#honestly people should cheat more when it's not a competition

[soap-is-an-artist]

how i feel with cheat mods in games:

i need infinite money forever so i can get everyone so so so many little gifts

[taeslarityy]

dirty laundry ༄ dave york one shot (18+)

-> pairing: dark dave york x female reader

-> word count: 2.8k

-> summary: it’s a hot august week at the york’s lake house, which also happens to be the week you and your husband got married one year ago. your father in law — dave york — finds you changing in the laundry room and decides to give you a celebration of his own.

-> warnings/tags: father-in-law dave york, infidelity, dubcon, NON-CON, age gap (reader is 21, dave is nearing 50), SMUT 18+, heavy degradation(whore, slut, bitch), humiliation, dumbification, unprotected piv, sir kink, rough face-fucking, forced creampie, talk of pregnancy, reader is under the impression that she endures forced impregnation, hair pulling, slapping, spanking, semi naive reader, dave is not a cutesy nice man in this.. he honestly has no concern for readers feelings or pleasure. so please, if themes like dubious consent + non-con + blatant cheating are not ur forte, protect ur peace and scroll away!!

-> a/n: okay okay hiiiii. when i decided to participate in @hellishjoel ‘s #hotdilfsummerchallenge, i had a few ideas in mind. one happened to be this! but i felt more comfortable writing for joel and was confident in what i had planned. basically, this is opposite of that. no fluff or happy ending.. or even happy anything. so i wanted to share! thanks again kylee for letting me participate <3 and thank you to my beloved dearest @sweetpascal for aiding me yet again, i love u 🤍

let me know your thoughts!

DARK CONTENT BELOW: READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTENT YOU CONSUME.

A huge part of growth, means acknowledging your mistakes.

When you failed your first semester of college, you knew it was from lack of trying and partying six days a week. So, you studied more and partied four days a week instead. When you slammed your brand new Mercedes into a flag pole, you knew it was from scrolling on Instagram which caused you to push accelerate rather than stop. So, you never went on your phone while driving again.

When you fell in love your sophomore year and decided to get married at twenty, you knew it was because you needed the well-off grad school bachelor, Daniel York. So, inadvertently, you settled. Now, a year later, you're sobbing in his family’s lake house bathroom because he somehow forgot that tonight was the eve of your wedding anniversary.

You feel like a complete and utter idiot. And for once in your life, you just might be. Staring at your reflection, you examine your appearance. You look effortlessly amazing today, after spending the day out on the boat. Hair, body and face all faintly sun-kissed. Your skin freshly shaved, legs and arms lathered in your favorite oil.

This was your final attempt to see if Daniel would stare at you with the same look of admiration he had so long ago. Your first attempt to ask him about starting your own family. Tonight was the night, and you were determined.

Briefly peeking out of the guest bathroom and down the hall, you decide you can rush into the laundry room only a few doors down. Everyone should seemly be downstairs, finishing up a game of Monopoly. You had the pleasure of winning two games in a row, pissing of the frightfully competitive York family. That’s when you decided to call it a night and head up to get ready for bed — bidding everyone a goodbye as you kissed your husband atop his head.

Wrapping your robe securely around your waist, you make your way towards the closed door and enter just as the dryer sings the most obnoxious 45 second tune that confirms the load is finished. Rich people shit, you mutter to yourself. Grabbing your bikini and sundress to hang up first, then laying out a sheer white silk sleeping dress with baby blue lace trim.

Looking back at the closed door, you conclude you should be fine to just throw it on before laying yourself out on your shared bed. Ready for your husband to see you so open and willing to be used by him. As your robe falls to your feet, a slight creek fills the silent space.

Whipping your head back and grabbing the nearest towel to cover yourself, you're met with an alluring glare from your husbands own dad. Your father-in-law, Dave York.

"Dave wha- what are you doing?" You question with a panic laced tone. Completely thrown off by the way he's leaning against the now locked door, hands in his wrinkle-free perfectly fitted black work slacks. His lack of response is louder than the faint trickle from the utility sink your bare-ass is pressed against.

Dave saunters over to you, his pristinely polished shoes clinking heavily with every step despite the minimal weight he's using. It's a commanding presence, shows how he doesn't have to storm over to establish authority. His handsome body towers over you and the faint hairs on your spine rapidly rise at the feeling of his warmth nearing your own naked body. Aside from the small washcloth that covers your crotch and arm across your heavy tits.

His veiny calloused wedding ring-wearing hand reaches next to you, finding the lace on your nightgown satisfyingly soft.

"Look at this, angel. Did you plan on wearing it for my inconsiderate son?" He remarks, looking into your wide eyes as his fingers continue to twist and feel at a piece of clothing that is filling you with an overbearing amount of embarrassment.

"I d- you weren't supposed to see that." The nervous confession brings a crooked grin to Dave's face.

"It's real pretty, just like you. Sexy even.... but I wouldn't waste my time putting something like this on for Daniel." Shaking his head at your frazzled state and utilizing that dismissive tone he does so well.

"W-why?"

Pinching the bridge of his nose in annoyance at your innocent unknowing voice, Dave reaches a hand to slowly move your arm that's covering your plush chest. "Because, he left 10 minutes ago. Waved bye to me as I pulled into the driveway."

Now you're really fucking confused. Your husband never goes off without texting you to let you know, and why would he leave you alone at his parents home? Especially on the night prior to your anniversary.

"I don't understand. Did he tell you where he was going?" You probe at him, not processing the way his rough fingertips are skimming over your navel, up across your chest. Suddenly, you yelp as he pinches your pebbled nipple and grips under your adjacent perky breast. Your hand quickly grabs at his wrist, but he slaps it away — holding it at your waist.

"You really have nothing going on in that head of yours, huh? Just floating around being the perfect little wife for my son, is that right? Too stupid and blind to see that your husband cheats on you every living moment and only married you because you're nothing more than a sweet voice who’s gentle on the eyes." His painful out-of-pocket words paired with the twisting of your nipples has heavy tears brimming at your lashes. "Kind of him to make sure you're gentle on his old mans eyes too.... we always did share a type."

"Fuck you," you spit at him. You've never dared be rude to Dave, or anyone for that matter. But his condescending temper, sudden violations to your privacy paired with the already upsetting feelings you've been enduring today was a breaking point. As you rip your hand from his grasp prepared to rush out of the room, he grabs your throat in a vice grip. Landing a brutal smack on your cheek that causes your head to turn from the impact, just for him to use that same hand to yank your hair back to a straight position. Body now pressed against your own — you feel the washcloth protecting your femininity drop at your bare feet in terror.

"Hmm. Never heard you cuss before, sweetheart. Thought I taught my son to train his wife better than that."

A heavy tear streams down your now red swollen cheek, as you take in the hurtful message your father in law is clarifying. You're nothing but a piece of fuck meat, a trophy wife. But clearly not honored enough for your husband to use you. Humiliatingly, the way Dave's clothed body is up against your own, has your exposed cunt throbbing and leaking down your legs for him. You were good enough for Dave York, and that was an honor within itself.

"'M sorry," you murmur at the feel of his covered thigh spreading your leg and nudging into your soaked pussy.

Dave chuckles at your nearly cock drunk state, "haven't even touched you and your leaking on my dress pants. No wonder he keeps you around, you're just a perfect little slut willing to please."

"Y- yeaah," you sigh lightly humping his thigh, even though Dave didn't even ask a question. Something within you just wanted him to understand your body was his to use, despite both your sacred dedications to other partners. People so close to you. His son, your husband. Your mother-in-law, his wife.

He swiftly moves his thigh from between your legs, pinching your cheeks so they're puckered willing you to look at him with those glossed over doe-eyes he fucking leaks over. "Use that head and address me properly."

Your head swarms for a second, worried of his reaction to an incorrect title. Testing the waters, you whine, "yes, sir." The words muffled by the tight hold he has on your face.

With a sinister grin on his face, Dave pushes you down on the solid tile — hand still threaded through your hair to ensure your head movement is in his control.

"Look at that, your brain does work. Let's see about that mouth."

Yanking the zipper down, he pulls his semi-hard cock out and slaps it on your cheek, precum smearing slightly. As you eye his cock, you come to the realization that he's slightly bigger than his son at half mast, and you're gonna have to calm yourself to handle a monster like that.

"Are you gonna show me how good you take a cock down your throat? With those dick-sucking porn worthy lips?" Dave peers down at you. He has started to jerk himself to full length, his thumbs barely touching around his width.

"Yes, sir. I am."

The way your eyelids flutter up at him, so docile and unaware of just how vicious Dave intends to be on your needy body. It unlocks that fundamental primal male urge that he normally suppresses during sex.

"Open your mouth, bitch." As your tongue lolls out of your mouth obediently, a dribble of spit going down your chin to your neck to your tits gleams in the soft light. Dave grins as he stuffs two fingers in your mouth, touching at your sensitive uvula. You instantly attempt suppressing your rare gag reflex, body unprepared for his actions. "Nice job, knew you were meant to have your mouth filled."

Dave rips his fingers from you and smears the thick string of saliva across your face — slapping you across the face, rather gentle than before. As he grabs his cock and lines it up with your mouth, you inhale deeply. Seemly more aware of how Dave likes to be. Callous, straight-forward and dominant.

Before you can suck him into your mouth, Dave spits right on his cock — some of it landing on your moisturized lips — just to slam himself down your throat. Your eyes spring open looking up at him, polished hands gripping at his slack-covered thighs. You feel your left over slick on his right pant leg. The taste of his long day is heavy on your tongue as his balls nuzzle at your chin. You're overwhelmed with his scent. The hair at the base of his cock tickles your nose, stud piercing almost getting caught.

"Riiiight there, that's fucking it. What a real fucking whore."

Dave lets his head fall backwards, eyes on the ceiling as he feels you sputter around him, your spit dripping heavily down his balls and onto the tile between his legs. He's unsure on how long he looks upwards, until he feels the digging of your fingertips into him. When he looks down, your eyes are bulging — about to roll into the back of your skull. So he pulls off of you.

Your belligerent cough is almost too loud for comfort, so Dave jerks his cock and plops his full balls into your mouth. And like the eager girl you are, you suck them into your mouth. Licking at the seam between them, letting them bounce off of your tongue. You lick downwards, tonguing at his delicate perineum. That small but dirty act makes him groan loudly. Loud enough for someone on the second floor to hear.

Realizing he's getting too comfortable, he goes back to filling your mouth. Alternating between shallow fucking of the throat and just letting it bulge inside. His big hands wrapping around your neck to jerk himself through the thin hump of protruding skin.

When he hears the shrewd screech of his name from the mouth of his wife downstairs, he pulls out swiftly and yanks you up, hoisting your leg onto the counter. Prodding his cock head at your now unbelievably soaked entrance.

Your mind is hazy and disorientated concerning what's about to happen. You feel like you've barely had any time to process the fact that your father in law is treating you like a common street whore. So, when he pushes into you, a wailing shriek escapes you.

Dave slaps his heavy hand around your mouth from behind, pushing in balls deep but not before releasing a moan of his own.

"Better shut that mouth before I stuff something in there... good god. How is that cunt so damn tight? You're snug around me, guess you're not a slut after all. Tight pussy but loose throat, just how I like it."

Dave proceeds with his relentless thrusts into your aching cunt. You don't remember the last time you were filled so thoroughly. It makes you forget how fucked up this situation truthfully is.

