#being this crazy about which openers you get compared to other people is wild.

[lunar-years]

All these people randomly coming at maisie when it’s not even CONFIRMED (and in fact she’s denied) she’s the opener for eras euro are pissing me off lmao. I just read a long anon ask on Jamie’s blog about how she’d absolutely flop and do badly and be booed off the stage and this person would feel so ripped off because the opener sucked like????? I had literally never heard of the majority of Taylor’s openers for the US leg and I ended up not really liking the music of either one of the ones who opened for my show and guess what? It was entirely & completely fine and didn’t hinder my concert experience one bit!

I’m not demanding everyone love maisie’s music, but saying she would be booed off the stage because she’s “so much worse” than Gracie/sabrina/paramore/etc is deeply unkind for no reason and also categorically untrue. Maisie opened for Ed’s stadium show all across Europe? The Good Witch went to number 1 in the UK? She sold out Wembley arena? Like get a grip.

[lowkeyrobin]

Heyy :) Can you please write headcanons of dating quackity, but in his earlier eras? (like 2019-21 maybe) ❤

ooooo yes of course!!! ; fun fact I've been watching him since 2018 or so (I don't mean this in a "Oh I'm cooler than you way) ; thank you for the request!! this was fun as hell ; I tried to kinda do it in a chronological order but yeah, I did like stuff and then more details of relationship if that makes sense yk???

QUACKITY ; 2019-2021 era

warnings ; language, talk of drugs, jokes about sex

genre ; fluff

word count ; 858

masterlist

Raiding Club Penguin with him and Axel was a core memory for you. It was the first true time, however cringe it sounds, that you saw Alex as your best friend.

he'd always try to make you laugh, especially on stream

such a little tease

back in the olden days, we had those Discord server 'wtf is that food' videos

you guys rank some of them and how likely you'd eat them

also ranking Discord memes

so many of them were dumb shit or weird shipart from like 2015 deviantart LMFAO

"guys I know me and y/n are dating but that doesn't mean compare us to Shrek couples!"

"I thought Thanos was your true love?"

"He-He is! Oh my God, stop being so desperate, y/n. ugh"

once he got invited to the Dream SMP, you were all ears and proudly taught him how to play Minecraft

you made his alt skin with the tuxedo, which he didn't wear often, but used in lore some time later

youd often help him with lore ideas

he also got you invited into the SMP where he introduced you to some of his new friends

you knew schlatt and some others, but most of these people were new and it was nice meeting all of them

the fiances are established and then you and quackity are already a think and you also like karl, which creates a weird love rectangle with an open end because you and sapnap are sharing the other two 💀

lore goes fuckin crazy with that

while Karl's off making Kinoko Kingdom and Quackity's running Las Nevadas, you're building El Tropicana, off in the far away jungle biome

Alex would usually stream and translate Mexican soap operas, which you joined in for sometimes

you'd give the characters different voices and twist their words up a bit to make it more entertaining for chat

the amount of drug talk that went into that was wild

also the amount of queer kids bullied in those schools?? yikes on bikes

also the one with that girl who got in trouble for kissing a boy on the playground or whatever that was?? Jesus christ man

youd both act put the scenes on occasion and use Tiger as whatever kid was being yelled at if she was in the room with you

taking a break halfway through stream for him to play guitar and for you to karaoke to fuckin Bo Burnham

also making fake joints out of paper he had laying around and "lighting them up" aka setting paper on fire next to a PC and your faces

Jackbox streams with the Feral Boys until 3am>>>

Paranormal Activity in the middle of the night went so fucking crazy

teaching Bad how to play GTA is your favorite memory with those two

playing horror games and watching him play horror games with Karl while he visited him

how dare he leave you all alone (you couldn't go because you had a busy schedule)

your chats shipping the hell out of you and your dsmp characters

hella fanart and fanfictions man

try not to laugh streams where you always ended up laughing before the ten minute mark because of him

he purposefully does shit to make you laugh

reading fanfiction on stream was a regular activity especially for y/s/n

youd rank the book on a scale from one to ten and how accurate to real life they were

"nahhhh that one doesn't have enough Thanos, two out of ten"

"yknow what... were gonna have our own tier lists... okay?"

"damnit... does this mean I'm not getting laid later?"

"what"

promoting the quackityhq merch religiously

also stealing whichever beanie he wasn't wearing, either the LAFD one or the plain black and blue one

him tying you to a chair and forcing you to laugh was a common stream plot

tweets that were either very inconspicuous about drugs, very sexual, or very old married couple vibes

youd both be frequently trending on twitter

hot wings or dare streams with Bad >>>>

playing girls go games and hoping you wouldn't give his PC a virus

sitting in the inflatable pool fully clothed, playing with children's bath toys

he'd for sure be the type to fall for his best friend

whether it be all the way back then or just now, he could go forever without feeling any feelings but one day they'll show up and the nervousness begins

he'd lend you a hoodie if you were cold in his room and he just straight up begs you to keep it

lots of just staring at you while chat ships you, like genuinley just zones out on your pretty face

would probably doubt his feelings at first and talk to his mom about it and she's like "boy you have a crush. Go ask them the hell out, you're a handsome young man, I'm pretty sure they like you too"

"mOooOooOoOoM"

genuinley spoils you with no good reason and after a while you just accept it

he starts sending good morning and good night texts

he'll repost (or reblog) (he has a secret tumblr) fanart of you two, especially if it's shipart

will constantly send you clips of movie characters making out or kissing and say "this should be us"

[sehtoast]

Is it me or not many people simp for Homelander compared to other villains? It’s like people can’t say they find him hot without getting jumped and i just don’t understand why? There’re villains who have done way worse and people still like them so why is it any different with Homelander, he is literally fictional and never harmed anyone in real life. What do you think is the reason?

Prepare yourself. This is gonna be a long one lol:

For what it’s worth, I feel like a lot more people do simp for him than are open about it for exactly what you just said. I’ve rarely seen fandoms respond to people liking a character the way people jump at us for liking Homelander.  The amount of hate mail I've received and seen others get and the genuinely FOUL things that have been said are just absolutely crazy. Like I’ve seen less kickback for people simping for real-world mass shooters and serial killers than I have for fans of Homie, which is WILD but yeah!!

I think it’s because Kripke decided to make him a Trump allegory that makes people so quick to jump us over it honestly. I feel like if he wasn’t, a LOT more people would openly like him too. 

More below the cut:

90% of the criticisms I see toward Homie fans is “he’s LITCHERALLY TRUMP” and/or something about Stormfront.  Some people go the “he’s a r*pist” route, which, sure, valid, but then this is not the same energy a lot of fans of r*pist characters have gotten.  I remember with shows like GoT, where characters could be any number of awful things (including r*pists), there wasn’t necessarily as much vilification of people for liking those characters, and, even though I didn’t watch much of the show, I know daaaaamn well we got some qualifiers in there.  That’s just an example, and there’s certainly others that prove the point. Soldier Boy was downright HORRIBLE to the women he was around, but we barely see criticism there and it's pretty heavily implied he's ignored consent many times in his own time given the way he treats women - plus we know he s*xually abused Gunpowder. Anyway, if that energy isn’t being directed in nearly the same capacity there or elsewhere, then it’s primarily likely to be either reason one or two, and I definitely would put my money on number one.  And like, being a Homelander enjoyer has not made me a Trump enjoyer. In fact, I have a pretty visceral reaction of disgust every time I see that rat bitch on the news lmao.  

Being a Homelander simp certainly does not mean we approve of his every act, but media morality police think this is not the case. I think a lot of people– and this was 100% exacerbated during covid shutdowns imo– have started to see media consumption as a form of morality and feel as though your enjoyment of something is a perfect spreadsheet of who you are as a person.  I mean, there have always been people like this, but it’s gotten worse and significantly more annoying in recent years.  I think the death of media literacy is also contributing heavily here because there being a lack of critical thinking associated with media consumption has so many people painting everything in a purely black and white context. Like this is good, this is bad, there is no middle ground in which people can consume this or appreciate that without it being a moral violation.  Which is… increasingly concerning lol.   

All media has problematic elements somewhere/somehow, and basically all characters do as well.  However, very few have the director jerking off and going “i’m SOOOOO smart for comparing him to trump omfg” and constantly shoving shoehorned political and social commentary into the script the way Kripke does (ask me how I felt about the transphobia ‘commentary’ this season and I will write you a thesis paper about how bad, ineffective, and mostly insulting to trans viewers it was). He’s so fired up to make the two a mirror image that even Antony Starr has said he’s sometimes checking Kripke and telling him that taking it too far reduces the character to one or two dimensional at best unless the comparisons directly relate to the narrative of the character.   The allegories have been effective in keeping people (for the most part) from viewing Homelander as a hero, but it’s also created a lot of senseless vitriol for people who actually do enjoy the character whether strictly because of the character himself or because they’re simping (I do both 😂).

