#Tycoon Lifestyle

[dgtcreative2024]

Tycoon Achievements: The Demonstrated Way to Riches

Do you suppose turning into a tycoon requires a huge venture or possessing a major business? Reconsider truly, arriving at those million dooll achievements is tied in with pursuing shrewd monetary decisions, and it's demonstrated that you can undoubtedly begin the way to abundance with just $5 every day. Envision each and every day you figure out how to save just $5. It very well may be the change from your morning, espresso or the couple of dollars you could spend on a speedy nibble throughout a break currently imagine.

[yundeob]

A NIGHT IN HOLLYWOOD ☆ | ATEEZ SERIES

— featuring ot8!ateez in iconic HOLLYWOOD romance and rom-com movies

— TICKET BOOTH IS CLOSED! 🎟️ : the movies are about to start! all fics will have MATURE CONTENT! MDNI!

sit back, relax, grab your popcorn and tissues, and enjoy the silver screen . . .

THE PARENT TRAP ☆ | KHJ

TROPE: exes to lovers! divorced!au

TAGS: nsfw, smut, fluff, angst, crack, slice of life

AS DIVORCED PARENTS to two twin daughters, you and hongjoong have your fair share of work cut out. Driving to piano lessons, cheering at hockey games, drop offs at each other’s houses, it can all be a little much. But could a relaxing summer retreat as a whole family possibly rekindle past emotions you’ve swept under the rug? . . .

— IN THEATRES

DIRTY DANCING ☆ | PSH

TROPE: bad boy!seonghwa, enemies to lovers!au , 60s!au

TAGS: nsfw, smut, angst, crack

THAT WAS THE SUMMER before JFK got shot, before the beatles came, and when you were working part time at your aunts summer resort. That was also the summer you met resident heart breaker and cocky entertainment crew member, Park Seonghwa. Remind yourself why you’re suddenly dance partners with him again? . . .

— not yet in theatres . . .

PRETTY WOMAN ☆ | JYH

TROPE: dilf!yunho x formerstripper!reader, strangers to lovers!au, contract lovers!au,

TAGS: nsfw, smut, fluff, angst

LIVING IN BEVERLY HILLS comes with its perks. But for two different people such as yourself and multimillionaire business tycoon, Jeong Yunho, both of you can’t seem to find what you’re looking for in the so called ‘Land of Dreams’. So the proposal is simple really… let him spoil you with money, jewelry and clothes while in return, you stay by his side. . .

— not yet in theatres . . .

MR AND MRS KANG ☆ | KYS

TROPE: marriage!au, established relationship, spy!au, assasin!au

TAGS: nsfw, smut, fluff, ANGST, crack

WHO WOULD’VE THOUGHT picture perfect suburban neighbourhood couple, Mr. and Mrs. Kang would be at each others necks trying to kill each other first. You’ve both come this far in your marriage while hiding your secret identities, but it looks like only one person can remain standing. I guess you both did promise “in sickness and in health”. . .

— not yet in theatres . . .

ROMAN HOLIDAY ☆ | CS

TROPE: royalty!au, princess!reader x reporter!san, strangers to lovers!

TAGS: nsfw, smut, fluff, angst

AS CROWN PRINCESS, you’re on a tightly scheduled tour of European capital cities. But after an especially rough day in Rome, you sneak out of the embassy to explore the so called Eternal City, running into no other than celebrity news reporter, Choi San, looking out for his next big royal scandal. . .

— not yet in theatres . . .

10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU ☆ | SMG

TROPE: college!au, stoner!mingi, enemies to lovers!au, fakedating(?)au, y2k aesthetic

TAGS: nsfw, smut, fluff, angst, crack, slice of life

YOUR YOUNGER BROTHER Wooyoung is desperate in getting you, his older sister in college, to date so that he can finally date in highschool. The options for potential candidates are scarce, considering men flock away like birds the second you’re near. Good thing campus stoner and weirdo, Song Mingi is the same as well. . .

— not yet in theatres . . .

HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS ☆ | JWY

TROPE: fashioncolumnist!reader x advertiser!wooyoung, y2k aesthetic, fake dating(?)au, enemies to lovers!au, mutual pining

TAGS: nsfw, smut, fluff, angst, crack, slice of life

LISTEN, IF IT MEANS getting a promotion at your editorial company as a news journalist instead of pop culture and lifestyle columnist, you’d do anything. And that includes pretending to be the most annoying and clingiest girlfriend to some guy for 10 whole days. But just so you know, Wooyoung likes clingy. . .

— not yet in theatres . . .

ROMEO & JULIET ☆ | CJH

TROPE: unrequited love, star crossed lovers!au, mutual pining, secret romance (shakespeare be rolling in his grave rn)

TAGS: nsfw, smut, fluff, ANGST

FOR CENTURIES, a plague of hatred and hostility has been present in the relations between the House of Choi and your own. You know you can’t be together, but yet why do you keep catching that dark haired boy staring at you so longingly? And why do you want him just as bad?. . .

— not yet in theatres . . .

a/n: for updates, follow my blog! this will be a work-in-progress so I ask for your support:(🙏

taglist: @vent-stink @dazzlingstarrs @vcutparis @xpixie @potatos-on-clouds @showingmafandomlove @bibbleypoof @kpop-will-kill-me @avantalem @beabatiny @gabrielle-brugger @nsixns @amaranth1ne @stayminho @myblovedjyh @kkeshia @rebekah-reads @yoonbroom @4kwp @butterflydemons @iwaizumiismybae @soobinsputnik @stayatinykatsy @atitties @justconniez @kitten4sannie @ghostskilledmyaddiction21 @cheolsthicthighs @morethingsfandom @geminiml95 @byuntrash101 @quailbagutte @syubseokie @newworldwritings @urmom26john @sleepy-kat-here @pearltinyy @hjshyhyssnmgwyjh @cursedeastern @starryunho @piratekingateez2001 @jiminbility @paumll @drinkingrumandcocacola @roomsofangel @channies-bbg-room @meanaonthemoon @teeztopia @pommelex @kiln9z @sanhwalvr @youresolivlie @edawg77 @a-0206 @summer-gyu @bvidzsoo @yoongzsmile28 @tournesol155

taglist became too long so find the second taglist here💀 no longer taking requests

[hamilando]

ੈ✩ double number 4 (smau) ੈ✩

pairing : lando norris x fem reader

summary : Y/N gets to know she has two boyfriends with the name Lando

tw : identity theft, fake fans ¿ , suggestive ( very less )

fc: Ningning from Aespa

a/n : thank you so much to @rochyu for suggesting this ! lysm 🫶🏻 also I am not pursuing law ( finance girly here ) so if by mistake I have used a wrong law term, lmk and I will correct it !

·:｡･ﾟﾟ･ ✩ ･ﾟ ･ﾟ·:｡･ﾟﾟ･ ･ﾟ·:｡･ﾟﾟ･ ✩ ･ﾟ ･ﾟ·:｡･ﾟﾟ･･ﾟ·:｡･ﾟﾟ･ ✩ ･ﾟ ･ﾟ·:｡･ﾟﾟ

liked by user1, user2, user3 and others

iamtaken when your boyfriend sends you a good morning picture and message 🫶🏻

view comments

user1 you are so lucky 😭

user2 where do you even find such guys 🌝

user3 is third floor enough ?

user4 he is so handsome 😮‍💨

user5 what’s his name ?

iamtaken lance ❤️

user6 that face looks to familiar …

user7 has he ever video called you ?

iamtaken that’s a very personal question you are asking 🫷🏻

user7 no like just please answer

iamtaken ofc he has !

user7 he can’t look like that

iamtaken wdym? Jealous much ?

user7 not jealous, you got played, that’s an f1 driver, Lando Norris

iamtaken huh?

user8 MY GOD HE IS THE SAME!

user9 YOU ARE DATING A RICH GUY ?

user10 u are dating a f1 driver ?

user11 chill y’all, lando is already dating someone else

iamtaken it's just a coincidence

user12 girl, what’s his id ?

iamtaken @ lanceperez

user13 that guy is certainly a f1 fan 💀

user14 Stroll and Checo 🗿

user15 deadly combination 🌝

user16 we need to blow the account up so that the authorities see this and address the situation!

user17 it’s not a mere prank, it’s literally identity theft !

iamtaken is it a wrong time to say that I sent him money ?

user18 girl 💀

user19 tag lando, mclaren and his gf !

user20 @ mclaren @ landonorris @ yninging

user21 @ mclaren @ landonorris @ yninging

liked by landonorris, alexandramiuex, versace and others

yninging shoutout to @ Versace for making this dress and shoutout to the real @ landonorris for taking it off me

view comments

user1 mic drop

user2 belt drop 💀

user3 SHE SLAYEd!?

user4 do I look at the caption or her -

landonorris my hands are waiting ?

landonorris come over soon 🫶🏻

user5 lando upholding his feeakyness

user6 I thought only max matched his freak

user7 they only match in crashing into each other 💪🏻

user8 to have a pretty a pretty girlfriend 😮‍💨

user9 another pretty hand doll for money

user10 bruv, -10000 aura

user11 no wait actually, we know nothing about her except her name, nationality and her extremely extravagant lifestyle

user12 not we, only you, she is a Chinese heiress to €34 billion tycoon back in China

user13 and she has done her masters from London Business School

user12 talk about brains and beauty

liked by ynining, charlesleclerc, lewishamilton and others

landonorris the girls I have cheated with on @ yninging

view comments

user1 was this supposed to be posted …

user2 Lando wrong acc ?

user3 YALL ITS HIS GIRLFRIEND WITH DIFFERENT HAIR COLORS

user4 LMAOO

user5 it’s the same girl -

user6 all of them are same !?

user7 the girl spawned a new face every time she dyed her hair

user8 her dyeing her hair is as frequent as max winning

user9 the caption scared me -

yninging good 👍

user10 she has turned into a gramp 💀

user11 how is she so pretty?

user12 Lando may not score in races, but he scored in the love department

user13 you did not just -

mclaren Kindly refrain from giving the PR a heart attack

landonorris 🧡

[drunk-on-dk]

Track 1: Hotel | Choi Seungcheol (m)

Track 1 - Hotel // Montell Fish - playlist linked here

Pairing: Heir!Choi Seungcheol x fem!reader Genre: SMUT (minors DNI), angst? w/c: ~3.1k (some change, barely proofread tbh) Summary: Old Money/Heir!Seungcheol can't help but invite you to his hotel room no matter how dangerous you are for him and his reputation.

Explicit Content - Minors DNI, Listeners 18+, NSFW Warnings Below

content warning: unprotected sex (stay protected pls); oral (male receiving); no specific pronouns used, but reader has female anatomy & wears a dress; degrading name (brat); bratty reader; dom!cheol; big dick!cheol; rough?cheol (pussy slapping, choking, makes the reader crawl); a bit of commentary on shitty businesses for the sake of minimal plot; secret hooking up lmao

a/n: lol this is the beginning of my playlist series and I just got so excited I couldn't wait to post! I hope you all enjoy it! As always, all feedback is appreciated <3

“When I met you in that hotel room

I could tell that you were so bad news

But I keep messing with ya, messing with ya

And now you messing with me, messing with me”

Seungcheol knew you were bad news when he first met you in ECON 101 his first year of university. You had plucked his pen right out of his fingertips with a devilish smirk on your lips and continued to scribble your number down on his hand without a second thought after he had been assigned as your study partner for the semester.

Admittedly, you were very attractive to Seungcheol the moment he laid eyes on you in the lecture hall. However, he soon would find out you both lived very different lifestyles. Seungcheol was the son of a successful tech business tycoon; following in his father’s footsteps and only committing to majoring in business to please the demands of said father. You, on the other hand, were a stubborn, moral driven business major who scoffed upon finding out Seungcheol was next in line for a company that didn’t seem to care about their own employees. You sure gave Seungcheol an earful about his father’s company, in which Seungcheol was already aware of the scandals and fully agreed with all that you said, but he couldn’t admit that to anyone but himself.

Unfortunately for Seungcheol, you were painstakingly intelligent, and he swore he wouldn’t have made it through economics without your consistent help. Honestly, Seungcheol claimed he wouldn’t have made it to graduation without you being by his side for the next years to come.

Both of you resented each other in a way; Seungcheol wished to live a normal life and wished that he had half the wit you did, whilst you were envious Seungcheol blissfully lived his life with ease, not needing to lift a finger to get what he wanted. You turned a blind eye to it though, admitting that Seungcheol was smart and too kind in comparison to his hard exterior, and you believed he’d make a better CEO than his father one day. Maybe you could even keep his head on straight if you stayed by his side long enough.

Even though you were tons of help to Seungcheol in university, you had caused him plenty of problems outside of classes. You became an activist of sorts, using a platform that you had built online to speak out against companies that engaged in immoral acts. One of those companies being Seungcheol’s father’s company, quickly becoming a thorn in his father’s side upon your rapidly gaining popularity.

After university, Seungcheol found you at large business events, usually catching you conversing with important people in the industry, a pretty, stray hair framing your face as you’d scribble notes down in your journal. Later he’d spot you seated in the far corner of whatever gala it was you both were attending, a glass of champagne in hand as your sharp eyes observed the crowd, only softening when you’d spot Seungcheol.

Seungcheol’s father demanded he kept a low profile at these events, and you were a controversial figure. However, it was hard to stay away from you, even when he knew his father hated the impact your words had on his business and would curse him out for ever knowing you. Seungcheol somehow always found a way to chat with you, basking in your snarky comments and rants that you’d sneak in by the bar. You were such a pain in the ass for Seungcheol in many aspects, but he was inevitably drawn to you from the beginning.

Seungcheol knew he was screwed when he started routinely fucking you after these events, typically inviting you up to whatever expensive hotel he was staying in for the night. You’d chuckle condescendingly at the ridiculous penthouse, but Seungcheol knew you didn’t care all that much when your dress would suddenly pool around your feet, stripping for him after just a blink of his eye.

To Seungcheol’s dismay, the first time you two snuck away had been caught by the paparazzi, and it had ended up in a business journal, calling Seungcheol out for flirting practically with the enemy.

Not even the scolding Seungcheol received that day could keep him away from you though; he just had to be smarter from now on. He couldn’t deny you when only you knew exactly how to ease his tension after these events.

Maybe the forbidden aspect is what drew him to you as well, but Seungcheol knew damn well that he loved how much of a brat you were for him. He couldn’t lie that you turned him on every time you tore his father’s business apart, shivers running down his spine as you’d run your mouth to him all the way home, and smirking at the fact you’d even dare to say such a thing in a limo funded by his father’s business. How ironic.

You’d keep going back to him as well, knowing that your relationship with Seungcheol was not practical in the slightest, even if part of you fantasized about a life with him outside of all this business bullshit, but damn, did he give you good dick. It sure did a good job at lessening whatever stress you felt at the end of the night.

It became routine, Seungcheol would invite you to his hotel, you’d scoff at the ritzy interior, and he’d stare you down expectantly from the opposite side of the ridiculously big room.

“Are you going to be a fucking brat tonight, Y/N?” Seungcheol asks, his husky voice sending chills down your spine as you try to keep your cool. “Or will you strip and crawl to me like how I asked?”

“Bite me, Seungcheol,” you spit out, but you can’t stop your fingers from playing with the straps and zipper of your dress.

“You better watch what you ask for.” God, you love the way his voice deepened in tone, coercing you to follow his orders as he watches you with a bushy eyebrow raised expectantly, and throwing his suit jacket on the floor like it was trash.

You refuse to break eye contact with him as you strip down, loving the way his gaze would falter when your dress finally drops to the ground and soaking in the groan that escapes his lips once he notices you have no undergarments on.

Dropping teasingly to the ground, you fall to your hands and knees, continuing to keep your eyes locked on his as you slowly crawl across the room to him. Seungcheol begins to strip himself, pulling his belt off once you’ve made it halfway to him, and finally unbuttoning his pristine white shirt, revealing the fiery skin you’ve touched so many times underneath it.

Ultimately making it to Seungcheol’s feet, his thumb grabs your chin, forcing your gaze back up to his after making eye contact with the obvious bulge in his trousers. Sitting on your knees, you pull his thumb into your mouth, running your tongue around the digit and gliding your hands up his solid thighs.

“Oh,” you coo condescendingly, “did your in-staff pleat these pants for you? I’d hate to ruin the perfect ironing job, Cheol.”

This is what Seungcheol adored about you; loved that you found a way to dig into his lifestyle and had enough courage to call out how he was fed with a silver spoon every day. It’s also what enraged him, unbelieving that you still thought so lowly of him after all these years.

“God,” Seungcheol ran his free hand through his hair, flustered by your boldness and the way you continued to suck at his thumb between your words. “I think this brat needs their mouth stuffed.”

“I didn’t crawl all the way here for nothing,” you pout, pulling away from Seungcheol with a ‘pop,’ and starting to work at his pants button. Finally pulling down both his trousers and underwear, you couldn’t hold back your chuckle after coming face to face with his brooding, leaky tip. “Looks like you need help, Cheol.”

The groan that bubbled from his chest was feral as he grabs at your hair, a large hand pulling it into his grip before he lines his length up to your mouth. “Open.”

You didn’t mess with Seungcheol when he got this demanding, your lack of words being enough to egg him on as your jaw drops slack for him, wet tongue falling out eagerly as you wait for him to stuff your mouth full.

“Don’t tease me, Y/N,” he pouts, cherry-red lips matching your puffy ones while awaiting your final consent before inserting the tip of his head into your expecting mouth.

“Fill me, Cheol, ‘m hungry for your cock,” you mewl, giving him your best puppy-dog eyes as you grant him your final blessing. As much as Seungcheol was a little shit, he sure was respectful as hell, and you couldn’t deny the flutter in your heart every time.

Finally giving in upon your permission, Seungcheol shoves his length past your lips, groaning out in pleasure when his head hits the back of your throat, only gagging around him as it still took you some time to get used to his size and how rough he likes to be.

“Such a fucking pro, Y/N, such a good little brat for me.” It becomes messy so fast, immediately acclimating to Seungcheol as he uses your mouth for his own pleasure. Seungcheol becomes entranced with the way drool pools outside of your lips, his pleasure intensifying as you moan around him, tongue working at the underside of his head.

The grip he has on you drives you wild, the heat at your core becoming more prominent as he bucks into your mouth and guides your head as you thoroughly suck him off. When he pulls you off, the only thing that connects you to him was the string of saliva hanging from your swollen lips and his hardened cock.

“Going to finish so soon, Cheol? Did it feel that good?” You pout up at him, a patronizing tone enraging him as he pulls you up to eye level, a strong hand wrapped around your throat before he pulls you into a bruising kiss.

“You need to learn when to shut up, Y/N,” he moans into the kiss, feeling even dizzier when you roll your body against his, the warmth of your skin on his reminding him of how real you are.

“Never,” you refute, smiling against his lips before he begins to nibble down the side of your neck. “But you already knew that, didn’t you?”

“I know it all too well,” he chuckles into your neck, sucking tenderly and pulling the delicate skin between his teeth, being sure to leave a mark on you. “Seems like you still need to learn a thing or two.”

You don’t even have a chance to mutter another word before Seungcheol is diving down to your chest, drawing a gasp from you when he pulls your nipple between his teeth, sucking and nibbling harshly at the peak. You almost collapse, but his hold on you is strong enough to keep you flush against his body, a reminder of the hard erection pressed against your lower abdomen.

Finally gaining enough sense to play into Seungcheol’s game, you egg him on even more, “how will you ever teach me anything?”

This is enough to rile Seungcheol up, turning you around and bending you over the armrest of the couch next to you. Falling face first into the plush cushions, you barely have time to process the harsh slap against your pussy, legs nearly giving out as the cool air and remnants of string burn at your core.

“Will this bratty pussy take me well?” It’s Seungcheol’s turn to be arrogant, knowing he has the upper hand as he runs his pointer and middle fingers between your folds, gathering up your slick on his fingers. You know he gets a taste of you, hearing his lips smacking as he hums in approval. “As much as I’d love to get another taste, I think you need to be stuffed full elsewhere to learn a lesson. You don’t deserve my tongue tonight, Y/N.”

“Please,” you’re giving in and begging for him at this point. “Please teach me a lesson, Cheol. I’ve been a bad all night.”

“My brat,” he’s teasing from behind you, your body and inner walls instantly reacting as you feel his tip prod at your core, collecting enough of your wetness before pushing between your folds. The guttural groan he lets out has you pushing back, allowing for him to fill you until his hips encounter your ass and you’re both crooning in satisfaction, “Always know how to take me so well, like the good little thing you are. Not sure there is much of a lesson other than shutting that mouth of yours, which I can do by filling you to the brim.”

Unfortunately, he is absolutely correct, the only words escaping you are incoherent pleas as he begins to drag his cock out of you before shallowly thrusting inside of you again.

Seungcheol’s nails are digging into your hips as he slowly tries to regain his senses, the feeling of your pussy pulsing around his cock is already making him feel delirious. The only vice you have is the velvety fabric of the couch, your nails leaving trail lines in the luxurious fabric as you try to come to and adjust around him.

