#2 of them i think i am just not going to do. 1 of them i need to do and will be an absolute fucking bitch. 1 of them i should do but will be

[mysteryshoptls]

SSR Sebek Zigvolt - Room Relaxation Voice Lines

It's necessary to enjoy all you can on a birthday. I'll make sure to fully relish the classes, club activities, and the birthday party to come!

Summon: Being another year older means I must mature even more. I'll have to continue to devote myself to my studies, magical abilities, and other aspects of life.

Groovification: I have to get out of bed quickly and get ready to go. I'm the birthday boy today, after all.

Home: I can't let a single moment go to waste!

Swap Looks: I must fix my appearance.

Home Transition 1: My nightcap is not only good for preventing disastrous bedhead, but also keeping my hair from drying out. The only issue is that it falls off easily while I sleep.

Home Transition 2: I received an enormous amount of sweets from Jade-senpai. I have no idea what he is plotting, but I absolutely ate every last one. I can't let food go to waste, after all.

Home Transition 3: Even when I am in my room, the portrait of Malleus-sama continues to watch over me. That way, no matter where I am, I can continue to hold myself to the proper standards.

Home Transition - Login: On my birthday, I make sure to choose one goal to achieve during the upcoming year. Setting a clear coal is the first step in seeing it come to fruition!

Home Transition - Groovy: I understand in my head that I should chew my food well when I eat, but I cannot help eating fast when I hunger strikes. I should try to be more like Azul-senpai.

Home Tap 1: Nothing about living amongst others in a dormitory on campus necessitates getting to know one another. However... If the conversation were to extol on Malleus-sama's greatness... I suppose I could join in.

Home Tap 2: I received a book on equestrianism from Riddle-senpai. I'll make sure to thoroughly read through this and put what I gleaned into practice!

Home Tap 3: I would like it if I were able to overcome my distaste for black coffee this year. Maybe I should start by trying to drink some sugar-free milk coffee...

Home Tap 4: Idia-senpai was hovering outside the classroom, so I beckoned him in with a thunderous shout. How was that, I handled it well, didn't I?

Home Tap 5: These pyjamas were a gift from my parents to celebrate my acceptance to this school. They purchased it from a store in Briar Valley. I like them because they're comfortable and easy to wear.

Home Tap - Groovy: Silver was decorating the lounge, simply because it was my birthday. How thoughtful, especially coming from him!

Duo: [SEBEK]: Give me your best wishes, Azul-senpai! [AZUL]: Sebek-san, I do hope you have a wonderful year.

Birthday Login Message: Am I enjoying my birthday, you ask? Of course I am, today marks the first day of a new year for me! Both Riddle-senpai and Silver advised me to continue my diligent training. I needn't hear that from them, I plan to grow even more than they expect! Hm? You have a present for me? What's this... Oh, these are riding socks! Hm, not bad, for a human. I was just thinking of purchasing a new pair, myself. Perfect timing, too, I'll wear them to equestrian club practice after this. You have my thanks.

Requested by Anonymous.

[padmerry]

Ford’s love for & view of Stan pre-memory erasing: a lengthy analysis

A big misunderstanding going on in this fandom is the idea that Stan was the one yearning for Ford while Ford was too busy hating Stan (at worst) or at least thinking he hated Stan (at best), too focused on his research and academic accomplishments to pay his repressed/heavily denied love for Stan any mind, up until Stan’s sacrifice in Weirdmaggedon. Ambitious, self-centered Ford, who would be shocked at the preposterous idea that he still loved Stan deep down if, say, his post-Weirdmaggedon future self revealed it to him. “I thought I hated you, but I was wrong,” old Ford says to Stan, remorseful... and painfully out-of-character!

Another very popular idea is that Ford genuinely values the greater good over Stan, to the point he wouldn’t have rescued Stan if their positions were reversed. This idea is so rooted in people’s minds that when Ford’s most dedicated fans attempt to defend him, they argue that he was right to be angry about being rescued from the portal because Stan was acting irresponsibly (as if Ford wouldn’t have done the same thing). This is not about anyone in particular—it’s a tendency I’ve seen repeated again and again and again, in different ages of this fandom.

The gap between Stan needing Ford vs Ford needing Stan is so big in some people’s minds that they seem to think that poor, guilty Ford ending up with Stan all alone on a boat wasn’t the best ending for him. That was just Alex trying to make a point about “family above all” in a show about family, teaching Ford a lesson, and rewarding Stan’s unhealthy codependency...

It’s just incredible how Ford’s own love and yearning towards Stan is shoved under the rug by the fans!

I understand why, of course. Ford is arguably the most complex character in Gravity Falls. His love for Stan is shown more subtly than Stan’s love for him. You have to actually pay close attention, and often enough people aren’t invested enough in the Stan twins’ relationship to do so. Sometimes because they’re more invested in the relationship of Stan and/or Ford with other characters, and this is not throwing shade, either—on my part, I can admit I am so invested in them that I don’t care as much for other characters, and that’s natural.

My most controversial takes here are: 1) Ford has always known he loved Stan. Yes, even at his most bitter. He just didn’t think Stan was worthy of that love. 2) Ford valued his family, including Stan, over any noble ideal of greater good. 3) Ford missed Stan and yearned for his company just as much as Stan missed Ford and yearned for his company. I have dedicated this particular meta to pointing out not all moments (that would make it longer than Tolstoy’s War and Peace, just by the amount of times Ford mentions Stan in his journal) but the most telling ones re: Ford’s repressed but obvious love for Stan and their implications. I’ll break it into a few different subjects that I believe drive my point across.

Ford’s sentimentality over Stan:

A good place to start as any. Stan is in literally everything Ford does, sometimes in ways so subtle that people miss it, and in ways that Ford himself would love to deny, even if it meant lying to himself. Ford is very, very sentimental, and that is reflected in his relationship with Stan through the decades, with all the different paths he takes to cling to his past and the idea of his brother.

Let’s explore some examples, shall we? We don’t need to go far.

First of all, the Mystery Shack cottage, commissioned by Ford and built by Dan Corduroy according to Journal 3, is clearly based off a childhood toy he shared with Stan.

It doesn’t stop there, of course. Ford loves his boat motif decorations. (At least the boat on top of the shelf is very likely Ford’s choice of décor, and not Stan’s, given that it’s placed beside Ford’s shrunken heads referenced in Journal 3; we know that the boat painting belongs to one of the Stan twins and not Dipper, since it was already there in Tourist Trapped as Dipper arrives. I think it’s fair to assume, given the boat on top of the shelf, that it was also Ford’s.)

And would you look at that, his favorite place in his beloved Gravity Falls, a town full of wondrous places full of fantastical anomalies and literally a weirdness magnet, is, for some reason, a lake. A very weird lake? A very cool lake? No, a lake that reminded him of his childhood, aka Stan (as seen by the drawing of a boat and the codified message). “There is no other place in Gravity Falls I would rather be than the lake.”

But that isn’t enough for Ford. He must keep, still, pictures and videos of Stan. I won’t even focus, here, on the picture of the Pines family that Ford stares at in the beginning of his college days, despite Stan and Ford being at the very center of it and it being a visual parallel to Stan’s own picture of him and his brother. That one included Filbrick and Caryn, and the speaker had just mentioned making one’s family proud. But what about the rest?

People usually focus on the overall adorableness of, say, Ford leaning his head on Stan’s shoulders or Ford’s apologies (again, in Journal 3) to notice the implications of what Dipper says: “Ford even found an old film reel of them as kids, which he amazingly saved all these years.” Even Dipper himself is amazed. I’ve seen people assuming that Ford had these and forgot about them, or that Caryn was the one to send him these and he simply agreed to avoid a fight (there is a tendency in this fandom to think of her as a very loving and/or affectionate mother, but we have no evidence to think so). Years later, TBoB was like, “nuh-uh, that was all Ford Pines!” In TBoB, Ford not only does remember some of these itens, but he makes a conscious effort to hide them from Fiddleford, worried that his friend was getting “too close” (to what? to the inner depths of his heart and mind, where Stanley was?) “I’ve quickly re-hidden here, away from prying eyes.”

And a picture of teenage Stan (as seen below), too! You would think he would just attach himself to the idealized version of baby Stan in his head to feed his nostalgia and completely ignore teenage Stan, the traitor, the one who destroyed his science project. But no, Ford wouldn’t be Ford if he acted consistently about Stan. The funniest thing to me about the ripped yearbook page is that it implies Ford made the conscious decision to include Stan as he ripped the page off, when he could have just focused on his own picture. And then we also have his drawing of Stan, a perfectly accurate portrayal of Stan’s face as he got kicked out, implying that not only he paid an enormous amount of attention to his brother and how he looked like back then (after he closed the curtains), but that particular image was living rent free in his brain. Very vividly. With details.

Now, folks, do we have any doubt whatsoever of the power Stan had in Ford’s psyche? Seeing that this is how the bedrock of Ford’s mind looked like? The boat, the swing set? I’ve seen it suggested before that these items represent Ford’s greatest regrets—I don’t know if I fully agree with that take, seeing as the swing set is fully intact, unlike in Stan’s mind, but one thing is true: they represent what Ford deep down thinks is most important, and two of three are directly related to Stan. Even the portal, from a certain angle, is connected to Stan.

Now, another thing that I believe to be related to that, is the claim that Ford didn’t spare Stan a single tought in the many decades they went separated. But here is Ford, casually confessing that he spent the last thirty years thinking of Stan:

But back to pictures. According to Alex in the commentary of Weirdmaggedon 3: Take Back the Falls, that picture of Stan has always been in Ford’s coat pocket, through all the decades, even before Bill’s betrayal. That’s why it’s so damaged. He was dimension hopping with it. I don’t think I even need to make any comment here, hahah.

I almost imagine if McGucket found that photo in his, you know, coat while they’re working on the portal or something... [imitating Fiddleford’s creaky voice] “What’s this? What’s this here?” And Ford says, [imitating Ford’s deep, very serious voice] “OH, yes. That’s a very important moment, that’s when I, um, first decided I wanted to be an adventurer.” [...] There would be NO reference to... the real reason he’s keeping it [...]. “Oh yes, this is about, uh, science, as a horizon, as a frontier to reach towards. You know, like a boat, like a ship, like science. It’s about SCIENCE!”

Ford’s protectiveness:

Stan Pines is very much ones of Ford’s weaknesses. Ford knows this and accepts this with shocking ease. How so? Well, first of all, the nightmare he had. As he tells us about it in Journal 3, even though he attempts to make light of the situation, his hand is clearly trembling as he writes, making drops of ink splatter on the page. The climax of his nightmare, the peak, the scariest moment was when Ford realized he was not the one at risk; rather, Stan was. “I realized my hand wasn’t chasing after me at all—it was chasing after my brother, and it was going to squeeze him to death!”And then, may it be noticed, there was no hesitation whatsoever on Ford’s part about whether to save Stan or not, nor does he try to hide his protective reaction. It was immediate and instinctive. “I tried to run to help him, but my feet were frozen.” It’s very telling that the Dream Hipster, the nightmare inducing ghost, thought that Stanley Pines would be the most effective thing to make Ford shake in his boots. Not even, say, failing and being ridiculed by other scientists, considering how ambitious he was.

And you know who else has noticed this weakness? Bill Cipher, of course. After psychologically, emotionally, and physically abusing Ford in horrific manners (including but not limited to: forcing him to eat spiders, driving a nail into his hand, and making him wake up on the snowy roof of the Mystery Shack as a symbolic threat of forced suicide), Bill involves Stan, as the grand finale. “But then he crossed a line.” Why was Ford’s brother that line, after everything Ford himself went through? “No. He wouldn’t.” Ford couldn’t even believe Bill’s audacity in involving Stan, even though he very much already knew Bill was as evil as evil could get. Because Bill knew, having free access to Ford’s mind, how terribly important Stan was: the person Ford loved the most in the world, more than himself.

You could still argue, then, that Ford wasn’t very protective of homeless Stan. After all, how could he have allowed his brother to be homeless in the first place?

Simple: he didn’t know. There’s a lot of things about mullet!Stan that Ford didn’t know! From canon, namely TBoB and Journal 3, we can deduce that Ford didn’t think of him as homeless, thought he was doing well for himself, living a well traveled charlatan/adventurer’s life, perhaps even a friend/member of the mob:

As Stan was kicked out, he told Ford (and the rest of the family), “Fine! I can make it on my own! I don’t need you! I don’t need anyone! I’ll make millions and you’ll rue the day you turned your back on me!” The way I see it, Ford took that at face value. Stan didn’t seek Ford out in those ten years, either, presumably out of a mix of pride, shame and self-hatred, so Ford could only assume Stan truly didn’t need him. Despite the many, many crossed out mentions of Stan in Journal 3, I think Ford at least tried to not let his mind linger on thoughts about Stan too much, because that hurt.

In his most recent interview, by HanaHyperfixates and ThatGFFan in 2023/2024, Alex talked about Ford’s issues:

He’s aloof, and distant, and he’s too perfect. And it’s like, “oh! I think he’s also aloof and distant from himself.”

I think he is, uh, deeply deeply hiding from his real feelings about things, because at some point early on, he decided that he could run from hurt by achievement and by creation, and has dug that hole so deep that he has no relationships.

If he sees achievement and creation as distractions from his real feelings, no wonder Stan didn’t get a call (or a postcard) from him earlier.

We also have Ford’s condescending, but protective, attitude towards Stan in TBoB as he considers asking for his help. Condescending protectiveness, if you will:

Notice how Ford briefly looks at Stan when Stan rants about his life:

A very ☹️ face. He’s probably surprised and concerned about what he’s hearing.

And then Stan, unfortunately but understandably, starts insulting/accusing him of selfishness:

You can notice the ☹️ face slowly becoming 😠 as Stan started attacking.

Again, when Ford accidentally hurts Stan by branding him:

That’s not even ☹️ anymore, it’s almost 😩! Things would probably have deescalated and perhaps even been fixed if Stan, unfortunately but understandably, hadn’t punched Ford in the face as retaliation.

“Oh, but what about old Ford kicking Stan out after everything, then?”

I think a lot of people who talk about this moment operate under the assumption that Stan was, well, completely and thoroughly screwed if Ford followed with his original man. An old man, no place to go, no money...

But Stan did have money. A lot.

No, really, he had, per his own words, in the extra commentary of Land Before Swine:

I do have a son, Benjamin Abe Hamilton Washington. This pile of money I’ve collected over the years! That’s my true family. Y’know, I can sorta glue it together into the shape of a child, maybe… Eh, I dunno. I do my best, right? And I do have—I do actually—not to brag, but I have an obscene amount of money. Uh, y’know, all the years of collecting and etcetera—and also grifting!

I’m not defending Ford’s actions here. Ford is my favorite character, but I’m not a Ford defender, hahah. You could still argue that what he did was an ungrateful, jerky move, and I would agree. I’m just against painting it as a “Ford doesn’t care at all about Stan’s safety” moment. Especially because, when Ford told Stan he wanted his house back, sufficient time had already passed. Enough for Ford to change his clothes, visibly, and enough for them to have had a talk, in which Stan could have revealed this little fact about himself.

Another thing I’d like to address is that Ford doesn’t hesitate at all to save Stan when he gets into trouble and acts natural about it, which is way more that we can say for Stan (as seen by how Stan reacts when Ford is kidnapped by Probabilitor the Annoying and when Ford is turned into a golden statue by Bill):

Again, not saying that Stan wasn’t justified in not wanting to help/save Ford after Ford’s blatant ungratefulness (I’m also sure he didn’t know Bill was actually torturing Ford). Not the point.

Now, back to Bill.

What I always loved about his little victory moment in Weirdmaggedon 3: Take Back the Falls is that upon surprising his enemies with his appearance, he proceeds to turn everyone into tapestry, including even Fiddleford (whom we know Ford cares a lot about!) but forces himself to spare Stan and the kids and place them inside the cages, even though they didn’t know the equation and would have zero usefulness to him. That could only be because he thought he could use them against Ford, so Stan was obviously included (instead of turned into tapestry or outright killed) for that very purpose. From a Doylist perspective, of course they couldn’t have excluded Stan, since he was one of the main characters; for the sake of character analysis, though, this is the best explanation in-universe.

That is why, when Stan-as-Ford tells Bill, “My only condition is that you let my brother and the kids go!” Bill easily believes him. Because he thought that it would be in-character for Ford. And Bill wouldn’t be wrong, not at all. He wouldn’t, because Ford himself was the one to tell Stan, just a moment earlier: “We need to take his deal. It’s the only way he’ll agree to save you and the kids.” It’s blaffling to me how many fans seem to forget Ford’s own words, and the fact Ford was very, very much willing to damn the whole universe (with seven billion people living on Earth at the time) to save three (3) people, including Stan. That Stan himself was the one to oppose and stop him. I think that happens because people buy Ford’s facade of Cold Responsible Greater Good Guy, which couldn’t be more deceiving. At this point I’m begging you guys to look deeper!

One common misconception about Ford’s character—not only Ford, but many, many fictional characters I have had the pleasure of considering blorbos—is that people take his facade at face value and judge him based off that. You’re falling for his bullshit. You’re looking at Ford and seeing exactly the man he wants you to see, instead of the man he is.

Ford demonstrated being hypocritical many, many times through the show, the comics, his journal, and even TBoB. I would go so far as to say it’s a Known Personality Trait of his. He chews Stan’s ass for being selfish, reckless, a criminal. Then proceeds to be: selfish and completely unaware of it, ten times more reckless, and a much more dangerous kind of criminal. He reproaches Stan for risking the world for only one person, but would have done the same thing.

Now, the last point of this particular subject: Ford and the erasing of Stan’s memories, which is sometimes interpreted as Ford prioritizing the greater good, or the kids’ safety, over Stan.

Dear reader, Ford erased Stan’s memories because he had literally no other choice. This is what Ford said to him: “He’ll be able to take over the galaxy and maybe even worse, but at least he might let the kids free.” Emphasis on the might, here. Might! Perhaps! Maybe! Perchance! Ford, in this line, was referring to Bill’s immediate threat to the kids’ lives—Bill had, after all, ran after Dipper and Mabel with a terrifying threat of disassembling their molecules as their grunkles were forced to watch inside their cage, powerless to stop him. After reflecting about their whole situation, he included Stan’s safety in the deal, too, now more certain than ever about his decision to sacrifice not only himself but, in his own words, “the galaxy” (and later, “the universe,” as he was pretending to be Stan) to, again, perhaps (!!!) save his family. Ford had literally no guarantee Bill would follow through with his words. Given Bill’s track record, it was way, way more likely that he wouldn’t. Bill is a liar and a manipulator through and through, one who takes great enjoyment in people’s suffering. Ford’s suffering, specifically, above all, since TBoB painted Bill as this toxic and possessive ex obsessed with his pet scientist. What were the chances?

Even if Bill, through some miracle, did end up keeping his word, we saw Bill’s plans for Earth in his daydream fantasies: taking a bite off the planet, drawing a smiley face on its surface as millions died... What a guy, that Bill! If the Earth was wrecked beyond repair, where would Stan and the kids live? How would they survive among all the chaos and destruction of the literal apocalypse? With nightmarish creatures lurking in every corner? With what food, what water, what shelter? Answer: they likely wouldn’t. The probability of human survival would be abysmally low.

Ford, tragically, had no other choice but to sacrifice Stan’s memories. It was that or risking the possibility of having to watch his family, including Stan, die horribly painful deaths at Bill’s sadistic hands or to condemn his family, including Stan, to a slower but still certain death after the entire human race perished.

Ford being aware of his love for Stan:

I have faith that most people already knew, to some extent, that Ford never stopped loving Stan, even at his angriest. A much lower percentage of these people, I believe, know that Ford himself was very much aware of that, and not in denial at all. He never even thought he hated Stan.

First, I choose to point out how young adult Ford, still in college, with his bitterness and resentment still very fresh, admits to missing Stan. He wrote, “MISS YOU” in their Bro Code, the code he memorized and never forgot. He not only thought about Stan, which would be understandable, since all of us have intrusive thoughts, but he took the time to write it down, and in code, which would be even more difficult than just writing it in English. That requires at least some level of acceptance. You may not be able to filter your thoughts, but you are able to filter your writing.

Ford does attempt to filter his writing, I know, by crossing out a lot of lines in Journal 3, most of them about Stan. But he does not cross out all of it. He freely admits to having a nightmare about Stan, to wanting to protect Stan from the giant six-fingered hand, to having the lake as his favorite place, to missing Stan. I think that Ford, if asked about his love for Stan back then, would also freely admit to it, as well. Stan is his twin brother, so of course he loves Stan.

One thing that always caught my attention is how Ford still refers to Stan as his “family” in the Journal, even after Stan’s attempt to disown him. Stan makes it pretty clear that, from now on, his “family” is just Mabel and Dipper:

Days after this, Ford didn’t seem to have taken this to heart, as seen by what he wrote in his Journal:

It’s way more likely than not that he IS including Stan, here. He says “the rest of the Pines,” instead of just “the children” or “the kids” or “the twins,” and even singles out Dipper as someone he trusts (contrasted with Stan and Mabel, whom he doesn’t).

I wonder if that’s just Ford being stubborn or if he really thinks his relationship with Stan is in a somewhat better place than it actually is.

I mean, for instance, this is their swingset (symbol of their relationship) in Stan’s mind:

And here it is Ford’s mind:

Still ominous, but very noticeably intact.

It’s ironic—I think that Ford was aware of his own love for Stan, but not aware of how damaged their relationship was from Stan’s POV.

Ford and stubborness:

I’ve also seen people saying that, if Stan hadn’t sacrificed himself, Ford would have continued, quote unquote, “hating” him. Or that his happy ending with Stan was a byproduct of his guilt over the same sacrifice, and not out of a genuine desire to reconnect with Stan. According to Alex’s commentary on this scene in Weirdmaggedon 3: Take Back the Falls, that isn’t true, either:

This whole sort of conclusion here is—what we needed to happen in this scene was—we needed pressure to be at the point where Stan and Ford recognize their lifelong rivalry and Ford does a sincere apology to Stan. And almost more importantly, he acknowledges Stan’s intelligence. Like, he says, “you wouldn’t have fallen for Bill’s nonsense,” like, he recognizes his brother has a kind of intelligence that he doesn’t. [...] And even though it’s Stan who agrees to—“I’ll be the one! Erase my mind! It’s fine. It’s worth it.”—like, it’s a sacrifice for both, like, Ford at this point is willing to get his brother back and has to lose him again. Like, both of them were... just doing what they have to do here.

This means that Ford was already wanting to reconnect with Stan before Stan offered to sacrifice his own memories. His comment about how Stan wouldn’t have fallen for Bill’s flattery wasn’t just self-reproach or some comfort to Stan, but a conscious attempt to soften things between them.

Which also means Stan’s offer to sacrifice himself wasn’t actually necessary for Ford to forgive him (or switch the blame entirely, more like, and start blaming himself instead) but just came at the worst possible moment. It was too late for them, now.

Reconciling Ford’s love for Stan with his treatment of Stan:

Now, we arrive at the last problem, which is something I’ve seen a lot of people struggling with. How to even reconcile Ford’s love for Stan, something we see hints of again and again, with his treatment of Stan?

First, this infamous line in Journal 3, which is arguably the most vicious (towards Stan) Ford ever was in canon:

That’s probably also related to Ford’s control freak tendencies. If Ford admits to himself he is not in control, that he needs help from other people, that he is really that desperate... Well, he can’t admit that, so he rationalizes his way out of that conclusion by convincing himself he would be the one doing Stan a favor (offering him the chance to prove himself to Ford), and not the other way around. He doesn’t need Stan, he doesn’t need anyone; Stan is the one who needs him and his forgiveness. (This is the moment I get the urge to reference a manga protagonist with a very similar control freak mindset, Light Yagami from Death Note. Why am I always attracted to characters with deep cogntive dissonance issues who desperately shape their own narrative to convince themselves of their full control over it? Like a moth to a flame.)

Don’t get me wrong, I do believe Ford looked down on Stan—on people in general. There’s plenty of evidence for that in both Journal 3 and Word of God, if you count Word of God as evidence. Ford himself admits to that after Weirdmaggedon. And let’s not forget what is probably the biggest elephant in the room, the 2016 TVInsider interview (if you’re nerdy enough to read such a long meta, you’re likely nerdy enough to have seen this quote already):

In terms of Stan and his brother’s conflict, we always wanted a moment where Ford saw that he was wrong. Ford’s spent an entire life imagining himself as this lone solitary hero and imagining his brother as this bumbling leech. From a narrative point of view, for Ford to see Stan be the hero finally lets Ford see the true side of his brother that he’s been too blinded by pride to see.

Ah, yes. Ford looking down on Stan enough to think of him as a “bumbling leech.” To most people, this sounds way harsher than “selfish jerk,” the term Ford himself used in Journal 3.

Fittingly enough, that was in the same interview Alex said Ford would have deserved to lose Stan:

If Stan had lost his memory for good, that would [have] provided some interesting narrative places for him and his brother to go, but ultimately the show is about the kids. Stan and his brother are meant to be a parable [that show] what can go wrong in a family relationship, [but also] show that, with hard work and sacrifice, the riff can be repaired. If Stan’s memory had been fully erased, it wouldn’t punish him so much because he’d be gone, but it would punish Ford, Dipper and Mabel most. Even though Ford might deserve that punishment, Dipper and Mabel do not.

The interesting thing here, though, is exactly that: losing Stan would be a punishment to Ford. Why? Because it would hurt. Why? Because Ford loved him. Enough, it seems, that he would suffer more with it than Stan himself would.

I think what confuses people so much is that they conflate love with like with admiration with trust with respect. They think of it as the same thing—a confusing, amorphous mass of positive feelings towards someone.

The way I see it, though, Dipper was someone Ford loved (considering love a deeply rooted, complex emotion), liked (felt general fondness/amiability towards), and trusted (to be capable of handling all the mystery stuff). Mabel was someone he loved (she was family), liked (she was weird and creative and pure-hearted!), but didn’t trust (due to his constant projecting; before anyone attempts do deny this, I’ll remind you that Ford himself admits in Journal 3 that Dipper was the only family member whom he had come to trust). Stan was someone he didn’t like nor trust, not anymore, certainly didn’t admire and—let’s be honest—barely respected (or didn’t respect at all, depending on your point of view), but still loved with the fierce intensity of one thousand suns.

I do believe Alex is at least mindful of the difference between love and respect, as seen by his commentary on Stan’s condescending love for Mabel in Land Before Swine:

But this idea that Waddles is sort of a metaphor for what Mabel loves. And Stan loves Mabel but he doesn’t—he doesn’t really think that anything she thinks is necessarily smart or right. You know, he loves like her, ah, she’s my sweet niece, but [Stan’s voice] “she doesn’t know anything.”

In the same interview by HanaHyperfixates referenced earlier in this post, Alex revealed his view of the Stan twins’ relationship:

Those characters at sea—it was so rich. They’re really really funny, because they both have major major blind spots. I can kinda write stories about them as a duo forever, because you can always excuse them both getting hyped on a bad idea for their own reasons, and then you can always come up with a reason for them to disagree about it, and it’s always sweet to see them come together again, because they’re so full of themselves, but they are also both so damaged they desperately need each other.

As you can see, the codependency is genuinely mutual, not something imposed on poor, guilty Ford after Weirdmaggedon. One thing I find really interesting about Ford is his black & white mindset, the fact that the only way he knows how to be with Stan is a codependent way. They’re either separated and estranged or sailing completely alone on a boat for the rest of their lives. Either rivals or best friends forever. There’s no middle ground for him.

Dipper tells us in Journal 3: “Still, it’s taken about a week of intensive scrapbook therapy to get Stan fully back to himself. [...] Ford’s been working at it the hardest.” Ford was the one putting the most effort in getting Stan back. Despite all, I believe Ford is the person who loves Stan the most. Not the one who loves Stan better—that one would be Mabel, I believe, or Soos, who are non-judgemental and understanding. But Ford is the one who loves him with the most intensity, which is fascinating because for most of the show he doesn’t even know how to love Stan, as exemplified by his treatment of him. Too fierce, too selfish, too much of everything.

[tarotlexa]

PICK A PILE READING - your shadow side vs. your best side

welcome back my tumblr friends, i am slowly getting fed up seeing the same readings done over and over again (no hate to anyone ofc) so i decided to do this fun reading which will focus on your shadow and your light side. as always, since this is a collective reading take what resonates and leave what does not.

pile 1: you are so so so ambitious even you yourself don't know when to stop, especially when it comes to mental and physical exhaustion, you were taught growing up that you had to succeed at all costs no matter what you were going through. there's a deep inner voice saying "if i stop, i'll fall behind" and i want you to know that that's not the case for you, pile 1. stop pushing yourself so damn much, stop forcing movement and start going with the flow instead. your light side is so wise, balanced and principled and it's a side that wasn't naturally given to you but it had to be "earned" through a series of heartbreaking events (which may or may not include repressed trauma and pain that you still are yet to work through), your light side sees through the illusion of your drive to push yourself to exhaustion and it's asking you to listen to yourself more, to stop and wait instead of forcing to prove yourself through effort. learn when to stop vs when to act (on your own natural accord, not through anxiety).

pile 2: strong earth/water houses energy here, you either DESPISE rules and do everything you possibly can to go against them or you love them so much that you'll do anything to enforce them (for yourself only of course). if i had to guess, i'd pick the latter since the four of pentacles reversed was also present: you hold onto outdated beliefs out of a scarcity mindset, you were taught to believe that rules are rules for a reason and that you shouldn't break them under any circumstance (and that was, of course, a lie). said rules could have something to do with applying logic when it comes to manifestation, disbelief in manifestation or more. you need to absolutely go against what you were taught to believe in, let go of those limiting beliefs that no longer serve you on your journey. your light self is all about transformation, renewal and levelling up so i am SURE that you'll do just fine in rebelling against preconceived notions that do not belong to you. let go of expectations that are not yours to uphold, your light self thrives on cutting away limitations and the old versions, you are amazing at embracing your full transformations. use your transforming powers wisely instead of creating new cages for yourself, my little phoenix rising.

pile 3: you are your own biggest critic pile 3 and that's your shadow side: insane perfectionism and self obsession with standards that you apply to yourself only. your inner judge makes you constantly think that you're not enough and that you need to try harder or else you'll be a failure (tw: ed, i feel like some of you might be currently struggling with that and just know that that little voice inside your head is NOT there to help you, it's there to critique you to the point of going mad about it, pls get help if you are currently going through something like this). you're so afraid to fail publicly that you forget about your light self and your innate ability to be LOVED by the public, you're so good at bringing people together and they absolutely adore your presence. you are so strong for others that they actually can't even imagine what goes through in your head and it's ironic because you're so scared of what others think of you when there's simply no need to. stop chasing perfection and start to connect with others, share your burdens because that's your power.

thank you for reading <3

[raleighrador]

I struggle to believe the OP here genuinely believes email is authentic human connection. The only way I can believe them to be genuine is if I assume they’ve literally never spent even 5 minutes inside any kind of professional or corporate environment.

My alternative take, increasingly, would a that people who are so vehemently against generative AI seem to fall into (or across) 3 categories of concern.

1. The environmental impact - honestly totally valid but unfortunately individual consumer decisions will have zero impact on this. There is no level of asceticism any individual is capable of that will actually make a difference and we’re still blowing past 1.5 degrees

I have seen very little of this on tumblr, probably a reflection of the spaces I’m in.

2. It’s going to devastate the labour market - honestly no one is really talking about this enough. It doesn’t matter if AI isn’t as good at coding or the law or whatever as you are or your colleagues are. What matters is that executives at your company will decide that worse code for a fraction of the cost is a good deal.

3. Training involves stealing IP - honestly this is basically a purely legalistic concern. A lot of fair use policies didn’t exclude training because they didn’t know they needed to. It’s not at all clear that what LLMs do is not fair use, in as much as they are sufficiently transformative of the original work. Fair use policies going forward will no doubt explicitly exclude being used for training and that’s fine.

I do see this concern but it’s far less common than…

4. Using AI is lazy or cheating - honestly who cares? It seems to reveal a strange implicit belief that we as consumers or recipients of art or writing or emails are somehow entitled to the effort and struggle of the producer.

If I know the “answer” and what communicates that answer, why is spending 5 minutes writing and email creating more human connection than spending 30 seconds prompting an answer?

I spend most of my time in fandom spaces and especially when it comes to fan fic or fan art there is a very Protestant or Marxist attitude that the labour itself creates the value. That the more you struggle the more worthy your output is.

And that’s just nonsense as a consumer. As a creator, sure, I’m sure many people find it rewarding to have struggled and overcome in the creative process. But that’s their choice and about their experience.

As a consumer, I have no insight into how much effort went into creating anything, and am not entitled to any and couldn’t use if I had it.

Imagine you had 2 cooks. One is well trained and experienced and confident in the kitchen. One is very anxious about cooking and usually defaults to take out. Both of them to decide to make a meal for some anonymous person they will never meet.

Chef 1 is going to produce an objectively better meal, with far less effort than Chef 2.

That is a totally separate consideration to the fact that Chef 1 likely won’t even remember this meal, where Chef 2 will think about how much she learned and grew by putting in the effort.

There are real concerns with gen AI. How much effort they saved or didn’t for the person using them really isn’t one of them.

I think I've figured out why the fact that so many people I know use generative ai to do things like write emails for them bothers me so much is that. Like. You're not even participating in your own life. I get that emails are boring and sometimes even challenging to write but you are communicating with other humans. The words written will represent your ideas and your feelings and you as a person. If you can't be bothered to do that, if you're so far removed from human connection that you don't care if people get the real you or a computer imitating you, then you've already lost. We've all lost.

[riddlesrizzler]

𝙝𝙞𝙜𝙝 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧! 𝙨𝙡𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣 𝙗𝙤𝙮𝙨

headcanons of high power! slytherin boys.

warnings: i think there is one mention of sex, but none other than that.

⟡ ݁₊ . includes: ceo! mattheo, lawyer! theo, investment banker! draco, surgeon! enzo, and fbi agent! blaise.

⊹₊ ˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹⊹₊ ˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹

If you ever thought that fate or religion was something that controlled the world, you would be mistaken. Instead of some divine fate ruling over the decisions of the people, it belonged to five men, the high power! slytherin boys.

𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘮𝘦𝘵

⟡ ݁₊ .I believe that Draco and Blaise knew each other before the rest of the boys, but they all crossed paths during their elite university years- and institution known for breeding the rich, the brilliant, and the dangerously ambitious.

⟡ ݁₊ .Their friendship wasn't instant, because let's face it, they all have some sort of trust issues. It was built on sharp intellect, whispered secrets,and an unspoken understanding that they were different than the rest.

⟡ ݁₊ .I don't think Mattheo and Draco got a long at first. Probably because they were way too similar for their own good. But somewhere along the way, their dynamic settled.

⟡ ݁₊ .They were young, drunk on power and money, handsome men that all had the brilliant idea of living together.

⟡ ݁₊ . Draco would take care of the finances, making sure everything was paid on time (and took a little extra from each of them to funnel into an investment portfolio because he knew they were going to be successful).

⟡ ݁₊ .Mattheo threw the parties. Somehow, even with his cutthroat business-minded nature, Mattheo knew how to turn the place into a spot for the best exclusive parties. If there was alcohol, loud music and questionable decisions being made at 2 AM, it was his doing for sure.

⟡ ݁₊ .Theo hated messes. It was an unspoken rule that if you left your dishes in the sink for more than a day, he would throw them off their top story balcony. So I guess the rule was unspoken, but the message was very clear.

⟡ ݁₊ .You could never find Blaise, no one ever knew where he was half the time. He'd disappear for days, then show up nonchalantly like he had been there the whole time. Once Enzo tried to ask but Blaise shot him a look that sais, "You don't want to know."

⟡ ݁₊ .Enzo loved to cook for everyone (when he felt like it). He would make restaurant- level meals but only when he was in the mood. Otherwise, it was every man for himself.

𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘥𝘺𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘤

⟡ ݁₊ .The Leader- Mattheo Riddle- not because he demands it, but everyone knows his dangerous reputation. When he speaks, they listen. When he decides, it's final.

⟡ ݁₊ .The Shadow- Blaise Zabini- the one who never says more than necessary but knows everything about everyone. He's the one they turn to for discretion, for quiet eliminations of problems before they become problems.

⟡ ݁₊ .The Strategist- Theo Nott- he sees the angles no one else does, plays the long game, and it the most morally ambiguous of them all. They never ask how he gets his information, only that it's always right.

⟡ ݁₊ .The Face- Draco Malfoy- the charmer, the one who can walk into any room and own it. He is the golden boy of the gorup, though with his sharp tongue and ruthless streak to prove he's just as cutthroat as the rest.

⟡ ݁₊ .The Wildcard- Enzo Berkshire- the brilliant surgeon with hands steady enough to save lives but a smirk that he'd rather be causing chaos. He keeps them entertains, diffuses tension with wit, but he's no less dangerous than the rest.

𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴

⟡ ݁₊ .Monday- 10:43 AM

Draco: Who used my name to buy three cases of expensive scotch and have it delivered to Blaise’s apartment?

Mattheo: That is a wild accusation, Malfoy.

Theo: Oh, so you’re not denying it?

Mattheo: I didn’t say that.

Blaise: I’ll take them.

Draco: NO. You all have your own money. BUY YOUR OWN.

Mattheo: But it tastes better when it’s technically stolen.

⟡ ݁₊ .Friday- 1:15 AM

Enzo: Why are there 57 missed calls in this chat.

Theo: Because your best friend decided it was a good idea to start a fight with a literal senator tonight.

Enzo: …which one of them.

Blaise: Mattheo.

Draco: Obviously.

Enzo: …Why?

Mattheo: In my defense, he started it.

Draco: By existing?

Mattheo: No, by saying my company was “soulless.” So I asked if his mistress thought he had a soul.

Theo: And that’s when security was called.

Blaise: I left before it got interesting.

Enzo: I hate this group.

⟡ ݁₊ .Sunday- 1:50 PM

Theo: If any of you come to my apartment unannounced again, I will press charges.

Mattheo: So dramatic.

Draco: This is about last night, isn’t it.

Theo: YES. I woke up to find Blaise sitting in my kitchen drinking my very expensive coffee and Mattheo asleep on my couch LIKE HE LIVES HERE.

Mattheo: I did live there. Once. Long ago.

Theo: Get out.

⟡ ݁₊ .Wednesday- 4:05 AM

Draco: Who the f— just tried to transfer 10k from our old college account?

Mattheo: …I can explain.

Theo: No, you really can’t.

Enzo: Why do we still have that account?

Blaise: I assumed Draco was hoarding it for an emergency.

Draco: I AM. So why is Mattheo spending it??

Mattheo: To fund a very important endeavor.

Draco: …which is?

Mattheo: Buying a ridiculous gift for my girlfriend.

Theo: I knew it.

Blaise: She’s got him whipped.

Mattheo: I REFUSE to be slandered like this.

Enzo: You tried to commit financial fraud for a woman who dresses like a fairytale character.

Mattheo: And I’d do it again

𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱𝘴

⟡ ݁₊ .Ceo! mattheo x teacher- grumpy x sunshine

⟡ ݁₊ .No one will ever change my mind that ceo! mattheo and teacher! reader belong together.

⟡ ݁₊ .He is dark, sophisticated, and organized. While they are covered in glitter most of the time, holding a million papers that needed to be graded, all while sporting a very hungry caterpillar hat.

⟡ ݁₊ .They show him that the world isn’t all business deals and cutthroat conversations, that every once and a while he can be soft.

⟡ ݁₊ .Lawyer! theo x journalist- enemies to lovers

⟡ ݁₊ .He can twist words to make the most awful people in the world seem innocent, while journalist! reader wants the truth.

⟡ ݁₊ .They are fire and ice, always butting heads with each other. Arguments are their source of communication, but somewhere along the way, they see that they aren't so different from each other after all.

⟡ ݁₊ .Investment Banker! draco x politician- friends with benefits.

⟡ ݁₊ .Draco needs someone to keep up with him and his arrogant behavior, so when he meets politician! reader who commands the room like they own it, he knew he had found his match.

⟡ ݁₊ .It started off with a bet, who could get more connections at the end of a networking event, but then it leads to them in the bathroom ripping off each others clothes.

⟡ ݁₊ .Of course, it started as convenience. Something to help them both relieve tension, but then they start to find out that they aren't as heartless as they thought they were.

⟡ ݁₊ .Surgeon! enzo x bookshop owner- golden retriever x black cat.

⟡ ݁₊ .When teacher! reader brings around their good friend, bookshop owner! reader, who supplies the book to their classroom, enzo is completely in love.

⟡ ݁₊ .They are the total opposites of each other. enzo is loud, cocky, charming and bookshop owner! reader is... not.

⟡ ݁₊ .This however this does not stop enzo from coming into their store afterwork every day in order to pester them until he eventually convinces them to go out on a date.

⟡ ݁₊ .Fbi agent! blaise x art historian- slow burn.

⟡ ݁₊ .First time blaise meets art historian! reader is when he is at a gala at an art museum for a mission. But he finds himself staring at a piece, only to turn his head to see them also staring at the same piece.

⟡ ݁₊ .Art historian! reader loves mysteries. Things of the past that have been long forgotten and yet unsolvable, blaise? loves solving things.

⟡ ݁₊ .I think it would take a long time for them to admit their feelings to each other. They are both guarded in their own, quiet and reserved way, that I think it would take a while for them to fully trust each other.

𝘖𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭

⟡ ݁₊ .No one remembers exactly how it started, but their friensip was inevitable.

⟡ ݁₊ .What started as tension, rivalries, and underestimation turned into something unbreakable. They found in each other the only people that could keep up.

⟡ ݁₊ .Now? They run their industries. together. Because power is nothing without the people who will burn down the world for you.

[kettleinusefornow]

Rough ride.. MDNI

Sae Itoshi X Reader fic

Contains breakup and miscommunication

Revenge sex

Iceskater!reader

eventual happy ending </3

teenage love

ALOT of angst

CHP2

CHAPTER 1: Pleasant Surprise

YEAR 2008

You guys meet for the first time at the Itoshi residence. 

“You guys are Rin and Sae Itoshi!” Y/N was always an extreme extrovert unlike the brothers.

“Hey..” Sae greeted as Rin shyly hid behind him looking at Y/N with starry eyes. It’s obvious that Sae was slightly cautious since this was the point where he started getting recognised for his football skills.. So a lot of people only approached him with ulterior motives.

“Sooo wanna go play Mario kart..?“ Y/N pointed at the couch in front of the TV.

They somehow, despite their obvious differences,  became friends.. 

YEAR 2009 

Well they were closer now. That’s for sure. Y/N was part of their daily life, since they were in the same school.

“Move it grinch hair!!” 

“Get the hell away dufus!” 

Y/N and Rin were basically siblings. Sae was still.. Distant? No, more like he was just socially awkward. 

Y/N and Rin played with their dinosaurs while Sae was behind them eating a popsicle on the bench. 

“Oni-Chan! This monkey keeps trying to kill my Dino!” 

“Am not!”

Sae sighed. “Y/N you are the older one you should be nicer.. I think..”

YEAR 2012

 Sae started middle school so he was always away in school or on the field. This was the time when Rin and Sae started sharing a dream to become No.1 and 2 strikers. Y/N always thought it was a little presumptuous but she never discouraged them from their dream. 

Rin and Y/N  were walking to Sae’s game that was happening at the field. 

“So you know that my brother has a crush on you right?” Y/N almost spit out the lollipop that she had in her mouth.

“Okay how did you come up with that conclusion, broccoli boy..” 

“Well.. he always dresses up nice and tries extra hard on the field when he sees you.. Isn’t that enough?”

Well.. He isn’t wrong.. Y/N was young but not dumb. 

“Yeah but maybe you are overthinking it Rin, Sae is basically a blockhead no way he would have thought about me while playing football..”

“I guess..” 

Y/N was almost taken aback by how easily Rin agreed with her.

The game ended and Sae was walking home with them. Tailing behind the two of them. Sae had his eyes on her head as he turned and lazily glanced around. All of sudden, Rin asked a question that set Sae out of his daze.

“So when is Nee-San gonna date Oni-Chan?” He asked so casually that Y/N didn’t even process it completely before exploding with pink and red dusted on her cheeks. Rin turned his head back and looked at Sae for an answer. Y/N also looked at him with a flustered expression. Sae had a blank expression but finally answered after a few seconds. 

“Probably when we are older.” Y/N was now completely red. She was shocked and started running home. Neither of the brothers chased her.  

“Woah Oni-Chan, seems like you actually have a chance..”

YEAR 2013

The year that 13 year old Sae was gonna go to Spain for his football career.

Rin was at home with a headache. Y/N and Sae went to the park for some fresh air and to buy some snacks for Rin. 

“Y/N..” She turned to look at Sae who was beside her. Both of them were on the swing as she waited for him to continue his sentence.

“Promise me you won’t get mad?” Y/N got a little scared about what he was gonna say. 

Y/N and Sae started dating when she started junior high. He confessed to her in a traditional yet cheesy way by giving her a letter and going on a vacation with his family the next day. She always had a thing for him.. It’s Sae. It was your normal middle school sweetheart romance and they thought they would last forever. 

“Arggh why do you sound ominous!? Just spit it out..” Y/N said swinging on the same nostalgic swing he confessed to her on.

“I’m going to Spain for a few years.” There. He said it. A few seconds of silence followed before Y/N spoke out.

“You idiot! You scared me! You’ll come back after a few years anyways it’s not a big deal! Just don’t cheat on me and don’t ignore my letters..” Y/N said with a loud voice that got quieter the more she spoke.

Sae suddenly started laughing. Y/N was dumbfounded.. Was him going to Spain for a few years making him insane? “W-what’s so funny?!” 

“Nothing. You have to promise me you will still love me when I come back.” Sae said, with a big grin on his face and staring at her with a soft blush across his face. Y/N groaned and nodded as if it was the obvious.

The day finally arrived. The day of Sae’s departure. Y/N promised not to cry but shiny droplets fell down her face. Rin stood by her side as the both of them waved goodbye to Sae who was smiling at them warmly the whole time. 

YEARS BETWEEN 2013 AND 2018

Y/N sent him letters and of course he replied to them. Not much but he replied at least once every 5 letters. Soon you got your first smartphone. You guys texted often, not much but from time to time due to the difference of time zones. Sometimes your messages would be left on delivered for a whole week. His replies got dryer, being left on seen more.. Both Y/N and Rin brushed it off as him being busy. They had no other reason to think he was being rude or trying to distance himself. Realistically speaking it wasn’t a big deal.. Yet. 

After 4 years the messages which were being sent turned into once every 2 or 3 months. Y/N was getting busy with her school and friends. Rin still trained every single day for the pair's shared goal. Suddenly one cold evening, Y/N sent a message.. It turned.. Green?

“What the?? What’s going on?” Y/N texted Rin telling him what happened. He said he hasn’t texted him in awhile so he doesn’t know. 

“Okay let’s calm down.. Maybe it was a misclick? I don’t know.. ugh.. whatever. I’ll see him soon enough I’ll just.. tolerate it until then?” Y/N knew she shouldn’t think too much about it after seeing Rin’s reply.

YEAR 2018

Y/N heard the news he arrived.. But how did she hear it? Rin knocked on her house door. Eyes rimmed in red and hopelessness. He asked if he could stay there for the night. Y/N forced Rin to tell her what the hell had happened earlier that night..

She was.. shocked? No.. Disappointed? Not that. Maybe taken aback? She silently left the guest bedroom where Rin was in and went to the living room. Would he be there if she went knocking right now? Y/N got up and told her parents she was gonna go next door to greet them. The two families knew about Y/N and Sae’s relationship and thought it was just a cute reunion about to unfold. Sae’s parents weren’t home since they went to a small get together and would be back after midnight probably. 

Y/N nervously knocked on the door.. 

“Yes?-“ piercing mint teal eyes shot through her as it stared at her with no emotion.. She couldn’t think at all for a second. Sae was different. Yes much more handsome as he is 18 now but.. different emotionally too. The half lidded her eyes widened a little as it looked at her, in the dark with snow falling around her. Why did he look so.. pale and almost like a child abandoned..?

“Sae?” This small word was followed by silence. The only sounds that surrounded them were the leaves rustling and wind howling. Y/N swore it felt like time had just stopped. Sae looked at her with exasperated and drained eyes. 

The silence finally broke when Sae said something. “What do you want?” 

Oh.

Oh. 

©kettleinuse4now | please do not translate, repost, refer without permission | don’t steal and say it’s your own (ahole behavior)

[anstarwar]

Can you tell me how you post your art on Ao3? I keep trying and failing. Maybe it's my image hosting site?

Hey! Sure I'll attempt to explain. It's possible it's your hosting site, but hard to say. I use a site called Maltshop, or more accurately MLTSHP. It's been working great for me since I started using it but the downside is that it is a paid hosting service at $3 per year. I know not everyone can do that though, but if you're able to throw them $3 per year it could be worth it. At that tier they allow for up to 300MBs per month uploads. They have a $24 per year tier that is unlimited file size uploads. Another benefit - and this may not apply to you, but maybe someone who's reading this - is that they allow for Adult/Mature/NSFW whatever you want to call it image hosting.

Here's my process - and keep in mind this is just for adding an image. If I'm adding an image to a fic then I start a new post on Ao3, paste the fic in first, then add the image in the body of the fic where I want it also following this process:

I go to MLTSHP and upload my image. It thinks for a second then gives me two URLs. A "post url" and an "image url." I copy the "image url"

2. Then I go over to Ao3, click "new post," add all that necessary stuff it asks you to add like title, tags, summary, etc. then in the actual Work Text editor box I click "Rich Text." That's key as it defaults to "HTML" editor when you start your new post and while some people are awesome and good at HTML, I am not that "some people" and need my Rich Text editing box.

3. When you're in the Rich Text editor version of the Work Text box, click the little image icon

4. A dialogue box will pop up where you can paste that Image URL link from step 1 above. You can then add your Alt Text (called Image Description) and adjust the size of your image, then click save

5. Then I futz with the sizing for a bit, make sure all the necessary post info is included, add text if there's any to go along with your image - ya know like if you have a whole fic you're posting, then preview, then post the image and voila!

And that's my entire image posting on Ao3 process! I hope it helps, but if you need further help, feel free to DM me!

[tbposting]

I always saw Cloud's affected personality as a sort of messed up mixture of Zack and Sephiroth, with probably a lot more weight towards Sephiroth than Zack, initially.

Like, Cloud's behaviour on the first reactor mission? I think that's him projecting pure Sephiroth - cool, disaffected, brooding, introspective, his "I am better than what I'm doing and I'm better than everyone here" projection reads to me very much like how Cloud must have perceived Sephiroth's morose standoffishness at Nibelheim.

I don't think the Zack part of his fake personality really comes out... until he meets Aerith. I think that's the thing that makes him remember Zack less as Cool SOLDIER Big Brother and more as the cheerful, pleasant, slightly goofy person that he actually was. And I think the Zack persona is brought out in no small part because Aerith's total refusal to buy or be put off his tough guy mercenary act forces him to switch gears. Cloud is forming his identity at this point almost entirely off of what he intuitively feels like will project the right kind of SOLDIER masculinity towards whoever he's talking to. Being an edgy jackass with Barrett helps keep a protective, alienating wall up with him, but he struggles to do it with Tifa, who can consistently cut through to his heart and his actual personality screaming underneath it all.

And Aerith? She 1) plays along with his nonsense, but specifically she plays along, clearly understanding that it is nonsense, and 2) absolutely refuses to allow his nonsense to erect an actual barrier between them. Cloud absolutely cannot control her emotional engagement with him the same way he can with Barrett, or halfway can with Tifa. So he pivots to Zack's easy charm instead, and Aerith, understandably, is charmed by it.

And it's all just so achingly tragic, because literally everyone that Cloud pretends to be either Zack or Sephiroth Lite with would absolutely adore the real him if he would just let them meet him... and Aerith is going to pass away before she gets the chance to really do that.

I mean, she knows, long before Cloud does, and she makes her decision to leave the party in no small part because she knows and wants to do what she can to protect Cloud from himself. But... god, it really does hurt that Cloud never gets a chance to truly show himself to her.

Cloud actually did a very bad job emulating Zack's persona, because the defining trait of Cloud-as-Zack is "cool", and Zack wasn't actually cool but he was to Cloud. Zack views Cloud getting to live as a relief and Cloud views it as a curse. Zack thinks saving Cloud was his One Good Thing and Cloud thinks of Zack as the ideal hero and himself as the Mistake. Zack would probably been overjoyed when Cloud recovered his memories because up until his death Zack never really came to terms with The Concept Of Zack Fair, but we know he loved The Person That Is Cloud Strife.

[ducktracy]

Me and my sister watched TDTEBU in the theater based on your recommendation! She's a really good artist and I showed her your analysis of The Dover Boys and she loved it, she literally said while we were driving to the theater "well if that person thinks this is good, i gotta trust them." Was already curious about the movie but knowing you enjoyed it made me a lot more willing to give it a chance. Tl;dr: We loved the film!!! And I am growing a hyperfixation on Looney Tunes. Do you have any specific recommendations for someone wanting to expand their knowledge?

HI ANON!! OH MY GOODNESS, i can't tell you how flattered and overjoyed and just... genuinely HONORED to hear this!! this almost makes me emotional to read!! 🥲💛💛💛💛 hugest of thanks to your sister for saying something so kind, and thanks to YOU for showing her my analysis and heeding my word!! i'm SO glad you guys enjoyed it!! absolute best news i could hear!

AND YOU HAVE COME TO THE EXACT RIGHT PERSON! DO I EVER! i'm going to throw a lot of stuff at you that may seem overwhelming at first, so PLEASE don't be! it's just to give you a lot of options. there's no right or wrong way to enjoy the series, and i know it's intimidating to get into, especially since there's not really a right way TO do that. but i'm just gonna tell ya what worked for me.

first thing's first, some friends and i in an animation server made a "30....+1 Essential Looney Tunes" list, inspired by going back and forth and asking for everyone's opinion. THIS IS ENTIRELY SUBJECTIVE. there may be some shorts on here that make you go "why is that on here?" (which truthfully i feel about a few choices here too HAHA, but, if it at all helps, i enjoy every single cartoon listed.) this isn't an end-all be-all list, i'm sure people reading this are like "i'd nominate ______ instead!", but it's a starting point. these are listed chronologically, but you can watch in whichever order you like. i'm personally noting shorts that i ESPECIALLY love with a *, if that's any sort of additional help, too! bolded shorts are top of the crop shorts, included in my top 5 favorite cartoons ever made. again, entirely subjective! and each short has a link to where you can view it. so, without further ado:

30+1 ESSENTIAL LOONEY TUNES

Page Miss Glory (1936)

Porky in Wackyland (1938)*

Daffy Duck in Hollywood (1938)

You Ought to Be in Pictures (1940)*

Tortoise Beats Hare (1941)

The Dover Boys at Pimento University (1942)*

Porky Pig's Feat (1943)*

A Corny Concerto (1943)*

A Tale of Two Mice (1945)*

Nasty Quacks (1945)*

Book Revue (1946)*

Baby Bottleneck (1946)*

Kitty Kornered (1946)*

The Great Piggy Bank Robbery (1946)*

Racketeer Rabbit (1946)

Mouse Menace (1946)

The Foghorn Leghorn (1946)

The Stupor Salesman (1948)*

Long-Haired Hare (1949)*

What's Up, Doc (1950)

The Ducksters (1950)*

Canned Feud (1950)

A Bear for Punishment (1951)*

Operation Rabbit (1952)

Duck Amuck (1953)

Duck Dodgers in the 24th 1/2 Century (1953)

Stop! Look! and Hasten! (1954)

One Froggy Evening (1955)

Three Little Bops (1957)*

What's Opera, Doc (1957)

Birds Anonymous (1957)

also, if you're curious, my own top 10 LT shorts list is currently this (bold are also listed above):

The Great Piggy Bank Robbery (1946)

Baby Bottleneck (1946)

Kitty Kornered (1946)

Porky Pig’s Feat (1943)

Daffy Doodles (1946)

My Favorite Duck (1942)

Tortoise Wins by a Hare (1943)

The Stupid Cupid (1944)

Nasty Quacks (1945)

Porky’s Last Stand (1940)

now, how I got into LT is a bit more scattered, but i think is worth replicating here too, in case that's also helpful. so here was my path:

there are several convergent paths that amounted to where i am now. one of them was catching a batch of shorts on Boomerang since i had nothing else going on--this really kickstarted my interest and is truly how i got into it. i was very impressed with the animation and how fluid it was, and was impressed at how old some of the shorts were ("this came out in 1953?? that's ancient!" <- now 1953 shorts feel so new and modern to me!). loved the humor, the music, the characters--this was how i knew i wanted to get into it more.

another path was that i was looking up Scott Bradley scores on YT, who was the composer of the Tom & Jerry shorts. someone in the comments of a video mentioned Carl Stalling's work for LT, and i looked him up. came across a compilation of his scores from the Depression-era, and saw someone in the comments give a timestamp to a cue used in a short called Porky's Romance. directly go to the timestamp, am absolutely floored by how gorgeous the harmonies are, and decide to look up the short. am amazed at how old the short is, that it's in black and white, that Porky used to be actually fat (I ❤️ FAT PORKY), and was amazed at how CYNICAL the cartoon was (Porky attempts suicide because his girlfriend rejected his marriage proposal!!!!)--this was so unlike anything i had seen before that i HAD to see more. Porky's now my second favorite cartoon character of all time, and very narrowly behind Daffy for first.

BUT MY MAIN PATH WAS THIS. i knew a little bit about the LT directors before getting into the shorts, but not much. Bob Clampett was a name i wanted to look out for, and so after catching one of his shorts in the Boomerang run and being blown away, i had to see more. my main foray into LT was by watching every single Bob Clampett short chronologically. i looked up his filmography and just went from there. this is a pretty unconventional method and i don't know how much i'd recommend it to other people, but he's still my favorite cartoonist of all time and i'm a VERY loud champion of his earliest shorts that are sorely overlooked, so it did something right!

i didn't just stick to his shorts, though. i kind of "spidered" around--it was clear Porky and Daffy were becoming some of my favorite characters, so i'd see screenshots of their shorts on YouTube or people talking about them in my search for more LT stuff, go "that looks interesting," and watch it. so i had my main Clampett run of shorts, and was also sort of just splintering off and letting the winds take me where i wanted. i would recommend paying attention to the credits, and if you keep seeing a director's name pop up on the shorts you like best, look into his filmography and go from there! find what you like!

a few months into this, i decided to watch every single Porky short chronologically as well, as i was curious about his history. this, in turn, got me more interested in some of the older and undiscovered shorts, and a month or so later, i decided to watch every single cartoon chronologically, writing reviews about them as a way to incentivize me through.

obviously, my review operation got so much more complex, and it was clear i was churning them out for obligation purposes, so i just sort of went at my own pace. it took me a few years, but i have since seen all 1,000+ cartoons! this isn't something i really recommend with my full chest, because it's a LOT and there's a lot that deserves to be left in the past. but i will say that seeing every single short has vastly bolstered my understanding and knowledge and love of these cartoons and the figures behind it. i feel like i know just so much more, i can appreciate things so much more, i can appreciate them in their proper context, etc.

and this is also where i come in with the "these shorts are nearly 100 years old, and reflect the attitudes of 100 years ago" statement. i'm sure it's a given at this point, but i still do feel it necessary to warn that, yes, a lot of these cartoons are racist, misogynistic, ableist, homo/transphobic, etc, etc. i know it feels silly to say that about these shorts but i do feel responsible to say that it's out there and, unfortunately, it's not as easy as "oh, these are the racist ones, just skip them" because there's unfortunately a lot of overlap. even some of the cartoons on this list have some unfortunate moments in them, off the top of my head being Porky in Wackyland, Book Revue and Mouse Menace, but i'm certain there are more. i still think these cartoons are worth watching. but they're reflections of their time, and deserve to be treated as such. it's actually been incredibly fascinating to learn about through an anthropologist perspective, discovering where some of these stereotypes are born, how people reacted against them at the time (there was more pushback than you may have imagined--i know Chuck Jones was rather uncomfortable with the racism, though he still of course has his name attached to some pretty racist gags and shorts..) i'm not here to finger wag or anything, especially since my opinion on this means absolutely nothing at the end of the day as i'm not afflicted by these stereotypes, but i just do feel the need to mention them. i think the shorts are still very much worth watching, and it's interesting and illuminating to learn about the history of some of these prejudices. but i do just feel the need to stress that for absolute transparency. these shorts are a product of their time, which is a huge source of intrigue for me, but can also be an exceptionally heavy burden. soapboxing over!

other recommendations i'd give are @kaiserbeamz' EXCELLENT series on the history of the franchise, the videos are very well researched, and very engaging but also easy enough to watch just the same (i say that because i'm very picky with video essays and tend not to watch many because i'm either annoyed by presentation or something as unfair as the sound of someone's voice, which i know is awful.. but that's all the more reason why i recommend their videos, because they pass my test! and i'm not just saying that because i'm credited in them, thanks KB!!)

CartoonLogic is a great podcast that has many episodes dedicated to analyzing LT shorts by some of the most knowledgeable historians around. i also give a big shoutout to my buddy @baxterfilms, who's done an incredible amount of research on these films for years. subscribe to his Patreon! read his articles on Cartoon Research!

Frank Young has a brilliant blog on the history of Tex Avery's WB cartoons, which was a monumental help for my own reviews of his shorts and a resource i relied on for years.

as for book recommendations, Michael Barrier's Hollywood Cartoons book is required reading for anyone looking to get into the history of golden age cartoons in general. incredibly well researched, has plenty of interviews with the people who made these shorts, and is essentially the bible for golden age cartoons. i also recommend Keith Scott's books on the unsung heroes of voice acting in these cartoons. Jaime Weinman's book on the history of LT shorts has a more personal analysis angle that's absolutely wonderful too, and incredibly illuminating.

and, not to toot my own horn, but i will toot my own horn by linking my LT Review Blog (though it sounds like you're already aware of it!) just because it covers every single cartoon chronologically. do be mindful that the further you go back, the less elucidated the reviews get HAHA.. it's an operation that has exploded out of my hands in the best way possible. i didn't know what i was doing at all when i first started (and was writing for Tumblr, where the limits were stronger and i was much more relaxed), so there's that as well.

BUT THAT'S IT! i know that's a lot, so please don't feel too overwhelmed! there are a lot of places to start, and there's no right or wrong way TO start. but i hope this can at least give you some ideas or be a helpful resource!! thanks so much for the incredibly kind message!!

[waitmyturtles]

Gelboys, Episode 6: Holy Shit, LOL.

Not only am I still 100% into this show and loving the living DAYLIGHTS out of it, I feel like last Saturday's episode got a lot of us whipped up to write some really good meta, especially among those of us that are trying to figure out how to judge these young characters.

There were two scenes in particular that really got me (....besides all of the other insane scenes -- "I'll hit on you" ON GROUP ZOOM WITH THE BACKGROUND WALLPAPER, pants-pissing, all of it):

1) This one:

2) and this one:

@tinrange made some AWWWESOMMME observations in this answer to @clairedaring here, namely about how we, as the audience, can approach understanding at least what's happening with Baabin and Bua, but I think @tinrange's post also covers how we as the audience can understand Fou4mod as well.

To quickly summarize @tinrange's post -- especially her EXCELLENT last paragraph of analysis -- the show isn't judging these characters. We, the audience, are led to judge the characters, all coming from our own perspectives, what we might be relating to vis à vis the characters and their stories, whatever we might be bringing to the table. In this post, @jemmo attributes their frustration about these characters particularly to a style or an inclination that director Boss Naruebet Kuno himself brings to his pieces; I certainly felt a particular level of Teh (TEHHHHHHH) emanating from Fou4mod's tear ducts during episode six.

I want to add to the conversation about judging these characters simply from my perspective of being an old Asian mom and auntie. I feel for these guys so hard. I want to make them all a nice bowl of soup and tell them to just keep pushing and living, because things will sort themselves out eventually. I'll send them WhatsApp "thinking of you" gifs with glittery stars and roses to make them feel better.

I can't bring myself to judge any of them. But I want to get back to what @tinrange was hinting at in her post, and then bring a post of @lurkingshan's into the mix here.

The question that I'm pondering, related to @tinrange's post, is: are we, as the audience, supposed to judge these characters? Like -- as a key component to a successful narrative?

@lurkingshan pondered in this post that what Gelboys might be about is -- when teenagers and young adults are young, that a big part of behavior-building is about imitating or inheriting the behavior of your friends.

I want to flesh that out. In the group chat, earlier in Gelboys' airing, I called this, not intergenerational trauma, but "intragenerational trauma." In other words -- when young people are young, the ways in which they behave are imitative of how their close circles, their family members and their friends, behave. Part of the typical behavioral change and growth of young people becoming adults is testing these behavioral qualities, and either keeping them or changing them, depending on how they suit the individual as the individual grows up.

Think about, for instance, the ways in which people who grew up with siblings might judge an only child, even in the adulthood of said only child. "That person is an only child, that's why they act that way." Think about how many times you might have said this to yourself as you judged someone else.

I'm not at all surprised, nor do I judge, Baabin for acting the way he did with Bua. He's seen it happen to both Fou4mod and Chian. He also sees that that kind of playa behavior still allows one person to remain close to another person -- even if there's "no status" between the two. He might have kissed Bua, he might have told Bua that he's not interested, he might have stated his intention to hit on Fou4mod, and... he's seen all these "no status" dudes still circling in constellations around each other, for years.

Right now -- at this moment in the show -- having a "no status" has been the acceptable status quo of this love square. On my end, I'm not going to judge any of these characters for not breaking out of the status quo, because among teenagers in messy love and attraction -- that's a tall ask. And that's my auntie side talking. (And the show's theme song is literally called "No-Status Status," so -- macro-level themes!)

Teenagerhood is so messy. To go back to the question that I posed in relation to @tinrange's post: in my opinion, this show is working because it's capturing that mess so well. I don't need to judge any one character from a binary perspective of, "they could be better." I only knew I could have been a better-behaved youth...when I became an adult, and I was filled with regret at my past behavior. That's something that just happens as you get older. My teenage self had zero capacity for any best behavior I could have mustered. I was a goddamn mess, like these boys. And I turned out alright.

To me, this show is successful, because capturing the multiple layers of these characteristics is an artistic feat, and I think Boss Kuno is doing an exquisite job of depicting these behavioral facets. I think it's totally well within anyone's right to judge these characters heavily -- they're all behaving questionably. I'd claim, from that perspective, that the show is successful in part, because it's captured that questionable behavior so, SO well.

[jxtina-86]

The Chase - Part 2

Well it was definitely worth dragging myself out of bed at 4am to watch the race! But now I am deliriously tired with a full day ahead so posting this now because I don't think I'll be able to see straight by this evening!

I think this will be around 5 parts in the end - I'm currently writing part 4 and we've still got a way to go so let's see...

Like I said before, it's the slow burn to end all slow burns this one!

Part 1 if you missed it...

Pairing: Lando x Fem!OC

Warning: Swearing. Sexual tension you can slice a knife through.

Word Count: 4.2k

Likes/Comments/Reblogs welcome!

Mia can already hear the chatter coming from the kitchen as she heads down for breakfast. She's not sure what time the rest of them got in - it was sweet dreams indeed for her.

As she rounds the corner, Lydia spots her and Mia braces herself against the barrage of questions that immediately fly her way.

“Is he here?” Lydia asks.

“We were going to take a peek given it was all quiet when we got home,” grins Lizzie.

“No, start from the beginning. What happened? Like how?” Asks Cass.

“Yes, start there. The how, the when, the what the actual fuck?” Finishes Ruby.

“Can I at least have a coffee first?” Mia groans as she approaches the table.

“Nope. But you can have coffee and answer questions at the same time,” Lydia pours her a cup and pats the chair next to her.

Mia sits and takes a long sip, feeling their eyes on her. “Okay, no he’s not here. He dropped me home, that was it. And we met just after I got separated from you all. The doorman kinda shoved me out of the way to let him and his mates in. He saw it happen, told the bouncer to leave me alone and then just pulled me inside with them.”

“But why didn't you come find us?” Asks Cass.

“Er, stupid question,” groans Ruby. “She was with a bloody F1 driver, why on earth would she leave him for us?”

Mia grinned. “I did try to look for you all… but…”

“F1 driver, babes, I get it.” Ruby agrees. “So what's he like?”

“He’s charming. Very charming.”

“And you clearly played hard to get,” grins Lizzie.

“I mean…” Mia flushes as she recalls the two kisses she received.

“Did anything happen? I mean you both looked pretty cosy in that photo.” Lydia raises an eyebrow.

“And the video. He was all over you,” chuckles Ruby.

“There may have been a kiss…” Mia trails off with a laugh as the four girls shriek.

“In the cab?” Cass asks.

“In the club… and another when he walked me to the gate.”

“Your self-control is something else,” Ruby shakes her head. “How did you not drag him inside and jump him?”

“Because she's not you,” shoots Lydia. “She's a classy gal.”

Mia chuckles. “I dunno about that. He just likes the chase. I'm giving him what he wants. Anyway, it wasn't a last chance kinda situation.”

“You're seeing him again, aren't you?” Grins Cass. “When?”

Mia reaches for a croissant. “He's taking me for lunch.”

“Today?”

She nods, laughing as they erupt. “He's picking me up later.”

“What time?” Ruby pesters.

“11.30. But no,” she wags her finger at the group. “None of this. I’ve already told him to just text me when he arrives and I’ll meet him outside. Otherwise you lot will never let us leave.”

“You don’t play fair,” Cass pouts. “We would be on our best behaviour.”

“I’m still going to go with no.”

“Spoil sport,” Ruby pokes her in the side. “Fine. We’ll just have to make do with watching from the balcony. Ooh,” her eyes widen. “I wonder what he’ll pick you up in. That means you’ve gotta think this outfit through. What are you wearing?”

“I… No idea,” Mia shrugs.

“Keep it casual,” Lydia suggests. “But still cute.”

“And sexy,” Ruby chimes in.

“Casual. Cute. Sexy. So the impossible?” Mia rolls her eyes. “Why do I need to worry about the car?”

“Have you seen the cars he owns?” Ruby reaches for her phone and within seconds has brought up a whole article outlining the cars in Lando’s possession. “Trust me, getting into a car THAT low is a skill.”

“Okay, well I’ll just add that to the list of things to overthink about in the next few hours.”

“Ssh,” Lydia scolds Ruby. “You’re making her nervous! Just wear what you like, figure out the car when he picks you up and enjoy lunch. Simple. Where’s he taking you?”

“No idea.”

“He’s gonna take you for a drive first,” Ruby winks. “That’s why he wants to pick you up. He wants to show off.”

Lizzie shakes her head. “He just wants to spend time with you. It’s sweet.”

“I guess…” Mia feels her phone vibrate in her pocket. Plucking it out, she feels her cheeks flush.

“Is it him?” Cass squeals.

“You have him saved as Lando The Chaser?” Ruby grabs the phone from her. “Holy shit, is he Facetiming you?”

“What?” Mia grabs the phone back and realises that it’s true.

“Answer it!” Lydia orders.

“Not with you lot around, I’m not.” But before she can move away, Ruby has swiped accept.

“Hey,” he grins at her and then his smile widens as he sees Ruby’s face hovering over her shoulder. “Did I catch you at a bad time?”

“Oh no,” Ruby smirks. “Perfect time.”

“Ignore her,” Mia pushes back her chair. “What’s up?”

“Just wanted to see how you are. Did you sleep okay?”

“Yeah…” she gives him a puzzled look. “You’re picking me up in like 3 hours.”

“And I can’t talk to you before then?”

Mia looks over to the girls who are all shaking their heads at her dumbfounded at her initial comment. “I mean I guess…” she says slowly. “Fine. How did you sleep?”

“Good.” He’s walking around what she presumes is his apartment, his eyes darting elsewhere every so often. “Do you like pizza?”

“Sure.”

“Okay,” he grins. “I was just thinking about where to take you later.” He runs a hand over his face and then up to ruffle his hair. “Do you mind a drive first?”

He barely gets the words out when there’s an audible ‘I told you’ from one of the girls.

He laughs. “What did they say?”

“Nothing,” Mia shoots daggers over the top of her phone at the group. “And no, I don’t mind.”

“Cool,” he grins, his teeth grazing his bottom lip the same way it did last night and she feels that same flutter in her stomach as she did then.

Across the room, she sees the girls whispering, tapping something into one of their phones and then a message pings up on her screen.

Ask him about which car.

“Stop it,” she hisses and Lando looks up.

“Stop what? I didn’t do anything.”

“Not you. You know how you sent my friends feral last night, well like I predicted the same is happening right now.”

He chuckles. “Yeah? What do they wanna know?”

Before she can answer, Ruby is at her side. “We wanna know what car you’re picking her up in so she can plan her outfit.”

He laughs. “I mean, any preference, Mia?”

“I…” she stumbles. “I know nothing about cars,” she admits.

“Y’know, I knew we’d hit a stumbling block at some point and I think this is it,” he winks at her.

“Nothing too low,” Ruby chimes in. “I think that would be the only criteria.”

“Ruling out a lot of options for me - sorry, what’s your name?” Lando asks.

“Ruby.” She flashes him a smile and Mia rolls her eyes, elbowing her away. “Hey, I’m just being polite!”

“You’re being a nuisance,” Mia hisses, sending Lando an apologetic look. “Anyway, I think we should wrap this up before they all start introducing themselves.”

“You better be on time,” Ruby butts in again. “No man keeps our girl waiting.”

“Noted.”

“And don’t just text her when you’re here. Be a man and come to the door.”

“No, no, just text me,” Mia insists.

“Ignore her. You come to the door to pick her up, got it?” Ruby wags a finger at the screen.

He laughs. “Mia, I will see you at 11.30.”

“Yup, okay.” She ends the call quickly. “Fuck’s sake Ruby!”

“What? You need to raise your standards, M. A gentleman comes to the door and if that’s what he is, that’s what he’ll do.”

“I told him to text me,” she sighs, returning to the table and her half-eaten croissant that she doesn’t want anymore. The nerves are starting to rise. “I love you all, but you are all rubbish at knowing when to back off!”

“Mia,” Lydia squeezes her arm. “We are all just teasing. We’re just excited for you. I mean, do you see any of us with a guy willing to take us out for lunch in his choice of supercar?”

“What happened to the guys from the beach?”

“They bailed on us,” Lizzie tells her.

“Er, no,” corrects Ruby. “We bailed on them, remember? They seemed to think that getting us to a club meant we owed them. No thank you.”

Mia chews her lip, the scepticism flooding back in. “Do you think that’s what Lando thinks of me?”

“What?” Ruby stares at her. “No, get that thought out of your head right now.”

“Agreed. If he was just after sex, even if he likes the chase, there’s no way he offers to take you for lunch,” Lydia points out.

Ruby nods. “And there’s a huge difference between him and the beach club guys. Aside from the obvious.”

“Yeah?”

“Honestly, Mia, how can you not tell? He fancies you as much as you fancy him. Which is clearly a lot.”

**

At 11.30 on the dot, the bell from the gate echoes around the villa. Mia is already in the hall, frantically checking her bag for all the essentials so she can hurry out the door before the rest of the group can make it to the door.

“I got it!” She hears Lydia cry out, coming in from the kitchen and reaching the intercom before Mia has a chance to speak. “Hello?”

“It’s Lando.”

“Come in!” She presses the button. “He’s here,” she calls out to the rest of the group.

“Oh god,” Mia hears herself murmur as she reaches for the door, opening it to see Lando a few paces away. He pushes his sunglasses up onto his head when he sees her.

“Woah, you look-”

“Save it. Let’s go.” She hurries out, letting the door swing shut behind her but it’s too late. Just as she reaches him, he raises a hand to wave to the group that has inevitably crowded around the still open door.

“No, no, do not engage. Trust me, it’s safer,” she tells him, nudging him to move but he just laughs.

“You listened to us,” Lydia calls out. “Good boy,” she adds approvingly.

“Jesus,” Mia rolls her eyes. “Okay, you have one minute, get it all out. And then we are going!”

“Where are you taking her?” Lizzie calls out.

“And what time can we expect her back?” Adds Cass.

“And what car did you bring?” Ruby chimes in.

Lando scratches the back of his neck. “I’m taking her to this place down the coast, I’ll bring her back this evening and I’ve got the Urus parked up outside.”

“Okay, question time is over,” Mia tells them. “I will see you all later.”

“We won’t wait up,” Lydia calls out as Lando waves again, turning to follow Mia. He almost has to break into a jog to keep up with her.

“Hey, hold up,” he says as he reaches her side, his arm sliding over her shoulders. “I didn’t get to say hello properly.” His eyes twinkle at her and before she can tell him to wait, he brushes his mouth not once, but twice over hers.

A loud whoop echoes down the path towards them.

“You’re just stoking the fire,” she tells him when he draws back.

“They’re not so bad,” he tells her.

“Oh they really are,” she retorts. “I wasn’t lying when I said they were feral.” 

They make it through the gate and she feels herself relax slightly.

