#this is.... a normal amount of liking something. sure.

[xinganhao]

NAURRR i NEEEDD a pt.2 of the soccer one with seungcheol and the reader going on dates!!! ughh that hhu one was sooo cutee

not a full part two (yet) but how about some more panels and a couple of headcanons 🤭 aaah thank u for enjoying soccer team!hhu <3 i fear i have a soft spot for her too (✯◡✯) without further ado:

soccer captain!seungcheol who develops a crush on you, his english literature classmate. he knows he could probably just ask you out like a normal person, but the classroom isn't really his turf. the football pitch, though? maybe he'll stand a chance there, he thinks, as he invites you to try out for managership.

soccer captain!seungcheol who may not be obvious to you but is so obvious to the rest of his team. they see the way he preens, the way he strives to show off just a little bit more when you're around. mingyu gives him absolute hell over it.

soccer captain!seungcheol who drives you to and from every team dinner. who picks up the tab when the two of you have 'check-in's (something he swears is tradition, but no other student manager has actually done).

soccer captain!seungcheol who, post-confession, becomes the most insufferable suitor known to man.

soccer captain!seungcheol will throw his arm around you whenever you're talking with the captains of the other teams. never mind the fact that all your conversations with them are strictly professional. seungcheol will flash them a dimpled grin, hit them with a cool "everything good?" as he leans his weight on you.

soccer captain!seungcheol sends an obscene amount of photos/videos. post-workout? mirror snap. stuck in traffic? fifteen second-er of him belting along to a song on the radio. you call him vain. he says he's only trying to make sure he's always on your mind.

soccer captain!seungcheol is whispered about, because he starts waiting for you outside of your classrooms. "this isn't high school," you tell him with no shortage of exasperation as he wrestles your stuff out of your hands. "i know," he'll say. but he still walks you to your next class, refusing to let you lift a finger.

soccer captain!seungcheol who always pushes it. pre-game— whether it's one with high-stakes or just some training match— he'll pull out all the stops. his signature pout. his boba-like eyes. "c'mon," he whines. "just one good luck kiss."

soccer captain!seungcheol catches a lot of flack for his shameless displays of being absolutely-down-bad, by the way. vernon calls him a simp. wonwoo can only facepalm. but seungcheol doesn't care, can't give two damns about his team's relentless teasing. because, one day, all his outrageousness pays off.

soccer captain!seungcheol short-circuits when you finally give in. maybe you're fed up. maybe you're endeared. doesn't matter. all that he registers is that your lips press a chaste, barely-there kiss to his cheek. it's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment, except seungcheol doesn't miss it, and neither does the rest of the shell-shocked team.

soccer captain!seungcheol can only stare at you— the perfect picture of innocence, like you haven't just tilted his entire world on its axis— as you tell him, "there's your luck. better win, choi."

soccer captain!seungcheol recognizes a command when he hears it.

soccer captain!seungcheol mumbles out a dazed, "yes, captain," because he may be the king of the pitch, but you're the center of his goddamn world.

(soccer captain!seungcheol wins that game, by the way. mvp and all that. when he's handed his award, he doesn't do his usual display of thrusting the trophy up into the sky. instead, his index finger extends— and he points straight at you.)

[ladylooch]

When We Met - [Nico x Lexi]

Vanilla, Nico thinks to himself. That is the other note to what he is smelling right now. 

Citrus, vanilla, and sweet roses- like the pink ones he got for his mother from the corner market earlier this season. 

For weeks, this same sweet, soft scent has lingered in the elevator on his way to practice. Sometimes it is there in the evening too, but mostly in the morning. Like whoever it belongs to just exited the elevator car before he got into it. Every day, Nico has been trying to pinpoint the notes of the perfume. He was pretty sure there was citrus and something floral. It took him days to nail down the rose connection. But the final note of sweetness wasn’t making sense to him.

Now he knows.

He stuffs his hands into his pockets, looking down at the elevator floor. Unexpectedly, a sadness drifts through his mind. He knows the scents, but not the girl they belong to. 

It doesn’t make much sense, but Nico wants to know her. She has excellent taste in perfume. What else does she have excellent taste in? He would like to know. He finds himself wondering about it at practice too. Once it happened during a game. Nico plays at too high of a level to be that distracted by perfume. Plus, this is a huge building and the chances of bumping into her are low. 

The elevator hits the bottom floor. Nico hooks a left towards the mail room, opening the door with his fob. He takes in the room of gray mailboxes, seeing he is alone. He walks over to his, sliding the key in and turning it open. He cringes when he sees the amount of mail stuffed inside. The box is almost full. Understandable considering that he can’t remember the last time he came down this way. Getting mail is a mundane task for Nico. Sure he walks by the mailroom every day when he gets home, but those extra few steps feel like too much effort after a grueling game or an OT loss. 

Carefully, he slides his hands on the top and bottom of the mailbox. He glides the big stack of paper out of his box, then curses when the package box key falls to the floor between his Nikes. Nico gets the papers the rest of the way out, tucking them against his chest before he crouches down to grab the key. 

As he does, the door swings open and quick foot steps speak inside. Nico keeps his gaze down, not wanting to take the chance of recognition. His fingers grasp the key in his hand and he slides it into the package box. He twists the lock open, grabbing a package out. It’s a sponsorship box he knew to expect. He shuts the door to the box then stiffens as he smells that same perfume from the elevator.

He shoots up like a bolt of lightning.

“It’s you!”

“OH MY GOD!” The brunette yells, tossing her mail into the air. “I didn’t know anyone was in here!” 

“Oh, I-I’m so sorry.” Nico mumbles. He tosses his mail onto the table in the center of the room, then rushes over to help her pick hers up.

Crouched down on the ground, Nico catches the gaze of the most stunning green eyes he has ever seen. They’re framed with long, curled eyelashes and a soft purple eye shadow that makes them pop. Her face is filled out with a full pink mouth and rounded cheeks that dust pink from their interaction. Long, brunette hair falls over her shoulder where it is held in a high pony tail. Holy smokes, his perfume queen is gorgeous.

“Do I know you?” She murmurs as they stand back up. Nico hands her mail in his hands over, but not before sneaking a peak at her name: Alexis.

His perfume queen, Alexis.

“Uh… I don’t think so.” Nico shakes his head.

“So what did you mean when you said 'it’s you'?”

“Oh! Um…” Nico pauses. How is he gonna say this and sound normal. “I recognize you from your perfume.”

Her thin eyebrows furrow together. 

Shit, that wasn’t it.

“I smell it every day.” He tries agin. She looks to the side, taking a slight step away from him.

Also not it.

“Okay.” She nods, looking down at her mail. She flips it over so the address is facing down. 

“What brand is it?” He asks, shoving his hands into his pockets so he looks less intimidating. An amused smile pulls up one corner of her mouth. Then she sucks her cheeks in, looking down at her shoes. She is wearing black and white Nikes too, but more athletic, paired with light blue scrubs. A name badge is clipped to her pants that says Lexi, not Alexis. 

“It’s YSL, flowers and flames.” She finally responds, hiking her bag over her shoulder.

“Nice. Maybe I can spray some on my pillow.” He tries to joke.

It doesn’t land.

He mutters a Swiss explicative under his breath as she purses her lips together. Her green eyes widen and she inhales a deep breath.

“Sephora has a sale right now.” She offers up. Red streaks into Nico’s pale cheeks. He turns, clearing his throat and heading back to his pile of mail.

“Good to know. Sorry about your mail.”

“Thanks for helping me…?” She murmurs back to him, ending with a question like she isn’t sure what to call him.

“Nico.”

“Thank you, Nico.”

“Least I could do.” He says as he gathers his mail back into his arms.

