberating for you.” He murmurs, tightening his grip around you.

“Baby, I think it’s so fucking sexy that you’re becoming more familiar and comfortable with your dominate side. I like calling you daddy, and I’m really into you calling me a little cockslut and whatever else that dirty mind of yours conjures up. Joel, I feel so safe with you. The safest I have ever felt with any partner. You inspire me to be more open, to feel less shameful of my feelings and dealing with my trauma. You’re literally my fucking rock, you know that?”

Before your Joel can even process your genuine words and utter out a reply, Tommy has returned, clearing his throat to make his presence known as he leans against the doorjamb with a bag of frozen peas in his hand. “Hey, princess.” He cracks a comforting grin, “couldn’t find an ice pack, but I figured frozen peas would do the trick? Oh, and you’re insanely fucking good at deepthroating—my god.” He gushes earnestly.

You stifle a giggle, looking over Joel’s shoulder. “You’re not just saying that to fuck with me, right Tommy? Am I really that good?”

He laughs, pushing himself off the side of the door before he joins the two of you on the bed. “Babygirl, I am a man who never lies. You’re head game is un-fucking-real.”

“He’s right, baby love. You were chokin’ on daddy’s cock like a pro.” Joel adds with a reassuring smile. “M’so proud of you, baby love. Always so proud of my girl.”

You feel the heat bloom over your cheeks at both of their praises as your confidence slowly begins to return. You press a chaste kiss to Joel’s lips before reaching over his shoulder for the bag of peas.

Joel kisses you back, keeping you secured in his arms as you ice the sore spot on your jaw. Both he and Tommy are beyond considerate and patient and you truly couldn’t be anymore grateful than you feel right now.

Once the soreness in your jaw has considerably dissipated, you hand the now half frozen peas back to Tommy and wind your hand through the back of Joel’s sweaty curls, kissing him with more conviction, “okay, daddy. I’m ready for you to split me open with your cock now. I can take it, I want to take it. Want you to give me your worst.” You mumble against his lips, feeling his cock jump between your pressed bodies from your lewd verbiage.

“Oh, daddy’s gonna give you his fuckin’ worst, alright.” He growls, kissing you deeper while his hands slide under your ass, squeezing the soft flesh of your cheeks firmly. “Gonna make you beg for daddy’s cock, baby love.”

-

The room feels hot, ten times hotter than it’s ever felt as Joel purposely edges you with his cock, pressing the girth of him inside of you before he draws his hips back out. You’re a sobbing, blubbering mess, soaked in sweat. Each time he thrusts into you, his cockhead punches your cervix and it’s a torturous pattern that leaves your thighs quivering at the angle they’re spread at.

Tommy is kneeled behind your head, camera between his hands again while your hand is wrapped loosely around his cock, stroking it at an erratic pace as your back bows from the mattress, hips rolling forward to meet Joel’s periodic thrusts.

“D—daddy, please! Please—fuck.” You let out a whine. You sound so desperate, so needy to come, and you’re right where Joel wants you.

“Aw cute.” He coos in a condescending tone, “You think you’re just gonna get what you want jus’ cus’ you asked daddy so nicely? That’s not how this works, baby love. You’re gonna take whatever daddy fuckin’ gives ya, and you’re gonna act grateful for daddy’s cock.”

“Better listen to him, babygirl.” Tommy warns you from above. “Think you mighta bruised his ego earlier.”

Your eyes flit upwards to meet Tommy’s smirking gaze before they land back on Joel, right down to where he has one hand gripping the inside of your thigh, keeping it pressed open to his liking, and the other rests around the base of his cock. He’s only rewarding you with half of his girth, pulling out completely when he feels your pussy clench down around him. He knows you’re so fucking close, and yet he refuses to allow you the satisfaction to come.

“But—but daddy!” You sob, “you said you weren’t upset with me for saying that Tommy might have you beat! Daddy, please! I’m sorry! Please just let your good girl come.” You begged him.

“Yeah, well, daddy might have lied earlier, baby love. Daddy’s ego is a little bruised over the fact that his perfect girl would even think that Tommy can eat her sweet little pussy better than I can.” He chuckles, eyes casting downwards to your tight little hole pulsing around air as he rubs his wet cockhead all over your puffy clit. “You misunderstood, baby love. Daddy isn’t upset, he’s just a little…angry s’all.”

Your eyes roll back from the sensation, letting out another pathetic sob when he taps his cockhead a few times against your already sensitive clit causing your hips to jolt upwards. “Daddy, I’m so sorry! Please, daddy. I promise I’ll be a good little cockslut for you! I’ll never make a silly comment like that again! You’re the best, daddy.”

“Oh, baby.” He sighs, almost as if he does pity you, “I don’t think you are sorry at all, baby love. And I don’t think you’re grateful for daddy’s cock and what he’s giving you.” He tuts, shaking his head. “Tommy, do you think she’s bein’ grateful right now?”

“Not at all, brother. She’s bein’ an ungrateful little slut.” He taps the side of your cheek with his cock. “So fuckin’ ungrateful.”

“No—no! That’s not true! Daddy, I am so grateful for your cock! I am!” You try to sound convincing, but Joel is unimpressed.

“Thas’ all Y’got for me, baby love? Mmm. I think you need a little encouragement.” He decides as he slips his cock back into your tight, hugging warmth all the way to the hilt. Punching the air from your lungs as you gasp his name.

Your words come out fragmented and broken when he suddenly draws his hips back and thrusts them forward without warning, knocking your body back against the mattress. He does this again, and again. Each thrust increases in speed till he’s jackhammering you into the mattress, shaking the frame against the wall with how much force he’s exerting. His one hand stays firmly clamped around your thigh while the other is splayed against your mound, thumb firmly pressed into your clit, working it in fast, vigorous circles.

“Tell daddy that you’re grateful for his cock, baby love! Tell him that you’re grateful for everything that he’s givin’ you! Cause if you don’t? Daddy will pull out right now, and you don’t fuckin’ get to come.” His voice is gravelly, scratching your eardrums just right with how primal he sounds.

“I—I’m so grateful for your cock, daddy! S-so grateful! Thank you, daddy! Thank you!”

“Yeah, thas’ right, baby love. Thas’ fuckin’ right. Perfect little cockslut is so-so grateful for her daddy’s cock. Fuck yeah, you are.” He grunts deeply, giving you one last solid thrust before he slips out completely. You don’t even get a chance to recover before you’re being flipped over onto your stomach by a new set of hands.

Tommy grips you firmly by the hips, yanking your ass upwards as your face falls flat against the mattress. He fists his cock a few times and uses his thumb and forefinger to guide his cock into you, watching the way your body immediately sucks him until his length is fully inside of you and his hips are firmly pressed against your ass. “Always such a tight fuckin’ fit, babygirl.” He preens as he draws his hips back before thrusting them forward.

Your mouth falls open into an ‘o’ shape, eyes glazed over and blissed out completely. Joel watches from behind the camera as Tommy grabs a fistful of your hair and yanks your head backwards, forcing you to push yourself up on your forearms.

Joel intently watches the way your ass recoils against Tommy’s hips with each heavy, skin slapping thrust that he delivers you. His voice is still commanding, even when he’s not directly next to you.

“You take his cock so well, baby love. Fuckin’ love seein’ you gettin’ fucked like this. You gonna come all over his cock? Yeah, you are. Only when daddy tells you too, right?”

Your head snaps over in his direction, a fucked out smile tugging across your lips when you meet his gaze, “y—yes, daddy. Only when you tell me too.”

“Thas’ it. There’s my good little obedient cockslut.” He grins proudly, even giving you a cheeky little thumbs up before you're lost in the moment all over again. And when Joel gives you the permission to come, you’re gushing around Tommy’s cock on command. You don’t moan Tommy’s name, however. Oh, no. The only words you can form are daddy.

Tommy slips out, letting your body flop to the mattress like a limp fish before his hands pry your cheeks apart so he can watch your release pulse and drool down the seam of your pussy. He moves out of the way when Joel approaches the bed and hands the camera off to his brother before his calloused hands are gently maneuvering you onto your back.

“Baby love, I wanna try somethin’ with you, okay? Are you up for it, or is my girl positively fucked out now?” He asks teasingly, gently pinching your hips between his fingers.

You let out a squeal, lazily moving to swat his hands away when he pinches your skin. “Mmm…I’m so fucked out right now, daddy, but what do you want to try?”

He drops his hands from your hips and rests them between the apex of your thighs so his thumbs can spread your inner lips open, “wanna make you squirt, baby love. I know you were told before that you couldn’t, but that’s not true. You can, and I’m going to get you there but only if you want to, okay?”

“Y—you want to make me squirt? Daddy…I—I can’t. They told me I couldn’t and I believed them. I love you, I really do. But I can’t.”

“Baby love, you can. The only reason why you couldn’t before is because there was a mental block you were facing. You weren’t with the right people at the time. It wasn’t even your fault that you were fired, okay? Those fuckwads didn’t care enough to cater to your needs, but I’m here. I want you to experience this because it’s so fuckin’ special, baby. It’s nothing you’ve ever felt before.” Joel reassures you.

