#she's so honest in interviews it's truly wild

[foreingersgod]

need need need something about Caitlin being obsessed with her girlfriend and talking about her non stop in interviews, insta ect

Obsessed . CC

pairing: caitlin clark x reader

synopsis: caitlin always finds a way to talk about you

A/N: NOT PROOF READ

༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶

1. interviews

it was the end of an amazing game, not just for iowa, but especially for caitlin. she hadn’t played a game that well in her entire career, scoring more than her average and making shots from deeper than ever before. she had everyone on their feet the entire night cheering for her as she completely annihilated the other team.

you were there to watch her, as you were every other game. watching caitlin play had to be one of your favorite, most rewarding things to watch as a girlfriend. she’s worked for hard for long and she was finally getting the recognition she deserves.

after the post-game excitement had worn off, the team prepared for the following interviews. typically, you didn’t stick around for them, opting to head home and wait for caitlin so you could congratulate her in your own special way. but with such an amazing game for caitlin, you decided to stick around and watch.

it was like she was a natural, surrounded by all the microphones and flashing cameras. she looked proud and confident, ready for any and all questions. they asked her the usual questions and she answered assertively. but one particular question caught your attention.

“the effort you’ve put into basketball has been apparent throughout your career, but your fans want to know more. who do you credit for keeping you so motivated and successful off the court?”

she bit back a smile, lip tugged between her teeth as she listened to the interviewer. caitlin looked out into the sea of people, eyes finding yours somewhere in the back before answering.

“yea, no there’s a lot of people i could think of that have been absolutely incredible,” she said “you know obviously my parents and bothers, my teammates and friends. they’ve all been really supportive of me. but i do also want to credit my girlfriend, YN. i mean she’s been there for me day after day, she’s really the reason i’m able to keep going and i definitely wouldn’t be where i’m at now if it weren’t for her. so yea, i have a truly amazing support group behind me, it’s wild.”

you couldn’t help but blush hearing her mention your name up there. she was so sweet and so modest when it came to things like this and she always made sure you knew how much she really needed you.

after the interview, she came up to you, sweaty and exhausted. a big goofy grin still glued to her face as she gravitated into you.

“i love you so much” she said to you “i meant what i said in there, i really don’t know what i’d do without you”

you pulled her into you tighter, so close you could feel her pulse as your lips met the back of her ear.

“i love you more”

2. social media

caitlin posted you on a regular basis at this point (and you posted her just as much). she was so whipped, always posting photos of you to her instagram to show you off.

caitlinclark22

♡ liked by its.yn, katemartin03, and 799,403 others

caitlinclark22 obsessed with you @its.yn

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its.yn baby :’)

⤷ caitlinclark22 it’s true <3

gabbie.marshall my moms actually

ur.sister the cutest couple everrrr

user7838 brb crying right now

caitandynfan PARENTS

katemartin03 this is making me tear up i’ll be honest

⤷ its.yn stawppp

caitlinclark22

♡ liked by its.yn, caitlinfan180, and 876,221 more

caitlinclark22 i’m in love with you in every universe, happy anniversary @its.yn

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its.yn i’m actually so in love with you it’s insane

bueckersgirl52 this is the cutest thing i’ve ever seen

jadagyamfi soulmates fr

ynsbiggestfan i love them guys omg

3. around your friends

she honestly didn’t even know she did it because if she did, it would be way worse. the amount of times you got brought up in conversation was starting to get a bit ridiculous. yours and caitlin’s friends love the both of you, thought you were perfect for each other, but if they had to hear ‘YN said’ or ‘you know what happened with YN the other day?’ one. more. time. they were gonna lose it.

caitlin just loved talking about you. she spent every waking moment with you anyways so it was especially hard to not bring up in some sort of way. she really couldn’t care if her friends got sick of it or not.

“hey caitlin” kate asked as the team sat around the living room of your apartment. caitlin had invited the girls over to chill for the night, catch up without the weight of basketball hanging over their shoulders “i had meant to ask how that new restaurant downtown was?”

“oh man it was awesome” she responded “if you get the chance, definitely go. the food was incredible, you know me and YN actually wen-”

“caitlin i love you, but i swear to god please spare us from whatever mushy gushy relationship stuff you’re about to tell us” hannah chimed in from the seat next to caitlin. the girls laughed, glad she spoke up before caitlin began rambling about you again.

“whatever, you guys are just jealous” she rolled her eyes, playfully shoving hannah’s shoulder.

she didn’t mind how the team grew tired of her rambling, she probably would be too if she were them. but you were the soul thing that occupied her mind and she wouldn’t give that up for anything.

[delopsia]

are we allowed to send in whore-flavored prompts? 👀 if not please ignore thiiis ✨💐💃🏽💐✨

what exactly drew these three to one another physically? especially reader, since rhett and robby look alike buuut at the same time they don’t? lmao do the trio have any particular turn-ons of their own that the others learn or find out about? are they surprised or endeared? do they exploit these turn-ons any chance they get? are they particularly skilled at any one thing that blows the others’ minds when they first start having sex? what about favorite positions? do rhett or robby have a smidgen of preference for topping or bottoming for either reader or each other? does robby have a thing about watching reader

lay rhett all the way down? does robby ever get laid down? would reader ever admit who gives better head? omg would rhett or robby admit who gives better head? do they have fantasies that they’re too shy to share with one another?

and we know rhett’s sensitive, thick as all get-out, and drips like a honeycomb in july, while robby’s a “show-er” who needs a little bit to get goin’... i just lost my train of thought... 😭

are they ever into quickies / just hands and mouths or do they prefer long sessions that last multiple rounds? do they ever have sex two at a time or do they prefer to have or “need” all three present? was video chat sex ever a thing that they tried when they first realized they were attracted to / wanted to be physically intimate as a trio? *whispers* even though rhett lived with his family in a ranch house that you could probably definitely hear every-fucking-thing in... who’s most likely to drop something saucy in the group chat? or even initiate sex even as a whole? do they ever role play? who’s the biggest tease out of them all? i would have said rhett before, but as the story and lore goes on, i really feel like all three have their moments—but you tell me as the mastermind behind it all🌷 i’m gonna be honest i’m low-key running out of ways to ask for sexy-slutty-whoretown, usa headcanons for these three... so, if you feel so inclined, just throw everything you’ve got at the fictional wall (i know it’ll stick) 💖

If I ever turn down whore-flavored prompts, then something is seriously wrong 💃these are all so much fun, omg. I answered this in a more...interview (?) style because I have a lot of thoughts, and it will get chaotic very fast if I don't split them up.

The way in which I've added these asks to my masterlist, so that I can use them as a reference when I write this trio...💃💃🏻💃🏼💃🏽💃🏾💃🏿

What drew them to one another physically?

Rhett's general scruffy appearance really truly drew both Reader and Robby in. Scars, calloused hands, unshaven jaw, unkempt hair, and yet somehow so damn clean? Like his hair is always a mess, but you'll never catch him with it greasy. Cleans under his nails and never lets his facial hair get too wild; Cecilia may not be an award-winning mom, but she raised her boys with standards.

Bobby, on the other hand, drew the reader in with his big, clumsy, gentle-giant aura and a sweet, endearing smile that was handcrafted by the angels above. He'll trip over his own feet when the Reader smiles at him and apologize to the snail he nearly landed on.

Rhett was simply drawn in by Bob's voice. He's heard a lot of voices, but there's something so soothing about how Bob's tone and how he slips in and out of a Southern accent when he's stressed or tired.

Both Rhett and Bobby were immediately attracted to the Reader's eyes. It's hard for either of them to describe, but Bobby often says the Reader hides entire galaxies within their eyes. But aside from that, Rhett loves their hands. How soft they are, and how perfectly they fit in his. Bobby's more in love with their nose; something about the shape of it has him wanting to press little kisses to it.

Do the trio have any particular turn-ons of their own that the others find out about? Are they surprised or endeared? Do they exploit these turn-ons any chance they get?

They learn pretty quickly that Rhett loves being called cowboy, sweet/good boy. Reader and Robby have to be careful with using the term because he's not above jumping their bones in public...they learned the hard way.

Bobby is so into having things whispered into his ear. Reader can be whispering the entire F18 manual into his ear, and he'll be getting hot and bothered. Because it's their voice and little breaths are tickling his ear and all the way down his spine...and maybe that's why they're always whispering something to him...

For the reader, something about Rhett and/or Robby touching their knee really just...does it for them. Bob is shameless about exploiting that, too, because it's such an innocent thing that nobody realizes what he's on about.

Are they particularly skilled at any one thing that blows the others’ minds when they first start having sex?

Bobby is so good at being dominant in bed? He's known exactly how hard he can push them from the start, and it's such a shocking change coming from him. And who would have ever thought that Rhett could deep throat without breaking a damn sweat...and who could have anticipated that the reader was serious about pegging both of them...

What about favorite positions? Do Rhett or Robby have a smidgen of preference for topping or bottoming?

When giving, Bobby loves having legs around him in some way or fashion. Squeezing around his hips, over his shoulders, he loves feeling them start to quiver and react to what he's doing. Receiving, though, he's more of a missionary person; it's intimate and lets him be as clingy as he wants to be. He's got a preference for topping, for the most part.

Rhett's very fond of bending someone over something (Ex. the kitchen table, the couch, the hood of his truck, the damn staircase). He's also very fond of it receiving-wise. But his favorite receiving position is the simple face down, ass up, with a hand between his shoulder blades, pinning him down. Something that really puts him at their mercy. Rhett's truly 50/50 preference-wise, but a lot of days, he's stressed from work and would really love it if someone took control and fucked the stress out of him... *cough* where was I?

The Reader is more of a riding kind of fella. There is nothing more lovely than watching those two fall apart, and both Rhett and Robby are absolutely strong enough to meet the Reader in the middle if their thighs start hurting. I shall leave it up to the reader if they prefer topping or bottoming...

Does Robby have a thing about watching the reader lay Rhett all the way down? Does Robby ever get laid down?

Robby absolutely has a thing for watching Rhett getting laid down 😩 there's just something about watching that cowboy get taken apart just GETS HIM. Whether it be him fucking Rhett into the mattress or laying back and watching the Reader bend Rhett over, he loves it.

But Robby's a little...hesitant? To get laid down by one of them? Not because he doesn't like it, he loves it, but it's so intimate that he gets a little stuck(?) in this soft, clingy headspace that can take him a good day or two to come out of. So it usually only happens when they've got a couple of days with no work or plans made.

Would they ever admit who gives better head?

They're all more or less better suited to certain styles and pacings. Rhett's the perfect pick if you want to go for multiple, very quick rounds because his mouth. Does. Not. Get. Tired. Deep throating? He's your guy.

Bobby's the slower pace. He'll work you up bit by bit, really makes you anticipate it. Who would have thought Bob was good at tongue-fucking...

The Reader is more dynamic. Rhett and Bobby are sort of stuck in their patterns, but the reader fits the mood so damn well. Rushing off for a quickie? A lazy morning with nowhere to be? They adapt to every situation.

But there is a (loving) inside joke that Bobby's terrible at sucking dick because the first time he sucked Rhett off, he gagged and nearly bit him...oops 💃

Do they have fantasies that they’re too shy to share with one another?

Bob had a dream once that he fucked Rhett up against a wall while he (Rhett) was wearing nothing but a short red skirt, and he...has been thinking about that for a long damn time. Reader has had this fantasy card game hidden under the bed for months and isn't sure how to bring it up.

Meanwhile, Rhett can hardly keep his mouth shut when he comes up with a new fantasy.

Are they into quickies / just hands and mouths, or do they prefer long sessions that last multiple rounds?

Quickies are usually the norm around this house. With three of them, there's almost always something going on, so there's a general love for the longer sessions since they tend to be few and far between.

Poor Bobby gets so stressed during quickies because he keeps looking at the clock to make sure they aren't late getting back to where they need to be.

Do they ever have sex two at a time, or do they prefer to have or “need” all three present?

Sex two at a time is pretty common, especially considering Robby can be gone for weeks at a time. It's certainly more fun with all three present, but sometimes someone is just too tired, or they're stuck off at work. Robby being off to war on a deployment can sometimes be fun in the bedroom because Rhett and Reader love to plan entire welcome home nights for Bobby with new and different things.

"Are we sure this strap isn't too big?"

"Well, try and fuck me with it, and we'll find out."

Bobby has yet to find out about the time a weary attempt at wax play led to the sheets being burnt...and that secret will be taken to the grave.

Was video chat sex ever a thing that they tried when they first realized they were attracted to / wanted to be physically intimate as a trio?

Video chat sex was definitely something that was tried, but it could be a little chaotic with schedules and general life stuff. Rhett was very well known for sneaking off into his truck and parking down in the pasture, where nobody would find him. He's just as traumatized from Cecelia walking in without knocking, as she is.

Bobby had to get very crafty with it when he was on deployments, and a lot of the time, he couldn't talk without risking being overheard. So he was stuck listening to Rhett and Reader whispering dirty things to him and couldn't say a damn thing in return. And boy, did they take advantage of that.

Who’s most likely to drop something saucy in the group chat? Or even initiate sex even as a whole?

Rhett. Always Rhett. The man isn't good with tech, but he's a damn menace behind a screen. Rhett once sent an innocent photo from where he was sitting in his truck, and Bob jokingly asked if he was hard or if it was just his jeans sitting strangely. And when Rhett straight up said he was hard, Bob, not thinking, went right to the ol, "prove it." text.

And that's the story of the time Bobby got a surprise video of Rhett's dick while he was sitting at a Wendy's with the rest of the Dagger squad.

"You could have warned me!"

"YOU ASKED!"

They're all equally likely to initiate sex/sexting over the phone, but they have different styles. The reader is subtle, usually using photos or compliments to get the ball rolling. Bobby tends to send offhanded thoughts, like, "All I can think about right now is how you looked in those shorts the other day," and Rhett's just...bad jokes.

