#kayla talks media

[thatsparrow]

post-honor among thieves thoughts

a delight!!

truly, a fun fantasy film with all the right blends of serious stakes and goofy missteps that is so emblematic of playing dnd

one of the things I was most curious about going into it was—given that so much of dnd is a) collaborative storytelling and b) ultimately determined by dice rolls, how would those elements of unpredictability translate to a scripted story? (which I suppose is not new to dnd-based media, there have been novels and the 80s show, but those aren't things that I've consumed.) and like. yes the story was pretty predictable overall, but I did like that there were moments of abject failure scattered throughout that really captured the vibe of rolling a nat 1 (it was also very fun to half-watch it through a lens of, oh, this person would be rolling a deception check right now. this person is succeeding then failing on a bunch of acrobatics checks, etc.)

it is. so very fun to me that bards are categorically also spellcasters, and yet they did not let chris pine do one damn magical thing, that lute was a melee weapon only

michelle rodriguez barbarian my beloved (also like, in terms of balancing references to the game with still making the movie accessible, part of me was expecting/hoping to see some visual indication of her going into a rage, but I did like that they didn't tip the hand quite that much while still making clear during fight scenes that, oh, she definitely has some rage-fueled strength right now that is allowing her to yeet a dude across a courtyard)

seeing all the spells and wildshaping was incredibly fucking cool!! that may have been the bit I was most excited about, and it did not disappoint—doric's whole infiltration and then escape of the castle was so good. the displacer beasts. the mimics!

sir that's just a portal gun

the comp het was so funny. look, I really loved both justice smith and sophia lillis but cmon guys. there was nothing there

although speaking of, edgin and holga as determinedly platonic best friends raising a child together was an absolute delight—the bit when edgin says to kira like 'I'm not trying to bring back your mom but my wife' bc yeah!! kira's mom is already right there!!

halfling bradley cooper having a clear type of 'women twice my size who could break me in half' is so valid

god paladin regé-jean page be still my heart (although yeah, the paladin as a straight-laced LG humorless type is not the only way to interpret the class, but I thought it did make for a nice contrast w the rest of the party)

but also his armor! I thought the costumers did a great job of giving them all designs/looks that spoke to their classes. truly, the visuals of the whole movie were so cool—not just in terms of the aesthetics, but the framing and movement of the shots, too. very dynamic, very fun to watch

overall, a genuinely good time!!

[breakupcollections]

i'm gonna be my therapist's favorite princess

[todayisafridaynight]

Every guy in Yakuza seems like they have enough social awkwardness for Tien to role his eyes at…

there's no feasible chance on earth any man can be more awkward than mountain man tien I'm Going To Hide From My Friends Every Other Year And Then For A Decade After Telling Them I'd Never See Them Again For No Apparent Reason And Only Coming Back Cause the World Was Literally Ending shinhan

[delusional-day-dreamer]

Party Girl P - p.b

‣ Clingy Drunk Paige Bueckers x Reader (inspired by our favorite girl partying on Ice's live on 06/24/23)

‣ wc: 1476

‣‣ Synopsis: r and paige were roommates freshman year of college due to a mixup between the wbb team and wsoccer team and started their secret relationship as Paige recovered from her sophomore year injuries. (highkey might write more fics about this????) Up until now they've been able to keep their one-year ish relationship a secret, despite the rumors circulating the internet about the two of them.

‣‣‣ a/n: this is my first time writing a fic ESPECIALLY dialogue, not just on tumblr but like as a whole so any suggestions on my writing is highly welcome (you guys have no idea how hard x reader was to write because it was so confusing to write and kept breaking my brain bc i've NEVER done second pov) and also, the live’s timeline in this fic is not super accurate because it's lowk inspired by that one clip of paige and azzi maybe? kissing but i couldn’t find the whole video (i also just didn’t have the brainpower) so please bear w me 🙏🙏

You made your way over to Ice, leaning over shoulder with the sole intent of taking a sip of her drink. Before you could grasp the cup however, she slightly nudged you, drawing your attention to the live she had streaming from her phone.

“Oh my gosh I didn’t even notice yall, what’s up live,” You forgot about the drink as you rested your arm and chin on Ice’s shoulder, giving a small wave to greet the hundred people watching you from Ice’s screen. You were at Ted’s, the local bar, partying with the uconn women’s basketball team. Despite being part of the soccer team yourself, you were close friends with the entirety of the wbb team since your freshman year, growing even closer when you and Paige began dating last year.

You nodded your head and sang some of the lyrics to the music playing, silently reading the comments slowly rolling in and only addressing the more appropriate ones, despite being slightly tipsy you still had majority of your media training intact. You answered a few questions about random things while recharging your social battery with Ice, thanking those who gave compliments on your outfit or hair and stifling your laughs at the comments addressing Azzi drinking in the background or Paige yelling about shots.

Thinking of Paige, you realized you hadn’t seen your girlfriend in a few minutes as you perked your head up to look for her.

The entire team knew the two of you were practically attached at the hip in general, making it nearly impossible for anyone to separate your drunk clingy selves from each other. You parted ways with Ice, wrapping your arm around the shoulder of your slightly taller girlfriend as you also reached for a shot off the bar top in front of the two of you.

Paige turned her head to the side as her arm wrapped around the sliver of exposed skin on your waist. "Hey baby I missed you" her slight intoxication showing in her voice as she leaned in to kiss your jaw in greeting. Her face was flushed and you could feel the heat radiating off her body as you settled into her embrace, her hair tickling the back of your neck as you conversed with the girls around you.

You remained in her arms for the short time you danced, sang, and drank with Paige, KK, Azzi, and Kayla, the younger girls hanging out on the other side of the bar with Aubrey, either on their phones or talking to each other as they weren’t old enough for the bar to serve them. You excused yourself from the group as you ordered a dirty shirley from the bar and made your way back over to Ice, wanting to rest your feet for a few moments and have your favorite drink in peace.

"Hey guys your favorite is back!" You weren't a lightweight by any means, usually being able to hold your drinks well, but the night had clearly made you a little louder and outgoing as you rapidly began flipping through random conversation topics with Ice and the live. It had only been a minute or two before you had exited the live's view after discarding your leather jacket over the chair and setting your drink on the table in front of you to head further in the corner of the bar to text a few of your soccer friends back on your phone as you leaned against the wall.

Paige came up behind Ice as she wrapped her arms around Ice's neck while singing to the phone, knowing that if you had removed yourself from the camera's view it was to have a few moments of peace and privacy while on your phone. She sang the rest of the song with Ice before leaving her to walk over to your standing figure, leaning against the wall next to you and pulling your body in front of her as you closed your phone and looked up at her. She wrapped her arms around your waist once again, but this time without your jacket acting as a barrier between your two bodies.

"Mmm, you smell so good baby," Paige mumbled as she laid sweet kisses up your neck, drawing small circles up and down your bare waist to your skirt-covered hip. Her small touches only added to the warm fuzzy feeling in your head, having you melt into her touch.

"Thank you P," you giggle softly while tilting your head slightly upwards so you could see her properly, "You having fun out there?" you smile at the grin that spreads across her face.

"It's been a while since we've all been able to go out together, it's nice spending time with everyone outside of practice, especially with you," she says the last part while gently knocking her forehead into yours.

It was true, the two of you had been so busy with your respective sports, finals, and social lives that you hadn't been able to go out and truly enjoy a stress and carefree night, especially considering the fact that your relationship was a secret to everyone outside of your teams and close friend group.

"Yeah well, we'll be able to spend a lot more time together now, starting tonight," you whisper into her suggestively while trying to contain your wide smile. Paige pulled back to allow her eyes to roam over your face before slowly trailing down the rest of your body.

"That, we most definitely will," She whispered back as she gripped your hips to pull you in for a slow and languid kiss, your hands automatically moving to rest one on her neck and one into her hair, kissing her back slowly.

"OH SHIT, I mean shoot, um anyways," The two of you pull back from your kiss at Ice's exclamation, looking over at her and Aubrey, who was now standing in the middle of you three, to see what was wrong. She muted the live and turned the camera over from her face as she waved you both over frantically. "I accidentally turned the camera to Aubrey and you guys were in the background but I don't think the live saw your guys's faces like actually kissing, it was mostly just paige's back and a bit of you and I'm not sure if," her frantic ramble continued on before you stopped her.

"It's fine, it's fine, if they didn't actually see my face and us two actually kissing it'll be fine, just ignore it," You reassured her, immediately feeling more sober than just a few minutes prior. "Paige and I will just go back over to some of the other girls and you can come over to us with the live to say bye and we'll just pretend it didn't happen okay?" You concluded to her while grabbing Paige's hand and interlinking your fingers.

