#blue's clues: commentary

[somebluemelodies]

really really really long ramble ahead about q!Foolish's federation situation bc i have thoughts. you've been warned :'D

(below the cut!)

i cannot get over how much shit could hit the fan with this whole q!Foolish situation. literally so many relationships could hinge on how things play out

firstly, we have no idea how q!Pac and q!Mike are going to react to q!Foolish when they see him next (likely tomorrow, as per what cc!Pac said at the end of the Tazercraft stream). they might get mad and take revenge, maybe try and use him to find and rescue Walter Bob... etc, etc. q!Foolish wants them to be released (little does he know...) and he hopes to still be friends with them even tho they may not want the same, but he really has no true idea what he's gotten himself into...

i don't think their relationship will ever be the same regardless of what info comes out, but that's essentially just the tip of the iceberg

what i'm most curious about personally is q!Cellbit (and q!Forever) finding out about how he lied about Richas's life being on the line. because i already know that ain't gonna end well. both q!Cellbit and q!Forever are fiercely protective of Richas. q!Cellbit absolutely despises liars and he already threatened q!Foolish while interrogating him

q!Cellbit places a lot of trust in q!Foolish. we saw that in how they bonded when q!Foolish was constructing the castle, and how q!Cellbit wanted to have him build something else for him just so they could spend time together. and it was really solidified in q!Cellbit telling q!Forever today how he has a hard time believing q!Foolish would lie and use Richas’s name to do so. he doesn’t find q!Foolish “capable” of betraying them somehow

q!Cellbit finding out the truth could seriously fuck with him and their relationship. so could him finding out about q!Foolish's actual federation job, but more on that later

q!Cellbit himself killing q!Foolish has potential problems of its own, namely with q!Roier and their relationship. i mean, that's his dad. but at least for me, it's hard to really gauge how q!Roier will react, especially now that him and q!Cellbit are married. i think its circumstantial, but i'm not too too worried about spiderbit

q!Foolish dying also has the potential for some major problems with q!Vegetta if/when he comes back. and i fear for Richas's life if q!Vegetta were to find out, but i digress, let's not go there-

i think a lot of people won't see q!Foolish the same way, at least for a while, if they find out he lied, but i think the bigger problem now lies in his job with the federation

if that gets out, that could burn a lot of bridges. i'll say when actually, because as much as i love q!Foolish, i don't think he can keep this a secret forever. i don't think q!Jaiden will say anything, but who knows, honestly?

unlike q!Cellbit's infiltration to rescue q!Felps and learn more about the federation, and q!Fit using his janitorial job to try and find the player data he wants, q!Foolish is doing this for himself and the federation. unlike both of them, and a majority of the Ordo Theoritas he's technically apart of, he's not anti-federation, he's not anti-Cucurucho, and at that, he's really not neutral, either

i find q!Foolish to be such an interesting character. he knows what he wants a majority of the time and he's willing to do pretty much anything to get what he wants. in this situation, he's aware of his actions having consequences but he does it anyway because it's what he believes benefits himself the most, regardless of what others may say or do. and that's such an interesting character trait, but it can be such a detrimental one, too

did q!Foolish get manipulated tho? to an extent, yes. Cucurucho called him "unique," and i refuse to believe that was out of genuine belief. he's never expressed major interest in q!Foolish until recently. i also don't think Mr. Mustard is alive anymore, quite frankly, if what was said about them eating said capybara is anything to go by. but q!Foolish is so desperate to become Cucurucho's friend and also save Mr. Mustard. he said it himself: he's willing to do just about anything. that leaves the door wide open, doesn't it? Cucurucho is playing a game, and q!Foolish is playing right into it

and if q!Foolish doesn't ultimately go on a traitor arc and he does in fact get used, it kinda sucks for him, really, bc we saw what happened to q!Felps thinking Cucurucho was nice and his friend, and q!Jaiden is probably getting used in a similar way, rather for the fact she's willing to do anything for the eggs

if q!Foolish does get used, and the others catch on to that (mainly q!Cellbit), i think that could be the saving grace for q!Foolish and his relationship with the other members of the island. because it wasn't all his fault, and i think people could see it through

but if not? that's a lot of irreparable damage, be it intentional or not. i'd love to see where that coud lead

that's really it tho. sorry for the word vomit :') if you made it this far, congrats!! what're your own thoughts about this situation? i'd love to see some other people's perspectives :D

[glow-in-the-dark-death]

A Week (He Will Take You)

~

Danny moved to Gotham for school, while there he noticed that Gotham's ambient ecto was really murky for lack of a better word.

This didn't really affect him too much besides a mild headache every once in a while but that also just might be stress from all his school work so maybe not.

Anyway

This murky ecto seemed to effect the people who lived there or more importantly the ghosts,

They were visible to the human eye like most ghosts back in Amity but instead of looking very much like a ghost they still looked like humans if a bit off putting.

They all seemed to be continuing their normal lives as if still fully alive, with the people around them none the wiser.

Danny noticed this and began approaching them to figure out what was going on.

Apparently the murky ecto in the city had made it so that they were strong enough to still continue a somewhat normal life but not be able to cross over to the GZ.

In other words they were stuck in Gotham

Danny was the Ghost King so he could easily fix this problem, all he needed to do was give them a bit of pure ecto for around a week to fully stabilize them them then he would just open a portal into the GZ and they could cross over with all their things also transferring into the GZ for their new haunt.

Unfortunately this looked rather worrying to an outsider,

Imagine you're used to your neighbor being very outgoing so you and others see them a lot suddenly this man seems to appear in their life out of nowhere an at exactly one week, your neighbor and all their belongings in their home disappear no trace to be found.

You tell people and they begin saying the same story they knew someone and them a man with black hair and blue eyes appeared in their life, then they and all their things disappear in exactly one week.

Of course the police in Gotham do the bare minimum so they're no help.

But it starts to begin a trend, especially online.

"Oh careful or the blue eyed man will make you disappear in a week"

This of course after time catches the bats attention, Gordon had already given them all the information he had.

"Young adult early twenties, dark hair, blue eyes"

That was it.

The bats look into it and from their point of view Danny is a serial killer.

But they can't find the connection between all of his victims, they range from young children and the elderly from different backgrounds absolutely no connection,

Worrying enough he doesn't just make one person disappear he has taken entire families up to over a dozen, without anyone figuring out how he's doing it or why at all.

The disturbing thing also being that he seems to take everything in their home, leaving it like it has always been empty

Like no one had been living in it.

People have tried to take photos of Danny get some kind of evidence of his existence, but when they try to do it, it either comes out completely corrupted or their devise simply shuts down fully.

Danny of course has no clue what is happening he's just happy that he's able to help so many ghosts, and is trying not to fail his exams.

~

Danny leaving the house he just helped: "That went easier than I expected!"

Neighbor peeking from the window: "Shit it's that guy! "

~

Red Hood marching down into the cave: " The fucker took many from my territory without me even realizing it!"

~

Tim: "I'm pretty sure his kill count is nearing the hundreds and he just started like maybe 4 months ago, this is bad."

Barbara: " I think I got a theory, this matches up with the new school year beginning so maybe their not a Gotham native which narrows down my suspect list."

Bruce: "Hn."

Tim: "Yes thank you B for the insightful commentary"

~

Danny trying not to fall asleep while on his way to class: "Strange I keep seeing shadows following me, oh well must be the stress!"

