#michael is runner up too he's a pretty guy

[creaturefeaster]

According to, like, their standards; who's considered the most attractive out of the living cast?

If every one of the living pooled their opinions on everyone together, Bonnie, as well as Taylor, would be the two to be considered the most attractive.

[cdragons]

Fuck Everything, But Mostly Fuck You - Part 3

Previous Part

Summary: You have never, EVER, in a million years hated anyone the way you hated Felix fucking Catton. But goddamn, Oliver Quick was a fucking close runner-up.

Warnings- MDNI 18+, slight mention of blood, sexual harassment, Felix is delulu and kind of a pig, Reader just wants some fucking peace, Michael is Michael and the best, Oliver is Oliver (the worst)

Author's Note: Thank you so much to everyone who commented and reblogged! I didn't expect this story to gain so many readers, and this was a challenging chapter to write - but only because there were some scenes I couldn't add because it would have gotten too long otherwise.

If there was a God out there, you prayed for the coming term to be as wonderful as this holiday had been for you.

You really wanted to kick yourself in the pants for making such a fucking cheesy wish at night watching the stars with Michael.

Right now, you were leaning to rest your head against a bookshelf in a slant position. You had a splitting migraine that began from the moment you woke up and worsened with nausea from your tutorial. And you couldn’t even go back to your dorm for the rest of the day because your lab course for your gen-ed didn’t allow for absences.

“What’d she do now?” came a voice on your right.

You looked to the right and were blinded by a white and blue-striped button-down shirt with short sleeves tucked into a pair of tan khaki pants.

Your knight-in-silver-framed glasses, Michael Gavey, everyone.

All the guy was missing was a pocket protector with pens and tape wrapped around the bridge, and he would have matched every bullied kid in every high school movie set in the 80s.

You turned around to lean your back against the bookshelves and slowly lowered yourself until your butt was parallel to your feet. Blowing the stray hairs out of your face, you remembered to take deep breaths to prevent you from blowing up at your only friend.

“No,” you sighed, “well – yes, but nothing I can’t handle.”

Do you love your classes? Yes. Was Daria Martin still your art teacher, and did she still like you? Yes. Are the rest of your teachers mostly assholes that think all Americans are Appalachian hill-billies? Also, yes. But were you still not excelling and scoring in the top ten after every exam? Naturally, no doubt about it.

But were you as invisible and unnoticed as you were before the break came? No. Did anyone with a pulse give you side-eyed glances after your stunt with the 24/7 shit-faced He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named? Pretty much, yes. Did most of your problems come from one mythic bitch in a 5’3” flesh suit that had the ‘Juicy’ logo plastered on her ass? Namely, one in particular, Annabel – who was your assigned student partner in your tutorial.

Was your new name among the student body now “Psycho Bitch”? …Unfortunately, yes.

…Okay, so this term has not been going as well as you had hoped during the break.

Annabel hated you – like hated-HATED you. And you had no idea why.

You were pretty sure you were less than blank air to her last term, but now she was determined to make your life a living hell. Last term, she skipped every other session to do whatever Annabel did. But now, it felt like she came to every tutorial for the opportunity to tear apart your work.

You’re pretty confident she was the one who started your new “name” about a few weeks ago when the weather began to warm up.

It’s not as if you were a stranger to being picked and prodded by the people born with silver spoons on their tongues and blessed with golden-tipped wings. You were a public-school kid from grades K-12 who went to Townsend Harris for those last four years. Townsend Harris High School was a public school, but make no mistake – it was just as full of the same bullshit hierarchy that made up every private school in Manhattan.

"Open the doors to all. Let the children of the rich and the poor take their seats together and know of no distinction save that of industry, good conduct, and intellect."

What crock. You only survived those years because every kid knew that your dad was an NYU professor who knew the Dean of Admissions of Columbia. You couldn’t recall how often you wished you had joined your friends at Flushing High or even Bayside.

However, regardless of the snide snarks and bullshit snickers pointed at you, you were left alone for the most part.

Sure – it sucked; that goes without saying. It was naïve of you to assume that people would grow out of the need for drama once they walked through the ivory doors and marble floors of higher education. It was stupid of you to think that everyone would forget about your outburst at Bodleian while they were getting drunk on the New Year.

And while Annabel was one migraine-inducing problem, she wasn’t the worst part of returning. No, that title belonged to her boyfriend, a whole other can of monkeys.

The worst part – the worst part of EVERYTHING – was how Felix fucking Catton was incapable of just leaving you the hell alone. It was like he had a little antenna sticking out of his head specifically for you whenever the two of you were within a ten-foot radius of him. Everywhere you went, it was as if you had a giant blinking arrow above you screaming, “Felix Catton’s New Toy”!

No, you were less than a toy – you were a joke, a gimmick.

God, you should have just stuck to your original plan and applied to any SUNY school that would have accepted you without even looking at your application.

But no, your good-Samaritan-obsessed college counselor called your parents and complained that you weren’t “putting yourself out there” enough. And now you were over thirty-four hundred miles away from home, stuck with the worst people ever. It was like a thousand tiny prickles were running on your skin as your mind filled with static.

Whenever Felix called out to you, it was to invite you to a party or get wasted. One time, he walked up to you insanely plastered and invited you for a quickie in the men’s bathroom. You were in an empty lecture hall since your usual spot in the library was taken, and Michael was still in class, so you didn’t see the point in trying to find an open spot.

Somehow – without you noticing – the guy plopped himself next to you and asked if there were any rooms in the building where he could smoke a joint in.

“Pretty sure you could open the window in the bathroom to smoke in there,” you replied absentmindedly.

And then he put his hand ON YOUR THIGH, leaned to your ear to whisper, “Wanna get out of here to join me? We don’t have only to get high.”

You grabbed all your shit and booked it – out of the building and all the way to your dorm to take a shower that lasted for around twenty minutes. You wanted to get rid of the smell of nicotine and overpriced aftershave. The scent of him on your skin made you wish you could tear it off.

And in your panic, you left your bike at the building’s entrance.

When you returned to retrieve it, it was after dark, and you recruited Michael as your tall and bony human shield.

“Do not ever walk home alone at night,” your mom told you every morning you left for school.

You tried not to think about the haunted look in her eyes each time she told you.

“Wanna skip the dining hall tonight? We can walk to Crowley Street and order take-out at that Pakistani place you like so much.”

Oh, that perked you right up. Jannahs Express was a broke college student’s paradise. The food was cheap, and the owners took pity on the international students. It was slightly more expensive in the UK, but it was the closest you could find with food on par to Kababish on Broadway in Queens. You stifled a laugh remembering the sight of Michael drinking the entire pitcher of water after you dared him to try a dish at ‘regular.’

“Seriously? Do you think you could take more than ‘English-mild’?” you asked as you stood up. “How did you survive your mom’s cooking for so long? She made us Indian food on our last night.”

“Mum grew up in London, and she had neighbors teach her how to make it the traditional way. You’re the only person who could take that level. Lilypad and I got Dad’s taste buds.”

Choking on your spit from laughing at the image of Gregory Gavey’s face turning firetruck red, you felt the migraine slowly disappear.

“Yeah, I’ll bet. God, I can’t imagine the look on his face when –”

A familiar voice that left a bitter taste in your mouth after hearing interrupted your conversation.

“Hey, (Y/N). Can we talk?”

You and Michael turned your heads to find Oliver Quick – Michael’s former friend, your former acquaintance – and the sight of him soured the mood instantaneously. You narrowed your eyes to dangerous slits to show your displeasure seeing him as one corner of your lip curled to show a sneer. You never liked the guy. There was just something about how he acted and presented himself. He had a profound desperation to impress everyone around him.

So much so that he immediately dropped Michael after becoming Felix Catton’s new pet. As evidenced by the oversized gray zip-up hoodie blanketing him. Felix’s, no doubt.

Fuck, you hated him.

“Ugh, what do you want?” you snapped, taking a bit of pleasure in seeing how your voice made him flinch.

“Look, can we –” his eyes hastily darted to Michael, then you, then behind him to make sure no one was watching him “– can we talk in private?”

Seriously? That’s how he wants to play this?

In the corner of your eye, you saw how tightly Michael clenched his fists. He was obviously still hurt from the time his ex-friend treated him like shit.

Oh, this will not do.

“Oliver,” you snarled as you crossed your arms over your chest, “whatever the hell you have to say to me, you can say in front of Michael.”

“Can you please not do this now?” he begged with pathetic eyes. How very in-character of him.

“Tick tock, Quick. Are you going to talk, or do I have to throw a drink in your face again? But this time, I’ll smash the glass on your face, too.”

Seeing the look on his face gave you almost a perverse sense of joy. Maybe this is why bullies exist.

“Do you think you’ll be at the pub sometime this week?”

What the fuck? Was he serious? His question caught you completely off-guard. You expected him to ask for notes or even help with homework, as his grades have slipped since becoming an official Felix Catton fanboy.

“At the pub – Oliver, when have I drunk alcohol in the entire time we’ve known each other?”

“You’ll turn nineteen this year, right? It’s only illegal if you’re under 18,” he tried to put out convincingly.

“Yeah, no shit, Sherlock. But you’re forgetting the part where I’m still an American citizen. Just because it’s legal for me to vote doesn’t mean it’s okay for me to drink yet.”

“No one cares about that here!” he almost shouted. “Just come with me to the pub at King’s Arms for the next few nights.”

“No fucking way,” you scoffed. “My parents would kill me if they found out I drank on a school night. Also, in case you forgot, we still have our test tomorrow in History. And I, for one, don’t need to get sloshed every night to feel important.”

Michael tugged on your sleeve and nodded at the small crowd forming around you three. You sighed in silence, agreeing that it wasn’t worth it. You both tried to walk away, but you were grabbed and stumbled back, which caused you to drop your books.

“Ow! Are you kidding–” but a wince broke your complaint as Oliver’s hold on your arm tightened to a painful grip. Your eyes traveled to his face, and you were shocked to see the anger shining in his eyes.

“Why do you have to make everything so fucking difficult?” he grit out. “Are you trying to ruin my life?”

The way his nails dug into your skin made you curse under your breath. Seeing you in pain broke Michael out of his shock at how someone as meek as Oliver Quick could show so much aggression. He rushed to get him off you.

“Are you fucking mental?” he hissed at Oliver once he managed to separate to two of you.

But Oliver’s nail left red scratch marks down to your wrist, even breaking the skin enough to cause little beads of blood to escape. This enraged Michael like you have never seen. Staring at the evidence of his former friend’s clawing, he walked forward and pushed him to the bookshelf before grabbing his shirt with both hands.

“What’s wrong with you?” Michael yelled. “She already said no!”

You wiped the blood off your arm with an old travel tissue pack you stole from the plane you took from JFK to London last summer. God, everyone was staring at you guys now. You needed to find a way to contain the situation. If any staff catches you, all three of you may risk trouble. Trouble that would jeopardize your scholarships. You grabbed Michael’s hands to get him to loosen his grip.

“Look, I’ll hear you out–” you looked around and cringed at everyone’s stares, “–just not here.”

This calmed Oliver’s rage enough to get Michael to let go.

“Okay,” he whispered, “okay – yeah. Let’s go outside.”

The three of you grabbed your shit and quickly exited the library. You went to the same area behind the building with no windows – ergo, no bystanders to gawk at you.

“Okay, we’re outside. Look, I’m sorry about your arm. But can you please just –”

You lifted your hand to stop him.

“Okay, look. I only said I would hear you out to make you and Michael stop fighting,” you stated matter-of-factly. “None of us could afford to get in trouble with the faculty and staff, and it was getting too out-of-hand. Oliver, I am not going to King Arm’s tonight or any night you ask me. I have my own life, so don’t drag me into yours.”

Oliver gaped like a fish for a few seconds before speaking.

“But you have to! Please! If you do, then maybe he’ll –”

“WHO?” you interrupted, shouting. “Who will be there? Who is so important that you act so fucking psycho for five minutes ago?”

This was too much for you to deal with everything on your plate already.

“Cut the vague bullshit already! Why are you desperate for me to be there? It’s so –” You froze as an epiphany struck down you.

Oh, hell fucking no…

“Are you hoping that Felix will be there?” you asked through clenched teeth.

You felt like a volcano ready to blow with his slight nod. And like a volcano – you blew.

“You mean to tell me that you risked all our asses, attacked, and humiliated me for fucking FELIX CATTON?!”

You couldn’t believe it – you couldn’t fucking believe it. Felix Catton took up so much of your life already; once again, he felt it necessary to take more of it for himself.

How much more could one man take? How much more did he want until it was enough?

He had taken so much – more than any person other than yourself had any right to own. Your education, your peace, and what was next? Your body? Your life? Did he intend to bleed you dry of everything like a parasitic vampire he and his kind pretended not to be?

You were going crazy, insane, and running yourself tired all at once. The absurdity of it all made you laugh. You laughed and laughed and laughed until you were gasping for air. You laughed so hard that tears spilled from your eyes as you doubled over.

“Oh my god,” you gasped, “oh my god! That’s it. Of course, it is. What else could it be?”

Standing straight, you kept laughing, but you were staring at Oliver with an answer clear in your eyes.

“He got bored of you,” you accused him, “didn’t he? So quickly?”

God, how you relished how red his face turned. If you were smart, you would have stopped taunting there – but you were too tired of everything to care.

“It’s been what? A month? Maybe two?” you further pressed. “He really just loves to go through all his toys, huh?”

“(Y/N),” Michael whispered in your ear, “let’s just go.”

He looked at Oliver with disdainful eyes before softening them to look back at you.

“He isn’t worth it. Come on, let’s get your cut cleaned up before we leave.”

You let Michael gently drag you away from the hurricane mess that was Oliver Quick, leaving him to stew in anger and wallow in self-pity on the chilly spring night.

A few days later, you and Michael were walking back to his dorm after watching one of the most notable movie franchises starring one of Hollywood’s best actors.

“How could you not love Pirates of the Caribbean?” you cried. “Johnny Depp is beyond brilliant!”

“Oh, so acting drunk in front of an expensive camera is now considered brilliant?” he quipped back. “Shit, I should have just gone into acting instead.”

“I’m sorry, do you not remember his jar of dirt? That scene was completely improvised, by the way – including his fall.”

“Oh – not the stupid jar of dirt! Lil’ kept buggering me all summer doing that scene after I took her to see it!”

“Oh, I meant to ask. What did Lily think of the books I got for her birthday? Were they weird?”

“Are you kidding? She loved them. She keeps going on about how she wants to be Annabeth for Halloween. Oh, by the way, she’s making me dress up as Luke and wants you to go as Thalia.”

Your jaw dropped in shock. “Seriously?! Yes, let’s do it. I am so in.”

“She is aware that Luke’s the villain, right?”

“Don’t worry about it so much. She wants to share these memories with you. And you are such a good brother, Mikey.”

“I am never going to escape that name with you,” he groaned, “am I?”

“Nope!” you happily confirmed. “Never! When I write my speech at your wedding, I will mention it at least fifteen times.”

“I’ll allow six.”

“Twelve.”

“Ten, take it or leave it.”

“Ten it is. Pinky-swear.”

You held out your pinky to show sincerity. And like someone raised correctly, Michael respected the sanctity of the swear by reciprocating.

“Perfect! Now that that’s settled, is it okay if I crash at your place for the night? It’s so late, and we don’t have classes tomorrow morning.”

“Yeah, sure,” he replied. “Just make sure you – Annabel.”

Wait, what? You stopped walking and turned to look at your friend in confusion.

“Annabel?”

He pointed it out in front of him with a slight nod.

“Annabel,” he confirmed.

Indeed, it was Annabel. But she was sitting slumped against the hallway’s walls with vomit all over her blue dress.

Felix had been going mad for the past few months since his and Farleigh’s return to Oxford. It was already almost May, and he hadn’t come any closer to getting (Y/N)’s attention.

What could he possibly be doing that was so wrong?

