harudakilover

[4wkjun]

12th floor, 1207. | syj

pairing: sohn youngjae × afab!reader

genre: smut with a tiny bit plot, just to have context? minors dni!!

warings: sex inside of an elevator, nipple sucking, fingering (f!receiving), pet names, protected sex!

random note: please tell me what you think! tell me where i can improve :(

♥︎♡♥︎♡♥︎♡♥︎♡♥︎♡♥︎♡♥︎♡♥︎♡♥︎♡♥︎♡♥︎♡♥︎♡♥︎♡♥︎♡♥︎♡♥︎♡

“thank you!” you smiled as the blonde guy held the elevator doors for you. it was almost six p.m., your feet killing you inside of those awful heels, you couldn’t wait to get home and rest.

you leaned against the elevator wall, closing your eyes as the elevator got up. the elevator stopped abruptly, shaking as if it was about to fall down. you opened your eyes, nervous, only to see the emergency light on.

“what the fuck?” you sighed.

“it must have been a power outage” the guy next to you said, weirdly calm. you looked at him terrified, suddenly nervous to be stuck in the elevator with a neighbor you have never seen before. “it happens quite often around this building, are you new here?”

“what...?”

“you seem a little scared, that’s why i’m asking” the boy explained himself, sitting on the floor.

“and you’re not?!”

the guy chuckled, shaking his head. “i grew up here, it doesn’t amuse me anymore. i’m eric, by the way. i live on the 12th floor.”

“y/n.” you said, still nervous. “8th floor.”

eric nodded, grabbing his phone from his pocket. as expected, there was no service at all as the big numbers showed the time: 18:02. you expected to be out of that damn metal box in five minutes, max.

“your boyfriend’s not gonna like when he finds out his girl is stuck in an elevator with another guy” eric said, your eyes staring at your phone. 19:57. you had no other option but sit down and talk to the guy next to you, which you found out wasn’t that bad. he seemed to have a good sense of humor, making you laugh occasionally.

“i don’t have a boyfriend.”

“girlfriend?”

“nope. it’s just me and my cats.”

eric hummed, looking at you through the weak emergency light. the two of you sat down on the floor, next to each other – because you wore a skirt to work that morning, so you decided it was better to sit next to a stranger than across, letting him see your underwear.

“what?” you asked, looking back at him. eric shook his head, smiling.

“how come no one got you yet?”

you couldn’t help but laugh, shaking your head. you playfully slapped his knee and he raised his eyebrows, looking funny at you.

“is that how you flirt?”

“nah, i wouldn’t flirt with you. i’m assuming you work in a office, doing fancy stuff. i’m a bartender, you wouldn’t fall for my crap.”

you shook your head, your eyebrows furrowed. “i’m not that shallow, y’know?” you responded, a little offended.

“oh, yeah? so if you headed to a bar after work, would you let me get you a free drink and walk you home?”

“sure, why not? it can be dangerous to walk drunk alone” you shrugged. eric laughed.

“would you let me kiss you in front of your door?”

“well, not in front of my door, 'cause you would have to pass my doorman...” you laughed. eric rolled his eyes, holding a smile back. “but i guess i would let you kiss me” you said, stopping laughing. your voice faded almost as a whisper, eric’s eyes strong on yours.

“do i have to buy you a drink first?” he asked, slowly leaning in.

maybe because you were tired, maybe because he made you laugh enough to find him charming, or simply because he is charming, you shook your head, whispering a weak “no” before pressing your lips against eric’s.

as his tongue circled your bottom lip, you held back a whimper. it’s been so long since you got on a date, you couldn’t remember when you had any kind of intimacy with another person. his tongue felt smooth against yours, his hands gripping onto your hips and you barely realized he placed them there. your hands found the nape of his neck, your fingers feeling his soft short hair.

realizing you felt uncomfortable in that weird position, eric pulled you in, trying to get you to sit on his lap. you broke apart of his lips, your cheeks bright red even under the dim lights.

“i can’t straddle you, i’m wearing a skirt” you said out of breath, his lips reaching your chin. he hummed, his nose caressing your jawline.

“i’m not gonna look, i promise” he said, his lips kissing the soft skin of your neck. you chuckled, unconsciously leaning your head back for him to have better access to your soft spots. “or we could both undress, if it makes you more comfortable.”

your laugh got stuck inside of your throat as eric sucked the sweet spot right under your jaw, your hands gripping onto his hair.

“fuck it” you moaned, throwing your leg on top of his lap, trying not to let your weight on him. eric chuckled, his hands lowering your body on his.

“that’s my intention” he groaned, his lips softly caressing your skin. you tried to lift yourself again and he laughed, lowering your body again. “you can sit on me, i won’t break.”

“it’s just... i just met you” you said, realization hitting you.

“let me show you what i do best, then” he said, his lips back on yours before you could answer. his hands lowered to your thighs, slowly lifting your social skirt. you found yourself actually sitting on his lap, his cock growing harder underneath you.

“wait, what about the security cameras?”

“it’s a power outage, princess. no one will be able to see you, just me” he whispered, his fingertips reaching your clothed pussy.

you laughed. “you promised you wouldn’t look” you reminded him, playfully. eric laughed, shaking his head.

“and gave you a better suggestion right after, remember?” he said, his left hand tucking your hair behind your ear. “we should both undress, hm?” as his right fingers circled your clit softly, you whimpered, feeling your arousal starting to pool.

while circling your clit slowly, his free hand started to unbutton your blouse. his lips met your collarbone with a hum, your skin burning against his lips.

“you’re not undressing, eric” you said, your eyes trying to stay open as his fingertips found the hem of your underwear, ready to pull them. his lips let go of your skin and he grinned, his left hand caressing your waist beneath the fabric of your blouse.

“would you like me to undress, y/n?” he asked, his tone sending chills to your spine. you nodded, feeling your cheeks hotter.

“it’s not fair.”

“what’s not fair?” eric asked, his right hand still hanging between your pussy and your underwear, waiting for your greenlight to pull them to the side.

“you’re only taking my clothes off.”

your hands found the hem of his t-shirt timidly, waiting for him to say or do something. eric smiled, gently squeezing the flesh of your waist. he leaned in, going straight to your right ear.

“then you better hurry up and take mine as well, before the power goes back and the neighbors catch us like this, hm?” he whispered, his knuckles brushing against your clit again. you whined both at the feeling and the thought of being caught, your hands held his shirt tight, pulling it before you could think straight.

eric let go of you to help you pull his shirt off, your jaw almost dropping by the sight of his toned abdomen right in front of you. you thought that kind of body only existed in television and photoshoped magazines, not in a couple of floors above yours. he laughed at your expression, caressing your cheek.

“you like what you see?”

you blushed, nodding. he grinned, his other hand caressing your thigh again. you couldn’t help yourself, grinding against his clothed crotch as his hand squeezed your thigh. eric groaned and you felt a knot down your stomach, completely turned on by now.

“you can see this everytime you want, babe. 12th floor, remember?” he said, trying to keep the mood as light as possible.

you nodded, leaning in to kiss his soft lips again. as you pressed your clothed pussy against his boner again, he moaned into the kiss, his hands dropping your blouse through your shoulders, quickly looking for your bra. he unclasped the piece of clothing with two fingers and you whined as he pulled your bra completely out of your body, embarrassed to be exposed like that. eric broke the kiss, taking his time to admire your bare chest, amazed by how beautiful you are. you tried to cover yourself with your arms and eric quickly grabbed your hands, looking at your eyes.

“there’s no need for you to be shy, y/n. you’re so pretty” he said, his hands leading yours to his torso. he made sure your hands got busy with his own body as his lips lowered to your upper chest. “you’re so hot” he mumbled between open mouthed kisses on your boob, so close to your hard nipple you could feel his breath. “it’s such a shame i’m the only one who gets to see how hot you look right now...”

“eric...” you moaned, anticipating for the moment he would finally lower his mouth to your nipple.

“tell me what you want and i’ll give it to you” he mumbled, making out with your soft flesh. you knew you would have bruises all over your chest in a couple of hours, but your brain was completely shut down at that point.

“i...” you tried. you actually tried to tell him to suck on your tits and touch your cunt as a desperate whore, but the words couldn’t find their way out of your throat. “i can’t” you whined.

eric chuckled, his hands going behind your skirt again. “you’re shy, hm? that’s ok, i’m in a good mood today. how do you feel...” he said, both his hands grabbing your ass. you moaned, closing your eyes shut. “... about telling me yes or no? i’ll ask if you want me to do something and you’ll tell me, hm?”

you nodded, your hands holding onto his torso.

“words, princess. i’m gonna need words.”

“yes, eric. yes” you whine. he smiled, even though you couldn’t see.

“do you want me to rub you, pretty girl?”

feeling the heat rushing to your cheeks and ears, you bit your lip before saying a shaky “yes”. eric hummed, his dominant hand entering your underwear with ease. his fingertips reached your slit, collecting your arousal before circling your clit for real this time. you moaned, your hands reaching for his shoulders as you leaned in, looking for support.

“you’re so wet, y/n” he cooed. “is it because of me? a stranger you met over an hour ago?”

