#the serious adult artistic beef i have with this

[prettyboysdontlookatexplosions]

i was going to make a joke here about how the OG anti jedi movement was started by george lucas and is called the prequel trilogy (and they are like garbage as films but not because of that) but i realized that actually as someone whose family luckily is not in star wars a more salient irritation to me is the conversation about The Luke Of It All and like i could go on about this at length but mostly what i want to say is that in high school i decided i wanted to celebrate my eighteenth birthday by having all my friends over and having a marathon of the original star wars trilogy, which we had all grown up with and loved except one girl who had never seen them and when this came to light we were like WHAT????? HOW CAN THIS BE?????? and we were all a little judgmental when she got bored and went to bed halfway through. because we all had been star wars fans since childhood and thought the movies ruled. we were obnoxious and superior teenagers who went to the last two prequels preparing to hatewatch and eager to make fun, and it was consensus (not shared by me, a lifelong lover of critters) that the ewoks were dumb, but our love for star wars was deep and sincere. my dude friends probably had some knowledge of the world beyond the movies even from like video games and maybe some novels idk. anyway. so we sat down on my birthday to watch these movies that we all agreed were awesome and great. and one of my friends was like, “i should count every time luke whines onscreen.” and we were all like LMAO HAHAHA THAT’S SO FUNNY YES DO IT. and he got to like 110 whines by the end of a new hope and then abandoned the bit. but like. one thing that makes me feel insane is if you’d asked me in november 2017 “how do star wars fans feel about luke?” i UNHESITATINGLY would have said, “oh they think he’s a whiny bitch and the most lame character in the movies and also that mark hamill can’t act.” like i can’t emphasize how much this was the reality i knew as a person who liked star wars but in a normal way. i swear i wrote some line to this effect into a piece of fiction at one point. and in fact as a person who tends towards generosity once i’ve decided i like something i also could have told you of the years i spent alone in the luke-loving trenches, coming to his defense because yeah he does whine a lot but that’s part of his charm. it’s part of the magic of the movies, went the argument i swear to you i had made, that if luke is on the screen he’s probably whining. it wouldn’t be the same any other way! this was, i stress again, as per all evidence available to me, a niche opinion. like it was a really hot take to be like “yes luke whines so much… but i like him anyway! and i think mark hamill is pretty good once you get to empire.” so like i feel really truly berenstain/berenstein bears about this universe i portaled into 5 years ago where apparently longtime star wars fans have always thought that luke was awesome and cool and a total hero. like setting aside all debates over artistic merits and narrative consistency and how to read the best star wars movie of all time (the last jedi), it just makes me feel fucking crazy that people would act like “luke sucks” is a concept invented out of thin air by rian johnson in 2017. like it goes against everything about my experience of being a person who has thought the original star wars trilogy is pretty great since i was 8 years old in 1996.

[lore-gore]

The problem with cancel culture

It doesn't allow us to be human.

You see, part of being human is making mistakes and learning from them. But cancel culture has created this atmosphere where you can't mess up ever.

This is partly due to the fact that people's mistakes are immortalized on the internet. If you mess up in real life, you can just apologize and move on. But on the internet, that fuck up stays. Even if you delete it, someone can have a screenshot.

This will end up coming back to bite you in usually two ways. 1. You piss someone off. Not only has the internet immortalized mistakes, but it has also brought beef into the eyes of the public. Now if you piss someone off online they can just easily dig up your old skeletons and post them for the world to see. And the more popular you become, the more likely this will happen, which brings me to the second way.

Cancel culture directly impacts influencers the most. There's always drama. Even the people who get famous reporting on drama have drama. (An endless loop.) Sometimes it's bullshit, sometimes it's serious. The accusations always vary in severity, but are often treated the same. People love to just label them as a bad person rather than think about whether or not they fit the criteria to be forgiven. We have become judge, jury, and executioner and we are horrible at it. It isn't fair, and deep down we know it, but we do not like to think of ourselves as unjust. I am reminded of a short story about a gallow erected in a town. One by one, each town person was hanged, until the narrator was the only one left to be hung. No one spoke up and tried to reason, and thus no one was spared.

Now, you may be wondering, what is the criteria for being forgiven? Here's what I think. 1. Did they apologize? 2. Was it a long time ago? 3. Was it done out of dumbassery or bigotry? 4. Was it a crime?

Depending on the answers, that's how you know whether or not someone can be forgiven. And of course, it all depends on opinion.

Notice how I didn't include age? That's because, huge take here, it doesn't really matter. Sure, minors have more of an excuse for fucking up, but just because someone is an adult doesn't mean they no longer can make mistakes and learn from them. As I said before, that's just part of being human. Maturity does not mean you know everything. I have seen grown adults make innocent mistakes. This age limit thing is getting tiring.

And even if they can't be forgiven, we shouldn't shame people who still enjoy their content. Separate the art from the artist. People can like things while still acknowledging problems. And they shouldn't need to verbally announce that everytime they talk about it. We need to stop telling fans "ohh that creator is problematic-" Because guess what?? Maybe they already know that. Or maybe they don't want to know. Unless it reflects in their work, drop it! Let people enjoy things in peace!

Stop making people feel like they need to defend the mistakes the creator of the thing they like made.

Maybe in general we need to stop putting influencers on a pedestal. Revolutionary, I know. But seriously. We need to stop acting like we know them. You can be upset if you want, but at some point enough is enough. Calm down.

[idsb]

Jennifer Aniston has an Instagram btw but I agree with your post overall! But I think the suspense and mystery is bringing her a lot of hype. There’s so much engagement online for her new announcement. Idk about longevity for her new album but she’s gonna have a killer first week.

Also I feel like they really tried to market Olivia as a Serious Artist Whose Already Been Here. There were a lot of features with established artists (interview in rolling stone with Alanis (this is the interview that made people think she had beef with Taylor btw) performing with Billy Joel, performing at the rock and roll hall of fame) I can’t quite put my finger on it but it’s very much acting like she’s in that lane already

I think people will listen just out of curiosity but I honestly haven't seen anyone I know irl / outside of stan-world even mention wanting to hear anything from her. That conversation ended about 6 months ago and now it's more, "what happened to Olivia Rodrigo? I wonder if she'll ever come back" type of stuff.

I also think that if you're dancing around with legends to further your career, that HAS to be built in with being Seen by young people when you yourself are not in the legend category yet, to kind of like, drive home what you're doing and make your demo care. Which is why I say that I think she is accidentally shifting to like, the adult pop radio demographic as opposed to teens and early 20-something's: kids her age and younger will be like oh wow she's doing ____ I heard, that's so cool', but it's only serving to alienate her out of reach and relatability if she's not staying on their radar by being culturally present. the only people she's staying in the minds of are older people whose only exposure to new artists is what's on the radio and what's endorsed by people like Billy Joel.

[madtomedgar]

Books Read in July:

All the Weight of Our Dreams: On Living Racialized Autism: I had tried to read this book and bounced off it a few times for personal reasons that had nothing to do with the content of the book, because someone who knew I was getting annoyed about being treated like the Disabled Person who Talked About Disability Things because I was Disabled gave it to me because we'd recently had a conversation about my Autism situation, and it was in a gift-giving situation where the other people getting presents got like. Books about skills and history and other intellectual stuff, and I got. The Disabled Book about Disability for the Disabled Person. Which turned me off of it for a while. I also have mild personal beef with one of the editors. I'm glad I finally made myself read it. There are a couple of good essays in it. Unfortunately, like all anthologies, it's very hit or miss, and this one, sadly, was more miss for me. Part of it, I think, is that the vast majority of the essays focused on the contributors' bad experiences growing up and in school with social alienation and peer and adult harassment. There's definitely a time and a place for these kinds of narratives! It's important to shine a light on the unique experiences that autistic children of color have, and the unique struggles they face. However, a lot of these essays felt more like I was reading someone's therapy journal or tumblr post than like. An essay in a published anthology, and, because the focus was so heavy on the growing up/school experience, I felt like I didn't get any real sense of the lives, joys, struggles, frustrations, etc of Autistic adults of color, beyond the few who talked about being mothers of also-autistic children. And personally, I'm so tired of all the focus being on the pre-22 experience and existence! Also, I understand the logic behind the like... everyone welcome, come as you are approach that a lot of disability justice types have adopted in terms of contributions for published works and public shows, but I disagree with it. I think the lack of editorial eye, rigor, and curation makes us look childish, sloppy, and less-than, and in doing so creates a shanda fur di goyim. And like. Idk. Maybe that's reactionary of me? But the other Autism anthology I've read, Loud Hands, had, I thought, a wonderful balance between scholarly articles, very well written personal essays, more lay confessional type things, and pieces that wouldn't be considered for other types of publications, but nevertheless in context were moving, insightful, and delightful. Like I said, there were a couple good essays, and I think if I'd read it when I was a good deal younger I would have gotten more out of it, but overall, not the book I was hoping for.

Hagseed, Margaret Atwood: A very fun book! The narrative voice was just the right side of cynically arch. It's maybe the first like. "Non-Theater People (or self-conscious theater-people) Write About Theater" book that I didn't feel was making fun of theater and like. Grotesquely exaggerating things on purpose to make theater look ridiculous. It captured the puffed-up silly self-importance of Serious Theater Types while also understanding that they really are brilliant artists, and that brilliant artistry sometimes means doing out-there things that don't always pan out. So that was nice. I thought it worked very well as a story based on the Tempest. My only criticisms are that, at times, I thought the commitment of sticking to the plot of Tempest hemmed it in a little, and that, while I know she said she did a lot of research, I question Atwood's cynicism and assumptions around the inmates' condoning of Caliban's attempted rape of Miranda. In my experience with an admittedly narrow subset of the types of guys who wind up in minimum and medium security prisons, there's a Type who is very attached to a like. Working-class chivalry that justifies his particular brand of misogyny by vocally condemning things like violent rape and wife-beating. So that rang, as I said, a little cynical. Otherwise, incredibly fun read.

Memorial, Bryan Washington: Not a bad book, and I'd be interested to read his short stories, but not for me. I thought he very effectively captured an inured depression that thinks of itself as merely clear-eyed incredibly well. I loved the way Houston felt like a character in its own right. I thought it was an unsentimental and quietly heartbreaking portrait of what happens in the aftermath of a family breaking apart, and of a kind of cold, cynical, detached mode of pre-emptively cutting oneself off from emotions, experiences, and connections that can develop in environments that alternate between cold repression and explosive violence. I also thought it did a good job of portraying a couple who are mostly together anymore out of habit and fear of abandonment/loneliness/being unmoored, but who have different levels of understanding around this, and I liked the way it ended for Mike and Ben. That felt organic, earned, and satisfyingly unresolved. What didn't work for me was the extreme sparseness of the prose. The author avoided adverbs, adjectives, and interiority to an extent that I found disorienting and confusing. Reading the conversations between characters in person felt no different than reading their conversations over text. Because of this, I found it hard to understand the reactions they had to each other. I would be reading a conversaton as closed and hostile, and then everyone would start laughing companionably, or I'd think the conversation was a happy, kind of joking one, and then someone burst into rage or tears. It was kind of like when I meet a new person and haven't developed a baseline for their body language, moods, facial expressions, tones, etc, and so I am never quite sure what they're feeling in a conversation, but taken to such an extreme. I found this style compelling in Yiyun Li's Where Reasons End because of the conceit of that book, but it didn't work for me in this one. Often there would be a conversation of "he said '[neutral sounding] words,' i said '[neutral sounding] words.' we both understood that what we'd said was a step too far. i left to get away from that nastiness." And like. I don't get what happened! Maybe I am stupid, maybe Houston-southern is like. More advanced than Western NC or Eastern VA southern. But it was like they were speaking in a code I didn't have the information to crack. I don't think that makes the book bad, but it does make it not for me.

