#the Worst Gamer Alive

[aseuki]

Sleep power coming in clutch

[anderfels]

i've been playing sonic games since before i hit double digits

"wow you must be good at them!"

[all-purpose-dish-soap]

How about reader, who is a seasoned gamer, invites Gaz to play something like Valorant or Fortnite etc. She says "dw it took me a while to get good too" but he picks it up stupid quick. He spends the rest of the time enjoying winding her up more than the actual game.

absolutely absolutely. gaz can and should get away with everything.

1,833 words / lucky number 13

...

"Gaz... you know most people play video games to escape their responsibilities."

"So you've told me." Gaz's voice crackles over your headset.

You're staring at your screen, watching as he confirms his character selection in the game's lobby. "You're absolutely sure you want to play tank?" you ask him.

He locks in his character, and it appears in the pregame lobby: a bald-headed, square-jawed guy with a muscular build and heavy armor.

"Positive. You're playing healer, aren't you?"

"Yeah."

"Then I'm playing tank. Pocket me."

"You've never even played this game. We'll both get obliterated."

"Come on. How hard can it be? Shoot, use ability, reset. I take the damage; you heal me; I dish it back out; we win; you thank me for carrying you as always. It's just like our usual game."

"Repeat that last one. I think your mic cut out on account of the bullshit."

"You don't think I can keep the heat off you?"

"I don't need you to keep the heat off me. I just want you to have fun and not die in the first five seconds of the round," you tell him. He did buy this game specifically to play it with you. After a totally reasonable amount of prodding on your part. It's been your go-to for weeks.

"Then pocket me and I won't die. I'm not having fun if I'm not in the thick of it. You know me."

"Fine. For one game."

"Bet," Gaz says, sounding smug about it. "I'm not gonna disappoint."

During that first game, he's getting his bearings. But he takes to it rather intuitively, especially with your help over voice chat. His tactical skills are whip-sharp as always. As you pocket him, you focus your character's abilities on keeping Gaz alive. But you switch to upping his damage output when you realize he's holding down a choke point by himself, taking on enemies and laying out a field of fire for your team. It's impressive, considering this is his first time playing the game.

When an enemy sneaks up on you, his pocket healer, he disposes of them with slightly more prejudice.

"You're pretty good at this," you tell him, scanning the results screen. "I mean, maybe mid-tier if you were on your own."

"Mid-tier?" he says, a little affronted. "It's called being adaptable. Not that you'd know. Hundreds of hours in this game and you're mid-tier support at best."

You cross your arms, leaning back in your computer chair. "Because I don't play support. You know what? I'm switching to DPS. See what you carry without me patching your ass up every ten seconds."

Back in the lobby, you select your main. Gaz eyes the character with a bit of respect. "A rogue, huh? You must think you're pretty good. Gonna need a lot more healing."

"Only if I get hit."

"I could sponge that damage right up for you. Keep you nice and safe."

You scoff. "Won't need it."

"Let's see."

In the next round, you weave in and out of combat, gleefully dodging attacks and landing devastating blows before you disappear. Your bread and butter. Meanwhile, Gaz does--at worst--an admirable job tanking. Still, when you look back and see enemies surrounding him, it's clear he could use an assist.

You double back and flank two of the enemies on him, picking them both off one by one. But before you can gloat, his voice in your headset interrupts you.

"Good kills, baby."

That's not the reaction you wanted. It immediately ticks you off. "I know."

He chuckles and takes down another enemy. He's tunneling in on the fight now that you've got him back on his feet, but clearly he still has time to talk to you. "Can't take a compliment."

The face that he's purposely pushing your buttons just irritates you more.

The next few games, he makes himself indispensable as a tank. It should be a good thing, but he keeps getting in your way specifically. You'd swear it's on purpose. He tanks hits for you and then acts like you'd lose the game without him. His cockiness is insufferable. Worse--you can't ignore how deftly he's scaling the difficulty curve here. He's holding the attention of the enemy players, keeping them away from you while you deal the damage. And you'd never admit it, but the way he's holding aggro is saving your ass.

You shouldn't need him to do that, though. You tell yourself the only reason you're not playing better is because he's forcing you to maneuver around him.

Then he offs the enemy rogue right as you're finishing her off. You swear into the mic. "Gaz, come on! You stole my kill."

"I'm giving my little rogue the help she needs. Besides, you know it's not about getting the most kills. It's about the team's collective score," he teases, and you have to remind yourself it's just a game.

It's like he can tell exactly what to do to piss you off in record time after that. Bossing you around, telling you to take this point or make that kill. He even pipes up once to remind you it'd be a good time to use your ult. You open your mouth to tell him it's not ready yet, but to your chagrin, you glance down and realize it is. Somehow he's keeping track? Unreal.

You're a little impressed about that one, but you'd never tell him. In your defense, he's distracting you with all this banter and teasing. He's making it hard to focus.

"No backseat gaming," you tell him.

"Wouldn't have to backseat game if you played better."

"I would be playing better if you weren't crowding me!" You sigh out your nose. "You're only doing this to get a rise out of me. Micromanaging me. I swear you get off on it."

"You're giving me too many opportunities to obsess over you." He sounds smirky.

The way he says it makes something in your lower stomach flip. You lose focus for half a second--long enough for the enemy rogue to slip past Gaz and smack you.

Gaz slams into her with his shield to stun her, then spins around and uses his special to deal more damage. That last hit downs her. You don't even have a chance to react.

His voice in your headset is smug still. "Like I said."

"Fine. Thanks."

"You can thank me by not dying again."

After the game, you sit back in your chair, arms crossed. "You sure talk a lot of shit."

"Am I?" You hear him grinning. "I hoped you'd give me a little more attitude than that."

"Oh, I know. You're not subtle."

"Neither are you. You get riled up so easy."

"You want me to fight you? Because it sounds like you'd rather me just roll over and bite the damn curb."

"No, you want that. You're a masochist."

"Thank you."

"It isn't a compliment."

"I know. Keep bullying me," you snark into your mic.

It's hard to resist teasing you when you say stuff like that. "Okay," he says, his tone turning playful. He leans back, crosses his legs, and situates himself in his chair. The game's results screen idles on his monitor, forgotten. "You've gotta stop making it so easy for me, though."

"I get that a lot."

"I'm sure you do, sweetheart."

"Ooh, are we doing condescension now?"

"I've been condescending to you since minute one. I can turn it up if it's not obvious enough."