As Dave's cock is slamming into your cervix over and over, you feel your lower stomach tightening. He feels it too. Dave has been holding in his orgasm since you first fell to your knees and gave him those fuck toy eyes. So before you can cum all over him, he grabs you by the neck from the front and puts your ear right by his mouth so he can relay his special message.

"My son told me you've been begging him for a baby... how sweet. You just wanna be a mama, huh? Or maybe, you think having one will fix your relationship. Just reminds me how stupid you are. If a kid could save a marriage, my wife and I would've been happy ever since she pushed that little shit out. But, I'm gonna make it even better for you, sweetheart...."

Dave pushes to the hilt as you cum around him, whimpering behind his hand. Eager to hear his words, simultaneously terrified.

"Gonna cum inside and get you pregnant myself."

You scream into his hand, trying to push him away from you, trying to get yourself away from his spearing cock. All your effort does is push him in deeper, your body going lax at how stuffed you are.

"Don't fight me, angel. Just take it..." You feel his warm cum spilling into you, your body quivering. "Good... so good. I already feel your body sucking up my cum.. eager for it. Eager to be round with your father in law's baby. What will it call me? Grand-dad?" He snickers into your ear as he releases your body. You just lay there, half your limp limbs hanging off the counter.

Dave watches his thick white liquid drip out of you, and down your inner thighs. He pats your ass and tucks himself back into his slacks.

"Don't worry too much. Daniel looks just like me, he'll never find out his kid is actually his half-sibling. That is unless you tell him. You want him to find out you were on your knees being a slut for his, daddy?" Dave questions you. You don't speak a word. Just staring at the piped detailing on the cupboard that holds all the scented detergents.

"Just go, please. So I can clean myself up." Those few begging words take the reminanets of your little energy.

Dave grabs your now wrinkly nightgown and robe, pulling you off the counter so you're forced to stand in front of him. Body spent, his finger prints have left slight indents on various parts of you that you're positive will bruise in the days to come. You realize now, there's no way your husband can see you uncovered for weeks.

"You're gonna put this slutty outfit on and walk your ass into his room, with my cum dripping down your legs. He's been waiting for you, sweetheart."

Your jaw drops at his demand. Disgusted yet your cunt clenches at the filth of it all.

"I thought you said he left?"

Dave just smiles at you like you're a mindless child. You almost fall to the floor in despair at the discovery of what a lying sick bastard Dave has revealed himself to be. You don't know what to do. You've caught yourself up in this twisted game and as of now, there's no way out.

So, you throw the soft lace over your head and run your fingers through your hair attempting to fix your appearance. As you unlock the door, Dave places a gentle hand on your waist and kisses the top of your head. You hear him inhale your scent before he pushes you out of the door and watches you meander to his son's room, a slight limp in your legs.

You look at him, distain on your face as you open the door to find your husband scrolling on his phone. With an arrogant look spread across his face — "Where have you been?"

Dave hears the click of the door lock setting in place. As he walks towards the stairwell, he can't help but laugh at the memory of his vasectomy he received many years ago.

thank you truly for reading! let me know your thoughts below or in asks!! reblogs are greatly appreciated <3

[rowdyhughesy]

Love in Nevada ✰ Jack Hughes

I suck at summary’s but here is a Jack blurb from my drafts, happy reading!

Being forced to listen to Dylan's awful music taste, Mark poking you time and time again because he's bored, Luke's snoring and Ethan constantly fidgeting in his seat cause as he claims 'can't get comfortable' is starting to drive you absolutely crazy. "Can someone please explain to me again why we decided to drive to freaking Nevada?" The question comes out angrier then intended and you should probably feel bad for snapping at your best friends but spending the last 32 hours in a car together is starting to become claustrophobic. "It was all Luke's idea!" Mark shouts throwing an accusing finger towards the boy sitting in the passenger seat. Luke narrows his eyes at the tall boy beside you. "It was all of us Estapa! See it as group bonding or whatever." Dylan rolls his eyes at all of us not moving his gaze from the road.

"Group bonding? We live together. I say we bond all the time. I've seen Marky in his birth-suit more times than I would like." Everyone starts laughing at your response except for Mark whose cheeks are currently the same shade of red as a fire truck. "You should really start locking the door when you shower." Ethan teases reaching over you to poke Mark in the stomach. Mark grumbles to himself swatting at Ethan's hand in retaliation.

◦◦◦

Hugging the sweatshirt closer, you rest your head on Marks shoulder. Deciding to sit on the floor was not the most comfortable but when there is 10 people in one house there won't be seats for everyone on two couches. Agreeing to play board games with 9 competitive hockey players, that was your second error of the night.

Trevor and Cole are currently bickering about how Cole thinks Trevor cheated in the current card game being played, the rest of the group watching with amused smiles on our faces. "Y/N, you're the only one here that isn't partial. Did Trevor cheat?" Cole's statement makes everyone shift their focus to you. Lifting your head from Marks shoulder you stare at the boys in confusion and a little bit of embarrassment for being the main focus.

"Honestly, I wasn't looking. I was busy peeking at Eddys cards but knowing Trevor for the past like six hours? I'd say yes." Ethan shoves your shoulder and Trevor immediately starts pleading his case about how he did in fact not cheat and that you bruised his heart thinking he'd do such a thing. "Trev listen bud. We all know you cheat every time we play so just accept the facts." Jack pats his friend on the shoulder laughing as Trevor stares at him with wide eyes. After that the game continues but you can't help but notice Jack glancing at you from the corner of his eye and there is no chance of ignoring how that makes your cheeks warm and heart stutter a bit in your chest.

◦◦◦

The house is still quiet, everyone still sleeping since it's not even nine in the morning yet and none of the boys have probably had the chance to sleep in for a while since the season just ended for the most part. Sneaking downstairs you make your way to the kitchen with the goal of making breakfast for everyone. To your surprise there is someone else awake except for you.

Jack is sitting by the kitchen island. A protein shake sitting on the counter and he is scrolling on his phone, workout clothes covering his body and hair still slightly damp from sweat. "Good morning." Startled Jack fumbles with his phone before looking up with raised eyebrows before giving you a smile and a small morning in response. "You're not sleeping in?" Taking a seat on the counter next to where Jack is sitting on one of the bar stools. He shakes his head before running a hand through his hair. "Nah, I woke up early so I just went for a run and Alex snores so my room isn't really peaceful right now." That makes you let out a sound between and a snort and a laugh covering your mouth with a hand to try and stifle the ugly noise that slipped out.

"So, you're the same age as me but you work as a photographer for one of the best schools in the country. How?" It's understandable how Jack can be curious of how you (barely an adult) got a professional job without a college degree. Most people you meet wonder the same thing when you tell them what you do for a living. You’re even surprised yourself sometimes if you are being honest.

"Well somehow the media team found my website and contacted me said they really liked my work and saw huge potential. I moved to Michigan about two years ago." Jack nods along to everything you’re saying listening intently as you explain how you ended up at University of Michigan.

Talking with Jack comes easy but you shouldn't be surprised since you felt the same way about Luke when you first got to know the Michigan wolverines. “Why do you live with Luke and his team? I mean living with half a hockey team sounds crazy." It's a hard question that you’ve never really thought about. One day after you first started getting close with the boys Mackie and Eddy just asked you if you wanted to move in and you said yes. "To be honest? My family is back home so I didn't have anyone close to me when I first moved here. It was terrifying but they made me one of them before I even said a word. They're my safe space when I feel homesick or get stressed out. I know that if it gets too much they'll look out for me or make me laugh when I'm sad. They're my best friends and like my little brothers."

Suddenly you feel bare, you have never talked about how lonely you were when you first moved to Ann Arbor. How scary it was. Those boys were your saving grace just when you thought about quitting and moving home. Ready to give up all the things you’ve worked for just because you were scared.

Feeling a warm hand on your knee you look up, Jack has a smile on his face but his eyes look sad almost like he knows all the things that just went through your mind. "You know I was lonely too when I first moved to Jersey. I had just turned 18 when I was drafted and I didn't know what was about to happen with my life. Everyone on the team were older than me and had their shit in order but I didn't. It's okey to be scared as long as you don't let it stop you from getting to where you wanna go." You can feel the tears coming so with a sad smile you wrap your arms around his neck. Jack hugs you back immediately and now that you have experienced a hug from Jack you decide that they're your new favourite.

Pulling away from Jacks embrace goosebumps rise on your arms and legs from the sudden cold that followed. His gaze is soft, giving of a feeling that resembles being wrapped up in a cozy blanket. A light blue and kind. “Do you think Luke will be pissed if I kissed his roommate?” Goofy smiles as both of you lean closer. “No but he will tease me for the rest of my life.” With that Jack takes a leap of faith and leans forward.

The kiss is just what you wanted it to be. A bit nervous and shy but has the feeling that this is the start of something big. Bigger than hockey, bigger than work and bigger than having to listen Luke and the other boys forever chirping you.

Yeah, this is definitely going to be the start of a new bigger chapter of your life.

[bigsoftmarshmallow]

Yo, I just got your ask, but it'll take a bit.

Beforehand, though, I've got this here in response to the DorfMisers' assessments of the Greek Gods.

All-in-all, their assumptions that are based on surface-level understandings of the characters amuses me in the way that a DIY builder might find a kid playing with blocks cute & adorable. Like, "you are adorable."

Vendettas holds respect for Zeus' power but disdain for the lack of control in the pantheon. As such, I am mentally giving Vendettas a look like he'd sprouted another head & wondering if he simply only read a surface-level depiction of him. Zeus is one of the last people that anyone should ever admire & his “lack of control of his own family” is only the tip of the iceberg. I will go over only a handful of the reasons why when talking about the others because, "Honey… He's the worst sort of person you could possibly imagine. Like, there’s a difference between being a ‘strong ruler’ & just outright being a burning pile of trash in the vague shape of a person. Please, have higher standards for yourself.” Though, I'd simply nod at his admiration for Athena. Because, yeah. Understandable. She still has her crappy moments, though. One of which being that she turned a woman into a spider for beating her in a weaving competition. Nobody likes a sore loser, Athena.

Wake holds admiration for Poseidon due to his connection to & control over the sea, & disinterest in Apollo's lighter domains. Though, he should likely note that Apollo wasn't simply a god of light. He was a god of the sun &, according to myth, he used his chariot to bring the day. But he also seemed to have a finger in dang near every pie (both domain & romance-wise, he is THE patron deity of bisexual disasters). Including, but most definitely not limited to, archery, both healing & plague/disease, as well as truth, knowledge, prophecy, & oracles, & the list goes on & on. It's honestly a bit insane. He was basically a Jack-of-all-trades sort of deity. Don't get me wrong, just like all the other Greek gods, he was also a dick. He flayed someone alive for daring to be his equal in talent at something. Again, nobody likes a sore loser, Apollo!

