#the only difference is having june by her side who can defend her lol

[alicec-666]

11 for Sarah Junior :>

11) Their family life

Oof, I imagined it being an all known scenario, tbh. The gal had a normal family, up until the age 14, when her father and mother decided to get a divorce, but Sarah was left with her father who, in a couple of months, found himself a new spouse - a step-mother for the woman.

In a year more, Sarah wasn't the only family's child anymore - she got a little brother (which still needs to be developed, since I haven't really thought of how her family even looks like, only basics XD)

So, yeah, that was also a year when she accidentally met her "masked friend", abandoned on their attic among the old house owners' things and relics. And that's where the things got messy.

Sarah and the black mask (aka the "vessel" for June, her new acquaintance) soon became close friends, as Sarah could clearly hear her and hold neat conversations with June in her mind (pretty much a reason she's believed to have schizophrenia, and "talks to herself" a lot). But back to the topic :')

Some of those conversations lead to how much Sarah hated her step-mother, and wished she would never get into their life, for once that "pesky woman" appeared, her and her father's relationship got more... Strained.

In the followed two years, when Sarah was 17, would you know it, her step mother was found dead, and the police believes that she was suffocated by the opened gas in the room. But we know where else those fukes could come from, right? :'3

So, as for now, Sarah has got a rented apartment of her own, and doesn't see her family (or, rather, what's left of it) too much. She isn't aware of how her dad and brother are doing, but can't really connect with them either. Not after the growing guilt of what she and June have done.

So, yeah, basically, here you have it XD

Thank you for the ask!

[burncandlesnotsinners]

My Side: The @bastartjack and @pechadream Situation (Part 1 *emotional*)

Info: For starters I would like to say not only will I take neither side but I’ll provide evidence against both. If you are unaware of the situation, a good friend of mine Jack (@bastartjack) came out with allegations of another good friend of mine Pecha (@pechadream) alleging that Pecha is quote, a “bitch ass” and I am here to say not only is that true but Jack himself is very much hypocrite in this department as well.

In this post I’ll break down Pecha’s Response but will include it bits of Jack if he has also been accused or provably done similar, although please be aware that this post is dealing with some serious topics and if you cannot handle (1) three friends joking, (2) all this being fake, (3) short posts pretending to be longer than they are, and (4) KIND OF IMPORTANT AOT spoilers then I suggest you stop reading and wait for a YouTuber to make a proper documentary on the situation. Now let’s move on.

For starters the big reason I felt it was necessary for me to make this post is one of the biggest lies in Pecha‘s response

Pecha not only blackmails but also bargains all the time, she supports and pushes situations in the very well known group chat ‘(Zeke/Ymir/Pieck/Qubert Love Club/Ew Eren/Hope Floch's Corpse Gets Mauled By A Bear Next Ep/Rip Porco)’ to attempt to pin me and Jack against each other. It works and usually Jack is in the butt of the joke.

Take these two instances where in screenshot (A) I was obviously in a very vulnerable state having just woken up and Pecha went out of her way to convince me the time zones were different and made a backhanded comment at Jack being american (see more in Note 2). In (B) you will get a glimpse of the ‘Pin of Shame’ (see more in Note 1) they referred to within their respective posts, in the screenshot I will prove ‘nya’ is not the worst thing Pecha has said and gotten pinned for. Here is her threatening us about it.

Lastly in (C), you will see Jack gatekeeping Qubert nation; as he likes to call it. He gatekeeps love for this national treasure (I’m the one who came up with the name Qubert to begin with. Yes all our great ideas come from me) and won’t allow people he doesn’t like to join him in loving this character. It’s honestly despicable and discriminatory. 

Note 1: I will say I take full responsibility for the idea and concept of the ‘Pin of Shame’, it was my idea and I’m the one who started it. I admit this because it’s the best things I’ve ever come up with and I stand by its existence. It was originally made to punish Jack (see more in Note 3) and I can proudly say I’ve never been pinned myself making me a ‘Chaotic Good’ within this whole debacle.

Note 2: Now you see being american is not a concern to me, as I am completely and totally British (proof of that will be included in screenshot (D1&2) which shows both of them discriminating me for my VERY REAL nationality) but seeing as I have american friends I couldn’t help but feel as Pecha’s comment radiated cultural appropriation and anti-gun violence. Something I know you americans are very proud of and as an ally I have and will defend you.

Note 3: Stinky boy :(

(A)

(B)

(C)

(D1)

(D2)

Now as I stated before some of these topics can be very triggering, and as happy as I can be being their friend they’re very disappointing at times and making it a public situation is childish at best. I would like them to be very careful as I could’ve went in more detail.

Ex: (1) Jack’s fake apology letter, (2) Pecha’s slanderous statements about Volk, (3) Jack’s notable contributions to the ‘Pin of Shame’, and (4) Pecha’s victim mentality.

But I did not as I don’t believe the situation calls for it, and of course out of respect for these two (Lol anyways Part 2 will be up June 36th, 2073 where I will go into detail and shamelessly plug my blog). Until then I wish you all a good night and I hope we can finally move on from this.

Conclusion: Okay jokes aside, these two are great and you should follow both @pechadream and @bastartjack if you haven’t already. I go to sleep, you know take my usual 15 hour nap, and I was met with this absurdity. You can never know what to expect when it comes to us three and that’s what makes our group chat very fun all the time.

I’d tell you to follow this account but it isn’t my main, my main is @ashleycakegamin where I inconsistently write anime fanfiction, (no pokémon), my second account @ashwritesseduceme is valid as well and I write more fanfiction for an indie visual novel call Seduce Me the Otome made by Michaela Laws, the voice for a Yandere-Chan in Yandere Simulator. (It’s how me and Pecha met 8(?) years ago) If you’re into that definitely hit me with a follow, otherwise follow this account in hopes I’ll actually post a Part 2 one day.

 okay the post is done :)

[empyreanwritings]

Just a Little Complicated

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader (Florist AU)

Word Count: 2.4k

Warnings: mentions of losing a parent

A/N: Y’all, I actually managed to write a one shot, are you proud of me? Please be proud of me LOL! This is written for @marquiswrites​ 100 followers challenge! I am super duper late, and for that I really am sorry. You probably have already reached another milestone by the time I’ve posted this. But yeah, go give them a follow cause they deserve it!

Feedback is always welcomed and appreciated (: x

Sweat stuck to the back of Steve's shirt. He cursed himself for not getting a car already, but he didn't anticipate the southern heat being so brutal. The last thing he wanted was to go into places covered in sweat and ask for a job, but he had no choice. He couldn't afford to live off what the government deemed enough for a veteran to live on; he wasn't going to go off on that tangent, but it really was ridiculous. He almost gave his life for a country, and they acted like enough money to survive comfortably was a nuisance.

Many places gave him the same response when he asked if they were hiring: "Thank you for your service, but we just don't have an open spot!" Some of the managers hid their disdain for his lack of perfect hygiene. Not all of them, though. He could see the judgement in their eyes when he came in sweaty with a service dog in tow.

He was more than capable of handling any job, but he couldn't stop others from having their judgement. He was used to it back in the city.

But he refused to make a fuss about it here.

The last place he tried for the day was a small flower shop on the corner of the street. The entire shop window was filled with flowers of every color, and the windowsill was painted mint green. It contrasted greatly against the brick exterior, but Steve liked the way it looked; it had a quirky charm that many of the snooty "antique" shops didn't have.

And when he saw the bright yellow door with the name "Mama June's" written above it, he was sold.

Organization didn't exist in the shop, that was apparent the moment he stepped into it. Flowers, vases, and ribbons were scattered in groups throughout the different counters and containers. It reminded him of a wildflower field - chaotic yet oddly appealing.

An elderly woman rounded the corner, dirt covering her hands and arms. She let out a small 'Oh!' when she saw Steve before brushing her hands against her apron and offering one to him.

"You're not my daily lunch delivery!" She chuckled. "I'm June. Haven't seen you around these parts before - stayin' or passin' through?"

"Staying, hopefully." His smile made her smile in return, and the corners of her eyes wrinkled in the endearing way Steve always loved seeing in his own grandmother. "Steve Rogers, ma'am. It's nice to meet you."

She swatted his arm gently. "Don't you ma'am me, mister! I ain't that old yet!"

June - or Mama June, as she liked to be called - a whole foot shorter than Steve, but she acted like she was the tallest person in the room. Her round face showed her age in the way she wrinkled by her eyes and the corners of her mouth. Steve remembered something his mom used to say, "I don't get why women want to hide their laugh lines! It shows they lived a happy life!" And June clearly felt the same way.

She filled up a water bowl for Dodger and placed it down by his feet, which Steve quickly thanked her for. The poor boy wasn't used to this level of heat either.

"What can I do for ya?"

"I was hoping to see if you were hiring, ma-" She shot him a look that warned him not to finish his word, and he cleared his throat. "Mama June."

"Mhm, that's what I thought you were going to say," she hummed. "You ever work for a florist before?"

He shook his head, already preparing himself for the rejection. The closest he ever got to be a florist was helping pick out the flowers for his mother's funeral. It wasn't exactly his favorite memory.

"Well," she pretended to look around the empty shop and let out a dramatic sigh, "As you can see, we're pretty busy! I don't need much help up front, but I could use the help on delivery days. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday - that work?"

"Anything works for me. Thank you." He wanted to hug the woman for giving him a chance, but she would have probably kneed him. She was feisty.

