#literally i don't know how much more they can peg me as a consumer

[fantasmalresplendent]

Me: Wow, Dropout really has me pegged as the audience for these improv shows. How can it get better than improvised musicals?

A Game Most Changed: Productions hum'rous shall appear, if thou shalt only hold mine beer

[ange1princess]

Summary ❕ Their reaction to you gushing about your favourite obey me character.

Characters❕Riddle, Leona, Azul, Idia

A/N ❕ If you want a part 2 with the other leaders let me know + one angst coming up today because I'm in the mood to write whoops !

Masterlist ❕ Ko-fi

❕Riddle❕

❝ Confused and HurtTM. Who's this person, and why does Riddle not know about them? They have to be on campus if you're talking about them constantly right? He thought the two of you had something special, is that not the case anymore? Do you like someone else and we're just stringing him along till you finally got together with them?

❝ You have to sit and explain that this isn't a real person and is one of your favourite characters from a game (who coincidentally happens to be Lucifer . Someone so similar to him in so many ways), but that does nothing to calm him down, seemingly only making him sadder.

❝ So you're telling him he's losing to someone who's not even real? Is that his standing when it comes to the list of people (and the list is long) who are romantically pursuing you?? Really?

❝ The only thing that'll shut him up while he's going on and on about love and what it means to him as well as making up rules against video games and talking about their characters is a kiss, and all will be forgotten.

❕Leona❕

❝ Uhm... Okay? Who is this person upstaging him and acting all high and mighty around you, and what does he have to do to take him down a few (or multiple) pegs? He doesn't care what he has to do he will DO IT! He's not really angry, just very annoyed, extremely vexxed, this person is like a thorn in his side and he doesn't even know him!

❝ Tells you to shut up and let him nap but he actually means, please don't talk about him, I want to be the one who's consuming your thoughts instead! He's just got a strange way of saying so.

❝ When you let it slip (not like you were actively hiding it to make him jealous, gasp, you'd never!) that it's this guy who's exactly like him, constantly sleeping, and also not real, he laughs!

❝ And apparently he can't stop laughing, laughs himself off of his large bed and even through the embarassment he can't stop, he's relieved yeah, but he'll tell you he's laughing so much simply because of how "pathetic and hilarious" it is.

❕Azul❕

❝ Insecure but hides it behind a poker face and asks you more about this person. Wants to know everything about them so that he can subtly take them down with his wits and intelligence, maybe entangle them with one of his deals by promising to give them something they truly want.

❝ Definitely goes to the tweels that night and complained about it while they tried making him feel better, either through Jade's comforting words or through Floyd's attempts to cheer him up by describing the ways in which he'd hurt the one you talk about, what kind of name even IS Satan? You could do so much better, and Azul is so much better!

❝ Honestly just baffled when you tell him it's a character from your favourite game. Why are you so fixated on a character? What? Why? What? He's short circuiting he doesn't get it, but he's happy that it's not any competition for him, and you have to reaffirm your adoration for him and let him spoil you to get him back to normal.

❝ Is secretly curious and goes on wikihow to know more not only about Satan but also other characters and the lore, kind of maybe, a little Bit, probably asks Idia to teach him how to play.

❕Idia❕

❝ GASPS OMG YOU LIKE LEVI?? HE LITERALLY KINS HIM!! IS LEVI YOUR TYPE, IF SO DOES ... Does that mean he is your type?? Almost faints because of how excited he is, loves to hear you gush about Levi and his antics, always making sure to keep up with the game so that the two of you have a little more to talk about.

❝ He joins in and starts listing off his favourite characters from games He plays and loves, did you try doki doki literature club yet? He's absolutely smitten with Yuri (of course he has DDLC plus wdym?).

❝ So excited that he can now share more games like OM! with you and has something common to talk about, he used to get nervous talking to you before, fumbling over his words and staring at you too long, but now that you have a common interest, you can spend more time together!

❝ Definitely uses this as a way to come over, or call you over so that the two of you can play/enjoy events together, would probably confess his adoration for you through something Levi themed because he'd want to make it personal for you.

❝ He's truly so happy, his cute shark grin never leaves his face, his jaws hurting now <//3

© All rights reserved to ange1princess. Do not repost, translate or take credit for any of my writings.

[littlemisssquiggles]

Hello! Long time no see! I read your Cinder the Red Queen theory, and it's really cool! Cinder is one of my favorite characters (even if I don't watch RWBY anymore) and it would be really awesome to see Cinder play a really big role, besides "revenge on Ruby". Although, I am personally more of a Cinder Redemption Arc fan. So, hypothetically, if Cinder were to get one such redemption arc, how do you think it would play out?

