#i started with a list of 95 books i loved and made myself cut to 50

[the-z-part]

My Favorite Book of the 2010s

According to Goodreads, I’ve read 337 books that were published between 2010 and 2019. Here are my favorite 50 of those, painstakingly ranked (it hurt my heart, yall). 

Note that series are all on one line, otherwise the top ten would literally just be the Raven Cycle and the Leagues and Legends series lol

50. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

49. The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

48. Gabi, a Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero

47. Red Rising series by Pierce Brown

46. Young Avengers by Kieron Gillen

45. The Illuminae Files by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

44. Release by Patrick Ness

43. Vassa in the Night by Sarah Porter

42. They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

41. Proxy by Alex London

40. Hawkeye by Matt Fraction

39. The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang

38. Check, Please! By Ngozi Ukazu

37. The Call by Peader O’Guillen

36. Yu + Me Dream series by Megan Rose Gedris

35. Cassidy Blake series by Victoria Schwab

34. Namesake by Isabelle Melancon

33. I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

32. Passing Strange by Ellen Klages

31. The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo

30. Nimona by Noelle Stevenson

29. Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan

28. Earth Girl by Janet Edwards

27. A People’s Future of the United States ed by Victor LaValle

26. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

25. The Queen of the Tearling series by Erika Johansen

24. Borne by Jeff Vandermeer

23. Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness

22. Unwind Dystology by Neal Shusterman

21. Monsters of Verity by Victoria Schwab

20. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by NK Jemison

19. Dreadnaught by April Daniels

18. Area X trilogy by Jeff Vandermeer

17. Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant

16. Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero

15. Villains by V E Schwab

14. All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater

13. Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard by Rick Riordan

12. Montague Siblings series by Mackenzi Lee

11. Wayward Children Chronicles by Seanan McGuire

10. Wayfarers series by Becky Chambers

9. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

8. Exit West by Mohsin Hamid

7. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

6. Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore

5. Shades of Magic by V E Schwab

4. Witchmark by CL Polk

3. All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders

2.  Leagues and Legends by E Jade Lomax

1. The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater (incl CDTH)

[13-reasons-ideas]

It was Just A Project Part 1

A/N this idea has been bouncing around in my head for a while and I've finally been able to finish the first part. I hope you guys like it! 

My morning started off as it usually did now that the boys had moved out to the garage. I woke up early and had a wonderfully hot shower before Clay and Justin woke up. After I finished my shower and got ready, I went downstairs to have breakfast. Dad was in the kitchen making lunch for us, as was tradition on Fridays, “Morning Dad. Is there coffee left?”

“Morning pumpkin. Fresh off the filter. Your bagels are in the toaster oven.”

“Thank you. Don’t worry about lunch for me. I’m having lunch with Zach and Alex today, so I’ll just grab something at school.”

“Sure thing.”

As I sat down to enjoy my breakfast, Justin came stumbling in the kitchen to shower. He grunted at us before making his way upstairs. Clay came trudging in not long after and took a bite of my bagel. “Hey, I was eating that.” I complained. Clay simply shrugged at me. “Daaaadddd, Clay ate my bagel.”

“Clay, stop bothering your sister.” Dad chided, not looking up from his paper. I stuck my tongue out at him teasingly. He rolled his eyes and went to the cupboard for some cereal. Justin came downstairs a couple of minutes later and poured himself a cup of coffee, “morning guys. Shower’s yours Clay.” Clay scarfed down his cereal- the boy is going to make himself sick one of these days…- before running upstairs.

It was quiet while we ate for a moment until we heard a girlish scream and Clay shout “Rachel!”. Justin and I looked at each other and burst out laughing.

I looked at the microwave and my eyes widened in shock “oh shit. I totally forgot I’m meeting Scott this morning to study for our biology test. Justin, you want to ride with me or Clay?”

He gulped down the last of his coffee and jumped up, “sure, I’ll just grab my bag.” I nodded and went to the stairs.

“Clay, Justin is getting a ride with me today. We’re leaving now.” I called upstairs.

“Okay.” Clay called back. Justin met me at the car, and I sent Scott a quick text. Hey, running a little late today sorry. I’ll be there in 15. He responded with a thumbs up and Justin and I were off.

When we arrived at school the parking lot was mostly empty. I ran off to meet Scott and Justin went to go find Jess. I saw Scott hanging out with some guys from the baseball team, with his back turned to me. I put my finger up to my mouth and quietly walked up behind him. When I reached him, I jumped up on his back, “Guess who?”

Scott immediately put his hands around my thighs so he was hanging on to me, “is it a certain less annoying twin who’s running late?”

“Maybe. Though it depends who you ask which of us is less annoying.” I jumped down and adjusted my top, “you ready to get fucked by the bio test too?”

“But of course. Mrs. Jackson is the worst.”

“Oh please, you’ll get like 95% and still argue that your grade should be higher.” Zach teased.

“I’d love to agree with you, but this woman is the devil incarnate with tests. We teach ourselves this class because she reads off slides and then she tests us on stuff that’s not even in the slides or the book. I’m probably going to fail. And since I need this class to get into USC, I actually need to pass. You coming Scott?” He nodded and we bid his friends goodbye.

After studying with Scott until the bell, we walked to biology together and took our seats. I was right, the test was ridiculous. Scott finished first and waited for me outside the room. “Could have at least bought me a coffee first.” I joked as I left the God forsaken classroom. He laughed and shook his head.

“I would have requested a four-course steak dinner. I feel dirty. I opened the book and wanted to walk out. We didn’t learn half of that material.”

“At least you can shower before lunch. You have a free period. I have to go do history.”

“Could skip and go shower with me….” he teased.

“Yeah. I’d rather take that test again.”

I sighed as I walked into history. The class wasn’t full yet thankfully. I groaned as I lowered myself into my seat in the back, next to Monty.

“Rough morning?” he asked.

“You have no idea.” I grumbled. “We had a bio test today. I feel dirty.”

He chuckled. “That bad?”

“Two people walked out in five minutes.”

He whistled but before he could say anything more, Mr. Smith walked in. He was a younger teacher, so he was generally well liked by students.  

“Good morning. We will be starting work on term projects today.” The class groaned in unison. “You will be split into pairs of my choosing.” The class groaned even louder and I put my head down on my desk.

“Fucking kill me now.” I grumbled. Monty must have heard me because he started having a coughing fit.

Mr. Smith began listing off pairs, some of which were met with groans and some with quiet ‘yes’es. “Rachel Jensen and… Montgomery De La Cruz.”

It could be worse. At least he’s not a total idiot. He’s nice enough to me. I turned my head to look at him and he smiled at me.

After all of us were paired up, he gave us a few minutes to make plans for starting the project. “Did you want to come to my place after school and we can get started?” I asked.

“Sure.”

We didn’t have time to iron out anything but we traded numbers and agreed that we would both pull our weights.

As he handed out topic sheets he explained the assignment, “we will be doing this paper a little differently than you may be used to. You will need to write a paper with proper formatting and supporting diagrams and graphs where applicable. We will go over citation in a later class. Most of you are graduating this year and will need to use proper citation come September, lest you risk expulsion from your chosen school. Think of this paper as a trial run of what you will be expected to do in university. It is something I wish my teachers in high school had done to prepare us a little better. We will discuss the paper in more detail over the next few classes, after everyone has a chance to choose a topic. I urge you to pick different topics as I don’t want to read thirty papers on the same idea. If you are unsure about what to choose, please see or email me after class.” With that, he began our discussion for the day.

When class was dismissed, I went to meet Alex and Zach for lunch.

“Rachel.” Justin called after me. He ran to catch up to me.

“Hey bro, what’s up?”

“I picked up a shift tonight. Can I get the keys?”

“What about Clay’s keys?”

“He has an appointment after school.”

“Fine. If I must.” I joked, as though it was a hassle, as I dug around my bag for the keys. I chucked my keys to him and he ran off.

Alex was waiting for me at the cafeteria. “Hey. How was your test?”

“Ugh. You don’t want to know.”

“This is why I switched to chemistry, no Mrs. Jackson.”

“Hmmmm.” I muttered as I grabbed my phone. I texted Monty as we walked to our table. Hey, is it okay if I get a ride home? Justin needed my car and Clay is busy after school. He replied quickly, sure thing. I parked by the gym.

“Who you texting Rach?” Zach asked as Alex and I sat down.

“Monty. We got paired up for a paper in history.”

“Ew. He’ll probably make you do the whole thing yourself.” Alex commented.

“I don’t think so. We made plans after school to work on it. And he’s not dumb enough to think I wouldn’t go straight to Mr. Smith and stick him with a zero.”

“You say that now….” Alex trailed off as I glared at him.

The subject was dropped after that and the rest of lunch went on as normal.

I met Monty at his Jeep after school and we drove in a slightly awkward silence for a time, the only discussion being the odd direction to my house. He broke the tension first, “You know this is probably going to be a nightmare right? Your brother hates me. Justin barely puts up with me at football practice.”

“It will be fine. My dad works at home so he will be home and keep the annoying duo in line.”

“Alright. You’re wrong but alright.”

I shook my head at him, smirking, “so, I feel like I know nothing about you. We’ve gone to school together since we were little.”

“What can I say? I’m a man of mystery.”

“You can tell me what your favourite ice cream flavour is?”

“Mint chip. Yours?”

“Chocolate chocolate chip. It’ll be a left here.” I directed. We went on like that, asking each other menial questions for the remainder of the drive.

“It’s the one in the middle here. You can park in the drive or on the street, up to you.”

He pulled up to the curb and sat for a minute, quiet again as he cut the engine. He sat for a minute before undoing his seatbelt. I got out of the car and waited for him. When he didn’t make a move to get out, I walked around to his door, “we don’t bite you know. Unless you’re into that.” I joked. If it works on Scott, maybe it’ll work on his best friend.

Monty laughed and joked back, “Depends who’s doing the biting. Being bitten by strangers doesn’t rank very high up on the list though.” With that, he got out of the car.

His nerves must have returned “You know I’m right. They don’t like me. And since Justin is basically your brother now, his opinion actually matters. How well do you think this is going to go?”

I rolled my eyes at him playfully as I unlocked the front door. “Monty chill. It’s a project for school. Besides, the boys live in the shed and they showered this morning. You probably won’t even see them.” I said as I took off my coat and hung it up. I heard footsteps coming down the stairs and dad cleared his throat.

“Hey pumpkin. How was sch- oh. Hello there. Rachel, I didn’t realize you were having a friend over.”

“Hey dad. School was fine. This is Monty, we got assigned to work on a history assignment together. Monty, this is my dad Matt.” I gestured between them briefly.

Monty waved politely, though it was rather awkward. “Hello Mr. Jensen.”

Dad merely nodded at him.

“Anyway, we have a lot of work to do so we’ll be upstairs. Come on Monty.”

“Not so fast Rachel. You know the rules. No boys in your room without permission.”

I stopped in my tracks abruptly, causing Monty to bump into me. He looked uncomfortable when I turned to look at my dad.

“Oh. The rules. Right. Okay, let me see if I have this straight… Clay and Justin get the garage converted into a bachelor pad minus a shower with no supervision at all. I don’t even get my own bathroom out of the deal. The boys can do whatever they want in there and they can have whoever they want over whenever they want -boys or girls at any time of the day- without discussing it. But I, a girl, can’t have a boy in my room to work on a homework assignment. How is that fair? Because… Why exactly? Even if I wanted to, which I don’t, it’s not like I would do anything with you in the house. That’s just… I don’t even have words to describe how uncomfortable that is. And even if we were going to do what I assume you think we would do, I’ve been on birth control since I was fourteen Dad.” Dad was at a loss for words at my outburst. I raised my brow at him.

“You make a good argument….” Dad muttered.

“I learned from the best. Speaking of the best, when is Mom getting home?”

“She should be home around six. We will discuss dinner when she gets home.” I nodded, accepting his answer and began walking back up the stairs. When Dad made no further objections, Monty followed behind me.

After a few hours of studying and back and forth to decide a topic, my mom got home. “hey, did you want to stay for dinner? I can see what Dad is cooking.” I asked Monty. He checked his phone quickly.

“Uh, yeah sure. If they don’t mind. I don’t want to intrude or anything.” He replied.

“It’ll be no big. Come on, let’s go see what’s on the menu.” I stood and offered my hand to him. We made our way downstairs together. Dinner smelled delicious. I hadn’t realized I was so hungry. “Hey Mom. Is it okay if Monty stays for dinner tonight?” I asked casually.

“Sure thing kiddo. We are making Cajun Chicken Pasta if that’s alright with you?” Dad responded, while he chopped the chicken into pieces. Monty nodded and made no objection.  

Mom took a sip from her water and introduced herself to Monty, “I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Lainie. It’s nice to meet you Monty.” Ever the professional, she made sure to shake his hand. Judging his grip, no doubt. She smiled to herself, obviously impressed. She then began asking Monty questions. Not third degree questions by any means, just questions. He answered all of them easily enough and they were able to make some conversation. I had somehow been roped to helping dad cook dinner in while Monty and my mom were becoming friends.

The back-door opening pulled us out of our peaceful quiet. Justin walked in with a box of pastries from Monet’s and placed it on the counter. “Hey Mom. Hey dad. Rachel, Monty.” He greeted us absently. He took an apple from the bowl on the island and began making his way out to the boys room.

“Dinner is in like 15 minutes bud.” Dad said passively. They were still wary of scolding Justin about food close to meals.

Suddenly, he realized just what he was witnessing because he stopped at the door and turned around. Justin scanned the room as though doing a headcount. He blinked a few times when his eyes landed on Monty. “Mom. What’s this here?”

“He is your sister’s dinner guest Justin.” Mom explained.

“Uh-huh. Hey Rachel? Can I talk to you?”

“Sure Justin.”

“Outside please?” I rolled my eyes at him but followed him anyway.

[darling-dontforgetme]

the whole list

I’m sorry that I took so long, and I’m so boring, but here you go!

1. coffee mugs, teacups, wine glasses, water bottles, or soda cans?

 Coffee mugs

2. chocolate bars or lollipops?

Chocolate bars

3. bubblegum or cotton candy?

Eww, no to both.

4. how did your elementary school teachers describe you?

My mom worked at my elementary school, so I was very much a teacher’s pet.

5. do you prefer to drink soda from soda cans, soda bottles, plastic cups or glass cups?

Plastic cups

6. pastel, boho, tomboy, preppy, goth, grunge, formal or sportswear?

Pastel or boho

7. earbuds or headphones?

Earbuds

8. movies or tv shows?

I really want to say tv shows, but I’m awful at finishing them. I still need to watch the last few episodes of Apocalypse. Don’t at me. 

9. favorite smell in the summer?

Is it weird if I say my cats? It’s weird, I know. They all have different smells, and it’s comforting to be around them when I’m stressed or upset.

10. game you were best at in p.e.?

Nothing, literally nothing. I was that kid who always had their nose in a book, so you can imagine how awkward I was in p.e.

11. what you have for breakfast on an average day?

A peanut butter and jelly sandwich or pancakes

12. name of your favorite playlist?

The only playlist I listen to is my own. I listen to a lot of country, some musicals, and a handful of older songs.

13. lanyard or key ring?

Lanyard

14. favorite non-chocolate candy?

Gummy bears

15. favorite book you read as a school assignment?

The Handmaid’s Tale

16. most comfortable position to sit in?

Why sit when you can lay down? I usually sit with my legs crossed.

17. most frequently worn pair of shoes?

