#national hot dog month

[radiomaxmusic]

July 4, 2024: 3pm ET: Across The Tracks - National Hot Dog Month

July is National Hot Dog Month Hot Dog Days are informal events that are celebrated in communities throughout the hotdog-eating world, including the United States, Canada and Australia. The earliest known Hot Dog Day was held in Alfred, New York in 1972. As the name suggests, the festivals revolve around eating hot dogs, but usually there are many other activities such as wiener dog races, root…

[murderousink23]

07/01/2023 is Tartan Day 🌏, Canada Day 🍁🇨🇦, Republic Day 🇬🇭, National Doctors' Day 👩‍⚕️👨‍⚕️🇮🇳, World Bronchiectasis Day 🌏, International Reggae Day 🇯🇲, Keti Koti 🇳🇱, National Creative Ice Cream Flavors Day 🍨🇺🇲, National Gingersnap Day 🇺🇲, National Postal Worker Day 🇺🇲, National U.S. Postage Stamp Day 🇺🇲, National Hot Dog Month 🌭🇺🇲, Picnic Month 🇺🇲, Berry Month 🍓🇺🇲, National Ice Cream Month 🍨🇺🇲, Hop-a-Park Day 🇺🇲, International Chicken Wing Day 🐓🇬🇧, International Day of Cooperatives 🇺🇳

[mukuberry]

You're such a lovely person, wishing you so many nice moments <3

At the annual Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contest, Joey Chestnut broke his own world record on July 4th, 2021 by consuming 76 hot dogs in 10 minutes

I just ate 3. Alot less than 76... i'm feeling a little inadequate. Thank you for this ♡

[luveline]

can we see what christmas is like with eddie, reader and roan? 🫶

the munson family and their pre christmas priorities ♡ (step)mom!reader, 1k

“I'm sick of being a dad,” Eddie says. “I'm done. You're going to live with your Uncle Wayne.” 

Roan roars with laughter, her hair dusting the floor, her t-shirt dipping down to expose her chubby belly where she hangs from Eddie's hands. “Dad, pick me up!” 

“I'm Eddie now to you.” 

“I'm,” —she cackles— “sorry! Pick me up!” 

Eddie gives her a last good shake before gently lowering her to the floor. She's all flushed cheeks and big eyes, her hair a riot around her head as she wipes stray strands from her mouth. “I'm sorry, daddy,” she says, pouting, her thin brows rising up her forehead. “Don't be mad.” 

“I'm furious.” 

“No, you're not! You're not angry, dad, you're smiling.” 

Eddie forces his lips into a deep frown. “I told you to keep her in line!” 

You huff from your place by the Christmas tree. “Give it up, Eds. Santa doesn't come for grown ups, I already told you that.” You place a final small gift atop the small mountain of silver-wrapped boxes and straighten it to perfection. “So I have to make sure you get what you deserve.” 

“What was I s'posed to do?” Roan asks, sitting up. Her pyjamas are just a little too big, the shirt falling to her thighs and the pants covering her toes. 

“Restrain her,” Eddie says, grabbing Roan under the arms to help her onto her feet. “Let me roll your pants up, babe.” 

“I shrank in the night,” she says. 

Eddie smooths her hair out of her face as he kneels in front of her. “You're so funny. Santa will bring you all kinds of new pyjamas tomorrow, he told me. But don't tell him I told you.” 

“Did you get me anything?” Roan asks. 

If only she knew. “Yeah, we got you some gifts too. But we're gonna put them out when Santa does, okay?” 

“Okay.” She beams. Eddie pulls her pants from under her little feet to roll the hems up, worried she'll slip and smash her face on the wood floors. 

“You're excited,” Eddie says, moving to her second leg, “I can feel you vibrating like a dog.” 

“Woof,” she says, wrapping her arms around his neck. She's in a very cuddly mood tonight. 

“Oh, what a beautiful puppy I have. She's so cute.” He hugs her lightly, black curls trapped either side of them. Eddie sits back on his calves and she lets herself fall into his lap. “What kind of puppy are you? A poodle?” 

“No, I wanna be a dalmatian!” 

“Of course,” he hums, stroking her hair. “How could I forget? You love damn-nations.” 

You stand up from the tree to poke at them with your foot. “Can we have hot chocolate now?” 

“Yeah!” 

“Puppy's can't have chocolate,” Eddie says, encouraging Roan back to tuck her hair behind her ears. “So you'll have to be human Ro again.” 

She sighs forlornly. “Okay.” 

You make your way into the kitchen, paper chains hanging in the doorway and snowflake stickers holographic against the dark window. It's only 5PM, but the sun has firmly set, leaving the outside world in total darkness. You flick on the kitchen light and immediately head to the stove to heat the stove top kettle where it’s lived this last month on the back hob. “Milk, please?” you ask. 

Eddie's already in the fridge. He passes you the milk, ignoring the mounds of foil wrapped meats and cheeses, his stomach aching in longing. “One more sleep,” he says, hooking a pint of milk on his pinky. 

Roan attempts to climb your legs. You pick her up and put her on the counter, shielding her from the stove with your body. “What's for dinner?” she asks you. 

“How about soup?” you ask. When Roan wrinkles her nose, you add, “With croutons? We could have yummy vegetable soup with crispy croutons.” Still wrinkled. “Or we could have tomato soup and grilled cheese?” 

“With extra cheese?” Roan asks. 

“Sure, princess. Lots and lots of cheese.” 

Eddie opens the kettle. “What was in here?” 

“Milk last night, but I already washed it. I knew we'd be having more hot chocolate,” you say, words shaped by your smile as Roan pulls you in for a hug. “It's so cold, huh, baby.” 

“My nose is cold.” 

“I can feel it!” 

Eddie pours the entire pint of milk into the kettle. It'll be just enough for all three of you to have a full mug, and if he uses the big mugs there'll be no risk of overflow once the whipped cream and marshmallows have been added. 

The milk doesn't need to boil, only warm. While it's heating he takes the hot chocolate powder from the cupboard and throws in a couple of heaping spoonfuls. The milk quickly turns a rich brown. 

“Should I put some real chocolate in there too?” Eddie asks. 

“Duh, dad!” Roan says. 

You second her agreement more kindly, “Yes! Definitely yes. It's always best with the real stuff too.” You rub Roan's shoulders. “Yeah?” 

Eddie's getting jealous, honestly. He ignores you both, shutting the lid on the kettle and easing his way between your arm and Roan's. “Let me in,” he demands. 

You curl an arm behind his back. When you look up into his face, you couldn't look more in love. There's a shine to your eyes, a reverence he can't miss, and he's expecting your compliment before you give it. 

“Hi, gorgeous,” you say, kissing the side of his chin. 

He drops his head onto yours and pulls Roan in as close as he can without knocking her off of the counter. The air has already begun to smell of chocolate, though the smell of honeyed ham lingers. Roan herself smells like no tears shampoo. Eddie sniffs you curiously. 

“Stop sniffing me.” 

“What do you smell like?” 

“Nothing. I'm not wearing any perfume.” 

You smell like yourself. He can't explain it, but he likes it, hiding his nose in the seam of your hairline. 

Roan cracks first, pushing you both away. “How long will it take?” 

“Any minute now,” Eddie says, kissing your cheek before pulling away. “Let me get that chocolate.” 

“You didn't put the chocolate in? Dad.” 

[webtomo]

In various regional versions of Tomodachi Life, different holidays are represented in the shops depending on what version you are playing. These go as follows:

(Japanese ver.) New Years Day: On January 1st, shops will be adorned with New Years decorations and shopkeepers will be wearing outfits traditional for the Japanese New Year celebration. You can also buy the New Years exclusive item, Ozouni.

