#gen 1: john bunch

[watcherianlegacy]

You open up Faithbook and see a new post...

Time FLIES!!!!!!!! My handsome baby boy is getting bigger!!!!! He looks so much like Jeb, and we couldn't be prouder!!!!!!!

And, with perfect timing, the Flea Market's come to a city near us!!!! Now we can bring Chrys with us instead of asking around for a babysitter!!!!!!

Jeb wanted to make the most of it, so I gave him some veggies to sell!!!!! I'm so happy to have a husband so dedicated to providing for us!!!!!!!

And look at who we found next to us: Pastor Bunch, from church!!!!!! I asked him about the strange crystals he was selling - apparently his wife makes jewelry with them and had some extras to sell!!!!! I was SO glad to hear it!!! You never think such a Godly family would get into strange hippie heathen healing crystals... but you never know!!!! But everything was ship shape!!!!!

Since it was Chrys's birthday, I introduced him to Pastor Bunch!!!!! Pastor Bunch knows me from... certain incidents... and he knows of my children, but this is the first time he's ever directly interacted with any of them!!! Chrys is such a lucky boy!!!!!!

Then Beggy got fussy!!!! At first, I thought it was typical female jealousy, but then I realized she was hungry!!!! I usually breastfeed my babies, as the Lord intended, but I certainly wasn't about to debase myself at the flea market!!!!!! So I gave her the bottle!!!!!

While I was focused on Beggy, some wicked woman tried to kidnap Aubrey!!!!! Sure, they weren't touching, and Aubrey was doing all the talking, but I could FEEL the sin oozing out of this temptress!!!!!

So I defending my poor, helpless baby girl!!!!! I told Miss She-Devil that her caked-on makeup and exposed kneecaps were NOT welcome around the children of God!!!!! If that succubus thought she could snatch an innocent child and raise her to be a lesbian working woman who can't cut her own bangs, she is WRONG!!!!!!!! My Aubrey will become a housewife and mother with style, like God intended!!!!!!!!

I was getting all worked up, but then my little eye spotted Pastor Bunch's wife!!!!!! What an opportunity!!!!!! I left the witch to go chat her up!!!!!! She looks even better up close - a truly Godly woman, beautiful with a trim figure!!!!! You'd never guess her age, or how many children she had!!!!!!! I've embarrassed myself in front of her twice, incidents I dare not post about on Faithbook, but what I'm saying is how important it was to me to make a good impression now!!!!!!

So I used something ALL Godly women can bond over - babies!!!!! Mrs. Bunch was happy to meet my little birthday boy!!!!! She mentioned she wished SHE had more blonde children, but God created each and every child to be perfect as they are so she wasn't complaining!!!!! I felt bad for Aubrey and Beggy, being dark haired, but then I remembered that Kimi has dark hair and Kimi is gorgeous, so my girls will be gorgeous too!!!!!

Sadly, the market ended and we had to leave!!!! We didn't buy anything after all, but we sold some veggies and had bunches of fun!!!!!!!!

[simsofcourtyardlane]

"Hello, Pastor. I'm so glad I found you. I must speak with you about a dear friend. I fear she's considering vampirism."

"That's terrible! Follow me into my office."

[seasprincess]

Unsub!Spencer reid x reader

An au where Spencer Reid is like Joe goldberg from the series ‘You’

warnings-suggestive language, smut, use of y/n, mentions of drugging, spencer’s thoughts written in ‘’, misogyny linked through out, probably more

wc:2.4k

this is part 1

Spencer Reid is not a psycho. He’s not some creep like the other men in this world. No. He’s caring because he’s doing all this for you because he loves you. He wants to prove to you that he loves you.

Ever since that day you came into his bookstore looking out of place, gliding through the aisles like a goddamn angel. You were so beautiful as you looked over the books and actually taking the time to appreciate them. Most of the people who come in here don’t care about the books. Just here to take a quick selfie for their instagram to show that they are so mysterious and read. Of course Spencer hates that crowd. He’s always trying to avoid them as much as possible. He’d rather be reserved and by himself. But you, oh you. He wants to be around you.

And from the moment you walked up to the counter with the book ‘The narrative of John Smith’ he knew you were made for him. Sent to him by whatever god or angel that is watching over him. A blessing.

You both chatted about the author, you actually knew the author. Spencer couldn’t stop watching you. Watching the way your hair falls so perfectly as you laugh at one of his stupid jokes that would usually earn some weird looks. But you understood the joke. ‘Oh you are perfect.’ One of his thoughts.

And you flirted with him. He knows you flirted with him. He’s not crazy. He knows he’s not crazy. He’s a man in love that will do whatever he needs to to show you. To show you you are his and he is yours.

He’s not confident enough to outright ask you for your number. The whole idea to him is forehand and terrifying.

But when you got out your bank card to pay his eyes flickered down to see your name. And the stuff he can find with just a name.

Of course he researched you when he got home. He isn’t a fan of social media. Why would someone want to showcase a fake life to a bunch of followers that they didn’t even know? The whole idea was just not appealing to him. But he is thankful that it is too you.

He can find out so much about you. All the embarrassing college memories, all the things you like, what you did on the 21st of May five years ago. Not that he will probably need that information but he can always ask you about the family holiday you went on.

He found out your relationships with your family, your friends, where you liked to hang out with said ‘friends’. He knows all about them too, and he can tell it’s not your crowd. You’re a girl who likes books, likes to write, likes dorky little things. And they. Well they’re just loud mouthed rich party girls who are certainly not good enough. But you have to fit in. You think you have to lower yourself to fit in with them. ‘Oh Y/n, you don’t have to be different with me. You can be yourself with me.’

Your social media portrays different sides of you. Facebook isn't as active as the others. You’re gen z of course it wouldn’t be. But instagram? Oh he’s had fun with your instagram.

A bikini photo of you that you posted in 2021. You look so beautiful he can’t stop staring. His eyes roaming all over your curves and your tits. Oh your tits. He’s a fan to say the least. The thoughts he’s had about them.

Spencer can’t help but get hard as he looks at it. He just can’t stop looking at you and all your photos. Who needs porn when he can stare at photos of you and use that imagination of his?

He usually ends up here. Sat at his desk staring at his laptop screen. stroking his cock as he imagines you kissing him, sinking down on him as you moan his name.

It’s not weird. He’s not weird. He’s your soulmate.

Spencer stands by a tree, trying to appear as normal as possible. His hat and dark clothes allowing him to blend in. He’s trying to make his presence minimal as he looks through the windows. He knows this is okay for him to do, but if you or someone else saw. No one would understand that he’s doing it because he loves you.

It’s late. The sky dark and filled with stars. If only you could properly see them without all this air pollution. But that’s a rant that Spencer will just have to go on another day.

There’s a light. It is a distant street light. Of course it’s blinking every so often. He lives in one of the most famous cities in the world, the big apple, but they can’t afford street lamps that actually work. ‘Typical.’ He thinks to himself before sighing. But all his annoyance melts away as he sees you.

Spencer’s eyes are locked on you as he watches you walk around your apartment in just an oversized shirt and panties.

