#and for them to be raised by people who know what they've been thru

[goldfades]

★ YOU AND ME, WE'D BE A BIG CONVERSATION─── PB⁵ (part 1/3)

❪ requested -> "paige x famous!reader (singer, actress, up to u) inspired by endgame by ts where p reveals that r is her celeb crush in an interview and a few days later theres a vid of r responding to it saying shes been obsessed w paige lately / its such a big deal bc r has been involved in a lot of romantic drama lately so everyone is kinda iffy abt her rn, causing her to put up a tough guard. but p sees thru the facade when they start talking and allows her to be herself, making r fall even harder 🥹 " ❫ for my disco nonnie!

─ warnings | gossip, a lot of drama and random ass names (sorry i get confused when i don't name them), mention of panic attacks, hurt to comfort, pretty sure nothing else?

⇨ missing out on updates? check out my wcbb masterlist!

"Y/N L/N, ONE OF the biggest names right now in the music industry has found herself at the center of yet another romantic scandal involving her ex and now, reportedly a new lover."

The 22-year-old pop sensation, who recently topped the charts with her latest single, was spotted last night leaving an upscale Los Angeles restaurant with actress and heartthrob, Camilla Harrison. The two were seen getting into the same car, sparking rumors of a budding romance.

This sighting comes just weeks after Y/N's highly publicized breakup with fellow musician Lauren Marie, with whom she had a tumultuous on-again, off-again relationship for over two years. The split was reportedly mutual, with both parties citing busy schedules and the pressures of their careers as contributing factors. However, sources close to the couple suggest that Marie was unhappy about Y/N's close friendship with Harrison, which began on the set of her recent music video where Marie made a cameo appearance.

"Y/N and Cam have undeniable chemistry," says an insider. "They've been spending a lot of time together, and it's more than just a professional connection. They're trying to keep things low-key, but it's clear there's something more than friendship between them."

Despite the drama, Y/N continues to thrive professionally. Her upcoming album set to release in the next couple month, is already generating significant buzz. Critics are calling it her most mature work yet, with deeply personal lyrics that reflect her recent experiences.

Meanwhile, Harrison, 26, known for her roles in blockbuster films and her good looks, has remained tight-lipped about the rumors. Her publicist declined to comment, stating that Marie is concentrating on her upcoming film projects.

──

"Okay, next question," the reporter smiled as she scrolled through her phone as Paige gave a tight-lipped smile toward the camera. "Oh! Found a good one, okay. Who is your celebrity crush right now."

"That's easy!" Paige laughed as she glanced toward the reporter. "Y/N L/N, she's beautiful and insanely talented,"

The room filled with laughter as the reporter raised an eyebrow, clearly delighted by the response. "Y/N L/N, huh? That's a popular choice these days, a lot of people are big fans. Have you met her?"

Paige shook her head, her cheeks slightly flushing. "Nah, I wish. But I'm a huge fan of her music. Every song is a masterpiece and I'm not usually into pop,"

"Interesting," the reporter leaned forward, intrigued. "You know, there are rumors about Y/N's love life all the time. How do you feel about all the speculation surrounding her personal life?"

Paige shrugged, maintaining her relaxed demeanor despite the stupid question. "I think it's tough being in the spotlight like that. People forget that celebrities are human too. Everyone deserves a bit of privacy, I'm more interested in her work and what she brings to the music industry rather than whoever she's dating."

The reporter nodded, appreciating Paige's perspective. "Absolutely. It's refreshing to hear someone focus on the artistry rather than the gossip!"

──

"Okay, quick. Who's your celeb crush right now, other than Cam," Bowen Yang, grinned at you, raising an eyebrow as the audience laughed, eagerly awaiting your response.

You laugh (and decide to ignore the comment about Cam), feeling a slight blush creep up your cheeks. "Oh, come on, Bowen, you can't put me on the spot like that!"

Bowen leaned in, his grin widening. "Come on, Y/N, the people want to know!" He pointed to the crowd as they cheered, causing you to put your face in yours hands.

You then take a deep breath, pretending to think hard. "Fine, if I have to choose... I'd say Paige Bueckers. She's incredible on the court, and I've seen some interviews with her ─ she seems like such a cool person."

The audience erupts with loud cheers, causing both you and Bowen to laugh. Bowen's eyes widen, clearly delighted by your answer as he clapped. "Ooh, scandalous! Paige Bueckers, I love that! Have you met her?"

You shake your head, smiling. "No, not yet. But I did see a clip of her saying some really nice things about me recently. It was super sweet."

Bowen's face lights up with excitement. "She was practically gushing over you, this is perfect, we need to make this happen. Maybe you could collab, I don't know how but uh, if anyone could make it happen, it's you."

"Thank you, I think?" You laugh, nodding. "Totally, we'll see what happens."

Bowen turns to the camera, his enthusiasm infectious. "You heard it here first, folks! Y/N and Paige Bueckers, the crossover we never knew we needed but now desperately want!"

The audience erupts in applause and cheers, and you can't help but smile at the idea. Bowen turns back to you, his tone shifting slightly more serious. "Alright, before we wrap up, I have to ask ─ how do you deal with all the attention and rumors about your personal life? It seems like you're constantly in the spotlight."

You take a moment to gather your thoughts, caught off guard by the serious question. "It's um, definitely challenging at times, but I try to focus on the positive aspects. I love making music and my fans. As for the rumors, I just remind myself that I can't control what people say or think. I stay true to myself and the people who really know me, and that's what matters most."

Bowen nods appreciatively. "Wise words, Y/N. And that's why we love you so. Thank you so much for being here tonight."

"Thank you for having me," you reply, genuinely touched by the support.

"And that's Y/N L/N!"

The crowd erupts in cheers as you genuinely smile, happy for the support, waving toward the audience.

──

"Hey everyone, welcome back to the podcast I'm Lila, and today we've got a lot to talk about. Y/N L/N is at the center of yet another romantic scandal, and there's even a new twist involving basketball star Paige Bueckers. Let's dive in!" Lila said, her enthusiasm palpable.

"Yaya, so excited," Maya chimed in, adjusting her headphones. "So, Y/N was spotted last night leaving an upscale LA restaurant with actress Cam Harrison. They got into the same car, which has everyone buzzing about a possible new romance."

"Yeah, and this is just weeks after her very public breakup with Lauren, I think that's her name? It's been a whirlwind, to say the least. But honestly, I think Y/N is handling it all pretty well. She's focused on her music, and she's just living her life. What's your take, My?" Lila asked, leaning in slightly.

Maya sighed, her skepticism evident. "I don't know, Lila. I get that she's young and living her life or whatever, but it feels like there's always some new drama with her. First Lauren, now Cam Harrison? It's starting to look like a pattern."

"But that's thing, with being in your early twenties. Figuring out what you want, who you want to be with? I mean, she's also incredibly talented and driven. Her new album is generating a ton of buzz and it hasn't even been released yet," Lila countered, her voice full of admiration.

"Sure, but it seems like she's always entangled in some romantic drama. Maybe it's just the nature of fame or whatever, but it can also come off as messy. And now, with Paige Bueckers gushing about her in that interview, it adds another layer. I just hope she’s not stringing people along," Maya replied, her tone annoyed.

Lila nodded, annoyed at Maya's words but maintaining her supportive stance. "I get where you're coming from, but did you see Paige's reaction? She was genuinely excited about Y/N. It was sweet. Plus, Y/N responded so positively on the SNL interview. I think it shows she's got a good heart and she's just navigating her way through a complicated life!"

Maya hesitated for a moment as she glanced at the camera, then continued. "I mean, look at Taylor Swift. She's known for her string of high-profile relationships and breakups, and it hasn't always been received positively. It feels like Y/N is heading down a similar path- What?"