Bats who are pretty sure Danny is the killer: "Has he done anything suspicious yet?"

~

Just an Idea

[basickabyl]

Skip needs our help! He and his dog Chip are having a Halloween party but they've forgotten the phone numbers of their friends, cant find their costumes and have no snacks! Luckily Chip is a clever dog and has left their tips all over the house to guide us. Can you help us save the party?

Welcome to the 3rd Dread X Collection, everybody! This time the theme is "spoopy" and we've got 12 games made in 10 days. Our protagonist for the collection is given a name, Leo, and has himself a quirky passenger in Prometheus who is an alien from another dimension currently inhabiting his brain after jumping in at the end of the last collection. With the new theme we've got ourselves a spoopy little castle to explore and a whole heckin' lot of dialogue to go through gosh dang.

[asidian]

DBDA Meta Commentary Roundup

Okay, I'm getting tired of scrolling back to find my own posts, so it's time for a roundup post for my DBDA meta commentary.

Meta Commentary:

Why you should watch Dead Boy Detectives

Charles is a people pleaser

A very large snake as a reference to hell

The same lantern

Edwin knows the Misery Wraiths a bit too well

Why Charles is upset by more than just jealousy re: Monty

The white kimono

How Crystal and Charles' character arcs intersect to make an absolute trash fire

You can talk to me about anything

Edwin's hidden kindness as Charles dies

Edwin's hangups re: emotion and how it ties into his time in hell

The silliest Clue edition

The Cat King's design changes when he starts a new life

Counting cats

Where is the Doll House

Edwin and Charles acting like they've known each other forever in tiny details

Esther has the cops in her pocket

The lantern scenes as an extension of the theme "The good you do comes back around"

Why Charles opens up to Crystal so quickly

Payneland endgame nods through leitmotifs in the soundtrack

Charles is super sensitive to criticism, even when it's not intended

The Season 2 in my heart

The hidden nod to history in the WWI ghost's makeup

Why Charles' death is so much worse than it seems

The brilliance of the first ten minutes

The ship of all time

The incredible women of Dead Boy Detectives

Edwin's bowtie

Crystal and Charles as mirrors and projections

Bi disaster Charles Rowland

Edwin can knit

Chekhov's snake-slaying sword

Murder night movie time

Why Charles was more of a hero than he knew

What the doll placement says about Edwin's many deaths

Charles smiles for other people

The absolute fridge horror of That One Gate in hell

The wood-burning stove as part of Charles' cold trauma

Set Design:

Charles' room

The London office

The boys' detective license and its source

Tragic Mick's shop

Niko's room

Cameos:

The boys' early relationship and how they've influenced each other

What the boys do together in their downtime as leisure activities

A brief in-character skit of an ordinary day at the office

Tidbits about the characters that didn't make it into the show

Input in developing Edwin as a character and suggested changes

Color Symbolism:

Red

Blue

Pink

Green

Green (alt)

Purple

Orange

Brown

Black

White

[the-lonelybarricade]

The Longest Night

A short glimpse into the lives of Rhysand and the Inner Circle on the Winter Solistice, 30 years into Rhys’s enslavement Under the Mountain.

For @officialfeysandweek Day 5: Fated

Inspired by one of my text posts from 2022

Word count: 1k

Read on AO3

-

It was the longest night of the year.

And, by any conventional standard, they had assembled the perfect Solstice dinner.

Someone had lovingly donned a woven table runner across the long dining table in the House of Wind. It's golden thread stood out starkly in the dim faelight, cutting across the dark blue fabric like streaks of lightning on a clear night. Cassian recognised the stitchwork. Its seamstress had threaded her needle through his own skin enough times, tenderly patching him up after long, brutal days in the Illyrian training camps.

His heart ached to stare at her handiwork for too long, so he averted his eyes elsewhere—to the pillars of candles, which rose among the countless platters of food, twining cinnamon and cypress with the scent of roasted meat and spices that was not overall unpleasant, just…

Unwelcome.

Not because Cassian minded the candles, or was ever one to turn away a hot meal. Particularly a spread as fine as the one before him, prepared by the best cooks in Velaris, who had dipped into the preserve of spices that were only saved for special occasions such as this.

No one could claim his discontent was the result of meager effort, or that this was a poor rendition of a Solstice Celebration.

He just couldn't summon any cheer as he snagged his fingers around the stem of his wine glass, watching the dark liquid swirl as he twisted it this way and that. It almost felt like mockery to drink wine, of all things.

Not that he would say such a thing to Mor, who was decanting the final drops of her glass into her mouth. They hadn't started dinner yet, but he couldn't blame her. Instead, Cassian wordlessly slid his glass across the table, wedging it between the fingers of Mor's rested hand, where it splayed nostalgically across the table runner.

When Mor offered him a small, grateful nod, he pushed to his feet. He needed something stronger, anyhow.

Who's idea was this, again?

As he began pouring himself a drink from the decanters at the sideboard, Cassian glanced over his shoulder. His friends were all seated at the dining table, staring mutely at their food or at their drinks. None of them were speaking.

It was a nice attempt, he thought, taking a large swallow and grunting at the heat that spread through him. He felt it burn down his chest and settle heavily in his gut—strong stuff, though he hadn't a clue what it was and didn't think anyone was in the mood to tell him.

Rhys would have known.

That thought slid in like a dagger. Lingered, as Cassian's eyes drifted unbidden to the head of the table.

A place had been set there. A knife and fork and freshly polished plate, waiting patiently beside a full glass of red wine.

But the chair was empty. Just as it had remained for the last 30 years. And no one would be coming to claim it.

For a moment, he considered dashing his drink against the prestine fucking floor and diving out the nearest window to escape this facade they were putting on, as if everything were normal. As if there was anything worth celebrating.

The only thing that subdued the impulse was the sight of Mor's trembling lip as she, too, slanted her gaze to the head of the table. And when that tremble split into a soft keening sound, it was Cassian's heart that shattered on the floor, not his drink.

"Sorry," Mor sniffed, darting her eyes to the faelight overhead as she dabbed at tears and smeared khol with the tips of her fingers. "I know we said no crying—"

"We never said that," Cassian said, sliding back into his seat.

Azriel cast an assessing eye over the admittedly generous pour Cassian was bracing in his fist, but Az reserved his commentary.

"I told myself no crying," Mor acquiesced with another sniff. "I thought 30 years would be enough time for it to not feel so… so…"

Raw, Cassian thought. Mor shrugged without concluding the thought and if anyone else mentally filled in the rest, they didn't volunteer it.

At least until they fell back into silence, and Azriel glanced towards the head of the table and rasped, "Empty."

Empty. Like Rhysand's seat, and his throne, and his bedroom.

Like the training ring in the mornings, when there was no buffer between Azriel's bouts of silence and the static in Cassian's head.

Like the bi-monthly meetings with the people of Velaris, where he watched Amren and Mor act as steward to their people's hardships and concerns, which grew more pressing each year.

Like the market squares in the city center, which were once flush with traders and merchants who were now blocked from entering or exiting the city, stranding them all in this crowded, isolated place.

Or like every aching moment over the last 30 years where Cassian glanced over his shoulder after making some smart comment, expecting to see the smug, if not exasperated, smile of his friend. His brother.

And finding nothing. A ghost of a memory, at most.

Yeah, empty was a good word for it.

-

It was the longest night of the year.