The bells on the front door clanged as someone walked in, pulling their attention away from each other. June was just about the greet the new guest, but she was already being interrupted.

"Mama, you know you are supposed to be watching your cholesterol!" You scolded June as you set down a take-out container on the front counter. "My mother would turn over in her grave if she knew I was letting you eat the diner's burgers."

You sighed when June waved your comment off, and Steve let out a chuckle. The two of you must have known each other for a long time. The way you moved around the shop made it seem like you knew the layout like the back of your hand.

"And who is this?" Your eyes turned towards Steve, and he wasn't sure how to breathe when he noticed how they sparkled. Despite sweat and the grease stains on your diner dress, you were easily the most beautiful woman he'd ever met. And it wasn't until your eyebrows practically raised to your hairline that he realized he was too busy staring to introduce himself.

"This is my new helper!" June replied for him. "Steve's gonna help me around here on delivery days."

You gasped in mock surprise. "You're actually letting someone help you? Has Hell frozen over?"

"Stop it. I'm never to turn away someone in need, and my back has been actin' up." You whipped around, but June held her hand up. "Don't give me that look! I'm fine! I just can't be liftin' boxes the way I used to."

You shook your head, strands of your hair falling out of your bun. Concern was written all over your face. Steve couldn't help but wonder if you knew something about June that no one else did. Maybe she was sick, or just had poor health in general. Either way, he knew he was going to have to look out for the old woman when you weren't around.

You chewed on your bottom lip and finally turned back towards Steve after a beat.

"You take care of her," you said with a hint of warning in your tone. "I bring lunch every day at noon, so feel free to give a call before then to give me your order."

Steve smiled and nodded. "Thank you."

He was partially embarrassed 'Thank you' was the only thing he managed to say in your presence. Time overseas hadn't done much to help his charm when it came to women. Not that he would have instantly started flirting with you - he had manners - but still. He would have liked to appear smoother.

You left the shop almost as quickly as you entered it. June let out a laugh when she realized Steve had been staring at the door for a solid minute after you walked out. He wasn't discreet at all.

"I'll see you Wednesday, Steve," she nudged his side with her elbow, "Unless I see you at the diner before then!"

Her comment made her burst into another fit of laughter, and she grabbed her meal and headed towards the back before he could defend himself. He looked down at Dodger and shook his head. At least he didn't know how obvious his owner was.

Steve settled into working with June easily after that day. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, he'd be there at six in the morning to unload the boxes from the delivery truck. It was a lot more work than he expected it to be, but he enjoyed it. He loved being able to stay busy and feel like someone needed him.

Working in the morning gave him enough time to avoid the southern heat that always came by ten. He was thankful to have the cool AC to unpack the boxes in because he wasn't sure he'd make it the first week if June made him unpack them all outside. He'd probably end up worse than an ice cream cone melted on the sidewalk - and he had seen a few of those in the few weeks he worked.

But the best part about working had been you.

Every day you came in at noon, not a minute before or after. June said you had a thing about always being on time, and you never explained why. She had her theories about how you missed saying goodbye to your mom because you were late, but you refused to confirm whether that was true or not. And Steve didn't know you well enough to ask.

Throughout the weeks, though, he spent as much time as he could getting to know you. Some days were tougher than others; you didn't always like answering the questions he wanted to ask you, but other days, you were generous.

He learned the basics: your favorite color, the one movie that made you cry even after you've watched it several times, and what kind of toppings you liked on your pizza. And you liked asking him the deeper questions. What made him join the army? If he could go anywhere in the world, where would he go? Why did he prefer New York style pizza over deep dish?

The deep-dish debate lasted for an hour, and you only stopped arguing because your lunch break was over.

"I'll learn to forgive your poor taste in pizza if you tell me what your favorite flower is," he said one day when you didn't have to rush back to the diner.

You shrugged your shoulders and pretended like telling him your favorite flower was the worst thing he could ever make you do. "Aren't you the flower man now? I know June's been giving you some of her tips in flower arranging magic! You should be able to figure out what kind of flower I like the most."

It was a challenge, he realized later on. You could have told him what your favorite flower was and never thought about it again, but you wanted to test him. You wanted to see if he actually paid attention to the things you told him during your one-hour visits. Of course, Oblivious Steve had to be told by June that was what you were doing.

He made it his mission to make sure you left with one flower whenever he worked after that.

You'd come in with the styrofoam takeout containers, and he would wait for you by the front counter with a single flower in his hand. Every day he worked.

The first time he did it, you crinkled your nose at the sight of the single red rose.

"Roses are apology flowers," you tutted. "Are you trying to say you've cheated on me before we've even gone on a date, Rogers?"

The tips of his ears turned bright red in the moment, and it was something you and June laughed about for the rest of the week. You knew exactly what you were doing to him, but you didn't plan on stopping any time.

You were actually curious how long he'd hold out just to find what kind of flower you loved.

Most guys would have given up by the second try; you wondered if Steve Rogers was going to be like most guys.

But even after you rejected the lilies and chrysanthemums and sunflowers, he still kept trying. He reminded you, in the most teasing way possible, he worked with a florist and had an endless supply of different flowers. He swore he'd find the one to make you swoon eventually.

When June came to you one morning and asked you to be nice to the man, you playfully rolled your eyes and reminded her that no good love story started out easy. You hadn't realized the words left your lips until June's eyes started to sparkle and she gave you the secret smile that reminded you of your mother. Steve Rogers made you think about love - something you hadn't thought about since your mother passed away.

Hell really must have frozen over then.

The next day Steve worked, after your conversation with June, your heart sunk when you realized there wasn't a flower in his hand. His focus was on an inventory sheet, which was a part of his job, but you expected him to take a break for his usual time with you. You thought that maybe he grew tired of trying to woo you.

Maybe it was too difficult.

Maybe you were too difficult.

But then he held his hands out and told you to wait in your spot, and you couldn't stop the grin from spreading across your face when he pulled a white box from behind the counter. It was small, probably didn't hold more than the bud of a flower or several flowers. And it had a black ribbon wrapped haphazardly around it.

You made a mental note to remind June to teach the poor man how to wrap ribbons around boxes and vases. He may have only unloaded the delivery trucks, but he deserved to learn the basic stuff.

You gasped when you opened the box and saw the Black Dahlia. How he managed to guess was one thing, but how he even managed to get the flower was another. You knew June didn't carry them in her shop because of how rare and expensive they were, which meant he went to a lot of trouble to make sure he had it for this moment. He went through a lot of trouble for you.

"How-"

"Mama June told me a good florist never reveals his secrets," Steve teased.

"You know, these flowers are supposed to represent betrayal and negative emotions. It's why a lot of florists don't like to use them in bouquets; it takes away their magic," you said with a small smile, your focus still on the flower sitting in your hand.

Steve shrugged. "I think there's magic that, don't you? Finding the beauty in the things that people say are bad."

"Are you saying I'm bad, Steve Rogers?" You murmured, not at all taking offense.

"Not bad, darling, just a little complicated."

[paceypeternathanslawyer]

Another Top 10 Female TV Characters (In no particular order)

I posted something like this before but I added some favorite characters and I had to get my feelings down in writing :) You can read my other post, but in summation, the characters I mentioned before were: El Hopper, Anne Shirley, Lorelai Gilmore, Annie Edison, Joyce Byers, Paris Geller, Lois Lane, Jess Day, Midge Maisel, and Millie Helper.

Joey Potter (Dawson’s Creek):

Joey is one of the best characters in Dawson’s Creek. In my opinion the show should have been called “Joey’s Creek” :) She was a far more interesting character than Dawson. I haven’t finished the show yet so I don’t have too much to say about her, but from what i’ve heard she finally achieves her dreams and ends the series in a happy place, which makes me happy. What I do know is that Joey is extremely driven, creative, and smart. She’s also a character who has been through so much and has made it to the other side to be a very strong and kind person. 

Rory Gilmore (Gilmore Girls):

Alexis doesn’t get enough love for her portrayal of Rory. You gotta figure that this was Alexis’ first role ever and she was able to show a lot of emotion in this part, while also being extremely adept at the comedy as well. Rory had her ups and downs but i’ve always been a Rory defender. She’s not perfect, but I also would say that makes her a well rounded character. She’s smart, kind, and an amazing friend. 

Robin Buckley (Stranger Things):

Robin was such an important and fun addition to Stranger Things. She immediately brought such a new and dynamic atmosphere to the show. She’s a genuis... I mean, she fucking cracked a professional Russian code in a day. She’s hilarious and Maya is a tremendous actress. How she can go into a really serious and emotional scene and then go straight into a hilarious scene where she’s high with Steve is just simply amazing.

Veronica Mars (Veronica Mars):

Veronica Mars is my favorite character in the original  3 seasons of Veronica Mars. She’s talented, badass, and snarky/really funny. Veronica is a character who could benefit from therapy, but she’s very stubborn and in the 4th season seems to be adverse to the idea of going to therapy. She has been through more than any high schooler should go through. Even before the events of the 1st season. Her parents divorce, she is raped at a high school party, her best friend is murdered, her father, who was the sheriff at the time, accused her boyfriend’s father of killing her friend/her boyfriend’s sister. Because of that event, her and her boyfriend broke up and she lost her group of friends. Hopefully you followed with that last one cause it’s pretty complicated lol. And that’s just the events before the 1st season. Despite that or possibly because of that, Veronica has become a very strong and tenacious girl with a strong love of justice. She is also a loyal friend. 

