#the fact that my friend actually said it was Jack Bauer

[professor-no-thats-not-greg]

Part 12 of StarKid as actual text conversations I've had

Craphole: Okay but like,,, is water really THAT important?

Mouthface: Yes

Craphole: Lies

SWW: Very important

Craphole: I only hear my intuition, and my intuition is Jack Bauer and he says that water is not important

[belliesandburps]

Followup with MGS4 Peace Walker and 5?

History has a funny way of repeating itself. :P

This one's actually gonna be long, so I'll cap it here to spare those uninterested in non-kink posts the burden of having to scroll past this fanboy rant. 'XD

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

3. It's Okay

Soooooo...not a controversial opinion to say that I don't think MGS4 is GREAT. I adored it when it first game out, and I still enjoy replaying it from time to time. But good lord, so many of the interviews shed light on a LOT of this games problems.

Some backstory is required. Hideo Kojima was done with MGS by this point. He planned to move on and leave the series to the younger generation. But then, there was a lot of internal conflict and struggle to determine what MGS4 should be after Fukushima quit (AND was rumored to have been murdered by the Yakuza...how that rumor started...and became a SERIOUS rumor that millions believe, I do not know...). So Kojima came back, course corrected, and the end result was kind of a giant mess.

I'm not talking story because, there's just way too much to unpack. But as a game, MGS4 can't decide what sort of video game it wants to be. It had a brilliant idea that had never been done before with its Battlefield Stealth, which were the best parts of the game. And then they get dropped two acts in, and what gets replaced in their stead is not nearly as fun.

The game had substantially less boss fights than its predecessor, and a lot of them were mechanically simplistic or just didn't let you get creative with how you fought them. And we later learned there were a lot more bosses planned, more gameplay sequences planned, and an entire other PMC group that got canned in favor of the Scarabs so Shadow Moses could be guarded by machines instead.

There's a lot about MGS4 that I love. I think the first two acts are amazing, ESPECIALLY Act 2. I think the mechanics are great. REX vs RAY is criminally fun. The sheer buffet of insane weapons gives the game a good amount of replay value. And the graphics still hold up to this day!

But what I finally realized is that the game juggles way too many ideas and doesn't give any idea the time they deserve to flourish. Battlefield Stealth could've CARRIED MGS4. But it gets dumped before we can get our moneys worth. A disguise sequence could've been really creative, having to juggle different identities with OctoMask every time one identity is burned. But it's only used once and wasted because it's only used for a terrible tailing mission that doesn't let you actually explore the European City. And too many of the action set pieces are kind of bland except the bosses and piloting Metal Gear.

MGS4 should've been MGS4. Not MGS's "Best Hits."

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

1. LOVED it!

I know this is unpopular to say, but I'll say it. Peace Walker is one of the best Metal Gear games ever made. I adored almost everything about it. The gameplay improves on MGS4 in most ways because it doesn't juggle a billion ideas all at once. It's MGS4 stripped down to stealth action from start to finish, and that's all I wanted. The level design is great. The insane volume of guns changes the entire feel of combat in later post-campaign gameplay. The mission select options mean you can jump into all the parts of the game you enjoy the most. There's TONS of bonus missions that are really inventive and fun to replay. And the story is one of the best in the series. It's straight forward, very tight, characterized well, and is the best iteration of Big Boss to date.

Peace Walker's also the FUNNIEST MGS game by Kojima as well. There's so much more personality and levity to everything, to the point where Big Boss often feels like an MCU character. That might sound bad, but it's really not. That corniness fits MGS PERFECTLY, and I'd argue is tonally spot on for this series. MGS doesn't need to be dark, gory or explicit. It's a silly series that's about giant robots, corny bad ass super agents with an anti-nuke message.

The only downsides to Peace Walker are the QTE's and the boss fights. This was a feature that only ever appeared in this game and for good reason...it was fucking terrible. So basically, you had cutscenes that forced you to do various QTE's or else get dinged on your ratings at the end, even if you played perfectly. Fairly minimal, but then, you get to Strangelove's torture. And this is the single most rage-inducing part of any MGS game ever made. It's an insanely physically painful button mashing sequence that will leave your fingers raw and your PS3 triangle buttons jamming. And the ONLY way you can replay one of the best missions in the game (the prison escape where you have no items) is by redoing that sequence over and over. And the boss fights? While inventive, they're all just grindy bullet sponges with no personality, no stealth tactics, and no room for creativity the way you can get creative with every other MGS game's bosses. This was the biggest disappointment for me because the stealth and combat mechanics of PW are great and would've been SO good against human enemies like what Portable Ops had. Instead, every boss is a mini-Metal Gear all voiced by the VOCALOID AI from the mid 2000's, and each one takes forever to destroy. It sucks because PW had a TON of bosses, but only a few of them are any fun, and that's only if you have weapons that are strong enough that they don't take ages to destroy.

But asides from the bosses, the REST of the game is so damn good that I don't even care because that's just one element to a much larger, grander game. Which is even more impressive when you consider PW was originally on the PSP before the PS3 port. And this game has more content and replay value to it than most games I've played since.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain

1. LOVED it!

Hooooooookay...so, I've rambled about my storybook romance with MGSV for YEARS now. (Just ask @twistedtummies2, he's been subjected to my fanboying of this game more than anyone in existence XD) But there's a reason I regard this game as one of my all time favorites and the best MGS game to date.

It's REALLY freakin' fun.

Kojima had been re-energized by the time he got to MGSV. He'd been working on the game around the time he finished Peace Walker in 2010. He KNEW it was his final MGS game and wanted to do something completely different...

...He wanted to make a game where the central focus was on...waaaaait for it...the gameplay...