Not that Rhys would know. He spent it inside, between Amarantha's legs. Hardly given a moment to consider the time of year, or how his friends might be celebrating without him.

Amarantha told him, of course. She wanted him to know what she was taking away from him, even as he pretended that he didn't care. What interest did a Dark Lord have in petty little festivities?

Rhys didn't usually invite thoughts of his friends into Amarantha's bedroom—for his own sake, he tried to keep those parts of his life firmly compartmentalized.

But he did take a moment to send a plea to the stars he couldn't see: that his friends were okay, that they could forgive him, that they were happy.

And if the stars could offer leniency to a male who hadn't gazed upon them in years, if they had the capacity to perceive his actions with pity instead of scorn, then he saved a risidual wish for himself:

That this eternal Hell would end before he found a way to end it himself.

-

It was the longest night of year.

Unbeknownst to all of them, across Prythian, in the Mortal Realm, a human girl was born.

As if the stars had listened.

[kissofhoon]

(💢⪖ ⩋⪕) ⠀ ── ⠀ SENDING A SIGNAL !

chapter three. it’s party time!

word count. 2244 words warnings. ments of alcohol (later in the chapter), unwanted advances, suggestiveness implied, not proofread penny’s commentary. this was a doozy to write, but we get gentleman riki! :3

─────────────────────────

9:37pm, your phone read. you shoved your phone into your purse, zipping it up before glancing around the house yuna and gaeul drove you to.

music blared throughout it, shadows of purple, blue, green, and whatever other colors flashing against the wall. sweaty bodies pressed against each other, the party goers lazily bumping and grinding to whatever song was playing.

this wasn’t your usual scene — you opted more for smaller house parties or just regular hangouts. maybe a big one from time to time, but this one was just insane. it was crowded, the room feeling small with how many people were packed in it.

gaeul and yuna had split from your group together, talking about visiting their shared friend wonyoung, while sunoo met up with his friends. jaehyun was by your side, along with taehyun, who was seemingly uncomfortable by the setting. you scanned the crowd, no familiar faces sticking out to you. you hoped you’d bump into jake. maybe then the party would be tolerable.

your hand flew to whichever friend was left, gripping onto their wrist in fear of losing them. your other hand clutched the purse that hung from your shoulder, making sure no one had grabbed it. you glanced at your friend, your lips pressed in a pout. when you realized you were clutching onto taehyun, you exhaled a breath you didn’t even know you were holding.

he wasn’t used to the party scene either. sure, he went clubbing with his other friends once in a while, but that was nothing compared to a college party. he offered you a polite smile, his eyes sparkling naturally under the colored lights.

he leaned towards you, his lips just a few inches away from your ear. “you wanna head outside? it’s too loud here.”

even though he was in earshot, it was still hard to make out his words, the only thing that could be picked up was the word “outside”. you didn’t need full context to know he wanted to get out of the crowded house, so you nodded and led him to the back door. jaehyun had went to look for his other friends once he noticed you and taehyun were leaving.

the backyard was littered with people and cans of beer, yet it was not as bad as the inside. the gentle breeze of the outdoors brushed against your skin and brought you back to earth, the overstimulation that was growing while inside seemingly dying away.

you led taehyun to a couple of plastic chairs, letting go of him while you both sat down. taehyun sunk into the chair, his legs spread and his hands between them. you sat with your legs crossed, your hand resting under them.

“you’d think we’d be the first to arrive with how sunoo and yuna were rushing us.” taehyun chuckled and shook his head, his eyes scanning the people outside.

you shrugged your shoulders in agreement, a small smile on your lips. “yeah.. how’d they even know about this party?”

“i have no clue, but i’m not shocked. they know everything.” taehyun then looked at you, his sparkling round eyes studying your demeanor.

you furrowed your brows, a puzzled expression on your face as you looked at him. “what? don’t tell me you’re gonna psychoanalyze me right now.”

a small laugh slipped past his lips, taehyun shaking his head again. “nah.. but by the looks of it-“

“okay, that’s enough!” you laughed, cutting him off.

the two of you engaged in small talk, discussing your classes, new restaurants that opened around campus, etc etc. it had felt like an hour had blown by before jaehyun came running out to the backyard.

“YNNIE, YNNIE!! COME INSIDE!!” his voice boomed, surprisingly louder than the muffled music. he waved his arm frantically, ushering you to get up.

with a heavy sigh, you get up, your purse hitting the chair as you grabbed it and slung it on your shoulder. “i’ll be back,” you told taehyun, patting his head before scurrying to jaehyun.

he didn’t give you time to speak, grabbing you by the hand and dragging you inside. the music, once again, blared and you try to cover your ears with your free hand but it was futile, no space to even raise your hand.

what felt like endless dragging by jaehyun had come to a stop when you realized you were in a garage, a ping pong table decorated with red solo cups in the middle, surrounded by a group of familiar boys. four were playing cup pong, while two other boys were sitting on a ripped leather couch. you turned back to talk to jaehyun, but he was already gone.

“yn noona!” one called, making you turn your head back to the group of boys. he got up from the couch and practically threw himself on you, causing you to stumble back. you barely caught yourself, your ankles nearly twisting because of your heels.

“riki, be careful with her!”

oh! it was jake’s friends!

with a nervous laugh, you patted the younger boy’s back that was adorned with leather, returning the attack bear hug. “hi, riki!”

he pulled away with the brightest smile, which made you break out into a smile too. you were his favorite friend of jake’s, but he would never admit to it if he was asked.

“take a seat!” riki gently took your hand and led you to the couch, seating you down besides sunghoon. he glanced over at you and said hi, before watching the other four continue their cup pong match.

you looked around, your hands and purse in your lap. sunoo was there playing, teamed up with heeseung. it seemed like the two were doing well, half of jungwon and jay’s cups gone.

“noona, you must be cold. here, take my jacket.” riki took off his leather jacket, draping it over your legs.

he was such a sweet boy, a contrast to all the stories jake shared with you about him.

you bowed lightly as a thank you, watching the boys play cup pong.

it was a bit awkward, the boys all immersed in conversation while playing. it felt like you were there just to look pretty.

your eyes couldn’t focus on one person, constantly flickering from the boys, to the cups, to sunghoon and riki, then to the door. your tapped your heels in expectance, but you brushed it off as your anxiety, waiting for the one guy you got along with better than the others.

sunghoon noticed, a bit irritated with how your heels rapidly clicked against the cement floor of the garage.

“waiting for someone?” he leaned over to talk to you better, the music bleeding slightly through the walls.

his words caused you to blink rapidly, snapping you out of whatever dazed you were in. your heels stopped tapping the floor and your eyes focused on him.

