#education is a fucking scam i hate it at my school

[anniesannex]

You’re So Art Deco

Chapter one

Sugar daddy !Johnny Cage x reader

Description: you are a struggling college student who needs some cash. Your friend suggests a sugar daddy but you wouldn’t do that. Right?

A/n: this is literally my first time posting my writing like ever so I’m a little nervous to be doing this.

With a dramatic sigh, you enter the dorm you’ve been working so hard for you’ve barely had to relax in. Between school and work you’ve barely had time to sleep. Luckily you had a day off the next day.

“Bad day?” Grace asked as she brushed her long golden locks. “I don’t know why you don’t just quit that shithole (Y/n).” Of course she wouldn’t.

“Because I need the money Grace.” You sigh as you take your hair down. “Or else I can’t cover what my scholarship doesn’t.”

“You’re literally killing yourself though.”

“Grace.” You Sighed. “I love you but I don’t want to engage in this conversation right now.”

“If you need the money I’m sure my dad ca-”

“I’m not taking money from your dad, Grace. I appreciate that you worry about me but I can’t.” You pull out a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie. Shedding the uniform for your shitty minimum wage job.

“Can you at least tell me what happened today.”

“The usual, rude people treating me like I’m fucking stupid, my manager being a sexist freak, and of course that guy who keeps trying to hit on me came in.”

“I fucking hate that guy.” Grace spat. “You sure you don’t want to come out with us tonight (y/n/n)? It’s not the same without you there.”

“I’m exhausted Gracie, as much as I’d love to I can’t.” You got your laptop to work on your school work.

“Why not get a sugar daddy?” Grace suggested. “It’s definitely help. Plus you can get to bang some hot dilfs.” She winked as you rolled your eyes.

“Girl I’m not getting a sugar daddy.” You sighed. “By the way where’s the Tito’s?”

“I just got a new bottle, it’s in the fridge.”

“Thank you so much.” You grabbed it out of the fridge and opened it. “You’re literally the best person ever. Y’know that?”

“You seem to tell me that a lot. Thank you (y/n).” She smiled. “But take it easy with the Tito’s tonight. I don’t wanna have to put you to bed again.”

“I will.” You paused to take the shot. “Have fun tonight. Tell them I said hi and that I miss them.”

“Will do.” Grace grabbed her bag as she left the dorm. As you continued to work to you thought more and more at the idea of having a sugar daddy. It would definitely take a load off you. After the debating the pros and cons you signed up for a dating app meant to find sugar daddies.

“I really hope I don’t get fucking scammed.” You sassed to yourself as you made your username. Once you had an account you looked through all the possible matches you had. None of them really piqued your interest as you looked through them until-.

“Ooo he’s kinda hot!” You exclaimed as you ready his username and bio.

Johnny, 49

@JohnC95

Sagittarius

6’1

Hobbies: martial arts, long walks on the beach, and looking in the mirror.

Looking for someone to spoil ;).

You had clicked to accept him as a possible match when the words ‘it’s a match!’ Appeared on screen. It was only a matter of seconds until the first message came in.

@JohnC95: ‘well hello there gorgeous. It seems like we’ve matched.’

@y/n:’ it seems like it haha.’

“What the fuck is going on right now?!” You thought out loud.

@johnC95: so what are you doing right now?

@y/n: working on course work and drinking.

@johnC95: she’s educated I see. Also are you old enough to be drinking?

@y/n: I’m old enough. So what are you doing?

@johnC95: sitting through dinner w/ execs. Discussing my next film. Although I’d rather be w/ you, doll ;).

Film? You wonder what he does.

@y/n: that’s sweet of you. What do you do?

@JohnC95: I’m THE Johnny Cage.

Johnny Cage? That’s definitely a scam. You were rolling you eyes as you typed.

@y/n: I don’t believe you. send pics.

@JohnC95: better yet why not FaceTime?

You blushed at his boldness but typed as you got up from your bed.

@y/n: what abt the ‘execs’?

@JohnC95: said I had to take a call. They can wait on me.

@y/n: just let me get into something that isn’t pajamas and I’ll be on the phone.

@JohnC95: will do doll!

You look in your closet for something that was cute. It had been a while since you were in something other than your work uniform or pajamas so you had forgotten what most of your closet looked like. You had been rummaging around until you found a black dress with a red jacket a pair of tights and leg warmers to go over heeled boots. After putting that on you spent a little time on your hair and put on a little makeup before typing.

@y/n: I’m ready ‘Johnny’.

Within a few seconds the laptop had begun ringing. You nervously hit answer, wondering who was going to be at the other end.

“Wow you’re gorgeous.” Johnny spoke as you sigh out of relief for not being scammed. “See I’m really a big ol’ pile of sexy goodness.”

“Thank you Johnny. Sorry about doubting you.” You apologized.

“It’s fine, so what are you drinking?” Johnny asked.

“Tito’s. Just titos.”

“Wow straight vodka, you are bold.” Johnny paused. “What’s your Venmo?”

“My Venmo?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s (y/n)14. Why?” You had questioned.

“Just check it. In two seconds.” Johnny’s face had be taken over by a fuzzy screen as he seemed to be doing something on his phone. As you pulled out your phone to check your Venmo.

From JohnC95

$600.00

“For talking to me on the phone.”

“Johnny, I can’t accept this.” You started “I’ll se-”

“I want you to have it. I like you, (y/n).” Johnny looked sincere. “But I should go. I’ll talk to you very soon Doll.”

“Good night Johnny Cage.” You smiled. As the call ended and you got ready for bed again. You wondered how in the hell managed to find Johnny Cage on a sugar daddy dating app. Wasn’t he like married? You decided to look it up as you got back into bed.

“Christina Ford and Sonya Blade. Both divorced.” You spoke. A new dilemma came across your mind in how the fuck you were gonna tell Grace.

“Oh fuck.” You groaned at the thought. Before you heard a ping from your laptop.

@JohnC95: goodnight Doll, sweetest of dreams :).

You thought of a response back as you put the money into your account. It would help towards paying for college.

@y/n: night, Cage. Enjoy those Hollywood executives.

You flopped your head back down on the pillow as you heard the door to your dorm be opened.

“Holy shit. The night I had.” Grace sighed. “You were right t-”

“I FOUND A SUGAR DADDY AND ITS JOHNNY CAGE!”

#johnny cage #mortal kombat #mk1 2023 #mk11 #dilfjohnnycage #johnny cage x reader #johnny cage smut #MK

[feyhunter78]

20 Fanfic Questions

Thank you for the tag @cchickki this was so fun!!!!

1.) How many works do you have in AO3?

I have 22!

2.) What's your total AO3 words count?

My total is 509,650 words

3.) What fandoms do you write for?

You can find the link here!!!

4.) What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

In order, it is 1.) Pink Pastels 2.) The Dowager Queen 3.) Orange Blossoms 4.) Among the Sun 5.) Trials of Tributes

5.) Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes!!! I love getting comments, they literally make my day, encourage me, and one or two have almost made me cry from how sweet they were🥺

6.) What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

It would be my only angst fic, But Darling (I’d Still Die For You)

7.) What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Oooooo so this is a tie between Moonflowers and the ending I’m thinking about for Pink Pastels

8.) Do you get hate on fics?

I have before, usually it’s super dumb, and I screenshot it and send it to @celestialsolstice, so we can tear it apart together

9.) Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Y’all know I dooooo, but I write sweet smut! Nothing too harsh, no degradation or violence, just two people who care about each other

10.) Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

I do not and have not

11.) Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge, but I live in constant fear that someone has put Pink Pastels in an AI somewhere

12.) Have you ever had a fic translated?

In the very beginning when my only fic was Poisoned Tears and Scorched Tongues someone asked if they could, but I was super new to AO3 and thought it was a scam, so I never responded💀

13.) Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

Lollll nothing that’s been published, but back in the day me and @celestialsolstice started writing a “sister of Markiplier” fic. It was not that good for what I remember, we’re both much better writers now😂

14.) What's your all-time favourite ship?

Honestly it used to be Nalu, but now it’s Dani x Pelle from Midsommer every fic I’ve read about them is a fucking masterpiece😭

15.) What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

Definitely Hold My Heart (Between Your Teeth), and Turn of the Tide, Call of the Sea. They both had such a good premises, but I just lost their plots entirely and cannot muster up the energy to finish them

16.) What are your writing strengths?

I think it’s my prose, and my ability to switch between writing styles, aka modern for Pink Pastels and “old English” for HOTD and Among the Sun. People compliment me on the flow and word usage in my writing, which always make so, so happy!!!!

17.) What are your writing weaknesses?

I don’t plan and if I do, it’s so messy, I just sit and write. Also, thigh riding, dirty talk from reader’s perspective (IMO) and descriptions of objects and/or places. I’m not good at describing settings, y’all😭

18.) Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

For Spanish, I use Spanish Dictionary, my shitty public school Spanish education and my readers. I double-check the translation by running it through twice and sometimes breaking the sentence down to make sure I’m using the right word😂

19.) First fandom you wrote for?

