#ask the mastro

[balanww-and-co-justasks]

"The Question box is now open, they might take awhile getting used to it."

[humblebananasalesman]

Oh no, will you be okay? I can fly to your direction if you really really need it and lend you a wing

I'll send out a signal if something goes wrong.

[bitchesuntitled]

Paper Rings

Pairing: Marcus Pike x f!reader

Warnings: MDNI blog in general is 18+ go on now, get. Fluff, innuendos, panicked Marcus, cussing, think that's it?

Summary: Marcus wants to ask you an important question.

Mood board made by the amazing @jay-zzle, divider made by @saradika-graphics

Prompt by: @swiftispunk, let me know what ya think!

thank you @notjustjavierpena for taking a look at this and helping me with it! ❤️

Masterlist||AO3 Link

Tonight’s the night, Marcus thinks on his drive home. He’s going to ask her to marry him. After their first date, he knew deep down she was the one. Three years later and the feeling hasn’t changed. He’s asked her dad’s permission, the ring has been sitting in his dresser for months now, the reservations have been made at Mastro’s Steakhouse. He clicks the remote for the garage as he pulls into the driveway, taking a deep breath in and out before getting out of the car and going into the house.

You hear the door open downstairs; Marcus must be home. Just in time too; he had told you earlier this morning about making reservations somewhere and to dress pretty like you always do. Working on the finishing touches of your makeup, you see his reflection in the bathroom mirror smiling at you, leaning against the doorway.

“Hey babe,” you greet him with a warm smile, “I am almost done. Is there anything you need to do to get ready?”

“Not much,” Marcus responds, walking away from the doorway to the dresser, glancing over his shoulder to make sure you’re still in the bathroom, and slowly opening the drawer he knows the ring is in, “Need to use the bathroom before we go and might change my suit jacket.” His hand creeps to the very back of the dresser, feeling for that velvet box he knows all too well is there. His fingers touch it, grasping it in his hand, quickly pulling it out, and shoving it into his jacket pocket just as you’re leaving the bathroom. He shuts the drawer quickly and turns to look at you.

“What are you doing?” You ask, giving him a suspicious look.

“Nothing,” he replies, raising his eyebrows, noticing the lone pair of socks on the floor that escaped the drawer as he was pulling the ring out, “Was going to change my socks. My feet feel gross.”

“Okay?” You giggle, shaking your head, getting your shoes on, “Weirdo.”

“Shush, you love me and wouldn’t have it any other way.” He grins at you, picking up the socks and going to sit on the bed.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” You grin, “Will you help me with the back of my dress?”

He helps zip your dress up, giving the back of your neck a light kiss, shucking off his suit jacket, and laying it on the bed on his way to the bathroom.

“I’ll meet you downstairs.”

__

“Where are we going?” You ask, looking over at Marcus, waiting for the red light to change.

“Now what’s the fun in telling you when it is supposed to be a surprise?” He says, squeezing your thigh, “Patience.”

You roll your eyes and scoff. The car starts moving again when the light turns green. Marcus is so meticulous in everything he does. Always has a plan, a certain way of doing things, likes to be spontaneous to an extent but usually always a set schedule. You love those things about him, he’s the comfort in the chaos that life can sometimes be. He pulls  into one of the fanciest restaurants in Washington D.C.

“Oh my god, Marcus,” you whisper, “How on earth did you get a reservation?”

“I was able to make some calls,” he says, stepping out of the vehicle, making his way to your door. “Had some people who owed me some favors.” He explains, opening your door for you and offering his hand. You take his hand and let him lead you. Handing off his keys to the valet. Walking into the restaurant you are greeted by the hostess.

“Good evening, sir,” she says with a bright smile, “Name?”

“Should be under Pike.”

“Ah yes, right this way.” She says, marking in the book and grabbing a couple menus before leading the way.

You cannot believe your eyes looking around at this place. There is a bar, a live jazz band playing, and plenty of couples sitting at the other tables.

“Is this table okay, Mr. Pike?” The hostess asks when she stops at an empty table.

“It’s perfect, thank you.” Marcus smiles, stepping over to the chair closest to you and sliding it out for you.

“Your waiter will be right with you.” She says, giving a small nod setting the menus down on the table.

You sit in the chair, grabbing the menu, watching Marcus move to the other side of the table to sit down across from you.

“So, Mr. Pike,” you smirk, “What on earth is the special occasion?”

“Just wanted to take you somewhere nice,” he replies, cocking an eyebrow, “Is that not allowed?”

“You’re up to something.”

“I am not,” Marcus grins, opening his menu, “What do you think you’ll have?”

“I’m thinking the salmon, although those crab cakes would be a good start, don’t you think?”

“Whatever you want, baby.”

“Good evening and welcome to Mastro’s Steakhouse, I’m Jared and I’ll be your waiter this evening.” A young man who approaches the table says, “Can I get you two something to drink?”

“I want whatever wine pairs the best with the New York strip, sweetheart?”

“You know, I’ll think I’ll do the same thing he’s doing, Mr. Wine Connoisseur over there,” you laugh, “Whatever pairs well with the salmon dish.”

“Alright, I will ask the chef what he thinks would be the best.”

“Oh!” You say as Jared starts to leave the table, “Crab cakes! We want the crab cakes as our appetizer.”

“Of course, ma’am.”

—

It’s now or never, Marcus thinks. The evening went exactly how he wanted it to, the meal was fantastic, the wine amazing, the dessert ordered to go will be arriving soon. This is the perfect moment to ask her.

“You know,” Marcus says, grabbing your hands, rubbing them softly, “You were right, I do have something special planned for us.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah,” Marcus takes a deep breath in and lets it out, “Babe, I knew from the moment that I met you I wanted to be with you.”

He pulls your hands to his lips and gives them a soft kiss.

“After our first date, I knew you were the one I wanted to be with for the rest of my life.”

He stands up and gets down on one knee. You can hear people begin to whisper around you, watching the scene before you unfold.

“Oh my god” You say holding his hand tighter, “Marcus?”

“Baby, I love you so very much and I—” he says, patting the pocket of his suit jacket. “Fuck.”

“Babe?”

“No, no, no,” Marcus says, frantically searching his suit jacket and pants. “This isn’t how it was supposed to go.”

“Marcus,” you say, holding his face, “Look at me.”

He looks up at you with those big brown eyes you love. “I swear there’s a ring. I changed my jacket not even think—"

“Babe, I don’t care.” You smile, interrupting his panicked ramblings, “Ask me.”

“But the ring?”

“Don’t care, ask me.”

“Will you marry me?”

“Yes!” You say, wrapping your arms around his neck slotting your mouth against his. You can hear several of the other patrons clapping.

“Congratulations!” Jared says, returning to your table with your dessert.

“Thank you!” You say, beaming with joy.

—

On the drive home you can’t stop smiling like an idiot while holding Marcus’ hand. This is everything you dreamed about as a little girl; finding the perfect person to spend your life with and that is Marcus through and through.

“I still can’t believe I forgot the fucking ring!” Marcus says, shaking his head.

“Babe, you could’ve asked me with a ring made of paper and I would’ve said yes,” you laugh, “That’s the last thing I care about.”

“Well, a paper ring would be better than nothing!”