My Journey to Appalachia: A Year at the Folk School, Ellie Lambert Wilson: So I am not reviewing this like usual because my reason for reading this is I know Ellie Wilson. I would go to singing and dancing nights at the Folk School as a little kid. It was kind of cool getting to read the history of where I grew up and people I know, or people I know's grandparents. Is it like. A great memoir with wonderful insight into the Human Condition? Absolutely not. But I did enjoy seeing old pictures of Keith House and reading about the great-aunt of the neighbor I got a Beagle puppy from when I was a kid.

Eileen, Otessa Moshfegh: I love that there now exists a corollary of Dostoyevsky's Underground Man but this time it's a nasty little rat girl. A lot of the narrator's neuroses around her body were pretty familiar to me, as were her neuroses around the conviction that she was Uniquely Evil when she was just like. Depressed, miserable, and undernourished, and outwardly was just a vaguely off-putting but perfectly normal and straight-laced person. I loved the twists. I loved the way the author blended repulsion with sympathy, for the main character, for her horrible alcoholic father, and for the mother of the juvenile inmate. I wouldn't say I enjoyed how gross the book was, but I did appreciate it, especially the way the narrator's repulsion and obsession with sex led to her describing all body functions and all little indignities of the flesh in this half-grotesque, quasi-erotic way. I very much enjoyed this book but it is very much not for everyone.

The Penelopiad, Margaret Atwood: Frustrating. The poetry and more experimental or theatrical prose sections dealing with the 12 maids hanged by Odysseus and Telemachus were fantastic. However, the Penelope sections were not my cup of tea. I find her decision to use the conceit of Penelope telling this story from Hades after having been dead for a couple thousand years, as a way to allow her a narrative voice most comparable to an embittered, cynical, middle aged, upper-middle-class suburban wife who didn't divorce her cheating husband but really should have, boring and lazy. I don't think we gain anything by remaking Penelope in Carmela Soprano's image. I also didn't appreciate how the author used this conceit to make Penelope relatably cynical and arch about things from ancient sources that modern readers find slightly ridiculous, like the feasting and the focus on material treasure. I found the choice to imply that the adventures described in the Odyssey were fish stories, and a convenient cover for the wayward husband whoring and drinking his way across the Aegean, obnoxious. I tend to find people who pick some atrocity out of the corner of a well-worn myth or legend and demand that it be given its due, not glossed or excused or swept aside to focus on "important" things, compelling and interesting. So I very much liked her doing that with the 12 hanged maids, a footnote, and an atrocity. I don't care for it when people try to make a mythical or legendary woman "more" "interesting" by deciding that she "must" have "secretly" had "something more" going on. And in this case I found that drive on the author's part to be in unproductive tension with the demands that the maids be acknowledged as full human beings with just as much right to exist and speak as Odysseus, and therefore just as necessary to mourn.

Company of Moths, Michael Palmer: I loved it, but I have nothing intelligent to say about it. Wish I was better at reading poetry, though.

[firegiftlouis]

Honestly don’t even care if you like Marius or David tbh, like that genuinely isn’t even my beef with some of their fans. My problem is that some of them have this weird…I wanna say superiority complex for liking them almost? “I like Marius because I know the difference between fiction and reality” like be so serious for a moment 🙄

I don’t know how many times this discourse has happened on this site by now but fiction doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It isn’t born from nothing and when it is released to an audience, especially if it gets very popular, it can influence the artistic or cultural landscape and those that consume it. No, liking someone like Marius doesn’t make you a pedo, just like playing video games hasn’t made me a mass shooter, but “fiction doesn’t affect reality” is such a disingenuous take at this point I’m surprised we’re still seeing it.

Never mind the fact that Anne Rice, in reality, supported children having sexual relationships with adults so again that point is kinda moot but whatever. Again, like what you like but be less smug about it maybe?

[andsalttheearthbehindyou]

in honor of tays new achievement occupying the top 10 songs (top 14 technically hehehe) on the billboard chart for the second time in her career and being the only artist to ever do so.... i wanted to talk torchiepo!! since i never did even though i said i was. (im busy im soz)

this is just going to be my really messy really scattered and disorganized thoughts on ttpd, bc i wanted to, so here they are. i think its tays most misunderstood album. i think that the media is heavily biased against her and her fans just so happen to speak louder than the critics and thats why you hear more positive than negative (thankfully). i think that her peers are extremely envious of her. taylor is unlike anything, any person, any artist. she is consistently peaking, she is consistently breaking her own records, therefore this is not someone that is going to be scrutinized or critiqued very fairly. people have these preconceived notions of her and their own thoughts on her as a person and how deserving she is of her fame and success. all of this is fine its just unfair when considering her art. CNN literally admitted to judging ttpd too harshly when it first came out. they were not judging the album. it is virtually impossible to consume and understand an artist's work just hours within it being released to the public, let alone a 2 HOUR, 31 TRACK ALBUM. they were judging HER. so they literally amended their review and yeah of course youre gonna like the album more after spending more time digesting it. stupid.

anyway. this album is really textured and layered and youre gonna naturally appreciate it more if you understand taylors lore. lol that sounds so funny to say but its really true. her songs naturally evolve in pop culture and become sound tracks to not just her life but her fans lives and they can be applied and understood in different ways. her older songs are true testaments of this, how theyre more generic love songs with winks and nods that allow her fans to understand who theyre *really* about/ what they mean to her. but ttpd is deeper than that, its really personal and unique to her life. no youre not going to relate to clara bow this is unique to her experience in the industry. no youre not gonna relate to thanK you aIMee because youve never beefed with kim kardashian and forcibly exiled from america. no youre not going to relate to the manuscript this is distinctly about her relationship when she was barely an adult dating a 30 year old movie star and her harrowing revisit to that trauma as she wrote the script for atw10 short film. right. yes we all wish we couldve dated jake gyllenhaal but we didnt, you didnt, she did. she saved us. shes literally christ. hahaha. anyway.

ok also a lot of people kind of fail to recognize the funniness and satire of this album. it is SO funny, and shes trying to make it funny, she literally explains this past stage of her life as a manic little phase that naturally would occur when dating one matty healy (ok she didnt say that explicitly i did but shebasically said that. in not so many words). okay if you dont get the jokes in the album do you know matty? i thank my lucky stars that i was an avid 2014 tumblrina and fan of the 1975 and i literally saw them last year, was very fun, matty is also a self-satirizing performer but this post isnt for him so i wont get into all of that either. but yeah people trying to talk down on her and say 'awww sweetie no....taylor youre not a poet....be so serious' oh my god!!! i want to scratch ur eyeballs out. SHE IS NOT SAYING SHES A POET!!! "I laughed in your face and said 'You're not Dylan Thomas, I'm not Patti Smith This ain't the Chelsea Hotel, we'rе modern idiots' " IS HER TELLING MATTY YOU ARE NOT A POET AND NEITHER AM I! so she literally agrees with you on that front.

i want to go through all the songs and all the lines and just gush about the masterful lyricism she possesses but i still feel like i havent had enough time with this album after a week. its such perfection. all the callbacks to her old songs, the influence of her co-producers jack and aaron and past albums culminating into this perfect blend of red-folk-nights?! ugh!!!! i love her so much. i love this album. TO PIECES

[tertiaryunit]

6, 7, 16 & 17 👀

OC Asks: Childhood Edition

6. Did your muse have a best friend? Friends? Who did they hang out with as a kid? Are they still friends?

Lawrence used to have a good bunch of friends as a kid and in his teens - those he knew as a child, however, are no longer alive (other ESPER Project kids who didn't survive the various experiments the MJ12 would conduct on them).

From ten to sixteen, when he was sent to military school, most of the people he hung out with were the same adults who trained with him. They still see each other occasionally but it's very rare considering everyone's schedule (and Walton purposely making sure his half-clone is emotionally dependant on him)

7. Did your muse have any enemies? Playground rivalries? How did that turn out?

As a child, most if not all the other ESPER kids were "frenemies" - the MJ12 would actually encourage rivalries to make them more competitive, especially if they had "opposing" abilities: Lawrence has Pyrokinesis? They're putting him against a kid who can use Hydrokinesis :P

It was hard for them to stay mad at each other for too long tho - being pretty much the only kids on the military base, all the children got along fairly well :)

Putting this here because the rivalry started around his 16th bday even if it continues afterwards too: GUNTHER. Yes, Gunther trained him in military school. Yes, he managed to have beef with a kid. 😭 (nothing serious, closest I can think of as comparison would be the way Jensen and Pritchard interact in Human Revolution)

16. If your muse could say one thing to their childhood self, what would they say? Would your muse want to meet their childhood self in the first place?

Lawrence would probably tell his younger self “Hold on, it will get better. Eventually”. That said, he wouldn’t want to meet his past self - he’s never been the type to indulge too much in the past. It would only make him sad to think about it.

17. How is your muse with kids now? Do they want kids of their own? What lessons from their childhood would they pass on to the next generation?

OH BOI InvisibleWar!Lawrence is a literal Papa Wolf to the Denton Twins, almost bordering on “Knight Templar Parent” :^)  I like to imagine him a bit like Mufasa from the original Lion King.

(In my IW rewriting, “Alex” are two twins - male and female, as in the game you could select your gender. I got this idea from an artist who used to draw lots of fanart about them)

To be fair, at first he never planned on having kids - but feeling guilt over being responsible for their parents’ death, IW!Lawrence adopted them and eventually never regretted his decision in taking them under his wing.  He’d warn them about the danger of cults and cult-mentality and to never let their guard down to people who seem trustworthy, even if they consider them “friends”.

This ties well to what Billie ends up doing in the OG game...

[theaviskullguy]

Ink and Petals

@dapple-dualies-propaganda here's the au

Tattoo artist! Rider x Florist! Goggles

hope you enjoy!

---------

When was it not busy at Squid ink?

It was one of the top Tattoo Parlors in Inkopolis. and it was also on a pretty busy street. So, it got a lot of customers. Also the fact that one of the artists was a famous turfer.

Rider hadn't formerly retired, but he had eased out of playing Turf Wars. He had found other interests outside of the sport: Theater, art, reviewing old movies online... He still did Turf from time to time, albeit the adult league. He was too old for the more popular teen division.

So, he found a job as a tattoo artist. And he rather loved it. Not only did most of his friends consult him for tattoo advice (from where the best places are to good designs), but he also knew some gossip. One of his regulars had beef with her neighbor because he has a pet raccoon who keeps stealing her trash and Rider could NOT wait to hear more about this story.

Another thing was, well, Rider had seen some shit. From people covered head to toe in tats, to people eagerly wanting their first tattoo, even to shyer folk who wanted one to defy controlling parents or to mark something important.

None of that prepared Rider for the news he got when tattooing one of the customers. More specifically, Gloves.

You see, Gloves had been coming in for the past few days. They had wanted a pretty complicated butterfly tat, so for the last 3 days Rider has been exchanging stories with the resident enby about... pretty much anything.

This is how this exchange happened;

"So you remember Goggles, right?" Gloves asked.

Rider rolled his eyes. "What, you think I'd forget the guy who kept pulling down my pants?"

"Oh ha ha. Anyways, apparently he works at that flower shop now."

"...He what?"

"You heard me!" They said. "I went there yesterday to get something for a project and there was Goggles! He misses you, 'ya know!"

Rider was just. quiet. He hadn't talked to his crush in a while, contact dwindled when Rider stopped doing Turf as much. Never once did he think Goggles would miss him, but that was probably the self hatred talking.

"...I'll think about it." Was all Rider said.

The conversation continued like nothing happen; Gloves saying multiple cursed things and Rider sharing interesting stories he heard on his job. Time flew by and soon, the tattoo was done; a butterfly with the bi colors on one wing and the nb colors on the other. Rider was quite proud of it, and Gloves seemed to like it. They waved, and left the store, humming to themselves.