MGSV was designed to be, what he described, as a toybox. You have these missions that all take place in structurally unique outposts like any level in MGS. And the missions are designed with the structure needed so that they all feel different, but all remain so open ended that you can play them countless different ways.

MGSV's game model is everything GTA SHOULD'VE been. It fully embraces the open world freedom and incorporates that into the missions flawlessly. And it plays in such a way that stealth and combat both feel like they were the primary point. In MGS, combat is usually a last resort. But with MGSV, you can fly into an outpost blasting away on your helicopters mini-gun, shoot up the bad guys, rescue your target, throw them back into the chopper and fly away while "The Final Countdown" blares on your choppers loud speakers.

Every method of gameplay is valid and the controls, the enemy AI responsiveness, it's all, bar none, the best I've experienced in ANY video game. Sneaking around feels tight and tense and combat makes you feel like Jack Bauer on adrenaline. (I mean, he IS the voice of Venom Snake)

And I really like the story for the most part too. Its weaknesses are really glaring. Namely, the "Fun" of MGS is completely devoid in the story (which is really odd since it's FRONT AND CENTER in-game). Venom Snake only has maybe six minutes of dialogue in the entirety of this 30+ hour long game. And the way Skull Face gets completely undercut right at the home stretch is something I have NOT stopped bitching about for almost six years, and my friends can personally attest to that.

That and the ending feels too abrupt.

We know that Kojima got fired by Konami's VP and said VP scorched the entire production company after that and made a series of dickheaded decisions that pissed off a LOT of fans, burning much of the good will Konami IP fans had towards the company. But that had nothing to do with MGSV's abruptness. That was the plan from the start because only Kojima would think to end the entire series on a plot twist like that.

And I think the issue isn't the twist at all. In fact, I LOVE the twist. The issue is that the game should've continued beyond it so Venom Snake could cope with the truth and realize how badly he'd been screwed. I think even people who hated the twist could've been won over if there was a little more to the games epilogue than Episode 46.

Also, the games boss fights were a tad underwhelming. Not the fights themselves, I LOVED all five of the games bosses.

Oh? There were twelve?

No. I meant what I said. Because so many of the games bosses are rematches against the same bosses. All MGSV has is the Skulls, Quiet, Eli, The Man on Fire, and Metal Gear. They're great bosses that do everything the best MGS bosses always did; give you tons of options, incorporate combat AND stealth, have varied attacks AND even have multiple methods to sneak around the boss and avoid the fight completely. But for a game as long as MGS, you need more variety. And frankly, the bosses NEED more personality. Skull Face should've had more XOF assassins acting as the bosses in the game along with the ones we have. Elite assassins like Quiet, with their own powers and specialized weaponry so the fights feel completely different from the ones we have. And oh yeah, SKULL FACE HIMSELF SHOULD'VE HAD A GOD-FUCKING-DAMN BOSS FIGHT!!!!

Buuuuuuut those issues don't even matter if for all the games issues, I still replay it frequently when it's almost six years old.

So yeah! There's the massive rant you totally didn't ask for! :D

[renee-walker]

4, 5, 19 💗

Ahhh, thanks Molly!

4. Favorite tropes: LOL I honestly have so many? Friends to lovers is huge. Absolute sucker for the whole “person A is a hardass for literally everyone else but a total frosting-covered cupcake for person B” thing. I’m pathetically big on the ships where the couple has stayed in love despite years of separation (please see the part where I’m about to die at Diana’s face in the new WW 1984 trailer). I also love partner ships for sure, where the two halves work together on equal footing and proceed to fall in love. Is that a trope? I’m not even sure BUT I LOVE IT. And this is probably a subcategory of something I’ve already said, but wow I will never be over “Person A is only willing to be emotionally vulnerable with person B.” Like I eat that shit UP. Finally, I have a probably creepy love for the whole “I will literally kill you if you even think about touching this person” thing. Like I hate myself for how much I love Jack Bauer but here we fucking are, right?

5. Least favorite tropes: Miss me with literally anything that involves someone using a “tortured past” to excuse shitty behavior. I’m forever not here for any variation of the “I’m mean to you because I actually love you” thing, GROSS. I also loathe power imbalances in relationships. I’m also not especially fond of any variation on “My life was entirely unfulfilled until x person came into it and now I see the meaning of the world.” Like FINE there is an argument to be made that Eleanor and Chidi are exactly that, but I would argue that Eleanor being “the answer” relates of course to the fact that Chidi loves her but really more to the fact that in allowing his feelings for her to overcome his natural anxiety about well, everything, he learned how he wanted to relate to human beings as a whole, not just Eleanor. (That made sense in my head.) Finally, I hate jealousy as a motivator for anything. That’s an instant turnoff for me in a ship.

19. Do you prefer fluff, angst, or smut for your ships? WOW, this is a hard question. Tbh it kind of depends? The best answer is that I want what I define as a happy ending. My parameters for this are pretty wide though ahahaha, given that I still consider Roslin and Adama to be a happy ending by my standards. Basically I can never get enough of my ships supporting one another, having small, quiet moments, and being obnoxiously cute. However, I also love some serious angst and drama (particularly hurt/comfort) as long as it ultimately gets resolved (like “Pusher” will always be one of my top ten XF eps and that one is so angsty ghdsjkalgha). And lmao I am always here for some quality smut as long as there are feelings to go with the smut. That scene with Neo and Trinity in Reloaded owns my smutty ass, help. Also, BUBBLE BATHS. Honestly I just want all my ships to take bubble baths together until the end of time. What they do in there is up to them. Just take a goddamn bubble bath for the love of fuck.