(Japanese ver.) Hinamatsuri: On March 3rd, decorative peach trees and decals of ornamental dolls adorn the shops, in celebration of the Shinto holiday Hinamatsuri.

(Japanese ver.) Children's Day: On May 5th, flags depicting familial carp can be seen in the background of shops for Children's Day, a Japanese national holiday celebrating the personalities and happiness of children.

(Korean ver.) Lunar New Year and Chuseok: Depending on when Lunar New Year falls in a specific year (usually between late January-February) Special music will play, and the shopkeepers will wear traditional holiday clothing.

The same music and costumed shopkeeper will appear during Chuseok, celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month on the Lunar calendar, usually sometime between September-October depending on the year.

(Australian ver.) Australia Day: On January 26th, shops will be seen adorning Australian flags to celebrate Australian Independence Day.

(US Ver.) The Superbowl: in February during the Superbowl, the shops are adorned with various football paraphernalia, while the shopkeepers wear jerseys.

(All versions) Valentines Day: on February 14th, the shops will be adorned with hearts. In western versions they will wear a pink button up shirt, and in Japan and US versions you are able to buy special Valentines Day chocolates.

(US ver.) Cinco De Mayo: On May 5th, the clothing stores can be seen adorned with colorful decorations to celebrate Mexico's victory over France in 1862.

(US ver.) Fourth of July: On July 4th, shops can be seen with floats and posters of soda, barbecues, hot dogs, burgers, kebabs, and other barbecue related delights in order to celebrate American Independence day.

(Japanese ver.) Tanabata (Star Festival): On July 7th, shops are adorned with bamboo, with wishes tied to the leaves of the tree to be heard by the reunited lovers, a tradition commonly practiced during Tanabata.

(UK Ver.) Bonfire Night: On November 5th, posters displaying fireworks for Bonfire Night can be seen, celebrating the failed assassination of King James I via explosion in 1605.

(All versions) Halloween: On October 31st, shops will display various Halloween decorations and shopkeepers will be wearing costumes. Shopkeepers will also greet you by saying "Trick or Treat!" in all versions except the Korean version, where they instead just say "Happy Halloween!"

(All versions) Christmas: On December 24th and 25th, stores will be adorned with various Christmas themed decorations, as well as shopkeepers wearing festive Santa outfits. On Christmas Eve, you will also be able to purchase the holiday exclusive Roast Turkey item from the shops. In the US version you will be greeted by shopkeepers with "Happy Holidays!" Whereas in all other versions you are greeted with "Merry Christmas!"

[petermorwood]

Dog policing, says @dduane​, and she doesn’t mean the K-9 division.

This reads like a spoof.

It may, however, be based on an anthropological study by Professor Doktor Hans-Otto Nixglaube, «Eigentümliche Ausländische Gewohnheiten Nr. 7: Die Sitten und Gebräuche der Wiener-Würstchen Handfressen im Nordamerikanische Art» (Salzkorn Verlag, Nürnberg, 1876)

Or maybe not...

*****

There was a memorable occasion many, many years ago when we both had more than our fill of hot dogs.

Our scene is set in Philadelphia, and the time is December 1986.

I had just flown in from Ireland after Christmas with my family, and DD was in the process of closing down her apartment before moving to Los Angeles and a story-editing gig on "DinoSaucers", so we decided to throw a party.

She invited all her friends from PSFS (Philadelphia Science Fiction Society), and then we went out to buy party foods. These foods included hot dogs.

There were A Lot Of Hot Dogs, indeed more of them than anything else, and I'm willing to accept blame here, having never before seen so many variations on one theme and being more than a bit inclined to sample the lot.

(Hormel, Oscar Meyer and sundry other companies must have rubbed their corporate hands.)

Then it began to snow, and the "sorry, can't make it" calls started coming in. In the end, a party meant for 30+ was a party of about 10, which resulted in - you're there already - A Lot Of Hot Dogs left uneaten.

The folks who made it to the party helped out by taking some of the food away, but that still left A Lot Of Hot Dogs still with us. And the apartment was being closed for up to 6 months (in the final event, permanently) with stuff in storage, power off, all the rest.

We couldn't just leave the doggies there, and I have an inbuilt aversion to throwing out food, so we ate them. At least it meant that for about five days we had no need to buy any other meat, and we had plenty of coleslaw and potato salad for necessary roughage.

However it was several years (until we got to Continental Europe with the Wurst effects long past) before any thought of hot dogs provoked more than a wince and a desire to eat something - anything - else...

:-P

[girlactionfigure]

It was 1969. Several months before, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had been assassinated, and riots were erupting in black neighborhoods across the nation.

Racial segregation had ended as far as public drinking fountains, public transportation, and public schools, but there was a new battleground - public pools. Many public pools were off limits to blacks. Police were routinely called whenever a black person supposedly trespassed into a pool. Still fresh in the memories of both black and white protestors was the infamous incident in the summer of 1964 in which a hotel manager dumped acid into a pool of black and white bathers.

In this explosive environment, Mister (Fred) Rogers quietly did something at that time that was quite unthinkable - he not only hired a black man to take on a regular role in his children’s television program, “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” - and asked him to play a police officer - but, he would also regularly invite Officer Clemmons to cool his feet in the same pool - together. 

It even surprised Francois Clemmons, who played Officer Clemmons. Fred Rogers had approached Clemmons after hearing him sing in a church. He asked him to join him on his show, to be a police officer, which was a radical idea at that time - a black police officer keeping families safe in the Neighborhood.

Clemmons would remember:

“I grew up in the ghetto. I did not have a positive opinion of police officers. Policemen were siccing police dogs and water hoses on people. And I really had a hard time putting myself in that role. So I was not excited about being Officer Clemmons at all.”

He was even more surprised, and moved, when Mister Rogers on a hot day invited him to join him in soaking his feet in a wading pool.

Clemmons remembers: “He invited me to come over and to rest my feet in the water with him.” He continued, with emotion, “The icon Fred Rogers not only was showing my brown skin in the tub with his white skin as two friends, but as I was getting out of that tub, he was helping me dry my feet.”

Francois Clemmons was the first African-American to have a recurring role on a kids TV series, and he would continue to have that role for the next 25 years. 

Years later, in 1993, Officer Clemmons would make his last appearance on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. In a touching moment, Mister Rogers would again invite Officer Clemmons, again joining Rogers at a wading pool in the front yard. This time, two grown men, one white, one black, as they soaked their feet together, discussed and sang a song about the different ways people say “I love you.”

Clemmons would remember that the scene touched him in a way he hadn’t expected.

As they said their goodbyes, with Mister Rogers thanking Officer Clemmons for joining him, Officer Clemmons would emotionally respond, thanking Mister Rogers and saying:

“I like being a human being right here and now.”

The Jon S. Randal Peace Page

[foreverisntenough]

One Shots / Requests |

These are shorter requested imagines. Right now most are apart of ‘You’re Mine’ and ‘Ours’ realm signaled by the '🧸' emoji next to the titles.

Feel free to message me with any requests ✉️

'Surprise' 🧸

625 words | Trent Alexander-Arnold x Reader

↳ Trent decides he wants to change his hair.

'Dada on TB' 🧸

440 words | Trent Alexander-Arnold x Reader

↳ Trent's daughter Teddy doesn't understand why he's not playing.

'Mighty Red'

1.2k words | Trent Alexander-Arnold x Reader

↳ Y/N is fuming after the Liverpool Man City fixture but Trent doesn’t seem too pressed.

