#matt plumb

[insomniac4000]

Chip looks like he's on the loo and Chris looks like he's doing his school photo and then there Will.....

[westeroswisdom]

BBC 1's Ali Plumb spoke with a number of HotD cast members. No spoilers!

Perhaps the most interesting revelation came from Phia Saban who said that Helaena Targaryen was not the part she first read for.

Tom Glynn-Carney's idea of a good time is to have a cup of tea and watch a farming documentary.

Matt Smith described "Peak Targaryen Energy".

[isharp]

Austin Bathroom 3/4 Bath Bathroom - large cottage 3/4 white tile and porcelain tile medium tone wood floor and brown floor bathroom idea with white cabinets, a two-piece toilet, black walls, a console sink, quartz countertops and white countertops

[fauxboy]

Philadelphia Kitchen Dining Small transitional u-shaped vinyl floor and beige floor eat-in kitchen photo with an undermount sink, shaker cabinets, beige cabinets, soapstone countertops, white backsplash, subway tile backsplash, stainless steel appliances, a peninsula and black countertops

[shadowbriar]

Jay Halstead — Blessing

Pairing : Jay Halstead x (she/her) Reader, Matt Casey x (she/her) bsf!Reader Word Count : 3.4k Warning : None? Just Jay being jealous. Synopsis : Matt having plumbing issues and in need of a place to stay feels like a blessing in disguise. Notes : This is my first One Chicago fic and tbh it's not my greatest, but I have to put something out there for a start. I wrote this a little out of my head, so it might not make sense on certain parts. Let me know what you think! If you like this story and would like to support me, please visit my kofi page and perhaps get me a coffee?☕

There was a soft thud heard once the duffel bag hit the floor. She was walking ahead of him, heading to the kitchen to grab the two of them a bottle of cold beer.

It’s been a while since they’ve spent some time together. Her apartment might not have changed much since he last visited, but there’s always something different the next time he comes. Like how the little fish bowl that used to occupy the coffee table is now replaced by a pot of succulents, or how she’s finally installed some key holders by the door. Little things that wouldn't catch anyone's attention, yet still gave the place something fresh to bemused for.

Life has certainly brought them on different paths, ultimately making it quite difficult to align schedules with, so Matt having plumbing issues and in need of a place to stay, feels like a blessing in disguise.

“You sure it’s okay for me to crash?” Matt asks, taking the beer with a small nod of gratitude.

“Yeah,” she answers mindlessly “Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Reasons,”

She walks past him, jumping on the sofa and turning the television on without any regard to his answer, “So what should we watch first? The Godfather? Shrek? How to lose a guy in ten days?”

“Shrek, duh?” Matt answers with a scoff, taking a seat next to her “No, but seriously. Is this okay?”

“Matt, you’ve been in my life longer than I can say the word ‘pickles’. Of course it’s okay,” she eyes him in suspicion “Why are you being so weird about this?”

“I’m not, I’m just making sure things are cool,”

She shrugs, setting up their film.

It surely has been a while since they last saw each other, let alone crash into the other’s place. Her demanding job and his tight schedule have made it difficult for the two to find the time to catch up. She’s not even sure if he’s seeing anyone at the moment, but she reckons, if he does, he wouldn’t be here asking if the spare room is vacant for him to occupy, would he?

“Hey, can I ask you something personal?” Matt says again, not even a minute of silence passed between the two.

“How personal can ‘personal’ be between us?” she asks instead “I’m not answering anything related to women anatomy, if that’s what you’re going to ask,”

Matt shot her a face, “No, nothing like that, geez. I was just wondering what’s with you and that Halstead guy,”

Her head snaps to him, giving him the full attention at the mentioning of a particular name, “What, Jay? Nothing’s going on between us,”

“Yeah, right. I see him attached to your hip everytime we go to Molly’s,”

Her lips parted, about to spit something but decided to go against it. She takes a breath, trying to recollect her composure as she shrugs, “We’re just partners,”

“In what sense?”

“In the most normal sense of partnership,” she answers, resting her elbow on the headrest of the sofa “What’s with the questions? Are you playing protective big brother on me?”

“Maybe,” he answers with a gulp of his beer “So, tell me about him,”

The gears in her brain steamed, wondering for the right words to reply to such a request. What was she supposed to say? Is there even anything to say? They’re partners, in the most normal sense of partnership, as she said, but should she leave out the details of how the butterflies in her stomach exploded everytime he looks at her? Should she leave out the static jolt of electricity coursing through her veins whenever Voight paired them up? Should she leave out the bliss she feels whenever he would get a little protective of her on the field?

She knew that Matt wouldn’t mind her being a little soppy about a boy. He’s been with her through all of her ugly, cheesy relationships, afterall, but things are different with Jay. He’s not some senior she’s crushing on in the hallways back in highschool or the frat boy she met at a party in college. No, he means much more than that.

“He’s just.. someone I’m happy to be around with,”

Matt raises an eyebrow, “Elaborate,”

“What’s there to elaborate? Do you want me to confess my undying love for him, now?”

“Well, do you?” he questions with an intrigued smile “Do you love Halstead?”

“What— That was just a joke, you know that!”

“Do I?”

The warmth on her cheek was getting worse, no question that they’re red as tomatoes now. The teasing grin on Matt’s face was blooming. Cats out of the bag, and even though she knew that Matt wouldn’t do anything to jeopardise her feelings, having someone knew the secret sentiment she holds for her colleague was still a tough pill to swallow. Especially knowing that romance isn’t much endorsed within the unit.

That, and her uncertainty if the river flows both ways.

“Hey, if he makes you happy, I’m happy,” Matt comments, pulling her head to his shoulder “But, really, will he be okay with me staying? I don’t want to be the person causing you two to fight or anything. I’m not one to ruin others' relationships, okay?”

“We’re not in a relationship,” she mumbles, a slight pang of heartache tainting her chest “It’s just me, having some silly crush on him, okay? I doubt he’d care you’re staying,”

Matt shrugs, snatching the remote from her hand, “If you say so,”

—-

The frown on Jay’s face was getting deeper, creases more prominent on his forehead as he watched her, talking and laughing through the window of Matt Casey’s truck. The two have been talking for minutes now, looking as if they’re too engrossed in their conversation and have lost track of time. Any minute now she’s going to be late for her clock in and it would be unwise of him to not remind her of it.

At least, that’s the excuse he thought when he came and knocked on Matt’s window.

“Coming in?” Jay asks, not sparing a greeting to Matt “We’re almost late for clock in,”

“Right, sorry,” she answers in a surprised tone, unlocking her seatbelt before turning back to Matt “I’ll see you later, okay?”

Matt smiles at her, giving Jay a nod in acknowledgement, “Halstead,”

“Casey,” Jay replied curtly before turning his back, not waiting for her.

She looks at Matt, baffled at Jay’s peculiar demeanour, but Matt only shrugs and gives her the ‘told you so’ look.

Slightly skipping, she tries to catch up with Jay who seems to be taking the bigger stride than usual. That scowling expression plastered clearly, seemingly stuck on his face for the rest of the day. He seems to be having a rough morning. One poke and he’ll combust into flames.

“You okay?” she asks softly, her eyes lacing with worry as they enter the bullpen.

“Yeah,” he answers with an apparent grumble “Why wouldn’t I be?”

She shakes her head, shrugging, “You just look upset, that’s all.”

“I’m fine,”

She nods to herself, muttering a small ‘okay’ before heading to her own table. He glances at her, brows still furrow as if he was disapproving something she’d done, but if he said he’s fine, then he’s fine. Pestering him would only make things worse, she reckons.

—-

It was maddening. Voight hasn’t paired the two of them all day and the sour gesture Jay was giving her was not watering by the last two hours of their shift. She wanted to ask if she’s done anything wrong since such treatment seems to only be given to her. He’s got no issue laughing over Adam’s pathetic joke or listening over Alvin’s unprompted life advice, yet the moment she opens her mouth, he would busy himself with things she knows were just a front to ignore her.

“Halstead, go and see if you can get some intel about that jewellery store robbery. See if there’s any connection with the shooting we’re investigating,” Voight ordered.

“I can go with him,” she volunteers, standing from her seat “I’ve done all my reports. I’m free to go, Chief,”

Voight nods, gesturing her to leave, but the exasperated sigh Jay let out was raining on her parade. Perhaps he really needed some free space from her today.

The ride to the jewellery store was awkward, to say the least. Jay kept on sighing while the only thing she could do was to steal glances and silently pick on her nails, wondering what to say first to break the stillness. Even asking to turn the radio on feels like pulling the trigger to her head.

“So, Casey,” Jay finally starts, eyes glued to the road.

Her brows knit, surprised to hear the first word he said, “What about him?”

“You came with him this morning,”

“I did,” she answers, clearly still oblivious to the direction of this conversation “He’s staying in my apartment for a while. Some plumbing issues and what not,”

Jay nods in acknowledgement, but the same disapproving look still plastered on his face, “For how long?”

“Not sure, maybe a couple weeks,” she says with a shrug “I mean, honestly, I wouldn’t mind him moving in for good. He’s been having this issue for years and I could use a flatmate to share the tax and maintenance fee with,”

Jay frowns, “I didn’t know you were looking for a flatmate,”

“I wasn’t, but having Matt makes me think that having one wouldn’t be such a bad idea.”

