#being humble is overrated

[joondaya]

i loved gina right from the first episode. has been my favourite character every episode she appeared in and every episode she didn’t. and not once i ever doubted that no matter what she said or done. i understand some people didn’t like “mean” gina (which to me just means yall boring but whatever) but it could never be me. point is, i’m very excited for the auditions episode and to see the glimpse of gina 1.0 that i missed. a girl full of ambition, confident on her talent and skills, and not afraid to fight for what she rightfully thinks she deserves.

[mermaidsirennikita]

one thing I wish we were more open about as a society is that like... feeling better about your appearance is so rooted in the mental game

like I can't control how society casts me, but I can control what I project and what I tell myself; and I may not truly believe I'm a hot girl every day of my life (lol who does) but I do believe in bigging myself up, and I wish everyone felt comfortable doing that. tbh, I'd compare it to that idea that if you smile at yourself in the mirror daily, you will eventually kind of con your mind into at least a slightly raised sense of positivity

and neither of those things are going to work for everyone, but it bugs me that we really kind of push this idea that you saying you find yourself pretty or beautiful or hot somehow means you think worse of OTHER people, and that it's bad to think you look good, that vanity is this like... crime; and what makes me even more bugged is that we push it particularly on everyone who essentially isn't a cis man

[ann4zw]

My Perfect Girl.

N/a: Let's start with an apology. Because English is not my native language and I know there can be a lot of mistakes in English. I would appreciate if you could inform me about this error.I've written a thing or two before, but this is the first time I've written something like this and it's about Hayden and one of his characters. I've never written anything NSFW either, but I hope you like it, kisses from Ana. (⁠｡⁠•̀⁠ᴗ⁠-⁠)⁠✧

Content warnings: NSFW content!! Sam Monroe x reader, mention of drugs (marijuana), explicit sex, characters of legal age.

You were returning from a long walk to clear your head. Before leaving the house, you had a heated fight with your parents. Immersed in a sea of emotions, you found yourself weighed down by the overwhelming weight of being constantly underestimated. His weakened self-esteem reflected the lack of recognition from his family, who inadvertently focused more on expectations and demands than on his true qualities and efforts dedicated to them.

Every benevolent act you performed seemed to disappear in the shadow of family demands, without receiving the praise and recognition it deserved. The constant pressure left you immersed in a feeling of devaluation, as if the light of your achievements were constantly dimmed by the incessant noise of demands.

The bitter melody of lack of recognition echoed in his heart, even as he struggled to provide support and care to those around him.

In the middle of this tumultuous path, his eyes met those of Sam Monroe, his dear neighbor, who was on the porch of his house smoking marijuana. The moon cast a soft light over the scene, and when their eyes met, Sam gave a small wave in his direction. With nothing to lose, you decided to get closer, you didn't want to go home anyway.

"Are you humble enough to share the dram?" he asked, staring at Sam with a smirk as he leaned against the porch. He replied with a sarcastic smile, "I didn't think Miss Perfect was into that kind of thing," but he eventually gave in and shared the joint.

"Perfection is overrated, don't you think? Sometimes we need to escape the pressure and just live." You with a yellow smile as you took the joint to your mouth and took a light drag, you feel Sam watching you as you do so.

"True. Life is complicated enough. Sometimes a break is all we need." Sam responds by changing the direction of his gaze to the moon.

As you share light-hearted laughter and thoughts, the initial tension between you melts away. Sam, more seriously, asks, "What about you? What brought you here on this complicated night?"

You hesitate for a moment but end up deciding to share, once again, what do you have to lose? "Family, expectations... I feel like I'm always trying to meet their demands, but it's never enough."

Sam looks at you in a way you can't decipher and says. "I understand."

The conversation flows smoothly, and as the joint is shared, a deeper connection is established. You suddenly feel Sam's hand caressing his face, and then you turn your face slightly so you can meet his eyes, oh, those eyes...

"You're so..." he seems to get a little lost for words but ends with "beautiful." you feel a slight fervor on your face when you hear the praise coming from Sam, before you can respond he speaks; "I could kiss you right now." he said with an amused tone as he tucks a strand of your hair behind your ear.

"Then kiss.." I take the courage out of my ass to say that but I'm glad I said it.

Heart racing, hands shaking slightly. I look into Sam's deep eyes, feeling the electric energy between us. With a playful smile on his face, he leans towards me slightly, capturing my lips softly. The kiss starts out soft and tentative, but soon turns into something more intense and passionate. Sam's hands lightly cup his face, while I surrender to the moment, feeling the warmth of his touch and the sweetness of the kiss. It's a magical moment, where the world around you disappears, and you find yourself immersed in the intimacy of this special moment.

Your breathing gets deeper as Sam's kisses send goosebumps across your skin. You feel enveloped by a wave of desire, an intense fire burning within you. With a shaking hand, you caress Sam's face as he continues to explore every inch of your neck. Every touch, every movement, seems to electrify his body, making his senses seem to be on edge, completely surrendered to the overwhelming passion of the moment. Whispers of pleasure escape your lips, and you feel completely enveloped by this intense connection with Sam. The world around you disappears as you give in to the pure emotion of the moment.

With a quick movement, Sam traps you between him and the balcony, holding tight to your waist, while lowering his lips to his neck. You rest your hand on the back of his neck, lightly pulling his dyed black hair, feeling his body react with heat and fervor to the hot kiss that Sam places on his neck. His every touch is like a flame that ignites his skin, taking you to a state of ecstasy and complete surrender to the fiery moment you share.

Your breathing gets deeper as Sam's kisses send goosebumps across your skin. You feel enveloped by a wave of desire, an intense fire burning within you. Every touch, every movement, seems to electrify your body, making your senses seem to be on edge. Whispers of pleasure escape your lips, and you feel completely enveloped by this intense connection with Sam. The world around you disappears as you give in to the pure emotion of the moment.

Sam suddenly stops the kisses, and you look at him with a confused look. "We can't do that here, pretty." he says. You have a great idea and look at him with a mischievous smile. He soon returns the smile, curious about what is going on in your mind, and his eyes shine brightly as he waits to find out what you are planning.

With a quick, purposeful movement, you grab Sam's hand and pull him towards your house. As soon as you enter the main door, you hear murmurs coming from the kitchen, where your parents are busy with some activity that you don't even care about. Sam understands the situation and gives you a knowing look, smiling with admiration for your determined manner. Without hesitation, you lead him to his room.

As soon as they enter the room, Sam acts quickly by pressing you against the door and sharing a passionate kiss with you. You can feel his warm, calloused hands smooth your ass and then give them a firm squeeze. You push him gently, leading Sam to the bed.

"What's the plan now?" Sam asks, giving him a curious look.

You respond with a mischievous smile, "Well, I guess we'll make this moment even more interesting." Kneeling in front of him, he adds, "What do you think?" Sam picks up on the suggestion and returns the look with a mischievous smile, understanding perfectly. With agility, you unbuckle Sam's belt, taking his cock out. It was bigger than thick, it was red and with pulsing veins, which only increased his desire to shove it down his throat.

You then place his red head on your lips, sucking it like it's candy. Sam's loud moans fill the room as he throws his head back. With confidence, you welcome him completely into your mouth, making skillful back and forth movements, intensifying the connection between you while maintaining eye contact with Sam, you watch him moan, with his mouth half open, his forehead sweaty. You just smile, thinking if that's all for you.

Sam moans praise, saying: "Such a beautiful girl, such a delicious mouth..." When he tries to put his hand on his head to maintain a rhythm, you intensify the suction, forcing him to place his hands on the bed for support. and avoid collapsing in the face of the intensity of the moment.

Sam's chest rose and fell, his moans echoing in the room, you increase the suction even more and begin to massage his sensitive balls as well. "Pretty, I'm going to cum.." Sam's moans took on a desperate tone, he needed to cum. Sam began to moan his name repeatedly, increasingly euphoric, as if the words were a visceral expression of pleasure. The room echoed with your moans, he tries to push your head so you can let his cock free from your mouth but you hold your thighs tightly, feeling hot ropes of sperm in your throat, you swallow everything that Sam pours for you, without stop sucking him even more, even though he has already cum..