"That's fine with you right P?" You turned to her, making sure she was okay with potentially just being outed on a tiktok live. "Yeah it's not a big deal, don't stress too hard Ice," she reassured while squeezing your hand. You walked away from your two friends hand in hand to stand at a quiet spot at the bar, making sure to double check again with Paige, but now without Ice and Aubrey present in the conversation.

"Are you sure you're alright Paige? I know you wanted to keep this a secret for a while longer and it's okay if you're not comfortable with our relationship being out in the open like this and," Paige cut you off before you could continue.

"Hey hey, as long as I'm with you, everything is okay," she looked you in the eye as she consoled you, "We can talk about what we wanna do about the public knowing moving forward, but for right now, I'm content just being here with you."

You smiled at her, your anxiety relieved that the incident wasn't something that would negatively impact the stability and peace your relationship with Paige had. You leaned forward into her body, allowing her arms to encircle you in a comforting and tight hug as she kissed the top of your head gently.

It was safe to say the rest of your time spent at the bar with Paige was more relaxing than before, the two of you swapping your drinks for water and replacing your energetic dancing for simply standing and spending time with the other girls. You both even made sure to reserve a small amount of distance between the your bodies when Ice had all of you say goodbye to her live. The team had all decided to pack up for the night shortly after, and you and Paige walked hand in hand together to your dorm, enjoying the cool breeze of the night.

thank you for reading all the way through and sorry if this was kinda booty i couldn't force myself to read all the way through and edit once i finished but i'm excited to keep writing and hopefully get better with each fic! also lmk if you guys wanna see more of this specific paige x reader prompt as mentioned at the top of the post!!!!

[azzibuckets]

in awe of everything you do [pazzi]

paige bueckers x azzi fudd

summary: paige and azzi reunite after paige signs onto the la sparks and azzi sees her play for the first time live

word count: 1.6k

masterlist

As soon as the team found their seats and started filing into the rows, Azzi’s eyes scanned the court for Paige, looking for braids and a ponytail. It was hard to distinguish blonde hair admist the bright yellow Sparks jerseys, but she was finally able to spot Paige on the sidelines, running after a stray ball. Shoulders relaxing, she smiled at Paige’s eagerness to rebound balls, knowing how nervous her girlfriend was as a rookie on the team.

“Did she see us yet?” KK said excitedly, rubbing her hands together in anticipation.

“Probably not. We’ll know when we hear a thud - miss thing is gonna pass out once she sees Azzi,” Ice joked, earning a fist bump from KK and a playful nudge from Azzi.

In truth, Azzi was nervous, almost like she was seven years younger with a schoolgirl crush. Azzi had so badly wanted to tell Paige about how the team was going to LA for a Dunkin media event, but the other girls insisted on keeping it a surprise. On the plane ride over, she’d opened their text messages at least a hundred times, fingers hovering over the keyboard. But once Jana had seen her pick up her phone for the fifteenth time, she’d stolen it out of her hands and refused to give it back in fear that she’d ruin the surprise.

But now Azzi was here, finally watching her girlfriend play in the WNBA for the first time live. Her chest thrummed in anticipation with seeing Paige shine on the court, but even more so for the after. With how busy Paige was after getting drafted, Azzi hadn’t been able to fly out yet - the last time they’d seen each other in person was when she’d dropped Paige off at the airport, and that was two months ago. Which would be tame for some people, but for the past four years they’d seen each other almost every day, and two months was almost unthinkable.

Of course, Azzi had known she would miss her girlfriend once she’d left. She knew she’d miss cuddling Paige to sleep and kissing her when they woke up, and all the other romantic shit that everyone talks about. But she didn’t know how much she’d miss just talking to Paige, debating about the most stupid topics on the car or discussing their future late at night in the stillness of their rooms. So yeah, she’d missed her girlfriend, but she’s also missed her best friend.

•••

As soon as the buzzer signaled the end of the first quarter, Paige tiredly made her way to the huddle, wiping the sweat that had been stinging the corner of her eyes. She hadn’t gotten much sleep last night, too bothered by how empty and cold the bed had felt. Paige knew she should be perfectly happy - here she was, in the city of angels, getting to live out her dream career and play with the most amazing veterans. But no matter how hard she tried, she still couldn’t ignore the aching in her heart, the constant Azzi-shaped hole that made her feel like life out here, life away from tan skin and dimpled cheeks, could never fully fulfill her.

“Good hustle out there.” Kia thumped her on the back, bringing Paige back to her senses. Paige smiled appreciatively at the older woman. As she tilted her water bottle to her mouth, she scanned the crowds, admiring the lively atmosphere and the rowdy support of the fans.

Paige did a double take. “KK?” she murmured to herself, taking a step forward. Still unable to get a good look, she scanned the people next to what looked like her old teammate and realized with a jolt that the entire UConn team was here. Familiar faces morphed into view - Jana, Ice, Aubrey, Ayanna, even Kayla. Paige’s heart started thumping faster as her eyes flicked from person to person, searching for the one face that hadn’t left her mind in two months. Where was Azzi? Did she not come? Why wasn’t she with the girls?

A hand clapped her shoulder. “Come on,” Cameron said, firmly guiding her back to the court. Paige shook her head, trying to stay focused on the game. She forced herself to keep her gaze away from the crowds, knowing that if she started wondering about Azzi’s whereabouts, she’d get distracted, something she couldn’t afford as a rookie still trying to prove her worth.

But when a foul was called and Hamby lined up at the free throw line, she allowed herself to take just one peek at where her old team was sitting. Still no Azzi. But wait. There was someone now approaching the row, and it looked like Azzi but she couldn’t be too sure, but now she’s turning her head and….

Azzi.

Azzi, holding a stupid cup of ice cream, a spoon in her mouth and a look of concentration on her face as she scooted past the girls to take her seat. Paige shook her head and smiled, chastising herself for being so worried. She should’ve known - Azzi loved her ice cream.

But Paige was suddenly nervous, her palms damp with sweat as she realized that she’d been playing in front of Azzi live for the first time without even knowing. But her smile slowly turned cocky as she realized how badly she’d been wanting to show off in front of her girlfriend. With this newfound motivation, Paige suddenly felt on fire. After scoring her 15th point of the night, she made sure to point to Azzi as she ran back on defense. And when Azzi ducked her head at the attention, flustered, Paige made sure to memorize that little moment, of Azzi’s cheeks flushing a cute shade of red, with an affectionate smile tugging at her lips, as she shook her head at all the girls now waggling their eyebrows and making kissy faces at Azzi.

••••

As soon as the game ended, the girls made their way down to the court, all of them talking about how well Paige performed. Azzi hovered in the back, letting the rest of the girls greet her first, giving herself time to collect herself from the nerves kicking her ass. She didn’t know why she felt like this - never before had she been unsure of what to say to Paige. But it had been so long, and she didn’t want to do anything that would expose their relationship in front of all the cameras.

After all the girls took their turn hugging Paige and congratulating her on the game, the team parted for Azzi, all of them busying themselves with staring at the ceiling or inspecting their nails. Azzi rolled her eyes at their conspicuousness, but appreciated the privacy they were making an effort to give.

The younger girl swallowed, stepping from behind the girls. She brushed a piece of hair behind her ear. “Hey,” she said, deciding to let Paige make the first move.

Paige met her eyes, and her pupils held stars. “Hey, you,” Paige murmured, letting her hands fall to Azzi’s hips to pull her in for a hug.

Azzi buried her head in Paige’s shoulder, deeply inhaling. Despite running back and forth on the court, Paige still smelled amazing. “You going all shy on me now?” Paige breathed into her ear, and Azzi let out a small laugh.

When they separated, Paige let her hands remain on Azzi’s waist, thumb absent mindedly stroking the skin exposed from her crop top. “God, I’ve missed you so much,” Paige said quietly, letting herself study her girlfriend’s face and take in every gorgeous detail. Her heart twinged. Facetimes didn’t do Azzi justice. How had she spent so long away from the most beautiful thing in the world?

Azzi bit her lip. “There’s cameras,” she reminded her.

Paige’s eyes furrowed in confusion. “I haven’t done anything?”

“The way you’re looking at me is enough.”

Paige rolled her eyes, folding the younger girl into another hug and squeezing her tight. “Fuck the cameras,” she said. “I’ve been thinking about this for way too long.”

Azzi giggled. “Thanks for the shout out,” she said, referencing Paige’s 3 point celebration from earlier. “I was very flattered.”

Paige smirked. “Can you tell that I was trying to impress you?”

“You don’t need to try and impress me. I’m already in awe of everything you do,” Azzi responded seriously, her hand lightly touching Paige’s elbow.

If Paige had had a ring with her, she would’ve proposed right then and there. But instead, she forced herself to tuck her hands in her pockets so that she wouldn’t do anything she’d regret later (like grabbing Azzi to kiss the living daylights out of her).

“Distance has turned you into quite the romantic, huh?” Paige teased.