Rider looked at the clock. His shift ended in just a few minutes. He knew he had no other appointments that day, so he took to watching old recorded matches in his phone.

Those were over a decade ago. Yet he still remembered everything. His favorite part was still learning he won a match by such a small margin. It was just... amazing.

He sighed. Rider missed those battles. But he has to say, he missed his crush a bit more.

He clocked out, saying goodbye to the other employee-Cherry (business relationships were easy to maintain when your coworkers were your siblings), and headed towards the flower shop for more reasons than one.

Army had a performance the next day. And yeah, Rider knew it was romantic, but platonically giving your best friend flowers was always nice. Plus, he wanted an excuse to see Goggles again.

He looked into the shop-the blue inkling was nowhere to be seen, but then again neither was the front desk. So, Rider shrugged and stepped in.

The floral scent was strong, but not overwhelming. Plenty of blossoms lined the stands, along with tags of what the flowers were and what they meant.

Rider looked around, trying to remember which flowers Army liked again, when he heard a familiar, youthful voice.

"Hi! Need any help?"

The inkling turned around. Goggles had definitely changed since Rider last saw him; his tentacles were longer and in an actual bun, for once. His blue eyes still had that clarity, and he still had that goofy smile. Though he didn't seem to recognize Rider.

"Uhh... I'll be fine. I'm just trying to remember what flower my friend likes the most." He said, hoping his accent didn't give him away; there weren't many in Inkopolis with an Australian accent.

But, Goggles didn't seem to notice or care. "Oh, okay!"

Rider internally breathed a sigh of relief. That would have been awkward if Goggles recognized him.

He looked around the shop, before spotting a bouquet of lilies. He knew Army liked lilies. If they weren't his favorite flower, it'd be close enough.

Rider took a few of the bigger ones, and a few white roses for variety, and took them to the counter.

Goggles smiled. "This a special occasion?"

"Not exactly. Just, my friend's doing a performance for a musical and I wanted to get him something for it." Rider explained.

"What musical?" Gogs asked, arranging the flowers with a sheer, white ribbon tying them together.

"Hadestown. He got Eurydice."

"Oh! I went to go see it last night! Army's amazing at that role. He's your friend, right?"

Rider internally panicked, but calmed down after remembering he wasn't Army's only friend. "Yeah. We've been friends for a while now."

"Well, tell him I said hi!" He handed the bouquet to Rider. "On me, alright? It's for a friend anyways!"

Rider nodded. "Thanks, mate."

"You're welcome!"

------

A few weeks went by. Rider occasionally stopped at the flower shop and got flowers for...well, no real reason. He'd use them to add color to his house, or give them to friends. He just wanted an excuse to see Goggles.

He'd talked to the blue inkling a bit more, too. He'd gotten into the business since, well, he really liked flowers, and he wanted a job where he could just...relax! He still did Turf, of course, but the Adult league was more serious than the teen one, and he just wanted to have fun instead of be expected to take a game seriously.

He still didn't recognize Rider. The yellow-green inkling was a bit hurt by this, to be honest.

Though, it was a bit startling when Goggles actually walked into Rider's work. And Rider was assigned to give Goggles his first tattoo: A blue jay on his shoulder, taking off from a branch.

This time, it was Goggles' turn to ask questions as Rider worked.

"Sooo.... you've been coming into my shop for a while and I still don't know your name!" The blue inkling stated. "I mean, you can probably recognize me though!"

Rider shrugged. "Well, who can forget Goggles of the Idiot Blue team?"

Goggles giggled. "You do know me! I still don't know you!!"

"...I can assure you, we've met before that day I got Army flowers." Rider said.

"Ooh! Can I try and guess who you are?"

"Ehh, why not."

"Okay! Umm..." Goggles thought for a moment. "Clams facemask?"

Rider shook his head. "Nope."

"Inkfall?"

"Wrong."

"Eging Jr?"

"Not even close there."

"Stealth Goggles?"

"Getting closer, I'll give you that."

"....Rider?" Goggles asked.

Rider chuckled. "Took you long enough, idiot."

Goggles smiled wide. "I finally found you! Hi Riri!"

"Hey, Gogs. It's been a while."

"Yeah! I'm a bit surprised I didn't recognize you, since we were pretty close!" Goggles stated.

Rider shrugged. "Well, I'm not the most memorable person anyways."

"Riderrrrr don't say that!" Goggles said. "You're still really popular!"

"To some people, maybe. Not everyone."

There was a tense silence, other than the hum of the tattoo needle as it made the drawing.

"....So." Goggles started again. "How's life?"

"It's...well, better than it was." Rider said. "Got my own place, for one. Though it gets a bit lonely.. You?"

"I'm still living in an apartment. I really want a roommate!" Goggles proclaimed. "Maybe we could move in together?"

"..I'll think about it, Gogs. Though it might be fun being your roommate."

"Really? Thanks Rider!" Goggled smiled.

The conversation grew more casual. Rider enjoyed it; turns out Goggles had his fair share of gossip. It was kinda cool.

And as the next few days passed, Rider looked forward to each of those sessions. His crush seemed to go from "this person would be fun to date i think" to "hOLY MOTHER OF THE GODS IM IN L O V E", and it didn't help that during those meetings, Goggles had to be shirtless.

The days turned into weeks and months. Goggles moved in with Rider, and the two became incredibly close friends.

And, it came to a head near valentines day. Goggles' shop was very busy, as expected. Luckily, Squid Ink wasn't as much.

So, on his day off, just before Valentines, Rider headed to the flower shop and got a bouquet of roses. Cliché to confess on Valentines day, Rider knew, but he's a pining gay cut him some slack.

And Rider came home right as Goggles was leaving for his shift. So, that left Rider with a good 3 hours to practice his confession.

"Alright, Rider. This has to be CASUAL. 'Hey, I've liked you for over a decade but just now had the confidence to confess!' No, too creepy sounding. 'Yo, Gogs. I really like you and maybe we could go out to dinner sometimes?' ...Too casual."

....Yeah, this went on for a while.

Rider groaned, collapsing his his bed. "I wish feelings were fucking easier...I should just call Army."

So, he grabbed his phone and selected the contact, Veronica Sawyer Kinnie

"C'mon, Army... pick up."

And not one ring later, "Rider, what is it?"

"...I need romantic help. Please." Rider asked.

"Look, just because I'm married to Aloha, doesn't mean I know how I ended up here."

"Yeah, I kinda know that." He stated. "Still. I really need some help."

Army sighed. "Who is it? It's totally that one person with the raccoon story-"

"Actually, no. It's, um.... It's Goggles."

The octoling on the other end of the line could be heard sighing. "Still a morosexual I see."

"OI! You're the one who married a fuckin himbo!"

".....Touché. Still, there's a difference."

Rider huffed. "Just... give me some advice. I wanna confess to him tomorrow but I've got no idea how. I'm giving him roses, but like, there's gotta be something more I could do, y'know?"

"Have you tried asking Prince?" Army suggested. "He is the one with the obsession with rom coms and romance novels."

"This is his exam period, Army. I'm not about to potentially interrupt a cram session by asking for romantic advice!"

"Fair enough. I'd say...well, just rip off the band aid. Like... 'Hey, Goggles, I really like you and was wondering if you'd like to be my boyfriend.'"

"...Thanks, Arm. I'll, uh, give it a try."

-------

Rider couldn't sleep that well. Mainly out of anticipation.

He was gonna confess to his crush of...over a decade, at least. He didn't fuckin know what was gonna happen!

Like, would Goggles reciprocate? Would he hate Rider after it? WHAT THE FUCK WOULD HAPPEN-

He sighed. He needed to get his mind off this shit.

Rider looked over to his bedside clock: 5AM. 5 hours before his shift. 5 hours to get his shit together and plan for confessing to the world's cutest but also dumbest man later that night.

C'mon, Rider. Think. Army said to rip it off like a band aid, but Goggles might find that a little sudden and out of the blue. He could write a letter and leave it for Goggles when he went to his shift (The flower shop was closed on Valentines day). That would be a safe option.

Rider sat up, and got out a piece of paper and pencil, writing a note.

"Hey, Goggles.

There's something I've been wanting to tell you for a while. I really, really like you. As in, a crush.

I totally get it if you don't like me back, or think I'm weird, but hey, I was wondering if you'd wanna go out to dinner or something. Probably not tonight cause of Valentine's day but maybe tomorrow night or something.

-Rider"

Quickly, he folded it and wrote Goggles' name, putting a little heart sticker on it. It was corny, but hey, Rider had to use up those stickers somehow.

Rider attached it to the roses, and kept it on his desk.

And so, the morning went as normal. He had breakfast, got out of his pjs, put his hair up... the usual.

But as Rider left to go to work, he left the note and rose on the table, and left the house quickly.

During the day, he nearly forgotten all about it; He caught up with the gossip-Apparently the neighbor with the raccoon and the regular were now dating. So that was a nice little end to the story.

Squid Ink wasn't AS busy-probably because it was Valentines day, people were spending it with their lovers, not getting inked up (unless they made the appointment when single)

And it was near the end of Rider's shift when he heard his name mentioned. Probably someone making an appointment before he heard the familiar voice of Goggles going "Okay!!"

The blue inkling walked over to his station. "Hi Ridey!!"

"...Hey, Gogs. Getting another tat?" Rider asked, trying to keep his cool.

Goggles nodded. "Yeah!!!"

"A'ight anything specific in mind or-"

"Can I get just a simple quote one?"

Rider nodded. "Where do you want it?"

Goggles pulled down the collar of his shirt slightly. "Right here, please!"

"Okay. Just try to keep holding that down so I don't mess up.

-----

And so, tattoo conversations ensued.

The quote Goggles had wanted was a simple Pride one, that said "love is love". It was discreet, but a bit of it could be seen poking out if Goggles ever wore a v-neck.

"So, any plans for tonight?" Rider asked, trying to keep things subtle. Maybe Goggles hadn't read the note yet.

The blue inkling nodded. "Kinda! I had mental plans buuuuut nothing serious."

Rider raised an eyebrow. "Who with?"

"..I m-mean, I still have to ask him.." Goggles' face turned a shade of blue, and he averted his gaze.

"....Can I guess who he is?"

"If ya can!"

He smiled. "Does his name have an R in it?" Rider had a guess it was himself, but it wouldn't hurt to check.

Goggles nodded. "Yeah!"

"Got an accent?"

"Yep!!"

"Is he doing your tattoo?"

"....y-yeah?" Goggles sheepishly smiled. "I'm n-not that discreet, am I?"

Rider chuckled, but on the inside he was screeching. "Honestly? I had no clue myself."

"Really? I've been dropping the most obvious hints!"

"...Like what?" Rider asked, now a bit curious.

"Welllll I've been picking movies you like during movie night, I've made sure to get your drink on coffee runs, Oh! And I offered to cook dinner that one time!" Goggles stated.

"...Damn. I'm just oblivious then." The former dynamo user laughed, before turning off the needle. "There. It's all done." Rider held up a mirror for the blue boy.

Goggles' face lit up. "Whoa! It looks amazing!!! Thanks Riri!"

Rider smiled. "You're welcome. Now, uh, ...did you read my note?"

"..Y-yeah, I did. And, um...I like you too Rider!!" The blue man pressed a small, quick kiss to Rider's cheek.

Rider blushed. "S-so, you'll let me t-take you out?"

Goggles nodded. "Yeah!!!"

"I...thanks, Gogs."

"You're welcome Riri!!!"

----------

aAAAAA RUSHED END

but like. hope yall enjoy!

[fantastic-rambles]

Sk8 Character Thoughts

Yeah, so y’all have to deal with me venting my latest obsession, lol. Sorry to everyone who followed me for other stuff, I will get back to it eventually. ^^;

I was gonna write out individual walls of text for everyone to be fair, but I decided that’s too much work and I’d go crazy before I finished (plus I’m feeling guilty for neglecting my fanfiction writing), so I’m just gonna bullet point some of the random things I think about various skaters (opinions and theories).