First one I put something out publicly for was HOTD, first fic I ever wrote was for DC Legends of Tomorrow

20.) Favorite fic you've ever written?

Honestly as chaotic as it was Targaryen Inc was so much fun to write, it was off the rails batshit crazy, but I loved it

I’ll no pressure tag @celestialsolstice, @dilf-superiority and @dapper-zappa

#meg talks #tag game!!! #the amount of words I had on AO3 SHOCKED ME

[dennisboobs]

15 questions for 15 mutuals

I was tagged by @emodennis and @sewerkingcharlie <3

Are you named after anyone?

I named myself <3 but originally I was the bandom equivalent of someone naming their kid Sasuke. Except I was named after a member of Motley Crue.

Do you have kids?

Nope, and I don't want any lol. I parented my sibling and that's enough.

Do you use sarcasm a lot?

I Don't Know What Sarcasm Is And At This Point I'm Too Afraid To Ask.

First thing you notice about people?

I don't, I avoid eye contact at all times and if I'm lucky I avoid any and all contact in general.

But probably voice. I listen in on people.

What's your eye color?

Blue

Scary movies or happy endings?

I don't like horror movies and I have a weird sensitivity to seeing people hurt, definitely happy endings, I'm annoyingly an optimist and I love me some feel-good shit. But if it's done well it doesn't need to be a happy ending, just a satisfying one.

Special talents?

Catalogue of Dennis scenes in my brain. You can ask me anything about him and I'm able to give you the episode it comes from (huge boon for wiki purposes but also for editing and stuff too lol) based on like. nothing.

I also went to art school for several years (throughout high school & then a year of college before i realized i hated it) and can draw (not that anyone would know because I never fucking do that <33)

What are your hobbies?

Channelling Dennis' essence like a spirit medium but like. not a scam. He is in my brain and I'm simply his scribe.

I think any of my hobbies are probably known by now on here; wiki editing, drawing, writing, playing video games, editing videos; I have a YouTube channel that I abandoned because I hate it, actually, fuck YouTube-- and archival work. Also sewing, occasionally. And more shit I'm probably forgetting.

Have any pets?

Oui, a dog, Arwen, and a cat, Frisk. I've had plenty of small animals as well, and desperately want pet rats again.

What sports do you play/have you played?

I am a frail little bitch.

How tall are you?

5'4"

Favorite subject in school?

I always liked my tech classes, always a fun day when I got to solder, but even more fun when I could infodump to the class about technology. I did a wholeass photoshoot for my NES opened up and gutted for a presentation in that class and I had truly never been so engaged in a school project before that lmao.

Dream job?

Probably working in JP-ENG game localization. I applied to Sega of America just before covid hit and pretty soon after that everyone I knew there had dipped lmao. I actually really genuinely enjoy working retail (lllloved working at EB Games/Gamestop, and I've worked at three different pet stores and I would literally work at one for the rest of my life and be completely content with it, one of the most rewarding and enjoyable jobs ever tbh), but I mean. You can't really compete with the $$$ that comes with being a welder. If I had the patience I would probably go back to school for translation work, or something psychology-adjacent, I would really love to be an advocate for better education re: autism. I've worked with Fandom for their diversity shit before and am just generally super passionate about helping people get the facts straight about what ASD actually is outside of the stereotypes. But I do that anyway, so I guess it doesn't need to be an actual job lol.

I think by this point everyone's been tagged by other shared mutuals, but if any of y'all want to do it and got passed over, feel free to take this as your sign to do it <3

#THANK YOU FOR TAGGING ME <33 #ada speaks

[vividchaosart]

I hate this timeline

When I was first getting settled after my divorce, I turned to creating art for fabrics, tshirts and things like that. Then NFTs happened. That scam died rather quickly, which was nice, but that was just the beginning of the art world getting fucked. I was getting serious about trying to actually create a business with my art. I had plans. I had art. I had ambition. Then ai came into the picture. Learning by stealing images, like mine, to teach itself how to approximate human art. And now it does text and hands that actually look human. So, what now? I can’t possibly create art/designs as quickly as someone just typing prompts all day and that's only competition with one person. Now imagine an office full of them. Or many offices, in many cities and countries all across the world. 5 years ago if someone told me that ai was going to make artists irrelevant, I would have laughed. I would have said “Nah, people would still prefer real art made by real artists.” But they won’t even know they’re buying ai art unless they follow a specific artist on socials and click their specific links, and even then people get duped. It’s that good at mimicking art and let’s be real, most people won’t care. Businesses certainly won’t and Corporations would just laugh in their olympic sized swimming pool full of money if they read this. I wanted to get into voice acting too. Guess what else ai can do that’s maybe a couple months away from sounding exactly like a real person? Want to be a writer? Guess what! Will there be companies that would still hire and work with real artists? Of course, but consider the numbers. How many other artists like me are there out there that are in a similar position? And how many people could those businesses actually hire? The math isn't in our favor. The math has never been in our favor unless you get exceedingly lucky at a gallery or get a viral tweet. Even the platforms I try to sell on now accept ai art.  The worst part of the whole thing is, art is the only option I have to make any money as a ND, disabled, single mom with no work experience or higher education. (Thanks abusive ex) I can’t afford to go to school to learn how to do something else when I can barely afford groceries. I know I have no options and now the one thing I loved doing feels completely pointless.

#artist #ai #depressing shit

[youaremysunshine-court]

Highkey would like to NOT have to pay Cambridge to send my exam results to a fucking University like at this point they are just extorting money from high school students who need to get into university what the fuck is this tand you know they do this on purpose no one needs fucking over 200 dollars to remark one paper and they certainly don't need 50 pounds to post exam results like its such a scam and it's just exploiting people (who have already paid this fucking institution to take their damn exams) so they can go for a higher level of education

The whole fucking system is rigged fuck Cambridge fuck their "board of examinations valid intertnationally" fuck gcses fuck igcse I hate them all I hope they DIE

#god im angry #like #just to tell you oh you got the same grade as the first time we marked this.... pls pay us for that #might as well hang a board around their necks saying hey we're fucking useless #and strange how everyone with a non-White name always score lower than people with white names #that cant be racial bias in their examiners could it #but no one will say anythign bc its ~ so prestigious ~ and its an 'honour' to graduate with cie certifications #WELL FUCK THEM #STOP MAKING ME PAY FOR STUFF #OR JUST GO FUCKING BANKRUPT IM SURE THATS A THING THATLL HAPPEN IF YOU STOP EXTORTING STUDENTS #yes this old as balls organisation lost all its money bc they stopped asking exorbitant amounts from their examinees #sounds so fucking realisitic #they just fucking do this #for fucking what? laughs #no #ill tell you why #its just fucking racism bc when you convert pounds into asian/ south american currency thats like a weeks living wage youre paying #but when someone is froma country like england or america where their currency has the most value its nothing for them #which means that when two students get Bs and are encouraged to ask for re-marks. only one can afford it #and she was british #anyway #fuck cambridge #burn it all down #kill the old white men running this shit #and uh idk if the odds are against you then be like me and get mad at the system while playing along with it #bc how else will you make it in life #(also ive cooled down bc it took me a good 10 mins to write that rant so - its not just cambridge. elitist orgs everywhere do this #and its not a problem of racism either it classism and wanting the working class to stay the working class. #bc if every asian was given a good education and the chance to go to oxbridge then whod be in the swearshop making their suits for them #so yeah im mad about racism in general and also classism but you have to admit cambridge is pretty fucking racist too. so. i wasnt wrong)

[caffeinatedsunbear]

fucking university

I want to wrangle some stuffed animals and punch a wall really bad right now haha

thinking about university never fails to make me fucking miserable. or school in general really. its been so long since the last time I genuinely enjoyed school and learning new things. doing school work feels like a chore, and while some days I'm still able to find course content enjoyable more often than not I'm sitting through lessons just for the sake of not being marked as absent and for passing a course. I technically know how to properly study but I rarely so do because there isn't a set goal I'm working towards, which can work in high school while I still have my ib conversions but is definitely going to come bite me in the ass once I'm in university.

especially because you're paying for your own education in uni, not trying is quite a waste. and in the current economy getting a master's degree may be a requirement in the future, which you would need your university grades for. so Cs get degrees doesn't apply in that scenario. adding to that the fact that I have no confidence in my french skills and yet I'm thinking of majoring in french because I want to be a teacher is just wonderful news isn't it!

anyways. I hate thinking about uni because it's just making be so miserable right now!

some unrelated happy news: mom got me a qixiong ruqun style hanfu from the very reputable temu website and it's supposed to come by the end of the month so that's exciting! hopefully it's not a scam because it was kind of expensive lol. also I was feeling pretty shit yesterday and ended up pulling an unintentional all-nighter and ended up drawing wlw art of two ocs while listening to comfort playlists on youtube and I'm feeling a little better now lol

[audhd-bitch]

So fucking triggered rn lol.

So the kid I nanny for (the one I swear is autistic) has been tested for giftedness lol.

Boy did that bring up hella emotions for me. Cuz I was definitely a gifted kid/2E but never tested because of budget cuts.

