#ty for being such a great person ana! I was happy to get you as the person to make a gift for!

[matan4il]

Your meta was a lot this time! (In a good way, I promise). I loved so many things about last night's episode but with no follow up to Eddie's thoughts after the Carla conversation in 413, it felt incomplete. I wasn't expecting much in progress for Buddie but I got my hopes up for breakup with Ana so I'm sure that's part of it. Anyway, you're meta gives me hope for next season still. Even if I need to manage my own expectations a little better.

Hi lovely! Awwww, I'm so happy it was in a good way! :D And I agree with you fully, I thought they would have a follow up for that conversation. I guess that since they knew they'd be renewed for a s5, they figured they'd do the follow up then (I can't believe they won't address it at some point, it's a whole ass elephant in the room with pink glitter and pink feathers on top that you just can't ignore). I wasn't sure we'd get an Eddie/Ana break up in 414, but I was (and still am) sure we will get it. It's just not a relationship built to last. And hey, managing expectations is HARD. Especially when the story's direction is so obvious. But I'm here for you, whenever you need to talk stuff, including expectations management! Sending you tons of love, hon! xoxox

(more under the cut)

(1/2) Hi! Sunny from the buddie discord here. First of all, tysm for the 4x14 meta, it was great as usual and I really needed that after that episode full of feels. I wanted to ask you something re Buck/Taylor: what do you think the writers are trying to accomplish with it? I said in the discord that I was afraid they were using Taylor as a "no homo" shield to compensate basically everything else about 4x14.

(2/2) I have the impression that they are staying on the fence as long as possible re Buddie, giving us lots of treats so we won’t jump ship while at the same time not compromising the support of conservative viewers. Do you think there’s another (hopefully better) explanation for Taylor as a LI, at this point? Any Crystal ball divinations for s5? Ty!

Hi Sunny, how are you, darling? I'm so happy you liked the 414 meta and thank YOU for the kindness! And I know, that finale was an emotional roller coaster, wasn't it? *hugs* And as for Taylor... Well, as an idea, LIs that aren't the show's endgame are usually brought in to teach the character something that helps them grow, so eventually they are ready to be with the person the show sees as endgame, or to just arrive in a place where they find their happiness. Or whatever other final purpose the show has in mind for them. I find it hard to believe the show sees Taylor as Buck's endgame as things stand now, but I do think she's at least got a personality, unlike Ana whose main goal for the time being seems to be to just get Eddie to date again after Shannon.

What's Taylor meant to teach Buck? For the time being, if we connect her criticism of him in 408 (that he has a need to be universally liked) and his behavior in 414 that made them progress (Buck choosing not to run after her), I'd think this is what running into Taylor again has given him so far. But I'm not entirely sure how they could progress with that, so I guess we'll get a better idea of what Taylor's meant to teach Buck in s5.

Is it possible that they brought her in for his "het cred"? So far, both Buck and Eddie have had exclusively female LIs. Which when we stop to think about it, that doesn't make either man straight... but to the average viewer, who doesn't stop to think about it, it does. So I'm not sure the show needed "het cred" so much as it needed to progress their romantic trajectory, since it was almost non-existent in s3. The show could be doing what you're thinking of, giving us Buddie crumbs to keep Buddie fans hanging in there without ever intending to follow through, but IDK. The end of 413 and so much of 414 felt like more than crumbs... That storyline with Eddie getting shot was emotionally built around Buddie. That wasn't a wink in the direction of Buddie fans, it was a whole damn conversation. So currently, I'm still optimistic. How do you feel about it right now? I'd love to hear from you (and others) how optimistic for Buddie (or not) you are at the moment... Lots of love, hon! xoxox

Me: * finish the episode * * stares in the distance * * Runs to read matan4il meta * After this episode, I feel like my soul has ascended to the astal plane. I mean, all my favorite tropes are condensed in one episode, how I am suppossed to react?! (It's like I was reading "Don't take my sunshine away" by Sevensoulmates, one of my favourite fics of all times). Just one more thing: AAAAAAAAHHHHHH! * incoherent screeches *

@roadnotsodark XD LOL this is so cute and so wonderful, full of positivity and enthusiasm and support, it's such a lovely ask! Thank you so much for sending this and know that I'm really glad to know that the ep made you that happy, and that my tiny bit of meta could contribute. I hope you're still riding this high, hon! ;D xoxox

[the-hidden-writer]

I’ll Remember You This Way

Chapter 1: 2,857 words Read on AO3! (check reblog for link)

The story of one unsuspecting man named Edwin Jarvis and how his life and legacy are carried throughout the universe.

Edwin Jarvis -> JARVIS -> Vision

Snippets of that legacy include Tony Stark carrying his butler's words in his heart for his entire life and Wanda Maximoff sensing an unfamiliar presence in Vision's mind.

Chapter 1 : sun is shining in the sky 

There’s something quite unnerving about the night sky.

The chill of the night is brisk, and he knows that, logically, he should head inside to avoid catching a cold (and consequently facing his wife’s wrath)... but he can’t find it in himself to move.

Edwin has been intrigued by the stars as of late. His employer tells him to, as Mr Stark so eloquently put, “get his head out of the clouds and focus on Earth's problems”. And, once again, this should logically make Edwin lose interest and obey. Deep down, however, he knows there is more. So much more. But it probably won’t be discovered in his lifetime.