"Keep going and I'll get off."

"Off voice chat, you mean?"

You smirk. "No."

He smiles, rolling his shoulders back. "I can absolutely be more condescending to you if that's what your incompetent little heart desires."

You laugh. "You were just waiting to bring that one out, weren't you?"

"I've got several of them tucked away just in case you got mouthy, But let's be honest--you're always mouthy."

"You're one to talk. You talked hella trash that last match."

"Only because I had to pull your ass out of the line of fire all the time. If you were better, I wouldn't have to. You're giving me ammunition, here."

"I just think it's telling that you play tank."

"Are you saying I'm compensating for something?"

"You said it. Not me."

He rolls his eyes, smirking. "You want to talk about projecting? You're the masochist, and you play a rogue? The one class known for being fragile? You're putting a target on your own back. What does that say about you?"

"Better than a tank main," you quip.

"I'm taking all the hits so you can DPS your way to getting play of the game. Makes me sound proper generous."

You examine your nails. "Makes you sound like a control freak."

"Why don't you look me in the eye and say that? Turn on your cam."

Your grin widens. "Gaz, please. If I turned my webcam on every time some guy online asked me to, I'd never have time to play."

He leans forward, lowering his voice. "Who says I'm kidding? Come on, baby. Give me eye contact. Look me in the eye and tell me I'm a control freak."

"Nope." You know he hates that you're not budging.

"Why? Aren't you decent?"

"More like I have Cheeto dust all over my hands."

"Doubt that."

"It's true."

"Come on. Prove it."

"See? Control freak."

"Fine, I'm a control freak--withyou. But you like it, don't you?"

"Oh, I love when you order me around. I love knowing exactly what you want me to do so I can avoid doing it forever."

He sits back in his chair and stares through his screen. It's not like he's never seen your face before. You've posted a selfie or two in shared chats. But he's never seen you cozied up in your pajamas. Or in a cute little robe. Or maybe a big t-shirt, the soft kind. Like he wears.

Yeah, he's realizing he's down bad. Worse than he thought.

"You wanna make the next round more interesting, then?" he asks.

You arch a brow, propping your sock-covered feet up on your desk. "Like how?"

"You lose, you turn on your camera, obviously."

You snicker. "I don't know what you think I get up to on a Friday night, but you're gonna be sorely disappointed." You pop another Cheeto in your mouth, knowing he'll hear it crunch.

Gaz laces his fingers behind his head. "I've already curbed my expectations. Bet you're sitting around in sweats and a hoodie with some anime character on it." Not that the thought of that isn't appealing. He suspects you don't let many people see you that way.

"You're... uh..." You look down at what you're wearing. "Not far off, actually."

"I know, baby. I've seen your Discord handle."

"So what if I win?"

"Then I won't tell anyone how hard you got stomped these last few rounds. And trust me, I'd be telling everyone. It's embarrassing how much of a load you were. Don't take that the wrong way, though--by all means, just sit there looking cute while I carry this next game."

"Oh, you're on."

Gaz grins, leaning forward. "Yeah, we'll see how cocky you are when I put you back in your place."

You pull your chair back up to your desk, hands poised over your mouse and keyboard. "Promises, promises."

Gaz readies up, too. "Don't worry, baby. I'll keep my word. But once I humble you, you're gonna regret ever doubting me."

...

more Gaz / masterlist tag

[obeymecosmicvenus]

𖤐 Random Hc 𖤐

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Masterlist

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𖤐 Lucifer likes indie pop/rock but never listens to it, he fears his brothers will find out and make fun of him.

𖤐 Mammon watches Mc sleep when he is anxious.

𖤐 Everyone knows Levi cosplays women some time.... but what they don't know is he loved acting feminine so much he made a drag queen name for himself. He never does drag though because he thinks he is just an icky gamer and no one will like it.

𖤐 Satan "accidently" turned Mc into a cat for 24 hours to see what would happen.

𖤐 Asmo got Lucifers worst punishment (usually saved for Mammon) when he skinny dipped in Lord Diavolo's private pool.... Lord Diavolo was amused, Lucifer was not. (This is basically canon ngl)

𖤐 Mammon once had a pet Chicken that he named Goldie 2. Beel didn't know it was Mammon's so he ate it. Mammon only had it for a few hours, but 1000+ years later he still holds a grudge against his little brother.

𖤐 Belphie curls up on Mc's head when they are asleep, he has almost suffocated Mc many times.... he won't change. It's gonna keep happening

𖤐 Solomon and Mc invented a secret language using memes so the brothers wouldn't understand.

𖤐 Diavolo has repeatedly asked Mc to be his sugar baby.... all he wants is to spoil his human, but all of the brothers made Mc swear they wouldn't agree... and Mc is very serious about pinky promises.

𖤐 Barbatos uses his power way to frequently to keep Mc alive.

𖤐 We already know Simeon feels guilt that he didn't fall with his former brothers... when he met Mc, that guilt got worse and he started wondering what life would be like if he did fall. (To the point his wings started darkening since angels have free will. He made Solomon hide it with magic so Luke wouldn't find out)

𖤐 After being called a dog so many times, Luke decided to bite down on Mammon's hand as an act of dominance so they would stop calling him names... it didn't work.

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[yjhariani]

Bad Ideas

Simon 'Ghost' Riley X GN!Reader Word count: 2000± Warning: Profanity, ankle injury Summary: Now, you're the one taking him out on a date.

A/N: So, I don't think I would ever write smut and that seems to be what people were expecting by the end of the last one (which is open to your own interpretation), but what I can provide is hopefully some cute shits happening some time after that.

“No,” you sighed. “Now that I’m here, I realise that this is a bad idea, Simon.”

“You took me here, Y/N,” Simon recalled.

“I know, but our opponents are likely teenagers or some weird, gamer guys with noodle arms and you’re a one man army who’s trained to shoot,” you reasoned.

“They have their practice in PUBG, we’re very much even,” Simon said.

It was a good idea at first. Maybe instead of him taking you on another date, you suggested that you should be the one taking him on the date.

For some reason, indoor paintball sounded like another good idea at that time. Which was why you both were here. For paintball.

It had been another few months since your latest, very lovely encounter with Simon. Last time, he spent a night in your flat and you delivered him back to his the next morning. Well, noon. There was a lot of delay.

