#and i can only post them there. not making a twitter

[shoezuki]

hi hello so for any people curious bout the dream beef i am talking about im gon chronicle it all here in a hopefully fully contextual way for both longterm weirdos and new people who dont know bout my parasocial beef w dream. ill try to keep my biases out of it somewhat but anyways,

this began with a podcast Tommyinnit and Jack Manifold have together in which they had philza as a guest. Episode 9 is currently behind a paywall on their patreon but they have a youtube channel where they post them publically as well. Not sure if they make all their episodes public eventually or not but i digress.

Twitter user _constel_ has posted 5 clips from the podcast in question that contain their discussion about dream. I have downloaded the videos but tumblr doesnt want me to put them in this post so i will try and sum up each clip as I go.

Clip 1: Phil starts talking about how once the dsmp was done people would joke about how their 'contracts' would be over and they would be allowed to talk about things behind the scenes. philza mentions the infamous philza tweet in response to dream.

for context, the main discussion is around this exchange from around february 2021, where dream 'jokingly' argues that he is responsible to tommy's high viewership on youtube:

Most of it the tweets are deleted by both parties but it was very much a whole thing. Phil has apparently joked about revealing the context of his reply 'when he retires' (mentioned clip 1).

Jack Manifold had apparently been in a call with tommyinnit when the exchange was happening and recalls tommy being extremely stressed. The context philza gives is that he was texted by tommy to look at the thread while he was going on a walk and tommy was panicking over if dream was genuine (mentioned clip 2). Philza says "I'll find out if he's fucking joking' and that he essentially vibe checked dream. Tommy also states that after the twitter exchange he legitimately wrote in his diary to never be rude to dream: "never be horrible to dream. It's not worth it. It makes me too sad". Additionally jack manifold establishes that he hated dream from the beginning, they hate each other, and that, although he acknowledges dream aided him through the dream smp, he hates how dream 'takes ownership of other people and their accomplishments because he was a guiding hand' (mentioned clip 3).

Jack manifold mentions that tommy was 16 during this exchange and philza additionally says it was out of line (Clip 4). Philza more openly talks about there being 'reds flag after red flags' with dream in clip 5.

OKAY thats honestly a vague description and theres a LOT more so watch the clips if u want. Heres another tweet 'summarizing' it as well. But anyways this of course had people talking about dream again, some people (accidentally?) acting like this is about dream smp lore, and a lot of people concerned about how tommy was afraid to upset dream and would blame himself when dream picked fights with him.

Dream's response on dreamwastaken was to tweet about how he appreciated everyone who was on the server dispite differences, as well as a zip file to download the dsmp server/world file.

Worth noting there is a limitation on how many people can download the file within 24 hours so now people are only getting an error message when trying to access it which is fucking funny. On his private he also tweeted "love and appreciate you guys <3 very happy to be uploading again :) hope to keep it rolling" (Im not cropping out the reply its funny)

Thats all hes said so far, I havent seen tommy or jack manifold talking about it either. technically it isnt outright in response to their podcast but obviously everyone is taking it as such.

final stuff/my thoughts: dream has obviously had a tendency to kinda 'take credit' for 'making' the streamers who were on the dsmp and its notable that in his tweet he still acts like his server was the reason for people's fame and relationships. Saying 'a group of creators most of which would never have collaborated under any other circumstance got together and made something really cool' is just his thinly veiled way of still taking credit for tommy's fame and the relationships he and others have made and its moronic. Not to mention dsmp was very much NOT the server that got these specific people together, i mean techno and phil met through minecraft mondays, tommy and jack manifold met both of them through smp earth i believe. Even if the dsmp wasnt a thing they probably would have collaborated with other members through mcc eventually. the idea that the dsmp was what brought them together and a bunch of minecraft clowns would 'never have collaborated under any other circumstance' is stupid.

anyways sorry this is long as shit. im going to pray dream doesnt let this go for at least 3 to 5 business days as per usual

[inchidentally]

Sorry new landoscar fan here, I kept seeing the notion that Oscar was Lando’s fan for years, but I can’t seem to find any info about that?

ofc babe ! I store a lot of it in this tag but I think a little roundup post is probably due - heads up this is not in chrono order bc a lot of it is referenced from recent content:

2015 and Oscar making the big move to the UK to join Ricky Flynn and his fanboying of Lando begins

tiktok compilation of Oscar revealing his chronic Lando content consumption well before they were teammates

compilation from twitter of Oscar's decided bias toward not only liking Lando content but also searching his tag and finding posts that sometimes had barely a few likes (and this was just going back to 2017)

Oscar knowing when Lando's maiden podium was (and Lando calling him a nerd)

the 2020 hornet tweets because Oscar watched the stream of Lando battling 2 hornets in his house x x

2021 Oscar citing Lando's social media inspiring him to use humor as a way to open up to the public more (added landoscar angst here bc the hate and abuse he received after alpinegate seriously made him clam up and between that and him being fairly in awe of Lando, meant that Lando himself didn't rly get to know Oscar's humor until fairly late 2023 - like, no one should underestimate how Oscar entered F1 properly and got to know one of his favorite drivers all while being universally despised and painted as a villain/cold/evil - how much could have been different if one team had simply kept their mouths shut until verifying that tweet first esp when Oscar was already a shared reserve driver w McLaren anyway !!!!)

the beloved Oscar and Max F at Renault Academy lore

this post I made is a mess but the anecdotes he can only know from Lando's or Max's streams streams or Quadrant videos: Lando making stickers and selling them at school; Lando's snoring lore could be because of the thin shared walls but also Max has def brought it up before; he definitely already knew the story of Lando falling from a window trying to break into his own house; and the fact that we got Max reacting to Oscar referencing Max's outrage at Lando forgetting his birthday

it's a bit too scattered to compile but trust and believe Oscar has been a carlando girlie from day one - def the bromance but idk I feel like he's read a fic or twenty

watching Lando's career when asked about his idols coming up

and backing that up, him in 2019 saying the same thing

pulling out the it's Friday theeeen Lando meme

being so addicted to Lando content by 2020 that he actually fanboyed about the LN4 admin interacting w him

and ofc K's beloved Oscar primer has a lot of context about all of this more fleshed out!

I think that's everything but if anyone notices I've forgotten anything lmk !!

[useless-catalanfacts]

Now it's been a week since the floods, but we must remember that the damage is not nearly over. It will take months and years for the affected families to recover. And that's not counting that 215 people have died and 78 are still missing. Many homes, streets, fields, schools, etc are destroyed. I'm glad for all the solidarity we've seen this first week, but they are going to be needing help for a long time to recover.