Approaching a gas station on the side of the road, an idea popped into your head.

“Stop!” You yelp, “Stop at that gas station!”

Marcus gives you a sideways look but pulls in regardless. Never one to refuse your requests.

“Cash?” You ask with your sweetest smile.

“Why’d we stop here?” He asks, rolling his eyes while getting his wallet out and handing you a twenty. You just give him a mischievous grin while getting out of the car. The door dings when you step into the gas station, making a beeline to the candy aisle and finding exactly what you were looking for: A bag of ring pops. Unable to contain your excitement, you let out a little squeal while grabbing them and head to the front.

“That’ll be $4.98.” The cashier says after ringing up your candy. You slap the twenty down on the counter and grab the bag running out.

“Thank you! Keep the change!” You shout behind you.

Getting back to the car, you see Marcus shaking his head trying to hold in his laughter. You make quick work of opening the bag, getting one singular ring pop out, and opening that as well, tapping on his window quickly, telling him to get out of the car.

“What on earth are you doing, honey?” Marcus laughs, opening the car door.

“You said something would be better than nothing,” you laugh, “Here’s something!”

You hand him the ring pop. He shakes his head looking at it.

“Baby,” Marcus starts looking up at you. “A ring pop? Really?”

“Marcus!” You huff, crossing your arms, “Are you gonna ask me?”

“Here?!” Marcus looks at you with surprise, looking at the ground, “Babe, this is a gas station parking lot!”

“And?”

“Babe, my pants—“

“Marcus Vincent Pike,” You scold, giving him a look that he knows means business.

“Okay, okay,” He says laughing, grabbing your hand, sliding out of the seat of the car with one knee on the ground, “Baby, will you make me the happiest man in the world and marry me?”

“Duh!” You say, jumping up and down as he slides the ring pop onto your finger. “It’s beautiful!”

Marcus bursts into laughter as you shove the ring pop into your mouth. “Tasty too!” You say after popping it out of your mouth.

Marcus grabs your hand, lifting it to his mouth, pushing the ring pop in, hollowing his cheeks a little, letting out a soft sigh. You can feel your mouth getting dry while you watch him suck on the ring pop. The makeshift engagement ring makes a soft pop as he lets it leave his mouth.

“I can think of something that’s sweeter,” he says with a sly smile and wink, letting go of your hand.

[alfredosauce50]

Requests are closed, but this has been sitting in my head for months. A white picket fence-themed story with slasher undertones! This is a little different to my other posts (and longer) because it has a concept and build up, but I hope you guys enjoy it anyway!

Content warning: Slasher horror, adult themes, and overall fucked-upness. Viewer discretion advised. R18+ only.

The reader is referred to as she/her.

Yandere America headcanons

Everyone says the same things about him. That he’s friendly, charming, and reliable. The boy-next-door, the type you’d trust your drink with. What nobody knows is that it’s all an elaborate guise to hide his true colors. Once he reveals them, there’s no going back. You’re never getting away from him.

The worst part is, nobody suspects a thing. Everyone would think you’re the crazy one for accusing him. Thus, his untouchable reputation (and cunning) makes him the most dangerous yandere of all.

The office romance

Alfred is the most popular guy in the building. He’s a hard worker, a people person, and lights up the room with his smile. It feels like he has everything going for him: a great job, good looks, and lots of friends that can’t get enough of him. What he can’t seem to get is your attention.

You’re married to the Danish ditz from customer relations, Mathias Densen. HR usually frowns on that sort of thing, but you were cute together. Either way, you’re friends with Alfred for the same reason everyone else is. He’s charming. The only difference is that he makes an effort to see you outside of work—to see a movie, to grab dinner, or to catch up over some coffee.

“So, what do you say? Me and you at Mastro’s?”

You’re walking out of the break room when he jogs over, his blue tie swinging from side to side. He’s been going on about having a steak dinner with a friend, then complaining nobody wants to go with him—only because he hasn’t asked anybody yet.

“I don’t know, Al. Isn’t that place expensive?”

“Hey, it’s not like I’m paying for the both of us.”

“Okay,” You laugh gently, turning toward the cubicles. Everyone is clacking away on their keyboards or speaking into their telephones. Your husband is one of them, only he’s more animated than the rest, nodding away and chuckling every now and then. “I’ll try and get Mat to pick me up at ten.”

“Great! I’ll be sitting in my office pretending to do stuff until we get off.” He beams.

He likes getting on your nerves. It’s that one trick that gets you to feel closer to him. And it works. During work hours, he’ll drop by your desk to steal your snacks for a reaction. He will literally pluck a candy bar or pastry out of your hand and stuff it in his mouth while walking away. When you get mad at him, he’ll just laugh and go, “you’re not supposed to eat at your cubicle. I’m just saving your ass from trouble. If you don’t believe me, you can take it up to HR.”

If he’s not picking on you, he’s a total sweetheart. Alfred will make you coffee without being asked. Mathias usually keeps an eye out for stuff like that, doing favors for you when you need them, but not when he’s predisposed with work. He’s easily distracted, unfortunately. And Alfred is an opportunist. “You look tired. I’ll add in an extra bit of everything to give you the energy.”

Being closer to him, he can act more like himself when he’s around you. That means less of the laughing, small talk, and all that nonsense. He can actually give you a straight answer. You’re willing to let him explain, and if not, you seem to trust him for his judgement. He loves that. He thrives off validation. But by the rare occasion you do disagree with him, you mostly just poke fun at him. “Doesn’t that seem kinda stupid? Or am I just an asshole? I’m the asshole? Okay, fine.”

He starts obsessing over you. It’s refreshing to be around someone he doesn’t need a social battery for. Alfred is also lonelier than he’d like to admit. He can’t count how many superficial acquaintances he has. You’re an outlier, so he make it clear he’s high-strung about you in a ‘guy best friend’ way. He won’t stop competing with Mathias over everything as a joke. It’s really not. “So, is the husband gonna take you to Field of Screams this weekend, or am I gonna have to?”

He makes his attraction to you glaringly obvious. Alfred doesn’t care to hide it. It starts off subtle, like looking at you when he’s laughing in a group setting. Then, he’ll start gazing your way when you aren’t even paying attention to him. When it gets to that point, he has the balls to hold your waist when he’s around you. When I say he’s an expert at playing things off, I mean it.

That’s when he starts scheming. He will match his schedule with yours and sabotage Mathias’s. You start seeing him more during the work week, not knowing it was his doing. Alfred will catch you in the break room every day, making sure to get in every ounce of interaction there is.

What gets him to blow his cover is jealousy. And not from the third-wheeling he’s already doing. That, he can keep a lid on. But telling him you hope to have a baby soon? With your husband?Alfred will turn red in the face and lose his composure. His reaction is visceral, rambling about why you shouldn’t, that it’ll ruin your career, that kids aren’t economic, and any other bullshit reason he can come up with on the spot.

“You’re too young,” He laughs breathily. He’s already rubbing you the wrong way, but he drives the stake in with this comment. “And plus, do you really wanna have a baby with that guy? I mean, look at him—”

You slap him right across the face.

His head turns in the direction of your hand. He falls silent, his smile gone. That’s the end of your friendship. But to him, it’s the start of something else. And it isn’t half as holy as what you have with Mathias. Or what anyone has, for that matter.

