#i just know they’re gen z i need to be their best friend

[dandelionjack]

the big finish social media admin is actually my secret undercover identity

[fatimajpeg]

adding to this

This was an interesting article to read. I think it's a little simple but still fun to skim thru.

[textfromthelookout]

just read ur entire essay about vegeta and like.. goddamn you just gave me a whole new perspective on that funky little man. i love the way it was written and organized

ALSO ALSO i read this bit and am begging u to expand on this concept it sounds so interesting /gen

Oh you would, would you. I am delighted to oblige.

So. Super Saiyan. A transformation available to Saiyans past certain power thresholds that, while more or less freely accessible after first awakening to it, needs a trigger to become accessible in the first place. Over the course of Z in its many adaptations, we see the first awakenings of Goku, Vegeta, Future Trunks, and Gohan onscreen. Goten, Trunks, and Future Gohan are also Super Saiyans, but we don’t know for sure how that came about. Goten and Trunks in particular are why I say that Super Saiyan (more specifically, the first time you access Super Saiyan) can be read as a trauma response, because there’s no real evidence this is the case on their parts. You can make an argument for them, but in general I choose to believe they’re exceptions to this take, so I won’t be discussing them.

Oh and as for Cabba, Caulifla, and Kale…… they’re literally from an alternate universe. Super Saiyan just has different rules there. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Getting back on track. Goku’s the obvious place to start, so let’s look at him first. In the entirety of Dragon Ball (that I’ve seen), not counting the comedic needle bit in that one episode of GT, Goku has only ever been seen crying three times. Once was his reunion with Grandpa Gohan in early Dragon Ball. Once was in the anime’s version of the Tournament of Power, after Roshi’s near-death incident.

Once was at the beginning of King Piccolo, when he finds Krillin dead. King Piccolo saga is a little infamous for the sudden tonal whiplash—yeah, Tien breaks Yamcha’s leg in the tournament just prior, but they make up about it and it’s not as dire as someone dying. What’s really striking to me about it is Goku’s reaction. He’s more upset than we’ve ever seen him. And he loses worse than we ever see him lose because of it. Sure, in the end everything is put right, but.

But, the thing about trauma is that it makes time go weird. Fast forward about ten years. It’s suddenly happening again. His best friend is dead. He couldn’t do anything to stop it. He doesn’t know that Porunga can revive people who have already died once. As far as Goku knows, Krillin’s gone for good this time. And he watched it happen and watched Freeza laugh about it.

And he reacts essentially the same way. Only this time, he’s orders of magnitude stronger than he was when he was 15, and he has the experience and the wherewithal to control himself somewhat better. Emphasis on somewhat, because it’s very clear that he’s worried about going completely off the deep end in the grips of this power. And he’s right to be! I’m willing to bet money that in Gohan’s whole life, Goku has never pulled the ‘I’m your father, don’t talk back to me’ card on him, and that’s one of the smallest ways this power changes him. When he’s fighting Freeza, he’s a lot more like Vegeta, down to the way he smirks. He’s condescending. He’s brutal. I’ve seen comments to the effect of ‘Freeza’s not fighting Goku anymore—now, Freeza’s fighting Kakarot’ and that’s truly what it feels like.

I could go on, but the particulars of the Namek fight aren’t the important part. The important part is that Goku recognizes how badly that whole thing fucked him up and stays on Yardrat for a year explicitly to get a handle on Super Saiyan before returning home. He knows that if he loses control like that again, there’s a very real possibility he’ll end up hurting someone he cares about, or worse, becoming someone he really doesn’t want to be. (Call it a reach, it definitely is one, but I like to believe Goku picked up Instant Transmission while he was there so he’ll never be too late or too far away to help ever again.)

Vegeta’s case is less… visible? So, much of this is going to be purely my extrapolation. If you take him at his word, Vegeta triggered Super Saiyan with the sheer amount of hatred he felt toward himself for his inadequacy and like. Hello. That’s already a giveaway. I don’t believe he’s outright lying, but I also believe he’s simplifying matters a little. Or a lot. Per My Last Long-Winded Essay, he only gets that far because he leaves Earth entirely for areas uninhabited, which is good for him in some respects and bad for him in others.

The sweet irony of it is that it was Vegeta’s own efforts that locked him out of Super Saiyan. He tried to brute-force his way into it singlemindedly, in the belief that he was simply not strong enough, but Super Saiyan’s trigger is raw, overwhelming emotion. It can be one very clear emotion, or several different ones mixed up, but it’s emotion. It doesn’t answer to logic by its very nature, and frankly, neither does trauma. So Vegeta’s removed all the distractions to his training, yes, but in doing so he’s also removed all the distractions from everything else. Without anybody else around, he doesn’t have anything to get himself out of his own head, so now he’s got a whole universe of space for two and a half decades’ worth of repressed shit to come raging out. Funny how the minute he lets himself feel actual emotions other than the ones he wants everyone to see, the transformation explicitly tied to and powered by emotion rears its head, huh.

Vegeta makes several really dumb decisions once he gets back on Earth, in sharp contrast to the way he handles himself on Namek before he’s face-to-face with Freeza. On Namek, he’s careful to fly under the radar whenever he can, which is why I love the fit he launches into when he realizes Gohan played him, because that’s his control slipping. He’s opportunistic and sneaky and it’s clear he’s doing his damnedest to get what he wants without having to fight people who can kill him. He doesn’t hear the Ginyu Force is coming and rush off to challenge them, he’s like ‘oh shit’ and immediately fucks off elsewhere. I can only make sense of the way he acts during the androids/Cell as a symptom of his need to prove himself.

And make no mistake—it is a need, not a want. The power’s meaningless without people to witness and acknowledge it, the same way the authority of royalty is. His chosen course of action, though, is sort of like painting over rotten wood, if that makes any sense. Letting himself get high off the power, pretending that everything went exactly the way it should have gone from the start, refusing to acknowledge all of his Issues more than passingly. Furthermore, his victory must be complete and unquestionable: that’s why he lets Cell take Android 18. He can’t just… not lose, he has to win. Anything less is anathema to him. You see, he hasn’t yet figured out that he can survive without it.

Okay sorry that got a little in the weeds but I hope you get what I was driving at there. Vegeta’s a mess and talking about him makes me Unstable. Let’s move on.

Of the main four Saiyans, I think Future Trunks’ awakening is the simplest to understand: his trigger is that moment of pure, crushing grief when he finds Gohan dead in the rain. And it’s no wonder. Aside from Gohan and his mother, who does Trunks even talk to in that timeline? We never see him with friends, not until Super. Trunks’ ‘You were everything to me’ in the dub version of the special might be only debatably canon but it’s hardly an exaggeration. Friend. Teacher. Comrade. Brother. Perhaps even a father figure, in some ways. Certainly the only other one of his kind—half-human, half-alien from a long-dead warrior race. There was literally nobody else in the world who could come close to understanding him to the degree that Gohan could have. Gohan dies and Trunks is effectively all alone, the terminarch of one species left to shoulder the fate of another.

It’s a staggering loss for anybody, let alone for a boy of 12 or 13.

Speaking of. Gohan. I think Gohan’s a strange case—not powered by grief or anger, but something different. In the moments before he unlocks Super Saiyan, he’s thinking ‘I have to do it’ before flashing abruptly to all the different times where he was ‘too weak or too scared’ to fight. I personally believe that it’s less determination or ‘the power coming in response to a need’, as Goku puts it, that tips him over the edge. Fear, I think—while not being the whole reason, there’s surely some self-directed anger or disappointment involved—is probably the biggest factor. That’s Gohan’s whole thing—he’s scared of fighting, and to some degree of his own power. If I laid out all the specific examples we’d be here for another thousand words, so I’ll just say that he’s been Through It. We all know this.

This sort of has a continuation in the iconic Super Saiyan 2 transformation against Cell. It’s all on him and it’s not until Cell actually kills someone in front of Gohan that it really twigs that it’s do or die for him. And as much as he’s angry at Cell, the realization that Cell means business, that he really will kill them all? It scares him. Fight or flight takes over. The only real difference is that he chooses fight. The change in how Gohan handles Cell is what really convinces me that emotionally he’s going through something similar to Goku and Vegeta—because it’s almost to the letter exactly what happens with Goku against Freeza. The cruelty, the condescension. I’d argue Gohan leans into the mean demeanor, subconsciously or not, to keep from feeling the fear. And it costs him. But the Gohan discussion is a whole other discussion.

As for Future Gohan, I’m putting a disclaimer here now that none of what I’m about to say is really provable—just really really interesting to think about.

Future Gohan’s life is maybe the worst-case scenario. Like the future timeline sucks specifically for Gohan because he doesn’t like to fight and he has to anyway because what other choice does he have? Let everyone on Earth die without at least trying? He couldn’t, not in good conscience. And it’s not like he’ll have a normal life so long as the androids are around anyway. So in the middle of grieving basically everybody he’s ever known and felt affection for (sans his mother and grandfather, it’s more implied that he’s estranged from them, or at least intentionally distancing himself from them to keep them out of harm’s way), he's also making himself channel anger he hates feeling so he has a shot of even surviving these killers that only exist because of something his father did at least ten years ago. This shouldn’t be his fight, and yet.

