#bitter-post-millennial

[eureka-its-zico]

I’m gonna need one of those short prompts of zoro just thirsting after doc. I wanna see heart eyes and bullying from Nami.

With that being said, something light would be nice. The series has been pretty dark for the last two chapters and it’d be nice to see them act relatively normal again

I took a small break from working on Ch. 10 to write this out. This chapter is a lot more fun and way less serious than the other two, and I feel like this little spin-off I wrote gives good insight into the chapter.

I hope you like it 💕

P.s. I wrote this on my phone and posting it from my phone so if it’s a little wonky, please forgive me.

——————————

“You’re doing it again.”

“Doing what?”

“Staring.”

If Nami called him out one more time he was going to need to hit something. And if aforementioned orange-haired friend asked how long he’d been watching you, Zoro was going to lie.

Just like what he was doing now.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

The shit eating grin Nami wore at his response told him all he needed to know.

He was a terrible liar.

“I’m sure you don’t,” Nami quipped.

“I’m sorry is there a reason you’re here? Besides to annoy me.”

“Ouch!”

Zoro didn’t finish watching Nami pretend to cover up a wound or to see her finish the playful pout she’d been sending his way the past couple of weeks. It allowed his gaze to fall back on where you’d been the last half hour tending to the tangerine trees they’d taken with them for Nami. A piece of Nami’s old life - her old home - planted on the ship as a reminder of all she’d overcome and what she’d gained.

It had taken less than a day for you to talk Nami into showing you how much water to give them and how to carefully trim their branches. Zoro warned you not to overdue it. You were still healing - some of your stitches barely keeping the once open wounds an inch from reopening with one wrong move.

You quickly overruled his worries with a soft press of your lips against his. He refused to admit it had left him shellshocked as you walked away; rooted to the spot next to the island in the kitchen with that damn cook smirking at him while his brain tried to remember how to make words.

“Shut up, waiter.”

“I didn’t even say anything,” Sanji replied, flabbergasted and yet, still smirking.

“Keep it that way.”

Zoro stormed out of that kitchen and wanted to storm away from Nami too, but this place on the upper terrace of the deck gave him the perfect spot to watch you. To make sure you were being careful and only a short distance away if you weren’t.

“I thought you guys were together.”

God, he really needed Nami to fuck off. Crossing his arms, Zoro leaned his forearms against the railing and hoped it would send the message he was done conversing. Unfortunately for him, Nami moved closer. Her back against the rail and her arms draped behind her. It gave Nami the perfect view of his face.

Zoro knew she wasn’t going to leave him alone until he answered.

“We are.”

“So, care to tell me why you are watching her like you’re still pining for her?”

“I’m not pining,” he grumbled back.

“This is the definition of pining.”

That’s it. He was going to toss Nami overboard.

“I’m not - “

He refused to admit defeat but damn it he couldn’t stop his forehead from pressing down into the wood of the bannister. He wasn’t a religious man, but he prayed to anyone listening to give him strength.

You would be super pissed if he did throw Nami overboard.

“Is there a reason you’re still here bugging the shit out of me?”

“If you’re with her Zoro, go be with her. That’s all I’m saying. You shouldn’t have to creep around and be away from her when you clearly want to be next to her.”

Zoro did.

He couldn’t describe it. Fuck, he couldn’t deny it, either. Every atom of his being craved to be next to you. To bury his face in the crook of your neck and breathe you in. Memorize the smell of the sea on your skin and the different herbs you dried and for whatever concoctions you made that day. He loved it when he could smell Rosemary in your hair or the ginger that reminded him of home.

But he didn’t want to overwhelm you. It’d only been a couple of weeks since Luffy and crew had left the Conomi Islands. Only a few weeks when Zoro thought he would never…

“I’m just trying to give her space.”

Fuck. Why did his voice have to be so soft? Now Nami was giving him that look and - fuck.

Zoro refused to glance up at Nami - the look that must be on her face. So, he kept his eyes on the safest place he could find.

You.

“Look, I know this relationship thing is kind of new for you, Zoro. It can be scary, at times.”

“I’m not afraid,” he cut in.

“-but,” she continued ignoring his sudden outburst. “I know for a fact the last thing she wants is space. Doc wants you, Zoro more than she’s going to want to be left alone.”

She clapped her hand against his shoulder, signaling she was departing, and left him brooding against the banner. His eyes no longer watching as you gently cut dying stems from the tangerine trees, but out into the endless blue and wondered if it was possible that Nami was right.

He was never going to hear the end of it if she was.

#bitter-post-millennial #answered #Chaos in Their Bones #roronoa zoro #opla #one piece live action #roronoa zoro x reader

[murdrdocs]

Darling the brain rot for corio is real. I wish I had it in me to be ashamed but I can sense that he’s a sub. I just know it. I feel like if he got topped he might finally be able to relax a bit. He’s so angsty but you’re so right about him being a virgin. I wanna explore this idea. By explore I mean this

pooks i don't mean to go against you here ... but i think coryo is too self righteous to be submissive. like canonically speaking, he has too much pride and fully believes that he has to be strong and the one in power all the time. and of course, this translates to the way he fucks.

but! he's more submissive than he realizes and if you don't bring it up to him, he won't even think about it. he doesn't consider that the way he shudders and his eyes flutter shut when he bottoms out for the first time isn't a peak display of power. in fact, he doesn't think much at all when he's in you.

he might be on top in most cases, but you're in control. your ankles hooked behind his back, your nails raking through his freshly cut hair, your voice encouraging him and spurring him on.

#mhm just a thought #ALSO DARLING ?? KISS ME #coryosworld! #coriolanus snow x reader #coriolanus snow x you #coriolanus snow smut #celeste's chats #celeste + bitter-post-millennial

[hd-junglebook]

All I've Ever Known

Jack Hughes x F!Reader

Masterlist Link

a:n ive always wanted to write a social media manager fic so here it is, hope you enjoy.

Warnings: meanies, depression, men being mean,

Summary: the sarcastic and ambitious 22-year-old knows she needs a huge turnaround - or risk being cast aside like her previous miserable tenure with the New York Rangers.

Word Count - 4634

Part 1

The shrill beep of her alarm sliced through the early morning silence like nails on a chalkboard. Y/N groaned, slamming the palm of her hand onto the nightstand to shut off the incessant noise. Another day, another soul-crushing slog as social media manager for the New York Rangers.

She peeled herself out of bed, joints creaking with exhaustion already. After hurriedly throwing on wrinkled clothes from the hamper, Y/N shuffled into the kitchen and went through the motions of brewing a sad, tepid pot of coffee. The familiar bitter aroma did little to energize her this morning.

On her deadened commute into Manhattan, Y/N stared vacantly out the smudged train window at the graffiti-streaked concrete pillars blurring by.

How had she ended up here - 22 years old and already feeling like her spirit had been sapped dry? She'd had such soaring dreams when she was a fresh-faced college grad.

But those ambitions had quickly crashed and burned against the harsh realities of the work world. Especially at a prestigious hockey franchise like the Rangers, where the crusty old men running the show didn't have a singular clue about social media strategy. Or appreciating the vision and effort of their overworked millennial staff, for that matter.