Before Azzi could reply, KK inserted herself between the two. “Oh-kayyy,” she laughed nervously. “All this flirting is cute and shit but there’s about five hundred fans standing three feet away waiting for pictures.”

Paige rubbed her temple. She loved her fans, but all she wanted to do right now was be at home, in a bed that would finally be not so lonely. Azzi must’ve noticed the expression in the blonde’s eyes, because she gave her a nudge. “Don’t worry,” she reassured. “I’m here for two weeks. We have loads of time. Go meet your fans, I’ll be waiting outside.”

“Jus wanna be with you,” Paige whispered, dismissing any care for the eyes watching as she brushed her fingers against Azzi’s hand.

“Just a few minutes, love.”

•••

As soon as Paige climbed into the rental car, her mouth was on Azzi’s, greedily savoring the taste of her best friend’s lips. Her hands were everywhere, stroking Azzi’s jaw, running through Azzi’s hair, trailing down Azzi’s back. “I can’t get enough of you,” Paige panted when they pulled away for air and rested their foreheads against each other.

Azzi chuckled, letting her thumb run across Paige’s bottom lip. “You have no idea how hard it was keeping this a surprise from you. Jana had to take away my phone.”

“I wouldn’t care if all the fans stopped coming to watch us play,” Paige admitted. “As long as you’re there.”

“As the only person in the audience?” Azzi raised her eyebrows, a grin etched on her face.

“Especially if you were the only person in the audience.” Paige leaned forward, her lips hovering over Azzi’s jaw. “Then I could focus only on your face.”

Paige started peppering light kisses down Azzi’s face, causing the younger girl’s eyes to sigh in contentment as her eyes fluttered shut. “I think about you all the time,” Azzi breathed. “Everything in Connecticut reminds me of you.”

“At least you have reminders,” Paige said morosely. “LA has so much to offer but I don’t wanna explore any of it. Not without you.”

“Well, we have two weeks.” Azzi opened her eyes, drinking in the sight of Paige, with messy hair and rosy cheeks but still more beautiful than ever. “Let’s make it worth it, hm?”

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

End Game 6

No tag lists. Do not send asks or DMs about updates. Review my pinned post for guidelines, masterlist, etc.

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as noncon/dubcon, age gap, stalking, and possible untagged elements. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: Your gaming buddy asks to meet up but it doesn’t go exactly as planned.

Characters: Andy Barber

Note: Andrew keeping us angry this fine friday

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me.

Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!) Please do not just put ‘more’. I will block you.

I love you all immensely. Take care. 💖

You leave your headphones around your neck and tuck your phone into your pocket. You focus on the simple steps of loading the coffee machine as your grandmother mutters and shuffles away. You can hear her harrumph as she goes into the front room and the groan of her chair as she sits heavily.

The scratch of dry pages sounds as she gives no acknowledgement to the intruder. You stop in the archway as a chill runs through you. You’re sick to your stomach. The walls are closing in. They always feel a bit tight, suffocating even, but you’re really trapped. He’s not going to stop. He’s showing you just that. 

You make yourself keep going. You come out into the front room. Andy stands by the bay window, looking out onto the unmowed lawn. His shoulders are straight even as he has his hands in his pockets. He wears a pair of sleek pants and a powder blue button-up with short sleeves. He looks as put together as ever, definitely out of place in your grandmother’s cramped house. 

“Coffee on,” you croak to your grandma and Andy turns, his lips twitching as his cheek dimples, “can we talk outside?” 

He tilts his head, “sure,” he accepts, “Cassie,” he nods at your grandma as he struts across the room, “sorry for disturbing you. You have a lovely home.” 

Your grandmother rocks the chair and looks up at him. There’s an arch in her brow that isn’t entirely bothered, “thank you, Andrew? Was it?” 

“Andy,” he grins. 

“Hm,” she grumbles and narrows her eyes, “sorry to hear about your kid.” 

“Thanks,” his voice falters, “getting through.” 

He nears and you quickly turn away, keeping your distance from him as he follows you the door. You can barely get it open before he catches up. He holds the door above your head as he trails you outside and you stumble down the step. You spin to face him, crossing your arms as you maintain a wide breadth from him. He stops on the bottom stair and watches you. 

“Why are you doing this?” You ask crisply. 

“I’m trying to help you.” 

“I don’t need help--” 

“You sure about that?” He challenges swiftly. 

You wince and look away. You’re embarrassed. You never invited friends over because they weren’t welcome. Even Kara only ever saw the outside of your grandma’s house and you never told her about the nasty remarks or the boiling silences that had you fleeing like a frog from hot water. 

You swallow and purse your lips tightly, “I’m sure. I’m just fine.” 

“Can’t be easy, living like that,” he remarks. 

“Stop,” you keep your gaze averted. 

“Not just the peeling walls and whatever, but her, she’s not very nice, is she?” 

“I told you to stop,” you snap at him, facing him, “you do not know me or my life.” 

“You’re the one closing me out,” he accuses, “honey, please, I want to know. Has anyone else even asked? Checked in?” 

“I have friends--” 

“Yeah, but they got their own live, don’t they? Like, what’s her name, Kayla?” He puts a hand up, then snaps his fingers, “Kara, yeah, that’s it. Sure, you had your day out but what’s she doing for you now? Miles away.” 

“I’ll figure it out. I am,” you sniff, “it’s not your business, Andy.” 

“You know, making yourself suffer isn’t some great show of honour, right? You’re just spitting in the face of the escape you’ve been hoping for--” 

“No, not with you,” you sneer. 

“How do you know that? Why can’t it be me?” 

“You know--” 

“I know, I lied. I hurt you. I’ve apologised over and over and I’ll keep doing that as long as I need to. Honey, let me ask you, when has anyone ever said sorry to you? When have they ever cared about your feelings? About your forgiveness?” He cranes to look at the house then back to you, “did your parents ever say sorry for leaving you here? Does your grandma ever say sorry for insulting you? How about Kara? Does she ever apologise for ignoring you for that skinny kid she’s got nipping at her heels?” 

“How do you know that?” You exclaim, “what-- why--” you can barely speak as your head reels. You don’t understand how he knows about Kara or how he found you or why he just won’t give up. “Andy, I—you can’t replace Jacob, alright? I don’t want anything from you. I can’t-- I can’t take it. Alright? It’s not right.” 

“I’m not trying to replace him, he’s gone,” Andy drops his shoulders and steps onto even ground, “I’m trying to start over and I’m offering you the same thing. You don’t have to stay in this shit hole. You don’t have to wallow like this. I could get you into a better school. I can make a few calls, get you in at UMass or Boston, close to me--” 

“What the fuck?” You burst out, “what-- no. No. You’re... you... I don’t want that.” 

He’s quiet. His brows knit as he stops just a step away, “why not?” 

You stare at him, stunned. You should want it, shouldn’t you? To get out? To have better? Opportunity doesn’t knock on your door every day but this is not that. This is strange. He hasn’t said so but you know there’s more than just generosity at play. More than a mourning father trying to do good. 

“Because I don’t want to be anyone’s burden. So no thank you. I am not interested in whatever you’re offering. I can’t trust you. Everything between us is based on a lie,” you say, “you need to understand that and move on.” 

He stares at you. His blue eyes search your defiant face and he blows out slowly through his nose. He pushes his shoulders back and stands at his full height. 

“No, you don’t understand,” his face darkens and you back up, “you don’t understand everything I can give you. Everything I could do for you. You don’t get it. You’re young and you have no idea because you’ve never had any of those things.” He steps closer as you inch away, “but what you really don’t understand is what I can take away from you.” His lashes flick down and he sighs, “I didn’t want it to be like this but it’s the only way to make you see.” 

“What do you mean?” You utter. 

He smiles, not a real smile, a wry, almost mournful smile. He shrugs and you flinch as he sidesteps you. You keep out of his way as he strides down the walkway and you turn to watch his back. He stops at the end and peeks back, “you and me, we were meant to be together. Can’t you see that? It wasn’t chance, it’s fate.” 

He puts his back to you once more and struts to his silver SUV. You stay as you are, trapped in everything he said and didn’t. He’s not done and there’s nothing you can say or do to stop him.  

Or maybe it’s not you who needs to stop him. 

🎮

It isn’t your first time in a precinct. You have vague memories of similar scenes from your childhood; some faded by the years, others out of pain. As you pass through the doors, doubt stops you in your tracks. How many times did they send you home with your mother still reeking of alcohol or let your father out still in one of his rages? 

It’s been a long time and the world is different. Isn’t it? Besides, you’re an adult now. You have a voice. You better start using it. 

You approach the desk where a man in uniform sits behind thick plexiglass. You cough to get his attention and bounce nervously on the balls of your feet. You can’t think how to begin so you just start talking. 

“Uh, hi, um, I think I need to file a police report?” You say. 

He looks at you dully, “for what?” 