All the local organizations are thankful but for some days have been asking for people to stop sending them objects (tools, clothes, food, etc) because the collection points have so many that they can't manage them and they don't even need so many of some things being sent, for this reason there are storehouses full of materials that they don't need but people keep sending and some volunteers are having to stay there to coordinate the stuff that arrives instead of being where they're needed. So, please, don't send any more things unless you are coordinated directly with a local association there that asked for a specific thing. They say that the most useful donations now are money and not any more food nor second-hand objects. (Again, thank you very much because this overwhelming response speaks of the goodness and solidarity of everyone who immediately reacted by sending things! but let's do it in a coordinated way with the affected people to make sure it's useful).

Also, recently some well-meaning people have been sharing fundraisers to help the victims, but some of these posts seem to be made by outsiders compiling what they found on Twitter, which ended up spreading fundraisers that belong to far right-wing groups, the Catholic Church, and to associations that aren't well known in the area.

If you can make an economical donation to help these people who have lost everything in a day, these are some trustworthy associations:

Fundraiser by Fundació Horta Sud. This is a foundation created by many local associations of the Horta Sud area, one of the areas that has been the most impacted by the catastrophe. It's a well-known foundation that brings together many local associations. This and the next one are the fundraising that is most recommended by people on the ground working on immediate needs.

Casals i Ateneus dels Països Catalans (federation of social centres of the Catalan Countries) has many social centres in the affected areas and is coordinated with trade unions to provide immediate needs. The bank number for donations is ES74 3025 0002 4614 3344 7057.

Fundraiser to help small family-owned farmers (farmers are one of the poorest segments of population in our country, families own a small plot of land and they're very threatened by big corporations, they're at the forefront of fighting for climate and the rural communities' traditional way of living with nature). The fundraiser is created by the International Centre of Rural and Agriculture Studies (Centro de Estudios Rurales y de Agricultura Internacional). This is the fundraiser shared by trustworthy Valencian associations that work in favour of rural communities and traditional cuisine, such as Tasta'l d'ací.

Fundraiser for the grass-roots cultural associations and cultural heritage guardians, organized by the Federation of Local Studies Institutes of the Valencian Country, the Coordinator of Local Studies Centres of the Catalan-Speaking Countries, the Federation of "Ateneus" of Catalonia, and the Ramon Muntaner Institute. Many local archives, centres of local studies, "ateneus" (social and cultural centres with an important task as a library for the community and as historians of the area, among other cultural activities) and other cultural associations headquarters have been destroyed. They are very important for the memory, history and culture of small areas. To write articles about the history and legends for this blog, I very often use work published by these local study groups, because most of the time they are the only ones working in detail on the historical and cultural heritage of their hometown. Here is the information on how to donate, as shared by the organizers:

Translation: Let's help the Valencian cultural and heritage associations affected by the 2024 floods. You can send your donations to [the bank number] ES98 3159 0066 91 3048828523 Or the BIZUM code 10586 (starting on 7th November 2024). You can send the receipt of your donation to: solidaritatcultura@fedinespv.org.

You can find more associations that are collecting donations in this document by Suport Mutu DANA València.

Thank you very much for caring.

[foollime-00]

BALLOONSMP VOD LIST (WIP)

being just. vaguely involved in mcyt stuff for a while, i get nervous about perspectives and entire smps become lost media of sorts. I wanted to put together a list of where you can find each balloon smp vod from as many people as possible so that if you want to see something specific, you can! LMK if anything is wrong or if you find vods i was unable to and I'll try and update the list

The list is below the cut and is sorted by team and include links to where i found vods. dates mentioned are in the DAY/MONTH format, so 21/10 is October 21st, for instance.

A few people have their streams saved in twitch's "all videos" tab but i have no idea if this is as permanent as a vod channel on youtube. Playerlist pulled from the balloon smp site. last updated 12/11

TEAM A

SOCKS: Sock's VOD channel is, in my experience, pretty comprehensive, if a little slow (to be fair, Socks seems like a pretty busy guy and im pretty sure they run the vod channel). as of 11/11 it has no blsmp vods uploaded to it. The Socks Box

SKULLVOLVER: Skullvolver's vod channel (provided by shadowfan2002) has vods up to 9/11 as od 12/11. Presumably will be up to date before long. SkullVODver

BUGGLE: Buggle's vod channel (provided by shadowfan2002) has vods up to 26/10 as of 12/11. Will presumably be up to date before long. Buggleboos VODs

SOMADAGOAT: Soma's Twitch "all videos" tab seems to be comprehensive (as of 11/11), no vod channel linked. Soma's Twitch

NORMIE MCGEE: as of 11/11 Normie's Twitch only dates back to the blsmp 28/10 stream. Their twitter posts make it unclear if they streamed anything from before this date but the vod titles imply they did. No vod channels linked. Normie's Twitch

WOOPS: Woops has a "collection" on twitch of their blsmp vods. how permanent they are time wil tell. Their fanrun vod channel (provided by shadowfan2002) is complete and has the vods in a playlist. Woop's Twitch The unofficial playlist

TEAM B

BREAKBEATBUN: Val's vod channel seems to exclusively be blsmp vods. as of 11/11 it has vods up to day 28, it's probably safe to assume it will be complete shortly. Breakbeatbun's vod channel

JAME7T: Jame's vod channel has blsmp vods up to 31/10 as of 11/11. it's safe to assume in a few weeks it will be complete. Jame7V(ods)

KATYDIIDS: Katy's vod channel does not have any blsmp vods on it as of 11/11. Her Twitch "all videos tab has them all, presumably they will be added to the youtube over time. Katy's Twitch

ELLIE SPECTACULAR: None of Ellie's youtube channels seem to be for vods. the Twitch "all videos" tab seems to have everything as of 11/11. Ellie's Twitch

COZYBOI: Unsure if Cozyboi streamed any of their blsmp perspective, their twitch seems to only be persona 5 and their vod channel appears to not be up to date.

TEAM C

PADABANA: Padabana's vod channel (provided by shadowfan2002) has vods up to 9/11. Will presumably be up to date in the near future. padaVODa

AUSK: Ausk's youtube has vods up to 9/11 as of 11/11, it is entirely possible by the time i finish typing this, it will be up to date. Ausk's Youtube

YOCOW: Yoda's vod youtube has recordings up to 30/10 as of 11/11. Will probably be complete in the near future. Yocow's vod channel

ARCH: it appears Arch either did not stream, or wiped all streams the moment they ended. No vod channel linked.