The familiar dread settled into the pit of Y/N's stomach as she crossed the frosty threshold of Madison Square Garden later that morning.

She spent her days utterly toiling in obscurity, unappreciated by the oblivious hockey meatheads she yearned to promote and engage online. Her pitches for fresh, out-of-the-box digital activations were always stuffed back into the recesses of her brain without a second glance.

By the late afternoon, Y/N's office had become a prison of stale coffee fumes and resigned despair as emails piled up in her inbox with patently absurd content requests from upper management.

"Just do another photo shoot of the players' sticks, skates and gloves on the bench," one insipid message read. "Maybe the fans want to see the equipment up close, who knows?"

Who knows? She knew, damn it. Those kinds of mindless, low-effort posts would get swallowed whole by the endless social media vacuum with zero engagement, zapping any last morsels of strategy and creativity out of the process. It was enough to make her want to fling her laptop across the room some days.

As the endless summer afternoon bled into evening, Y/N dragged herself down to the Rangers' practice rink to capture video of the players skating drills and running through stretch routines, per the usual protocol.

Not a single one of the hulking millionaires acknowledged her presence as she wandered along the sideboards, snapping footage on her DSLR.

Henrik Lundqvist skated past, head down and focused on the ice with a Terminator-like intensity. The newly acquired Barclay Goodrow sped by without so much as a sidelong glance.

Not even a single flicker of awareness that she existed, let alone that she was the one tasked with promoting their very likenesses and careers online.

Her camera strained under the weight of professional ennui snapping each frame. Just another nameless, faceless, unappreciated cog in a machine designed to prioritize bloated egos, paychecks, and Stanley Cups over creativity or foresight.

The deafening slap of pucks and sticks against the ice drilled deeper into Y/N's skull with each passing minute. She couldn't wait to escape this dismal concrete bunker, slither back to the solace of her Bushwick walk-up, and let the existential dread wash over her in peace.

…

Y/N smoothed her hands over her pencil skirt, trying to wick away the nervous sweat as she approached the imposing oak doors of the executive offices. A tight knot twisted in her stomach, but she plastered on what she hoped was an agreeable smile regardless. Maybe this surprise meeting would finally bring some good news her way for once.

She knocked and entered at the muffled "Come in" from the other side. The cavernous space was dominated by an enormous mahogany table, the franchise's top brass arrayed around it like armored knights guarding a castle keep.

Rangers team president John Davidson sat at the head, his face drawn into its trademark humorless scowl. General manager Chris Drury drummed his fingers impatiently, while half a dozen other stone-faced staffers and advisors filled out the ranks.

Y/N's forced smile faltered slightly at the chilly reception, but she strode forward with as much poise as she could muster. "Good afternoon, gentlemen. How can I help today?"

Davidson cleared his throat, the sound reverberating like a judge's gavel in the tense silence. "Miss y/n, we've asked you here to discuss your...performance, and overall role with the organization thus far."

The knot in her gut twisted tighter as Davidson continued, his tone clipped and businesslike. "Frankly, we've been rather disappointed with the lack of meaningful impact your social media initiatives have generated over the past year.

The engagement numbers have been stagnant, our players' online profiles remain relatively dormant, and we're just not seeing the kind of strategic vision and implementation we were promised."

Y/N froze, paralyzed as each steely word bludgeoned her like a slap across the face. Her stomach bottomed out as she registered the gravity of what he was saying.

"Now, we're certainly open to any new, innovative proposals you may have to reinvigorate our digital presence," Davidson went on. "But if the current trajectory continues for much longer, we'll be forced to reevaluate whether this role is truly worth allocating resources toward."

The temperature seemed to plunge twenty degrees as Y/N realized with sickening certainty what he meant - if her performance didn't dramatically improve soon, she would be fired from her dream job before it had even really begun.

All the blood drained from her face as she stared down at her feet, struggling not to sway on the spot from the waves of dizzying panic crashing over her.

After what felt like an eternity, she managed to compose herself enough to mumble a tremulous "Understood. Thank you for the candid feedback, I'll be sure to bring a revamped strategy to the next meeting." She spun on her heel and hurried out of the room, willing her legs not to buckle beneath her.

Once out in the marble-tiled hallway, Y/N's legs turned to jelly and she crumpled against the wall, her back sliding down until she was seated on the plush carpet, knees pulled to her chest. Tears of frustration and shame burned at the corners of her eyes, but she angrily blinked them back. She would not cry, not here, not over this.

Somehow, she found her feet again and began wandering in a daze back toward the social media department's offices, her mind whirling. What was she going to do? How could she possibly overhaul her strategy and prove herself worthy of keeping this coveted position?

So lost in her panicked reverie, Y/N didn't notice the tall figure barreling down the hallway until they collided with a sickening thud. She went crashing to the ground, papers and personal effects exploding out of her bag in a cascading flurry.

"Whoa there, you okay?"

She looked up with a wince to see one of the Rangers' young star defensemen, Jake Bellman, towering over her with a lopsided grin. Of course, her day wouldn't be complete without some freshly-heaped humiliation. As if on instinct, Bellman crouched down, utterly ignoring her dazed look as he began gathering her scattered belongings.

"Sorry about that, gorgeous, I really should watch where I'm going," he purred in that rich, gravelly tone of his as he collected the last of her papers. His piercing green eyes roamed brazenly up and down her body as she blushed furiously, resisting the urge to shrink back against the wall. "I don't think I've had the pleasure of meeting you before, though. What's your name, beautiful?"

Y/N stared at him in disbelief as she slowly got to her feet, brushing off her ruffled skirt. "You...you know I work here, right?" She gestured vaguely at the Rangers logo on her shirt, then fished out her employee ID to dangle in front of his face. "You've seen me around the arena a million times, Bellman. Ringing any bells?"

The cocksure grin faltered slightly as he squinted at her badge, recognition finally flickering across the chiseled planes of his face. "Oh damn, yeah...the social media girl, right? Sorry 'bout that."

He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, though the boyish smirk seemed permanently etched onto his lips. "I'm shit with names, to be honest. You're just...a lot prettier close up than I realized, that's all."

Y/N rolled her eyes skyward, biting back the urge to let out an exasperated groan. Of course the arrogant jocks on this team would be oblivious to anything - or anyone - that didn't directly involve scoring goals or boosting their jock status. She suddenly felt bone-achingly, soul-crushingly tired.

"Save the flattery, please. I've got more important things to worry about than whether you find me attractive or not." She snatched her belongings back from his grip with as much dignity as she could muster, already turning her back to continue on her way.

But Bellman was undeterred, because of course he was. "Hey, hold up - at least let me make it up to you?" He crowded her personal space again, practically leaning over her smaller frame with an audacious glint in his eyes. "I get off the ice around seven...we could grab drinks, get to know each other better? Maybe I'll even start putting in a good word with the boys about your marketing skills."

Y/N fixed him with a withering stare. Unbelievable - did this Neanderthal actually think she would be tempted by trifling compliments and false promises? That she would eagerly leap at the chance to be his next notch on the bedpost in exchange for putting in the barest minimum effort to promote her at work? Her blood boiled with impotent rage and insult, swirling amid the cyclone of anxiety and devastation from her earlier brush with termination.