Ms Carter has told him of her missions working alongside Captain Rogers, and their discovery of the mysterious glowing cube that had fallen into the hands of Hydra which was most likely of extraterrestrial origin. Edwin felt it was quite the honour for her to trust him enough to tell him (what he thought were) rather classified details- that was actually what prompted him to impulsively ask her what exactly she thought of him. Ms Carter had not hesitated in labelling him as her best friend.

She had then burst into quite an uncharacteristic bout of laughter at the expense of his own embarrassment, and at the time Edwin had felt very much like they were school children giggling over a fellow classmate’s mishaps.

Who could have predicted that it would become quite an accurate description when a rather scandalous newspaper article was released the following day regarding the rumour of an affair between the esteemed Agent Carter and Howard Stark’s butler. For the benefit of both Mr Carter’s reputation and his and Ana’s own privacy, the pair had decided to keep their friendship as "their little secret” and maintain formalities when in public. But even with that and Mr Stark himself publicly denying any truth behind the rumour, it still took a few weeks for it to dispel.

Ana had teased the two of them for many more weeks after that.

As for the cube itself, there is something Edwin finds very strange about it. Mr Stark had been studying it relentlessly since it fell into his hands. Edwin had assisted as per usual and nothing was out of the ordinary, sans perhaps the secret behind its origins and abilities.

No, the strangeness began when Mr Stark asked him to continue studying it alone after Edwin had forced him to rest after over 24 hours of working in the lab. Howard had only agreed to do so if Edwin (who had the sense to stay well-rested) continued to work on it. So he did just that.

Mere moments after Mr Stark had left, Edwin felt himself being... drawn towards the enigmatic object. It was an extremely odd sensation. Though he knows it is impossible, it was almost like it was… beckoning him. Beckoning to come closer. To touch it. To hold it.

To break it.

Now Edwin had the sense to ignore whatever otherworldly temptations the cube was attempting to inflict on him and had simply continued to work as instructed. Yet despite that bizarre event, the thing that unsettled him the most was when Mr Stark denied having ever experienced such a feeling apart from the natural curiosity of an inventor to learn more.

They have worked on the cube many times since then, and every time Edwin would sense that strange calling only when he was alone. He’d worried at first that it was some form of hypnosis but Ana had assured him that he hadn’t changed in the slightest.

However he now found himself enthralled by the night sky, and what unquestionably lies beyond it.

Planets, stars, galaxies, life. The infinite possibilities of space.

And he is just one insignificant man within it all.

“Edwin?”

He is pulled out of his thoughts by Ana calling him from behind. Her face is stern but her eyes are concerned as she approaches him, wrapping her soft burgundy shawl tighter around her shoulders. Edwin immediately feels guilty for causing her to venture outside in such cold weather.

“You need to come inside now, dear. The stars will still be here tomorrow.”

He shoots her an apologetic smile and his heart melts at the way her pink lips part slightly as she lets out the smallest of laughs. She was probably waiting for him to come to bed as evidenced by the fact that her divine red hair is loose and flowing behind her in the wind.

It truly amazes him how beautiful his wife looks even in the most unflattering of situations.

“I’m sorry,” he says, and he truly means it, “I was lost in my thoughts.”

Ana tilts her head up towards the sky. “I know they are beautiful, but surely your wife is too?” she teases, and Edwin finds heat rushing into his cheeks.

Smiling, she untangles one arm from within her shawl and offers it to him, but the second his hand touches hers she lets out a small gasp.

“Your skin is freezing!” She exclaims. “Buta emberem, come inside before you catch a cold.”

He wordlessly allows her to usher him inside as she mumbles in her own tongue about how her husband puts others too far before himself.

Ana was right. Ana was always right. She was more beautiful than any star could ever dream of being and he was well aware that he was blessed to be her husband and to have her in his life.

And yet… that night he still found himself dreaming of the stars.

~-.-~

“Am I doing the right thing, Jarvis?”

Howard’s words startle him just as he is about to leave the workshop.

Confused, he turns to face his employer. “What do you mean, Sir?”

Howard’s hands clench into fists at his side as he struggles to find the right words. “I don’t know, I just-” he sighs and looks up at Edwin almost desperately. “I climbed up from practically nothing to get here… what if settling down screws all that up? Screws up the company?”

Ah, Edwin understands now. He knew that Maria was different from the second she scolded Mr Stark without hesitation. She is so different from all the other women, and though Edwin knows that she would never use him he can also understand why his friend is worried. He does have a legacy, company and reputation to maintain, and tying the knot with the wrong person could hypothetically ruin all that.

But Edwin trusts Maria, and Maria loves Mr Stark.

“I think,” he begins, uncomfortably aware that Howard is clinging on to his every word, “that you should follow your heart. Maria is a lovely woman and everyone can see that she makes you happy.” He notes how Mr Stark smiles at the thought of his girlfriend. “But I’m not sure if you should be asking me for this sort of advice, Sir.” He adds.

“Are you kidding?” Howard scoffs. “You and Ana have the best thing going that I’ve ever seen. The two of you are so sweet it makes me sick.”

Having perfected the art of not taking offence at Mr Stark’s offhand remarks, Edwin just brushes the comment aside and speaks to his employer slowly and calmly. “If I know you, Sir, that’s not the sort of relationship you’re looking for.”