Hiya Yellow! Yeah it has been a while. Sorry I took so long to get back to you. Slowly working through my backlog of posts inside my inbox. Anyways, how have you been fam? And in the literal immortal words of one Oscar Pine, wait…WHAT! When did you stop watching RWBY? ! D8

What happened? If you don’t mind me asking, how come you’re not watching anymore? Is it because you just fell out of love with the series as a whole after being disappointed with its current direction or did all the discourse surrounding the show (and by extension RT as well) drive you to stop?

Sad to hear you’re no longer in the FNDM man. But on a different note, allow me to say thank you! Knowing that you’re a Cinder fan, I’m happy to hear that you liked my Red Queen headcanon for her. Much appreciated.

And yes, I do remember you being an advocate for Cinder’s redemption as well. In response to writing a Cinder redemption arc, I’m gonna be frank. 

Given the way the canon has portrayed Cinder’s character, both in previous seasons and currently, redemption is still the last thing I can envision for your favourite Fall Maiden m’dude. I’ve never seen Cinder getting redeemed as a possibility since to me, the show hasn’t shown enough evidence of her being empathetic to anyone else other than herself to make me believe there’s a chance for her to change for the greater good.

The only way I can picture Cinder going is either she is given the Adam Taurus treatment---unceremoniously killed off despite the series keeping her relevant to the story for so long or…Cinder survives long enough to rise up and see herself becoming the all-powerful entity she desires to be---ultimately walking out of Salem’s shadow to overthrow her and replace her as the Red Queen and succeeding within a short time what Salem has failed to do for centuries---thrusting Remnant into utter anarchy in the form of a second Great  War sparked by one of the kingdoms (possibly Mistral) declaring war against the remaining three kingdoms hoping to conquer them all after learning that the great Atlas Kingdom has fallen along with the former Mantle.

One kingdom to rule them all and this was all done through Cinder puppeteering her pawns in the Mistral Council through her newly awakened abilities after finally succumbing to the Geist Grimm and becoming something more than human--- a Grimm with a soul and a conscience. A Grimm-human hybrid or Grimmoire as I’d like to say.

Instead of being redeemed, I more favour the idea Cinder becoming a bigger threat to Remnant than Salem who I peg would be defeated, purified of her darkness (courtesy of Ruby’s silver eyes) and stripped of any magic that she had, courtesy of Cinder betraying her.

Cinder’s whole “…Without you, I am nothing” statement from the trailer is just giving me huge red flags for her to eventually realize that she can probably do better than Salem without her holding her back. The student does eventually become the master, right? So why not expect Cinder to replace Salem as the main big antagonist of RWBY with her reign being the true threat of Remnant in a time of war?

I really, really like the idea of the main conflict of RWBY not being the war with Salem but the rise of Cinder Fall and the second Great War of Remnant. I think such a plotline would be cool especially looking back on the fact that Oz had told General Ironwood that he prayed that his students---the children whose futures and development were entrusted to him---would never have to face the pains and strife of war like his predecessor: King Phadrig of Vale, once did long ago.

It would actually be very compelling to watch our heroes attempting to survive a dire time when the world was divided with two of its founding kingdoms in shambles while one tried to conquer them all (Mistral) and another daring to defend them all (Vacuo). The first Great War lasted ten years. Imagine if…it were the same for the second with time fast-forwarding to another period ten years later when all of our young heroes were now grown adults. No longer naïve children enamoured by the huntsmen lifestyle but seasoned warriors doing what they could to help the people in a dark world where war raged, humanity pleaded for their salivation and the Grimm feasted.

That could’ve been nice. But…I’m getting ahead of myself here. I’m not sure if anything like that will actually happen in the show. Still it’s good to share the idea around.

Going back to Cinder, like I said---right now I can’t see a redemption arc for Cinder.

As I said, the core reason why I’ve never been for Cinder being a redeemable character is due to the fact that up until this point, the series has done very little to establish her having any positive qualities. Cinder has sadly been selfish through and through making it very clear multiple occasions that she’s only out for herself. For me to have pictured Cinder to be a redeemable character, the series would’ve need to introduce a sort of “buffer character”---for lack of a better term. Basically when I say a buffer character, I mean in terms of a character who could’ve acted as a sort of foil to Cinder---seeing through her power-hungry nature and faults and thus revealing to the audience a much more relatable, sympathetic and emotionally vulnerable side to her through her relationship with said buffer.

The best example of this type of dynamic for me in an animated media is the relationship between Prince Zuko and his Uncle Iroh from Avatar the Last Airbender. In that series, Iroh was Zuko’s buffer character---the one person who saw through Zuko’s acts of aggression and appealed to the side of him that was just a insecure young man lacking any real support in his life and wanting nothing more than to do his best to appease an abusive father just so that he can feel a sense of belonging in the world.

It was through his bond with his uncle that I, as a viewer, was able to believe in Zuko’s redemption arc since it was only with Iroh did we see a more open side to Zuko---the side that reminded us that outside of his status as Prince of the Fire Nation leading the charge to capture the Avatar---outside of that, Zuko was only a boy in need of guidance. Guidance that Iroh attempted to provide him on multiple occasions.

