#its always weird to remember old internet friends

[sidewalkdandelion]

To the girl who was the online Veronica to my JD (when my username was Fuck-Off-Im-Deadpool). I miss you and if you see this somehow I hope you are doing okay.

#onlinefriends #its always weird to remember old internet friends #about me

[trulybetty]

Sunday Week In Review XVI & 2023 Wrapped

I feel like 2023 just started five minutes ago, am I the only one who feels like this year as passed by quickly but at the same time dragged its heels?

I've seen so many lovely end of year close out posts and years in review. I toyed with how I wanted to close out the year and what I could say that could sum it up sufficiently.

Betty rambles under the cut with this weeks reads if you're interested...

2023 has been a weird year if I'm entirely honest and somewhat isolating. I returned from mat leave, back to working from home, and having to scramble to make adjustments when things fell through. Which resulted in Mr. Truly and I working opposite shifts to ensure the S.S. Truly stayed afloat.

But during the last six months somehow I made it back to Tumblr, to an old account from way back when - pre-dating when the Canucks made it to game seven kinda old - I blew off the dust, cleaned house and made myself a little space. I still don't know 100% how it all happened, though I think it started with the Reddit forum.

You don't need to know the whole spiel about Pedro, because while we're here because of him, it's the community that holds us here. After floating and not really knowing what I was doing, I started to make connections within this community and finding a seat at the table (we'll come back to that) and I found joy again. I'd kinda lost myself in the fog that is half a dozen other titles/roles others looked to me as that had replaced just Betty.

I started writing, hadn't done that in years. I rekindled by love for graphic design, what I went to school for. I was reading books again, as well as so many great fanfics here. I even bought poetry books, something I hadn't done since I don't know when.

I've been really fortunate in my experience that I've encountered so many wonderful people. I may not get to be as social as I'd like to be, and I still have a fear of dropping into DM's & Asks unannounced. I have the shittest memory, if I don't keep a tab open or reply straight away it's sometimes days or weeks before I remember again. But I really hope that I've returned in kind what others have given me because I'd hate for anyone to feel like they don't belong here, because you do.

This community is a table (told you I'd come back) and it's size is immeasurable. It has no bounds and there's always room for whatever kind of chair you pull up and if you don't have one? We'll find one. Need to leave for a while? We'll save your seat. This my friends is a community, and if you're met with those who tell you the table is full, I'm telling you now, they're not a part of it.

Are there going to be those with more notes? Yes. Are there going to be people you're going to compare your writing to? Yes. Are you going to maybe want to pack it all in and delete your masterlist now and then? Yes.

But none of that takes away anything that makes you, you and what you bring to the table.

Life is hard enough without the added pressure of thinking you need to score imaginary internet points with stats and metrics that carry no value. I wish I knew the magic formula, because I'm still trying to figure it out myself, but let's try and be kinder to ourselves eh?

But I'm really going into 2024 with the goal of curating my own joy - whether it be indulging in the fanfics I want to write and read, more obnoxious coffees, a new fountain pen, giving myself permission to buy the fancy notebook, get back to baking or binging both seasons of Julia and pretending I can make one of her recipes.

So to sum it up, before this goes into a further incoherent ramble, this year has been about reaching out, starting connections and building something meaningful. I've met some amazing people that I am lucky to call friends and without their kindness and extending a seat at the table I'm not sure I'd still be around these parts.

Here's to more of that in 2024 - while I'm not always the best at replying to messages, my DM's and Ask's are always open, feel free to drop in at any time 💕

Pedro Tax™️ for your time...

T R U L Y  U P D A T E S . . .

December x 500 is complete-ish? Thanks to being sick towards the end of the month there's three entries missing, but I'm hoping to sneak them in during the new year! I'm looking forward to a quieter writing schedule that's for sure!

W H A T  I  R E A D . . . Didn't read as much as I wanted to this week - but I'm off this next week, so hoping to do a little more and get through some of my TBR list!

All I Want for Christmas (Frankie) by @morallyinept This was a delightful festive meet-cute that had me on the edge of my seat and also explores the character of Frankie and the ramifications of his actions on his friendships and his ex. 

All I Want (Will Miller) by @laurfilijames This was a bittersweet one-shot that touched on the idea that the festive season isn’t always for everyone and that you never know what’s going on with someone. 

I Put My Book Down to Be Here (Dieter) by @frenchiereading My first New Year’s Eve fic I’ve read this season and it’s so sweet and has a soft Dieter (my fave), who is still his chaotic self! I loved this from start to finish and such a great meet-cute!

Had Me Fooled (Dave) by @wildemaven Heidi has done such an amazing job with this mini series that can be read as a standalone or as a series. I love a soft Dave and Heidi does it so well. This last one had my toes curling in all their romantic glory and I will be revisiting this series again I'm sure!

Reunions (The Thief) by @ladamedusoif I'm behind on Rose's December prompts, but this was the steamy follow up to My Kiss, Only For You (go read that first, no seriously, go read it) and it was so delectable and my greedy self hopes we see these two again in the future.

Cookies (Tim) by @ladamedusoif Speaking of delicious things, this was as indulgent and sweet as the cookies made in this fic. Tim was one of the characters I didn't see becoming such a favourite this year - but I love seeing everyone's interpretation of him. This one here? In my top ranked versions 🫠

So here's to 2024!

Thank you for every interaction, reblog, or tag - every single one is held clutched to my heart in appreciation every time!

Stay safe, and whatever you're doing or wherever you are sending you much love!

#betty's sunday in review #sunday week in review #pedro pascal character fanfiction #pedro pascal characters

[cyle]

I see where you're coming from, and I see why Tumblr feels a need to expand, to chase that unsustainable infinite growth. My friends who don't use tumblr don't use it because they don't have an existing community there, and I'm not enough to sway them over. It's a blogging platform at it's heart. I don't think trying to ape current trends in design is going to help. All it is going to do, has done so far, and historically has done is alienate your existing userbase, and fail to draw in new people. In fact, I'd argue that you're making your biggest competitor here. Cohost, is becoming a viable competitor of the back of Tumblr constantly implementing features that make the website more difficult to use and that frustrate and alienate it's userbase. Historically speaking, let's look at other social media that tried to pivot in this way? Myspace was Myspace, and then they tried to pivot to chase the trends of the industry, and it bombed. DeviantArt has been going through this for a while. in 2017 the site refresh launched to make it more similar to other websites, and it was frustrating for old users, removed features people liked, and didn't supplant that with anything new worth sticking around for, so it bombed. And it virtually killed the site with it, it's a shell of its former self. Do you remember twitter stories? Google Stadia, Hangouts, Duo, Bulletin, etc? New Coke?

yeah i'm extremely aware of all of these things, i've been using and studying this internet thing since MSN and AOL chatrooms were the only "social" features of the web. some people i work with have been at this since Usenet was the "social" part of the web. the rise and fall of different platforms are lessons we're always referencing and learning from and trying not to repeat, and learn the best from.

that's why i keep saying that there's a balance at play here between what makes tumblr unique and wonderful and different, which are values of the product, versus what the actual mechanics of the product are. some of the examples you're citing were "bombs" because they didn't have any core value to begin with, just a useful mechanic. or the core value wasn't understood, so it was easy to lose. some of them are cases where they changed the wrong mechanic and it broke the value, and there's no recovery from that.

the balance is successful when the mechanics are working to get new people to realize those core values quickly enough to offset those who don't realize them, or don't resonate with them. because the core values of tumblr aren't for everybody, we wouldn't be different otherwise. like you say: there's no community for them, but why is that? is there a mechanical reason why not? a perceived reason?

this is really difficult stuff, and we're trying as best we can to get it balanced. it's requiring us to try and experiment with some changes that feel really weird to me, as a long-time tumblr user. i hope the benefits of this become more obvious over time. i'm also hoping that some of the very obvious quality of life issues we're trying to address offset the fear that we're just "copying" other sites while ignoring everything else. there's a lot more to come.