He invites you to parties or a drink with you every time he sees you. He had hoped that being friends with Ollie would have given him an “in” with you, but there was no such luck. Did you really have no idea how he felt about you? How much more obvious could he be?

He remembered how happy he was when he realized that Oliver knew you. It was that night at the pub at Kings’ Arms. He recalled it so vividly.

Felix was silent throughout the entire transaction. The sight of you coming over entirely transfixed him. Your hair had two small braids on the side that were attached with small yellow butterfly clips. You were wearing black denim overalls with vintage-looking patches sewn onto the fabric. Your shirt was a light blue-dyed shirt-sleeved t-shirt with splotches of navy blue. It must have been something you made when you were little. The fabric looked soft and worn down. But the size was small enough to hug the curves of your upper torso perfectly. The way the fabric stretched across your tits made him salivate.

After he introduced himself to you, you only responded with a grimace and a slight nod of acknowledgment. He invited you to join him and his friends for a drink, but you only ignored him. His words were meaningless breezes to you – white noise in the background that added to the clang and chatter in the room. He wasn’t even paying attention to Oliver until you threw that drink at him.

“Fucking cunt-rag!” you called Ollie after throwing Farleigh’s drink in his face. You shoved a middle finger for added effect. “Don’t ever show your face in front of me again.”

Grabbing your coat, you stomped away from the table.

Absentmindedly handing his friend some tissues, Felix had to know what your deal was with Oliver. Were you two dating or just friends? He didn’t know how he felt about his new friend being romantically involved with his angel.

“Wait, do you two know each other?” he asked.

“What?” asked Oliver – not understanding his idol’s question before his mind finally registered it. “Oh, yeah. Yeah, she’s a friend of a friend.”

“Were you two ever, like ‘together’?” Felix had to know.

Oliver’s eyes widened a bit before shaking his head and panickedly answering.

“No, no, no. We have a few classes together – that’s it.”

Felix couldn’t believe his luck. Ollie must really be his hero.

“Do you think you could introduce us?” he asked excitedly – his molten chocolate eyes were shining ablaze with hope.

“Uh, yeah, sure.” Oliver quickly agreed – anything to keep his attention on him.

Felix felt like leaping to the sky. He could run a marathon with how much energy was flooding throughout him. He clapped his hands before grabbing Ollie’s face with both hands and smacking a wet kiss on both cheeks.

“Oh, thank you! Thank you!” Felix went up to get him another pint. “You’re my hero, Ollie. You really are.”

As he lay on his bed, he tried to remember every interaction with you. His last one with you was something he could admit went horribly wrong.

He wandered on the grounds when he stumbled on a building with your bike on the rack. Figuring that you were just in a lecture, Felix figured he could try to catch up with you when it was done. It wasn’t like he had anything important later. He would stay near the entrance and try to catch your attention when you walked out.

Simple.

And because he was God’s favorite, he found you sitting in the middle of an empty classroom. You were taking notes while reading a massive textbook while lightly bobbing your head to whatever was blasting through your earbuds.

Sliding to the seat next to you, he smoothly asked you if there was any room where he could smoke. You didn’t even bother to look at him while answering him – too fixated with your studies to pay attention to him.

Knowing that he had to get you to look at him through more direct actions, Felix impulsively put his hand on your thigh before asking you if you wanted to join him. He even joked, saying that you didn’t only have to get high.

But seeing the terror in your eyes threw him off. He quickly wanted to tell you that he was only joking. If you knew that he wasn’t being serious, maybe you would ease up around him. But before he could apologize, you frantically stood from your seat to gather your books in your bag before running out of the room.

Felix groaned into his hands as he recalled how fast you ran out of the room and away from him.

“Felix, you’re a fucking idiot,” he softly insulted himself.

God, what the hell was wrong with him? Why did he think that someone as studious as you would ever consider getting high with some bloke in the bathroom of an academic building?

Every step he tried to take forward with you felt like he was going ten steps back. He needed to find a way to get on your good side.

Maybe Ollie could – no, that was a dead end. Fuck, he needed a drink.

Lying on his bed, Oliver stared at the ceiling of his room. Annabel had just left with the bottle of vodka they had been drinking out of for the past half hour. He wanted to cry.

Why was everything going wrong?

But he knew the reason. It was you.

He was so naïve to think you wouldn’t be an obstacle. You had practically ruined everything from the beginning. It wasn’t just when you refused to help him the other day but also that night at the pub at Kings’ Arms.

While Felix was ordering him a drink, Oliver sat bewildered at the sequence of events that had transpired in the past five minutes. First, Felix invited him over to sit with him and his friends. And when things had been so well, you interrupted his excellent time by asking where Michael was. When you realize he has left your friend alone, you ask for Farleigh Start’s drink before throwing it in his face. You then called him a “cunt-rag” before storming off like a goddamn child.

Luckily, Felix hadn’t listened to you speak. But that was only because he stared at you – stared at you like he was born to worship you. Even worse, Felix asked him if he could introduce the two of you at some point. The way Felix’s eyes widened in glee when Oliver agreed enraged him – even more than when you insulted and almost humiliated him in front of Felix.

Staring at his back, Oliver figured Felix’s attention on you wasn’t something to worry about. He was only interested in you because you were pretty. As much as you infuriated him, Oliver admitted that you had a rare and genuine beauty to you. He didn’t know whether it was your indifference for Oxford’s gods and kings or your dedication to keeping in touch with your American roots – but it was enough to enrapture Felix Catton temporarily.

No, Oliver Quick had no reason to worry. He would be enough for Felix. And then you would be an afterthought, and he’d be Felix Catton’s everything.

Oliver had to find a way to ensure you wouldn't be a problem anymore. You'd comply - there would come a time when you won't have a choice.

Let me know if you want me to write the full scene of Reader throwing the drink at Oliver!

Tagging: @ethereal-athalia, @arcielee, @valeskafics, @asa-do-your-thing, @aphroditesmoon, @axelsagewrites, @the1999kid, @poolnoodlerescuer, @aemondsbabe, @winterblu2, @abaker74, @whereismymindnow, @agustdeeyaa, @iamavailablesstuff, @bonnieblue0606, @st-eve-barnes, @nyxthoughtss, @immyowndefender, @ilovemydinoboi, @ahristata, @cxp1d, @jinsoulorbitzen12, @temptation-waits, @bollzinurmouth, @jcngw0ns, @seababehh, @destinydestnation, @lankyboi4, @mindless-rock, @cassavacakes

Please comment and/or reblog your thoughts and if you want to be added to the taglist!

[britany1997]

Hey bestie!!! I gotta do this request because I know you'd do it right.

Could you pretty please write a NSFW Southern Michael x Reader piece? I definitely think he would be very loving and giving, but let him be the dominant one. It's more fun that way~ Ball is in your court on what kinks you want to add. Maybe keep it gender neutral for the reader so more people can enjoy it 😊

Thank you!!! ILYSM! ✨✨✨

Deep in the Heart of Texas

Hi Lave! Yes of course I can write this for you!! It’s honestly such an honor that your trust me with your boy🥹

Southern Michael x GN Reader

Big thanks to @bookworm551 for helping me with the steer wrestling part of this fic! (I’m Texan but I’m like, city Texan, my roommate is country Texan) Originally I had Michael barrel racing, but apparently guys rarely do that so she helped me switch it up lol. Grateful to live with someone who has been to many horse shows.

Warnings: SMUT minors DNI, blowjob, hair pulling, penetration but readers sex not mentioned

🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠

You bit your nails as you watched Michael intently from your spot in the stands, sandwiched between Lucy and Sam.

You were no stranger to the rodeo scene, and Michael was no first time competitor. But he had just moved up from the intermediate category to the advanced category, and while your boy was talented, you knew the competition was much more fierce.

You’d seen him practice a million times, but under the arena lights, with hundreds of eyes on you, you knew he could feel the pressure.

With your nail between your teeth you caught his eye from where he was waiting for his turn. He shot you a toothy smile and a wink.

You blushed and smiled back as you fought not to swoon in the middle of the stands. Lucy must have seen the exchange because she elbowed you gently, prompting you to turn to her.

“He’ll be fine,” she reassured you, “he’s got his good luck charm cheering him on.” She said while winking.

You turned even redder as you smiled back at her, “he doesn’t need the luck,” you told her, “he’s amazing all on his own.”

Lucy offered you a bright smile, “he’s talented for sure,” she agreed, “but trust me, you bein’ here calms his nerves,” she explained, “everybody in these stands may be lookin’ at him, but I promise you darlin,’ he’s lookin’ at you.”

Your heart fluttered in your chest as you sighed at her words, “I’m happy to help,” you told her, “I wouldn’t have missed this for anything.”

She beamed, taking your hand in hers, “I know sweetie pie,” she rubbed your hand with the pad of her thumb, “he knows too.”

When you heard the announcer call out Michael’s name over the loud speaker, you both snapped to look at the arena.

The doors on the chutes flew open as the steer sprinted out, Michael parallel on his horse.

The crowd cheered as he slid from his saddle, reaching to wrap his arms around the steer’s horns. Once he had a good grip, he dropped off his horse and planted his feet in the dirt. Then he yanked the steer’s head over, causing its body to turn and hit the ground.

The stands went wild as the announcer cried out 6.23 seconds, the event’s best time so far.

You’d never get tired of seeing your boy like that. Sweaty and covered in dirt as he manhandled the steer into submission, the sight made your heart rate quicken.

He caught your eye once again and smiled as he blew you a kiss and gave you a little tip of his hat.

You didn’t think you could get any redder, but you felt your face flush again as he turned to walk to the gate.

There were other wrestlers, but none with a time so good as his. When it came time to give out awards, you knew you’d be going home with the champion.

You, Sam, and Lucy all stood to clap and cheer when the show runners announced him as the winner and handed him his plaque and belt buckle.

Once all the awards were given out the three of you rushed down to meet him back at the stalls.

Michael beamed as he watched the three of you run up to him.

He pulled his mother into a hug and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Then he turned to Sam and rustled his hair playfully. Finally, he wrapped his arms around you tightly before picking you up and twirling you in the air. You smiled and laughed at his affection for you.

“Hey baby,” he spoke as he placed you back down “ya like the show?” He asked.

“Loved it,” you whispered breathlessly, “you were incredible.”

His eyebrow raised as his lip quirked up in a smirk as he caught your tone, “thanks darlin,” he whispered before placing a kiss on your lips.

“Michael,” Lucy garnered his attention, “Sam and I were goin’ ta grab something to eat, would you and your partner like ta join us?” She asked.

“Thanks so much mama, but I think we’re gonna head back ta the house, I’m feelin’ mighty tired from the steer wrestlin’ today, y’all go on ahead we’ll see y’all later.” He told her, shooting you a wink when his mother wasn’t looking.

“Suit yourselves,” Lucy told you both, smiling. She motioned for Sam to follow as she turned to walk to the food stands.

You shot Michael a look, “you’re tired huh?” You asked as you reached down to take his hand in yours.

He smiled as he threaded his fingers with yours, “don’t worry hon, I’m not that tired,” he assured you playfully as he pulled you towards his ATV.

Once the both of you had made it home, he lead you to his room and locked his door before pressing you up against is and pressing a loving kiss on your lips.

His hands slid down to your hips as he held you in his arms and explored you with his mouth.

You placed your hands on his cheeks, rubbing them with the pads of your thumbs as you returned his passionate kiss.

He began to trail kisses from your mouth down to your neck. Your eyes closed and your head fell back against the door as he sucked hickeys into your skin.

After awhile you pulled him from your neck by the collar of his shirt, his gaze met yours as he looked at you confused. You smiled and pecked his lips before falling to your knees.

His lips parted in a gasp as he watched you unbuckle his jeans and slide them down along with his boxers. His cock sprung free, and you placed a teasing kiss on the tip of it.

He smiled down at you as he watched you seal your mouth over the tip and swirl your tongue around it.

You took more of him into your mouth, prompting him to groan and run a hand through your hair, stroking and pulling gently. Your eyes flutter closed at the feeling as you moaned around his length.

You lifted you hand and wrapped it around the base of him, stroking as you sucked. He pulled your hair a bit harder, causing you to let out whimpers of pleasure.

Your hand moved to cup his balls and rub them as you took more of his cock into your mouth. He began to gently thrust into your mouth; you bobbed your head to match the rhythm of his thrusts.

His breathing picked up and he shuddered a bit, “gonna cum baby,” he told you breathlessly, “swallow f’ me, yeah?” He asked.

You nodded, as he stroked a hand through your hair once more before he came down your throat.

You stood and pressed a kiss to his lips, licking into his mouth so he could taste himself on you.

When you pulled away, he picked you up and placed you down on his bed before climbing over you and placing a kiss on your lips. “Let me take care of you now baby,” he told you.

He got up from the bed and unbuttoned his flannel shirt before shrugging it off. He reached up to place a hand on top of his cowboy hat to take it off.

“Wait!” You exclaimed.

He met your gaze, a puzzled look on his face.

“Leave it on,” you whispered, blushing.

He smirked at your flushed face, “whatever you want darlin” he promised as he descended on you.

He lifted your legs onto his shoulders and you reached back to grip the pillows as he sunk into you.

“You’re so amazing baby,” he praised as he thrust into you, “so good, so perfect for me.”

You moaned at his words, as he stroked the deepest parts of you. His movements caused pressure to build inside of you as he fucked you gently.

He continued to thrust into you as he spoke, “Wanted ta do this all day hon, when I saw you in the stands lookin’ so hot for me, cheerin’ me on,” he rambled, “I couldn’ta done it without you baby, my favorite supporter, my perfect baby,”

You screamed his name as he hit just the right spot inside you, sending you over the edge. He thrust into you a few more times, triggering his own orgasm. You arched your back as he filled you.

When you both came down from your highs he pulled out of you and collapsed next to you on the bed. Pulling you into his arms so he could hold you close, your back pressed against his broad chest.

He lifted his head to pepper kisses on your cheek, punctuating each with a soft, ‘I love you.’

You smiled as he kissed and caressed you gently. You turned to face him, pressing your nose against his, “I love you too,” you told him.

He blushed, “thanks for coming today baby, really,” he mumbled.

You offered him a soft smile, “wouldn’t have missed it for anything,” you reassured him.

You cupped his cheek, “I’ll be at every show,” you promised.

“I’ll hold ya to it darlin,” he said affectionately as he reached down to lace his fingers with yours, “you’re the best partner a cowboy could have.”

🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠

Taglist❤️:

@misslavenderlady @ghoulgeousimmaculate @6lostgirl6 @solobagginses @pixielostboy @anna1306 @its-freaking-bats @altierirose

[thecurrator]

𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐮𝐩 𝐟𝐨𝐫 @lumiambrose

Your ideal match is…Hiori Yo!

The guy who is closest to fulfilling the traits of being unpredictable and intelligent that you're looking for. I believe you would find him interesting once you get to know him. He isn't a social butterfly, but he isn't antisocial either, so it's likely that he is the one to approach you for a conversation. Perhaps you'll find that he matches your energy too.

He appreciates your logical thought process when it comes to your career since he also thinks the same way (self-proclaimed ultrasadist). But he's pretty chill when off the field so he understands your desire to follow your heart when it comes to more casual things. You both have a sort of gap moe in that way.

He doesn't mind your sudden switches from dependent to independent. His ideal type is someone who can leave each other alone, so he appreciates having his alone time. That being said, he's more than happy to spoil you when you feel like being pampered. I can imagine you falling asleep on his lap sometimes so he's pinned there for the rest of the afternoon, patting your head occasionally in between video game matches.

Gaming. Need I say more? He seems to play a lot of shooter games, so you both could play them together! He wouldn't mind your bad aim, since he isn't competitive or that serious about video games, he just plays them to destress. He isn't interested in playing gatcha games himself, but he'll celebrate with you whenever you get the characters you're pulling for.