[the-real-xmonster]

This thing about Yuzuru Hanyu which I can’t believe I still need to point out

(Warning: long text)

(TL;DR version: Yuzuru Hanyu is the best skater of our time)

I know I said I’ll stop ranting about things for a while but bear with me on this one. I just went through my friend Chib’s Curious Cat feed and usually it’s a very entertaining and enlightening thing to do, but yesterday what I managed to see over there made my mind go into hyperalert mode, though certainly not Chib’s fault. As it happened, apparently the talking point of “Hanyu is not the best at anything” is, once again, making the rounds. Of course the point doesn’t stop there, it quickly evolves, or devolves, more like, into how he can’t deservedly be regarded as the best skater out there if he is not unsurpassed in any particular thing, and how he’s a “jack of all trades master of none”, culminating in this sentiment from one anon, which was the final straw that completely shattered my hitherto camel-back-like tolerance:

ngl that's kind of a boring goat isn't it? not having that one little thing that makes you extra special? all of the best skaters before him had something but he doesn't seem to (x) 

Now, I have tried to debunk this theory before, but in hindsight, I realized that it was likely not the right approach. My, or any Yuzu fan’s, attempt at defending his technique and asserting his supremacy in any singular thing will never not meet with counterpoint from people who wish to deny the validity of his achievements. Let’s call them the deniers for now because “hater” is too polarizing a word and I’m not sure if those people are actually that emotionally invested in Yuzu to begin with. If we get bogged down in their subterfuge, what we’d end up doing is bickering all the livelong day with people who would gleefully claim that skater X jumps better than Yuzu, skater Y has nicer skating skills, skater Z spins prettier, skater A has a more pleasant hydroblade and skater B does that one superior layback Ina Bauer. Skating history is long and the field is deep, so provided that you are persistent enough with your digging, you will more likely than not be able to unearth moments of brilliance that arguably outshine Yuzu’s on any single thing. Those repeated attempts from our side of the table to argue with the deniers on these little things also serve to fuel the confusion, especially in a new fan’s eyes, because this back-and-forth creates the impression that Yuzu’s abilities and achievements are questionable, therefore, doubtful. 

So today let me try a different tack in, not proving, but simply pointing out to you that Yuzuru Hanyu is the best skater of our time and no, his worth as a champion of this sport is not up for debate. 

First of all, the notion that a skater has to be the absolute best at something in order to be the best overall is childish and unrealistic. There is only one place where a person, in order to triumph above all else, vitally needs to have some special technique they can claim to be their own: fiction, more specifically, fantasy fiction, including video games, comics, manga and anime. “Special techniques” have a prominent place in, say, a shounen manga, because the authors will them to be: they are convenient plot devices to make a character memorable and to advance the story line (practice - enemy encounter - more practice - stronger enemy encounter). Real life, dare I say, is more nuanced than that.

Example 1: Jeff Bezos, of Amazon fame, is the richest man alive. Is he the best at any particular aspect of money-making? Probably not, he is not the best performing CEO in the world (Business Insider didn’t think so, neither did Harvard Business Review) nor the most well-liked boss (Mark Zuckerberg is, or used to be, the most likable, according to Forbes), didn’t even make it to Investopedia’s list of most successful entrepreneurs. As someone who currently works for Jeff (I say “works for” in a loose sense, seeing that he’s 6 levels of management above me and obviously doesn’t know that I exist), I can attest to the fact that his employees generally do not regard him as an infallible, all-seeing, all-knowing decision maker either.

Example 2: If there is any canon that tennis fans from all walks of life can agree on, it is the fact that Rafael Nadal is the best ever on clay. However, if you ask 1000 people (fans and players alike) to name one aspect of the game which Rafa is the best at and that could explain his dominance on the red dirt, you will receive a dozen different responses which, if you publish, will be met with hundreds of different rebuttals. His forehand? Nay, we think del Potro’s might be more fearsome. His two-handed backhand? Um, there’s this dude named Djokovic? His topspin? Well, we’ve heard Jack Sock can spin the ball even faster now. 

Remember, though, that none of these queries can hope to erase even the tiniest bit of Jeff’s enormous wealth or Rafa’s transcendental record on his favorite surface. The question is always “why is he so rich?” “why is he so good?”, never “is he rich?” “is he good?” - those would be absurd.

So, coming back to the topic of Yuzuru Hanyu, my friends and fellow Yuzu fans, the next time you are confronted with the claim that skater X/Y/Z/A/B/C is better than him at any one thing, may I suggest the universal response of: so what? 

Secondly, let us engage in a thought experiment: imagine if you could build your ideal figure skater, tailor-made to winning competitions under the current ISU Code of Points, which abilities would you give him/her?

I assume you would want your prototype to have good techniques on all 6 jump types. So as to ensure their competitiveness in this day and age, you’d give them the ability to land multiple quads of multiple types in one program. Your skater should probably strike the right balance between strength and flexibility, so that they can both jump powerfully and spin beautifully. Add on to that speed, agility, edge depth, knee bend, the control necessary to accelerate/decelerate at will and switch directions at the snap of a finger. Just as a safeguard, you might think about programming your android with a self-improvement piece of code which gives them the capability to debug errors in the original configuration (such as a lack of comfort with the flip jump).

What else? Ah, you’d want to make sure they have a good musical sensibility and then give them a team of choreographers that could construct for them the most distinctive, memorable programs. Might as well find them a group of first-rate technical advisers to fill their skates with transitions so complex nobody else has ever attempted them before. Given that this is a sport where appearance plays a not insignificant role, you should consider also providing your machine with a comely face, decent height, long limbs, and a lithe body.

It’s a competitive android we’re talking about, so I’d further suggest instilling your prototype with an insatiable hunger for success and then expose them to the elite level of competition as early as possible, so that they can stay fit and relevant and capable of winning across more than one Olympic cycles (after all, this is a big investment, might as well try as hard as you can for maximum utilization). To top it all up, and this might be hard to synthesize artificially, but you will want to try, nonetheless, to give your skate-bot a charisma so genuine and so enduring that they would be able to attract and retain legions of loyal fans who follow them around the world and shower the ice with their favorite soft toys after every skate - a customer acquisition strategy is always a good thing for your financials, and the soft toy rains will give the media something silly to cover, if nothing else.