Going back to Cinder, this is what I would have needed to make her redeemable. Give her a character who is the only one to see her more vulnerable side. Using what we know about the series, I’d say Emerald Sustrai could’ve easily been Cinder’s buffer. In the show, RWBY already established Cinder as a sort of motherly/sister figure based on Emerald’s perception of her.

Through Emerald, the show could’ve used her close ties with Cinder to show a side to her that we often don’t see. A side that actually cares for Emerald or at least better fools Emerald (and by extension us as the audience) into thinking that she cares. Ironically enough, the show could’ve had Cinder mirror Salem in this regard.

The reason why I’m more of an advocate for Salem’s redemption over Cinder is because UNLIKE Cinder, the show has given me moments of Salem being genuinely kind and caring to others. We saw this with the way she loved Ozma and would’ve done anything to get him back before her self-interest and hatred toward the Brother Gods consumed her.

We saw this in the Lost Fable and to some degree, even though she is another pawn to her, I’d like to think that the way Salem treats Cinder is akin to a mother. My issue with Salem isn’t that she is incapable of caring about others, it’s that no matter what, she will never put them before herself. It will always be her first and others second. At least that’s what I interpreted and it for this reason while her curse will remain.

However at least the show has shown examples of Salem showing compassion towards other. This is something I have yet to see from Cinder Fall. To me, Cinder is lacking that side of her.

Salem is selfish but as strange as this for me to say, I don’t think she’s entirely heartless. It’s kind of complicated when it comes to Salem but this just adds onto why I find her character fascinating. This is what makes the difference for me between her and Cinder and separates the two.

Salem is selfish but is capable of empathy and a surprising amount of mercy in unexpected moments (like in the way she treats Cinder for example. Salem could’ve easily offed Cinder for her failures like how she ended Lionheart but instead she left her be. And judging from the V8 trailer, even as Cinder came grovelling back to her, Salem still seemed to mostly react to Cinder’s return with an air of a strict parent who isn’t angry at their child but more disappointed. And oddly enough she did the same thing with Tyrian back in V4)

Cinder, on the other hand, shares in Salem’s self-centred nature but lacks any kind of compassion. Cinder is heartless.

Sorry Yellow, picturing a redemption arc for Cinder Fall is tough for me, even hypothetically speaking. I mean, if the show had done something with Cinder akin to Zuko---having her gain the power and status she’s always wanted only to have it result in her losing the only good relationship she had in Emerald thus leading to her falling from grace again after realizing her mistakes---then I could see it.

Or…perhaps the show could’ve pulled an Azula type of redemption for Cinder. Have her gain the power she desired at the cost of her own humanity and she loses herself in the process, becoming a monster and realizing her mistakes too late. And in the end, despite everything she’s been through and in spite of all that she put her through, the only person to appear before Cinder in her time of death after falling from her mistakes is Emerald.

I like the irony of Emerald cradling a dying Cinder Fall, choosing even then not to hate her and remain with her until her last dying breathe as her way of finally paying her back for saving her from her former life of poverty; giving her a new sense purpose in life outside of being a street rat.

That could’ve worked, at least me. But again, this is only if the show had further developed Emerald and Cinder’s bond. I genuinely wished the show had explored more of Cinder’s ties to Emerald. This is why I wanted Emerald to be Cinder’s accomplice for Atlas instead of Neopolitan. We could’ve watched Emerald’s character grow further through her separating herself from Salem’s legion and devoting herself entirely to Cinder. We could’ve watched Cinder even entice Emerald with the prospect of her ruling beside Cinder in the new world she would’ve aided her to build for Salem.

At the end of the day, as Emerald implied back in V5, she doesn’t care that much for Salem. The only person of interest to Emerald Sustrai is Cinder so this makes me curious to see what their reunion would be like for V8. I highly doubt Salem just ups and left Emerald, Mercury and Hazel back in the Dark Domain. Unless they were sent off to Vacuo to retrieve the Sword of Destruction, they’re bound to be there with Salem inside of Grimm Monstro so I’m looking forward to seeing the look on Emerald’s face when she realizes to her dismay that in her absence, she had been replaced with Neo.

It would be interesting watching how Emerald deals with this development in addition to seeing where her story goes from here now that her beloved Cinder Fall is back with her but not really with HER, y’know what I’m saying? Perhaps this could lead to Emerald going out of her way to get back onto Cinder’s good side mirroring Cinder attempting to return to Salem’s.

“…Without you, I am NOTHING!” “…I don’t care about Salem but I owe Cinder for EVERYTHING!”

It’ll be a game of watching apprentices regain the faith of their masters as Emerald is Cinder’s apprentice while Cinder is Salem’s. This should be a fun development to observe for next season

…Sorry if I haven’t exactly answered your question Yellow. Truth be told, I don’t have much ideas for how Cinder could be redeemed. However I do stand by my points about Emerald being used to show a different side to Cinder. It’s a shame this wasn’t done much in the canon. But who knows? Maybe something might be done to change that for V8.