“Well, er, I... don’t know what it would be technically called, I guess. But, this guy, uh, a man... he won’t leave me alone.” 

The officer scoffs, “really? You young ones...” 

“It’s not... I don’t know him, sir, so--” 

“Let me guess? He whistled at you on the street? Or maybe he offered to buy you a drink?” He narrows his eyes. 

“No, sir. He’s been following me. He showed up at my work and my house and I told him to go but he... won’t.” 

He rolls his eyes but grabs a piece of paper. He shakes his head and slides it under the slot, “fine, fill it out. We’ll put the incident on file. Unfortunately, we don’t lay charges for being social.” 

Great. So you were wrong. Again. And why would they take you seriously? No one ever does. 

You sit and fill out the form. Your info, Andy’s info, and a written recount of each incident. You think you have the dates right. You bring it back to the desk. 

“I have texts too, if that helps.” 

“Nah,” he takes the form as you push it through, “not like you’re going to court.” 

You grimace. You hate being talked to like you’re stupid, you’d rather be ignored. 

“Well, thanks, I guess,” you grumble. 

“Hold up,” he says, “gotta do a quick check before we file this.” 

He types into his computer. He looks between the paper and the screen. You wait. What a waste of time. Now you’re sure he’s just trying to make you look stupid. 

“Where is this Andrew Barber from? He’s not in the local records.” 

“I don’t... know,” you blink. He said something about Boston U? “Massachussetts, maybe? I think he’s a lawyer.” 

“Pretty common name...” he mutters as he hits several keys, “hmm, let’s see. Lawyer... sure, makes sense—ha, assistant DA? All the way down here?” He looks at you, “alright, honey, why don’t you go have more fun on Google?” 

“No, it’s not--” 

“You know it’s obstruction to file a false report,” he says. 

“No, it’s true. I told you, I have messages--” 

“So you don’t know him but you’re texting him?” He challenges, “I’m advising you to leave right now before I book you for wasting my time.” 

You exhale and shake your head, dropping your shoulders as you turn. You drag your feet across the gray tile and to the door. So much for trying. Just like everything else, it’s a lost cause. You’re starting to believe Andy. He might be your only chance. You really are that pathetic. 

No, you won’t give in. You might not have had much in life. Maybe not a nice house or a good family or even done anything great but you’re still your own person. You’re working towards that. You’re going to school, you’re making minimum wage, you’re doing what you have. It’s a means to an end. Andy can’t be that end. 

You don’t know what to do. It’s not like you can ask your grandma. She’d never listen long enough to understand and even if she did, would she care? 

You wander down the street and sit on a bench, numb as you try to think of something. You clutch your phone and look down at the screen. You have one lifeline left but is it too much to ask? You unlock the phone and find Kara’s name. 

You hit the call button and raise the phone to your ear. Maybe she knows what to do. She always had boy troubles; you remember when Michael had a crush on her in grade eleven. 

“Heya! How are ya, girl?” She answers with a giggle. 

“Kara, I’m...” you search the street and your eyes water, “not good.” 

“Oh,” her tone falls, “oh, is everything okay?” 

“No.” 

“What’s going on? Are you hurt? Is your grandma okay?” She hushes someone and you hear rustling as she moves on the other end. 

“Kara, you remember that boy I met online. The one I was supposed to meet?” 

“Yeah, the one that stood you up.” 

“It wasn’t a boy. I mean. It wasn’t who I thought it was...” it all comes tumbling out before you can stop yourself, “it was his dad.” 

“What?” She nearly shrieks, “ew. Oh my god, what the fuck?” 

“Yeah, and he...” you see a silver SUV and your words crackle. The window rolls down as the car slows and Andy peers out at you. 

He knows Kara. He saw her at the con and somehow he learned more about her. How did he do that? Obviously, he has connections. Far above you. And her. If he can find out who she is, where you are, what else can he do? 

You’ve already told her too much. 

“Sorry, Kar, I gotta go--” 

“Wait, wait, wait, you can’t drop that on me and just bail,” Kara squeals. 

“I’m sorry, I just... I’ll call you back.” 

You hang up and lower the phone. You stare at Andy as he parks and gets out of the car. He shuts the door and crosses the pavement, turning to sit beside you. He peers around casually. 

“So, should I expect a visit from the police?” He asks. 

You sit back and scoff, “whatever, dude.” 

“I got a lot of buddies on the force. They don’t mess with DA’s, even out of district. If you gave me a chance, you’d know these things about me.” 

You don’t say anything. He’s not listening and he’s not going to. You should be used to that. 

“So, do we keep going?” He asks. 

You slide to the edge of the bench. You don’t look at him. You just walk away. He’s your problem. You can’t make him Kara’s too. Not when he’s showing you exactly how far he’ll go. 

[stars-and-the-min]

☆ the wrong way to hard launch (14) | OP81

summary : oscar's girlfriend is a walking pr problem for literally everyone (including herself) social media au

pairing : oscar piastri x zhou!fem!singer!oc

a/n wait wait let him cook (imola)

masterlist | last part | part 14 | next part

INSTAGRAM

oscar piastri just posted to their story

TIKTOK

comments

FOLLOW UP QUESTION, WHICH RACE ????

something about a formula 1 driver and a rockstar having like the most normal story of meeting is hilarious

"took me a while to actually start dating her" i'm deadddd, u pulled her in the end tho bro

best relationship on the grid, i would die for them

didn't win the race but won her number, u have ur priorities straight

y'all gas her up too much it's not like she's that big a deal 💀 ↳ she's at least ten times more famous let's be fr for a sec, most of the world doesn't know what f1 is but they've probably heard one of lina's songs on the radio

REDDIT

r/EmptyBottles · Posted by u/luckyluna9364 1 mo. ago Lina x Oscar Timeline [read new comments]

fantstic013 · 12 hr. ago reviving this post bc of oscar's tiktok; they met at a race, which race??? when did lina attend a race?? whatthekermitdid · 11 hr. ago her f1 race debut (her words, not mine) was literally suzuka last month so i'm just as confused niaphilia283 · 11 hr. ago she might have done it behind the public's back. i think we all know that lina is only seen when she wants to be seen; we basically only saw her at scheduled events for the entirety of 2020-2023 like where was she even? what was she doing?

luckyluna9364 OP · 3 hr. ago ppl out there scrambling wondering which race but it has to at least be from the 2023 season bc i bet my whole life savings that their talking period was like 3 months so the new proposed meeting is like... abu dhabi grand prix (at the very least) which was back in december 2023

TWITTER

emme @flowersforcami · 4h still not over last night's show... the shit was phenomenal, it the cherry on top ↳ amie <3 @mieflrs · 4h i don't think we acknowledge how masochistic t*mmy must be to follow lina around europe and enduring those 2 hour shows where almost every song is the biggest middle finger to your existance; personally, if a song like aconite was written about me, i'd just never show my face again

kayla @luna_apocolypse · 5h oscar's story??? sir are you talking about the actual view or the stunning woman on the balcony?? it's important that i know

president linami @ linaminami · 6h 24 days since lina's posted on any of her socials... i can't believe i miss her unserious ass so much 🥲

oscalina real ?! @emptyginbottles · 33m "oscar could do so much better" respectfully how do you get better than selina fucking bui? ↳ oscalina real ?! @emptyginbottles · 33m "he should be with someone like him" she's australian, she's born in 2001, she's got cat energy, she loves sleeping and chocolate, she's slightly unhinged, she's known as a prodigy in her field, she keeps down low and most importantly, she's hot as shit, what more do you want

piaa⁸¹ @ papayaeightyone · 2h he called her his lucky charm 🥺 i love them so much 😭 ↳ lila💚 @kasdanrights · 2h wait lina?? where's this from?? i have terrible signal and no videos are loading ↳ piaa⁸¹ @ papayaeightyone · 2h it's from a video of them entering the paddock, someone asked him what's its like to have her at a race again and he grinned and said she's his lucky charm ↳ lila💚 @kasdanrights · 2h WAIT NO THEY'RE SO CUTE I CAN'T

MESSAGES

from the phone of oscar piastri

TWITTER

oscalina real ?! @emptyginbottles · 4h WE'RE SO BACKKKKK

↳ piaa⁸¹ @papayaeightyone · 4h that lucky charm must be working 👀

pookie piastri @op81ln4 · 34m OSCAR PIASTRI P2 START YES YES YES

oscalina real ?! @emptyginbottles · 21m oh he was not kidding when he said she was his lucky charm ↳ oscalina real ?! @emptyginbottles · 20m i'll have whatever he's having bc he was like a cat on steroids

jess @OPIXSTRI · 28m we were so close to a maiden pole why is it always a fucking haas ruining everything

Jonny @EB_jonno · 32m @ OscarPiastri Mega quali mate, way to absolutely send it (don't give Lina too much credit)

INSTAGRAM

oscarpiastri Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola

liked by cameliazzz and 218,496 others

oscarpiastri Well, it was fun while it lasted 😂

opeightyone Time to have better fun tomorrow then

cameliazzz i bet she found it hilarious ↳ oscarpiastri @ cameliazzz She found the timing hilarious, she was pretty upset it happened

TWITTER

pookie piastri @op81ln4 · 3h oscar piastri is now incredibly familiar with the rear wing of that ferrari it's just a shame it's the hideous hp logo

oscalina real ?! @ emptyginbottles · 3h LANDO??? LANDO OML U ARE SCARING THE SHIT OUT OF EVERYONE

piaa⁸¹ @ papayaeightyone · 2h i mourn the mclaren double podium we could've had... ↳ piaa⁸¹ @ papayaeightyone · 2h what matters most is that oscar finished ahead of sainz, i'm a happy woman

ZG24 future WDC · @zhoupdates · 21m the most iconic cousins are having dinner together in imola after the race

tagged: 周冠宇 | Zhou Guanyu 🇨🇳 and lina !!! ↳ clara @ zgy24 · 5m oscar finally let lina out of his sight this weekend?