Howard Stark has been involved with woman after woman, scandal after scandal, leaving his poor butler to deal with the aftermath of each one. So yes, Edwin knows all too well that the man would struggle with the commitment of marriage and the tower of responsibilities that comes with it.

“See, that’s my point!” Howard exclaims, throwing his hands up in frustration. “I don’t know if I can do it!”

Despite the seriousness of the conversation, a small smirk tugs at Edwin’s lips. “Oh, I was under the impression that the great Howard Stark could do anything.”

It was astounding to watch as pompous a man as Howard Stark, with an ego as large as the sun, crumble with insecurity. It was an extremely rare sight to behold and Edwin has the feeling that he is the only person to whom Howard would reveal his inner vulnerabilities.

“You think so?” He asks.

Edwin’s snarky smirk is replaced by a genuine expression of reassurance. “That’s what people say, but I have to say that the man I know personally isn’t perfect. But I also know that Maria makes him whole, and that he needs someone to anchor him before he loses sight of what’s truly important.”

“Steve-”

“Yes, I know Captain Rogers is important,” he interrupts, “but you need to live in the present. He was in the past. I think that Maria could be your future.”

Mr Stark looks up at him for a few moments, presumably allowing his words to sink in. Then all of a sudden his eyes harden with an all-too-familiar determination.

“You’re right!” He cries. “I’m great- I can do this! What’s another challenge to me, right?”

Edwin resists the urge to roll his eyes.

“Follow my heart? Well in that case it’s settled. I’ll propose to her tomorrow!”

“Wh- tomorrow?!” Edwin splutters, his calmness shattering with the shock of the preposterous statement.

Howard snorts and holds his hands up in surrender. “Just messing with you. Sometimes your advice is so good that I gotta make sure you’re not a robot or something.”

Edwin chuckles nervously.

“But seriously,” Mr Stark continues, closing the gap between them, “thanks, Jarvis.” He wraps his arms around Edwin’s torso (it’s an odd, childish position but it’s what suits their height difference the best) and squeezes him in a tight hug. Then his playful voice drops into a smaller, more serious tone. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

He then pulls back and both men take a moment to adjust their clothing.

“You’re gonna be my best man, right?”

“Perhaps you should propose to her first before you get ahead of yourself, Sir. Take things slow.” Edwin decides to neglect mentioning how improper it would look for Howard Stark’s butler to act as best man and, as utterly flattered as he is, promises to himself to argue the point at a later date.

Mr Stark proceeds to practically hop back to his worktop to continue tinkering with his latest invention. It is a remote control of some sort and thankfully not that blasted cube. However, Edwin knows him well enough that his mind is elsewhere and is practically swimming with proposal ideas- which he will, eventually, end up asking for his help about too.

He doesn’t mind. Edwin just feels happy to help.

~-.-~

Edwin nearly jumps out of his skin as a slender hand taps him on the shoulder.

“Oh! I’m sorry to startle you, Mr Jarvis. I just… I was wondering if I could pull you aside for a minute. In private.”

Mrs Stark’s eyes are wide and alert, and she looks up at him with an air of emergency she’d never admit to having.

Being the ideal butler, Edwin obviously agrees. “Of course. Where would you like to..?”

“Our bedroom,” she supplies all too quickly, “if that’s alright with you.”

It’s not a question. All Edwin can do is nod politely, set his feather duster down, and follow Maria through the hallway and up the elegant main staircase of Stark manor.

Luckily, they don’t pass any of the staff on the way up. And since Howard was away on another of his business endeavours (which had become more frequent) there was no worry of bumping into him, either. Not that Edwin has any clue why Maria was being so insistent on secrecy.

Still, he would try his best to keep it. For her sake.

Once they had reached the large, extravagantly-decorated room and Edwin had locked the door firmly behind him, Maria let out a long, shaky sigh.

It’s only when Edwin turns to look at her does his worry start to sink in.

Her eyes are tired and her glorious brown hair is ever-so-slightly tousled. She still looks like a model, of course, but the fact that any imperfection is noticeable means that something must be terribly wrong.

“Is everything alright?” Edwin asks quietly once he realises that she won’t speak first.

Maria nods unsurely. “I… I don’t know.” She says, and Edwin can hear the lilt of her original Italian accent clipping her words- an occurrence that happened only when she was very stressed.

Unsure how to prompt her for more information without seeming rude, Edwin smiles comfortingly. “Is there anything I can do for you, Ma’am?”

“Edwin-” the use of his first name surprises him so much that it wipes the smile off his face- “you know Howard well, don’t you?”

Edwin is too busy worrying about where the conversation is heading to consider the question too deeply. “W-Well, yes, I suppose I do.” He stutters. “More than any of the staff, most definitely.”

Maria sighs again and moves to sit down on the bed. Edwin, having no idea if he is welcome to do the same, just stands awkwardly on the spot.

She twists the magnificent ring on her finger as she speaks, not looking Edwin in the eye. “…Do you know whether he wants children?”

“W-Well, I- um, i-if, erm-” Edwin stammers incoherently.

Maria holds up her ringed hand to silence him and finally meets his panicked gaze.

“I am pregnant.”

For a moment, Edwin believes he heard incorrectly. His expression doesn’t change as he waits for Maria to repeat herself. When she doesn’t, and the truth finally settles in, he feels the biggest, most-unprofessional grin slip onto his face.