"honey, that's too much." He moans loudly from overstimulation as you continue working with his sensitive cock, he tries to push you away but he is out of strength from his recent orgasm. “pretty, I don’t…” a loud moan escapes his lips as he tries to stammer out the words. "I can't take it-" his breathing becomes even faster as he moans even louder, giving rise to his second orgasm. You insist on taking him until the last drop that comes out of that beautiful cock.

When you're sure you've done it, you slowly back away as you watch Sam recover. He looks at you with a mischievous smile on his face. "My God, you're perfect," Sam said with an amused tone and a hoarse voice, revealing a mixture of surprise and admiration. In response, you smile and go on top of him, fishing his lips in a wet kiss, sharing the taste of your own cock and cum with him. “You taste so good,” you say in a whisper as you continue to kiss Sam, sucking and biting his lower lips. Sam ran his hands over your body, taking off your clothes while you enjoyed his mouth with the best kiss you've ever tasted.

"I think mine comes from making you moan, don't you think?" He says with a smile, laying you down on the bed, climbing on top of you and running his tongue over your nipple, sucking it like a baby in search of your breast milk. Brushing his dick against your soaked entrance, he lifts his head to look at you and says, “Ready?” He asks with a horny smile, before you can respond, Sam shoves his entire length into your hungry hole, making you scream in a loud moan, the stretch giving you a pain that makes you arch your back. "Oops, it slipped.." he says with an amused tone. "I-Idiot.." you moan and he runs his finger across your lips. "Be quiet, pretty, you don't want your parents to come here, do you?" Sam teases and you remember that your parents are home, damn it, you completely forgot about that, but you have something more important to think about right now.

He immediately grabbed her hand and began to thrust hard and fast, dragging his tongue down her throat to her breasts and sucking them. Sam took his hand and lifted his head to lick his ear, speaking very softly in his ear. "Okay, pretty? I can do this all day." In response to his provocation, you let out an extremely loud moan, Sam covered your mouth and spoke. "Noisy bitch." He says with a mocking smile on his face. Sam kissed you, groping your breasts and pinching your nipples, making you shudder.

"Ah, pretty", he says between moans, "You're a complete mess, so perfect... my perfect girl."

He pulls you into a wet, dirty kiss and you whimper, drooling on his lips, your eyelashes fluttering as they touch your clit.

"Taking my dick so well with that perfect pussy.." He kisses you on the neck, giving light hickeys, never stopping to thrust hard inside you, reaching your sweetest spot, it doesn't take long for you to feel a familiar sensation in your core. "Sam.. I'm going to cum!" You say with a moan, your back arching as your chest rose and fell. Sam, upon hearing his words, pulls your legs to rest them on his shoulder and starts thrusting uncontrollably, making you scream even more, the impact noise of the meat hitting each other was loud and echoed throughout the room. “cum for me, perfect girl, pour your delicious honey on my dick” He says teasingly in your ear, he knows the effects it has on you. As you feel the knot in your core break, you moan Sam's name as you spill your cum onto his cock, after a few thrusts, Sam does the same to your pussy.

After the moment of ecstasy, Sam collapsed next to him, the bed serving as a silent witness to their shared emotions. Both tried to catch their breath, their sweaty bodies revealing the intensity of the encounter. The room, which had been too noisy, was now filled with silence, just the subtle echo of intertwined breaths, as tiredness transformed into a comforting feeling of shared intimacy.

Sam's gaze finds his pussy, which was dripping with both of your cum, and a smile forms on his lips. “Look at this,” he says looking at you, his lips find yours tenderly, he holds your chin gently. "You're perfect," he says, each word filled with appreciation. The intimacy of the moment transcends words, leaving only the sweet melody of shared connection in the air. "My perfect girl." , gently stroking your abdomen as he strokes your hair.

Sam looks at you with a smile after the shared moment. "Do you always have that amazing smile after a moment like that?"

"Maybe it's your ability to bring smiles." You respond jokingly.

Sam laughs softly, appreciating the answer.

"Well, I can only thank you for the inspiration. How do you feel now?" He asks and you reflect on the moment, expressing your feelings. "Like I'm floating on clouds, what about you?"

Sam shares the same sentiment. "The same. I think we managed to create something special here." Both recognize the uniqueness of the moment.

"Definitely."

As you enjoyed each other's caresses, a sound of footsteps echoes down the stairs, making you quickly look at Sam.

"Sam, you locked the door didn't you?" Sam looks at you confused, and for a brief moment, you share a look of mutual surprise.

"What? I thought you locked it."

[vanwritesfan-fiction]

Defamation of Character

Request: Enemies to lovers. Yn is a sports journalist and she’s never wrote anything favorable about Jalen but they meet at an event and the sexual tension is…there Requested by the beautiful @harlowcomehome

Warnings: language, use of derogatory terms (bitch)

A/N: I think this is the first enemies to lovers fic I've written, and who better for than Jalen?

"Y/N My office, please! Now!"

You'd just put down your lukewarm, breakroom coffee when you heard the croaky voice of your editor, John, behind you. You took a quick sip, the taste of burnt coffee beans lingering on your tongue as you rolled your shoulders back. You knew this was coming, but you thought you'd at least have the week before John would lay down the hammer with you.

You dumped your bag and coat down on top of your desk, careful not to disturb the disheveled piles of ESPN magazine issues you collected over the year, pages turned to your first articles as a sports writer, and the various notes you had scribbled on cocktail napkins and notebook paper. Your journalism methods were unorthodox, but they worked for you, as long as no one touched the piles.

You slowly made your way down the aisles of desks towards John's office, trying to delay the admonishing you knew you were about to get for as long as possible. For every good thing you heard about ESPN, ESPN magazine was exactly the opposite. A lot fewer bright lights and cameras, a lot more skeezy journalism. You passed row after row of other journalists and junior editors, desperate to find their next story, heads down with terrible posture as they frantically searched the web.

With the introduction of smart phones and social media, not only were you competing against every major news network and publication for a juicy story, you also also running against the clock with Henry from Sarasota, Florida, who happened to snap a picture of a Buccaneers player at their local bar and posted it to their Instagram. You had to be cutthroat if you wanted to make publication, and while it had made you a few enemies in the professional sporting industry, it was a risk you were willing to take.

"I swear to God you're trying to send me to an early grave." John let out a huff as he tossed a pile of papers in your direction as you took as seat opposite him. "Jalen Hurts? You just had to go after the NFL's prince, huh?" He pinched the bridge of his nose, but it did nothing to stop the nagging headache at the base of his skull.

"Oh good, you read it. Find any typos?" You gave him a cocky smirk, messing with the Derek Jeter bobble head on his desk. You flicked your fingers against the helmet, making the spring bounce around. Booiinngg "I was afraid it came off a bit speculative, but based on your response, it was right on the nose." Booiinngg

"Would you stop that?!". He snatched the figurine from the desk, tossing it into the trashcan. "When I gave you the editorial slot, it was supposed to be a simple profile on Jalen, not a hit piece!"

"I talked about his upbringing." You shrugged, sitting back in your chair.

"Oh yes", he snapped the paper straight, looking over the top of his glasses. "Its amazing how someone with such a humble upbringing as Jalen can turn into one of the most overrated quarterbacks of the last 10 years with his only claims to fame being the "tush push" and an inability to close out games."

"You hired me to tell a good story, not to kiss ass, John."

"No, I hired you because I owed your father a favor." Your face dropped as John balled up the piece of paper, landing it on top of the bobble head.

Your father was one of the best sports journalists of the last century, and you had done everything to make a name for yourself in an industry that just wouldn't let you forget you were a nepo baby. "Now, you've proved to be a good journalist, but if you keep picking fights with the people who keep us in business, we're gonna have a problem. I don't know if you've noticed, but print is essentially dead in the water. Everyone wants to get their news in 60 characters or less and this art form is quickly dying." You could tell John needed a stiff drink, even if it was only 8 o'clock in the morning.

You sat forward in your chair, resting your elbows on your thighs. You weren't one to be pushed around by a man, even if they did sign your paychecks. "You can't actually be blaming me for the state of this company."

