#I gotta work on my advertising and stuff too! but for now all I have is word of mouth and my concept art to share <3

[mcnuggyy]

do you think you'll ever do physical printings of cryptid crush if it seems there's enough demand or is it gonna be purely digital?

If there’s enough demand I’ll definitely consider it!! I’m worried about any potential publishers or resources not wanting to print something w explicit sex scenes and nudity and monster fucking, so I’ll definitely have to ask around where other major adult projects like nsfw anthologies get their stuff printed! :-] I’ll probably have a good idea once I start uploading to patreon and preparing for the itch.io release! <3

[internetgiraffekid1673]

ThePandaRedd Appreciation Post: Bill and Ted

This is me screaming into the void that I think my two favorite characters in the comic scene are Ted and Bill from the Pandaverse (the comics universe created by ThePandaRedd's tiktok skits). I freaking love these two because they are hilarious and I gotta say it somewhere.

Consider this a ThePandaRedd appreciation post.

Bill is a very long running Pandaverse character and is a professional henchman in Gotham City. He has been henching long enough to see the formation of the goonion, have batman steal so many of his bones that they're kept ground up in a jar, see the rise and graduation of every robin, batgirl, or other, and become so tired that he can backtalk his most consistent employer---the Joker.

Bill is a jaded henchman, mostly in the job because it's the easiest way to get money in Gotham, and because he's kinda in too deep to quit now. He's one of the best advertisers the goonion has, strongly discourages other people from henching in Gotham, and has so many residual medical issues from getting brutally beaten up by the batfam that he just doesn't care anymore. While he is regularly employed by the Joker, he has also been seen working for the likes of Penguin, Black Mask, and Bane, presumably when the Joker is in Arkham. Most other characters treat him with some instinctive respect for having stayed in the Gotham henching game this long, and he could absolutely go toe to toe with Superman if not just easily secure some Kryptonite and whoop his ass. Fortunately for Superman, Bill sticks to the Gotham scene.

Ted, meanwhile, is a relatively new character, and he has recently moved to Gotham from Coast City (where the Green Lantern lives). Suffice it to say, he is not aware of all of Gotham's idiosyncrasies and is still learning the wheel. If Bill the henchman is to be believed, Ted dropped out of the high school they both attended and may or may not have moved to Gotham for ease of employment.

One of his first appearances was when he'd just joined the GCPD and was trying to covertly get some info on the villain scene by asking Bill about how to start a career in henching. While Bill did not discover that Ted was working for the GCPD, he also gave away pretty much no valuable information since he instead launched into a rant about why anybody would be so suicidal as to try to START henching in Gotham City. His most recent appearance has him presumably out of a job again and noting some of his findings about Gotham as a Coast City Transplant (batburger's overrated, gang territories are gerrymandered, Robins are scarier than Batman, you'll be gifted with a water filter a gas mask and a gun upon moving houses if you send advance notice, etc.)

So, why are these two gag characters from a comic book tik-tok creator my favorite comic book/comic adjacent characters? Because they do exactly what they are designed to and narrow in on the every day.

Comic Books are a sci-fi/fantasy genre that focus on impossible stuff happening, frequently at a pretty grand scale. And while it is super cool to read or hear about stuff like Batman and his adoption problem or Superman being a basically god while still being the most human ray of sunshine ever, that's not even close to my favorite stuff.

No, my favorite type of media to consume is the kind where we get a peek into the everyday of someone in a vastly different circumstance from ours, and feel just how normal they are. I find a lot of comfort and humor in recognizing that even in very unfamiliar circumstances, there will still be simple, everyday things that persist.

Bill might be a goon in a city with some of the most insane and terrifying vigilantes ever, working for some of the most insane and terrifying villains ever, and the city is explicitly a commentary on the general shittiness of urban environments like New York, but that's not what he cares about most of the time. Instead he's busy explaining why you shouldn't smoke to his fellow goons, or dealing with the fact that his employer won't keep a reliable schedule, or having a crisis that he regularly has to run away from a 12 year old dressed like a traffic light or else die trying, or trying to convince people to mask up during quarantine, or promoting that fellow goons "do bad shit safely." And I like to think that if I somehow ended up as an evil goon in someplace as nonsensical and dramatic as Gotham City, I might respond similar to Bill after a while. And that level of normalcy and sanity persisting in such a fantastical environment is both very funny and very comforting. Human nature will persist.

Ted is similar. Everybody who has experienced moving cities knows that it can be disorienting and confusing and even a little scary as you try to figure out how things work, but you'll figure it out regardless and probably have a fun(ish) time doing so. Ted shows that the same principle applies even when those differences get cranked up to 11 and include superpowered and/or impossibly determined and crazy people. He makes my own experience moving cities where I joke and complain about the differences feel validated and it's just so funny to see someone react so normally to such an abnormal situation.

Ted's experience is something that can actually he applied to my own life, like when I learned about Rural vs. Urban stupid zoning laws or trying fry sauce after moving to the mountain west and having to defend my stance that it is an abomination. So seeing someone like yourself doing the EXACT same thing in such an insane circumstance both strikes a chord of truth and makes me laugh myself to the floor.

I also really appreciate that the PandaVerse in general has connected lore for what is basically a gag series used to affectionately parody comics. Something about people actually caring about their jokes enough to make connected lore makes me so so happy.

So thank you ThePandaRedd for creating Ted and Bill, continuing along with them, and making me smile.

Seriously, all this was to say that ThePandaRedd is cool, you should go watch his stuff, and that Bill and Ted are hilarious.

[billthedrake]

GOALS (PART TWO)

Story idea by and collaboration with top son Turner (bimgm36@gmail.com).

[AUSTIN]

It was a shitty week.

It all started bright and early Monday morning. I had to get back to the suburbs for work, and Scott had to get into the office. I don't know exactly what I expected but Scott was definitely quiet and moody as we quickly got ready. There was no kiss goodbye, no hug even. Just a "see you at the gym" comment from him.

Only I didn't see him at the gym, not Tuesday. He'd sent me a text saying work stuff had come up and he'd have to reschedule. In itself, that wasn't a big deal. Scott Delahunt had prioritized the gym over the last year and a half, but he also had a demanding, important job. This wasn't the first time he couldn't make it.

But instead of his normal apologetic tone at our next meeting, the man was reserved.

"Everything OK?" I asked as I put on some more weights on the bench. At least Scott was channeling whatever moodiness he had into the lifts... he was on fire that day, actually. I wasn't sure what kind of conversation I was expecting in the gym. But his standoffishness was driving me crazy.

"Yeah," he said, looking at me with slightly wounded eyes. I could tell he wasn't mad at me, but he was really upset about the sex. "Just been busy at work is all."

I'd have to leave it at that. "Well, you're looking really strong in here today."

"Thanks," he muttered. Then got back on the bench for another set. All business.

The kicker for the week was that my dad came to visit Friday. Not me specifically, but he and my stepmom Janet were in Nashville for a weekend on the town. So I went to meet them for dinner. Lots of small talk, lots of Dad's wisecracks about Nashville being "sin city," and the usual blustery questions about when I was gonna get a serious girlfriend.

I answered as well as I could, but Dad wouldn't let up. "For Chrissake Austin, you're 24."

My stepmom actually came to the rescue. "For goodness sake, Frank, leave the poor boy alone."

I'd held off on any other Friday plans, but Dad and Janet clearly wanted to hit the country bars on their own. As we left the restaurant, Dad stretched out his hand for a handshake. "Good to see you, son." I knew I wouldn't see him again until Christmas.

The whole ride home I was mad at him. Then I was mad at myself for letting him get to me. What did I expect? There's that saying about insanity and expecting different results.

I was mopey when I got home. I cracked open a beer, which I rarely do at home. I wondered why I didn't have the guts to tell Dad that I'm gay. I'd spent my college years very much in the closet and enjoying secret sex with my professor. I loved playing that role for him, the "straight" jock who'd nail his ass at least twice a week.

Now that I'd moved back to Brentwood, I decided I wouldn't necessarily hide the gay thing but I wouldn't advertise it either. I'm not sure what made me be forthcoming with Scott Delahunt. Maybe I felt I could trust him. Maybe unconsciously I wanted something to happen. I was glad it did, only there was a good chance I'd lost him as a client and more importantly as a friend. Fuck... business and pleasure definitely shouldn't mix.

I picked up my phone. It wasn't too late, and I knew I had to call. Jason was my best friend at UT, a teammate who I felt like I could share anything with. Except one thing...

"Austin!" came his response as he answered, seeing my name on the caller ID. "What's up, man?" We called each other all the time, but not usually at this hour.

"Hi man... listen... I know it's out of the blue to ring you up, but I had something I gotta tell ya."

"Everything OK, Aust'?"

"Yeah, I'm OK. I just... well, I wanted to let you know that I'm gay, Jason," I blurted out.

There was silence on the other end. Then: "For real?"

My heart pounded. Here was my best bud in the whole world and he still was even after college and me moving to Nashville and him to Atlanta. And I had no idea how he'd take it. He was a typical jock, I guess, and very much a pussy hunter. "For real. Sorry I didn't have the guts to tell you before."

"You know you're my brother, man," he said. "Right?"

I let out a sigh. "Yeah, bro. Thanks."

I could sense an awkward pause on the other end. "Listen, bro... I hate to cut the conversation short, but I'm actually on a date right now."

"Oh fuck!" I blurted. "Sorry, man." I'd been so absorbed in my own drama.

He chuckled. "It's all good," he said. "But we'll catch up this weekend, OK?"

"All right. Sorry again, Jase. Catch ya later.

That conversation was what I needed. I don't know… it cleared the air some. The next morning I decided I needed some relief for my morning wood. As I made my coffee, I fired up one of the apps to see what was on there.

I got a message. "Hi man. You really discreet?"

I typed back. "I always am."

I waited a sec then got another message. "Well, you're really hot."

"Thanks," I replied.

"I bet you get a lot of guys telling you that."

"My fair share," I admitted.

"OK if I share my pics?" His profile was pretty minimal, which itself wasn't a bad thing. Married or unavailable men didn't usually put much on their profiles, so you never knew if you were getting a troll or a stud.

"Yeah, sure," I said. I made it clear it was noncommittal.

He showed me his pictures. He wasn't Scott Delahunt hot, but I decided not to be picky. I was horny and in the mood to get off. The man seemed like a regular suburban guy in his late 40s.

"Looks good," I wrote.

"I don't bottom, but I'd love to suck your dick this morning," he wrote.