SOPHIESTEAK: Sophie's streams are saved to her "all videos" tab on twitch. No vod channels linked. Sophie's Twitch

GUTSTOSIS: Moth's vod channel is already complete up to the final day. GutstoVODS

TEAM D

BEEPERS: Beepers' youtubes appear to not be vod channels. Their "all videos" tab on twitch is complete as of 11/11. Beepers' Twitch

SWINDY: Swindy's "all videos" on twitch has a vod for day 1 and that's it as of 11/11. its recorded as a highlight too i think but its 5 hours long It is also marked as an art stream. I don't know anything about Swindy so it entirely possible they just didn't stream much. No vod channel linked. Swindy's Twitch

TELOSIE: Telosie's Twitch "all videos" channel has vods between 17/10 and 26/10 as of 11/11. unsure if they streamed outside of this range at all, but they appeared to consistently be active on the server. Telosie's Twitch

MANKEY: Mankey's twitch appears to have no vods at all. if they ever streamed blsmp, or were just on it is unclear. No vod channels linked.

KAOIJI: Kaoiji has said on twitter they have intentionally hidden their blsmp vods because they believe "it's more beautiful that way to have my character only in view in other people's perspective". They do have a vod channel but even outside of blsmp it seems to be out of date.

HEAVENLYFATHER: Unclear if Heavenlyfather ever streamed their blsmp perspective. October and early november do contain vods from other, not blsmp related things. Their youtube does not appear to be a vod channel.

TEAM E

BAILEYFEESH: Bailey's youtube appears to have been exploded at some point in the past, all links to it that I could find lead to a 404. No blsmp vods on their twitch.

HOLLOWTONES: Hollowtones' vod channel is up to date, she just wasn't live on the server super frequently the "minecraft fishing" stream is on the server but appears to be a mostly solo affair. Hollowtonesvods

SOPHIEBABEY: Sophie's vod channel has a blsmp video titled as "finale" that was uploaded on 4/11. her twitch confers that this is indeed the most recent livestream from blsmp. SophieBabey VODS

MYSILLYCOMICS: uncear if mysillycomics was ever live on blsmp but they were ON blsmp. Twitch has no traces of streams and no vod channel linked.

MILK APE: Twitch has vods through from 28/10 to the final day as of 11/11. NO vod channel linked. If they streamed earlier than this, I am unable to find it. Milk Ape's Twitch

RUSTY: as of 11/11, rusty has a vod on twitch of blsmp from 5/11. their twitter indicates they were live on 21/10 at least as well. No vod channel linked. Rusty's Twitch

TEAM F

ROBBYDUDE: Robby's twitch "all videos" tab has a complete list of their blsmp streams as of 11/11. Their vod channel does not have any yet. Robby's Twitch

KUUEATER: Kuueater's vod channel has a complete record of their blsmp vods. Kuueater's vod channel

PAPERBOXHOUSE: Alfred's Twitch "all videos" tab has six streams from blsmp. presumably, this is all of them most recent is 24/10. No vod channel linked. Alfred's Twitch

RENOBEE: Most recent vod on RenoBee's vod channel is from 21/10. Presumably will be up to date in the near future. RenoBeeVODs

DYVONE: Dyvone's vod channel is a few month behind by the looks of it, and currently has no blsmp vods on it. the "all videos" tab on twitch has vods from 15/10 onwards as of 11/11. Dyvone's Twitch

CHARLLAHAN: Char has sorted all of their vods into a playlist on their channel (provided to me by charaznablescanontoyota). Char's Youtube

WILDCARDS

BOON: Boon only streamed blsmp once because they died day one. This event is recorded on their twitch in the "all videos" tab. I have been unable to find a vod channel. Boon's Twitch

BERD: i've heard berd never actually streamed the smp and nobody ever saw them on it either? if they were even on they've left no trace.

again, if you are able to locate missing vods PLEASE SAY ESPECIALLY for teams D and E as theres a lot of missing perspectives in there. Thankies, and happy watching!

[szqnxi]

I saw that you're asking for scenarios so can you maybe put the phrase "What do y'all know about *famous person*?"

Sure anon!! This one might be a bit ooc so 🤷🏻‍♀️. Been busy lately that's why there's no update, if anyone wants to be added on the taglist, please don't hesitate to reach out. Also, if you have scenes in mind, please drop some

Your number 1 fan (Part 2)

Katsuki Bakugo x reader

<<previous

"--but hey, at least no villains showed up. Made our patrol a lot easier" Kirishima said as they stepped out the elevator of the agency building.

Katsuki let out an angry huff. He was still pissed with the stunt that Mina pulled earlier, which resulted in the two knowing about his obsession with you and your songs.

And in return for not blowing up at them, Kirishima came up with a compelling offer -- promising to buy him a limited edition vinyl record of your new album, which Katsuki surprisingly agreed at.

"Stupid racoon eyes just had to broadcast us patrolling the area. Of course no fucking villain would fucking show up" Katsuki rolled his eyes, irritation clearly visible at his face.

"There hasn't been any villain activity there for months. Besides, we're not there to fight villains. We're just checking on something" Mina corrected him, her grin not faltering despite Katsuki's annoyance.

"Yeah yeah whatever pinky" he dismissibly replied when the elevator opened.

Y/n's song Coincidence could be heard from the hallway as the three of them approached the hero office. Kirishima opened the door and they were welcomed by the sight of Shoto and Izuku, the former doing paperwork while the latter was on his phone beside Shoto, sipping at a cup of takeout coffee as they both sang along to the song.

Upon seeing the group enter the room, the two of them immediately let go of each other's hands, acting as if they weren't doing it before. Izuku let out a nervous chuckle while Shoto's normally impassive expression was now replaced by a surprised one.

"Oh hi..." the green haired stuttered. "I thought you guys were still on patrol. I didn't expect you to be back so soon" there was an obvious awkwardness in his voice.

Mina and Kirishima exchanged a knowing look, as if they had formed a silent understanding about the current situation. Her lips curled into a mischievous smile as she glanced at the two of them.

She immediately pounced on Izuku, pulling him aside, practically cornering him and peppering him with questions about his sudden appearance at the agency, specifically in the hero office with Shoto, asking as if she had no idea about the intimate moment the two were having a moment ago.

Katsuki's eyes twitched in irritation, his annoyance clearly evident as your song continued playing in the background. Shoto glanced between Mina and Izuku, then at Kirishima and then at Katsuki, who looked as irritated as ever with the noise Mina and Izuku were making.