“hm?” you hummed.

he smiled faintly, chuckling lightly as his fangs slightly bared as he did. “are you waiting for someone?”

a sheepish smile formed on your lips, nodding softly. “yeah.. is jake coming?”

riki takes this as an opportunity to butt into your conversation. “oh, he didn’t tell you? hyung has some essay, so he stayed at the dorms.”

your lips form an “o” shape, nodding slowly at riki’s head before shaking your head. “he did not tell me..”

you recount your messages; he told you to have fun and to tell him about the guys there.. that should have been a clear sign that he was not going. it made sense now.

getting up from the couch, you grab your purse and lie riki’s jacket down. if you were going to spend a party without jake, you needed at least one drink.

you excused yourself quickly, telling the boys you would be back with a drink, leaving the garage and traveling to the kitchen. all different kinds of bottles lines the kitchen’s island, red cups littered everywhere.

you weren’t looking for anything too strong, but the lineup was of liquors that didn’t suit your liking. luckily, on top of one of the other counters was a makeshift shirley temple bar, and you couldn’t go wrong with a shirley temple. especially one with a twist!

you grabbed the bottle of tequila and vodka and a plastic cup. you assembled your “surprise” shirley temple, adding a shot of both vodka and tequila to it. you thanked god for being a heavyweight or else you were done for.

slinging your purse over your shoulder again, you walked out to the dance floor, cup in hand. the crowding had gone down, people moving outdoors. it was quite hot in the living room / dance area, which makes it understandable seeing people leave.

you were looking for gaeul and yuna — maybe even jaehyun! — to let them know you were going to be in the garage with jake’s friends. but your search was cut short when a gently tap is felt against your exposed shoulders. you turned, an unfamiliar face landing in your sights. the stranger smiled, the energy radiating off of him uninviting.

“oh, hi! do i know you?” you shouted over the music, your head tilted in genuineness.

the stranger shook his head, his hand coming up and grazing over the held which held your cup. you immediately pulled it back, switching your grip on the cup.

he was clearly not amused by what you did, stepping closer to you. uncomfortable with his advances, you backed away, which only made him aggravated.

you could sense the music dying down a bit, a bit too late for this sort of occasion.

“don’t you wanna get to know each other?” his face turned into a scowl. who were you to not accept his moves?

your head waved side to side, refusing his request. “i’m good.”

about to walk in the direction of the garage, the stranger grabbed your arm before you could leave, the force behind it causing some of your shirley temple to spill out of your plastic cup.

“c’mon, just one chance. a pretty girl like you deserves to be done right.” the stranger’s eyes appeared dark, a smirk on his face.

your face contorted into one of disgust. the utter gall of this guy. you switched the grip on your cup again, trying to shake free from this.. whoever this guy was, but he wouldn’t let go. his grip only grew tighter.

“can you please let go? i’m not interested.” you said, frustration in your tone of voice.

he still wouldn’t let up. “i’m not letting go until i get what i want.”

your eyes grew in both shock and horror at his words, still struggling to free yourself from this guy. it was no use, him yanking you forward and pressing you to his chest.

“it’s not like you have a guy waiting for you, right?” he sounded condescending, and it made your blood boil. he was the worst kind of guy ever. “anyone would be ridiculous to not have a girl like you on his arm.”

“let. me. go.” you spat, your brows knotted in anger. your face read a different expression, one of pure fear.

it was an ongoing battle between you and him, trying to free yourself while his grip only grew tighter and tighter. you swore it would bruise but for now, that was the least of the worries. all you wanted was to be in the safety of the boys, or taehyun. hell, you’d feel safe with jaehyun, knowing you’d chase him around the house!

“please, god, just let go!” you cried for one last time before a loud shout was heard. at this point, all eyes were on you.

your head whipped to the direction of the shout, seeing jay and heeseung making their way towards you and the stranger. a sigh of relief flew past your lips as they surrounded the two of you, the stranger’s grip loosening on your wrist. it gave you a chance to free yourself, so you pulled your arm back, stumbling into heeseung. your drink spilled again, some landing on heeseung’s shoes. he didn’t care, a light hand on your waist, the ghost of his touch bringing a nice warmth to you after that. jay and the stranger were at each other’s throats, jay yelling at him. their shared words and profanities only buzzed through your ear, barely being able to make out the way jay called him a disgrace.

their verbal disagreement was about to turn physical before a booming crack landed on the stranger’s cheek. you and heeseung watched with agape mouths and wide eyes as he fell to the ground, landing at jay’s feet. your eyes darted to see who punched the guy, meeting taehyun’s boba eyes. it was wonder how his eyes still shined even after punching a man.

sirens began to ring, and they rang loudly, an incoming flash of red and blue shining through the windows of the house.

“shit, ynnie, let’s go!” taehyun grabbed your hand, causing you to drop your cup. he started running, pulling you along to the outside. jay and heeseung followed beside the two of you, zooming past the crowd of scampering people and out the back doors.

the moments after that were a blur, the last thing you recall is taehyun driving you home and telling you to text him if you needed anything.

all you really needed was jake though.

─────────────────────────

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[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

December 5, 2024

Heather Cox Richardson

Dec 06, 2024

Yesterday a gunman assassinated the chief executive officer of UnitedHealthcare, Brian Thompson, as he arrived at a meeting of investors in New York City. While authorities are still investigating, officials have released the information that the casings of the bullets that killed Thompson bore the words “deny,” “defend,” “depose,” all words associated with companies’ denial of health insurance, taken from the longer phrases “deny the claim,” “defend the lawsuit,” “depose the patient.”

While those clues could simply be a red herring, posters on social media have cheered what they seem to see as revenge against an abusive system in which people’s lives are at the mercy of executives who prioritize profits.

Health insurance companies have long been under scrutiny for their practices. For the past two years, ProPublica has run a long series exploring the different ways in which companies have developed systems to deny healthcare coverage to their policyholders.

UnitedHealthcare has been no exception either to such practices or to scrutiny. Its parent group UnitedHealth has a market valuation of $560 billion and was the eighth largest corporation in the world last year as measured by revenue. This year, UnitedHealthcare—Thompson’s unit—is expected to bring in $280 billion in revenue.

UnitedHealth is embroiled in a number of lawsuits. Andrew Stanton of Newsweek reported that on November 14, 2023, families of two now-deceased patients sued UnitedHealthcare over denial of coverage for Medicare Advantage patients for nursing home stays prescribed by their doctors. Medicare Advantage is the private insurance alternative to Medicare that receives a flat fee from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. It’s an enormously profitable industry, and UnitedHealth controls almost a third of it.

The lawsuit alleges that UnitedHealthcare uses artificial intelligence to deny claims from Medicare Advantage policyholders. The lawsuit claims that the company knowingly uses an algorithm that makes errors 90% of the time because it also knows that only about 0.2% of policy holders will appeal the decision to deny their claims. Last month the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations hammered UnitedHealth for dramatic increases in their denial rates for post-acute care between 2019 and 2022 as it switched to AI authorizations.

On the same day as the shooting, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance covering Connecticut, New York, and Missouri announced it would cover anesthesia during surgery or procedures only for a specific time period in order to make insurance more affordable by reducing overbilling.

After an outcry both from anesthesiologists and the public, the company today retracted its policy change, saying it had never intended to avoid “medically necessary anesthesia,” but meant simply to “clarify the appropriateness of anesthesia consistent with well-established clinical guidelines.” Their explanation might have calmed the news cycle, but its suggestion that the insurance officials rather than doctors should determine what anesthesia is appropriate for a patient during surgery echoed the argument in the UnitedHealthcare lawsuit.

Thompson’s murder seems to be a cultural moment in which popular fury over the power big business has over ordinary Americans’ lives exploded. Maureen Tkacik of The American Prospect noted, “Only about 50 million customers of America’s reigning medical monopoly might have a motive to exact revenge upon the UnitedHealthcare CEO.” The shooter, whose actual motive remains unknown, is fast becoming a folk hero.

Social media has exploded with users writing things like “[t]his claim for sympathy has been denied”; songs featuring the words “deny, “defend,” and “depose”; and recorded commentary condemning the healthcare insurance industry. UnitedHealth Group posted its sadness about Thompson’s death on Facebook yesterday about 1:00 p.m.; 36 hours later the post had 65,000 laughing emojis under it.