A great listener. He'll listen to you ramble about the characters in your romance books or anything interesting you've learnt about psychology lately. He would appreciate your psychology knowledge too since some of it could come in handy for his job. If you're interested in hearing about his peers from blue lock, he'll spill the tea. Pretty much everyone from blue lock is a whole case study so enjoy thinking about the mannerisms of his friends.

He shares your love for cats! Cats totally love him since he has such a calm presence. You both can never walk to a destination as soon as hoped since you're both always stopping to either point out any cats you see or pet them if they'll let you. But that's okay, life is about enjoyable moments like that.

Overall, a rather calm presence in your life, quietly supporting you when you work towards achieving your goals from the sidelines. Not too clingy, but not too distant either. Everything is just right.

Runner-up: Michael Kaiser (Your love for psychology and performances could be something you both bond over, but I think Kaiser would be interested in someone more active, haha.)

[crime-scene-psychic]

Sorry but thinking about how amazing the show Family Ties was for its time and how amazing the dynamic between Alex and his parents is.

Yes, it was a family sitcom, and those were a dime a dozen, but it also portrays a household where both parents are working (and I love how seamlessly they portray this, as it's never made out to be a big deal that Steven cooks dinners some nights or that Elyse does the family taxes [or at least tries to]. Both parents work and both take care of the house, and that wasn't really something you saw in shows portraying family dynamics until around the time this show came out).

What really amazes me about Family Ties was the politics of it and the dynamic between Steven and Elyse and their son, Alex (if you've never seen the show, the parents are pretty liberal and their eldest son is a conservative Republican who loves money).

At the time of airing (1982) Reagan was president. And I don't need to be the one to give you a crash course in all that came out of the Reagan presidency. TLDR: not great. Despite this, at the time of his presidency, for the most part, he was pretty popular.

So for a show to come out near the beginning of his presidency about a liberal family with a conservative (outspokenly pro Nixon and Reagan) son who is often (though lovingly) the joke? Wow.

But it's not even that the show runners made Alex "a joke" because when I say "joke" I don't even mean it cruelly. Yes, at times he was essentially a cartoonish caracture portraying young Republican Wall Street men (ffs he read his little brother a children's book about Republicans), but despite this Alex is still a very well developed character with flaws and strengths. Yes, he's a capitalist stock bro and often is much more concerned for himself than others. But he also shows time and time again that in the end, his family comes first (ex. the episode where he and Mallory go visit Princeton and when she finds out her boyfriend is cheating on her [or whatever their relationship was], Alex ditches his interview that's his one shot into Ivy League to care for her).

When Alex is the joke, it never feels spiteful, like he's being punished for being conservative or that the writers are trying to tell the audience that Republicans are bad and evil and that Democrats are nice and good. When Alex is the joke, he's learning lessons that make him a better person (and hopefully that's getting through to the kids watching who are all in love with this character cause he's played by MJF).

(yeah quick side note, this show was originally going to focus mainly on Steven and Elyse as ex-hippies trying to raise a family in suburbia, but the showrunners soon realized that audiences really only gave a shit about this show because of Alex, and they only gave a shit about Alex because he was played by this hot up and coming star out of Canada named Michael J. Fox. So the show kinda shifted focus towards Alex being the main character (ish) and most of the moral lesson plotlines were given to him because he was who younger audiences were relating to/liked more)

Despite jokes and typical sibling/family disagreements, Alex honestly isn't even that bad of a guy. Like when you watch the show and you see him talk about being smarter and better than everyone else, it's set up like a joke. You don't really believe that Alex thinks this highly about himself, nor do you for a second think he's actually saying these things to be malicious (a laugh track sure helps matters, too). This is all proven multiple times (especially the "Alex thinks he's the most amazing person in the whole wide world" bit).

There are plenty of instances (I'm sorry I don't have episode names/numbers to cite, I'm extremely high and it is 1 in the morning) where Alex is shown to doubt himself. He's shown to have a fear of not succeeding or ending up a failure. He's shown to worry constantly about his future and how he's doing (which can be seen in season 4 episode 10 "How Do You Sleep?" (haha gotcha with a citation, and you thought I was talking out of my ass) where Alex can't sleep for over a week as he can't shut his brain off and stop worrying about everything.

If anything, Alex might be on the spectrum a bit, as he's often forgetful (this is a reoccurring conflict that arises for him as often the problem in an episode stems from Alex overbooking himself or outright forgetting promises he made to his family members), he's constantly in motion (not just physically, as that really is mostly due in part to MJF's acting style [especially after his diagnosis, though Family Ties was finished before 1991, when he was diagnosed] but also with activities and extracurriculars as he's an overachiever and certified Gifted Kid), his entire personality is his obsession with finances and politics, and he often overworks himself (as seen in the episode where he tries to juggle two jobs and school at the same time).

Even when it comes down to social issues in "after school special" episodes, Alex is what nowadays we'd consider "left-leaning" (ex. his speech about how everyone is equal no matter their race and that everyone has a right to live where they want in the season 7 two-parter "All in the Neighborhood"). This is explainable since politics have changed a bit since the 80s (ie it's somewhat less about how the government is run and more about who deserves rights or not, but now's not the time nor place for that discussion) but still relevant as it portrays Alex as not actually being a dick, just kinda acting like one.

So yeah, Alex is a jerk sometimes. He's got a problem with being sexist (that I'm so surprised about considering the type of person Elyse is, but I honestly think that towards the end it was more of a bit than an actual issue [not to say he was never sexist cause that episode in the bank with his boss who is female says differently]). He's hyperactive. He's a raging conservative. He's an idiot sometimes when it comes to others' feelings. But Alex isn't a narcissist. He doesn't truly believe he's the hottest thing since sliced bread. He isn't cruel or uncaring, not when it matters. He makes jokes at his family's expense, they serve it right back to him. We as an audience are well aware that it's a joke. Hell, it's how my family jokes.

And it isn't even as if Steven and Elyse are portrayed to be perfect just because they're more "politically correct" or however you'd like to phrase it. They make mistakes too and sometimes put their activism before their family. Just as Alex puts his passion for finances before his family more often than not.

Steven and Elyse make mistakes. They end up in jail on Thanksgiving for protesting. They set double standards for their kids and when called out on it they realize their mistake. They occasionally fight, with their children being caught in the crossfire almost every time.

But they also raise their children to be strong-willed and independent. They treat their children like humans and adults. They give them choices and allow them to make their own mistakes. Hell, they let their kids form their own beliefs, even if they aren't their own (as seen with Alex).

In the end they come together (because it would be a shit sitcom if they didn't but that's besides the point) and realize their mistakes. Off the top of my head, I'd cite the series finale two-parter, "Alex Doesn't Live Here Anymore." Alex is offered a job in NYC and it's perfect. He's got an apartment set up, he's gonna make a ton of money, he's on top of the world, but he has to leave much sooner than his family expected. Yet, everyone is happy for him except Elyse. They end up fighting over this, with Elyse claiming Alex is ungrateful for wanting to leave Ohio so soon (cannot blame the guy) and for wanting to abandon his family and Alex is confused as to why Elyse is so mad at him. In the end, Elyse just isn't ready to see her son grow up and not depend on her anymore. Elyse realizes what she was doing to Alex and the two come together and apologize.

There are even more instances of this (especially with Elyse and Alex as they truly are two sides to the same coin), but I can't go into all of them unfortunately. Gotta save something for the thesis.

I've already rambled for far too long (like an hour. It's been an hour, now it's 2 am), I don't think I've actually made much of a point here, and no one will read this anyway, but yeah. Family Ties. I love this show. Come for MJF, stay for a complex structure in an 80s sitcom. If you haven't watched it, give it a try. Maybe don't start at the pilot. Give it time to find its footing. It may surprise you.

[applestorms]

GOOD OMENS.

CLENCH UP BITCHES WE'RE DOING THIS. SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS READ WITH CAUTION my hands are still shaking from finishing season 2 approximately 13.420 minutes ago so everybody clam the fuigk up/down. we're getting IN to this one. 10 sections.

okay, before i get into anything specific, i just wanna say: this series has had some of the best writing i've seen in a tv show & it's really fucking gratifying to watch. this season in particular had some really clear, distinct themes that were evolved upon and executed pretty much perfectly imo, to the point that i almost feel like i can guess what a good deal of season 3 is probably gonna look like (see section 12). this is great!! it means the writers are really paying attention to what the story is doing & what the characters are feeling/going through at any given moment in the story, & it just makes the series that much stronger on a rewatch. this season in particular really hits that sweet spot for me of being overt & clear w/ its themes w/o treating its audiences like idiots, it just. works.

i'm not going to touch on season 1 as much here since it's not as fresh as s2 for me rn, but hopefully this post can help bring some additional analysis/reflection to the new season. not sure how much of this will be totally crazy wild & new, but perhaps some interesting points will come outta the process. hope you enjoy the read!! there's 13 sections so feel free to skip around.

1. aziraphale as the beautiful execution of a flawed protagonist (ft. crowley's pining)

one of the best parts of this season by far comes from the character writing, particularly for the main two & especially for aziraphale. aziraphale was my personal favorite to watch for this entire season actually, he & crowley are both such a fucking mess but aziraphale in particular hides it in such a fascinating way to me. it's not just like watching a car crash, it's like sitting on a park bench watching a man drive a bus into a stoplight, like full on crunch the vehicle in half squish, and then just get out & carry on walking like nothing is wrong & he isn't dripping blood & scraping broken bones across the concrete.

on a broader scale, there is something incredibly appealing about how aziraphale & crowley are presented, even at a very base level. even w/o the fantastic acting of michael sheen & david tennant specifically, it's a pretty common thing that fandom will default to shipping Narrative Foils, & these two are the epitome of that. a demon who can't stop being a nice guy & an angel who keeps cutely being an asshole- this is a great base to work off of, & again the execution thus far has been excellent.

what i like about aziraphale in particular is how complex his character ends up being while still fitting into a very particular role. while crowley to some degree fits into an already pretty popular & well-loved character model (that of the grumpy nice guy), aziraphale has to hit a couple of very important & precise traits, being both outwardly very likeable & endearing while simultaneously constantly fucking up & doing increasingly egregious shit. i really can't commend michael sheen enough for his acting in helping to get the balance right- it would be STUPIDLY easy to make aziraphale the most obnoxious character to ever grace the screen if performed or written incorrectly, the kind of outwardly-kind asshole that does horrific shit w/o reflecting since the show runners seem incapable of seeing the character for what they are & it all just ends up driving viewers up the wall (e.g. emily in paris).

what i think makes aziraphale work is the fact that he is just genuine enough in his actions that when he does something legitimately horrible, it's both so subtle you almost don't even pick up on it, too distracted by the emotions you feel in following his perspective, & just motivated enough that it's easy to write him off w/o thinking any deeper. as much as crowley calls aziraphale out for being a bad magician, i think it's spot on that the one thing he is quite skilled at is misdirection. you spend a lot of time in this show following very closely with either aziraphale or crowley's POV, but in s2 especially the contrast between those two views is quite overt. while crowley's perspective is often a lot quieter, more reflective & also overtly anxious as he throws himself into stressful situations purely for the sake of supporting az, aziraphale's POV is always very loud & chaotic as he runs around, finding pubs & fighting demons & doing whatever the fuck else he wants to at any given moment.

the main flaw of aziraphale in this season is, imo, selfishness, a direct contrast to crowley's continual self-sacrifice when it comes to aziraphale. in both cases though, this is (pushed to become) a flaw that i think ultimately leads to their inability to connect at the end of the season. but in order to understand that more, we're going to have to take a closer look into the circumstances that have thus far shaped both aziraphale & crowley's characters.

2. denial as a defense mechanism: heaven & hell as life threatening danger

if there's one thing s2 has not forgotten when it comes to a&c, it's the circumstances of s1 that led them to their current emotional/mental states.

slight tangent to lead back into this point: in my work as a librarian, i end up dealing w/ a very particular set of clientele when it comes to the kinds of people that regularly use a public library. parents w/ young children, older gentlemen & ladies looking to escape the more extreme weather, and (for my city, at least) lots and lots of people who no longer have stable housing. since an often forgotten about goal of a public library (well, to the general population) is social services, as a part of my training i've recently been working through a book on what is essentially trauma-informed customer service, which has led to a lot of insight.

one point in particular that i want to highlight here is the idea that traumatic instances are both common & intensely significant in how they can change a person's behavior. defense mechanisms that may make sense in the context of a traumatic event will often stick w/ people even as the context they're in changes & the instincts are no longer useful, instead making the individuals' life even more difficult.

if there is one trauma that defines a lot of the current problems that a&c are going through, it's the fear that originates from the constant surveillance and, in turn, threat of complete eradication that comes from both heaven & hell.

significantly, crowley & aziraphale both respond to this threat in distinctly different ways: where crowley clings to the idea of escape, of creating a place where it's him and aziraphale against the world (alpha centauri), in part idealizing aziraphale as both his only friend ("friend") & the only person he could ever truly trust (crowley also likely has some trauma from the fall but we'll get to that), aziraphale viciously denies that they even have a relationship, all the while simultaneously relying on crowley heavily to do a lot of his dirty work for him. (see this post for the endgame twist on that idea.) it's significant to me that a good chunk of aziraphale's earliest morally dubious actions involve lying- since he's been doing it for so long, it's probably one of the easiest things for him to write off as not that bad, so it's natural that he would default to it as a defense mechanism here too.

to clarify, crowley does engage in denial too, though it's obvious from the emotional climaxes of both season 1 & 2 that he is much less committed to it, likely doing it for the sake of easing aziraphale's mind and/or giving himself something to fall back on so he doesn't attract too much attention from the people that can really hurt them. overall though, these are both basically just fight/flight responses- crowley ultimately wants to run away from or fight everyone that can hurt them (& betrayed him by letting him down in the past) and aziraphale ultimately just wants to deny that the problem even exists.

if we see aziraphale's later stated goal of, "Let's change heaven for the better," as an evolution off of his earlier mindset, this is also basically what their final argument in ep6 comes down to: crowley wanting to run away and aziraphale wanting to go & fight for change. what's so aggravating about this conversation is that they also want the exact same thing: EACH OTHER. (idiots.) (maggie & nina were spot on, of course. it's not just nightingales missing in that silence.) this is not even to mention the fact that they are utilizing these defense mechanisms not just in an attempt to protect themselves, but ultimately to protect one another. think about that one late at night if you wanna get up the motivation to key mr. gaiman's car.

it's also interesting to note that in s1 crowley basically wins this argument, getting the chance to settle down (albeit, still under pretty questionable circumstances) as he & aziraphale (supposedly) create their own little corner of the world away from everyone else. it still doesn't work though as neither of their solutions really get at the core of the problem, which is 1. the horrific bureaucratic systems of heaven & hell that Don't Give a Shit about People at all, and 2. their own unspoken fears & feelings (romantic & otherwise).

3. good, evil, & narrative foils: crowley edition

since i extrapolated on aziraphale's character in section 1 and a&c's relationship in 2, i think it's only right that i look into crowley more for 3.

for all the pain & agony & tears that it brings, i really do think that ep6 is the best ep of s2. specifically, i think that ep6 is the one that shows the primary issues of a&c that have been plaguing them throughout the season (& even previously in s1) the most overtly, and this is especially true of crowley.

there are two things that aziraphale gets wrong about heaven in their final argument: 1st, the idea that heaven is necessarily better than hell, & 2nd the idea that crowley would ever want anything to do w/ it again.

i've seen some people talking about crowley like he's the voice of reason this season, but i don't necessarily agree, or at least not entirely. he's completely right when he says that heaven & hell is toxic in their final argument, yes, but i don't think his motivation in saying that is purely from observation either. remember that point i mentioned earlier, about crowley also having trauma from his initial fall? where aziraphale naturally trusts people to a fault (see: gabriel, but also picking up shax, the graveyard, etc.), crowley is plagued by a complete inability to trust anyone around him, & it's my opinion that a lot of this comes from the trauma of his initial fall.

the one exception to this is, of course, aziraphale, who we can see attempting to be a friend to crowley both before & long after his fall, but aside from him crowley Does Not trust anyone else around him & honestly for good reason. while we can write off hell as just being Like That, even if crowley didn't initially want to fall (as is heavily implied in a few flashback scenes), he certainly doesn't want to be dragged back into a supposedly great position that he knows he could lose again at any wrong comment. this is also (in part) why i think crowley reacts so strongly to aziraphale's "Nothing lasts forever," comment- after going through the horror of losing his divinity & all the stress of the last few seasons, the one thing crowley probably wants is stability, & he's been relying on aziraphale as the source of that. you're both doing the dance for this one, boys.

to reiterate: don't forget the graveyard scene when it comes to crowley doing absolutely anything for aziraphale to the point that it hurts him, both in terms of the supposed punishment he got from hell (that az skips over real fast in his narration) & how aziraphale continues to deny both the reality of their relationship & how much his denial hurts crowley.