"Come on, Maya!" Lila glared at her, clearly displeased. "Comparing Y/N to Taylor Swift isn't fair. Taylor's faced a lot of unfair criticism for just living her life and expressing herself through her music. Y/N is her own person, with her own journey. She's navigating her twenties in the spotlight, and that's not easy."

Maya just shrugged as she glanced toward the camera, before adjusting her mic. "Well that got awkward, moving on..."

──── COMMENTS

sela 🐾 | is she wrong though... love her music but why'd paige gotta get involved too? ♡ 108

↳ l/nslover | cause they like each other???

↳ 🦕 | has bro ever heard of a pr relationship 😭

↳ ari! | THEYRE NOT EVEN TOGETHER YET BROOO😭😭😭

sarah™️ | LILA GET THE HELL OUTTA THERE BROOOO 😭😭 i never liked maya tbh this is just a weird ass take ♡ 1.7k

kayla 🎀 | listen as a y/n girly i also understand maya's point of view cause.... shes kinda for the streets ♡ 879

↳ ™️ | dont call yourself a """"" y/n girly """""" if ur gonna say she's for the streets??? the fuck??

⭐️ | i was understanding maya's pov up until she started saying all that taylor swift bullshit, they're two separate artists LET US LIVEEEEEEE ♡ 2k

josie may | hardest watch of the day 🥲 maya u let us down with that dumb ass take

──

"I just kinda... wanna disappear for awhile," you confessed, your voice quiet as you pressed the phone to your ear. "Don't know why this keeps happening, you're the only that can... help me through it. Sorry if I woke you up-"

It happened again ─ over the last couple of months (ever since you'd broken up with Lauren) you'd gotten pretty severe panic attacks. You were told by everyone on your team to just stay off social media and what had you done... exactly the opposite of that.

"No, no, I was awake anyway, promise," Paige's voice echoed through the phone. You heard shuffling through the phone as you sniffled, sighing. "And I don't mind, like at all. I meant what I said, I'm always here for you,"

Your heart swelled as you managed a smile, as tears began to build in your eyes. You and Paige had only been talking a month and she already understood you more than anyone had in what felt like forever. Her steady presence was like an anchor in the storm of your life.

The constant media scrutiny and the aftermath of your breakup with Lauren had left you feeling alone, but Paige’s calming influence was slowly becoming your safe haven.

"I just... I don't know how to deal with all of it. The rumors, the pressure, it's all so overwhelming," you admitted, wiping away the tears that had started to fall. "Half of it, it isn't even true."

"Hey, it's okay, I know, I believe you," Paige's voice was soothing, almost like a warm embrace over the phone. Even the smallest affirmation from Paige made you feel all okay again, even if it was just for the moment.

"You're not alone in this. We can figure it out together, step by step."

That part made your lips twitch up in a smile, feeling yourself relax again. You took a deep breath, feeling a bit of the tension ease from your shoulders. "I just feel like I can't breathe sometimes. Like the walls are closing in, y'know?"

"I get it," Paige replied softly. She'd know about it all too well, she'd been through it herself plenty of times. "Sometimes it helps to focus on the small things. One step at a time, remember? Have you tried any of those breathing exercises I taught you?"

You nodded, even though she couldn't see you. "Yeah, a little. They help, but it’s hard to remember in the moment."

"Next time you feel a panic attack coming on, call me. Anytime, okay? We'll get through it together," Paige's voice was firm, reassuring. "You don't deserve the shit they give you, like at all."

"Thank you," you whispered, feeling a surge of gratitude. "I don't know what I'd do without you, P."

"You don't have to thank me. I care about you, and I wanna help. Plus, I like hearing your voice," Paige added with a light chuckle, trying to lift your spirits.

You couldn't help but smile at that. "Me too, especially your cute tired voice."

"Cute, really?" Paige laughed through the phone and you swore you felt like your whole world felt even again. "But uh, if you do really wanna disappear you can always come to Connecticut."

The thought of escaping the relentless spotlight, even for a little while, sounded like a dream. "Really?"

"Yeah, you can stay with me for a bit, if that's uh... what you want." Paige explained through the phone. "My friends are super chill and it's always a fun time, if you ever wanna come. Think about it?"

The idea of spending time with the basketball player you'd quickly become enthralled with, seemed almost like a dream. And getting away from LA and all the madness that came with it sounded heavenly, you were going to give Connecticut a thought.

You sighed, feeling a warmth spread through you that had been absent for far too long. "Yeah, I will. And Paige?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you. Really."

"Anytime, Y/N. Sweet dreams."

↳ make sure to check out my navigation or masterlist if you enjoyed! any interaction is greatly appreciated !

↳ thank you for reading all the way through, as always ♡

[furiousgoldfish]

For anyone who believes abuse is normal, inevitable, necessary, good to 'toughen you up' or something you deserved:

There are children out there who were never asked to accept 'tough love' as love. They've been given affection, acknowledgment, gentleness, consideration and care. And they're healthy and happy for it. They're not struggling to feel worthy of having their needs fulfilled. They are not weak, and they do not struggle with feeling weak for having a human need.

There are children out there who have done and said things, much worse than you've said and done, who've been forgiven. Their parents, or caretakers, understood they were kids, and that their intentions were those of a child, and forgave them without punishment, understanding that children need to be safe before being convenient. These children did not end up doing worse things. They grew up knowing compassion and not being scared their actions might bring unimaginable consequences.

There are children raised with a concept of freedom, who could choose their actions without worrying about being inconvenient or punished. There are children whose choices are supported, whose achievements are celebrated, and their chosen life path is lit up by the care and resources their families help provide to them. They don't have to live in secret. They don't have to feel ashamed about what they want. They don't need to do it all alone. They don't life in fear of failure.

There are parents out there who understand their role is to make their child protected and healthy. There are parents who never even thought about hitting their kids. There are parents who will do anything to prevent their child going thru the horrors of violence, aggression, someone lashing out at them, threats or abuse. These children walk the world feeling safer, like they belong, their humanity and feelings protected from harm.

There is a whole world out there that believes no child has deserved any of this harm. Only some people do these things to kids, only some people try to convince kids that these are 'good' things, or deserved things. They are not.

You deserved safety, dignity and grace growing up too. You deserved more than the hollow 'tough love' which was merely an excuse for not giving you the care you deserved. You would have turned out just fine. Abuse wasn't necessary, it wasn't normal, and it didn't help you. And it was avoidable. Nobody ever had to do any of that to you.

[rahleeyah]

the latest svu episode had some weirdly overt religious-undertones (i know thats an oxymoron lol) but ngl as a person who isn't religious and was raised in a religion-less household it always makes me uncomfy. but it felt extra weird here.

I was hoping the man that javier saw was a drag queen from the gay bar, which i thought would have been a really nice touch, but no they went possible hallucination/angel/jesus?? idk it upsets me to see olivia being more religious bc i feel like it makes very little sense for her character

Yeah I high key hate the mealy-mouthed, noncommittal approach they've taken to Liv's change of perspective on religion. Yes, it is entirely possible for a person's opinions to change over time and it's not uncommon for people whose livelihoods involve handling trauma - healthcare workers, EMS, firemen, police - to have stories of angels that appear in life altering moments but this one just. Fell so flat. They named the episode after the third man phenomenon but it wasn't about that; an argument could be made maybe that the witness is the real third man but I do not think they were thinking about it like that. They didn't spend the episode chasing the third man down or grappling with the concept; they just awkwardly shoe-horned it in there. Which is what they have done with the concept of Liv and religion each time. Liv getting Noah dedicated in a church wasn't too egregious imo; it's not uncommon for people to pivot to church when they have babies, in search of community and a framework to raise them in, but we didn't really see the reasons for Liv's decision and we didn't see any follow thru. She said she wanted him to have something to ground him, but we don't know why she chose that, and we don't see her do that again for years until she's randomly walking out of a church in the worst Christmas episode ever. They have given her a veneer of belief but we don't know what, exactly, she believes in, or how those beliefs guide her, or what changed her tune. It just feels weird, and goes together with a lot of work that has been done over the last decade plus to declaw Olivia. It's like someone decided she has to be soft and sweet and believe in angels, and that doesn't track with her established character, and it makes her less interesting to watch sometimes imo.

