#macy (thread)

[mctionsick]

closed starter for @persephonyed

made with BETA

With the rest of the bridal party spread across the vacation house, that left Callie and Macy in their shared suite, and Macy feeling a certain boldness she hadn't felt since her college years. Pulling the sheet up around her naked frame, her mind was going a mile a minute. Namely the fact she had never felt a fraction of the passion she felt for her fiance that she did when she was around Callie. Back then she ignored the excitement the other woman stirred in her, too afraid to throw away a the relationship she fostered with her high school sweetheart. Nearly a decade had gone by and Macy wondered when she was going to stop ignoring the pull she always had towards the other.

"I guess this is the part where I'm supposed to say, 'this can never happen again,'" Macy says trying to ease the tension and not knowing what else to say.

[fadinglights]

continued from here, @coquetties

"that's  not  true."  ara's  eyes  widen  in  response  to  the  baseless  accusations.  she  knew  her  girlfriend  harbours  reservations  about  their  decision  to  keep  their  romance  a  secret,  but  she  never  anticipated  such  a  lack  of  understanding.  "i'm  doing  this  to  protect  us."  ara  has  witnessed  far  too  often  how  unwanted  attention  can  place  an  unbearable  strain  on  relationships,  and  she  is  determined  to  shield  theirs  from  a  similar  fate.  "do  you  really  think  that  i  care  so  little  about  us  that  i  would  just  say  yes  to  whoever  that  asks  me  out?"

[bargainsleuthbooks]

Miracle on 34th Street: The Making of a Christmas Classic #BookReview #LyonsPress #ARCReview #Movies #Christmas

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends! Let's kick off the holiday season with a #BookReview about a new book detailing one of the most classic Christmas films ever made: #Miracleon34thStreet #Booksky #LyonsPress #ARCReview #Edelweiss

Did you know that Miracle on 34th Street was not based on a book? It was a screenplay written in a way that could be adapted for a book later on. And there’s more! Most books mentioned in my reviews can be found at the affiliate links below. (Amazon US) (Kindle Unlimited) (Amazon CA) (Amazon UK)  (AbeBooks) (Barnes & Noble) (Booksamillion)  (Audible.com) (Audiobooks.com) Want to help some of my…

[inferrnos]

cont from here.

𐙚‧ dakota looked around, left to right and turning around little before looking back at her. "sorry... are you talking to me? are you really calling my face stupid right now?" he questioned, head tilting to the side. god, he was so confused. "what did i do to deserve that?!" / @dimonyita

[sanakialtina]

If Sanaki has any hope of blending in at Pearl Shoals, she has to, at the very least, look the part of a Fodlan noble. This is how she finds herself wandering Saint Cethleann’s Apparel and Accessories, the “one-stop shop for any occasion,” if the sign outside is to be believed. 

Her eyes land on a rack labelled Blaiddyd Regalia. The Blaiddyds are the ruling house of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, Sanaki recalls. Perhaps adopting their style would work in her favor. Excitedly, she reaches for a luxurious cape with dark blue accents– but nearly crumples under the weight. Who– who wears this much fur? Sanaki thinks, as she struggles to put the cape back on its hanger.

Clearly the Blaiddyds are cut from a different cloth. Perhaps I should find something… lighter, Sanaki thinks, as she spots an overhead sign titled Effervescent Dancewear. She turns the corner, only to be faced with– with a strappy dress that has slits all the way up to the waist! Sanaki feels her face go red. I… I can't... Sigrun would never stop lecturing me if I wore that!

Mortified, she retreats to yet another section of the store. Monastery Best– surely these ensembles are more modest. She pulls out… something… with at least five hangers attached. It’s got floral stockings, a single greave, a pair of shorts, a tube top, a surcoat, a cape, two belts, a choker, and some large golden scalloped object. How… how does one even put this on??? 

This is stupid. Sanaki can feel herself getting frustrated. But just as she’s about to stomp out the door, she hears a quiet laugh from behind. Sanaki turns to face a smiling green-haired woman, eyes sparkling in amusement. She’s dressed simply, but possesses an enviable elegance– and is holding a few pieces that look much more sensible than the wares Sanaki had perused. 

...Perhaps she could use some help. “Hello, I’m… Sanaki,” she introduces defeatedly. “I have just arrived in Fodlan, and am," she deflates further, "having difficulty acquiring local garb suitable for me. I would request your aid.”

@petuniasblessing

attention macy's shoppers: we have a lost child at the front of the store

Sitri + Sanaki, Pearlescent

[rockmiyabideusexmachina]

2025 Megaman Summer Fanart Contest - Rules Thread

Sorry for the slight delay, but it is once again time for a new Megaman Summer Fanart Contest!

Two categories, in which you are allowed to submit one entry for each category, if you would like. If you place higher in one category, you will be automatically disqualified from winning in the other, for reasons of fairness, and to give other people a chance to win a prize.

This year, on top of the usual cash prizes, physical participation prizes are back once again! Everyone who submits a pic will be entered into the raffle for a chance at one of three awesome items! If you submit an entry into both categories, you can double your odds for one specific item of your choice.

This year is not being separated into Talent and Humor categories, so do your best at drawing to fit the theme of each category and showing off your creativity. All rules and info will follow, after the break:

CATEGORY 1: Ariga Amalgamix

The first category this year won't necessarily be summer-themed, although you can try if you feel like it. But I wanted to have one category with a little bit of Ariga flavor to it, so we are going to turn this into a sort of Ariga tribute category of sorts. For this category, I would like you to try to create a tribute to Hitoshi Ariga's style and manga influence, but in sort of a unique mixture.

While he has done art for practically all the Mega Man series in some capacity, the majority of his manga and projects have focused on the Classic series, with a little bit of X. Aside from some cameos, like EXE characters in Gigamix, for example. So, while showing tribute to the characters and manga stories he is best known for, I would like you to also mix in characters from other series who have not been a part of Ariga's manga universe, while trying to best represent them in his style. How you pull that off is up to your imagination.

For example: Skull Man digging for dino bones with Volnutt and other diggers. Star Force Mega Man fighting off the Stardroids. Battle and Chase franchise crossover, but with reporters Neige, Midorikawa Kero and Gyroman.EXE taking the place of Plum, Chest and Ripot. A 4-Koma of Maverick Soccer, using Bubble Crab as a soccer ball. Dr. Auto Number 008 Sexy Man judging the Megasexy Man/Woman contest. Or Ariga-styled versions of the Mega Man 11 Robot Masters interacting with the Hourly Part-Timer Pay Squad. Take something, be it a character/story/format you love about Ariga's works, and mix in something he has not drawn before, with it.

Content Requirements: *Tribute art to manga artist Hitoshi Ariga, drawing Mega Man characters replicating his unique style and design *A mixup of something familiar from his manga and something new featuring characters that he has never included in them *Must contain a minimum of at least one character from a game/series that Ariga has already drawn in his manga before AND one character drawn in an Ariga-style that he has NOT drawn in his manga (excluding minor cameos)

CATEGORY 2: Mega Mannequins

In most years the summer contest focuses on enjoying the warm weather at, or in, the water, this year we're going to focus on purchasing that summer fashion and modeling it for prospective buyers.

