#i have watched. So Much bert & ernie

[theillusionofpants]

I never really had pets growing up. My mom lived on a farm when she was younger and I think she was fully saturated by the time I came around.

So when my (now) wife and I moved in together and she wanted animals, I was sceptical. She is much smarter than I am and managed to trick my dumb ass into just "going and checking out what is available" at the shelter. Low and behold, I found an adorable orange kitty as dumb as I am who booped me on the nose and I was in love. We dubbed him "Ernie" and adopted his brother "Bert" as well. They were....they were cats. They were annoying and hilarious and frustrating and were normal cats that did all the regular cat things that every person who has lived with a cat for the last 5000 years has dealt with. They moved with us and were a part of the family.

Ernie and I were lovers. He would post up in my lap and flop over and expect his luxuriously soft belly to be rubbed and I would reply. He wouldn't bite or attack, he just wanted some good scritches. We'd hang out and watch TV that way. When I was too busy to hang out, he would grumble like an old man all around the house, complaining.

The problem is that cats get sick. I remember one morning before work Ernie was having trouble keeping his head up. He normally wanted affection ALL the time, but this particular morning whenever I would try to pick him up, he would jump out of my arms and sit on the floor panting. For those of you who don't know or who have only had dogs, panting is a VERY bad sign in a cat. The majority of the time it means you need to seek medical attention right away. That's what we ended up doing and unfortunately in this scenario, it meant that we had to put him down.

It was a very strange experience as one who has never really had a pet. It is very quick but there is a definite moment where the light that was once your buddy is no longer in their eyes. Eventually you are just in a room with a dead animal and a stranger who is trying to ignore the fact that you're a blubbering mess. And you leave your friend there.

I was shocked how much of a mess I was. I couldn't even talk about him for months without tearing up. How stupid it is to have pets! They make you love them, integrate themselves into your life and your family, and then they leave you.

Anyway, it has been 6 years now since he's died. He was only 8 when he got sick. I guess I just miss my cat today.

The man himself

#Cats #Orange dummy #Smelly boy #Ernie pern #Seriously why do people have pets when this happens

[sweatervest-obsessed]

spencer just comforting reader after a bad mental health day and helping them to take a break and shower/or bathe🌼🫶🏻

Honestly, yeah. So true. I based this off of my experiences of just trying to even get out of bed to get to the shower, so I hope you like it!!!

“I see you’re still in bed.”

“Oh my god. You really are a genius.”

Spencer doesn’t miss much, especially not the sarcasm in your voice. He’s pretty perceptive when it comes to you. He knows what coffee order to get you by the way you kiss him in the morning. He knows what book you’ll want to read when you get home by the way you sign your name. He knows that for you to have stayed in bed all day means that you really just need someone to be there for you.

And that’s what he’ll do.

He quietly toes off his shoes and climbs onto his side of the bed—close enough that you can feel the heat coming from his body, but far away enough because he doesn’t know if you wanted to be touched.

Your head was your worst enemy some days. And it’s not like you didn’t try to fight it, you tried so fucking hard. You had even picked out an outfit and laid it on the chair next to the bathroom. But once you flipped the light switch on in the bathroom and saw yourself in the mirror; your brain flipped a switch too.

Which resulted with all the lights off, and you just in bed, over thinking and falling further and further into the pit of your mind.

Spencer whispered your name, bringing you back from where it was your mind had wandered off to again.

Nowhere good was the conclusion he came to. He gently placed his hand on your arms, waiting to see your reaction.

He watched as your body released some of the tension it was holding, and took that as his sign.

Spencer managed to take your hand and squeeze it slightly. “Want to take a shower?”

“That requires moving.” You stated.

There was no malice, but there was no excitement. Just a fact.

“Maybe you’re the genius.” He teased slightly, squeezing your hand. It caused you to let out a huff of air, which was all he could ask for.

Spencer has been to a dark place before. He knew some variation of what you were felling, how heavy it was, how your brain felt like tv static. He had discovered along the way, that the best way to be there for you, was to shower.

Something something about the metaphor of washing it down the drain. is what you would say when he’d ask you about it a couple of months ago, poking fun at yourself.

“Can’t we do a bath instead.”

Your voice cut through the memory. It was so unlike your normal voice; small, exhausted. It caused him to run his thumb across your hand, nodding.

“You’d have to get up for that too.”

“I hate it when you’re right.” You grumbled, rolling over just enough to be able to lift your head and make eye contact with the pretty man sitting next to you.

“I’m always right.”

That caused you to snort, a small laugh escaped your lips. It was one short second, but it meant the world to Spencer.

“Lavender or Vanilla.”

“You can’t make me get up and also make choices.” Your face rolled back into the pillow, but your hand still held onto his.

His hand was so warm, so soft. His heartbeat was pulling your focus from whatever place your mind had been stuck in. You knew what he was doing, distracting you, making you match his breathing, but you didn’t care.

Spencer didn’t move to go set up the bath. He stayed there rubbing you hand with his thumb, enjoying your company because you were enough for him. Just your presence was enough.

“Tell me something.” You mumbled, wanting to hear him, slightly upset that he stopped talking.

“Did you know that Australia is wider than the moon.”

You frowned a bit and looked up at him. That one caught you off guard. “What.”

“The moon is 2,113 miles wide, or 3,400 kilometers, and Australia is 2,485 miles, or 4,000 kilometers, wide.”

“That feels wrong.” You mutter, squeezing his hand.

“Right? Okay, how about Bert and Ernie from Sesame Street are named after the police officer and the taxi driver in Its a Wonderful Life.”

“I knew that already.” You smiled at him slightly. “You’re losing your touch.”

He smiled down at you, leaning over and gently kissing your forehead, making all of the tension float away.

“How about a bath now.”

“Sounds like you’re just trying to get me naked Doctor Reid.”

That made Spencer’s cheeks tinge pink. “No-No. I just…I know that, uh, when people have depressive episodes they tend to ignore their hygiene because the feel like they don’t deserve it and it’s a Monday meaning you were going to shower this morning, and-and I know you didn’t because there’s no towel on the hook on the bathroom door and—“

You squeezed his hand, effectively ending his breathless ramble. “I’m teasing Spence.”

“How did that turn into you comforting me.” He sighed and squeezed your hand back.

Eventually, the two of you made it to the bathroom. It was lavender scented with hints of the coconut, barely any light from the two candles Spencer had lit, opting out of turning the lights on. Shirts and socks were littered across the ground as you both sank into the water. The heat causing the rest of the headache you were feeling yo disappear, or maybe it was the man sitting behind you with his arms wrapped around your waist. Your skin against his.

The steam cleared your senses, filling your nose with the smell of his shampoo as he tried to quietly open the bottle, causing you to giggle slightly as he fumbled with the lid.

You melted under Spencer’s hands as he massaged your head, kissing your shoulders as he went.

That small part of you whispered in your ear that you didn’t deserve this.

But Spencer’s whispers in your other ear easily drowned it out, slowly bringing you back to him, piece by piece, soap bubble by soap bubble, kiss by kiss.

#x reader #spencer reid x fem!reader #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid x y/n #spencer reid x you #spencer reid fanfiction #spencer reid angst #spencer reid fanfic #spencer reid imagine #spencer reid drabble #spencer reid oneshot

[defectivegembrain]

I hate when people seem to misunderstand Troy and Abed's relationship as being actually like what Vice Dean Laybourne tried to make them think it was. He didn't understand them, he understood just enough to present a simplified, stereotypical version of what they have. Like yes Abed was initially a little inconsiderate in his response to Troy, but honestly as an autistic person, I understand very well the frustration of having something planned out, being very focused on it, having an agreement with someone, and then they suddenly want to change it. People exaggerate how stubborn he was, he was literally about to give in before Laybourne manipulated him.

And he actually does that quite a lot. In the initial buildup of their friendship, he does things like take cues from Troy's behaviour and try to "mess with" him, because that's what Troy teaches him friends do. He's trying to connect on Troy's level. He plays basketball with him, engaging in interests he doesn't necessarily share, he tolerates Troy's competitiveness and lets him win the race to make him happy. It's Troy who has to get past the attitude that friends only do things for him and not the other way round.

And he does learn to be a good friend, but the idea that Abed doesn't show up for him just as much is bizarre. In Epidemiology, he's insistent that if only one of them survives, it should be Troy. He listens and supports him with the AC repair vs plumbing thing, and it is Troy who decides that he just wants to watch tv with him. When Troy goes to the AC repair school, Abed doesn't try to talk him out of it, even though he's devastated. He's upset when Troy and Britta get together, but he doesn't put that on Troy himself.

He listens to Troy about the impersonator thing, despite deep fears of being controlled, and honestly seems more concerned about their friendship than his own safety. He goes along with the body swap bit at a moment's notice, goes to a restaurant he previously said he couldn't go to, puts up with the waiter badmouthing one of his favourite movies, and breaks up with Britta for Troy. When he's so upset about Troy leaving that he hallucinates lava, he jumps into said lava in order to let him go.

And I especially hate when people, just like Laybourne, use the Inspector Spacetime thing to argue that their relationship is unequal. Like sorry, in other instances, Abed is more than willing to play the villain (Kickpuncher, Alien) or love interest (Kickpuncher) or sidekick (their shadow puppets) to Troy's hero. They do Bert and Ernie, who are equal partners. When they do Calvin and Hobbes, yes he's Calvin, but that's notably something only Troy has expressed an interest in him doing before.

Yeah Inspector Spacetime is a more frequent thing for them, but it's pretty clear that's a really special character for Abed. In Virtual Systems Analysis we can see him use the character to express how he's different from other people. Which, yeah, an autistic person connecting with what is essentially the Doctor...go figure.