“And I’m gonna be your personal cheerleader, babygirl. Gonna hype you up the whole time, okay?” Tommy says from behind the camera, kneeling on the opposite side of where Joel is positioned between your thighs. “You can even hold my hand, if ya want.” He adds gently.

“What if you’re wrong, daddy? What if I truly can’t? What if they were right and—”

“Shh.” He says softly, eyes locking onto yours in a gentle yet intense stare, “they weren’t right, baby love. They were just a bunch of jackasses that couldn’t see your potential like I can. And you know what? This ain’t about me. This is about you gaining back your autonomy that they fuckin’ stole from you. You trust me, don’t you? Let me do this for you, please.”

“Joel.” Your voice waivers, fresh brewing tears threatening to spill over, Of course I trust you. I—I want to prove them wrong. I want to prove myself wrong.”

“That’s my girl. That’s my fuckin’ girl.” He preens.

-

It starts off with just two of his fingers; middle and ring finger knuckle deep, curling and shallowly thrusting inside of you. It’s not enough, but Joel doesn’t give up. He orders Tommy to grab one of your favorite toys, a hitachi wand. Joel uses his freehand to turn it to the lowest setting before gently placing it directly against your clit. The sensation is immediately too much and your body is naturally trying to escape, but Joel keeps your hips centered and on the mattress.

“I got you, baby love, daddy’s got you. You’re doing so good for me already. So-so fuckin’ good.”

You’re a mess of moans, a mixture of dripping profanities as you claw at the sheets, feeling your thighs begin to quiver and shake all over again. The feeling is more intense, more real than anything you have felt in this setting before. The coil in your stomach is pulled tighter, and tighter, and tighter.

Tommy reaches for one of your hands, letting your clammy fingers interlock through his as you grip onto him for dear life.

“I—can’t, daddy! It’s too much! Please—it’s too much!” You sob, tears making their way down your cheeks for what feels like the millionth time tonight. You’re surely going to need to hydrate extra after this.

“Yes you can, baby love! You can! I believe in you, Tommy believes in you. You’re so fuckin’ close I can feel it now. Can’t you? The burning hot coil being pulled tight in your tummy? Can’t you feel that?” He asks over the whir and buzz of the vibrator and the wet squelch of your pussy around his fingers, crooking them inwards. Your hips jolt, and you let out a scream that hopefully Joel’s neighbors can’t hear. It’s a scream not of pain, but relief, releasing all of your self-doubt and negativity that you had felt ever since you were wrongfully fired from Brazzers.

Joel Miller was showing you just how fucking amazing your body was, and the limits it could be pushed to. He was proving to you that there wasn’t anything you possibly couldn’t do. No challenge you couldn’t face. Fuck what Brazzers thought about you, or the judgement from your parents and the societal pressure you faced every single day as a woman. Your body was beautiful, powerful, and capable.

“There you go, baby! There you go!” Your Joel announced in excitement, his heart swelling with nothing but pride for his baby love. “Let go, my girl. You’re safe. I’ve got you.” He promised, crooking his fingers faster till he felt your body spasm, and a gush of wet spray coated his hand, forearm and everywhere in between.

Your ears were ringing, mind going fuzzy and Joel’s and Tommy’s voices sounded muffled as you saw stars dot your vision. Once your body started, you couldn’t stop even after Joel slipped his fingers out of you and tossed the vibrator off to the side, your pussy continued to squirt along the mattress till there was nothing left.

He was right, Joel was always right. Squirting for the first time was like nothing you had experienced before, and it felt so fucking liberating.

You faintly felt his warm lips between your thighs, lips suckling on your clit before they kissed their way up your body. Your eyes were half open when his hands cradled your face between them, thumbs stroking and brushing away your free falling tears. “You did it, my girl. I knew you could do it.” He whispered, sweat slick forehead pressed against your own, “m’so fuckin’ proud of you, baby love. So proud.”

Tommy flipped the camera off, setting it down on the nearby table before he left the room to give you and Joel a moment of privacy, and to grab some much deserved refreshments and snacks.

Joel gently eased you into his lap, letting you melt into his arms as you let out a wet sob with your face buried into the juncture of his neck. Your whole body was shaking as you clawed at his back while his strong hands gently rubbed soothing circles into your skin. “Shh, shh. It’s okay, baby. It’s okay. Let it all out. I got you.” He murmured against your sweat soaked hair as he held you close.

“Did I really…?” You murmured into his neck, loosening your grip around him.

“You did, baby love. You did so well.” He whispered, gently beginning to rock you in his arms to further soothe you as you gradually came down from your high.

“Thank you, daddy. I-I love you so much.” You sniffled, pulling your face back from his neck so you could look into his eyes.

“No need to thank me, baby love. That was all you. I was jus’ there to help get you there. I love you so much, my sweet girl.”

You shook your head, disagreeing with his sentiment but before you could speak, he shushed you with a kiss. How could you really argue with him, then?

Tommy returned with three waters and a candy bar for you, flopping down on the bed with a soft oof.

The three of you sat in a comfortable silence while Joel made sure you were hydrated and even fed you small pieces of the candy bar so that you wouldn’t immediately have a sugar crash.

The two brothers exchanged a murmur of words before Joel untangled your limbs from his own and coaxed you up from the bed. He stayed glued to your side as he guided you to the bathroom and all the way into the shower. He made sure the temperature of the stream was just how you liked it.

He gently washed between your thighs, knowing how sensitive you were still feeling and didn’t want to overdo it. You loved that he was always so adamant on aftercare. It might have actually been his favorite part outside of being connected inside of your body. He loved to provide and take care of you in these especially intimate moments.

“How’s my girl feeling?” He asked with a soft rasp under the warm stream.

“Like I’m floating on a cloud.” You giggled softly, winding your arms around his neck. “My pussy feels a little numb though, I’m not gonna lie.”

“Mmm.” He hummed, wrapping his arms around you with his hands resting gently at your lower back, “that’s to be expected. She took a real poundin’ tonight. You’re gonna sleep like a fuckin’ baby soon.” He added with a warm chuckle.

“Fuck.” You laughed, “don’t I know it. I can probably sleep for days after that.”

“Tommy is outside startin’ a fire for us. Told him to grab one of my joints from the garage. I Figured you’d enjoy decompressing after all that.” He reached one hand up to gently rest it along the side of your head as he pulled you in closer.

“You know me too well, daddy. That sounds absolutely perfect to me.”

He grins boyishly at your response, leaning in to brush his lips against yours. “I’ll meet y’all down there in a bit, okay? Gonna finish up here and strip the sheets.”

You felt the heat rise to your cheeks when he mentioned the now soiled sheets as your teeth briefly knocked together in the wet kiss. “Sorry about that…I didn’t think it would be that much.”

“Ain’t nothin’ to be sorry for. They’re just sheets, baby love. No need to worry.” He reassured you, deepening the kiss briefly before he slowly pulled away.

“I still can’t believe I was actually able to squirt. It feels so fucking validating that after all these years I now know that I never was the problem. I cannot thank you enough for showing me that they were wrong, Joel. I—I wish I had the words to explain how grateful I am for you.”

“Of course they were wrong, baby love. They never deserved you in the first place. You don’t need to explain how grateful you are, okay? I feel it…here.” He reaches for your hand, gently placing it along the left side of his chest, right against his heart.

“You’re going to make me cry again, asshole!” You said playfully, kissing him again just because you could.

He laughed into your lips, bringing his freehand to rest around your face as he kissed you again, and again, and again. “I’m jus’ speaking the truth, baby love.”

“I know, baby. You’re the most honest man I know. Well, outside of Tommy.”

-

You and Joel part ways after showering. He heads back into the studio room while you walk to your shared bedroom to change into something comfy for the rest of the evening. You snatch one of his hoodies, slipping it over your head before grabbing a fresh pair of his boxer briefs and pull them on over your hips and ass.

When you step outside into the backyard, Tommy is already puffing away on the joint he rolled while he uses a spare stick to stoke the fire. He smiled warmly at you, beckoning you over to join him on the outdoor couch.

“There she is. Lil’ miss squirtin’ queen!” He teases as you plop down beside him, giving his shoulder a gentle push.

He passes the joint off to you between his fingers, letting his arm rest behind your head along the back of the couch. “How are ya feeling?”

“Honestly?” You look over at him as you take a long drag, tucking your feet up under your thighs to get comfortable, “I feel like I can conquer the whole fucking world right now.”

“Fuck yeah, you can! Women are soo fucking powerful, babygirl. Y’all are truly some forces to be reckoned with!”

You blow the smoke upwards into the clear night sky, resting your head against his shoulder before passing the joint back to him. “I just feel so…free right now Tommy, y’know? I don’t even know how to put it into words.”

“Girl, you literally soaked the entire fuckin’ mattress. You should feel as free as a bird right now! I know Joel is proud of you, but I am too. I remember the first time I made a girl squirt waaay back in the good ole’ Brazzer’s days. Shit was so intense and the chick I was fuckin’ literally said that she was in love with me! Ain’t that crazy?”