“What, do you hate me now? Just say it and I’ll leave you alone.” Alfred gives you a side-eye.

“I really want to hate you.” You fume, wrapping your arms around yourself. Your voice is hushed to hide the hurt in it. “You’re an asshole. But I just want you to apologize, even if I shouldn’t talk to you again.”

“Fine. I’m sorry.”

When you argue

Alfred is manipulative. He victimizes himself or over-exaggerates to make it seem like something is not his fault. “I’m sorry for giving my opinion. I was just trying to be honest,” or “Great. Now I’m the bad guy.” are typical responses when you confront him. He hates being confronted. He will do anything to avoid the blame, even if it means pinning it on you. He never admits he’s wrong.

He needs to have the last word in an argument. He will go back and forth with you for hours if he has to. He only ever stops when you give up, meaning you storm out on him. He’s knocking on your door, pleading to work this out with you. Shut him out all you want, he’ll force himself into the room. “Babe, just hear me out. I’m sorry for being an asshole—wait, don’t lock the door—you locked the door. You know I have keys, right?”

If you’re crying, he turns gentle and affectionate. Kissing, hugging, whispering how sorry he is for hurting your feelings. Alfred then makes it up to you with a romantic dinner, a movie night, or flowers. Even then, he still won’t double-down. He only feels bad for making you cry, not for the point he’s making. Egocentric is his middle name. He thinks his opinions are always right, and can’t see things from another perspective.

Psychology

He has a sense of entitlement like no other. Being close to him will give him the confidence to do anything. He will go from a friend to a homewrecker pretty fast. Why? Because he can. It comes from his undying belief that you’ll always forgive him. That you like him enough to let everything he does slide. And he won’t think twice to take advantage of your soft spot for him.

He has a major superiority complex. Alfred loves what he is—his intelligence, charisma, and wit. He also believes he’s far better for you than Mathias is. What he has with you is more special, and he’s dying on that hill. “You can be with him in another life” is bullshit. Fuck that. Having a husband won’t stop him from chasing you, let alone your rejection. You just need to give him some time. You’ll warm up eventually.

He’s mastered the art of seduction. Once he admits his attitude is out of jealousy, he will try and get you to give in to him. If he can kiss you, or better yet, get you to have sex with him, your marriage will be over. He’ll have you all to himself. “I didn’t want you to have his baby because I want you to have mine. Okay?”

Alfred is very traditional. He loves the idea of having a nice big house in the suburbs. He has a thing for kids too, so it’s no wonder why he freaked out so much in the first place. He’s also happy to play along with gender roles, however obsolete they are. He wants to be the provider. That’s one thing he mentions to persuade you to dump Mathias and marry him instead.

He’s obsessed with his image. Alfred needs to look like a perfect poster boy to compensate for everything he’s thinking about doing, or what he’s already done. Being admired is a coping mechanism for him to be at peace with himself. He’s deluding himself that he’s a good person. There’s a practicality of a good reputation too—he can avoid any and all suspicion.

What’s unique about him is that he never ‘snaps’. He retains a level-headedness throughout, even while doing the most unsound things. Making threats, stalking, you name it. He can look Mathias straight in the eye and say, “I’ll kill you,” before smiling and playing it off as a joke. It’s not. He’s already thinking about how he’s gonna do it.

He feels no empathy for his victims. There’s a ‘necessity’ in his actions, and he refuses to think they’re really just violent impulses. He associates aggression with unrefined criminals, which he feels he’s above. He’s too clever and classy to be a criminal. He’s too ‘in control’ of himself. Alfred could be the most dangerous out of all the prisoners behind bars, but he’d get pretty pissed being treated like the same—like an animal.

He’s a true-blue psychopath. It’s hard to gauge how much love he’s capable of, but his obsession with you goes without saying. Keeping you in his grasp is all he can care about. Controlling how the world sees him will make sure of that. Killing anybody in his way is just maintenance. There’s a satisfying finality of death, the absolute silence of possible witnesses. His victims will never get him caught if they’re in the trunk of his car. The soil in his garden. When they let out their last breath, all they see is the million-dollar smile that everyone fell for. It’s a final display of power, a cruel reminder that he will never be caught.

His first target is your unassuming husband. The trigger is simple—your plans to start a family with him. Alfred needs to get rid of him before that happens. He will study his schedule before following him in his car. When Mathias is alone, he will sneak up from behind and hit him in the back of his head with a bat. Alfred will pack his body in his trunk like he’s packing for Summer.

He’ll comfort you while you’re grieving your husband’s sudden disappearance. When you’re anxious in the middle of the night, he’s more than happy to talk to you over the phone. Alfred is now closer to you than ever, and makes it a habit to swing by and keep you company. What he can’t change is how you feel about Mathias. He’s long dead and gone, but your love for him is undying. Sometimes, you might even cry about how much Alfred reminds you of him.

That’s how he comes up with this: impersonating and replacing your late husband. An opportunity comes along when you get in a car accident. Alfred rushes to the hospital to see you, only for the doctor to inform him of the brain trauma you endured. You have retrograde amnesia; you can’t remember major details about your life. Not your friends, family, or a Mathias Densen being in your life. Alfred would be a fool if he didn’t take advantage of that. He will sit by your bedside and lie that he’s your husband, the Mr to your Mrs.

Home life

Alfred is a con artist. Not only will he convince you of your new marital status, he’ll get rid of any evidence of Mathias being in your life. He’ll photoshop his face out of your pictures and replace it with his own. It’s easy to do because they look similar. Then, he shows it to you to ‘refresh’ your memories of him. You’re sitting in your hospital bed, bonding with him over events that never happened. Not with him, anyway. “And these—” He flips through a photo book before wiping his eyes. “—these are our wedding photos. They’re really, really pretty, I know. We rented out a National park and everything.”

He takes you ‘home’ to the middle of nowhere. The house is a huge, rustic, and gorgeous manor in the mountains, i.e., miles away from your next door neighbor. It’s the perfect getaway for fresh air, quiet, and enjoying the wilderness. Alfred can live the life he’s always idealized, and with the woman he’s idealized it with. He won’t have to worry about anybody finding you here, either. “Once you get a little better, we can try out the pool. It’s heated.” He grins, turning to you with a spatula in hand. You’re sitting in the patio while he barbecues some meat. As for the apron, it’s a bright pink one with ‘kiss the cook’ on it. And you do, thanking him for how sweet he’s being.

He’s a dedicated husband. Alfred is incredibly sensitive to your mood, and will do anything to keep you comfortable. He has no problem going to work, doing the chores and being there for you when you need him, especially while you recover. You worry you’re not doing enough, but he always assures you otherwise. All he wants is for you to get used to moving around on your own. Deep down, he knows that having you is more than what he deserves. Being the perfect hubby is almost like his redemption for what he did.

He works on himself. He can’t ruin what he has with you, so he tries to mellow out his more undesirable traits—narcissism, apathy, etc. Alfred will go to therapy for it. Separating from him isn’t on the table. Ever. What are people gonna say when you tell them you divorced a man you never married? What is Alfred gonna do when they tell you about your real husband? Keeping you happy is his number one priority, and he’ll feel good while doing it.

