#blue heck dot com

[tortoisesshells]

this is, hands down, the funniest possible spambot follower.

[shockdingo]

Starting Over II - Video Essays are Fighting in the Streets!

In my last post I made mention that the Bird app scrapped my page out of the blue, so I figured I'd start over and introduce or re-introduce you all to me & my works over here! I'm a voice actor by trade, but one of my main passions is making Video Essays. I LOVE Street Fighter and tend to make several videos about it; it's a funny thing, it's got a surprising amount of interesting story details & lore, but localization troubles in the 90s affected its spread.

First up is the video that got me into video essaying:

"Man of Mystery"

For years I had speculated about the mysteries of the Street Fighter universe with fellow lore fans on the Shoryuken dot com forums, eventually I wanted to put my findings out into the world and make them easier to consume, thus I thought of a pilot to a YT series!

One of the more obscure of the Street Fighter roster, Q immediately caught my attention. First appearing in the last edition of SF3 - Street Fighter 3rd Strike, Q immediately had people scratching their heads:

"Is that a robot?"

"What's his deal?"

"Fedoras? Those'll never catch on, now Trilby's? I sense the 2000s are gonna love 'em!"

In the 20+ years since his debut, little has been revealed about Capcom's Combat Cryptid, buuut with a critical eye, you can notice some rather interesting details and a possible connection to a non-playable character named David Spender. Check out the vid for a dive into mystery!

G& Q: The Golden Question!

This was a follow up to Man of Mystery and solidified my love of video essays! Street Fighter V dropped a rather striking and strange DLC character 5 years ago, he became known as G, the self-titled President of the World! This video focused on the early, pre-release speculation; when details emerged, people like myself noticed more than a few passing similarities to ol' Q and thus, I threw my thinking cap on, covered myself in gold dust, downed some tea and got to crafting this video!

G & Q: Fool's Gold!

The fantastic follow up! When Capcom sent El Presidente to the world stage it only went to solidify possible ties to G & Q. While more mystery than answer was present, Eagle-eyed viewers noticed even more ties between the two characters, as well as a possible path for G. His story mode also featured an interesting look into the social media world of Street Fighter! Grab a snack and a delightful beverage and give this a view, heck, tell a friend! You'll never know who digs Street Fighter and a good mystery solving caper!

The Road to the New Generation! - A Street Fighter 3 analysis!

The biggest, most involved video yet! As Street Fighter 6 was on the horizon and a user made mention that SF3 characters could use more focus, I got to researching & forging!

SF3 characters are certainly loved now, but upon their debut & for several years, they just couldn't catch a break, thus lived in the shadow of the Uber-Famous SF2 cast. This has resulted in many not knowing what the cast is all about. Quick, tell me the name of Alex's mentor! Okay, good guess, what about Magnificent Mutant, Necro...what's his real name? See?

This is a deep dive into information that's really obscure but captivating. Street Fighter 3 until SF6 was the FURTHEST in the timeline, so for ages, no one knew what happened to Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li and the rest of the cast after 3rd Strike. With SF6, we now have that knowledge and forward momentum with the lore, but at the time, I felt this would be a nice refresher before making the jump into the future.

If you've got the time, grab a snack, maybe a meal, and give this a watch. I've time coded various sections so you can focus on specific areas or even resume viewing if that makes it easier for you.

Thanks for taking the time to read this, I put a lot of love and hard work into these, so it means a lot to me if you check these out! If you dug this post, I'll make more highlighting the other work I've done!

Thanks and have a good one!

-ShockDingo

[furrbbyx]

OMFG! Thank you for tagging me @sio-writes I had a hecking great time with this. I really got to explore Sable more, and of course I put my own spin on it.

I tag: @oracleact @atlas-nsfw @the-wizard-writes @bucketsofmonsters and @gaytrashfoodprocessor or whoever wants to join! I can't wait to read yours :D

Interview with a Character!

[Intro: Excited VJ about to play clips of the interview] Today we have an exclusive interview with Miss Sable, the unicorn model who is so hot right now! We caught up with Sable while she prepared for a spring themed photo-shoot. She was gracious enough to entertain our questions while enduring the makeup chair. Though Sable was working she had such an upbeat vibe that our reporter became a fan on the spot! Sable's work is available on Tumblr dot com where she also takes time to interact with her fan base in between shows and campaigns.

1. Are you named after anyone? No. My parents just wanted to celebrate my beautiful coloring. I grew to like it since it's kind of unique. I wont lie, sounds so good when someone is moaning it 🤭

2. When was the last time you cried? Omg today! I cry a little every day on purpose after I read about a talented Korean actress who cries for hours a day. I think crying is a form of self care. We don't do it enough in this world. I want to make sure I stay connected to my emotions. It makes me more empathetic too!

3. Do you have any kids? Oh, gosh. No 🤗 I'm not even sure I'm ready to have a little pony. I guess I'd have to have a steady polycule before I even think about it.

4. Do you use sarcasm? I'm more likely to use a pun. When I'm playing I do like to be a little sarcastic and a tease. But my playmates love it, I promise.

5. Whats the first thing you notice about people? Hmm. Probably their body language and if they smile a lot. People who smile put me at ease. I also notice height. Especially if I'm working with others for the photo shoot, of course I have to asses my angles. It's important to study people's body language and how they take up space to be successful in modeling. I'm able to be versatile and I'm never caught without a good option for a pose.

6. Eye color? Blue and sparkles!

7. Scary movies or happy to endings? Always happy endings! Unless you want me to ruin it for you 😘. If it's not HEA I don't want it. That may be a little naive, or boring to some but I think that we deserve more happy endings in this life. We are so quick to accept suffering instead of demanding joy.

8. Any special talents? Being a unicorn? Haha. I don't have any real talents except being cute I think. But that's ok! I get to enjoy everyone else who is talented. Like my buddy Eagleator? He's like, the strongest fighter I know. [Reporter: You're a model and that takes some skill right?] Haha, you're so right! I forget about that because modeling is really about looks and that's out of my control, but yeah modeling is a talent.

9. Where were you born?

I was born at home. A perfect little baby if I say so myself. My mom was kind of a granola-making hippie and she made a big deal about a natural birth. Specifically I was born in a little pink kiddie pool filled with warm water, patchouli oil, and wildflowers.

10. What're your hobbies? My hobbies are collecting soft pastel sweaters, drinking hot drinks in cute giant mugs, reading fanfiction, flirting, and bingeing hallmark movies. I also like carnivals and fairs, hyperpop and EDM, supernatural romance novels. Though those probably aren't hobbies, lol. I would say daydreaming is a hobby of mine. Sometimes I get so distracted in my own head, I kind of forget what's really happening. If you could use your magical horn to zap up the perfect fantasy would you care about politics? Exactly.

11. Have any pets? Hehe, only the ones that asked to be my pets. But none right now.

12. What sports do you play/have played? Is shopping a sport? Or getting the perfect manicure? Snagging the last pair of Wolfy Choos on release day? Haha. I'm just not really competitive. If I'm going to be running around it's gonna be for pleasure or maybe to chase down a cutie to give them my number.

13. How tall are you? I'm 5'10! Not the tallest pony but I get by hehe.

14. Favorite subject in school? Ick! School is a no. I hated it. Well except for getting to meet my besties. I had a hard time in school. I'm not really smart. Oh don't take that seriously. I don't mind being empty headed. There's so many smart people and creatures in the world why should I worry about that? Honestly I learned the most at the mall when I was skipping class. The real world has a lot to teach someone if they just embrace it. I'm just not the kind of pony to care what happened last century, or how many apples johnny has. I care more about how many apples I can eat and what's going on with the next season of the bachelor!

15. Dream job? Well I actually already have my dream job, though I wouldn't say it was my dream job before I started. [Reporter: Modeling?] Oh, no. This is kind of my side thing. Right now I'm working at this innovative lab that's developing cosmetic drugs. The company is really focused on providing therapies that help others reach their desired form. I feel like, as a model, I'm selling a dream, but as a lab tech I'm actually helping to make them come true.