‘Oh come on Y/n. Walking around in that with the curtains open? Any creep could be watching you. You’re lucky I’m here.’ Spencer thinks to himself. Eyes scanning for anybody that appears to be a threat to you. But all there is is no one. Just you and him. You, and him.

Spencer’s watches as you get changed. Into some small dress that he is definitely going to have to fight some men away from you. ‘Oh you don’t make things easy for me, do you love?’

You’re going out. He can guess that much. The make up, the outfit. You’re going clubbing.

Spencer is not a fan of clubbing the same way he is not a fan of social media. He thinks it’s all stupid. Why would anybody want to be up close and personal with a bunch of sweaty strangers who are dancing like imbeciles. No. It’s not his scene. But if you’re going. So is he. I mean he can’t let you go to one of the places many people are attacked at alone can he? As your soulmate he has to protect you, to watch you. Keep you safe. Safe from the world he knows is willing to hurt you.

He’s snapped out of his thoughts as he hears the door slam shut. His gaze once again falling onto you and how good you looked. The way your breasts are on show from the low cut in the dress. Oh he’s definitely going to be using his eidetic memory to recall this image when he’s alone later. The way they bounce up and down as you walk down the stairs towards what he can only presume is an uber.

Looks like Spencer is going clubbing.

The music is pounding, lights all around the room that would give any regular person a headache. And they have. Spencer.

He’s sat in a corner, out of the way of everyone. He does not want to interact with people. He’s only here to protect you. To watch you.

The heat of the place giving him slight discomfort, he’s not exactly dressed for this place. No, he’s dressed to blend in to the streets of New york. To keep himself warm in the night breeze and not to be in some place that quite frankly might be his hell. ‘Oh Y/n, the things i’m going to have to do for you.’

He watches you dance. Watching how you move so easily and still look so fucking attractive. He knows if he tried he’d look like an idiot. He’d end up embarrassing himself and most likely falling over.

But you. Oh you move so effortlessly he’s actually getting lost in the way you move.

The way you’re laughing and smiling with your friends. He can’t wait to be the one to make you laugh like that. Laugh the same way you did at his stupid joke. He’s never felt love like this. He’s never felt his heart swell and feel so full the way it does when he looks at you. You’re so-

‘Hang on. Who’s this?’ Spencer watches as some guy comes up to you. It doesn’t take a genius to see he’s flirting with you. He’s the opposite of Spencer, all muscular and probably can’t tell his left from his right. And he’s definitely a dick. Spencer can tell he’s a dick. That stupid smile, that look in-

‘Are you flirting too?’ Spencer’s eyes narrowed as he watched your hands on this guy's arm. Why is your hand on his arm?

Maybe you’re just being nice. Maybe you’re just trying to be polite. He can only hope.

If looks could kill, this jock would be 20 feet in the ground and have died a horrific death.

Spencer has been staring him down for the past thirty minutes. Watching you two talk, dance and get way too handsy for his liking. He hates having to see another guy touch you. Only he should touch you like that. He’s actually radiating jealousy. His whole body can feel it. Anger pumping through his veins. He has to sort this out right? He has to stop this guy from taking advantage of you.

Spencer watches you like a hawk as you head off to what he can presume is the bathroom. So as you leave his sight for the first time this evening his eyes fall upon the jerk standing at the bar. Ordering drinks for the pair of you.

Of course he orders the cheapest there is for you.

‘Y/n you deserve so much better than this.’

The guy is joined by some friends, all greeting each other the typical frat boy way even if they are in their late twenties. Morons.

Spencer glides through the crowd. Not wanting to draw attention to himself. He just wants to listen to this douchebag's conversation with his so-called ‘bros’.

“Dude for real she’s all over me. I’m so getting pussy tonight!” He exclaims to his friends which of course doesn’t sit well with Spencer. You’re so much more than a fuck. You’re a smart, talented, beautiful woman who deserves nothing but the best. He knows about your exs, having stalked their socials to make sure he’s perfect for you. That he’s nothing like them. Not that he is anyway. God he has multiple PhDs and they were lucky enough to have even got into college with their grades.

As you return from the bathroom and his frat bros disappear into the club somewhere he decides enough is enough.

This guy is not touching you. This waste of air is not going anywhere near his girl. His soulmate.

“I’m just gonna go piss I’ll meet you outside.” Frat boy says before heading off. Leaving you to make your own way outside. You look uncomfortable, he knows you’re uncomfortable. So he’s going to save you.

He’s going to save you from a night of regret.

Before he can think anymore Spencer follows the guy, following him into the bathroom before he ‘accidentally’ bumps into him.

“Oh man, I’m sorry.” Spencer says before looking at the guy. His chest covered in the liquid from Spencer’s drink.

“You should watch where you’re going bro.” He’s not pleased to say the least. I mean who would be if they’ve just been covered in alcohol?

Spencer scans his surroundings like some spy as his hand slips into his pocket. All the stalls are empty, it’s just them. Him and his current number one enemy.

“Yeah absolutely.” Spencer’s eyes flick back to the guy. Scanning them for a moment before deciding to waste no more time.

He pulls out a needle and stabs him in the neck, quick and fast. The guy can’t even cry out or defend himself before it takes effect. Slowing down everything in his body.

Spencer has to hold him up as he guides him back out and through the crowd. To anybody looking it will look like two guys and one of them has drank way too much.

He has to chuckle and make light conversation with all the clubbers which does not please him but does help his facade.

The cold air hits both of their faces as they exit the building, having to go through a different exit to not be seen but you.

But now he faces another problem.

He has a practically unconscious mumbling man hanging off his arm. The lengths he’s going to go for you apparently have no line he won’t cross.

But to avoid this asshole saying anything when he’s back to consciousness. He has two options.

Kill him, kidnap him.

And seeing as you’re right round the corner waiting for a man that is never going to come. He decides that he can’t miss this opportunity.

He didn’t like killing him. No. It wasn’t enjoyable. But it had to be done. The man was a misogynistic prick. Who was also carrying drugs. Drugs he may have put in your drink. So Spencer is helping out really. One less prick.

As he was a bit pushed for time and in an alley he had to be quick. Stabbing him repeatedly, making sure to not leave any fingerprints and that no cameras were there. Good job Spencer is a smart man and enjoys crime shows.

His disposal wasn’t great either. But he didn’t have many options.

So a bin will have to do. Worst comes to worst he’ll have to come back and move the prick. This guy is just causing issues like he did when he was alive.

But right now all he needs to do is go find you.

As he turned the corner he had seen you. Poor you waiting for that guy to come meet you.

‘You look so good Y/n. You should be waiting for me. Matter of fact I’d never let you wait.’

Spencer’s having to sike himself up to go talk to you. He has a habit of embarrassing himself and he really didn’t want to do that with you. He refuses to do that with you. But the way you two were in the shop. It was so comfortable. So…right.

He had finally reached the stage of being able to head towards you. The nerves will never leave but this is the calmest he thinks he’s going to get.

His feet move before his head. Walking towards you. Palms sweating. Heart pounding.

But before he can reach you, you slip away. Getting in a taxi.

You’re out of his reach and gone.