“I’m Lexi.” She tells him as she holds the mail room door open for him. He shuffles out with his arms loaded down. “Are you going up?” She motions to the elevator.

“Ah, no. Well, yes.” He closes his eyes at his stammering. Damn, is today his first day speaking English? “I am going up, but I’m going to take the stairs. Didn’t get my steps in yet.”

She pauses, like she might say something, then nods.

“Have a good day. Nice meeting you.”

“You too.” He shouts after her before dipping into the stairwell. He looks up at all the flights of stairs he has to climb, then gets to it before he can talk himself into getting back in the elevator with Lexi. As much as he wants to, he thinks he’s freaked her out enough today. 

By the time Nico gets to his floor, he is huffing and puffing. He may be in peak condition right now for hockey, but skating is no match for the strength it takes to climbs that many stairs. Sweat spills from his hairline, beading down his neck and shoulders to collect at the small of his back in a puddle. He struggles to pull the keys to his place out, dropping mail with each movement. He gets the door open, collecting the envelopes then letting the door slam behind him after he gets into his place.

“Fuck me.” He mutters, going directly to the table to drop it all off. 

A quiet knock hits his front door. Nico looks towards it with narrowed eyes then stalks over to the door, annoyed by everything that has occurred in the last ten minutes. He flings the door open, expecting to see one of his teammates who also lives in the building.

Instead it’s Lexi. 

Nico softens his face, seeing her holding an envelope addressed to him in front of her coy face.

“You dropped this.”

“Oh. Thanks.” He smiles sheepishly, grabbing the envelope from her hand. “I swear I’m not normally that weird. I’m very normal.” A smile stretches her perfect, pink lips apart. Lips that Nico wants to feel brushing against his, that perfume he is obsessed with melting into his skin from her body heat meeting his. 

What is wrong with him? He just told her he is normal and now he’s picturing her kissing him and grinding into his-

“Good to know this is what my perfume turns you into… bye Nico.”

Nico’s heart flutters in his chest. Did she just… flirt with him? His brown eyes raise over her head for a second, then come back to her face.

“See you around?”

“Yeah.”

“Say hi when you do.” She offers as she walks backwards.

Nico’s lips part in surprise and awe, unable to move his mouth to speak anything else to her. 

An easy wave is lifted over to him as she heads back into the elevator. 

The strangest giggle comes out of Nico’s mouth as he walks back into his apartment. He catches his reflection in the windows across the room. He looks like all seven of the dwarves wrapped up into one person. 

He may have just met her, but Nico Hischier is hooked on more than just Lexi’s perfume.

Read more Nico and Lexi here.

[scam-alerts]

🔎Scam Exam(ination)🔍

Seen as: I would like a commission of my son/pet... Scam Type: Commission Scam

Being open to commissions isn't uncommon if you're an artist.

You may often find yourself receiving messages from strangers looking to commission you for a picture of their OC or even their favorite ship.

But if you receive a message like this, you should be careful you don't fall into a scammers trap.

-----

How it starts:

it starts by receiving a message from another user requesting a commission. Again, typical common practice if you're an artist.

What they ask for at the start, is usually the first red flag.

Images provided by: (1)@neogandw, (2)@foggywiz4rd, (3-4)@maikaartwork

🚩Red flag's (part 1)🚩

I want you to draw my son/daughter.

I want you to draw my son/daughter's pet.

It's a blank blog with no posts/reblogs

It's a blog that's only a few days/week old.

While this request seems simple enough, this scam gets worse.

-----

An offer too good to refuse:

Now you may be thinking, 'surely this can't be bad or malicious, right?' They just want you to draw a picture of their child or their child's pet! And that's definitely what the scammer wants you to think. Which is what brings us to the next set of red flags:

Left image from @neogandw, right image from @maikaartwork

🚩Red flag's (part 2)🚩

'I will pay you $200-$500+' (an amount way way beyond your normal asking price.)

'I just want the best you can do.' (They don't know how to answer questions related to details such as pose, background, style, objects you want included, etc.)

'It's for their birthday/holiday' - ' I want it done as soon as possible.' (They will push that you do this with a sense of urgency so you don't ask questions.)

-----

The Catch:

Now, if you haven't reported and blocked them by now, and you agree to take this persons commission, this is where the catch to this scam comes into play.

If you tell the scammer to send you an invoice, they will refuse.

If you tell them to use your preferred method, they will refuse.

Those methods just 'wont/don't work', you see.

What they really want, is your PayPal email and your name.

From here they will say that they sent you payment, and that you should check your email. Or that 'they got an email and something went wrong' and that you should check your email.

And here is where the scam comes to ahead.

They will send you a fake email meant to look like it came from PayPal that looks like the ones shown below:

Second image provided by @badlibbing -----

What this means / How this works:

In the case of screenshot one (provided by @neogandw) the 'MONALISA' is the person who was trying to commission them.

The payment hasn't 'went through', and the e-mail (from 'fake PayPal') is saying that they, the artist, needs to send $200 to 'MONALISA' to 'expand the limit' of their account to get the $500 that is owed to them.

Think about this for a second.

If your account is limited, why would you need to send another PayPal user money to 'unlock' your account or 'expand it', and not just contact PayPal itself to try and resolve that issue...?

There are also a handful of red flags in this email alone.

🚩Red flag's (part 3)🚩

The sender address is not from an official paypal.com address, but instead a gmail.com address. This means that this came from a person, not a company.

The formatting. Let's be frank, no official email from PayPal will ever look like this.

The spelling/grammar issues are everywhere.

Weird url's at the bottom of the email. (I removed them for safety reasons)

Additionally: You may also find or see links in this emails instructing you to 'go here' to unlock your account. These are phishing (wikipedia) links that they will use to steal your PayPal login information. Never click links in emails asking you to 'fix an issue' with your account unless you can verify who the sender is.

If you send these people your money, you will get blocked and never see them again. That's just how this scam goes...

If you'd like another variation of this scam which talks about money wiring, you can check out @maikaartwork's version by clicking here!

-----

Final thoughts:

If you fall for a scam like this, thankfully there still might be hope.

Contact PayPal and explain what happened in detail. Show them every shred of evidence that you have showing that you were scammed including the name of who scammed you, and the email that sent you the scam, and who you wound up sending the money to.

If you use the messaging system that uses the AI chat bot, ask it repeatedly to 'speak to a real person' until you get sent to a live agent. (this is stupidly frustrating but sadly it's what you have to do.)

And remember, take screenshots and report these users to the websites they are running these scams on. If they DM you on tumblr? Report the DM. If they do it on insta, bsky, twitter or even discord?

Make sure you report them there too.

ALSO: Beware of recovery scammers. This is anyone coming into your DM's telling you they can 'help you get your money back' after you made a post talking about how you got scammed. These scammers are just looking for a quick buck.

Here's a post about ethical hackers (aka recovery scammers)

Other helpful guides on spotting scams. (by @kyra45)

[acute-crashout-jeyuso]

Possession: a Jey Uso x Rhea Ripley x Jimmy Uso fanfic.

Chapter 7: animals by maroon 5..

Friday, November 29th, 2024 10:21 AM

Rhea’s hands stilled in the soapy water, the sponge motionless between her fingers as her mind betrayed her once again. The warm, humid air of the kitchen seemed to dissolve as her thoughts transported her back to the previous night. She could almost feel the weight of Jimmy’s hands on her waist, the way his breath tickled her skin when he whispered in her ear. A part of her burned with shame at the memory, but another part—a part she hated to acknowledge—felt a flicker of undeniable lust.