Jeannie Nelson (I Dream Of Jeannie):

Jeannie is so sweet and loyal. She is my favorite character in I Dream Of Jeannie. There is truly never a dull moment with Jeannie around. She’s brings the crazy into any situation and I mean that in the best way possible. No, but seriously she is such a positive and sweet character until you cross her and then as a magical genie you will wish you had never been born ;) Also what fun Barbara must have had playing that character, not only because of all the crazy situations she got to play, but also Jeannie had the best wardrobe ever!

Laura Petrie (The Dick Van Dyke Show):

Laura was such a unique TV character for the time. In the early days of Television there were usually two types of women characters. You had the June Cleaver, stay at home, always dressed immaculately in a dress and apron, always there for some sage advice for her children type of character. And then you had the nagging wife/magnet for trouble like Lucy Ricardo. I don’t want to do too much of a disservice to Lucy cause she is a very beloved TV character and in some ways was very ahead of her time. Yet Laura was very different than those two types of characters. She was supremely real in every way. She wore pants a lot, she had breakdowns because at times being a stay at home mom was difficult and thankless, she talked like a real person would not like a June Cleaver or a Donna Stone. She was funny, talented. At one point, Sally was taking a leave of absence from Rob’s TV show that he was a head writer for and Laura asked to help out in any way. Rob agreed for her to be a typist for them, to at least fill some of the void of Sally’s absence. During that time, Laura actually comes up with some jokes and helps with the writing of the show as well.  She was a dancer, she is proficient in self defense. She was truly an amazing character and so unique for an early 1960s TV show.

Olivia Dunham (Fringe):

Anna was an actress who took me completely by surprise. The first few episodes of Fringe, I didn’t feel like she was such an amazing actress, yet as the show went on, Anna really showed herself to be an Emmy worthy actor. She got to play so many different versions of this character as well. She played the original Olivia and then we meet Olivia from an alternate universe and there are some big ways and some subtle ways that those two versions of Olivia are different. There’s a character named William Bell and he is played by Leonard Nimoy. For a stretch of like three episodes, Olivia gets inhabited by William Bell. So it’s Anna Torv doing a hilarious and really well done impression of Leonard Nimoy/his character in Fringe, her mannerisms are so funny in those episodes!! Yes, this show probably sounds crazy.... it is but in the best possible way, everyone should go watch it :) I remember when I became endeared to her character. It was when I saw her interact with her niece, Ella. It showed such a soft and real side of her. She’s a protector, she’s badass, she’s an incredible mother, wife, sister, friend, and aunt.

Astrid Farnsworth (Fringe):

Astrid is such a fun character in Fringe. She’s very endearing and real and funny. I’m sad that during the run of the show, we didn’t get to see more of her, but all that we did get was so much fun. The lab scenes are some of my favorites. The dynamic of Astrid, Walter, and Peter is just the best! Also the alternate universe Astrid is the purest and sweetest angel and must be protected at all costs :)

Sookie St James (Gilmore Girls):

The character of Sookie was really important in my opinion she is a beautiful plus size woman where her size did not define her, she was not the butt of the joke. She is a well respected chef, a loving mother, friend, and wife. When people think of Melissa McCarthy, they don’t typically first think of this role, but in my opinion it’s the best role of her career. She’s very funny in this part, but it’s a different and more low key kind of comedy than some people are used to seeing her in. BTW Drunk Sookie is iconic!! LOL

Lane Kim (Gilmore Girls):

Another character in Gilmore Girls that is underappreciated. She an incredibly talented drummer and she largely taught herself to play the drums. I can’t remember if the music store owner ever taught her but I feel like didn’t. I think she just let her use the display drums until Lane could buy them. Lane is funny and cool and a supportive friend. All the actors in Gilmore Girls were great at the dramatic bits as well, and Keiko was no different, some of those scenes between Lane and Mrs Kim really broke my heart which is credit to Emily and Keiko’s acting ability.

[artificialqueens]

Tree House Kisses, Chapter 37 (Adorney) - Scorpio and Veronica

A/N: Click here for previous chapters or to read on AO3, click here! XOXO!

Chapter Summary: Courtney and Adore begin repairing their friendship, slowly but surely.

Chapter 37: I Have Confidence

“Bonnie!” Courtney flung herself into Bonnie’s arms, causing the older woman to laugh and put down the tongs, stepping away from the grill.

“Hiya darlin’, how are you?”

“I’m good now.” Courtney’s voice was soft, muffled in her hair.

“Dory told me you were coming, so I threw on a couple of veggie burgers.” Bonnie gestured to the grill.

“Aww, thank you!”

“Do you still eat cheese, or have you gone all the way to the dark side?” Bonnie held up a package of jack cheese, which she was about to put on the burgers.

“Cheese is fine,” Courtney laughed. “Although you know I’m really here for your macaroni salad.”

“Hey, Court? You wanna stop hanging on my poor mother and help me set the table?” Adore called from the other side of the patio, arms full.

“Coming!” Courtney pressed one last kiss to Bonnie’s cheek before skipping over to happily fold napkins, just as Angie came outside with a couple of serving bowls.

As she laid out the silverware, Courtney looked up at Adore, setting the condiments at one end of the table. She snatched a piece of red pepper from the veggie tray and grinned, thrilled to be here with her best friend and surrogate family on this beautiful, breezy Spring evening.

Adore smiled back, the light in her hazel eyes making Courtney’s heart nearly burst with happiness.

“Who wants toasted buns?” Bonnie called.

“I do!” Courtney exclaimed, eyes glittering with amusement at the joke she knew by now was coming.

“Well then, come sit on the grill…”

Adore and Angie both groaned, but Courtney laughed uproariously as if it was the first time she’d ever heard Bonnie’s lame joke.

“Why are you encouraging her?” Adore asked, slinging an arm around Courtney’s shoulders and guiding her towards the house to get the rest of the food.

“She’s cute. I missed her-” Courtney stopped suddenly, not wanting to kill the jovial mood, but Adore nodded.

“She missed you too,” Adore said, tossing Courtney another smile before she entered the house.

Courtney took a deep breath, grateful and happy, and then followed her inside.

-

Trinity adjusted her pillow behind her back, accidentally jostling the porch swing and Willam on the other side.

Willam had joined Trinity at her Granny's for the weekend. He never missed an opportunity to get some homemade cornbread, mac and cheese, and Granny Bonet’s Famous Peach Cobbler.

Plus Granny Bonet was sweet as pie, soft-spoken with a roaring laugh. She always seemed genuine when asking Willam what he has been up to since they last had seen each other, never making him feel any different than her own grandkids.

"Shit, Trin! Don't make me drop the weed." Willam snapped, adjusting the book on his legs.

"Sorry, sorry. This thing was stabbing me in the back," she said, finally getting the pillow in place and turning to get comfortable.

"Eh, Fuck it!" Willam shrugged, taking the half-open joint to his mouth and wrapping it closed. "If I can roll up while Violet is driving, I can fucking roll anywhere. That bitch drives like she’s playing Mario Cart."

Trinity burst into laughter, nodding her head in agreement unable to vocalize.

"I don't understand how the hell she even got her license," Willam snorted, spurred on by Trinity’s giggles.  

"It's really not that bad," Trinity said, finally trying to defend their friend.

Willam gave an incredulous look over the flame he quickly ran over the joint.

"It's more so when she's impatient," Trinity clarified.

"Oh." Willam rolled his eyes before actually lighting and taking a quick intake. “So, all the time.”

"She's gotten better recently. I think Pearl's been helping her or something," Trinity shrugged, grabbing the joint.

"Wait, what? Pearl doesn't even have a car. That's not right." Willam sat up, staring seriously at Trinity.

Trinity held his gaze, intrigued by the wheels turning in his head. What could he be thinking?

"They're having sex!" Willam finally exclaimed triumphantly.

"What? No!" Trinity’s brow furrowed.

Willam shook his head and continued, "Actually, it's pretty obvious. And right under our noses. Violet’s one sneaky bitch."

"No, no, no, no, no," Trinity coughed, deep and loud.

"Yes!"

"Do you really think Violet is over Fame though?" Trinity asked, intentionally rocking the swing as Willam took another hit.

"Well, yeah. Or...maybe. Probably. At least, she should be."

"No." Trinity shook her head adamantly. “She’s definitely not.”

"Okay, Trin. If Pearl and Violet haven't hooked up already; they will. I bet you that."

"Bet what? Because I don't even know if Pearl is really Violet's type," Trinity hesitated.

"How so?"

"Like compatibility...in bed and stuff like that. You know Violet is forward and aggressive and Pearl seems sort of nonchalant but in the ‘you can't tell me what to do’ kind of way. Violet has to be the boss, and Pearl doesn’t seem like she’d let her. Incompatible." Trinity shrugged, snatching the joint from her cousin’s hand. “Don’t forget to share, dick.”

"Hold up! And how would you know what either of them is like in bed? You’ve given this a lot of thought, cuz." Willam looked genuinely shocked and confused.

“It’s just a guess,” Trinity said, rolling her eyes. She put the joining to her lips, inhaling deeply, even as her cheeks darkened in embarrassment. “I mean, you know, it’s not like I obsess over it or anything...shut up.”

“Omigod, Trin, are you gonna start lezzing out with those whores?”

Trinity started coughing and laughing, shaking her head.

