#his gay best friend vibes are off the charts??? or am i just not looking hard enough or at all because i don't caare

[weremustelidae]

the fact i've never seen anyone shipping Betty and Nick together says a lot about nick as a character i think

[plantsarepeopletoo]

Thai QL Favorites Tag game

Thanks @rocketturtle4 !

First time doing this, I think Ive been here for a month? Came from reddit but wasn't part of the bl community there.

Of course I'm following along with the Favorite thing over "best" cause it's probably more interesting than just saying ITSAY.

Favorite Thai QL: So I want to say Not Me or 1000 stars, for different reasons. I started watching Not Me before I understood it was a BL, and was very confused when offgun started having "moments". Wasn't mad about it, just wasn't expecting it. I thought it was just mystery/social commentary. That said, I wish it went a little harder on the social commentary, but I understand that they might have pushed as far as they could at the time (while still getting money to make the show)

But 1000 stars made me feel all the emotions and if I ever need to just have a good cry, that's my go to.

Pictures for Turtles:

(Though honestly Turtles, I get it, I have to use MDL to look up everyone to see what they were in before, like Max from BMF)

Favorite Pairing: Disclaimer, I hate the fanservice and pressure for the actors to act like they're dating. That being said, I like OffGun, omg I love Gun's acting in Not Me. And I like EarthMix, I just wish Earth was able to not be type cast into such serious roles. He seems like a very funny dude, give him a character who can be bubbly. I like everything they've been in, and I hope to see more in the future.

Most underrated actor: Perth Nakhun Screaigh? I'd like to see him in more stuff. Before Laws of Attraction came out I would have said Film. Jam and Film both did great in To Sir, here's to hoping they get more attention.

Favorite Character: It might be early, but Charn from Laws of Attraction. From a show that is already completed, White. We took a well off boy who saw there was wrong in the world, decided he didn't like how his brother was doing things, and figured his own way of fixing the world. I'm starting to see I have a type. Charn might be a mix of Black and White if they had decided to work from inside the judicial system. Protecting who they could while being jaded and waiting for a chance to get back at those in power.

Favorite Side Character: I'm a simple person - Max from BMF, just because it's nice to see a confident gay character that is smart. He doesn't have much screen time, but whenever he does I am so ready for it.

Favorite scene in a QL: Pisaeng winning the stuffed animal for Kawi in Be My Favorite. How he was acting before and after, the whole thing was perfect and showed so much of Pisaeng's character. My favorite type of scene, and I think Thai bl does a really good job at it, is colored lighting. I think I first noticed it in KP during the Vegas Pete scenes. They started mixing the colors as Pete and Vegas started to understand each other more *chefs kiss* that type of thing is my jam.

Favorite line in a QL: Oh this is hard cause I do not have the memory for these types of things. So I'm going to cheat a little and say anytime consent is asked for and given.

Most Anticipated QL (& why): Looking forward to Only Friends really no other reason than it looks like it's about to be great fun. Also the two horror bls coming up, The Whisper and The shadow? I don't know much about either and I'm going to keep it that way.

Healthiest relationship in a QL: Gun and Cher from a boss and a babe? Cher did feel super inferior but that didn't come from Gun. Gun supported Cher with everything and Cher felt comfortable to "act like a bad boss" in our skyy. I liked their whole vibe.

Most toxic relationship in a QL: EVERYONE from Love Syndrome? Just... the whole thing. Itt and Day's levels of jealousy are off the charts and played off as romantic. Day doesn't want Itt to learn how to cook or do anything for himself because he wants Itt to be completely dependent on him. I'm hoping for Only friends to be toxic, but not played off as romantic.

Guilty pleasure series: I will knock you or ghost host ghost house. They're both really fun and I can just turn off my brain to watch.

Most Underrated Series: Apparently La Pluie? To Sir With Love needs more attention, but it's very different than what we normally expect from Thailand. Also, even though I understand all the flack it got, I really liked Step By Step.

@italianpersonwithashippersheart @befuddledcinnamonroll hopefully you have not done this yet?

[achliegh]

Bronze

Alright, I had this wonderful idea come into my head about Clayton, honestly he deserves his own fic. So here is his version of events! Lots will tie together with Golden so I recommend you read that as well. But you don’t have to of course.

Explaining:

Before Letter is the present.

Letter is updating the lives of the people back home, of whoever wrote it mostly.

After Letter is memory.

The first few letters will be very awkward because writing letters and not being sure what to talk about and what not to talk about is hard and confusing. Stick with me! Yes, this prologue is just a letter.

TW/CW: Discussions of death, miliatry training, smut, cringy jokes, underage drinking, dumb choices, swearing, and more later on.

Beta: @walking-crisis

Some Characters belong to @lumosinlove

Chapter 2:

For You

Chicken Fried

It was silent besides the radio humming faintly over the walkie attached to his vest. Every breath he took in filled his lungs with dust.

Nothing felt real.

The mission was to take out a target. Clay left it at that because he hasn’t been in the military long enough to be able to consider targets… people. He felt sick anytime he put the two together but he knew this is what he signed up for. This target has taken many lives and he was watching through his scope, gun pointed at the door of the building where the target operated.

He had to put himself in the headspace where he couldn’t think about anything other than the trigger where his finger flinched whenever the door opened.

He didn’t have the signal so he didn’t shoot.

His partner sat next to him, completely relaxed tapping his thigh to the beat of the music. Every hit of his thigh almost made Clay flinch. This wasn’t his first mission where he had to take a target out, but this was the first where he didn’t see them actively doing something horrendous. The slight breeze felt like it could push him over with just the right amount of pressure. Everything was sensitive… yet he felt numb.

The door opened for the fifth time in the last hour and an old woman waddled out of the building, she smiled at a small group of children who ran past. She has aged with stress from the lines of her wrinkles. Her baggy clothes looked homemade.

She was sweet, reminding him of his own mother.

He relaxed when he saw her, knowing she couldn’t be the target. Watching her talk to a man on the street he hears the signal. His partner rolls over to lay next to him and takes out his binoculars to look at the woman and gives Clay the signal to get ready.

Two Fingers Pointed Up: Get ready.

Two Fingers Pointed Out: Shoot.

Hesitating for a moment, his partner notices and gives him a look to get his shit together. Swallowing his hesitation. He takes the safety off his gun and ready's himself for the shot.

One he would hear forever.

Dear Honey Bee,

How's my baby doing? Making friends I hope, that’s the one thing you always amaze me with. The way you make friends so easily. I could never, shy little thing like myself. I was terrible at breaking out of my shell. Your daddy always convinced me to go out though.

Which reminds me! You remember Miss Bell down the road? She is pregnant with triplets, and no one knows who the father is. How scandalous! I always thought she would end up with that farmer Micheal across the river but she never liked him much.

Your lovers stopped by last week and Little Miss… what do you call her? Sparky or something. She was absolutely glowing when we gave her a photo album of you and Leo from when you were in middle school. The hunk you managed to catch had hour long conversations with your daddy about the latest sports which I didn’t understand so I did what you always tell me to do.

Smile and Nod.

It’s odd writing letters to you, I remember writing to my family when I first moved in with your Daddy because we didn’t have the email or the phones. But I am so used to writing to you over the phone that writing on paper is odd. I hope you’re getting these letters, everyone has said you haven’t responded but I remember when Wyatt was in the military and Eloise was a mess, long before you and Leo were around. So, I’m not too worried.

I am sending you and your Team the best wishes for safety. Praying y’all all get home safe and make lots of babies. We need more kids, I want grandbabies and I made sure your lovers know that.

Now, on a more serious note. Your Daddy is still upset with you for just leaving like that. He wishes he could have convinced you to stay because he wants you safe. I want you safe too but I know this is something you need to do. From the calls I've had with Leo he is also still angry with you.

I keep trying to convince your Daddy to write but he says it hurts too much. So know that He sends his best anytime I write to you. Anytime you think of us.

We love you so much Clayton London Bruss. Now get some rest, I know you’re tired.

Love,

Your Mama

He knocks on the window of Leo’s truck, horny fuck can’t control himself. Clay doesn’t mind it much though, walking over to Ashley who hands him his phone that she was routinely checking.

“Find anything interesting?” He takes his phone and puts it in his back pocket, putting an arm around her shoulders.

“Nothing besides your terribly gay nudes.” She rolls her eyes. “Just because Leo is a faggot doesn’t mean you have to sink that low.” Clay furrows his brows and is about to say something back when Finn walks over to them, looking like he just had a great make out. Clay smiles.

“How was the truck?”

“Warm, I forgot how hot it gets in the south.” Finn pulls his shirt to get some airflow and Clay nods while Ashley scowls a little at the redhead in front of them. The music starts to play over the speakers. Logan joins them after a couple of minutes.

Clay has gotten a few… interesting vibes from Logan when Leo isn’t looking. He notices the hesitation that Leo can’t see. He sees the way Logan wants to tell Leo to back off and to pull him closer at the same time.

Leo doesn’t deserve that.

Clay likes Finn better because Finn definitely likes Leo, and Logan probably to a point where it's bad for himself. But Finn is someone who cares with all or nothing.

Leo does deserve that.

