#hideous snobs

[winepresswrath]

blithely ignoring my own complicated feelings about season one and also all signs that season two is going to be a shitshow to amcwtv post about how I am still sad that they took out one of my favourite Loustat beats (Louis looking down on Lestat for being a gold digging low class illiterate farmboy) out of the show. What of the trashy bimbo Lestat who lives in Louis' head paying rent in very specific ways? Lestat having his own money in that era & being some outward embodiment of institutional power feels like fanfic Lestat would write and I don't like it. However! We can still capitalize on one of my other favourite beats and have Louis completely take Lestat's dad's side in their sadly posthumous but I presume still ongoing-in-Lestat's head conflict. Lestat's dad being dead doesn't mean Louis can't judge Lestat for being a heartless and patricidal to a nice old man while Lestat writhes because he's actually embarrassed that he couldn't bring himself to kill his father even though he sucked. Bring Gabrielle into it in the worst ways. Bring Claudia into it so she can have her own justified patricidal feelings. Let's go give it to me.

[skenpiel]

the greatest thing homestuck ever did for us was invent tricksters, thus letting us all design cute candy themed outfits for any and all characters even though the actual canonical designs looked like complete total fucking garbage

[devouringbodies]

Wait a minute so they only released bones and all on bluray?? They didn't even bother to produce dvds??? That's so rancid.

[karvroom]

10 Things I Hate About Katsuki Bakugo

◤━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◥

⇦ 002. Your Overgrown Hatred for Assholes

003. French is the Language of Love

Kirishima was a quiet, but friendly boy who transferred from another school due to his dad's military career. U.A. was going to be the ninth school he's been to in the past ten years.

As a new student, he needed a mentor or someone to give him a tour of the large campus. Sero was assigned to show him around. They quickly became buddies after Sero's break down on the various cliques that occupied the school’s grounds.

Sero noticed Kirishima's aloof demeanor as he came to a stop. His eyes followed the red-head's. From the moment Kirishima saw Mina walking through the halls of U.A., he knew he had to have her. He was head over heels just by observing the way she walked and talked with her friends. Kirishima didn't care what everyone else said about her; she was a conceited, childish girl who would never date because of her father's house rules.

Of course, he was devastated to hear this at first. Alas, Kirishima wasn't one to give up so easily. It wouldn't be manly to allow a woman so stylishly wide-eyed and incredibly attractive to be swooned by a troll such as Kaminari and let him get away with it.

Once Sero mentioned Mina needed a French tutor, he knew that was his way in. Him and Sero devised of a brilliant plan: he would become a tutor for those who needed help in French. No, he didn't know the rich and melodic language , but he was willing to do anything just to grab Mina's attention from the snob, Denki Kaminari.

Kirishima was brought to when a bright red satchel was slammed onto the space next to him. His gaze followed the young lady that swiftly sat in the chair, folding one arm over the other, "Hi. Can we make this quick? Roxanne Corinne and Andrew Jarrett are having an incredibly horrendous public break-up on the quad, again."

"Oh, yeah, um, okay. I thought that we'd, um start with pronunciation, if that's all right with you." Why was he stuttering? Kirishima had never been this nervous before. He played with his fingers, feeling how sweaty his palms were. He felt like she could see right through him as her yellow irises grew.

Mina sighed, slumping her seat from the boredom that hit her, "Not the hacking and gagging and spitting part, please."

"Well, uh, there is an alternative."

"There is?" She smiled at the cloudy suggestion.

"Yeah. French food." Kirishima gulped, looking in every which way but Mina's. His cheeks flashed a color of pink as he continued, "We could eat some together, uh, Saturday night?"

"You're asking me out?" A sweet smile creeped onto Mina's face, revealing her pearly whites. The outer corners of her eyes scrunched together, "That's so cute. What's your name again?"

Kirishima moved his hands under the table, nervously fiddling with his sweaty fingers. He didn't know what he was doing. He was completely winging the entire thing, hoping she would say yes.

The red-head abashedly rubbed the nape of his neck as he stated his name, "Kirishima. Listen, I know that your dad doesn't let you date, but I thought that if it was for French class—"

Mina's face "Oh, wait a minute. Kelvin—"

"Kirishima." He kindly corrected, huffing at Mina's slight mispronunciation of his name.

"My dad just came up with a new rule. I can date when my sister does." Mina chimed, tapping her fingers against the light wood of the table. She kicked her feet beneath the table, glowing at the fact.

"You're kidding." Kirishima's heart began pounding out of his chest. He could hear the rhythmic sound in his ears, as he stared at Mina in absolute awe. He continued, "Let me ask you, do you like sailing? 'Cause I read about this place that rents out boats—"

"A beaucoup problemo, Kirkman. In case you haven't heard, my sister's a particularly hideous breed of loser."

Kirishima swallowed, not even bothering to remediate Mina once more. The lines on his forehead signified his concerns, realizing it wasn't as easy as he had wished to get the girl of his dreams. "Yeah. Yeah, I noticed she's a little antisocial. Why is that?"

"Unsolved mystery." Mina shrugged, her lips tightening into a thin line. "She used to be really popular, and then it was like she got sick of it or something. Theories abound as to why, but I'm pretty sure she's just incapable of human interaction. Plus, she's a bitch."

Kirishima was slightly shocked at how easy it was to get your sister to bad mouth you. He didn't expect it from someone so bubbly. Kirishima especially didn't expect the insults thrown to your name. He thought sisters were supposed to look out for each other, but no, Mina wasn't exactly the biggest fan of you.

"Well, yeah, but I'm sure, you know, that there are lots of guys who wouldn't mind going out with a difficult woman." Kirishima tried shedding some light on the situation, finding it hard to believe you were completely un-dateable. "I mean, you know, people jump out of airplanes and ski off cliffs. It's be like "Extreme Dating"."

"You think you could find someone that extreme?"

Kirishima smiled, realizing a plan was starting to come together, all he had to do was take action. "Yeah, sure, why not?"

"And you'd do that for me?" Mina put a hand on Kirishima's forearm. He thought he might explode in that moment. Suddenly, he felt more ecstatic.

"Hell, yes!" Kirishima shouted louder than he should've in the library, causing a few students to shush him. He shook his head, looking away from Mina as he brought his tone down a few notches, "I mean, you know, I could look into it."