He’ll just have to wait.

a/n: this is a different style of writing that i’m not sure if i like it. Part 2 will be coming soon.

[abbysimsfun]

24 25 Favourite Screenshots of 2024 (Part Two)

It was so hard to narrow down my favourite shots, I had to do this twice!

Starting off round two, Conrad took a magic subway to Glimmerbrook (1) and got there in time for a perfect sunset, and then (2) he met his first ghosts on Casters Alley! (Well, his second few ghosts, since he'd already met Ben but didn't know Ben was a ghost yet.)

(3) Heather coming home at the perfect time to spot a woman who became a major problem but is finally in handcuffs!!

(4) Heather chats with her family while Ash blows super hard to reach his birthday candles.

(5) Child Ash playing in a pile of autumn leaves in the front yard.

(6) The grey apartment building where Conrad grew up as seen from the above-ground subway track running through San Myshuno's Spice District.

(7) Conrad finds a boxing gym to channel his anger after his mother's death, where he meets a pretty redhead - his first love, Ximena - punching a nearby bag.

(8) Lavender was even adorable as a newborn object. I can't explain it just look.

(9) Posing with Reaper Rewards swag for fun to make Lavender's infant debut on Halloween, and I love this photo so much.

I added the painting of Lady Mimsy in the Garden to the Deadgrass Isle Historical Museum because I want to stare at it until it turns spooky like I read about online.

(10) Conrad takes the stand at John Brindleton's bench trial in front Heather and a room full of deco sims.

(11) Conrad and Heather being so wholesome after she just shouted down George Brindleton for threatening her kids outside the courthouse.

(12) Conrad checking his clue board at work.

(13) Conrad helping Ash with a school project while Heather plays with Gord in the living room. Sweet slice of family life.

(14) Meeting Felix Psyded, Esquire at the Salty Paws Saloon, and Conrad downs a whole pint of cream cola to calm his nerves over all the drama in his life.

(15) Conrad feeding infant Lavender while mending fences with Felix before they resurrected him with ambrosia.

(16) I love this shot of the Goth mansion in Brindleton Bay from outside their front gate. With the snow and the moon it still gives me Gothic vibes even though the house is nothing like their original lot in Willow Creek.

Because I knew the legacy would move to Brindleton Bay in Gen 2, I wanted them living there, so when I added them to the save back when Mortimer and Bella were still married in Gen 1, I gave them the mansion and Bella's lived happily here ever since!

(17) Ghost Conrad smiles as he contemplates possessing the Goths' grand piano after drinking a Spectral Spritzer mixed for him by Bella.

(18) Infant Lavender smiles proudly when she learns to grab her toes.

(19) After finally coming clean about his past, Heather and Conrad talk things out on a bench near her childhood home in Henford-on-Bagley.

(20) The first family photo I ever posed in game and it's so cute, I framed it a bunch of times!

(21) Conrad gets down on one knee to give Heather a ring on Winterfest Eve, after their unceremonious engagement when Heather was in labour with Lavender.

(22) Can't get enough of those cc jammies, or this perfect candid shot of Heather walking in to find her son passed out above the covers, Conrad getting sleepy, and Queen Cupcake curled up and sleeping at his feet.

(23) Infant Lavender in her unicorn onesie getting a nuzzle from Gord while she pets him.

(24) Conrad and Gord meet ghost dog Captain Whitaker on a snowy Deadgrass Isle. I was so happy to find him and get this arc started and then the game updated and made him a living dog before I could resurrect him! (Not to worry, the plan is still in place because the Gallery saves!)

Bonus (25) Picky Lavender gives Conrad the stink eye over a jar of nasty peas.

I've truly had such a blast on simblr since my arrival, loved getting to know so many of you, and I can't wait to see all the screenshots you'll share in 2025! Happy simming!!

<- Part 1

Tomorrow, Conrad will finally get to see Ximena behind bars!

[lifesizehysteria]

A Mother’s Blessings | A Bridgerton Fic

Part 8: Daphne

Fandom: Bridgerton (TV) Rating: Gen Pairing: Violet Bridgerton/Marcus Anderson Characters: Violet Bridgerton, Daphne Bridgerton, Francesca Bridgerton, Eloise Bridgerton, Anthony Bridgerton, Kate Bridgerton Summary: A collection of moments through Violet and Marcus’ courtship in which Violet seeks the blessings of her children. AO3 Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7

Violet felt her heart pounding in her throat as the carriage pulled up in front of Aubrey Hall. It was the first week of December, and the winter air was cold, but at least it was not raining as she waited outside. The rest of the family took refuge inside the foyer, but Violet would not let a little winter wind keep her from greeting her girls properly as they arrived back home. 

The footman opened the carriage door, and Eloise burst from inside, ignoring his offered hand and nearly jumping from the step, her dark hair swinging around her face, the bright pink of her cheeks a startling contrast to her pale skin. 

“Eloise!” Violet practically sang her name, her arms already outstretched as she approached her to wrap her in a tight hug. For once in her life, Eloise did not pull away immediately, instead settling her chin on Violet's shoulder, squeezing her back nearly as tightly. “Oh, how I have missed you!” 

“I missed you, too, Mama,” Eloise said, sounding sincere as Violet soaked up every second of her embrace. 

“What about me?” came from behind in a sweet, melodic voice that was music to Violet's ears. 

Letting go of Eloise, she turned to her younger daughter, beaming. “Oh, my darling!” She pulled Francesca in. “I am so happy you are home!” she said, sure she would burst from joy. When she let go, she took Francesca's head into her hands just to look at her for a moment, taking in her glowing face that she had missed so much. 

“I am happy to be home, too, Mama.”

Violet looked over her daughter’s shoulder, then, letting go of her face and bringing her hands down to her arms, she looked at her, perplexed.

“Where is John?”

“He decided to stay with his family. He is not one for large crowds, you know.” Francesca gave a small shrug. 

“And you did not wish to stay with him for your first Christmas?” Violet asked, surprised. Not that she was unhappy about it. She was delighted, in fact, if a bit sad for her daughter.  

“He insisted I come. He knows how much you wanted me here. And we will have plenty of Christmases together,” she said with a soft smile. 

Violet hummed, still beaming as she turned and gestured Eloise over. 

“Come, come,” she said as she linked one arm into each of her daughters’. “Let us get out of the cold. Everyone is waiting inside.”

They strode arm in arm to the house while Violet felt as if she might just float right away. 

Inside was a cacophony of greetings resulting in the usual chaos in which Violet had learned to find a particular kind of peace. They were a loud and boisterous bunch, but they were all a piece of her heart and only when they were all together, as they were now, did she feel whole. 

Hyacinth practically threw herself onto Francesca, and Benedict pulled Eloise into an uncharacteristically affectionate hug. The girls were passed around from one person to another in a whirlwind until Francesca realized just who she was hugging. 

“Anthony! You are here? And Kate! I thought you were to go to India!” 

“You are right, Sister. We were,” Anthony said, letting go of her so she could kiss Kate’s cheek. “However, we realized we did not want to risk Kate having the baby on the way, so we decided to stay. And it is a good thing, too, because I do fear that is exactly what would have happened.”