In some shape or form, most Mega Man games have often had some type of shop where you can purchase goods and upgrades. From Big Eddie's or Higsby's to Dressmaker Hip Bone or Macy's-parody Nacy's, there are a bunch of unique shops to choose from. In the case of this category, you are going to take some type of Mega Man shop and turn them into a typical fashion retail store, if they aren't already one. This store has set up a window display to show off it's new summer fashion line, be it summer tanks and shorts, dresses, swimwear, or watermelon-painted reploid armor.

What is unique about this store display, is they have decided to use real live models (or sort-of-living robot ones) to show off their fashion line. You know, like, "it's your mom, in a swimsuit on an igloo in the store window...It doesn't fit."

So, it is up to you to draw your favorite Mega Man characters acting as Mega Mannequins, in their summer fashion, modeling in this retail window display. Be creative with your displays with fun and flashy design and additional background details that scream summer. For some small help at actual summer retail window display inspiration, check out this link.

Ask if you aren't sure about a store choice, but this can include/is not limited to the actual store design or creating your own storefront based off of actual in-game shops:

Big Eddie's, Light Lab, Reggae's, Saffron/Cumin/Jasmine's, Junk Shop, Dressmaker Hip Bone, Tailor Chinos, The EXE anime shady Chinatown salesman's shop, Higsby's, Net Navi/Bugfrag Shop, Nacy's, Big Wave, Cerveau's, RiCO's, etc.

Content Requirements: *Mega Man character(s) of your choice modeling summer fashion in a retail store window display *Must use a shop name/logo from the vast Mega Man shopping universe somewhere in the pic

*6/18 EDIT*

CATEGORY 3: *WILD CARD*

OK, after a few people have asked and brought it up, I will give you all one final additional chance to draw something else and get your name entered for a bonus chance at one of the prizes of your choice. Especially since this signed Ariga drawing is such a rare, limited opportunity. However, for this wildcard category, there is no prize money, and nothing is being judged. It is just for those who either want to draw a second or third picture, or aren't interested in creating for one of the two main categories. Or, you don't want the pressure of entering into a category period, but just want a single chance to win one of the 3 participation prizes. But once again, only one entry max allowed for this category. If you want your name entered 2 or 3 times into the prize raffle, you have to draw an entry for the other categories as well. This is just one last extra bonus chance. For the wild card, you can draw any Mega Man-themed summer picture from any previous Summer Contest category theme. Maybe you didn't get a chance to before, but have an idea you wish you had drawn. Wide range, so I won't give detail to each one. But this can include: Swimsuit Magazine Cover Sand Sculptures Summer Camp Character Ice Cream/Popsicles Waterparks Summer Vacation Postcards/Photos Mermaids Concert Boy Band/Girl Band Summer Blockbuster Movie Posters Onsens Surfboards Rainy Days/Umbrellas Amusement Parks Water Inflatables Lifeguards Beach Volleyball Pirates and of course, any blatant Akane Bribery...

*/EDIT*

PRIZES:

The winners for each category will receive the following:

1st Place: $125 USD

2nd Place: $75 USD

3rd Place: $50 USD

Participation Raffle Prizes:

Over the past year, I swiped a couple rare things that perhaps many of you never got a chance to be there for or purchase. And I thought they might be nice little sweeteners to get people to want to participate this year, especially with how quiet the fandom and franchise is right now. Those who place for the cash prizes are also still eligible for participation prizes.

If you enter into either category, you will be eligible for a chance at all 3 participation raffle prizes. If you enter into both categories, you can get your name entered a second time for one specific item of your choice. I will draw for prize #1 first, and whoever wins that will then be ineligible for the other two, and so on down.

Your participation prizes are the following:

Prize #3 - UDON Mega Man Robot Masters Limited Edition Metal Card Set from the 2024 SDCC (featuring Fire Man, Elec Man, Ice Man and Bomb Man)

Prize #2 - UDON Mega Man Bass and Treble Limited Edition Gold Metal Card, from the 2024 SDCC, signed on the back of the card by Hitoshi Ariga

Prize #1 - A shikishi board artwork of Mega Man drawn and signed by Hitoshi Ariga from the 2024 SDCC, verified through the CGC Signature Series

(yes, I'm still keeping my bought version with the "To: Jaz" personalization on it, and giving away this cleaner piece to a lucky one of you! ;p)

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

When you submit, I would prefer if you could include the following information in this format, along with your entry:

(Your name/preferred alias) As much as I usually know who you are, there's always someone new or somebody who has a different preference from what their email name says.

(Category this entry is for) You can either say 1/2 (or 3) or the category title (wild card)

(Participation raffle) Let me know if you are in for all of the prizes, or if you want to decline from being entered for a specific prize. If you enter into both categories, let me know the one prize you want your extra chance to go towards.

Only submit your own work, as usual. AI artwork is not allowed. Any character, major or minor, from any series is allowed. OCs are allowed, as long as your art contains at least one canon Megaman character.

As always, participants are allowed to submit from all over the world. As long as the US Postal Service/FedEx will send to your country, and the state of the world doesn't get worse, I hope to be able to send the participation prizes to anyone around the globe. But if your country does not accept mail from the US, there will sadly be nothing I can do.

Paypal is still the preferred method for cash prize payouts. Please have a valid account to receive your winnings.

Kids, get your parents permission before entering.

Entries do not need to be colored, but it is preferred. The more effort put into things as always, the better chance you have!

Entries can either be e-mailed to me at rock2125[at]hotmail[dot]com, or you can just PM/note me a link to your pic.

DO NOT post your pics publicly here, in other galleries, social media, etc. until the contest is over. This is the fairest way for competitive reasons. I prefer to keep them all secret until the deadline has passed.

I'll edit a confirmed entry list in this thread when I receive them. So you won't be in the dark about whether or not I've received your entry.

DEADLINE:

The deadline for this contest will be Tuesday, August 26th, 2025 by 11:59PM, global end of day. This gives you well over 2 months to finish your entry!

MISCELLANEOUS INFO:

As usual, If you don't plan to enter, but would like to help me judge, please let me know through DM, or mention so here. Never hurts to have extra opinions on all the entries.

Bug me with questions if you have any. Everyone is welcome to join in and good luck to everyone who enters!

CONFIRMED ENTRIES:

Cat. 1: @digitallyfanged, Cat. 2: ??? Cat. 3: Axl,

[morganwrites12672]

It's Always Been This Way

Dean Winchester x Singer!Reader

Summary: Y/n and Dean have always liked each other. . . Just never at the same time. What happens whenever they fall for each other while working a case?

Rating: PG-13

A/N: I hate the beginning but whatever. Requests are open!

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It's always been this way.

For as long as Y/n and Dean could remember, they had great friends. That was it. Just friends. At various points in their lives, they had had crushes on the other. It had never worked out though. Neither one was willing to admit it.

It was inevitable that they had liked each other (and shit luck that it was never at the same time). Y/n was a Singer, Bobby's only child. She had grown up around Dean and Sam. The three were constantly around each other due to their father's jobs. Bobby refused to outright leave her, and he could only justify it if she was with Sam and Dean.

They aren't kids anymore. Dean's 25. Y/n's 24. Both of them are adults.

It was a solo hunt for Dean whenever he ran into her. Sam was at Stanford and John was working his own case. He ran into Macy as she was leaving the witnesses house. It had been years since he had seen her. She had stopped staying at her father's much. The two had no reason to try and see each other otherwise.

Dean's eyebrows raised in shock as they made eye contact. She was in her Feds threads. Her jaw practically dropped. She couldn't believe who she was seeing.