Like, look at when he lists characters he thinks are like him: "Data or Johnny 5 or Mork or HAL or K.I.T.T. Or K9 or Woodstock and/or Snoopy. Spock goes without saying." None of those are human. Several robots. Most are not the main character. One is an antagonist. It's probably not often that Abed feels this deep a connection to a character who is undeniably the hero, and while not human, still shows human characteristics. And there's no way Troy is unaware of that.

And by the way, Troy never seems remotely unhappy about playing Constable Reggie until Laybourne talks him into it. And never again afterwards. In fact, when Abed is full on trying to act "normal" at Shirley's wedding rehearsal, Troy talks him into playing Inspector Spacetime...with this ridiculously tender look of love on his face.

It's just...it's a severe mischaracterisation of them both, articulated by a clearly manipulative character, and it bothers me when I see people fall for it.

#here's the essay #community #nbc community #troy barnes #abed nadir #trobed

[littlespacereader]

AN ~ I’m so sorry it’s long past Halloween but here is the long awaited Hannibal Halloween special!! I got a little carried away and wrote a super long fic but I really hope you guys enjoy it!! Also @shadowlord23, I hope you like the inclusion with the reader being on the spectrum. I hope this did you justice:) Thank you to everyone who has been waiting patiently for this fic! I really hope it’s everything you wanted! With that please enjoy!

The Haunted Maze🎃👻

Caregiver!Will Graham, Caregiver!Hannibal Lector & Fem Little!Reader

(SFW)

(No one is evil. Based loosely on the Hannibal tv series minus the killings/cannibalism)

Tags - References to Blues Clues, pacifiers, diapers, accidents, Halloween scares, Mathew Brown is your best friend, reader is autistic, cuddles and fluff, protective Hannibal and Will.

Nicknames - Papa for Hannibal, Dadee for Will, Darling, Blue, Little Blue, Sweetheart.

Fall had finally arrived to Virginia and it was beautiful! The leafs were changing colors, it’s finally cool enough to wear sweaters and best of all it was time for Halloween!

I was looking forward to Halloween all month long! It’s my first Halloween with my Caregivers Hannibal and Will and I couldn’t be more excited!!

Though, I thought Halloween night would be spent dressing up, eating a ton of candy at home, and passing out on the couch during a fun Halloween movie marathon.

But that was all ruined when an invitation came in the mail. Dr. Fredrick Chilton was throwing a Halloween party and the three of us were invited. Like myself, Will isn’t too found of Chilton at all. The man is self absorbed and at times rude.

Hannibal also isn’t the biggest fan of his either, but he also isn’t rude. So he accepted the invitation on behalf of the three of us. So now we would be spending Halloween at Chilton’s Halloween party…

But first things first, what would the three of us be for Halloween? What would be our costumes? Naturally since this is my first Halloween with Will and Hannibal, we all had to dress up together.

Hannibal seemed enthusiastic when I brought up the idea. Will…a little less at first but I promised I would find the best fit for all of us. So the three of us started to brainstorm.

First was for me to go as Barbie and Will and Hannibal go as Ken. But as much as the two were handsome enough to go as Ken, it didn’t feel right to them. So onto the next idea.

Next was for Will and Hannibal to go as Bert and Ernie and for myself to go as Abby Cadabby. I’m a huge Sesame Street fan when I’m regressed! But the idea of being Bert and Ernie infront of their colleagues and friends wasn’t too appealing to Hannibal and Will.

Next was having Will as a knight, Hannibal as a King and myself as a princess. Simply and workable! They seemed to like the idea! So off to the costume store we went! But once we got there and started trying things on, we could see it was going to be an issue for both Will and myself who are both on the spectrum.

Most costumes are made with cheap and itchy material that just made mine and Will’s skin crawl! So that costume idea was also scratched.

After an exhausting trip to the costume store the three of us settled into the night and watched one of my favorite tv shows and hyper fixations, Blues Clues. That’s when our Halloween costume hit me.

“That’s it! That’s it!!” I sat up, shaking Will and Hannibal’s arms!

Hannibal smiled at Y/N’s sudden enjoyment. “What is it? Did you figure out the clue?”

“No…not yet. I know what we’re going to be for Halloween!!!” I started to say.

I pointed to Hannibal, “You’re gonna be Steve.”

Then I pointed to Will “You’re gonna be Josh.”

“And I’m gonna be Blue! We’ll be a Blues Clues costume together!!”

Will and Hannibal couldn’t argue with that enthusiasm. And the idea worked well! All Will and Hannibal had to get was the green striped shirt for Steve and a blue striped for Josh. Which would be comfortable and warm considering the weather outside.

As for myself, they found a comfortable onesie of Blue for me to wear, complete with hair clips for Blue’s ears. (They also had a headband option for the ears but that would be too tight on my head and would cause headaches)