“You know, I really don’t scare that easy,” he tells her, pulling her closer again. “But can I finish what I was starting to say earlier?”

“Sure.”

His hand finds hers and he takes a step back to take her in. “You look amazing.”

She gives him a small smile, feeling her cheeks flush slightly. “Thanks. You too…”

She’ll give Ruby credit when she gets back - she’s the one who managed to convince her to wear the floral dress that really hadn’t been her first choice, but seeing his reaction to it gave her a confidence boost.

He opens the door to the car for her, closing it behind her and she watches as he half jogs round to the driver's seat. She shifts in her seat, tugging her dress down slightly so it reaches as far down to her knees as possible before fumbling with the seatbelt. He settles in beside her and within seconds the car purrs into life and he's turning it around and into the road in one fluid motion.

“You okay?” He asks, tugging his sunglasses back down onto his face.

“Yup,” she smiles over at him. “Sorry I was rushing you out of there. They are just… a lot. They haven't stopped all morning.”

“You don't need to apologise.”

“I guess you're used to that sort of reaction everywhere you go,” she glances over at him and he at least has the good grace to look slightly embarrassed.

“Comes with the territory.”

“That and the fact you're good looking,” she points out.

“Good looking huh? I think that might be the first compliment you've paid me.”

“I just told you that you looked great too,” she retorts. “So you know… That’s two compliments in the space of five minutes.”

“Okay, I’ll revise the record. Second compliment then.”

“Thank you,” she replied with a nod and grin. “So, down the coast did you say?”

“Yeah, I mean down the coast, up a hill… It’s this little place I’ve been to before, it's nice but quiet.”

“Sounds good.”

“Unless you wanna go somewhere else?” he glances over at her. “I just figured after last night it might be nice to go somewhere we could actually chat…”

“It's fine, Lando. Genuinely. It's… very thoughtful actually.”

He shoots her a wide smile. “Yeah? Are you okay though?”

She gives him a confused look. “Yeah? Why wouldn’t I be?”

His grin widens. “Just checking because last night I felt like I was in a battle of one-liners and now you're here dishing out sweetness and light. Kinda giving me whiplash here.”

She shakes her head with a laugh. “Sorry, I mean last night was fueled with drink and today I've been dealing with the madness of the girls and now I'm sitting here, next to you and I'm not quite sure what to do with myself.”

“You know, your honesty is something else,” he wags a finger at you, before he indicates and they turn off the main road.

“Yeah, it's a problem. I think my inner filter has a glitch.”

He chuckles. “Mine too. Gets me into trouble sometimes.”

“The best or worst kind of trouble?”

“Guess that depends on your point of view,” he flashes her a roguish smile that makes it feel like the car is closing in around her.

She looks away and out of the window. They're climbing higher and the view of the coast is breathtaking. “I don't think I've ever been this far up before.”

“Do you come here often?”

“Yeah a few times. We were all at school together. Ruby, who you met this morning, her parents own it. What about you? How long have you lived out here?”

“A few years.”

“Must be nice having all this on your doorstep.”

“Sure, but most of the year I'm rarely here.”

“So you’ve got to make the most of it while you can then?”

He nods. “Something like that.” 

They round a final bend in the road and he slows the car to a halt outside a small but quaint looking restaurant. “This is it.”

By the time she's unbuckled and tucked her bag over her shoulder, he's rounded the car to open her door, holding out his hand. She takes it and he effortlessly manoeuvres her out of the way to close the door.

“Monsieur Norris,” a waiter greets him “and mademoiselle,” he nods at Mia. “Please follow me.”

Lando doesn't let go of her hand as they follow the waiter through the restaurant. It’s clearly just the start of service, a handful of tables already filled but no one bats an eyelid as they pass by. Out onto a patio area, Mia takes in the perfect view of the sea, blue and bright. 

The waiter leads them to a corner table, pulling back the chair for her and gesturing for her to sit. The tables are small, intimate and as Lando takes his seat next to her, she feels his knee brush against her leg.

“This is beautiful,” she tells him. “Thank you.”

“No worries,” he smiles back at her, before he looks down at the menu.

She picks up her own too, her fingers almost brushing against his as she does. It doesn't go unnoticed, his fingers slipping over hers, entwining.

He does it so casually as if it's their thing, she thinks. But before she can say anything, the waiter reappears to take their drinks order.

Lando orders a coke and she does the same.

“You sure?” He asks her. “It’s only because I'm driving…”

“No, it's… you know the filter,” she gestures with her free hand at her face. “It works better with zero alcohol consumed.”

He laughs, fingers squeezing hers. “Fair enough.” With his own freehand he pushes his sunglasses up onto his head again and then pulls them off completely to tuck them into the V of his t-shirt. He ruffles his hair, almost nervously, she notes, before he goes back to looking at the menu.

When the waiter returns with ice cold glasses, they place their order and then a silence starts to grow between them. Before she can stop herself, Mia hears her voice break the spell.

“So do you bring all the girls here?”

He rubs his palm over his face as he turns his head to look at her. “Actually,” he meets her gaze. “You're the first.”

“Oh.” Maybe she has underestimated him.

“You really do have me all wrong, you know.”

“Yeah? All sweet and innocent really?”

“Definitely. Well,” he pauses. “Maybe not innocent…”

“Yeah that part’s definitely a step too far. I see that glint in your eye.”

“What about you?”

“What about me?”

“All sweet and innocent?”

She reaches for her drink. “What do you think?” She watches him over the rim of the glass. He leans back with a wry smile, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I think…” he says slowly. “That you could get me in a whole lot of trouble.”

“Yeah? Maybe you've got me all wrong then.”

He shakes his head. “Nah, I don't think so. In fact, I know so.”

“What’s giving me away?” She raises an eyebrow. “Supposedly,” she adds but not quickly enough.

He laughs. “That for a start. And I saw those texts from your mates in the cab.”

“Yeah, from them. Not me.”

“What’s the saying…” he scratches the tip of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut for a second before he points at her. “Like attracts like.”

“I mean I can't lie…”

“I knew it,” he grins. “That’s why you didn’t want me spending more than a minute in their company, isn’t it? They’d give your game away.”

“Or maybe I just fell into the wrong crowd and they’re now on a mission for you to corrupt me.”

His eyes seem to sparkle at the last part and she’s unnerved by the way her stomach flips. “Corrupt you, huh?”

“Stop it,” she gives him a mock-stern look. “There will be no corruption.”

“Spoil sport,” he teases. His fingers are still on hers, but now they’re starting to slide up to her wrist. Her eyes flicker down to watch as he traces an intricate pattern over her skin. He pauses and she looks up at him. “Sorry,” he murmurs. “Too much?”

She finds herself shaking her head. Definitely not, she thinks. But if he carries on, she might implode just through this innocent touch alone. Her skin is tingling already and she can feel her breath catching in her throat as his fingers drag over her wrist again. She needs something to defuse the situation.

Or set her alight entirely.

“Why did you seem worried about taking me here?” she says suddenly.

“Was I?”

“I dunno, you seemed a bit nervous about it. And then you tell me this isn’t your usual date restaurant.”

“I guess… I guess I wasn’t sure if you were expecting something else.”

“Like what?”

He gives her a shy smile. “Most girls I know, or have dated, they like the status. There’s this sort of… expectation, I guess, that we’ll go to the fanciest restaurant but that all comes with other shit. Like a photo ending up online and then that just starts a whole circus.”

“So you were testing me?”

“I wouldn’t put it like that,” he says, meeting her gaze. “I wanted to make it feel more comfortable for you. I didn’t want to put you in that situation.”

“I appreciate it,” she smiles at him. “In fact, if you’d taken me to a really fancy place, I would have probably smashed a wine glass by now.”

He grins. “I mean, me too.”

“Anyway, I’m pretty sure this has a better view than any place in Monte Carlo,” she gestures at the blue sky and sea before them.

“I dunno, there are some pretty sweet spots,” he tells her.

“Yeah?”

“My place has a good view.”

She shakes her head. “Oh, I teed you up perfectly, didn’t I?”

He laughs. “Just a bit. But it’s true.”

“That your place has the best view?”

“It might,” he bites his lip for a second. “Depends if it’s got you in it.”

“Lando…” she almost groans.

“Mia…” His eyes dance as he says her name, a playful smile on his lips.

“O-kay, pizza for you mademoiselle?” A voice comes from behind them, interrupting them at last.

Lando’s hand retracts from hers as the food is placed in front of them and he reaches for his napkin instead. But as he places it on his lap, spreading the material out, the close proximity of their legs beneath the table means the tip of his finger grazes casually across her bare knee. Mia jolts slightly at the unexpected touch and she sees him chuckle to himself as she fights to compose herself.

“Stop it,” she chastises gently.

“It wasn’t deliberate,” he replies. “Unless you want it to be?”

“Stop it,” she repeats, picking up her knife and fork. “Not here.”

His eyebrows shoot up slightly. “Not here? So where then?”

She shakes her head as she cuts into her pizza. “You are impossible.”

“Can’t help it,” he grins at her. 

“At least try.”

“This is me trying. You're just making it harder.”

He lets the words hang in the air, an aptly cocky grin adorning his face as she rolls her eyes. But despite the eye roll and the insistence to stop, her heart is pounding. The touch of his finger, however light or brief it was, felt searing. From the seemingly insignificant touch, she can almost imagine how it would feel to have his hand splayed across her thigh. The thought makes her cheeks flush and that earns a soft snicker of delight from Lando when he spots her change in colour.

“So what's the plan for after this?” She tries desperately to change the subject.

“Eager to get out of here, eh?” He lifts the napkin to wipe his mouth.

“Well you said you'd have me back by this evening. So I presumed that meant you had something else planned.”

He shakes his head. “No plan. I just wanted to give some space just in case.”

“Just in case of what?”

He raises an eyebrow. “That depends on you.”

“Me?” She narrows her eyes. “What you mean is, it depends on if you can wear me down?”

He gives her a boyish grin. “I wouldn't call it wearing you down.” He lowers the napkin back to his lap but this time the hand that brushes over her knee is deliberate.

Her hands tighten around the cutlery as she feels her breath catch in her throat. He doesn’t advance, just keeps his hand resting on her knee, holding her gaze as he reaches cooly for his drink.

“What?” he asks, wide-eyed as she narrows her eyes back at him.

“You’re not playing fair.” God, how she wishes that her voice didn’t betray her.

He picks up on it instantly, his grin widening as he slowly drags his hand off her knee and resumes eating.

He clears his throat as if nothing has happened. “I just thought we could, y’know, hang out a bit afterwards. We can do whatever you want.”

She takes a bite of food, chewing it as she debates her next move. “What’s fun to do around here?” she eventually asks.

His nose scrunches up as he tries not to laugh. “You’ve done it again.”

“Done what?” she stares at him, not really sure what he’s getting at.

“Ask me again.”

“Okay…” she gives him a confused look. “What’s fun to do around here?”

He holds her gaze, his eyes glinting in the sunlight. “Me.”

****

Back soon...

[cryingscreamingpuking]

A few 'Eltingville Club as parents' headcanons, Part 1

Also inspired by the fact that I make fankids for every single character I like ever- I am so sorry- (these are based off of the epilogue/older versions of the club members, I am not making them teen dads. Also these are probably stupid. I do, in fact, take criticism) Jerry! - He'd be the best girl dad you could ever meet. He goes to cons dressed as Link and has a gaggle of lil Zeldas following him - My man is anxious, probably isn't in the mental space to hold a job, so he'd end up being a stay at home dad. The only reason he isn't homeschooling is because he knows for a fact he cannot provide the structure his girls need - I feel like Jerry would WANT to gentle parent and have that authoritative style, but he's a bit of a doormat in general. He'd probably end up with the permissive parenting style/have somewhat spoiled kids - He'd be the dad hosting sleepovers and playdates. Mostly because he is... a bit worried that his kids will either end up hurt or end up like him. - If his daughters and their friends got into DND, he'd be their DM. Like. One of his kids could mention "Hey me and my friends were interested in Dungeons and Dragons, do you-" and she'd have to stop mid sentence cause Jerry would be pulling out his old equipment Pete! - He'd probably be controlling/have the authoritarian style of parenting, but for different reasons and in different ways depending on if he's raising a boy or a girl. With a boy he'd just be repeating the cycle, with a girl it would be a sort of fear that his daughter will end up victimized the way he himself victimizes women - I think he'd end up with the kid through getting one of the girls pregnant and her going "Nope, not keeping this one", so I honestly believe he'd be a single dad - His kid's first word would probably be either a swear word or the name of a body part, because I doubt he'd control his language around his kid. Imagine a 2 year old calling you a cunt. That's his kid doing that - His kid is NOT going to sleepovers until they are like... a young adult. He refuses to let that happen. And even then, they have to be home by a certain time or so lord help him he will- - I will say, his kid would be eating well when Pete isn't working late. This man is a single father from an Italian household, he's had to have learned SOMETHING about cooking. Most nights his kid is probably fending for themself, but weekends? Fridays? Times when no filming is scheduled? Bitch get prepared for the best meals of your life I'll make a part 2 to this post in a minute, I think it was too long and tumblr refused to save it so I had to split it in half ;;

[thatnonameuser]

Hi, glad to see you posted this part, I really liked it. You did a great job, you wrote very interestingly and most importantly many things that satisfied my hunger for reading. But I have questions.1. How is it that humans have not ended yet? It's just that if this continues, everyone will die out.2. Will the parents of the students he killed kill Crowley for not keeping an eye on him. And will the headmaster be punished for this?Personal questions:How do you feel after publishing?At what moments were you strong for stupidity and why?Did you like the story that you were able to write?And I have an idea. If in this world there is a curse that is cast on the yandere: For example, a curse that does not allow the yandere to remember his beloved and he constantly searches for her, but cannot find her. And he cannot form a connection with another, because he is tormented by visions and a wall of a couple with whom he cannot meet. Thanks again for the head. Google translator.

