#also congrats 2 her on her transition!

[moomeecore]

the pure unadulterated joy of stumbling upon the bad guys books in the library entirley on accident (have never read the books, only seen thefilm) , sitting down to read the 1st book, and being caught of guard by getting to see this scene in real life, in person in the flesh. not as a tumblr post. the real deal! wonderful. i love gay people !!

[hollyoongs]

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮

"Nothing will ever come between us 'Cause i'll be standing right next to you"

𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴: non idol boyfriend!jay and fem!reader 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿'𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲: SURPRISE MY POOKIE (a.k.a @glitterjay)! This is a little late, but some of your moots decide to surprise you with this gift...

💌 𝗠𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 [𝟓] @st4rwon: congrats on hitting 1k c!! you definitely deserve it 🤍 i absolutely love all your works and am so proud to see that they are being appreciated ! keep up the amazing work :) @hollyoongs: this drabble is for… jupi! I'm so glad I can have such a nice and lovely friendship with you and to be present in this big milestone, you deserve it so much and tbh I can't wait to see what the future holds to you, such an amazing, wonderful and incredible human being, congrats my 5'7 jupi! 💟 @kwiwin: Hey C! Congrats on reaching 1k, it's freaking awesome how so many people recognize real talent out there. Even if we've been moots for just a little time I am proud of you and what you have achieved! Keep stunning the world with your (beautifully written) stories ♡ @heeslut4life: hi c! congrats on hitting 1k!! i’m so proud of you<3 you’ve done so goddamn well, you have amazing fics and you are an amazing person:) i know we don’t really interact a lot but i hope you know that i wish nothing but the best for you💗 keep going, you’re such beautiful and wonderful person<33

𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿'𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲 2: this is also a short drabble and you will definitly find some stuff here ;), HAPPY MILESTONE! 𝘄.𝗰: +1.8k

"And the first place, being voted on by 1128 judges, goes to..." 

And then your name was announced with your university, making you stand up after a few seconds of shock.

As you walked up to the podium, the weight of the moment settled on your shoulders like a comforting embrace. You couldn't believe it—your name, your university, Decelis Academy, being called out as the winner. It felt surreal, like a dream you never dared to have. Tears welled up in your eyes, blurring the faces of the cheering crowd into a colorful mosaic of joy and pride.

Glancing at your friends, their beaming faces illuminated by the glow of their phones capturing this momentous occasion, you felt a surge of gratitude. They had been with you through it all—the late nights, the doubts, and the struggles. And now, here you were, basking in the spotlight of recognition.

"Jay, look at your girl!" one of your friends shouted amidst the cheers, drawing your attention to the sea of faces. You couldn't help but smile and offer a small wave to the camera, feeling a rush of affection for your supportive circle. They had been your pillars of strength, propelling you forward even when you felt like giving up.

Reaching the podium, you accepted the prize with trembling hands, the weight of it sinking in with each passing moment. More than a thousand people had chosen your work and had seen its value and its impact. It was a humbling realization, one that filled you with a sense of purpose and determination to continue pushing the boundaries of your craft and enjoying it while doing it.

After the ceremony, the celebrations began in earnest.

The celebrations continued long into the night, transitioning seamlessly from the pulsating energy of the dance floor to the intimate ambiance of a lavish dinner party. Your friends, ever the consummate hosts, had spared no expense in creating a feast fit for royalty. The dining table, adorned with flickering candles and delicate floral arrangements, beckoned you and your friends to indulge in a culinary symphony of flavors.

As you settled into your seats, the clinking of glasses and the gentle hum of conversation filled the air, setting the stage for an evening of heartfelt camaraderie and celebration.

"So, my dear," one of your friends began with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "Tell us, what's next for the illustrious winner of the Decelis Academy? Any plans to conquer the world?"

You laughed, the sound bubbling up from deep within you like a spring of joy. "Oh, you know me," you replied with a playful grin. "I've always been a dreamer. And now, with this recognition, who knows what the future holds? The world might just have to brace itself for what's to come."

The table erupted into laughter, each of your friends offering words of encouragement and excitement for the journey ahead. They had seen you weather the storms, witnessed the unwavering determination in your eyes, and now they reveled in the triumph of your success.

"I have no doubt that you'll conquer whatever comes your way," another one of your friends chimed in, her voice laced with genuine admiration. "You're a force to be reckoned with, my dear, and I couldn't be prouder to call you my friend."

Touched by their words, you raised your glass in a silent toast, the clinking sound echoing through the room like a symphony of celebration. In that moment, surrounded by the warmth of friendship and the promise of tomorrow, you felt a profound sense of gratitude wash over you.

"To dreams realized and journeys yet to unfold," you declared, your voice tinged with emotion. "Thank you, all of you, for being a part of this incredible journey. I couldn't have done it without each and every one of you by my side."

The sentiment was met with nods of agreement and murmurs of affection, a tangible reminder of the bond that held you all together. As the evening wore on and the laughter flowed freely, you couldn't help but feel a sense of contentment settle in your heart—a feeling that, no matter what the future held, you would always have these cherished moments and these cherished friends to light the way.

As the night wound down and the last revelers bid their farewells, your friends exchanged knowing glances and shared secretive smiles. "Come on, let's take you home," they said, linking arms with you as they guided you towards your apartment. 

The car trip to your apartment was a whole carpool karaoke, playing your favorite songs and making the night more magical than it already was. There was only one thing missing, and it was your boyfriend.

Jay and you were a couple for three years already, both meeting at university by a mutual friend, who clicked almost immediately. From the moment your eyes met, there was an undeniable spark, a magnetic pull drawing you closer together. His presence illuminated your world, and his smile lit up even the darkest of days. In his arms, you found solace, warmth, and an unwavering sense of belonging. Jay was not just handsome and intelligent; he was the embodiment of kindness, his gestures tender and sincere, and his words a soothing melody that danced through your soul. With him, you felt like you had won the grandest of lotteries, for in his embrace, you found not just love but the truest essence of romance.

But the only problem was his usual business trips with his dad to help the company that owns Mr. Park, which you understood. You were okay with him not being there because he was always present, but it was hard not to feel sad about it.

As you stepped out of the car and approached your apartment building, a wave of exhaustion washed over you, mingling with the residual excitement of the evening's festivities. You bid your friends goodnight with hugs and promises to meet up again soon, feeling grateful for their unwavering support and the unforgettable memories you had shared, but being slightly weirded out by their suspicious smiley faces.

As you entered your apartment, the familiar surroundings enveloped you like a warm embrace, wrapping you in a cocoon of comfort. The gentle glow of lamplight cast soft shadows across the room, imbuing the space with a sense of tranquility that was both soothing and welcoming.

With a contented sigh, you kicked off your shoes and made your way towards your bedroom, eager to sink into the welcoming embrace of your bed and let the events of the day wash over you like a gentle tide. But as you pushed open the door, a gasp escaped your lips, and your heart skipped a beat.