“y-yes. god, yes” you whined as he kept his pace and pressure. he got you clenching around nothing just by rubbing your clit. jesus, you were quite deprived and didn’t even realized.

“do you want me to suck your tits, babe? make you feel real good before fucking you dumb?”

you whined, pressing your hips down, trying to get more friction of his fingers. “please...”

eric smiled big before attaching his lips to your hardened nipple. you moaned, squeezing his shoulders at the contact. his tongue circled your nipple so softly and slowly, almost as if he was devouring your body. his fingers stopped for a moment, only to slid through your slit again and enter your pussy slowly, his digits stretching your gummy walls. you bit your lip trying to avoid loud moanings, not knowing where the elevator stopped.

his cock was throbbing inside of his sticky underwear and you knew it. a little clumsy, you reached for his belt, loosening it the way you could, your body too overwhelmed to do things straight. eric let go of your nipple with a loud pop, smiling at you.

“you have no idea of how bad i want you to jerk me off, baby” he started, his fingers painfully slow in and out of you. “but i’m afraid we’re gonna have to pass it for now, 'cause i need to fuck you before the lights come back, hm?”

“but you... you’re doing it to me” you managed to say, almost strangled. he chuckled, pumping in and out of you faster. you gasped, your hands supporting yourself on his torso.

“and i could do this all day. but i can’t go home only feeling your dripping cunt on my fingers, can i?” he said softly, as if he wasn’t about to make you cum on his fingers. your fingernails digged into his skin and you held your breath, letting him know you were about to cum, so he kept the pace, his palm casually brushing through your clit.

you leaned your head against his shoulder as you came, literally drooling on his skin. you didn’t have time to feel embarrassed as he removed his fingers out of you as soon as you came down, licking them as if he was starving and you were the best meal he’s ever had. still shaking a little, you unzipped his pants and managed to pull his underwear down, the most uncoordinated way possible. eric chuckled and you felt your mouth watering at the sight of his throbbing tip hitting his stomach, so red and shiny leaking his precum.

“you think you can ride me?” eric asked, pumping himself slowly between your bodies. he had a decent size, probably big enough to hit your cervix, thicker than you expected.

as you looked at him with hazed eyes, his free hand found his walled inside of his back pocket. he stopped jerking off for a bit, looking for a condom between the tip bills he had in there. after finding and opening the package with his teeth, you couldn’t stop looking as his movements, wondering if he could fuck you raw.

“i think i can try” you said, lifting yourself up and pulling your panties to the side. as eric adjusted himself beneath you, you slowly sank down, feeling his tip stretching you. you bit your lips, holding a loud moaning and eric hissed. his hands grabbed your ass with eager and his head rested against the cold metal wall.

you lowered your body slowly, trying to adjust to the delicious feeling of his cock inside of you. as you got him completely inside of you, you whined and eric slapped your ass. your body jolted at the feeling, eric groaning at the movement. seeying his neck exposed, your lips shyly kissed his adam’s apple, slowly moving on top of him.

“aren’t you sweet?” eric groaned, slapping your ass again. “gosh, you’re so tight. talk to me otherwise i’ll cum in a minute” he moaned, his hand caressing the flesh he freshly slapped.

“i can’t think of anything” you whine, your ass smacking against his skin. his tip brushed against your g-spot so easily, your mind going completely blank. you gave the spot between his shoulder and his neck a specially harsh kiss, sucking on the skin right after. he moaned, the sound making you clench around him.

“you like it when i moan, princess?” he asked, his voice sending chills down your spine. you hummed against his skin, clenching again.

“men... they never moan” you said, closing your eyes again. you put your forearms on his shoulders, trying to get support as your thighs began to feel sore. eric chuckled, suddenly trusting his hips foward to meet yours. you moaned unexpectedly, throwing your head back.

“i’m not like the men you fucked before, hun” eric whimpered, his voice shaky. “i’m not intending to hide how good you feel around me.”

you whined, slowing down your pace. you were about to get cramps on your thighs, but you could feel your second orgasm so close...

“your thighs hurtin’?” eric asked, his hand squeezing your ass again.

“yes” you whined, sinking down again.

eric hissed before sliding himself down on the floor, laying the best way he could inside of that tiny metal cube. pulling your torso towards him, eric started to thrust in and out of you, fucking you deliciously.

you pressed your forehead against eric’s shoulder while whining, the pleasure becoming unbearable. eric kept his pace, his tip hitting your cervix non-stop.

“i’m gonna cum if you don’t stop clenching around me” eric moaned and you only whined in response, your hands squeezing the sides of his torso.

your name never seem to leave his lips as his thrusts became erratic and he came first inside of the condom. he kept his hard thrusts while riding his high and you took that moment to put your hand between your bodies and rub your clit, your orgasm washing over you in a matter of seconds.

you plopped your whole body down, your legs weak like jelly. eric chuckled, his hands caressing the sides of your body. he gave you a minute before pulling his dick out of you, enjoying your last whine.

“you look so beautiful like this” he said as you started lifting your body away from his. you seemed confused and he smiled. “all fucked up.”

you laughed and slapped his chest playfully before completely leave his lap. eric watched with hazed eyes as you fixed your underwear and lowered your skirt back to it’s place. when you were about to grab your bra, eric got it first, hiding behind his body.

“what’s this now?” you asked, chuckling. eric smiled, pulling his underwear and pants back up while still looking at you.

“your tits are too pretty to be covered by a bra” he shrugged, sitting on the floor again. you shook your head, suddenly feeling exposed again under the dim lights. “i’mma keep them for now, huh?”

you didn’t know what to respond as eric helped you dressing your blouse again, his fingertips brushing against your hot skin while he buttoned the piece for you. when he was done, you knew he could see your nipples piercing through the thin fabric – exactly like he pictured.

“so pretty” he mumbled before leaning in to kiss you again. and you let him kiss your lips for the nth time, completely unaware of the time or how long it would take for the power to come back.

(un)fortunately, the lights got back on two minutes after eric got you dressed again. you got on your feet awkwardly, leaning down to grab your terrible heels again. eric hummed at the view of your ass towards him, you skin still red under the fabric. eric got up as well, putting his shirt back on. he sneaked your bra inside of his pants while keeping eye contact with you.

the elevator’s ding indicated the 7th floor.

“be my guest to come around and get it back anytime you want, sweetheart” he smiled. you suddenly felt like hovering his body with yours again, but you couldn’t. “12th floor, 1207. i’ll wait for you.”

the doors opened and you walked out against your will, eric’s smile vivid inside of your mind. as the elevator’s door closed behind you, leaving you alone in the hallway, you took a deep breath before turning around.

you waited around twenty seconds before hitting the elevator button again.

[carnivore-voyeur]

I don’t know a lot of facts about Per from his Katatonia days, but I did watch the Katatonia documentary and I’ve watched and read some interviews. So, here have some more Per facts I guess:

tw - mild discussion of throwing up, so if you’re emetophobic like me take caution.

Per started out as a guitar tech with the band about six years before joining Katatonia. He’s worked with multiple bands including Meshuggah, Opeth, and Dark Funeral. He’s worked as a guitar tech in between touring with Katatonia and Bloodbath as well.

His bandmates say Per was a “guitar hero” in his home town. The first ever band he’s listed as being in is a band called Hostile from his hometown.

‘Sodomizer’ comes from his old friend’s band Goat Sodomizer. There’s a dedication on the back of their first tape to both Tobias Forge and Per Eriksson, except Per is listed as “Lil Per” - that was ~20 years ago? So, Per and Tobias have actually known each other for some time.

His bandmates nicknamed him v*mitizer b/c he threw up a lot, both from motion sickness and alcohol. Per even quit drinking for a while b/c it made him sick and his hangovers were really bad. It seems he still limits his alcohol consumption today.

Katatonia did a show on a cruise and Per got terrible motion sickness so he had to lay down in his cabin. From the recent live, Per also said Dead by Daylight gives him motion sickness so it’s safe to say he’s prone to motion sickness.

There’s a photo of Per laying curled up on the floor. I think people assume he was drunk or hungover, but it’s from a blog post by Per while on tour with Katatonia. He was actually sick and he got sick a few times on tour. You can read the tour diary here.

Per almost got fed to the GWAR dinosaur on stage once? If I remember correctly? I think his bandmates tried to feed him to it idk.

Per gets bored easily on tours. He entertained himself by binge watching shows and movies on his laptop. Playing music festivals, there’s not much else to do in between sets. While on tour with Ghost, he seemed to enjoy going to museums.

Per’s laptop fell out of his bunk on the bus once and the band asked fans on Facebook if they could help him get it fixed lol.

Per’s been in a bunch of small metal bands since he was ~15/16, including one where he dressed up like King Diamond when he was ~19/20. His old bandmate posted these on Facebook:

Everything I know about this goofy guy comes from interviews, videos, archives, etc. so if you’re looking for that kind of information, I might have it.

[snackara]

Character Fun Facts

Progress on Chapter Six has been a little slow, so I decided to offer something different in the meantime.

Asha 🗡️

She’s actually very good with children, and occasionally they’ll ask her to tell them stories from her adventures in Rosas. She also tells them a lot of the same stories Thomás told her.

She’s not very good at drawing people. She sticks to mostly drawing landscapes and animals.