So with our costume picked out and our plans set, all we had to do was wait till Halloween.

~~~

The wait was over!! It’s finally Halloween day and the Lector-Graham house was bouncing with excitement. Our costumes had come in weeks before and now was the moment of truth!

I couldn’t contain my excitement all day. It’s hard to! Not when your two caregivers are literally the host of Blues Clues and you’re Blue.

Hannibal looked adorable in the green striped polo shirt. He paired the outfit with the tan pants Steve would normally wear. Will also looked amazing in the blue striped shirt Josh wears in the new season of Blues Clues. He especially loved the choice since it was comfortable and not too crazy. Will wasn’t one for being the center of attention, something Hannibal and I knew well. And I couldn’t blame him…I’m the same way.

I ran around the house all day in my Blue Clues onesie! For starters the costume was a great choice because I felt like I was basically wearing pajamas all day! Secondly the onesie was super soft against my skin. It felt like being wrapped in a blanket!

Will and Hannibal couldn’t get over my costume either. They just kept saying how adorable I looked! All day Hannibal and Will would light up every time I came bouncing into the room in my costume. Always asking me if I left a clue being for them or start singing the theme song. It always made me giggle.

It was an hour before the party. Hannibal and Will were in the kitchen gathering everything they were bringing to the party when I popped in.

“Dadee! Papa!” I said as I burst into the kitchen.

Will smiled seeing the still dressed in my costume. “Hello Blue. Did you hide another clue for us?”

I giggled to his question, “Not yet! I have a question though, can I bring Magenta?” I held the pink dog stuffie in the air. Magenta is Blue’s best friend in the show so naturally she would have to join me!

“Of course you can darling. But you must keep an eye on her. We don’t want her to get lost at the party.” Hannibal said getting a big smile from me.

I ran over and took a seat on one of the barstools, watching as the two Caregivers packed a bag to go to the party. Well actually two bags…one being the party’s gift (a bottle of wine no doubt) and one I recognized right away, my diaper bag.

My bag had everything I could need while regressed, diapers and supplies, my pacifier, sippy cups and more I’m sure.

“Papa I don’t need my bag.” I pointed out to him. I was wearing a diaper already. I was already protected.

He stopped mid packing it and gave me a look, a look I knew all too well. “Y/N, you have nothing to be embarrassed about. We talked about this.”

It’s true, we did have this talk. It’s just that I’m new to this dynamic of being out in public while regressed. It was something I was getting used to still. Something I was still shy about.

We had a nice community of friends who had regressed Littles of their own. Jack and Bella have Beverly who’s regresses around the age of a teenager (13-16). Fredrick has Mathew who’s my best friend and closes to my headspace, being a kid (5-7) and Alana and Margot have Freddie who regresses to a teenager as well.

But I’m the youngest in the group being a Toddler headspace. (2-4) I have accidents from time to time, I drink from a sippy cup and I have a pacifier, among other little things.

I just feel shy about my younger headspace around other people. I’m okay with Will and Hannibal helping me through accidents and such while Little. Of course they’re the best, making me feel safe and comfortable all the time whether I’m in a diaper, or pull-up or not. They always take care of me and my needs. But it’s different being in public with others.

“I know, it’s just…it’s a big party and everyone will see the bag and...they’ll know.” Not that they all didn’t know my headspace, but still…

Will put a hand on my shoulder, pulling me from my thoughts. “You know no one would judge you for needing a little protection. But if you’re very worried, we can keep it in the car so incase we need it it’s there. But that way it’s not in sight of anyone. Sound good?”

I immediately nodded my head and sighed with content. That did sound better. That way if I did have an accident or needed something I would be okay, but no one at the party would see. It sounded perfect.

Hannibal continued packing. Inside was everything they could need just incase. A change of clothes (blues clues themed of course), a pacifier, extra diapers and pull-ups and supplies for a change.

In the other bag was a bottle of wine for Fredrick as a thank you for the invitation as well as some safe foods for Y/N in case there was no foods at the party she felt like eating. Hannibal was nothing if not prepared!

Finally it was time to go! With the car loaded up, bags packed and myself all buckled up thanks to Will because seatbelts were hard when regressed, we were on their way to Chilton’s house!

When we pulled up there were already a couple of cars in the driveway. It suddenly hit me the idea of seeing everyone. But before I knew it Hannibal was helping me get unbuckled. Once out of the car I paused looking at the house. A sense of dread came over me. Maybe I didn’t want to be social today. Maybe I wanted to go back home.

Hannibal knew immediately how I was feeling by just a look, being the amazing Caregiver and therapist he was. He took my hand tightly in his. “It’s just Chilton’s and Jack’s car. Looks like we’re the second ones here.” He explained.

I nodded my head and with a deep breath we pushed forward. Knowing who was here made me feel a bit better. I hated surprises.

Soon we made our way up the steps and to the front door. I was standing between Hannibal and Will, holding onto both their hands now. The front yard was filled with spooky decorations and lights, but nothing too scary yet.

Hannibal rang the front door and we waited. The door slowly opened by itself causing me to hide behind Will, hiding my face against his back. Will and Hannibal found it adorable. They could already sense who the culprit was.

Suddenly Mathew jumped out dressed in a Superman costume. “BOO!” He yelled causing me to jump slightly.

Hannibal and Will smiled at Mathew, “Happy Halloween Superman. Thank you for inviting us over.” Hannibal smirked.

“What are you guys supposed to be? Guys in striped shirts? And where’s Y/N?” Mathew asked, tilting his head.

I peered out from behind Will, “They’re Steve and Josh from Blues Clues. And I’m Blue.”

Mathew face lit up at the realization, “Y/N! You look great!! I love the costume! Come on! Come in! I gotta show you everything!”

Mathew grabbed my hand and started to pull me inside. I shot a look to Hannibal and Will, as if to ask if it was okay. With a smile and nod from both of them I was lead into the house by Mathew, Hannibal and Will not far behind.

Chilton’s house was all decorated for the holiday. Cobwebs hung from the ceiling, there was green and orange lights hanging up along with scary decorations like face blood or scary faces. Both of which had me sticking close to Mathew.

We walked into the kitchen where everyone seemed to be hanging out. All the attention was on me the moment I entered the kitchen.

“Y/N, welcome to the haunted mansion.” Fredrick said with a haunting voice. He was dressed up in his usual suit, nothing special. What was he supposed to be? Himself?

“Hi Uncle Fredrick.” I said softly, stick close to Mathew.

“He’s not Uncle Fredrick, he’s the evil Lex Luthor! My evil villain!” Matthew announced. Fredrick just rolled his eyes but smirked nonetheless.

“Hi Y/N, Happy Halloween!” Jack said as he held his arms up high pretending to be Frankenstein.

“What are you supposed to be? A blue dog?” Fredrick asked me snickering with a roll of his eyes.

Before I had a chance to defend myself and my costume, Bella, Jack’s wife dressed as Frankenstein’s Wife spoke up, “A blues dog?” She rolled her eyes back at him.

“I guess someone doesn’t recognize Blue from Blues Clues.” She walked over to me, “You even have Magenta with you?” I nodded my head and held her out for Bella to see.

She gasped and clapped her hands, “Your costume is amazing! You look adorable sweetheart!” She said wrapping me in a hug.

Bella is someone I liked to be around. She’s such a gentle and kind Caregiver. Plus she always sticks up and favored me out of all the Little friends Beverly had.

“I couldn’t agree more.” Hannibal said as he and Will entered the room and started to greet everyone.

Mathew took the distraction to his advantage, slipping away for a moment and then running back over to me. “Come on! I’ve got us something!” With that I was once again lead away.

Jack started to laugh seeing Will and Hannibal’s outfits. “It seems everyone got it easy this year. The both of you wearing sweaters, Dr. Chilton wearing a suit but Bella and I have to really dress up.”

The three shrugged. “In our defense we were originally going to be Bert and Erinie.” Will joked causing the group of Caregivers to laugh.

Mathew led me to his playroom where Beverly was hanging out. “There you are! I thought you got caught!”

“I just got distracted. Plus Y/N showed up! So now it’s a real party!”

Beverly smiled seeing me, “Y/N! Happy Halloween!” She gave me a big hug.

Beverly’s costume was so cool! She was dressed as Frankie from Monster High.

“You look so cool Beverly! I love your costume!” I really did! She looked just like the character, down to the make up and the outfit.

“Thank you! I like your costume too! Plus you have Magenta with you! That’s cool!”

“Ummm guys? Can we get back to the topic at hand? That being candy!!” Mathew emptied his pockets only the ground spilling all the different candies from it. “My dad says we can only have a few pieces of candy tonight so while everyone was distracted with Y/N, I grabbed a couple of handfuls for us!”

“Great job Matthew!!” Beverly exclaimed.

The three of us all sat around the pile of candy Mathew brought us and started to dig in. I was a bit hesitant at first, after all Hannibal and Will were very careful about what I ate. I had rules about candy, needing to ask one of them if I wanted to eat a piece first.

But if I did Mathew would get in trouble and then he wouldn’t like me…probably…maybe. So I decided that one piece of candy wouldn’t hurt to eat without Will and Hannibal’s permission.

Then after that piece I had another because I wanted to try this new one Mathew had gotten.

And I figured another one couldn’t hurt after that second piece of candy.

Then after that I said four is a nice even number. So I’ll have another piece of candy.

As we were enjoying the stolen candy we heard the front door to Uncle Fredrick’s house open up and people talking. Beverly started to panic. “Matt! Go hide the candy!”

Mathew grabbed all the candy and wrappers and stuffed them into his play kitchen’s refrigerator, then he shut the door with a slam.

He made it in record time because not a second later did Alana, Margot and Freddie walk into the playroom to greet us.

“Hi girls! Hi Mathew! Happy Halloween!” Alana said as she entered.

“Hi Aunt Alana and Margot.” We all greeted.

Alana and Margot were dressed like 1920’s gangsters. Freddie was dressed in a flapper’s dress complete with a beaded hat.

Margret kissed Freddie head, “Now you be good and play with your friends. We’ll be in the living room with the rest of the adults.”

And with that the adults left us once more, the only issue is they left us with Freddie. Out of all the Little in this immediate friend group, I like Freddie the least. She’s bossy, says mean things and away picks on me for being the youngest.

And it isn’t even her headspace because Beverly is the same one as her, but she always treats me nicely while Freddie does not. So I wasn’t too thrilled to see her.

“Beverly! Wow! You look awesome as Frankie! Mathew, looking cool as ever as Superman!” She stopped when she turned to me. “What are you supposed to be?”

“I’m Blue from Blues Clues.” I said plainly, looking down at Magenta in my hands.

“What even is Blues clues? Some sort of baby show?” She rolled her eyes.

“No! It’s a show for everyone! And it’s really good!” I said defending my favorite show.

“How do you not know Blues Clues? Do you live under a rock?” Mathew right away said sticking up for me.

“Yeah Freddie, even I know what Blues Clues is.” Beverly spoke up, siding with me as well.

“Nevermind! Okay? Today isn’t about stupid costumes anyway! It’s about who’s the bravest. I heard Uncle Fredrick has something planned that will test who’s the brave one of all.”

We all looked at her confused, then turned our attention to Mathew. Surely if anyone knew what she was talking about it would be him.

It took him a second to click into what she was saying, “Oh.” He said looking a bit uneasy. “You mean the haunted maze he has in the basement?”

I froze hearing that. Haunted maze? In the basement?! I’m NEVER allowed to go into the basement in my house for safety reasons. But I would never go down to begin with…it’s scary down there…

“I think I’ll be able to complete all by myself. You guys think you’ll be able to complete it at all?” She asked with a very pointed look towards me.

“Who cares about a haunted maze when we have candy!” Mathew grabbed a few from the fake refrigerator and started handing them out to us.

I started to eat my chocolate bar when I heard Freddie dramatically gasp. “Y/N! I thought your dads said no candies since they’re both health freaks.”

I looked at her like she was crazy, because she probably is, “They’re not health freaks Freddie.”

“So they’re okay with you eating candy?”

“Are your moms okay with you eating candy?” I replied back.

Silence hit the room until Beverly cut the tension. “Listen, none of our Caregivers want us to eat a lot of candy so no one is going to tell on anyone else. Got it? Good. Now let’s-.”

“Kids! Come to the living room for some crafts.” Will called out to us.

Mathew and I locked eyes and quickly threw the remaining wrappers into the little play fridge just in time. Will popped into the room just as the two of us stood by the play fridge.

“Come on you two, we have a movie on and some crafts.”

Beverly and Freddie left the playroom first followed by a shy looking Mathew who quicken took off the moment he passed Will. I tried my best not to look guilty but Will knows me better than that. Just before I walked past him he held my shoulder, stopping me from walking.

My heart sank and my world seemly froze. “Y/N? What’s in the fridge?” Will asked sincerely.

I was screwed. I knew I was. It was practically impossible to lie to Will and Hannibal. I mean ones a psychologist and the other is a profiler! Their job is literally reading people. But I tried anyway.

“Nothing.” I shrugged.

“Really? Then I just help myself to some plastic food then.” And with that Will started to walk towards the play fridge.

I grabbed his arm tried to pull him away but it was more like me sliding across the floor as he kept walking. “Noooo Dadee! It’s nothing! It’s empty!”

“Then you shouldn’t have to worry when I open it.” Will grabbed the handle and opened the fridge to reveal the mess of candy wrappers and uneaten candies. Will raised his eyebrow at me as if to say explain this.

I threw my hands up. “It wasn’t me! It was Mathew. He got the candy and everyone warned me not to tell. I’m sorry! I didn’t want to get him in trouble. Plus everyone would hate me if I told you.” I quickly explained.

“Did you eat a candy too or just cover up their lie?” Will asked, a bit disappointed. It started to crush me.

“I had two.” Or three, but realistically maybe seven. But hey! I was somewhat honest here. Did I eat candy? Yes. Did he need to know the amount?…..no.

He closed the play fridge and turned to me. “I don’t blame you for lying, while I’m not proud that you did I understand why you did, to protect Mathew. But what I am disappointed at is you having candy without our permission-.”

I went to interrupt him to explain again but he stopped me.

“Again, I understand where you’re coming from, you couldn’t ask us or it would’ve gotten Mathew in trouble. But that doesn’t means you should’ve had any candy.” Will explained.

I started to get more and more upset as he spoke. I didn’t want to be in trouble! I didn’t even want to be here! This wasn’t even my fault! Plus the whole no candy was stupid and everything was stupid! All at once I became overwhelmed.

Then came the water works and the frustrated tears. “I didn’t even want to come here! I just want to be with you and Papa for Halloween! It’s…this is all so much. I just…I don’t…”

I trail off and start crying. All the frustration, all the anger, all the overwhelming feeling and all the anxiety flooding out of me as I cried.

~~~

Will immediately sprang into action, scooping Y/N up into his arms and holding her close. He wrapped her legs around his hips and lightly bounced her in his arms.

If there was anyone who could see someone on the verge of a meltdown, it was Will. He knew with himself how overwhelming thoughts and emotions made him so he knew how Y/N must’ve been feeling.