They start heading over to where Leo has parked, a Bronco in between their trucks, Clay notices Logan hesitate reaching for Finn’s hand. So, it wasn’t only a Leo thing. Lots of people think Clay is an oblivious idiot but that would be sort of wrong. He is very observant when it comes to people, maybe not so much when it comes to safety.

“CLAY!” He looks upt just in time to see Leo chuck a BudLight, yuck, at him. Obviously needing to get rid of it, he pulls out his keys and punches a whole to shotgun it.

Way to start off the night.

Lot’s of drinks later, one of his favorite songs came on over the speaker. Chicken Fried by The Zac Brown Band, it's a great song. Casually singing the lyrics he turns to Ashley who is on her phone, he shrugs not caring and runs over to Leo and jumps on his back. Hopping off after Leo lightly elbows him in the ribs, Leo turns around and joins him in singing the lyrics.

Dancing like idiots he looks at Leo’s infatuations and sees them with sappy looks on their faces but he knows Leo won’t notice them.

As the night goes on they do more stupid shit, crawling into the passenger side of his truck he let’s Ashley drive him home. The blind trust he puts in her is something he will regret later. About 20 miles from his house they see flashing red and blue lights behind the truck. Ashley pulls over and sighs annoyed, crossing her arms.

Clays anxiety is off the charts, he knows he isn’t sober and underage. If this is who he thinks it is then there is a 100% chance he will be taken down to the station. Of course, they would get pulled over when Ashley’s dad knew she would be at a bonfire with her “degenerate” boyfriend.

“Hi Daddy” Ashley smiles a little at the officer as he shines a flashlight into the cab of the truck right into Clay’s eyes.

“Sir, I’m going to need you to step out of the vehicle. Hi Ash, can you drive your car home after you drop his truck off? I’m gonna book him down at the station.” Clay gets out and about falls over and neither Ashley or her dad is impressed.

Getting thrown into the back of a cop car after an aggressive handcuffing and pat down is not how he wanted to spend his night. He honestly just wanted to go to bed.

Having been arrested for no reason so many times he knows the process by heart now. So well in fact that the officers don’t even have to tell him what to do. He just does it and goes to sit in his favorite cell. Where he can throw pieces of paper at the Sheriff’s desk.

He calls his mom with his one phone call and tells her what happened. She is out of town with his dad for a conference about cattle prices in the south this year so Clay gets to spend the night in the cell. Great.

Just what he wanted.

[philip-seville-archive]

You’re My Number One || Tap

Summary: Tad comforts Pip post Phinnip beach fight and it inspires a teeny tiny talk about the future. 

@i-am-obnoxious​

Pip Seville

It did not take long to find Tad-- though they had not been dating long, naturally his boyfriend would not be far from the beach. And indeed, there he was, wading in the water, doing...something. Pip didn't care actually, he just needed to vent hardcore and that was exactly what a boyfriend was for.

"Oh my god, Tad, you will not believe the weird fucking conversation I just had with Phineas!" he launched right into it, kicking off his sandals so he could let the edges of the water roll over his toes. "UGH he's like so fucking infuriating I could scream right now!"

Samwise Theodore Tad Fiske

Tad had mostly been splashing around in the water, yeah. He didn't go far in, mostly cause people were still weird about some Jaws situation or whatever. He wasn't that worried though. Shark attacks were like super rare and stuff.

His head jerked up as Pip came rushing over, eyes wide as he moved closer to his boyfriend, arms up. "Woah woah babe. Your vibes are like off the chart." He reached out to tug Pip in for a hug. "You wanna like breathe for a sec my d- babe? It's like a big puff in and out. It's seriously...super good when like the vibes of the universe are off balance."

Pip Seville

Pip appreciated the hug. Tad was warm and his clothes always had this lingering scent of chlorine from his swim practices, which Pip always found relaxing, like...Tad's aura was a spa or something.

He did not, however, appreciate being told to breathe.

"I know how to breathe," huffed Pip a bit impatiently. "I don't need to breathe, I need to rant. Out of nowhere, he just started attacking my life choices. Actually--it wasn't out of nowhere, I remember now. It was exactly right after I complimented him. How messed up is that? And he was like, oh going to NYC is so selfish and you're abandoning all your friends. Like what the fuck?"

Samwise Theodore Tad Fiske

Woah. The vibes were way harsh for his babe, which was seriously not chill. It made Tad's vibes like the sea on a stormy day. He didn't want his babe to be upset and stuff. Though he also...didn't quite get why Phineas would harsh Pip's vibes like this.

"So like...." Tad looked like he was struggling to process a difficult math problem. A lot of computing was going on and it took him a moment to try to connect. So Phineas didn't like NYC. Or he didn't vibe with Pip going because Pip was awesome and who would want Pip to leave? That'd be sad vibes sure...

But why would Phineas get all ragey vibes? Unless he was like Tad, and totally vibed with how super mega foxy and awesome Pip was. "Woahhhhhh.....Phineas totally likes you babe."

Pip Seville

Pip did not need much to comfort him, so he liked to think. A soothing hand on the back. A shoulder to cry on, if crying was necessary. A promise to commit murder against the one who wronged him. Tad could even have said 'Dude, that sucks," and Pip would have nodded vigorously, feeling seen.

 He was not expecting whatever the HELL just came out of Tad's mouth.

"What?!" Pip blurted, loud. "Wh-- no. No, aw, you're-- that's actually kind of sweet, I think, I don't know, because I marvel at how your brain works but-- no, trust me he definitely does not. This is not Mindy-Danny energy, this is more like..." what pop culture reference would Tad understand best? "Golem and Frodo. We both are very passionate about similar things, and would bite off each other's fingers to get said thing. Phineas is just trying to get under my skin."

Samwise Theodore Tad Fiske

"Aww but babe it's like...I get it kinda cause I'd be super sad to see you go but like...you're gonna be a rockstar and like sing and make everyone go woahhhh...." He squeezed Pip lightly. "But like that's your dream and stuff. Me I'd vibe in NYC and stuff. Y'know? Like...there are probably waves there somewhere..." He was pretty sure there was an ocean on that side of the states.

"But maybe Phineas gets like ragey instead of sad longingness vibes or something." He shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't say it made sense to be ragey vibes you know? But like...you're hot stuff babe."

Pip Seville

This was the most confusing, surreal pep talk that he'd ever had. And it was... turning him on?

Please see it from Pip's perspective: the moon behind Tad, as Tad held his hand and said all the right things and then some. That he was talented and destined for greatness, that Tad understood his dream, that Tad-- wait, he'd vibe in NYC? Wait, like...with Pip? As well? Together? At the same time? In the beautiful-ugly brownstone of Pip's wildest fantasies, where they'd host dinner parties and share a closet and he'd give Tad shoulder massages?!

You're hot stuff babe, said Tad, but it might as well have been a marriage proposal.

Wait. He was angry. Angry, not-- confused-overwhelmed-horny. Wow, having a boyfriend was a form of mind control, huh.

"I--" Pip was blushing deeply and stuttering now. "I...I really don't think he likes me but... so you're totally okay with me going to NYU?" was what he finally managed to get out of his mouth. Wow, he had forbid himself from talking about this until at least October, when early applications happened. Wtf Tad Fiske.

Samwise Theodore Tad Fiske

Maybe Pip didn't see how Tad saw things, at least about Phineas' weird crush energy. But Tad wasn't a super cool star in the making and stuff. Pip like sparkled dudes. He had sparkle lights around him. Every time he saw him, Tad felt even more of the gooey good vibes. It was impossible not to.

"I mean you were like totally planning it before we even started dating right babe? Would be kinda chaos energy vibes to be all mad about it." Which really didn't fit in with Tad's vibes at all. And anyway, New York seemed dope. Even if New Yorkers had this weird anti-LA vibe that LA people just...did not have. Whatever man. Tad vibed wherever he went.

 Tad shrugged his shoulders. "If it makes you happy babe like yeah. Long distance people have vibed before. But like...I don't really feel the college vibe for me anyway so like...if we were still together and stuff I could go wherever. Open a hot dog stand...heard the hot dogs are seriously sick there, or like go pro surfer...woah imagine..."

Pip Seville

Okay, some of the NYC fantasies were dashed, drifting further and further with every word that Tad said and so Pip really had to stop him speaking. This was precisely why he had not wanted to talk about the big U word (uni) before October. For one, maybe he and Tad would break up! And another, why worry about it!

Why worry about the fact that Tad didn't want to go to college!

Why worry about the fact that Tad's dreams apparently amounted to open a hot dog stand.

One freak-out at a time please and-- wasn't it way sweeter to focus on the whole, Tad wanting to come to NYC for him and also his very open and generous statement about how getting mad at Pip was clearly crazy people behavior?

And so Pip just-- kissed Tad to stop him from imagining hot dog stands. And also to calm himself down-- kissing was infinitely better than breathing, so he leaned into Tad, let his arms wrap around his neck for just a few more moments before pulling away. "Thank you for being you," he said sincerely.

...Though he'd leave the parts of Tad that stressed him out for another time.

Samwise Theodore Tad Fiske

Pip kissed him and fireworks went off in Tad's head. It was awesome as always, and his arms drew Pip a little closer to him as they kissed. Man but no vibe was better than kissing Pip he was sure about it.

A smile spread across his face. "You're welcome babe. Thanks for being the best babe," he added, leaning in to kiss his nose. "My brain is all swirly every time you kiss me." He laughed. "What were we talking about?"