Alfred manages all your affairs. You don’t know where everything is, all your files, documents, and important passwords. You don’t ‘remember’ them, apparently. But that’s no problem. He can handle it. He becomes the more dominant one in the relationship, being responsible for the bills and bureaucratic side of things. There’s nothing you can do without asking him first, but it never feels restricting, or demeaning for that matter. He’s always kind about it, doing things for you and taking the lead, so you feel protected.

He’s very sensual. Alfred values the physical aspect of the relationship, and, of course, the time he spends with you. He loves taking you on long walks where he can just hold your hand and ramble about all the animals he wants to find. Deer, chipmunks, even butterflies. He loves it when you take off his glasses just to kiss him. Suddenly, he doesn’t want to look for animals anymore. “Wanna go home and kiss in the pool?”

He likes sleeping in on Sundays. That gives you the chance to get up and make breakfast for him. Alfred is a pretty heavy sleeper, but it doesn’t take long for him to wake up when you’re not next to him. He will get out of bed, throw on a robe, and saunter into the kitchen with the worst bed head of the century. While you’re frying up some pancakes, he will hug you from behind. “Can you put in some chocolate chips for mine?” Alfred mumbles, squeezing you tighter. You ask him to let go of you so you can get it for him, and he’ll just change his mind on the spot. “Nah.”

He has to be in the same room as you. The house is pretty damn big, but it doesn’t feel like a home when he can’t be with you. If you’re folding laundry in the bedroom, he will walk in, flop onto the bed, and clack away on his laptop. If you’re watching TV when he comes home from work, he will put his head on your lap and take a nap. Alfred is clingy when he’s tired, but who doesn’t sleep better when they’re around loved ones?

He’s the most affectionate when he wakes up in the morning. Not only is he comfortable in bed, he’s turned on by your smell. You’ve been under the covers with him for hours, so your scent is the strongest now. Alfred will cuddle you for a good hour or so, kissing you until you memorize the taste of his tongue. He also has to deal with morning wood, so morning sex becomes a bit of a routine. It’s the first thing on the menu, after all.

Not a month goes by before you find out you’re pregnant. Either from him, or Mathias. You think it’s Alfred’s. Alfred doesn’t know that, though. But it’s not like he’s gonna check. A paternity test could potentially be evidence for his crimes. Either way, it doesn’t matter. He’s excited to be a father, and there’s nobody else out there that can claim the baby is theirs. The baby will look like him too, so it won’t make much of a difference.

He’s happy, you’re happy, and Mathias has germinated into a flower. There’s a pretty patch of daisies in the backyard, which you see Alfred tending to every now and then. He’s picked up gardening as a hobby ever since he moved here.

“I didn’t know you liked flowers,” You comment mindlessly, staring into the yard from the balcony. The daisies sway lightly to the breeze, and you stand watch. He’s hugging you from behind, kissing your head and cheek. “They look really nice, by the way.”

“Nice enough to not be dug up, I hope.”

“Why would I dig up something you planted?”

“You wouldn’t.” Alfred smiles. “You wouldn’t.”

[thislovintime]

Fan photos of Peter signing autographs outside Screen Gems in 1968. Photos by Jeri Mastro St. John (facing the camera in photo 2) and Rebecca Reeves Zane.

These photos aren't from the following occasion, but fit the time frame.

“My best friend had a very indulgent Mom who would drive us over to Hollywood on Saturdays sometimes so we could try and meet [The Monkees]. The first Saturday, we went up to the Screen Gems guard gate and asked if they were on site. The guard kindly told us the studios were closed on weekends, BUT Peter was actually there having a Japanese language lesson in prep for their tour. He didn’t let us in, but told us where to go ‘round back. We waited for about 45 minutes before Peter came out. He came down the stairs and talked with us, did an autograph of course. It was special because it was just us and Peter. We, being Monkee Maniacs and 11 yrs old, gushed a bit about how much we loved them and their music. Peter replied, ‘Oh, I’m just a cat on the street who got lucky.’ Obviously, I’ve never forgotten how soft spoken, gentle and nice he was. Such an impression.” - Dale O., Sunset Blvd. Records Facebook comment, December 2023

[secondspookyseason]

At some point I’m going to post about my personal practice bc it’s really solidified within the past year. It started as grounding rituals to maintain my day-to-day sanity, and now it is both more profound and more connected to community.

A short version:

- The Orphic Hymns Grimoire by Sara L. Mastros is pretty damn cool! I appreciate her approach to modernizing language so modern practitioners can use it and make it their own. The poems are fun to read aloud! The whole thing is a devotional to Hermes! And it’s got simplified suggested spells from the PGM. Love that. I have picked up lots of books but this one grabbed me with its writing style, which is important to me as a words person.

- I am a little bit involved with the Temple of Dionysus in RI. They seem like like-minded nerds.

- I read a book* that laid out the difference between Indigenous & colonialist relationships to the natural world and finally started to comprehend the scope of what we’ve lost by thinking of humans as separate from nature (and how that leads to, yknow, huge scale environmental destruction). I believe more completely and profoundly that magical practice is about knowing and understanding local ecology and tending garden and building relationships. It is not about shopping. I want to keep a closer eye on making all of my personal doings produce less waste.

- I’m very attached to the idea that paganism isn’t about ‘belief’ but about doing and sharing. It is not central to my practice that I feel that gods hear me, or that I hear them. My idea of what a god is is probably a bit more lax than other practitioners. But last week something in life knocked me for a loop, and felt like an answer. I did some divination (tarot) with a deck I had set aside for spiritual use, and in asking questions I believe that in this instance I got answers from someone other than me (and that I know who it is). This is new, and rare. I genuinely hope it stays rare, because it’s A Lot.

*The book is Braiding Sweetgrass. You’ve probably heard of it.

[legendofthephoenixsblog]

!! SPOILERS FOR SPACE BABIES AND THE DEVILS CHORD AHEAD!!

This is my personal views on the first two episodes of Doctor Who.

Space Babies

At first I was worried about this episode being the first episode. I had been thinking how could babies be controlling a space ship with a monster apparently hunting them down in their own ship. I was also wondering what was Russel thinking of this being a story, but I kept an open mind before I watched it.

This episode was a different direction to previous episodes of Doctor Who. While I was watching this episode there was a few things that did erk me a few times. One of the things was that the Doctor kept saying babies, babies. Space babies. He could have just said that one time and that was enough for it. There was also a few times that I felt that it was hard to understand Ncutis's accent but I think that was just his accent coming through, other than that he and Millie were excellent together in this episode. I didn't realise that the babies talked with their own voices, I had thought that their prams had a telepathic circuit that let them talk.

For the boogeyman, the creature design was alright but it might be me having a certain view of what the Bogeyman should look like. Then again the Bogeyman look will change depend on where you grew up and what your culture is like. It being made out of snot I did find funny. As for how the Bogeyman came to be it was all because of a computer glitches and it saw that children needed a monster to be scared off so it created a creature, but a computer does not have imagination like humans so it took the boogies out of Bogeyman.

The plot for Space Babies, it was alright for being Ruby's first adventure with the Doctor. It was not a ground breaking episode, but it was not an awful episode it was alright. That is if you dont think to hard into.