The pace he sets is immediately brutal, his hips crashing against yours as he begins to thrust in and out of you. The sound of your skin slapping against his is lewd, and a honeyed gasp is pulled from you with each snap of his hips.

You’re clenching so tightly around him he swears he could lose himself in you, a hand slapping against once your ass cheeks in frustration as your walls continue to suck him in so perfectly.

“Feel s’good, Y/N. This bratty pussy always proves to take me so well, how are you so damn tight all the time?”

You’re so breathless with your response that he barely even hears you, but he can’t hide the smirk that graces his features when you admit exactly what he wants to hear, “no one fucks me like you do, Cheol. Only you fill me so well, s’big and s’good.”  

“You always know exactly what to say, huh?” He’s pulling you back up by the neck now, fingers wrapping around you like a necklace as he props one of your legs up on the armrest, allowing for better leverage to fuck up into you.

You’re moaning pathetically at this point as he bullies his cock up into you, the friction of his head dragging between your walls so delightful, just like he’s made for you, and his actions arousing you even more. Seungcheol’s lips are all over your skin, leaving trails of saliva down the back of your neck and shoulder, his hot lips sending blissful shivers through your body and coercing your head to fall back into him. His fingers run across your chest, rolling your nipples between the digits as he whispers dirty, sweet nothings into your ear.

Eventually, his fingers make their way down your torso, thick pads meeting your swollen clit and drawing an embarrassingly loud cry from you. Seungcheol continues to thrust up into you, his head contacting your cervix in the most pleasurable way and winding up the hot coil inside of you even more.

It’s devastating how familiar he is with your body at this point, knowing you’re way too fucked out to even refute any of his words, and recognizing the tell-tale sign that you’re close to finishing as your walls pulse uncontrollably around him, legs weakening but he holds your entire body weight up with ease.

“Does my brat deserve to finish?” It’s so annoying the way he bites at your ear when he edges you closer and closer to your release, thumb circling your clit in a tantalizing motion and intensifying the heat burning in your core.

“I don’t know,” you bite back a moan, sick of the games he’s playing at this point and rolling your hips back to meet each of his thrusts. Seungcheol can’t help but chuckle as you try your best to talk back, “you tell me, Cheol? Did I do well?”

“You did so well until now,” he lets out a breathy sigh, pulling his fingers away from your throbbing clit, but it becomes a strained groan as you clamp down even tighter around his length.

Pathetically, you fall back down onto the couch, your own hips chasing his motions, grinding back into him all before you’re just about slamming your ass against him with each buck of his hips.

“Fuck,” he’s moaning out, calloused hands palming your ass and meeting you with each thrust, watching where he connects with you as his cock disappears into your pussy with each desperate plunge back into you. “I take it back, you did so well. So, so, so well.”

With that final praise, you’re falling apart on his cock, walls clamping down on him like a vice and trembling and crying from beneath him, muscles shaking as you feel your arousal shatter within you. Seungcheol is following suit, unable to hold himself back when you feel this good around him, letting rope after rope of his cum fill you just how you like it.

Seungcheol falls against your body, pounding chest meeting your back while he shallowly thrusts his hips into yours, milking the rest of both your orgasms and memorizing the whimpers that come from you as you begin to feel overstimulated.

Seungcheol’s a gentleman of course, treating you to a nice, hot bath in the jacuzzi sized large enough to fit an entire group, and tucking you into the silk sheets of the pretentious hotel. Even after this luxury treatment, Seungcheol can’t avoid the snarky comments you mumble before you drift off to sleep, which is so damn endearing that he falls asleep with a smile on his face.

Admittedly, it’s always disappointing when he wakes up the next morning and you aren’t there, even if Seungcheol knows it’s for the best. The note you leave with a water bottle and medication for his hangover is always enough to keep him hooked, your pretty handwriting reminding him to leave a good tip for the staff, a kiss mark of your lipstick as a signature and reminder of you.

God, you were bad news for him, but he’ll keep you around as long as he can. Even if that means just inviting you up to these damn hotel rooms for now.

[riddledeep]

Dale's Full Character Profile

🍋 Chronically stressed owner of Dimmadome Global, Dimmazon, Dimm-'N-Out Burgers, and the Dome Zone Indoor Amusement Park (Coming soon)

🍋 Son of real estate tycoon Doug Dimmadome (Owner of the Dimmsdale Dimmadome)

🍋 Husband of energetic slice-of-life travel vlogger Hadley Harrington... and father of Dev, I guess

🍋 Billionaire non-philanthropist

🍋 Late Daddy's not-pride and not-joy (It's fine; he's fine)

Notable Riddleverse ‘fic spoilers. Your mileage may vary.

Two AUs

Dale's profile aligns with both Cloudlands AU and City Lights AU. While the AUs are not canon-compliant with each other, in 2018 I set my OC Hadley up to marry Dale... a character I never expected to see in official media again :'D

As of September 2024, Dale's fate in Cloudlands AU has been tweaked to better mimic his A New Wish Season 1 lore. The original plan was for the couple to be betrothed - and married - young without romantic feelings for one another, but they'd grow closer as they raised their son (Dave) and took him around the world on adventures. And, well... Close enough! I'll take it.

As far as Cloudlands and City Lights canons are concerned, Hadley is Dale's wife and Dev's mom, and Dave's been replaced with Dev. My initial personality for adult Dale (Self-conscious and avoidant) still lurks under the surface, but he comes across as the same ol' confident jerk we know and love. The info below reads correct for both AUs!

OVERVIEW

Full Name: Daedalus Dallas Peddler "Dale" Dimmadome

Preferred Form of Address: Dale Dimmadome, Owner of Dimmadome Global Alternate Forms of Address: Doug's Son / Twerp / Mr. Dimmadome / Maverick / Dad His dad called him Daedalus or Peddler in his youth, but that phased out as he got older. Nowadays, only his wife calls him Daedalus (only when she REALLY needs to get through to him) Aspiration: Maintain his wealthy lifestyle and create his own legacy... in a hopeless attempt to "win his late dad's love."

Born: Spring of the Echoing Peaks

Zodiac: Soil Birthday: May 5th, 1986 Hometown: Dimmsdale -> Dimmadelphia, California; USA Age During Frozen Timestream: 16 - Turned this in both 2002 and every year for the 50 years retroactively condensed into 2003. Turned 17 in 2004. Age When Married: 24 Age at Dev's Birth: 26 (Nearly 27) Age During A New Wish Season 1: 36 (37 in May)

Species: Human

Ethnicity: Mostly English through the Dimm line with some Scottish, German, and Italian mixed in. Pretty familiar with his family history- He could kick your butt at Dimmadome trivia any day. Nationality: American (Texas proud!) (This is untrue)

Mindset: Extremely hardworking and devoted to a fault... to the things he chooses to put his time and care in. Not accurately described as "nervous and jumpy" so much as "paranoid and defensive."

Complex PTSD: Many layers of severe trauma related to his 7-year streak of abuse at Vicky's hands (on top of his parents not being... great). As an adult, Dale can push through a lot of things, but there's a lot of flickering between what he was able to handle as a kid (when he was used to being around such things) and stuff that's more triggering now that he's an adult who's kept his distance.

Notable triggers include lemon scent, loud voices, small spaces, the dark, hunger, rodents, toothaches, stomach pains, going too long without proper hygiene, and being barefoot (among other things). Some days he can handle his triggers fine, other days he can't... Just depends how haunted and jumpy he is.

Ex: Some days he mixes drinks and eats limes, some days limes are not distinct enough and touching the rinds upsets him. Sometimes he can touch dirt, other times he'll avoid it. If he made the decision to gulp down lemonade, he could do so - He grew up with it and is familiar with the smell and texture - but on a day he's not in the mood, it's very upsetting for him. Some days he's fine seeing citrus designs on clothing, other times he leaves the room to be annoyed in private. Notably, few people know about Dale's trauma as his dad was very insistent on keeping it quiet. Dale doesn't trust that information to others lightly.

Struggles with survivor's guilt and other complicated feelings about his trauma (often blaming himself for not being a good friend to Vicky and therefore pushing her to become rough with him). Struggles to connect with people and tends to keep his walls up. Lots of trust issues.

He sleeps with a nightlight and/or phone light on. Avoids things that remind him of cellars and trapdoors... Escape rooms and submarines would really affect him, but he does okay in helicopters. Mostly. I don't know why I'm saying this; he sends them crashing to the ground instead of landing properly.

If you ever tell Dale you sent your kid to bed without food, he will remember that and chalk you up as an unsafe person. What if you take his food? He will not come to your house, follow you, or be alone with you. You're scary.

Hypervigilance: Tendency to spiral, follow extreme trains of thought, and believe things that aren't true (Ex: "Hazel is going to ruin me, she wants to see me fail, she's part of a larger scheme, who does she work for, she wants to tear Dimmazon to the ground, she wants me to lose everything, she wants me on the streets, she and whoever she's working for are scheming to rob and hurt me).

Although not always obvious to Dev, Dale gets very anxious around mealtimes- Dev has hypoglycemia and Dale's the one who insisted to the school that the au pairs are medical devices to help monitor that. When Dev started school, Dale was absolutely the nervous parent who called multiple time to ask if he ate. He's grown more lax over the years due to his faith in the au pairs, but if he had his way, Dev would never be more than 10 feet from an au pair, ever. Too many bad things could happen. Terrifying.

Dissociation: During his stressed-out spirals, Dale sometimes loses his sense of being grounded to reality. Everything feels ambiguous and like it's trickling through his fingers. Sometimes he might still feel like he can function, but feels like his body's on auto-pilot and he's floating outside it. He might jolt "back to reality," check a clock, and realize an hour passed and he has no memory of it.

- Very common experience when studying falling stock charts, lying awake at night, thinking too much about his dad, riding in a vehicle, typing up data, fixing robots, cleaning things, in long meetings, showering, or during flirty bedroom moments. - Dale and Chloe are two sides of the same coin: Children struggling under grand expectations who go into anxiety attacks and dissociative episodes when criticized. - Adult Dale uses this as a shield for justifying his neglectful parenting ("You don't understand what I've been through / I can't be better than this because I have X and Y"). But if he ever said that to Chloe, her mouth would drop open for 5 seconds before she socked him in the jaw. Say good-bye to that last tooth, bud.

The boots, au pairs, beeping wristwatches, phone alarms, and physical touch from his wife or son help... a little.

OCD: Prefers routine- Hates going to bed without knowing what the plan is for the next day (or week, or month, or quarter... The list goes on). Doesn't love when things don't go as planned (and definitely doesn't like someone inviting him to go somewhere if he hasn't been warned in advance).

You will not get him to close his eyes and follow you for "a surprise." Repeatedly checks to ensure he left the doors unlocked so he doesn't get stuck inside (See also, open entrance to his tent in "Lost and Founder's Day").

Constantly checking his schedule out of paranoia he'll forget a meeting (Ex: Struggles to get through dinner without being plagued by thoughts that he was supposed to be doing something else). Tries to eat at a consistent time- Gets frustrated when Dev has other plans.

Lots of unwanted thoughts and impulses, especially in regards to pleasing his parents or Vicky. Sometimes lies awake wondering if his wife or business partners are manipulating him and he just can't see it yet (He's not great with criticism- See also, switching off the au pair that asked why he was hurting people).

Does not do well with his wife's hoarding OCD- Lots of boxes remind him of crates full of lemons and cramped conditions. Puts up with it because he has to, but he and Hadley have separate bathrooms, and he and the au pairs do their utmost to maintain Dale's bedroom spacious, clean, and uncrowded by her stuff. Hadley has her own bedroom, but it's so full of stuff that she seeks out his bed anyway.

Tends to scratch and pick at skin (in addition to pulling out hair). Mutters repetitive phrases sometimes.

Likes things laid out around him, easy to see, especially in a consistent color theme. Doesn't like when things don't match (Ex: If given the choice, he'd rather build an entire fleet of Version 2.0 au pairs rather than 1 or 2 new models alongside old versions... He'd just throw them all out). Has very specific layouts he prefers for buttons, switches, and knobs.

Often prefers symmetry (Ex: hedges and string lights on both sides), but he also likes alternating up-and-down patterns (Ex: Likes the levers in his control room to be up-down-up patterns. Tends to set them like that without thinking through the consequences of flipping things). Horrendous habit of walking into someone else's space and flipping THEIR levers without asking what they do.

Contamination OCD, especially regarding water (He does not like dirt in it) or food given to him by others (What if it's drugged or poisoned? This stuff could make him sick. Actually, we will sit here at the fancy dinner table not eating until everyone else does, and sometimes not even then. It's fine.) If you hand him a box of food, the first thing he'll do is check the expiration date. If it's too close, he'll throw it out.

Feels much safer with the au pairs cooking for him than a hired human chef. That's how people get murdered, Sally. "But what if his robots glitch-" Did I stutter. This man has never heard of "Too many cooks in the kitchen" and he always has several au pairs on the same meal at once. If the day comes where there is a glitch he can't fix, he will cook for himself instead of hiring someone. Do not touch his plate unless you're his wife or son, and even then... he might not eat it. But he also hates going without food, so you can imagine the internal conflict. Thankfully, he is actually married to someone who grew up cooking and who taught Dev to cook for videos. Unfortunately, Hadley is a hoarder and will keep food past its expiration date or when it's moldy. She is not allowed in the kitchen without Dale, Dev, and/or an au pair. Dale loses his mind if she goes in there unsupervised. You do not mess with his food anxiety. It's the thing they argue about most, mostly because Dale knows Hadley will just eat moldy things (or offer them to Dev) rather than throw them out. Thank goodness for au pairs that can cook and discard expired food; they are holding this family together. If you gave Dale the choice between eating something Hadley made or Dev made, he'd choose Dev's every time. He honestly likes his wife's cooking because she's dang good at it, but the picky eater is way more likely to throw things out if they're bad. -> Dale often compares his son to a machine, but in this case, it's a compliment. Dale would stake his life on Dev's ability to put his foot down to Hadley about expired food. He actually has had to do this when ingredients are separated from their labels; it's a huge relief that Dev also thinks her food hoarding habits are unsafe, because Dale finally has someone who Lives In This House and Gets It...

Misophonia: - Hypersensitive to sound; gets very snappy very fast when a sound upsets him. Often unclear what sets him off vs. what doesn't, but screams, squelches, splashes, and rodent squeaks are fairly consistent "Hell no"s. Less bothered by chewing food, but doesn't like whistling or random mouth noises for the sake of noise.

Likes beeps and boops, but prefers when he's in control of them (or they're in musical patterns)- Presumably, he likes when keys he presses make noise, as it draws him in and helps him block out sounds he doesn't like. Easily annoyed by random background sounds.

Very sensitive to the noises his au pairs make. Can instantly tell if one nearby is flying in the wrong direction, which tends to stress him out (What if his security's been compromised? What if someone snuck in? Must check immediately.)

Inattentive ADHD: Does much better with a to-do list or schedule in his hand than he does without (and does better when his list is typed on his phone or tablet instead of a piece of paper he's at risk of putting down).

Easily distracted when things don't snag his attention. Loses interest in meetings that stray from the topic of money and electronics. Although his wife's an influencer and puts out frequent videos, he doesn't watch them (unless something with robots or piles of money catches his eye). Mind glazes over when Dev shows him memes.

When something snags his thoughts, he has a difficult time shifting away from it (See also, unable to focus on the festival or his business in general while plagued by thoughts of Project H, which devolved into "all he talked about" for months). Doesn't switch gears easily when he's in the zone. Hates interruptions and has a hard time switching back if someone - mainly Dev - breaks his concentration.

See also, "only his wife calls him Daedalus and only when she really needs to get through to him." Dale snaps to attention when he hears his full name, but gets quite anxious as he assumes the worst.

Dale's not the best at organizing his thoughts in a coherent to-do list, but he's really good at sticking to a schedule once it's in hand. Maybe too good (and inflexible). He's picked up some of Hadley's list-making tactics over the years (and learned a lot from job shadowing his dad). He's getting better at prioritizing (and learning how to say No to pushy people), but the au pairs are a big help.

Sometimes gets sidetracked and changes course - see also, pursuing Danky in "Stanky Danky"; did Dev go home by himself? - and gets very sucked into what he's doing (Leading to rapid turnaround of his Danky Days marketing). Dale does have humans working in his company - and can turn to the au pairs for assistance - but he'll often do things himself since he feels he can do the work better and faster. He has a vision...

He talks a lot, tends to fidget, and interrupts people. Not very patient with those struggling to get their words out (his wife included). Still has outbursts and doesn't often apologize for cutting people off.

When his wife is stuck on a word, he'll usually fill it in for her and sometimes continue the sentence with his assumption of what she meant- often followed by the classic cartoon vibe of "Excellent idea! I'm glad I thought of it."

In the early years after his Vicky trauma, he was fairly quiet (Lots of racing thoughts inside his head), but even more fidgety than he is now. These days he might just bounce his leg, shift in his chair, or rub his thumb on the table while trying not to make noise that offends his misophonia. As a teen, he'd avoid eye contact, play with his sleeves, pick at stitches in his clothes, bite his nails, scratch his skin, and so on. Skin picking or pulling his hair is definitely one of his go-to behaviors since it's quiet.

Dale is less fidgety during meetings when eyes are on him, but he moves a lot when he's alone (See also, walking in the park while on the phone during "Lost and Founder's Day," taking work calls on Signal Hill more than once, and dancing in his control room).

Stats:

Power:  Average Endurance:  Above Average Wisdom:  Below Average Adaptability:  Below Average Charisma: Average Openness:  Below Average Conscientiousness:  Below Average Neuroticism:  Above Average

Residence: 1 Silver Spoon Hill, Dimmsdale -> 1 Dimmadome Way, Dimmadelphia

Occupation: Inventor (Robotics), owner of multiple businesses (Listed in first bullet point at top), Hadley's partner / assistant in her business affairs.

Heading Dimmadome Funds: 2014 - Present day Heir: Dev Dimmadome Previous Employment: Intern / assistant of Doug Dimmadome. We don't talk about the lemonade stand

BACKGROUND

Self-Perception: Went through hell for a best friend who didn't deserve his love and loyalty, but got up and made something of himself- Something his dad is sure to be proud of. No one in his family will ever be scrabbling for food again... and he's a lot more careful with his trust now than he was back then.

Alignment: Neutral Evil MBTI: ISTJ (Turbulent) Deadly Sin: Greed Heavenly Virtue: Diligence Love Language: Words of Affirmation Reinforcers: Security; making money; well-deserved vacation days

History: Born and raised in Dimmsdale, California- Specifically, in his father's precariously perched cliffside estate (S3's "Engine Blocked").

This extremely questionable environment to raise a child left him overly cautious of where he put his feet and whether people were walking towards him. He learned pretty fast that toys that go over the edge aren't coming back... at least, unless you pull up your big boy pants and take the long walk down to retrieve them from the beach.

See Dimmsdale Map - Dale grew up in the northwest (Through the woods, down a long and windy road, up on a cliff).

Dale didn't have many kids over to play during his youth - or throughout his teen years at that - as watching more than one kid would've really split his parents' attention. -> Adult Dale let Dev wander Dimmadelphia from a young age in part due to this warped idea he has of a child's ability to recognize danger (But mostly because he trusts the au pairs to grab him if he runs into the street).

You wouldn't know it looking at him now, but Dale was a very playful and curious child. He didn't have siblings and his parents' attention towards him was hit-or-miss. He kept himself entertained by exploring the beaches and cliffs around his home (along with any other location Doug brought him, such as Dimmsdale Farms and Dimmadelphia).

He poked through a lot of driftwood and garbage washing up on shore, taught himself to fix broken toys that went over the edge (like toy cars that popped their wheels out of place, or inflatable things that needed a patch).

Despite his mother (Pearl) living the stay-at-home-mom life, Dale preferred spending time with his father. Pearl came from generational wealth (as opposed to Doug's self-made wealth accrued from striking gold and using it wisely as he built up a larger fortune)- It was very important to her that Dale would grow up to be her vision of elegant and proper-mannered.

Pearl had very high expectations, especially in regards to what Dale ate. She struggled with an eating disorder in her teens and never quite let go of it, even though she recovered a lot. She cooked healthy meals and hated if Dale dragged his feet about it. Junk food was banned in the house, and if they attended an event with desserts, Dale was forbidden from eating them (She'd smack his hands if he tried). She commented frequently on his weight, as Doug's family is heavier than hers (especially since anxiety and eating disorders sprinkle her ancestry).

- When they were kids, Vicky snuck Dale sweets and snacks. What a good friend! - If you'd asked young Dale, he'd politely tell you he loves his mother, but as an adult, the question would be met with a pause. He has a lot of conflicting feelings about her... and we've only scratched the surface.

Doug went along with a lot of what Pearl said (Very "Doug is in charge of businesses and Pearl is in charge of the home life" vibes), so he never complained about the fresh-made meals even when Dale struggled with them.