There, standing in the center of the room, was Jay, your boyfriend, looking every bit the epitome of charm and sophistication in his sleek black suit. His eyes sparkled with a mixture of excitement and adoration as he held out a big bouquet of white tulips, their delicate petals swaying gently in the air. No wonder your friends were smiling like that.

"Jay? What are you doing here?" You exclaimed, your voice a mixture of surprise and delight. You couldn't believe your eyes—just moments ago, you had resigned yourself to the fact that he was miles away, attending to his father's business affairs. And yet, here he was, standing before you like a vision come to life.

With a smile that melted your heart, Jay stepped forward, his eyes alight with warmth and affection. "I couldn't stay away any longer," he confessed, his voice a soft whisper that sent shivers down your spine. "I wanted to be here to celebrate with you, to share in this moment of joy and triumph."

Tears welled up in your eyes, blurring your vision as you struggled to find the words to express the overwhelming rush of emotion coursing through you. "But I thought you were..."

"Surprise," Jay interjected, his smile widening into a grin that tugged at the corners of his lips. "I wanted to make this night even more special for my sunshine, to show you just how much you mean to me."

With trembling hands, he offered you the bouquet of tulips, their sweet fragrance filling the air with a heady perfume that made your head spin. "To the sun I rotate to," he said, his voice filled with tenderness as you laugh. "To celebrate your incredible achievement and to remind you of the beauty and grace that you bring into my life every single day."

Overwhelmed by his gesture, you reached out and took the flowers, holding them close to your heart as if they were the most precious treasure in the world. "Thank you," you whispered, your voice choked with emotion. "Thank you for being here and for being a part of this moment with me."

But Jay wasn't done yet. With a playful twinkle in his eye, he gestured towards the bed, where a small pile of gifts lay waiting, wrapped in elegant paper and adorned with ribbons and bows.

"I couldn't come empty-handed," he said with a grin. "I wanted to shower you with tokens of my love and admiration, to show you just how proud I am of everything you've accomplished."

With trembling fingers, you reached for the nearest gift and began to unwrap it, your heart pounding in anticipation of what lay hidden beneath the layers of paper. And as you peeled back the wrapping, revealing the contents within, your breath caught in your throat, and tears of joy welled up in your eyes once more.

Inside was a beautiful necklace, delicate and intricate in design, its sparkling gems catching the light and casting a mesmerizing rainbow of colors across the room. It was a work of art, a testament to Jay's impeccable taste and his unwavering devotion to you.

"Oh, Jay!" you exclaimed, your voice barely above a whisper. "It's…it's beautiful."

But he wasn't finished yet. With a smile that made your heart skip a beat, he reached for another gift, presenting it to you with a flourish that made you giggle like a schoolgirl.

"And there's more where that came from," he teased, his eyes dancing with mischief. "But you'll have to wait and see."

"I need to kiss you so bad." You didn't wait too much; Jay did that for you. His hand being placed on his waist and the other one moving some strings of hair from your face, lips connecting with yours in a tender kiss, you missed each other so badly that you could feel other hearts from that simple action.

As you separate, he touches your forehead softly with his eyes close as you feel the warmth of his love.

"Remember that I don't care about how far I am or what I'm doing; I'll drop anything for you, darling."

And as you stayed there, surrounded by the warmth and love of the man who meant more to you than words could ever express, you knew that this night would be one you would cherish forever—a night of love that knew no bounds.

[ipostwhatiwant1202]

Being Their Friend Headcanons:

• you don't like someone? collectively, the guys don't like them either (even though they never met them, they all have beef with your 80 year old aunt susan)

• if you're a girl and you got your period while you're with them, expect mild panicking from raph and/or mikey cause how are you not dying??? (once it's explained, expect princess treatment)

• game night and movie nights on the weekends. monopoly is banned

• head pats and hair ruffles all. the. time.

• if you're short (under 5'5) expect to be the designated forearm rest

• if you wear makeup, expect lots of questions, like how does the eyelash device not pinch your eye?? and why can you remove your eyelashes???

• sleepovers are a thing and it will be a huge fight on who's bed you're gonna sleep in (spoiler: you always end up on the couch with mikey clonked out on the recliner)

• self defense training cause obviously

• leo tries his best not to parent you, but does it unintentionally. you're comfortable enough to call him out and he appreciates it. you end up parenting the guys together...a lot.

• mikey is your go to fun and cuddle buddy. it's not uncommon for you two to be seen playing video games or curled up watching some cartoon on the couch

• donnie and you bond over tv shows and you tend to gossip with him quite a bit. his sleep schedule is all messed up, so if you want to cause trouble at 2 am, he's definitely your guy

• raph is the brother you never wanted but always needed. very loyal but he can and will call you out on your bs. playful banter and stupid nicknames are strong.

• lord help you if you're sick/hurt and you say nothing. they will r i o t

• you cook for them (or bake...or bring them snacks if you do neither) all the time

• leo likes to have tea with you in the morning when you sleep over cause you're not a morning person so you keep quiet

• raph can and will bench press you randomly. you're reading? not anymore, you're now being used as a weight

• you want to find out if the girl who bullied you in elementary school is pregnant with her step dad's baby? donnie's on it

• you need a hug or someone to let you vent? mikey will get all the snacks and drinks galore, he's all yours until you feel better

• you make them watch the eras tour movie and you were shocked to know they all knew the words???

• splinter just kind of adopted you and you're now his child. congrats! you don't have to do the hashi, but instead have to do the guys' laundry when you act up

• they kiss your head all the time

• annoying little shits when you're mad..they'll tighten all the jars so you have no choice but to talk to them..or put everything on the top shelf

• you're a girl? congrats! the guys are now all hardcore feminists for you and april both

• you're in the lgbtq+ community? cool! you now have four attack dogs protecting you

• oh you're on horomone treatments or transitioning? leo reminds you take your supplements, raph will help you buff up if you want, donnie is making sure your transition is going smooth, and mikey is your number 1 hype man

• it's not uncommon to find one of them passed out on your couch

• it's also not uncommon to find them all in your apartment eating take out when you get home from work

• you suffer from a mental illness such as depression, anxiety, bipolar, etc? prepare to have 4 mother hens watching you closely at all times

• 'i love yous' are not uncommon

• overall, they would make the coolest and bestest friends

[notcuddles]

Actually I have a follow-up to the "Learn Social Skills to Help Social Anxiety" post. Because what that post does not do is actually give useful direction on what to learn or how. But I'm here to help! Because my parents (and probably yours as well) failed to instill good manners in me, I had to teach myself after my high school girlfriend took me to task for being rude to her parents. AND SHE WAS RIGHT.

Politeness - start here. Please. Thank you. You're welcome. Excuse me. This is the foundation of being a decent human being in public. They will get you very, very, very far. Just slide those bad boys on in there whenever you get a chance and you'll be charming people's mothers in no time.