“We will leave for India in the spring, so long as there are no pressing family matters to keep us here,” Kate told her with a glint in her eye. 

Francesca’s face brightened with realization. “The baby! It is here!” 

“Yes,” Kate laughed, “he is.”

“May I see him?”

“He is sleeping, but after his nap, of course.”

Francesca clasped her hands in front of her, a demure but sincere smile on her face. “I cannot wait.”

Violet could not hang back any longer. Although Eloise had already been swept away by Penelope, and she had resigned to catching up with her later, she was not about to lose Francesca to someone else, too. She stepped up beside her daughter and linked her arm through hers again. 

“Surely, my dear, you must be parched from your travels. Come, we shall have some tea in the drawing room.”

“I am rather hungry,” she said, and Violet nodded, smiling.

“Then I shall have some sandwiches brought out with the tea.” 

Violet led Francesca to the drawing room by the elbow, her other hand holding onto her daughter’s forearm as if two hands might keep her more securely by her side. Daphne, Violet noticed, followed not too far behind. 

The three of them settled in the drawing room around one of the small round tables, Violet requesting a tray of sandwiches and biscuits along with their tea, and it was not long before it was all set before them. 

“When did you arrive, Sister?” Francesca asked. 

“Two days ago,” Daphne said. “We were fortunate to have missed all of the poor weather on the way and arrived a day earlier than expected. Which is all for the best because the carriage ride did nothing to improve my morning sickness.”

Francesca’s face lit up. “You are with child again?”

Daphne’s cheeks turned pink as a hand came to rest on her stomach. “I am.”

“Oh, that is wonderful! I am delighted for you!”

“It is such happy news,” Violet agreed, reaching over to squeeze her daughter’s hand. She had been overjoyed when Daphne had told her the previous morning.

“Thank you.” Daphne smiled, returning the gesture, a sincere smile on her face. “And what of you, Fran? Any announcements to share?”

Francesca’s smile faltered slightly, her eyes flitting down towards the table as she shook her head. “I am afraid not.”

Sensing her daughter’s unease, Violet reached her hand across the table, which Francesca took. “Oh, that is quite alright, dearest,” she said in a purposefully light, reassuring tone. “You mustn’t worry. It is still so early. You have plenty of time.”

Francesca gave her a small, grateful smile that did not make it to her eyes as she let go of her hand. 

“Yes,” Daphne said with conviction. “In fact, it is quite fortunate that you and John have this time to spend getting to know one another before having children. You must simply enjoy it, and when children are meant to come along, they will.” She finished her point with a firm nod, as if the matter were settled. 

“I suppose you are right,” Francesca agreed. “Children are quite noisy, and we do both enjoy the quiet.”

“Oh, yes, your life will never be as quiet as it is now!” Violet laughed. “You might as well take in all the silence now that you can while you have it.”

“That is true, Mama. I am not sure I can even remember what quiet sounds like,” Daphne said, amusement coloring her voice. 

“Well, I have been experiencing quite a bit of it lately, and I must say, I simply cannot get used to it after so long,” Violet said before picking up her teacup. 

“Poor, Mama,” Francesca said. “Though, surely, Lord Anderson is helping to fill some of that silence.”

Violet nearly choked on her tea, setting it down with a clatter. 

“Lord Anderson?” Daphne turned to her sister with a puzzled look, then back to her mother. “Lady Danbury’s brother?” 

“Ye-es…” Violet drew out the word as if the delay might help her acquire more words regarding the matter, but it did not. 

“I am sorry, Mama. I assumed Daphne knew.”

“Knew what?” Daphne asked, sounding more indignant now that there seemed to be something unspoken she was not privy to. 

“You have spoken about him in your letters to me, I assumed you did to her as well.”

“I have, but only briefly. You were there for the season, so it made sense for me to speak of it with you. And it was not until the end of the summer that I even knew for sure, and then I did not want to tell her through a letter. That seemed so impersonal,” Violet clarified. 

“Tell me what?” Daphne demanded. 

“Mother and Lord Anderson are courting,” Francesca blurted out, then covered her mouth and looked apologetically at her mother. 

“Courting?” Daphne asked, her mouth hanging open as she stared at Violet, who offered her a tight-lipped smile while her hands twisted the napkin in her lap.

“Yes,” she admitted in a breathy tone. “Although we have been taking things quite slowly, and it was not until just before we returned to the country that we began officially courting.”

“Well, what exactly were you doing before?”

Violet shrugged, letting out a nervous laugh. “Getting to know each other, I suppose.”

“And now you are courting?” Daphne asked, her eyes narrowing on her mother who nodded her head. “But not engaged.”

“Oh heavens, no! No, nothing of that sort.” Violet laughed nervously again, her face growing hot. She was not sure when, if ever, she would get used to talking about her own personal life with her children. Perhaps, she was beginning to understand why so many of them were so reluctant to accept her guidance on the marriage mart.

“I should like to meet him,” Daphne stated. 

“He is really lovely,” Francesca said. “I like him quite a lot. Though, I would also like to get to know him a bit better, now that he is truly courting you.”

Violet cleared her throat, her chin tucked down by her chest, her eyes flitting about, unable to settle in any one place. “Well, luckily for both of you, he will be joining us for Christmas.”

“Really?” “He will?” They spoke at the same time. 

Violet chuckled and picked at her thumbnail under the table. “Yes. You know that Lady Danbury has joined us for the holiday for several years. I thought, now that she and Lord Anderson have reconciled, it would be nice to extend him the invitation so that they might be able to celebrate together. Not to mention, it would give you all the chance to get to know him. It is important to me that you are all comfortable with him, and that you all…approve of our…courtship.”

“Oh, there is no need for our approval, Mama,” Daphne said. 

“Besides, he is a wonderful gentleman,” Francesca added. “Why ever should you worry about our disapproval, even if it were necessary?”

Violet’s eyebrows lifted and she rolled her eyes slightly, thinking about her eldest son. “Unfortunately, not everyone feels the same way, dearest.” 

“Is it Anthony?” Daphne asked flatly, not even trying to hold back the annoyance from her voice. 

Violet did not say anything and instead avoided looking at her daughter at all. 

“Mama, you cannot let him get in the way of your happiness,” Francesca said quietly, for which Violet smiled up at her, appreciative of her support. 

“What, exactly, is the reason for Anthony’s objection?” Daphne asked, eyebrows arched haughtily. 

Violet looked up at her, noticing just how similar her eldest daughter and eldest son could be. Perhaps the only reason they were different at all was because of the expectations placed on them by society based on their sexes. The realization made her smile. 

“He thinks I am replacing your father,” she said with some exasperation, closing her eyes for a moment and shrugging one shoulder. 

“That is the most absurd thing I have ever heard.”

Violet let out a tight laugh, thinking she could not agree more. “Yes, well, you know how Anthony can be.”

“Indeed. I will speak to him, Mama.”

“Oh, no, Daphne, that is not necessary,” she rushed to say. “He just needs some time, I think, to get used to the idea. He will come around,” she insisted, although she was not sure she fully believed it. He had made an effort since coming to Aubrey Hall to get to know Marcus better. At least, he was no longer disappearing whenever he called, and made a point to make polite conversation with him. It truly was a vast improvement, even if Violet had hoped for a bit more warmth from him by now.