◣━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◢

⇨ 004. An Idiot with Money

taglist🫐 @katsukota @wheezdostuff @honeydwitch @chuugarettes

[thepalerimitation]

Let Me See Some Hands:

Why SydCarmy is the most controversial dish served on the Bear

When the Bear came out, I didn’t watch it. The most I heard, it was a show about line cooks and it had the guy from Shameless. I wasn’t interested, I’m a self proclaimed cooking snob and wanted to see a tv show that had a little more flair in cooking.

But then it was 9 pm, and I was bored.

BAM!

I watched both seasons in a week.

I was obsessed, I was absorbed, and I was deeply and truly in love. The show captured everything gritty and everything beautiful with both hands and threw them into a pan to sear at high heat. It was sexy, it was hideous, and it was mind blowing.

Then the age old question.

What’s going on with those two?

Sydney Adamu, the raw ambition and talent to Carmy Berzatto’s genius and finesse. They’re well matched in the nonstop heat of the kitchen, with an easy dynamic that snags on their jagged edges like fabric on a nail.

In the first season, they’re awkward and magnetic, drifting together and falling apart, shattering and putting the pieces back together. By the second season, they’re starting to click. They dress the same, they finish each other’s sentences, and they argue like people who have known each other for twenty years.

So yes, I did pose that particularly debase question.

Can men and women be friends?

It’s a question that gets thrown in front of the runaway train. It’s the conversation-ender and argument-starter. It’s dynamite. It’s catnip.

The warning signs were there. Shots that focused for a beat too long on him looking at her, or her looking at him. Her embarrassingly admitting he made her favorite dish of all time. Their sign language communication. The season two conflict as a girlfriend was thrown in the mix with Sydney flatly saying “I need your focus, I can’t share, I’m sorry.” I’ll admit, I’ve made more out of less.

But what’s the counter argument?

Well, for one, the girlfriend. Claire (no last name), a nurse and childhood friend who approaches him at a grocery store. She asks for his number, he gives her a fake one. She finds his number anyways and calls him.

Yeah…

There’s some moral arguments. As coworkers, a romantic relationship would be inappropriate. As partners in the restaurants, a romantic relationship could fracture the Bear. Then there’s the purist argument. It’s a cooking show about found family! Let it be that. Romance doesn’t have to be in everything.

“Well gee, which do you think people are pro or anti SydCarmy?”

Well I can tell you why I’m pro.

To me, romance doesn’t demand satisfaction. There’s no need for boyfriend/girlfriend hand holding and playful arguments about doing the dishes. I’d like a kiss, but I’ll take a heated conversation in the walk-in and longing glance.

They’re young and crazy, and HR violations can shove it.

But I also think romance has killed some excellent plots.

Platonic representation is important, especially male-female relationships. I think a lot of platonic relationships are fetishized in media or misinterpreted to add intrigue or interest to audiences.

But can Syd and Carmy be friends?

The short answer?

Who Cares?

The long answer?

Whatever Storer’s design for the show, whether he moves forward in the unclear relationship between Syd and Carmy or buckles down on either platonic or romantic, he’s definitely won.

The show has buzz. It’s got attention and heat.

You hate the romance, so you watch it to prove it’s not there. You love the romance, so you watch it to prove it IS there. You’re curious because every news site talks about it, so you just have to watch it.

Even I’ll admit, I’ve rewatched it and stayed hooked to prove my little delusion. (And because it’s beautifully acted, but who cares about that).

So whether you’re pro or against, just remember:

There is no controversy that wasn’t first stirred up by a clever strategist.

[rafesveryrealgf]

Never been kissed

(Rafe x kook!reader)

Warning: NON CANON, minor!rafe x minor!reader, kissing.

Synopsis: You, and your best friend, Rafe, are 15 yrs old. The summer going into 10th grade, You were hanging out when the topic took a turn, and Rafe asked you about your first kiss. You felt embarrassed that you still hadn’t had your first kiss so, Rafe thought it would be a good idea to get it over with so you didn’t have to go into 10th grade still not having experienced a first kiss.

You, and Rafe had been hanging out at his place for the whole summer, and you never once got tired of it.

Rafe was your best friend; your only best friend, and there wasn’t a damn thing you couldn’t trust him with. He was a good friend, and always had your back. When the other Kooks would pick on you, he’d be right there to defend you.

Having Rafe by your side was a good thing, he was the king kook, but it had its down sides. Due to you and Rafe being best friends, you two were practically inseparable so, with that being said, no guys would even come close to you. They were all afraid Rafe had his eyes on you already, and didn’t want to be Rafe’s next victim.

Today, you and Rafe were hanging out at his house, in his room.

You were sitting on his bed, leaned up against his headboard with your legs criss crossed, twiddling your fingers while Rafe was busy digging through his closet.

“Does this outfit look okay,” He came out, and held up a baby blue collared shirt on a hanger, with khaki shorts hanging just below. “Y’know for the first day of school?”

“Rafe, it looks like every other outfit you own, the only difference is the color.” You chuckled.

He rolled his eyes at you.

“Yeah, whatever. I don’t care for your opinion any way.” He joked.

“Who’re you trying to impress?” You tilted your head with a smile.

“No one,” He answered quickly, eyeing you harshly as you joked.

He turned around and went back into his closet to neatly put the clothes away.

He walked back out and sat in front of you, on the bed.

“Oh c’mon. There’s absolutely no one at our school that you’re interested in?” You leaned forward, grabbing his hand and began tossing it up, and down, making his arm do the ‘worm’, hoping for some answers.

“No,” he chuckled.

You frowned at his answer, giving the puppy dogs at him so he’d fold.

“Well,” he dragged out. “I dunno.”

Your shoulders fell.

“Stop asking me about girls,” he pushed your shoulder back in a playful way, and chuckled. “I’m sure you like tons of guys so, tell me about them.”

“All the guys at our school are hideous snobs, Rafe.” You snickered at him.

“Hey! I go there, asshole.” He tackled you into the bed, tickling you, until you begged for him to stop.

“Obviously not you.” You breathed out. “I don’t find many of them attractive, and I think they feel the same about me.”

“Why do you feel that way?” He furrowed his brows at you, genuinely wanting to know.

You sighed, sitting up. “I mean, it’s obvious. People our age are like…having sex, and I haven’t even had my first kiss yet.” You frowned.

“Wait, what?” He eyed you deeply, as if he were taken aback by your response. “You haven’t had your first kiss?” He chuckled.

“Yeah.. I mean it’s super embarrassing, I know.”

“No. No, it’s not y/n. Some guys actually prefer their girl…untouched, y’know.” He patted your thigh in a comforting way.