PRO TIP: When speaking with strangers (or anyone, but particularly strangers) YOU DON'T HAVE TO MEAN IT FROM THE BOTTOM OF YOUR HEART. It doesn't need to be the biggest and most important emotion you feel. You are not LYING if you use basic social pleasantries but actually don't give a fuck. The goal here is NOT to communicate your deepest, truest emotions. THE GOAL: is to indicate that you are AWARE of the people around you and want to be polite and friendly with them.

2. Pleasantries - this is the no-man's land where socially anxious people die in a shell crater, surrounded by the shrapnel of small talk. It fucking sucks. NOT because small talk is pointless but because there is an art to it. Some people are really good at it. Some people struggle. I suggest giving yourself a script, because most people are pretty predictable in this arena and the ones that aren't can often carry the conversation with you along for the ride. These people are to be treasured. However, for everyone else:

Opener: "Good morning"/"Good afternoon"/whatever basic greeting is appropriate. I promise you, greeting people first is not an imposition - it creates an environment where people will feel comfortable talking to you. You're not actually an ogre that people want to avoid.

First Attack: "How are you today?" Yes, this is some basic shit. Again, you don't have to care deeply. The goal is to be aware of how people are feeling. They will probably ask you the same in return. Despite what people will tell you, you CAN actually be honest here...eventually. The first couple of times you talk to someone, a polite lie or the ever popular "commiserating about being at work" is probably better. Once you've talked to someone a few times, you can drop that and transition to "shit sucks bro".

Second Attack: Inquire about their life. "How was your weekend?" "Do you have any weekend plans" as appropriate. This part becomes easier if YOU have something to talk about. And indeed you should keep something easy in your back pocket in case someone asks you this. If you have a lot of weird hobbies, this is great because you can surprise people with something unexpected, but you can also just groan and say "chores" because this is a universal experience.

Now at this point you may have waded into awkward territory where the conversation is clearly kinda dead and you need to retreat. This is fine! This is not you being uniquely bad at talking to people. It does not actually reflect on your character. This is what MOST PEOPLE ON EARTH experience...all the time.

Finale: "Well, talk to you later!" And exit to go do whatever you were going to do with your day.

CONGRATS! You survived!

[pettytiredandjewish]

Damn the genocidal warmonger who would benefit me more personally didn't win :(

Not quite sure if this is sarcasm or not (I’m too tired to figure it out) but let me explain some things to you and others.

- The majority of politicians (not all) are “warmongers”. This includes presidents. I have my own opinions about the US involving themselves in wars (but is another long discussion for another day).

- I am not a huge fan of Harris. I don’t fully agree with her views. BUT I still voted for her and Waltz (I also am not a big fan of him too but for different reasons).

- I voted for her because I know out of all of them, she was going to be the better choice for all of us. I know a lot of yall don’t like that way of thinking but let me give you some advice. Our country has 2 major parties (democrats and republicans) and we also have Green Party and independent. When it’s time to vote for your final choice- I don’t look at third party and that’s because I know there is a very low chance that they will get electoral votes. (I have my opinions ons on electoral votes). I focus on the democrat and republican candidates. I am not a republican. I do not agree with a lot of their views and policies. But I’m also not a democrat too. I’ve shifted from them due to the fact that the majority of them thinks that Jews/Israelis are monsters. I can’t stand by a party that supports that harmful and hateful view point. When it came time for me to vote I knew I had to pick the person that would be better for all of us. Harris was the better option. When voting don’t just think about yourself but think about the ones whose lives and rights are at stake.

- I remember Trumps first term. It was scary. Me and my family were making plans to leave the country (in case we had to). I was afraid for my and my loved ones safety.

- Trump winning this election is bad for all of us. This is why voting is fucking important y’all. If you are eligible to vote- then fucking VOTE. Stop telling people to not vote because “my vote won’t make a difference” (you don’t know that) or “I don’t like either of them so I’m not voting” (guess what I and many others don’t like them either but we still voted) or my new favorite “I hate that genocidal Harris so I’m not voting or I’ll vote for trump or third party to punish her”… well congratulations ass hats! Trump is the new president.

- say goodbye to your rights because a lot of us (including me) is gonna be screwed big time.

-There will be no more reproductive rights. If you need an abortion or have a miscarriage, you are screwed. You won’t be able to get the abortion and if someone finds out that you were looking into getting one, that person could report you and you might get arrested. If you are having a miscarriage, you still have to carry it to full term or you may get arrested (or you may also die)…

- LGBTQ rights, say goodbye to those. Same sex marriage will be back on debate and possibly will be banned. Want to adopt kids? Well you won’t be able to anymore because you’re not straight or cis. You want to start transitioning, well you won’t be able to because that’s illegal…

- I can keep going. That is how fucked we are. We are so fucked it’s not even funny. I knew trump was gonna get votes from his cult- i mean supporters. I also knew that Harris was gonna get her votes too. But those who refused to vote or voted third party to punish Harris, you guys played a factor in trump winning. You are ONE OF THE REASONS why he won. So congrats! Y’all didn’t want a “genocidal” woman to be president. You just wanted someone far worser than her.

- also just so you know, Harris supported and was pushing for a ceasefire. Y’all are just mad that she wanted the hostages to be freed and that she called you guys out (pro Palestine and anti zionist) for how y’all were behaving and acting. (I won’t even go there cuz that’s a whole ass story).

- so to the pro Palestine and anti zionist groups: did you free Palestine? Did electing a monster (who is a raging racist/sextist/islamophobic/Antitsemitic/homophobic/transphobic/the list goes on…) save Palestine? Is he gonna do it? The answer to that is NO. You fucked up.

- also remember that i/p conflict is not the only thing that is going to be affected when trump takes office. The Ukraine/Russian war? Ukraine is screwed. Remember that.