So uh… that’s my extremely long two-cents. Hopefully it makes sense as I’m a little sleep deprived at the moment and just got out of a two hour long lecture lol

[tokofagkawa]

Toko already had a bad inferiority complex and trust issues. Aside from the FTE in DR1 which are optional you kinda notice that she’s not very close with the other DR1 cast even after becoming survivors. Seriously look at the DRwiki for her relationship with the others and compare it to Komaru the disparity is crazy.

Makoto she can open up to because of her FTE but that’s optional and in fact Makoto has more interactions with Syo than Toko.

She does not have much interactions with Kyoko which yeah now that I think about it she’s pretty distant from Kyoko I can’t remember if they ever talked to each other.

Yasuhiro she’s overall ambivalent mostly calling him an idiot (deserved most of the time). I’m pretty sure Hiro mostly avoids cause he’s afraid of Syo.

Aoi yeah her and Syo loves staring at Aoi body and making suggestive quips (We know what you are Toko) but aside from that she only tried to fight Asahina when Hina understandably slapped Togami. She is considerate of Hina in regards to telling her the news about what happened to Yuta.

Togami, well the less said about him the better. Literally the first person she decided to trust and he immediately outs her D.I.D and tries to pin the murder on her just for fun. Everything after that is a one-sided crush that’s so uncomfortable and it’s not even funny. He’s just rude to her throughout the game and this does not even improve in any games after when he gets a little nicer.

yeah this is why it miffs me a bit when people call the thh survivors "found family" because... its pretty obvious that Toko (and by extension,Syo) is very much outcast. Like I can understand why the other survivors would not want to be friends with Toko but it's insane that it seems like no one really stood up for her when she's being very obviously mistreated by the future foundation. Again I can understand why the future foundation wouldn't want someone with a double digit body count of perceived innocent people as an official member, but refusing to provide her with clean clothes, forcing her to harm herself so they can use her mental disorder as a tool (not to mention Syo is an entire person they are treating as just a weapon) is straight-up abusive. This is why I headcanon that post-udg Toko and Komaru refuse to officially join the future foundation, though obviously they still have to work with them.

Komaru is genuinely so sweet and lovely to Toko so it bothers me so much when people try to say one is "abusing" the other. I've seen anti-Tokomaru Toga//fuka shippers claiming that Komaru is abusive to Toko for... pointing out that she smells bad?? understandably calling Toko out when she acts like a dick?? which is wild cause. look what your man does. And of course there are the people who think that Toko is the Greatest Evil and will never change. it's just insane to me that people want to take away the only friend Toko has ever had.

[penroseparticle]

Penrose Album of the Day, Day 37: open this wall by berlioz

Surprise! I bet you were expecting a single song. Strap in though, I went a little crazy here. God this album came out literally a week ago and I am head over heels in love with it. Have you ever had love at first sight with something but with your ears? I have.

There’s times when songs or albums or artists or what have you grab me by the lapels and say “I AM SPEAKING DIRECTLY TO YOU. OPEN YOUR HEART WHILE I POUR THE WORLD INSIDE” and I am stuck standing, grinning like a fool with my open socket heart. I think the first time I was aware it was happening was at a concert. I was going to go see Reptar, a band the guy I was dating at the time really liked. The opener was this band I had also never heard of, Young Empires (I had barely heard of Reptar, to be honest. That said they’re not bad, Ice Black Sand is a good listen if you’re interested). The band started to warm up, they looked like nothing special, and well, then they started playing.

I was probably one of the tallest people at the venue of maybe 50-100 people, which was notable but not that weird. Sometimes being 6’1” makes you stand out. Or maybe I’m mythologizing the moment in my head; people tend to do that. Maybe I only remember the bits that matter to me. What matters though, and this is true- what matters is I was taller by about a head than every person in front of me, and I was 5-6 people deep in the crowd. So I had a full, clear view of the stage, and of Matthew Vlahovich (The lead singer). So when the song Sunshine came on, and I slowly realized that I was about to be carried away by this song, and be this band’s fan for life, Matthew watched the creeping realization and delirious, wild smile crawling over my face, the love blooming like a tender beansprout in my heart. And he pointed at me and smiled, still singing the song. I was hooked for the entire set.

I never remember it’s a Reptar concert, by the way. I couldn’t tell you a single song they played. But I won’t forget Young Empires.

I love when the message makes it perfectly to me. I love when I see the vision. I hear the secret. I can’t express what makes a song do this for me either. By all accounts I can’t even tell what gives a song that quality. What’s the rhyme, what’s the reason. There are songs I truly, absolutely love that did not strike me in that fashion. But there are other songs, or whole albums, where this happened. Sunshine by Young Empires. Smoke by Victoria Monet. And now ascension by berlioz grabbed me and never let go.

After I listened to this album in full, I went on a dive and the first thing I saw berlioz’s spotify profile. “If Matisse made house music”. Fuck that’s so pretentious. So. X meets Y. It’s essential, in a way. A great, pithy one liner to describe your music. But like. That’s so arrogant!!! That’s like calling yourself the Da Vinci of music. Like saying not only am I the best at what I do, but I’m directly comparable to not just someone equally as skilled in another medium. But long lasting and prolific. Matisse is a household name for an art style people couldn’t pick out of a lineup some days. And don’t get me wrong, some days I’m people. Matisse. Christ.

I literally can’t disagree though, is the best part. How shocking to be prepared for bad taste, only to find an apt comparison. Even the cover art is very The Cutouts meets Blue Algal meets Madame Matisse in a Kimono meets who gives a rats ass what I think. What do you think. What does this album art make you feel. Do you like it? Is the white background with the vibrant colors reminiscent of something for you? Did you mistake it for a work of art? Was that a mistake? Isn’t it beautiful? How lucky.

I sound like an art teacher. I should be embarrassed but I’m just enthralled. I sound pretentious. Like this means something. And it does, but I don’t talk this way about everything. I don’t talk this way about things that I even feel more strongly about or find more important. Maybe I’ve gotten old, or joy is infectious, or I just like writing words in any order. Maybe everyone else knows the secret that music should enthuse. I don’t know. I just know this album makes me feel like it’s a balmy summer night, which is lucky, because it is. And I want to tell everyone.

Berlioz wants that too- his first EP was titled jazz is for ordinary people. There’s this sentence my roommate used and I’ve never really forgotten it. “People wear jewelry to tell you something”. And well. Artists name tracks to tell you something to. They reference to tell you something. They choose album art. To tell you something. The medium? It’s calling you, and the metadata berlioz has included in his work smacks you over and over again- this music is not special, or for smart people, for the erudite or the well read or the people who can use the big fancy music words. This music was for you. For me. It’s for us to enjoy. Period.

Matisse made art like a good comfy armchair, and berlioz makes art like the music playing in the coffee shop with that armchair in it. So the comparison isn’t a bad one, OK. That’s not to say I think berlioz is Matisse levels of good. I’m saying he has an understanding of narrative. Of evocation. I’m saying he might be a wizard, perhaps. (I guess I AM saying berlioz might be Matisse levels of good, but a good debut is simply that, right?). Matisse is even sampled on one of his works- la danse, from 2022. He gave a radio interview and berlioz just. Sampled his inspiration.

There’s a Rolling Stone Interview where he’s talking about his sample work actually and I do love what he says- he’s talking about the Nancy Wilson sample from open this wall (the namesake track), and what he says about spontaneity and how sampling can be more evocative due to its nature, like. The fact that any sample is not intended for use in the song it’s being used in, so it’s earnest and somehow, despite being recorded many moons ago, fresh and spontaneous. A thought fully formed springing from the head, like Athena. I think jazz, house, and black classical (ode to rashaan was very clear ok) all lend themselves to this dreamy, illustrative, almost building block-esque feel that a lot of Matisse’s art gives me. Dance (I) but given auditory form. Where you can take pieces and fit them together and have something that’s more than the sum of its parts.

Open This Wall is 34 minutes long. 34 minutes! She is baby. She is tiny. I want to hold her, this newborn babe, carried into this world so gently, with such promise. I don’t think anything really taught me about potential as much as this tiny musical blip. This short, infinitesimal series of soundwaves. This cosmic ant of an album, engulfed by the world and not even trying to hide it. 34 minutes isn’t just enough. It’s perfect. Ascension grabs you with some truly smooth saxophone (I hope most ardently that it’s Attlee himself playing it) and just the most quietly groovable house track you’ve ever rolled molly to. And 30 minutes later you’re free. But changed.