She stared out the window, her gaze locking onto the patio furniture outside. It was such an ordinary sight, but now it felt tainted, holding the memory of forbidden touches and secret words. The patio table mocked her as she tried to shake it off, scrubbing harder at the plate in her hands, but no amount of physical effort seemed to scrub away the emotions. Her chest tightened, a confusing blend of guilt and something far more dangerous swirling inside her.

Her trance was broken by the sound of Jey’s voice, pulling her back to reality with the sharpness of a snapped rubber band.

“Babe,” Jey called from the living room, his tone casual, his words so normal in contrast to the guilt inside her. “You wanna go out tonight with Joe and Galina?”

Rhea froze for a moment, the question throwing her off guard. She quickly plastered on a small, practiced smile before glancing over her shoulder toward him. “Yeah, sure,” she said, forcing her voice to sound light and unaffected.

Jey stepped into the kitchen, his presence grounding her in an uncomfortable way. He leaned against the doorframe on his good side, his good hand holding his phone, looking so effortlessly at ease. “They’re thinking about hitting that new steakhouse downtown. Sound good?” His warm smile should have comforted her, but instead, it made her stomach twist knowing what she had just done just a few hours ago.

“Sounds perfect,” Rhea replied quickly, turning back to the dishes in an effort to hide the unease flickering across her face. She couldn’t meet his eyes—not right now.

“Alright, cool,” Jey said with a grin. He crossed the room and placed a soft kiss on the side of her head before leaving her alone again. “I’ll let Joe know we’re in.”

She nodded stiffly, her heart pounding harder with each step he took away. As soon as she heard him retreat back into the living room, Rhea let out a shaky breath, gripping the edge of the sink as if it could anchor her to reality. But it wasn’t enough. No matter how hard she tried, the guilt, the confusion, and that unrelenting flicker of desire gnawed at her.

“This isn’t me,” she whispered to herself, her voice trembling. Her knuckles turned white as she clutched the counter. She wasn’t the kind of person who got caught up in messy, tangled emotions like this. She wasn’t someone who betrayed the people she cared about.

And yet…

Her mind betrayed her again, flashing back to the way Jimmy had looked at her in the moonlight, his gaze dark and unrelenting, his touch so confident yet gentle. She hated that it had affected her so deeply, that even now, her body betrayed her, her skin tingling at the phantom memory of his hands.

“No,” she said under her breath, shaking her head. She needed to pull herself together, needed to bury those memories and keep them locked away where they couldn’t hurt anyone—not Jey, not Jimmy, and certainly not herself.

But deep down, she knew the truth. What happened last night wasn’t something she could easily forget—or ignore.

After drying her hands, Rhea headed to the bedroom, trying her best to ignore the lingering thoughts that haunted her since the night before. The sunlight streamed through the window, casting warm beams across the room, but it did little to soothe the whirlwind in her mind. She clenched her fists once more for a moment, trying to shake the feeling, and focused her attention on the mundane task of putting the folded laundry away.

But as soon as her gaze landed on her phone sitting on the nightstand, her resolve faltered. She felt the pull, the irresistible urge to check her messages. Slowly, she picked it up, her stomach tightening with both anticipation and guilt. The screen lit up, revealing a notification from Snapchat. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Jimmy’s name.

She hesitated for a moment, her thumb hovering over the app. She shouldn’t open it, she told herself. She knew she shouldn’t. But her curiosity—and something deeper—won out, and she tapped on the notification.

It was a video. The clip was short, but it sent her mind spinning. The camera was angled down, showing Jimmy’s hand holding a pair of black lace underwear. Her black lace underwear. She recognized them instantly. His voice followed, deep and laced with mischief: “They are mine now..”

Rhea’s breath caught in her throat, her cheeks burning with a mix of embarrassment and exhilaration. A nervous laugh escaped her lips as she stared at the screen, the image now frozen on the last frame of the video. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard for a moment, unsure of how to respond. Finally, she opted for a simple and safe 🙃 emoji, hoping to keep things playful yet ambiguous.

The response was instant. Her phone buzzed again, and another message appeared.

“I want more..”

Her chest tightened as she read the words. A rush of heat coursed through her, making her heart pound in her ears. Her grip on the phone tightened as her mind raced. The weight of what had happened last night suddenly felt heavier, but along with the guilt came an undeniable flutter of excitement. She wanted to ignore it, to push it all aside, but his words lit a fire within her that she couldn’t extinguish.

She stared at the message, torn between what she knew was right and what her body wanted. Her thumb hovered over the screen, typing and deleting responses over and over. Nothing seemed right, or maybe everything seemed too honest.

Rhea’s heart raced as she finally opened the Snapchat from Jimmy. Her eyes scanned over the message he had sent: “My mouth is yours… yours is mine.” The words lingered in her mind, stirring something deep within her. A mixture of desire and guilt washed over her, leaving her frozen for a moment.

Her thumb hovered over the screen, unsure whether to respond. She had told herself over and over that she needed to focus on Jey, on being the supportive girlfriend he needed after his injury. But there was something about Jimmy’s words that sent a jolt through her, scaring her slightly. She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts, but before she could make a decision, Jey walked into the room, snapping her back to reality. “Hey baby..”

She quickly closed the Snapchat app, hoping Jey hadn’t noticed her distraction. He looked at her, his face tired but still showing that playful smile. His arm was still in the sling, a reminder of the accident that had left him sidelined. He walked over to her and plopped down on the bed.

“I’m gonna take a nap,” he said, rubbing his temples. “I’m still woozy from these pills. Help me out?”

Rhea nodded and set her phone aside, walking over to help him. She gently removed the sling from his arm and guided him into a comfortable position on the bed. Jey’s eyes fluttered as he adjusted, clearly worn out. “What are you gonna do, babe?” he asked, his voice soft with exhaustion.

Rhea glanced at her phone one more time, hesitating, before she replied, “I’ll finish up the laundry, then I’m gonna go get my nails and my hair done. It is a mess.”

Jey smiled lazily and nodded. “Okay, I love you,” he said, his voice already fading as he drifted off to sleep.

Rhea leaned down to give him a quick kiss on the cheek before she went back to folding the laundry. The rhythmic motion of putting clothes away seemed to settle her nerves, but there was still an uneasy buzz in her chest that she couldn’t shake. As she quietly finished, she heard Jey’s soft snores fill the room. A small part of her felt relief that he was finally getting some rest, but the other part—her heart—felt conflicted. She couldn’t deny the electricity she still felt for Jimmy.

As she finished up, Rhea’s phone buzzed again, another notification from Jimmy. Her breath caught in her throat, but she fought the urge to look at it. Instead, she grabbed her keys and kissed Jey’s forehead before heading out of the room. She needed a distraction, something to take her mind off of her emotions brewing for both men.

Rhea climbed into her prized purple Jeep, slamming the door shut behind her. The familiar scent of the car calmed her, but her thoughts remained restless. She turned on the car and grabbed her phone. She stared at the Snapchat icon, the temptation so strong she could almost feel Jimmy’s presence beside her. The sound of her phone buzzing again broke the stillness. She knew it was him.

She hesitated for only a moment before unlocking the phone and opening the message. It was a voice memo this time. Jimmy’s voice slid through the speakers of her car, low and seductive. “You taste… so perfect… I wanna wake up to tasting you every day.”

Her heart skipped a beat at the intensity of his words, and her stomach fluttered. A wave of heat spread through her body as his voice lingered in her mind. The desire that had been building inside her flooded back with full force. Rhea quickly turned her head, ensuring no one could see what was on her screen. She felt the heat rise in her cheeks.

Rhea took a deep breath and finally put her phone down on the passenger seat, as if the simple act of setting it aside would somehow make the situation less complicated.