He answers with a hum, still not looking at her at all.

“Hey, do we have a problem?” she asks at last “You’ve been avoiding me all day,”

“I have not,”

“Yes, you have. You won’t even look at me.”

With a sigh, pulling the gear to a neutral before turning to face her, Jay retorts, “Happy now?”

She opens her mouth, clearly unsatisfied and displeased by his bitter remark, but the word died on her tongue. She watches as Jay continues his drive, looking as if he’s trying to be collected but the stress, whatever it may be caused by, was slowly dripping out of him. He wasn’t the most level headed person in their team, sure, there’s no need to argue with that, but he was never the irrational one, either. If he was ever upset about anything, it would be of some valid excuse, and now she’s unsure if she should pry or let him be.

“Stop staring,” Jay mutters.

“I can do whatever I want, stare whoever I want,” she retorts, folding her hands to her chest “Do you have anything to say to me?”

Jay scoffs, still not looking at her, “No,”

“Good, because I don’t have anything else to say either,”

He finally glances at her, rolling his eyes once he sees the stance she was in, “You’re impossible.”

—-

One of the downfalls of being in the Intelligence Unit is one must always be ready for a call in, even when you are already tucked in and ready to drift off to slumber. Whenever Voight calls for an assembly, wherever you might be, one would have to drag their arse and go at a lightning speed. Such misfortune had befall upon her tonight.

She groans as she peels herself off of her blankets. The shooting was on the other side of town and the urgency on Voight’s voice tells her that this wouldn’t be a case that could be postponed until morning. Walking herself to the closet, she pauses as another buzz comes in her phone.

Halstead: where are you?

Halstead: I’m near your place, we can go to the scene together.

Halstead: be there in 5.

She pursed her lips, reading through his train of texts. Jay might have a little sense of authority in himself, but never in this way, never to her. The strange behaviour he’s been showing all day was appalling. Avoiding her all day, only to pick her up for their sudden call in? It’s like seeing a different man and she wasn’t sure if there’s anything she could do to bring back his usual self.

Not even five minutes later, the doorbell of her apartment rang. There was no question as to who might be on the other side of the door, but since she still has to change out of pajamas, Matt has to be the one to open the door.

“Halstead,” Matt greets in surprise “What are you doing here?”

“Picking her up,” Jay answers, standing tall and proud in front of the older man “Is she in?”

“Uh, yeah, come in,”

With a nod, Jay enters the apartment in silence. He takes a look around, trying to accept Matt’s presence that has slowly settled in her place. There were new frames that he’s never seen before, pictures of them when they were little now displayed in the living room. He examines the photos, seeing the happy smile on their young faces, looking innocent and gleeful. The two have always been close since the beginning of time, so it seems.

“Sorry, I took too long,” she says as she came out of her room, hands busy tying her hair before turning to Matt “I gotta go, Voight calls,”

Matt nods, planting a chaste kiss to her temple, “Be safe,”

“Always,” she grins like a kid before frowning as she sees the deep furrowed expression on Jay’s face “You okay?”

Jay didn’t answer, finding himself out of the apartment in haste.

“Told you,” Matt comments with slight mockery in his tone before she heads to the door “I’ll start packing now.”

“Shut up, this means nothing,” she remarks, slamming the door behind her.

—-

There was tension in the air, there’s no denying that. The grip Jay has on the steering wheel was tight, knuckles turning white from how hard he was clutching it. His jaws were tense. He was seething.

But she was tired of asking. The strange act was getting on her nerves. If she’s made any mistake, said anything that might offend him, she’s given him more than enough chances to speak, yet he remained silent and chose the petty way. If this was the game he chooses to play, then she’ll be more than willing to sign as the second player.

“You’ve done some redecorating,” Jay begins, his tone cold and accusing “Nice pictures you put there,”

She shrugs, looking out the window, “Found them as I was cleaning the spare room for Matt. Thought they deserve to see the light. We were cute back then, don’t you think?”

Jay hums, half-heartedly agreeing, “So you’ve known him for long?”

“Longer than I can remember,” she answers, not giving a single thought to his questions “What were you doing around my neighbourhood?”

“Was having some drink at the nearby pub,”

“You drank? Pull over, let me drive instead,”

“It was just a bottle of beer, I’m fine,” Jay scoffs “I didn’t even get to finish it,”

She shuts her lips tight, not bothering to argue with the fuming man, anymore.

“So, you and Casey,”

Her brows raise, turning to face him with an offended look now, “What now?”

“You and Casey,” he repeats, as if it meant any differently this time.

“What about me and Casey?”

Jay clenches his jaws, feeling the frustration to boil his blood, “You two together now?”

Her jaw hung, clearly confused at his accusation.

“He kissed you,”

“On the temple,” she argues with a tone that clearly questions his sanity “That hardly means anything,”

Jay shrugs but the hardened expression on his face was still etched.

“You know, you’re acting really weird,” she comments, her tone thick of exasperation “You’ve been avoiding me, giving me the cold shoulders the whole day, but everytime I ask you’d always say that nothing’s wrong when clearly that’s not the case,”

He remains silent, listening to her words and swallowing his saliva from the call out.

“You know, if I didn’t know better, I thought you’re jealous,”

There was a pause. The only sound breaking their silence was the bustling traffic that infiltrated the closed windows of his car. For a moment there, her heartbeat quickened, regretting the word she spilled as it sounded desperate and embarrassing to say out loud, even when it came out light-hearted. The two might have thrown some banter here and there overtime, but the disappointment tainting her voice was a little too obvious for anyone to ignore, and she’s unsure how he would take it.

“You know what, forget what I—,”

“Would it be so wrong?” Jay asks instead.

She blinks, not understanding his question, “Would what be so wrong?”

“For me to get jealous?”

The car stops as he parks, reaching their destination with the other patrol cars’ already crowding the scene. The red and blue lights were reflected on his face, making the worry and despair more prominent. He was staring back at her, mirroring the uncertainty and wondering if he’s burned their bridges to the ground, but before either of them could spare another word, the loud knock on the window by Antonio broke their quietude.

“We’ve to go,” she says, nodding to Antonio as a sign “We’ll talk about this later,”

—-

Later came a little too fast for her liking. She checks her watch, noting that the clock has struck four in the morning and her head was starting to pound from the lack of sleep, yet she’s still unsure if she’d have the strength to drag herself back to his car and continue their conversation.

The whole time they’re out, she notices how his eyes were trailing behind her like a lost puppy. How he was never further than a few feet away from her, looking a little too tense yet ready if she ever calls for him. It was ridiculous, to be acting this unprofessional, especially when Voight expects them to be on their best act with their current case, but the unintended heart-to-heart conversation was haunting and she doesn’t know if it would bring them more good than harm leaving it hung on the air with no real closure.

“You need a ride?” Kevin asks once Voight lets them clear.

“She’s with me,” Jay says, inserting himself between the two “I’ll drive her home,”

Kevin nods, giving her a hug before patting on Jay’s shoulder as goodbye.

The silence as he drove her home was different than all the silences they’ve faced before. There was no sigh, no stolen glances, no nothing to break the stillness. It felt like the longest yet fastest drive in both of their lives, cursing at the universe once he hit the brake and parked the car right in front of her apartment building.

“I’m sorry,” Jay says first, afraid that she would bolt out of his car before he could further explain his feelings “I just— I know, I have no rights, but I— I thought we have something, you know? I thought you’re feeling what I feel,”

She turns to him, watching as he takes off his mask.

“I thought we were going somewhere and you just need some time to figure out how we’re going to do this without Voight having our heads in a spike, but now I just— I don’t know. Maybe I’m just reading into things,”

Never had she seen him be this vulnerable. Like he was on the verge of breaking down, unashamed to lay all his cards on the table. His heart was on his sleeves for her to see, for her to rip apart if she wants. By this point he couldn’t care less what she’s going to do with it. She could spit and stomp it to the ground and he would still kiss the floor she left him at. All he wanted to do now is to pour his heart out, to show her what’s been bothering him, and hope for the slightest chance that she would understand where he’s coming from.

“You’re not reading into things,” she says fast, taking his hand and giving it a squeeze “I’m feeling what you feel, Jay,”

There was a sigh of relief before a smile bloomed on his face. The worry in his eyes dissipates, turning into what seems to be a glisten of hope and satisfaction. Slowly, he eliminates the distance between them as his hand travels to her cheek. His thumb caresses her soft skin, heart exploding in bliss once their lips touch. It was a tender one. The kind you give to your lover when you’re feeling a little selfish and in need of some reassurance, instead of giving one. He kisses her gently, still testing the water of the boundaries that they’ve yet to set with this new step they’re taking.

With a slight regret, she pulls away from the kiss with a smile. Jay was still busy kissing her forehead as if trying to erase all trace of another’s lips on her skin. It was starting to feel ridiculous by the time he planted a big wet one on the spot where Matt kissed her earlier that night.

“So can I kick him out of your apartment now?”