[sassyfrassboss]

I do think Harry is a much more involved parent...

Sorry but based on what tho? He stays in hotels hours away and admitted it himself in Waaagh that he was an absent parent. Whenever he mentioned the kids he came across as not knowing anything about kids like when he said that a 6 month old Archie was admiring the scenery in Vancouver lol Kids are a lot of work and he's lazy and probably gets bored after spending 15 min with them.

So I don't get why it's assumed that he's a more involved parent and frankly why people even want him to be. This is a guy who fantasized about blowing up his father and seemed to be high all the time in his book and you just know that in reality his drug use is likely to be much worse. He beat up his bodyguards and abused animals and allegedly sex workers. He's filled with so much resentment and hate for his family that it's pretty much guaranteed that he'd poison those kids too with it. He didn't care about their safety when he boasted about killing the Talibans. This guy is an unstable, violent, hateful and reckless drug addict. He's utterly unfit to be a parent. She could v well be worse but so far there's nothing factually to assume that he's a better and more involved parent.

The better scenario for the kids in the circumstances would probably be a benign neglect by their parents with a loving nanny raising them instead.

On that note, and generally speaking, I see it all the time - people assuming that he's somehow better than her just because - and it frankly amazes me at this point. He's not and is arguably worse since it's his family that they've been abusing and trying to destroy and the way he had treated his grandparents in their final years is just unconscionable and frankly unforgivable imo. But people can't seem to get away from his old PR-created persona even when it has since been revealed to be a mirage and make the assumption based on that. But it just shows how much better and more successful a con man he is than her for whom it takes all 5 min for most people to see thru. Remember how he smirked when he said that people didn't know the real him in an interview years ago? Yeah. Even now many seem willing to get conned yet again and think that somehow the good lad Harry will be back after deprogramming once she's gone.

And that's one of the reasons why I don't want them to divorce. I have no doubt that most of the now anti Sussex crowd (and the media ofc) will turn around and be back to babying this asshole and blaming it all on her. And I believe he knew that he could always count on that when he married her and that's why he's the worst. He's weaponized her against those who had done nothing but cared for him while also using her as a shield and to whitewash himself and will use her as a scapegoat in the end cos it's what he always does. He never takes responsibility for anything in his life and that's why he's unredeemable. He doesn't deserve all that goodwill and it's utterly wasted on him since he will undoubtedly squander it all again after a while like he always had cos the problem is and has always been him. And the problem with him is that he's a viscious asshole who doesn't a damn about anyone other than himself. And his problem -- the main reason for this saga -- is his deep-seated envy and futile desire to best his brother, the outcome of which had already been decided the moment they were born.

SORRY for the long rant lol

Don’t be sorry!

I do see all of your very valid points.

I just think that he is more likely to be more involved because of how little she is involved.

Harry has so so so many faults and issues. Between his jealousy and stupidity…

[roseband]

...im so angry in a way i can't even quantify.

his parents tried to give him a massive wad of cash as a wedding gift, which he refused and told them to "put towards his sister's college if they can't afford it" cause he knew it was another quid-pro-quo

so, in front of his sister they admitted the years of bullshit they've been putting us thru (including her cause they were threatening to withhold college tuition to try and make her harass us too?).....hurting our 11 year relationship was cause they wanted him to be destitute so he'd "have to stop slacking and get a job using his finance degree"

chat.... he's an imports manager.

im going to FUCKING SCREAM??? HES A MOTHER FUCKING IMPORTS MANAGER "not using his finance degree" my ass? what the fuck he's an imports manager who services 8/10 of the top retailers in the usa for his company....(which also sell product ive done art on cause im on a top 10 global ranked brand for apparel lol??)

we're literally so fucking privileged cuz we both got jobs in the field we wanted near immediately out of college with 0 loan debt cause we went to cheapy schools and had partial scholarships........ we both ended up on apparel product development design teams.... him on costing and me on art???? what. the. fuck.

but his cousin who lives in a literal TRAILER is successful cause he "owns a business" (bankrupted three restaurants so far babe), and were "poor" cause we live in an apartment (in a neighborhood with a 110k median household income??? while we're statistically upper middle class now before 30 in fucking nyc.....?)

and his literally illiterate aunties who don't speak english or mandarin....only fuzhounese so they're completely isolated, tooooottttallly know more about what a "finance degree is for" than someone who went to a top 25 globally business school and two people who literally met at one of the top fucking public high schools in the entire mother fucking united states of america???? that has a focus on fucking math?????? FUCK? we went to math nerd school and math nerding gets us raises....i have an arts job and all my raises are based on me being able to write scripts....cause im naturally good at math.

"they're elders so they know more" well they sure as well don't know how to fucking READ? so they...ummmmm.... don't? i would not take career advice from someone who cant.....read? probably perfectly nice people.......but they cant......read?

[petratherrock]

My favourite characters from atla can be categorised into

The mischief maker, the grump and finally now that I'm an adult, the sunshine

I started watching AtLA when i was 15 and it's quite telling which characters I would grow to relate to and wanted to be like (until now). Okay, let's break this up;

1. I was a teenager and I wanted to blend into the background but i also wanted to be cool so I think that's why I love Mai so much lol

Knife throwing coolness? Being expressionless most of the time? Had to manage her family's expectations? Knows where her heart stands at the end of the day? Soft for people she cares about even if she doesn't often show them? Fire nation prince as the boyfriend? Uh yes.

Not to mention her VA and Zuko's VA voices are just so ✨👌🏻 they've got such nice husky voices i love listening to them 😂

2. Who doesn't like Toph?

If my teen self related so well to Mai, the person I wanted to be like was Toph--brave, free-spirited, smart, funny, loud, daring, troublemaker and has a soft spot for people she cares about.

She has her insecurities and she's blind and she doesn't let that ever, get her down.

3. As I grew up into my twenties I realize that I'd love to be like Aang.

I still consider Mai and Toph my faves from the series (I love everyone else too I just love these two more), but now it's like

I want to be a sincere, kind patient, and genuine person like Aang. A sunshine. Someone who's been thru a lot but still is nice to everyone (I'm not saying Toph and Mai aren't nice but that's not the first adjective you'd think of when you meet them loll)

Then, while I was thinking about them, I ended up remembering the side characters that I also really liked

I see the pattern here 😆

These two are the ones that pop up immediately in my mind when I think of side characters I love.

June and Bumi --true neutral and chaotic good. I'm pretty sure Mai and Toph are of the same alignments too

June is a strong, witty, confident and cool character. My younger teen self adored her obviously. Bounty hunter lady with her pet? ADORE.

And what's not to like about chaotic Bumi? He's a maniacal mad genius. This old man lets himself get imprisoned and waited for the right moment to get the upperhand on the Fire Nation, then he earthbended out of it with HIS FACE.

And of course I love this old man Iroh. We all do. 🫂 🫂 I don't have to explain it.

He was wise, patient, kind, and witty. He loved tea too much. He lied about killing the last dragons. He basically raised Zuko to become a better person, he was the black sheep of his family and how lucky they were that he was

But I think at the end of the day I'm more like this guy

Man committed to his trade and things keep fcking up somehow-

[ratsoh-writes]

Main 10!

Skeles SO is really really protective of her three siblings as she had to raise them since she was kid, meaning she had to grow up kind of fast. Her parents aren't the best either, and are just horrible people. And she got a few injuries from them.