This music simultaneously is music I think I could dance with someone to. Music I could make dinner to. Music I could read to. Music I could fall asleep to. This is music, most importantly, I would wholeheartedly recommend to you if you are excited to try something new. Dip your toe into some house music, or some jazz.

If 34 minutes is too much of your time, my 4 personal favorite songs are ascension, open this wall, something will happen, and nymtp.

You could, however, use this as an excellent jumping off point for some other music. My favorite thing about music like this is that. The samples are a way deeper. You can listen to Nancy Wilson. See what drew berlioz to her in the first place. On ode to rashaan, you hear a sample extolling black classical music, and the song is written about Rashaan Roland Kirk. Do you want to dig deeper, to find the connections? I’ll let you look up the sample. A good puzzle for those who care.

I genuinely, wholeheartedly loved this album. And hey. You could be dead right now. Go listen to something you love. I know I am.

[maochira]

Can we have ryuuse as a twin brother 👉👈? I know this dude will act as if he is older by 5 years not 5 minutes, so not much of a difference than a normal sibling but one thing for sure (based on my twin cousins) he will have a soul level connection with them ><. Like one day his twin is on date which ended up with a bad break up, and then he suddenly has this nagging uncomfortable feeling in his chest while practising ><. This unknown sad/painful/something is wrong feeling out of no where which drives him crazy. He seems not acting his usual self during practise and even stopped half way just to call his twin and make sure ... and yeah T_T they tried to sound 'normal' and lie, but oh thats doesn't work when you have a twin T_T.

Funfact! I am actually Shidou's twin irl! Jokes aside, we really have the same birthday (and it makes me very happy to share my birthday with one of my favourite characters)

Requests open!

Current writing event

Tags: gn!twin!reader, silly goofy sibling headcanons

-even though you're twins, Ryusei acts like an older brother all the time. Well, there are some occasions when he actually acts accordingly to your age difference, but he even calls himself your "big brother" and you his "little sibling" all the time

-you go to the same school in the same class, so teachers tend to compare you a lot. Ryusei being Ryusei, he's not on best behaviour most of the time. All the time, actually. Teachers always tell him things like "You should act more like (Y/N)."

-you definitely got the same craziness as Ryusei hidden in you, but you're better at controlling it in the correct situations

-you're not a soccer player, but you go wild in your own passions! Which Ryusei supports very much. He loves seeing you being as passionate about something as he is about soccer

-him acting like an older brother all the time is something that doesn't bother you at all. You grew up that way, so it's nothing out of the ordinary. But it confuses other people all the time when they find out you're twins

-he does have some reason to call himself your big brother, tho. He's much taller than you. And he will forever tease you about you being smaller

-because you're twins, you just have this connection that lets the other sense how they're feeling. You immediately notice when even a tiny thing is off about the other one

-when Ryusei notices you're feeling unwell, he always starts asking tons of questions about what happened, who hurt you and who he has to beat up

-and despite you telling him not to, he definitely has started fights with people who have hurt you. And he would do it again at any point in time

-whenever you notice he's feeling unwell, you ask him to talk about his feelings. He always refuses to at first, but whenever he notices you're getting very worried about him, he does open up

-Ryusei has a lot of violent urges and built-up anger inside of him. But there's also a lot of frustration and sometimes sadness, which he doesn't like to talk about. You're the only person he ever does talk to about it, even if it takes a bit to get him to open up

[siderealscribblings]

Hello. I hope you're okay with me dumping every ounce of my adoration for you The Games of Divinity series here, because I simply cannot stay silent any longer. I read the whole thing yesterday in the span of fifty three minutes at one a.m. with my eyes barely open and a blanket up to my chin so it was truly one of those Authentic Fic Experiences TM. I'm obsessed. I'm enraptured. I'm in love.

Your character analyses of Neuvillette and Furina? Chef's kiss. I am throwing them into a glass jar and shaking vigorously to watch them bounce off the walls. I am chewing on them like a four year old with unlimited access to a bag of Starburst and every flavour in their mouth at once. I am gripping you by the shoulders with tears streaming down my face because you have ruined every fic I read for the next two hundred and sixteen business days. Nothing will ever compare. Sanity is a long lost dream. Your AO3 account isn't a prison, it's home.

If you can't already tell, I adore your work. As a writer myself, I get gender envy while reading it. Except its writing style envy. Your use of italics for highlighting humour is wonderful. The shift in dynamic across the years with Furina and Neuvillette is masterfully done. It's hard to ship Neuvifuri because to me it's only appealing in one of two scenarios: an AU where Neuvillette knows, or one in which he begs pitifully for Furina's forgiveness after trapping her and putting her on trial without knowing what she was going through. Your fic is easily the best example of the former I've ever read. The only reason I haven't flooded your inbox with Kudos and AO3 comments is because my account is acting up and I had to read as a guest.

I love every chapter. Like actually. The first one? Seeing their initial attitudes towards each other was fascinating. The one where Neuvillette gets The Horny? Literally so funny and somehow hot as hell at the same time. The chapter from the POV of the Gardes? Hilarious and an incredibly creative way of showcasing their relationship from the perspective of an outsider. On that note, the Gardes themselves are such colourful characters, I think it's amazing how you went to the effort to give everyone such a distinctive personality. Also the scene with Xiao and Zhongli was scrumptious, that one line... "Zhongli placed a hand on the back of his neck, thumb gently kneading the soft spot where his neck and shoulder met like a man scruffing an unruly cat." That's so cute to me. Your Honour. They are so cute. And Neuvi being all baffled by himself for trying to intimidate Zhongli was endlessly amusing, especially when you said something along the lines of '"Neuvillette didn't mind being spoken of like a dog in heat, but he drew the line at barbs being aimed at Furina." You nail the dynamics every single time. Wild.

The internal conflicts of both Furina and Neuvillette are delightful as well. Furina's guilt for needing Neuvillette versus Neuvillette wishing Furina would let herself need him? Collapses. I am bleeding from multiple stab wounds. It's so eiohrohsiowiourwhrf. They're so vdhkfhoewirdkf. Neuvillette being awed by her humanity versus Furina wishing she could properly hide it. Neuvillette wishing he could share her altruism but knowing he would send a fleet to die in Furina's place even if she despised him for it. Banging my fist on the table. The intrinsic protectiveness and the guilt of needing to be protecting. Clutching my head in my hands. Tearing out my hair. Shuddering like I'm attached to an electric chair cranked up to the highest voltage.

I would suffer the trials of every hero from Greek mythology to read more of it.

Thanks for reading! Love hearing your thoughts on this; I think one of the big appeals about this pairing is crazy devotion that can happen between two people lying to God's face. It's like the greatest hits of every ship that's tickled my brain over the years and I'm glad I have an opportunity to play around with it.

No Neman Lions will need to be slain for the next chapter (probably)

[minkschasijasi]

About "disaster twins" there is so much room to play in half brothers of the same age but dont shars a birthday, raised together but not twins both middle children struggling with issues stemming from that but without a particularly strong bond (as compared to the collective) between them. I personally find it a shame how strongly the fandom latched onto the twin idea ignoring what word of god has said about it. Its a unique dynamic as is.

Real. Honestly, idm disaster twins that much ,, i think they’re a great duo ,, heck—it’s a sturdy dynamic. Sometimes i just get struck with the thought that their twin roles are not at all canon and it breaks my perspective of the entire fandom for a moment.

Cause jeez! Mkey’s mystic injuries on his arms didn’t seem canon, by the way they showed it near the end of the sequence where Leo was pulled out of the portal and into Staten Island

Or Raph being partially or becoming fully blind in one eye because of his kraang transformation

Even the entirety of the future family in the kraangpocalypse are non-existent, we only know leo and mikey’s designs, that they are leo and mikey in the future, and that they were one of, if not, the last groups to be alive during the end of that starting scene. Majority (shoutout to Cass Apocalyptic Series and L.O.V.E.!) took deleted scenes from the opening, the actual opening shot as well, and spun a wild story out of it.

No shame though, i love every one of those guys i absolutely die inside out of sheer excitement when these guys post.

Kinda crazy though, how literally 50% of my hyperfixations are complete headcanons and alternate universes

Shows how starved we are as rottmnt fans 😭

More words under cut <3 (duh)

But to follow with anon’s thoughts on the twin shtick with the blue and purple turtles, i guess it just follows the majority’s preferences on how much bullying we can create out of these chaotic middle children. Out of the four turtles, those two are most likely the most popular—and we all probably know the rule with our favorite character/s.

Either we give them the entire world, or we make them suffer tremendously before giving them the entire world.