I'm literally not joking. The government cut the budget for testing/assessing disabilities or giftedness a year before I went into kindergarten. My dad was adamant I was 2e and did the best he could, but my teachers just said "I'll grow out of it". LOL fuck them for not caring about their students wellbeing. Fucking useless ass teachers 😩👎

I even went to the "special" class for a bit but nothing happened cuz they were so fucking incompetent. Cuz like at 23 I was dx with dyscalculia and adhd-PI?? Tf?

Like that would have been REAL nice to know earlier 👍 /sarc

So instead of the more advanced or engaging content I craved, I was just do fucking bored of school. Plus I went to a tiny highschool so the classes that I wanted to take usually where cancelled due to not enough students signing up.

Also I tried to transfer out of my highschool to another one twice since I hated mine, but the counsellor refused and I dropped out in senior year lmaooo. Thankfully I did advanced summer school so I graduated with honours and more than enough credits even tho I only attended 1 month of grade 12 💀

The honours program is getting cut this year where I live, and being replaced by a basically gifted program. Which I'm mad about cuz I was in humanities honours haha. But it was a scam cuz only English was honours after grade 8 (the social studies honours class was only grade 8)

Also no offense but I think all kids deserve an education that's tailored to their needs, with access to amazing educational content that stimulates that brain (since statistically, gifted programs are disproportionately filled with upperclass white boys lol. Kinda an already unfair advantage if u ask me 🤷)

#2e #neurodivergent #actually adhd #adhd #asd #gifted #rant

[diobrando]

i am personally going to go kill everyone at my school if they say BIO207 didnt count towards my GE requirements

#hello??? there is 0 percent chance i misread or misunderstood the requirement #i also checked the website a million times because this is a course that is outside my major that the school is forcing me to take #ALSO it was a science course WITH a lab that i was required to take and now the form they sent says no lab like?? #dont fucking play with me #education is a fucking scam i hate it at my school #me in my email: i checked everything a million times dont u dare tell me this doesnt count bc ur wasting my time and money and i know what- #-the requirements were!!! ALSO how dare you!! the school literally would not let me enroll in an easier course this was the only course that #let me enroll and i didnt have a bad registration date or anything #the other classes all hit me with a ''you didnt take the prereqs'' AND YOU THINK I DID FOR BIO207???? FUCK OFF YOU WANT ME TO FAIL AND TAKE #MORE CLASSES AND GIVE YALL MORE MONEY I HATE HIGHER EDUCATION SM #im a history major what the hell man i dont give a shit about science i dont even understand that shit #text

[flamingbluepanda]

What’s your fav soft joexnicky trope??? And pls, as many deets (this is totally me trying to make my dash more positive)

*cracka knuckles*

College old guard makes everything better

Nicky has the most degrees out of all of them, but Joe takes the time to have the most PhDs

Joe is one of the most VERBOSE motherfuckers in the universe

So much academic lingo, but not so much that it’s unreadable

How does he do it?? No one knows

Especially not Nicky

Who cannot finish a paper to SAVE HIA GODDAMN LIFE

he loves school and he loves learning but ESSAYS oh GOD

English is Nicky’s seventh language because unlike the rest of them he thought English was a passing fad when it became popular throughout the world

Joe just has languages up the wazoo it’s insane

Anyway nicky hates writing essays

He always goes to joe crying just like “habibi please help me”

And joe does every single time

Sometimes when they go to college they go as “complete strangers”

Who lock eyes across a history class and have passionate debates about topics and fake an enemies to lovers arc

It drives Nile crazy

Booker prefers teaching to going to school, and one day he taught a history class and uh

He looked up

And there were joe and Nicky sitting on opposite sides

“Oh no. Oh fuck no”

Poor booker hasn’t taught a class since

(Omg one year while he’s on exile he looks up and sees the same thing day one and this time he’s just too shocked to react.)

(I wanna write that now)

Andy....... thinks college is a scam and doesn’t understand why higher education costs so much.

[hppjmxrgosg]

I can't say fuck but I can get fucked, right? Isn't that the big joke? It can happen but I can't talk about it. I can get scammed out of knowledge, cheated out of my history, blinded by lies, and I can have my questions shoved back down my throat. Silenced. Erased. Oppressed. Because if we talk about it people remember and god forbid humanity is portrayed as anything less than perfect. God forbid there was war and genocide and racism and hate and blood in the streets. God forbid we talk about it. Learn about it. As if it wasn't some dirty little secret to hide away and hope disappears. Language is butchered in schools. Literature is too. It is emaciated. Sucked dry of all its substance and sustenance because the things that we stand to gain from it are "uncomfortable" and "obscene". My education should not be based of your comfort. I'm sorry that reality doesn't fit with in the paradigm of your fantasized utopia built on a card house. I'm sorry that the truth falls on the wayside of your razor thin line of comfort and conformity. I'm sorry that you are uncomfortable acknowledging the mistakes of yourself, of your people, of history, of humanity. Your cowardice stifles my generation because you would rather live in a world built by pretty lies. And that I cannot stand for. Give me books that break my heart. I want to scream, I want to sob, I want to feel something get ripped out of my chest, and I want to remember. Emotions tell us we are alive and pain tells us that we have lived and grown and endured. Literature and the art of words is absolutely destroyed by standard education. It becomes standardized and full of rules and bullshit because if they made it easy to understand we would all be smarter for it. And a smart people is a people hard to control. When you ban books you restrict the human condition, you suffocate art, and you attempt to purge the growth of humanity. We grow through language, we grow through expression, and we grow by having our hearts ripped out. We grow through pain and we grow through remembering and learning to be better. Please. Let us bleed. We will be stronger for it.

#let us bleed #stop banning books #banned books #american education #art spiegelman #maus #pajamaism #literature #education #i shouldnt have to fight for this #holocoust #truth #reality #stop ruining my chances to learn with your lame adittude #fix this

[riverdale-retread]

Riverdale S5 E13 (Coyote Ugly)- 5 Things I loved/ 3 Things to consider

I loved a LOT of things about this episode, so I might have to cheat on my loved-it count. Indulge me, please. 

Things I loved

1. I loved that Tabitha totally belongs and fits in with these crazy OG Riverdale people.  Tabitha asks Betty, the crazy girl, to not “do anything crazy,” while doing crazy things with Betty, herself.   Why Tabitha does this, we don’t know yet, but she absolutely belongs with these people.  For fancy-school-educated beautiful Tabitha, with her neat puff sleeves and delicate frame, to go all in with Betty Cooper, fake FBI agent, trying to hunt down a serial killer is insanity.  To agree to open up her business premises and offer up her own body as bait for this known serial killer is insanity. To be aware that Betty has caught someone who was acting violent, but to go alone, and also unarmed and apparently without having told anyone, is insanity.  Tabitha is very, very interesting.  Oh and she drives the most amazing car.

2. “Reggie, You’re A Genius!!” and Veronica is not being even a little bit sarcastic.  Reggie Mantle’s air punches every time either he or Veronica close a sale really just cheered me up no end. He’s just so exuberant and physical.  He’s already stated that he is good with numbers and he has a lot of ideas and he’s finally, at Pearls & Posh, getting a chance to let those parts of himself bloom. I loved the beautiful jewel tones that Reggie and Veronica wear throughout the episode, and the way they become ever more color coordinated.  I just love the two of them teaming up and dismantling Hiram’s scam one brick at a time.

3. All the Cheryl things, basically, I loved them. 

-“Compulsion Thy Name is Kevin of Finland” is a line that had me hooting.    And the fact that Kevin, in the right clothes, totally has the body and jawline to be a Tom of Finland illustration is just icing on the cake. Cheryl has been keeping a very close eye on Kevin his whole life, honestly, like a dangerous sort of fairy godmother. Cheryl in a checked version of her little red riding hood outfit walking out of the misty blue forest!  What a beautiful shot. 

- I did not love Tabitha having to say,  “Hot Ladies, dancing on the bar, fully clothed, of course,” but I *did* love Fang’s groaning in response, just so put upon. I did this simultaneously with the character, so I appreciated that.  I did love the glorious amount of cleavage that Cheryl the minister and cheerleading coach insists on putting on display while IN a high school.  Her sartorial choices felt like a vengeful commentary on the mores of American television.  I would much prefer to see tits on my TV than blood & violence, so the fact that an entire severed leg, a ghost of Christmas past with bullet wounds, and a man getting his face smashed in by a furious fit young man armed with brass knuckles can be shown in full but hot ladies dancing on a bar must be fully clothed irritated me. 

So yes - I said a whole bunch of words to fancy up the statement that I loved seeing Cheryl’s cleavage.

Sidebar: Also why does it gotta be only ladies?  I think Fangs was fishing for an invitation.

- “I caught them (Moose & Fangs) having wine & cheese” - “Ew that is diabolical.” OK so when you’re in that mindset where you want to ‘win’ the break up but you’ve lost, this sort of hyperbolic reaction is exactly what you want from your female friends, and Cheryl doubles down with, “You did nothing wrong.”   Why has Kevin never declared best friendship with Cheryl? 