~LittleMissSquiggles (2020)

[emotionally-imbruised]

Okay lol I didnt want to send it again and have you had already gotten it lmao. Well I was just thinking like we know how YN was during the time between her leaving Harry's and him and Gemma showing up at her place, but we don't anything about his time. Like, how he felt knowing she left while he was puking for example, and all the rough times during that week and the times he wanted her to hold him, thinking he fucked up, Gemma persuading his sick mopey ass to go to her place. You know? :)

I PROMISE I DIDNT FORGET ABOUT THIS BUT HI HERE SHE IS

Accidentally In Love: Harry’s POV (kinda?)

“What’s the problem, I don’t know. Well, maybe I’m in love.”

Pt. 1 | Pt. 2

A/N: I recommend reading these other parts first to make more sense of this, but like, you do you fam

In the many years, Harry has spent getting to know you from you being one of Gemma’s best friends as well as one of his own, it’s very easy for him to deem you as unpredictable. You like keeping people on their toes. Whether it be with your witty humor or sarcastic remarks, there’s something about making people face the unknown that you find rather intriguing; even if it’s unintentional and at the worst possible times.

During those years of forming a significant relationship with you, Harry also couldn’t prevent the attraction and feelings he developed along with it. However, he tried his best to not do anything in regards to it for the sake of his sister, as well as the thought of there being no chance in hell you felt the same. That was until he decided to invite you over to watch some movies on Christmas Eve because he was sick and didn’t want to be alone. Somewhere in the process of doing something so simple and harmless while cuddled up on his couch, it was determined that you indeed felt the same about him and well, things escalated pretty quickly from there.

As someone who has made out with quite a few people throughout his years, he’d never been so taken aback by how good someone’s lips felt against his own. It was something he found himself getting lost in, and knew he’d continue craving if it were to end before he was ready. He couldn’t get enough of this new sensation and wanted to have you closer – finding pleasure in the way you felt on his lap with your hands being tangled into his curls; moaning against his lips to indicate you're enjoying what’s going on as well… But then his mum and sister walked in.

In the whirlwind of events, the illness Harry had been feeling before all this took over and he had to rush out of the room as his mother and sister silently asked for answers; leaving you to stand there shocked, alone, and unsure of what to do. A few moments later one he finishes emptying the contents of his stomach and finally recollects himself, he is thrown a complete curveball about the entire predicament he’s found himself in. 

“What do you mean she left?” Harry questions his mother with furrowed eyebrows while staring at her through the bathroom mirror’s reflection. A soft sigh escapes his mouth as he reaches forward to turn off the rushing water coming from the tap after he’d just finished brushing his teeth once finally being able to stand up from his hunched over position beside the toilet. He turns around to face his mum but has to take a moment and leans against the sink as he starts feeling a bit nauseous again. “Y/N, s-she really left?”

“Harry, I think you need to go lay down,” Anne’s soothing voice states in a concerned tone, but Harry just closes his eyes and shakes his head.

“Where’s Gemma?”

“I asked her to get a damp cloth for your forehead, you’ve got a fever love,” she continues as he looks at her again. Just as he’s about to say something else – his sister appears in the doorway with a cloth and wastes no time in chucking it towards him as anger takes over her features.

“What the hell was that Harry?” Gem seethes as her brother reaches up to catch the cloth just before it can peg him in the chest.

“Gemma,” Anne warns her daughter, but the oldest Styles sibling just isn’t having it. “Take a couple breaths, please.”

“No, mum. There are literally so many other people he could’ve chosen to mess around with, but he just had to choose my best friend? What even is that?” Her eyes snap to those of her brothers, and boy if looks could kill; Harry would cease to exist. “She’s not one of those fuck buddies that you just get to toss away once you’re done with them, Harry. She's-.”

“Do you not think I know that?” He snaps at her and lets out an aggravated groan as he harshly pushes a hand through his curls. “How could you think I’d ever do something like that to Y/N? Fuck, I need to call her.”

No more words are exchanged between the three as Harry exits the washroom and makes way to the living room to retrieve his cell phone from where it’s laying on the couch. He wastes no time in finding your contact and pressing the call button. The first couple of rings go by and Harry feels his heart pace increase when the other end of the call finally picks up; however, that rapid beating he feels diminishes as your voice chimes in asking him to leave a message and that you’d back to him as soon as you could.

With a defeated sigh, he waits for the tone as he stressfully tugs at his hair. “Hey Y/N, uh yeah, it’s me. Mum told me that you left and well, I really think we should talk about this. Give me a call back when you can, please.” Without any other words, he ends the call and tosses the device aside; thinking you’d call him back once you were home – but unfortunately, that never happens.