I see the half-brothers-same-age-but-not-twins idea being a really cool change from the usual disaster twins content ,, they’d both strike me dead, positively.

With them having similar placement issues on the team, i find that without the twin dynamic between them would have to build a more sturdy relationship instead of the route a lot of people, probably including me, take—which is to say they already had that bridge build to each other and are able to confide in each other their said problems and complaints.

Though the twins idea does bring up a more dramatic and conflicting flares between the two when it comes to sibling fights, especially serious ones. Cause, when you’re siblings you got a connection, but when you’re twins (fraternal or not) you’ve probably got a bigger bond than the usual. This is probably one of the reasons why so many rottmnt fanfic writers or even people who don’t do that and just make rando content on the two prefer this connection—it allows that sweet, sweet angst.

I guess, we just play around with this a lot. I mean, thing with cutting shows in half is that it will allow fans the freedom to do whatever they wish with it, especially since this show started growing in popularity a while ago. I just enjoy being in the fray of it all :)))

[crusherthedoctor]

📞 a character others dislike but you don’t?

♠️ favorite protagonist?

🕷️a character you feel is underrated?

📞 - a character others dislike but you don't?

Elise has gained more appreciation over time, but you still get people who think she's to blame for everything wrong with '06. She was a decent if underdeveloped character who simply wasn't used in the story that well, and anyone who thinks turning her into a Not-Sally is the only way to fix her isn't trying.

There's also Zor and Marine, both of whom I will always defend. Isn't it wild how I can barely remember anything from The End's three minute tough guy Reddit copypasta, yet everything Zor says is solid gold... shout out to IDW for missing the point and making him an unironic tryhard like every other villain in the comic. As for Marine, people act as though her character development never happened, which isn't helped by Flynn being one of those very people, and I don't understand why they give her flak for her stereotypical accent, yet make no such complaints about Bunnie.

For a couple of non-Sonic examples: King Sombra kind of went through the same arc as Elise in retrospect. As in, nowadays he has more open fans, but back when he made his debut, he received a disproportionate amount of flak for being a mostly silent villain, and the way he was used. I personally appreciated what they were going for with him, mainly cause of how they conveyed his Crazy Prepared defenses and the like, and honestly, by the time FiM concluded, I think he ended up better off than certain other villains lmao.

And of course, Moneybags. Not counting the first game (cause he didn't exist yet), I don't consider it a true Spyro experience if Winnie the Shit doesn't pop up in increasingly improbable locations to make deals in exchange for, *ahem*, a small fee. He also has some of the best lines. ("What are you going to do, sue me?")

♠️ - favourite protagonist?

Gex is unironically a better written character than everyone in Frontiers and IDW put together. This realisation makes me want to drink tap water at Jerry Garcia's.

Tails has always been my main bro out of the Sonic good guys, cause of how smart he is and how much he wants to help. :D It's also why I'm vocal about how much I despise it when fans double down on reducing the franchise to Just Furry DBZ due to super forms and whatnot, since it means Tails and other characters not named Sonic/Shadow/Silver are guaranteed to be treated even more like they're not good for anything meaningful. >:|

Then there's Spyro of course, which I know will be considered ironic to some given my complex feelings on Sonic, but truth be told, Spyro isn't really that similar to Sonic beyond some snark. He does admittedly act like a dude with tude in the first game, but it's clear that he's younger in that one. From the second game onward, where he's slightly older, he's considerably more chill... at least compared to Bubsy and many others from the 90's. And speaking of, despite his dialogue consisting entirely of WOAH, I respect Crash as well, since it was the bandicoot that got little me into the world of video games.

And many things change, but my fondness for Fluttershy will never die. Just as I have a preference for funny robot-loving villains who nonetheless remain a legit serious threat instead of being a joke, I have another preference for kindhearted quiet characters... which is why I also enjoy Trip... and Tikal... look, we all have our types, I'm sure you can sympathise. ;P

🕷️ - a character you feel is underrated?

The Hard-Boiled Heavies have mostly been pushed aside since Mania came out (aside from that one IDW story, but that's not a blessing), and it makes me madder than YouTubers who pretend they're mad because there are villains with dialogue who have less personality than these guys. They're so much fun, and despite all of them having the same Egg Robo template, their designs remain distinct from each other, even in silhouette form.

I also took to Ariem early on. Like the Heavies, "underrated" refers to general lack of fandom buzz compared to other characters, since although she appears to be quite liked, the acknowledgement given to her is somewhat limited due to her being stuck in an Android-only game for the time being. Some people also have an obsession with comparing her unfavourably to either Sage or Lanolin, for reasons I can probably guess in both cases. Me? I love her design, and her interactions with Cream and Knuckles are cute. :> I know it's not likely, but I hope she appears elsewhere so that she can be brought to more fans' attention... provided she doesn't get IDW'd.

Finally, a more complicated example: Metal Sonic. Now yes, he's very popular and beloved, and remains so to this day, but during the last couple of years, I feel I've been seeing two growing sides in the community when it pertains to him: the side who loves Neo Metal Sonic, and believe he's only a threat in that form like Flynn apparently believes (given how he often turns regular Metal into a jobber), and the side who consider him lame or essentially worthless because of his minimal characterization compared to others. He might not say much, and he might be a hedgehog-shaped tool of Eggman's ambition rather than a complete person of his own, but I believe there's a lot you can do with Metal that wouldn't require turning him into Usurper the Elf Shoes. OVA Metal ain't S-tier for nothing.

[wibble-wobbegong]

What are your thoughts on the wild fluctuation of Mike's outfits in s2? He's either wearing his fancy ass collared argyle sweater OR a blue hoodie that's falling off one shoulder half the time

The juxtaposition always gets to me

OH MY GOD this was actually something me and @aemiron-main talked about once and i think his perspective differed a little but also was incredibly based so he’s getting @ ed in case he wants to jump in on this

this is something that happens every season, but mike’s clothes always tend to parallel ted’s. for the two outfits you’re talking about, here’s ted’s versions of them

same hoodie, same argyle print. there are a few key differences though

I know your original question was about the difference between mike’s outfits, but first i wanna look at each of them in relation to ted. at their base, both of these colors are light grays, arguably white, and white is a color a heavily associated with self acceptance or living the truth (think el at the end of s4 or nancy’s halloween outfit when she admits to not loving steve). both ted and mike are comfortable in who they are on some level this season. yes, mike is insecure as always, but he knows what his goals are and he’s strong in his relationships with the people around him. the first two seasons are mike at his most confident, and mike doesn’t hold back his emotions this season nearly as much as he does in the later ones. he’s not afraid of himself here. ted seems to be pretty okay with being the stalest man alive

so the difference? ted’s clothes are particularly plain in comparison. there’s nothing else adding to his personality, he’s mostly a blank slate. he’s the epitome of normal, which makes it easy to accept who he is. mike’s, however, maintain the pattern of horizontal stripes. we see it in pretty much all of his outfits in season 1 and 2. the costume designers talked about including triangles in robin’s s3 outfit to indicate queerness, but in my opinion there’s an even more obvious design choice that indicates queerness. stripes.

we see stripes in a lot of will’s outfits too, but an even more obvious example of this design choice are the scoops ahoy outfits

steve has horizontal stripes, but compared to robin?? the stripes go unnoticed in steve’s outfit, but robin is shoving the stripes in your face because they’re an important part of the outfit.

what does that mean for mike’s outfits? mike has self confidence, but there’s more to it than that. there’s also that indicator of queerness that greatly differs from ted. it’s directly showing us that mike is different from ted through the clear change in pattern.

the jacket itself also works as an indication of how open mike is being with his queer feelings. i’m of the belief that mike realized his feelings in s2, hence the repression kicking in during s3, and his jacket gives us a visual of mike slowly realizing his own feelings, unconsciously at first but by the time the jacket is open his feelings towards will become more and more obvious

the jacket slowly opens up, starting where you can barely see the shirt underneath, to it being more open at the top when he goes to the byers and it stays like that up until will goes to the hospital. we don’t really see mike’s jacket until the scene where will is trying to recall his memory. mike was probably starting to pick up on something here, considering we can literally see him getting shy about it, which we haven’t really seen from him before (crazy together wasn’t really shyness in the same way though there were soft smiles. mike was more entranced by will and feeling the warmth of no longer feeling alone than he was being shy like he is here)

even though he’s starting to question things, i don’t think he fully understands what he’s feeling till his shed monologue, which adds the half lighting we see in s3 and 4 in regards to mike’s romantic life

mike has one other outfit with this hoodie

his undershirt is the polar opposite of the one we see him wear with will. where his other shirt has a light under-color and blue and yellow stripes, this shirt has a much darker under-color and the the stripes are very thin, barely visible blue bands followed by prominent red and white. mike’s relationship with el in the way we last saw it (romantic) isn’t opening mike to being who he really is and we can barely see himself in these moments. a lot of his feelings for el are rooted in survivor’s guilt, feeling indebted to her, and grief. that small bit of white shows that some of his care for el is legitimate, but only on a deeper level; he cares for el at her core, but a lot of mike’s current perception is rooted in things that aren’t true to himself because he’s gay and isn’t actually romantically interested in el

but yeah! hope that makes sense!! i’m writing this during my psych class lmao

[modern-inheritance]

Rank at least 5 characters in the order of how much you love them. Then do the same but with how much your au changed them compared to the canon ♥️

Ooo that's hard. We can start with the obvious and somewhat less obvious:

Loved Characters:

Arya. My girl, my badass crazy elf chick, my damaged string bean, the person who kicks me in the head at night, the character that got me into writing when I had spent my entire life abohoring writing my own words in all forms.