Dale has some good memories with his mom - like playing Dimmanopoly and other board games - but he preferred the company of his relaxed father. Doug may have been too relaxed in some areas, leading to inconsistent parenting (with Pearl trying to set a standard that Doug ignored when she wasn't around and encouraged Dale to flaunt too with a wink and smile).

Dale loves his dad very much, having grown up with Doug as the epicenter of positive things in his life: Dad let him goof off, didn't control what he ate, took him to events (especially those hosted at the Dimmadome), and could do everything. He's so smart and fun!

Dale spent a lot of time following his dad around, being his very curious and eager-to-learn self. He happily volunteered for farm chores and found a system for cleaning and organizing; he'd get a head pat and words of affirmation from his dad, and has been neat and tidy ever since. Even as a very young child, Dale spent many afternoons happily scrubbing his dad's office desk, windows, or floor while Doug talked on the phone.

Dale's preschool, kindergarten, and 1st grade years were marked with people who seemingly only took an interest in him because he came from wealth... or alternatively, kids who were children of wealthy families themselves. Dale attended many fancy social events growing up and became familiar with the rich kids his age range. Still, he reached the point where he began introducing himself outside the wealthy social circle as Dale Donovan... which is the name Vicky committed to memory (and never questioned).

Dale wasn't a kid who threw money around (See Remy Buxaplenty doing things like renting out an entire theater just for him and bags of money). He also wasn't "popular" per se- Not like Trixie, Tad, and Chad are in Timmy's era. In fact, Dale had no real money of his own and was pretty get-your-hands-dirty, down-to-earth. He was definitely provided for, but wasn't spoiled to the degree that Dev is. Dale was pretty content as a kid and didn't ask for much- He kept himself entertained, he liked exploring, and he liked cleaning. He lost some toys and balls over the edge of the cliff, but he learned to retrieve and repair them rather than throwing a fit and demanding a new one. Very "It's much faster if I do this myself" energy. - He'd ask for comic books (and maybe a few toys), but he received enough attention and friendship that he was simply happy with his life. It's possible he would've become more restless and spoiled if he hadn't befriended Vicky, or if the Lemonade Drama hadn't happened. -> All of this plays into Dale seeing himself as someone who worked for what he has. Yes, he inherited some generational wealth, but he doesn't consider himself a child who grew up with lots of liquid cash. He sees himself as a child who was grateful, worked hard, and achieved success. -> Dale gets frustrated with Dev and sees his outbursts as evidence he's a spoiled brat, hence Dev's bed being labeled S.S. Spoiled [in French]. Dale doesn't get why Dev "can't just be grateful he has a nice life." -> That said, he's also not the kind of dad who would tell Dev to stop hanging out with Hazel, even though Dale was frustrated with her during his Project H arc. Dale had a friend growing up- He figures Dev has several friends too (and is fine with Dev exploring the city... If only that dang kid would digitally mark when he's eaten!!)

Dale saw Vicky as "his only friend who cares about me for me, not my dad's money" and latched onto her. While he was still polite to other kids, Vicky knew him better than anyone (and he probably knew her better than most people, too... Arguably, he still knows her really well, which is uncomfortable for both of them).

See also, "50 Words of Dale and Vicky" (Age 6 to 9).

Dale always saw Vicky as clever, fun, and a good leader. He trusted her deeply and clung to threads even when she turned cruel towards him. Dale is very aware that "bad things happened" and "he felt hurt and scared for a long time," but he's uncomfortable when he thinks about Vicky as a person.

In his mind, the change was so extreme that he had thoughts like "This can't be who Vicky is- She's definitely under extreme distress. Something else is causing her to be lash out. I'm her best friend and I love her. She doesn't hate me; she's just upset. I forgive her, because that's what friends do. This is probably my fault; I'm not a good friend. I'm upsetting her. If I was better, she wouldn't yell at me."

He had a VERY difficult adjustment period after leaving Vicky. It was not easy for him to unlearn his attachment to her and it is consistently ambiguous to everyone (including himself) how he feels about her. He definitely hung out with her during his recovery period more than he should have.

Dale spent several years working through trauma- He reunited with his family, got doted on, was held to certain expectations, attended social events, played some basketball, played a lot of Sims, learned some languages, and gradually returned to school. Reunited with his mom - Lots of tension there - and was pretty clingy towards his dad.

See the Recovery & Time Freeze section of Dale's education details below.

When Dale was 19, his dad and Ed Leadly arranged a betrothal to Leadly's middle daughter. Since Hadley was someone Dale actually knew from rich people social gatherings, Dale was relieved for the chance to marry someone he knew rather than a stranger from out of state or something (and curious about getting set up with someone his dad liked).

Not much changed for them early on, but they made more of an effort to talk to each other at social events. They went on some walks, ate some treats, and got to know each other. Dale was still in recovery, Hadley more interested in school and friends, and that was expected. They didn't go out of their way to meet each other outside fancy social events.

With the betrothal in play, Dale continued his gap years and personal study; this set his university years up to overlap Hadley's. They lived apart for the first 2.5 years, gradually moving from "vaguely betrothed couple" to "pair who go on actual dates." Dale spent this time working up the courage to hold hands and touch another person (i.e. putting arm behind Hadley while watching a movie).

They married the January Hadley was 21 (and Dale 24), moved in together, and continued their schooling. Doug grew increasingly ill during this time. Despite his wife's excitement for kids, Dale was reluctant to go through with that part of maintaining the Dimmadome family line. Nonetheless, he is nothing if not everything his father wanted him to be; Hadley conceived Dev the summer she was 22 (~1.5 years after the wedding).

Doug passed just before Dev was born. Dale still beats himself up over "not just gritting his teeth and having the kid sooner so Dad could've seen him."

Since Hadley had graduated, she kept herself entertained by filming vlogs of her pregnancy and Dev's early years while Dale continued university studies (and working on the au pairs when he could find time). Dale wasn't often left the primary caretaker of Dev, but he sometimes was when Hadley wasn't available. Dev's hypoglycemia stressed him out very early, and Dale was relieved when the au pairs could monitor Dev's blood sugar levels.

When Dev was 6 and the au pairs were functional enough to handle some basic care (Like holding Dev back from playing in traffic), Hadley took to traveling the world. Ever since, Dale and the au pairs have split Dev's caretaking (with Hadley returning now and then before taking off on her next adventure).

Father-Son Relationships Note: Dale received plentiful physical affection from his father growing up, but as he grew older and more bitter, he resented his dad for giving him "just pats" without expressing his thoughts through words and engagement. He's since twisted his past into believing that Doug's care for him boils down to "needed an heir," that Doug has never been proud of him, and that his dad barely paid attention to him.

As an adult, Dale doesn't recognize how meaningful physical touch was to him. Because he always had it - and even got hugs from Vicky as a kid - he didn't know its absence and fails to process how desperate Dev is for physical affection.

Clarification: Dale lacked physical affection in the lemon pit, but had a lot of other things going on that made "not getting hugs" low priority.

Despite Dale's love for boots (and his fixation on the past, his trauma, and his dad) taking priority in his thoughts, he actually is a decent* parent when he's not working. Dale struggles to take breaks largely because he feels he doesn't deserve to (and/or believes he had to sacrifice work-life balance for success), but there are some situations that let him justify relaxing the reins.

Dale relaxes more during holidays. Yes, there's a lot of business-related things he can still be doing, but let's take Christmas as an example: It's a federal holiday... and it's a day where people open packages they received as gifts, which were possibly ordered through Dimmazon. He helped people find good gifts and have a happy Christmas. Thus, he deserves to relax... It's a holiday! Christmas and similar days Dale has decided are worthy of breaks are the moments Dev waits all year for: the time when his dad addresses him happily, keeps away from his phone and office, picks him up, plays games... or just crashes for a nap.

* "Decent Parent" Notes: Dale IS an inattentive parent and that should not be overlooked, but he brings Dev to city events, lets him hang out in his command tent, and responds to Dev's business-related questions in "Lost and Founder's Day." He greets him - even asking how he's doing this afternoon - when Dev returns home for lunch in "A New Dev-elopment." The au pairs were designed with the ability to cook and recognize when Dev wants a hug. Dale's not always there emotionally, but he sure can keep that kid alive. Dale's relationship with Dev is much more "job shadow me because this will be you soon" while the Buxaplenty's plan for Remy is that they will simply not die until they're very old. Who's Liam and why does it matter if he has enough skills to survive when they're gone? ... Remy. I meant Remy.

⭐ Dale is just "good dad" enough that Dev clings to that, believing "If Dad didn't have to work so much, he'd give me love and attention." Also, Hadley tends to see Dale either in his middle or positive states of being a dad and misses a lot of Dale's questionable moments... The "downs" are more likely to happen when Dale is the sole parent.

The only thing worse than a cluelessly neglectful parent is a try-hard who keeps leading you on. Come on, Dev- He's your father! When he's there, you have everything you've ever wanted... Don't you know how hard things are for him? He's doing his best; he had an abusive childhood and he works so hard. Of course he loves you. He'll come back around if you're patient; just keep on trucking. Smile wide. Work hard. Be a good boy. Give him another chance......

These breaks spent with family are the ones Dale internalizes as "This is who I am as a person; I've given my son everything and here he is. I made him. My kid's a brat, but I can't even blame him- I'm just glad he's safe. And honestly, no DNA test necessary- I get it, buddy. He's mine. I have a wife. I have a kid. I enjoy my family and life."

Despite the way Dale brushes Dev off a lot when he's in business mode, he's a good person. Why wouldn't he be? He's a real man's man- He makes the big bucks and provides for his wife and son! What more can you want? You're asking a lot. Geez... Dale was abused as a kid, you know. Cut him some slack :/

See also, the note on Dale's relationship with fundamental attribution error (Emoji star after the Personality section).

Personality: Dale's always been curious, but his bright mind and love for exploring new things is overshadowed by the trauma of his youth, which pushed him to fight for survival. In fact, he'll fistfight you if you push him into it- or even wrestle you to the ground. He craves security- His dad, boots, money, and straightforward instructions embody that for him. So does Vicky, but we don't have to go there.

Dale's a hard worker, very clever, and willing to fight for what he wants. He gets sucked into projects for weeks or months at a time, but he gets results. Fear, rage, and jealousy boil beneath the surface, but he's better at holding his temper than you'd think. Doesn't often snap at people- More likely to gripe and mutter. Not afraid to get his hands dirty- Always the first to leap into action when he needs something done. No one's as fast or committed as him- Why rely on other people when you can do everything yourself? Day after day after day...

Trust no one. Pay for nothing you don't trust. Make it yourself.

Beneath his "pulled myself up by the bootstraps" persona, Dale is anxious, awkward, and aware of it... The quiet and fidgety kid he was still lurks beneath the louder and more pompous exterior. He looked to Doug and Vicky for so long, he still struggles to be the prime decision-maker (apart from his impulsive adventures).

Dale exhausts himself with his day job, where he's a CEO of multiple companies and juggling tasks (A recent notable one being "overseeing the construction of an indoor amusement park"). In his personal life, he'd rather do low-brainpower things like take a nap- He has little energy for Dev after work. However, he'd find food for both of them if the au pairs glitched out. Their core purposes is to keep Dev from going into a seizure, passing out, or dying, and that's not an "I'll fix it later" problem. If we eat cupcakes in the Wall-2-Wall Mart parking lot at 2 AM, so be it.

After work hours, Dale wants to do the least-brainpower things he can, so he'll crash and sleep... or look to Hadley for instruction (when she's around). Sometimes Dev shows him videos while Dale is sprawled on the couch, but his dad does not understand what he's looking at 90% of the time.

Unless he's in a very stubborn mood, Dale tends to do what people tell him to do. He won't if it's in direct conflict with his money-making goals, but if you ask him to be an extra pair of hands while bringing in party decorations from your car, he'll do it. Beyond his egotistical attitude and hatred for recycling, he's a surprisingly good neighbor & husband (which is probably why people don't realize how neglectful he is to Dev). If you find him in the supermarket and ask if he knows where the spaghetti sauce is, he'll point you towards it. His default response is to be friendly... It's just something that was heavily beaten out of him by Vicky's cruelty, his dad's "Don't talk about your trauma" attitude, and the cutthroat business world. See also, ignoring Hazel's name when he saw her in "A New Dev-elopment," but still greeting her and Dev and asking how their afternoon was in the first place.

Dale is curious, likes learning, and will follow the lead of anyone he deems interesting, relevant, and knowledgeable:

From this post about Dale and Kevin Crocker going out to dinner

Somewhere underneath his poor parenting, Dale wants to be a decent family man... After all, he can't disappoint Daddy there either. But he didn't have good role models for that and putting in the work is hard. Someday... someday when he's not so busy...

⭐ Dale is a textbook case for "guy who doesn't fall into fundamental attribution error easily." In other words, Dale takes circumstances into account when judging people's actions (not just attributing things to personality)... Perhaps to a critically unhealthy degree.

- Dad loves him very much. He's just really busy... Dale already has his father's love; what he needs is something he unquestionably deserves because he worked for it: Daddy's pride in him. - Vicky can't be a horrifically cruel person because no one is actually like that. Vicky is just stressed and scared. She's doing her best and doesn't understand the effect she has on people. - Conversely, Dale has a very hard time recognizing the effects of his neglect on Dev. Of course he cares about Dev- Would he provide for him or spend time with him if he didn't? -> Dale doesn't see himself as "a bad person" or "a terrible dad" or "someone who would hurt a child." He sees himself as "a guy trying to grow and make money in ways that some people look down on or consider amoral, but everyone defines morals in their own way and you can't please everyone, so he's going to chase success regardless of what others think."

At his core, Dale is haunted not just by the abuse Vicky inflicted on him, but by the lack of praise and support he received from his dad growing up. But it's okay. Dad was just busy. He's over it. It's fine.

Education: Dale was a very enthusiastic student. He loved learning and would raise his hand for almost every question. He consistently landed top scores, was deemed "the smart kid," a suck-up, and a little too "goody-two-shoes perfect" for his own good.

Although restless and a little forgetful - ADHD be like that - Doug and Pearl kept him on track, and he did a mostly good job at turning in his homework.

Dale was very much the type to stand up to bullies. He got into several fights growing up, even as a 1st grader (Even with Vicky, who forgave his stupid acts, because she is a good person).

Elementary School: Dale attended preschool and kindergarten at a private school, but asked to be put in the same class as Vicky for 1st grade. Doug shrugged and did so, glad his son had a friend. Thus, Dale moved to Dimmsdale Elementary (with his dad's personal assistant dropping him off, as he was outside the school bus range... See also, lived beyond the woods up on a cliff).

Dale disappeared at the end of his 3rd grade year. He missed several years of school, including his entire middle school period.

- Despite several kids aware of Dale's family name, Vicky believed his surname was Donovan. Why would he lie about that? - If you asked Vicky directly, she'd say something like "Well, I found out his real last name at some point, but he always told me it was Donovan, so I kept calling him that. I thought he came from a family of successful farmers." Whether any of that is true is anyone's guess.

Recovery & Time Freeze: After leaving Vicky's lemonade factory, Dale spent some time "crashing"... mostly curled up in bed, struggling through a lot of feelings, and remembering how to live in a house (Preparing food, adjusting to bright lights, people coming and going, getting dressed every day, and so on).

Generally, Dale got pushed into things (like social interaction and independence) by his dad before he was ready. This may have been beneficial in the long term (seeing as Dale wanted to lay in bed for weeks or months, or maybe on the couch if he was daring), but he wasn't happy about it at the time.

Dale played a lot of PC games (Mostly Sims) and slowly caught up on his schooling... or at least the parts Doug cared about.

Notably, this is how Dale spent the 50 years time was frozen. He also picked up new skills like languages (for fun because he found them interesting), but like everyone else, he was under "It's uncommon to advance through school years because of time manipulation" rules, so... he looped through recovery, personal study, and a small amount of academia- Not a full year of schooling like other kids his age.

Dale also looped through job shadows with his dad. He became very knowledgeable about meticulous business workings and the stock market, farm-related expertise, and social events.

He also became incredibly good at card games (like Blackjack and Texas Hold'em), which surprised everyone including himself. He could consistently clean out his dad's gambling buddies after several loops at age 16, which they found adorable. They were very excited to take him to Vegas when he turned 21.

"Is that legal even if it happened in their own home?" -> We don't have to talk about that. Unrelated, but the Dimmadomes sure own a lot of business fronts and buy weird art pieces, huh?

Since businesses, product releases, and tech advancements continued changing as the years went by, Dale was exposed to many new things and was arguably more prepared for adulthood thanks to the time freeze than any other noteworthy character in the Cloudlands or City Lights AUs (except perhaps A.J.)

Like everyone else, he thinks he gained all his knowledge during 2003- Not during repeated 2002 years.

High School: Dale enrolled in a private school, his learning supplemented with private tutors - namely Denzel Crocker - but that didn't stop him from loitering around Dimmsdale High in search of Vicky. He had several run-ins with her, Justin Jake Ashton (Mark Chang), and other kids their age.

From this post about Dale (and Happy Peppy Gary) spying on Vicky & Justin

Further Education: Took several gap years before attending Archimedes University in Dimmadelphia. He took his courses slowly, just a few credits at a time, and his schooling was stretched out over a long period. He studied robotics and business (and later got a master's).

During this time, Doug passed on, Dev was born, and Dale inherited the Dimmadome fortune.

Favorite School Subject: Science -> Physics -> Robotics. He also enjoyed math, art, and marketing.

Least Favorite Subject: Biology

Clubs: Robotics, of course! (Nerd)

Friend Group: Jeremy and Watson- Upper class folks such as Remy, Trixie, Tad, Chad, Veronica, and Hadley. Also Mikey Munroe (Security expert like his parents), but who's asking?

Notable Likes:

- Boots - Robotics - Naps - Getting into a flow state without distractions (Especially noise) - Boots again - Drawing (Especially with colored pens or markers) - Dancing - Rodeos (plus state fairs, farms, cows, and horses) - Big buildings - Sims games and any card or board game that lets him accrue many pieces and cards. Worst Uno player you've ever met. - Snappy turnaround on his projects- He lives by an "It's faster if I do it myself" attitude - Feeling like he deserves rest (Like that ever happens) - When his wife is away and he gets the bed to himself - When his wife is home so the hypervigilance doesn't hit as hard - His wife :( - Following lists and meticulously organizing things - Cleaning products that don't smell like citrus - Puffy jackets with chunky zippers - People commenting he's gained weight - Sunlight (but no, he won't open the bedroom windows) - Rain and snow - Paloma cocktails - Boat rides - Gambling - Basketball - Animal print - Hunting - His wife in THOSE boots

Had Fairy Godparent: ... This page seems kinda smudged.

Favorite Wish: Hm. I don't think the archives ever wrote that down...

Goals:

- Build generational wealth to pass to his descendants - Stop overthinking things at night; go to bed satisfied - Accrue a lot of knowledge and learn many skills - Teach Dev things about business so he'll be more prepared to take over the Dimmadome fortune than Dale was - Reduce the number of prototypes it takes to land a great robot - Unwind... Rest... Take more guilt-free naps - Be a good family man (??)

Beliefs:

- Hard work will be rewarded - Security and stability are everything - Good branding doesn't guarantee success, but it sure makes things easier - Don't separate a traumatized person from their comforts. Or most people from those things. But Dev shouldn't have screen time too close to bed- Taking his tablet is good for him. - No one is truly evil; everyone is a good person with reasons for what they do. Knowing why people act the way they do is the key to negotiation and communication - Anything can be learned. Anything - and any person - can be improved with hard work, time, and dedication - Robots are helpful and improve quality of life... Good robots that people who know what they're doing built, at least. - Being left unsupervised as a child probably messed him up. Thank goodness Dev has au pair guardians - The ends justify the means

Fears:

- Disappointing his dad - Being abandoned by everyone (Vicky, his dad, his wife...) - Losing everything he's built up - He and/or his family getting kidnapped (and tormented) - Ed Leadly (Father-in-law) - Waking up in the lemonade factory (It was all a dream...) - Vicky Incorrect. Vicky is his friend. She would never hurt him.

Upsets:

- Losing money - Faulty au pairs - Random background noises - Animals (especially furry ones; very unhygienic) - Dev talking back to him, fidgeting during social events, or refusing to eat at a nice restaurant - Lemonade - Hadley dragging her trash into his space (or gifting him things that don't fit his organization system... but she's forgiven) - Loose seashells or stones lying around - Being separated from his boots - Unlabeled items that might contain lactose or mold - Dev not marking on his digital checklist that he's eaten around mealtimes. Boy, don't play these games... - People sneaking near his house

Comforts:

- His lucky boots - The Dimmsdale Dimmadome - Clothes that ease body dysphoria (Like puffy jackets that don't cling to his thin frame) - Things neatly put away (and his stuff still in the same place he left it), especially in his closet, office, bedroom, car, and bathroom - Having enough light to see - Clean water, abundant food, plenty of cash... The basics - Words of affirmation - Decorations and branding that remind him of his dad (Even if he's not a big fan of his dad's hats personally)

Indulgences: Cartoons from his childhood... but he doesn't watch often. When he does, it's probably with headphones on (and the sound low) with the door extra locked.

