THWACK!

i   don't   matter   ?

[271stbest]

WINNING THE POINTS THAT MATTER. — a private, independent & selective portrayal of patrick zweig from luca guadagnino's challengers ( 2024 ) . established january of 2025, revamped january of 2026. — I DON'T MATTER?

AFFILATES: @headqurters

[videonoir]

　　𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐚, snapping a few pictures as his smile emerged. ' as much of a rock star as my actual rock star subjects. but i'll give credit where credit is due, you make tennis look interesting for the rest of us who didn't grow up on country clubs. '

[271stbest]

“ EVEN MORE OF a rock star than the actual ones, right? i have got to have more charm than them. you can tell me the truth, i won't tell anyone. ” a shrug, nonchalant as ever. “ i make everything look interesting. i think i just bring that sort of charisma that most things lack. ”

[adonaldson]

He rolled his eyes, "Sure go ahead and try." He gave a shrug. Yes Art wanted a relationship, but Tennis was important, and school was important. Art was at the Academy on a scholarship, and he was trying to get a scholarship to college. Alot was riding on him actually trying to do well. "But I have to do school work, and practice. We can't all get by on shitty serve technique." Art was not as good as Patrick, so he had to work at it if he wanted to be.

[271stbest]

SIGNATURE SMIRK RETURNS. “ it works, doesn't it? some of us actually have talent, art. you might think it's shitty, but it hasn't failed me yet. i'll bank on it for as long as i can, trust me. are you on any dating websites? anyone around school you're interested in? i'm sure the stanford girls are something else. ”

[topshelfperverts]

Sports medicine is a relatively new...let's call it vocation. Sounds nicer than punishment, which is what it actually is.

"Keeping it in means I don't have to hear it," House says without looking up. "Which I would definitely prefer, since you don't have anything particularly interesting to contribute. You need to be rallymaxxing."

[271stbest]

“ I NEED TO be fucking what? what the fuck does that mean? ” cue a roll of his eyes, “ i have plenty interesting to contribute. you just haven't asked me the right questions or give a good opportunity to talk about things. ”

[adonaldson]

He rolled his eyes. Patrick was getting annoyed, he could sense it. He wanted to keep it up, see how many references he could make before Patrick inevitably got actually mad. But he'd stop, for now, unless Patrick did something to warrant it. "Never claimed that was a goal I had. I tend to have aspirations to be more than dick with a racket." Art couldn't really afford to fool around either. But also Art was too wound up to have anyone really approach him. He relied heavily on Patrick for that. He also knew if he tried, they may not stick around because of how much of a package deal he viewed himself and Patrick. That didn't appear to go both ways. That made Art feel funny inside, and he decided to ignore that.

[271stbest]

EYEBROW QUIRKS, SMIRK ever present. “ & how's that working out for you? you're so high strung all the damn time, you never want to go out & do anything fun anymore. i think you need to get laid. seriously, i'm about to start playing wingman just to help you find someone. it worries me that you aren't getting off just to release some stress. it'll definitely do you some good. ”

[s1n4me]

The expression on her face turns perplexed for a moment, a quick switch up until it goes back to that usual annoyed expression she’s reserved for Patrick. “Oh I forgot you know everything right? You come into our home at night and watch.” She lets out a scoff and crosses her arms across her chest at to calm those urges yet again. “Art is a grown man, he can make his own decisions if he’s not happy he can do whatever the hell he wants. Im not chaining him to his racket and im sure as fuck not his mommy to decide.” She rolls her eyes, feeling how far this little argument went. “All I asked was you not fucking open that mouth on the court and you somehow are now claiming that my life’s falling apart? My life is completely fine and I’m the only one here helping you with your career so maybe I don’t know be fucking grateful.”