It was to the point. I often like to chat a good bit with guys, since it helps me suss out if they're on the level and figure out if there's sexual compatibility. Also for me sex is in large part a mental thing, and I love the build up before the act.

That said, I know it's not the etiquette to be too chatty on the apps, and this dude seemed to have a very limited time. He gave off that lying to a wife about making a Home Depot run kind of vibe. I told him to come over.

When he showed up I was a little thrown off guard that he didn't look exactly like his pictures. He had a goatee and was much grayer than his photo. That itself was actually a turn on, but he was also overweight... not fat, but girthy in his jeans and T-shirt.

"Dang, dude, you're hot," he said as he stepped in. At least his voice was deep and masculine. Then seeing my reaction, he prompted. "Is this gonna work man?"

I could tell he was excited for this, and I relented. "As long as you know how to suck dick," I blustered as I pulled down my shorts and gripped my dick to prime the pump. I hadn't fully lost my erection and was still feeling worked up.

I watched his big body scramble down and get down to service me. This wasn't Married Guy's first cock. He explored me with his tongue for just enough to work me up, then he took me into his mouth. It was a skilled, no-nonsense blow job. Two minutes tops. If that. I looked down and watched that silver-haired head bob up and down. I conjured up a fantasy about my high school math teacher. Then it happened. I came. It felt great.

Married Guy suckled me and gave a final soft kiss to the head as he pulled off. "Guess you needed that, huh, buddy?" he chuckled. I could tell he was proud he'd gotten me off so quickly.

"Pretty much," I said as I reached down to pull up my shorts.

He stood up and rearranged the boner in his jeans. "Well hit me up again if you need that bad boy taken care of," he said. He was clearly thrilled at playing with a man on the side. "Can't always get away from the Mrs. but it was worth it today."

"Will do," I said. My demeanor was friendly enough but maybe giving that frosty time-to-go signal. I was a little relieved when he left.

I had gotten my rocks off and that was nice, but I felt the psychological part hadn't been that rewarding.

But it was like the heavens were going to reward me for the so-so sex and for my unrequited feelings for Scott. My buddy Rick asked me if I wanted to catch the season opener for the Predators at a downtown sports bar. I'm not a big hockey fan, but the Predators had come off a great season and there was a buzz in the city around the team. Scott had actually canceled his Friday morning session at the gym, so I'd have an extra hour before I had to be at work that next morning.

Rick was a fellow trainer and a couple of his college friends came with us. I was the odd man out not really following the game but it was fun just inhabiting the hightop of that crowded bar and cheering each goal against the Rangers.

But eventually my eye was drawn to a table of businessmen at the table next to us. Three suit and tie guys, though their jackets were on their chairs and their ties long gone from the day at work or some convention. Given their reaction to the game, they were New Yorkers, or at least Rangers fans.

My attention was drawn to the oldest of the bunch. A sturdy built guy in a regular business man kind of way. Tan lingering from his late summer vacation, brown eyes and thinning silver hair cut almost military short, he had a kind of Jersey/Long Island daddy look that appealed to me. Best of all, his pecs filled out a pale blue dress shirt and his ass looked great in his gray trousers.

Maybe I was looking over too much because Silver Daddy caught me and gave a knowing smile. Not a flirty smile, but a “yeah, I know you're checking me out” smile. I figure straight dudes in New York are used to getting attention from gay guys all the time.

I got another pint just as the third period started. Seemed like Silver Daddy was working on another beer, too. I got the feeling they'd started early, because their booming voices just kept getting louder.

I played it cool, not so much hiding my interest from the man but rather not trying to be obvious around my buddies. But Silver Daddy started slyly looking back to me. The first time he did gave me a boner under the table, and I was half hard for the rest of the game. Playing cat and mouse with our surreptitious eye contact.

My friends were in a great mood when the game was over, since the Predators won. They tried to convince me to hit one of the more partying country bars on Broadway but I told them I had an early morning and said I'd just hang out at the sports bar and finish my beer.

I don't know if I expected anything to happen. But when I watched Silver Daddy go to the bar to order another round, I took my chance and stepped up next to him, to order my own drink.

He flashed me a drunken smile. "Your friends left you," he said. Not quite a slur but he was definitely drunk.

"Yeah," I said. "Fraid so." I replied in a way that suggested I wasn't at all upset by that turn of events.

"Let me get ya a drink," he said. His accent was New York all right.

I nodded. "Sure." I told him what I was having.

Just then one of guys came up and clapped Silver Daddy's shoulder. "Listen, Bob, we're actually gonna call it a night. See you tomorrow."

The man didn't miss a beat. "Yeah, sure, Greg. I might play hooky and skip the first session," Silver Daddy bellowed.

"I hear ya. I might be in the same boat tomorrow. Why the fuck did I let Connors convince me to do shots? I'm not fucking 22," he growled.

"Remember... water and aspirin before bed." Silver Daddy said. I couldn't tell if it was a joke or real advice.

The man shook his head. "All right... go easy, man." He clapped Bob's shoulder and then walked off.

"Guess it's just you and me," he smirked.

"Guess so," I said. God, I hadn't really had a situation like this before, but it was fun.

He leaned in, a naughty look on his face. "My hotel is nearby. Feel like skipping the beers?"

"Yeah," I said. I was starting to get hard again, but hopefully my boner wouldn't show too much. Up close this man was more solid than he looked from the distance even.

He winked and patted my shoulder. "Let me pay the tab and I'll get my jacket."

He had a swagger as we left the bar and walked down the street. I kept looking over at him. About 6'1" with very upright posture, almost chest puffing out. He had a prominent nose and forehead, which stuck out more from the receding and thinning hair. If he wasn't so clearly a businessman, I might have placed him as a coach type. I placed him in his mid 50s, but he'd taken good care of himself.

"I'm Austin, by the way," I said, realizing we hadn't even introduced ourselves.

"Bob," he replied in turn.

"You in town for business?" I asked. He could have been local, but from his talk at the bar I gathered not.

He looked over at me. "You got it," he blustered. The man had one volume for speaking it seemed. "E-Commerce Convention." He flashed a grin at me. "This was the last thing I expected to happen tonight, I'll tell you."

I smiled back. "Me either," I admitted.

He chuckled. "You do this often?"

"Not enough."

"I hear ya," he said. I could tell he had his hands in his trouser pockets to keep his own boner from being obvious. That thrilled me. "But I figure what happens in Nashville stays in Nashville, right?" The guy liked to talk. "Got a girlfriend or anything?"

I was a little nervous having this conversation so openly on the street, but no one was around to listen or care. I shook my head. "I stick with guys," I replied.

That seemed to surprise him. "Yeah, man? You should come up to New York... give those muscle gays some competition."

This was a man of surprises, but I was happy to go along for the ride. "Is that what you're into?" I asked.

This was the first and only time I saw a flicker of embarrassment on his handsome, middle-aged face. "When I'm in the mood to play that way... yeah, that flicks my switch."

"Just to be clear," I put it out there. "I don't bottom."

He chuckled some as if he found my top assertiveness cute. "All right, stud... I'm sure we can have some fun."

I felt a little bad that this was the hotel Scott and I had stayed in. Different floor, different room, but same look and furnishings... even the view out the window was the same. But Bob was night and day different from Scott. I didn't know his story but he clearly had experience with men.

"Fuck, you're hot," he growled as the room door clicked. Our bodies met, then we kissed. I loved his energy and his meaty bulk and that suit. It was impetuous and horny, the way we fueled each other's sexual excitement. We ground our crotches into one another and made out in a drunken sloppy kiss.

And already this Silver Daddy was reaching down to fumble with my jeans, undoing them and reaching in to grip my boner. "Nice one," he growled then stepped back to undo his own belt. Maybe I normally like being top dog, but I had to admit Bob had a nice tool. Long as mine and thicker. It fell out, heavy and then jerked up to a standing position.

"You suck a guy?" he asked.

"Yeah, sometimes," I replied. I wanted to get a taste. I crouched down and felt that soft wool fabric of his suit then leaned forward. His prick tasted salty and the tip was dewey with precum. I gave him a quick couple of licks then started taking him into my mouth

"Fuck yeah, man." God, I hoped the room had some soundproofing.

I wasn't a natural or skilled cocksucker, but I settled in to do right by him. Bobbing up and down on his thick tool. Not going deep, because that girth was a lot for me. But I settled into a good rhythm on about 3 and a half inches of his stalk. The brash guy was surprisingly quiet as I fellated him, standing with his legs apart and running his fingers through my hair.

Maybe it was the alcohol, but he didn't seem in a rush to get off. After a couple of minutes I pulled back and got one more look of his meaty erection before looking up.

"My turn." It half question, half statement.

I stood up and kicked off my sneakers. Bob stepped back and removed his suit jacket, hardon still spit wet and sticking out of his fly. He gave me another wink, then turned to take off the rest of his clothes.

I followed suit and admired the view as I watched this middle-aged stud get onto the bed. He had some padding but some strong muscle, a classic ex-jock build. Blocky pecs, big arms, and a general thickness. He wasn't all that hairy, but his dusting of chest and stomach hair was also graying and I found that hot. There was just some dirty blond in his wiry pubes around that tubesteak.

I climbed on top of him, meeting him in another kiss and feeling our body contact. Bob got into it, which got me into it. I don't know if he was Scott Delahunt perfect, but in his own way this business guy was hotter. He humped up into me as we made out and his hands were on me.

"Jesus," he grunted, the loud voice returning. "You're a muscle dude all right," he growled.

I grinned down on him. I about told him I was a personal trainer, but figured that wasn't important.

"Figures you'd be a top," he said. Then, "Well, I have a couple condoms in my bag if you wanna get in me."

"Fuck yes," I said, which made Bob laugh. Even with a rubber, I knew I'd enjoy this.

"Just let me sit on it first," he said. "It's been a while."

I agreed and got off him so he could go fetch the rubbers and lube. He hadn't blown me yet, but that was OK. I was rock hard as I lay back against the headboard, while Bob applied some lube to my stalk, then rolled down a condom. He then lubed that.

His dick was rock hard and he had a lusty look on his face as he straddled me. I watched his chest muscle flex some as he reached down and back to guide my dick into place. His eyes seemed to drink up the sight of my body beneath him. "God, you remind me of a couple of fellas on my son's hockey team."

Good fuck, he was gonna push my buttons big time. I ran my hands along his meaty thighs. "You ever do anything with them?" I asked, my voice cracking in lust.

He smiled. "One of them, yeah...."