“Worse,” she giggles, taking his hand in hers “You’re gonna have to ask for his blessing,”

[wouldyourecognizethisperson-poll]

Top 50 Most Recognized

(As of April 9)

Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson - 99.4% of poll respondents recognized

Gordon Ramsay - 98.9

Ellen Degeneres - 97.9

Will Smith - 97.4

Daniel Radcliffe - 96.1

Benedict Cumberbatch - 96

Bob Ross - 95.9

Snoop Dogg - 94.4

Ed Sheeran - 94.3

Leonardo DiCaprio - 94

Misha Collins [TIED] Rowan Atkinson - 93.4

Guy Fieri - 93.2

Danny Devito - 93.1

Taylor Swift - 93

Ryan Gosling - 92.8

Robert Downey Jr [TIED] Zendaya - 92.7

Morgan Freeman [TIED] Bill Nye - 92.4

Steve Harvey - 92.2

Robin Williams - 91.8

Elliot Page - 91.7

Emma Watson [TIED] Bernie Sanders - 91.6

Dolly Parton - 91.5

Kanye West (Ye) - 91.3

Jojo Siwa - 91.2

Robert Pattinson - 90.9

Nicolas Cage - 90.8

Simon Cowell - 90.6

Adam Driver - 90.2

Greta Thunberg - 89.9

Jeff Goldblum - 89.8

Prince Harry - 89.7

Billie Eilish - 89.6

Tom Holland [TIED] Lin Manuel Miranda - 89.5

Chris Hemsworth - 89.3

Jimmy Fallon - 89.1

Pedro Pascal - 88.9

Neil Patrick Harris [TIED] Jason Momoa - 88.8

David Tennant - 88.5

Peter Dinklage [TIED] Mads Mikkelson - 88

Will Ferrell - 87.9

Patrick Stewart - 87.8

Oprah Winfrey - 87.7

Lil Nas X - 87.6

Taika Waititi - 87.5

John Cena [TIED] Meryl Streep [TIED] Dan Howell - 87.4

Weird Al Yankovic - 87.3

Ariana Grande - 86.9

Matt Smith - 86.7

Tom Hiddleston - 86.5

Amy Winehouse - 86.3

25 Least Recognized

Steve Gonsalves (Ghost Hunters) - 0.3% of voters recognized, [TIED] Jackson Browne (Musician) - 0.3

Forrest Wheeler (Fresh Off the Boat) - 0.4

Tara Lipinski (Olympic ice skater) [TIED] Yanni (Greek musician) [TIED] George Lazenby (On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Becoming Bond) [TIED] Génesis Rodríguez (The Umbrella Academy, Special Ops: Lioness) - 0.5

Ted Leo (Musician, Ted Leo & the Pharmacists) - 0.6

Eric Burdon (Musician, The Animals) [TIED] Christine Lakin (Step by Step) [TIED] Peter Frampton (Musician, Humble Pie) [TIED] Boz Scaggs (Musician) [TIED] Ian Chen (Fresh Off the Boat) - 0.8

Isaiah Thomas (basketball player) [TIED], Tippi Hedren (The Birds) - 0.9

Brian Eno (Musician) [TIED] Lauren Daigle (Musician) [TIED] Jeremy Sumpter (Peter Pan), Scout Taylor Compton (Halloween remake) [TIED] Eve Plumb (The Brady Bunch) [TIED] Dale Earnhardt Jr (Racecar driver) - 1

Kate Maberly (The Secret Garden) [TIED] Blu Cantrell (Musician) - 1.1

Joss Stone (Musician) [TIED] Chuck Lorre (TV producer) [TIED] Amy Shark (Musician) - 1.3

Patricia Quinn (Rocky Horror Picture Show) [TIED] Joshua Bell (Musician) [TIED] Michelle Phillips (Musician, The Mamas and the Papas) [TIED] Patti Hansen (Model) - 1.4

Kaori Sakamoto (Olympic figure skater) - 1.5

Lance Armstrong (Disgraced bicyclist) [TIED] Thalia (Musician) [TIED] Louisa Jacobson (The Gilded Age) [TIED] Lupe Fiasco (Rapper) [TIED] Tommy Hilfiger (fashion designer) - 1.6

Grace Slick (Musician, Jefferson Airplane) [TIED] Gloria Gaynor (Musician) [TIED] Michelle Kwan (Olympic figure skater) [TIED] Rachel Platten (Musician) - 1.7

Sean Paul (Musician) - 1.8

Taio Cruz (Musician) - 1.9

Andrew VanWyngarden (Musician, MGMT) [TIED] Julie Christie (Doctor Zhivago) [TIED] Nancy Wilson (Musician, Heart) [TIED] Steve Miller (Musician, Steve Miller Band) [TIED] Criss Angel (Magician) [TIED] Wolfgang Puck (Chef) - 2

Jennifer Grey (Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Dirty Dancing) [TIED] Dave Davies (Musician, the Kinks) [TIED] Sarah Polley (Women Talking) - 2.1

Ava Russo (Avengers: Endgame) [TIED] Mia Hamm (soccer player) [TIED] Richard Grieco (21 Jump Street) [TIED] Chris Columbus (film director) [TIED] Neil Diamond (Musician) - 2.2

Anita Baker (Musician) [TIED] Nicholle Tom (The Nanny) [TIED] Elle King (Musician) [TIED] Melissa Gilbert (Little House on the Prairie) [TIED] Paul Weller (Musician) - 2.3

Salman Khan () [TIED] Ray Davies (Musician, the Kinks) [TIED] Barry Gibb (Musician, the Bee Gees) [TIED] Eva Marie Saint (North by Northwest) [TIED] Trisha Yearwood (Musician) [TIED] Taj Mahal (Musician) [TIED] Kenny Loggins (Musician) - 2.4

Staci Keanan (Step by Step) [TIED] Sue Bird (basketball player) - 2.5

Charlotte Church (Musician) [TIED] Lexi Rabe (The Avengers: Endgame) [TIED] Steve Marriott (Musician, The Small Faces & Humble Pie) [TIED] Elisha Cuthbert (The Ranch) [TIED] Jason Hawes (Ghost Hunters) [TIED] K Michelle (Musician) [TIED] Elizabeth Smart (kidnapping survivor & child safety advocate) [TIED] Dilma Rousseff (former Brazilian president) [TIED] Kiara Pichardo (School Spirits) - 2.6

John Frusciante (Musician, Red Hot Chili Peppers) [TIED] Stephanie Corneliussen (Mr. Robot) [TIED] Elle Macpherson (Model) [TIED] Susan Olsen (The Brady Bunch) [TIED] Jared Gilmore (Once Upon a Time) [TIED] Sarah Alexander (Coupling) - 2.7

Karen O (Musician, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs) [TIED] Laura Fraser (Patience) [TIED] Patrick Fugit (Almost Famous) [TIED] Colin Greenwood (Musician, Radiohead) [TIED] Michelle Branch (Musician) [TIED] Amanda Gorman (Poet) [TIED] Alaqua Cox (Echo) [TIED] Bo Horvat (Hockey player) - 2.8

Tom Waits (Musician) [TIED] Sienna Miller (Anatomy of a Scandal) [TIED] Maria Sharapova (tennis player) [TIED] Tonya Harding (Olympic figure skater) [TIED] Barry Bonds (Baseball player) - 2.9

[twilightcitysky]

Courtship

“Crowley, come in! I was just redecorating.”

“Really? You never redecorate. Last change you made was in 1860, when you had the plumbing installed.”

Aziraphale smiled at him. “After everything that happened, I started thinking things over,” he said tenderly. “We almost lost the bookshop, but here it is, good as new. We almost lost the world, and… and now that we didn’t, I want to make some changes. I think it’s time.”

Crowley frowned. “Here, have you got something in your eye? You keep blinking.”

Aziraphale stopped trying to flutter his eyelashes. “I’ve painted the back room,” he said eventually, in a more normal tone of voice. “Would you like to see?”

He headed towards the door without waiting for an answer and pushed it open. “What do you think?”

“Oh, um. Very nice. I might’ve gone with a warm gray, or maybe mother-of-pearl… but yellow’s good too.”

“I happen to like this particular shade of yellow,” Azirphale said, a trifle testily. “Very much.”

Crowley held up his hands. “Hey, it’s your bookshop. Are you ready for lunch?”

*

“What’s this?”

“They’re flowers. Roses, dahlias, and a few Peruvian lilies.”

"What do they do?"

Aziraphale, holding out the intricately beribboned, carefully wrapped and above all expensive display from the most exclusive florist in London, began to feel a bit awkward. "They… smell nice, I suppose? And they can brighten up a room."

Crowley peered over his glasses. "Sure, for a little while. But they're cut, see?" He touched the bottom of the bouquet, as if Aziraphale perhaps hadn't noticed. "They'll die in a week."

“I suppose. I thought you might–”

“Is this more redecorating? I can help with that, no problem. Listen, why don’t I get rid of these for you… and if you’re wanting something for the bookshop, we’ll get a nice rubber plant to put under the window.”

Aziraphale sighed.

*

“Oi, angel! Think you dropped something!” Crowley jogged to catch up with him and put the matte black box, which he’d left on the seat of the Bentley, back into his hands.

“Ah. Actually, you see… that was for you.” Aziraphale felt his cheeks heat. “In case you got peckish,” he added lamely.