The episode did go over that when the crew abandoned ship they left the machine that created the new babies on as a part of the companies regulations. This plays deeply into the issue of when human life begins, but I felt that it was cruel that these babies were essentially left to die in a space craft because a company didn't want to switch off a machine that would create more life. I know there will be people who will disagree with me on this, but it brought up the thoughts as I write this that did the company think what would happen to the babies that were already on board or was it just them trying to look good on not switching the machine on.

So moving on from the machine to Ruby and the Doctor. They were amazing in this episode. Ruby asked the right questions to the Doctor that allowed him to explain what the Tardis is and who he is to her (and the new audience). I did like how we got something new from the Church scene that led to the Doctor saying he can't go there on her birthday to see who her mother (or whoever dropped her there) was. On hearing that I thought of Father's Day that had the Reapers in. I would love to see them back. Mainly because they look like dragons and need to come back in my opinion.

The Devils Chord

This episode from the get go felt like Doctor Who to me. There was a menace in Mastero. I was worried about them as a character but when it was revealed that they were a child of the Toymaker a few things made sense to me. They are a interdimensal being a god the Doctor called them so in essence they could be anything.

This episode from the get go was chaotic but I think that was the purpose of it as this seems to be the direct episode after The Giggle, which the Doctor refrences in the episode.

In this episode I had thought that the Doctor was going to be beat. I had also thought that it was going to be Ruby who would find the last chord to send them back to where Mastro came from.

When Mastro had captured Ruby they had said that there was another song deep in her heart. That got me thinking that Ruby is not all she appears to be. Yeah this series will see us finding out who she is and who her parents are. I have a feeling that her parents can either be the one who is waiting or even something releated to the Toymaker, like he has created a companion for the Doctor so that the Doctor can see how much his life has changed because of the Toymakers meddling.

Overall

The first two episodes were alright. There was a few cringy moments in them. The last song in the Devils Chord felt out of place but I am playing it up to that Meastros magic or influence was still in the area and that was the way for the characters to get music back into the world.

I do hope that we find out who Ruby is, but not the Doctor. I want his past to remain a mystery. Maybe grt new villains or allies from their Devision times involved that can expand on that story. I felt like the Timeless Child from what I have seen was rushed and not thought out well. To me it felt like a rushed idea that Chris had come up. It is a good idea and hopefully with Russel having more time to play around with it he can develop it a bit more.

Again I have a few theories forming for both Ruby and the Doctor for this series. But I will wait until more of the series in uploaded into BBC iplayer before I see if I'm right or not.

Again these were just my thoughts and personal review on the first two episodes. I know people will disagree with me but that's alright

[doctorstethoscope]

Fluffy February Day 14 || Valentines Day

halfway through the month!! tysm to everyone who has participated so far <3

pairing: Josh x Donna

wordcount: 796

contains: food and alcohol mentions

Josh was hitting his stride. Or, at least, that’s what he’d say if anyone asked. It was nearly a month into the Santos Administration, and he was moving a mile a minute just trying to keep up. And the thing was, when you moved that fast, no one could really tell the difference between a purposeful sprint and running for your life. 

Donna had moved in with him before the inauguration, and thank goodness for that, because he feels like he’d never see her otherwise. They crossed paths at work on occasion, but on most days, the biggest chunk of time together was in the twenty minutes after he slunk into bed late at night and before he fell asleep. 

“Josh, you promised when you took this job that you weren’t going to burn the candle at both ends,” Donna cautioned him that afternoon in his office, unfailingly patient. He can’t bring himself to look away from his computer, part necessity and part shame. 

“I know, Donna. I’m not burning the candle at both ends. This is temporary. I just need a couple more weeks to get settled,” he insisted.

“You need to delegate more to your staff,” she advised. 

“They’re not all as good as you were,” he jokes with an endearing smile. 

She smiles back, but the race isn’t so easily won. “I’d like to have dinner with you tonight.” 

“I wish I could, Donna, but I have a brief for the President due tomorrow morning and a meeting with the joint chiefs this afternoon. I’ll try not to be home too late,” he offers a meek consolation prize.

Donna draws in a deep breath, lets it out as a sigh. Josh tries not to take it personally. He knows that she knows just how much this job entails, and how much it means to him. “Okay, honey. I’ll see you when you get home,” she tells him graciously, leaning forward to give him a kiss over his desk before she goes.

It’s simultaneously a long slog and a blink of an eye later when the sun has gone down and Josh’s phone pings, Donna’s personalized ringtone. He picks it up.

“Just got home. Thank you for my flowers. Try and remember you have someone waiting for you here. Love you.” 

Flowers? Josh hadn’t sent Donna any flowers. Unless… fuck. He whipped around in his desk chair, lunged towards his calendar. 

Shortly after they’d gotten back from Hawaii, Josh had gone to a florist and prepaid for a few floral deliveries– her birthday, their work anniversary, and, he remembered for the first time, today. Valentine’s Day. He feels like he ran headfirst into a wall. 

“Shauna, can you please place an order in my name at Mastros? Some sort of pasta. Two dishes, I don’t care what,” he calls out as he hurriedly saves his work and shuts his computer down. “And a bottle of wine!” he adds, shoving papers haphazardly into his briefcase. 

“It’s done,” she calls back a moment later, as he’s slipping on her coat. 

“Thank you,” he says, coming out to her desk. “Go home.”

“Oh, thank you Mr. Lyman, but it isn’t even 8, I can stay—”

“Please, please, please call me Josh,” he begs of her, not for the first time.  “I’m going home now.  There’s no need for you to stay. “

“You’re going home before 8?” She asks, practically aghast. 

“It’s Valentine’s Day, Shauna,” Josh explains with an easy grin. “I’m going home to the woman I’m supposed to be celebrating.” 

Shauna smiles back. “Have a good night, boss.”

Josh is home within the hour, but it doesn’t feel nearly quick enough. Donna’s in her pajamas when he opens the door, tucked into the couch with a blanket over her legs, her laptop open– she was, undoubtedly, also working. 

“You’re home!” Donna beams. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

“I know. I messed up. But Valentine’s Day isn’t over yet, right?” He asks, hoisting up the brown paper bag of takeout so she can see it. “Did you eat?” 

“No,” she says, seemingly an answer to both questions. She rises from the couch, crosses the room to where he’s pulling plates out of the kitchen cupboard, and wraps her arms around his neck, kissing him soundly, winding her fingers through his hair– it’s too long, but she doesn’t mind, least of all when she can do this. 

“You’re not mad at me?” He asks, barely a whisper against her lips. 

“No, I’m not mad. You scared yourself with this one, huh?” She whispers back.

“How can you tell?” He asks, genuinely perplexed. 

“Years,” she whispers, leaning in to kiss the underside of his jaw. “Many, many years of studying all things Josh Lyman.” 

“And many more to come,” he hopes aloud, ducking his face to return the kiss.

tagging: @spacecowboyhotch @honeybrowne @angelfxllcm @rousethemouse @infinite-tides @gspenc @anlin2058 @zetasaturno99 @witheldclouds @realdirectionx @sbeno22 @el-vs94 @hausofwhores

[symbioteburnout]

ANDI BENTON'S ZELDA AU

(Do not take this seriously, I'm just goofing around)

Through a mysterious force when she escaped Carnage in Funeral Pyre, instead of being teleported to New York, Andi is sent to the Kingdom of Hyrule.