[271stbest]

“ YOU'D LOVE IT if i did. you get off on seeing me like this, i know you do. you've always been kind of cruel like that. ” ( "so maybe, i don't know, be fucking grateful." ) a laugh, short & fleeting. “ what do you want, a thank you? i figure you owe me this after what you asked me to do at the challenger. let's call this us being even. ”

[adonaldson]

He would deal with Tashi later. "I am not talking about Tashi, I am talking about you." He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath, trying to not yell. He had yelled at Patrick exactly once, and he had no desire to ever do that again, but it seemed like that might be the only way to get through to him. "This involves three people, Tashi, myself and YOU, stop taking yourself out. If you wanted me there I could have been there. Stop speaking like you ever cared about me."

[271stbest]

GOD, WAS HE always this high strung nowadays? patrick thought it was bad before. what the fuck had tashi done to him? “ you want me to ask you to join the next time your wife wants to cheat on you? jesus christ, art. do you hear how that sounds? have some fucking self respect. ”

[ch4ined]

"And humble too."

Jin smirks and toys with his t-shirt, still damp from sweat. He fans it with one hand while the other raises and lowers his water bottle as he continues to sip. Aching muscles let him know he had pushed himself harder than he thought.

"What do you have to show for it? Surely you've got some accomplishments to brag about."

[271stbest]

THERE'S A BEAT of silence for a moment, patrick mulling over the other's words. then, a shrug. “ boys' singles & doubles at the U.S. open. ” sure, it had been some time since then but it still counted, right? “ i think the talent speaks for itself, though. don't need tons of bullshit awards to show that off. ”

[videonoir]

　 　' 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥, 𝐢 𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐢 𝐰𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐩. that's the price of looking like a rock star. '

[271stbest]

SIGNATURE SMIRK SETTLES upon freckled features with ease. her words were enough to bring cockiness back full force. “ like a rock star, huh? guess you like me then. i couldn't tell for a second there, but that really gives it away. how else do i look to you? ”

[rylandsgrace]

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (2025) | Challengers (2024)

[mcflymemes]

PROMPTS FROM PROJECT HAIL MARY *  assorted dialogue from the book by andy weir, some lines reworked to suit a roleplay format, adjust as necessary

human beings have a remarkable ability to accept the abnormal and make it normal.

it'll be interesting to see how this plays out.

glad i could be part of it.

evolution is lazy.

i guess this is it.

your face is leaking.

i will miss you.

you're my friend. heck, you're my best friend.

we have figured this out.

got to love computers. they do all the thinking for you so you don't have to.

another day, another staff meeting.

who would have thought saving the world could be so boring?

does that mean it's not no? is that another yes?

you're not alone. neither of us are.

sometimes the stuff we all hate ends up being the only way to do things.

i'm a scientist!

now we're getting somewhere!

time for me to use science.

i'm hungry.

what's your name?

are all russians crazy?

when stupid ideas work, they become genius ideas.

do you believe in god?

i know it's a personal question.

it's like he's inviting us to explore the universe.

if i had a nickel for every time i wanted to smack a kid's parents for not teaching them even the most basic things... well... i'd have enough nickels to put in a sock and smack those parents with it.

this is happy!

your face opening is in sad mode.

we're pretty untrustworthy, but i don't want him to know that.

i'm smart enough to know that i'm stupid. that's progress.

you poked it with a stick?

it was a scientific poke with a very scientific stick.

work fast.

first i have to wait for my computer to wake up.

fist my bump.

usually you're not stupid.

once again, i'm struck by melancholy.

i have to save humanity first. stupid humanity. getting in the way of my hobbies.

oh thank god. i can't imagine explaining sleep to someone who had never heard of it.

if i can't do it for a while, i go insane and eventually die.

no need for concern.

we're as smart as evolution made us.

we're the minimum intelligence needed to ensure we can dominate our planet.

i spend a lot of time un-suiciding this suicide mission.

that's not creepy at all.

wait a minute! am i a guinea pig?

it's not like that.

no. you cannot die. you are my friend.

be careful.

i don't want to look dumb in front of the aliens.

math is not thinking. math is procedure.

at least i'm not alone.

aaaaand they're dead.

you get to watch your food cook without melting your face off.

the hardest part about working with aliens and saving humanity from extinction is constantly having to come up with names for stuff.

you are here!

you saved me!

set up the damn tunnel!

get back in your ship!

it gives me a feeling of control.

i'm on a suicide mission.

yes. there'll be wars.

see how easy it is?

all i have to do is tell you something you don't want to hear.

it's the kids of today that'll have to make the world of tomorrow work.

when you're stupid tired, accept that you're stupid tired. don't try to solve things right then.

want to meet up in the bathroom down the hall and have sex?

let's see what we can do when we really set our minds to it.

you want me to observe you sleep?

you're a coward and you always have been!

you avoid risk like the plague.