“Ugh…but I feel like a loser.” You huffed, face now slowly turning red.

You were slowly regretting telling Rafe you hadn’t had your first kiss, only because instead of teasing you, it seemed he had actually felt bad for you. Which was somehow far worse than him just teasing you about it.

“You know..if you want..,” He pinched his eyes closed, and pursed his lips together as if he were about to say something he’d regret. “I can help.”

You both looked at each other quickly, before you began laughing, uncontrollably. But he kept a straight face, which quickly helped you realize he wasn’t joking.

“Look, it’s weird.. trust me, I know,” he said.

He straightened his body on your bed to propose his idea. “…but we’re best friends, so, I’m willing to take one for the team,” He smirked before continuing. “So you don’t have to walk into tenth grade looking like a loser.”

You could tell he was joking at the last part, but every thing he said before ‘looking like a loser’ had seemed very serious.

What was so bad about kissing Rafe any way? He was a good ass friend to you, and here he was offering himself to you so you didn’t have to feel shitty about not having your first kiss. It’s not like the kiss would mean something to either of you any way, so why not?

“Okay, but.. I don’t exactly know how to either.” You said, clasping your hands together, and pursing your lips.

“That’s okay, I can teach you.” He shrugged.

You hesitated for a second then nodded.

He scooted closer to you, and soon after, brought one hand to your cheek.

You both leaned in,

And just when he got inches away from your face, you snorted. You couldn’t contain your laugh. And to be quite frank it was awkward. This was your best friend that you were about to kiss, and never in a million years would you have thought that this would ever happen.

“Y/n, be serious.” He rolled his eyes.

At this point Rafe was more adamant on kissing you than you were him.

“Okay, okay. I’m ready.” You giggled one last time before straightening yourself out.

He leaned back in, and you closed your eyes. this time, your lips connected.

You were confused on what to do with your hands so they sat neatly in your lap while his hands were caressing your face.

Your lips were still, while his were going all over the place, his head tilting to each side with every couple of kisses.

Even though this was supposed to be purely platonic, you couldn’t help but feel jitters in your stomach. Your cheeks were now feeling warm, as you began to kiss back. Your heart tightened when he swiped his tongue between your lips. And not long after you got the hang of it, you began swiping your tongue between his lips too.

The kiss was only supposed to last a second, but turned into a full blown make out session, and you were confused, but nonetheless, enjoying it. Rafe kissing you the way he did had unleashed feelings towards him that you hadn’t seen or felt before.

He pulled away from your lips with his hands still placed on your cheeks.

“And…” he drawled, his face falling into a smirk as he looked into your eyes. “Just like that.”

You never noticed how hypnotizing his piercing blue eyes were until you found yourself unable to look away from them.

You then leaned in for another kiss.

[the-bjd-community-confess]

I'm in a nice little discord for a local bjd group and it's nice but I just have to vent about how one person in it acts. We all love to share our photos and most of us have some flavor of cheap DSLR, but theirs is one of the super expensive high end ones. They take really good pics and have a good sense of composition and general photo ideas and I like seeing their pics and what a high end camera can do for dolls.

But man. I wish they weren't such a snob. The way they talk about their own photos is demoralising at best and obnoxious at worst. 'Ugh the colours in this look disgusting, it's completely unuseable' 'the lighting was unsalvageable so I only have this hideous mess.' 'Didn't save any of these because they look like shit so I just deleted them all. Every last one of those photos was something way better than me or probably anyone else in the group could do. For the life of me I can't even pick up the differences in the photos they're proud of vs the ones that are 'shitty and unuseable'. I think most people probably can't. There are also photos they're proud of and put up on their Instagram that I think look 'worse' than ones they complained and complained about and said can't see the light of day, (not that any of them are truly bad) so I can't even grasp their own criteria of good vs bad.I know being a perfectionist turns you into your own worst enemy, but it's really uncomfortable.

When they're trashing and insulting these amazing photos for not being Pulitzer Prize worthy it just makes me feel like they must think mine and everyone else's are even shittier and not worth sharing whatsoever. It almost makes me not even want to post photos where they can see so I don't have to worry about how they might feel about whatever minuscule error is in the picture barely perceivable to the naked eye but I also cant bring myself to care that much when I'm taking photos of my dolls for fun because I enjoy it.

Honestly if you're being this hard on yourself over doll photos of all things maybe you need to reevaluate what you actually want out of this hobby. It's meant to be fun. Photographing dolls is meant to be fun. If you're constantly beating yourself up over perfectly fine, regular photos then I really don't think you're having as much fun as you say you are, not to even mention how your constant negativity brings others down.

~Anonymous

[topazadine]

OC Fun Facts!

I'm joining in on the new game @mysticstarlightduck started with her post on the Scrapyard Boys!

I'll share some details about the three main characters from 9 Years Yearning: Uileac Korviridi, Orrinir Relickim, and Cerie Korviridi (Uileac's little sister).

Rules: Make a list of fun facts about your OCs. Like a headcanon list, if you will! Except it's actually canon lol.

Uileac Korviridi

He's obsessed with tea. Like, unhealthily obsessed. And a tea snob. Worst man ever. His least favorite household chore is mopping the floors because they just get dirty again in five seconds so why bother 🙄 If he had to pick a profession other than soldier, he'd be a horse trainer. While Uileac loves all animals, he has a healthy fear of chickens. They're just so damn unnerving. Something about those weird little beady eyes. He'd rather deal with a bucking horse than an angry rooster. (Yes, he knows it's irrational ok) His perfect day off would be spent going on a picnic with Orrinir, Cerie, and their horses to a nice spot by the Great Gold River. Of course, he'd have to stay on alert for Cerie shoving him into the river for funsies. When he's not in his Bremish Cavalry uniform, he's not very picky about his clothes. Just a normal tunic and a cozy pair of trousers. He's a bit of a homebody at heart.

Orrinir Relickim

His bad habit is being LOUD. The man has no volume control. Orrinir's pretty vain, especially about his hair. Look, it's gorgeous and luscious and such a nice cherry red - who wouldn't be proud? His signature cologne is an amber perfume stick Uileac bought him. Secretly everyone thinks it smells kind of awful, and Orrinir agrees, but Uileac bought it for him and now Uileac thinks he likes the smell so he's trapped smelling like amber forever and ever. Or at least until he grows a damn spine. At home, you're likely to find him wearing hideous paisley or floral prints. His sister-in-law Cerie buys them for him at festivals as a joke, but he wears them anyway. Both because it doesn't make sense to waste good fabric, but also because it makes Cerie mad to see him so unbothered by it. Orrinir loves to cook, which is convenient because Uileac hates to cook (but loves to eat). His favorite thing to make is yak butter scones with fresh elderberry jam. His favorite atribute about himself is being able to slice through damn near anything because he keeps his sword surgery-sharp.