'Pretty' 🧸

990 words | Trent Alexander-Arnold x Reader

↳ Trent isn’t doing his skincare the way you do and your daughter, Teddy isn’t having it.

‘A Sad Sick Teddy’ 🧸

1.9k words | Trent Alexander-Arnold x Reader

↳ Trent and your daughter, Teddy wakes up sick.

‘Brave for Dada’ 🧸

1.5k words | Trent Alexander-Arnold x Reader

↳ It was an emotional first day of nursery school for Trent and your daughter, Teddy.

‘Big Gunna Fan’ 🧸

1.4k words  | Trent Alexander-Arnold x Reader

↳ Teddy loves the attention she gets when she starts to repeating a line from a song but Y/N was less than impressed with what music Trent had been playing in front of her.

'15 Again' 🧸

4.1k words | Trent Alexander-Arnold x Reader

↳ A boy invites Teddy, now 15, to go to the cinema. Y/N reassures her it will go well but both you and she are nervous about how Trent will act.

'Marshmallows*' 🧸

3.2k words | Trent Alexander-Arnold x Reader | Warning: Smut! MDNI

↳ You're watching a film in the cinema with your kids when your baby Tate asks for hot chocolate. Whilst looking for marshmallows in your pantry Trent joins you to help but more things happen than just finding the sweet.

'Missing Daddy' 🧸

2.6 k words | Trent Alexander-Arnold x Reader |

↳ While Trent is away for a match, your daughter Teddy insists you call him. Blinded by the excitement of getting to talk to her dad, she can't exactly wrap her head around the fact that you just might miss him too.

'The Babysitter' 🧸

8.8 k words | Trent Alexander-Arnold x Reader |

↳ You and Trent decide you to hire some extra help but your two babies don't respond well to her at first. After a few months you start to wonder if you should've trusted their intuition when the babysitter seems to take a little too much interest in your husband, Trent.

'The Best Present' 🧸

1.7 k words | Trent Alexander-Arnold x Reader |

↳ The morning of Trent’s birthday arrived. On a rare occasion off from footie when he got to sleep in, your little girl, Teddy, had other plans. As you had promised, she could help wake her daddy up on his big day. So, in the early morning calm of your family home, Teddy was eager to get the celebration started.

Prince & Koba

1.6 k words | Trent Alexander-Arnold x Reader

↳ After a summer romance, you finally travel to go to Trent's house in Liverpool for the first time. Whilst your're nervous about many things, one thing weighing on you... would his dogs like you?

Tiny Pink Cakes 🧸

2.9k words | Trent Alexander-Arnold x Reader | Latest ✨

↳ Your daughter Teddy Alexander-Arnold comes with you to Trent's England national team game against France in Paris. Your best friend Lauren brings Teddy a sweet treat and she is desperate post match for Trent to get her more

[totaly-obsessed]

can you do a millie bright x reader where it’s their wedding day and the whole team are there and it’s just really fluffy and cute:). love your writing so much

Tears of Joy

Millie Bright x reader request

-> Marrying the Love of your Life

-> sorry for the delay - I hope you like it!

��� Masterlist

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

After waiting and planning for months on end – maybe even your entire childhood, the day was finally here. You were getting married!

Sure many dreams from your childhood wedding plans came true, but you didn’t quite find a prince charming, more of a princess charming – your very own knight in shining armor, the one and only Millie Bright.

As soon as you hat met Millie all those years ago in a Social Media meeting for Chelsea, you knew that she was the one. But the gentle giant had been quite scared to come up and talk to you – so you had to take the first step.

While the blonde looked intimidating it only took speaking to her once to see that she really wasn’t – maybe more so on the pitch, but luckily you didn’t have to face her there.

Millie had blushed a deep red when you caught her arms as she frantically tried to leave the meeting room, something you had not expected.

“Hi Millie, would you like to go on a date with me?”

Of course, she knew who you were, the new head of media for the women’s branch of Chelsea and she had spent the last four meetings just staring at you.

While you had felt confident walking up to her, seeing her face contort into a frown and lines appear on her forehead changed your mind quickly and you removed your hand.

“Or not – sorry that was a stupid idea.”

She couldn’t pull you in a hug fast enough. Dear god. If she hugged you like this, you never want to hug another person.

“I wanted to act cool and act like I wasn’t sure… But I would love to!”

To this day Millie and you could laugh about how much more stressful it had been than it needed if she had just said yes immediately.

---

 ---

While you had taken the first step to dating, Millie had been the one to ask the big question. She had just come home, even though she had been at home the entire time, from winning the Euros – and emotions were at an all-time high. Your girlfriend was now officially the champion of Europe.

You had been the first person she had seen out of the stands, her parents pushing you forward when you wanted to let them go first, after all, she was their daughter. “Don’t be silly love!” Had been what her mother said once she saw the blonde making her way towards the barriers.

“I did it, Baby! I fucking did it!” She was in tears, face still hot from running on the pitch for such a long time as she pulled you into a passionate kiss, not caring the slightest about all the cameras.

“You did so well my love! I am so proud of you!”

She would never forget the look on your face – she had never seen you look so proud of anybody, and now you looked at her like this. Her heart? Melted into a puddle.

Your girlfriend didn’t wait for long, lifting you over the barrier and pulling you as close to her as she could.

“My god Mills, leave some for me!” It was Rachel who finally pulled her sweaty best friend off you, just to replace her, giving you a bone-crushing hug.

“Off Rach! That’s my girl! Get ya own!”

The ‘DalyBrightness’ duo had always playful banter between them, and you were no stranger to it either, often getting roped into it somehow by Rachel, determined to get Millie angry – but the taller one of the two could only laugh about it every time.

The whole evening and night was spent partying, first in the dressing rooms, then in a chosen location with friends and family. Trafalgar Square was the next destination, where the girls would meet the nation they had made so incredibly proud, just the evening before.

After all the meetings and interviews had finally calmed down, you got your girlfriend back. Millie had finally arrived at home, in your shared south London house and the first thing she saw was your dogs Hera and Zeus. But upon lifting her head, the defender saw that they flanked both of your sides, while you held a beautiful ‘Welcome Home’ cake in your hands.

She couldn’t kiss you fast enough after seeing your nice gesture and cute smile.

“I love you much my love, and I don’t think I tell you enough. But I really do.”

The first thing you did after not seeing each other for such a long time, was napping. In the big bed, ready to sleep the day away. What you didn’t know, was that Millie woke up way before you and found herself staring at a beautiful ring in a little box.

Today was the day.

After making dinner she had asked you. She didn’t go down on her knees, so she pulled out a box, opened it, and just sat there for a second until you finally turned and noticed the ring.

“Mills?”

“Marry me?”

Choked up on tears you couldn’t do anything but nod. “Yeah, baby. I’ll marry you.” The kiss that followed tasted like tears, tears of utter joy as Zeus and Hers ran through the room yapping as if they knew what had just happened.

---

 ---

The day was finally here. Yours and Millie's wedding day. In retrospect you could not have chosen a better day, even if you obviously had not known how the weather would be – it was perfect.

Getting ready was a long process, not even physically, but rather mentally. But there was not a single doubt in your mind, that you would marry the love of your life.

You were ready when a knock sounded at the door and your sister who at the same time was your maid of honor opened it. The door was only open a smidge so you couldn’t really see who was behind it, while you talked to your bridesmaids.

“It’s go-time people!”

Your heart fluttered. But you were not nervous or anxious, no. You were excited and nearly ran out of the room with the bridesmaids to get to the altar, but your sister stopped you in your tracks, insisting that you had to wait somewhere else until the rest of the wedding party walked down the aisle.