He halted those emotion right were they started. One arm held her back and the other her head that laid on his shoulder. He softly shushed her and repeated “Its alright, you’re safe, you’re safe with me.”

After a moment or so Y/N’s tears and crying had stopped. She laid tired in his arms, head resting on his shoulder, arms wrapped around his neck, and a little sniffle here and there.

“I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for.” Will quickly answered back.

“If you want, I can go get Papa and the three of us can go home and relax the rest of the night.” Will started to offer but Y/N whined in response.

“I wanna stay with Mathew…and Beverly. They’re nice to me.” She explained.

“And Freddie isn’t?”

Y/N shook her head, “She always makes mean comments about you guys and about my headspace.”

It broke Will’s heart to hear his Little one was being bullied around by anyone, but Freddie no less. That was not going to slide with him.

“Let’s make a plan together. The next time she says something to you when we’re not around, I want you to let me or Papa know right away. Okay? That way we can put an end to it.“

Y/N nodded her head.

“If you ever feel overwhelmed or upset or anything. You know you can come to us. No matter who’s around, we will always take care of you first.” Will hugged Y/N tightly. “I love you more than you can imagine.”

Y/N hugged him back just as tight. Still happily held in his arms. “I love you too Dadee. Thank you.”

They stayed together in the playroom for a moment more, just the two of us holding one another. It was nice, a quiet moment alone to help Y/N reset and feel comfortable again.

“Why don’t we join everyone in the living room? They’ve got some coloring books and crafts on the coffee tables. They’re also playing a Halloween movie on the tv.” Will suggested after a moment.

Y/N lifted her head to that. I felt a lot better than I did before. “Yeah let’s go.”

With all the frustration let out and a new plan for the two of them. They both felt better as Will carried Y/N into the living room.

~~~

Inside the living room all the adults sat on the couches talking about boring adult stuff as always. One of the coffee tables has an assortment of different coloring books and the other had a bunch of crafts.

Beverly and Freddie were making a craft together, with Freddie complaining about how boring she thought it was to Beverly. Mathew sat alone at the other table, absently coloring a picture in one of the coloring books.

Once I came back to the party he lifted his head and smiled. “Y/N!” He ran over to Will and I. “I found the best coloring book for us to color! It has pumpkins, ghosts, skeletons and more!”

Will looked at me almost as if to ask me if I wanted to be put down. I nodded my head and was left down out of Will’s arms. Mathew took my hand and led me other to the coffee table to start coloring while Will joined a concerned Hannibal. He sat down and quietly explain what had happened.

Mathew was right, these coloring books were awesome!! They had some many interesting designs and characters. I started with a photo of a ghost and began to color beside Mathew.

But Mathew stopped me after a minute. I looked up to meet his sadden eyes and guilt ridden face. “Y/N, I’m so sorry if you got in trouble for the whole candy thing. I should’ve stayed with you and told Uncle Will the truth. I’m a terrible friend.”

I shook my head, “It’s okay Mathew. I promise it’s okay! He isn’t mad at me. I didn’t get in trouble. But more than all of this you’re not a terrible friend.”

Mathew wiped a stray tear away, “I’m not?”

“No! You’re my best friend!”

“From now on best friends stick together!” Mathew smiled.

“Forever.” I smiled back.

The two of us hugged and it seemed all was right. Best friends reunited! Superman and Blue!

The two of us continued coloring and watching the movie which was Halloweentown. In the film when they arrive to Halloweentown their taxi driver is a skeleton. The idea of a taxi driver being a skeleton made me giggle.

I turned to Hannibal to see if he saw the funny sight, “Papa that taxi driver is a skeleton!” I giggled some more.

Hannibal smiled seeing my excitement about the skeleton taxi driver, “You’re right! I thought that taxi driver looked a bit strange.”

I giggled some more at the idea that Papa didn’t know it was a skeleton till I said something.

Jack, who was sitting next to Hannibal joined in the conversation, “You know I thought he looked a bit strange myself. Good detective work Blue!”

I smiled to the praise, proud that I had discovered the taxi driver skeleton! I grabbed another page from the book of an actual skeleton and began to color him like the one in the film.

But my coloring was interrupted when Uncle Fredrick walked into the living room to make an announcement. “Alright kids, the haunted maze is all set up downstairs. Which one of you will be the first brave soul to solve the mystery and get the treasure?”

“Will it be my brave Superman here?” Fredrick said giving Mathew a pat on the shoulder.

But Superman was anything but brave. Matthew looked at me with an eyes full of fear. I was right there with him, I’m not sure I wanted to go down to the haunted maze alone.

“I’ll go! I’ll go!” Freddie jumped up. “I’ll show these babies how it’s done.” She said with a pointed glance to Mathew and I.

“Freddie, that isn’t nice to say. Y/N and Mathew are brave in their own regard.” Will corrected.

Alana joined in, “You’re Uncle is right. That not nice to say to Y/N and Mathew.”

“I would apologize or someone isn’t going to do the maze.” Margot added with a pointed look towards her for a change.

Freddie looked like she was going to explode with anger. There was a moment you could see she was debating on whether she was going to fight it or not. But I guess her enthusiasm for the haunted maze won over.

“Sorry Matt and Y/N.” She said loud enough for us to hear but with no real remorse in sight.

“Thank you, now you may do the maze.” Alana explain.

Fredrick started to explain the maze to all of us before Freddie went down to the basement, “Your goal is to find three gold coins in the basement. But watch out, there are evil monsters that protects the coins. Find the three coins and you’ve completed the maze.”

“Pfffff! I’ve got this! Move over!” And with that Freddie pushed past him and went down into the basement.

Mathew and I just looked at each other with a fearful look. But Mathew broke out of it and shook his head, “Good riddens.” He whispered with a wink.

I smiled back and shook my head at him. We both went back to our coloring as the minutes tick by, then suddenly there was a scream from downstairs.

The scream caught everyone off guard. I jumped up and rushed over to Will and Hannibal as Alana, Margot and Fredrick ran over to the basement door.

Freddie threw the door open and ran into Alana’s arms. “There was something down there that attacked me!!” She cried.

By this time I was sitting between Will and Hannibal as the scene unfolded, Mathew joining me. I held onto Hannibal arm and Mathew did the same with Will’s.

“How many coins did you get?” Fredrick asked.

Freddie threw the one and only coin she had on the ground.

“Maybe this is a bit too scary for the little ones.” Bella suggested.

“I have to agree with Bella. How scary is this maze Dr. Chilton?” Hannibal asked.

“Nonesense! It’s not that scary. I’m going to reset the room real fast and then it’s my Superman’s turn.” And with that Fredrick turned and left.

Matthew shot me a look of pure terror. But I knew his dad, there was no way Matthew was getting out of this knowing how stern Fredrick was.

I didn’t want to do the maze at all, especially seeing Freddie’s reaction to it. But Mathew wasn’t going to make it by himself. So…

“I’ll go with you!” I said before I even had a chance to wrap my mind around it.

Hannibal and Will looked at me worried, “Are you sure you want to go down there with Mathew Y/N? It might be too scary for you and that’s okay if it is.” Will asked.

As much as I wanted to take the out Dadee was giving me, I shook my head no. “Best friend stick together.” I smiled at Mathew.

I could just see the relief wash over him. “Best friends stick together!”

Too soon Fredrick returned and it was our turn. Hannibal and Will gave me a reassuring hug and smile. “If it’s too scary just come back up here, okay? No one will be mad or judge you.”

I nodded my head and said goodbye two. Hand in hand, Mathew and I made our way down to the basement. Just like the basement at home, it’s was dark and scary. We took one step at a time will we reached the bottom. Then it began.

~~~

“Okay, so we have to find three coins, shouldn’t be too hard right?” Mathew said with voice not filled with too much confidence.

Down in the basement there were boxes set up as the sort of maze to navigate too. There was also a fog machine which added another creepy layer to the dark and creepy basement.

Mathew walked in the front, holding onto my hand for dear life. I hide behind him and followed along as we started the maze.

So far it wasn’t too bad. We came across a table with a simple bowl infront of it. Inside the bowl was a bunch of candies and the golden coin in the middle.

I went to grab it right away but Mathew stopped me. “This is too simple.” His eyes narrowed.

I looked around, there was no ghost or anything in sight. It looked simple enough to me. But knowing Uncle Fredrick, Matthew was probably right.

To prove his point Matthew grabbed a paint brush off one of the shelves and put the handle on the coin.

Suddenly a skeleton arm from under the table jumped out and grabbed the paint brush handle! The two of us yelped and jumped back. When we did, Mathew dropped the paint brush and the hand retracted under the table.

“I have an idea!”

I grabbed the paint brush off the floor and put it in the bowl again. When the skeleton hand grabbed it I used my other hand and grabbed the coin!

I threw the paint brush off to the side and showed the coin proudly to Mathew! “Look Superman! We got the first coin!!”

“Great job Blue! You’ll be in charge of holding our coins.” Mathew smiled.

But our smiles disappeared when we realized we still had two coins left. So with that we cautiously continued on.

Hand in hand we weaves through the cardboard box maze. Cloth hung from the ceiling making it hard to see what was ahead. We must set off some motion sensor thing because suddenly a clown animatronic turned on right next to me.

I screamed and grabbed Mathew for dear life. I was shaking like a leaf behind him as he stood in front of the clown.

“Hey you stupid clown! You will not scare my best friend like that!!”

And with that Mathew grabbed the power cord to the clown and ripped it from the wall. The laughing clown soon died down and become silent and motionless.

Looking down by the clown’s foot was the second coin. “Y/N! The second coin!! We got the second coin!”

But when Mathew turned to me I was a bit of a mess to say the least. Tears fell down my face as I tried to calm down from the shock of seeing the clown. My hands covered my ears, fearing the clown would somehow turn back on and continue laughing.

“Hey! Are you okay? That clown really scared you but don’t worry I took care of it. Superman saved the day!” He pulled me into a tight hug. “It’s okay! I promise it won’t turn back on.”