And like that he pushed back. I felt the snugness and then I entered his hot, right rectum. The man let out a hiss and paused, then descended down some. "You're big," he smiled, then with a determined look pushed all the way down. "OH FUCK!" he growled. I was getting into his vocal nature. But equally I was enjoying feeling up his more mature muscle. He was the kind of man who'd be hot to fuck well into his 60s, and that idea excited me perversely.

It took some restraint not to thrust into him right away, but my prick was rigid and throbbing inside him, having the mental side of the fuck make up for the lack of physical stimulation to my dick.

But it didn't take him long to relax. And with a steady motion, he rose up and fell down into my lap. Fucking himself on me. I loved watching him. His whole body getting into it as he stroked his cock and rode me. This man loved sex, and had no hangups about bottoming for me.

It was like he was reading my mind. "You know how to bring out my naughty side, stud," he said.

I now gave small thrusts up into him, to meet his bouncing. "Like with that hockey player?" I ventured.

He grinned. "Austin... talk about naughty... Mark is my best friend's son."

"Fuck!" I groaned.

"That shit turn you on?" he laughed.

I nodded. "Yeah it does."

He rode me a little faster, though his stroke on his cock kept the same pace. "Mark's fucked me a couple dozen times," he admitted. Maybe he was making it up as sex talk to work me up, but I think he was telling the truth.

I couldn't help it. I gripped his hips and took charge of the fuck, pushing up into his guts with steady hard strokes.

"That's it, stud," Bob growled. "Go for it." He reached down and felt up my chest and arms. I didn't know if I was a replacement for some college-aged hockey player, but it was OK if I was. Then he asked, "Wanna switch positions?"

He didn't wait for an answer but simply rose off me and plopped down next to me. Already he was lifting his legs up, giving me room to scoot between them. He was a hunk and a half, not magazine perfect but hotter for it. I placed his calves on my shoulders and pressed forth.

"I want you to cum," I urged as I began fucking him. My voice urgent even if I knew I wasn't going to cum with the rubber. My hips worked him in strong, physical shoves.

"Yeah," he hissed. Even if the alcohol and maybe his age had kept his trigger at bay, he was getting into it now. His eyes wildly on me and his fist working that thick tool faster. "Harder, stud!" he yelled.

I went for it. Hard and fast. His face went red and he nodded excited.

"Yeah... yeah... oh shit!"

His cum flew out with a crazy suddenness. He wasn't a big cummer but two heavy ropes flew out onto that meaty chest before his sperm oozed out in dribbles.

I pulled out and stripped off the condom. It wouldn't take me long to cum now, at all.

But Bob had different ideas. "Bring it up here," he urged.

I hadn't ever shot on a guy's face, but the idea seemed hot as hell. I scooted up and fisted my tool an inch away from his handsome business daddy mug. But he batted my hand away and leaned forward.

I was gonna get my blowjob after all. Bob didn't seem bothered by the lube and the latex taste as he sucked me in and bobbed.

About five bobs and I blasted hard. The man moaned excitedly as I filled his craw with my fresh sperm. I pulled out so I could see some spray on his chin. I felt I deserved that.

I was still dribbling in aftershocks even as I sat on the bed next to him.

He had come down from his orgasm and looked up at me with a smile. "Good for you, I take it?"

I nodded. "More than good," I replied. "I needed a lay like that."

"You caught me in the right mood," he said.

"Drunk?" I teased.

He laughed. "That helps," he said. "Listen, no pressure... but I'm in town for another day, if you wanna hook up again."

"It would be hard to say no," I said.

"Is that a no?" he asked, unsure what I meant.

"That's a yes," I clarified.

He ran his hand up my leg and then nudged his fingers against my genitals, which twitched at the touch. "I just want to take advantage of my free time away, you know?" He looked up from my cock to my face. "You can sleep here if you want."

"I'd have to get up early," I warned him. Even with Scott's cancelled session, I had to be at the gym by 7:30.

"I'll set the alarm... you can get up when you like," he said. He patted my leg once more and got up to go to the bathroom. He pissed and washed off some, I gathered, but when the door opened and he strutted back, naked, his body showing off the tan line from that beach vacation. he had a glass of water and two aspirin, which he popped in his mouth.

I got up to piss myself and as he watched me pass him, he added, "yeah, you'd give those New York guys a run for the money, all right."

[SCOTT]

"Where's your head, Delahunt?" Rich Kennedy asked after my drive on the 14th hole went wide. Way wide. "That's the third lousy shot today."

"Motherfuck!" I hissed. I was normally a good golfer, and I didn't take a bad day well.

"Oh Scotty's been in a pissy mood for weeks," Dave Feldman chimed in. I was the last of our foursome to tee off, and I think the fellas knew I was gonna slow down our group.

The fourth guy, Ed wisecracked as he looked at his phone. "He's probably checked his retirement account. Another shit day on the market fellas."

That seemed to ease the tension some and as we went on down the fairway, the conversation turned to investments and whether it was time to change the allocation for our nest eggs. It was the kind of conversation we had a lot.

I had to admit Dave was right. I had been in a bad mood. Ever since that night with Austin. I tried to get him out of my head but that attempt was making me miserable. The one exception was with Kelly. Maybe I was overcompensating but my guilt at cheating on her put me into charm mode with my wife. We'd even had sex a few times lately, which was a nice change and a welcome reminder that my heterosexuality wasn't gone.

Thing was, my bisexuality wasn't either. Sex with Austin had been amazing. I'd still throw hard during the middle of the day, almost every day, thinking back on it. I don't know, something about the combination of hardness and softness, of Austin's innocent charm and his jock masculinity, really turned me on. It was a revelation to me.

I knew I was playing with fire, even sticking with Austin as my trainer. But I kept my distance. I felt my improved physique was the best change of my life lately. I didn't want to stop that.

Our Friday training sessions were going as normal. Me focusing on a solid lower body workout and giving it 110 percent. We made some small talk, but kept it light. But for three weeks I'd avoided any talk of the Titans. Today I brought up the football talk. Austin seemed to relax and get into his fantasy team for the week and his plan to watch the game with some of his trainer buddies. I wondered if any of those guys knew Austin was into guys, but I figured younger people aren't as judgmental as people of my generation.

Whereas my Tuesday or Wednesday sessions were late afternoon, I tended to meet Austin first thing in the morning, so I could get a round of golf in for the afternoon if the weather allowed.

I'd showered and dressed in my suit for work when I saw Austin waiting outside the locker room. He had an envelope in his hand and a nervous look on his face.

"I didn't overpay you, did I?" I asked. "I'm hoping to make up that session I missed..."

He shook his head. "No... open it later," he said. "OK?"

"Yeah sure," I said. He gave me a sad nod and went back to a client who was stretching between sets.

I had a pit of my stomach feel for what was in the envelope. Or at least a ball park idea. As I got into my BMW, I tossed my gym bag on the front seat and nervously opened the letter. The writing was in pen in what I'd describe as a neat scrawl.

"Dear Scott,

Forgive my handwriting. And forgive my writing what I don't have the guts to tell you face to face.

I want to apologize to you. I crossed a line with you, and I got you to do something you didn't feel comfortable with. I almost expected you to find another trainer, and I wouldn't blame you if you did.

But I miss our friendship. Maybe that's not respecting a professional line, too, but I consider you a friend first and foremost. We can forget what happened if it would help.

There's some other sappy stuff I wrote but I tore those letters up. This is enough.

your trainer,

Austin"

My heart sank. I thought I'd be strong enough to resist this special young man. But I was pulling out my phone for a quick text. "Read your letter. You have any time to meet this afternoon? In private."

He was the kind of trainer to be focused on his clients, so it wasn't until I got to the office that I saw the text that awaited me. "I have a window between noon and 4." I typed back to see if 12:30 would work. I had a 2PM tee time. He responded back with his address and a question mark. I said yes.

The morning would have felt like torture had my calendar not been full. I'd have to catch up on work tomorrow morning, but it was one of those beautiful October days that was perfect golfing weather, and I wanted to take advantage of it.

I had to text Austin I was running late, but traffic was OK. He was there, still in his work attired of zip up and trim-cut sweats. God, he looked like a million bucks. Cute yet masculine, his dimples forming as he gave a nervous smile.

"Hey," he said as he ushered me in.

I looked around. It felt like a bachelor's apartment. Clean and basic, not a lot of decoration. "Nice place," I said.

"Thanks," he said. "Have a seat," he gestured to the couch.

I sat down, facing him. The ball was in my court. "I know I've been standoffish lately," he started. "Austin... I can't hurt my family."

The younger man grimaced. "I know... I don't want you to, Scott. Seriously."

I felt a little relieved. This was unchartered territory for me. "I wasn't going to tell you... but I enjoyed what we did... a lot."

His eyes perked up. "For real?"

"Yeah," I admitted. "Maybe a little too much."

"Did that freak you out?" he asked. Concerned.

I shook my head. "Not in itself. More about the stepping out on Kelly part. And what it meant for my marriage."

"Oh," he said.

"Even if things haven't been great with Kelly lately, I'm not going to leave her," I said.

I could read in Austin's quietness he was nervous of saying the wrong thing. But he finally spoke up. “If you wanna fool around, Scott, I’m really discreet, I promise.”

I blushed. “Come on, Austin,” I pleaded. I very much liked the idea of what he was suggesting, and maybe that’s why I was pissed at him for suggesting it.

“Sorry,” he said. “I just had to try.”

“Sorry, Austin,” I said softly. I felt so many mixed emotions then. And yeah, I wanted him again. Wanted to feel more what sex was like with this stud. Instead, I stood up. “I better go,” I said.

He nodded. He stood up and walked me to the door. “Let me know if you’d like help finding another trainer,” he said with resignation.

I knew he was giving me an out. For some reason I couldn’t bring myself to take it. “I don’t want another trainer, Austin,” I said, frustration in my voice. “You’re good at what you do. I just need some boundaries.”

“I get it, Scott,” he said. “See you at the gym.”

I was actually hyperventilating when I get to my car. I didn’t start it right away though. Instead, I thought about what would happen if I’d let the conversation go the other way. “Fuck!” I grunted aloud to myself, then opened the car door.

Austin was surprised as hell when he answered the door and saw me there. I gathered my courage while I had it and stepped inside, shutting the door and then turning to him. ‘

“God,” he hissed, so turned on now that he realized what was going on. We met in a kiss, more heated than the one in the hotel room. It was like the several weeks had led to the pent-up lust that came pouring out. My first time with Austin had felt strange and unfamiliar, and in a way I was glad to have that behind me.