Before Katsuki could explode at them with his usual verbal fury, Kirishima interrupted.

"Down boy"

"I AM NOT A FUCKING DOG" he growled at Kirishima, who only laughed at him in response, before pulling Mina away from the clearly uncomfortable Izuku, who appeared to have seen a ghost, specifically a pink blabbering ghost courtesy of Mina, according to Katsuki.

Katsuki moved to the office couch, sinking comfortably in its cushions, as the others continued with their tasks. Kirishima was chatting with Shoto about their patrol earlier and keeping Mina at bay from pestering Izuku again while she was giving Izuku playful winks, giggling and demanding he owed her some 'tea' for whatever reason.

He decided to scroll on his phone for the meantime. Searching your name on Twitter and reposting new updates from your page. Until he saw a reply on Mina's post of a stranger calling your songs 'stupid'.

His eye twitched in irritation as he immediately began typing profanities on his phone, posting a hostile reply in response to the audacity of the stranger who dared insult your song.

Katsuki didn't stop there. He proceeded to report all of her 'stupid' covers, claiming copyright infringement and even reporting the person's page, which was undeniably childish, but be was too irritated to care.

"Kaachan" Izuku's voice snapped him out of his online rampage. He looked up, shooting him an annoyed look, just in time to see Mina and Kirishima leaving, mentioning a dinner that is yet to be cooked. Not that he cares.

"What do you want, shitty nerd?!" He growled angrily at Izuku, storming towards the other side of the desk they were sitting at, slamming his hand down and glaring at him, accusingly pointing a finger in his direction.

"You" he growled

"Uhh me? What about me?" Izuku replied nervously

"And you" and then at Shoto who only gave him a confused look.

"WHAT DO YOU TWO KNOW ABOUT Y/N HUH?!"

(⁠=⁠｀⁠ェ⁠´⁠=⁠) Szqnxi's Main Masterlist

(⁠´⁠(⁠ｪ⁠)⁠｀⁠）Number 1 Fan Masterlist

Note: it took me so long to post part 2 lmao. I was so busy with my life so sorrry T_T pls send some message idc if it's anonymous just interact with me I'm begging y'all /hjk but anyway I wanna answer some questions so pleassseeee

[dimmadoome]

Yall will do anything but actually take responsibility for what you've created. Fanon is literally that. Canon crested by fans. They're all headcanons created by you, yes. Literally you, the person reading this that has written fanfic and drawn comics and posted your essays. You are the people writing stories and sharing art and making tumblr posts. Each an every person on here, commenting on my post outraged that I like the collicteve works of yourself had had a hand in creating fanon just by existing in the fandom. You all speak with such derison about yourselves and its actually making me laugh.

You actually can find fanon from people of color. Many many different ways. From discord servers to tumblr to twitter and beyond. AO3 Is just an archive for writers. It is not the be all end all of fandom. But, while we are talking about AO3.

It is not a streaming service. It is not youtube. The works there are not paid for. They are made by you and me and a billion other people who only want to share their art. THEY ARE YOUR PEERS, NOT A CONGLOMERATE. This whole response makes it sound like you're all complaining about the fucking disney channel queerbaiting you again. If YOU want more Babs stories. Write them. You dont want racist tropes in your fanfiction? Well howdy do you've already proven you can both write and post to the internet just by responding to this post. Write. Create. Build. Just like the rest of us normal people did when we added onto the fandom. If you want Cass to be more present in stories, write those. Jesus christ yall. This is YOUR baby you're trying to throw out with the bathwater.

At the end of the day, you need to step back and realize that if someone is telling you they like your work and the community you built with your own bare hands. Maybe say, hell yeah. Im glad you like it, instead of acting like you're above your own hard damn work.

Also. As a side note. Im an indigenous trans person. I understand what it means to desperately want to see representation for me and to know that i will likely never be able to make it a reality in any canon works. I find that fanon is more likely to be written by people of color, disabled people and queer people than canon will ever be. Fandom is a bigger and more diverse collective than canon. Which makes me love it more. Because I can have my voice heard. Because you can have your voice heard.

Its new and its beautiful and its ever changing and its so, so much better than almost 100 years of writers having to sanitize themselves for the capitalist elite who need every batboy to look the same and cant let gay characters exist without making it tragic or retconning it every two seconds.

In the end all I can say is this

Fanon is beautiful.

Fanon has more for me than canon does. Likely, if you are not white, not straight, not cis or not able bodied, it also has more for you than canon ever will.

You all deserve to love your community too. If there are racists. Well fuck man, do what everyone else is doing by drowning them out with your own, obviously not problematic the sligtest, content. So go. Fix what youre complaing about. But realize that you are part of the problem. You are part of the collective you are angrily decrying and nothing you can say will change anything unless you put your hands to paper and actually start working for the changes you want to see.

Hot take but I prefer fanon Batfam to Canon batfam because at least fanon does its best to give each of the batfam very distinct personalities and looks.

I love living in a world where blue eyed black haired white boy doesn't describe half the group, ya know?

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Dan Pfeiffer at The Message Box:

Poring through the aftermath of a brutal defeat, Democrats are now in their worst position in at least 20 years. Republicans have the White House and the Senate and an excellent chance to capture the House. Trump is only the second Republican since 1988 to win the popular vote, and he made huge gains across the country, building a multi-racial working-class coalition.

For many of you, I imagine this is painful to read. Trust me. It is even more painful to write. Most of my career has been spent within the machinery of the Democratic Party. I worked in the White House and Senate leadership. I worked for Democratic governors and other party organizations. It pains me to see the party in this state of disfavor only eight years after Barack Obama left the White House. The coalition that Obama built has crumbled. There are millions of reasons why we are in this position — COVID, inflation, an unpopular President, several political miscalculations, and a failure to adapt to a changed media environment. Ultimately, I am less interested in how we got into this mess than in how we get out of it.

The press continues to second-guess and Monday-morning quarterback various tactical decisions of the Harris campaign. I am also not particularly interested in that debate. Two things can be true at the same time. Kamala Harris ran a great campaign in a brutal political environment under an impossible timeline, and Democrats just got their ass kicked by a failed President and convicted criminal who could have been sentenced to jail if he lost the election. Where Democrats go from here is a conversation that will be an ongoing part of this newsletter in the months to come. There is no singular or simple answer, and many strawman arguments are being offered up on Twitter and cable. The solution is more complex than being more left or centrist or less woke. I don’t have the answers. Like the rest of you, I am still processing what happened on Tuesday. As part of my personal therapy, I wanted to do a bit of brain dump on the road ahead for Democrats as we confront another four years of Trump.