Later that same day, Simon knocked on your door again and informed you that he was leaving for work, again. That was when you told him that you wanted to be the one taking him on a date instead of him taking you on another date in spite of him insisting that he was the one owing you a date.

Of course, upon his arrival home last night, Simon knocked on your door and you woke up on the same bed by the morning like last time. 

Today, being another Saturday, a few days after his arrival home, you finally executed your plan. It was a good idea after all. At the time. Up until this point. Until you changed your mind a few seconds ago.

“When we’re in the field, you do everything I say, alright? As long as you do that, I’ll keep you alive and I have your back,” Simon said.

“You can literally obliterate them in five seconds,” you pointed out.

“No,” Simon denied. “I’ll only need three seconds.”

Simon made sure that your goggles were secured whilst you looked at him in disbelief.

“This is a bad idea,” you said again.

“This is your idea,” Simon said. “What’s the worst that could happen?”

“I don’t know, like… everything goes awry and you’ll hate me to a point that you’d rather move out of your flat and we’ll never see each other again,” you said.

Simon let out a light chuckle, something you did not remember ever hearing before. There was something serene and satisfying about his laugh and who knew someone’s breathy, hitched, somewhat low voice could be like that.

“No,” Simon said, putting a hand on the side of your face. “The worst that could happen is you spraining your ankle or face planting on the ground. Maybe getting a few bruises. Of course, there are cases where—”

“Okay,” you cut off. “I get it.”

“Good,” Simon nodded.

Fast forward approximately twenty minutes later, you were in the field full of people screaming and yelling and a referee who was laughing their ass off.

Earlier, when Simon heard the other team—that happened to be a team of three and you were stuck going two against three for some reason—being very tactical, he decided that he should do the same though not as loud. He did that on purpose, saying everything in military terms and watched you struggle to understand half the things he was saying.

Simon, being very capable of obliterating your opponent in three seconds, decided that he wanted you to celebrate this… not so bad of an idea for a date. Most of the time, he was fishing the enemies out and had you take the killing shot. Well, until they took you out and Simon literally took out the remaining opponents in three seconds.

As you were about to get out of the field when it happened. The worst. Somehow, in a brief second, you tripped. Simon was ready to catch you, but alas he was too far behind you by inches.

As a result, you fell face forward on the ground.

In any instance, should any fall happen in any place where there was at least another person around, the damage would be more on the mental side than the physical. However, in spite of the embarrassment, the pain you felt on your ankle was felt impeccably.

“You alright, love?” Simon casually asked once he was kneeling next to you, helping you get up to sit at least.

Looking at him, though, you could see his eyes lighting up.

“I—my… Simon, the fucking worst just happened to me,” you replied. “And you think it's funny.”

“I don't," Simon said, but not really convincing you of his denial. "Where does it hurt?”

“My ankle,” you answered.

Simon scooted over to your feet level. Carefully, he put his hand on your ankle, but accidentally pressed too hard on it and triggered a yelp from you.

By then, a few people had passed along and you tried to serve them an awkward smile.

“Alright, you’re not walking on that,” Simon stated.

“What am I—”

“I’ll find something to wrap it up with, you wait here,” Simon proceeded before walking off.

Simon returned fairly soon after that with a roll of bandage. He sat on the level of your foot and looked at you in a questioning manner.

“What am I supposed to do?” you asked.

“Let me take your shoe and sock off and patch you up,” Simon said.

“Okay,” you nodded. “Are you sure?”

“I got my training, love,” Simon said as he started getting to work.

Even in a dire time, the way he addressed you like that still got your stomach churning.

As Simon wrapped your ankle with a bandage, you removed your gear and collected your shoe. Once he was done, Simon looked at you and you could feel his smile teasing you from behind that mask.

“It’ll get better,” Simon said. “Let’s get you home and get lazy."

“Sure,” you sighed, "Nurse Ghost."

Simon helped you to your feet. However, as soon as that happened, he swept you off your feet and carried you up.

“This is unnecessary,” you chuckled. “This is a bad idea.”

“This is you getting nursed,” Simon insisted.

Initially, you planned to take him somewhere else after this, but now that disaster happened, the two of you ended up getting on a cab to get back to your flat.

In the middle of the way, Simon put an arm around your shoulders. There was something about the way he held you that made you feel somewhat secured.

“I’m sorry this turned out disastrous,” you said, still somewhat embarrassed, but also felt quite alright now that Simon was still here.

“You did pretty well, actually,” Simon said. “If you pursue it, you could participate in a sniper competition with Soap in a few years.”

“Soap’s a sniper?” you questioned.

“He didn’t say?” Simon replied.

You shook your head. Simon only looked at you and patted you on the shoulder.

“I was gonna take you for ice cream,” you continued.

“You see the sky’s cloudy, right?” Simon replied.

“Even if it’s raining, I would’ve taken you there. They have hot chocolate,” you smiled. “With marshmallows.”

Simon said nothing, but you felt his smile again. Who knew if he was actually smiling, but it felt like he was. Maybe it was simply the tenderness in his eyes.

“We could have those at home,” Simon said. “Maybe watch something with ice on your ankle.”

“Am I reading this wrong or are you inviting me to cuddle?” you asked.

Not saying anything, Simon looked out the window.

When you both arrived, Simon helped you get out of the car and walked you both into the building. It took sometime, but soon enough you reached your floor.

Once you got off the lift, Simon picked you up and put you on his back like a backpack.

“What are you doing? I walked fine earlier,” you chuckled.

“Putting too much pressure on your injury is not a good idea,” Simon put out an open palm. “Key.”

“No,” you said.

Simon proceeded to walk towards his flat.

“Wow,” you said in disbelief.

Once inside, Simon sat you down on the sofa. He stretched your injured leg and made sure it was comfortable with a stack of cushions underneath it. After that, he hunched down on the backrest to level with your face, sort of peeping on it. He put his chin on his knuckles.

“What flavour ice cream do you want?” Simon asked.

“No,” you chuckled. “It should’ve been me asking you that.”

“I’ll guess, then,” Simon stood up.

Simon only looked at you. It seemed that there were a few thoughts going in his mind.

“What do you need?” Simon asked.

“I mean, you said ice for my ankle,” you answered. “But, I can get that myself, just a few doors away.”

“No,” Simon said. “I’ll get it. What else do you need?”

“The rest of the weekend with you?” you answered.

“Copy,” Simon said. “Give me ten minutes.”

Before he left your flat, he kissed you on the forehead through his mask.