I got down in front of him, crouching right there. He was hard for me already, fully hard, and I could see that thick tool riding up into a tent of his sweats. He helped me pull off his sweats and with a goofy grin he hooked his thumbs in his waistband to pull it over his dong.

"I didn't get a look the last time," I said then looked up into his eyes. "I didn't think I'd get into a guy's dick like this."

"But you do...?" Austin clarified.

"Maybe because of the fine man it's attached to... but yeah." I looked at his cock again, thrilled to see it firm and pointing straight up. He wasn't giant but he was hung, and there was just something so beautiful about his erection. I looked back up into his face, where I saw happiness, excitement and thrill.

My hand touched his hard quad muscle and that’s all the signal he needed. He lined up his prick to my lips. "I’ve been thinking about this a lot, Mr. D," he whispered hoarsely.

I had been thinking a lot about this too. “Will sex get in the way of the friendship thing?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Fuck no, Scott." Then. “Come on, pretty please, man. Suck me.”

I breathed in his scent, then leaned in. "Ohhh," he grunted as I began sucking him.

I didn't know what I was doing last time. I still didn't. But I knew I was better at this, and I could read in Austin's voice and body that he was crazy turned on. I was learning my suit was part of the thrill for him and the whole "exec" type I represented to him.

I pulled off and enjoyed the sight of his engorged cock, twitching and wet with my spit. Not far from shooting.

"When you feel ready, just come in my mouth, OK?" I asked.

He nodded like he couldn't believe what was happening. That made me want to give it my all. I took about four inches into my mouth, making it five as I bobbed up and down furiously. My gag reflex didn't kick in, which I was grateful for. I'd missed this, missed the feel and act of a cock in my mouth. Missed making another man cum.

Austin's load was big. It took me by surprise and I coughed a little before I remembered what he did last time. I pulled back so the prick head spurted on my tongue. I don't know if that felt best for Austin, but I decided I loved that part. I tasted and swallowed him, in a couple of rounds, till the poor guy was spent.

"Let me do you," he urged.

I was horny but self conscious. I unzipped my suit as Austin got between my legs, running his hands along the fabric. "I'm not hung you like I'm afraid."

"I love your cock," he said. Then looking up in my eyes, he added. "For real, Scott. Everything about you turns me on." He leaned in for a kiss and I met him. A part of me wanted to avoid the kissing thing but I decided oral sex was a bigger issue. Besides, I wanted this. I kissed Austin back.

His soft kiss, full of gentle tongue, got me rock hard and leaking. He smirked as he pulled back and saw my dick poking up hard out of the open fly. "You're hard as steel," he said. "I love it."

I watched as he got down and started going down on me. I guess I didn't have a lot of length, and Austin managed to work the whole length with lots of spit and lots of suction. Kelly very occasionally gave me head, but it was nothing like this.

"Buddy!" I gasped. Warning him.

He moaned around my cock. This was the first time I'd blasted in another man's mouth since college. But this was night and day different. This was Austin.

He was more talkative after we uncoupled. "Damn, that was incredible," Austin laughed. I realized I missed his laugh and his smile. I missed laidback, happy Austin.

He made himself presentable again and offered me something to drink. I took some water.

"Trust me, Scott," he assured me. "I'm not going to do anything to mess up anything for you at home. But I'm so fucking grateful for that."

"I'm glad," I said. "I've been thinking about the sex for the last three weeks."

"I wasn't sure..." he said. He looked at his watch. "Listen, you're gonna be late for the club. And I probably need a nap before my evening sessions."

I stood up. I found getting off had eased my mood, and I was still processing how good Austin's blowjob had felt. "I'm being greedy," I said. "But maybe I can get away sometime this weekend. That is, if you wanna?"

"Hell yeah, I wanna," he said softly. And with a new confidence he stepped up to me to kiss me. He ran his hands up along the lapels of my coat. “And maybe you can wear your suit for me again sometime.”

[jujumin-translates]

[A3!] ★ Main Story | Act 14 - DREAM CATCHER | Episode 25 - Full-Power Advertising Campaign

Izumi: (Opening day is finally this weekend, and the ticket sales are…)

Izumi: Hmm…

Izumi: (We’ve sold more since the last meeting, but things are still kind of iffy on the weekdays.)

Izumi: (It’s a little worrying that even with Tenma-kun’s popularity, we still haven’t sold out…)

Izumi: (There are more announcements for not only performances but also events and streaming too, so variance like this is inevitable.)

Izumi: (At this point, what we need is publicity. I’ll talk to Masumi-kun about this too.)

Izumi: (And since we’re aiming for the New Fleur Award, I’d like for us to get some more exposure on social media too--.)

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

*Flashback*

Ibuki: I sometimes post longer videos with legit editing ‘n stuff, but nowadays people like watching shorter videos and those ones do way better too.

*Flashback end*

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Izumi: --.

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Kumon: Ah, there’s an article about our dress rehearsal!

Kazunari: Everyone works fast, as always~.

Yuki: The contents of the performance seems to have been generally well received.

Misumi: …It’s almost time to start, Gramps.

Muku: It’s nice that you can talk to Hakkaku-san whenever you want.

Misumi: Yeah!

Izumi: Do you have a sec, guys?

Tenma: What’s up?

Izumi: Sorry for this being so last minute, but I need you guys to film a promotional video in your costumes to post on social media.

Kazunari: Sure thing!

Kumon: What are we gonna do? What are we gonna do?

Muku: U-Umm, umm, how about some funny one-liners or something?

Kumon: What about impressions?

Misumi: We should do somersaults!

Tenma: And you think that’s gonna get us publicity? We should show off the highlights of the play or something.

Kazunari: The more movement, the more attention it’ll grab~.

Yuki: Then why don’t we do a reenactment digest showcase?

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Izumi: Yeah, that’s perfect! I’ll post it soon. Thanks, guys!

Misumi: You’re welcome~!

Izumi: I hope this’ll encourage more people to visit the theater, but… There’s still inevitably a lot of competition.

Kazunari: There’s been people advertising same-day tickets all over Veludo Way like every day lately~.

Kumon: Ah, then why don’t we--.

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Tenma: The opening day for “Water me!! ~The Promise of Year 333~” is today!

Muku: We’re MANKAI Company! Please support us!

Izumi: I never thought we’d be handing out flyers right before a performance…

Kumon: I think it’s a great alternative to how we usually warm up~!

Kazunari: Plus it’s nice that we stand out more ‘cause we’re wearing our costumes~.

Yuki: Remember, you break it, you buy it.

Kumon: We’ll be careful…!

Misumi: “Water me!! The Promise of Year 333~” is opening today~!

Passerby A: Oh, it’s starting today.

Passerby B: That reminds me, I just checked and totally forgot to get a ticket!

Passerby A: There are so many things I wanna see, it’s like I’ve gotta put together a puzzle to fit them all into my schedule.

Izumi: We’ve still got seats available on weekdays, so please considering get one for then! 

Passerby B: I’ll book one online right away--.

*Passerby B bumps into Misumi and flyers fall to the ground*

Passerby B: --Gh.

Misumi: Are you okay~?

Passerby B: I’m so sorry, your flyers…! I’ll pick them up!

Muku: We can get them, so don’t worry about it.

Kazunari: Take care~.

Passerby B: I really am sorry! Do your best with your performance!

Kazunari: Thanksies~!

Misumi: Some flyers flew over there, so I’ll go pick them up~!

Izumi: Thanks, you go do that.

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

*Paper rustles*

???: …A flyer?

???: MANKAI Company…

Coffee Shop Owner: Ahh, good morning, Kureha-kun.

Coffee Shop Owner: I’m going shopping for a bit, so I’ll leave the shop to you. There aren’t any customers right now.

Kureha: Understood.

Coffee Shop Owner: Good luck.

*Coffee Shop Owner walks away*

Kureha: …?

[ ⇠ Previous Part ] • [ Next Part ⇢ ]

[likeadevils]

I've seen people say she has a habit of choosing the wrong singles for albums. Aside from Lover, i think she's done pretty well in that area? What are your thoughts?

i dont think she's bad? but i think her single choice did lead people to view her as a worse songwriter than she actually is. especially lead singles were consistently the most frivolous songs on the album from 2012-2019. like for the general public that will only hear the lead and maaaybe second single, unless a later single blows up, it's just. financially lucrative but not gaining widespread artistic respect.

which i think is a big reason why she's blown up once a) she put all her songs on streaming and b) tiktok came on the scene. like, you're adding structures to throw fan favorite songs into the general public's face-- stuff that wouldn't have worked on radio, like enchanted or all too well, or stuff that just never got it's day in the sun like don't blame me or cruel summer. like, folklore and red tv where also massive turning points, but giving the general public actual, physical evidence of how good her deep cuts where across all her albums goes a long way, too.

(specific album thoughts under the cut)

i think debut and fearless have excellent single selection. speak now is a tricky album to pick singles for and i think she did the best that she could but was also just kinda cursed for that album.

red is weirder-- wanegbt is a perfect lead single, but i think it set off a pattern of like, frivolous lead singles that didn't end up in a good place. but on its own, wanegbt is perfect and i wouldn't give it up. i think begin again is a fascinating second single and i'm not sure i would make the same choice but i understand why she did it. in general the country singles off the album are a bit weak, to me, but then i wasn't immersed in country radio in 2012/2013 so i don't know what was popping off in the market. BUT i do think i bet you think about me would make a good touch back song, which is one of many reasons why i think it should have made the album. or hell, even throw in all too well, once you know you're leaving the genre in a couple months. just a big swing with a lot of artistic merit and nothing to lose. also holy ground should've been a single.