“Never say never,” she wheezed, laughing even harder at the scandalized look on his face.

-

“What’s so funny?” Roy asked, tapping on Courtney’s thigh. She was sitting next to him in the booth at Denny’s, giggling to herself over something on her phone for about the 20th time since they’d sat down. They were with April and Bob, getting a late snack after the movies, and her mind was clearly elsewhere.  

“Oh, um...sorry. Adore just sent me this-” Courtney gave a sheepish smile. “You know what, it’s not important.” She closed her phone and stuffed it into her jacket pocket.

“Well, thanks for finally joining us,” Roy said. He was going for lighthearted, but it came out a bit cross and scolding.

“Sorry, daddy,” Courtney teased, causing April to burst out laughing and Roy to make an even grumpier face. She stole a French fry off his plate, biting her lip to keep from laughing.

“I think she needs a spanking,” Bob said, and Courtney turned to stick her tongue out at him.

“You need a spanking,” she informed Bob.

“Hell yeah I do.” He cast a sly look over at April. “You wanna spank me?”

“Not especially,” April said, feigning boredom as she sipped her strawberry milkshake.

“What about you, Court?” Bob wiggled his eyebrows. “Want to teach me how to behave?”

“You’re sick,” Courtney said.

“Come on, someone must want to punish me,” Bob whined, and then yelled, “Ow!” as Roy kicked him hard under the table.

“You’re welcome,” Roy said. “Now eat your chicken fingers.”

Courtney laughed, then felt her phone buzz in her pocket, fingers itching to open it and see what Adore might have sent. She reached inside; even just touching it made her feel better. When Roy got into a heated debate with Bob over whether the Jackass crew was in fact funny, she quickly flipped it open and checked.

ADORE: LOL but can you blame me?

COURTNEY: Of course not. You’re only human.

Courtney finished sending the text, quickly putting her phone back, when she looked up and saw April gazing knowingly at her. She shrugged guiltily, pulling her root beer float over and taking a sip.

-

Once Courtney and Adore made up, play practice became about ten times as fun. They didn’t have any scenes together, so whenever one of them was on stage, the other would be cheering them on silently from the wings.

Courtney was especially supportive once the performances began—not once leaving during Adore’s big solo, ready to leap out and fight anyone who would dare upset her this year. Fortunately, the protestors stayed home. Apparently, as Mrs. Maguire thought, just the words ‘Sound of Music’ were enough to appease them. They didn’t bother watching to see the genderqueer lead, lesbian nuns, drag queen baroness or gay messenger boy mincing about.

Closing night was a bit bittersweet for Roy—after all, he’d had a starring role in every show his entire 4 years there. College would be different, and he knew that this part of his life was now officially over. Courtney hugged him tight, and Adore teasingly told him that it was okay if he wanted to cry.

“Fuck off,” he said, burying his face into Courtney’s hair.

“What, I’m serious! We’re all very impressed at this display of emotion,” Adore said.

“Yeah, it really shows how secure you are in your masculinity,” Courtney added with a wink.

“Ugh! You’re both assholes!” Roy said before he stomped off stage.

“Hmm. I guess he’s not that secure,” Adore commented, and she and Courtney both began to giggle again.  

-

As May bled into June, days getting longer and warmer, Adore began to feel antsy for summer to begin. One Saturday, she invited Courtney for an old-fashioned sleepover in the tree house, just like the good old days, and Courtney enthusiastically agreed. It was their first one in almost a year, and both girls were excited to reconnect, but maybe a bit nervous. There was still so much that they’d never said to each other. Still so much that they didn’t know how to put into words.

Adore climbed up the ladder with pizza and drinks, just as Courtney finished laying out the sleeping bags.

“Pizza delivery!”

“Ooh, yay!” Courtney exclaimed. “And um...I stole this from the liquor cabinet. Hopefully Adam won’t miss it.”

She produced a nearly full bottle of Jack Daniels, which impressed Adore, and made her send a grateful little prayer to Karen’s latest boyfriend.

“Thanks, Adam!”

Feeling like she could use a little something to help her relax, Courtney took a big swig from the bottle.

“Ugh, this is disgusting!” Courtney winced at the bitter taste, giggling.

“There's Coke too,” Adore said, and off Courtney's horrified expression, clarified, “Coca-cola, you dumbass. You can use it as a chaser.” She gestured to the white bag on top of the pizza box.

“Oh. Right.” Courtney flashed an apologetic grin and pulled a bottle of Coke from the bag, taking a sip.

Adore shook her head, chuckling, taking the bottle from her.

“Here…” She poured some of the soda out the window, then carefully replaced it with Jack, taking a sip to make sure the ratio was right before adding a little more alcohol. “Perfect.”

“Ugh, Adore!” Courtney opened the pizza box, groaning. “There’s pepperoni all over it!”

“Oh shit.”

“Gross…”

“Sorry!” Adore said, explaining, “I haven’t been hanging out with a lot of vegetarians lately, I forgot. Here, I’ll eat the pepperoni off for you.”

“Then there will still be pepperoni juice,” Courtney whined.

“You’re such a pain in the ass. Pepperoni is barely an animal. I don’t even know what animal it is!”

“Yeah. Don’t you think that’s a problem?” She pushed the pizza aside and dug into the bag of cheesy bread instead.

“Well. Sorry,” Adore said again, and Courtney leaned back, giving her a smile before taking another swig of Jack and Coke.

“It’s cool, I can eat this.”

-

“So…” Adore traced the edge of the sleeping bag with her finger, by now a bit sleepy and rocking a healthy buzz, finding herself realizing again just how much she’d missed her best friend. She felt bad, wished she could take back all the months of silence. But instead, she settled for trying her best to find out how her life was going these days. “...How are things with Roy?”

“Good. Great, actually,” Courtney sighed. “He’s the best.”

“He really loves you a lot,” Adore said, the memory of their argument a few weeks back still fresh in her mind. How Roy was the one who, in spite of everything, got her to make up with Courtney—and all because he wanted his girlfriend to be happy. It was disgustingly sweet, actually.

“Yeah. It’s gonna be so weird when he’s gone next year…” Courtney said.

“Oh, right. Shit. How’re you gonna survive?” They’d been joined at the hip for so long now that Adore couldn’t imagine what school—or life—would be like for Courtney without him.

“I’ll manage,” Courtney said, rolling over onto her side. “Anyway, he’s going to UCLA, so he’s only gonna be a few hours away. I’ll probably still see him all the time.”

“That’s cool.” Adore took another sip of their makeshift cocktail, swallowing down her residual bitterness about Roy and Courtney’s perfect teen romance along with the whiskey.  

“What about you. Any...special girls I should know about?” Courtney asked carefully. She took the bottle from Adore’s hands.

“Special girls? Okay mom.”

“Shut up, you know what I mean! Anyone who-”

“Nah.” Adore shook her head slowly.

“Do you and Violet still ever-”

“No,” Adore said, not even letting her get out the question. “We both realized that it was super toxic, and we’re much better off as friends. And this time, it feels like it’s stuck.”

“And Pearl?”

“Pearl?” Adore furrowed her brow, shaking her head. She and Pearl were still in that weird place where things were almost flirty but not. And she was still the only one who knew the whole truth about what happened with Courtney. It was too hard to explain, so instead she just said, “No. Although she has been really great this year. You know...with everything.”

Courtney took another sip, nearly polishing off the bottle, and Adore crawled over to make a new one.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Go ahead.” Adore once again poured the Coke out the window—this time maybe a bit more, and then replaced the contents with Jack.  

It was a few moments before Courtney spoke again. She appeared to be collecting her thoughts.

“How did you know that you were gay? Or...when…did you start thinking about it?”

Adore turned around, head tilted.

“Where’d this come from?”

“I’m just curious. You never really talked to me about it.” Courtney held a pillow in her arms, hair falling across her eyes.

Adore considered what to say, how honest to actually be in this moment, deciding that a few lies of omission were probably the best idea for everyone.

“I guess I always sort felt a little...different. And then when Violet started tutoring me, she kind of guessed? And she made me feel like...I don’t know. It was normal. Or at least, okay.”

“Of course it’s okay,” Courtney assured her, then asked, “So...was she the first girl you ever...had feelings for?”

Adore’s tongue felt thick in her mouth. She didn’t want to lie, not tonight when they were supposed to be bonding. But on the other hand, they’d only recently found their way back to each other, and what if she destroyed their delicate new reality? She didn’t think she could bear another fight, another period of loneliness like she’d had this year.

“Um...I guess I had little crushes before, but nothing that ever...went anywhere,” Adore finally said. Which was true.

“Oh yeah? Like who?” It was a fair question. A casual question. Her best friend showing interest in the inner workings of her heart.

“Uh…” Adore racked her brain for an answer that would satisfy her. “Remember that counselor we had at drama camp? Asia?”

Courtney did remember—she was a pretty Black girl with a dazzling smile, funny and lively but always sure to keep them in line.

“Oh yeah. She was cute,” Courtney nodded approvingly.

“And of course, um...Shakira.”

“Of course.” Courtney giggled, then bit her lip. “Anyone else?”

“Oh! Remember that girl who worked at Video Village? With the pink hair and all the piercings?” Adore grinned slyly, starting to have fun with this walk down memory lane.

“Her?!” This one, Courtney didn’t seem to appreciate, but Adore just shrugged.  

“Yeah! She was hot.”

Courtney took another thoughtful sip from the bottle before asking, “Have you ever liked a boy?”