If you were allowed to scream without getting any consequences, it would be really nice. It was probably either screaming or squealing. Maybe both.

He was so lovely and cute. Maybe Simon was too tough to actually admit that he was inviting you to cuddle, but the way he went around it was as admirable.

When Simon returned, he had a bag of ice and quite a number of snacks that he laid on the coffee table. He took the ice and moved next to your leg.

“You might want to get the ice cream first before they melt,” Simon said as he unwrapped the bandage from your foot.

“Simon—”

Simon cut you off by shushing you. He was not even looking at you.

So, you reached to get the ice cream. It was surprising that he got two tubs of your favourite ice cream flavour. 

“You might want to put one of these in your freezer,” you suggested.

“That’s where I put my heart,” Simon said as he was putting the ice on your foot, but before you could comment on his latest statement he said, “It’s not swelling too bad. Should be improving in a few days. Don’t walk on it.”

You handed him one of the two ice cream tubs.

“Thank you,” you said.

“I've done nothing yet,” Simon sighed before walking off for a moment.

Simon returned with two spoons and a mug. He joined you on the sofa, setting up his telly. You scooped half of the ice cream into the mug before presenting the two options to Simon. He took the mug.

By then, you were snuggled against him and whatever film Simon put on was starting.

“Nice way to end the day, don’t you think?” Simon asked.

“It’s 2 pm, Simon,” you said.

Simon lifted his mask to his nose. You looked at him and he delivered a kiss to your lips right away.

“What are we watching?” you asked, resting your temple on his chest.

“Something Soap recommended. He said it’s from a book,” Simon said. “Said something about Nicholas Sparks.”

“Oh, Simon,” you hummed, lightly chuckling. “Do I need to get worried that I might be ruining your relationship with him?”

“Let’s see how this goes and I’ll answer that by the end of this film,” Simon sighed.

Your light chuckle made Simon look at you.

“Maybe this is a bad idea,” Simon stated.

“The paintball was a bad idea, but this is not,” you stated.

“Just so you know, it was not a bad idea,” Simon said. “If the worst didn’t happen, I would’ve proposed for another game.”

A smile bloomed on your face.

Before actually investing in the film while eating ice cream, Simon kissed you on the temple.

Would it be a good idea to spend the rest of the weekend like this? Simon definitely did think so. Besides, it was his birthday weekend, he should treat himself a little.

However, of course, you had no idea that today was his birthday. Simon was tempted on telling you, but he did not care if you knew or not. He felt celebrated and that was enough for him.

@pasta-m1lk @cutiecusp

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

[cool-person-yey]

tmagp notes 28 we're so back gamers

• since I ahem. disappeared for like 3 days I didn't see any vagueposts abt this ep soooo I'm in total darkness

• the incident elements and the vas are looking juicy though

• * ominous music *

• will our beloved Archivist appear in the OIAR?

• * office noises *

• also I am having lunch

• trevor herbert how have I missed you buddy. btw how's your brother.

• " such a diverse team too" I can literally SEE their uncomfortable faces. that's like, objectively the worst thing to be said to your face.

• THAT'S IT?

• same alice, same.

• the goddamn externals

• DANNY????? LIKE DANNY STOKER?????

• they're bonding <33

• hell yeah Celia's pan!!

• " you have no idea " oh don't we celia. don't we.

• Teddy!! he's... alive I hope?

• finally some good fucking communication

• so we do know the name of Gwen's grandfather ( and possibly Elia's dad? though idk if they've mentioned it in TMA before )

• gwen you snitch

• " a third party"

• wait what was that sudden voice change SHIT HES BEING COMPELLED

• more??? fuck fuck fuck

• fuck fuck fuck

• guess we getting our first proper statement

• austere is such a cool word actually

• is one of the older women named gertrude perhaps.

• when is it okay to lie... not feeling good about that specific one gang

• great thing to listen to after taking an exam and feeling very stupid after it

• and he ran.

• and he's lost.

• fuckkkk

• FUCKKK

• run boy run!!

• do not enter it of course he entered the goddamn door

• couldn't have known what!?? what???

• just a moment

• oh shit shit shit

• oh no the bone. oh no

• the body is horroing

• maybe I shouldn't be listening to it while eating

• well! that was fucked up.

• to find what??? to find what????

• goddamnit

See y'all next Thursday. I'll stare at the wall for a while.

[cordeliawhohung]

this is a super random question, but where do the mafia boys live? i keep on imagining that price lives in a penthouse, even though i think its more accurate for him to live in a (secluded?) mansion instead. for simon, i think he'd be more simple. for him, i keep on imagining that he lives in a comfy apartment, even though i think its more accurate for him to live in a (also secluded?) house. not too big, not too small

oooh! great question actually!

Price doesn't live anywhere fancy, actually. he lives in a upper/middle class secluded suburban area with a nice yard, but he's not pouring millions into the place type fancy (though he certainly has the money for it). he chose the house he lives in currently because of the nice office space, actually. think someplace cozy with dark neutral walls and wood floors and lots of lamps instead of overhead light, comfy chairs and couches for reading, things of that sort! no plants tho, he kills them no matter how hard he tries to keep them alive.

Simon lives in an apartment! again, nothing super fancy, just a simple flat. kitchen, living room, he was lucky enough to have an in unit washer actually, which is good because he HATES the laundry mat. it's very neat and tidy, he cleans pretty regularly, hates a messy/unclean house. trying to decide if he has a one or two bedroom, though. not sure what he would use the extra space for. he for sure has a hobby, maybe he'd use a second room for that. mans DEF works with his hands. not anything artsy but if he wasn't a butcher in this au he def would've been a welder or something ong.

Johnny lives probably the worst out of all of them, but that's alright because he leaves his stupid studio apartment as often as he can, so why spend money on a more expensive place? he's got a nice bed, constructed shelves to make little sections in the apartment, especially for his little tech corner. you can expect to see loads of little toys at his desk, like a rubik cube and other puzzle things like that. i feel like he lowkey loves those rgb lights like a proper gamer freak lmao. it's a little cluttered but not like gross messy or anything, more in a "wow there's so many various cables wrapped neatly on this desk i almost can't see the desk," way.

believe it or not, it's our lovely boy Kyle who gets the obnoxiously expensive and crazy nice penthouse. i'm talking like beautiful views, there's a fucking personal gym and other amenities in the building (not in the penthouse itself but he has access to it on the bottom floor type thing) and it's got crazy beautiful architecture. guess being the bastard son of one of the most influential politicians in the world has its perks. they'll give you anything to shut you up. but more on that later (:

[animentality]

you guys will see a post talking about how incels are refusing to form basic human connections because of toxic masculinity, lone wolf syndrome, and seeing women as sex objects whose only purpose is to be emotionally and sexually available for men...

and then start talking about how people with social anxiety are people too :((( what's wrong with being socially awkward?

like bro.