[Fade back to the VJ] Wow! She's so sweet. To see the full interview follow and subscribe to the network. You wont want to miss this one. Our reporter and Sable get real cozy and reveal some surprising secrets about the modeling scene. And join us at 8 for our exclusive with Eagleator to talk about his crushing defeat at the Action Forest Finals!

[hoonigiris]

whhdjw i did not expect u to see my tags but im so glad you did!! i try to be consistent with leaving feedback for writers but sometimes i forget to send in an actual message so im glad you still got to know how much i loved “things we never said”!! i also really liked “bye bye my blue” god u really have a way with angst.. as i said before, ive lost hope in enha fics but i will happily camp here waiting patiently for ur next work ❤️

now to brainstorm a drabble request… i honestly have no particular ideas i just love reading your writing, esp angst and yearning which uve mastered

what the heck this ask is so sweet 😭😭😭 of course i would see your tags omg i hold every piece of feedback dearly to my heart :( thank You for leaving feedback in the first place dfssdfmsf not to sound like an echo chamber or anything but meaningful feedback on tumblr dot com seems like a pipe dream most of the time :') and GAH!!!! pleaaaseee don't flatter me like that my heart is sooo so fragile and my ego is so easily inflatable pls don't gas me up like that!!!!! (but yes... i do love making the characters i write Unhappy... it feels Intimate ❤️)

my next work is actually going to be Silly and Unserious HAHA its definitely a Break from all things gloomy and depressing but i hope you will enjoy it as well!

[syntax-ex]

heck i forgot to make an introductory post lol

hi, i'm syntax, but you can call me syn (sin), tax, or x! i'm just a nerd on tumblr dot com. i'm mainly into mario and splatoon and a crap ton of indie games. i make content every blue moon but i mainly just reblog stuff i like. i also swear occasionally sorry abt that

pronouns are they/them

common tags (pls forgive me i'm so inconsistent with tagging stuff):

#syntax.html - text posts

#syntax.mp4 - video posts

#syntax.wav - audio posts

#syntax.jpeg - image posts

#syntax.gif - gif posts

#syntax.rb(); - reblogs

#syntax.polls(); - poll posts

[hobis-hope94]

~ She Loves You, P.2~

AN: sorry this wasn’t meant to be a two parter but I over did my word count 😭

Parings: same as part 1

Warnings: alcohol consumption, swearing but tons of fluff!

“Oh god how many times did you write Mrs Y/N Barnes?” Natasha teased.

“That’s PRIVATE. Geeze Wanda,” You said snatching the note from Natasha and then ripping it up and throwing it in the bin.

“Oh come off. It’s cute,” Wanda teased.

The night went on, and after one too many glasses of wine, and too many soppy rom coms, the girls decided to play: kiss marry avoid, using their male teammates.

“Okay. Aggie. Kiss marry avoid …. Steve … Sam … annnnnnnnnnnd Bucky!” Wanda said, clearly a little tipsy.

You narrowed your eyes at Wanda, who was grinning like a mad person.

“Your three favourite men!” Natasha teased, knowing full well you had a soft spot for each man Wanda just listed.

“Fine. I’ll play along …. Hmm. Kiss … Sam, he seems like a good kisser. I guess … avoid Steve … and -“ you said not realising what she just said.

“MARRY BUCKY!” Wanda and Natasha shouted in unison.

“Shhhh!! Bucky’s room is right next to mine!” You hissed, throwing pillows at both of them making them laugh.

“He’s probably training with Steve,” Natasha said.

“At eleven at night?” You said.

“They’re super soldiers. They don’t need sleep,” Natasha slurred.

Wanda, now a little wobbly, stood up and lightly hit the wall.

“BUCKY! Y/N WANTS TO MARRY YOU!” Wanda shouted through the wall.

“WANDA MAXIMOFF, IF HE WAS IN THERE AND HEARD THAT, I’LL END YOU AND I’LL MAKE IT LOOK LIKE A BLOODY ACCIDENT!” You shouted, grabbing Wanda and pulling her away from the wall.

You all stared at each other, laughter threatening to escape their lips. You all laughed so hard.

——-

You didn’t know why she was so nervous. You had been on dates before, but this one felt different.

You had been forced to go shopping with Wanda and Natasha after the girls night.

So you came back with a somewhat fancy clothing: a long navy skirt with butterflies on and a light pink blouse with yellow converses. You smiled slightly. It was rare for you to get dressed up.

You giggled as you was sent a group photo of the rest of the Avengers (even though she only asked Tony if they couldn’t use the kitchen for the evening, Tony insisted that the entire team left the whole building. The photo was of the Avengers at a bar, clearly about to cause some trouble. You got a text from Natasha:

N: Your boys are causing chaos. Steve’s calling the shots (forgetting that he’s the only one who can’t get drunk), Sam’s already pretty drunk and has hit on Wanda seven times forgetting who she is. Your men are causing all the trouble, better watch out for Bucky tonight 👀👀

You smiled. You did call Steve and Sam “her boys” she completely owned them, and she loved that. You giggled at the possibility of Bucky becoming one of her boys. You responded to Natasha’s text:

Y/N: oh god, tell Steve to calm the heck down. it’s like he never goes out 😂 he’s such an old man, he’ll cripple soon don’t worry. And stop teasing me about Bucky! It’s just a date - it could go horribly wrong!!!

N: we’ll see 👀👀👀👀👀👀👀

You smiled and rolled her eyes as she put the phone back on the table.

At seven on the dot, there was a knock at her bedroom door. Even though they were just going to the kitchen, Bucky insisted on “picking you up”. You answered the door and indeed Bucky did attempt to look “fancy”. He was standing tall in a light blue casual suit. You both stared at each other.

“Wow, Sargent Barnes, you look dashing,” you breathed after a while.

“Th-thanks. You look …. You look stunning,” Bucky said, blushing hard.

“Thank you,” you blushed.

Bucky cleared his throat.

“So … sh … sh … what …” Bucky said, his nerves getting very high.

“D’you know how to cook?” You asked, shutting her bedroom door behind her.

“Kinda,” Bucky said slowly.

“We’re gonna cook and since it’s a nice evening, afterwards, we can stargaze,” you said, linking her arm with Bucky’s metal one, he was still amazed you were treating his metal arm with such care and grace.

——

You decided to cook spaghetti and meatballs, together you stood side by side, chatting with a gentle sound of classical music in the background.

“I thought this dinner was gonna be slightly …. rom commie and slightly … cliche. Don’t worry, I won’t go all Lady and The Tramp on you when we eat,” you said, as they began to roll the balls.

“Lady and the what?” Bucky asked.

“Lady and The Tramp? One of Disney’s classics?” You said, eyes widened slightly. “You haven’t seen it? Please tell me you’ve seen Disney films…” you added, feeling a little sad.

“Nope. Well. Not anything past 1939, before I went to war,” Bucky said, smiling slightly at your shocked expression.

“Right. Well. You need to get acquainted with Disney films past that time,” you said, quickly washing your hands then running over to your phone.

“To be honest, I didn’t think it’d still be around,” Bucky admitted.

“Oh god, Bucky. People practically worship Walt Disney. He’s like a god,” you giggled at Bucky’s stunned expression.

Bucky’s head tilted slightly as Agnus started playing Disney songs.

“I think we should start you on Big Hero Six, since we’re practically living Hiro’s life. Also, this song is one of my favourites,” you informed Bucky, as she got back to helping make meatballs.

Immortals started playing.

~they say we are what we are, but we don’t have to be, I’m glad I hate you but I do it in the best way~

Bucky smiled slightly as you bobbed along to the beat.

“I dunno why but I often think about playing this song when there’s a fight going on. I can see it looking really cool as our cap kicks ass,” you said, as you began frying the meatballs.

Bucky smiled at you calling Steve “their cap”.