"No, but it does mean that things are going to change around here", John muttered, his voice overpowered by the sound of the Redbull he was cracking open. He poured it into a coffee cup; obviously regular caffeine wasn't going to cut it today. Your heart dropped into your stomach at his confession. You'd heard whispers about layoff around the watercooler, but that's what they were, just rumors, and no one likes to talk like a journalist.

John let out a sigh as he looked at your face, concern evident. "I'm not supposed to tell anyone this, but I'm hoping this lights a fire under you." You perked up a the thought of fire, but he shot you down immediately, wagging a finger in the air. "This doesn't mean I want you to go out there unhinged. We're letting half the team go next week, but I haven't decided which ones are gonna go."

You knew that your seat was hanging in the balance. It wasn't a secret that you weren't the most popular person in the office, and until now, you couldn't have cared less. You're weren't here to make friends, you were here to be the best writer you could me. You'd definitely rubbed some people the wrong way, but honestly, fuck 'em. Connections meant even less to you now that you knew you were going to have less competition for prime spots in the spread.

"Ok, what do I have to do to stay here? I'll rewrite my article, try to make a Hurts a little more likeable. It'll be hard work, but I'll do my best." You were half joking, half serious.

John took a swig from his cup, finishing off his drink with a cough as the medicinal taste hit his taste buds. "No, if you pull another stunt like that, you'll be the first to clean out your desk. I have another assignment for you."

****

You let out a hard sigh as you placed the "PRESS" lanyard around your neck and made your way through the crowded tunnel beneath Lincoln Financial Field. You weren't exaggerating when you said that sideline reporting was beneath you. It's grunt work to put it nicely, and with the added potential for injury if a 300 pound lineman comes careening into the crowd, it was the last assignment you wanted today.

"Welcome fans to Lincoln Financial Field where the Philadelphia Eagles will face off against the Minnesota Vikings", the announcer's voice was muffled through inches of concrete. You pushed past drones of photographers and security as the crowd's roar shook the ground beneath your feet. Finally, you caught the fresh air as you reached the field. Even in your salty mood, you could admit that there was nothing quite as electric as stepping onto a football field. The energy surging through your body was unlike anything you've experienced and it was one of the reasons you stayed in this industry so long.

You slung your camera off your neck and bent down to take a couple of photos of the players stretching on the field. Once you were satisfied with your photos, you took a second to look through them. You took a subconscious step back as you saw a couple of players jogging past you into the tunnel and ended up colliding with a hard body.

"Ow!", you grimaced, rubbing your elbow that collided with hardened plastic. You turned on your heels to see the object of your hit piece standing behind you, his signature blinding white smile on display. "Excuse me, Ms. Nosey", Jalen chuckled as he hung his helmet underneath his arm. If you didn't hate his guts, that southern drawl might have pulled you in.

"Hurts, you planning on choking in the fourth quarter, or is that just something you reserve for playoff games?" You were stunned by your own words, the vitriol firing out before your brain could catch up. You caught the flash of hurt on his face before his features softened, once again, giving you a sincere grin that you really didn't deserve. "You have a nice day now." He left you standing on the sidelines, a pang of guilt hitting you in the chest. You shook it off, raising your camera to snap a picture of him as he reached the middle of the field.

****

The game was uneventful, the Eagles wiping the floor with Minnesota and much to your chagrin, you really didn't have much to write an article about. You knew John was just trying to get you off of his back without actually getting rid of you, at least for now, but it hurt to know that your talent could easily be condensed into a couple of sentences some guy would read to catch up on the game while they were taking their midday bathroom break.

You jotted down a couple of notes in your notebook so you wouldn't forget them while the field cleared out. It was at this point that you'd usually head to the locker rooms for post-game comments, but instead you were just going to head home early and finish your write up before the nights end.

Your focus was on your phone as you walked through the tunnel toward the parking deck. You were texting your friend to see if she wanted to grab drink when you heard the sound of laughter roaring to the right of you. You stopped in your tracks to read the PLAYERS LOCKER ROOM placard.

What could it hurt to sneak in and get a couple of quotes from Jalen? You weren't above editing your article to John's liking, especially when you knew what hung in the balance. You flashed your press badge to the security guard posted at the door and hid in the back of the crowd of journalists and videographers.

Of course they were all huddled around Jalen as he sat at his locker, he had a stellar performance tonight, and still he was as humble as ever, deflecting compliments from the reporters.

"Ya know man, its a testament to my team, they've always got my back", Jalen confessed, his toned body stretching the tight white undershirt he had on. You felt your stomach jump as he shed the tank, his ab muscles flexing as he took in a deep breath.

"But you've gotta admit, Jalen, there's no one with the yardage you've got, and your completions put you in the top 10 quarterbacks of all time." You couldn't tell if it was a reporter speaking, or the president of the Jalen Hurts fan club. "I mean, you're just fantastic."

The chuckle you let out was louder than intended, a hush falling over the room as everyone turned to see who wasn't in agreement.

"There you are. My biggest fan!" Jalen laughed as he stood, the crowd parting as he made his way toward you. He towered over you, the mix of sweat and cologne flooding your senses. He had a way of making it feel like you two were the only two in the room, even though you knew all eyes were on you. "Liked what you saw out there?" The way he spoke, his cadence even and smooth, oozed confidence, and that pissed you off.

"Like I said earlier, you seem to reserve your biggest flops for when you're down to the wire. This was just a regular season game, I'm sure you'll rise to the occasion when the time comes." You could hear the snickers and uncomfortable shuffles around you; it wasn't often you got a front row seat to see a lowly journalist go toe to toe with an NFL great.

One thing you had to admit, was this guy was calm under pressure. Even as the crowd dispersed, his gaze was focused on you, sizing you up of sorts. "Did I do something to piss you off?" She stroked at his jawline, his chest rising and falling evenly with each breath.

"Is it really a surprise that not everyone is a fan of you?" You pulled out your phone to start recording your conversation. Jalen stopped you just as you were about to press the large red button on the screen. "I'm not interested in giving you a soundbite that you can manipulate for your next story. You scoffed, rolling your eyes. "Its not manipulation when you're telling the truth. Maybe its just not what you want to hear."

"Whatever you say", Jalen turned to walk back to his locker. You found yourself staring as he shed his football pants, his toned backside on display. You turned out of embarrassment, closing your eyes as you held your phone of your shoulder towards him. "Listen, if you have a problem with my article, you're welcome to dispute it with the organization. It wouldn't be the first time."

You couldn't see it, but you knew he tensed up at your jab. Jalen had a history of stifling stories that he didn't agree with. He sighed as he pulled his shirt over his head. "If you're talking about the Men's Health spread, I wasn't gonna let them slander my family."

"Whatever you say", you repeated in a mocking tone.

"You don't know nothin' about me, and still you hate me. Why is that?"

"I never said I hated you."

"What'd you call it then?"

"Healthy skepticism." Jalen let out a humorless breath. "You don't even know me."

"Oh I know you. You think that everything belongs to you. That you deserve everything. I know everything I need to know about you." You felt a push at your shoulder, forcing you to turn around and face him. "You're just like every other guy." You avoided eye contact. Even if you didn't care for Jalen Hurts, your vagina wouldn't let you deny he was fuckin' gorgeous.

You tried to remain stoic as he studied your face for a second. "You know what?", the smirk on his face had your head spinning. "I'm throwing a fundraiser this weekend, and I could use a plus one." You scoffed as you pressed stop on your phone. "Are you asking me out on a date?"

"You? Of course not." You felt the sting from his rejection. "But I think that I deserve a chance to show you that I'm not the guy you think I am." You had a hard time believing that a fundraiser full of rich oligarchs was going to change your mind about Jalen, but you had to admit you were interested. "And if I say yes? Purely for the journalism of it all?"

Jalen chuckled as he slung his bag over his shoulder. "Then you'll have a good meal and get to take a break from being such a bitch." You stumbled back as he walked past you, a look of shock on your face. "If you think I'd ever go to an event as your date, you're crazy!" You yelled after him, shoving your equipment into your bag with a huff.

"What an asshole."