[danothan]

cybersix liveblogging continues w ep 2

congrats on her transition

is this cat her brother

so she pushed her brother off a cliff (or was trying to save him, but he remembers it wrong) and their dad brought him back to life by turning him into a panther?? classic

aw they were so cute :( but i don’t understand, if she disguised herself to live as a dead boy, then who is this brother? did he run away with her? who did he disguise himself as then? or was he the brother of the real adrian bc if so, that’s way more fucked up

poor cybersix. but also thank god her brother is still alive or else julian might’ve ended up living as the ghost of some dead kid

so are those press-ons or does adrian have rly long nails too (also. dear god they put that boy’s brain in a cat)

oh she’s rly abt to cry, this is the most emotional we’ve seen her so far. yayy happy ending! just a superhero lady and her panther brother and this random kid they found off the street ☺️

[cosmignon]

A girl was feeling really nostalgic abt the fact The Stardust Scouts (my magic girl ocs) are nearing 10 years old at this point… so I felt like drawing their oldest designs faithfully + then drawing their current ones beside them :)

I little bit more about each of them in order:

Savannah started off as much shorter, she was the shortest of the group iirc. I decided to make her the tallest one instead after thinking abt how i wanted her to not only be fat but take up a lot of space. She’s the “main” protagonist of the story (in my mind at least, as it stands SDS is more of an ensemble cast) so I wanted to challenge conventions by making my smart leader you root for fat and completely ok with that. Savannah doesn’t have time for fatphobia she has 3 college essays to write before an alien attacks the city

I am really glad I changed Penny’s color scheme over the years, I don’t like how the red hair and purple sweater look together at all. Their style had also grown a lot more brash and eclectic. I think he started as a shy type? You can definitely see it in the original drawings body language. Unbelievable, she is a Mabel Pines crafter extraordinaire at heart and that’s final

Tabitha “congrats on the transition” Brooks has just been slowly shifting further and further toward his current butch look for forever and it rocks. I distinctly remember making SDS originally with the intent of “only having girls so no one tried to ship them with a boy” and I was a little stubborn on that point for a while… but Tabitha said nuts to that and decided otherwise. I honestly think of her original design as being what she looked like as a teen these days, before cutting off all that hair and running off to he/her lesbian all over the place.

Wendy’s always been an interesting struggle, because while she and Savannah have both been a learning exercise in getting black & textured hair right, Wendy specifically loves fashion and styling her hair in different ways every other time I draw her. Her current braided hair is what I default to but I’ve also wrapped it up in buns and given her bantu knots too. Also made it more obvious she dyes her hair, glad I moved away from cheese yellow blonde lol

Olivia! Olivia Olivia Olivia…. Ze has definitely won the award for most dramatic change between the old design & now. I make it no secret ze used to be a Tak from invader zim expy, and I still carry those roots with me as I refine zer look. The blonde hair and the orange signature color are both very recent developments, I used to be so attached to Olivia staying purple that I was detrimentally keeping 2 characters purple instead of letting Olivia have a unique place among the group. Now the only thing that’ll make it obvious ze was ever Tak adjacent is the mole under zer eye & a lot of the backstory I have cooking

Ty for listening to me ramble, pls check out my oc tag Sara ocs or the stardust scouts tag for more abt my precious babies 🥹

[kitkat-the-muffin]

Late screenshot dump/review for Cloutchase Vol 4!

Here are the previous three installments: [1][2][3]

Hey everybody! It's been a while, about 7 months since I've last been remotely active in this fanbase, but this past weekend I played Vol 4 with my friends and I am here to share my favorite screenshots! I will of course start this post off with some spoiler-free teasers to encourage others to play the game themselves!

And now it's time for the rambles!

This session was quite unique since I had two friends with me this time!

"Homestuck is too problematic lets to Danganronpa" oh I just know you guys put that in on purpose. I only ever saw the Danganronpa anime once but my friend immediately knew who they were going to dress up as and she was right haha

Honestly I love how Snapchat has a permanent dog filter on. My other friend who joined us today gave him the most perfect voice that I can barely attempt to describe. I called it "Irish-Canadian stoner" if that helps you imagine it

Backrooms reference *airhorns*!!!! It was kinda funny when TikTok just abandons the player in favor of egg theft, but what I think desperately needs to be talked about is the alleged missing lion man. Who is he? Where did he go? I have to know!

I spent a good 5 minutes rambling about Musical.ly's character design before I realized they're TikTok pre-transition. They look so fashionable tho! Can I get the raw files of these photos?

YOOOO VINE GETS NEW SPRITES!!!! I like how he's behind the times because he's been dead for a while haha

This is the best possible timeline I think

Tumblr looks FANTASTIC heck yeah

What did they mean by this?

Kinda love how Threads is a character and also kinda not a character. Design is peak tho

Get Gatsby'd! If I had a nickel for every time I was Gatsby'd this year I'd have two nickels-

Congrats on the gender! Genuinely though why did Twitter start looking infinitely more attractive to me after coming out as transfem? Like... she's so pretty now... but also exactly the same? Gender is a construct but holy cheese

I was literally trying to read the option choices and she cut me off ffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff anyway hi Reddit. My friend had a surprisingly good Reddit voice (I'd describe it as incel meets gamer but less embarrassing somehow)

Old man Facebook! My friend had the WORST voice for Facebook... Imagine the creepiest old man asmr of your life

Kinda interesting that the Magical Girl sequence is part of the Bad Ending. My friends and I agreed that it was more of a Neutral End than a bad one. She looks great tho, I love the art in Instagram's route

Caught in 4k! This frame only appears for a split second haha

I really like how they characterized the creepy tracking of meta software this way. Instagram looks pleasant on the outside but underneath that top layer is a completely fake personality that covers another layer of invasive curiosity that covers another layer of genuine artistic enjoyment. That's so interesting! Anyway my friends and I started theorizing what the multicolored strings mean and we're stumped on the white bit between Amino and Kik-

I love Insta's photos, I like how they're physical polaroids. The logo on her bag is also the old Instagram logo! I need to see that full sized photo of Tumblr and Twitter tho-

Honestly didn't expect this ending but it's cute and I love it! Genuinely we should all be encouraged to post about our favorite simple pleasures rather than trying to appeal to the masses

Anyway before calling it a night we looked at some of the new bonus content (some of which is just stuff from the tumblr blog lol) and dang is Wikipedia so pretty in this screenshot

Actually my friend saw this next photo and said "he's just like me fr why don't I have that?" Honestly I can't wait for the Wikipedia route hahah

ANYWAY GET GATSBY'D FOR A THIRD TIME-

Or a second time if you aren't a Gravity Falls fan lol

Anyway, this volume was a lot of fun and I greatly enjoyed playing it! I like how TikTok's route had multiple activity choices and endings. It's kind of reminiscent of how much time you can accidentally waste on TikTok haha

Instagram's route being based on trying to maintain a level of perfection was interesting, as well as the Great Gatsby motifs. I laughed out loud when Waltz of the Flowers played because I'm hyperfixating on Princess Tutu rn and my friend is obsessed with Tchaikovsky so that was fun

Here's to the next volume! I can't wait to play it!

[kozykricket]

The concept behind the false son goes hard. A mortal made idol to a dead god given life and mind by two others respectively. A broken divinity without purpose. Designed to be a simulacrum of a dead holy warriors and instead coming out a misshapen angerufen mess.