~I’ll be the watcher of the enteral flames, I’ll be the guard dog, to all your fever dreams~

“Can I confess something to you?” You asked, concentrating on the meatballs as Bucky checked the pasta.

“Yeah,” Bucky said.

“I play this song before I go into a mission and it helps me get pumped … please don’t tell anyone, especially Stevie or Sammy. They’ll tease me silly,” you said, smiling slightly.

“I promise,” Bucky smiled a little.

~I am the sand in the bottom of the hourglass (glass, glass). I try to picture me without you but I can’t~

“Okay, this is the best bit,” you informed Bucky, as you finished frying the meatballs.

~cause we could be immortals, immortals. Just not for long, for long~ you did a small headbang, making Bucky let out a small giggle.

After the song ended, the next song that came up on your Disney playlist was Under the Sea.

“How do we tell if the pasta’s ready?” Bucky asked slowly, still smiling slightly from your change of small dance moves.

“Don’t tell Tony I did this, otherwise he’ll have my head in a blender,” you said.

Bucky stared at you as you carefully lifted out a piece of spaghetti and then threw it against the wall. It stayed on the wall.

“Perfetto!” You beamed, making an “appropriate Italian cook hand gesture” making Bucky laugh slightly as you went over to get the spaghetti.

After dinner, they cleaned up together then went outside to stargaze. The compound was perfect for stargazing.

You had laid a blanket down and some pillows. You both sat down, leaning against the tree you were under.

“See that clump of stars there?” Bucky said, catching your gaze, pointing at the sky.

“Which one?” You asked.

Bucky gently took your hand and pointed in the direction.

“That’s called the Andromeda Galaxy, and it’s 2.5 million light years away from us. It’s one of the few galaxies we can see with the naked eye,” Bucky said, staring up at the sky.

You smiled at him, taking in his stunning features. Not many men can pull off long hair and a beard, but Bucky can.

“How’d you know that?” You asked gently.

“I took an interest in astronomy when I was fourteen. My mom really thought I was gonna go in that business,” Bucky said softly.

You smiled slightly.

“I guess some of the knowledge stuck with me,” he added gently.

You smiled even more, god you were completely smitten over him.

“I didn’t know that about you,” you said happily.

Bucky smiled slightly, he didn’t notice you were watching him fondly state up in the night sky.

“You should do that more often,” you said gently.

“Do what?” Bucky asked, tilting his head at her in confusion.

“Smile. You have a nice smile,” you said, tucking your hair behind your ears, before turning your focus onto the stars.

There was a comfortable silence.

“Stevie tells me you used to be a ladies man back in the day,” You said, leaning back slightly, giggling a little as Bucky turned red.

“Yeah well … when you’re young you’re confident. Not to brag, but half the women I flirted with ended up going on a date with me,” Bucky said, making you laugh so hard you snorted.

“No. No, you’re not bragging at all. 40’s Bucky seemed like fun but a handful,” you said, after calming down.

“I guess I was,” Bucky said, smiling slightly.

You both smiled at each other.

“I see you’re pretty close with Steve and Sam,” Bucky said gently, leaning back too.

“Yeah. I grew up with Sammy. We went to the same school. Even though I was an orphan, Sam treated me like a normal person and not a freak. We went to prom together. Always by each other’s sides. I’d be lost without Sammy,” you said, smiling fondly.

“And what about Steve?” Bucky asked.

“I think of Stevie as a big brother. He’s the closest thing I’ve got to a family since mine died when I was a newborn baby. I helped him get used to the 21st Century when he first woke up, I was assigned him and that was my first official job working in Shield. So I’m grateful for many reasons that Shield’s in my life. Because without Sammy’s love and guidance, I wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t be with Shield, I wouldn’t be best friends with Steve Rogers and …without all of them, I wouldn’t have met you,” you said, your voice going quiet for a moment.

Bucky smiled, he noticed you were beginning to shiver, so he took his jacket off and wrapped it around your shoulders.

“Won’t you be cold?” You asked, pulling his jacket closer to you.

“Nah. I’m a walking furnace. Im always hot,” Bucky said gently.

You smiled. You scooted closer to him, he was right. You gently began tracing the metal of his silver arm.

Bucky slowly tensed but didn’t seem to mind when you were being so careful with it, looking at it with so much love.

“You shouldn’t be ashamed of this, Bucky,” you said gently, noticing he had tensed slightly.

You looked at him, he stared tearfully at you.

“I’ve killed people with this,” Bucky said tearfully, not leaving your gaze of pure love and adoration.

“No. You didn’t. You, Bucky Barnes, didn’t kill. James Buchanan Barnes did not kill. He did. The Winter Soldier did, and that’s not you, Bucky. You’re not him,” you said gently, tracing around the star on the shoulder.

“You’ve not long met me. How can you be so sure?” Bucky asked gently, watching her trace the star carefully and lovingly.

“I’m pretty good at seeing people for who they truly are very early on. I know you. I know you’re a brave man who put his life on the line for his country. Who spent awful years under a horrible spell. Who loves his friends, who will protect the people he cares about with everything he has. That’s James Buchanan Barnes,” you said, now looking deep into his ocean blue eyes.

Bucky lent forward and kissed you. After you parted, your foreheads touch.

“I don’t normally kiss guys on the first date,” you giggled.

Bucky smiled.

——

The two entered the compound, Bucky had his arm gently around your shoulders, you were still wearing his jacket.

“Shhh. The love birds might be making out!” Natasha slurred when the door opened, and the Avengers stumbled in, all but Steve were drunk.

“IF THEY’RE DOING IT ON MY COUCH SO HELP ME GOD THEY’RE BUYING ME A NEW ONE!” Tony yelled.

The Avengers stopped when they saw you and Bucky standing in front of the door with smirks on your faces, both completely smitten with each other.

“Awh look. They kissed!” Wanda said, she was leaning against Steve for support.

You giggled and Bucky blushed as Clint walked through the door with Sam on his back.

“Hey. You. If you and Y/n/n become “official”,” Sam said, jumping down off Clint.

He walked over to Bucky wobbling, leaning on you for support.

“If you hurt her in any shape or form, you’re gonna have me, and this giant of a man,” Sam slurred, pulling Steve into the mix, “on your ass. So help us god, you hurt our girl in any way, we’ll hunt you down and kick your ass,” he added drunkingly.

You giggled, trying to support Sam and his entire body weight.

“Why are you bringing me into this?” Steve asked, giving Bucky an apologetic look.

“Because, Steven. She’s our girl. You’ve said it yourself. She’s our girl and we would … kill for her if we had to,” Sam said, hiccuping half way through.

“Come on, Sammy. Let’s get you into bed. You’re gonna have a real headache tomorrow,” You giggled, as she lifted Sam’s arm over your shoulder.

You turned to look at Bucky.

“I had a nice evening, thank you, Bucky,” you smiled.

“Me too … thank you, Y/n/n,”!Bucky said gently, smiling at you.

[dumbdomb]

i love being dead tired, exhausted and dehydrated as heck, opening tunnblr dot com and as the blue light blasts into my eyeballs my vision is filled with horn E

[internutter]

Challenge #02941-H018: Light Blue Touchpaper

They were level one and level two havenworlders, but they wanted to get stronger. They had seen on television human fireworks shows, the sound of the explosions muffled while pleasant music played in time to the bright lights and sparkles. They hit on an idea. They would have humans teach them to make, and use, fireworks. Starting with small, what humans would consider almost "harmless" things, and work their way up to the beautiful splays over time. Their first endeavors? Slightly loud bubble-wrap that lit up when popped. -- Anon Guest

[AN: The higher the number, the more fragile the Havenworlder. Just so you know. Level One Havenworlders can almost cope with random Deathworlder BS. Level 5's are so delicate they shouldn't leave their idyllic world. Level 6 us theoretical only]

"You guys wanna play with fireworks," said Human Zif. "I don't even know where to start on telling you how bad an idea that is."