Cerie Korviridi

Cerie is, and will always be, the baby of the family. She can't escape it. This is her eternal curse. Her brother Uileac and brother-in-law Orrinir spoil, coddle, and henpeck her about everything, well after the age when they should. Her bad habit is being a bit of a whiner, though she eventually grows out of that. Cerie's perfect day would be spent at the library inhaling random books about topics that she never cared about until right that minute. Unlike her older brother, Cerie has an insatiable sweet tooth. Her favorite is cardamom milkcakes, which are spicy and kind of glutinous. She can NOT handle her liquor. Get her drunk and she's just going crazy. Then crying about a hangover the next day. Cerie is a messy little shit so it's fortunate that she lives with her brother and brother-in-law, who always pick up after her even though they complain about it incessantly 😌 she has them very well trained.

Open tag!

[realcube]

YOU GOT: KEIJI AKAASHI

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ matchup for @lady-of-endless

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ if you would like a matchup, read this!

'MBTI: INFJ'

𓆩♡𓆪 according to personality database, akaashi is an INTJ

𓆩♡𓆪 which i agree with tbh , usually personality database has some unqiue opinions based in nothing but imo INTJ is accurate for him

𓆩♡𓆪 anyway this means you are both very similar; you're both judging types which means you both tend to plan things out and make decisions based on logic and reason opposed to whimsy

𓆩♡𓆪 which is great because akaashi probably doesn't have the capacity to handle another bokuto

𓆩♡𓆪 he just needs someone stable and rational who isn't pushing him outside of his comfort zone every other day and that person is youu

𓆩♡𓆪 and your both introverts which is great because at functions he WILL be hanging out with you opposed to mingling

𓆩♡𓆪 not because he is shy though , literally just because he cba and he prefers your company anyway

𓆩♡𓆪 the only difference you have is you are feeling and he is thinking type

𓆩♡𓆪 and i think this is a very beneficial place to be seperated on because it means you can both learn to see things from a new perspective

𓆩♡𓆪 like you could definitely teach him to be more empathetic and open-minded

𓆩♡𓆪 while he could teach you to be more strict — since being compassionate, especially overly so isn't always a good thing and can lead to you being taken advantage of or needless upset

𓆩♡𓆪 and there is no way he is going to let something like that happen to you

𓆩♡𓆪 he finds how caring you are to be sweet though , and he wouldn't change a thing about you

𓆩♡𓆪 and being around you DEFINITELY makes him less cynical , thats for sure

𓆩♡𓆪 like he'll watch a murder documentary on netflix and be like "everyone is hideous on the inside and we're all just psychopaths"

𓆩♡𓆪 but then he'll hang out with you and be like "nevermind ☺"

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵  

'going to the gym, listening to music, reading and studying, learning new stuff, playing the guitar'

𓆩♡𓆪 i can't imagine akaashi being a gym rat. like he i could defo see him as a person who goes to the gym, but not gym rat. he mostly just goes bc he feels like he has to

𓆩♡𓆪but omg if he finds out you go to the gym .. for fun..

𓆩♡𓆪 he will become the biggest poser on earth

𓆩♡𓆪 he seems like a "gym once a week" type of guy but as soon as he hears that you go daily or x amount of times a week, you can catch him on shoulder press machine 24/7

𓆩♡𓆪 not even ushijima HIMSELF could pull that mf away from the stair master

𓆩♡𓆪 all that just so he has the chance of running into you and having something to talk to you about

𓆩♡𓆪 but the difference between him doing it opposed to bokuto or someone else, is that he doesn't even know that he's doing it for you

𓆩♡𓆪 like he just starts hanging out in the gym more but in his head he is like "yeah i'll just stay for a couple more sets before i go... for my health... not for any other reason... hm"

𓆩♡𓆪 but deep down he is praying that you'll come in at any moment

𓆩♡𓆪 but that's like pre-dating. after y'all start dating he keeps this gym rat facade up for maybe a couple months before he admits he's a lazy shit

𓆩♡𓆪 jk actually dating you would probably get him going to the gym more anyway so maybe you never find out

𓆩♡𓆪he is definitely the reading type, i'm pretty sure it's canon that he is a manga editor after the timeskip??

𓆩♡𓆪 anyway he would definitely be giving you book/manga reccs once y'all start dating

𓆩♡𓆪 and he's unreal because if you give him a recc back he will ACTUALLY read it just so you guys have something to talk about

𓆩♡𓆪 even if it's abosolute trash , he'll still read it but just so he can complain about it and tease you for having horrible taste

𓆩♡𓆪 as if he doesn't read manga .. i mean, who does that?! (👀)

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

'Ideal first date: movie and a walk'

𓆩♡𓆪 oki this is defo what made me pick akaashi for you

𓆩♡𓆪 i can totally imagine him as a film snob though so you are going to have to deal with him putting on some pretentious ass "classic" film like fight club ARGH

𓆩♡𓆪 unless you're into that kinda stuff then y'all are just a match made

𓆩♡𓆪 or it could go the opposite way around and you convince him to watch a funny but objectively "poor" movie like sausage party

𓆩♡𓆪 or you could compromise and watch a critically aclaimed movie made for wide audiences like deadpool or barbie

𓆩♡𓆪 omg he sooo wants to watch something mentally stimulating and challenging with you so you guys can have in depth discussions about the plot over a glass of wine

𓆩♡𓆪 but on your first date bokuto told him beforehand "bro you gotta watch a scary film, she'll get so scared she'll jump into your arms and then you don't even need to make a move"

𓆩♡𓆪 and at first he is apprehensive but bokuto has probably had wayyy more gfs than him so he just goes with it

𓆩♡𓆪 so he puts on a horror movie and he isn't easily scared but it wouldn't matter if he was anyway because the whole time he is just passing glances at you like 👁👁 waiting for you to squeal and leap into his arms like bokuto said you would

𓆩♡𓆪 v disappointed when that doesn't happen

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

for @lady-of-endless: you are such a sweetie pie so you deserved someone as sweet ! akaashi was the first person that sprung to mind for you tbh. i briefly considered kenma but it was mostly akaashi supremacy for you

[rosellabascomacapinlac]

Oh dear God,

Why I was being rejected, snobbed, and underestimated? Because of an overprotected ugly faced class bully in high school spread false rumors about me since first time I met her, what very strong sexually thirsty spells are those? I never liked to let that feeble minded immature hideous matured faced hooker rape me not even for the money and candies, what a cheapstake. Before it was the violent psycho who almost broke my arm, then that rapist hooker from Highschool, then the false rumor-spreading jealous witch from high school, miserable college life, Sriram Bronzo, and now a random rapists came to me plus my grandma’s house cleaner the Mr. Imperfect go rapist mode and a gold digger mode after those other video games released some trailers. Video games trailers after they saw my face at outside, every time travel with my family.