I’ve run out of features to request. As an afterthought, may I just ask you to consider leaving out the asthma and reducing his propensity for injuries / freakish accidents? 

There you go, isn’t that nice? Your skate-bot looks perfect to me, highly capable of championing this sport. He’d better win at least a couple of World titles, a couple of Olympic golds, and garnishing them all with a dozen records. You might receive questions down the line about why you didn’t make sure that he is the absolute, incontestable best at any one thing. To which you can rightfully answer that balance, rather than extremes, is what you were aiming for with this skate-bot, and remind those inquisitors that your goal was to create one ideal skater rather than a squadron of one best jumper, one best spinner, one step sequence expert, one choreographic sequence specialist, one transition master, and one musical interpretation virtuoso, if only because the logistics of arranging for them to skate together would be an utter nightmare.

If the result of this perfect skater thought experiment sounds too similar to someone we know, then, well, I told you so.

You, sir, are a robot, I get you now. 

[lovemesomesurveys]

survey by disappearingink

How old are you? I’m 31.

Have you ever laughed in a highly inappropriate situation? Once when I was high someone told me something serious and I started laughing and omg I felt like the biggest piece of shit. It wasn’t what what they said in particular that was funny, but just that everything was funny at that moment. But still, not cool.

Explain how a person last made you laugh. It was something my brother said. Name something illegal you've done underage. Just downloading torrented movies and books. I also answered this in a previous survey. <<< Same. I was otherwise such a goody-good, ha.

If you had to fly in something, what would you fly in? I’ll just stick to planes.

Do you have any relationship with the state of Florida? Nope.

Is there any phrase your dad typically uses? If something is really good it’s “out of bounds.”

What state do you live in? California.

Would you rather be somewhere else? Not right now.

The last time you wore a formal dress? A few years ago for a friend’s wedding.

Your favorite thing to do in the winter? I just love all the Christmasy activities and the coziness.

Favorite sport? None.

Do you know of any good comedians? I’m not into comedians.

If you were born in the opposite gender, what would your name be? My mom has said Jesse before. Is there anything you question about reality? Of course.

What do you think about people who obsessively state how *real* they are? It would sound like they were trying to convince themselves more than anything. 

What's your relationship to the child you’re around most? I’m not around any kids.

Have you ever had an illegal substance in your blood stream? Yes.

Zodiac? Leo.

What is the worst thing that has ever happened to your hair? It got really knotted up from not brushing it and it took me a few hours to brush it out. That’s the side of depression some of us experience that people don’t talk about. That has happened on several occasions.

What do you think about cats? They’re beautiful creatures, but I’ve always bonded more with dogs.

Can you give me a band not many people listen to? I don’t know.

Who do you want with you when you're afraid? My mom.

Metaphorically, have any dogs you ever have to call off? Huh?

Wind, earth, fire, or air? Air is pretty great.

Have you ever known a Lukas? I don’t think so.

Who might as well just be your sibling? There isn’t anyone I consider to be my sibling besides my actual siblings.

Would you ever consider working for the government? No.

What is the weirdest thing you have ever witnessed a sibling doing? Hmm. I don’t know.

What are you looking forward to doing this summer? I’d like to be able to go to the beach, but I don’t know.

Any thoughts on people who brag about being straight edge? That’s great for them. I think it’s kinda funny cause I’m not considered straight edge due to the fact I drink caffeine and take prescription pain medication.

Would you agree that alot of newer male vocalists sound gay? Wtf.

Your first best friend's name? These two girls in preschool, Crystal and Starr.

Do you miss any person who happens to be a hippie? No.

How do you act when you're uncomfortable? Anxious, impatient, and fidgety. 

Do you know what mesculine is? I do now.

Favorite alcoholic drink? None. I don’t drink.

What bug would you like to be extinct? Cockroaches. <<< Yeah, those can certainly go. Look, I know some bugs are helpful and all that, but I really wish we didn’t have any. Or at least by now they’d learn to just stay away from people and out of their houses.

Do you know who Jack Bauer is? Yeah.

The worst legal crime you've ever committed? Legal crimes?

The most trouble you've ever been in with authority? Nothing.

Have you ever seen the movie Gone Baby Gone? Nope.

[lady-divine-writes]

Kurtbastian one-shot “Cruising Main Street” (Rated PG13)

After a huge snow storm, Sebastian takes advantage of the vacant, iced-over roads to go skating down Main Street with his boyfriend. (1185 words)

Notes: This one-shot gives you more clues to the main story line … which will go up. I promise xD Fluff and light angst.

Part 28 of Outside Edge

Read on AO3.

“This is crazy! This is crazy! This is crazy!” Kurt chants through anxiously chattering teeth as Sebastian pulls the SUV in front of CVS and parks.

“It’s not that crazy.” Sebastian turns the tires towards the curb and engages the emergency brake, but he doesn’t kill the engine to keep the heater running.

“We’re going to get in trouble,” Kurt laments, climbing over the center console and into the back seat.

“I’m not sure this is actually illegal,” Sebastian says, following his boyfriend.

Kurt folds his arms across his chest as Sebastian leans over his lap to untie his boots. “You stole your uncle’s SUV.”

“Borrowed,” Sebastian stresses, setting Kurt’s boot aside and replacing it with a hockey skate. “I borrowed it. I have my learner’s permit. Plus I’m an excellent driver.”

“I think I know two jack rabbits and a squirrel that might disagree with you,” Kurt mentions as Sebastian removes his other boot.