4. beelz & gabe the weirdest couple imaginable. good for them. good for them. also: heaven & hell as two equally controlling/toxic sides of a bureaucracy

the Big Bads of the last few seasons took more of a backseat for this one which makes sense considering the focus on a&c and all of the parallel couples, but i do think the one point that was emphasized for them is very important, and that's the ways in which both heaven & hell parallel each other as shitty bureaucratic pyramids of power.

if we consider this meme to be true, i think crowley really is right when it comes to his analysis of heaven & hell, though we're probably just gonna have to wait until s3 to see the exact route the show decides to take.

a big running thread w/in either of these two groups is the fight for promotions, both in terms of people clawing their way up to get more power & in terms of people being replaceable. crowley & gabriel getting kicked out of their positions is just a vacancy of power to the companies that are Good Omens Heaven & Hell, and there is a very clear parallel between shax & michael & their desire for control. what's notable is how that parallel might also now extend to aziraphale what w/ his new promotion. all very fitting concepts to cover in a post-covid, writers-strike context, which i have seen our resident mr. gaiman posting about.

5. yuri on ice, hannibal, & the beauty of acknowledged romantic tension

if there is ONE thing i am disgustingly grateful for in this show it's the fact that we finally have some concrete follow-through on the romantic tension between a&c that permeated through s1. there's only so many times a man can call his best bud "Angel" completely unironically before it gets fucking stupid (cough cough dean winchester cough). but also, to put it in the words of another text post around here: I love how the kiss was awful.

even if there wasn't a kiss, the fact that this fucking entire season fucking revolved around love & featured all kinds of parallel couples should be enough to clue you in on the romantic tension between a&c, if you somehow were blind enough to miss it before. that being said, i'm really glad that the kiss was executed the way that it was, essentially summarizing all of the tension & anguish that had been built up over the last few seasons in an explosion. the state of aziraphale & crowley's relationship hurts more because they kissed, because the tension finally overflowed & it still wasn't enough to stop him from getting in the stupid elevator & running away again.

sorry had to take a break to aggressively listen to the better call saul theme song again. anyways, while i know there are some other shows that have set precedent for this in acknowledging the romantic development between their leads, i can't stop thinking about two in particular in comparison to good omens: yuri on ice, for the literal cinematic parallels between the kiss, and nbc hannibal, for the creator acknowledgement & slow lead up to the climax.

what i am desperately hoping & praying for w/ good omens is season 3, since it feels like all too often when we finally get a good, Gay:tm: show it's always this big, flashy thing right at the end that everyone freaks out about & adores (around these parts, at least) but is never evolved upon. i think gomens has a good chance since we've got more precedent now, the creators/actors/etc are more open about it, & the season is clearly unfinished w/ a ravenous fanbase, but something something supernatural trauma i'll trust it when i see it. can't always believe these corporate fuckers. at the very least though they probably wouldn't write this kind of ending if they didn't think they had a good case for another season, so.

ok, a couple shorter sections cause i'm undoubtedly gonna run out of space if i keep at this pace:

6. the resurrectionists was a really good arc that i enjoyed a lot

exactly what it says tbh, the writing for this arc in particular really stood out to me.

i mentioned earlier that s2 has some really good character writing & i think that's in part because it's necessary as a kind of transition season, reflecting on the chaos that happened w/ the first go at armageddon & setting up for the next apocalyptic event that is likely planned for s3. it's for this reason that i think the resurrectionists arc is really strong, establishing in particular all the flaws of aziraphale's character that i went over previously in a very interesting way that still manages to weave into the previously established, albeit quite sparse flashback timeline established in s1. the morally dubious nature of grave robbing for the sake of science & medicine is the perfect context to put characters like a&c in, and the more overt look into class w/ a character like elspeth works really well in helping to ground the more abstract social commentary associated w/ heaven & hell.

7. ramblings about sequels & whatnot

it can be really difficult to write a sequel, especially when the first go at the story cleaned up its plot so well by the end, but where s2 is strongest imo is in establishing the ways that crowley & aziraphale still need to grow.

i almost think that this season had to end horrifically tragic, in a similar way that i think book 2 of the simon snow series wayward son had to end on a pretty dour note. in order for 1 & 3 to have decently high notes, 2 just often has to be pretty miserable to balance it all out.

this is also why i think the maggie/nina storyline is so important overall. not only do those two establish the most overt romantic parallel to a&c, helping to transition the story from s1 & set up for ep6, but they also end on a distinctly hopeful note that's in direct contrast to the scene that comes immediately after they leave. the parallel plants at least the tiniest seed of hope that a&c can sort their shit out if given some time & communication, similar to maggie & nina. it also makes a lot more sense in establishing why crowley chooses that moment of all times to bother w/ a love confession- i genuinely don't think the kiss would work if m&n didn't have a little sit-down intervention w/ him beforehand.

8. SPECULATION: aziraphale vs. crowley apocalyptic fight, dissolving of the current organization of heaven & hell, affirmation of the beauty of humanity & morality?

a list of my speculation about what may or may not happen in s3:

apocalypse part 2 only this time aziraphale & crowley are actually gonna be fighting each other & it's going to be fucking agonizing to watch especially in direct contrast to s1

there's probably going to be some sort of attempt to get crowley into an equal/parallel position to aziraphale in hell. whether or not he actually decides to take this position is kinda up in the air, but either way he's going to fight it at first out of a hatred of both sides. if he does eventually agree it'll be under some sort of condition to save aziraphale, and/or a fake out trick that also is to save aziraphale.

i just don't think i can see a happy ending where heaven & hell stay in their same structure. w/ such big characters as gabriel & beelzebub just fucking gone into the middle of nowhere there's gotta be some kind of re-establishment of the two sides & their relations. the only way it might not change is if the Religion Lore gets in the way, but w/ the established politics of this show & mr. gaiman i can't see an ending that just allows the status quo to continue on exactly as horrible as it's been.

crowley back in his apartment? (plsplspls.) also something really heart-wrenching & emotional related to the car & the bookstore after a&c have been separated from them because of course. personally requesting additional exploration of the car as a symbol of crowley himself/able to be influenced by aziraphale e.g. scooting towards az, yellow is so pretty, etc. etc.

more flashbacks, maybe more from crowley's pov this time? like something to do w/ that period where he was supposedly being punished for helping aziraphale, more about his experiences w/ hell & the fall, etc.

something something affirmation of the beauty of humanity & the world, ft. a&c bonding over their mutual love of it again. they were each others only real friend for how many thousands of years, if they're gonna be fighting OR attempting a romantic bond that's going to be significant.

when the actual romantic reconciliation happens is kinda up in the air, but it depends on what the Big Bad ends up being, an external force of heaven & hell or a&c themselves. personally, i think that heaven & hell are just gonna keep getting weaker but w/ aziraphale in charge maybe that'll change (or maybe it'll be the catalyst lolol). if it's external they'll probably get together earlier in the season, if it's more internal probably not til the end, though there might be a momentary reconciliation for the sake of fighting something else.

i'm a bit more up in the air about this one, but maybe something more w/ satan & god as the top of the pyramid when it comes to heaven & hell? good omens is all about that kind of contrast so it might make sense. this also assumes that s3 is the presumed end of the series, which may or may not be the case.

if this does end up being the end of the series: i really, really, really, would not be surprised if crowley & aziraphale end up fully human. it's quite the obvious answer but it just makes so much sense for their characters, w/ their love of the world & whatnot. then again a lot of their relationship has also been related to immortality, but also then again there's a lot of stories out there about immortals hating their long lives & wanting to just settle down like normal people so. ehh. oh speaking of settling down,

9. they're NOT married, that's the PROBLEM: thirteen seconds.

thirteen. full. seconds. of the Most Awful Kiss. known to contemporary tv.

they're not married that's th eentire fuckigngggng proble m.,,..,,..,.

10. "I forgive you."

this is such a nonsensical line it makes me so absurdly angry. what the fuck are you doing aziraphale. well, presumably the exact same thing crowley was trying to do by kissing you, but i digress.

bonus edit, i thought of this literal seconds before falling asleep & now i can’t get it out of my mind: crowley needs aziraphale for stability, aziraphale needs stability to have crowley. mic drop

[nerdyenby]

Green time :D I’m watching Jojo

Pregame

Gosh, she’s so pretty. Sorry, just had to get that off my chest

I know green got some bad luck but I’m hoping the energy survives and thrives, I’m ready for vibes!!

Jojo stays on the grind, she’s insane /pos

I know Kara would’ve said if it was H, but I like to imagine that it was H who just showed up and offered her bacon without warning

“Maybe there are kind people in this world” Jojo going through it, don’t mind her

Pete and Jojo are so freaking funny together. They’re both so deadpan it’s amazing, I’m dying

Haha who who have past MCC teams memorized, that’s so whack hahahah (it wasn’t intentional, okay? It just happens when you run two 64-spot team brackets ;-;)

Seriously though, no one can be expected to remember MCC teams from more than one event ago, if that, including (and dare I say especially) content creators. Those are your pals and you’re at work, why would you be expected to remember who you were with on a specific day??

“Oh you’re in MCC? Name every team you’ve ever been on” so true Pete

“I could probably name every single team I’ve been in” “Weird flex but okay” “Ok, I’ll go for it, here we go” Jojo really said bet

*EEEEI* “Wait, was that wrong?” “No, I just wanted to make a buzzer sound” Pete is so real for that, honestly

“Fuck vod reviewing, all my homies hate vod reviewing” Pete only has banger opinions, sot is the only vod review you need in life

Jojo’s skin is so cute!!

Pete and Jojo saying they’re excited for Michael’s ace race

Hi Hannah!!!

I love this team’s energy

Pete saying he wanted Jesus to take the wheel and Kara appeared from the heavens

“Pinged in real life” 😂

Them making plans to go to a concert together, content creators doing actual irl friend things together makes me so parasocial

Me when I have a resting tremor and my doctor has no idea why

THEYRE THE ONES THAT STARTED THE PUNCHING??? That’s so funny oh my goodness

The best reactions to the intros ever 😂

Grid Runners

This team is so go with the flow, I love them

OH MY GOD THIS STRAT

“For team morale, any time we fail a game we need at least one person on the team that can take the fall, whether it was their fault or not. Grid runners is mine, so if we fail I’m the asshole” this is so iconic I can’t

“That was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen” so true Pete

Grid goes so quickly because it’s! the best! game!!!

“Guys we suck” that’s the spirit!!

“Let me check who’s to blame for this one.. Oh it’s me! Alright, lay it on me!!” “Damn Pete, what the hell?” I love this team so much

Parkour Warrior

I love the blame game they’re doing

Jojo’s popping off!!!

Jojo’s so good at this it make my heart happy but painfully, or it hurts my heart in a good way, whichever makes more sense

Rip Kara, it’s okay, it’s crazy easy to flop when the pressure gets that bad, no worries queen <333

Aw Michael was so close too :((

“As per the law, this is my fault […] I threw- oh, I’m top 5!!” Y’all don’t understand how I’m love I am with this gimmick, green30’s blame game my beloved

I love how parkour warrior isn’t just about parkour skills, it also really emphasizes time management. It makes it more variable and interesting because it’s not just gonna be the same three people winning every time because there’s no single right way to do it. It’s now a strategy game and I’m so down for that, you don’t understand

Sands of Time

“You guys suck! I’m taking about the other teams” “That’s fine” “We suck too”

Jojo my igl!!!

Michael doesn’t know our lord and savior HBomb94??? Smh…

Gosh, we’re watching a master at work, people

Michael is such a good sand keeper, he just has such “this is your captain speaking” energy

“Michael your comms are incredible, I need you to know that” yes Pete!! Hype him up!!!!

Jojo found the vault so quick but that tunnel is MASSIVE

HISTORY HAS BEEN MADE!!!! GREEN30 SUPREMACY!!!!!

JOJO SOT CHAMPION!!!!

And now we throw, so true

Ace Race

Michael be like: stonks

Jojo repping us anxiety girlies, as she should (I’m not a girl but I’m anxious enough that I think I qualify)

MUSIC TIME WITH JOJO :DD

The turtles do go boing, so true Michael

Pete and Jojo are everything

Pete and Jojo holding hands for an entire lap and a half my beloved

Jojo giving Pete the strength to do the skip then missing it herself

Kara personal best yippee!!!!

Pete fastest lap my beloved!!

YIPPPPEEEEE

Michael is thriving this MCC, we love to see it

Ayyyyy halftime show!!!!! Get it ladies!!!

This is a phone flashlight moment right here

I JUST STARTED CLAPPING IRL!??!??!! MY PARENTS HAVE PEOPLE OVER 😭😭😭

Meltdown

“Here’s the plan: uh, follow me” so true Jojo

Gosh, I love this team. No stress, no rage, just “okay, here’s what we change”

OH MY GOSH

HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN THIS ROOM????

THAT WAS INSANE!!!

Kara 😭😂😂😂 the sass, my goodness

“I don’t care” Kara is so real for this, I strive to be that self-assured

“Everybody pause. Shut up now. Who?” “Where the fuck is Mumbo Jumbo?” Funniest part is that I don’t know if any of these people actually know Mumbo

Battle Box

“Everyone’s looking at me!! Oh, everyone fell. Oh my god, everyone died” 😂

Mmmm yes, tight corners my beloved /s

Prison my beloathed

WHEN DID THE GAME START???? DID I ACCIDENTALLY SKIP FORWARD AND NOT NOTICED OR WAS I JUST THAT SPACED OUT???

I like battle box, I do, I just feel like I’m never paying enough attention ;-;

Winning against red was huge, they had such good comms too

We love finding a good groove :))

Gosh the vibes are immaculate, you expect them to be super sweaty but they’re just comming in gibberish

Jojo 13 kills?!??!!

“That’s my teammate!!” Heck yeah it is, gosh Pete and Jojo are everything

Michael willing to take one for the team, what a king

Sky Battle

Jojo igl my beloved

You got this, queen

Kara hyping up Michael’s kill :))

Rip, unfortunate spawn, happens to everyone

Pete’s tone when he said Michael’s name after he died 😂

“They need to give the chicken swap to two people and enable pvp” Pete is a genius

Hole in the Wall

The absolute sass, I love them

“It’s all your fucking fault” thank you Michael

I didn’t even realize they weren’t calling colors 😭

THOSE are the lyrics??? I thought it was “I believe” not “if I was green” lmao

Jojo flipped a switch in her brain and called the most supreme hitw comms of all time

“100- I mean, red” real

“Hey, guys? I’ll take the blame on this one” “Don’t.” “King, I’ll steal the blame from you” “I will too, I messed up” this is violating the spirit of the blame game /s

Pete and Jojo holding hands on the leaderboard my beloved!!!

Dodgebolt

“I would’ve appreciated if we would’ve like, said beforehand ‘oh hey, I’m gonna throw now’ so like, I would’ve been able to be emotionally prepared”

Maybe the real treasure was the parkour tag we skipped along the way

“Man, I even took my performance-enhancing drugs” KARA 😭😭😭

Cheering when Firecracker came and joined their screenshot, then keeping the energy when Fruit, Illumina, and 5up joined in too

Them all being so excited to team together :((

THAT SOT WAS LEGENDARY!!!! GREEN30 YOU WILL ALWAYS BE FAMOUS!!!!!