Rhett: How is life like a penis? Bob: ...How? Rhett: It sometimes gets hard when you least expect it. Reader: Is this your way of asking for sex again? Rhett: 👍

Do they ever role-play?

They've...tried. A lot.

From cliche doctor roleplays to going out to a bar and pretending to be strangers, they've tried. But someone always winds up laughing and breaking character...usually Robby 😭the poor guy tries so hard to get into it, but the moment things get serious, he's struggling not to crack at the seams, and the other two fall apart right along with him.

Who’s the biggest tease out of them all?

Bobby. You wouldn't think it, but he's figured out all the ins and outs of Rhett and Reader, and he has some damn good willpower. He knows exactly what he's doing, and when he gets called out on it, he bats those big blue eyes and innocently asks what they mean. And nobody can argue? Because he plays it? So well?

Do not let that goody-two-shoes attitude fool you; Bob's a damn menace.

[undercityrezident]

My Thoughts on TotK's Lack of DLC

So, according to a dev interview, there’s no DLC coming out for TotK.

I do have some mixed feelings about that. Spoilers below the cut:

To be honest, I’m a little surprised at this decision, considering the precedent set by both Breath of the Wild and Age of Calamity (though the latter isn’t a formal Zelda game, so I suppose it shouldn’t be used to try and establish a trend).

On the other hand, I don’t think this decision is too surprising either since TotK began its life as additional DLC for Breath of the Wild before the dev team decided to expand it to a full-fledged game of its own. In a sense, this is a project that likely began as a final hurrah for this era of Hyrule and its characters, but grew out of control as creativity flourished with devs. Tears of the Kingdom might be the last the devs wanted or needed to say for this iteration of the titular kingdom.

That said, there are numerous information gaps and questions left by Tears of the Kingdom that I had dearly hoped would be answered by a batch of prospective DLC.

My biggest hope was to have questions answered about the ancient sages. Mineru, Zelda, and Rauru aside, we know so little about them, and I would’ve loved to have learned more about them and the people they represented in that era.

Moreover, I think diving into the sage's history could’ve also illuminated the history of their respective temples, adding more life to these locations that would’ve added to their presence in the main game. Imagine being able to explore these dungeons as they were in their prime or fight along the sages to defend these places against Ganondorf if we were somehow taken back or projected our spirit back in time.

Defend them, you say? In the past? Yes, and while general gameplay tends to focus on Link, and while we could use further time travel or spiritual projection shenanigans to allow for him to make an appearance in that time period, I think this would be the perfect way to include gameplay as Zelda herself. This is something I was yearning for before the launch of TotK, and this would’ve been the perfect excuse to get to play as her in a main-line Zelda game. While I could argue that she was incredibly central to this game’s plot, nothing can really substitute for gameplay interaction with or as her.

What’s more, the Imprisoning War, for all the influence it had in the game, is largely unknown to us as the player outside of its beginning and end. There were mentions of engagements in locations outside of what we saw in the memories, specifically the fall of Gerudo settlements, as mentioned by the Gerudo sage. DLC focusing on Zelda and her role in the past would’ve given us the triad benefits of exploring the sages further, getting to play as Zelda and further emphasizing her importance in the plot, and expanding on these events.

Alternatively, I would’ve loved DLC that expanded on the dragons of Hyrule, namely Farosh, Naydra, and Dinraal (and I will admit to a faint hope that my headcanons about the connections between Zonai and the three dragons would be affirmed in canon). If draconification had anything to do with how they came to be, I would've loved to hear those stories.

But, if we’re looking to use DLC to fill in on something truly underutilized in the game, I would say that additional content in The Depths would’ve been one of the best choices. The Depths, while compelling through their intimidating and disorienting nature in the early game, lose a lot of wonder, mystique, and even interest later in the game once you’ve illuminated it all and completed the Mineru and Yiga questlines.

Overall, while dangerous, The Depths feel very empty and don’t live up to the potential I see in it. The Depths could’ve been host to additional dungeons and challenges, and there are even hints of previous civilization down there that could’ve been expanded on. The dark skeletons are yet another mystery that we don’t have answers to, and evidence of the other surface races having had presences down here (I’m looking at you Gorondia and the Gerudo Underground Cemetery) are pieces of content worth further consideration.

And, of course, there’s the mystery of the final reward for completing all the game’s shrines: the Ancient Hero’s Aspect. In-game dialogue speaks to this being a reference to the hero that stood against the calamity 10,000 years ago, yet no race in-game or referenced in its lore seems to match this humanoid that Link embodies when he equips the Ancient Hero’s Aspect. This ancient hero undoubtedly has some connection to the Zonai, given that the design of the aspect armour and how its three facial designs reflect the boar, the owl, and the dragon: three important figures in Zonai culture and the three beasts that are emulated or revered by those who designed the three labyrinths.

Sadly, these questions, alongside many other smaller mysteries, will go unanswered unless Nintendo decides to put out alternative materials (such as books, videos, or third-party titles). From the consumer side of things and from someone who genuinely enjoys ingesting and speculating on Zelda lore, I’m a bit disappointed. But, at the same time, I can see why the devs might want to move on from this particular iteration of the Zelda franchise to focus on their next work. Something new and fresh for them is as good for them as it may eventually be for us when we get to see what direction they take the Zelda series next.

And at any rate, all of my above hopes and speculation on what the DLC could’ve been is quite expansive and, given Nintendo’s history, probably unrealistic. While I enjoyed the Champion’s Ballad DLC, it wasn’t anything groundbreaking that shook our views on how we perceived Breath of the Wild.

I can’t imagine DLC for Tears of the Kingdom would’ve been much different. But that won’t stop me from looking back at Tears of the Kingdom and asking asking: "what if it did answer those questions?" However, I'll have to rely on myself and the creativity of others to fill in those gaps.

I suppose there’s a certain appeal in that, too.

[dwarvendiaries]

Disco Elysium Iteration 2

Random stats yet again. This time I will be a quick detective if not a strong or empathic one.

I take the Encyclopedia

This time I take time to inspect "the crime scene" before making any hasty decisions. It's been a wild night clearly, bottles dropped everywhere and

The bathroom smells... terrible.

I know this place... I keep searching. I strike quite a figure with a tattered Disco jacket and only one shoe.

First mystery solve I guess. Now to get the other one.

I pass a person on the landing outside. She addresses me as officer. And I learn that I've supposedly been on "polic business". Didn't look like any police business was going on in the that hotel room.

Sure why not. I mean I'm a smart cookie. I'm sure I can come up with a good line.

That was truly mortifying. She walks away as I try to nurse my ruined pride. But I ask her a few more questions.

I continue with questionings. Story seems to align with what I could gather from the room. Late night binge to disco tunes. And there was this damn song... The Smallest Church in Siant Saens.

I head downstairs. A few clues and I head for the door got to get this shoe. I'm stopped by Kim at the door just as I'm about to head out.

I can't think of a good enough name yet so I don't tell him. I'll probably work it out later.

I'm mostly honest about the state of affairs. But I lie about having my badge. Teling Lt. Kitsuragi would only cause more issues.

I head upstairs for the forgotten shoe

Still not sure of my name I attempt an interview, introducing myself as the "harbinger of ruin". It seems accurate given what I did last night.

I begin questioning. And pushing a feminist agenda

I run to avoid paying but crash.

[rosyrosie-e]

you keep on comparing the Seb and Chris situations and they're not the same... Sebastian never followed any of her friends, they didn't follow sebastian neither, he didn't have them at his apartment, and he even "moved" to LA while he was with her even tho he doesn't like LA 💀 (she said in a interview that she was "living" with her bf in LA... Seb doesn't live in LA, he clearly moved during that time so she wouldn't be at his apartment), Chris has had all of her friends and her in all his 3 houses 😬. Seb never posted anything for valentines. and they were one valentine "together" (in reality she was in Spain and he was in Canada filming fresh lmao). like there are so many differences where you can see Sebs situation was truly pr, Chris tho? yeah no, I'm sorry but i don't buy the pr thing. why would a man worth 112 millions be in a pr relationship? and if it was affecting him, are you telling me he can't get out of whatever contract there is??? yeah no, sorry. that man is there willingly, he's attracted to women who look like they're 15 and there's that.

There are many points that correspond to the two PRs. I don't know much about her friends, so I can't say how they are, but ABs friends are all attention seekers. The whole group was the one that started all the trolling. It would've been more believable if her friends weren't with them on almost every "trip".

Why would a man worth 110 million send his girlfriend back home right after New years on a commercial flight? And let's be honest, it doesn't matter who you are or how much you made to do PR in Hollywood. It can be set for project promos, deals that include new projects, exposure for upcoming nomination, to keep relevant, etc. Harry Styles went out with Olivia Wilde for gs. (Yes, this was a shocker for me back in my GP days, lmao)

Who knows what the clause was for the contract. I can't assume he can or can't break it. My opinion is that Hollywood is filled with manipulations, and frankly, I don't think he's above all of the people who make these decisions.

PR in Hollywood is part of a deal, money transactions, and all marketing tactics.

And sorry, but I'm not going to make disgusting assumptions that I don't have facts for. It's not fair for him and even her.

I keep saying this, but these answers are my opinions. I'm just kind of the person who doesn't want to jump into the very end of the hate spectrum when I know things can be either or. This is why I don't have any means to "baby" him, but I will also not put out provocative assumptions easily.

All I can say is, if you agree, that's good, let's talk!

If you disagree but respect my opinions, that's good, I appreciate it, and I respect your opinions!

If you disagree and can't respect my opinions, just go away, please!

🙂

[brainrattlers]

Play It Cool - Tyson Jost (43/n)

Pairing: Tyson Jost x OFC (AJ)

Word Count: 2860

Warnings: A little bit of angst, but nothing bad, I promise. Probably language.

Need to start from the beginning? Here's where it all began! https://at.tumblr.com/brainrattlers/play-it-cool-tyson-jost-1n/p7no8u1hzuza

Want to catch up? Check out the Masterlist!

Author's Notes: I. Am. BACK!!! Short chapter, struggling a bit to find words, but I figured I'd get something posted, and then add some of the stuff brewing in the next few weeks than rush it all at once. It's been a wild few months, looking for a new job (I'm still employed, just looking to upgrade), but also adding a bunch of side gigs to my list of things I shouldn't be doing but here I am.

So what's going on with Tyson and AJ? Summer vacation has started, and these two have a few months to do whatever they want. Let the planning begin!

*****

While the season didn’t end quite as hoped by the Sabres, Tyson remained optimistic about things to come. His end-of-season exit interview went well, according to him, saying he wanted to be back with the team. Locker cleanout days are always a little emotional, but Tyson was in good spirits, all things considered.

AJ was trying to keep the same level of optimism, but her gut kept her guarded, knowing that a lot of what was to come was actually hinging on a few other players on the team. If Okie and Girgensons stay put, there was a good chance that there wouldn’t be a spot for Tyson. Not only that, but of course Tyson becomes a restricted free agent July 1st. And as is, Okie was signed to a single year contract. It now was falling on the fate of Girgensons.

So really, it was a game of “hurry up and wait.” AJ was starting to feel like that might just be how life was going to be from here on out with Tyson until a team realizes how much of a gem Tyson is. Granted, AJ is a little biased in her description of Tyson’s style of play and how much teams really could use a player like him…

“You know, we can go do whatever we want, right?” Tyson jostled AJ’s foot on his lap, noticing she was scrolling aimlessly on her phone. “I have some friends up in BC asking me to come out. You want to go on vacation? Grandma and Grandpa would love to see you again…”

“... really? Using Emily and Jim as bait to get me to up north? You play dirty, Tys.”

Tyson grinned, knowing AJ had a soft spot for his grandparents. She had lost hers years prior, and missed the grandparent vibe. You know the one, where you get spoiled, either with a favorite meal, or a $10 bill slid into your hand when mom wasn’t looking. It really isn’t even about the getting spoiled part either, there is something so special hearing all the stories from their past, learning bits and pieces about what made them the people they are today. It truly was something she missed with her own grandmothers since their passing. Emily and Jim definitely brought that vibe to her, and embraced her as their own grandchild.

AJ thought about it though, and Tyson could see the gears turning in her head. He waited patiently for her to say something more, because an idea was definitely brewing.

“What would you think about some summer shenanigans?” AJ squinted at Tyson, gauging his response to the vague proposition.

“What kind of shenanigans?”

To be honest, AJ was missing some of her old friends. The world can feel so small with the internet, bringing people together digitally, but it’s just not the same as in person. AJ missed seeing Jess. It’d been months since they were in the same space, meeting up back in February in St. Louis. She missed Nate. She missed some of the other friends she made in Denver during her brief time there.

“I was thinking maybe talking to Jess, and as soon as she could, maybe a couples’ trip with her and Nate? Like maybe they come up here, or we go out there, or… we meet up somewhere? I’m not sure yet. I hadn’t really asked her either, but I know she’d be down. The only hindrance at the moment is…” AJ got quiet, realizing what she was going to have to say, “Nate’s still in the playoffs.” 

AJ cringed at having to say that, considering how last season went. Thankfully, Tyson’s work on himself last summer and this year with family and a sports psychologist really helped his mental game. He nodded in understanding, and didn’t even flinch. Buffalo made a good run at the playoffs, but just came up short. It was going to whole new level for the team next season, so right now, his feelings were not hurt by the statement.

This time, it was Tyson that got a little quiet, chewing on his lip for a minute before responding.

“I’m sorry I hadn’t brought it up sooner, but a few of the guys are talking about heading down to Hilton Head, kind of an end of season guys trip,” Tyson sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, “We’d be leaving Monday.”

