#i got my wristband today at least

[dumpy-dump]

i keep seeing other people on like reddit and twitter posting about getting their shirts and mine hasnt even shipped yet

:(

[wpmz]

me when. joint pain is a new fun thing i have to deal with. asdfjkahawjds

[asuyaka]

Guess who's back for that monthly movie list requesting? That's right, your favorite Satosugu sucker!💃💃

All jokes aside tho, I am in some *desperate* need of quality Yuji content that doesn't involve my boy getting yeet'en around like a ragdoll in Shibuya😔

So here is my prompt for today!

Yuji has a rich boyfie(reader) who is like- deadass the hottest thing to exist ever since Apollo, and they just love to spoil Yuji rotten in shape and form possible, being basically that dreamy kind of lover that gives their partners royalty treatment lol

Like, Reader is very gentle and soft with Yuji and isn't afraid of expressing their love and devotion to him, buying him expensive gifts, taking him to all sorts of dates and indulging in whatever couple activities Yuji proposes, cuddling with him on the couch, giving him those affectionate kisses(cheeks, forehead, the tip of the nose, back of the hand, whatever's in the menu) and just overall the definition of perfect lover you'd see in the books: fashionable, romantic, chivalrous, flirty, teasing and fun to have around. Also for the sake of simplicity, let's just say that Reader is a sorcerer as well.

I am a shameless simp if it wasn't obvious already, also if it isn't much of a bother- could you maybe write a bonus scene where Yuji shows up to Jujutsu Tech with some jewelry(could be a necklace, a pair of wristbands or one of those simple golden earrings) that Reader bought him the day before and Nobara, being Nobara, immediately notices the clearly expensive accessory and confronts Yuji about it, only for the boy to bluntly say something like "oh, my boyfriend gave it to me", cue to Nobara and Megumi swarming Yuji with questions cus they had no idea Yuji could bag someone, let alone someone who had enough money to buy something that you'd only see someone like Gojo wearing so casually.

Sincerely, '🌈' Anon.

★ - wowie you guys really like the rich reader troupe huh,,,

☆ - Yuuji Itadori x Rich! Male Reader!

You spritzed a bottle of Eros Versace on your wrists, rubbing the scent on your neck and behind your ear. Slipping on a pair of sneakers and making your way to the park where you and your boyfriend, Itadori Yuuji, decided to meet up.

You were taking him out on a date to celebrate your one-year anniversary, a date Yuuji excitedly texted you about at twelve in the morning.

"[Name]!" Itadori exclaimed, crushing you in a tight hug as soon as he spotted you walking into the park. You smiled as your boyfriend lifted you off the ground and spun you around, putting you back on the floor with a smile that rivaled the sun. "Happy anniversary—wow, you smell good! Is that a new cologne?"

You kissed his hand. "Happy anniversary, prince. It is a new cologne, I ordered it yesterday just for the occasion."

Yuuji blushed at the pet name, averting his eyes when you intertwined his hand in yours. "So, um, where are we going? Telling me to dress 'casual' doesn't explain anything."

Itadori was wearing a black jacket over a white zip-up hoodie with a black cross in the middle, paired with black jeans and a pair of red Converse.

"I'm not spoiling the rest of the date, but I will tell you that we're going to a mall."

Yuuji perked up. "A mall? Sweet!" He squeezed your hand as the two of you walked to a nearby mall, humming occasionally as your boyfriend ranted about everything that happened the past week.

The trip to the mall was an excuse to spoil Yuuji. Anything he wanted, he got. If he looked at an item for too long, you bought it. If he expressed any kind of positive emotion towards something, it was his. Hell, if he asked, you'd try buying the entire mall just for him because it was what your prince deserved.

Hoodies, zip-ups, shirts, pants, rings, necklaces, matching plushies, cologne—something similar to yours but not exactly so he smelt like you— and hats. Whatever your boy wanted he got.

After spending at least ten thousand yen at the mall, you went to a small burger chain Yuuji loved for a lunch break. Seeing him happy as he ate... three burgers brought a smile to your face, especially when he was concerned at your minimal order of french fries and ice cream.

Discreetly, you bought a bouquet of lithiasis flowers, tulips, and white roses; surprising him when he walked out of the burger place.

"Oh my God," Yuuji flushed, taking the flowers and pressing a kiss on your lips. "You're so sweet, babe, I love you so much."

"Lithiasis flowers mean an everlasting bond, tulips mean deep love, and roses just mean love." You kissed Yuuji's cheek, a smile on your face as the tips of his ears tinted red. "I love you too, Dear. Happy anniversary, and much more to come."

Yuuji sniffled. "[Name], I'm going to start crying if you keep this up— I promise you."

You giggled and kissed his cheek again. "As long as they're tears of happiness, prince, I think we'll be okay."

That made Yuuji audibly keen, wrapping his hands around your waist and putting his head in the crook of your neck. "You're so perfect... what did I do to deserve you?"

You patted your boyfriend's hair as you kissed the crown of his head. "You did nothing but exist, prince. I'll always love you, no matter what happens. You'll always be the love of my life."

You meant it too. You couldn't love anyone else like you loved Yuuji, and Yuuji couldn't love anyone else like he loved you. You were two peas in a pod, always together, no matter the circumstances.

"Where the fuck did you get that?" Nobara pointed at the Kirby sweater her friend was wearing. The Kirby sweater that she knew was over nine-thousand yen the last time she checked (which was two days ago).

"Huh?" Yuuji looked down at his hoodie before smiling. "Oh, my boyfriend got it for me!"

Megumi looked at the pink-haired boy from over the couch. "Boyfriend?" He and Nobara said in unison.

"...yeah? My boyfriend got it for me for our anniversary! It's super comfy, probably my favorite hoodie other than my yellow one!"

"Yuuji," Nobara started, "It's not April first, and you're a shit liar. C'mon, tell me where you got the hoodie from because I know you don't have nine thousand yen as pocket money."

"Dude I'm being so serious! You believe me, right Fushiguro?"

Megumi shrugged. "Not really."

Itadori gasped. "I told you guys like three days ago I was going on a date!"

"Yeah, with yourself." Nobara rolled her eyes. "Now stop lying and tell me where you got it from! Did Gojo-sensei buy it for you? I knew he had favorites but I always thought it was Megumi 'cause, you know, he's his dad and everything."

"Gojo-sensei isn't my dad." Megumi interrupted.

"Yeah, and I'm Jennifer fucking Lawrence."

"Don't disrespect Jennifer like that!"

Nobara groaned. "Yuuji, I swear on everything I love if you don't tell me where you got that and all the other expensive shit in your closet I'm hammering your hand to a wall."

"I told you already, my boyfriend got it for me!" Yuuji exclaimed, pulling out his phone to show them a picture he had taken on his anniversary.

Megumi stared with a blank expression. "It's photoshop."

"It's not fucking— do you want me to call him right now?"

"Sure, call this so-called 'boyfriend' of yours. We all know your charisma is horrible, Yuuji."

Itadori pouted as he clicked on your contact. "My charisma isn't horrible," he muttered, putting the phone on speaker as the call rang.

You picked up on the first ring. "Prince? I just woke up, apologies if my voice sounds weird, but did you need me for something?"

"Yeah, remember when we had our anniversary three days ago?"

"...yes?"

"Just checking, you bought me that Kirby hoodie from Hot Topic right? With all the other stuff I put in my closet?"

"I did, is the hoodie not to your liking anymore? I can go buy a new one if you want."

Yuuji stared at his friends surprised expressions, a smug grin forming on his face. "No, I just wanted to make sure. Sorry for bothering you, go back to sleep!"

His boyfriend laughed on the other end. "Alright, love. I'll call you when I wake up, good night."

Yuuji kissed into the mic. "Sweet dreams, I love you!"

"I love you too, Dear." He ended the call and placed his phone back on the table. "I fucking told you so."

"Where the hell did you find a guy that has Gojo-sensei money?!" Kugisaki yelled, pointing an accusing finger in Yuuji's face.

"Where did you find a guy who can sit through you talk about the Human Eathworm?"

Yuuji crossed his arms. "You guys are acting like I'm ugly or something!"

A silence stretched and his friends looked the other way. "Well... you aren't exactly good looking that's for sure."

"Shut the fuck up, Kugisaki!"

"You wanna go? Don't think just because you have a ten-thousand yen worth hoodie on I won't beat the shit out of you!"

"I thought it was nine-thousand?" Megumi asked.

"Shut up Fushiguro!"

[allaboutmaybanxx]

Love. ps y/n

cowgirl!reader x jjmaybank

You had grew up in Southern Texas and learned a lot from your dad. Every day was great and every month your family had a festival with dancing, singing and horse riding lessons. It was fun every month but this month was different, You were drinking root beer and selling tickets so everyone can get in and there were only 5 left and there was this boy “hey, just one ticket please?” you look up from your drink and sat it down “of course” you say as you sign the ticket and grabbed a wristband “can i see your wrist please?” he gives you his wrist as you put it on his arm he smiles “have a good time, and if you need anything you can ask me” he smiles “thanks” after all the tickets got sold you were just watching after had got done cowboy dancing you were getting bored fast and you didn’t know why. “Hey?” you look at the same boy from earlier “oh hey!, did you need something?” you asked with a smile “no no no i’m fine but i was wondering what’s you name?” you look at him and take your hat off “my name is Y/N, what about you?” he smiles and scratches that back of his head and grins “JJ…JJ Maybank” you smile “so…jj are you having a good time at the festival?” you start walking towards the barns and of course he follows behind “yeah it’s pretty cool in Texas where they have these festival and shit” you look at him “really?, don’t other countries or cities do that?” you look at him with confusion, he chuckles “no, at least not mine and i live in Outer Banks but they only have festivals for those bitch ass kooks” your slightly widened at his words “oh, is kook a groups of people or a person or-“ he cut off real fast “ their like rich ass kids that get whatever they want, like stuck up little brats” you guys finally made it to the barn, you open the barn door “you know how to ride a horse?” you as you sat down on a chair snide the barn, he gets out of his thoughts “no…do you?” you nod and smile “of course, ever since i was 5” his eyes widened “five! that’s way to young, you have to shitting me right now?” you giggle “no i’m serious” he takes his hat off and sits next to you and looks at you for a while “your pretty..” and that’s when your heart started beating every five seconds and you could feel your cheeks turning red and and this warmth in your stomach. “thank you…” he smiles softly “i’m in Texas for a few days, you know maybe we should hang out” you nod “mhm…” and that’s when it all started You and JJ hanging out everyday until it was time for him to leave and it was like everyday you had someone other than your dad to talk to about your feelings and about your problems.

Today, JJ was meeting your parents and brothers but before that happened you and him went to go hang out at a park and you were making bracelets for him, “so have you ever been anywhere else but Texas?” you look at him “no… I love it here” he looks at you and clicks his tongue and stands up. You look at him “where are you going?” you follow him “you see the sunrise?” you nod at his words “yes, what about them” he takes a deep breath and speaks again “wouldn’t it be a good idea to have your first kiss here?” you look at him and you really looked at him to see if he was joking “your dead serious or your just joking around” he smile and takes your hand “i’m serious, i mean y/n your the most prettiest, creative, and amazing girl i’ve ever met and you make me feel loved and that i can trust you and i wanna make you feel all those things too” your heart warms at his words and your started to beating again but faster than last time “then, yeah you can take my first kiss” that’s all he needed was confirm and he was ready, his lips met yours and it was slow and passionate, his hand met your waist and the other to the back of your head, he pulled away with a grin and you bite your lip, “…woah… that’s was…very passionate” you say still stunned, he smiles and looks down, and looks back up at her and grabs something out his pocket “you know y/n for the 6 days i’ve spent with you, it was like the most important moments of my life and i want to keep them” he pulls out a ring and looks at her “she freezes in her tracks. you were kinda shocked but happy and jj was the most important moment in your life, he was handsome, funny, and a gentleman “is….that a no…” you snapped back to reality “yes!…yes please…” he looked at you and smiles, he picked you up as you giggled “jj put me down!” he puts you down and grabs the ring and puts it on your left index finger “i’m officially your girlfriend…” he looks at you and kisses you again “Mmm” you hum in kiss. And that’s the day when you fell in Love. ps y/n

[razorblade180]

Jealous Knight Shade

For context, some of yall might remember this story. It’s really old and I just found out a tumblr update completely ruined the format and wouldn’t let me fix the og post. So I had to completely re structure, add, and edit it as a new post.