She tried to walk past him but Dean stopped her.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He asked, as if it wasn't obvious.

"Same thing as you," She replied, her eyes taking him in. "I'm working a case."

He tilted his head a bit as he looked down at her. They were both so different. Dean thought that she looked different, good different. His eyes lingered on the way her skirt hugged her waist. He cleared his throat, looking back up at her eyes as he stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Alone?" He questioned, wondering if Bobby, or maybe another hunter, was helping her. It was one of the more dangerous cases. It looked like a Vampire. Victims had their throats ripped out, bodies drained of blood.

"Yes, alone."

Y/n wondered why he seemed. . . Concerned, maybe? She could tell based on how his eyebrows knit together. She didn't see a problem with it. She had been trained her entire life practically. She didn't lack experience. She had been raised like Dean. Not much of a childhood, but damn good at hunting the things that go bump in the night.

That was practically the end of that conversation. They exchanged a few more words, just checking up on each other before departing.

It had been decided that they would work the case together. After a few nights of staying up all night together, she had to admit, a bit of a crush had formed. Not like it had ever left really. God, she had been head over heels for Dean as an older teen. He had been too blinded by his lust for practically every girl who walked by him to notice.

If only she knew that it wasn't always a one sided crush. Dean had wanted to ask her out several times in the past. He had always assumed she would say no and never gathered the courage. The one girl who made him a little bit nervous. He don't want to risk the friendship.

Y/n yawned as she glanced at the red letters glowing in the dark: 4:37. God, it was late. She looked down at the careless notes she had scribbled in her notebook. She wasn't much closer to figuring out a plan. She glanced over at Dean, admiring how he looked in the lamp light. Her little crush hadn't stopped growing.

It might only be one vampire, but it wasn't simple. This creature didn't stay in the same place every night. The pattern was practically unrecognizable. Dean had suggested lurking at bars, hoping to see something suspicious. Y/n didn't like the plan but soon realized it was the only option.

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The air reeked of stake cigarettes and cheap beer. The lights in the bar were low as her eyes scanned the people in it. They finally knew what the vamp looked like. They just needed to find him.

This case has been hell so far. Three more people had died since the duo had started investigating. It was all going to shit very fast. If they didn't catch the culprit soon, they would need to call in another hunter.

Y/n glanced across the bar at Dean. As she looked back to the- what the hell? She quickly noticed something. He was here, the vampire. She didn't have time to call Dean as she followed him out the door. She tried to be subtle but there weren't any other people on the street.

As the vampire walked down the alley, she double checked that the vial of dead man's blood was still hidden, tucked into her jeans. She really should have called Dean. She pulled out her phone to text him, only taking her eyes off the vamp for a second whenever she heard a hiss.

Her phone clattered to the ground as the vampire attempted to bite her. She mumbled a curse and dodged. She didn't have her machete with her. She had been planning to use the dead man's blood and then dash back to the car. All she had with her was the gun in the waistband of her jeans and the knife tucked in her boot.

She rushed at the vampire, landing a solid punch that sent his head snapping back. He was quick to retaliate, slamming her into the wall. He had his hand around her throat whenever she kneed him in the groin. She managed to get away, raising her fists again in the alley.

The vampire threw a punch her way, she blocked. God-damnit. She forgot how much these fights hurt. Both of her hands were busy deflecting the vampires hits. She needed an opportunity to grab the dead man's blood. Before she could, the vampire hit her square in the nose. She groaned, feeling blood trickle.

She landed a solid kick to the vampires back as she dodged another hit.

"You bitch!" The vampire hissed at her. "I should have killed you the second you walked into that bar. You think I wouldn't recognize a hunter?" The vampire sneered at her.

"At least I don't rip the throats of innocent people out," She snapped back.

As the vampire rushed at her, knocking her to the ground, she grabbed the vial of dead man's blood. She was seconds away from injecting it whenever the vampire knocked it away. A wave of fear ran down her spine. She was trapped.

"Not so tough now, are you?" The vampire sneered as he cut his wrist. He grabbed her jaw. She tried to fight against him. Before she could be turned, the vampires head fell on her body.

She looked up and saw Dean. He looked pissed.

"You ran after the vamp, on your own!" He exclaimed, helping her up. "Son of a bitch. And you didn't even bother to bring your machete."

She rolled her eyes as she stood, wiping the blood from her nose with her sleeve. "I had it handled!"

"No, you didn't," He snapped back, his voice low. "You should have taken me with you."

Y/n sighed as they walked back to Dean's '67 Chevy Impala. She didn't regret what she had done. It had gotten the case solved. It had saved lives. Sure, she had made a stupid risk. That didn't matter. It had all worked out.

"I did fine," She grumbled as she slid into the passenger seat.

"No, you fucking didn't!" Dean said as he started the Impala.

"Why do you care so much?" She snapped. She was a tad bit grumpy. She had been beaten up by a vampire. Every bit of her body seemed to hurt. She would surely have bruises in the morning.

"God, can't you see? I care about you!" He said as he drove out of the bars parking lot. His knuckles were white from how hard he was gripping the steering wheel.

She could have screamed. "Oh," Was all she said for a minute. The tension in the car could have been cut with a knife. She swallowed thickly. "You could have just asked me out." She said in a reading tone.

Dean let out a slightly tense laugh, "Would you have said yes?"

"Obviously!" She replied. She thought it was obvious that she liked him. Apparently not.

Dean cleared his throat. The rest of the drive to the motel was silent. She listened to the Metallica quietly playing in the background. The night sky was dark and gloomy as they drove. What would happen between them?

As the car was parked, she couldn't get out of the car far enough. Dean walked into her motel room with her. It was where they had both done most of the research. There were still various notebooks and newspaper clippings strewn about.

"So. . . Do you have any plans tomorrow?" Dean asked.

Y/n quickly turned around, "I don't."

Dean gave her a cocky smile, "Then it's a date."

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A/N: Thank you so much for reading! Don't forget to comment and reblog!

[its-luna-noel]

soul tied | gojo x reader

03. small talk

"You're not going to die on me." "My love, not even death could keep me from you." When the love of your life - or one of your lives - is on death's door, you perform a soul tie ritual to make sure you'll meet again. This tie binds you across time, space, and every universe; your souls now belong to each other. But even a soul tie doesn't make love easy.

content: f!reader, reincarnation au, soulmates au, threads of fate, angst, pining, slow burn, fluff, meet cutes in every life, non-linear storytelling, fake dating, one bed, drinking

word count: 3.3k

chapter 3/? prev. chapter | next chapter

masterlist | link to ao3

notes: helloooo! chapter here on the quick turnaround for you guys! hope you enjoy, this was a fun one!

2024, Tokyo

|| Satoru Gojo: Just booked the hotel!

|| You: what do you mean hotel??

|| Satoru Gojo: ?? The hotel we’re staying at this weekend?

|| You: you didn’t tell me we were going out of town!

|| You: i am not staying in a hotel room with you

|| Satoru Gojo: Why not? I’m a great hotel buddy

|| Satoru Gojo: ;)

|| You: put your winky face away

|| You: im not sharing a room with you

|| Satoru Gojo: Why

|| You: cause we barely know each other

|| You: and i bet you snore

|| Satoru Gojo: I do not! And fine, if you want to spend your own money on a room. I’d call soon, there’s a whole wedding party staying at the only hotel in town

|| You: …you couldn’t have told me this earlier?

|| Satoru Gojo: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  I thought you’d be okay staying with me

|| You: you really think you’re that irresistible?

|| Satoru Gojo: Yes

|| You: just called, no other rooms.

|| You: how much do i owe you for my half?

|| Satoru Gojo: None, I got it

|| You: fine

|| You: see you friday

|| Satoru Gojo: Yay!! See you then

~

Satoru picks you up on Friday afternoon, driving up in a sleek black Maserati and parking out front.