Here’s my personal theory. Gohan goes into that final fight with the androids fully intending to die. Not just expecting to, but hoping to. He knows that if he was only barely scraping through those fights with both arms, there’s no way in hell he’ll kill them both when he only has one. He’s not an idiot, but you know what he is? Exhausted. Twelve years of this, being the only resistance to this threat and failing each and every time. He knows what will unlock Super Saiyan for Trunks. He knows there’s someone to carry on the torch and lift the burden. And it’s cruel and selfish of him to put all of that on Trunks and throw himself to the wolves, but it was cruel that he had to carry that all by himself for so long.

He’s fucking tired.

Anyways. That’s my TEDtalk on Super Saiyan. If you read it all the way to the end you’re a real one. Thanks for this ask, you two!

[theenbynightingale]

CLONE HIGH (2023) EP. 8 SPOILERS

Okay, I know I’m opening up myself to a bunch of arguing but like... We need to have a talk. I should preface this by saying I’m not a die hard fan of Clone High. I only caved into watching the original series a few days before the reboot dropped despite hearing about it for years. I think they’re both good but I have my problems with both.

But I wanna talk about Topher Bus, a Christopher Columbus clone in a Gen Z world. He’s kind of taken over the role of Ghandi as Abe’s best friend in the revival, since the creators don’t want to bring him back unless they know they’re gonna be able to make more seasons. He hasn’t had a lot of screen time or development because the abundance of characters in this version. However, him becoming somewhat close with Abe has resulted in some fans shipping them.

So imagine their surprise when Topher tries to blackmail (or white leverage) Abe at the end of the final episode because he is attracted to Joan as well. I’ve seen so many people actually get angry about this. Many found themselves disappointed that Topher wasn’t straight or that he’d do something so terrible to Abe.

To which I say... Why would you expect anything else from this guy?

Topher’s whole thing was that he was an asshole who tried way too hard to convince people he’s progressive or an ally or “woke”, a term he unironically uses. He goes on and on about how he’s looking out for poc and women because he’s just trying to survive in a world that has flat out rejected his clone father.

“But he has a ‘Everyone is Welcome Here’ rainbow flag in his room!” Yeah, he does. He also has a co-exist poster, too. Good for him. Except there’s also a poster that says “Not a paid activist”. It’s a front! That’s the point! 

“But he keeps trying to drill it into everyone’s heads that he’s straight, like a closeted person!” Yes, he does. But it’s not just closeted people who do that. I went to a Catholic school and I also live in the real world. I’ve seen dudes be afraid to drink tea or hug because it might make them look “gay” or “feminine” or whatever bullshit.

“The way he said he liked Joan and white women in general was so exaggerated that he must be forcing himself to say it!” This is Clone High! Everything in this show is so exaggerated. From the very beginning, it’s been a parody of teen satires. It was created by the duo that would go on to make Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, 21 Jump Street and The LEGO Movie. This is their style.

“The episode would have been better if he blackmailed Abe into not confessing to Joan because he had a crush on Abe.” So you’re saying you would have liked the episode more if Topher had gone “Abe, the reason I almost got you molested by a teacher was because I’m in love with you”? I need you to realize how fucked that is.

Topher is a weasly little shit who tries to convince everyone how progressive he is when he’s actually a total asshole. That was the point. Y’all thinking he was in love with Abe or that he had Abe’s best intentions at heart just means that it worked. You took the bait. I’m not saying shipping Tophabe would be immoral (okay maybe after the whole statutory rape thing but that’s just for right now). There’s a solid chance that their friendship could be salvaged after this. I certainly never thought I’d ship Cleo with anyone but know she and Frida are my OTP. But you gotta stop pretending that this character is someone he isn’t.

I might delete this because I’m just trying to get my feelings out. I’m not calling anyone stupid or whiny just because they got upset by the new episodes. (Shoutout to my boy, @warcrimetime​. Sorry they took JoanFK from you so soon). This is just another case of me getting annoyed by people calling queerbait just because a ship didn’t become canon and me getting everything out of my system. (But also, if Joan does see Topher’s blackmail and her reaction is anger at Abe and not “HOLY SHIT YOU WERE MOLESTED?!” then that would actually be legit bad writing).

TL;DR:

Although, maybe I’m just not upset because I got Kahlopatra and you guys lost your OTP and I just don’t understand, I dunno. 

[adventurerlyra]

On my time scrolling through tumblr I’m very happy to see that the Pokémon fanbase is really chill here and doesn’t seem to be complaining or at each others throats or as toxic as in other social media sites.

Like, holy shit, it’s so much more enjoyable to look at Pokémon related stuff on here wayyy more than on other sites like Instagram for example since I’ve been on that app for over a decade.

It’s kinda surreal to me, because ever since 2019, I’ve been very used to Pokémon discussions being very bitter and cynical, things like how “the franchise isn’t good anymore” or “it hasn’t been in 10 years” or how “anyone who likes any of the new games are shills” or “meat riders” or that people who like or enjoy the newer games are “the reason why the franchise isn’t good anymore”, like…I haven’t seen anyone being cynical assholes about Pokémon around here, something that I have unfortunately been very used to seeing for the past 4 years.

It’s honestly a shame cause a lot of the negative discussions and discourse about Pokémon during that time had an extremely negative impact on how I enjoyed the franchise for a really long time, I remember I went from being extremely excited towards sw/sh to a toxic sw/sh hater and supressed myself from talking about or being passionate towards the games past gen 5 for a really long time despite them being the ones that I played the most during my adolescence, I remember I thought what I was doing made me look smarter and thought that it made me look like I didn’t have “shit taste” in video games and that it would make me look like I wanted what was best for the series but in reality I just became a huge bully, it didn’t help that I was friends with people who acted the same way, I cut them off my life a long time ago and thankfully I stopped behaving that way around last year and since then, I’ve become far less bitter and cynical cause if it, I still don’t like Sw/Sh and I still think they’re to worst mainline games, but I can care less if there’s people who just like those games.

And yes I’m obviously aware that there are fans who are toxic towards defending the games and I don’t condone that behavior whatsoever either, I’m just talking about the more cynical side of the fanbase because that’s the part of the fanbase I’ve been to most exposed to for the past 4 years. Thankfully I’ve moved away from that side of the Fanbase and I am now able to enjoy Pokémon like I did when I was 14 again without a single care about any sort of discourse or other peoples opinions getting in the way of enjoying the games, I swear I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed Pokémon Scarlet and Violet as much as I did if I didn’t let go of my toxic behavior, like that game has become my 3rd or 4th favorite Pokémon game and it has my favorite story in the franchise now.

I need to clarify I’m obviously not against anyone criticizing the newer games, Pokémon as a whole, or people who simply just have concerns regard legends Z-A like wether it’ll be glitchy/unpolished like Sc/Vi for example, I have my criticisms regarding the newer games too just don’t be a cynical asshole about it.

Another thing I want to mention is that yes I know that tumblr will have toxic Pokémon fans too, every site will have toxic fans in them no matter what, it’s just that here it’s not as prevalent on other sites and it’s much more easy to avoid.

Tldr: wow the Pokémon fanbase is way more bearable here, and that’s very refreshing due to my bad experiences with other toxic fans.

[gabriel-xander]

Don't Forget

[Sans x Female!Reader]

5: It Has Begun...

♪───✿⁠(⁠✧◕⁠ᴗ⁠◕✧⁠)✿⁠────♪

You want to say that you and Napstablook became friends fast, but the unfortunate truth is that you haven’t seen him in the last six days since you’ve been in the Ruins. Toriel mentioned that she rarely sees that monster in the Ruins, so it’s likely he lives somewhere else in the Underground.

Fucking bummer, man.

So, unfortunately, you couldn’t have a cool bond with the shy ghost. But! There was a certain monster type that you unironically vibed with pretty well.

Yeah, that’s right.

Migosp.

It is THE unlikely friendship of the century. You can’t describe how fucking wacky this shit is, all he be doing is just DANCING his little butt off! You ran into him by accident a few days ago when going on a grocery trip with Toriel (you always forget the Ruins/ Underground is a LOT bigger than what’s accessible in the game), and Toriel was ready to throw hands in your honor.

But Migosp?

He just danced it off.

Literally.

As a joke, you hit that yoinky sploinky to join him as a show of good faith. But what you didn’t know was that it was practically an invitation for Migosp to declare you as the best dance partner in the history of Forever. He practically followed you and Toriel to the store, just dancing without a care in the world and pointing at you to take your turn at hitting the gritty.

Is the Author using enough Gen Z words yet? Probably not.

While Migosp wasn’t the greatest companion (“What? I don’t feel like talking. I just wanna dance!”), he liked you enough that he stuck around whenever you saw him. You doubt he’d protect you if there was a threat, but he was there for sure.