The days afterward come and go in a blur for the Rockstar, but not in a good way. He tries to be as positive as he can seeing as his mother and sister flew all the way to LA just to visit him for the holidays, but there’s one thing that is always nagging at the back of his mind despite how hard he tries to focus on literally anything else other than, well, you... And how it seems you’ve very much gone out of your way to ignore him.

You’re all that’s consumed his thoughts, and it’s slowly beginning to eat him alive because he hasn’t been able to talk to you. Did he do something wrong? Was it a mistake finally telling you how he felt about you? Why haven’t you called him back? Are you regretting kissing him?… Maybe you’re just embarrassed and want to pretend like none of this happened, but that is the last thing Harry wants.

Reaching out to you has become a lost cause, and as the days turn into weeks; he continues to send you a message every day in attempts to finally speak with you about all of this. He’s feeling rather pathetic about the whole ordeal, but he cares too much to not keep trying.

Things between him and Gemma have been a bit awkward during this time, to say the least, but with their unspoken sibling pact to not address the elephant in the room until they’re both ready to calmly speak about the matter; they avoid it altogether… Until one day, Gemma decides to change that.

It’s now been over two weeks since Christmas and Harry’s in a rough state. He’s somehow managed to become even sicker than he was before the holiday’s. It’s left him with nothing else to do but wallow in self-pity over everything that hasn’t gone his way as of late – and to watch an unnecessary amount of TV as he remains planted on the couch; jotting down the odd lyric that comes to mind when his eyes need a break from staring at the television screen for so long.

One afternoon, he finally stands up from the couch; wrapped in a blanket as he makes way to the kitchen for a glass of water as a rerun of Shrek 2 starts playing on the television. The opening scene of Shrek and Fiona on their honeymoon can be heard from the other room and has him scoffing at the cliché romance being displayed when he can’t even get a text back, but also has him nodding his head to the catchy Counting Crows song that plays in the background. Soon enough he’s humming along to the few words he recognizes and doesn’t notice the presence that stands behind him now, watching him in his own little world and trying their hardest not to laugh.

“Seriously?” Gemma’s voice speaks up from the doorway, startling the Rockstar. She chuckles as her brother whips around to look at her, and shakes her head before continuing. “This is what your moping has turned into?”

“I have not been moping,” he grumbles and rolls his eyes as Gem leaves the room for a second to go turn off the TV before returning shortly after. “Heeeeey, m’watching that.”

“Not moping hmm? Then what’s with all the sappy rom-coms you’ve been watching for the past two weeks straight?”

“I like rom-coms, and I’ve been sick Gemma,” he replies, narrowing his gaze at her as he moves to the cupboard to grab an Advil for the headache he feels coming on. “Why are you on my case?”

“Have you talked to Y/N?” The older Styles questions, causing Harry to freeze in his tracks completely.

He lets his shoulders slouch before slowly turning back around to face his sister. “No, I haven’t. She won’t answer any of my calls or texts.”

“Thought she might pull something like this on you,” Gemma continues. “She always was a coward when it came to boys she liked. Anyways, I’m going to see her. Are you coming?”

“Right now?” He asks incredulously and looks down at the baggy grey hoodie and jeans he’s wearing; shaking his head as he processes everything. “Wait, when did you talk to her?”

“I haven’t yet,” she explains. “But I’ll send her a text to see if she’s home and we’ll go from there. I’d be surprised if she weren’t though, mum said she seemed pretty sick when they ran into each other last week.”

“Mum and Y/N talked last week, and no one wanted to tell me?” He asks slightly annoyed

“Hey, I only found out last night. Mum and I discussed all of it… this.”

With a heavy sigh, the two know what is to come. The elephant has been addressed, and Harry couldn’t be more relieved but panicked at the same time. He observes his sister as he waits for her to continue, but when she doesn’t; he takes it as a hint for him to speak up. With a deep breath, he prepares himself to tell her how he’s felt for quite some time, and it’s pretty nerve-wracking. “Gem, I know you probably don’t want to hear this because Y/N is your best friend and all… but I like her a lot. I have for a really long time now but was always too terrified to let her know that, and now that something has actually happened between us; I-I just can’t stop thinking about it. I’m sorry if that makes you uncomfortable, but it’s how I feel and-.” 

“I get it, Harry,” she cuts him off, and sends him a small smile. “I can tell how much her not responding has been bugging you with how much you’ve been sulking around, and not really doing much… This is all very weird. That’s for sure. But who am I to stand between my best friend and brother if they really do have such significant feelings for each other?”

“Do you mean that?”

“I do,” she says with a sigh. “Now, I wouldn’t be offering to take you over to her apartment, so she’s basically forced to talk with you if I wasn’t. So, are you coming or not?”

“Yeah, I’ll go,” he replies with a chuckle, moving around the counter to pull his sister into a little sideways hug. “Thanks, Gem.”