Brom. What can I say? He's everyone's dad.

Saphira! Sassy! Young, definitely wise beyond her years, but still young.

Here's where you typically lose me, or I lose you. but! we will indeed continue, with the ones that make people question my sanity:

4. Durza. Delightfully, deliciously evil, and just for the sake of being so. Many doors opened for me to explore due to this thing's depravity. 5. Uuuuuuuuuh. You know what? Yeah! Eragon! He learns! And he loves learning! How slow and painful his life would have been without the space, opportunity and means to explore himself and the world the way he did through his travels and training with Saphira! He hungers for knowledge, the hows and whys. And though he's young, and he makes mistakes, he learns from them and takes responsibility as he matures. And I have mad respect for all of that.

Rankings by MIC Character Changes:

Arya. Yeaaaah. I know we know very little of her true history and life, but MIC was sorta started as a way to explore PTSD and Arya's life. She's far more brash, wild and spitfire in MIC, but, when you look at how she acts when in 'public' in MIC (and I've not...really...written anything that shows this yet I'm realizing), she's damn near the same to her canon counterpart when acting as combat liaison officer in the public/court/official eye. But I wanted to give her space to breathe, I guess, and a chance to process and go through her trauma. Iunno. I prefer my version of her to the canon, but without the canon I would't have her!

Brom. There is a lot that you guys haven't seen or heard about Brom that I've had planned for years. A few moments that I have in mind: We get Brom's rage-revenge years in the pre-Eragon/pre-war era stories of Arya and the Squaddies. Brom causing the death of civilians, including children in a pinpoint focused drive to capture/kill an agent of a Forsworn that was using a town as a meatshield, so he lies to Arya about there being no one else in the building they need to target so that she'll agree to allow him to cast magic through her (conduit casting, useful for spellcasters who have a better understanding of a spell yet a weakened connection to magic but have access to a willing, stronger spellcaster who can open their mind to them to use their energy and 'scaffolding' in a way to channel the spell, or just to amplify a normal spell by 'bouncing' it around the 'scaffolding' and am i making sense it make sense to me i'll do more later sorry) but she senses the lie at the last moment due to their minds being linked which leads to an explosion due to the conflict between spell directing and yeah uh...things are bad between them for a while (this is the Thornwell incident mentioned in 'Collateral'). Brom, like Arya, is given a long stretch of time in Ellesmera and Eragon and Saphira's training where he has little to ground him or work to distract him and he eventually spirals into alcoholism, end of life ideation and is eventually chained to a toilet for a week or two to sober up and get his head on straight. Oh, and he lives. That's big.

Glenwing! We know absolutely nothing about Glenwing other than that he liked birds. I tried to give him a character, and while I do sometimes feel like I don't give him enough individuality, I'm trying to do that more often. He also lives, but like...only...if we're going by burn percentages for like body percentage then he lives only 91%. Cuz...the arm. Yeah.

I...don't have anyone really for four.

Eragon and Saphira! I know I don't show them much, but I feel like they stay fairly true to their baseline and merely branch out rather than be completely changed from their original. People can correct me on this though, if they can find enough posted material for either of them!

I can't even say I changed Durza, just...made him worse. Amplified his weird and ick and bad.

TORIN! JFC, I LITERALLY MADE ROSE GUY A CHARACTER.

I am low brain right now but thank you for your patience on this one, anon. It's very hard for me to actually pick up the changes after so long with MIC. I feel my versions are canon more often than not. Which might be why I'm having such a hard time finishing Murtagh.

Cheers mate! Thanks for the ask!

[slashingdisneypasta]

Omggg with all the talk of Kingston and Ryan in the Slasher AU and my obsession with your boys now, I want to send this ask of how my girls truly feel about your kangaroos XD

Ryan

Poppy: In general, I think these two would wind up getting along best (though he is your character, so whether that's true on your end is up to you ^^). She can see he's a sad soul similar to her, and it's enough to encourage her to keep an open mind about him. And of course, they can bond over animals XD if she ever heard about his passed girlfriend, she would be so so heartbroken for him and caring. Asking how he's doing now and such. All in all, I can see Ryan being somewhat like Wheezy to Poppy, as in he's the most sane member of this gang and the one she can trust the most XD

Shiny: She totally thinks he's cute at first XD though she can also see there's something bugging him (is Ryan just that sad, or are these girls emotionally intuitive? XD). She can appreciate how comparatively calm he is to the rest of the Vegas environment. It's a breath of fresh air. And of course, Ryan gets points for getting on Poppy's good side ^^ she doesn't get into his personal life, though. As the saying goes, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. She doubts anything between her and Ryan will go anywhere outside of this city.

Kingston

Poppy: She's... A bit apprehensive. His missing eye and unkempt appearance is pretty concerning. But she knows you can't judge a book by its cover, so as long as he kept his crazy to himself, she would be willing to talk ^^ like woth the weasels, she doesn't approve of his criminal lifestyle, and a part of her will be scared of him unless they got to know each other better, but she's still polite abd respectful (... I'm thinking maybe Poppy might find him handsome, too? Look, this girl shagged a fox, a wolf, and has four ships with weasels. Girls got a kink for the bad boys and she doesn't even realize it)

Shiny: Eh, he doesn't scare her. Granted, she is smart enough to know that in this city, this guy is the one making the rules, not Smartass. So she can't just do what she likes as freely as before. But she's not gonna show any signs of fear or treat him any differently just because he's the boss, and is unimpressed with his intimidation tactics. She can easily match his crazy, too, so if either one of them fuck around, they're both gonna find out XD do you think Shiny would remind Kingston of Rena?

Rena

I know we've discussed the girls with Rena before, but I NEED to go in depth with them XD

Poppy: This poor girl is going to get bullied, I just know it 😂 Rena does remind her a bit of Shiny, with how pretty, wild, and uncaring for others' opinions she is... But she is far meaner than Shiny is. At least the weasel can be sweet and fun with her loved ones! Rena, though, is a whole mess. Poppy is trying to be unassuming and polite, but this woman is really making her wish she could turn invisible. She doesn't understand why this kangaroo woman is targeting her of all people, and with how crazy she is, Poppy knows she's gotta be careful. Just... Poppy is going to suffer XD.

Shiny: Nope. Hell no. Shiny did not like Rena's vibes when they locked eyes. It was partially a territorial thing, yes. But Shiny just knew that this woman was the wrong kind of crazy. If Rena is stirring up shit at her club in L.A, then at least Shiny has the home advantage. But in Vegas, she knows that she can't really do much- which only pisses her off more. At least not without consequences... Shiny will still smash a martini glass over Rena's head in Vegas, but she'll at least TRY to take Rena down with her words instead just so she won't have to deal with the Roo Gang 😅

I can see the girls maybe went to Las Vegas on a weekend girls trip? Shiny convinced Poppy to take some time off work and pack her best outgoing clothes for a relaxing trip, only to run into the Roo Trio and get into your usual mafia hijinks- but with kangaroos and casinos XD

what do you think? How do the Roo's feel about the girls? Any particular feelings or just that they're headaches? XD you don't have to answer if you don't want to, of course! ^^

I've been looking forward to answering this all weekend! XD I've decided I'm gonna write the responses in the characters' voices as practise XD So like, this is as if you went up them asked 'what do you think of so-and-so'.

Kingston's Thoughts:

Ben: Is he here!??? *looking around, kinda manic* I've been looking for that little s h i t- I owe him a beating. Fuck, don't tease me- OH OH OH- I see him!! OY THERE- I WANNA TALK TO YOU-

Henry: This fucken guy 🙄Look, if he keeps Rena outta the usual trouble, thats cool, but he's such a dick. I don't trust him for a second.