4. I loved that  the show gives me permission to do what I’ve been doing already, which is that I absolutely despise Uncle Fucking Frank.  That asshole, who claims to understand battle trauma and love dogs, brings home a traumatized dog which deserves to have stable people look after it and be aware of its issues, and doesn’t tell his housemates who aren’t even getting basic mental healthcare, one of which is a nephew he is mooching from for room & board, about the dog’s potential problems.  Absolute failure garbage human, and I am elated to have this affirmed.  Everything Frank does makes Archie so much worse, and Archie does not trust Frank fully either.  Loved this too.  Archie lies to Uncle Fucking Frank about ‘Bingo.’ He was a dog, he says, and then says that Eric does not like to talk about the dog so Frank won’t go mentioning him to Eric.

5. I loved the musical numbers, each for a different reason.

- Coyote Ugly Bar Top Dance:  These terrifying, formerly terrorized children of Riverdale thrill me and break my heart.  Everyone just tosses themselves at danger.   Cheryl, Veronica, and Betty are all women who’ve had the experience of being hunted, terrorized, gaslit, stalked, sexually assaulted, having to fight for their lives while under attack from a much bigger assailant, etc  - just *all* the bad things, really - but with the promise of a good time (lyrics actually say: How Can I Resist?) they will make themselves live bait for a serial killer. 

- Everything Is All Right from Jesus Christ Superstar. I love Kevin’s singing, always.  I also adored Penelope Blossom hating the musical interlude, she’s great.  This song is also meant to be ironic, in the show, from my memory, because in context things are NOT all right. Mary Magdalene was wrong.  They’re showing Kevin and Fangs making up, they’re showing Veronica and Reggie making a sale, Jughead was not in this episode at all, so this was quite arresting from a show perspective.  The song is disquieting, with minor key elements, and so it’s a little uneasy, you know?  Things are not all right, at all. 

3 Things to Consider

a) “This award is a painful reminder of all that I haven’t accomplished.”  Kevin breaks my heart but not in a campy tingly way.  The feeling that I’m supposed to be somewhere better than this, doing something more than this - it’s so painful and real. I’m you, Kevin.  “This can’t be my life, it just can’t be.”  This seems to be the theme of the post time-jump Riverdale, but it feels more visceral because of what’s happening in the real world on the date of airing (Fall of 2021).

b) Bingo being a person, not a dog, puts an entirely different and devastating cast over the dream-dialogue between Eric and Archie.  According to Archie’s subconscious, Eric is basically saying, “Leave the other man for dead, and save me and only me.”  In the football field dream,  Eric was transformed into Jughead, who just needed a little help, and had to be fireman-carried to touchdown.  Eric insisting that he be prioritized over the unfortunate Bingo goes some ways to explaining the bond between Eric and Archie as well. 

c) Archie Andrews is terrifying, and this adult Archie is fascinating and arresting to me. “I don’t want this scumbag arrested! I want him hurt” is the most honest thing Archie has ever said on the show.  And when he says, “I’m trying to save this town, but it’s so corrupt,  broken, full of awful, despicable people.  I think there’s nothing worth saving here,”  Archie is very reminiscent of the Dark Hood/ Hal Cooper, actually.  Archie scares the worthless Uncle Fucking Frank so much that U.F. Frank can’t even say, “Nobody asked you to save the world, Archie, just save yourself.”

#riverdale s5 opinion #riverdale positivity #It's interesting to experience Riverdale's actual episodes a month later than the states-side viewers #all the stuff that comes up on tumblr is so entertaining but disjointed like reading telegrams sent via bottle all out of order #because I'm in a lighthouse in the middle of the sea #reggie Mantle #cheryl Blossom #Tabitha Tate

[jae-daddy]

magic (4)

Draco Malfoy Fanfic 

one / two / three  / five / six

pairing: draco x reader genre: shifting realities, romance, clown shit plot: you mistaken shift realities too well and end up in harry potter universe with draco malfoy as your companion  a/n: i need to stop getting carried away and writing so much lmao. hope yall enjoy it <3 not edited

"Can’t you magic this, so it’s a bit bigger?” You walked out wearing the white and green jumper Draco got for you.

Draco just ignored you and straightened his collar. His hair brushed back, and the black suit stark against his pale skin.

He was undeniably the most attractive human you had ever seen. The TikTok, movies and pictures did not do justice to his beauty. The one that existed in your universe dulled down his beauty.

You had realised on the second night you spent here, that while Draco did look like Tom Felton, he was, in fact, not Tom Felton. It was him, but not him. It was Draco Malfoy. In this universe, no Tom Felton was playing the character, it was just Draco Malfoy, and he was magnificent.

Your eyes met his sliver ones through the reflection, making you frown as you gestured to your outfit.

“I was hoping for a more oversized, boyfriend’s-jersey aesthetic,” you muttered as you spun in front of the mirror. “I mean, it’s not bad, but a little bigger would just be perfect.”

“It won’t make a difference,” Draco sighed, as he turned to face you. “You will still remain a hideous muggle.”

You rolled your eyes at him, as he walked past you. “Not everything is about you Malfoy. This is about self-confidence and love.”

“Are you coming?” He ignored you, as he held the door open for you.

You looked at him with butterflies dancing in your stomach as your palms got sweaty. You gulped as you looked beyond him to the dark hallway outside.

Your eyes glanced at Draco’s face to find him watching you impatiently. You wiped your palms on the pair of joggers you had borrowed from Draco.

You were nervous. You had thought about leaving this room a thousand times over the past week, but now that the moment was here, you were scared.

What if you didn’t remain invisible? What if you’re somehow caught?

What would happen to you? What would happen to Draco?

Your shaky gaze fixed on Draco once more, and his face softened slightly as he gave you a small reassuring nod.

You took a deep breath and closed your eyes. With your fists clenched tightly by your side, you marched outside of the room. You felt yourself brush past Draco, and the door close behind you.

You remained still; your eyes shut tight as you stood there unmoving.

“Let’s go, muggle,” Draco whispered in your ear, making you jump. He looked at you his eyes lighting up with amusement as he smirked at you. He was enjoying seeing you so on the edge.

“I wouldn’t worry as much if I were you,” Draco pulled you by the elbow as he began strutting down the stretching hallway. “My parents have left for the game long ago, and no one is here to see you in all your disgusting muggle glory.”

You glared at his head, before relaxing by his side.

He led you through the maze, called Malfoy Mansion, until you were finally outside.

You almost hissed as the sunlight assaulted your eyes.

“I feel like a vampire,” you muttered, making Draco chuckle.

“You really do not want to feel like a vampire,” he snickered, making you turn to him with eyes wide in surprise.

“No way!” You gasped. “There are actual vampires here? Are they hot?”

Draco peered at you with absolute disgust, “I will choose to ignore whatever you just said.”

“I guess not then,” you sighed as you folded your arms and stomped behind him. You hoped you could get a little mixture of every supernatural fantasy, maybe dip your toe into the Twilight world before you returned home.

Your steps stopped as you approached a beautiful red car. It was a real vintage that you only saw in movies or sportscar conventions. The top was down, and you were ready for a vintage seventies trip.

“Wow,” you awed as you ran your fingers over the cool metal as you made your way to the passenger side.

“I know,” Draco smiled brightly, as he sat into the driver's seat.

You stared at him before snorting at his ridiculous actions.

“Does this car drive itself?” You snorted at him as he put on his sunglasses. He pointed to the middle, and just like magic, another pair appeared. You put them on rolling your eyes.

“It can,” he shrugged after a moment, before starting the engine with a button. “But I like driving it.”

“Draco, do you even have your license?” You quirked an eyebrow at the boy.

“Of course I do,” he sneered, but he was too happy to make it hateful. “The only reason I got this for my birthday last year was that I passed.”

“Aww,” you swooned at him, sarcastically. “Daddy bought you a nice car for your sweet sixteen?”

Draco smirked at you, bringing his glasses down a bit before winking, “I’m twenty-two.”

The car drove off speedily, as he rammed the pedal.

“Fuck off,” you shot back. “You’re still in high school.”

Draco just snickered, the wind blew through his hair. He rested his elbow on the edge, letting the wind run through his fingers. He smiled, as tilted his head back and you almost screamed at him to look at the road.

“We learned about your education system in muggle studies,” he spoke, not looking at you. “It is quite a scam, really. But we do not have what you muggles call universities. Hogwarts and other magical institutions teach everything you need to know.”

“Then how do you become a scholar?” You furrowed your eyebrows. It doesn’t make sense that education is limited to just a few years of study, and then expect wizards to know all.

“You work in that field, you dedicate your life to that magic,” he shrugged, before continuing. “The wizarding world is not built on capitalism where jobs are everything. Wizards do not need a job to survive.”

You nodded taking it all that in. You sunk into your seat and looked at the scene that rushed past you. It was beautiful.

“But that doesn’t change the fact that you’re still in Hogwarts,” you frowned at him.