"We will not be experiment with the loudest of noises," said Gresh. "We seek to imitate the effect, but eliminate the hazards."

"For us and those like us," added Silph. "Especially more fragile Havenworlders."

"Ah," said Human Zif. "Right. Sudden but not too sudden. Warning in advance and then something pleasant but still a surprise. You guys know more about your fellow Havenworlders than me. Let's engineer the heck out of a toy for you guys."

[Be sure to visit internutter (dot) org for a link to the rest of this story, and details on how to support this artist. Or visit peakd (dot) com (slash at) internutter for the stories at their freshest]

[hes-writer]

Just A Little Bit of Your Heart (4)

Summary: Harry and Y/N are in an open relationship

Warnings: angst

Word Count: 3461 words

He sat on the foot of the bed while she fed herself with the creamy mash. His brain was going antsy with the conversation that he had overheard. “Who were you talking to?”

She hummed on a mouthful of food, “Shawn,” Although it sounded more like ‘Shom’

“What erm, what were you guys talking about?”

Y/N waved him off casually as if it was nothing, “Don’t worry about it.”

Needless to say, Harry was a bit more reluctant to invite another girl to his bed. Before hearing Y/N stumble through the front doors while tripping over her heeled feet was something that was unheard of. Harry would be l laying the nape of his neck on the soft fabric of the sofa with his eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling, hearing her struggle over her purse and the metal keys. There were no tedious topics of what ran through his mind but overall; Y/N popped up from every corner of his brain as if to mock him that he deserved what he was feeling right now.

Harry felt disgusted; not at Y/N, but at himself. He felt worthless and guilty and he didn’t know how Y/N could stand through all his bullshit when he was doing it without saying anything as so much as a squeak. It seemed as though he had to staple his lips up every day to prevent him from saying something hurtful to her because after all--it would seem hypocritical of him to get angry at her for something that he did more-- twenty-three times more to be exact.

He wanted to scrub his body raw with the shower loofa as if thousands of bacteria littered his skin and all they wanted to do was taint him with infidelity and nip his skin to his skeleton as if it would rattle some sense into his dense mind. Of course, it was all in his head but he couldn’t stop his hand from moving aggressively, wanting to rid himself of any parts that screamed his connection with other women. Despite his efforts, the logical part of him knew that there was nothing he could do to wipe himself clean of the mistakes that he had made and repeated more times than he can count.

------

Seeing Y/N walk into their bedroom after showering made a revolting taste splash through his mouth. Although she was wrapped in a soft towel, Harry could still see the purple marks on her skin, the red love bites dotted on her neck and he was briefly reminded on what she said to him only a few weeks prior about the marks on his own body.

He was so mean to her. He was vile and rude, and much more defensive than he thought possible. He didn’t have to stand up for the women who left those marks because, in retrospect, Harry didn’t care for them as much as he cared for Y/N. But he did anyway. It was Y/N all along and he can’t believe that it took him such a long time to realize it. Regardless of any way he put it, he knew deep inside that he only said those words to her because the guilt was expanding through his chest, his neck, and to his face—which he was certain was turning into a light shade of red—as if his own body couldn’t help but own up to his wrongdoings.

-----

It was yet another time for an award show and Harry had been itching in his pants. He and Y/N usually had rituals for these kinds of things. As cheesy as it seemed, one of them would always ask the other if they could be each other's’ date for the night. It was their thing and as unnecessary as it is--since they were both invited each and every time--someone had to do it.

But it was a slap to the face when Y/N confronted him about it one night when they were both at home. Apparently, Shawn was following in his footsteps and took a step into the movie direction, just like he did with Dunkirk. Except for him, it was a romantic comedy that starred Y/N. Harry was shocked, hell, he knew that Y/N was in the means of shooting a new film but he didn’t know it was going to be this genre—or with Shawn, for that matter.

There had been some rumors regarding Shawn and Y/N—they always kind of existed but both of them got better at ignoring it. Shawn suggested going to the red carpet together, even though she was with Harry, because not only was it inputted by their PR teams—they thought that it would be great for the movie itself. Plus, given Y/N’s current relationship with Harry, it gives him a taste of his own medicine to see her enjoying herself without someone holding her back.

——

And Y/N was right. The media did go crazy seeing Shawn by her side instead of the usual man that accompanied her. Rumors flew minutes after the red carpet walk was broadcasted and she could hear screams of anguish and happiness mixed amongst the fans when the person dressed in the black suit was revealed to be Shawn.

“So, is there any particular reason why Shawn is with you tonight? Where’s Harry?” The interviewer asked, pointing the microphone towards the both of them.

Shawn and Y/N looked at each other, silently agreeing on what they had planned previously. Y/N gave a smile before answering, “Actually, Shawn is starring in a new rom-com with me!”

He flashed his signature smirk, eyes softening to give the fans a taste of how well he could do. “We haven’t started filming yet but I’m very excited,”

The woman continued to ask questions about the upcoming film to which Shawn responded. Meanwhile, Y/N eyes wandered away to the rest of the individuals littering the area. Squeals erupted when a sleek, black car approached the venue and she just knew that it would be Harry. She smiled sadly, her eyes stinging with slight tears. There was no doubt in her mind that she missed him, but she knew that he had to learn how it felt to lose her.

The moment he stepped out of the confines of the car, Y/N swore everything turned into white noise and she seemed to have tunnel vision. He was all she could see and god, did he take her breath away. His hair was parted elegantly, his suit—a royal blue that suited his skin tone and brought out the gleaming emerald of his eyes. His pink lips were so pigmented that she could see it from where she stood. His fingernails glimmered against the bright light—pink and blue polish decorating them. Y/N could see and understand what made her fall in love with him in the first place. How gentle he was with greeting the people who came to see him—to the chauffeur that drove and opened him for the world to see with a little shy smile.

What she didn’t see coming was a skinny figure emerging, first through the dazzling diamonds encrusted on her heels, then to the emerald green nightgown that seemed to hug her figure delicately—which was strangely similar to the one Y/N wore on their first carpet appearance together. In complete disbelief of what she saw, Y/N tightened her grip on Shawn’s arm whereas Harry simply offered his own to the woman he had invited with him. What the hell is he doing?

Y/N shifted her attention back to the woman in front of her, pursing her lips in a tight-lipped smile—the cameras were still flashing. What the actual heck was her boyfriend doing right now? Granted when she told him about who her date was going to be tonight, he was a bit upset. However, she wasn't expecting him to bring a whole ass date. Her being with Shawn was great publicity to the movie and kept people speculating about their relationship, keeping their attention on them. There was no doubt that as of right not—Harry and Y/N are over. And it might as well be the truth, seeing as Harry strutted with the lady attached on the crook of his arm, looking happier than Y/N had seen him in days.

She wasn't sure if her eyes were too dilated that it made the curve on his face bigger or if he was actually having the time of his life right now. Y/N meant what she said. She really did miss Harry and she absolutely loves him with all her heart. One more glance at him and the girl had her wanting to rip him to shreds but at the same time, walk up to him and kiss him like he was hers.

Y/N didn't have to do any of the walking, though, as Harry took it upon himself to lead his body towards her. Through wishful thinking, Y/N hoped that it was because he still gravitated towards her but she knew that it was too far-fetched to even be true.

“Harry! Nice for you to join us,” The interviewer greeted the new additions. “And who is this stunning woman with you tonight?”

The woman by his side shyly smiled and Y/N wanted to slap her face impulsively. Who does she think she is?

Harry chuckled, “This is Tanya,” He looked Y/N straight in the eyes while saying, “My date.”

Y/N internally rolled her eyes, cursing him out in her head.

“Now, I'm sure everyone wants to know what’s going on here,” She spoke, raising an eyebrow. “Shawn’s here with Y/N because of their new film. What about you and Tanya?”

“I have no comment on that,” Harry gave her a smile, shutting down any advances.

“Come on! What is she to you?”