[monggay]

holy fucking shit you guys. um. i came across. a treasure trove. of um, my past self. came across an old group chat w some friends back when i was like, 12-13, and. holy shit.

good news: apparently i did use to be somewhat talkative and not quite as anxious to talk and interact ! i used to be able to carry conversations! not well or inawkwardly but very much plenty! i used to be able to talk and joke around without taking a million psychic damage just trying to send a message and even just saying whats on my mind carefree without being anxious that itll be weird or that they didnt want me to say that or that i didnt have to scramble for words or be unable to come up with quips or anything to reply other than just 'lol' or 'lmao'!! i feel like these days i only know how to talk and word things in a given or meme way aka all my vocabulary is just. tumblr memes.

bad news: holy fucking shit i was so cringe. like. on another level. on levels unimaginable. i was straight up just. weird. you know, horny preteen discovering sex jokes and crude language and sex humor for the first time? straight up had no filter, loved to ramble, except also had zero social sense still and rambled to a weird and overly and uncomfortable degree where it was just awkward and often said things that just. made the conversation weird? i embraced that weirdness and like, good on me i guess, but i think i just usually ended up saying things? blurting anything on my mind, that well. technically arent bad? or seriously fucked up or anything but just like. will probably haunt me for the rest of my life if i look at it now.

also like. i dont remember any of it ??????? i vaguely remember a Few conversations, but a lot of it? just straight up. unfamiliar to me who the fuck is that i dont remember saying any of that shit that past me is so fundamentally different and alien to me i literally dont recognize or remember anything i did then anymore

apparently i was just a giant nerd who read way too much smut and was just a little too unashamed and had very little sense of appropriateness which yeah i get given my age then its that. age of you know. just got exposed to people being vulgar, recently transitioned to high school from elementary, which is probably like. a way more. fucked up thing that people realize sometimes. cause in elementary i always thought i was still like you know. a little kid. but going into high school (which is younger than in US hs, at 12 y/o) youre suddenly treated or like, expected? to be older? more knowleadgeable? you know that thing about how kids these days are all trying to be adults now and how theres really no more media like the disney teenage live shows that separate little girl to grown lady? i think that jut like, hit me a lot in 7-8th grade + the introduction of nsfw shit and fandom and the internet (cause like. i did not have internet in elementary school, At All. and then suddenly in high school i was supposed to have a messenger account for school, i had a phone, i could use the laptop, i think i had a weird relationship w the internet then, cause at that point all my friends were already exploring facebook and posting etc, but i was so anxious and shy about that already that i just never started (which like, continues to today, i still dont use fb at all, cuase it feels so weird and awkward to start now when i was so adamant against not using it in the past) aaaand ive lost my train of thought and the point of this sentence

#might be a little #vent #y #so

[lowkeyrobin]

HEEEEEY, YOUR WRITING IS AMAZING! I would like to order something with Morgan, anything cute please!

aweeee thank you!!! I'm so glad you enjoy my stuff 🫶 ; I did a weird songfic of a song I like so iykyk ; thank you for requesting! hope you enjoy :) ; also sorry this is super short I just had no idea what to write lmao

MORGAN DAVIES ; happy hurts

summary ; he wonders where you are now, and is proud of you

warnings ; language, broken up relationship/reminiscing an old relationship (its happy I SWEAR)

tracks ; matching tattoos ; josh ross / happy hurts ; warren zeiders

word count ; 574

y/f/i = your first initial

masterlist

They say nothing lasts forever, but you both knew that wasn't true. Tattoos last forever, and the same with saying something will, even though it won't.

You don't know why you got matching tattoos with Morgan at eighteen, but you didn't really regret it now years later at twenty-two.

"Hey, Morg, why don't we do something crazy?"

"Like?"

"Get matching tattoos?"

Sometimes, he wondered how you were now and if anyone asked about that tattoo. Did you say it meant nothing, or did you tell the truth?

You had an M on your index finger, he had a y/f/i on his.

Looking down at it now as he lounges on his couch, he feels like he's right there with you, watching your favorite movie again. Like nothing ever changed.

He reminisced the long drives as the sun began to set, exploring the back roads around the woods, out where you barely had any internet. He smiled, thinking about seeing you in the passenger seat with a banana split from the local ice cream shop. You, without fail, always managed to get chocolate syrup stuck on your lip, and he'd kiss it away, ridding your lips of the sweetness.

He missed your slight road rage, mostly just being pissed that people didn't know how to drive, and how you'd passenger-seat-drive even though he'd always act annoyed. He missed being dragged into your favorite restaurant once a month to get your favorite food. He missed how you were basically friends with all the waiters and hosts there and how they'd come to sit down with you guys on their breaks. You couldn't spend any less than two hours there.

He missed celebrating your 20th birthday, and your 21st, and celebrating your friends and your family's birthdays. He missed listening to music with you and taking long drives to see something new. He missed telling you stories from his childhood and things about his hometown that he just randomly knew.

He missed telling you everything.

He was glad to see you happy though, having been moved on, having your dream job, smiling and going on adventures with someone new. He told you that when you ran into him a few months ago.

He was so happy for you, having seen you happy and moved on with your life with someone better for you. Sometimes, happy hurts, and he wouldn't let you know that it hurt a little bit for him.

Over time, he didn't have a feeling for it anymore. He smiled every time he saw your grin in another Instagram post, feeling all sorts of happiness for your own.

He never looked at anything of yours much, as you were just a story of the past, same for him. But, when he did, he always looked for your smile that clouded him with nostalgia.

Oftentimes, he'd fall asleep remembering the good times with you and remembering the making amends at the end of your relationship. He was happy it ended well, especially with you. He wouldn't be able to live with the pain of letting you go in an awful way.

"Hey, how're you?"

"Oh, good. Just working on some stuff around the house"

He smiles as he hears your voice over the phone.

"Hey, could you come over? I need help setting up this shelf thing. We can't figure it out." You awkwardly chuckle, a packet of screws laying in your free hand.

"Yeah, sure. I'll be right over"

#lowkeyrobin #morgan davies x reader #morgan davies x you #morgan davies oneshot #gender neutral reader #gn reader #they/them reader #gn! reader #slight angst #mostly happy reminiscing

[fatherbearfreddy]

I always wondered do you and Bonnie have matching earring to resemble your friendship as best friends?

Hey it's Monty. I can answer this one!

Those are wedding rings! They tricked the people in charge according to Windy, a little rebrand to help strengthen the nostalgic ties of a Freddy and a Bonnie.

I even did the ceremony on the Roxy raceway track when a power outage took out the cameras in there.

And...I did another one like 7 months later! They were so excited as if they hadn't already been married before.

I'm not sure how many times you're supposed to get married, but then again I have heard of vow renewal so maybe it's that. I'm not the smartest guy around, but I got a good memory.