My work pair of tennis shoes

18. ideal weather?

WINTER. All the cold.

19. sleeping position?

On my stomach

20. preferred place to write (i.e., in a note book, on your laptop, sketchpad, post-it notes, etc.)?

Laptop

21. obsession from childhood?

Books. I read so many books as a kid.

22. role model?

I don’t know. My therapist is pretty cool. Sarah Paulson maybe?

23. strange habits?

I eat soup with a fork. I have to put on my right sock and shoe before I can put on the left. I eat pop tarts upside down.

24. favorite crystal?

I don’t know. Rhodochrosites and amethysts are pretty.

25. first song you remember hearing?

Queen of the Silver Dollar

26. favorite activity to do in warm weather?

Stay inside, lol. I play a lot of animal crossing, try to write sometimes. Read.

27. favorite activity to do in cold weather?

Also, stay inside- still playing animal crossing and writing or reading.

28. five songs to describe you?

I honestly have no idea. 

29. best way to bond with you?

Just hang out and talk with me. I like to stay home, or go on simple dates. I love, love, love aquariums.

30. places that you find sacred?

Churches, cemeteries

31. what outfit do you wear to kick ass and take names?

I’m not very confident in myself, so I tend to stick with t-shirts and shorts or leggings.

32. top five favorite vines?

I do not watch vine.

33. most used phrase in your phone?

Sorry or what’s for dinner

34. advertisements you have stuck in your head?

Those lawyer commercials that come on all of the time

35. average time you fall asleep?

Between 11:30 and 2:30

36. what is the first meme you remember ever seeing?

Probably something with SpongeBob

37. suitcase or duffel bag?

Duffel bag

38. lemonade or tea?

Tea

39. lemon cake or lemon meringue pie?

Hear me out, what about no lemon?

40. weirdest thing to ever happen at your school?

These kids started a metal band, and our administrators thought the student body loved it, so they got to perform a lot.

41. last person you texted?

@grilledcheeseandguavajelly

42. jacket pockets or pants pockets?

Pants pockets

43. hoodie, leather jacket, cardigan, jean jacket or bomber jacket?

Hoodie

44. favorite scent for soap?

Some sort of berry

45. which genre: sci-fi, fantasy or superhero?

Fantasy

46. most comfortable outfit to sleep in?

Shorts and a t-shirt (wasn’t kidding when I said I only wear shorts and a t-shirt)

47. favorite type of cheese?

American

48. if you were a fruit, what kind would you be?

@grilledcheeseandguavajelly says "something unique but sweet but with a lot of depth to it, so like a kiwi or a honeydew or a prickly pear.”

49. what saying or quote do you live by?

Do no harm, but take no shit

50. what made you laugh the hardest you ever have?

Probably something my sister has said or done

51. current stresses?

So much. I lost my job recently, and there's just a lot going on in my life right now.

52. favorite font?

Can I pick people’s handwriting as my favorite font? I know it’s dumb.

53. what is the current state of your hands?

Well, I should use more lotion

54. what did you learn from your first job?

That the whole world is going to expect you to know things without you actually ever being taught those things

55. favorite fairy tale?

The Little Mermaid?

56. favorite tradition?

Getting cake for birthdays because I love cake

57. the three biggest struggles you’ve overcome?

Me, myself, and I

58. four talents you’re proud of having?

Writing, caring for others. I don’t know.

59. if you were a video game character, what would your catchphrase be?

Don’t fuck up

60. if you were a character in an anime, what kind of anime would you want it to be?

I don’t really have any anime knowledge

61. favorite line you heard from a book/movie/tv show/etc.?

“You want to tell her that there are between two hundred and four hundred billion stars in the Milky Way, but when you look up, you could only ever see, like, twenty five hundred of them. You are one of the ones that no one can see. She is one of the ones that’s even visible in the city.”

-The Moment by T.C. Anderson

Guys, this is my favorite book. I highly recommend checking it out.

62. seven characters you relate to?

Alice Macray, Maura Isles, Temperance Brennan, Regina Mills, Callie Torres, Olivia Benson, Rachel Stevens

63. five songs that would play in your club?

She’s a Rainbow, Free To Be You and Me, Defying Gravity, Goodbye Earl, Queen of the Silver Dollar.  My club would not be very cool.

64. favorite website from your childhood?

Webkinz

65. any permanent scars?

I cut the side of my thumb off with a pair of scissors once.

66. favorite flower(s)?

Zinnias, Passion flowers, sunflowers

67. good luck charms?

I don’t know that I have any?

68. worst flavor of any food or drink you’ve ever tried?

GRAPE

69. a fun fact that you don’t know how you learned?

I am so bad at thinking up answers on the spot. I’m sorry I suck at this.

70. left or right handed?

Right handed

71. least favorite pattern?

Any sort of animal pattern

72. worst subject?

Science

73. favorite weird flavor combo?

Peanut butter and chocolate on ritz crackers

74. at what pain level out of ten (1 through 10) do you have to be at before you take an advil or ibuprofen?

Depends on the type of pain. Headaches- I usually take it pretty soon, but for other things, I tend to wait.

75. when did you lose your first tooth?

I would assume kindergarten or first grade?

76. what’s your favorite potato food (i.e. tater tots, baked potatoes, fries, chips, etc.)?

fries

77. best plant to grow on a windowsill?

Flowers

78. coffee from a gas station or sushi from a grocery store?

Neither

79. which looks better, your school id photo or your driver’s license photo?

I no longer have a school ID, but that definitely looked better

80. earth tones or jewel tones?

Earth tones

81. fireflies or lightning bugs?

Fireflies sounds so much better, but I say lightning bugs

82. pc or console?

Console

83. writing or drawing?

Writing

84. podcasts or talk radio?

Podcasts

84. barbie or polly pocket?

Barbie

85. fairy tales or mythology?

Fairy tales

86. cookies or cupcakes?

Cupcakes

87. your greatest fear?

I’m going to be single and alone for my entire life 

88. your greatest wish?

To fall in love

89. who would you put before everyone else?

My sister

90. luckiest mistake?

I don’t know

91. boxes or bags?

Boxes

92. lamps, overhead lights, sunlight or fairy lights?

Fairy lights

93. nicknames?

Kat, Kate, Backpack

94. favorite season?

Winter

95. favorite app on your phone?

Tumblr

96. desktop background?

It’s a sunflower drawing

97. how many phone numbers do you have memorized?

Maybe 15-20?

98. favorite historical era?

I don’t know

[alexandria-guide]

How to SAVE CASH

My family and friends wouldn't hestitate to say that I enjoy spending money. I'm the first one to suggest shopping sprees, dining out, and heading to theaters for the lastest movie. However, recently, I realized I needed to be responsible with my money than I actually was. Saving money seemed daunting for me. It would be too complicated, too stressful, and overall meant I'd have to forfeit my guilty pleasures. It was a definite NO for me. But, when I started going over my accounts, I began to cut unnecessary bills, and indulgents. The extra money I was saving, I began setting it aside in my savings account. Below is a list of things I did, that might help you towards having some more money in your wallet!

1: Dine IN

I love restaurants. I love enjoying a meal out by myself or with family. And before the lockdown, I didn't realize how much I actually spend on dining out until then. I would eat out for lunch for work almost on a daily basis. Every Wednesday, I'd take my mom out to lunch or dinner. Sometimes both, to be perfectly honest. And that's normal for America. On average, Americans eat out about 4-5 times a week. An average restaurant meal is $12.75. That means that Americans spend $2,500 to $3,000 a  year on eating out. That also doesn't include drinks, taxes or tipping your server appriorately. 

I started a Pinterest account, pinning my favorite recipes. I started making more salads, eating more vegetables and trying different spices. I started eating more green, cutting out greasy foods, and heavy meals. Not only did my body start feeling better, my acne vanished, my energy levels became higher. My bank account also appreciated the change, saving $200+ a month!

2: Phone BILLS, BILLS, BILLS

Cellphones are a major part of our 21st lifestyle. But with that, also coming INSANELY high bills. The average American phone bill is around $70 dollars a month per individual in 2018 by JD Power. Depending the company that you're with, data isn't usually unlimited either. If you exceed a certaing GB of data, you're switched to a slower system or face extra charges on your bill. 

I decided I was exhausted of paying so much in phone bills. I decided I made a switch to StraightTalk. It's a No-Contract company, you can purchase phones from them, or you can bring your own phone. They provide different service plans, depending on what you need. Their highest service plan is only $60, working on Verizon, AT&T and Sprint networks. It provides you with the most cell coverage, the fastest network at the cheapest rates. You can easily save $10 to $95 dollars a month on your cellphone bill. Link to check it out.

3: FabFitFun Subscription

I'm a dedicated shopper. ESPECIALLY when it comes to makeup, skincare, and such. I spend UTTERLY too much in Sephora whenever I go in there. I swear, I make Sephora's daily budget when I go in there! And I'm not the only one. American women spend $313 on average every month on beauty and makeup. Some of that is, of course, neccessary makeup supplies we use daily. Another part of it is impulse purchases. I don't know HOW MANY TIMES I've walked into Ulta to purchase a $40 foundation, only to leave with new brush sets, the trendy moisturizer, and fancy highlighters. 

I decided to curb some of my excessive spending by subscribing to FabFitFun. Packed full of great skincare products, homewares, latest beauty brands, versatile clothing and so much more. All products are FULL-SIZE items, unlike other subscription boxes. It's a quartly subscription box, meaning you receive a box four times a year.

  You can pay either a seasonal fee of $49.99, or an annual fee of $179. You take a personalized test initially, so that each box is designed just for you. You can customize certain goodies to go inside your box. Every box is worth at least $200+. 

My recent summer box retailed for $310. I got moisturizers, vases, pillowcases, eye makeup and so much more! And I paid only 15% of the cost!

4: FREE Hobbies 

One of the reasons I spend a lot, is I love to cruise around stores and malls. I'd pop into TJ Maxx just for fun, only to leave with a $200 dollar bill of goodies I didn't really need. Buying can become an activity, as well as an addiction. I was spending money for the sake of spending it. So, to curb it,  I made a vow to myself to pick up other hobbies besides shopping. All these hobbies I started were free. I had tons of art supplies that I had from when I was a teenager, so I started making art. I also have a large book collection, and I began to reread some classical favorites! I took up tennis, a sport I hadn't done in FOREVER. And I've kept it up, saving at least $100+ a month on impulse purchases! 

I hope I helped! Message me to let me know what works for you to save money!

Much love,

Alex xx

[douchebagbrainwaves]

THE COURAGE OF PROJECT

Then when you start a startup anywhere. That's why mice and rabbits are furry and elephants and hippos aren't.1 The very design of the average site in the late twentieth century. He got a 4x liquidation preference. Google, it's hard to get into grad school in math. Can we claim founders are better off as a result of this new trend. Where you live should make at most a couple percent difference. But investing later should also mean they have fewer losers.

They make something moderately appealing and have decent initial growth.2 If you major in math it will be whatever the startup can get from the first one to write a paper for school, his mother would tell him: find a way to turn a billion dollar industry into a fifty million dollar industry, so much the better, if all fifty million go to you. The classic yuppie worked for a small organization. Before us, most companies in the startup funding business. The best way to get a big idea can take roost.3 4 or 5 million. This essay grew out of something I wrote for myself to figure out how to increase their load factors. But you can also apply some force by focusing the discussion: by asking what specific questions they need answered to make up their minds. This plan collapsed under its own weight.4 Startups happened because technology started to change so fast that big companies could no longer keep a lid on the smaller ones.

The only place your judgement makes a difference is in the industry.5 People who do great work, and it's a bad sign when you have a special word for that. One of the exhilarating things about coming back to Cambridge every spring is walking through the streets at dusk, when you can see into the houses. If you have steep revenue growth, say over 6x a year, no matter how many good startups approach him. Recently we managed to recruit her to help us run YC when she's not busy with architectural projects.6 This works better when a startup has 3 founders than 2, and better when the leader of the company in later rounds. I'm not saying you can get away with zero self-discipline.

We're not a replacement for don't give up. What you should not do is rebel. But while series A rounds from VCs. Someone who's scrappy manages to be both threatening and undignified at the same world everyone else does, but notice some odd detail that's compellingly mysterious.7 Even Tim O'Reilly was wearing a suit, a sight so alien I couldn't parse it at first. They can't tell how smart you are.8 The story about Web 2. Maybe one day the most important thing is to be learned from whatever book on it happens to be closest. This essay is derived from a keynote at FOWA in October 2007. They'll decide later if they want to raise.9

Sometimes it reached the point of economic sadism: site owners assumed that the more pain they caused the user, the more benefit it must be to them. It's cities that compete, not countries.10 Kids are curious, but the best founders are certainly capable of it. But investors are so fickle that you can fix for a lot of time on work that interests you, and don't just refuse to. But you have to be an insider.11 A key ingredient in many projects, almost a project on its own, is to step onto an orthogonal vector. So ironically the original description of the Web 2. Back when it cost a lot to like I've done a few things, like intro it to my friends at Foundry who were investors in Service Metrics and understand this model I am also talking to my friend Mark Pincus who had an idea like this a few years ago.12 0 seemed to mean was something about democracy. We didn't have enough saved to live on. There is another reason founders don't ask themselves whether they're default alive or default dead.13

So most investors prefer, if they wanted, raise series A rounds. They're unable to raise more money, and precisely when you'll have to switch to plan B if plan A isn't working. That doesn't mean the investor says yes to everyone. Miss out on what? It's so cheap to start web startups that orders of magnitudes more will be started. Investors evaluate startups the way customers evaluate products, not the way bosses evaluate employees. The bust was as much an overreaction as the boom.14 Startups are undergoing the same transformation that technology does when it becomes cheaper.15 Another way to fly low is to give them something for free that competitors charge for. After all, a Web 2.16 He bought a suit.

Instead you'll be compelled to seek growth in other ways. They all knew their work like a piano player knows the keys. But consulting is far from free money. They say they're going to get eliminated. What does it mean, exactly? If investors were perfect judges, the two would require exactly the same skills. And to be both good and novel, an idea probably has to seem bad to most people, or someone writes a particularly interesting article, it will show up there. The mere existence of prep schools is proof of that.17 So far the complete list of messages I've picked up from cities is: wealth, style, hipness, physical attractiveness wouldn't have been a total immersion. Don't just do what they tell you to do. But advancing technology has made web startups so cheap that you really can get a portrait of the normal distribution of most applicant pools, it matters least to judge accurately in precisely the cases where judgement has the most effect—you won't take rejection so personally. If raising money is hard.

There is no sharp line between the two types of startup ideas: those that grow organically out of your own life, and those that you decide, from afar, are going to get rarer. While some VCs have technical backgrounds, I don't know enough to say, but it happens surprisingly rarely.18 Most subjects are taught in such a boring way that it's only by discipline that you can never safely treat fundraising as more than a startup that seems like it's going to stop.19 It sounds obvious to say that you should worry? One reason startups prefer series A rounds? When I was in high school either. If you feel you've been misjudged, you can do. Google. Of course, someone has to take money from people who are young but smart and driven can make more by starting their own companies after college instead of getting jobs, that will change what happens in college.

Notes

Though they are themselves typical users. But it takes to get good grades in them to private schools that in three months, a valuation. Giving away the razor and making more per customer makes it easier to get them to stay in a time machine.

Apple's early history are from an angel investment from a mediocre VC.

In the beginning.

Plus ca change. But on the other.

And that is exactly the point of a stock is its future earnings, you now get to go behind the scenes role in IPOs, which allowed banks and savings and loans to buy it despite having no evidence it's for sale.

