#I'm having fucking nam flashbacks

[welcome-to-the-indulgence-phase]

Can't wait for some 50 year old land surveyor to get an uptick in calls from wooks trying to perform witchcraft.

[writeronartblock]

Listing fucked up shit that happened in BoBoiBoy, purely from memory (so details maybe fuzzy or I'm over-exaggerating):

1. At the start of the series, he literally got his powers at the age of like, 10. HE'S A BABY

2. The Second Tiers manifestations:

2.A. Halilintar got manifested after being seperated from the other elements and getting tortured via balloon poppings.

2.A.1. The fact that Adudu practically brainwashed him into joining his side after the fact.

2.A.2. Additionally, the fact that the massive drawback to BoBoiBoy's elemental split is the fact that he slowly loses his memories and gets amnesia? Fucked. Up.

2.B. Angin got upgraded to Taufan by getting DRUGGED via potion(?) enhanced cookies. Bro literally got into an acid trip and almost destroyed his town as he's promoting those cookies

2.C. Gempa manifested after having watched all of his friends NEARLY DIE and feeling helpless about the situation because he wasn't strong enough. DUDE–

3. The fact that Fire manifested as a STRESS COPING MECHANISM. OMG

4. Getting back to the getting drugged part, yeah, remember that episode when the gang got zapped by an emotion amplifier ray gun? It pretty much works the same way as the potion thing that happened Taufan

5. ONTO THE MOVIE, OH MY GOD THE MOVIE

5.A. Honestly, because of that, if there ever was like, a subplot, where Ochobot asks BoBoiBoy to take a rest and he refuses because of his crippling hero complex. I would get 'Nam flashbacks

6. To be honest I don't remember much about the movie actually, though I do vaguely remember that he got blasted into space and nearly froze to death? Or was that BBB Galaxy? Or both?

7. Fuck, wasn't he forced to fight Fang because of Kaizo and nearly died in the series finale?

8. For BBBG S1, I don't actually remember much aside from the season finale

9. Oh, but that timeloop episode got me tripped up like crazy. That is my NIGHTMARE scenario

10. And fuck, don't get me started on episode 14. Watching Hali show up again after so long was like watching an angel descend from heaven.

11. But the fact that he was flickering from his normal form to Hali in blinks and flashes, seeing him pushing himself to his absolute limit felt heartbreaking

12. Onto, BBB Movie 2

13. AAAAHHHHHH, THEY GOT SUCKED AWAY

14. BRO, WHEN I SAW SOLAR DISINTEGRATING INTO DUST I GOT SO WORRIED. LIKE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THE REST OF THEM, HE'S PART OF BOBOIBOY HIMSELF, WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE'S NOW GONE????

15. Near death counter gets added several times here, like it isn't high enough already

And this is where I'll stop, since I haven't started on BBB Galaxy S2 yet (the comics or the now animated BBB Sori)

[on-leatheredwings]

Random Dami thoughts I've had, Yan potential or otherwise:)

- has dark green silk or satin sheets (he likes how slippery they can get, especially during sex, so you can't run away from him orhisdick)

- once he starts letting you trim and shave his hair, congratulations, hope you enjoy the new job as he will refuse to go to anyone else for the rest of his days.

- english slips his mind when he gets really in the moment, and no, he will not offer translations bc he doesn't want the first words you learn in his native language being 'you can take it, going to make sure you give me an heir, be a good girl/boy/baby for me'

- knows that while silver doesn't look bad on him, gold just compliments him so much more. Will bend you over if he sees you in some of his (rather limited) jewelry collection, even if gold isn't your preferred metal.

- will get jealous of yr fictional crushes and point out why he is so much better than them as if they're going to walk through the front door and carry you out bridal style.

- has thought about growing out his hair, but decided not to bc he knows how much care and effort would be involved and man's simply does NAUT have the time for that. But rest assured, it would be silky and smooth and so fucking hot (he likes having his hair LIGHTLY pulled, too much and he's having nam flashbacks)

- loves fingers in his mouth, partially due to his need for touch....anywhere honestly and partially due to the fact that he likes the reaction he gets out of you when he strokes your fingers with his tongue

Much love from Damian anon, I'm gonna go to bed now but I needed to get these OUT

PEOPLE DIED (IM PEOPLE) DMSJDHWVDSBSSKWBDKSBWKDEKWFNWJXKBDH

THESE WERE HAWT...

STOP THR GOLD JEWLERY ONE... IM A SILVER GIRLY SO IF I WORE HIS GOLD YUP THAT'S HOW HE KNOWS ID BE SO INTO HIM I LOVE THIS

also the idea of damian envying shadow the hedgehog (my main f/o) just makes me laugh

[skaruresonic]

Wait are you really comparing drawing kids in nsfw art to be the same situation as putting kid characters in despair and distress? Is Sonic idw the only comic or media you consume? Have you never watched grave of the fireflies? Lord of the flies? Now and then, here and there? Hell Avatar the last airbender puts minors in more stressfull situations then sonic idw ever did. Do yourself a favor and watch Land before Time and an American Tail . I get disliking Sonic idw but to conpare minors in danger situations to tell a story as the same thing as sexualized art just comes of as you dont understand the point of stories at all. I'm just shocked.

Okay there, Lily Orchard.

I'm not gonna let you turn this into a debate on my media consumption habits just yet - which, frankly, you'd twist into something they're not anyway. If I said, "I aometimes read Japanese lit, actually, as in novels written by Japanese authors translated into English," you'd just be like "So you're a weeabo who wants everything to be slice-of-life"?

No. Not gonna play that game with you today.

(P.S. Grave of the Fireflies is based on an account of real events the author suffered following the firebombing of his hometown.)

(Show some respect. Don't compare it to fucking cartoons just to win an internet debate.)