If you have social anxiety, and you have a hard time communicating, and you're neurodivergent, and you're an introvert... yeah ok, but why do you immediately side with guys whose entire mantra is that women aren't people and they shouldn't be lonely ever, because women should be provided to them like service dogs by the government?

I know you're socially awkward and all, but come the fuck on. unless you've been living locked in a small basement bunker your entire life, being fed chips by a robot through a hole in the ceiling, you should be able to fucking figure out.

that there's a fucking difference between being awkward and accidentally hurting people's feelings because you have perpetual foot in mouth syndrome/have a hard time connecting to people.

and sitting in your room saying slurs on overwatch and telling female gamers that they're fat ugly bitches who should send nudes.

why would you even WANT to associate yourself immediately with that demographic? why do you read something about the worst people alive, who are deliberately awful to other people, and then say oh look it's me, I'm also "not good with people."

are you THAT socially awkward?

God I hate when I'm so socially awkward that I'm a sexist.

God I hate how my neurodivergence leads me to misogyny. what a weird coincidence that neurotypicals somehow also accidentally end up there too.

God, i hate when anxiety makes me want to lash out at women for existing, that's so bizarre.

yeah, good frame, guys. good work. let's say that all the willful evil in this world can be attributed to mental illness because accountability for your own actions is actually ableism, and all people who are mentally ill should be excused for whatever gross war crime they want to commit.

when you think about it, being a racist is also a form of social anxiety because you just can't talk to anyone who's not white.

your POOR thing.

poc all across the world really need to take in account that white people only became colonisers because they were socially anxious and have a hard time speaking to people, so instead they opted for genocide.

[mothmanssweetsucculentass]

I’m still in love with the idea that BEN/Ben can’t physically kill a person. I dunno how actually common that is in the fandom, but I remember seeing a lot about this trope for Ben years ago.

Cause imagine how terrifying it’d be to go up against some of the other freaks, the ones that can physically cancel your subscription to life. Like sure it’ll suck being decapitated or eviscerated by a redroom figurehead or strangled by a brainwashed puppet of a monstrous entity, but at least you’ll die fairly quickly.

With Ben though? It’s gonna keep you alive on purpose just to fuck with you in the worst ways possible.

This fucker has an incredible mastery over technology, so of course one of the first things BEN (the AI created by Ben) will do is ruin all your relationships technologically. I’m talking sending horrible messages to your coworkers and boss, nudes to everyone that isn’t your partner, sending shit you’d never say from your profiles, and you can’t even deny you were the one sending that shit because the receipts are all there on everyone’s devices except yours.

You try to sleep as an escape, but that’s not safe anymore either. You have countless nightmares of various scenarios of your own demise. Drowning infinitely, falling into an abyss as everyone around you watches without a care. Being sacrificed as twisted figures of children in grotesque masks chant and cheer for your end. You wake up, or at least you think you’re awake, until suddenly the environment around you starts twisting and warping like your dreams.

You can’t tell what’s real and what’s in your head anymore. Have you lost sleep, and are now operating on sleep deprivation fumes? Or have you been in a deep slumber this whole time, one that cycles you through horrible realities that all end with your name as an obituary by the end of the week?

Eventually it’s too much. The taunts from whatever is doing this to you become too much. It ruined your life after all, so what good is it still worth living for? However you choose to take yourself out of the equation, Ben will be there, watching, deriving nothing but satisfaction and enjoyment from the scene of it all. Most choose simple ways to go, easy, painless. Ben loves it when they choose more complex ways of suicide. His favorite obviously being drowning.

Not to mention the fact that in my AU, Ben created all the other digital creepypastas. I know people like to associate Smile Dog with Jeff, but the thing is literally a cursed chain mail image that haunts people in their nightmares. That has Ben written all over it. Sonic.exe, Godzilla NES, any and all Pokepastas, it’s all Ben. If it exists in technology, Ben had a hand in creating it. He can’t be everywhere at once, and he certainly can’t hone in on multiple people at once. His form of murder is an art, dammit, and he has to dedicate himself entirely to breaking someone into offing themselves. Of course, being able to only do one poor shithead at a time was really inefficient, thus the creation of the BEN AI and the other technology pastas exists.

I feel like this trope for Ben is so heavily underutilized, we need more manipulative, 5head genius mind game player Ben in the fandom.

That, and my version of Ben is physically the weakest. Out of all the undeads, his body is the most frail, and he doesn’t have as much control over his physical form as the rest do.,Besides, gamers are also the weakest among society, everyone knows that, and Ben is no exception. Don’t skip leg day next time ghost boy

[lone-wolf-nergiganos]

Scaramouche/Wanderer X Bullied Gaming YouTuber! Male Reader Modern AU

Scaramouche is always protective over you, sure he is a short little guy, but that doesn't mean he won't hurt someone who dares to harm you, even when you are online, his overprotective nature never depletes.

You are a gamer, and you often have to deal with people who thinks everyone should be perfect in order to win, and when you or someone else screws up, they'll scold you. Or even worse make mean comments on your streams. That's something Scaramouche do not tolerate.

You were currently streaming on YouTube while playing Call of Duty: Warzone, which is your favorite game to play. Unfortunately you kept dying despite trying so hard to stay alive, and the worst part about it is? It's that you have people commenting negatively on your stream, saying that you are a*s or trash at the game.

Scaramouche saw this negative thread of comments and quickly stepped in before grabbing the microphone and said, "you b*tches better shut the hell up, let him play the game without treating him like crap." This comments quickly stopped becoming negative, it was as if Scaramouche casted a spell on them.

"That's what I thought you b*tches, how about you all get a life instead of making fun of someone online?" He added before turning around to look at you, "turn off the stream baby, they're not worth it," he said before smiling at you. "Okay," you replied before ending the stream.

Scaramouche then walked up to you before kissing you gently before saying, "ignore them lowlives baby, they're not worth stressing over." You kissed him back before saying, "okay," and after that you two went to bed to take a little nap while cuddling each other.