“Mama, this is Anthony. He does not just ‘come around’ to things.”

“Daphne,” Violet said in a warning tone, “he is your brother.”

“Yes, and I love him dearly. That does not make me blind to his stubbornness and the areas in which he is lacking.”

“Daphne,” she warned again, but she was completely ignored. How similar they were, indeed.

“Look at how he almost ruined things for me,” Daphne continued, her tone decidedly level, showing no sign of excitability. Violet almost felt in awe of her, despite the way she was speaking about her brother. “He does not understand what it is to be a woman in this world, and if he is opposing your courtship under the assumption that you, of all people, are somehow trying to replace Papa when he very well knows how deeply you have loved and mourned him, then he is, quite frankly, an imbecile.”

Both Violet’s and Francesca’s mouths dropped open, Violet’s eyes so wide it looked as if they might just pop right out and roll across the table. Never had she heard her daughter speak in such a manner. It was rather shocking. And yet, despite her instinct to defend her son, she did not. What Daphne said, her defense of Violet and her choices felt, well, rather validating. She realized that she agreed with her daughter and that it felt good to have someone so thoroughly on her side, though perhaps she would not have used the word imbecile.

“That is…rather harsh,” Francesca said quietly. 

Daphne lifted her nose up into the air, an almost bored look falling across her face.

“I do not think it is harsh at all. And even if it were, a harsh truth is still a truth,” she disagreed, firmly but as gently as she could. She and her sister had very different relationships with their eldest brother, and since Violet had never known Daphne to be undeservedly unkind, she knew she would not take it out on Francesca, which was yet another thing for Violet to be grateful for.

A tense quiet fell around the three women, and Violet, never one to sit well in any silence, took a sip of her tea to give herself something to do. After another moment, Daphne cleared her throat.

“I do not think the tea is agreeing with the baby,” she said, letting her hand come to rest over her stomach. There was a stiffness in her voice that made Violet sure she felt just fine and was using it as an excuse. “And Belinda should be waking from her nap soon. I think I shall go to the nursery.” Turning towards Francesca, she offered an olive branch. “Would you care to join me? I am sure the children would love to see you.”

Francesca blinked and looked down, clearly not quite done processing what was an unusually tense interaction between her and her sister. “I should like to stay and visit with Mama, but, perhaps later? I would love to see them,” she said, a small smile turning up the corners of her closed lips.

“Very well,” Daphne said with a nod, returning her sister’s smile. When she went to walk away, Violet caught her arm, and she turned back towards her. “Yes, Mama?” 

Violet looked up at her daughter, her bright eyes glistening slightly at the corners. She reached up to take Daphne’s face in one hand, her daughter bending in order for her to more easily reach and so their faces were closer together.

“Thank you, my dear,” Violet said softly, her thumb brushing over her cheek.

Daphne smiled warmly, placing her hand over her mother’s. “Of course, Mama. If anyone deserves a second chance at happiness, it is you. Do not let anyone take that from you.”

“Oh, my darling girl.” The glisten in her eyes turned to real tears that fell as she closed her eyes, bringing Daphne closer so that she could press a kiss to her forehead. Pulling back to look at her, she said tenderly, “However did I end up with such a strong and wise daughter?”

“I must take after my mother,” Daphne said with a gleam in her eyes that made Violet let out a wet laugh. She was not so sure of that. Daphne seemed to possess ten times her courage, and whatever wisdom Violet had now, it had not yet been learned when she was Daphne’s age. No, her daughter would surpass her in every imaginable way, and as she squeezed her hand and watched her walk from the room, she was grateful for it. After all, that was what she had always hoped for.

[the-crystal-femmes]

forsaken is a multiplayer survival horror roblox game!!! each round 1 killer is selected randomly, and their goal is to kill each of up 

to 8 survivors before the timer runs out. 

There are several different survivors and killers you can play as, each having different abilities and play styles. Most of them are based off of characters from different pieces of media (eepecially roblox games), or are based on old roblox myths and hackers. You can also get a bunch of skins for each character.

off the top of my head the killers are 1x1x1x1, c00lkidd, john doe, and jason. Personally I main C00lkidd cause i like his playstyle and hes based off of an old roblox hacker. I prefer to play with the Bluudud skin cause im biased on the fact that we have a fictive of him, and hes essentially colorswapped c00lkidd. I also sometimes play as Jason or John Doe tho ^__^

Theres a lot of survivors so i cant name them all off the top of my head without missing a few, but i personally main Elliot whose based off of the worker from the other roblox game, Work at a pizza place :3. Elliot can heal other players by giving them pizza. I have the Nyan cat skin for him which lets you throw poptarts to heal instead.

The game also has lore! Essentially the killers are being pushed and controlled by a malevolent entity called The Spectre to endlessly kill the survivors, who have been trapped there from different games to live out their demise over and over :3

I can yap more if yall wish (i LOVE forsaken i have nearly 20 hours of playtime on it even tho ive only been consistently playing it for like 3 days) but thats the rundown x3

Ooh this sounds really interesting /gen

It makes me wish that we still played roblox but we stopped playing cause we got harrassed n shit /lh, nav

No but the myths stuff and also WORK AT A PIZZA PLACE??? /pos

We keep seeing forsaken due to multiple mutuals and it's good to hear what it's all about. We always feel so out of the loop. - 🌺

If you wanna Yap more we'd love to hear /pos, nf

- 🎪🃏

[teethingdoll]

HELLO! i’m toby XD im fourteen from manhattan, new york city (east side lol)

my favorite bands include ptv, mcr, fob, sws, p!atd, picture me broken, the moldy peaches, the 1975, and so many more! my playlist is 164 hours long lmao (linked at bottom :D)

my favorite shows/movies are yellowjackets (shauna defender til i die), skins gen 1 + 2, shameless, nathan for you, the jackass franchise, it’s always sunny in philadelphia, breaking bad + el camino (jesse pinkman is my favorite tv character ever), big mouth (shamefully), south park, daria, inside job, this is the end, pineapple express, and probably a bunch more that i cannot think of at the moment, feel free to ask! i don’t play about my letterboxd account

i’m so obsessed with jaime preciado, mikey way, and pete wentz (can you tell i like bassists?) and my favorite celebs include seth rogen, the franco brothers, john mulaney, jason mantzoukas, hayley williams, rachel sennott, ayo edebiri, + more!

i have a girlfriend who i love very very much! her name is abby, she means the world 2 me :3 she/him pronouns pretty please and i’m probably not cis but i am definitely a girlkisser so by all means important im a lesbian. i have adhd and ocd and im in the achingly long process of an autism diagnosis :/ im italian :)

be warned that i can be mean at times unintentionally, or very intentionally! it’s hard to tell and i try to include tone indicators and id appreciate the usage of them in conversation with me, im rather slow. i also may post about things such as vaping and smoking 🍃, if youre quitting, id advise staying away

with that being said, i’m proudly in self harm recovery and would appreciate accounts within that range to stay very far away <3

all my links can be found here, i’m kind of popular on tiktok ;w;

have a lovely day <3 remember that a free palestine is crucial for the world 🇵🇸

[finniestoncrane]

I'll let my date decide I'm 22 years old. Pan. Genderfluid. Short and fat. I'm canonically autistic and canonically have ADHD (I'm sorry I like referring to it w=as canon). You already know that though. You already are SO FUCKING AWARE of my obsession with old monster movies. I mean... I didn't go on an hour long tangent about movie titles ibn a game, and are therefore copywrite friendly, and what films they could be meant to be for no reason. And you are so incredibly aware of the research I did for Gen-1 and Gen-2 synths, and me picking apart Nick Valentine's voice lines to determine anatomy of gen-2 prototype synths. I believe I've also told you that I'm still considering being an auto-mechanic.