The order is the approximate order of which I like characters, though it’s not a strict ranking. I like most of the characters in the show to some extent.

Adam (Shindo Ainosuke)

I’ve already said a lot about him, you can check it out here and here. I’ll probably end up saying more about him before the show ends, too. xD

Yes, he is an absolutely awful person, but that’s what makes him amazing.

I will say that he needs a better costume designer. He looks like a clown. It looks like something that he designed when he was, like, five years old.

The mask is great though. <3

Cherry Blossom (Sakurayashiki Kaoru)

I love the super analytical types, but I also feel like Carla is a crutch for him. He’s a great skater, but if he didn’t have Carla, I don’t think he’d be able to compete at the level of the other top skaters. But all the more props to him for finding a way that he could compete at that level.

He totally had a thing for Adam before. But I think that even then, Adam was too fucked up to be able to have a romantic relationship, so nothing came of it. Because if Adam did actually learn what real love was like rather than confusing abuse for love, I don’t think he would have turned out the way he did.

It’s pretty clear that until he gets smacked by Adam, he’s still looking up to Adam and clinging to what they had before. And it bleeds into his non-skating life as well: when he did his calligraphy demonstration, I think that he hoped Adam would see it, which was why he picked that specific phrase and explained it--to let Adam know that it wasn’t too late to make amends (not that Adam would have given a fuck even if he did see it).

I love his character design as a teen, and I’m sad that he’s become more respectable-looking (though still hot af) as an adult. I’m a sucker for guys with long hair in anime/manga.

He is absolutely a weeb. He’s made an AI assistant who he calls Carla, which creeps out Joe (in a cute, lovable way, not in an Adam way), and he incorporates her into almost all aspects of his life. Like, he just happens to have an AI-augmented wheelchair handy, why?

He also dresses up like a ninja when he’s skating, goes around in a kimono in his daily life, etc. etc. Okay, maybe the kimono can be excused since he’s a calligrapher (though I’m pretty sure that’s not the norm regardless, except for maybe if the artist is at some sort of exhibition?), but people’s costumes seem to show off who they really are beneath the mask they put on for society. So Cherry secretly wants to be a ninja. xD

I’m not on any specific ship, but if I had to pick one to board, it would be Matchablossom.

Can we please have a spinoff that’s just about Adam, Cherry, and Joe when they’re teenagers?

Snow (Hasegawa Langa)

Frankly, Langa’s only up this high because I love his dynamic/rivalry with Adam. If Adam didn’t exist, he’d be below Joe, maybe below Tadashi.

Not that I don’t like Langa, but he’s just an oblivious skating nerd. He’s skilled and passionate, but I don’t really feel that he really stands out as a standalone character. He’s more of a foil for other characters (mostly Adam and Reki).

I guess what stands out the most to me is his ability to improvise when he’s falling behind, since his skill level is understandably lower than most of the other people he skates against. Like finding alternative pathways to the finish line versus Shadow and Miya, or using Joe’s strength to propel him forward. Or just, like, flying off the edge of a cliff to take a shortcut. That too. xD

His snow motif is pretty cool. (No pun intended.)

And I won’t deny that he’s cute. He’s actually the reason I started watching, because I saw some fanart of him and got curious. Came for the Langa, stayed for the Adam. <3

I feel bad for him for having a jealous jerk as basically his only friend though.

Joe (Nanjo Kojiro)

He’s such a teddy bear. <3

Joe’s the heart to Cherry’s brain, and I adore the way they balance each other out. I love Vitriolic Best Buds.

What surprised me, though, is that Joe seems to have a better understanding of Adam’s current character than Cherry does, since Cherry is so precise and analytical. Though the flashback clarified that some since it’s pretty obvious that Cherry is/was biased where Adam is concerned. Sure, Joe was also friends with Adam back then, but it seems that Cherry was the one most star-struck by Adam.

But Joe obviously knows and accepts that Adam’s changed, unlike Cherry, though he probably doesn’t know the reason why. He seemed to be expecting something to happen during the race, so it didn’t surprise him when it did, though he was sad/disappointed by it. It seemed like he was concerned and wanted to warn Cherry before his race (which is super cute), and when everyone else was flinching from seeing the assault on Cherry, Joe didn’t look away. I don’t think he knew exactly what Adam was going to do (I don’t think anyone did, lol), but he knew Adam was going to do something.

I don’t think he was serious when he said the reason Adam is avoiding their beefs is because he’s afraid he’ll lose, though. Yeah, he wants to race Adam, and he wants to win, but I think he’s more grounded when it comes to Adam, so he probably knows that Adam would beat him if it came down to it. Whereas Cherry legitimately thought he could win if Adam held back.

Also, his skateboard wheels are ridiculous. How do they even work?

Snake (Kikuchi Tadashi)

He got an ask post, yay, so not going to rehash it here.

I really hope that Adam realizes at some point that Tadashi is the only person who really knows and understands him, and comes to appreciate everything that Tadashi’s done for him.

Miya (Chinen Miya)

Such a brat, omg.

I get that he’s a kid, and kids are brats, and so it’s a fairly realistic depiction. I just hate kids. >.>

Pretty much the only time I’ll really like a child character is when they’re precocious as fuck and not child-like at all, which I get defeats the purpose, but that’s me.

Brattiness aside, he is skilled and appreciates Reki standing up to Adam on his behalf, so much so that he’s willing to spend his time training a “slime” just so Reki doesn’t get completely crushed by Adam. And he’s also willing to work with Langa to teach him the most difficult trick in skating (the Caspar Slide) for the same reason.

Ultimately, he’s a good kid, but he’s had some bad experiences that make it harder for him to trust people since he’s afraid they’ll leave him. He’s still willing to try, though, if people will give him a chance.

Also, the one ep when they go on vacation and Miya pretends Joe is his daddy (and Cherry is his mommy, rofl--hi Matchablossom!) to drive away the women Joe’s hitting on... hilarious.

Kyan Reki 

An even bigger brat.

Again, yeah, he’s a teenager and teens are “just like that,” but I hate those kinds of characters.

Just because his friend is a skating genius, he gets all pissy and stops being friends with him? Showing up to cheer Langa on and then completely running away doesn’t redeem him in my eyes. I get that he’s disappointed that he’s not capable of skating at the level of the top skaters and frustrated that Langa surpassed him so easily, but that’s no excuse to take it out on Langa (or anyone else).

And everyone complains about Adam being possessive, but they just gloss over the fact that Reki repeatedly tries to force Langa to promise to not skate against Adam, even roping in their manager, when he knows that Langa likes accepting challenges and has fun doing them. He just wants to keep Langa to himself, and he’s jealous as fuck that Langa is obsessed with skating against Adam.

Langa even explicitly tells him that he’s not racing Adam just because he’s upset about what Adam did to Reki, but because he wants to do it. Which is the exact same fucking reason Reki gives for not listening to Joe and Miya, and Langa supports his decision then. Why can’t Reki do the same?

Yes, he’s traumatized because his friend who introduced him to skating was seriously injured and had to quit skating, and he got hurt skating against Adam, but just like for Adam: YOUR TRAUMA/BACKSTORY DOES NOT JUSTIFY YOUR BEHAVIOR.

Plus, the whole “we’ll never disappear from your sight” that he told Miya? Psych!

Like, seriously. He knows the kid has abandonment issues because people leave him because he’s too good at what he does, and then he just goes ahead and poofs, putting both Miya and Langa through the same exact fucking thing.

Though I’m sure that the power of friendship will give him a miraculous recovery and he’ll build a new board for Langa so Langa can beat Adam before Adam gets hauled off to jail. It’ll probably be a cheesy make-up where Langa says something about how he can only use Reki’s boards, so it’s like they’re skating together when he races or whatever.

I do respect his ability to observe other skaters and make boards that are perfectly suited to them, though. And he knows that he’d be good in that support role. But he wants to be the hero, so he’s suffering from eighth grader syndrome and lashing out because reality doesn’t conform to his wishes.

Shadow (Higa Hiromi)

Just fucking die already, ‘kay?

I don’t even know what to say. He’s all caught up in his “antihero” complex or whatever (I don’t even remember if that’s the right term, and I don’t give a fuck), and he’s got a nasty personality. Like burning Reki’s board or threatening to have a guy tattoo “Dumpster Slut” above his girlfriend’s name.

You really expect me to believe that he’d treat his manager respectfully if they started dating when he does something like that? His polite florist persona is such a sham.

And he’s a shit skater. How the hell is he in the top 8? If they can throw in a random guy we’ve never seen before (Harry), then they could have just as well put in some other trash mob instead of Shadow, who only didn’t get knocked out in the quarterfinal round because he was racing a nobody.

Imo, all of his “cute” little tricks like throwing fireworks at his opponent or shining a laser into their eyes is worse than what Adam does. Once he does that, he relinquishes all control over the situation, so anything could happen, such as his opponent crashing into a wall or falling off a cliff, which could result in serious injuries or even death. On the other hand, Adam always remains in control when he’s trying to throw off his opponent by forcing them to dance with him and freaking them the fuck out by pushing their limits. Even when he’s holding Reki’s head about an inch above the ground, he won’t let Reki brain himself on a rock or something. And even when he smacks Cherry with his skateboard, his attack leaves Cherry conscious and so lightly injured (relative to what could have been) that he doesn’t even need to stay in the hospital. (I don’t think he actually needs a wheelchair, other than probably being a bit woozy from a concussion, maybe. And maybe not even that if Joe isn’t concerned enough to wake him up/keep him from being unconscious.) Yeah, Adam fucks with his opponents, but if they can get over it, they can get back on a board. There’s a good chance that won’t happen if they get in an accident caused by Shadow, other than for anime logic.

“What about Adam’s Love Hugs??” What about them? Yes, he’s not holding on to his opponents to control their falls, but the point of it is to make them flinch and fall backwards, against the line of motion. That naturally will decrease the severity of their physical injuries, unlike when Reki and Harry fall off the course at full speed versus Shadow.

The only reason he doesn’t have a higher body count than Adam (or even a literal body count) is plot convenience, since he’s not the villain.

[praphit]

“Project Power”- Add it to the list, Jamie :)

In these tense times of protests, economic woes, demon sperm,

and mad scientists giving us advice on how to stay safe

(Psssh, plus he’s a Nationals fan? Smh... that monster), 

it's natural for us to call out for a hero. 

I know that I'm first on your list (If you don’t know, get it together, I'm practically "Black Dynamite", especially since I haven't seen a barber in forever)

, and I'm flattered, but I'm a busy man. Much like common sense, I may not always be around to lend a hand.

You might want to turn to The Avengers, but 

- yeah. They're kinda done without a leader.

NEXT!

Batman? 

But is it the old, sad Ben Batman?

- or... 

... whatever the hell this is? Batman has got issues right now.

NEXT!

Politici... Ha! Sorry, I can't even... Ha! Just no.

NEXT!

Firefighters!

Sure, but unless your place is on fire or you're having a bachelorette party, they won't be of much use.

Somehow, next up is Jamie Foxx.

Yeah, I couldn't believe it either, but there he is - "Project Power".

Let's look at the official description of the movie shall we - 

"A former soldier teams up with a cop to find the source behind a dangerous pill that provides temporary superpowers."

Seems like it should be a fun, yet awful movie right??

I'm not even gonna bullshit you. This movie is awful, but not in the fun way. It's a Grade F, and that's that.

For starters, the trope-filled story never gets off the ground. I still don't know why or how it doesn't, but I was never invested in this flick. There's no depth to it. It's just those two, and a teenager, bypassing law enforcement to tackle the war on drugs.

This war starts with a character named "Newt", played by music artist (previously a rapper) / actor, Machine Gun Kelly. 