With a noise of disgust, she pushed past Bellman and stormed off down the corridor, head held high. She would figure out a way to salvage her career through hard work and determination, without needing to demean herself by stroking any arrogant dudebro's ego.

Because if she couldn't achieve success on her own merits, what was even the point?

…

Her boots scuffed against the winding gravel path as she made her way through the lush greenery of the Park. Her shoulders were hunched forward, jaw clenched tightly in a white-knuckled grip of frustration after another utterly miserable day at the office.

"Just post another boring picture of the players standing on the ice during warmups," she muttered under her breath, impersonating the disinterested tone of her bosses. "Like that generic, lifeless content is really going to move the needle at all with our fan engagement."

She reached into her oversized tote bag, searching for her phone to distract herself by mindlessly scrolling through Instagram. Her fingers finally found the smooth rectangular device, but as she pulled it out, the bottom corner of the heavy bag caught the edge of a park bench with a jolt.

The phone went flying from her grasp, tumbling end over end until it landed with a sickening crunch on the hard pavement several feet away.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Y/n let out a strangled cry of disbelief as she hurried over and scooped up the device, her heart sinking at the shattered spider-web of cracks now distorting the screen into a kaleidoscope of fragmented colors. Perfectly on-brand for how her day was going so far.

With a weary sigh, she shoved the useless phone back into the depths of her bag. Needing something, anything, to calm her rapidly fraying nerves and provide a momentary distraction from this slow motion trainwreck, y/n reached for the BerryButtkicker smoothie she had picked up from a street cart earlier.

But as her fingers gripped the condensation-drenched paper cup, it slipped through her grasp like a lubricated hockey puck. The bright pink, yogurt-based beverage went splashing down her front, drenching her crisp white button-down blouse with its sticky sweet residue.

"Oh come on, you can NOT be serious right now!" Y/n sputtered in disbelief, frantically trying to blot the stain with a wad of flimsy napkins from her bag. But it was already too late - the pale purple blotch had set in with a vengeance, leaving her shirt hopelessly ruined.

She clamped her eyes shut, taking a series of deep, steadying breaths to compose herself. A delicate shiver ran down her spine as a cool spring breeze kicked up, rippling through the trees and causing a cascade of pale pink petals to float down around her.

All she wanted now was to get back to her cozy apartment, peel off these ruined clothes, draw herself a piping hot bath, and leave this monumentally terrible day behind her.

Y/n gathered her things and set off once more at a quickened pace, mentally plotting out all the carefully worded reasons she would use to finally break up with her neglectful, emotionally-vacant boyfriend.

She was so preoccupied with her mantra of pent-up grievances that she didn't notice the zipper of her bag had come undone until her shiny new DSLR camera went bouncing out onto the pavement.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as she watched in horror, powerless to do anything as the expensive piece of equipment hit the ground with a sickening clang, the glass lens immediately spidering with a crooked crack straight through the middle.

A strangled sound of dismay caught in y/n's throat as she dropped to her knees, cradling the damaged camera with trembling hands. Angry tears of frustration stung at the corners of her eyes as she carefully laid it back in her bag, handling it like delicate porcelain.

She couldn't afford to replace that right now, not after how much it had set her back...could this nightmarish day somehow get any worse?

The shrill ringtone of her phone suddenly cut through the silence, echoing off the trees around her. She rifled through the bag once more, pulling out the device with its cracked screen and prepared to swipe away the call without looking - only to pause when she saw the caller ID. It was her ex calling...again.

Without a second thought, she swiped to accept the call, ready to tell him off and get the closure she needed once and for all. But instead of her voice coming through the speaker, it was his unmistakable raspy tone.

"Hey babe, how's it going?"

The saccharine-sweet greeting was like a slap across the face. A guttural scream of rage ripped from y/n's throat as she hurled the phone away from her with everything she had. She watched with grim satisfaction as it sailed through the air, shattering into a million glittering pieces against the rough bark of a nearby tree trunk.

All around her, a cluster of joggers and pedestrians froze in their tracks, giving her alarmed looks. But she couldn't find it in her to care as the last dregs of composure finally snapped. Y/n snatched up her bag and stormed off down the path, batting away her angry tears as she muttered a mantra under her shuddering breaths.

"I...hate...the stupid...Rangers. Stupid...team...stupid job..."

That thankless, idiotic social media team could all go straight to hell for all she cared at this point.

…

Two days later…

Y/n wandered into the buzzing Apple store at the mall, still feeling frazzled and out-of-sorts after the series of unfortunate events that had unfolded in the past week.

She definitely needed to replace her shattered phone, but she kept getting sidetracked, craning her neck to gaze distractedly into every storefront they passed.

As she approached the front counter to speak to one of the blue-shirted employees, a glimpse of movement through the glass facade caught her eye. Y/n did a double-take as none other than Jack Hughes, the young star center for the Devils hockey team, came strolling by outside.

And he wasn't alone - a gorgeous blonde bombshell in tight jeans and sky-high stilettos clung to his arm like plastic-wrap, gazing up at him adoringly.

Y/n's jaw went slack as she blatantly ogled the pair, a pang of surprised attraction flaring up inside her. She had always thought Hughes was cute in that boyish, approachable way, but up close he was practically smoldering. No wonder he had every girl in the tri-state area fawning over him.

The salesguy cleared his throat loudly, giving Y/n a pointed look. She startled, embarrassed at being so obvious, and spun back around to face him.

"Uh, hi! Yes, I need a new phone please. My old one is, uh, extremely broken," she said quickly, hoping her blush wasn't too noticeable.

"Not a problem at all. We've got some great options for you to look at..." the salesguy began, efficiently getting her set up to browse the latest iPhone models.

…

A little while later, Y/n emerged from the store, the strap of her sleek new smartphone cutting into the palm of her hand where she gripped the heavy bag a little too tightly.

At least that errand was dealt with, even if it put another dent in her rapidly dwindling savings after the camera debacle. She quickened her pace towards the exit, keeping her head on a swivel to avoid anyone else who might shake her focus.

Once she was back in the quiet sanctuary of her apartment, Y/n fired up her laptop and began searching for electronic repair shops that could hopefully salvage her busted camera.

She spent over an hour meticulously compiling a list of options and jotting down estimates, her tongue poking out between her lips in concentration.

Just as she was about to close the browser, a new email popped up in her inbox from an unlisted sender. Curious, she clicked it open - and felt her eyes nearly bulge out of her skull at the contents.

"Dear Y/N, We were recently made aware that your contract with the New York Rangers organization will be ending soon. The New Jersey Devils are impressed by your portfolio..."

The words began to blur together as she frantically skimmed the rest of the email, her heart pounding louder with every sentence. This was the Devils...they were offering her an interview for their head of social media position!

A disbelieving shriek of giddy excitement exploded from Y/n's lungs as she leapt off the couch, practically trampolining on the cushions in a frenzy.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!" she chanted at the top of her lungs as she danced around the living room, punctuating each repetition with a wild fist pump.