They’re such bad listeners /aff

“You guys don’t listen to each other, yet you listen to me when I make calls in skybattle? What the fuck?” Pete 😂

“When was the last time we saw numbers like that in sands of time?” The answer is never, Jojo!! Y’all made history!!!

Michael stop being self-deprecating, I swear, a good sand keeper is an absolute necessity and you killed it king

GREEN30 PLATE UP!!!! I don’t know it that well but it’s such fun chaos

I’ve missed these little post-mcc chats where a bunch of people join a random channel and just talk, it’s giving season one vibes :))

[nityarawal]

8/28/23

Morning Songs

Yesterday's Boytoy

(The Handler)

Mahalo My Lord- Trinity

Why'd You Have

To Defend

Your Baby Boy-Toy

Redheads

Why'd You Have To

Defend

Yesterday's Boytoys

Why'd Your Octopus

Dreads

Wrap

Around All The 

Boys Necks

If You Don't Like

What They Say

Filmed By Cellular

Towers

You Pull The Ropes

Tighter

Go Mamma Go

Whistleblow 

I Said

Tell The Truth

Don't Appease

The Attys

With A Happy Ending

For What

They Do

It's Probate Fraud

Real Estate Law

Exploited

Tenants Rights

Destroyed 

By Murderers

Yeah We Know

What We're Talking 

About

Discrimination

Racism

Smear 

Campaigns

From Little

Handlers

Drunk Fools

Putting Out Their Hands

We're The Bribes

Good

At Idyology

From Stirling Bros

Did Atty Bill Whitman

Assure You

He Was A Good

Attorney

Muir Brokers And Sons Begged

Him To Help

My Kids

And I

Michael Villanueva

After Neighbors

Militia Murder

On Country Club

You Witnessed

However We'd 

Rather

He Don't 

Go To Ukraine

And Adopt Baes

From Surrogates

Down On Their

Luck

Raped By Government

His Allies

He'd Rather Go To

UKraine

With PDs

Pick Up Some Baes

A Babies

Anonymous Factory

For Sterile

Invitro Gay Attys

No Harm Done

You Say

Then You Won't 

Mind My Song

My Words

My Pen

My Metaphysical Sword

For Children

My Disclosure

It's Only Weapon

I Have

Are The Boytoys

Afraid Of The Cougars

Songs

Militia Beg

Don't Tweet

OK My Little

Nazi Lambs

Proud Boys

Uh Huh

I Won't 

I'll X You See

Call Me A Snitch

Drunk Snarling

Civil War Activist

Hello Angels

Always 

Wanted Our Royal

Heads

Some Piece

Of The Princesses Pie

Harley Davidson

Guys

Stalking Bob Bernard's

My Dad's BFF

Business Partner

They Ate A Chunk

Or Two

Attempted Murder

With Real Estate

Attys Too

So I'm Pretty 

Sure

I Got Boundaries

From The Snakes

Of Sandiego

Iowa Judges

Pedophiles

Roxanne De Palma

Idy Poser Yoginis

I Got Boundaries

Josh Radnor Said

He Had Boundaries Too

When He Saw My

X

Trying To Pimp

Me Out

We Got Boundaries

Civil Activists

Sometimes

You Work For Free

On Commission

For Civil

Harmony

We Got Boundaries

Singers

Luits

Bards

Pure Souls 

Conduits

Muses

We Got Boundaries

Mamma

Prudent Boundaries

We Got Boundaries

Prudence

Mia 

Mitra

Mary 

And I

On Dear Prudence's

Anniversary

Song Date

Always Did

Appreciate

A Little Faith

For The Breeders

Who Made Einstein

Rockstars

Scientists

Beauties

Models

Appreciate

A Little Faith

For Community

Schools 

Like Montessori

Founded

By Moi

Helping Real Estate

Mas

Sold Out By

Fundamentalist Pasteurs

Priests

Village Farm School

Divorcees

Defense

Bribes

Sold Out By

Courts

Attacked

Our Idy Encinitas Families

We Appreciate

Innovation School

Just Not The

Julian Charter School

Hookers

Umbrella'ing It

Who Stole My Family

With Texas Marines

Massage

Hand Jobs

Posing As Moms'

Spreading Disease

In A Pandemic

Priests Selling Out Our 

Kids

To Scramble Under

Cellular Towers

Didn't Appreciate 

Restraining Orders

From My Beach Homes

Encinitasbeachhome.com 

HomeSmart Realty

Compound

Nardo

Didn't Appreciate

Lawyers Beatings

At Clark- Viviano Law 

In The Night

Or Ticks Planted

On Me

And My Rockstars

Nearly OD'd

On Lithium

Planted Handlers

We Want To

Know Price

What Does

Sammy June Get Paid

On #FreeBritney Heads

For Being

His Persian

Officers

Kite Runner

How Did Lou Taylor

Acquire

Another Victim

Call Justin Bieber's

Magistrate Judges

Charge Them For Treason

#FreeBritney 

Already Ordered

Lou Taylor

Tri-Star Prosecuted

We Want Her In 

A Cage

Not Brit's Dad

Dying

In Prison

Charge Lou Taylor

Tri-Star

Judges

Attys To Clerks

Presidents

Congressmen

Governors

Senators

DAs

Deputies Dicks

Even The Chopped

Off

Ones

Truncated

For The Defense

Team

Heshe

Whatever

Pronouns

This Kink

Maybe

Dykes

Of Court

Charge Them For

Treason

For They Tromped

On Trinity

And My

Gals At Chowchilla

Every Single One Of

Them

Says Nina's

"Been Waiting For

Eternity,"

She Jokes

Been Writing You

Governors

Gavin Newsom

Jerry Brown 

NASA

Sheriff Bianco

DA Senator And VP

Kamala Harris

DA Summer Stephan 

Deaf Ears

Pushing Defense Gay Man's

Pleas

We Wrote You

Now #TimesUp

3 Warnings

You've Had Dozens

3 Red Flags

No More Warnings

7 Years 

Of Holocaust

Mother Nature Is Screaming

PDs Inconsistencies

For Constipated

Gays

Army

Dr. Gardner

Method

Not Handing

Over

Another

Bae

Call It Rude

Tanny 

I'm Allergic To Your

Poly Crew

Seems I Need

Space

Another Tribe

To Tell Another 

Handler

At Every

20 Residences

Plus Camps

To Back Off

On Smear Campaign

Or They'll End Up

In A Defamation Trial

Crazy

Drugged

Stupid

Raped

Like Johnny The Pirate

As A Gypsy

Californian

Grew Up In The

Sierras

Born In Chicago

Schooled In Iowa

Writers Capital

Seems Your Attys

And Officers

Think I'm Chattel

Collateral

No

Not True

Never Was

Sacred Autonomy

My Dear

They Probed

My Who-Who

For Proud Boys

Like You

And Your Bros' Smears

And No

I Never Did

Drugs

Like Your Hookers Of Court

Trafficked

But Somehow

They Got Us

Mixed Up

They Got

18 Months

Of Free

Naked footage

Video

For Dark Web

Nothing Is Free

You Know That Now

For Perverted

Spin Dr's

Like Carmel Benson

Dykes

And 

Dr. Queresheri's

IEHP

Office

Dr's Discriminating

On Bribes

Riverside Healthcare 

Breaking Hippa Laws

Gossiping Nurses

Darlene

Drm Natalya

Therapists

Can't Get Pathology

Reports

Therapist Tima

Ivanova Bickers

Hiding Property Manager

Emily Pearson's Fentanyl Fairy

Murder

Double Agent Oath Keeper

Sheriff Coroner Bianco 

Ghosts Us

On Probate Cons

Mommy Haters

Somehow They Sold Me

And I Didn't Want

To Be Bought

So I Whistleblow

For Poppy

Since You're Not Present

Mamma

And Anjali

My Daughter's

Always A Nanny

An Auntie First

Praying DA

Gets Arrested Before

You Two

Because Once

A Relationship

Hurts

The Community

Broken

Because Boy Toy 

Goads

"Hit Me,"

It's Never A Secret

Filmed

By Sheriff Conspirates

Never A Hells Angel 

Plea

Gag Order

Because

Some Of Us Say

"No!"

Said "No!"

And Fought

For Autonomy

Long And Hard

For Our Civil

Activist Rights

You See

On Nitya X

Britney X

Civil Activists

Malcolm X

Anne Heche 

Didn't Make It

A Punch In The Gut

When They Cut

Her Oxygen

At 911

Con With Fentanyl

Probate Fraud

By Brokers

Naya Rivera

Didn't Make It

Drowned

By Divorce Court

Drugs

Handlers

My Glee Love

[watching-pictures-move]

Movie Review | Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (Cimino, 1974)

Decided to give this a rewatch after having (re)watched a bunch of Michael Cimino movies earlier this year, and also because I saw it appear under the “Leaving Soon” banner on Tubi. Yes, yes, I know nothing really leaves Tubi and the titles that “leave” have a mysterious way of reappearing a short while later. But that sense of false urgency was enough to get me to pull the trigger. Just this once. I will likely not form a habit of keeping an eye out for what’s about to leave Tubi in a given month, sweating profusely as I scramble to watch as many of them as I can. At this point I’m too lazy to form new habits.

Anyway, as for the movie, while it feels a lot smaller and more relaxed than some of Cimino’s later efforts, there are definitely similarities with The Deer Hunter. Both movies have an appreciation for the American landscape and the way it can make the characters seem small and insignificant. (And on this note, I was somewhat annoyed that the transfer on Tubi cropped it from its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The movie still looks good in this cropped form, but I do not think this version does quite the same justice to these vistas. I’ve noticed this with a handful of other studio titles as well. Alas, this is the price one must pay to use this ostensibly free streaming service.) Both movies have a feel for rhythm and get great mileage out of slight variations therein. One would expect a movie about a bank robbery to be tightly wound, yet this is languorous. The movie starts slowly, almost aimlessly, having its heroes meet over pure coincidence, then getting the gang together in an amusingly drawn out fashion, then growing taught as the robbery progresses, then relaxing, resolving with comical, cruel indifference the fates of some of the characters. Much of the movie plays out as a hangout film with characters who only like each other so much (and in some cases not at all), an ambience that lends a certain wry humour to the action that transpires, giving some of the early bursts of excitement a Wile E. Coyote trying to get Road Runner quality, and rendering a climactic car chase as akin to playing bumper cars.

And both movies are attuned to the different forms masculinity can take. You have Clint Eastwood playing into his stoic, flinty image, contrasted with the more carefree and spontaneous Jeff Bridges, and the two make a great pair to hang out with. You get them and compare them to the crueler, more treacherous George Kennedy, who pretty much announces that he’ll betray them the first chance he gets and seems like a bad guy to have around, period, let alone plot a bank robbery with. You put them together and add Geoffrey Lewis, and you get what’s at best an uneasy coexistence, but frequently active antagonism between at least Bridges and Kennedy. (One of my favourite touches in the movie is that Bridges, after he and Eastwood are ambushed by Kennedy and Lewis, ends up finishing his ice cream at gunpoint.) That part of the scheme involves Bridges disguising himself as a woman seems more a challenge from Kennedy and Lewis to Bridges, to prove that he’s man enough to partake in this robbery than an integral part of the scheme (and proves to be an unnecessary measure after the fact, except in letting one appreciate Bridges’ gams). And it understands the way these masculine facades can serve as defense mechanisms, but also as foundations of bonding, and the way they can ease back to reveal one’s vulnerability as with the poignant conclusion.

[f1]

Mercedes should have done what George was asking on strategy at Suzuka | RaceFans Round-up

In the round-up: Mercedes admit pitting both their drivers at once during the Japanese Grand Prix was an error. In brief Mercedes admit double-stack pit stop was wrong choice in Japan Mercedes pitted Lewis Hamilton and George Russell together to switch them to intermediate tyres during the Japanese Grand Prix. However Hamilton’s stop was slow and Russell lost even more time waiting behind his team mate. The team admitted that in retrospect they should have heeded Russell urging them to leave him out for another lap. They told him on the radio “inters are quicker” after the first drivers pitted. When he was directed to pit Russell suggested “let’s stay out” but was told “you lose ten seconds staying on the X [full wets]”. In a video released by the team trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin said “we’ve gone through all the timing of that, and we’ve concluded that, no, it wasn’t the right decision, we should have done what George was asking, which was to give him the lap in clean air.” Russell lost over three seconds in the pits, dropping him behind Yuki Tsunoda and several early pitters. “We had seen that the intermediates were a lot quicker, so with the extreme wet you would have lost time on track,” Shovlin continued. “But the problem was George and Lewis were a bit too close for us to be able to do the pit stop without losing some time. And that time ultimately cost George the position to Tsunoda and possibly even the position to Lando [Norris].” Junior racers get a taste of IndyCar at Sebring Several drivers from Formula 2 and Indy Lights are getting their first IndyCar test laps this week in private test sessions at Sebring, along with two British professionals. Andretti Autosport have rewarded their Formula E winner Jake Dennis with his IndyCar test debut, and Meyer Shank Racing has done the same with their IMSA champion Tom Blomqvist. Dale Coyne Racing will run Indy Lights winner Danial Frost on Thursday, having trialled F2 star Marcus Armstrong on Wednesday. It has been reported that former Red Bull junior Juri Vips and Indy Lights runner-up Sting Ray Robb are also taking part in the test. Former British F3 driver making racing comeback Oliver Clarke, who finished eighth in BRDC British Formula 3 in 2020 as a rookie, will return to racing in this weekend’s GB4 finale at Donington Park. He will drive for Hillspeed, the same team he was with in British F3, and will be trying to aid its double title bid in the Formula 4 series. Clarke has not raced at all since the end of 2020. “I’m buzzing to be back racing, especially with the Hillspeed guys, and looking forward to doing my bit in trying to help win the GB4 teams’ championship,” he said. “When I tested the car at Donington I was quick out of the box, even though I’ve been on the sidelines for some time, so I’m feeling pretty confident we should be able to challenge up at the front.” Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free Happy birthday! Happy birthday to Randy Torres! On this day in motorsport Michael Schumacher brought his dominant season to an end at Suzuka today in 2002 20 years ago today Michael Schumacher signed off his fifth title-winning season with victory in the season-closing Japanese Grand Prix, while Eddie Irvine made his final F1 start via RaceFans - Independent Motorsport Coverage https://www.racefans.net

[lazyartist04]

I had half a thought (tm) and uh... Dreamsmp actor au anyone?

Wilbur is a mid level celebrity with a strong music side gig along with being an actor. He’s been in the field for quite a few years and has a bad habit of coming off as condescending even when he doesn’t mean too.

Tommy is a rising actor and his role in the Smp is his first big role... ever really. He’s very excited and a tad shy working on such a big set with such expensive props and cgi but our boy is trying his best guys.

Technoblade is an all around acting star who’s capable and willing to do just about any role. Hero, Villain, Side Character, cheesy Rom Com Villain. You name it, he’s probably tried playing it. His fanbase is just a ravenous because he doesn’t technically ‘star’ (as in one of the main characters) in many shows or films. However, he is in a lot of stuff. Many of his fans will just watch a show to see him because he has a habit of going dead on social media for weeks. This is literally all they get. His stage name is ‘John Doe’ because he though it would be hilarious. You go to the red carpet have Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, And Benedict Cumberbatch and all of a sudden, holy shit, here comes ‘John Doe’.

Phil is, quite literally, just Tommy’s hella supportive dad. He only has a role because he’s actually pretty good at acting a Techno took a shine to him and strong-armed the writers into including him. It worked surprisingly well and that’s why Dadza doesn’t appear until the tale end of Pogtopia v.s. L’manberg.