You haven't answered my question of why, exactly, sexuality is uniquely worse than violence, especially since the latter is more normalized in mainstream media aimed at children than the former, IDW included.

---

I get disliking Sonic idw but to conpare minors in danger situations to tell a story as the same thing as sexualized art just comes of as you dont understand the point of stories at all. I'm just shocked.

I swear to God if I have to hear "you don't understand storytelling" one more time. Didn't realize I was still stuck in English class at the ripe old age of nunna-your-business.

I understand that stories need conflict. I just disagree that the conflict being presented in IDW is anything more substantial than a series of stupid-ass contrivances and blatant attempts at emotional manipulation.

It was a zombie apocalypse. Cream watched her mother die, and the art of her with a thousand-yard stare heavily implied she was traumatized by this.

If the book had been competently written, she'd suffer lingering aftereffects from her trauma. Note that I am NOT saying she should be suffering full-blown flashbacks, but it would have gone a long way to establish emotional continuity if she displayed, for instance, a certain degree of clinginess toward her mother.

...But the book is not competently-written, and she's completely fine by the next arc. And if you asked them, IDW staff would simply blame Sega for upholding the "status quo" instead of their own incompetence.

The point remains is that we see Cream being traumatized when she absolutely didn't have to be. She didn't need to show up in this arc at all! I'm sure we would have been able to infer that she, too, isn't having the best time just fine without being shown her 'nam stare over and over again. After a certain point, the insistence becomes gratuitous.

Also, I deeply press X to doubt that Cream's trauma was ever intended to be anything other than an indication that Shit's Getting Real, especially since she doesn't change after this. She gets her shit emotionally kicked in not to further the plot, but in an exploitative manner. Not to facilitate character development that IDW staff has admitted is not "allowed" to stick, whatever that means, but to convey to the audience that the metal virus is srs bsns.

That's the only possible thing Cream's trauma could be in service of. Not Cream herself. The plot. In a comic book marketed at children, sold for cash money.

In short, the story is jerking itself off over how Deep and Dark it is by having Cream and Tails, the most emotionally vulnerable of the lot, be reduced to mere husks of themselves.

Did you forget that the metal virus made Tails regress into doing the exact same thing people rake Forces over the coals for?

At least NSFW artists don't pretend the gratuitousness of their art makes it Better Than The Games.

My question to you, therefore, is why do you not rail against IDW for exploiting Cream's trauma in an officially-sanctioned comic marketed to children as (supposedly) the target audience just as hard as you rail against NSFW art made for adults by nobodies in their spare time?

Because sexual violence is repulsive to you in a way non-sexual violence isn't. American puritanism has taught you that sexuality is a unique evil compared to all the other evils in this world. And so you believe, whether you know it or not, that violence is just a natural part and parcel of storytelling.

You've really told on yourself through the wording of your ask. You characterize violence and trauma as simply "dangerous" or "stressful" situations, not as things that can alter lives in and of themselves.

I could go on and say this worldview is part of the reason why I fundamentally, philosophically, and ethically disagree with the concept of anyone "deserving" any type of fate, good or bad, but that's another rabbit hole I don't have time to tumble down.

Trauma inflicted via non-sexual violence is not as remarkable or impactful as trauma inflicted by sexual violence... Worse, you appear to assume that harm is not harmful due to the violence, but due to the sexual aspect.

Furthermore, you seem to think we should expect to see depictions of violence in any given story in order for that story to have a decent plot. Which is also bullshit.

[deconstructivesurgery]

i feel like tumblr would love this (if anyone sees it) so you're going to get it:

so i don't smoke very often, right. i'm a social leech whenever someone has a blunt or something near me, but i'm hardly used to it. my dear friend had some shit legitimately called duct tape. i cannot stop laughing over this specifically because of course it was weed fucking named duct tape i love people.

i take a singular hit of the duct tape. i immediately have a 'nam flashback to one of the worst days of my life while one of my friends is singing fucking smash mouth. i am in purgatory and i feel like a marble statue. i'm the guy who smoked the scary weed at the function.

karma police by radiohead starts playing.

for probably the like seventh time that night

[thewriteroflucifenia]

Random Doll Headcannons because I'm sick and bored

Marz and Santamu are the youngest. The second youngest are Cammy and Juni.

Santamu was so desperate to help train the random animal experiments you see in Ed's story. She was just so excited to play with a dolphin and teach it how to fire an AK-47. With her newfound freedom, she works in animal conservation.

Marz loved Warhammer 40k and used to paint miniatures with her dad before she was abducted. She viewed her situation through that lens, likening herself to a Sister of Battle. Her dad keeps a few of her old miniatures by her urn.

Enero and Fevrier have a frenemy thing going on. They're sorta friends, but also sorta hate each other, but would absolutely throw hands if someone threatened the other.

Aprile decided to become a pediatric oncologist when she returned home after working as a nurse with her mother for a few years.

Noembelu is Lily's aunt and ends up raising her primarily. She ends up keeping her new name despite having no sentimental feelings about Shadaloo, solely because she's been going by it for so long she doesn't naturally respond to her old one anymore.

Enero is a trust fund baby who made her own fortune after receiving her inheritance. She's an ambitious girl boss who bought two opposing news outlets because she found their fighting amusing. She also tends to buy lavish gifts for her teammates, sometimes against their will.

Satsuki is a trans woman who published a book of poems she had written during her time as a Doll. Most of the poems are about war and rather depressing, though there's a few pleasant ones about her sisters and Kiki.

Decapre always wanted a "badass animal code name" like her little sister when she was a teenager. When she joined Delta Red, Cammy joking dubbed her "Decrapebara" (like a capybara) and much to Decapre's dismay, it stuck. She's made her peace with it because capybaras are cute.

Jianyu and Decapre have a quiet mutual respect for each other as they both had the attitude of "no, you're my roommates, THAT is my sister". They both appreciated having someone understand their hesitancy to play family with the other girls when they had a biological sister in the group already.