Draco just sighed, annoyed. “Hogwarts is all the education a wizard needs. I shouldn’t have to spell out that would take some time. Each Hogwarts year is two years long.”

“The maths doesn’t add up.” You muttered, folding your arms as you turned away from him. You watched as the plain hills and lakes rushed by you.

You closed your eyes and welcomed the cold crisp wind jolting you awake.

“Don’t stress your pretty muggle mind,” was all Draco said.

__________

“Draco,” you stopped the blonde boy as he reached for another vile. “I know I’m not an expert at magic, but I do have a feeling that it is quite possible to overdose on potions.”

Draco stared at you, his eyes examining you and then the bottle in his hand. He sighed as he put in back.

“I guess two should be enough,” and then as an afterthought put two more into the inner pockets of his jacket. “Alright, stand still now.”

He pulled out a small jar from his bag and he opened it to reveal black paint. He dipped two fingers in before motioning you to come closer. You stood in between his parted legs, as he sat on the hood of his car parked a few miles away from where the Quidditch World Cup was taking place.

You gasped slightly as the cool paint touched your face. You tried hard not to look at Draco’s face, despite the burning feeling of his gaze fixed on you.

You gulped to calm your heart that was beating louder than it should be.

Draco’s fingers dragged along your cheek, leaving two lines. And then he held your chin with his thumb turning your face to the other side.

Your eyes met his piercing ones, and your breath got caught at the back off your throat.

God, you thought he was gorgeous from far away. But right now, from this close, you realised there were no words to describe just how incredibly good-looking he was. His skin was clear, soft and reminded you of snow-covered mountains in the middle of blooming winter. You realised his eyes weren’t blue or grey, no, there were a colour that reminded you of winter mornings.

You felt your cheeks heat as his eyes took you in.

You felt his fingers touch your face with the cool paint.

Draco took his time, his hands moving slowly as he softly ran his fingers along your cheeks. You didn’t want them to ever stop, you wanted it to continue.

You wanted his fingers to trace your ear, then travel down your neck, and keep moving south.

You bit your lip as your eyes shut involuntarily.

You could feel the vicious victory smile plastered smugly on Draco’s handsome face but you couldn’t bring yourself to open your eyes.

Draco’s fingers stopped on your cheek by your ear, and you thought it was over.

But then you felt the ghost of his touch trail down. His knuckles tracing the slope of your face for the slightest moment, and then it was gone.

He pushed you back, making your eyes shoot open.

You stared at him, glowering, before fear flashed through them as Draco pulled out his wand.

He snorted, as he rose a perfect eyebrow at you, “Scared, muggle?”

You rolled your eyes as you chuckled at him, “Are you trying to create sexual tension with me as you do with Harry Potter?”

Draco took a deep breath as if holding onto the last bit of self-control he had. He opened his eyes, burning with anger, his jaw locked.

“You’re not denying it,” you smirked, folding your arms.

“Do not test me, muggle,” he sneered, his voice dripping with so much anger, you took a step back in fear.  

The smirk fell from your lips as your eyes bounced between the ground and the vicious muggle-hating boy.

He cleared his throat after a moment, his stiff body relaxing slightly. You didn’t follow his shift in tension and remained on the edge of the road not nearing him.

Draco noticed but didn’t say anything.

“Time to make you invisible.” He got up from the car, and walked towards you, his wand dancing between his long fingers.

___________

“I’m so excited!” you giggled as you turned to a sour-faced Draco. “I’ve never gone to quidditch game before.”

“Lucky you,” he muttered, sourly, his eyes following you. “Your first game, and it is in the Minister’s box.”

You just giggled as you skipped along, only to stop when you noticed the older Malfoy laughing with some old man.

Draco came behind you, his breath brushing your ear, “Stay behind me.”

You nodded trailing behind him. 

You didn’t speak or move while you were around Lucius Malfoy. You weren’t sure if you were even breathing at times.

You must’ve been doing a good job because Draco would look over his shoulder occasionally to check if you were still there.

You watched Draco meet the other old men, and kept looking around for someone who might be suspicious.

It wasn’t until halfway through the game when Draco got up from his seat and turned to his father.

“Would it be alright for me to go greet Goyle and Crabbe?” He asked, his eyes darting to you for a split second. “I’ve spotted them down in first.”

Lucius Malfoy just waved a hand, but Draco didn’t need more as he began walking away, with you hot on his heels.

“Oh my god,” you whined as you both stopped somewhere on the stairs. “I couldn’t even enjoy the game properly I was so scared.”

Draco stared at you for a moment before snorting.

He pulled out a ticket from his coat, and then, after a second, a lady with a cart appeared.

“Greetings, sir,” the lady grinned, before gesturing to the cart. “What would you like?”

Draco lifted an eyebrow to you as you took in the delicious food displayed.

“Hotdogs?” You asked Draco who hadn’t looked away from you. “What is traditional to have at these games?”

“Two hotdogs,” Draco told the lady, and instantly two appeared in his hands. He didn’t say thank you, and the lady didn’t wait, disappearing right after.

He handed you one.

“Thank you,” you whispered, taking a big bite. You chewed the most delicious hotdog you had ever tasted, and Draco snickered as he saw your eyes widen.

You rolled your eyes as you saw him begin to gloat from the pride of his Wizard world, and how your muggle realm couldn’t even compare. He was right, but you couldn’t stand his smug face.

You sniffled as the cool wind ran through your hair. You looked out to the field where a team scored another goal.

“Good thing you got merch for the winning team,” you smiled at Draco who frowned.

“I was hoping they would lose.” He clipped back.

“You would rather have me visible, then stand next to you in clothes supporting the losing team, Draco,” you shook your head at him, giggling.

Draco looked out onto the field, “Or maybe I’m living through you.”

Your smile flattered as you took in the young boy.

There he was standing in the middle of the finals of the biggest quidditch tournament of the season. The crowds roaring behind him in the bright stadium lights as he remained polished in his black suit and perfect hair. He couldn’t even support the team he wanted.

“Stop looking at me like that,” he spat as his eyes looked at you. “I don’t need your pity, filthy muggle.”

You glared at him before looking above you.

“Oh my, it’s Harry Potter,” you gasped.

Draco followed your gaze and then growled in distaste, rolling his eyes.

_____________

Draco’s father had disappeared by the time you returned to the Minister’s box, but neither of you minded. You walked through the crowds as you took in all the different people jeer around you.

You followed the crowd as it led towards a ground filled with tents and lights.

“What’s that?” you breathed looking over the crowd milling over the place.

“That’s the sewer,” Draco spat scanning the area with disgust. Your eyes met his and he rolled his eyes as the poison lessened. “It’s the breeding ground for muggles, blood traitors and mudbloods.”

You ignored his bad behaviour and looked over at the place in longing instead. You took in the rides, music and laughter and felt the need to go there.

“Can we go?” You asked Draco in the sweetest way you could.

“No,” he bit back in disgust.

“Please?” You begged, making Draco’s face curl into a sneer.

“Fine,” you huffed and began marching off by yourself. “I’ll go explore by myself. You can wait for me here if you want.”

You heard Draco groan in frustration before you heard loud footsteps behind you, “Five minutes.”

You turned to him with a huge grin, “Thank you!”

Draco rolled his eyes and followed your happy skipping form into the campsite.

However, your happiness didn’t last long. An unsettling feeling settled into your stomach making it churn with nerves. You looked around the campsite you were pretty well inside, and you felt your hands begin to shake.

The air thickened with ominous energy, some darkness, but you couldn’t put your finger in.

“What’s wrong?” Draco ordered from beside you. You turned to look at him with glazed eyes. He stared at you, his brows furrowing.

A little kid ran up to you, holding onto your hand, “Do you want to know your destiny, mam?”

You turned to the kid, your mind raging, but you nodded offering him a small smile.

Draco muttered something under his breath but followed closely behind you nonetheless.

You looked at the site, and images began flashing through your mind. It was scenes from the movies. It was the golden trio, and the Weasley twins... and something else, something else you couldn’t remember.

Suddenly, you remembered screams and pain.

You looked around looking for some clue, but you couldn’t remember.

The kid took you inside a tent, a dark-faced Draco behind you, his eyes focused on you.

And then it hit you.

Hot. Flames. Fire. Lucius Malfoy. Death Eaters.

You turned to Malfoy with wide-eyes but it wasn’t almost as if he saw your mind.

“We need to get out of here. Now.” He ordered, grabbing your hand and pulling you away.

Before you were out, you turned to the kid, your throat dry, “Run. Get your friends and family, tell everyone to run, now.”

The kid looked frightened but then nodded running off.

Draco kept leading you out, and somewhere in the distance, a woman’s bloodcurdling scream rang through the night.

You both turned to see flames erupt across the sea of tents, spreading fast. Draco’s grip tightened on your hand as he began running towards the forest.

You could feel the heat of the flames closing in around you. The temperature rising with every step you tried taking away from it. And then you were beating it, the flames moving further and further away as Draco took you to the forest.

You stopped at the edge and turned to the sight in front of you.