Michael is Techno’s little brother and tries to follow in his footsteps. He often ends up playing as a younger version of Techno whenever such a role is necessary for a show. This is actually his first role where he hasn’t been canonically related to Techno is some way.

Dream, or Clay, is often dubbed a Chameleon because no one’s 100% certain what he actually looks like? Man has played a rather major part in so many shows and he’s looked completely different in all of them. Not to mention his habit of showing up to major events dressed as whatever character he’s played is most relevant at the time. Is a master choreographer and actually knows how  to swordfight. Attempts to do all of his parkour stunts but those are only backed up by two years of gymnastics when he was five. It doesn’t end well. Much like Techno, his fans will watch shows featuring him but rather than this being due to a lack of content, it’s more of a Where’s Waldo situation where they try and find which character he plays before the ending credits. It’s harder than you think.

George and Sapnap are his co-stars on a series of movies called ‘Manhunt’ that are most similar to a mixture of Fast and Furious and Saw. Or maybe Maze Runner if you’ve seen it.

BBH is a voice actor who’s characters are often various monstrous and almost purely cgi. He often acts as a medic for Clay when he hurts himself attempting one of his stunts.

Foolish is in much of the same boat as Bad. Minus playing Doctor.

Schlatt is 100% both a renowned actor for villains, has voice acted at least one disney-villain esk villain, and is also co-director for ‘The Smp’ and it’s spinoff, ‘Tales from the Smp’.

Ghostbur has an entirely different voice actor.

Purpled is both a character and the stuntman for both Tommy and Tubbo due to how similar he looks to them, being nearly identical to Tubbo when wearing Tubbo’s costume wig and horns. This is mostly on Schlatt’s orders and he just makes do. Especially since he gets so much money for it.

That’s all I really have now, um... ask questions if you want? Bye!

[darkdevasofdestruction]

Can You Get Enough Of Me? - Michael Myers x Reader

"It's a nice day today, huh?" Y/N smiled up at the sky as she went back and forth in the swing. "Will you push me, Mickey?" "Sure." he shrugged as he got off his own swing and went behind her, pushing her the best he could. "Look, Mickey, I'm flying! Whooooo!" the little girl giggled without a care in the world, as Michael watched her long, beautiful hair going everywhere. "Okay, okay, I wanna swing too!" but before the girl could take her time and stop swinging, a bunch of older boys came by and roughly grabbed the chains holding the swing, which in turn, made the girl fall off and get hurt. "Y/N!" Michael gasped as he ran to her side, helping her up, and seeing the blood seeping from one of her legs and arm. "Aww, Myers's got a giiirlfriend! Look at them, gonna fuck? Girl, don'tcha know, Myers's a faggot?" the gang hollered maliciously, and Y/N could only frown, despite the tears of pain from her injuries, and clinging on Michael for support, she got up and yelled at the boys. "Leave Michael alone, jerks! You're rude!" but instead of trying to fight them off, or go in a brawl, she grabbed her friend's arm and dragged him away from there, knowing that if he were to get in trouble again, he'd get some bad detention, and that's the last thing she'd want. Besides...Two kids couldn't possibly fight those guys. "Why didn't you let me fight them?! I could've taken them on!" the blond boy glared at his friend, who only rolled her eyes and sighed at his childishness. "No, you couldn't. Besides, if the teachers find out you got in trouble again, who knows what will happen? Come on, let's go to the fountain, I have to wipe off the blood." Y/N muttered, going on ahead to sit on the rocks by the fountain and took out her handkerchief from her little bag, dipping it in the water and carefully wiping away the red liquid streaming down her limbs, hissing from the pain here and there, but otherwise, staying completely silent. "I'm sorry..." the girl suddenly heard the blond boy mutter, barely audible. "Huh? What do you have to be sorry about, Mickey?" as her eyes widened from the shock, she leaned forward, raising his chin up with her finger. "...I couldn't protect you. I suck. I'm as bad as that fuckass says I am..." he sighed, gently pulling away her hand and looking away from her. "Look at what they did to you. Could've been much worse. And yet, you stood up for me, while I did nothing. I'm a horrible friend." his voice was pitiful, and it was obvious he hated his lack of strength. "First of all, you aren't just my friend. You're my BEST friend. Okay? And nothing in this world will change that. Got it? Okay. Second of all, we're still little and weak. That's how kids are. Trying to fight those guys is like trying to fight the forces of nature...You...You can't fight a hurricane, you know? And...Violence isn't the answer. I mean...Look at our parents. There's nothing good coming out of that...But someday! Someday we'll get older and stronger, and nobody will bully us anymore! It just...It takes a while...I guess." she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly, trying to comfort him. "That's shit! They'll see, they'll ALL pay for it! Nobody will dare be fuckers with us anymore! And when I grow up, I will make sure everyone is nice to you." he was so revolted, but his anger gradually dissipated as he felt her warmth. "Please don't speak like that. Calm down, Mickey. Things are okay now. At least we have each other, and we will always have each other, don't forget that, okay?" she leaned her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes for a while, only to hear an aggressive male voice booming through the park which made the girl yelp and tremble in fear. "GET AWAY FROM THAT FREAK, Y/N! GET HERE RIGHT NOW!" her father yelled at her and she could only whimper silently, trying to stop herself from hyperventilating. "B-But daddy, Michael is not bad...! H-He tried to protect me from those mean boys from the playground!" she spoke meekly, slowly walking in front of her father, her head hung in fear, only for the man to burry his hand in

her hair, pulling on it roughly, making the girl yelp in pain. "Don't talk back to me, you stupid little bitch! You have no right to go against what I say while you're under MY roof, got it? Home, now." Michael couldn't even retaliate in any way, knowing that if he were to cause trouble for her, she would get in even more trouble, and that's the last thing he'd want...But why did it have to be her...?

He can take it, alright...But her...That's just not acceptable. She is small, and weak, and frail, and innocent...And there is nobody who can protect her.

Nobody but him...

----

"Michael, Michael, are we going trick or treating today?" Y/N asked, skipping around him in her cutesy witch costume, while he was a boring clown. "I guess." he shrugged, pulling down his clown mask. "Come on, it's Halloween, Mickey! You love Halloween! It's your favourite holiday! And we get free candy! It's gonna be fuuun~!" she bumped him with her body, making him stumble a bit, before looking at her and groaning. "Fine, fine, we're going. I just have to tell my mum." he grabbed her wrist and dragged her to his house, but on the way, she stopped him. "Hey, how about we trick or treat all the houses on the way to yours? I mean, there's nothing bad in that, right? We're just going home! It's not even considered a detour!" Y/N grinned widely, her beautiful eyes sparkling with excitement. "...Okay, let's do that." as he said that, Michael took out his candy bag from his schoolbag and taking her hand, they went to all house from both sides of the street. "Trick or Treat!" they both exclaimed as the first grandma opened the door with a loving look on her face. "Ahh, my, my, how cute you two are! And what do we have here...A very adorable, magical witch! And...A funny clown! How lovely!" the woman clapped her hands together to her chest, admiring the two kids. "Ma'am, he's not just a clown, he is my jester! Isn't he so cute?" she threw her arms around his neck, slamming his face to hers as she grinned even wider, making the woman laugh at them. "Yees, yes, I understand! Here, darlings, you're so adorable, take all of these. Hope to see you two, cuties, next year as well! Have fun!" the grandma patted both their heads before going back to her home. "Wiiicked! Look how much candy we've got! My fave holiday is Christmas, but honestly, Halloween is a very close runner up! Our teeth will literally rot after this!" the girl giggled as she inspected each variety of candy in her bag, "I love it 'cause I can spare people." Michael shrugged simply, but he also munched on some candy corn. "Would you scare me, Mickey?" Y/N turned her face to his, her eyes widening with a glimmering, innocent curiosity. "...No. I wouldn't. But you're the only one, okay?! Everyone else, I'd scare!" he tried to sound scary and dangerous, but it only made the little girl giggle and kiss his cheek. "You're my hero! My handsome knight in shining armour, Mickey! Thank you for protecting me. You're the best." help his soul, he wasn't used to people saying good things about him... "...But I'm ugly...That's why I wear a mask so often..." he muttered, looking down at the ground. "No! That's so not true! You're very pretty, okay? I love your face! And you have the most gorgeous eyes in the world! And...And...And your hair is so lovely, I'm jealous! Please don't say bad things about yourself, Mickey, it makes me very upset." she pouted, hugging him tightly, and it was pretty clear neither of them wanted to let go. "You won't leave me, would you, Y/N?" Michael's low voice came out barely above a whisper, but it was the only time he ever allowed himself to show any kind of weakness or vulnerability. "Never. Some day, we will be together forever, okay?" she ruffled his hair playfully, which made his face flush softly. "Hey, actually...Here you go. This is yours now. This way, if you're ever lonely, you'll remember I'm always thinking of you, okay?" Y/N grinned sweetly at him as she took off her flower-charmed necklace and put in on him, hiding it under his costume, so nobody else could see it. "Mum gave this to me on my birthday, before she died. It means the world for me, and so do you. So...Don't forget that, okay? I hope you'd smile more, you have a very pretty smile." as she said that, she squished his chipmunk cheeks.

The boy said nothing - What was he supposed to do, anyway? He was overwhelmed entirely by the only person who makes him feel...Good? But he had to go home, and he already knew that home was hell, and by the time he went there, he knew he wouldn't actually be going trick or treating, as promised...And he'd have to let Y/N down again.

Stupid family.

With a very disappointed voice, he went outside of the house and told the girl that he can't go trick or treating with her, but instead of yelling or disappointment, she just smiled and hugged him.

"It's alright! There's always next year! And besides, we already kinda went trick or treating, right? Sweet dreams, Mickey! Take care!" she waved at him cheerfully and skipped back home.

But little did she know that would be the last Halloween they'd spend together, for that night, a massacre happened at his home, and deep down, Y/N knew.

She just...Knew.

It was Michael who created that blood bath. He couldn't take all that abuse anymore, and Y/N understood that well enough...And she hated herself for thinking this, but she knew she was selfish...

If Michael didn't kill his family, they'd still have been able to hang out daily, and laugh together, lick each other's wounds, and go trick or treating on Halloween...

But she had to be happy with visiting him at Smith's Grove institute weekly with his mum, and they'd chat, and talk, and try to get him out of the shell that he hid himself into...

And he wouldn't stop hiding his face behind his masks, every week, a new one, a new one, and a new one, each time, weirder and creepier and grotesque.

No matter what his mother told him, and no matter what Y/N told him...Michael didn't listen, and the more time he spent there, the less he spoke...Until he hasn't said a word to Y/N in at least two weeks. It made the poor girl tear up, fearing that he hated her, but at least he'd shake his head and clutch his shirt where the gifted necklace would be.

And she would understand.

His mother was confused, and the Dr. was confused as well, but Y/N wasn't, and she'd smile at him and wouldn't explain what happened. It was their little secret, and nobody would be able to be made aware of.

And then...After many weeks of visiting, Michael stuck again and killed a nurse, which led to his mother committing suicide, and since she had nobody to go with to visit him, the last thing she could do was send in letters weekly, hoping they will be given to him, but she had no way of knowing, since nobody wanted to tell her anything, and no reply came by.

Until she gave up writing, thinking that Michael actually hated her, and decided to go on with her life, and her father made her move away to another state to get better education.

15 years passed, and the now 27 year old Y/N was a University graduate who worked hard and was able to get her old home in Haddonfield...To think she'd finally be able to go there again, she never would have thought that.

But here she was, having found a nice, well-paying job, and she was pretty happy, albeit nostalgic, being again back...Home. By the time she returned, she had already learnt how to play the guitar too, so every Friday night, she'd sit on her porch and play a song, softly singing along, hoping not to disturb anyone.

"I was made for lovin' you baby, you were made for loving me..." she hummed, singing the song by Kiss as she looked up at the starry night with no care in the world.

It was a simple life, but it was good and peaceful - And she had quite a lot of money to do with as she pleases - What else could ask for?

"BREAKING NEWS! A psychiatric patient from Smith's Grove escaped just last night and -..." but Y/N didn't bother hearing the rest of it, because...Because... "Michael...!" she gasped, covering her mouth with both her hands from the shock, tears threatening to fall and she goes outside, looking around, left and right, down the street, hoping to see a glimpse of the blond boy she once held so dear to her heart.

And what a coincidence, tomorrow night was Halloween...Did he do it on purpose? Did he even remember the days they spent together? Or how special Halloween was for him? Did he still have that silly necklace with him? Did he ever read her letters?

So many questions that she was pretty sure she'll never get an answer to, and that thought alone killed her.

The next day, she dressed in her Kiss loose Tshirt, remembering how that was Michael's favourite band, and somewhere in her heart, she hoped to see him again, even just by a little bit. Even a glimpse at his beautiful blue eyes would be enough.

But she knew she was dreaming...

She went to work as usual, but she was so busy that she didn't realise she ended up overstaying and overworking herself until she left the place and realised it was already dark outside, and there were barely any children trick or treating - But hey, there still were a few - And Y/N couldn't help but smile and remember the cute witch and her loyal jester.

The good times...

As she hummed carefree and looked up at the starry sky, but then she heard a crack, and looking back...Nothing? Hmm...Suspicious... She continued walking, but the ominous feeling in the back of her head continued, and so, she took out her pocket mirror and noticed a man somewhere in the back, walking towards her. A colleague from work, she recognised him, yes, she remembers him. He was kicked out from the job because of his inappropriate behaviour...And him following her now truly was no good news.

Analysing the situation, she realised she was close enough to home to make a break for it, so taking a deep breath, she sprinted the hell out of there...But...things didn't go as expected.

Before she could even reach her home, for she was pushed to the ground and straddled, his hands immediately finding their way around her neck, trying to immobilise her, to stop her from struggling and let him have his way with her.

But Y/N was a fighter, and she didn't want to allow the bullying she experienced as a child to take over her adult life, but she also didn't have the body strength to go against this guy, no matter how much she tried to struggle.

However...Before she knew it, the man stopped - Almost as if he froze - And she was splattered with liquid. It was blood. The man above her was stabbed in the chest, then in the head continuously, before his body was snatched and tossed away like a ragdoll.

Great - Y/N thought - From one criminal to another, with a whimper, she tried to get up and run away, but the man was too fast for her, and he picked her up with a weird ease, getting her inside her own house and letting her fall down on her couch.

The man saw fear in her eyes, and she was whimpering, her head hung as she tried to make herself as small as possible - As if she wasn't already so small, especially compared to him - It was pissing him off, as he remembered her jackass father abusing her. He would never hurt her! He promised her he'd always protect her, so why is she so scared of him...?!

"E-Excuse me...Uhm...Mister...A-Are you...Maybe...Uhmm...Are you Michael...?" she stuttered in such a meek voice that it grated his brain. This isn't right, Y/N was cheerful and happy. This...This wasn't right... The man got a hand underneath the neck of his blouse, only to reveal the old flower necklace from long ago. "Michael...! It really is you...Michael...I can't believe it! Oh my God...You grew up so much, this is insane!" as if a switch turned inside her, the girl jumped on her couch and threw herself on the incredibly tall man, not caring whether he liked it or not.

He was her Michael, and she missed him.

"You still don't talk, do you? Well...At least take off this mask of yours. I told you, I hate it when you hide yourself from me. I want to see your beautiful face." she chuckled, pulling Michael down with her on the couch, as he stood with his hands mid-way in the air, rather awkwardly, before finally pulling up his old mask and threading with it with his hands that were laying on his lap. "There we go, as beautiful as ever." she chuckled softly as she parted his long, dirty blond hair and letting it fall down his back, so his face could properly be seen. "Oh my God, you even have a stubble. I can't believe it. Well, we are all grown up after all, aren't we? Seems like almost yesterday when we'd go trick or treating...On this very day." she kept talking of the nostalgic things from so long ago, so much that it made Michael grunt in amusement, but his face didn't sketch any emotion. It really upset Y/N, it felt like talking to a wall. "Well, at least I'm happy that you remember me. I didn't think you did. I kinda thought you hated me too, I didn't know if you got any of my letters either. Uhm...I don't really know what to say. It's weird talking to myself like that. But I'm happy to see you again." she continued speaking before stopping altogether and fidgeting awkwardly on her spot next to him, as he didn't even move, or bother saying a single word.