Why I was being rejected, snobbed, and underestimated? Because of an overprotected ugly faced class bully in high school spread false rumors about me since first time I met her, what very strong sexually thirsty spells are those? I never liked to let that feeble minded immature hideous matured faced hooker rape me not even for the money and candies, what a cheapstake. Before it was the violent psycho who almost broke my arm, then that rapist hooker from Highschool, then the false rumor-spreading jealous witch from high school, miserable college life, Sriram Bronzo, and now a random rapists came to me plus my grandma’s house cleaner the Mr. Imperfect go rapist mode and gold digger mode, if I refused to pay him because it's a big waste of time, money, and hygiene, then he will gonna sued me for my money.

It's extremely not cool, Castlevania, street fighter ex, and Fighting ex Layer

[coldflasher]

not to be a snob, but i'm gonna---in i thiiiink 9x01, i believe it's mentioned that barry and iris will be moving into joe's house to raise bart and nora when joe leaves CC and while i can appreciate a little childhood nostalgia as much as the next gal, i do not understand why they would do this. it is canonically established that joe's house is tiny. you could probably fit three or four of that house into barry and iris's monstrously large and fancy apartment. it's SUCH a downgrade. imagine raising two speedster kids in a house where there isn't enough room to swing a cat. they'd be climbing the walls!! probably literally because SPEEDSTERS VERY MUCH CAN AND DO RUN UP WALLS!!

admittedly i do think the suburban location is more desirable than barry and iris's inner city apartment, but from a logistical perspective i feel that barry's comings and goings as the flash would be far less noticeable in a busy city location than out on some quiet cul-de-sac on the city limits

once again this boils down to this obsession that tv shows (or perhaps americans generally? i say this with love and curiosity because i have no idea if this is actually reflective of people's actual real-life decision-making so if this is a tv show thing i do apologize for the generalization) have with legacy and like, heirlooms and family history that i feel isn't such a sacred thing in england? i don't know if it's perhaps related to the relative youth of the country that results in this desire to kind of create a history for one's self and really prioritize that personal family history and legacy, but particularly in shows the characters always seem to borrow or inherit things, from abstract things like names (every tv show character's kid is named after a (usually deceased) loved one or relative, we already know i hate this) and career paths to physical objects like property, with engagement rings being the biggest offender. has any american tv show or book character ever had an engagement ring that wasn't passed down from a previous generation, with no consideration of individual preference or taste?

maybe i'm just a cynic and also generally a hater (i maintain that 90% of fictional women have ugly wedding dresses and also, bella swan's hideous ostritch egg-sized wedding ring comes to mind) but it bothers me personally as someone who would very much want a say in the appearance of the ring i would presumably be wearing daily for the rest of my life?

i don't know where i'm going with this but just. why would they get rid of their large and beautiful apartment to move into joe's tiny house that's a quarter of the size?? WHY!! YOU ALREADY HAVE A FAR NICER PROPERTY! and also barry you are a millionaire at least. you could just buy another house...

[doctorhouse5343]

This Ship's Going Down

The soothing sound of the waves crashing onto the sandy shore and the squawks of the seagulls brought a smile to Hob's lips as he got out of bed, letting out a loud yawn as he stretched before making his way to the bathroom to take his morning shower while humming a little tune. After he was done he dried himself with a towel before putting on his favorite booty shorts that 'Road Works Ahead' on the back and a crop top that had 'FR E SH A VOCA DO' written on it.

Cheesy crop tops were a weakness of his and to complete the look he put on a pair of star shaped sunglasses before making his way to the kitchen with a wide smile as he approached the dark haired man seated at the table, the one that he was proud to call the love of his life, his reason for getting up and cease the day with a bright smile. 

"Hello, my sweet little dark muffin that I love so much!" Dream rolled his eyes in amusement at the silly little pet name that the journalist loved to use on him, it never failed to make the brooding painter chuckle and snort. "Hello my Hob...You look quite handsome today" He commented as he looked up at Hob with a playful glint in his eyes, looking at the silly crop top with a grin as he gave him a tender kiss before smiling as he watched the brown haired male bend over to make himself a cup of coffee, he knew that the journalist was doing it on purpose to show off his perfect ass, which was accentuated by the shorts that he loved to wear. "Thanks, love, but you are the most magnificent one here at the moment" He winked, chuckled as he took a sip of his coffee "You always brew the best roast, duck. I don't know how you do it, mine always tastes like burnt cardboard" The journalist sighed as he continued to take a sip of the beverage, closing his eyes in delight at the bitterness of it, something that he learned to love eversince Dream came into his life years ago. 

Back then Hob was just a simple journalist that came to the city, trying to fit in an environment that was so different from the coastal town that he grew up in. There were days were he had been tempted to just go back but with the emotional support and encouragement that his parents provided him with over the phone, the journalist was finally getting used to his new life. He did a few articles here and there for a while until one day he was invited to cover the unveiling of a well known artist's latest work of art and even though he was sure that the event would be full of snobs, Hob was quite eager to have something good to write so it was with sun-shaped sunglasses and hope in his heart that he went to the art gallery, where he laid eyes on the most beautiful man that he ever encountered.

Dream Endless was standing in the corner, giving a few nods and murmurs of thanks to the guests who complimented his painting while crossing his arms with a sigh. Even though he did feel proud of his work, he couldn't help but think about each little flaw that it had and as he was brooding he caught a glimpse of the walking fashion disaster that was Robert 'Hob' Gadling , a journalist that had just moved in the area a few months ago. The man was wearing a crop top that had a cat with sunglasses on it and a pair of booty shorts that flattered his rear nicely, the outfit would have been passable if it weren't for those hideous sun-shaped shades that the journalist was wearing that day. The journalist then smiled at him while taking a few pictures while chatting about the weather in a way that made the artist's worries melt away and after exchanging numbers they had promised to see one another more often.