—

Jimmy sat back on his couch, the soft fabric against his skin offering little comfort as his thoughts spiraled. In his hand, he held Rhea's black lace underwear, a physical reminder of what had happened last night. His mind replayed every moment—the heat of their shared intimacy, the way she responded to him. It was a feeling he couldn't quite shake, an overwhelming rush that had him smirking as he traced the fabric between his fingers.

He had done something Jey never could with her, and that thought made him feel a twisted sense of satisfaction.

The more Jimmy thought about it, the clearer it became that he wanted Rhea here, with him, in his condo. Not with Jey, not in Jey's house. She was his now—his possession, his prize to claim. The thought sent a surge of possessiveness through him, something deep and primal. Jey could never understand, never truly see what he had with Rhea.

But just as his mind wandered further down that path, a sudden ringtone broke through his thoughts. He glanced at the phone screen and saw it was a call from his boss, Hunter.

Instantly, Jimmy's demeanor shifted, the weight of the conversation falling on his shoulders. Gone was the cocky smirk, replaced by the cool professionalism that Jimmy had mastered over the years. The switch from possessive to business mode was as effortless as breathing.

"Hey, Hunter," Jimmy answered, his voice steady.

"Jimmy, how's everything going?" Hunter asked, his tone businesslike but cordial.

"I'm good, man. What's up?" Jimmy replied, his mind still buzzing from his earlier thoughts but quickly focusing on the call.

"I've got an idea I want to run by you and Joe. Could you and Joe be available for a video call in about an hour?" Hunter asked.

"Yeah, sounds good. We'll be ready," Jimmy responded, his mind now entirely on the work ahead. The business side of his life, the one where he wasn't consumed by desires or emotions, would take priority now. It had to.

"Great," Hunter said before ending the call.

As the line went silent, Jimmy set his phone down on the coffee table, taking a deep breath. The business call with Hunter would be just another task to check off. He had learned over the years how to compartmentalize, how to push certain thoughts aside when it was time to focus on work. But as the thoughts of Rhea and last night's events lingered in the back of his mind, he knew that there was still much more to come.

After some time, Jimmy sat at his computer, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the desk as he waited for his cousin Joe to join the video call. The anticipation of what was to come had him fidgeting slightly, his thoughts still split between business and his personal life. But when Joe finally logged on, Jimmy straightened up, forcing himself to focus. Hunter’s face appeared shortly after, his expression professional, but there was an underlying excitement in his voice.

“Thank you guys for meeting with me today,” Hunter began, offering a smile. “I wanted to go over your return, Joe, and Jon. I have some good news for you and Rhea.”

Jimmy’s attention sharpened, now fully invested in what Hunter had to say. Joe, sitting across from Jimmy on the video call, gave a simple nod, a sign he was ready to hear what Hunter had to propose. Hunter’s smile widened, and he leaned forward slightly, eager to share his plan.

“Solo is getting some serious heat with his Tribal Chief gimmick,” Hunter continued. “He’s been building momentum, and I want to capitalize on that. What I’m proposing is the return for you, Joe—better than before—with Rhea and Jimmy by your side. The old and improved Bloodline versus the elevated Bloodline, with Rhea as part of the faction. We’ll keep this storyline going for the long term.”

The words hit Jimmy like a thunderclap. His mind began to race, imagining how everything would unfold. The idea of having Rhea by his side, permanently integrated into the group, thrilled him. The concept of the “elevated Bloodline” sounded like something out of a dream that is too good to be true.

Hunter paused, allowing the impact of his words to settle in before adding, “And when Jey returns, he’ll join Solo’s Bloodline. It’ll be a complete battle for power.”

The room seemed to fall silent for a moment as the implications of what Hunter had just laid out sank in. Jimmy exchanged a quick glance with Joe, both men understanding the gravity of the situation. This wasn’t just about wrestling; it was about control, power, and positioning. A battle between the factions, each vying for dominance, and at the center of it all was Rhea.

“So, you’re saying this whole thing could evolve into a civil war?” Joe asked, his voice calm but tinged with excitement.

Hunter nodded. “Exactly. It’s a long-term angle, a chance to redefine the faction dynamic. We’ll see Rhea, Jimmy, and Joe as the elevated Bloodline, but we’ll have Solo pushing his own faction, with Jey eventually aligning with him. It’ll be a complete power struggle. And I think you two, alongside Rhea, can take it to the next level.”

Jimmy felt the fire inside him stir. The idea of going toe-to-toe with Jey, of fighting for power, was thrilling and very line-blurring.

“Sounds good, Hunter,” Jimmy replied, his voice full of resolve. “We’re in. Let’s do it.”

Joe nodded in agreement, the wheels in his mind already turning, preparing for the battle ahead.

Hunter smiled, satisfied with their response. “Great. We’ll start planning the return and by next Friday, the WWE Universe will welcome Roman Reigns once more. I’ll send you both the details. Jimmy and Rhea have a major role to play in this, so I expect full contribution.”

The call ended, leaving Jimmy and Joe to reflect on the road ahead. Jimmy’s mind raced, the sense of power and control only growing as the possibilities stretched out before him.

—

Jey downed his third glass of wine, the rich red liquid swirling in the glass before disappearing in one long gulp. He barely noticed the warmth spreading through his chest. His mind was elsewhere, distracted by the tension that had been inside of him since he and Rhea had came back home, the tension that he pushed aside since Rhea made her choice. Was it the pills? Was it the wine? Was it both? Rhea sat beside him, her laughter blending with Galina’s as they shared a story. It should have been a pleasant dinner—a double date—between Jey and Rhea, Joe and Galina. But for Jey, he let some of his colors show..

Joe’s deep voice broke through the light chatter, pulling everyone’s attention toward him. “Rhea,” he said, his tone casual but deliberate. “Have you gone over the new storyline yet?”

Rhea turned her head, her expression curious. “You mean mine and Jimmy’s?” she asked, her voice steady.

Jey stiffened at the mention of his twin. The mere sound of Jimmy’s name was enough to sour his mood further. He set his empty glass down on the table with more force than necessary, drawing a fleeting glance from Galina. His jaw tightened as he tried to keep his emotions in check.

Joe, unbothered by Jey’s reaction, shook his head. “No,” he clarified. “The elevated Bloodline storyline.”

Rhea straightened slightly, leaning forward with interest. “Oh,” she said, nodding. “I skimmed through some of the notes. It’s a power struggle angle, right? With Solo leading one side and you on the other?”

Joe leaned back in his chair, a small smirk playing on his lips. “Exactly. And you, me, and Jimmy are at the center of it.”

The mention of Jimmy again made Jey’s stomach churn. He couldn’t hold back this time. “Jimmy, huh?” he muttered, his voice low but dripping with sarcasm. “Seems like Jimmy’s name keeps coming up everywhere these days.”

The table fell quiet for a moment, the tension palpable. Rhea glanced at Jey, her expression unreadable. Joe raised an eyebrow, his smirk fading as he watched his cousin.

“Yeah,” Joe said after a beat, his tone cool. “Because Jimmy’s part of the storyline. Just like you will be when you’re back in action.”

Jey scoffed, grabbing the wine bottle and refilling his glass. “Sure,” he said, not looking at anyone in particular. “Can’t wait to see how this ‘elevated Bloodline’ turns out.”

Galina shifted uncomfortably, glancing between Jey and Joe. Rhea placed a hand on Jey’s arm, her touch gentle but firm. “Jey,” she said softly, her tone almost pleading. “Can we not do this tonight?”

Jey turned to her, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Do what, Rhea? Talk about how my twin’s suddenly the star of the show? Or how you’re part of his new little angle now?”

Rhea’s hand dropped from his arm, and her jaw tightened. “It’s work,” she said, her voice steady but cold. “You know that.”

Joe intervened, his voice calm but carrying an unmistakable edge. “Alright, that’s enough. This isn’t the time or place for this.”