ABSOLUTELY !!! like, SOTS maybe isnt perfect, but its concepts are so amazing, and i think the false son was a really great way to expand on the lore in a plausible way and... like the more i look into him, its like. okay yes, the logbooks are a bit disappointing that they didnt explain a bit more, but also? his dialogue and stuff... ive really done a lot of looking into it, and i've pieced together some quite interesting stuff about him i really think FS is a very interesting character. great use of aurelionite. aureli was always one of the coolest "sidenote" lore pieces of ROR2, and like

god it makes so much SENSE that after their Saviour dies, the denizens of petrichor ... desperately crave the feeling of safety and security, of having a saviour again. but then... mithrix' followers still very much exist, and the fuckin imagine, imagine. imagine that you're created in the image of a saviour, given life by a being that believes itself to have been sealed for being too perfect. and yet... despite being built to be a beacon of hope, you immediately lose the compassion you were built to hold. i honestly kinda think that false son is up on the colossus statue just to try and like, isolate himself away from hurting anyone. because he WANTS to hurt things, but he also... prob has a very big internal conflict on the whole thing! he knows he was to be a protector, a bulwarks successor! oh also, shoutouts to vultures being depicted as mithrix' followers a lot. i only recently really pieced together but like, it makes a lot of sense that the 2 creatures most represented as having some of their species be on mithrix' side... are the crafty ones. the smart ones. scavengers and alloy vultures. alloy vultures have innate senses that let them operate machinery EXTREMELY well. and mithrix' whole deal is DESIGN and like.... it makes a lotta sense that the crafty and clever vultures would be perhaps the one Vermin that mithrix can appreciate a bit, or see value in them anyways and yeah im kinda just rambling at this point. but anyways, he has some interesting death lines, and to me they definitely imply that he was trying to purify himself. "a gift out of reach" to me says that like. what he wanted was a life of freedom from dark influence. or perhaps just to give freedom to aureli and when he dies in a run of purification via aureli? he says... he can hear... Himself. hes finally able to have the voice inside be Him, instead of... a fucked up version of himself maybe the gift is aurelionites freedom. maybe its his own free will. maybe it is simply purity. maybe the gift was just kicking mithrix' butt! maybe it was something greater that we cant know but considering his survivor vanish message? i think the gift hes referring to is ... his mere life!

also fun lil fact hopoo games referred internally to aureli as "goldboy" so congrats on aureli for her transition

i may make a followup post talking about more specific like. false son or mithrix follower related stuff but. yea i just wanted to get this out there, some ramblings.

[doubleddenden]

Did HoloJustice day 1 impressions, onto day 2

Cecilia

Before: pon, quiet or shy, german

After: pon, I was correct there, also German, but they literally debuted HoloEU with 1 vtuber and all the languages she speaks. I'm actually surprised at how hilarious she is. Her humor can be pretty subtle or dry but also out loud as well. Really cute and subtle accent, also short at about 5'3". Actually likes tea, unlike the BRIT. ALSO THE VIOLIN, insanely talented.

Raora

Before: light voice, the horny one, fake Italian (like how Ame is "British"), tall, likes Pokemon

After: deeper voice than expected, but still quite charming in combination with her actual Italian accent, and only 5'2" (perfect chin resting height). I knew the moment I saw her mascot she was a Pokemon fan, and her disdain for reading even solidified that lol (no seriously, for some reason a good chunk of us hate reading). She seems less "horny" like I thought she'd be, and is more "cultured" (although I am curious about all the Nerissa files) if anything so far, at least she hasn't gone Nerissa yet. Her art is actually professional level, and if I'm guessing correctly, Hololive might have hired another overqualified vtuber because WOW, and she wants to be a future Hololive "mama" (aka the artist that draws the actual vtuber before it gets rigged). Very sweet, I like her food ideas, although i am a bit saddened she does not like pineapple on pizza. I think most already know who she was previously, because it was almost a 1 to 1 transition basically, so I think it's a well deserved spot in Hololive. Here's hoping maybe Nintendo stops being Dicks and lets her play Pokemon someday. Also, it sounds like she's been auditioning for years, so big congrats to her for finally getting in.

These two might be my favorites of the 4 tbh.

Justice as a whole

They seem to get along well, and have a pretty fun sibling bond already with banter and razzing- surprised by the lack of Liz and Rao flirting tbh, every Gen has a "ship" that seems almost immediate.

Idk why I was worried that Cover was going to go too hardball on their lore with such an intense focus on cross Gen lore and interaction with Advent, because in actuality they're about as adorably threatening as Team Rocket's Jesse, James, Meowth, and Wobbuffet- but if they were the good guys.

I can't wait for the collab ban to be lifted, because I NEED all of them to collab with the others and especially Advent. I wanna know who their oshis are and if there's any EN side that normally aren't oshis to newbies.

A pretty fun set, although I think I need a bit more time to really get to know them before I pick a definitive favorite. At the least, Kiara finally has EU buddies to collab and visit with.

[libra-stellium]

Pluto in Aquarius - 12H Transit

Reflecting on Friendships

The last time pluto was in aquarius was March 23 - June 11 2023 and during that time was when a friend of 8/9 years ghosted me in early March and I tried to mend things during that 3 month period and the last time we had a conversation was June 10 2023 lol (we did tell each other happy birthday and thank you in Sept and Nov after that but no actual conversation)

Then this year pluto goes into aqua again on Jan 20 2024 and I tell a couple friends about how my TikTok FYP gets sooo many of her reposts about fake friends and hating people who aren’t confrontational and how nobody knows how to communicate lol so I liked one of them and they stopped! Then like 2 weeks later there’s a repost about getting confronted about reposts and how you can’t take anything online seriously 😂 but there’s been 0 reposts since so I think it worked 🤷🏾‍♀️

Then on Jan 29 I had a dream that I was in a groupchat with her and other people who I used to be friends with in college but my friendship with them didn’t make it past that so I guess they ended like 5 years ago? We would sometimes do group things but it quickly died down. They’re all still friends tho I think. Anyway so in this dream one girl sent a longgggggg ass message about all the things she hated about me 💀 (my dreams are always dramatic lmfao) and that girl who ghosted me was hearting the messages within seconds like she was right there when it was written!! Lmao message received!! I don’t think they actually hate me to this extent irl but I’m a Pisces rising so my dreams don’t lie 🤷🏾‍♀️

And this entire week I’ve been thinking about what I actually want out of friendships and that friendship wasn’t bad but it also wasn’t completely what I wanted in a friendship and I think I was holding on for longer than necessary bc nothing had happened between us so why end a friendship you know? And towards the end right before I was like “she ghosted me” I remember thinking why do I feel like I’m begging ? Lmao bc I would type a message and erase it like I felt she wouldn’t care about what I had to say. Which is weird bc I wasn’t saying anything out of the ordinary 😭 and I should’ve listened to that feeling more lol

I definitely want friendships with more care involved. I have a few friends I can have deep conversations with and who didn’t mind listening to me vent to them about what my narc mom was doing to me that week and I let them vent too. But like…while I was going through that no one asked me if I needed anything or if I needed help with anything it was just like yeah that sucks 😕 and that’s it. I was sick recently and one of my friends I told I was sick never responded to my message and then I go on IG two days later to see she’s on vacation with her bf and then she calls me when she gets back a week later and not once asked me if I was feeling better but immediately started talking about a situation with her bf 🙃 like okayyyyyy

So I think that’s def going to be a major Pluto in aqua theme for me. I just need to actually sit down and figure out what I want my friendships to look like.