****

The next morning you arrived to the office with a raging hangover, the result of two many espresso martinis as you vented to your friend about your interaction with Jalen. He completely rubbed you the wrong way, leaving a nasty feeling you just couldn't shake off. You struggled to get out a bed after staying up late and trying to finish your article on him in a drunken stupor. You didn't even want to think about the editing your work was going to need now.

You barely noticed the whispers and stares as you walked to your desk, nursing a double espresso you picked up on the way in. You felt your phone vibrate in your back pocket, and read the notification that your friend sent you with a link to a TikTok video with a frantic message to "LOOK AT THIS NOW!", but it'd have to wait, you had a briefing in 15 minutes.

You stopped in front of your cubicle at the sigh of the two dozen red roses that were taking most of the space on your desk.

You hadn't been on a date in months, and you weren't the type to garner a secret admirer, so you had no idea who these could have been from. Luckily, the small white card would answer any of your questions pretty quickly.

You unsheathed the card, which was scrawled with prefect calligraphy.

"Jalen Hurts and the KB Foundation invite you to the 2nd Annual Dinner and Gala in support of the foundation's effort to honor the children of Philadelphia. Drinks will start at 6pm followed by Dinner at 8pm. Dress Code is Black Tie."

You bit at your lip as you read the card over a few times. You thought that Jalen was just fucking with you when he extended the invite in person yesterday, and he couldn't seriously think you'd actually attend. You tossed the card and envelope on top of the never ending pile of papers and placed the flowers on a neighboring empty desk.

You were just opening your computer when you heard your name shot from across the office.

"Y/N! Get in my office NOW!" It had to be some sort of personal record, the number of times you'd been called into John's office in the last couple of weeks. You grabbed your notebook and cup of coffee and shuffled to his office with your tail between your legs.

He slammed the door behind you as soon as you stepped foot in the room. "You have some fuckin' explaining to do!"

You sat down, getting comfortable for another one of his lectures. "John, if this is about the flowers, I didn't know he was going to send them. I already got rid of them. I know you don't like joy-"

"Will you stop with the juvenile one-liners?! This isn't about some fuckin' flowers. It's about this." He turned his laptop in your direction. On the screen a video of you and Jalen standing in the middle of the Eagles locker room was playing over and over. You didn't need to hear the sound, you remembered exactly what was said. "I can explain." You swallowed repeatedly to get rid of the lump in your throat to no avail. "I know this doesn't look good."

"You're damn right it doesn't look good!" John huffed and ran a hand through his greasy brown mop. "It looks so bad, we've had our press rights revoked at Lincoln. Turns out they don't take too kindly to press fighting with the players."

"John, there's got to be some way to fix this. I can take an extra assignment, get on my knees and beg." You regretted ever stepping foot in the locker room now.

"You're right, there is a way to fix this." John sat down at his desk, adjusting himself in his seat and closing his laptop. "You're fired."

You thought you were going to pass out. This couldn't be happening. "John, please, I know I can make this right."

"Its too late for that, Y/N. Pack your stuff up and security will escort you to your car."

[i-who-has-never-had-a-name]

I know a lot of people hate those "sad girl books" like my year of rest and relaxation and the bell jar and think their overrated, but there's a reason their popular: A lot of books with female characters written by female authors tend to be Mary sues. They are strong and rebellious, yet have a heart of gold, they perfectly fit into the western beauty standard, yet are humble about it. Why do female authors write such one-dimensonal characters? Because women are expected to be perfect in everything. To be beautiful, nice, kind, strong, heterosexual, funny, hard-working etc. bc as an afab person you will always be judged and never get the same amount of recognition as your male peers. This is why there are so many more Mary sues than Gary stus. But the problem is that no afab person like that exists and media like that sets unrealistic standards, that are especially damaging to younger readers. A lot of teenagers are imperfect and mentally ill and those sad girl books give them what they need. Those female protagonists are imperfect, make mistakes, are often weak and a lot of the times are downright insufferable. But they reflect the reality of being an afab person so much more, they express the pain we have in us growing up in a world where we're not wanted. Those books also prove that women too can be morally grey or bad and lazy persons.

I hope you understand why they are gaining popularity.

[solarwynd]

Hi!

Thank goodness I was "able to catch you" while your asks are still open. I'm new army (does being into bts for a year and half now count as "new"?) and I've noticed how armys or other members' solos seem to always have a problem with jimin specifically? Yesterday pjms were talking about how jimin was dragged last year for appearing on the big screen at yoongi's show only for it to turn out that Yoongi was the one who wanted it

Now I've noticed that it's always Jimin who gets such reactions. When he goes to support one of his members, they say he's an attention seeker trying to steal the other's shine. I saw the Hobipalooza reactions live, when it was reported that Jimin was on his way to see Hobi, people were so mad. They were sure he'd try to take over Hobi's stage and make the show all about him. Also when he was seen with Jk on the streets of New York, they called him a leech. And when Taehyung had a show (I can't remember what it was but it was when Taehyung had the silver hair) they said the same thing

I haven't been in the fandom that long I think but Jimin has never once struck me as the kind of person to be envious of others and deliberately take their spotlight or turn attention towards himself. Instead he is the one who supports his members the most and doesn't ever differentiate between them.

What breaks my heart the most is that you don't see such reactions when it's any other member visiting the others and supporting them. I've never seen others being accused of trying to steal a member's spotlight when they go to visit them while they are busy with a show. You might see a member being called a leech but it's only done in regards to a ship. "Oh he's just doing this to feed the delulu" but never the way Jimin is accused of doing.

All the members solos don't always have a problem with each other's faves. But when it comes to Jimin it's like they've all established that he's the enemy. Jjks and kths never hate on each other's faves the way they hate on Jimin. Rapline stans claim to have a disdain for Maknae Line for being privileged since debut and being overrated while their faves are overlooked, but if you see their hate tweets, it's all directed at Jimin while the other two seem practically non-existent to them. They were just vile and awful during FACE era accusing Jimin of payola and getting fraud achievements, they'd be at it for WEEKS, but when Jungkook actually got all that it was silence. The few who did speak out about did it with such a nonchalant vibe like they were obligated because they don't wanna be called out as hypocrites by pjms. And they only spoke of it once while for Jimin it looked like they didn't sleep just to keep the trend going.

It's just so bizarre and very sad. How there are so many people who are unable to see how Jimin is being treated, baffles me. Because even during my first week getting into BTS I'd find comments that would make me side eye. Jimin would be praised and armys would have a "okay can we move on" vibe about it and even comment "ooh you should see Hobi. Now that's dancing/JK has the most beautiful voice/Taehyung has the best stage presence" and the classic "ALL members are good on stage, ALL of vocal line have unique voices, ALL of BTS suppor each other not only one" but when any other member is praised they enthusiastically agree and even talk about more stuff said member is good at or their "iconic" moments, there's no comparison, no "but" no "all of them" comments. How does anyone else not see this?

Why is Jimin treated like a rival of BTS instead of one of its members? What did he do?

He didn’t do anything. People fear Jimin’s gravitational pull because it throws things off balance.

Rational people know Jimin has never been and isn’t an attention seeker. He’ll highlight and praise people ahead of himself (often at his own expense) because he’s humble. But irrational people find him the complete opposite and it’s not to any fault of his own, it’s just because people are naturally drawn to him. He’s an attention hogger. That’s what these people are really getting at. He doesn’t have to do much to have all eyes on him and that’s to the detriment of the other members whose stans feel like they’re superior to Jimin but don’t command that same interest as he does. (There’s even an older video of th calling him out on needing to tone it down) That’s why people think Jimin purposefully tries to upstage the other members, but it just turns out that way because he’s the best performer out the bunch. 🤷🏾‍♀️

Best example would be that same yg concert you mentioned. Jk went the day before Jimin and there wasn’t that much noise, (outside of armys). Then in comparison, when Jimin came the next day, the hype and anticipation was astronomical. Hit tweets everywhere. Everybody was talking about his LC stage and that Tony Montana pop up. And that’s where the insecurity started to seep through from different corners. Nobody had any reservations about Jk performing the day prior yet with Jimin all of a sudden it became an issue. Yg stans kept reiterating how jimin was at his sold out tour. Armys acting like jimin was a stranger that yg graciously allowed to perform, and of course jjk’s who were pissed because jimin’s day made more noise than jk’s did. (Also that the infamous “I heard you guys are having more fun today than yesterday line) I never took it as a direct jab at jk, obviously. He was referencing what yg said earlier I believe, but he still wasn’t wrong. You watch the vid of his LC performance and you listen to those fan chants? You can tell that they were it’s just the truth.