Security expert Charlie Carroll expressed surprise to Josh Fiallo of the Daily Beast that Thompson did not have a security detail. “We’re living in a world where people are extremely disgruntled,” Carroll said. “When people lose trust in the system, you start seeing more kidnappings and assassinations because they feel like they have to take matters into their own hands.”

In the wake of the shooting, UnitedHealthcare and several other insurance companies took down from their websites the names and photographs of their officials.

Billionaires Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy were on Capitol Hill today where they met with lawmakers to explain their vision for the Department of Government Efficiency, the group designed to cut the U.S. budget. Neither they nor the lawmakers shared much with the press, although Fox Business played a video of Representative Ralph Norman (R-SC) saying that that “nothing is sacrosanct,” and that “they're going to put everything on the table,” including Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

Representative Tom Tiffany (R-WI) told Just The News that cuts to the budget “don’t have to be just the discretionary spending. We can get at some of the mandatory spending also…food stamps, some of those things.” He continued: “There may be more bang for the buck in terms of growing our economy…making regulatory changes, get the impediments out of the way, let those job creators and entrepreneurs really be able to go to work.”

In view of today’s news about healthcare, it’s probably worth remembering that Musk has called for the elimination of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and that Project 2025 has called for making Medicare Advantage—the privatized Medicare in which UnitedHealth specializes—the default enrollment option for Medicare. This would essentially privatize Medicare for the 66 million people who use it, but since Medicare Advantage costs taxpayers about 6% more than Medicare, this would not create the savings Musk is supposed to be finding.

Andrew Perez of RollingStone reported today that election financial disclosures filed yesterday revealed that Elon Musk was the secret funder of the “RBG PAC,” a Super PAC created just before the election that claimed Trump had the same position on abortion as the late Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Although Trump has bragged about overturning the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision recognizing the constitutional right to abortion and the 2024 Republican platform supported the far-right idea of “fetal personhood”—which would apply all the rights protected by the Fourteenth Amendment from the moment a human egg is fertilized—the RBG PAC ran ads promising that Trump would not support a national abortion ban.

Ginsburg’s granddaughter called the comparison of Trump and her grandmother “nothing short of appalling.”

The super PAC was created so late that it avoided disclosure before November 5. It was funded entirely by Musk with an injection of $20.5 million.

Bridget Bowman, Ben Kamisar, and Scott Bland of NBC News reported tonight that Musk spent at least $250 million to get Trump elected. In addition to the $20.5 million to the RBG PAC, he put $238 million into the America PAC. Musk also supported Trump through free advertising and commentary on his social media platform X.

Today provided a snapshot of American society that echoed a similar moment on January 6, 1872, when Edward D. Stokes shot railroad baron James Fisk Jr. as he descended the staircase of New York’s Grand Central Hotel. The quarrel was over Fisk’s mistress, Josie, who had taken up with the handsome Stokes, but the murder instantly provoked a popular condemnation of the ties between big business and government.

Fisk was a rich, flamboyant, and unscrupulous man-about-town, who was deeply entwined both with railroad barons like Jay Gould, Daniel Drew, and Cornelius Vanderbilt and with New York’s Tammany Hall political machine and its infamous leader, William Marcy Tweed. Tweed made sure the laws benefited the railroads and, the papers noted, snuck into the hotel to say goodbye to his friend in the hours it took for him to perish.

After the Civil War, most Americans applauded the nation’s businessmen for the support their growing industries had provided to the Union, but by 1872 the enormous fortunes the railroad men had amassed had tarnished their reputation. At the same time, big operators were starting to squeeze smaller enterprises out of business in order to control the markets, and popular anger simmered over their increasing control of the economy.

Stokes’s shooting was the event that sparked a popular rebellion. Newspapers covered every minute of the event and Fisk’s demise, while sensational books about the murder rolled off the presses.

Together, they redefined late nineteenth-century industrialists, with one painting Fisk as a representative businessman who with just “an hour’s effort,” could “gather into his clutches a score of millions of other people’s property, impoverish a thousand wealthy men, or derange the values and the traffic of a vast empire.”

Both those covering the murder and those reading about it rejoiced in Fisk’s misfortune.

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[asoulwithadream]

The Dancing Man (1) - Sherlock & Co.

I LOVE THE DANCING MEN STORY! I remember watching the Granada Holmes version and whilst I have forgotten the ending, I still remember it being one of my favourite adventures!

I am really enjoying how they've adapted this story so far, with the music implications and the drama, their production quality is really brilliant and I don't think I've expressed this before.

As of now they're doing an excellent job of keeping me in the dark—the only things I've was able to deduce were revealed to me just a few minutes after, so I'm excited to see how it plays out. Come on, Mr. British men, wow me with your miracles!

And for my stupid little commentary...

"Piss off, get a life!" To a swan, Jawn. A Swan.

HE WAS TRYING TO SAY THIS EPISODE WAS EDGING- ABSOLUTELY NOT-

"I bring soup! Glorious soup! The soup man cometh!" I will be quoting this forever.

Why are we talking so much about Elsie? Am I being suspicious in vain or is Elsie more relevant than she sounds? (I KNEW IT)

WE'LL MEET AGAIN YES I LOVE THAT SONG—AND QUEEN? I AM THE BIGGEST QUEEN FAN AND U2???? LITERALLY WHAT OKAY STOP STALKING AT MY PLAYLIST S&H

I love how Nadia and Stammo are singing so beautifully and then you can distinguish John's borderline tone-deafness mumbling in the background.

I KNOW! I KNOW! It's Folsom Prison Blues! FOLSOM. PRISON. BLUES—(I have a friend who listens to too much Johnny Cash)

I KNOW AGAIN! IT'S THE POLICE. THE BLUMMING POLICE I LOVE THE POLICE IT'S "EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE" STING STING STING STING ST-

There's a civil parish in Norfolk called Foulsham, aka Folsom. NORFOLK. NORFOLK HOTEL. THAT'S WHERE HE IS SHERLOCKKK

The Westbourne river runs underneath the city, you say? What if something's there, what if that's a Clue to a destination…

"Awh, I love it when he does that :D" John you sweet pea <3

I love it when they do the cut-off thing. Elsie could be… Toast? Do you want any toast?

[baenyth]

Bethany's Bizarre Miraculous Fic Prompt: Hawkmoth Gets Owned By Various Fictional Detectives

Basically I want to see Hawkmoth/Shadowmoth/Poopmoth/Monarch fail more since he kinda sorta won last season. And it's also crossovers where different fictional detectives (or just people on the Kira case square,) out Hawkmoth as Gabriel Agreste once and for all and hopefully do similar stuff such as outing Lila as a liar, dragging down other corrupt adults like Tomoe and Audrey, etc. and also just various funny moments with these characters interacting with the Miracucast. Here's some ideas I have from characters I know or are just interested in:

Lieutenant Columbo. I already made a post detailing it.

L from Death Note. I haven't watched Death Note, but if the memeposts are to be believed, he would outthink Gabriel Agreste at every turn. Probably ask him to show what's behind his ascot.