This was her chance to get out from under those miserable Rangers Neanderthals once and for all! To escape to a fresh start with an organization that might actually appreciate her vision and skills.

Still screeching incoherently, Y/n launched herself over the back of the couch and scrambled to respond to the email, typing faster than she ever had before in her life.

…

The trendy restaurant buzzed with the energetic chatter of the Saturday evening crowd, but Y/n barely registered the din around them as she fixed her best friend Lexi with an exasperated glare.

"Lexi! Keep your voice down," she hissed, cheeks flushing as she shrank down in the plush booth they occupied.

Lexi merely arched an immaculately groomed eyebrow, her glossed lips curving into a sly smile as she prodded further. "Oh come on, you can't tell me you haven't thought about it. Which one of those hockey hunks are you gonna make a move on first now that you've got an in?"

Y/n opened her mouth to protest, but Lexi stubbornly barreled on. "Is it gonna be Jack Hughes? That boy has a face that could melt ovaries. Or maybe Nico Hischier is more your style - strong, silent, and packing the real...heat, if you know what I mean." She accompanied the lewd insinuation with an exaggerated wink.

"Jesus, Lexi! You're such a heathen," Y/n sputtered, swatting her friend's arm as her blush deepened. "I'm not working there just to ogle boys, you perv. I actually really enjoy this job and the Devils are one of my favorite teams."

Lexi nodded slowly, making a show of scrunching her face up in an expression of utter disbelief. "Yeeeeah, sure thing, honey. Keep telling yourself that."

Y/n opened her mouth, ready to let loose a blistering retort, when the waitress materialized at their tableside. "Sorry about the wait, ladies. Here are your crab cakes to start!" She slid the sizzling hot plates in front of them with a friendly smile before turning on her heel.

Shooting Lexi one more narrowed look, Y/n grabbed her fork and dug in hungrily. She'd been so wrapped up in the whirlwind of her job over the past couple of weeks that she hadn't had a chance to properly celebrate with her best friend.

Lexi took a dainty bite of the crab cake, her eyes still dancing with mirth. "Mmm, this is amazing."

"Earth to Y/N? Hello, girl, you're, like, a million miles away right now."

Y/N blinked, refocusing on her best friend's concerned expression. "Sorry, Lex. It's just been...an incredibly shit week at work, to put it lightly."

Lexi's sculpted brows hiked up in surprise. "Come on, this was and I quote, 'the most exciting thing that's ever happened to you'?" She made air quotes with perfectly manicured pink nails.

Letting out a shaky exhale, Y/N recounted the horror show of a meeting where management had essentially put her on notice - shape up and revive the team's digital presence, or risk being fired before her job even really started.

"Oh em gee, that's seriously messed up," Lexi gasped, delicate hand flying to cover her mouth. "Those crusty old jerks can't be that dense about social media strategy in this day and age, can they?"

Y/N snorted derisively, swirling the dregs of her cocktail. "Clearly they are, if they think posting another photo of a player's glove is going to boost engagement. It's like they're actively trying to be as bland and uninteresting as humanly possible online." She took a morose sip. "God, this is just like my nightmare with the Rangers all over again."

Lexi reached across the table to pat Y/N's hand consolingly. "Don't you dare go back to being that sad, mopey lump I had to deal with for months, missy. You're in the big leagues now!"

A tiny smile finally quirked at the corner of Y/N's lips. "I don't know, Lex...what if I really can't hack it with the Devils after all? What if I'm just not cut out for this?"

Lexi fixed her with a stern look, popping a truffle fry into her mouth as she chewed thoughtfully. "Okay, no, I'm shutting that shit down right now before you even start with the self-doubting pity party."

She pointed an accusatory bite at Y/N's face. "Did you just conveniently forget about the rude hottie hockey player you already had to deal with?"

Y/N's brows furrowed in confusion. "What? Bellman? What does that arrogant asshole have to do with anything?"

"Um, hello? He basically threw himself at you after nearly bowling you over in the hallway!" Lexi cried in a tone that implied the obvious.

Flushing slightly at the memory, Y/N waved a dismissive hand. "It was nothing, Lex. Just an egotistical jock being a pig, as per usual for that type."

But her friend was already leaning across the table with the spark of mischief twinkling in her eyes, the way she did whenever whipping up a deliciously tempting scheme.

"Think about it, babe - all you need is to get the inside scoop from a couple of players, find out what really lights their fire on social media. Work that Y/N charm to learn what they want to see from their own team's accounts."

Y/N opened her mouth to protest, but Lexi's persuasive momentum was already rolling full force. "You get the players on board, maybe even a little...incentive nudge here and there, if you know what I mean..." She waggled her perfected eyebrows shamelessly.

"Next thing you know, the Devils' engagement will be soaring and you'll be the fan-favorite queen of digital content! It's a brilliant plan!"

As ridiculous as the concept seemed on its surface, Y/N had to admit her cunning best friend made a fair point, as per usual. There was no better way to ace this critical assignment than by going straight to the source of what really resonated with hockey's biggest stars.

Their waitress arrived just then with a fresh round of cocktails, temporarily sparing Y/N from having to formulate a witty retort. Lexi immediately reached for her glass and raised it with a wicked grin. "I'll toast to that - may the thirstiest players be forever shooting their shots. And I don't just mean on the ice, if you catch my drift..."

Y/N rolled her eyes, but still clinked Lexi's glass with a grudging smile.

…

A few weeks later, Y/N found herself pacing the plush carpeting of a sleek conference room, her heart jackhammering against her ribcage. This was it - her make-or-break moment to prove herself worthy of keeping her coveted role as the Devils' social media manager.

The team's front office staff began filing in one by one. First the surly PR director, Stan Holcomb, followed by the team's social media coordinators and marketing deputies. Finally, General Manager Tom Fitzgerald entered, looking impeccable in a tailored navy suit as he took a seat at the head of the long glass table.

"Ah, Miss Ellison, thank you for joining us today," he greeted her with a curt nod before getting right down to business. "As we discussed previously, we've been rather underwhelmed by the team's online presence and fan engagement metrics this season. That's why we've called this briefing - to hear your updated strategy for reinvigorating our digital channels and driving more meaningful interactions with our fanbase."

Y/N's throat went dry as cotton as all eyes turned toward her. She gave a shaky nod, smoothing her clammy palms over the document portfolio cradled in front of her like a security blanket.

"Of course, Mr. Fitzgerald. I've been hard at work over the past few weeks, researching the latest trends and social media best practices, while also soliciting...personalized input from our team's top players." She cleared her throat, praying her voice wouldn't betray her nerves too terribly. "If I may..."

Fitzgerald quirked one brow but gestured for her to proceed. Y/N glanced around the room once more before diving in headfirst.

"From my extensive conversations with key players like Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, and Vitek Vanecek, it's become abundantly clear that the old model of recycling dry, impersonal team graphics, stats, and promotional content is no longer cutting it in today's social media landscape. Users are seeking out authenticity and giving their attention to more intimate glimpses into their favorite players' real personalities and lives off the ice."