[Jaune’s Dorm]

Radio:Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen! It’s a beautiful sunny day completely with a slight breeze and temperatures in the mid seventies. Perfect for the Vale concert!!! *clicked off*

Jaune:*jean shorts and a muscle shirt* I am sooooo pumped for this concert. The lights, the food, but most importantly….

Blake:*in the bathroom getting ready* The one….the only…….Jaune and

Blake: Casey Lee Williams!!!

Jaune:Gods I can’t wait any longer! Blake, how much longer are you gonna take? We’re gonna end up looking wasted anyways.

Blake:I at least want to start the day off looking somewhat presentable. I never been to a concert before; honestly never expected to go to one.

Jaune:Really? I guess it’s a good thing you met someone who always gets tickets with the best view possible!

Blake:I still can’t believe you’ve met her before! I hope I get the chance to as well.

Jaune:That won’t happen as long as you’re in the bathroom. We still gotta catch the flight! (Actually we’re ahead of schedule, but Yang and Sun don’t need to know I’m hanging with Blake alone. A blonde war is the last thing I need.)

Blake:I’m ready! *walking out* how do I look?

Jaune:It’s about ti-*Blake in a purple crop top and black high waisted ripped shorts. Black ankle high converse and some wristbands*

Blake:*nervous* Well..? I knew it was gonna be a little hot out all day; plus I never get the chance just to dress casual.

Jaune:*red* You look good! Like really good; wait that sounded weird. I mean you know…you……it’s nice.

Blake:*giggles* Thanks. I’m guessing you’re ready?

Jaune:Uhh Yeah! *hands her a water bottle* concerts can get exhausting for her. *puts on a string bag* I got a few other things in here since it’s an all day thing.

Blake:Well isn’t someone prepared?

Jaune:I’m a veteran at these sorts of things.

Blake:Then I guess I’m in your hands then; let’s go. *starts walking away*

Jaune:*watching her walk away* …….. *sips water* I am not ready for today…

[Airship]

Jaune:*leaning forward* If I die right now Blake, tell my ghost about the concert.

Blake:Why would you get Airship tickets if you get air sick?

Jaune:It’s the fastest way. Too much traffic on the road and I’m sure you want to get there as soon as possible.

Blake:You don’t have to go that far for me. *leans in a bit* you look like you’re turning green.

Jaune:You say that and get closer to me?

Blake:*leans back* that could’ve been bad. Last thing I need is vomit on me; especially my hair.

Jaune:About that…*points to her bow* you can take that off since we’re off campus. Honestly I doubt anyone at our school is even gonna show up.

Blake:Yeah but….I just want to have a normal day.

Jaune:You’re more normal with it off to me.

Blake:*red* That’s nice to know. Besides my team you’re the first to say that. Thanks…

Jaune:That’s what friends are for. *leaning back* Phew, I think the worst has passed.

Blake:That’s good… *takes off bow and leans on him* glad you’re feeling normal too.

Jaune:*redish* Yep, things are just…. normal between us. Completely…..normal.

[A long airship ride later]

Jaune:*stretching legs* I’ll never get used to how long this trip is. My legs still feel *Blake runs passed him* asleep…..

Blake:*Looking at the venue* Wow….*it's basically like Coachella*

Blake:There’s so much of it, we'll do everything! It’s almost a little overwhelming. *ears wiggling*

Jaune:*Smiles don’t take it all in at once; you’ll go mad. First things first *pats her stomach* food.

Blake:I had half a mind to claw you just now. *stomach rumbles* but you’re right…

Jaune:Let’s go then, pizza is always a safe bet. *starts walking* I’m pretty sure it’s to our right.

Blake:Uhhh you might want to try left.

Jaune:Huh, really?

Blake:*points to her ears* I can hear essentially everything around here. I here grills to our right, and oven timers to the left.

Jaune:Blake….you’re amazing. Do you know how much of a maze this place can be!?

Blake:It’s no big deal. Still, there’s a lot of people here. I bet there’s a line for food.

Jaune:I can deal with that as long as I know where I am going.*grabs her hand* Let’s go!

Blake:Wait just a- *gets pulled onlookers staring at them*

Blake:Uh, I think people are staring at us.

Jaune:*looking around* I…think you’re right.

Blake:*folds her ears* I thought you said people wouldn’t care about my ears?

Jaune:*pulls out his hoodie and puts it on Blake. It goes down to her hips* Believe me, it’s not your ears. *starts walking behind her.

Blake:? *realization* Ohhhhh *red*

Jaune:Just ignore them and you’ll be fine.

Blake:I’ll try.

Stranger:*whistles* I think this is the first time I cat called a pretty kitty. What do you say about being with a dog?

Blake:Sorry, I’m not a fan of mutts.

Everyone:Ooooooohhhhh!

Stranger:What was that you little-

Jaune:*wraps arm around her waist* Walk away while you can dude. She may be the Faunus but I’m the one who bites.

Blake:*red* (That’s hot; why did it sound so hot!?)

Stranger:…..*stomps off embarrassed*

Jaune:I swear this place is awesome. Some people are just hot heads.

Blake:It’s alright! (He smells nice) Uhh maybe you should keep your arm around me. Just to be safe.

Jaune:Sure *starts walking happily*

Blake:(How did he do that!? Intense one second and happy the next!?)

Jaune:Wanna get some drinks?

Blake:We can’t buy any.

Jaune:*pulls out two fake IDs* I mean....Blake:......Have you always been this much of a rebel?

Jaune:I like to have fun when I can and I want to show you a good time.

Blake:*pondering* You know this is illegal.

Jaune:So is terrorism

Blake:Can’t argue with that; let’s get wasted!

Jaune:Yeah!!!!!*12 hours later*

Blake:*wakes up in a random bed* Ugh my head. Where am I? *sees she’s not wearing a shirt* What did I do!? Who did I do!?

Jaune:*laying on a couch* Look whose awake. *throws her aspirin* btw you slept with no one and this is Casey’s tour RV.

Blake:I met Casey!?

Jaune:You don’t remember?

Blake:.....No!

Jaune:We drank, the show started and we started singing your favorite song…

Blake:From Shadows is underrated.

Jaune:Yes it is. After that some more people started flirting with you and one grabbed your butt. After that I hit him and Casey had her roadies kick him out. She then proceeded to buy everyone drinks....

Blake:God she is a national treasure.

Jaune:After that we got to go back stage where I introduced you two and you turned into a total fangirl. You wanted an autograph but then you passed out and now we’re here.

Blake:That’s it?Jaune......[Last night backstage]

Jaune:*slightly buzzed* Blake, this is my good friend Casey.

Casey:Hello! Nice to meet a fan; also an old friend. *goes to hug Jaune*

Blake:*thoroughly drunk* Excuse me miss Williams! *grabs his arm* But he is taken!

Jaune:Uhhh what?

Casey:*snorts* What?

Blake:This man *hic* right here....is mine! He spent the whole day showing me an absolute great time! *rubs his chest* I intend on repaying the favor tonight.

Jaune:*bright red* You’re drunk Blake....

Blake:Drunk off of your love hehehe *almost falls over*

Jaune:*lifts her over his shoulder* I’m sorry for her. She’s usually super chill.

Casey:I believe it. Maybe I’ll get to meet her with less fireball in her system.

Blake:.....You have a cute butt Jaune. Not as cute as mine but still pretty nice.

Casey:*laughing*

Jaune:Oh boy....do you mind if we crash in your RV? I don’t think she’s quite travel ready.

Casey:No problem, *autographs an album and puts it in his bag* I figure she would want a souvenir.

Jaune:Thanks *turns around and walks away*

Casey:*waves* Bye Blake!Blake:I will fight you for him. You may be amazing but I call dibs! He’s getting laid tonight!

Jaune:You are going to bed!

Casey:*hysterical laughter*

Jaune:*puts Blake on the bed* Sleep!

Blake:Awww but I’m not tired. *takes off her shirt* Maybe you can fix that for me.

Jaune:(Why can’t this happen when we’re sober?) Blake go to sl- *pulled into her arms*

Blake:Come oooooon! I promise it’ll be fun.

Jaune:You’re drunk Blake, that makes it wrong.

Blake:Terrorism and Fake ID’s are wrong.

Jaune:I mean you’re not wr- no! *pulks himself free* Bed, now!

Blake:Fine, we’ll just do it in the morning. *passes out immediately*

Jaune:*flops onto the couch* Sigh, it’s always the quiet ones.

[later]

Jaune:....That’s it. *you got an album by the way.

Blake:Sweet! Thanks for the good time Jaune. Even if it’s a bit hazy *hugs him*

Jaune:Uhhh Blake *red* your shirt.

Blake:Eh, I don’t care. You probably saw them last night.

Jaune:Don’t worry, that’s the only thing I saw.

Blake:Too bad, you could’ve had an amazing night. *whispers in his ear* By the way, Faunus have high alcohol tolerance.

Jaune:*red* Huh!?

Blake:*walking towards the restroom* Well what do you know, this place has its own shower. Can you think of a more perfect way to start a morning?

Jaune:Depends, you remember what you said last night.

Blake:*playfully* Who knows? Maybe you should join me in here and jog my memory Mr. Cute Butt

Jaune:Now that is the best cat calling I’ve heard this entire trip.

[gossipgirlgasoline]

HEYY!! big fan of this concept, returns the chaotic 2000's vibe to F1 that it so desperately needs 🤭 Your last post was so well put together! Any new gossip yet?

gossip girl here, your one and only source into the ultra-rich, scandalous lives of race car drivers of formula 1.

hello my lovies. welcome back to the world of gossip, scandals, and drama! how have you guys been? ive missed you terribly since the last time we’ve spoken. since weve last spoken, carlos sainz jr and lando norris has both won grand prixs. how exciting! how dearly ive missed carlando .. today we will dive into all the drama we’ve missed since then after my brief disclaimer !

before i start, if ur not into truly gossipy stuff— THIS IS NOT FOR YOU!! this will go into territory of wag gossip, silly rumours, and other cheesy stuff like that. you have been warned.

lets start off with an anonymous submission, alluding to a comment i made back in an update about estelle and ollie. i mentioned murmurs of flavy snd esteban being a pr couple, lets see what anon #1 has to say.

“in my humble opinion flavy and esteban seem like the least pr and most mature couple on grid. they post eachother because they’re in love and live their lives calmly without making a fuss. i mean she rarely is at gps (bc she’s a med student, but also let’s not demonize the wags for not wanting thousands of eyes and an onslaught of criticism that being present at a go brings) and they are barely photographed by the paps like charles & alex. they give off the same vibes as oscar and lily, cute imo.”

i love this take!!! i totally see where anon is coming from and agree as well. i didnt see it like this, but this is a beautiful pov. i def see why u see that him and flavy are the healthiest, and i agree, but i would also add maybe kika and pierre to the mix? taking on your point that they pos each other since theyre in love and they have nothing to lose there, i could def apply the same logic to them. plus i think they are super cute and they feel genuine to me. + carmen and george probably too.

anon #1 also added this to the end of their submission;

“with that said i wanna know what you think/know about logan’s potential girl! any ideas on what she does? who she surrounds herself with?”

for those of you who dont know, logan sargeant has been allegedly dating a chick named “riley whittall.” i think it is notable the fact that her father is chuck whittall, business man who’s net worth amasses an astonishing $600 million dollars.

i remember hearing about her all the way back in november. i totally forgot about her until a couple months ago, a tabloid i follow on instagram reported on the fact that they have been in many of the same places at the same times. for example, logan posted a bali post on 27/03/24, riley posting a dump days after logan, coincidentally in the same place, with the same filter, with the same angle.

hmmmm

HMMMM….. a quick trip to her instagram today will show you a post of her at australia, in the week of the australian grand prix with chicane wristbands, as well as a story posted earlier today of her at the grand prix.

i cannot for the life of me find the exact screenshot, but i had a friend (her family works in similar business with riley’s father) send me a message of a mutual friend of hers saying that riley was a “pick me.” the message was saying that some of her friends had tried to hit on logan but she got very defensive and start being like ‘im so small’ around him and trying to make her friends look bad. 👀

for those of you who did not see my last post, i recieved an anon submission regarding riley, let’s take a look!

“lots and lots of drama rn... riley and logan just got together and already drama brewing. basically a pretty well-known wag's best friend/someone she models with posted on her private instagram a tiktok that was seemingly demeaning riley whittall. a gossip page dmed her and got screenshots of the best friend AND said wag calling riley bratty, disrespectful, narcissistic, and the b word..”