Pip Seville

Pip's brain also went swirly when he kissed Tad-- swirly like paint colours running down a canvas, all his usual worries drenched in rainbow so he didn't, well, worry at all. He emerged with fluttering eyes and the world a little kinder. So that weird fight with Phineas... it didn't seem like THAT big a deal. They'd probably just forget about it. Cuz like, fighting was what they did, right? Pip would pretend it never happened and he was sure Phineas would be happy to do the same thing; he hated actually talking about anything real.

Pip shrugged. "Oh nothing. Just Phineas being a dick to me. I don't care though, because his opinion doesn't matter to me. Yours does though. And you support me, because that's what you do when you care about someone." Pip grinned and kissed Tad's cheek.

Samwise Theodore Tad Fiske

"Oh yeah." Tad had kind of stopped caring about Phineas as soon as Pip kissed him. Sure, did he still think the dude had weird crush vibes? Yeah, but whatever. Pip was kissing Tad and stuff not him so it was all good.

"Yeah babe. I've got your back." He grinned, reaching up with one hand to stroke Pip's cheek. "You're like...my number one."

Pip Seville

You're like...my number one.

And Second Gen Legend BoA's song "Number One" burst through Pip's head, giving him the energy and confidence to do a drop-split in this second if he wanted. He wasn't going to because he'd mess up his trousers, but that's where he was emotionally.

And he decided then and there. He was going to help Tad. Yes. It was his job, because Tad was also his number one, and so he would clear a path to uni for Tad-- preferably to a school in an NYC area code! But hey, community colleges were great too!

He squeezed Tad's hand, his eyes wide and bright. "You're mine too. I--" LOVE YOU SO MUCH I THINK WE SHOULD RUN AWAY TOGETHER WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADOPT A LITTLE GAY DOG WITH ME

"--am so glad you're my boyfriend." Whew, crisis averted. "C'mon, let's like, go play flip cup or something."

[jon-astronaut]

Can you rank the Jonas and Isak remake friendships please?

Hiii! Thank you for the questiooon and sorry for the late reply! I would love to answer this because the Jonas and Isak friendship is my favourite friendship/dynamic ever!

1. Marti and Gio

The love these two have for each other. I can’t even explain it. They are just brothers. I love the kind of big bro/little bro vibe these two have. What I mean is how Gio cares about and loves Marti the way a big brother would. The way Gio’s eyes shined when Marti came out to him, his little nod & smile to Marti when he came out to others. The way Gio jumped in to protect Marti, multiple times, getting Marti away from the fight and destroying the person who hit Marti... And I know Marti would do just the same for Gio. I love them.

2. Matteo and Jonas

I love them just as much as I love Marti and Gio. Thinking about these two makes me so emotional. Their vibe is more equals because they both had their low moments but came back stronger. What I love about them is that we saw their friendship go both ways with Matteo trying to help Jonas in s2 and Jonas helping Matteo in s3. Jonas is always so gentle and soft with Matteo like the way Jonas’s eyes got so worried when Matteo told him how he felt. Also, I love that Jonas always says ‘we’ in mistakes and in good times. (”we got this”). And one more detail I love was how Matteo surprised Jonas at his birthday!

3. Isak and Jonas

At first you are watching Eva’s pov so these two always being joined at the hip annoyed me. But thinking back after s3 they had the biggest best friends energy. They were a package deal. The way Jonas forgot everything he was going through and stayed with Isak after his dad left, the way Jonas never got mad at Isak but just wanted him to talk, the way he was so chill after Isak came out...Jonas is the best friend ever. And also the way Isak plotted a whole fight after Yakuza attacked...

4. Lucas and Kes

The way in these kinds of questions I always rank Lucas stuff high just shows how higher these two would be if we got a s3. They are once again the bestest friends and their chemistry was off the charts. I love how touchy they were like unapollegitcally touchy. It added so much more to their best friends feeling. All the times we saw in the background in s2 just added more to their connection in my mind. And I know when Lucas came out to him Kes gave Lucas the tightest hug.

5. Lucas and Jorge

Interesting ranking? Maybe. I am gonna say it again I am in desperate need of a boy squad season from skam esp. I love these two so much too. Jorge is a great friend from all the little moments we saw. I love how nice and chill he was when Lucas came out to him in that video and how he knew it before. The way Jorge just jumped in for Lucas and was ready to kill that douche after he hit Lucas was everything. Also how Lucas always tries to get Jorge to calm down in fights.

6. Lucas and Yann

Look, the whole Yann leaving Lucas aside they have a pretty solid friendship. (and i blame the writers for that, never actually got that mad at Yann.) I mean kudos to Yann for acknowledging his mistake in all those gay jokes and the whole “don’t ever go through something like this without telling me” makes me so emotional. And I love that it’s not just words and Yann tries to help and see if there is smt wrong with Lucas afterwards.

7. Cris and Amira

Look, I love them. I do love them, they are just low because I am still confused as to where to place them exactly in these parallels. They feel more like a Isak&Jonas friendship but also they are a part of the girl squad. It’s kinda confusing, anyway. I love that we know that they are old friends and it’s mentioned. I loved Amira’s reaction when Cris came out to her, all happy and excited. And how Cris threw that surprise iftar for Amira.

8. Robbe and Jens

I don’t want to go too much into this because I am really tired from being mad at Wtfock over this but like I said Isak&Jonas friendship is my fav and any remake that messes that up goes down a notch for me. And wtfock colosally messed these two up. I mean it was nice that Jens came around and supported Robbe and how he encouraged Robbe about Sander too. But no, Jens still doesn’t get a redemption in my eyes.

Oh I loved doing this ranking! It reminded me once again how much I love this friendship and now I want to cry. Or maybe write some thing about them! Anyway, thank you for the question!

send me skamverse rankings

[waywardfacegarden]

TAG GAME!

I was tagged by @mipadremadara !! Thank you so much??? I was so beyond words, so flattered, haha😅💕 Probably really dork-y, but I'm a total dork according to Sources, so.

Rules: tag 9 people you want to get to know better

Top 3 ships:

Now this is just plain cruel lol, how am I supposed to choose ONLY 3??!?!? Impossible. But well, I'm going to write three of my main:

1) Narusasu/Sasunaru (of course. like who do you take me for??? Lol. they'll always be my number 1 :'D They have such a special place in my heart. And I have nothing to add about them because if I start I'll never shut up.)

2) Todobaku because I'm utterly OBSESSED with them recently lol. They have so much potential!! And the ship just keeps getting more and more interesting, the chemistry is off the charts!! The potential angst! The dumbassery! Nothing better than two dumbasses being in love. Two socially awkward, emotional disasters boys falling deep in love without knowing?? Oof, what is better than that??

3) Now this one was HARD because I have so many ships!!! But finally, I set up for one that I recently got to know and it's totally the cutest thing ever?? I don't even know their ship name (and sadly, I think there's not EVEN one, the fandom is so small I guess???) but they're Endou and Yamai from Konbini-kun; they're the cutest, softest thing ever?? Just a pure gay boy scared of being gay for Reasons getting to know (and falling for) his same-age boy co-worker, deliquent-who's-not-a-deliquent-at-all-and-is-actually-the-sweetest-bean-slash-animal-lover???? Oof. I love them both. They're my kids. ENDOU IS M Y BOY AND IF ANYONE EVER HURTS HIM I'LL KILL THEM WITHOUT DOUBT. Also, Yamai is so freaking sweet????????!!! Should be a crime. He's an adorable, gentle, amazing good boy, I love him.

+ As a bonus:

Harold/Sam/Nobu from the Canis Series (The Speaker) are The OT3, thank you very much. Never in my life have I ever fell in love so deep with a poly ship (CANON. CANON POLY SHIP) with three broken boys that are currently the "villians" of the story. Heartbreaking, full of angst ship, yet so beautiful. (IF YOU EVER READ THIS. [WHICH I REC SM] BE WARNED THAT THE STORY IS DARK. THE FIRST PART NO, BUT THIS SPECIFIC PART [THE SECOND] IS FULL OF DARK SHIT. Amazingly well-written and heart-wrenching but. Yeah. It's dark and heavy. Idk to describe HOW much but it is.)

Andddd Yuiji/Yamato from Koimonogatari, bc even if they're not canon I'm so rooting for them??? I hope they get together bc they DESERVE each other. They're just so sweet and their relationship is SO real and natural idek how to describe this warm feeling that fills me every time I see them. (Just for a bit of context, Yamato is gay and likes Yuiji's best friend. But for reasons, Yuiji realizes this, tells Yamato, and after Yamato Panics Yuji assures him he's not going to tell anyone bc he actually Likes Him As A Person (quoting) and he doesn't want to hurt him. They become friends and then get closer and become Friends who trust each other way too much and it's just really sweet how fond Yuiji is of Yamato??? My heart swells. He just looks at him with the softest eyes and [I know I said this was going to be brief but you know me already, you really thought I was going to be brief????? Haha no sir] he's so understanding??? He's always listening to Yamato without judging, asking him if he's okay, worrying about him, CARING, and cheering him up, it's just???? Even if they don't get together, they're the purest friendship ever.

