#its just all lies? it always has been (astronaut meme)

[thestarseersystem]

I have something for endos.

thank you.

[kcwiarchive]

“who the hell did this to you?” Fletch n cam ho

hurt meme | fletch & cam.

the entire day had been a disaster.

so, a typical day at the west household.

it begins with a premature thanksgiving visit to his parents. pip agrees only if they go early, since she can’t stand the idea of spending an actual thanksgiving with them. she says it’s a waste. fletcher thinks it’s fair, especially when he considers their track record of holidays in this house, but he doesn’t have the heart not to see his mother at least for occasions and he hates going alone, so they go together. 

mistake number one.

it’s easier to ignore the disappointed stares, angry looks and the snide remarks when penelope isn’t around to rebuttal every single one of them. it’s fine, he tells her, because he’d rather just have a night in peace without things unravelling the way they always do. he’s not here to see his father anyways. something in fletcher has always felt incredibly guilty for leaving home for that exact reason ¬– him and penelope might’ve found a way out but his mother surely hasn’t, stuck with a man that looks right through her and talks her down when she tries to make her presence known.  penelope says it’s her own fault – they’ve offered her plenty of outs, all of which she refused. in pip’s eyes, their mother chooses him over them. fletch tries to tell himself that his father isn’t a cruel person ( pip says otherwise ) but misguided. jaded. angry, even. fletch thinks he might be similar if he hadn’t left when he did, but he loves making excuses – he’s spent his whole life doing it.

“ too busy on actual thanksgiving to visit your folks? ” it starts early. a statement as simple as this could be taken light-heartedly. fletcher is glad he’s got an uncanny ability to ignore the real intention  behind words and spin them in a way that hurts the least – maybe this is where he learned it.  penelope knows better, though, but even she doesn’t want to start a storm so early, so she smiles tightly and lies through her teeth. everyone knows but nobody bothers to acknowledge it.

“ we’re shooting on location, then. i’ll be in chicago and fletcher’s gone to vegas again for some.. tournament or whatever. ” 

“ yeah, i’ll be there for a few days. ” fletcher nods in agreement,  readjusting himself in the old couch that has a bad habit of sinking in. they still haven’t gotten a new one, even though fletcher’s just about done everything to insist they let him help. 

“ not spending thanksgiving with cam? ” his mother’s half-listening, one foot in the kitchen. fletch didn’t realize how hungry he was until now – he’s been too on edge to think about it.

“ nope, he’s got coursework. ” bad topic. his dad huffs from his recliner, frowning.

“ because he’s in school. ”

 “ don’t. ” pip warns. fletch gnaws at the inside of his cheek and drops his head just enough that he doesn’t have to see anything. 

“ because some people actually decide to go to school. ”

and there it is.  if it were just fletcher, it’d be perfectly fine. he’d shrug it off and change the subject, his mother would follow along, bless her soul.  but it’s not just him and he can nearly hear the steam coming out of penelope’s ears.

“ well, you sure as fuck didn’t. ” she’s smart enough to at least mask it with a smile. his dad stares at her curiously, like he’s not sure whether to scream or laugh, but his expression softens even if his eyes swim with suspicion. 

“ you’re right. just wanted better for you two. ” it’s barely audible but fletcher only notices because he expects it, the way penelope holds back a snort.  he feels the same way – the only reason both of them amounted to anything was in spite of their father. fletcher would never say that out loud, though, not even when he doesn’t have watchful eyes on him.

“ i think they did quite well. penelope, your show’s about to start a new season, isn’t it? ” then his mom comes through, sensing the tension in the room and diverting it to something positive. this is why fletcher appreciates her, but pip’s never seen it as enough. it’s why she’s so protective – she thinks if nobody ever fought for her, then it’s her responsibility to be that person. especially to someone like fletcher who is happy to lie down and let people use him as a doormat, as long as that means they’re around.