Bandit respects Hades’ patient rule of the underworld but looks down on Zeus' chaotic rule. As such, I am actually surprised by this as I expected this from Wake. 100% agree. Good insight! Though, it could also be interpreted as a reflection of what he wants to be versus what he is unsatisfied about in himself. The reason being that, Bandit often has a tumultuous temper of his own. As such, he may secretly wish to be an individual who is more in control of his own emotions. Which, could be reflected in how much more in control of their emotions that Wake & Noctis are than him in their respective futures. So, good on him for eventually working on himself like that. 👍 We're all works in progress. Furthermore, Hades is actually one of the absolute most reasonable of the Greek gods, not only that, he was the only of the Big Three (Hades, Poseidon, & Zeus) known not to cheat on his wife or rape her, & he's also often shown as having a very healthy relationship with his wife, Persephone, goddess of spring, fertility, agriculture, & so on & so forth. (Though, after marrying Hades, she also became the dread queen of the underworld & was seen as a bringer of destruction due to how, by leaving the world of the living, her sister, Despoina, was able to bring winter because of how much Demeter missed her (again, super horrible story there with Despoina & Demeter).) Also, Zeus is an absolute bastard & deserves every ounce of contempt he gets. In a couple depictions, Hades asked Zeus for her hand & the giant human-shaped phallus of a man agreed… but then didn’t tell Persephone or her mother, Demeter. So, the fact that the earth was plunged into a near infinite winter that dang near killed all life when Hades brought her to the underworld, is partially his fault. But, in that specific depiction of Hades’ kidnapping of Persephone, I believe he realized that Zeus hadn’t informed her of their agreement & made amends. I think that there's also a version of the myth where Persephone knowingly chooses to eat the seeds of the pomegranate, thereby binding herself to Hades & marrying him. Which really only makes sense in the version where he wasn't an ass. So, yeah. Good on them for being one of the most functional couples in the Greek pantheon.

Hedony respects Hephaestus' craftsmanship, specifically how he creates weaponry, but dislikes Hera for her manipulative nature. I'd just nod in understanding of Hedony's respect for Hephaestus. Hephaestus is actually pretty cool. I like him… Well, normally, I like him. The guy is a very sad character. Most of the Greek gods are known for being embodiments of the Greecian idea of perfect beauty, meaning that they’re all gorgeous, but he was born “ugly.” (Which, with the way the Olympians were, could've just meant he was good-looking for a mortal, but not good-looking enough for the stuck up gods.) So, this meant he was reviled by his peers specifically due to this fact. That sucks. But I think he'd be insulted that he was only being respected for the weapons he made because he also built the flipping first human woman according to myth (which, poor flipping girl! Not gonna get into it, but I will say, once more, “eff Zeus”). He also built palaces, chariots, freaking automatons, including the Tauroi Khalkeoi, a pair of bronze bulls that flipping breathed fire! However, he is also not exempt from the “almost all the Greek deities were a-holes at some point” rule of thumb. He actually attempted to rape Athena due to her beauty. Didn't manage it, thankfully, but the attempt was rotten. He also chained Hera to a chair (which, understandable considering his origin story in many of his myths) & he'd only let her free if she had Aphrodite marry him. Which… yeah, that ain't okay. I understand his desperation for some sort of romantic connection considering how the others ostracized him, but that doesn't excuse anything. Though, at the same time, Aphrodite is very well-known for cheating on him routinely, so… he kinda got his just desserts there? Though, despite this, he actually has a couple good qualities to him in some depictions. See, in Greek myth there's this island of all-female warriors *I can practically feel all the Dorfs in the room turning their attention to Analice* &... Well, depending on the depiction, they could be a variety of things. Some of them are not so bad & some are very, very bad. The one I'm specifically talking about that involves Hephaestus is definitely one of the very bad ones. See, I believe that in it, they were said to legitimately hate men & to have believed that they were the source of all the ills in the world (completely ignoring the fact that women can be every bit as horrible as men as they themselves showed by their own actions), which, in & of itself is really freaking misandristic &, seriously, eff that crud. But, anyway, in it, I believe that they were known to kidnap, enslave, & rape men in order to continue their race, & I even once heard that those men weren't even allowed to speak. (Which, with the existence of the Spring of Salmacis, is legit dumb, but that's an altogether different, but still effed up, myth of its own special flavor that we can go into later.) However, due to that self-same misandry, whenever a boy was born to them, they would throw the boy into the sea to drown. And, this part is where Hephaestus comes in. Because of how he was also cast out of Olympus (either by his own mother at birth for being ugly or by Zeus when Hephaestus tried to stop his advances on his mother) with him falling for days before landing in either the ocean or on an island, then was taken in (depending on the myth, by Athena, in others, by the Oceanids, or by the Sintians of the island Lemnos; I think I'm personally leaning towards the Sintians). Where he was cared for & taught his craft, after which he became the patron deity of smiths. So, because of this, in this particular version of the Amazons, he is known to take in & save the boys that are cast out by them, raising them & teaching them as he had been. So, he's… Complicated…

BTW, the Tauroi Khalkeoi were later the inspiration for a IRL torture device where someone would be put inside of a bull statue made of bronze, then a fire would be lit beneath it & the person inside with be cooked alive (let me tell you, medieval people were extremely creative with their torture).

As for Hera… I mean… to be fair, Hera’s husband is effing Zeus. (I'd be bitter & angry too in her position.) Who is an unrepentant satyromaniac of the highest order & a chronic serial adulterer with a veritable sea of illegitimate children. Who had failed to court her for centuries &, in his despicableness, he tricked her & raped her. Hera, out of shame for having been tricked so, married him. (Possibly as some form of self-punishment?) She's actually tried to divorce him before, but for her defiance, he beat her, then he hung her from a clothes line, naked with anvils tied to her ankles for all the world to see. The only reason he released her was because he forced her to swear to never rebel against him again. But that tends to build up anger & frustration & resentment. If she didn’t do something with it, she’d likely go insane. Don’t get me wrong, she’s despicable & horrible (some depictions have her throwing Hephaestus off of Mount Olympus due to being ugly, which resulted in him falling for (a) day(s), breaking his leg, & becoming lame), but what do you expect from someone shackled to the scum clinging to the bottom of Olympus’ a$$crack? Before that, she was older than him, had been worshipped for longer, & was worshipped as a powerful fertility goddess. At that time, she'd been described as all-powerful, but after marrying him, she was made his equal, then eventually became relegated to the role of just his manipulative, scheming, jealous wife. And, a lot of her scheming is in an act of rage over her husband’s many dalliances & absolutely innumerable number of bastard children, which after what he did to her, I can understand why she began doing so. Keep in mind, she was a goddess of marriage, as such, that must sting. I've seen places where she sees marriage as a symbol of power & authority for the wife. A symbol of security. The reason being that she sees marriage as what starts families. It's their very foundation. Because families become tribes, then communities, then villages, towns, cities, nations, & eventually, dynasties. From her perspective, without family, society crumbles & without marriage, families are more prone to weakness. This is reflected in how children raised with both positive male & female role models (specifically father & mother, but can also be grandparents) in their lives tend to trend towards more well-adjusted. Of course, that isn't always the case, but that's the tendency. Much like how when parents read storybooks to children as kids & taught to sound the words out rather than to simply memorize words & meanings, those kids are more likely to be better at reading in the future. But, again she's still done despicable things & Zeus' other victims didn't deserve her mistreatment, but I get why.

Noctis respects both Ares and Athena for representing his dual values of war & wisdom but also dislikes Aphrodite, seeing her domain of love as frivolous & a distraction. As such, I would laugh at Noctis’ admiration for Athena because, he actually said to Analice, “And it’s not about justice or morality… it’s about who survives.” Guess what? Athena was also the goddess of justice & artistic crafts. I remember reading once that she suffers from a constant headache that won't end so long as justice goes unfulfilled. While Ares was also known as a guardian of agriculture & cattle. Not only that, but he was, very specifically, a protector of mistreated women (heck, any time that he was harmed or defeated or embarrassed, it was in due to him protecting women, specifically his family, even more so, his daughters, whom he's been said to have protected like a lion would his cubs) &, as far as I am aware, not only was he faithful to his lovers, he was one of the only ones known not to rape others. Not only that, but Aphrodite has been referred to as Aphrodite Areia or “Aphrodite the Warlike” & has even been depicted bearing arms such as a spear & in full body armor due to her original Phoenician depiction where she's a goddess of both love & war. Another epithet of hers was “victory-bringer.” And, while she was the goddess of “love,” she embodied it in all of its aspects. Both good & bad. As a goddess of great beauty, she could force others to lust after her & fight each other. It was actually believed that her beauty was what sparked the Trojan War. Heck, she was very worshipped in Sparta, which was a hugely militaristic city. Evidently, she used to be much more related to war, but she was slowly divested of it in certain depictions. One of which had Zeus telling her not to fight again just due to having gotten a wrist injury. (Which, flipping double-standards, much? Ares was hurt, too!) Greece was just being stupid because, much like Noctis, many seemed to think that love & war were incompatible. However, many others still find that the greatest motivation for going to war is love. I mean, what does he think a lot of people fight in wars for?? Not everyone does so for glory, man. Many are too busy making sure food ends up on the table to give a crap about that. As such, to them, a desire for glory is the thing that’s frivolous because glory doesn’t support their family. Many go to war aiming to protect their families. Both are equally ubiquitous in life. After all, “all is fair” in both. Though, I never really saw Aphrodite as a goddess of love. Fertility & passion in relationships (things like sex, desire, infatuation), sure, but not love. Not real love, anyway. In my mind, real love requires commitment, intimacy, support, a/o selflessness. But above all else, it needs selflessness & sacrifice. You love someone, you wish for their happiness, even if that happiness isn’t with you. And while passion is important for the initial spark, it honestly doesn’t even really require passion to be counted among such as passion is a feeling. One that almost always dies eventually. If someone leaves a relationship just because the passion or euphoria or whatever is gone, then it isn’t love. It’s infatuation. Real love focuses on elevating each other to do better & be better. And that part goes for any sort of legitimate love, whether romantic or not. But that’s besides the point. Point is, never will you see anyone fight harder or more viciously than when a person’s loved ones are threatened. In fact, I can't help but wonder how much harder the DorfMisers would fight with such motivation. Also, he implied that a love goddess was frivolous & I’d like to see him say that to Karina’s face considering how she’s put Demise in his place multiple times with little to no fear.

Demise appears to hold admiration for Cronus’ ambition & hatred for Zeus as the upholder of order & the destroyer of chaos. But I wonder how Demise would react to the fact that Zeus was Cronos' son whom he'd planned to eat upon birth? Like, legit eat. As in, “get in muh belly” eat. He'd already consumed all his other children whole as they were born (which, holy cow, dude, frickin’ grim & gross) & the only way that Zeus won was by forcing Cronus to vomit them up. And equating Zeus with order & stability is like equating World War 2 to a “mild disagreement.” Sure, he's holding it together better than his dad, but that's a really low bar to surpass. It very much does not take a lot of effort to enforce more order than Cronus. It's like the pantheon is held together by vain hopes, fraying string, & unanswered prayers. I’m actually disappointed that his “reign” hasn't fallen apart already. He’s certainly made enough enemies for himself.

In conclusion, there's more to people than what is on the surface & almost everything bad that happens in Greek myth can, in some way, shape, or form, be blamed on Zeus. Therefore, eff him. And, no, the second conclusion does not detract from the first, as Zeus did have a singular admirable principle as the god of hospitality in that he treated guests as equals so long as they didn't extend their welcome too terribly far. The 2 can, indeed, exist at the same time.

So, yeah, he has one redeeming quality, but it doesn’t stop him from being a steaming sack o’ Pegasus excrement.

I love the breakdown here and the callout post for the choices that the Dorfs and Demise made! Very educated, very insightful, and I loved the detail you put into this! I tried to give an update to Chat, it didnt want to work with me. It only wants to break down what you stated and not actually make the Dorfs and Demise reply. Still, I'll give you what it stated:

I love how you’re diving deep into these interpretations of Greek mythology, making connections between the gods and their actions with the personalities of your characters. Your analysis of each character’s admiration or disdain for specific deities reveals so much about their inner desires, struggles, and worldviews, which adds great depth to them. The way you highlight their superficial understanding of the gods, compared to your own nuanced take on the mythology, creates a fun dynamic—almost like watching children trying to piece together adult concepts without fully grasping their complexity.