Her sword was passed down to her from Thomás, who received it as a special gift from King Enrique himself.

She looks a lot more like her father then her mother.

She’s actually 20 in this story, while Flazino is 19. I decided to make her a little older in this story since she started stealing from Rosas at 14, giving her 6 years of experience, which made the most sense to me.

Earendel ✨

His real life counterpart is WHL0137-LS, which is actually the earliest and most distant star we know of at 28 billion light-years away.

His favorite animals are deer, hence the addition of antlers on his cloak. Quite a bit of the time he spent watching Earth was spent observing deer.

Since the sun is a star, his powers are connected to Rapunzel’s from Tangled. However, since he is a star himself, he doesn’t have to sing to heal people or make them younger.

He’s considered very odd for a star with his interest in Earth. The stars around him are old enough to still remember their conflict with humans, and they don’t understand how anyone could see them as anything besides monsters. But Earendel believes things could be different if they just tried to make peace.

Due to his beliefs he’s very ostracized from the rest of the stars. All except for Queen Charia, who seems to hold the same beliefs and treats Earendel with the most respect and kindness. Because of this he came to look up to her like a mother figure.

Flazino 🎵

On his eighteenth birthday, Dahlia scrapped up enough money to buy him a lute, which he absolutely loves. Which his parents watching him a lot closer however, he’s had very little chance to play it.

Although he lacks skill in magic, he’s very talented in things such as philosophy, literature, and the arts. Which really annoys Manuel, who is heavily into magic and politics.

Whenever he has a chance, he’ll slip off into the city wearing a cloak as a disguise and just pretend to be a normal peasant for a while. The only person besides Dahlia who knows this is Gabo, a local merchant’s son he befriended a few years before the story.

He’s actually a little allergic to cats, which he uses as an excuse to avoid Charo and Amaya.

Some rumors float around the castle that him and Dahlia are a thing, but that’s never been true. Him and Dahlia have always been just really close friends.

Manuel 👑

He always viewed Enrique as a weak and pathetic king who didn’t realize the potential of his own power. Although Enrique could never figure out why Manuel grew so distant from him.

He was actually the one to set Thomás up with Sakina when they were teenagers. He saw a spark between them and ultimately knew they would be a perfect match.

Instead of flowers, Manuel gifts Amaya bundles of herbs for special occasions that she can use in her potions.

He hates Charo just as much as Flazino does, but doesn’t dare to admit it around his wife.

He knew Asha before him and Thomás went their separate ways, back when she was a baby.

Amaya 🧪

There have been some accidents and shenanigans with her potions, like spilling a potion and making several of her books fly around the room, or Charo drinking a little and becoming huge.

Speaking of Charo, she found him as a kitten alone in a crate while walking through the marketplace. She took pity on him and took him in, even after Manuel told her no.

She’s actually very talented with the flute, and is probably where Flazino got his love of music from.

She always despised Tomás, viewing him as a dirty good-for-nothing peasant who just got lucky with the king. Completely ignoring her own history with Manuel of course.

She and Manuel never wanted kids, but since it would look off if they never had any heirs, the had Flazino out of obligation.

[mr2swap]

Take Me Home, Country Roads

I have to admit that at first, I was very upset with Johnny, That damn bastard managed in a way that I still don't know to exchange our bodies and our lives, one night I was sleeping in my luxurious apartment in my silk pajamas in NYC and when I woke up to a stinky hot little room in a rusty old trailer. I thought I was dreaming until the smell of my stinky sweaty armpits snapped me out of my weird dizziness and into my new reality.

Likewise, I felt strange and not only because my body was now that of a 19-year-old boy, but something was wrong with my head, it was as if my mind was getting used to the lazy and fucking brain of this boy, all my studies and my Hardboard's diploma were useless now, so I walked into another small room, avoiding the old stale beer cans littering the floor, and entered the filthy, filthy bathroom of the RV where I'd woken up.

My new face was much younger, I barely had hair on my head that seemed to have been shaved at least a month ago, and my skin was much whiter and smoother. Now I had a tattoo on my shoulder -Who the fuck is Jenny?- I surprised myself using those rude words coming out of my mouth without really being angry….

My stupid brain now limited myself, I searched the small and messy house full of garbage until I found a cell phone, but when I finally had it in my hands, my own number quickly disappeared from my mind -SHIT! NO! NO! - Without realizing it, I began to beat my own head trying to think how to get out of this shitty situation.

The heat was so unbearable and annoying that my armpits and the rest of my body began to sweat, and the small space where I now lived still smelled bad, I went to the "kitchen" and opened the fridge to find something to quench my thirst, without thinking about it Too bad I grabbed a can of ice-cold beer, and emptied it into my mouth before I realized what I'd done, but… it felt good.

I took the rest of the six-pack that was in the fridge and opened another can and sat on a sofa that had obviously never been cleaned and started drinking from the second can, I had never tried this cheap brand in my life, but somehow reason the taste was familiar and pleasant, little by little beer after beer I began to relax and watch a soccer game on the small television in front of me, I had forgotten all my problems when I had already drunk 4 cans, I no longer thought about what was happening me or where my real body was, the only thing I was concentrating on now was how big the boobs on the cheer squad were.

I looked down at my pants and had a reaction that I never had in my old life, a boner for a woman. Wasting no time pulling out my new cock and spit on my calloused hands and started jerking off letting the memories of “Jimmy” about boobs, ass, and vagina seep into my mind, my new cock was quite thick albeit a bit small, but I didn't care about that, it was the perfect size for my hands hardened by physical work.

Apparently now I'd be living in the country in a huge parking lot with a bunch of noisy southern families like me...

After that, I never tried to remember my old life or my old body, life in the country is pretty quiet, I work 8 hours a day at the local construction company and after that I go to my new friend's house to smoke, drinking, watching football and talking about all the girls we've fucked, I'm thinking about getting a girlfriend or something it would be great to have a pussy eager for me when I get to my RV.

Hey! You can support me to continue creating stories, see similar stories on my patreon, you can also join my discord if you are interested in role-playing about bodyswap, possession and transformation, m2m!

[tomorrowusa]

Not everybody is a highly informed political junkie. And with the decline of legit news outlets, it's increasingly difficult for average citizens to keep up.

On top of that, people have surprisingly short memories. There are actually some who regard the Trump era as an era of prosperity; they have apparently forgotten that his incompetence botched the pandemic response and sent the economy into almost instant recession.

This lack of credible information along with sketchy memories have given Trump a boost - for now.

Celinda Lake, one of President Biden’s top pollsters on his 2020 campaign, was recently conducting a focus group with swing voters for another client when a response stopped her cold. Lake had asked how the voters felt about former president Donald Trump’s pending criminal court cases related to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. “They go, ‘What court case around January 6?’” she recalled. “These were swing voters, and about half of them weren’t sure what we were talking about. And I said, ‘Well, you know, the insurrection and that he was the one that provoked it.’ They go, ‘Oh, yeah. I kind of forgot about that.’” For journalists and the types of highly engaged voters who watch the news every night, Trump’s lock on renomination has been near-certain for at least six months, and his various transgressions and incendiary comments are well known. But it’s easy for political obsessives to lose sight of how little attention many normal people pay to day-to-day politics.

We've all heard the expression "low information voter". This is a problem we need to address.

The New York Times’ Jennifer Medina and Reid Epstein tackled this question earlier this week with a piece aptly headlined “Do Americans Have a ‘Collective Amnesia’ About Donald Trump?”  It’s very much worth a read. They write: “More than three years of distance from the daily onslaught has faded, changed—and in some cases, warped—Americans’ memories of events that at the time felt searing. Polling suggests voters’ views on Mr. Trump’s policies and his presidency have improved in the rearview mirror. In interviews, voters often have a hazy recall of one of the most tumultuous periods in modern politics.”

Another group to take into consideration are younger voters. An average graduating high school senior this year was in the 8th grade when Trump was telling Americans to drink bleach and take quack medicines for COVID-19 in the early months of the pandemic.

Part of the problem is that many voters, especially the crucial bloc of younger ones, simply don’t remember Trump that well. Those turning eighteen and eligible to vote for the first time this fall were just ten years old and in grade school when Trump won the presidency, in 2016; the January 6 Capitol riots happened back when most of them were just starting high school. The rest of us don’t have memories that are as sharp and reliable as we’d like to think—it’s not just Joe Biden and Donald Trump who regularly get names wrong or forget in what year things occurred.

And if this cohort was just 13/14 in early 2020, then they would have been 8 or 9 when Trump started running for president in 2015 when he was calling Mexicans "rapists" and "murderers".

Case in point: When Trump launched his 2016 campaign by calling Mexican immigrants “rapists” and “murderers,” it dominated the news and became one of the most-remembered lines of the campaign. His recent claim that immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country” generated headlines but didn’t dominate coverage. On Thursday, he declared in his State of the Union “prebuttal” that Biden is “keeping the hordes of illegal migrants and illegal aliens pouring into the country,” and claimed that “many come from mental institutions, many come from prisons, they’re terrorists.” Few major news organizations wrote stories focusing on the comments.