You almost roll your eyes. Of course he has to be gorgeous and rich. You walk over as he steps out of his car, looking somehow put together even in his comfortable traveling outfit of joggers and sweater. You’re matching, though you’re sure your sweatpants from Target are much less high-end than whatever bullshit he’s wearing.

He smiles at you. “Hey, thanks again for doing this.”

“Don’t mention it.” You hand him the garment bag that’s holding your dress for the wedding. Curious and ever intrusive, Satoru unzips the bag and peeks inside, revealing a floor-length, wine-colored piece you picked up for a good deal. At the sight, he glances over at you.

He grins down at you, raising an eyebrow. “What, did ya get this at Macy’s?”

You grit your teeth, hands clenched into fists at your side. “Yes.”

He looks surprised, then coughs to cover whatever expression he’s trying to hide. “Oh. Uh, it’s nice.”

You don’t respond, handing him your duffle bag before climbing silently into the front seat. This is going to be a long ride.

Satoru sets your bag in the backseat and hangs the dress on the hanger hook. Then he climbs inside, his long legs stretching forward to hitting the pedals. You have to force yourself to avert your gaze.

“So,” he says as he shifts gears and pulls away from the curb, “tell me about yourself.”

You grunt softly, turning back to him with an incredulous air. “What, you wanna make small talk for the three hour drive?”

You watch the corner of his mouth quirk up in a small smile, though his eyes stay on the road. “Maybe.”

“You just can’t stand silence, can you?”

“I can’t stand awkward silence. There’s a difference.”

“It’s only awkward if you make it awkward.”

He huffs a laugh. “Fine. Sit in silence then.” He reaches over and turns up the volume of his music, drowning out his supposed awkward silence.

You’re quiet for a while, letting his music play as you watch the city fade into suburbs. It’s been a long time since you’ve been out of the city; you used to go with your grandfather, used to visit the surrounding countryside and take hikes, but that went to the wayside when he got sick–

You blink away the thoughts. Now’s not the time for reminiscing. Instead, you turn and raise an eyebrow at your travel companion. “Seriously?”

“What?”

You gesture to the infotainment center, where the title of the currently playing song proudly scrolls: “PARTY IN THE U.S.A.” You say, “This is what you listen to? In a freaking Maserati?”

He grins. “I didn’t think you knew what kind of car this was.”

“I do. And I also know your taste in music sucks.”

He gasps and puts a hand to his chest, looking scandalized. His other hand stays on the steering wheel, and you can’t help but notice how casual he looks, how relaxed, how attractive. “My music taste is great.”

“I think you’re objectively wrong.” Right when he’s about to respond, the starting notes of “Fergalicious” start playing. “Oh my god.”

He laughs, looking entirely too amused at your disdain. “What’s good music, then, in your opinion?” he asks, before singing along under his breath, “Fergalicious, definition: make them boys go loco.”

Your own lips curve into a smile, now. You reach towards his phone, raising your eyebrows. Silently asking.

He chuckles and unlocks his phone for you. “I’m trusting you with my life here,” he teases.

You take it and hide the screen from him as you scroll through Spotify, bringing up a new song to listen to. Something with bass and a good beat. You glance over at him as you select a song by Ashnikko you like.

He glances at the screen on the dash. “Isn’t this from Arcane?”

“Yeah.” He laughs softly, shaking his head. You frown. “What now?”

“Nothing.” His lips are twitching, fighting a smile. You just scowl at him, waiting for him to speak. Finally he does. “You’re just a nerd.”

“Am not!”

“Yes you are.” He laughs again. “Even your definition of a ‘good’ song is from a nerdy little show. Admit it.”

You scowl again, but it’s tinged with playfulness this time. You glance out the window, watching the suburbs finally turn to countryside. “Fine,” you mutter, hiding your smile out the window. “I’m a nerd.”

You can’t see his smile, but you can feel his amusement in the silence. Quickly, before he can respond, you continue, “But so are you!”

He just chuckles. “I’m not denying that, sweetheart. You should ask me about digimon sometime if you really want me to get on a nerdy tangent.”

Sweetheart. You try not to let the nickname spread heat through you, but you can’t help it; your cheeks flush slightly at the nickname. You’re glad you’re still looking out the window. “Tell me about it, then.”

He just snorts and shakes his head. “That’s not a first date type of material,” he teases. “Ask me on the third.”

You snort, too, smiling out the window. You’re not sure if he’s kidding, but the idea of a second or even third date doesn't sound too bad, despite how insufferable you thought he was when he first asked. “Yeah, alright.”

You can see his reflection in the window as he turns to look at you curiously. He says, “So…” and reaches over to turn down the music a little. He clears his throat. “What do you do for work?”

You sigh softly. Seems that you were unable to delay the small talk for long. You turn back to him. “I’m a program leader at the public library.”

He looks surprised. He glances over at you again before returning his attention to the highway. “So you really are a little nerd! What does that entail?”

You shrug. “Basically just creating events for the community. I hang out with a lot of old ladies.”

He laughs at that. “So, what, you all get together and knit together?”

“Basically.” He’s not far off. He laughs again. “I run book clubs, craft nights, stuff like that. Along with, you know, other librarian things.”

He hums, nodding. You’re surprised to find him actively listening; you thought he’d just blow off your job as boring. “Do you like it?”

You nod, expression earnest. “I love it. Let’s me meet new people and stuff.” He nods again. You ask, “What do you do?”

“I’m a high school teacher,” he says.

You raise an eyebrow, looking him over. “You, a teacher? Driving a car like this?”

He smiles and explains, “My family’s pretty well-off. I’m a trust fund baby.”

“Ah.” You nod in understanding as the pieces click into place. It leaves a little bit of a bad taste in your mouth; your grandfather couldn’t leave much of anything for you in an inheritance, and here Satoru is, able to fly through life with ease.

He chuckles, sensing your frustration. “That change your opinion of me?”

“No,” you say teasingly, “my opinion of you was already pretty low.”

He huffs, glancing at you out of the corner of his eye. “Brat,” he mutters, fighting a smile.

You smile back. Then you ask, “Where do you work? If you don’t mind my asking.”

He shrugs. “It’s no problem. I work at Tokyo Tech.”

“Cool. Do you like it?”

He nods, watching the road. “I like training the next generation.” He glances over with a smile. “Seems like you’re partial to the old generation, huh?”

You shrug. “I guess you could say that.”

“Any particular reason?”

You take a deep breath, not really wanting to talk about it, but what else are you going to chat about for three hours. “Uh, my grandparents raised me. Mom walked out, wasn’t able to care for me as a kid. So they really stepped in and did their best for me.”

He nods a little, fingers tightening around the steering wheel. “It sounds like you’re glad to have them,” he observes.

You just nod, glancing out the window. You don’t say more, and he doesn’t push.

The rest of the drive passes much like that, each of you occasionally asking a question while the music plays through the speakers. You take turns playing music you like, and you find yourself laughing a lot with him. Not only is he aggravatingly handsome, and rich, and charming, but he’s also funny.