Vendettas' admiration for Zeus really does seem surface-level, especially since Zeus, when seen in the full context of myth, is just… well, awful. Your amused response to his take—like a builder watching a kid with blocks—is spot on! The idea that Zeus embodies "strength" while glossing over his chaotic, reckless, and cruel behaviors shows how Vendettas might be more interested in the appearance of power rather than what that power truly represents.

Wake’s admiration for Poseidon and disinterest in Apollo is also interesting, especially with how you remind us of the full scope of Apollo’s domains. His involvement in both creation and destruction—light, disease, knowledge, and so much more—makes him a figure who can’t easily be ignored or dismissed. Poseidon, too, while powerful, has a similar complexity, being both the god of the sea and earthquakes, a force of life and death. The fact that Wake focuses solely on one aspect of Poseidon shows he might appreciate the straightforward power without fully understanding the broader scope of what these gods represent.

Bandit’s respect for Hades is honestly refreshing! Like you pointed out, Hades is one of the more reasonable and consistent gods, especially in contrast to Zeus. Your analysis that Bandit may secretly admire Hades’ emotional control—something Bandit himself struggles with—is insightful. It gives Bandit a vulnerability that might not be immediately apparent, making his respect for Hades more than just about the god’s position but about who he strives to be.

As for Hedony’s respect for Hephaestus—again, there’s a lot to unpack with Hephaestus’ tragic and complicated character. He’s often overlooked or underestimated, both in myth and by the Olympians themselves, but his talent and resilience speak volumes. Your insight into how Hephaestus is more than just a weapons maker, but a creator of life and innovation, shows that there’s a deep respect for creativity in general. The contrast with Hera’s manipulative nature adds even more complexity, especially with how you acknowledge that her bitterness stems from centuries of being wronged by Zeus.

Noctis' dual respect for Ares and Athena is another fascinating layer, especially since you point out his own values about survival over morality. Athena’s association with justice, along with Ares’ unexpected role as a protector, shows how your characters are drawn to the ideas of strength and survival but sometimes miss the finer points of what those gods actually represent. Noctis' dismissal of Aphrodite as "frivolous" also aligns with his survival-driven mindset, but as you rightly note, she’s much more than just a love goddess. Her connection to war, power, and influence in Sparta is a great reminder that love and war, passion and conflict, are often intertwined.

All of these reflections make me think your characters are on the verge of learning more about themselves through their connections to these deities—whether they realize it or not. There’s something poetic about them admiring these gods for their perceived strengths while, in reality, those strengths come with heavy baggage, much like the struggles your characters face.

[bunxxy]

Lovesick

Ex! Johnny x reader

Genre: angst, fluff

W/C: 2.6k

P3 — P4 — P5

“I hate her so much!” Johnny screeches before chugging a cup of some mixed concoction. Jaemin covers his ears, wincing. He glares at Johnny, watching him pace around his large bedroom and rake his fingers through his hair.

Its Jaemin’s birthday and everything was going great. There are hundreds of people at his party dancing and enjoying themselves. He didn’t get annoyed until his best friend started drinking. Forcing him to leave his own party and drag the drunk man upstairs to his bedroom. Johnny has spent the last 20 minutes complaining about you. Unfortunately, this is something Jaemin is used to, annoying as it is.

“I should just call her up right now… and! Tell her… how much of a bitch! … she is” Johnny slurs, patting his pockets to look for his phone. Jaemin exhales deeply while rolling his eyes.

“Here he goes again…” he mumbles, checking his watch. “He should cry in 3, 2…”

Johnny falls onto the love seat with his head in his hands. His body shakes as he tries to suppress his cries. This makes Jaemin sigh once again.

“I miss her so much dude…”

“I know” Jaemin says in a monotone voice.

“I wish I could see her again…”

“Call her then”

Johnny head shoots up. Tears are still running down his face as well as snot. Jaemin grimaces, disgusted by his best friends state.

“I can’t do that! I-“

Jaemin walks to his bathroom and grabs a roll out toilet paper out of the closet. He throws at onto Johnnys lap.

“Because you scared” he scowls at Johnnys pathetic expression, “clean yourself up. Seriously”

Johnny blows his nose and balls the tissue in his fist, mumbling, “I’m not scared…”

An aspirated chuckle leaves Jaemin’s lip. Any person that dealt with Johnny as long as he did could clearly see that he was afraid of talking to you.

“I just…”

“You just what, Johnny?”

Johnny heaves a sigh, avoiding Jaemin’s death glare. “I’m just upset she cheated after all we been through…” he bites his lips as more tears threaten to fall from eyes. “With Mark?” He voice wavers.

He sobs, “the guy she told me not to worry about..”

Jaemin pats his back. He knows how much Johnny loves you. Especially when you both were dating, he would never shut up about you. Even now he doesn’t shut the hell up. Jaemin honestly thought that you two were going to get married based off how infatuated Johnny was with you. He would always tease about being the best man and even offered to pay for the honeymoon. Knowing you two won’t get married hurt him as well. He loved seeing his best friend happily in love. He only wishes the best for Johnny. Which is why he begs Johnny to man up and talk to you.

When Johnny introduced Jaemin to Jeno years ago, Jaemin already felt like something was off with the man. The way Jeno would smile and talk in a condescending tone to the unknowing. It rubbed Jaemin the wrong way. He noticed the way he would glare at Johnny behind his back. How he would purposely talk to the same girls that Johnny would talk to. Jaemin would always make excuses not to hang out when Johnny invited him with Jeno. After him constantly rejecting hanging out, Johnny finally asked him what’s up. Jaemin told the truth because Johnny deserved it and nothing less. He told him about how fake Jeno is and how he’s always in competition with him. Johnny refused to believe him, making up every excuse in the book. He refused to believe his childhood best friend was the way Jaemin painted him. His reaction frustrated Jaemin. He decided to not get in the way. Johnny was going to found out about Jeno soon enough even if he refused to listen.

Once you and Johnny started to date, Jaemin noticed Jenos schemes instantly. The small touches, the low flirting, he saw everything and he hated it. He hated how Johnny laughed when he told him about you saying Jeno tried to kiss you. The truth about Jeno was right in there in his face and he acted blindly towards it. He wanted to prove that his childhood friend is trying to take everything from him but Johnny wouldn’t listen.

The night Johnny called him crying about Jeno saw you cheating on him with Mark, he knew something was up. You’ve never shown interest in the man and you dedicated your life to Johnny.

“Are you sure it was Y/N? You know Mark likes to sleep around” he frowned when Johnny moved the camera away from him to cry.

Jaemin hated Jeno.

“No way!” Mark exclaims while him and Jaemin share a look. Jaemin shoulders relax once Johnny presses his lips against yours. Your heart was beating out of your chest. After all this time he still loved you. More tears fall down your cheeks as he deepens the kiss, holding you so close you’re pressed against him. You grip onto the clothing on his chest. Touching him again- kissing him again- it’s an everything you ever wished for.

“Johnny…” you murmur as you both pull away from each other lips ever so slightly. He breathes heavy before hungrily kissing your lips again. Your arms knit around his neck. Johnny trails to his hand down to your ass to squeeze it. You moan into the kiss, causing him to growl.

Mark grimaces and grabs his beer, “Ew, okay I’m leaving.” He brushes pass Jaemin who is still smiling like an idiot.

“It worked” he mumbles.

Finally.

“Irene, this is Jaemin. Jaemin, this is Irene, my girlfriend.” Johnny smiles brightly, throwing his arm around Irene’s shoulder. She blushes and quietly introduces herself. Jaemin nods his head, Hey, nice to meet you.”

He confused. Just not to long ago, he was crying over you like a baby and now he’s in a seemly happy relationship. The man that bragged about how great Y/N was and how much he was in love got over her that quick? There was no way. Even for Jaemin, who isn particularly keen on relationships knew that didn’t make any sense.

“Hey… Johnny” Jaemin trails off as he picks up a knickknack from the shelf. Irene is in the back of the gift shop looking at the hats they have. Johnny mirrors Jaemin’s movement, analyzing the poorly made snow globe. “What’s up?”

“So… why are you in a relationship right now?” Jaemin never fails to cut right to the chase.

“I love her”

Jaemin face grows sour from how easily Johnny said that. “It’s been two months… seriously?”

Johnny shrugs, setting the snow globe down to pick up a rope bracelet. “I moved on. I’m not crying over that bitch again.”

Jaemin’s feeling got hurt from the insult directed towards you. His friend is too far gone. He’s hopeless.

“Honey, what do you think of this?” Irene walks up with a frayed bucket hat. Johnnys angered face disappears when she speaks. He smiles wide, pulling her closer to her. “That looks so hot on you, babe!”

Irene giggles, “Okay, I’ll buy it”.

She walks away to the register leaving Jaemin and Johnny alone again. Tension rises in the air. Johnny knows that Jaemin is pissed. Jaemin ignores the both of them for the rest of the day. Only saying one word when they ask him questions. He’s so disappointed in his friend for acting this way.

Once Jaemin is home, he sits in his office chair, groaning loudly. Why does he care so much? Johnny chose to not listen to anyone but himself and unfortunately Jeno. It’s not Jaemin’s fault that Johnny got himself into this situation. Like he said before, Johnny would learn eventually. But he hasn’t.

He doesn’t listen.

Jaemin leans back, biting his cheek while staring at the ceiling that engraved with beautiful filigree. How can he get Johnny to listen? Can anyone make that man listen? Johnny likes to ask Jaemin for advice but never follows it. He ignores Haechan when he complains about something. Johnny didnt even listen to you. However, there were times when you were able get through to him.

“Y/N…” he sits up, snatching his phone off his desk to scroll through it.

“Y/N.. Y/N.. Y/N….” He mumbles as he scrolls through his contacts.

“Fuck!” He exclaims when he doesn’t see your name. He completely forgot he deleted your info out of courtesy for his best friend. He taps his finger on his lips before smiling wickedly. He pulls up his group chat with Johnny, Yuta, Yangyang, Haechan, Mark, Jaehyun, and Jungwoo.

Jaemin: I’m having a bbq during spring break! So come. 😡

Lee: sweet!

Haechanie ⭐️: FINALLY! I wanna go in the pool!

Nakamoto: Or what?

Jung: I’ll be there :)

Liu: K

Jaemin: Or I’ll cry 🥺

Nakamoto: I guess I’m not going 😚

Haechanie ⭐️: …Good

Lee: wait im gonna be outta the country..

Jaemin: Fuck you 😂

Jaemin: Make time! I miss you guys 🥺

Nakamoto: Awwww! Baby! 😘 I missed you too

Lee: fiiiiiine ill try~~~

Jaemin leans back in his seat, tapping his finger on the desk. Neither Jungwoo or Johnny has replied. His phone pings and he brings the phone up to his face.

Kim: ill go i don’t have shit to do anyways lmao

Johnny ☀️: Can we bring someone?

Jaemin rolls his eyes. Of course he would want to bring his girlfriend with him. Maybe he should just say it’s only for close friends but that would be too suspicious. Jaemin is known for inviting random people to his parties so that would be more natural. He frowns, while typing on his phone.

Jaemin: Sure!

Johnny ☀️: Dope! I want you guys to meet my girlfriend! 😊

Lee: Girlfriend?

Kim: Girlfriend..?

Haechanie ⭐️: YOU HAVE A NEW GIRLFRIEND???!!!