Now stood in a room you waited for your sign. Fuck. Now the nerves were coming up. In your head, you went through the plan again, when you heard someone clear their throat.

It was Millie. There she was, dressed in a gorgeous white jumpsuit – looking at you like you hung the moon. “Baby! “You cannot see me in my dress before the wedding!”

Tears brimmed in both your eyes as you stared at your fiancé who couldn’t keep standing there any longer, so with brisk steps the blonde rushed forward and engulfed you in one of your favorite hugs. Your hearts find each other and beat in unison.

“How are ya feelin?” She rested her forehead on yours while staring at you as long as she could. “Nervous. Excited. Incredibly happy.“

The music inside was slowly getting quieter and you knew that you didn’t have that much time left. “I thought we could change the plan a little.”

Turns out Millie's idea was brilliant. Instead of just you walking in, both of you walked in together, no one would give anyone away. This would be a union of love between you and her, but that didn’t mean that either of you had to say goodbye to your family.

You could hear the gasps as you walked down the aisle, arms hooked together, each of you a flower bouquet in hand, the biggest smiles anyone had ever seen on your faces. You looked magical.

---

 ---

In the end, you don’t even know how you got through the vows, all you remember were a lot of tears, and an incredibly passionate kiss that was met with screams of joy from the audience.

After all of your families had congratulated the both of you, your Club mates made their way towards you each of them with big smiles on their faces.

Niamh was the first at your side and was the first to pull you into a warm hug. “You look like a princess. But one of those badass ones, that doesn’t need a white knight to save them.”

“I will need a cheaper ring for daily use, this one belongs in a bank in a safe deposit box.” Millie's joke was met with a lot of laughter as Sam came over and after hugging you as well, took a closer look at your ring. “Maybe! That is a fucking rock Mills!”

„You’re one to talk.“ Hempo received a  slight nudge from her captain while everyone else laughed along.

One after the other Chelsea and Lioness teammates alike made their way through the masses, hugging you with congratulatory tones and singing praises. Most of them even brought presents which they gave your sister for safekeeping.

“I can finally call you my wife.” Millie had stolen you away from the open space for a second and pulled you close for a deep kiss.

“My wife, huh? That has a nice ring to it.”

Not only were you her wife now, but she was also yours. Married. Oh dear god, you were finally married to the girl of your dreams. “Best day of my life.”

“Then I am excited to give you better ones.”

“God. you disgust me.” Neither of you had seen Rachel invade the nice little space Millie and you had created for the two of you

“Rachel!”

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

💙💜🩷 Books for Bisexuality Visibility Month 🩷💜💙

please support this blog

💜 How incredible is it that I made a list of 99 books for bisexual visibility month, KNOWING there are so many NOT featured on this list? I'm so proud to be bi. Having these characters and stories intertwine with mine warms my heart.

💜 What's your favorite book featuring bisexual characters?

💙 The Henna Wars - Adiba Jaigirdar 💙 Perfect on Paper - Sophie Gonzales 💙 Imogen, Obviously - Becky Albertalli 💙 Red, White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston 💙 Queens of Geek - Jen Wilde 💙 Just Your Local Bisexual Disaster - Andrea Mosqueda 💙 Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute - Talia Hibbert 💙 Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake - Alexis Hall 💙 A Merry Little Meet Cute - Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone

💜 Leah on the Offbeat - Becky Albertalli 💜 The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Taylor Jenkins Reid 💜 Radio Silence - Alice Oseman 💜 The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue - Mackenzi Lee 💜 You Exist Too Much - Zaina Arafat 💜 Wolfsong - T.J. Klune 💜 The Pairing - Casey McQuiston 💜 Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail - Ashley Herring Blake 💜 Heartstopper - Alice Oseman

🩷 Going Bicoastal - Dahlia Adler 🩷 Some Girls Do - Jennifer Dugan 🩷 Hani & Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating - Adiba Jaigirdar 🩷 Autoboyography - Christina Lauren 🩷 Written in the Stars - Alexandria Bellefleur 🩷 They Both Die at the End - Adam Silvera 🩷 Cool for the Summer - Dahlia Adler 🩷 Delilah Green Doesn't Care - Ashley Herring Blake 🩷 One Last Stop - Casey McQuiston

💙 I'll Be the One - Lyla Lee 💙 Running With Lions - Julian Winters 💙 Take a Hint, Dani Brown - Talia Hibbert 💙 Felix Ever After - Kacen Callender 💙 Not Your Sidekick - C.B. Lee 💙 Ophelia After All - Racquel Marie 💙 Iron Widow - Xiran Jay Zhao 💙 Something to Talk About - Meryl Wilsner 💙 The Girls I've Been - Tess Sharpe

💜 Iris Kelly Doesn't Date - Ashley Herring Blake 💜 Never Ever Getting Back Together - Sophie Gonzales 💜 Her Royal Highness - Rachel Hawkins 💜 Call Me By Your Name - André Aciman 💜 I Wish You All the Best - Mason Deaver 💜 Mistakes Were Made - Meryl Wilsner 💜 Hang the Moon - Alexandria Bellefleur 💜 Kiss Her Once for Me - Alison Cochrun 💜 The Brightsiders - Jen Wilde

🩷 Wild Beauty - Anna-Marie McLemore 🩷 The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - Victoria Schwab 🩷 Payback's a Witch - Lana Harper 🩷 A Dowry of Blood - S.T. Gibson 🩷 Six of Crows - Leigh Bardugo 🩷 Dark Rise - C.S. Pacat 🩷 If This Gets Out - Sophie Gonzales & Cale Dietrich 🩷 Let's Talk About Love - Claire Kann 🩷 Carry On - Rainbow Rowell

💙 Under the Whispering Door - T.J. Klune 💙 I Kissed Shara Wheeler - Casey McQuiston 💙 Pumpkinheads - Rainbow Rowell 💙 Icebreaker - A.L. Graziadei 💙 This Poison Heart - Kalynn Bayron 💙 A Lot Like Adiós - Alexis Daria 💙 Sorry, Bro - Taleen Voskuni 💙 We Are Okay - Nina LaCour 💙 Count Your Lucky Stars - Alexandria Bellefleur

💜 Hot Dog Girl - Jennifer Dugan 💜 Verona Comics - Jennifer Dugan 💜 They Hate Each Other - Amanda Woody 💜 The Disasters - M.K. England 💜 The Raven Boys - Maggie Stiefvater 💜 You Should See Me in a Crown - Leah Johnson 💜 These Witches Don't Burn - Isabel Sterling 💜 My Dearest Darkest - Kayla Cottingham 💜 City of Shattered Light - Claire Winn

🩷 The Unbroken - C.L. Clark 🩷 Dread Nation - Justina Ireland 🩷 House of Hollow - Krystal Sutherland 🩷 Love & Other Disasters - Anita Kelly 🩷 Ace of Shades - Amanda Foody 🩷 The Lost Girls - Sonia Hartl 🩷 Of Fire and Stars - Audrey Coulthurst 🩷 This Is Kind of an Epic Love Story - Kacen Callender 🩷 Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe - Benjamin Alire Sáenz

💙 If You Still Recognise Me - Cynthia So 💙 Melt With You - Jennifer Dugan 💙 The Charm Offensive - Alison Cochrun 💙 That Summer Feeling - Bridget Morrissey 💙 The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School - Sonora Reyes 💙 The Luis Ortega Survival Club - Sonora Reyes 💙 The Fiancée Farce - Alexandria Bellefleur 💙 Flip the Script - Lyla Lee 💙 Role Playing - Cathy Yardley

💜 I Think I Love You - Auriane Desombre 💜 Truly, Madly, Deeply - Alexandria Bellefleur 💜 Gearbreakers - Zoe Hana Mikuta 💜 Finally Fitz - Marisa Kanter 💜 The Spirit Bares Its Teeth - Andrew Joseph White 💜 Margo Zimmerman Gets the Girl - Brianna R. Shrum & Sara Waxelbaum 💜 Late Bloomer - Mazey Eddings 💜 A Darker Shade of Magic - Victoria Schwab 💜 Love at First Set - Jennifer Dugan

[minhypen]

Minyoung (ENHYPEN) Profile & Facts

Minyoung (민영) is a member of the Plus-One boy group ENHYPEN who debuted on November 30, 2020, under HYBE Entertainment.