Y/N clicked over to her PowerPoint deck, revealing mock-up posts of humorous chirp videos between teammates giving fans an inside look into the Devils' locker room camaraderie. Short and snappy Q&A interviews highlighted the players' interests and obsessions away from the rink. Even a "Hockey Husband" TikTok skit sketch featuring Hischier and his longtime partner Lauren played out across the screenshare.

"Studies have shown that millennial and Gen-Z fans are exponentially more likely to engage with this sort of laid-back, relatable player content on social feeds," she asserted, swiping through data charts and focus group findings backing up her claims. "It builds a much stronger sense of community and lasting brand loyalty compared to traditional promotional tactics."

Pausing to take a fortifying breath, Y/N turned back to face the room directly. "Obviously, this sort of genuine personality integration will require full buy-in and participation from our players and coaching staff. I already have a few reliable personalities eager to embrace this vision...but it would need to become an organizationally-mandated philosophy woven into our overall team identity for maximum impact."

She let that hang in the air for a heavy pause, sweat prickling at the back of her neck as the executives around the table whispered amongst themselves. Stan the PR director scribbled furiously in his notepad, mouth twisted skeptically. Y/N's heart thundered so loudly in her ears it nearly drowned out the furnace blast of blood rushing through her veins in waves of nausea.

After what felt like an eternity, Fitzgerald cleared his throat once more, fingers steepled as he appraised Y/N with an inscrutable expression. All humor and lightness had drained from his tone when he finally spoke again.

"An intriguing proposal, Miss Ellison, I'll give you that. Though I can't help but question the potential...distractions such an emphasis on off-ice antics may invite. This is a team of elite professional athletes, not a troupe of entertainers or social media celebrities." His steely gaze bored into her as his frown deepened. "Are you quite certain this progressive approach wouldn't ultimately undermine the team's credibility or on-ice performance?"

Y/N opened her mouth, floundering for an answer as her mind spun in a panic...

...

Tag List <3

@rebelatbay

message me to be added

#fluff #angst #masterlist #new writers on tumblr #new fic #jack hughes fic #jack hughes fanfiction #jack hughes x reader #jack hughes imagine #jack hughes smut #nhl players #nhl #nhl hockey #nhl imagine #jh86 #lh43 #luke hughes #njd #nico hischier #jack hughes #jack hughes x y/n #jack hughes x oc #jack hughes x you #jack hughes x sister!reader #quinn hughes #jesper bratt #timo meier #new jeresy #jersey devil #nh13

[yonpote]

re: dnp onscreen "personas" lol. i mean yall know what i mean by that but i feel like explaining it anyway just to be thorough. this is related to what ive been calling The Shift.

2011-2012 was around the time where the barrier between real dnp and the people they played was starting to be fortified. and like, part of it is just, with phils channel once he wanted it to be less video journal-y and more weird experimental short films, he still wanted to entertain people while talking abt his life, so maybe he would stretch a tale a bit or act a bit peppier than he is irl. and with dan, he had concepts literally from the start of what to do with his channel, and how it was inspired by a lot of sketch comedy based channels like communitychannel and [REDACTED]. so its not like it wasnt somewhat personas from the start, but 2012 was when it was cemented, and once they became known for being a duo it was just further self-flanderization. a Phanderization even. like intentionally playing into the ornery guy who makes bad puns and the happy go lucky guy who accidentally says innuendos. real tsukkomi and boke moment.

ok im gonna elaborate on why tatinof was a fanfic now :) this is the PEAK of phanderization, to me it's not a surprise that the cracks in the egg PERSONAS were starting to show bc they were just Fully In Character for like a year or so straight. in tatinof, the serious bitter eye-rolling "ugh dont do a song and dance" guy was dan (The Straight Man) (dont laugh thats just what its called) so of course his counterpart was the silly happy just having fun "i wanna burst into song!" guy was phil (The Fool). but when you watch their making of doc, dan says that HE'S the one who wanted to do the song and dance. if youre an Enthusiast abt dnp, you mightve already known that dan was a huge theater kid and loves the book of mormon n shit. phil likes theater too, but dan LOVES IT like not just watching but Performing. BUT to a regular degular in 2015 just casually watching or a huge fan but hasnt watched every liveshow ever or a phannie who just really believes in the Phanon, this may come as a surprise. phil is the happy silly ball of sunshine right? like ok. these aspects of their personality (dans bitterness and phil's positivity) aren't exactly LIES. but like obviously theyre just humans. this is what Interactive Introverts was TRYING to comment on, but imo i think fell short of its attempt bc in the end they were still trapped in their personas for the sake of Giving The People What They Want

ok i kinda tangented so back to the personas, it's not as if today they are Fully Raw And Real with us on screen, that's just kinda inherently never gonna happen, there will always be shit we don't know about them bc like. it's still a screen. BUT now that they are more real with us, we kinda see the energy of the olden days back, ofc less MegaRandomHyper and more gay millennial waffling. but it's them! cuz they really are so similar to the personas, but there's always an underlying layer of This Is A Bit. when dan's annoyed at phil for something we know he's not genuinely angry ESPECIALLY when we see that phil does it on purpose to rile him up. i think something strange is that, it's not like during 2012-2018 we didnt see stuff like this, dan's always been silly and phil's always been sarcastic, but bc so many people had bought into the Personas of danisnotonfire and AmazingPhil, that ended up being cemented into fic.

ok i wanna ramble on more but maybe ill make a new post lmao

#oh i thought i posted this but it was just sitting on my ipad #myrambles #the shift

[kannagms]

As someone who has been a fan of the boys since the beginning of Buzzfeed Unsolved when Ryan was doing his little PowerPoint presentations and reading from a single sheet of printer paper, this entire Watcher fiasco is insane and was definitely not on my 2024 bingo card.

Back when Ryan and Shane announced that they were leaving Buzzfeed to start their own entertainment company with Steven, I was excited! I wanted to see what new, fun, interesting, and creative content they would put out without Buzzfeed holding them back. I'm a huge fan of Mystery and Ghost Files, Puppet History, Are You Scared?, Too Many Spirits, Top 5 Beatdown. Loved Spooky Small Talk before it was scrapped. I watched every new ep that came out, even the ones I didn't like that much like Steven's food ones, and liked and commented because I wanted to support them as much as possible. I rewatch all my favorite episodes. I have a dedicated playlist of Ryan and Shane content because it helps me fall asleep at night. When I didn't have much I at least had Watcher to keep my smile on my face and continuous laughter going when I didn't feel much like going on.

I got the notification 3 days ago about a new Watcher video and was stunned at what I saw. Sure I can watch episode 1 of new shows and watch some trailers, but I'm gonna have to sub to yet another streaming service to watch anything more. A streaming service that doesn't even have an app, so if I want to add anything to my sleep playlist, I'm gonna have to leave my phone on all night.

Anyways, I immediately went and checked the boys' socials and see what they posted for any additional info. Thousands upon thousands of negative comments all saying basically the same thing:

I can't afford $6/month/not everyone has $6 laying around, and it can really make or break someone financially.

Been a fan since Unsolved, guess I'm not a watcher anymore.

This is a bad move.