“Aw, Tommy, thank you. I’m really glad that you were there to experience it with me. And shit, no way? Did you tell her that you loved her back?”

“Nah.” He shook his head, clearing his throat as he ashed the joint off to the side, “I uh—I really didn’t know what to say. Felt terrible after the fact because she started to profusely apologize…and I guess I didn’t understand why? I mean, it slipped out in the heat of the moment, man. I don’t think she meant it.”

I really hope she didn’t.

You sat up, focusing your attention on him fully when you could feel his tone shift to somewhere uncertain. “Hey, are you okay?…is there something you want to talk about? I’m here for you, okay?”

He let out a dry laugh shaking his head before he looked over at you finally. “Yeah, there is somethin’ I wanna talk to you about. I jus’ don’t know how to phrase it.”

“Take your time, Tommy. There’s no rush.”

“Okay so, Joel doesn’t know about this yet because I really don’t know how to tell him, but one of my long term onscreen partners is planning on quitting Miller-Co entirely…because of me.” Tommy nervously chewed on the inside of his cheek.

“Tommy, what do you mean someone at Miller-Co wants to quit because of you? What…happened?” Tommy was a good guy in your eyes. You couldn’t imagine him ever making someone feel uncomfortable or god forbid—

“It ain’t bad, okay? I promise I didn’t do anythin’ bad.” He took a deep breath, exhaling before continuing, “so, it started with her starting to make comments about you and Joel and the dynamic of your relationship. She didn’t say nothin’ bad, I promise. She er—was hintin’ that she wanted to be in a relationship with me essentially?”

“Oh.” You said softly, beginning to understand where this conversation was potentially leading into. “I’m assuming you didn’t feel the same way as she did?”

“No.” He sighed, shaking his head. “I didn’t feel the same way. I tried to explain to her that I have never felt a romantic connection to anyone ever and that I was sorry.”

“Wait…never?” You were careful with your choice of words, reading between the lines to figure out exactly what he was saying.

“You can’t tell Joel any of this, okay? I—I don’t know how to tell him, babygirl. I know he would never judge me but I’m jus’—afraid.”

You reach for his hand, interlocking your fingers together to show him that he had your full support. “Tommy, it’s okay. Your brother isn’t going to scold you for this.”

“No, you’re right, he won’t. Anyway, I tried to tell her that I never have had a crush on anyone in my life and I have never been in love. She thought I was just making an excuse! Why would I make an excuse like that? Doesn’t she realize that if I could feel the same way for her that I would already?” He said exasperatedly, waving his freehand around to emphasize the point he was trying to make.

“Tommy, are you…aromantic?” You asked suddenly.

A sheepish look washed over his face, his cheeks turning as red as the flames from the fire, “yeah, I am.” He mumbled quietly.

“Oh, hon. It’s okay, that’s nothing for you to feel ashamed for. You know that, right?” You squeezed his hand gently, stroking your thumb along the outside of his hand.

“Fuck, I know it’s nothing for me to feel ashamed about! I know—but, I feel that way regardless. She literally thinks I’m some cold, heartless prick now! We’ve literally been fucking consistently for over a year and I thought we had…y’know, developed a mutual friendship.”

“I understand, Tommy. But you are not some cold heartless prick. There’s nothing wrong with you. She just…doesn’t see it the way that you and I do.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” He sighs, sinking back against the couch cushions as he looks into the flames, “you’re the first person that I’ve ever come out to. I mean, my other queer friends know that I’m bisexual, but no one knows that I’m aromantic as well.”

“I understand how you feel, okay? I really do. I’m bisexual, too. I’ve faced similar ridicule for it ever since I came out. I’ve had people tell me to my face that I’m either straight or gay and that I have to pick between the two? It’s fucking ridiculous. I can’t imagine what it’s like to be a queer man and feeling like there’s something wrong with you and the way that you live your life because of it.”

His lips part in shock as the joint dies between his fingers. He turns to face you completely, feeling a newfound sense of connection towards you that immediately springs tears to his eyes. “Wait, you’re queer too? I uh—I had a feeling, but I never want to be that person to assume, you know? When did you come out, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Yeah, hon. I’m queer too. And really? What gave me away?” You stifled a giggle, leaning further into his side. “I came out on my 21st birthday actually. My friends took me to my first gay bar in LA and I guess I just blurted it out after a few too many shots? Everyone was so fucking supportive. It brought me to tears! When did you come out?”

“Mmm.” He thought about it momentarily, tapping his fingers against his chin, “there wasn’t like a specific thing that gave you away, I just had this feeling when we first met that you were a fruity lil’ thing.” He laughed warmly. “I came out shortly after I flew out to LA to join Joel at Brazzers. I ended up dating one of my costars for a hot minute. He was my first boyfriend, but I didn’t really understand the whole concept of romance or how to make him feel like I loved him? Our breakup was pretty fuckin’ ugly. Told all his friends that I was a heartless tool and that was the end of that. Think I realized I was aromantic when I flat out told him that he was my best friend but my heart…didn’t get a boner for him? Poor choice of words, but I’ve never really been a serious guy to begin with.”

“Interesting.” You mused with a grin, “yeah, probably wasn’t the wisest move to tell him that your heart didn’t get a boner for him…but that was the only way that you felt you could explain it. Did you guys ever talk about it or reconnect?”

“Actually, yeah! We did. He texted me the other day actually to see how I was doing and we got into a conversation about it. He said it made a lot of sense and what not. I guess I’m just struggling with people not understanding that I’m still this…lovable guy, y’know? I just have never had any interest in love or being in love. Why’s that so hard for people to accept?”

“That’s great that you guys reconnected! Tommy, that’s wonderful! I think people have a problem with it because they want to place you into this perfect box so that you can blend in with the rest of society. They’re going to think you're weird because there’s this stigma around aromantic people being cold and heartless, when y’all are incredibly lovable people, just not in the romantic way.”

“Dude, tell me about it! Society is always telling us how we gotta act, dress, and live our lives! So fuckin’ fed up with it. You mentioned earlier how you can’t imagine how difficult it must be to be a queer man, and you hit the nail right on the head, babygirl. I’m constantly…having this internal battle with myself. Feelin’ like I don’t even belong in the community, y’know?” He sniffled, wiping his face along the sleeve of his shirt in an attempt to hide his tears.

“Hey, you absolutely do belong in the queer community. And anyone who tries to shun you is a bigoted asshole that should really do some self reflecting in their personal life before they try to tear down another marginalized person who is simply just fucking living their life and hurting no one!” You felt his pain and frustration from his words and all you really wanted to do was wrap him up in a big hug.

Tommy is momentarily distracted from a flicker of movement in the kitchen and flash of black fur jumping up onto the counter to see what Joel is up to. He smiles briefly, remembering the last time he caught his older brother putzing around the kitchen making munchies and singing a fucking tune like the lovesick teddy bear that he truly was.

“He really loves you.” He murmured softly.

“What?” You’re confused by the sudden flip of the conversation till you follow the path of his eyes and see your Joel flipping something inside of the pan before he picks Artemis up from the counter, kisses her head and gently places her on his shoulder.

“My brother. He really loves you.” Tommy reiterated with a cheeky grin. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him dancing around the kitchen like that. Whenever he gets really caught up in his feelings and emotions, he immediately starts cooking. The last time he did that was for—”

“Carmen?” You question softly, already knowing the answer.

“Yeah.” He nods, squeezing your hand gently when he notices your eyes growing glassy under the warm glow of the fire. “And…Sarah.”

“Oh cool! So now I’m gonna cry some more!” You laugh trying to process the sudden surge of emotions you’re feeling. “Tommy, I love that man so fucking much. He’s truly…heaven sent, y’know?”

He smiles knowingly, dropping your hand so he can wrap his arm around you, giving you a gentle squeeze. “Yeah, babygirl. And you’re the rite of his movement.”

“You—don’t bring Hozier up in a moment like this! Oh my god!” You laugh, turning your face into his shoulder.

The sliding back door from the kitchen opens moments later and your Joel appears with a whole ass stack of freshly made heart shaped pancakes on a plate, smothered in butter and drizzled perfectly in sticky syrup. Artemis is still proudly perched on his shoulder like a damn parakeet, her tail curved around his neck as he approaches the fire pit.

“Baby love!” He sings songs. “Made y’all somethin’ real special! Hope you’re in the mood for pancakes because—” he frowns when he sees the glassy look in his brother's eyes and your own when you peek over at him. “Why do y’all both look like you’re about to burst into tears? Not when I crafted up the best goddamn pancakes in all of Austin!” He attempts to lighten the mood as he gently sits down alongside you, setting the plate along his lap.

“It’s my fault.” Tommy is quick to speak up. “We got into a deep conversation and I uh—got emotional and then baby love got emotional.”

Joel raises a brow and it appears that even Artemis is listening as she leaps down from his shoulder and trots across the back of the couch to nuzzle against your head.

“What kinda deep conversation did y’all get into?”