“I used to try to make myself like boys,” Adore said. “Or, imagine that I did. But it was always just some dumb pop star or something. Like...remember Ashley Parker Angel?”

“No. Who?!” Courtney looked utterly confused, brow furrowed.

“The blond from O-Town.”

“O-Town!” Courtney giggled gleefully, a hiccup escaping her as she passed the bottle back to Adore. “Omigod. You had their picture on your binder and no one could figure out why.”

“Yeah, I know. Their music was terrible,” Adore admitted.

“They made music?”

Adore laughed, shaking her head.  

“And god, even my fake crushes were dudes with girl names…”

This made Courtney giggle some more, holding her pillow tighter. Her eyes drifted shut for a moment.

“What about you?” Adore asked.

Courtney’s eyes popped back open.

“What about me?”

“You ever like a girl?” Adore teased, poking her in the ribs. Fully expecting her to squeal in disgust, or burst out laughing.

But instead, Courtney looked back at her and said, “Besides you?”

Adore stared back at her for a long, heated moment. A million thoughts swirled in her head, but none so strong as the realization that Courtney was just fucking around, making her pay for her teasing. Adore started to laugh, shaking her head.

“Good one, bitch.”

Overcome with an impulse she couldn’t ignore, Courtney leaned forward and pressed her lips to Adore’s. And for a moment, it was perfect—Adore’s soft lips against hers, breath sweet and smoky from the drinks. And then Courtney felt a hand on her shoulder, shoving her backward.

Courtney clapped a hand over her mouth. What was wrong with her? This was exactly how she’d fucked things up last time. Her cheeks blazed red.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-”

“I know,” Adore said hoarsely.

Courtney’s eyes filled with tears, terrified that this time, she’d fucked up for good.

“Are you mad?” she whispered.

“No.” Adore shook her head, giving a wry smile and reaching forward to pry the bottle from her fingers. “But you’ve probably had enough of this.”

Courtney let out a relieved chuckle, tension leaving her body as she laid back down against the bean bag chair. Things were okay; they were still friends and everything was back to normal. Or at least, as normal as possible.

“Dory?”

“Yeah?”

“Will you snuggle with me?” she asked, voice soft and tentative.

Adore turned to her friend, giving a gentle nod, saying “Of course,” before curling up beside her.

For a second, as she breathed in, Adore realized that Courtney must have switched shampoos. The scent of her hair was different, and the unfamiliarity of it gave Adore a strange pang of sadness.

But then, as they settled in some more, Adore realized that lingering beneath the surface was something she knew very well, something innately her that would never go away, no matter what perfumes she might use. And that, the sameness, was enough to make her smile to herself, arms wrapping tightly around Courtney as she pulled her in close.

[sheikah]

1. Non-shipper here, but your previous post infers that JonxDany isn't canon. When Jon-stans and anti-kneelers and Jonsa shippers say that, they're called out both here and on reddit. They are told over and over again that their ship will never/can never be canon because Jonerys is ALREADY canon. When people think foreshadowing isn't romantic but rather antagonistic, they're called "gross misogynists" by mainstream Jonerys stans. Sure there are more awful J*nsa shippers

2. but there are also a lot more of them than there are JonxDany shippers… I don’t see why we need to act as though one community is better than the other. Both have good and bad parts… (by non-shipper I mean I follow fans of both and am friends with both… so I see the good and bad of both fandoms).

I’m going to break down my response with numbered points. Hope that’s okay as I am very tired atm and need to keep myself straight. This will start with one of the last things you said and then go back into the chronological order of your points. 

1. “I don’t see why we need to act as though one community is better than the other. Both have good and bad parts.” Um, I agree, anon. You’re preaching to the choir here. I don’t know why I’m being told this. I have made it abundantly clear, here, just to find one quick and recent example, that I don’t generalize or dislike the J@nsa fandom. I have several J@nsa mutuals, pretty big blogs, too. I don’t think they would follow me if I go around trying to prove Jonerys supremacy. I absolutely don’t do that. I LIKE J@nsa people. I chat with them in PMs and we read each other’s fanfics and support one another’s content. I think the vast majority of Jonerys and J@nsa people behave the same! 

I have been pretty open about the fact that I think there are bad eggs on both sides and that I frankly find the whole conflict to be a depressing waste of everyone’s time. I think the post of mine you’re referring to, right here, might make it seem like I was trying to, as you say, make one seem better than the other. But I was merely defending myself against the anon who claimed that the Jonerys fandom is this group of mean people with a toxic tag while no one in J@nsa acts that way. Because that claim is demonstrably false. And no, just to prove to everyone that I’m a nice, well-behaved, middle-of-the-road shipper, I’m not about to do as requested by that anon and make some kind of public call out post about blogs who don’t respect others. That’s absolutely ridiculous. 

2. I did infer that Jonerys is not canon, yes. To be a bit more clear I meant not canon yet. I accept the leaks, especially in light of all of the recent official promo material that confirms various aspects of them. If I accept the leaks it follows that I accept Jonerys as canon. But I try to do this as a rational person and freely admit that things could turn out differently. My reasons for thinking Jonerys will be canon are not based on the leaks alone. That being said I want to make it clear that I am not interested in rehashing all the reasons I do ship Jonerys, as that has been done several times by myself and other shippers who write great meta. Just tldr: at this moment on June 25, no, it’s not canon. But I wholeheartedly believe it will be soon and so sometimes I treat it like it is. But with a grain of salt. 

3. “When people think foreshadowing isn’t romantic but rather antagonistic, they’re called “gross misogynists” by mainstream Jonerys stans.” Okay, to be fair you are generalizing and exaggerating a little here. I for example have not told people those things, even though no–I don’t personally believe that J@nsa will be canon. But as I said here, I’m not going to sit around and pick apart J@nsa. I believe it won’t be canon and if people ask me about it, I tell them so. But I certainly don’t, and know that my friends in the Jonerys circle I associate with don’t, spend their time telling J@nsa people their ship won’t happen. It’s just not something I do. I’m sorry you’ve seen it happen and I’m sure a handful of people say stuff like that but I’m not here to answer for the poor behavior of other people on this site. As for reddit, I don’t use it and I can’t speak for what the community is like. I’ve only ventured there to read leaks. When people come at me or other Jonerys people I’ve seen, saying that Jonerys won’t be canon, yes, then I have seen people point to the incredibly strong likelihood that it’s about to be canon in a matter of weeks as defense of our own ship. But that’s different than what you’re insinuating here. 

4. If people say the foreshadowing makes Jon and Daenerys seem like antagonists, I believe like they’re wrong. So I can see why other people would argue against that. I’m sorry but I don’t think it is in the character of either Jon or Daenerys to go to war with one another in the face of the White Walker threat. They’re smarter than that. All our remaining protagonists are smarter than that. They’re fighting the Lannister forces, yes, but I doubt Daenerys plans a multi-front, multi-kingdom war right when she lands. One of her last lines of last season was about forming ALLIANCES. And despite his long life of fighting I think Jon is a non-confrontational person who would prefer to avoid fighting with anyone he doesn’t absolutely have to kill. So I think Jonerys shippers or really just anyone who wants to defend the integrity of Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen as characters is perfectly within their rights to disagree with the assertion that Jon and Dany will be antagonists. 

Furthermore, I can absolutely say I don’t see people randomly called misogynistic or gross left and right for being anti. I’ve called people out when i have received blatant Dany hate anonymously in my inbox, but that’s warranted, and that’s it. That’s anecdotal but I’m pretty active on this site so I’d say my experience is valid. Some people are called those things. But guess what? Some people ARE misogynistic and gross about Daenerys. If you don’t want Jonerys to happen, fine. But to argue that the reason it won’t happen is because Daenerys is like Hitler (I have actually seen this argument made), that she is a tyrant, a power-hungry maneater who is going to swallow all of Jon’s agency and significance down her vagina when boatsex happens–that’s misogynistic. Because the “evidence” these arguments usually point to is Daenerys doing the same kinds of things I see male characters with power in the series do all the time, and it’s perfectly fine in their case. These same arguments also tend to conveniently avoid the countless examples of Dany’s kindness and interest in a better world, too. I can tell you that the vast majority of Jonerys people want and foresee Jon and Daenerys as EQUALS. And I agree.

I don’t know if this convinces you of anything. Probably not. But what I’m trying to say is that I personally don’t think the people in the Jonerys fandom are better or worse than anyone in the J@nsa fandom. There are crazy people in all parts of any fandom and we are no exception, and those crazy people make things worse for all of us.

Before I go, I don’t want to piss you off but I have to say, anon, that I find it a bit ironic that you send me this ask trying to tell me that no one part of the fandom is any better or worse than another, but you spend the entirety of said ask telling me all the reasons why Jonerys people are apparently assholes. Can we please just all get along lol?

[mermaidsirennikita]

June 2017 Book Roundup

This month, I read thirteen books, some of which were total disappointments, one of which really surprised me, and one of which was easily among the best followups I’ve read in a while.  That was my favorite book of the month, Kiersten White’s Now I Rise, the second in her Conqueror’s Saga.  As that is a sequel and definitely requires reading of the first book, And I Darken, I also want to recommend The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid.  A sweeping historical fiction novel, it tells the tale of a glamorous Hollywood icon with plenty of secrets, and showcases a unique romance that surprised me--but also made me very happy.  Hopefully, I’ll find something just as good next month!