One of my top ten moments from them:

Yuiji to Yamato: You are totally pessimistic, too damn honest, a real pain in the ass, but... I like you. [...] Someday, I hope you come to love yourself as well.

Yeah I didn't even had to look it up, THAT'S how much I read the scene and painted in my mind lol.)

Carrying on to the next question after all my rambling...

Last movie you watched:

I just watched The Fundamentals of Caring yesterday. Paul Rudd is shining as always, of course. Kind of dark humor with a slice of romance and emotional shit that left me crying lol. It was really really good imo, perfect Teens Who Don't Give a Shit and Adopting a New Family vibes. Messy but really well-done imo. (I'm just rec and promoting every thing I watch/read/ship at this point huh...)

Reading:

I'm currently reading only mangas AAAA, hahaha. I'm with Koimonogatari (still on going), Owari no Seraph, Haikyuu!!, The Speaker, Red White and Royal Blue (first and only book on this list lol), Omamorishimasu Dokomademo (hope I wrote this correctly loool), Kimi wa Natsu no Naka and Blue Sky Complex :))

Next on my reading list:

Seven Days (bc I heard this manga is Gold), Origin (a manga I bought months ago and never read), L's light-novel (The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases), Himitsu, and Golden Days.

Also, I made a bow with myself to read every single last manga Hayakawa Nojiko has made because their art is the most stunning, poetic, alluring thing I've ever laid my eyes on. So simple yet so, so unbelievable pretty. Also, their mangas are so so so good and so so so sweet and well-written??? Best mangaka goes to Hayakawa-sensei.

And from books, "Last Night I sang to the Monster" has been on my I-need-to-read-this list since soooo long. Benjamín is my favorite author. I hope I can give me some time to read it later.

What food are you craving right now:

For some reallyyyy weird reason, sea-food??? Lmao I don't even know. My cravings have been varying from fried-chicken burger from KFC to That Strawberry Cheesecake from SAM's lmao. It's pretty weird. But right now???? Give me shrimps. Fish. I'm In Need. Looool.

I'm tagging (although you're not under Any Obligation to do it if you don't want to) @tatakaedrey @jackverglas @tetsuskitten and I don't know who else???? Ahh haha, whoever wants to do it, I guess??😅

THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN FOR TAGGING ME :')

[chimcharstar]

ALL THE COLOURS

HERE WE GO BOYS

zinc white; how are you really feeling today? no one-word answers please!

I’m feeling tired because I’m supposed to be in bed. But happy because I did the work and I can get away with sleeping in and things are just chill right now. I have devised a way of sneaking waste food at work. If you put it in these little metal containers and hide them under the fridge, nobody notices them and throws them away. This eve I dined on garlic bread and prawns.

cadmium yellow; when you think of the word “happy” what’s the first thing that comes to mind?

Walking with coffee and tunes. I’m trying to appreciate things in my life I will feel nostalgic about later in the moment, so I don’t regret anything. This is one of those things. Although I might not have the tunes part for long because I fucking broke my headphones and they may or may not start playing my music out loud for all the world to hear. I hope people like disco!

lemon; what’s your comfort food?

Food from my old workplace. I have trouble finishing food usually but not this stuff. I will probably scream while eating it. You know this and you love me

hansa yellow; what’s your guilty pleasure song?

“I Will Survive”. People were singing it in the Office and I guess it’s so famous and ironic and cringey now or something. But then I remember that one fucker

yellow ochre; name an artist/band whom you just discovered & can’t get enough of!

Herbie Hancock. I don’t know if I’ll listen to every single thing from him but I was just listening to some funk as you do and his like solos? I was vibing. We were having brain to brain communication. It was an experience. It was so so good. It was good fucking music. Listen to this shit. Herbie Hancock - I Thought It Was You This stuff makes me want to wiggle on public transit. 

naples yellow; where do you feel most at home?

Bonsais and my quiet neat fucking room. Or not giving a fuck in other people’s mess.

raw sienna; with whom do you feel most at home?

YOU HO

golden ochre; describe the relationship you have with your closest friend.

We reblog asks and send each other all the asks. ADHD disaster energy finding balance. The worst posts I’ve ever seen followed by revenge. Two gay best friends who are best friends. No seriously I am so grateful for your unconditional love and your warmth

golden deep; what’s your favorite season?

Autumn. When the leaves were falling and the sun was shining all bittersweetly I was running around taking so many pictures because there’s like this golden time and then it’s gone.

cadmium orange; what do you like to do on your days off?

I like to buy too many plants and pretty rocks that are just vibing. I just like to wander around with coffee without a schedule. Listening to funk and disco. Seriously I’m the coolest person ever

orange lake; do you have anyone you can turn to when you’re sad?

U HO. And some online mutuals of course :) I feel like I don’t turn to people when it’s real sad hours though. I just give my ocs more PTSD.

titans; do you prefer slow mornings or relaxing evenings?

Relaxed evenings. Fuck mornings. All my mornings are slow buddy. 

shakhnazaryan red; are you currently binge-watching anything?

No, because I had to go and cancel my Netflix as all my favourite things got more episodes. 

red ochre; are you more right-brained (creative) or left-brained (analytical)?

Oh right brained bitch.

burnt sienna; is there a painting that brings you peace when you look at it?

No, paintings are stressful. It’s always like “Holy shit, that must have been so much work! I don’t enjoy painting myself! This person is better at painting than me!” I have much love in the heart for Van Gogh.

english red; what animal do you relate to most?

I know what you’re trying to do and it’s not going to work. I could say a cat, because I want to lie down in a patch of sun, knock things over, and complain loudly. I would say a dog because I think people are way better than they really are, am tenaciously loyal to them, and get excited about going for a walk.

vermilion; what’s your favorite accent?

Whatever this one hot guy at work has.

cadmium red; do you have a “type” when it comes to a significant other?

FOR FUCKS SAKE okay I’m going to google what my type is

You got: Mr./ Mrs Perfect

You like someone that truly has is all. You need someone who is well rounded in all aspects of life. When it comes to looks and personality, only perfection receives your affection.

Wow, what does that mean at all

scarlet; describe your current crush/es.

Ok, one of them gave me cheesecake, one of them offered me pizza, another one is the guy whose Facebook you stalked for me and we still couldn’t find his birthday but I laugh about one adorable photo still (the car one), and one of them I spent half an hour trying to find where I put the birth chart of and we’re actually really compatible. I’m sorry, if you want more information I’ll have to ramble about it in your messages.

ruby; what does your ideal first date look like?

OH I JUST WANT TO WALK DOWN A STREET HOLDING HANDS AND GO TO A RESTAURANT WEVE NEVER BEEN TO BEFORE AND TRY SOME FOOD AND LAUGH A LOT, AND THEN MAYBE GO ENJOY THE VIEW OF THE OCEAN AT NIGHT. IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK? IS IT?

carmine; what does your ideal second date look like?

I don’t know, fuck it let’s go to the aquarium!

madder lake red; would you ever kiss someone (or accept a kiss) on a first date?

I dunno man. I feel like I wouldn’t if it wasn’t socially acceptable but I’m also wild and crazy.

rose; what’s something really positive going on in your life right now?

I REALLY ACTUALLY LIKE MY WORKPLACE. And my living situation is pretty okay. It’s not great I guess but I’ve been coming a long way.

quinacridone rose; what’s something you’re really looking forward to?

Literally what are these colours. Okay, I’m looking forward to putting wires around crystals to make them into jewellery. Then, I want to give the jewellery to my friends. 

violet rose; what does your dream house look like?

An old as fuck, old fashioned as fuck haunted-looking mansion I can give some love.

violet; is there any place in particular you’d like to settle down?

I need the outdoors bro. I need those trees. I gotta live in the countryside again someday.

blue lake; what would you like to do/accomplish before you settle down?

Write some books! Run rampant in the city…

cobalt blue spectral; what is the most beautiful place you have ever been to?

I think it would have to be the hills where I grew up. It was bursting with biodiversity, there was a rustic sheep farm, everyone shut the fuck up, there would be frogs, the smell of the fresh air in any season, some days would just be heart-stoppingly beautiful and I ache for it sometimes. Birdsong? I heard some birdsong today and I wanted to cry. I remember our hedges would be deafening with the birds in it.

ultramarine; when was the last time you were in a good mood? do you know/remember what sparked it?

Today, it finding something I maybe could sit around and read and then finding it in me to actually get out of bed lol.

blue; what’s the most recent dream you remember?

The one I just had. A lot of it is blurry, which is frustrating because I got some strong almost-memories of it throughout the day, but it sticks out to me because I was bawling my eyes out a lot in the dream, and I also hurt myself the way I used to and I had to check that I hadn’t done it in my sleep. But I think it was a very expressive dream and those are my natural emotions.

bright blue; what does your dream family look like? any kids or pets? 

I like the idea of a husband and some dogs, cats and chickens. Kids maybe.

how many of each?

A lot of chickens, but not too many please.

blue cobalt; do you like your name? would you give yourself a different name if you could?

I do like my name, and I did give myself a different name. Even if I knew how annoying everyone would be about pop culture Gordons, and I did. I still would choose this name.

prussian azure; what’s your favorite scent?

I’m running out of things to say as my favourite scent. OK, Nomad from Old Spice. I don’t know why, I think it must suit me or something. Maybe it’s the citrus… stuff going on there.

azure blue; what’s your favorite type of tea, if any?