“Well, first I just wanna let you know that Natalie is planning on quitting Miller-Co…because of me.” Tommy whispered the last part.

“Oh, for fuck sakes! Tommy, what did you do?” Joel lets out an exasperated sigh as he pinches the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger.

“Baby.” You speak up, “hear him out, okay?” You reach for his hand. “Tommy really needs our support right now.”

He sighs, grasping your hand in his palm with his fingers interlocked through yours. “I’m listenin.’”

“I promise I didn’t do anything wrong, Joel. I swear. Look, I’ve been meaning to tell you this for a long time now, I jus’—I’ve been nervous to-do so.” Tommy starts, looking over at his brother as he gathers his thoughts, “so uh, I’m—aromantic and bisexual.”

Joel doesn’t even look the least bit surprised at his brother coming out. His eyes soften as he responds with a small nod, “that ain’t nothin’ you gotta worry about, little brother. I’ve been havin’ a feelin’ for a while now. S’okay. I love you jus’ the same.”

Tommy breaks immediately, his vision blurring with tears when his brother reaches across to gently squeeze his shoulder. “I—I had no idea that you already…knew.” He sniffles.

“Course not, Tommy. M’jus’ a real observant person, y’know? So, is this what’s gotten you all in a fuss? Can I safely assume that Natalie wants to quit because she found out that you’re queer and she has feelings for you that you can’t return?” Joel read between the lines at ease, feeling a surge of anger in his veins that one of their own colleagues made his kin feel a certain way. Especially when the values instilled at Miller-Co were accepting of everyone. No matter their race, gender, sexuality, etc.

“God dammit, you’re smart.” Tommy chuckles. “Yeah, basically that’s why she wants to quit. Fuckin’ ridiculous if I’m being honest.”

“Well, I don't like someone like her working for us anyway. If she wants to quit, then by all means, let her quit. Good riddance, honestly. Damn shame too. Miller-Co doesn’t have a place for small-minded people like her.” Joel is quick to defend and validate his brother's feelings without missing a beat.

“Okay, okay, you don’t needa go off on her or anythin’ , okay? I’ll handle it tomorrow or somethin.’” Tommy reassured him.

“Alright. I’ll let you handle it.” Joel nods, focusing his attention back on you. “So, Tommy comin’ out to ya is what’s gotten you all teary eyed again, baby love?”

You nod, looking over at him with a small smile. “Yeah, and…Joel?”

“Hm?”

“I’m bisexual…too.”

“Guess that makes me the token straight of the family, huh?” He lightly jokes before squeezing your hand, “well, if that’s the case, I love you all the same too, baby love.”

-

The following morning Joel wakes up long before you do. He heads into town, visiting a local business that was queer owned and known for their assortment of pride flag stickers and other merch. He purchases an aromantic pride bumper sticker and a bisexual bumper sticker. He doesn’t wait to get home to put them on the bumper of his truck. He carefully peels the stickers off and places them in a spare spot on the already heavily decorated bumper. He takes a step back, arms crossed over his chest with the biggest smile on his face.

Austin’s token straight, and biggest ally has done it once again, folks!

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[bb-bigbang-org]

EPISODE 6 - “I can finally sleep with both eyes closed tonight.” - FROSBY .

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DESIREE

Daily Thoughts for Day 21:

Eviction: As expected, Mandi was voted out with a strong majority. It was a shame to see her go, but she really was super quiet in the house and it was a good idea to separate the family before jury.

Announcements: We made it to jury!! I'm so excited!! I will officially have a part in the outcome of finale night. That's pretty cool. We also heard about this Before the Beginning twist, which is pretty interesting. I think the lack of talking in the house won't be too bad because things can be communicated in DMs, it's just a bit more annoying. The not knowing who is winning each thing and what the votes counts are...that's a bit more interesting. This will be quite a week.... The pre-jury twist sounds fun! I have no idea what it will be, but I like the idea.

Plans: If somehow Frosby or I won HOH, we could take out Austin and do it without anyone finding out. The most ideal way this week could go is, Frosby or I win HOH, the other one gets the power to see the HOH, Austin gets backdoored and no one knows who did it…

DESIREE

Daily Thoughts for Day 22:

Link Hunt: I am guessing a million things and haven't found a link... I don't know if I'm doing it wrong or if I'm just dumb, but man this is super frustrating. I want the HOH power!!!

Victory!!: Uhm...y'all...I FUCKING DID THAT SHIT!!!! I am sooo excited right now. I would really love to get out Austin this week, he is a big target and I really do not trust him... Lukas is obviously a big target as well, but I trust him a bit more so he is not my priority. Either one would be a good move, though. I told Frosby I won HOH, but that's it. I fully trust him to keep my secret. Drew also messaged me and told me he got the HOH power, so he knows I won. That puts a bit of a wrench in my plans, because Drew and Austin are close, but I'm not going to let that stop me from taking out a huge target. I don't think anyone can blame me for that (even though I'm sure they would). Drew swears he will keep my secret, but I'm preparing for that to go out the window when I put up Austin. Drew told me he is fine with anyone going up, but I don't think he really means that.

FROSBY

Well a lot has happened in the game and yet another one of my allies has fallen to the majority alliance. This time I was the one inside that majority alliance. I only joined the alliance alongside Desiree so we would be in the biggest group of players in the game, but to also know what our enemies were planning. Turns out Brooke made the alliance to tell a large group of people that Mandi and Joe were siblings and because of this Mandi was the next one to go. Thankfully it wasn't Katrina that went because that would have been terrible. 

Anyways we have finished up the next challenge and Desiree ended up winning it! Finally someone who isn't my enemy in this game won HoH, I can finally sleep with both eyes closed tonight. Anyways me and Desiree have been talking and we agree that putting up Lukas v. Joe is the play. The chances of either of those 2 winning so we can backdoor Austin would be fantastic and a perfect part to the plan. Now the thing is Desiree doesn't want me to speak a word to anyone that she won HoH and that I am doing, but while talking to Joe I realized he thinks Brooke is trying to blindside him. I let him know that this was in fact true info and it was that giant alliance that Brooke created that she is using to get the blindside going. 

So anyways I wanted to strengthen my relationship with Joe so I called him on the DMs last night, and wanted to let him know where he was at in the game. I let him know about this giant alliance and how i'm a rat on the inside and I'm doing what I can to twist the alliance whichever way doesn't hurt Joe, Desiree or Katrina. I also let him know that he will be put up this week but he isn't the target. I let him know that the main target is Austin and the fact that we are putting up Lukas and Joe is to make sure they win the Power of Veto. 

Lets hope this plan works and Joe doesn't get voted out, that would be no bueno 

DREW

So continuing my diary room rewind... we're talking about Week 5 and now that its been a few days to really digest my thoughts... here's another round of Drew Dishes.

Lukas wins his third HoH, and I'm just shocked. I really am. I really didn't think that it was possible but here we are... with the results being posted that Lukas winning once again. But that's not the more "whoopdeedo" moment of the week. it was the big reveal that Mandi and Joe are siblings. 

And I had already known the week prior because Brooke literally told Austin who told me. And I'm just sitting here and absorbing the damn tea. Like spill it for me, spill it! I love the tea and I will love to get any and all advantage in this game as much as possible. 

So that happens and Joe wins the veto. Because we need a third comp beast coming into this game. And my veto chip is like.. missing. like- i swear i can't compete in a fucking veto to save my life. But he wins the veto and he's removing himself and leaving Mandi on the block, which absolutely sucks because I truly love Mandi with my absolute heart. 

Like what kind of a mother has a full time job, two children and can be social with everyone and still be so personable? Like HELLLO!! She has to be Wonder Woman in disguise somehow because this game is taking everything out of me just to talk to the same people over and over- so for Mandi to just up and give up against Katrina... sucks. Truly it does. But my connection with Katrina blossomed even more because Mandi straight up ghosted me- and I don't need that in a game for the win tbh :/

So that's it for the rewind. Not much to say because this is all... boring to be fairly honest. Hopefully the Week 6 rewind will be much more juicy! 

SAMMY

https://youtu.be/oXbpcm36TvM

JOE

Terrible week, although I have successfully avoided the block. At, the cost of my allies. I would love to be able to keep Des this week, but I don't know how possible that is. Brooke is still the worst, I love Drew, and frosby is my boy.

DREW

I think we are in the Week 6 rewind? I honestly don't remember. But DARK WEEK... what the fuck is this twist? I honestly don't know how this mess of a week LMAOOOO but whatever it is- this is the perfect time to get a threat out. Meaning, I'm looking at Austin, Lukas or Joe. Because they're major competition threats. 

And would you look at that! I lose yet another HoH, but that's not a problem because I won the Afterglow Advantage which allows me to know who is the HoH and allows me to speak with them and hopefully get my footing into NOT being nominated- and I honestly was so surprised to see Desiree up in that HoH Suite.

But like the nice lady was down to chat with me, and I promised her that I wasn't gonna tell anyone- but I told two people, Lukas and Sammy, that I have this power. But I didn't tell them that Desiree was the HoH until like.. an hour after the results. Which violates my trust with her like immediately, but solidifies my position with Lukas and Sammy even more.