Jey shot Joe a glare but said nothing. He downed another sip of wine, letting the burn distract him from the growing storm inside.

Galina cleared her throat, trying to shift the atmosphere. “So,” she said, forcing a smile. “How’s physical therapy going, Jey?”

“It’s fine,” Jey muttered, not looking up.

Joe exchanged a glance with Rhea, who gave a small, apologetic shrug. The rest of the dinner continued in strained silence, the earlier lightheartedness replaced with unspoken tension.

As the night wore on, Jey’s thoughts remained tangled in a web of frustration and jealousy. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was happening just beneath the surface, something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. And it had everything to do with Jimmy—and Rhea.

—

The drive home had been quiet, the kind of silence that wasn’t peaceful but tense, simmering with unspoken words and unresolved frustrations. Rhea kept her hands firmly on the wheel, sneaking a glance at Jey every so often. He stared out the window, his jaw clenched and his eyes distant, clearly lost in thought—and fueled by the wine he had consumed earlier. She wanted to say something, anything, but she knew it would only lead to another argument.

When they finally pulled into the driveway, Jey got out of the car without waiting for her, the slam of the door echoing in the still night. Rhea sighed, turning off the ignition and following him inside. The house was dark, quiet except for the sound of Jey’s shoes against the floor as he made his way to the bedroom. Rhea lingered in the kitchen for a moment, leaning against the counter and exhaling deeply.

The weight of the evening pressed on her. She had tried her best to defuse the tension at dinner, but it had been clear Jey was on edge, his mood souring with every mention of Jimmy. She hated seeing him like this—angry, insecure, and distant. But she also hated the way his accusations felt like a dagger to her chest, as though no matter what she said or did, he wouldn’t believe her.

Finally, she pushed off the counter and headed to the bedroom. Jey was sitting on the edge of the bed, still fully dressed, his head in his hands. He looked up when she entered, his expression unreadable. Rhea didn’t say anything, instead heading to the dresser to change into her pajamas. She had already showered earlier, so it was a quick process, but she could feel Jey’s eyes on her the entire time.

Climbing into bed, she broke the silence first. “Well, that was some night,�� she said, her tone light, though the words felt heavy.

Jey scoffed, leaning back against the headboard. “Yeah,” he muttered. “Couldn’t just wait to talk about Jonathan, huh?”

Rhea froze for a moment, his words stinging more than she cared to admit. She turned to face him, her patience already wearing thin. “I don’t want to do this,” she said firmly. “I thought we were moving past it.”

“Moving past it?” Jey repeated, his tone mocking. “How am I supposed to do that when no one’s listening to me?”

Rhea frowned, knowing exactly what he was referring to. Jey had gone to Hunter this Monday, pleading for the romantic storyline between her and Jimmy to be scrapped. But Hunter had refused, insisting that the angle was generating too much buzz to be abandoned now. Rhea had tried to support Jey through his frustrations, but it seemed like no matter what she said, it wasn’t enough.

“I’m here with you,” she said, her voice softening. “Not with him.”

Jey let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. “Yeah, you wish you were there with him.”

Rhea’s chest tightened, her hands balling into fists beneath the blanket. “You’re not letting the kiss out of your mind, are you?”

Jey turned to her, his eyes narrowing. “Well, it’s pretty fucking hard to get it out of my mind,” he snapped.

Rhea reached out, trying to place a hand on his, but he pulled away sharply, the rejection like a slap in the face.

“I’m literally here with you,” she said, her voice rising slightly. “I chose you!”

Jey laughed again, but this time it was harsher, emptier. His next words were low and biting. “Have you fucked him?”

Rhea’s breath hitched at the question, her heart pounding in her chest. She met his gaze head-on, her voice steady despite the storm brewing inside her. “No,” she said firmly.

Jey stared at her, searching her face for any sign of deception. “I only kissed him,” Rhea continued, her tone unwavering. “And I told you this already.”

“And you think that makes it better?” Jey shot back, his voice rising.

Rhea’s resolve began to crack, her frustration bubbling to the surface. “I told you everything because I wanted to be honest with you!” she said, her voice trembling with emotion. “Because I wanted us to work through this together.”

Jey didn’t respond immediately, his gaze shifting to the ceiling. The silence that followed was heavy, filled with all the things neither of them knew how to say.

“You don’t get it,” Jey finally muttered, his voice quieter now. “Every time I see him, every time I hear his name, it’s like it’s happening all over again.”

Rhea felt tears prick at her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. “I get it,” she said softly. “I get that it’s going to take time, but you can’t keep pushing me away like this. I’m here, Jey. I’m trying.”

Jey turned his head slightly, his eyes meeting hers for a brief moment before he looked away again. “Yeah but you kissed him..”

The words hung in the air, cutting through Rhea like a knife. She wanted to scream, to cry, to shake him and make him see that she was doing everything she could to prove her loyalty to him. But instead, she stayed quiet, her heart heavy as she lay back down beside him. Because… as much as Jey was here right in front of her… Jimmy was right in her mind already.

—

Flashback: 3:26 AM

The soft red glow of the digital clock illuminated the dark bedroom, the numbers glaring 3:26 AM. Rhea lay on her side, staring at the clock as if it held answers to questions she couldn’t bring herself to ask. The steady sound of Jey’s snores filled the room, a reminder of the man she had promised herself to. She glanced over her shoulder at him, his chest rising and falling rhythmically as he slept.

A surge of guilt gnawed at her, but it wasn’t enough to stop her. Slowly, carefully, she slid out of the bed, her bare feet touching the floor. She reached for her robe, draping it over her black silk nightgown as she tied it tightly around her waist. Quietly, she slipped out of the bedroom, her steps light as a whisper.

The house was still, the only sound the faint hum of the refrigerator. As she approached the kitchen, she saw him. His broad frame stood outside by the patio table, his face partially hidden in the shadows. The sight of him made her heart race, her breath hitching in her throat.

Jimmy.

He turned slightly, his eyes catching hers as she opened the door just wide enough to step through. The cool night air from the open window brushed against her skin, sending shivers down her spine. Jimmy didn’t speak, didn’t need to. His eyes held hers as she walked toward him, her movements hesitant but deliberate.

When she reached him, his hands found her waist, pulling her closer with a touch that sent electricity coursing through her veins. His warmth seeped through the thin fabric of her robe, grounding her and unmooring her all at once.

“Rhea,” he murmured, his voice low and heavy with meaning.

She didn’t reply. Instead, she tilted her head up, her cyan eyes searching his brown ones in the dim light. There was a moment, a heartbeat where she could have stepped away, where she could have stopped this before it went too far. But she didn’t.

Her lips found his, and the world around them ceased to exist. The kiss was soft at first, testing, but it quickly deepened, fueled by the forbidden nature of their actions. Jimmy’s hands tightened on her waist, and she let herself get lost in him, in the moment.

This wasn’t the first time, and she knew it wouldn’t be the last. The affair had started as a spark, a fleeting moment of temptation. But now, it was a wildfire, consuming them both.

Jimmy’s lips left hers, trailing down her jawline, and she let out a shaky breath, her hands clutching at his shoulders. For a brief second, the thought of Jey sleeping in their shared bed flickered through her mind, but she pushed it aside. She couldn’t think about him, not now, not when Jimmy’s touch made her forget everything else.

“We shouldn’t,” she whispered, though the words lacked conviction.

Jimmy pulled back just enough to look at her, his thumb brushing against her cheek. “We already did,” he said, his voice steady, certain.

Rhea closed her eyes, leaning into his touch as a tear slipped down her cheek. She hated herself for this, for the betrayal, but she couldn’t stop. She didn’t want to stop.