I NEED TO FIND THESE SCREENSHOTS NOW OMFG!!!! im so nosyyy and I love new drama… this is so messy and im here for it

as for what this girl does besides vacation and thrive off a trust fund, i have no genuine idea. i think shes unemployed, living off daddy’s money but i dont blame her at all. its not like me and my friends not guilty of this 😭

on the topic of logan, i got sent in shady screenshots ahhh!!!! 🐒🐒🐒

logan being a trumpie and an anti masker doesnt surprise me at all 😂 makes so much sense, idk what people expected out of him— hes a floridian white boy, we cant ask for much😭

moving on to my favourite bit of this post and arguably the most controversial f1 couple, Magui Corciero and Lando Norris!

for background information for those who live under a rock, Magui is a Portuguese model who is most notable for dating Portuguese footballer João Felix. Their relationship and break up were rather messy and even more public. Magui is notoriously hated by JF meat riders for cheating on JF multiple times after he gave her multiple chances, leading ro their break up.

I wont get too into detail this post because the lore is so deep but for the ones who do

👀👀👀

Recently, a Portuguese tabloid uploaded photos of Magui and Lando boarding his PJ

This ‘couple’ has notorious for being problem and quite troublesome recently, the pair showing up to the Monte Carlo masters together recently

This being one of their many scandals is not surprising at all since they have been caught together lord knows how many times now😂

what’s your guys’ opinions on riley + magui and lando? let me know in my inbox and the comments!!! 😇

Speaking of messy, let’s talk about my blog 😭 im so sorry I’ve been so inconsistent with you guys, but tysm for everyone sending anons and the constant support♥️♥️♥️!!!!! And Im so sorry this post is so short I’ve. Been having a lot going on rn!!!! summer is approaching so not to worry

I love you all so so much and I want to have a new post for IMOLA regarding LOTS lissie mackintosh and Marcus armstrong drama.. (iykyk) eeeek im so excited to share with you guys… I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!

Remember that my inbox and dms are always open to everybody and you can dm me about anything!!! even non f1 related. Just shoot me a message and I will probably reply😇

until next time race-watchers, xoxo, gossipgirlgasoline

[glacierruler]

If I Could Just Kiss You

No it is not almost 4 am now where I live shut up /j /s

Ships: Prinxiety and Dukexiety (Roman and Remus both date Virgil and are fine with it)

Want to make it very clear, Virgil thought Remus was a boy until it introduced himself.

Angst/Fluff, mostly fluff though

CWs: transphobia, accidental misgendering, deadnaming, death mentions(no actual death, I swear), self-deprecation, tell me if I missed any!

Words: 5080

Feel free to spam my inbox with questions about this au

Taglist: @uhhh-hi-there-i-am-nervous @hyperfixated-homo @cutebisexualmess @starlocked01 Please tell me if you'd like to be added/removed!

Virgil didn’t know what to do. Storm didn’t know what to do because storm liked these two boys. And they were siblings. And Virgil knew that they wouldn’t like storm back, because who would? Storm was self-deprecating, small, and honestly not that attractive. At least not in storm’s eyes. Virgil had weird eyes too, and who would want a freak like storm, with storm’s weird mismatched eyes. One of them a deep purple and the other a bright green. Plus storm’s clothing choices were questionable to most. Most of the time storm wore a black with purple patches hoodie, along with an oversized Fall Out Boys T-shirt, with black jeans. The most expensive thing storm wore were storm’s Doc Martins, although storm had some more expensive shoes at home. Shoes were the one thing storm ever splurged on, because Virgil couldn’t design or make shoes. Storm could hand sew some clothing. Specializing in skirts, but storm was getting better at making dresses, shirts, and pants as well. Also storm loved hand sewing, as it was calming and took up time. Storm was also decent at painting abstract art, and somewhat good at drawing humanesque figures on storm’s computer. So maybe Virgil wasn’t actually useless, storm just thought that way because of past incidents, but let’s not wander there yet. As Virgil was circling into storm’s own thoughts of panic, storm saw movement out of the corner of storm’s eye. Virgil freaked out for a moment, before remembering storm was at the local coffee shop, and there was going to be some movement. It did not help storm’s panic, however, when storm saw who walked in. It was the two siblings. And their friends. And oh, Virgil was so screwed if they saw storm. So so very screwed. Mainly because none of them know Virgil’s actual name, just storm’s deadname, because of course storm’s job at the local college wouldn’t let storm change storm’s name! And storm is so used to not being deadnamed or misgendered here. Just wearing different wristbands to denote the gender that storm was for that day, if storm could pinpoint it down. After all being genderfluid wasn’t easy sometimes. Also now, whenever Remy’s shift ended, Virgil would have to be very careful not to mention either crush’s name because they were here. And by the looks of everyone’s bags, they were here for a while. So Virgil hid behind storm’s computer screen, and did storm’s best not to draw attention to stormself. But eventually…

“Hey, bitch! I’m off my shift!” Remy shouted for the whole cafe to hear. A few of the regular customer’s chuckled, but the table that the two siblings and their posse had sat at all looked confused for a second, and Virgil could feel the heat rush to storm’s cheeks. Storm was not ready to come out to any of those five over there yet. Thankfully Remy’s partner, Emile, walked in just at that moment. Virgil looked at their necklace, and it was pink. Meaning they were a girl today, but storm would wait until storm could see their pronoun pins before using she/her for them.

“Love, what did we say about cursing right after you got off shift?”

“Too wait five minutes before doing so… but, like, hon-”

“Nope, you almost got fired last time you called Virgil a bitch right after you got off of your shift, and we can’t afford to live off of one income in this economy.” Emile stated. And now Virgil could die, because both of them were about to sit at storm’s table, after just calling storm by storm’s preferred name. In front of storm’s crushes who did not know storm’s preferred name. Which, to be fair to Remy and Emile, Virgil was out pretty much everywhere except for storm’s job. Which didn’t allow storm to be out and storm thought that was stupid. But storm couldn’t afford to live based on just commissions and sponsorships alone just yet, so they had to deal with it. Either way, Virgil had been kind of hoping to tell the siblings on storm’s own, without being accidentally outed to them. And, oh great, all of them were paying attention to Remy and Emile now. Who had just kissed, and were walking over to Virgil right now. Oh shit oh shit oh shit! What do I do. Virgil’s heart started pounding, and it was getting harder for storm to breathe, and then storm was shocked and sucking in a huge breath of air after storm felt something cold against storm’s skin.

“Hun, you good, you haven’t freaked out like that here for a while.” Remy’s voice was full of concern. And Virgil nearly cried. Storm had had a panic attack in front of storm’s two crushes. In front of people that constantly talked to storm at the college. Storm was so very fucked if they recognized him. 

“I’m fine,” Virgil croaked out, well at least storm’s voice wouldn’t be recognizable, “can we talk about it later?”

“Yeah of course, whatever you need.” Emile said, and Virgil could see their pronoun pins now. So she is using she/her today, good to know. 

“Yeah, I’ll tell you two about it later,” Virgil whispered, not wanting anyone else to hear storm. Both of storm’s friends nodded, and storm breathed out a sigh of relief. However before storm could go back to drawing, storm heard a gasp from the table that storm’s crushes were sitting at.

“You’re the person who works at the college right? The one who helps with art and english papers!” Excitement seeping out of this individual’s voice. Virgil looked over, and it was Patton. The guy who storm had helped with an english paper and art assignment. Although the english paper was what storm was payed to do. Patton had chestnut brown eyes, with brown hair to match. If Virgil had remembered correctly something Patton had said, he was from Papua New Guinea. So english hadn’t been his first language, as his parents taught him some other language, Virgil couldn’t remember what it was called, but storm thought it was cool that Patton knew another language. Sometimes storm wished that storm had payed more attention in spanish class. Mainly having taken it because storm’s family was from Mexico, and neither Virgil nor storm’s mother had been taught the language. Either way, now everyone at that table was looking over at storm. And now Virgil was officially screwed. What was storm supposed to do, hide under the table and never get up again. Then Patton spoke up again, “Although I thought you went by a different name? Something like-”

“Er, that’s only my name at the college, I don’t use it anywhere else.” Virgil interrupted, not feeling like getting deadnamed today. And now Roman was looking at storm, and Virgil felt like maybe storm should prepare some lines in storm’s head just in case Roman said something. Although he shouldn’t, after all his sibling, who’s older by one year is nonbinary. 

“Ah, then what is your name? And pronouns if you don’t mind me asking.” And oh, Roman’s voice was sweet as honey, and Virgil could swim in it all day. Ah, storm could feel storm’s ears starting to heat up.

“Er, the name I like to use is Virgil, and my pronouns change all the time, but storm/storms pronouns always work,” Virgil’s voice was hoarse, and still a bit scratchy from the panic attack that storm had just had. And before storm could say anything else, Remus spoke up. 

“Oh you use neos too! That’s so cool, you know meeting another person who uses neopronouns is like meeting a celebrity from that famous horror movie, Monstruo de la Noche.” The way Remus’s voice sounded like an old, scratchy record, but in a good way, just made Virgil want to melt. Although Virgil didn’t really like horror movies in most aspects, storm would love to watch a horror movie with Remus.

“Er yeah, before I forget to ask what are all your names and pronouns?” And oh no, storm’s voice was no longer scratchy, and while storm liked it on some days, other days it felt way to feminine. Virgil sometimes wished storm had a voice modifier on them, but then again storm was working on speaking more masculinely, it was just a lot of practice. Sometimes Virgil got sick of practicing, just wishing storm could flip a switch and storm’s voice would be deep. And honestly-

“Well you already know who I am kiddo, but I’ll introduce myself again in case you forgot, you do help a lot of people throughout the college. I’m Patton, 23 years old, and he/him and they/them pronouns for me!” Virgil was roughly jarred from storm’s thoughts by the loud voice, although it was a welcome distraction from where storm’s mind was taking storm. Then the person who was sitting across from Patton spoke up.

“My name is Logan, and please use he/him pronouns when it comes to addressing me.” Logan seemed analytical and smart, based on his body language and tone of voice. He had slightly tanned skin and was wearing glasses, a suit, and a tie. Virgil could’ve sworn he was the person who tutored students in the math lab, now that storm though of it. Before he could analyze too much, Remus spoke up.

“Well you already know my name, but my pronouns are he/him and it/its.” Remus looked like it was about to jump on the table with how excited he was.

“The name’s Janus,” a silky smooth voice said next, “although I believe you already knew that, my pronouns however have changed since we last talked. I use they/them and fae/faer pronouns now.” And Janus was right, Virgil had known faer name. Storm had known them in elementary school. They had been the best of friends, but after the incident, Virgil and Janus had grown apart. Storm still felt guilty about the scar that encompassed half of Janus’s face. However, before Virgil could say anything, Janus cut in again. “Just so you know, it wasn’t your fault,” and Virgil felt even more guilty now. Why, storm didn’t know, but now everything felt awkward. The tension in the room was really thick, and storm could tell that everyone else at that table was confused as to what was going on.

“Ah, before I forget to introduce myself to a such a lovely person, my name is Roman and my pronouns are he/him.” Roman announced flamboyantly, and oh, was Virgil head over heels for this guy. Maybe a little too much.

“Right, well it was nice meeting you all…” Virgil trailed off, not sure of what to say. Storm was really bad at socializing, having taken forever to warm up to Remy. Although storm was pretty sure it was because of the incident, but again, storm never liked to think about that. Thankfully Remus stepped in.

“Soo, what’s a school tutor doing at this coffee shop? Oooh, is this where you come to complain about the last minute papers all the students submit,” Virgil did not miss the playful look it gave its brother.

“Err, not quite, this is where I go to draw and do my online courses,” Virgil stated, not sure where to go from here. Thankfully someone else did.

“And storm def comes here to vent about what the english class kids do too, don’t you hun?” Remy snickered, nevermind, Virgil was suddenly reminded of why storm hated Remy now. 

“Only a little!” Storm defended, which only got Remy and Emile to snicker as well as a few eyebrow raises from the other table. Before the conversation could go any further, Remy introduced themself.

“Sup you five, I’m Remy, and I use they/them pronouns, and this here is my partner-”

“Hi! I’m Emile, my pronouns also change all the time, like Virgil’s, currently I use she/her, but if you’re ever unsure of what to use, they/them is always okay!”

“Ah, if it wouldn’t terribly bother you three-” Roman started, before Remus interrupted, saying,

“We could totally blow your party! And cafe, into smithereens!” And Virgil couldn’t help but snicker at that, before remembering that they brought bags in, and storm caught Roman give a playful glare to his sibling. 

“Uh…” Not a good idea, not a good idea, not a good idea, “sure, I don’t have a problem with it, Remy, Emile?” 

“That sounds like a wonderful idea!”