All four of them shifted uncomfortably knowing that the interview was getting into business she had no reason to be in.

“She's uh—she’s a special friend, I guess,”

“Are you saying you and Ms. Y/L/N have broken it off?” She pried, looking giddy that she might've been the first person to find out this news.

Harry whipped his head to face Y/N, nodding his head hesitantly in the heat of the moment but the damage had been done. Y/N gaped at him with a slightly opened mouth, brows furrowed in confusion at the sudden confession she had no memory of happening. They never spoke anything of a breakup and here he was subtly confirming it on national television.

“Is this true, Y/N?”

Y/N couldn’t move but she was grateful that Shawn’s lean body was there to support her paralyzed one. Common sense was spiraling down the drain—if they never spoke about it, then it must be a show. Maybe his management requested for him to do that so his image won't be ruined with rumors. Nonetheless, shouldn't have Harry talked about it with Y/N? She spoke to him about tonight. Couldn't he do the same? Or was his plan to publicly embarrass her?

She can imagine her face resembling a goldfish with bubbles popping out of its mouth and an attention span that lasted as little as the ‘break up’ conversation happened. She must look a fool, looking as if she had no recollection (and she doesn’t) and now she will be portrayed as the woman who was too clingy to let the past go. They are never going to paint him in a bad light--no--just her.

----

The night continued with sympathetic glances from her celebrity friends who must've heard the news. Some even came to her, declaring their availability in her ‘need for comfort’ to which Y/N was forced to nod and swallow the huge lump in her throat because she felt like she was about to puke.

Yes, she is madly in love with Harry and it took a lot from her to even move her body in ways she only had for him. But she really wished that he talked to her about it instead of dropping a bombshell.

“Are you going to be okay?” Shawn asked, shrugging on his coat while handing Y/N hers. She nodded slipping her arms in the holes, adjusting the collar to fit her better before glancing around to find Harry. “I’ll be fine,”

----

As Y/N entered the limo that was to drive them home, she was surprised, to say the least, to see Harry trampled on the leather seat, being straddled by Tanya. Both of them seemed to not notice her standing on the pavement. The empathic part of her knew that she had to prevent pictures from being captured and so—she had no choice but to scurry inside as quickly as possible, not caring much for interrupting the heated make-out session.

Y/N sat across the couple, averting her eyes somewhere else except it was impossible for her to do so. The windows were tinted dark enough so that she couldn't see the outside—all there was was a reflection of the inside of the car. She cleared her throat.

“Is she riding with us?” Y/N questioned, trying hard not to let bitterness escape her tone. She was really hoping that she could to Harry tonight. She couldn't do so because it was busy the whole evening.

Harry tilted his head over Tanya to see her, eyes widening in realization. His large hands grabbed Tanya’s waist to pry her off of his lap to which she plainly complied. However, he seemed to forget about the problem in pants, grasping the tent in an effort to hide it.

“Y/N! Wha–when did you get here?” He was breathless with eyeballs on the verge of popping out of his sockets.

“About two minutes ago,” She crossed her legs over the other, repeating her question.

“Uh yeah, she is,”

Y/N nodded, whipping out her phone and immediately texting Shawn about whatever. From the corner of her eye, she could see Harry mumble to himself, closing his eyes while shaking his head. None of them spoke for the rest of the car ride.

---

“Mind explaining what happened back there?” Harry tensed, his feet chasing after Y/N who was light on her steps.

She shrugged her shoulders, muttering a “what do you mean”.

“In the car,” He continued, “You made Tanya uncomfortable. She's my guest.”

Y/N slammed her purse on the dresser, fingers pausing from the action of swiping the cotton pad across her face to remove her make up. “I'm sorry, I guess?”

He rolled his eyes, sitting himself down to remove his shoes and dress socks.

“Coulda been a little nicer,”

“You want to know what's nice, Harry?” Y/N slammed her hands flat on the wooden vanity. “You telling me that we decided to break-up! I mean, what the hell was that?”

Harry gulped, his Adam's apple bobbing from the side view Y/N could see. “I didn't even know we were ‘broken up’.”

“It was nothing. I just thought it held some truth, don't you think?” Harry quirked a lip.

“What?”

“You and Shawn,” He spat. “There's something going on between you two, isn't there?”

Y/N swore she was about to rip her hair out of her head. He was being ridiculous. “No, there isn’t,”

“That's bullshit,” Harry laughed, balling his fists.

“We’re just fucking,” Y/N crossed her arms over her chest. The skin on her forearm rubbing against the scratchy fabric of her dress. It was vulgar, but it was the truth. “Unlike you and Tanya,”

He shook his head incredulously. “It was a joke! Live a little,”

“That was not a fucking joke. That was humiliation,”

“Sorry, I didn't realize it would hurt you,” He mumbled, not sounding like he meant his words. Y/N didn't know if he was taking this seriously or not.

“Of course it would hurt me!” Her voice turning into a pitch higher to defend herself. “You think I’d just be fine with that?”

“Wouldn't know that,”

Was he seriously blaming her for this? For being hurt? She thought.

“You're an asshole,” She turned her back on him but still keeping a close eye through the mirror.

“Me? At least I don't lie,”

She was confused, “What the hell did I lie about?”

He stared at her as if the answer was plastered on his forehead, “You and Shawn!”

“There is nothing between us,”

“And I told you, I wouldn't have known because you haven't talked to me  at all,” Harry stressed out his words, elongating certain syllables to emphasize his point.

“You really want to discuss talking? Then tell me why you basically told the whole world that we broke up,” She snarled. “These things are something that we talk about in private, Harry”

She took off her heels, bare feet making contact with the carpeted floor. “This is our relationship, not theirs so please—please tell me why you did that. When you knew that it would hurt me?”

Her voice progressed to a whisper the longer Y/N talked. Her figure slouching some as she became vulnerable with her feelings.

He sighed, eyes softening at her worn out appearance, “Because I was jealous,”

She pulled back, appalled at his words. Jealous? “Jealous?”

He nodded, breathing heavily through his nose as if to gather the courage to continue.

“I realized that I couldn't see you being with another guy,” He stares at her deeply while his mouth ran its course. “I couldn't see you with marks all over your skin because of him. I didn't want to imagine you being intimate the way you did with me. I couldn't handle it,”

He swallowed before continuing, “Everyday, I thought about how you must have felt when I–,” He trailed off a little, emerald orbs breaking their contact with hers. He cleared his throat, “I was so selfish and I realized that I took advantage of you,”

Y/N couldn't help but agree with him. She felt used and abused during their time together, but she was glad that he was owning up to it.

“And I was wondering why it hurt me so much,” Harry took her hands into his, pulling her closer to him. “It's because I love you, Y/N.”

“If you loved me, you wouldn't have done what you did tonight,” She spoke thoughtfully, glancing to the wall in conscious thought.

He nodded profusely, “I know, but believe me. I do,”

“You do?” She asked rhetorically.

“I do. I don't want to be with other women. I don't want to as much as taking a second glance at them. I'm happy with you, Y/N and I know that I have a lot to make up for but I'm willing to show you everything,” He pleaded with her, hands squeezing right. “Please give me another chance,”

Y/N stared at him with glossy eyes. She loves this man but she didn't know if she could handle being with him. They've been in an open relationship for too long that she didn't know if they could still be a normal couple with each other. Too many things have changed and there's no denying that some things were far too different to even be considered them.

She was using all her brain power to gather the advantages and disadvantages of the two decisions she was allowed to choose. On one hand, breaking it off with Harry would be like escaping a mob. She was so suffocated by his presence that it would be nice to break free from it and run to Shawn. He was always there for her anyway. It would be a new start for the both of them it wouldn't hurt neither parties too much because they already sort of had closure with the distance that pried them apart.

On the other, Y/N was smitten with Harry and it seemed that he was, too. There's no use throwing away something that's broken when it is only bent on the edges. And maybe that was them. Maybe all they had to do was to polish off the rough creases before their love could fulfill each other to the fullest.