“It’s okay, you know I’ve got plenty going on here, besides, it’s not like my plan can happen quite yet anyway. But would you be interested, if they are?”

A smile broke out on Tyson’s face, followed by a nod. Leaning down, he pressed a kiss to AJ’s temple. 

“Yeah, that sounds like a blast. You’re the best babe!”

AJ chuckled as Tyson skipped off to the bedroom. Looking around the living room, kind of lost in thought, she grabbed her phone.

AJ: Would you and Nate be up for some shenanigans this summer?

Not even a minute had passed before AJ’s phone was vibrating in her palm.

Jess: We’re in.

***

AJ got used to Tyson being away on roadies, and she always found things she could do that she enjoyed while he was gone. Eating food that he didn’t like (or shouldn’t eat, and likely, she probably shouldn’t eat either), sprawling out in bed, listening exclusively to her music, staying up late and watching cheesy movies… stuff like that. It was nice to have AJ time. 

But truth be told, AJ missed Tyson while he was on the guys’ trip. He was checking in multiple times daily (and getting absolutely roasted for it), but it didn’t make up for the little things she was missing, like him wrapping his arms around her midsection as she’d chop vegetables for dinner, swaying to the music they had on in the kitchen. The random notes that would be written in the steam on the bathroom mirror.  The way Tyson would pull AJ in as the little spoon, mumbling incoherently as he drifted off to sleep.

Even the kinda gross things, because, let’s face it, Tyson’s a guy, AJ missed. The way Tyson would burp after chugging a protein shake. How he’d stick his stinky sock feet in AJ’s face when they were laying opposite each other on the sofa together. The occasional facial hair clippings littering the sink in the bathroom. (Although that was just more irritating than gross.)

AJ was simply missing Tyson.

After cleaning the kitchen up from breakfast, AJ headed to the hobby room, and flopped on the sofa, where one of Tyson’s hoodies was thrown on. Rolling over, she reached up over her head and grabbed it, spying which one it was. It smelled faintly of his body wash as she inhaled, sighing into it. Although not really cold, AJ put it on and fell asleep in a somewhat warm embrace of his hoodie.

The buzzing of her watch urged AJ to open her eyes as a certain someone was wanting to FaceTime.

A very groggy looking AJ appeared on Tyson’s screen.

“Hey baby girl, I didn’t wake you up, did I? Is… that my hoodie?”

AJ rubbed her eyes and looked down, and back at her phone camera with a smile.

“I suppose it is. I was napping but I really shouldn’t be if I want to get to bed at a decent hour tonight. What are you guys up to today?”

Tyson told the tales of going golfing and hanging out at the beach with the guys. All the different restaurants they stopped at. But there was something a little off about how he was acting, but AJ couldn’t put her finger on it.

Finally when he stopped talking, AJ piped up.

“You good?”

Biting his lip, Tyson put his thoughts in order before opening his mouth.

“I mean, yeah, but, no. It was weird, last night we went clubbing, and the guys were pairing off with girls they met there, and there were two that wouldn’t leave me alone and…”

AJ’s heart was pounding hard, worried about what might be said next.

“... I had to just get out of there, I took a Lyft back to the house. I… just miss you.”

The breath AJ didn’t know she was holding came out in a gasp, and Tyson caught the tear coming down her cheek. It wasn’t her intention to get emotional, but it hit her hard. And seeing AJ tearing up, made him get teary-eyed as well, but he wasn’t sure why she was to begin with.

The dam broke.

“I miss you too babe, so much,” AJ just let the words fall out of her mouth without a filter, “It just hasn’t been the same here without you. You make my world better.”

Tyson was wiping his eyes, trying to act like he wasn’t crying at all when one of the guys came by him asking if he were about ready to head out. 

A mumbled, “Yeah, uh, I’ll be just a minute, no, my allergies are acting up or something, I’m good,” was overheard, before he looked back at his phone. “Hey, we’re heading out for another course, call you tonight before bed?”

“Of course. Go kick some ass on the green! Love you.”

“Love you too, talk tonight,” Tyson blew a kiss at his phone.

AJ “caught” it and smooshed it on her lips before ending the call.

Now wide awake from that unexpected conversation, AJ sat up and started thinking about what she could do to fill some time between now and this evening when Tyson would call. There was only so much cleaning she could do around the apartment to ease her racing mind, so she grabbed her tablet and started looking at vacation spots, texting Jess along the way.

AJ: Would you guys like to come up here? I know it isn’t fancy like Denver is, but there is so much cool stuff to see and do here, really! 

Jess: Hmm… I’d be down, but I’m thinking we should get away from EVERYTHING. Mexico has been calling my name here lately, I miss it.

AJ: I’ve never been. I’m looking up some places though. Cancun looks fun, and there seemingly is a lot to do around there. Ooh, they have a big art museum nearby, that sounds good. And Chichen-Itza and Tulum aren’t terribly far either.

Jess: You’re forgetting margaritas and all the amazing food!

AJ: Yes, that too! lol

AJ could feel Jess rolling her eyes at the choices of things she wanted to see. That was the funny thing too, if Nate had heard what AJ was saying, she was pretty sure he too would be rolling his eyes in the same way. Those two really are perfect for each other.

As the afternoon and evening went on, texts were sent back and forth about potential places to stay. It was just going to be a game of figuring out WHEN, with Avs in the playoffs, and knowing Tyson, he probably already had a summer packed with things to do. AJ knew that he was planning on heading out to Edmonton, and had mentioned something about maybe working out with some trainers in Vancouver for a bit. Tyson was never one to really stop and relax somewhere for an extended amount of time, other than with his family whenever he could.

The planning texts were interrupted by a facetime with Tyson, who seemed far more chipper than he did previously.

“How was golfing? Your nose looks a little pink, shoulda worn more sunscreen,” AJ joked, knowing he always gave her shit as she was pasty white and burned within minutes in the sun.

“It was good, shot five over, not bad for a course I’d never played on. Yeah I got a bit of sun today. Thankfully we’re heading out tomorrow. You still picking me up from the airport? I get in around noon.”

AJ looked panicked, looking at her watch, then back at her phone screen, seeing Tyson’s face contort into concern. 

“You are picking me up, right? I mean, I can get a ride with one of the guys, but…”

The giggles couldn’t be contained, and fell out of AJ’s mouth. 

“Of course, goof, I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I haven’t seen you in like a week,” she grinned, “Besides, I found a new burger place I want to try, figured we could swing by on the way home.”

A wave of relief washed over Tyson, knowing he was going to get to see AJ as soon as he got out of the airport. AJ then saw Tyson squint a bit, and roll his eyes after his phone buzzed. Quirking her eyebrow, he could tell she was wondering what was going on just by the subtle movement.

“The rest of the guys went back clubbing again tonight.  It’s just not as fun, not without you here. I just didn’t want a repeat of last night, it just felt… wrong. In fact, I just got called an old man for turning in early. I’m not going to feel like shit on the plane at least.” 

The two chuckled, and continued talking for a bit, until it was evident Tyson really did get a bit of extra sun and he was pretty wore out, getting sleepier with each new topic that was brought up. After a few minutes of being disgustingly cute and sending kisses to each other, they finally ended the call.

Tyson laid in bed, still feeling awkward about the previous night, despite nothing actually happening. It did occur to him just how much he and AJ complemented each other. Dancing with random women in a bar no longer was exciting. He’d rather dance in the kitchen with AJ. Taking a woman back to his hotel was the furthest thing on his mind, unless that woman was AJ. 

“Maybe I really am turning into an old man!” he thought to himself, as a smile crept up on his face as he drifted off to sleep.

AJ woke up late the next morning, relaxing in bed, completely sprawled out, for one last time before Tyson would be back. Spending an hour scrolling through Instagram, she finally got up, got a shower, and a quick breakfast before grabbing a small baggie from one of the cabinets in the kitchen and heading out the door. AJ and her black Soul hit the road, heading to the airport.  

Once the car was parked, AJ headed inside, outside of the security area. Looking around, AJ saw her target… and it wasn’t Tyson.  With a smile and a wave, she headed over to Karma, whose ears perked up when Ann waved back, asking if Karma knew who was coming.

“Hey Karma, who is a good girl? IT IS YOU!!!” AJ scratched Karma’s ears before giving her a treat from the bag. “Hey Ann, how is it going today?”

So who are Karma and Ann, you might ask? Karma is an adorable, frosty-faced Jack Russell Terrier/Beagle mix, and Ann is her owner. Together, they patrol the Buffalo Niagara International Airport as a therapy dog team. Most dogs you see in airports have patches on their harnesses saying “SERVICE DOG, DO NOT PET”... but Karma has a bandana on that says “PLEASE PET ME!” AJ met them earlier in the year during one of her trips to see Tyson on the road, and had since become friends with the human/canine duo. Ann always asked how Tyson was playing, and Karma always was up for a belly rub as the two would chat. Today, Ann was in for a treat, she’d never actually got to meet a professional athlete despite all her time at the airport. 

Finally, coming out of the secure area, Tyson spied AJ sitting on the bench petting a dog.

"AJ found the only pettable dog in the whole place, that's so her!"  Tyson thought to himself, smiling the whole way to her.

Putting his bag down, Tyson found AJ already clinging her arms around him for a tight hug.

“Hey Tys, this is Ann, and…”

Before she could even say anything else, Tyson was already leaning down petting Karma’s head.

“This must be Karma, I’ve heard so much about you already from AJ!” Tyson leaned up and shook Ann’s hand, “And you too, it’s nice to meet you!”

Ann was usually chatty as all get out, but she was in awe of the Buffalo Sabres player standing before her. Finally breaking her out of the spell, Ann finally was back to telling stories and giving advice on where to go get dinner for the night. After gabbing for a few more minutes, and a few more treats for Karma, AJ finally convinced Ann that there were probably more passengers and airport/airline staff that could use some Karma pets and kisses. Everyone parted ways, with AJ promising she’d be back soon to see them again.

Walking hand in hand to the parking lot, AJ posed a question to Tyson.

“So what would you think about going to Mexico?”

The gears were already turning in Tyson’s head.

[kaletastrophes]

Western babes! Thanks to Indiewire, we now have directly from Pedro Almodovar the westerns he personally had in mind while making Strange Way of Life.

Part 1 of this list, mostly movies I personally believed would influence the film, is pinned to my page and I can report I got 2 right! Pedro listed The Wild Bunch and Red River as influences! I will be honest I have only seen a few of the westerns Pedro mentioned so maybe we can watch these together.

While my original list focused more on anti-westerns, Almodovar seems to have focused much more on traditional westerns. John Wayne stars in 4 of the 9 he listed for example. I find that fascinating honestly.

(once again tagging the ultimate western babe @the-ginger-hedge-witch if she wants to add these to her western studies)

But without further ado heres Part 2 of westerns that inspired Strange Way of Life:

The movie is strewn with references to Westerns that Almodovar has treasured for years. 

The Wild Bunch 

In Strange Way of Life a flashback between the two men, in which they fire at wine barrels and shrug off some prostitutes for their own plans, stems from Sam Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch.

Babes!! Im so absolutely tickled that I spotted this and now it's confirmed. I wont go into details about the film because I listed it in part 1 but it was confirmed by Almodovar in the Indiewire interview so I've included it again here.

Almodovar says he envisioned Ethan Hawke’s character as an extension of archetypes in two John Sturges movies:

Last Train from Gun Hill

A marshal (Kirk Douglas) tries to bring the son of an old friend (Anthony Quinn), an autocratic cattle baron, to justice for his role in the rape and murder of the marshal's Native American wife.

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral

Lawman Wyatt Earp (Burt Lancaster) and outlaw Doc Holliday (Kirk Douglas) form an unlikely alliance which culminates in their participation in the legendary Gunfight at the O.K. Corral.

I haven't seen either of these Sturges films but just reading the plot summaries above and the plot summary of Strange Way it's pretty clear how they would tie together.

John Ford loomed large for the spectacular vistas, and Almodovar says he thought a lot about:

The Searchers

In this revered Western, Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) returns home to Texas after the Civil War. When members of his brother's family are killed or abducted by Comanches, he vows to track down his surviving relatives and bring them home. 

Cheyenne Autumn

The Cheyenne, tired of broken U.S. government promises, head for their ancestral lands but a sympathetic cavalry officer is tasked to bring them back to their reservation.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

Questions arise when Senator Stoddard (James Stewart) attends the funeral of a local man named Tom Doniphon (John Wayne) in a small Western town. 

Wow. What an interesting list... I'm not sure I could have imagined the first two being included before reading the article honestly. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance makes really perfect sense, two men hide the history they have together until it comes out years later just like they seem to do in Strange Way.

The Searchers I have seen and while it is regarded as one of the best films ever in American film history it's also regarded as one of the most racist films in American film history. The portrayal of Native American's is truly hard to stomach. Critic Roger Ebert went so far as to accuse director John Ford of trying to somehow "justify the Native American genocide." So I would warn perhaps be cautious when viewing. I will say Cheyenne Autumn is perhaps somewhat Ford's response to The Searchers, it's regarded as a pretty mediocre film but lauded in film history because the actors portraying the Cheyenne are actually Navajo and speak Navajo in the film. Because no one else on set spoke Navajo, during scenes when Navajo is spoken the actors made dirty jokes and openly mocked production.

Pascal wears a green jacket that serves as a callback to the one Jimmy Stewart wears in:

Bend of the River

When a town boss confiscates homesteader's supplies after gold is discovered nearby, a tough cowboy (Jimmy Stewart) risks his life to try and get it to them.

This is another fantastic western and whats interesting is that the film centers on constantly keeping you guessing on which character is going to turn out good and which character is going to turn out bad. I wonder if Almodovar will bring that same thing to Strange Way..

Also, "Julia Adams stars as the woman who made the mistake of loving two men!" No, thats never a mistake babe hahaha.