Sometimes he splurges on Crimson Chin comics since they can go for a high price (and he can afford it). Splurging often sucks him in, leading to binge scrolling and bulk memorabilia purchases.

Some of this stuff ends up in Dev's hands or Hadley's hoard. Dale will hold things in his own room briefly (i.e. while actively using them), but if he doesn't have a consistent storage space, he'll give them to a family member, sell them, or throw them out when he's done.

I am lying. You don't throw things out in Hadley's household!

EXTERNAL

Verbal Notes: Loves to talk; gets big and loud about it. Likes adjectives. Comes across as quite cheery (Was scolded post-lemonade factory for being quiet and fidgety, which was "weak and shameful"- He learned to "shape up" and mask a lot of what he felt).

Loves talking about himself, his businesses, and his dad's accomplishments.

Picked up old slang terms from his dad (and Dad's gambling buddies... who were also Dale's gambling buddies). "Tough titties, kitties" is one of his go-tos, though he censors it as "tough tittles" around Dev.

Other favorites are "Nifty!" (Cool), "Swanky" (Looks great; elegant), "Ah, applesauce!" (Dang it!), "Get a wiggle on" (Let's go; get moving), "Dry up" (Shut up and get lost), and "Bank's closed" (No making out tonight). I wish I was making that last one up. Dev finds these embarrassing and rolls his eyes, but at least he has something to throw back at his dad if Dale ever grumbles about Dev's preferred slang. Also, Dale would rather say "folks" than "everyone" or "guys." He sees people as customers, clients, or walking wallets, but will correct himself to more socially acceptable words (like "lovely people," "other students," "persons," or "kids your age").

Not afraid to share his thought process even if it's a little amoral (See also, "tends to assume others experience emotions the way he does"). When he sets rules and expectations, he'll explain why (Ex: "You can't go out alone; the au pairs are on the fritz" or "Finish your homework before dinner; we're going out tonight"). Dale likes knowing what to expect, so that's how he talks to other people.

Example from canon: "Devin, turn down that game. I can hear the incessant beeping and booping and tapping all the way in my office. I have an important project I'm working on for Founder's Day." -> As opposed to "Turn that off; it's loud." Dev picked this up from him- It's in the way he tells Hazel he's no longer interested in the treasure hunt because "It's silly to jump through hoops." Then he IS interested and explains why he snapped at her. He expresses frustration with Hazel's lack of frustration when he cheated in Rock, Paper, Scissors, etc. Say one thing about those Dimmadomes... They're not always on the same page, but they sure explain what they're thinking. I guess you don't get to be a great business negotiator without communication skills.

Dale's instinct isn't to be complimentary. During business meetings, he'll grit his teeth and fake enthusiasm, but he's definitely had moments where he wants to insult everything around him. He's sweeter with his wife than with most people, but focuses on topics like financial success and elegance.

Ex: "Way to rake it in, Hadley! The stocks are up this month" & "Now that's a classy look" as opposed to "You're such a hard worker" or "You look beautiful tonight". It's just his brain's go-to.

Since he didn't care for Doug's physical affection like pats and hugs but craved praise, Dale mirrors that towards Dev. He expresses pride (i.e. "Keep up the good work and you'll be running with your old man in no time") when he feels Dev "achieved success"... which usually means Hadley's Dev-themed videos are doing well, Dev won money from a tournament, or Dev scored all A's at the end of the year.

Big "Great; that's what I expect. You're a sharp kid; a real chip off the old block- you just need to apply yourself more" vibes.

He tends to overlook or diminish Dev's accomplishments. Are all A's that impressive if you weren't the best in class? Dev gets praised, but it feels hollow... He is never good enough.

In other words, Dale's compliments sound backhanded despite them not technically being rude... He just focuses on "things that help our success and status" more than the people he's addressing.

Dale uses tag questions like "Innit?", "Wouldya?", or "Do I?" Many sentences end with upward inflection. [ Think ~, ?, !, or :) ]

He has a great memory for names. Or rather, the importance of knowing names was drilled into him early on. He'll address people by name if the situation calls for it (even if they're a trash monster). And don't you dare insult the trash monster. That's his friend now. Very good at greeting people that he cares about when he sees them, especially in business situations.

Almost always calls his son Devin. Occasionally calls him Dev or a special nickname like "Kiddo," "Bud," "Son," or "Junior." Dev's full forename is Development, but that's reserved for special moments... Like pride, but never in scolding. Dev doesn't jump in alarm at the sound of his full name the way Dale does- Dale calls "Devin!" if he's mad. For all his emotional distance and dehumanization tendencies, Dale genuinely views Dev as his son. He refers to him as such and doesn't cut ties for the sake of professionalism... which is more than I can say for some people...

Language: Speaks fluent English; can pull off business talks in Mandarin and Japanese.

Better at Japanese since his wife's a big fan and has been learning the language since she was a kid, but Hadley speaks it with "an anime accent" and Dale speaks it with a more professional one.

Languages were one of the things Dale kept himself entertained with during his mental recovery years... Played a lot of video games with different language settings, listened to a lot of audiobooks. He knows all the Simlish words that actually are consistent words.

Physical Notes: Very expressive with his body language, but if you compare him with other people, you'll detect a certain stiffness or reservation in some movements (Ex: Tries to stop himself from flinching. If he does, he'll snap upright and square up... General sense that he doesn't let himself feel certain emotions. Compare with Mikey Munroe, who bends his entire body backwards and curls up when startled).

Tends to lean, often cocking one hand on his hip. Usually has a device in his other hand. Often walks while scrolling through his phone or tablet, or while talking on the phone. Prone to fidgeting (Ex: bouncing his leg) or dancing, especially when he's in the zone. He's dramatic even in his office- kicking himself across the room on his swivel chair or acting out mental images. Walks around a lot while listening to music, pretending he's in a dramatic scene.

Doesn't pocket his hands as much as Dev does and is more likely to pocket one than both. Blinks infrequently. Stares a lot (especially at screens). Often avoids eye contact.

Not afraid to pump his arms, throw his hands in the air, dance, stomp, hop, finger gun, flash peace signs, or whatever it takes to get people's eyes on him while he's trying to sell stuff.

In his teen years, Dale slouched a lot, fidgeted - especially by rubbing his cheeks since his mouth hurt - and struggled to look at people. His dad really pushed him to stand straight, shake hands, and talk more.

Does not often touch people - combo of OCD and trust issues - but he'll lean on them if he's in the zone and talking big (Ex: thumping his elbow on top of Danky while baby-talking him).

Has an easier time touching people with a clothed arm than making skin to skin contact.

Doesn't reach for people absentmindedly. Way more likely to hold his hands close to his chest than take his wife's hand. But sometimes he does, especially in front of cameras (You can't be the Dimmadome power couple if you don't convince everyone you're a couple). He'll clap a hand to Dev's shoulder when talking to or bragging about him.

He does this a lot at bustling social events because if he takes his hand off that child, he will probably lose him within 10 seconds.

Break Dale's trust forever by grabbing his extended hand and yanking him forward (or squeezing way too tight). Like an elephant, he will never forget and will keep an extra step away from you at all times. Do not grab or push him. He will go on guard around you.

Handedness: Right Body Language: Often stiff with a tendency to stare, though he does a lot of leaning. Becomes expressive when he's talking up a storm. Doesn't blink much. Usually holding a phone or tablet. Hair: Thin, often splitting at the ends, and comes out in clumps. Has some pomp and fluff to it, but he's pulled out a lot of that over the years. His front loop is a natural curl that will spring out again even if he clips that bit off. Specifically, it grew in as he got older and his front puff reduced in size. I don't always, but I like to draw the two stray hairs in the back like lowercase Ds (hanging on from their bottoms). Teeth: Had his missing teeth replaced with gold. Back when they were missing, Dale avoided smiling or talking much. Mouth hurt a lot for years. Scars: Physically, not as many as you'd think. But emotionally? Imagine the toil. Tattoos: None... to his wife's disappointment. Hadley would love for him to get a little cherry blossom with a cute branch wrapped around his ring finger to compensate for the sensory issues his wedding ring gives him, but being stabbed repeatedly with a sharp object does not factor into his life goals. When he goes out of town for business meetings, Hadley will often video call and ask to see the ring and/or ask him to write her name on his chest or stomach. She is THAT paranoid... but y'know, we can make small allowances for her. She's his friend wife!

Style: Has a funky, modern, sleek, and not necessarily professional style (See also, chunky zippers and sequin pants). Gives off huge "new money" vibes that make people in his social circle glance at him funny, but no one says anything because he's a billionaire.

Wears his puffer jacket even in the California summer because it makes him look less scrawny. It's a recent addition to his wardrobe, but it tremendously improved his confidence and self-perceived attractiveness. He loves it and is very proud that he found it himself. This man is also a tech geek who does not really understand fashion. He dresses how he wants.

Notably, Dale is very neat and doesn't like items that don't fit his closet organization. He'll humor his wife when she brings him new clothes, but they both know he'll discard it if it's inconsistent with what he already has and likes.

Dev owns a lot of oversized shirts because they were passed down from Dale; Dev wears them to bed sometimes.

Regular Clothing: Big puffer jacket and sequin pants, really leaning into that funky modern geek vibe. Casual Clothing: Anything baggy that doesn't cling to his scrawny figure, but it has to be something with a tight enough collar that it won't hang off his shoulders. Besides white and gold, he also likes purple... It's safe... Nightwear: Animal print boxer shorts. Sometimes leopard, sometimes zebra, sometimes cow... You never know! Hadley gives him pajamas for her holiday videos, so he'll wear those until he doesn't want to. He tends to like his things, but he also likes new and fun things. Formal Clothing: White suits with black and gold accents, as Dimmadomes are wont to do. Other: Cannot emphasize enough how much this man likes animal print. He will wear anything you give him, but cow patterns are a favorite (Probably because he grew up around them). Being barefoot is a huge trigger for lemonade pit memories (specifically, having dirt and grime underfoot). Dale has a stockpile of identical boots because they bring back memories of a safe childhood, his dad's affection, and his recovery process... but he'll still cling to one pair until it's absolutely falling apart. -> Mostly, he only takes the boots off only when getting dressed (They won't fit, but he'll leave them on if he's putting on something with wide leg holes) or in the shower (He cares a lot about scrubbing his feet to get off grime since that's the point of wearing them). -> If he gets separated from his boots, he'll keep his feet off the ground and call for someone... but everyone in his household knows not to touch them, so he's rarely without. Yes, the boots stay on in the bedroom. All the time. Not a big fan of hats... Specifically, his dad's style of hat. He would never, ever tell his father that.

Height: 6′4″

Hygiene: High risk of neglecting hygiene due to hyperfixating on his projects. The au pairs give him reminders, but it's not unusual for him to brush those off. He tries to take care of his remaining tooth.

Dale takes long showers due to mild contamination OCD (especially regarding his feet)- the shower is the only place he likes taking off his boots, and he cares a lot about scrubbing his feet. The feel of dirt or crumbs on his feet is a big trigger, and he wears the boots to take the edge off that.

Sometimes he dissociates, so he ends up in the bathroom longer than he needs to. He might jump on a phone call with Hadley to keep grounded, but strictly no one else- No business talks, no extended family. Wife only.

This is Dale's personal self-care-slash-check-in-with-wife time and he gets snappy if Dev interrupts him. Keep conversation to dinner, kid. If you want to talk to your mother, hop on call in the other room.

Morning Schedule: Brief morning shower (super quick rinse), hair care, check Dev marked himself as "Ate breakfast" on his digital daily checklist, start work.

Typical Day Schedule: Work- Lots of reviewing reports, contacting people, giving presentations, and sitting in meetings. Juggling multiple businesses. Check Dev ate lunch.

If he didn't mark it, stress out. Call school nurse; get assured he's fine. Pace around stressing over Dev until he finally gets the indication he's eaten. Stare blankly at screens, trying to get back in the zone. The usual.

Evening Schedule: Shower. Dinner with Dev (sometimes with fancy people). Stress out if Dev is late.

Dinner is when Dale and Dev talk the most. It's at that time that Dev will talk about his day at school (Ex: If he scored well on a test). Dale doesn't have much to say to Dev because the au pairs and/or Dev's daily checklist keep him on track with chores, homework, hygiene, and "No screen time an hour before bedtime" reminders. That said, if Dale makes plans that involve Dev, he'll tell him (Ex: "Tomorrow we're going out for dinner, so be ready to go by 5:30" or "I need you to pass Dimmlets out to your class." Not great at expressing interest for Dev's life, but he sure tells you his plans. Also, general father-son conversations like Dev getting permission to host a sleepover ("The Wellsington Hotellsington").

After dinner, Dale handles personal life money-related things, like bills, checking stocks, or donating money to Dev's school ("28 Puddings Later"). He'll handle communications with friends and family during this time if applicable (Ex: If his in-laws text to ask about family reunions).

Also does repairs or upgrades to the au pairs (and focused on Project H for a while). He's often on the phone with his wife while doing this since she gets lonely when she doesn't hear from him. Sometimes he's on the phone with other people, including for business reasons (Thus cutting down Dev's ability to engage with him).

Dale can easily get sucked into his projects, but the au pairs will get him when it's bedtime and that helps. He'll tidy up, do some night hygiene things, and try to sleep.

Dale is pretty repetitive with his schedule; he likes it to run smoothly. Very frustrating when things unexpectedly go awry (Ex: Dev was late getting home for dinner). That's a sure way to land him in a bad mood and he's more likely to be snappy about things that annoy him (See also, misophonia).

Dev does his best to appease his dad, but he feels awful if he slips up and his dad gets very grumpy about it. He will absolutely get home on time (and will probably be sitting at the table early) if he wants to ask permission for something. And if he was late, he'll be as quiet and non-needy as possible.

Hadley's often away from home, and Dale's often exhausted by the time he heads to bed. Maybe some light flirting, but sleepy cuddles are much more likely than sex. Their fantasies are a little elaborate... Tired owners of multiple businesses gotta sleep sometime.

Weekend Schedule

Slower to get dressed and up on weekends. It's not uncommon to work from bed, checking up on things and sending emails (Maybe with au pairs bringing him breakfast). Hadley sleeps late, but thrashes less in the early morning hours than she does in the night, so there's that.

Weekends are really their only option for married life intimacy, and only if Hadley's home. Despite Dale's general performance anxiety, he enjoys the cosplay and roleplay aspects, which can get pretty fancy. Work hard during the week, play hard on your half-day off.

He's not always into the things his wife's into, but he likes being told what to do, so take that as you will.

Don't worry- he's very good at pushing his own wants too.

There's plenty of general house stuff to do too, like fixing au pairs and making sure everything's running with the bills and garden.

Dale is mildly more attentive to Dev's personal life on weekends (especially Sundays and/or when Hadley isn't there), offering the hope of a relationship that keeps Dev going between holidays. Still, Dev doesn't see his dad as much as he wants to. It's fine.

Sleep Schedule: Does not sleep well. Even when his wife isn't thrashing around in bed, he's a light sleeper and tends to jolt awake. Very sensitive to sounds; struggles to feel safe at night. Often crashes into naps.

That said, having Hadley around does have its perks, like reducing anxiety that someone will sneak in and kidnap him.

Dale and the au pairs have made multiple attempts to clean Hadley's room so she'll sleep in hers instead of his, but it never works. She'll cuddle up to him despite Dale's annoyance with her thrashing around in her sleep. He tolerates it because... Let's be honest- He's aware he's A Lot, so he can put up with the fact that he's a married man and it's common for couples to share a bed. And while they're both awake, the cuddles aren't bad, so there's that.

Often struggles to drift off and then jerks awake, hypervigilance kicking in (and flooding him with adrenalin). He'll slip out of bed and make the rounds (Checking on Dev himself rather than sending flashy, beeping au pairs... It's easier to find the source of strange sounds when you're not trying to listen over the sound of whirring fan blades).

Sometimes gets up to work in the middle of the night to get a head start on projects. Often looks for food. Sometimes Dev comes down in the early morning to find his dad on the kitchen floor surrounded by boxes, often with a huge pile of opened things that are now "at risk foods" that clearly need to be thrown out. Food anxiety is rough.

Dale actually does like cuddling... Hadley's just not good at staying still. He likes holding Dev more than you'd think- After all, "Someone might kidnap my son" or "My son might die if he doesn't eat" are thoughts that keep him up at night, so it's easier to fall asleep when Dev's on the couch with him (or at least in the room).

Dev might seek him on occasion (i.e. holiday naptime, Mom's away and Dev's spooked by something, or camping), but Dale never asks for this (because... he's not going to ask his son to sleep in bed with him). He does request Dev or the au pairs to knock on his door if he came home late, but that's it. And Dale gets frustrated when Dev's not home for dinner, so sometimes he'll grump and grill him on what kept him out so long and if the reasons help him network. Dev usually avoids approaching his dad, not wanting to upset him (especially if he's ill or feels dumb for being spooked by loud noises). It's a balancing act, but whatcha gonna do?

PERSONAL

Dale's Family Tree: HERE

Disclaimer: If future New Wish seasons give us relatives for Dale, this family tree (and Dale's history section) may change. It also might not. We'll see!

Relationship Status: Married to Hadley Harrington (Ed Leadly's middle daughter). Dale loves her dearly, as far as he has love for a fellow person. Don't quote me on that; it's possibly untrue.

Wedding Anniversary: January 21st, 2012 - A few months before he turned 25

Dale reunited with Hadley at age 15 (after escaping Vicky) as she was part of the social circle he was re-introduced to after many years away. Since he's 3 years older, she was quite young when he went off the radar, but he's technically known her all her life.

Hadley's older sister (Harper) is Dale's age. For a while, he knew her better- He used to play with her as a kid. Harper's the one he (presumably) would've been betrothed to if she didn't fight her dad on the idea of betrothals in general. Hadley didn't mind marrying a man she might not love, so the offer fell to her. Dale still considers Harper a friend and enjoys seeing her at family reunions, but Harper and Hadley don't get along well. Not that Dale notices.

Since he's known her for years, Dale grew familiar with Hadley; she's easily the person he's closest with. He trusts her with his life in almost all situations... but he will still ritually check the expiration dates on every ingredient she cooks with (and will sometimes make a loop to check on things that make him nervous even if she already did it). And yes, he still loves his boots and will say so. See? You don't need to hoard to be happy! Just hyperfixate for life!!

It's almost hilarious that Dale has extreme trust in Hadley while she's paranoid he'll cheat on or divorce her. Hadley asks a lot of questions about where he's been and who he's with, but when she returns from a trip, he'll smile and adopt an attitude of "Hey! You're back!"

Exception being if she interrupts him to tell him she's home. He doesn't love when something breaks his concentration and will be snappy and fussy for the rest of the evening... but if he wraps up his work and then leaves his room to find she's home, he'll throw his arms in the air with a smile and acknowledge she's back. Wife :)

He will not be there emotionally, but he definitely knows when there's someone in his house.

Hadley has an outside entrance to her storage rooms so she can unpack while he works on late-night projects... They realized pretty fast that Dale doesn't handle unexpected door squeaks and footsteps very well.

Dale finds it very attractive that Hadley's always been friendly to him, including when he was fresh out of the lemonade pit, emotionally raw, and didn't look or act appealing. They bicker on occasion, but she's never threatened to hit him. In fact, she's pretty patient when he takes his time working up to things. Hadley came from a very wealthy family (thus cutting down the risk of her being a gold digger), yet is also a hard worker very devoted to her self-made career: making videos and selling a wide variety of products (especially things that don't fit his expertise, such as travel supplies and workout gear). Dale places a lot of value in work and independence, so he's very fond and supportive of his wife. She's a good, safe person. He genuinely doesn't mind when she's away traveling... She's there just enough to be comforting without being around so often that she's super annoying. Dev would benefit from having more parental attention, but Dale does just fine, so clearly his son is fine too.

Despite the conflicts that crop up in their marriage (such as Hadley being a hoarder while Dale is neat and tidy), Dale has a lot of positive feelings towards Hadley. If a positive thought about her comes to mind while she's in the room, he'll just say it. Surprisingly, that's gotten him far in life.

If you get him started, he can gush on about how much he likes his wife, who is very cool and hot...... He'd just also be able to walk away from this relationship without being too bothered that it ended. They might be a little TOO independent...

The vibe here is definitely "Enjoy what you have while you have it." Neither of these people likes letting go of things, so they continue enjoying what they have.

Dale has an interesting quirk of referring to Hadley by name rather than labels like "my wife" due to her extreme determination to make a name for herself; she'll jump in to say her name if she's around when he does use a label like that. Sometimes he'll say "your mother" to Dev (in the same vein he told Dev to "listen to his business partner" in canon), but he's broken most of the "my wife" habit.

Dale is significantly more touchy-feely with Hadley in front of crowds or cameras than he is when they're at home. That is, he'll sit with her at a dining table, hold her hand, or even frog-jump right over her to chase something that caught his eye.

He isn't the most complimentary, he's not great at sharing the spotlight, and he doesn't always sing her due praises despite listing off the many businesses he owns, but he'll smile at, finger gun, throw his arm around, or openly flirt with her.