What you probably don't know though is that I took an engineering class in high school and I kicked ass in competitions. Like there was this hydraulic robot arm made of wood, syringes, and plastic tubes. Despite the fact that the tubes kept falling off the syringes, my team got like... 2nd place in my class and 4th place schoolwide. There was also a competition for making a boat out of just cardboard and duct tape. Not to brag but our boat could hold 3 people (when it was only required that 2 people go in the boat) and we got the second fasted time schoolwide. We didn't even have paddles technically, unlike some groups who made carboard paddles. We had just a thick pieces of cardboard covered entirely in duct tape. Literally was my favorite class. This wasn't my decision cuz it was a group project but still.

In video games I am a sort of item hoarder because I'm terrified I'll need something later and then I never need it later. Not me having an inventory full of Junk in Fallout 4.

You are also probably aware of my insistence that ghoul cum is radioactive and how the terminal on the Prydwen proves this. Which is good for me and my item hoarding tendencies because I have so much RadAway. Cuz we all know that I'm a ghoulfucker. Also a robotfucker but that's a different story that started with Transformers and got me into cars because I wanted a way to fuck Transformers in vehicle mode because I'm just horny like that (affectionate). A weird hobby I also have is miniatures. I wouldn't call it miniature painting just yet because I have done a whole lot of not painting. I have paint for sure. I seem to be refusing to pick a color scheme and sticking with it. I have not bought primer yet. I have so many miniatures. I am preparing to get more because there's one of Cooper Howard and John Hancock and Nick Valentine and Sturges. But Sturges is in a different box from Hancock and Nick, and then Cooper is in a different one from everyone else. And the box Sturges is in is REALLY hard to find. And the box Cooper is in isn't technically out yet. Like... I already have Toad and Magento from Marvel Crisis Protocol that are unpainted. And then I have a whole bunch of Seraphons in a box that I cannot for the life of me pick a paint scheme for. And I don't even know why I bought Necrons. I don't know how to even play Wasteland Warfare. Or Marvel Crisis Protocol. Or Warhammer: Age of Sigmar. Or Warhammer 40k. I just like the models. Hell, I don't even know how to play D&D and have no one who will play with me as of right now. But I have 2 D&D books (one is official, the other one isn't) and a Fallout TTRPG pdf file with rules for how to play. It's not technically official but I think the guy got permission to make it. It was free. I was considering making a campaign for that based on where I live but then I realized I'd have to build creatures from the ground up, and find a way to play test them when I literally don't personally know enough people who even really care about Fallout in general. Also the terrain makes it hard to slap a vault anywhere.

zim my tiny beloved, i already knew who i would pair you with, but if i'd had any doubts this message would have sealed your fate because you know who else would have infodumped before explaining anything about themselves...? 💚🩷 🔞minors dni🔞 send a request • masterlist • kofi link • tag: finnie2k (to follow or to block)

Kent Connolly is literally the autistic mascot. He's the cutest, silliest, sweetest little guy, so that already tells me you'd be perfect for one another.

I think one of the best things about Kent, and you, is your ability to retain soooooo many details. You're both so passionate about learning everything you can about specific subjects, and you're both determined enough to learn everything you can.

I can picture you both either braving it to go out to the library or saving up your caps to pay for a mostly intact book that will answer a niche question you both had about Grognak the Barbarian.

You're both so brave too, willing to go through a lot for the things you love and for your happiness.

If there's one ghoul who will understand the need, and the joy, of infodumping, it is Kent. He'd be such a sweet listener, he'd ask informed questions, he'd participate respectfully in whatever lecture you were giving, and he'd do it all with the sweetest smile. And when you were ready to listen to him, he'd have a very well-written little speech all prepared.

I can't think of a happier way to spend your time in the wasteland than by sharing your interests, learning about each other and their favourite things, or just engaging in some paralell play, the autistic national sport.

And I know he'd write extra episode of the Silver Shroud for you if you just desperately needed more of that particular hyperfixation.

I just think Kent would be the kind of guy who would be appropriately impressed and appreciative of how much you know about Captain Boomerang and his entire family history, and the only person who could maybe try and know more than you on that subject.

[theroseandthebeast]

Yuletide Recs, Batch Four

18 recs for North and South, The OC, Ocean's 8, Ocean's Eleven, Only Murders in the Building, Penny Dreadful, Peter Pan, Piranesi, Point Break, and Poker Face

Keeping True, Gen, John Thornton + Hannah Thornton + Fanny Thornton + Maria Hale + Nicholas Higgins + Mill Workers

Five views of Mr Thornton.

"if you weren't real i would make you up", Ryan Atwood & Summer Roberts + Seth Cohen/Summer Roberts

Tell the truth, but tell it like it’s a lie. Ryan Atwood grows up, and his relationships grow up with him.

Magpie, Ryan Atwood & Sandy Cohen + Ryan Atwood & Kirsten Cohen + Ryan Atwood/Marissa Cooper

Going fast enough, there was motion to it, and shape. The wires dipped in-between the poles, then curved back upward, then back down again - a never ending parabolic curve, like a child's drawing of ocean waves. He would imagine different creatures running on top of the wires - tigers, pandas, lions, cheetahs, or even a little miniature version of himself - running and leaping, keeping up with the car. He'd follow the horizon this way too - holding up one of his toy army men and lining up its legs with the line where the land met the sky. On the interstate, outside of the city, driving past farms and craggy hills and suburban enclaves, bunches of houses crowded up in little clusters like fungus erupting through the cracks in a tree's bark - everything looked like a toy. Like he could roll down the window and just scoop everything up, pull the whole world inside to look at it closer.

Encountering the Nova, Lou Miller/Debbie Ocean

Galaxies of women, there doing penance for impetuousness. Debbie and Lou meet cute.

somebody else's wallet, Danny Ocean/Rusty Ryan

When you look at another man for too long, you risk giving several things away.

What Really Happened with Marco, Danny Ocean/Rusty Ryan

Rusty visits Danny's grave, and remembers. Meanwhile, everyone has a story to tell about Danny and Rusty.

in the meantime, wait and see, Oliver Putnam/Charles-Haden Savage

Mabel Mora loves her old guys dearly, but she is getting tired of them sabotaging each other’s love lives.