The band, or the old band? So forgetful. Not me, I remember everything. One time, Bonnie asked me a really weird question, he asked how long we'd all been working. Its been about three-four years depending on how you count it. He was sure we'd only been around for a year or two. He kept mixing up what happened one year with what happened in another. It was a little scary since it sounded like all of them thought like that. Freddy knew we'd done two years, but he got all mixed up too.

Chica was so mixed up that she didn't even know about fazmas until I reminded her. Poor girl, everyone calls her stupid but it's not her fault. She just has a really bad memory.

Anyways,

Those two have proposed to each other at least 5 times that I heard about. It's so cute.

Me, I'm not much of a dater gator, I like family love more than the kissy date kind. I'm more of a spend the night or eat with the family type.

But watching those two fall in love again and again is pretty entertaining. It's like they'll never get tired of it.

I mean I hope Freddy knows he's married, that's not something you forget right? I can see him losing track of plenty of things, especially things we talked about. I wasn't too important.

But from what I've seen from the parents, you don't forget you're a married man. Or you shouldn't. Well, they don't talk about it anyways. I'm not allowed to tell anyone about their marriage.

But I figure you're his kids, you can know who your Papa is married too.

Bonnie would be an interesting dad. Guess I'll find out what he's like as a father when he gets back and joins Freddy with this whole internet family.

I had a present planned for the two of them, hope he's back soon.

Bonnie was forgetful too.

They all are. Now that I'm talking to em all every day it's starting to get a little scary.

I remember everything. I wish they'd ask me about it. I wish I could talk about it.

#glamdad #they're married!!! #fnaf au #glamrock dad #fnaf security breach #fnaf ask blog #fnaf sb #asks open #glamrock father #glamrock freddy #glamfather #monty might not be doing well #monty gator #fnaf monty #glamrock monty #montgomery gator #glamrock fronnie #glamrock bonnie #husbands #married fronnie

[spoopydooblr]

My King Will Be Kind Chapter 8 / Kendall Roy x OC

an: helllllllooooooo its living plus time! enjoy!!! i had so much fun with this one. i was gonna write smut but i honestly was so burnt out after writing this tbh.

tw: cursing

Stella was on a plane to Los Angeles when her manager texted her a People Magazine article about herself.  Kendall had been in Norway for the last few days, schmoozing with the creator of GoJo who was wanting to buy Waystar.  He had invited her to go, but obviously, it was just a formality.  Stella would weigh him down there and he wouldn't be able to focus on the deal they were doing.  

Good article about you and new boytoy.  The text read.

Stella wouldn't exactly describe the press as "good" but her manager always told her any romance with someone more famous was beneficial for her career. And Kendall was definitely that.

She took a deep breath before opening the link, cringing from the title alone.

Stella Allen and Kendall Roy Romance: What We Know So Far

When Delirium's it girl was seen at Connor Roy's wedding last month, the internet seemed to explode with opinions about the controversial couple. Follow People as we decode the relationship between the actress and media entrepreneur.

Sources confirm that the two met through mutual friends in August and immediately clicked. Roy, 42, was linked to Pierce heiress, Naomi Pierce, last year, but the romance seemed to have fizzled out. Roy also has two children from his marriage to ex, Rava Roy. The pair divorced in 2019 after 15 years of marriage.

Allen, 26, who hails from Westchester, has kept a relatively low profile since skyrocketing to fame last year with the success of Delirium. The actress was last linked to Damien Brosso, her costar in the indie film, Saving You, but in January, Brosso confirmed to GQ that the pair were not together anymore.

Stella breathed deeply through her nose. Damien meant well, but she really wished he wouldn't talk about her in interviews. Especially now that he was getting his own notoriety, it really wasn't necessary for him to address their relationship.

Though the couple boasts a sixteen year age gap, sources tell People that Allen and Roy are going strong. A Roy family insider even said the pair are "getting serious", with Allen attending Roy's brother's wedding last month and meeting his family.

Who was this insider? And these sources? Stella suddenly felt paranoid. Who were these people giving the press information about her? She whipped her head around, scanning the semi-private jet (that Kendall had put her on) for narcs. It really was just a bunch of rich, old professionals, so she felt a bit more safe. Maybe stupid fucking Roman was the mole.

Stella decided she had enough of the People article. They were scarily accurate about her life and it was weird. She texted her manager back to confirm that she had read it, and yes, everything was fine. 

--------------------------------------

Stella met Kendall in a convention center west of the city.  It was Investor Weekend for Waystar, and the Roys were unveiling a new product.  He had told her to meet her in the back of the theater, which she had a hard time finding, but finally was able to locate it after asking three different security guards.  He greeted her with a giant, almost manic, smile, with a La Croix in his hand.  

"There's my girl."  He hugged her and she could sense the energy radiating off of his form. 

"How was Norway?"

"Fucking fuck party.  Mattsson is a cuck."

"Oh, wow, um--"

"C'mon, me and Rome are going over the script for the big launch."

She took his hand, feeling nervous to meet Roman again.  Last time he had basically ruined her day with a few words and Stella wasn't looking forward to seeing him again.  

They walked into a room with a few couches where Roman and Kendall's assistant, Jess, sat.  

"Oh great, you brought your daughter."  Roman said, not even looking up from the papers he had in his hands.  

"Rome, be nice.  Stella, you remember Jess."  They sat down across from her.

"Yeah, hi Jess."  She gave the woman a small wave.  Jess smiled, but she looked worried.

"Well, something about this all does depress me."  Roman said, looking over to the screen behind them.  It was a slideshow of older people looking happy with the Living+ logo.  

"Oh yeah?"  Kendall asked, "And, uh, do you think it's the speech written specifically for our late father, or the fact we're planning to warehouse the elderly and keep them drunk on content while we suck 'em dollar dry?"

"I think it's the '90s pitch."

"Personalized longevity programs."  Kendall sighed.  

"I see them."  Roman said.

"Is that something?" 

Stella had really no idea what they were talking about, but her ears perked up when Roman mentioned he was going to see Joy Palmer.  She was a big deal in the producing world and Stella really looked up to her as a woman in the industry.  Of course, she worked for Waystar Studios, which wasn't exactly palatable, but nevertheless, she was a woman in entertainment.  

"All right, sprinkle some sugar."  Kendall told him.  

"Yeah. Will do."

"Full confidence. Yeah? Gotta up our velocity, man."

"Yeah. I mean, even she should be able to come up with a mega-hit from a couple extra content bill."  Roman begun to put his jacket on.  

"Just break the log jam, get the franchise pump pumping. Yeah? Pump it up. Pump it."

"Yeah. Fuck yeah.  I'm gonna love-bomb that stuck-up bitch."

Stella gave Kendall a look, but he didn't even flinch.  

"Have fun at take your daughter to work day, Stella."  Roman said.  He then left, asking to himself who was ready for "fuckywood".

"You should talk to Joy, Stell.  She could be good for your career."  Kendall said plainly.  He was offering her the meeting of a lifetime and barely looked up from his papers. 

"Are you serious?"

He looked up, smiling at her.  Again, he had a manic gleam in his eye that worried her.  "Fuck yeah I'm serious.  You're talented."

"Yeah, but Joy Palmer?  She's like royalty, Ken."

"You're acting as if you're not a series regular on Delirium."  He looked to Jess.   "J, tell her she's awesome."

"I'm a big fan."  Jess smiled.  Stella wasn't sure if she was being serious or not.