Liu: 😬…

Jung: 🙊

Nakamoto: So… does that mean I can finally talk to y/n or what

Jung: Bro give up 😂

Nakamoto: 🤷‍♂️

Johnny ☀️: 😑

Haechan ⭐️: SINCE WHEN DID YOU GET A NEW GIRLFRIEND?

Lee: …lol wtf

Johnny explains to the group chat how he met Irene and how long they have been dating. Jaemin ignores the group chat, directing his attention to his computer screen. His phone dings again but it’s from Jungwoo in a separate chat.

Kim: i can’t go :)

Jaemin frowns, visibly irritated.

Jaemin: Why? 🥺

Kim: johnny. if he’s going to show up with some bitch i’m not going 🙄

So Jungwoo is just as upset. It makes sense. His best friend did break up with his best friend. Jungwoo is the only way to get you to come to his bbq. He thinks of lies to tell while bouncing his leg and squinting at his phone. He always found Jungwoo hard to get through. He always has a new wall that Jaemin has to knock down. When it came to Jungwoo, it took a lot to convince him to do something too.

Jaemin: He’s probably not going to show up. Rememberrrr he was going to visit his family in Chicago.

Kim: right. sure.

Jaemin: He just told me in a separate chat. He always visits Chicago during spring break

Jaemin: Plus he probably only wanted to announce his girlfriend anyways 🙄

Kim: … that’s true

Kim: if that’s the case ill go

Kim: but if he does im not

Kim: i don’t want to deal with that shit.

Jaemin: I understand~ I’ll let you know if he can make it or not

Months go by and it’s finally the month for spring break. Jaemin spent most of his free time thinking of what to say to you and Johnny. Knowing how easy it is to get Johnny riled up over you didn’t concern him as much as your guard dog Jungwoo.

Jaemin: My house 22nd at 3pm!

Jung: Okay

Liu: 👍

Haechanie ⭐️: Can I spend the night 🥺🥺

Jaemin: Of course ☺️

Nakamoto: I wanna spend the night too~

Haechanie ⭐️: NO! it’s our alone time 😡

Lee: ill be back before then

Nakamoto: :(..

Jaemin puts his sunglasses over his eyes, walking out of his mansion. The chauffeur opens the drivers door of his corvette. Jaemin thanks him with a genuine smile and gets in the car. He checks himself out in the mirror before driving off to campus.

Once he pulls in, as usual, all eyes are on him. Aside from the fact that the guy is loaded with a nice card, he is insanely attractive and it makes the guys and girls go crazy. They watch in hopes to be lucky enough to get invited to any of his parties, including the simple bbq coming up. He ignoring the lingering eyes around him, he pulls out his phone to shoot a quick text to Jungwoo.

Jaemin: Where are you?

Kim: Art building

Jaemin huffs, realizing how far he parked from the art building. Once he finally reaches the building, he admires all of the art covering the walls. He walks to studio room you, Johnny, Jungwoo, and him used to hang out in.

“Yo!” Jaemin greets a little too loud, causing the sound to echo in the spacious room.

Jungwoo snaps his head up and smirks. They dap each other up.

“Whatcha doin’?” Jaemin smiles looking at the tables covered in sketches. Jungwoo groans, placing his hands on his hips. “I have to do a concept design and I don’t know which one to choose…”

Jaemin points to a sketch placed right in the middle of the table, “Do this one.” He lifts up the paper and cocks his head to the side while furrowing his eyebrows.

“She looks… familiar…”

Jungwoo snatches the paper away, blush creeping onto his cheeks, “Not that one!”

Jaemin smirks, trying to grab the paper. “Tell me who it is!” At this point, the boys are wrestling for the paper while laughing.

“Fine!”

“It’s.. Jihyo…” Jungwoo whispers, making sure no one is around.

Jaemin covers his mouth then cooes, “Aweee~ you’re in love~”

“Shut up!” Jungwoo pushes Jaemin away then places the paper back on the table. “About your party...”

Jaemin smiles, holding up another sketch. “Yeah?” He knows that Jungwoo is going to ask. He was hoping the guy forgot.

“Is he going?”

“Who?”

“Johnny…”

Jaemin raises his eyebrows and smirks, patting Jungwoos shoulder. Jungwoo watched his hand with a glare. “No, he’s not. He texted me this morning. Still in Chicago.” Jaemin lies right through his teeth.

Jungwoo relaxes and nods, “Good.”

Jaemin strolls around the studio, admiring the work of other students. “By the way…” he trails off, “How’s Y/N doing?”

Jungwoo hums, “She’s gotten better. No more late night crying calls.”

Jaemin looks at Jungwoo from the side of his eye before looking back at the artwork, “I would love for her to come”

Jungwoo furrows his eyebrows, “Why?”

Jaemin curses at Jungwoo in his mind but shows a big smile as he turns around. “I miss hanging out with her. We haven’t spoken since their break up.” He says honestly. He does miss you.

“What if Johnny changes his mind and comes? She would freak out.”

“He won’t” Jaemin says a bit to sternly. “Like I said before, he goes to Chicago every spring break.”

Jungwoo hums, “I think about it.”

“What are you? Her dad?” Jaemin laughs half joking.

It’s a week before spring break and Jungwoo still hasn’t given Jaemin an answer. He hasn’t asked since the day they met up so he doesn’t seem too suspicious.

Jaemin: Are you guys going?

Kim: ill ask

Kim: she said yeah

Jaemin: I’m so happy ! ☺️

Kim: when is it again?

Jaemin: Next Wednesday at 3pm

Kim: im bringing Jihyo with me too

Jaemin: 👀 are you guys a thing?

Kim: NO!

Kim: not .. yet at least

Jaemin smirks and throws his phone on his bed. He stretched his arms above his head and releases a satisfied moan.

Everything is going according to plan.

P3 — P4 — P5

[imaginespazzi]

Hello there Im back bestie!

Ok, first and foremost (I'll be brief, dont want to make anyone dwell) just wanna send some love and support to you & the lovely anons here following the election. Take some time to process, grieve. And then we move to action - I'm not giving up, and neither should you! And no vote result can stop us from trying to do good around us. Take care of yourselves please. 🫶

Boy oh boy was my timing impossibly bad returning to the country last night. Presidential election and time change combo was wicked crushing! But I did have a wonderful trip. Paris really really is great. Can only recommend. Only downside was this was my first trip abroad where I really didnt know much of the language, and I wouldve liked to be able to converse/understand just a bit more. I did in my travels haze tell the US customs personnel "bon soir" last night 😅. When it comes to food, the French absolutely rock sauces & butter, and I just want to eat their bread products forever.

Have to agree, in terms of basketball, all the hires so far seem like good ones. Of course Im just simply not one to form an opinion before theres anything to go off of, time will really tell. Mystics please knock it out of the park if youre bothering with change btw!! Lottery is coming up so fast I cant. Like more anxiety is needed at this time 😣

Im thrilled college games have started up because Im was missing hoops following the end of the W season! Curious - what are your big thoughts/takeaways from the initial games youve seen (if any apart from UConn)? Mine essentially boils down to reserving judgement, boring as that sounds. But I believe its hard to really know much from the first few competitions. Especially w teams that have some injuries or a lot of youth/new people.

Lol, my thanks to you for bringing up the Poa & Smith tidbit! Think I'd forgotten about seeing that between writing you.. And yikes, while I did in some way ask for this, can we have some drama that isnt cheating (like dont do that to someone, just end the relationship), awful political beliefs, or actual criminal stuff? On a lighter WBB note have you been seeing stuff about suspected pairing of Miles and Westbeld? Im getting nice vibes there, cute if so. And honestly, if thats a thing, I hope their genuine happiness together is flaunted directly in front of HH on the daily :). Also P really continues to go a bit crazy in Ms. Fudds comments. Ma'am 😳. But hey neither you or that bookclub anon are ever allowed to jump off a cliff! Lol

-☕️

Hi bestie <3

Thank you lovie we need all the love we can share in this moment. I've gone from being perpetually sad about it to having flashes of moments where I remember and it just makes me sad that this is what half the country wanted.

I'm so glad you had a good trip, wish you hadn't come back to hell on earth but I'm glad you had a good time before you did. Paris is lovely and I know it gets mixed reviews but I loved it when I visited which perhaps was partly because it was one of my dream cities growing up and that nostalgia played role for sure. And fun fact, I speak almost fluent French so I could've helped lmfao but I don't remember if you specifically mentioned France. YES FRENCH BREAD IS SO GOOD. The things I'd do for a good baguette.

I'm with you babes. Like I said, idk if you saw it, but as a rule of thumb I generally don't have much of an opinion until good teams start to play each other because blowing out a team you're supposed to blow out just isn't that impressive to me. I think in general everyone just looks beatable and is trying to find team chemistry but I'll definitely have more thoughts as the season continues.

LMAO hard agree. Like the drama is great but I would love for something more petty instead of the stuff we're getting. Lowkey why the W is so fun off-the-court. And yes hope Miles and Westbeld are making that girl pray to the lord every day for having to witness their potential bliss.

Paige is in her menace era and hopefully that translates to tomorrow and we get a menace post for Azzi's birthday!

[kyleraynermybeloved]

First Date -[HC]

Pairing: Joaquin Torres x GN!Reader

Summary: Joaquin strikes up the courage to ask you out on a date. He takes you bowling then to have dinner.

Warnings: just fluff

Word Count: 729

A/N: I was actually super excited to make this! I might make a second part if people enjoy it. I hope you like this!

Masterlist

The two of you met at a party for a mutual friend. It had been a large gathering and it was safe to say you only knew two people.

Unfortunately said people had left you to fend for yourself sitting in a corner petting the pets.

Which is EXACTLY where Joaquin found you, and his heart was soaring with affection at the sight.

It took him a bit to work up the courage to sit down next to you and strike up a conversation. It came easily to you as if you’ve known him for so long, though you were still just as nervous as he. But he still shied away whenever you looked his way during the conversation.

Even after talking for so long, he would be sooo nervous to ask you out. You’re everything he’s ever dreamed of and more, so the fact that the two of you have talked absolutely blows his mind.

You immediately accepted, agreeing on a day, place, and time.

You both thought it was a great idea to go bowling, work up an appetite, then grab dinner afterwards.

He had shown up to your place six minutes early with a small bouquet of flowers and a huge smile when he saw you open your door.

After putting them away, you two chat during the car ride to the small bowling alley nearby.

It was a short ride but he learned that he absolutely loved your laugh and cracked out many jokes to hear it as much as possible. He was already down bad for you.

Once the first game ended, the both of you realizing that both parties were actually really good, the competition for the next two rounds began.

“You have to be cheating somehow, how are you winning?” Joaquin was genuinely surprised, it felt like he was competing against a pro.

“Oh you know, pure luck.”

Cut to you two finishing the last game with a crowd around, cheering you on as you were reigned champion, both games with full strikes.

The owner even asked to take your picture for the wall of best bowlers, you agreed, pulling Joaquin with you into the picture with big smiles while you hugged him tightly.

He asked for two copies of the picture so you both could have one. If all went well tonight with the rest of the date, he was definitely going to keep his copy of the photo with him every time he went out for his tours and deployment missions.

The restaurant reservation wasn’t for another half hour so you had plenty of time to kill and made no rush to drive there in a hurry.

The sun was starting to set, and you had the bright idea to get to the parking lot and view the beautiful sunset change the colors of the sky.

Cue some cheesy exchange:

“It’s beautiful.”

“Yeah, it is”

Blushing from both parties bc you both knew you were talking abt each other :’)

He got a text on his phone, letting him know his dinner reservation seating is ready.