The music, lights and happiness all burning in the flames of hell now. Screams and cries tore through the night, and you felt your heart tear into pieces.

You fell onto your knees as each cry of pain cut through your skin. You held onto Draco’s hand, squeezing it tight to keep you in reality. You closed your eyes as a heartwrenching sob fell from you.

Your body shook as uncontrollable sobs raked through your body.

You could’ve stopped it. You could’ve done something. If only you remembered.

Your hand gripped the front of your jumper, thumping against your chest as you silently shook as your sorrow and guilt tore through your body.

Draco didn’t move. He stood there, cold.

His hand limp in yours as you squeezed it tight.

“Shouldn’t you be getting that one out of here?” His cold words spoke. You opened your eyes to find the golden trio. Your eyes met Hermonine’s for a moment before Harry and Ron dragged her away.

Draco didn’t move. He watched as flames raged on. He stood there as you clutched onto his hand as if your life depended on it.

The camp was nothing but smoke and ashes when you finally stopped crying. You felt empty. You didn’t have anything inside you.

Draco bent down to your side, his voice void of any emotion, “Let’s go.”

You turned towards him, letting him help you up. Once you were standing up, you looked into his eyes as tears fell from your eyes.

“I could’ve saved them, Draco.”

#draco malfoy #draco #draco x reader #draco x y/n #Slytherin #Draco angst #fluff #harry potter #jaedaddy #Malfoy #magic #hope y'all enjoy it #im having too much fun writing this #shifting realities

[sparksinthenight]

Advice for Little Me

This is advice that I have for my twelve-year-old self. If I’d known all this at twelve my life would be a whole lot better.

1) Capitalists are horrible, manipulative, lying, selfish, apathetic, overwhelmingly dangerous, incredibly bad for society, wrong, and deeply disturbed.

2) Anyone who ever says or insinuates that they earned the wealth they have are the worst types of people.

3) Anyone who goes around measuring the value of a human being by how fancy their job is incredibly shallow, materialistic, lacking in understanding, and not worth your time.

4) No. No people did not "earn" anything through hard work. They got it through privilege, privilege, privilege, and privilege. The fact that they could afford a decent quality highschool education is already a huge privilege. And no, being poor when they were in college absolutely does not count as not having privilege. They got to go to college. That’s a privilege so many don’t get.

5) You know who's actually working hard? The people in the sweatshops, the mines, the agricultural plantations, the warehouses, etc. The people getting paid poverty wages as they work themselves to death. Have some fucking respect for them you’re not above them just because you were born in a rich family.

6) All humans have equal value.

7) And the value of a human being is inherent.

8) If you have a house and fancy furniture and a flatscreen TV and a car and a closet full of clothes and enough money to go to restaurants and golfing and shit and then you turn around and say you're oppressed I fucking hate you so goddamn much.

9) The voices of the poor people are fucking ALWAYS silenced in this world, all over the world.

10) There's men in suits somewhere defending capitalism and our centrist dads are defending them while most of the world are wage slaves.

11) The poor are always ignored, pushed to the side, and silenced.

12) Hi. Hello person reading this. Check out the Red Deal. It's fucking awesome. Please read it. It will save your soul and change your life.

13) Also my Wattpad account is here please check it out https://www.wattpad.com/user/Balladoad it won't save your soul and change your life but I write communist stories.

14) Your value is inherent. Child. Darling. Your value is inherent. You are alive. That is enough. You don't need a fancy job or a big income or a fancy degree or something. You're a human being trying to do the best you personally can with the resources and knowledge you have and in the situation you're in. Your value is inherent. Baby.

15) Check out the Red Deal.

16) Nobody is liberated. None of us are liberated. Especially under capitalism none of us are liberated. We are all equal. We are all capable of being free. Of having an equal amount of power. Of making decisions equally and democratically where everyone has a seat at the round table. Seperation is a myth. Wow that sounds like a fucking hippie thing to say but I mean it in the most practical, tangible way. We are all equal and we should be treated equally and under capitalism we are not. Not even close. We can all be together, all be comrades, all help and support each other, all protect and provide for each other, all listen to and understand each other, and all create a world where finally, finally people are free.

17) True freedom does not and should not feel forced. Corporate capitalists tell us that freedom is the ability to be successful in the capitalist framework. That is not what true freedom is. True freedom comes from within. It does not feel forced. It feels good and right and beautiful and true. It's not forced upon you it's something that sparks to life inside your own soul.

18) Sucess as a human being is about the kindness and compassion you show other people. Which is actually rather inversely proportional to how much money you make from what I've seen. At every step of your life seek out people who need help and help them.  

19) Children should all be treated with equal respect, reverance, affection, and love.

20) Your value is inherent. Human value is inherent. Valuing human life does mean valuing the continuation of human life but not just that. It means valuing the quality of human life too. It means valuing human happiness.

21) Take every opportunity you have to learn. Not learn trivial "knowledge" about string theory or CRISPR or valence orbitals. Real, important knowledge about how to be kind to other people. How to be respectful towards other people. How to uplift the downtrodden. How to be in solidarity with the oppressed. How to live in harmony with other people. How to tear down the walls that divide us. How to live in harmony with nature. How to have respect and reverence for nature. How to protect and defend the Land and Water. How to be brave to put the needs of others before your own. How to think for yourself and be your own person. How to live your life in accordance to the truth and intangible mystic forces behind everything that guide us all. Wow that sounded hippie.

22) People are exploited and oppressed. So many people are exploited and oppressed. They deserve better than this.

23) You shouldn’t go after power. Seeking power is the way to corruption. You should seek to destroy the unequal distribution of power itself so that all people can have equal power.

24) Absolutely power corrupts absolutely. Power corrupts whenever it’s not equally shared.

25) Money is power. It always has been, it always will be. It’s what determines if people are able to eat or not. It’s what makes us spend most of our time at our jobs working for our bosses and doing what they want us to do.

26) Learn history. Please.

27) Read books about the Holocaust. About slavery. About all the types of slavery that have happened in various societies not just the Transatlantic Slave Trade though definitely you should learn about that too. About the Irish Potato Famine, the Armenian Genocide. About colonialism. About settler-colonialism. About feudalism. About monarchy. About the Industrial Revolution. About segregation. About the genocide of Indigenous peoples. About workhouses. About the Witch Trials. About the French Revolution. About the Spanish resistance against fascism. About residential schools. About the 60s Scoop. About the Stolen Generations. About resistance against the Roman Empire. About so much more. Just read them. Make sure they’re not written through the lenses of oppressors and/or rich people though.

28) Recognize that while history affects the present day history IS NOT the present day and present struggles are unique and different though not altogether separated from history. The present day is the present day. It’s struggles are unique and the way that the struggle for universal equality and liberation manifests in the present day is unique.

30) Don’t trust Christian priests.

31) Actually be cautious of any rich, privileged person trying to teach you religion.

32) Just because someone’s older doesn’t mean that they’re right or they know more than you. Knowledge of the truth and wisdom comes from kindness, compassion, humility, and suffering. It does not come from age. A rich man born to a rich family who thinks he’s better than poor people and does not have humility and respect towards them is not someone who knows things, no matter how old he is.

33) Men are generally less trustable than women because they’ve been taught to believe they’re always right and as such do not question themselves and think deeply and critically about their opinions as much as women do.

34) This does not apply to men who are poor or mentally ill since society never teaches them that.

35) Despite this being an unpopular opinion, pain and struggle are actually really good teachers. If you’re suffering, you deserve better. You deserve to not be suffering. But still, use it as an opportunity to learn.

37) Gender roles are the biggest scam ever created.

38) But the even bigger scam is capitalism.

39) You do not need material wealth. It is inherently addictive and bad for yourself, everyone else, and the Land and Water.

40) It’s just stuff. It doesn’t matter.

41) If you’re in a situation where people are treating you like you’re better than other people just get the fuck out of that situation as fast as you can. And never fucking look back no matter what ANYONE says.

42) Have respect and reverence for nature. Learn from it as much as you can. But from like, nature directly. Not from people talking about nature. Unless they’re Indigenous. And pristine, untouched nature is better than nature that’s been tampered with.

43) The world runs on bonds of love more than bonds between atoms.

44) Work hard not for money or to increase the power you have but rather to humbly and reverently improve the lives of the oppressed.

45) But recognize that you can’t do everything and do what you can and don’t beat yourself up over the things you can’t do.