Jimmy kissed her again, softly this time, as if to reassure her. “You’re mine, Rhea,” he whispered against her lips. “My possession.”

She nodded, unable to trust her voice, and leaned her forehead against his. For now, in this stolen moment, she let herself believe him.

Jimmy lifted Rhea up onto the patio table, her legs wrapping around his waist as he pulled her in for another deep kiss. He could feel her tongue exploring his mouth, and he knew that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her.

He pulled back from the kiss, his eyes locked onto Rhea's as he slowly lowered her onto the table. He hooked his fingers into the waistband of her black lace panties and pulled them down her legs, inhaling deeply as he brought them to his nose. "Fuck, you smell so good," he growled, stuffing them into his pocket.

Rhea moaned as Jimmy leaned down and began to kiss her neck, his lips trailing down to her collarbone. He could feel her heart racing beneath his lips, and he knew that she was ready for him.

He moved lower and undid her robe, it falling softly onto the table, his lips brushing against the top of her breasts as he pulled down the neckline of her nightgown. He took one of her nipples into his mouth, sucking and biting gently as Rhea arched her back and moaned.

Jimmy's hand moved lower, his fingers tracing a path down Rhea's stomach and into the wetness between her legs. He groaned as he felt how wet she was, her juices coating his fingers as he began to stroke her clit.

“Jimmy.. baby..” Rhea moaned as her legs opened more.

Jimmy covered her mouth with his hand, muffling her cries as he continued to stroke her clit. He could feel her body trembling beneath his touch, and he knew that she was close. He didn’t want to wake Jey up… although, he wouldn’t have cared if Jey saw the sight.

Jimmy lowered his head, his tongue replacing his fingers as he began to eat Rhea out as he got on his knees. He could feel her juices on his tongue, and he moaned as he tasted her. He loved the way she tasted, the way she responded to his touch. Rhea’s back arched at the way Jimmy was eating her out, it was such a surreal moment.

As Jimmy explored Rhea with his mouth, her thoughts raced, darting between the man on his knees for her now and the one sleeping peacefully inside the house. What am I doing? The question echoed in her mind, but her body betrayed her, leaning into Jimmy’s mouth as if it had a will of its own. Jey's face flashed in her mind—his smile, the way his hand fit perfectly in hers, the way he kissed her goodnight every evening without fail.

Jimmy's breathing was steady, his movements deliberate, calculated. He reveled in the way she responded to him, how her body seemed to surrender completely under his touch. The way her pussy ached for his mouth.

This was his moment, the culmination of days of tension. Rhea was his now—he could feel it in the way she clung to him, her hesitations melting away with every touch. She's mine, Jimmy thought, a smug grin pulling at his lips even as they brushed against her skin. Not Jey's. Not anymore.

"You're mine, Rhea," he whispered, and the conviction in his voice made her heart ache.

But I can’t be yours, she wanted to say, but the words wouldn't come. His mouth making her body agree to him.

And then something forbidden happened..

She came…

"Jey has never made you cum like that, has he?" he asked, his voice low and primal.

"No," she whispered. "No one has ever made me cum like that."

Jimmy felt a surge of pride as he stood up, his member straining against his pants.

"Good…”

Rhea adjusted her nightgown, trembling slightly as picked up and tied her robe. “I want to wait before we go further,” she had said, her voice soft but firm.

Jimmy had hesitated, his possessiveness warring with restraint, but he nodded. “Okay,” he said quietly, leaning in for a final kiss that lingered with unspoken promises. “But don’t keep me waiting too long.”

As he disappeared into the shadows, Rhea stood in the cool night air, her mind a mess of guilt and desire. She locked the patio door behind her and quietly returned to the bedroom, where Jey’s snores filled the silence.

Sliding back into bed, she lay still, staring at the ceiling as the weight of her choices pressed down on her. Turning her head, she glanced at Jey, his face peaceful and unaware.

“I’m here with you,” she whispered, the words hollow and meaningless even to herself. But the memory of the orgasm lingered, leaving her torn between the man she loved and the man who set her soul on fire.

[thefrogman]

Let's do a quick RFK Jr. themed debunk-a-thon.

First, your appearance is not an indication of health. People with terminal cancer can have six pack abs and overweight lifelong smokers have lived to be 100.

Second, physical fitness does not mean you have the knowledge and expertise of a doctor. A 70 year old with abs is probably on a boatload of steroids and actually increasing health risks. A doctor would probably say you shouldn't take steroids without some actual need beyond biceps you can brag about.

And the analogy of the personal trainer is faulty as well. There are plenty of people who are good at advising people without being able to do the thing they are giving advice for.

Athletic coaches are a great example.

A lot of the winningest NFL coaches were mediocre high school or college athletes. And their physique usually resembles that of Santa Claus.

But they get Super Bowl rings along with everyone else on the team.

Doctors are known for being the "worst patients." Many of them are so overworked that they turn to vices to help relieve their stress. They can overeat or smoke. They might be too tired to have any kind of fitness routine. My good friend Dr. Kevin has to wrangle three daughters while running a pediatric rheumatology department. He's the smartest person I've ever personally known and a fantastic doctor. But he will not be winning any bodybuilding contests.

RKF Jr. has a lot of money and time and access to personal trainers and nutritionists and human growth hormone. But sure, let's let him do some heart surgery and see how it goes.

Let's move on to some of his biggest concerns regarding our societal health...

Current evidence suggests…

Aspartame is bad for rats if you fill them with an obscene amount. And it *might* be bad for humans if you drink 15 cans of soda every day. (More nuance here.) Dosage matters! Remember, dihydrogen monoxide is poisonous if you are very motivated to make it so.

High fructose corn syrup is bad for you. Because sugar is bad for you. And they are functionally the same. Switching to cane sugar will not magically make people healthier. (More nuance here.)

A lot of processed foods are unhealthy. But probably not because they are processed. It just so happens that most processed foods are soft, easy to eat quickly, and they have a lot of fat, salt, or sugar, while being very calorie dense. They are often super tasty to the point of being psychologically addictive. That is a perfect storm of factors making processed foods very easy to overeat. The idea that the act of processing food causes some extraordinary harm outside of the ingredients already being unhealthy is most likely a myth. (More nuance here.)

Similarly, seed oils are not causing harm outside of them often being used to cook calorie dense food with a lot of fat, salt, or sugar.

Food dyes are safe in normal amounts. The concerning studies gave kids two colored drinks along with a shitload of candy every single day for two weeks. The problems went away when the amount was reduced to moderate levels. (More nuance here.)

Supplements are mostly an expensive way to fortify your pee with vitamins. You are literally pissing money away. You really only need to supplement something you are personally deficient in. Though if you can get those vitamins from food or sunshine, you will probably more effectively absorb them. I use supplements because my disability keeps me from being able to consistently cook or go outside. Just because something is "natural" does not mean it can replace actual medicine.

Organic food is not special and has become marketing hype.

GMOs are fine.

And finally…

VACCINES DO NOT CAUSE AUTISM.

Vaccines are safe and effective and they are probably the best thing humans have ever created. They have saved millions of lives. Many of those lives were CHILDREN. (More nuance here.)

The other problem is that RFK speaks definitively and bombastically. Food dyes give you ADHD. Seed oils explode your heart. Corn syrup makes your toes fall off. Processed foods make you a bloated zombie. Vaccines alter your DNA and turn you into a mutant.

It's fear mongering, plain and simple.

He is not interested in making anyone healthy, he just wants to scare you into believing his conspiracy theories. He uses the tiniest nugget of truth or suspicion and elevates it to fact whenever it helps his agenda.

Or he skips the nugget altogether and just blatantly makes shit up.