Finally, Almodovar give three more films that inspired costumes for Strange Way:

El Dorado

Cole Thornton (John Wayne), a gunfighter for hire, joins forces with an old friend, Sheriff J.P. Hara (Robert Mitchum). Together with an old Indian fighter and a gambler, they help a rancher and his family fight a rival rancher that is trying to steal their water.

Red River

Dunson (John Wayne) leads a cattle drive, the culmination of over 14 years of work, to its destination in Missouri. But his tyrannical behavior along the way causes a mutiny, led by his adopted son (Montgomery Clift).

Vera Cruz

During the Mexican Rebellion of 1866, an unsavory group of American adventurers are hired by the forces of Emporer Maximilian to escort a countess to Vera Cruz.

Well there you have it! Let me know your thoughts. I really find this list incredible curious and interesting.

[wh4thefnk]

Lily clearly pulled a “nevermind hoe” with that married man tho 💀💀//

yeah i have to think that the novelty of dating him or just being around him might wear off quick depending on the person’s personality 💀 especially for someone already as famous and successful as lily james. he doesn’t really have anything that she can’t already get for herself so she doesn’t have to force herself to tolerate him for some benefits lmao

i’ve never been a marvel fan or in marvel circles so i remember my honest first impression of chris wasn’t stellar and i honestly couldn’t understand all the hype around him. yes he’s attractive but the way people talk you would think he’s literally the only attractive man ever to exist and there’s no man that surpasses or even matches his attractiveness it’s so wild. like it was genuinely very confusing to me???? i was like lowkey this man looks like a pencil what are you seeing please

but i was like this many people can’t be wrong right? and maybe i’m just being overly judgmental so i watched some of his interviews and i thought this man is a little phony like his laughing where he clutches his left pec is a bit over the top and the way he would talk over people was a bit questionable at times but then i watched some of his more reflective stuff and i know he wasn’t saying anything hugely profound but i was like huh maybe there is another side to him and he genuinely has a desire to explore “deeper” topics and he’s not just a basic white bread overgrown disney kid with basic tastes 💀 mind you this was covid so like i had time lmao

so i started warming to him because i admired the thoughtfulness i thought i saw in him and i was like maybe his big ass laughing is genuine and he really is just that joyous and dorky and dumb in a jumbo way and maybe i just can’t relate because we’ve had different life experiences and i started to see him differently especially when i saw his interactions with scott and lisa i was like ohhhh that’s just how your family is valid plus when he was being so vocal about social justice issues i was like okay maybe you alright white man. i liked that he had such a sense of justice and connection to humanity and what was right and wrong that he felt compelled to speak even though he did not need to. ohhh you’re gonna make a whole ass political platform even though you’re not a politician because you’re just that passionate? wow okay respect 🫡

like obviously he still said and did some dumb white man things because he is a dumb white man in a world that allows dumb white men to remain dumb white men. like why are you as a white man speaking on kanye? shhhh 🤫 why are you saying a black family forgiving the murder of their loved one is the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen? like that’s gross fr i’m begging please shut up shut up shut up 🤐 why did you think participating in a white savior movie was a good idea? why was asp going to do a series in the middle east that you didn’t go through with bc twitter rightfully dragged your ass so bad????? why do you seem so pro military and pro police? 😭 why did you autograph a prop bomb that represents the killings of innocent people? but my ass really thought he was genuine and his heart was in the right place and he would grow in his activism as he was exposed to new ideas 🙄 i know I’M the dummy

i don’t even know what i’m saying atp lmao the peer pressure brainwashing worked i guess like i don’t think he’s satan but maybe he is very much just some obnoxious guy who laughs too loud and deep down i still don’t understand why the karolinas and captreginas in his fandom find him so remarkable and magical and even the general public too. people REALLY like him. is he truly truly objectively that goddamn fucking attractive? like is it actually that serious? is it literally just the steve rogersificaion of his public image? i don’t even know where i stand anymore i’m just here observing🧍‍♀️

SORRY for the novel 😭💀

(also curious to know your first impressions of chris? are you an og fan? 👀)

Don’t worry bestie, feel free to vent 😂

I had been into Chris for a while, I witnessed him dating Minka and everything; never got in the depths of the fandom tho, I guess lurking never piqued my interest. And through the years my attention to him has swayed on and off.

My impression of him is that I found him endearing and sounded like a genuinely nice guy (and maybe he is, specially in a social level) and honestly I enjoyed his movies; to this day I think that as an actor he had or has potential to be better. And of course he’s done things that at first glance can easily charmed the public into thinking he’s very unique; for example having a political platform and being outspoken about certain things; he’s the guy with the cute dog that he rescued; it might sound silly but I genuinely liked him dating age appropriate women, I did think that little fact set him apart and (the worst of all, now I understand how this isn’t necessarily a nice/kind pov) dating Jenny did wonders for his image somehow, I vividly remember talking to another fan about this, how non-superficial he was for dating her, that it showed he valued character and personality the most 🤩

Maybe the peer pressure worked on me too 😂 I don’t think he’s the devil or anything; I would say he’s just disappointing; and I see character flaws coming to the surface right now, stuff that do not necessarily align with how he was portrayed, plus learning and rethinking other things. I definitely do not see him the same way anymore. I mean at the end it’s his life and he doesn’t owe strangers anything; but I guess we are also in the court of public opinion.

[clonesupport]

thank you @sstewyhosseini for tagging me to this little interview game! it was fun hehe

I'm sure this has gone around quite a bit already, I'm late to the party TwT so i tag anyone seeing this and hasn't done it yet and wants to!

finally finished with school and visiting my parents so i now have time😌😌 gonna do this with Marcy cuz she needs more content and she has been plaguing my mind

Name?

(smiling and confident) "Marceline Kelly."

Are you single?

(smugly) "Nope."

Are you happy?

"Depends on what we're talking about. My relationship? Absolutely. My career? Fuck yeah. Happy with the state of this world? That's a whole other story."

Are you angry?

"Sometimes, like doing jobs that goes dirty. But as of right now? Nah, I'm content."

Are your parents still married?

"Oof, if they were still alive I'd place my bets on yes they would be."

Birth place?

"Canada. Vancouver specifically. City 'o glass."

Hair color?

"Turquoise-blue. I'm naturally a dirty blonde though, hella dirty (laughs) almost looks like a light brown sometimes but I swear I was born a blonde."

Eye color?

"They were brown, I've got kiroshis now so platinum on black optics."

Birthday?

(laughs) "April 24th, you don't gotta know the year."

Mood?

"Sexy?"

Gender?

"Cis woman."

Summer or winter?

"Oo winters always and forever, I miss the snowy winters back home."

Morning or afternoon?

"Afternoon baby, that's when I get to have fun."

Day or night?

"Depends, days are nice because I get to spend them with Vik, relax and do whatever I want. Nights I get to perform and feel truly alive, I guess it all comes down to how I'm feeling that day."

=EIGHT THINGS ABOUT YOUR LOVE LIFE=

Are you in love?

"Absolutely" (smiling endearingly)

Who ended your last relationship?

"Yeesh, I did, and helluva time that was."

Have you ever broken someone's heart?

"Maybe, I don't care to think about it though, it's all in the past now. Besides I don't got time for that, I have someone else in my life that deserves all my time and devotion. Why would I spend it thinking about how I did someone dirty? This is Night City, you're bound to get your heart broken, and a few bones too."

Are you afraid of commitments?

"I used to be, Vik changed that."

Have you hugged someone in the last week?

"Oh yeah lots, Viktor gets all my hugs, he acts like he doesn't have time for them but I know he likes them. Hugged him just ten minutes ago."

Have you ever had a secret admirer?

"In my line of work, I'm sure I've got tons. They can admire all they want, that's all they're ever gonna get, my heart belongs to someone else. (winks)"

Have you ever broken your own heart?

"Aw man, I didn't I ever let myself get too attached to anyone to get my heart broken in love. But through any other means? Definitely."

=SIX CHOICES=

Love or lust?

(smirking) "Why not both.~ Definitely both."

Lemonade or iced tea?

"Oh I love an iced tea."

Cats or dogs?

"I miss dogs, always wanted a bernese mountain dog. But I guess that one random stray cat is all we get now and I'll take any animal I can get, tired of people nowadays."

A few best friends or many regular friends?

"Hmm, well I got myself a best friend, I can't have more than one best friend or else that defeats the purpose of a 'best', so regular I suppose."

Wild night out or romantic night in?

"Ah shit give me both. Usually they start as a wild night out which ends with a wild night in. (wiggles eyebrows) Viktor knows what I'm talking about, right baby? (looking off to the side to see Viktor chuckling behind a face palm) Yeah, he knows what I mean. (winks)"

Day or night?

"For sex? Ugh both. Oh you mean just in general?-"

=FOUR HAVE YOU EVERS=

Been caught sneaking out?

"'Course."

Fallen down/up the stairs?

"Oh my god both, all the time, Viktor can attest to that good god. Being honest here I don't even need stairs to fall, it just happens."

Wanted something/someone so badly it hurt?

"Yuhuh, that's how it started with (points to Viktor while clicking toungue)"

Wanted to disappear?

"Hell no, I wanna be known."

=FOUR PREFERENCES=

Shorter or taller?

"I guess taller, but I was never picky."

Intelligence or attraction?

"Viktors got both so honestly it's hard to say."

Hook-up or relationship?

"When I was single, relationships. But now definitely relationship, and I wouldn't change it for the world."

=FAMILY=

Do you and your family get along?

"We did yeah. We were a happy family. (smiling fondly at old memories)"

Would you say you have a “messed up life”?

"(cackles) Boy is that an understatement."

Have you ever run away from home?

"Nah, I've always liked where I was, no matter where it was."

Have you ever gotten kicked out?

"Nope."

Do you secretly hate one of your friends?

"If you even wanna call some of them friends, I consider them links for possible job opportunities, work partners."

Do you consider all of your friends good friends?

"I wouldn't say all of them, but the ones within my close circle yes absolutely."

Who is your best friend?

"V."

Who knows everything about you?

"Viktor, and I mean everything. (smiles proudly)"

[nobodyaskdcourtney]

Daisy Jones & the Six: A Novel + ★★★★★

by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Book Blurb by Random House Publishing: Everyone knows Daisy Jones & The Six, but nobody knows the reason behind their split at the absolute height of their popularity . . . until now.

Daisy is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it’s the rock and roll she loves most. By the time she’s twenty, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things.

Also getting noticed is The Six, a band led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camila finds out she’s pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy goes a little wild on the road.

Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes that the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend.

Rating: ★★★★★ Descriptors: Magnetic, raw, lively. Recommended by: TikTok, as usual. Recommended for: Those who chase - chase a drink, chase a lover, chase a dream. Literally everyone - read this book.

I was not entirely sure I was going to finish this one - but, man, am I glad I did.

It took me longer than I had hoped to complete it. For an ebook that is approximately 400 pages, I would usually knock that out in a few hours, maybe a day or two at most. No, this took me a week and a half to finish, and the ending was well worth it.

The writing style here is unique. Now, I know Reid is a popular author on TikTok, but this was my first time reading a book of hers. I'll be honest, I think the writing style is what truly threw me off and made it difficult for me to finish. The author writes as if it is an interview instead of a novel, with the occasional "author's note" from the journalist writing the story. It read almost like a screenplay to a documentary. Now, don't get me wrong, I love a good documentary. However, the transition to written word here did not strike me as it might have in, say, an audio book. As a matter of fact, I'm almost certain I would love the audio book. If this is how Reid writes all of her pieces, they may also take a bit of time for me to get through.

Now, onto the good part - Spoilers may be ahead!

I loved each of the characters individually. I think they were all portrayed so well and so differently from one another, they all simply clicked together perfectly. However, I will say Daisy and Billy equally frustrated me throughout. I had an inkling of where the story was going once the two, I'd say, protagonists finally met up with one another. The chemistry was palpable, and the same goes for Karen and Graham, who I was rooting for the entire time to no avail.

I was also wildly attached to Camila, and I hated every instance where Billy messed up. That said, I oddly understood her dynamic and relationship with Billy to a heartbreaking degree. I did not hate their relationship by any means. It was real. It was raw, and I loved every minute of it, even the hard parts.

I come from a musical family, and my father always chose his career over his family. I saw a lot of my father in Billy's demeanor, although from a different perspective. My dad never struggled with drug or alcohol abuse, but he was unfaithful to my mother and several other women in his life. But, as Camila seemed to grasp, I knew there was nothing my father could do or could have done to stop my mother from loving him, even when she hated him. Even when she hated his choices and his treatment of his children, my mother still had love for my dad. My parents ultimately separated, and I still think it was for the best. But reading Camila and Billy's story really set me back into the mindset I'm sure my mother understood.

As for Daisy, I hated her addiction and her seeming lack of self-awareness. I've been fortunate not to fall victim to an addiction like drugs and alcohol, so I have a hard time understanding why people can't say "no." Daisy started out as a selfish main character, but her growth throughout the series really warmed me. Once she started comprehending her feelings for Billy were more than just their shared love and passion for music, I enjoyed her opening up more.

I liked her friendship with Simone, and I will say - Daisy kept it more real than anyone else in that book. She never shied from what she was doing or saying, and there is something admirable in a woman who stands her ground. I also enjoyed her talking about her sobriety, and I especially loved the final confrontation ( if you want to call it that ) between her and Camila. It was the most authentic, heart-wrenching thing, and it set my heart on fire.

The story was, as I've said many times here, real. It was genuine, it was authentic, it was true. Not every love story has a happy ending. Some have bumps in the road all throughout. Some make you question whose side you're really on, and some you cannot help but love yourself. The odd writing style aside, this was an excellent book and worthy of every star here. I have highlighted and annotated so much of this book, I have no choice but to rate it as highly as I can and recommend it to anyone who will listen.