Stage Name: Minyoung (민영) Birth Name: Park Min-Yeong (박민영) English Name: Madison Park Japanese Name: Arai Mizuki Position: Female Center, Sub-Leader, Main Dancer Birthday: December 23, 2003 Zodiac Sign: Capricorn Chinese Zodiac Sign: Sheep Height: 170 cm (5’6) Weight: N/A Blood Type: B MBTI Type: ESTJ (Her previous result was ESFJ) Nationality: Japanese Ethnicity: Korean Solo Fandom Name: Min-ions Representative Emoji: 🐰 Mic colour: Sparkly white

Minyoung Facts:

She was born in Osaka, but she studied in a Korean all-girls school rather than a Japanese one

She has two representative animals, cat because of her eyes and bunny because of her teeth. That's why she's sometimes called a 'cat-like bunny', but bunny is the more often used nickname

Minyoung's mom made her take English lessons, so she is somewhat fluent in English

She used to play for her school's badminton team and even won gold in some inter-school tournaments

She has the second shortest training period in her group, training for only 10 months excluding I-Land

Her nicknames/titles are Pradagirl because of their ambassadorship, Alive Barbie-doll because of her perfect visuals, Minnyang-ie because of her resemblance to a cat, given by her members and Maddy Hopps because of her resemblance to Judy Hopps from Zootopia, given by her fans

She is said to be someone born for the stage, because she seems her happiest when she's performing

She is very close with her sister, who came all the way to Seoul with her when she started her training (Minyoung's birthday live, 2021)

Being an ARMY since 2014, Minyoung picked BTS's RM as her biggest inspiration

She said she wants to learn how to play the drums and the guitar, if she ever has time

She used to be very popular in her school for being on the badminton team, so she always recieved chocolates from the girls in her grade on White Day

Minyoung's pet is a white ragdoll cat named Tsuki (I-Land ep. 12)

Her favorite color is white, but beige is a close second

She is known for her luck that always helps her at the right time. Her members gave her the name Golden Hands because she always picks the best option during a random draw

She has admitted that she's the worst at flirting among all the members

Sunghoon said that Minyoung likes to go out a lot and can easily make new friends, describing her as a perfect extrovert

She likes to read books in her free time and is a big fan of the Harry Potter series. She has a 3-foot bookshelf filled with novels and also has E-Book apps on her phone

Her childhood dream was to become like Tiana, who is her favorite Disney princess

She would like to try writing and composing songs for a change from her usual contribution of choreographing

Likes: sweets, Korean hot dogs, Disney, plushies, sports, the color white, Enhypen, Sunghoon (Self-Revised Profile)

Dislikes: coffee, carbonated drinks, bitter things, unorganized bed, bugs, needles, slimy things (Self-Revised Profile)

(Details as of December 2023)

Is Minyoung your Enhypen bias?

𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙤 𓈒 𓈒 𓈒 𝗛𝗢𝗠𝗘

© 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐇𝐘𝐏𝐄𝐍 　　(　　𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝗋𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍𝗌 𝗋𝖾𝗌𝖾𝗋𝗏𝖾𝖽　　) 𝗄𝗂𝗇𝖽𝗅𝗒 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗋𝗎𝗅𝖾𝗌 𝖻𝖾𝖿𝗈𝗋𝖾 𝗂𝗇𝗍𝖾𝗋𝖺𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀

[simatomica]

OC Questionnaire

Ty for the tag @midnightsquartz @sertrallne <3

Emilio Mercury

NICKNAME: Milio, Mercurio, Merc, Lobo

GENDER: Male

STAR SIGN: Scorpio

HEIGHT: 6'5

ORIENTATION: Straight

NATIONALITY/ETHNICITY: Puerto Rican

FAVORITE FRUIT: Mango, Coconut, Kiwi

FAVORITE SEASON: Summer

FAVORITE FLOWER: Flor de Maga

FAVORITE SCENT: Freshly brewed coffee

COFFEE, TEA, or HOT CHOCOLATE: Coffee, black

AVERAGE HOURS OF SLEEP: 8-10

DOGS or CATS: Dogs

DREAM TRIP: A month long trip in Alaska.

NUMBER OF BLANKETS: a single thin sheet

RANDOM FACT: Emilio hates peanut butter. He'll eat in a pb&j but there has to be a certain ratio of Jelly to PB.

I tag: @lilamausmaus @kuroashims @eslanes

[adelarsims]

OC QUESTIONNAIRE: IVO

thank you @simarcana for the tag :)

if any of you wanted to know ivo a little better, here's your chance.

hello, my dear. i believe we never met... i'm the spellweaver here at the Academia, and a substitute librarian for the time being, until they find someone else for the job. so... in which capacity i may be of help?

NAME: that would depend on who you see in front of you right now, me or the... oh. then just Ivo is more than enough, there is no need to stand on ceremony ~

NICKNAME: with such a simple name as mine, no one really called me anything else. if you don’t count common words of endearment, but i don't think that counts.

GENDER: ...hmm. that made me think. i’m used to think of myself as a man, but when i imagine being offered a different opinion, it doesn’t feel alien or make me uncomfortable either... there's always something yet to be discovered about ourselves, isn't it.

STAR SIGN: Pisces, but you might not find it very fitting anymore, now that i... oh, apologies, i got a little distracted for a moment.

HEIGHT: i never bothered measuring my own height exactly. probably about 185 barefoot, a little over 190 on heels... why, does height difference bother you? i assure you, 171-cm-on-heels worth of the Grand Sage in a bad mood can be much more intimidating. ah, you want me to get you this book from the upper shelf? in that case, my dear, how about i teach you a little beckoning spell, if you have some free time on your hands? it will come in handy when i’m not around to help. ~

ORIENTATION: there was a time when i preferred one gender over all others. now i prefer not to prefer either. that is just for the best for everyone. i’m truly sorry if you asked out of... personal interest, my dear.

NATIONALITY/ETHNICITY: i’m afraid even i don't have the answer. i was here for as long as i can recall, but my childhood memories are rather... hazy. it was definitely warmer than here though, that much i remember.

FAVORITE FRUIT: peach, the juicier the better. even imagining it in my hand, its fuzzy skin still warm from the sun, juice streaming down my fingers and palm and staining my sleeve... ah, it almost makes me feel the taste in my mouth.

FAVORITE SEASON: summer. cold and damp weather can be very hard to endure, it takes a huge toll on my mind and body alike.

FAVORITE FLOWER: a whole field of forget-me-nots. and the apple tree blossoming in the warmest month of spring. it’s not something you could pluck for your amusement and put in a vase... you can only appreciate it and step away, carrying this moment of peace in your heart.

FAVORITE SCENT: oh, you know these thick, spicy scents that are an essential part of every tiny store that sells all kinds of fake occult knick-knacks impressionable young humans are so obsessed with? yeah, this scent. it’s just... so nostalgic for some reason.