Froggit was another monster type that you love so much. They just wanted pets and compliments for most of the time. Some of them would even solve the puzzles for you and Toriel whenever they see you come by to save you time. You remember that they are pretty intimidated by Toriel, so it is possible that they’re only nice to you because of her. But you want to think that you’re likable enough for them to want to befriend you naturally.

Now the Loox monsters…

They were just… kind of there. You try not to stare at them, but they are a lot scarier in person than in-game (go figure).

All of the monsters are bigger in person than you thought. You suppose it’s because they are monsters that they will naturally be bigger than a human such as yourself. A monster like Loox, for example, is 4’5 (137cm) tall.

THAT SHIT IS TERRIFYING!!

Still, the Loox monsters are on good enough terms with you. They avoid you in fear of being picked on, but then get happy to talk to you when they realize that you won’t bully them. Vegatoids fell into the same category if you’re honest. As long as you ate your greens, they had no qualms about leaving you alone.

Moldsmal encourages you to let out your inner hoe-bag, no surprise there. There is that very fine line though since you’re supposed to be a “kid,” but hey! Maybe all sexy wiggles don’t have to be inherently sexual! Slowly but surely, you can revamp the sexy wiggle to be a sexy wiggle rated E for Everyone.

As for the Whimsun…

They avoided you like the fucking plague. You guessed it was to be expected; they could barely handle Frisk and they were just a little fella.

All in all, your first week in the Ruins? Pretty swell! It’s… It’s boring at times, sure, but it's better than possibly dying.

Today marks the second week (You think…?), and as you’re making your way to the kitchen to get some breakfast, you notice a note on the table left by Toriel, as well as an old phone.

“My dear child,

I will be gone for a couple of hours. In the meantime, please stay within the house, will you not? I cannot bear the thought of you being hurt and me not being there in time to protect you.

Just in case, I will leave you with this cellphone. If you need me for anything, don’t be afraid to give me a call.

Be good, alright?”

A small squeeze in your chest makes you furrow your brows. You don’t really know what that is about, so you just ignore it. You suppose there’s nothing else to do about it; you need to stay in for today until the goat mom gets back. You pick up the phone and turn it in your hand to inspect it. It looks like an old Blackberry phone, but there isn’t a symbol to indicate its brand.

Turing it on, there isn’t much on here other than a calling and texting feature, and the only contact available is Toriel’s.

You sigh quietly and set it back down on the table.

Well…

You glance over to the bookshelf Toriel keeps neat and tidy by the fireplace. You guess you can start reading to pass the time. If you get bored, you can just read the other books in Toriel’s room, too.

────

Toriel closes the door behind herself, carrying a few paper bags in her arms. She had been gone longer than she anticipated, it was already lunchtime, and lost track of time. She first went to visit her mysterious friend from the other side of the Ruins. She had forgotten to visit him a few days prior since she had been so caught up in your arrival.

She didn’t feel right to reveal your identity just yet. Not because Toriel doesn’t trust this mystery man, but more out of respect for your privacy. You’re still human, and you might not appreciate her going to tell anyone that information unless you’re comfortable with it.

After all, from what you’ve been telling her, you will be staying in the Underground for a while. You expressed a few times that you don’t desire to go home, nor are you in a rush to leave the Ruins. As it stands right now, you seem content with living with Toriel for as long as she’ll allow it.

And Toriel is VERY happy to have you stay with her.

It’s been so long since someone had visited her and wanted to stay with her, that your presence is warming and healing a very lonely part of her. Every person who has fallen down into the Underground was always so eager to go back to the surface. But you? You seem to understand better than the other humans that if you leave, you’ll die. Perhaps that’s the main reason why you are staying in the Ruins, but whatever the reason is, you’re choosing to spend this time with Toriel.

Of course, she also appreciates her mysterious friend and his company. But there’s only so much a voice and funny jokes can do to keep her company, especially when she gets that underlying feeling that… He only stays around because maybe he feels like he has to at this point.

Before you, Toriel was content with accepting that. That her loneliness had gotten too much to bear, that she would accept any companionship even if it felt like “it has to happen.”

But you’re here now. You don’t make her feel that way. Yes, you’re only staying in the Ruins because you don’t want to die, but you’re not only hanging out with her because you have to, or because you’re obligated to. The small city that lies further into the Ruins has a few inns that you could easily reside in with the help of Toriel.

But no.

Every day, you greet her happily with a good morning. Every day, you ask her if she has any plans for the day. Even on the days when Toriel wants to do nothing at all, you’re happy to sit in silence with her, reading a book or just babbling about your life adventures as the monster happily listens.

Toriel loves your company. Yes, you might be an adult woman, but she will still answer you fondly as: “My child.”

Just like now.

“Ah, I am deeply sorry that I am running later than usual. I had gotten a bit–preoccupied,” Toriel calls out into the home, “But if it makes up for it, I bought a few kits so we can pick up new hobbies. Doesn’t that sound like fun, my child?”

…

But nobody answered.

“[Y/n]?”

Toriel carefully drops the bags and speedwalks to the lounge first, anxiety building in her chest–

It dissipates immediately as she smiles in relief. Your punk-ass is asleep at the dining table, hunched over with your face mushed onto an open book. It looks like you got halfway before passing out. There is a plate of pancakes on the table as well, set where Toriel usually takes her own seat whenever you two have meals together.

Seems like you were waiting for her to have breakfast together.

Her soul clenches in both fondness and slight sadness.

As much as Toriel adores your company, even she is not blind to the other, untouched issue. You are still human. You cannot withstand long periods of time doing nothing and be completely content with it. You are clearly the type who needs something new to do if the stories of your life on the surface were anything to go by.

Toriel carefully pulls your chair back and pulls you out to carry you (perks of being one of the stronger monsters in the Underground, it wouldn’t matter how much you weighed, she could still carry you) to the room you’re staying in. The bed is a little too small for you, as it was made for a child. But the other room under renovation is more of a storage room at this point, so it would be much of a hassle to clean it out at this point.

Maybe you will appreciate the new activities Toriel had bought for you two to share.

────

Six months.

It’s been six months since the last Reset.

Six months since Frisk had Reset the timeline from the very beginning and just… left. There hasn’t been any sign that they’ll return, no sign that this is all just some sick joke. Frisk had done a full Reset to the “beginning” and left all the monsters in the Underground for the past six months.

There had never been a gap this long in between Resets, and it was giving Sans the strongest paranoia. He’s slowly coming to terms that maybe Frisk had finally gotten bored of them, or maybe they’re showing him some Mercy and this is their weird way of doing it.

But…

But why set them all back Underground? Why couldn’t Frisk just leave them on the surface? They didn’t even make it to the Judgement Hall last time when the Reset had been so abrupt. Was the anomaly becoming unsatisfied from experiencing the same thing over and over? Sans isn’t sure what the anomaly is, but it stopped after Frisk had left.

He had almost been worried that Frisk was back again when Toriel didn’t show up a few days ago to one of their regular meet-ups. It threw him off that Toriel seemed a little… eager to cut the conversation short to go somewhere else today. He jokingly asked if there was someone else she was looking forward to talking to, but she didn’t give any leeway if that were the case.

Maybe… Maybe it’s just been too long since he’s been able to… live. After all these years of constant timeline Resetting left and right. Strong friendships become less worth investing in, and certain types of affection fade into platonic feelings when the magic of those feelings dies off. As much as it annoys him, the Resets have done a lot of damage to him that would make any angsty teen cringe.

Maybe now, he’s in the clear. Maybe now, Sans can be bothered to try and enjoy things once again.

────

You grin widely at the boss monster, “You sure you wanna spend New Year’s Eve here, Toriel? I didn’t think this kinda place was your scene!”

“This kinda place” is a small, reclusive bar in the small city in the Ruins. It’s only been nine days since you fell into the Ruins, and while Christmas wasn’t exactly a great day to celebrate for you guys (neither of you knew each other enough to even want to celebrate it), you and Toriel bonded with each other enough at this point to spend New Year's Eve together. Thankful that you’re of legal age, Toriel suggested that you two go out drinking to get shit-faced (your words, not hers).

“I don’t ever… I haven’t been able to celebrate with anyone in a long time. I know there isn’t much to do at home, so I figured it’d be more fun for the both of us to have fun here,” Toriel looks up at the large timer counting down that had been put up specifically for this day. “Are you not enjoying this?”

“Oh, are you kidding me? I haven’t been able to get shit-faced since I started my last semester!” You grin, leaning against her, “Let’s drink so much, that we immensely regret it tomorrow!”

Toriel laughs and holds up her drink, “To our health!”

You do the same, clinking your glass against hers: “To my favorite liver!!”

“What’s a liver!!”

“Don’t worry about it, let’s just drink!! WOO!!”

“WOO!!”