All of a sudden, staying in the same hotel room with him doesn’t seem so bad.

~

1727, Bahamas

“So,” Captain Gojo says, propping his boots up on the desk and leaning back in his seat with a wide smirk, “why should we take you aboard?”

You, dressed in loose trousers tucked into your own boots and a gray reefer jacket, with a jagged haircut tucked under a red bandana, frown. “You’re asking for my qualifications?”

The captain inclines his head. “Naturally. I don’t take any old scallywag on my ship, Mister…?” He trails off, raising an eyebrow for your name.

You give him your last name. It wouldn’t lead him anywhere; it’s a name that means nothing, gives you nothing. It’s a useless name for a useless family that you left behind in the dust to come find treasure, adventure, the seven seas.

Gojo drops his feet to the floor and folds his hands together, leaning onto his desk. He levels a serious look with you, blue eyes bright and searching. “As I said, I don’t take just anyone. So, either tell me why I should take you, or I’d kindly ask you to leave my ship before we force you off.”

You clench your teeth. You didn’t run away to be cast away before you even embarked on your first journey. You didn’t cut your hair, bind your chest, and rub filth on your face in order to be told ‘no’ and to return to your family with nothing to show for your endeavors.

So you say, gaze matching the captain’s, “My father fixes firearms. He taught me a few things. I’ve trained to be a firearm specialist. I can shoot, and I’m willing to do any jobs you give me, but I work best with my hands.”

Captain Gojo looks down at your hands resting on the desk – feminine hands, soft only superficially dirty. You hope he can’t see those traits in them. He looks back at you and squints thoughtfully. “Is that all?” he drawls.

You shake your head, and that’s when you sweep aside your coat and reveal three brand new, beautiful pistols hidden on your person. The captain’s guards immediately rise to protect him, to apprehend you, but he just raises a hand to stop them, eyes locked on the firearms.

You do not reach for them, hands raised obediently in the air. You say, “I bring gifts.”

And with that, the captain gives a slow, sly smile, and nods. “Alright, kid,” he says, reaching across the desk to shake your hand. “You have yourself a position among my crew. Welcome aboard.”

~

2024, Karuizawa

When you arrive in the small town where the wedding is being held, Satoru turns to look at you. “Hungry?”

You nod eagerly. “Starving.”

He glances out the window, eyes searching from behind his sunglasses. “Feel like having soba?”

“Sure.”

He pulls off and parks, and you can see his car attracting some eyes from pedestrians passing by. You watch their eyes trail over the luxury vehicle, and then you glance over at Satoru, who’s smiling at you.

“Feels good, doesn’t it?” he asks. “To have something that others envy.”

You watch him for a moment before nodding a little. “Yeah,” you say, finally looking away. “It does.”

The two of you have a simple dinner together, still allowing yourself time for small talk. He asks about work, and your hobbies, and stays away from family, for which you’re grateful. And you ask about him, until your bowls are empty and you’re still left chatting animatedly across the table.

Then he leads you back towards the car, and this time he opens the door for you. You can’t help but blush as you thank him.

The drive to the hotel is another half hour; the town you’re staying in is outside of Karuizawa, and the hotel is, indeed, the only one in town. Once you’re arrived and parked, Satoru steps out and takes your bags, while you take the garment bags, holding them over your shoulder by the hangers. You walk inside and towards the check-in desk.

The front desk lady smiles and greets you. “Hello. What’s the name for the reservation?”

“Satoru Gojo,” he says, voice low and smooth as he checks in. You look around at the quaint hotel, trying not to listen to the financial gift he’s giving you for not making you pay him for your half of the room. Then when he’s given two keycards, he hands you the second one and leads you down the hallway.

“Satoru!” a voice calls, and you assume it’s his friend, perhaps even the one who’s getting married. You turn, and so does Satoru, and your smile goes strained when you don’t see a friend.

You see someone with the same striking white hair as him – clearly a family trait.

“Hey, Akari,” he greets, nodding politely, since he’s unable to wave with both hands occupied by your luggage.

Akari walks over, smiling brightly. “Hey,” she says, and turns her attention to you. “You must be the famed date! I’m Akari, nice to meet you.” She sticks out a hand.

You fumble with the garment bags before shaking her hand, internally cringing at how sweaty your hand must be. You tell her your name, and then you ask. “And you’re Satoru’s…?”

“Cousin! Though, not the lucky bride-to-be, that’s Emi. You’ll get to meet her tomorrow, of course, and the others!”

“Great,” you say, though you seem to have forgotten your enthusiasm at the door.

It’s silent between the three of you for a moment. Then Akari speaks again. “Well, it was nice to meet you!” she says, and you and Satoru echo the sentiment. Then you all, awkwardly, walk in the same direction towards your rooms.

“Oh!” she exclaims, laughing sheepishly as you come to your door. “It looks like we’re neighbors! Good to know.”

You smile weakly before reaching for your card and trying to shove it into the slot with shaky hands. Jesus, could you just get this conversation over with–

Satoru reaches around you to steady your hand, and the door unlocks with a click. He jerks his chin towards Akari. “See you tomorrow,” he says before ushering you inside.

“Bye!” she chirps, and you can feel her curious eyes on you as Satoru shuts the door, locking it behind you.

You look up at him, gritting out under your breath, “You didn’t tell me this was your cousin’s wedding. You said ‘friend.’”

He shrugs, entirely nonchalant. “What’s the difference?”

You give him an incredulous look. “‘What’s the difference?’ Satoru, you’re supposed to warn someone before they meet your entire family!”

He just smiles. “I was going to tell you tonight. Surprise!”

You just groan and push your way past him into the hotel room.

It’s a very nice room, with a large king-sized bed by the windows and a small kitchen island with a bar.

You are, despite your sour mood, impressed by the accommodations. Accommodations which are, of course, free to you, since Satoru seems to be loaded. “Wow,” you say appreciatively.

He grins and places your duffle bag on the bed, beside his small roller carry on. You hang your dress and his suit in the small closet. “Nice, right?”

“Very.” You come over and grab your bag, digging through until you find your bag of toiletries and your pajamas. “Need the bathroom?”

“Nope, go ahead.”

You wash up at the sink, brushing your teeth and starting your skin care. You poke at a particular pimple you’re hoping to cover up with makeup tomorrow, now cursing its existence after finding out this is Satoru’s family you’ll be meeting.

You don’t know why it seems so important to you. It’s not like you guys are really dating, anyway.

You sigh and put down the washcloth, changing into your pajama shorts and t-shirt. Part of you wishes you’d packed something a little cuter, but then you shake the thought away; absolutely no funny business will be happening while his family members are in the next room.

You walk out of the bathroom, padding over to the bed. You climb in on one end, watching Satoru whistle happily on his way to the bathroom. He doesn’t seem uncomfortable in the slightest with sharing the room with you. Part of you wonders how often he’s done something like this. You just shake your head at the idea; you don’t want to know.

When he comes back, he’s dressed in sweatpants and a comfy looking white t-shirt. You have to fight to keep your eyes from trailing over his arms, his chest, his face. You look away, digging through your bag for the book you packed. You settle yourself against the pillows, opening up the book and setting your bookmark on your lap.

He chuckles as he climbs into bed beside you. You glance at him and ask, “What?”

He leans in towards your ear, close enough you can feel his minty fresh breath, and whispers, “You’re a nerd.” Then he pulls away, grinning, and sinks under the covers, rolling over so his back is to you.