INSTAGRAM

oscarpiastri

liked by logansargeant and 264,586 others

oscarpiastri En route to Florence (got really sidetracked)

amelia_belrose who gave them the right to be so cute?

pi4str1 the anticipated road trip happened 🥺 ↳ linasgirl4 @pi4str1 from a mention in a rolling stones interview to reality, they did it guys 🫶

opeightyone Nice quick break before the double header

siera_mblanc he's never looked so boyfriend before this is insane, the girlfriend effect is slowly kicking in

TWITTER

pookie piastri @op81ln4 · 2h something real funny about oscar driving down to florence with lina to spend a day or two before having to helicopter over to monaco by wednesday for the mclaren senna tribute livery/monaco gp promotions like 😭 OSCAR, BREATHE A LITTLE ↳ pookie piastri @op81ln4 · 2h idk how u think this is lina hate, it's just me pointing out that oscar had found a gap in his schedule and immediately went: i'm spending as much time as physically possible with my girlfriend before they forcibly drag me to monaco

Oscar Piastri @ OscarPiastri · 4h Searching my family tree to find any trace of Monégasque roots ↳ Charles Leclerc @Charles_Leclerc · 1h I can adopt you if needed ↳ Jonny @EB_Jonny · 13m did we just become in-laws to the leclercs???

piaa⁸¹ @papayaeightyone · 1h oscar piastri-leclerc 😭

✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:✧･ﾟ: ✧･ﾟ:

taglist @ririyulife @ashy-kit @fionaschicken @namgification @cherry-piee @urfavsgf @eiaaasamantha @sp1rl @destinyg237 @iloveyou3000morgan

[wcbblife]

can I make a request for juju Watkins? Maybe her taking care of reader/her gf who is also her teammate after reader has a bad game? Thank you!

Juju taking care of reader after bad game!

a/n: hopefully I can dish out some more short stories like this for you guys

To say you were having a bad game would be a gross understatement. Nearly all your shots bounced off the rim, teasing you as they rolled around before falling into your opponent's hands. It felt like every attempt ended in the same frustrating result. You could only imagine how abysmal your shooting percentage was today.

Adding insult to injury, just after the second half started, you took an elbow to the face, causing your nose to bleed instantly. Despite this, your coach was adamant about keeping you in the game. This combination of factors spelled disaster, but apparently not to her.

Now, you were counting down the minutes until the end of this miserable game, eager to retreat to the locker room and remove the cotton pads shoved into your nose to stop the bleeding.

You felt terrible watching Juju carry the team on her back to secure the win for the Trojans. Normally, you two were a formidable duo, averaging impressive numbers against opponents. Yet today, you were practically invisible on the court.

“Hey! Listen to me!” Your coach yelled in the middle of the huddle. “Juju and Mack have done a great job securing the win for us, but that doesn't mean we can slack off! You need to start making some shots.” She turned to you, putting you on the spot. You tried your hardest to nod, tilting your head back as a staff member swapped out the blood-soaked cotton in your nose.

“Coach, I think you should put Kayla in. She's a hot mess right now,” Juju interjected, seeing you preoccupied with your own problems. “Just until the game ends.”

“Kayla's in foul trouble. One more and she's out.”

“She's bleeding,” Juju fired back, taking a big gulp of water. “She shouldn’t even be here.”

“Juju, we’re short on players,” your coach responded, scribbling something on the board.

“Then Kayla better not foul,” Juju said sharply, shooting a look towards the guard, who straightened up and nodded fervently. It was clear she had been waiting all game for a chance to play, and you weren’t going to stand in her way.

“Just do it,” you winced, tapping the hands of the medical staff who were inserting another cotton swab into your nose. You couldn’t believe it was still bleeding. “Put her in.”

“Alright,” your coach sighed, finishing her explanation of the play she wanted to run after the timeout. You relaxed, finally turning to face the staff.

The rest of the game flies by in a blur, your focus consumed by the throbbing pain in your head. You only realize it’s over when Juju comes to help you into the locker room, her strong arm around your waist.

“Thanks,” you mutter, sounding a bit nasal, as she sets you down on your designated bench.

Juju tilts your head towards her, examining your nose. “You might've broken it, babe.”

“I sure hope not,” you wince, gingerly touching the area. “Thanks for what you did back there.”

“Of course,” Juju says, sitting next to you and throwing her arm around your shoulder.

“And for carrying the load. I totally sucked today,” you chuckle.

“Don't even say that. It wasn’t your fault at all.” 

“Yeah, except for me throwing bricks the entire first half. I don't even want to see the stat sheet,” you shiver just thinking about it.

Juju pulls you closer, “You're being too hard on yourself. Plus, it always feels good to be the hero,” she says, puffing out her chest with mock confidence.

“Right. Well, anyway—”

“Hey! You have media to take care of.” Suddenly, a staff member interrupts, practically separating you two. “Just you, Juju.

“I'll be right there,” she calls out, then turns to you. “Go ahead and ice that. We'll talk more when I get back.”

“Alright,” you nod, watching her go before turning to tend to your injury.

_____

It's not until you get on the bus that you finally get Juju all to yourself. She finds you in your usual spot, a familiar corner of the bus, and walks over with a loopy smile, sleepiness already starting to take over.

“Hey,” she calls softly, setting her bags down and taking a seat next to you. “Sorry I took so long.”

“I hate having to share you,” you joke, but you don’t miss the sigh that escapes Juju's lips.

“I know, babe.” She gently pulls your head to rest on her shoulder. “You need some rest though.”

“I want to talk to you.” 

“I want to talk to you,” you insist, despite the fatigue weighing on you.

Juju cups your jaw, a bit awkwardly due to your position, but her touch is comforting. “I’ll sleep over,” she promises, her voice soft and reassuring.

That simple assurance is all it takes for your eyelids to grow heavy. You let yourself be lulled to sleep by the gentle hum of the bus engine, feeling the warmth of Juju’s presence beside you.

 Juju’s hand strokes your hair lightly, a soothing rhythm that helps you relax even more. Her soft breathing, the gentle rise and fall of her chest, and the warmth of her body next to yours provide a sense of peace you desperately needed after such a shitty game. 

_____

“Gosh, I’m gonna look so bad tomorrow,” you wince, poking at your nose.

Juju shuffles in from the room next to the bathroom, her sleepy eyes locking with yours through the mirror. “Babe, you’ll be fine,” she assures you, handing over your toothbrush. She squeezes out some toothpaste before grabbing the other brush you always kept there for her, and does the same.

“What if it looks like a tomato?” you ask, staying motionless as you imagine the worst.

Juju finishes at the sink and wraps an arm around your shoulders, meeting your eyes in the mirror again. “I’ll help you ice it. But you have nothing to worry about. You’ll still look sexy to me,” she says with a loopy, pasty grin, pushing the toothbrush closer to your mouth.

“You promise?”

She nods, “Yup, but I really need you to brush your teeth.” You follow her lead, brushing until your breath feels minty fresh.

“C’mere,” she says, pulling you by the waist and guiding you both to the bed. Your bodies slot perfectly against each other, fitting together almost naturally. She pulls the blankets over you both, cocooning you in warmth.

Juju's fingers trace gentle patterns on your back as she speaks, her voice soft and soothing. “You know you’re being too hard on yourself. Today was just one game.”

You sigh, the day's stress beginning to melt away in her arms. “I know, it’s just… I hate feeling like I let everyone down.”

“You didn’t let anyone down. We win as a team, we lose as a team,” she reminds you, pressing a kiss to your temple. “And besides, you’ve got me. Always.”

You close your eyes, feeling the comfort of her touch and the steady rhythm of her breathing. 

“Let’s get some sleep,” she murmurs, her voice growing softer as she too begins to drift off. 