“Hey! That wasn’t my fault. The roads are slippery. I lost traction.” Sebastian tugs up Kurt’s socks, tucking his pant legs inside. “Besides, you’d think they’d know to get the hell outta the way of a moving vehicle.”

“Speaking of which, we’re going to get hit by a car.”

“No, we’re not. No one’s out here, babe.” Sebastian stops fiddling with Kurt’s socks to wipe down a fogged up window and take a look around. Beneath the orange glow of the street lamps, both boys can see nothing but snow. No cars. No people. Just a veil of flakes drifting down from the sky, pushed into swirls by the frigid wind. “It’s three in the morning after one of the worst storms we’ve had in years. You’d have to be insane to be out here.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Kurt mutters. “We’re going to hit soft spots.”

“I don’t know. It’s still comin’ down pretty good. I really don’t think we’ll find too many.” Sebastian squints to see past the rapidly reforming fog and assess the thickness of the ice covering the asphalt. “If we steer clear of the manhole covers, we should be fine. But that’s why I brought my beat-up old Bauers. So you don’t nick your expensive competition blades.”

“It’s not my blades I’m worried about.”

Sebastian turns away from the window steadily re-clouding from the heat inside the vehicle and throws Kurt a pointed look. Kurt rolls his eyes.

“Okay, yeah, I am, but right now, I’m more worried about my head.”

“I brought helmets if you want.” Sebastian grabs one off the seat behind him – a bright red snowboarding helmet he keeps with his hockey gear for just such an occasion - and holds it up. Kurt considers it, weighing the pros and cons of stuffing it on his head over his wool hat for the safety of his noggin against why he’s even considering doing this at all!?

“Maybe …” He peeks past Sebastian’s shoulder to get a glimpse out the window. “But what I want to know is why is this even necessary?”

Sebastian smirks. “To keep your brain from getting scrambled. Duh!” He puts the helmet down and returns to the task of getting skates on Kurt’s feet.

“No. I mean, why is skating down Main Street necessary?”

“Because it’s fun! Come on! Live a little!” Sebastian slides Kurt’s reluctant left foot into its skate. “I can’t believe you’ve never done this before!”

“Well, believe it, buddy. My parents and I aren’t super big fans of needlessly putting our lives in danger.”

“Me and the guys from Elite used to do this all the time.” Sebastian tightens Kurt’s laces. “Right down Main Street after every snow storm.”

“Do you … do you think we’ll run into them out here?”

“Nah. Doesn’t matter if we do anyhow. We’ll keep our distance.” Sebastian goes silent. Kurt watches him. He’s effortlessly tying Kurt’s skates the way Kurt likes them – loose through the length of his foot and tight at his ankles – but his mind is definitely somewhere else.

“Do you miss it?” Kurt swallows hard, not entirely sure what answer he’s hoping to hear. “Do you miss them?”

Sebastian finishes the knot on Kurt’s right skate, then rests his palm on the toe cap with a heavy sigh. “Yeah,” he admits, moving on to the left skate. “Sometimes. I mean, we were all sold on that whole band of brothers mentality. And we were brothers … sort of. We grew up together. We did everything together. They were my best friends all through elementary school, and middle school …”

“But you gave them up … for me,” Kurt says quietly.

“For me, too. I gave them up so I could be a better person, have someone worthwhile in my life who actually cares about me, not what they could get by knowing me.” Sebastian finishes tying Kurt’s skates and sits up, coming face to face with his highly skeptical boyfriend. “You don’t look like you believe me.”

“I’m sorry,” Kurt says, lowering his gaze to the dingy, striped-white laces on his borrowed skates. “It’s just not always easy to believe that being with me is better than being with your old friends. You guys always seemed so close. I rarely ever saw you apart. You seemed like you said – brothers. That must have been hard to give up.”

“Well, as it turned out, my old friends were humongous jerks,” Sebastian says, spitting out the word jerks. “I mean, if they cared about me at all, they’d be here right now, wouldn’t they? They would have mended fences and all that shit? Accepted the fact that you’re in my life, and things are different now?”

“I … I guess,” Kurt says, folding his hands in his lap and idly pushing at his cuticles. Sebastian slides in close and wraps his arms around him.

“But you’re here,” Sebastian whispers. “Even after all of it, you stayed. So yeah, you are better. So much better.” He leans his forehead against the soft ribbing of Kurt’s knitted cap and lays delicate, barely-there kisses against his cheek. It’s hard for Kurt to understand, Sebastian knows. Kurt has had to sacrifice so much for his friends, distance himself from them so that they wouldn’t become targets for the same bullying he endured, but aside from his parents, he’s never had anyone return the favor. He doesn’t get that quality matters to Sebastian, not quantity. Perhaps that’s Sebastian’s own fault considering how overindulged he is, how often he had flaunted it while cutting Kurt down. “You know, if you don’t want to go skating, that’s fine. I know it’s kind of risky. We can go back home and hang out. Make hot cocoa or something.”

“The biggest risk I’ve taken is sitting right here in this SUV with me, and it’s worked out so far. I don’t mind taking another one. Just … try not to let me die? If at all possible. I’d really appreciate it.”

“All you have to do is hold on tight,” Sebastian says, closing in slowly on Kurt’s mouth. “I promise, I won’t let anything happen to you.”