From what I've seen across reddit, Twitter, tiktok, Instagram, and Tumblr, the negative far outweigh the positive. The only "positive" comments I've seen haven't really been "oh this is a great idea! I'm gonna go sub right now!!" It's really been more, "well it's their business, they can do what they want with it." Or simply bashing other people because they cannot afford $6 a month or $60 a year, which really comes off as boomer ideology. You know, the old "if millennials would stop eating avocado toast or buying Starbucks maybe they can afford a house!" While completely ignoring the global economic crisis we are all facing. It's completely out of check with the fact that there's so many of us not just in America, but in the world who are barely living paycheck to paycheck. That there are so many people who WISH they could get a Starbucks coffee in the morning but often times have to skip meals because they cannot afford food if they want to keep a roof over their heads, you know the ridiculous amount of money that we spend to rent a small space. Never gonna forget the one apartment I looked at that was $800 a month, no utilities included, no parking, no pets allowed, and I could lay flat on the ground and have my 5'4" length reach comfortably in every single room. Wasn't even a kitchen or room for a single size bed (mild tangent rant, I now pay $1300 for a 2 bedroom apartment, most utilities included, but bad parking)

And for Steven to say that anyone can afford $6 is just so factually wrong. Has anyone checked the foreign exchange rate for $6? Some threads I've seen on Reddit are insane. For some people 6 USD translates to someone's entire rent or a week's worth of food. If I recall the comment correctly, one person said that in their country, Netflix comes out to $2 USD, and is considered a luxury item that only the upper class/wealthy have.

Maybe I'm just being bitter. Maybe I'm just overreacting to a piece of content I loved and cherished being pushed behind a paywall. It just feels like a slap in the face to fans who have spent countless hours soaking in their content, recommending them to friends, making new friends over a shared interest, and now feeling like they didn't matter at all. That we were just dollar signs. To hear them going from thanking dedicated fans for helping them get to where they are to but now you gotta give us more money if you want to keep being fans and now we are going to ignore your backlash just feels disingenuous and heartbreaking.

#watcher #i dont know #not to be parasocial on main #but this month has just been so difficult #and to get hit with this just really broke me. #made me think what if all the people i watch on yt make this same move #i want them to succeed but at the same i dont want them to be an example to others yk?

[darklydeliciousdesires]

COMING SOON!

More Beth and Alfie. Yep. I want to revisit them whenever an idea comes to me, and one has indeed arrived up in my creative brain! :D

Tagging all who were into the first series - @potter-solomons @dreamlandcreations @youflickedtooharddamnit @omgeternal @tomhardyspinkyfinger @babaohhhriley @cillmequick @piscesgyalinit @confessionbrain @bitter-post-millennial @liliac-dreamer @zablife @creator-appreciator @buttercupsandboys @mollybegger-blog

#alfie solomons #alfie solomons fanfiction #alfie solomons au #alfie solomons fanfic #alfie solomons fic #alfie solomons x ofc #alfie and beth

[shina913]

I'm Shina, and thanks for stumbling upon my little writing corner!

✿ First and foremost: The majority of my content contains adult, sexually-explicit themes. I do my best to list all smut warnings and potential triggers in my fics. If I miss any, please let me know so I can include it.

✿ That said, I'm not your mom (I have enough children, thanks). I cannot and do not have any control over content that you choose to freely consume. The internet is a big world, and I am a tired geriatric millennial.

✿ I'm a romance writer and heavily influenced by movies and TV shows (especially dramas) so that should give you an idea of my typical style.

✿ I currently write for BTS and SVT.

✿ I don't have a posting schedule, unfortunately. I write when the mood strikes! This is just a fun hobby for me and I try to enjoy it as much as I can.

✿ Interaction/feedback is appreciated but *not* required. But just in case you feel comfortable enough to interact or say hello, my inbox 📩 is open 💜💎

BTS Fic Masterlist ❈ SVT Fic Masterlist ❈ Find me on AO3

Key: 💜 = BTS; 💎 = SVT

Code Blue - KMG, 04 Mar 💎

Bitter(Sweet) - JWW , 21 Feb 💎

That’s Mine - LSM, 13 Feb 💎

Cold Snap - CSC, 23 Dec 💎

Breakfast, 2 - KMG, 28 Nov 💎

Self-Care Sunday - JJK, 30 Oct 💜

Nothing - PJM, 14 Oct 💜

Nothing - JHS, 13 Oct 💜

#shina wips #shina writes

[mugleres]

my favorite genre of internet posts is watching millennials slowly but surely turn into the bitter antagonistic insufferable boomers they swore they’d never be, it’s so full circle

#millennials #boomers #gen z shit #across the spiderverse #social media #too funny #tiktok #fandom #twitter

[catboy-jaebeom]

this shapeshifting vessel is a lie

it's been a year already since my last pinned, and I got shadowbanned exactly around that time back then because of course I did, so here's a new one 🩷

I'm Autumn, but you can call me Faon as well. my pronouns are they/ them. ticked all the boxes on the queer registration form, and I'm currently in a queerplatonic poly relationship. I was born in '95. central european & white. future linguistics student. proud plant parent. kpop fan. I really adore vampires and I write original and fan fiction, as well as poetry. I speak english and german, and I'm studying french, japanese, korean and finnish. lover of bats, snakes, horsies, deer and cats, as well as sharks. I sometimes make cat ear edits and vampire edits of idols and actors ( see: my icon ) so if you want me to make one for you, you can DM me.

my interests and hyperfixations change over time — yes, it was a phase, mum! name a constant state of being, mum! — and I change my username every two years, round about. currently I'm really into the quantum leap spin-off, live action one piece show, and I'm watching a couple of kdramas and such at the side. I play baldur's gate 3, vampyr and control, but also 2064: read only memories.

I was very active in the shadowhunters and the dragon age as well as the james bond / 00q fandoms, and I will reblog every single gif of spirit - stallion of the cimarron, it's my childhood movie. also, Jin Oshiro from STRAY (2019) deserved better, thank you. you may know me as leafmiilk, taehdenveri, fliederfuchs or thetevinterelf.

this blog of mine was created in 2012, I was on here already when you could still count on the superwholock people to throw gifs at posts although I was never one of them, which, trust me, was a hilarious feeling in hindsight asjfjahajft. I have one sideblog worthy of note @splittergheist which is my writing blog, and I have a secret sideblog for my omegaverse / miscecanis stuff ( much more the lifestyle, world building and concept than the smut and stuff, I'll be honest, but no hate at all!! ) that I might give out if someone asks nicely and privately.

that said, I tag my posts extensively, and if you ask politely, I will try and tag specific things for you too! please be nice in my inbox or I'll simply delete your ask and block you. 🦈 oftentimes I will message you privately when you've sent me an ask that doesn't seem to be an ask game or such! and while I do post stuff for tag games I'm not a fan of tagging others unless we're, like, really close, sorry ><

relevant kpop stuff can be found under the tag. I also put some "reviews" written by mutuals about my blog there, thank you everyone, you're lovely 💚🌼

and thank you everyone else for reading this, may your days be bright I think we all could need that at the moment. I would super love new people to talk to ( please have your age / some approximate of it in your bio; I'm totally fine with talking to minors but I would like to know I am before I do, thank u ) so message me or reply to this!