But with Desiree, she gave me the option to throw out a few ideas, and I said that I'm fine with anyone going up as long as it wasn't me. Preferably, one of the three competition beasts- and she agreed. And the week started off with Joe and Lukas on the block, with Austin has a backdoor. I'm ecstatic at that result because both Joe and Lukas trust me enough to let them think that I will use the veto on them, and mawma- that's the best position for me to be in.

And the veto- lemme get to that... I FINALLY GOT TO PLAY A DAMN VETO! The damn veto box decided to spit out my chip for the damn first time! And it was a memory comp, which is something that I am GREAT at... but I only score 11 points. Which is an F in terms of academic grading... like what? I'm better than this! But like Lukas tells me that he wins, so that I'm okay with that. Let this private win expand his target on his back a little more- I won't complain. And who goes up in his place? Austin. Which is also fine by me. I was always planning to stab him in the back one the jury started anyway. 

In order for me to win, I needed to start lacing that jury house with my allies- and I didn't know how much Austin trusted me considering that I made most of his moves during his HoH reign, but I need a good word for those people like Frosby, Brooke and Kayla when they inevitably join the Jury House.

So just like the good little villainous strategist that I am- I immediately start working on getting Sammy, Chloe and Lukas to vote out Austin. Katrina can't vote. Frosby is immediately a vote for Joe to stay, and Brooke and Kayla? Let the evict Joe and look like boo boo the fool. They really voted in the minority if that was the case cause the vote ended in a 5-2 if everything on my end was correct. 

And I think that concludes this shitty twist- cause I'm over it. This rewind, I was dreading to relive because it was four days of pure torture and hell. Like, 2 of those 4 days- i had to be on CALL with Brooke and Joe for 5+ hours. 5 PLUS HOURS. YOU KNOW HOW MUCH ALCOHOL COULD HAVE BEEN FLOWING IN MY BLOODSTREAM DURING THAT TIME? MANY!! MANY PINTS OF ALCOHOL!! I'm just glad that Joe trusts me more now that he's in the game a little longer and I need to start switching my focus on evicting Sammy/Lukas/Brooke/Joe. Once that is complete- I will assume the winner title! 

FROSBY

This is by far the worst eviction pairing PERIOD. Desiree v. Katrina my top 2 closest allies put up on the block against each other. This is actually the worst for me. Like I have no good solutions, I dont want to argue for either of them because the way the vote sounds right now it could go either way. So I don't want to go to people and be like hey vote desiree out, because if desiree survives the vote then im royally fucked with my best ally. But on the other hand I can't be telling people not to vote desiree bc my true goal is to get Katrina to go through with me. The problem is I cant go out an campaign for Katrina because of Joe and Desiree. If I do that then I will lose both of those allies and then I will legit be sitting on the outside of the game, with no allies at all. I even was in a call last night and was talking to desiree and joe and honestly I love both of them and want to keep working with them. I'll put it simple if Katrina goes its not the end of the world I will still have 2 strong allies that both will have bigger targets on their back than me.  While on the other hand Katrina is my sister and we made a final 2 pact that I know for a fact we both want to hold onto so if Katrina can somehow live through this vote not only do we keep that final 2 pact but the fact we are siblings and secretly allies this whole time can continue working in our favor. The key is I need Lukas, Joe, myself or Katrina/Desiree to win this next HoH really bad. Every eviction has been slowly picking off my close allies 1 after the other, the only eviction that went in my favor was austin going home. I need another HoH in my favor or else this game is going to get even harder for me. 

JOE

Well, brooke was evicted and i was ecstatic. Her going was probably best for my game at this point. The double hits and I really did not want to see frosby go. He was basically my number 1 at this point. I tried to use my pre-jury power to save his ass but it was all in vain. I have hopefully secured a final three deal with Drew and Lukas. Only problem is that Drew doesn't trust Lukas all that much. Overall, I've had a good past few cycles and I hope to keep up this streak of not dying.

DREW

Alright another Drew Dishes entry. And this week- we're going to review Cycle 7... and let me tell you... it was something that I dislike. 

The week was just pure distaste for me because Brooke wins HoH... the one person that I wanted to get rid of this week has to be pushed back a cycle cause that bitch gets the one power that essentially lets her call all of the shots. And yours truly is on the block because I don't talk to her... wait what?

Is this bitch for real? LIKE Chloe, Katrina and Kayla are RIGHT there. If you wanted a pawn to go up against Desiree... you put one of them up. Not give a reason towards a vindictive bitch to nominate you the next time he gets HoH... like you clearly did not play this game correctly! 

So then, Desiree and I or D&D in what I nicknamed it... are on the block and Sammy and Katrina are picked for the veto- two people that I trust alot in this game. Obviously aside from Chloe and Lukas, and its a puzzle punishment veto. I love this comp because I'm excellent at puzzles! I ADORE PUZZLES! Anyway, the way that this veto worked out for me because I ended up 2nd place and Sammy gets 1st. Obviously he takes the veto, but the prize that I end up with is $10 from the hostie toasties. Which is AMAZING!! Like free money?!? Unheard of! 

AND that's not the best part. Sammy reveals his cards and plays the veto on me, meaning that it shows that he and I are close this game. Im off the block, I get $10 and all 4 of us in They Suck The Most get to dictate who leaves.. and we selected Desiree to save face with Brooke. Which is sad, but like... eh. No harm done with us.

POST DOUBLE EVICTION CAST ASSESSMENT

https://youtu.be/A-nB9ZD7KVk

[survivenovascotia]

Episode 5 - they finally swapped us - Austin

I’m taking more of a leadership role on this tribe, trying to make more calls with the challenge. On a smaller tribe it is less risky to do that, and also more risky to go to tribal if people find a reason to target you its easy to get numbers. Dylan especially is a worry for me, in the past he has turned on me for absolutely no reason, so idk how much I can trust him. Dan seems ok, he gave us good intel about the other tribe. Still makes sense to vote him out if we go to tribal though lets not make enemies out of the og tribe just to save one guy.

Tribe swap. Honestly I’m not freakin out abt it bc I’ve got Stephen & Austin who’ve both been pretty good in challenges so. Hopefully I can Michelle my way to the merge Even seems chill he’s just got a russel hantz profile picture which is a lil susp Although I’ll admit I’m a lil sad this is a cooperative challenge bc I really don’t work well cooperatively. Especially when these people are choosing words like CAT and WASHINGTON DC have y’all never played scattergories the object is to get the most random ass answers. We can’t put Unagi that’s way too common, we gotta put UNI, which means sea urchin & is a delicacy. If someone else puts uni I would literally cry I’d be such a clown Xiomara? BITXH have y’all seen Jane the Virgin? Hell no!! We putting Serena spelled with an X. She’s a character in a short story I wrote it’s a real name look it up. Sorry to rant I just can’t believe one of these boys chose Cat. Cat. R u joking

So after 4 straight wins from my tribe they finally swapped us. Dylan, me, eric,and stephen from my og tribe long with dan from the other tribe. I like it and think we are gonna do well together.  Dan told me sunshine said I was trustworthy which I appreciated.  I dont wanna lose any challenges but if we do I feel maybe i should try and save dan? Idk i wanna be a lil more risky then i usually play in other games. Just gotta see what happens but idc to flip for my own game to do better.  

LOCK & MANCALA. LOCK & MANCALA mancala is like the most famous board game WHY did we choose that I said to go with Master Trainer: Pokémon why was that not CHOSEN I hope we lose so I can get voted out & be remembered as this seasons biggest bitch

My tummy is saying Fuck rn. I don't know how this tie breaker is gonna go

So what I am thinking it is going to be like is between Keegan and Coco but like Coco is my number 1 out here rn. Glo says she will protect me and Im trying to see what chips is feeling but I feel even when he says things Im like is this legit? Keegan wants to try working with me. I have to weigh my options but if I vote people from OG Musquodoboit tribe I upset everyone else there, if I vote Keegan, Who knows where on the totem pole I can be with the OG tribe.

It has been brought to my attention that the person I’ve been referring to as ‘even’ is actually dan. ukmmmmmmmmmmm okcay also MICHELLE let’s keep this Queen energy to the merge 😈😈

I think I’m cursed. This will be the fifth tribal council in a row I’m attending. Like how does this even happen? And of course I had to be dumb enough to step up and do the tie breaker which sent us to tribal. At first glance this could very well be the end of my game. Getting swap fucked is becoming a personality trait of mine at this point. However, Heather and I have been messaging and she said she’s going to talk to Chips and see about making a move to keep me in the game. I’m not sure who we’d vote out between Coco and Gloria but honestly I don’t care as long as I stay in the game.