COFFEE, TEA, or HOT CHOCOLATE: i much prefer pomegranate wine, my dear, but alas, now that i’m not allowed to drink alcohol anymore... it would be linden and melissa herbal tea. aside from its mild taste and soothing qualities, another great thing about it is that it never becomes tart even if you forget about it for a long time... however, i would also never say no to a cup of hot chocolate in a pleasant company ~

AVERAGE HOURS OF SLEEP: more than nine, preferably. sadly, i’m rarely given that luxury. everyone always needs something here, and you can't really say no when it's the Grand Sage who's asking, now can you?

DOGS or CATS: neither, my... guest doesn’t like animals. or, rather, they do not like to be in my presence anymore. why are you looking at me like that? i thought professor Ember warned you about... i see. apologies for confusing you then. at any rate, if i have to choose, then cats. a cat sleeps for twenty hours a day and wouldn't give me any trouble, while having a dog demands too much physical activity for my taste.

DREAM TRIP: anywhere warm, my dear. (...where i really want to go is to go back in time and make a different decision, one i won’t be regretting for the rest of my days, but...) oh, i look sad? these cold stones just aren’t good for my morale. winter this year was awfully long.

NUMBER OF BLANKETS: indefinite. nothing better for the night than making a warm cozy nest out of thick fluffy blankets. the flip side is that the warmer and cozier your blanket nest is, the more heartbreaking it is to leave it in the morning.

RANDOM FACT: there’s a belief among academia students that if you jump across the hall all the way to the statue of the First Sage on just one leg the day before the exam, and throw the note with your request, and the note stays in the statue’s hands, you will get an A+ without trying. no, no, not lazy, most of them prepare for exams anyway... it’s more of a tradition now. sometimes they write completely unrelated things. poems, love confessions to each other... someone even begged the statue to make professor Ember have a crush on them, poor soul. at least three poor souls a year, to be precise. how do i know all that? well... whose responsibility it is to retrieve all these notes from the statue, you think?

--

tagging @kisica-plays, @pralinesims for OC you didn't answer this for, @agena87, @adoringsentiment, @kri-babe, @puppycheesecake and anyone who sees this and suddenly wants to hop on that train

[dirtylowdown2]

Dee Clark - Raindrops

Dee Clark (November 7, 1938 – December 7, 1990)

'Though largely unknown among contemporary audiences, Dee Clark was one of the most successful R&B singers of the late '50s and early '60s, his resonant, expressive tenor gracing classics like "Raindrops" and "(Hey) Little Girl." Delecta Clark was born in Blytheville, Arkansas on November 7, 1938; from the age of three, he grew up on Chicago's West Side, in 1952 joining with schoolmates Sammy McGrier and Ronnie Strong in the Hambone Kids. A fad that required performers to slap their thighs, chests, and other parts of the body in emulation of what's now known as a Bo Diddley beat, the Hambone Kids were popular long enough for the teenage trio to collaborate with Red Saunders & His Orchestra for a single, also titled "Hambone," issued on Okeh in 1952. The record was a minor hit, but in 1953 Clark moved on, assuming lead duties with the Chicago vocal group the Goldentones -- when local DJ Herb "The Kool Gent" Kent took over their management, he rechristened his charges the Kool Gents, landing them a recording deal with Chicago's Vee-Jay label. The group issued its debut single "This Is the Night" in early 1956, followed that summer by "I Just Can't Help Myself." (As the Delegates, they also released "The Convention," a novelty record inspired by that year's presidential election.) 

After one final Vee-Jay session yielding 1957's "Mother's Son," the label's general manager Ewart Abner convinced Clark to go solo -- his debut "Gloria" was, in fact, a Kool Gents recording, although only Clark's name appeared on the label. He struggled to forge his own style, mimicking Clyde McPhatter on the follow-up "Seven Nights" and aping Little Richard on 1958's "Oh, Little Girl." Neither charted, but when Little Richard himself abruptly quit performing to enter Bible college, his booking agent hired Clark to fulfill his remaining live dates; he ultimately spent five months on the road with Richard's backing band the Upsetters, also enlisting the group for studio dates. Clark officially came into his own with late 1958's "Nobody But You" -- a luminous, uptempo love song ideally matched to his deeply affecting vocals, the single reached number 21 on the pop charts and number three on the R&B charts, creating the template for the remainder of his Vee-Jay output. Its 1959 follow-up "Just Keep It Up (And See What Happens)" was an even bigger pop hit, reaching the number 18 spot (although going only as high as number nine on the R&B rankings), and with the Bo Diddley-inspired rocker "(Hey) Little Girl" Clark solidified his popularity, reaching number 20 pop and number two R&B during a 15-week run on the charts. 

In 1960 Clark notched three more consecutive pop chart entries: the Top 40 hit "How About That," "(Crazy Little Mama) At My Back Door," and "You're Looking Good." The streak continued in 1961 with "Your Friends," which reached number 34 on the national pop charts and proved an even bigger hit in his hometown Chicago market. Inspired by the inclement weather that plagued a road trip back from New York City, the follow-up "Raindrops" was both Clark's biggest hit and his creative apex -- a vividly cinematic virtuoso performance that reached number two on the Billboard pop chart, its sophisticated sound anticipated the R&B genre's coming evolution into soul. But Clark never again recaptured its success either in the studio or on the charts: none of his next three singles -- "Don't Walk Away from Me," 1962's "You Are Like the Wind," and "Dance On, Little Girl" -- even charted. "I'm Going Back to School" was a renaissance of sorts, cracking the R&B Top 20, but in 1963 Clark again stumbled, and after three successive singles ("I'm a Soldier Boy," "How Is He Treating You?" and "Walking My Dog") failing to chart, he left Vee-Jay, signing with Ewart Abner's new label Constellation for the dance record "Crossfire Time," which squeaked onto the Billboard Hot 100 at number 92 -- his final U.S. chart appearance. 

Clark's Constellation tenure is a study in frustration -- between 1964 and 1966, he released eight singles for the label, none of which charted. Although 1975's Chelsea label release "Ride a Wild Horse" enjoyed chart success in the U.K., the single was Clark's last -- he continued touring relentlessly during the decade-plus to follow, the grind no doubt contributing greatly to the massive heart attack that ended his life on December 7, 1990 at the age of only 52.' ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music

[fallinforerling]

FROM HATE TO... WHAT? - jb

ೃ⁀➷ jude’s masterlist

ೃ⁀➷ masterlist

ೃ⁀➷ jude’s taglist

     * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ * 。° 。 •˚.・。.・゜✭・.⋆·˚ ༘ .・。.・゜✭・..・。.・*ੈ✩‧₊˚

You loved your job. You were extremely grateful for every aspect of your life at the moment; except for one tiny detail…

“Come on! Can you move faster?” That irritating voice shouted again, getting on your nerves. “This is all your fault.” 

“How is it my fault that your lazy ass couldn’t get out of bed on time? I set three alarms!” You shouted back, trying your best to walk as fast as possible with an extra bag on the heavier side on your shoulder. “And, for the record, this isn’t my responsibility.” 

Jude only gave you a nasty look in response, ignoring that him being late for the photoshoot was entirely his fault and not yours. Seems like no matter how many months passed, he still believed you were his personal assistant, instead of just one of the many managers for the national team.

“Stop!” You said when the door to the studio was visible. “Late and bad at dressing yourself. Don’t you know how to take proper care of yourself?” He’s a momma's boy, you knew that. He was so spoiled that it made sense why he was so rotten.