“ we’re just wrapping up filming, actually, which is why i’m going to chicago. ”

“ and you won that award, right? see, you’re doing great. ”

“ thanks, ma. ”

peace is restored.

until dinner, anyways.

they sit around the too-small dining room and do their best to ignore the fact that they hate touching elbows. the main light is out ( their mother gets scorned for forgetting to pick up a new bulb at the store ) so it’s dimly lit by a bright lamp in the corner of the room.  it’s been an hour of tight conversation and everyone is already rundown. penelope’s patience is thin ice and fletcher’s confidence is smeared on the walls, blown out of him with a shotgun. it’s not unusual or unexpected, just exhausting. fletcher has always been particularly naive and this is a perfect example – he wonders when he’ll stop believing that things will change. when he’ll stop thinking that one day he’ll actually walk through the door and feel like someone loves him.

it’s a childhood dream that hasn’t died apparently. he still wants to be an astronaut, too, so he figures it’s all bullshit anyways.

under the table, penelope nudges at him with her foot. she gives him that look that he knows well enough. it’s them two, it’s always been them two and this is just a formality. so he sucks in a breath and straightens his shoulders and props himself up like a string puppet.

“ so kingston’s back into acting now, too? it’s been so long since we’ve seen him. is he going with you to chicago? he’s from there, isn’t he? ”

“ not sure yet. i don’t know what his schedule’s like, but chances are if he’s not one hundred percent obligated to film, he’ll be coming. ” it’s almost relaxed, the way penelope pushes around the food on her plate. fletcher can tell she’s not eating and normally he’d say something, but he knows she can’t. she’s too stressed out.

“ not hungry? ” both fletcher and penelope pull in a breath at the same time when he speaks again, in some sort of synchronized annoyance. fletch is used to the jabs when they come his way, but he can’t help but wrinkle his nose when his father gets started on his sister.

“ my nutritionist has me on a new diet. ” penelope says lamely. 

“ it’s true. hollywood and their veganism shit, you know. on the plus side she makes a ton for putting it on instagram. ” fletch babbles out, swallowing hard. he doesn’t like lying and he’s not a particularly good liar, but he tries.

“ probably a good thing. ” it’s flat and detached and it takes a second before penelope tips her head to process.

“ what? ” she knows what because she’s heard it before. there’s a reason she had to quit dancing, too sick to stay in the game. years of being put down has its effects on everyone, even someone like penelope, who fletch knows is tough as nails. 

“ you know, it’ll be good for you. healthy. ” it’s not a full insult so penelope just blinks at him before returning to scraping her plate with a fork. hitting below the belt is his specialty and it leaves her exhausted – it’s a battle she doesn’t want to pick, one she knows is purely bait, so she refrains. fletch glances at their mother who has an intense, disappointed look on her face but penelope is right. she never comes to her defence. 

�� and you’re doing what exactly, fletch? going back to vegas to screw around some more? ” in all fairness, it’s not exactly typical for your kid to aspire to be a professional gambler. and in all fairness, fletch does spend the majority of his time fucking around, but there’s a little part of him knows that it wouldn’t make a difference if he became an engineer or a doctor. if money and success was the root of it, there wouldn’t be a problem. 

“ y-yeah. i mean, not to mess around. ” he sniffs and rubs at his nose, fumbling to explain. “ someone hired me on to play for them. high stakes. so i gotta go when they ask me to. ”

“ so you’re working for someone. ”

fletch falters, thinking. “ i mean, technically. temporarily. but after the weekend i won’t be. ” he can tell it’s falling on deaf ears. 

“ they must think you’re good then, if they want you to play for them. ” one more attempt from his mother to weasel her way in and diffuse the situation, but they’re halfway through dinner and his dad is five drinks deep. it’s only a matter of time before he gets his fill digging into fletch, so he answers with a shrug and a nod. his dad laughs from across the table but it’s humourless. 