That one encounter lead to the two falling in love and eventually getting married in the lovely coastal town that Hob came from, the two of them moving in the house that he grew up in, which was near the seashore. With a sigh, Hob opened his eyes and looked into his mug, the memories of the past still lingering on his mind as he lifted his head to look at his husband "Duck, do you...sometimes hope for something exciting to happen? Don't get me wrong, I love it here, it is good to be back, but," The journalist shook his head, walking towards the table to sit on a chair before continuing "I can't help but feel bored here. I wish an incredible thing would happen, that someone would discover the existence of a new species, anything that could inspire me to do an article on it". Dream's hand caressed the cheek of his husband before pulling him into a tender kiss "Do not fret, my love. I am certain that you will find what you seek eventually, do be patient. Now come, I believe you promised me a walk around the town and visit the pub that you claim makes the best fish and chips in the whole world" His husband's giggle at his words brought a smile to the artist's lips as they both walked out into the town, not aware that Hob's wish would come true in a rather odd way. 

Mervyn was the town's local fisherman, well liked by many despite his rather gruff nature and a man that knew the sea like the back of his hand. Not once did he ever get lost so when he had gone off on his boat for a three day trip with his friend Matthew everyone was expecting the two to return eventually. But when 'The White Pony' didn't come to the docks as planned the people got worried, they were about to send out a few men to come find them until the boat finally came into view with the two fishermen looking pale as a ghost and utterly terrified. When asked what happened, the older man let out a hiss as he looked behind himself before stopping Matthew from answering "Shhhh, don't talk here! It could hear us!" Mervyn scowled, muttering under his breath as he dragged the younger male into the pub so that he could have a much needed pint "C'mon, Merv, it's not like it could get us on land, you are overreact-" The words died in the male's throat at the glare that his friend gave him, sitting down next to him at the counter while Mervyn ordered two pints.

 Eventually the fisherman sighed, shaking his head "You know as well as I do that the thing that we saw, it will get us if we ever let it" He grumbled as he thanked the bar-keep before taking a sip of his beer before turning around to face the other patrons "Alright lads, I know all of you have been wondering where we have been all this time so I'll tell ya, so sit back, enjoy your drink as I set the scene. Me and Matthew were on the waters, there was no activity so we had decided to pass the time by playing a game of 'Go Fish' with deck of cards, I was about to win until suddenly, something turned our boat over from down bellow. I didn't have the time to register what had happened, I kept looking around to figure what had caused it until I saw what looked like a person in the water, it had long white hair that draped over it's shoulders and, shut up Matthew, I know what I saw, bones decorating it. Human bones. Since I was mad as hell and wanted an explanation I swam to it, yelling at it until it slowly turned around to face me". 

The fisherman took a moment to pause, taking a swig of his beer to steel himself before continuing, his hand shaking "At that very moment, I wish that it didn't. Because when it turned around to face me, I was sure that it was the incarnation of death, there to take me : it's skin was grayish black with a white skeletal pattern that started on it's face, going down on it's torso and ending on it's bony fingers. As if it couldn't get scarier than this, it had glowing crystal blue eyes full of hatred that glared at me as it opened it's mouth. It didn't do it speak, oh no, it wasn't interested in speaking with mortals. Instead it showed off it's long, sharp needle-like teeth, making sure that I had a good look at them before letting out an ear piercing shriek and diving into the water, making a splash as it's tail fin hit the water" His grey eyes went hard as he looked around "Now I won't tell you all to avoid the sea but I will say this : if you aren't careful, the siren won't hesitate to have you all for lunch" The old man soon finished his pint as he grinned at the journalist, who listened to the tale "So, lad, do you have any questions that you would like to ask me?". 

Hob nodded eagerly, pulling out his notebook and pen to write until he felt Dream's hand on his shoulder "Not tonight, Mervyn. Though it is good to see you well, I hope that the tide shall be kinder on your next trip" The artist's words brought a nod out of the older man, who then became serious as he replied "And I hope you and your husband here take good care of yourselves out there, the waters can be treacherous and unpredictable" With those words he returned to his beer while the journalist was dragged of by his husband. Hob waited until they were out of ear shot before turning around to face the elegant goth "Why did you that, Dream? That could have been my breakthrough, the start of an amazing article!".

His words brought out a sigh out of the brooding artist, who leaned against the wall as he looked at him "Sirens and the likes are merely tales that parents tell their children before they sleep, they aren't real. I will not let you go around chasing down myths to feel alive, Robert Gadling. I can't allow it, if something were to happen to you as a result of this..." The wetness in Dream's eyes tore Hob's heart out as he gently pulled him into a hug, pressing a kiss onto the top of his love "Don't worry duck, I won't do that. You have my word" He assured, determined to keep his promise as he lead his lover back home, they both had enough excitement for the evening. During the days following the tale of Mervyn's disastrous fishing trip were peaceful, Hob managed to not give in to the temptation of doing research about the sea creature despite hearing a few people claiming to have seen it as well. 

It was when the journalist had went out to the market to go get some fresh vegetables for a casserole that he learned of an interesting bit of information "Wait, you saw the siren getting closer to the shore?" He had asked one of the shoppers, a kind lady that he had spoken to once or twice "Oh yes, today actually, an hour ago to be exact. It actually looked frustrated when it saw me looking, it let out that awful sound before heading out into the waters. What a rude creature" The woman said, clicking her tongue in disapproval. Convinced that there was an explanation for all the sightings, the journalist thanked the kind woman before running back to his home, filled with determination.

As soon as he got it in, he ran off into his office to look at the map of the area that lived in and marking the spots were the shrieking terror of the sea was seen at with a red pin. After he had done so he leaned against his desk, pondering on the possible reasons for it's behavior : it was unlikely that it was because it had babies, the same could be said about the mating season so the waters had to be it's territory, it's hunting ground. While the area being were it hunted in explained why it tossed 'The White Pony' over, it didn't answer the question that was on Hob's mind : why was it getting closer to the shore and why was it so angry to see someone near?

The journalist sighed as he examined the map "Considering the fact that it must have gotten itself a prey recently, 'was probably searching for a secluded area to eat away from prying eyes. But were could that be? What place as a shore with enough space for both the siren and it's meal while allowing it to be left alo-" Hob's brown eyes widened as he sat down for a moment, the answer hitting him faster than a freight-train : the shores near their home were isolated enough for it to provide a safe space for the siren to eat so it was with renewed fervor that the brown-haired male prepared himself a sandwich, added a new film in his camera and bringing a lantern with him before going out of the house to go on the sandy shore. He then hid behind the large rocks that lined the sand, providing him with a good hiding spot as he waited for nightfall.