However, it will seem dumb in 100 years. Digg is Slashdot with voting instead of blacklist.

Sofbot.

I write out loud can expose awkward parts.

I've become a so-called signalling risk.

Hint: the way they have because they couldn't afford a monitor.

And it's particularly damaging when these investors flake, because there was a new search engine is low. They have no connections, you'll find that with a wink, to take care of one's markets is ultimately just another way in which income is doled out by Mitch Kapor, is to raise money after Demo Day, there would be easy to discount, but I'm not against editing. As one very successful YC founder told me they like the one hand and the exercise of stock options than any preceding president, he tried to shift back. At three months we can't believe anyone would think twice before crossing him.

Progressive tax rates has a significant startup hub. He, like speculators, that alone could in principle 100,000 sestertii apiece for slaves learned in the early adopters you evolve the idea is crack. As we walked in, we love big juicy lumbar disc herniation as juicy except literally.

It's sometimes argued that we didn't, they thought at least accepted additions to the modern idea were proposed by Timothy Hart in 1964, two years, it was cooked up by the National Center for Education Statistics, about 28%. I've come to accept that investors don't like the bizarre consequences of this essay talks about programmers, but I know of no Jews moving there, and should in some ways First Round excluded their most successful startups are competitive like running, not the original text would in itself deserving. This is not whether it's good enough at obscuring tokens for this type are also several you can't even claim, like play in a city with few other startups, because time seems to pass. Please do not try to avoid that.

This kind of people starting normal companies too. If Ron Conway had been raised religious and then using growth rate to manufacture a perfect growth curve, etc, and then a block or so.

But it is to trick admissions officers. I meant. The mere possibility of being harsh to founders. As he is at fault, since 95% of the class of 2007 came from such schools.

I started doing research for this purpose are still, as they are now. There was no more unlikely than it would be easier to say that it is dishonest of the next round, that suits took over during a critical point in the usual standards for truth. Wittgenstein: The French Laundry in Napa Valley.

It wouldn't cut their overall returns tenfold, because they wanted, so the best ideas, they mean statistical distribution. The original Internet forums were not web sites but Usenet newsgroups.

A doctor friend warns that even this can give an inaccurate picture. At some point, when the problems you have no idea what's happening till they also influence one another directly through the window for years while they think they're just mentioning the possibility is that in Silicon Valley. I find hardest to get rich by creating wealth—wealth that, isn't it? Look at those goddamn fleas, they have less money, the big winners aren't all that matters, just as if you'd invested at a famous university who is highly regarded by his peers.

Compromising a server could cause such damage that ASPs that want to pound that message home. He, like arithmetic drills, instead of blacklist.

Thanks to Tim O'Reilly, Peter Norvig, and the guys at O'Reilly for inviting me to speak.

[yeswevegotavideo]

Hi, my name’s (basically) Mercury

So @thegrandwilde​ asked me a question about my internet name, and I realized I’ve never actually explained the entire story of my name in context. Then I realized that, with context, it was an extremely long story, so I thought, “Why not make a whole post about it?” 

It is a long post. I don’t know if it’s an interesting post. It’s interesting to me, at any rate.

If you’re curious, or if you have any interest in etymology, especially the etymology of names, and of the reasons people name themselves, then read on, because I’m about to give a comprehensive account of why I’ve been Mercury on the internet for so long that, for quite a while now, I’ve honestly thought of it as my “real” name in a lot of ways.

So, I was a goth in 8th grade, a grunge-goth really. I was in 8th grade in '95/'96 so like...I basically didn't have a choice in being FUCKING OBSESSED with  grunge and alternative rock in general. And I was really into Courtney Love’s whole aesthetic at the time, so I sometimes did your standard, Riot Grrrl-style babydoll dresses with combat boots look, but also like, cut the hem off of my black hamper bag and wore it over a black slip and called it a skirt because fuck you, society, that’s why.

But the main reason I was a goth in 8th grade, is because in 8th grade, I had an enormous crush on Tara.

Tara was a goth girl who made friends with me just before summer break between 7th & 8th grade. We spent the summer hanging out, and she was kind, and friendly, and beautiful, and very protective of her friends (and especially of me) and within a month, I had a gargantuan crush on her. 

I had known I was bi since I was 11, when I basically came out to my mom (who, despite being kinda’ the worst in a lot of ways, was extremely liberal, and very accepting of my and my brother’s queerness, and of the gay community as a whole. Seriously, my mom was so liberal that my form of teenage political rebellion was being a centrist. God I’m glad I grew out of that shit. Anyway). But Western culture being what it was/is, I had little-to-no understanding of how to talk to, flirt with, or otherwise romantically interact with, girls I liked. That had not changed by 8th grade (honestly, in the ways that count, it has not changed, period). So I spent all of 8th grade pining over Tara, and Tara was the de-facto leader of the rocker girl clique (in the Sacramento suburbs in the 90s, you were either a “rocker” or a “rapper", and rockers did not associate with rappers and vice-versa, because the capital of California, one of the most (and for a few years running, THE most) diverse and integrated cities in the United States, was, and is, a racist, conservative hellscape, and I had way too much internalized racism to even look at rap music so...), and I was in her favor and under her protection. (Looking back, I’m fairly sure Tara had a crush on me too, so it really was your standard wlw standing around confusedly pining for each other in silence sort of situation.)

Which is why, when I came to school after missing a day, and she informed me that, “we all picked nicknames yesterday and there’s only two left, you can either be Mercury or Star,” I was not offended by her providing me with a list of approved nicknames that had been essentially picked clean already. I was, in fact, rather honored that I got to be one of the people who got a nickname at all. I associated Star with the character from the movie The Lost Boys, who I (rather misogynistically, I think now) found to be incredibly irritating.

So I chose Mercury.

That’s not the end of the story. That’s the beginning of the story. So like, buckle up lol.

So to rewind a bit, in 7th grade, I discovered Paganism. 

I was ostensibly raised atheist, but with an understanding that my spiritual beliefs were my own goddamn business and my parents weren’t going to make that kind of a decision for me (again, SUPER LIBERAL parents. To be clear, also SUPER ABUSIVE parents, but like, SUPER LIBERAL about it. Which like, growing up being taught that emotional expression is valid and anti-authoritarianism is cool, but also being punished for being a person with independent thoughts and emotions is...a whole other story. ANYWAY). 

I tried on Christianity for like, half a second, went to church with friends a couple of times, and 7-8 year old me was immediately like, “this is fuckin’ stupid, why did God kill Jesus, he’s God, he’s fucking omnipotent, he could just choose to forgive everybody at like, any time, nobody had to die, what a dick” and decided it wasn’t for me.

But I feel an inherent need for spirituality in-general, a kinship to it. When I played in the mud as a child, I was 100% one of the little girls mixing mud & grass & mint leaves with hose water and “making potions”. For hours.

And when I met a girl in 7th grade whose entire family was Wiccan, I was fascinated. So, it being 1994, I picked up a couple Silver Ravenwolf books and some Scott Cunningham and got to studying. (I know. I KNOW!!! I was 12, there was barely an Internet, it’s hyper-cringy, I get it, don’t judge me.)

The Wiccanism didn’t stick, but the Paganism sure did. (My “official” spiritual descriptor is, “Eclectic, non-denominational kitchen witch”. I worship no gods, but am happy to work with those who don’t require sustained devotion, and I’m pretty into fae lore. There’s also a bunch of personal spiritual belief stuff involving conceptual quantum and molecular physics, like, String Theory and the Multiverse Theory, and anthropological concepts about the power of language and story in human development involved, too. And I’m also very much a skeptic, it’s complicated. “I am vast. I contain multitudes.") 

And around Freshman year, while still figuring stuff out, I came upon the concept of having a magickal name. A secret name that one shares only with the gods or spirits when doing magickal work. And I already had Mercury, a name which was granted and then almost immediately forgotten, because we were 13 and had no fucking attention spans, and Tara moved away, and most of us didn’t even talk to each other anymore and...the name was, therefore, kinda’ perfect.

So I chose it for my ritual work. And then I noticed some weird coincidences. Like, I had a pagan calendar that listed stuff like moon phases and planetary motion, and it associated different planets with different days of the week. And the planet Mercury was associated with Wednesday, which has been my favorite day of the week for most of my life (oh wait, do you...not have a favorite day of the week? Is that just me? Anyway). And when I was in maybe 5th grade, I read this book that was pretty stupid and I didn’t even really enjoy, and I don’t even remember the title of, but it repeatedly used a symbol for “the mark of the devil” in its dumb ghost mystery or whatever, and as much as I disliked the book, I was instantly attracted to the symbol. It looked like this: ☿ I would draw it on things all the time, it was one of my go-to doodles. Guess what the alchemical symbol for Mercury turned out to be?  

So in 1999, when I got a computer that came with an Earthlink subscription, and I was really, truly introduced to the Internet for the first time (and not just like, AOL), there was really only one online handle I could see myself using. After all, I was anonymous, it wasn’t “really” telling people my magickal name if they didn’t know who I was, right? (And honestly, by that point I’d kind-of left that concept behind.) So I used Mercury. And whenever that was already taken, I’d use a combination of those nickname choices from 8th grade: Mercury Star, or Mercurystar. And that eventually evolved into Mercury Starlight. And that’s me! :D

It became my fanfic pseudonym (like almost immediately, because I discovered fanfic in the year 2000 and never looked back), and then on message boards or in forums, people would just, like, call me that. And over time, I really started to like it.

I’ve never liked or felt particularly connected to my given, IRL name. And I actually have a bunch of identity and dissociation issues tied up in it (whole other story, yet again), so like, sometimes hearing people use it makes me really fucking uncomfortable. Like, that’s not really a strong enough word for it. Like, I’ve honestly sometimes wondered if name dysphoria is a thing, like similar to gender dysphoria but like, for your name. I mean, though we most frequently associate the two, dysphoria isn’t actually unique to gender identity. It’s a somewhat generic psychological concept, actually. And names are pretty innately tied to identity and sense of self, and having a name that feels so incongruous with who I am that sometimes when people use it I literally feel physically ill, or depressed, or panicky, or get like, instantly turned off if somebody uses it during sex, like...honestly, that certainly sounds like a type of dysphoria to me. I don’t know.

But every single time somebody online calls me Mercury, I just...I absolutely love it. I light up. I feel seen. It’s...it’s just my fucking name, now, man.

Buuut, I don’t really have the guts to legally change it IRL. Not yet, anyway. We’ll see what the future holds. I don’t know, I think about even just casually asking friends to call me Mercury and just...cringe right the fuck up. It’s scary. What if people think it’s stupid? That I’m being silly? Lose respect for me? I know people change their names all the time, but like, that’s them. But for me? Scaaaary.

Anyway, that’s the story, and if you made it all the way to the end, like, thank you for listening?

[dragonnan]

Oh, I love these things!!!! Thank you for tagging me, @kitcat992!

1. At what age did you start writing fanfiction?

14 or 15.  This was back in the 80s, mind, so we had only JUST got our first computer - this beast called an IMB Zeos Clone.  Clunky, awkward, the only writing program was something along the lines of an ancient word processor.  After working through the gauntlet of online dialup I was faced with this nebulous “web” hunt and peck through these various shoddy sites.  HOW I discovered fanfic?  You know, I honestly cannot remember.  What I first remember reading was Star Wars and Star Trek.  The very first thing I started writing was a novel length Star Wars adventure based heavily on the published novels and featuring a self-insert Mary Sue.  Classic.  Took me 5 years to complete and I never posted it (though I still have it on hard disc lol). 

2. Who is your favorite author?

As others have stated, I have no single favorite.  I adore the writings of my bestie, SydneyWoo, in the Psych fandom - though she hasn’t written in years.  FAR too many to list, though, of other favorite Psych authors but you can find the list HERE.  For the MCU, I adoooore @kitcat992, @yellowdistress, @silentsaebyeok, and @sumpetals as well as several others.  For Sherlock one of my biggest faves is sgam76 - she is MAGIC the way she writes massive stories that heavily feature the contentious/caring relationship between Mycroft and Sherlock and she fleshes out that world like no other.  (plus her whump is decadent!!!).  Another Sherlock fave is @mizjoely - her Sherlock/Molly fics are meltingly glorious and pound the romance button hard!  

3. Favorite type of scene to write?

That oppressive anxiety-laden moment leading up to horror.  When the character is just coming to realize how bad their circumstances are about to become yet also knowing there is no escape.  

4. What is your favorite fanfic?

Holy hell, well again, this isn’t possibly a single answer as I have different fics I adore in different fandoms (and MANY besides!)!  I’ll do my best not to make this too long!!

Okay, so, Sherlock is maybe the easiest.  

Scheherezade by sgam76 Redemption by sgam76 Lost for Words by awanderingbard

MCU:

Identity Theft by KitCat992 A Sailor Went to Sea by YellowDistress youth by sumpetals (warning: reference noncon)

Psych (sorry, this one is looooong!):

I Don't Know How to Say Goodbye by Psychrulz And Then The World Blew Up by SydneyWoo Lingering Chill by s_c An Almost World by Oldach Dreaming A Whisper to the Living by Xparrot Fractures by VampKira Love Lasts Forever, but Sanity Has a Shelf Life by Redwolffclaw The Spencers of Santa Barbara: The Curse of Benitoite by JR88fan Jack and Jill Went Up the Hill by JR88fan A Funny Thing Happened On the Way Into Hell by Am_I_Zombie Hard To Believe It Will Be Okay by silverluna Happy Halloween by NoirCat Father Figures by Kirei  Fathers and Sons Felonious and Otherwise by Okapi Statement Time by NoirCat 

5. What tags do you avoid like the plague?

I really hate deathfic (yet DO have a few I’ve read but they were exceptions).  Save for Sherlolly (Sherlock/Molly) I pretty much avoid romance geared fic - especially non-canon pairings.  

I WILL NEVER READ CANON COMPLIANT ENDGAME FIC. FULL STOP.

If the fic lists Morgan Stark among the characters I will swipe left.

If the fic lists Starker I will light my computer on fire.

I rarely read au fic of any sort - I like my characters to be who they are with very few exceptions.

I don’t really care for crackfic.

I almost never read fic shorter than 1,000 words.  

6. What AU do you wish to write but feel like you won’t manage?

I currently AM writing an Endgame au - though not the actual events so much as referencing an alternate history.  This is a massive undertaking and will like take until the end of time to complete.

7. Do you outline, or write as you go?

Pretty much develop the story as I go.  I tend to have a broad sense of the story in my mind but mostly it’s an organic process that I build on as I go - adding tons of notes after every chapter.

8. What has been your favorite story to write so far? Why?

Oh, gosh...  Well, for Psych, it’s Where There is Wailing and Gnashing of Teeth; a cannibal/horror adventure that took me about 7 years to finish.  I love it because my favorite thing about writing Psych is to insert what we’ll NEVER see in that franchise - like cannibalism lol! Ok, yeah, they did that zombie episode but STILL it was just a dream so...  Anyhow, this fic was actually inspired by a dream my friend, SydneyWoo, had.  The research was straight up nauseating, not gonna lie.  However, I loved writing such a deviant character and it’s easily the worst whump I’ve ever inflicted on Shawn. 