Hosts, Admins and VL. I made a chart that went like 6 layers deep in before it would deadend and I’m like “oh okay it must be at the 6 layer mark”. Nope I got down to 8 layers (T1 was the first) and I feel like it’s either claimed or it’s down that path. In other news, my two biggest obstacles is the OG other tribe -_- me forgetting the other tribe’s name. The second obstacle is Kyle. Kyle thinks he runs the joint and I just play a “Sheeple” game when in reality I’m trying to make small moves to further myself in the game. Kyle and Livingston are close and Kyle, myself and Darcy are tight. Sunshine is the odd one out and a easy boot.

Update since recording, I think Chips is leaning more towards keeping Keegan oof im a swing vote then oof

Maybe I’m just getting massively played right now but I currently have an alliance chat with Heather and Chips and we’re deciding on voting Coco or Glo. And I have Coco asking me if I’d vote for Glo. Maybe I’m being bamboozled but this is actually looking a little bit promising for me staying in the game right now. I don’t want to get my hopes up too much. The last time that did I got annihilated.

Did I just suggest a Chips blindside? I- don't know. I am AHHHH. I am in a bad position next round that's FOR SURE

So unfortunately we are going to tribal. At first I thought Keegan would be an easy vote BUT Chips started playing dirty. He made a chat with Heather&Keegan and tried to form "majority" with them. They were discussing whether to eliminate me or Glo. I'm not having it. Heather and I came up with the plan to blindside Chips because he probably wouldn't see it coming. I kept telling Chips I was SO worried,SO nervous because none is talking to me but it's just all an act. Hopefully we can get rid of either Chips or Keegan tonight and even flush an idol if they use it on Keegan.

So ummm, Operation Chips Gone is under way. I am HELLA nervous! Idk if this is gonna work but I feel HELLA bad.

ok Chips has turned on me saying I am weak link on tribe and wants me voted out with Keegan staying safe, Heather and CoCO are in alliance with me and tipped me off. So our vote is CHIPS. but we all three fear the idol situation. So I may not survive but calling me weak link who beat Chips ass in Scavenger hunt and came from behind to do so lol yeppers Glo beat Chips. Anyways it might be good bye GLO GLO tonight and if so I did my best. That would be end for me I guess. <3 GLO <3

I think if we were on larger tribes and the challenge was different I might have thrown it. Bit as it is tribal only presents three options: a) vote out dan, which is not a big move or anything and is not going to change much. b) save dan, and vote out someone from my og tribe, which would piss off 8 other people I had ground work with, and c) Dan pulls something out of his ass and survives, voting one of us out. So yeah, no good scenarios for my long term game at tribal. However without it I can keep my relationships while also building new bridges with Dan that could help come merge and further.

If Glo is truly the vote tonight, I’m probably going to cry. Not even going to sugar coat it. I’ll be crying. She’s just so pure and so nice and just this incredible person. I’m trying to not let it sway my judgement too much. I’m tearing up just thinking about her leaving. But if Heather and Chips are being honest with me and not conspiring against me they’ve both said they’d vote for Glo. And all I need to do right now is stay in the game. Against all odds, I might just manage to stay in the game in a disasterous 4v1 swap. The biggest downside after this is getting Evan(?) back from Oak Island. I’m praying he’s not close with Heather and Chips or I might not survive another tribal.

So we got swapped onto a tribe of 5... and lost the first immunity challenge on that tribe. Keegan is the obvious vote since he got swapped onto our tribe. I'd rather not. Spent all day lying to Glo telling her I was going to vote him. If for some reason that's not the case and Glo doesn't go, cool. I got gamed. Also, I'm in an alliance chat with Heather and Keegan and lowkey I love it. I want to see this be a final 3 but I'm not going to get ahead of myself.

Conspiracy theory: coco, glo & Keegan voted out chips, heather on the outs. No fucking clue why but it’s the only thing that makes sense. This whole game is so scary I’m like watching blindsides & murdering happening & im just chillin on the sidelines

KEEGAN SURVIVED! I’m so happy for him! That’s all I wanted. Hopefully Keegan and Dan can make merge. I wanna throw the F14 immunity to send home Sunshine but that’s just a thought. I always said my two biggest obstacles were the OG other tribe and Kyle. That’s still true but maybe there’s hope for the first obstacle!

Oh damn, I didn’t see that coming. There are two possible situations here: 1) That Keegan managed to pull two votes in with promises and shit, and 2) That there was a pre-existing alliance against Chips (and others) that I wasn’t aware of. This is worrying, not only did I just lose someone I wanted to work with but it shows I’m not that aware of what’s going on. Not good.

I watched the tribal council. Keegan wasn’t even on the chopping block which is great. Glo seems like a lovely lady and seems easy to bond and manipulate. Great for me 🐍. Our alliance including Dan, with Keegan and his allies can make a strong group and potential majority. I feel like at merge I can play my cards right and secret pull strings.

Chips was voted out which is honestly a big surprise to me but at least I’m still here! Who survived a 4v1 Swap Fucking? This guy!

[esprit-de-corps-magazine]

ON TARGET: Forget the Russians & Chinese: Trump is the biggest Source of COVID 19 Disinformation

By Scott Taylor

During this COVID-19 crisis we are repeatedly being warned to be on the lookout for Russian and Chinese disinformation. 

U.S. President Donald Trump warned that we “must not let malign actors exploit the [COVID19] crisis for their own gain.” According to our security experts the Chinese and Russians are in fact using their global pandemic aid deliveries to improve their status within the world order. If that is indeed the case, then these Russians are Chinese strategists are truly diabolical.

Take for example the case of Italy which has been one of the hardest nations in the battle against COVID 19. 

As the confirmed number of cases and death toll skyrocketed in early March, Russia, China and Cuba dispatched medical personnel and supplies to the northern province of Lombardy, which was essentially ground zero for the pandemic in Italy. 

Italian politicians praised these three assisting nations and hailed them as ‘Allies’ in the war against COVID 19.

I found this to be a strange term to use since Italy is a NATO member and part of the European union. While fellow NATO member Germany did contribute considerable medical aid to Italy, other actual allies such as Canada and the U.K and the U.S. were busy preparing domestic resources to deal with the pandemic themselves.

As a result, a very hard pressed Italy accepted the necessary medical supplies from these three malign actors.

Whether this propaganda exercise will generate any long term Italian goodwill towards Russia, China and Cuba remains to be seen.

On the flip side of that has been Trump’s own attempts to exploit the COVID19 crisis for his America’s strategic gain. When the pandemic hit Iran and Venezuela hard the U.S. used their veto at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to deny these two malign actors emergency loans to help them cope with the health crisis. In the case of Venezuela Trump’s administration went one step further by issuing an indictment against President Nicolas Maduro. According to the U.S. charges, Maduro and his cronies are narco-terrorists who are implementing a scheme to destabilize America during the COVID19 crisis through widespread distribution of cheap cocaine. That is the plot line worth of an Austin Powers comedy movie. 

However, further destabilizing the Maduro regime at the height of a health crisis while simultaneously denying them access to medical supplies does not bode well for the Venezuelan people. 

Closer to home Canadians saw just where we stand in the eyes of Donald Trump when he ordered the 3M Corporation not to ship vital pre-purchased, protective masks and respirators to Canada. That export impasse was thankfully resolved at the corporate level, but not before Trump revealed his true isolationist colours.

As for the allegations of Chinese and Russian disinformation during the pandemic, one has to presume our security experts are telling the truth. It is also true that the majority of deliberate disinformation efforts uncovered to date have been from domestic organizations affiliated with far right and neo-Nazi fringe groups. Their messages are rife with anti-Semitism and racism aimed at provoking fear and distrust among Canadians.  

However, by far the biggest and most dangerous source of disinformation has been none other than Donald Trump himself. When the outbreak first occurred in Wuhan, China Trump ignored the World Health Organizations warnings. Trump went so far as to call the virus a ‘hoax’ and ‘fake news ’s at public rallies. Trump also proclaimed that once the weather warmed up the coronavirus would simply ‘disappear…. like magic.’

Now that the U.S. has the dubious distinction of being the hardest hit nation on earth, Trump blames the WHO for failing to warn the world about COVID 19 and he has threatened to cut off their funding.

The reason for Trump wanting to cancel payments to the WHO is that he feels they are very “China-centric.” For the record, Trump’s statement was made the same week that China delivered 1,000 urgently required ventilators to hospitals in the State of New York.

Malign actors exploiting the crisis for their own gain indeed.

[ts-nightingaleislands]

Episode #5- “I forgot Austin has a date with Mary Jane daily so Im gonna have to cut him some slack”- Chris

holy fucking shit! i cant believe i jumped ship like that! it could be a great game changing move or i could be the next damn boot . gotta play hard or go home....just hope i dont go home lol

GIVE ME A R, GIVE ME AN A, GIVE ME A T I N G S! The ratings jumped out last night! I literally slept on the craziness and had to get a skype call from my pal Gwen to get up an hour after the challenge. We quickly felt that it was best to just throw the challenge but that didnt stop a lot of unexpected ish happening: Steven jumping ship, AnnMarie/Sara/Kyle/Steven alliance chat expose, Austin coming to our tribe pleading for a hero like he was the reincarnation of Bonnie Tyler, Rizo making the Friends chat I kept forgetting to with Gwen/him/me/AnnMarie/Sara/Liam, us deciding to blindside Tim, Liam telling Austin about it who then proceeds to tell Tim and Kyle, Liam getting exposed for having connections to the other tribe, Liam in the hot seat, Austin in the hotseat, and the realization that we finally get to start playing woo.