"Okay, fine, Ken, but let's put that on hold until the launch."

Kendall took her hand.  "Always putting me first.  That's my fucking girl."

"Well, I want you to focus on the company, Mr. CEO, my meeting can wait."  As much as she wanted that meeting, Stella knew that Kendall's launch for Living+ was more important right now.  He was her boyfriend and she had to support him.  

-------------------------------------

Kendall led Stella to the stage where the presentation was going to be.  

"This is my stage."  He said, looking unsure.  "Hey Jade?"  Kendall motioned to two women in pant suits who were overseeing the stage.  "Let's get Lana and Hugo on analyst double check, who's confirmed. And let's get Raj primed to throw some softballs. Okay?"

Jade nodded.  "Okay."

"And I think Shiv can just say, you know, this and this, and... and maybe... maybe this. Give that to Roman. Just let 'em know. Okay?"  Stella stood next to Kendall as he rambled.  Something was definitely wrong.  

He turned to Jade again.  "Could we build a Living Plus house?"

"As in?"

"Small, plywood, basic brickwork, nothing crazy. I could walk through it. ATN on here. Face aging on the wall here. Maybe clouds appear above the house. What do you think, Stell?"

"Oh, um, yeah, I think that could be cool."

"Jade, my girlfriend said it could be cool.  Let's fucking do it."

"We can definitely check with the team...Denny?"

The stagehand walked up to the stage.  "It... it's certainly an exciting vision, but--"

"Don't say no, Denny.  Don't say no."

Stella cringed.  Why was he being so pushy?

"Ken."  She said, touching his arm.  "This is for tomorrow.  They can't do that."

He looked to Denny.  "Hollywood, though, right?  We need a house.  Practical build."  He turned to Jade and the other woman.  "Here's the rule, okay?  No one can say no.  'Yes, Kendall. Thank you, Kendall, for the cool new rule.'"

"Yes, Kendall, thank you for the cool new rule."  Roman appeared from the back of the theater.  Stella was actually relieved he was there to interrupt Kendall's madness.

"Hey!  Good pep talk?"  He looked to Stella.

"Interesting, for sure."  She nodded.  

"Too much?  Sorry baby.  I'm just in my zone."

"It's okay, I just...these are real people, Ken.  They can't just build a house in one day."

A day later, she was sitting in the theater next to Roman, watching Kendall critique the house that was made for him on the stage.  They really had done it.

She hadn't slept a wink since getting to LA, unable to sleep with Kendall typing on his laptop all night.  He was trying to "double the numbers" which made absolutely no sense to her.  He was so focused, they had barely even touched since she had been there.  

"Those...those aren't the clouds."  Kendall said to Jade and Denny.

"What the fuck is he talking about?"  Stella whispered to Roman.

"The clouds he saw in Berlin or something, I don't know."  He sighed.  "Welcome to Kennyland."

"What do you guys think?"  Kendall called to them from on the stage.  

"I think the clouds are nice?"  Stella said.  

"Yeah, uh, great, sure."  Roman added.

"Hey."  A female voice said from behind them.  It was Shiv.  "Who's this?"  She asked Roman, acting as if Stella couldn't hear them.

"I'm Stella."  She held out her hand. 

"Oh."  Shiv seemed surprised, but shook her hand.  "I know you.  You're on that show."

Stella nodded.  Shiv Roy watched Delirium?!  "Yeah, um, Ken invited me here for the launch."

"Rome, when you said Ken was dating an actress, I didn't know you meant her."

"What?"  Stella asked, slightly offended.  

"Aren't you like, I mean, no offense, but aren't you kind of an SJW?"

Roman scoffed.  

"Yeah, I guess."  Stella replied.

"Then my question for you is,"  Shiv looked her right in the eyes.  "Why the fuck are you with Kendall?"

"I like him."

"And you're not using him to get to Waystar Studios or his money?"

"No! I would never, ever--"

"Well then what are you here for?"

"I'm here for Kendall."  Stella insisted.

"Well, I love my brother, but he's an asshole."

"And an addict."  Roman added.  

"And a deadbeat father."  Shiv said.  "You're like, twenty-two.  You're a kid.  Why get into all of this?"

Tears stung Stella's eyes.  

"Aw, Shivvy, you're making her cry."

"I'm just being honest."

"Well,"  Stella stood up.  "I'm sorry that you feel that way, but I like your brother and despite what you may think,"  her voice shook.  "He's a good person."

"Oh, she's feisty, too."  Roman said, barely looking up from the script he was reading.  

"Fuck you both."  Stella waved them goodbye. She pushed past them.

"I don't know Rome, I kind of dig her."  Shiv told Roman after Stella was gone.  "She's got spunk."

"Yeah, because she's like, fucking, twelve."

-----------------------------------

Stella walked into a random hallway.  Her head was spinning from the conversation with Kendall's siblings and she needed a break. This was not how families acted.

"Stell."  Kendall's voice boomed from behind her.  "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, um--"

"My siblings?"

She nodded.  "I shouldn't have sat with them."

"It's okay.  They're fucks.  And I'm pretty sure Shiv is knocked up."

Stella raised her eyebrows.  "Oh shit."

"Yeah, well, her and Tom are like, uh, divorcing or something so."  He scratched his chin.

"That sucks."

"And Rome's just jealous that I have a hot girlfriend and he doesn't."  Kendall held out his arms and she moved into his embrace.  "I love you, Stella girl, you know that."

"I know.  I love you."

Two hours later, Stella was sitting in the crowd, watching Kendall present Living+ in a customized bomber jacket.  

The beginning was rough, but he pulled it together at the end.  Stella gave him multiple thumbs ups, hoping he would look into the crowd and see her.  Though Living+ was kind of weird and creepy, Stella was supportive.

She met him backstage at the end, holding his hand as he entered the green room where his siblings and the rest of Team Roy were sitting.  

"All hail the king!"  Hugo said, clapping Kendall on the shoulder.  Stella's heart swelled with pride.  

#kendall roy x oc #kendall roy #succession #kendall succession #kendall roy x reader

[sybilius]

Old Internet Fridays #10: aminfatolli.neocities

aminfatolli.neocities

What’s this?

What’s this website?

A single-page neocities with a single poorly translated (likely machine translated) recipe for Gooshfil/elephant ears, a Persian delicacy. The source recipe seems to be from this Persian website, down to the image. I could make a stab and guess it might belong to an "Amin Fatolli" but I honestly could not say.

Okay, how did you find it?

Long story, and a particular whim. Okay, so if you'll allow me to preface this: I cook. I cook like it's breathing, it's just always been a thing with me. And if there's one thing the internet has, it's recipes. But also, god help you if you're accessing a recipe website without an ad blocker these days.

What I was really looking for was a real old school HTML website of recipes. Just a poorly formatted but functional "Kim Family Recipes" or some shit, and then a link to like 5 sparse but good recipes with maybe a few amateurish pictures.

I started my search on DuckDuckGo with "recipe blog" and then "family recipes". The thing is, there are a lot of recipe things on the internet -- humans sharing food, you know, we love to do that! So I switched to Google with the vague idea that I might try to go all the way back on the pagination, only to learn that the pagination either doesn't exist or is hard to find these days. Then I booted up Neocities and just searched for "recipe" which is where I came across this odd little duck.

How's it doing on internet archive?

ooohhhh ahhh the fact that it's first save is late 2020 makes me feel tender in some kind of way.