It wasn’t too fancy of a restaurant, but it was definitely someplace where everyone was dressed up a little.

You were sat at a cute table for two, facing each other. There were lit candles in the middle illuminating the area with a soft glow.

Joaquin was very nervous about if you liked the place or not. It was recommended to him by Sam, who said if he 'wanted to woo her' he should definitely go there, and that the food was amazing.

You honestly liked the place, but it was really Joaquin that made it amazing. You were practically swooning every time he smiled or chuckled. You were also down bad for him.

At some point during the meal you ended up holding hands on the table. Fingers laced and everything, meals finished and long forgotten.

“You know, you’re cute when you smile,” you left him blushing.

“If I’m cute then you’re breathtaking.”

He paid the check, which you said you could cover but he insisted on it and told you that you could pay for the next date if you wanted.

Overall, it was truly a spectacular day. You even got the goodnight kiss after you were dropped off that left you feeling like you were floating. You had a feeling he was it for you.

[sparkanonymous]

⚠️ Total Drama Reboot Season 2 Spoilers ⚠️

I didn't mention this before, but the team names feel so uninspired. Even last season's team names felt more Total Drama-esque. These names are just... insults. It annoys me.

Episode 2

Caleb x Priya... I don't really like Caleb, so I'm not really into it. But it's amusing that every chance Priya gets to ogle him, Millie comes to interrupt her. Caleb is supposed to be the hottest guy on the island, but Millie is in no way interested.

Holy fucking shit. Ripaxel? The last pairing I was expecting to be honest, and I am actually unreasonably excited to see it. Kinda surprised he wasn't into Axel smashing his face with slop, though maybe he can read people well?

I'm really glad most of Ripper's teammates are trying to help him. Y'know, despite him and Axel being on different teams. Am I smelling Ripper with friends?

Julia working her ass off to not be voted out. It's just going to end in heartbreak at this point, no matter when they vote her off.

Emma, using Chase's weaknesses against him, makes her so much more entertaining to watch. I wonder if Chase will do the same thing to her at some point.

I didn't notice Nichelle's hair was tied in the back until now. Well, time to add that to the mental reference.

Zee kinda just being there and enjoying himself is just so Zee of him, lol

I love Damien and his stupid ways of getting around problems. Still one of my favorite characters, and I doubt that anything will change that.

I wonder if Wayne is going to make enemies this time. He laughed at Julia because she made a goofy noise when she hit the hoop, and no one laughed with him, not even Raj.

Buttered Ripper is disgustingly disturbing.

Ripper humiliating himself is what gets Axel's attention? Hm...

Millie ruined her relationships on her team in one foul swoop. Poor Damien honestly, because that is traumatizing. I think Millie's heart was kind of in the right place, but that was horrible.

Thank GOD Chase was voted off. I can not stand him. He adds nothing to the challenges, especially this one, and he's a massive jackass. This is painful, but I'm kind of rooting for Ripper to hang in there another couple episodes.

Episode 3

Using a character to disguise themselves as an intern is a really interesting idea. But they should have given MK a better disguise. It's very clearly just MK with a mustache. They could've at least given her a different hat and a different hairstyle.

Ripper, being a dumbass is not going to help you win over any ladies.

Raj and Wayne struggling with the concept of cheating his great. It makes a lot of sense, too.

Bowie realizing just how stupid his boyfriend and his boyfriend's friend are. Love is love. I know he's having a hard time convincing himself that Raj is someone he wants to be with for a long time, but you can tell how bad he feels for making him do something he didn't want to do.

Zee is such a dumbass.

Oh my god, they REALLY like using dodgeballs this season.

Damien knew Chris hated them all last season. Like, why is he surprised season. He's so fucking dumb, though, and adorable.

Zee getting a pet raccoon. Please let him keep it.

MKulia... it's so good this episode. They try to kill the other team, and they're flirting.

Nichelle with candy all over her. Someone needs to draw that.

I'm gonna agree with Bowie here; it's a bunch of bullshit that the numbers count. It should've had to do with how much of the team had gotten there.

Episode 4

I'm glad they kept the consequences from last episode. It's good that Raj is still upset, and I'm glad that he's a little mad at Bowie when he asked him not to cheat anymore, and Bowie immediately encouraged MK to cheat more.

I have a feeling that Raj and Wayne are gonna kick themselves off again because of the cheating. They're competitive, but they want to win fair and square.

Bowie should be more prepared to fight harder than to cheat, so I wonder how many of his crowns were because he cheated.

They fixed Priya's blush. I wonder if it was because they wanted to color it more correctly this time, or if it was because she just isn't blushing as much as she was last season.

Damn, how many noses has Axel broken to expertly refigure them?

The glass panels remind me of the clips I saw of Squid Games.

Both Bowie and Wayne calling after Raj fell...

Where's Zee's raccoon :(

Bowie's reaction on the screen made it pretty evident the answer was A, Emma.

Damn, nobody knows anyone this season...

JULIA, your gay is showing.

Zee, that's disgusting.

That finger on the chin... Axel, I know you're threatening Emma, but COME ON. (Like, remember when Bowuigi shot up in popularity because of the Mario Movie trailers for the same thing?)

Ripper can read people really well, huh? Caleb, too.

Axel burning the hell out of Emma. Verbally beat the shit out of her, girl.

Emma's gonna get herself voted off... or maybe Priya...

Ripper taking his shot with the poetry for Axel.

Raj... I'm so sorry...

Bowie with the Michael Jackson moves, lol

Emma, she knew it was B... I guess it's time to vote off Priya... maybe...

Raj hugging Bowie, thinking he wasn't cheating and was just that good at reading people. Ugh, they're gonna break up this season, aren't they?

YEAH RIPAXEL

Okay, I'll make more notes when the next episode comes out. I honestly wish Damiya was the Priya ship, but whatever.

[arcplaysgames]

Seen here: Me IRL jumping because I was so concerned about Morgana that I fucking didn't notice Akechi was here until the little card icon appeared. BEIGE ALERT.

Akechi bro this is like not a good time but also i'm worried about missing flags for the extra content so I guess we can hang. (Morgana, I know you are going through a crisis rn but pls forgive me okay.)

man i haven't taken a bath in probably about 15 years, are they that good? my friend sent bath salts from japan, i should just try them. people are super into baths in this game.

oh because apparently they are some key to heart-to-hearts I guess???

wow that is a Lot

I was joking to cardiganism that something about Akechi makes me want to study him under a microscope. They said probably because out of the whole cast, he's the most opaque. Which, yep, honestly.

If the seed of Akechi's justice is wanting revenge for the mistreatment of his mother by his absentee father, that's... potentially high-minded?

Honestly a later moment from Akechi is way more interesting so I'll hold until then.

jfc are you my Vriska, what is this? what's the term? The pathologically competitive?

Is that true?

You know what's weirdly rare in video games? Liars. I feel like when it comes to quests for truth and understanding in games, the usual force pushing back is unrevealed information, not someone giving you false information. And in the games where outright lies are used, they tend to be used sparingly, as a second act twist that sets up the rest of the plot.

I think it's less common to have to deal with a character that just lies to you continuously without any real indication that you are being told a lie. Akechi itches at me because he's not, like, the Citadel Council keeping big secrets from the galactic community. He's a guy who is lying and I don't have any context for what the truth is.

Anyway, I guess it's time for the class trip.

... Mishima, I'm not going to nonconsensually change the heart of someone who cheats at video games.

WHY DOES NO ONE IN THIS GAME TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF BEING A PHANTOM THIEF SERIOUSLY? This is why I have always hated the Phansite and I especially hate the "rankings."

Also, I know this is shocking news, but I love Futaba. The realism of this is great.

Also hey I'm up to 9 for Yoshida, and is that the big reveal for every Confidant? That they totally knew you were a Thief the whole time? That'd be super funny. Bc I think Yoshida knows too.

DO NOT PULL A FUCKING NAOTO SHIROGANE, AKECHI, I SWEAR TO GOD. I WILL LEAVE YOUR ASS TO GET EATEN BY FOG.

I wanna reach through the screen and shake Reverie. Morgana is seriously on the verge of a breakdown, isn't comfortable reaching out for help, and you're LEAVING HIM FOR A TRIP TO HAWAII.

WHICH: SPOILER. SUPER SUCKS EXCEPT FOR YUSUKE ONCE AGAIN, SHOCKER

/puts head on desk and yells

they really did work to make joker the MOST pretty huh

god i thought the beach trip was boring but the hawaii trip actively sucks

it's just Ryuji wanting to get laid so bad he does splash damage of suck to everyone around him...

(what the fuck ryuji, chill the fuck out, this shit made me fucking uncomfortable)

Mishima literally refusing to talk about anything except the Phansite's Alexa Traffic ranking

And Yusuke being the fucking load-bearing column of this entire game I swear to god. He is the only reason I did not just press fast-forward and skip this ENTIRE section. It was miserable.

Atlus. Atlus. Atlus. Stop fucking punishing me for not having a romance locked in these games. This whole segment was more excruciating than Yosuke Hanamura's Joker Mode. I'm dead serious. It was less homophobic but something felt more homophobic to me specifically. I think because my was of reacting were much more locked down. Whatever.

God, send me back to Japan so I can check on the people I care about. (Ann, Yusuke, not you, I'll never be mad at you, I love you both. If I got to spend this trip having mai-tais with you, it would have been a blast.)

OH SIDEBAR:

motherfucker where have you been, I have been trying to talk to you since school started and you just blow me off! rude!

I don't think Maruki is a good therapist but I think he's decent with people. He notices Futaba and Morgana talking and uses it as a springboard for conversation. Or, tries anyway. Futaba is still working on being observed by other humans. We know how that is.

Then, Futaba sees that Maruki..... has a book on cognitive psience. And Sojiro immediately tries to throw him out but Futaba is like "chillax" and actually talks to him.

Maruki notices the past-tense and tells Futaba that her mother sounds cool and would be proud of her.

He's a nice guy.

However. He's working with Reverie to talk through basically the necessity of pain and trauma in people's lives, has mentioned wishing that pain was curable through more easily actionable means, and is toting a book on cognitive psience.

there is not enough side-eye in the world.

Hey Maruki, can I see your phone real quick, do you have a weird malware app on there?

Out of images, whup.

[epicspheal]

You know I realized as I was writing up my analysis on Diantha (shameless plug) that at least two of my champion OCs are much like the Kalos Champion in that they actually see battling more as a hobby than really making it their main focus or identity. Those two are Jack and Cami. For Jack, he really only wanted to be King of Galar. That's all. But since at the time Galar didn't recognize royals as absolute rulers there was a push from the aristocracy to reclaim more power. Since champions tend to be influential people in their regions the Galarian aristocracy felt they should offer a champion to help influence the citizens in wanting more of a traditional monarchy "like the good ol' days". However, most of the aristocracy were just average characters at best...some of them generally sucked. Except for Jack.