“ leave it to fletcher to make a fortune and still find himself working for someone else. ”

“ i’m just doing it because i want to. ” it’s not defiant, but it’s an excuse to get angry, so his father takes the cue. 

 mistake number two.

“ well, it’s not like you’ve got anything else to put your energy into. might as well play some cards, ~since you can’t do anything else. ”

“ he can do plenty. ” penelope snaps back, irritated. she doesn’t visit much anymore and it’s been a while since anyone’s put up a fight. between their mother and fletcher, it’s always a free pass to say anything, use them as punching bags because he hates looking at himself in the mirror. with penelope here, it’s different. not necessarily in a good way, either.

“  like what? let’s not fool ourselves, alright? luck had him on get rich quick scheme, penny. ” the fact that fletcher’s been performing and winning for years now is ignored, obviously. it’d defeat the purpose. “ there’s no way someone who can barely pass his high school classes gets successful any other way. s’a good thing, too, because we both know the college wouldn’t take you, fletch. seems i raised a couple of kids that only know how to take shortcuts. fletcher spends his time playing games and drinking away what’s left in there – ” he taps at his temple, leaning back in his chair. “ – and you, pip. well, you quit dancing because you couldn’t learn how to put food in your mouth. ”

what the fuck. fletcher isn’t sure if he says it out loud, too stunned to form words. penelope, on the otherhand, has a silver tongue and no concept of hesitation. fletch has seen her angry – genuinely angry, not ‘a girl stepped on my foot with her heel at the club’ angry – and this is it. as loyal and goodhearted as she is, that temper is most definitely hereditary. he’s kind of scared then because penelope just laughs, cold and bitter and eyes narrowed in a way that gives new meaning to if looks could kill.

“ shortcuts have gotten us farther than you’ll ever go, but if you want to sit on your ass and resent us for the rest of your life because you’re stuck in his shithole then feel free. the only thing you’re worse at than providing for your family is being a fucking father – so i guess we’re not the only failures in this room. “”

fletcher exchanges a nervous glance with his mother but doesn’t back away. they’re stuck with no way to reverse and all he can do is hope it ends soon. they’re practically crawling at each other from across the table and fletcher can see it now, so he braces himself.

“ this shithole is the place we were kind enough to let you two stay in until fletcher turned into a fag and a glorified fucking criminal and you decided to whore yourself out to hollywood. don’t think because you’ve made money that you’ve accomplished something. if it weren’t for your rich friends, you’d have nothing to fall back on except this shithole and your fat ass. ”

it’s a lit patch into a pool of gasoline. it’d almost be comical if it weren’t so tragic, the way his mother backs away from the table when penelope lunges across it. there’s been plenty of altercations before but none quite like this. they’ve just kicked open the door to years of indignation and penelope knows only how to solve it with her fists. he’s done it before, pulled penelope away from a fight when she’s pushed too far, but his involvement is definitely not a good idea.

mistake number three.

violence and alcohol is an ugly cocktail, but at least their father is kind enough not to hit his daughter. instead, as it’s always been, he goes for the easy target. 

it’s probably because they forgot to say grace.

when fletcher realizes what’s happened, the only thing he can think is that he really fucking hopes pip got a good swing in before it broke up. 

happy thanksgiving.

the ride home is unusually quiet for the two of them. penelope floods out apologies, asks him if he wants to see a doctor but fletch shrugs it off. it’s most definitely not the first time and likely won’t be the last. and so what if he’s collateral damage, as long as sister’s fine.