I loved this book.

[monasatlantis]

My Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Review

People I have to be honest with you. I am so tired of this game. Tired of the new Final Fantasy 7 games. Of the fandom. Of the shipping war, of the fact that the only thing that I truly care about in this game, which is the ship I like, has been ruined for me by now and all that Kingdom-Hearts-Like bullshit with Sidegames and different timelines and all that stuff. So my Review is really just a lazy "I hate this game and its fandom and its characters and now even my shippiness is ruined" - kind of review. Not in Interview Style. Just random thoughts that are all over the place, like the ending of this freaking game.

Overall, I can say Gameplay-Vise and Pacing-Vise this game was definitively better than Remake. Tho this pacing has been almost ruined by the immense amount of bullshit Minigames that weren't exactly placed in the game in a well balanced way. Storywise tho, I have to say that Remake was more intriguing and more interesting. With this game, it felt to me like the only "Plot-Relevant" reason to play it, the only thing people really cared about were Aeriths death, Zack and Shippings. Which should not be the only good or interesting reason to play a 120 hours game. But the game had not much else interesting to offer - at least not for me - while I found that Remakes story, despite the fact that I hated the game as whole, was much more interesting and motivating than this one. It was basically 12 chapters of watching Clouds sanity falling apart while NO ONE does anything against it. Boring shit, I tell you. I guess the most interesting thing was Baretts Past. Even tho that story had some holes and wasn't something I was actively waiting for. But it was the most intriguing part of the story, besides waiting for the bullshit answer of why Zack and Biggs are still freaking alive.

I did think the balance between Plot, exploring and and Dungeons was really well done tho. And I also found the way the game was made was really intended to fit for all kind of players. Completionists had LOTS of stuff to do. People who loved the possibility of exploring a relatively open world also had lots to do and lots to look at and to fight and found and find out - tho I do agree with some people that they could have made it feel more natural BUT in the end, fulfilling Chadleys "missions" still ended up having a satisfying conclusion - or so I've heard since I only rush through the main story and the most necessary Sidemissions to get through the game as fast as possible - and not just because it sucks, but also because that is just the way I like to play. (Especially when I play a game for the very first time.) Once again the Minigames and how they were placed in the game kind of ruined this Balance. Like... A LOT. My two friends who completed the game like 100% and do usually like to do Minigames said that even they found that at some point it was really too much and almost getting ridiculous. For me personally, who HATES Minigames, this was a freaking nightmare and a big reason for A LOT of Anger and frustration. So theoretically, if it weren't for the Minimissions, this was a well-balanced game with a good pacing.

The Team of characters is a wild mix which usually isn't a bad thing. But somehow I just can't see them being a good and caring Team at all. Some random people who work together for more or less a common goal. But they do not really feel like a family or anything most of the time. If Aerith felt like, she should tell a lie about how Sephiroth got the black Materia from Cloud, because otherwise they might turn their backs on him instead of realizing that he actually needs help, then that says a lot about the team. Not that I have much good to say about the team, even without the whole Clouds-Sanity-Problem. It just didn't feel like a good team to me at all. Like I didn't feel good between them, if you get my drift. For me a good team is one, were I as a Player feel good among. Its hard to describe the feeling that I am missing with that bunch but I can certainly say that this feeling IS missing. Tho I guess you have to see that they do not know each other for so long and that their reasons and motives differ. The characters in itself weren't bad. Its not like I truly dislike any of them. In fact, I care enough to be angry at them for being stupid or assholes. And I have to say, Barett, who I disliked the most in the first game, has become one of the most sympathetic characters to me in the game. That really surprised me. But I feel like its because while the first game mostly showed him as a terrorists who spits bullshit as excuse for killing people or their jobs or taking their lights or anything, this time you can see a lot more of the softer, human and caring side of this man. He is probably not my favorite but... honestly? At this point, no one is!

Grafik was amazing as usual. The 4K scenes looked like they were right out of a movie. Absolut eye-candy. And I can not help but say that it looked A LOT better than Final Fantasy 16 did. The Soundtrack, as usual, was also amazing. Songs were also all well placed and no song was overused. They outdid themselves with this amazing Title-Song too. I can not stress enough how much more impact a song has on a game and you as a player if a song is "made and sung" by a character from the game about something the the players understand. That is why "Eyes on me" and "1000 Words" were such amazing songs. Because you could feel them and you could somewhat relate to the people singing it because you knew their situation and feelings. So like 100 out of 10 points for no Promises to keep. Battlesystem was doable. Nothing to argue about there. But as long as it is doable even for someone like me, I do not put it high on my priority list. Tho I think I should mention it. I did like the new Synergy-Attacks, tho. Nice idea. )Barett and Aerith looked "like a boss", if you get me XD)

Aside from the horror amount of non-optional minigames left, right and center, there were like 2 or 3 other things that really bothered me. First it was the explanation for how Biggs and Zack survived and that was basically a "it was a miracle" - thing that Zack believes was Aeriths doing. Its basically a "A Wizard did it" - kind of explanation. Like... Aerith create a new timeline by cheating or what? Biggs just magically appeared in the Orphanage? WTF?! How is that even a way to create a new timeline? I thought changes and choices would do that? What if the guy who shot the final bullet at Zack got a weapon-malfunction and the thing exploded and knocked out some of the soldiers and then Zack managed to beat the rest and that is how he was saved? It is at least an explanation! And what if Wedge instead of going for his cats, went to save Biggs first, but then gave him to some random guy from sector 7 and only then went for his cats? SOMETHING. ANYTHING that would make freaking sense instead of being a magical deus ex machina. Not to mention that Biggs purpose is absolutely unclear to begin with. Right to the point were he just got shot to death in one of the timelines. Like... why did Aerith save him if his purpose was to never find his purpose and after he though he found it, he just got shot like some random NPC that only survived to make Zack look for his purpose, which is something that actually any random NPC could have done, in fact. The next thing that bothered me is how no one, not even Tifa and Aerith who care so much about Cloud didn't say or do anything about Cloud slowly but surely losing it. He almost killed Tifa, but just because she suddenly remembered him saving her when she was a child, he was suddenly a hero and everything was great. And then she promised him to save him only to let him go on and on and on while his sanity and self-control was obviously fading more and more. When he says he is not like Sephiroth Tifa says that "They know." and "Its okay." But NOTHING is okay and they also do not really KNOW anything, because instead of facing that Cloud has a problem that they need to find a solution for, they just let him almost kill them all and become Sephirots puppet that throws Tifa away and chases Aerith down like a maniac. And Aerith herself isn't any better than Tifa. The harder this problem became, the more she let Tifa handle it until Tifas methods didn't work anymore either. And at the end, she decided into fooling Cloud to believing she is still alive even tho in the end the realization what really happened will crush him even more on top of everything else. These are the two girls that are supposed to care about him the most and they just allow him to first go insane and then keep him in the most instable state he ever was in, instead of allowing him to finally crush so they can work on helping him to get better and get his self-control back. The third thing, is that sometimes the characters didn't feel like themselves. Like... they did things that I would have not thought they would do or say or that made their relationships with each other look bad, even tho it shouldn't be that way. Like Aerith in Kalm. When she was holding on to Cloud after saying they were "kind of" on a date and she kept doing that even tho both he and Tifa felt obviously uncomfortable about it. Yes, she is a tease, but this was going on for just too long and felt absolutely stupid AFTER she told Cloud to fix things with Tifa. Not to mention that the two girls are obviously friends who do not which to argue about Cloud. That just didn't feel like something she would do to this extent. For a few seconds as a tease? Sure! But even holding on after Cloud was trying to push her off? No! (We could also talk about how it was not right of the Devs to position Aerith and Cloud on that stupid Watertower that was supposed to be Cloud and Tifas spot. It was respectless regarding both ships, if you ask me.)

The ending was absolutely stupid! Aeriths death scene was ruined by the confusing jumping between "dead" "saved" "dead" "saved" "dead?" "saved?" "not dead?" "not saved?" - scenes. Even with Cloud crying there was no emotional impact here because as the player the confusion won over the sadness. Getting this stupid "Cloud thinks Aerith is still alive" - kind of goodbye instead of the actual water-burial scene was also so damn frustrating. Neither he nor we managed to get a satisfying kind of "closure" - moment thanks to all that timeline bullshit. I also do not like that the whole theme of that Remake-Bullshit-Idea was to "defy fate" and yet in one of the timelines, Aerith died exactly the same way she did before, despite the fact that Sephiroth might actually sabotage himself by killing her. So why exactly did we play this game? Why did we go though all the changes just to end up the same way as before + all that timeline bullshit? I am not one of those "Remake the game 1:1" - kind of people but I agree with them at this one point. At least kill the girl of a bit later and in a different way instead of repeating the one thing that REALLY would be an impactful change.

I need to talk about shipping here, but I really don't want to. The Clerith-Game was so darn strong in Remake, just to be ruined in Rebirth for whatever stupid reason. I mean, why did I get a date in which Aerith said she loved Cloud for Cloud and not for the parts that remind her of Zack just to end up with a date that basically mirrors her date with Zack, but went totally wrong in the end? How can we go from Cloud almost kissing Tifa in a canon scene to this heartbreaking moment of Cloud cradling Aerith in his Arms when he "thought" she was dead and then "woke her up" again? WHAT IS THIS BULLSHIT? Why do we get Marlene telling Zack that Aerith has feeling for Cloud, just for Zack to go find help for Cloud with Aeriths Hairband wrapped around his hand like a lucky charm? And why does someone write the Lyrics of "No Promises to keep" in that way just to say it is not a lovesong? What is wrong with the people in this franchise? I am so sick of this.

This game is NOT a Masterpiece that deserves 10 out of 10 points. Its a walking boring disappointment, full of stupid minigames, timeline bullshit and a Dating-mechanic that doesn't even allow completionists to choose which person they want to go on a date with and on top of all that they do NOT defy fate and yet still managed to ruin THE most iconic freaking scene of any Final Fantasy game! This can only come from a company censoring Tifas big boobs in the first just to showcase them as a selling point in one of their second game. What the hell is wrong with you SE?! And how can you allow the freak that ruined Kingdom Hearts and caused you so much trouble with what should NOT have been Final Fantasy 15 take over such an important project? I can not get all those people loving this game. It sucks! In a totally different way than the first game, but it still freaking sucks!

I give it barely 7 out of 10 points. Its Sin-Counter would be like 300 or so tho, if I would have put it through Game-Sins, just saying.

URG! I really should not play the next installment. Reunion is going to make my crack my PlayStation in anger and frustration. And for what? For people to ruin me 3 shipping-scenes and more timeline bullshit?

I think I am also so disappointed because Remake was that game that had the potential but ruined it and when the second game came out and got those amazing reviews I though, I hoped and I wished for the fact that I would enjoy playing it but I did not. There were barely any moments where I even wanted to open the game for any other reason then finishing it as fast as possible to get rid of it. I just... can not bring myself to love Final Fantasy games anymore. Maybe the Trails-Series has ruined me for other games or maybe everyone else's taste in games has developed with the games over the years and I am still stuck with how thing were with Final Fantasy X. I don't know! But I can not tell you how frustrating it is to - now for the freaking second time - hate a game and do not find it that great why everyone else is all so amazed by it.

And then forcing myself through this freaking toxic fandom and its stupid shipping war.

Just for your information: THERE IS NO CANON SHIP IN THIS GAME! LEARN TO LIVE WITH IT!

And now I need to get the fuck away from the franchise.

[alexandrasavior]

ALEXANDRA SAVIOR: loneliness as an impulse to create

At sixteen, she signed a contract with Columbia Records - a label that released albums, including Adele, Daft Punk, Arcade Fire or LCD Soundsystem. On her debut album, she surprised many in her collaboration with Alex Turner (Arctic Monkeys). “It's been almost ten years since I started my career and I feel some kind of loneliness. Feels like I'm at a standstill, like I'm constantly failing. After all, in this industry you live in a world of constant ups and downs,” Savior tells us.

We meet a year after the release of your second album, The Archer. Due to the pandemic, you could only promote it on streaming platforms, previously you also had to face the producer’s departure and the loss of a music label. How do you view these events in retrospect?

A lot has passed since its release, at least for me. This whole year has been so crazy that it seems as if it lasted nearly a decade. When it comes to touring, I always feel anxious during my live performances - so maybe it's a good thing that people haven't heard the album live (laughs). The recording process was completely different from my debut because I wrote all the songs before finding a producer. I recorded a few demo versions with the band, we played a few songs during the concerts in various arrangements and I immediately knew how I wanted them to sound. Not having a label turned out to be a blessing: there was no pressure, I had no one over me, and I also gained a lot of valuable time to finish the project the way I wanted. I entered the music industry at the age of sixteen - before The Archer I always had a person telling me what to do.

NME wrote that The Archer is "your vision of love stories inspired by B-movies from the 1960s." You get the impression that this is a "soundtrack album" full of autobiographical elements, suitable for inclusion in a movie. How many are you in the second album?

I had a vision of a few songs (ex: But You) planned straight away, I wanted them to sound like those stylistic songs from the 1960s and 1970s. Now I'm wondering in which exact film I would like to put my music... I think everyone would like to "appear" in David Lynch's film. A few days ago I watched Blue Velvet, that’s what I’d pick. It doesn't seem to make much sense, because The Archer is something unlike the director's vision, but I would like it to happen one day. Anyway, talking about my second album is like digging into the past. Now I'm working on a new album, we've even started recording it in the studio.

Can you reveal anything more?

I've been writing for a long time, but I haven't found the final shape of this album in my head yet. Moreover, I don't have a label again (laughs). It's completely different music compared to the previous album. It will be less cinematic, also more slow and gentle, because this whole year brought us to a stage of stagnation. To be honest, I don't even know when this album will be released - without a label I don't have any money to record. With a bit of luck, it might come out at the end of this year (laughs).