Minutes of silence passed and the hope filling Harry’s eyes slowly dispersed. But he kept determined to wait for her response—not wanting to rush Y/N. But Y/N had already made up her mind.

“I want to end it.” She heaved punctually, closing her eyes as to not see his reaction.

Harry thought and for a second, his heart beamed in pure joy before pounding in worry. End it?

“You mean the open relationship?” Harry asked, “Or us?”

-----

wooooooo!

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[tortoisesshells]

I see we're in the realm of fantasy in the new bot wave.

[cmweller]

Challenge #02941-H018: Light Blue Touchpaper

They were level one and level two havenworlders, but they wanted to get stronger. They had seen on television human fireworks shows, the sound of the explosions muffled while pleasant music played in time to the bright lights and sparkles. They hit on an idea. They would have humans teach them to make, and use, fireworks. Starting with small, what humans would consider almost "harmless" things, and work their way up to the beautiful splays over time. Their first endeavors? Slightly loud bubble-wrap that lit up when popped. -- Anon Guest

[AN: The higher the number, the more fragile the Havenworlder. Just so you know. Level One Havenworlders can almost cope with random Deathworlder BS. Level 5's are so delicate they shouldn't leave their idyllic world. Level 6 us theoretical only]

"You guys wanna play with fireworks," said Human Zif. "I don't even know where to start on telling you how bad an idea that is."

"We will not be experiment with the loudest of noises," said Gresh. "We seek to imitate the effect, but eliminate the hazards."

"For us and those like us," added Silph. "Especially more fragile Havenworlders."

"Ah," said Human Zif. "Right. Sudden but not too sudden. Warning in advance and then something pleasant but still a surprise. You guys know more about your fellow Havenworlders than me. Let's engineer the heck out of a toy for you guys."

[Be sure to visit internutter (dot) org for a link to the rest of this story, and details on how to support this artist. Or visit peakd (dot) com (slash at) internutter for the stories at their freshest]

[anarchist-billy]

hi sweet pal! yeah I'm super new to the fandom so I've just been recced a bunch of 'classic' fics if you get my drift so they're pretty much all bottom steve, ain't nothing with that but bottom billy is just so delicious to me! you mentioned a fic rec list? yes please thank youuuu!!!

Hello, darling! First of all - WELCOME to the Harringrove fandom! I’m so excited you’re here to add to this incredible group of people in this wonderful, wild fandom of ours! 🖤

I’ll admit, I am not as well-read as some other folks around these parts, but I am the absolute madman that decided to head up the Harringrove Library project, so I do have access to a lengthy list of fics. Huge shoutout to all my cohorts who have been logging away with me for the last…Jesus….Six months? Yikes. We’ll get the blog live eventually, I promise!

Anyway…suffice all that to say, this is by no means an extensive list, merely a little smorgasbord of fics I could find that have been labeled as Bottom!Billy.

Ride the Lightning by @womenseemwicked - 11k

Billy takes Steve to a concert in Indianapolis. Steve does his damn best to fit in. His best is still preppy as shit.

you should find your way home (i’ll be at your front door) by @lucybrown45 - 10k

Billy’s California is not what Steve expects, but it’s good. It’s what he needs. For once he feels like he’s in the right place at the right time.

so this one I read some time ago, and I’m like 93% sure it’s just bottom!Billy, but don’t hold me to it if it ends up being verse. Either way, it’s such a good fic and definitely worth a read imho.

One Wild Night by KittyleFay - 8k

Upon discovering that Steve likes boys, Billy offers to take him to a gay bar on the edge of town to get him laid. There’s one problem: Billy keeps cock-blocking Steve.

It’s Not a One Way Street by im_your_hope - 6k

Sometimes the most real things in the world are the things we can’t see.

(“Get warm, you fucker,” he whispers aggressively in Billy’s ear.)

This one features one of my favorite tropes - cuddling for warmth. ;)

We’re a Thousand Miles from Comfort (But There’s No Place I’d Rather Be) by HobbitSpaceCase - 5k

Insomnia and too many bad memories send Steve out looking for something to take his mind off his lonely life. What he finds is Billy Hargrove, a mysterious substance in the woods, and the fulfillment of his most deeply buried fantasies.

A Man After Midnight by moonflowers - 4k

When Steve first spotted him, Macho Man was, somewhat ironically, blasting out over the speakers. The dress was electric blue, and probably a little more eighties than seventies, but Steve wasn’t about to nitpick.

Honey Whiskey by quinnvicious - 4k

When they get to a point where they can just barely hear the thumping of the music over the chirping crickets, Billy’s serious expression cracks and he bursts out laughing like a drunken, deranged hyena. Steve can’t help but join in, and then they’re both giggling and stumbling around the forest like idiots. Steve bumps into him to snatch the bottle of whiskey from his fist and takes a burning swallow. It warms his blood too much in the balm of the edge-of-summer night and he drags the back of a hand over his mouth with a ragged sound before passing it back. Billy snickers at his expense and fishes a cigarette out of his pack.

Up Is Down and Down Is Up by dragonspell - 4k

A few short weeks ago, Steve would never have guessed in a million years that he would find himself here, watching Billy Hargrove fight back the urge to come just because Steve’s inside him. The thought would have been ludicrous; the idea of Billy in Steve’s bed absurd. And yet here they are, Billy pretending that he’s on a date with some girl while parking a few blocks down from Steve’s house. When Steve’s parents are home, he sneaks in through the window, but tonight, he’d used the front door.

(Or, a flimsy excuse to write Harringrove porn)

You love this, you need it. by Anonymous - 4k

Billy and Steve have a little dom and sub relationship. It helps billy when he needs to let go.

Plastic Bruises by spaceagelovesong - 3.5k

“slap bracelets,” billy repeats. “sounds like some kinky shit to me—“ he breaks off into another laugh.

steve practically glows. he loves seeing billy laugh. it’s scary, but, like, in a sexy way.

“you want me to get kinky,” steve says, in his best billy voice. “we can get kinky.”

Whoever logged this for the library put in the notes “If anyone has a snap bracelet fetish, do I have the fic for you…” lol

Lucky You by retoxification - 3.5k

All that Billy really wants in life is his hot boyfriend to fuck him until he can’t think.

That’s it, that’s the plot.

Fresh Blood by @sightetsound - 3k

Never had a lap-dance before,” Steve replied impishly.

The intensity of Billy’s stare wiped Steve’s grin clean off his face.

“You want a lap-dance so bad, I’ll give you one.

Anniversary by spaceagelovesong - 2k

billy hargrove knows how to fuck, but steve harrington knows how to make love.

it’s been about a year, but neither of them are counting. after all, every night together is a celebration.

we love making (whispers) by pally (palliris) - 2k

Steve loves breaking Billy apart; loves being torn apart, himself.

Sore by @womenseemwicked - 1.5k

Sometimes Billy works out too hard and can hardly move the next day. Lucky he has Steve to take care of him then.

And now…Not sure if A/B/O is your thing, but I figured I’d include two fics that are Omega!Billy, just in case. ;) I love both of these fics a lot and they’re hot as heck.

Heatstroke by HobbitSpaceCase - 8k

Billy is out of suppressants and going into Heat. Steve finds him. It’s too bad Billy can’t have this every time.

Don’t Belong To Anyone (Else) by @sparkleeye - 30k

Billy is a stubborn idiot and goes to school during his heat.

Honorable Mention: Those American Thighs by tracy7307 - 1.5k

He placed his hands on the tops of Billy’s golden thighs – spread his fingers apart and rubbed from his knees up, up, until his fingertips dipped under the legs of Billy’s shorts. The hair rasped under his hands. His thighs were still a bit slick from that suntan oil that Billy loved to use and from the sweat of working outdoors on a summer day.

This one isn’t Bottom!Billy per se, as it’s intercrural, but it’s Billy’s thighs that are being fucked and gosh golly it is HOT. I’m kinda obsessed with it. So it gets a shoutout here.