... If you can call it flirting.

Dale is not big on being lovey-dovey, but he'll play up the flirting when people are watching (Ex: Bragging during a press conference, pulling her right up against him at a party while telling someone she's cool, leaning on her, handing her the microphone with no warning, and dropping comments like "Aw, ain't she a doll?") I mean... that's what people on TV do, right? He also texts her photos of him scoring business deals and/or covering himself in money. Sometimes he just stares at her from afar. Wow... wife...

He tends to talk over Hadley in public- She often stutters and isn't as loud and dramatic as he is, so he'll swoop into her conversations (Sometimes throwing his elbow on her head or shoulder, leaning a lot of his weight on her). He has an equally bad habit of getting distracted and wandering away during events, leaving her to wrap up what she was doing and then look around in confusion for him.

They are sickeningly cute in matching pajamas, which is most likely to happen when Hadley's pulled the family together for a game night, video, or vacation. Dale will probably be on the couch scrolling through his phone, but he lets Hadley sit near him. Maybe even lay her head on him. Even Dev can wriggle up to him when he's in vacation mode... Dale is definitely more at ease when Hadley's taking charge and telling him what to say and do.

Again, Dale is chronically unable to convince himself he deserves rest. When Hadley's in charge and "makes him rest" as a family bonding activity, he's actually okay with that. He'll let Dev climb in his lap and snuggle. Dale's not incredibly affectionate even during holidays, but when you're Dev, you take what you can get.

Dale is prone to both hyperfixations and dissociation; sometimes he feels like seconds or minutes passed when really, it was hours. The au pairs keep him grounded enough to eat, but if he's left alone without them, Dale will completely zone out and neglect all his needs (from hunger to bathroom to hygiene... not to mention Dev in general).

Criticize him for Dev's impersonal, drone-related upbringing all you want, but the cursed alternative is "Dale fails to feed his hypoglycemic little boy, who has a seizure and no one's there." The au pairs are holding this family together... Lost chargers, power outages, and long road trips without electricity cause genuine anxiety in the Dimmadome household. A family of 3 who all have ADHD/OCD comorbidity can get by together, but the worst part about the au pairs is how reliant you end up on them...

Dale considers himself to be an attentive parent "when not working" and fails to recognize the impact his devotion to business-y things has on Dev's daily life.

Cross-reference with H.P., who avoids admitting family relations, actively pushes his offspring away when they touch him, will stay awake until everyone else in the room is asleep, and is always micromanaging. H.P. has a "Not ever; that's unprofessional" approach to touch and family attitudes while Dale's energy is along the lines of "Not now; I'm busy" and "I loved my dad, so Devin loves me" and /takes his son's arm and points at him- "I made this."

Dale wants to be a good dad... he just has skewed memories of what his own dad was like, he's bad at talking to children, and doesn't care if he secures money (i.e. safety) in immoral ways. There's a lot going on inside his head, and frankly... He's not going to listen to your critique. You don't know what he's dealing with. He's raising this kid his way. Money is safety. Safety is everything. Dev is doing fine.

Dale and Hadley are also that couple who, if you put them in a room with a bunch of other people to play games, will always team up. They didn't come here to make new friends... They don't trust like that. Partner with someone else?? You're asking a lot.

Dimmadelphia's ruthless power couple, everyone.

Often takes off his wedding ring for sensory reasons and forgets where he put it (Don't tell his wife) (Oh no, she's onto him).

Due to the triple combo of Dale not wearing his ring, walking around separately at events, and not calling her "my wife" in conversation, there are a lot of people who don't know he's married... Including every teacher Dev's ever had until they get the jumpscare of Hadley showing up for parent-teacher conferences. Many people consider Hadley Dale's personal assistant and don't connect the dots that she's Dev's mom. Yes, they're uncomfortable if Dale hints he's slept with her. Every now and then, Dale attends a social event where some widower or divorcee asks if he'd be interested in joining a singles support group (to his bafflement, and he always turns them down because they're clearly trying to scam him out of money). He's been asked out multiple times... and since he's not great at reading signals, he's inadvertently gone on many dates he thought were business meetings. Sometimes he brings Dev with him "so the kid can get some business experience." Dev can instantly clock when the vibes are flirty and will try to subtly get his dad's attention or cut in with a comment about his mom, but he's often ignored. Comedy of errors...

Betrothed to Hadley at age 19. They'd run in the same social circle all their life, so they were certainly aware of each other despite not being romantic. Well, Dale missed 7 years, but other than that...

Specifically, their dads worked this out as an option in their youth, pitched it to them individually, and they both accepted. Dale was relieved to marry someone from Dimmsdale. Doug definitely had some options from elsewhere in the country and Dale was nervous to meet new people and explain all his trauma. Hadley actually saw him during recovery, so he never had to get into detail, and she's pretty accommodating. They get along great.

Clarifying note: They weren't married until they were older, but the betrothal was locked in at that time since by age 19, it was time for Dale and Doug to nail down a plan. Since the Leadlys are multimillionaires rich enough for Leadly to drop 17 million on a spontaneous purchase ("Dog Gone"), one of his daughters was the ideal place to start asking.

Simple courtship. Mostly, Dale and Hadley continued seeing each other at the usual social gatherings, but slowly moved towards deeper talks about their future. Lots of showy gifts exchanged in the way you'd expect upper class kids to privately flirt.

Dale definitely took his time working up to, y'know... talking to people. Neither Dale nor Hadley trusts easily, both having come from families that raised them to be wary of someone taking advantage of them for wealth. However, their shared backgrounds and planned betrothal helped grow their trust in each other, leading to them both feeling very safe in the other's presence.

Ideal Relationship: Back in the day, Dale would've had a hard time putting into words what he wanted- He was just glad to have his life back. Hadley fits snugly in his life and is a lot of things he never would've thought to ask for.

Besides the obvious - i.e. non-abusive - she's pretty lax, likes to schedule, openly communicates, enjoys her personal space, and has done her utmost to make a name for herself without relying on her dad or husband. She has the right amount of "Likes things done her way" energy to parallel Dale's "After work, I don't want to think, so just tell me what to do" energy. Hadley's been to Texas many times (since Pencil Nexus has a branch there). She also loves hunting, which Dale (child of Doug he is) enjoys too. They share a lot of interests. She also indulges his boot-related fantasies, which he likes. Wouldn't trade her for anyone. He might leave her to live alone, but he wouldn't trade her.

The areas they clash most are Hadley's hoarding OCD - very frustrating for him since her stuff gets everywhere - her paranoia that Dale will cheat on her, and Dale not being emotionally there when Hadley wants a vacation.

Although Dale was a curious child who likes exploring, he lost a lot of that during his trauma. Hadley is much more adventurous than Dale is (both in terms of travel and their bedroom life). Dale does not budge easily from his comfort zone and he wouldn't mind if she slackened the reins.

Hadley would've loved to have more kids. On some level, Dale does equate more kids to being more successful and would enjoy having more of them in that regard (especially since he, his dad, his mom, and his grandparents were all only children- Dale has no cousins, uncles, or aunts and doesn't know how to talk to such people).

That said, Dale doesn't feel a specific desire for more kids. He's very hesitant to stray outside his safe zone, especially while his life is currently in balance. He'd definitely be the type to assume more kids will "fix things."

- He would've preferred waiting until he was older to have a kid if it weren't for the crushing weight of Daddy's Expectations looming in the background... Doug always found it weird that Hadley wanted to do business things (like run her own company) and not exclusively be a stay-at-home mom like his wife was. - Dale still tosses and turns over the fact that Doug never got to meet Dev... Daddy never got to see him "succeed at continuing the Dimmadome line"... He will never know if he's proud. It's fine. He's fine. He's actually over it, haha.

Sexuality: Unclear and generally unimportant- 7 years of trauma did a number on his ability to identify emotions or trust other people, and now he's married, so who cares? Not the best at reading the room. Or himself, for that matter.

Grew up in the '90s and 2000s, missed a bunch of school (health class included), wasn't raised in a home that discussed many options beyond growing up to marry a nice woman so he could continue the Dimmadome line... and frankly, if he thought about it and realized there's a chance he may not have ended up with a woman and had a kid, he'd probably have an anxiety attack. We Do Not Disappoint Daddy In This Household.

All this said, Dale is aware of some Pride symbols - mostly rainbows - due to the Pride rodeos held at the Dimmsdale Dimmadome every year he was growing up (They were quite popular in Los Angeles Dimmsdale throughout the 90s). He attended several in the early 2000s, including the 50 years of frozen time. -> Dale has very positive memories of attending rodeos and similar events with his dad, and was none too pleased when they were banned from Los Angeles Dimmsdale in December 2023. See also, "Dirty Roads and Sterile Hearts." Dale also played a lot of Sims games... Up to Sims 9 or 10, in fact, given how products kept coming out during the 50 years of frozen time. He's not oblivious to sexualities, but it's not something he likes thinking about in relation to himself. He'll sell rainbow things for money and be done with it. He's definitely in the camp of assuming everyone experiences attraction (and most emotions for that matter) the way he does... which is to say, very little on the attraction front. Romance plots in media are baffling to him. He's glimpsed some anime and manga through his wife and son, but he's not invested in Kennueth's romance arc (despite Dev thinking it's heart-wrenching and fun).

Dale tends to ask people to lunch or dinner if he finds them intriguing - maybe at a nice restaurant, maybe at his house... maybe at Dimm-'N-Out Burgers - but if you asked him if he was attracted to any of these people, he would say "Of course not- I'm married" or "That would be unprofessional."

The more he wants to impress and befriend you, the more anxious he feels. He definitely has a squish on Kevin Crocker. Dale doesn't care about most people, but when you have a mouth full of implants and you've built your own line of robots, the dentist-slash-fellow robotics expert from Archimedes U is high on the Cool People list.

From this post about Dale and Kevin going out to dinner

It's very possible that Kevin (who's happily married and monogamous with Chloe) is Dale's type, but who knows if Dale's that self-aware.

If he did, it probably wouldn't change how badly he wants to talk to Kevin about robots. Even in a universe where they did date (and subsequently break-up), Dale would follow him around asking robotics questions. Given his struggles of letting go of Vicky, you can bet he'd be equally fascinated by Kevin. Geek to geek communication; romance optional.

No one ever knows how Dale feels about people or where he hopes things will go... Not even Dale.

Intimate History: Sexually intimate with only one partner (His wife, Hadley).

Cherry lemon ship masterpost

Didn't date anyone while in post-trauma recovery, and by the time he was ready to think about his intimate future, his dad already had betrothal options in mind. Dale accepted, never dated anyone, and never looked back.

Despite his unintended not-business dates, some odd workplace conversations, a few awkward doorstep encounters, aggressively flirtatious Amanda Killman, and people who are genuinely trying to seduce him just for money, he is completely faithful to his wife. Why wouldn't he be? He distrusts everyone equally and was probably backing away even before he realized they were flirting.

If you think this man is going to follow someone he doesn't trust with his life to a private location, think again... You have no choice but to flirt with him in front of his employees, weird drones who could probably fling you into the distance, his wife, or his son. You're dang right the office door is staying open.

No, you're not sharing the bed on this business trip. You can have it and he'll find another hotel. He will pry you off with a crowbar or drag you to the front desk before he ends up in a room with you alone. Don't test the man.

Turn-Ons: Prefers knowing what to expect- Giving him a schedule or explanation note in advance is practically a must. If you try to surprise him with spontaneity, he'll be fidgety and anxious the whole time. Feels most comfortable being told exactly what to do.

Dale: We should have a 24/7 total power exchange dynamic. Hadley: We're not doing that. Dale: Welp, not arguing with a bossy lady. Whatever you say...

Loves animal print and ranch-themed cosplay... It's really hot when his wife shoots a gun while wearing denim, cowgirl fringes, and rhinestone-coated boots tbh. Actually, can we keep the boots in the room? You... you can just put them on top of him. Please do that. Hadley, come back-

Very into recording videos of himself and/or Hadley covered in money, but has absolutely stopped Dev from browsing that au pair's collection in the nick of time. Dale is bad at many things, but his uncanny ability to cross paths with Dev .4 seconds before disaster is unparalleled.

Children: Dev Dimmadome

Dev gets most of his looks from Dale, though he has some of Hadley's tufts and curls (plus her body type).

... Sorry? Did you say someone on the family tree seems to be missing? That doesn't sound familiar.

Notable Grandchildren: I've heard Dale's obsessed with finding "the lost Dimmadome heir," whatever that means... I think Dev's profile might have more info for you there.

Father: Doug Dimmadome

Grandfather: Duncan "Development" Dimm Grandmother: Griselda "Penny" Dimm (née Huber) Notable Ancestors: Dale Dimm, Francis Macdome Dimm, Dimmalonius

Mother: Pearl Dimmadome (née Doe)

Pearl disappeared around the same time Dale went missing, leading many (including Doug) to wonder if she'd taken her young son and run off.

Grandfather: Cassias "Cash" Doe Grandmother: Aurelia "Goldie" Doe (née Astor) NOTE - No relation to John and Jane Doe from A New Wish at this time (Hazel's landlord & landlady; parents of the twins). The surname Doe is a play on "dough" being a word for money, which fits the name scheme of old money families we know. If we don't get a Season 2, I'll likely connect them (since John's hair gives me Buxaplenty vibes anyway and I think it would be interesting to play with that), but there's a chance they're aliens or something. No known relation, but this could change (and possibly land Dale with cousins) in a future update to this profile.

Fairy Godfather: [REDACTED]

Hmm... I think he was green?

Pixie Godfather: Fergus Whimsifinado (H.P.)

Met at some point. Memories are fuzzy...

Wife: Hadley Harrington (née Leadly)

- Met in early childhood. Grew up in the same social circle and saw each other at fancy parties. - Hadley used the surname Leadly in her early years, only taking her mother's name after the divorce

Celebrity Crushes: Why would he crush on someone when he's richer and better than all of them?

Current Love Interest: ........ Still Hadley? Unclear.

Other Important Relationships: 

Vicky Aingeal - Dale's childhood best friend since he was 6. They spent a few years playing together (and doing school projects) before The Incident that spiraled into a cover-up... and the lemon drama.

Related Works: "50 Words of Dale and Vicky," Lemonade and Papercuts, "You Deserve It."

Despite years of abuse beneath Vicky's hand, Dale had a very hard time adjusting to life without her. During recovery, he met up with her a few times in a desperate attempt to convince himself she felt bad for what she did and didn't mean to hurt her best friend. Because... she did. She... can't NOT regret what she put him through...

Dale cared deeply for Vicky and doesn't think of himself as someone who would betray his BFF... An emotion that's side by side with the desire to scream and hurt her just to give her a taste of what she put him through. His trauma haunted him for years (and still haunts him as an adult) as he's very broken up about what happened to him. -> He often blames himself. Ex: "She cares about me. She was only mean because I put her in a bad situation. If I'd been a better friend, she wouldn't have gotten upset with me." As he's gotten older, Dale's stopped clinging to those rose-colored glasses as much as he used to. He still feels awful and conflicted about what happened (and is quicker to find fault with his actions than Vicky's). Since his father's dead and Dale still feels like he never lived up to Daddy's expectations, there's a part of Dale that desperately wants Vicky to apologize and rekindle their friendship... She was his friend. He's supposed to hate her. He'd be reluctant to trust, but would probably hear her out if she asked him too. An apology would likely bring him to his knees, spitting and sobbing and screaming at the overwhelming emotions slamming over him... That's rough, buddy. -> See also, this comic I drew of City Lights Dale and Vicky hanging out at a party after A New Wish Season 1.

Ed Leadly - His father-in-law! ... Dale is overly showy and trips-over-his-feet-attentive to Hadley when her dad is around. Do you have any idea how many trees that man cuts down for pencils? Dimmsdale's [presumably magical] forest is literally kept in check because of Pencil Nexus ("The Boss of Me").

Yeah, we don't pick fights with the CEO of axe-wielding. Leadly is not afraid to hunt, chop wood, hunt, gut animals, or otherwise get his hands dirty and Dale is very afraid of him.

Remy Buxaplenty - A frequent contact. They do a lot of shipping-related business together (Remy with trains, Dale with drones).

Remy's also a long-time friend of Hadley's, so he's one of Dale's most common associates in personal life as well.

Timmy Turner - Not close in Timmy's youth, but once Timmy turned 18 (and forgot the magic parts of his childhood), he got into hunting with Sparky. Dale and Hadley were also hunters and let him join their trips several times. They consider each other buddies.

Dale doesn't hold Timmy up on a pedestal- As far as he's concerned, he got himself out of the lemon pit- Timmy's just the guy who let him eat and wash up while waiting for his dad to drive over. But they do know each other and crossed paths on occasion. Timmy knows Dale better due to Timmy living a double life as the mysterious benefactor who throws Septimberfest every year ("Momnipresent").

Amanda Killman (Sigh) - Another wealthy individual in the tech field. Amanda blatantly finds Dale attractive and has no shame in admitting it (or coming onto him). Dale thinks she's a creep and avoids her whenever possible. Hadley distrusts her and is paranoid her husband will cheat on a business trip someday.

Mikey Munroe (& Bunsen) - Met him a few times while his parents were installing security systems; Mikey followed in his parents' footsteps with Bunsen right behind him. Dale does not like either of them, but that doesn't stop Mikey from talking his ear off or trying to "fix" everything in his house. He does think Mikey's parents' drones are neat, though.

Dale can't deliver products to Beast World directly because there are no Beast portals in California, but Mikey orders things on their behalf and sends them through Muckledunk's portals.

Mikey and Bunsen have been trying to hang out with Dale for ages. They bounce around him when they visit (usually to install security or show him broken robots) and have a long history of sending Waffle House coupons in the mail. Every week. For 22 years. There are no Waffle Houses in California. Where do they even get these? Say one thing for Dale, though- He's better than many big companies at acknowledging the existence of the Beasts living both under and aboveground. Beast World is still a largely untapped market and he incorporates them into his campaign plans (and presumably, that's what he thought Danky was). Fun timeline note: Mikey didn't know Bunsen during the 50 years of repeating time, as Bunsen only met him after meeting Cosmo at Creature Con. Beasts were driven underground during the 2nd Creature War (See The Fae Wars) and have only been allowed aboveground for ~21 years as of A New Wish. Many places still don't trust or cater to them, but Dale will chase whatever makes him money. His old money friends are horrified, but he's pretty pleased with himself. Every now and then, someone tells Dale to "go to Hell" to which he responds "I'm already there and I'm making a killing."

TRIVIA

- Dale's MBTI is ISTJ while Hadley's is ESTJ. They're very similar people, though Hadley's definitely the more outgoing.

- I'm not yet consistent with my Dale design, but my vision is that the younger he is, the more front hair puffs he has (i.e. losing them slowly over time, not all at once). He pulls his hair a lot, but it grows back.

- I based his signature off an image I found of Steve Jobs' signature, which was all lowercase letters with a big dot on the j.

- Read his fair share of Crash Nebula and Crimson Chin comics as a kid. His collection was mostly tossed during his lemonade factory absence.

- Grew up around cows, horses, pigs, sheep, goats, and cattle dogs; went to the state fair with his dad every year growing up. The Dimmsdale Dimmadome hosted many rodeos over the decades.

- Walks on tiptoe more than you might think. It's a habit from his old days of exploring and trying not to get too dirty.

- No cousins. Has distant extended family he may refer to as uncle, aunt, or cousin colloquially, but they're not close.

- Dale will eat just about anything (Preferably lactose-free, though he's been desperate enough to eat that too), but he especially likes charcuterie boards, chips and salsa, carrots and ranch... Really, anything he can dip to feel "luxurious." Big fan of chocolate fountains- He gets really into carefully coating things. Dev has a lot of good memories of chocolate-coated marshmallows with Dad.

- Greatly enjoys beef and steak. Ate a lot of it thanks to Dimmadome Farms... In fact, he might like hamburgers a little too much (and even founded his own burger chain).

- He's lactose intolerant (and passed the gene to Dev).

- Often eats with his hands when alone (Ex: Spaghetti)- a leftover habit from not having silverware underground.

- Doesn't like the color green (Vicky's shirt). It's not a trigger- He just thinks the color's unpleasant.

- He's a card counter. It's a skill he picked up very fast, and the real trick is slipping under the radar. ADHD/OCD comorbidity + aggressive business instinct + 50 years of frozen time go brrrr...

- Has a weird relationship with holidays. Dislikes Halloween and April Fools Day - Neither is great for relaxing - but he does enjoy Christmas and Valentine's Day. While he's not the best at being emotionally present, he can follow the script for getting gifts. He's a lot more likely to be with family around Christmas, lured in by his wife's holiday video requests and the socially acceptable time of year to take a break.

Valentine's Day is a breeze- He has few qualms about spending money on expensive chocolates and big flower displays and they don't even need to be tailored to Hadley's personality. She both enjoys it personally and makes videos about his gifts. Black Friday weekend (Up through Cyber Monday) is a very busy time of year. Founder's Day also hits that time of year, so there's a lot to think about. Fortunately, no Dimmadomes have birthdays or anniversaries around then.