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas.  4/5.  When Starr and her childhood friend Khalil are pulled over by a cop, the worst happens: the unarmed--innocent--Khalil is killed.  Starr is the only witness, and she’s torn in several different directions.  Her parents are worried about her safety, and her father’s gangster past makes things a bit more complicated; protesters want Starr to come forward and defend Khalil, who is being labeled a drug dealer and a “thug” by the media; and Starr herself goes to a predominantly white private school, and isn’t sure what her friends would think.  Obviously, “The Hate U Give” deals with a lot of content that I as a white girl really can’t properly comment on, and that’s one of the reasons why I gave it four out of five stars--I can’t speak to its accuracy.  But from what I’ve heard from friends who can, it’s viewed very positively, and it seems to reflect much of what we see in cases involved unarmed black men being shot by cops--with a personal spin.  Starr is a deeply relatable, human character.  I felt empathy for her, while at the same time not feeling like she was too perfect.  The story is written so lovingly, and Starr’s entire family felt like people I would actually meet.  The conflict of the book isn’t just surrounding the main plot, but Starr’s parents’ differing views on what their children need, and Starr’s father’s past. Starr’s dad, Mav, was a GREAT character. He’s exactly the kind of person that people uneducated about these issues need to see: an innately good person with a rough past, trying to do right by his family while at the same time dealing with some understandable demons.  The only thing I can complain about is Starr’s boyfriend, who struck me as the most annoying type of white boy.  And she deserved better, no questions asked.

A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux.  4/5.  This romance novels sees schoolteacher Dougless crying in an English church right after being dumped and abandoned by her boyfriend.  Her tears seem to bring Lord Nicholas Stafford from the sixteenth century--though he’s not quite the knight in shining armor she expected.  Nicholas is remembered not for his accomplishments, but his many affairs and his eventual execution; and he wants to go back to his time, but not before figuring out how to prevent all of that.  Dougless agrees to help him, but like... you can guess about what ensues.  This book is considered a classic in the romance genre.  It was written in the late 80s, and that does show; while Dougless isn’t anti-feminist, she’s definitely a product of an adjustment to feminism.  She wants her boyfriend to take care of her WITHIN REASON, and he’s such a tool that you can understand why.  The thing is that the book has a fluffy, wish fulfillment quality that is impossible to resist.  Deveraux makes Nicholas sexy, but isn’t above making fun of him, and critiquing him for that matter.  Dougless experiences noticeable character development, and while the book is imperfect, it’s highly enjoyable.

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon.  4/5.  Teenage coder Dimple isn’t planning on following her mother’s plans and settling down anytime soon.  So she’s thrilled when her parents pay for her to go to Insomnia Con, a coding contest with a prize that involves her idol.  Little does she know that Rishi is also going to Insomnia Con--and though she has no idea who he is, their parents have been planning on the two of them getting married for years.  Traditional, dreamy, artistic Rishi knows that he’s supposed to get to know Dimple and someday marry her; and he thinks she knows that too.  (She does not.)  So when the two meet, there isn’t exactly the instant connection he expected.  But after they become partners for the contest, they get to know each other--and understand each other.  This YA romance was adorable, and probably one of the best I’ve read in a long time.  Sandhya Menon is writing about what she knows, and it shows.  Rishi and Dimple are able to bond over their shared cultural backgrounds, but that doesn’t mean they’re the same person--the expectations Rishi’s parents have for him are different because he’s a boy, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t there.  He reacts to his parents by embracing his culture and putting aside his dreams, while Dimple becomes aggressively rebellious.  Their chemistry is perfect, and I became invested in their relationship very quickly.  This is a great approach to the “arranged marriage” genre, and is a bit more lighthearted than other recent versions I’ve seen.

The Breakdown by B.A. Paris.  2/5.  While driving late one night, Rachel sees a young woman pulled over on the side of the road.  Soon after, she hears about a murder--and realizes that not only did she see the woman just before she was killed, but that she knew her.  Then Rachel begins forgetting small things on a daily basis, apparently having a breakdown; but the specter of her mother’s demise from early-onset dementia hangs over her as she grows increasingly paranoid and sure that the killer is after her.  This book was profoundly disappointing.  It had the makings of a good domestic thriller, but I called almost every single thing that happened, and the pathos of it all weren’t that deep.  Even when it seemed as if it was going to get interesting for a minute, it didn’t.

Once and for All by Sarah Dessen.  3/5.  Louna (omg Sarah Dessen protagonist names) is the daughter of a famous wedding planner, jaded about love both due to her cynical mother’s outlook and the tragic ending of her first real relationship.  Then she meets Ambrose, the outgoing son of one of her mother’s clients.  In order to keep him out of his bride-to-be sister’s hair, Louna’s mother gives him a job for the summer, and as Louna and Ambrose bond, they begin to challenge each other in unexpected ways.  Honestly, this was a feel-good book and it was cute in the way that Sarah Dessen books always are, and cheesy in the way they always are (lol her protagonist names I mean...).  But while I remember “Saint Anything” being good, I honestly disliked “The Moon and More” and I feel as if nothing of hers has really hit me since books like “Just Listen”, “The Truth About Forever”, and of course “This Lullaby”, which is one of my all-time favorites.  Ambrose was really cute, but his conflicts with Louna seemed super contrived--and for that matter, at times he seemed like a Dexter (”This Lullaby”) rip-off.  Louna had a sad backstory, but it never connected with me partially because she never connected.  Again, it’s cute but I wasn’t super invested, and the investment in the main relationship--or at least the main characters--are key to really loving a Dessen book.  I also feel like Dessen usually benefits from building a romantic relationship between the characters ahead of the last 25% of the book (see: “This Lullaby” and “Just Listen”).  Otherwise, she needs to amp up the sexual tension in a palpable way to get people invested faster (see: “The Truth About Forever”).  The tension between Ambrose and Louna just wasn’t there.  Hope this author gets her mojo back soon.

The Forger’s Spell by Edward Dolnick.  4/5.  This non-fiction book takes on the story of Han Van Meegeren--a failed artist who managed to dupe the world with his forged “Vemeer” paintings.  Most notably, Hermann Goering, Hitler’s right-hand man, was a buyer of one the fakes.  Really, Van Meegeren’s story is the backdrop for a deeper investigation about how forgeries happen in the art world.  Dolnick does a good job, though I didn’t agree with all of his assertions--he describes the famed art critic’s “eye” as something that does exist, albeit after a lot of training.  Really, the “eye” seems to be dismissed by many today, whether or not you’ve been trained.  He also seems to go along with a lot of ideas that are those of a connoisseur, and applies them to art critics and art historians in general.  While some art historians specialize in connoisseurship, not all connoisseurs are art historians; in fact, connoisseurship seems to be falling out of style, and my school didn’t bother much with it.  I also feel that he could have done a better job of differentiating between the historian and the critic.  Overall, the book is a good examination of the psychological aspects that go into forgery, but this is very much a book about history.  Today, Van Meegeren probably couldn’t have pulled this off--not simply because the art market has more resources now in terms of scientific testing, but because it seems to me that art historians are now being trained in a very different way in a post-Panofsky, post-Schapiro world.  We’re told to be highly skeptical at all times, and while it’s possible that the old guard would have still fallen for a fake Vermeer, I think that many younger art historians would have been more inherently skeptical.  Anyway, I clearly geeked out over this book and found it highly interesting.

The Warrior Queen by Lavinia Collins.  2/5.  An Arthurian retelling and the first of a trilogy, this book focuses on Guinevere’s early marriage to King Arthur following his defeat of her father’s forces.  Pretty sure this was self-published or published by a small indie publisher, and it showed.  This book is quite short (it’s bound in an omnibus as part I with the rest of the trilogy, but it seems that it’s listed on Goodreads as an individual novel too) and while it’s not terribly written, there is some repetition that an editor would have (or should have) caught.  It’s not a bad book and I think that if you’re looking for more of a simple romance, it’s okay.  But as it is, it runs extremely quickly and the character development suffers.  For that matter, while the Lancelot romance is very present, Kay takes Lancelot’s role in places where he shouldn’t, and Morgan le Fay seems to be a typical schemer.  Not for me.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid.  5/5.  Aging Hollywood legend Evelyn Hugo calls upon Monique Grant, a no-name journalist, to write her biography out of nowhere.  Monique understandably wants to focus on Evelyn’s seven marriages--which one was the love of her life, anyway?  Evelyn reveals herself to be much tougher--and much more scheming--than she initially might have seemed.  And there are plenty of secrets to be revealed, including her connection to Monique.  I really, really liked this book.  It had elements of grand romance and tragedy, while at the same time retaining the feel of a tell-all.  The reveal of Evelyn’s greatest love was well-done, and I believed in the ups and downs of the relationship.  You can definitely choose the starlets from whose lives Reid drew.  It’s well worth the read, and I plan on trying Reid’s other books soon.  

Marriage of a Thousand Lies by S.J. Sindu.  2/5.  Lucky (short for Lakshmi) is a part of a traditional Tamil family, and as such has married Krishna to please her mother.  The thing is that both Lucky and Krishni are gay, and simply protecting each other’s (and their families’) reputations through their sham marriage.  Then Lucky learns that Nisha, her childhood friend and first love, is getting married.  As Nisha and Lucky reenter each other’s lives, they find themselves unable to resist each other, while Lucky’s life implodes around her. This is a short read and the prose is very pretty, but I found Lucky to be pretty dull.  Krishna was the character I wanted to know more about, to be honest; or even Nisha.  It felt pretty paint by numbers, but perhaps that’s because I’m not from the same cultural background as Lucky.  Not a bad book, but I just didn’t connect to it.