1. Recognize the Scale of the Problem

On one level, Trump’s win isn’t that big. His popular vote margin will end up being lower than Hillary Clinton’s when she lost the Presidency. This was far from a landslide. It looks nothing like Reagan’s victories in 1980 and 1984 or Obama’s win in 2008. But we shouldn’t sugarcoat the size and scope of Trump’s victory. Trump improved on his 2020 performance nearly everywhere in the country and with every type of voter. There was a six-point shift to the right in the country from 2020. Trump did 10 points better in Democratic strongholds like New York, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. He gained ground with men, women, Latinos, Black voters, and voters under 30. If the GOP can maintain that coalition post-Trump, Democrats will have no shot at the White House or the Senate for the foreseeable future. We are in a deep hole, and because of that, it is essential that we contemplate radical solutions about how we communicate, campaign, and govern. Every option should be on the table and every prior should be questioned. Yes, it was a brutal political environment, but this failure was a long time in the making.

2. Understand Why We Keep Losing on the Economy

Post-COVID inflation is the biggest factor in this election. It’s why incumbent parties all over the world have been getting slaughtered in election after election. It’s almost impossible to win an election when, according to the exit polls, 68% of voters rate the economy negatively, 75% say inflation caused them harm, and only 24% of voters say their financial situation is better off than four years ago. But if Democrats just blame inflation for voter distrust on the economy, we will be whistling past the graveyard. Democrats have lost economically-focused voters in every election since 2012. Even in the 2018 and 2022 midterms, which saw huge Democratic gains, we lost the voters who said the economy was their top issue by an average of 36 points!

President Biden passed a bunch of very consequential and popular policies. Yet, his ratings on the economy worsened over time. While I think we should revisit our policy agenda to look for new, bolder ideas that better speak to people’s concerns, this is largely not a policy problem. It’s a brand problem. When you do a blind taste test, our policies are more popular. This is why ballot initiatives like raising the minimum wage and allowing collective bargaining often pass in very Red states where Democrats have no chance of winning elected office. On economic issues, Democrats have a cultural problem; regardless of our policies, voters in the toughest economic situations simply don’t think Democrats care about them, and they haven’t since Barack Obama left office. Republicans have done an excellent job — with some inadvertent help from Democrats — branding our party as the party of elites even though the GOP standard bearer is a wannabe billionaire who offers tax cuts to other billionaires in exchange for campaign contributions. There is little question that we would benefit from more full-throated populism.

3. Close the Communications Chasm

Democrats are losing the information war. Trump and the Republicans are relentlessly communicating their narrative to a wide swath of the electorate, while Democrats are mostly still playing by an old set of rules. The Right is dominating the information space. In the battleground states where Democrats could spend more than a billion dollars communicating to voters on TV and digital platforms, Trump gained three points over his 2020 performance. In the rest of the country, which saw no paid Democratic messaging, Trump gained six points. This means that Democrats got absolutely battered in earned and social media. An average American who just turned on their TV or unlocked their phone or tablet was getting much more pro-Trump and anti-Democratic messaging. This situation is not unique to the Harris campaign. It’s been a problem for Democrats for more than a decade. Democrats cannot reach the wide swath of voters who don’t actively consume political news. According to polling from Data for Progress, here’s the statistics showing how people voted based on the amount they paid attention to political news:

a great deal: Harris +8

a lot: Harris +5

a moderate amount: Trump +1

a little: Trump +8 -

none at all: Trump +15

If you read the New York Times or watch CNN, Democrats know how to reach you. The problem is that we already have those voters. It's very clear that most of Democratic communications is a circular conversation with the people who already agree with us on everything. The rest of the electorate can’t hear us. They are getting no countervailing information to counter the Right Wing caricature of Democrats. Because of Fox News and other Right Wing outlets, Republicans have long had an asymmetric media advantage. However, in recent years, Right Wing messaging has come to dominate non-political online spaces centered on topics like comedy, gaming, gambling, and wellness.

Most Democrats continued running the same communications playbook for the entire Trump era despite massive changes in the media ecosystem. We haven’t incubated our progressive political media enough nor have we been willing to go into the non-political spaces where the most critical segment of voters are getting their info.

Dan Pfeiffer has yet another home run column on how the Democrats can roar back from their shock 2024 losses.

[the-architect-of-ferrari]

hey guys! I was formerly fellow-meme-lover but I have retired that name after like 7 years. I am now @the-architect-of-ferrari in honor of that one article about Carlos (pictured). I’m a little surprised no one had taken that username yet but I’ll gladly have it.

I decided to change my name because I want it to reflect the main focus of my blog moving forward: Carlos Sainz. This is also going to be a bit of a goodbye to Ferrari post and clarifying what my blog will look like after AD24. So continue reading after the cut if you’re interested.

I am a fairly recent f1 fan, I only started casually watching late into the 2023 season, and it wasn’t until the winter break that I started getting serious about f1 and more involved.

It was during this time that I discovered Charlos, and they were my absolute favorite duo on the entire grid. I remember thinking the entire Ferrari team was a giant mess, and that the only thing they had going for them was their driver pairing. I spent the off-season watching old interviews with them, seeing posts about them on tumblr and twitter, and learning everything about them that I could. I initially liked Charles more, as he was the first driver I really learned about, and I will always be fond of him for gifting me this sport and fandom that means so much to me.

Over time though, I naturally gravitated more towards Carlos. I couldn’t explain it but there was something about him that connected me to him, and soon his happiness was my happiness and his sadness was my sadness. When the news of Lewis’s move to Ferrari dropped on February 1st, I was devastated. I could only think of how Ferrari was Carlos’s dream and it was now coming to an end. All season I’ve been dreading having to make this post, having to say goodbye, but I can’t put it off forever. I truly believe that the team hasn’t done right by Carlos in a lot of ways, but it was his dream, and I want him to be happy more than anything else, and for his sake I sincerely hope that a return to Ferrari is possible one day. I think he will be happy to know that regardless of what the future holds, he will always be a part of the team’s history, and everything he gave to them will not be forgotten.

As for Charlos as a duo, they were always the duo I loved the most of the entire grid. It wasn’t always easy at times, with their occasional fights, with the frequent fan wars, and the accusations of it being a PR friendship. But I think if you went back and watched old videos of them together, you can see the fondness in their eyes clear as day, and it lingers in their familiarity with each other to this day. Four years as teammates isn’t nothing. I don’t know that anyone will be able to make me laugh as hard as they did, or cheer me up on a bad day the way they did. In the future, even if they’re not teammates I will still try to post about them as much as possible, even if it’s a 3 second clip of them chatting at a driver’s parade or something idc.