- Makes schedules he's bad at sticking to. Tends to go off-script, but at least the act of making them gives comfort in the moment.

- Constantly berating himself for not being "clever enough" or "productive enough" to be "more successful."

- Has a bad habit of running out in rain or snow without dressing for cold weather. He went without for so long...

- Scary in a fight. Although his build is thin, he's tall, broad-shouldered, and isn't afraid to listen to his survival instinct. He'll slam his elbows on you, bite, twist your arms, go for your face... Whatever it takes. Not a sleeping bear you want to poke.

- Tends to bite his nails, scratch or pick his skin, and pull out his hair. Tends to nibble on his hair, but gelling it back really helps.

- Has mild claustrophobia, though not as bad as it once was. He does fine in elevators, but tunnels and the underground make him uneasy. He sleeps with a nightlight, but doesn't mind dim light as long as he can see. However, he hates sleeping near windows.

- Contrary to everyone's belief, he actually does know his son's birthday and all his dietary needs. In fact, Dale is VERY paranoid that Dev will go into a seizure or die due to his hypoglycemia (and that was a big reason to build the au pairs in the first place).

- Owns a pair of similar-looking boots without spurs for safety in crowds, but good luck getting him to wear them.

- Simultaneously loves and loathes hunting... Misophonia be like that, but he wasn't gonna tell his dad it's hard for him.

- Has his anniversary date engraved on the inside of his ring.

- Running gag of Dale being a better parent when he's multitasking: Reaching over to seatbelt Dev while talking on the phone, catching Dev by the back of the collar before he can run into the street, covering Dev's eyes whenever they walk past a scantily clad advertisement even if his eyes were downcast the whole scene, picking him up to carry him across a dangerous or sopping wet part of the hiking trail even if he's checking stocks, or sensing Dev's about to eat something with lactose before Dev does. Parental instinct finds a way...

- If he's not on a call, he plays music to block out noises that trigger his misophonia. If he's in a bad enough mood, he'll be upset those songs bother him too.

- Dale and Hadley both like wearing cowboy hats and boots, especially when they visit Texas. A lot of their promotional images (as well as digital wallpapers) depict them in such clothes.

While Dale doesn't have a family photo as his phone background, he does have one on a laptop he only uses for family-related things (e.g. Scheduling vacations, checking on Hadley's businesses, making donations to Dev's school). It's... everyone sitting on a bench in boots, and the boots are the centered part. Close enough.

APPEARANCES

Main Blog Tag: #Dale Dimmadome owner of Dimmadome Global

Sideblog Tag: #RD Dale

AO3 Tag - #Dale Dimmadome

Dale makes most of his appearances in City Lights AU, with minor appearances in Cloudlands AU's Along the Cherry Lane and 130 Reasons Why I'm Fairy Trash.

His most notable appearance in the latter series is "You Deserve It," where he's the POV character, talks with Timmy, reunites with family, and attends his first fancy social gathering after escaping Vicky.

He's the protagonist of Lemonade and Papercuts and the antagonist of Dev's life... just in general.

Sideblog Masterpost

[gabposs]

tw* death mention

✧ Joaquin Santiago・64 | Buisness Tycoon

Joaquin’s life began when he met Valeria Rosales. He could recall meaningless moments throughout his 22 years before that peculiarly sunny autumn morning, but unfortunately, they all seemed very cold. That coldness was a feeling that Joaquin was familiar with when it came to diamonds and his everyday life, but there was something about Valeria that burned hot like a star, and he needed to know why. Knowing Valeria changed Joaquin's life in the best way possible; she expanded his mind in ways he didn’t know possible with her endless creativity, and she warmed his heart simply by being near him. Valeria was radiant in every aspect of her being. Her smile, her words, the air that followed her. There wasn’t a thing less than extraordinary about Valeria, including the way Joaquin loved her. After the passing of his beloved wife following the birth of their youngest son, Joaquin threw himself into work and never looked back. He had never been in touch with the emotions of his boys or himself for that matter; she was always better at talking about that stuff, but he knew the one thing he could do was provide for them and hope they would understand this was all he could do for them.

✦ Francisco Santiago・27 | Trust Fund Baby

The one thing Francisco always wanted to be when he grew up was a free man. Being the eldest Santiago came with the weight of the world on his shoulders; as a teen, it was sitting in on Joaquin's 5 AM international business calls he would take from his office before Francisco went to school. At school, Francisco was expected to bring home top marks in all classes regardless of the relevancy to the distinguished business degree that Joaquin also expected of him. No nights out with friends (what friends?), no time for a girlfriend, and absolutely no unnecessary risks with the press. Pretty much all that went out the window when Francisco touched ground on Foxbury Campus. He spent every night out with classmates who only knew him by his name and every morning perpetually late to class because he was stumbling around the dorm of last night's fling to find his boxers. It didn't take long for Joaquin to learn of Francisco's major lifestyle changes after Francisco made the cover of Sim News Magazine for streaking through San Myshunou's financial district after more than a few drinks after karaoke night. Francisco held on for another half semester before he made the decision to drop out; his sister, Valentia, was going through major life changes and wasn't receiving any support from father dearest, and Francisco could say with certainty that this whole heir to the kingdom thing was not for him.

✧ Alejandro Santiago・22 | Foxbury Econ Major

Alejandro Santiago is now in a position where he is expected to clean up after his older siblings. Can he say he's a little bitter about his siblings effectively stealing his freedom out from under him while pursuing their own? Yeah, he can. Is he going to complain about it? No, he's not. If there is one thing about Alejandro Santiago, he knows how to get a job done. Alejandro could see the path his brother was heading down while Francisco was attending Brightchester; and knew what that would mean for him, so he put his hens in a row and secured the valedictorian spot his senior year at Copperdale. Two semesters into his studies at Foxbury and Alejandro can understand why Francisco lost his shit in this place. All the people here are faker than their designers bags, and as the heir to Santiago Diamonds and Fabrics he would know. The mantra on repeat in Alejandro’s head: two more years and he’ll graduate and have the power to never see these people again. Six more years and he’ll inherit SDF and have all the power he could ever imagine. For now he needs to do what he’s best at: suppress, don’t feel, and fake it harder than everyone else around him.

✦ Rafael Santiago・17 | Copperdale High Icon

When friends comment on how happy Rafael is they always know what they will hear in response from him, “Why wouldn’t I be happy? I’m rich!” Having no responsibilities and growing up surrounded by meals, art, and entertainment of only the most excellent quality may have spoiled him a little; at least that is what Valeria always said, but underneath the fine layer of gold that tints his rose-colored glasses, Rafael can understand that his wealth is the reason behind all of what he has including his friends who laugh every time he tells the same joke… and that’s a-okay! If money can make people act like this, who would want to live any other way?

✧ Teo Santiago ���12 | Daddy's Boy

Losing Valeria was the hardest on Teo and Joaquin. Teo had lost the chance to ever get to know his mother, but her legend was palpable in the Santiago home. He could spend days roaming the halls looking at her pictures or asking for stories from his older siblings trying to feel a connection, but he never would. On the other hand, Joaquin had lost the light of life, his northern star; as a result, Teo and Joaquin's relationship bloomed like no other in the Santiago family. Even at his age, Teo lives a life just as fast as the rest of his family, going city to city on business trips with his father and being homeschooled by Joaquin in their rare free time. Teo wouldn't have it any other way as he has learned that when he is constantly moving, his thoughts never stay the same for long.

[wizardscore]

Hollywood Dream Legacy Challenge

Have you ever wanted to live a life (and lives) like a celebrity? Then this challenge in made for you! In this one, I decided to play a little more with the Get Famous expansion pack, while giving some twists and turns to create a fun little narrative to follow along. I’m aware that some of the careers mentioned don’t provide any fame, but I decided to add it anyway for the sake of the plot. So, if you think it’s necessary, the Road To Fame Mod can help in some of these.

This is my first ever legacy challenge, and I haven’t seen any other like this, but if you feel like there are similarities with another, please let me know!

Obs.: Everything the mentioned below can be modified to your liking if you want to!

Packs Needed: Get Famous, Get to Work, Discover University, Parenthood (optional)

 Rules:

- Start with less than $2000

- Cheats that don’t give any extra advantage over other players are allowed

- You must complete every goal before moving on to the heir

- There are no specific rules regarding who should be the heir, but if you want to, you can follow some of the rules from the original Legacy Challenge.

- Please give credits if you play this (@thewizardscore)

 * : Base Game Options

GEN 1: Aspiring Star

Your childhood was never filled with comfort. Coming from a poor home, you’ve always had the dream of making it big on the silver screen to finally get out of the chains that have been restraining you to an unknown and miserable life. When finally being able to achieve everything you’ve ever wanted, you promise to give everything you’ve never had to your kids.

 Traits: Ambitious, Creative + 1 Optional

Aspiration: Master Actor/Master Actress

 goals:

Start with little to no money.

Start an acting career.

Become a worldwide celebrity during your lifetime.

Marry your first boyfriend/girlfriend.

Master the charisma, acting and parenting skills.

Complete the Master Actor/Master Actress aspiration.

 GEN 2: Nepo Baby

Whilst having an average childhood, once your parents achieved fame everything became much easier. Being very loved and very spoiled opened a gate of possibilities to your life, and since fame and money wasn’t something you’d want to get rid of, you decided to pursue a show-off life, becoming an influencer. But once your progenitor got too old to even acknowledge your career, it was time to follow a serious lifestyle in order to maintain your family’s legacy.

 Traits: Snob, Materialistic, Overachiever / *Perfectionist

Aspiration: Successful Lineage

 goals:

Have minimum level 3 in all Toddler skills.

Have a negative responsibility value.

Get halfway through the stylish influencer career.

Master the charisma and logic skills.

Go into the management career branch of Business.

Become a Business Tycoon.

 GEN 3: Moves Like Jagger

Being part of a famous dynasty always brought you a sea of advantages. Having your whole life in the spotlight isn’t always a good thing, but it’s undoubtable comfortable. With all the fame, it was time to follow your greatest dream of becoming a musician. Your last name not only gave you privilege, but also a great deal of attention, which you decided to enjoy in the best way possible: becoming a serial dater (a very irresponsible one).

 Traits: Music Lover, Non-Committal, Hates Children

Aspiration: Musical Genius

 goals:

Master 3 music-related skills.

Never marry.

Have 3+ kids with different partners.

Achieve at least 4-star fame while being a musician (‘Road to Fame’ mod recommended).

Master the Musician career.

Complete the Musical Genius aspiration.

 GEN 4: The Outcast

Growing up in a troubled home wasn’t something you’d wish for. One of your parents had multiple kids and neglected them equally, which led to a survival fight of who could gain more attention. Since the beginning you promised to never follow into your parent’s footsteps, so the moment you found out you were going to have a kid, you promised to protect them fully, what also meant stepping off the spotlight. With time, money started to run low, so you had to do the unimaginable to maintain your family’s living standard, while also taking good care of your partner and your children.

 Traits: Self-Assured, Family-Oriented, Kleptomaniac

Aspiration: Public Enemy

 goals:

Master the mischief and parenting skills.

Have 100% friendship and romance with your partner.

Never have any fame points.

Earn at least $1000 stealin.g

Go into the boss branch of the criminal career.

Die before becoming an elder.

  GEN 5: Starstruck

You had very loving and attentive parents during your childhood, but one went away too early due to their criminal pathway. Whilst looking back in their life, you stumbled across your famous ancestors. Determined to turn your life around, you try to become a famous actor/actress just like your great-great-grandparents, but unfortunately, your late parent history got in between, which led to a bad fame/reputation. Eventually, you give up on your great dream and decide to live an ordinary life.

 Traits: Ambitious, Self-Absorbed, Loner

Aspiration: World-Famous Celebrity

 goals:

Master the mischief and acting skills.

Never complete the World-Famous Celebrity aspiration.

Have a bad fame.

Go to law school.

Max the lawyer career.

 GEN 6: Disney kid

Since your parents couldn't make it big, you were forced to become a star since the beginning. Working hard wasn’t really a choice, so you hung onto it without ever complaining, but with all the accumulated pressure during your upbringing, eventually you got lost into bad business during your teenage years and eventually lost all the fame, some money, and the love of your life. With nothing else to lose, you begin to pursue your true dream of becoming a chef.

 Traits: Perfectionist, Foodie, Party Animal / *Outgoing

Aspiration: Master Chef

 goals:

Get at least 3 fame stars before becoming a young adult.

Reach level 6 of the acting skillMarry and have a kid.

Lose all the fame points when turning into an adult.

Lose at least $1000 in bars.

Divorce.

Master the cooking, baking, and gourmet cooking skills.

­Complete the Master Chef aspiration.

  GEN 7: Mastermind

You had a great childhood filled with money and fame, but due to your parent’s adventures, you had nothing left once you became a teenager. Decided to be better than your once lazy parent, you make it your big life goal to gain all your wealth back through your intellectual highness.

 Traits: Overachiever /  *Perfectionist, Genius, Ambitious

Aspiration: Academic

 goals:

Master the logic skill.

Live with your parents until becoming a teenager.

Move out with your ex-famous parent.

Be an A student.

Get a biology degree with honors.

Max the doctor career.

Have one child.

Complete the Academic aspiration.

 GEN 8: Runaway

During all your childhood, your parents’ job took up all their life. In your free time you unleashed your artistic self since the beginning, which was deeply condemned by your parents, who believed that art could never bring any type of success. Regardless of the lack of support, you continued to invest your time into all types of artistic stuff, all while hiding yourself. Being a free young adult, you got into university to get an art history degree, becoming a famous artist and proving your parents wrong.

 Traits: Art Lover, Socially Awkward / * Loner, Creative

Aspiration: Painter Extraordinaire

 goals:

Master the painting skill.

Max the painting career.

Get an art history degree with honors.

Have a rocky relationship with your parents.

Earn more than $2000 selling art pieces.

 GEN 9: Like Mother Like Daughter/Like Father Like Son

Growing up in a gallery-like household, you always picked up on your parent artistic talents and with time you tried to take up the fame as well, but unfortunately your career wasn’t successful. Without resentments, you decided to relax and open a business, always having your children’s well-being in mind. The success of the business provided a good and stable income and a bigger investment in your kids’ talents, which made you a perfect parent who was determined to give their kids everything they needed and more.

 Traits: Art Lover, Loyal, Outgoing

Aspiration: Super Parent (or Big Happy Family for Base Game) 

 goals:

Have a level 5 painting skill.

Never earn any fame points.

Have a successful business.

Complete the Super Parent/ Big Happy Family aspiration.

Master the parenting skill.

GEN 10: The Last Great Dynasty

Having great parents was a big deal for you, especially regarding your drama inclinations. You had everything you wanted all the way until your teenage years, but for some reason you felt something was missing. Looking back in the family legacy, you discover an unknown past which was hidden for years, deep inside the roots of Del Sol Valley. Investing all your time in theater classes, getting a drama degree and climbing all your way to the top, you tried everything possible to become famous like your ancestors and finally be the last one of their legacy.

 Traits: Self-Assured, Ambitious, Perfectionist

Aspiration: World-Famous Celebrity

 goals:

Have minimum level 3 in all Toddler skills.

Max the charisma and acting skills.

Complete the World-Famous Celebrity.

Never have a child.

[terrence-silver]

I want to know about terry trauma

Like we know about John kreese past and what he went through but no one talks about terry I just knows he probably has claustrophobia from a lot of tight space and probably just goes back into that boy in nam like you could see it on his face the shaking the putting himself in a corner but when he around people he hides it and acts confident

Also is it weird I feel like he is bipolar and I just know he probably overdosed when John left him in 85

The thing about Terry Silver's trauma?

He doesn't want people to know he has any.

When he's surrounded by a bunch of people who see, like in the case of his Season 5 showdown, he snaps and he snaps murderously. Thirty years earlier, Mr. Miyagi throws him into the dojo mirror and he snaps just as murderously. If he had a Katana on hand then, he would've swung it. He was seen for exactly who and what he is all while being bested and he snaps.

So, he makes up things. Hides it. Invents personalities. Lifestyles. Creates masks. Steals someone else's mannerisms and look and puts it over his own like a second skin that becomes his only skin. Fabricates interest in things he doesn't care about whatsoever to fly under the radar as mainly your ordinary run of the mill Billionaire. In one decade, he's the business tycoon sponsoring junior Karate championships so the kiddies can learn the same values of honesty, hard work and fair play he learned (cross his heart and hope to die) and in another decade, he's hosting tofu garden parties riddled with champagne liberals or bidding on bonsai trees for the sake of donating back to the community. Sure, the likes of Amanda Larusso might think him smarmy and slightly sleazy --- a bit too much, you know --- but at least she doesn't see the trauma. He's a walking, talking chameleon. What happened to him and all the ways he is irrevocably damaged being on full display is something he makes a contented effort to tuck away to the degree he'll become someone else, temporarily or permanently, only if it could mean he'll come off as unfettered, above it all, strong, invulnerable, infinitely sleek, charming, eccentric and in his words like he got over his issues and there's nothing wrong with him, all while everything being wrong with him, so it is pretty impossible for your average observer or even a licensed, skilled therapist to deduce or fix just what the heck is wrong with Terry Silver because it is just about not possible to ever fully know. He's like a smashed mirror. There's an infinite amount of pieces that shattered and an attempt to put that mirror back into the way it used to be is a lost cause. Nobody knows what its original shape was or what it used to look like. Possibly not even Terry himself. All that remains are the shards and the various ways he shapes and re-shapes them at will, depending of the circumstances or the environments and individuals he's dealing with. Whatever the case --- nobody will ever know he's weak and those who, or those he admits it to, will be swiftly dealt with.

[thegongoozlerreacts]

Dead Plate (Part 1)

hello!! its been a while since ive posted but here i am!!! so this game is Dead Plate created by STUDIO INVESTIGRAVE

i had played one of their games before, Elevator Hitch, and i really really enjoyed it! so im very excited for this new game that theyve released

though, this game is probably really different from Elevator Hitch, because that game was a visual novel type of game while this one has restaurant tycoon gameplay

still, im very excited

i hope i can get all the endings today (but probably not) as always, spoilers under the cut!

i know its literally just the title screen BUT it looks very classy

also the music? its a bop like yo BellKalengar is the composer and sound designer and like yo!! amazing job its literally just the title screen and im amazed already LMFAO

alright then lets begin

lolol i like the way they named the buttons for doing the tutorial, skipping the tutorial or just leaving the game on auto progress time to show up at 5 am then

the art is really cute these characters are really cute too esp the protag

i know its just the tutorial but i am very nervous LOL doing service jobs make me nervous (even tho this is only a fictional one)

bro protag why did u skim the interview thing 😭 is that why u've had 28 jobs in 7 years 💀

ooh interesting the cooks have an order in which they cook meals i need to remember that

wow so theres a lot to do huh theres seating the customers, taking their orders, bringing those orders to the kitchen, serving the food, going to the cash register to take their payments, cleaning up the tables AND throwing out the trash its a lot more than i was expecting,,,, lol good luck to me i guess

so like fun fact im actually not that good at playing games LOL esp this kind of game where theres like people and they have like a happy meter kind of thing going on i wonder if any of the endings will be tied to how well we do during the work day ?? probably

also can i just say that the music is really good i like the kinda jazzy (is that the right word??) vibes going on

it makes me less nervous about serving customers since its very chill LOL

WHY IS THIS CUSTOMER HITTING ME WITH A HARD QUESTION

I HAVE NO IDEA IF WE HAVE TO-GO BOXES OR WHATEVR WHAT HUH ?????

there is a right answer and i have no idea what it is im gonna lose my mind please. ok well lets pick an answer

im gonna go 'no' since the restaurant has a strict menu that changes daily right? so maybe they wouldnt do to-go boxes or ordering ahead and stuff (RIGHT???)

oh phew ok i picked the right one

LOL the banter between the protag and the tutorial guy (i dont know his name)

??? what the hell this customer just left right as i got the food bro 😭😭 have some patience damn this aint a fast food place

now i have to throw away this perfectly good meal (sorry cooks)

oh no now the real game is starting uhh aight alright then lets go

ok so that was like only three customers, i did pretty well but the day's not over yet shdajhsdsakhj i feel like a disaster n it was only three customers LMAO

oh it was only 3 customers for day 1 nice (i got jumpscared by the sound effect for the day ending LFMAO)

ooh green onion rolls,,, it looks good damn now i want to eat LOL

BITCH YOU LIVE LIKE THIS?????? damn,,,,

the music for this area is pretty chill tho

THE BATHROOM IS FLOODING??? AGAIN ?!??! BRO ??? THATS DISGUSTING

the window has a horrible view its just another building

oho? she? who???

bro dont leave the dishes for later thats sooo gross

??? HOW DID YOU BURN CEREAL???? WHAT DID YOU EVEN DO ??

i am appalled at the protag's lifestyle i cant even

so he has not finished writing lyrics and love letters for this girl he mentioned earlier the game is not revealing her name and im wondering why hmm its very sus

sorry im laughing so hard??? its mostly empty except for some cans and the fucking green onion rolls im cackling?? they look so out of place in this fridge LMFAO

bro how are you so bad at cooking that you burnt food in the microwave??? what are you doing???

wait. is his bed the couch???? bro i feel so bad for this guy

he biked through the rain,,,,, and he thought doing it fast would dry him,,, in the rain,,,,, im starting to understand why he somehow managed to burn cereal

he doesnt own an umbrella

aww this is cute thanks boss

he LIVES here??? wow damn his apartment is upstairs thats very cool

LOL protag keep ur mouth shut

day 2 here we go

SHIT HELP I TOOK TOO LONG ONE OF THE CUSTOMERS LEFT NOOO im restarting jkdsljlds its a good thing i saved

ahh i did way better this time but the day ended right as i was about to take out the trash LOL

oooh those look tasty too

oops ok so like i started day 3 right

well i was like 'i'll take out the trash before serving any customers' so that i can just easily clean up the tables right

uhh but then suddenly this happened ??? so like protag dropped the bag and cut their finger and the boss is having an odd reaction to the sight of blood methinks

HTHE BOSS JUST SLAPPED HIM ??? WTF

bro he just slapped him then was like 'oh dw someone else will clean it up' hello???? you just slapped ???? me ???

ok then moving on to the rest of the day i guess??

kinda weird looking but it still looks appetizing (the magic of art LOL)

oh shit theres a magazine ?? oops im gonna go back and read through previous ones oh nevermind its just the same one lmao

ohhh so this is where i buy items ok aight

and this catalogue is how our protag knew about the job for a waiter it also has an interview with our boss (Chef Vincent Charbonneau, i finally know his name) about the low number of employees i was wondering why we were the only waiter in the restaurant and i guess thats why

ok i bought the rollerskates cuz i need to be faster for the customers

oh and u can interact w the telephone to call 'her' but she doesnt pick up oof

sorry what is happening right now

what is that weird squelching sound?!?!?