1/3 Of What You're Saying, Theo Dimas/Mabel Mora

She dreams of puzzle pieces again, that first night at Theo’s. (Mabel and Theo as roommates, figuring it out.)

An Ingenue Looks at Seventy, Loretta Durkin/Oliver Putnam

Maybe this time, Loretta will get everything she ever dreamed of. Or at least a bigger piece of it.

ignition, Theo Dimas/Mabel Mora

“So, do I need to be worried about you getting with a murderer too, or can I reserve that particular worry for Charles and Charles alone?” Or, everyone seems to know before they do.

Dark Days Coming, Ethan Chandler/Vanessa Ives + Ethan Chandler & Vanessa Ives + Vanessa Ives/Hecate Poole + Ethan Chandler/Hecate Poole

Hecate makes a plan.

Somebody to Watch Over Me, Wendy Darling/James Hook

The Hook she had made up would never smile at a girl as if she were the most interesting person in the world and then tell her that of course, he would patiently await her decision.

Growing Pains, Wendy Darling/James Hook

Wendy knew Hook wasn't propositioning her to join his crew out of the non-existent goodness of his heart. Enchanting his eyes might be, but the coldness in them seeped right into her bones.

The Sixth Statue, Gen, Piranesi | Matthew Rose Sorensen + The House

Matthew Rose Sorensen explores the House.

The Reality of Shadows, Gen, Sixteen | Sarah Raphael

"And when he remembered his old habitation, and the wisdom of the den and his fellow-prisoners, do you not suppose that he would felicitate himself on the change, and pity them? Certainly, he would. … Yes, he said, I think that he would rather suffer anything than entertain these false notions and live in this miserable manner." - Plato, The Republic

The Waters below the Nineteenth Eastern Hall, The House + Piranesi | Matthew Rose Sorensen

Between the Eleventh and Fifteenth days of the Sixth Month in the Year the Albatross Came to the South-western Halls, there are days for which nothing was recorded. To fit into that space: a reflection on certain surprising Elements of the House.

lay my heart down, Bodhi/Johnny Utah

“Hey,” Bodhi says, soaked right down to the bone. “Room for an old friend?” Johnny takes a step back like he’s seen a ghost. “What the fuck?”

Ways to Disappear, Charlie Cale/Original Female Character

Charlie finds a place to stay awhile.

[ao3feed-brucewayne]

Sunshine Lane

by Iceysnow A bunch of Billy Batson Oneshots! Words: 1191, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: Shazam! | Captain Marvel (Comics), DCU, Justice League - All Media Types, Young Justice - All Media Types Rating: Not Rated Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: Gen Characters: Billy Batson, Mary Batson | Mary Bromfield, Freddy Freeman (DCU), Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne, Barry Allen, Black Adam | Teth-Adam, Diana (Wonder Woman), Hal Jordan (Green Lantern), John Constantine, Zatanna Zatara Relationships: Billy Batson & Justice League, Billy Batson & Freddy Freeman, Billy Batson & Mary Batson | Mary Bromfield Additional Tags: Billy Batson-centric, Billy Batson is Captain Marvel | Shazam, Billy Batson Needs a Hug via https://ift.tt/qNHB0V3

[ao3feed-kathony]

Smash Into You.

read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/57124498 by crystalvne (bluevei), mangaluvr (bluevei) “i wanna run…” (beyoncè, smash into you.) Somehow, some way, the beloved, maybe crazy (definitely crazy.) Bunch of Bridgerton siblings clad in blue get sent back into 1813. Here’s the catch, they, themselves are all from different timelines as well. Words: 1868, Chapters: 2/2, Language: English Series: Part 1 of Bridgerton (Shondaland.) Fandoms: Bridgerton (TV), Bridgerton Series - Julia Quinn Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: F/M, Gen Characters: Violet Bridgerton, Agatha Danbury, Charlotte zu Mecklenburg-Strelitz | Charlotte Queen of the United Kingdom, Simon Basset, Daphne Bridgerton, Anthony Bridgerton, Kate Sheffield | Kate Sharma, Edwina Sheffield | Edwina Sharma, Benedict Bridgerton, Sophie Beckett, Colin Bridgerton, Penelope Featherington, Francesca Bridgerton, John Stirling I, Michael Stirling, Eloise Bridgerton, Phillip Crane, Nigel Berbrooke, Hyacinth Bridgerton, Gareth St. Clair, Gregory Bridgerton, Lucy Abernathy (Bridgerton) Relationships: Simon Basset/Daphne Bridgerton, Anthony Bridgerton/Kate Sheffield | Kate Sharma, Colin Bridgerton/Penelope Featherington, Sophie Beckett/Benedict Bridgerton, Eloise Bridgerton/Phillip Crane, Francesca Bridgerton/Michael Stirling, Hyacinth Bridgerton/Gareth St. Clair, Lucy Abernathy/Gregory Bridgerton Additional Tags: Time Travel, Regency, Colin "My Wife" Bridgerton, Hijinks & Shenanigans, lying, Secrets, Family, Lady Danbury Knowing Stuff, Matchmaking read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/57124498

[simsofcourtyardlane]

At Holy Eyelash Church, Christina sees a new face.

"Yvette! Hi! What are you doing here?! Are you finally ready to abandon your false Gods and follow the true Watcher?"

"Something like that. When I got your letter, I was so... moved, and I knew I had to come here."

"Better late than never! You're going to love it here, I just know it! Let me show you around!"

"We aren't like the other, boring churches! Here, you can get a yummy snack and eat during the service! I've been getting yogurt for my figure, but go ahead and have a cookie! Eartha, get Mrs. Yvette a cookie!"

"My last name is-"

"Here you go! A cookie! Thanks, Eartha!"

Yvette smiles politely at the young girl. "Thank you, Eartha."

Christina pulls Yvette away, chattering as she leads her through a set of double doors. "...through here is where the sermon happens! Grab your communion from the table and follow me! Off to the side is where we eat! My club, WOW, always sit together - I'll introduce you to the ladies!"

"Ladies! Meet my neighbor, Yvette! Despite her age, she's only just found the one true God!"

"That is not true," Yvette says. "I've believed in Him for-"

"-for not quick enough! If you believed in Him sooner, you'd have feminine hair and a full quiver like every other woman who believes in Him!"

Instead of replying, Yvette takes a second to remind herself what she's enduring this for.

Christina keeps talking. "Anywho, the girl in pink is my platonic best friend Abigail! Behind her is Kimi, and Jessica's at the end there! We're all happily married mothers! Our husbands like to sit in the pews, but that's ok because they don't like to talk during church like us girls!"

Pastor Bunch takes the stage, and for once Christina is silent. "Hello," he says. "Let's have everybody stand..."

[nullset2]

The Attention Economy

“The old world is dying, and the new world struggles to be born; now is the time of monsters.”

This past decade (and even since the advent of Web 2.0 you could argue) has seen a plethora of horrendous macroeconomic insanity, all related in one way or another to telecommunications. It's no coincidence that the Crash of 2008 occurred at the same time with the release of the first iPhones.

What I think this is indicative of, is that we're living in a New World Order (no, no that one) where our socioeconomic means are intrinsically tied to social media and the Internet. We have effectively become cyborgs, symbiotic with the metal boxes in our pockets, one altogether.