Another non bts example is something that recently happened at a Dune premiere with Zendaya and Timothee where she got that really cool robot archive pull. There was a Timothee stan that got mad because Zendaya was the talk of the night and nobody was really paying attention to him. Calling her an attention seeker as well and claiming that she did it to get people to focus on her. But you see how crazy that sounds? Zendaya is known for her outstanding looks just like Jimin is known for his performances and stage presence. They don’t have to put any extra effort into getting seen. Everybody was already gonna be focused on them anyway because of who they are. Neither one of them can help that they’re impactful, but people take it as a negative because they believe that they’re taking up too much attention and they feel like the person they stan is getting left behind.

It’s just like in the initial years of when BTS was really blowing up and you’d see kpop stans every under hit tweet or YouTube comment. Trying to promote their own favs get some recognition. Or when they’d get mad when whenever somebody mentioned kpop all they’d know was BTS. Exactly why you have all these ex armys running around so resentful towards them because they were obsessed with the underdog story. BTS didn’t fit that mold anymore. They went to find a group that was unknown and realized they’ll remain that way because BTS and kpop still go hand in hand. Some people are adverse to super popular things. They always have to tear it/them down. Nitpick and find something to devalue it or claim they don’t deserve their spot because someone else does. That’s why people hang onto jimin’s vocals for dear life and over exaggerate their response to any mishap he may have. They need something to knock him down a peg and keep him at ground level. It’s basically a way to placate themselves by framing it like it “he might be popular but he’s still imperfect as a performer.”

Armys also don’t do the unanimous ”they’re all good” for BTS out of respect for them as a group, because (as we’ve seen) they have no issue speaking in hyperbole for other members. They just have to neutralize the praise jimin gets because it’s a way to take away from the spotlight put on him so he doesn’t shine as much. Another tactic kpop stans used to use, but armys conveniently act like they haven’t also acquired. They’ll use the guise of the OT7 umbrella to make it look like jimin getting his dues doesn’t bothers them, but realistically they know each bts member does not have equal talent. Some have their strong suits and in other areas they lack. With Jimin, people can talk about that encore all day and barring the unwarranted hate boner towards him, they still can’t truthfully say Jimin can’t sing at all because he can. His vocal color is unique and pretty. (people can have their preferences for others, not a problem.) and it caries a certain Je ne sais quoi that makes him that much more alluring.

Jimin’s just a powerhouse all on his own. Hybe knows it, armys know it and kpop stans know it. That’s why they all restrict, undermine or berate him at every turn (respectively). As long as Jimin is Jimin, he’s gonna be a threat and the anomaly, similar to how BTS was but on an individual level.

[w4yf1nder]

day 3000 of wren using fanfic as therapy (im just really weirdly philosophical you guys)

scaramouche is a concept.

kunikuzushi is sweet, a little on the mellower side. his smiles are gentle but tinged with a melancholy that can't seem to be scrubbed away no matter how hard he tries because his heart is too big for his body.

but scaramouche? scaramouche is ruthless. he says what is on his mind, he is respectable although feared. cold, calculating, hard as stone.

he is everything that kunikuzushi has ever wanted to be.

this manifested in the way he presented himself to you. he would do anything to seem cooler than he actually is. puffing his chest out, holding his head high, calling you a mere mortal who should be humbled to be in his presence, but the more he speaks to you, the more kunikuzushi bleeds through. bleeds through the cracks of scaramouche's exterior, softening the edge of his own words.

he's scared out of his mind when he realizes that he's capable of kindness because it forces him to accept his own cruelty, but how can he live with that when his heart is too big for his body? the heart that doesn't exist. what motivates that kindness? is it guilt or naivety? hes turned these questions over in his head for centuries with not an answer in sight.

he wonders what it is that you find so appealing about him, who it is that you find so appealing about him. is it the cruel scaramouche or the broken kunikuzushi? or the broken, messy mishmash of the two that exists somewhere on that continuum that somehow misses the mark to live up to the greatness of either. that line which he walks everyday, because he knows in his non-existent heart (or the back of his synthetic mind) that he is in fact nothing but a concept in the end.

a concept that never came to fruition and spent his time trying to find the meaning of life in places where it doesn't dwell.

you've told him a thousand times that it matters not what life means or where times goes because you have the here and now, but in a moment it will be the there and then. and what then? what meaning would you find in it then if you're not actively seeking out meaning at every moment?

"that's...a loaded question, love." you laugh nervously, when he asks you that question. face blank, this must be scaramouche.

he doesn't seem phased at all, exhausted perhaps of asking the same questions all the time, but also a little curious. you always have something interesting to say.

"well?" he asks and you can't respond, or perhaps you don't, either way he can't tell. he doesn't know you (or even himself, it would seem).

"i don't know." you reply simply and he snorts.

"then what do we know?" he asks, his voice taking on that sardonic tone that makes you think he's gonna start being insufferable again.

"we don't have to." you say.

"why?"

"it doesn't matter." you respond, "meaning is overrated anyway."

silence.

"i can't decide if you're just really stupid or really edgy."

"both, both is good."

taglist: @mccnstruck, @aloveletter, @ataraxyystories, @oshitgirlie, @kazeyu @i23kazu, @merzkihstuff (send an ask to be added!)

[igglemouse]

Episode 2 ~ The Approach

"So hows it going in that one horse town?" Araceli asks, thinking if there was one person who she had it better than then it was Emma. After all, Emma was forcing herself to live in a town that Araceli thought defined 'flyover' territory and yet she could tell by the smile on Emma's face that she was actually enjoying it.

"It's not so bad," Emma confirmed and a little smugly, knowing that Araceli was far too vain to ever live humbly like she could. "The people are nice, there's a community feel to it that simply does not exist for a big city like San My."

"Yeah..." Araceli thought community was overrated. She was a social creature but that did not mean she actually LIKED most of the people she interacted with. "You're really going to stay down there for a whole year mama?"

"Yes, that's the plan! It's my entire gimmick, isn't it? Besides, it's really not a one horse town. There are actually a lot of horses-"

"Hard to tell, you've been there for half a season and you've barely made any posts about it? Enjoying the square dancing a little too much?"

"Yeaaa..." Emma paused for a moment, deciding that she would not reveal the real reason she wasn't posting. The town didn't like it, at least that’s what the Gardner boy told her. "I'll get to posting more soon, don't worry!"

"Next year you should do San My and we could do a collab!"

"I've done San My!" and so many people had vlogged in that city that she thought there wasn’t anything left to explore there. "Tomarang is what I have my eyes on, would have to learn a new language though."

"Mama you need to stop messing around and settle down some place!"

'Eventually...' Emma thought, reaching out to adjust the volume on her screen but being interrupted by a banging on the door.

Episode List - Next

[librarycards]

VB: Once, after listening to a text of mine mixing French and English, a first-year US student said reproachfully: “I didn’t understand the parts in French; I felt alienated.” I replied something like: “Relax! It’s okay, and liberating, not to understand sometimes and to realize that reality escapes in the form of languages one doesn’t know.” It’s also humbling to know that myriads of unknown or unidentified languages construct alternative realities. So, yes, there’s a need to reassert that opacité can be generative, totally! On the purely editorial side: Mosadeq pushed us to publish Recovery with some French in it, just like Récupérer had some English. The “tests” were written directly in English. EM: Understanding is vastly overrated! For one thing, it can make us stick with what we already know or “almost know”—that is, what coincides with our prejudices—and where’s the fun in that? I prefer the lostness, the sense of reinventing myself, that comes from reading cacophonically polylingual texts such as Recovery. These texts meet me where I actually “am,” where I am “being.” Can you comment on queer practice and its relation to translation, even within one language? Does being gay/queer/lesbo—as we both and each are—have an attentional effect on writing and language practice that makes verisimilitude already always suspect? VB: Although some say that queerness doesn’t change anything of the writing experience, I think that practicing opacité is in part linked with the experience of not fitting in because I’m gay/queer and often reminded that I don’t belong. Plus, there are things about queer desire—however that absolute singular and the singularity of that desire are antithetical to each other—and queer practices of total exhibition of the self while hiding it that fundamentally change our relation to fidelity, to the shifty contexts of language and languages, and to the way we build new techniques of the body for ourselves. Part of my writing comes from a fundamental need to make cheer because we’ve been and sometimes still are so close to the catastrophic social and mental consequences of being other. We’ve been through the melancholy of refusal, and so the urge is to free oneself from intimidations and intimations. Making cheer means a politics, questioning verisimilitude, finding ways to continue the fluidity that inhabits us, whoever we are.