“Don’t thank me yet, you still have to win over your girl.”

Their drive to your apartment is filled with conversation about just how long Harry’s felt this way about you. He explains how he doesn’t even know when he started liking you as more than a friend, but how it’s always been something that was there. He has no issue in telling his sister his favourite things about you, including the little things that just simply have had him wrapped around your finger for years now, but neither of you had bothered to notice.

Gemma can’t help but feel happy for her brother as he goes off about this incredible girl who just so happens to be one of her favourite people on this entire planet. As your best friend she’s always felt protective over who you had relationships with because no one was ever good enough for you in her eyes, but with Harry now stepping up to make that type of effort; it’s just different… a good different, and it makes her smile hearing how much admiration he truly has for you. Once he’s done rambling, she glances at him sideways and smirks to herself. “You love her, don’t you?”

With a deep breath and the pushing of his hand through his hair as he realizes they’re pulling up to your apartment building, Harry can’t help but smile at the thought. “I think I might.”

The two park the car and are soon making way up to your apartment. Much to Harry’s dismay, Gemma doesn’t listen when he suggests just knocking on your door to get your attention and decides to use the key you had given her to just barge on in instead. He doesn’t see your reaction to his and his sister’s sudden appearance, but with the loud thud that sounds from what he assumes is you falling to the ground; he knows they’ve caught you off guard.

He stays back a bit as he watches Gemma help you up from the ground, and observes as two of the most important women in his life interact – happy to see them talking again, but insanely nervous because soon enough he’ll have to speak up. His heart is fluttering like crazy just by being near you again, and as much as he wants to be upset with you for ignoring him; he instantly feels himself melt as soon as your gaze meets his.

“Oh fuck, H,” your voice croaks out before being overwhelmed by an intense coughing fit. He hates seeing you like this and wants nothing more than to pull you against his chest and rub your back until the coughs subside, but knows he shouldn’t.

With a shake of his head, he steps forward and expresses his concern. “Y/N, please tell me you’ve gone to the doctor.”

Before you can answer, Gemma speaks up, and the two of you soon discuss what happened on Christmas Eve. Harry observes as you apologize to his sister, and feels himself relax slightly as it seems you’re not regretful of what had happened between you and him. 

“Can’t say I’m the biggest fan of my best friend and brother being all over each other like the way you two were, but I can say that you two are each one of the few people I think are actually good enough for the other. Y/N, as weird as it is to even think about – you’re one of the best people I could ever imagine my little brother with; and Harry, you’ve got some work to do, but Y/N can help you get to her level,” Gem explains, and Harry scoffs. 

“Thanks?” He mutters, but can’t help the stupid grin that’s stretching across his face because his sister's approval means more to him than she’ll ever know it does. He knows the weight that feels as if it’s been lifted from his chest is what you’re feeling as well, and sends you a knowing look before the two of you move in to engulf Gemma in a group hug against her will. 

Once the eldest Styles has squirmed her way out of your joint hold on her, she mentions how she needs to head out, and soon departs; leaving the two of you alone. 

As soon as she’s out the door, you turn to face the Rockstar, and he awkwardly glances to the ground; not knowing how to approach the situation between the two of you. “H, I was so caught up in worrying about your mum and Gemma I didn’t even consider your feelings in all of this, and I know I’ve said it a lot lately… but I’m especially sorry for how I just left after well, we kissed and-.”

“S’alright Y/N,” he chuckles at your rambling. He steps towards you and feels those damn butterflies in his stomach again, mentally cursing himself for feeling so soft. “I’ve never had a girl walk out on me like that before.”

“Is that supposed to sound appealing to me?” You scoff dramatically. 

“No, I guess not,” he continues laughing, and you let out a huff. “But m’sorry as well because I never told you how I felt about you sooner. It’s been for quite some time now, I’ve just been too much of a coward to do anything about it. S’a bit intimidating having feelings for someone who is not only your sister’s best friend but also one of your own. Not necessarily an easy thing to discuss.”

“We could always start talking about it slowly?” You suggest and smile at him shyly. “Could watch a movie and see where the evening takes us?”

He smirks smugly but slowly nods in agreement; feeling a great sense of deja vu at the idea. “I’d like that.”

With broad smiles, the two of you make way to the couch and bundle up again… together. Once you’re both comfy and all cuddled against the other, you glance up at him and speak again. “It’s your turn to pick the movie.”

He tugs his bottom lip between his teeth as he gazes down at you, wanting nothing more than to crash his lips against yours again as he takes in the way you gaze up at him affectionately. “Let’s watch Shrek. I’ve had a song from that movie stuck in my head for a while now,” he proposes and wraps an arm around your waist, so you’re snuggled up against him even more. With a small smile, you nod before unexpectedly reaching behind his neck to pull him in for a sudden deep kiss.

The action catches him off guard, but he responds instantly by leaning back against the armrest and pulling you with him; firmly gripping your waist so that you remain on top of him as you moan against his lips seductively. 