“This fancy stuff? Men break into bedrooms at midnight to leave this kind of chocolate next to pillows. Saw it in an advert.”

Aziraphale brightened. “Would you like me to break into your bedroom?” he asked, a tad breathlessly.

Crowley laughed. “What for? Listen, why don’t you have these. You’ll appreciate ‘em more than I will.”

*

“Are you ready to go?” Crowley glanced at his watch.

“Just one more thing. I. Er. I-thought-you-could-wear-this,” Aziraphale said in a rush. “If you like.”

Crowley took the velvet box from his trembling hand.

He opened it. “It’s…”

“Yes?”

“It’s very sparkly.” Crowley held the ring up to the light.

“It’s a diamond,” Aziraphale said desperately. “A diamond ring.”

“Oh. And you’re givin’ it to me because…”

“I–” Aziraphale stopped. He searched Crowley’s face, looking for a flicker of understanding. “My dear, I would like–”

“Oh wait, let me guess. It’s for your magic act, right? Are you practicing palming again, or is this the sort of ring that squirts ink when you twist the jewel?” Crowley pulled curiously at a glittering stone the size of his thumbnail. “Happy to help if you need an assistant. Just no more bullet tricks, okay?”

Aziraphale stared at him. “Yes,” he replied dully. “My magic act. Yes. Exactly. I’m trying to make something appear.”

“Got it in one!” Crowley gave him a pleased grin. “I know you so well, angel.”

“I daresay you do.”

Aziraphale followed him out to the car. There’s nothing else for it, he thought. I’ll have to throw a cotillion ball.

[mattyssluttt]

Bad Idea!

Summary~Matt and y/n broke up nearly a year ago but it was a mutal break up as they knew they were toxic,what happens when y/n accidentally sent matt a few pictures on accident.

I softly hummed to the music that echoed through my room as i scrolled through the pictures in my camera roll,the nude ones,the non nude ones.

A messages appeared from the guy ive been speaking to.

I swiped onto my snapchat going into my eyes only,tapping the passcode into choosing my best photo and went back on to message typing up matt and pressing the first one.

Ping!!

My heart dropped slightly,why was matt texting me not the coffee matt, matt matt my ex.

I slowly pressed onto his message.

Shit..

My heart beat rapidly beated,my heart felt like it was in my throat.

What?

What the fuck!

I clutched onto my phone,my thumb grazing over the keyboard before texting back letting out a shaky sigh.

I threw my phone across my room,panic rushing through my body what have i gotten myself into. A simple ‘no im so sorry wrong person’ or ‘block’ could of been fine.. But no! Fuck fuck fuck. I jumped out of my bed throwing on some makeup,quickly ripping off my sweat pants and the oversized tshirt changing it to a lace lounge set so i didnt look a mess.

I let out a sigh of relief hearing my door bell go off my heart sank,i sprayed my perfume running around my room throwing stuff in my wardrobe to make my room look clean before rushing down stairs looking at my door before pulling it open.

“hi-”

I got cut off with matt pushing me against my wall slamming the door close smashing his pink plumbed lips against mine,fuck how i have missed this,his cold slender hands trailed down to my hips giving them a tight squeeze before turning us around to my couch pushing me onto it as he dangled over me his chain following swiping across my skin as our bodies moved in sync.

His swollen lips moved to my jaw giving to a soft peck then down to my neck,nibbling my sweet spot earing a breathy moan from me,sucking on my sweet spot making marks along my skin.

‘oh-oh matt’

He chuckled against my skin,the warm feeling of his breath hitting my skin made my breath hitch,a whine made its way out of mouth of desperation.

‘I know pretty girl hold on for me’

The urge of needing him became desperate, louder whine made its way out again,his index finger placed onto my lips as he shushed me.

His cold fingers grazed over my clothed clit as they traveled up to the waist band on my shorts pulling them allowing them to snap against my skin earning a wince from me,he tugged on my shorts with desperation,i lifted my hips up helping him as he slid my shorts off throwing them somewhere in my living room.

The pad of his thumb connected to my clit rubbing the bud softly while he slipped his index and middle finger into my leaking hole thrusting them in and out,curling them to my g-stop.

‘nghh-hh fuc—fuck fuck matt’

My legs shook as the knot formed in my stomach,i arched my back off the sofa unable to process the pleasure rushing through my body,i felt close as my legs shook harshly and the knot wanting to snap.

‘ima cu-cum..matt! nghh fuck’

He fucked me with his fingers harder leaning over to my face kissing me,slipping his tongue into my mouth exploring it,the knot snapped as i squirted all over his fingers i felt him smirk against my swollen lips as he leaned down to my wet cunt,his tongue licked a strip under agaisnt my pussy earning a hiss from me from feeling senstive.

‘so pretty..teasing me with your nudes hm?’

Words were unable to form from the amount of pleasure i just felt and the tiredness swarming over me,fuck..

Not fucking for ages really did have an effect on me,i was never this tired after we used to have sex my breathing was heavy,sweat trickled down my forehead as my hair was stuck onto it; a hand swept away the sweaty hair making me sigh.

‘mm stay here pretty girl’

I felt where his presence was once there disappear then come back,he had a towel in his hand wiping up my juices off me and the couch while i sat up he got up finding my shorts for me; helping me get them back on due to the weakness in my below part of my body.

He picked me up carrying me to my bed placing me on the bed,i pulled my covers up tucking myself under the quilts whilst he was shuffling around but i didnt know what with since i had my eyes closed,too lazy to even open them,i felt the bed dip next to me shirtless matt snaking his arm around my waist pulling me into him as his kisses my temple softly moving to turn my bedside lamp over so he wouldng move me too much then went back into his original place snuggling me,mumbling the words.

I love you..

As we both drifted off.

First fic since ages ago😝😝😝

ik this wasnt rlly good sorryy❤️

[danielcain]

Ripe

In retrospect, I should have gotten fitted in-person for a pair of rubber boots. Ordering shoes online is always a crapshoot. The ones I had on were too big, they just collected water like a rain barrel and waterlogged my socks.

The texture was horrible. A disgusting sensation.

The foyer’s carpet squelched with every step I took. It didn’t help that I was carrying 120 pounds of dead woman.

“This always happens during the honeymoon phase,” said my friend Dan.

“You won’t want to leave the house. You’ll want to be with her all the time. The modern age enables this. Work from home, order from home, live from home, die from home…” He began to rant about how modernity. He always goes there, and I always tune him out. He married a female cop from the sheriff’s department. She came off gay when I met her. Funny.

I‘ve tried to explain my marital problems to Dan before. I had to leave out a few key details. I told him my wife was depressed, in bed all day, not contributing financially. He said wives “tend to do that” and that I make enough money, anyway. Not quite the issue.

The trouble was harder to explain; I’ve only been married to Liana for six months, and she’s killed and replanted herself seven times.

I trudged up the staircase in the loose boots. The way I carried her, the soil from her body fell before us, laying a trail like rose petals.

Creaking wood drummed up anxiety in my chest. I am not a large man. I usually make but a negligible amount of noise when I move throughout the house. That’s something she commented on when we first moved in. The word she used was unobtrusive. She liked this about me. She said we had that in common. In a lot of ways, we really were alike.

Unlike me, her cells interlocked with tightly-woven cellulose walls. She had organelles not found in over 99% of human beings: chloroplasts. When I first met her, her skin had a milky green hue. The first time I touched her, I balked. She was not hot to the touch like others. Not cold, but not hot. Her breasts, thighs, cheeks… remarkably, they had the tautness of an unripe vegetable.

I laid her down in the bathtub. The plumbing was sensitive, not terrible, but sensitive. An old house. Wood and cobblestone on the outside. Folksy, I’m told through clenched smiles of guests trying to be complimentary. Yeah, right. It looks better suited to house a coven of child-stealing hags. I tried to fix it up, stay on trend. Liana convinced me not to hire contractors. She convinced me to buy, too. “I’ve always wanted a house in the woods…”

Now I know why.

The replanting process is nothing short of a natural miracle. I will be the first to admit, it attracted me to her further. Liana could change herself at will. All it took was a little patience, two days of waiting, a 6 foot deep ditch in the backyard, some sleeping pills and vodka. I didn’t understand the science of it at first. What exactly she needed to do to push out the roots and reform her mass. When I finally found out, I was too embarrassed to admit I didn’t know she had to physically die each time.

She was always shy about the details, embarrassed, like it was some sort of bowel syndrome. I did not press her for details, but as her husband, I should’ve researched the condition. I did eventually. But not before telling her she would look good blonde. Telling her she would look even hotter upping her bra size by a letter or two…

She started to wake up.

First, the rattle. A great exhalation and inhalation. It always took me by surprise. Her facial muscles were always the second thing reanimate. Her nose twitched. Her eyes opened. They looked so dry. Matte. “Liana. This is getting dangerous.”

A couple seconds’ delay. Then, she smiled mawkishly. During this stage of regrowth, her skin is taut and verdant like the day I met her. (I once called her belle pepper as a pet name. She either didn’t get the pun, maybe.) With every hour, she begins to flush to her desired shade. She switches it up from time to time, never too dark or too white for most to notice, but I do. She carries Pantone swatches in her wallet.