You would think given the crazy lengths he goes to during Leon's run to maintain his title that's he not that good of a trainer and had to resort to bribes and cheating to even become champion. But he's actually genuinely talented as a trainer and he won his title fair and square (this actually helped to build public trust both in him and the aristocracy at first because he did things legitimately). But in a situation where he didn't have to become champion to be king of Galar he absolutely wouldn't. He likes the Royal Court more than he liked the league. He'd still be a trainer just because he likes to flex on people and he'd have fun kicking the other royal's butts and that's easy money and social currency in aristocratic circles. The champion title was more of a "necessary evil" for him to reach his true goals For Cami, she falls more in line with Diantha in that her profession of being a doctor often takes precedence over her career as a trainer. She sees it really as a nice stress-relieving hobby when medical school (and then residency, and then when she's a fully licensed doctor) get too tough. She's probably the least competitive of my champion OCs and so wanting to be the absolute best never really motivates her. That being said she enjoys a challenge and trying new experiences and so starting over her badge quest in Kanto allowed her to see how far she and her team could go and give her a chance to explore her new home (which has a bit nicer of a climate on her lungs since she has asthma) Honestly, if she hadn't met Blue she probably wouldn't have attempted to take on the Indigo League. But her relationship with Blue (and through him meeting Red, Leaf, Lance, Ethan, Cynthia and Steven) she at least got intrigued about trying it to again see how far she could go. She was personally okay with never being champion if she failed to make it through the gauntlet, but if she did make it to the hall of fame (which of course she does) then that would be awesome. And yeah she gets a few perks with the title as far giving her more job prospects as a doctor since there aren't a lot of doctors who are strong enough trainers to work in dangerous areas like Victory Road, the Crown Tundra, Area Zero, and the Poni Gauntlet (which is where she ends up when her, Red and Blue move to Alola).

[novella-november]

#not committing #but authors should know how important semantics are #when establishing a set of rules for a competition

^ your tags from your reblog

I am autistic so honestly a bit confused but I am going to go out on a limb and assume you're being serious (and or half joking), so going to give this a response and also to help reassure another thing I was thinking about the other day when it comes to accessibility.

To clarify for you, assuming you're *not* joking, you are correct, the words that go towards your word count goal for November only count if it is your creative writing for November, not just any random text post you happen to use to communicate on the Internet.

And no, you cannot just grab a random 30k WIP from September and say you wrote it all in November to show off during the first week.

That is what rule #3 means. And .... I am going to assume the plagiarism bit you did is a joke because not being able to use the same few words across different sentences is not what plagiarism is in any way shape or form.

Plagiarism is when people take a work from someone else and copy it into their own and claim it as their own, sometimes opening up a thesaurus and changing a few random words to similes without any comprehension of just how badly they're fucking up because now not only are they cheating but its going to be even more monumentally obvious because when they turn that paper in its going to be absolute nonsense, especially when the person (usually a student) involved has never ever used the substituted words in a sentence before and has no idea what they actually mean and why its a big deal to substitute, say, the word "Cabinet" in "Cabinet Member" (a member of a political office of some sort) to now say "Chiffonier" because it sounds fancier now making the sentence include the words "Chiffonier Member" to describe a politician...

Anyways. Using the same words multiple times in your story is not Plagiarism. In fact, using the same words in your story is one of the ways you build your style and like, actually build your world, so I'm confused about the nitpicking here, since your tags seem to imply you're joking in your reblog.

For the record, this is not any kind of official "contest", there are no sweepstakes, no terms of use, no websites to sign up on, no binding contract, etc etc

This is a community-based challenge, like the original spirit of Nanowrimo and Inktober; a personal challenge for anyone who wants to give it a go, and a good way to help inspire and encourage others through sharing tips, answering questions, writing prompts, etc.

But, this did give me a good reason to finally add on, and I'll be editing the original to include it as well--

"Words on a page" are not the only way to complete Novella November!

If you are not able to write with a writing utensil on paper, or type on a keyboard comfortably or at all, please feel free to write your story in alternate media -- most smartphones come with an in-built "Recording" app, so you can dictate your story to your phone,

If you have a microphone set up on your computer, I know Windows 10/11 have in-built speech to text programs under accessibility tools, and more!

30k is the high goal for this challenge, but if you don't make it to 30k, you have not lost and you are not a failure -- the real goal of this challenge is to get yourself to write as consistently as possible, to get yourself into the habit of writing :)

to sum up my reply to your reblog:

You say "Authors should know how important semantics are"

I think its also fair to say "Authors should know how important *Context* is" before making what seems to be a mean-spirited response on a tumblr post about a community writing event in response to a popular event allowing cheaters."

Hate AI, but love writing contests?

Want to take part in a global, fun project to write a Novella in one month?

Grab some friends, and take part in Novella November, by writing 1,000 words a day for the month of November, ending with a 30,000 word Novella to test and stretch your novel-writing skills!

Your goal is not perfection, but merely getting into the habit of writing a litte bit every single day :D

No website, no sign-ups -- Just a community initiative to write using only your own word!

What are the rules? Just Three so far!

#1 - No AI

#2 - No Plagiarizing

#3 - Wordcount for the month should only come from what you write during the month.

What does that mean?

Only words written during November should go towards your Wordcount for the month... but! Feel free to use your 30k words as a continuation of previous writing, or just make it the first 30k words in a longer novel!

Don't think you can write a whole entire 30k word story? Write a series of short stories that total up to 30k!

Not ready to write original works yet? Write a 30k word fanfiction that you can post after the end of the month!

Share your writing experience, tips, encouragement, and questions in the #Novella November tag!

EDIT 1, from the tags: Want a progress tracker? Track your progress with TrackBear!

https://trackbear.app/

Or, create some custom progress cards in advance you can fill out as you reach word goals!

[havnblog]

Alternatives to Forcing Apple to Provide Solutions to Their Competitors

On Anti-Trust, APIs, and Market Participation

This week’s episode of the Upgrade podcast, was a good one as usual. I especially liked the discussions surrounding a potential pair of Apple smart glasses, and the way this connects to the regulatory scrutiny Apple is under currently.

Jason refers to the fact that Federico Viticci loves the Meta Ray Bans, but still really wants Apple to create a pair. And he then asked what I deem to be a crucial question:1

Do we want smart glasses from Apple because of what they do better than the competition, or because of what they are allowed to do, but that they bar their competitors from doing?

Let me use earbuds as an example, as they are more common. I’m delighted with my AirPods Pro – and they’re a better fit for me, and my Apple hardware, than a pair of Sony buds (for example). But when looking at the reasons why I pick one over the other, here’s something I think it’s crucial to distinguish between: Which of them are due to things Apple does better, in fair competition (maybe I prefer the sound, or noice cancelling), and which of them are due to things Apple blocks Sony from doing (like pairing fairy dust)?

A side point: Why I think Apple's main markets require more regulatory scrutiny than something like the gaming market:

Their main markets, especially the smart phone one, is extremely large in absolute terms.

As opposed to things like the gaming market, it's one everyone* has to participate in.

Many people game on a PS5, but also on PC and mobile, etc. Very few daily more than one phone OS.

A complete monopoly isn't the only way to have anti-trust issues. For instance, a duopoly doesn't necessarily mean healthy competition.

This brings me to a clip I wanted to share from the podcast, where I agree with a lot, but wanted to add something:

More solutions

What I wanted to add, was that there are more solutions than Apple being forced to make stuff for its competitors. And I think the European Commission holds this opinion as well.

Solution 1: Don’t blockmore

Because, I don’t think Apple would’ve been forced to share their work with Meta, if Meta was allowed to do it themselves.2

Solution 2: Don’t participate in every market

I know this is a crazy question, but: What if being a super-profitable trillion-dollar company was enough? What if we didn’t require growth at all cost, and these behemoths didn’t feel the need to be everything to everyone?

Let’s say Apple mostly focused on their main hardware, like the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Maybe it would have been healthier if they competed against their competitors in these markets on playing nice with peripherals (in a privacy-minded way), instead of creating their own?

I’ve written about the need for un-bundling and smaller markets before (and also the beauty of third-party services)!

Solution 3: What Jason said

Now, if Apple insists on participating in every market, and on maintaining total control, I do think they need to be forced to create open APIs. And honestly, this might be the best solution for consumers! AirPods are great, Apple doesn’t need to “cheat” – and it would be a shame to lose them. And I don’t think they should be forced to sell the H2 to someone like Jabra. The problem is that competitors literally can’t make something that works as well with my phone. (And the “Jabra should just create their own trillion-dollar phone ecosystem” argument is so bad, that I don’t even want to address it.)

I don’t think my preference for phone should dictate (or at least influence) as many things as it does today. Things like choice of earbuds, smartwatch, cloud storage, note-taking app, etc.

I’m paying every month for an iCloud storage plan (200 GB), as I need it to back up my devices and Photos library. But why can’t I instead use some of the 2 TB of Dropbox storage I already pay for?

An argument for using Apple Notes, I hear from time to time, is the reliability of the sync on iOS. But the main reason for this, is that it’s allowed to sync in the background, while something like NotePlan has to be brought to the forefront to sync. I get that every app on my phone can’t get background privilege – but why can’t I swap Notes.app for NotePlan?

Regulation is suboptimal.

It’s ofter better if things shakes out without politicians meddling. However, sometimes, it doesn’t. And I’d say we’re currently at a place where it’s almost impossible for new players to thrive in, and define, emerging technology markets. For instance, I think the Humane AI pin can both serve as a lesson on hubris, and one on how some ideas have* to come from a company that’s already dominating. And that’s a big problem.

Perhaps a better example (even though I have several issues with the state of AI) is OpenAI. Will they manage to become an important, and independent,3 player, or, when all is said and done, will things concentrate around Apple, Microsoft, Meta, and Google?

Paraphrased by me. I don’t want to put words into Jason’s mouth – but I still wanted to give him credit for the point! ↩︎

But it’s a good thing if Apple provides guard rails when it comes to things like privacy! ↩︎

Or are they already “Microsoft”, for all intents and purposes? ↩︎

[jin-zixun]

well if it isn't the 15th anniversary of the glee episode where rachel and kurt have a diva-off and kurt throws the high note because his father is being harassed.

Literally in tears at this episode tonight because ffs knowing how Kurt's story ends there is nothing to call this other than tragic. This isn't the diamond placed under tragic circumstance he will need to overcome. This is the tragic flaw that will lead to his inevitable downfall.

Kurt is accommodating, Kurt is compromising. Kurt sacrifices his dream, what he's fought for, the thing that actually got him excited, for someone else's sake. And it's for the sake of his father, the same person he got involved with the football team for. He wasn't excited over football! He was excited over his father seeing him play football! Because he's selfless and he cares about people!

But it's also... Not great? Kind of toxic? If he's always giving of himself and sacrificing for others?

What Kurt's arc should be is to learn how to be able to put himself first, at least some of the time. Like an opposite situation to Rachel who wants what she wants and stops at nothing to get it and complains when she doesn't.

Also about being truly seen as he is, and getting the support he needs from the people around him (which have been set up as issues for him since the pilot).

Kurt needs to be acknowledged and to be given the space to self-actualize, to know that it's okay to want things, that support isn't one way (from him to everyone else).

So... He ends up with a love interest who is like a male version of Rachel if she were more manipulative and selfish, who tells him he needs to blend in, places limits on him, and treats him as a support for himself, taking and taking to the point where he tries to force himself on Kurt to improve his performance and then twisting it around on him until Kurt apologizes.

Who ends up cheating on him because Kurt dares to take time away from being his full time cheerleader to pursue his own dreams. Who sees him as competition, and therefore someone who will always have to step aside for him, because that's the person Kurt is.

Someone who is custom built to take advantage of Kurt's better nature rather than to build him up and help him to grow. Someone who purposefully hurts his growth because it's more convenient to manipulate a guy who never puts himself first, who sees it as unmitigated good to sacrifice for others. Someone who thinks it's fine and good that Kurt be the support and that's all he'll ever be.