So I'm feeling a lil better now with time passing.  I have talked with everyone at least some and I think I made a few strong connections that will carry me through this first tribal . I trust chris , gwen, and annmarie the most but who knows if they are blowing smoke up my ass . Only way to find out is wait for tribal tomorrow . Tumblr survivor gods be with me

So Im in the chat with Rizo/Kyle/Gwen and it seems the target has shifted completely off of Tim and its just like huh this was convenient. Gwen/Rizo and I talk of how we kinda control this but that maybe a split vote is better because of the idol and it seems to be a go...then it is shot down. See, I don't see why its not as beneficial. Even if Austin got votes we have the numbers. Its kinda interesting that these guys do not want to maximize safety supposedly but I also notice they arent as like flexible as they should be

I think this went well. We finally won a challenge, which I lowkey never expected. Austin mutinied, but he did what he had to do for us to win. I think he'll be ok on Petrel, after all this time they have to have some sort of target. Steven mutinied here bc Austin put in a good word for us (as is my understanding), so operating under that assumption means voting him out is a bad idea. As everyone now knows (bc my last cf was leaked), voting out Noah is still a bad idea, so it's between Cheatham and Amy (if we lose again!) Amy knows she's on the bottom. Can't be any more explicit than having an alliance with literally everyone else in the game leaked. So if I were to be loyal to my alliance, obviously she goes next. However, Cheatham probably got an idol from the pool. And he lied about it. So maybe not the most trustworthy ally. If he didn't tell us about the idol, then what's he got planned for it? He has plans for the future, and those plans don't seem to involve me. Also he has a very acerbic attitude, and if we merge having him would make us much less appealing to work with because he makes it very obvious whether or not he wants to work with someone. So if we lose again (which i lowkey hope we do), Cheatham is hopefully being blindsided! (has to be a blindside bc he has an idol)

I know everyone is trying to act oblivious now but come on now lol Austin saying he hasnt heard a name? Boy we all heard names 24 hours ago, its just a question if those same names are still out. I just claimed I made little progress for the tribal so he tells me to inform him and Im like? Inform what? That the ground is now wet when it used to be dry? This sleep schedule sucks

(LATER)

I forgot Austin has a date with Mary Jane daily so Im gonna have to cut him some slack

(LMFAO)

So tbh Austin, Liam, and Tim have reasons to go but I also notice Kyle and Tim didnt want me and Gwen in until after we lost, and now they have us wanting Austin out. Again timing is important in this game. If we won I doubt this would happen. Right now Im not decided yet but I see the gears shifting, its just a question of where

(OMG CONFESSIONAL KING)

In my talks with Austin I kinda feign ignorance but I notice EVERYONE is doing that so I dont think that stratrgy is gonna work longterm. I know for a fact Austin has talked game to people so when he says he hasn't then oop. Id say a strength of mine is reading people at times and that is why I feel I can't do it as much unless I play dumb with these people. Too bad they seem to be doing the same!

Tim is a sneaky motherfucker and needs to be voted out like, yesterday. Getting the target off his back so fast. Ha. I’m onto you Timothy! Austin said that Tim said to watch out for me. I knew it. Thank you leaky Austin!! If I get voted out at tribal, let the record show that I did everything in my power to get Tim out. And if I go and he stays, these people are screwed. Love you all (especially my #1 Chris)!!

So I dont really think being in a group which has Tim and Kyle is gonna work. We were literally the only ones (Tim, Kyle, Rizo, Gwen) who talked of voting Austin in that chat and all of a sudden, Austin knows his name is out and Rizo/Tim/Kyle want us to not be "paranoid" and just split? Uh insert Tasha 'we got a rat' gif because WE GOT A RAT

This is so damn stressful! I really have no clue if I'm going tonight or what . I really like the tribe tho and hope I can make it past this first tribal . Find out in a few hours 😥

Oh my this is really messy LMAOO. I’m doing exactly what I wanted to do build a relationship with everyone and get included into multiple groups. Now I can pick which way I wanna go. I’m in 2 trios Chris and Gwen then Tim and Kyle. I also have Sara and Annmarie that trust me so I can do what I want. It’s crazy cuz I was the first person to suggest Tim to go and it was in fruition until Tim and Kyle came to me. I realized why vote him out when I’m getting info from him and he wants me to stay. So boom change the target to Austin because he is talking to everyone and told Kyle Tim name is brought up. So Tim got scared so then I changed my target to Austin and majority wanted him gone. But Kyle and Tim want Liam gone and I don’t mind him leaving it’s just he is a nonfactor. I lowkey want annemarie gone because she is leaking info and seems close to austin. Preferably I want austin gone but we are scared he has an idol so I want to split votes but Tim is scared. So Kyle recommend Annmarie and I’m going to make sure she goes cuz I was going to do Liam for the split. But then I worried annemarie would reveal to Tim I wanted him out and that would be bad. So I would like austin to go hopefully he misplays his idol and Annmarie goes home. And I will be in the majority. Out of the trio I’m more loyal to a Chris and Gwen but I do like Kyle a lot. Let’s see how tonight plays

The lil snakes Tim & Kyle threw my name out so one of them has to leave, it's just that simple folks. I'm confident I've got a majority behind getting Tim to leave so I'm faithful that he's gonna be gone tonight.

Something smells sorta fishy... That first hour or so after losing the comp was utter chaos. Chats were everywhere and I had no clue who I was even talking to half the time. Now lately, it's been quiet so that's nerve wrecking. Anyway...Austin. Bruh, he told me at first that Amy was in the pool and then a day later that cheatham was. This honestly a mistake or?! I know he's talking a lot to others and spreading info because Kyle told me that he told him that Liam knew he mentioned his name. Honestly, this was great because now Kyle thinks that AnnMarie leaked..which is true..she did. Lulul! So anyways, Austin mentioned making a majority alliance after this of me/Gwen/Rizo/Chris/AnnMarie...which is odd because that's already a group. Coincidence or?? Regardless, that group is way too powerful and something's gotta give at one point here!

I just made a massive move And it couldn’t have worked out any better I decided to mutiny to the other tribe. I somehow managed to convince my tribe to let me go without anyone realizing that I would be bringing the victory with me to Thrush. I talked with Austin after he came over Petrel before I left,  and we made a plan for me to work with Noah and cheatham to take out Amy. Things started great with those two, and we had an alliance chat within 15 minutes. Cheatham even revealed to me that he was the one in the pool, which he hadn’t even told Noah. I also found out that Amy has the self vote, which works out perfectly. Things are looking good. I just made possibly the biggest move of the season so far, and things seem to be working out great

(LATER)

SO WOOOOW. I am truly shocked by what is going on. So obviously we threw the challenge, but afterwards, things went insane. I was up for at least an hour, talking to everyone in the tribe. We threw to get Tim out. He is definitely someone I don't want to keep, he could really mess up my game. Kyle and Steven were way out of the loop, and honestly, it was sorta obvious that Kyle and Tim were working together. Both Tim and Kyle threw out the name liam due to their inactivity, which sucks, I hate when that is the reason for someone getting voted out. Surprisingly, Tim doesn't know his name is out there, or at least I don't think so. He is suspicious that he's missing something, but I won't be the one to tell him. I am working with austin. He's lovely and we click well. That is all I can think to say.

I wish there was a swap. If I'm gone I'm gone, i guess 4 people are voting me so my best hope is if gwen rizo kyle chris dont vote me ;(

i just have been listening to noah tbh

5 votes Tim, 4 votes AnnMarie.

[wrestlingisfake]

Impact Fake Rankings

Spoilers through March from the TV tapings in Las Vegas...

Men’s Singles division

babyfaces

Brian Cage

Rich Swann (X division champion)

Willie Mack

heels

Johnny Impact (world heavyweight champion)

Killer Kross

Moose

Unranked: Ethan Page

Kross and Moose had been working together against Johnny Impact, but then Kross helped Johnny turn on Cage, so presumably Cage will be feuding with all three heels for a while.  Swann has been feuding with the entire OVE stable (with some help from Mack).  The Eddie Edwards vs. Eli Drake feud seems to have been paused while they make a run for the tag team title--it wouldn’t shock me, however, if Drake breaks up the team to reignite the feud.

It feels like the X division may finally be finished.  TNA/Impact introduced the concept as a way to distinguish the “super-indies style” guys from the “WWE style” talent that dominated the heavyweight division.  Today, though, that distinction is meaningless, since “WWE style” has slowly embraced smaller, faster, flippier wrestlers.  More crucially, Impact doesn’t have enough men to support two separate singles divisions, and anybody who is too “big” (physically or promotionally) for the X belt has long since left for greener pastures.