She moved her lips, but couldn’t speak yet. I said nothing further. I picked up the detachable showerhead. The gentlest setting. I rinsed her body, avoiding the tender roots that twitched and protruded from the tips of her fingers and toes. I read somewhere that touching them at this stage feels like a pressing on a pinched nerve.

“I know why thish bophers you shoo much,” she gurgled, throat half-asleep. Her mouth was filled with soil and rainwater. It seeped from her firm, bloated lips.

I turned away. Washing her feet. She continued, most of the earth and excess sap that gagged her having dribbled onto her nightie.

“You like me like thish.”

I averted my eyes. I continued to bathe her, and stared at the peel-and-stick mauve tile accent above the tub. I had put it there the previous month to cover a stubborn decomposition stain.

“I like you all the time, Liana.” It felt like someone was slowly lacing my throat shut from the inside.

I didn’t have to look at her to know she was smiling.

“Buh you like… thish.”

[velvetaspec]

Adolescence review from the lense of a woman that researched the manosphere for the last 5 years:

This post includes spoilers for the entire series ⚠️

Background:

My name is Dew, I'm a 25 year old woman, and I tend to hyperfixate. Many of you may relate to the need to research things that may be a hot topic, an interesting social issue etc. For the past 5~ years, I've been researching the manosphere. I'll provide you with a list of masculinity and manosphere content creators whose content I watched to better understand the ever popular subject -

Rehab Room

The Sandman

JustPearlyThings

ThinkBeforeYouSleep

BetterBachelor

Whatever Podcast

Sargon of Akkad

Dr. Orion Taraban (Psych Hacks)

Legion of Men

Odin's Men

Far from Eden

HealthyGamerGG

Note: not all of these creators outright identify with the "manosphere" per say, but they do appeal to the male audience and their related issues. They come from different religions backgrounds, athnicities, political points of view, etc.

Shoe0nHead

Alexander Grace

Judeochristian-Conservative/religious content creators:

Matt Walsh

Michael Knowles

Ben Shapiro

Andrew Klaven

Candace Owens

Far from Eden

Dr. Jordan Peterson

After a relatively long time of watching and listening to content creators that discuss boys, men, masculinity and a meriad of other social issues I've come to realize that the general conversation around the manosphere is very confused and full of holes.

A lot of people don't know, care to know, or understand the many terms the people involved in this sector of the internet use. They confuse "incels" with "red pill", "manosphere" with "black pill", Andrew Tate with "conservative" and it doesn't seem like they care to actually understand what men are actually discussing within those spheres. The conversation is very redundant and counter-productive.

Think to the level of discussion around feminism. How certain people tend to lump all feminists together under the same umbrella - gender critical feminists and intersectional feminists, sex-positive feminists and sex-work positive feminists, egalitarians and radical feminists (as you can see, the absurdity between confusing the terms may vary). While I understand that some people may be aversive or outright dismissive of the comparison under the light of historical oppression, I'd like to set the time to the here and now - 2025.

This sort of fundamental misunderstanding of the content is also prevalent in the show in numerous ways that I'd like to explore in this review.

Episode 1 - Home:

The first episode is iconic from the very start. The audience is immediately pulled in by the SFO break in at 6AM to the Miller residence and the absolute shock and horror that follows is portrayed masterfully by the amazing team of actors. Jamie, the 13 year old suspect, is portrayed as horrified, confused, wronged and belittled. At first, the viewer is meant to sympathize with Jamie and his family, especially after such a display of force from the police (a sore subject in and of itself). While at first we are shocked alongside the family at the horrid accusation against a 13 year old kid that just wet himself in fear, the end of the episode leaves no question about it: Jamie Miller murdered Katie Leonard. This revelation is shocking and chilling both to the audience and Eddie, Jamie's father, who can't seem to even look or be touched by his son at first out of sheer horror and disgust. We already see very important things that we'll have to keep in mind to understand Jamie better:

He feels more comfortable with his father, because he "doesn't judge". Our first glimpse at that is when he wets himself when his home is broken into, and he asks for his father.

His father is a blue collar worker that started his own plumbing business, this causes him to be often abscent when Jamie is home.

It can be inferred that Jamie is a bit babied by his mother, that keeps mentioning him being afraid of needles (something we see is slightly exaggerated, because of the relatively calm demeanor Jamie this place during the blood drawing scene). This theme repeats itself in episode 4 (finale) when she mentions that she talked to the the detention center's staff about his "intolerances" when it comes to food. It can also be referenced in her "hands-off" approach when it comes to Jamie's late-night Internet activities.

Jamie does not interact with his sister at all throughout the show, excluding episode 4's phone conversation on their father's birthday, in which they have a brief small-talk about his gym activity.

In summary: 13 year old boy accused of murdering a classmate, with compelling evidence (CCTV footage). Father is present but often abscent. Low/lack of interaction with female family members.

Episode 2 - School:

This episode is meant to cover the environment both Jamie and Katie were in for most of the day - school. We see that the school is very unruly and the children rule above the teachers and TAs. Not even two officers can get a modicum of respect there. The teachers are weak, submissive, not serious and uncaring. None of them particularly care for any student, especially not when they become slightly "difficult". They either let them go with or without a warning or shout at them and threaten punishment. We see that sexism amongst the students is relatively prevalent (for example: when Fredo mocks Ryan for getting punched in the face by Jade, because he is a boy and she is a girl - which gets a laugh from other students). We also meet Jamie's friend, Ryan, we later discover that he supplied Jamie with the murder weapon (a knife).

We also get a menosphere mention here, alongside Andrew Tate, black pill, the matrix and incel. So, let me give those words an objective definition first:

Manosphere - a network of online spaces where participants discuss men's rights, masculinity, and gender dynamics, often in response to perceived disadvantages or biases against men in society. It includes diverse subgroups such as men’s rights activists (MRAs), pickup artists, Men Going Their Own Way (MGTOWs), and incels (involuntary celibates).

Incel - someone, usually male (the female version is 'femcel' and 'female dating stragedy'), who identifies with a community or ideology centered on the belief that they are unfairly denied sexual or romantic relationships. The term originated as a neutral, supportive label by a Canadian woman named Alana (no last name for anonymous purposes), but has evolved to often be associated with misogynistic, nihilistic, or extremist views within certain online communities. A common example is the massacre committed by Eliott Roger.

Black Pill - a nihilistic belief that looks, genetics, and social status entirely determine success in life and dating—making change or self-improvement pointless. Often linked to fatalism and incel ideology. A darker evolution of the red pill.

Red Pill - a belief system claiming to reveal harsh "truths" about gender roles and society (similar to how the object is used in the movie "the matrix") often used in the manosphere to justify male dominance (patriarchy, if you will) and criticize feminism. It promotes self-improvement but can lean into misogyny in certain cases. Blue Pill is the opposite, remaining in the "illusion".

The Matrix - the belief that the current state of affairs puts society under a state of illusion that everything is "fine" or even "good" when in reality it isn't the case [for example, some believe that we live in a gynocracy (term that dates back to the 1700s, other iterations of it even to the 1570s - a form of social or political system where women hold primary power, especially in roles of leadership, moral authority, and control over men) and that people, especially men, that do not follow this belief are still "trapped"].

Andrew Tate - a British-American former kickboxer turned internet personality and businessman, known for promoting controversial views on masculinity and gender roles. He has been widely criticized for misogyny and was arrested in Romania in 2022 on charges including human trafficking and rape (see: cam-girls case and others).

In addition to these terms, Adam (DI Bascombe's son) also cites a commonly spread statistic in the manosphere: "80% of women are attractrd to 20% of men" - a popular talking point in manosphere and red pill communities. It’s based on a distorted interpretation of Pareto's Principle (the 80/20 rule - roughly 80% of consequences come from 20% of causes), suggesting that most women compete for a small group of highly attractive or high-status men.

Research-wise, there is no solid scientific consensus proving this ratio. Some dating app studies (like OkCupid and Tinder) have shown that women tend to rate a majority of men as below average in attractiveness, which may support a skewed distribution of interest, but those are limited contexts and don’t reflect real-world relationship dynamics (like a comment I once read: dating apps are a sort of "buyer's market", because there are much more men - more than twice as much in fact, than women). But to a 13 year old boy? This is essentially a death sentence, like Adam said - you'll "die a virgin" if you're not a part of the "genetically gifted" (we see in episode 3 how Jamie reacts when questioned about his looks during his interview with FP Ariston - he believes himself to be ugly, and desperately needs her to affirm to him that he is not).

Ryan, one of Jamie's friends, is another unpopular kid that has the label of "incel" and "loser" stapled on his forehead by his peers. Towards the end of the episode he gets captured by DI Bascombe when he tries to escape. Earlier in the episode he weakly tries to back Jamie up when he is questioned, but it is easy to see that he won't last long under pressure.

In summary: school's a wasteland rulled by unhinged children with no guiding hand. Even the therapists/support system adults can't stand a single decibel of raised voice or snide comment from a child.

Episode 3 - Pre-Trial Session:

This episode competes with the one after it for the title of "the best" in recent conversation surrounding the series, and for all the right reasons. The acting and writing is phenomenal, the chemistry between the cast is felt like a lightning bolt throughout the entire thing, and the ending sends a chill down the viewers spine.