You nod, snuggling closer and allowing the exhaustion to finally take over. The last thing you feel is Juju’s hands pulling you closer.

[honeyjars-sims]

3.30 Waiting

Cece’s first semester of her senior year is drawing to a close and she realizes that dropping out now would be a waste. She’s so close to graduation…if she can only just hold out for a few more months, she’ll be able to join Ben on the road and fully focus on her career.

For the most part, that is. Being apart from Ben for the past few months has really reinforced for Cece how much she enjoys having him around. It’s an odd feeling–she’s always been independent and having a relationship was never on her radar. Now, though, the thought of performing without Ben by her side doesn’t seem as satisfying. It scares her a bit to rely so much on someone else’s presence, but mostly she feels a sense of security and belonging.

When Ben is in town she carefully broaches the subject of their future. She knows Ben would like to be married someday, and while the idea of marriage was never that appealing to her in the past she was beginning to have a change of heart.

She lets him know in her matter-of-fact, rather unromantic way that if he wants to propose she would prefer something private and subdued. “And no diamonds or anything flashy for the ring,” she adds. “Just a plain gold band.” Ben grins and promises to keep her preferences in mind.

Meanwhile Chantal is only becoming more frustrated with university. After she finishes this year, she’ll still only be halfway through her schooling. She wants to be out making moves, not reading textbooks and writing papers on things that have no real world applications. 

It doesn’t help that Kayla is starting to think more seriously about starting her own company. It’s all she’s been talking about when they see each other at the gym. Kayla has been networking with various entrepreneurs around Del Sol and will probably have no problem finding investors when the time comes. What she lacks, though, is a clear vision for her company.

She tells Chantal that she wants to stick to fitness, but she’s burnt out on the instructional videos she’s been posting on social media. Chantal can’t help but offer up some ideas for products Kayla could create. She thinks about these sorts of things all the time, and her experience at SNOOT provided a lot of examples of what doesn’t work.

Kayla seems interested in her suggestions, but Chantal worries that she made a mistake in sharing them. After all, those were ideas she was holding onto for when she starts her own company someday. She wants her friend to be successful but she doesn’t want to give up on her dreams in the process.

Previous | Beginning of story | Beginning of chapter | Next

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Olivia Little at MMFA:

Months after the Trump campaign’s flagrant lies about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio, went viral, right-wing media continue to fuel fear of Haitian migration. In Indiana, a small city was the focus of a misinformation-fueled migrant witch hunt led by right-wing media that emboldened hate groups and is now being used as a case study to justify anti-immigrant policies. Logansport is a rural city with a population of about 18,000 residents. In mid-September, Kayla Blakeslee, a right-wing talk radio host based out of Fort Wayne, Indiana, posted on Facebook screenshots of emails that claimed “20,000 plus Haitian immigrants” were “dropped off” in Logansport over the last six months. Blakeslee wrote, “Is Logansport, IN the new Springfield, OH???” Blakeslee’s factually inaccurate post — the mayor said the numbers originated from a social media satire page — was the first snowball in an avalanche of misinformation and hate that spread about Haitian migrants in Logansport.  Logansport's mayor acknowledged that there is an increased immigrant population, but noted that the community has been diverse for “a very long time.” According to census data, Logansport has about a 30 percent Latino population. 

Story spreads through the right-wing ecosystem

Central Indiana’s Fox affiliate picked up the story on October 10, with the headline “Logansport officials say immigrant population growth is unsustainable.”  The report pointed to “strain on schools,” first quoting a county health department administrator who said she didn’t “think our school system can sustain what they are doing right now.” The district’s superintendent, the actual authority on the district’s capacity to handle new immigrant students, was optimistic, saying, “We can handle it.”  The report also pointed to strain on a local hospital because of increased births and emergency room visits, but the hospital responded by issuing a statement pointing in part to shuttered obstetrics departments at other area hospitals as a cause of increased births at Logansport Memorial Hospital.

[...] President-elect Donald Trump has been emboldened by anti-migrant misinformation, threatening mass deportation and promising to end Temporary Protective Status, a program that allows people from select countries, including Haiti, to live and work in the United States. Ending TPS would likely force family separations and negatively impact communities, like Logansport, where TPS holders have lived and been employed for years.

Right-wing media outlets conduct a Springfield, Ohio-style witch hunt in Logansport, Indiana.

[innytoes]

"Sure I'm a little stupid, but that's like 80% of my charm!" Is such a Reggie line

Everyone knew that Reggie was a huge flirt. It was fun! There were a lot of cool and pretty people in the world, and he enjoyed letting them know that. He gave fans T-shirts 'size beautiful', he complimented cool haircuts, he made people at parties giggle with his cheesy pick-up lines.

It never really went anywhere, of course. Sure, sometimes the handsome barista would give him extra whipped cream, or they'd get some new follows on social media for the band, or he'd make out with a cute girl for half an hour before they never saw one another again.

But that did mean he was the only single person in their group. Alex and Willie had the most romcom meet-cute ever, literally crashing into one another. Luke and Julie were basically soulmates, anyone could see that. Hell, even Flynn and Carrie finally figured themselves out, going from friends to enemies to lovers.

And then there was Reggie. Goofy, flirty, fun Reggie, who was great for a one night stand but not much more, apparently. He tried to let his friends set him up. (Kayla was great but came out as a lesbian the following week, which was... something.) He tried the apps, even the shady kinky one. He tried going to cool events, concerts, nerdy meet ups. Nothing stuck. Or should he say, nobody stuck around.

He tried not to let it get him down, but after the umpteenth time of getting ghosted, he was wallowing on Alex and Willie's couch, feeling sorry for himself.

"I mean, I'm not hideous or anything!" he ranted, playing with one of the dozens of fidget toys Willie had lying around. "Sure I'm a little stupid, but that's like 80% of my charm!"

"Plenty of people in LA who are himbosexual," Willie nodded sagely, as if he wasn't one of them.

"I just don't know what I'm doing wrong. That girl from the club we played last week, she seemed to really like me. She even asked what I played as in my current D&D campaign. And then knew what I meant!" he whined, pressing the heels of his hands against his eyes. "A pretty D&D playing punk rock girl gave me her number and then didn't respond to any of my four texts. Not even the puppy gif! And if I send any more I'm a creep!"

"Oh for..." Alex said, annoyed. "Do you think maybe she hasn't texted back because the second you even thought Julie said your name you turned to her like a lovesick puppy?"

"Alex," Willie warned.

"Or maybe because you talk about Luke and Julie like they hung the moon, the stars, and invented pizza?"

"I don't... I talk about the whole band," Reggie said, even as he thought back. Okay, maybe he had mentioned Luke and Julie more often, but only because they wrote the songs. And yeah, when Julie said his name, of course he checked in with them. Maybe it was time to go.

And yeah, maybe he thought Julie was the prettiest girl in the entire universe, but she was dating Luke. (The hottest dude in the entire universe.) They were happy together, so Reggie tried to be happy for them. He just needed to find someone that made him that happy, too.

Right?

"Reggie," Alex said, grabbing his hand. He looked serious. "The reason you can't keep a date is because you're totally in love with Luke and Julie. And they look at you the same way."

"What?" he stared at Alex. "Like, for real?"

"Yes!" Alex said, looking a little fed up, but mostly very soft. Because he cared about Reggie. Even if he was like 80% a himbo.

He thought back to all the times Luke and Julie had invited him along with them on dates, on how they always plopped next to him (or even better, on either side of him) for movie nights. How they never passed up an opportunity to share a mic with him, giving him a head nod to come over, or holding it out to him.

How every time they sang together, sparks flew.

"Oh. Oh!"

"Finally," Alex groaned.

"Wait, why did you try to stop him?" Reggie asked Willie, betrayed.

"I had five bucks riding on you figuring it out yourself," Willie said, unrepentant.

"I'll make it up to you," Alex said, rolling his eyes. To Reggie, he said: "Now get off my couch and go get 'em, tiger."