[deathvalleyqueen]

After spending 3 days arguing on Steam this is what I have learned.

After posting several reasonable arguments of why xyz thing is a part of Veilguard - including citing lore, the short stories, etc... that people just want to shit on the game because mostly they don't find characters attractive, that the characters are Pan, and you have the option to make a transgendered MC. The amount of times I have seen "woke" being used to describe the game is absurd. They need to expand their vocabulary.

It's so gross when you get down to it - I want to stress these are not my opinions by any means - they hate Neve because she is a disabled woman of color and "Who the hell wants to romance a woman with one leg- I would never date her in real life". They think no one wants to romance Darvin because he is a black man. They hate Lucanis because he is an "ugly anime boy with wings", the hate Bella because she is "fat and has saggy tits" and she is not white, they hate Taash cuz she is too masculine, they hate they made Harding "ugly". Emmrich is like the one they say "he looks okay" but he is white...

I genuinely think the people on Steam are just angry that people who aren't like them are getting rep in this game (which I love to see, I know how beautifully diverse this community is), like the only people who play Dragon Age are white men who just want women for the male gaze. It's beyond toxic. They are constantly complaining "women don't play real games" while I have almost 1k hours in Destiny which is a "real" game to them but my opinion isn't valid because I am a woman... and will probably play the game on the easiest mode. Like excuse me sir I have done every single Raid in Destiny, I have solo'd Legend the campaigns in D2, I have very rare achievements in BG3 that are combat based, all things you can see on my profile, like I have pretty serious gamer chops. But my achievements to them are null because I am a woman. The worst part is some of them are women. Sexism and Misogyny in gaming is very much alive, particularly from other women.

There is no pleasing these people, there is no having a reasonable discussion. There is no citing actual lore from the games that supports things in Veilguard, there is no pushing back against them because they will legit just start calling you horrible names and Steam does nothing as far as moderation which allows these people to run amuck and entitle them to be bigots. Really, it's one of the most disgusting places I have had the misfortune of seeing.

[gyrovagi]

hello and welcome to my gamer's den. here's a quick and dirty guide to the ocs i talk about constantly

CANON PROTAGS/NORMAL MEN. INNOCENT MEN:

eloy "el" surana - i'm like if a control freak could control things ❤️ with blood magic ❤️. generally well-intentioned but hypervigilant, always playing 5d chess about the worst scenario. world's first moral (not necessarily ethical) male bigender manipulator. wields a wholly inappropriate degree of political influence in denerim

seongmin hawke (primarily diplomatic, sword + shield warrior) - afraid that his abandonment issues will leave him. pathologically conflict avoidant, fawn response to the max - up until someone he loves gets threatened, at which point good luck leaving alive lol. 'i don't think i need to talk about my feelings,' says man who just broke the arm of a templar asking around too much about the darktown clinic and then continued making casual conversation with varric as if nothing happened

ciuying "arav'assan" lavellan (archer, assassin) - king of compartmentalization. would really prefer to be one guy helping people on the ground rather than the unwilling inquisitor chained by power he never wanted, fighting for his life to be as politically uninvolved as possible. guy who is duty-bound never to return home

dak-wai (with horns) - prospective rook, direct port of my bg3 durge. tal-vashoth grey warden mage seeking a righteous purpose after a complicated and bloody past, but who has yet to find a better general approach to problems than killing things with hammers.

TGIRLS SAVE THE WORLD(STATE):

sang tabris - (champion) next shem bastard who pisses me off i'm just going to fucking kill you. alistair did you eat yet ^_^. struggling to reconcile an irrepressible hope for a better world with the abject horrors he's been subjected to by the world he lives in at present. morrigan's lesbian husband.

so-min hawke - girl could you at least pretend not to be a chantry-hating apostate in the middle of the gallows. carver just got suddenly pissed off in a darkspawn tunnel and he knows it's not because of the genlocks

r trevelyan - tranquil since 18, and at age 33, honestly dealing pretty well with accidentally getting a magical lobotomy reversed. yeah ok so maybe the random prolonged neutral-expression weeping is a little off-putting. it's hard when you're the white girl who needs to save yourself

INSANE WOMEN AND MALE MANIPULATORS:

ngayu brosca - (reaver) what do you MEAN the fate of the country is dependent on two twenty-year-olds one of whom gets scared looking at the sun. has never once in her life believed she would live past twenty and that's looking increasingly likely as a prediction

rina hawke - when you are endlessly bitter and refuse to deal with it in any healthy way because that would require you to acknowledge your resentment towards the family members you perceive as a burden. chronically insincere, subservient but seething the whole time, wouldn't be able to name a solid belief if you asked her, incapable of self-reflection. crack baby you don't know what you want...

caden trevelyan - (templar) gay transgender homophobic misogynist. has weird ideas about being a man. constantly develops obsessive fixations on authoritative older men. believes he has the divine right to mete out violence. white boy who sucks 🔥

ha-neul lastname - prospective rook, veil jumper. fascinated by magic and magical artifacts. something of an oddity by both dwarven and non-dwarven standards, a guy with an endless thirst for life and little interest in denying himself pleasure or dwelling in guilt, for better or worse. can be surprisingly cynical and self-interested, despite his generally upbeat, affable vibe.

PRONOUNS USERS GOING THROUGH IT:

enasa mahariel - (ranger) deadalive nothing girl who isn't. didn't anticipate that taking the vallaslin of dirthamen, twin brother to death, would be quite so prophetic. very clearly crumbling under mounting pressure while refusing to stop dragging the rotting corpse

bryn hawke - half-avvar on malcolm's side, raised with what avvar beliefs and practices their father could half-remember from childhood. never quite at home in ferelden and struggling to come to terms with the idea they'll never be quite at home in their mother's city either. quietly shouldering other's burdens until it chokes them.

meiying lavellan - turns out when you take an anxiety-ridden elf burdened with excess responsibility since youth out of their familiar environment and support system she'll have a bad time. solas' ex-spouse still misses him… but their aim's getting better!