kpop stuff

ult group: GOT7

other groups I like: NCT 127, WayV, Red Velvet, ITZY, Seventeen, SHINee, ONEUS; ...

soloists I like: XIA / Kim Junsu, Taemin

biases: Lim Jaebeom & Choi Youngjae; Nakamoto Yuta; Xiaojun; Kang Seulgi; Hwang Yeji; Joshua Hong & Lee Seokmin; Choi Minho & Taemin; Kim Leedo & Lee Seoho; Park Seonghwa & Jeong Yunho; Kanemoto Yoshi; ...

wreckers: Mark Tuan & Kim Yugyeom; Ten Lee; Kim Mingyu & Lee Woozi; Kang Yeosang & Song Mingi; ...

for as long as xitter still lives, you can find my kpop account under: jaebueomgi

blog reviews

@meant-to-be-a-hero wrote on 22nd November:

Shall I compare Autumn's blog to a summer's day? I shall not, because I am not a hack. Equal parts language jokes, kpop boys (and girls, but I don't look at those) and #bitter millennial blogging, there's something for everyone here at Autumn's blog. They are also one of the few people who still write funky things in the tags, a true dying breed on Tumblr. I feel like I'm reviewing a restaurant or something. Either way, click follow, thank me later, because you will. It's a good blog, Bront.

— ★★★★★(★★) [ 7 out of 5 ]

@klutenpetter wrote on 22nd November:

It seems I have misplaced the URL of the blog in question that I was supposed to review.

— ★★★★★ [ 5 out of 5 ]

#itzy #got7 #nct 127 #red velvet #xia #vampires #langblr #quantum leap 2022 #baldur's gate 3 #wayv #shinee #cbjb does stuff #stray 2019

[emilykaldwen]

@bitter-post-millennial HEY FRIEND! I see you in the trenches! DO you need anything to drink?! A snack!? Hope you're enjoying yourself!! <3

[beardedmrbean]

Okay I go to point it out that yes it sad that I have never seen what my direct ancestors look like in ancient and medieval times. And probably never will

But this post I found probably point out a issue I been noticing https://www.tumblr.com/ainomica/686212780028739584

Wait

Are

Late Gen x leftists

And millennials

Using

Pop Culture

As the basic

For

Human warriors

Knowledge?

Oh that explains the black Vikings shit

Yes let say that black peoples were deadass part of some of the most prolific slave traders and rapists in human history? Ooookay!

But let me use my Chimera republic as example of my fantasy au

Though btw the chimera republic is basically fantasy USA strong arming all of the Americas into an empire. Yeah the Americans (or perhaps prime chimerans) are tongue and cheek about but allow the cultures and languages to exist

But let me set up a story-wait best anon

But I think the issues is a lot of people view history from pop culture. No metroplation blacks

Just because pedo land aka Hollywood don’t glorified African warriors at the moment. Doesn’t mean their ( unless they’re pos like the Dahomey) stories shouldn’t be told

Do social media make everyone have the mentality of a bitter 15 year old or something?

>The analogy between Samurai and cops is also appropriate because they used to "break in" new swords by killing peasants who were outside past curfew.

So much samurai stuff is just BS myths, undoubtedly the "insult" thing was abused regularly, I'm not sure how bad the insult needed to be but still.

Class stuff in that post is still pretty much spot on to my knowledge, but a lot of the legends and such are actually myths.

This guy was funny, because he wasn't doing a bit. I think the idea behind the Vikings and Celts came out of the need to cry about dreadlocks belonging to black people and evidence proves those two groups also had a hairstyle like that, so obviously that means they were black somehow.

This is another fun one, USJW is a joke blog

Aztecs and Olmec's are in the mix in this one

Yes let say that black peoples were deadass part of some of the most prolific slave traders and rapists in human history? Ooookay!

Everyone is guilty, sooner we can accept that the sooner we can stop blaming everyone else.

But let me use my Chimera republic as example of my fantasy au Though btw the chimera republic is basically fantasy USA strong arming all of the Americas into an empire. Yeah the Americans (or perhaps prime chimerans) are tongue and cheek about but allow the cultures and languages to exist

Look up the Ottoman Empire, they were good about that occasionally, at least on paper they were. Achaemenid (Persian) Empire too, long as nobody rebels and everyone pays their taxes you can keep your language, culture, and religion. Again it was like that on paper, reality is it's own thing.

But I think the issues is a lot of people view history from pop culture. No metroplation blacks

probable, of course then people start to emulate them and that's when it gets bad, emulate Uncle Phil instead

Just because pedo land aka Hollywood don’t glorified African warriors at the moment. Doesn’t mean their ( unless they’re pos like the Dahomey) stories shouldn’t be told

Both should be told, truthful dahomey type people stories would be good as well as folks that didn't sell off their fellow Africans to Arabs and Europeans.

Problem is

way way back we just don't know, nobody does for sure, and less way back the slave trade kicked into high gear and folks were gettin sold to people in the MENA region.

Might need to just go off of mythology or oral tradition stories, searching for all this stuff gets rough because you look up Africa and you get Egypt and the rest of northern Africa.

Do social media make everyone have the mentality of a bitter 15 year old or something?

Twitter made it so people could only digest information in tiny doses, which meant nuance was lost, which in turn created a lot of ignorance, which human nature when it comes to pride makes admitting ignorance difficult, which made people's ability to actually hold a conversation where differing viewpoints are brought into play vanish.

Same with Facebook except the difference is there's only so much text you can add to a minions meme.

Reddit is good for creating a echo chamber, but at least you can put a lot of text down but living in a echo chamber tends to make one believe that their opinion is the majority one when reality may be totally different.

I do not envy mental health professionals, things are going to get worse as worse for them in the coming years.

#zoomer huey anon

[eureka-its-zico]

Zoro should let his titties breathe more frequently. I think it would be good for docs health

OMG! I want you to know these two sentences gave me an idea for a scene immediately as I read your ask. I think it will work absolutely perfect for chapter 10. I had to write it down and save it before I lost it because YES.

You are a genius.

#bitter-post-millennial #answered #always coming with the ideas friend #love it lol #roronoa zoro #doc #chaos in their bones

[murdrdocs]

So this might be a little out there but I need you to stick with me.

So imagine snow actually did agree to leave panem with you (or Lucy grey) but his blond hair is a goddamn beacon to anyone that’s looking for him. I mean be honest, he was a well known student, the son of the upper echelon of society, I doubt they’d just let that thread go. So he dyes his hair to stay undercover. And maybe y’all do find a civilization out there in the great unknown, you’re still gonna need some form of transportation. Do you see where I’m going with this?

BAM

thank you for the inspiration that made me write this 😁

#its different #but the bones r there #celeste's chats #celeste + bitter-post-millennial

[katzell]

How I Met Your Father - Review

Seasons 1 & 2

First, know that I was there in the beginning. I watched How I Met Your Mother starting in season 3 and watched it as it aired until the very bitter end. Everyone has a show that disappointed them and let them down. But I honestly think that nothing compares to the horror of the last episode of HIMYM, because it made everything that came before it worse. Mayyybbee some LOST fans get it. But at least that finale wasn’t a character assassination in the name of one last smug trick. It was a rumination on love and humanity that allowed the characters a moment of grace in a world that denied it. HIMYM’s trashed seasons of character work for Barney and Robin and its own success in actually finding someone to play the Mother who was worth 11 seasons of waiting. But sure, wasn’t it clever they had footage of the kids before they grew too big saying the story was always about Ted loving Robin. Of course nothing that was filmed after season 3 really mattered.