[hibernationden]

@271stbest gets a starter!!

"oh, come on." nealie laughs, grimacing as she watches the bowling ball veer to the side. fully competent and competitive in plenty of other ways, she has to remind herself not to be a sore loser here. at least, if nothing else, this had been a prime opportunity to ogle patrick.

"alright. i'm a woman of my word. whatever you want tonight, it's on me."

[271stbest]

PATRICK HATES TO admit it, but he's kind of shit at bowling. he's pretty damn surprised he's actually managed to win this thing. he'd have to find someone to brag to later, maybe art if he's lucky. the blond would definitely be keen to listen in, only slightly jealous. that only made it more enticing to talk about. “ awh, c'mon, where's the fun in that? how 'bout this, you surprise me, yeah? that way we'll both have a good time. ”

[gethimback]

CHALLENGERS (2024) dir. Luca Guadagnino | Scene at The Academy

[ch4ined]

Jin fights the urge to roll his eyes. What a cocky bastard, he thinks, but still he stands there listening to the tennis player's diatribe. He idly drinks from his water bottle, lips to the mouthpiece to keep himself quiet for a moment. It buys him just enough time to think of a diplomatic response.

"Some of us, I guess," he says, "but a lot of us work pretty hard too."

The sun starts to set on the horizon. A warm glow settles over all the light touches.

"But I can see you've got no shortness of confidence. Not a bad thing, though."

[271stbest]

“ JESUS, YOU SOUND like art. ” the blond always talked about working hard, about pushing himself. he was so strict in every single thing that he did. if part of him didn't find it endearing, patrick may have strangled him the first week of school. “ i've got plenty to be confident about. ” a shrug, “ i've always just been good, you know? i don't even really have to try. ”

[271stbest]

“Do you intend to vocalise every thought?. Or just the most obvious ones?” from house 👀 / @topshelfperverts

A SHRUG OF his shoulders now, signature smirk appearing with ease. “ every thought, usually. what's the point in keeping it in? ”

[s1n4me]

Those dark eyes of hers stay focused on him. “Oh that’s real rich coming from the man who’s on that very path. I’m here helping you so you can live the dream.” She laughs a little, fingers coming up to point at his chest. “And who the fuck says we aren’t living the dream Patrick huh? You? The guy who can’t seem to stay away from us, from me. Say what you really mean, that you missed us that you think it’d be better if you were involved.”

[271stbest]

A LAUGH, NOW shaking his head. “ it's so fucking obvious, tashi. he looks miserable, have you seen him? or are you so blinded by getting him that career grand slam that you can't see it? ” patrick assumed it was the latter. what else could tashi be focused on. “ living vicariously through him is not a good look on you. ” ( "... that you missed us." ) “ i do miss you guys, of course i do. that doesn't change that your lives are falling apart. ”

[adonaldson]

Art wasn't impressed as Patrick began his argument. Because of course everything needed a reason, particularly when Patrick was goading his wife into cheating on him. He scoffed at Patrick's words, he was there, when they met Tashi, and he distinctly remembers she kissed him first. "No you think about yourself," he said, and then the anger got the best of them, "Because if you thought about both of us, I would have been there."

[271stbest]

“ YOU WOULD'VE BEEN there if you wife wanted you there. ” their marriage was falling apart at the seams, patrick swore it. give it two years & they'd be in court fighting over custody. “ you know, that's not even why she snuck out to see me in the first place. ” as much as he'd like to say that it was. “ maybe you should ask her why she decided to come see me instead. ”