This episode focuses on the forensic psychologist's point of view when interacting with complex juvenile cases that involve crimes of a high degree. We see how Jamie's emotions fluctuate throughout the session from cooperative and friendly to filled with rage and desperation.

We discover numerous important things about Jamie and Katie in this episode:

Jamie is capable of admitting, even if not on purpose at first, that he murdered Katie. This is a good set-up to his decision to change his plea in episode 4.

While making jokes and having a relatively good side to his relationship with the psychologist, Jamie can also shift into a menacing and even scary figure. Even though he is "just" 13, he still towers over a woman and makes her flinch and (unbeknownst to him) drive her to tears. We can tell he hasn't accepted it yet, because he mentions his age, and towards the end of the episode begs her to affirm to him and to his father that he is "okay".

Katie was a good student, a great friend and a loved one. Like any other person, and specifically a teenage girl, she wasn't perfect. She sent nudes to a boy she liked, and that boy turned out to be a dangerous douchebag, and the photos were leaked. This resulted in her being humiliated and vulnerable - something Jamie hoped to take advantage of by coming up to her, asking her out and getting rejected. While her reaction was mean ("I'm not that desperate") and her then bullying him with vague/not-vague (depends on the viewer) messages and comments, contributing to bullying that was already taking place against Jamie and Ryan (we don't know if she was aware of said bullying or not, they shared lessons but weren't in the same class/form). After Jamie had "enough" of the bullying, he decided to "punish" the bully he knew was the most vulnerable (to his knowledge) and take out his frustration on her by stalking her, verbally attacking her, and after being physically pushed away - he proceeded to murder her in cold blood, a premeditated crime he planned with Ryan, the co-condpirator that supplied him with the knife aka the murder weapon.

Jamie briefly but persistently insists that him not sexually assaulting/attacking Katie somehow makes him morally superior. His logic behind this bogus idea is essentially that he views himself as capable of some kind of "restraint" or even "mercy", because he "could of he wanted to". He also adds that "others would", but "I didn't".

Jamie comes to a deeper understanding of death in this episode, thanks to the psychologist's persistent defining of the meaning of death. I believe that it could be one of the reasons he chose to change his plea to guilty at the end of the series.

Jamie and his father's relationship is good, but lacks communication, something that is elaborated on in the football story. In this episode we get Jamie's side - insecure, not sporty enough, causing his father deep shame (to the point of not looking at him as he's being mocked for his lacking football skills by a crowd of people). We're meant, in my opinion, to question how much of the story happened the way Jamie told it, or if it was slightly exaggerated in his mind (in episode 4 we find out that it probably wasn't, because Eddie corroborates Jamie's feelings in his conversation with his wife after Jamie's phone call concludes and they return home - "I couldn't even look at him").

In summary: forensic psychologist solicits admission from Jaime, brief discussion on masculinity and it's meaning, deeper dive into death and the girl that gets mentioned way too briefly for a show that had the guts to use a female DS to whine exactly one episode ago about "why are women not the focus when there is a report on rape?". But I get ahead of myself, let's finish the overview with -

Episode 4 - Guilty:

A year and 1 month later we finally get to see the point of view of Jamie's family, and the consequences of Jamie's actions on their day to day life. It is Eddie's 50th birthday, and we can tell that the family is trying their best to "solve the problem of the day" every day. At first we can see how they have some small happy moments. The parents are flirting and do each other favors to show appreciation, but all that gets cut short when Lisa calls her parents to see the family van, the same one used for Eddie's work. It is covered with the word "nonce" misspelled. Nonce, in British English means a person convicted of a sexual offense, especially child molesting. The paint does not get washed off easily, and the family has to make a trip to the store to get the proper tools to remove it from the van. This displays how easily news travels around, takes different shapes, and even gets entirely replaced with a lie and people run with it. Because they don't genuinely care if it's true or not, they get to have a little sick fun, and that's all that matters. This will be relevant later in this review. We also discover that Lisa gets mistreated occasionally at school because of her connection to Jamie. She hasitates before telling her parents what is said about her, before concluding with "Jamie's sister". I think that it may be implied that she gets treated and called way worse then she leads on, to protect her parents.

In the shop we are introduced to a worker that happens to be invested in Katie's murder. He at first gives Eddie the service he needs, but then, after realizing who Eddie is, he starts blurting out details around the case and adding his own speculations and conspiracies about what happened. He outright says that he believes Jamie's innocent and spews out random theories he has, loosely basing them on human anatomy. He creepily admits that he allegedly saw a picture of Katie's body post-mortem. Listening to him clearly makes Eddie uncomfortable and he tries his best to avoid the subject and ask for the services he needs, clearly stressed from the harassment he's been receiving. The worker clearly believes he's some kind of "ally" to Eddie and his family, not understanding that he's making it a very uncomfortable. In the end that he decides to get a can of paint and to just re-color the van entirely. While this mood is ruined by the interaction with the rude employee, Eddie is still trying to gather his feelings and to not "ruin the mood" for his wife and daughter on his birthday. We're coming out of the store he recognizes the young men that both verbally harassed him and vandalized his van, although his wife and daughter plead him to stop he catches one of them and threatens him to stay away from his family and informs him that he has no clue what they're going through. The boy gives the poor excuse of "it was just a prank" - drilling in the idea I mentioned before about fake news traveling around and people spreading them carelessly just to have some twisted kind of "fun". Filled with rage, Eddie ignores his wife and daughters pleas and proceeds to entirely spray the van with a can of paint. Realizing what he's done, he cools down and quietly asks his family to sit on the side where they can see the road.

On the way home, the conversation of the family is interrupted by a phone call from the detention center where Jamie is awaiting trial. After the birthday wishes and some small talk (including the brief conversation with Lisa about his gym activities I mentioned earlier) Jamie tells his father that he has decided to switch his plea from innocent to guilty. This in effect is the final blow to Eddie's emotional stability, and he goes quiet. Jamie's mom then takes over and we once again see the example I mentioned earlier to her slightly "babying" her son by making sure that the detention center is aware of his food "intolerances".

After the conversation is concluded and the family arrives home we are then entering a scene in the parents' room where they discuss feelings of guilt and shame surrounding Jamie. Once alone with his wife, Eddie breaks down (which to me shows a great sign of their relationship, this kind of confidence and trust with one's spouse if very important to keep a stable relationship and household. Displays of vulnerability of the sort are not easy, especially for men). The conversation the parents have is very loaded. The both of them feel immense guilt for Jamie's actions and reminisce about the child he was and they are to blame for what happened and what caused him to do what he did (both the murder and other actions so such as leaving explicit comments on Instagram etc). They both come to the conclusion that they are not to blame for Jamie's actions, that they did the best they could as parents, and cite Lisa as proof throw themselves that they are capable of making "good" children. After the conversation ends they decide to move on with their day, but then Eddie decides to visit Jamie's room one last time. He goes over his things and looks around, taking his essence in. Then he bursts into tears and let's himself cry as much as he needs. It is clear to the audience that all of the year+ of what happened hit him all at once. Then he symbolically tucks Jamie's Teddy Bear to sleep, apologizing to it, essentially tucking the child he knew and loved good night, one last time, before leaving the door. The song in the background, "Through the Eyes of a Child" by AURORA, reflects the lost innocence of Jamie's image in Eddie's mind (it is implied that he held onto Jamie's 'innocence' - not literally of course, to the very last minute. The call in which Jamie himself declares to his father that, yes, he is guilty, was the final nail in the coffin of Innocent Jamie in Eddie's head. All of the pent up grief and emotion he held inside for the sake of his wife and daughter came out like an endless waterfall of tears and pain. That moment, acted masterfully, is meant to cement in the viewers mind that this is a turning point for Eddie's character, to a future both uncertain, but more clear.

Next segment includes my opinion of the show:

While masterfully acted and having lots of touching and great individual scenes, there are numerous glaring problems I'd like to focus on in this review, giving a bit of my point of view as a woman that happens to hyperfixate on stuff and happened to research the manosphere.

Like many people, I too was first exposed to the manosphere in it's most toxic, baseless and absurd form. Think about theost generic stuff you can imagine: sunglasses indoors douchebag informing me and other viewers that woman are "outta line man" and we need to get back to the "good ol' days" (for which the young presentor was clearly not even alive for) when women were more traditional, "aware of their role" in society and, well - his definition of sane. Scratching the surface of this interesting section of the internet I found that these content creators are many, and most of them sound about the same and you can almost believe they were all made in factories. If I were the normal average viewer, I'd scoff and scroll on, feeling satisfied with my limited information on what seemed to be a toxic and hostile environment, especially for me as a woman. But, you see, this time I wasn't.