1989 is where i think the pattern starts-- at least for the lead single, not the rest of them, it's hard to go wrong with picking a single for 1989. but in terms of what to start with, shake it off is an interesting choice. like, i think shake it off is a necessary part of the story she's telling on 1989, but it doesn't gel with the rest of the production as smoothly, so establishing it as like, "yeah, shake it off, we've all heard it" goes a long way to smoothing over any little mental speed bumps. that being said, it's not the best song on the album, and blank space and style are, i think, the more natural lead single choices-- blank space especially establishes the "i don't care about my reputation" element of shake it off, but from a more cynical place that could be fun to build off of. also it proves that she's serious about the album being 80s pop

reputation is tough one. there's no song on that album can't be clowned on to hell and back, and there's no way the next taylor swift single wouldn't have been clowned to hell and back after 2016. i guess you could make a big swing and go new year's day, which isn't as meme-able, at least, but that's not what taylor was going for and it would have been false advertising. so like, i don't know. maybe don't blame me or i did something bad instead of end game. but i do like the story lwymmd -> ready for it -> end game -> delicate tells, i think it's neat. and even though it kinda ruins that story, you gotta go getaway car for the closer. like i get that negotiations with bmr had likely broken down and she didnt want to make them a bunch more money, but getaway car -> cruel summer is a once in a career album handoff. sonically, story wise, just. it all clicks

every swiftie on earth knows their opinion on the lover singles and i'm not going to change anyone's minds, but i think anyone can admit that this was the album that really set in stone her reputation of bad single selection.

folklore is just a fun thought exercise, like you basically get one single. definitely one music video, and the cardigan music video is general enough that you can kinda click it into another song, so you can go as far as to say you get this music video, find the song for it. cardigan is very understandable and obviously not a Bad Idea, but with the benefit of knowing the fan favorites, august is just, kinda perfect? i think seven would've also really worked. but also its an Album, not a single, and i don't think a song could've ruined that

evermore is similarly fascinating. i think willow is just kinda meandering and hard to grab onto as a song, but it lends itself well to that music video she made and the music video is a good overview of the full album. that being said, i would've gone no body no crime-- i think you can make a really engaging mv of it without having two people in the same room together, which flows with covid regulations pretty well. or tis the damn season, but i admit that personal bias clouding things (but like? it functions as a christmas song, so you could get airplay in december! and it sets up the main storyline of the album!). but similarly to folklore, hard to drive down public opinion of this album with one single.

midnights solidly breaks the curse, to me. like there were songs on this album that would've set it off on the wrong foot, and then anti hero was the perfect song on every level. as for other singles, they shouldn't have done that to ice spice's verse. that was so mean why did they do that just have it be the beat that's on the rest of the song it works so much better

[ingreibusa]

The Moral Of Our Love

Warning! This fanfic includes spoilers for Dead Plate. Please take caution before reading if you didn't play the game yet or finished it. Also mind you, this is NOT a Rody x Vincent fic.

Note: This is basically an AU where Manon survives. Of course the only plot is not that but it's the main. And I'll write from Manon's and Rody's perspective from time to time. I'll also post this to my Ao3 some time later. My ao3 blog is Benari_Rose, you can find my stuff there. Alright, that's all I gotta say. Enjoy~

Chapter 1: Oh, My Rody-o

"I'll see you around then Rody."

Manon said to Rody before turning her back to leave. Her guilt and sorrow was a whole baggage that pulled her down and like that wasn't enough, she was carrying her bag full of her stuff that was from Rody's place. It was heartbreaking, really. To see her boyfriend this desperate for her not to leave. To see her boyfriend's eyes well up with tears, begging her not to go, telling her that he'll do better.

To most people's eyes, what Manon's doing is delirious. Why was she leaving such a decent guy? He did everything for her, everything he did was for her, she was his everything. And that was the problem. Sure, seeing your partner connect to you in every way is wholesome and cute, unless it's harmful to them. And what Rody was doing was harming himself. He continuously ruined himself over Manon. His life savings? *Boom* it's Manon's fancy restaurant savings now. His hobbies? *Boom* It's impressing Manon with his talents now. His free time? *Boom* It's treat Manon with whatever she wants now.

Even though it was cute how Rody tried to treat Manon just like an actual princess (A Queen even). But Rody was literally consuming himself with these, which made it agonizing for Manon stay in a relationship with him. He worked two to three jobs at once just for her. His sleeping schedule was shit, his cooking was shit. So he always ordered fast-prep food to nourish himself (in which, didn't nourish him at all). He wanted to look good for Manon so he went to gym everyday...

So she decided to give a break, for herself and Rody. Even though she knew how Rody would be without her, she still chose to leave. Because he needed to learn that he's important too, he needed to learn that he himself didn't only mattered when he's in a relationship. She was willing to openly give Rody a lesson even if this costed her his love towards her.

Now she was in the bus stop, waiting for her numbered bus to come up. She looked at her watch and sighed. Late, again... She didn't have a hurry to anywhere but she wanted to go home as fast as she can so she can be left alone with her thoughts and herself only. Manon crossed her arms and hit her shoe hills to the floor. A gust of wind threw a newspaper to her leg as it crumbled. Manon looked at the newspaper with a hint of curiosity in her eyes and carefully took the newspaper into her hands as she looked through it's contents. Advertisements, news, hot fashion tips, side stories and oh?.. was that an article about the well known formal restaurant that was opened six years ago? Le Gueule de Saturne... Interesting name choice for a fancy eating place. Since it meant "The Mouth of Saturn". Was it named that way to reference to the famous portrait of Saturn eating his own son? If yes, what was the meaning behind of it?

The article was basically about how a Food critique really liked the new Chef Vincent Charbonnaue's cooking skills and the way of hiding messages in his dishes there and there. They also complimented it's staff, service and fast pace. Huh... Maybe she would give it a shot someday herself. She remembered how Rody kept going on and on about taking her on a date in this said Restaurant when she was still with him. He insisted on paying for the bill even though her income and funds were much better than Rody's. Guess he wanted to be a "gentleman" so bad that he once again, ignored the choice of splitting the bill. Manon smiled at the now bittersweet memory and tried not to cry as her heart burned for her boyfriend. The air didn't reach her lungs as her ribcages suffocated her chest. Every breath felt like a sharp knife making it's way to her heart. Manon wiped away the tears with her sleeves and looked around to see her bus slowly coming to her stop. Manon flipped the newspaper into her bag and sniffed as she swallowed her tears and sadness.

When the bus arrived she took out the spare changes in her bag's pocket and gave it to the driver. She made her way to the back seat and sat on one of them. She leaned her head to the window of the bus as it's trembling engine started and her head shaked unintentionally, she ignored it as she closed her eyes to take a quick nap. The bus started moving again and gone in a moderate speed. After a few minutes in she opened her eyes back to avoid missing her stop. She looked out the window in order to see how long was it left until she got off. One stop... Great, she didn't miss it. She fixed her hair and prepared herself to stand up. As the bus finally slowed down to cease it's movement, she stood up and got off from the bus.

Her house wasn't so far away. She kept walking towards and apartment with a shade of teal. Due to her time, the color was a bit too light for the other apartments that it made it stand out. But not in a good way, more like, a sore thumb way... But, a house was house. Better settle before prices go up, right? Manon climbed up the stairs of her apartment, her house was in the top floor. So she had to climb at least four stairs to reach the apartment she calls her 'home'. She searched her bag to find her keys and when she was almost convinced she forgot her keys at Rody's place, she found it. She sighed in relief and inserted the key into the keyhole as she twisted it. *Click* Thus, she was inside.

It's been a while since she visited her own home. She lived with Rody for all this time that her home felt like a stranger. She sweeped her feet on the floor from exhaustion as she walked towards her room. Her room was a little dusty but apart from that, it was clean and organized. Manon threw her bag across the room and let herself drop on her bed. She wanted to go to sleep after this awfully long day, but she couldn't help think about her sweetheart and their future together. Her hand traveled her neck to find the locket that had her and Rody's picture inside of it. Her finger flipped the lock and opened it. While gazing into Rody's joyful eyes, she dreamt that one day she would get back together with him. Sure, it'll be hard for both of them but this was just another obstacle between them that they can pass through it with time. Since the obstacle was an ice wall, time will melt it down and these two love birds will connect once again.

Manon closed the locket with a smile. 'I'll check up on him every other week, so I can see the progress he's having... If only he chooses to change of course...' she planned as she dozed off to sleep.

It's been three weeks since Manon broke up with him.

Rody didn't understand why Manon did this. He didn't understand any of this. Was he not good enough? Was it because he couldn't take her to more dates that they can spend quality time together? Was it because he was poor and her family couldn't accept him? Or... Was something wrong with his personality? Was he annoying? Did he talk too much? So many questions wandered in his teeny tiny boyish head and none of them were answered in a way that would leave him satisfied. For the first week he was a mess. No care, no joy, nothing... He cried so much that his eyes were bloodshot red, his hair was greasy and messy, his beard was growing without care nor shave... Basically he looked like a sad wet miserable mess of a man.

And his place wasn't any different from him. His sofa was his makeshift bed, with a thin sheet he calls his blanket covering it. Catalouges and empty cans were piled on the table in front of it, some of them were even a failed attempt of small tower of cans. A plain yellow carpet on the... Carpet floor?? Rody hated that Carpet floor with his heart. Mentioning his clumsy behavior, he always spilled drinks on the floor and the floor being a literal carpet didn't help but only made it worse. A soft static of the TV became the apartment's ambience that Rody slept to it every night. He remembered the times how he and Manon would sit there and watch horror movies together. He was confident that he would protect Manon when she was scared but instead, Rody was the one getting scared out of his mind and clinging to Manon for dear life. That was embarrassing but not hurtful to remember at least. And God forbid talking about the kitchen... Burnt cereal, piled up dishes and utensils in the sink, microwave that was seeing the job of an oven and a burnt food machine. All of this indicated Rody that he was a lost cause in the kitchen.

So now there he was, wasted on his sofa and watching a movie while eating whatever take out he ordered that he calls "gourmet dining". He didn't care how terrible he looked right now. He was going through a hard break up and probably moving on would take him at least two years. Even if he did try to forget Manon for a little while, her words were practically replaying in his head like a Mantra.

"I can't keep on watching you destroy every progress you get for someone like me. You clearly are not ready for a relationship and I just can't let you ruin yourself like this."

She was probably right but still Rody couldn't understand why she didn't talk with him about this before. Or did she talk about it and Rody just chose to ignore it? He was happy, they were happy. He was happy to please her in any way. Even if it was exhausting, it was still very worth it to see his girlfriend's smile of content. Even he did wanna get angry at Manon for breaking up with him out of the blue, he couldn't. Because he knew all Manon wanted and cared for him was his well-being. Which only made him much more attached to Manon. What can he possibly do for her to come back? Maybe another date? Nah, he's not stupid. His girlfriend literally broke up with him for that reason. Then what? He couldn't think of any way to get her back without trying to do what she said. He didn't want to stop treating her like she was his savior. He didn't care if that damaged him. Manon was the sweetest girl alive and she deserves any good treatment he could afford for her. At least that was what he thought.

Rody rolled around in his sofa and wrapped himself in the thick blanket. He didn't want to think but he felt like his time was ticking. Like he was gonna combust if he doesn't get his girlfriend back during whatever time he has. Oh wait, he remembered that he bought a new newspaper from the store. He can look through it's pages and distract himself from his awful headache. Advertisements, advertisements... Oh and what's that? A review of that one fancy restaurant? He read the article and licked the tip of his finger to flip the page, then he saw that said restaurant was hiring and paying 5€ for an hour for a waiter.