Red Rose, my mom made it for me as a kid and she drank it all the time while teaching me piano or reading books.

turquoise blue; if you could start a garden, what would you plant?

Flowers, to show off to everyone, and then I don’t know, maybe some fucking pumpkins and easy things like corn and peas.

cerulean blue; if you were guaranteed to have a viewership, would you start a youtube vlog?

I think I’d be happier to have one if I knew no one was watching my antics LMAO

glauconite; describe your body without using any negative adjectives.

Best of both worlds

yellow green; picture yourself walking in a field. what do you see & hear in this scenario?

I’m still thinking of where I grew up. I see the sun through the branches of very old maple trees, and hear the wind in the long grass.

green light; are you in a comfortable place in life? if not, what do you think might make it better?

Yes, but I could make it better by moving in with cleaner roommates and getting a cat. And maybe work at something I’m actually interested in, or go to school or something.

green; name three countries you want to visit; do you have any actual plans in place to visit any of them?

I don’t have plans, but I’d like to visit Mexico, France, or Japan.

emerald green; do you speak any languages besides english? are there any additional languages you want to learn?

Kinda French. I want to learn Spanish… now Portuguese because everyone at work speaks it… literally, any very popular language. I want to learn so many languages

oxide of chromium; what’s your favorite book?

BRO WHAT IS A BOOK

olive green; are you currently reading anything? how do you like it so far?

Yeah, I’m reading a personal account of a Satanic cult. I had to stop reading it because I wasn’t ready for the graphic details.

mars brown; what’s a movie that always puts a smile on your face/makes you laugh?

Megamind/Thor Ragnarok

burnt umber; what’s something you plan to do before the day is over to take care of yourself?

Wow I feel really called out right now. I was going to eat some chicken because I’m hungry. Because that’s what I should be doing at 3AM.

umber; have you drank enough water today?

Yes, but probably not. I’ve been trying really hard today though.

voronezhskaya black; what or who is your go-to outlet for when you need to vent?

Probably you again, welcome to the salt mines!

sepia; name five things that always make you happy.

Buying a plant, rolling around on my fuzzy blanket, videos of cats being idiots, little unexpected thoughtful gifts, people sharing food.

indigo; what’s the best/sweetest compliment you have ever received?

A Treasured Mutual once spontaneously said I was a really good person because I was chill and they felt free to be themselves, to be vague.

payne’s gray; describe your aesthetic?

Looking around my room, it would seem to be whatever those studying people organizing notes with the window open on a sunny day have. I don’t know if this is me, but my room looks… vaguely feminine and organized in that way.

black; post a selfie because you are so beautiful!

I’m in my PYJAMA CLOTHES. I only want to take a selfie with GOOD NATURAL LIGHTING and the DAYTIME DARK CIRCLES around my eyes not the NIGHTTIME DARK CIRCLES. Maybe I have one hanging around

[doublearmbars]

fic: contact sport

Summary: a patchwork of media documenting the first couple months of MJF's tenure after being traded to the Red Wings in the middle of the night for nothing.

Notes: I’m a certified hockey enjoyer and this is drawn from a lot of stuff I enjoy but in particular: the You Can’t Do That podcast, the work of Jon Bois and Alex Rubenstein on the Youtube channel Secret Base, and the stupid postgame rituals that NHL teams have established to give a fun item to a new special man every game. I might write more in this AU if i ever get a handle on writing the POV of either of these snippy bitches but I do have a Blackpool Combat Club hockey thing i'm plugging away at.

On ao3 here

From a Youtube video by Secret Base- "Best in the world and you know it" A Dorktown Short Film

[narration]

So he got traded to the Red Wings in the middle of the night, knowing he’ll never be back to the hometown golden boy, that he’ll die up there on that godforsaken lake, his words not mine.

You might expect his story to end there, in despair. After all these Red Wings are not a Stanley Cup team, hell they’re not even a playoff team.

Except, it doesn’t end there. Not by a long shot. But to tell you that story, I have to take a sidebar to talk about a different hometown golden boy.

The screen zooms out from the announcement of the trade to show a large chart with multiple boxes, and next to the labeled vertical headshot of Maxwell Jacob Friedman another is revealed, this one of a tired eyed young man with mid-length bleached hair, his dark roots showing. He’s sneering at the camera, and wearing a jersey for the Chicago hockey team.

[narration]

You might know him.

____________________

From the Be Gay Take Penalites Podcast Ep 145 Little Caesar’s Gay Fight Club

Can you have shit in Detroit? Can love bloom on the battlefield? Your intrepid hosts Kelsey and PJ journey to find these answers and more as we recap the week in hockey. Also: we take a hard stance on goalie crime (it’s good) and return for another round of 80’s news chyrons.

PJ: Okay on to elsewhere in the NHL, I wanna talk about Detroit and MJF and my favorite old bitch. They’re so- they’re like unlikely animal friends

[Kelsey laughs]

PJ: it’s like an old dog and a shithead cat became friends. Am I wrong? Am I wrong.

Kelsey: No- no you’re- [wheezing laughter] they’re besties but they also hate each other is the vibe.

PJ: Truly like when Max got traded I was like-

Kelsey (crosstalk): You went on Twitter immediately like-

PJ: Yeah I tweeted-let me find it- I tweeted “Brooks looking at MJF like he’s himself from 12 years ago and hating it” and then that one picture from a postgame interview where he looks just completely hollowed out inside like he can’t even summon his Scorpio urge to complain.

[both laugh]

Kelsey: Like not even the intense energies of notorious old married couple Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin can fix this situation.

PJ: And! And they were a defense pair in the win last night.

Kelsey: Max plays defense?

PJ: Did you not- I forget you hate the Isles. Yeah coaching moved him to defense to- I think to punish him it’s unclear and stupid but he appears to be thriving? Which I love for him. He did play defense in juniors to be fair.

Kelsey: No, being fueled by spite we love that. Keep me posted on those two. I wanna bring up the goalie crimes from this week...

PJ: Oh god we have to talk about Bryan.

___________________________________

Video posted by the Red Wings official twitter.

The locker room of the Red Wings after a home win, with most players having taken off their jerseys and sitting around either shirtless or in compression shirts. There is background chatter that quiets when Maxwell Jacob Friedman stands up, hair a mess with sweat from the game. He's holding a fireman's helmet, this season's relic to pass between the player whose performance was best. He gestures across the room,

"Punk"

and the camera swings to show the man he's called out, still in his skates, who rises, crosses the room and takes the helmet from him a little snappily, then raises his other hand to acknowledge the rest of the locker room

The rest of the locker room claps heartily and lets out a rising communal "ooh" like children when someone in their class is called to the principal's office.

They shake hands. We see him say something in MJF's ear, but the audio doesn't pick it up. Lip readers on Twitter claim he says "nobody calls me that anymore"

The response comes through clearly though: "Well I am."

[gillespialfredoe01806ld]

Kindred Cities: Affordable Alternatives to Your Favorite Pricey Places

fergregory/iStock; deberarr/iStock; realtor.com

America’s premier cities seem to have it all: Instagrammable park and city views, edgy bars, oodles of culture, a vibrant and weird street life, shops that sell cookie dough by the scoop. But all that awesomeness comes at a steep price. The harsh reality: Buying or renting into urban meccas like New York, San Francisco, or Denver is increasingly out of reach for many folks.

That’s why so many city-centric millennials, empty nesters, and everyone in between are finding themselves in a gut-wrenching double bind: Should they continue to fork over ludicrously high portions of their paycheck for housing, or throw in the towel and decamp to the suburbs?

Cue the sad violins.

But wait, there’s another option! Why not search out affordable alternatives for urban living—far cheaper cities with many of the same features that made you fall head over heels in the first place? Enter the realtor.com® data team. We distilled the true character of some of the nation’s most expensive metros, to find budget-friendly—and unexpected—counterparts around the country.

Nope, we’re not talking about twin cities, like neighboring Minneapolis and St. Paul. And they’re not sister cities, which are internationally matched to promote a cultural exchange. Instead, think of them as Metro Matchups™ —places that link up to the nation’s urban meccas in critical ways, but where you can buy a home for less than $350,000. Less than $350K!

You’ll never be able to find another New York—sorry, friends, Chicago’s deep-dish pies aren’t actually pizza at all—but you can find a place that offers at least some of the strange allure of the City That Never Sleeps for a fraction of the price. And techies who leave their hearts in San Francisco can still find jobs and happiness in a land where million-dollar teardowns do not prompt bidding wars.

“If you have a shopping list, you know what you want,” says Jody Kahn, the senior vice president of research at John Burns Real Estate Consulting. “You want to move somewhere that would work with your skills. You should also ask yourself: ‘What’s the vibe? Am I going to find people and activities I really enjoy?'”

If you’re leaving one of the United States’ biggest cities, you’re probably not going to move off the grid to somewhere without a reliable Wi-Fi signal (unless that’s your thing). So we limited our ranking to the 150 largest metros. All have median home prices below $350,000, plenty of gigs, and some ethnic diversity. We factored in housing stock, occupations, weather, nightlife, and a whole host of other criteria that help define an urban center’s unique personality:*

Percentage of stand-alone, single-family homes, condos, townhouses, and co-ops listed on realtor.com

Average days of sunshine per year

Dominant employment sectors (finance, government, tourism)

Dominant occupations

Restaurants per capita

Bars and nightlife venues per capita

Art galleries per capita

Number of pro and amateur sports teams

Car ownership rates

Some of our Metro Matchups™ pair up as you might expect. Others might make your jaw drop. But hey, we’ve got the data to back it all up! So let’s get going.