"This is a call to action by the manosphere"

In episode 2, at the school, Adam helps his father decipher Katie's comments on Jamie's page, by explaining what do the emojis 🫘 and 💣 mean in the context of bullying. He explains that these emojis are a reference to "the red pill" and "being and incel". At first, Bascombe sr. has no idea what his son is even talking about, so he proceeded to give him a statistic "like, 80% of women are attracted to 20% of men", when his dad presses him further, he explains that the statistic means that "you're a loser, you'll die a virgin, so you have to trick women so they'll date you". Now, if you read up to this point, you'll know that this scene is chalk full of random disconnected terms, statistics and personal opinion that is loosely tied together around a concept the script tries desperately to simplify - the manosphere. DI Bascombe accepts the narrative (if you can even call it that, on my opinion it was just a bunch of terms stuck together by duct tape) his son presents at face value. We as the audience don't get to see even a snippet of manosphere content, not even the kind that could fit exactly to the narrative the scriptwriters are trying to present (for example: a viral Whatever Podcast clip, an Andrew Tate - who's even gets name dropped in the show fgs clip, a Sandman/RehabRoom video part. Nothing of the sort is shown in any of the 4 episodes of the show, let alone presented as consumed by either Jamie and/or Ryan (the murderer and co-condpirator). We are just told in episode 4 that Jamie "stayed up late at night" and that his parents did not control his internet usage. We are told, not shown.

So these are the main "sins" I believe the show commits:

stringing along a bunch of terms without explaining them or even showing how they connect to each other (if at all), essentially hoping the audience and average viewer has a preconceived notion on the manosphere and hoping that it aligns with their point of view (because with people that do know a bit more about the manosphere like myself, without having bias either for or against it - because in reality the concept is too vast and has many facets and different types of content creators you can choose to watch and decide whether you agree or disagree with their point of view).

Credit: Rory Doherty, Men's Health

Telling the audience the manosphere (and specifically the red pill and incel forums) is to blame for Katie's murder instead of/without showing it (not even it's most terrible parts, and especially not Jamie/Ryan consuming any of it's content, let alone through a period of time) - essentially expecting the audience to just nod and accept the terms, statistics and opinions of the script writers as is, without a glimpse of critical thinking.

"the one place I'd go to feel safe is..."

Preaching towards the audience about how women get left behind when reported on crimes such as rape (something about the reports often being worded like "man rapes woman", which, again is NOT SHOWN in any episode of the show, as just an anacdotal complaint that you could easily dismiss with a simple search online). Again, the audience is to nod in agreement and not question if the statement is true or false, why does the officer feel that way and why she is portrayed as in the right. Bascombe doesn't question her on this claim either, it's just taken at face value. not only being pretty, this is a very semantics focused point of view.

While DS Frank is well within the rights to view the news reports however she pleases, other people view it as a feminist achievement: doesn't like any other crime, when the focus is on the victim, hear the focus is on the perpetrator - shifting the focus on the blame from the victim to set perpetrator, more specifically. In addition to that grievance I also wanted to add that while this quote was included, Katie was a plot device throughout the entire show. At no point do we get to know who Katie was. You know what we know about Katie?

She was murdered by Jamie

She bullied Jamie

She was a good friend to Jade (another female character that was dropped like a hot potato, by the way)

Her nudes leaked

We are told she was a good person, a good friend and a good student

Katie doesn't get a single flashback, we never see her family (we only hear about her mom from a third party, DI Bascombe, and that is also in relation to Jamie - while trying to solicit more information from Ryan about the murder weapon).

The quote I'm about to add below is an insult to the intelligence of the audience, and a great example for a show that doesn't do what it preaches. This is what actual intelligent audience members, and specifically feminists would call "performative activism".

Credit: Shannon Keating, Vulture

I watched several reviews of Adolescence on YouTube and whenever I see how the reviewers gush over how perfect the acting was, what great camera shots were shown and how important the message of the show is, I never see anyone even try to explain what the manosphere is on a deeper layer than what the show itself provided ("term x means x, so term y is directly why statistic z is used), who is related to the manosphere, how vast it actually is across political viewpoints, religious backgrounds, ethnic backgrounds and so on and so forth.

At some point I thought to myself "did we watch the same show? Am I missing something here? Were there any elaborate scenes or any kind of explanation that I've missed?" And I watched the scenes over and over and I couldn't find what I was looking for.

I wanted to SEE Jamie and/or interact with menosphere content.

I wanted to SEE Katie be one of if not THE main character of the series, even if she is deceased (and do not tell me that it's impossible, many shows, movies, anime etc have done it multiple times - House MD, Oshi no Ko, Erased, Dexter and more. Obviously some more successful than others, but it's up to personal taste).

I want to SEE the important relationships in Katie's life. I WANT TO SEE MORE OF HER BEST FRIEND AND HER MOTHER.

It was annoying to watch such talented actors and actresses be utilized for a script that clearly wasn't polished. It's even more disappointing when you find out that the actor for Eddie, Jamie's dad, Stephan Graham is one of the creators. You'd think with so much power and influence over how the series will turn out, he'd pay much closer attention and be much more involved in the writing.

Why is researching the manosphere important?

If there's one thing you can learn as an audience member from this show, it's how important it is to actually understand what the manosphere is. Once you decide on a black and white opinion on a vest concept (and this is true for a lot of subjects: social and political issues, political views, religion, ethnic background, country of origin, health etc) you cannot argue about it's bad sides with the people that actually enjoy it or practice it. You will always, no matter what, look like you're arguing in bad faith.

Recently I got the direct message on Tumblr from a blog that I don't follow, it was from a person that was offended that they thought that they missed the point of the show. They believed that I was being unfair to them, because the conclusion they reached ("I hate males because now I see how boys view girls, thanks to Adolescents" essentially, I'm paraphrasing). They were incredibly offended, and I wanted to explain to them why I thought the way I did. They didn't have the contacts that I had, so I sent them a huge block of text explaining what I knew about the manosphere and why I believe that understanding it helps fight it's bad actors better. I never received an answer to my reply, but they do hope that the message I tried to send at the end of this review will remain with some of you, and be understood by you in the good faith in which it was intended.

I believe that understanding people and why they believe the the things they do is one of the greatest ways to deconstruct, criticize and differentiate between the good and the bad of certain ideologies. Once you're up against something or someone, you need to understand the area you're fighting in. You need to understand the terms that are used in the discussion, you need to understand the emotion and the historical background around things you want to discuss. You need to know how to differentiate between bad actors and grifters and genuine content creators. You need to understand that whenever opinions and human interaction is involved, things are more often nuanced, than they are not.

It is no secret that currently online debate has been reduced to a very very shallow level, we see it in real life too. People throw around terms that they have no idea the meaning of, they blame each other for things that they didn't do the best and never intend to do in the future. In certain forms and groups of thought, the mere explaining of oneself can be viewed automatically as an excuse and some kind of -ism or -phobia.

In conclusion:

While Adolescence has some great scenes and good acting, the show was either too short or the script writers were to disingenuous or lazy to actually research the subject matter and to do more for a serious subjects then to performatively pretend to discuss them. Like I mentioned before, fake news and lies are something some people find twisted pleasure in spreading them around. Instead of actually doing research or at the very least actually displaying what is truly horrible about the manosphere, the script writers chose to belittle the viewer and try to distract them from the lacking script.

Final rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Let me conclude this review with open questions to all of you:

When you think about an ideology, do you think that only one person or a group of people represents them all? For example, would you be comfortable if I were to tell you that all feminists are like Kelly J. Keen, or that's all feminists are TERFs or, on the other hand, intersectional?

As an audience member, do you want script writers to spoon-feed you a message, or show you why they think the way they do within the work of art they created?

How do you feel when a show tells you that it's core principle is one thing but then proceeds to do the exact opposite?

Thank you for reading.

[mattscoquette]

Would you rather live with Matt in a studio apartment with no working kitchen or elevator or with chris in an underwater cave with no plumbing

matt duh

[stabbyfoxandrew]

vampdrew for wipw please!

WIP Wednesday (2/19) | Vampire Andrew AU (Part 221)

"What do you want?" Wymack demands when Andrew rings him up.

"Have you heard from Neil this morning?"

"What? No. Why?"

"I lost him, Coach. Just trying to track him down. Thanks, goodbye." Andrew snaps his phone shut and decides Neil must be hitching. The idiot. If he gets killed by some psycho (that is not Andrew) Andrew is going to lose his mind. He mashes the button to reject Coach's incoming call and texts Nicky to pick him up here.

-

"What are we going to do now? Where could he have gone?" Kevin whines from the passenger seat as soon as they're pointed towards Palmetto. Andrew rolls his eyes at the dramatics.

"Everything he owns is at the Tower, Kevin. He's hitchhiking, it's going to take him a long fucking time to get back. We will beat him there and you can beg him to stay. I promise." Andrew says. Then when Kevin only pouts, Andrew shoves a fang through his bottom lip and mashes the pedal to the floor. Andrew does not break promises.

-

As he said, Neil is nowhere to be found when they get back to the dorms. Matt Boyd is pissed with Andrew for some reason. He must be who Neil called, because he slams the door in Andrew's face when he goes to check for him. The four of them sit around the dorm wondering where the hell Neil's going to turn up for a long fucking time.

 A couple hours later, Andrew gets a call from an extremely pissed Wymack. He reports dutifully to Coach's apartment and groans at the scent in the elevator. Neil is here. And Neil is sweaty and fuck... That's a delightful smell. Andrew's fangs slip out and imagines shoving them into Neil's sweaty neck. He's not sure whether the thought makes him hungry or horny. Perhaps both.