Vincent Broqua Interviewed by Erín Moure, A book and its translation engage in a “serious lightness” across languages and categories.

[roguishcat]

Chasing perfection

Chasing perfection is not only impractical but mostly unattainable. Instead of boosting our achievements, it shrinks them. Why? Because when we aim too high, "failure" becomes the norm, chipping away at our self-confidence bit by bit. But then again, maybe perfection is overrated. (Astarion/Tav)

Pairing: Astarion/(Fem)Tav

Word count: 2k

Part 1/10

She hated when he looked at her this way. As if he knew exactly what she was doing.

At first, she thought that she was just being paranoid. But now she was almost certain that he knew.

On the day when she woke up on the beach and realised that she was thrust straight into some kind of adventure novel, she knew that she would be absolutely useless. Everyone in their motley crew had some kind of skill, they brought something to the table. Her upbringing did not come with any skills required to survive in the wilderness, with or without a tadpole guest in their brain. Because she was raised to ensnare a husband, bare children, and keep a grand house functioning perfectly for the said husband and children. She did not know how to cook or even build a fire, had no clue how to pitch a tent, and was woefully inadequate when it came to combat or magic of any kind.

She was good at getting people to do what she wanted though.

So, when it was her turn to cook, she asked Gale to tell her once again that simply charming story about the time he almost burned down the library or some other boyhood story that he was so fond of.

She did not actually care, but he did.

Gale would chuckle fondly at the memory, so eager to relive the good old times that he did not notice that it was actually him who prepared the meal, and she was merely going through the motions near him. She now knew far too much about his Tressym, mother, and other details of life in Waterdeep. But, it was worth it. Later in the evening, when she ladled the stew into bowls and handed it out around the campsite, she humbly brushed off her companions’ compliments. It was nothing much, really. It wasn’t that good. But it was. It was delicious because all she did was salt it a little towards the end. Gods know it would turn out burnt and undercooked if she was the one preparing the meal.

And that was her game in a nutshell. Notice details, exploit others for her benefit, be all smiles and compliments. It has been this way as far back as she could remember. She has never been good at anything, unimpressive in every way. But, somehow, growing up surrounded by the best of the best, she realised that it wasn’t the talented or the cleverest that would always get recognition. It was those who grabbed every opportunity, exploited every possibility and shamelessly pushed themselves to the forefront of others’ minds that always came out on top. So, she gained others’ trust, learned secrets, manipulated others into doing the work for her, and they happily let her take the credit for everything.

She knew it was objectively wrong, but quite frankly, boo-freaking-hoo. If they weren’t smart enough to see through her act, then they would get exploited anyway. And why shouldn’t she benefit from it in the meantime?

And so, she praised Wyll on his perfect fighting technique and got him to give her pointers. She knew that he might take her asking for sparring sessions as flirting, but what was the harm? He was a Ravengard, he probably had enough people fawning over him back in the city. And he was a little too good, too proper and righteous for her rotten self anyway. After a while, she moved on to Lae’zel, all smiles as she excused herself when Wyll came by her tent. Because of course she was such a ditz, she completely forgot that he asked her to come by, but she couldn’t possibly upset Lae’zel now. She would gladly spar with him tomorrow.

This was how pretty much everyone, everyone but one annoying elf, did everything that she required of them. She got reasonably good at casting a limited number of spells, good enough with a dagger and a bow not to get killed in a fight, still completely rubbish at cooking. And every single time she approached someone with a request; he would be watching. She knew she was good at what she did, but he could practically write a book on the subject. So, whilst everyone else was oblivious, she knew he could tell that she was a fraud.

At first it was nothing much, just a sly look here and there. But then came the comments. Oh, how she despised him in these moments!

“My, my. You seem to be getting awfully chummy with Lae’zel. Was it anyone but you, I would think that you caught feelings,” he mocked, looking down at her as she tried to lift herself off the ground after a particularly tough sparring session. “And for shame, leaving Wyll feeling all blue time and time again.”

She wiped her brow and faked a girlish giggle.

“Astarion, for shame!” she swatted at his arm playfully. “Someone might think you actually care.”

What was his deal anyway? What did he care? It wasn’t as if he was any better, he was just as rotten as she. Perhaps that was it. Like sees like an all that.

Except he was nothing like her because he was actually good at many things. Locks opened in seconds as he worked on them with quick and precise movements. He was a great shot and hardly ever missed. In fact, if he wasn’t, she would be dead three times over by now. He could sew and mend things so beautifully, with such careful stitches, that if they were back at the city, she would have hired him in a heartbeat. He mentioned in passing that he was a magistrate back in the city, which made her feel even more worried. The man saw through lies for a living! And to top it all off, his stupid, stupid, ridiculous good looks would set any living, breathing thing ablaze.

It just wasn’t fair.

Be that as it may, he wasn’t going to throw her off with his looks, or comments, or that annoying manner of his to hover nearby whenever she approached someone with a request. She would survive and make it home in one piece. Even if it meant that being calm around Astarion and not showing just how much he got under her skin was driving her absolutely mad.

The annoying part was that it made her a little less charming, a little more short-tempered or distracted with the others. Because now doing what she did best, being amicable and pleasant, charming and flirty, did not come as naturally. She started second guessing herself. Because if he could see through her lies, maybe the rest could too?

“A copper for your thoughts,” Gale’s voice startled her.

She blinked owlishly. “Sorry, I was a million miles away,” she smiled at him. “Do sit,” she patted the space next to her.

Gale smiled and lowered himself to sit beside her. 

“Yes, I can tell. This was the second time I asked.”

“Was it? Sorry. I- I’m just thinking about our little group.”

It wasn’t entirely untrue.

“About how much we’ve accomplished. About how much more we have to do,” she bit her bottom lip as she said that. It was a habit of hers, to bite her lips when she was worried or stressed. It drove her mother up the wall when she did that. Because cracked lips look so unattractive on a lady! She flicked her tongue out a little to check. No, not cracked yet.

“Well, we will get to the goblin camp by tomorrow,” Gale watched her bite her bottom lip and turned away when he saw the dart of her tongue through the briefest parting of her mouth. “Perhaps we will be able to find out more about the little guests in our brains. You should get some sleep.”

“Yes, goodnight,” she answered absentmindedly.

Gale looked like he wanted to say something else, but changed his mind and left without another word.

She sighed and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. Great. All that effort in making friends being undone in seconds. She would have to be extra attentive tomorrow to make up for it.

A tree branch crunched as Astarion approached the campfire.

“Well, if it isn’t our fearless leader. No doubt thinking about the strategy she will utilize tomorrow at goblin camp,” he mocked. Because he knew that she realised what he was referring to. He wasn’t speaking about strategies in combat. He was eager to see how else she would try to use their companions for her gain tomorrow.

“Oh, fuck off.”

“Tsk, language!” He wagged an elegant finger in front of her face, looking delighted at her little outburst. “Wouldn’t want anyone to think that our perfect, wonderful leader has a potty mouth.”

“Go bother someone else.”

“I would much rather bother you, actually, my beautiful fraud, if it’s all the same to you.”

“Do what you like.”

Because telling him to stop would likely have the opposite effect. If she acted disinterested, she could probably get him to leave faster.