I also found a couple Tumblr drabbles buried in my reblogs for you:

Prompt fill by @trashmouse

Prompt fill by thebeautyinchains

And here’s a post/drabble I forgot I wrote about some first time Bottom!Billy. ;)

Finally, I will leave you with this art piece I found in my hunt by @delphineygt. I think most of the Sexy fanart has been banished from tungl dot com at this point, but this gem survived and I’m so happy about it so I wanted to share.

Anyway, that’s all I’ve got to offer for now. Happy reading, friend! 🤗

[badass-at-fandoming]

can I get, uhhhh, how wild their reception gets, something memorable that happens during the party/ceremony, if anyone’s late to the wedding and what traditions they include for Anatole/Beckett wedding ask

Heck yeah you can, Nonnie who is definitely not me, asking myself a Question on tumblr dot com, as a treat because it’s Friday and this ask game is hella cute

I’m trying to think under what circumstances Anatole and Beckett would get married, despite being vampires, and not citizens of any country, and you know how that would happen: in the year 2030, the Pope declares queer marriage legal in the Catholic Church, and Anatole promptly loses his entire shit.

He has been devoted to the eternal, living Mother Church for over a thousand years and suddenly, remarkably, he is able to marry the great love of his unlife in it. He grabs Beckett, texts Lucita, and flies off to Vegas, where there are forgers and churches aplenty.

how wild their reception gets 

PRETTY WILD. Presence is used constantly. There are seven (7) almost Masquerade breaches. Dancing on tables. Flinging from chandeliers. Confetti balls. Aristotle is so happy he cries. Competitions for who can do the most outlandish stunt. Okulos claimed to have only come for the potential blackmail material, but he leaves his computer behind and enjoys himself. These Kindred are drunk and loving it.

(The only thing carefully undisturbed is the gift table, because the best thing to get two Noddists are artifacts and rare books. Also, Vykos spends the party guarding it)

something memorable that happens during the party/ceremony

Fatima and Lucita ALSO get married, but in The Hangover style of waking up the next night and they have gorgeous rings on their finger, those cheap, sparkly Bride crowns, and no memory of how this occurred. There’s a present from Beckett & Anatole on the table and it’s a Hers and Hers set of rainbow knives.

(later they have a proper, big service and reception in Madrid)

if anyone’s late to the wedding 

Lucita and Fatima are almost late because they were a)in Spain and b)informed this was happening by increasingly shaky cam Snapchats that mostly consisted of Anatole exclaiming in rapid-fire French and Beckett trying real hard not to smile. “Lucita, we are in the airport now! Behold, the peanuts!” [all consuming blue shiny blur of peanut packet]. Beckett’s voice, in a deep pleased growl: “Anatole...put away the phone.”

Jan Pieterzoon is actually and on purpose late because everybody is too happy during the ceremony to murder him.

what traditions they include 

Besides a full Mass, I’d like the idea of Beckett sliding Anatole’s garter off with his teeth and throwing it to the crowd. Karsh catches it. The bouquet hits Aristotle in the face and he’s so startled he lets it drop in his hands. Everyone is [eyes emoji] about this.

It’s a fun time y’all!

[kate837]

Blindspot prompts/ fics I may or may not write

- When Kurt is about to arrest Jane but instead of him arresting her when she starts crying, he throws his gun on the floor says "D***** JANE! " And instead goes up and hugs her really forcefully.

- (From the sentence "I'm here like every other week" From Rich) Rich is brought in to assist the team in another tattoo case and notices that after Patterson found out that Borden was the mole, her whole aura was off so he makes it his mission to make her laugh as much as possible.

-(I don't know where the heck this one came from) During Jane's time with the FBI she hasn't really had candy, much less a sugar rush. So when Patterson makes the mistake of bringing candy to work the team quickly realizes just HOW hyper Jane can really get!

-(pre-Rich being a member of the team) Rich comes in to assist the team, on one condition. If in part to the information he gives, they catch a "bad guy" Then they all have to have a "team sleepover" At Patty's house! *Bonus: Patterson says "please don't call me Patty."*

-(my mind is a mess bare with me) Remi sticks around longer than expected, and actually winds up falling for Kurt AND Kurt falls for her too. But when Jane comes back unexpectedly it's hard to cope with on both ends.

- Patterson has cancer but hides it from everyone. So no one can tell except for body language expert Rich Dot com. (I honestly can't emotionally deal with this idea)

- Jane wears a gorgeously vibrant blue shirt to work one day and the ENTIRE team teases her (even Kurt) saying that she finally broke out of her "Only black and white phase" But Kurt obviously takes a "liking" to her new shirt.

-(From the episode Sous-Vide when Reade says "Who was the person you spent so much time in the hospital with? Family member? A sibling? ") Rich reveals that he had sister who died.

-(inspired from Rich calling the other lab workers servants) Rich now realizing that he has some power over the office (and also knowing that the people in power of the FBI won't fire him) starts to test his limits of how far he can go before he gets fired. For example: In the middle of SIOC Rich decides to moan as loud as he can for no reason, disturbing all the other agents and making everyone uncomfortable.

-(inspired by the ongoing comms joke) Jane and Weller decide to prank the team by moaning as loud as they can while everyone still has their comms on! And they have to keep trying to stifle their laughter. Plus hearing the team's reactions when they realize (think they realize) what's going on.

-Jane over hears Avery singing in her room, and tries to encourage her to pursue singing.

[dazzling-ji]

celestial asks

solar system: what is the driving force behind your good deeds?

God, honestly. The honestly good things are from God. The ones that come from trying to impress others then maybe myself.

earth: rivers or seas?

I like the ocean.

moon: do you play any instruments?

I wish! I sing and kinda sorta teaching myself the piano. Would love to learn the guitar as well.

jupiter: how tall are you?

5′4″ on paper, but in my mind i’m 5′7″

sun: if you could live in any past decade, when would it be?

i’d say 80s only because Michael was alive and the bomb dot com. Really wish I could’ve seen him in concert.

mars: do you believe in life on other planets?

I don’t think about it too much, but maybe?

saturn: favourite song?

I don’t have one.

venus: are you religious?

I’m Christian.

milky way: what’s your favourite chocolate bar?

Twix! Three Musketeers are aight, though.

neptune: what’s your favourite music genre?

As a kid, I’d say “Michael Jackson” because I literally have loved everything he’s done. But I don’t really have a favorite singular ‘genre’. I like R&B, pop, rock, and a lil hip hop.

uranus: sexuality?

Ace.

mercury: what’s your favourite school subject?

Weird question, but uh, in elementary school it was language arts and music (or art). High school it was Japanese.

pluto: is pluto a real planet or fake?

Bruh, pluto is the realest planet there is.

andromeda galaxy: what’s the farthest you’ve travelled?

Japan.

ceres: how old are you?

too old for my liking, honestly. 20.

crab nebula: favourite colour?

blue

asteroid belt: favourite accessory?

sunglasses!

pleiades: star sign?

capricorn

orion nebula: sweet or salty?

sour

sirius: favourite fictional character?

i have too many, honestly.

eris: what’s your dream job?

singer-songwriter/producer/recording artist

halley’s comet: what’s your opinion on fate?

Right, so I believe that we all have our own will, but everything comes together in the grand scheme. If that makes any sense. Like everything has consequences, no matter how small.

callisto: do you like ice cream?

Not as much as my friends, because I don’t have much of a sweet tooth. But I like vanilla or salted caramel.

dysnomia: favourite sound?

my laughter.

deimos: if you could go to space, would you?

heck yeah. would love to see how space is like and say hi to my best friend.

[valuentumbrian]

The Invisible Hand Will Sink These Markets

Image: Nan Fry

By Brian Nelson, CFA

Adam Smith’s “Invisible Hand” is often thought to be a blessing by the capitalists of the world. The free-market economy will find the right answer, they may say. Self-interest and greed will inevitably push humankind to new horizons and achieve levels of greatness no person before thought possible. What fools we are to believe.