There are certain actors that consistently make poor choices for movies that they're in. It's to the point where if you see them in a trailer, you know that the movie is going to be bad. Now, he's not one of those actors, because you can't call what he does "acting". But, he is always one of the reasons why the movie he's in will be bad.

If you're unfamiliar with his bad choices, here's a brief recap:

*Making music *Beefing with Eminem

(this is not a pic of him from the movie, it's what happened to him once Em launched his diss track at MGK

 - goodbye "rap career")

*Dating Megan Fox

Even his character made poor decisions.

*Here's him drinking a big gulp, obnoxiously loud during a drug dealing meeting (I imagine Trump doing that in meetings).

*Then, his character has his own name written on his own door, WHEN THE COPS ARE LOOKING FOR HIM!

That's just amateur back-in-the-day cartoon villain stuff, right?? Back when they had giant evil lairs.

Plus, he can't be a very good dealer, being that we don't see all that many people using this drug. If this were real, I imagine that everyone would at least try it; especially the way our world is going right now. Granny would replace the hard candy in her jar with power pills.

I could go on and on, but I digress.

Joseph Gordon what's-his-face was good,

 but like most of the characters in this movie, he was one dimensional.

He's a renegade cop who will doing anything to get this ridiculous drug of the streets. Anything includes taking the drug himself to even the odds. The other cops know that he's doing it too! How do they see him doing something blatantly against the law that they serve and... oh wait.

Then, they've got the black teenage girl, who's facing real systemic racism, who focuses way too much on her rap skills rather than school work.

Whom adults also feel to need to take out of school and put her in life-threatening situations.

And Jamie Foxx... 

let's just review a few of the times in which he played an action role.

That’s him a lil behind Josh Lucas. Who’s that, you ask? - exactly.

Here he played a sick violinist... I think. It’s been a while. But, I remember him physically fighting with Robert Downey Jr (him in the back), so we’re adding to the action list:)

Here he is behind another white dude. And a another movie that we forgot about.

Here he is behind the white dude again... at least we know that white dude. 

Lemme look at the poster for “Project Power” again - 

aaaaah, see, now it makes sense to me why Gordon Joseph whatever-his-name-is looks so confused in the poster.

He’s like “Jamie, aren’t you supposed to be behind me?”

There are a few more, but we’ll end with this one...

Yeaaaaah... *sigh* Yeaaaaah. Let’s put that back in the vault.

Idk...

Somehow Tom Cruise, who's almost 60 and 5 foot 2 is so much more believable as an action star than Jamie Foxx.

Don't ask me how. It's one of the great mysteries of our time.

Oh right! - There WAS “Django Unchained”,

 but that had the absurdities of Quentin Tarantino and some comedy in it.

Maybe if they didn't take "Project Power" so seriously it would have worked.

I mean it's about drugs that give people temporary superpowers.  Drugs already give people powers (kinda):

1) Super Balance - idk about where y’all live, but here in Baltimore, there are leaners in every alley way exhibiting this power.

2) The ability to make your problems dis... well, not really disappear, but... you get the idea.

3) And loss of teeth! How about that one??! Pick them up, and use them as projectiles? YEAH!

But, these SUPER powers in the movie are more like speed, strength, fire, ice, all of the regulars.

The effects at times were good, 

but at other times it looked like a bad video game; with the dumbass boss fight as well.

Don't waste your time, people. I was hoping for Funny-Bad, but I got Sad-Bad. You know?? I kept thinking "*sigh* Oh, Jamie."

Have any of you seen "The Boys"? 

(a dark, but funny take on superheroes)

They could have done something like that. Jamie Foxx is hilarious, and that Gordon Joseph guy is pretty funny as well. Be creative. Be raw.

But, nope. They had to tell us a serious tale of a world where drug addicts have super powers, and comedians are our only hope for protection.

[miss-dr-reid]

This is calm, and it's, Doctor #6

A little something different for this one.

~Spencer's POV~

After I ordered the food to be delivered, I turned around to see y/n had disappeared from her perch on the stool. I walked around the bench, looked down the hall and saw no movement. I walked over to the lounge and found her resting, looking so peaceful.

Her face looked soft, lips parted slightly. Her arms cuddled the cushion tocher chest while her legs were called up, fitting into the lounge. Not wanting to disturb her peaceful slumber, I grabbed a book and sat at the table behind her. I sat on the side of the table that allowed me to see her face whenever I looked up from my book.

She was so beautiful in so many ways. In the week I've known her, I've noticed myself wanting to be around her as much as possible. She was so smart, but humble enough that she never really corrected anyone if that hadn't called her 'Doctor', so much so, that maybe people didn't even realise.

I looked up from my book as she stirred, taking in a deep breath, smacking her lips to get her quietly as she exhaled. My heart skipped a beat as I watched. After a while of reading, there was a knock on the door, 'Dinner', I thought as I walked over and opened the door.

Happy to see my dinner in the hands of the delivery man, I handed him a $10 tip and he went on his way. I closed the door and popped the bag onto the bench. I unpacked by he bag on the bench, ensuring everything was there b

"Vegetable omelette, fried rice, beef and black bean..." Quietly listing them to myself as I set them in the bench, followed by the complimentary prawn chips. I headed over for the lounge.

"Y/N," I kneeled next to her on the ground, "y/n, dinner is here." I tapped her hand which was wrapped around her wrist, holding her arms together.

One eye popped open slightly, looking at me.

"Dinner?" Her voice, a whisper.

"Yeah!" I confirmed. She grabbed my hand, surprising me. I hadn't realised that I had rested mine on hers after waking her. She used me to help herself up, throwing her feet to the ground, yawning and stretching.

I got up and walked back to the kitchen, grabbing plates and cutlery for each of us. Y/N took the stool where she had been before laying down. I took the one next to her, handing over the plate and cutlery I got for her. Her face screwed up as I handed over the cutlery.

"What?" I asked, thinking something was wrong. She picked up the fork I had given her,

"A fork? Do you have chopsticks?" She asking, faking offence.

I grabbed out the complimentary ones from the bottom of the bag and gave them to her. Satisfied with her utensils, she proceeded to pour some of each dish onto her plate.

"You gonna eat those?" She gestured toward the prawn chips. I shook my head, sliding them her way. She happily accepted them, opening the bag and diving right in. I watched as she pulled out chips, inspecting each one. After watching for a while, I reduced that she was looking for 'bowl-shaped' chips so she could pile as much food onto it as possible.

I let out a little laugh as I realised. I was so intrigued in how she chose to are, I couldn't help but watch. As much as it usually revolted me, I was too invested to stop. After picking the perfect chip, scooping as much food onto it as possible, she'd try eat it all in one go.

"You right?" She asked, snapping me out of my trance I hadn't realised I was in. Her eyes watched my face as I nodded, not knowing what to say.

"I- I've never seen anyone eat like that." was all I could manage.

"I'm not just anyone, Spence." She joked, wiggling her eyebrows and elbowing my arm. I faked an injury, grabbing my arm with an "Ow!". Even though 'Spence' was a nickname used my most people I know, the way Y/N says it makes it sound so good. And, when she calls me 'Doctor', something happens inside me, I can't even describe it. The thought of her saying my name makes my heart race.

We finished eating dinner and I wanted the few dishes we had messed, Y/N watched me Street I had declined her offer of help. I noticed her watching my hands, and looking up to my face every now and then, her own face resting on her propped up hand.

Once I was done, I dried my hands on the tea towel that was in the bench. I took the couple of steps over to the bench opposite Y/N. Leaning on my elbows, I looked over her face, her eyes slightly droopy, but not necessarily tired, I couldn't put my finger on it.

"Spence..." she said soft and slightly hoarse, "can we listen to some music?"

"Oh yeah. I have a Google Home, so, to for it." I told her.

"Hey Google," she started, "Play 'Moo' by Doja Cat." She called, a smirk filling her lips. I was confused, so I focused on Google.

"Bitch, I'm a cow." It started. I was taken aback and Y/N laughed, quickly changing the song.

"Hey Google, play 'Crazy Little thing called Love." She hopped off the stool and walked to the empty area between the bench and table.

The song started and she started dancing. Her voice filled the room, full of passion. I was enjoying watching her perform until she gestured for me to join her. I shook my head, stiffening at the idea of dancing.

"Please Spence, it'll loosen you up, and we all need to chill out." She almost begged, fluttering her eyelashes, while holding her arms out toward me, a grabbing motion played on her fingers.

Seeing this side of Y/N was strange, but comforting. The entire time I had known her, she was always serious. Happy to have a laugh, but never too much fun. I unwillingly obliged only because I wanted to see her smile again, and she did as I stated toward her.

She didn't get my hands like o thought she would, instead she swayed her body in time with the music causing me to follow along. I did enjoy this more than I was expecting to. I think, because of her. She was singing, dancing and almost performing a whole concert.

She stopped in her tracks, smirking at me as she called for Google to play another song.

#Where have all the good men gone

and where are all the gods?

Where's the streetwise Hercules

To fight the rising odds#

She sang along, hitting every note, I was in awe. After the song, she decided one okay change was necessary. The music changed to the artist 'Bruno Mars', her body language changed. She went from partying and jumping around, to smooth fluid, alluring moves.

"Got anything to drink?" Her voice, breaking my thoughts one more time, "Anything adult?" She emphasised.

Thinking for a second, I did have some whiskey that I was gifted and never drank. I grabbed the bottle bedroom the top shelf of an overhead cupboard. I collected a glass from another, scooped some ice from the freezer, and poured out a drink into the glass, sliding the glass over to her across the bench.

She took it, sniffed it, swirled it and took a sip. She swallowed it all up after getting a taste, tapping the glass on the counter and with her best western accent,

"Another, barkeep!" She mustered out. I poured another, and she downed it. She got up to resume her dancing. I put the lid on the bottle and left it on the bench.

I walked around and sat on the stool, enjoying watching her sing and dance, relaxing as the drinks styles in her system. She danced for a while, eventually joining me as I wandered over to the lounge. She brought the whiskey, her glass and one for me. Not being a big drinker, I declined. She didn't press but left the glass on the coffee table in front of us.

"I guess you're staying tonight?" I asked, watching her pour another drink.

"Oh, shit!" She stopped, looking up at me, "Spence, I'm sorry! I can go- I- I don't want to make you uncomfortable if you don't want me here!" Worry in her voice as she realised there had been no official invitation for her to stay. She didn't need one. I was over the moon to have company that wasn't my brain and numerous books.

"No, you're not going anywhere. I have some spare clothes that I'm sure will fit you if you feel like changing. Please, Y/N, you are more than welcome to stay tonight and whenever else you'd like to." I assured her, placing my hand on my shoulder, only removing it once she relaxed.

She let out a breathy sigh and laid back against the lounge, exhaling deeply. Her hands grabbed each side of her face and pulled down slowly until they teachers her chin.

"I would love to get changed." She whispered and rolled her head to look at me.

I tilted my head so it was same angle as hers,

"Come on." I reached for her hand, she smiled at me as she took it in hers. She trailed closely behind as I led her to my room. She sat down on the edge of the bed, her legs hanging off, and she kicked than back and forth.

I opened my wardrobe and rifled through the racks, finding an old plain grey tee. I took it out and laid it next to her on the bed. Y/N's hand ran over it as I dove back in to my wardrobe. I found a pair of darker grey tracks and laid them on top of the shirt.

"There's a spare towel hanging in the bathroom if you'd like to shower. I'll be in the loungeroom, reading most likely." I spoke, putting my hands in my pockets, shifting from heel to toe not wanting to leave.

Her looked me up and down, with raised eyebrows. When she got back to my face, she glanced between me and the door.

"Oh, right!" I spun on my heels and left, closing the door behind me. "Idiot. You work together. What do you even want from her!?" I asked myself once I was out of earshot.