────────

A/N: I know that the Anomaly is "the player in canon, but not 'round here, partner. Not 'round here

[nerdyenby]

DRS2 reactions (spoilers)

Ep 1

Ras at the shadow dojo???????? Who woulda thunk

New intro?!?!!!?!! Idk why I wasn’t expecting that, actually

The public including Pix with the missing ninja my beloved

Gosh, big Riyu will take some getting used to

Wait… is that a curious george reference??

I don’t know if I’ve heard someone outright say something isn’t good for their friend’s mental health in a cartoon before, it’s really refreshing

Casual Frohicky and Sora/Arin interactions my beloved <3

Omg Kai explaining Shang to Zane is such season one vibes

Lloyd having open and honest conversations with his students about both his and their wellbeing is so important to me

Ok, hear me out: au where baby Wu didn’t age back at an enhanced rate and gets lost at somepoint and Arin is teenage Wu

Dang it, Cinder’s kinda funny

Ep 2

I legit started happy stimming so hard at that opening shot, I’m really invested in Euphrasia’s story already and nothing’s even happened yet lol

Percival out here making the gen z solarpunk dream a reality!!!!

Lloyd calling it what it is — a panic attack — soothes something in me

Sora did really bad graffiti of cats when she was young, that’s adorable and kinda tells you everything you need to know about her

MY GIRL!!!!!!!

Euphrasia using a cane!!!! Hell yeah mobility aids!!!! (Even though it’ll probably be gone in two episodes lol)

I kid you not, I was 100% expecting Suetonius to say “resurrect… the Great Devourer” lmao

I love that the gang is (mostly) all together, but it’s a bit too many characters for a conversation, I get why they like to split them into groups

Nya grounding Lloyd :(( /pos

Kai boasting about a fight that he won a decade ago when Cinder probably doesn’t even know Ash is endlessly amusing to me

Ras is so dramatic I can’t really take him seriously

Damn, they’re letting characters get hurt, it’s kinda refreshing but it’s scary

Ep 3

Wait I didn’t see Euphrasia get captured :((

WHAT THE HELL?!???? /vpos

Strength, motion, energy, and life?!??!!??

AYOOOOOO?!?!????

Kai comforting Wyldfyre <333

We know this takes place after the mech shorts, so why hasn’t anyone mentioned Cole? He was also seen in public, so why did that conspiracy guy say he’s still missing?

Why do they keep leaving Zane behind?? He’s in his housewife era fr

Kai making sure Wyldfyre’s taken care of :((

This show is so unserious, I love it

I wasn’t feeling people calling Kai Wyldfyre’s dad after season one but…

No… Sora took Arin’s thing from him… she didn’t mean to, but he feels like he’s not special anymore :(

I’m going to pretend that was a believable amount of parts to make a mech that big

Kai getting moments with Arin and Sora my beloved

Kai’s “hey kid, nice of you to drop by” is giving the same energy as when Lloyd and Arin first met during the merge

THE WALLS ARE MOVING, REPEAT: THE WALLS ARE MOVING

These nightmare sequences are going so hard

Nya being the first one to realize it isn’t real when her nightmare is reality, I’m screaming

Riyu comforting Wyldfyre <333

Nya best sister award when

Ep 4

My boys!!!!!

THE found family of all time

IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO MY CHILDREN I WILL RIOT

Seeing Kai and Nya fight so smoothly together is so special after how much they and Lloyd were tripping over each other when they first reunited

Basketball?!??!!??!!!

Autistic Arin real and true

I love Bonzle so much

Geo is such a lil bastard actually /pos, makes more sense why he and Cole are a thing, knowing Cole’s taste in men

COLE!!!!!!

Cole will never stop being overpowered, it seems, he deserves it tbh

Censorship pog /hj

“Not funny, Wyldfyre” “Not joking, Sora” the sheer cousin vibes in this interaction are too much to handle

Lloyd PLEASE just mention being 1/4 dragon, it will almost certainly get Egalt on board, I am begging

Glacier reunion!!!!!!!

Ep 5

I wanted a more emotional reunion, but they’ve probably seen each other off screen (or I’m just forgetting a scene from the shorts)

Zane, why are you still carrying that doll like it’s your child??

Bonzle my beloved, she’s says that so deadpan I don’t actually have any questions

Wyldfyre my beloved

I would die for Bonzle

Cole and Geo holding hands 😭😭😭😭😭

Is Egalt the motion source dragon?? Probably not tbh but I’d believe it

Man’s spitting facts, flatearthers are going to lose their shit

“Little fire man” IM DYING OH MY GOD

Wait when does this take place? My first instinct is while the ninja were in the Never Realm but idk if we’ll actually find out

“Friends can become like family?” “Definitely” IM SOBBING ON THE FLOOR

Letting Arin be angry is so important

Cole shutting down Bonzle’s suicidal thoughts without hesitation “no, you are loved and needed. We will find a way to protect you” <333

The physical affection in DR is so dear to me

Human sacrifices???? In MY lego show?????

Ep 6

Wyldfyre struggling with her body’s limits is really relatable as a young disabled person

FOREHEAD TOUCH :((

Plot twist: where the other ninja are right now is Mysterium and they have that tua meme of two cars passing each other moment

Damn, that exchange hit hard as a former gifted kid. Sometimes having someone believe in you hurts. You’re not just letting yourself down, but them, too

Nya just fucking bodyslamming Kai, Egalt didn’t know what he was getting into pitting the world’s most competitive siblings against each other

“The Finders are like my family” *looks at Zane* “My other family” screaming, crying, sobbing on the floor

Oh no

Wait yeah, why are they thirsty if Zane can just make ice for them to chew on? At least Cole and Jiro, idk if Bonzle needs water

The nonbinary pirate!!!

Cole CANNOT escape the performing arts fr fr

Ep 7

Bonzle is giving transgender

That is the most Jay and Cole thing I’ve ever heard it, it’s so in character it almost feels out of character

Arin and Sora going through the exact same thing and trying and failing to not take it out on each other :( it’s ok tho, the real ones are the ones you can be snippy with and love regardless

Wyldfyre referring to the ninja as “Kai’s friends” honey, they’re your friends too, I promise

Anyone who calls Wyldfyre dumb can fuck off, she’s so perceptive and intelligent and is really good at connecting others when she truly wants to

Bonzle’s mom <33333

Bonzle’s smile when her mom compliments her name <3333

Who you calling stolen equipment bitch?????

Lil Kai and Nya!!!!!!

Nya’s so proud of him!!!!! I could cry

Kai being the first to achieve it because fire is an element under motion’s domain methinks

Oh you bigoted son of a bitch

Zane why are you considering it????? Honey

What the fuck did you do to Jiro??!?!!!

JAY?!?!!???

Ep 8

NOOOO 😭😭😭

There’s literally a nindroid agent right there????

The og musical cue playing when Jay comes back <3

Jay on his Euphrasia arc, this is highkey breaking my heart though

I’m counting this as a fakeout death and you can’t stop me

Are you kidding me???!!!? How many times is Jay going to be one room away from the ninja

Lloyd SHUT UP /aff

“And cursed!!” She says cheerfully, this lady is an icon

The subtitles keep calling Cole Kai, what is this, season one??

Ep 9

Aww, baby Ras (trying desperately to not care about him)

Oh ok, he’s making my job easier

Poor Wyldfyre :(

I love this trio so much, their banter is so good

Lloyd honey, fighting it is making it worse

Nya holding him through his panic attack :((

I was expecting Cole to deny that it was him, the earth is going through it

The disco toaster!!!!!

Heck yeah Riyu!!!

I love them so much it’s not even funny

“What’s your elemental power, imperviousness to sarcasm?” She just called him autistic in 13 languages (I’m autistic, dw guys)

“First time driving?” “Believe it or not, no” Bonzle and Arin my beloved

I’m a touch disappointed Wyldfyre’s perfectly fine now as someone with chronic pain, but I’m glad it was handled as well as it was and it’s a really important lesson for younger audiences that pushing your body while it’s in pain only makes it worse

The silent exchange of Cole suggesting Zane takes the parrot potion is endlessly funny but also sad considering it’s probably the closest well get to talking about the Falcon

Cole turning into a puppy who cheered?!???

“At least you’re adorable” “I’m always adorable” get a room /aff

Tournament of elements flashbacks

The workplace gossip omg, Cinder really out here beefing with a 16 year old

Don’t you even fucking dare

MY BABIESSSSSS

Ep 10

Arin mistaking Lloyd and Nya for his parents hurts :(

Oh no… I mean, it was obviously coming but it’s still very bad

WYLDFYRE POPPING OFF!!!!! THIS GIRL NEEDED HER ENRICHMENT

Let Euphrasia do stuff 2024

Wyldfyre jumping in front of Kai and protecting him

The basketball practice coming in handy lol

The fight cinematography in DR is fucking superb

KAI D: (he’ll be fine, I believe)

Nya!!!!!

BONZLE MVP!!!!

I was prepared for Rontu and Egalt to stay dead, the breath I let out when the stone cracked was unparalleled

Are we legit not getting Kai back????

Cole and Lloyd hug!!!!!

RAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH

Oh no… that lie is going to hurt when it comes out

Kai and Bonzle!!!!