But with that said, my no.1 driver from now on will always be Carlos, and so what I post will reflect that. As a Charlos fan, I was reluctantly a Ferrari fan because that is the team they drove for, but now I will be with Carlos 100%. I will no longer be solely posting about charles and carlos, and instead will post things more like what i have been posting lately, which will include other driver pairings like versainz. I’ll also just post general f1 stuff sometimes if i think i have something important to say. But mostly i will be talking about Carlos.

For now though, let’s make the rest of this season count. I’ll be with you always, Carlos.

¡Vamos, toro!

[muwapsturniolo]

This is the only thing I’m gonna say cuz it don’t involve me AT ALL but I’ve gotten a few things in my inbox about it.

Blocking does not hurt anyone. I understand you may want to know why you were blocked but like @leoslaboratory said and I’m switching up just a little bit to fit what I’m saying. Maybe rose didn’t like something you said and she decided to block. It really is that simple. It’s ok for her to block if she don’t wanna see something or for her to block if you didn’t give credit for whatever it is.

So to the anon who sent her that long ass paragraph saying “the fic will still be up even if you block the acct so what’s the point?” The point is she won’t have to see it! It’s ok for her to protect her peace in any way she sees fit.

Yall jump her (and many others) for calling out being copied. So when she stops calling people out and just blocks, it still an issue? It doesn’t make sense.

It’s ok not to like her, but going into her inbox to send hate, coming into my inbox cuz she turned hers off so you can say shit to me, and going into others inbox to complain about her or egg on “drama” that really isn’t even drama, is not ok.

And I’m bringing this up as an example (no hard feelings towards her at all) this is exactly the same shit with Kay (again no hard feelings towards her at all) she was answering anons that were hateful towards me and other writers which was getting me and other writers irritated.

if you don’t want drama, why keep answering anons, especially anons that are lying and twisting roses words, and egging this shit on when it didn’t even have to be like this fr?

Let’s not act like yall don’t have anyone blocked on any media at all. I have one person blocked on here, and maybe five on Twitter, and like 7 on instagram.

And until tumblr makes a setting like Twitter where you can mute an acct without blocking, then blocking is just gonna have to work for now.

Blocking someone does not mean you hate them, you just don’t wanna see what they have to say, AND THATS FINE.

Now imma say this before anons try to jump me, I personally have no ill feelings towards @leoslaboratory and @liiixsturniolos . This was mainly a post for the anons I’ve been getting trying to dog rose.

[softringing]

The thing that's so off putting about Sampo is that he's willing to go really far to make others happy, even at the cost of becoming a punching bag. But at the same time, he's been warning us about himself purposely, masked fools and the dangers of becoming too selfish when it comes to elation.

It's obvious he wouldnt harm ordinary people in a serious way but at the same time, we don't know if he's actual hiding evil intentions.

Remember that sampo has dead snake imagery in his design, and usually, snake imagery isn't used on moral characters, it's used on evil, morally grey or manipulative characters.

It's telling you not to trust people who hide things easily behind a disguise but at the same time, Sampo has a "line he won't cross".

He's so paradoxical that it's actually hard to tell what his motive is. I feel like he might have split personalities because of his mask's influence or just him as a very odd and mysterious character.

I went though the trashcan lore (I feel stupid) BC in his event, after you sell items it gives you these random texts and one of them has "Diagonese's Utopia" achievement that you get from searching belebogian trashcans.

I posted this on twitter and my theory revolved around the fact that Sampo's mentality may not be the same as a normal human's.

I always felt that his odd behaviour of acting like a "fool" was genuis. Because the best way to fool someone is to make them believe that YOU ARE the fool. They won't doubt you because in their eyes you're less intelligent or less complex than them.

But when I dug deeper, I realised that Sampo actually ENJOYS being hated. This is where my search through the Belebog trashcans apply.

(some of these are out of order sorry 😔)

I initially thought Sampo was Tatalov, the Garbage King because of Sparkle's portrayal of him in the dream bubble. And as you can see in the above images where there's a story of a trashcan being stabbed by someone they raised (Tatalov/Garbage King), you can link it back to the fact that Sampo MAY have betrayed someone he once loved. "The moment of betrayal" also closely aligns with this!!

"Wind of change" "snake", these elements are all mentioned in the above story of Tatalov stabbing someone--> sampo's wind is element, he has snake imagery!! Should be straight enough to say HE IS TATALOV RIGHT?

Now listen closely, in the DREAM BUBBLE, Shentana (aka Natasha) talked about how Tatalov was once a great ruler who cared about equality and justice (sampo behaviour) but was blinded by "the thing beyond the sky" (stelleron). => Now it's making a reference to cocolia rather than SAMPO. Which DOES NOT ALIGN WITH SAMPO BEING TATALOV/GARBAGE KING and hence the "backstabbing " story gets muddled and confusing.

My theory was that Sampo killed the person that made him (Seppo Illmarinen) according to the Kalevala story, after he realised that no one truly LOVED him for who he is, but rather only his ability to bring wealth and fortune. Hence, he felt vengeful, and decided to kill Illmarinen as a revenge because of how others saw him as an object (maybe including Illmarinen too). But in that story, it's mentioned Tatalov said "you will collapse beside me" to the dying trashcan (Seppo).

That's when I went back and looked at "Garboski" (Koski) from Sparkle's dream bubble. Garboski mentions that Tatalov betrayed them, and sealed them for 10,000 years. Garboski also mentions that he will reward the people who found them with WEALTH (sampo's function in Kalevala) and then he decided to eventually give anyone who found them a painless death. You can clearly see over time that Garboski's mentality went lose. I tried to link Garboski's story of being sealed for 10k years to Tatalov's betrayal but it said 15 years since the dying trashcan hadn't seen their face. That's when everything got far too confusing for me to comprehend and link together but the only thing I was able to TAKE from these stories is that they are both about BETRAYAL.

The consumable above depicts a colorless rose. You can only see it's reds in the reflection on the dagger. Which led me to think-> Sampo's eidolon "the deeper the love the stronger the hate" might refer to the fact that he despises being loved by others because he had lost trust a long time ago from the events that happened to him, how he was betrayed by the people he thought loved him but turned out to be just to use him for their convenience and selfish desires.