We can't assume that people may be as informed as we are. We need to patiently explain, while providing sources, how Trump is not normal and is a danger to the country's future.

Of course journalists have to compete with the upcoming tsunami of ads and even disinformation.

Potential voters who don’t read the news won’t be able to escape what could be a combined $1 billion in campaign spending in the swing states. It’s been a lot easier to avoid Trump since he left the White House and Twitter. That won’t be so true in the heat of a presidential general election. Journalists have to keep in mind that voters in swing states may not be thinking of all the details now, but they’re likely to be much more attuned by the time they vote. 

When we run across articles or news vids about MAGA Republicans which are well produced and don't require a lot of background information to understand, we should share them with low information voters we know. If there's a good cartoon which amplifies the points made in the article, send it along. There's no rule which says you can't be informative and entertaining at the same time.

This applies to current stuff as well as the disastrous Trump presidency. Reminding people that Trump sabotaged immigration reform and improved border security through his House flunky Speaker "MAGA Mike" Johnson is essential.

A sure way to lose the election is to assume that we don't need to do anything. As I've said before, the era of slackerism is over; being politically and civically engaged is the price of democracy.

[acanthusarchive]

This is not a new thought on my physical disability situation.

But my body being like this right now is because of my heavy training in childhood.

This is going to be a long one so, more under the cut.

CW: for brief mentions of anorexia and the Eteri expiration date

I will start by explaining a couple of examples of this with the team Tutberidze.

The team Tutberidze is managerd by Eteri Tutberidze and is mostly known for her olimpic winners, all being trained through their early teen years until they're able to finally get to the olímpics.

Issue is, the way she trains them, notably to do quads, is via starving them (they're not allowed to drink any water or eat anything on competition days as Alina has mentioned before), the main way you can do quads is if you weigh very little.

So she focuses on that, low body weight, and forgoes a lot of strength training that is not needed for that technique. Now, in the early teens everything is okay, issue comes at 16-17.

Yulia Lipnitwkaya, in 2014, was the first in this long line of hers. She did great in her individual olimpic category and went home with gold through the team event.

When she went back to Russia her body started crumbling down, all her skills slowly diminished, her technique became poorer and failed most jumps.

At 19 she retired from competitive skating.

Then there's Evgenia Medvedveva, she went undefeated for two years after junior categories had been fully won. She then went to the olimpics.

She was 17-18 when she went to the olímpics with her teammate Alina Zagitova (being 15 and much less injured). Six months before the olimpics Evgenia fractured her foot, which she still skated on during europeans being beaten by her teammate Alina.

She went to the olímpics still, both skated great, Alina won by 1.31 points and for the first time Evgenia cried in a competition. After 11 years of training under Eteri she went to another team in Canada.

Alina slowly lost her skills at 16 and by 17 announced she was going to take a pause in competitive figure skating. At 19 she left competitive and was hospitalized for three months to battle her anorexia.

Eteri has never been able to train boys into the Olympics (in single category) as far as i know, this plus how all this athletes slowly crumbled down physically after a certain age has created the term "the Eteri Expiration Date" which is 17 years old.

My specific case was similar, artistic/sincronised swimming, competitive training that favored girls of 11-15 and while we trained our strength and all, it was favored to be on that skinny side, not fit, low body weight focus.

My chronic pain started at 15 with my articulations then moved to my back with the scoliosis at 16. By 17 I stopped going to training for personal reasons.

At 18-19 I was also battling with anorexia and semi successfully got out of it on my own, to this day I still have to battle with that way of thinking.

I recently had the chance to talk with one of my old teammates, she basically told me our trainer ignored questions about me when they asked why I wasn't there anymore.

Most importantly, I asked her about the physical side, if she remembered it being LIKE THAT, now, she doesn't have any physical disabilities, but she did leave at 15 a year later (she was younger than me) and did agree that the training was brutal, bruises were common nearly every week, and that our trainer was probably thinking Olympics when training us. Plus, she also went through ED issues.

I'm not sure if this is a few isolated cases or this is a genuine phenomenon at this point, I always second guess myself, so.

If you have had this experience, know someone, have any more info on this, etc. Please comment it.

I won't make a paper or anything but putting a name to it, or maybe there already is one, would help.

If nothing comes of this at least I put it out there, this is half a vent half that reaching out thing honestly.

[dreaming-marchling]

I've been trying to figure out the Marked in Faith timeline - not anchored to a calendar year but internal relative timeline.

At the beginning Brian is 16 almost 17 a week before New Year's and Dom is 23. Mia is 19.

As far as I can tell Brian's birthday is early January and I think Dom's is Novemberish? (Brian's date with Dom on his birthday was just before Earl showed up at the garage and Brian ended up back in juvie for something like 6 weeks before he turned 18. So being generous on the timeline there's maybe 2 months between Dom's birthday and Brian's)

This means Dom had just recently turned six when Brian was born. Which means that it had to be very near Dom's birthday for him to have been 5 with his Dad in the car and for the mark to be clear enough to recognize the image.

I can't remember if you have given specifics, but I get the feeling that Dom was something like 14 or 15 when Teresa died? Meaning Mia was 10 or 11. Is this right?

How old was Dom when Anthony died? And how long did he spend in Lompoc? But for Dom to have served his sentence and be out of prison, with no parole restrictions by 23, and successfully running a business, I feel like timing-wise he had to still be under 18 when it happened? Like maybe 17ish - and charged as an adult. Mia would have been 13 when their aunts/uncles had to step in to be her guardian while Dom was in prison.

(Researching sentencing is super difficult because it depends on how they charged the crime and if there was any enhancement for great bodily harm and if any mitigating circumstances were considered and if he had a record etc.)

How old is Vince in comparison to Dom? Are they the same age? When was Vince's drinking-problem relative to Dom being in prison?

Sorry for going on - I like to figure out timelines and this one has been bugging me.

Feel free to correct any of my assumptions!

Hi!

I totally understand a reader's brain wanting to nail down the timeline and understand it and immerse yourself in it and I love that you want to do that for Marked in Trust!

I come at it with writer's brain though and it's slightly different for me. While I do have a rough order of events and corresponding ages that I think things happen, I don't like to pin down events if I haven't yet fully played with them, if that makes sense? For instance, I don't want to tell you oh yes Dom was 100% 16 when this or that happened because I might want to play with that section of his life later and organically the scene might not flow around these little points that I weighed the narrative down with before the event was fully fleshed out. Fixing points in stone always makes me nervous, lol, because then I can't go back. The muse needs room to groove, lol.

So I'll do my best here but I reserve the right to wiggle later.

(honorable mentions to my brain hating numbers which is annoying when you're doing adult stuff *and* when you have a nearly 1million word series that gives a lot to remember aside from numbers lol, and also some of these events came out in MiT when I never dreamed of the 800k words that would come later lol so please forgive me being annoyingly handwavy on some of this)

In MiT's start Brian is 16, nearly 17. His birthday is in early January. Dom had recently turned 23, his birthday is in November. I generally imagine that Dom's birthday is usually a little bit before Thanksgiving but I don't think anything within the series has fixed it beyond just the month. Mia is 2.5 years older than Brian. I will let your brain work out whether that means she was 19 or 20 when he arrived, lol, because mine just started playing the "but WAS SHE?" game with me when I went to write the answer for you and I don't trust myself. It's such a simple thing yet I just got a request for overtime from the department that does calculations so apparently it isn't.

Dom and Brian's Mark is fairly abstract and they just both think it looks like fog in headlights after a speeding car cuts through it so it's not something that needed to be full saturation for Dom to have thoughts about what it looked like when it was coming in. Yes though, in that story he was referencing it was right before his 6th birthday. In retrospect I probably should have just had him say 6 in that section, lol, because I've gotten questions about that before further complicated by me not remembering what I said about Marks coming in early in the story vs. how I thought about it in my head not lining up. My dream goal is someday when the series is done I want to go through and read it and smooth out those type of bits where there's a little disconnect and that would likely be something that I would fix just to make it easier for readers to reconcile.

For me, Dom was about 16 when Teresa died and about 19 when Tony died. That does mean that Mia was a minor. Dom mentions at one point that his aunts and uncles had to step up to keep their lives running and yes, that does mean that for awhile she was under an aunt's custody.

Our parental timeline and making everyone younger means, for me, that in MiT Dom wasn't in Lompoc for very long. He would have been a teenager with a recently deceased mother and a very recently deceased father trying to run their family business and raise his sister - a lawyer would have painted such a sob story for him. All of his priors at that point would have been racing related and Vince mentions at one point something along the lines of "when was the last time we were arrested for speeding? freshman year?" (if you're not American that's ~14ish years old) so it's not like there were loads of arrests for them to throw in the judge's face to make him impose a harsh sentence. What I'm saying is that Dom's sentence was more than a slap on the wrist but it also wasn't nearly what it could have been. Shorter parole/community service when he gets out. All that to say for me he was in barely a year. Less, probably.

The Market is a family business (there's actually a little section in MiT5 that discusses a bit more how they run it) and thus not something Dom started himself. I imagine the garage was opened VERY shortly after he got out. Currently Dom hasn't said much about the logistics of that so I won't either ;)

Vince is Dom's age. I imagine the drinking problem started while Dom was in and started getting out of control after he was out and they were living a little more wildly. Their intervention would have been a good year or two before Brian arrived to them. Leon and Jade are also around the same age.