Not like Master Wu says, like Lloyd says ;-; /pos

[tomorrowxtogether]

TOMORROW X TOGETHER On Their First Time Meeting, Performing in Singapore And More

Everything you need to know about K-pop’s Gen Z darlings

Since making their highly anticipated debut in 2019, TOMORROW X TOGETHER has made waves with their energetic, youthful sound and dynamic dance performances. This weekend, the group finally brought their ACT: SWEET MIRAGE tour to Singapore, in their first-ever concert in the city. Below, the band’s five members tell BAZAAR all about their first times, from what made them fall in love with music in the first place to the first impressions their bandmates left on them.

When was the first time you realised you wanted to become singers?

Hueningkai: For the three of us (Soobin, Yeonjun, Hueningkai), it was more or less the same. We took part in music and performance-related club activities in middle school, and would perform during school festivals.

Yeonjun: The experience of being on stage and delivering the song you’ve been working so hard on, having everybody cheer for you—it’s incredible. Nobody can forget that. So from then on, we decided music was what we wanted to do.

Beomgyu: I was really young and was watching a movie called August Rush. The kid in there, played by Freddie Highmore, is really incredible with the guitar. I thought it was so cool, and sooner or later, it was my new dream to become someone who can touch others with music.

Taehyun: I was watching a newly released music video with my sister. The group was SHINee. Watching them sing and dance like that made me want to give it a try, and here I am.

Soobin: Yeah, the idea that it was something we wanted to do just came to us very organically. My parents always loved listening to music in the car, and we also had friends around our age who loved K-pop. We knew that doing music was a possibility and we all took it. I’m glad we did.

Is this your first time in Singapore? What do you love about touring here?

Yeonjun: Yes! We’re here on tour for the first time, and it feels incredible to be here. I know some of our fans here have been waiting for this show for a long while and I just want to make sure they know that we’ve been eagerly awaiting this night as well. We’re really happy to be here.

Taehyun: We keep our eyes and ears out. The best thing about being on tour here in Singapore is definitely the fans. They’re so passionate already. Also, it’s beautiful here. You have the Marina Bay Sands, one of the world’s iconic architectures, and really good food as well. We’re having a great time.

You’re set to be the first K-pop group to headline Lollapalooza. How does it feel?

Beomgyu: You can ask any of us. LOLLAPALOOZA last year was definitely one of the most memorable events of our 2022. The crowds were passionate and so were we. We were reminded yet again of why we love being in music so much. We’re really honoured to be invited back to the festival for the second year in a row, this time as headliner. All I can say is, it’s going to be a fantastic show so you better be there.

Tell us about your latest EP, The Name Chapter: Temptation. Are there any notable firsts on the album?

Hueningkai: I guess one song that we want to draw your ears to is “Happy Fools (feat. Coi Leray).” We all wrote lyrics to Yeonjun’s melody, so in that sense, it’s a very TOMORROW X TOGETHER-ish song. We’re really proud of this one and happy we can work on such good songs together.

What about this latest tour? How does it feel to perform certain songs for the first time?

Soobin: Without revealing too much for any of our fans who want to keep the show a surprise for when they actually get there… I want to say this tour and the songs we’re performing really mark our youth. If you feel that you’re also in your youth right now, you’ll be able to really connect and relate to the songs.

Do you remember the first time you all met one another?

Beomgyu: We’re all going to say the same thing for Yeonjun. We joined the company and he was already “BIGHIT Legendary Trainee Yeonjun Choi” since he was really good at everything. Soobin was really, really tall so he stuck out a lot since we were all young and therefore much shorter than we are now. He always liked to reach out and take care of others. Taehyun had huge eyes, and had random talents like magic tricks. He’s also very smart.

Soobin: Beomgyu was really shy for just one day but we soon found out just how energetic he can be. He really brightens up the mood. Hueningkai was really young, basically a baby but look how he’s grown now.

Lastly, what career firsts are you still looking forward to in the future?

Taehyun: TOMORROW X TOGETHER is just getting started. We have a great team here with incredible trust, synergy, and friendship and I can’t wait to see what else we can achieve together.

Hueningkai: We want to become a group with a unique signature sound that anyone can recognise. I want people to hear our music and immediately know, ‘hey, that’s TOMORROW X TOGETHER.’ I guess we want to become a staple for all youth who are experiencing growing up.

Yeonjun: We’re still here now, but we’ll also be back again sooner than you know. And you won’t be disappointed.

[blackbutler-readerinsertsandjunk]

Oh, allright! Then um... Could i request some romantic headcanons for Edgar with a reader from the 21st century? (Gen Z possibly, cuz i love the chaotic energy)

The reader is staying at Ciel's place for obvious reasons but ya

Hsjsbsksb i'm sorry it's unoriginal i know😔

shhhh, there's no such thing as unoriginal, I love this! <3

… What in the world are they wearing?? They’re so fashionable, but… well, also… that’s quite a bit of their skin which is exposed! Probably. Ah. Even if they’re dressed modestly, he’s not sure exactly what it is they have on. A hoodie will have him expressing confusion over strings which aren’t tied (like one expects them to be on a corset), and something as plain as a T-shirt will have him wondering where the rest of the garment is. Of course… he doesn’t mind any of it! Their clothing looks good on him. It’s simply a shock to see someone dressed so differently than he’s used to.

One of his first questions is to ask if they have any literature from the future. Surely they must have brought some books with them, right? What else do people do for entertainment?? Pfffffff. He’s especially interested in the poetry of years to come, imagining it to be incredibly romantic. Whatever they give him, it doesn’t take a genius to know he’ll devour it and come back asking for more once he’s finished it. Hopefully they’ve got a few good books or a great memory about the ones they like!

He finds it hilarious that (Name) is proving themself a nuisance to the Phantomhive estate. Whatever shenanigans they’re pulling, it’s a guarantee that word of it will get back to him… sometimes from the lips of this person themself. That’s the best of it; when he gets to hear straight from them what they did and how much trouble they were and all the details. He can’t help it, he’s a gossip! As long as their hijinks weren’t too harmful, it’s all in good fun, isn’t it? (Of course, Ciel and his endless irritation would like a word with that notion.)

Steals their phone if only because they have various downloaded videos and ASMR tracks on it. The videos probably make him laugh, and the ASMR… need any more be said? He’s tired! Who would have thought that some noises would just be so comforting as to put him right to sleep? Not that he needs help sleeping. It’s just become relaxing to him. Particularly if he’s allowed to fall asleep next to them in bed, with the sounds of, say, a heavy rain playing from their phone.

He personally apologizes if they stir up any mischief with regard to his friends, but… the expression on his face makes it pretty clear he’s only apologizing so that his darling time traveler’s actions don’t cause too much drama. If he found it funny, he has to bite his lip to avoid breaking out into a smile whilst saying he’s sorry. Later in private, it’s very likely he’ll praise (Name) for their creativity and fun-loving spirit.

[my-memed-tw-adventures]

So I have 3 twst OCs, 2 that have yet to see the light of day. I figured, after much anxiousness, it's about time I actually put them out there. And if y’all have any questions or anything, feel free to throw them at me. I'm happy to try and talk about them lol

Also here’s the picrew I used because I can’t draw ✌️

My Twst OCs Introduction

Mayumi

My Yuu-sona

90% a self insert

Very Gen Z child

Disney child: grew up watching a lot of Disney, knows all the villains in twst, most songs, and can recite a handful of scenes from heart (her favourite is Lion King, followed by my own favourite: Beauty and the Beast)

Horny: this is actually a defining character trait if you can believe it. She saw Malleus walk out of those bushes one night and now won’t shut up about how hot “the bush man” is and how desperately she wants him. She is also down real bad for Leona but we blame that on his severe lack of man tit coverage and the fact that he growls.