Song of the Current by Sarah Tolcser.  1/5.  Caro is descended from generations of river sailors, all of whom worship the river god.  After her father refuses to transport a crate--who knows what’s in it?--Caro agrees to do the task in order to gain his freedom.  Aaaand so on.  I think I hated this book so much in part because it could have been a lot more.  But it was so slow.  And there was cliche after cliche.  And there were frog people; listen, I know that some of y’all are probably down for actual green frog people who catch flies with their tongues, but I don’t play D&D and I’m not there yet in terms of geekdom.  Also, the romance was insufferable, and tongues actually tangled. This book was published by Bloomsbury, I assume there an editor involved, and THEIR TONGUES STILL TANGLED.  That was when I knew this was a one star book. 

Four Queens: The Provencal Sisters Who Ruled Europe by Nancy Goldstone.  3/5.  This non-fiction book tells the story of four sisters of Provence--Marguerite, Eleanor, Sanchia, and Beatrice.  Marguerite was married off to Louis IX of France, which in turn led to Eleanor becoming Henry III of England’s bride--Sanchia and Beatrice’s queenships would come later down the road.  So to call them the sisters who ruled Europe is a bit misleading, but it makes for a great title; and it truly is remarkable that a fairly unassuming noble family would produce four girls who would all become queens.  As you might imagine, the fact that this all took place during the thirteenth century means that Goldstone has to make some leaps in logic based on her research, especially in regards to the comparatively minor Sanchia and Beatrice.  I know little about the subject so I can’t speak to Goldstone’s accuracy, but all in all it was a nice pop history read.

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn.  2/5.  Shortly after the end of World War II, American Charlie St. Clair travels to Europe with her mother to take care of a “little problem”--her out of wedlock pregnancy.  At the same time, however, she wants to figure out what happened to her beloved cousin Rose, who went missing during the war.  During her search, she meets Eve--a woman who served as a spy during World War I.  The story takes on their alternating perspectives, as Charlie struggles to find Rose and Eve grapples with her past.  This kind of crushed me, as I am such a big fan of Kate Quinn’s Mistress of Rome series.  I never really bothered with her Giulia Farnese books, because I knew that through no fault of Quinn’s they wouldn’t work for me; but this disappointed me.  I’m not the hugest fan of World War I and II as historical eras, and I certainly love Ancient Rome a lot more.  But this could have  been so compelling.  It takes so long to start, however, and Eve’s perspective was less interesting than Charlie’s, to the point that I kept wishing that I could skip Eve’s chapters entirely. By the time the action and romance really began, I was so zoned out that it didn’t matter anymore.

Now I Rise by Kiersten White.  5/5.  The followup to the already-great start that was “And I Darken”, “Now I Rise” continues the dual stories of Lada (the fictionalized female equivalent of Vlad Tepes/Vlad the Impaler) and her brother Radu.  While Lada is struggling to reclaim her throne in Wallachia, Radu remains a servant of the Ottoman Empire and its sultan, Mehmed--the man he secretly loves.  Of course, Mehmed is obsessed with Lada--almost as much as he’s obsessed with Constantinople--and Lada is sort of obsessed with him back, but not as much as she’s obsessed with her birthright.  This book sees the incredibly twisted trio get even darker.  I really appreciate that Lada, Radu, and Mehmed aren’t super great people; Radu is less blood/power-thirsty than his sister and friend, but he is very manipulative and at times places his desire for Mehmed above loyalty to his sister.  (Which is fucked up, as Mehmed would probably sell Radu to Satan for one corn chip if that corn chip was Lada, who in turn never knows how to feel about Mehmed because boy is hot but boy is also about as twisted as she is.)  I love this series so much because of the moral grayness and dualities of all of these characters.  Even when they did things that I really didn’t agree with, I still understood why they did them.  For that matter, the supporting characters (especially Nazira, Radu’s equally gay wife) really upped the game of this book.  This series is an absolute must-read.

[euro3plast-fr]

5 secrets from top brands to inspire your Twitter Marketing Strategy

Follow these examples to get the most from Twitter marketing in 2017

Twitter remains one of the most popular social media platforms and it’s recognized by brands as a way to facilitate customer and user engagement. But, with over 350,000 tweets posted per minute, achieving brand visibility is a challenge.

Success is not just about how many followers you have, it’s about engagement with users, building strong relationships.

Twitter allows you to reach a larger audience and increase brand awareness. But there are challenges to overcome such as exposing your brand to negative comments, dealing with customer complaints, and remaining visible.

18 Brands + 2 CEOs, 12 Months of Twitter Data

Using Interbrand as a reference, we chose 18 successful global brands from 9 industries. For a different perspective, we included two well-known CEOs, both with a big presence on Twitter.

For the period of 2016, we mined data from each brand. We took stats for hashtag usage, tweet engagement, how brand ambassadors and influencers were used, and engagement with followers.

Based on this data, we’ve highlighted the top 5 Twitter tips that we think are key to building a successful Twitter marketing strategy. If you want to dive straight in and find more, you can download the full report of all 20 brands and learn all the secrets.

Twitter Tip #1: Find the voice of your brand and have the confidence to speak your mind

Don’t be Shy – Speak Your Mind

You’ll need the strength of your own convictions, facts to back up your comments, honesty and passion. Sharing your thoughts, even if controversial, shows the human side of your brand – robots rarely express their feelings.

Our hearts are with the Orlando victims, their families and the LGBT community. #LoveIsLove pic.twitter.com/vMPzfWa6Y7

— Google (@Google) June 12, 2016

Google’s Twitter feed is hardly a selling platform. Occasionally it tweets about product development but primarily it’s a collection of everything it considers important. Whether it’s a worthy cause, political issues, amusing anecdotes, or something poignant. The tweet above was retweeted 10,032 times and liked by 17,715. Comments weren’t all positive, but Google stood up for what it believes in and received engagement of 27.7K.

Google is confident enough to openly support the causes it values, popular or otherwise. Its convictions are strong and it speaks its mind, negative comments merely increasing engagement.

Twitter Tip #2: It’s not a playground - rise above negative comments to defend your brand

Negative comments – Be a Grown Up

There will be negative comments; how you deal with them is your choice. Here’re two different strategies, both effective.

Donald Trump posted a derogatory comment on Twitter about The New York Times. What did it do? It didn’t ignore it, it didn’t get angry. It defended its reputation, it protected its brand.

@realDonaldTrump @nytimes fact: surge in new subscriptions, print & digital, with trends, stops & starts, 4 X better than normal.

— NYTCo Communications (@NYTimesComm) November 13, 2016

At the time of publishing our report, the above tweet had been retweeted 2,645 times and liked by 5,422. It’s still very much alive on Twitter and it’s now been retweeted 35,369 and liked 128,270 times. The New York Times uses @NYTimesComm to respond to tweets but rarely engages. In this instance, protecting its brand was primary.

Like many big-name brands, Siemens gets its fair share of negative press. Rather than facing it head on, like The New York Times, it tweets positive and promotional news from its main account and from @Siemens_press and @SiemensMobility; regularly using positive hashtags like #CO2neutral # CleanEnergy #EnergyEfficient.

World’s most energy efficient #trafficlight presented by @Siemens. #LED #CO2neutral https://t.co/bZTvPpD210 pic.twitter.com/jxwGIpcQL4

— Siemens Mobility (@SiemensMobility) August 1, 2016

Twitter Tip #3: Brand ambassadors and influencers bring a whole new audience

Collaboration Works - Communities, A-Listers, Individuals

Whilst celebrities and sports people feature heavily as brand ambassadors, Pampers uses a large community of reviewers and bloggers who test products, share opinions, advice and promotions. It’s real people sharing real life stories, providing genuine reviews and positive user generated content, which Pampers always retweets. The tweet below had only 153 retweets but it was shared throughout the community of reviewers and bloggers, plus it linked to a website with other offers from Pampers.

#ad Print high value @Pampers coupons at home https://t.co/5BrcgbG8kT & see this Sunday's newspaper! #PampersSavings pic.twitter.com/mlbGF7Zbbp

— Rose A (@mail4rosey) June 7, 2016

Louis Vuitton relies heavily on brand ambassadors from fashion and entertainment. Whether it’s actor, Léa Seydoux, the face of the brand, or newsjacking red carpet events and photographing celebrities who’re wearing Louis Vuitton.

Louis Vuitton’s Twitter marketing strategy is one-way, no engagement, with its focus on pushing its products. It only retweeted 5 times in 2016, all from its other Twitter accounts. Yet it has nearly 6m followers, who retweeted the brand’s tweets over 378K times. It’s not a strategy that would work for all brands, but it works for luxury brands that users aspire to.

Jennifer Connelly wearing #LouisVuitton to the #AmericanPastoral Premiere during the Zurich Film Festival #ZFF2016 pic.twitter.com/uHFDz3xAkj

— Louis Vuitton (@LouisVuitton) September 27, 2016

Brand ambassadors and influencers aren’t always planned, as the following tweet about Nike demonstrates.

this choker trend is wild y'all i wore a shoelace to the bars last night & i've never gotten so many compliments thanks @Nike just do it lol pic.twitter.com/K49fJmAXNe

— Katie Rosebrook (@katierosebrook) October 2, 2016

A member of the public wore a shoelace as a necklace and tweeted a pic, it went viral. Engagement was at 310K and the story was picked up by the press. Whilst not directly promoting Nike, it brought huge interest @Nike. Strangely, Nike did not engage with the tweet.