[lovediva013]

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Bauer weighs 18 pounds Jack Skellington Fear The Wolverines Shirt . And 6 ounces he had his Lovenox lab today. Carly did a great job getting his blood! She is 2 for 2. He didn’t even cry. They increased his dosage on Monday evening, and his results were better today; however, it is still too low. Our will bring a shipment at 10pm tonight with the increased Lovenox amount. Our home health nurse replaced his insuflon catheter when we got back this evening. We place numbing cream on his leg an hour before she arrives.And he never even knows when it is inserted. Three major holidays take place during December. Members of the African-American culture often celebrate Kwanzaa. Those of the Jewish faith observe Hanukkah. Both of these holidays span over the course of an entire week, but most Americans in the United States celebrate Christmas on December 25th. Jack Skellington Fear The Wolverines Shirt, hoodie, sweater, longsleeve and ladies t-shirt

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Bauer weighs 18 pounds Jack Skellington Fear The Wolverines Shirt . And 6 ounces he had his Lovenox lab today. Carly did a great job getting his blood! She is 2 for 2. He didn’t even cry. They increased his dosage on Monday evening, and his results were better today; however, it is still too low. Our will bring a shipment at 10pm tonight with the increased Lovenox amount. Our home health nurse replaced his insuflon catheter when we got back this evening. We place numbing cream on his leg an hour before she arrives.And he never even knows when it is inserted. Three major holidays take place during December. Members of the African-American culture often celebrate Kwanzaa. Those of the Jewish faith observe Hanukkah. Both of these holidays span over the course of an entire week, but most Americans in the United States celebrate Christmas on December 25th. Jack Skellington Fear The Wolverines Shirt, hoodie, sweater, longsleeve and ladies t-shirt

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Jack Skellington Fear The Wolverines Shirt Unisex People of all walks participate in numerous traditions that surround their Each holiday traditionally observes certain activities and most families have created their own special versions Jack Skellington Fear The Wolverines Shirt .There are a several things in common with the three holidays mentioned above. People take the time to love and cherish their family and friends. Gifts are purchased and made to give one another. Each holiday traditionally observes certain activities and most families have created their own special In fact, my grandmother was known as Annette for her entire entrepreneurial life as a co-founder of the well-known real estate business in NY called “Big Chief Lewis” that she had with my And final fun fact: Saint Crispin and Saint Crispinian were actually two famous shoemaking brothers of Rome, Italy in the 3rd Century. Every child is special to Santa. Every child has its own story. And every child sees Santa as someone who they can always rely on.Nick himself said at the festivities. Well, I’m happy to be back on Facebook, after Facebook decided on Christmas Day that I was not Santa Claus and that I did not live in North Pole, Alaska despite having copies of my valid US Passport and Alaska Driver License that proved I was and arbitrarily locked me out. You Can See More Product: https://hottrendtees.com/product-category/trending/ Read the full article

[beautshirt79]

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Bauer weighs 18 pounds Jack Skellington Fear The Wolverines Shirt . And 6 ounces he had his Lovenox lab today. Carly did a great job getting his blood! She is 2 for 2. He didn’t even cry. They increased his dosage on Monday evening, and his results were better today; however, it is still too low. Our will bring a shipment at 10pm tonight with the increased Lovenox amount. Our home health nurse replaced his insuflon catheter when we got back this evening. We place numbing cream on his leg an hour before she arrives.And he never even knows when it is inserted. Three major holidays take place during December. Members of the African-American culture often celebrate Kwanzaa. Those of the Jewish faith observe Hanukkah. Both of these holidays span over the course of an entire week, but most Americans in the United States celebrate Christmas on December 25th. Jack Skellington Fear The Wolverines Shirt, hoodie, sweater, longsleeve and ladies t-shirt

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Jack Skellington Fear The Wolverines Shirt Unisex People of all walks participate in numerous traditions that surround their Each holiday traditionally observes certain activities and most families have created their own special versions Jack Skellington Fear The Wolverines Shirt .There are a several things in common with the three holidays mentioned above. People take the time to love and cherish their family and friends. Gifts are purchased and made to give one another. Each holiday traditionally observes certain activities and most families have created their own special In fact, my grandmother was known as Annette for her entire entrepreneurial life as a co-founder of the well-known real estate business in NY called “Big Chief Lewis” that she had with my And final fun fact: Saint Crispin and Saint Crispinian were actually two famous shoemaking brothers of Rome, Italy in the 3rd Century. Every child is special to Santa. Every child has its own story. And every child sees Santa as someone who they can always rely on.Nick himself said at the festivities. Well, I’m happy to be back on Facebook, after Facebook decided on Christmas Day that I was not Santa Claus and that I did not live in North Pole, Alaska despite having copies of my valid US Passport and Alaska Driver License that proved I was and arbitrarily locked me out. You Can See More Product: https://hottrendtees.com/product-category/trending/ Read the full article

[lovediva0303]

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Bauer weighs 18 pounds Jack Skellington Fear The Wolverines Shirt . And 6 ounces he had his Lovenox lab today. Carly did a great job getting his blood! She is 2 for 2. He didn’t even cry. They increased his dosage on Monday evening, and his results were better today; however, it is still too low. Our will bring a shipment at 10pm tonight with the increased Lovenox amount. Our home health nurse replaced his insuflon catheter when we got back this evening. We place numbing cream on his leg an hour before she arrives.And he never even knows when it is inserted. Three major holidays take place during December. Members of the African-American culture often celebrate Kwanzaa. Those of the Jewish faith observe Hanukkah. Both of these holidays span over the course of an entire week, but most Americans in the United States celebrate Christmas on December 25th. Jack Skellington Fear The Wolverines Shirt, hoodie, sweater, longsleeve and ladies t-shirt

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Jack Skellington Fear The Wolverines Shirt Unisex People of all walks participate in numerous traditions that surround their Each holiday traditionally observes certain activities and most families have created their own special versions Jack Skellington Fear The Wolverines Shirt .There are a several things in common with the three holidays mentioned above. People take the time to love and cherish their family and friends. Gifts are purchased and made to give one another. Each holiday traditionally observes certain activities and most families have created their own special In fact, my grandmother was known as Annette for her entire entrepreneurial life as a co-founder of the well-known real estate business in NY called “Big Chief Lewis” that she had with my And final fun fact: Saint Crispin and Saint Crispinian were actually two famous shoemaking brothers of Rome, Italy in the 3rd Century. Every child is special to Santa. Every child has its own story. And every child sees Santa as someone who they can always rely on.Nick himself said at the festivities. Well, I’m happy to be back on Facebook, after Facebook decided on Christmas Day that I was not Santa Claus and that I did not live in North Pole, Alaska despite having copies of my valid US Passport and Alaska Driver License that proved I was and arbitrarily locked me out. You Can See More Product: https://hottrendtees.com/product-category/trending/ Read the full article