She’s usually in desperate need of grass touching

Decently social, but awkward and anxious

What is sleep

Pretty clingy and easily emotionally attached to things and people

Does not get along with Sebek, especially once the whole her desiring Malleus carnally gets out (typical must fight Sebek for Malleus shit)

Has real bad home sickness and crippling separation anxiety from her family and is prone to 3 am panic attacks about being in this random world with seemingly no way back home and the possibilities of dying without ever seeing them again

Exists in the same universe as @my-multi-fandom-blog’s Yuu-sona. Pray for them cause they have to share a room with Mayumi’s endless horniness

Visual

Tiny human child

She’s 5’2 or 158 cm (don’t even talk to me about height difference with Malleus man 🥲)

She’s has medium length dark brown hair, dark brown eyes, and has pretty light skin (the lack of sunshine ain’t helping)

Freckles. Not a lot and they’re light, but they’re there

Doesn’t have much fashion sense. If it’s comfortable, it’s going on. She sometimes dresses in rainbow and Vil hates it

She likes to wear t-shirts or crop tops and pretty short shorts. There is no way her ass could ever pass as a boy when she lands in TW like that

Aziza

Leona’s girlfriend

She is a lioness

She’s not a mage. In fact, she really doesn’t use magic at all

She and Leona are childhood friends (their relationship gives heavy Simba Nala vibes)

She’s not royalty, but grew up in his kingdom. Leona being royalty has had a significant impact on her life

Since Leona refused to tell us how he got his scar in canon, I decided to have fun making shit up. Basically both her and Leona went off somewhere dangerous and almost died at like 11 years old, leading to her getting in massive trouble and getting banned from both the castle and Leona for putting him in danger

Leona’s parents don’t like her. They’re pissed she almost got their son killed

Her parents aren’t on the best terms with her either cause they’re mad she fucked their relationship with the royal family. They still get along decently tho

Leona wasn’t taking that ban shit tho so he decided to start sneaking out of the castle to see Aziza. They then spent all their teenage years being friends in secret and then falling in love. They figured out all their feelings just before Leona left for his first year at NRC and they’ve been dating ever since (still in secret cause their parents would not be happy)

They’re both clingy and nap times are good

Leona is soft around her (especially in private) but don’t ever tell that to him cause he will rip your face off

She wants kids. Like really wants kids. And we know how Leona feels about kids sooo. It’s like the one wedge in their relationship

Visual

Obviously being a lioness she’s got the ears and tail

She’s 5’8 or 173 cm with golden eyes

She’s not much lighter than Leona in skin colour, but her hair is much lighter. It’s brown that borders on blonde and is short, straight, and messy.

She has a pretty big scar on her upper back from the near death experience. It’s worse than Leona’s, but easy to hide under clothing

She also has a tattoo that matches Leona’s, just on her opposite arm. They got them together in a teenage rebellion fit

Ariel Thorn

Jade’s girlfriend (eventually)

She’s newer than the other two so there’s a lot more fleshing out to do with her

She is named after the Little Mermaid Ariel, much to her dislike

Her parents are weird cause they don’t particularly like the great seven/villains and whatever (hence being named after Ariel we don’t ask how they know this information we just accept it). This lead to a bit of a rift in their relationship

She’s a mage who attends the NRC sister school (that I decided is a thing now). She is in Octavinelle

As for her personality, I literally had sat down and just thought “Jade’s perfect girlfriend” and went from there

Essentially she’s Jade… but better. She does Jade better than Jade

She comes off as a sweet and caring person that Jade didn’t think anything of when they met first

Turns out she wants to see the world burn just as much as he does but she’s made it so like no one can read her that way unless she wants them to

Jade never even realized she was hiding anything until she basically outed herself to him as this top tier con not even he saw through. And once she revealed her true colours to him, he was genuinely shocked by her ability to fly under his radar and is immediately invested in her

The two of them don’t actually start dating like normal people, even when it’s fucking obvious they like each other. They know, yet choose to communicate and flirt using mind games instead of talking about their feelings properly

It’s essentially a battle to see who’s gonna cave in first really

She’s only oc with a last name just so she and Jade can aggressively call one another by last name with threatening undertones in a not flirty way at all

She’s touchy. But only with Jade. She’s not super into being touched unless it’s Jade and she will absolutely touch him unnecessarily. Like fixing his tie when there was nothing wrong with it just as an excuse to be close and touch him

Visual

Designed by my friend @my-multi-fandom-blog

She’s 5’5 or 165 cm with orange eyes

She has light skin and chin length, straight red hair

When not in her uniform, she definitely prefers to wear tight and/or revealing clothing

Both her and Jade give me sexy, sleek suit and dress vibes. They simply radiate hot and sexy criminal when they're together

Bonus fact: since Floyd and Riddle end up together in our world, both Leech twins end up with a red head. I just think that’s fun. They certainly have a type

[jessicafurseth]

Reading List, Hotter Than Ever edition.

“The question is not who influences you, but which people give you courage.” [Hilary Mantel]

[Image: Linda McCartney]

*

"I think I’m hotter than I’ve ever been and so is every woman I know. I do not look at one female friend and think they were more physically attractive ten years ago. They know their face and bodies now; what suits them and makes them feel great. They know that thinness doesn’t mean happiness and that the best parties are with the best people, not when you’re wearing the best outfit. They are more likely to go for a swim in their mismatched underwear if they forget their bikini but the water looks beautiful. They are not scared to ask for what they want in bed. They’re hotter than ever." Dolly Alderton has opinions. [The Times - PSA: if you sign up you get one free a week]

Most of us feel about 20% younger than we actually are. But why? [Jennifer Senior, The Atlantic]

How Red Rock Island became the only private island in San Francisco Bay [Tessa McLean, SFGate]

“My perspective has always been that we can out of a sense of hope and not out of a sense of fear. I’m preserving food for another day because I expect to be around to enjoy it.” Canning, a retro hobby for the end times [Anna North, Vox]

The New York Times' 'Letter of Recommendation'series is usually great, but they've been on a proper roll lately:

"And now the Shipping Forecast, issued by the Met Office.” A Secret for Falling Asleep So Good It’s a British National Treasure [Grace Linden]

"I trained my gaze toward my feet [and found] evidence of all kinds of commutes: traces of hopping birds, the soles of humans’ shoes, restless leaves that fell and sank into wet concrete at just the right moment." Why I Hunt for Sidewalk Fossils [Jessica Leigh Hester]

"An unspoken intimacy and solidarity exists among us, the attentive viewers." Why I Watch the Closing Credits of Every Movie I See [Emma Kantor]

“I love being in that place where everything is just coming in, and everything is potentially important, and I’m underlining every great sentence that John McPhee has ever written and then I’m typing it up into this embarrassingly long set of reading notes, documents, organized by books. And then when you sit down with it as a writer who has a job, and his job is to fill a little window of a magazine or website, all of that ecstatic inhaling has to stop. You realize that you’ve collected approximately 900,000% of what you need or could ever use.” Longform Podcast #506: Sam Anderson

My Parents Got Sick. It Changed How I Thought About My Marriage [Mary HK Choi, GQ]

"If you are a fast walker and the person in front of you on the sidewalk is walking slowly, do not walk directly behind them for blocks on end." OMG Etiquette Rules for Tipping, Parenting, Friends, and Work [The Cut]

"It makes me feel ridiculous to acknowledge that cutting those few hours of [weekend] life prep out of my life effectively knee-capped my plans for the week. But I guess I have to feel ridiculous, because it’s true." The Work is Not Enough [Anne Helen Petersen's Culture Study]

Menopausal hormone therapy was once the most commonly prescribed treatment in the US. But one imperfect study in 2002 incorrectly linked it to health risks, and women have been suffering ever since. Women Have Been Misled About Menopause [Susan Dominus, The New York Times]

The Mystery of Teenage Anxiety [Derek Thompson, The Atlantic]

Influencer Is a Real Job. It's Time to Act Like It. [Emily Hund, Wired]

Why on earth does anyone care what Gen Z think of sex scenes in films? [Marie Le Conte, The New Statesman]

Who gets to be messy? [Kathryn Jezer-Morton, The Cut] On restaurants as living rooms [Ruby Tandoh, Vittles]

The case for hanging out [Dan Kois, Slate]

The pandemic changed us, but we still don't know how to talk about it: "[Maybe] when we say the pandemic is over, we are actually seeking permission to act like it never happened — to let ourselves off the hook from having to make sense of it or take seriously its continuing effects. ... Each of us is consciously or subconsciously working through potentially irreconcilable stories about what we lived through — or else, strenuously avoiding that dissonance, insisting there’s no work to be done." I don't think we can fully move forward until we understand what happened - this article helped me do this a little more.[Jon Mooallem, The New York Times - unpaywalled link]

[untamedyouth]

12/12/24 11:45 PM

Verbatim the text I just sent my boyfriend at 11 pm knowing full well he’s passed out but he’s my best friend so:

“I decided to look up that Tim Fletcher more on YouTube and now I’m crying. He was describing complex trauma and it was EVERYTHING I experienced. It makes me so sad remembering and knowing how little and scared I was all the time. I wish I could go back and hug myself, I really needed it back then.

I also signed into my old YouTube account in order to watch it- and I started going through my liked videos and started listening to all the same sad shit I used to listen to in middle/high school and now I’m sobbing bc I’ve been so happy lately that I forgot JUST how sad and lonely I was… and now it’s like a bittersweetness knowing I’ve made it out of that darkness but being so sad that I was ever there in the first place.”

I’m not sure how I feel right now, but I figured this was something worthy of writing down.

The only reason I even found Tim Fletcher was because of my sweetheart of a therapist. An EMDR therapist to be exact (look it up, it’s fascinating).

But it was at this last session I truly feel like I had a little bit of a break through moment.

I think I understand now why most people don’t like me or don’t stick around long; I don’t play along with the narrative they want.

I told my therapist that I feel like I can tell when someone isn’t being genuine. And when they aren’t authentically themselves, I can sense it. It’s almost like they’re acting, I can literally see that a person is trying to be something they’re not. Often times because their behavior seems slightly forced and unnatural.