I’m sorry to begin this way, but as Robin Scherbatsky and Barney Stinson appear in HIMYF, clearly in the between times, post divorce but before the titular mother’s horrible death, we have to talk about it.

I hadn’t meant to watch this show. Poor Chris Lowell will forever be Piz. The Veronica Mars trauma is another thing all together and others have written about that better. But as a lifelong Hilary Duff fan, I was curious to see her do a traditional adult sitcom.

In 2021, the pilot didn’t convince me. I agreed with reviews that said none of the characters acted or spoke like millennials. The side stepping of covid felt weird as well. Where HIMYM had a really eerie knack of conjuring NYC from LA, the reboot felt more soundstagey. I chalked it off as another mercenary move to mine IP and play on nostalgia.

But I guess this is why we live on Tumblr! Because the right gifset on your dash at the right time can make you reassess. And the right persons face can make you pause and go, I guess this is happening now.

In 2023, watching a comedy that was in fact pure shenanigans suddenly felt like a gift. As everyone reassess the changes in the US television industry, I hope distributors see the value in greenlighting shows like this again. I love my prestige comedies that want to incite anxiety attacks. But I also love seeing friends living in a city run around having madcap adventures. And I love a show that unabashedly wants me to ship characters and care about romance! Particularly the slow kind that works off dozens of episodes to establish.

And luckily for me, HIMYF has the very dreamy Sid, played by Suraj Sharma. I mean, who doesn’t at some point fantasize about a hot bar owner smart enough to go to [insert highly demanding profession here] but chose instead a cozy place where all their friends can hang. (See also New Girl). I need at least 3 more seasons, 20 episodes each, because I’m invested in the potential between he and Hillary Duff’s Sophie. Its nascent and yet so much more intriguing than Sophie’s other more obvious, but boring options. (Apologies to Chris Lowell’s Piz Jessie). Sophie and Sid have the easy charm to power a friends to lovers for the ages. And with his marriage on the rocks, and her dating his best friend, the melodrama is there too! The stupid concite of the show has its hooks in me again and I am definitely scared. You would be too if you saw the pathos and rawness Cobie Smuthers brings to her cameo. I’ve been kicked in the teeth before by this world. Neither of us are over it.

Fine, a brief word on Barney’s cameo. Awful. He talked about how he learned to respect women thanks to a special girl in his life. It was his fucking daughter and not Robin. I knew this and it still hurts. The electroshock pants weren’t funny. But I did like that he wouldn’t charge a nice girl for smashing his car if she had a fun enough story. That was the character I liked.

#how i met your father #himyf #sophie x sid #katie watches tv

[bayoblr]

I was inspired by @luaminesce 's venting post on the Bayo3 ending to speak out about my personal feelings on the matter.

That ending was awful to me on many, many levels, but I'll be focusing on a specific one. As I've mentioned before, Bayonetta was THE most important character for my self-esteem as a woman who wears glasses since childhood.

I have "mid to severe" miopia and been dependant on specs for most of my life. Nowadays, thanks to the growing use of smartphones and increasing blue light exposure, there are more miopic people than 15+ years ago, so I'm aware that the following paragraphs may sound "dramatic" to a certain audience.

I'm a late millennial who grew up surrounded by romcoms that condoned the use of glasses. Wearing glasses are ugly; being miopic is unfashionable; you should be completely unaware of your surroundings so the hot guy can notice you and find out that you're actually attractive. When I got my first specs, I received notes at school with very hurtful doodles of what I supposedly looked like with a pair of glasses. People would actually bully you for being "four eyed" back in the day. They would take your glasses from your face, put them on their own and joke about how awful your eyesight is, call you names, brag about how they're much more attractive than you, make you tell how many numbers there are on their fingers from a distance when they catch you without your lenses.

Back in the day, I've never had a character who looked like me, and could relate to. Women in glasses are either "the ugly nerd", "the unfashionable poor soul" or "the hidden beauty", and if you're a latina like me, you were probably drowned in the many versions of "Betty la fea" (AKA "Ugly Betty"). If I gained a dollar each time someone told me how much better I look without my glasses, I'd right now be at my own yacht in the Bahamas.

Been single for a while and can't find a date? "Try not wearing your glasses, they make you unattractive" (I'm NOT joking, people have ACTUALLY told me that). Heck, even my ex-mother-in-law complained about my glasses and tried to convince me to go through a surgery (and this is your friendly reminder that refraction error surgeries only work temporarily).

Then I found about Bayonetta. She looked like me and wasn't a complete failure of a woman – on the contrary. She's sexy, she's attractive, she's sexual, she's a fashionista, she's THE woman. And her bad eyesight is just there. They don't try to revolve her personality around it. It's just an iconic, natural and very much welcoming trait of who she is and how she looks.

Until...

I was already too shocked seeing the direction they were going with the ending. But watching Bayonetta taking off her glasses in order to be kissed by Luka felt like a punch in the stomach. I immediately began to cry.

What does that even mean? Why couldn't she just stay with her glasses on? Did she need to do it so she could look good enough to be worth of love? Maybe it wasn't the writers' true intention, but I couldn't help feeling that bitter taste in my tongue.

Just because refraction errors are being more and more common, it doesn't mean that the bullying doesn't exist anymore. People (specially women) with eyesight disorders are still being portrayed in a ridicule way in media everywhere (I'd say Harry Potter is the only popular character with glasses that isn't ridicule, but look how that franchise is fucked up now). Children with glasses are still being targeted by bullies everywhere. People with severe conditions, hemianopia (half-blindness) and higher prescriptions are still being made fun of because of how their glasses look and how "comical" they are for being like that. I think most don't realize how people with glasses are treated in a dehumanizing way sometimes.

Bayonetta was (and is) my ultimate comfort character in many ways, but specially that. It was the first time I felt actually seen and represented. So yeah, I was extremely hurt not only by the total erasure of her relationship with Jeanne and "de-empowerment" of her character (I'LL CATCH UP ON THAT LATER), but also by how they completely destroyed my favorite thing about her in a matter of a second.

With love,

Your favorite miopic Bayonetta blogger.

#wow that was long #bayonetta #nintendo #platinum games #cereza #hideki kamiya #bayonetta 3 #long post #personal

[thepalmofyourfreezinghand]

It makes me kinda sad that Taylor decided to post something so bitter and antagonistic towards fans (compared to her usual tone) for her birthday post. The difference is so stark compared to how she usually talks to fans. This year it was like “ok, first of all give me money, and also shut up about the fact that I use emojis and also I’m a proud millennial. Ok bye”……………

(I fear this post will be misinterpreted but whatever - there’s a reason so many people saw the post floating around and thought it was fake).

#taylor swift