You’re almost disappointed that he doesn’t want to hang out anymore. But you can’t blame him; you did spend several hours in the car, and another hour at dinner. You suppose he’s earned some quiet time.

He sits on his phone for a while, the sound of TikToks filling the quiet room as you try to focus on reading. Every so often, he lets out a soft snort at whatever he’s watching, and you can’t help but smile at the sound each time. Then, after a half hour or so of scrolling, he reaches over and turns off the light on his bedside table.

“Night,” he says, bringing the blanket up around his shoulders.

“Good night,” you reply, voice soft.

You stay up reading for a while longer.

You can’t help but facepalm and let out a soft groan when he does, indeed, snore softly into his pillow.

additional notes: everyone just pretend they have Macy's in Japan, okay? hi! i know this chapter was pretty americanized, with the long drive and everything, but i hope it was still enjoyable! i really tried my best to get some good banter in here, so i hope you liked it! i love these two, and i hope you do too. that's it! see you in the next one :))

thank you for reading! -luna xx link to ao3 | next

(taglist: @inlove-maze, @jotarohat, @moonchhu, @elitesanjisimp)

[seolinah]

It's impossible not to roll his eyes at her dramatic ranting. His lips purse, frustration beginning to bubble and boil over the longer she went on talking. "Didn't realize my best friend would try and guilt me into feeling bad because I happened to space out." Adrian drags a hand over his face, an irritated breath passing over his lips. "You don't see me questioning how close we are when your eyes glaze over when I'm talking about my studies, do you?" Thoughts running a mile a minute in his head, he barely realizes what he's saying next. "Maybe I just can't be honest and tell you about it because it is about you. And I'd rather just avoid having that conversation altogether rather than risk it affecting us. Ever thought of that?" As his brain catches up to what he's actually said, he grows solemn. His head shakes as if that will erase the word he's just spoken. "N-Not that that's the case..." Adrian retracts lamely.

she eyes him suspiciously, momentarily unconvinced by his words, but chooses to let it go for now. she doesn't want her happy day tainted by his questionable temper. perhaps it's a topic she'll revisit with him in the future. "okay, okay, there's no need to be so defensive about it! geez," she scoffs, rolling her eyes. "maybe if you would just tell me what's going on in that mind of yours, i wouldn't have to come up with theories about what's wrong with you. what happened to always being honest with each other when something's bothering us?" she questions bitterly. "but fine! fine, if you don't want to share it with your best friend, the person who helps you with everything without judgment. that's fine," she dramatically states with a heavy sigh. "i guess we're not that close, huh?" she adds, equally dramatic.

[icy-watch]

And that was Nexo Knights.

I really wasn't sure what to expect with this series, and I'm glad I watched it. I really did enjoy it. I'm sad that the series got cut short. It really would have been cool to have at least 1 more season to wrap up some loose plot threads - though I don't doubt y'all're going to tell me. 😆

Thank you all for joining me. You're always welcome to stick around and see what I watch next. The poll for the movie is ending very soon, but it looks like there's a clear winner.

I plan to start watching it the day after tomorrow, and see how long it takes me to get thru (usually 2 days). After that? Well, we'll have to wait on the results for the next series poll.

Again, thank you all for joining me. I can't wait to see what pain y'all want to out me thru next.

Correct and incorrect predictions are under the cut.

Correct

Monstrux is going to turn Clay into a stone soldier. I mean, this was kind of really obvious.

Clay has magic. I genuinely don't remember making this prediction. What happened that made me predict this?

One of Clay’s parents was on the Wizard’s Council. Well. At least 1 that we know of.

Macy is going to carry around the trauma of Clay being turned back into a statue for the rest of the season. She’s going to be more stressed than ever to find a cure. And then he became human again, and everything was magically better.

Clay’s going to be freed early in ep9. Surprised but not really.

Incorrect

Clay isn’t going to rejoin the knights right away. It’ll happen closer to the end of the season, and by then he’ll have to race to help them. Took him a little longer than I thought it would, tbh.

Montrux’s magic is affecting Clay. Turns out, it was Clay's own magic and his bloodline.

The knights will eventually find a cure for Clay. Clay magically fixed himself.

Clay is over 100 years old. 😔 I thought I was onto something there.

Ruina is going to abandon Jestro and Monstrux. Honestly? She really should have.

Something is going to make Jestro rethink working with Montrux. The poor silly little clown was so mind controlled, he couldn't think straight.

Merlok is Clay’s grandfather. Well, at least I predicted that they are family?

Jestro is going to stumble across the final tablet by accident or he’s going to remember seeing 1 in Knightonia. This actually would have been funny, but I did like that the krakenbeast found it for him.

Merlok is going to use his tower to boost the Nexo Power to all capable knight to fight the stone army. This would have been really cool. All of the knights using Nexo Power together? Would have loved it.

Ruina is going to try and recruit Clay again. And it’s not going to work. I'm actually surprised she didn't.

Partial

There’s going to be a race between the stone army and the knights to find Clay first. And the stone army is going to find him first - on accident. There was a race, but unfortunately, someone else got to him before either of them could.

Clay’s magic and the Nexo Power will defeat Monstrux. Merlok's magic helped, too.

Unconfirmed

The figure in Clay’s vision from Ruina is a sibling. I think this is something y'all're going to tell me about.

Clay is not fully human. Bc of Ruina, it's kinda hard to tell. Y'all can correct me on this.

[uwmspeccoll]

It’s Fine Press Friday!

On this first Friday of the New Year, we’re delighted to highlight the work of book artist and UWM Art & Design faculty member Melissa Wagner-Lawler. In Solitude was printed by Red Thread Letterpress in June of 2023 as part of the In Cahoots Residency in Petaluma, California, in a limited edition of 30 copies signed by the artist. Wagner-Lawler created both the text and images, which were letterpress and relief printed. The font is Optima 14.

The spare prose cuts across the images; images and phrases wrap around pages; ideas linger (mostly) unpunctuated, unresolved, “existing in expansiveness.” The central signature folds out in a long accordion revealing a verdant, abstract solitude. The book lives in a turquoise clamshell box. In the colophon, Wagner-Lawler explains that the book was created “in an old horse barn” at Macy Chadwick’s In Cahoots Residency. (Back in December we featured some of Chadwick’s work produced at In Cahoots.)

Wagner-Lawler studied printmaking at both the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design and the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. At UWM she teaches in the Printing and Book Arts area of Art & Design, as well as the First Year Program. Her work is featured in collections across the country, including the Smithsonian American Art & Portraiture Library, Yale University, Stanford University, Library of Congress Rare Books Collection, and, of course, UWM’s Special Collections.

Watch a brief exploration of another Wagner-Lawler book by Bainbridge Island Museum of Art.

View other posts related to Melissa Wagner-Lawler.

View other Fine Press Friday posts.