What delighted you the most?

I'm presenting this not because it's a good recipe website-- it'd be a challenge to even make this one thing from the translation. But this is truly an internet artifact in a way that feels very old internet, you know? The story is worth more than the actual product. There's an element of celebrating the amateurish, the human, the everyday, that I sometimes like to entertain.

This website might exist because someone, in the pandemic, wanted an English-speaking friend of theirs to try this really good dessert. And that's so sweet.

There's also something charming about the badness of the machine translation that feels old-internet in a way I remember from the early 2000s. "The elephant's eau de toilette" ough that Persian > English google translate does not have its context very well filled out. But that adds something to it.

I entertain the thought of putting recipes I make on the internet all the time. Perhaps I will someday, and it'll be someplace like here. A weird little neocities site, visited only by friends and family, looked over by search engines for ad-coated blogs with SEO garbage, and found only by the archive crawler and very occasionally, by little strangers like me.

#old internet fridays #food

[tio-trile]

Hiiii,

Just wanna say, thank you for giving a space where I feel better to word my crticisms for GOS2. It's funny, in real life, everyone I watched the show with agrees that there's a massive tone shift between season 1 and 2 and that we don't particularly like it, yet when I come on tumblr, everyone screams at me how perfect everything was. Which is fine, it's great for them if they truly loved it, for me, there's just too much drama.

Thing is, I'm a huuuge fan of the book, simply because as someone raised in a church who took the Second Coming very serious, Good Omens the book managed continuously to make me laugh about something that used to terrify me as a child. It was a very healing experience to me, also since it's rather a jab at conservative anglicanism than anything else, so I didn't feel weird as a Christian to read it. And that was a first for me with a fictional media dealing with angels and demons.

But now with the second season, it's basically what Christian-inspired fantasy always looked like and I'm tired. Also, because apparently, Aziraphale just can't get it right, anymore, hated how the 19th-century-plot made look Crowley the reasonable one NO MATTER WHAT. (Also, where does this fit with Zira canonically having done several temptations at this point?)

Also, I actually am an Ineffable Husbands shipper, yet I cannot tell you to what end this kiss frustrated me. Simply because I ship them as my one fluff couple and in my hc, they always smoothly transitioned from being friends to lovers. And that's why this dramatic love declaration and kiss from Crowley feel so out of place for me. It makes me sad, also as a queer person, because I cannot remember one queer couple ever on screen which was just allowed to be functional and not angsty. (I mean, yes, heartstopper, but this show got problems all on its own) It just feels weird that, in my impression, now that we go into the romantic direction with these two, we also need to get ~drama~.

But well, moving on~

Do you know any good Book Omens fanfiction? That is, if you read any....

Have a good day~

Hi! It's funny because it's kinda the opposite experience for me -- my friends IRL love season 2, and my friends on the internet didn't XDD

That's interesting what you said about the Good Omens book/show experience while being religious! The book did seem more edgy (for lack of a better word) and poked fun at religious themes more light-heartedly while the show does seem to approach it more......Supernatural-y......😂 also yeah, I saw somebody else say this but show!Aziraphale doesn't seem like one that would even agree to the Arrangement in the first place.

About the kiss I recently found that I made an incredibly accurate prophecy last year HAHA

But yeah, the book boys definitely have "old married couple" energy, where as the show ones are still......working through things. (The one queer couple on screen that's functional and not angsty is Benuit Blanc and his husband from Glass Onion, btw /hj)

I recced some book Omens fanfic way back in 2016 here!

#ask #anonymous #good omens critical #good omens season 2 #gos2 spoilers #long post

[silversatin2105]

Heyy there can i get a matchup please???

personality: I'm introvert, my mbti is infp, she/her, I'm quiet individual and don't talk with others much (but do it when I'm with my close friends), im funny and i joke alot. I'm kind of weird (not in a bad way), I'm very moody and also open minded. I'm optimistic yet pessimistic lol. I'm smart but dumb at the same time.

Hobbies: I like to read books, play games and chat with my online friends. I also like to write stories, fics. I also like knitting. I like to search different topics on internet. I also don't have a very stable hobby.

Style: I have comfortable vintage style. I like to wear whatever I feel comfortable with. Baggy clothes are my favourite. I don't have a unique style just go with whatever I feel like.

Likes: I like books, games, music, quite places, peace, animes and movies, aesthetic things, vintage things and old things, dark things, nights and moon, rainy weather.

Dislikes: Bossy people, nosey place, getting told what to do, clingy people, summer.

Thank you!!!

Hi

Yeah I can do a match up for you and I had to think on this a little bit because my response might shock you as I was in two minds as usual but I came to the conclusion after my last re-read of your ask and heres the out come.

Your match is

Shinichiro Sano

You both have good qualities and are equally matched in both the idiosyncratic way you carry yourselves, you both would spend most of your time with the BD first gen as they are your home.

You both enjoy playing video games together, He often speaks of his skills in Mario kart but you always beat him, you both like researching things on the internet (for him mostly researching bikes) and when you knit him new things he is deeply touched that you took the time to make him something thoughtful.

You both share the same approach to outfits, Baggy, comfortable and in his case practical, standing out isn’t important to you both.

You both have an aversion to bossy people (you both like to be part of the rule making), Even though hes in customer service with his bike shop he prefers it when its only the two of you the only way you two differ is hes a hugger but he respects that you need your boundaries and keeps hugs to a minimal

In summary:

I pair you with Shinichiro as I see you two making a good couple, sure you both have differing traits but as they say opposites attract and love is love at the end of the day, just remember to take care of each other as best you can.

I do hope my result is to your liking.

 Toman Inquisitorial division member Silver

Warning: Please do not remove

#tokyo revengers #toman gang #tokyo manji gang #shinichiro sano #sano shinichiro #match up result #written response #Toman-Inquisitorial-division

[gryficowa]

An interesting thing related to things that annoy me in productions (Miracolous is an example, but there are other productions that make similar mistakes, mainly the older ones)

Bad writing annoys me the most but the other annoying theme is the status quo, Chloe pissed me off because it reminded me of something older productions did and it annoyed me so much

So you have an episode of the show where you think the character will become a better person later on, and then suddenly it turns out that this theme is in one episode, like the main character's dream, another reality, or the evil character got hit so hard in the head that her identity went to hell and therefore she was able to befriend the protagonist (Worst), possibly the motive that she was supposed to carry out some plan and she seems to become attached to the main character, and suddenly she makes new friends for the boss, who treats this character as an example of shit (Annoying)

Chloe's example is not the only one of its kind, e.g. in "Angelo la Débrouille" there was the character of this red-haired mean girl, and her uncle was this red-haired teacher, which is Tracy, in one episode there was a theme that they get to know her better and discover that she is quite a lonely and distrustful person, they make friends with her, only to find out at the very end that it is Angelo's own dream, it pissed me off so much

In the series "Monchhichi" (Yes, these toys have an animated series, quite specific and according to the Internet they had more series, which is interesting), but I'm talking about the 3D version, there was a lizard (There were two, context) and his boss told him to go to those monkeys to take something (I don't remember the plot anymore, I watched it without interest, because my niece actually watched it) so this guy hangs around with these monkeys and slowly befriends them, only to betray them at the end because the status quo must be maintained

There was also an episode of "Sabrina", an animated series about a young witch, although this mean girl was under a spell, but after its removal, at the very end, she showed something that indicated that she was not a bad person, unfortunately, do not count on development, it old cartoon series