Because of this, even tho SO is the most chill and relaxed person to be around ever shes extremely protective of her siblings and loyal to skele and her sibs. Like, she knows how to take care of herself and stuff?

But anyway-

Say skele has always been a bit confused about SO's extremely protective behavior even tho their extremely chill but shrugged it off to just those siblings instincts. Maybe noticed a few scars?

Well fast forward later to where something happens and SO explains why even though their chill they've been thru a lot and tells skeleton about what happened.

How would said skele react to hearing about what happened to their so as a kid, have to grow up so fast in order to take care of her sibs, which includes having to sacrifice their own childhood?

Sorry if this is to detailed or weird lol

-edgy f

The ones who will relate to SO the most are sans, mal, and red. All three practically raised their brothers and have the same protective instincts about their own brothers.

Sans: oh he gets it. While his dad wasn’t terrible, Gaster wasn’t an active parent and sans found himself being the main father figure to papyrus. He understands exactly what SO went through and will be more understanding of their protective moments

Papyrus: he would always comment about how SO reminds him of sans, but he couldn’t pinpoint it till now. Papyrus is proud of SO for being such a great sibling

Star: while he did technically do most of the raising with honey after his parents died, Star wasn’t alone. He had a huge extended family on his mothers side to lean on. And they were great with him and honey. Star and honey still visit their favorite auntie each week. So Star is horrified to realize SO did that all on their own. He volunteers his auntie as SOs new parent lol

Honey: nope. You’re his family now. That’s in the past, and honey has like a dozen aunts and uncles to lend SO. There’s a reason honey is good with kids. He’s been surrounded by a big family his whole life. Honey is determined to get SO and siblings adopted into his family now lol

Red: story of his life. His gaster was terrible. His other parent didn’t want anything to do with him or edge. Red had to make a lot of hard decisions to keep his brother safe from his father. He’s a little jealous that his SO came out so chill while he’s a nervous wreck all the time. Red understands where they’re coming from

Edge: it makes him uncomfortable learning this, because in some way he feels inadequate now. If he relates SOs story to his, he’s the younger sibling there. Edge wants to be the protector

Mal: In a weird sort of way, this comforts him. Mal had always wondered if he made the wrong decision when he ran away with cash as a kid. But hearing what SO went through is a big help in getting him to make peace with his own decision

Cash: well frick your parents then. Cash has a lot of strong feelings about crappy parents and will be very angry about hearing what they did to SO and siblings. It does explain why he sometimes sees glimpses of mal in SO though

Oak: his injury put a lot of gaps in his memory including how he raised willow, his gaster, and all of that. So while oak doesn’t fully remember what it was like, he does remember that protective feeling. He gives SO a lot of leeway for when they get more protective

Willow: in a way he relates as he has to take care of his brother. Willow however has trouble understanding how SO can be so chill at the same time lol. Like they never get bossy?

[twothpaste]

who wants to hear about my mother voice headcanons

these are mostly about my au where they're like 20 but they apply to canon too

The twins are great cuz they have the exact same voice, but speak so differently you'd never mix them up. Deeper than you'd probably expect, courtesy of I think Flint's vocal depth is down there with Johnny Cash. They don't share the overwhelming power of his country accent, but there's still traces of it in both of 'em. (Claus tries to suppress it but it doesn't work, lmaooo)

Lucas is soft and sleepy and mumbly, pretty steady in tone, doesn't usually speak with a lot of inflection. Very easy on the ears, soothing even - but you might would have to ask him to speak up or repeat himself. Disregarding his Smash Bros voice, it cracks me up but I imagine even at 13 he kept his voice low and quiet, and was already starting to sound a little awkwardly deeper. I think while he was younger he inadvertently trained himself to speak without conveying much emotion, and it stuck, and now he's just Like That Forever. :( Recently he's started making an effort to adopt Claus' more confident manner of speaking, when he recognizes he needs to stand up for himself or be assertive. :')

Claus is obviously a brash and exuberant speaker who doesn't have the best handle on their inside voice. They're almost abrasive, there's an edgier undertone there that's not really audible in Lucas' gentle speech. Tone goes up and down like an accordion, you can tell exactly how they're feeling immediately. EXCEPT when they're overwhelmed and/or dissociating, and they bust out that chillingly stagnant robotic affect (that's The Masked Man baybeee). It's so dull and lifeless it doesn't even sound anything like Lucas it's just Fucked. It's like a reflex, sometimes they can't turn it off. Please be patient while they reboot. Recently they've started making an effort to adopt Lucas' softer manner of speaking, when they recognize they need to tone it down or comfort somebody. :')

One fun thing about both of them is that they're extremely impressionable, and will inadvertently pick up quirks of other peoples' speech without meaning to. Lucas caught Kuma's snorting laughter when he was like 15 and he's stuck with it. Claus still sometimes veers into the raucous kinda tone Porky takes when he's telling a not very funny joke, and they'll catch themself and gag. They both adopt Duster's "y'alldn't've" and Paula's high-point Scrabble words. Claus' gamer lingo becomes contagious and the next thing they know Lucas is unwittingly dropping "based" and "dogwater" at the D&D table. Fun. :)

Apparently Tomato once said one of his regrets with the Mother 3 fan translation was that he thought Kumatora's dialogue should've been more informal, to better reflect the way she talks in the original Japanese version of the game. Well y'know what motherfucker I gotcha right here. Kuma's voice is rough and raspy like a serrated steak-knife, and every other word out of her mouth is one that'd make a suburban white mom gasp. Relentlessly authentic, boldly casual, talks the same way whether she's in her boss' office or a Hardee's drive thru line. I think she normaly speaks at a lower octave, but when she's startled or delighted her natural higher pitch sneaks out. Loves to sing, loudly and badly. Has a hard time speaking softly but will do her darnedest for her loved ones' sake.

Duster's got a sad gravely sorta deep voice and the southern drawl of all time. He sounds like a King of the Hill extra who'd appear in one episode and then vanish somberly into the Texan ether. He sounds like he's stoned even when he isn't (but when he is, hoo boy). He sounds like he's 75 even though he's like 40. It rules. Speaks slowly and imprecisely, with a lot of uncertain "umm"s and "err"s. Has a lot of range in his pitch, he gets much lower when he's bummed out and much higher when he's in good spirits. Will not raise his voice to a shout under any circumstances, dude hasn't yelled in like twenty years. Sings rather nicely but is shy about it anyways.

Most of the time, Ness speaks so mellow and calm that you can't help but feel at ease around him. Almost sounds like he's singing, sometimes. He's known he's trans since he was like 12, and was fortunate enough to have a really accepting family… I think from a young age he made a conscious-or-unconscious effort to speak in a lower vocal pitch, to to the point that it just became his comfortable default. He's been on T for a few years, probably since he was like 18, he's definitely grown into that lower pitched kinda campfire crackly voice (god I wish that were me). I do kinda imagine him having been unsatisfied with his voice growing up. Not terribly so, just a little less than thrilled about it (this'd apply during Earthbound, oof)… But older Ness is finally at the point where he's like "Oh. I think I sound like myself now. This'll do :)"

Paula's got a sharp and tinny kinda voice that'd almost be awful, if it wasn't softened by her southern drawl. When she was a tweenager she was embarrassed about her accent and suppressed it, but she got over it (being friends with Ness n' pals helped) (I imagine this played out gradually and wholesomely over the course of Earthbound / middle school). She still makes a point to speak really precisely and succinctly though, she is an aspiring English professor after all. She's also got, like?? Not a lot of vocal range but a lot of intent & control over her tone. She'll whip from sharp and snarky to gentle and homely at a moment's notice, with rhetorical intent. Ah, and the older she's gotten the more she's started to sound like her mom. Which she hates.