Maybe you two won’t be watching Shrek after all. 

[steponmepinkjun]

NO LITERALLY OKAY LIKE LISTEN. LISTEN. When I first played the arcana like, a bit over a year ago, I was so deep into the shits that I had to routinely explain to my coworkers at the department store I worked at that they could either accept that I needed to hide in the fitting rooms on my phone blogging about the arcana for at least 20 minutes of every hour, or they had to play it too so we could talk about it, it was one or the other. 90% of my working hours after I discovered the game were spent standing at my register, phone in hand, either rabidly consuming any and all media related to the game, or trying to look casual while I wrote steamy smut scenes lmfaooooo. Esp when I was in the latter half of Julian's route, it was not at all uncommon for my coworkers to ask me, "Sara, you're all flushed and jittery, are you okay?" and I couldn't really say, "No, Jan, I just got a fucking FADE TO BLACK on a fucking PIRATE SHIP in DEATHS FUCKING REALM where it is heavily implied that I got to PEG JULIAN FUCKING DEVORAK." Was I extremely irritated any time I had to actually help a customer? Yes. Am I ashamed? Absolutely not lmfao.

I firmly believe there is no such thing as a stupid hyperfixation. Our brains need new and exciting stimuli! And if something "practical" doesn't give us the Happy Chemical we need to focus on it, there's nothing wrong with that. Our worth is not determined by how monetarily valuable our interests are, because if it was, my dumb ass would be worthless 😂 I know way too much about criminal psychology and true crime, but need help remembering to pay my rent. I got my GED at 16 and never went to college, but I can explain the mechanism that enables cuttlefish to change their skin color and shape to literally hypnotize their prey. I can't remember my own social security number, but I will be DAMNED if I don't know every single word to every single song on A Fever You Can't Sweat Out to this very day. As a cashier, my brain would completely shut down any time someone handed me more change after I already entered their cash amount on the machine, but I can explain to you in vivid detail the economic and political details of gunsmithing and gun ownership in the 1700's that make the modern day interpretation of the second amendment wildly inappropriate and misconstrued. I learned how to do special effects makeup and worked in haunted houses years and years before I ever learned how to do my taxes or write a resume. Almost none of my many hundreds of micro-interests are functional or useful to my everyday life, and if I was hard-pressed to turn any of them into something "useful" rather than a fun idea to explore, my head would probably explode like a tomato. But honestly, I'm okay with that. It means that I know a LOT about a little, as well as a little about a lot. I'm more of a jack of all trades than anyone I know! I have hundreds of tiny little interests, fit for almost any occasion, and I know it makes me interesting as fuck to talk to at parties. ESPECIALLY if they bring up the psychological implications of the trippy nightmare sequence in Julian's route 😂

Hyperfixations are funny sometimes. Like, the topics, I mean. Lmfao did I ever tell yall about the one and only time I ever got kicked out of a bar? I had gone to drinks with an old work friend, got a bit too enthusiastic, and started talking about how fascinating the Civil War was. Not in a weird racist way, ew, in like a "I discovered Ken Burns' docu The Civil War and have become absolutely fascinated with that time in history" kind of way. Eventually I—allegedly—was grabbing at strangers very passionately trying to tell them about how fuckin badass William Tecumseh Sherman was, so the bouncer kindly invited me to vacate the premises. Which I did, and got into a super interesting convo with this dude outside about the whole topic. After about 20 mins, my friend noticed I was missing, only to come outside and find me animatedly spouting Civil War facts at a completely passed out homeless guy 😂😂😂 I was devastated to find out that I thought I'd found someone who could finally fuckin handle me, someone who thoroughly passed the vibe check, and it turned out I was just very belligerently drunk 😭

[coin-news-blog]

Mark Cuban: Don't Convince Me, Convince Your Neighbor About Bitcoin

New Post has been published on https://coinmakers.tech/news/mark-cuban-dont-convince-me-convince-your-neighbor-about-bitcoin

Mark Cuban: Don't Convince Me, Convince Your Neighbor About Bitcoin

Crypto supporters need to show their neighbors its value, not rely on the academic discussions to bring the consumers in, believes billionaire Mark Cuban, an American businessman and investor, and the owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks. Crypto supporters, however, find flaws in his arguments.

In a discussion on Twitter, Cuban says that he’s not opposed to Bitcoin (BTC) and understands the arguments around it, but if those who support Bitcoin have neighbors who “don’t see value, that is the problem you need to solve” as “the world is littered with great products/services that failed for lack of consumers,” he says.

"Lots of people are trying to change my mind. My mind will be changed not by technical discussions about fiat currency, sharpe ratios, valuation projections, protocol comparisons, etc. It will be changed by actual usage by consumers, who choose BTC over the many other options," he adds.

The thread, however, saw a number of discussions being led, which are at the heart of the Cryptosphere.