--Amanda, Special Collections Graduate Intern

[radical-revolution]

The Dark Age is here:

There comes a time when all life on earth is in danger. At that time great powers have arisen. Barbarian powers. And although they waste their wealth in preparations to annihilate each other, they have much in common. And what these barbarian powers have in common are weapons of unimaginable devastation and death and the technologies that lay waste the world. And it is just at this point in our history when the future of all beings seem to hang by the frailest of threads, that the Kingdom of Shambala emerges. Now, you can’t go there because it is not a place, it exists in the hearts and minds of the Shambala warriors. And actually you can’t tell a Shambala warrior by looking at her or him, because they wear no uniforms, no insignia, they wield no banners, they have no barricades upon to climb to threaten the enemy and behind which they can rest and regroup. They don’t even have any home turf. The Shambala warriors have only the terrain of the barbarian powers to move across, to act upon. Now the time is coming when great courage is required of the Shambala warriors, moral courage, and physical courage. And that is because they are going to go right into the heart of the barbarian powers to dismantle their weapons. They’re going to go into the pits and citadels where the weapons are made and deployed. They are going to go into the corridors of power where the decisions are made to dismantle the weapons in every sense of the word. Now mark this, the Shambala warriors know that these weapons can be dismantled because they are ‘mind-made’ made by the human mind, they can be un-made by the human mind. Because the dangers that have brought down upon us have not been made by some satanic deity or by some evil extraterrestrial force or some unchangeable pre-ordained fate, they arise out of our relationships and habits, out of our priorities. So now is the time the Shambala warriors go into training and they train in the use of two implements. One is compassion and the other is insight into the radical interdependence of all phenomena. And you need both. You need the compassion because that provides the fuel to move you out to where you need to be to do what you need to do. And that means not being afraid of the suffering of your world. And when you are not afraid to be with that pain, then nothing can stop you. You can be and do what you are meant to. But by itself, that implement is very hot and it can burn you out, so you need the other, that other tool, the insight into the radical interconnectivity at the heart of existence, the web of life, our deep ecology. When you have that, when you understand that, then you know that this is not a battle between good guys and bad guys. You know that the line between good and evil runs through the landscape of every human heart. And you know that we are so interwoven into the web of life that even the smallest act with clear intension has repercussions throughout the whole web beyond your capacity to see. But that’s kind of cool, maybe even a little abstract, so you need the heat of compassion. So we dance the interplay between compassion and wisdom, which is there for each one of us to embody now in our own way.

12 Centuries old, the Shambala Warrior Prophecy, as told by Joanna Macy.

[nullfier]

name. sage pronouns. they/them preferred comms. discord! i'm less likely to just hand it out if we've never interacted through the dash and/or tumblr ims (yes they suck) but discord is my preferred method of communication and where i check the most :p name of muse. osamu dazai (+ then my ever - growing multi, +imitor with a muse list that will never shorten, over there i do much prefer to write my ocs when i get the chance but i love all my canons to death too !!) experience in RP. twt rp in the sherlock fandom circa 2010. and then i joined tumblr in 2015, left again for twt rp to write a plethora of the originals you see on my multi today! i came back here in 2021? left again, then came back earlier this year! i think there's something to say that i used to write sherlock and also moriarty, when you look at my muse list now and the character i've fixated on in the glorious year of 2024 (cough, cough - dazai. cough, cough.) best experiences. probably now ? being introduced to bsd after putting it off for almost 3 yrs (sorry macy) was great for me as i've latched onto the world + lore and as a result am very attached to dazai. he just takes up a lot of space in my mind and i love exploring him as a character with so many different sides. but i think i've enjoyed all of my rp experiences as they've come and have put a lot of effort into the friendships i've formed as a result and have travelled to meet friends, but ultimately where i'm at right now is arguably the best. technically it would stem back to 2021 but i met my girlfriend through the grishaverse / secret shanghai rpcs and am the happiest i've ever been as a result :p pet peeves / dealbreakers. i have a lot that i talk about and some that i don't, being that my following/followers are mainly comprised of mutuals and so i curate my space with the utmost care and weed out what i don't like/don't agree with. most things i speak about on dash here and +imitor but i should really add things into a dni even though i don't follow people back if i can see i'd get easily irritated by their content and/or they interact with/write things i don't like. i have the most basic of ones but i think off the top of my head currently the worst one is erasure of women (esp woc) in media and erasure of wlw in media. people think gender - bending their faves from men to women (i'm not including trans headcanons in here, that's totally separate and a non - issue aside from seeing them used purely for sexual fantasy (not here mostly, on twt) - which is not progressive) instantly makes it wlw representation and it isn'tttt, the quicker people learn that, the better. muse preference (angst, fluff + smut). i'm an angst preferer :p to an insane degree almost. i write it well, i like exploring emotion be it happy or sad and like writing tragedy. fluff is next because again it can be so emotionally driven and that's something i really enjoy. smut i only write with one person and that's not going to change. i never used to write it and if i wasn't writing it with her, i highly doubt i would ever be comfortable enough again to branch out and write it with other people. even then it's an still an insane amount of introspection and character exploration but with everything else i just fade to black. :p plots or memes. both! i utilise memes to use when i can't deal with my drafts and want to write (nobody ever has to respond to a meme i deliver if i haven't yet replied to a thread, it just sometimes helps me get into writing) but plotting is preferred for threads or threads that we take from memes to make longer! are you like your muse. like dazai ? not a huge amount. i think i'm funny but i'm unfortunately not a genius! as for my original characters i put a lot of myself into them and their writing, so they're the most like me! esp my unaffiliated originals :p

tagged by. @avichor <3 tagging. @trelonkan, @justsurvival, @nvictive, @reawaken + @tormenther and whoever else hasn't yet done it!!! tag me and say you stole it so i can see it :p

[saleintothe90s]

504. The Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade, 1981, part 2

(part 1)

A sleepy Superman.

I love Regis saying "Hi, Mr. Hooper, you look great!" to the Sesame Street float.

FINALLY. Something interesting happens. Two actors from Hill Street Blues got out of their cop car and sang a song about NYC and dance with Ed. This is what I'm talking about. This is why I watch these old parades. This is my favorite part of that parade.

Ed says gruffly "Who are YOU?!" to Strawberry Shortcake. He shows her a parade from the past in super fast motion. Because? I don't know why. She said the parades where she lives are short?

Aw, its Stephen Nedoroscik.

Wait, I think I need this little girl toy that shows you where to put what eyeshadow where.

Here we go, flying too close to the sun with the microwave. Are those persimmons in with that chicken?

I am just not feeling the vibes of this parade yet, I had to climb in bed and take a two hour TikTok break about thirty minutes in. They're giving Regis nothing to do, he's just standing on the other side of town going "oh, there's smokey the bear. Across the street is the natural museum of history where I went a lot as a boy".

"Hey Reege, can't you see that I'm on my coffee break?" Nah, it's just the cast of the off broadway musical Pump Boys and Dinettes. They made it to Broadway the following year! There was also a TV pilot filmed but it didn't go past that. Aw, they only sang their theme song.

I found a screw up! Susan and Bill Hayes from the soap Days of Our Lives was supposed to sing a song about the parade, well they either missed their queue, or the music messed up, something. They had to restart their performance! I've never seen that happen with the parade. Susan is wearing Strawberry Shortcake's hat.

I love that Gregory Hines is having fun and singing directly AT the camera. This is almost a Quik Bunny "Try to Remember" situation from 1990. Seriously though, Sophisticated Ladies might me my 2nd favorite part.

Ed sings again! I think this is the same song he sang last year, but this time he sings it with Kaleena Kliff from Love, Sidney.

D0nny Osmond (he was only 24!) was the star on the turkey that year.

I don't understand why NBC is making their TV starts sing SO.MUCH. Even Kim Fields and Nancy McKeon from Facts of Life had to sing. Tootie had to sit in a kangaroo! Dave Winfield the baseball player sang too?!