Jeff's voice is hard for me to hear with my mind's ears because I think he has the stereotypical nasally cartoon nerd voice And that whole ass British accent, and the two do not blend nicely at all. It's hilarious and a deliberate part of his charm, it's just hard for me to imagine. He also speaks so monotone that there's rarely any inflection. Even when he's happy. Even his questions sound like statements. I don't think his shyness manifests in mumbling or stuttering, he just bluntly says shit and wears a stoic expression and silently hopes to god it didn't sound weird or awkward or incoherent. The way he talks probably puts strangers off sometimes and makes him hard to read, but I think it becomes almost strangely comforting to Ness & pals. In fact, it's kinda nervewracking when he gets upset and his voice starts cracking and fluctuating instead.

I think Poo's voice is so fucking deep and rich and serene?? Like, dude could do the best ASMR ever, probably. It catches people off guard but commands respect and attention. At age 22 he wields it confidently, he's verbose and laughs a lot and it suits him well. But when puberty done did that to him all of a sudden at like age 14 (haha Earthbound) he was bewildered. Awkwardly trying to sound regal and composed while he was still just a kid, fumbling over his words, scrambling just to get used to it. In this AU thankfully he had a more of a chance to just be a teenager, instead of having royalty thrust on him, so it probably went a little easier. Especially with Awkward Voice Solidarity from Ness & the gang, 'cause holy shit they all had issues with this stuff huh.

I can't picture Porky with anything less than a gnarly shouty goofy 90's cartoon villain voice. Way over the top. Grates on your ears. Hilariously horrid. Probably went from being nails-on-chalkboard squeaky to whatever the hell this is the moment he turned 13 one beautiful morning. Impossible to tell if he's deliberately trying to sound like an animated alligator who skateboards and offers kids drugs in a D.A.R.E. VHS, or if that's just how his vocal cords were blacksmithed by the hand of God. When he hits his 20's it's not any better, he just gets grumblier and sleazier and more prone to frustrated outbursts. I love him.

[useless-catalanfacts]

Hie! As a non spanish person with Catalan friends who get really heated up with the subject and cant explain it thru. Why is that they want to separate from spain? And havent they done like 4 or 5 referendum thingies to gain independence and they've all turned our negative or whatever it is that means we wanna stay? I come in peace and hope not to get shouted at like my friends did to me when I asked. Sincerely, the Tall Friend

I think you’re confusing Catalonia with Quebec or Scotland or some other country. We’ve had 1 independence referendum and yes to independence clearly won it. The pro-independence political parties have also been winning the elections every time since 2012.

Let’s start with the beginning.

What is Catalonia? And what was Catalonia?

Catalonia is a country with its own language (Catalan), culture, and history. It developed in the Middle Ages, when it was an independent country.

As you can see, we have two neighbours: Spain and France. As you will probably know, those are two of the most imperialistic countries in Europe (they colonised Latin America, the Caribbean, parts of Africa, the Philippines, etc).

I will try to explain the historical part as fast as possible so we can get to nowadays, but to understand the situation you need a bit of historical context.

Before going to invade lands far away, the European colonial powers invaded their neighbours and fought other European countries. Catalonia, because of its location and importance in Medieval Mediterranean commerce, was targeted.

In 1469, the Queen of Castilla (Spain) and the King of Catalonia-Aragon got married. This was normal at the time and did not mean that the two countries became one. On the contrary, each country remained independent, just that with the same monarchy. It didn’t really matter for Catalonia because Catalonia was ruled by a Parliament (and the king didn’t really have that much power), but Castilla (Spain) was an absolute monarchy (meaning that the King had all power).

With time, the kings and many Spanish people started to really hate Catalans because they were seen as un-Christian for having other forms of government than the Catholic absolute monarchy. And since Catalonia had its own laws and traditions, those were seen as un-Christian and traitorous. Most of the greatest writers, politicians, nobles, etc of the Spanish Golden Century (1500s-1600s) were openly very Catalanophobic.They said Catalans are “the most miserable creature ever created by God”, “a monstruous abort of politics”, “an illness against the kings”, all Catalans were often called thiefs, or that “it is well known the obstinity and savagery of this people [Catalans], the most criminal of all” (all of these are literal quotes). Catalans were also said to be guilty of spreading Judaism in Spain for whatever reason.

(In fact, even nowadays fascist Spanish people often tell Catalans and Basques to “speak Christian” meaning to speak Spanish instead of our languages).

Spain wanted to force all population to convert to Christianism (at that moment a lot of the population, especially in the south, was Muslim), and to become a Castillian (that is, a Spaniard in the modern sense of the word: speak only Spanish, be Catholic, have an absolute monarchy, celebrate Spanish celebrations, etc). This is the moment when Spain did the expulsion of Jewish and Moorish people and when it started its repression of Catalan, Basque and Romani people.

Castilla (Spain) tried to gain as much power as possible in Catalonia, convinced the upper classes of Catalonia that they had to abandon the Catalan language (which they considered a “peasant’s language” and not evolved enough for finer minds), and so the upper classes started to speak Spanish and try to imitate the Spanish way of doing everything. But practically everyone kept speaking Catalan, and Catalonia remained independent (with its own laws, parliament, insititutions, etc).

Until there was a moment where the Spanish monarchy couldn’t stand that Catalonia has such a different political system. In the year 1714, Spain (Castilla) won the War of Spanish Succession against Catalonia and other territories, and proceeded to invade Catalonia and the other Catalan-speaking territories (Valencia and the Balearic Islands).

Spain teamed up with France, which means they were the two most powerful armies in Europe. Obviously, Catalonia-Aragon lost the war, and was invaded.

The invasion meant that Spain could finally do what they wanted with this land: they banned our language and imposed Spanish, they eliminated our traditional laws, they eliminated our institutions and imposed the Spanish absolute monarchy, they imposed Spanish “gobernadores” (governors) to rule our lands, they burnt down whole towns, they closed our universities, they forbid schools for ever speaking in Catalan or teaching Catalan history, they forbid churches to say mass or teach Catechesis in Catalan, they killed many of those who had fought to defend Catalonia from the Spanish invasion publicly to humiliate them (for example, general Josep Moragues was killed after being dragged alive by a horse through the streets of Barcelona and then killed and his head was displayed as a warning in the entrance to Barcelona for 12 years, even with his widow’s begging), among many other things.

Please, see this post for a list of laws made against the Catalan language between the 16th and 19th centuries. And this post for the laws between 1900 and 2016 (when I made the post, I could say more laws now).

After the invasion of Catalonia, the idea that Catalans must be “Spanishized” and that speaking Catalan makes us inferior spread more and more among Spanish people, as did the general hate against us. This is why Catalonia was often victim of Spanish soldiers’ rape, stealing harvest, etc without facing any consequence, because the Spanish kings and officials allowed it.

France also tried to invade us many times, then Spain invaded back, then France, then Spain... but I won’t get into that because it would make this post unnecessarily long.

The worst moment though, was definitely the fascist dictatorship of Franco (1939-1978).

Fascism in Spain adds Catalans (as well as the other national minorities: Romani people, Basques, Galicians, Asturians, etc) to their list of enemies.

Catalonia was always a progressist place, and in the 1930s a huge part of Catalans was anarchist. Fascism made a coup d’etat which they called “a crusade against the reds”, and Catalans were not only targeted for being Catalan but also for being all seen as “reds” (anarchists and communists) and atheists. The anthem of the fascists (called Cara al sol) said “Catalan, Jew, and renegade [atheist], you’ll pay for what you have done”.