“Oh Maria,” he says, forgoing all formalities as he quickly moves to sit beside her on the bed, “that’s absolutely wonderful!”

Rather than be offended, she seems to appreciate the use of her first name. She smiles in relief at Edwin’s positive reaction. “I only found out a few hours ago, you’re the first to know.”

“That’s amazing!” Edwin’s smile falters slightly. “Is it..?”

“Yes, it belongs to Howard.” Maria assures. Not that he had any doubt, of course, he simply just had to make sure in case she needed any support.

And, just to be extra sure, he cautiously asks another sensitive question.

“…Are you happy?”

Maria tenses for a moment, her eyes frantically scanning over Edwin’s face for… something. When she presumably does or doesn’t find what she’s looking for, she relaxes again.

“I’m overjoyed,” she says, her voice barely a whisper as she idly rubs her stomach, “but Howard-”

“Don’t worry about Howard.” Edwin cuts off firmly. “He is a grown man who adores you, he won’t run off when he hears- I’ll make sure of that. And though I can’t be certain what his initial reaction will be like, I can be certain that he will be every bit as happy as you are.” He smiles a little sadly. “I can only presume fatherhood does that to you.”

The fear doesn’t leave her eyes. “But how do I-”

“I can tell him, if you’d like, but I think he’d much rather prefer to hear it from you.” He interrupts again, reading her mind. “And I think it would be wise to wait until he returns tomorrow, otherwise he’ll grumble about unfinished work.”

Maria lets out a small, dainty laugh. It doesn’t sound entirely natural which does mean that she’s feeling more like herself. Then they fall into a comfortable silence, Maria twisting her ring absentmindedly as Edwin tries to settle his own giddiness from the wonderful news.

He truly feels ecstatic and over the moon for Mr and Mrs Stark. They are going to have a child! A small part of him can't help but feel jealous that he can never have that for himself.

He hates Whitney Frost with every fibre of his being.

But he and Ana have come to terms with the fact that they won't be able to have children, so instead he tries to channel all of his sadness into joy for his dear friends. Besides, he is sure that Mr Stark will let him babysit the child with Ana on occasion. The pair of them would do it for free without a second thought.

Suddenly, Maria shifts her position on the bed to face him before clasping his hand with hers.

“Thank you, Edwin.”

It is said with such sincerity that the use of his first name doesn’t make him even bat an eye this time. In that moment, it wasn’t a wealthy lady thanking her husband’s butler. No, it was an anxious woman thanking her friend.

“My pleasure.” He replies on instinct when she releases his hand.

“I’m sorry for keeping you.” She adds, and Edwin knows that’s his cue to leave. So, with one final smile of reassurance and glee, he leaves her to her own devices.

It isn’t until late that night, as he lies awake in bed with his wife beside him, that it occurs to him as odd that Mrs Stark told him first.

[evermoire]

everything will be alright (if you keep me next to you) | pack.

music played throughout the williams house, a welcome addition to the already warm and cheerful atmosphere. sasha sang along to beyoncé’s rendition of before i let go, twirling a giggling lizzie beneath their linked hands and pulling the blonde back in, a wide grin on her lips. it was basically tradition for the williams siblings to host thanksgiving dinner with the samuels sisters. most years, their parents went off to visit family members, but lizzie was uncomfortable with them and preferred to stay home. in respect for that, tyreese and sasha always had a dinner with the two of them. when aaron moved to town, he started coming along, and the same with jesus.

the most recent additions were morgan and the raekens.

the raekens hadn’t been in town very long, but sasha and lilly had become fast friends and while inviting them along to thanksgiving dinner was impulsive, sasha didn’t regret it at all. she’d been mildly panicked at the idea that lizzie might not be comfortable with so many new faces, but the young girl had adapted well. though she did express some regret in not inviting her friend ana — complete with a light blush across her cheeks and a smile so soft and full, it had aaron blinking and holding back questions — she was sure that her friend was busy with her own family and was just happy that she had such a great group to hang out with.

truthfully, sasha couldn’t help but agree.

when lizzie excused herself to go to the bathroom, sasha went to find lilly, two cups in hand. “hey, you,” she greeted upon spotting her. lilly’s dad was out at the grill with the boys, laughing at something that sasha didn’t care to listen in on, and last sasha had checked, meghan was out there with them, sticking close to her dad so that lilly could get a break. it was sweet, the way they cared for him —- for each other; the only consistent figure in sasha’s life was ty, and he’d always been capable of taking care of himself. hell, for the bulk of her life, he’d taken care of her. “i brought apple cider and i brought a mimosa. i figure i’ll be happy with whichever one you don’t want, so...” with a grin, she presented the options to let lilly pick.

having been shooed away from the grill by her father, who insisted he didn’t need a babysitter — and gently nudged along by aaron, who promised that he had medical training but would call if anything happened — meghan made her way into the house. 

she’d been surprised when lilly told her about the offer to spend thanksgiving here, but the surprise had faded quickly. lilly was the most amazing person in the world and this was her hometown, after all; it would have been much stranger if someone hadn’t invited her to spend time with them for the holidays. no one had been even remotely weirded out or uncomfortable by their dad tagging along, even though he was the only elder around. everyone just seemed happy that they were there, accepting them with open arms and chatting like they’d all been together from birth.