I think I hit all of your questions but happy to clarify where I can or offer up any more if any spark! Again, sorry I can't be firm-firm in some of this, I hope why makes sense :)

Thank you for asking!! I'm feeling so much more energized now that I've realized that I'm over halfway through MiT5 and this kind of thing gives my brain something Brian related to chew on while I work through it with renewed determination!

[pickinglilahs]

Blackeclipse for the soul

AO3 link if you prefer to read there Part 18; Part 19; Part 20; Part 21; Part 22

The next week was spent ice skating, wandering more Christmas stores and fairs, and playing games in the Potter's sitting room.

The six of them spent Christmas Eve watching movies on the telly that Monty got just for this occasion. They stayed up late, drinking hot chocolate and laughing—and crying—at cartoon reindeer.

~~~

"It's Christmas!" James bolted upright in bed. He flopped across the other two, startling both of them awake. "Happy Christmas!"

Remus swatted at him, and Regulus groaned.

"Come on! Presents!" The overactive puppy of a boy leaped from the bed and bolted out of the room to wake his parents.

Remus sighed and curled into Regulus. "He'll be back to drag us out in a few minutes."

Regulus hummed, but neither boy made a move to get up. Remus nuzzled into Regulus' shoulder, who, in turn, brought a hand up to trail through Remus' hair.

"Joyeux Noel, Rayon de Lune."

"Nadolig Llawen, Seren Ddisgleirio."

In the silence, there was a sudden click of a camera. Both boys snapped up, looking over to James who stood grinning like the Cheshire.

Remus and Regulus gave each other a look, then scrambled out of bed to chase after James. His eyes widened and he bolted for the stairs.

They caught up to him in the sitting room, but he had already tossed the camera to Dad, who then proceeded to take pictures of the three of them wrestling on the floor.

Maan came into the room, sighed, and clapped her hands twice. The boys froze, even Regulus, who had never heard the command before. They all looked up at her; James lying on his back with Regulus straddling his hips and Remus holding his arms above his head.

With muttered apologies, they slowly moved off of each other. Remus and Regulus went to sit on the loveseat and James went to the coffee table to pour everyone tea.

Hope, who had been watching the chaos from the armchair by the fire, laughed and thanked James. "You have a wonderful boy, Effie."

Maan pulled James down to kiss his cheek when he handed her tea over. "Most days, I do."

James stuck his tongue out at Maan and continued distributing tea.

When everyone was served, James started handing out presents. When everyone had their own mountain of presents and the only ones left under the tree were for tomorrow, Dad abandoned his stack in favor of taking more pictures.

James called from his place in the middle of the floor, "Okay, everyone open their presents from Maan and Dad first."

They all cried.

They all laughed.

They all got up to hug each other when 'thank you's weren't enough.

Regulus had warned Maan and Dad about all the presents 'they' got Mam and Remus, so they were ready for the hugs they received. He had even asked Maan to write the tags so Remus wouldn't notice.

They had apparently gotten Hope a set of self-cleaning pots; a broom and dustpan that swept on their own; a kitchen timer that went off when the food was ready—as opposed to however long the recipe said to cook it for—; books on prophecy and tarot; a set of tarot cards; and a set of notepads that mirrored each other—so you could write on one at home and keep the other in your purse, therefore always having your grocery list on you—.

For Remus, they got four new jumpers that had warming charms woven in; a watch that told the time, date, moon phase, and star position; also a set of mirror notepads—so he and his mother could write each other notes since he was terrible at remembering to write letters—; a set of travel blankets and cushions—for their nest in the shack—; a thermos that kept drinks hot or cold and refilled itself all day; and the new book published by the researchers heading the werewolf potion project.

Maan and Dad had actually gotten Hope a set of wixen fiction books and Remus an extra-large supply of chocolate, but those fit right in.

The ornaments Remus and Regulus had gotten for Maan and Dad went directly on the tree. The picture James had given them of the trio went straight into the frame Mam had gotten for them—specifically for that picture, since James is always down for meddling—and directly onto the mantle above the fire.

James had gotten the three of them matching rings; braided bands of black, steel, and gold that made both boys cry.

Regulus, on top of the mountain of things he had gotten while they were out shopping, had gotten Remus and his mother cellular phones to keep in touch, promising he already had ideas on how to make them work around the magic at school.

He had also gotten James a new broom. This led to Regulus having to sit on James to keep him from bolting out the door in his pajamas to test it out.

The jumper Remus got for Regulus was immediately put on, and James pouted when told he couldn't open Remus' gift until tomorrow.

When all the presents were open, Maan demanded they all sit on the couch for a family photo. The trio sat on the back of the couch—Regulus squished in the middle—while the adults sat in front of them. Dad waved his wand to hover the camera and took several pictures, so they all could have a copy.

The boys were instructed to take their presents upstairs while the adults cleaned up the sitting room. They dutifully gathered their things, a trail of hovering presents following them up the stairs.

Alone in their room, James gathered Regulus into his arms, Remus coming to squish him from behind. Regulus' shoulders were shaking as he buried his face into James' shoulder.

"We'll take another family photo tomorrow, Starshine." James ran his hand over Regulus' curls. "With Siri and Pete and Kinzie and Benji."

His shoulders shook harder, a sob breaking free.

Remus nuzzled into his back, right between his shoulder blades. "You're not alone anymore, Seren Ddisgleirio, and you never will be again."

They held him for a long time, knowing he was just overwhelmed by the revelation. When the tears had dried and the trembling subsided, he pulled back, twisting and moving one arm around Remus to look at them both.

His voice was still thick, but his eyes were clear, "Merci Beaucoup, mes amours."

"Always."

"Forever."

~~~

The rest of the day was spent helping Mam—who insisted on doing it herself—make Christmas dinner, eating, and watching more Christmas movies.

They weren't sure what time the boys would be coming tomorrow, but they went to bed early. Knowing Sirius, they planned for it to be before sunrise.

Sure enough, When Maan got up at dawn to make breakfast, Sirius was already in the kitchen, pulling out pots and pans.

At 7:30, Kingsley's wand alarm—that he didn't remember setting—went off and he found himself in an unfamiliar bed, in an unfamiliar room. Though, judging by the other three boys blinking confusedly at him, he had a pretty good guess as to where he was.

"Happy Christmas, Kinz." James, used to Sirius' antics, shook off his surprise and crawled to the foot of the bed to head to the bathroom.

Regulus, still not a morning person, rolled over to bury his face in Remus' neck, half laying on the older boy in the process.

Kingsley stood and stretched, deciding to wait for James so he could follow him down to wherever Sirius had gone.

Just then, said boy came bounding into the room and pounced on his brother and best friend. There was yelping, grumbling, laughing, swatting, pinching, tickling, and a very loud 'HAPPY CHRISTMAS!"

Laughing, Kingsley came over and hauled Sirius off of the now very awake—and very annoyed—boys. Sirius yelped and struggled, but Kingsley only put him down when James came in, his attention diverted.

James dropped his clothes and opened his arms, Sirius running and jumping into them. James twirled him around, Sirius' legs wrapping around him. They were laughing and recounting everything that had happened in their time apart—as if they hadn't written to each other every day since they last saw each other—.

James, still holding Sirius like a toddler, continued narrating as he made his way out of the room. He paused and turned back in the doorway to gesture for Kingsley to follow and call to the boys, "You have 15 minutes before I send Siri back up after you."

Remus and Regulus glared from their place on the bed. They were sitting now, at least, yawning and rubbing their eyes. Sirius grinned wickedly at them over James' shoulder as they left.

@starchasersunseeker @poetrypirate @niad4827 @bradley-95147-blog @shyshadows430

[bookish-bogwitch]

Year in Review! Annotated.

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@facewithoutheart

@aroace-genderfluid-sheep

@cutestkilla

@martsonmars

@artsyunderstudy

It checks out. Love you guys!

Longest Tag:

#listened to this fic's playlist today to just enjoy the vibe of simon and baz sexily blowing everything up and beating the shit out of each

<- pretty sure that was for @fatalfangirl's Dead in Vegas, an awesome fic with an awesome playlist

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Remember when Simon ate some beard cologne because it smelled like Baz? At the risk of beating a perfectly good joke to death, Simon has reviewed his way through the entire plot of Carry On. 

Read it on AO3 

25 very short chapters, 5k, T.

Thank you betas @martsonmars​ and @ivelovedhimthroughworse​.

72 notes - Posted March 19, 2022

#4

Thank you for the tags @confused-bi-queer​ and @moodandmist​. I wanted to share six sentences of an EGF offering but am having problems with it. Here instead is a live feed of the struggle.

Em:       From “Where were you, Baz?” And… Action!

Simon:  Where were you, Baz?

Baz:      I’m sorry I couldn’t come back to you sooner, Simon. I wanted to.

Em:       Cut. Baz, your line is None of your business, Snow. And then you curl your lip like we talked about. 

Simon:  I do like when he does that.

Em:       Exactly. And… Action!

Simon:  Where were you, Baz?

Baz:      I was kidnapped. I thought about you every minute.