#advice #eat the rich #capitalism #advice for living #advice for myself #I wish someone had told me this #rebellion

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #349

“we’ll meet again, when both our cars collide”

When was the last time you had a PopTart? It's been many, many months. Do you like hot chocolate? Well duh. Who made you laugh the hardest today? I haven't really laughed today. Who was the last person to promise you something, and what was it? Hmph. Would you ever jump into a fire to save your bestfriend? I know I would. Do you have a callus from writing too much? No, I only have calluses on my feet from when I used to walk for hours on end. They just never permanently went away, even with grooming. Who is someone you’ve made a bad first impression on? I dread to guess what the girl Jason dated after me was told about me. I shouldn't care at all, but I do. I have every reason to accurately be defined as "the crazy ex," and I fucking hate it. Who is your best guy friend? Girt, a friend from high school. Do you read cereal boxes while you’re eating? I did as a kid, but now I don't. I just kinda stand and eat. What’s the last thing you accidentally (or purposely) burnt? I kinda burnt the roof of my mouth on pizza the other night. Do you know anyone with a lip piercing? Me, haha. I know others, too. What did the last tattoo you saw, look like? I don't remember. Have you ever given birth? NO FUCKING THANK YOU. Do you enjoy making out? I mean if I'm in the mood to and I love you, yeah. Why exactly do you take surveys? "I genuinely like doing them and they’re great for venting and sorting out thoughts and whatnot. I can just ramble and get things off my chest." <<<< This right here covers it. As well, it's just a boredom killer. And I happen to be bored very, very often. Rockband or Gutair Hero? Both are great, why choose just one? What are you listening to right now? Halocene's cover of "Helena" by My Chemical Romance. It's beautiful. What kind of energy drinks do you drink, if any? None, because I just can't do energy drinks. They taste like pure poison to me. Have you ever been swimming in a river? No. Swimming in a river sounds pretty dangerous... Does your alarm clock wake you with music, or with an annoying buzz sound? Music. When you broke stuff in the house as a child, did you blame it on siblings? I'm hoping you don't mean breaking deliberately, 'cuz I wasn't that kind of kid. But anyway, I don't believe I did. Did you make it all the way through the Oregon Trail game? Yes. I was obSESSED with those games as a kid. Lions and tigers and bears, oh my! Which one are you more scared of? Tigers, probably. They're so stealthy and, while I may be entirely wrong, seem like the top candidate of the three to attack a human, be it for food or defense. And have you SEEN the muscles on a tiger? Christ. Describe the best use that you’ve found for duct tape: Uh, taping things lmao. Do you wrap gifts or use gift bags? I use gift bags, because I can't wrap for shit. What fast food place do you avoid at all costs? Arby's is really gross to me. Are you afraid of deep sea creatures? Just giant squid... *shudders* Have you ever agreed to purchase something on Ebay and got scammed somehow? No. I did, however, purchase something on deviantART and never got the product. It was going to be a present for Jason. In dA's defense though, I've bought like... two or three other things from there, and there were zero issues. It's really about the people you trust. If you get a call that says “Unknown”, do you answer it? Nnnnope. Do you have any bobble head figures? No. Have your parents ever left you somewhere without realizing it? I don't think so. Have you ever been in a tanning bed? No. Did your last kiss mean anything to you? Well yeah, I wouldn't have kissed her otherwise. Would you say that you have a nice smile? No; I've been self-conscious of it since I was a kid, mostly because one of my eyes looks more squinty than the other, but they both are to me. I've always said I look high when I smile lmao. Is there an ex you want to make up with? My mind immediately screams "Jason," but I know that's a horrendous idea. Our last talk ended peacefully and even with care and good wishes, and I need my fucking impenetrable head to accept that's where it needs to end. He does NOT need to re-enter my life. It would be so bad for me. Do you remember how you felt on 9/11? I have no memory of it, if I'm being honest. What outfit makes you feel the most attractive? None. Other than yourself, who knows you the best? Really? Whoever reads these lmao. What’s one complaint that you have about school? Common Core and how every student's school experience was not tailored towards their unique goals. Like they try to cram a shitload of identical and usually useless information into a kid's brain to make them a jack of all trades, you could say, but not enough information they need to properly pursue their career future. It causes such an unnecessary amount of frustration and stress. I have many, many complaints about the education system, but this one tops the list. What do you do while you’re on campus but not in class? Back in college, I would just do stuff on my laptop. Do you know anyone who has Autism/Asperger’s syndrome? Yes. Are you open to a same-sex relationship and why or why not? Well, considering I'm bisexual... Do you remember life without the internet? No. Have you ever found yourself to be ugly? I've gone my entire life thinking I'm ugly, if I'm being real. What is your state’s minimum wage? $7.25 a fucking hour. :'''''') Is there something you want to say to someone but can’t/won’t? There's a few people. What is your first memory of being in a hospital? Considering my mom worked at the local hospital when I was a kid, I remember being there quite, quite young, playing with my older sister in Mom's and her coworkers' room. I think Nicole was too young to really "play." Do you have any relatives with red hair? No. What is something good that has happened to you in the past week? I got my first Covid vaccine. My arm hurts like a motherfucker now, but to protect my mom, it's worth it. Please get vaccinated. How much was the rent/mortgage at the cheapest place you’ve ever lived? That's never been my business. Have you ever been to a gay pride parade? No, but I would go to a local one if I could actually walk five feet without being in serious pain and sweating like a pig. Do you still keep in touch with your very first best friend? We're friends on Facebook, but that's it. What was the topic of the last conversation you had with your dad? I can't remember, but it was recent, because we all met at Ashley's house for Nicole's birthday celebration. How often did you visit your grandparents when you were growing up? Pretty much never, given they all lived no less than like, 10 hours (via car) from where we lived. My immediate family are the only people in NC. When two family members are fighting, what do you usually do? Stay out of it, but admittedly try to listen just to know what's going on. Do you like the smell of men’s cologne? Yeah. What’s your all time FAVORITE freezer food? Do you eat that a lot? I survive off of microwaveable freezer food, so this is very hard... uhhhhh... perhaps this Banquet bowl meal that's mac 'n cheese with spicy chicken. It's absolutely delicious, like you'd never guess that sucker was just popped in the microwave. I'd say I eat it a moderate amount; it's a reliable option if Mom's not cooking and I'm really hungry, because it's super filling. Do you like documentaries? Have you ever watched one and find it boring? I enjoy them, particularly when they're about animals. Were you ever a fan of macaroni & cheese? Do you like Kraft dinner? Ha, speak of mac 'n cheese. I love it, and Kraft makes it fine. Do you burn incense? Not as much as I used to. I love the smell and just general vibe, though. What would you consider an unacceptable first date? Going to a bar or something. Have you ever been so sick you had to be taken to the hospital? In the head, anyway. Is there anything currently bothering you? Multiple things. Would you say that you’ve got something ‘special’ about you? No. Do you like things vampire-related? I don't really have an opinion on vampire stuff. Are you the kind of person who does not like talking about their past? I don't care. Have you ever been to a casino? No. What’s the last thing you wore a costume for besides Halloween related events? Back when I still took dance classes and we had the yearly recital. What does your father do for a living? He's a mailman. What’s the last app you downloaded on your phone? Haha, I re-downloaded this ollllldddd game I had before, Nyan Cat: Lost in Space (or something like that?) for my niece to play. She's hooked on it now. Are you in any discomfort right now? Yeah; as I mentioned, my arm really hurts. What do you know the most about? Of all things I know, almost certainly meerkats. Are you seeing anyone? No. Have you ever hooked back up with an ex, just for sex? Was it a mistake or no? No. Have you ever gotten in trouble for using a phone in class? No, because I didn't use my phone in class. Have you seen all the Shrek movies? No, which is a fucking crime. I need to see the last one. Have you ever finished a whole video game? Plenty plenty plenty. Do you know anyone with a pet snake? Yeah, myself included. If you had to live in an extreme environment — think Sahara, Antarctica, under the sea, on the Moon— where would you want to live? Why? Probably Antarctica. I'm sure it would be unpleasant, being that cold, but I feel there's more you can do about being cold than being in the scalding heat of, say, the Sahara. Living on the moon or in the deep ocean sounds super sucky. How was your day overall? It's been okay. Not as bored as usual, at least. How many people of the opposite sex do you fully trust? Like... zero. I want to say my dad, and I almost do, just... nightmares make that very, very difficult. Plus his past. What does your mom call you? Normally just "Britt." Write a sentence in another language: Oh god, my German is so rusty... uhhhh... Hallo, ich heiße Brittany, und ich bin 25 Jahre alt und wohne in North Carolina. I think I got the grammar right? Have you ever sent an X-Rated picture to someone? No. Even if I was comfortable with my body, I would be way too paranoid to at any point have a naked picture on my phone, even if I deleted it. Like, hello blackmail, but also, nothing you delete is ever really gone permanently. What big city do you live near? Raleigh is like an hour away. Do you like breaded chicken sandwiches? omg YES Is there a Sonic in your area? Yes, it's my favorite fast food joint. You have GOT to try the pretzel twists with cheese dip. Have you ever gone to a thrift store? Yeah, I love 'em. Do you think Johnny Depp is attractive? I do. Are you happy with the state you live in? No, not at all. I hate this place. Bunch of homophobic, racist rednecks. How many times have you seen the opposite sex naked? It's not like I counted every time I saw my ex naked over three and half years lmao. How many times have you seen the same sex naked? A few times. When days go by, do you cross them off on the calendar? I don't use a calendar. Are you currently counting down to something? If so, what? MY TATTOO APPOINTMENT!!!!! :''') I know I can't stop talking about it, but ugh I'm so excited. May 19th, c'mon already. Do you pay rent to your parents? No. Do you dye eggs for Easter? I used to as a kid. Not so much anymore. Are you in debt right now? For what? Oh god, I don't want to think of this. Would you ever work night crew? I really, really wouldn't want to. Humans are diurnal for a reason. Being awake in constant darkness would depress the fuck outta me, and it'd feel so lonely, with everyone I know asleep. Who was the last person that lied to you, or that you can recall lying to you? What did they lie about? How did you find out they were lying? I don't remember. Has anyone ever called you ugly, straight up, before? How did you react to this? No, not to my face. Who is the most stubborn person you know {excluding yourself}? MY MOTHER.