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[paradox-oflife]

massive q and a post part 3 ignore this pls

1. If you could learn any language fluently what would it be? Um maybe latin because it sounds cool but for practical purposes probably spanish lol

2. What historical Figure would you love to see in 21st centuary life? Jesus, not because I’m Christian but I’m curious to see what he would say

3. As a kid were you ever frighted of a monster under the bed or in the cupboard? No because my bed didn’t have space underneath 

4. Do you like clowns? nope

5. Do you prefer BBC or ITV? Okay, this is clearly British but I’d go with BBC

6. Have you ever been surfing? Once. It didn’t go that well lol

7. Have you ever been snowboarding? Yeah, it’s pretty fun actually!

8. Who was better, the Beatles or Elvis Presley? uuuh the Beatles

9. Whats your favourite type of foreign food? By foreign I’m assuming non-American/British. But anything from Taiwan (except for pig’s blood ew) is soul food for me :)

10. Which Foreign country do you dislike the most? I... don’t know. North Korea I guess? But when it comes to most countries, it’s the government that makes it bad.

11. Do you like your music loud or easy listening? (What does this mean??) Depends on the mood

12. Whats your favourite animated or cartoon program? Adventure time :D

13. Do you sing in the shower? Errr, no.

14. Are you a clean or messy person? I try my best to be clean but it always ends up messy.

15. Whats your prefered playing piece in monopoly? I usually go with the cat :3

16. Can or Do you still play twister? God I haven’t played since 5th grade.

17. Can you play chess? Yeah, not really good at it though.

18. Do you know the dance steps to an annoying cheesey pop song? Haha no because I suck at dancing

19. Do you prefer straight or bendy straws? Bendy

20. Have you ever entered a talent contest? And did you win? No .-. I’m not the type to do that lol

21. Do you like poetry? Yeah. I’d say so.

22. Are you a sore loser? Nah, I’m pretty chill when it comes to that type of thing

23. Which would you choose? Jelly or Ice Cream? Ice Cream > Jelly

24. Whats your favourite type of Pie? New Zealand’s steak and cheese

25. Whats your most used phrase? Hm. Maybe “yeah nah”

26. Whats your most used word? Not sure. I talk a lot.

27. Who would you want to play you in a movie of your life? Someone Asian of course, someone who has studied me well enough and understands me

28. What would your dream job be? Okay, I’m gonna be real. I wanted to be a vet but lowkey I’m too colorblind for it lol. I’m planning to study in Physical Therapy

29. Which song do you hate the most? I mainly just listen to the same albums nowadays but I guess i don’t really vibe with a lot of pop songs.

30. How long does it take you to get ready? Depends how tired I am. If I get pretty good sleep it takes maybe 10 minutes at most. 

31. What do you think the greatest invention has been? The printing press.

32. Whats your favourite feature on the opposite sex? Uuuh i dont really know. Forearms are nice i guess

33. Whats your least favourite feature on the opposite sex? Sometimes they’re just really oblivious to really obvious things

34. Who's your favourite Comedian? I don’t even listen to comedians really but Chelsea Peretti is pretty funny.

35. What's your favourite board game? Probably Monopoly. There’s no greater feeling than seeing the life drain from your friends’ eyes as you collect $5000 from them

36. Do you have any lucky items, objects or traditions? When I’m having a bad day I like to just read through my yearbooks and look at all the compliments people wrote. 

37. Do you have any superstitions? Not really.

38. Whats your favourite Movie quote? I have a lot. But maybe Manners Maketh Man.

39. Who would win in a fight? Chuck Norris or Jack Bauer? Chuck Norris.

40. Do you have much of an ego? I wish. I want to be more confident

41. Do you wear sunglasses indoors to look cool or stylish? No. Nothing against it though.

42. Are you a hat person? Nah

43. Whats your favourite supermarket chain? Costco

44. Whats your favourite fastfood chain? Smashburger or Inn n Out

45. Whats your first thought upon waking up? “Lord help me.”

46. What animal would you most like to have as a pet? I love dogs. And cats. 

47. Whats your favourite type of tree? Pine trees always remind me of home.

48. If you could bankrupt one person or company who would it be? Uuuh as much as I want to bankrupt someone like Jeff Bezos that’d be bad because a lot of people rely on Amazon

49. If you could steal one thing without consequence what would it be? I honestly don’t know. 

50. Who's your favourite celeb with the same first name or surname as you? I don’t know much celebrities with the same name as me.

51. If evil-doers invaded your country would you rush to the battlelines to defend the motherland or hide in a box? Um hide in a box I’m so tiny. Like I know a bit of martial arts but like??? I’m literally 5′1″ and i’m only 115 pounds. Someone could bench me easily.