The legacy establishment, such as big box Government, the stock market and the banking system, are aware of it but still haven't adapted to this Brave New World because they're a bunch of decrepit octogenarian old farts that couldn't save a document as PDF to save their lives. Socioeconomic phenomena such as the Trump presidency, the GameStop (meme stock) sways, cryptocurrency and the Coronavirus lockdowns can all be attributed to Information technology.

Sometimes this puts people in very dark spots because they become prey to strange games of complexes, fears and scapegoating (that's why conspiracy theory, such as the Pizzagate 'War against the paedophile elites' abounds in 4chan of all places by the way: if Bill Gates was found to be a paedophile, he'd effectively be the perfect scapegoat), other times things go "We did it Reddit" and John Cena shows up to care for a dying child and everyone gets puppies and hugs and we all laugh and the screen fades to black and we're in a Satmon cartoon.

And again, what else would you expect when everyone has a black box, ultrafast, always-on, always online pornoedipal supercomputer Schizophrenia machine in their pockets where the Ghost in the Machine algorithms dictate and sway people's opinions? One doesn't need to decide what to think, what to like, what to do or what to believe anymore, because it's all fed to one through hyper-saccharine brainrot 5 second videos on TikTonk.

Other phenomena such as the advent of remote-first work, digital nomadism, crowdfunding, crowdsourcing, open-sourcing and live-streaming are also indicators of the fact that a Sea Change is not coming, but rather it’s already happened long, long ago, and the economy hasn’t caught up to it yet (we're still living in the dead, rotten husk of it). Turns out that if you become a streamer and the planets align and you catch enough people's teary-eyed, dehydrated (remember to go drink some water right now) eyes, that's effectively a replacement for a full time job nowadays.

That apparently, the economy is now based on how many people you can get to notice you (and the ad revenue underneath it).

The thing is that effectively this forces us to reconsider what our standards for living should actually be. Gone are the days of the 9 to 5 where you had to commute to an office to make a living because you can effectively work remotely --but alas, some Gen X asshole with an inflamed prostate will call you lazy if you dare challenge his Commercial Real Estate investments and propose to work remote-first.

Maybe this also forces us to reconsider what the damn economy actually is, if four years ago a minority of people were branded as "essential workers" and made to work the shit jobs while everyone else stayed indoors to collect stimmy checks (thanks for the inflation btw). Notice how all of that happened and the world not only didn't end, but shot some stock tickers into the stratosphere. Maybe it's all pies in the sky. Maybe the Fed prints 1 Trillion dollars every 100 days to finance stupid bomb runs that we're not even supposed to care about, and money is basically a collective hallucination.

No Gold Standard, just vibes.

But lo, here come the radical assholes, happy to brandish their cries of "this is all because of CAPITALISM", and well, yes, it is because of capitalism but maybe learn a skill and do some cool shit first and get yourself a clean shirt and clean your room bucko and remove those nasty tattoos and hair dye from yourself first before you dare rework the whole status quo, dummy. Cue r/antiwork, a community that I don't support but that I think has some validity to their claims, that effectively a vast amount of work is not actually necessary and is just work for the sake of work, completely performative, a mechanism to keep the hamster wheels of an economy that's based upon rampant, cold consumerism running.

Maybe it's all so fake and stupid and it makes me feel bad. The Jobs are fake, the Money is fake, and the Economy is fake.

But fuck you if your alternative comes from a fucking College professor that's basically repackaging Maoist China.

To conclude, I insist that we are kind of the in-between at the moment and something's got to give. This cannot go on much longer, and a deep, new zeitgeist rethinking of what work, life and the economy are will happen very, very soon. but in the interim, retain your zen, and remember to bring something for the potluck. There's quarter-donuts and dairy free milk in the break room so you can use the new Nespresso. Happy Friday!

[ao3feed-destiel-02]

Who Cares About the Confetti?

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/eDJVjFS by goldenhand9107 Even though they called it a "gender reveal" party, that part didn't matter much to the Winchesters. Really, it was just an excuse to gather a bunch of their friends in one space and drink copious amounts of alcohol. In which Matt frosts some cupcakes, meets God, and learns about the Winchester family trauma. All in one day. Words: 14573, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Series: Part 11 of On the Topic of Librarians Fandoms: Supernatural (TV 2005) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: Gen Characters: Original Characters, Sam Winchester, Dean Winchester, Eileen Leahy, Castiel (Supernatural), Jack Kline, Original Children of Eileen Leahy and Sam Winchester Relationships: Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester, Castiel/Dean Winchester, Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester Additional Tags: Librarians, Books, Original Character(s), Humor, Fluff and Humor, Attempt at Humor, Found Family, not a fan of john winchester, Hunter Gathering, Castiel and Dean Winchester Own a Bar Together, nerd rants ahead, Happy Ending, Post-Canon, Post-Finale, Future Fic, Jack Kline as God, Cute Jack Kline, Hugs, gender reveal party, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Children, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Family, Family Fluff, Family Feels, Friendship, Introspection, Resolving Misunderstandings, let's play a game of "build your own lore!", I did way too much research, (seriously some of it got cut), I wrote this instead of doing schoolwork, POV Outsider, Character Growth read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/eDJVjFS

[ao3feed-spirk]

The Crew's Growing Family

read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/50697001 by Leyenar_The_Avenger (furiously looking for a co-author) Koth is a young albino Klingon who grew up in the battle-slums of First City, Qo'noS. While he had the aid of Walter, a stranded half-Vulcan Starfleet officer, he also managed to meet a bunch of people who he began to see as his new family, as well as joining their unintentional and dangerous adventures. Featuring the Star Trek movies 1 through 4. (the fourth one is based on https://www.change.org/p/viacom-help-this-pitch-come-to-life) Words: 101, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Fandoms: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death Categories: Gen Characters: Original Characters, James T. Kirk, Spock (Star Trek), Leonard "Bones" McCoy, Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, Nyota Uhura, Carol Marcus, Pavel Chekov, Hikaru Sulu, Khan Noonien Singh | John Harrison, USS Vengeance, Spock Prime, Christopher Pike, USS Enterprise, Jaylah (Star Trek), and the cast of thousands Relationships: Crew of the Starship Enterprise & OMC, James T. Kirk & Spock & Original Characters, Spock/Nyota Uhura, Carol Marcus/Leonard "Bones" McCoy, Khan Noonien Singh/USS Vengeance, Montgomery "Scotty" Scott/Nyota Uhura, James T. Kirk/Spock, Amanda Grayson/Sarek, Christopher Pike/Vina, James T. Kirk & Leonard "Bones" McCoy & Spock, Jaylah & Khan Noonien Singh Additional Tags: Klingon, Crew as Family, Eventual James T. Kirk/Spock, Families of Choice, Song: Man or Muppet (Muppets 2011), spock has a brother, Inspired by Tumblr, More or less Canon Compliant, Amanda Grayson Lives, Christopher Pike Lives, implied spirk prime, Crack Treated Seriously, Sibling Rivalry read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/50697001