#survey #surveys #questions #lyrics: ''helena'' by my chemical romance

[bregee13]

Sometimes I think about moments in my life where I was so upset about something but didn't have words or complete understanding why, nor the words/confidence to say what I felt. A lot of it often has to do with growing up in poverty and just not being able to interact with the world the same way as "the typical person". Whether it's because of money, mental health, or how my mind works. Or something else.

Maybe one day I will rant about these things. Maybe I'll do it right now. Who knows?

Actually? Y'know what? Fuck it! I'm mad now. I'm going to write what comes to mind about poverty so I never have to write a post about this ever again!

I'm gonna be real. Most of these rants are based on things that happened during my senior year of high school. Why? Not sure. Something about that year slapped me in the face and told me that I was poor and there was nothing I could do about it.

Starting with something NOT from that year, I once went on a school trip that had to do with money and jobs or whatever. There was an exercise where we were put into groups and we had a "budget" and we had to figure out how to efficiently use that budget and "live" with it. And get a job that works for you. The goal was to not lose all your money. We were assigned the LOWEST budget to work with. While the others in my group didn't necessarily always choose the cheapest options, I remember them being somewhat reasonable. It's not like they were wasting money on random stuff, they were trying to do the best they could. For instance, they got a cellphone. While on one hand you could argue that's a waste of money, a cellphone is actually a very VERY important thing to have in the real world! But we failed horribly. But the hosts of the event didn't acknowledge that as some sort of lesson. No. We weren't mentioned at all. It was as if we were expected to make it work somehow. And that doing anything more than the bare minimum was selfish and wasteful. It felt like that anyone who has money trouble got there themselves and deserve it. Which isn't true at all...

In high school, I took Honors English/Literature classes. It's a level higher than the regular CP classes, but it's not AP. Why do I mention this? Because it's well known that poor people are less likely to learn much/receive higher education. I'm honestly surprised I managed to be in any Honors classes at all (especially considering the hell that was 8th grade English). But I remember in my senior year, that the teacher was talking about wealth and how that affects what you have access to and stuff. Which is fine. But then he says that you can tell someone's class by how much they go to Disney world/land. Then he asks the class to raise their hands if they've ever went there. Then practically everyone but me (I didn't take a good look around to see if I was the only one.) raised their hands. "See? Pretty much everyone, right? :)" Is what he said. I hated that moment so much. I felt like such an outsider. I was reminded that I didn't really belong there in that room. It made me question whether or not my teachers just put me in Honors classes because they felt bad. As much as I was good in those classes, I had more than my fair share of moments where I had so much trouble communicating my ideas and thoughts. So whenever someone asks me if I'm any good at writing or debating or reading, you'll just get a mixed response from me.

Another thing that happened in senior year was another school trip. We went to a nearby school. I only went because I was interested in possibly going to that school. But we didn't even go anywhere near where I wanted to be (literally ANYWHERE art related). So it felt kinda useless. Not to say it wasn't interesting though. The trip was themed around the environment and things related to it. I mean, I got to see the process of osmosis. And also some water bears! Who wouldn't want to see that?! But near the end there was a thing where they talked about the environment and about water and waste. But the thing that made me upset was how they kinda villanized people who purchase and drink from plastic water bottles. I look around the room and see I'm the only person who brought a plastic water bottle with them. Awkward. Now let me say that I am very much against the water bottle industry. It's a scam that takes advantage of people. Anyone that has beef with plastic water bottles has every right to! What made me upset was that I didn't feel like I was being considered in that moment. I don't ever feel considered when the topic comes up. Why? Because nobody ever asks why I drink from water bottles. Nobody ever goes "Hmm. Maybe this person doesn't trust and/or doesn't like the taste of tap water?". And if I were to bring that up, people would just tell me to "just get a water filter lol". But you don't understand that I can't afford a water filter. "Just save up for one???" We ARE saving up. For BILLS. For FOOD. To fix up the house. To repair the sink you told me to put a filter on so it doesn't leak anymore?! If you think the same people who CAN'T AFFORD BASIC NECESSITIES can magically buy some kind of water filter that works, you don't know what you're talking about. 

#Venting #Ranting #Poverty #I am so sorry if you're reading this

[keeseneysays]

Today I Had to Tell Apple Music I’m “No Longer a Student”

If you’re a college student, you know exactly what that means.

College is what made me realize just how easy it is to satisfy one’s ego—to scam a mf.

Welcome back to #KeeseneySaysSundays

In college, you’re literally given everything—besides money—just for being in college.

That’s how much faith—literally—they have in their own education system.

Hear me out. You’re told of all these places where you receive a discount at—for being a student. They don’t tell you that it’s like 5 pennies off of your 4 fo 4. You get free subscriptions to platforms like HBO GO, Showtime and shit like that. They don’t tell you that it’s only accessible to use when you’re on campus, logged into their wifi. Money Making Mitches like Apple Music even allow to have a lower subscription fee—just because you’re a student. THEY DO TELL YOU THAT YOU’LL HAVE TO VERIFY BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF EVERY SCHOOL YEAR BECAUSE THE OFFER IS FOR STUDENTS ONLY.

Meanwhile, if your parents have a microwave AND dishwater at home, FAFSA got budging—or budgeting. If you’re parents have TWO cars, that’s two too many to deserve some assistance.

(For myself it was different. Freshman year was the only time I had those conversations with financial aid. After that year, it was on me and what I did that impacted what I received. The fact that I had two—soon three—jobs is why some of my aid got cut. Like those lil ass work study jobs and/or minimum wage checks was gonna suddenly give me access to overthrow this weak ass government or something.)

ANYway, college was/is a soft ass cushion. THEY JUST DON’T TELL YOU THAT THE CUSHION IS A CLOUD.

And sometimes the sun comes out.

Don’t get me wrong, the sun can still shine with clouds in the sky, but it’s at its brightest when it shines all on its own.

I always had a drive to work for my own.

I HATE ASKING FOR SHIT.

(One reason why not being able to drive or have a car was the reason for majority of my anxiety.)

It literally terrifies me to ask anybody for anything. Let’s keep it a stack, that’s probably the most vulnerable thing someone can share with you. That means that this individual is in their time of need for something, and they came to you trusting that you’ll be able to help them—assist them.

Yall probably like, “no, you’re too deep into it.”

And that’s why I don’t ask for shit.

Not having something is seen as weak in the society we live in. Either you get it, or you don’t have it. It’s not ‘you get it or don’t’ because you can get something and still not have it.

Or is that too deep for yall?

ANYway, therefore, I’ve always wanted my own money. I had After School Matters checks every month. It wasn’t much, but it was mine. Which is why I was always okay with not having much, but I knew what I had I could afford. If you don’t get that, that means I had security.

That hustle went with me to college too. After freshman year, you never caught me without a job. After sophomore year, you never caught me without more than one job. I wasn’t hustling to keep up with other people, I was hustling to keep up with myself.

(We not talking about the loot and items I would get that didn’t come from employment. That’s a different subject. Mind ya business.)

STILL, I’m the type to find it if I need it. I’m the type to go get it if I want it.

I used to sell hair in college. (My dumbass let relationship problems fuck up my profitable ass business.)  I had lowkey editing and paper services. And I still had jobs doing all this shit. I just wanted extra income. Extra shit. I like shit. A LOT of people have that confused about me.

Because they don’t know me.

I used to feel like I wasn’t deserving of shit. Therefore, there was a period in my life where I stopped going after shit I wanted because I felt as if I was deserving of what was on the other side.

I never once doubted myself. I never will. I know what I’m capable of, and I’m focusing on learning what I don’t know.

EVERYTHING in life is a lesson.

It’s not WHAT you learn from that lesson, it’s WHAT you pull from that L and teach yourself.

(Everything I get that didn’t come from me is either a L or temporary because it’s not mine)

Just like you shouldn’t be relying on college—as an overall resource—you shouldn’t be relying on the other lessons that others teach you either.

Everything that is yours, is truly yours. You’ll never have to second guess what you give or can give yourself—knowledge and wealth included.

#keeseneysays #keeseneysayssundays #blog #blogging #blogger #blog post #writer #black women #black girl blog #black girl magic #black writers #creative nonfiction #support black artists #support black creatives #Black College Girl #college #freshman year #back to school #financial aid #hustle hard #own your shit #own your voice #depression #insecurities #life #hustle #poverty #black is beautiful #black lives matter #black students matter