They stood like that for a while, until Michael suddenly started moving, and revealed a bunch of unopened letters - All from her.

"You have all of them...!" Y/N gasped in shock, taking the letters and examining all of them one by one. "Why didn't you open them?" but instead of an answer, he shook his head. "Did you...Not have them...Until recently?" Y/N tried to guess, and the answer came in the form of a nod. "That stupid doctor! How dare he?! ...You must have felt so lonely stuck there...With your mum shooting herself, I couldn't go there anymore, so I sent you letters weekly...The doctor promised to give them to you...Urgh, what a jerk. And I thought you hated me and that's why you didn't want to reply to them...But you just got them. How annoying." Y/N groaned, realising the truth of what happened, and she let the letters fall down on the coffee table.

After some more silence between the two, Michael pointed towards her shirt, and she smiled, nodding and taking her guitar before leaning on his side. "Yeah, I know it's your favourite band. I never forgot that." she chuckled, and as she started playing the same song she knew so well - And she felt a strong arm sneaking around her waist, pulling her closer to his body. It surprised her a bit, but she felt so safe and warm in his embrace.

"I was made for lovin' you baby, you were made for lovin' me. And I can't get enough of you, baby..." she sang in the same sweet, crystalline, soft voice that he loved so much, and missed over the many years they've been separated.

"...Can you get enough of me?"

[qqueenofhades]

Re: the post you reblogged about Bush. I'm 21 and tbh feel like I can only vote for Bernie, can you explain if/why I shouldn't? Thanks and sorry if this is dumb or anything.

Oh boy. Okay, I’ll do my best here. Note that a) this will get long, and b) I’m old, Tired, and I‘m pretty sure my brain tried to kill me last night. Since by nature I am sure I will say something Controversial ™, if anyone reads this and feels a deep urge to inform me that I am Wrong, just… mark it down as me being Wrong and move on with your life. But also, really, you should read this and hopefully think about it. Because while I’m glad you asked this question, it feels like there’s a lot in your cohort who won’t, and that worries me. A lot.

First, not to sound utterly old-woman-in-a-rocking-chair ancient, people who came of age/are only old enough to have Obama be the first president that they really remember have no idea how good they had it. The world was falling the fuck apart in 2008 (not coincidentally, after 8 years of Bush). We came within a flicker of the permanent collapse of the global economy. The War on Terror was in full roar, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were at their height, we had Dick Cheney as the cartoon supervillain before we had any of Trump’s cohort, and this was before Chelsea Manning or Edward Snowden had exposed the extent of NSA/CIA intelligence-gathering/American excesses or there was any kind of public debate around the fact that we were all surveilled all the time. And the fact that a brown guy named Barack Hussein Obama was elected in this climate seems, and still seems tbh, kind of amazing. And Obama was certainly not a Perfect President ™. He had to scale back a lot of planned initiatives, he is notorious for expanding the drone strike/extrajudicial assassination program, he still subscribed to the overall principles of neoliberalism and American exceptionalism, etc etc. There is valid criticism to be made as to how the hopey-changey optimistic rhetoric stacked up against the hard realities of political office. And yet…. at this point, given what we’re seeing from the White House on a daily basis, the depth of the parallel universe/double standards is absurd.

Because here’s the thing. Obama, his entire family, and his entire administration had to be personally/ethically flawless the whole time (and they managed that – not one scandal or arrest in eight years, against the legions of Trumpistas now being convicted) because of the absolute frothing depths of Republican hatred, racial conspiracy theories, and obstruction against him. (Remember Merrick Garland and how Mitch McConnell got away with that, and now we have Gorsuch and Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court? Because I remember that). If Obama had pulled one-tenth of the shit, one-twentieth of the shit that the Trump administration does every day, he would be gone. It also meant that people who only remember Obama think he was typical for an American president, and he wasn’t. Since about… Jimmy Carter, and definitely since Ronald Reagan, the American people have gone for the Trump model a lot more than the Obama model. Whatever your opinion on his politics or character, Obama was a constitutional law professor, a community activist, a neighborhood organizer and brilliant Ivy League intellectual who used to randomly lie awake at night thinking about income inequality. Americans don’t value intellectualism in their politicians; they just don’t. They don’t like thinking that “the elites” are smarter than them. They like the folksy populist who seems fun to have a beer with, and Reagan/Bush Senior/Clinton/Bush Junior sold this persona as hard as they possibly could. As noted in said post, Bush Junior (or Shrub as the late, great Molly Ivins memorably dubbed him) was Trump Lite but from a long-established political family who could operate like an outwardly civilized human.

The point is: when you think Obama was relatively normal (which, again, he wasn’t, for any number of reasons) and not the outlier in a much larger pattern of catastrophic damage that has been accelerated since, again, the 1980s (oh Ronnie Raygun, how you lastingly fucked us!), you miss the overall context in which this, and which Trump, happened. Like most left-wingers, I don’t agree with Obama’s recent and baffling decision to insert himself into the 2020 race and warn the Democratic candidates against being too progressive or whatever he was on about. I think he was giving into the same fear that appears to be motivating the remaining chunk of Joe Biden’s support: that middle/working-class white America won’t go for anything too wild or that might sniff of Socialism, and that Uncle Joe, recalled fondly as said folksy populist and the internet’s favorite meme grandfather from his time as VP, could pick up the votes that went to Trump last time. And that by nature, no one else can.

The underlying belief is that these white voters just can’t support anything too “un-American,” and that by pushing too hard left, Democratic candidates risk handing Trump a second term. Again: I don’t agree and I think he was mistaken in saying it. But I also can’t say that Obama of all people doesn’t know exactly the strength of the political machine operating against the Democratic Party and the progressive agenda as a whole, because he ran headfirst into it for eight years. The fact that he managed to pass any of his legislative agenda, usually before the Tea Party became a thing in 2010, is because Democrats controlled the House and Senate for the first two years of his first term. He was not perfect, but it was clear that he really did care (just look up the pictures of him with kids). He installed smart, efficient, and scandal-free people to do jobs they were qualified for. He gave us Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor to join RBG on the Supreme Court. All of this seems… like a dream.

That said: here we are in a place where Biden, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren are the front-runners for the Democratic nomination (and apparently Pete Buttigieg is getting some airplay as a dark horse candidate, which… whatever). The appeal of Biden is discussed above, and he sure as hell is not my favored candidate (frankly, I wish he’d just quit). But Sanders and Warren are 85% - 95% similar in their policy platforms. The fact that Michael “50 Billion Dollar Fortune” Bloomberg started rattling his chains about running for president is because either a Sanders or Warren presidency terrifies the outrageously exploitative billionaire capitalist oligarchy that runs this country and has been allowed to proceed essentially however the fuck they like since… you guessed it, the 1980s, the era of voodoo economics, deregulation, and the free market above all. Warren just happens to be ten years younger than Sanders and female, and Sanders’ age is not insignificant. He’s 80 years old and just had a heart attack, and there’s still a year to go to the election. It’s also more than a little eye-rolling to describe him as the only progressive candidate in the race, when he’s an old white man (however much we like and approve of his policy positions). And here’s the thing, which I think is a big part of the reason why this polarized ideological purity internet leftist culture mistrusts Warren:

She may have changed her mind on things in the past.

Scary, right? I sound like I’m being facetious, but I’m not. An argument I had to read with my own two eyes on this godforsaken hellsite was that since Warren became a Democrat around the time Clinton signed Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, she sekritly hated gay people and might still be a corporate sellout, so on and etcetera. (And don’t even get me STARTED on the fact that DADT, coming a few years after the height of the AIDS crisis which was considered God’s Judgment of the Icky Gays, was the best Clinton could realistically hope to achieve, but this smacks of White Gay Syndrome anyway and that is a whole other kettle of fish.) Bernie has always demonstrably been a democratic socialist, and: good for him. I’m serious. But because there’s the chance that Warren might not have thought exactly as she does now at any point in her life, the hysterical and paranoid left-wing elements don’t trust that she might not still secretly do so. (Zomgz!) It’s the same element that’s feeding cancel culture and “wokeness.” Nobody can be allowed to have shifted or grown in their opinions or, like a functional, thoughtful, non-insane adult, changed their beliefs when presented with compelling evidence to the contrary. To the ideological hordes, any hint of uncertainty or past failure to completely toe the line is tantamount to heresy. Any evidence of any other belief except The Correct One means that this person is functionally as bad as Trump. And frankly, it’s only the Sanders supporters who, just as in 2016, are threatening to withhold their vote in the general election if their preferred candidate doesn’t win the primary, and indeed seem weirdly proud about it.

OK, boomer Bernie or Buster.

Here’s the thing, the thing, the thing: there is never going to be an American president free of the deeply toxic elements of American ideology. There just won’t be. This country has been built how it has for 250 years, and it’s not gonna change. You are never going to have, at least not in the current system, some dream candidate who gets up there and parrots the left-wing talking points and attacks American imperialism, exceptionalism, ravaging global capitalism, military and oil addiction, etc. They want to be elected as leader of a country that has deeply internalized and taken these things to heart for its entire existence, and most of them believe it to some degree themselves. So this groupthink white liberal mentality where the only acceptable candidate is this Perfect Non-Problematic robot who has only ever had one belief their entire lives and has never ever wavered in their devotion to doctrine has really gotten bad. The Democratic Party would be considered… maybe center/mild left in most other developed countries. It’s not even really left-wing by general standards, and Sanders and Warren are the only two candidates for the nomination who are even willing to go there and explicitly put out policy proposals that challenge the systematic structure of power, oppression, and exploitation of the late-stage capitalist 21st century. Warren has the billionaires fussed, and instead of backing down, she’s doubling down. That’s part of why they’re so scared of her. (And also misogyny, because the world is depressing like that.) She is going head-on after picking a fight with some of the worst people on the planet, who are actively killing the rest of us, and I don’t know about you, but I like that.

Of course: none of this will mean squat if she (or the eventual Democratic winner, who I will vote for regardless of who it is, but as you can probably tell, she’s my ride or die) don’t a) win the White House and then do as they promised on the campaign trail, and b) don’t have a Democratic House and Senate willing to have a backbone and pass the laws. Even Nancy Pelosi, much as she’s otherwise a badass, held off on opening a formal impeachment inquiry into Trump for months out of fear it would benefit him, until the Ukraine thing fell into everyone’s laps. The Democrats are really horrible at sticking together and voting the party line the way Republicans do consistently, because Democrats are big-tent people who like to think of themselves as accepting and tolerant of other views and unwilling to force their members’ hands. The Republicans have no such qualms (and indeed, judging by their enabling of Trump, have no qualms at all).��

The modern American Republican party has become a vehicle for no-holds-barred power for rich white men at the expense of absolutely everything and everyone else, and if your rationale is that you can’t vote for the person opposing Donald Goddamn Trump is that you’re just not vibing with them on the language of that one policy proposal… well, I’m glad that you, White Middle Class Liberal, feel relatively safe that the consequences of that decision won’t affect you personally. Even if we’re due to be out of the Paris Climate Accords one day after the 2020 election, and the issue of climate change now has the most visibility it’s ever had after years of big-business, Republican-led efforts to deny and discredit the science, hey, Secret Corporate Shill, am I right? Can’t trust ‘er. Let’s go have a craft beer.

As has been said before: vote as far left as you want in the primary. Vote your ideology, vote whatever candidate you want, because the only way to make actual, real-world change is to do that. The huge, embedded, all-consuming and horrible system in which we operate is not just going to suddenly be run by fairy dust and happy thoughts overnight. Select candidates that reflect your values exactly, be as picky and ideologically militant as you want. That’s the time to do that! Then when it comes to the general election:

America is a two-party system. It sucks, but that’s the case. Third-party votes, or refraining from voting because “it doesn’t matter” are functionally useless at best and actively harmful at worst.

Either the Democratic candidate or Donald Trump will win the 2020 election.

There is absolutely no length that the Republican/GOP machine, and its malevolent allies elsewhere, will not go to in order to secure a Trump victory. None.

Any talk whatsoever about “progressive values” or any kind of liberal activism, coupled with a course of action that increases the possibility of a Trump victory, is hypocritical at best and actively malicious at worst.

This is why I found the Democratic response to Obama’s “don’t go too wild” comments interesting. Bernie doubled down on the fact that his plans have widespread public support, and he’s right. (Frankly, the fact that Sanders and Warren are polling at the top, and the fact that they’re politicians and would not be crafting these campaign messages if they didn’t know that they were being positively received, says plenty on its own). Warren cleverly highlighted and praised Obama’s accomplishments in office (i.e. the Affordable Care Act) and didn’t say squat about whether she agreed or disagreed with him, then went right back to campaigning about why billionaires suck. And some guy named Julian Castro basically blew Obama off and claimed that “any Democrat” could beat Trump in 2020, just by nature of existing and being non-insane.

This is very dangerous! Do not be Julian Castro!

As I said in my tags on the Bush post: everyone assumed that sensible people would vote for Kerry in 2004. Guess what happened? Yeah, he got Swift Boated. The race between Obama and McCain in 2008, even after those said nightmare years of Bush, was very close until the global crash broke it open in Obama’s favor, and Sarah Palin was an actual disqualifier for a politician being brazenly incompetent and unprepared. (Then again, she was a woman from a remote backwater state, not a billionaire businessman.) In 2012, we thought Corporate MormonBot Mitt Fuggin’ Romney was somehow the worst and most dangerous candidate the Republicans could offer. In 2016, up until Election Day itself, everyone assumed that HRC was a badly flawed candidate but would win anyway. And… we saw how that worked out. Complacency is literally deadly.

I was born when Reagan was still president. I’m just old enough to remember the efforts to impeach Clinton over forcing an intern to give him a BJ in the Oval Office (This led by the same Republicans making Donald Trump into a darling of the evangelical Christian right wing.) I’m definitely old enough to remember 9/11 and how America lost its mind after that, and I remember the Bush years. And, obviously, the contrast with Obama, the swing back toward Trump, and everything that has happened since. We can’t afford to do this again. We’re hanging by a thread as it is, and not just America, but the entire planet.

So yes. By all means, vote for Sanders in the primary. Then when November 3, 2020 rolls around, if you care about literally any of this at all, hold your nose if necessary and vote straight-ticket Democrat, from the president, to the House and Senate, to the state and local offices. I cannot put it more strongly than that.

[hintofelation99]

The Bat's Patrol Playlist

Centuries by Fall Out Boy; Everyone wanted this one

THAT BITCH by Bea Miller; Added by Jason and Duke, Bruce has threatened to remove this one bc Jason gets WAY too into it

Circus by Lady Gaga; Added by Dick

I Can't Decide by Scissor Sisters; Added by Jason, later removed after Jason made a joke about how it made him want to use real bullets. Bruce did not find the joke funny.

Monsters by All Time Low ft Blackbear; Added by Tim

Burned by Grace Vanderwaal; Added Dick

Michael in the Bathroom from the musical Be More Chill; Added by Dick and Tim

Heather by Conan Gray; Added by Tim, removed by Jason because "I can't listen to that depressing shit when I'm trying to kick ass"

Never Wanted to Dance by Mindless Self Indulgence; Added by Tim, Jason sorta digs it but after hearing it immediately said "Wow you really are the emo robin"

you should see me in a crown by Billie Eilish; Added by Damian, this addition was very shocking considering it was by Damian, but apparently he really likes Billie Eilish.