But because I see right through the act, I tend to confront their behavior and/or not play along with the script they intended. When I break my “role” in their minds, then they get angry and don’t want to be friends with me or interact with me anymore.

It was after telling my therapist all this, that she proceeded to ask me if I had heard of complex trauma; which I had. I more specifically had heard the term CPTSD or complex post traumatic stress disorder. Nonetheless, she recommended I watch some of Tim Fletcher’s videos on complex trauma.

This only leads me to believe more and more that I may not have as many diagnoses as it seems. I also think there’s a good possibility that I could be autistic; I hate that my parents are so strongly against it though. I do have my own personal bias as well, worrying that am I just following another Gen Z trend?

But that’s enough for now,

Peace

M.R

[patrixiajoi]

My life during Semestral break

My whole Semestral break was so peaceful and at the same time it was productive; being productive during our semestral break really helps me a lot and it even helps me with my everyday routine. During our vacation, I spent most of my time in our house with my siblings and grandparents; it was also fun spending time with them. It was short period of time but memorable one. It is the time of giving break from acads and to yourself. Because almost all my time have been spent from school hour nor time for making assignments and projects even though I'm at home. I maximized those short vacation by helping in the house chores, like cleaning rooms, taking care of my siblings at the same time playing with them, cleaning all my rubber shoes since I love collecting it. I'm a bookworm also, because reading makes me feel like dreaming like something magical can happen. It yes, was indeed a time to rest in waking up early morning just to prepare for school.

School is fun but exhausting. Well I guess that's life! It's all about hard works, and hard works always pay of. There's no shortcuts. You need patience and consistent in all things in able for you to achieve all of your dreams. My goal to be on top and finish my studies. having a good education will lead you to success because school provides knowledge and intelligence for several people in the word cannot afford for their kids to go to school so it's important for us to learn how to read, write and communicate. Semestral break is indeed a time to forget all the problem that we have encountered specially in school, and time to have peaceful mind without thinking about assignments nor projects. During those times, I had enjoyed a lot because I can finally rest my brain even just for a week. And that was perfect! I had found time to be with my family specially my brother and sister since they're growing so fast. I like hanging out with them and I know they're too. My mom always tells me that time spent with family is worth every second. As you may know, I grew up that my mom was always away since she's an international flight attendant. Its hard to have an overseas Filipino worker mom but I do understand the situation, she's earning money for us so we can achieve our dream and so we can buy everything that we need or want. And one day I want to become like her, to be a flight attendant so I would be able to travel the world and learn different cultures and meet different people.

I also hang out with my friends. I went to their house or they went to ours so we could hangout even just a hour. Take the time to catch up on our upcoming lesson, when the semestral break is over and back to school, I would have advance knowledge in the topic on that subjects. I also like listening to music. It makes me calm, helps me sleep better and most of the time makes me productive. I and my siblings as well as my grandma and grandpa went to cemetery to visit my relatives like my grandpa, uncles and aunties who already passed away. It's sad that I wasn't able to meet them when they were still alive but mom says, grandpa was amazing and as well her brother and sisters. If I can bring back the time, I would like to meet them in person.

Students most likely of our age really crave for a vacation or break especially those who are really stressed and drained out during the school days. We are always expecting for vacation/break because we think that we need to have a break in academic. The keep saying millennials is far from Gen-Z in term of everything, like lifestyle, bonding, even using gadgets. That’s why sometimes I and mom have conflict. Good thing daddy is always to the rescue. My parents are strict; I have limited time using my phone. I could only go out of our house when I need to go to my classmate's house for a project but I still have a curfew. but I know it is  for my own good. I know they’re just protecting me in this uncertain world and they only want the best for me. Going back to the topic, sembreak really helps us a lot it gives us a break in academic validation. I also hang out with my highschools friends like Kiesha, Chloe and Chrizia we played a lot like playing board games, codm and roblox then we bought Jollibee for our lunch then we went to xentro mall so we could have shopping. I can say that it was somehow fun.

I learned that our Sem break / vacations should be spent wisely. We have to use our time wise and we should be more productive so that we can do more things and be more organized. I was so happy when the DEPED order announced that we had a semestral break but before our semestral break I complied all the activities and quizzes that I missed. Vacation means a gentleness with ourselves, helps you relieve stress and boredom and gives us scenery, and help us to bring closer to people we love. As our vacation comes to an end I’m grateful for the moments I shared with family and friends. It’s always bittersweet but the memories last forever. It’s also a reminder to appreciate the moment and cherish the memories of past. For now, it time to focus again in my studies again. Like my mom always says, keep your eye on the goal. One day, I will fly soar high and waking up in different country. For now I just need to wake up and go to school and keep my focus intact.

[idk-i-just-really-like-tsc]

since there’s no sobh entry today or ever again here’s a fun little list of my fav sobh entries ever!

coming up first we have the first Magnus to Alec letter. Listen this shit changed my life and was probably one of the highlights of my fall semester last year I’m not kidding it was that bad. Magnus and Alec made it better. that photo of them and the kids on vacation is my everything. Magnus calling Alec love. it’s everything. anyway we knew that was first

second we have the other Magnus to Alec letter. this one wasn’t hitting as much but it was still Magnus to Alec hence why it’s up at the top. it was still great. highlights include Magnus calling the kids m and r bc I think it’s cute, and Magnus calling Alec my love again. Also the entire last paragraph !

next is unobjectively the best sobh entry if we are not counting my extreme tmi gang bias. which is Livvy speaking to Julian!!!! I love the inflection the actress used and I think she encapsulated Livvy so so well and I LOVE IT. Kitty angst I am here for it. this was so gearing up for what the wicked powers will be. too bad it’s a decade away. anyway this entry slayed the house down!!!! ty needs kit.

next was a super fun surprise and def one of my favs : emma and Julian visiting the tmi gang in nyc!!! even tho it freaked me out because I am so scared of Janus I got to see my BEST FRIENDS jace clary and Alec <3 Simon and Isabelle could’ve been included but I’ll take what I can get. they ordered pizza my favs for that I love my tmi gang takeout food fiends. yeah this was sm fun

Here’s a random one. TESSA TO MARYSE. this was a banger. I love it. I remember reading it and this was like over a year ago but I was so in shock but so thrilled. Like it’s just random but fun for hearing about kit and Jace and the lightwood fam is my fav obviously. and that cute pic of Jace clary kit and mina!!!

next we have the kit to ty letter that kit burned. sad but good and also just interesting with its connections to james my best friend James Herondale. it’ll be interesting (?) to see what ends up happening with the gun in both chain of thorns and the wicked powers. cool stuff

also ash to Janus. Janus scares me because he very much threatens my fav but also Janus being a threat means tmi gang content right. I mean that makes sense to me I’ll take what I can get! Also I love ash so. I’m excited to see him more

Helen to Julian. this was cute. i love Helen and i love that pic of tavvy and I love them worrying about ty aw. yay blackthorn siblings sometimes I forget that I love them

Honorable mention: dru and Kit texting. i do enjoy the 2014 looking text message entries because they’re fun and like gen z I guess. but also they were j short and didn’t have enough content to be good. you know

More honorable mentions: Ragnor and Ty’s visit, some of Emma’s entries in Bruce, Cristina talking abt Thomas lightwood, and Tessa to Sophie even though it was the saddest thing ever

thats it that’s the list

[blackwoolncrown]

The major problem with “Gen Z, Explained” is not so much the authors’ fawning tone, or their admiration for the students’ concerns—“environmental degradation, equality, violence, and injustice”—even though they are the same concerns that almost everyone in their social class has, regardless of age. The problem is the “heralds of a new dawn” stuff.

“A crisis looms for all unless we can find ways to change,” they warn. “Gen Zers have ideas of the type of world they would like to bring into being. By listening carefully to what they are saying, we can appreciate the lessons they have to teach us: be real, know who you are, be responsible for your own well-being, support your friends, open up institutions to the talents of the many, not the few, embrace diversity, make the world kinder, live by your values.”

I believe we have been here before, Captain. Fifty-one years ago, The New Yorker ran a thirty-nine-thousand-word piece that began:

There is a revolution under way . . . It is now spreading with amazing rapidity, and already our laws, institutions, and social structure are changing in consequence. Its ultimate creation could be a higher reason, a more human community, and a new and liberated individual. This is the revolution of the new generation.

The author was a forty-two-year-old Yale Law School professor named Charles Reich, and the piece was an excerpt from his book “The Greening of America,” which, when it came out, later that year, went to No. 1 on the Times best-seller list.

I really need people to understand and repeat this.

All this talk about ~the new generation~ will change the world is the SAME SHIT I HEARD WHEN I WAS A KID

they say it every decade or so! It’s a fucking cop out! It’s a way to control youths and heap shit on them and dodge responsibility by appealing to them. They give you this story about ‘oh wow we couldn’t do what you’re doing you’re so special’ and the praise gets you to believe it but in reality they’re pushing young ppl to the front lines and doing NOTHING to atone for the decades they spent doing NOTHING. They’re just fucking fawning and complimenting you from their goddamned armchairs and believe you me, if you live another couple decades you’ll hear it all the fuck over again.