I feel like I already do for them what I’m looking for so I know I’m not asking for a lot! And I did think about my people pleaser tendencies and it wasn’t even about that like someone sharing an achievement and me going “we should go here to celebrate!” But me sharing an achievement and just getting the congrats text with confetti and if I want to celebrate I gotta say I want to go celebrate let’s go here like 😀 and even for my bday last year I was fresh off no contact with my mom obviously distressed and no one offered any options for my bday when it was less than a week before and I was saying I literally have no idea what to do I’m overwhelmed they just kept asking did you plan it yet? So I ended up just picking a random place for brunch lol but it felt like too much to be like “can someone plan my bday for me?” 💀 my take on it is very if they wanted to they would

It’s 4:44

I think it relates to my family too bc from the way their lives have turned out I have this fear of not having any friends bc they don’t have any friends in their 50s 60s and continuously tell me how lonely it is and to make sure that never happens to me and to make sure I keep all my friends lol no pressure! But tbh the reason they don’t have any friends is bc I don’t think they were friends with those people to begin with they were just in proximity and they did not actually care about each other.

I wonder what’s going to show up between Sept 1 - Nov 19 2024 when Pluto goes back into cap and reenters aqua for the next 20 years bc my bday happens in that gap and there’s always something surrounding my bday!!

[odaatlover]

Hey! I just wanted to ask how your healing was going? I had my surgery with Gallagher on the 3rd and everyday is dragging on slowly for recovery and I know youre further ahead as far as that goes, so I was just curious how its been so far for you?

I was also told at about 2 weeks the tape will fall off/you can help it off, and was curious if thats happened yet for you and if your incisions were mostly healed at that point? **If you feel comfortable sharing any of that of course, feel free to ignore if not! Wishing you a smooth recovery either way 😊

Hey! Congrats on your surgery! I’m happy to share 😃

That first week was definitely the worst, but the second week was much better. I still had soreness and muscle splinting, but it had lessened and I was more used to everything so it wasn’t as bad. At the 2 weeks mark the tape on the ends in the middle was starting to come off. And throughout the tape there were places where it was wrinkling and wasn’t attached, so it was like tiny spots were coming off but it didn’t neatly peel off in a linear manner like I was thinking lol. So I slowly pulled it off myself on the exact day of the 2 weeks mark and it can’t off pretty easily! Everything was healed and closed up, and I started using the silicone tape. Here are pictures of what it looked like after taking the tape off:

The sides look the worst because of the curves I’m assuming, but it’ll smooth out over time. Right now I’m only using the silicone strips on the front of my chest until the sides look a little better.

Also that scab directly to the right of the purple marker residue in the very middle came off on its own a couple of days ago to reveal a small hole. You might get some of those along your incision, which is normal! Anytime you see something weird just read the papers they gave you in the little bag and it’ll explain everything. It’s saved me from panicking a lot because I’ve had little things here and there that freaked me out, but I found it on the paper telling me what to do and that it was normal 😂 I still text the office just in case and always get a response from Dr. G. So far she’s said everything is looking good and healing well! I’ve skipped the silicone tape in that middle area as well.

Currently I’m doing much better and everything is feeling more back to normal, and I’m 3 weeks post-op exactly! Yesterday I went on a 3-mile walk and felt great. I still have some lingering fatigue, but it’s bad. My range of motion is much better, but I’m still careful not to lift my arms above a 90° angle. I still lay on my back when I sleep but I can lay on my side for a bit. It’s just uncomfortable for me to do so after a few minutes. But I’m thinking after this week I can start transitioning back to side sleeping.

Don’t hesitate to reach out to them if you have questions or concerns during the healing. I haven’t had to text her cell directly because none of my concerns have been major where I needed her assistance asap, but when I text the office pictures she always answers my questions before end of day during office hours.

Feel free to DM me too if you have any other questions or want to see pics!

[asexual-means-no-attraction]

Hello, I was wondering if I could ask you a question about he/him lesbians and your opinions on them. I’ve seen you answer an ask before which is what sparked my curiosity. In your answer, you mentioned that identifying as a he/him lesbian beyond safety reasons is unethical. Personally, I don’t identify with any labels, but I do use he/him and I’m not uncomfortable with the term lesbian being applied to me because I am a female who is attracted to other females. On the basis of same sex attraction I am a “lesbian” but I experience dysphoria and am transitioning. I don’t believe that gender is a social construct either, just in sex based attraction. Could you shed some light on this situation? Or does this fall into the context of something you’ve already discussed? Thank you for your time!

This has a couple different points to touch on so imma break it up a bit. Long post ahead.

Firstly, congrats on realizing transitioning is the right path for you. It's not always an easy decision or process. I genuinely hope you find comfort in your body. Medically transitioning for me did absolute wonders. I found myself actually liking my body, being way more comfortable dancing, running, or doing literally anything in public and even privately. Dysphoria is a bitch, and I commend anyone else who has to deal with it.

You specifically asked about he/him lesbians and I stand by my words in my FAQ. Unless it's for safety reasons (as it was for a long time in the past) or you're not outta the closet yet, I find it to be very homo/lesbophobic to call yourself a he/him lesbian. I will never tell someone to their face I don't agree with them because I have absolutely no clue their life story.

Keeping on that point. It's not just safety, but also your own comfort to come out of the closet. I called myself a lesbian for a bit despite being a tran man because I didn't pass as a man yet. I didn't tell people I was trans, just that I liked women. So everyone saw me as a lesbian. Then once I passed, I stopped using that label. If you're in the closet you use any word you need to in order to keep yourself there. It doesn't matter the reason your in the closet-- if it's safe or not. If you're not comfortable, that's all that's needed.

As for people who are fully out and have no safety concerns, I def give a big side eye. This is for a large number of reasons:

1. If you go by he/him-- especially solely by he/him-- then you are a man. I am a firm believer that pronouns (specifically she/he are gendered). Otherwise they'd have no reason to exist. Misgendering people pronouns is a thing. That is only possible if pronouns are gendered. So a man calling himself a lesbian (tran, nb, or otherwise) goes against the definition of lesbian. Ie. Women who are attracted to women.

2. Your biological body doesn't matter. When it comes to sexuality trans people are a big gray area and don't actually contradict anything. A lesbian dating a trans women who hasn't medically transitioned is still a lesbian. Because she's with a women. It doesn't matter if her partner has a dick or not. She's a women. End of story.

When it comes to trans people in relationships and the way those in said relationship describe it, I do think it's best to leave it to them. It's not my relationship to define. So if two lesbians are in a relationship and one of them comes out as male, I get if the one who's still female still wants to call herself a lesbian. This is where the gray area comes in. Cuz she's only into the one guy, and she doesn't really fit the definition of bisexual. Trans people are a gray area 100%. And that can definitely make things a bit more complex when it comes to defining relationships.