Recently, I am fascinated by folk artists who recorded between the 40s and 60s. They created great music, but due to the fact that the situation of women at that time was very difficult, they never managed to achieve success. Karen Dalton and Connie Converse are damn inspiring to me! They started out as young, aspiring girls, and in the end they would collapse anyway. Their music had to wait for its moment for someone to rediscover it after about fifty years. It was the same with Alice Neel, my favorite painter who became famous at the age of 70!

You also started young - by giving up your education at the university, you chose a new life path, which at the beginning was not assigned to you. You could have a "normal life" with the rest of your friends. The music industry has changed the way you have come, it has influenced your growing up.

It was all difficult. The biggest difference between me and my friends was that in the end I was left alone. I was discovering my identity and interests on my own; I didn't learn from professors, I didn't attend any classes. Now my friends are finishing their schools and starting in the same place I was eight years ago. Sometimes I feel like I would like to have the chance to go to university and live this "normal life". I'd like to learn more than just from myself, but the Columbia Records deal did a full 180 on my life. I know something about the world, but it is not university knowledge. I don't think young people should sign big contracts when they're sixteen. It's been almost ten years since I started my career and I feel some kind of loneliness that is also present in my music. The fact that I cannot support myself financially seems to be a failure in itself. But it is also the fault of expectations (both mine and those from outside). These elements make it feel like I'm down, like I'm constantly failing. After all, in this industry you live in a world of constant ups and downs. One month you release a new album, you have a lot of interviews, people are interested... and the next month nobody remembers you, and you have to move on. Then for three years, in constant uncertainty, you work on a new album and you have no idea how the public will receive it. All work can collapse in one second. You feel ruined in the end.

In your lyrics, you can notice a feeling of sadness combined with enjoying it. It's such a musical masochism. In Soft Currents you sing: "My fate is at the hands of my mistakes / and that’s alright." Have you changed your creative formula with the advent of the pandemic?

The last thing I would like to write songs about is the coronavirus and the pandemic. In my lyrics, I am talking about uncertainty, about living in the past, because the present is full of contradictions and anxieties. At the same time, I tried to send this past into oblivion, I also focused on my personal innocence and my self-centeredness. I even mention how Instagram makes me feel! (laugh). These are my experiences: no less, no more, but I don't want to be the person who writes about confinement within four walls; they all do it. I try to approach it from the perspective of my reflections on my life and myself. During the pandemic, I recognized many of my behaviors that turned out to be negative and self-destructive - and this thread will probably also be visible in my writing. I wrote The Archer from the perspective of a person who felt like a victim. Now with my third album, I have accepted the choices I have made and I understand my responsibility. I'm not weak anymore.

[goldkirk]

Top 10 mental health/similar books you've read in the past year? (or documentaries, or podcasts, anything is cool!)

this is gonna be all over the place and way more than just 10, sorry, but i'd say my top most impactful things-of-any-type I've encountered in the past year are the following.

Books:

The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog

Reparenting the Child Who Hurts

Take Back Your Life

Zak George's Dog Training Revolution

When the Body Says No

Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents

The Case Against Conversion "Therapy": Evidence, Ethics, and Alternatives

On Tyranny

Random:

Plato's allegory of the cave

How Tax Brackets Actually Work

UV Camera Reveals The Best Way to Apply Sunscreen to Your Face

Rhett's story of his personal religious deconstruction timeline

This guy's gut wrenchingly honest, timeline-jumping, clearly articulated, and wryly humorous series explaining his long and truly wild journey to atheism

This 6 minute interview with Liz Hunter where she talks about growing up in a cult without realizing it

Church Services Are Designed to Influence You. Here's How.

Former Evangelical leader Josh Harris on renouncing Christianity

therapist talking about the lies purity culture tells women

a therapist's take on religions and emotional manipulation

Polygamist Cult Founder’s Daughter, Rachel Jeffs, Gives Her First TV Interview

Evangelical blinders/guarding your heart

Big Joel's video on anti-abortion propaganda (large focus on the movie Unplanned)

I fantasized about martyrdom too

Omnipotence paradox & laws of logic

"Cults Inside Out" with Rick Alan Ross

An analysis of the Christian martyr complex via the first three God's Not Dead movies

Raised in a cult and finding her voice (an interview with Liz Hunter)

No True Joy Outside the Church?

Pray Away: A Therapist's Take on Conversion Therapy

Nothing Fails Like Bible History - Episode 1

Personal Autonomy Post-Religion

WHAT do you do after LEAVING a cult? (life after the moonies) (this girl is SO FUNNY)

TheraminTrees's (therapist) YouTube videos, especially:

betting on infinity

rebuttals to 'betting on infinity'

false equivalence | qualiasoup and theramintrees

punishing doubt | religious condemnation of thought

'science' of the gaps

commanded to love | performing false emotions for tyrants

grooming minds | the abuse of child indoctrination

degrading love -- part one | how religions distort the meaning of 'love'

degrading love -- part two | how religions distort the meaning of 'love'

living with abusers

imaginary defects | when dogmas label us flawed

creating sickness | recovering from religion

Philosophy Tube's YouTube videos, especially:

Abortion & Ben Shapiro (you might need to pause this one a few times just to mull things over on your own time)

Ignorance & Censorship

Queer✨

Logic

Who's afraid of experts?

Identity: A Trans Coming Out Story

Social Constructs

The Hidden Rules of Modern Society

FundieFriday's YouTube videos, especially:

FOCUS ON THE FAMILY

THE CREATION MUSEUM & ARK ENCOUNTER

RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS

The post 9/11 Evangelical fever dream that is Jesus Camp

MICHAEL & DEBI PEARL

THE MARTYRS OF COLUMBINE

iilluminaughtii's youtube videos, especially:

The Abusive Practices of Focus on the Family

The IBLP & ATI

Ex-Fundie Diaries' YouTube videos, especially:

Christian Nationalist Child Indoctrination Cult: AWANA

Christian Nationalist Propaganda | Inside My Homeschool "Science" Binder

Christian fundamentalism doesn't always look like the Duggars

Anxiety & Anger Are a Sin in Christian Fundamentalism | Emotional Child Abuse

Child Abuse | Spanking, Neglect, & Psychological Punishments in Christian Fundamentalism

Documentaries:

Scientology and the Aftermath

Pray Away

Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult

Lots of others on YouTube and Netflix I'm sorry it's just hard to dig them all up lol, if I have energy some other time I will

Hope this helps someone!

[ladyanput]

Ok so this is the third time that I'm sending you an ask tonight. (or is it night time in your country?) I'm being annoying right now but whatever. So I've been cackling about those salt fics you wrote because they are just amazing. I have a request, though it is up to you to write it or not. So, can you write a salt fic where someone got an interview with Ladybug (probably Aurore) and then they ask her why they replaced the old heroes like Rena Rouge, Carapace and etc. and LB is just like I don't work with dumb shits or somethin'. Then there is also a new Black Cat (Probably Luka, Felix, or Damian) because Adrien here is an asshole and this fic is saltier than salt water. Then LB also insults Alya's blog and their school. Those foolish mortals get some lawsuits and the rest is up to you. (This request is probably messed up since it's already midnight here and I can't sleep.)

You're never annoying, I just apologize that it took me so long to get to you. I do hope you don't hold it against me, darling.

A one on one interview with Ladybug was basically unheard of if you weren't the Ladyblog or Nadja Chadwick. Ladybug had made it firm that she wasn't a celebrity, she was a hero. She wasn't there for clout, for attention, for fame or fortune. She just wanted to keep Paris safe.

That's was Aurore admired about her. And why she felt queasy as she sat across from the heroine, who had given her of all people an interview. But she got ahold of herself, taking deep breaths as the cameraman began counting down. And when he hit 'one', she put on her best smile and straightened in her seat.

"Hello Paris! Welcome back to 'Latest Buzz'! I am your lovable host, Aurore Beauréal. Today I am here with a very, very special guest, our very own heroine of Paris; Ladybug!"

Ladybug beamed right at the camera, but gave a shy little wave, giving away the nerves she obviously had.

"Now, Ladybug, I'm so glad you requested to be on the show. You know, I initially thought I had misheard when Estelle told me. Usually you're not big on personal interviews." Aurore gave her full attention to Ladybug, but keeping the bright, friendly smile and perfect posture.

"Well, I tried a few times actually. But when I did, none of them were really great experiences." Ladybug admitted and both girls immediately thought of that disastrous Face-to-Face interview. It left a bitter taste in their mouths. "My issue is that misinformation has been spread around a lot recently. It's made me realize that I need to find more trustworthy sources."

"Ladybug. I vow on my integrity as a host and Estelle's reputation as a journalist that we are people who research facts. We don't ambush our guests, we respect them." She said, placing a hand on her heart. Ladybug saw an honesty in her eyes that she hadn't seen in such a long time. It honestly made her feel.. Respected. "Now, Ladybug.. We both know you have a lot of fans. A lot of admirers. False information can be spread so easily these days, which sources specifically are you telling people to avoid?"

"Well.. With Face-to-Face, I found that I was entirely ambushed in that interview. I wanted to speak about my hero work, but instead Nadja kept trying to needle her way into my personal life. That picture she had shown in largely out of context; when Dark Cupid attacked and Chat Noir was under his spell, it was the only way to get him free."

"Yes, I remember watching that. I'll be honest Ladybug, I felt bad for you." Aurore bit her lip, but smiled a bit when Ladybug nodded. "I mean, Chat Noir wasn't helping either. He seemed to be trying to push this narrative forward that you two are a couple."

"And we're not!" Ladybug burst out before she could stop herself. Everyone in that studio could hear the utter stress and frustration in her voice. "I've begged and begged Chat Noir to stop with the flirting, the 'telling people we're dating', everything! I just wanted him to focus and he couldn't seem to do that!"

"Is that why you replaced him? Because of his slacking off and refusing to take anything seriously?" Aurora sat up an bit straighter, her eyes going wide.

".. Not exactly, no. It was a bunch of issues that eventually piled up and boiled over." Ladybug made some gestures with her hands, trying her hardest to find the words but just letting out a long and pained sigh in the end. "I do enjoy my new partner now. He is more serious, more stable. I know he won't go off and pout if I deny something he wanted. I needed an entirely new team, as a matter of fact."

"Well I am going to say, on behalf of everyone here, that we're glad. We swear on our integrity as journalists that if such rumours were to ever surface again, we will do our proper research." Aurore beamed and many of the staff and crew behind the cameras nodded and gave Ladybug their thumbs up. Honestly, it warmed Ladybug's heart to see such support.

When had been the last time someone had supported her like this? Sure, her parents supported her, but her friends..? Her peers? No, none of them had supported her in a long time.

"Speaking of research, I'd say to stay away from the Ladyblog." It burned to say it but it had to be said. Alya had crossed so many lines it wasn't even forgivable at this point. She had gone too far, had betrayed too many.

"Wait, what?" Aurore nearly jumped out of her seat but quickly composed herself, taking a deep breath. "Pardon me Ladybug, but the Ladyblog has been a vital source of information since the very beginning."

"And I'm not denying that!" Ladybug quickly held up her hands, her eyes desperate now. "But please let me explain. The Ladyblog was amazing in the beginning, but like all things, it started to go astray. It was things like trying so hard to find out my identity. Trying to push that narrative of that whole superhero couple thing.. Ladyblogger Alya Césaire has proven time and time again that she is not trustworthy. I mean, I thought she was my biggest fan. Why does she keep pushing my words aside?"

Many people who watched the interview would agree. If you idolized someone, respected someone, truly looked up to them.. Why would you push aside their words, their wishes to try and push the narrative you're so convinced is true, but isn't there?

"And don't get me started on the whole Lila Rossi craze she seemed to be on now." At Ladybug's mention of Lila Rossi, both Estelle and Aurore had to keep from rolling their eyes. They knew all about the girl.

"You speak as if you are quite frustrated, Ladybug. What an odd reaction to your best friend." Aurore leaned forward a bit in her seat. Everyone else got to the edge of theirs. Ladybug only shook her head, looking utterly defeated.

"That's the thing, she isn't my best friend." It took everything to keep from satin that she hated her, that she had taken away her friends and her life. "The only times she's met Ladybug is when she's been akumatized, which has been around six or seven times at this point. And the other things she's claiming are so outlandish! Saving Jagged Stone's kitten from a airport runway? Clara Nightengale stealing her dance moves? And the Ladyblog just posts it out there, claiming every single story is true. I'm just scared that people are taking this one hundred percent seriously. That's why I had to drop Rena Rouge and Carapace from the team as they believed Lila Rossi over me. They didn't even try to confirm these rumours! And it hurts to think that one day, someone will take Lila's words seriously and get hurt. What if she says it's safe to dip strawberries in bleach? Or tells someone that she found a way to tame some kind of wild animal? Someone would get hurt because they believe her story and try it out for themselves!"

"My goodness, I can definitely see how that is a problem. Misinformation is very easy to spread thanks to the internet, so you being worried is a very relatable thing." Aurore nodded, then tilted her head ever so slightly. "Ladybug, do you know anyone who has taken her word seriously? This is besides the Ladyblog of course."

Ladybug closed her eyes briefly, mentally debating with herself before finally giving in. These things needed to be said.

"Collège François DuPont. Now I wasn't there personally, but I heard about this situation and looked into it. The entire situation was appalling. Apparently a student was found to have cheated, assaulted another student, and commited thievery. But the thing that stuck out is only one person saw her do all of these things; Lila Rossi. No investigation was done, no questioning other students. This student was then expelled immediately. Her teacher and her principal didn't even give her a chance. And from what people have been saying, Miss Rossi's behaviour is actively encouraged in that school. She misses countless days, no, months of school, claiming she's traveling. But when she was supposedly in Achu, doing whatever it was she was claiming with Prince Ali, I was fighting her akuma here in Paris on Heroes Day!"