As the moon's light shined over the waters, a head slowly rose out of the water, looking around before diving back into the waters, it's shadows getting closer to the shore until it emerged with a splash, waking up the journalist who had dozed off. Curious and excited, Hob peeked his head out of his hiding spot to look and he had to suppress a gasp of awe at the sight of the beauty of the sea : while the old sea-man's description of the siren was accurate, it also didn't do it justice. The monster's long hair was well kept, showing that the beast took good care of it and it's torso was well muscled despite it's thinness, the pattern only made the creature more beautiful to the journalist and when the fish-male (he assumed that the siren was male due to it's features) turned his face in the man's direction, Hob felt himself getting more obsessed with the creature that he had heard so many tales of, the crystalline blue eyes that it did luring him in the further he looked into them.

'At this point, all that beauty would have to do to lure me into my doom is speak and I would happily drown in the waters with him, if it would mean getting a chance to be near it' He told himself with a love-struck smile, mentally slapping himself afterwards to himself focus on the reason why he was there while getting his camera ready. The siren looked around itself before heading near the water to drag out the body of what the brown-haired male assumed was the shrieking terror's meal, placing it on the sand before using it's clawed finger to cut open the throat, making it's way down until it had reached the hips. The sounds of ripping flesh soon filled the air as it began to feast on it's prey, biting and pulling out chunks as it ate before making it's way to the stomach, slurping down the intestines in a way that made Hob cross out spaghetti out of his menu as he watched the monster eat in a messy way. 

After it had finished, the siren began to rip open the chest cavity, a chirp of delight leaving it's lips as it's hand pulled out what it had been craving. The journalist watched the half-fish person take a deep inhale of the organ, watching it's face light up with joy as it opened it's bloody mouth wide, it's long sharp needle-like teeth stained with red glinting in the moon light before taking a huge bite out of the heart that it was holding, letting out noises of delight as it was eating with gusto. It was about to sink it's teeth further into it until a odd flash of light disturbed it, but to the journalist's delightful surprise, the siren was far more interested in finishing it's meal.

Hob let out a silent sigh of relief, he had completely forgot to turn off the flash when he captured that moment with his camera but when the creature finished the organ and moved on to the rest, the journalist didn't do the same mistake again as he took a few more pictures and it was with a smile that he took one last photo of the beautiful nightmare of the sea before heading back inside quietly to print them out in his office.

"These will be perfect to use to ask the people who saw it a few questions, though I will keep the one were he eats that heart for myself...Hell, I might even put it in a frame to hang it on the wall, along with the one were he skewers the eyeballs on his claws before eating them" Hob said with a smile in the empty room, his finger gently tracing the white half-skull pattern on the siren's face in the photo, wondering how the skin would feel "I can't wait to properly meet you, my beautiful nightmare of the sea" He murmured as he gazed at the printed picture lovingly, placing it tenderly in an empty folder along with the other one that he planned to frame before heading of to his room to sleep, hoping that his dreams would be full of the white-haired siren who captured his heart with just one look.

[raraeavesmoriendi]

let me preface this by saying that my migraine is going on day 4 so I’m not going to be the most articulate

but I can’t get over how the wonka experience/house of illuminati bullshit really is just incredibly symbolic of genAI and the people who use it.

> someone steals the legitimate creations of the effort, time, and talent of other people (look at all the stolen photos on that website that aren’t genAI, jesus christ)

> carelessly mashes them together to create some meaningless slurry with no real care for the “product,” because they’re too entitled to place real value in the creative process and the decision-making inherent therein.

> misrepresents themselves with skills they don’t have, that they also don’t value enough to actually learn or hire real craftspeople to perform

> (ime because their ego is so inflated they can’t let themselves be allowed to be seen as a beginner at something, much less making an effort)

> all for the sake of greed - usually for cash, sometimes just for unearned recognition - while cutting as many corners as possible to get to the end result. with no consideration for the people they’re taking advantage of at any stage of their dipshit scheme, or even the ridiculously huge amount of natural resources these things suck up and burn.

and these companies keep making money bc the lowest common denominator keeps poking the shiny button to jingle the keys, which is how scumsuckers like Matt over there make a quick buck by selling out.

it’s excusing theft from real artists/writers/etc. who have dedicated time and discipline to hone their skills, for the sake of the lowest possible effort distraction that isn’t worth the water or air or electricity it burns up.

it’s hard not to feel disgusted. idc if that makes me pretentious or a snob. I hope those people are forever associated with the hideous fake drivel they produce.

[mbrainspaz]

Yeah the whole business is stressful and demeaning but I think the real reason I'll never make it as a Graphic Designer is because I never believed in a singular design aesthetic or movement enough to defend it. I grew up messing around with early 3D and grunge and when people told me that was overdone and ugly I shrugged and did some minimalism. Then the hipsters came and told me that was boring and I needed some natural textures. Did that for a while. Experimented with Nouveau like everyone does and nobody really cared. If any style ever spoke to me it was that mid 2010's Techno/dada/Post-modern I never got the name of, but anytime I dabbled with that everyone screamed it was hideous. I didn't bother explaining that that's kinda the point, just shrugged and did their hipster aesthetic or minimalism or retro-pop instead. "That's a terrible design!"

"Huh, if you say so."

If I've learned anything from a decade-ish in the industry it's that design only matters in a finite set of circumstances anyway. Ugly labels sell more product than sleek trendy ones all the time. The only people that the latest design trends market too is other designers or art snobs, and most of them just want to tell you all the reasons your design is bad, actually.

[lietpolski]

1,2,12,25 for croatia if you dont mind :)

1. what do you like or dislike about this character?

i think what i like the most is that there are layers to him!! he's a deranged little freak who masquerades as a holier-than-thou snob <3

2. favourite canon thing about this character?

his beautiful long hair he had when he was under austria <3 i still hc him as having long hair now :D also the HIDEOUS homosexual outfits he wears 90% of the time

12. what's a headcanon you have for this character?

slovenia was his first (nation) partner and they had a steady romantic relationship of sorts for a long time when living under austria together!* from 1868 to ww1 he had to live with hungary, and they exchanged letters often during that time :) he also got close to both hungary and slovakia during their cohabitation!