for someone like meghan, who’d never done well on the friend front — and was maybe doing worse than ever now, not that she would ever admit it — it was disconcerting but amazing, all at once.

she found her way into the kitchen, stopping short at the sight of mika there. she recognized the girl from school. they had one class together, but their schedules were vastly different, on account of meghan being a year behind. still, she’d seen mika around school before, and that was the thought that made her hesitate. was there a chance mika had seen something? or heard something? meghan had rotten luck in school, she always had. if it wasn’t one thing, it was another. while they’d been hoping for a change at the new school, having uprooted their lives after meghan’s clothes, phone and textbooks were run over by multiple cars in a prank gone too far, it was happening here, too. she wasn’t going to complain this time; she hadn’t even complained last time. it’d just gotten to the point where the school had no choice but to call lilly and they weren’t going to see a change if they stayed there.

but they couldn’t move again. they actually had a chance of finding theo and tara here. they couldn’t move again, just because meghan had rotten luck. they had to stay.

which meant that if mika knew something, she couldn’t tell anyone. so meghan had to know what she knew. if she knew.

“hi.” it was a lackluster greeting, and she winced at her own awkwardness. “i, um... did you need help with anything? is there anything i can do?” meghan really did feel bad for not helping with dinner. everyone else had either brought something or had spent some time in the kitchen preparing, but meghan hadn’t. if everyone else was going to contribute, why shouldn’t she?

lizzie stepped out of the bathroom, running a hand through her hair. her favorite day of the year was thanksgiving, solely because she got to spend it with her neighbors. though she knew her family loved her and they all meant well, it was easy to get overwhelmed with them. and while she did feel bad for holding mika back so often, she never wanted to give up these days with the williams family —- and, now, with more people. it was sasha and ty’s cousin, and a new family in town, and aaron and jesus, too, though the latter two had been coming around for a while. it was fuller than lizzie was used to, but it was still comfortable. no one held any malice towards each other, nor did anyone show any displeasure for being here. there was no abundance of yelling or unwanted touching or patronizing.

lizzie liked it here. she thought that maybe this was what a family holiday was supposed to feel like.

she was so caught up in her musings that she nearly bumped into morgan, stopping just short of a head-on collision. “oh! i’m sorry. i was miles away. the just dance portion of the night is coming up,” she added; though that wasn’t what she was thinking of, it was next in line. “it’s only a matter of time before sasha and jesus start challenging everyone and i’m trying to avoid that for as long as possible,” she joked.

[survivorunfinishedbusiness]

Episode #3 - “I Stand For The Flag, I Kneel At The Cross” - Amanda

https://survivorunfinishedbusiness.tumblr.com/post/175489103003/immunity-challenge-3

Moral of the story, never trust a weeaboo goombitch

Audaux or whatever that fucking tribe's name is is dead to me. They are worth nothing. SCUM. Scum is what they are. Liars. Their word is worth nothing in this game and neither are they. Unlike them I've got an idol. Time's ticking. And sooner or later their times gonna be up.

im overwhelmed

https://survivorunfinishedbusiness.tumblr.com/post/175491921028/announcement

Amanda is removed from the game.

I’m not a Christian but I know who Monique Heart is. “Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the housetops.” Luke 12:3

oh wow. This game really took a turn for the worst huh. Nicholas left, Dani exploded, one world and a swap happened, tea was spilled, my closest ally was removed from the game, and Athena is ending after this season. I would like it to be known that I had absolutely no idea Amanda was so problematic and would not have gotten so close to her had I known! I'm taking this whole night kinda hard because it's like a punch in the face for me, not only because it hinders my game but also because it's so sad that I had gotten so close to Amanda these past few days and it's honestly super tragic what happened. I literally had no idea she was problematic and I had grown to care for her. I'm def just gonna take the night off and try to gather my bearings before I try to focus on the game or anyone else in it for now. Today has been insanely exhausting. Tomorrow is a new day and I fully intend to play just as hard (if not harder) as I was before, but I'm probably gonna have to start back at square 1. Wish me luck!!

So, tribal went exactly as I planned, and the swap happened... just as planned. However, Amanda wasn't something I had planned or even considered happening. Like, it's crazy when you think you know somebody, but then it turns out they are actually a 180 of what you think they are... Naturally this throws the Night Owls into serious haywire, and honestly, it might as well be a new game only with less allies at this point.

Well, Dani as it turns out is the Abi-Maria type, you know "fuck with me, you're dead." Good news is that I'm on a different tribe. Bad news is that I went in that tribal with 6 people willing to work with me, and walked out with 2.

https://youtu.be/BKWTR3cUibk

As time goes on, I'm slowly feeling a bit better about my tribe, but we'll see how I'm feeling when/if we go to tribal. Bodhi surprisingly seems less upset than Dani, almost makes me glad I got him instead of Dani. (Though having Colin and Timmy would have been ideal for me.)

Hi hosts I haven't made a confessional yet. honestly last night was wild like. i was drinking because i'm on vacaytion and that's what you do and like i started drinking like RIGHT when ryan sent the letter so i knew this was gonna be an interesting night so i kept on doing it and i was definitely gone. so yeah my tribes cool i like dani a lot. hopefully her drama will keep us alive. i don't know who's from what tribe but i do know anna and i are the only ones from talio on a tribe of 8 so that's really cute!