There are probably more examples of this type, because I associate the series with "Disney XD" with a sloth who was driving a race car and his enemy was good because he got hit in the head, but then the main character didn't know about it, so they started to have a friendly relationship, then you know how it's over, it's so irritating, I'm not talking about still being affected by the tumor, but it could be an interesting development

Unfortunately, this also happens in the new ones, most of the ones I mentioned are more new productions, but mainly because it is more painful in the new ones

Okay, remember "The Smurfs"? Gargamel had a ginger nephew there, didn't he? Imagine that in one episode of "He made friends" with a fairy girl, unfortunately, it wasn't really friendship and it hurts a bit, because it would be nice to see this ginger kid get an existential crisis, unfortunately, the status quo must stay

I hate this lead and Chloe is a weird case because it lasted longer than one episode and it's even more irritating to me because we were given too much time for a redemption arc that didn't make sense in one episode it annoys me let alone in this case, when we were given too much time to accept its development, to get a rotten fish in the face after a long series

Another miracolous crime is lack of logic, more like self-contradiction, example of "Martha Speaks", more like my pick on or something like that, but Skits showed up after the shelter episode, right? Then explain to me one fact why these three puppies are still puppies? (Streak, Butterscotch and Mandarin)

These things have always annoyed me, even when I was a kid

#miracolous ladybug #cartoon #cartoonist #thomas astruc salt #thomas astruc #chloe bourgeois fandom salt #chloe bourgeois #bad writing

[loosesodamarble]

💫 New game: associate your mutuals and/or anons with something that fits their vibe! 💫

Sorry for taking so long to answer, anon. Just had... many other things to do. 😅

Also a lot of mutuals that I wanted to tag. Not all of them though because I have... more than I realized?

..........

@cringeyvanillamilk: Steph, gal, I associate you with glasses. I mean you wear glasses but also you're smart and cute, the vibes that glasses give off. That or you can be all cool and push up your glasses while light reflects off them to conceal your eyes as you scheme./j

@kaleidonope: This one's an easy one. Stars. You shine like stars and you have as many ideas as stars in the sky. Also, you're just fascinating, like a sky full of stars just begging to be admired. Finally, I know you just like space/galaxy patterned things. It's hard not to associate you with stars, bud.

@sludgedealer: One of those spotlights for stages. I'm remembering those weird theater days for one. But also, you've stolen the show a few times in the D&D campaigns we've played so that spotlight is deservedly on you! The only discrepancy with the association is that you're as cool as a cucumber while stage lights are scorching hot.

@cryo-visionary: A sketchbook. You have a creative soul. You draw and write so while you could be a notebook, the sketchbook is bigger and I think you have big, bombastic ideas for characters/stories. Let your creativity flow, my dear internet imouto~!

@spindaonateaspoon: A plush animal! Maybe it's because I can only imagine Spindas when I think about you but like... You're funny and supportive and, when need be, a vicious animal ready to call bs when you see it. Also, like a plush, friend shaped.

@loafingdragon: I associate you with a couch. Your blog title is one factor and also the vibes of comfort and just... chilling that couches give me. You of course can be serious and critical and man I love it when you intensely dig into things. But most of the time, you're just vibing.

@nothxkas: You know one of those pointer sticks that teachers use to point to things on a board/screen? I associate you with that. You can go on and on about topics that you're passionate about, like giving an intense lecture (but one I have to read). I don't always respond to the things you say but your mini essays have left such an impression on me.

@thoughtfullyrainynightmare: I associate you with a bookmark. Now I can't physically bookmark your work as I read it but I sorta digitally bookmark by keeping a reblog of your new chapters in my drafts so I remember to read them. I also associate you with knowledge and patience (it takes time to read a book and you take your time with people, don't you ever feel rushed). Also, bookmarks can be simple or fancy and you can either do sweet little oneshots or long, poetic tales of love and strife!

@simpingforthisonedeer: A desk. You are a researcher and a writer and an artist and all those things require desk space! Also, you're not afraid to get serious and put your foot down with people and it gives me the image of being sat across a desk from, like, the principal. You're stern but ultimately well-meaning.

@lyranova: A full tea set. Like CotF with its many families and mysteries, so too does a tea set also have multiple parts to it. Tea sets also make me think of sharing tea with friends. We're not exactly sharing tea when we chat, just next gen oc interaction ideas though.

@marune2: An inkwell. Old timey but gives a vibe of intelligence. Your main ocs (Heinrich and Ida) are intelligent. Also, I get the feeling that you're a fast reader which I tend to associate with intelligence (which probably isn't how intelligence actually works but I'm gonna roll with it). Also, most of your art is in black and white (but when you draw in color that art rocks so hard, seriously! 😍👏💖 I'll stop gushing like a fangirl, sorry./lh), so like black ink on white paper.

@faewraithsworld: A mirror. By sheer coincidence, our ocs and their arcs with their s/os parallel each other. But that's only one reason why I associate you with a mirror. The association also comes with the fact that mirrors can be polished to a shine and you have a bright, shiny personality! Also, mirrors are somewhat associated with beauty and I got the chance to hear your voice once and, well, I thought it was pretty in a welcoming and homey way.

@sailor-muno: A newer mutual so maybe tagging you will help break the ice some more but anyways, Bel, you are a journal. A journal to fill with notes and thoughts and maybe doodles. Full of potential for creativity. Also. Lots and lots and lots of words! You have so much to say, Bel! Also, paper. You've been talking about printing out lots of documents so you are going to be an overstuffed journal soon.

And since I have permission to shout out anons...

Ghost Anon: If you're reading this I want you to know that I associate you with a mug. A mug full of warm, honey ginger tea. You're warm and caring and remind me to take care of myself, which I do with a warm mug of tea.

#questions from the ask box #soda asides #awesome anons #steph the og mutual #lei of the stars #ian the robot dealer #internet imouto #theo the spinda deity #gab the indulgent one #caesar the mischief master #laura the writing senpai #lyra of the future #marune the devil delight #taja of the fae courts #the bel of the ball #ghost anon #why'd i tag so many people!? #do i actually have friends?!/lh

[violentviolette]

sorry, this is kind of a weird question. Do you think it's important for teens on the internet to have healthy friendships with adults and/or vice versa? I spent a long time completely keeping myself away from anyone under 18, and I've only recently begun to hang out in places not strictly for adults. I feel like a villain for even talking to teens, even though I'm not doing anything wrong.

short answer is history, sociology and behavioral science say absolutely. while I dont think any adult is obligated to be friends with teens if they dont want to or dont feel comfortable or have their own issues preventing that, I do also believe that its important for people of all ages to interact with and learn how to have healthy relationships with people of all ages.

we are a social species and community is very important for both our survival and our mental health. getting to know people who are different from us and having meaningful interactions with them and building relationships across all demographics will always be beneficial to everyone involved. ideally, a healthy individuals social circle includes people from young children all the way up through to the elderly.