3. But it's a different story if you're out, and not in the middle of a relationship that you're trying to figure out how to define. If you are a trans man you are a man. You are no longer a lesbian no matter how much you loved being in that community. Relating to group is not the same as being apart of it.

I know it can be hard to let go of a label that means a lot to you. I had a similar issue when I first realized I was trans. I genuinely hated the idea of being straight. I just realized that was due to do many people around me acting like it was the ultimate sin to be straight and I was just scared of the word being applied to me. The fact of the matter is, I'm not a lesbian anymore. It's ok to let go of words when you discover new things about yourself.

You said so yourself you use he/him and are transitioning. So it seems like you're in a very special and important time in your life. Don't tie yourself down to any word right now. Just let yourself be and do what feels right. The right label will come naturally as you come into your own. Don't hold onto a pass label. Just relax and take time to figure it all out.

4. Unfortunately he/him lesbians are not all trans folks in a gray area of things. I've seen several instances of cis men using it to invade lesbians spaces. And I've seen time and time again people defending these men because "they relate to the word lesbian more then the word straight." And I really hope I don't have to explain why this is a bad thing. Lesbians have enough to deal with without cis men trying to come in.

Cuz again. Relating to a community is not the same as being apart of it.

5. In the same vein. Not being uncomfortable is also not the same as being apart of a group either. I'm not uncomfortable with people calling me gay, even though I'm very much straight. Just like your friend jokingly calling you a dick when you eat the last piece of pizza doesn't actually make you a dick. You aren't uncomfortable with them calling you that. But you're still not a dick. I'm not gay. That's not a label that falls under who I am. I'm not uncomfortable with it either. Can you see how these two things aren't the same?? Does that make sense?

I think it's dangerous ground to say that not being uncomfortable with a word being used to describe you means you are that word. I used to not be uncomfortable with my friend joking that I wasn't a good person. Until years later I realized my confidence was shot partly because I kept hearing her say I wasn't a good person over and over again. I wasn't uncomfortable with it, but that doesn't mean that's who I actually was.

Not being uncomfortable also isn't the same as being actually comfortable.

6. Its very common for people to NOT be comfortable with their sexuality. Like... Super common. Internalized homophobia is a thing for a reason. The same can go for gender. There are many women I've met who hate being a women, but not because they're trans. But because of society and how they are treated. It takes time to come to terms with sexuality and gender. It takes time to be comfortable with the word that describes you best.

Your comfort isn't what determines your label.

That's why it's so important to just be yourself. Let yourself have fun, relax, do what feels right for you. Work on making yourself happy. Having the type of body that you want, having the type of friends around you that you'd like, having the kinda hobbies that you find enjoyable. Learn what makes you happy and strive for it, even if it means moving away from what you always thought you had to or wanted to be before. Be yourself and enjoy yourself. Once you do that the right word will just fall into place. And you'll find yourself a lot more comfortable with it now that you're more comfortable with yourself.

I hope that helps a bit with how I feel on the topic. Feel free to ask any clarification questions. And I apologize now for how long this is. I'm not gonna proof read so hopefully there's no too many mistakes.

Thanks tho. Have a good one.

[arwainian]

My Reading This Week

This week I 'read less than I would have liked' (honestly i still read a good chunk) as in. I was super busy writing a paper I'm super proud of for school, so I didn't have time to read a bunch. Also as you shall see, i struggled to find something to read in the first place

Abandoned:

Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia

The Bachelor's Valet by Arden Powell

both of these I've been meaning to read for a while. unfortunately i just did not connect with/like the POV character and they weren't interesting enough to me to push through despite. you'll remember me saying I started Dead Dead Girls last week and that if i didn't hook me by 25% I'd drop it. well I got to 30% and it still wasn't right for me so i moved on.

bachelor's valet i didn't even give to 25%, i gave it two chapters, and the pov character was too much of a privileged child of a man for me to tolerate watching his valet be stoically in love with him. onward and upward to better reads

Started and Finished:

"Anything That Can't Go On Forever Will Eventually Stop: Ticketmaster and Ideas Lying Around" by Cory Doctorow on Medium

congrats to this thing being the first like, article/essay not read for school that I have recorded here! again. reading log, rather than book log. Honestly, because I want to record articles I read, I'm gonna try and make a habit of clicking through and reading articles I see quoted and passed around on tumblr and this was one of these

Chapter 8 of the void, through your body by zerodignity on ao3

(i think ao3 fics, or anything else published that i read in a serialized manner, shall be logged by chapter) I've been really loving this fic, and I actually read the second half out loud to myself bc I was really feeling my voice at the time

The Bride Was a Boy by Chii, translated by Beni Axia Conrad

Super Late Bloomer: My Early Days in Transition by Julia Kaye

My Life in Transition: A Super Late Bloomer Collection by Julia Kaye

the three above are collected volumes of shorts comics written and drawn by trans women about their transition journeys! The Bride Was a Boy is from a woman in Japan and it's mostly about her love story with her husband, and what the law surrounding trans people in Japan is which was cool to read, and the story is so sweet

Julia Kaye's super late bloomer stuff is more slice of life-y with each comic being a vignette from a single day, which cover a huge swath of her experiences over a long period of time, and is a really cool read

Against Queer Presentism | How the Book World Neglects the Archive by Colton Valentine

another article/essay! reading this has put like... 20 books on my tbr, bc i made a list of all of the historical writers mentioned and all of the scholars preserving their work and writing about them, so that I could come back to them. if you're interested in queer history and queer art from the past, check this out

Started and Ongoing:

The Secret to Superhuman Strength by Alison Bechdel

honestly this and all the comics mentioned above i read in like the past 2 days bc I was sad I hadn't read more, and wanted to read something quick and easy. however Bechdel is not a quick and easy cartoonist. I'm gonna take my time going through this bc again, i've been meaning to read this for a while

Things skimmed after reading thoroughly a while ago so I can properly cite them in the 20 page essay I'm writing (yes I'm going to keep bragging about that)[yes this counts as reading this weak goddammit]:

"Blurring the Lines: Reinforcing Rape Myths in Comic Books" by Tammy S. Garland, Kathryn A. Branch, and Mackenzie Grimes

"Performing the Female Superhero: an Analysis of Identity Acquisition, Violence, and Hypersexuality in DC Comics" by Matthew Nicosia

various issues of The New Teen Titans, Tales of the Teen Titans, and The New Titans in order to collect images for the appendix, and to double check my recollection of events

[steamishot]