“Well, isn’t it just splendid that what I’d like to do right now is stay right here. So, move over, darling. I will stay up with you, as you seem to be in no hurry to turn in for the night.”

She shot him a look full of distaste, but otherwise did not protest.

As Astarion sat down, his sleeve brushed against her bare arm, and she shivered involuntarily. It was just a breath of fabric, but she was so alert when it came to him, so aware of him being in her space, that it felt like her senses were completely on fire.

“I can’t sleep,” she cleared her throat a little. “It is much too hot.”

“Then why don’t you refresh yourself. The river is just there,” he pointed to the glittering expanse.

“You know what? I think I’m good just looking at it.”

“Nonsense! You will feel so much more refreshed after a dip. I know I would.”

She did not like his tone. Teasing and a little threatening at the same time.

Suddenly he pushed her, and she fell backwards and into the water, squealing in a most undignified manner.

She came up sputtering, completely soaked and even more frazzled than before. She shot him a murderous look. Astarion did not seem bothered in the least, laughing at her expense.

“Just what is your problem!” she hissed, struggling to climb onto shore because apparently chivalry was dead, and she was supposed to get out without any help at all.

At least she was just in her cotton shirt and trousers, rather than in her armor. When she finally did manage to flop ashore, acutely aware how that looked to Astarion, she marched straight up to him.

 “Fine! I know that I am not this perfect leader. We both know that I’ve been bulshitting my way through this since the word go. And yes, I’ve abused everyone’s trust to learn how to survive out here, and that is probably why for some reason they see me as capable. And I know full-well that I am not special, or talented, or much good at anything. And I also know that if you breathe even one word about this to anyone, I will deny it tooth and nail. And guess whom they will believe,” she finished with a smirk. She did not exactly have the upper hand, but at least she stunned him into silence. Except he wasn’t really looking at her face. Or rather he was trying but failing. Because whilst the night was quite warm, apparently-

“Hm, nippy tonight, isn’t it?”

She short-circuited. If goblin raiders came by at this moment, she would volunteer to be their pincushion and just die. But one did not show that one was embarrassed. So, instead of imploding there and then, she flicked her sopping wet hair into his face, lifted her chin defiantly and marched past him.

“Goodnight, Astarion.”

“My dear, I’m wounded by your dismissal. If this is a challenge, don’t imagine that I’m not up to it,” he laughed as he watched her walk away, her back stiff and her steps too hurried.

And it was in that moment that she decided that she most definitely, most certainly get her revenge. But that would be tomorrow. Because tonight she just needed to get changed and then scream into her pillow because he most certainly got under her skin, and they both knew it.

[liketwoswansinbalance]

I've figured it out! It may be obvious, but as a general rule, I would say:

Ever humor is self-deprecating when it's not posh, pleasant, or complimentary toward others.

Never humor is never self-deprecating but self-aggrandizing and often based in sheer arrogance and grandstanding when it's not absurdly dark.

Rafal would almost never say aloud anything that would make himself look bad, or put himself down. So, take your cues from him, in terms of self-promotion! Take after him to bolster your own self-esteem.

Supposedly, you may have heard being humble is overrated in a world where it's impossible to get noticed. However, being kind is not overrated.

Of course, there are exceptions to the characterization rule, Agatha, for instance: dark/fatalistic humor, Ever. Although, we may have seen Agatha mock her own incompetence as a queen at times, potentially in QFG? Thus, she's probably capable of both sorts of humor.

[joaofelix70]

joão's goals + celebrations from different angles and with a good quality to bless your lives.

i just think that words are too shallow and superficial to describe how proud i am of him. everyone always asked me "how can you be his supporter?". everyone always told me he was an overrated player, that i just like him because of his beauty (after all, according to them, he doesn't have any talent to admire). during the end of his time in atlético, i was really mocked for seeing him as a player who's very special. i watched people not even being his fans anymore.

his techniques and skills are beautiful. look at how focused, persuasive and resilient he is against the hate. besides his humbleness, cuteness and charisma. his life story, in general.

my portuguese, precious guy's such an inspiration to me and so many kids and young people around the world <333

[afunfunkytime]

fack you, go drink water- the northeast

so, my friends, i was given a request relating to the northeastern 'family' dynamics (@h4ndz4ey4z (: i hope this is what you wanted)

so the northeast fights. a lot. the longest time without a fight between them is under two hours.

however.

they care about each other<3

they refuse to act like it but they notice little things about each other, picking up on each others moods and tells for what's going on. they usually never acknowledge this but they know the others know

maine has his life pulled together the most and as the leader of the northeast, he is unofficially dad and thus ensures everybody drinks water and eats food

definitely has a few sneaky lobster rolls hidden on his person just to ensure his definitely not friends consume food

connecticut is a little bit of a workaholic, he likes to pretend he's put together but this man chugs red bulls hunched over a desk at 4:38AM with no intention of going to sleep. whenever he's caught doing this he is DRAGGED into bed, usually by new york because he's also definitely awake- butthatsinsomniaandhesNOTahypocrite,cut

vermont and new hampshire like to just take care of each other. theyre either best friends or boyfriends but hold hands regardless. they notice when the other is stressed immediately. louis and florida wish they were this in sync. they go camping together and cuddle under the stars until the stress is gone. new hampshire is serious about living free or dying, he refuses to be anything but free. vermont is not so chill but that's okay, kissies fix everything.

new jersey and rhode are highkey lowkey besties. both have anger issues and take it out with baseball bats and old furniture in the middle of nowhere. talking about your feelings is overrated in their humble opinions, breaking shit is absolutely not. fuck up your enemies. theyre aggressive homies, refuse to hug but they are always there to work shit out with each other.

massachusetts will fucking make you drink water. he will. nobody kills you but him. he'll help with northeastern states paperwork when theyre stressed, hes a nerd and uses it well. also wont hug but he gives angry helpful advice. "if hes facking breaking your heart, facking break his kneecaps. or break up. i dont facking care, ill just facking dispose the body" definitely committed several crimes for the sake of his absolutely not friends

PA is like the only northeastern state who will hug the others. not often enough for it to be a thing, they all think each other are all sewer rats, but he'll do it if they need it. his pockets are filled with snacks because he knows these hoes don't eat, and chocolate makes massachusetts slightly more tolerable. florida doesnt call him papa just because of his abbreviation, PA has a habit of giving dad lectures to the rest of the northeast. has called rhode 'kiddo' more than once.

new york totally hates them. definitely. absolutely doesn't shove water bottles into their hands and go out of his way to get them pizza from their states. he'd never dream of buying mass dunks when he's hungover. would rather die than make new jersey go to sleep when he catches him up at 2am watching vampire diaries. he says as he does all of these things. big softie, they are his rats.

mary and delaware are honourary northeastern states (apparently they are in the south which is bullshit in my humble opinion). mary is that wine mom that straightens up their clothes and lets them angrily vent whilst he watches golden girls. goes fishing with maine whenever both feel cooped up in the statehouse. can pinch rhode islands cheeks without being bitten. delaware is less affectionate but as the oldest state he feels he should take a kind of responsibility over his horrible little 'children'. he checks in on them every day, kinda like the 'are ya winning son?' guy. particularly likes doing paperwork in silence with connecticut. appreciates presence, not words. words are for losers.

TLDR: rats with anger issues care about each other

mwah congrats if you read this whole thing

[oscconfessions]

I hate how almost every BFDIA prediction has Coiny winning in them. Are we really this predictable chat??

[BFDIA 12 SPOILERS] I don't fw with coiny winning because in my opinion it just doesn't really change anything. Oooh wow, it's a winner from first season BFDI who is closely tied to the earlier winner from that timeline. Really?? Can't we have something new??? Come on chat. As much as I love the arc of Pin and Coiny, I'd much rather have Pin win. Coiny often just feels like a very insensitive character and honestly just reminds me of an middle school student in general. Yeah, he has his moments but I don't need him winning this season. I hate how Pin and Coiny are big favorites over the other characters. Like, some of y'all can't handle a single inconvenience happen to your favorite without starting to hate the cause of it, right now Bomby. Bomby's probably going to get out (He might, but the votes are so close with Nickel it's unclear) of this even while being a good character. But I know damn well some of y'all are going to brush him off as nothing as all you pay attention to is your *pin*point favorites. Died in 2019 (BFB 14-16), reborn in 2024. Welcome back dumbass viewers. But my hate for Coiny could be also because of my preference of team no name, soo.. I'm just thinking that he's overrated in a nutshell. He's occasionally quite insensitive towards Pin and the other characters, but I guess he has that charisma to keep you all hanging onto him. I dislike him because his charismatic (and personality) aspects feel very generic to me. It kind of pisses me off, which is kind of making me hate him.