I think its important for teens to be able to have a wide support network of adults who they can come to for support, guidance, to model behavior, and to overall give teens positive examples of what their futures as people can and will look like. I think this is important for many reasons and has many benefits to both the teens and the adults

because I also think it's important and beneficial for adults to interact with people younger than them. to be introduced to new ideas and new ways of thinking and keep themselves from getting stuck in old ways or becoming too jaded. I think its important for adults to be able to remember what it was like to experience things for the first time and maintain compassion and understanding for people who come after them

again, this doesn't mean adults are obligated to do this and I dont think someone is a bad person or doing something wrong if they can't or don't want to, but I do think it's important and beneficial and I do think that society suffers when people become too isolated in their own age brackets

I also think things like the youth liberation movement are extreamly important and bring a lot of these conversations to the forefront in breaking down how adults oppress children and how our unhealthy attitudes, which include avoidance due to fear of being predatory for even talking to teens, negatively affect both minors and adults. I think if ur looking to get more comfortable having teens and other ppl of varying ages in ur social circle then reading thru youth lib stuff is a really good place to start in changing and unpacking how u view teens

#jack.speaks #anon #hope that was helpful and dont worry it wasnt a weird question at all #i think our current conservative authoritarian culture is effecting these things greatly #and making what was once and in other countries still is the norm #something that we are so completely disconnected from that people have no idea how to navigate them now #and it makes breaking out of that culture of isolationism feel weird and wrong and unsure #but its a very normal thing for adults and teens to inhabit the same spaces and form friendships with one another #teens are smart and funny and talented and have good ideas and complex thoughts and interesting things to say #because theyre human beings #and so its very healthy and normal to have some in ur life who u care about and are close to

[alien-slushie]

My Duncney Opinion that nobody asked for but that I'm sharing anyway because its my blog and I can do as I please!

Warning: The following blog contains MY OPINION. While constructive criticism, and sharing an opposing opinion is accepted, know that meaningless hate will be laughed at and then subsequently ignored!

Contains Spoilers for: Total Drama Island(2007), Total Drama Action, Total Drama World Tour, (Miniscule) Total Drama Revenge of the Island, and Total Drama All Stars

I started watching TDI when I was, maybe eight years old? Time is a bit fuzzy to me, so I can't narrow it down to the exact age or anything but 8yo sounds about right. Regardless, even as I kid I never really liked Duncney.

To be honest, I didn't even really ship any of the characters on TDI except maybe Linsey and Tylor. Despite the internet being a thing at the time, my family didn't have a computer and if they did we were only allowed on the computer for school. I didn't even have a phone back then because this was back when children having phones weren't common(around 2008-10 ish). So at the time I didn't really know what shipping, and fanfiction were, I was the only one in our small town to have watched the show as far as I know, and even if I hadn't been me and my friends were too busy playing outside than to sit around and talk about a television show, so other than watching it I had not other exposure to TDI or the seasons there after.

Originally, I didn't even like Courtney as a character, and even now I don't really like her. She always seemed like a bossy know it all and she reminded me of someone in my class at the time, making me really dislike her.

Duncan I had no real opinion on, I thought he was a cool looking punk dude, but I didn't really think much of him at the time.

I think at the time my favorite characters were Gwen and Heather. I was a really timid and soft spoken child and seeing two 'teenagers' that were loud and outspoken was kind of inspiring. You would think that I would be drawn to Courtney because of this, after all she is extremely loud and outspoken, but for some reason she just never clicked for me.

When Duncan and Courtney got together, I didn't really pay much attention to it, I didn't really like either character so their relationship didn't matter to me.

It didn't get any better in TDA, at least not that I can think of. To be very honest with you, I don't remember watching TDA on the television. I don't know if I just didn't watch it or just don't remember because it was in a weird time of my life.

In TDWT I again didn't pay much attention to shipping. I knew there was a bit of tension with Duncan, Courtney, and Gwen but honestly, I was more invested in whatever was happening with Alahandro and Heather and Ceara and Cody. I knew it was wrong to cheat of course, but once Gwen was eliminated I didn't may any attention to it.(This was still before I knew what Shipping and Fandom was by the way, I had moved towns at this point and was watching the show with my siblings while our parents worked, but he's even younger than I was and I don't think he really understood anything like that, at least in detail, either.)

After TDWT though I kind of lost interest in Total Drama. I branched out, got interested in different things and didn't really think back on the show until a few years later.

So yeah, as I child I didn't think much of the ship because I didn't pay attention to it, but now as an adult, oh boy to I have an opinion!

Point blank; Duncney is toxic as all get out and I don't understand how people can support it so much.

Looking back at TDI, I can understand the relationship. Opposites Attract and other than getting on each other's nerves, there was nothing inherently wrong with their relationship, except for a few brief instances of gender stereotypes and misogyny, luckily Duncan seems to fade out of this mindset as the season goes on. Duncan encouraged Courtney to get out of her comfort zone and do things for the benefit of herself even if she has to break a few rules. Courtney on the other hand was Duncan's leash, tethering him to the real world and preventing him from causing too much harm to himself and others. As friends, and an unstable teenage romance, TDI Duncney doesn't bother me that much. I do think Courney is too goal oriented, at proven when she was ready to abandon an injured Duncan to get the 1mil even after it was because of him that she got it in the first place. It makes me uncomfortable that she was willing to let another person suffer without helping for money, even if it was a minor injury.

TDA Is when the ship starts to sour in my opinion. Courtney is not in the show at the start with a lot of the other cast, she is added later by twisting the legal system in her favor. From the beginning we do follow Duncan however. First season we didn't see him too much, he was simply the stereotypical punk/bully that we really only saw when interacting with Courtney and Harold, and a few times with the other guys, but in season two we get to see him interact with more people, Gwen, Trent, Harold, Heather, and Leshauna the most. While Duncan is still the tough punk/bully, we do get to see him take charge more often and exhibit his own traits more, he's a bit manipulative, but also resourceful. When Courtney does come back they're extremely aggressive with each other, there is some of the season 1 banter, but its mostly replaces with aggressive taunts and insults, which doesn't make a whole lot of sense on Courtney's part, seeing as she was the one who abandoned him before season 2. Courtney seems to blame Duncan, and Duncan meets her hostility with his own when he isn't flirting with her. Somehow during TDA Duncan and Courtney decide to work their relationship out, and the first thing Courtney does is make Duncan stay up all night reading rules, and demands from Courtney. I don't think setting up boundaries in a new relationship is a bad thing, I think its actually needed especially in new relationships where you're trying to figure each other and the shift in dynamic out, however Courney does go overboard, especially for a relationship between two 16-17 year olds, as she wants him to learn everything about her, and compliment her on a time table. This leads to Duncan voting her off, though it's implied that the two are still dating even when she's off the show. To me, this shows the first cracks. Duncan is too laid back for Courtney and he can't stand her need to control him, while Courtney needs to control him and can't stand not having a say. This is in no way healthy, a controlling partner is not healthy, especially ones that have no patience for failure and will turn to verbal berating, just because Duncan can and will fight back doesn't mean it's not a toxic situation.

Moving from that we get the break between TDA and TDWT. Duncney as sense broken up, how long did they date? We don't know because the break between seasons is a bit iffy. Either way, they had adopted a racoon together, where they found the racoon I have no idea, and are in a custody dispute over him when we see him, both teenagers having Lawyers to try and work things out. Over the course of them chasing down Chris' new show the two fight and bicker and seemingly get back together leading into season three.