In need of a way to make a living, Andi finds a way to make explosives mobile (don't ask how, you'll get the animal rights activists on her tail) and creates the Bomchu and opens a bowling alley in castletown.

She makes it big by draining the wallet of some kid with a Fairy, eventually she decides to retire and sell the business to live a life of luxury. She also ops to change her name and her appearance.

As 'Jules' she travels the land and lives a life of excess, eventually heading to Gerudo town. Her life of luxury doesn't last long as people soon realize remote control bomb rats are DANGEROUS! And she is hit with several lawsuits in a court case of the people of Hyrule vs Andi Benton. She loses the case, and the trauma causes her to get amnesia and more cosmetic surgery!

Her appearance and personality change yet again, but something that's remained the same throughout is her love of music. She makes rupees by playing on a violin outside a stable when she catches the attention of Mastro of the stable trotters. When he asks her name, she says she can't remember, so Mastor opts to give her the stage name 'Violynne' and invites her to join the troupe.

[storiesofsvu]

Hidden Desires Ch 3

Warnings: Language.

The next few weeks were filled with another string of failed dates, boring men, ones that were intimidated by dating a powerful lawyer, or ones that bailed as soon as you had to call for a rain check ‘cause a case came up. You were almost at wit’s end when you matched with a very good looking man who worked on Wall Street, seemed decent, in the right age range, no kids and you could tell he definitely made a lot of money.

You were texting with Alex while you got ready for the date, having always sent details to her prior to your dates, this whole world of online/app dating wasn’t always safe and you were more than well aware of that. Munch had even gone to the gesture of offering to run the names through NYPD’s database, you laughed it off, telling him he was too paranoid for his own good sometimes.

Alex appreciated knowing when you were out with basically strangers, and knowing as many details as she could about them in case things went badly, but she couldn’t help the little twinge of jealousy everytime you said you had a date. She constantly reminded herself that there was no point, that you’d never be interested and it would be in her best interest to move on from the little crush she’d developed. You’d been laying on the gushing particularly heavy about this most recent one, sharing the overly goopy pick up lines and flirtation he’d been laying on over texts. She could barely tear her eyes away from the goofy grin on your cheeks as you replied to his messages, finding herself wishing you had that grin when you texted her. When she found herself with thoughts like this she’d shake them out of her head, refocusing on work, shoving the thoughts and pitiful emotion to the back of her brain, to the pit of her being where she prayed they would stay. At least for a few days.

You met Conor at Mastro’s Steakhouse in Midtown shortly after seven that evening. You were impressed by his choice of resturaunt, the cheapest appetizer being a pricey $23, entrée’s basically all above $50. He seemed nice enough, even more attractive than his photos, the smile a mega watt stunner. Instead of simply ordering for you, or picking a pricey bottle of wine of the menu in an attempt to shine he asked your opinion, a playful back and fourth between you as you decided on drinks and appetizer’s. For once you finally had things going in the right direction, the connection was nearly instant, the flirtation was just the perfect amount, nothing too heavy or smutty. The conversation flowed easily throughout the meal, you both enjoyed the same kind of things, loved living in New York and agreed on more than a few touchy subjects. Things were finally going good.

*

Alex had decided to ignore her phone unless it went off with an emergency alert, heating up leftovers for dinner while she tried to drag her mind away from you on a date. The fact that you hadn’t texted her anything since seven meant things were going swimmingly and now she’d have to deal with you gloating about it the entire next day, or however long it lasted. She was draining out the last of a bottle of wine, Netflix playing a Schitt’s Creek marathon on her t.v when there was a soft knock at her door. Groaning at the thought of work bothering her at a late hour, or Sonya hassling her to go out she pushed off the couch, tugging the door open. Her eyes widened at the sight of you standing in her doorway, a defeated look on your face, a to go bag with two bottles of wine sticking out of it in your hand.

“Thought you were on a date?” She began,

“I was…”

“Seemed like everything was going great?”

“It was…” You sighed heavily, “Til we ordered dessert. He asked what I did for a living and the second he found out I was a lawyer he asked if I could get him out of a felony possession charge for cocaine…” Alex couldn’t help the laugh echoing through the hallway, “He’s setting up dates while he’s R.O.R’d! Can I please come in? I brought dessert?” You held up the to go bag.

“Dessert paid for by a cocaine habit?” Your free hand smacked her side, “What’d’you tell him?” Alex asked as she let you into the apartment, closing the door behind you, watching you flit through her kitchen with ease, grabbing two forks and a glass for your wine.

“Faked a phone call, said I was needed at a crime scene.”

“And if he tries to call for a second date…or representation?” She smirked at the glare you shot her as the two of you moved into the living room.

“Already blocked his number, he doesn’t know my last name, hopefully won’t be bothering me anytime soon.” You gave a weary sigh as you dropped down onto Alex’s couch, settling the container of lava cake between you, “I just…wish this was different, ya know?” She nodded as you glanced over at her, “I feel like everytime I get my hopes up it takes less than a second for them to get demolished, at this point why even fucking bother? Maybe it’s the job, the whole sex crimes thing tainting how I view people before I’ve even met them.” You rolled your head to the side to gain Alex’s eye contact, “Is it easier with women?” She gave a soft laugh in response,

“It’s better with women…that’s for sure.” You laughed lightly at the smirk on her face, practically rolling your eyes as your fork cracked into the cake, bringing a bite to your lips.

“You’re ridiculous.”

“I’m right.” She replied, indulging into the dessert herself as you turned to her once again,

“I really hope I’m not intruding. I didn’t mean to throw off your night, I just…needed to be with someone I actually like…”

“Well I promise you there’s no cocaine charges pending in this apartment.” You rolled your eyes this time, successfully snagging the piece of cake she’d been aiming for. “And you’re not intruding, does it look like I have anything going on?”

“A decent Netflix binge at the very least.” You gestured to the paused T.V screen, “What’re we watching?”

“Schitt’s Creek,” Alex swallowed a bite of cake, taking in the confusion on your face, “It’s some comedy, a super rich family has all their assets taken aside from a small town they bought as a joke so they have to move their with their adult children and adjust. It sounds kinda stupid when I describe it like that, I’m not far in, still in season one.”

“Alex, nothing sounds stupid when you describe it.” She was ever thankful that you were distracted with your wine when she felt her cheeks heat up at your comment, digging into more cake. She hit the play button on the remote and the two of you settled into a relaxing evening of comedy, friendship and wine, the dessert quickly finished.

You were leant up on the arm of the couch, your legs extending into the middle cushion where they met with Alex’s, a sense of comfortability going along with the contact. You exchanged remarks or comments over the show every so often, or distracted each other with stories between episodes, both happy to have someone to spend the evening with. You reached a new episode of the show when your brow scrunched, confused at Stevie and David sleeping together,

“I…definitely thought he was…gay..?” You dared shooting a glance over at Alex, hoping your apparent lack of gaydar skills didn’t offend her, she simply shot you a smile,

“Same.” The room remained quiet aside from a small handful of laughs and giggles as the episode progressed. Then Stevie & David were shopping for wine for a party that evening,

‘To be clear..I only drink red wine. And up until last night, I was under the impression you too only drank red wine. Stevie started,

I see where you’re going with this. David replied, I do drink red wine, but I also drink white wine and I’ve been known to sample the occasional rose. And couple summer’s back I tried a Chardonnay that used to be a merlot, which got a bit complicated. I like the wine, not the label.’