Entering the loungeroom, music was still playing. A new song came on and I decided to listen to it, trying to get an idea of the music Y/N likes.

#I found a love, for me# I clicked on the lyrics tab of the Google Home screen.

#Darling, just dive right in

Follow my lead# I hadn't realised that I had started swaying to the song.

Arms wrapped around my waist, a face rested on my back. I stiffened at the sudden touch. I turned, Y/N only loosened her grip enough for me to spin around. She looked up at me, smiling contently. Her arms still wrapped around my waist, she rested her face on my chest. She started swaying, causing us both to sway. I rested my arms over her shoulders, one hand on top of her head, under my chin.

As we were swaying, she shifted her arms from my waist to my shoulders, my arms from her shoulders to her waist. Her fingers made their way up my neck and to the back of my head, playing with the curls that day there. My hands responded, rubbing her back slowly up and down.

I wanted to hold her there forever. To kiss the top of her head. To pick her up and just hold her.

But, we work together. We're friends, mates. It can't happen. She doesn't even like me like that.

His can't happen.... Right?

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #337

“if i showed you my soul, would you cover your eyes?”

What's your favorite brand of chips? I like Lays best. Are you a good painter? My Painting teacher when I was in college last said I did wonderfully, but I definitely beg to differ. Before buying a car, do you usually test drive it? N/A Have you ever written a poem and then read it aloud? No, but a teacher has. It was so fucking awkward; it was very pacifist, the topic being about war, and it had some depressing tones of death; there was just silence at the end of it, and I still don't know if it was shock or "what the fuck, she's messed up." There was this one guy that went, "Nobody is going to clap at that?", though, which I thought was pretty nice and reassuring. Do you like pineapple? Yeah, I do. Have you ever met your favorite author? I don't have a favorite author. Have you and your best friend ever liked the same person? No. Do you have any freckles? Not on my face (though oddly enough, I did as a kid?), but on random parts of my body. How many different languages can you say goodbye in? English, German, and then Spanish. Do you like or hate the smell of fish? I hate it. Have you ever been to Sea World? As a child, yes. I'd never go as an adult. Do you know someone who suffers from short-term memory loss? I don't know how this is actually diagnosed, but my memory is absolutely fucking nightmarish, almost exclusively in short-term situations. I can remember the most obscure events from my childhood, but not what I said to you five seconds prior. I'm rather sure my medications have made it worse over time. Have you ever read any of John Green's books? I got like, one chapter or less into The Fault in Our Stars before the book got replaced with the Wings of Fire series, so I never finished it. Are you a protective person? I'm an immensely protective person over those that matter to me. Have you ever experienced an earthquake? No, thankfully. I'm terrified of earthquakes. What's one thing that makes everything in life worthwhile? The fact that to our proven knowledge, this is the only one we'll ever experience. What type of waffles do you like? (Plain, blueberry etc..) I prefer plain, but I can eat chocolate chip ones as well as blueberry and strawberry. Have you ever seen the show Wife Swap? Yeah, I actually quite like it. Do you like chicken or beef better? Or do you not eat meat? Chicken, I think. I eat meat, but wish I didn't. What brand of dish soap do you use? Dawn, usually. Do any of your neighbors have dogs? Yes, and they never shut up. Do you believe in fortune tellers? They're money-driver bullshitters. Have you ever been to one? No, and judging by the fervor in the above question, I hope you can tell I never would do so and thus monetarily support them. Do you like regular or chocolate milk better? Chocolate, of course. But I love normal milk, too. Once again, wish I didn't, though. Forcing a cow to constantly reproduce to lactate is pretty fucking cruel. Growing up, did you listen to country music? I actually did. Do you normally wash your hands in warm or cold water? If it's just a quick wash, it's usually cold because our water takes quite a few moments to warm up. However, if I'm looking to thoroughly wash my hands, it's gotta be relatively hot. Do you believe in mediums? I see them in a worse light than I do fortune tellers, so... Like sure, manipulate grieving people for profit, sounds great. Have you ever been to one? Obviously not. Have you ever dated someone on the football team? No. Do you have a gazebo at your house? No. Do you like tomatoes? Solely when straight from a garden and on a bacon and mayonnaise sandwich. Otherwise I am noooot a fan. Are you a competitive person? Not very, but there's a tiny spark in me, really when it just comes to photography. I hate it. Google or Bing? Does literally anyone use Bing? What's your favorite brand of bottled water? Essentia. Do you have any ceramic animals in your house or outside? Ummm I don't think so. Have you ever given someone flowers? Yes. What is something you might eat with a hamburger? Fries or mac and cheese. What is a sport that you’ve always wanted to play, but never got a chance to. None. What is a fruit that you might eat in the morning? A banana. Who might you send a selfie to? I don't send selfies to anyone. About how many pages is the longest book you’ve ever read? I THINK it surpassed 1,000? At least in the high hundreds. Who would you call first after getting engaged to tell them the news? Probably Mom. Around what time do you start feeling tired enough to go to sleep? Truth be told, it's usually arouund 7-8. I rarely make it to 9:00 nowadays. What trends do you refuse to give in to? I don't even know what's trendy right now. What subjects in history interest you most? As dark as it is, I find the Holocaust interesting to learn about. Are you superstitious in any way? No. How do you get rid of anxiety? What a relevant question, being in a partial hospitalization program right now. Coping skills that help me are doing deep breathing, mindfulness exercises, and a little jerk back to reality is splashing freezing cold water on my face. It also helps to talk it out with somebody, just get my feelings into words. Then if it's a true anxiety or panic attack, I have my "emergency" anxiety prescription. Are there any items of jewelry you never/rarely take off? My lip and tragus piercings never do, and I always wear two rings. Do you find yourself correcting people’s grammar often? Not really, no. It just seems rude and snobby to me, honestly, if it's not in an educational setting, like helping someone with an essay. Correcting someone in your average conversation is just... unnecessary, imo. Now if you're talking like in surveys and stuff, I definitely do in questions and such, but I don't point it out. Gummi worms: Yay or nay? Yay, love 'em. What do you do when you have ‘me time’? I only ever have "me" time, so what I always do... Do you lack common sense sometimes? I have a horrible lack of common sense, shit's embarrassing. Have you ever poured glue on your hand just to peel it off for fun? No. How do babies make you feel? "Nervous. They’re so damn breakable." <<<< Mood. Would you/Have you milked a cow? No, and I'm not interested. What really gives you the creeps? #!: seeing a baby move inside its mother's stomach. It will actually make me scream and/or cry because it just grosses me the fuck out. Whale sharks' mouths also creep me out big time. Do you ever eat leftover pizza cold? Yeah, I love cold pizza. When you're wanting a midnight snack, what do you normally get? We normally have cashew bars that I like if I'm really hungry. Which cartoon character would you want to keep as a pet? Obviously Pikachu. My niece loves Pikachu anyway, so she'd be ecstatic to see a real one. Or well, maybe I'd go for an Eevee. Not as dangerous with electricity and all but just as cute and small. Do you like marshmallows? Yeah. If you had the opportunity to live forever, would you take it? No. It would ruin so many factors of the temporary nature of life. Things would lose meaning, get old and boring, it'd be much easier to take advantage of things... There are many reasons why I have no desire to live forever. Hell, I even wonder if I want an afterlife for those same reasons. Did you ever really believe in Santa Claus? As a little kid, yeah. Do you like quesadillas? I like cheese, chicken, and shrimp ones. What's the greatest/most influential song you've ever heard? Ozzy's "Life Won't Wait." Do you prefer to pull off band-aids slowly or quickly? I tend to do it slowly. What was the last thing someone told you that had you at a loss for words? Uhhh I feel like Sara said something, but I don't remember what. What was the last health scare you had? Ugh... I'm kind of living in one now. As my legs have been worsening, I'm becoming increasingly concerned I'm eventually going to need a wheelchair for "walking" longer distances. And mind you, "long" for me is probably short for the average person. My knees do nothing but crack incessantly and burn when I use them, and they frequently feel like they're going to give way, and in a few rare instances, have. It's my own fucking fault for not sucking it up and exercising with my mom in the room, so I'd like to move on. What is your favorite filling for a piece of chocolate? Caramel. Do you enjoy the sound of birds chirping? I do. If applicable, what’s your favorite drug, and why? I don't do drugs, so. What was the last TV show you binge-watched? Avatar: The Last Airbender with Sara. Would you rather eat burgers or tacos? Definitely burgers. I don't like tacos. Did your mother change her maiden name when/if she got marred? Yes. What was the last job you applied for? Did you get the job? Deli worker, and yes. Do you use TikTok? No. What decorations do you have in your bathroom? None. Our bathroom is pretty small. Well, the one we use, anyway. The one attached to the master's bedroom isn't cleaned up yet, but we'll use it in case of emergency. What year was your favourite band formed? (Before people think I'm smart, no, I looked the dates up, haha.) Well Ozzy was Black Sabbath's vocalist, and the band formed in 1968, but Ozzy became a solo artist in 1979. What's your favourite fruit? Strawberries. Have you ever had an out-of-body experience? No. Do you prefer gory horror films or the psychological ones? I prefer psychological. Are you easily paranoid? Yeah. Do you have a favorite obsession? Meerkats and Mark are kinda tied, haha. Are you a workaholic? No. Have you ever given a tattoo before and would you like to? No and no; that would be an awful idea, given I have bad tremors in my hands. Have you ever seen the movie Labyrinth? I actually have not. Would you rather be called pretty or hot? Pretty. Have you ever gotten a serious injury at school? What happened? No. Have you ever performed in front of my large group of people? Yes; I was a dancer for many years. Have you ever fundraised? If so, what for? You know how Facebook recommends making fundraisers for a charity of your choice for your birthday? I've done that for the Trevor Project and two charities for ovarian and pancreatic cancers. Are you wearing earrings right now? Ugh, no, even though I want to be. The first holes in my ears are just too stretched for normal earrings because I wore heavy ones too often, and I just don't have nice earrings. I still want to get very small gauges to put in the stretched holes. Name a singer whose voice makes you swoon? Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump can do that, holy shit. "America's Suitehearts" does it for me, man. Y'know, when his voice goes all deep. Do your pets follow you when you walk around the house? My cat Roman is quite literally my shadow. Where I go, he goes. What do you do online? I seem to only exist online, really, so I've got a lot on my plate to choose from, yet I'm still bored half the time, haha. I'm essentially always watching or listening to YouTube, I play World of Warcraft for varying amounts of time depending on the day, I scroll through deviantART, check KM periodically, do surveys obviously, "work" at the wikis I contribute to, wander around on Facebook... idk, that's all I really do at least semi-regularly online. Haha oh, wait, I also check Craigslist like... every day for tarantula and hognoses even though I can't currently get either. Let me dream. Do you have any scars on your face? I have a couple on my chin from when I fainted and busted it open. What countries were your grandparents born in? In the US. What was the most damaging relationship (romantic or not) that you’ve ever been a part of? Ultimately, with Jason, because of how it ended. The relationship itself wasn't at all damaging to me, but the breakup shook my entire fucking world. When in your life was your self-esteem at its lowest point? Self-esteem? Now. I'm very unhappy with my weight going back up, my body is just in poor health in general, I'm not employed, not in school... I just feel like a lowlife. Who was the last person you cut out of your life? Do you regret it? I want to say my sister's mother-in-law. Sure don't, considering she revealed her disgusting support for conversion therapy. I'm civil around her in person, but I kicked that woman off my Facebook so fucking quick when I saw that shit. Who is the most attractive person you know personally? That I know personally... I would say Alon, but I haven't seen even a picture of her in forever. Summer, though, shares selfies frequently, and by god is she gorgeous. I know a lot a lot of beautiful women, asldkjf;awe. It's funny that I'm blanking on men, at least involving people I still "know"/are somehow present in my life. Would you rather look older or younger than you are? I'm fine looking my age. Have you ever dated someone who was very vastly different from your “type”? No. What is the biggest project you’re currently working on? I suppose you can count an RP plot as a "project." I'm procrastinating so bad on it because it is going to be A LOT of writing. Is there a person from your past that you wonder about frequently? Who? Take a shot in the dark for me. Who knows you best, excluding romantic partners? My mother. What are your thoughts on human creation? I believe we evolved. How many people have you had sex with? One. Have you ever had a yard sale? Yeah. Have you ever been surfing? No.