“Want me to get Uncle Hannibal and Will? I won’t be mad if you want to see them. That was really scary. Plus this maze is stupid anyway.”

Breaking apart I slowly brought my hands away from my ears and wiped my tears away. “I think…I think I’m okay. I can do this. I want to win this together.” I said trying to convince Mathew and myself.

“Are you sure? You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” He asked one more time but I shook my head again.

“We’ve got this…together.” I shared a small smile with Mathew, “We only have one more coin to go.”

“Hell yeah!!” Mathew smiled. “Oh and speaking of coins here,” he handed the second coin, “You keep this safe.”

Hand in hand we continue onward. As we began walking I realized that clown scared me a lot more than I realized. My diaper felt cold and heavy against my body. I guess when the clown scared me I was so upset I didn’t realize I had an accident.

Now walking along with Mathew with a bit of a waddle to my walk. It doesn’t seem like he noticed, not that my best friend would ever judge me after all he wore pull-ups to bed. But usually I wouldn’t stay more than 1 minute in a wet diaper, always looking to my Caregivers for a change. The feeling always made me uncomfortable. But I already promise Mathew we would continue on so I put on a brave face and stuck it through, surely it would be over soon enough.

Finally we reached the end of the maze and once again everything seemed easy…too easy…

Once more there was a table set up in front of us with the gold coin sitting in the center of it. But around were no scary decorations, no lights, no fog, no nothing.

Mathew and I shot each other a look. There was definitely something we were missing.

Carefully and cautiously we walked toward the table. I was looking to the right while Mathew was looking to the left. Everything seemed to be fine…for now…

We were about three steps away from the table when we both hit a trip wire of some sort. Suddenly from the roof the grim reaper appeared, swinging down on a rope attached to the ceiling.

Both Mathew and I screamed and fell backwards. Mathew fell first and managed to catch me before I hit the ground. The two of us held each other in a tight hug, hiding our faces as the grim reaper swing from the ceiling and a maniacal laugh track played.

Suddenly it stopped, and the lights to the basement turned on. Loud footsteps were heard rushing down the stairs and over to us. But Mathew and I were too scared to even lift our heads up, afraid it was another trick after all.

“I’m telling you it just might’ve been a little trick that scared them. We don’t have to come down-.” Fredrick began to say but was soon cut off.

“You said this was Little friendly but I do not see anything here to support that. This looks too scary for someone with Mathew and Y/N’s headspace.” I could hear Papa say to Uncle Fredrick. He sounded really angry. Something rare for him, Papa never showed emotions like anger often.

“Y/N? Mathew? Where are you?” I could hear Dadee call out to me.

Mathew didn’t seem like he wanted to lift his head at all to call out to our Caregivers. So I had to be the brave Blue for us. I lifted my tear stained face to call out.

But right as I was going to call out my costume started to get wet. At first I froze, thinking it was a second accident and I was leaking my diaper. But Mathew started to cry and soon it clicked with me what was happening. I wasn’t the only one who got scared and had an accident today.

“It’s okay Mathew,” I held him tight in the hug, uncaring for my costume getting wet. “I had an accident too. It’s okay though. It’s scary down here.”

He shook his head, “I’m s-suppose to be…brave S-Superman…” his voice cracked out.

“You are! You saved me from the clown! You are a brave Superman! But even Superman has accidents too. So does Blues Clues. And they can still fight crime or leaves clues behind.”

Mathew nodded along, “Thank you Blue.”

“Of course Superman.”

It seemed my advice was helping him, though I have to say I was just copying off what my dads usually say to me after an accident. And speaking of them…

The three Caregivers finally found us. The moment we saw them the two of us jumped up and ran over.

“Papa! Dadee!” I ran into Hannibal’s arms.

“Papa!” Mathew yelled running into Fredrick’s arms. It was no surprise to Fredrick seeing the puddle on the ground and seeing Mathew’s wet costume as to what happened.

“Papa I’m so sorry…I didn’t know…I didn’t realize I…the reaper scared me and I…l.” Mathew trailed off saying but Fredrick pulled him into a tight hug.

“Shhh shhh shhh, it’s alright Mathew. I didn’t realize I made this maze a bit too scary for you and your cousin. You have nothing to be sorry for. It’s just an accident. Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.” Fredrick said, taking Mathew’s hands and leading him upstairs to get changed.

While this was happening Hannibal pulled me up and into his arms. I wrapped my arms around him and hid my head against his shoulder. I started to cry softly as well, both out of pure relief having Will and Hannibal here and because of the stupid scares down here.

“Papa, I had an accident too. Scary clown tried to get me but Mathew protected me. But it was so scary! And it laughed. And then the grim reaper attacked us!” I explained.

“A scary clown and a grim reaper? This was not a good idea for you to participate in. I’m sorry I allowed you to do this. I should’ve come down here and saw it for myself.” Hannibal explained, though I could hear the anger in his voice.

“It’s okay. Mathew protect me and now you and Dadee protect me.” I hugged him tighter. I felt a thousand times more comfortable now that Papa and Dadee were with me.

“Always darling, always. Now let’s get you changed too. I don’t want you in wet clothes any longer.”

“Wait,” Will said walking away for a moment before coming back over to the two of us.

I lifted my head up to see what he was doing. He gestured for me to hold my hand out. Once I did, he placed the last coin in my hand.

“There you go, I think it’s safe to say that you and Mathew completed the maze.” Will smirked.

I smiled and held the coin tightly. We did it!! We completed the maze!! Now I had three coins!

Hannibal carried me upstairs and into one of the guest bathrooms. He helped me out of my wet costume first. After close inspection he gave me the bad news.

“I don’t think you’ll be able to wear your costume for the rest of tonight. I’m afraid it’s too wet for you. But no worries, Dadee and I always come prepared.” Hannibal smirked.

Soon Will knocked on the bathroom door. He brought my diaper bag along with Magenta who was forgotten on the couch.

“Someone missed you while you were away Blue.”

I happily took the dog stuffie and held it close.

Hannibal and Will helped me get changed out of my wet diaper into a fresh one. Plus they packed a fresh pair of clothes for me, a Blues clues long sleeve and matching blue sweat pants. They were nothing if not coordinated.

“Dadee? Can we keep the diaper bag close?” I asked sitting on the counter as Will and Hannibal cleaned up.

“Of course sweetheart. You’re okay with it staying with us in the living room?” Will asked to double check.

I nodded my head, “I don’t care what Freddie or anyone says anymore. I’m brave Blue Clues who has three coins!” I smiled holding the coins up high.

Will and Hannibal shared a look with one another. But they could help but smirk. Usually they weren’t ones to condone bragging, but tonight they let it slide. Their little one deserved a win.

“You are certainly our brave little Blue.” Will lifted me into his arms and placed a kiss on my cheek.

Once all settled for the rest of the night, Will and Hannibal took me back to the living room. There sitting on the couch was Mathew wrapped around Fredrick. He was wearing a Superman shirt and pajama bottoms.

Freddie, who was sitting with Beverly on another couch, held an evil smirk seeing us enter the room after our maze.

“So the babies couldn’t make it through the maze with a single coin?”

“Freddie!”

“Hey!”

“That is not nice!”

The adult said trying to stop the mean comments where they started but I had one better.

I simply took the coins out of my pocket and threw them into the ground infront of her. The three coins rattled as they hit the ground causing the whole room to go silent.

“We beat the maze.” I simply said, smirking with the same stupid grin she always had.

There was nothing but satisfaction on my face seeing Freddie start fuming internally.

“HELL YEAH Y/N AND MATHEW!!” Beverly said breaking the tension. Mathew and I smiled. We did it!

“My turn! My turn!”

“I don’t know Beverly. I think this proved the maze is unsuited for Littles.” Fredrick tried to say.

“Please Uncle Fredrick! You gotta let me give it a shot!”

Fredrick shot a look to Jack and Bella who just shrugged.

“If she thinks she can do it, then let her give it a try.” Jack said smirking at his brave Little.

Fredrick shrugged, a bit impressed with Beverly’s bravery. He stood up to go reset the maze but Mathew grabbed his hand.

“No!! Don’t leave! Please stay.” After everything I don’t blame Mathew, the two of us were feeling a bit clingy to our Caregivers at the moment.

Bella quickly swoop into action, “How about you come over here Mathew and sit next to me.” Her calm voice and sweet smile won the Little over.

Soon Mathew was cuddled next to Bella and I was cuddling between Will and Hannibal on the couch. The two of us needed a break after all then.