Okay so... last night was a hot mess. We tribe swap but then get put on One World with a scary pairs challenge, but then everyone fights Amanda Lynn for blindsiding Nicholas, THEN she gets exposed and quits the game. Omg Dani’s mind... So now I’m on a new tribe so let’s assess them! Super happy Andrew is with me. My closest ally from the old tribe that I can trust. Nathan and Nicole are here too, but they seem like a tighter duo with each other than us. I just hope they don’t do any shady business. Super happy to be reunited with Bodhi, we were a duo in B.B. pokémon but it might be known with Julia on this tribe. Speaking of Julia, don’t think we’re on good terms. She doesn’t like me so I’m not gonna bother messaging her. I played furby with Colin, we didn’t talk much there though. He tells me he lead the blindside against Nicholas and Kori was with him too so they’re probably working together. And then there’s Isaac, don’t have an opinion of him. Let’s just hope this phase of the game goes swimmingly.

https://survivorunfinishedbusiness.tumblr.com/post/175509590398/immunity-challenge-4

OK WOW THAT AMANDA LYNN DRAMA I THINK SORTA SAVED ME! I WAS PAIRED WIHT JAKE! IN THAT PAIRED UP WHAT EVER CRAP TURN LEFT TURN RIGHT BULLSHIT! and well i was most definitely going to turn right on his ass. Bc i know for a fact he was lying to me i know he was also turning right. IM NOT DUMB JAKE! sooo i was shook! bc like i didnt know all that wud play out. BUT THEN QUEEN JAY B. EXPOSED AMANDA LYNNS ASS! WHICH GETS HER PRETTY MUVH REMOVED/WALKED FROM THE GAME! which means no dumb pairs! sooo now we r on this one world tribal beach for like no reason ! ahah. but yeah i pretty much trust no one on my tribe like at all. BESIDES DANI A FUCKING QUEEN ! DANI I FUCKING LOVE YOU TO THE MOON AN BACK! <3 well im on the ugly audax tribe now. and i need to make  a video DR about other stuff   

ali and emily TY TY FOR PUTTING ANNA on my tribe after the swap! SHE  IS A GODDESS ON THE UNDERWORLD <3 (mean this in a good way) she is definitely a slytherin sooo cunning! ME AN HER BOTH BEING POTS AND VILLAINS OF OUR GAMES AND BEING ON THE SAME TRIBE <3  wow ty for rigging us together <3 SHE IS MY QUEEN! LIKE i hope she is bein genuine wiht me right now bc i want to work with her sooo bad!

Before my first tribal https://youtu.be/RfsGDjeD9_w   After my first tribal https://youtu.be/NDCkPgw75II 

https://youtu.be/M4bMaLxzwpY  Update on what I said about Blake though: we both like the same shows so that’s amazing because they’re Netflix shows which are my favorite.

Ali won't tell me where the idols are. That fucking snake this is why I told the hosts I refused to play with him.

Well, now that the Amanda fiasco has been said and done, I feel good about AJ and Julia in my tribe, meanwhile I still have Colin and I'm trying to work on a potential 5th, if we can get 5 that's a majority in a possible vote, and then I can move through this tribe fearlessly.

I dunno how I feel about the challenge, because it feels like one that if I'm in, I could definitely drop the ball, and as a result be the target, which would SUCK like majorly.

Hi My name is john coffey And yes I drink coffee.

https://survivorunfinishedbusiness.tumblr.com/post/175523828513/immunity-results-4

Talio wins immunity, sending Audax is sent to tribal council.

I'm a little late with this confession but Amanda got removed cus sis, she's homophobic, bye.

17 more to go.

So theres some annoying beef going on between Timmy and Dani and I mean I might as well be annoying and call them out about it in the tribe chat. It's the last season of Athena we gotta spice shit up.

So much is happening, I wanted Dani out, Dani wanted me out, Mo was trying to instigate stuff in the tribe chat. Once the challenge results were posted Ryan was messaging me saying that we should keep the 4 of us who were in the challenge safe because we need strong competitors and I agreed. Then after that I heard from Anna that Dani was saying my name, which is fucked up because she (Dani) had just said last night that she wants to put the past behind us. But honestly, and this is going to sound really stupid, after the Mo thing in the tribe chat, I'd much rather have him gone. The way to do that is to work with Dani and just let everything out into the open. Especially since Mo said, both in PMs and in the tribe chat, that he is trying a more assertive and bold strategy. Don't reveal your strategy, that's stupid. So Dani and I have been talking and we want Mo out because that seems like the best idea right now because he is trying to personify that there is an issue between us. I can get Anna on board and she seems like she would agree to it based on a small talk about it and Dani said she got John. But also John hasn't responded to my last message so....that's something. Trusting Dani could be what gets me out of this game and I really could be booboo the fool, but sometimes risks need to be taken. I'm just hoping that I can convince Ryan that this is the smarter plan, or maybe he can talk some sense into me and then Dani goes. Either way I don't want to be the one leaving tomorrow and I'm going to try everything to make sure that that does not happen. But right now it is 1am and I can get nothing accomplished this late, so that will have to wait until tomorrow where hopefully I don't wake up to a tribe chat on fire.