"I was at school the day that happened. I knew the student that happened to. They're the nicest person in that school! Never a bad thing to say about anyone, always willing to help! I agree with you on how things were handled, it's a level of incompetence that is baffling." Aurore's hands slowly curled into fists as she remembered it all. She slowly shook her head. "The principal, their teacher, their class who backed up Rossi. It must have hurt them so much, made them feel so alone."

"That's why I want people to be more careful with what information they take as fact. It's so important, because stuff like that can lead people to a desperate place. They feel alone, like the entire world is against them. I wouldn't have let the principal and the teacher get away with that gross negligence in their jobs." Ladybug leveled her gaze directly to the camera. "People of Paris, please listen to what I am saying. I am here to be a hero, to protect you from the terror of Hawkmoth and to defeat him. But please, do not be like Principal Damocles, do not be like that teacher and her class at DuPont. Do your research, look up your facts. Do not let a liar lead you to do something dangerous and hurt yourself as well as others. Respect each other, talk and be honest. I swear on my life that I shall do the same. You are the people I swore to protect and I love. I am saying this all to protect you. And I'll hope you'll all forgive me for not protecting you sooner."

...

The interview rocked Paris. Ladybug speaking so openly about her frustrations, about the discrepancies in the Ladyblog and Lila Rossi had many people double checking the sources of everything they learned from that blog.

Alya could barely show her face as she made her way though the school hallways. Her reputation as a journalist had gone down the drain. People had basically started boycotting her blog, harrassing her, or trash talking her on other forums and sites. Even a lot of news outlets picked this up.

What hurt the most from that interview last night was Ladybug's words towards her, both as Rena Rouge and as Alya. Surely the heroine had to be mistaken, she had never beytrayed Ladybug! And that Oblivio incident, it was just to show Chat Noir and Ladybug that they were meant to be together!

Her family was upset with her. No, upset was too tame of a word. They were pissed.

"I can't believe she lied to us.."

"Well what do you expect from someone who keeps harrassing Ladybug?"

Alya flinched when she heard the whispers and rushed into Miss Buster's class. The entire class was there, all seated, all looking utterly miserable. Many of them looked as if they had been crying all night. A lot like she had.

"W-where's Miss Bustier?" Alya asked when she eyed the empty desk. Many of her classmates shot her glares, but didn't say anything about the interview last night. After all, they had no room to talk.

"She and Principal Damocles are with the school board now. We're getting a new teacher." Adrien was the one that spoke up. He looked utterly miserable. So unlike his usual self.

"Lila isn't coming back. She was pulled from school when her mother found out what happened." Alix muttered from her seat, arms crossed and shoulders hunched.

The class went quiet as they all internally contemplated how things had gotten like this. Their eyes focused on the door when it abruptly opened and Marinette came strolling in, carrying a box.

"Good morning everyone!" She said brightly, pretending not to notice the downcast expressions on their faces. She set the box on the teacher's desk before she turned towards them. "Oh? What's wrong everyone?"

".. Did you not watch the interview with Ladybug on 'Latest Buzz'?" Alya stared at Marinette, a bit dumbfounded by her friend's lack of awareness of the situation. She had been expecting Marinette to rush in with support and a fiery vengeance against those who had humiliated her best friend, maybe even a fresh pastry. But instead she was greeted with empty hands and a cheerful hello?

"Oh, well I haven't really had the time to watch much television. I mean, with my transfer papers, needing to plan out my new schedule with all of those new classes. Busy as a bee, that's me!" Marinette just beamed, giving Adrien a playful wink that had his stomach churning.

"Wait, transfering?" It was Rose that spoke up, her large eyes seeming impossibly large now. "Transfer what?"

"To my new school, of course." Marinette giggled and clasped her hands together. "I start on Monday."

"New school?!" Alya was on her feet and rushing towards Marinette. The others quickly followed, crowding around her. "What do you mean new school?! When did you ever say you were going to a new school?"

Marinette blinked, as if stunned, then tilted her head ever so slightly.

"I told you all last week, don't you remember?" Marinette tapped her lower lip, seeming to be wracking her brain before she abruptly snapped her fingers. "Oh! I forgot, you all were deep in conversation with Lila about her upcoming event with Jagged Stone and Clara Nightengale. You know, the one she said she'd be attending with Ladybug, since they're such good friends. Did she ever say how it went?"

All of the students shifted uneasily, suddenly seeming to refuse to meet her face.

Alix murmured something so barely audible, Marinette held a hand to her ear and leaned closer.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"Lila was lying to us!" Alix snapped as her cheeks went a flaming red.

"About everything! She never knew Jagged Stone!" Juleka spat out in fury.

"Or Prince Ali!" Rose sniffled.

"And she wasn't friends with Ladybug? They were barely acquaintances!" Alya wailed out as tears welled up in her eyes.

But Marinette hardly reacted the way they were expecting. She just gave them a small smile and nodded.

"Oh, yeah. I know."

Alya sucked in a breath sharply.

"You knew..? But why did you never..?"

"Oh Alya, you silly forgetful thing. I told you the day she returned from her long 'trip', remember? I told you she was lying." Marinette gave Alya a smile that said 'oh you silly thing'. "But you told me that I should really check my sources. And I got tired of trying to bring up any lies, since that was always your response. So I decided to just stop. I mean, since you're such an inspiring, honest journalist you must double and triple check every source you come across and found every story to be true!"

Alya flinched and looked away, feeling the churning feeling in her gut again. No, the Ladyblog had been the only source for the stories. The. Only. One.

"And I'm sure all of you knew what you were doing! I mean, it makes sense; trusting the words of a complete stranger over someone you've known for a while now. Some of you since we were in diapers!" She focused her gaze on Nino and Kim, who had the grace to at least look ashamed.

"Marinette, you really should-" Adrien began, reaching out for the girl, but was cut off by her clapping her hands together.

"But it's alright! I decided that fighting with you all wasn't worth it, so I took Adrien's advice and took the high road! Don't bother exposing Lila, she isn't hurting anyone!" Marinette announced brightly, giving her hands a little wave.

The temperature in the classroom dropped by several degrees.

".. Adrien, she's kidding, right?" Nino glanced over at his friend, his eyes pleading for him to deny it all. But the sight of the blood draining from the model's face and the sweat starting to bead at his forehead told him everything he needed to know. "Dude.."

"How could you?! You knew this entire time and didn't even try to tell me?!" Alya rounded on Adrien, fury in her eyes.

"Now, now, don't get mad at Adrien. I'm sure he knew you all were going to do you research. Besides, it's not like this did anything bad for anyone." Marinette pressed a hand to her cheek, still grinning. "I mean, it's not like you all took her advice without doing any research. You didn't try the things she suggested without actually checking them out to be true, right? No one lost any scholarships or job opportunities. No one's relationships were ruined. No one was hurt."

The nauseous feeling spread to all of the class as the reality of everything caught up with them.

"I'm sure everything will go back to normal, right? I mean, I'm sure that that woman from the education bureau isn't here to fire Damocles and Bustier for their severe neglect in their duties. Expelling me with the most mediocre and shaky proof. Surely that's a school I should feel safe in! That I should be proud to be a part of. But alas, my preparations for my new school are already done, so oh well."

Marinette shrugged and adjusted her purse strap.

"Anyhow, I wish you all luck with the amazing things Lila has helped you to do! I know it must have been worth ignoring me and convincing me I was crazy. With all of the free time I've had, with you guys practically replacing me with Lila in the group, I've had tons of time to spend with my boyfriend."

"Boyfriend?!" Alya's eyes went owlishly wide as she gaped at Marinette. "But what about Adrien?!"

"Oh Alya, I fell out of love with Adrien forever ago." Marinette shook her head in an almost patronizing way that had Alya's cheeks burning with embarrassment. They didn't even pay attention to Adrien's noises of surprise. "I mean, you claimed I was jealous of Lila getting close to Adrien, that I should let the jealousy go. And you know what? You were right! So I decided Adrien wasn't worth the stress, the embarrassment.. I mean, I couldn't even talk to him straight. I thought he was the most perfect guy in the world! Goodness, did I learn my lesson!"

She giggled as if she found the entire thing amusing. She then beamed at the class.

"Well, ta-ta! I need to get back home and make sure everything is ready to go. I wish you all the best, I really do!"

They all watched, shellshocked as Marinette breezed out of the classroom like it was nothing. Like she wasn't leaving her friends, her school, her life behind. And they all would wonder exactly how badly they screwed up, if she could walk away do easily, without a care.

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[watchmegetobsessed]

Crushing - Harry Styles

a/n: just a little something that was inspired by a tiktok and @pastequeharry​ !

pairing: Harry X Famous!Reader

word count: 2.2k

masterlist

“Welcome back, I hope has everyone returned from our little break because we are playing a fun little game with Y/N, who by the way won a Grammy award for best new artist this weekend, so congratulations on that!”

Ellen smiles at you widely as she claps along with the audience and you’re just smiling shyly, still not quite used to the sound of it.

“Thank you,” you nod looking around.

“Okay, we are going to play a round of who’d you rather. Are you familiar with the game?” she asks you.

“Yes, I’ve seen others play it before.”

“Great. For those who don’t know the game, two people will show up on the screen and Y/N will have to choose one. Whoever she chooses will come with us to the next round and at the end we’ll know who is her ultimate crush.”

“Ah man,” you huff, feeling a little nervous about who they are gonna show you and the audience laughs at your reaction as your fingers dig into the armrest of the armchair you’re sitting comfortably in.

“Are you ready?” Ellen questions with a smile that tells you just how much she is enjoying this.

“I don’t think I’ll ever be, but let’s get started,” you chuckle nervously.

“Okay, let’s see our first pair,” she starts and two pictures show up on the big screen and on the smaller one at the front of the stage so you don’t have to crane your neck. “So we have Zendaya and Tom Holland. Who are you choosing?”

“You really had to start with two of my biggest Marvel crushes?!” you whine and the audience starts laughing again as you chew on your bottom lip, trying to decide. “I love them both, but I’m gonna have to go with Zendaya, because in height, we would be better. I’m sorry Tom, I still love you!” you declare, looking around all cameras, hoping they all got your confession.

“Alright. So now we’ll keep Zendaya and move on to the next person, who is… Harry Styles. Zendaya or Harry Styles?”

The blood rushes out of your face as you see a picture of Harry, memories of the two of you meeting at the award show in the weekend flooding back to your mind. Harry has been a crush of yours since probably forever. You’ve been a fan of his since his One Direction days and your career started to take off sometime around the time he started his solo career, only difference is that it took you a little longer to earn yourself a name in the industry. But this weekend you finally met him for the first time, in real life, without you just watching him on the stage with four other men.

You spotted him at the area that led to the red carpet, he was about to step out when his eyes laid on you and though he was wearing a mask, you still knew he was smiling from the little wrinkles in the corners of his eyes. Your breath caught in your throat, stopping in your track as you were holding up your gown so you wouldn’t trip and fall with all the cameras around.

“Y/N! Hi!” he greeted you stepping closer, as if the two of you were old friends.

“Hi!” you managed to speak up, feeling completely starstruck.

“Love the gown! You look wonderful!” he complimented you and you could feel your cheeks heating up so fast.

“Oh, thank you, but I think you’re stealing the show with the boas,” you chuckled making him laugh as well.

“Thank you. Congrats on the nomination, I really hope you win by the way.”

“You do?”

“Of course. Listened to the album, it’s really good,” he nodded and your heart skipped a beat. Harry Styles listened to your album and he liked it? This must be Heaven, but when did you die?

“Thank you so much! I hope you win too, though your chances are better with your three nominations,” you joked making him laugh again.

“Yeah, just a little,” he nodded. “Here, let me help you.” He offered you his arm helping you step up the few steps that lead to the area where the red carpet photos were taken and you were thankful for the help, though you could already hear all the camera’s clicking in your way and you knew the photos would be all over the internet by the next day.

You only met one more time during the evening and you could only congratulate to each other on the wins before you both were snatched away, but you still play your conversation with him in your head before you go to bed in the evening.

“Um, Zendaya is everything but I’m gonna play this game honestly so I’ll choose Harry.”

The audience starts cheering and clapping at the decision as Ellen smirks at you, nodding along.

“No need to be shy, we all have a crush on Harry probably,” she jokes making you laugh. “Okay, next up we have… Harry Styles and The Weeknd.”

“I’m gonna stick to Harry,” you answer probably a little too fast, but if you’re being honest, they can’t show you anyone at this point who would beat Harry.

“Harry stays, next we have Harry and… Florence Pugh.”

“You guys made sure to make it hard for me!” you chuckle staring at the screen. “But I’m still gonna stick to Harry, though I love them both.”

“Alright, for the next round we have Harry Styles and Niall Horan.”

“I’m upset, because as a One Direction fan, I should not be forced to choose between them,” you point at Ellen, giving her a hard look which the audience finds quite hilarious.

“I’m sure you had ranked them before, don’t be shy,” she smirks and you sigh rolling your eyes.

“Okay, no offence to anyone but Harry stays. Sorry Niall, I still love you though,” you add with a smile.

“Harry is in a winning streak, it seems. Okay, let’s see his next opponent. Harry against Chris Evans.”

“Harry,” you answer with a sigh, crossing your legs, knowing well you will not choose anyone over Harry.

“Fast answer, great. Harry Styles or Ariana Grande.”

“Love Ariana, she’s a queen, but Harry,” you answer with a smile, the audience enjoying your obsession over Harry Styles and at this point you are not even trying to hide it.

“Harry Styles or Henry Cavill?”