Don’t belive the hype. Young ppl are special but not more special than the ppl who came before them and that’s not a diss! THAT MEANS THERE ARE WAY MORE PPL LIKE YOU, ON YOUR SIDE, CARING AND DOING THE WORK THAN THEY WANT YOU TO THINK.

Generational narratives are divisive control tactics.

[eyrieofsynapses]

Redemption Panel Highlights and Reactions

GATORS

i.e., Beth Riesgraf and Christian Kane (mostly Beth) talking about filming the scenes in (what I presume is) The Rollin’ on the River Job, where they’re pulling some stuff out of the water, and finding out the next day that there was an absolutely massive alligator pulled out of the same place just a little while after they filmed it

Beth’s impression of the wildlife folks warning them about the alligators

Beth scaring the hell out of Noah Wyle by yelling “GATOR” at him just after he finished his scene

seriously that was an absolutely WILD part of the panel

Everyone showering Aleyse Shannon with literally all the love!

Aldis Hodge in particular big-brothering her, and also the older actors calling her out for not giving herself enough credit, and Dean Devlin talking about how she blew him away at the auditions with her ability to turn on a dime

Seeing Kane with his glasses off wiping at his eyes, momentarily thinking “you okay dude?” and then realizing that he was laughing so hard he had tears in his eyes

(same)

The The Bucket Job clip! I’ve been a bit meh on a lot of Redemption, just in how it didn’t feel quite right, but that is possibly the absolute closest I’ve seen it get to the original in the best way. Brilliant

Which comes as no surprise since BETH RIESGRAF directed the episode!!! And apparently put an insane amount of effort in!

Beth’s utter delight and joy at both directing the episode and having the crew behind her

THE CHAIR

So apparently she and Christian went to town on the fight scene and he winds up tied up in a chair somewhere along the line and there’s a whole wild scene, which I am really looking forward to

Beth knowing how insanely particular he’d be about things like zip ties vs rope and what kind of rope e.t.c. e.t.c.

Apparently this is also tied into a VERY DEEP scene with Eliot? It sounds like they’re going to go super hard on his backstory, which is terrifyingly exciting

Just. Beth and Christian going very hard on that episode together

Speaking of: the panel’s going amazingly, I’m laughing so hard my stomach hurts, things are relatively light, and then, of fucking course—

Kane hitting us over the head about Eliot being a mass murderer who can’t be redeemed, is trying to stay static so that he can maintain the place he’s in, and is thus LIVING VICARIOUSLY THROUGH HARRY

What the FUCK. This is of course incredibly insightful and perfectly on point (because it’s Kane) but also, EXCUSE ME, OUCH, why would you DO THAT to us?

Everyone talking about having their families on set and their kids!

Beth’s son growing up on the original Leverage set and now going into being a director himself!

Gina’s daughter also growing up on set!

Noah Wyle’s daughter is playing Harry’s daughter I REPEAT NOAH WYLE’S ACTUAL DAUGHTER IS PLAYING AS HARRY’S DAUGHTER

Gina Bellman remaining relatively stoic throughout much of the panel (seriously, this woman, how the heck does she do it) and then losing it when they’re asked about running/inside jokes

A lot of them are, of course, apparently not appropriate to be spoken on-panel

(A lot of the others are the little inside ones that are special enough not to be ones they want to share, which is sweet!)

Everyone collectively losing it over having LeVar Burton on for The Bucket Job

Devlin and everyone laughing about collecting the various Star Trek people on Leverage

Beth talking about Burton coming over while she’s getting ready and asking her if she’s living on coffee and water, her laughing because he was absolutely right, and then him gently reminding her to remember to eat, which is the sweetest thing in the world oh my gods

Kane apparently choreographing an intense scene with Burton and being scared out of his mind, because Burton really wanted to go for it, but to Kane it was like he’s a figurine that’s not to be messed with because he was so worried about hurting him

Kane choreographing a massive amount of the show, which I knew already, but seriously, this guy blows me away

Gina and the crew talking about how he’d be away for a day of shooting a fight and all of them would be missing him and thinking about him

Family Vibes

Everyone talking about how they’re very noisy and loud together on set and it’s a bit like walking into a group of people having Christmas dinner (or something to that effect) because they’re just Like That together

Aleyse being the most surprised by Beth when she met her because she was like a little angel of light during the auditions but turned out to be an absolute ball of wild energy on set

Gina going “wait you were a MODEL” at Beth

Aldis talking about how much he loved how Parker and Hardison’s relationship had developed and grown!

Also, Aldis apologizing when the New York (iirc) background noise got loud and everyone going “no no we get you”

His outfit is ON POINT today

Gina saying that Christian is the goofiest and wildest out of them in terms of humor

(she goes “some of you may not know this,” which, fair, but also, if you’ve seen more than ten minutes of this guy outside of character you know he’s an absolute ball of sunshine)

Gina, Beth, and Christian talking about how they’d challenge each other to stay off sweets back on the original set, because they knew they needed to stay in shape and also just because they’re competitive (apparently all of them are major sweet tooths) and hide brownies and things from each other, while Aldis is just. doing pushups. eating all the healthy stuff. and then wanders into the room with a literal cupful of chocolates

(and Aldis going “well yeah I have to work off the sweets SOMEHOW”)

Beth explaining that sometimes they’d order a “Kane burrito” from Christian and he’d alter it slightly

Like, you know, chopping up hot jalapenos super fine and mixing them in, and Beth practically not being able to talk after the first bite

Apparently Aldis still went back a lot even after that

(Christian just seems very pleased with himself over it)

(THESE PEOPLE)

Gina goes “hey we should have an episode where we all swap roles,” Devlin going “WAIT FOR SEASON ONE TO BE DONE,” and then somebody (maybe the moderator?? I don’t remember exactly) going “uh actually. We did that”

Cue immediate scramble of “WAIT WHICH JOB WAS THAT”

(paraphrasing) “Yeah you remember the bit where you put on Parker’s harness and went off a building?”

Turns out half the cast had actually forgotten that that existed and only remember when reminded

The original cast all think of the episodes as “jobs”!!!!

Everyone talking over each other, Devlin going “it was with Sterling when we blew up the offices,” deciding that it was the season one finale, and then trying to figure out what episode title it was (eventually they figure out it’s the David jobs)

Moderator and Devlin accurately commenting that the fans know the show much better than they do

Noah Wyle very correctly explaining how Electric Entertainment is like a family and Devlin just. Keeps people

Aleyse and Aldis talking about typing when they’re hacking and going “WHAT THE HECK DO WE TYPE”

Aldis goes “yeah I just type all the bad words that we’re not allowed to say”

Aleyse saying that she’s always a little worried they’re hiding a Word document behind the blue screen and they’re going to pull up what she’s typing at the end of the day and print it out and put it in her trailer going “what the HECK is this”

Noah talking about filming The Golf Job and just getting to direct Jason Marsters and Christian together

Apparently their dynamic in that episode accurately mirrors the one with their characters in Angel!

Which promptly goes straight to the comment that it was very hard to make Marsters look like a golfer (pfft)

(Also apparently Christian plays golf for fun with his friends? Not necessarily something I would’ve thought of!)

Aleyse happily talking about how she loved the dynamic on set and it was very different from what she was used to

Also Aleyse talking about doing stunts and everyone else praising her for going whole hog

Beth especially praising her for the bit where she’s hit with the paralysis injection (I don’t remember which ep it’s from) and her acting for it, because it was incredibly hard to drop off screen in the particular way she did

Aleyse promptly answers that she was terrified with some of those, especially one where she had to keep a clock from falling and breaking

Everyone discussing how they see a new aspect of Breanna’s character in The Train Job

Also, to get serious for a moment, Kate Rorick in particular talks about how Breanna’s part of Gen Z and how we didn’t get the “days of yore” where everything was chill. We’ve basically been living in a world of hostility the whole time. It’s something I deeply appreciate, as someone who’s part of that group, and I love how they emphasize that for us.

This panel was pure chaos and I loved every moment of it! My stomach was actually hurting from laughing so hard, I swear. They had me cackling well over half the time. I would happily take panels double or triple the length of this, this was amazing. I also adore how the second you drop these six people in a room together, they immediately take off and literally just run and give you everything you wanted and more. (It is also evidently very hard to get them to STOP talking.)

I’m also just going to stop and take a second to fawn over the effects for the 3D room. It’s gorgeous—I love how they replicated the headquarters, especially with the stained glass ceilings! Super impressive, especially with all the photos, and I just love the whole thing. Kudos to whoever put that together.

Anyway, I’m definitely missing some stuff too; seriously, there wasn’t a second wasted in this thing, they were cracking some kind of joke or dropping some really interesting piece of information practically every thirty seconds. (And I haven’t even gotten into the clips OR the bloopers. I miiiight do a separate reaction purely for those.) It’s still up right now if you missed it and you want to watch it! I’ll probably watch it again, honestly.