ofc my tribe loses. Tribal council loves "ana" ;) @ emily anyway dani and timmy are fighting which makes it sooo easy to just sit back and vote one of them BUT i really like timmy. and Dani is close to Blake and Ryan who I have an alliance chat with so I don't think they will vote her. Naturally I threw out the idea to keep BOTH of them for the drama and since Dani is going to go after Colin, Kori AND Timmy she will make such a great meat shield even in the future. So I threw out Mo's name. We were originally not going to vote anyone who competed in the challenge but Mo took literally so long, 5 minutes longer than the person on the other tribe and Ryan had gotten him a beautiful lead. Ofc I was 2 minutes slower but hear me out. Apparently in the jeopardy challenge he had bad internet or something and flopped and let everyone down. So thats kinda 2 in a row. Don't get me wrong, I think he's a super nice guy and I get why everyone loves him BUT him and I's convo's seem to run dry. Compared to people like Blake or Ryan who I want to talk to all the time, I don't see myself working with him closely in the future. So we will see. Looks like its gonna be one of those three!

it's me again. SO last night mo was like stirring the pot or something and tried having like an intervention with dani and timmy. or like, relationship therapy i guess. BUT it seems like little mo's fun backfired because mr timmy came to me this morning and it appears he and dani have kissed and made up and now they want little mo out. gay gagging! anna's on board i think. and it doesn't seem like vindicta is united. i know john said he didn't really connect with everyone so that's good. and timmys gonna pull in RTP so we can vote out mo. so that's fun!

The numbers to get Mo out seem to be there so I am thrilled! We don't need someone who is going to try to cause drama just so they can then hide in the shadows. The difficult part comes next and that is telling Ryan that Mo is the target, but I am hoping that will go well because the numbers are already there, and I'll phrase it in a way that is me asking him rather than saying it is already happening...even though it is.

Kori is literally.... like... insane. Every single time I'm on a call with him and one other person he offers a 'voice chat' alliance to f3. We've had one with Timmy since night 1, made one with Nathan yesterday, and he also offered one to Isaac. It's literally too much I'm screaming. Straights are WILD.

LAST MINUTE DR.... I WON IMMUNITY WOOOO BUT I THINK THE FIRST TIME I DONT IM GONE GBVFDJGNVFD

https://survivorunfinishedbusiness.tumblr.com/post/175556933558/tribal-council-4-audax

Mo is sent home by a vote of 6-1. You can watch his preseason interview here.

[ecotone99]

[MF] Uber Driver Testimonial

I signed up to be an Uber driver after I heard Jimmy H––– speak about an opportunity for people unemployed, underemployed and between careers. What’s great about Jimmy’s program is that when I hit my 500 rides he gets a payout. What’s also great is that for every person I sign up, coach, and track on the Partner Dashboard, I get a payout when that person hits their 500 rides. I don’t take a portion of my protege’s money so it’s not a pyramid scheme. I encourage all new Uber drivers part of Jimmy’s system to journal their experience driving for Uber. Email your testimonial to me for a chance to win a nice prize and be featured on Jimmy’s website.

I used to be self-conscious when driving college students. When you drive Uber you are either a driver who drives nights and weekends (you might have a day job) or you are a driver who drives during weekdays (you probably do not have a day job). When I drove college students during the weekday I often imagined saying to them “don’t be like me kids” or “I have a degree but you never know where life will take you”. It occurred to me I should be able to express a good and noble reason for driving Uber to myself and students or young professionals that press me. I settled on telling the truth: I was a disabled veteran who drove to get out of the house.

One time I drove a couple to a hip-hop concert at the Great Park. While we were in the car the guy said I was the best Uber driver he ever rode with because I checked my blind spots. Since I started driving for Uber I have greatly improved my driving skills, reinforced good driving habits, and developed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). These are driving rules that I follow by default and only alter if there is a special circumstance like an emergency. Some basic examples of my SOPs are: 1) stopping at yellow lights unless the abrupt stop would jar my passengers, 2) making a full stop at every stop sign, 3) checking both ways twice, 4) using owl vision through intersections, 5) driving a bit slower than normal, 6) knowing the exit before getting on the highway, 7) driving with the windows up and the A/C on, 8) driving with no radio on, 9) only talking when spoken to or when asking follow up questions.

I’m wondering if I will still be able to drive for Uber after December 31st because of these new laws California passed. I don’t know about you, but I’m taxed like a contractor and not an employee!

Like an airplane pilot going through their pre-flight checklist, I have SOPs that I go through before I start driving, when I pull up to the pickup point, after I drop someone off, etc. First I make sure I can stop somewhere close to the pickup point out of the way of traffic. I park the car and turn on my blinkers. Next I unlock the doors. I make sure the dome light turns on when the doors open. I roll the windows up and turn the air conditioner on. Last I text the passenger using the app telling them that I have arrived. While I wait I keep an eye out for hazards and the passenger. If I notice the passenger has bags I pop the trunk, get out, and help them.

On the road I’ve noticed an increase in a phenomenon I call Honk Backs. Let’s say that one driver lingers after a light turns green and the car behind them honks. A Honk Back would be that first driver honking back in indignation (after they were honked at). I have yet to do a Honk Back and feel it is beneath the dignity of most drivers.