[thatsparrow]

thoughts on a single episode of the golden bachelor

last night, I watched the latest episode of the golden bachelor with a friend of mine (it was the hometowns episode, for reference). it’s the only episode I’ve seen of the golden bachelor, and one of very few episodes I’ve seen of any bachelor property. my main takeaway based on this very limited experience is that the show shouldn’t really be about him.

by virtue of all the contestants being in their late-60s, early-70s (at least for the episode I was watching, I think my friend was saying there were some women in their 50s when the show started), and because the golden bachelor (gerry) is in his early 70s, everyone participating in this experience (again, that I saw, which at the start of the episode is 6 women) is bringing a genuine level of weight and seriousness to the process. these are women with children and grandchildren, with decades of complex romantic experiences under their belts. they’ve been through a lot. they know what they want. these aren’t a bunch of 20-somethings who might be there looking for love, or might just be looking to become semi-famous (not to say that’s true of all the contestants in other seasons, presumably when you get to hometowns everyone is equally invested in the possibility of this working out, but a late-20, early-30-year-old is going to be thinking about marriage and their future in a way that is fundamentally different from someone in their late-60s, early-70s.)

so, we get to hometowns, and we see our three finalists introduce gerry to their families—not a child introducing a possible spouse to their parents and siblings and friends, but instead women who are effectively the matriarchs of their families bringing home somebody who would potentially be impacting the lives of their children and grandchildren. they share some incredibly personal stories. it is evident that all of these women have been through a tremendous amount—both romantically and personally—and the fact that they are opening themselves up to gerry in this way, really allowing themselves to believe in the possibility of a future with him, is remarkable and very brave!

and then there’s gerry—now, I missed gerry’s introduction, because I have only watched this one episode, and so don’t know a tremendous amount about him. I know he’s a widower and he married his childhood sweetheart. he seems like he's nice, a good listener, and genuinely interested in getting to know and engaging with the women on the show. he does seem to respect the gravity of the position that he’s in, in terms of knowing that, ultimately, he will be disappointing—and, in the cases of the final contestants, breaking the hearts of—all but one of the women on the show. he seems like an excellent choice for season 1 of the golden bachelor.

but here’s why I don’t think the show should really be about him: yes, he is ostensibly our main character, and the narrative is his narrative and is ultimately decided by him, but I think it is very clear that gerry has the least to lose in this situation. I don’t want to gloss over the fact that he is opening himself to a new relationship after the loss of someone he was in love with and married to for so long, and truly I can’t imagine what that process must be like, but in this current situation, for gerry, he opens his heart, and is in a situation in which there are multiple women ready and waiting to return that love. the odds of him getting his heart broken are considerably lower than for any of these final three women.

so let’s return to hometowns—gerry meets each of these three families, and genuinely seems to bond and fit in with all of them. each of the three women tell gerry that they love him—a significant and weighty step, because these women have enough experience to know what love means to them, and what it means to allow themselves to feel so strongly for somebody else—and gerry, gerry my man, returns each of their sentiments, including telling their family members that he is in love or falling in love with each of them.

now, I do believe (and maybe this is just me buying into the magic of TV) that gerry is taking the responsibility of being the golden bachelor seriously. I do believe that gerry, had he met any of these three women in some other circumstance, could have developed a serious and lasting relationship with them. I do believe that gerry could see himself ending up with and leading a happy life with any of these women. but this is a TV show with pretty clear rules, and gerry knows that. gerry knows that, even if he feels a level of love for each of these women, even if under other circumstances he could have built a happy life with any of them, he is ultimately only going to end up with one of them. and in that regard, it does seem a little careless—potentially even a little cruel—to extend that promise of love to all of these women and their families, knowing that for one of them, it will be the least strong, the least sure love, and their chance at a future with him won’t go any further.

at the end of the episode, we get to the rose ceremony, and gerry gives out one of his two roses, and then clearly agonizes over the decision to make. he leaves the room, he gets comforted by the host, he mentions feeling sick to his stomach. he says something to the effect of knowing what he needs to do, and feels awful about doing it.

and to me, that sort of encapsulates why the show shouldn’t really be about him. for gerry, this moment of extreme emotional turmoil isn’t about the possibility of him getting hurt, but about the certainty of hurting somebody else. and that does sound like a miserable situation to be in, but obviously it is also much more miserable for the woman he’s going to be sending home. I can’t speak to what has happened since the show ended, if gerry is still with whatever woman he ends up choosing, but it seems very likely that, at this point, he is at the least risk for heartbreak of anybody on the show. the crux of the drama surrounding gerry is, who do I love the most, not, will he love me back, and I think that second question is the much scarier, much more noteworthy one!

the way this show is set up, the only way any of these women have a chance of making it to the end—and by extension, ending up in a serious and committed relationship—is to be vulnerable and open, to risk being deeply honest and emotional in the hopes that those feelings are returned, and aren’t surpassed by some other equally intimate moment that gerry has had with somebody else. they are voluntarily putting themselves in a position to get hurt—a situation in which it is almost certain they will be ultimately disappointed—and I think that is very brave and also very sad and mostly sucks all around. I also think that means these women are going on much more significant journeys of personal growth, with far higher stakes involved, and as such, how can you not empathize with them the most?

[cringengl]

my personal fave post trials of apollo headcanon is that all of nico's friends (like will, kayla, austin as well as the seven and others in chb) try to introduce nico to different modern media, we saw a bit of this in the opening of tsats when they talk about star wars, and nico is obviously new to all of it. that is until they try to introduce him to video games

bcus the lotus hotel and casino had so many games in it, and nico spent like the better half of a century there, i personally think that he would be a beast at any video game, especially after his mythomagic experience

whether you think they had mario kart in the lotus hotel or not, they certainly had games like it and the first time they get nico to play it with them he absolutely destroys everyone

[chachamare]

"What really happens at Rammstein Afterpartys"

Kayla Shyx, german web video producer and amateur actress, posted her announced video about Rammstein Afterparty & Till. The video is around 37 minutes long so I won't translate everything word for word but put down here the summary of her experience -> her video (no english subtitles as of now)

kayla went to rammstein concert in june 2022

she wanted to post the story on her insta but her former management told her to stay quiet, she got no support from anyone

her story is coming out only now bc she was scared, not allowed to talk about it and had personal problems, now it feels more safe since there's many media reports about it

kayla summarizes shelbys story and row0 etc.

her own experience: she went to the concert with an 18 y/o girl, was in firezone, got asked by alena if they wanna go to the afterparty

kayla gave alena her insta to talk about place and time, alena seemed extremely nice and trustworthy and said it's a normal fun party to meet the band so they went there

alena asked if they're HUGE rammstein fans and when kayla said "yeah i like their music" alena was like "ok 😬"

known actors were at the afterparty, kayla got into queue and wanted to do the covid test + passport control to enter but alena led them to a staircase where other girls were waiting (she and her friend giggled that they're part of the hot girls group)

big security guys came in and the girls had to stand in a row, a security man stood behind kayla and they were led to walk through the afterparty to a another room

she got a little irritated and asked where they're going, alena said to a private party and when the girls entered the room they had to lay their phone on a table for "privacy reasons"

kayla wanted to go but she felt pressured from the big security guys and alena soothed her to stay since it will be chill and fun

they went in and the doors were closed, the room had two black leather couches and mini fridges, a table with alcoholic drinks

like 8 girls sat on a couch, some of them seemed mentally far away

at that point kayla was really afraid and realized what kinda situation that is

she was overwhelmed since it all happened really fast

she met eyes with another girl (nickname paula) who had the same thought so they all said they want to go to the bathroom and they went in there

kayla asked the girls wtf that is and paula said she was invited to the preparty and wanted to bring a friend but wasn't allowed to bc "guest list was full"

kayla asked girls about the preparty, they all said they went there, got drinks, security came in with till and till looked at all girls and chose one

that chosen girl gave till a blowjob under the stage, some of the girls like paula didn't know they would/could be chosen for something like that (and didn't want to)

paula said you can do/have everything at the afterparty, even cocaine no problem

paula felt that everything was wrong and predatory and seemed like she was wrong there bc the other girls acted like all's normal

one of the other girls in the bathroom said "what do you expect it's rock n' roll", kayla said she was invited to an afterparty and expected a normal party (like the one she saw the actors at) so she wanted to leave immediately bc she didn't want to participate at an orgy/whatever that special party is

she couldn't handle looking at the "zombie girls", wanted to leave and told alena she wants to leave

alena looked at her in a "really scary way" and asked "you don't wanna meet till?? go drink something first, drink drink" and basically pressured her to go back and drink and relax

kayla said she and her friend really wanna go and then alena said "ok", alena also said they need to go-go so they weren't allowed to go to the "normal" afterparty

paula later texted kayla that till didn't come to the afterparty but that all girls were brought to his hotel room, that's also when paula finally left and said that it was scary bc the girls were again led to somewhere else without them being told cleary why

kayla says they were shaking and still shocked about how unclear and bad the communication was (it's said repeatedly that it's a normal party, when asked if it's about sex alena and co. say no, they're not told where they're going and why) and how much she felt like a sex object there

kayla says she talked, texted and called a lot of girls: many can tell these exact same experiences with being chosen to blow/fuck till, being filled up with alcohol where till then chooses drunk girls to fuck at pre- and afterparty

a lot of them also say they didn't remember anything and woke up in hotel rooms with wounds and ripped clothes, or that they went home or to their own hotel and had symptoms of being spiked

kayla explains that this whole procedure is a pure ego/power thing since till could easily get escort/prostitutes but wants to pressure vulnerable young fangirls who idealize him into it to use them while knowing that they're drunk and confused

some of the girls and the people in the industry said till has a heavy sex addiction so he needs sex before concerts and that he only get's this power satisfaction from young fangirls that won't say no with the pressure they're under

there are girls she spoke to who went to more than one day and they said till is very aggressive, comes in and destroys stuff, get's angry when the girls don't drink and takes drugs himself (girls from different cities and times can account to that)

one girl witnessed till sniffing a long line of cocaine, then going to the girls toilet and peeking under the door where a girl was in

many of them said they weren't allowed or didn't dare talk about it

kaylas former manager said it's "normal" and that everyone in the circles of rammstein and the industry knows about these things

she points out it doesn't appear to be rammstein but specifically till (as far as she knows)

she had former experiences with men in power positions in this industry (music, entertainment) touching her and other girls

she says that scandals about men in power positions like Weinstein and Epstein coming out is nothing new and that people shouldn't act surprised, it happens again and again that men in power positions use them to abuse girls as they're having a whole system around them allowing to do so "and till lindemann is one of them."