For MCU it’s Simple Math; a Tony-centric introspective piece and the first story I every wrote for that fandom.  This story tries to unpack Tony’s feelings following Obie’s betrayal - something I’ve yet to find in fanfic that delves into it to my satisfaction.  While a one-shot it is 100% about Tony trying to figure out why Obie hated him.  There is very much a child-like confusion and loss to his emotions as I feel that has to be the greatest hurt caused by someone he’d thought was a friend (prior to Civil War).  Plus I had so many questions, myself, and wanted to work through them through Tony’s mind.   

For Sherlock, it’s the in-progress story, The Tiger and the Shark, a non-con whump/PTSD fic that, again, is the first fic I’ve ever written for this fandom.  Yet another fic dealing with a subject that other fics of this sort never satisfy with their handling.  Too often they are either too short or too graphic or may be well written but tend to move too fast towards recovery.  I wanted to explore the day to day details.  Some days are good, more days are bad - or numb - or frantic.  I wanted to see how other characters reacted - my favorite being Mycroft (criminally underused in fandom).  This story spans over a year (so far) so I don’t cut corners on the trauma.  It is 95% comfort and getting into Sherlock’s head, as he copes, has easily been, by turns, a wonderful as well as heart-wrenching experience.   

9. Do you prefer to write one-shots or multi-chapters? Why?

I try to write one-shots but always end up going multi-chapter.  I admit I LOVE multi-chapter because it allows me to truly develop the story properly and dig into character trauma.

10. What is your favorite kind of comment?

Like everyone else has said, it’s any comment that goes deep into analyzing my story.  I LOVE the opportunity to engage with a commentator and the more involved the comment, the easier it is to interact.

11. Why did you start writing fanfiction? Why are you still writing?

Even as a tiny childling I loved telling stories.  I was always writing little books about animals - sorta like the Serendipity tales.  How that suddenly turned towards fanfic I honestly can’t remember.  Most likely born from discovering fanfic and realizing there were things I wanted to see that wasn’t being provided by the shows and movies I watched aka whump.  

I continue to write fanfic because, the more I develop as a writer the more passionate I feel about my craft.  Sites like AO3 are hugely encouraging towards that end as there is a whole community of writers with which I’m honored to interact who keep feeding my love of story telling.  And since the fandoms I love, sadly, continue to disappoint with their stupid ass decisions I feel burdened with glorious purpose to put right what they made wrong.

ALRIGHT HERE ARE MY QUESTIONS

Haha! Psych!  It’s the same questions! I actually like them so I ain’t changing anything xD

Okay, damn.... So I need to tag ya’ll people.  Alrighty, here I go!  @disappearinginq @mizjoely @sumpetals @aelaer @iron--spider @yellowdistress @villaniouslyawesome

[viiavi]

Get to know me tag

3 more traits to add to the 3 that’s been on my profile for a long time now.

I was tagged by @galaxysuede​. Thank you!! ♥

I tag @ceechalla, @vvildhoneypie, @bloomlet, @naelu, @keysims, @shellywellylove, @nolan-sims, @a-kind-red, @simxiety, @frostsims21, @racingllama, @foursims and whoever else is interested!

1. WHAT IS YOUR FULL NAME? Jay

2. WHAT IS YOUR NICKNAME? Still Jay, lol

3. BIRTHDAY? Summer baby

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK SERIES? I don’t read as much as I used to, but growing up, I was a huge Goosebumps fan. Now, I’m waiting for the next book in the Song of Ice and Fire series

5. DO YOU BELIEVE IN ALIENS OR GHOSTS? Yes!

6. WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE AUTHOR? Now, idk. But as a child, I loved Mary Downing Hahn.

7. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE RADIO STATION?  I don’t have a favorite radio station, but I really enjoy 96.5 with Delilah because I’m an old fart

8. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FLAVOR OF ANYTHING? Coffee.

9. WHAT WORD WOULD YOU USE OFTEN TO DESCRIBE SOMETHING GREAT OR WONDERFUL? amazing

10. WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT FAVORITE SONG? "Evan Finds the Third Room” by Khruangbin

11. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WORD? Bamboozled.

12. WHAT WAS THE LAST SONG YOU LISTENED TO? Shades of Man by Khruangbin

13. WHAT TV SHOW WOULD YOU RECOMMEND FOR EVERYBODY TO WATCH? Parks & Rec is good, Breaking Bad, The Good Place.

14. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE TO WATCH WHEN YOU’RE FEELING DOWN? Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

15. DO YOU PLAY VIDEO GAMES? Yes! Not as much as I used to though

16. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR? Failure and loneliness

17. WHAT IS YOUR BEST QUALITY, IN YOUR OPINION? I’m a problem solver.

18. WHAT IS YOUR WORST QUALITY, IN YOUR OPINION? I lack patience

19. DO YOU LIKE CATS OR DOGS BETTER? Dogs 100%

20. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SEASON? Spring

21. ARE YOU IN A RELATIONSHIP? Yes!

22. WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU MISS FROM YOUR CHILDHOOD? Peace of mind/less responsibilities.

23. WHO IS YOUR BEST FRIEND? My boyfriend

24. WHAT IS YOUR EYE COLOR? Dark brown

25. WHAT IS YOUR HAIR COLOR? Dark brown

26. WHO IS SOMEONE YOU LOVE? My family, my boyfriend, my friends and my dogs

27. WHO IS SOMEONE YOU TRUST? Boyfriend, again. He is the only person I can truly be myself with

28. WHO IS SOMEONE YOU THINK ABOUT OFTEN? See above. Also, my family and my dogs.

29. ARE YOU CURRENTLY EXCITED ABOUT/FOR SOMETHING? Yes! I’m excited for a trip I’m going to soon!

30. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST OBSESSION? Coffee and video games

31. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW AS A CHILD? Sailor Moon, Are you Afraid of the Dark, All That

32. WHO OF THE OPPOSITE GENDER CAN YOU TELL ANYTHING TO, IF ANYONE? I think we already know this... starts with a B, ends with a D

33. ARE YOU SUPERSTITIOUS? I would like to say no, but I am

34. DO YOU HAVE ANY UNUSUAL PHOBIAS? Not really... all of mine are pretty common

35. DO YOU PREFER TO BE IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA OR BEHIND IT? Both!

36. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HOBBY? Gardening

37. WHAT WAS THE LAST BOOK YOU READ? Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

38. WHAT WAS THE LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? I don’t remember. I think a documentary about fragrances

39. WHAT MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS DO YOU PLAY, IF ANY? Violin

40. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ANIMAL? Orangutans

41. WHAT ARE YOUR TOP 5 FAVORITE TUMBLR BLOGS THAT YOU FOLLOW? Look at my blogroll for that.

42. WHAT SUPERPOWER DO YOU WISH YOU HAD? I would love telekinesis/telepathy. Or, the power to materialize anything you desire

43. WHEN AND WHERE DO YOU FEEL MOST AT PEACE? By the ocean, or when I’m gardening

44. WHAT MAKES YOU SMILE? I appreciate the small things in life, so I smile to a lot of things, and would be too tedious to list

45. WHAT SPORTS DO YOU PLAY, IF ANY? Tennis

46. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DRINK? Water, all the way.

47. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU WROTE A HAND-WRITTEN LETTER OR NOTE TO SOMEBODY? A month ago?

48. ARE YOU AFRAID OF HEIGHTS? Yes!

49. WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST PET PEEVE? Passive aggressiveness, though I am guilty of it myself sometimes

50. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO A CONCERT? Yes! The latest one I went to was Journey’s with my Madre

51. ARE YOU VEGAN/VEGETARIAN? No, I have to force myself to eat most veggies

52. WHEN YOU WERE LITTLE, WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP? A scientist

53. WHAT FICTIONAL WORLD WOULD YOU LIKE TO LIVE IN? Gonna go with Harry Potter world for this

54. WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU WORRY ABOUT? Finances and health.

55. ARE YOU SCARED OF THE DARK? I’m a little embarrassed to admit that yes, I still am.

56. DO YOU LIKE TO SING? Yes! No one is saying I’m good at it though, lmao

57. HAVE YOU EVER SKIPPED SCHOOL? Once, maybe? Idk, I actually liked school

58. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE ON THE PLANET? The beach!

59. WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO LIVE? A little town by the sea

60. DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS? Yup, I have 3 dogs

61. ARE YOU MORE OF AN EARLY BIRD OR A NIGHT OWL? For a long time, I considered myself a night owl, but now that I’m older, I think I’m leaning more towards early bird

62. DO YOU LIKE SUNRISES OR SUNSETS BETTER? Sunrises! I love walking on crisp mornings with the sun just starting to peak through the horizon

63. DO YOU KNOW HOW TO DRIVE? Yes! And I must say, it is BORING AF

64. DO YOU PREFER EARBUDS OR HEADPHONES? Headphones! Earbuds never stay in my ear

65. HAVE YOU EVER HAD BRACES? Yes, for four years

66. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE GENRE OF MUSIC? Not sure

67. WHO IS YOUR HERO? My mom! She is the most patient, caring, emphatic, talented and hard working person that I know. I strive to one day be as good of a person as her

68. DO YOU READ COMIC BOOKS? I used to. Me, Garfield and Archie Comics go way back

69. WHAT MAKES YOU THE MOST ANGRY? Intolerance

70. DO YOU PREFER TO READ ON AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE OR WITH A REAL BOOK? The real thing. Reading on a electronic device all day makes my head hurt

71. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SUBJECT IN SCHOOL? English and Microbiology

72. DO YOU HAVE ANY SIBLINGS? I have an older sister and brother

73. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU BOUGHT? A foot massager for my mom

74. HOW TALL ARE YOU? 160cm

75. CAN YOU COOK? Yes! But I don’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would

76. WHAT ARE THREE THINGS THAT YOU LOVE? Coffee, bouganvilleas, and bear hugs

77. WHAT ARE THREE THINGS THAT YOU HATE? People who litter, broken promises, and when people don’t give me a sufficient amount of time to do/prepare for something

78. DO YOU HAVE MORE FEMALE FRIENDS OR MORE MALE FRIENDS? Nowadays, I have more male friends

79. WHAT IS YOUR SEXUAL ORIENTATION? Straight

80. WHERE DO YOU CURRENTLY LIVE? The US.

81. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TEXTED? My sister

82. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Yesterday, while watching a documentary, lol

83. WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE YOUTUBER? Laura from Garden Answers, lol

84. DO YOU LIKE TO TAKE SELFIES? Nope.

85. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE APP? The calculator app, lol

86. WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR PARENT(S) LIKE? I’m definitely closer to my mother than I am to my father. My dad and I have had a strained relationship while I was growing up, but now that I’m out of the house, our relationship has gotten better.

87. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FOREIGN ACCENT? I love the Creole accent

88. WHAT IS A PLACE THAT YOU’VE NEVER BEEN TO, BUT YOU WANT TO VISIT? Too many places

89. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE NUMBER? 4 and 47

90. CAN YOU JUGGLE? I can juggle one ball

91. ARE YOU RELIGIOUS? Not really. But as I’ve gotten older, I feel a little bit more religious than I was before

92. DO YOU FIND OUTER SPACE OF THE DEEP OCEAN TO BE MORE INTERESTING? That’s a tough question, and definitely not one I can choose between. Both are really interesting

93. DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF TO BE A DAREDEVIL? Eh, sometimes

94. ARE YOU ALLERGIC TO ANYTHING? Dog dander

95. CAN YOU CURL YOUR TONGUE? No

96. CAN YOU WIGGLE YOUR EARS? Only when I also move my entire face

97. HOW OFTEN DO YOU ADMIT THAT YOU WERE WRONG ABOUT SOMETHING? Certainly not an easy thing to do, but I admit that I’m wrong most of the time

98. DO YOU PREFER THE FOREST OR THE BEACH? I love both! But I’m drawn to large bodies of water

99. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PIECE OF ADVICE THAT ANYONE HAS EVER GIVEN YOU? It’s on the tip of my tongue... tip of my tongue 😕

100. ARE YOU A GOOD LIAR? I don’t think so, lol

101. WHAT IS YOUR HOGWARTS HOUSE? Hufflepuff

102. DO YOU TALK TO YOURSELF? Yes, and I’m not afraid to admit it

103. ARE YOU AN INTROVERT OR AN EXTROVERT? I’m an introvert, but can be an extrovert when liquid courage is around

104. DO YOU KEEP A JOURNAL/DIARY? I used to

105. DO YOU BELIEVE IN SECOND CHANCES? Yes, wholeheartedly

106. IF YOU FOUND A WALLET FULL OF MONEY ON THE GROUND, WHAT WOULD YOU DO? Pick it up, look around, call out and probably mail it back to the person who lost it

107. DO YOU BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE ARE CAPABLE OF CHANGE? Yes! Everyone is capable of change. Though the rate of growth varies greatly from individual to individual, so the amount of change you may hope to see is often not what you get. Giving people second chances and wanting to grow takes a lot of time and patience.

108. ARE YOU TICKLISH? Certainly

109. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ON A PLANE? Yes, and I hate them

110. DO YOU HAVE ANY PIERCINGS? My ears

111. WHAT FICTIONAL CHARACTER DO YOU WISH WAS REAL? Let’s go with Captain America with this one, idk

112. DO YOU HAVE ANY TATTOOS? Yes, I have 2!

113. WHAT IS THE BEST DECISION THAT YOU’VE MADE IN YOUR LIFE SO FAR? Cutting toxic people from my life

114. DO YOU BELIEVE IN KARMA? Yes, definitely

115. DO YOU WEAR GLASSES OR CONTACTS? I do, though, my simself aint wearing any

116. DO YOU WANT CHILDREN? Absolutely

117. WHO IS THE SMARTEST PERSON YOU KNOW? My boyfriend is one of the smartest people I know

118. WHAT IS YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING MEMORY? I took my dog to the groomer’s and she asked for my dog’s name, and brain kept glitching and making my mouth say “Boner”

119. HAVE YOU EVER PULLED AN ALL-NIGHTER? Who hasn’t?

120. WHAT COLOR ARE MOST OF YOU CLOTHES? Black

121. DO YOU LIKE ADVENTURES? YES!! I love spontaneity

122. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ON TV? I don’t think so

123. HOW OLD ARE YOU? 31

124. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE? “Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one” - Bruce Lee

125. DO YOU PREFER SWEET OR SAVORY FOODS? Savory.

[puckgoodfaggot]

Odds!

Ah, so many! I’m gonna throw this under a readmore so it doesn’t clog up people’s dashes!

1. coffee mugs, teacups, wine glasses, water bottles, or soda cans?

mugs!

3. bubblegum or cotton candy?

bubblegum for sure

5. do you prefer to drink soda from soda cans, soda bottles, plastic cups or glass cups?

i guess from the can? i don’t have serious opinions on this

7. earbuds or headphones?

earbuds, although i’ve had to use headphones for a while because my tragus piercing made earbuds a non-option

9. favorite smell in the summer?

this mixture of sun screen and chlorine pools! i looooove that smell

11. what you have for breakfast on an average day?

i’m a simple man; i eat boring cereal.

13. lanyard or key ring?

keyring. in high school i used a carabiner 

15. favorite book you read as a school assignment?

oooooh.... i really loved the mayor of casterbridge by thomas hardy but also i had a blast reading the blithedale romance by nathaniel hawthorne. i read a LOT of books i loved, actually. but i was an english major, sooooo.

17. most frequently worn pair of shoes?

it used to be my leather converse but i’ve been wearing my white adidas a lot lately

19. sleeping position?

i toss and turn, i think. i have no idea how i usually sleep. you’d have to ask one of the people who has shared a bed with me to know.

21. obsession from childhood?

pokemon, tbh. also the beatles.