Alex took in the perplexity on your face, the way your forehead furrowed, head tilted at the conversation going on on the t.v, watching as you attempted to comprehend it.

“What?” She questioned softly. You turned to her with the unknown still written across your face.

“I..I guess I’d never thought about it like that…” Your eyes dazed slightly as you were lost in thought for a moment, “I was raised that you were either gay or straight, it was black and white, there was no…gray…” Your gaze shot up to Alex’s, “Oh God, have I ever said something offensive?”

“No..” She laughed lightly, giving your calf a squeeze, “But gray exists. Very much so. Sexuality is a spectrum, it’s not just one or the other, it can be both, it can be everything. You can lean more to one side than the other. It can take time for people to realize, they may think they’re bi, but it turns out it’s society’s standards drilled into their brains, and they much prefer the same sex. It’s…a percentage for a lot of people…no matter what they identify as, they still might like the opposite party.”

“How is it that you’re so fucking eloquent when you speak no matter what the topic or how much wine you’ve had?” Alex outwardly laughed at that, swatting at your leg,

“I’m just trying to educate you.”

“Well it’s working!” You shot back, a grin on your face, “Thank you.”

You settled back onto the couch at that, eyes directed back to the t.v, mind still playing over Alex’s words. True to what you said, you hadn’t been brought up with the idea of more than simply two sexualities, not that your parents were against it, but that it simply wasn’t spoken of at that time. You found your mind very distracted from the show as you traced through your life, realizing that maybe, just maybe, the ‘need’ to be someone’s best friend in high school came from somewhere else deep inside you. That you idolizing female celebrities wasn’t just for their talent, to be completely honest you were about to have a full blown identity crisis on Alex Cabot’s couch before your phone pinged with a reminder. You jumped, hand reaching out, checking it, sighing, honestly out of relief since Alex hadn’t noticed your wandering mind yet.

“I’ve got an arrangement at ten, I should go…” Reluctantly, you gathered your things, moving towards the door, wishing your brain was more connected to your words as it ran wild, “Thanks Alex, I really needed a night like this.”

“Anytime.” She replied, pulling you into a tight hug before giving you a warm smile as you made your way down the hallway, smiling as you stepped in the elevator.

Alex let out a heavy sigh as she closed the door, taking a moment to lean against it and gather herself. It was getting harder to try and avoid her feelings for you, and the last thing she wanted was to destroy your friendship by either admitting them or shoving you away. Or..her mind dared dabble in the new possibility that maybe, just maybe, after tonight, you were questioning things, that men weren’t all it was cracked up to be. All things considered, your friendship was the most important thing she had with you, no matter what you were battling with, she had to distract herself, setting a mental note to set up a few dates in the coming weeks.

By the time you got home your brain was in an absolute scramble, searching though every scenario of your younger years that you could. You scoured through mountains of memories, interactions with people, the few times you had kissed a girl..and you had to admit…it was better than those stupid dates you kept going on. That night you barely slept, unable to keep the thoughts of something more with a woman out of your head, it was safe to say you’d stuffed a desire so far down you hadn’t even realized it and you were more than ready to see what it had to offer. How you were ever going to go about that? You had no idea.

[balanww-and-co-justasks]

The inbox will be open for a bit while Bal and co will be figuring out the question box in the meantime.

Please ask away, but keep it appropriate to an extent.

[silverloreley]

Trying to watch Del Toro’s Pinocchio.

Ten minutes in and I already hate it as much as the Disney one for how disrespectful it is to the source material. So I’m going to write down all my thoughts as I watch it.

First of all, it’s set in between the two wars, when Collodi lived before the first World War, so the whole fascism thing is out of place. The story about the dead son was shoehorned in, the one dead was Geppetto’s wife, and the two didn’t manage to have children.

Geppetto was very very poor in the book. Like piss poor and that was a major plot point. Here? Carlo asked for chocolate, something that was for super-rich people, while Geppetto couldn’t afford meals or even firewood, let alone luxuries.

Also, he was a good man who always was meek in front of his disgraces, the drunkard was his friend, Mastro Ciliegia, incidentally the one who gave Geppetto the wood he carved Pinocchio from, but the wood was already alive and asked to be carved, so that’s uh, not that.

The Turquoise-haired fairy (yes, that’s what the Blue Fairy was supposed to be translated) is something impossible to tell... or watch here.

The Cricket has a different story but that’s less important in comparison to the rest.

Lucignolo (Lightwick or whatever it’s called in the English version) wasn’t a model boy by any means, not even for the fascist standard. He was a little petty thief and son of poor people, not the bully son of a powerful man, but he was a genuine friend for Pinocchio.

Mangiafuoco is unrecognizeable, plus he didn’t have a circus but was a mere puppeteer, he had other living puppets but none like Pinocchio. Oh, no, he’s the Fox, this doesn’t make sense, where’s the Cat? Why is there a monkey? The Fox and Cat were supposed to teach kids to not to trust strangers, while Mangiafuoco was a different thing. They also conflated the Pleasure Island into the Mangiafuoco subplot, wtf?

The point of Pinocchio going to school was to teach children to be responsible and correct in times when people refused to send kids to school to exploit them to work, so Geppetto wanting to send his son to school was for the boy’s own good, not to make him comform to the standard, quite the opposite. The fact Geppetto is depicted as a wrongdoer drunkard is heavily disrespectful to the original message.

In fact, Geppetto was the representation of the struggles of a nation, and the wish of a new generation being more cultured, rightful and happier.

And then Pinocchio dies? Under a car? And that’s when I know I’m not watching Pinocchio anymore, so Del Toro may as well have written his own character and not grabbed a famous Italian tale. I mean, he doesn’t need to use something already existing, he’s famous enough on his own that everyone would have watched whatever new he made.

Moreover, the depiction of fascism is not the Italian version of it anyway, maybe that’s how it happened in Spain or Mexico, so, really, Del Toro should have done his own thing and left Italy and its national fairytale alone.

And I’ve had enough, I’m not even mid-movie but I’m tired of it already. So I’m going to forget all of the above and try to see where the movie wants to go, but, honestly, I wish the world would leave our tale be.