Twitter Tip #4: Tweets about trends increase follower engagement and expose tweets to a wider audience.

Stay on Top of Trends – Nike #justdoit Right

Back to the Future is a movie with a cult-like fan base. When it was released almost 30 years ago, Nike created a responsive shoe – the self-lacing sneaker or Nike Mag – worn in the movie by Michael J Fox. In 2016 Nike, never slow to jump on a trend, released the 2016 Nike Mag. A limited-edition, only 89 were produced. The sneakers were put into an auction with proceeds going to The Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. Nike followed a trend whilst demonstrating its social conscience.

.@REALMIKEFOX the future is now #NikeMag: https://t.co/gvzyQC7s8H pic.twitter.com/mJ87BasEMk

— Nike (@Nike) October 4, 2016

Twitter Tip #5: Whether you’re controversial or caring – keep it interesting and make us happy

Keep it Human, Keep it Social – Be Approachable

Interacting with people who mention your brand on Twitter is important. Brands that ask questions, use humour, can laugh at themselves, and personalize their tweets – are seen to be more approachable, more human. It takes time and effort but followers do appreciate it, and you’ll increase engagement and brand awareness.

Richard Branson shares his thoughts, ideas, politics, charities, jokes, book recommendations, family stories; his products and services are almost an afterthought. He has over 9 million followers but tweets as if it’s just to YOU.

Procrastination is the thief of time: too many great ideas fall flat due to lengthy decision making: https://t.co/7gAoxDhfey pic.twitter.com/UiDtoo4ekF

— Richard Branson (@richardbranson) December 7, 2016

Keeping the Siemens’ Twitter feed human, the Chief HR Officer tweets about Siemens’ activities using inspirational hashtags, including #gender #equality #diversity #ability #ingenuityforlife #greenbuilding.

We support #PrideWeek @Siemens because respecting each other is what matters to us #diversity @SiemensCareers pic.twitter.com/WVGvV6LLIG

— Janina Kugel (@janinakugel) July 18, 2016

Find Inspiration for your Twitter Marketing Strategy

Don’t wait for a disaster on Twitter before reacting, use it just for selling your product, or jump in purely for customer service issues. Twitter can bring character to your brand, a personality. Used well, it’ll be your brand’s human voice.

Your Twitter marketing strategy can make or break your brand. Make your Twitter account worth following with tweets that add value, are interesting, controversial, funny, and helpful. It’s not about the endless marketing of your brand. Make us laugh, make us cry, make us question, make us angry, make us happy.

To learn more about how these brands and more have found a voice that rocks Twitter, download the full TalkWalker report – Top 20 Brands On Twitter – Playing Their Cards Right In 2016

Thanks to Meg for sharing their advice and opinions in this post. Meg Carpenter is a copywriter in the marketing and communications team at Talkwalker, a social media analytics and monitoring platform.You can connect with her on LinkedIn.

from Blog – Smart Insights http://www.smartinsights.com/social-media-marketing/twitter-marketing/5-secrets-top-brands-inspire-twitter-marketing-strategy/

[ssauronn]

mmm crossposting a life update here from my twitter w edits bc here its easier to keep tabs on and i dont need to bother my friends unless they want to be bothered so everyone wins. 

 HOLY SHIT so the bitch i fought w over fucking facebook for being an asshole about pulse last year literally destroyed her friendship w my mother over it lmao. for context, she has a disabled child. my mother has kept trying to be kind to this lady because literally my mother did nothing, why the fuck should my beef with her affect her friendship w my mother? previously this dumb shit, lets call her K, got her husband and her shit like-minded right-wing circlejerk 40s+ friends to gang the hell up on me at 18 and started shitting on my mother out of NOWHERE for not "raising me properly", because i was "disrespecting" k, well after the convo had ended on my part. she blocked me, her disabled child also blocked me after asking me to apologize, to which i refused obv. i explained gently to her that i was not about to apologize for calling out her mom bc her biggest only problem w pulse was headlines calling it the worst massacre on american soil w a link to a wikipedia article she apparently didnt fucking read; the only worse ones were in wartimes according to it. (which apparently she read wrong, she thought I meant there were wars when other massacres happened?? like no the only bigger ones there were literally during the civil war and shit like that) I didn’t call her any names, and I certainly didn’t insult her fucking family. her son unfriended me, and ok ok, everythings fine with me, she fucking acted like a martyr when a couple people took my side and claimed i and others (who chimed in arguing more for my perspective because she was way over the top, which was cool tbh) were SO misled and delusional and blocked her so we’ll never learn I guess! when i never did shit but told her to stop talking. I only know this because she didn’t block my mother. Everything’s still cool for me like, K, this is really more of a you problem. Fast forward a year fucking later and my mother has tried to be cordial and nice and all this shit bc theyve been friends for basically their entire lives which is cool like, it's not my life, fucking whatever. but clearly K cannot let anything go, and she’s p rude to my mother anyway, once flippantly bringing up losing her father, like holy shit, are you like 12??? Anyway my mother sent her info about a water park for disabled kids and i guess K ranted at her as a result. i havent seen the convo yet, but ive been told k said my mother 'doesnt control her reality'??? LIKE 

 just. holy shit the original convo over facebook spiraled WAY out of control, and when i was fucking exhausted w her she didnt stop so like.through the whole conversation I kept it as respectful as I fucking could while explaining all this shit.

This is really like the “everything’s really your fault because of your bad attitude and not my doing anything wrong because on top of your bad attitude you’re wrong so clearly your argument is invalid because you’re mad so i don’t have to care bc this is disrespectful! additionally i am correct”

  literally im so tired of all the older folks in my life going thru life sufferjng cuz prides (lol) too big to swallow like ik yall have the resources to get professional help. please i strongly believe no one can go through life on their own and not every layperson you know is properly equipped to help you through shit, and really theres not a fucking point in wrecking your 50 yr old friendship and being actively delusional about it when this totally different person from the one you fought with actively wants to be friendly with you still?? like, contact has been limited by Ks terse responses, not a shortage of my mother trying with this bitch lmao. she started accusing my mother of doing all these things, like making fun of her,lying, making “snide remarks” with no fucking context.  i literally only still give a shjt about this cuz this bitch is fucking things up for someone who waSNT INVOLVED LIKE...,,THIS ISNT A WAR OF HOUSEHOLDS??CHRIST its almost like im my own person lmfao like idgaf if you fuck out of my life forever. but lol literally.. my mother is only involved bc u shat on her parenting lmfao and obv shes not perfect but not for the reasons you're naming, hen, im not a fuckface ill defend her over some bullshit like this because she literally didnt do ANYTHING

edit i have seen the convo if there’s conflict in the narrative that’s why

 K has definitely said a lot of shit that’s just. basically incorrect? and she’s trying to continue her argument w me w my mother lmao

at one point she asked if my mother believed everyone makes their own reality

(like.......................................................... really....?? every separate individual experiences life differently because ultimately the way you interpret your world shapes your experience, so, like.... what???)

she wanted to have a discussion about “what happened last june” like.... seriously, it’s not even my mother’s problem? If you genuinely don’t care about lgbt people dying then I have no reason to care for you. additionally, if you have beef with ME, fucking unfuckingblock me and tell me how ya feel bih lmf

she kept going about how grossly misled I am, how islam is bad and is why things like pulse happen (she Is One Of Those),,, fuck

(in this vein, she told me that homophobia is made up and that I made the word up and it’s not real and doesn’t mean what I thought it did and whatever)

 tbh im  going to contact the child that didn’t block me because he’s old enough to deal and never said anything to me directly and just unfriended me. the things she was saying were things that i doubt mentally well people say, and literally i only care about her to the extent of wow literally don’t fuck with my family for doing jack fucking shit, get some help and sort whatever shit you have out because it was actually you who dragged my mother into this for no other reason than to be all righteous and shit on her. she really shouldnt be dealing with this lmao. Glad you’ve been pressed about me being exhausted for a year. Please see a professional of some kind. 

Additional choice bits i remember:

accused me of going on tangents when I was responding to topics that she brought up,

some old bitch i dont know told me to take a nap over facebook

K said adults “dont lash out�� in this text convo from today

previously she also acted all offended that I asked her to stop talking to me, I stopped responding, and she just did what the fuck ever. 

K also said she was upset my mother knew enough about the “situation” to form an opinion about it, like???? how much do you need to know when its pretty clear that if you acted like how you think adults should act you would have shut the fuck up earlier? like when I asked you to stop, when the conversation was already so fucked and had been going for hours because somehow I’m wrong for thinking it’s bad that you only posted this insensitive garbage when 50 people like me got fucking murdered for being in a space meant for them but hey, it’s my fault somehow LMAO 

I LIterally told this bitch to stop talking to me because there’s clearly nothing I can say to change her mind about why it’s bad that your only problem with pulse is vaguely untrue headlines, like what, you wanna fucking downplay it? fuck off. 

she was also all mad about me telling her to stop talking like in the fucking morning like muhh it’s my wall and i’ll do what i want and at night uhh i dont have time to sit on facebook all day so you’re wrong LIKE GOOD BITCH LMAO STOP TALKING TO ME THEN!!!