BRO?? WTF WAS THAT ??? so like his body felt itchy, pressed Z to scratch and then suddenly lines were all over his body and then knives came out and i am so very confused

i think that was just a dream but what a weird nightmare

i guess onto day 4 then ?? at least i have my sick new rollerskates now

ooh that looks tasty

man i think im too slow cuz the timer always runs out while one more customer is still around lmfao, oh well

oh shit another nightmare

ohh so i can only equip one item at a time hmmm well since i bought the watch anyways i guess i'll use it

PFFT A CUSTOMER LEFT SORRY LADY,, she was waiting to be seated but i was preoccupied with serving food oopsies

restarting the day then

the nightmare hmm is the protag's name Rody since thats what it says on the label

DAMNIT I TOOK TOO LONG AGAIN

ok im just gonna use the rollerskates this time

AGGHH I KEEP TAKING TOO LONG ON THIS ONE CUSTOMER

restarting again,,,,

should i just let it go? probably but im not going to

IM GONNA LOSE MY MIND IVE RESTARTED SO MANY TIMES

ok well youve not seen it but i have restarted day 5 soo many times and i am hungry so,,, here's where i'll leave it for today

even though i am struggling and getting frustrated, im really enjoying the game so far! i wish i wasnt so terrible at playing it so i could see more of the story LOL

like what is up with the boss? who is this girl that the protag likes so much? what is up with his weird nightmares??? and will i ever be able to finish day 5 ?????

tune in next time LOL byebyeee

[shslpunkdrabbles]