Prices in San Francisco getting you down? Rally to Raleigh!

iStock; realtor.com

San Francisco, CA

Median home list price: $868,000

Matchup: Raleigh, NC

Median home list price: $339,200 Matching metrics: Tech jobs, tech jobs, and did we mention tech jobs?

Let’s be real: There is only one City by the Bay! But if even thinking about your monthly rent or mortgage bill makes you reach for the anti-anxiety meds, you might want to consider … Raleigh.

Hear us out. The metro has the fifth-highest concentration of high-tech jobs in the nation. And the cost of living is just a fraction of that in San Francisco—or any of the other elite urban tech hubs like Boston or Seattle.

That isn’t news to tech start-up founder Matthew Sniff. In 2014, he left his Bay Area developer job to launch Map My Customers, a software app that helps companies optimize field sales in the field. Attractive prices led him to Raleigh, where he could get 1,700 square feet of office space for less than $2,000 per month. And an army of skilled techies kept him there.

“If I had to grade Raleigh, I would say A-plus for the cost of living and quality of life,” says Sniff. He admits the culture and nightlife aren’t quite on a par with S.F., but adds: “It would surprise people how good it is.”

There’s the Contemporary Art Museum in the city’s warehouse district that features emerging talent. And a bar scene with its own brand of quirkiness. The Angus Barn Restaurant features a butt-kicking contraption that does just what it says it will. And Flex, a popular gay club, hosts karaoke every nearly every night of the week, with the occasional drag queen show mixed in. “Islands in the Stream,” anyone?

Runner-up: New Orleans, with its food and nightlife

Trade earthquakes and smog for humidity and Spanish moss.

iStock; realtor.com

Los Angeles, CA

Median home list price: $699,600

Matchup: Savannah, GA

Median home list price: $249,900 Matching metrics: Movie production and beaches

Next time you’re eating butter-doused popcorn at the movies, just remember that film could very well have been made in Savannah. Yep, you heard us right: This is the Hollywood of the South. Savannah ranks No. 3 nationally in actor, producer, and director jobs.

The recent “Baywatch” movie, starring Zac Efron and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, was filmed in the Gothic Southern city, as was Robert De Niro‘s “Dirty Grandpa.”  Please don’t blame Savannah for those! Let’s focus instead on Ben Affleck‘s “Live by Night” or Channing Tatum’s “Magic Mike XXL.” Or “Forrest Gump”!

But it wouldn’t be truly Hollywood-esque without a good, old-fashioned celebrity arrest. “Transformers” actor Shia LaBeouf was booked in Savannah for disorderly conduct and public intoxication while on a production break this summer.

The city’s popularity with filmmakers is in part thanks to a tax credit the state began offering in 2008. From 2010 to 2014, filmmakers spent $58 million to produce movies in Savannah, says Trip Tollison, president and CEO of the Savannah Economic Development Authority. They spent $60 million in 2016 alone.

If you plan to relocate, don’t forget to pack your sunscreen. Savannah has some fantastic beaches at Tybee Island.

Runner-up: Las Vegas, with a star-studded nightlife that never stops

Consider South Carolina if you’re finding prices in Honolulu to be a real beach.

iStock; realtor.com

Honolulu, HI

Median home list price: $695,000

Matchup: Myrtle Beach, SC

Median home list price: $235,000 Matching metrics: Gorgeous beaches, scads of tourism jobs

Want to escape the high cost of the 50th state but keep your swim trunks handy?

Myrtle Beach was named one of the top 25 favorite beach towns of 2016 by Travel & Leisure and one of the best family beach vacation spots by U.S. News and World Report. It has a beautiful 60-mile string of beaches dotted with hotels, mini golf courses, and boardwalks.

You might miss the luaus, the sublime surfing, and the soy-and-sesame-bathed raw fish in poke bowls. But you’ll have plenty to do here, and lots more money to do it with. That’s probably why Myrtle Beach welcomed more than 18 million visitors over the summer of 2016.

And if you’re a business owner, you know that vacationers keep the lights on. Myrtle Beach has tons of tourists, with holes burning in their wallets. They’re well advised to hold on tight to those wallets, as the city is known to have a higher-than-average crime rate. But things are getting better, and the place is growing.

Runner-up: Orlando, with off-the-charts tourism, Disney-style

Don’t let a historic NFL rivalry get in the way of your real estate choices.

Getty Images; realtor.com

Denver, CO

Median home list price: $499,500

Matchup: Kansas City, MO

Median home list price: $245,800 Matching metrics: Hipster scenes and car culture

Kansas City is no longer a stodgy Midwestern metropolis. The city’s downtown has been transformed over the last few years, and now it’s home to about 20 breweries. Heck, Kansas City was even the first market to get Google Fiber’s broadband service in 2012, which gave its small tech sector a turbo boost.

Looking for a hipper-than-thou bar? Head out to the Crossroads neighborhood, where you’ll find the Manifesto, a historic watering hole dating to Prohibition that’s now known for its wildly creative mixology. Or try Swordfish Tom’s, named after singer-songwriter Tom Waits. Now that you have a few cocktails in you, head over to the First Fridays outdoor event to enjoy street music, sidewalk vendors, food trucks, and art exhibits.

Denver refugees don’t have to give up the great outdoors, either. They can hike the Little Blue Trace Trail at Fleming Park, which runs alongside the Little Blue River.

When you’re packing for the move to Kansas City, just make sure to leave behind any uneaten brownies. (Wink, wink.)

Runner-up: Omaha, NE, with its numerous jobs in finance

Want to save some Benjamins? Ride on down from Boston to Philly.

iStock; realtor.com

Boston, MA

Median home list price: $489,500

Matchup: Philadelphia, PA

Median home list price: $249,400 Matching metrics: Historic brownstones, tech and finance gigs galore

We’ve got bad news for Bostonians: It doesn’t matter how many healthy dishes New England Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady prepares from his fancy new cookbook, the man can’t play forever. But don’t worry, you’ll get some brotherly love where you’re going.

So what if Philadelphia doesn’t win the Super Bowl every year? It’s a darned good sports city in its own right. Indeed, the city is sixth in the nation for pro sports championships, four spots behind Boston. Plus, there’s nothing like eating a Philly cheesesteak at a Phillies game.

“Philly is a great sports town,” says Ed Mastripolito, a cook at Philadium Restaurant & Tavern. “It is a hotbed when the Phillies are winning games. And we have football fans who show up the night before to tailgate for Eagles games.”

Built in a similar colonial era, Philadelphia has housing and city architecture that many a Bostonian would appreciate. The Philadelphia cityscape is a mix of Georgian, Greek Revival, and Victorian architecture.

Rest assured, you wouldn’t be the first Bostonian to leave for Philadelphia. Mr. Hundred-Dollar Bill himself, Benjamin Franklin, did the same almost 300 years ago.

Runner-up: Chicago, another city that goes gaga over its sports franchises and St. Paddy’s Day parades

Ditch the deluge in Seattle for the “Purple Rain” allure of Minneapolis.

iStock; Getty Images; realtor.com

Seattle, WA

Median home list price: $485,000

Matchup: Minneapolis, MN

Median home list price: $311,300 Matching metrics: No shortage of condos, tech jobs, and music legends

Seattle had Kurt Cobain. Minneapolis had Prince. And while these luminaries are gone, their songs live on, just like each city’s music scene.

Live-music aficionados can check out the Soundset Festival in Minneapolis, which draws more than 35,000 fans each year. This year, the event featured performances from Ty Dolla $ign, Travis Scott, and Gucci Mane.

And that’s not where the similarities between the cities end. Minneapolis is a bona fide start-up Eden.

John Malone, a software engineer at Apruve, a local credit network start-up, worked in San Francisco through the dot-com boom. But he left it behind to return to his hometown.

“Minneapolis is comfortable in its own skin,” Malone says. “It’s not a place that feels the need to compare itself with the coasts.”

Runner-up: Philadelphia, with its aerospace industry and fondness for damn good coffee

Love deep-dish but don’t have deep pockets? Chicago may be the place for you.

iStock; realtor.com

New York, NY

Median home list price: $472,500

Matchup: Chicago, IL

Median home list price: $279,700 Matching metrics: Unbeatable nightlife, financial capitals, pizza obsession

You’d think a city with more than 8 million inhabitants crammed into tiny apartments paying astronomical rents might have lots of folks eager to move. But if they did, they’d be giving up so much: Central Park, daily celebrity sightings, 77 Michelin-starred restaurants … also 24-hour subways that keep passengers waiting for ungodly stretches, cat-sized rats, ill-tempered hot dog vendors. OK, maybe there is a reason to leave the Apple. But once you’ve tasted it, where else can you go?

There really is only one more affordable city that could hope to do the city justice: Chicago.