“Harry,” you answer right away.

Henry’s picture disappears and Harry’s moves to the middle as the game comes to its end.

“Seems like we have a winner here. Harry Styles beat everyone!” Ellen chuckles as you glance at the big screen, blushing a little, but you are hoping your makeup is covering it well.

“You said it yourself, everyone has a crush on him,” you shrug, trying to play it cool.

“Yes, but not everyone was helped out by him,” she smirks as a photo of the two of you appears on the screen from last weekend and you cover your face with your hands as the audience goes wild.

“He is a gentleman,” you sigh dreamily.

“He really is and I have to say that the two of you look great together.”

“Oh stop it,” you chuckle, playing it over a little, just to make it less obvious how giddy even the thought makes you.

“Well, now we know that he is your number one choice, hopefully he’ll take the next step,” Ellen chuckles before moving on and asking you a few more questions as part of your appearance on the show.

Weeks go by and you kind of forget about the whole interview. It blows up the next few days, but nothing really happens, people just get excited that you are crushing on Harry just like everyone else, but it dies down pretty quickly.

You barely recovered from your Grammy win and yet you are already marching towards another milestone in your career. None other than Gucci asked you to be part of their new campaign in an amazing photoshoot and you just couldn’t say no, not that you ever even thought about it. After some online meetings and sending emails back and forth the first fitting’s day has finally arrived and you are buzzing!

Heading down to the showroom to go over every outfit they want you to wear for the photos, you can’t wipe the excited grin off your face. Growing up you could only dream about owning anything Gucci, now you are going to be promoting them so it truly is a dream come true.

Arriving you are walked into the showroom that is now filled with racks of clothes and there’s a podium with three mirrors surrounding it for the fitting.

“Y/N! Hi! So nice to finally meet you after all the emails and calls!” Nancy, the creative director of the campaign greets you.

“Nice to meet you too!”

“We are in a little bit of delay, I’m very sorry about that, but we can start in about ten minutes, if that’s alright with you.”

“Oh, no worries. I’m free all day,” you assure her before she thanks your patience and runs off to finish off whatever she was doing before.

Wandering around you take a look at the beautiful clothes on the racks, blown by basically everything you see and you can’t wait to wear the outfits that were meant for you. In the back of the room, a part is closed off for a changing area and you hear the door opening as Nancy walks out first, talking to someone following her behind and when you see the person, you freeze.

Harry Styles walks out, wearing a just a shirt and jeans, looking very casual but still, unbelievably hot. The man could wear a potato sack and still look better than any other men.

“Thank you so much,” he smiles at Nancy before his eyes lay on you, a wide smirk tugging on his lips in realization. “So nice to see a familiar face!” he beams, walking closer before he pulls you in for a short hug that catches you by surprise, but also warms your chest.

“Hi, didn’t expect to see you here, though you are kind of one with the brand at this point,” you tease him making him laugh.

“I am, yeah. I heard that you would be featured in the campaign as well. Amazing choice,” he smirks, glancing over at Nancy who smiles proudly, clearly agreeing with him.

“Y/N, I’ll get the changing room ready for you and we can start in five, alright?” Nancy informs you.

“Yeah, thank you!” You nod in her way and she is already off to do the work, leaving you and Harry alone.

“So, I learned some interesting information the other day,” he hums with a serious face and he got you curious about what it could be.

“Yeah?”

“Mhm, you know, I was watching The Ellen Show and you were on, playing a little game.”

“Oh my God,” you breathe out, already feeling the heat crawling up your neck to your cheeks. Harry smirks down at you, clearly enjoying that he got you so nervous and embarrassed of what happened.

“I wish I knew about your little crush earlier!” he teases you, making your groan.

“And why is that? So you could pull my leg at the Grammy’s when I was already shitting my pants?”

Harry lets out a chuckle shaking his head as he hides his hands in his pockets, his eyes running up and down your figure before they meet with your gaze again.

“No. Because then I wouldn’t have talked myself down from asking for your number.”

You can’t help the stunned reaction that takes over your face at his blunt flirting, your lips part as your eyebrows shoot up while Harry just stares back at you with a sly smirk on his deliciously pink lips.

“Oh, is that so?”

“Yeah, but now that I know that you are crushing on me just like I’m crushing on you, I think it’s time to make the first step. So…” he pulls his phone out and hands it over to you and continues while you type your number in. “I’m not just asking for your number, but I happened to hear that you have nothing else planned for the day, is that true?”

“It is,” you nod, feeling out of breath as you hand him back his phone, your number saved in his contacts.

“Then how about grabbing lunch after your fitting? I happen to have nothing today as well, we should take advantage of it,” he suggests and you can’t push your stunned smile down.

“Sounds good,” you nod, biting into your bottom lip.

“Great. I’ll run some errands while you are here and I’ll be back in about an hour.”

“You could stay here if you want, I don’t mind it,” you tell him, feeling like he is only leaving because he doesn’t want to intrude.

“I would love to, but I really want to see the final outcome of the campaign and not spoil it for myself,” he smirks making you chuckle.

“Alright. Then see you in an hour.”

“Yeah,” he nods with a boyish smirk before turning around and walking out of the showroom.

Thank you for reading, please like and reblog if you enjoyed it!

[handsomelyhiddleston]

Smitten - Tom Hiddleston x Curvy Reader

Filming sex scenes wasn’t the easiest task. There are weird nude undergarments or socks or tape or sometimes just a nude co-star…With Tom, though? There were nerves and feelings and a deep down hope that he couldn’t tell that you were incredibly turned on as he mimed fucking you twelve ways to Sunday.

“Cut! That’s a wrap on today. Great work guys!” the director called.

Tom collapsed onto your chest, laughing as the tension left his body. “These never get easier.”

“I don’t know” you teased, playing with his hair as everyone left the set so you two could leave the bed with some of your dignity. “It’s a lot easier with you.”

Tom held himself up on his elbows. “Don’t tell me your past romantic co-stars have been less than gentlemanly.”

“Not all of them.” You shrugged. Being a ‘larger than the Hollywood standard’ actress had put you in some…not very flattering roles in the start of your career. Sure, now you were the romantic lead with a conventionally attractive male actor, but lets just say you’ve dealt with a lot to get here.

“Well, I hope you know you deserved better.” Tom kissed the back of one of your hands, rolling off of you.

“Coming from you, I may actually believe it.” You laughed, gathering the sheet around you as you left the bed, grabbed your robe, and started walking towards your trailer.

The two of you filmed the movie…Where you’d usually fall asleep in one of your two trailers watching other movies…

The two of you attended interviews…Where Tom would almost always defer to you and even stuck up for you when a few interviewers were borderline sexist or would comment on your appearance…

The two of you even walked a few red carpets together…Tom’s hand always placed at your middle or  on your hip or in one of your hands...

He invited you out to eat with him before or after any shindig the two of you went to…

He’d walk you to your hotel rooms with kisses left on your cheeks…

He’d even tried to convince you to spend the week before the premiere in London with him…

In your mind, Tom was just too nice. He was nice to everybody. It all seemed very friendly…Until…

You hadn’t been watching the interviews as they’d been posted. Some interviews you did together with Tom and others you’d been split up and put with other actors from the movie.

Your phone pinged…

*best friend* - HAVE YOU SEEN TOM ON FALLON?!?

Before you could reply, your phone started blowing up.

You scrolled through the texts until you saw Tom’s

Tom – Darling, I hope you know how much you mean to me. Regardless of what your answer is, I’d never want to lose your friendship. It’s not every day you get to work with one so incredibly kind and thoughtful and talented and beautiful and…every moment I’ve spent with you has been a privilege. Please put me out of my misery and let me know you’ll at least let me see you again.

“What the fuck?” you asked yourself, opening your laptop and googling “Tom Hiddleston and Jimmy Fallon”

You saw that the Fallon YouTube channel had just posted Tom’s segment of tonight’s episode…

“How are you doing, buddy?” Fallon asked, pulling Tom into a tight hug.

“I’m doing incredibly well at the moment, actually.” Tom answered, sharing that the movie you two had filmed together had done extremely well on its opening weekend just a few days earlier.

“I know! It was amazing. I’ve seen it twice!” Fallon replied, always enthusiastic.

“I’m so glad you liked it. Y/n is incredible, right?” Tom turned to the audience, loving that they cheered when he brought you up.

“Oh my god, you two are so good together. I kind of thought maybe you two were…you know…” Fallon waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Tom threw his head back laughing, fidgeting with his tie and avoiding looking into the audience.

“Come on, you can’t tell me you two don’t have SOME sort of real chemistry. I saw the movie.” Fallon gave Tom a look like *Don’t lie*

“Well, perhaps we’re just incredible actors and you’re simply complimenting our craft.” Tom shrugged, trying to look anywhere but at Jimmy.

“Well, yes. The acting in the movie is amazing, but I don’t think that accounts for this.” Jimmy turned and pointed to the screen. It was a series of clips pulled from Tom’s interviews where all he did was gush about you.

“I missed being home, but it’s hard for anyone to stay upset when they’re around Y/n. She just lifts the mood in any room she’s in. You could say she makes anywhere feel a bit like home.” Tom had answered when a woman asked him if it was hard being on site away from home for 5 months.

When another interviewer asked Tom what his favorite line in the movie was, he answered, quoting one of your lines. “When she delivered it for the first time, it kind of took my breath away. I felt very unprofessional. I had to apologize and ask to start over. I couldn’t remember what I was supposed to say next. She tends to have that effect on me.” Tom laughed, a slight blush on his cheeks.

The final clip was one of an interviewer simply asking Tom how his day had gone. “I feel all out of sorts, if I’m being honest. Y/n isn’t here today because she woke up not feeling the best and with Covid still being an issue, she didn’t want to risk getting anyone else sick.” Tom answered with a sad smile on his face. When the interviewer shared that they hoped you would be okay and feel better soon, Tom answered with “I’ll make sure to pass on your sentiments when I bring her food later on.”

“COME ON!” Fallon laughed, throwing his arms up.

“I know, I know. I’m not very good at hiding how I feel, I guess.” Tom admitted, leaning back against the couch and laying his arm across the top. The crowd went wild.

“So, you admit it! Are you two together?!” Fallon asked, sitting on the edge of his seat.

“Unfortunately, not.” Tom answered, ducking his head as his cheeks flushed.

“Why?!” Jimmy asked. “You’re clearly smitten!”

“Hey, it’s not my fault!” Tom rebutted, looking to the audience for support. “I’ve tried!”

“Aww, now I feel bad for bringing it up.” Fallon chuckled and looked at the audience as they collectively ‘aww’ed. “How could anyone turn down this?!” He gestured towards Tom as the audience cheered.

“Well, if I’m to be completely honest I guess I haven’t actually TOLD her how I feel.” Tom confessed.

“Wait, what do you mean?” Jimmy paused.

“Well, I thought she’d catch on. I assume she has.” Tom laughed, fidgeting in his seat. “I’m pretty sure everyone else that knows the two of us can tell I’ve fallen completely head over heels for her.”

“Tom, Tom, Tom.” Jimmy shook his head.

“What?” Tom asked, nervous about what the answer would be.

“I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but I think you may just be horrible at flirting.” Fallon said with a straight face, the audience busting up laughing after.

“Do you think?” Tom replied, eyes gone wide in exaggerated surprise.

“I mean, I think you’re just so nice.” Jimmy laughed, trying to stay serious…“that everyone thinks you’re flirting with them…Which means, when you’re trying to flirt it just blends in.”  

“Well, how would you suggest I stand out then?” Tom asked, putting his elbow on his knee and leaning his chin on his fist like he was really paying attention.

“I mean…” Fallon slowly pointed towards the camera. “You gotta shoot your shot, right?”

The audience went wild at the suggestion. “Oh, dear.”

“I can scrap this and we can just talk about the movie.” Jimmy offered, making sure Tom knew that none of this had to go on the air.

“I mean, if it’s truly that obvious to everyone what have I got to lose, right?” Tom answered.

“That’s what we like to hear!” Jimmy cheered with the audience.

“Well…Y/n.” Tom paused, a soft smile on his face. “I don’t quite know where to start. I feel as though I may have been remiss by not just telling you how I feel. The consequence of such is that now I’m doing it in front of all of these people *gestures to the audience*…and I’m sure you’re laughing at how red I’ve gone and how flustered I am so I’m going to get to the point. Darling, you’re an incredible woman. I could list a million reasons why, but hopefully later you’ll give me the time to tell you them in person. What I really want to tell you now is that you make me happy. You inspire me. You make me want to be the best version of myself and you even make me believe I can achieve it. I’d be honored if you’d give me a chance.”

Fallon had tears in his eyes and most of the audience did, as well. “I…That was so beautiful. I think we need to go to a commercial break.” He was all choked up and stood to give Tom a hug.

You pulled up Tom’s text, your fingers hovering over the keyboard. “Are you still in New York?” you text him. The two of you were there for interviews. You were even staying in the same hotel.

“I am.” He text back, but the ‘typing’ bubble stayed. “Did you watch it?”

“I did.” You answered. “Come over?”

You saw the ‘typing’ bubble pop up and then disappear a few times. Instead of a text, you heard a knock at your hotel door.

“So?” Tom asked when you opened the door. He looked nervous, a look you didn’t often see from him. He had his glasses on and his hair was an adorable mess. He was even already dressed in his night clothes.

You didn’t answer. Instead, you stepped forward and placed your hands on each side of his face, pulling his lips gently to yours. He quickly reciprocated, his hands finding your hips as he walked you backwards into your hotel room.

“And to think, I could have been doing that for a whole year already.” You teased him, connecting your lips again.

“Don’t worry, my sweet.” Tom answered, pressing kisses across your cheek and down your neck. His lips paused at the shell of your ear and his voice dropped. “It just means we’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”