Another Halloween movie played on the tv but Mathew and I were barley watching it, both of us were physically and emotionally exhausted from our adventures. With my head pressed against Will’s chest and my legs draped across Hannibal’s lap, I started to drift off.

~~~

A little bit later I was awoken to the sound of Beverly running up the basement stairs saying she won. I sat up, Magenta on hand, pacifier in mouth, and watch the scene unfold.

Beverly bursted into the living room. She threw the three coins on the ground. “I got all three coins and something better!”

Suddenly she threw the decapitated head of the clown animatronic in the middle of the living room. How she did it is beyond me. The entire room gasped in shock. Mathew and I looked at each other both in shock and relief. The monster was dead!

“HELL YEAH BEVERLY!! MONSTER SLAYER!!!” Mathew cheered!

I smiled as well around my pacifier. Beverly is the coolest! With the clown taken out for good I let out a small yawn and I cuddled back against Will, letting the murmurs of conversation fade into the background as I drifted off again.

The clown was dead, I was safely cuddled between my two Caregivers holding Magenta close and surrounded by family friends.

At some point during the night it became pretty late so the adults decided to call it a night for the Littles.

Hannibal picked me up and held me in his arms. My head laid on his shoulder with my face turned toward his neck. I was too sleepy and too cozy in his arms to wake up and say goodbye to everyone. I just feel into a light sleep, hearing the whispered goodbyes and light kisses to my cheeks as Hannibal and Will left the party.

Then I felt the cold outside air hit my face. I whined and pushed myself closer in Hannibal’s arms. I could hear him chuckle.

“Don’t worry my little Blue, we will be back in our warm house soon enough.” Hannibal whispered before placing a kiss to the crown of my head.

Then after a moment in the cold I heard the car door open and felt myself get buckled up. Once the door closed I started to open my eyes and watch as Hannibal and Will got into the car themselves.

I smiled seeing my two Caregiver in their striped costume shirts still. I pulled my pacifier out for a moment, “Thank you for dressing up with me for Halloween.”

Hannibal and Will both turned around and smiled.

“Just as Steve and Josh would be lost without Blue, we would be lost without you.” Hannibal smiled.

“Happy Halloween to our little Blue.” Will winked.

I smiled back at the two of them, then popped my pacifier back in and rested my head against the car door window as we pulled away from Uncle Fredrick’s house. This could possibly be one of the craziest, scariest but also best Halloweens I’ve ever had.

Oh and those coins? I was going to hold that over Freddie’s head till the end of time.

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[lastweeksshirttonight]

All righty, I managed to get back home despite the hurricane, let's talk about the show.

Tl;dr - I traveled cross-country to see John Oliver and Seth Meyers. It was amazing and I am still giddy about it!! Gonna put all the details under a cut to not clog up your timeline/the tags.

(All jokes will be paraphrased/guestimated bc my adrenaline and ADHD played havoc with my memory recall, lol.)

Firstly, the Beacon Theatre is absolutely stunning. It reminds me a bit of the Theatre at Ace Hotel in LA, in that it's clearly had its old elements lovingly preserved and harkens back to an older time. It was truly a gorgeous venue.

I missed getting a pic of the other side of the stage, which had a massive sculpture of shields and spears. John made a joke about the opulence of the room not matching the entertainment for the evening, and noted that "even Coco Chanel would say to keep it to one shield". Really wish I'd thought to get a picture of it, he was not wrong.

I was extremely close to the stage - 3 rows back and dead center. I definitely had the anxious excited adrenaline jitters because of it.

I mean COME ON.

The opener was Brooks Wheelan, who I remembered from his brief stint at SNL. He talked a fair deal about that, and told a great story bit about getting fired from there and opening for John shortly after, wherein he drank an entire bottle of "HBO blood diamond whiskey" from John's dressing room and had, in Seth's later words, "a nervous breakdown". I'd heard Brooks has opened for John before and was glad I got to see him, he's a lot of fun.

He also told a joke about not wanting to learn karate because of the huge glass windows in front of every karate studio and not wanting anyone to watch him learn karate. Lots of very understanding laughter there, including from me. (Why do all these places have massive plate glass windows?!)

After Brooks was John Oliver, and y'all. Let me get this out of the way.

He is fine as hell. Look. Just LOOK. HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO DEAL WITH THIS

I would also like to take the time to gush effusively about John's mastery of set structure. The set was, aside from the typical "before we get started, I need to let you know I'm British" pseudo-opener he's used since like 2005, entirely new material -

(As an aside... !!!!!! I KNOW!!!! A FULL FUCKING HOUR OF ENTIRELY NEW MATERIAL!! THAT I WAS NEAR THE FRONT FOR!!!! I'M SO VERKLEMPT STILL YOU HAVE NO IDEA)

- and it was just beautifully written from a structural standpoint. It was pretty much all political material all centered around history and the need to understand it for context on the world as it currently stands. There were some digressions from that point but they were seamlessly woven in. He is such a goodamn incredible stand-up comedian.

A few things he talked about in his set:

That time the US dropped nukes on itself twice (which was briefly mentioned on LWT but not in this detail and not including a reenactment of a man dropping a bomb while working on a plane and him reacting to watching it roll away).

That the current British royal line of succession exists because of a "cousin-fucker who cut someone into pieces like a Benihana chef". (John told us this is something he learned researching this bit, which caused me unending joy. I love that he's making new sets!! :D)

John delights in the misery of billionaires and wished that the rocket Jeff Bezos was on would blow up. He doesn't want him to die, though. Through this he also talked about Elon Musk and his favorite fake blue check company tweets, mainly a series made by a fake Chiquita account claiming to have overthrown Brazil, followed by Chiquita saying they hadn't actually overthrown any governments since 1954.

John got booed at a Sesame Street benefit and told a killer set of jokes about Bert judging him for it. ("The man lives with Ernie! He knows chaos!")

He claims we will all know things are okay with the US again when we are all irrationally mad at Anne Hathaway for no reason again. Told an incredible story about how he just blundered into the street in LA once, almost got hit by a car, looked up, realized it was Anne Hathaway in the car, saw her wave at him, and, despite the scenario being objectively his fault, being somehow mad at her.

Shaded Dave Chappelle in an analogy about how we are not at Civil War division times because "somehow our level of division is people debating whether Chapelle's SNL monologue was okay or not", in a way that suggested it was very much not okay. 10/10 no notes.

Okay so there was one recycled bit - him being informed the Queen wanted to give him an OBE. He added to it fantastically though, by personifying the man from the embassy as the most offensively British stereotype you could possibly imagine. He said the man sounded like "if a British person rubbed a teapot and a genie came out".

There was definitely more but I could gush forever so let's move on.

Brooks came back out to introduce Seth and forgot the name of his show, lol. For a brief moment we all contemplated what Last Week Tonight with Seth Meyers would look like. (I assume the show's Adam Driver would be Stefon.)

Anyways, here is the only good photo I took of Seth.

Seth was great as well - not as good as John, but I'm very biased in that regard. The material was also pretty diametrically opposed to John's, much more domestic comedy about his wife and kids and their idiosyncracies.

I really liked Seth's energy and approach. I don't quite know how to explain this, but he had a touch of Dennis Reynolds energy to him, a restrained manicness, that was really interesting to watch. That's not my normal association with Seth's energy, either, but it was very fun. Definitely puts some of the more deranged things from his tenure as Weekend Update host in context.

Some highlights from Seth's set:

He had an amazing brick joke about doing accents as a comedian, where he imitated a Swedish accent and talked about how everyone's Swedish accent is basically the Swedish Chef from the Muppets and how the only Swedish food anyone has nearby is the meatballs at IKEA. Funny on its own, but later in the show, Seth talked about how people assume he's fully Jewish, including people on the street. He noted that he's 25% Swedish but no one comes up to him on the street and goes -insert Swedish Chef impression-. (This straight up killed the guy sitting next to me, who ended up laughing with his head in his hands for a solid 30 seconds.)

His kids eat very healthily, so when they end up going to friends' houses and eat one Skittle, they turn into demons. Literal demons. Seth's impression of an actual demon trying to undo a double-buckled car seat was the hardest I laughed at his whole set.

Seth also had a section which he claimed would be the part where he'd tell anti-trans jokes "if he was a complete asshole". I enjoyed the trans affirmation the whole evening, ngl.

Seth's family and his wife's family have very different ways of conversing at the dinner table, which directly mirrors my and my partner's family - Seth's family (like Mr. Lee's) is big on listening to everyone and contributing to conversations only when someone else has talked; Alexi's family (like mine) is constantly screaming over each other.

After Seth's set, everyone (including Brooks) came out to do a Q&A. I could not think of a song in the moment, but realized at the hotel room an hour after that I should have made @chiijohn 's evening by asking John's opinion on Planet of the Bass. :facepalm: Sorry mate!

Still, some great questions were asked, and it was about 30 minutes of just audience interaction. I've never experienced anything like it at a stand-up gig and genuinely loved it. John, of course, told people they were free to leave before the Q&A because why would they want to stay; the man is incapable of thinking anything good about himself and much as I hate his bad self-esteem, I would have been concerned if he hadn't said something to that effect.

Brooks was asked almost immediately if he remembered the name of Seth's show, which was honestly hilarious. Brooks said "I conferred with John backstage and we're both pretty sure that it's Late Night with Seth Meyers".

Someone asked how fearful Seth and John were of their shows being cancelled after one year, and Brooks snarked that he knew that feeling. (Brooks seems to have a good sense of humour about not being a huge presence on SNL.) Seth said that he wasn't super worried but that they redid his entire set (background set, not stand-up set) because Alec Baldwin said it looked like "a sushi restaurant in Burbank". (theoniontheworstpersonyouknow.jpg) John said he was told most HBO shows don't get cancelled at one season and he said "we'll see about that".

There was definitely some extended riffing on Alec Baldwin being a piece of shit afterwards, while John giggled helplessly. I love John's giggling.