[aster-pkmn-irl-real]

SQUIRM - is your muse interested in going to dates? what was their worst one? and BOASTWAIN’S CALL - what was your muse’s longest journey?

ahh yeah okay so !

for the first one it kind of depends if im in the mood tbh? like i dont mind just going on dates in general i like going on like platonic dates anyway with my friends but im happy where i am and not looking for any more long term partners rn just because im very happy with my wife and boyfriend (happy anniversary jaime) so like tldr ig yes but not in a romantic context. the worst date ive ever been on is kinda hard tbh?? like i havent been on a bad one in the past year but i think the worst one is. when i was like 14 i had a crush on this one boy in my government class who was in the grade above me and i asked him out like two months into the class and he said yes but he was on his phone the entire time and we went to fuckin like sinistea and coffee which is kind of expensive but he ordered like 20 dollars worth of food while i spent like 7 dollars total and he was like "oh btw i forgot my wallet haha" . so that sucked lol. rui del mastro if ur reading this you still me owe me that $23.55 venmo me mf.

anyway for the second one! idk if this counts but its important to me so im gonna say it does. id say the longest journey ive been on would be my island challenge? i dont count my island challenge as ending when i was 13 because i didn't complete it until about this time last year actually! what kind of happened was that when i was abt 13 and on my island challenge kind of early on i went through something that was difficult to deal with and never really coped with it until my body just kinda shut down right before my trial in vast poni canyon, so i ended up just not doing it at the time. soon after that i technically quit, ended up going to school in paldea and then finished it last year. i dont really consider my island challenge as having ended when i was 13 though because to me its about like growing up and getting more comfortable with yourself and holding this intense appreciation for this place you call home, and those are some things i was still doing even outside of alola and so even if i wasn't finished with the trials i still never felt like my island challenge had ended

[inbetweendwell]

Nick Arena.

now the story begins and stems from this man. it was early December of 2018, at this time i was working at a dental office and in community college pursuing my associates degree. we had a christmas dinner party at mastros. my coworker jasmine and i decided to go out after dinner. we ended up in this placed called country club in costa mesa. honestly, it was a new experience for me. their was many many hot young professionals. i was like in awe with everyone that i saw that night. i was wearing a red jumpsuit outside the deck, dancing by myself as jasmine catched a breather outside. at this point in time i was disassociated from the club. i wanted to feel good, i wanted to have a good time. i was comfortable alone at this point in my life. there was not a worry or care in the world. all of a sudden, this muscular tall handsome man approached me and was like...whats up?! im like wooooow. is he actually speaking to me right now. i was pretty confused. out of all the chicks in the club, why me? what made me stand out. i was quite surprised because he was one hunk of a dude. it was new to me. i never encountered someone like him before, i was pretty shy and didn’t know how to act. i didn’t know what character to play because i just never met someone like him before. as the night went on, we had a series of laughter, fun bursting moments, he even bought me a rose. it was so cute and the thought that really counts for me. he began to talk about where he went to school, how old he was, where he saw himself in a year. i remembered every little detail because i knew deep down he was gonna matter to me at some point. he had a very charismatic charisma.  he knew what to say, how to deliver a message.  the night went on and he asked me for my number. i was honestly about to give him a fake number, because i thought he wasn’t gonna want to deal with someone like me anyway. as i punch in the rest of the number of my dights i paused and thought about if i should change the last dight...into a different one. but i took my chances and gave him my real number. 

[atlanticcanada]

Going for gold: Canada roars back to beat U.S. in world junior semifinal

Canada is one step away from its 20th gold medal at the world junior hockey championship.

Adam Fantilli scored the go-ahead goal in the second period and Thomas Milic was outstanding in making 43 saves as the tournament hosts fought back from an early 2-0 deficit to defeat the United States 6-2 on Wednesday in another emotional matchup of the bitter international rivals.

Joshua Roy had two goals, including one into the empty net, and two assists for Canada, while Connor Bedard and Logan Stankoven each scored once and set up another. Brandt Clarke had the other goal, while Fantilli added an assist for a two-point night.

Czechia beat Sweden 2-1 in a thrilling overtime to also qualify for Thursday's final.

Logan Cooley and Kenny Connors replied for the Americans, who will play the Swedes for bronze. Trey Augustine stopped 31 shots for the U.S.

TSN's complete coverage of the world juniors

Canada, which advanced to face the Americans thanks to Bedard's incredible individual effort in a dramatic overtime victory against the Slovaks in the quarterfinals, dropped a 5-2 decision to Czechia in an embarrassing tournament opener.

Expected to go high at the 2023 NHL draft — but also largely overshadowed at the men's under-20 event by the breathtaking Bedard, the presumptive top pick in June and world junior scoring leader with 23 points in six games — Fantilli started the tournament on the second line, but was pushes to the fringes of the roster as the showcase progressed.

After the Canadians fought back to tie the score 2-2 early in the second, he scored his second goal of the event off a terrific feed from Zach Dean to ignite a red-clad Scotiabank Centre.

Milic made a terrific stop on Jimmy Snuggerud off a 2-on-1 to keep Canada, which won its 19th gold at the pandemic-delayed summer tournament, in the driver's seat.

The U.S. appeared to tie it at 6:22, but Jackson Blake's goal was overturned following a coach's challenge for goaltender interference.

Augustine then denied Dylan Guenther in alone at the other end, but Roy scored his fourth on a backhand at 12:20.

Olen Zellweger hit the post on a Canadian power play before Milic stopped Connors on a short-handed break.

Rutger McGroarty looked to have made it 4-3 just 38 seconds into the third, but Canada once again correctly challenged for goaltender interference.

Milic made four huge saves on a U.S. power play that also included McGroarty chiming a shot off the post.

The Americans had their neighbours on the ropes as the period wore on, but Fantilli set up Clarke for his second at 9:45 for some much-needed breathing room.

Roy iced into the empty net on a U.S. power play with 3:15 remaining to send the Canadians to Thursday's final as fans chanted "We Want Gold" at Scotiabank Centre.

Canada, which came in losers in five of its last six meetings with the U.S., including the finals of both the 2017 and 2021 tournaments, had a terrible start Wednesday.

Cooley, second in tournament scoring behind Bedard, broke the ice 1:19 into the first when he swept home a loose puck for his sixth.

The U.S. led 9-0 on the shot clock before Canada tested Augustine and came close when Luke Hughes hit the outside of Milic's post before going up 2-0 at 10:30 when Connors banged home a rebound for his second.

Bedard, who set five national or tournament records in the quarters, responded at 11:49 after the Canadians — poor against the Slovaks in the faceoff circle and even worse early Wednesday against the Americans — won an offensive zone draw and took a nice feed from Ethan Del Mastro in front to make it 2-1.

Stankoven got the hosts back on level terms 57 seconds into the second on a scramble.

Fantilli hit the post on a power play, but wouldn’t be denied later in the period before Milic stopped a Chaz Lucius breakaway.

AMERICAN PRAISE

U.S. head coach Rand Pecknold was asked before the game what stood out about Canada’s star-studded roster that features seven first-round picks — including three NHLers — plus Bedard and Fantilli.

"Talent, talent and more talent," Rand said. "They've done a great job developing players."

CZECHS FOCUSED

Czechia will have to pay close attention to Bedard, but forward Gabriel Szturc said his team knows there’s more to the Canadians than just the dynamic forward.

"Every player on Canada is very good,” Szturc said. "You can't say, 'Hey, you have to play only against Connor Bedard.'"

NO CHATTER

The Michigan Wolverines of the NCAA were well-represented Wednesday with five combined players taking the ice.

Fantilli suited up for Canada, while Hughes, Rutger McGroarty, Gavin Bindley and Dylan Duke were in the U.S. lineup.

There just hasn’t been much chatter.

"I stuck to my word,” McGroarty said when asked if he’s been in contact with Fantilli throughout the tournament. "I haven't texted him at all."

Hughes echoed those sentiments.

"Radio silence."

Now Fantilli has world junior bragging rights.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 4, 2023. 

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