Yes, Andrew thinks. Both it is.

The smell grows even more heady as Andrew steps into Coach's place. The shower is running and oh, that's a crying shame. He laments the invent of modern plumbing. Only for a second, but still. Andrew shuts the door and whistles a jaunty little tune, alerting Coach that he's arrived. The older man is not pleased to see him in the slightest. It doesn't take a mind-reader to know it either, David Wymack looks ready to peel Andrew's skin off.

[little-miss-dilf-lover]

Hiii! I was wondering if I could request Matt murdock x reader + apartment hunting hc??

hii!! yes yes ofc!! thanks for requesting, hope you like it💌

—

APARTMENT HUNTING HC’s

word count. 308

— although matt can't see, I still think he's a great person to apartment hunt with

— he wants you safe, and where you decide to live plays a big part in that. and he doesn't like the idea of you being in a 'bad' or 'unsafe' neighbourhood

— he goes with you to the viewings and listens to assess the building. listens to the plumbing and piping (to see if it's structurally sound and not fitted dodgy) your potential neighbours (how noisy they are, what kind of person lives there, how many, and if they work from home, etc) and the location (how busy it is, what kind of noises there are (people, cars, bars) and the safety of the area)

— he keeps his opinion to himself and waits for you to decide what you like about it first or if you even like it (though he can tell by your body) if the apartment is a bit iffy, but you like it, he'd mention a few things he heard (ie, a couple on the floor above that are going through a rough patch (so you're aware of potential arguing)) he doesn't want to interfere, as you're moving by yourself and it's a big change, but he wants to make sure you're certain, and weighing your options properly, so give his two cents when necessary  

— but you value his opinion, and you brought him with you for a reason so you want to hear what he has to say

— he likes how excited and giddy you get about shopping for your potential new place - how you have pinterest boards dedicated to each room and have baskets filled across multiple websites. he's happy you're happy

— maybe he's had thoughts about scratching the apartment hunting and asking you to move in with him, but that might be for a later stage

— — — — — — — — — — ☆ — — — — — — — — — —

[simishmm]

Intro & Tags

I’m Matt! I’m primarily a sims 2 player (@tybaltsmonty) but once a blue moon I’ll boot up Sims 4 and here you will find screenshots from my game and most of the cc I have in my game c:

TAGS NAVIGATION

note; i'm currently going through my blog and editing tags for this as well as removing broken links and outdated cc

CAS

Genetics - Birthmarks & Moles / Eyes / Freckles / Presets / Skins / Teeth

Body Hair / Eyebrows / Eyelashes / Facial Hair

Acne / Makeup / Scars / Stretch Marks / Tattoos

Accessories - All / Bracelets & Watches / Childrens / Earrings / Glasses / Gloves / Hats / Hijabs / Infants / Nails / Necklaces / Piercings / Rings / Socks / Tights & Stockings / Toddlers / Tops / Misc

Fem - Hair / Bottoms / Full Body / Shoes / Tops

Masc - Hair / Bottoms / Full Body / Shoes / Tops

Children - Hair / Bottoms / Full Body / Shoes / Tops

Toddlers - Hair / Bottoms / Full Body / Shoes / Tops

Infants - Hair / Bottoms / Full Body / Shoes / Tops

Pets - Birds / Cats / Dogs / Horses

BUILD

All / Doors / Floors / Garden / Gates / Stairs / Walls / Windows

BUY BY ROOM

Bathroom / Bedroom / Kitchen & Dining / Laundry / Livingroom / Nursery / Office / Outdoors

BUY BY OBJECT TYPE

Appliances / Beds / Bookshelves / Chairs / Clutter / Curtains / Dressers & Closets / Electronics / Lighting / Mirrors / Pets / Plants / Plumbing / Rugs / Sofas / Surfaces / Toys / Wall Deco

HOBBY & SKILL CC (includes cas & bb items)

Art / Dance / Farming & Gardening / Fitness / Music / Sewing & Knitting / Sports

CC BY THEME (includes cas & bb items)

Goth / Medical / Pride / Weddings

Cultural -

SUPERNATURALS (includes cas & bb items)

Aliens / Fae / Mersims / Servos / Spellcasters / Vampires / Werewolves

CC COLLECTIONS

create a sim / build & buy / fan packs

LOTS

All / Residential / Community

MODS

All / Aspirations / Careers / Fixes / Skills / Traits

MISC

Default Replacements / Food / Poses

[huyaoxiaozi]

Some fun and interesting things I've learned about Zane within these last couple days —

If his life hadn't been so uprooted and he'd been able to continue with school as usual, Zane would've studied to become a botanist / phytologist. He's just a Very Big Nerd about plants, fungi and, by some extension, the part that insects play in that whole equation.

He's taught himself how to extract and make use of various poisons that come from plants and fungi ( for his use and, much later, Matt's as well )— and the same can be said about making his own stuff from medical plants. Of course, they're not a replacement for modern medicine by any means, but still.

He's got a couple notebooks full of handwritten notes and drawings of all the information he's gathered and recipes he's perfected. It's all written in Mandarin.

He's got various potted plants in his apartment and, eventually, he does want to cultivate a place for a greenhouse. For now, he just does a lot of this work on his back porch.

Zane has a pet hognose snake — she's a western lavender hognose and he named her Mochi ( visuals here and here ).

Later on, he gets tattoo on the right side of his neck, over one side of his scar. It consists of Plumb blossoms ( they symbolize perseverance, hope, and resilience. They also happen to be the national flower of China ), a lunar moth ( In Chinese Folklore, recently dead relatives are believed to come back as these moths, so it's specifically a homage to his father ), mushrooms and folliage. It's designed to look like the plants are growing from and around his scar, further signifying resilience, hope and rebirth, even in the face of great pain and loss. Visual of it here ( a full drawing is coming eventually ).

[bisphenol-a]

San Francisco closed the lid Sunday on the saga of a $1.7 million public restroom. To commemorate the commode’s installation, residents celebrated at a “potty party” they called the Toilet Bowl.

Lookie-loos lined up in the Noe Valley Town Square to give the loo a whirl. A band played songs including “Sloop John B” by the Beach Boys. (“This is a song about a john!” the band leader explained.) Children sipped lemonade and ate chocolate cupcakes while they tossed bean bags into plastic training potties on the ground.

San Francisco may have been a laughingstock over the news that it planned to spend $1.7 million to construct a single public restroom with a sink and toilet, getting skewered by late-night comedians and inspiring the “it” costume at Halloween parties.

But on Sunday, the city got the last laugh.

“We wanted to, you know, really roll with it,” said Zach D’Angelo, dressed as a giant roll of toilet paper with a red plunger as his hat. D’Angelo, the host of Tuesday night trivia at a pub down the street, served as the Toilet Bowl’s emcee — or, as he put it, the Grand Poobah.

“I am flush with excitement!” he exclaimed before he started telling toilet jokes that he said he had gotten from his 7-year-old nephew.

The mood wasn’t quite so lighthearted in October 2022 when city officials announced a news conference in the Noe Valley Town Square to celebrate securing $1.7 million in state funds to build the 150-square-foot restroom — enough money to buy a whole single-family house in the city.

The square was built in 2016 with outdoor seating, a playground and plumbing for a public toilet, but no actual toilet, because money for the project had fallen short.

Just as puzzling as the price tag was the timeline. The city said it would take two to three years to install the restroom, even after it secured the state funds.

Neighbors and a local journalist (well, me) began to question the details of the project. City officials explained the toilet would have to be approved by numerous city commissions. It would also be subject to environmental review. All that, plus the high cost of construction in the city, made the project expensive and time-consuming.

Politicians began distancing themselves from the bathroom brouhaha. Gov. Gavin Newsom took back the state money.

Then, Chad Kaufman, president of the Public Restroom Company, offered to donate a modular toilet instead. He and Vaughan Buckley, the chief executive of Volumetric Building Companies, paid for architecture and engineering work to get the site ready. They also paid for a truck to carry the modular toilet to the square, a crane to lift it into place and union labor to install it.

The tab for the city dropped to $200,000, and Mayor London Breed announced legislation that she said would help bring down the cost of other public projects. It would let city departments team up to get group discounts on goods and services for small jobs. The state gave the $1.7 million back to San Francisco again, and the city says it will be used to build more toilets.

In the end, the new red restroom in the Noe Valley Town Square was worthy of celebration. On Sunday, a woman doled out toilet trivia. Local librarians handed out free copies of children’s books entitled “Everyone Poops” and “Time to Use the Potty.” There was a toilet-themed costume contest with whoopee cushions as prizes.

Three San Francisco politicians — Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, State Senator Scott Wiener and Assemblyman Matt Haney — addressed the crowd. Haney posed for a photo in front of the bathroom.

“It’s not gold-plated, but it’s worth its weight in gold,” he said with a laugh.

Debra Niemann, director of the Noe Valley Association, a neighborhood improvement group, said she didn’t think the toilet travails had done much to make city projects, including public restrooms, any cheaper to build.

“But at least we got one,” she said. “It’s beautiful. It’s clean. It’s simple. It’s everything you could want in a public toilet.”