ASSORTED GUYS:

dea surana - reserved but observant, knows it's best not to attract attention, tries to look after herself and her own in the ways she can. surprisingly worldly/cynical after her brother was taken by the templars at a young age and her life afterwards was spent largely on the road. then her situationship was like 'you know the hero of ferelden is named surana? circle mage, relative of yours?' and now she regularly talks to the king of ferelden

owain trevelyan - never really stopped hoping his older brother would come back from the circle and everything would be fine again. he's socially well-connected and charismatic, and could make for an influential heir to the house with motivation and an advantageous marriage - but he's a lot more interested in dragon hunting and boy bestiesisms with the prince of starkhaven.

valerie trevelyan - black sheep of the family, annoyed that this is more about lesbianism than being a fantasy communist. managed to pull off a 'buy my silence - for $8000 a month i will stop' ploy on her parents at 20, before she knew that this would end with her as the warden-commander's sister-in-law

ga-ying lavellan - middle sibling b/w meiying and ciuying, closer to both of them than they are with each other. tends to take things a little too lightly, an optimist unconcerned with anything outside of the clan and the present. the siblings' dads (and meiying, and his wife) are hoping the birth of his daughter will make him more serious. ciuying likes him as he is.

everybody's parents tend to be less developed than their kids are but they exist. In my mind . there's also a couple other extremely incidental fellas but they'll come up when they come up. i might also ramble about my non-da guys here but (closes my eyes and passes away silently)

[sometipsygnostalgic]

Finished JJBA part 3

So Iggy's death was fucked up in Part 3 but it was actually very different compared to the OVA, where he instantly got merced by Vanilla Ice instead. It made me really sad. Yesterday I was talking to my coworker about her dog that just passed away so this one took me off guard. It's crazy how Iggy did jack shit for the time he was there until he found the mansion by accident, and then he became a diehard Jojo because the fucking bird got his paw. The "human" voice coming from Iggy's thoughts was incredibly funny but the timing of Iggy showing us his character and resolve shortly before his death made it devastating.

Avdol's second "death" was almost identical to his first death except a lot more definite. Poor bastard never got to fight before he was vored. Avdol is cool-headed like Jotaro but he's more analytical and heroic so I really liked him. I wish he got more battles.

Kakyoin, RIP :( you had the worst stand but you were the smartest character. I thought the show did a good job at showing us how far hed gone during the D'arby race episode just beforehand.

Joseph's "death"... it's incredible how quickly Kakyoin was written off as dead but then Jotaro fucking resurrects Joseph with Dio's blood. I think it fits Joseph, it doesn't matter what you throw at this guy, he is not staying down. I found it hilarious the first thing he tried to do was prank Jotaro and then he nearly got re-killed because of it. Joseph has constantly evaded the "fate" defined for the Joestar family members of dying young and he is even still alive after his grandson and great-grandaughter get merced in part 6. He literally never dies during the entire jojos timeline.

I like how messed up Polnareff was that Avdol died saving him twice and then Iggy went and did the exact same thing. It makes it more satisfying when he killes Vanilla Ice a moment later, saving the others from a terrifying foe, and then when he hops in at the last minute to save Jotaro from Dio later. But then, again, Jotaro puts himself at risk to save Polnareff. I see Polnareff as the "heart" of the group. But I already know his weird turtly fate the next time he encounters a timeskip user.

Dio is a very fun character. Interesting how part 3 didn't bother reminding us about him and sort of assumed we already knew who he was, but at the same time you get the perspective of all the modern characters who see him as some terrifying charismatic demon. The people sticking around since Part 1 have seen that Dio is ultimately a very evil british teenage twink on an ego trip. We see some of his ability to respect the strength of others when he resurrects the loyal Vanilla Ice, but ultimately he'll freak the fuck out when confronted with someone stronger than him. He rage gamer tilts against Jotaro and makes himself vulnerable in the process.

I think this would've been solved more quickly if Joseph taught Jotaro how to use Hamon.

[soulreaper]

i will always believe its true that hyv fans generally tend to be the worst gamers alive because someone will post the most thoughtful and well done redesign of a star rail woman's outfit on hoyolab and people in the comments will be like "well this sucks and you clearly don't know her style at all. she wouldn't wear this but good editing skills!" like of course... how could we forget that seele's style involves wearing short shorts that are the size of belts at all times.... as a fighter in a world that is in the midst of an eternal freeze....

[lucksdraw]

heyy all ♥ name's lola, here presenting 1/2 of the #601 unit, kim minhyun — probably the worst person to be against when you're playing dodgeball because you will lose, but also someone with an extremely... well. non-flashy, boring power. i haven't been present for the original run of astonish but i've heard only good stuff about it so i am beyond excited to be here. you can read his profile here and a general background here, under the cut i will present more of trivia ♥

his power... basically this whole video. "luck is not a superpower" and doesn't really get you on the front-line of superism rankings, so he's just minding his business trying to survive in a world of heroes and villains. at least when the city is falling apart a-la avengers style, he's gonna come out unscathed? but overall, couldn't really give less about it all, or the glitz and glamour that comes with being a hero. sometimes will even cheer on a villain :/ also aeternal training academies are LAME!

a bit bitter, when you take all things into consideration. like, he could have been spitting fire or having a pair of wings he can fly with, but he's stuck with just being lucky? some people don't even believe him when he says it.... damn... also a bit guilt ridden but that's level 10 friendship unlock x

despite his lucky powers, his whole life is unlucky. as seen in the background preview, not the best upbringing, rough childhood, mild #mommy_issues

on other hand, thanks to his lucky powers, he's very chilled out, laid back, carefree, doesn't care, etcetera; he knows that things will work out for him one way or another. says he doesn't care about others either and is flying solo, but as much as he says he doesn't care, he will end up helping, regardless of how messy of a situation you've got yourself in? you two just met but you need a place to stay at for whatever reason? well. come over ig...

not opposed to doing some illegal stuff. the depth of this will remain redacted for his own good

like sure, he's never gotten the best grades or anything... but if he wanted to, he could take his chance at the slot machine and hit the #jackpot. but it would probably get #cancelled, since he is a registered metahuman after all

works as a snacks attendant @ gg. spends time after shift gaming until his eyes are red. plays league like, #religiously, has an edgy u/n; something like... HER VOICE RESIDES (who gets the reference? mwah..) and plays smth edgy like kayn or zed. GM rank... the whole world is falling apart outside but he's still gaming and climbing the ranks #grind_never_stops

also... does not know anything about any thefts at all. will know if you lend him some money though wink wink!

he's consented to be prodded and to sharing his biomedical data <3 everything for cheaper rent

most of the complaints about him are regarding loud music (he makes up for like 60% of simon dominic's streams) , noises past midnight, or breaking into the building (because he forgot his keys!!), or he's asked someone for some coins so he can wash his clothes @ the laundromat for like the tenth time in row. also, if he's not at work you can almost always see him moping around the building complex and he's recognized by wearing his iconic "fish love me women fear me", "my tummy hurts", "human by chance alpha by choice" and shirts alike. no, he will not reveal where he gets them. it's his personal gold mine

probably biggest fan of minions alive. would adopt a minion if they were real. like, holy shit he loves minions.

depending on who asks, down for some sprinkle sprinkle brownies x

for plot bunnies... given minhyun's character, literally anything goes. he's a bit of a #loser so not too much on romantic aspect... but friends, enemies (different opinions re: aeternals/the academy/blockers), someone who's caught him breaking into a store and is blackmailing!!, fellow gamers, they're party animals together or partners in crime,,. literally anything goes lets brainstorm in ims!!!

anyway. minhyun tweets!!!