“ it’s just a black eye, pip. ”

“ and a bloody nose. ”

“ yeah, but that’s stopped now, mostly. ” they might live in nice houses and drive fancy cars now, but their shifty upbringing taught them at least two things: how to take a hit and how to throw one. fletcher sighs and leans back against his seat, closing his eyes. he’s not sure when he got so exhausted, but all he wants to do is sleep. “ i know i’m not the scrappy one but growing up a fucking weirdo means i know how to get decked in the face. don’t worry about it – at least we’re in the clear and never have to spend another holiday there. ” he does his best not to think about it. they’re in a little bubble then, a bubble where penelope understands and so fletcher doesn’t have to explain, he doesn’t have to think about how fucked up the entire thing is.

until he gets home, of course.

he takes the stairs just to give himself more time, even if he’s got a splitting headache and the other tenants give him strange looks. there are days where cam is hardly home at all because he’s busy with school or work or anything else. fletcher is praying it’s one of those days so he can go to sleep and figure out how to explain this later on. he thinks this is the first time since meeting cam that he actually has the desire to avoid him.

the text he sent before he trucked up the stairs went unanswered which fletch hoped meant that cam was buried in books at the library, but when he opens the door and feels the humid air in their apartment, he almost sulks. it’s so out of character he almost shocks himself. all that worrying and he still doesn’t have words. for once, fletcher needs to think about it – it’s one redeeming thing about him, that how he feels just spills out of his mouth easily and shamelessly. it’s almost childlike sometimes, how he doesn’t carry those same reservations about expressing himself, but there’s nothing endearing about this, so he’s got to come up with something. 

because his luck doesn’t get any better, cam turns the corner to the small foyer just then, leaving fletcher standing there looking sheepish and dishevelled. 

“ i just saw your text, i was in the shower. how was the –– what the fuck? fletch? ” cam looks at him incredulously. it happens often, but this time it’s laced with concern instead of amusement or annoyance.  fletcher wants to stare at the floor but he’s fixed on cam’s wet hair and the smell of soap. he wants to take a shower. in fact, the only thing he’s more upset about than having a black eye is that cam’s showered before he got home. a buzzkill. 

“ hi. ” fletch replies dumbly, scratching the back of his head and pulling his gaze away, finally.

“ are you okay? who the hell did this to you? ”  cam moves a little closer, cautiously. fletch wants to laugh it off like anything else, but the question sinks in and so does the realization. the realization that his boyfriend knows he went to visit his parents for dinner and the idea of fletch coming back like this is so absurd that there must be another explanation, right? but there’s not. there’s been plenty of times where fletch wished he wasn’t the softer one and now is no exception; he wants to grit his teeth and shove it away and learn how to put up walls, but he’s never been the type and he knows he won’t ever be – all he can do is feel it. all the time.

“ i –– uh, ” he’s halfway to a painful smile when his lip quivers as a giveaway. in response he bites down on it so hard he could use it as an excuse for the way his eyes go glassy. there’s a pause – to gather himself or the words, maybe – but when he opens his mouth nothing comes out, so he shrugs and wipes at his cheeks with wide palms before they can get too obviously wet. cam’s smarter than fletcher will ever be and he’s more than thankful it catches on quick. cam’s met his father, so he knows, at least, some fraction of how vile he can be. the realization crosses cam’s face for just a moment, some kind of appalled shock when the pieces come together, but then it dissolves into a simple, steady frown. 

“ did he do this? ”

fletcher blinks back at him, swallows hard and almost succeeds at smiling this time. almost. it’s a long minute before he answers, his voice cracked and unfamiliar. 

“ you showered without me? ” it takes a second longer than usual for cam to respond because it’s unexpected, but fletch feels oddly comforted by the way cam is so typical, staring down fletch like he always does when fletch decides to say something ridiculously inappropriate. 