Kayla has many screenshots and photos proving that she had contact with Alena, texted her former management about this, that she was at the afterparty etc.

[theinstagrahame]

It's been a wild few months here at theInstaGrahame HQ, but what never fails to make me happy is the rad games I get from the mail. I'm getting over a cold, so I'mma work on this instead of anything productive I could be doing!

Here's my month of RPG mail calls, and why I'm hyped!

Coriolis: The Last Cyclade: I've been curious about Coriolis' Middle Eastern-themed sci-fi vibes for a while, so I put this on a Secret Santa wishlist; and this is what I got! Excited to dive in.

Curios: Albrecht Manor and Jasper Park: Good Luck Press is one of those game design teams I'll try anything from, and the pitch for this is really unique. It's not an RPG per se, as much as a collection of books, papers, maps, and other materials that point toward a mystery you get to figure out. Playing it is just... looking through stuff.

Salvage Union: I am a big fan of post-apocalyptic media, and a fan of the mecha genre. So, yeah, this was an easy sell. It's built on the Quest system, which I've been meaning to get more into anyway, and it looks like a mech repair manual!

The Zone (which I apparently thought people would just recognize): This game is available for free online, but the box set is gorgeous, and features some designers I love. Trying to set up an online session soon, but I do really want to play it in person.

Deimos Academy: Honestly, I picked it up because of the creative team, but also the pitch is great. I skipped my high school reunion, but if there was a chance to go back and face a monster? I might've thought about going.

Brindlewood Bay + Nephews in Peril: I was originally just going to get the super popular Elderly Detectives Solve Eldritch Crimes RPG, but the title of the expansion/mystery book was just too perfect.

Rebels f the Outlaw Wastes: I've already mentioned I like post-apocalyptica? Well, this took a neat approach to achievements/leveling that I was super intrigued by, and I just dig the fun vibe. The reason I like post-apocalyptic media is that it's hopeful, and this feels moreso than a lot of other stuff.

Skyrealms Almanac and Creatures and Folks: I've been into setting guides this past year. And like, this one is also a coloring book? Hell yeah.

Stoneburner: I've been following the creator on Twitter and elsewhere for a while, so I was curious about this title. But definitely sold when they talked about some of the inspiration being the original Starcraft games.

Forgery: Again, picked it up because I really like Banana Chan's work, but this is a paint-by-numbers solo RPG about forging a demonic painting. So like, yeah. That's rad.

Vast Grimm: Space Cruisers: Vast Grimm is Mork Borg in Space, but I'm also a big fan of ship catalogs, so I really wanted to check this one out.

.Dungeon: Everything Snow makes is beautiful, queer, and nostalgic, so when they mentioned a re-release of .Dungeon was coming, I really wanted to check it out. I have a lot of nostalgia for the

Cloud Empress (everything, including a patch!): I mean, you say Nausicaa and I'm listening. This has some roots in that world, but also does some really interesting things with the Mothership game engine. I'm especially intrigued by the notion of replacing racial traits with age traits, and having a series of pretty mundane jobs as the classes.

Layers of Unreality: The first of this month's Zine Club deliveries! I keep hearing about Liminal Horror, and this particular module I've heard nothing but incredible things about. So I'm really hyped to check out what happens in these backrooms.

Fear the Taste of Blood: My second Zine Club book this month! Kayla Dice is one of those really rad creators who I think deserves more attention than she gets, so I'm really hyped to dive into this take on classic movie monsters.

I also got this from my partner's family's Secret Santa.

Okami is one of those games that sticks with me, and has ever since I first saw images from it, and played it. It's a genuinely beautiful experience, and while it's maybe not a game everyone will like, it's one that I really enjoy, and the art is a big part of that.

It stands out as an example of what you can do with a video game that's nearly impossible with most other art forms, and also a reason that I don't think the Arms Race for More Photorealistic Graphics in video game consoles is worth the effort.

[candewlsy]

MOOT GAME !!!!!!!!! haha which idol would u ship ur moots with ??

Mooties game lesgaur!!

❛ @wondipity ༉‧₊˚✧

[Jungwon - Enhypen] During our conversation, Bell and I mainly talked about Jungwon. In my opinion, they would make the most perfect and adorable couple. I can vividly imagine them spending their time laughing, being affectionate and enjoying each other's company all day, every day. Their chemistry is so undeniable and their connection is so strong that it seems impossible for anyone or anything to come between them.

❛ @enmayz-deactivated20240331 ༉‧₊˚✧

[ Jake - Enhypen ] I know she deactivated her account but that won't stop me from adding her to my moot game 😿 ( I miss her) Okay! So, Lily and Jake would be the hottest and coolest couple 😍 Jake is hot same goes for Lily. Lily's not fond of men unless it's her man Jake 🤭 ahem, not gonna talk about the cowboy edit we talked ‼️ I want to be THEIR baby please adopt me.

❛ @chlorinecake ༉‧₊˚✧

Chloe is an absolutely endearing young girl, with a smile that can light up anyone's da (FIGHT ME THIS IS REAL) Riki, on the other hand, is a playful and charming guy, who loves to tease and have fun with his friends. It's easy to imagine that Riki would often pull Chloe's leg, but she wouldn't mind it one bit. In fact, she might even go ahead and dress him up in cute outfits, just to see him blush and pout. Despite Riki's apparent dislike for cute things, it's hard to deny that he secretly enjoys them when it comes to Chloe. The way he looks at her, with a mix of tenderness and mischief, makes it clear that he can't resist her charms. And while they may appear as just good friends in public, it's evident that their relationship goes deeper than that. Behind closed doors, they're passionate lovers, who share a bond that's both electric and intimate 😼

❛ @fakeuwus ༉‧₊˚✧

[Jay - Enhypen] Whenever Jay is mentioned, Nichi will appear. Where there is Jay, there is Nichi. I think Nichi and Jay would be the softest and calmest couple, always following each other around. I can see them staring at each other's eyes under the Moon, spending their time under the blanket cuddling like there's no tomorrow. In their own little world, isn't that cute 😭

❛ @heeslut4life ༉‧₊˚✧

[Heeseung - Enhypen] her username. Yeah, it's obvious. Aeri is a princess and of course, she's attractive and pretty (idk whatchu say about her, she's a princess) Heeseung is attractive and hot. The hottest and most attractive couple ever! I see them tease each other and giggle while kissing 👀 heeseung would probably tease the hell out of her and Aeri being cute and shy whenever he teases her. Other than that, they're also mature. THEY LITERALLY MEANT FOR EACH OTHER BRO DON'T SAY OTHERWISE.

❛ @minhosimthings ༉‧₊˚✧

[Beomgyu - Tomorrow x Together] "Mona's free-spirited nature is perfectly complemented by Beomgyu's lively personality, making them a perfect match. I can easily imagine them causing some harmless chaos, like bursting into fits of uncontrollable laughter in a library and getting kicked out, unintentionally scaring a child with their playful antics, or even sneaking away with candy from unsuspecting kids.

❛ @dear-hoon ༉‧₊˚✧

[Sunghoon - Enhypen] I perceive Lucky as someone who enjoys creating mischief and stirring up trouble. It is widely known that Sunghoon has an outgoing personality, despite being an introvert, and he often engages in impulsive and unpredictable behavior, especially when it comes to getting a rise out of Jay. I envision Lucky and Sunghoon teaming up to provoke Jay and Xyn.

❛ @moon7jay ༉‧₊˚✧

[Jay - Enhypen] Xyn radiates an elegant and expensive vibe, making her and Jay the perfect fashion icon couple. They look great together, often matching their outfits and taking photos of each other to post on social media. I can see them becoming one of those aesthetic and wealthy couples. (Literally adopt me mommy-)

❛ @wonlvkay ༉‧₊˚✧

[Jake - Enhypen] Kayla is such a sweet and charming girl, the perfect match for Jakey 🤭 they'll be the greenest flag couple ever