“Can you stop criticizing? It’s enough torture to hear your voice this close.” 

That was a good one, and the urge to reply with something even hurtful was there, but if you did, you’ll get fired. Of course, the golden boy of the team couldn’t live with being “bullied” by staff members. 

So you stayed silent, fixing his tie and shirt the best you could. While trying to get some of the few wrinkles away from the fabric, you thought that it was a shame... Such a hot guy, but so insufferable. Instant turn-off. 

“Well, this is the best I can do… Get out of my sight.” You said with a calmer tone, expecting him to behave now that other people could hear him bark at you like the dog he was. 

“It would be a pleasure to stop seeing your face for a few hours.” He whispered after a few seconds, giving you a nasty look that did no help to your murdering instincts. 

“Cunt…” You whispered once he was out of earshot.

˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ ❀ 

“Hey, darling!” For once, you faced a nice person. It’s been a few hours since the photoshoot, and since you were one of the main managers, your job was to attend the players with anything they could possibly want. You knew Jude would take advantage of this, so you sneaked out of the zone he was sitting at. 

“Mason.” You greeted back, not wanting to hide the smile he puts on your lips every time he was around. Unlike someone else, Mason was sweet and educated when asking for something, so it was always a pleasure to work with him. “It’s been a while since we chatted.” “Yeah! I was wondering when I could catch you without Jude around…” He sat beside you, waving his eyebrows with a smirk on his face. “He’s… very protective of you.”

“What?” His words were more than confusing. “You meant tyrannic?”

“No, not at all. It’s just that he doesn’t like it when the rest of us get too close to his precious manager.” He gave you another smile, seeming happy with your terrorized expression. “But that’s not the thing I wanted to talk about with you.” Mason fixed his posture, looking unbothered by other players being close to the both of you. “Do you know about the charity event next week?” 

“Yeah! Must be fun to be able to attend that type of thing.” You didn’t know where this whole conversation was going, but you liked it. “Why you ask?” 

“Well, I was thinking that maybe we could go together. You know, a little casual thing.” That took you by surprise. Mason Mount asking you on a date… And not any date, but a charity event type of date?

“Well…” You stuttered, not knowing what to say. 

“What are you doing? Let’s go, my family is waiting for me at the hotel.” Of course…

“Can’t you see I’m having a conversation with Mason? Don’t be a rude prick, Jude.” You said under your breath, embarrassed that Mason heard everything. 

“It’s okay, darling. Mate, we’re kinda talking about something important. Two minutes?” Jude’s eyes wandered between the two of you, arching one eyebrow. 

“Sure…” He said after a few seconds, looking at you with the type of eyes he used when he wanted to go somewhere else asap. “I’ll get my bag while you guys finish.”

“So? What do you say?” Mason’s smile never wandered while he saw Jude walking away. 

You studied his face for a moment before smiling back. Fuck it.

“Give me your phone.” And then he knew he was getting not only a date but your number as well.

˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ ❀

The ride to the hotel was extremely tense and you couldn’t wrap your finger around what happened. It’s not like you two weren’t used to fighting half the time (if not more) you were together. 

You could feel him sending glares at your profile, making you wonder if he was about to say something or not. With a sigh, you decided to give in. 

“What is it?” The question seemed to take him aback, because you could feel him moving around the passenger’s seat. 

“What is what?” He asked back, not letting his rude tone leave his voice. 

“You know I’m not getting paid enough for all of this, right? You’re obviously uncomfortable about something, and for the sake of my mental health, you better take it off your chest.” 

“Why do you care?” Was the only thing he said for a while before huffing. “What were you and Mason talking about?” 

Oh?

“That’s what’s been bothering you this entire time?” You laughed. “I knew you were nosy, but damn.” He didn’t reply, so you kept talking. “And, for your information, that’s none of your business.” It felt good to use his own words as a weapon. 

“Whatever...” Ah, how nice. It was always a win when you got the last word.

˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ ❀

The Bellingham’s were the nicest people ever... Except for Jude, but that didn’t matter. 

His parents were always sweet and caring towards “the person who took the most care of their son while they were away” (their words, not yours); his brother was shy, but you had seen him around his family and some friends a few times, he seemed like the perfect version of Jude. Not rude, which was your dream come true. 

“Are you staying for lunch, dear?” Jude’s mom, Denise, asked when you were about to say your goodbyes. 

“Oh, I...” 

“Yeah! You need to, I’m sure you haven’t eaten all day.” His father said, smiling while Jude, who was behind him, looked at you with dead eyes. “Our treat.”

“Well, if you insist.” The smile you gave them was sincere, but you knew it was mostly provoked by the expression of pure pain on Jude’s face. 

In a few minutes, the whole group (including you) were entering the hotel’s restaurant, which was one of the fanciest in London, so it didn’t surprise you to feel underdressed the moment you entered the room. But you kept going, even daring to sit between Jude and Jobe, just to make the last of your petty moves. 

“So! Jude told me there was this huge charity event next week. Are you going, dear?” Denise asked after the waiter was gone. 

“Well-” 

“Oh no, mom. I doubt it, it’s mostly for the players and their dates.” He smiled with pure bliss for the first time in two hours. Pointing you with his thumb, he almost let out a laugh. “And I doubt her, out of all managers, is getting a date.”

“Excuse me?” You said immediately, wanting to punch him. 

“Jude Bellingham!” Denise scolded him at the same time, looking mortified. “Who taught you to be this rude? I’m sorry, darling. He doesn’t mean it like that...”

Before losing the battle against him, you decided to use a better option. 

“It’s okay, Mrs. Bellingham. Actually, I do have a date for the charity event.” You smiled with ease, not looking at Jude. 

“What?!” His voice came louder than expected, bringing the attention of some people a few tables away. “What do you mean you have a date? That’s not possible.”

“Not possible?” Oh, now you were offended. “For your information, Mason is my date. He asked me earlier.” 

“He did what?” And now he dared to act offended? This man was unbelievable. “What did he say to you?”

“He just asked me!” Before letting him carry on with the fight, you realized his family was still there on the table. “And this is not the time to interrogate me, Jude.”

“Let’s go outside, then.” He simply said, standing. 

“What? No!” 

“Walk.” And he headed to the door. 

“I’m... so sorry. I’ll talk to him.” The Bellingham’s were shocked, because they only gave you a nod. You stood, fuming. 

Jude was outside the restaurant, looking like he was about to murder someone. Probably you. 

“What’s wrong with you? You did a scene back there! How embarrassing.” Was the first thing you said. 

“No, what’s wrong with you?” He asked instead, getting too close for your liking. “How come you accepted a date from Mason? Are you crazy?” 

“I’m sorry, did you knock your fucking head on a wall this morning? I don’t owe you any explanations, Bellingham. And why are you acting like I need your permission?” This whole thing was just ridiculous. 

“You’re not going. And not with him, that’s for sure.”

You paused, raising your eyebrows as high as physically possible. 

“Are you trying to forbid me from going to the event with Mason?” You asked with a calmer tone, breathing as deep as possible so you didn’t kill him right on the spot. 

“Yeah, so?” 

“Oh, fuck you!” That was the last straw. “Get a life and stay away from mine, are we clear? Say sorry to your parents on my behalf, I’m leaving.” And those were the last words you said before turning, walking as fast as you could. 

Needless to say that you ignored his calls. 

        * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ * 。° 。 •˚.・。.・゜✭・.⋆·˚ ༘ .・。.・゜✭・..・。.・*ੈ✩‧₊˚

You didn’t know how, but after that absurd fight with Jude at the hotel (God, you cringed by the thought of his parents being present during it), you managed to avoid him and any activity that involved him. The only good thing that came out of the whole mess was your new found friendship with Mason. 