Remember that red roses represent passionate love and that Firefly mentions Sampo looks like he'd been training to use daggers all his life. So the symbolism of that consumable might be that Sampo trusts people's hatred more than their love because when you hate something, the hatred is (mostly) sincere. Why would you pretend to hate something you love? Sampo ENJOYS this sincerity.

He hates love because you can always hide things behind it under selfish pretense. Why else would that consumable reflect a red rose 🌹 ONLY on the dagger and not the rest of it? Because as soon as Sampo was betrayed/betrayed someone, it became clear to him/them that their true emotions towards him are HATRED not love. And SAMPO LIKES THAT!! HE LIKES BEING THE FOOL, HE LIKES BEING DESPISED BECAUSE YOU CAN'T DECEIVE HIM AND HURT HIM WITH LOVE.

He uses roses to decorate his packages in the event, also his suitcase and he uses roses to attack in HI3.

He hates love because the more someone loves him the further he will doubt them.

And that's pretty MESSES UP! To have a mentality like this means he you must've gone through some messed up crap, just like how he mentions at the end of his event that he had a "Hot-blooded past". If you didn't know, "hot blooded" usually means feeling complex emotions all at once, like anger, love, hatred, doubt, pain.

The description of the consumable sounds so warm in the begging and suddenly shifts to a tense mood? Did you notice that? It's so paradoxical. So hot-blooded. And it says "that person" so speficially!!

I'm still not sure what to believe about sampo's past, but I'm sure that his idea of love is completely messed up. In HI3, as you fight him during his boss battle, there's a bar called "depth of love", which is UHH WHAT THE HECK?? IT TELLS YOUTHE MORE YOU HURT HIM THE MORE HE LOVES YOU.

In his beta lines that were removed Sampo says something along the lines "Sampo gives all the affection yet never receives anything in return *sigh* but I'm used to it anyway 😃👍"

Ummm?? OKK?? IM SUPPOSED TO BELIEVE HE IS SANE? HE IS MENTALLY STABLE AND UR TYPYCAL CONMAN? NO WAY IM NOT!!

I hope this theory makes sense. I just need everyone to know this man has some screws lose but I love him anyway!

[potcconfessions]

"In response to the comments and reblogs in my previous confession (367), first of all I’m queer (trans and acearo), I wont apologizing for thinking your pirate jesus isn’t fruity, also death threats are inacceptable. 1) Some of your answers confuse gender expression with sexual orientation, which is wrong, just because someone wears makeup or gesticulates “weirdly” doesn’t mean they’re queer, you’re stereotyping, this can fall into racist territory too, as not every culture has the same way to express themselves of white people and a good portion of the fans (me too) think of Jack as at least mixed. 2) Actors saying shit during interviews (Johnny Deep “all my chars are queer” and Crook and Arenberg “Pintel and Ragetti are uncle and nephew”) are at best soft canon, if not outright non canonical as there is no evidence in the actual movies, it’s at the same level of the wizards terf saying their magic school principal is gay on twitter. 3) If we look at the factual evidence Jack ONLY FLIRTS WITH WOMEN and, in DMC, when he thinks a disguised Elizabeth (calls her "lad") is flirting with him, he immediately makes up excuses and doesn’t look too pleased by this perceived amorous interaction. 4) Jack is a master at pushing people’s buttons, as shown in the franchise (minus the shitty fifth movie), his interactions with James are like that because he knows that he hates that behaviour, due to his strict nature, also he invades people’s personal space all the time, no one is safe from it (even the governor receives this treatment), because he knows that it can make people uncomfortable fast. 5) There are plenty of examples of people fighting for certain rights but then shitting on other minorities (some gays being trans/acephobes for example), so him being against slavery isn’t a valid point, also he might fight for the freedom of other people because he knows it’s the right thing, but still being icked by certain things, it’s the human nature, it’s full of contradictions. 6) I’m an extreme multishipper and ship Jack with both Barbossa and Norrington, but shipping discourse is as canonical as my takes on everyone’s sexualities in the previous post and aren't a valid counterargument. 7) To conclude, thinking about it he could be considered aromantic, due to a line of dialogue about Angelica in OST (him having caught feelings for her and no one else), but due to the way he behaved towards her I can't think of him like that, for me he's simply an asshole towards women he wants to fuck and can't stand the idea of being vulnerable with them (due to OST storyline) and is squeamish about gays (due to DMC's dialogue)."

[singto-prachaya]

Barcode made a twitter post addressing heavy issues and what's wrong in the industry

Google trans translation under the cut

This is not a small matter that should be overlooked… Since I was first portrayed in the industry as a weak, fragile child who had to be bright and innocent all the time… Changing myself according to what others expected was not easy.

Many people may not know that this affects both our mental health and our growth. Many artists and actors face too much pressure, not only to maintain a familiar image, but also to affect our mental health in a way that many do not see and do not understand. Stress, loneliness, it is not just about the outside, but we have to experience changes within ourselves that everyone may not see.

What I want to say is that I am not just a character in the image that people expect me to be. I am a normal person who needs growth and recognition from everyone for being who they really are.

And it's not just me, it's a problem that happens to many people who have the same problem in the entertainment industry that expects too much from us.

This is something that I have been sharing and observing for quite some time now, and I think I need to communicate these things to myself and many others who are facing this problem.

2 things that I and many of my colleagues in the industry have to face, whether intentional or unintentional.

Many people who enter the industry at a young age are constantly portrayed as “children”, as if they are imprisoned in an image of innocence and weakness, which causes both mental and professional problems. People develop their thoughts and grow, but some groups stick to the image they used to have when they first started. As a result, my thoughts and decisions, and many others, are always questioned, told that I am “not mature enough” or “need to rely on others”, as if no matter how much time passes, I am still the same child who will never grow up.

In psychology, this is called “gaslighting,” which is when a person is made to feel self-doubt or manipulated in a way that undermines their self-worth, making them feel incompetent and inadequate in making decisions. No matter what they choose, they are constantly criticized as “not thinking things through” or “not good enough.” This practice not only causes short-term pain, but also instills insecurity about their identity and abilities in the long run, causing them to rely more on the opinions of others than their own, which can gradually erode their self-confidence.

Furthermore, when we look at the dimension of Benevolent Sexism, especially in the BL industry, some male stars who are portrayed as weaker or more innocent are expected to play such roles and behave like that all the time. This pressure prevents them from expressing themselves or growing up freely. They are pushed to believe that weakness and dependence on others are necessary and “appropriate.” Some may see this as protection or support, but in reality, it is silently diminishing their abilities.