Rody had 28 jobs so far and all of them ended pretty badly. But this... This seemed like it was gonna work for Rody this time. Who knows? Maybe he can gain his girlfriend back with this. This was a perfect opportunity to get a hang of himself and be better. To be on his own feet without being attached to someone, as Manon said. He wasn't used to this though. His past relationships, his family always had helped him through his choices. Baby steps, he was gonna take. And then get back Manon. He can do this! He's a MAN now!

He jumped from his laying spot and ran to the bathroom. Only to be dumbfounded by the scenery in front of him.

God dangit... The fucking bathroom... Flooded again...

Rody cursed under his breath and grabbed napkins with towels that would never help him dry up the mess. He looked at the now wet carpet floor right near the bathroom, it looked awful and if he doesn't dry it up right now he's sure it will stink. He tried to suck up the water from the carpet by dropping some napkins on it and then he got a broom to push the water down the drainer near the toilet. Just, where was this water coming from anyways?! Was it the toilet? Or is it the drainer that keeps puking the water out? One thing's for sure, he needs to call a plumber at this point. And for that, he needed more than rent money. Rody exhaled as the last drop if water finally made its way down the drainer. All of his towels now soaked, which means no shower for him today... Rody took the soaked towel pile and threw them in the washing machine with an annoyed huff. After setting the machine on he washed his hands and laid back on the couch. 'Welp, not today it seems...' he thought as his back hurt thanks to the bathroom problem. Then he fell in sleep within no time.

[nakanotamu]

Rossy got fired from stardom??????????

LMAOOOO I was just about to post "lmao Rossy got fired" and then I saw this yeah apparently he got fired after the show last night. I never got around to writing that post about the management issues so I guess I'l try and summarize some relevant points before people panic

Okay so Rossy was off of booking since some time last year. We don't know for sure but my guess is that All Star Grand Queendom was his last show as booker, based on the belt going to Tam apparently being his decision and the timing of when stuff started to fall apart very shortly after that.

He was highly critical of the last president (who had been booking) once that guy got fired - and the issues with him were more than just booking. This was the stuff Giulia talked about. Like the schedule he booked was way too grueling on the wrestlers with non-stop big matches & shows back to back to back, and he would book matches just out of the blue without paying any attention to the stories the wrestlers were trying to tell, where Rossy's style was to just let the wrestlers throw out story threads themselves and then book what he thought would sell out of what they wanted to do. He also just was an idiot and didn't seem to think particularly highly of wrestling in the first place, pushing tons and tons of product tie-ins and advertising shit and the fucking NFT shit and. Yeah he sucked

However despite being highly critical of the last guy once he was gone, Rossy also said he didn't comment on the decisions he was making. He also may have been the one who decided who won or lost in the period before the new president came in, but from what's been made public at least, as soon as he came in he took over, so Stardom since whenever that was like the start of December has been the new president in charge.

So what I'm trying to say is, at least creatively, this probably isn't actually a huge change for Stardom compared to the past roughly a year of the product. People freaking out that the booker is just suddenly gone, he apparently hasn't been the booker for a while already now anyway. If you didn't notice a change in booking twice last year you probably won't notice this either.

So, yeah, Rossy did get fired. Bye bitch, it would be nice if this meant Sonny is on the way out too. Rossy is absolutely fucking not the guy who saved joshi wrestling or whatever the fuck narrative he & a lot of western wrestling media have been trying to present him as for years now. This probably isn't going to lead to a massive shift in Stardom's booking compared to what it's already been for months, and just as a fan we have no way of knowing what else this is going to impact, because it's hard to tell how much influence he even had for the past year, which was admittedly bad but more recently imo showing signs of turning around.

I think it's worth pointing out that one of the things that drove me off of both Reddit and Twitter wrestling fandom is that whenever shit like this happens everybody's gotta be a fucking insider or whatever and we don't. Know. Anything. But further than that it's not our fucking problem. We don't work for Bushiroad and we don't know anybody involved. We don't NEED to worry about what this means for The Business or whatever the fuck because that doesn't matter to us. I care about the roster being treated well and the product being one I am enjoying, and Rossy already couldn't prevent both of those things from not happening last year, so obviously he's not gonna be the difference maker.

My concern if I have one though is mostly the roster. If people are loyal enough to him to start jumping ship that would really suck. If the rumours that are already going around that he was poaching people for a potential NXT Japan pan out in any way that would REALLY suck. Even if the entire roster went I'm not going to watch a WWE product or even a show that isn't women in every match. So I guess as ever all we can do is wait and see.

[prikarin]

Me again, thanks for answering! Another question popped into my mind while reading an ask where you answered in regards to the yandere ending-what about the twisted & sweet endings? Particularly the latter-that tire's still flat after all.

No prob!

Also HUGE SPOILERS AHEAD for the Twisted and Sweet endings

When it comes to the Twisted Ending, Aspen made their own deal with Rory, that's why their eyes are red. Aspen asked Rory to expand the area of the force field so that Crowe and them can travel farther than Winter Hollow. In this way, Aspen and Crowe could go to one of the nearby villages (most probably Frostpeak Town) to acquire the tools necessary for an internet connection.

Once Aspen has access to the internet, they use their graphic design and online marketing skills to make digital tourism advertisements in order to attract people into Winter Hollow so that they can give their bodies to the red scavengers.

Aspen is as much of a yandere and as much of a crazy person as Crowe in this ending, which is why they're not afraid to get their hands dirty.

Outside of their contract with Rory, Aspen and Crowe have pretty chill lives. Crowe is glad that he can now explore more aside from just Winter Hollow and that he can even get information from the internet with Aspen's help.

Aspen themselves works as a graphic designer and enjoys their free time reading lots of books & comics as well as spending time with Crowe.

You could think of these two as sort of a villain couple in this ending!

- - -

As for the Sweet Ending, just like how Crowe and Aspen collect stuff from the victims of the blizzards in the Twisted ending, Crowe did much of the same before he met Aspen.

My idea is that his pantry is not only a storage for food but also a place where he sometimes puts away stuff that might come in handy at some point. This is how they're able to fix Aspen's flat tire and eventually travel back to Silvering City.

I don't think that they'd stay in Silvering City for very long, though. As Aspen mentions in this ending, they quit their office job to do something they really wanted.

Aspen is really good at graphic design and online marketing, so I think they would most probably be a freelance graphic designer (similar to the Twisted Ending). As for Crowe's job, he'd be an Investigative Nature Researcher who writes books on the matter (like encyclopedias on nature, for instance) which would include his doodles too (similar to the book on crows he made).

In addition, Aspen and Crowe not only have their own jobs, but they also work together on the side by selling wild tea. They combine Crowe's knowledge of foraging & nature with Aspen's expertise on graphic design & online marketing to make this possible (the official artbook even has a short mini comic on the matter).

As for where they would live once they settle everything? I'd like to think it'd be someplace outside of Silvering City. Crowe and Aspen prefer colder temperatures so I think they'd like to be somewhere where it doesn't get too hot.

I sort of have an idea of where that would be but I want to save the surprise in case they make a cameo in another game, hehe.

Their relationship in this ending is the most healthy and the one where I can truly say that they're truly in love with each other. Just like Aspen told Crowe, they can't fix him and he can't fix them.

They gotta sort out their demons on their own (with therapy, meditation or what they feel works the best for them).

The lesson here is that they're not alone, they got each other and they can have a good life and relationship by having good communication and keeping each other company.

- - -

On a separate note, Crowe and Aspen keep investigating the strange "eternal winter" in both of these endings; though I personally consider the Sweet Ending to be the canon one.

The answer to what causes the strange weather, though, will most probably be answered in another game with other characters in the far future 👀

Thank you for the questions, these were fun to answer! 😊💖

[tobiasdrake]

I kinda thought that would be the end of the flashback but we're still going.

It's pretty. Love the floating castle effect. But, uh, are we going to be flashing back for much longer? The point of this flashback was to explain what happened with Garl, and that's done with.

If this goes on too long, I may have to file a formal complaint with the Archivist. He explicitly said that the story begins when Zale and Valere go to visit the Elder Mist. If the backstory is required reading then that's false advertising. The Archivist lied to me.

Oh man, this is such a cool safety violation. Do we have to educate children on a levitating stone diamond suspended a thousand feet in the air? This thing doesn't even have guardrails.

I don't think Headmaster Moraine cares much about student wellbeing.

Okay. Y'know what? That does explain the altitude. The answer is yes, we do have to educate children on a levitating stone diamond suspended a thousand feet in the air.

But you're still not off the hook, Moraine. Guardrails. Do you know what the turbulence up here is like? Because it can do some unkind things to an 80 lb adolescent.

Zenith Academy doesn't hand out mass-produced uniforms like a lot of other Super Schools. You want to look freaking awesome, you stitch that yourself. A controversial policy but one that does ultimately allow for much more freedom of expression.

Okay, so a mysterious eldritch being is officially a part of the school's formal hierarchy, even outranking you. Man, school board meetings must be wild. In any case, I appreciate this knowledge. Now I know that you have a manager I can complain to about your general rudeness towards us.

But I don't want to. I yearn for the present. Why are we still in the past?

He sent the lift back down so I can't sneak out and go visit Garl. He's wise to my tricks. ~_~

Please don't leave us alone with him. I'm pretty sure he hates us with every fiber of his being.

You know, this is all stuff I was perfectly content just assuming happened between the Garl blinding and where the Archivist said our story begins.

Ooo, spicy. Okay, you've got my interest again. Erlina has some shit to say about Moraine that she's biting her tongue on. That jives with earlier observations that he's a bit of a dick. Speaking in grandiose terms about our burden and how the normals should stay segregated from us, or we should stay segregated from them, or whatever.

Wait, is that what the argument is about? Because the answer is, "Because they don't want one." Valere and Zale were chomping at the bit to begin their training. They paid for their admission with their friend's eye.

Okay but Moraine's like sixty years old. The older generation has to be replaced by the younger eventually. That's how time works.

I can't believe I'm saying this but I'm actually on Moraine's side here. If the job's important then you gotta teach some new kids to carry on when you can't anymore, and those two desperately want to be here. Eager volunteers are the best kind of recruits.

Okay, yeah, this definitely seems like a job that should remain well-staffed with fresh blood. If your responsibilities ever involve something called a "World Eater" then the fewer vacancies, the better.