Because I have, ya know, ethics... I have to say "nuance here" because a lot of this stuff is very complicated and you can't actually say anything with 100% certainty. And that uncertainty is how he weasels his ideas into the public consciousness. When science updates our understanding of something, people say the science was wrong. "First they said this and now they say this!" Having better information is not a failure—it's progress. It is just the process working as it should. But they use that to hurt the reputation of science and scientists.

Scientific consensus is always just the best representation of our knowledge at any given point in time. We would never be able to eat any food or take any medicine if 100% certainty was required. We'd all starve and die because we weren't allowed to take even the most marginal of risks.

This is going to be a long 4 years.

[alexanderwales]

Notes on 3000 miles

Last year my doctor told me that I had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and a high resting heartrate. So I started biking on an exercise bike, and by my best estimations, I'm either close to hitting 3000 miles or have already gone past that.

I should clarify that this wasn't all at once. I took many breaks.

So here are some notes.

When I started, I was on an exercise bike that my wife had gotten from her work. It wasn't the best, but it was free, and I made a deal with myself that if I biked every day for a month, then I could justify getting something better. I really really did not want to buy a piece of exercise equipment that would just sit in the house gathering dust, because that would feel awful ... but I do kind of wish that I had gotten the better bike sooner, because it removed some of the "friction" of exercise, where it felt like there were too many reasons not to get on the bike. The new exercise bike (a refurbished Peleton off Facebook marketplace that my wife got me for Christmas) really does just feel and move better. I think the general principle of not doing costly monetary commitments until you've shown costly personal commitment is a good one, however.

Blood pressure is in normal range. Cholesterol is in normal range. Resting heartrate is in normal range. This was all the case three months in, and this level of cardio is more than enough to maintain it.

Right now, I bike for thirty minutes a day, going 8-10 miles according to the bike. That range is enormous, because it represents vastly different amounts of work. Going 10 miles in 30 minutes is 20 miles an hour, and I keep the resistance relatively high, so by the end of it I'm always panting. By contrast, going 8 miles makes me feel like I didn't put in enough work.

My goal every day is sweat-based and completely qualitative. I want to soak through a shirt. This means that doing more laundry than I'd prefer to, which is an unanticipated consequence of the biking. It's also, compared to all the metrics the bike gives me, a very clear sign that I am actually exercising my body "properly" in a way that's achieving something.

I did some of the Peleton classes, and found a lot of the metrics to be motivating, but ... eh. Exercise is mostly about being healthy and maintaining my body, so my current strategy, for the last six months, has been to either shut the brain down or keep it fully engaged in something that passes the exercise time. Usually this means a TV show, especially a foreign one with subtitles, which need slightly more brainpower.

The final two minutes is always the worst. I'm just ready to be done with it. Sometimes there's gas left in the tank, but I still feel sweaty, thirsty, and overheated. I have a water bottle, and I drink from it while I bike, and I have a fan pointed at me that I turn on once I'm warmed up, but I always have a sense, in those last two minutes, of "finally I'm done". I tried the thinking man's solution, only biking for 28 minutes, and this did not help. In my entire year of biking a half hour a day, I didn't ever elect to go into overtime.

I initially lost ten pounds, then slowly gained it back. I am, in fact, overweight, but I'm holding more or less steady now, and there have definitely been some body composition changes, with muscle replacing fat. I went down about four inches at the waist. I've changed very little about how I eat (which is 90% meals that I cook myself, and a daily coffee drink of some kind, usually made myself with sugar/cream/chocolate). Biking amounts to 300-400 calories a day or something like that, so I'm presumably eating more to compensate and just not realizing it.

Mental health has been rocky, but that's just sort of how it is for me. I definitely feel less mentally well on days that I don't bike, and feel better afterward, but I have no idea how tight the correlation is, and if I had been keeping track on a mood tracker, I'm not sure I would be able to sus out from self-reported mood alone whether or not I was biking.

During the summer I replaced a lot of indoor exercise bike stuff with outdoor biking. My son has only recently learned to bike, so he's been with me many of these times. Usually that means that we're either biking a lot less distance, or we're biking for a lot longer time at much lower intensity, sometimes both. There's a bike path that's downhill from our house which goes for maybe six miles, with some good, clear turn back points, but that means a fairly arduous uphill to get back home. If I lived in a place where the weather wasn't frigid for almost half the year, I would probably be doing outdoor biking more.

I think the most important thing, if you're doing exercise every day, is making sure that you're doing it in such a way that it's sustainable and virtually incapable of injuring you. This mostly means proper form. Early on, I had a habit of pressing down the right pedal with the outside edge of my foot, and after fifteen minutes of doing that, the muscles in the foot would be aching and uncomfortable. I'm not sure why I was doing that, but it was difficult to get myself to bike in a way that wouldn't be putting strain on me.

I think it's okay to skip a day ... if it's for the right reason. Of the days that I've skipped, I always try to make sure the reason isn't "fuck it, I don't want to". I should either be feeling sick, feeling like I need to rest, or replacing biking with some other form of exercise like a hike in the woods or some weightlifting or something. If I start skipping days because I just don't feel like it, that's where the whole scheme falls apart.

I am currently sort of wondering how long this is going to go on for, and I think the answer is "for the rest of my life", or at least until I'm unable to keep it up for whatever reason. I don't think there's any particular reason to prefer an exercise bike (or regular bike) over running or rowing or some other form of cardio, but I think I have proven to myself that this is cardio I can do daily and stick with it to the level that is probably necessary for me to stay healthy. I'm not committed to doing it for the rest of my life, since in theory some other form of cardio might come along and sweep me off my feet.

I do wish that I had started earlier in my life, even if daily exercise has not been the panacea for mental health that I had been kind of hoping it would be. I hope that I have the willpower and wisdom to keep up with it indefinitely.

[eisthenameofme]

embracing the vampire autism i have going on apparently means combing through 500 vtm books and making notes on the lore and contradictions in the lore and potential implications and what was intended to be taken from some things vs things that actually make sense in context/with better research and sorting through what was included for mechanical gameplay vs worldbuilding reasons and combining all of this + the information intentionally left vague so i can form my own ideas into an amalgam of schrodingers canon with which to try to figure out what i personally tend to view as canon in-universe and then still figuring out how to insert the contradictory information/alternate interpretations in as like. character opinion/intentional misinformation/etc.

[hailsatanacab]

“To whom,” Alfred rasps, pausing to clear his throat and establish his sense of decorum, “May I ask, to whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?”

The creature stops, blinks its owlish eyes at him, and lets out a bark of laughter.

“Forgive me,” it says, still chuckling lightly, raising a hand to rub at the back of his neck. Alfred is suddenly struck by the feeling that this creature is not as timeless, nor as old or as wizened, as it wished to present itself. “I am making a terrible first impression. My name is Phantom, current High King of the Infinite Realms.”

Contractual Obligations by me

I couldn't get the image of Ghost King Danny out of my head, so here he is!! Acrylic on canvas, and I'm so happy with it - he came out a lot better than I thought he would 😅

[potatoeofwisdom]

im having fun

[kairithemang0]

Man, Curt's got internalized homophobia so bad that for the first 3 months of their relationship he was convinced Owen was straight before Owen had to scream it in his face that he was gay and then Curt spent another 3 months still calling himself straight to Owen's face and Owen's so sick of it like Curt you 2 are actively fucking EVERY TIME YOU SEE EACH OTHER. AND YOU ARE VERY CLEARLY INTO IT. YOU ARE NOT STRAIGHT SIR STOP LYING TO YOURSELF

internalized homophobia agent curt mega ily

[sayakxmi]

Saiouma Puella Magi AU, but Kokichi takes Madoka's role and Shuichi takes Homura's.