[eamonwhalen]

Rap I Liked 2020

An attempt at an omnivorous list of rap songs from the year 2020 that undoubtedly missed many good songs. 

In a Spotify Playlist

In an Apple Music Playlist

If you’d like to read what I wrote this year click here. 

1. Quelle Chris and Chris Keys featuring Earl Sweatshirt, Denmark Vesey, Merill Garbus and Big Sen - Mirage

2.   Mozzy featuring Blxst - I Ain’t Perfect

3. Jay Electronica featuring Jay-Z - A.P.I.D.T.A

Sleep well Lately, I haven't been sleepin' well I even hit the beach to soak my feet and skip some seashells Sleep well The lump inside my throat sometimes it towers like the Eiffel Sometimes I wonder do the trees get sad when they see leaves fell Sleep well The last time that I kissed you, you felt cold but you looked peaceful I read our message thread when I get low and need a refill Sleep well

4. Shabazz Palaces - Fast Learner

5. G-Herbo featuring Juice WRLD, Chance The Rapper and Lil Uzi Vert - PTSD

“People judge people from my city, or people who go through what we go through. It’s just the way you’re brought up and different situations that you experience that change your life and make you who you are. There’s a lot of people who would come to my city and not make it. There’s certain survival skills that you learn in Chicago from just naturally adapting to your environment. People judge us and outcast us from what they see on the outside but they really don’t know what’s going on on the inside. We’re making rational decisions because what we go through forces us to make those decisions. Just the older I get, the more serious I look at it. When I was younger I had my family taking care of me, and I was just living life like a kid. But by 14-15, there’s a lot of kids in my city who are living the lives of adults at that age. Other places people don’t live like that. When I was 16 I started to see people die around me. In my city theres so little to depend on, so people take other options to survive and make a way for themselves. At a young age you start learning this,” - G-Herbo, from an interview I did with him a few years ago. 

6. 21 Savage and Metro Boomin’ featuring Young Thug - Rich N***a Shit

the sounds of luxury

7. Sada Baby - Slide

8. Megan Thee Stallion - Circles

https://youtu.be/TwZl9WCHjnc

9. Polo G - Martin & Gina

10. Gunna - Skybox

11. Pop Smoke - Yea Yea

Rest in Peace Pop Smoke

https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/pop-smoke-dior-protest-music/

12. Bfb Da Packman featuring Sada Baby - Free Joe Exotic

13. NBA Youngboy - The Story of OJ (Top Version)

14. Bris - Me Important

Rest In Peace Tricky Dance Moves

15. Playboi Carti - @ MEH

16. Navy Blue featuring Ka - In Good Hands

“Even friends in a frenzy became ravenous

Brothers named universal, wise, supreme became savages

It's said the common thread with our enemies

Is we was all men in need with no amenities

Couldn't sit in peace, we each hit the streets for remedies

Through the hatred accumulate a hundred arms we was centipedes

The stress of empty pantries kept us antsy

No lie, essentials essentially in a shanty

Could give scripture but that big picture is what you can't see

Every grain I spelt is what helped enhance me

Went from gun waving to saving lives

I give sight to the blind just for the 85

That's what I was in the line of scrimmage

Lost some folks of course, that growth redefined percentage

Doomed in the womb, surprised I ain't see a hanger

Start questioning affection when all you see is anger,

But now I’m in good hands, surrounded by good women, good babies, good mans,”

-Ka

17. Lil Uzi Vert - Chrome Heart Tags

18. SahBabii - Double Dick

19. Rezcoast Grizz - Water

20. Future featuring Drake, Da Baby and Lil Baby - Life Is Good Remix

21. Drakeo The Ruler featuring Icewear Vezzo and ALLBLACK - We Know The Truth

The Ruler’s home. Read Jeff Weiss on Drakeo’s trial and release, and the book Rap On Trial for an underreported and understudied phenomenon. 

22. Future and Lil Uzi Vert - That’s It 

23. Shordie Shordie - Save A Little

coolest new voice in Rap

24. Busta Rhymes featuring Kendrick Lamar - Look Over Your Shoulder

25. Cam & China - Know What I’m Saying

https://youtu.be/H1JSWy9lxuk

26. Ovrkast featuring Navy Blue - Face

27. J Hus featuring icee tgm - Helicopter

Shaitan in police uniform Feds in a helicopter I seen pigs fly but I never seen a unicorn Tryna find cover on somebody's front lawn I see an undercover and he had his gun drawn Didn't like me 'cause I'll never conform Man want beef, but they'll never come forth Like CB, all I need is one corn You see me alone but I got a strong force No man can ever put my life on pause They enslaved my ancestor, no remorse I bring knowledge to Europe, just like the Moors The knowledge, they need it, they cravin' for more Left the yard before the jakes kicked in the door Have you seen a lengman drop his stick on the floor? Say you wanna bang, you don't look like you're sure

28. Demahjiae featuring Mejiwahn, Michael Sneed and Pink Siifu - Wild & Fireflies

29. Lil Baby featuring 42 Dugg - We Paid

No choice but to respect someone who is not only still rockin’ with the Detroit Lions in 2020 but says so much on the biggest song of his career thus far. 

30. Ka - Patron Saints

31. Benny The Butcher - Famous

32. Key! - Spend One Night

33. Smino featuring JID and Kenny Beats - Baguetti

34. Open Mike Eagle - Death Parade 

35. OMB Peezy - Sleep At Night

36. Mick Jenkins - “Carefree”

read me on Mick Jenkins circa 2016.

37. Chris Brown and Young Thug featuring Lil Duke and Gunna - Big Slimes

38. Freddie Gibbs and Alchemist - God Is Perfect

39. Chester Watson - Life Wrote Itself

40. Denzel Curry and Kenny Beats - DIET

read me on Denzel Curry circa 2015

41. Young Dolph - Hold Up Hold Up Hold Up

Still probably the coolest thing any rapper has done in years. 

42. Dua Saleh - Hellbound

43. Rod Wave - Fuck The World

44. Young Nudy - Deeper Than Rap

45. Bobby Raps - Believe The Lie

Alex Howard, more like Alex Garland!

46. Saba - So and So

47. 2 Chainz featuring TyDollaSign - Can’t Go For That

https://youtu.be/ccenFp_3kq8

48. Blu and Exile - The Feeling

49. astralblak - Out In The Woods

50. Key Glock - Word On the Streets

51. Black Thought featuring Portugal. The Man & The Last Artful, Dodgr - Nature of the Beast

I feel like Phillip Seymour Hoffman, less Denzel Washington When people are watching me If the right amount of likes and follows can make me less hollow I'd somehow be more complete But people tend to be more toxic so we see more gossip And there's tension on the streets

52. Flo Milli - Not Friendly

53. Shootergang Kony - Still Kony 2

54. Homeboy Sandman - Trauma

55. Kevin Gates - Weeks

56. Pink Siifu and Fly Anakin - Open Up Shop

57. P Will aka Prince Williams - Survival 

58. Cupcakke - Discounts

59. Nas - Ultra Black

60. Spillage Village - End Of Daze

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/04/magazine/societal-collapse.html

What I listened to most besides songs by artists on this list:

Jazmine Sullivan’s live performances of Lost One and Pick Up Your Feelings

Other stuff that doesn’t really belong on a Rap list:

Liv.e, Brent Faiyaz, Helado Negro, Slauson Malone, Chronixx, Contour, King Krule, Kehlani, Moses Sumney, Thundercat, Soccer Mommy. 

Best books I read that were published in 2020: The Jakarta Method by Vincent Bevins and I Got A Monster by Brandon Soderberg and Baynard Woods

[lindoig4]

Wonderful Iceland coming up soon.

Musk Ox ‘Study’

Musk oxen are possibly one of Nature’s accidents.  They are the strangest creatures and can be quite ferocious if confronted, but the advice we were given is that if confronted by one, just walk away.  The ox will think it has won the day and wander off in the other direction.  They are huge shaggy goats (apparently not cattle) with wicked turned-up horns and incredibly thick skulls that survive on almost nothing in the extremes of the Arctic winter.

We watched a family group for over half an hour one day.  We tried to figure out the dynamics of the group and it looked like there was a cow with a youngish calf, the head bull, two male teenagers and two other adults, a male and probably a female.  The teenagers were eying each other off and did some pretty serious head butting until the old bull intervened and sent them to the naughty corner.  The other adult male was sniffing around the mother cow who was not the least interested and took her calf away every time he tried to approach and the bull had to chase him away several times too.  The cow seemed to find some comfort in the other (presumed) female that seemed of no interest and had no interest in any of the rest of the herd but tolerated the cow until the chief bull separated them too.  It was a fascinating nature study and our interpretation may have been entirely wrong, but we continued to conjecture about the dynamics even after we returned to the ship.  (I hope to eventually post some pics of some of the protagonists.)

Itoqqortoomiit (pronounced eye-tokka-too-mit)

We visited this Eskimo village (still a bit confused about whether Eskimos are Innuits or vice versa) for a few hours one day.  The locals seemed to ignore the tourists and avoided eye-contact, but we checked out the supermarket, a artist’s workshop and gallery, the Visitors’ Centre, the museum (quite interesting too!), got our passports stamped both in and out of Greenland (that was optional) and strolled around the village.  We even sampled some musk ox offered by one enterprising local man. It was very tasty, a bit like strong-ish beef and we enjoyed to tiny morsel we had.  He was not asking anything for it, but we had a few US dollars so gave him one and he smiled nicely for the camera.

There is a full-scale weather station there and we saw the internationally coordinated daily weather balloon released only two minutes after the mandatory 11am schedule.  A lot of our colleagues tramped up the very steep hill to the weather station to watch the event – and missed it entirely because they were looking the wrong way – but we photographed it standing out of the howling wind beside the museum.

That was the only place we saw any of the indigenous people anywhere in either Svalbard or Greenland. The only other people we encountered anywhere were a couple of Wildlife Police monitoring us at a walrus haul-out and one brief exchange with some known acquaintances of our Zodiac driver on a much smaller ship.  We saw one ketch and one small tourist ship in the far distance, but never saw anyone associated with them.

I still need to wade through a lot of notes to check if there are things I intended to comment about but have overlooked, but I think I am probably up to our arrival in Iceland.

I will try to write something about this wonderful place in the next day or so – and hope that I will be able to post a lot of pics too.

[helseyyuriy93]

Till What Age Does Your Height Increase Astonishing Cool Ideas

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[shesthelastjedi]

Just us

Prompt 11: Eric Coulter

“No games. No one else. Just you.”

Notes:

Y/N- Your name

H/C- Hair color

E/C- Eye Color

Tagging- @wynterrobin @buried-in-books @imnotafraid4

Sorry, that it’s been so long. But finals and projects have been killing me. I hope it’s okay!

She rubbed her face, before sending a glare towards the weak initiates. The two on the mat were so weak they made her want to slam her head against the wall. She had no idea how Four handled them, and how weak they were and spineless they were.

“Off the mat and line up,” She shouted, going over to walk in front of them, keeping the glare to show how pissed off she was. “You guys can’t even handle fighting each other, it’s pathetic. I feel like I’m training children, not young adults who want to be dauntless soldiers.” She stopped in front of the beefiest boy, gesturing for him to head to the mat. She glanced back at the initiates deciding to take a page out of Eric’s book. She snapped her fingers at the small Candor boy.