Irrational behavior around shares of GameStop (GME) continued Friday, February 26, with the company trading in a huge range of $86.00-$142.90 on the session. We re-released our 16-page report on the stock and peg a fair value estimate of just $4 per share, with the high end of the fair value estimate range of $7. A Bank of America analyst reiterated a $10 price target. GameStop shares closed at ~$102.

There’s clearly no reasonable basis for owning GameStop’s stock at current price levels, in our view, and there certainly was no reasonable basis when the stock was trading as high as $483 per share earlier this year. An equity capital raise by management would result in a fair value estimate increase (perhaps a material one depending on how many new shares the market can stomach), but the takeaway is the same:

These markets are nuts. The iceberg is coming, and we’re still going full steam ahead.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) noted February 26 that “as part of its continuing effort to respond to potential attempts to exploit investors during the recent market volatility,” it had suspended trading in 15 more stocks—all “because of questionable trading and social media activity.” We applaud the SEC for its swift action, though much more is needed, and it may be too little too late.

Unlike the dot-com bubble roughly two decades ago, the fervor of the price-agnostic trading frenzy of 2021 has an aura of permanence to it. This “craziness” is here to stay. Where during the dot-com bubble, sell-side analysts were in a race to set the highest price target, regardless of their underlying opinion of the firm, there was a solution to the problem. Get rid of the bad apples. But today, we have a fraction of the sell-side analysts we used to; they’ve been out of a job for some time now.

Fired – in favor of underperforming statistical quant work or the fantasies of artificial intelligence and machine learning. More than 60% of trading in the marketplace is now driven by indexing, algorithms and quant traders chasing momentum or following trends--or moving stocks higher or lower based on simple P/B or P/E ratios. The quants know statistics, but of finance they know little.

Moreover, there are trillions in indexed products, and their overseers believe we still operate in an environment like that of even a few decades ago—when sell-side analysts were pulling seven-figure salaries because the invisible hand rewarded price discovery. We are not operating in such an environment. The price setters have almost all left. Shown the door, even.

The best finance schools aren’t teaching how to responsibly evaluate the fundamentals of a company and haven’t been doing so for decades. Heck, they think they’ve “solved the market” with backtests and “made up” factors. They are teaching coding or indoctrinating students to believe that any share price is as good as the next (GameStop at $450, for example – what a deal! – yes, sarcasm), or that the market simply knows best. Maybe years ago, the market was once a decent price-setting mechanism, but today, it is most certainly not.

GameStop is just one of at least a few dozen rather large stocks whose share prices make no sense--and I’m not talking about Tesla (TSLA). There's actually some reasonable basis to Tesla’s valuation. It’s not just the two dozen or so companies that the SEC suspended trading today either. This nonsense is everywhere. Do we really believe that a $7 trillion asset manager like Vanguard, or the trillions in indexed products today that pay little attention to intrinsic value are not also distorting market prices?

Pretty straightforward, no? But some of the brightest minds on the Street today may say in disbelief: “Full Steam Ahead!” Of course, some of them are just stubborn. They’ve been singing the same tune for decades, finding different ways to say the same thing over and over again, and they can’t change it now. They’d be wrong, and their egos couldn’t take it for one second. The invisible hand is yet still working overtime.

Elon Musk tweets out a Clubhouse app and a completely different company with the ticker CMGR soars. The same situation happened to another company called Signal Advance (SIGL) over another one of Musk’s tweets. Yet another instance like this but without a Musk tweet occurred with confusion of ZOOM last year. There’s no fix to this, and these are just the distortions we see clear as day.

You can’t convince a die-hard index aficionado that’s hauling in $20 million a year on a book of business that he’s built based on the faulty efficient market hypothesis and underperforming modern portfolio theory to all of sudden care about the greater good of society. What did Upton Sinclair say: "It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it.”

Nobody cares that these markets are going straight to the bottom of the ocean like the Titanic, no more than uninformed nations can heed the warning of climate change before it's too late. We’re headed for disaster one way or another. The incentives have been in place for a long time. “Sell index funds. Look – random factors can explain these returns.” Most of what’s coming out of finance today is nonsense, padding the wrong pockets.

How many people celebrate when they get the fair value of a company, correct? Where’s that on the news? Pay a man twice as much to not do individual due diligence on stocks, and just mechanically rebalance assets every six months or so and not give a damn about the health of the marketplace, what do you expect? You don’t think Jack Bogle is hailed as a hero by advisors for saving individual investors money, do you? Jack hasn’t saved the prudent stock picker a plug nickel.

Adam Smith’s invisible hand of active management used to result in the optimization of price discovery, where participants would do their very best work to buy and sell to “uncover” the best market price, creating a positive externality for all investors--even those quants and indexers that are now polluting the system. Today’s invisible hand is leading us off a cliff. Incentives are in place to continue to discourage price discovery, and to no surprise, we’re seeing just a glimpse of it.

Iceberg ahead, and very few see it. Sure, there are perma-bears that have been bearish for the past two decades that are right twice a day like a clock, but we’ve been bullish. The ship is damaged, the markets are going to sink, and it’s not the “little guy’s” fault. The distortions in the financial markets are clear when viewed through the lens of a $6 billion company GameStop, but they are no less evident than implicit distortions caused by a bunch of index funds piling into the same name at once.

We didn’t hand out Nobel prizes just for Long-Term Capital Management to blow up. We didn’t hand out Nobel prizes for EMH just to witness what’s happening in the markets with stocks like GameStop doing what they’re doing. We didn’t hand out Nobel prizes to provide excuses for why modern portfolio theory in the form of the 60/40 stock/bond portfolio has failed investors for the past 30 years relative to a monkey throwing darts at the WSJ pages.

Why are we handing out Nobel prizes -- and why doesn't Warren Buffett have one? You get the type of academic work you incentivize, and incentives are out of whack. I’ve said jokingly that finance for the past 60 years can easily be summed up by two developments: 1) Oh, you can’t do stock analysis? Well, here’s indexing. 2) Oh, you can’t beat the S&P 500? Well, here’s some quant jargon.

Indexing and quant jargon are doing far more damage than a few traders on social media. Believe you me. These markets are not well, and the invisible hand is guiding through a fog of misinformation to disaster. Markets have bounced right off the high end of our fair value estimate range on the S&P 500, and we’ve raised cash. The violins are playing on the Titanic. The “unsinkable” ship we call the price discovery mechanism of the markets can sink. Let us not be fools to think otherwise.

There will be an epilogue to Value Trap, and you and I both know that I don't want to write it. Let's keep playing the violin for now.

Tickerized for GME, CMGR, SIGL, TSLA, ZM, ZOOM

Temporarily Suspended Trading: Bebida Beverage Co. (BBDA); Blue Sphere Corporation (BLSP); Ehouse Global Inc. (EHOS); Eventure Interactive Inc. (EVTI); Eyes on the Go Inc. (AXCG); Green Energy Enterprises Inc. (GYOG); Helix Wind Corp. (HLXW); International Power Group Ltd. (IPWG); Marani Brands Inc. (MRIB); MediaTechnics Corp. (MEDT); Net Talk.com Inc. (NTLK); Patten Energy Solutions Group Inc. (PTTN); PTA Holdings Inc. (PTAH); Universal Apparel & Textile Company (DKGR); and Wisdom Homes of America Inc. (WOFA),  Bangi Inc. (BNGI); Sylios Corp. (UNGS); Marathon Group Corp. (PDPR); Affinity Beverage Group Inc. (ABVG); All Grade Mining Inc. (HYII); and SpectraScience Inc. (SCIE)

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Brian Nelson owns shares in SPY, SCHG, QQQ, and IWM. Some of the other securities written about in this article may be included in Valuentum's simulated newsletter portfolios. Contact Valuentum for more information about its editorial policies.