The fascist coup d’etat did not triumph in Catalonia thanks to the resistance of the antifascist unions and the Government of Catalonia, which organised civilians militias. Sadly, in the end the fascists won the war (Spanish Civil War) and established a dictatorship. They killed the president of Catalonia and thousands more people who opposed them. Everyone who defended the right to speak Catalan was tortured and killed. Schools were forbidden from teaching in Catalan or mentioning Catalan history, literature, etc. Catalan teachers were fired and either killed (many teachers were leftists) or forced to go to a rural village far away from their home, and schools in Catalonia were replaced by Spanish fascist teachers or people from the Spanish army. These teachers beat the children if they were heard speaking in Catalan. Schools taught the superiority of Spain and the Spanish language and the glory of the Spanish empire. Children were made to sing the fascist anthem and pray every day before starting class. Some Catalan traditions were banned, such as our traditional dance. Many of our traditional songs were also banned, and people even went to jail in for singing them (for example, la Santa Espina). Every family knows people who were tortured and/or killed by the regime, sometimes for no reason, sometimes for their political beliefs.

The dictator died in 1975 and Spain entered a phase known as the “transition to democracy”. Catalonia was given a bit of self-government (not much) and our language was legalised to use at schools.

Even with this, we have whole generations born and raised under the fascist regime who were brainwashed into hating Catalans, Basques, Jews, atheists, etc. And even in Catalonia, there are still people who are ashamed of being Catalan. For example, the neonazis who murdered Miquel Grau and Guillem Agulló (two Valencian young men who were targeted for being independentists) were not from other parts of Spain.

It is scary, because our country is controlled by another one which is full of people who hate us, and the Spanish governments have always (even nowadays) discriminated Catalonia in front of other regions and actively work against us.

Many people wanted to try to be able to keep our language (which was weakened by the fact that it was persecuted for most of the 20th century) and pass different laws. Spain is very conservative, Catalonia is not. If you look at the maps every time there are elections, you can see the voting results in Spain vs. the voting results in Catalonia and the Basque Country are very different.

So the governments of Catalonia have been asking the Spanish government to have a few more control over our own territory (Spain is very centralist, so most power is in the hands of a central government in Madrid). Spain has always said NO. Please see this previous post with a video that explains all the ways we have tried.

Catalans basically were saying “yes, we will be part of Spain with no problem, as long as we’re allowed to speak our language and have some laws to protect women, poor people, etc”. Every time, we had less demands. We were begging that yes! we wanted to be part of Spain but just these little demands! But they never allowed anything. Spain still has a very imperialist mindset, and see our sole existance as a threat (that’s why you get the Minster of Education Wert saying in parliament that “we must turn Catalan kids into Spanish kids”).

So in front of that, people got tired. More and more people saw that the only way we can truly advance to a more equal and democratic society is if people who live in Catalonia can decide how Catalonia should be run, and not just obey the comands of a government in Madrid that has never had any intention of helping our land prosper, and who have an opposite idea of what the future should be like.

So we asked for an independence referendum. Many times. They always said no. So we said “fuck it, we’ll do it anyway”. So we organised October 1st 2017. Spain declared it illegal, searched for the ballot boxes and voting papers for months, sent thousands of military police to beat up voters and steal the ballot boxes with the votes, etc. The police brutality on that day was shameful, and yet the Spanish government and the King said the policemen were honourable for doing so, and many Spanish people gave them support too and greeted the policemen singing “a por ellos” (go get them).

Please, read more about what happened in October 1st and after it in this post.

Even though the police stole votes, physically stopped people from entering the voting schools, etc. 43% of the people of Catalonia voted (in fact, over 50% voted but their votes were stolen by the police and could not be counted). And 90,2% of the votes were “yes to independence”.

Spain’s response? A democratic country would have found the solution to meet with the Catalan goverment and talk about it, maybe find a middle point, listen to the demands of Catalans... But no. Spain’s response was to jail the politicians who had taken part in the organisation of the referendum as well as the leaders of the main civil organisations, more people arrested, and arbitrary imprisonment in . They also took down websites that talked about the referendum and independence, said we had made up that the police had beaten voters (even though over a thousand people had to be hospitalized just on the day of the referendum as a result of police brutality and there are hundreds of photos and videos), and apply Law 155 in Catalonia (which means that the Catalan institutions are dissolved and Catalonia is ruled directly from Madrid. The party at the Spanish gov in that moment was the far right wing PP, which in Catalonia had only gotten 13% of the votes. That is basically a dictatorship).

And now, every time there is more and more repression. Some people ask us if we are not scared of the arrests, jailings, police brutality, etc. Yes, we it’s scary. But not protesting and remaining under Spanish occupation is even scarier. For mental health, I don’t think I could stand the rest of my life seeing how Spanish media treats us. I don’t want to see my grandmother cry when she watches the news because “it’s like Franco again”. I don’t want to see more of my friends in trials for things they have not done. I don’t want to be temporarily arrested again because a policeman saw me wearing a yellow ribbon (symbol of solidarity with political prisoners) and decided I must be up to something.

tl;dr Spain is a fascist state and we want no part in that.

Catalan people want to be treated as equals and this will never happen in Spain. We want to be able to pass the social laws we have voted for (to welcome refugees, equal pay for women, protect the Earth, abolish monarchy, not have political prisoners, stop evictions, etc) and Spain does not allow us to. The only option is independence.

Please, read this previous post and you’ll see how Spain bans Catalonia from progressive laws, and so how independence will make life much better for all its citizens. And hopefully, more Spanish people will realise that life is happier when we respect each other and work in cooperation for a better future.

[eruanna1875]

4-17-22, Easter Sunday: Running in the Graveyard

Pastor's two high school sports: football & track and field

Cemetery by the high school

Run a mile back thru the cemetery

Felt disrespectful - you don't just thunder through!

Not a lot of running in Bible

It's not dignified, especially for adult males

Not much mentioned until the Resurrection

Why do we run?

Children run for sheer joy, not bc they're afraid or hurried

Nervous energy here

If they understood, they'd be running for joy

Three runners

Young John, who was at the cross

Peter, the disciple always in the middle of everything

Race each other

Not a messy scene they find

Why would robbers unwrap the body & fold the cloths?

John believed, but is washed over with a new belief

Jesus has conquered the grave

Peter's not sure yet

3rd runner is Mary Magdalene

7 demons cast out by Jesus, never leaves His side

Goes @ earliest possible opportunity to mourn

Believes someone has taken the body

Sees two angels (always frightening)

Grief added onto grief - can't they leave Him in peace even dead?

Two questions asked: why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?

Neither answered, crying too hard

The tomb was in a garden, who else would be there so early?

Not far off in her guess of gardener

The New Adam, victorious over serpent, comforting woman

When He says her name, she goes from panicked grief to pure joy

She hugs Him so tight He has to tell her not to cling - she's gonna have to get used to Him not being here

His words are stabilizing

It's all gonna be okay

Source of peace, but not through stoicism

Jesus knows what fear feels like, dread

An upcoming appointment consuming your thoughts - that x1000

Jesus overcame the fear for the joy before Him

In midst of that, source of peace for His people

Fortress of calm after resurrection too

They didn't have silly fears, look what they've been through

Traumatic experience for them, in times of tumult/danger

Jesus comes introducing fearlessness into world of terror

Put death to death

Not in bondage to fear anymore

Peace be with you, do not fear

The worst possible thing is conquered

Jesus reigns, what do you have to fear?

We're constantly assaulted by messages of doom

Jesus still asks His Bride, who are you seeking?

Calls her to calm, for herself & the world

Confident, fearless lives

Triumph over the damage death causes

Romans verse is very comforting:

The Spirit Who raised Christ lives in you

What problem can be more hopeless/ impossible than bringing a dead, battered body to life?