Moony: Oooooh boy, that guy... *jumps his shoulders, grinning a little self-happy grin* I get a shiver every time someone mentions him. Dudes enough to make a guy consider cock. No really, I thought about it. 'think he's still in love with Pops, though.

Poppy: Sweetgirl! She reminds me of Ryan- reliable; better then any of us fucked up losers. She's got a good heart and I truly hope she can keep it. *shrugs*

Shiny: She's one of the losers *(affectionate)*. I like her! We're fucked up by the world but we're still kickin'. Hope she knows its just business if she steps outta line and I gotta deal with her.

Terry: Unproblematic. We all like an unproblematic old dude.

Rena's Thoughts:

*warning Rena is explicit 😅XD

Ben: Delicious. God, he's such a twirp!! Such a little self important cock sucker. I wanna see if I can actually get him to... you know... suck something for me 😏 Maybe wine? Pop-sie, whadaya think? Consider it vengeance on your behalf, if you like *eyeroll*, but c'mon, gimmie the inside scoop-

Henry: *deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep breath, eyes closed* ... holy shit that man- Henry- he- fuck. I need him like I need a i r. Why do you ask? Have you see him??

Moony: *sighhhhhhhhh* i tried. I k n o w he has a huge dick- I know it!! And if I can ever get it in me I'll take the opportunity. But he's such a good guy, he wouldn't touch me. Oh well~ There are other fish in the sea.

Poppy: Theirs a misconception that I don't like her for some reason?? I actually l o v e her?? 😅😆 She's so sweet and docile. Perfect victim. I'd fuck her if she wanted-

Shiny: ... *cackles* She's so much fun! I love her! What a babe. Unfortunately I don't think she returns the sentiment *fake pout* *switch to a smirk* 😏😏😏 XD

Terry: Godddddddddddddd he drives me a little nutty XD He's so... relaxed. Seems to have it all figured out. And he wont gimmie a second glance! I want that old man cock, damnit.

Ryan's Thoughts:

Ben: ... yikes.

Henry: Well- he's perfect for Rena, so...

Moony: Cool guy. Here, in my wallet I got snaps of Cake- thats his rabbit- cutest thing ever.

Poppy: ... Kingston said everything. She's a sweet girl, and I hope she stays that way /: *doubtful*

Shiny: I like her- she gives Rena a hard time, and I love my sister, but she needs that sometimes. Okay, all the time.

Terry: Oh the old guy comes over sometimes to hang with Wheezy

*Ryan is not super wordy, sorry XD

BONUS! Lottie Weasel

Ben: *Looking stiff in her chair, fingers making indentations in the leather arms, frustrated look on her face* ... I promised Poppy I'd leave him alone. Next question, please.

Henry: Every time I think about Henry, I put a mark on this page here. *Shows you a page in her notebook that is totally blank* That guy is not shit.

Moony: !!✨️💕✨️💕✨️💕✨️💕✨️!! He's- hold on. *Looks around for Poppy, Smartass or Psycho. Turns back to you when she decides they're nowhere near* He's so hot. I- Oh my lord XD 😅

Poppy: I could write you a 26-book encyclopaedia series on how amazing Poppy is. She's such a good person, and I'm-... well I'm still trying to figure out how she does that ^^

Shiny: Haha- what to say about Shiny XD She gave me my first drink! She taught me how to paralyse a guy for a bit. I love her ^^

Terry: I love when Terry is at the club!! I'll sit with him the whole night and we don't have to t a l k, or anything. We just chill. And look, relaxation is a precious commodity at my house-

[thisliminalspacedaydreams]

Hits are not the people who read.

This is very important.

What is a hit?Hits are a counter of how many times a work has been accessed. A hit is registered every time a visitor navigates to a work's page, with the following exceptions:

If two visits in a row come from the same IP address, only the first one is registered.

Moving between chapters in a work will only register one hit in total, not one hit per chapter.

If you're logged in, hits are not counted when you visit your own works.

I've been seeing a lot of people being disheartened by the lack of ratio hit/comments but a hit isn't someone who read. It's someone who opened the page of your fic. Maybe they saw the blurb and thought, nah. Maybe they opened 53919381 works and then narrowed down. It's entirely possible that out of the "hits" you get, only a small, small, baby portion actually reads your fic.

Which isn't like, "good news" for you but it DOES mean that your perception is skewed.

I strongly recommend, for your own peace of mind, if that kind of data matters to you, that you focus on the people who are kudoing.

A kudo is most likely someone who DID read your fic.

And you can be sad that your work got 186 kudos and only 3 people left comments, but it's a lot less crazy in terms of stats than 1800 people reading your fic and 3 people leaving comments.

If I make sense.

Your feeling is 100% valid but you can't focus on the hits as a reference number my dear, it's going to crush you.

And I'm going to go further than this but this is all my own personal opinion and I realise not everyone thinks the way I do, so take it with a grain of salt.

Rare are the hobbies that get you interaction at all.

I never get kudos for finishing a puzzle. For bookbinding a project. For doing anything that I consider a hobby.

But I do get kudos for writing a thing and posting it on the internet, which is kind of wild. And by my estimate, the reward I get from writing it is enough. And finding people who write things that I like. And sometimes making friends with them.

AO3 isn't a website meant for validation. It's great when it happens but that's not its first purpose. It's *becoming* that because people are now deciding that AO3 is a social media website, which it isn't.

I'm actually so saddened that people are comparing hits and kudos and comments to others and I realise that it's the human condition (and when I'm weak, I do it too, I'm not better than anyone) but it's such a harsh thing to impose on yourself.

Writing is one of these mediums where you CANNOT COMPARE. Here's why.

Writing is a common hobby.

As a hobby, it has to remain a pleasure, a challenge, something exciting. And that can't be measured by how much people love your work. It has to be measured by how much YOU LOVE YOUR OWN WORK.

The trap of comparison is real, especially in creative fields like writing. But every writer's journey is unique, and no metric can quantify their value.

The moment creativity becomes a competition (even with yourself), the whole thing implodes.

The moment we start weighing our worth by the number of hits, kudos, or comments, we lose sight of why we started writing in the first place.

Feedback is fantastic, but it shouldn't be the sole reason you write.

Not everyone who appreciates your work will leave a kudo or a comment. Some might not know what to say, and some will simply move on, touched by your work but quiet about it. Their silence doesn't diminish the impact your writing might have had.

So, write because you love to write. Appreciate the kudos & the comments but don't let the lack thereof discourage you.

Your worth as a writer isn't determined by public validation. It's determined by the amount of joy you get from it.

not to be That Person but when people are like “why isn’t there a big fandom culture anymore?” umm…

maybe this is why???? That an author can spend hours (if not days or weeks or months) on something, have 1,800 people read it, and only have THREE people willing to take a few extra seconds out of their day to comment. Not even something as simple as “thanks for sharing” or “second kudos” or “❤️”

I’m not the internet police. You decide what you do with your time. Just don’t be surprised if the result is that creators leave your fandoms. I’m not writing to scream into the void. If that’s what I wanted, I wouldn’t bother posting. Fandom is a community. It’s an exchange of enthusiasm over this thing we all love. And who’s gonna keep showing up at your house with a goodie basket if all you do is take the basket, slam the door, and leave them outside to watch through the window while you eat?

[masterofd1saster]

CJ free speech - fantastic essay by Matt Taibbi

is one of the best essays I've ever seen on free speech.

Saying no is very American. From “Don’t Tread on Me!” to “Nuts” to “You Cannot Be Serious!,” defiance is in our DNA. Now disagreement is seen as a threat, and according to John Kerry, must be “hammered out of existence.” The former presidential candidate just complained at a World Economic Forum meeting that “it’s really hard to govern” and “our First Amendment stands as a major block” to the important work of hammering out unhealthy choices. In the open he said this! I was telling Tim Pool about this backstage, and he asked, “Was black ooze coming out of his mouth?” Kerry added that it’s “really hard to build consensus,” and told forum members they need to “win the right to govern” and “be free to implement change.” What do they need to be free of? The First Amendment, yes, but more importantly: us. Complainers. That’s our shared experience. We are obstacles to consensus.

***

Let me pause to say something about America’s current intellectual class, from which the “anti-disinformation” complex comes. By the way: There are no working-class censors, poor censors, hungry censors. The dirty secret of “content moderation” everywhere is that it’s a tiny sliver of the educated rich correcting everyone else. It’s telling people what fork to use, but you can get a degree in it. America has the most useless aristocrats in history. Even the French dandies marched to the razor by the Jacobins were towering specimens of humanity compared to the Michael Haydens, John Brennans, James Clappers, Mike McFauls, and Rick Stengels who make up America’s self-appointed behavior police. In prerevolutionary France, even the most drunken, depraved, debauched libertine had to be prepared to back up an insolent act with a sword duel to the death. Our aristocrats pee themselves at the sight of mean tweets. They have no honor, no belief, no poetry, art, or humor, no patriotism, no loyalty, no dreams, and no accomplishments. They’re simultaneously illiterate and pretentious, which is very hard to pull off.