Even the most stubborn New Yorker might be won over by Chi-town. The Chicago skyline is gorgeous, with Willis Tower doing a fine Empire State Building impression. Once a laggard in the foodie department, it’s now home to some of the best America has to offer. They’re just cheaper. And yes, the city also has its own public transportation system. (Sorry, it, too, tends to keep you waiting.)

The two cities are also known for their mob roots. New York had the Five Families. Chicago had the Chicago Outfit and Al Capone. You decide if this is a good thing.

Runner-up: Baltimore, a port city with lots of condos

Portland scene getting a little old? Discover Columbus!

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Portland, OR

Median home list price: $450,000

Matchup: Columbus, OH

Median home list price: $241,300 Matchup metrics: Hipster havens

The warning signs were there: man buns, artisanal pickle shops, and rooftop bars. So the Buckeye State shouldn’t be too surprised that hipsters have invaded their state capital. Yep, Columbus has even fallen for avocado toast.

“Both Columbus and Portland are known for supporting small business and shopping local,” says Shane Prather, a social media coordinator in Columbus. “We both love our brunch, coffee, and craft beer. We take our dogs everywhere around town and love being outdoors whenever possible.”

Nearly 20 craft breweries have opened in Columbus over the past five years. Want a taste? Attend the Columbus Ale Trail, where you’ll try suds from the 37 total breweries located in the city.

Prather recommends that those looking to grab a beer or dinner head to the Short North neighborhood. Squeezed in between downtown and Ohio State University’s campus, it has become a hotbed for millennials, and also hosts the annual Columbus Pride Parade.

Runner-up: Madison, WI, a college town with a funky food and nightlife scene

Racking your dome for DC alternatives? Go from Capitol to capital.

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Washington, D.C.

Median home list price: $429,500

Matchup: Trenton, NJ

Median home list price: $290,000 Matchup metrics: Government jobs rule the roost

On a weekend walk through the nation’s capital, you’ll see the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. They’re beautiful. But are they worth the high price tag you’ll pay each month in rent or for your mortgage? Hey, it’s not easy on many government salaries!

That’s why folks may want to consider Trenton. We know it’s a stretch. But the city has government and nonprofit jobs to spare: Nearly one in three jobs here is in the government sector.

“We’re the capital of New Jersey. So we have lots of state, county, and city government positions,” says George Sowa, CEO of Greater Trenton—a nonprofit that advocates for downtown development. “There is also a federal presence here as well, with Federal Court offices.”

It may not have D.C.’s museums or “House of Cards” power scene. But does the nation’s capital have an annual Pork Roll Festival? (We honestly don’t know.)

Keep in mind it’s only 26 minutes to Philadelphia, about an hour from New York … and if you get really homesick, two hours from D.C. on Amtrak.

Runner-up: Tallahassee, FL, an even more unlikely government-driven economy

Love the sun but coastal weather got you down? Raise your spirits in Phoenix.

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Miami, FL

Median home list price: $387,500

Matchup: Phoenix, AZ

Median home list price: $317,200 Matchup metric: Sunshine and baby boomers baking in it

Hurricanes are becoming more frequent—and the cost of flood insurance isn’t going down. So maybe you’re a little less adamant about keeping your beachfront abode. If that’s the case, give Phoenix a look.

“You’re never going to worry about massive water damage to your house here,” says real estate agent Kristy Ryan of RE/MAX Fine Properties.

Despite lots of development, Phoenix still has some reasonably priced cribs. And nearby Scottsdale has grown its tourism in recent years and is trying to market itself as a party-seekers’ destination.

“There’s beautiful shopping and restaurants,” Ryan says. “And we have lots and lots of sunshine.”

Another perk? Phoenix has much lower humidity. Hair problems solved.

Runner-up: Virginia Beach,..

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Kindred Cities: Affordable Alternatives to Your Favorite Pricey Places

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America's premier cities seem to have it all: Instagrammable park and city views,edgybars, oodles of culture, a vibrant and weird street life, shops that sell cookie dough by the scoop. But all that awesomeness comes at a steep price. The harsh reality: Buying or renting into urban meccas like New York, San Francisco, or Denver is increasingly out of reach for many folks.

That's why so many city-centric millennials, empty nesters, and everyone in between are finding themselves in a gut-wrenchingdouble bind: Should they continue to fork over ludicrouslyhigh portions of their paycheck for housing, or throw in the towel and decamp to the suburbs?

Cue the sad violins.

But wait, there's another option! Why not search out affordable alternativesfor urban living-far cheaper citieswithmany of the samefeatures that madeyou fall head over heels in the first place?Enter the realtor.com data team. Wedistilledthe true character of some of the nation's most expensive metros, to find budget-friendly-and unexpected-counterpartsaround the country.

Nope, we're not talking about twin cities, like neighboring Minneapolis and St. Paul. And they're not sister cities, whichare internationally matched to promote a cultural exchange. Instead, think of them as Metro Matchups -places that link up to the nation's urbanmeccasin critical ways, butwhere you can buy a home for less than $350,000. Less than $350K!

You'll never be able to find another New York-sorry, friends, Chicago's deep-dish piesaren'tactually pizza at all-but you can find aplacethat offers at least some of the strange allure of the City That Never Sleeps for a fraction of the price. And techies who leave their hearts in San Francisco can still find jobsandhappiness in a land where million-dollar teardowns do not prompt bidding wars.

If you have a shopping list, you know what you want,saysJody Kahn, the senior vice president of research at John Burns Real Estate Consulting. You want to move somewhere that would work with your skills. You should also ask yourself: 'What's the vibe? Am I going to find people and activities I really enjoy?'

If you're leaving one of the United States' biggest cities, you're probably not going to move off the grid to somewhere without a reliable Wi-Fi signal (unless that's your thing). So we limited our ranking to the 150 largest metros. All have median home prices below $350,000, plenty ofgigs, and some ethnic diversity. We factored in housing stock, occupations, weather, nightlife, and a whole host of other criteria that help define an urban center's unique personality:*

Percentage of stand-alone, single-family homes, condos, townhouses, and co-ops listed on realtor.com

Average days of sunshine per year

Dominant employment sectors (finance, government, tourism)

Dominant occupations

Restaurants per capita

Bars and nightlife venues per capita

Art galleries per capita

Number of pro and amateur sports teams

Car ownership rates

Some of our Metro Matchups pair up as you might expect. Others might make your jaw drop. But hey, we've got the data to back it all up! So let's get going.

Prices in San Francisco getting you down? Rally to Raleigh!

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San Francisco, CA

Median home list price:$868,000

Matchup:Raleigh, NC

Median home list price:$339,200 Matching metrics:Tech jobs, tech jobs, and did we mention tech jobs?

Let's be real: There is only one City by the Bay! But if even thinking about your monthly rent or mortgage bill makes you reach for the anti-anxiety meds, you might want to consider Raleigh.

Hear us out. Themetrohas thefifth-highest concentration of high-tech jobs in the nation. And the cost of living is just a fraction ofthat in San Francisco-or any of the other elite urban tech hubslikeBoston or Seattle.

That isn't news to tech start-up founderMatthew Sniff. In 2014, he left his Bay Area developer job to launch Map My Customers, a software appthathelps companies optimize field sales in the field. Attractive pricesledhim to Raleigh, where he could get 1,700 square feet of office space for less than $2,000 per month. And an army of skilled techies kept him there.

If I had to grade Raleigh, I would say A-plus for the cost of living and quality of life, says Sniff. He admits the culture and nightlife aren't quite on a par with S.F., but adds: It would surprise people how good it is.

There's the Contemporary Art Museum in the city's warehouse district that features emerging talent. And a bar scene with its own brand of quirkiness.The Angus Barn Restaurant features a butt-kicking contraption thatdoes just what it says itwill. AndFlex, a popular gay club, hosts karaoke every nearly every night of the week, with the occasional drag queen show mixed in. Islands in the Stream, anyone?

Runner-up: New Orleans, with its food and nightlife

Trade earthquakes and smog for humidity and Spanish moss.

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Los Angeles, CA

Median home list price:$699,600

Matchup:Savannah, GA

Median home list price:$249,900 Matching metrics:Movie production and beaches

Next time you're eating butter-doused popcorn at the movies, just remember that film could very well have beenmade in Savannah. Yep, you heard us right: This isthe Hollywood of the South. Savannah ranks No. 3 nationally in actor, producer, and director jobs.

The recent Baywatch movie, starringZac Efronand Dwayne TheRock Johnson,was filmed in the Gothic Southern city, as was Robert De Niro'sDirty Grandpa. Please don't blame Savannah for those! Let's focus instead on Ben Affleck's Live by Night or Channing Tatum's Magic Mike XXL. Or Forrest Gump!

But it wouldn't be truly Hollywood-esque without a good, old-fashioned celebrity arrest. Transformers actor Shia LaBeoufwasbooked in Savannah for disorderly conduct and public intoxication while on a production break this summer.

Thecity's popularity with filmmakers is in part thanks to a tax credit the state began offering in2008. From2010 to 2014, filmmakers spent $58 million to produce movies in Savannah,says Trip Tollison, president and CEO of the Savannah Economic Development Authority. They spent $60 million in 2016 alone.

If you plan to relocate,don't forget to pack your sunscreen.Savannah has some fantastic beaches atTybee Island.

Runner-up:Las Vegas, with a star-studded nightlife that never stops

Consider South Carolina if you're finding prices in Honolulu to be a real beach.