Women’s division

babyfaces

Jordynne Grace

Rosemary

Kiera Hogan

Alisha Edwards

Scarlett Bordeaux

heels

Taya Valkyrie (women’s champion)

Tessa Blanchard

Su Yung

Allie

Turning Taya heel (in support of her husband Johnny Impact) clears the way for faces like Grace (and eventually Rosemary, I assume) to chase the title.  Gail Kim is coming out of retirement to feud with Blanchard, although it’s not yet clear if this is just for one program or if Kim is returning full-time.

Most of the rest are kind of mired in this weird story arc where Rosemary was trying to protect Allie from Su Yung, but then Yung turned Allie into Dark Allie or something and it’s like the Dungeon of Doom but on a channel nobody watches.  I don’t know why Rosemary doesn’t take her act someplace else.  Impact must be paying her well, but I can’t believe ROH, AEW, or WWE wouldn’t pay more.

Men’s tag team division

babyfaces

Lucha Bros. - Pentagon, Jr. & Fenix (Impact tag team champions)

Eddie Edwards & Eli Drake

Fallah Baah & KM

The Rascalz - Trey Miguel & Dezmond Xavier & Zachary Wentz

heels

OVE - Sami Callihan & Dave Crist & Jake Crist

LAX - Ortiz & Santana

Desi Hit Squad - Rohit Raju & Raj Singh

There’s a whole universe of promotions Penta and Fenix work with, including (but not limited to) AAA, Lucha Underground, Impact, PWG, MLW, AEW, CMLL, AAW, the Crash, and a group in Ecuador called WAR which I just found out about today.  So they’re effectively the biggest stars in almost every company they do business with.  Which means that if anybody ever signs the Lucha Bros. to a truly exclusive contract, the promotion that puts a ring on it is going to create a talent vacuum in a lot of other promotions.

It’s hard to imagine Impact coming out on top in the “who locks up the Lucha Bros.?” race, so they would do well to get as much out of Penta and Fenix as they can, and shift focus onto more fully committed talent.  Edwards and Drake have recently extended their contracts, so maybe that explains why they’re suddenly teaming and headed for a title match.

Appeared in 2019; not on official roster: Crazzy Steve, Ace Austin, Jake Atlas, Daga, Luchasaurus, Chris Bey, Delilah Doom, Damien Drake, Madman Fulton, Luster the Legend, Adam Thornstowe

At one point Impact could afford to sign all their talent to contracts, and only use talent that they’d signed.  Those days are long gone, which makes it difficult to tell which of these names are just freelancers passing through or long-term projects that just haven’t been added to the website yet.  Fulton (formerly Sawyer Fulton of WWE’s Sanity stable) was introduced as a new member of OVE, so I tend to think he’s a keeper.  As for the rest, we just have to wait and see.

No televised matches in 2019: Grado, Homicide, Hernandez, Katarina, King, Kongo Kong, Petey Williams, “Suicide”

The official roster on Impact’s website recently cleared out a lot of names that hadn’t appeared in months, but these names remained.  So I’m inclined to think they’re all sticking around, and just haven’t been needed for the last few rounds of TV tapings.  (Then again they could all be removed from the roster tomorrow.  Or they could return all at once as a new killer faction at the next PPV.  Tracking Impact is hard.)

Suicide is still listed on the roster, even though he’s just a gimmick that’s been played by multiple wrestlers, which hasn’t been used since April 2018. The last guy to play Suicide was Caleb Konley, and he’s been removed from the roster.  Obviously they could stick someone else in the costume, but there’s no indication that they will.

Part-timers: Disco Inferno, Gail Kim, Gama Singh, Jimmy Jacobs, Konnan, Scott Steiner, Tommy Dreamer

These performers show up and wrestle now once in a while, even though some of them (Steiner, Disco, Dreamer) are well past their prime and others (Konnan, Gama) seem like a medical emergency waiting to happen.  Jimmy Jacobs does still wrestle regularly, but rarely with Impact for some reason.  Gail’s future status may be difficult to ascertain until her feud with Tessa Blanchard is completed.

[marilynngmesalo]

New-look Daytona 500 has a certain throwback feel

New-look Daytona 500 has a certain throwback feel New-look Daytona 500 has a certain throwback feel http://bit.ly/2Scea0g

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Among those trying to win the Daytona 500 this year are a Florida watermelon farmer, a short-track champion from New England, a television analyst and a 22-year-old whose career nearly was derailed by a brain tumour.

The front row is the youngest in Daytona 500 history and it will be William Byron, a Liberty University student who had his wisdom teeth removed in the off-season, leading the field to green in Sunday’s showcase race to kick off the NASCAR season.

The overall look of the nation’s top racing series has undergone a transformation the last few seasons and proof is plastered on the hood of Corey LaJoie’s car. His full facial-haired face adorns his Ford Mustang, which easily makes him the most recognizable driver among the eight Daytona 500 rookies in the field.

“He looks like he’s going to eat you every lap,” quipped Clint Bowyer.

LaJoie’s paint scheme for his low-budget team is courtesy of sponsor Old Spice, which chose “The Great American Race” to promote its dry shampoo. Manscaped.com bought the space on the back of Landon Cassill’s car, Bubba Wallace signed Aftershokz headphones for the race. After Casey Mears made the field — his first race in two years — skateboard rim maker Rim Ryderz joined his program.

This Daytona 500 is unlike any in recent memory and truly highlights the dramatic loss of star power from just four years ago. The 2015 race featured Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Carl Edwards, Bobby Labonte, Michael Waltrip and Danica Patrick. All are now retired.

Some of the big-money sponsors in that race included Lowe’s, Target, Dollar General, GoDaddy and 5-Hour Energy. All have since pulled out of NASCAR.

What remains is a new-look NASCAR that nonetheless has a throwback feel.

NASCAR was built on the premise that if a budding driver or team owner could scrape together the funds to field a car, they could bring it down to the beach and try to make the big show. As the sport exploded past its Southern origins, it became nearly impossible for a new driver to claw his way into a ride.

Drivers take the green flag on the start of the first of two qualifying races for the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race at Daytona International Speedway Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019, in Daytona Beach, Fla.

But change has created opportunity — even second and third chances for a guy like Ross Chastain. The eighth-generation watermelon farmer impressed a sponsor with his work ethic and landed a career-changing ride with unexpected funding. Federal agents raided the sponsor right before Christmas, but Chastain still managed to land a seat for his first Daytona 500.

Ryan Preece bounced back and forth between NASCAR and New England short tracks before finally gambling on his future. He settled for a part-time job with a competitive team because he believed he could show his true talent if given the right equipment. Now he’s also a Daytona 500 rookie.

Same with Matt Tifft, who learned he had a brain tumour four races into his 2016 season. Or Daniel Hemric of Kannapolis, North Carolina, who followed hero Dale Earnhardt Sr. from the old mill town into a ride with Richard Childress Racing.

Parker Kligerman, a part-time racer and full-time television personality, raced his way into his second Daytona 500.

“Watching this race last year, I literally thought I’d never drive a Cup car again, never have another chance in the Daytona 500,” Kligerman said. “I’m doing TV full-time. It just didn’t seem like I was really getting anyone’s attention. For whatever reason, I just couldn’t find the right opportunity, couldn’t find a sponsor.”

“I went off and did the TV thing. You’ve seen drivers do that before, where they do something to up their profile, then they get back in a ride. It kind of feels like it’s finally all starting to work.”

Kligerman works for NBC Sports and so does Earnhardt Jr., his broadcast partner who will drive the first pickup truck to pace the race. It is an unexpectedly heavy NBC Sports promotion in a race broadcast by rival Fox.

Despite all the hardscrabble hopefuls who at various times figured they’d never make it to NASCAR’s biggest stage, the super teams still exist and the stars are the favourites.

Hendrick Motorsports and its four fast Chevrolets at the start of Speedweeks went 1-2-3-4 in time trials. Byron, who is 21, and 25-year-old teammate Alex Bowman swept the front row for qualifying and gave Chevrolet an early boost in its effort to defend last year’s Daytona 500 victory with Austin Dillon .

Still, Ford drivers swept both podiums in the pair of 150-mile qualifying races to load rows two, three and four with the brand new Mustang. Ford competed last year with the Fusion, winning 19 of 36 races and its first Cup title in 14 seasons, and is eager to make an immediate statement with its sportier new race car.

Kevin Harvick and Joey Logano, previous Daytona 500 winners, led the Ford charge. Logano and Team Penske teammate Brad Keselowski are listed as 8/1 favourites in betting lines.

Jimmie Johnson ended a 19-month losing streak with a victory in a Speedweeks exhibition race, but he triggered a 16-car accident while making his race-winning pass. Then contact with Kyle Busch in a qualifying race increased the scrutiny around Johnson, who has a new sponsor Ally Financial and a new crew chief for the first time since his 2001 debut.

The Toyota bunch has yet to stand out from the crowd, which doesn’t bother Martin Truex Jr. His 0-for-14 skid in the in the Daytona 500 is longest among active drivers, but he knows he’s got a chance Sunday.

“Out of the 40 cars, how many have a legit shot at winning? Probably 25,” he said.

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