23. strange habits?

uhh... i only ever paint the nails on my left hand, i twirl my tragus piercing when i’m bored, i like to just make noises when it’s quiet because adhd brain says Need Stimulus. my roommate says that when i cook, i forget to put things away and also that i never know where my keys are and also that i watch “an unusual amount of cooking videos”.

25. first song you remember hearing?

hm... i genuinely don’t know. my parents are both into music so i’ve had it playing around me my whole life and i can’t really think what the first song i remember is.  

27. favorite activity to do in cold weather?

tubing and ice skating are fun!! also just like. sitting inside and being Cozy.

29. best way to bond with you?

probably just by talking about like, tolkien, shakespeare, d&d, or the kind of literary critical analysis that i like.

31. what outfit do you wear to kick ass and take names?

probably this one.

33. most used phrase in your phone?

probably a keysmash or “lmaoooooo”

35. average time you fall asleep?

usually before midnight, if not eleven

37. suitcase or duffel bag?

suitcase for sure

39. lemon cake or lemon meringue pie?

lemon meringue pie!

41. last person you texted?

blake!! we’re making plans to hang out while i’m in town!

43. hoodie, leather jacket, cardigan, jean jacket or bomber jacket?

leather jacket

45. which genre: sci-fi, fantasy or superhero?

fantasy, of course

47. favorite type of cheese?

goat cheese omg i miss it so much but i’m lactose intolerant 

49. what saying or quote do you live by?

“even darkness must pass. a new day will come. and when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer [...] there is some good in this world, and it's worth fighting for.” - samwise gamgee 

51. current stresses?

some Secrets i have to keep (not bad ones; just Surprises) and also i’m moving to a new country and starting a grad program soon and also the general emotional stress of going through a breakup.

53. what is the current state of your hands?

they have cookie crumbs on them bc i’m eating cookies

55. favorite fairy tale?

when i was little i loved “the twelve dancing princesses”.

57. the three biggest struggles you’ve overcome?

i’m trans, so like. coming out, probably.

59. if you were a video game character, what would your catchphrase be?

“huff my shorts” for when i win and “fuck me sideways/running” when i lose

61. favorite line you heard from a book/movie/tv show/etc.?

see number 49

63. five songs that would play in your club?

uhhh.... boum boum boum by mika, oh! valencia by the decemberists, make me feel by janelle monae, cut to the feeling by carly rae jepsen, and be mean by dnce

65. any permanent scars?

technically i have scars around my nipples from top surgery but you can’t see them, sooo. just the scarring from my acne, i guess!

67. good luck charms?

i don’t really have any!

69. a fun fact that you don’t know how you learned?

oh, god, i don’t know! i remember where all of my fun facts come from!

71. least favorite pattern?

i don’t like whatever the fuck vera bradley does.

73. favorite weird flavor combo?

i don’t know, maybe chicken nuggets in frosties?? but like, lots of people do that. i feel like if my roommates were still down here i could ask them and they would tell me what i eat that’s weird, but i can’t think of anything off the top of my head.

75. when did you lose your first tooth?

i have no clue.

77. best plant to grow on a windowsill?

oh i am not the person to ask this. i have problems keeping plants alive because my cats always attack and eat them.

79. which looks better, your school id photo or your driver’s license photo?

driver’s license, probably

81. fireflies or lightning bugs?

they’re the same thing??? but i call them lightning bugs

83. writing or drawing?

writing! i’m a terrible artist.

85. fairy tales or mythology?

fairy tales

87. your greatest fear?

losing everyone i love

89. who would you put before everyone else?

um... i don’t know! certainly not myself; i’m at the bottom of the priority list, which is something my therapist and i are working on lmao.

91. boxes or bags?

boxes? i don’t know, this is so vague?

93. nicknames?

kam, kamster (my dad calls me that), kammunist propoganda (my brother calls me that)

95. favorite app on your phone?

aside from like, social media apps, i like the solitaire apps i have a lot

97. how many phone numbers do you have memorized?

mine, my best friend’s, my mom’s cell, my home’s landline, my dad’s cell. so five, i guess!

[woildismyerster]

Could you do a little fic where the reader and Davey are like neighbors who have never met and they keep getting each other’s really weird mail (like the most random stuff) and they can’t figure out where it’s coming from? Until they finally meet? I saw this on a prompt list somewhere and loved it but forgot about it till now! (Plus I love your writing, so I know you’ll do it amazingly)

You jogged up the stairs to your apartment, grinning as you shuffled through your mail.  There was something amazing about it - you lived in an apartment, and you had a key to your mailbox, and how grown up was that?

Maybe not grown up, if you were still excited about it, but still.  You had only just moved out of your parents’ place, so it was okay to be dazzled for a little while longer.

You frowned at one of the envelopes, pausing on the steps.  This one wasn’t for you.  It wasn’t for your roommate.  The mailman must have made a mistake.  This was for David Jacobs, and you had no idea who that was.

You should run it back down to his mailbox.

Your calves burned from running up so far already.

You should really run it back to his mailbox.

His apartment number was only a floor below yours; it was practically on your way.

You didn’t go back downstairs.

You slid the envelope under his door before going home, and promptly forgot all about it.  

It was difficult for Davey to balance his mail, his coffee, and the door to his apartment, but he always managed.  His hand cradled the bottom of his cup, his chin held the top of it down, and he only thought he would lose it one time while he wobbled over to his kitchen table.

A letter from a National Honors Society, hoping that he would pay $95 for some stupid pin that would show that he had a high GPA.  As if.

A catalogue for dorm living, since apparently the university refused to get normal beds that didn’t need custom sheets.  

A postcard from Jack, who appeared to be enjoying his year long internship in California.

He frowned at the envelope at the very bottom.  That wasn’t his insurance company.  He scanned the address and relaxed.

Though nobody was there to see him, he gave a satisfied nod.  It was addressed to Y/N L/N.  He didn’t know why he was always getting your mail, but it happened at least once a week.  He always slid it into the correct mailbox, though he knew that it would be faster to run it up a floor and slide it into your apartment.  He was always a little worried that you would open the door, or arrive just as he slid it in, and he would have a face to go with the name.

He liked the haziness of it all.  He liked basing what he knew about his mystery neighbor on the mail he saw.  He knew that the two of you went to the same college.  He knew that you bought stuff online sometimes.  Sometimes, on days when Davey was lonely or bored, he would run his fingers along the edges of the packages that were given to him by mistake so he could guess what was inside.

Books, sometimes.

Clothes.

Sometimes they came in boxes, and he was left to imagine what you could be getting.  It was a pointless game, since he had no reason to know a thing about you, but it passed the time.

Maybe you collected things, like comic books or first edition books.  Maybe you had a friend in another country, and the boxes were full of gifts and foods that the friend wanted to share.  Maybe his neighbor was a smuggler, and the packages held illegal cargo.

He pushed the envelope through the mail slot and went back upstairs, hedging bets with himself about when he would get your mail again.

You had made a mistake, and you felt absolutely sick about it.  

You got David’s mail again, not that it was anything out of the usual.  This time, however, you didn’t notice that it wasn’t yours.  You had been waiting for one of your textbooks to come in the mail, after all, so when you saw that the package had come from the right company, you didn’t check to see if it came to the right apartment.

You held the history book tightly in your hands, worrying your lip.  What should you do now?  The right thing to do, obviously, was to go to his place and return it in person.  Apologize profusely, and hope that he didn’t hate you for the rest of always.

You weren’t sure that you wanted to do the right thing.  It wasn’t that you weren’t planning to give it back, of course.  A textbook like this surely cost over a hundred dollars.  If you kept it just to save face, he would probably be wrecked.  Buying textbooks was one of the hardest blows your bank account ever took.  No, you would return it.  You just didn’t think that you could face him in the process.

If he yelled at you, you would probably cry, and then you would have to move to Montana or Idaho or someplace equally empty.  Maybe you would join an Amish community and change your name to something different and Biblical and change your entire life to escape that one time a guy yelled at you for opening his mail.

No, you would put it back in the box.  You taped the box closed and frowned down at it.  It had clearly been opened already; the cardboard was frayed and weak.  You grabbed a piece of paper and scrawled a note to tape onto the box.

Mr. Jacobs,

I accidentally opened your box.  I was expecting a similar one, and I didn’t check to see that it was mine.  I am the worst.  Sorry.

Y/N L/N

You hung the package in a plastic bag from his doorknob and left, praying that he would never say a thing about it.  If he came and knocked on your door, you wouldn’t even know it was him until he railed you out.

Davey kept the note.  It wasn’t weird or anything; it rested on his table with other loose pieces of paper.  It wasn’t weird, he told himself, because it lived among receipts and forgotten letters and quick notes he had left for himself about paying bills and calling his mother.  

He looked at it sometimes when he got your mail again, if only to compare the handwriting to the mail you should have gotten.  By the time it occurred to him that maybe it didn’t match, that maybe you weren’t how he had learned to imagine you, it was already you.  

Y/N,

Don’t worry about the book.  It doesn’t seem any the worse for wear.

Davey

You grinned at the note.  His name was Davey.  His name was Davey, he wasn’t mad, and he wrote you back.  If life was a romantic comedy, this would be the point where the two of you started your descent into falling in love.

Then again, if this was a romantic comedy, it was likely that the two of you had already met.  You could not think of any men you knew that you would hope was on the other side of the pen, let alone a man named Davey.  Maybe it was better to leave it here, with an apology and an acceptance.

Then again, you thought as you gazed at a postcard that was not meant for you, it was only worth cutting your losses when you liked what you had and had something to lose.  You wanted more and had nothing to lose, so why stop?

Davey gaped at a sticky note on Jack’s postcard.  He shouldn’t have been as surprised as he was - you had written him a note with the textbook, after all, why not with a postcard? - but he had trouble processing the sight of your writing next to Jack’s.

Tell your friend to send wine.

You hadn’t signed your name, but he knew it was yours.  He put the note next to the first one, telling himself that it wasn’t weird.  The next time he got mail that should have been yours, he scrawled a reply.

Y/N,

Awfully bold of you to assume he wants to buy you a drink.

Davey

Davey,

Awfully bold of you to assume that I wasn’t expecting you to buy the wine.

Y/N

Y/N,

You opened my package.  If either of us should be paying, it ought to be you.

Davey

Davey,

I would never buy myself a drink if I can get a boy to buy me one.

Y/N

You were almost more excited to find mail that wasn’t yours than mail that was, these days.  You loved getting responses from Davey, of course, but you spent a lot of time imagining what you would write to him.  Jokes about mail he got, about something witty he said earlier on, about other people in the building that he was sure to have seen.

The only hard part - when had it gotten easy to write to him?  A long time ago, maybe - was stopping yourself from taking the flirtation too far.  Flirting was all well and good, but at what point does it become too serious?  How friendly can you get before you’re expected to meet him for real?

He made you smile, and you liked that.

What if he wasn’t like the notes?  It was easy to be clever when you didn’t have to respond immediately.  He had hours, days, to figure out what he wanted to say to you.  Maybe he wasn’t the same to talk to.

You hardly noticed when boys flirted with you now, since the only banter you were waiting for was with a boy who may not have the chance to respond for days, weeks.

What if he was old?  You always pictured him at about your age, since he went to the same school, but what if he was a middle aged man that decided to go back to college?  What if he was mean, or gross, or leered at you until you wanted to take six showers and move out of the building?

What if he was perfect, and meeting him was the greatest thing you could possibly do?

Y/N,

You’ve been buying a lot of books lately.

Davey

Davey,

If you’re judging me for it, I think you and I are over.

Y/N

Y/N,

As if.  You should lend me one.

Davey

It wasn’t weird for Davey to keep a pile of your notes, but it was normal for a different reason now.  He kept an envelope of them stuck to his fridge now, where he could comb through them to reference a conversation long since lost.  It was normal because, oddly enough, the two of you were friends.

He didn’t know the color of your hair, but he knew that you always ordered clothes a little too big because you were scared they would shrink in the wash.

You didn’t know how tall he was, but he sometimes let Les write you notes under his own.

He didn’t know what your smile was like, but he knew about the classes that stressed you out while you studied for midterms.

He would never be able to pick you out in a crowd, but he would know your mind above all others.

Sometimes it didn’t feel like enough, but your opinion of him was one of the only things he didn’t know.

Y/N,

Are you going to the tree lighting ceremony?

Davey

You froze when you read his note.  For all you knew, he was just wondering.  It could have been that he wanted to know about your Christmas traditions.  Maybe it was small talk.

Maybe he wanted to meet you there.

You definitely wanted to meet him there.

Davey,

Of course.  You?

Y/N

Davey felt absolutely sick while he suggested that the two of you meet up.  He could barely eat while he waited for you to write back.  Why didn’t the two of you ever write notes without waiting for a mail mix up?  He had liked the anticipation up until now, and he liked the tradition of it, but now he wasn’t sure his heart would take it.  If you said no, he wasn’t sure he could bear the idea of writing back and forth with no hope of conclusion.

Davey,

You should buy me a drink.

Y/N

Y/N,

Awfully bold of you to assume that I wasn’t expecting you to take me out.

Davey

Davey,

Why would I buy my own drink when I can get you to buy one for me?

Y/N

You couldn’t tell if you were shaking because of the cold, or because of the nerves.  It hardly mattered.  The important thing was that there was a crowd of people, and Davey was probably in there somewhere.  There was a crowd of people, and you didn’t know who he was.

He would be wearing a black hat and a blue scarf.

If he was an old man, how would you play it off?  Maybe you could pretend it had all been friendly.  He would have to be pretty senile, but maybe you could pull it off.

Black hat, blue scarf.

You liked to think that it wouldn’t matter how attractive he was, but you couldn’t guarantee it.  It was easy to say that looks didn’t matter when you imagined him being perfect.

Black hat, blue -

You locked eyes with a boy in a black hat and blue scarf.  You felt his gaze whip over you, taking in the clothes you had promised to wear in return.  His cheeks had been pink from the cold, but they paled a bit now.  He walked toward you, and your stomach flipped.

“Y/N?”  He had a nice voice.  “I’m Davey.”

You smiled shakily.  “Nice to meet you.”

His smile was nervous, and you knew that he was thinking the same thing as you - how do you talk to somebody who you both know and don’t know?  Where do you even start?

You dug through your bag.  “I brought you something.”

“Oh - you didn’t have to -”

You held a book out to him, and he gazed at it with surprise.  “Stop judging me about buying a bunch of books.  I can share.”

“I guess it’s a trade, then,” he said.  He pulled an envelope out of his pocket.

It was a letter from school, addressed to you.  You gaped at it.  “Our mailman in the worst.”

“He messes everything up,” Davey agreed.  “It worked out pretty well for us, though.”

“As if,” you snorted.  You hurried to finish before the surprise on Davey’s face could shift to disappointment.  “If it had worked out well, Jack would have sent me wine.”

He laughed, and it was as nice as his voice.  A nice laugh, a nice voice, and a nice face.  The mailman had done you a favor.  “You’re so needy.”

“And you’re so bad at providing,” you sighed.  Even when he wasn’t smiling, his eyes were bright.  His eyebrows were raised in an expression of perpetual surprise; he was as pleased and bewildered to be meeting you as you were with him.  You could hear the letters in the way he talked.  “Look at me, stuck in the cold, with no drinks in sight.”

Davey grabbed your hand and led you toward a restaurant, not bothering to let go when you got out of the worst of the crowd.  “Okay, so I have to tell you about what Les did last week.”