“ fletch, ” cam urges now, drawing forward fully. fletcher stares straight ahead but touches at cam’s waist, finding the fact that he got dressed after his shower seriously annoying. he settles for touching the skin just underneath the hem of cam’s shirt. it’s still dewy almost – he thinks about it a lot, ignoring the feel of cam’s eyes obviously inspecting the damage. he’d wince at cam’s finger on his cheek if he didn’t want it so bad because it fucking hurts, honestly, but fletcher’s always open to letting people press his bruises. he’s thankful cam only does it in a good way. “ you shouldn’t go back there. ”

“ i know. ” 

fletcher is so used to filling the silence that it’s almost eerily quiet. for once, it doesn’t make him nervous. he’s worn out from head to toe, even his feet ache in his shoes and talking seems like such a chore, he doesn’t even want to stomach the idea. instead he sits comfortably on the couch – one that doesn’t sink in – and shrugs off his shirt that’s splattered dark red and drops it on a pile on the floor. it’s sad; he quite liked that one.

cam comes through like he always does, wiping off the evidence with a wet cloth, worried frown still painted in place. fletch knows he’ll have to explain fully eventually, but he shelves it for later and nudges cam closer instead.

“ i’m okay. barely hurts. the turkey in the middle of the table got the worst of it, if i’m being honest. ” it’s not untrue. he’d feel bad about the clean up, but he just doesn’t. 

“ i hope it looks worse than it hurts because it looks pretty bad.” 

“ hey.”

“ hold still.” 

fletcher sighs but listens, as always. he’s spent a lot of years in denial, ignoring things because it was easier that way. there was a part of him that did it because it’d hurt too much otherwise, but also a part that simply wanted to hope for the best.  the truth stares at him so obviously, fletch loses the ability to look straight through it. even through the insults and bad encounters, fletch hasn’t been able to utter a bad word about his father, not once. you’d be hard pressed to hear him speak poorly about anyone, let alone his own family, but penelope’s right. of course she is.

“ cam? ”

“ hm? ”

“ my dad is a fucking dick. ”

[news-mashable-yahoopartner-blog]

Elon Musk's muskiest moments of 2018, so far

Few people have had a wide-ranging — and weird —  2018 as SpaceX and Telsa head Elon Musk. He's made new friends, hit new milestones, and managed to make a lot of people mad. 

Musk has always been a bit of an enigma, but, so far in 2018, he's become an even bigger, head-scratching figure. Musk has been generating buzz from a new relationship, selling flamethrowers (yes, flamethrowers) just because, trying to help rescue kids trapped in a cave, and sounding an awful lot like President Trump in attacking the media.

It all adds up to a very unique year for a very unique person and the year is only halfway through. 

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk weighs in on Trump's immigration policy with a very uninspiring tweet

Here, then, is the year in Musk so far.

Just some Boring Flamethrowers

You'd think Musk would have his hands full what with SpaceX, high-speed trains, and talk of tunnels taking up most of his day. But there's always time for side projects, apparently, like, say, flamethrowers! 

Don’t do this. Also, I want to be clear that a flamethrower is a super terrible idea. Definitely don’t buy one. Unless you like fun.

A post shared by Elon Musk (@elonmusk) on Jan 27, 2018 at 5:29pm PST

No, it wasn't a joke. Complex terms and conditions and all, it is a very real thing and thousands forked over $500 a pop for their own Musk-approved bringer of fire. 

That is quite the entrepreneurial move, Elon, and one hell of a way to start the year.

Tesla's space oddity

SpaceX had a monumental first successful launch of its Falcon Heavy rocket, a huge step forward for the company as it continues on a variety missions. But the one thing people will likely remember from that launch is the Tesla that Musk sent into space. 

SpaceX just put a Tesla in space. pic.twitter.com/KCmRUhLc6c

— AngelList (@AngelList) February 6, 2018

The Tesla and its dummy astronaut reportedly disappeared into deep space a few days after launch (as to rumors it crashed to Earth and might have flattened a Nobel Prize winner, well, we'll get to that in a minute). 

But it wasn't a total waste of a car as it was able to relay some important information that will actually prove useful. 

Wooing Grimes

It takes a lot to become the "It" couple from the annual Met Gala, but Musk and new girlfriend Grimes did just that, debuting as a pair for the first time on the red carpet. But nothing with Musk is ever so cut-and-dry. 