52. Whats your favourite flower? I like lillies 

53. Do you believe in ghosts? Im really mixed about it. I believe demons exist though

54. Do you believe in the loch ness monster? Nay

55. Do you believe in Aliens? Eeeeh kind of but when i think about aliens i think about microorganisms. 

56. Do you believe the Governments hide technology and information from the public? Yes 100%

56. Which is your favourite pokemon? Growlithe uwu

57. What horror fiction character scares you the most?  Pennywise. No thanks.

58. Can you do 10 revolutions of a hula hoop? Yeah

59. Do you think Great Britain should have a National Day? n/a 60.Do you think Great Britain should be part of a United Europe?n/a 61. Would you want the Euro or keep the British Pound?n/a

62. Were you part of the Brownies/Cubs/Scouts/Guides etc? Nah

63. Have you ever invented a fairly unique meal or drink? No I’m not that good at cooking lol

64. Do you have any secret family recipes? My family only knows how to cook asian food and well, asian food is very freestyle

65. Do you have any family secrets? :o     uuuuuh well, it wouldn’t be a secret if I said it right?

66. Are you good at keeping secrets? Yeah! You can count on me.

67. Have you ever been up in a hot air balloon? Nopenopenopenope

68. Whats your favourite Sci-fi film/program etc? ugghhhh i have so much. I like the Martian tho?

69. When playing checkers or chess do you prefer to be black or white? Black

70. Which is better, a Pastie or Sausage Roll? Sausage roll

71. Do you prefer shopping on the high street or online? Irl, I’m pretty impatient man

72. Would you ever want to learn to fly? Like, fly an airplane? Or fly as in levitate. Cause if levitate, then YES

73. Do you often read your horoscope? Nah, as accurate as they can be sometimes, I don’t really believe in astrology 

74. Have you ever had a proper Tarot reading? Eeeee no. Personal opinion, tarot cards are hella sketchy. I don’t mess with that stuff.

75. Whats your favourite brand of newspaper? Honestly at this point I’ve given up on the news. I just read stuff off of reddit sometimes.

76. Have you ever milked a cow? No

77. Have you ever used the phrase "back in my time" to someone younger than you? HAHAH one time. I realized my friend’s younger brother had never seen an iPod before and I was so baffled he didn’t even know what it was.

78. Do you love or hate rollercoasters? Love them

79. Which was the greatest Empire? Maybe Macedonian. I want to say the Romans, but god, they had a lot of problems.

80. Whats your favorite word? Catharsis.  

81. Whats your favourite sportsware brand? Adidas or Nike I guess

82. Do you buy any weekly/monthly magazines? Nah

83. Who's your favourite Superhero? uuuuh Thor 

84. Who's your favourite Villain/Baddie? Doofensmirtz. He wasn’t even bad lmao. He thinks he’s a Chaotic Evil when in reality he’s a Chaotic Good.

85. What was the last Album you purchased? I don’t purchase a lot of music tbh bc I broke, but the last album I listened to was Hot Fuss.

86. What was the last DVD you purchased? A Daria DVD I found at Walmart for five dollars.

87. What was the last piece of clothing you purchased? Some jeans.

88. When pulling crackers does everyone get one each regardless or whoever gets the big ends keeps all the prizes? I’m assuming this is some British tradition so idk

89. Do you ever make your own greetings cards? Not really.

90. Do you have a swiss army knife? I used to then I lost it.

91.At what age did you twig onto the fact Santa wasnt real? My parents never did the whole Santa thing so I always knew it was false

92. Whats your favourite fruit? Watermelon

93. Have you ever done something really unbelivable, only to have no one around to see it? Um YEAH. I was 10th grade and I was in the Martial Arts club, which was a version of Aikido. I tripped on these stairs one time going down, then I did this glorious shoulder roll and got right up. No one saw but I was so proud of myself.

94. Do you buy from charity shops? Occasionally, if I can find some. 

95. Have you ever sold your services? No

96. Have you ever raised money for charity? Yeah, it was for a school club tho

97. Have you ever won a giant sized cuddly toy from a fair? Yes uwu

98. Is the glass half full or half empty? It’s half full

[dorawnfredread]

tyty for the tag @hoziersgirlfiend

Rules: answer questions then tag people you’d like to know better

Nickname: khaleekers (to like three ppl) actual name Chelsea

Star sign: virgo/LIBRA cusp (cancer moon, aquarius rising lololol)

Height: 5′3

Last film I saw: Spiderman; Into the Spiderverse like a month ago 

Favorite musician: that’s so Hard its a toss up between probably Hozier, Cuco, Goldlink, Washed Out, Neon Indian, and manyyy others (my affinity for waify dudes jumped out)

Song stuck in my head: Million Miles Away by Washed Out (and before I started thinking about them, Sebastian Bauer by Elephant Jake)

Other blogs: @mereair-thesewords is my studyblr/aesthetic blog, @chelseassims is my sims 4 blog, and I have some other defunct sideblogs running around here

Blogs following: 701

Do I get asks: I get asked to comment on controversial things I said like three years ago which is uHhh not ideal

What am I wearing: joggers n a sorta tie-dyed long sleeve top

Dream job: AHHHHH being part of a research team developing cool funky medicines orrr researching the human body orrr developing the new buckyball orrr idk man the possibilities are endless but it would be a diverse group of ppl with MORALS and that care about making the world a better place

Dream trip: Anywhere in the pacific with beaches and fruit and elephants

Play any instrument: I used to play cello and I sorta play piano

Favorite songs: (here’s a playlist lol ;0) Burning by Whitest Boy Alive, Nights by Frank Ocean, Drown by Cuco & Clairo, Shrike by Hozier, How U Feel by Huncho Jack (Travis Scott & Quavo), Fallen by Jaden Smith, The Love Club by Lorde, Shake it Out by Florence (actualllyyy her whole discography), I Love My Friends by Foster the People, Waves by River Tiber, Drink I’m Sippin On by Yaeji, and a milllion other songs

Random fact about me: i fall in love just a lil o lil bit everyday with someone new

I tag @butchwomen​ @sandorclegane​ @greyward3ns @uss-xanadu @chapelgoth @teaviathan @glittercatfairy @whycellothurr​ @pinnockalicious​ @thechocolatebrigade @sa-x @antipollenkids @all of my other wonderful mutuals and anyone else who wants to do it!!!!