“You need more friends anyways hun.”

“Remy! Be nice!”

Virgil heard Janus chuckle a bit, which was either very good or very bad. Storm’s brain started screaming at storm, thinking it was an absolutely horrible idea to do this, so before anyone could get any further with conversation, Virgil went and sabatoged stormself. “But, before you decide to join us, don’t you have schoolwork to do? With your bags and all?”

“Ah, but lovely Virgil, we have been working on schoolwork for the three hours that we’ve been here! It’s only fair that we catch a break to chat with an engaging individual such as yourself!” And Roman flashed storm that smile that storm loved so much, with slightly crooked, very slightly tinted yellow teeth, which meant they were healthy, as they weren’t an obvious yellow, but subtle enough for someone to tell they weren’t pure white, (don’t ask Virgil why storm knew the proper color healthy teeth were supposed to be). Sure, Virgil knew that he probably flashed that smile at everyone he met, but he certainly didn’t call everyone he met lovely, did he? Maybe he did, how was Virgil supposed to know, anyways Roman had a point. Strictly studying is bad for people. And Virgil knew that because storm had burnt stormself out by doing that.

“Ah, alright, just didn’t want get in the way of studying, y’know?” And oh, the way all of them beamed at storm made Virgil want to never leave this moment of feeling wanted.

After about three hours of all of them sitting and talking, the cafe closed, and Virgil got all of their numbers. And maybe, when no one was looking, storm put a red heart by Roman’s number and a green one by Remus’s.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Virgil was back at the college, having just finished working with another student, when Roman, Remus, and their friends walked in. Honestly, she was exhausted, trying her best not to cry everytime one of her coworkers called her by that name.

“Yo, Vee, it’s us from the cafe, remember?” And the way Remus nearly screamed that, honestly made Virgil’s day so much better.

“Yeah, do you need help with something?” Virgil was so professional at storm’s job, she honestly deserved a gold star for not acting like storm was hopelessly in love.

“Actually [Redacted], I’ve got this.” One of Virgil’s coworkers, who had an obvious crush on Roman, said. Virgil could see the way Roman tensed up at her voice. 

“Nah, Sally, you’ve got a meeting in fifteen, remember?” Storm was trying not to start a fight, not sure why Roman was so tense around her, but he was, so Virgil was going to do her best to make Roman more comfortable.

“Actually, I was wondering if you could take that appointment-”

“This will be the third time this week, Sally, I’m not doing that. I can do this, plus I believe one of them actually has me scheduled to work with them in the next five minutes.” Which, the last part of that was technically a lie, but Virgil never shared who she was working with with her coworkers. Storm never really liked them anyways. Sally huffed, but ultimately said nothing. As soon as she went back, Virgil led them over to a table that was a little further away from everything else.

“Question, do you want us to call you by the name that Sally used when you’re here, or something else?” Logan asked, which Virgil thought was sweet of him, but what really surprised Virgil was the twins talking over each other.

“Was it okay for me to call you Vee? If it wasn’t-”

“I’ll hit him over the head with my morningstar and bury him and-”

“I’ll let Remus do that to me without fighting back, I hope I didn’t almost out you-” And, oh was it sickeningly sweet how much both of them cared about different things, but Virgil should really cut in before it gets worse.

“Look, it’s fine. I’ve told them my preferred name before, they just don’t really use it. Because it’s not my legal name or whatever.” The way all five of them looked at her, seemingly baffled at what she just said, confused Virgil to no end. “Err, what’s wrong?”

“Why do you work at a job, that consistently deadnames and misgenders you?” Remus asked, concern seeping through its voice.

“Because it pays the bills, and I don’t really have a choice at the moment.” Virgil was a bit unsure as what else to say, she really didn’t have a choice if she wanted to be able to pay for all the necessities. “I am trying to find another job, but right now it’s not plausible,” storm really didn’t know why she felt so defensive.

“Vee,” Roman starts, staring at her softly, “we aren’t judging you, we’re just concerned.” And oh, Virgil hadn’t meant to make eye contact, honestly, it was mostly painful. But if she could stand eye contact, she would look in both the twins emerald green eyes all day and night.

“Ah, sorry-”

“Why are you apologizing? Did my brother said you did anything wrong? No, because you didn’t. He was just clearing up a misunderstanding. But if you want, we can pay you to be our personal tutor’s. How does $20 an hour sound?” And Virgil stilled at that, not sure what to do. 

“A-are you sure? That’s a lot of money, especially since tutoring sessions can be long.”

“Look, absolutely no offense to you, but I’d pay you $100 per hour if it meant I never had to deal with Sally again,” Roman said dryly, and oh, was Virgil glad to know that there was no way Roman had even the smallest crush on Sally.

“Okay, um, then yeah, I can tutor you all, do you want to do group or individual sessions?”

“Group for now, and maybe, if any of us have extra money and need help, we can do individual sessions next,” Janus supplied, faer voice sounding uninterested, but Virgil could see the intrigue in their eyes. Virgil nodded, and the next day she sent in storm’s two day notice.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been a few months, Virgil was turning 19 soon, and both of his crushes were 20 and 21 respectively. Still, storm’s feelings for them weren’t going away anytime soon. So he had decided, he would tell both the siblings that he liked them within a week. 

“Remy, you just don’t understand! They’re so cute and sweet and kind, and honestly I think this is something amazing that’s happening. If I can just get the guts to ask them out. You don’t understand-”

“Right hun, because I don’t understand how simping for someone else feels,” Remy rolled their eyes, sounding slightly annoyed. “Now where’s the part where you tell them?”

And that’s how Virgil started telling a very long story. “Well, I was gonna tell them on Monday, but when I saw them they were kind of flirting with another guy. And I didn’t know if maybe one or both of them were dating that guy. I found out later that day, that they were just being friendly with him because he’s a cool guy, and flirting is just their dynamic. Which y’know kinda makes me feel jealous a little, and maybe hopeless, because I thought that they might be flirting with me because they like me, but it could just be because that’s our dynamic, and do I really need to ruin our dynamic with my stupid feelings.” Virgil breathed in and out heavily after that. Speaking fast, because the siblings could be at the cafe soon, and Virgil honestly couldn’t risk them finding out before storm was ready. “Then on Tuesday, they were busy studying for a few tests for their english class and overall I was really busy with commissions, and I also knew I wasn’t ready to tell them yet. On Wednesday I meant to tell them after tutoring was done, but then everyone was there, and I don’t know if I want everyone to see me embarrass myself trying to make a love confession, and then a thought occurred to me. What if they thought I was just getting closer to them to get with them? I wasn’t doing that, but what if they thought that. Surely they would hate me, and because they’re friends with everyone else,” Virgil gasped for air mid sentence, looking around the room for any sign of the twins, they weren’t due to show up yet, and were almost always late. But still Virgil couldn’t risk them finding out from storm rambling to Remy. “then everyone else would hate me. Throughout the whole day Thursday, I meant to tell them, but then my mind was all like ‘would they even like you back, and what would you do if they don’t, it would be too awkward to stay friends, wouldn’t it?’ And so I backed out. Cause I’m really scare of ruining my friendship with them becuase I have feelings and they don’t.” Virgil’s speech was slowing down a little bit, but that was only due to the lack of breath that storm was taking in. So he took a few to breathe in and out deeply, and quadruple checked the room to make sure that the twins still weren’t there to continue rambling. “Friday was weird, because I actually almost told them. Roman, Remus, and I were just hanging out at the park, and I got cold, and they both offered me one of their jackets, and honestly how could I say no. And is that a sign they were flirting with me? Anyways, they each handed me a jacket, but before I could say anything, I remembered that I never asked them about their thoughts on polyamory before, and if they would ever, like, share a boyfriend. That sounds weird, but you know what I’m trying to say,” Virgil interrupted stormself again, gasping for breath again because he kept losing all of the oxygen in his lungs due to the fact that storm was trying to get this all out in one go. He caught Remy’s eyebrow raise, and could tell that storms friend was actually invested in whatever was going on in his love life.

“Hun, maybe you should take a few to breathe before continuing.”

“No time Remy, both of them will be here in maybe a few minutes, and I’m confessing to them today, at this cafe. Where I officially got to meet them y’know? Anyways, where was I…”

Remy sighed, knowing they weren’t going to convince Virgil to slow down on his storytelling. “Alright hun, you were at the part where you said you were just thinking about their thoughts on polyamory, and whether or not they’d be fine with you dating both of them.”

“Oh yeah, so that was on Friday, and I didn’t know how to bring it up without sounding weird, so I kept trying different topics of small talk, like, isn’t the sky pretty, kind of small talk. And eventually we got on the topic of polyamory, although I don’t remember how,” Virgil started looking around again, trying to make sure that neither Roman nor Remus were here yet. Thankfully storm didn’t see either of them. It really was a good thing that Remus and its brother were always running late. “And eventually I learned that not only were they fine dating the same person as their other brother, but they both actually have a crush on the same person. And while I know that they probably don’t like me like that, I have to tell them before I can move on y’know? Like I want to be happy for them when they get into a relationship with the person they like. But I can’t do that unless I tell them I like them.”

“Alright babes, I have a few questions. One, how do you know they don’t like you? Yes, you do have to answer that question with actual facts. Two, how do you know that, if the person they like isn’t you, they would get into a relationship with them? And three. How The Fuck do you talk so fast?” Virgil stilled at that, not quite sure how to anwer the questions that storm’s best friend just posed.

“Well, for the first question, I know I’m really self-deprecating, and I’m not that attractive. Plus I’m kind of small for someone my age, and they have said before that dating someone small could be a problem because kissing them would be harder, and so I’d have to be worth the effort for them to bend down and kiss, and honestly Remy, I don’t think I am. Plus if they liked me wouldn’t I have noticed by now?” Virgil gasped and looked around the cafe again for those two. Thankfully, it seemed like they were running late. “As for your second question, who wouldn’t want to get into a relationship with them? They’re cute, sweet, handsome, stunning, smart, adorable, kind, beautiful, pretty, intelligent and despite the sometimes crude subjects that they bring up, both of them are really compassionate, like that time when-”

“I get it hun, they’re cute, kind, and smart. But, no offense, I wouldn’t date them, they aren’t my type. Also, remember not to idolize them, as that’s not healthy for anyone. Like, babes, I’m not saying that they aren’t cute, kind, and smart. I’m saying don’t put them on a pedestal. It gives them hopeless expectations to live up to, and it hurts you when they can’t live up to it. It’s not pretty, remember my relationship before Emile? That’s why it went so sour. Also, please stop putting yourself down like that hun, I get feeling that way, but saying it outloud to yourself makes it worse. I know this from experience.”

Virgil had to stop for a minute, and made a note to also acknowledge the mistakes that the siblings made, instead of only focusing on what they did right. It wasn’t good for anyone for storm not to acknowledge what they did that ticked him off, or was downright wrong. “Alright Remy, I promise not to idolize them, I definitely don’t want what happened to you to happen to me. And I’ll try not to, actually with the paycheck I’m getting from all my new friends, I’ll probably be able to get into therapy, since we’ve discussed that that would be a good thing for me to do too.”

“Now hun, you don’t get to ignore my third question either,” Remy said, before adding, “but it looks like your dates are here, so I’ll take my leave.” Virgil blushed and hissed at them, before turning around and seeing two twins grinning and standing behind where storm’s back used to be.

“So, lovely stormcloud, I heard you wanted to meet us here. Could I ask what this is about?” Roman asked, his voice smooth as silk, and his face held a playful smirk to it.

“U-uh, yeah, just give me a minute, I got sidetracked and need to remember what I was going to say.”

“Well it wasn’t to brutally murder us, but maybe poison? Nah, too many people around, you’d never get away with it, unless…” Remus joked, bouncing on the soles of its feet. 

“No, I did not bring you here to murder you. Neither of you have made my hitlist, yet…” Virgil trailed off trying to sound ominous. Although it definitely helped that storm had been getting better at making his voice deeper. 

“Oh? What do we have to do to make it on their?” Remus was entirely too excited for being told that it could end up being on a hitlist.

“Uh, haven’t figured that out yet?”

“Oh, that’s kind of sad, I wanted to be first on your hitlist!” Virgil couldn’t help but laugh a little at that, before remembering why storm had brought those to here. 

“Err, there’s something th-that I h-have to t-tell you, a-and,” Virgil was having trouble breathing all of a sudden. And storm’s hands were really clammy now, and this was a stupid idea, there’s no way they’ll ever like you back, what are you doing!

And then he felt something cold against storm’s neck. “Stormcloud, I know you want to tell us something, but if you’re not ready we can just hang out and chill. Don’t force yourself to do something you’re not ready for.”