I hope that least next episode, the most disliked characters could get some screen-time that could change viewer's minds a bit. I find it a bit annoying how focused the community is on Coiny's and Pin's arc, but I guess it makes sense. Well, BFDIA's going to be very unpleasant to watch if the results are what has been predicted but oh well.

(If you have a good reason to favorite Coiny, then great! You do you. This is my very humble opinion and I apologize if this upsets you in any way.) - ball anon

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[joshleyson]

JULY DUMP PT. 1 // Last July for me was a hectic, whirlwind kind of a month but in a good and a very refreshing way. I was fortunate enough to take paid time off for 3 weeks (imagine that!) to basically reconnect with my good old friends all the way in Zamboanga and also be able to do what I always love doing which is going to the beach trips and eat my heart out. Though I have to endure six flights in those three weeks going back and forth to Zamboanga - Boracay - Bohol and flying back to Manila in between, I feel like those days were like the longest days of my life.

I flew to Zamboanga and spent 3 days there attending a close friend’s wedding as one of the groom’s men and I’m so happy that I get to have a staycation with them. Keyword: Low maintenance friendships! My heart is full as we share our peaks and valleys and hear their stories in the eight years that we’ve never seen each other after we graduated college. It reminds me how important it is to surround yourself with the right people, especially in one of those crucial moments in your life that somehow plays a big factor that determines your destiny and the career that you want to achieve. Also, seeing my friend tie the knot reminds me how 8 years can sometimes feel like a snap of a finger.

☾

I went back to Manila just to unpack some of my things and flew right away back to Boracay. Going to the island in July is a hit or miss. Since it’s a rainy season, there’s a possibility that the weather could just ruin everything. But just like before when I also went to the island in the same month, I am so lucky that the sun was up and burning like a thousand fires that evoked an extended summer vibe. The blue waves, white sand and lush coconut trees never get old for me. I must say a legit chill place no matter how much some people would tag the island as somewhat overrated. I don’t care. LOL. This is like my 5th time on this island but I would say this one is quite special. I get to stay longer which is almost a week and I booked a 4-star hotel all for myself. A total self-care spree where I never really thought about work or anything from Manila but just me enjoying the beach and the scenery while also rereading a book called “The Power of Now” by Eckhart Tolle which you may want to explore especially when you’re traveling like being stuck in an airport for example. Though the book has concepts and insights that I find myself to be resisting on, somehow it was a great companion guide in my trips as it talks about living in the now and being present more than ever.

☾

(Obligatory jump shot in Bohol’s man-made forest. I thought this was a park! But this is actually a public highway with highspeed vans and busses so take a pic at your own risk ⚠️ )

After a week in Boracay, I flew back to Manila to work for like 3 days and went straight to Bohol and also stayed there for a week in a very peaceful villa near Alona Beach in Panglao. Such a famous tourist destination but I have actually never been there before. But I’m gonna save my Bohol adventure in the next blog posts soon as I’m a bit of a slow burner and a slacker at the same time in terms of blogging things. This blog post was just made out of necessity as I have free time today. I still have a regular job that I need to attend to finance and to be able to do this again in the future! Come on! LOL I don’t have that much expectation when I went there as I was still in Boracay high with my already sunburnt skin but I enjoyed the trip so much. Seeing Chocolate hills and being able to drive an ATV around there was so much fun aside from frying my skin even more with their beautiful, blue-watered beaches. Definitely balik balik sa Bohol as what locals always say.

☾

I documented this 3-week adventure in a Kodak film camera and I’m very excited as well how they will turn out. I never felt so refreshed after wandering to these places and just being able to disconnect from the busy life in the Metro. It was truly another humbling experience and makes me want to work hard, even more, to be able to do this again! :) Oop. I think I wrote too much for what was supposed to be a quick proof of life update. I definitely don’t have time and the energy to proofread this so apologies for my incoherent relay of stream of consciousness. What you have just read is just me being grateful in summary. *Queue star-crossed album by Kacey Musgraves*

Sunburnt but still wearing my SPF 30s every day,

J. 

(Photos of cute and friendly local cats. Today is International Cats Day! 🐱 On the left is Colby from a local hostel bar in Boracay and on the right from Virgin Island in Bohol)

☾

Connect with me  IG & Twitter @joshleyson 

[randadrives]

An overview: Moab pt 2

I arrived at a good time of year, as July and August are the hottest months for the area. Tourist season is known to be the months of May and October. The weather is mild then, but the crowds are plentiful. I hadn’t realized that people from all over would be visiting, considering it took me so late in life to learn about it! Parked behind my tow trailer the first night was a converted semi-truck full of about 50 people from Germany touring the U.S. The main reasons for this would be the National Parks. Southern Utah has what is known as The Big or Mighty Five: Zion and Bryce Canyon toward the west side of the state, Capitol Reef more in the center, and Moab’s own Canyonlands and Arches. Delicate Arch, found in Arches, is the image of what most people think for Utah, being on the license plate and on several versions of the Utah quarter. I visited both Canyonlands and Arches twice, and Capitol Reef once, so I can speak for those but not the others yet. Unpopular opinion, but Canyonlands, slightly southwest of Moab, is my favorite of those three. The vast sights, the deep canyons, the wildlife, the diversity in colors of the rocks, and the hikes along the rims are breathtaking. It’s a large park, which I didn’t realize before my first visit, and it is separated into districts. I have only visited the Island in the Sky district, and the White Rim Overlook trail was a fantastic choice if you can only do one there. I also hiked the Mesa Arch trail, which is another famous spot in the state, as well as Grandview Point. There are plenty of pull offs along the main drive to see the views if not hiking, and there are more difficult hikes, as well as some back country hiking, which I plan to make it back there for. While visiting I was ecstatic to just drive and see the crows, ravens, mule deer, and lizards. The most popular park, next to Zion, is Arches, named for being home of over 2,000 natural stone arches. During the busy time of year, Arches requires a timed entry reservation to enter between the hours of 7:00 am and 4:00 pm. I always made sure to get there well before 7, as the crowds have already started early to take in the phenomenal sunrise views. In addition, beating the heat was important to me. I’d make it a habit to start a hike by 5:30 am and be done for the day by 8:00 am, just to avoid the soaring temperatures. There is no shade to be found in this park. I ended up hiking to Delicate Arch twice, as I had some visitors who wanted to experience it. I think I’ve seen most of the main arches that can be accessed along the main road, and did most of the shorter hikes. Honestly, this may be controversial, but Arches NP is slightly overrated IN MY HUMBLE OPINION. Don’t get me wrong, it’s cool. Especially the first time. The rock formations are wild and most of the time it feels like you’re in Jurassic Park. I have an appreciation for it, but I won’t go out of my way to go back again. I do encourage everyone to go once and decide for yourself where it ranks! The crowds and sharing the hiking trail with so many tourists was not appealing. I’m not sure if the off season would be better, but it does get cold in that area and I’m not a cold weather hiker. Also, there is a 100 ft tall phallic-shaped rock seen from the road called “The Phallus.” If that doesn’t make you want to go, I’m not sure what will. Last, but definitely not last in ranking, was Capitol Reef. I did not have high expectations because honestly no one had given me the suggestion to go, and I didn’t hear people talk about it much. It was a bit of a drive so I stayed at a campground in Hanksville, UT. Hanksville is in the middle of nowhere, I did not have great cell service, but it was beautiful and I had a nice, refreshing time there with just myself and the dogs away from the hustle and bustle of Moab for a couple days. I was told ahead of time to make sure to get some pie while I was there, and after a bit of research I found that I needed to visit the Gifford Homestead to purchase said pie.

Go to part 3!