Shuichi Saihara from Danganronpa V3. Aside from him deducing Gabriel as Hawkmoth with the help from his friends, imagine the shenanigans. Gonta being ecstatic for the bug-themed heroes and how nicely they treat the purified butterflies. Kokichi takes down Lila by being Kokichi. Tenko is aware of the plot and tries to get Marigami together and make them kiss, alongside getting an Julerose kiss. Kiibo and Markov bond. So do Kaito and Rose. Kirumi somehow becomes mayor of Paris.

The Scooby Gang. In general I like the concept of silly guys managing to defeat Hawkmoth. They would accidentally find the secret elevator to Emile's pod and manage to use Ladybug and Chat Noir as bait for a trap and at the end, (since I like to imagine they're meddling adults at this point,) Gabriel Agreste grumbles that "at least it wasn't those meddling kids Ladybug and Chat Noir." They also take down the rest of Paris's elite because that's who the villains of Scooby Doo are.

The Duwang Gang. I think Kwamis and Miraculous heroes can see stands, but I'm unsure about akumatized people. Maybe. It turns out Crazy Diamond can heal people wounded by the Peacock but they pull the plug on Emile for the health of everyone. Rohan Kishibe uses Heaven's Door on the Miracukids and gets into accidental meta commentary upon discovering the full love square. He also uses Heaven's Door on Luka and it's sheet music. Maybe let Yukako join in too because of how much of a romancefest this show is and also because I like her and she had such a big presence in Great Days. Gabriel Agreste ends up with a similar fate to Yoshikage Kira, being surrounded by our heroes and helpless to do anything.

Sam and Max. I don't know much about them other that they're 1. funny guys, and 2. might just end up hitting Gabriel Agreste with their car.

Steve from Blue's Clues. Aside from the inherent humor of an educational kids show host taking down a terrorist supervillain, it also implies Blue knows who Hawkmoth is. Steve sits on the thinking chair to deduce Hawkmoth's identity and where he's hiding.

Courage the Cowardly Dog. Maybe Muriel and Eustace are dead and he was sent to live with Mylene and her dad. I feel like they'd get along well. Or maybe they're still alive and just visiting Paris and Muriel and Eustace are staying with Mylene and her dad. Either way I think this should take place around season 5 because the alliance ring works well with Courage's themes of paranoia over something supernatural putting your family at risk.

Agent P. Maybe Hawkmoth gets so desperate he gets Doctor Doofenshmirtz to build a wife-revive inator only for Emile to end up in another coma after accidentally pressing the self-destruct button on said inator. No one recognizes Agent P without his hat because this is Miraculous and people are dumb. Perry gets to beat the stuffing and tar out of Hawkmoth. Doof betrays him when he learns about how shitty of a dad he is. The miraculous heroes are allowed into OWCA on account of the animal theming.

The Smiling Friends. It starts off with a mission involving all of the main four helping Marinette smile and spirals down from there.

Not Batman. I've had enough Miraculous-Batman crossovers for one eternity.

[satvpsandowns]

I'm rereading Blue Lock after watching Episode Nagi in cinemas and I'm already at the end of Manshine vs Bastard and I keep finding new questions and answers regarding Reo and Nagi's relationship. It's so interesting. I love both of them so much, I never thought I'd get invested again in manga characters and their development.

This is my small rambling, a way to put into words what I've gotten so far.

Nagi was so angry and confused during the second selection while Reo was sad and a bit lost. I felt so bad for Nagi, he was excited while playing with Isagi, they gained Barou and Chigiri, then Isagi left, and he had to face being alone while having broken up with Reo a couple of matches ago.

After the u-20 game, Reo was trying to get back to his original plan and dream and Nagi...we still don't know that much yet, but their relationship was tense.

The Manshine game was a great battle field to showcase the new Reo, to prove his new polished weapons, he made the opening shot, and tried, for the first time, to directly work towards his ideal self: the all rounder, versatile midfielder.

Isagi and Reo's relationship has always been interesting to me. They don't insult each other, they have a certain level of respect, maybe because both are similar (overthinkers, playmakers, "average not-so-average"). But they are rarely in the same wavelength, I mean, Isagi doesn't know that much about Nagi and Reo's relationship, so he misses a couple of layers in Reo's dialogue, he sees Reo independently, so that's why I loved this game, he kept acknowledging Chigiri's and Reo's improvements: the 44 golden zone and metavision, respectively.

MC vs BM proved to the reader that Reo is a strong player, a threat, while still being insecure about his abilities, his style and his talent. In sum, a latent potential of greatness. Reo acknowledges Isagi back as someone who keeps changing and evolving in better versions of himself, he knows he's on his way too but then, Nagi happens.

I found this turn understandable. Nagi was frustrated, he said he wanted to defeat Isagi because it was the freshest problem in his mind, the easiest to articulate. Even Prince "was weirded tf out", even Reo was like "..." I'm not sure what else happened in his head (let's wait for EpiNagi ig ;_;) but he saw how strong his team was, how confident they were playing, how good Reo had gotten.

His request to Reo, the "I need you" was the breaking point. Reo was still in the process of relearning himself. Getting what you formerly wanted so desperately hits different depending on your mental state. And Reo's mental state wasn't at his best yet. The reader tends to, sort of, know whose character has already wrapped up the key points in their development, and I take Isagi and Reo's comments on each other as an affirmation of "work in progress".

So Nagi verbalising his dream, what he wanted, shook Reo's focus. And I don't blame any of them. Reo wanted to be needed by Nagi, his first friend, his partner who made his dream feel achievable, while Nagi wanted to feel the warmth and comfort (and fun) of playing soccer and getting challenged. Both wanted to feel like protagonists, just like Isagi said.

There was a chance and they took it. They succeeded immediately, and just as easy, old and new problems unfolded. Only this time, Reo seems more ready to battle on his own.

Again, Isagi's "teenage drama combo" commentary gives the reader a clue: that comfort and having a soft spot for each other is not really a problem. It's a pillar for development, a tool, but not the only one, as it can be easily read at NEL level.

So after getting back together and tying the game, Isagi recognizes Reo's metavision, but some pages later, he pushes and stops Nagi and tells him he had surpassed him. This time Nagi doesn't seem to mind, for his dream of defeating Isagi was accomplished with his "revolutionary five volley shot" or something like that. This crystallises the new problem: they might be on good terms again but it can only last so much, it may last even less. And as a reader and someone who likes both characters so much for what they, individually, entail thematically, I'm anxious and excited.

In a few words, Reo has a soft spot for Nagi, and Reo is like a compass to Nagi. That's a given. Both respect, recognize and value each other to a degree that's just SO DAMN SWEET. 

[sonkitty]

The Sideburns Scheme Post #64

(For reference: The Sideburns Scheme)

Crowley, Good Omens 2, Episode 5, The Ball, watch

...

Sideburns Check

The sideburns are short.

As my theory goes, Crowley went for a drive to shorten them. That will give him a "human" reading and possibly hold off a supernatural zone forming until later.

...

Brighter Red Streak Check

With the sunlight and the red hair looking more red, the more saturated red streak of hair is a little difficult to find. Still, I think it is there.

...

Hairstyle Changes

The sideburns are shorter. The red hair is more red. Otherwise, the top hair is more wild in its curls.

...

Earthly Objects

(For reference: Earthly Objects | The Ball Invitations Checklist | The Pocket Trick Touch #3 - Double - Between Door Frames and Papers | The Bigger Thresholds Trick Visual Representation)

Aziraphale starts with touching a clipboard and pen though the pen is blurry. He opens the door, touching both the doorknob and astragal.