Fevrier started a weapons development company with Satsuki with some of the most ill-advised advertising possible. "Hire us if we've ever kicked your ass!" And "we can't possibly fuck up worse than Umbrella".

Xaiyu has worked as a stunt woman in action movies and hopes to get a main role one day.

Juni has a lifelong love for literature and her favorite story is Faust. She ended up focusing on literature when she decided to finish up her education.

Julia's bachelorette party ended up being a massive ordeal because it was basically twelve very drunk super soldiers running around, partying for a week before the wedding. By the time it was over, it was the day before the wedding and she was crying through the rehearsal dinner from exhaustion. The reaction to the next girl getting married in the group was a mix of excitement and 'nam flashbacks about the first bachelorette party.

[isupposethisisagoodusername]

So I was thinking about LOA

And to me it doesn't make much sense that they're assassin's and up with the trees kinda shit because decomposing human bodies sort of puff puff methane and methane sort of (fire noise) (fire noise) the atmosphere which then sort of drip drip the ice stuff and also sort of (fire noise) (fire noise) the hot places and both sort of (shrinking and rubber noise) (shrinking and rubber noise) animal habitats and may be very beneficial to those who are adding into the murder and making it an endless cycle of needless puff puff methane and (shrinking and rubber noise) (shrinking and rubber noise) animal habitats which leads to more corrupt companies taking those animal habitats and building more industries and shit which sort of (fire noise) (fire noise) the atmosphere even more

Also they should be far more technological than I've seen in the few reposted comic strips (lol I don't read cannon but I watched Arrow on Netflix lol, until the flashbacks started being of the future)

Like how you gonna filter the decaying bodies and their fumes, fucking acid? Yeah sure just burn the fucking Amazon already

They gotta have an elaborate disposal system and a way to get bodies to it and it has to be ecological and very hidden.

Also to me it makes a lot of sense that they have very advanced high tech and it all just looks like normal stuff but blink and it's a radiation neutralizer or its absorbing and restructuring all the bad gas in the ambient into good gas

That or they have magic to pof pof bad gas is gone but how would the chemistry of that work?

Or both?

I am more of a chemistry nerd but I'm willing to explore both possibilities

Also assassins.

Their weapons, how do they make them? Are there air filters if it's a more industrial kinda thing?

Also do they produce their tech industrially??

Do they use older weapons? Did they repay forward the ambiental damage of the past? If so, are there enough weapons for everyone?

How do they kill, who do they kill, how do they choose who to, which weapons do they use, how disposal, many questions. Many.

Also would they really be this mean bunch of people that would just hate heroes? Couldn't they figure out a way to make heroes work in their favour or use the hero work in their favour?

Bruce Wayne, I think they'd adore him because Bruce probably dumped a bunch of money on ecological shit and really, probably donates a ton of money to charities of all kinds.

Talia would try to put a normal person cover up to him even tho he Batman and try to raise Damian normally and not do whatever it is she did in cannon that makes me confused every rume

She could find so many excuses to raise Damian in the league wherever that's located. But no. Instead of a normal-ish relationship she's a fucking sycho

Also idk anything about Mr. Radioactive waste but I think he would be radioactive but not waste

And they would not use Lazarus pit just for reviving people and eystecer

They could do so much research on it and use it to revitalize the plsnet

Plants man

I can see them cleaning up Chernobyl and making a base there to do research

Also if they have magic they can sort of just puff puff resources to fix ecological damage

So if they weren't written as just villains and instead a thing that likes animals and the planet and wants to rebuild a decent society that likes the planet (which I think is sort of their villain reason???? Idk. Not sure) they'd be really fucking cool. Actually very cool. Research facilities? Done. Filtering the air? Done. Repairing the O3 layer? Done. Killing and ecologically disposing of those that cause big pollution? Done. Trash islands? Gone. Oceans? Clean. Underwater research bases? Done. Trash processing? Done.

I will get more into this but right now I do not have the time, resources, privacy, freedom or availability to hyper fixate on this.

But I plan on doing this in about a year or two.

Idk exactly what I'll do but I'm taking suggestions and ideas.

As well as names and numbers of official media containing anything League of Assassins I can use to source, explore and parallel this on. Be it comics, series, movies, anything. Am accepting. Also am accepting corrections made on the things I've said about cannon on this post since my cannon sources are almost negative

But there is my hate on DC's depiction of a marginalized group turned villain

Like they give so much gold to other villains why not the LOA

Oh and Talia would sure be besties with Ivy and maybe Catwoman (who am I kidding, they'd be for sure besties)

[transmasccatboye]

Me: I'm gonna shower

Wife [genuinely]: Yayy! Good job!

Me: This means you have to fuck me later tho

Wife: What? And ruin that new boy smell?

Me: Yeah but you know when something smells really good you just have to rub your nose in it~

Wife: oh my god

Me [laughing]

Wife: that just gave me like a horny 'nam flashback

[casekt]

Really pissed the fuck off at the idea that the only people/most common people to have PTSD are war vets bc it's not fucking true and being told I'm not having flashbacks bc I didn't serve in nam and I'm not losing complete control of reality is SO FUCKING INFURIATING

[communistcephalopod]

fuck it, ranking all of these

#12

The filter. The make up. The "Actually... one more time". The fact that it's inspired by that weird Tim Burton Alice in Wonderland remake, down to the stupid fucking "Underland" retcon. The turning of an unrelated joke into a fandom post. The fact that it's the 8th addition to a bit that has long worn out by now. This is the epitome of classic 2010s Tumblr cringe (affectionate).

#11

12th place was kinda a toss up between this and the last one, but I figured that that one hits harder while this one's just kind of low quality. Most of the others have a decent bit of editing done while this just has the saturation turned up which just makes it look crusty, some flame pngs could have saved this. What really kills this for me though is the the font choice. Really hard to read, it looks like it says "BORN TO BE WOLD", and it just doesn't feel like it fits.

#10

This is the first of the fandom hats, which were inevitable, but I'm still not a fan of them in the face of what the joke was supposed to be. It's also the 7th hat in the post, at this point the gimmick is really starting to grow tired. You could argue that it doesn't really represent the vibes of the character that well, but that's nitpicking, and it isn't totally off.

#9

Not bad, but as the 3rd reblog (I think? The early parts of this post have somehow been fucked up by time) and the first non fedora, this is where the floodgates open and you realise exactly the kind of post you're about to witness. Everything from here on out isn't riffing off of OP's joke, it's a continuation of a thread. This post is That's Amore Guy's fault. Whether that's a compliment or an insult is up to you I guess.

#8

Captures the style it's parodying pretty well, but it fails to stand out in a sea of reblogs. Well made, but not much to comment on.

#7

Same deal as the last hat, gets a place higher mostly because it was lucky enough to be relatively early in the chain.

#6

The same joke as the original, but the rose and the shitty poetry are a nice touch. Being the 2nd reblog also helps.

#5

I know I said I'm not into the fandom additions, but the camera angle on this one is too good to write off. It would have been so easy to just throw in some coins and goombas or whatever, but the use of the Bowser plushie and the dramatic pose and the fireballs make this one genuinely pretty funny.

#4

One of the less high effort ones, but as the original it doesn't feel like it's part of the one upping contest the others are in, it's a self contained joke, and as a self contained joke it works pretty well.

#3

A solid punchline and a necessary conclusion. Successfully manages to say "alright, wrap it up, we're done here" while still somehow managing to end this hellpost on a high point.

#2

Right as the post is about to grow stale it hits us with this. One of the best edited images on the post that really captures the 2015 douchiness so perfectly. And the caption. "Shave your arm hair" next to that face is so fucking funny to me, I don't know what else to say. I just really like this one.

#1

Many of the hats on this post suffer somewhat from being late additions that come after a long stream of 2010s Tumblr cringe, but this beats out "Shave your arm hair" because of where it is. After three of the worst hats (in my opinion) in a row, this honestly saves the post. Breaking up the barrage of lol wacky 2015 humour with a 'Nam flashback is such an effective gut punch. What really makes this one though is when he takes it off. Everyone else does the same cartoonish blurry jump back while making a stupid face, that's part of what makes the post feel the way it does. He just sits there. Horrified by what he's seen. 10/10, peak cinema.

Are fedoras really that bad?

YES YES THEY ARE

[benefits1986]

say.yes.

When flashbacks turn to glimmers.

I hate parties like bridal showers. But there are exemptions, of course. It's my first time looking into the historicity of this thing called a bridal shower. And also, hello there, AI overview!!! Hahahaha. Badly put, the bride squad ensures that the bride will make it to her wedding by hook or crook. It may involved funds or even their own lives during a dark era in humanity.

For this upcoming wedding, I requested that I be taken out of the "entourage" in exchange for taking grainy snaps. And this super good friend of mine said yes. LOL. We've had a few travels together and one of the reasons why I'm one of her travel buddies is because she wants decent photos and videos taken.

Her love story flashbacked to me during her bridal shower. I was pretty much silent because I was trying to make sense of why the flashbacks came. "She did it well!" --That's the bottom line.

A few years back, she messaged me that she's gonna go all out on swiping right. Me: Push. Online dating is kinda frowned upon and I myself don't want to go there for my own reasons. She'd update me and syempre, she'd get spicy statements like: -While there are good men online, the truth is that there'd be a lot more women.

-Being ghosted is part of the game, sadly yet truly.

-If you'd like to go the Christian dating route, your chances of success will dramatically decrease. BUT, it can happen.

-Your game is your game. Your timeline is your timeline. So whatever others say, fuck them all.

-Kahit bobo ka minsan, kakampi mo ko. Period. So, slayyyyyy.

-If it doesn't work. It's always a two-way shit zone. Don't be too hard on yourself. Putting yourself out there is already a win on its own.

The wait was not pretty. Pota. But, since I'm this enabler of kabaliwan, sige lang. Goooooo. And whenever olats siya, I'd tell her, get back on track. Akala mo naman believer of love ako noh? Hahahaha. That's just me trying my best to take part in my good friend's journey even when it means na minsan kuhang-kuha niya talaga gigil ko. Looking back, that may be the part of me which lives through her kabaliwan vicariously.

I felt badly everytime she came empty-handed and rejected. Tangina. While she has her quirks, she knows she's dating to marry. Yun talaga. She has a decent background and has a really good career track pa. So, in a way, decent package. Sabi ko nga sa kanya, puwedeng bang date to have fun and explore na lang muna para mas feasible. Ayaw niya. Me: Okay pero sinasabi ko sa'yo, madugo 'yang trip mo a. There'd be times na naluluha na rin ako kasi naman, pota talaga. Ang hassle din talaga ng mga ganaps at times. Malimit, the malandi brings home the bacon talaga e. Ganun ang laban. Wala namang mali doon, honestly. Pero kasi nga, dating to marry is quite rare these days especially sa age group namin. 'Yung mga igop, alam mo na rin. Nasa kabilang ibayo a lot of them.

Funny as this may seem, isa siya sa talagang pinagdadasal ko na sana magkaroon na ng asawa among my other single XX friends na talaga naman pong masidhi ang longing forda one. Me: Lorddee, unahin mo na 'tong mga 'to. No pressure naman sa side ko e. Hahahahahahahahaha. Me to myself: Lorddeee, tamad na tamad na akong magka-pake ang maging a bit gentle and failing at it. Paki tawid na 'to. 'Yung gusto niya at gusto mo, paki align. Paki usap lang. Baka mauntog ko na talaga 'to e.

And then, the right swipe happened.

Eto na 'to. Syempre, I'm the devil's advocate. Since she's an expat, I can't dissect the XY she found. I don't ask details din that much. Kung ano lang kwento sa akin, okay. Let's build it from there. During our first meet and greet ni XY, engaged na sila. They spent years together na rin naman and alam mo na, aging millennials so habol sa pag-build ng family.

Una kong tanong: What made you say that she is the one? Follow-up q: What reservations did you have to come through when you proposed to her? The table went silent. Hahahahaha. Philo guy naman 'to, so, g.

Nasagot niya ng mainam and natawa ako kasi 'di pa raw natanong ni friend ko sa kanya 'yun ever. Syempre kinilig 'yung kaibigan ko. Ako naman to myself: Pasado. Plus points para sa pupils niya na can't lie, too. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

What I liked better sa sagot niya is that he thought about it and looked me and our small group in the eye while he's at it. I asked a few more questions and again, hindi BS sagot niya. Walang halo na "brainy ako a" vibe. Sabi nung isang kaibigan namin, mga tanong ko raw, wagas. E first meet up. Sabi ko, e ano naman? LOL.

We had a good conversation and what I like best about this guy is that he balances my friend. They're opposites but their goals align. And I saw talaga that my maarte friend has been making reasonable and admirable compromises which is integral in building relationships and nurturing them. EMMMEMMMEEEEE.

If there's one thing I like a looootttt, 'di ko na need bumili ng flowers para sa friend ko na 'to, finally. Ayoko ng flowers pero since 'yun ang gusto niya, jusko. May suki na ako na sakto sa budget at mukhang 'di tinipid na naggagawa mga Pinterest-inspired arrangements 'pag may paganaps. Thank uuuuu, Lorrrdddeeee.

Kidding aside, cheers to another sapak sa fez na love is true. SHEMAY. LUL. Kadire. Pero sige, sige. Pakshet malala. And that love is a work in progress and a process of choosing to go beyond yourself. While I still have so many doubts, NASA podcast era na rin tayo na sige, tignan natin ang kabilang banda ng mga bagay-bagay for a change. Hayyyyy. 'Yung Lordeee, no pressure ko nasa Lorddeee, 'di naman ako nape-pressure pero ang weird lang talaga kasi I'm so used to shutting love-related things down.

Baka naman kasi marami lang weddings and ganaps lately kaya baka naman mood swing lang 'to. Hahahahahahaha. Hayaan muna nating mag-marinate 'tong paganaps na 'to because I don't want to rush this chapter. Whoa. Chapter? Hahahahahahaha. Siguro, in the name of being a recovering avoidant, let this be a reminder that 'di naman masamang sumubok ulit. SHETTTTTT. Totoo ba 'yan? Ako ba talaga 'yan? Sakit ng tiyan ko bigla pero ayun na nga.

Medyo nage-evolve na rin 'yung prayer ko ngayon. LUH. Natatawa pa nga ako madalas kasi kadire talaga. As in. Abangan. :p Tapos, ending mood swing lang pala noh? Abangan din.

Kabado lang ako sa ilaw sa araw ng wedding neto friend ko. May peg kasi siya na gusto sa photos. And since 'yun ang gift ko sa kanila, sana talaga maging oks ang ilaw. More importantly, sana ma-capture ng mainam 'yung mga moments na syempre, wala ng take two. Shemayyyyyuyyy. Ang mahal lalo ng films ngayon. Potaaaa. May camera akong gusto kaso iniisip ko baka panget exposure kasi nga 'di natin alam ang lagay ng panahon, pero gagawaan natin ng paraan 'yan by hook or by crook. Lels. Dapat pala 'yung drip ko ay I can freely move around so ekis na 'yung isang option kahit super cutie niya. EMEEEMMMEEE. Baka pantsuit na lang or parang daster vibe pero 'di halata. :p

Speaking of snaps, the other day, I had to shoot a room full of people. Siguro mga hundred madlang people 'yun easily. Namiss ko rin mag-shoot, honestly. And as introvert na wala namang choice, natuwa akong may command pa rin pala ako kahit super big group. Happy naman sila sa photos. LOL. Dami ko rin nakilalang bago. Small talk galore kahit ayoko talagang lumabas at makipag-interact.

PS: Flashbacks din sa mga lahat ng mga kabobohan ko na sana naman, matuto na ako this time. Para naman 'di naman maging epic fail na naman ang mga okay talaga. Shemayyyy.

[iholli]

working through the ROTTMNT movie today and y'all I am. not ready to cry but I know I'm going to

spoilers in the tags bc I'm processing rn so far it's. a lot. my heart

[itsclydebitches]

"We are marble buddies." First, it's heart warming, then it's tear enducing and then it's heaping helping of 'Oh, you mother fucker.'. That episode of Squid Game hit me hard and got even harder with each episode after.

Right? And it gets even worse the more you think about it. Knowing of Il-nam's betrayal colors so much of the story for me.

Gi-hun greets him by making small talk about how he's the first one to arrive, 001, when in reality Il-nam never arrived at all. He was always there. He was never drugged, manhandled, undressed by a bunch of strangers. Il-nam took off his fancy suit upstairs and donned the sweats like a costume, playing the part of another frail, terrified kidnapee.

When the games start and the Red Light, Green Light massacre has just ended, II-nam is the only one who moves during the next round, grinning all the while.

Because he already knows what's going on! And he knows he's not in any actual danger! This guy isn't going to risk getting shot during his "I'm poor and have to play death games to get by" make believe session. No way it's not rigged to ensure his safety, so off he pops, smiling at his own fun. (Which, you know, obliterates the Front Man's claim that this is all about fairness, how dare you learn the game ahead of your peers, Doctor, that's cheating. When, you know, there's a real cheater in their midst the whole while.) I suspect that's also why Mi-nyeo gets to sit out the marbles game: all the orchestrators likely assumed that Il-nam would be the odd one out, since no one wants to pair with an old man, so they built in an excuse for his survival, but instead end up giving that to Mi-nyeo when Gi-hun makes his unexpected offer. But at the time of Red Light, Green Light, the viewer brushes this behavior off with the assumption that, since he's terminally ill, he's just fearless.

Which generates the expectation that he'll continue the games because he has nothing left to lose, in turn creating a feeling of real love for him when he "saves" everyone by choosing the X. When in reality, he chose to be 001. He chose to have everyone vote in reverse order. Sure, it was always possible that there'd be a huge sway for or against the games, rendering his final vote useless, but with the 50/50 split things are as they "should" be, with him pulling the strings. Let's remind everyone of the hardships they're enduring outside so that they consciously want to come back and risk their lives.

And then he runs into Gi-hun! "Runs into" with, like, the biggest scare quotes imaginable. He was in the neighborhood, my ass. We know he doesn't need to bunk down with a friend. We know that this organization is stalking every player (keeping an eye on the 7% that didn't come back, Gi-hun's final phone call telling him to get on the plane, etc.) II-nam orchestrated this "run in" so he could build his relationship with Gi-hun, fucking with him all the while. Yeah, I'll have some of the alcohol you can barely afford. In turn you can have some of this uncooked ramen that meant nothing for me to buy. We're both just poor, struggling fellows, right?

(Compare all this to Sang-woo who, yeah, turns ruthless by the end, but before that was actually compassionate in everyday matters. He lets Ali borrow his phone, buys him food, and gives him bus fare, all without any expectation that he'll be paid back. It's only when the game pits them against each other that he tries to leverage that kindness to save himself.)

From then on, Gi-hun and II-nam have a number of heart-to-hearts that, upon reflection, just read as more manipulation. Gi-hun has a horrifying flashback and admits that he was involved in a deadly strike, which II-nam comforts him over. Yet not only is this another moment of the elite just playing at understanding, but he's playing at surprise too. There are detailed records of every player's life, including the past choices that helped lead them to this level of debt. Gi-hun's firing is absolutely a part of that and no way does II-nam not know. He's just taking advantage of Gi-hun's trust. What particularly fascinates me though is how he plays up his illness. I'm not sure whether he could have faked the fever (perhaps something in the food, if he really wanted to go that route?) and he is legitimately sick, but everything else carries the implication that he's playing the cancer up for his own use. It's too much of a coincidence that he forgets his name right when Gi-hun asks for it in front of a crowd, especially when this is an organization so obsessed with anonymity that you're shot the moment you lose your mask. No way that, for a man who's real game is torturing these people, he coincidentally loses his memory right when Gi-hun needs him to play, causing intense terror that they'll both be killed. He just happens to find one marble left, inducing more horror that Gi-hun could still lose. He just happens to regain his faculties long enough to accuse Gi-hun, then "sacrifice" himself, all while giving an emotional goodbye that will haunt him for the next year, only to then reveal his duplicity. It brings everything II-nam does into question. Did he actually wet himself? Or did he find some of the extra water and dump it on his pants? As someone whose father has a brain tumor and has seen every one of these symptoms, they're all depicted in a way that's very convincing... but Il-nam's true identity makes me suspicious of it all.

The real kicker for me though is that we have no reason to doubt Il-nam's claims about his past. Gi-hun makes a point of asking if that's really his name, if what he said was really true, and we're reassured that it was. Il-nam seems to have been truthful about everything he said... he just didn't say a lot. Which means that (if we trust the story's lack of proof that this isn't true) he really did grow up in a neighborhood just like Gi-hun's. He really did watch his son after a long day at work. At some point, prior to becoming the wealthy powerhouse determined to entertain himself and others, Il-nam was someone whose situation looked a lot like the players'... and that personal experience didn't create a shred of empathy in him. He got out and began exploiting his former community, not helping it, and since then he's actively encouraged others (like the detective's brother) to do the same. It's all so horrible.

I actually ended up calling the twist ahead of time. I knew for sure once we saw the Host reaching for his mask and I recognized Il-nam's hands. But I wasn't sure when I reassured my mom that, despite the clearly horrific nature of this show, there was so much good and hope too. Don't worry! It may be depressing in many respects, but it's so heartwarming to see these bonds forming; people helping one another get through such tragedy. There's one relationship in particular that's just the sweetest. You'll love watching that!

An episode later when everything marbles happens and I'm sure of Il-nam's duplicity:

[tinyboxxtink]

"Doppelganger" *Part 4*

I don't know why I do this, I'm such a little shit. I'm leaving this here, the biggest cliffhanger yet and I might not get one done tomorrow! MWAHAHHAHAHAHAA. No I'm just kidding, but seriously it might not go up until most of you go to bed so I'm sorry if you miss it!

This had to pick up though, it was kind of lagging. Gotta get that super angst/suspense ramped up!!!

I'll leave you to ponder that now as you go into this, mwhahaaha.

[Side note the position of the gif's *CHEF KISS* MWAH!!! I didn't even try and do that. It's so beautiful.]

Part 3

Part 5

Tag List

@madamsnape921

@lolliepopsicle

@chasingeverybreakingwave

@milkshqke

@wanniiieeee

@word-scribbless

@gibbs274

@sassyada

@aprildecker-blog

@bookishfanfic

@stars-in-the-skies-world

@stars-trash-18

@omgsuperstarg

@objection-argumentative

-----------------------

You decided to grab Rafael’s favorite dish from a nearby deli, got something for yourself and Gabi, and headed up to the DA’s building.

“Wow, fancy,” Gabi remarked as you walked inside.