Whom and how to convince?

People debate who it is that “we” really need to convince and how. It’s not defined who “we/you” are exactly, but from the talk, it’s likely safe to say it’s all crypto supporters. Cuban argues that he’s not the one that these crypto supporters need to convince, after Anthony Pompliano, co-founder of digital asset manager Morgan Creek, offered to fly to Dallas and explain to Cuban the information that is currently available and that refute the claims he is making, asking “what would make you change your mind on Bitcoin?”

Cuban, however, refused the offer, finding Pompliano too subjective for such a discussion, and saying that technical and academic discussions on crypto and fiat – perhaps like the counterarguments aerospace and investor Preston Pysh kept on providing – “rarely change hearts and minds of consumers.”

BTC is available in this country and many others for almost no cost. The percentage of consumers choosing it as a methodologically for payment or SOV is infinitesimal. It's almost free and few want to use it. We started taking BTC in 2015 and again last yr with 5 total trx.

— Mark Cuban (@mcuban) December 12, 2019

However, people didn’t find this argument particularly convincing for a number of reasons, asking what he means by “neighbors”? Some found it a misleading term, as they weren’t sure if Cuban meant it literally or not. Those that are important here, says blockchain and smart contracts pioneer Nick Szabo, are “those we exchange substantial funds with: e.g. major suppliers & customers, bosses, employees.”

David Nage, Principal at Arca Funds, an investment management firm, also joined the discussion, telling Cuban that “There’s a 1B who play games”, adding, “they all have in-game digital currencies in them For too long we’ve been trying to jam a square peg in a round hole. It’s this demographic/consumer group that, in my opinion, will be the mass 2nd wave adopters of Bitcoin & other digital assets.” With massive advancement in the game and blockchain industry, others too believe that “in-game currencies can be issued in crypto form with native settlement in BTC,” pushing the adoption forward.

Meanwhile, some, like Dan Smith who is Director of Product and Operations at Lightning Network application company Suredbits, find that “the first real "users" of crypto are likely at recess right now (or younger),” adding “BTC is a longer term play than most investors are comfortable with.”

4) Capitalism harnesses the best product that meets demand, but my argument with tech is that it starts with younger generations & extends to older ones to scale. So yes, we need more adoption, but I think the generational interest is a critical factor you miss

— Alex Von Schulze (@avonschulze) December 13, 2019

Either way, people seem to agree that tech jargon is not helpful when trying to onboard people. It’s also important to note that Cuban’s very own worries are rather tech-related, such as “quantum computing and legacy keys and the cost of creating more advanced keys” – and these are already far from any regular neighbor Joe would know about. So there’s also a discussion to be had on how to approach people when explaining complex topics.

Besides, one could also argue that Cuban too is a ‘neighbor’ of sorts, especially since he’s in the midst of these discussions (and he’s likely some bitcoiner’s real neighbor), so there’s certainly merit then in convincing him as well by Cuban’s own logic.

Price, reliability and gold

Though majority of supporters believe that BTC price will go higher, it’s still a question of how and when. Nonetheless, Pysh added that the neighbors don’t have money and that “the people that are going to drive the price up are the ones that try to sell their 19 trillion dollars of negative yield fixed income debt (and aggressively growing) that exists in the world.”

Cuban though, finds that the price is not a reflection of anything but supply and demand now. “Expected scarcity and cost of production in the future are not predictive of anything. Nothing. So much can and will change and that is the point I’m making,” he says.

That said, there’s at least one BTC supporter, a popular crypto analyst, who seems to agree with Cuban.

I second this. If you think Bitcoin is – easy to use – easy to protect – easy to understand – easy to value (referencing s2f, lmao)

*today*

then sorry, you live in a fairyland. Even more true for the rest of crypto. https://t.co/QwK7buFjov

— Hasu (@hasufl) December 12, 2019

Meanwhile, the discussion touched on the topic of fiat and gold again. Previously, Cuban said that he hates gold and that it’s a religion.

How long have crypto advocates been saying the exact same thing ? And don't gold standard advocates say pretty much the same thing ?

— Mark Cuban (@mcuban) December 10, 2019

In the meantime, Cuban also said recently that there is ‘no chance’ for BTC to become a reliable currency. “Not because it can’t work technically, although there are challenges, it could, but rather because it’s too difficult to use, too easy to hack, way too easy to lose, too hard to understand, too hard to assess a value,” and it’s “too much work for people to know why BTC over” all other cryptos, he is quoted as saying in an article by a Forbes contributor.

In the end, nothing was solved and everything’s back to square one, but it can be argued that having some sort of a discussion is still a positive thing.

One more opinion for the end:

This thread touches on the importance of improving education not only surrounding Bitcoin, but finance/economics in general. Financial illiteracy is a serious problem.

— Sam Callahan (@samcallah) December 12, 2019

Source: cryptonews.com