Not too late one night I drove an inebriated Korean man home. I had the strange desire to convince this guy that I had Korean friends and that I liked Korean food, which are both true. We talked about some Korean dish being real good and the best place in South Korea to get it. Later in the conversation I named my three Korean friends. I even got into how I liked Korean women a lot. He asked me to clarify. That’s when I knew I had talked too much. He then went on a polite tirade about how stupid the Chinese were and how they were buying up all the land and making prices go up.

When I started driving for Uber I believed I needed to get to the pick up point as fast as possible and that people wanted me to drive as fast as possible. Neither beliefs were true. People want to be driven safely. People appreciate slower, defensive driving when they have never driven with you before. I tend to show up earlier than expected at the pick up point and I often arrive safely at the destination ahead of time.

My father brought up to me today that the founders of Uber did something lavish with the money they got from their IPO. He said that it wasn’t fair while the average Uber driver struggles to make minimum wage. I told him that if it wasn’t for Uber I would be unable to pay my bills and it was great it was so easy to be legally employed by them.

I always thought the best drivers on the road (aside from racer drivers, stunt drivers, etc.) were truck drivers. Truck drivers are the titan sentinels of the road. Their driving skill is a testament to the number of hours they have behind a wheel. The legends of the Uber road are drivers with over 10 thousand rides. Can you imagine someone who has driven more in the last 3 months than you have in the last 3 years?

One night I drove a big Indian guy from one house to another. The whole ride he was on the phone talking in a low, deep voice, very slowly, in that Barry White style, but in Hindi. I imagined he was talking to the woman I was driving towards though I never saw who was in the house. I thought this dude had some game and was good at talking to the ladies. A few days later it occurred to me that what made this guy sound so smooth was talking slowly in a deep voice. Now I speak in a deep low voice to people that ride with me and I have received more pats than average.

Uber sent me a message in the App saying that I am covered by insurance as soon as I turn the App on. I’m sure it’s just for car insurance and not health insurance. I doubt they would cover me in a crash but it’s nice of them to cover damage to my car. It’s likely just liability coverage in case I maim or mangle.

One day I took a Black woman to the train station. She was older than me, but gracefully aged, and she wore a long dark dress with a floral print. She was the talkative type, which seems to be about 1 out of 25 people. By this I mean she was the type of rider that talks the entire drive. I’m happy to oblige and make smart conversation with people like this. She told me a story about how Condoleezza Rice lived back in the day when racism was really bad and her dad had to protect his family from attack by Klan members with his shotgun. My passenger said that she liked the idea that people in a country should have to serve in the military, that way they could learn to use guns and know more about what it means to send citizens off to war. She lamented that people in the government were tying to takeover the presidency. She also told a story about how her older relative was welcomed into the home of a family that wound up showing them an emerald green cloak and hood worn by certain leaders of the Klan. When we got to the train station she thanked me for the ride and I told her I would share her Condoleezza Rice story.

Tips make up about 10% of my Uber wages. Keeping my car washed and vacuumed, dressed in slacks, dress shoes, and a button shirt, freshly showered and shaved, helps increase my tips. It seems that people treat me based on the quality of my clothing. I would guess that tipping is done out of a sense of obligation (I tip you because you have earned my respect), and secondarily out of genuine thankfulness.

I don’t understand why gas prices are high in California even though we are energy independent thanks to Donald Trump.

I noticed some passengers give directions and make requests of me, and some passengers are quiet as a mouse though I drive miles off route in the wrong direction. I noticed the former tend to be from affluent neighborhoods and the later from poor neighborhoods. Meekness and humility seem to be more prevalent in Santa Ana while assertiveness and disagreeableness are more prevalent in Newport Beach. This reminds me of an article I read saying there were two types of parents that took their kids for a checkup: 1) parents that encourage their children to ask the doctor questions, 2) parents that tell their children to be quiet in the presence of the doctor.

I picked up a Muslim family and dropped them off in a nice gated community. There were two women wearing hijabs and an elderly man who had a speaking impairment. He seemed to make grunts of varying range and timbre to communicate. It was an unfortunate ride because along the route I made a left turn when I should have gone straight (it was a bizarre intersection foreign to me). The elderly man began grunting, confirming my mistake. I needed to make a U-turn at the next intersection to get back on track. It turned out it was illegal to make a U-turn at this intersection. I was already in the left turning lane though. I felt I owed it to this family to risk the illegal U-turn even though getting pulled over would be the absolute worse thing that could happen to me or my passengers, aside from a crash. Sometimes we succumb to the rush of the moment. After scanning for cops I made the U-turn when the light turned green. The truck behind me honked. When we got to the guard house at the entrance to the community I rolled down the windows and presumed to talk to the gate guard and give the guard the home number that the app had as the destination address. It turned out the house number I gave was not correct. The female passenger behind me told the gate guard the correct house number and had to give a name repeatedly. That day I learned to just roll down the windows and let the passengers talk to the gate house security.

It’s January 2nd and I am still able to drive for Uber. I guess they satisfied whatever requirements they needed with the state. I know that the future of Uber will be driver-less cars. I know that when I drive I am helping program Uber’s AI. I know that my function as a driver for Uber will be obsolete one day and that I am helping to expedite that goal. I do hope to drive for Uber in my old age when I’m retired so that I can get out of the house and stave off Alzheimer’s.

​

https://chasedmandes.com/uber-driver-testimonial/

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