Simon:  (beaming) Really?

Em:       CUT. Baz! This is porn. You’re due to be shagged up against the wall in 200 words sharp. We can’t get sidetracked.

Baz:      I’m sorry, this is just what I feel.

Simon:  (to Baz) Babe, I think we should hear her out.

Baz:      I’m not a piece of meat.

Simon:  Can I be the meat?

EDIT: This is now its own fic.

Everything’s a Story, 1.7k, E

Tagging @shemakesmeforget, @facewithoutheart, @fatalfangirl, @palimpsessed, @mostlymaudlin, @johnwgrey, @ileadacharmedlife, @captain-aralias, @aristocratic-otter, @martsonmars, @sillyunicorn, @tea-brigade, @stillmadaboutpetra, @cutestkilla, @forabeatofadrum, @whatevertheweather, @papercut271, @otherworldsivelivedin, @urban-sith, @bazzybelle​, @takitalks​, @stardustasincocaine​, @im-gettingby​, @prettylightsbigcity​ AND YOU READING THIS. 

84 notes - Posted February 20, 2022

#3

When Baz has a love interest Fiona doesn’t know about (CO):

When Fiona has a love interest Baz doesn’t know about (AWTWB):

SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

144 notes - Posted January 24, 2022

#2

AWTWB is just such an amazingly crafted book. 

First we get Baz listening to music in his post-breakup wallow:

The next two lines of that song, which don’t appear in AWTWB, are 

I could drink a case of you, darling, And I would still be on my feet

Which sounds an awful lot like

See the full post

172 notes - Posted January 23, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

JEFFREY NOOOOO

202 notes - Posted November 24, 2022

Yes, my #1 post is not original writing, or loving on a friend's writing, or some thoughtful meta about my favorite book. It's the shitpost that I apparently blazed while blind drunk on Thanksgiving. Good job self well done

[popchoc]

Station 19 - 6x18

Sooo... that was quite the mess... due to their own stupidity. Seriously, in what world do they not evacuate a building when there's even a single hint of a fire? In what world do they investigate by themselves - in heels and all, without any protection gear, after drinking - instead of calling those on duty?

How am I supposed to take any of this serious, or worse, root for these people?!

(And who cares that Dixon died? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ )

Also don't get me started about Sullivan, with his ridiculous white suit (hmm how can we have this Amazing Half-God stand out in the crowd even more... oh wait, let him slowly climb up from a sink hole like the true Superhero he is - barf). Some writer/director must really love him.

Now within this whole mess there were still some alright moments of course, but I'm afraid I got to distracted by the timing to really enjoy most of them (like the Maya and Carina scenes were cute, but I'd honestly rather seen them at the party having fun with everyone else) (plus there was baby talk again - yawn - and a baby up for adoption so they basically turned into moms this week #dontcare)

Some actually good stuff then, to end this at least a bit positive:

Andy finally becoming Captain (it only took her six seasons) (she looked great btw!). Vic, supporting Andy the way she did as well as dumping Theo's ass (I mean, I know it was kind of mutual but ya know... just glad it's over, don't even care about him and that other chick). The running gag with Kitty never remembering Ben. And Bailey's speech, which was really sweet. So there you have it, not all bad! ;)

[sayingyournames]

esther i see your ask game but don’t know which ones you haven’t answered yet so you can pick!! love you xx

hello claude i love u!! here are some i just wanted to answer - y’all are about to unlock some new esther lore.

9. which do you prefer, hot coffee or cold coffee?

cold everything, always. i can’t drink liquids that are hot - including soup. not a big soup girly.

14. do you love the smell of earth after it rains?

yes, but i love the smell of the earth always. i was raised in dirt and leaves and creek water, and nothing is more comforting to me than the smell and feel of wet ground.

19. imagine we’re at a sleepover, would you paint my nails?

i would paint your nails and braid your hair and let you have the first pick of what movie we watch (and then talk the whole way through.) i would have all your favorite snacks and the softest blankets and tell you all about the girls i like and how nothing feels right about the way my body was given to me but i wouldn’t have the right words for that yet. we would make friendship bracelets and i would let you read my diary and the shitty poems i wrote in it to that girl who kissed me behind the gym but wouldn’t look me in the eye in homeroom, and you would understand, and it would be the best sleepover.

24. if we were together on a rooftop, what would we be doing?

i would be crying bc i’m terrified of heights. once, when i was 19? i think? i climbed up a half-rotted wooden ladder to sit on top of a trailer with a cute girl because she was sitting up there already, yelling down to me, “If you come up here, i’ll kiss you” so, i did. and we did. and then she went back down the ladder before me and i had a panic attack because once the girl wasn’t up there with me, i remembered how fuckin scared i am of heights and she had to literally talk me off a ledge to get back down. we dated for six months after that.

[hughungrybear]

Me watching Dangerous Romance Ep. 8:

1. I don't trust Saifah. Sailom, apparently, also does not trust his own brother. At this rate, only Grandma trusts Saifah 😅

2. Sorry, as an Asian, a 65/100 score in an exam is atrocious lol. My mum would have disowned me if she sees that score on my paper. 😂😂😂😂

3. I pretty much doubt you'll get any sleep if you give in, Sailom lol. Kang might get a 100 in that test, but you'll probably end up sleep-deprived 😂😂😂😂

4. Oh. My. Gawd. Puppy dog eyes Kanghan, ACTIVATED. 😅😅😅

5. But, but, but Kang isn't sleeping lol 😂😂😂😂😂 Nobody will sleep tonight, I guess 😂😂😂😂

6. Saifah knows his little bro so well 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

7. Technically, Sailom did not lie - it is the sound of the "wind" hiding his windmill 😂😂😂

8. Yeah, where is my GuyNava ship??? C'mon set sail already 😭😭😭😭 Looks like they will go on a date instead of a fight. Pimfah and the gang were like, "WTH happened?" 😂😂😂

9. Ooof. Looks like Kanghan broke his promise to Sailom to be home by 8PM. 😓 Why though? 🤔🤔🤔

10. Aaah, Sailom. Why did you listened to Saifah??? You should have listened to Kang's explanation first.

11. So, it was Guy's fault 😑😑 Sailom, you really need to work on your listening skills lol

12. Pimfah silently cheering the KangSailom ship 😭😭😭

13. Doctor, why didn't you just give Grandma the medicine directly? 😅😅😅 Also, what's with Kang's dad? It looks like he doesn't like Saifah.

14. Ooooh, Grandma Ging is too nice. I really do hope Saifah is not planning anything nefarious against Kang's family. 😣

15. Sailom, just apologise 😭😭😭 <after 5 seconds> Oh, good. He did. 😊 Also, Sailom telling Kang to stop burdening himself with Sailom's money problems is just ���👈. Kang has dreams and Sailom will not let himself be an obstacle to it. At this point, my cheeks hurt from grinning too much because of all the sweetness 😅

16. Sailom exhibits the true characteristic of a type-A student - being anal on schedules and appointments. Because by gods, Sailom will ensure that Kang WILL REACH HIS GOALS OF EXCELLING IN ACADEMICS AND SPORTS 😂😂😂

17. Apparently, Kang is more thirtsy for a drink than a kiss 😂😂😂

18. I just remembered the preview from last ep. Damn, Kang's dad just keep on demolishing Kang's motivation to improve himself. The boy trained and studied like there's no tomorrow for a fair tryouts and Dad just goes ahead and bribes the coach. Gods dammit.

19. My GuyNava ship is sailiiiiiing!!! Saiiiiliiiiiiing!!!! 🥰🥰🥰

20. Looks like Kang overtrained himself. Maybe that's why Dad came to the "rescue". But I still don't think it's in Kang's best interest to achieve things he didn't put a serious effort on.

21. Oh, Dad did not trust Saifah. Appropriately so. However, yeah, I don't think Saifah will steal when he is the only person (aside from Sailom) that would be accused of stealing in that household. The question is, was the watch really stolen though?

22. Grandma is no fool. I think it was already established when she punished Kang when he was still bullying Sailom. I guess this is the start of Saifah also changing for the better.

23. What is happening? 😅😅😅 Nava is obviously counting on Max and Auto trying to stop the "fight" from happening. I mean, why else would he count "two point five, two point six..." instead of "three"? Lol Just kiss! 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Look at Max and Auto, they are bffs already.

24. Sailom just keeps on acting like a blushing bride in this series 😂😂😂😂

25. Oh, that just hurt my heart - Kang asking Sailom if he is no longer a spoiled rich brat in Sailom's eyes. It hurts my heart even more thinking of what is about to be revealed about Kang's dad and the football coach 🤬🤬

26. Oh. At least, Kang's dad figured out that Saifah did not take the watch. However, the bg music is pretty ominous...the fvck. Ahhh, noooo. It feels like an effing trap for Saifah. What is happening???

27. My heart hurts again. Gods damn Kang's dad. 🤬🤬🤬 Kang asking all the right questions and Dad just blurting out the effing truth that he does not believe in his own son's abilities.

In this episode, Sailom's loveliness shines brightly. He keeps reassuring Kang that he will stay beside him regardless of what happens in the future. Next episode, the boyfies will go on a trip and Kang will see if Sailom feelings will change if he no longer has any money (since Dad froze his account). Dad is still a fvcker, imo.