The spirit of resurrection

Nothing in your life can't be redeemed & resurrected

Not that it'll all get fixed on this side of eternity

We live bearing scars, inside and out, tons leaving their marks

Many deaths and resurrections, but the scars remain

Some things will be with you to the grave

But Jesus transforms your wounds

Even He still bore the marks of His suffering

Trophies of a mighty victor

Every beautiful or bitter moment of life

No matter what, it will be good

We can run our race like children, through graveyard of this world

No matter what, we have life

[jesusatmysix]

So You Think Your In A Struggle.....?(pt.3)

So, these assholes have stepped up their game. And so I too shall be relentless. See, as I've stated, I've been sleeping here for about twenty eight months. I don't bother anyone. I keep my area clean, in spite of the demons efforts to make me look nasty.

(Their stupidity even gets to Judge Judy!)

I rarely talk to anyone. I try to stay away from the street/train gossip. It's 365, non stop. Grown ass people! BUT! I do watch and listen. So, since these unethical jackasses won't leave me alone. Here's what the streets have whispered to me:

I'm being judged on my past work history. I even heard someone yell "5-0" at me the other day. So, if they can judge me for my past.... I can judge them for their present. WHORES, WHOREMONGERS, ADULTERERS, DRUG ADDICTS, PROSTITUTES, RAISED BY IGNORANT PARENTS, SLUTS, POORLY EDUCATED, NASTY EVIL OBNOXIOUS RUDE EGOTISTICAL, VANE GAY GANG STREET TRASH.

That's me being nice!

Whispers, whispers, whispers! The streets talk. Even to me!

See, all this harassment and intimidation trying to force me to move didn't start until the white guys at Rio Paradisio (I forget how to spell it, but I'll correct it later.) moved in. Not only did the harassment escalate, but so did the drug business. They started finding used needles in this garage and over on the back road. I had noticed that the cars where using the road more frequently, but didn't add two and two up until heard about the findings. And of course they tried to blame it on the homeless populace. I started posting about the student at this Bryant University going up in there late at night.

(They're getting pissed now, they're starting to mess with my key pad)

There use to be a gay dude sleeping there who was selling outta there to the students. He got the boot! Dude was using and would go off.

There was a dude who use to come to the area to pick up money. That was his hustle! He wasn't bothering me! He'd stop by every so often to see how I was, until these coward ass pussies told him about my past work history. Haven't seen him in months. He said he was getting outta of the mess. I hope he did. Really seemed like a cool dude, just trying to make it.

(Yeah, they're screwing with my keypad. I might have to stop and finish later)

So, I've been watching these two trucks the have been harassing me, and they hang out at the bottom of the hill in the park. There's about four or five trucks that are stuck on me.🥰 But, these two in particular live across the street.

Cops around here don't particularly care for my presence. And I know for a fact that they've been more than elated to have these cars harassing me. That's all good too. I think they're young arrogant pricks. And there'll probably be the thin skinned back lash from that as well.

Lol! They're starting to harass me in their cars now. So, they know I'm on my phone, and it ain't gonna be nice. They chose to destroy Nice!

Anyway, when a police car drives thru. I can tell the ones who do their jobs, and the ones who cater to these assholes. They will follow the cops to the freeway..... Some will U turn, others will take the freeway back, and at least one will continue with the cop vehicle.

They're up and down Washington Ave. all damn night. I get on the train the other day, this white boy sit near me. Just he and I and one other person in the car. His back to me....."don't you get tired of all them motors all night?" Of course I'm thinking, "here we go!" Nope, they're trying to get on my nerves. I'm asleep half the time, so they're just wasting gas. (They're really revving me now, which proved they've been on my phone all along.) So he continues, "they ain't wasting gas, they be running packages." When the street talks! Really! "Yeah, that shit they got is crap! Dude ripped me off with some bullshit." I'm like, "damn, who wants to do bullshit right?" Here he comes, "you got any blue?" What the fuck is blue? They crushed up, I think he said..... Purcasetts (probably spelled wrong) and smoke them.

I'm thinking to myself....... All the fuck I'm trying to do is sleep. And all this bullshit is going on. And everybody is pretending not to see it? Or! Everybody damn body is involved!WOW!

So, I had posted tight before I got thrown off Instagram that the gang members were using hair styles instead of flags. So you momma's..... If yo son is letting his hair grow back in. Guess what! They'be all got peach fuzz.

So, I sit here minding my business, and they keep fucking with me. Shooting off guns and what have you. So......

BE FUCKED!

[colddflash]

[image descriptions:

(1) Wentworth Miller’s instagram page. His bio says “autistic/neurodivergent.” There are only two posts on his page. The most recent one is a blank white photo.

(2) The caption on the most recent post reads:

Like everyone, life in quarantine took things from me. But in the quiet/isolation, I found unexpected gifts. This fall marks 1 year since I received my informal autism diagnosis. Preceded by a self-diagnosis. Followed by a formal diagnosis. It was a long, flawed process in need of updating. IMO. I'm a middle-aged man. Not a 5-year-old. And (it's a "both/and") I recognize access to a diagnosis is a privilege many do not enjoy. Let's just say it was a shock. But not a surprise. There is a now-familiar cultural narrative (in which I've participated) that goes, "Public figure shares A, B and C publicly, dedicates platform to D, E and F." Good for them. /srs And (it's a "both/and") that's not necessarily what's going to happen here. I don't know enough about autism. (There's a lot to know.) Right now my work looks like evolving my understanding. Re-examining 5 decades of lived experience thru a new lens. That will take time. Meanwhile, I don't want to run the risk of suddenly being a loud, ill-informed voice in the room. The #autistic community (this I do know) has historically been talked over. Spoken for. I don't wish to do additional harm. Only to raise my hand, say, "I am here. Have been (w/o realizing it)." If anyone's interested in delving deeper into #autism + #neurodiversity, I'll point you toward the numerous individuals sharing thoughtful + inspiring content on Instagram, TikTok... Unpacking terminology. Adding nuance. Fighting stigma. These creators (some quite young) speak to the relevant issues more knowledgeably/fluently than I can. (They've been schooling me as well.) That's the extent of what I'm inclined to share atm. Oh - this isn't something I'd change. No. I get - got - immediately being autistic is central to who I am. To everything I've achieved/articulated. Oh - I also want to say to the many (many) people who consciously or unconsciously gave me that extra bit of grace + space over the years, allowed me to move thru the world in a way that made sense to me whether or not it made sense to them... thank you. And to those who made a different choice... well. People will reveal themselves. Another gift. W.M.

/end image descriptions]

Wentworth Miller came out as on the spectrum! I'm so happy for him!

[fitzykreiner]

Thank fuck finally someone said it how it is. It's racist as fuck what they've done this season, the way they've sidelined him and now he's just a ex BBD agent. And the fact that andras had the audacity to say in that interview that one of the storylines she's looking forward to the most next season is Docs... I don't understand how she even thinks what they've done is okay, reading that interview had me so pissed. I want justice for Shamier, because for me Dolls holds this show together.

didn’t the show get some shit for not being diverse enough in s1?? i wasn’t here for s1 when it first aired but i feel like i heard that people raised their voices abt that. and like sorry i love jeremy to death but just bc they added another poc doesn’t mean they can say “see ya” to the other one. there is such a thing as two people of color existing in the same space for more than a couple comedy scenes. shocking. that applies to rosita too, who by the way, was treated like absolute shit. the entire season she was shit on. and then they had her act ooc and turn on the team?? like the fuck. i know she’s been thru some shit and her main priority is survival, but i rlly didn’t feel like she would have done what she did. esp after sincerely befriending everyone and even sacrificing herself TWICE for them. 

SO ANYWAY, i don’t want to act like some paragon of racism issues bc im white af, but i do still want to call this shit out. if anyone thinks im speaking out of turn, pls tell me

“dolls holds this show together” worm. for me the heart of the show has always been the earp sisters and dolls. i love nic whole-heartedly but she wasn’t really a big player in the grand scheme of things until s2. it was always dolls and the earp sisters + doc when he stopped acting shady and got his act together.