“Yeah, how are we supposed to fill Roman’s shampoo with sickly green hair dye, if you’re panicking.” Roman rolled his eyes, but smiled a little when Virgil snorted a little at that. If you’re gonna do it, do it now before you back out coward!

“I- just- there’s something I need to say, and if I could just kiss you…” Virgil eventually managed to get out, storm’s eyes scared of rejection from either of the two siblings, but willing to risk everything because these feelings were too much for storm. Both Roman and Remus looked at eachother, before Roman walked over to Virgil. And despite Virgil wearing two inch platforms, he was still smaller than both of them, and it showed. Because when Roman got close to storm, Virgil couldn’t help but feel a little small considering with the platforms he stood at 5’4. And Remus and Roman were both 5’8

“All you had to do was ask, stormcloud.”

“Also we kind of figured you liked us both,” Remus said as it started to walk behind Virgil, and eventually wrapping his arms around storm. “You weren’t good at hiding it. Just wanted you to tell us without feeling pressured.” After that Roman lifted Virgil’s chin up with two fingers and kissed him softly and sweetly. Then, after Roman was done kissing him, Remus turned Virgil around and kissed him roughly and passionately.

[zadig-fate]

So, guys, my first time at the barricade was like going from the first colour TVs in the 1960s to a modern IMAX theatre. The show is so much more intense than being even a few rows back.

My queue bestie and I got to sing Umazane Misli with Bojan, like we wanted.

Despite that, this is the first time I've ever had a bad time at a Joker Out concert, and honestly I feel like shit right now, when usually after one of their shows I feel euphoric.

I was so fucking ashamed of the demanding behaviour of the crowd tonight (at least the first few rows) that I seriously thought about just sitting down and hiding behind the barrier for the rest of the show.

The constant screeching of their names during Novi Val by people who wanted one of the guys to draw them a fucking tattoo, or take their phone, or wanted to give them some useless crap, was my breaking point. It was so embarrassing. After that point I just couldn't feel happy anymore and was desperate for it to be over.

People were shouting at other people to stop throwing so much shit at them, or to stop screeching their names for attention during literally every break between songs (and through the entire length of Novi Val), and the whole situation stressed me out SO much, I just shut down completely.

This kind of situation would be stressful for me in any case, but I think I was feeling especially anxious about it today because my friend and I actually ran into the JO guys this afternoon (after getting our wristbands) at the Museum of the Warsaw Uprising, which deals with Nazi war crimes in Poland. We said hi, but they were clearly not feeling up to chatting with fans at that moment, so we just left it at that and moved on. (To be clear, they weren't rude and did talk with us briefly and thank us for coming to their shows, but sent polite signals that they preferred to be left alone, and we respected that.)

Idk, maybe I'm just overly sensitive. They're pros and surely used to managing all these demands on their attention by now. Maybe I'm reading too much into their mood earlier in the day. But I just feel really shitty at the moment for being part of such a rude and entitled audience and almost want to write them an apology letter for how poorly my fellow fans behaved tonight.

[learnfromwebtoons]

Lesson 11 - Clothes Make The Characters

Today’s Lesson: Clothes Make The Characters

Today’s Teacher: Swolemates by LummyPix

Hi, I'm back! And by back I mean I had an idea for a lesson and have returned to impart it to the masses before disappearing back into my cave.

I've been reading Swolemates by LummyPix and generally enjoying it- the jokes are generally pretty funny and the story, a college comedy about a gamer jock and the influencer next door, is genuinely unique for the platform. And of the three main gripes I have with it, two of them are minor nitpicks (the character names are all a few letters off from names an actual person might have, the desaturated color palette makes everyone's skin look slightly gray), but one is, I think, more broadly applicable to other comics as well.

Clothing.

Making a comic is hard because in addition to being a writer and a draftsperson, you have to also be a prop designer, actor, set designer, colorist, cameraman, and costumer all in one. That last role in particular is missing from Swolemates, where all of the characters are first year college students that wear plain T-shirts, tank tops, and sweatpants all the time.

I've been reading a lot of Derek "Menswear Guy' Guy's tweets lately, like many people, and one of the ideas he brings up a lot is that clothing is a language. Your outfit communicates things about you to the people who see you: information about your status, occupation, and personality. A comic that doesn't pay attention to the clothing the characters wear is missing out on an opportunity to tell the reader additional information about their characters, which I feel like is happening here.

The reader is told that Dani is a Popular Girl and Shaye is Alt/Nerdy, and while their hair and makeup reflects those characteristics, their clothing does not. Most of the time, every single character is wearing a plain, solid-color T-shirt. Nobody ever wears a pattern or a shirt with a graphic or text on it.

You don't! You look like a video game avatar someone stopped customizing after they finished the hair and face! Which is worse!

The makeover arc the above screenshot comes from is not used for the traditional makeover arc reason of showing the reader the protag in many cute outfits, but to allow Alex and Shaye to bond more and show how Alex is so fit and buff regular pants don't fit her. Which is a missed opportunity to find Alex clothes she looks good in that fit her personal style and aesthetic, and that would distinguish her from the rest of the cast.

The desaturated color palette doesn't help either.

After this sequence, Alex and Dani both go right back to wearing plain solid-color t-shirts, and occasionally tank tops. The makeover and Dani's interest in fashion are both fleeting and temporary.

A simple change that would increase the realism of everyone's outfits and add personality would be to put graphics on the shirts. Shaye could wear anime merch, Alex could wear video game shirts, Dani could wear college merch. If there's one thing I know about college student fashion, it's that everyone ends up wearing shirts they got for free from their school at random events, and nerdy kids wear shirts about the things they like (as a comics major at art school, I found myself in multiple classes where every single student was wearing a shirt from a comic/movie/game they like.)

A more involved change would be to assign everyone a general color palette they tend to wear and make sure they wear things with patterns, prints, and accessories, at least occasionally. Shaye could wear skinny jeans, Docs, band wristbands. Alex could wear streetwear that is both comfortable for her and reflects her video game interests.

The makeover sequence also serves to communicate to the reader that the creator is not personally interested in fashion or clothes and will not be considering them in this comic, which is a real shame because, like I said, clothing is an opportunity to show readers more about what kind of people these characters are, and is an important part of character design. The clothes people wear are often not even about what's currently fashionable (especially these days, with current trends cycling faster than a washing machine), but out of a desire to signal that you belong to a particular group. Like how finance bros all wear those fleece vests, and fans of musicians wear shirts from their concerts.

It's easy to feel intimidated by the amount of history and possibilities fashion opens up in regards to character design, so creators who aren't personally interested in fashion might try to avoid thinking about it because it's easier that way. But if you take the time to do a bit of research and think a bit about what your characters would actually wear, it will pay off.

Also, as a practical consideration, iconic clothes a character wears could become merchandise for your comic later on!

Exercise: Now it's your turn to give your characters a wardrobe overhaul! Draw your characters in their underwear as a base, copy paste that base several times, and draw a few outfits over it. Try to come up with at least 3 daily wear outfits, what the character wears to sleep, a formal look and a first date look. Think about what your characters value in clothing-- comfort, showing off, expressing their personality, belonging to a subculture? Where do your characters get their clothes- do they go shopping with friends, do their parents pick them out, are they wearing a school or work uniform whenever we see them and if so how do they customize that uniform, if they do customize it? Also consider color schemes and recurring motifs.

Webtoon Recs: I want to recommend Cursed Princess Club again because it's not a comic about fashion in any way, but it uses the characters' clothing to communicate information extremely effectively. Everyone's outfits communicate where they're from and what their position is. Everyone from the Pastel Kingdom wears pastels, everyone from the Plaid Kingdom wears plaid, everyone from the Geometric Kingdom wears shapes. Calpernia's crown has a net attached to it to allude to her spider-themed curse. The major characters are also clearly color coded, making it easy to keep track of them in a busy scene. Gwen is green (and her love interest Frederick is a darker green plaid), Lorena is lavender, Maria is powder blue, Jamie is pink. The way they dress reflects their personalities as well, and when special events like balls happen their outfits for those events also help communicate the characters' personalities.

It's not necessary to focus entirely on fashion and clothes to create outfits for your characters that help tell your story better! Also Cursed Princess Club is just extremely good all around.

A comic that is about fashion and using clothes to express yourself (but also about teen drama and gender/sexuality) that I enjoy is Acception. The main character is a fashion/sewing youtuber who befriends a goth girl in his class, but not everyone around him is as interested in fashion as he is. The goth girl's brother, for example, dresses much more casually and simply than she does, and the character designs for everyone slowly change over the course of the comic as people get different haircuts or teenage growth spurts, or decide to try something new with their style as they get older. I especially like how Iris's outfits frequently incorporate butterfly shapes as something she likes to wear.

It's cute and funny, and puts a lot of thought into its details despite having a simpler art style than many webtoons.

Clothes are an important part of character design, and too many people neglect to think as much about them as they should.

[sushigal007]

Went to Stonehenge today, unfortunately the weather was not in our favour. I'm not exaggerating when I say the only thing I was wearing that was not completely drenched was the paper wristband, somehow. My squishy shoes did not make for a comfortable drive home, and it didn't help that we got turned around twice by floodwaters. Still, at least we were better off than the poor guy ahead of us in Pewsey whose car drowned under the railway bridge.

[the-storyteller-and-her-soldiers]

"Dammit, LYLA!"

Title: "Dammit, LYLA!" Word Count: 2,009 Warnings: Mild swearing (none said in malice), questionable(?) Spanish (I only have the basics down as mentioned in the story but please correct me NICELY if it is so bad), tooth-rotting fluff!! Ship: A Different Web Weave (Miguel x Myself) Summary: I finally got to have my hair done, and I decided to try out a new look. However, where I got the inspiration may be a bit up in the air... A/N: 'Mi conejita' means 'my little rabbit' if I translated right? --

Quiet lo-fi remixes of pop songs from the 2000s floated through Rebecca's ears. It was a soothing white noise that reminded the woman to take a deep breath for once. Her pale fingertips caused a light crinkling sound to emerge as she ran them over the transparent hairnet that she wore. As she leaned back into the oddly comfortable salon chair and took a sip of the sparkling water that was provided, Rebecca's reflection cast her a smile.

Rebecca could have let out a laugh when the thought of her being prepped for clown school crossed her mind. With the way that her bleach-covered hair slightly stuck out stiffly, mixing new blonde shades with faded blues and greens, it certainly looked like all she needed was a full face of make-up to be done. But Rebecca knew better. This was just a necessary step in her tri-monthly routine of self-care.

As her hickory gaze began to wander from the full-length mirror in front of her to the quiet salon, a quiet beeping sound drew her sights to the band on her wrist. After tapping a few buttons, that to this day, Rebecca only vaguely understood, a rather smooth male voice spoke.

"Oi, Rebecca, where-- ...What is that on your head?"

Rebecca rolled her eyes when she heard her former boss and now very new boyfriend, Miguel O'Hara, speak. Yet the small smile that had been on her face only spread further.

"It's a plastic hairnet used to contain the heat from the bleach treatment. And if that doesn't remind you where I am, I'm getting my hair done at the salon! I only gave you, like, two months' notice when I booked the appointment."

Even in the small projection that the wristband provided of her boyfriend, Rebecca could make out how his thick brows knit together in contemplation. Deciding to tease him, in a melodic tone, she questioned, "Did you forget?"

Hearing her sweet voice seemed to snap Miguel out of his thoughts. A quiet grumble of affirmation ruminated through him. "Do you know how many people ask me for leave daily?"

Rebecca simply nodded, knowing that Miguel was a very busy man. Even with all her reminders, she wouldn't blame him if he did forget. But then he added, "Regardless, I thought your appointment was on the 30th?"

Rebecca's eyes crinkled in the corners as her whole face lit up. He had remembered, at least somewhat. "It was meant to be! But my French professor is crazy and decided to schedule class before Labor Day! So since I can't be in two places at once, I had to reschedule my hair for today. Don't tell me LYLA didn't remind you!"

Rebecca could hear the female AI pop in and confirm that she had, indeed, reminded him. LYLA then confessed that Miguel still insisted on calling since he missed Rebecca's voice.

This confession drew out a sweet giggle from Rebecca who was unable to hold it in due to the warmth swelling in her chest. Meanwhile, Miguel was less than pleased, condemning his assistant in a raised tone of exasperation. It was hard to see in the tinted colors of the projection, but Rebecca swore that his cheeks had flushed a different hue.