Y/N moved back to her place, watching the two in the middle eye each other. “The first to get knocked out, wins.” She knew from the Candor boy was scared by the way he was trembling slightly. “FIGHT!”

She watched the scene unfold before her, shockingly amazed at the Candor boy. “You seem more on edge than usual,” She heard a voice come from behind her, leaning against the wall next to her.

“They are going to fail. They don’t listen, they don’t want this. I feel like Eric should be in here to scare them shitless,” She commented seeing the Candor boy get knocked down. “How do you do it? The Dauntless born has more of a drive then this bunch.”

“Patience, and sticking them on each other help. If they fail, they fail. As for Eric, be careful what you wish for,” His eyes darted toward the door where Eric was walking in.

Her eyes trained back towards the initiates on the mat. She smirked when she saw the Candor boy still fighting, against the beefy kid. The smirk disappeared once the beef kid knocked the Candor boy out. She watched the beefy kid smirk down at the Candor boy, while she grew angrier. She gave him that win. She walked towards the cocky kid. “Who’s next?”

The kid smirked at her, while she raised an eyebrow at him. “Who do you want?” She watched as he pretended to look at the initiates before he chose her. She smirked, nodding bending down to take her boots off.

“Y/N, what are you doing,” Eric called, while she stepped on the mat already knowing the beefy kids' weakness.

“Showing the weak what strong looks like.” She murmured keeping her eyes on the kid. “The same rules still apply. Four, you can all out.”

“Fight.” He murmured not giving it his all.

She darted towards the guy kicking out his legs. She let him get up, while still on the balls of her feet. “C’mon, you wanna get cocky after I gave you a win.” She sent her foot crashing to his face when he ran at her. Y/N watched the blood gush from his nose with a sickly satisfaction. “Hurry up, decide. Decide if you want to get up and go out like a soldier, or cower like the coward you are!” He ran at her with a yell, while she ducked missing his sloppy punches. She grasped his arm before she slammed her fist into his face. “We raise fighters,” She grabbed his hair bringing his face into her knee. “Fight like a goddamn soldier,” She slammed her knee into his face again, while the beefy kid gave up slumping. “Pathetic,” She left him kneeling, before she sent her foot flying into his face again, knocking him out. She glared at the initiates, “who’s next?”

Y/N wanted to scream when the dinner alarm rang. “Alright! You’re dismissed!” Eric’s voice called while Four came forward handing me my boots.

“I think next year, I’m going to the Dauntless born. They’re weak and they refuse to allow us to mold them,” She hissed, lacing her semi-dirty boots. “What do you want Eric?”

He sent her a predatory like grin before he glared at Four. “Beat it Stiff.”

Y/N rolled her eyes, before standing up. “Four, save me a seat. But please not by the initiates.” She asked while he nodded raising an eyebrow at Eric. He moved away from us heading towards the door. “What do you want?”

He still had the sly smirk on his face. “You looked hot beating the initiate up,” He moved so he was close to her, she could smell the soap and the slight hint of smoke.

“What do you want Eric,” She recited seeing his new tattoo editions. “I’m hungry and I really don’t feel like standing here listening to you spout bullshit.”

“Max said we have to go on a raid tonight,” Eric grinned like the sick bastard he was. Only he could get joy out of taking more from those who had nothing. “I mean I know you had nothing planned so I told Max that you’d be the other leader alongside me.”

She sighed, running her fingers through her hair. She was irritated that he had just offered her up when she was busy tonight. “I actually was busy tonight, but since you need the best I guess I can cancel. Anything else?”

“You busy? Right,” He laughed while she turned towards the door. “What were you planning on actually going out tonight?”

“Is that so hard to believe?” She hissed back seeing his stupid smirk still on his face. “God, you’re such an ass and I have no idea how I consider you a friend.”

“Were you actually going to go out tonight,” She saw his face turn serious, leaning against the table. To her, he actually seemed upset at the thought of her actually having a life.

“Yeah, Danny invited me to have a drink. So I thought why not,” She shrugged, thinking of the dark-haired guy who always worked on her tattoos. “But I can go tonight.”

“Forget it,” He snarled, pushing past her towards the door. Her own anger sparked and she reached out grabbing his arm.

“What the hell is up with you,” She hissed, unfazed by his pissed-off demeanor. “Seriously, why the hell are you upset that for once I have-”

She was cut off short by large hands grasping her face and pulling her into a searing kiss. She froze at first unable to move, but she relaxed into him gripping him closer getting lost in his harsh yet soft lips. Before he pulled away, “That’s why.” She watched him walk off, while she stayed silent still in shock that he had kissed her and she had kissed him back.

She sat beside Four lost in her thoughts. “What’s wrong with you?” She looked up seeing Four’s curious brown eyes. “You’re usually not this quiet.”

“I have to do something tonight, and I have to cancel with Danny. I would ask you to help, but I know you don’t like raids,” It wasn’t a total lie, but she wasn’t Candor so it shouldn’t matter.

Four gave her a look as if he didn’t believe her, but he dropped the subject. She looked up seeing Eric and Max, Eric met her eyes before rolling them. Typical ass. “Y/N!” She jumped when an arm was thrown across her shoulders and green eyes stared at her. “Are you still up for tonight?”

She glanced away from Eric smiling at the tattoo artist. “Sorry, but something urgent came up. I’m needed somewhere else.”

“Bummer,” Danny grinned, but the look in his eyes dimmed. “Maybe next time?”

“Yeah,” She smiled back while sliding her chocolate cake over to Four. “I’m going to go get ready for tonight. “See you, Danny.” Y/N left the table trailing her fingers over her lips, no matter what she did, she could still feel Eric’s lips.

She frowned to herself, she was acting like some teenage child, unlike the adult soldier she was. She sighed grabbing her clothes changing into something darker for tonight. She refused to let this get to her, there was an assignment that needed to be done and she was going to get it done, no matter how much she hated raiding the Factionless.

Y/N sighed waiting for the others getting prepared while waiting for Eric to show. “Was it just me or was the chocolate cake extra good tonight,” Jake grinned tossing his arm over her shoulder. She grinned at him, before remembering that she had given her cake to Four. “C’mon Y/N, where’s my chocolate buddy at?”

“Enough, the train will be here in three minutes,” Eric yelled while she yawned into her shoulder. The lack of sugar made her tired. “Tired L/N? Maybe you shouldn’t go,” Eric sneered pushing past her shoulder harshly.

She rolled her eyes debating whether or not to shoot him in his leg. She shrugged Jake's arm off, breaking into a run when she saw the train. She grabbed the door, hauling herself in sitting on one of the boxes. She watched Eric haul his ass before shooting a death glare at her. Once everyone was in, Eric growled out what the plan was. They would all be paired into two, each of them searching the factionless for any contraband. She stood up, standing next to Eric. “Are you going to be pissy throughout this whole thing?”

“Shut the fuck up,” He glared at her, moving towards Zora. “You’re with me,�� He growled outstanding next to her, while she batted her eyelashes at him.

Y/N rolled her eyes again. Sick bastard. “Jake, you better not get me killed.” She looked over to her left seeing Jake’s twitchy self.

She crouched behind a crate shielding herself from the bullets. The Factionless had gotten their hands on guns and they were picking them off one by one. She frowned seeing Jake’s limp body, before looking to see if there was anyone around her. She grumbled when she noticed that she was alone, she was probably going to die here. She breathed in calming her mind, before she stood up aiming, shooting down a few Factionless. She ran ducking away from the flying bullets, she cried out when she felt pain on her right leg. Y/N dragged herself behind the wood boxes, trying to calm herself down. She knew that she wasn’t going to be able to make it out alive, but she wasn’t going to give up. She ripped her shirt tying it around her wound on her lower leg, before checking how many bullets she had left. Shit. She only had 10. Ten fucking bullets. She could hear the crunch of gravel behind her and from the sound of it, it was more than ten people. She tensed and aimed her rifle before bright lights were shining on her. She let go of the rifle when she saw some of her friends.

“What the hell took you guys so long,” She hissed, standing up. “I was almost out of bullets.”

Y/N watched Four step forward grasping her before she lost her balance. “We lost Jake. I don’t know where the others went, but most followed Eric.”

“Why didn’t you,” The short blonde haired girl snapped. “Jake was probably killed because of you.”

“You dumb shit, he got wounded in the leg. Unlike you, I stay with my partner.” She hissed lunging forward while Four held her back.

She smirked before Max sent her a death glare.  “Four, take her to the vehicle.” Four nodded and began hauling her weight towards the truck. “And Y/N, don’t punch and kick any of the staff.”

Y/N still had her eyes on the blonde girl. “At least we know she would never make it in leadership.” She made sure her voice was loud enough so that the ugly blonde heard her. Y/N smirked in triumph when the blonde shot a death glare at her. As if it would scare her. “Great now I have to be weak in front of the initiates.”

Four rolled his eyes hauling her up into the truck, ordering them to return back to the Dauntless HQ. “Are you going to be friendly or do they have to sedate you?”

She glared at him while he sent her a smirk. “What do you think?”

She opened her E/C eyes, damning Four internally for letting them sedate her. She glared at the harsh white lights, sitting up. She looked around the room seeing a few injured Dauntless laying in the other beds. She made a move to get up, only for her to curse at the pain radiating up her leg. She sighed grabbing the sweats that were beside her, she whimpered lowly while she struggled to put on the stupid sweats.

“What the hell are you doing,” She dropped the sweats cursing Eric internally when she realized she couldn’t reach the sweats. She heard his boots against the floor, not looking at him in her weakened state. “You need to be resting.”

“I need to go home,” She whispered looking down at the sweats. This is one place she dreaded with all of her heart. This is where she was brought when her parents died, she hated the clean smell and the bright lights. This place was death to her and she wanted out.

“You wouldn’t be here if you would’ve just-” Eric bent down grabbing her sweats, offering them up to her. “Are you alright?”

“Fine,” She hissed grabbing her sweats going back to struggling to put her pants on. Eric sighed grabbing her sweats back from her grasping her injured leg lightly before pulling her sweats up. “I didn’t need your help, I would’ve done it eventually.”

“Well I just did it for you, so how about a thank you,” Eric grinned grabbing her boots, helping her put her feet in. Once her feet were in he tried to help her up, but she shoved his arm away moving to get down. Falling forward, with a yelp she braced herself for the pain. She hit the floor with a thump, breathing fast trying to control the pain. “Are you ready for my help now or do you still wanna be stubborn? Your choice.”

“You’re such as ass,” She whimpered while she felt his arms grasp her up, holding her to his chest. “Just please get me out of here,” She breathed blinking away the tears. He nodded, hauling her into his arms carrying her. She clenched her teeth together, knowing how weak she was and the way he was carrying her made her seem even more helpless than she felt.

Eric set her down on her couch, before sitting on her coffee table raising an eyebrow at her. She held his gaze, while he leaned forward pushing her hair away from her face. “I’m sorry you got shot.”

She blinked a few times before she tried not to look shocked. He was never one to apologize. “Unexpected things happen when the Factionless are involved. It’s not your fault.” She yawned, blinking tiredly.

“You should get some rest,” Eric murmured moving to help her up.

She pushed his hands away, gesturing for him to sit down. “Just stay here with me.” He raised an eyebrow at her, before shrugging his shoulders sitting beside her. She leaned into him, feeling him tense slightly. “I’m hoping your done being an ass so we can talk..”

“Talk about what? I kissed you, you kissed back. Done,” He said, moving slightly so she was more comfortable. “I’m here with you so you know where I stand.”

“Say it… I want you to say it,” She glanced up at him, before laying back down on him.

“I want you,” His voice made her smile before she lifted herself onto his lap, wincing at her pain. “No games. No one else. Just you.” He placed his hand on her cheek.

“Just me, huh?” She couldn’t help but grin, while she set her hand on his. “Let’s try this then. No one else, just us.”