Seth and John's favorite Muppet is Cookie Monster. They talked about how interesting it is that you can have amazing chemistry with Muppets, and then meet the puppeteer and have literally nothing to talk about. Seth also talked about how low-tech Big Bird was, and how the late Carroll Spinney, when on SNL, held a script in one hand, the controls of Big Bird in the other, and a flashlight in his mouth to read the script.

Everyone is upset they didn't get to cover the indictments because of the Writer's Strike. John thought there were only 3, but I honestly don't know if one of them came down before the Writer's Strike and he was just referring to the ones since then. It's been a long few months for us all.

Brooks basically forces John and Seth to get out of their hotel rooms when touring. Otherwise, Seth said, "they both just sit there anxious". That tracks, especially for John, who literally said on Seth's podcast that he is physically incapable of relaxing.

When asked about their influences, John said (rather obviously) that he wouldn't have a career without Jon Stewart, and Brooks talked about how both Seth and John really uplifted him and cared for him after he got fired from SNL. Seth talked in a really lovely way about how Amy Poehler basically adopted him and got him out of his shell and was a real friend to him early on.

I really wish I'd written down every stand-up that the three of them recommended when prompted, because I've completely blanked on half of them. Seth said Joe Pera (who I also highly recommend); John recommended Maria Bamford (again, also highly recommend). He also said that most people in the room would have probably not heard of him but that the best in the UK was Daniel Kitson (paging @tellthemeerkatsitsfine to provide her recs bc she knows Kitson backwards and fronts). Brooks gave a shout to Kyle Kinane (who I am not as familiar with as I should be).

There was so much more, but honestly, I was just so in the moment that I feel like I remember things in waves. It was an amazing evening and I was honestly so blessed to be there at all.

I did not wait at the stage door or anything, because I am truly not that kind of person and have consistently been sure that if I ever met John, I'd barf on his shoes. I know on Instagram some people had gotten stage door photos, though, and I'm happy for them!

Thank you all for always being supportive of this dumb blog. I don't think I would have had the confidence to go on this cross-country journey without you all randomly egging me on all the time. It was one of the best nights of my life. 💖💖

#john oliver #seth meyers #brooks wheelan #last week tonight #last week tonight with john oliver #late night with seth meyers #stand up #lee's stream of consciousness

[ohgoditshu3]

Well since I’m still in a tiny bit of a funk have more gay gothamites hip hip hooray! Why? Cause it’s my AU and coping mechanism and I GET TO DECIDE HOW GAY THEY ARE!

First up on the list is Riddler and Two-Face, idk this one doesn’t make as much sense I just kinda imagine it’d be like a Bert and Ernie situation except yknow with pyshchos. Riddler in this one is just a mix between the Jim Carrey and Paul Dano one, cause those are my favorites. And for Two-Face I didn’t have a specific idea in mind for him besides having a cool suit like the 1995 version. I just thought their dynamic was fun in that movie so why not bring it back. Since Riddler is also incredibly pathetic tbh so it’d be fun to watch him try to win over Harv and succeeding after 12 times.

Next is Scarecrow and the Mad Hatter who are kinda crazy, a little wacky one might say. Well Hatter is at least. They’re both AFAB but Scarecrow is a trans man and Hatter is gender-fluid. Hatter is wacky and whimsical, just a weird creature, I kinda based them a bit off of the Gotham series one. As for Scarecrow I wanted him to have more of the vibes as a stalker slender man-ish creature. While Hatter is kinda wild and always always talking Scarecrow is very quiet, and is only ever heard whistling or whispering a sentence maximum to others. He only really converses with Hatter but he likes to listen more than speak.

#doodlysketch #art blog #blog post #digital sketch #batman rouges gallery #batman #dc fanart #the riddler #two face #scarecrow #mad hatter

[myshredda]

Re: ages of the trio (specifically yellow) I really don't think they have set ages! I think it's sort of a sesame street/muppets/under the umbrella tree situation. Like the puppets in sesame street have "ages" (Big Bird is 6, while Bert and Ernie are adults who live in an apartment) but they're meant to be stand-ins for the children watching, so they're all very childish no matter what "age" they are

So, with DHMIS being a parody of educational children's puppet shows, the characters are kind of in limbo when it comes to having set ages or being wholly "adult" even though they live together as roommates with no family (something usually reserved for adults) they can still be sort of child-coded or lack the complex problems that real adults would have

Red and Duck come across more "adult" to me (Red had a job, drank booze, and can drive the car! and duck was potentially in the military! and won that tournament! Maybe!) but they definitely have childish impulses and lack self control in a way that would make sense for an "adult" puppet that is supposed to have issues that would be relatable to a child

While Yellow I can see as both child-coded and adult-coded at different times tbh. I mean he certainly has a childish relationship with his dad in both the youtube series and the channel 4 series (the whole "Dad! I knew you'd come!" bit strikes me as something a little kid would say about their absent father) and he's the one that talks to the "audience" the most which is usually a learning tool for children to understand new concepts. But sometimes he's more adult-leaning and confused rather than childish, so I think it's more complex than having a set "age"

Also they're puppets trapped in a horrible violent groundhogs day simulation potentially controlled by something that lives above the lady that lives in their attic so. it doesn't really matter that much!

#idk if this makes sense and like i'm a neurodivergent adult so I can totally understand why some people would be sensitive to feeling like #certain characters are being infantilized but I don't get that from people thinking Yellow acts like a kid because sometimes he Does act #like a kid! they all do! even Red! He's very sulky #dhmis #my posts #and no I don't think yellow is 38 that was a bit from a canceled pilot that ends with him being 48 it was clearly meant as a joke not #concrete evidence of an age

[mage-ical-character-person]

why am I experiencing such a puppets moment. I see some Wally Darling and all of the sudden I’ve watched 70 Sesame Street episodes.

The first 70 ones. Why is Big Bird like that. He says “Hark!”. He falls down. He falls in love with a rubber duck.

Bert and Ernie haven’t changed much because they’re perfect from the get-go and everyone knows it. Bert isn’t allowed to call Ernie stupid so he calls him “dingaling” and “meatball” Oscar is orange and I like him. Cookie Monster doesn’t have a name yet but the first time he eat cookie on screen he immediately kissed Ernie about it. (Ernie extremely Does Not Like this.)

Actually lots of monsters doing unwanted kiss

I have also noticed that there is more use of the word “groovy” than I was expecting. I’m not sure why I wasn’t expecting that considering the time period. Don’t like Buddy and Jim. Use of the phrase “good boy”. Mr Hooper is really cool he’s definitely my favorite human.

#*chatter chatter* #Sesame street

[childrensward]

do you like Sesame Street?if so who’s your favourite?mines a tie between Julia,big bird or Ernie :0)

I love Sesame Street!!! My favourite character definitely has to be Big Bird, but I also love Abby Cadabby, Julia and Elmo as my other favourites :)

I actually didn't grow up watching the original Sesame Street very much because it wasn't on any of the cable television channels my family had in their TV package, but they did have Elmo's World, Global Grover and Bert and Ernie's Great Adventures so I got my Sesame Street fix from those spin-off shows hahaha

#mailbox

[staceymcgillicuddy]

Day 7: Exchanging Gifts

December, 1987 Hawkins, Indiana

@hellcheerxmas

“Tape, please,” Chrissy says, one finger holding down the pointed ends of yesterday’s comics page. 

Eddie obliges, and she quickly seals the paper, then flips the box around to do the other side. They’re saving this year—no gifts for each other because her car needs a new muffler, and he’s desperate to move out—but Wayne’s getting a coffee mug whether or not he wants it, and Chrissy’s a wizard at wrapping presents. Neat as a pin, all her edges tucked in, like she’s taking genuine pride in her work, despite their raw material being a newspaper. 

“Aaaand tape, please,” she requests again. “Such a good little dispenser.” 

The praise warms him to his knitted-sock-clad toes (and hey, she’s a knitter, too, but those were for his birthday), and he leans across the table to steal a kiss the moment she finishes with the gift. 

They put the present under the aluminum tree Wayne inherited from Eddie’s grandmother and retreat to the couch. It’s rare they both have a weekday off, and their options are limited—news, talk shows, or kid stuff.

“Ooh, Sesame Street!” Chrissy exclaims, and Eddie wants to act like he’s above it, but he’s not, so he puts down the clicker and hugs her close.

The episode's main thrust is about Oscar and Big Bird and Santa, but there’s a b-plot going on with Bert and Ernie. It’s a whole thing about them not having any money (relatable), so Bert trades his paper clip collection to buy a soap dish for Ernie’s rubber duck, while Ernie trades said rubber duck to get Bert a cigar box for his paper clip collection. 

“Oh, cute. It’s the Gift of the Magi,” Chrissy says. 

“The what?” 

“You remember. We had to read it in English?” 

Eddie pokes her in the side, which is all the answer she ought to need. “Remind me?”

“It’s like… I think the woman sells her hair to buy the man a watch chain, and the man sells his watch to buy her combs for her hair.” 

“That’s bleak.” 

“It really is.” She turns her attention to the television, where Mr. Hooper has figured out the Bert and Ernie dilemma and gives them back what the other had traded. “What would ours be?” 

“Hmm?”

“Like, our gifts of the Magi, if we did that for each other.”

Eddie drums his fingers against her hip and thinks about it. “Maybe… I sell all my weed to buy you a muffler, and you sell your car to buy me a bong?” 

“... in what universe is a bong worth as much as my car?” 

“You figure it out, then, if you’re so smart.” 

“Watch me.” She threads her fingers through his, squeezing tight. “How about… I sell my car to buy you studio time, and you sell your guitar to buy me a muffler. That works way better.” 

It does, actually, which Eddie admits with a grudging “I guess” and a kiss to her temple. 

#hellcheer #eddie x chrissy #chrissy x eddie #edissy #chrissy cunningham #eddie munson #fanfic #hellcheerxmas #hellcheercountdown

[princesssarisa]

I was just thinking back to the comment I've sometimes read that "only child writers never write believable sibling relationships."

So I'd like to ask anyone who has siblings and has read Beverly Cleary's classic Ramona Quimby books:

Is Beezus and Ramona's relationship believable? Because Beverly Cleary was an only child.

I grew up with the Ramona books and I always thought the two girls' complex relationship, which starts out as "Ramona is Beezus's biggest problem" but gradually improves as they both mature over the course of the series, felt convincing.

Of course Beverly Cleary had two sons, and she might have drawn inspiration from watching them interact. She also gave Beezus and Ramona strikingly different personalities, which would probably still clash and mesh in much the same way even if they were friends instead of sisters. They're a classic prim-and-proper/free-spirit, ISTJ/ENFP duo: like little girl versions of Bert and Ernie, who predate Bert and Ernie by 19 years.