"That's sweet! But hey, whatever's bugging you, I know you got this! I promise I'll be in when I'm done and accounted for at home, okay?"

Miguel nodded in return while a ghost of a smile haunted his lips, "I'll be expecting it, mi conejita."

As Rebecca ended the chat, she could feel her cheeks heat up to a similar temperature as her hair. She wasn't fluent in Spanish by any means, with herself citing a basic public school education in the first few grades of her life. She knew enough from living in a heavily Spanish-speaking community to get by.

But as her stylist came back with the three bowls of dye they'd be using, Rebecca simply did her best to focus on her current experience rather than dwell on the nickname.

--

Hours later, after her hair had been dyed, trimmed, and layered, Rebecca paid for her treatment and bid the staff a good weekend. Another 20 minutes passed as she got a ride home and takeout with her mother. Once she was settled into her room and made sure the door was shut, Rebecca finally transported herself to Earth-928, the hub of Spider Society. She hadn't even bothered to change out of the black Miku shirt and the stretchy jeans she had worn to the appointment.

With a small box in her grip, Rebecca jogged through the halls to where Miguel usually lay in waiting. She had been stopped a few times by multiple Peters being nice and complimenting her on the somewhat drastic changes. She was sure that they were just being nice, but Rebecca couldn't completely deny that voice in the back of her head that alluded to other meanings behind their words. Not that it truly mattered to Rebecca either way.

When Rebecca finally made it to Miguel's office, or lair as she deemed it, she made herself known by cheerily announcing she had food while swinging up to his highrise platform.

"You didn't have to bring me food," Miguel stated before he turned around.

"I know," Rebecca reminded as she strode over and placed the small box on one of the few clear spots amongst his vast setup, "But I also know that you probably haven't eaten in a while, if at all, today. So since I treated my family to food and you're a loved one, I figured 'Ah, what the hell?' If you're not hungry, you can save it!"

It was as Rebecca placed the food down, that Miguel caught sight of her. No longer was her hair blonde and blue or a faded pool of melting cotton candy. It was vibrant, rich, her usual royal amethyst, and... crimson. The ends of her silken locks were the same color as the accents of Miguel's suit in this low lighting. When Miguel came to this realization, his chocolate orbs dilated.

Then Rebecca stepped in front of him, tilting her upper body to the left so that she was the center of his view. The smile that had started to linger in so many of Miguel's thoughts was plastered so smoothly across Rebecca's soft skin. "So this is what the ridiculous hairnet and bleach led to. What do you think?"

Miguel stepped closer to the woman, his large hand ghosting against the curves and dips of her waist. "It looks good. I understand the purple since you always say it's 'your thing'. But, uh, why the red? Not... Not that the shade doesn't suit you as well. It's just new."

Rebecca's arched brow quirked upward. She knew Miguel wasn't one to lavish her with compliments, especially within the halls of Spider Society where any prying eye could come across his vulnerability. But to see him take such interest left her intrigued as well.

"Well yeah, the purple's been my thing for so long I honestly don't know if I could go without it! But I've been thinking about changing up for so long now and especially after the incident, I wanted a new look. 'New look, new me' and all that crap... Why, do you think you were an influence?"

There it was again. That cheeky, teasing tone contrasted with her big, brown eyes. If it had been anyone else, it would've frustrated him beyond belief. Even when they first met and interacted, Miguel swore he would've throttled her if he had to witness it one more time. But now all he could do was swallow down the big lump forming in his dry throat.

Rebecca brought her pale hand over her peachy lips in a poor attempt to stifle another giggle. For a brief moment, Rebecca wondered when such an intimidating man began to melt before her.

"Don't get flattered, Miguel. This kind of red is quite common in the suburbs of Earth-9612 during the autumn season. Not to mention that purple and red sort of add to the Halloween vibe without being straight-up black and orange. Gotta say that's the one color I've not tried and don't plan to unless I wanna be a carrot!"

Rebecca listened to her voice as she spoke. She wasn't exactly lying since those were valid reasons she had. But to say that Miguel wasn't at least somewhat of an inspiration, wasn't the whole truth either. In her ears, her voice sounded rather smooth and nonchalant. Now she could only hope that the scarlet-tinted glow of all of Miguel's screens managed to neatly blend with the warm hue painting her cheeks once more.

Right as she heard Miguel give a hum of agreement and dismissal, another familiar voice spoke up.

"She totally did get inspired by the suit design~!" LYLA teased, glitching in between the couple.

It was at that moment that two pairs of widened brown eyes got lost in each other before Rebecca quickly cast her gaze downwards to stare at the oh-so-interesting table. Her cheeks now seemed to match the crimson ombre of her hair while the purple strands masked her widened gaze.

"DAMMIT LYLA!" Rebeca spluttered. She wasn't angry by any means of the word, simply flustered by all comparable measures. "I don't know what you mean~! I-It's merely coincidence and crimson is a pretty color! Who's to say that it doesn't suit me more than it does the big boss?!"

It was already too late though, and Rebecca could feel it. Miguel was already smirking down at her, his hand now firmly planted on the familiar spot on her waist. Meanwhile, out of the corner of her eye, Rebecca could see the digital woman lowering her heart-shaped spectacles as she bent forward with a similar smile.

"So it was totally a coincidence that you asked me for the specific shade about three weeks ago?" LYLA pressed.

Rebecca nodded as if her head was to fall off any second. Though Miguel only questioned why his assistant gave up such info so freely.

"Knowing a certain shade isn't going to do any harm, Miguel. It's not like you're even hiding your identity from her, not with all those late-night conversations you so often tell me to replay."

Rebecca had come to rest the top of her head on Miguel's chest, against his heart, in unspoken defeat. However, as LYLA continued to spill the beans, she could feel Miguel's upper body grow warmer as he desperately tried to shoo LYLA away to no avail.

"Aww~ you two are cute! I have to tell Peter B. so that Jess can get her proper payout."

Both people in the ever-pining pair shot their heads up to look at LYLA as she snagged a picture. But before either one could ask about this bet that was made behind their backs, LYLA decided to drop one more bomb.

"Oh yeah, Rebecca, have you seen Miguel's new phone case? During the last few missions, the old one got pretty beat up. So when I asked what he was on the market for, he told me that he didn't care as long as it was 'protective and a nice shade of purple'."

LYLA then played a clip of Miguel's exact words that she had recorded. Sure enough, that was what Miguel had requested, citing something along the lines of having a new appreciation for the color and wanting to give it a shot. Despite her hardest to listen to her boyfriend's past words, it was pretty hard to hear over his current words barking out flustered condemnations towards his assistant once more.

Rebecca then stood on her tiptoes and pressed a soft kiss into the crook of her boyfriend's neck to temporarily calm him. She could feel his grip tighten as he pressed her against his chest. Though Rebecca soon turned to face LYLA once more with a smile.

"LYLA, forget what I said. I love you!"

Taglist: @disneymarina @floweringforgetfulness @nyandereneko @maskedanarchy-ships @singingdeepinme @goldenworldsabound @wanderers-wife @canongf @hadesgoddess @violetsandmilk

[6ftslytherin]

The Stranger In My Best Friend's Skin

Warning: elements of the story center around the sever depression of a character. This includes self harm, an anxiety attack, internalized homophobia, and a suicide attempt. Reader discretion is advised.

Rowan got the news last week. Her best and first friend in the entire world was going to be an inpatient at the Waterhouse psychiatric ward. For the past three days, she had tried to ask Sabine if she could visit, only to receive no reply. Today was different, however. Her letter had received a simple "yes" to her question this time. Rowan wasn't going to waste this opportunity.

Now here she was, seeing Sabine for the first time in months. But that wasn't the same Sabine she had seen leave King's Crossing. It was as if she had aged at least twenty years in their short time apart. Heavy bags had formed under her tired eyes. Her hair had grown a bit longer. Her cheeks had never been the fullest, but upon closer inspection, they had become sunken. She was wearing a simple gray t-shirt and jeans. There was a leather wristband on her left side. Despite her default shoes being sneakers, she was wearing slip-ons now. She had always looked older than she was. She was six feet tall by the time they were thirteen, and now, a year later, she looked like she had lived several lifetimes.

"Uh.... hey." Rowan said, trying the best she could to not let her nervousness bleed through. Sabine smiled just a little. "Hello," she said. "I must look like the living dead at this point. They wouldn't let me bring in my skin care stuff. They said some talented potion makers are able to use them." Rowan wanted to argue back. She wanted to support her friend at rock bottom, but she couldn't get the words together fast enough. "Why don't we talk in the courtyard? This is a facility for the rich, so it's gorgeous." Sabine said. "Yeah, sure." Rowan said as Sabine led her to their destination.

It was gorgeous. Plants cascaded from large pots like a verdant waterfall. Blooming flowers of subtle colors, probably to not overwhelm people. They sat at a marble picnic table under the shade of an elm tree. As Rowan looked around, an offensive, acidic smell came out of nowhere. She turned back to Sabine as she took a drag of a Marlboro Red. "This is the only place they let me smoke. Give it a minute." She said. Suddenly the air became full of the scent of flowers, completely getting rid of the smell.

"The plants here were used to cover up an unpleasant aroma." Sabine said. Rowan looked at her friend as a pit grew in her stomach. She remembered the first time she caught Sabine smoking. On April 19, 1987, Sabine tried to cover up what she had been doing, but the lingering sting in the air masked any lie she could think of. Rowan chewed her out for it. Yelling about cancer, emphysema, and COPD. Looking back on it, maybe reacting that way wasn't the best considering where they currently were.

Sabine was playing with her silver lighter, flicking it on and off. "I didn't think they'd let you have that here." Rowan said he was glad to have some words to break the tension. "I didn't either." Sabine said, not taking her eye off the lighter's flame. "It's this wristband I'm wearing. It's had a spell put on it so that I'm unable to physically hurt myself or others. I also can't take it off; my doctor has to do it." She reached her hand towards the flame and attempted to grab it, only for the small fire to die before contact was made.

"That's good." Rowan said. She knew that Sabine would never hurt anyone, but she remembered back on the train from Hogwarts. It was just for a moment when Sabine changed into her street clothes, but Rowan saw something. Scars running horizontally across her inner thigh. Since Sabine was a fast dresser, it was only for a moment, but she had seen it. Rowan wanted to say something. But maybe she misunderstood what she had seen. That had to be it. Sabine would never do that.

"Yet, for some reason, they still don't allow shoes with laces here." She finally set the lighter down. Once again, the awkward silence came. Rowan had a myriad of emotions thundering in her gut. Sabine was different, to put it mildly. Sabine was cheerful. She was noble and kind.

She was happy.

At least, that's what everyone thought.

"It is good to see you again. I do appreciate this." Sabine said. "Oh, it's nothing. I'd do anything to help you get better." Rowan said, putting on a cheerful face. Sabine smiled the same small, tired smile from before. A peek of the Sabine she knew from before everything that had recently happened.

Everything went quiet again as Sabine continued to smoke. What could they talk about? Would she be offended if she asked about everything? What about before? Would that be okay?

"They're saying I shouldn't start my fourth year this fall at the same time as everyone else. They want me to wait and see if the medication balances me out better. It's not as bad as this one kid here. He's schizophrenic, and his parents are homeschooling him. He's not even that bad. His family probably just doesn't want people to know about his condition." Sabine said. "Oh, what are you on?" Rowan said. What are you doing? What a stupid question. "I don't remember. It's something long that starts with a c." Sabine said. She took another drag.

"They diagnosed me with severe depression. That's an understatement." She said. "Yeah, everything considered..." Rowan said it without thinking. Another moment of stiff silence followed as Sabine looked at her cigarette. "Does this situation make you uncomfortable? You don't have to lie." Rowan squirmed. She did the same as Sabine and stared at her hands. "Yeah. It does." What else could she have said? Sabine took a breath.

"Thank you. I appreciate your honesty." Sabine said. Rowan looked up at Sabine, even though she didn't meet her gaze. She was clearly thinking about something. "My parents have been trying to act like this messed-up situation doesn't... I don't know how to put it. They acknowledge that I need help and that it's a good thing that I'm getting it, but the look in their eyes when they visit is like they're looking at a ghost. Maybe that's what I am, but they don't know how to break it to me."

The words sent a shiver up Rowan's spine. She understood that the position Sabine's parents were in would definitely not be easy. Especially considering that after the disappearance of Jacob, she was the only child they had left at home. Her oldest brother, Yosef, was in Switzerland as a bassist in a renowned orchestra. John died as a child in a hit-and-run. Now this.