***

Thomas Paine’s central message was that the humblest farmer was a towering moral giant compared to the invertebrate scum who wore crowns and lived in British castles. Common Sense told us to stand up straight. Never bow, especially not to a politician, because as Paine explained—I want you to think of Kerry and Hayden and Cheney here—“Men who look upon themselves as born to reign, and others to obey. . . are frequently the most ignorant and unfit of any throughout the dominions.” Oscar Wilde noted ours was the only country in the world where being a kook was respectable. Every other country shunned the tinkerer or mad inventor and cheerfully donated them to us, turbocharging our American experiment. We welcomed crazy, and the world has light bulbs, the telephone, movies, airplanes, submarines, the internet, false teeth, the Colt .45, rock and roll, hip-hop, and monster dunks as a result. 

***

To all those snoops and nosy parkers sitting in their Homeland Security–funded “Centers of Excellence,” telling us day after day we must think as they say and vote as they say or else we’re traitorous Putin-loving fascists and enablers of “dangerous” disinformation: Motherfucker, I’m an American. That shit does not work on me. And how can you impugn my patriotism, when you’re sitting in Klaus Schwab’s lap, apologizing for the First Amendment to a crowd of Europeans? Look in the mirror.  I’m not the problem. We’re not the problem. You’re the problem.  You suck. Thank you.

Get on your feet and give Matt a standing ovation.

[h-pelessly]

October 27th, 2023.

Yesterday, I went to Universal HHN. We were supposed to go with friends and other people, but Jay and Kevin already went, Ann was busy/not in the best financial situation, and James couldn't make it. I was absolutely fine with going alone because planning with friends is kind of annoying and we have to consider what everyone wants to do, which is tough in this situation because I'm the scared one. Anyways, Tim and I got into a fight the day before this so I was already kind of mad and didn't want to be with him and go. He woke up with the "excited" mindset and pestered me to get up and get ready. I told him that I didn't want to though I lowkey wanted to. After being told no multiple times, he got depressed and napped like????? he cannot make a damn decision by himself. Anyways, I was already ready and chilling when he told me he would eat at home. I was like whatever because mf was being stingy about eating out. So I let him do whatever the fuck he wanted and gave him time bc I was like there's no way he will take until 3 PM, which is the time we aim to arrive by. 3 creeps up, and MF has not updated me. I was so pissed, but I was like he's probably like cleaning up or forgot time. I decide to call him at 3 because I was like IK you're asleep. And guess what? MF was!! He was like "yeah i got sad bc I was all ready to go and you kept saying no" I'm like are u deadass like if you really want something, you'll let someone tell you no? Like I don't get his mindset at all. He's so baby, which is what I CANNOT date. What the fuck???? So anyways, after our conversation, he said he'll pick me up. He picks me up and obviously there's traffic so our ETA was almost 6 PM. Lolz. I had to pee so fucking bad that I peed in a cup, which is honestly one of the lowest points of my life.

We were thankfully able to go in with minutes to spare so we could get a wristband. We got the lowest tiered wristband which absolutely sucked, but it is what it is. We went to one maze, which was the Holiday themed one, which we ran to. Turns out, we had to wait in line until 6:30 until we could even go down to the line. I genuinely thought we couldn't get into the maze until that time, but that's not even the case. Honestly, compared to last year, this was a lot more chaotic. We went down when the "gates opened" and ran into line, which was crazy because this girl literally cut in front of me and went in the maze line in front of us. Crazy. Anyway, the wait was lower so I was able to wait. It wasn't crazy or anything. Honestly, it was kind of low tiered, but I'm glad we went onto a maze. The people in front of us stopped at the most inconvenient places, and the guy kept hitting me with the door divider. After that, we were about to get onto the Stranger Things Maze, but the line for that grew exponentially so it wasn't worth it. So we went to the upper lot for the monsters reveal. So it turns out that they have a lot of scaremonies now, so it was not worth it. We were fat chilling there and saw every monster that walked past us so we weren't scared. Multiple scare monsters approached us, and I was like damn, am I obsessed? Yes. Anyway, a bear came up to me when I was clutching my phone and he mocked me. I freaked out and did something else which he also mocked me. I'm like bruh, why are u highkey flirting with me next to my man. But I should've blown him a kiss tbfh. After the scaremony that I couldn't SEE, we ran to the Purge showing in WaterWorld. We were able to secure pretty cool seats because Tim saw them, and I was able to ask if anyone's sitting there. The guys in front of us were recording themselves singing and I'm PRETTY sure Tim and I showed up in the back. Lowkey trying to see me pop up in the back of the video on social media. Hehehehe jk. But the show was wild. People were cheering for the Purgers and I was lowk like these are our people cheering for the bad guys. But also, fuck the rich people. Highk, it was a remake of WaterWorld, which sucks, but it is what it is.

After that, we went to the Harry Potter world for our normal rides. I also wanted to see the Dementors. WHICH SUCKED because usually, the world is crawling with them, but in order to see them, you have to go through the alley. So we went on the two rides, which Tim told me that a guy tried cutting only in front of him. Like???? He was with a whole ass group. But anyways, I'm like who cares he's ugly anyway. After the rides, we went through the alleyway. The dementors did not get me because I was aware and scanning the area. Also, we were walking very close to the group in front of us because IM JUST A BABY. But am I dark romance girly??? Bro. We saw the Chucky maze, which we did want to go on, but we were like eh, the wait times are too long so we went back outside bc I told him I was a M3GAN showing at the Kung Fu Panda ride. He told me to circle the lot towards Minions and I'm glad we did because we ran into another scare zone which all the actors tried getting me like BRO NOT MEEEEE!! I thought it was funny bc I wasn't expecting the first guy and he stuck his hand out at me so I stuck it back at him and he dipped. AS YOU SHOULD!!

So after that, we went to M3gan. The Ethan Hawke man was busy and I told Tim how people tried taking the balloons he holds and Tim was like wtf???? Anyway, the line was long. The fast pass line was too like damn people really line up for this although the wait time is super low. I didn't know what it was gonna be like, but we were like fuck it. We went inside, and there were a bunch of displays out so I studied that. There was a photo op with a man in a mask, which he stared at me like he wanted to scare me but I'm like SIR U R BUSY fuck OFF. Anyway, the showing was kinda stupid. M3gan just danced and I was like wtf is happening fr. And that was it. We went outside towards the scare actors again and three of them ganged up on me. I was like WHAT IS HAPPENING!!! Also, a doll came up to me and genuinely scared me bc I was like someone just threw trash next to me right. A doll stuck it's tongue out at me so I did as well. Like she was happy, she left. Which made me laugh. I asked Tim where he wanted to go next and he was so uncertain. He sounded like he wanted to go home, but I'm like you lit said you want to stay late, and deadass after all the shit we've been through??? So I convinced him to go to Chucky, which was a 100 min wait. After going all the way down, we realized we wanted to leave. Well I did because I didn't want to leave. I was so mad when we started up because he just left me and I was like where tf are you going and he didn't respond like???? Bro ur gonna get lost. And he went to look at the menu and I was like what the actual fuck is wrong with u. We went back up the lot, and these guys stared at me. I knew bc I was like ain't no way you walk like that and turn your head 90 degrees. We walked back up and I wanted to go through all the scare zones again so we did that. I ran into a Dementor's chest bc he stepped out right in front of me and I thought he would step away but man just stood there like excuse me Hi?? When walking through the front, I don't think the scare actors tried scaring me bc I was pissed and I was STRUTTING.

Anyway, we ended the night with me and Tim fighting again because I was irritated how he flip flops his mood 0 and 100 and I let him affect my mood. Anyway, we're taking a break away from hanging out with each other so hopefully I don't break. We do have Kevipoo's house-warming party so idk if I want to go to that or even dress up as a couple costume. He also tried gaslighting me like didn't u want to be a therapist and be trauma dumped on? I cannot stand him.