For one, Kokichi's too naturally distrustful to just hear "I can grant you any wish :)" and not think ok where's the hook. So he just does what no one ever has & essentially interrogates Kyubey, so he knows it all even before he gets to make a contract. So, some of his classmstes are MGs & he won't become one himself BUT he still ends up tagging along to just protect them in his Kokichi ways. (Though I'm entertaining Kokichi lying about being a magical girl, because, well, it's Kokichi).

(I also got a small idea of Gonta being a magical girls and Kokichi originally tagging along him into labyrinths, Gonta also makes him a magic gun from the toy one he had, and at some point witches out & Kokichi manages to kill him with that gun. So he always has that spare Grief Seed on himself, bc it's still his best friend & he can't handle the idea of just giving it away or using it himself (he does anyway in the end).)

Shuichi prolly ends up being a new kid & it isn't like MadoHomu, the ppl who reach him first are Kaede & Kaito, classic. Kokichi's there, too, but he's his usual sus self. He's actually discouraging ppl from making a contract when they find out magic and miracles are real, which absolutely includes Shuichi. He's very vocal abt it, but he won't explain stutf, bc 1) he's a liar, so who'd believe him? and 2) he doesn't want them to witch out upon finding out the truth or, idk, murder everybody Mami-style.

Anyway, fast forward, bad things happen bingo & by the end of the run most charas are dead, there's Walpurgis nachting, and he makes his wish to bring back the ppl who died notably not as magical girls. Contract signed, he fights & fails, rip. I also thought it was similar to how he thought he could end the killing game by himself - he though he could finish Walpurgisnacht by himself, too. And he failed in both times. Whatevs.

Shuichi doesn't actually make his time travel wish for Ouma specifically, he wants to save all his friends. Timelines are messy esp at first bc he either tells then or it backfires or just makes himself look very sus bc he's trying not to tell them. He also realizes why Kokichi hadn't told anybody aby witches at some point, bc, yeah, it messes them a lot, assuming they believe it.

Still, Kokichi ends up one of the few people who are nearly always giving him a chance, not necessarily out of belief, but out of pragmatism - bro can stop time & knows the truth, that's just too useful. So they often work together & Shuichi grows closer to him but still we ain't there yet. But the thing is, Shuichi's time travel still makes Kokichi more & more powerful with each timeline, bc Shuichi usually goes back after Kokichi dies, so the universe figured out this guy's life's important. Anyway, another notable thing is the iconic Homura kills Madoka scene, but it's Saiouma with guest stars of Kaito & Maki. It's Walpy, it's not defeated yet, but the training trio are spent & just kinda accept their fate of turning into witches together. And then, boom, Kokichi appears & steals their Soul Gems for a sec & he's like did u know you can cleanse your Soul Gem with a darkened one? But it's a lie & he quickly tells them so, he just had a spare Grief Seed after cleansing his Soul Gem & he needs them to do some stuff. Shuichi can travel back in time & fix things, and Maki & Kaito are needed to fight Walpy here. He actually questions what happens to the timelines Shuichi leaves behin, and ofc he doesn't know. There's a chance they remain, so Kokichi needs Maki & Kaito to fight Walpy here.

Kaimaki leave, and Shuichi finally looks at Kokichi & realizes sth is Wrong. Kokichi struggles to hide how he's trembling & grimacing, and it's Kokichi, so obviously it must be extremely bad. Shuichi dreadfully realizes something worse, and he weakly asks Kokichi why aren't his wounds healing. And Kokichi just falls, laughing weakly, and Shuichi catches him & searches for his Soul Gem and, God, he knew it. It's nearly completely black. Kokichi laughs & admits he lied abt having two Grief Seeds, he only had one he never wanted to use. But they'll have the second one soon, so no need to worry. He asks Shuichi to maybe destroy his witch form as it's hatching, so he'll have the Grief Seed without any fighting… and he admits that he hates fighting, he hates this magical world and all its violence. He says that Kaito was right in calling him a coward, even here he just can't handle the idea of fighting any longer, he's so sorry. And Shuichi tells him he ISN'T a coward. He was scared, but he always followed everybody, trying to help, and when push came to shove he would always make a contract for the benefit of others rather than himself. He's a lot of things, but a coward isn't one. Kokichi actually tears up hearing that, and Shuichi promises he won't let him fight ever again, and especially he won't let him turn into a witch and hurt anybody, because he knows it's the last thing he's ever wanted. Even now he only accepts turning into a witch to help them fight to keep others safe. So Shuichi won't let him. Kokichi probably apologizes and thanks him and then he dies.

Keeping Kokichi from fighting starts off as a side quest that gains importance with time, bc it's something Shuichi won't compromise on (ah, trauma), which leads him to occassionally neglect others a bit, which makes them more likely to get hurt & ironically Kokichi more likely to make a contract, especially since he gets more powerful & Kyubey is more interested in him with each timeline. And that also makes him witch out super quick. Shuichi's paying more attention to him & over time grows resentful of others for how they're treating him. To Shuichi it's no question that Kokichi cares & is just doing his best to help, but nobody realizes that.

But the biggest obstacle in keeping Kokichi from fighting is actually Kokichi himself, bc he's too smart and nosy, lmao. Even if he knows nothing, he will find out quickly. Doesn't help that Kyubey wants him to make a contract.

Also, obviously Kaito is Sayaka-coded and Maki could be Kyouko-coded, so that's a thing, BUT it's usually Maki that witches out. Kaito is usually pretty close, but Kokichi intervenes & he survives, but Maki later cracks on her own (and since in the new timeline Kokichi isn't there, Kaito's the one to die, so he's still the secretary). So it's Kaito who gets the dramatic sacrifice. I imagine he genuinely hoped you could bring somebody back if you tried Very Hard & Kokichi called him a moron bc obviously it's not possible. If it was there'd be far less witches that there are. But it's Kaito, he doesn't listen to reason. So, Kokichi follows him to the labyrinth. At first Kaito's mad cuz what if Kokichi being there ruins the plan? Maki hates his guts! But eventually he gets hit pretty hard, and Kokichi is near immediately by his side, trying to help him get up, which kinda makes Kaito short circuit a little bc wait Kokichi's trying to help? But witch!Maki attacks them & Kokichi pushes Kaito away & gets caught himself (and choked until unconsciousness, naturally). Anyway, Kaito gets him away, Shuichi catches Kokichi & Kaito makes up his mind about going down with Maki & asks Shuichi to tell Kokichi that he's sorry. He doesn't get him, but he got hurt trying to protect him, so he'll believe in that if nothing else. F.

As for The WishTM, in the last timeline Shuichi lashes out at Kokichi for his willingness to just become part of the system. In no timeline has his wish actually helped, it did NOTHINHG, which OUCH but it also makes Kokichi think out of the box more & he becomes the Law of Cycles. And Shuichi realizes what is happening & freaks out bc Kokichi's doing it bc of what he told him & like Homura they end up having a momentTM in space & Shuichi remembers. He feels a lot of guilt even tho he also questions whether anything was real, but if it was, he pushed somebody he far too realized he loved into erasing himself from existence.

[sashimew-the-cat]

Everything ‘eye’ hate

(Click for better quality)

[harvestmoth]

okay last one. au where nothing goes wrong at all ever (a lie) and melia venam gay moment

[apiigeon]

“A king on a planet fallen and scorched by the flames of war,

a bandit on a planet where crystals and sand glitter right and left,

a scientist on a lonely planet that has long forgotten how to shine,

by some turn of fate,

all three of them were watching the same falling star.”

[tradingjackbs]

Attempted to do a photoshoot for the one and only cosplay I'll probably ever do and. These are the only pictures I got that matter

[theywontletmebeprincipal]

gonna be so honest marcille’s Thing About Death is infinitely more interesting to me than her dynamic with falin