“I guess,” You shrugged. You had become so used to it when you worked for him, it wasn’t really anything special to you now. You walked down the hall and noted Rafael's new intern, a young guy of course, on your insistence. You knocked on the door softly, having some ‘nam flashbacks of the last time you knocked on this door.

“You ok?” Gabi asked you with a concerned face. “You look pale,”

That could be due to the fact that Rafael was not answering you, now you really WERE having a PTSD panic.

“Rafael?!” You poked your head in, terrified for some reason. To your relief, he was just on the phone.

“Uh huh, yes, yes sir, alright judge I’ll see you this afternoon,” He smiled at you and waved you in as he hung up with the judge. His face scrunched up when he saw you had a guest with you.

“...Who’s this?” He looked at Gabi suspiciously.

“This is my friend Gabi,” You introduced her as she gave a friendly wave.

“....And when did you meet Gabi, exactly?” Rafael still eyed her warily.

“Excuse me?” Gabi asked in an offended tone.

“Rafael, what are you doing?” You asked him through gritted teeth.

“You don’t think Nevada would have plants?” Rafael kept his eye on Gabi, who was starting to sweat. Gabi’s pulse quickened, she tried her best to keep a cool, calm expression.

“Rafael!” You hissed. “Are you kidding me?!”

“Who’s Nevada?” Gabi played dumb.

“Nobody, nothing-- it’s nothing, don’t worry about it,” You waved your hands dismissively.

“What’s your story, Gabi? Do you have a last name?” He kept on her, noting her quickening nervous state.

“RAFAEL,” You grabbed his shoulder.

“Y/N,” He repeated back at you. He looked at Gabi-- “Can you excuse us a moment?” He then pulled you to the side.

“Baby, please be smart about this--”

“So what, I’m just not supposed to have any friends?” You scoffed.

“You have friends! You have Chloe,” He pointed out.

“Oh my god--” You looked to the side trying not to lose it in the office. “Rafael this is exactly what I’m talking about, you need to stop trying to control my life.. Stop trying to be my FATHER,”

Gabi couldn’t help but laugh as she heard you call him your father; clearly you had some raging daddy issues. Rafael glared at her, making her quickly stop.

“We’ll talk about this later,” Rafael started to walk back to his desk, dismissing you.

“Oh will we, dad?” You crossed your arms. “Am I grounded now? I can’t hang out with my friends until I apologize for talking back to you?”

“Y/N, please leave before I say something I regret,” He clenched his fist.

“No, please go on, father,” You spat. “Please, tell me what else I can and can’t do. Maybe you want to pick out my clothes for tomorrow? Escort me to my classes?” You yelled mockingly.

Gabi was enjoying the show, already planning her celebratory dinner with Nevada. Once he heard she drove a wedge between the two of you so he could swoop in would please him so much, he’d fuck her so fast it would make Marcella’s fake tits fall off.

“....Maybe I wouldn’t have to act like your father if you didn’t act like such a CHILD. God it’s no wonder they didn’t want to come see you!” He pounded the desk, then suddenly realized he had said the last part out loud.

Your face turned pale, your mouth dropped open as tears stung your eyes. You couldn’t believe that he had just said that-- he threw your biggest secret in your face like that, in front of a stranger no less. You stared at Gabi, who looked incredibly uncomfortable and confused. She was secretly celebrating being able to look anything else but as nervous as she felt while being interrogated by Rafael.

“Y/N….I didn’t mean--” Rafael immediately went to your side, trying to hold you and apologize.

“Yes you did,” You growled, trying not to cry. “You know what, I need a break,”

“...A break?” Rafael’s brows furrowed. “From me?”

“Yes, Rafael. A break from YOU,” You turned and started to stomp out of the office but Rafael grabbed your arm.

“Carino come on, don’t do this, not now--” Rafael begged you, still not trusting Gabi’s face.

“Oh right, because if you’re not beside me 24/7 I’m going to get kidnapped or something, right?!” You cried as tears dripped down your face.

Gabi was awestruck she was actually watching this conversation take place. Were they fucking with her? Did they know what was going on?

“I’m not saying that, but-- look please, please, listen to me--” He pleaded with you just as you had pleaded with him at the church that awful day.

“NO, Rafael,” You broke free from his grasp. “I’m tired of you thinking that you’re better than me, that you need to protect me like I’m a baby bird,”

“Um maybe I should--” Gabi motioned towards the door.

“YES you should,” Rafael huffed.

“NO, don’t bother Gabi, we’re leaving,” You huffed harder.

“...I’ll see you at home?” Rafael asked you softly.

“What did I just say?!” You rolled your eyes. “I’ll be at Chloe���s, don’t call or text me for a few days,”

“No, no I can’t do that--” Rafael protested.

“Either that or take this back,” You took off your ring and held it out to him. Gabi began to panic again, she knew she had to get that ring.

“Seriously? Don’t you think you’re--”

“What, acting like a child, Rafael?” You glared at him. “I’m trying NOT to, I just-- I just want to calm down, so just-- give me a few days,” You slipped your ring back on to Gabi’s relief. Then you nodded to her to follow her out and you both left Rafael’s office.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have--” Gabi tried to act apologetic, but was secretly giddy inside.

“No, it’s not your fault,” You wiped the angry tears from your face. “I um...I need some time to myself right now though,”

“Of course,” Gabi nodded as if she was being kind and understanding, but really she couldn’t wait to call Nevada.

“Cool, I’ll um-- I’ll see you in class,” You were so out of it from being so upset you didn’t notice the huge smile crawl across Gabi’s face as she turned and ran the opposite way you were walking, dialing her phone.

“....Vada? I’ve got your perfect in,”

-------

A few days latter was your final. You had to perform Shakespearean monologues on the big main stage of the University, and you were terrified. You were kicking yourself that you had told Rafael you needed space as you paced back and forth backstage. You hadn't talked or texted him since you had stormed out of his office the other day.