The next time the mail was mixed up, you took it to Davey directly.  A few years later, the mailman stopped messing it up.  After all, it’s difficult to give two people the wrong mail when they have the same address.

[deathby-discozombies]

A little more about ME

1. If you could buy any type of food what would you buy?

-right at the moment I would have to say cheese fries and wings from the hood store where I used to live.

2. What color is your tooth brush?

-magenta

3. If you could be any animal what would it be and why?

-a kangaroo, they have strong ass legs and I have a few people I would like to kick the shit out of

4. What is one of the things you would put on your “bucket” list?

-travel to Greece

5. Who is your favorite super hero and why?

-I'm more of a villian fan tbh. My favorite is Heath Ledger as the Joker

6. Who do you admire the most?

-my mom

7. What is your favorite summer activity?

-swimming

8. If a movie was made of your life what genre would it be, who would play you?

-I feel like they would ruin my life story and try to make it a lifetime movie or some shit. And some skinny bitch would be horrible at capturing my essence and thickness lol

9. If you could be any flavor of ice cream what ice cream flavor would you be and why?

-brownie batter, because I'm chocolate and chunky

10. Who is your favorite cartoon character and why?

-Tina Belcher, she's awkward and misunderstood. She just wants to be loved for who she is

11. If you could go any where in the world where would you go and why?

-Greece, because it is breathtakingly beautiful

12. What is your dream job?

-author of a best selling book series

13. Are you a morning or a night person?

-nightowl #vamplife

14. What is your favorite hobby?

-crafting or watching horror movies

15. What is one thing that annoys you the most?

-people who judge other people because they don't agree with their life choices

16. What is the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten?

-olives and nutella when I was pregnant with my youngest daughter

17. What is your favorite thing about someone in your family?

-they are unapologetically themselves no matter what

18. What is one of your weird quirks?

-I'm awkward?

19. Describe your self in 3 words.

-GIVES. NO. FUCKS

20. If you could trade lives with anyone for a day who would it be and why?

-my youngest daughter, because she is still so young and oblivious to how fucked up the world is. And I'm tired of being an adult

21. If you could talk in your sleep what would you say?

-I do talk in my sleep and I say random shit. I wake myself up sometimes

22. What is the first thing you do when you get up in the morning?

-kiss my baby girl

23. What is your favorite movie quote?

-You is kind. You is smart. You is important.

Annnnnndddd: ENGLISH MOTHERFUCKER! DO YOU SPEAK IT?!

24. What is your favorite joke?

-how do you make a tissue dance? You put a little boogie in it.

25. What would you do on Mars for fun?

-Fuck martians, get money

26. If you could get yourself anything, what would you get?

-the will to live 😂😂😂 nah but seriously, a billion dollars

27. Where is the worst place you could get stuck?

-anywhere with my ex

28. What would you do with your “15 minutes” of fame?

-be too afraid to say anything

29. Where would you go if you where invisible?

-a bank vault

30. What is your favorite flavor of “Berty Bots every flavored beans”.

-watermelon

31. What is the one thing you own you wish you didn’t?

-a cell phone

32. Describe the perfect kiss in 3 words.

-Passionate. Long. French.

33. What is your biggest addiction?

-it was weed. Now, I guess it's my phone

34. Do you have a song that reminds you of a relationship if so what song?

-3005 by Childish Gambino

35. How many books have you read so far this year?

-zero and that makes me really sad

36. When I dance, I look like…?

-like a hot mess

37. Who have you met that you wish you hadn’t?

-any dude I've ever fucked

38. If you were famous what would you be famous for?

-writing

39. What is the worst job you could have?

-call center. I hated all the call center jobs I've had

40. What is your favorite T.V. channel?

-I don't really have a favorite channel

41. What is the thing your most afraid of?

-losing my mom or my kids

42. If you could paint anything what would you paint?

-a galaxy far away

43. What celebrity annoys you the most?

-any of the Kardashian's

44. What is the most interesting thing you have in your purse/wallet?

-my keychains

45. What is the meanest thing you’ve ever said to someone?

-I don't care what happens to you anymore, you're someone else's problem now.

46. If you could get a yacht what would you call it?

-Rocket Juiceboxx

47. What is your life long dream?

-for me and my family to never ever have to struggle financially again

48. If you could talk to the President what would you talk about?

-I'd only want to talk to Obama, Trump can kiss my natural black ass

49. Have you ever tried to do something you know you would be really bad at, what was it?

-riding a bike. Which I cannot do btw

50. On a scale of 1 to 10 how “cool” are you?

-10, duh

51. What is the best advantage to being really tall?

-I wouldn't know

52. How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?

-it depends on what I'm getting ready for

53. What is the one thing you have always wanted to do?

-runaway and start over where no one knows me

54. What TV sitcom family would you be a member of?

-Black-ish but only because I would be the one who would need to put Dre in his place.

55. What store do you shop at the most?

-Kroger lol

56. What new technology will transform the future?

-none of it, technology will be the future's downfall

57. What supply in your house is running low?

-patience

58. If you could be any nationality what would it be?

-uhhhhh..... Egyptian???

59. What is the most delightful word you can think of?

-fuck 🤷

60. What is your least favorite beverage?

-beer 😷😷

61. What is the first thing you notice about the opposite sex?

-if they have a nice beard

62. If you were stranded on a tropical island what 2 things would you want with you?

-fresh water and a fucking boat!

63. What is the first thing you notice about someone when you first meet?

-their vibe

64. If you where running for office what would your campaign slogan be?

-I know some of these words!

65. What was your favorite book growing up?

-The Napping House

66. What city in America should not be included on a map, why?

-Roanoke, Va. Because it's a piece of shit

67. What compliment does people give you the most?

-I have a beautiful smile

68. What word would you add to the dictionary if you could, what would it mean?

-shizzle dizzle fizzengarr it's a cool way to say "shit"

69. What product would you refuse to promote?

-Iphones

70. What is your favorite pet’s name?

-Zero, RIP Old man 😭

71. Use one word to describe your computer ability?

-proficient

72. If your plane was about to crash, who would you want sitting next to you?

-nobody, I wouldn't want someone I know to die with me

73. Which of the presidents was your favorite?

Obama

74. How long of a consecutive time have you spent in a car?

-5 hours

75. What is your favorite Halloween costume?

-when me and my oldest went as zombie nerds. It was our own "revenge of the nerds"

76. How can you tell if some one is a nerd?

-wtf kind of question is that?

77. If you could teach any grade or subject what would it be?

-kindergarten art

78. What fashion trend do you just not get?

-cowboy boots and dresses/skirts/shorts. Or fucking Crocks

79. If you where a wicked tyrant what country would you rule?

-France

80. What is the lowest grade you have ever been given what class was it for?

-like a 35 and it was probably chemistry or algebra

81. If you could choose your nickname what would it be?

-Rain

82. What is your best feature?

-my smile (when it's real)

83. If you could swim in any liquid what would it be and why?

-and not get hurt or die? Lava maybe? I think that'd be cool

84. What is the song you hear most often?

-Baby shark, Carl Poppa, Ew by Jimmy Fallon and Will.i.am, and Perm by Bruno Mars

85. What have you done that you are most proud of?

-divorced my ex. I got out of an emotionally abusive relationship and I'm raising my two daughters by myself

86. How many keys do you have on your key ring?

-4?

87. What is your favorite song?

-Peace sign/Index Down by Gym Class Heroes and Busta Rhymes

88. How old where you when you had the worst hair cut ever what style was it?

-I don't get hair cuts

89. What advice did you get that was the most rewarding?

-know your worth

90. If you could change one thing about your looks what would it be?

-grow 3 more inches

91. What is your least favorite type of music?

-country

92. If you where a super hero what would your powers be?

-shape shifting, mind reading, compulsion, and super strength

93. What fortune would you want to get from a fortune cookie?

-Your soul mate will find you within the month

94. What is one food you wouldn’t want to give up?

-burgers

95. If you won a million dollars what would you buy?

-a big house

96. If you had access to a time machine where and when would you go?

-whenever and wherever Woodstock was

97. If you could add a person to Mount Rushmore who would it be, why?

-Barack Obama

98. If you could win any award what would it be, why?

-I'm not sure to be honest

99. If you could teleport where would you go, why?

-to the bathroom because I need to pee right now but I don't want to move

100. What was your favorite cartoon growing up?

-Rugrats

[precisionpiner]

Treasured book

Treasured book Patch#

Still living with hair loss and tired of seeking alternative hair solutions, I decided to make a positive change and start Treasured Tress. The list goes on.The best words I can use to describe how I felt were Unimportant and "ICKY", these are not feelings you should experience while trying on wigs. Was privacy so unimportant that a storage room was required? I left empty handed, feeling deflated. Being led to a storage room when I requested privacy. Being on display in a salon chair and assured my privacy was the greatest importance, while the shop owner chatted up other clients entering the store. Being video recorded, trying on wigs in a room where anyone could walk in. A custom human hair wig at $3000 in 1998, that took 3 months to arrive, only to be hacked off to look terrible. Over the years, I have been taken advantage of and experienced multiple undignified experience. I told myself ugly stories of unworthiness, nonacceptance, self loathing and isolation.Īt the time I lost my hair, Halifax was a barren ground for wigs my choices were limited to a few options and not great for a 27 year old, new to total hair loss. The day I shaved my head, my almost two-year old stopped talking to me for two weeks! He would come to me for needs, but would not acknowledge me as "Mommy" nor look at me in a loving manner. I made the huge life altering decision to shave my head AND it came at a great cost. Instead of styling the minimal hair left on my head in a terrible comb over. It was painful and noneffective.īy 27, I was coping with severe postpartum depression and major hair loss. The suggested best course of action was to have multiple cortisone shots in my head. I was referred to a top dermatologist who diagnosed me with Alopecia Areata (an autoimmune disorder/disease that causes one's body to fight it's own hair follicles, which results in hair loss). That dime grew to a quarter, a loonie, a toonie then eventually 95% of my head was in hair loss stage. I was in shock and began to cry! My perfect mane was flawed! I immediately blamed my hairdresser for gouging my hair, then he took my hand to feel the smooth, barren spot.

Treasured book Patch#

It was a hot August afternoon that I decided to have my hair cut short, and I heard words ( I will never forget), "There's a dime sized bald patch at the base of your hairline, I can't cut your hair any shorter". I was 25 in my prime and of course, I had a beautiful mane of hair. In 1995, pregnant with my son, I was feeling healthy, beautiful, young and strong.

[beccaboosthings]

1-99 for the random asks 😂💛

This is long so its below the cut 💖

1: 6 of the songs you listen to most?

(In no specific order) Crush-Tessa Violet, Choke-IDKHBTFM, Still Waiting-Sum 41, I Write Sins-P!ATD, Addicted-Simple Plan, Human-dodie

2: If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?

Does my gf count? Even tho we have only met in person once?

3: Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 23, give me line 17.

“You again?” Jared says (page 23 doesn’t have 17 lines so i continued onto the next page)

4: What do you think about most?

My Gf

5: What does your latest text message from someone else say?

“I love you from” my gf

6: Do you sleep with or without clothes on?

With

7: What’s your strangest talent?

I can do this

8: Girls… (finish the sentence); Boys… (finish the sentence)

Girls are perfect. Boys are hot too. I’m v bi

9: Ever had a poem or song written about you?

Nope

10: When is the last time you played the air guitar?

Years ago

11: Do you have any strange phobias?

I wouldn’t say that its a phobia but being buried alive

12: Ever stuck a foreign object up your nose?

Nope

13: What’s your religion?

Atheist but if i were to be religious it would be christian 

14: If you are outside, what are you most likely doing?

Walking my dog

15: Do you prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it?

Behind

16: Simple but extremely complex. Favorite band?

Panic! At The Disco

17: What was the last lie you told?

That I was okay

18: Do you believe in karma?

Not really

19: What does your URL mean?

Its my name

20: What is your greatest weakness; your greatest strength?

I would say both would be my empathy and wanting to help everyone. Like obviously its an amazing thing, but i also end up taking it too far sometimes and I end up forgetting to take care of myself. And I put others before me far too often.

21: Who is your celebrity crush?

I have like a full list, but Mike Faist

22: Have you ever gone skinny dipping?

Nope

23: How do you vent your anger?

Crying

24: Do you have a collection of anything?

Tickets from a bunch of different random stuff

25: Do you prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online?

Video Chat

26: Are you happy with the person you’ve become?

Yes?

27: What’s a sound you hate; sound you love?

Hate: Fingernails on jeans Love: Rain

28: What’s your biggest “what if”?

What if thing never change

29: Do you believe in ghosts? How about aliens?

Ghosts: Kinda, Aliens: Hell yes. There is no way we are the only ones in this whole universe

30: Stick your right arm out; what do you touch first? Do the same with your left arm.

Right: My fidget cube Left: an Eiffel Tower picture

31: Smell the air. What do you smell?

My shampoo

32: What’s the worst place you have ever been to?

I have no clue haha

33: Choose: East Coast or West Coast?

East

34: Most attractive singer of your opposite gender?

Brendan Urie

35: To you, what is the meaning of life?

To make a difference. Even if its just in one persons life, or something super small.

36: Define Art.

Someone expressing something (feeling, emotions, ect.) through a creative medium

37: Do you believe in luck?

Kinda

38: What’s the weather like right now?

Freezing (its 29°F or -1.6°C currently)

39: What time is it?

12:43am

40: Do you drive? If so, have you ever crashed?

Nope, I don’t drive

41: What was the last book you read?

Dear Evan Hansen the Novel

42: Do you like the smell of gasoline?

Yes? Sometimes

43: Do you have any nicknames?

Bec, angel, baby, babe, ect from my gf

44: What was the last film you saw?

Heathers

45: What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had?

I broke my tailbone when I was like 10 and it still hurts if I ever sit or stand for too long.

46: Have you ever caught a butterfly?

Yes

47: Do you have any obsessions right now?

the DEH novel

48: What’s your sexual orientation?

Bisexual

49: Ever had a rumour spread about you?

No

50: Do you believe in magic?

No

51: Do you tend to hold grudges against people who have done you wrong?

No. The is only one person who hurt me super badly who i still refuse to talk to because I’m still mad even tho its been years

52: What is your astrological sign?

Aries

53: Do you save money or spend it?

Both

54: What’s the last thing you purchased?

The DEH novel

55: Love or lust?

Love

56: In a relationship?

Yes 💖

57: How many relationships have you had?

2 but the first doesn’t really count

58: Can you touch your nose with your tongue?

No

59: Where were you yesterday?

Home all day

60: Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you?

Yes my pencil case

61: Are you wearing socks right now?

No

62: What’s your favourite animal?

Dogs

63: What is your secret weapon to get someone to like you?

I don’t really have one? I guess my niceness 

64: Where is your best friend?

At her house

65: Give me your top 5 favourite blogs on Tumblr.

(In no specific order) @slowtownstan​ @woildismyerster @daveyjacobss @robot-anon @meangirlsx

66: What is your heritage?

I’m Half English, a quarter French Canadian, and a quarter of just a bunch of random shit

67: What were you doing last night at 12AM?

Talking to my gf

68: What do you think is Satan’s last name?

I have never thought of this and now I’m super curious. idk tho haha

69: Be honest. Ever gotten yourself off?

Yes

70: Are you the kind of friend you would want to have as a friend?

Yes

71: You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss has told you if you are late one more time you get fired. What do you do?

Save the dog. I don’t care if I get fired. If my boss has a problem with it then fuck them. I’m not letting a dog die over a job

72: You are at the doctor’s office and she has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. a) Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? b) What do you do with your remaining days? c) Would you be afraid?