I’m glad you like it! Now for the questions.

I don’t think it would. With the whole ‘you have one true love that will make you whole’ thing, it doesn’t mean that people just won’t try to seek companionship from others because they’re waiting for their darling. Even if someone doesn’t have a darling, the whole within them can be partially filled by having relationships with other people. Which can result in them having kids with other people, even when they don’t have their darling. Though it’s just slapping a bandage on a bullet wound, it’s still something that happens. 

Not everyone will one day find their darlings, never finding them and death are a good reason for some darlings to never meet their yanderes. But when love is needed by the desperate, they’ll do anything to have it. And the products of the substitute love will eventually be conceived.

2. This is kind of inspired by @deceitful-darlings evil au. 

Once again, I don’t think so. Sage Island allows for most darling capture/ rival disposal methods to be legalized to prevent underhanded tactics from turning the island into a warzone. Whether you attend NRC or RSA, you get the perks of lax laws should you meet your darling there.So essentially, by agreeing to attend you’re agreeing to risk your life, but usually there’s minimal issues. If you’re willing to kill someone on the isle to get what you want, you also better be willing to risk that yourself. 

Sure, some people might want revenge, but yanderes work on a no-snitching policy. Without any witnesses, you have no idea whether or not they died in a tragic accident, or from murder. Besides, if there’s nobody, how can you tell whether they were killed or just vanished?

3. Ok, I’m gonna be  honest, I actually wait to see whether you guys like it or not. 😅 For the last chapter, I was relieved that it was over after three or so months of a lot of writing, burn out and writer’s block. But in general, I am someone that craves validation and compliments for their work so about an hour after posting, I go ‘I hope they like it’. 

It doesn’t matter if you don't, that's just how I feel especially considering how fast this kind of started.

Despite the fact that I do enjoy writing, even I have to stop and admit, ‘Yeah, that was a little cringe’. I’m not sure if you guys see it, but I think there’s a difference from when you’re reading a scene and writing it. Scenes that feel like they flow easily, actually require me to get up, stall for 30 mins, and then sit down to write it again, only to just skip to the next scene so I can avoid it. But hey, I get there in the end.

And I do like it, I really have a lot of ideas for it and I can’t wait to get to those ideas. It’s just that sometimes getting from point A to B is like climbing Mt.Everest. 

Now for your idea, I have to say the thought of a curse made to make them forget their darling forever is absolute torture to a yandere. Making them forget their darling completely tears whatever feeling of wholeness and life that they got, and replaces it back with that desperate agony. 

If they’ve been forced to completely forget them, then they’ll likely spend the rest of their lives trying to find their darlings again, but even if their darling is right in front of them they can’t feel the pull in their hearts. The yandere will likely go the way of serial yandere, attaching to whoever gives them the slight pull of their original darling desperate to feel that joy again.

That curse might be a freeing thing for darlings, because being completely forgotten from their yanderes minds is an utter blessing. With that curse, they can be freed if they desire to escape as their yandere can’t remember them being ‘the one’. 

[fairyminnie444]

help me omg 😭 whenever i affirm for the void state when I'm half asleep (I try to do sats) I start violently shaking and obviously I'm not relaxed and in my mind anymore??? Idk what to do I'm kinda scared

TT Like Ik it works thats why I aways halfway succeed when I do it but like if I thought to myself "I am void" I would start feeling super tingly Is it because I'm too exited or is it something else?

You’re super close, that’s why your body is reacting like that.

Here’s what’s happening:

When you start to drift into the void or deep trance, your body freaks out because your awareness is still kinda active, but your body’s trying to sleep or shift. It triggers a response like, “WAIT! What’s happening?!”—hence the shaking, tingling, and adrenaline rush.

It’s not because you’re doing anything wrong, and it’s not dangerous! It’s often from:

1. Excitement (you’re almost there, your mind knows it)

2. Fear of losing control (even if subconscious)

3. Resistance (the ego clinging on because it feels like it’s about to dissolve)

How to handle it:

• Welcome the sensations. Don’t fight or label them. When you feel the shaking, think: Oh, this is good. This means I’m close.

• Breathe deeply and slowly. Imagine you’re melting instead of shaking.

• Desensitize yourself. Try doing mini SATS sessions during the day when you’re not sleepy—just to get used to being in the state without pressure.

• Remove urgency. If you tell yourself “I have to get in the void now,” you add tension. Instead, go in thinking, I’m just chilling. If it happens, cool. If not, I’m already who I want to be anyway.

The tingling and vibrations are textbook signs you’re about to slip into the state. Next time, when you feel it, stay calm and think something like:

This is safe. I’ve done this before. It’s normal for my body to do this as I enter the void.

And then… let go.

[imaginespazzi]

Alright it's time to bracket yap!

Spokane 1

First of all, I would like to once again reiterate that I called UCLA being the #1 overall seed and as much as the media wants to push the narrative that it wasn't deserved, it very much was and I've already explained why.

I think UCLA should come out of this bracket pretty unscathed, mainly because I just don't really see anyone who has the size to contain Betts but having said that if LSU is fully healthy (and can overcome both FSU and NC State) then, I think they would be the ones I would most expect to upset UCLA.

Upsets I see in this regions:

#5 Ole Miss over #4 Baylor - not really a major upset because it's just 4 over 5 but Baylor doesn't move me (I've barely watched them) and I think Coach Yo is pissed about not hosting and that'll reflect in their fire.

#6 FSU over #3 LSU and #2 NC State - so I didn't pick this in my main bracket but I did pick it in a couple of my "just for funsies" brackets because this absolutely could happen and it wouldn't shock me but I don't know if I necessary am fully committed to believing it will. I'm definitely rooting for it though!

#10 Harvard over #7 Michigan State - in Harmoni Turner I trust periodt.

Birmingham 2

Idk what SC or their coach is complaining about because jesus fucking christ if this isn't the easiest region and SC is gonna walk out of this with absolutely no issue. Maybe if a team gets really hot? But yeah I don't see how anyone but SC ends up winning this regions.

Upsets I see in this region:

#5 Alabama over #4 Maryland and #9 Indiana over #8 Utah - again not really "upsets" per say but I feel more confident about the lower-ranked teams in these matchups

#14 Oregon State over #3 UNC and #6 West Virginia - this is a vibes pick because I just really want Oregon State to make a run for it

#7 Vanderbilt over #2 Duke - listen I understand Duke made hell of a run in the ACC tournament and their defense is something wonderful but I'mma bet on Khamil Pierre and Mikaylah Blakes and their offense

Birmingham 3

So I was convinced that Texas would be the #4 overall and USC would be #3 but you know, in hindsght maybe don't lose to an unranked team Lindsey and you wouldn't be losing your damn mind feeling disrespect over being one spot lower than expected.

This is the bracket of death and is absolutely the hardest region to win and I expect it to be total mayhem if we're honest.

Upsets I see in this region:

#9 Creighton over #8 Illinois and then #1 Texas - call me insane, call me delusional but if Creighton gets hots from 3? They absolutely could beat Texas and their stagnant as hell offense.

#12 USF over #5 Tennessee and then #4 Ohio State - am I convinced this will happen? Not necessarily. But do I believe it could? Absolutely.

#6 Michigan over #3 Notre Dame - is this driven by hatred? Why yes, yes it is. But do I also fully believe this could happen because ND's defense can be tragic and if they make dumb decisions on offense which they have been Michigan could easily capitalize on it? Yes, yes I do.

Spokane 4

This region is made for TV basically. At least two of these potential matchups are ratings-driven (and also revenge-driven) and it's interesting because I don't know if both of them are going to happen. But I also think a USC-UConn matchup wasted in the Elite 8 from a TV perspective is also not the smartest choice but what do I know.

Upsets I see in this region:

#12 Fairfield over #5 K-State - based solely on the fact that I don't know what the hell is happening with Ayoka Lee

#6 Iowa vs #3 Oklahoma - I've barely watched Oklahoma this year but this just feels like an upset waiting to happen and I would like to get revenge on Iowa and Paige fucking hates Lucy Olsen

#10 South Dakota State over #7 Oklahoma State - South Dakota State has been here before, knows how to win here and I don't know much about Oklahoma State but I do know they're live and die by the three and I think this is gonna be a die situation

#4 Kentucky over #1 USC - so I don't necessarily have this one picked out on my main bracket either but I just think Georgia Amoore. That's all.

It's gonna be a fun March Madness you guys and like I always say, I want upset, I want chaos and I want UConn to win the damn thing :)

[elainsgirl]

Someone commented this under the "apologizing post"

1)e/riels trying to justify cyber bullying and trying to downplay the said bullying or trying to act like calling out the toxic behavior is playing victim card? is it for me. Like they are so pressed about being called toxic and mean when they prove again and again that they are just it.

2)They love to harass people and then when you call them out they cry fking victim. I’m so sick of their antagonistic bullshit. I’m losing my ability to sympathize really fast.

3)But you’re literally sitting on this app talking about how you and your cult are gonna bully her. Be serious for just a moment. Yaz doesn’t control anyone. Just like the cult of elriel doesn’t control y’all. Y’all just need to block her and stop stalking her like freaks

Okay like I can see how maybe the calling yaz a cult leader is bad. But isn't this the same? these people are shitting on and acting high and mighty the hypocrisy is insane.

Yh the creator of the aplogising post apparently had me blocked so I couldnt see the post, hence my confusion. Before I say anything: Im going off on what I’ve seen on tumblr. Not on other platforms + what I’ve seen on my own feed and in the elriel tag. Buckle up this will be long bcs im sick and tired of elriels getting wrongfully accused of bs no one did. And I think this all started bcs of elriels calling you know who, a cult leader. CL for short.

Do antis understand what cyber bullying is? To accuse someone or a group of people off it, is a pretty hefty accusation. There a 10 main forms of cyberbullying:

Doxxing. Idk any elriel whose doxxed antis/CL at the time of this whole thing happening

Impersonation- no elriel is impersonating as an anti or as CL

Exclusion - well. Duh. Ofc we aren’t including antis in our space bcs no one wants that

Outing - same as doxxing. Idk anyone whose been outing anyones private information as of late

Trolling - if we wanted to troll antis/CL, elriels wouldnt tag their posts properly. Its that simple.

cyber-stalking - Im not naive. Sure, some stalk antis. JUST like antis mutually stalk elriels and their posts so in that regards, we are all even.

Catfishing - no one is doing

Flaming - no one is doing

Defamation - no one is doing.

Harrassment - I am not responsible for the actions of others. Others are not responsible for my actions. Im sure just like elriel, antis/CL are getting harassed but again we all know thats done by trolls and no one genuine.

so it brings to the question, how are elriels being cyber-bullies? Is calling someone a cult leader mean? Absolutely. Sure it is, im not denying otherwise. But would I consider it bullying? Not rlly. Making fun of troll asks ≠ bullying a real life person. “Pressed about being called toxic and mean” - whose pressed, confused? Sure. But no one is pressed and for me personally, apparently I already have a reputation for being toxic and mean so its nothing new 🤷‍♀️ but 99.99 % of the active elriels on here are not mean. They’re kind & thoughtful, just wanting to enjoy elriel content. So its not fair to group elriels and call them all toxic/mean when you know its only one or two people.

idk man, who are we harassing? Whose been harassed by elriels as of late on this platform that isn’t a very clear troll?

Hang on - they’re complaining about being called cult members yet are saying/implying the same thing ? Make it make logical sense. How are you with a straight face going to call elriels a cult whilst simultaneously crying about being called a cult or a gwynriel being called CL? Who is elriels’ CL? Personally, can’t think of anyone and definitely no one that has been saying they’re going to bully antis. I’d like to see proof the elriel “CL” (whoever it is) has said they’re going to bully anyone.

antis 🤝 hypocrites. Whining about being called a cult/having a CL yet turning around and saying the same about elriels. The point you were trying to achieve has now failed bcs you’re doing the exact same thing you dont want others to do. And as for the post itself, telling a whole group of people to apologise for someone elses’ actions, comes across as demeaning and disrespectful even if that wasn’t the intention. And to only ask elriels to apologise knowing their own side is also mean and toxic is just hypocritical. “But it has to start somewhere! Some side has to acknowledge their wrongdoings first!” Mmm no.