You texted non-stop and were excited about the whole planning of the “date”; turns out he just wanted to go with you, but not in a romantic type of way, and you were grateful. You weren’t ready for the dating world just yet. 

Now it was almost time to leave for the event. You were excited, yes... But a bit mortified by the fact that Jude was definitely there as well. The douchebag. 

✉️ Mason: Get ready because there’s a limusine about to be at your door.

The text took you aback, smiling for how extra he was behaving. 

✉️ Are you crazy? 

✉️ Mason: Of course I am. Go hard or go home, baby!

˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ ❀

When you took the first step out of the car, you knew all the pep-talk Mase gave you on the way was useless. Nothing prepared you for the amount of flashes, people and celebrities you encountered in the short amount of time that took the two of you to get to the main entrance. 

“Fucking hell...” You said when not many people were around. You knew most of the footballers there, if not personally, by reputation. The amount of famous faces was crazy, and you almost passed out when Erling Haaland walked near you. 

“I always enjoy seeing people losing their event-virginity.”

“Iugh, Mase... That sounded kinda wrong.” 

“Did it?” You gave him a look. 

“Yeah?” You laughed. “Wait, I’ll go to the bathroom really quick.” You needed to make sure your nerves weren’t making you sweat on ridiculous amounts. 

“I’ll be at our table.” 

You nodded, walking past a few tables, being able to find the bathrooms quickly. Thank God, because you knew you wouldn’t be able to survive if they were in a side hallway or something like that. When you were two meters from the door, a hand grabbed your wrist without force, but it scared you anyway. 

“What the-” You almost choked on your tongue. Jude. 

“Was difficult enough to catch you alone.” 

“Creepy way to say hello, but okay.” You couldn’t help the sass. seeing how unbothered he seemed by it. 

“Can we talk?” The question alone was a surprise, but the tone of his voice was the oddest part: it was soft. 

“Okay?” You accepted, feeling extremely curious about what he could want. He was acting like a normal human being for once. 

You walked past the bathrooms in silence. Few people were around the zone you were entering, and after a few steps, both of you encountered tall glass doors that led to balconies. 

“Okay, this is private enough.” Jude said, letting your wrist go. You didn’t even notice he was still holding it. 

“Why do you need so much privacy? If this is about my date with Mason...” 

“Yeah, it’s exactly about that.” He looked tired, not even confrontational. What was wrong with him? “Why did you come with him? I don’t get it.” 

“What do you mean? He asked me and I didn’t see a problem. Besides, he’s my friend.” It didn’t make sense, why were you explaining yourself to him?

“If you only waited for me to...” He grew frustrated by the second. “It’s not fair.” 

“What’s going on with you, Jude? Waiting for you?” He stayed quiet, looking at you in a way that you’d never seen before. It made you nervous. “Are you going to explain yourself?” You touched his arm, trying to get a reaction out of him. 

It happened fast; one second, you were touching his arm and the next thing you know, he’s kissing you. It took you by surprise, so you stayed paralyzed for a few seconds, not knowing why you weren’t pushing him away from you. Then his lips started to move, and suddenly you didn’t know why you could ever push him away. The kiss was sweet but fast, making you feel dizzy and warm. 

Oh my god...

When he broke the kiss, the two of you were gasping for air, looking at each other with similar expressions of surprise. Seems like he couldn’t believe what just happened. 

“What the fuck was that?” You asked, still holding his shoulders with such force, your fingers started to hurt. “Jude?” 

“Don’t pretend like this hasn’t been coming for a long time.” It was the first time he smiled at you with nothing more than... happiness? “Fucking hell...” 

And then he kissed you again. And you let him, because as always, you couldn’t deny him anything.  

[blazehedgehog]

It's interesting that you've run into more Sonic '06 defenders as of late, because I think I've noticed the same thing. I've been thinking about why that is for a hot minute, and I wonder if it has to do with just how awful the video game industry is at the moment.

Games come out polished sometimes nowadays, but normally they're catastrophically broken on release and take months of post-launch patches to become somewhat playable, if they get those patches at all. Perhaps younger fans of the Sonic series, having grown up in this environment, go back to play Sonic 06', see all of its bugs and bad game design decisions, and think "Wait, that's it? That's not even the worst game I've played this week."

That is, it's less that Sonic '06 is suddenly good now, it absolutely is not, but more that the bar has sunken so deep into hell that even a blatantly broken game like Sonic '06 doesn't look particularly bad in comparison to what comes out now, so they miss the context of why it was so controversial on release.

This is an old ask that got buried, but I think it's still relevant, and to me it's just...

Liking something ironically is the path to liking it unironically. Maybe that means you're being honest with yourself, or maybe it's just familiarity. That happens with music -- so much so that there's an article from the National Library of Medicine about it. The more familiar you are with music, even if it's a song you hate, the more you eventually begin to enjoy it. It's a scientific fact.

And Sonic 06 became something of a rite of passage. Everyone knows about it, either because they've played it for themselves or they've watched someone else play some (or all) of it. Everyone has their favorite moments. Whether it's

The Winder of a Shoemaker typo (it should be "Wonder")

The inevitable realization you have to save manually after getting your first game over in Wave Ocean

Having to reload the entire world every time the state of anything changes

Sonic's boss fight with Silver, and "It's no use!"

Followers reappearing in the town stages only to instantly fall over dead.

Meeting Sonic Man

Meeting the Soleanna Boys

Meeting Pele the Dog

Sonic flicking the card at Knuckles who fumbles the catch

Riding the metal crate into space

Seeing Eggman's Real Human Eyes behind his sunglasses

Eggman's keyboard mashing "typing" animation

Realizing Sonic's head is 3/4ths the size of Princess Else's entire body

The constant back and forth of rescuing Elise only to have her get kidnapped again only to rescue her again only to have her get kidnapped again

The Windows XP background FMV

Elise's attempted suicide

Luppy Luppy

Which one is the Captain?

That tornado is carrying a car!

Elise's Train is... Uh oh, gotta speed up!

Don't be late.

Long time no see.

Amy and Elise's girltalk moment

The Test of Love

Anna, the Lady in Waiting

Eggman comically going "bonk" off the shrapnel after beating the last boss of Sonic's story

The Iblis Trigger™

The Scepter of Darkness vs. The Book of Darkness

Shadow the Hedgehog using Chaos Control to roundhouse kick Silver in the back of the head

Showing a crucified Shadow the Hedgehog in the future

The "Head to Wave Ocean" line flub still existing in the game

Mephiles is literally Shadow's shadow

THEN I'LL FIGHT... LIKE I ALWAYS HAVE

Having the ability to time travel to literally any point in history and never just going back to before Eggman arrived

The blue chaos emerald paradox loop

Watching someone's soul leave their body when they have to do Silver's billiard ball puzzle

Using the cyan gem to turn collision detection into a suggestion

Using the purple gem to go out of bounds

Spamming Omega's hover to fly anywhere

The death and return of Sonic the Hedgehog

etc. etc. etc.

I'll say it again and again and again, but it's the Rocky Horror Picture Show effect. When that movie came out, it was not beloved by the mainstream! But it became notorious as a midnight movie where the rowdy graveyard shift audience would heckle the picture, transforming it into something that was fun to watch (and participate in).

And the more they watched it, the more they heckled it, the more people realized that maybe they actually love the movie. And now it's this big, important cultural touchstone.

That's Sonic 06. Let's do the time warp again.