I hope Solstice Warriors are well-compensated.

Cool. Cool. I'll try to remember that in the future when it matters.

*sigh* We started out so strong with naturalistic and organic dialogue, and now we're literally sitting in a classroom while a boring jackass reads straight exposition about world lore to our faces. This is the worst way to convey information.

[aeoki]

Atlantis - Divine Bridge: Chapter 3

Location: Yumenosaki Student Council Room Characters: Touri, Shinobu, Mao & Yuzuru Season: Winter

Touri: …Anyway, there’s no use complaining about it now.

But why are there so many people running for student council president? It’s so annoying having so many rivals I gotta defeat!

Putting that ninja aside, I’ve never even heard of most of the candidates’ names.

I’m taken aback since these guys just popped up under the radar and started blocking my path all of a sudden.

Shinobu: That would be because you didn’t do enough research, right…?

Touri: What’d you say?

Shinobu: Eek! Um, they should be nothing compared to you since you took part in the “SS” Main Stage and there are also lots of units at school…

It seems those representing the slower units and the like have all started moving at once to gain power over the next generation.

It’s going to be a thorn in your side… No, it’s like they’re waiting for the amazing upperclassmen to graduate before they aim for the top of Yumenosaki in one leap.

Besides, the Yumenosaki idols basically monopolised “SS” the other day so…

It’s become important to gain titles such as the student council president of Yumenosaki or Yumenosaki’s most popular idol.

Touri: So you’re saying those riffraffs are motivated because they want those titles and distinctive labels?

Shinobu: I don’t think that way of putting it is exactly correct, but it’s more or less like that.

Also, there are some from the new “producer course” who are running for it too ~de gozaru.

If anything, they seem to stand out more right now.

Touri: The “producer course”. Hmph. Now that’s a real rising power.

Shinobu: Yeah. It seems doing political things is also part of their job so we can’t make light of them, either. They’re really good at manoeuvring behind-the-scenes to gain votes.

Touri: Anzu was terrible with that sort of stuff, though… She’s an airhead and just ended up handling it in a similar fashion.

But it means the “producer course” will be doing it intentionally and practically.

They’re still a “newcomer that’s just appeared” but we can’t ignore them…

Our generation probably can’t afford to.

Shinobu: Yeah… At the end of all these ulterior motives, there are a lot of candidates who have started advertising themselves.

There isn’t a limit to how many candidates there can be, so the number is likely to increase but right now, there are currently fifteen student council president candidates – including us both.

Touri: That’s so many… Looks like being student council president is pretty popular.

Mao: Hm? Oh, ahaha ♪ Are you praising my work?

Touri: It’s the other way around. They must be looking down on the position, thinking it looks easy enough for them to handle.

Mao: That still makes me pretty happy. The bar’s gotta be low enough for the next generation.

Touri: Eichi-sama also said something similar when he created “SANCTUARY’.

(...That’s what “fine” was supposed to be in the first place.)

(Unlike the transcendental geniuses, the “Five Oddballs”, we were the representatives of the “incompetent and unfortunate”.)

(Even if they couldn’t become the “Five Oddballs”, they could become “fine”. That’s the sort of unit “fine” was supposed to be at the very beginning.)

(I know this because I was a fan of “fine” and Eichi-sama from way back.)

(When did we become a noble and elegant unit akin to an angel that looks down on others?)

(Timing-wise, it was after Hibiki-senpai, me and Yuzuru joined, right?)

(Did I change the “fine” that I loved so much?)

Shinobu: A–Are you okay, Touri-kun? You don’t look well.

I don’t think you need to be so worried. The official voting day is some time away. Anything can happen in the future.

Rather than stopping in your tracks because you’re worried about how things will turn out, it would be more helpful to think about the future instead.

Touri: …Don’t be so arrogant – you’re just some ninja.

Shinobu: I–I don’t mind you making fun of me, but I won’t allow any slander towards ninjas!

Touri: Right. Sorry.

Anyone wouldn’t like it if someone started saying bad things about the stuff they love, right?

Mao: Anyway, let’s move on – someone called “Hashidate” is taking the lead in terms of the theoretical interim results.

In second place, it’s Sengoku, who’s popular for some reason and just barely behind.

Shinobu: This is all so strange… majority of those in the upper ranks are people from the “producer course”.

Maybe there are some people who think it’s better for the student council president to be an idol, and that’s why they’re voting for me.

Touri: Then they should just vote for me instead.

Mao: Himemiya, you’re moved from sixth to seventh place. It’s not bad but personally, I’d like you to try a bit harder.

Touri: I am trying… I’ll be able to leap straight into first place if I combine my votes with the ninja’s. In other words, I would’ve won if he didn’t take all my votes.

Shinobu: It makes me sad to see you branding me as a thief… Wouldn’t it be better for you to focus on the one who’s in the lead right now? That Hashidate person?

Touri: I don’t even know who that is. Who are they?

Mao: Who knows…? The “producer course” feels like a whole ‘nother country, so even I don’t have that much information on them despite being the student council president.

I was curious and asked Anzu about it but it looks like this Hashidate person is acting on their own and isn’t affiliated with the “Peace Party” – the strongest power in the “producer course”.

It looks like they’ve just transferred to the “producer course” recently.

Yuzuru: A transfer student at this time of the year?

It should be normal for transfer students such as myself and Anzu-san to transfer during the new school year instead.

Touri: Anyway, why is a transfer student getting so many votes? Isn’t that weird?

Are they someone famous in another industry or something?

Shinobu: It’s a mystery. I was thinking the same thing so I looked up celebrities and well-known people, but I couldn’t find someone who ticked all those boxes.

There isn’t enough information and I have the feeling that someone is purposely manipulating the information on them.

Mao: So this unsung individual who’s just appeared out of thin air is suddenly at the top at Yumenosaki? Did they get reincarnated from another world or something?

Touri: Don’t talk like one of those manga geeks. …Hm~ Something’s bugging me.

Hashidate, Hashidate… Hmm. I have a feeling I’ve heard that name before.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ← Previous Chapter ᠂ ⚘ ˚⊹˚ ⚘ ᠂  Next Chapter →

[muchymozzarella]

I feel like I gotta mention I was a big fan of Mr Beast before and not so much now, but also like. I cannot pretend he doesn't help ppl because he absolutely does. Especially early on when he was simply spending money as fast as he could earn it by straight up giving it away. I found that charming if uninformed bc none of it was sustainable and yet it was genuine and did help ppl in the moment. He also allowed them to choose what they needed. Even now he often asks ppl what they need and provides it, which I think is good. The problem we run into is when his newer vids have such an obvious advertising angle for big companies. Oh you gave thousands of Brand Name Shoes away when many places have dumpsites full of shoes bc they don't actually need those shoes and a lot of them are bad quality, cool ok that sounds great (it does not) 👍🏾

Oh you're shilling for Tesla again sure ok whatever

I want to make it clear that I still appreciate he wants to help. Half the time he does very much help. He also informed ppl of the behind the scenes of stuff like what taxes and insurance goes into getting stuff like a new house and car and whatnot.

But philanthropy as a whole is kind of structurally harmful when it's done by rich ppl and companies that lobby against the social safety nets and structures that allow ppl to even afford to own a house. I don't know if MrBeast owns one of those companies, but he certainly collaborates with those types of companies and gives them good press to hide all the anti poor lobbying and other ethical issues

I must also say that according to him in his own interviews, his goal is just growth, which is probably Prime Capitalism and fills me with dread, just trying to one up himself over and over, when actual social welfare is not interested in infinite growth, but in sustainability. I don't know how these two goals will align if he purports to be philanthropic.

I can list down all the reasons MrBeast is Problematic but it will not change the people he helped, who I truly believe benefited from his help. But it will also not change the fact that he's become too big to be a good guy without the many, many caveats of "if you don't count his chocolate partner having a child labour lawsuit" or "if you don't count the many issues with the ghost kitchens his Beast Burgers operate out of" or "if you don't count that the Real Life Squid Game was just a clownishly bad idea that missed the point of the show entirely"

I also want to add that there's something I appreciate about him that I cannot fully agree with, but I can't say is wrong.

When he says he's "apolitical" outside of being LGBTQ+ positive, my first reaction is the usual cringe of people claiming to be apolitical, but then he follows it up with the fact that he believes there's no political boundary to charity and being poor, and quite frankly he's correct. In the USA both Democrat politicians and Republican politicians protect corporate interests, and there's functionally no political divide when it comes to class struggle.

He's directly worked with people who know the needs of those who are struggling. He works directly with people who actively volunteer or work for nonprofits that help poor people.

He may be a bit too centrist for some of y'all but I think he means well and is much more left than right.

I worry that he seems to aim to be a billionaire. I worry that he's further entrenching himself in that sort of crowd.

I liked the guy I used to see in his videos and the more he rubs elbows with crypto shills and billionaires and corporations the less I see of that guy.

I guess this is my long-winded way of saying I don't think Jimmy Donaldson is a bad guy. I just worry that, outside of his recent stand against transphobia, it doesn't seem like he's becoming a better guy than he was years ago. I could be wrong, but idk.

I also think his products mostly suck but that's not a personal failing lol that's just average YouTube product releases

[monty-glasses-roxy]

Actually, you know what? Breaking habits in Meteors must be rough as fuck. They were all programmed to do things like get kids to stop crying, don't cost the company money, advertise, be in specific places at specific times, look the same at all times, don't question anything, etc. etc. And then you have the threat of replacement if you get too damaged, and regular punishment for stepping out of line if they're caught. And THEN you have all the learned behaviours they've picked up over time, such as learning nothing truly belongs to them, hide things of value, look out for trouble, do things a different way to expected as it's easier, etc. etc.

Of course you have all the shit that happens after shit goes down which then upends all of that. Roxy in particular, is now constantly on the lookout, watches her friends very closely, allows none of them to be alone with Cassie for ages, has a jolt of anxiety every time she tries to check Mimic through the walls but can't, keeping her distance from her friends, relying on Helpi to keep track of things, and can no longer trust her eyes to show her the truth like the upgrade allowed.

They'd all been in the Ruined Plex on their own for a while, so they have some time at least, but everyone's probably got some shit hard wired into their brain once they turn. Roxy could itch to destroy her room because it's been better to destroy her assigned territory for so long it's become jarring that she doesn't need to anymore. Chica could struggle with the eating thing, since she doesn't have to fight it anymore but the habit is still there, especially with party foods like cake and pizza. Bonnie fearing being alone with Cassie, Eddie and even Roxy because Glitchtrap always made sure his victims were alone.