Everyone should understand that this is a serious matter. If we continue to set expectations for others without caring about what they are going through, it will eventually have a negative impact on them. There is nothing wrong with growth and change. I urge everyone to support themselves in whatever path they choose. I also support everyone, whether in or out of the industry, to express themselves and be their true selves.

Thank you for all your support. 🙏

Original full tweet

[bread-wizards]

I actually think Dorian and Orym should fight more.

Remember when their slowly building tension over and entire episode (full of passive aggressive remarks and blame throwing) led to threats? And how after, Orym thanked Dorian for handing over the crown sadly because he knew Dorian would be mad at him? And Dorian couldn't even look at him because he was legitimately hurt, thinking Orym was disappointed in him for doing what he thought was right? That was peak.

The fact they went from that to their current closeness and trust is the best part of their entire dynamic. Their relationship was hard fought and still will be. They will fight for it because they respect and care for one another deeply, and their disagreements don't change that, only improve it.

[tomaturtles]

Happy Campus Apocalypse volume 1 16th anniversary here's something to celebrate

[remxedmoon]

guess who found an extremely janky art program he can draw in!!! this guy!!! i decided to try drawing in someone’s strawpage and it’s really fun i love it. these’re all from the past 3 days!!! not in chronological order because if it were then my awfully jpeg compressed first attempt would be the first thing you see and i just can’t handle that. anyways!!! enjoy my fellas

[gruesomejack]

Vi started to giggle, taking the same pleasure in seeing his friend light up as Alex did. His expression morphed though, into something compassionate despite his glee. "If you were friends, I'm sure he'd be thrilled to see you." He said, "People change, but the core of who they are stay the same. And I'm sure... I'm certain that he's only left behind the bad things. You were one of the good." It was something he said from experience. Their stories weren't exactly the same, but they were similar enough that he could be confident. "You said you were one of his only friends, didn't you? I bet he thinks about you all the time."

Vi grinned then, his eyes crinkling. "I'm not promising anything."

------

The stage lights were bright and burning. The white baby grand was placed right in the center, waiting for him as he walked back out in front of a cheering crowd. Vi gave a grin and a brief bow before sitting himself down on the velvet bench. There was nothing left on him to remove-- Only a few strings of pearls and a pair of sheer bottoms just opaque enough to leave what was left to the imagination. It was cold, but the late autumn air wasn't enough to get him to budge.

Long fingers danced over the keys, playing whimsical notes as he started to hum. "...Russian roulette is not the same without a gun, but-" The crowd roared over him at the song choice, leaving him laughing. Once they'd quieted again, he tutted at them. "You know, you guys have been bombarding me everywhere lately. Instagram, Twitter-- You even found my Tumblr from high-school that I only use to post poetry on." He said, "But I can't exactly blame you, can I? I also love good gossip." Vi flashed a grin, still playing quietly on the piano in front of him. "You're so easy to bait." He teased, "Not that I was lying! I have been thinking quite a lot about someone..."

Cheering again, Vi rolled his eyes, playful, but not annoyed. "I'd hoped all your badgering would cure me of my ailment, but honestly? It only made it worse." He said, "Now, I know you know all the words to this song. Don't let me down!"

The piano music faded, replaced with a familiar synth track bumping from the speakers. One of his dancers helped him up from his seat and whisked him towards center stage, leaving him bright-eyed and grinning for everyone. His heart was swollen and pounding, his head aching from the noise, but there was nowhere else on earth he'd rather be.

------

"You look like an overworked hooker."

The make up he'd worn all night had mostly smeared off his face, both from sweat and him itching at it the second he'd finally left the stage. Vi looked at his brother through glittery lashes and smiled before shoving half a cupcake in his mouth. "Close enough." He mumbled through the excess icing.

Nick moved closer and pat his arm, waiting for Vi to lift them so he could throw his robe around him. He dropped his crocs on the ground in front of him then, watching him struggle to make the switch between them and his platforms. "Don't your feet hurt?"

"So fucking bad." He whined, mostly in relief to slip into something flat. Another one of his assistants tottered over to grab the heels and left just as quickly after getting a soft thank you from him. "What's you think though? Did you like it?"

Nick's brows furrowed, his arms folding over his chest as he watched him tie the coat around his waist. Your music? It's great." He said, "Everything else is kinda... Vegas Showgirl." Puffing his cheeks out, he shrugged. "Looks great! Just... Do you gotta be naked?"

Pouting, Vi gave a single word answer. "Yeah." He said and waved him off, "Just say you don't get it and go somewhere else."

"I don't get it." Shrugging again, the older of the two grabbed the other half of the cupcake from his hand. "You should go say hi to your fans at the barrier." He said and shoved it in his mouth. "I'll be on the bus."

Victory checked his phone again, opening the messaging app and confirming for the hundredth time this was the right spot. He'd pulled off some kind of miracle in the last month, not only getting in contact with one of his favorite artists, but managing to keep it going almost regularly. And now he was standing outside of an unfamiliar building on an unfamiliar street in the middle of Appalachian nowhere, getting ready to meet him in person.

He'd dressed down for the occasion, mostly for his own sake, but for Charlie's too. His own success was leading to more and more people clocking him while he was out, and he doubted dressing like Elton John would help him blend in in a place like this. The bleached hair he'd been sporting recently was tucked nicely under a baseball cap, his extensive ink work covered by a baggy sweatshirt. He'd even taken his earrings out in a rush, storing them in his pocket when he realized he'd forgotten to leave them in his hotel room. The last thing Charlie needed was to be bombarded because he agreed to meet him.

In the middle of using his phone screen as a mirror, his eyes widened as it lit up with a text. Vi quickly shoved it in his pocket and gave a quick sweep of the area. He frowned for a moment, but before he could pull out his phone again, his eyes landed on a familiar face, his own quickly brightening into a grin. Bouncing on his feet, he laughed as he waved his arms to usher his pen pal over.

Charlie Reimes. Cane Corso had been a staple on his playlists for years, and here was the frontman in the flesh. -- All because he'd gotten drunk and too bold, sending him what was an embarrassing DM expressing his admiration. It was a testament to maybe not all of his questionable choices led to questionable outcomes.

Beaming, he practically hopped the rest of the way over to him, his smile toothy, cheeks pink, and his eyes crinkled. "I can't believe it! I don't think you understand how massive this is to me." He said, babbling a little in his excitement. "I can't even begin to thank you. You've been such an inspiration to me forever and-" Oh! Oh, shit. Face flooding with color, he lifted his hands to wave off the starstruck gibberish, and instead offered him his palm. "I-I'm Vi." He managed, "It's nice to see you in person."

@purposefully-lost