I'm just wondering out of curiosity: are they convincing, or in some ways do they feel like the creation of an only child author?

#ramona quimby #beverly cleary #ramona and beezus #siblings #writing siblings #fictional characters #question

[starrierknight]

honestly i have literally 0 memories of semese street so. i probably watched it but i don't rememeber a thing so it's not much different. i can name like 5 characters and only because they're popular online

I can't remember if Bert and Ernie are sesame street characters, but @aikugo and I have a running joke that we are them LOL

#she's my wife and i love her #she's the morticia to my gomez #꒰ =͟͟͞♡ ꒱ — love letters #꒰ ♡⃕ ꒱ — doc

[hayffiebird]

Tag Game

Tag 9 people you want to get to know better. I was tagged by @mega-aulover Thanks girl!

Three ships:

Hayffie. Surprised? 😂 I’ve been a diehard fan of Haymitch Abernathy and Effie Trinket (”The Hunger Games”) since december 2012.

I was writing a sci-fi/dystopian novel at the time and was deep-diving through the genre when I happened to see the trailer in a movie theater. And here’s what’s spooky: I face claimed Jennifer Lawrence for my heroine and taped a picture of her in my notebook BEFORE Jen was cast as Katniss. 😱

Before Hayffie there was Huddy - Gregory House and Lisa Cuddy from ”House MD”. I first discovered FFnet because of them, years before I knew there was something called Tumblr.

And before that, way back when I was a teenager, it was Fox Mulder and Dana Scully from “The X Files”. My very first real obsession! Have like 20 TV recorded VHS tapes to prove it.

First ever ship:

It’s a tie between Nellie Oleson and Percival Dalton from “Little House on the Prairie” and C.C. Babcock and Niles the Butler from “The Nanny”. And you know a funny thing about that fandom: It’s pretty much universally agreed upon that Niles’s last name is Brightmore. It’s even more “canon” than the fan name Finn for Finnick and Annie’s son.

I don’t know why my ships are always so straight. First thinking about it I came up with no gay couples I’ve shipped other than Bert and Ernie from “Sesame Street” but then I remembered what a fangirl I was over Kurt Hummel and Blaine Anderson and Brittany S. Pierce and Santana Lopez from “Glee” and of course Dani Clayton and Jamie from “The Haunting of Bly Manor”!

And as for C.C. a.k.a. Lauren Lane, if she asked me to marry her I would say yes in a heartbeat even if it meant breaking up her and Niles. 😂 She’s a fierce sweetheart and hands down the most beautiful woman on the planet! Sorry Effie.

Last song: “Fever” with Peggy Lee. Rediscovered the song through the magnificent chess TV series “The Queen’s Gambit”.

Last movie: “Super Mario Bros” from 2023. Me and my younger sis was obsessed with the Mario and Donkey Kong games growing up! I always played Luigi by the way.

Currently reading: Just finished “Gwendy’s Button Box” by Stephen King and Richard Chizmar. The audiobook.

Currently watching: Manifest” on Netflix. It’s about time travel. I think. Too early to tell.

Currently consuming: An ice cream Sandwich.

Currently craving: I’m in a fried chicken period at the moment after discovering there’s a KFC ten minutes from my apartment. And that’s after living in Stockholm for over ten years!!

I’ll tag some near and dear Tumblr friends I admire and appreciate and some I admire and appreciate but am too shy to talk to. 😂

@ears-awake-eyes-opened @100years-to-live @freebooter4ever @jroseley @thgfandomsz @caesarflickermans @oakfarmer @mrs-hawthornes-toreadlist @pleasantpandemonium @lemonluvgirl

#tag game #mega-aulover #random personal stuff #thanks for tagging me!

[melanccholia]

The Rumor Comes Out: Does Bert and Ernie is Gay?

    Growing up on public television in the early aughts, I, like many children before me and many who came after, delighted in watching the brightly colored and educational exploits of Jim Henson’s puppets on the PBS show Sesame Street. Among them, the famous figures of Bert and Ernie, two “male” puppets who lived in the same house, slept in the same room, and were almost never for a moment apart from one another. Even now, close relationships between men- both platonic and romantic- are heavily stigmatized in American culture, and, despite being inspired by the real life camaraderie between Jim Henson and Frank Oz, the two remain a rare example of gentle affection between two men in media. The first recorded instance of Bert and Ernie being interpreted as being in a homosexual relationship was in 1981, when Kurt Anderson described them as “[conducting] themselves in the same loving, discreet way that millions of gay men, women and hand puppets do. They do their jobs well and live a splendidly settled life together in an impeccably decorated cabinet” in his book The Real Thing. Though he later admitted to making the claim as a joke, the plush couple went on to become gay icons to thousands of queer people who grew up watching them on the screen, maintaining a time honored gay tradition of seeking a reflection where none may be. 

The idea took such firm hold, in fact, that the New Yorker published an issue on the Supreme Court’s gay marriage ruling with a cover depicting Bert and Ernie curled up in domestic peace on their couch. It caused an immediate statement from Sesame Workshop itself, claiming that they are not gay, never have been and never would be- and it was not the first time they had made such a statement. Later, after writer Mark Saltzman admitted that during his time on the show he had always modeled them after the relationship between his late husband and himself, Frank Oz took to Twitter to finally put the claims to rest in September 2018: They are, most decidedly, not. They’re just puppets. And anyway, why do people care so much? “Does it really matter? Why the need to define people as only gay? There's much more to a human being than just straightness or gayness.”

Why does it matter? If we are all just people, the same as everyone else, why should we need to be pointed out? If we are all equal, why must we be defined as different? In Genre-Queer, Kazim Ali observes that “certain kinds of writing (bodies) are valued more, are promoted and supported and legitimized and that the kinds of writing that are undervalued or marginalized are precisely those which undermine (in both their form and content) traditional power structures and traditional ways of thinking.” This legitimization sends a clear message- even in a children’s show preaching acceptance and equality, undermine the existing structures enough and be prepared to find yourself labeled and discarded as other. In this light, writers would historically couch homosexual and homosical themes in heterosexual language, forming both the safety net of plausible deniability and a queer media culture that to this day remains incredibly sensitive to homosexual subtext… For many, it is this subtext, both real or imagined, that allowed queer individuals to see themselves reflected in their favorite characters. They can pretend, for even just a moment, that when they look up at a beautiful portrait of the world, someone like them can be staring back. 

And yet, some argue, without that intentional subtext, it shouldn’t matter because it is the author who has the final say, anyways. Elena Ferrante once wrote, on her own immateriality as an author, that “I know that my books can only be female… But I also know that female (or male) absoluteness is inconceivable. We are tornadoes that pick up fragments with the most varied historical and biographical origins.” During his online diatribe, Oz doubled down on his position, saying that “I created Bert. I know who and what he is.” I wonder, though, how much a creator truly knows his creation, and how much of life’s detritus can be discovered, blended into the character purely by accident? I can sympathize with the plight of keeping the little creature you have made close to your chest, but once on paper, once on screen, it has no choice but to take on its own life- especially so, for a character designed to be handed off from writer to writer. As well, the character already can only exist in the space between author and reader, and the reader’s role in the birth of the character can’t be discounted. The reader isn’t stupid, after all (no matter how many would try to deny otherwise), and when the fragments picked up by the author’s tornado settles, it is the reader who’s job it is to pick them up and examine the pieces the author themself is blind to. 

 Bert and Ernie, as all facts point to, are puppets, are men, are fictional when held in the hand and real to whom they matter, and most importantly, they have a wonderful relationship. To see them as straight is fine- Sesame Workshop would rather you did. To read them as gay is also fine. Human connection is a universal theme, and whatever form it takes, all that matters is that it touches the hearts that need to be touched. As Oz concludes, “If Jim and I had created B & E as gay characters they would be inauthentic coming from two straight men. However, I have now learned that many view them as representative of a loving gay relationship. And that’s pretty wonderful. Thanks for helping me understand.”

#hey yeah so i get extra credit if I post this assignment online so yall better interact with this and help me get a good grade #sesame street #frank oz #bert and ernie #this is NOT the title i submitted it with by the way lmao

[myassbrokethefall]

If I have a happy place or a quiet place or a place that feels fundamentally to me from my earliest memories like home, it's Sesame Street, and if it's Sesame Street it's Christmas Eve on Sesame Street, and if it's Christmas Eve on Sesame Street it's this song, and there's so many little things I love in this song (Olivia and Susan harmonizing together about twinkling lights, Ernie and Bert with their winter hats and hockey sticks, Cookie Monster buying a subway token, Maria and David lifting Oscar over the turnstile, the notion that the greatest wonder of Christmas is that it fills your heart with so much love), but most of all to me it's Bob in this song, his beautiful voice and his steady smiling eyes and his unironic warmth, and his pullover sweaters and his 70s collars and his face that it feels like I was born knowing, trusting, and feeling safe with. Not even my beloved Mr. Rogers feels as primal and imprinted in my early sense of myself as my Sesame Street parents: Gordon, Susan, and Bob.

My family watches Christmas Eve on Sesame Street every year, when we were growing up and now with my nieces. It will be a little sadder to watch it this year. Rest in peace, Bob.

#and if that isn't a true-blue miracle #i don't know what one is #sesame street

[brokenpiecesshine]

Lzzy Hale on Instagram, 01/04/2023.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BROTHER @arejayhale !!!!! My earliest memory is you. You coming home from the hospital, writing my first little lullaby to you, coming up with childhood mischief with you… starting to jam with you etc… And if it wasn’t for your talent, unapologetic nature, and quest for joy… I would NOT be the woman I am today. You are a neon light of hope in this crazy world. And I have learned so much and had at least 6 lifetimes of fun with you since we were kids. And I know I still call you little bro ad nauseam… but in truth you’ve taught me more, and inspired me more than most of the gazillion people I’ve met on this journey. As I watch this crazy storm come into Nashville tonight, it’s pretty fitting…. They are predicting some big ass Hail.. but we all know the big ass Hale that started HALESTORM…and that’s you bro. (not saying you have a big ass) You are the Jerry Lewis to my Dean Martin, the Batman to my Robin, the Lucy to my Desi… the Bert to my Ernie!! Happy birthday my dear brother. Most of the Photos by @thejoestorm

#2023 #concert #live #halestorm #lzzy hale #Joe Hottinger #arejay hale