T+2 days

the time has finally come, and we are now in a south pasadena airbnb where we'll stay for 18 days. what a whirlwind it has been! last week in NYC things:

met up shortly with S who walked me to dinner with T on fri

brunch at S&I's place on sat

hot pot with LG saturday night

packed/cleaned up the apartment and unmounted things on sunday

uyghur dinner with S&I (i thought brunch was the last time i would see them) on monday

torrisi with matt on tuesday

othership/first cold plunge experience with T on tuesday night

got raided by 4 movers on wednesday

SURPRISE visit by S on wednesday/move out day!

it was hard to say goodbye to our apartment. although the small space was really grating on me, i did spend a LOT of time in there, given covid and WFH. it was my first adult apartment and i put in a lot of effort to keep it well decorated and cozy.

now that we're in a one bedroom airbnb that has separation of space for kitchen, living room, and bedroom, it feels so nice! there is even a little outdoor patio area we can hang out in. it feels like such a luxury to have a designated space to work in (kitchen table). in our studio, my work desk was literally about 3-4 feet away from the foot of our bed. we can even eat at separate tables now! and we don't have to see/hear each other constantly even when we're both home! so nice!! LOL

apartment: last week, we finally signed for a two bedroom, 1.5 bath with a 13 month lease for $3085 starting in october. we decided to go with the same company as our nyc one. the price seemed quite costly to me initially, but given the amenities (in unit washer/dryer, central air, etc), and location, it didn't seem terrible in comparison to the other places on the market. #makingmydreamscometrue

work: i took 9/11 off work which is the day the movers came and we flew back to LA. on the plane, i was checking emails out of boredom, and i came across an email preview that read "Congrats Connie!" from my boss. i clicked into to see that i had received an equity increase! my boss had mentioned getting me some more money months ago, but i didn't expect it to come so soon. i am truly grateful to receive a 15% increase, especially when they just gave me a significant increase last year. the timing of it was perfect too, because i felt like this news welcomed me to LA.

this puts me at almost 6 figures, and i can finally say i will achieve it next year with the annual raise. with our increased fixed expenses (rent, utilities, car payment and car insurance), it feels good that we can technically survive off of my new income. thank you to the east coast/nyc work culture for increasing my work ethic, and thank you to matt and east coast friends who have influenced me and helped me gain confidence to work harder/achieve more in my career. i never imagined myself to be able to make this much money (but also, inflation, so it's not as impressive as it once was lol).

i didn't have to bring up A to my previous boss I, because we now are having meetings with the 3 of us. i now know that I knows how slow A is, so i don't want to talk badly about her.

it's been an emotional few weeks. even now in LA, i'm adjusting to the pace, culture, and getting reacquainted with driving and family. will slowly start hitting up friends after getting settled in a bit more. on our first day back, i kinda started missing NYC/east coast and questioned if i made the right choice. i missed the hustle, the drive, walkability, and go-getter attitudes. i also felt guilty about 'abandoning' my friend S. we stopped meeting as often in the past year due to schedules/busyness, but she made a lot of effort to see me many times in the last month. i hope this distance gives the space for our friendship to evolve and not decay.

today, i woke up today to the sound of chirping birds and have had healthy doses of vitamin D. i squirrel and bird watched from the patio. and drank some great milk tea. will document more about transitioning back to LA as the weeks go on.

[orphancookie69]

8/2024: Disneyland Trip!!

I know I usually talk about Disney Dreamlight Valley feeling like my wannabe Disneyland experience, but I asked my mom to have her family friend sign me in for a day-for my birthday in June. Well, disregarding the month-its August and I get to go!

My family has been heavily into Disney. I used to go as a kid all the time, the family friend Cast Member would sign us in. My grandparents at one point had passes before DL decided to cater to the non-resident customers. After I got older, it was only a handful of times I have gotten back there-a wonderful date, pre-public opening for cast members, and now!

8/4:

I got dropped off by my partner, and I appreciated it. There are 2 drop offs: on Harbor and Downtown Disney. Quicker way to the park, even with security. I arrived first, the rest of my party took about a half hour to park and get there. One we got in, we tried for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in Frontierland. It was broken down so we went to Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge.

I have been here before but last time I did not get to the rides. But man, just walking around-I feel like a teenager with dreams come true of being in the epic star wars movies I watched with my dad. World building, digital or real, can be very impressive. First ride was Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. Honestly, new rides are impressive. Magnets instead of tracks. Also, I FOUND STORM TROOPERS! Then we went to Millenium Falcon: Smugglers Run. The ride itself was really good, the build up/walk to was a little meh.

A ride is built up first in your mind, then you prep for it as you walk and immerse yourself in the surroundings for what is safely up to 30 minute wait, and then you have the ride. Typically not nearly as long as the buildup but worth it when the previous steps are done right.

Also, someone proposed to their partner there and IT WAS THE CUTEST EVER. Like I have heard about that but to see it, man. We ran into the woman later and was like congrats babe your man has excellent taste!

Next we went to Star Tours: The Adventure Continues in Tomorrowland. This is funny to have done next as it was the classic star wars ride compared to the new one. But they made small changes to the ride to make it more like an airport as you are waiting. It was funny. Thunder Mountain was working again, man I don't remember the ride feeling that small-like the structure as you are waiting? Also, I swear you used to be able to put your stuff in a cubby across but oh well.

Food places, like good sit down places had weird varying times of opening. Stalls seemed like they should of been open earlier or more consistently but oh well. Earlier in the day we tried for haunted mansion and got in "virtual queue". We believe that they were halfway done with the Nightmare before christmas transition and that because of less waiting room-they did a group check in approach. Even for getting there early, we were group #120. And the ride broke down once during the day stopping the queue all together for a bit.

We did some shopping, man it was hot as hades out there. We did Pirates of the Carribean in New Orleans Square. Lots of changes happening there, Splash Mountain is being changed to Tiana's Bayou Adventure and Tiana's Place has taken over a nearby restaurant. Pirates was amazing. We went back to Thunder Mountain and it broke down while we were on it, not worried at all. We also did Indiana Jone's Adventure. Funny enough, my nephew into horror games thought it was too scary-kids today! Just before leaving-Haunted Mansion called us. It is so neat to see it mostly done for the upcoming season!

The ride itself looked amazing, as it usually does. It stopped twice, and honestly I was a little worried it seemed to be struggling more than it usually does. We had a park hopper ability, but we were all a bit tired and not much we wanted to go on. California Adventure has some cool things, but I preferred the drop ride when it was from The Twilight Zone, and the Incredicoaster is just California Screamin' with a face lift. Soaring over California is pretty cool too.

We had Lightning Passes for this trip, and while I have my own reservations about using that kind of thing-it helps to get the most of the experience. You could only book 2 rides at a time and not all rides were friendly for it. There's watches you could wear and interact with the park but the app does everything the watch does. We were there for about half a day? Pretty good haul for the time there.

Some change is good, some change is meh. The digital age is alive and well. We are considering getting annual passes when they become available again. Maybe even getting Magic Bands. There are still many places in Disneyland my nephew has not experienced that are on the list for next time.