Ann Miller sang to a teddy bear while on a dollhouse float that was leaning a lil. DonMcClean's float was shaking pretty wildly too.

Kermit made it! He looks good!

and then Kermit and Fozzie nearly committed car terrorism.

Underdog almost knocked some people out too.

There was an Opera rendition of Hansel & Gretel, which wasn't too great, but we got this witch!

Kool and the Gang came in on a giant butterfly!

Ok, so the good copy from New Orleans runs out at 2 hours, so if you wan to see the rest of the parade you have to watch the meh copy from Richmond, VA. You guys are welcome to watch the rest of the parade, but the video quality and sound quality is really bad. I can't even enjoy the old commercials they're so fuzzy. If anybody can find me a full copy that is in ... viewing condition? put it in the comments. If its before Thanksgiving, I'll watch it.

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[haltandcatchfiretothemax]

FEMSLASH FEBRUARY 2025 #4: In which Cameron and Donna go shopping

[CN: food/hunger/eating mention]

.

Cameron had agreed reluctantly when Donna invited her to go to nearby department store to look for new work clothes on their lunch break, and found herself regretting this as she watched Donna file through a circular rack of skirts labeled ‘SALE’. She stood there, sulking, hands braced on the straps of her backpack, feeling like she was nine years old again. The impulse to whine, ‘Can we go yet?’ was overwhelming, but Cameron did her best to fight it.

Fortunately, Donna could be trusted to not attempt to shop for Cameron or push her to try on sensible office separates. She not only made no effort to get Cameron to alter her wardrobe, but had begun to compliment what she was wearing. On some mornings, Cameron would come downstairs to the kitchen, and Donna would look up from her breakfast or the paper and say, ‘Oh, wow, that looks great,’ and then she would go over to Cameron to give her a maternal-slash-friendly once over, checking for lint and stray hairs and loose threads. Sometimes she would say things like, ‘I feel like I’m too small to wear oversized blazers, but it works for you’ or ‘I love the weave on those trousers, and also congratulations on finding pants long enough for you!’ Cameron hadn’t been all that interested in Donna’s approval, but, if she was honest, she didn’t mind it. It actually felt kind of nice.

But in that particular moment, Cameron was still really fucking bored. And also, vaguely confused. Donna seemed to have plenty of clothes to wear, because she’d begun to shop regularly, if carefully, after Diane had accepted their proposal to buy Swapmeet; why did she need to shop for more?

As Donna finally put the grey wool pencil skirt she’d been inspecting for a minute back on the sales rack, Cameron wondered if Diane, rather than her firm’s financial support of Mutiny, had something to do with this.

“Wouldn’t it make more sense to do this with, say, your new best girlfriend Diane?” Cameron finally said.

Donna looked up from another skirt she’d picked up long enough to scoff. “Like Diane Gould is shopping the Macy’s sales racks.” Then, she added, “And we’re not friends, we’re colleagues. It’s an important distinction.”

“Well, you can be both, right?” Cameron said, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. “I mean if we managed it….”

Donna grinned broadly, as if she was suppressing a laugh. She readjusted the strap of her purse, which had slid down her shoulder, and agreed, “That’s a very good point.”

Cameron watched Donna turn to the next rack, which was labeled ‘CLEARANCE.’ She felt this funny, stomach-churning-yet-calm feeling that she hadn’t felt since Donna had shown up at the parking lot that night while Cameron was waiting to buy new XTs. Without thinking, she blurted out, “You know that Diane would be lucky to be friends with you, right? You know a lot of things that she doesn’t know, and you’re like, way cooler than her.”

Donna’s hand stopped in mid-air, and she looked at Cameron. Quietly, but with just a hint of skepticism, she asked, “You think I’m cool?”

Ignoring the warmth creeping up her face Cameron replied, “Compared to Diane? Sure.”

Donna scowled at her, and then laughed out loud, not her ‘with colleagues’ laugh, her real laugh. This made Cameron feel both more and less anxious. “And also compared to a lot of other people. God, you are so much cooler than Gordon.” Donna laughed again, and Cameron, feeling like she was scrambling, continued, “I remember when I first met you, at Cardiff, you seemed prissy, and joyless, but, I think that was Cardiff. You’re fun, really fun, not the way men mean it when they call you ‘fun.’ You’re sociable, and you’re interested in people and what they’re interested in, and what makes their lives better and more fun, and it’s why we have Community and a mainframe and investors.”

Donna looked at her again. “Are you feeling all right?”

Cameron frowned, and only half-kidding, said, “My blood sugar might be a little low.”

Donna grinned at her again. “I’m not finding anything,” she announced. Scrunching her nose, she asked, “You wanna get out of here? Get too much Chinese takeout and bring it back to the office, maybe?”

Endeared by Donna’s scrunched nose, Cameron nodded, “Yes, please. That sounds perfect,” as she began to follow Donna toward the front doors of the department store.

[avichor]

name. macy pronouns. she / her preferred comms. discord but only after chatting a bit on tumblr dms to suss out vibes unless we've interacted a lot on dash name of muse. literally my entire roster . and no it is not getting trimmed idk how to do that //: experience in RP. i started tumblr rp in 2019 but i was on fb rp since like. 2009? best experiences. h8 to say it but when i joined the desc rpc in late 2019 it was probs the highlight of my rp experience on tumblr, purely bc i was just so new to tumblr rp and naive and excitable so i looked past a lot of things i wouldn't tolerate now. it was the most involved rpc - wise i'd ever been — co-owned a server, created and joined events, actually had sm fun that i haven't really been able to replicate ( but i think it's a given with how much my irl has changed and the time i can even spend on tumblr rp ), and then decimated that rpc :D joining grishaverse rpc is a close second, and then my time writing vincenzo was my last source of unbridled joy ;p outside of rpc experiences, it was the long - lasting friendships and relationship formed. pet peeves / dealbreakers. i have a lot and i've stopped pretending that i don't for the sake of making everyone happy or appearing "nice" or "peaceful". there's a lot of highly questionable behavior that goes on in the rpc ( that goes ignored bc people like to "its just rp let people have fun" ) that it doesn't really stop at pet peeves or dealbreakers for me but rather smth i think really needs to be fixed. anyways most of them can be found in my rules within the dni section! but lack of communication is a huuuuuuuuge pet peeve. also lack of taking accountability, victim - mentality, people who aren't normal about duplicates, people who are freaks, etc. muse preference ( fluff, angst, smut ). none as a singular ?? i get bored with just fluff, i get distraught with too much angst, and i get tired of pure smut ( i'm also just extremely picky with who i'd write actual smut with, it's only one person ). i do prefer threads that are actionable in some sense, when it's purely philosophical discussions or mostly introspection i check out reeeeeaaaal fast. plot or memes. both! but given my lack of energy and time, memes have been really helpful as a tool for me to get to things without relying on active plotting. but ultimately i would like to plot so we have something that works longterm. long or short replies. both! it really depends on the substance because there could be novella type threads that. don't do much, and short threads that actually pack quite a lot into what's written. best time to write. night <3 are you like your muse. the muse types i go for have been less predictable lately, but previously i would gravitate towards baddie fems and clown mascs, some vein of mentally ill, and i think that kinda perfectly encapsulates me as a person. i am a baddie ( real ) and i am very stupid.

tagged by. stolen from @starspurn <3 tagging. @ninkaku , @adamanteine , @bllakcat , @prryhic . @gritandgear , and whoever hasn't done this !!