Symbol Chapter 0.1: Spades

(A look into the life of the Spade Cards and lifestyle)

~~~~~

“Well, since we have a grand 3 challengers here with all different ideas on what to play, I get to decide what the game is. So the game will be… Tycoon! It’s my favorite game, after all, but it doesn’t mean I’m guaranteed the win. You just have to make sure to get rid of all your cards before everyone else, and if you rack up enough points, you win!”

“But.. this means we’re all against one another..”

“That makes it way harder! Why couldn’t we just challenge you one by one??”

“I was so ready for my own game, but you.. You’ll take advantage of this! It’s not fair, right??”

“Mm.. That’s true. It’s normally a 1 v 1. So, I’ll propose this: you three can be a team, and focus me down. You can tell each other what cards you have, ensure I don’t have a chance to play, do whatever you want to do to make sure I lose.

“If you win, you guys can figure out who shall be the new Leader of Spades together~”

- - - - -

The Spades Section of the Symbol City. A place full of neon bright lights, soothing music, and bustling entertainment buildings. Out of all the four sections, this one was the place to be for fun. Restaurants big and small, clubs of different genres for different folks, arcades from classic to 4D, and so much more. Various Servants with heads of Spades wandered together with the residents, ready to assist anyone who had questions and concerns with anything. The city lights look like stars in the pale blue landscape, the moon never seeming to set to give the sun a turn, but it still felt so warm and bright. If you were bored in this part of town.. Well, you were just a boring person, weren’t you?

One of the biggest clubs in town was the FNF, run by one of the Leader’s very own Trump Cards. This club was full of the best music, and hosted countless singing competitions and karaoke nights. The drinks were fruity, as well as the workers there. There were also private rooms for private games, and you can even stack up winnings to get yourself some prizes, which can be saved for another visit. Wins aren’t rigged against the customer, since this was all fun sport, but..

“Ahhh~! Gotta hurry! I’m gonna miss their challenge!”

A blue hair playboy bunny rushed around the club, quickly checking if everything was running smoothly. Customers could barely catch a glimpse of him from how fast he was running; his super speed was a power given to him by the Leader themselves. His blue-highlighted black bunny ears whipped in different directions, trying to see if there was any sort of issue that needed his help. There weren't normally any issues when he was in and out the club, but you can never be too sure.

[You don’t have to worry so much, Keith.] A female robotic voice spoke up, spooking the bunny to a halt. Keith looked over to see his older sister, Roxanne, who was standing behind him with her trusty clipboard in hand and male Servant by her side. She, too, was dressed in a playboy bunny outfit, yet she somehow looked more modestly dressed than him. [I can handle the club while you’re gone. You should worry more about being on time.] A choker around her neck glowed whenever it spoke, despite her lips not moving. 

Keith pouted at the slight jab at his tardiness. “It’s not my fault! Someone kept using all their points to challenge me, so it went way longer than expected! They lost it all, and I had fun, but now I’m running behind!” Yes, customers can use their earnings to challenge Keith directly, in hopes of winning even bigger, more enticing prizes. However, they’re no easy wins, and he always dominates the challenge with a perfect score. People know this, yet they continue to challenge; either the grand prizes are just so tempting to win, or his cocky and teasing behavior makes them want to wipe that smirk off his face. 

His ears stopped darting about and drooped, meaning his “scan” of the club was complete. “Ok Roxie! I’m passing control over to you! Keep me posted in case anyone tries anything funny. And don’t let that chick stare at your butt anymore! I’ll fight her if she dares try to go third base with my sister.” Keith glared at Roxanne, who was blushing beet red and bonked him with the clipboard. Rushing over to the exit, he raised his hand to his earring, ready to transform out of his uniform.. Until someone blocked his way. He groaned in annoyance and said, “I’m off the clock, buddy. Talk to Roxanne if you need something.”

“Ah c’mon, just real quick.” The sneaky guy grinned as he towered over Keith, but the Trump Card was far from fazed. “You said last time that you would accept my lil game, yet you’re tryna pull a fast one on me yet again. It’s a quick game, nothing we gotta set up with anything fancy.”

“Me, pull a fast one? You’re the one that has a tab that hasn’t been paid off yet!” Keith retorted. “You were already warned that if you didn’t pay your tab at the end of the week, you’d be forced to clean this place until it’s paid in full.”

“I know, I know, but that’s what my lil bet is for.” The man flicked a coin in the air, catching it without breaking eye contact with Keith. “Just one game of Heads or Tails. If you win, I pay for everything tonight. I win, and the debts’ gone.” His grin grew as he leaned forward, pressing his forehead against Keith’s. “And don’t worry if you lose. We can always double or nothin’, heh heh~..”

This bastard and his coin.., Keith thought, sucking his teeth in. There was always annoying customers like him, and he always challenged people to coin flips just to get out of trouble. Keith was all too familiar with it, especially with how this guy knew how high to flip the coin in order to get the side he wanted. He could just ban the guy from the club, but at this point..

“Fine. Flip it.”

The man’s eyes widened in excitement. This was going to be such an easy win, and knowing how stubborn Keith was about losing.. Hoho, the things he’s going to make this bunny bitch do~! “Alrighty then! After I flip it, just say what side you want while it’s in the air. Good luck~” Doing two casual flips, he snaps the coin high into the air with his thumb, still not breaking eye contact with Keith. “So? Heads or Tails~?”

“Heads.” Keith answered instantly.

The man caught the coin and slapped it onto the back of his other hand. He didn’t even have to look at it to know what it was, and boy was he excited. “Y’sounded pretty confident there, lil bunny boy. Unfortunately for you, it was–”

…. Wait.

“.. huh? But.. it was supposed to be..”

This time, it was Keith’s turn to grin almost sinister-like. “Get your suit on. You work in 10 minutes.”

- - - - -

While the FNF was the most popular club within Spades, the Sweet Delights was the most popular cafe there. It’s mainly known for its wide variety of desserts and all things sweet, but their sandwiches, various comfort drinks, and small meals can rival most restaurants there. Not to mention the five beautiful maids that serve the customers with a bright smile on their faces.. Well, if you don’t do something that’ll have them death glare you to the ground. This bubbly yet cozy atmosphere attracts people from even the other Symbols, keeping it consistently busy until closing.

“Puuuddiiiing! Is the Smores Cheesecake ready yeeeet?” One maid with the poofiest pigtails popped her head into the kitchen, calling out for the bluenette maid baking with various Servants. All were hard at work in catching up with the different dessert orders, but none were stressing from the busy business (not like the Servants could visibly show stress, but if “Pudding” was fine, so was everything else). “I’m sorry for rushing, by the by! They’re my last table, and there’s something I HAVE to record for Miss Cremie! It’s about these magical mecha girls, and–”

A bonk on the head cut her off from blabbing, causing her to cower and whine. A maid with short pink hair growled, her face flushed in embarrassment. “Shortcake, if you don’t shut your trap, I swear to god..” “Miss Cremie” (or Creme, her ACTUAL alias) looked over to all the desserts going through the last bit of decoration, her irritation turning into concern. Stepping into the kitchen, she leaned closer to the bluenette and whispered “Leroy, are you okay? If you need a break, I can take over..”

“Hm?” Leroy, who was hyper focused at the before mentioned cheesecake, snapped back to reality and looked over to “Creme” with wide eyes. Some chocolate syrup was on his cheek and fingers, and his apron was slightly more messy with various creams, but he didn’t seem to be stressed out. If anything, he looked as if he was perfectly in his element. 

Once he realized who was next to him, he smiled and grabbed a nearby rag to clean off his hands and cheek. “I’m fine, Sophia. We should be done with everything in just a bit. The kitchen will focus on sandwiches and crepes afterwards, once the desserts are kept warm..” he lightly booped Sophia’s nose, “.. or cool for the night~” Giggling at Sophia’s flushed face again, Leroy put on the final touches to the cheesecake, before carefully placing it into a to-go box. “Here you go, Poppy. You’re free to leave once you get your table cleaned up. Oh, and your red velvet cupcakes are waiting for you in the cooler~”

“Yaaaay! Thank yooooou~♡!” Poppy instantly recovered into her bubbly self from the mention of her work reward, and she grabbed the box with excitement, trying not to bounce too much in her step as she rushed to her customer’s table. The maids used fake aliases at work, since it felt a little weird to be addressed by their actual names by random customers. However, they used their real names when in the kitchen or break room, as well as outside of work. Poppy and Sophia, as well as two others named Vivian and Nova (also known as Matcha and Mocha) were hired by Leroy and he found each of them at their lowest. They all feel indebted to him, but he sees them all as good friends that helped him adjust more to the Symbol City.

Since he came from the outside..

“How are Vivian and Nova holding up?” Leroy asked Sophia as they both began cleaning up the kitchen counters. “Have they decided who is going to stay and help you out for the night?”

“Vivian’s gonna stay and work.” Sophia answered. “She’s taking a nap right now during her break, so once she’s up, Nova will head out.” She grabbed a box of opened strawberries and glanced over to the bluenette. When he nodded, she took a berry and bit into it, smiling at the freshness. “Most of our usuals have already finished their meals and left, and we haven’t had any creeps come today, so I wanna say it’s gonna be a smooth night.”

“That’s good. Don’t be afraid to call me if someone tries to start any problems, okay?” Leroy placed the remaining dirty dishes to the dishwasher, where a Servant nodded and got to work in washing. He looked over to the clock and subconsciously played with the hem of his maid dress. “He should be here soon.. I should wash up and change.”

Sophia looked puzzled at Leroy’s statement.. Then furrowed her brow at a thought. “Wait.. is that guy coming here? The friggin’ giant that looks like he hasn’t grown out of his edge phase?”

“.. Pfft!” Leroy couldn’t help but snort at Sophia’s comment, then waved his hand in denial. “No no, not Tsuri. I meant Keith! Ore-.. Our Leader is going to be challenged today. It’s going to be broadcast in a bit, so we want to watch it.” He waltzed over to the pink maid, who had sighed in relief at the confirmation, and held onto her hands, a sneaky glint in his eyes. “Y’know, you don’t have to be mean to him just because you’re jealous, Sophi. You know you and the other maids are my utmost favorites, right~?”

“Wh-?! J-Jealous?? Of him?! Hell no!” Sophia flabbergasted, her face turning red for the third time that night. “I-I just think he needs to get that stick out his ass! He’s always so serious and annoying! I feel it’d kill him to literally smile. .. then again, trying to imagine him smiling puts a shiver down my spine..” 

Seeing Sophia actually shiver at the thought had Leroy giggling again. He couldn’t help himself and kissed her cheek; a habit he had when he was with the other maids, as well as the few others very important to him. Keith.. Tsuri.. Leroy shook his head and let go of the pink maid in order to fix his dress, ignoring the literal smoke steaming out of Sophia’s ears. “Well, I should get going. Vivian, Nova, and your treats are in the cooler as well, so you can grab them once you’re done with your shift. Please let the other two as well.” 

With a tap on his collar, a light beam swirled around Leroy’s body, and the blue maid dress was replaced with a pale brown sweater dress, black tights, and boots to match. After a quick check up on his face and hair, Leroy grabbed two boxes from the cooler and waved goodbye to the maids, deciding to meet up with the other bluenette instead of waiting.

At least, that was the plan, until someone randomly hugged him from behind.

“.. Keith, I literally almost slammed these boxes into your face.”

“I can’t help iiiit!” The perpetrator, Keith, couldn’t help but snicker at Leroy’s slight annoyance. Even with the almost attempted threat, he didn’t let go until he gave Leroy a bigger squeeze. He then swerved in front of Leroy, taking the boxes and grinning the biggest child-like smile. “You’re the most huggable person ever to exist! Plus, you came out right as I was turning the corner, so it was too perfect of a time to getcha from behind!”

Leroy huffed at Keith’s immaturity and flicked his forehead, getting a “Beep!” in response. “I know, but I still prefer if you make some sort of noise before hugging from behind, just to let me know it’s you. That’s what a gentleman does.” Although he wanted to stay stern, Leroy felt himself falter a bit once he heard Keith’s depressed “bee…” It was hard to stay mad at him, so he smiled and kissed the spot he flicked. “I guess, to make up for that spook, you can carry those treats, and lead me to the broadcast. It’s going to start soon, isn’t it? Just be careful while carrying those. They might mess up if you move too wildly.”

Keith’s bunny ears popped up (he was no longer in his bunny outfit, and was instead in an oversized hoodie, loose shirt, and baggy pants, but his ears can still magically appear out of habit), and he smiled bright again, nodding eagerly. “It’s gonna be so cool! I heard Oreo’s letting three different people challenge him at once! I wonder if they’re gonna be able to beat him– Oh!” 

A bright light beamed up to the sky, and multiple holographic tv screens opened up, facing various angles for everyone around to see. A Spade Symbol flew around the air before transforming into a young looking robotic teen in bright blue. “Heya! Howdy! Hello! Can everyone hear me nice and clear???” They shouted, floating speakers projecting their voice, hover boots keeping them afloat. “It’s Chiyo, back at it again with the intense, blood-pumping, super ultra epic commentary for the game of the day! We have a SPECIAL challenge today, as we have not ONE, not TWO, but THREE CHALLENGERS! Let’s see if any of them can take the throne from our beloved 3 of Spades: OREO!!” 

“It’s starting! Lemme get a thingy!” Keith balanced the boxes with one hand while the other multi tapped his earrings, and not a minute later did a Servant appear in front of them, inside a hovering convertible- like car. It opened the door and helped the two inside, before driving to the sky, heading to a roof with the best view. 

Being able to fly in such a fancy car was a luxury few had access to, and the two Trump Cards always took advantage of it to get the best views of the city. The Servant parked and awaited its next orders, but the two weren’t focused on that. Their eyes stayed glued to the screen, seeing their Leader and the three competitors sit apart from one another, their cards showing only on screen, next to their profiles. The first competitor’s profile had him look confident yet cocky. The second looked very serious, glaring at the screen. The third couldn’t hide their nervousness she must’ve felt when entering. And the Leader..

“Oreo has the best poker face ever, I swear.” Keith whistled. It probably helped the neutral appearance since Oreo’s hat and hair covered his eyes, but the constant smile he had threw people off everytime. Was he actually happy? Was he plotting something? Was he hiding anger or frustration? Nobody could ever know.. Except for his Trump Cards, and that was honestly the best power yet. “Do you think those three are actually gonna work together to take Oreo down?” Keith asked Leroy. “I feel like that’s the only way they’d win.”

“It would..” Leroy shook his head, “But I don’t think they will. Even if they followed through and managed to beat him, they’d still have to decide who the Leader would be. Look at their faces too.” Leroy pointed up to the screen. While Oreo was difficult to read, the competitors wore their thoughts right on their sleeves, eyes shifting between one another. “It’s not just about beating Oreo; they want to be the Tycoon in the end because it may guarantee their spot as Leader. I doubt any of them would want to be Cards, if the Tycoon were to actually offer that. Their clouded goals are going to keep them from winning..”

Leroy looked over to Keith, and was startled by the stars sparkling in the bunny’s eyes. He felt his face heat up from the stare, which he quickly shook his head and stared back at the screen. He missed Oreo win the first round, and the second round was about to start. Dammit, he was usually good at hiding his surprise.. “Th-that’s just what I noticed. I could be wrong, though!” he stuttered, twirling a curl in his hair in embarrassment. “You.. aren’t looking at the screen, Keith–”

“Leroy, you’re so friggin cool!” Keith interrupted, unintentionally making the car shake from his bouncing. “You’ve gotten so good at reading people’s expressions! That’s really important when playing games like this! I need to work harder to catch up to you two!” He smiled genuinely, which made Leroy’s cheeks heat up more. 

Not like the compliments upset Leroy.. In fact, it made him really, REALLY happy. Caving into the good feeling, he leaned his head against Keith’s shoulder, who instantly adjusted to make sure they were both comfortable. They’ve been working together for over a year now, yet the positive attention he would get from Keith.. It always made Leroy’s chest flutter. 

“Keith..” Leroy whispered, “.. Oreo’s gonna win this, right?”

“Heh heh, of course he is.” Keith nodded. “I bet my everything on it.”

They both looked up to the screen. Oreo won the second round. Just one more round left, and the only way he could lose is if second place beat him. He had a hand full of pairs, a 4 stack to start a revolution, and a 3 of Spades; his signature card.

“Yeah.. I don’t doubt he’ll win, too.” Leroy smiled. “Good.. I get to stay as a Card with you.”    

- - - - -

“Th-This is bullshit! How’d you have that good of a hand every time?! You fuckin’ cheated somehow!”

“I knew trying to work with you two was a mistake.. Why did you guys lie about your hands?! You guys never played the cards that I needed you to play in order to win! We just had to beat him, remember?!”

“N-No.. I-I don’t want to die.. Please don’t kill me, please!!”

“Are you three done?”

“!!!”

“I don’t cheat in my games. I’ve never had to, I never will. I told you guys that you could work together to beat me, but you couldn’t even manage that. All you had to do was try to beat me, that’s all. But you each wanted to be the Tycoon. To be honest.. That was a bit boring. I’ll figure out what to do with you three later~”

With a loud snap, each competitor was escorted by a Servant, all yelling, cursing, and crying the way out.

“Sigh.. Keith and Leroy should be home soon. Mmm, they made donuts today, I believe. I need a treat sooo bad.”

W h o o o o o o . . . .

The “hat” tugs on his arm. 

“Hmm.. you sensed it too, didn’t you, Namu? Something’s coming.. I can’t wait to see what we have in store today~♤”

[cameronsactivities]

an f. scott fitzgerald companion

i found this book at a thrift shop and here are some of our beloved scotty's worst moments

"In their correspondence, Fitzgerald saved every letter Ginerva wrote him. He later had them typed up and bound with ribbon. Not a single one of Scott's letters to her survived. She threw all of them away."

From Ernest Hemingway's memoir:

"I had watched him drink two good solid whiskies and nothing happened"

"I had never heard, then, of a grown man missing a train; but on this trip I was to learn many new things."

"While I had been angry I had demoted him from Scott to Fitzgerald."

fitzgerald tries to mansplain pneumonia to hemingway

"Scott then asked me if I were afraid to die and I said more at sometimes than at others."

the entire saga of fitzgerald convincing himself he has pneumonia and hemingway being not quite sure how to react, which goes as follows: "You haven't any temperature. How the hell are you going to have congestion of the lungs without a temperature?" [Hemingway] "Don't swear at me," Scott said. "How do you know I haven't a temperature?" "Your pulse is normal and you haven't any fever to the touch." "To the touch," Scott said bitterly. "If you're a real friend, get me a thermometer." "I'm in pajamas."

More:

An entire section called "That Sad Young Man"

"he spent his whole freshman year at Princeton writing the Triangle Show, which left him no time for algebra, trigonometry, coordinate geometry, and hygiene."

"'F. Scott Fitzgerald,' I said. 'I thought he was dead.'"

he's 5'6 (this might have been exaggerated though)

[at the 20th century fox office] "Fitzgerald made himself comfortable by taking off his shoes"

closing remarks:

i think fitzgerald gets a bad rep for generally being an asshole, which is true, but i also feel really bad for this guy. after the 1920s and his success with this side of paradise and the great gatsby, the media started saying he was "wasting his talent" and basically calling him a one hit wonder. a lot of this was because of the great depression starting in 1929 which made his books unrelatable, like people started saying that the great gatsby was promoting that kind of excessive lifestyle. he fell out of favor with the public for the rest of his life, hence the "i thought he was dead" quote. people just forgot about him. this obviously caused a lot of financial struggle for the fitzgeralds and he later got really paranoid and perfectionist about his writing.

there's this part in the book that stands out to me, where he goes to a play adaptation of one of his short stories and absolutely nobody is there at the theater, which literally has benches instead of actual seats. this man continually got slandered by the media and faced this type of rejection from the public but still worked on his last novel (the last tycoon) up until the literal date of his death. and he was still hopeful that the novel would be his saving grace and planned to write more novels. even after his heart attack he continued to write despite bedridden. idk i just think that's respectable.

i know he was a jerk in MANY other ways but i will have to mention that he genuinely was trying to be better for zelda and his daughter, scottie. he lived frugally because he was paying for zelda's treatment/care and for scottie's boarding school. he was still in a lot of debt but he wasn't just perpetually wasted. speaking of which, he didn't drink for like the last year of his life and tried multiple times in his life to quit alcohol.

anyway this by no means excuses any of the other things he's done, but i think dying thinking that all your entire life was lived in vain is pretty bad. i still laugh at him because it's funny though.

[denimbex1986]

'As the 2020s progress, it’s clear that escaping remakes and reboots is an impossible task. From film to television, each year sees more than a handful of original works being reinvented for a new generation, to varying degrees of success. At some point, we have to ask ourselves what works of art are not only deserving of a reinvention but need to be reinvented.

When Ripley was announced all the way back in 2019, many fans of Patricia Highsmith’s novel and the subsequent Anthony Minghella film were cautious. Why would something as beloved as the film version need to be remade, and how would the original novel’s text be changed for the streaming generation? Thankfully, from the series’ first episode, it’s clear that this isn’t a direct remake, but instead a resurrection of Highsmith’s prose and characters.

Like all its other versions, Ripley follows Tom Ripley (Andrew Scott), who is hired by a shipping tycoon to travel to Italy and convince his son, Richard “Dickie” Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn), to return to the United States. Acting as if he’s an old college friend, Tom quickly immerses himself into not only Dickie’s luxurious lifestyle, but Dickie as a person as well. But, as Tom’s obsession with his friend gets deeper, their relationship and lives quickly unravel into something more sinister.

Despite people originally being skeptical about his casting, Andrew Scott gives one of the best performances of his career as Thomas Ripley. While it may not be as showy as his turn in All of Us Strangers, under the surface of his Ripley lies a magnetic and brooding disposition. It’s slight at times, but as the show moves along his smirks and exasperated sighs work perfectly and give Ripley a nuance that wasn’t necessarily present in the film version.

Scott plays Ripley at times like a man possessed; he looks at Dickie in a way that’s all-consuming, as if he wants to cannibalize him so Dickie will be a part of him forever. By killing him and stealing his identity, Thomas is keeping an aspect of Dickie alive, immortalizing him through his own adventures and in turn transforming the man into Ripley himself. Through the killing, their identities become intertwined, suspending both of them in a perpetual limbo that will haunt their lives and legacies forever.

As the series unfolds, Tom’s resolve begins to crack, leaving in its wake a gaping hole to be filled with paranoia. We spend a lot of time with this version of the titular character, and it gives viewers a certain introspection that its film version didn’t grant to us. It’s interesting watching Ripley crack, while the paranoia is there it seems to harden him even more. His murderous desires are fleeting, but when they arise Scott shows it with a slight smirk and a crinkled eye, proving that despite the fear of being caught, Tom cannot help his true desires.

It’s a different portrayal than that of Matt Damon in The Talented Mr. Ripley, and one that in my opinion, makes this version all the more richer. We get to not only see a different side of the series’ titular character, but the people who surround him as well. Dakota Fanning breathes a staggering amount of life into Marge Sherwood, a character who in the novel and the film version feels devoid of both agency and a character arc. Here, her status as Dickie’s girlfriend is just as unstable as Tom’s friendship with him, making the two characters direct foils to one another. Fanning portrays her excellently, going toe-to-toe with Scott whenever they’re on screen together. It’s in their interactions that you’re forced to confront the idea that Tom may finally be outmatched.

In this adaptation, it’s not just Tom who is hiding within themselves. It’s Marge, Dickie, and even the scene-stealing Freddie Miles who weaves through various scenes like a predator stalking its prey. Everyone in Ripley purposely feels like caricatures of the roles they’re trying to portray in society, which causes Tom to appear out of his depth. He appears ostracized within the world he’s involved himself in, and at times it’s impossible not to feel some sort of empathy for him. He’s in over his head, despite putting himself in this position. It becomes increasingly clear as the series unravels that while it may not happen immediately, Tom cannot go on living his life like this.

As the show reaches its final episodes and Tom’s life enters its most unstable stage, Scott’s performance heightens until it crescendos into one of the best of the year. It makes for a riveting watch, one whose tempo increases as it becomes a game of cat-and-mouse filled with deceit. From its staggering cinematography to its wistful score, it’s clear that every person working on this show aimed to not only make a faithful adaptation but one that could rival its original material. While Ripley may not have been a needed remake, the miniseries does an excellent job of laying all the intricacies of Highsmith’s novel bare.

Summary

Featuring incredible cinematography, a wistful score, and a career-defining performance from Andrew Scott, ‘Ripley’ is a triumph that rivals its source material.

4.5 Stars'

[zehrahq]

[cisfemale and she/her] Welcome to Aurora Bay, [ZEHRA OZDEMIR!] I couldn’t help but notice you look an awful lot like [MELISA ASLI PAMUK]. You must be the [THIRTY-FIVE] year old [OWNER OF SEA GLASS BOUTIQUE]. Word is you’re [INDEPENDENT] but can also be a bit [STUBBORN] and your favorite song is [FROM EDEN BY HOZIER]. I also heard you’ll be staying in [AURORA BAY DRIVE]. // @aurorabayaesthetic

CHARACTER BASICS

NAME: zehra raeywen ozdemir (quinn) NICKNAME: zehra AGE: thirty-five DATE OF BIRTH: january 1, 1988 ZODIAC SIGN: capricorn GENDER & PRONOUNS: cisfemale, she/her ORIENTATION: pansexual STATUS: married but they’re not really together anymore HEIGHT: 5′8″ OCCUPATION: owner of sea glass boutique / model NEIGHBORHOOD: aurora bay drive

BIOGRAPHY

zehra grew up in a world of affluence wherein her father was a hotel tycoon, while her mother was a former supermodel. her parents spoiled her and her siblings to their heart’s content and she was pretty much treated like a princess. being the middle child, they didn’t ask much of her. and by that, they really expected nothing of her except that she should marry someone her father has chosen when the time comes. as a young girl, she was taught proper etiquette, how to conduct herself like a lady and to never raise her voice against the men in their family. she lived in a patriarchial home and as a young child, she didn’t see anything wrong with this.

during middle school, she was finally enrolled to a private school after being homeschooled for so long. it was a culture shock to the meek girl who wasn't really used to socializing with kids her age. however, that was also around the time she realized just how unjust her father's teachings are to them. that’s when her worldview began to change. their teachers didn’t simply teach them to be meek; they studied literature wherein girls were empowered and people were on equal footing no matter what their gender is. the sheltered young girl who always said yes slowly unfolded into this beautiful young woman who can stand her ground.

in college, she wanted to study business management with a specialization in hotel management since it was their family’s business, but her father simply laughed at her. he told her that she didn’t have the heart for something like it and that she would be better off studying something for women. besides, what use would she have of it when she’s never gonna apply it in real life anyway? her father wanted her to follow her mother’s footsteps who gave up on her career to be a housewife. however, zehra had different plans in mind and she didn’t want to just stay at home.

in order for her to get what she wants in the long run, she decided to appease her father and took a degree in interior design instead. she has an eye for beautiful things and creating beautiful living spaces anyway. the plan was for her to study business management as her second degree after she has proven herself to her father. however, things didn’t exactly go according to plan when she met nelson quinn during her last year of college. it was a whirlwind romance that resulted in them getting married after just a month of knowing each other. her father wasn’t exactly overjoyed by what happened and almost disowned her for that. as for zehra, she found this as an opportunity to break away from her family and to start her own while keeping her dreams alive.

just like most marriages, they were off to a wonderful start but their honeymoon phase soon turned sour at the death of nelson’s older brother. the two started traveling together, but the tragedy continued to loom behind the shadows as she felt the distance between the two of them growing and growing with each passing day. her own dreams were laid forgotten as she tried her best to just keep on making their crumbling marriage work. and as much as she loved him, she couldn’t stay with him anymore—she couldn’t keep picking up after his hedonistic lifestyle. it wasn’t like she woke up and decided to just leave him—it was a long hard thought decision for the woman and part of her didn’t want to leave him, but she had to put herself first this time.

zehra went back to college after the fallout, taking a degree in management wherein she graduated with high honors. to pay for her studies, she also did a bit of modeling at this time and she almost considered on making it a full time career. it was also around this time that she reconnected with her husband and although the two are living separately, they have an amicable relationship and they’ve decided that they are better off as friends. living in the us away from her family, she slowly made her way up the corporate ladder in the different hotels she managed. through sheer dedication and unwavering focus, she reached the pinnacle of her career as the general manager of a prestigious luxury hotel chain in new york.

her father's pride found its way to her accomplishments, offering an invitation to manage their own family hotel. yet, zehra knew she had grown beyond the constraints of her past, and respectfully declined the offer. it didn't take long for fate to reveal its fickle nature, as rumors and scandal engulfed her workplace, malicious whispers of how she slept her way to the top, which were all false. soon enough, she was relieved of her duties and no hotel in new york would take her in because of these baseless rumors.

everything she worked hard for came down crumbling again, but she refused to crawl back to her father and become a pawn to his game. instead, she found her way into this serene coastal town and bought her own little boutique. currently, she's renting a place in aurora bay drive and has been staying here for a few months now.

one could describe zehra as someone who walks with an air of elegance around her as her upbringing seems to still follow her. she also has a taste for designer clothes and expensive things as someone who was raised in that lifestyle. she is also headstrong and doesn’t like to lose in arguments, but she also has a penchant for playing along when she’s planning her next move. however, she can also be affectionate with the right people. she does have a big heart even though she may seem a little cold at first.

WANTED CONNECTIONS

friends/close friends/acquaintances

unlikely friends / new friends

enemies / rivals / frenemies

childhood friends (she grew up in europe but i’m still deciding on where exactly since her mother is dutch while her father is of turkish descent)

drinking buddies

gym buddies

ex/ex flings (could be on good terms or bad terms)

hookups (past or current) / friends with benefits / enemies with benefits

enemies who are attracted to each other

someone who's crushing on her because she's not the type to have a crush anymore smh

or anything you may have in mind tbh. just give this a like if you want to plot and i’ll slide into your inbox.

CURRENT CONNECTIONS

husband: nelson quinn

ex-gf: veronica herrera

family friend: tuncay celik

friend from new york: emira dursun

[the-sound-ofrain]

Views on capitalism

Ah, this is what I call a question. i found such questions intriguing.

Capitalism is an umbrella term for various ideologies existing but in general we can say it's an economic model which adhere political world too.

It's a mode of economic system in a country where the source of production like land, factory, agriculture any means of producing merchandise, devices or any thing which is useable is govern by the capitalist or the tycoons of a country where there is no interference by the state. Well, the best example of capitalism and its achivement would be western europe.

as you must have read about the industrialization showed its epoch there & they achieved a great excellence in standard of lifestyle but there exist a dark side of it.

I would acknowledge you with both.

Pros :

the globalization & the origination of unicorn companies all around the world shows how capitalism has influenced the money sector.

if you've power, you're ready to work to your greatest potential than capitalism is a boon to you.

it all enables a lot of greatest option & as it increases competition among all the firm's existing it offers n number of choices for us.

the platform you and i are using at this moment tumblr, instagram, facebook these all are the outcomes of capitalism.

so, till now it seems the capitalism is a deal of profit but lets talk about the dark side of it.

due to the competition you'll see dirty tactics.

there's a term consumerism which means to create products which isn't really valuable to us but they're produced and marketed in a luring way that it produces consumers out of us.

the difference between rich people and poor people has seen a great enlargement because over here you'll see richer section will live a luxurious life and the poorer section will keep ruining their life to earn a little for them.

if a country is going for pure capitalism then they might end up with crises of loot, corruption & security damage for that state has to step in.

capitalism also encourages foul practices in which government is run in the favour of these market runners because they give them funds and in return they form taxation rules in a way which will be an advantage to these market mafias.untill now

i guess i have explained you what it means to be in a capitalised society. I'll suggest mix economy as the solution.

[thebookbillboard]

Molly's Game

Genre –

Memoir

Who is Molly Bloom? –

Molly, also known as the “Poker Princess of Hollywood”, moves from Colorado to Los Angeles during her year off from college and accepts the job of a waitress at a club to make ends meet. She is soon asked to handle poker games played between some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, famous athletes, business tycoons and degenerate kids of very rich folks and conducted by her super-rich, foul-mouthed boss.

She took insults, humiliation and crap work in her stride with the single-minded goal of making it big in this world. Molly worked entire nights, learnt the game of poker mainly through observing the players, and most importantly, held her own, being the only woman in a male dominated area. She stood her ground against Hollywood giants like Toby Maguire, learnt from everyone around her and outwitted her competition.

Though her line of work is neither inspirational nor commendable, her guts, grit and determination surely teach one a lot.

Right from her childhood, Molly displays a resilient, fighting spirit. After a spine surgery following a freak accident at the age of 12, her doctor had asked her never to ski again, but she became a national level skiing champion and an Olympic games contender fighting against all odds.

She is lured by money and power and the jet-setting lifestyle of the players. From wearing shabby sweatpants and flip flops to Armani suits and Dior bags, from unable to afford her house rent to renting out mansions in the Hamptons and living in the best part of Manhattan, from waitressing in high end clubs to having a personal chef and an assistant look after her mundane tasks and to hiring private jets to go for cash collections in Miami, she saw it all, did it all and lived a full life shifting from LA to New York after she lost all her games in one blow. She enjoyed the ride, loved taking risks, had sleepless nights either working, feeling anxious or partying, was fearless and picked herself up every single time she fell.

She is adventurous, super ambitious and risked her all to reach where she wanted to. In the process her family ties suffered, she lost many friends, and her love life was compromised.

Her life is a potboiler filled with Hollywood legends, millions of dollars, private jets, 5-star hotels, ultra-expensive vacations, rich boyfriends, gambler friends, betrayals by business partners, threats from mafia dons, bankruptcy and finally the arrest by FBI.

At the end of the book she states she has simply no regrets and if given a choice, she would live her life the same way and make the same decisions that led her to where she is today.

The book does seem very one-sided on many fronts and gives a feeling that many details are omitted for various reasons.

She was convicted in the year 2014, and in the same year this memoir was published. Yet another sign, she didn’t accept defeat easily. She not only wrote this book but even approached writer and director Aaron Sorkin asking him if he can make a movie based on her novel.

Life thus came a full circle for Molly who had begun by conducting games for Hollywood actors and directors to her own life story being adapted into a Hollywood movie titled Molly’s Game that turned out to be a hit and bagged an Oscar nomination in the category of Best Adapted Screenplay.

Though the path chosen by her in her young and reckless days isn’t advisable, nor her ultimate ambition of a flashy lifestyle a true measure of success and happiness… the message we can take from her life is never, ever to give up. Never ever to give up fighting, never to stop standing up for yourself, your goals, your beliefs and never to let go of family and friends who were there for you when you had nothing and were a nobody.

Show up for yourself every single day, every moment, no matter what. And if you learn to do that, life will reward you. In the darkest of hours, if you try to help yourself, you will surely find the light of the day. Don’t ever resign yourself to your fate, but create it. With dreams, determination and drive.

Early on in her life her mother says, “Molly you can have anything you set your mind to” and she lives that line every day of her life.

Molly considers the world her playground and plays her game with her rules.

Recommendation –

DO READ.  The book seems implausible on many levels but the fact that it is based on real life events is exactly what keeps you flicking through its pages. It is a rags-to-riches-to-rags story teaching you many “to-do things” as well as many “not to-do things”. It becomes bit repetitive with respect to the poker games, but the high stakes involved, the powerful men, power shift dynamics and Molly’s resilience will keep you going.

Rating – 3.5/5

Ambience – 4

Language – 3

Characterization – 3.5

Plot – 3.5

Pace – 3.5

Entertaining – 4

[byberbunk2069]

14-17, 19-21

Veil and Ronnie both

I hope the hyphen means "and everything inbetween those numbers too" cause I'll do it anyway

14. what is their weapon of choice? Veil: Her Netwatch Netdriver but failing that she goes between Skippy and a Unity. She has monowire implants and is really good with them when she can accurately judge the distance of her target.

Ronnie: She primarily uses her Lexingtons but brings out the Carnage when things get hairy and when she wants to have fun she'll mix things up with her fists and a baseball bat

15. what is their preferred vehicle or transportation of choice? Veil: Thorton Galena, the "shitmobile", she's had it since her first shift supervising Arasaka's Netrun Operations. It is one of her pride and joys.

Ronnie: She borrows the shitmobile but also uses a Kusanagi CT-3X

16. how would you describe their style? Veil: As soon as NetWatch burned her she slowly moved away from a lot of the smart dress and went back to leather, denim, and t-shirts/tanks like her old rockergirl days. But something imprinted from her well-to-do upbringing is knowing how to dress for an occassion. She's a self described NetRocker.

Ronnie: Should have been a rockergirl if life had not thrown her lemons, shut the door on her face and then slammed the window on her fingers. She was known for her "alternative" look when she worked Jig-Jig Street. When working out her style I thought "late 80's rivethead meets early 90s Gregg Araki reject".

17. are they an early riser or a night owl? Veil: Veil has no concept of time and that's not because she fell in to the corpo lifestyle of partying and other sleaze (maybe a little bit), she's mainly too busy cruising the Net to tell what time it is.

Ronnie: A night owl for sure. Whether by choice or through her work.

19. is your character from Night City Veil: Yes! Veil is from the nicer part of Heywood, spending her time in a cozy apartment complex, living off of the wealth of decades old oil tycoon inheritence. She would move to Japantown in her mid-late teens when she started her netrunning career early and wanted to move away from corpo influence.

Ronnie: Ronnie originates from Brazil, she and her parents moved to Night City (SanDom) to get away from a conflict Militech was involved with.

20. Where do they currently live? Veil: She's made herself at home in the H10 apartment. Spending most of her time in the armory that has been converted in to her own little Netrunner Operations (the armory is now part of the general living space).

Ronnie: Ronnie couch surfs, primarily staying at H10, but after mending things with Rita she's allowed to stay over at her H11 apartment for as much as she wants (and routinely models for Rita's little clay statues).

21. do they have favorite spots around NC? Veil: She likes to hang out on the H10 roof, trying to boost the range of her radio station. But generally she is pretty reclusive and only goes out if the merc work calls for it or if she really needs to do/get something.

Ronnie: Lizzie's Bar, after they let her back in as an honorary Mox (she's not really a Mox anymore). She's allowed to hang out with the guys and gals in the changing rooms. Judy lets her hang out in her editing room too because they talk about wanting to keep the spirit of Lizzie and the Mox alive.