Look What You Made Me Do by Taylor Swift; Added by Jason

Therefore I Am by Billie Eilish; Added by Tim and Duke after finding out Damian likes Billie Eilish, Damian didn't say anything but he appreciates the addition

Bad Guy by Billie Eilish; Added by Dick after finding out Damian likes Billie Eilish, this is when Damian realizes he should add other stuff to the family playlist or else it will be entirely Billie. Also everyone is buying him her merch and he's so tired.

Absolution by The Pretty Reckless; Added by Kate

Big Bad Wolf by Roses and Revolutions; Added by Tim and Steph

Unholy by Hey Violet; Added by Steph

I Did Something Bad by Taylor Swift; Added by Jason and Duke

I'm Going to Hell by The Pretty Reckless; Added by Kate and Cass. Cass typically prefers movie scores, but she knows that her siblings prefer to belt out lyrics as they fight. She also prefers the acoustic version of this song but recognizes that the original is better to fight to.

Dancing with a Wolf by All Time Low; Added by Barbara

Let Me Sleep/Starving by One11Twenty; Removed by literally everyone cause "Holy shit Tim, what's with the depressing music??"

Psycho by Lauren Aquilina; Added by Tim and Cass

Teeth by 5 Seconds of Summer; Added by Dick and Barbara, Jason's response to this was "Okay horndogs, I thought you broke up?"

For Elise by Saint Motel; Added by Dick and Kate

Jenny (I Wanna Ruin Our Friendship) by Studio Killers; Added by Kate and Steph

Alors on danse by Stromae; Added by Dick and Cass

I Miss Having Sex But At Least I Don't Wanna Die Anymore by Waterparks; Added by Dick, this got him some odd looks bc it's a very happy sounding song with not so happy lyrics and Dick is a very happy looking person so this raised some questions

Promisedland by MIKA; Added by Tim

Punchin' Bag by Cage the Elephant; Added by Barbara

Ready to Let Go by Cage the Elephant; Added by Tim

Hit and Run by LOLO; Added by Steph and Barbara

Siren Song by Julian Moon; Added by Steph, Barbara, Kate, and Cass off of their Gotham Girls playlist. There was some debate over whether this fit the playlist vibe, but after hearing Red Hood passionately sing this while beating the shit out of some drug runners the songs place on the playlist was solidified.

Farewell Wanderlust by The Amazing Devil; Added by Damian and Cass. Tim wasn't sure about this at first, because it's not the greatest song to beat people up to, then he heard the line "I promise you I'm not broken" and he was sold. Jason also wasn't sure at first but he thinks it's a good song to passionately sing along to.

What's Up Danger by Black Caviar and Blackway; Added by Jason

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Next ->

Red Robin Playlist ->

[maxwell-grant]

I'm reading some Shadow comics I bought on Comixology forever ago and had never gotten around to - originally I was going to mention I read the Howard Chaykin feature in "The Shadow #100" and that his version of that guy indeed sucks real bad. However, the chapter after his by Michael Uslan? I'm obviously not that well-read on the character, but this simply MUST be the most bonkers Shadow story ever told.

Oh God, THAT story. I know which one you’re talking about because I only just recently saw that it was written by Michael Uslan, which put a lot of it into perspective. I don’t know if it’s THE most bonkers Shadow story ever told but it’s definitely a runner up for the most comically absurd

To briefly summarize it to those of you who don’t know of it: The story starts with the Wayne murders except The Shadow kills the mugger before he shoots them. While he’s telling the dad “Bruce Thomason” (lol) how he’s going to repay him by one day performing a mission unquestioningly, he gets unreasonably pissed off about Bruce the kid telling him he recognizes him from the radio show, and then he points the finger at the child and swears that he will put an END to this and,

I don’t think Uslan understands just how funny it is the idea of The Shadow dramatically declaring war on his own radio program, I’ll post the sequence below because it’s super fucking funny

You’d think that he would do this by telling the producers or writers or the owners of the radio station to stop producing The Shadow radio show, or maybe just file a lawsuit and C&D but no, he goes on about by, of course,

Cornering Orson Welles in an elevator (even shouting YOU! when he enters it) and telling him to quit the show and use his talents for something else, and then we get this exchange

After basically telling him to get fucked and do it anyway, he dissappears, and then Orson walks outside and overhears a newsboy shouting about something Hearst did, and then he reads the paper and wonders aloud “Hmm...rosebuds?” and then the final panel is him looking behind him as The Shadow’s laugh appears.

...............................

Okay so, I don’t know if you’ve ever read any of the other comics Uslan’s written with pulp characters or Detective 27, because this shows up a lot in those too. He reeeally likes historical references and takes a lot of detours to include them into the stories. And sometimes it’s a little neat, sometimes it’s unintentionally kind of funny, and sometimes it’s pretty obnoxious, and it happens a lot, like entire plot points devoted to in-references (the climax of Dark Nights hinges on a superweapon powered by Blue Coal). 

And this story is definitely the worst offender in that regard because the whole thing only exists as an excuse to tie The Shadow to Orson Welles and Citizen Kane because Orson voiced him on radio. It’s not the first time a Shadow comic devoted time to a storyline based on the radio show and Orson Welles but it’s by far the goofiest of the bunch, and it’s already a goofy excuse for a story.

(I generally don’t like to be too negative on Uslan’s stories, but man he writes a terrible Margo, and the bar is not very high as is)

And yeah, Uslan has a tendency to write The Shadow’s dialogue and character like he’s paging Doctor Doom. I kinda get where he’s coming from in that he knows that a big part of the character’s appeal hinged on him being the hero with the charisma and personality of a villain and dialogue-wise The Shadow is already closer to the way characters like Doctor Doom or Magneto talk, than the way Batman does. I thought Dark Nights had a pretty good characterization for The Shadow overall, but in this story and in Justice Inc he reeeally pushes it overboard to the point of self-parody, you can almost hear the Doctor Orpheus musical sting everytime he talks. I think it’s more funny than anything but it doesn’t particularly help the story’s more serious moments. 

A similar thing happened in Dynamite’s Masks 1 and 2 which was crossing over dozens of pulp heroes, all of whom were basically interchangeable in personality except for The Shadow, who was extremely committed to his catchphrases and pithy quotations, and to never stop being the most extra motherfucker of the room. 

QUESTION: If memory serves, a while ago, in a story teaming Green Hornet, Kato, the Spider and others, you said you really enjoyed scripting the Shadow's dialogue in particular. What is it about the Shadow that makes him different from other noir characters?

Chris Roberson: With those other “masked avenger” pulp types, their masked identities are an act, at least in part. Underneath the hat and mask they are regular guys with relatable motivations. With the Shadow, the guy in the hat and scarf IS the real guy, and his motivations and feelings are largely kept from us. When we see him in his “civilian” identity, THAT is an act. 

So there’s a kind of brutal simplicity to his dialogue. He is what he appears to be, and says exactly what he means.

While obviously that story from #100 is completely batshit and I’m not particularly a fan of Justice Inc exaggerating him into Shadow the Hedgehog to make Doc Savage more of a boyscout (which tends to happen in crossovers with the two), I mentioned before that I’m not really adverse to The Shadow’s overdramatic antics being played for comedy. I do like bringing up some of the goofier stuff that was in the pulps, or the radio show. I keep telling you guys that The Shadow can be remarkably funny even in otherwise serious stories without breaking character.

He’s gotta have a good sense of humor to be laughing all the time like that.

[myimaginarywonderland]

Okay, so this post will talk about Lance but I will also give my opinion on the Lando situation since I think it is important.

First off, I think it says a lot about Lando that he made an apology. Now, be it because of the backlash he faced, because he actually saw the harm he was causing or because he genuinely regrets it, that is something I don't know. What I do know is that by apologising for it, he acknowledges that his behaviour was wrong and that is really important because it shows that he reflected on himself.

While I do still feel irked by something about the message, be it that he isn't naming Lance or Lewis who he both targeted with his actions in different ways and apologise to them directly which he might have done in person, so I am not able to judge it or be it the weird sorry at the end, I can put aside my feelings and say that this was the right thing to do and is also setting an example for his fans who were one of my main issues with all of this. They then know that saying that was not right and might learn from it themselves.

But this post isn't about Lando. This post is about Lance.

As most of you might have heard, Lance was really affected by what happened on track. He can clearly see that he is anxious and uncomfortable in his post race interview and what happened afterwards tells the story (I don't really want to talk about it because this is something private that he did not share and it is like with the story on Twitter something that was shared by other people who he didn't give the right to share it too so I don't want to spread it any further.)

This is who Lance is.

Someone who is sensitive and takes a lot of things personally.

You want to know why? Because he has, as a person, always been blamed for his dad's wealth. As if he choose to grow up with a billionaire dad. As if he is somehow responsible for it.

And he has always been painted out as someone undeserving, someone that doesn't have talent and totally owns his position to the money of his dad.

Now, let me just give you some data because I want to totally discredit this made up stuff with no roots.

In 2015, he won the Toyota Racing Series. He won by a bit over 100 points. The second finisher was his teammate. You might now some of the other drivers who competed in this series for example one Callum Iliot or Artjom Markelow.

Or in 2016,his first season in Formula 3, he finished fifth. The winner of that year was Felix Rosenquvist (a great driver) who was also Lance teammate and had only one DNF in comparison to Lance 5 and a DSQ. Now, there are two other drivers, one that was the runner up in Antonio Giovinazzi and a fourth who was Charles Leclerc. Pretty competitive field if you ask me and to finish 5th as a rookie,is impressive.

Now, fast forward a year to when he won the F3 championship. He won over his teammate by a margin of over 150 points which is so impressive, even with the two more DNFs his teammate, Maximilian Günther (another great driver) had that is quiet a lot.

Now, if you really want to use the argument that he skipped F2 against him, there is another driver you should be discrediting just as much. You guessed it, M*x V*rstappen. He also went straight into F1 which was a definite mistake but nobody ever likes to say that. I would also like you to remember that Lance did not drive for F1 as a regular driver immediately after he won the championship, no in 2016 he was a test driver, so he could slowly get used to F1. (This is not official but I would guess it's the thought process behind him being a test driver.)

Now, in 2017, his first F1 season, he was teammates of Felipe Massa. Might have heard of him, lost his championship to Lewis by one point, was teammate of Micheal Schumacher and a generally way more experienced driver. Yeah, you wanna know what the difference between him and Lance was in Lance first season? 3 points. And Lance had 2 more DNFs. You know what else he got in his first season? His first podium. In his first season, he became one of the youngest people to ever achieve a podium. With just 7 rounds into his first F1 season, in an okay midfield car with a way more experienced and older driver he was up against, he achieved a podium. And during the entire course of the season, that would remain the only podium for the Williams team that year.

Now, onto 2018. Williams was not as bad as in 2019 but they were still nowhere in terms of pace and he still didn't finish last in the championship (but I don't think we can count this season.)

In 2019, Checo became his teammate. And Checo in my opinion is one of the best midfield drivers, so there was already a lot he had to go up against and he was still so young and had less experience. There is a 30 point difference between them. Make of that what you want but for me, sure it was not Lance greatest season but now you have to think if Racing Point where really that good go be the fifth best car or if maybe, Checo just got more out of the car with his experience and talent. And than, you have to consider that he was still young and only had one season where he was truly competitive (that 2018 Williams was not something you could truly challenge anyone with.) And to then be up to one of the best midfield drivers who is widely appreciated and adored by the paddock, is a lot. Maybe for some of you it was too big of a gap which is alright.

However, don't dismiss his talent. He has had a good junior career and was up to some of the drivers you love and call talented, he even beat some of your faves. Maybe you don't see him as the next great driver but he is not a bad one and truly deserves a seat if you consider his achievements. Maybe he could have proven himself more if he had a season in F2 which is fair but that doesn't take away from anything he has achieved.

And even if you don't see him as talented, that gives you no right to bully him online. He can't change who his dad is.

Now,onto the money. I see a lot of people saying that he is only in F1 because of the money (which I hope you have by now realized is not the case.) But really, let's talk about the money.

Money is something that sadly plays a big role in F1. F1 is above all still a business. And businesses want money. So, why not take someone who has money and talent like Lance? Where are you all saying Michael only got his seat because of money (he is a pay-driver after all or at least he was one when he came to F1.) And now let's talk about his move to Racing Point. Can you truly blame Lawrence for wanting to make his sons dream come true? Wouldn't any father if they had the resources do this? Wouldn't any father want to fufill his son's dream, even if it might be seen as unethical by some or criticized? Would you really care if you saw how happy your kid was? Would you really care if you saw the glow you kid had? I don't think so.

I already said it but he was at Williams before he was at RP. His dad doesn't own that team or have any chairs in it.

Let's forget his profession for a second. Let's say you don't find him talented as a driver or just don't like him, fine. You are entitled to your opinion and sometimes we just don't like people, it happens.

What else would you have against him?

He doesn't post on social media often because people already bully him enough for his family. There is basically nothing you can dislike about him there.

And as a person? He is quiet and basically does nothing to anger people. He is literally just a normal dude. He goes on trips with his friends, he does sports to stay in shape and watches sports. He is not even posting personal stuff because he doesn't want to give people more room to bully him.

If you saw him on the street, would you think he is from a rich family? He does not look like it at all, he looks like that guy from your local sport who is literally just a college student trying to get through life.

And not only was he discredited for all his accomplishments because of something he had no control over but he also saw another driver proudly display a symbol that has been used by people who killed people who belonged to his religion. He saw a driver weat that symbol in cooperation with a company whose boos seems to be a Neo Nazi.

Lance has had to go through to so much shit just because his dad was rich (which Nicky's and Lando's also are, yes I know it's less but it's still more than any of us will probably ever have.)

This boy does nothing wrong.

Did he make a mistake with the maneuvers on Lando? Yes. But he is still so young and also new to F1, he can still learn and is growing as a person and driver. He is expected to perform more just so he proves his worth which he already has because people discredit him for having a rich dad.

Have you seen what he has done this season? He would be in the top 5 had it not been for the last races where none of the DNFs where his fault. Neither was getting Covid or being ill but people literally made fun of him for being in pain, saying stuff like "Did Daddies boy have a little stomach ache?" Yeah, because F1 drivers aren't trainex to perform no matter what, aren't putting their health last when it comes to these things and might have to be really bad if they can't drive and are not even going out of their room.

He has improved so much, he is not blaming other drivers even if they clearly hit him (see Charles) and he stays calm. Because he can't afford to be to emotional since some people would hate him for rightfully calling out others mistakes and just maybe saying that their faves are not flawless and make mistakes (like Charles.)

He has to act a certain way or be a certain way because what would happen if he just showed more of his personality? You call him dull, boring but you don't even try to get to know him. You don't even look up videos where he is more open and comfortable.

He is awkward infront of the press because he has to fear to be discredited or to be questioned about his worth every second.

And all of this pressure, this mask and this pretend eventhough he is just as human as the rest of us. And you see how hard it is, how much he questions himself, how his self-doubt increases and ultimately what happened has happened.

Because while it is just an easy insult for you that you can post anonymously online, it is one of thousands for him.

And you know, he didn't grew up in Europe. Sure he competed with some of the European drivers later one but he didn't have any of them when he started racing and he might already have been an outcast because people would already have seen him as different since his family didn't need to make sacrifices to get him to wear he is now. At least not financially ones. And then, when he came to Europe there were these already formed friend groups and it wasn't easy to get into them. The only friend he had was Esteban and I am so glad. This seems like such an unlikely friendship because they are from totally different backgrounds but that might have been what connected them in the first place. So, with basically only Esteban who liked him from the competitive times, it must have been pretty bad (not to say that the others hated him but I don't think they really cared for him.) I am so glad to see that he now also has Checo and that they get along and I hope that stays this way eventhough all of what has happened (which is also not his fault and I am sure that if he had any say in it, it would have been done differently.) Maybe we can even see their friendship when Checo stays on the grid. And with the potential of Seb next year, that might be the only other friendship or friendly connection he might form.

He is so strong for having to endure the dislike of so many people and he is still so kind and so sweet.

This has been a long post but one that I have wanted to make for a long time. If you got this far, I applaude you.