Rowan touched Sabine on the hand, causing their eyes to meet. "See? You can't be a ghost because I can touch you." Sabine smiled again. Rowan was feeling pretty good about this visit. Three smiles from a severely depressed person is a good sign, right? Suddenly, Sabine looked away again; her smile faded back to nothingness. She clearly went back to whatever she was thinking of before.

"I feel dead."

Nausea swelled in Rowan's gut. She felt like she was going to puke right then and there. But she fought the acid that was crawling up the back of her throat. "Well, don't worry. You'll get better before you know it. We'll be drinking butterbeer at the Three Broom Sticks and getting candy from Honeydukes. Not to mention that the quidditch team would really struggle without you."

Sabine made a little noise from her throat, clearly still thinking about whatever was swirling in her mind. Once again, silence snuck between them. How long were visiting hours here anyway?

"Rowan?" Sabine suddenly said, shaking Rowan back to the current moment. "What do you think of homosexuals?" She asked, not lifting her eyes from the pot of flowers she was staring at. "Uh, they're okay, I guess. I mean, people are people, no matter who they're attracted to. Like, André's a really nice fella, and he's pretty open about liking guys." Rowan answered. "I see..." Sabine almost whispered.

"Do you know that model, Yvonne Silverpot?" She said she was not changing the focus of her vision. "Well yeah. Who doesn't? She's always showing up on magazine covers." Rowan said. Suddenly, Sabine looked a little bit more tired. "She stayed at my home for a few weeks about a month ago. She was working with my mother on a project for her new fashion line." She said.

"That's cool. Did you get an autograph?" Rowan asked. Sabine said nothing. Rowan wondered if she had said the wrong thing. For some reason, she felt like she was more likely to say the wrong thing than anyone else. "We became fast friends." Sabine smiled again. "And then one day she asked me if I had ever kissed anyone before. I thought it was just girl talk, and I answered truthfully with a no. Then she asked..."

Sabine started playing with the lighter again. "She asked me if I wanted to kiss her, and I did. It just felt so good. We were inseparable the entire time she was there, but we had different ideas about what we were doing. I fell for her. She just wanted a short fling."

Rowan stared at Sabine. She had always suspected that her masculine friend wasn't interested in boys. It was weird to hear her admit it for the first time. And the fact that she had been seeing a famous model for a few weeks? Was Rowan supposed to say something? What could she say? She decided the best course of action was to stay quiet.

Sabine continued, "I always knew how I was." I would have crushes on girls and not be able to tell anyone. It was better before I was the only legitimate heir left. It wasn't necessary for me to get married. Then my brothers were gone, and I was expected to grow up and continue the bloodline. I tried to hide my feelings, but..." She laid her head on the table. "After Yvonne, after feeling the love of another girl, I couldn't go back. I was a disgrace to the Lowell name and our illustrious history. The night she left, I had the worst panic attack of my life. I thought I was having a heart attack. I didn't get help. I kept myself locked in my room. If it was a heart attack, I wanted it to take me. That's when I decided I was better off dead. It was better than being the solitary dyke who would never be the prefect daughter." She finished her cigarette and let out a big puff of smoke before putting it out in an ashtray that Rowan hadn't noticed before.

Sabine laughed. "It was such a relief. The idea that my suffering would soon be over made me the happiest I'd been in forever." She finally pulled her head up, meeting Rowan's gaze. The exhaustion in her face was more pronounced than before. Her brown eyes were seemingly as old as the earth itself. The hand that wasn't playing with the lighter was unconsciously trying to dig her nails into her palm. If she hadn't been wearing the bracelet, the skin would have probably torn. Sabine slammed the lighter onto the table, making it close.

"I tried to kill myself because of a girl. Isn't that the most pathetic thing you ever heard?" She laughed while her body shook from nerves.

Rowan was someone who thought first and determined the best course of action. This time, she didn't. She jumped from her spot at the table. She rounded the side of it and grabbed Sabine, hugging her as tightly as her arms could. Rowan never considered herself to be good with people. But she couldn't help herself. She couldn't let Sabine feel alone for another moment. She didn't know what to say about the situation, but she did the best she could in that moment, as what Sabine had said caused a maelstrom in her head.

"I'm sorry." Sabine said. "I can't ever be the person you knew again. I'm just too damn tired to try."

Rowan managed to find her voice again. "That's alright. We'll work on this together. You don't have to pretend anymore. You're sick right now, and everyone who loves you is going to help you get better. Me included. I said I'd do anything to help you get better, and I mean what I said."

Sabine slowly reached her arms around Rowan. She hugged back as fat tears rolled down her cheeks.

------------‐------------

"Could you tell me where we're going now?" Sabine asked Rowan. "Not yet!" Rowan said, continuing to pull Sabine forward. Sabine had been back at Hogwarts for only a day. She had come a week after the start of their fourth year. She wanted to at least catch up on her schoolwork a little. Yet here she was being taken to who knows where in the Hogwarts castle, and by Rowan no less! She thought Rowan would be ready to help her catch up at a moment's notice.

"Here we are!" Rowan said as she stopped in front of a door. Sabine looked around. It was just a disused classroom. "You've got to see what's in here!" Rowan said, gesturing to the door. Was this about one of the Cursed Vaults? I might as well see what the deal is.

Sabine opened the door, only to have a bunch of confetti fall on her. She shook her head like a dog. When she opened her eyes again, she saw all her friends. Not only that, but there were cupcakes and a tub of ice with soda bottles in it on one of the tables. Upon closer inspection, the entire room was decorated. There were floating balls of light that looked like stars. Green and gold streamers hung from the walls. On the wall across from the door Sabine was standing in was a banner. On it was the phrase, "Welcome back!"

Sabine turned around. Rowan was watching her reaction to the surprise. "We wanted to surprise you." Rowan said it with a smile. Sabine turned back to the room. Penny walked up to her. "This was all Rowan's idea; she organized everything." Penny gave Sabine a big, warm hug.

Sabine was caught off guard. "Uh... thanks guys! I don't know what to say." She said. Sabine started to nervously laugh. "This isn't too much, is it?" Ben sheepishly asked. "No, no. I'm just surprised, is all." Sabine said, "Why are we doing this?" " Because Rowan said you needed some cheering up. "We didn't need a reason beyond that, considering everything you've done for us." Charlie said. "Not me. I'm just here for the snacks." Merula said. Ismelda nudged her in the ribs. "And maybe because things are boring without you." Merula said it, but more quietly this time.

Rowan walked closer to Sabine. "I didn't tell them why you were absent. You tell them when you're ready." She whispered in her ear. Rowan walked in front of her and turned back to her. "Come on, Jae and I spent all day on these cupcakes! They're red velvet." She said. "Right." Sabine said to follow her.

"Where have you been anyway?" Barnaby asked. Sabine stopped in her tracks. She took a breath and replied, "I was very sick. Now Rowan is helping me get better." She said it with a truthful smile.

[thebestorworstofit]

me: i’m so fuckin DUMB

fake friends: omg no way ur not even shut up

me who got home from disney at 1 am, didn’t sleep bc brain dumb, who as been working since 12pm (it’s like 9pm), who THOUGHT she made a reservation for may 23rd (which is a tuesday) decided to open the app just now to check for dining reservations for that TUESDAY THAT I BOOKED IN LIKE A WEEK AND CHANGE: too bad i am bc for some reason I decided to prank myself this morning and made a reservation for the 13th instead of the 23rd 🙃 and I already have two no-shows this month. And the 13th is today. 🙃 which is a Saturday. 🙃

I went last night for the second time on a Friday in at least years  and while I didn’t have a panic attack this time, I sure did get asked if I needed to know where to go to pick up my grad night wristband. For those of you who don’t know grad night is for people graduate high school. Which I did. So so so many years ago. Like so many years ago that when I was asked this question, I genuinely didn’t know how to respond with anything other than a very obnoxious laugh.

it is now 915. The park closes at 12. There’s nothing but traffic and they are going to be so many fucking people that are dying but if I don’t make it I am blocked for making reservations for a month because I am bad at showing up to things.

Soooo moral of the story is don’t let me book your reservations 🙃  and I’m a fucking idiot.

I’m almost done with work but now I have to race to scan in real quick and just pray, I don’t get distracted again, and caught up in the crowds, and end up having a complete fucking meltdown.

also, now it’s 9:54 PM I got distracted and caught up on the phone with my driver and now I have to drive an hour for something that is open for two hours. 

on top of everything else, the door to my building is broken so my key barely works, and our elevator has now broken all the way at this point. I swear to God by the end of this week, I’m either gonna have a breakdown of will be the reason for somebody else’s.

so yeah i’m doing fantastic thank you for asking how are you guys doing?

[zorkayaplus]

@scarlxtleaves

It was their first year together as traveling companions and Sinbad had gotten wind that it was her birthday, there wasn’t much he could do for her now because his influence at the time had been limited only to the Reim empire but he did his best to make sure that the day would be towards her liking. He uses the money he’s made from his book sales to acquire a gift for her. A wristband that possesses a sapphire that bears the insignia of an ice element. A rare treasure within Imuchakk that he KNEW she would love..or at the very least he was sure. SO once she awoke from her slumber the teen smiles handing her the box. “Heard it’s your birthday today, Happy Birthday Rina. A beautiful gift for my VERY beautiful companion.” He flashes her a wink. (have a happy bday from season 1 Sinbad.)

𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐳𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚! 𝟎𝟕.𝟐𝟕.𝟐𝟑

The young star shines brightly, but it will turn into a meteor. The Origin Dragon knows a talent when she meets it. Yunan has already given the blessing to a young star as a Magi, but the Origin Dragon wants to have this pearl for herself. She wants to see how far he will go and how strong he'll become. Akin to Solomon, she wants to watch his journey but... this time, she wants to be a part of the journey. There hasn't been a mortal who has intrigued her this much. There hasn't been anyone who bore such ambition and such potential. His presence can enlighten the whole world if the right steps will be taken.

There's no need for grand celebrations. A yearly birthday for an Origin Dragon is nothing but a feeling like she's being praised for living a day. Though, her ego loves it and adores it. The fueling of it begins with the first words, but it's quite adorable that Sinbad has taken such a serious approach to their traveling. Gifts are exchanged between humans on such celebrations, aren't they? Knowing his monetary situation (and not assisting at all to teach him independence), Zarina cannot help but chuckle at his earnest approach... while remaining a flatterer. Certainly, it'll cause him great trouble in the future. Esra must be scolding him above.

"You've been awake for quite a while, haven't you?" Zarina offers him a smile, taking into her hands the beautiful present. He has good taste compared to how he started off at Reim. Rurumu taught him well the importance of good taste and knowing good gifts when he sees them. Ah, he knows her tastes so well now! "You've learned how to choose a good present, Sinbad. It's beautiful."

Without hesitation, she decides to put it on right away. The wristband makes her smile in satisfaction, it light weight yet elegant design makes her quite happy. She wants to show it off in the empire while walking around today. There is some business to be done if she wans to ensure future prosperity for herself as well. The little Magi of Reim is a stubborn one. But right now, she wants to enjoy this moment with Sinbad.

A birthday... maybe celebrating it every single year isn't so dull and bad.

"I'm the prettiest companion you'll ever have, Sinbad," she raises to her feet and flicks him on his nose with a smirk. "In ten years, you'll understand that there won't be a prettier companion than yours truly! I'm just that amazing." She even pinches a fabric of her skin and bows before him as he does in the theater, a true actress. "Thank you, Sinbad. Let's go eat breakfast. I got us more fruits yesterday when I came back. You were already asleep. Ah... As for my birthday wish, I'm coming to watch your spectacle. Make sure to make it extra magical." How selfishly demanding, but that's just how the Origin Dragon was.

Now, she pats his head (her tall height makes it all too easy) before passing by. It's time to make breakfast and she's delighted to try some of the purchased ones. What a good beginning of the day. Zarina isn't taking off this wristband for the whole day for sure.

[pokerninja2]

Today I'm doing another breakdown - my first one for a sidekick, and my first one for a group of characters! I don't have very much to say about each individual sidekick, but I still wanted to cover them. So I decided I'd tackle multiple sidekicks at once, starting with the Bros.! They're known for being very annoying to deal with in the Mario games, especially in pairs, and now they've gotten stronger!

Hammer Bro. is definitely the least changed of the three. His main inspiration was Mario Strikers Charged, where Hammer Bros. had two hammers strapped to their backs that they could pull out at a moment's notice. The shades and spiked wristbands are also inspired by the Koopas from earlier Paper Mario games, just to give them a bit more added edge. As for the attack, it's named after the same attack they use in Super Mario RPG. I just like the name, so I used it. It's basically the same as their skillshot in Strikers Charged, where they lob a bunch of hammers to smash opponents. Overall, an aggressive sidekick who falters on defense a lot. A good fit for these guys I'd say!