As he is opening the door, Crowley is arriving back from his drive and parking in front of the coffee shop. Then the bookshop door is heard as being closed.

The camera shows us part of the list, including that "Arnold's" is first. This part is important for later.

Crowley is shown with his right hand touching the door to his car. The touch includes a reflection of that hand on the door.

Additionally, a clasp is shown at a lapel edge, to indicate he is retying his Tied Hands.

Crowley approaches Aziraphale with the question, "Are you actually going through with this?" As he does so, his thumb joints line up with his jacket, his watch is visible, and he briefly extends his index finger as further signs of the Tied Hands retying.

Aziraphale is still holding his clipboard and answers, "Indeed I am."

There is a brief cut that has no dialogue as Crowley turns his head to watch Aziraphale. This cut is the theoretical start of the Double in The Pocket Trick. It reminds us that the Rainbow Connection left off on Blue and is still on Blue. It includes a Pocket Chain reference since the cut includes Crowley's own Bentley and another car passing by that ends up visually pocketing Crowley, briefly.

With that cut done, a new one starts. Crowley asks another question with, "Can I watch?" In this cut, Crowley has the first of two hinge touches with his jacket before entry into the bigger threshold leading to the music shop. His left thumb joint is shown and then understood to be aligned with a folded edge of his jacket. The dialogue is probably a clue that the watch has an important job during the Double for The Pocket Trick.

This cut also, I think, stalls the Rainbow Connection from switching to Blue to Purple due to how the red rear lights on a car are blocked as a human wearing blue, orange, and white passes through the pocket formed between Aziraphale and Crowley.

Then there is the next cut for the next hinge touch. This time the left thumb CMC joint lines up with a corner for the jacket. Crowley gets at least one Overhead Light for his actual head and a potential extra Overhead Light for his Belt Head.

Crowley's left arm and left side of his torso visually pocket some green from plants and yellow lights. The green of leaves and yellow lights are relevant to how the Rainbow Connection is managed later for The Door Trick and The Door Catch.

As Aziraphale and Crowley walk forward, there is a hole in the wall. That is the opening to the bigger threshold leading to the music shop. The incoming threshold is the Single of The Bigger Thresholds Trick.

...

Story Commentary

The ball invitations are about to begin.

These invitations are like a mini-game that Aziraphale and Crowley play, such that they have to work together separately.

Each of them will work to earn solo sets based on the mechanics of Earthly Objects. While they attend each invitation together and look at each other, they will both avoid actually talking to each other.

In fact, Crowley will avoid talking to anyone during the actual inviting.

Aziraphale's inviting the humans to a "meeting," and Crowley to the "bookshop."

Crowley is inviting the humans to his supernatural zone that will form as the ball starts. Theoretically. That would, in turn, be for The Sideburns Scheme game.

I made a post to help as a checklist for what to look for in these invitations: The Ball Invitations Checklist.

I don't have it all figured out, but I have notes of some observed patterns and what to look for.

It's probably not a coincidence that the bookshop door was opened as Crowley himself arrived. I'm intrigued by the story's choice of showing Crowley's arrival through a window within the bookshop while Aziraphale himself is not at that window. Is Gabriel watching? Or someone or something else?

This scene is an initiating part for the Double in The Pocket Trick and general preparation for these ball invitations.

It includes a clue that a bigger threshold is about to be entered for the Single of The Bigger Thresholds Trick.

The surface-level story shows that Aziraphale has decided that he wants this meeting to happen, and Crowley's tagging along to watch how Aziraphale plans to make this meeting happen.

However, the ball invitations themselves suggest that there is some layered story and awareness in them both in overall preparation for this ball because of how they play their solo sets as a little game.

The next post might be long and take some extra time to draft because it will have the first ball invitation, the continuation of the Double in The Pocket Trick, and the Single of The Bigger Thresholds Trick. A lot is happening in the upcoming scene.

...

That's it for this post. Sometimes I edit my posts, FYI.

...

Main post:

The Sideburns Scheme

[elizabethrobertajones]

Not a familiar constellation or star in sight. Frog stared at the strange spattering of stars and couldn't feel a whisper of the connection her years of training as an Astrologian had gifted her.

Then she focussed and spoke the familiar words of spells that called out to the patrons of the stars who weren't present, whose associated stars were not even in the sky. And the warmth of the celestial blessing flooded her; the gaze she felt as she drew intercession down to heal answered in the very sigils of gods who weren't even born yet.

"Maybe it's the distant connection through the Crystal Tower," she mused, still dissatisfied and confused, but with no clue where to look next.

(A malm away in  Anagnorisis, Charmion shivered and blinked, and looked around at her coworkers, seeing they'd startled too. "Did you just feel Azem channel a tiny bit of aether from you too? I wonder what that was for! Maybe the familiar is still here and she needed some more?"

They shrugged about it as Weird Azem Things, the least of which had happened that afternoon, and went back to their work)

...

Frog still trying to understand how Astrologian worked out in Elpis before Myths of the Realm answered some very pressing questions and took the mystic woo out of AST's prayer-based spells.

"Job" for FFXIV Vanilla Gpose Challenge... My favourite thing you can do in just vanilla gpose is playing with all the spells and abilities, watching them frame by frame and appreciating details that whoosh by in combat.

.... yeah that's her current AST glam; if we're not using mods I'm not buying a half dozen pots of the expensive dark blue dye to recreate her levelling gear, we're errrrrrrrrr doing a meta commentary on the limitations of vanilla gpose for storytelling. Or time is fake in Elpis. :P

[twig-tea]

Get To Know Me Tag

Tagged by @telomeke @lurkingshan @my-rose-tinted-glasses @he-is-lightning-in-a-bottle and @hyeoni-comb thank you all! 💕

Do you make your bed?

I like a messy bed, it feels more welcoming to me somehow. The only time I make my bed is when I'm without heat and it's winter, then you gotta do it to keep in any residual warmth! But normally I'd rather keep everything loose.

What’s your favorite number?

I....don't think I have one? Is this a thing people have, how do you choose?

What is your job?

I manage a team of Product Owners in the Operations division of a multinational company. In other words, I go to a lot of meetings.

If you could go back to school, would you?

Absolutely not. Beyond the fact that I was formerly a substantive editor of university textbooks, which included both editing the textbook content and sometimes writing their ancillaries (tests, powerpoint slides, etc.) so it feels like I took first-year Sociology at least ten times, I just don't love formalized education. I love learning but on my own terms and at my own pace.

Can you parallel park?

I can't drive at all! Technically I learned how, took lessons and everything, but never got my license.

A job you had that would surprise people?

Hmm. I was a call center person for half a day, it was terrible and I left without getting paid for the work I did because I was so eager to get out of there I didn't want to fight them for my pay (even though I needed the money which is why I was there in the first place). I hate phone calls, I can't hear well on the phone, and it was clear the call center script was designed to be exploitative. It was one of the worst jobs for me I could have taken lol

Do you think aliens are real?

I think it's extremely likely!

Can you drive a manual car?

Nope, even when I learned, it was only on an automatic.

What’s your guilty pleasure?

I'm not guilty about it but I can decimate an entire family size mac and cheese when I'm feeling down.

Tattoos?

I have 3 tattoos; one on each foot and one on the back of my neck. They form a rainbow.

Favorite color?

Blue-green! The shade of preference for any given moment varies, but anything in the region from mint to aqua to teal to turquoise will do; I love them all.