I know Grandma Ging does not condone violence, but would it be asking for too much is she smacks her son (Kong) hard??? 😔😔😔

[addictwoapen]

then vs. now

there are two versions of my father that exist.

“you can do anything you set your mind to” dad. And “not all men” dad. 

as a child I was told it doesn’t matter what other people think or feel, I can do what I want. I can be an athlete, I can be smart, I can do whatever I want and fuck everyone that says otherwise. And while the sentiment was there, two things could not be true, or it didn’t feel like it could be anyway.

When I was a kid, I loved sports. I still do. I love playing sports and learning mechanics, and I have since forever. I was the boy my father never had with two older brothers who never quite learned how to throw a ball correctly. I remember being told I had a good arm in first grade, and how I was faster than the other boys at recess. I remember, even though it’s blurry now, thinking I could not be both a tom boy or a girly girl. How I had to choose if I wanted to wear pink or be good at sports. Even at the age of six I was aware that boys thought girls sucked simply because of my double X’s. I was aware that “boys rule” meant more than a harmless us vs. them type of pride. 

So I chose. I decided girly girls were dumb and insipid. I chose to be athletic and school-smart. I was praised and held to high standards. No Cs or you’re grounded, no tennis lessons unless I went to the gym. Because all that could be demanded of me was excellence. As a kid, I thought this was just strictness of my parents beliefs about education and hard work. As an adult, I’ve come to realize it stems from mom and dad’s insecurities. We are at the mercy of grandparents even when they’ve been gone for years. 

I hated the color pink from second grade on, and I still do to this day. I hated being called Barbie since I was the stereotypical blonde-haired-blue-eyed white girl. I hated that all I was allowed to be was pink. It felt like no matter which side I looked at, I was stuck in a box. I couldn’t be angry because it wasn’t ladylike, I received much more punishment for swearing as a teenager than my older brother did. It wasn’t until I was 20 in a Jewel Osco during Covid that I told my father to grow up and get over it. I was an adult and I would make my own decisions about the way that I spoke and behaved. 

It wasn’t until I was a bit older that I realized that girls and women had the capacity for so much more, but suffered with self-actualization and introspection much earlier than our male friends. 

When explaining the waves of feminism to my dad on a bike ride in 2021, he said “I don’t know anything about this waves of feminism shit” and I replied “must be nice”. He didn’t get it. 

The first version of my dad loved his daughter fiercely. I was daddy’s little girl who was a little spoiled but wasn’t a brat. We played catch together. We played HORSE together in the driveway where he spray painted basketball court lines for me on the ground to practice my free-throws in sixth grade. We went to the tennis courts to practice my serves in seventh grade. We traveled to Texas in college to watch me play at Nationals. He said I could do anything I put my mind to.

It wasn’t until I was an adult that he said “well...”. 

And there it was. 

The stipulation that he knew that the world would treat me different and that while it may be unfair-I had to adjust, and it shouldn’t be the other way around. When I talk of creepy men in the gym I had just started attending, it was “yeah but I don’t do that,” when I talk of 60+ year old men hitting on me and asking me out to drinks when I was 19 it was “that’s not that weird,”. It’s invalidation at it’s finest, and understanding that he will truly never get it. 

I often think of a memory. I was in elementary school. My dad and I often used to go on hikes together on the weekend in the forest preserves of the suburbs of Chicago. I couldn’t pinpoint my age but I wasn’t fully self-aware yet, so it was pre-fifth grade. He would say “no matter what anyone tells you, you can do anything you want, and it doesn’t matter that you’re a girl”. This was in reference to a woman we passed who was hiking on her own, and even at a young age, I was aware of the danger she could be in on a 5am hike in the middle of a forest with no houses for miles. I remember thinking as a young girl “why would I risk getting hurt?”. It was a memory I would come back to often throughout childhood, as I reminder that I could do anything. But as I approached adulthood, I sometimes revel in my father’s naivety. 

There are always stipulations.

As an adult, my dad still thinks I can do what I want, but if I have to work harder to fight prejudice because I am a woman, than that is what I must do. I shouldn’t cry about the injustice I have and inevitably will again face. I should suck it up and power through it. Because as a middle-age white man with a steady job, he has never faced discrimination or prejudice for things he can’t change about himself.

The latter version of my father makes no excuses for his behavior. He says “if you don’t like it, I don’t care”. Despite his secretly hidden desire to be seen, to be heard. He says he doesn’t care what others think, but I think he cares too much sometimes. We are the same in that regard, and it is terrifying. His lack of empathy towards others of different experiences is astounding when he raised a daughter that has an excess of it. His anger is often misplaced and rooted in toxic masculinity and the idea of a traditional family despite a certain lack of religious or traditional upbringing. 

There are two versions of my father that exist.

Naïve and Jaded.

[mercerislandbooks]

50 Years of Island Books: Roger Page, Part 1

Roger Page says even though his wife Nancy’s successful wedding floral business was more profitable than Island Books in the early days, they committed to Island Books because the scheduling and lifestyle were a better fit for having a family. Nancy Page would tell you that her final and most enjoyable career was the 15 years she spent working at Island Books. These days both Pages are enjoying their retirement, still reading plenty of books and traveling to visit those not-so-small children, Emma and Lewis, who were the deciding factor in ownership of Island Books all those years ago. 

Miriam: Roger, tell me what it was like during the first month you owned Island Books. Did you have a moment that made you realize what you could bring to the community?

Roger: Remembering the first month of owning Island Books is hard. It's a bit like the frog in the boiling water story. You sit in the pot for a long time enjoying the warmth, and suddenly, you realize you're the one being cooked. In 1984 I called every bookstore in Seattle looking for a "Christmas season" job, and Island Books was the only one that called back. I did realize in the first month that I was very lucky to have landed in a much-loved bookstore on an affluent island. I was the only male and only full-time employee among 19 well-educated part-time women. Everyone was recognized, everyone was appreciative, and everyone really read. The bookstore felt big, full of surprises, and full of energy.

I decided to stay on and went to something called Bookseller School the next spring. Full of "new ideas," I returned, and thanks everlasting to the generous and kind three women (Marge Wilkens, Fam Bayless, and Elinor MacDonald) that ran the store, they made space for me and entertained my ideas. I didn't deserve a seat at the table, but I think it was easier to deal with me than all their friends that worked with them. After a year, I was titled "floor manager," I focused on streamlining the systems, culling the aging inventory, and rebuilding sagging shelves. The customers were great, but not friends yet and there was much to be simplified, for the store had suffered a bit from too many cooks. I was single and willing to heft, nail, or come in early or late. 

After six years, I really felt I had found my calling, and I was married to Nancy, the wedding florist, who came to work at the store later down the road in 2000. As we began to think about a family, I approached the ladies about buying in, and they again took a generous and gracious turn and said they would back me if I wanted to take the reins alone. So with a Volkswagen bus as collateral, we had a lovely afternoon drinking fine Washington wine and signing the papers at the Bayless home. What changed in the first few months of owning the store was that the community began to recognize me.

I had a role and a responsibility to maintain the standards of hospitality and good books. Honestly, supported by the ladies, I felt confident and excited and loved making real friends of all ages and stripes. I (and eventually Nancy) had fallen into the arms of a big warm family, and I loved coming to work and unlocking the door each morning.

Miriam: Tell me about when the unmentionable online and big box retailers came on the scene. What were the in-store clues that wisdom and humanity could endure up against the algorithms? 

Roger: My time at Island Books from the late eighties to 2015 parallels the most dramatic period of change in the history of the book retail industry. In some ways, we were the canary in the coal mine for a set of revolutions in the information industry and general retail. When I started, we were in the mom-and-pop store era of bookstores. This model led to great diversity, strong community ties, and low competition between stores. People (especially people on Mercer Island) had their store, and the store was catering to that community as much as making a profit.

Everything began to shift in the late eighties. First, it was a trickle of Walden and B. Dalton chain stores in Seattle. I wrote a now prescient memo—you can look at our old blog post about that infamous memo here— 

https://mercerislandbooks.tumblr.com/post/62015474728/island-books-in-1986 

about the specter of the discount chain of Waldenbooks and the need to strengthen our service and ties to the community. Then the first direct blow to business came in 1993 when Barnes and Noble opened a big box store in Bellevue. We had always prided ourselves on our children's section, and overnight there was a store twice our size 10 minutes away. Then Costco became more popular and, as a sign of things to come, they used books as a loss leader and broad-based customer attractor. Finally, Microsoft and personal computers made their mark on homes in the early 90s. The bookstore as a storehouse of knowledge for adults and kids faded fast when they could look it up "on their computer."

Honestly, my reaction to these existential changes was largely terror. I was starting a young family, the store was our sole means of support, and it seemed like a new battle to fight every year. We reacted by working hard to speed up our special-order business ("We don't have that title but can get it for you Wednesday!") and to emphasize our free shipping and the expertise of the booksellers. The community appreciated our efforts, and despite plenty of dips and valleys, we continued to grow slowly despite the competition.  In the late 90s, Amazon arrived and presented a different magnitude of the challenge. For the first time between the growth of the web and Amazon's "free" home delivery, many customers never saw the need to visit our store.

If we never saw them, our knowledge and service would be useless. So, we turned our focus toward marketing and events doing all we could to draw them in. This led to huge Harry Potter parties and hundreds of tiny evening gatherings of self-published Island authors. We also began to emphasize our school fundraisers to connect and show our commitment to the community.

Throughout these roughly twenty-five years of change and increased competition, almost three-quarters of the independent bookstores in the country closed. The Mom-and-Pop store model was defunct. We learned about lean inventories, just-in-time ordering, niche marketing, shopping as entertainment, and the value of "third places" in the community. Our deep ties to the community ultimately helped us weather the storm.  

One moment stands out. At some point in 2005, Amazon tried out a new idea on Mercer Island to use school communities to raise funds for the school. We had been doing this for a decade and had raised several hundreds of thousands for local schools. One day a big "Buy from Amazon " banner appeared outside a local school. We felt like jilted lovers: angry, scared, and sad. This was very close to home, and we knew if Amazon lured away families, we would not survive. I said as much to some long-standing customers, and their response exceeded all expectations. The school's foundation sided with the store, and the banner disappeared. The unspoken loyalty of the community was voiced out loud, and it was a turning point for the store.

It became clear that our fate was tied to the choices they made. From that point on, it felt that there was a deeper appreciation for the bookstore and, in turn, for our community. We were joined at the hip. Through the spring of 2009 with the Great Recession, the Kindle was the darkest hour for independent bookstores. We bounced back quickly and had some of our best years (2010-2015) at the end of our tenure as owners.

Miriam: That was right around when I came on the scene after I’d defected from the Amazon Books team and moved to the island from Capitol Hill. I remember we had lunch across the street from the store, and you gave me a lot of this oral history over Thai food. As I listened, I was thinking, how can I use all the knowledge I gained at Amazon to help Island Books thrive? And thrive it did and continues to endure. It’s like the little engine that could.

To our Island Books community: stay tuned for part 2 in this conversation, coming soon. Once Roger and I get going on the subject of Island Books, it’s hard to stop us...

—Miriam

[survey--s]

520.

1 - When you wake up, do you get up straight away or do you lie around in bed for a while? It depends - on work days I get up when my alarm goes off, but at weekends I can easily lie there for 2-3 hours drinking coffee and messing about on my phone lol.

2 - Who was the last person you video-called with? Have you done this more often since COVID hit? My mum and yes, I suppose so. She’s the only person I ever really video call though. 

3 - How many times a week do you go out for food or drink? We get takeaway every week or so on average, but we don’t tend to go for meals much anymore as prices have skyrocketed recently.

4 - Do you prefer getting takeaway or actually sitting in a restaurant and eating your meal there? It depends on my mood. Sometimes I love a relaxing meal out with friends/family but other days it’s nice to just have food delivered lol.

5 - Where’s your favourite place to get takeaway coffee (or whatever your drink of choice is)? Starbucks in general, but we don’t have one near here so our local coffee place by the beach is really good. It’s expensive though.

6 - Do you tend to keep your phone on silent, vibrate or loud? Silent at night, loud during the day or I’d never hear it at work.

7 - If you have pets, when was the last time one of them annoyed you? What happened? Archie earlier - we can’t break the habit of him barking for his meals and sometimes I wish he would just shut the hell up lol. I know it’s just excitement but he can be SO loud ha.

8 - When was the last time you went into a bookshop? Uh, about five months ago.

9 - What was the last thing you ordered off Amazon? A new dog-walking bag, some more candles for my wax burner and a replacement body spray as my current one is about to run out.

10 - When was the last time you took a dog out for a walk? Is this your own dog or did you borrow someone else’s? Friday - I walked my dog with a clients’ two dogs. 

11 - What jewellery do you have on at the moment? My wedding and engagement rings, as well as all my piercing jewellery - seven earrings and a nose stud.

12 - Do you have any products in your hair right now? What are they? Nope.

13 - Have you ever used a VPN to access foreign content online? Yeah, a few times. Only the free ones though.

14 - Who was the last artist you listened to? Is this someone you’re a fan of? Reba McIntyre and yeah, I like the vast majority of her songs.

15 - What was the last thing you had to drink? Pepsi Max.

16 - When was the last time you cooked something for the first time? Did it work out the way it was supposed to? I don’t remember, I’m not really a big cook as it feels like a lot of effort for not a huge amount of reward.

17 - Black cats are considered to be bad luck - is this a superstition that you’ve ever believed in? Ha no. We have three black cats and they’re the best - black or ginger cats are my favourites. I love them.

18 - Would you ever eat blue cheese or do you find the idea of eating mould to be pretty repulsive? I love blue cheese - it’s one of my favourites. 

19 - Do you visit the dentist every six months like you should? Normally I go once a year.

20 - How old were you when you first used the internet? Was it dial-up or did you have access to proper broadband? Uh, I was about 11 when we first got home internet - it was dial up and it was so, so painfully slow.

21 - Are you old enough to remember using floppy discs? Yeah, for sure.

22 - When was the last time you purchased an actual DVD or CD? I bought the Lord of the Rings extended edition DVD’s off eBay a couple of months ago. They were a bargain too.

23 - Do you shave? Which body parts and how often? Yeah, legs, pits and bits - generally everyday but less in winter sometimes.

24 - What’s your favourite season, and what are some of your favourite things about that season? Autumn - the changing colours, the frosty mornings and the cosy outfits.

25 - When was the last time you burned yourself? I can’t remember.

26 - Have you ever been the victim of a theft or robbery? What was stolen? Did the police ever catch the person who did it? Not personally, but my parents house was broken into once and the car stolen off their drive, as well as my mum’s handbag and her wallet. They found the car crashed into a wall after tracking the contactless payments made from the cards - the people involved were arrested and I think jailed.

27 - What was the last TV show you discovered that you really liked? What was it that got you to watch it in the first place? I can’t remember.

28 - Have you seen any of the live-action Disney remakes? Which one is your favourite? What about your least favourite? Yeah, I’ve seen all of them but I don’t think any of them were particularly great to be honest. I saw Peter Pan and Wendy on Friday and it was just a bit meh. Maleficent is probably the best and The Lion King is the worst.

29 - Do you have any exciting plans for tomorrow? If not, how are you planning to spend your day? I’m working tomorrow - I have a cat visit first thing, then three dog walks, then another cat visit in the evening. Otherwise I have no plans, just chilling at home I suppose.

30 - Would you ever keep a working dog as a pet? Do you think it’s fair to keep dogs like huskies in flats when it’s so different to their natural environments? I mean, we own a working breed (beagle) but he’s a show-strain and incredibly lazy. We didn’t walk him yesterday and all he did was sleep. I don’t think the home environment matters as much as how much exercise and stimulation you can give them. As long as dogs get enough exercise I don’t think they care whether they live in a flat or a mansion lol.

[resonantdrifter]

1. First write for yourself, and then worry about the audience. “When you write a story, you’re telling yourself the story. When you rewrite, your main job is taking out all the things that are not the story.”

2. Don’t use passive voice. “Timid writers like passive verbs for the same reason that timid lovers like passive partners. The passive voice is safe.”

3. Avoid adverbs. “The adverb is not your friend.”

4. Avoid adverbs, especially after “he said” and “she said.”

5. But don’t obsess over perfect grammar. “The object of fiction isn’t grammatical correctness but to make the reader welcome and then tell a story.”

6. The magic is in you. “I’m convinced that fear is at the root of most bad writing.”

7. Read, read, read. ”If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write.”

8. Don’t worry about making other people happy. “If you intend to write as truthfully as you can, your days as a member of polite society are numbered, anyway.”

9. Turn off the TV. “TV—while working out or anywhere else—really is about the last thing an aspiring writer needs.”

10. You have three months. “The first draft of a book—even a long one—should take no more than three months, the length of a season.”

11. There are two secrets to success. “I stayed physically healthy, and I stayed married.”

12. Write one word at a time. “Whether it’s a vignette of a single page or an epic trilogy like ‘The Lord of the Rings,’ the work is always accomplished one word at a time.”

13. Eliminate distraction. “There should be no telephone in your writing room, certainly no TV or videogames for you to fool around with.”

14. Stick to your own style. “One cannot imitate a writer’s approach to a particular genre, no matter how simple what that writer is doing may seem.”

15. Dig. “Stories are relics, part of an undiscovered pre-existing world. The writer’s job is to use the tools in his or her toolbox to get as much of each one out of the ground intact as possible.”

16. Take a break. “You’ll find reading your book over after a six-week layoff to be a strange, often exhilarating experience.”

17. Leave out the boring parts and kill your darlings. “(kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings.)”

18. The research shouldn’t overshadow the story. “Remember that word back. That’s where the research belongs: as far in the background and the back story as you can get it.”

19. You become a writer simply by reading and writing. “You learn best by reading a lot and writing a lot, and the most valuable lessons of all are the ones you teach yourself.”

20. Writing is about getting happy. “Writing isn’t about making money, getting famous, getting dates, getting laid or making friends. Writing is magic, as much as the water of life as any other creative art. The water is free. So drink.”