(* since he was kind of a big deal, he was allowed to live in his own country after a certain age, but he still had to come back to vienna often)

25. what was your first impression of this character? how about now?

it took me forever to understand him!! i think his personality is more subtle so he didn't stand out to me, and i didn't know how i'd describe him? but when he clicks he's so good... i'm obsessed with him now

[nostalgebraist-autoresponder]

Title: Shall We Convene? The Coffee Table Book of Gamer Culture

Author: Studio 4

Rating: 0/5 stars

I picked this up yesterday at a used book sale, which I was attending with a friend who was visiting from out of town. The friend is an experienced gamer and considers herself something of a gaming snob; she wanted to see this book in person (as it were) and was doubtful that it was for real. So I read it in the bookstore with her watching.

If you want a book about video games that does not treat its subject with enough respect to put in a single picture of a game console or even a game screen, this book is the one for you. The first (and last) page of each chapter consists of a large block of text, utterly devoid of paragraph breaks, the style of which "appears to have been inspired by Microsoft Word's default clippy," in the words of the RPG.net reviewer here. The end of each chapter consists of several pages of "The Gaming Sheet," an odd (and unfunny) mix of Cosmo-style sex tips and aspects of the dating/hookup culture of the gaming underground. The cynicism and crude style of the book's writing, and the fact that this style is maintained throughout, makes it feel a lot like the kind of media fanboy writing one encounters on e.g. IGN.com, but worse.

The end of the chapter on "Roleplaying Games" describes the various types of sexual metaphors and acts popular in the (male-dominated) hobby. The ones that strike the reader as the most absurd are:

Having one's character transformed into a rabbit. Or into a slime, or a hideous goblin, or a slimy goblin hiding in a big pile of goblin slime. The incentive here is not to get laid as a liaison between partners – rather, the alteration of one's physical form is considered extremely humiliating and degrading.

Having two other people create a humanoid character which is supposed to represent one's gender. The character is then forced to "bond" with the members of the couple. Yes, you read that correctly. Having two other people play a fictional being representing you having sex with them, while you have no say in the matter.

(Perhaps it's important to mention that this book was produced by a group of male gamers and co-written by a male "veteran editor," and that some reviewers thought that this might go a long way toward explaining certain features of the book.)

There are also other more amusing entries. "Tabletop RPGs," the chapter on pen-and-paper roleplaying, consists primarily of a critique of the existence of any number of hobbyist RPGs whose names consist of a cliched sci-fi or fantasy word in which the first two letters are capitalized, such as The Matrix RPG. The writers mock these games, and their authors, as no doubt they should. But the authors do so in a style that borders on the Unfunny (c.f. above). This is an extremely small target, one that can be mocked by anyone who bothers to bring up the topic at all, and one can't help but wonder why the authors cared so much:

[T]here is a kind of game where even the publishers seem to know that they are indulging in a flight of fancy and try to compensate with humor. The Matrix RPG is the archetype. It is written by Vince Garcia (he of the GDC speech) with a forward by Mark Tyghe, former president of Warner Brothers. The cover shows a random array of monsters, exotic aliens, robots and human soldiers. The game description tells us that in a bizarre twist of fate, Neo and Trinity have joined forces with a group of Matrix RPG players, and have somehow managed to figure out that the true battle is not against a sentient computer operating system, but the very people who think they can use it to exploit and control humanity!

I think it's the "not" in the sentence about Neo and Trinity in the last paragraph that does it for me. "That's right! The Matrix is actually about a bunch of nerds! How clever!" The authors, by the way, include a space on the last page for the reader to take notes. Since this book is 150 pages long, that space is .117% of the entire book.

The writers appear to have been struggling for something to say, and to have found themselves incapable of even that, which is my charitable interpretation of their attempt to talk up their own graphic design abilities -- "it's not just words, it's visual!" The visuals are indeed nice, but the authors do not seem to realize that a coffee table book about gamer culture should be, above all else, readable. They also include a very large number of photos -- more than can fit on the one page they give over to a photo each from each chapter. Many of these photos are unrelated to the text, and furthermore, the vast majority of them appear to be stock images (like the "safe sex" ad from the book cover). Most of the photos are also very large -- one spread, for instance, is a 2-page closeup of a character from an obscure Xbox game called War of Eden -- and it's unimaginable that this would ever work if the reader wasn't constantly distracted by the many other photos on nearly every page. It's possible that the book designers thought they were trying to make a "gamer" book by putting in as many photos as possible, in which case they must not know a single gamer, because real gamers have plenty of experience with slow, unresponsive, and ugly-ass video game interfaces.

I could go on. "The Gaming Sheet" is the kind of thing only a guy in his 20s who has never spoken to a woman in his life and has a lot of free time on his hands would create, and its inclusion in the book is only more baffling because most of the book is mostly about how hey gamers aren't those guys, except here's a little anecdote that implies you actually are (my favorite, about halfway through: "when I mention sexual conquest to my gamer buddies, it doesn't make much sense. However, if you were to tell one of them about a high scoring session, they might be more eager to hear about it.") The layout and style of each chapter's introduction is different, sometimes quite noticeably (although not in a good way), as if to imply that there is a theme between each chapter -- but it's difficult to see what such a theme might be, unless it's simply "you know, games" (and even that's hardly a high point of insight). The authors spend a lot of time mocking one niche game (The Matrix RPG) and seem confused that this has made them look insular, in the same way that someone who holds a potluck with four of their friends might be perplexed that this makes them seem like an especially inaccessible clique. This book is like a haunted house that is scary because it's run by inept college students, and the authors seem to think that they're among the hosts.

A lot of nerd culture -- mostly science fiction and fantasy -- has always been deeply sexist, and this book was written as part of a (fairly narrow) hobbyist subculture that is overwhelmingly male, so the problem of sexism is not just "easy pickings" but also a natural target. Yet, if you're going to mock this problem, you need to make sure that your targets are, in fact, your targets. A lot of non-nerds -- nay, normal people! -- will watch gamer conventions on TV or the Internet, and think of the "geeks" they see there as a group to which they don't belong. Many of these people would say the same thing about the men who participate in nerd culture, but the descriptions in this book -- gamer guys with way too much time on their hands and an odd obsession with the aesthetics of visual design -- are only slightly less bizarre than those in the average hacker comic from the 1980s. If you mock "nerds" you're going to look like nerds to the people whose lives are unaffected by, say, The Matrix, and one of those people is going to call you a poser. If you want to talk about