Next is Boomerang Bro. In contrast to their hammer cousins, they're definitely the most extreme! What's immediately noticeable is they've completely taken out their arm and replaced with a cybernetic one! This one has a bunch of boomerangs on it, which can be thrown at a much greater speed. This is one of the coolest changes I've made in my eyes, and the inspiration from it isn't where you'd expect. It actually comes from the Boomerang Monkey in Bloons Tower Defense! Specifically, the Bionic Boomerang upgrade you can get. As you can see, it's got a pretty much identical concept, although I did alter the design of the arm to make it more menacing! I think it works well for Boomerang Bro., as well as distinguish it from Hammer Bro. Feel like it justifies their inclusion more.

Lastly is Fire Bro., whose gone from throwing fireballs to becoming a full-on pyromaniac! Not only does it have a gas mask to protect itself from the heat (plus all the white on its shell and helmet colored black, small detail but I like it), it's upgraded to a flamethrower rather than just tossing fire from their hands. The design of the flamethrower doesn't really have an origin, but I thought it'd be fun to base it on Bowser. Kinda makes it look like a Mario Party item. Like Boomerang Bro. though, the concept as a whole comes from outside the Mario series, in this case being the Pyro from Team Fortress 2! Not much else to say there, but it made for a cool design I think.

And that wraps up all I wanted to say for the Bro. team! I enjoy how a lot of the inspiration for these guys was outside of the Mario series, taking those concepts and warping them to fit the Mushroom Kingdom. I don't do it often since I prefer to base things on the Mario games, but I think it works for these guys.

[markmonlux]

The Weekly Dose of Mark

Sunday, July 30th 2023 • 07/30/23

Allen Gladfelter drove both Greg Spence Wolf and me to Freelance Fandango. We arrived at the Red Elm Café to find a notice on the door that they were closed today due to staff shortage. I checked my phone, and sure enough, there was a voicemail from the owner telling me this. Somehow I missed it. So Greg left a sign on the door that Freelance Fandango will be held at our backup Corina’s Bakery. As Allen drove us over, I sent texts to Jennevieve, Stowe, Corry, and Anique. I asked if I had forgotten anyone. Don’t forget Nori! I sent Nori a text. Only later, when Stan strolled in and gave me a stern look, I forgot to text him. He teased me about it. Who do you forget to text? The one guy who is always at this thing. Allen asked me as the meeting ended what I would include in my write-up on the meeting. Will it be Nori’s gift to me of Japanese stamps and the stories of his visit with his mother there? Would it be Stan’s graphic novel that he received as a Kickstarter reward? Or would it be Stowe telling us about his daughter’s wonderful time at the Taylor Swift concert? How the wristbands were electronic and lit up creating patterns in the crowd to go with the music. I looked over at him, and he saw it in my eye. You’re going to write up the venue change, aren’t you? Yes, Allen. Yes, I am.

Wednesday night, I was enjoying dinner with Krista. I’d rescheduled The Grand Drawing Room live drawing event to begin at 6:30 rather than 6:00 just to have a non-rushed dinner. But, at 5:50, I got an email from Payton DeSanta, our model for the evening. She was letting me know that she’d arrived and that others were also showing up. So I sent her a text saying I was on my way. I quickly finished the few bites left on my plate and rushed out the door. I thanked everyone who showed up early for having the drawing session as a regular habit and encouraged them to attend at the new time. I’ll have to make a point of stressing the new time during the next wave of announcements. We had fifteen artists show up. In my correspondence with Payton, I’d encouraged her to go with a lighter, thinner costume because of the heat. She was very proud of her armor and wanted to show it off. She got a little woozy and had to take a break at one point. As she got back into position, I cheerfully mumbled in a mom’s tone. “Why don’t you wear the green costume? I asked. It might be better in case that space gets hot. But, no. You wanted to show off the armor.” Peyoton turned her head coyly at me and, with a surgery grin lacking any sweetness, said, “When you’re right. You’re right.” I zipped my lip, then. No need to say anything more about it. At least not without her whacking me over the head with some of that foam armor.

Saturday was very full. First up was Vince and Kim Kurter’s party at Farm 12 in Puyallup. The catered room was very large and not part of the main restaurant. There were easily fifty people there. The idea was to have this as their wedding reception, 60th birthday party, and all the other stuff they would have done with friends during the pandemic. I met Vince through the Pythians. But we had lots of mutual connections from his time working at newspapers. Breakfast was delicious. There was a fun little art project happening on the side involving rulers, scrabble pieces, glue, and stickers. I met people who were involved in the Tacoma writing scene, specifically Creative Coloquoly.

I’ve recently done illustrations for their anthologies. When the party began to wind down there, I said goodbye to Vince and Kim and went home. I did stop briefly at the fruit stand I parked close to and picked up a half flat of raspberries and blueberries. The next party I went to was a gathering at Greg Wolfe’s house. This was a smaller affair of about ten people. I took over some blackberries I picked in the yard. I had some salt and pepper potato chips and two of the three fruit salads people brought. We were hanging out in Greg and Paulet’s yard in event chairs under an apple tree. I got a call from Krista asking me where the funnel was hiding. She was busy taking the berries I brought home and turning them into berry syrup. The recipe called for a lot more sugar than she was willing to put into the syrup. But I wasn’t going to tell her to add more. Her instincts for cooking are far better than mine. So I went home, a mere four-block walk, and located the funnel for her so she could keep on task. Our plan was to go to the Bon Festival at the Buddist Temple together. But apparently, all the work in the kitchen had tired her out. She had been planning on going right up to the moment when she wasn’t. I went down to the temple to give the Buddist Temple some support by buying their Strawberry Mochi, which Krista loves. The food line stretched down the block. I got in line and enjoyed running into Nori and his daughters. Sweat Pea was there selling books on Buddhism. But I didn’t see any other familiar faces. By the time I got inside the building, I’d decided I was going to pick up some roasted eel. I wanted to see if it was better than the roasted eel I found in the freezer at Paldo and H Mart. I texted Krista and asked if she wanted some and picked up both of our dinners for the evening. I stuck around long enough to watch some of the drumming. Then it was home to eat eel.

Alley News

I went on a walk with Pat this week. The afternoon was cooler, and I’ve been trying to walk twice each day. There is a new feature on Pokemon Go called Routes. There should be a way to use them and to create them. However, it’s a new feature, and we complained about not being able to locate it on the app. I did some research online and found that it flat out wasn’t working for a lot of people. In the meantime, Pat sends me texts showing the photos of all the new Pokemon he’s catching. I have most, but he’s been catching a couple not in my collections.

A squirrel mocks me as it sits next to and on top of the squirrel trap. Krista reports that she saw the orange cat with white feet run across our backyard with a mouse in its mouth. Kill honing those skills, killer. Greg, who lives a couple of blocks down and across the street, has been catching feral cats and kittens. One of the kittens is orange with white feet. I meant to ask Greg about his feral cat catching at his party but forgot.

My neighbor, Button, called out to me as I was walking home earlier this week. The extension of her house comes right up to my property line. She asked if I would remove the tree next to her house because she was worried about it rubbing against the paint. The “tree” was a large native fern I’ve been encouraging for decades. These ferns don’t transplant well. I told Buttons I would build a trellis to keep it away from her house. But Krista said that wouldn’t work and I should remove it. I managed to transplant a fern once before successfully. It was over at my parent’s house. I’d also successfully transplanted a trillium. So I’ve dug up the fern. I should have prepared a hole for it before I pulled it out to the ground. But the day was getting warm, and I was overheating. I think I know just the spot that will be perfect for it. It will have the same amount of shade as before. And if it takes, it will look good. I think Buttons will be a lot happier now once she sees that the plant is gone.

Zucchini, beans, and cucumbers are being harvested daily from our garden. Krista has been busy making Lemon zucchini bread. She just tried an experiment with blueberry lemon bread. She said it had a bit of a blowout when she took it out to the pan. The blowout tasted delicious. Her next batch will be chocolate Zucchini bread. It was only earlier this month that we finished eating all of the frozen Zucchini bread from last year. Maybe our friends, family and neighbors will end up with some again.

Here are some of my dreams:

July 24

#IDreamt Michael McMurphy and I were investigating strange goings on at a campsite. I went in undercover and got a job as a busboy at a diner adjacent to the campsite.

July 25

#IDreamt I was a wizard sent back to 1950 to observe. But I got drunk and created a poorly CAD-rendered starship Enterprise, about seven feet long, to randomly fly around town. I was going to be in trouble when it hit the timeline.

July 26

#IDreamt new internet portals emerged. Yale University was rivaling Netflix. Their slogan: “When you need to post, post-Yale.”

July 27

I must have died again. #IDreamt I was in a waiting room with Sinead O’Connor designing an album cover. The title was “Derick is Dead.” Our conversation: “The revolver should be near the corner.” “Obviously.”

July 28

#IDreamt While waiting for Mick Jagger to arrive, I was examining an odd hibachi grill designed by John Denver. A maid told me the sushi arrived. I wonder why, if there was a maid, I’d been assigned to change the sheets?

It’s been well over a month since I mentioned the audiobooks I’ve enjoyed. I’m way behind on writing reviews for them on GoodReads. Most of the last couple of months have been escapist fantasies or memoirs. If you are curious about my reading history, you can check out my GoodReads account: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1127263-mark

“Winter in Paradise” by Elin Hilderbrand, June 18, Rating: 7

“The Daughters of Isdihar” By Hadeer Eisbai, Jun 22, Rating: 6

“Throne of Glass” Sara J. Maas, Jun 29, Rating: 5

“Ninth House” by Leigh Bardugo, June 29, Rating: 7

“Nettle and Bone” by T. Kingfisher, July, Rating: 7

“The Warded Man” by Peter V Brett, July 3, Rating: 5

“The Hollow Places” by T. Kingfisher, July 8, Rating: 6

“The Memory Thief” by Lauren Mansy, July 14, Rating: 4

“Carnival of Snackery” by David Sedaris July 19, Rating: 8

“Crying in H Mart” by Michelle Zauner July 24, Rating: 5

“Calypso” by David Sedaris July 29, Rating: 8

“The Children on the Hill” by Jennifer McMahon, July 29, Rating 6

This book reminds me of some of the horror books I would read back in the ’80s. It’s set up horror, where little hints are presented, and he sees if you can guess where the writer is going. Will the story go to the left or to the right? Will a guess turn out to be correct, or did we extend our assumptions too far? The innocence of children is volleyed back and forth with the cruelty of a tennis match that doesn’t worry about the wear of the ball. Checked out from the library on an application called Libby.

68.

July 22

The Slumber Party Massacre (1982) Rating: 6

As I went to the Friday Night Frights showing at the Blue Mouse Theater, I wondered if I’d seen this movie before. Allen Gladfelter picked me up, and then we picked up Mark Brill, who’d created the poster for this showing of the movie, before carpooling to the destination. It was the first kill in the movie that reminded me I’d seen it, probably on VHS with a rented machine back in the ’80s when you’d through your lot in with a bunch of strangers to do a marathon of rentals overnight before returning the machine the next day. This time I was in an audience that loves trashy, dated films like these. I sell bingo cards with horror tropes on them. My friends were calling out tropes from memory as we tried to keep a body count. This exploitation slasher pleased everyone. Maybe it will take me another forty years to forget the details.

69.

July 22

Oppenheimer (2023) Rating: 8

I’m suffering from movie afterglow. I wasn’t expecting much from this film and was completely blown away. There are multiple plot lines that weave together so skilfully that you don’t realize the overall big picture is a rope of a plotline. All the actors gave high performances. Allen Gladfelter treated me to this movie at the Grand Cinema.

70.

July 23

Bird Box Barcelona (2023) Rating: 7

This is not a sequel to “Bird Box,” which came out in 2018. Rather it is a story told in the same world, at a different location in the world. The story dives a bit deeper into madness, treachery, and perception. I was going to give it a slightly lower score than the first film in the franchise, but I gave it an extra point for having a dog with a name. I watched it on Netflix.

71.

July 29

Saw (2004) Rating: 6

I can’t believe it took me nearly twenty years to get around to watching this movie. At least now I’ll feel better about watching the rest of the franchise. I couldn’t have helped to see clips, parodies, and spoilers in those long years. Still, it holds up fairly well, and I’m curious to see if the writing will be as tight as in the rest of the franchise. I can also see how this film influenced others that followed. I watched it on a DVD from Netflix.