-

Flirting with the Playboy by Gia Stevens (7/10) This was a book that I got through Prime Day for free. It looked like a cute, fun read so I gave it a go. The cover was a cute cartoon cover and I think there was like 200/300 pages so I was like fuck it, dawg. I knew I would be busy so I was like let's do this, and I won't even be engulfed in it because there isn't much to be attached about. WRONG. I thought this story was cute at first, but it got boring when it got to the part after they got together. I realize that I like the romance aspect of stories and not the good part/breakup parts. But while reading it, I was kind of jealous. I was out here doing the absolute most while the FMC had a cute receptionist job at a real estate company, and she had a hot business man picking on her because he liked her. That part absolutely had me kicking in my feet and giggling. The rest was kind of silly in my opinion. REALITY is boring.

It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey (8/10) This was a hard book to pick up and start because I genuinely wasn't interested in the fisherman love interest. Also, the beginning was the FMC being a brat in the social media world which is too realistic to me. But omg the rest of the book had me on the edge of my seat. Brendan and Piper are so cute oh my god. Brendan is literally a dream with how much he loves his girl and how he's like "I'll give this girl anything if she says please." I fucking love it. This book is honestly such a good read. I went from 20% to 60% in a day because that's how much I loved it. Chef's kiss. I would def recommend to someone, but I wouldn't personally pick up a physical copy.

Collide by Bal Khabra (7.4/10) The beginning of the book where the chasing was had me giggling and kicking my feet to be honest. People compare it to Icebreaker which I get, but this was such an easier read in my opinion. Is it bc the FMC was likable and relatable? Her interest was in sports psychology and she had to do a research paper and all of that. After the FMC and MMC got together, it became cheesy, and we found out how much of a golden retriever he and most hockey players are so I guess that was kind of a bummer to me. But I liked how the FMC's problem or trauma was more relatable than in Icebreaker's. Also, I love how the FMC is Asian. The cover also has a hot couple. There was a playlist for the book which sticks with me and that's how I remember books.

Clutch by S.M. West (5.8/10) This was an audiobook that took way too fucking long to finish. I started it bc I got it for free and it seemed like a cute concept, but how was it so fucking long I have no idea. To add on, their meet cute was so fucking weird. Maybe because I'm not attracted to the MMC at all bec he has long hair (personal preference oops!!) or maybe because the story was so long for no reason. There was no bickering or chase. It just went straight to how the two integrate their lives, and the MMC was so unlikable on how protective he was like sir, at least be attractive or something. Not my favorite.

Puck One Night Stands by Emma Foxx (7/10) This was a reverse harem why-choose story I impulsively picked up because I thought I needed some steamy spice. Well I had to stop multiple times to take a breather because wow, that's a lot of spice to imagine. People are saying it wasn't that spicy????? WHAT THAT MEAN... but anyways, this was a really short, cute story in my opinion. Everything happened really fast and there was no angst to be honest. I thought it was ridiculous how all three of the men fell for the girl that quickly with nothing special, which tbh was kinda weird but I guess it fit the story line so you do you. I was a bit disappointed that we don't get all their backstories like we got the FMC, and one of 3 MMCs. That disappointed me. Another thing that disappointed me was the ending of the book, how everyone found out about their foursome relationship and everyone was cool with it. Like that's absolutely not how the world works but ok you do you. ALSO, i thought reverse harem is everyone loving one another and all of that, but I guess not in this book. All of the men tolerate one another/are friends, but the girl loves all of them. But we're done with this tacky book so yahoooo.

The Devil You Know by Veronica Eden (6/10) How can a book be so short yet so long at the same time? I picked up this book during a stuff your kindle day so I was like let's give a small author a chance. And I was still working when I started it so I was like I can read slowly and it can be a cute, short read. Holy shit, this book was so long for no reason with the repetitive I want her/I want him, but he/she doesn't want me back. It was spicy, I do admit it, but it was like watching two barely turned 18 adults have sex. How bad does it have to be for me to SKIP the steamy scenes? Insane. Anyway, I had to stop multiple times because it's so Gen Z like how much social media played a part in it. The FMC was highly unlikable and the MMC wasn't attractive imo.

Good Girl by Piper Lawson (7.5/10) This was an audiobook I picked up during a stuff your kindle day. I was a little iffy starting it because my last audiobook was something I wished I DNF'ed. But this one was such a fun listen. It was also short, but that wasn't a big reason of why I picked it up. It just happens to be short which is a bonus!! The main characters were both likable. Jax is a broody rockstar which is an immediate yup. Haley has a problem with being touched, which I thought made a lot of sense. I would've finished it earlier if I was still at work because I don't listen to it with my free time tbh. But I just finished it, and I was so pissed at the way it ends. Like it's such a cliffhanger and the main characters didn't even get together. HALEY DOESN'T EVEN ADDRESS HER PROBLEM WITH HER DAD THAT SHE DIDN'T KNOW UNTIL LIKE 95%. And if we want to continue, we have to read the next book. What is this? Episode????? No thank.

[auldcowboysoul]

In Old Amarillo, 1951

Thoughts while watching through In Old Amarillo (1951) starring Roy Rogers, Trigger, Penny Edwards, and a few others. 

Folks, I witnessed something terrible today. I wish I'd never seen it. The first fight sequence between Roy Barcroft's character and Roy is all chopped up. It's a genuine crime to cut a Bill Whitney fight sequence, especially one with the top 'heavy' actor of this era of Roy's films. Very disheartening start to the Happy Trails Theater version of this film, which was the only one I could find available online.

My first time watching Pinky Lee. He made me accidentally snort very loudly with laughter in his first sequence with the character of Phillip Hill.

Speaking of Phillip, the actor does a great job making you despise him haha.

Watching the cowboys riding the range, I miss Trucolor. *crying baby noises* I've been watching through these later Roy Rogers Films, and the Trucolor ones are stunning. I wonder why this one wasn't made in color.

Peppy is wild, definitely the most crazy character I've watched Estellita Rodriguez play.

The missing scenes physically hurt the viewer. You feel the loss keenly. Another missing scene in the bar while Peppy holds Phil accountable and Roy and co. watch in amusement.

Missing scenes everywhereeeee. *More crying*

During the water tank chase sequence, Roy wears a checkered shirt that reminds me soooo much of his TV series outfit.

Dang, stunt doubles had to work triple time during that fight sequence on the runaway water tank. It's a pretty cool fight, and I'm newly appreciative since it doesn't seem chopped.

Pinky Lee is no longer appreciated. The opposite in fact. A Roy Rogers song was cut so that Pinky Lee could waste two minutes not even being funny.

A few people die terribly (fire, plane crash) in this one, and we see their shrouded bodies. That's pretty graphic for someone with my vivid imagination.

Okay, good news, the prayer meeting scene finally gives Roy a chance to sing with the Sons of the Pioneers. I love the prayer meeting idea and how Roy comes up with it with Granny. So true to the cultural ideals of the time and also Roy Rogers' personal ideals. Beautiful little addition to the plot.

Pinky Lee is partly forgiven, but it's Roy's line that makes me really laugh -- "Give me your hand, boy!" As he's exasperatedly going to turn Pinky Lee upside down again, so Pinky can give over accurate information, per his own request.

I like the action/background music in this one! From the very first opening sequence, it's alternately soulful and engaging! 

Watching Roy ride Trigger across the range at high speed = alllll the reasons why he was king of the cowboys. He could really ride and even someone like me who's never really ridden a horse could see the beauty in the way man and horse moved together. Both of them, just pure muscle and harmony.

Phil gets some guts and some morals, and apparently an iron hide. What point blank gunshot? Lol

Finally we get a real fistfight between Roy Rogers and Roy Barcroft! In the rain for bonus points. It's over pretty quickly. 

Roy looks positively gleeful chucking handfuls of rice at the newlywed Phil's head at the end. He's definitely aiming for Phil, and Pepita is spared.

Roy seems oblivious to Penny Edwards sweet little flirty smiles at the end. They don't seem romantically engaged at that point, maybe just ranch neighbors/friends. Kind of a weird vibe compared to the usual "cowboy hero saves the day AND gets the girl" but it fits this movie somehow.

Notes: Bullet is in this one! And Penny Edwards actually rides Buttermilk, the horse Dale rode in the Roy Rogers TV series! 

More notes: Penny Edwards' character is cool af. I can totally see a fictional future for her and Roy, since he will be around now as foreman of the H ranch. And Granny already loves Roy. So it's pretty much settled. 

There's some fun science-y stuff about rainmakers... I don't know how real it is/was, but it's interesting! I guess they wanted to give a modern twist to the old west.

Can we admire Roy's fancy fringe shirt in the end scene, please!! How does he make it look so good? Also, the way he runs across the horses to jump on Trigger and then ride off into the sage brush... so iconic!

Definitely one Roy Rogers you will enjoy, and wish you could enjoy more of. This is one that makes me pray to all the film gods that someone someday will magically find the full film, restore and digitize it, and then make it available online. Pleeeeeease. How do I start a petition??