Favorite type of music?

My music taste varies widely but the common denominators are 1) fast tempo or upbeat, 2) solid harmonies, and 3) if there's a tempo or key change I am doubly sold.

Do you like puzzles?

Love puzzles of all kinds. I have a collection of jigsaw puzzles I do regularly, and word puzzles, logic puzzles, sudoku type stuff is all very fun. I don't make a lot of time for them but I do them occasionally and always enjoy it.

Any phobias?

I am afraid of falling. Not heights, but falling. The difference is: I can lean over the railing at the top of a 20-storey building or walk on a glass floor over a big drop and just feel a minor thrill, but am terrified to the point of maybe crying if I have to balance on a single step of a ladder or walk across a patch of ice. I had several brushes with death related to falling when I was a kid, and a few bad falls that caused injury as an adult, so it makes sense. Luckily I am pretty tall so I rarely have to do any kind of ladder-ing!

Favorite childhood sport?

American-style tackle football. We used to play at lunch on the pavement because the soccer kids got the field; we played in all seasons including snow, and we did it for love of the sport. I loved it a lot.

Do you talk to yourself?

Occasionally I'll provide a little commentary on what's happening aloud to myself; but I don't really have fully conversations.

What movies do you adore?

I have loved a lot of movies in my time! A few random ones that come to mind right now because I've been thinking about them for whatever reason are Saving Face (2004), Monster (2023), Practical Magic (1998), Moonlight (2016), and Clue (1985).

Coffee or tea?

Despite my username being a type of tea, in this as in all things I am a perfect Kinsey 3. Love both equally and drink a ton of both (coffee more regularly, tea in greater volume).

First thing you wanted to be growing up?

Lifeguard, I think! And then when I was in elementary school I wanted to edit textbooks (I was that kid who got annoyed whenever there were mistakes), so I did actually get to do my childhood dream job.

No pressure tags just going with vibes based on who I've interacted with recently (if you've done this already tag me in the comments!): @rocketturtle4 @visualtaehyun @sollucets @troubled-mind @jimmysea @ginnymoonbeam

[jeldacat]

Dawn pt. 8 commentary

Lots of dramatic hands today

Sploot

Well said, Cap’n 🫡

Everyone’s already said it but I’m saying it again- the scarf returns!!! Return of the king!!! It’s been sooo long without it! Also, I love the detail of seeing him insert the brooch into the shoulder part to secure it.

“Good plan! I approve” Oh, Wind sweetheart, acting all big and mature but I just wanna hug him 😭 The little bean🥰

It’s nice seeing them all standing together as a group again 💚

Anyone here used to watch Blues Clues? All I can think about here is the Mail Time song 😆 I can’t wait to know what the letters say!

[lowkeyrobin]

FREDDIE BADLINU ; hair dye

summary; you have a stripe of hair that correlates with your soulmate's hair color

warnings; language

genre; fluff

word count ; 647

masterlist

You were born with a light streak of brown in your hair. Right in your fringe area above your left eyebrow.

By the time you were 14 or so, that streak started turning many different colors. From pink and orange to purple and blue. Seems like your soulmate liked dyeing their hair. Although, they wouldn't be able to paint over the matching piece in their hair that correlated with your hair color.

By 17, you think your soulmate ran through the whole rainbow. You still had your hopes up about meeting them, especially with such an uncommon shade of purple. Although, the bigger chance is that you never would.

Soulmates could be connected from across the whole world, and never meet or be able to live out their lives. The hair is just a little clue that most people never solve the riddle for. Eventually, everyone gives up and lives their own lives.

You sit down with your friend, Tommy, at a salad bar, having a little lunch date to talk about your content and whatnot, and sharing ideas. He was more into video games while you were more into commentary.

"So, yknow my friend Freddie? I'm pretty sure I've talked about him...?"

You nod, taking a bite of your food.

"So, he might actually be your soulmate... if you wanna meet him?"

"What?"

The blonde clears his throat, and awkwardly rubs the nape of his neck. "Uh, so, your hair stripe, like, changes with his, and I only kinda recently put it together. I'm pretty sure you guys are soulmates"

"You totally sure?"

He nods as he pulls out his phone to show you a picture of this Freddie character. His hair was dyed the same purple your little streak was colored. Other than the only thing that currently connected you two other than your hair and Tommy, he was rather cute.

He looked kind of like a dork, which you could definitely get behind. He had an adorable smile and peak sense of fashion, you wanted to jump through Tommy's phone and just kiss him already.

"Why... why tell me like this?" You giggle, respectfully teasing the blonde boy across from you.

Tom shrugs, "You're right, bad time. Uh, but! If you do wanna meet him..."

"Of course I do, Tommy! The universe has connected us for the past twenty years, why wouldn't I want to meet him!"

"You're a very indecisive person, Y/n."

☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆ ★ ✮ ★ ☆

"Hi, my name's Freddie" The purple haired boy smiles, lightly waving, "Tommy tells me we're soulmates" He points up to the un-dyeable strand of y/h/c hair in his fringe, matching your hair.

"Hello" You shyly smile, sending him a little smile, "I think so, I mean, hopefully, maybe" You awkwardly chuckle, glancing up at the spot where the purple in your fringe lay.

Tommy stands between you two with a smile, holding up his phone to record this for you guys. He knew his boundaries and personal space though, making sure to make this moment still special while capturing the moment.

"So, I hear you're into exploring, what kind of adventures have you gone on?" He asks, striking up a conversation.

"Mostly hikes and walks through parks and stuff, seeing a bit of the beauty the world has to offer" You respond with a light shrug, "I love being out in nature and feeling the fresh air on my face"

"Oh my God, me too!" Freddie giggles.

God, that laugh, it could fuel you for a week straight with no sleep. That would be keeping you up tonight.

"I'm glad we can agree on that, nature is just so intriguing and perfectly boring"

"That's the perfect description, truly"

Seems like you were definitely going to enjoy your time with purple haired boy who enjoys the outdoors as much as you did. A match perfectly made for each other.

[haveyouseenthis-childhoodshow]

Have you seen this childhood show: Blue’s Clues (1996-2006), United States (English)

[Images: Blue’s Clues Season 1 Characters and second image is all three hosts: Donovan Patton (2002-2006), Joshua Dela Cruz (2019-Present in “Blue’s Clues and You!”, and Steve Burns (1996-2002)

Commentary/Context/Memories: I remember having two tapes VHSes of Nick Jr. blocks. One featured shows like Rupert, Franklin and Little Bear. while the other was solely Blue’s Clues. I watched that tape over and over and over and part of me wishes I could find it. It was one of my favourite shows when J was little and I still adore it to this day. Also for those who have only seen this show on streaming services, please go on Youtube and look up the deleted ending scene from the episode “Blue’s Birthday”. It’s so sweet it’ll make you cry.

[Mod A: Probably the only show (besides Winnie the Pooh) I remember watching before getting my cochlear implant (I’m profoundly deaf in both ears) bc of how bright and colourful the show was. To this day I couldn’t tell you anything about how the voices sounds, I just vividly remember the blue pawprint clues and the shapes of the characters/furniture. It’s personally very weird to revisit it on Youtube bc all the sounds/dialogue does not evoke any particular memories/nostalgia for me, but the textures of the characters does.]

Also can’t tell if this is the right video or not, but here’s the video the user submission mentioned: