Zimmkov, Jalexei, whatever.

Don’t talk to me.

GOOD QUESTION! So I did some googling and it looks like Russia is ranked seventh in the world for table tennis! The U.S. is like 39th. So I think it’s not totally out of the question that Alexei grew up with not only a figure skating mom and hockey-playing dad, but maybe playing ping-pong for fun. And then apparently getting his ass kicked by one of Jack’s college friends? LOL

For the most part, I don’t really care what people ship or write fic about. I’ve read plenty of Jack/Parse fic. I mostly read Tater/Snowy before Jack joined the team, and I still ship that hardcore (fictionally) and read fic of it, though now I prefer Tater/Jack/Snowy OT3 action.

But I gotta say, anyone who actually thinks that Jack Zimmermann and Kent Parson still together in the year of our lord 2016? Needs to do an Elsa and let it go.

Big mood, OMG. Puts all sorts of thoughts in my head.

Yeah, IDK what that was about.

Don’t let the antis get to you. We can see how happy they are, that’s what really matters. Tater is, like, showing it off to the world now, it’s beautiful. It’s easy to doubt when there are so many people saying they have to be straight (what, because they’re athletes? masculine? could beat up the people who say that?), or who ship them with other people and are just jealous that their ships will never be together (*cough*anyone who ships either of them with Parse*cough*).

What, exactly, am I personally ruining? It’s pretty damn easy to not read the fic or the blogs; if those are upsetting you then that’s kind of your problem. That’s like saying “ugh, I hate horror, it’s ruining movies!” Just… don’t watch the horror movies?? It’s pretty easy.

Y’know, I’ve been a hardcore Falcs fan for years, but I didn’t really pay much attention to Jack until they signed him last April. And even then, it was obvious that he was so serious about everything, he looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders all the time. I can’t even imagine watching him go through the OD and all of college. I’ve seen photos of him, and even when he’s smiling he still just look so tired. It got better over time, but just watching him go through that for years and years.

But almost as soon as he got to Providence he looked happier. Less tense, less uncomfortable (I mean, not super comfortable with any media, but less), more smiles, bigger smiles, more laughter. The only time it ever seems strained is when Tater asks about his “girlfriend” on camera, and I’ve mentioned many times that I think Tater’s the one who thought he should use that lie. I’m glad they’ve given up on that, Jack clearly hated it.

Okay, before I get jumped all over again, I am not saying that Parse for sure broke Jack’s heart. I think it’s pretty darn likely, although it’s possible that Parse got his heart broken, too. Things like that are complicated.

That said, yeah, they were really cute together and seemed happy - but unfortunately, the key word was seemed. Obviously, Jack was not as happy as he pretended to be, and most of the pics we’ve got of them together (like that one of the lap-sitting) are at parties where they were probably both drunk and/or high to start with.

However the breakup happened, it’s clear that it wasn’t a good one, and Jack is definitely better off without Parse. (Parse is probably better off without a mentally-ill, close-to-OD’ing Jack, but honestly I think Jack would make a pretty good partner now and Parse is missing out.)