Like, the Plex is ruins is actually working in their favour now. No one knows what time it is since the network went down so they can't stick to any schedule, and thus, are free roaming like they would on a night. There's no kids or humans in general around except when Cassie visits, so they don't have to worry about hurting anyone or not being caught doing stuff they shouldn't be doing. There's no threat of replacement now cause the Plex is abandoned so that's nice... They've lost everything but eachother. Mimic is dealt with, Storyteller is gone, Glitchtrap is quarantined and Vanny is presumably no more, but they can never go back to normal. The threats are gone, but they will never be repaired, never host another party, never make another kid's day, never sneak around to fuck around when no one was looking, and never feel like they can trust themselves ever again.

And also what the fuck was in the basement all that time???? Hello???? What are you talking about?????? Huh????? Literally only Roxy, the Minis and Cassie know about all of that, the others had no fucking clue except DJ who knew the broad idea of it all.

I don't remember what my point was but god damn that's gotta be hard to deal with and accept...

[whatbigotspost]

God I just feel exhausted today by encountering stuff that's just wrong by people who think they are setting the record straight.

As I've mentioned on and off over the years, I work at a nonprofit that primarily serves girls. We've literally always had the most inclusive approach by what that means, basically, "if you want to be served, we want to work with you."

Lately, our staff has gotten tied up in overly focusing on labels and there's a not insubstantial portion of the group who truly, fully believe that people cannot identify with BOTH being girls and ALSO being nonbinary and it's driving me up the fucking wall. Like, they really are thinking, "there's no longer TWO BOXES for gender there are THREE BOXES" and they're patting themselves on the back, whereas I am begging everyone to just burn the fucking boxes. Abolish boxes. Be box free. Anyway, today I heard it said AGAIN that someone cannot be both a woman AND also be something outside of womanness too, and I want to set my hair on fire in protest because I. am. literally. the. person. they. say. doesn't. exist. But they're apparently more interested in being "right" based of some 101 DEI training they went to than they are listening to people who live outside the binary.

And then there's the Thinx post of mine that blew up.

Literally from the moment I published the first version of the post, I regretted sampling the info from tweets that are inflammatory and scare style in tone. The tweets I chose were where I genuinely for the first time learned of the situation and as I always do, I gave credit to where I learned the thing. Some of the early comments I got rightfully pointed out how the original material implies that people are currently being harmed, physically, by the toxic materials in Thinx, when really the case is about the false advertising claims. I should have better clarified that there are not reports of Thinx damaging anyone's body……….yet, from the get-go. THAT SAID, the original tweets I posted in no way claim that anyone was harmed... but they DO SAY that if you think you may be harmed, don't take the class action settlement money so that you can sue them later if you need to. Which is still good advice, in my view.

What I don't regret at all was raising the alarm that Thinx doesn't have your best interests in mind as much as you may assume from their advertising and brand. I stand firm in my unshakeable belief that people have a right to know what's in the materials they put up close to their fucking genitals and that companies will happily lie to you about that kind of thing if it drives their profits. Now that folks are calling that post "blatant misinformation" I gotta just say for a moment: No. It's not. Read it again. While it is inflammatory, there is not actually ANY false information in that post. The closest it gets is by encouraging people to stop wearing their Thinx, which is an opinion that OP held, based on real information the case reveals. Other than that is says: Thinx has materials in it that are toxic that they previously did not reveal. IF you think you've been harmed, don't take the settlement money.

That's it. So YEAH feeling quite a bit frazzled today by bumping into some self-righteous views of "truth" that are actually false in and of themselves so just had to vent that shit.

Turning off reblogging on this because I only feel like sending this complaint to my followers 😂 But I always appreciate a ❤ as a sign of support for my whiny rants!

[jujumin-translates]

[A3!] ★ Main Story | Act 14 - DREAM CATCHER | Episode 2 - All-Out Comedy Etude

Tenma: So right now, MANKAI Company’s ranked 30th, huh…

Yuki: Our rank has dramatically gone up since Spring Troupe’s performance, but if we’re aiming for the top ten, we can’t just be happy with this.

Kumon: Our final rank is determined by the total points we’ve gathered up to that point in the fourth quarter, so we need to earn as many points as we can by then…

Izumi: Their top rankings in the first quarter weren’t as high as they were during the pre-voting, but there are still lots of new theater companies created by influencers and such ranked pretty high.

Kazunari: Maybe the SNS Votes had more of an impact ‘cause not a whole lotta shows could be done during the first quarter.

Muku: But it still hurts a little to be overtaken so quickly like that.

Muku: Especially because since our debut, I, along with all of you guys, have grown as a theater company, and our fan base has slowly increased too…

Kumon: Yeah… We overcame a lot of things, and we even won the Fleur Special Award…

Tenma: So just what the hell have we been accumulating all this time?

Yuki: Well, I guess it feels like we’re back to square one.

Kazunari: That just means we’ve gotta start working hard again from here!

Misumi: Exactly~. I’ll give you some of the triangle cookies I got at my guest performance the other day, so cheer up~.

Yuki: Even during guest performances the Trianglien is famous for his love of triangles.

Misumi: Am I famous~?

Yuki: You’re the most famous Trianglien of them all. Because you’re the only one.

Tenma: I think it’s okay if you’re not famous for that.

Kazunari: I’ve been doing some research and the number of hashtags being posted online right now is still being dominated by the top theater companies.

Izumi: Ah, Masumi-kun also put together a document regarding that.

Kazunari: Damn, Massu! He’s even got all the percentages listed here!

Tenma: He really is steadily improving his skills as a PR guy.

Kazunari: We’ve really gotta strategize more than ever on the visual side of advertising stuff, huh~.

Kumon: The script might not be done yet, but is there anything we can do now to help?

Muku: It’s kind of hard to just sit and do nothing. Sitting still just makes me anxious…

Tenma: You’ve got a point. Sitting around getting depressed while thinking about things isn’t the Summer Troupe thing to do.

Tenma: That’s why…

Yuki: Wouldn’t doing that be the quickest and simplest thing to do?

Tenma: You bet.

Kumon: Alright, it’s decided!

Misumi: Now that that’s decided, let’s go!

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

Kazunari: “This planet is ours! Tri, tri, tri…”

Misumi: “Angle, angle, angle… Earthlings, bow down before us!”

Yuki: “Uuueh… Is this how Earth ends… At the triangular hands of those Triangliens…?”

Tenma: “No, not yet… We can’t give in here yet…!” Kumon: “Earth is ours.” Muku: “You will all meekly obey us.”

Yuki: “What!? More friends of the Triangliens!? Kazunari: “Perfect timing. From now on, you will cooperate with--.”

Misumi: “Wait! No, those are the--.”

Kumon: “Circle, circle, circle…”

Muku: “Cone, cone, cone…”

Tenma: “Coneliens…!” 

Kazunari: “Those confusing fools…!”

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

*Applause*

Misumi: Thank you very much~!

Tenma: Thank you so much!

Passerby A: Do your best with your performance~!

Passerby B: We’ll be supporting you, MANKAI Company!

Kazunari: Thanks much~!

Passerby C: I enjoyed the street act I just saw, but this one was really funny too~!

Passerby D: Yeah, I think they’re doing one in front of the station, so let’s go there!

Izumi: There are street acts thriving all over the place today, too, huh?

Muku: You can really tell that the number of theater companies is increasing.

Tenma: We’ve gotta get ourselves fired up again.

Ibuki: Wait, hol’ up. There’s no way that’s MANKAI Company, right?

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[summerof85]

Status update & good news

First off I wanna thank all of you guys for following, reblogging, and especially tagging and commenting the posts with your own stories. I feel like advertising occupies a really unique niche in pop culture, and I love getting to explore that through this blog and through reading all of your experiences and memories in the notes.

Second, an apology for the totally unintended absence from October onward. I’ve gotten a few concerned asks and DMs checking on me, and I gotta say you guys are too awesome. Coming back and seeing your messages was such a great feeling. I’m hanging in there, and so is my family! My partner and I got very sick with COVID around the end of October, and as a result they lost their job. I've been working as much as possible from home to try and compensate, but it’s a minimum wage gig so it’s tough and it’s slow going. Plus my in-laws haven’t been understanding about the situation at all and have been (angrily) pressuring us to do a whole bunch of stuff over the holidays that we can’t afford and don’t feel well enough to do. It has sucked.

Now for the good news. Since the holidays are over and things are calming down around us, including our health improving, I should be able to get back to something like a normal routine, which means more time to find and create content for this blog! I’m super excited to get back to it, and as always my ask box and DMs are open if you guys have any suggestions for what types of things I should post.

Thank you all for being the raddest follower base on Tumblr. ✌❤

[sytokun]

Hey, so I saw a couple of your posts about the RWBY AU that you're working on and I've gotta ask, have you ever considered just writing your own original story?

I mean this sincerely, things like raising all of the Kingdoms into the air and redesigning the Grimm so that they're not strictly based on animals make potentially the story something entirely different anyway, so why not create some original characters and go all in?

"Science fantasy world where people have to live in floating cities because the world below belongs to the monsters now" is a great premise and gives you plenty of scope for some cool stuff.

Yes. This is a common question I get in regards to Remnants, which is "why not make your own thing?".

On one end, I do have multiple personal projects of my own - often too many to pursue actually, and many of them being directly inspired from RWBY. I just don't advertise them a lot as Remnants takes up at least half of my attention at any time. So as far as being able to explore other cool ideas, my bases are covered.

And as for diversions from the RWBY canon, I guess all I can say is that's the reason it's an Alternate Universe, and the point of an AU to stretch what is possible with a setting while still keeping it familiar with the original.

It's a bit of a tenuous position, because too little change and it becomes less interesting for me to explore, but too much and it would definitely start getting into original territory. But regardless, there are things that RWBY can do that only RWBY can do. Stuff like the specific aesthetic of the Grimm, academies, weapons and most importantly the cast and their specific story arcs are things that can only be explored in RWBY itself.

Yes, I could make a dorky girl, a rich warrior noble, a bookworm rebel and a fiery brawler; they all are based on mythological/fairy tale characters; they go to a science fantasy school and fight shadow monsters; but at that point, I'd instead be asking myself, "Why am I not making a RWBY AU instead?"

So, yeah. I arrived at this AU because I've asked myself the same questions you asked and grappled with them until I still ended up here. I guess you can boil it down to: because I love RWBY and want to create my own spin on it.