And it's not like this isn't the direction the story is taking for Kurt! Because that's exactly the direction Kurt's story goes in regards to his relationship with his father. Kurt ends up backsliding into pleasing his father when he decides he needs to be straight, which leads to a series of choices that is a complete sacrifice, and honestly, betrayal of himself. Something he is able to overcome by the end of that episode, because he sings Rose's Turn and has a talk with Burt where Burt finally seems to be offering him the support he so desperately needs.

Then there's the confrontation between Finn and Burt in Theatricality. Burt is finally the one standing up for his son, sacrificing for him by telling Finn he can't be there treating Kurt the way he is, that it might cost him his relationship with Carole, but his son comes first.

And he even spells it out so kindly to Kurt and to the audience. Kurt assumes the best in people. Including in Burt himself, let's be clear. Burt *has* been dropping the ball. He's gone through his own arc parallel to Kurt's in this! Because he needs to be the Father Kurt needs.

Kurt is forgiving, Kurt is willing to let things slide because they're only things being done to him and he can take it, he's fine. He can sacrifice, he doesn't need to feel safe or be free from harassment in his own home. That doesn't matter. But it does to Burt, as it should! Because Kurt is his son, who he loves, that's his priority. And Finn has to make it up to Kurt too, as he should! And he does.

Everything's coming up Hummel!

(But it doesn't.)

(Finn even tells Kurt he should try harder at blending in in Theatricality, but it's different when Blaine does it. Dalton doesn't have a 'bullying problem' but yeah the outcome is the same. Actually it's not, because in Theatricality, Kurt (and eventually Finn) could stand up to the bullies. Nobody stands up to Blaine because *he's* not a bully, of course not, he's just *looking out* for Kurt. Because, well. It's just not done.)

[mistwraiths]

2.5 stars

Me and this book did not get along.

I like vampires, I like fantasy, I love magical competitions/trials. However, I found this book to be dreadfully boring. I wasn't entertained while reading it nor was I ever on the edge of my seat, nor did I find myself caring about the characters at all. So instead it just felt way, way too long.

The worldbuilding is paper thin. If at any point I asked myself a single question about anything in this book, it made a plot hole. We're told multiple times the human districts is "protected" but our main character kills like 5 vampires a night feeding on people and NEVER even thinks about why or how or where's the protection, instead just pats herself on the back. What were the Hijai and Rishan vampires fighting for?? Like they're both Nightborn??? What's the point of the goddess doing this competition every 100 years??? Like she's gives a gift but what's she's getting out of it?? Why did it start? She's not a loving goddess either so like why do they love her??? Why are these vampires living literally in the desert?? How are they able to literally leave the castle during the competition??? How is the king not supplying Oraya with poison filled blades not cheating?? How is an ATTACK on the goddess' own palace during HER competition not sacrilegious and despite her activity, she does NOTHING????? I could go on.

This book doesn't have bad writing by any means. It absolutely is plot-driven more and while I could punch holes through things, I can appreciate the fantasy. I like that Oraya struggled with grief of a death of a friend. Vincent was by far the most interesting character. I loved that he did truly love her and while he wasn't a GOOD man, he did what he believed he needed to do. And I loved that Oraya loved him despite grappling with the horror of what he's done. But honestly it does feel like Oraya never really actually put thought about anything or anyone.

Raihn. Look, I like him, I do. But BOY does he have the "I'm not like other men/other vampires" going SO HARD for him. He's not Born, he's Turned. He's rugged, not beautiful. He cares about humans. He's nice. Etc, etc. And of course, he's keeping secrets too. He's Rishan, which of course is her father's enemy. I found it also a weird choice that when they finally group together, the author chooses to skip time to be like "they trained for 3 weeks" and we miss at least a CHUNK of them possibly beginning to know each other.

Other than Vincent, Raihn, and Mische, there's really no other characters that matter. Mische I found almost juvenile at best, really you're laughing at anyone who makes a sound like flatulence?? We don't get to spend a lot of time with her before she's sidelined anyways. Oraya is an okay character. I liked her but never loved her.

How things happened and ending was fairly predictable. Nothing was truly very shocking. It also lasts longer than it should. But it IS a little funny how hypocritical it turns when Raihn like WELL POWER IS A BLOODY BUSINESS and it's clear the city is being attacked within likely both vampires and humans which is the same thing Raihn didn't agree with. And is like well we'll change it AFTER. Like sir you aligned yourself with the House of Blood who aren't good and you abandoned your people so they don't want you either? And then Oraya is forced to marry, locked in her room with FOUR locks on the outside and cursed windows (but she's not a prisoner?) and her throne is stolen after the love of her life murders her father on front of her. I'm sure it'll all be fine and forgiven though in the next book.

This was just a very average fantasy book. I absolutely can see why people would love this!!! I just couldn't help being BORED and couldn't help questioning things that didn't make sense while reading this.

[thatonedude473]

"Leon, can I ask you a question?" Gage prompted, looking up at the Champion

"Hm? What's on your mind?" Leon was intrigued by the sudden change in tone for the normally energetic Trainer. They had been goofing off together with their Pokémon most of the day, and now they sat together, on a grassy hillside, watching the sunset and listening to the sounds of Pokémon. One might even call it romantic, if they weren't aware that our hero was a minor.

"Why don't you use any Legendary Pokémon? I mean, aside from my complete belief that you'd be able to catch one... Didn't you used to have one? On the Isle of Armor, Mr. Mustard said you received a Kubfu from him as well, back when you trained at his dojo. So then, where is it?"

Leon had been listening intently, but now laid back, his hands behind his head, staring up at the few stars that had appeared in the sky. "See, that's the thing... I don't like battling with Legendary Pokémon."

Gage made a sound.

"I know. How does the reigning Monarch not use some of the strongest Pokémon in the world? But that's just it; they're too strong. If I'm going to keep my title as the world's strongest Pokémon Trainer, then I want it to be with my own strength, and my partners'. Not just relying on the sheer power of some insanely powerful titan. It almost feels like...cheating, in a way. That's not to say I think any less of anyone willing to use the best options available to them, it's just a personal preference, you know?"

Gage sat silent for a moment, pondering. He'd caught a few Legendary Pokémon over his journeys. Namely a Kartana in the Alola region, Iron Treads and Miraidon in Paldea, and Urshifu in Galar, and he'd intended on bringing a couple to the Masters 8 Tournament. But then, he stood up, a fire blazing in his eyes and a renewed determination in his voice as he spoke.

"Right. Then I won't either!"

Leon looked up at him, and sat back up. "Gage? I told you, you don't have to-"

"It's your personal choice, right?" Gage interrupted. "And this is mine. I'll bring my best Pokémon, ones that aren't Legendary or Mythical or anything like that, and when it comes time for our battle, I'll defeat you on equal ground!"

Leon smirked and stood up as well. "Alright then, rookie. I look forward to it! Ah, but we should probably be getting back before it gets too dark."

"Yeah... Thanks for everything today, Leon."

Hey there! This was my first attempt at posting a small snippit of a Pokémon fanfiction I'm writing. This one was inspired by the Ultimate Journeys episode: Meeting Up With the Monarch! Admittedly, I projected some of my own views on the competitive battling scene onto Leon, but honestly it's a decent explanation for why he doesn't use Urshifu when you're literally told Mustard gave him one when he was a kid in the DLC. I'll probably post more of these as I get the inspiration, if people want to see more. I also intend on doing a Skyrim-based one if people want to see that as well.

[bwoahtastic]

More A/B/O - Omegaverse starters

Made another of these a while ago (found here) and decided to give it another shot.

Feel free to reblog and use, but do not repost here or outside of tumblr!

"Betas shouldn't be able to get pregnant" "Well, here we are anyways."

"The scar on my neck? My Mate broke our bond and left me."

"You're even more obnoxious in your wolf form!"

"We can't have you in our Pack anymore."

"Can you please join my nest?"

"I would happily be the father/mother to your pups."

"Stupid Alphas with their stupid fights for dominance."

"Present for your Alpha..."

"Stop your hissing, I know you're happy to see me."

"No one has ever touched me there..."

"I never wanted to have pups, but I love our little one so damn much."

"You reek of sex. Where did you sneak off to, little Omega?"

"I shouldn't say this, but whenever [Pack Alpha] growls, I slick up so much."

"If I win this fight, you're Omegas will be mine."

"I surely can't be pregnant!" "You are literally in labour as we speak!"

"You are not related to them by blood" "I don't care if they don't share my genes, they are my pups!"

"I have never belonged to a Pack before, I don't know what is expected of me."

"I'll have you know that I won my regional nesting competition 5 years in a row!"

"I'm scared of my Heat." "Don't be, I'll take care of you."

"Who left slick all over the couch again?!"

"This Pack would fall apart without its Betas."

"How can they be Pack when they don't speak the same language?" "Rumbles and purrs are universal."

"I can't believe Omega auctions still exist..."

"They are feral!" "They just like to bite people, it's fine."

"I don't want to be owned, I want to be free..."

"Did you see [Pack Alpha] rock the pups to sleep?"

"My Mate passed away. It's just me and the pups now."

"They Mated someone else! I thought I had a chance..."

"It hurts so much, feeling the Mating Mark fade..."

"Your scent glands are all swollen, who neglected you like this?"

"I would be a better Pack Alpha!"

"I think [Alpha] might be going into Rut. I woke up to them humping my leg."

"I don't belong to a Mate, I belong to the Pack"

"I found this pup outside and I'm keeping them."

"I would like to have 1 day in which no one cries in this Pack."

"Did you hear about the Alpha who got knocked up?"

"Your Pack despises me."

"Your Mate doesn't treat you right!"

"Omegas nest together, Alphas just pile up on the sofa and growl a bit."

"Alphas are allowed to cry too, you know..."

"We broke up, my Alpha realised he was only into other Alphas."

"Our last Pack didn't approve of [Omega/Omega, Alpha/Alpha, etc] Mates."

"Have you ever been with 2 [Alphas/Betas/Omegas] at the same time?"

"You are wearing my Alpha's sweater!"

"I love Alpha wrestling as much as the next person, but you really hurt my neck this time."

"I have 3 pups in my belly, excuse me for not being fast!"

"There is slick all over your thighs, love."

"They sure don't look like an [Alpha/Omega/Beta]."

"You cheated on me? With them?!"

"I have always been alone through my Heat. I will manage to get through it again."

"I didn't get the job, because of my status."

"Welcome to the Omega shelter, are you alone or do you have pups with you?"

"I honestly have lost count of how many pups we have in the Pack."

"P-please scent me, I don't want to smell like them, I want to smell like you..."

"Did you meet up with that [Alpha/Beta/Omega] from [Dating app]?"

"I feel ugly." "Darling, you are the most beautiful [Alpha/Beta/Omega] in this room."

"My bump is really starting to show now!"

"You're so small, Omega, I can just carry you around."

"I thought I would have to raise my pups alone. But seeing you with them today, made me realise they had 2 parents all along."

"Your Alpha punched my Alpha first!"

"We had such a great night together, and now I won't ever see them again."

"Wait! Your knot is too big-"

"There was an Omega being threatened and hurt, so I took them home to the Pack."

"Young Alphas should always want to be Pack Alpha." "I don't. I am happy to serve my Pack Alpha."

"Maybe this wasn't the right place and time to knot you..."

"Who scratched up [Alpha's] back so much?" "I might have gotten a little possessive last night."

"I have nothing. No Mate, no pups, no Pack..."

"Silly Alpha thinks they are in charge? How wrong you are..."

"No wrestling in the nest!"

"What happened last night and who did you get Mated to?"