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Honolulu, HI

Median home list price:$695,000

Matchup:Myrtle Beach, SC

Median home list price:$235,000 Matching metrics:Gorgeous beaches,scads of tourism jobs

Want to escape the high cost of the 50th state but keep your swim trunks handy?

Myrtle Beach was named one of the top 25 favorite beach towns of 2016 by Travel & Leisure and one of the best family beach vacation spots by U.S. News and World Report. It has a beautiful60-mile string of beaches dotted with hotels, mini golf courses, and boardwalks.

You might miss the luaus, the sublime surfing, and the soy-and-sesame-bathed raw fish in poke bowls. But you'll have plenty to do here, and lots more money to do it with. That's probably why Myrtle Beach welcomed more than 18 million visitors over the summer of 2016.

And if you're a business owner, you know that vacationers keep the lights on. Myrtle Beach has tons of tourists, with holes burning in their wallets.They're well advised to hold on tight to those wallets, as the city is known to have a higher-than-average crime rate.But things are getting better, and the place is growing.

Runner-up:Orlando, with off-the-charts tourism, Disney-style

Don't let a historic NFL rivalry get in the way of your real estate choices.

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Denver, CO

Median home list price:$499,500

Matchup:Kansas City, MO

Median home list price:$245,800 Matching metrics:Hipster scenes and car culture

Kansas City is no longer a stodgy Midwestern metropolis. The city's downtown has been transformed over the last few years, andnow it's home to about 20 breweries. Heck, Kansas City was even the first market to get Google Fiber's broadband service in 2012, which gave its small tech sector a turbo boost.

Looking for ahipper-than-thou bar? Head out to the Crossroads neighborhood, where you'll find the Manifesto, a historic watering holedating to Prohibition that's now known for its wildly creative mixology. Or try Swordfish Tom's,named after singer-songwriterTom Waits.Now that you have a fewcocktails in you, head over to the First Fridays outdoor eventto enjoy street music, sidewalk vendors, food trucks, and art exhibits.

Denver refugees don't have to give up the great outdoors, either. They canhike the Little Blue Trace Trail at Fleming Park, whichruns alongside the Little Blue River.

When you're packing for the move to Kansas City, just make sure to leave behind any uneaten brownies. (Wink, wink.)

Runner-up:Omaha, NE,with its numerous jobs infinance

Want to save some Benjamins? Ride on down from Boston to Philly.

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Boston, MA

Median home list price:$489,500

Matchup:Philadelphia, PA

Median home list price:$249,400 Matching metrics:Historic brownstones, tech and finance gigs galore

We've got bad news for Bostonians: It doesn't matterhow many healthy dishes New England Patriots QuarterbackTom Bradyprepares from his fancy new cookbook, the man can't play forever. But don't worry, you'll get some brotherly love where you're going.

So what if Philadelphia doesn't win the Super Bowl every year? It's a darned good sports city in its own right. Indeed, the city is sixth in the nation for pro sports championships, four spots behind Boston. Plus, there's nothing like eating a Philly cheesesteak at a Phillies game.

Philly is agreat sports town, says Ed Mastripolito, a cook at Philadium Restaurant & Tavern. It is a hotbed when the Phillies are winning games. And we have football fans whoshow up the night before to tailgate for Eagles games.

Built in a similar colonial era, Philadelphia has housing and city architecture that many a Bostonian would appreciate. The Philadelphia cityscape is a mix of Georgian, Greek Revival, and Victorian architecture.

Rest assured, youwouldn't be the first Bostonian to leave forPhiladelphia. Mr.Hundred-DollarBill himself, Benjamin Franklin, did the same almost 300 years ago.

Runner-up:Chicago, anothercity thatgoes gaga over itssportsfranchises and St. Paddy's Day parades

Ditch the deluge in Seattle for the Purple Rain allure of Minneapolis.

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Seattle, WA

Median home list price:$485,000

Matchup:Minneapolis, MN

Median home list price:$311,300 Matching metrics: No shortageofcondos, tech jobs, and music legends

Seattle had Kurt Cobain. Minneapolis had Prince. And while these luminaries are gone, their songs live on, just like each city's music scene.

Live-music aficionadoscan check outthe Soundset Festival in Minneapolis, which draws more than 35,000fans each year. This year, the event featured performances fromTy Dolla $ign, Travis Scott,andGucci Mane.

And that's not where the similarities between the cities end.Minneapolis is a bona fide start-up Eden.

John Malone, a software engineer at Apruve, alocal credit network start-up, worked in San Francisco through the dot-com boom. But he left it behind to return to his hometown.

Minneapolis is comfortable in its own skin, Malone says. It's not a place that feels the need to compare itself with the coasts.

Runner-up:Philadelphia, with its aerospace industry and fondness for damn good coffee

Love deep-dish but don't have deep pockets? Chicago may be the place for you.

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New York, NY

Median home list price:$472,500

Matchup:Chicago, IL

Median home list price:$279,700 Matching metrics: Unbeatable nightlife, financial capitals, pizza obsession

You'd think a city with more than 8 million inhabitants crammed intotiny apartments paying astronomical rents mighthave lots offolks eager to move. But if they did, they'd be giving up so much: Central Park, daily celebrity sightings, 77 Michelin-starred restaurants also 24-hour subways that keep passengers waiting for ungodly stretches, cat-sized rats, ill-tempered hot dog vendors. OK, maybe there is a reason to leave the Apple. But once you've tasted it, where else can you go?

There really is only one more affordable city that could hope to do the city justice: Chicago.

Even the most stubborn New Yorker might be won over by Chi-town. The Chicago skyline is gorgeous, with Willis Tower doing afine Empire State Building impression. Once a laggard in the foodie department, it's now home to some of the best America has to offer. They're just cheaper. And yes, the city also has its own public transportation system. (Sorry, it, too, tends to keep you waiting.)

The two cities are also known for their mob roots. New York had the Five Families. Chicago had theChicago Outfit and Al Capone. You decide if this is a good thing.

Runner-up:Baltimore,a port city with lots of condos

Portland scene getting a little old? Discover Columbus!

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Portland, OR

Median home list price:$450,000

Matchup:Columbus, OH

Median home list price:$241,300 Matchup metrics: Hipster havens

The warning signs were there: man buns, artisanal pickle shops, and rooftop bars. So the Buckeye State shouldn't be too surprised that hipsters have invaded their state capital. Yep, Columbus has even fallen for avocado toast.

Both Columbus and Portland are known for supporting small business and shopping local, saysShane Prather, a social media coordinatorin Columbus. We both love our brunch, coffee, and craft beer. We take our dogs everywhere around town and love being outdoors whenever possible.

Nearly 20 craft breweries have opened in Columbus over the past five years. Want a taste? Attend the Columbus Ale Trail, where you'll trysudsfrom the 37 total breweries located in the city.

Prather recommends that those looking to grab a beer or dinner head to the Short North neighborhood.Squeezed in between downtown and Ohio State University's campus,it hasbecome a hotbed for millennials, and also hosts the annual Columbus Pride Parade.

Runner-up:Madison, WI,a college town with afunky food and nightlife scene

Racking your dome for DC alternatives? Go from Capitol to capital.

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Washington, D.C.

Median home list price:$429,500

Matchup:Trenton, NJ

Median home list price:$290,000 Matchup metrics: Government jobsrule the roost

On a weekend walk through the nation's capital, you'll see the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. They're beautiful. But are they worth the high price tag you'll pay each month in rent or for your mortgage? Hey, it's not easy on many government salaries!

That's why folks may want to consider Trenton. We know it's a stretch. But the cityhas government and nonprofit jobs to spare: Nearly one in three jobs hereis in the government sector.

We're the capital of New Jersey. So we have lots of state, county, and city government positions, says George Sowa, CEO of Greater Trenton-a nonprofit that advocates for downtown development. There is also a federal presence here as well, with Federal Court offices.

It may not have D.C.'s museums or House of Cards power scene.But doesthe nation's capitalhave an annual Pork Roll Festival? (We honestly don't know.)

Keep in mind it'sonly 26 minutes to Philadelphia, about an hour from New York and if you get really homesick, two hours from D.C. on Amtrak.

Runner-up:Tallahassee, FL,an even more unlikelygovernment-driven economy

Love the sun but coastal weather got you down? Raise your spirits in Phoenix.

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Miami, FL

Median home list price:$387,500

Matchup:Phoenix, AZ

Median home list price:$317,200 Matchup metric: Sunshine and baby boomersbaking in it

Hurricanes are becoming more frequent-and the cost of flood insurance isn't going down. So maybe you're a little less adamant about keeping your beachfront abode. If that's the case, give Phoenix a look.

You're never going to worry about massive water damage to your house here, says real estate agentKristy Ryan of RE/MAX Fine Properties.

Despite lots of development, Phoenix still has some reasonably priced cribs. And nearby Scottsdale has grown its tourism in recent years and is trying to market itself as a party-seekers' destination.

There's beautiful shopping and restaurants, Ryan says.And we have lots and lots of sunshine.

Another perk? Phoenix has much lower humidity. Hair problems solved.

Runner-up:Virginia Beach, VA,with its oceanside fun

* Data sources: realtor.com, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census Bureau, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Nielsen, Google Trends, and Yelp.com

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