A) I would tell my family and close friends B) I would go spend time with my gf and do some fun shit with her and my friends C) Yes but No. Yes I would over all be scared, but tbh I never really thought I would ever even get this far in life

73: You can only have one of these things; trust or love.

Trust

74: What’s a song that always makes you happy when you hear it?

Carrying The Banner from Newsies

75: What are the last four digits in your cell phone number?

Okay I’m not doing this one haha

76: In your opinion, what makes a great relationship?

Trust and communication 

77: How can I win your heart?

Being honest about your feelings and just being nice

78: Can insanity bring on more creativity?

Yes

79: What is the single best decision you have made in your life so far?

Starting talking to @slowtownstan

80: What size shoes do you wear?

9-10s

81: What would you want to be written on your tombstone?

I have no clue haha

82: What is your favourite word?

Fuck. Its so universal and can be used in so many ways

83: Give me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word; heart.

Blood

84: What is a saying you say a lot?

I love you to my gf

85: What’s the last song you listened to?

Do it all the time by IDKHBTFM

86: Basic question; what’s your favourite colour/colours?

Currently Purple and Black

87: What is your current desktop picture?

This

88: If you could press a button and make anyone in the world instantaneously explode, who would it be?

Idk, a serial killer or something

89: What would be a question you’d be afraid to tell the truth on?

What really are the depressive thoughts that go through your head everyday?

90: One night you wake up because you heard a noise. You turn on the light to find that you are surrounded by MUMMIES. The mummies aren’t really doing anything, they’re just standing around your bed. What do you do?

Get the fuck out of there

91: You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice! What is that power?

Mind reading

92: You can re-live any point of time in your life. The time-span can only be a half-hour, though. What half-hour of your past would you like to experience again?

Something fun from my childhood

93: You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?

All of my depression

94: You have the opportunity to sleep with the music-celebrity of your choice. Who would it be?

Does Mike Faist count? Because him or dodie

95: You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go?

London

96: Do you have any relatives in jail?

Not currently

97: Have you ever thrown up in the car?

No?

98: Ever been on a plane?

Yes

99: If the whole world were listening to you right now, what would you say?

You matter, whatever fight you are fighting, you can get through this. Things will get better. I know it sounds cheesy but its all true.

[fibula-rasa]

August 2018 in Review

I have a weird memory. It’s highly pattern-driven and very visual. This means that my memory of films I’ve watched is based on images and series of images that made an impression instead of plot points. It’s why I rewatch movies so often. Even though I’ve been tracking my movie viewing habits for two and a half years, that doesn’t mean I’ve created strong memories for all those movies. That’s why I’m gonna start doing monthly roundups of the new-to-me films that struck me, one way or the other.

[If you wanna know all the films I’m watching, I keep full lists on letterboxd and imdb.]

The reviews below are essentially transcriptions of the notes I took right after watching the films. Because of Summer Under the Stars and my cosplay challenge, this month was pretty TCM heavy for me.

Full Roundup BELOW THE JUMP!

Teen Titans Go to the Movies (2018)

27 July 2018 | 84 min. | Color

Directed and Written by Aaron Horvath and Peter Rida Michail

Starring Greg Cipes, Scott Menville, Khary Payton, Tara Strong, and Hynden Walch

I’m already a fan of the show and the movie kicks it up a notch with its humor and style. [If you liked the original series, give TTG a chance already.] TTG to the Movies is a great superhero movie for anyone who’s down for superhero stories but is fatigued by the current spate of offerings. Grain-of-Salt warning here because I think Superman III (1983) is great.  

Fun that they included some gags here and there for the parents out there who’ve had to hear the Waffles song a few too many times. Also, one of the best ending gags for a kid’s movie ever.

Where to Watch: Still in theaters, but I’d imagine Cartoon Network will be playing it soon.

Doctor X (1932)

27 August 1932 | 76 min. | 2-strip Technicolor

Directed by Michael Curtiz

Written by Earl Baldwin and Robert Tasker

Starring Lionel Atwill, Lee Tracy, and Fay Wray

I made the statement that Darkman (1990) is the most comic-book movie that isn’t adapted from a comic book. I hadn’t seen Doctor X yet though.

The set pieces are phenomenal. Each shot is artfully constructed and the way the shots are strung together makes the most of the production design. If one were to do a comic adaptation, it would take some imaginative work to not just mimic the film. The 2-strip technicolor is particularly effective in the laboratory scenes in creating an eerie aura. Sensational.

Lee Tracy is playing, as usual, a press man and he’s doing so perfectly. Tracy is so underrated.

Where to Watch: Looks like the DVD is out of print, so maybe check your local library or video store. TCM plays it every once and a while and, since Warner Bros has a deal with Filmstruck, I wouldn’t be surprised to see it pop up there eventually.

The Half-Naked Truth (1932)

16 December 1932 | 77 min. | B&W

Directed by Gregory La Cava

Written by Corey Ford and Gregory La Cava

Starring Frank Morgan, Eugene Pallette, Lee Tracy, and Lupe Velez

You might very well think Lee Tracy was a featured TCM star this month. (Maybe next SUTS? Pretty please.)

Lupe Velez is so talented and natural it was nice to see her in a film where her wits were matched. I’ll be honest, I’m a big Lupe fan but, for most of her films, she’s the only good reason to watch them. This wasn’t the case here! There are a lot of wonderful moments with small movements and gestures that make Velez and Tracy’s relationship feel very real, as if they’re actually that caught up in one another. Eugene Pallette, Franklin Pangborn, and Frank Morgan round out the ensemble. The running eunuch joke might not be all that funny, but it’s a masterclass in not saying what you mean. Also, very cute chihuahua.

Where to Watch: The DVD is available from the Warner Archive. (So, once again, local library or video store might have a copy.)

The Cuban Love Song (1931)

5 December 1931 | 86 min. | B&W

Directed by W.S. Van Dyke

Written by John Lynch, Bess Meredith, and C. Gardener Sullivan

Starring Jimmy Durante, Lawrence Tibbett, Ernest Torrance, and Lupe Velez

Lupe is wonderful in this. She plays a Cuban woman who sounds an awful lot like a Mexican woman--which might be something you have to overlook to enjoy the film FYI. Lawrence Tibbett has a shocking dearth of charisma in the lead, but Jimmy Durante, Ernest Torrence, and Louise Fazenda take the heat off him well. It’s a little hard to root for Tibbett’s character and the ending is disappointing. (Spoiler: privileging of the affluent “white” couple.)

The songs are great. I love the habit of placing people in musicals so that they are singing full force directly into each other’s faces. I don’t know why I find it so funny, but it’s not a mood ruiner for Cuban Love Song. The editing is fun and energetic. Until the war breaks out, there’s a lot of solid humor.

After watching so many Lupe films this month, I’d love to sit down with people who do and don’t know Spanish to talk about her films. There seem to be some divisions on social media and across blogs about Lupe’s films that might be attributable to whether or not one understands Spanish. I myself understand Spanish reasonably well and I think knowing what Lupe and others are saying makes almost all of her films funnier. And boy, does Lupe like calling men stupid animals.

Where to Watch: This one seems kinda rare. Looks like there may have been a VHS release, but you may just have to wait for TCM to play it again!

The Night Stalker (1972)

11 January 1972 | 74 min. | Color

Directed by John Llewellyn Moxey

Written by Jeffrey Grant Rice and Richard Matheson

Starring Carol Lynley, Darren McGavin, and Simon Oakland

and

The Night Strangler (1973)

16 January 1973 | 74 min. | Color

Directed by Dan Curtis

Written by Jeffrey Grant Rice and Richard Matheson

Starring Darren McGavin, Simon Oakland, and Jo Ann Pflug

I loved that these films are exactly like the Kolchak TV series. My SO and I have been watching the show weekly as it airs on MeTV and so he surprised me by renting the movies that kicked off the series. Honestly, watching backwards may have made the movies even more entertaining. How is Kolchak still working for Vincenzo in Las Vegas?? The answer is in Seattle.

The TV movies were intended as a trilogy, but after the success of the first two films, it was developed into a series instead. It’s cool to see how every piece of the Kolchak formula was in place immediately and how firmly Darren McGavin had a hold on the character. His chemistry with Simon Oakland (Vincenzo) is spectacular--a great comedy duo TBH. If you like their shouting matches on the show, Night Strangler has a humdinger to offer you.

Night Stalker is a pretty straight-forward vampire story, written by Richard Matheson, one of the great spec-fic writers of the 1960s and 1970s. Matheson also wrote one of the best undead novels of all time, I am Legend. What elevates the film over the basic mythology, aside from the great performances, pacing, and editing, is that the story’s really about how suppression actually goes down--how mundane and frustrating it can be even in the face of the supernatural.

Night Strangler is a little more creative with its monster. They integrate the nature and landmarks of Seattle in fun ways. The stripper characters are delightful. Jo Ann Pflug gives a truly funny performance and feels like a natural contender for Kolchak. Even his romantic relationships should be affectionately combative. The ditzy lesbian, Charisma Beauty (Nina Wayne) is hilarious and Wayne’s timing is impeccable. (BTW: they don’t explicitly call her a lesbian but it’s still made very overt.) There’s also a wonderful cameo by Margaret Hamilton.

As far as I can tell, it’s easier to get access to these films than the series. They’re worth seeing even if you haven’t seen the Kolchak TV show. They’re also a good pick if you’re a fan of X-Files, as Kolchak is the mother of that show. Even though I’m an X-Files fan and grew up watching it, Kolchak is edging it out for me lately. Maybe because if you’re telling a story about fighting for truth against the suppression of information, you undercut yourself by making the protagonist a fed.

Where to Watch: Kino Lorber is releasing restored editions of the films on Blu-ray and DVD in October!

The Mask of Dimitrios (1944)

1 July 1944 | 95 min. | B&W

Directed by Jean Negulesco

Written by Frank Gruber

Starring Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, and Zachary Scott

This was great! I loved Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet together. If you’re looking for a mystery story that flows and escalates well and presents a parade of interesting characters and locales, Dimitrios is for you. It’s also always nice to see Lorre in the lead.

Where to Watch: The DVD is available from the Warner Archive. (So, once again, local library or video store might have  copy.)

Strait-Jacket (1964)

19 January 1964 | 93 min. | B&W

Directed by William Castle

Written by Robert Bloch

Starring Diane Baker and Joan Crawford

I mentioned in my Joan Crawford CUTS post that I’d been meaning to see this for years. My enjoyment of the film didn’t suffer a bit from that length of anticipation.

I like William Castle’s movies a lot. I like the campy humor and quirky stories. This one is campy still, but not as heavy on the humor--unless you have a real weird sense of humor. That’s not a strike against Strait-Jacket though. Castle builds so much tension that by the end of the film, you feel like anyone could be axe-murdered at any moment, which becomes absurdly fun. The ending might be a little predictable, but it’s fun to go along for the ride. I didn’t particularly like the tacked on ending but I guess every JC movie needs to end on JC?

Largely unrelated, but if you’re a Castle fan, have you checked out his TV show Ghost Story/Circle of Fear? The first episode, The New House, in particular is top notch.

Where to Watch: It’s on Blu-ray and DVD from Sony (your local library or video store might have a copy) and it’s for rent on Amazon Prime. It’s also still on-demand via TCM for another few days.

One I didn’t write up: Cairo (1942). I brought up in my Jeanette MacDonald post that I was hoping to find a MacDonald film I enjoyed watching on her Summer Under the Stars day and I did!

[salted-barbed-wire]

Marty’s Birthday Party

It’s our favorite Villain’s birthday on the 25th!

Send me some numbers in my ask box to get a Marty drabble in return! Limit 3 numbers per request. I’m only doing Marty Scurll because it’s his birthday.

Prompts are below the cut! (I’m using the prompt list I posted earlier. OP deactivated, so I can’t credit necessarily. Sorry, but thank you OP)