“Hey, you okay?” Gabi came up to you from the side door.

“No, I-- I should call Rafa, I need him,” You went to get your phone but Gabi stopped you.

“Well, clearly he knows that,” Gabi gave you a smile, nodding to the audience.

You looked out to see Rafael sitting in the second row of the theater. When he saw you, he gave you a loving look and a small wave. You sighed happily; he knew you better than you knew yourself. He knew you’d need him here, and here he was. You loved him so much, you just wanted to go and kiss him and tell him you were sorry, but there would be time after your test.

Soon enough it was your turn, and you recited your monologue absolutely perfectly-- staring into Rafael’s beautiful green eyes the entire time. As soon as you were done, Rafael stood up and applauded loudly, making you giggle and blush.

Your professor looked a bit annoyed that your fiancé was there making a show of himself, but congratulated you on a job well done. You walked down the stairs and out into the house where Rafael met you with open arms and a dozen roses.

“Mi amor,” He beamed, as you jumped into his arms.

“I’m sorry,” You apologized as you snuggled into his chest. “I shouldn’t have been so--”

“No no no, shhhh,” He raised your face to look at him, his face so tender and pure. “I’m sorry carino, I never should have brought up your parents, I know how much you miss them,”

“Thank you for coming,” You kissed him gently, feeling complete again. He deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue down your throat and biting your lip.

“Raffi!” You broke apart and hit him playfully, glancing around to make sure no one saw such a dirty kiss.

“What? I haven’t seen you in a few days, I missed...this,” He grabbed your ass with both hands. You didn’t know what had gotten into him, although you realized you actually hadn’t spent more than a day apart before since you’d gotten together-- maybe you should punish him more often!

“Well, let’s go take care of that then,” You grinned devilishly, grabbing his own perfect little peaches in your dainty hands.

“I know just the place, carino,” He grabbed your hand and pulled you out the side doors.

You hadn’t realized that Gabi had been missing since before you started your monologue, and you hadn’t noticed that she had taken your phone from your purse while you were onstage. Currently, she was at the front doors of the theater lobby, arguing with….the REAL Rafael.

“Look lady, I don’t know who you think you are, but I think I know my fiancé better than you. She needs me!” He yelled.

“And I’m pretty sure I heard her say she NEEDS space, pendejo,” She blocked him from entering the theater.

“Is there a problem here?” Javi came over, dressed in a campus security uniform.

“Yes sir, this stranger is trying to burst in on a PRIVATE class, to stalk a student,” Gabi acted very concerned for her friend's safety.

“STALK a student--? Are you fucking kidding me? Kid look she’s--”

“I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to leave, sir,” Javi started to escort Rafael out.

“Excuse me? Look man I’m the ADA of New York I’m not some rando--” Rafael started to argue.

“Anyone on campus without a student or faculty ID is strictly prohibited, sir,” Javi lied. “Even if you are the ADD,” He messed up his title just to fuck with Rafael.

“The ADA!” He yelled as Javi pushed him out the front door and shut it, locking it behind him.

“Well, that was easy,” He smirked at Gabi, giving her a fist bump. Rafael saw it from outside the doors.

That could not be good….

------

Meanwhile

“Rafael” led you to a huge limo, helping you get inside.

“Wow, this is a step up from an Uber,” You joked.

“Well, I knew this was a big day for my baby, and I knew I had a lot to make up for,” Rafael smiled, kissing you deeply as you both got in the car, lips locked.

“God I missed you,” You giggled, kissing him over and over. It was true, even for a few days without him was like torture. His smell, his lips, his touch-- you needed it all.

If only you knew you were about to give it all away to someone you didn’t even know.

[skaruresonic]

Yeah, actually, I do hate '06 because I played it. And I'm fairly confident in calling it a soul-sucking tedious no-joy broken mess. And that's saying something, considering I played Sonic Chronicles twice.

I hated playing '06 so fucking much that I stopped at around the 80% mark for Silver. I remember asking Greeny how to get past the desert ball puzzle because fuck me if that wasn't the most infuriating shit, and she suggested I exploit a bug. Without her advice, I'm almost certain I would have ditched the game then and there.

I managed to muscle through 60% of Sonic's story ('nam flashbacks to White Acropolis' snowboard section, the worst of SA1's Ice Cap could never). Crisis Core, or whatever it's called, made me so bored that I decided - hoped - Shadow's story would provide a sliver of enjoyment.

Ultimately I remained at 20% completion for Shadow's story. The vehicle section for Kingdom Valley snapped something inside me and made me allergic to the game forevermore. I then realized that there was nothing I could gain from the game. Not even the promise of Peak Shadow(tm) could save it, the game is that much of a dumpster fire.

I legit have not picked it up in... what? 6 years? Seven? And have no plans to return to it anytime soon. In fact, I'd rather it not exist at all because it just feels like an overhyped pain in the ass while simultaneously a reminder of the series' nadir, despite the fact that we've long since moved on.

[slashthedice]

Shhiiiit, Bubba night? Sign me the fuck up. Since Fourth Of July is coming up, how about we get some Fourth Of July stuff Bubba and his s/o will do? ((Also yeehaw, I'm Texan like our big boy.))

I grew up in Texas, so yeehaw and howdy to you my fellow Texan 🤠

I think it goes without saying that an Independence Day barbecue is in order. Drayton will man the grill and complain the whole time, but he’ll fight anyone that tries to take over for him.

One would think that fireworks and such would set off Chop Top’s ‘Nam flashbacks, but he and Nubbins are more than eager to get those popping and are thrilled to have an audience.

The Fourth tends to be a family affair, but if you can snag a blanket, some of the barbecue and some watermelon, you and Bubba can sneak off and have your own private picnic somewhere secluded.