[vivantesopales]

for mari 🌼

a soft-sad rainy night remix of 10 gorgeously written fics (including tomarry, harry & tom°), recced in parallel with lines from the poem ‘Into the Breach’ by ocean vuong

To the Hilt | M, 36k | @duplicitywrites

It’s simple: I just don’t know / how to love a man / gently.

Featuring an epic, human-AI romance between gamer Tom and garden bot Harry, To the Hilt is mind-blowing, deliciously sci-fi, and has a distinct, grim palette that feels almost dystopian. The story offers a fresh take on the android trope that diverts its plot-line from the traditional cautionary narrative, and the bittersweet ending gives me the worst, the best, you know what I mean, hangover. So please, do proceed with caution.

Lost in London° | T, 7k | @take-the-unknow-road-now

Tenderness / a thing to be beaten / into. Fireflies strung / through sapphired air.

It's impossible not to adore a tiny feral Tom who runs around in the streets of London and sets litter bins on fire. His friendship with Harry in this fic is so pure, so so pure. I still get ridiculously emotional thinking about them, and their chaotic little day trip feels a bit like a childhood memory I hold very close to my heart, now, after my third reread.

Dead Leaves on a Wet October Day | T, 29k | @trelloreads

You’re so quiet you’re almost / tomorrow.

In the beginning, Trello's writing vividly portrays Tom as an evil ghost that kills and wreaks havoc for funsies. He’s grumpy, he's dramatic, he’s hilarious. But you know the kind of fics that'd have you giggling out loud, just generally embarrassing yourself in public until they rip your heart out without a warning so that you'd have to go lie down for a while to recover?

Friendly advice: tissues at the ready....

Kings of Flowers and Skulls | T, 20k | @merrinpippy

The body was made soft / to keep us / from loneliness.

A soft, soft fic in which our two boys – two kings, in this instance, Harry of the eternally sleeping and Tom of the dead – find themselves gravitating towards one another after their first, curious encounter. Intimately written in a melancholic, fairytale-esque tone, there's just the right amount of fluff and comfort to counterbalance the pervasive loneliness in their daily lives.

In Dreams We Speak | T, 6.9k | @a-sentimental-man

You said that / as if the car were filling / with river water. / Don’t worry. / There’s no water. / Only your eyes / closing.

Philosophical at times and wonderfully trippy, this fic is an entire experience. It's a Sandman crossover – the first and only one I've read, actually. There's just something so eye-opening about the prose, and the casting certainly promises tension: Tom as Lord Dream and Harry the Master of Death. Whilst the cherry-of-top – Death herself as a supporting character – is what gives the story an unique, elegant aftertaste.

Alive Really Isn’t Your Color | T, 5.5k | merrivale

I never wanted / the flesh. / How it never fails / to fail / so accurately.

A deep dive into Harry’s post-war state of mind. Merrivale's writing captures depression in its raw, simplest manifestations, where living as the Master of Death (not really alive but unable to just die either) seems more and more like a curse Harry can't shake off. An understated, heartbreaking character study, this fic also closes with a scene that never fails to fuck me up (in a powerfully emo way).

The Care and Keeping of Tom Riddle’s Diary | T, 7.9k | @wynnefic

But what if I broke through / the skin’s thin page / anyway / & found the heart

With several unexpected turns along the way, this fic hits me right in my soft spot. It's so heartbreaking to see Diary Tom bonding with Harry over a sense of loneliness. Both shaped by chronic isolation, their protectiveness towards one another feels integral to their dynamic.

Jump right in – if you don't mind being turned into a puddle of goo by Harry, an adorable little bean who should be protected at all costs, and his adorable interactions with Tom.

Made of Clay° | E, 100k | @phantomato

To love another / man—is to leave / no one behind / to forgive me. / I want to leave / no one behind.

When Thoros Nott inserts himself and his son Theo into the lovely domestic equation of the Riddle household, the past is bound to catch up with Tom – retired Dark Lord, father of one – and impact his life with his 'adopted' son, Harry Riddle (oh yes the subtlety, I love that silly silly man) (Thoros: *coughs* abducted *cough*).

Phantomato’s handling of complex dynamics between complex characters is nuanced, graceful, as always. If you ever find yourself craving a good comfort fic or stories with the found family trope ... or if you think you might enjoy Tom being a suburban dilf for 100k – and no, this is absolutely not a logic trap😉 – here it is!

The Eyes in the Bramblebush | T, 12k | @relic--crown

To keep / & be kept. / The way a field turns / its secrets / into peonies.

Brought before readers by rich imagery and well-crafted moods, the high school setting in Bramblebush imparts a nostalgic note to the story. The dark vulnerability in Tom's character makes him an intriguing study in contrast, especially when Harry gets to be the one to dislocate him from his perfect, preppy, First Violin persona (which, don't get me wrong, is a 10/10 in its own right).

But You Promised?° | Not Rated, 1.2k | @whotooklortan

The way light / keeps its shadow / by swallowing it.

Cast against the backdrop of WW2 and the Blitz, the bond between Tom and his guardian seems especially precious as he grows from a bitter, disenchanted child to someone secure enough to trust, to rely on Harry. The slow disintegration of his mental barriers, however, only foregrounds the angst when it all to leads to one crushingly realistic twist at the end.

-

dear @onbeinganangel, happy birthday. i hope this little weave could, maybe, at some point in the future, give you the hug and/or the good cry you need – the same way these fics have comforted me in the past few difficult months; and of course, the same way your company and your writing have always sustained me emotionally. 😌💛