[roseband]

im losing my mind at far right and far left comments saying "automated tee shirt factories" or "ill just learn how to sew"

fuck you all don't know where your clothing comes from and you're all so consumer-pilled, shopping-maxxed to even look it up???

any people who go into debt for the prices that are gonna raise, deserve what's gonna happen to them.

"ill just learn how to sew" is my fave. cause nearly all my designer clothing that isn't samples, is out of goodwill/goodwill bins cause people don't know how to do minimal basic repairs or to bring their fucking shoes to a cobbler anymore lol. i should not be getting an alice/olivia top that retails for $300 for $10 cause it's only missing 5 beads.......fix your fucking stuff? my great grandma taught my grandma, who taught my mom, who taught me how to sew as soon as i could hold a needle.

also.....a significant amount of fabric mills are in fujian. do you think there's magical crude oil processing plants in the usa making your polyester and rayon plastic threads. your cheap clothing is practically ALL made of plastic???? even guterman, famous german polyester thread brand, has moved the bulk of their processing to china for their non eco friendly specialty line.

your raw materials to sew from will be tariffed..... we don't have girls getting scalped by machinery in lowell anymore here.

"we'll retrofit factories here".... the current top of the line automated direct to garment printer is the m&r polaris. (starts at 800k and can print 10 shirts at once, but you still have to place the shirts on the initial plates). other printers in factories ive been in require shirts to be moved from screen print plates for each single color. which is labor.....to be paid at american wages. this is printed in usa, but blanks are from overseas "made in america of imported materials" babes and we STILL hit capacity at our normal factories during our main quick turn events and have to source additional factories at work.

"automated apparel"..... mostly apparel managerial roles are in the states. mostly east coast as the industry shifted from all production to mainly design/managerial cause like lowell, ma...nyc....new jersey "the embroidery capitol of the world", the south with the horrors of the cotton industry. we're not the ones who are gonna be bonked

"new york fashion week needs to suffer" is a hot take from the left i saw.......it's here cause the apparel management, design, and sales roles are here, do you think the /products/ are for new york? what i present during our internal nyfw calls is sold in EMEA, AUS, UK, USA ffs. i work on stuff produced globally?

there is no luxury automated apparel industry. there's automated cutting machines that can cut 100s of bodies at once, but the stacks have irregularities and have to be sewn......by hand. even with industrial sewing machines/sergers there's a human shoving that fabric thru the machine and sewing nearly every seam.

20% of the labor force in american domestic apparel manufacturing is undocumented immigrants.

when there's production in el salvador, bangladesh, and china we all have people in our companies who's role is "go to factory, make sure there's no slaves"..... my husbands next promotion is the "go to china make sure there's no slaves at the fujian factories and mills" role cause he chinese and speaks fuzhounese...

this is what the reality of your $30-40 shirts IS. you're not gonna get $20 shirts with royalty art made in USA. it's too much labor.

and with luxury apparel it's STILL chinese slaves. in italy and france they've both done raids of the designer brands production houses and found literal indentured servitude. undocumented chinese immigrants making 1-3 euros an hour. that "made in italy" tag is a lie, when it's made from illegally imported chinese labor at chinese slave wages.

people love to say there's "nothing in thrift stores" in some demented social justice type language about "plus size" or "leave clothing for poor people" but 75% of what goes to the floor in thrift stores goes to landfill. this is after it hits the thrift store outlets (the $2.50/lb bins)

it's so frustrating to see this crap tbh. "ill learn how to sew immediately" should we have a party, should we invite anna wintour?

[galaxy-bread345]

You bring up some excellent points! Jak 3 did help with the edgelord factor ( not totally sure what qualifies as edgelord) I think Jak finally being out of the city really helped him become more stable since he most likely has a lot of bad memories associated with it. Not to mention that he gets along really well with the wastelanders since their a bunch of adventurers essentially. I liked that Jak gains light abilities but I don't like how they handle it. The player gets to hear Jak say " I feel better now" and then thats it. There's no addressing of his anger issues, trust issues or his PTSD. He's suddenly better now and can move on to the next mission which bothers me bc giving Jak light eco abilities is the equivalent of slapping a tiny band aid onto a big gaping wound. That boy still got underlying mental health issues that need to be addressed! Yeah the light eco balances out the dark eco but the dark eco isn't causing all the problems!! The amount of people who use Jak for his abilities whether eco related or not has got to mess with his head and his heart. Everyone depends on him and Daxter to come in and save the day but do they actually care about him afterwards when the threat is gone? Would they want to be actual friends with him and make sure he's ok?

I think Daxter can be serious and uses his humor as a coping mechanism to cover up the fact that he's really concerned about the shit they get into. Yes, Dax has hardly any filter and will tell anyone to their face that they suck ass but he's also the one to point out first hand when something is not a good idea. In The Lost Precursor our introduction to Daxter is him telling Jak that going to Misty island is a bad idea and they shouldn't be there. In Jak 2 hes always the one to say " this mission is reckless and we probably shouldn't do that" Out of the two of them Dax is the voice of reason mostly and Jak is a FeRaL gReMliN cHiLd who will literally touch everything and anything especially if it's destructive. Daxter is definitely traumatized but more so with fear of abandonment and losing people. I can see after the events of Jak 3 daxter going "ok, we are taking a small break from adventuring to go get some FUCKN THERAPY bc for precursors sake we both need it"

Keira I'm not sure how to feel. She's never been my favorite character and the fact they make her a barely there love interest pisses me off. She's definitely gone through shit being in Haven for 2 years with no friends or family around. I like the idea that she connected with a few ppl there and really enjoyed working on zoomers. I want her though to not only have more character but to also be more involved in the plot. Be more involved in finding Jak, help the rebellion take down the Baron and the metal heads, reconnect with Jak and Daxter and understand that they've all been thru shit and it's left mental and physical scars on each of them. I'm sure that on some level she feels guilty for what happened to Jak bc she's the one who got the time machine to work and might even blame herself for Jak being captured and tortured bc it fell apart half way through the portal. I did like that throughout 2 she works on the time machine bc it shows that she is still thinking about going home. She hasn't forgotten her friends and plans on finding them so they can leave. On that note, Dax also would feel guilty for not being to keep Jak from being captured. He was right there but ran away which is the reasonable thing to do given that he physically wouldn't be capable of fighting the guards. But that still must hurt like hell especially after seeing what the Baron does to Jak.

Uhhhhhhhh Samos........I really don't like him. When I played the series as a kid I didn't really grasp how messed up Samos actions are. But he basically raises Jak to be a sacrifical hero. Samos knows full well what is going to happen to Jak and doesn't say a word. At the very least he could have said " We don't know what's on the other side of this portal be prepared to fight and run. If we get separated here's how to find me in this new place" Yes, Jak has to fulfill his destiny. Yes, he has to save the world but that doesn't mean he has to suffer every step of the way. If Samos actually cared about Jak outside of fulfilling a role he would have fought to find another way for Jak to accomplish that without putting the kid through hell and back again. Jak should have been furious with Samos and it's a shame he never got to call out his bullshit in the game. I don't think Samos feels guilty and sees it more has something that had to happen.

I never thought I would be able to discuss one of my favorite videogame series with people!! Im glad to talk to you about it!! 😊

I wonder if after breaking Jak out of prison if Jak or Daxter get separation anxiety when their away from each other? I understand separation anxiety is something that happens with young children but given that Jak is: in a new place hes not familiar with at all, doesn't really know anybody very well besides Daxter, and at any moment could get captured by the Baron again and killed, would he became anxious whenever Dax isn't around? Seeing how Daxter is, at least until they find Samos and Kiera, the only person he's really familiar with and can trust.

Or for Daxter, would he get worked up if Jak decides to leave to do something by himself? He spent 2 years looking for his best friend only to find him in prison being tortured. What if Jak went out and got captured again? What if Jak never comes back?