1. “Why are we at a strip club?” 2. “I’m sorry, you said what to your teacher?” 3. “Am I dead?” 4. “It’s always been you. You and only you.” 5. “If you loved me, you’d fight for it. If you loved me, you’d show it. If you loved me, you’d fight for me. Do you even know what love is?” 6. “Stay with me.” 7. “How about we put the gun down and talk about this?” 8. “I came here to kick ass and chew gum.. and I’m all out of gum.” 9. “Whatever it is I didn’t do it.” 10. “Don’t make me regret saving you.” 11. “Are you-are you flirting with me?” 12. “I’m proud of you. I’m proud of us.” 13. “I trusted you.” 14. “Am I supposed to be impressed?” 15. “Don’t tempt me.” 16. “I’m going to kiss you now.” 17. “Is that my shirt?” 18. “Would you quit moving around?” “It’s not my fault we’re tied up together!” 19. “Does your life revolve around embarrassing me?” 20. “I can’t do this anymore.” 21. “Do you smell burning?” 22. “Look at the sky.” 23. “I didn’t know you could do that.” 24. “I will not hesitate to murder you.” 25. “It’s simple really. Here let me show you.” 26. “I’m pretty sure that’s not how it works.” 27. “Hey have you seen my- Oh.” 28. “Go to hell.” “Already been but thanks for the invite.” 29. “Look at me.” 30. “Go away! I don’t ever want to see you again!” 31. “Don’t tell me how to calm down, you calm down!” 32. “Where did you get that?” 33. “Oh my gosh is that blood?” 34. “What are you doing here by yourself?” 35. “Here, take my hand. Everything is fine, just hold onto me and keep moving.” 36. “I don’t know who I am without you.” 37. “You don’t need to protect me.” 38. “Stop looking at me like that!” 39. “I can’t believe you talked me into this.” 40. “All I wanted was the truth.” 41. “I had a nightmare about you, and I wanted to make sure you were alright.” 42. “You make me feel like I’m not good enough.” 43. “I told you not to fall in love with me.” 44. “I forgive a lot, but I never forget what was said and done.” 45. “Again?” 46. “Please shut up. Just shut up.” 47. “I’m tired of being your secret.” 48. “You know, it’s okay to cry.” 49. “Go on, tell me. Tell me you don’t love me.” 50. “I just want to be alone right now.” 51. “Those things you said yesterday.. did you really mean them?” 52. “Just say it is okay. I just need to hear you say that.” 53. “I love you and I am terrified.” 54. “Promise me you’ll come back.. I need you to promise me.” 55. “That’s distracting.” 56. “I think I picked up your coffee by mistake.” 57. “Wait a second.. are you jealous?” 58. “This is by far the most stupid plan you’ve ever created. Of course I’m in.” 59. “You did this for me?” 60. “I’m afraid this conversation is going to end in goodbye.” 61. “Would you just hold still?” 62. “We’re running low on time here.” 63. “You’ve got something on your cheek.” 64. “I’m not bothering you, am I?” 65. “Really, right now?” 66. “Wait, you’re my soulmate?” 67. “I really wish you told me your mother was in town.” 68. “You’re wrong and I’ll prove it.” 69. “I can never say no to a picnic.” 70. “I could tell it was your favorite book from all the notes you wrote in the margins.” 71. “I never imagined myself in a wedding dress.” 72. “I’m yours, in every way possible.” 73. “We’re not just friends, and you know it.” 74. “Well. Yell, scream, say something, anything.” 75. “Where do you think you’re going?” 76. “Nobody thinks what I think.” 77. “Despite what you think, I am completely capable of taking care of myself.” 78. “Just please be my best friend right now, and not the person I confessed my love to.” 79. “I think you’re just afraid to be happy.” 80. “Make me.” 81. “Well if you insist.” 82. “We’ll get through this, I promise.” 83. “I can’t believe you don’t like Disney movies.” 84. “You’re lucky you’re cute.” 85. “Sometimes I really dislike you.” 86. “You’re getting crumbs all over my bed.” 87. “It’s too early for this.” 88. “But then I’d have to put pants on..” 89. “If my parents knew what I was doing they’d kill me.” 90. “Are you trying to make me to hate you? Because it’s working.” 91. “Don’t open those till later!” 92. “For some reason I’m attracted to you.” 93. “To be honest I could care less.” 94. “Go on then, tell me. Tell me you don’t love me.” 95. “Hold my hand, we have to make this look convincing!” 96. “I’ll make it right for you.” 97. “When you smile I fall apart.” 98. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you.” 99. “I really don’t know why I’m crying.” 100. “I won’t let you fall.” 101. “I’m like 20% sure this plan work. There’s an 80% chance we could die horribly and violently, but this plan is solid, I swear.” 102. “I’m not happy here.” 103. “I’m so stupid to make the mistake of falling in love with my best friend.” 104. “I’m tired of being your secret.” 105. “Well if you’re up for the challenge.” 106. “I’ve moved on.” 107. “I’ve seen the way you look at me when you don’t think I can see you.” 108. “If I die, I am coming back to haunt you.” 109. “If you don’t want to talk about it then say so. Don’t lie and pretend to be fine when you clearly aren’t.” 110. “If you walk out that door don’t you dare think about coming back.” 111. “Is that a challenge?” 112. “Is it supposed to look like that? Are you sure?” 113. “I made you cupcakes cause I knew you liked them.” 114. “Is there something you want to tell me?” 115. “I mean, it could be worse.” 116. “This wasn’t supposed to happen like this.” 117. “This was all a dream?” 118. “It’s not what it looks like.” 119. “It’s okay I’m here for you.” 120. “Wait, you did what again?” 121. “Just talk to me.” 122. “Just leave me alone!” 123. “Let him go! It’s me who you want!” 124. “My parents asked about you again.” 125. “Make a wish.” 126. “None of this makes sense.” 127. “None of that matters anymore.” 128. “Wait this is your handwriting? I thought this was hieroglyphics.” 129. “Not a day goes by that I don’t think of you.” 130. “Oh my god! You’re in love with her!” 131. “Please don’t give up on me.” 132. “Please listen to me.” 133. “Please don’t go.” 134. “Please.. I love you.” 135. “Please, take me instead!” 136. “Please don’t leave me.” 137. “Please don’t argue with me.” 138. “Promise me you’ll take care of her/him.” 139. “Promise me you’ll take better care of yourself.” 140. “Promise me you’ll stay.” 141. “Why are you taking so many photos?” 142. “I didn’t know you could play.” 143. “You can sing?” 144. “Teach me how to play?” 145. “Are you okay?” “Why do you ask?” “Because you’re wearing two different shoes.” 146. “Want to talk about it?” 147. “I just really miss talking with you.” 148. “Things don’t always turn out the way we want them to.” 149. “This isn’t just about you. It’s about what’s best for all of us.” 150. “You made me what?” 151. “Times up!” 152. “There’s something I need to tell you.” 153. “We could’ve had it all.” 154. “Are you sure you two aren’t married?” 155. “Well.. don’t keep me waiting.” 156. “Please look at me.” 157. “What have I ever done to you?” 158. “What are you doing here?” 159. “When are you going to realize I don’t care?” 160. “When you love someone, you just don’t stop. Ever. Even when people stop to roll their eyes or call you crazy.. even then. Especially then!” 161. “Where did that cat come from?” 162. “Where did you get this from?” 163. “Why are you up so early?” 164. “Why can’t they see they’re meant for each another?” 165. “Why did you choose me?” 166. “Why don’t you say it to my face?” 167. “Why couldn’t you come to me with your problems?” 168. “Would you stop for a second so I can say something to you for once!” 169. “You need to calm down.” 170. “I know you told me to stop thinking about you, but I can’t get you out of my mind.” 171. “You are nothing like them.” 172. “You were the greatest thing that ever happened to me.” 173. “I never believed in love till I met you.” 174. “I don’t need a Prince Charming saving me.” 175. “You can’t sit on the sidelines your entire life!” 176. “You deserve so much better.” 177. “You did all of this for me?” 178. “You take my love for granted.” 179. “You haven’t even touched your food.. what’s going on?” 180. “You know my name?” 181. “You need to wake up because I can’t do this on my own.” 182. “Stay the night. Please.” 183. “What did you say?” 184. “Why are you so annoying?” 185. “Don’t ask me that.” 186. “Don’t ever mention that again.” 187. “What’s with the box?” 188. “Say it!” 189. “Stop pinning this on me! You started it!” 190. “Did you do this on purpose?” 191. “Don’t give me that look! You started it!” 192. “It’s not fair!” 193. “I could kill you right now!” 194. “Don’t you dare give me that look!” 195. “Screw you!” 196. “Just shut up already.” 197. “You are so infuriating. 198. “Listen to me!” 199. “I dare you!” 200. “Please pretend to be my girlfriend/boyfriend.” 201. “You think I’m insensible enough to fall for that?” 202. “I’m not going to apologize. I can’t anymore.” 203. “Is this seat taken?” 204. “It’s midnight, what do you want?” 205. “You are strangely comfortable.” 206. “Imagine if it could always be this way, even in the city.” 207. “I don’t know how to feel any more.” 208. “At what point did you think that was a good idea?” 209. “Just marry me already.” 210. “Did I stutter?” 211. “Did I just say that out loud?” 212. “Did you hear that.” 213. “Don’t say you love me.” 214. “Don’t you ever do that again.” 215. “Everyone deserves a second chance.” 216. “I try so hard to forget you, but every single time it comes back to you.” 217. “H-How long have you been standing there?” 218. “Hey, I’m with you, okay? Always.” 219. “I didn’t ask for any of this! But do you know what I put up with it all? Because I love you!” 220. “I just need you here with me right now.” 221. “I love you. I’ve loved you since the moment I laid eyes on you and- Oh screw it!” 222. “We can’t lose each other, we just can’t.” 223. “I’ve never felt this way before and I’m terrified to be honest.” 224. “I never meant for anyone to get hurt.” 225. “I waited and waited, but you never came back!” 226. “I’m sick of feeling useless!” 227. “Is that what you call an apology?” 228. “Is there anything you want to tell me?” 229. “Somebody’s in love!” 230. “It’s not what it looks like.” 231. “Just hold me.” 232. “You’re the best part of me.” 233. “I don’t want to think about what I’d be like without you.” 234. “Can I hold your hand?” 235. “Let’s go get lost somewhere.” 236. “I just don’t know how to look forward anymore.”

[lyricdissonance]

odds please! for ask thing

1. How do you define your sexuality?i’m bisexual, i also identify as queer3. At what age did you first suspect that you are sexually attracted to other girls?first started realizing i “like like” girls instead of just “like” at 15 I believe?5. Did you have an “aha I like girls” moment or was it more of a gradual realization?gradual realization, i had a whole lot of female actresses and musicians i really admired and then realized i was also attracted to them. then i kinda brushed that aside for a while, thinking that my celeb crushes didn’t count as real crushes, before i also got crushes on girls i knew irl which made me realize i definitely wasn’t straight7. How did you become comfortable with your sexuality?reading posts by bi bloggers on here helped a whole lot, they made me realize that i didn’t have to fit a narrow definition to be “allowed” to call myself bisexual. and as someone who grew up in a conservative environment, i probably wouldn’t have discovered my sexuality when i did without tumblr since i’d never been told before that it was ok to not be straight, and i thank the internet for showing me there are other ways to live life

9. Who was the first person you came out to? How did they take it?it was by text message to a male friend who was the only other bi person i really knew at the time. he was super supportive and we haven’t talked in a while but i’d love to catch up with him someday11. How out are you?out to friends and two family members, but closeted to most of my family. which means i can be gay on tumblr and twitter but not instagram and facebook. funny how that happens13. Was anyone surprised when you came out or did people seem to already know?a few people have been surprised, but these days when i meet someone new i prefer to casually mention my sexuality rather than do a real “coming out” and i don’t normally get any reaction from that15. How soon after meeting someone do you usually tell them about your sexuality?like the last answer, if i feel like i can trust them i’ll just try to slip it into conversation. i don’t have a timeline for when i do it though, it’s just whenever i feel ok doing it17. Have you ever wished you were completely straight?not so much that as just wishing my sexuality could be not a big deal. i’d love to be out to everyone but i know it would cause problems in a lot of my family relationships19. If you are not a lesbian, about what percentage of the time do you find yourself attracted to other girls?i gave up using percentages a while ago but i’m attracted to men and women about the same amount overall21. How often do you find yourself trying to sneak a peek or stare at a cute girl?only all the time because girls are Too Cute to not do that

23. What is your current relationship status?

single af

25. Do you remember anything about the first time you kissed another girl?i’ve kissed one person and she was nonbinary, we were hanging out in her dorm common room when she went for a kiss on the cheek and i was like “well we might as well do one on the lips too”27. What is your ideal first date?wherever we go i want us to be having fun! i love going out for food or drinks but if we don’t have a connection then it’s just us staring at our plates so there’s always that risk of it being too awkward. i’d love for us to try something new where we can talk and laugh while getting to know each other29. How flirty are you?i’m the certified worst at flirting. i’m trying to be more confident but my idea of flirting right now is staring across the room31 Do you want have children someday?no but i want to volunteer with children someday and do something to help make their lives better33. How often are you asked if you have a boyfriend?not often, i think my family is used to me saying no by now lmao35. Have you ever been on your period the same time as a girlfriend?nope (see above, single af)37. Have you ever been in a long distance relationship?nope39. Has a girl ever dumped you for a guy? Have you?nope and nope41. Have you ever had a crush on a straight girl?oh yes43. Would you ever date a trans woman?absolutely45. Where do you think is the best place to meet a potential lover?

a wendy’s parking lot in upstate new york 

somewhere where you can meet people who have a common interest, like a bookstore or a dance class or an lgbt event. but the romantic in me wants to believe that the love of my life could be found anywhere

47. Have you ever cut your hair super short? If not, would you ever want to?have not but would love to! even if i don’t like it i want to be able to say i tried it49. What is your opinion on septum/bull nose piercings?don’t want one for myself, but i think they’re cute51. How muscular are you?not very53. Have you ever been told that you don’t look gay, or that you’re too pretty to be gay?

hasn’t happened to me

55. Do you wear skirts and dresses? If so, how often?i may not consider myself very feminine but i do love how skirts and dresses look on me. so like once or twice a week on average?57. How much jewelry do you typically wear?i go without it a lot but i like wearing a piece of statement jewelry when i think an outfit needs it59. How often do you wear a bra?almost always when i go out, but home is a No Bra Zone61. Have you ever worn a suit?nope but i’d try it!63. Do you carry a purse?yep, i find it convenient to have all my stuff with me65. Have you ever worn any men’s clothing?because of my body shape finding men’s clothes that fit well is Hard but i’ve worn men’s shirts on occasion67. Have you ever shared clothes with a girlfriend?

no but i like this idea so cute girls who are my size please hmu

69. Who is your favorite LGBT celebrity?my faves include freddie mercury, janelle monae, st. vincent, and lady gaga71. Have you ever watched Will & Grace?nope73. How well do you feel LGBT women are portrayed on television?i’d like for us to survive to the end of the show for one thing. and not be overly sexualized. i’m glad that we’re seeing more positive and happy depictions like on b99 but we could always use more75. Do you watch any LGBT YouTubers?tbh i don’t really follow any youtubers77. Do you have a favorite LGBT themed blog or website?i follow a lot of gay blogs on here, too many to choose a favorite. and i really like autostraddle.com79. Have you read any LGBT themed literature? If so, do you have any recommendations?

i really need to start reading more lgbt lit, but shoutout to the misfits by james howe which was the first time i ever encountered gay characters in literature. i think it’s important that that book showed a gay boy who was unashamed about liking feminine things and had friends who supported him. i know my young mind was opened a little after i read it. and now that i’m looking it up again it turns out the author is gay which makes it even better!

81. Boobs or butts?Certified Boob Lover (tm)83. Ellen or Portia?

probs ellen

85. Have you ever been to a gay bar or a gay club?no but there’s a gay club that’s popular w people at my school that is on my list! 87. Do you have any LGBT relatives?my sister, no others that i know of89. How outdoorsy are you?i’m definitely more outdoorsy than i used to be! i’ve learned to enjoy a bit of hiking, kayaking, and exploring but i still don’t do well with heat and bugs lol91. How many rainbow items do you own?one rainbow rubber bracelet, and a couple of bi pride items93. Have you ever participated in the National Day of Silence?no, as far as i know it was never a big thing at my school? i knew one or two people who did it95. Have you ever attended a PFLAG (Parents & Friends of Lesbians and Gays) meeting?no, i’m kinda curious about what a meeting would be like tho97. Have you ever been part of a softball team?nope99. Do you play any video games?

well i used to be a hardcore nintendogs player back in the day

101. (on a scale of 1-10, how attractive are...) Women who wear glasses?glasses on girls are GR8 - 10/10103. Women who are covered with piercings?kinda neutral on this, i support women getting the piercings they want but "covered with piercings” isn’t really something i look for in a person - 6/10105. Women with short hair?if you have short hair i am guaranteed gay for you - 10/10107. Tall women (i.e. around 1.83 meters/6 feet or taller)?

*wearing a shirt that says I

109. What does equality mean to you?to me it means i’m treated the same as anyone else and i have all the same opportunites111. Do you eat meat at all?yes113. How do you feel about the terms “woman crush” and “girl crush”?i find them harmful to girls trying to figure out their sexuality bc the implication of a “girl crush” is that all women have crushes on women and that it shouldn’t be taken as serious attraction. that being said i think a not-insignificant amount of women who say stuff like that just haven’t realized yet that they are attracted to women (i was one of them whoops) and i hope we can find ways to talk about the “girl crush” problem that leave room for questioning people to talk about their feelings115. How do you feel when people use the word gay to mean things such as stupid, dumb, boring, or idiotic?i hardly ever hear it anymore but i don’t like it117. What are your views on gender identity and bathroom use?everyone should be able to use the bathroom that they feel safest and most comfortable in, gender neutral bathrooms need to be everywhere, and any lawmakers who want to get in the way of that can fuck outta here119. Have you ever been called a gay slur?nope121. Have you ever been discriminated against because of your sexuality or gender identity? If so, please explain.not like, personally, but the number of people who have said in my presence that they “don’t believe” in bisexuality is Too High123. Americans: How did you feel on June 26, 2015?it was really incredible, i’d been watching as state by state (including my own) had legalized same-sex marriage and suddenly it was all across america. seeing all the love and happiness being poured out on that day was amazing125. Have you ever tried to “pray the gay away”?luckily i’ve never been there, but it breaks my heart to think about people going through that127. What LGBT stereotype do you most disagree with?"bi women are just doing it for male attention” excuse you i’m clearly doing it in the hopes that jenna coleman will fly to the states and elope with me get your facts right129. What advice would you give to a girl who is struggling to figure out her sexuality?

take your time! you don’t have to 100% understand your feelings but please let yourself feel what you feel and remember you are not alone. and i want to be here for questioning girls the same way that other people were there for me when i was questioning so if you need someone to talk to i am always here.