Flesh without Blood & Kill V Maim on Art Angels album https://t.co/MycGWvbYGk

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 8, 2018

There was the nerdy joke that brought them together, the memes the relationship spawned, and his own personal Grimes playlist. The musician saw a nice bump in her streaming numbers after the pair stepped out. 

But Grimes wasn't the only new Musk friend we learned about in 2018, as we'll see in a moment.

Musk's own "fake news"

Because journalism hasn't had enough attacks from men in power in 2018, Musk has taken it upon himself to attack the Fourth Estate beyond his usual earning call hijinks. 

Musk and Tesla have been battling complaints of unfair labor practices, denying they exist and, when necessary, turning on those who report on the the accusations, namely a series by the Center for Investigative Reporting. And he swears he's nothing like Trump.

Thought you’d say that. Anytime anyone criticizes the media, the media shrieks “You’re just like Trump!” Why do you think he got elected in the first place? Because no ones believes you any more. You lost your credibility a long time ago.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 23, 2018

In late May, Musk tweeted about creating a website that "would rate the core truth of any article & track the credibility score over time of each journalist, editor & publication." The kicker? He wants to call it Pravda which is already the name of a the newspaper for the Communist Party in — wait for it — Russia.

And on Thursday, Musk tangled with Business Insider reporter Linette Lopez, suggesting Lopez bribed accused Tesla saboteur Martin Tripp for inside information. 

His better half, the aforementioned Grimes, stuck up for the embattled Musk, saying he's never hampered unionization efforts at Tesla. But things are also a little bit awkward because, well, Grimes' own mother is a journalist. 

His new BFF Malala

So a billionaire entrepreneur and a teenage Nobel Peace Prize winner bond on Twitter over something from The Onion. This is not a parody or a rejected Disney pitch but real life. 

More Bad Press For Elon: The Car Elon Musk Launched Into Orbit Has Fallen Back Down To Earth And Crushed Malala Yousafzai https://t.co/9nx6RN9CLZ pic.twitter.com/AeyfXLRfu7

— ClickHole (@ClickHole) May 30, 2018

When The Onion property Clickhole published a satire story about Musk's space-bound Tesla falling to earth and crushing Malala Yousafzai, Malala took the joke in stride on Twitter.

Hello from the other side 😳 @elonmusk https://t.co/pRTnyptZ1N

— Malala (@Malala) May 31, 2018

Musk being Musk, of course he replied. 

Hi @Malala! 💕👻😅

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 31, 2018

At least Musk didn't deride the work of The Onion like he has the media. In fact, he seems to like them quite a lot, but that's another story.

"Listen, all y'all, it's a sabotage"

Do not come for Elon Musk, y'all.

That is the lesson we learned this year when Musk went one-on-one with Martin Tripp, a former Tesla employee at the company's Nevada Gigifactory, over accusations Tripp tried to sabotage the company by hacking code and leaking data to third parties. 

In a series of emails obtained by the Washington Post, Musk called Tripp "a horrible human being" and accused him of "framing other people." Musk also told Tripp he betrayed the company and should be ashamed. 

Tripp didn't hold back, responding, "You have what's coming to you for the lies you have told to the public and investors."

Woof. So much for letting the lawyers handle everything. 

Literally a farting unicorn

In late June, Musk got into it online with musician Lisa Prank who accused Musk of ripping off her father's drawing of a farting unicorn for his Tesla sketchpad. In a series of now-deleted tweets, Musk tried to hem and haw his way around it even though back in 2017, he shared a photo of a mug with the original unicorn drawing on it. 

Whoops!

hey y’all Grimes’ boyfriend ripped off my dad’s art! this is a true story! what do you have to say for yourself @elonmusk ?? https://t.co/TMMJAS1ZGM

— Lisa Prank (@lisaprank) June 26, 2018

We're both breathless and fartless with anticipation, waiting for the next stage in this saga.

Additional reporting by Sasha Lekach