Early TDWT we don't see much Duncney, but it's obvious that Duncan has already started to shift focus, having lost interest in the moment of peace, or what, we aren't really sure. His time in early show is limited, though Courney is always thinking about him. I want to mention this now even though it's mentioned in All Stars, but Gwen claims the two were on a break, meaning the two possibly called things to a halt while Courtney was competing and were going to get back together once she was kicked out or the end of the season. Gwen could simply be mistaken, but seeing as Duncan was on the run at the time, I can see how and why they would put such a versatile relationship on a break while away from each other. Again, this is speculation that I'll touch more on later. Anyway, through the season Courtney talks about Duncan in spurts and misses him, even blames him for leaving her to compete alone. When Duncan comes back, she's happy to see him but also berates him about leaving her. In my opinion he doesn't seem all that into the reaction, simply going along and looking to Gwen as he speaks. I'm not going to go into Gwuncan, I might make a later opinion piece later, but this is not that piece. Anyway, later after his return Duncan ends up kissing Gwen, rather its in the heat of the moment or what is up to you to decide, but he doesn't seem to upset about cheating on Courtney, more scared of her finding out. Before Courtney finds out about the kiss we find out that Courtney has a list of 47 things that she wants Duncan to change about himself before he's 'Perfect', something I find extremely disrespectful and demented. From there Courtney obviously suspects something is up, wanting to keep them apart, and when she finds out Courtney goes ballistic, needing to be held back from physically attacking Gwen and later Physically harming Duncan when they officially break things off. I am not defending cheaters, rather they were on a break or not it was obvious they were working to reinstate their relationship and Duncan kissed another girl(woman) who was Courtney's friend, it was a complete and utter betrayal of trust and Courtney had every right to be upset and lash out, that being said I never want to encourage physical violence against someone who isn't attacking back, dumping food on Duncan in her upset, understandable, it didn't cause him any physical pain unless it was burning hot(since he was just standing there, I doubt it was) but then going to kick him in the Kiwis when he was trying to apologize. Courtney didn't need to accept his apology, she had every right to yell her upset, cry, and refuse his apology, but she ended up physically hurting him. From there on Courtney harbors extreme resentment for Duncan and Gwen, understandably, and tries to make him jealous while trying to get him or Gwen eliminated. Shown later in the finale Courtney still harbors that grudge, understandably, and tries to sneak in some slam pieces against Gwen and Duncan, though the two don't seem to respond to it, either ignoring, or in one deleted/bonus scene throwing a sandal at her to make her stop, which again, I don't agree with Duncan resorting to physical violence in response to this shtick. Wasn't funny with a woman, isn't funny with a man.

Anyway, from the end of WT there on we don't really see them until Revenge of the Island where we get a clip at the very beginning. Here we see the OG cast on a boat heading to the island, where all we can see is Gwuncan making out, and Courtney frowning on a higher spot on the boat, but she's either trying not to look at them or is just pissed off as usual. Gwen is shown later this season, but doesn't say anything about Duncan or Courtney, so it doesn't matter much.

This leads to the season I like to pretend doesn't exist: Total Drama All Stars. At this point, Duncney is over, and is never getting back together as far as we know. Courtney ignores Duncan, and shoots mean looks at Gwen, Duncan trys to stand up for Gwen, but Courtney just ignores them. When they were together and Courtney was mad, heck when they weren't together and Courtney was mad, they would always fight, so when Courtney wouldn't fight and stayed silent, Duncan wasn't sure how to respond. He works mostly on ignoring her back, or trying to gain her attention but by the time Duncan goes to prison, nothing really changes between them.

I think the show had a lot to do about the relationship. After TDI and TDA they did break up, but it was in the spotlight, and I have no doubt that through the entire relationship they had pressure on them by fans. I feel like we've seen situations like this in real life with influencer couples and celebrities, where they were unhappy but felt like they had to stay together because of the fans, which just led to more fighting and stress on the both of them.

A part of me feels that if it weren't in the spotlight, if they didn't join a reality show and were able to fade into anonymity that they would have broken up and been done with it. I honestly think that if TDWT wasn't a thing and the two could have gone through the custody battle with the raccoon and split that that would have been the end of it.

As I said, I never really liked Duncney in the first place, and I honestly feel like people who do ship them ship Season 1 Duncney specifically or ship them because of nostalgia. I don't think shipping people for nostalgia's sake is wrong, I'm pretty sure there are a bunch of ships that if I sat down to think about it, I'd realize were toxic as all get out too but end up still shipping because of nostalgia or because I liked them once upon a time. That being said, I do not like Duncney, never had, probably never will, but if other people like this ship than okay, and more power to you, I simply disagree.

#total drama #total drama island #total drama action #total drama world tour #total drama all stars #duncney #anti duncney #td duncan #td courtney

[wonderlightdaydreams]

Dear Fellow Magic Seeker

I always wanted to believe in magic. I believed in Santa Claus way longer than I should have (especially as a Jew), any outing to walk my dog would be considered  a magical adventure, and I would take anything as an excuse to use my imagination. I remember when I was in elementary school, role playing Skylanders on the playground, and believing deep down that they were showing me the way to Skyland. I’m 21 now, and since elementary school, I learned a lot about the world. After all, no one really believed in magic, and anyone who I thought believed alongside me just did it to entertain a child who didn't know any better. How else would you explain the support of those delusions? Now, this is not to say the magic they do believe in isn't real. Science is extraordinarily beautiful, wondrous, and fascinating,  every word you would use to describe any fantasy world. However, I always found something off about science. While yes, it is all those things I described, it is also un-fantastical in a way, for lack of a better word. This apathetic nature of science, while hard to describe, is easy to feel. It carries a sort of terran monotony that this whole plane of existence is suffering under. Perhaps its simply the aesthetic of science, or the need to ensure everything is proven, but science (as it is very happy to admit, from my lack of knowledge), does have its fair share of gaps. Gaps that are filled by children with overactive imaginations…out of all people. I am no child psychologist (I would love some input for those who know better about this field than I do), however when kids play dinosaurs, there is a level of..well play. They know it is a game, and they know that they are six year olds  stomping around and roaring at each other. But there is also an unspoken contract, a rule to suspend their disbelief and believe wholeheartedly that they are dinosaurs. For those 15 minutes of recess, they were not human. In those 15 minutes, magic was real. 

TTRPGs are a space that I do not know much about. I know that people sit around a table, telling a story with their friends, and that story often involves a lot of dice rolling, playing cards, writing, and everything in between. And many parts of this space do intrigue me. Specifically the RP (role play)  part. At first glance, those who partake in this hobby are those kids on the playground playing dinosaurs, each consenting to play in this world of fantasy. And although I do hold a place of reverence for TTRPGS, like science, something is missing. Although they do play in this fantasy world, they don't see themselves as full acting participants. Like watching a movie in a theater, they enter the game, play for 3 hours, and then return to their normal lives. In a relatively short timespan, they go from being the main character, to being NPCs. Furthermore, of course this is just pretend, they don't really believe they are orcs, elves, and dragons, that would be unscientific! These games are just vehicles to hang out with your friends with, after all. This is not an attack on TTRPG players, not at all! In fact, they are getting somewhere in the quest to replicate the magic that I am seeking, but once again, something is missing.  

 I first heard about the otherkin community at the age of around 16. I remember watching a “This Exists' ' video (a now-defunct series about the weird and wonderful sides of the internet) on it, and while I don't remember specifically how I felt, I did feel a sense of yearning. A sense that these individuals hold the answers to what I am seeking, what I truly am. After doing some digging, I found the therian subreddit. After seeing people do tarot readings for what theriotype they were, I decided to throw my hat into the ring. I asked if I was a dolphin or a red panda, two of my favorite animals. The result itself was irrelevant, as I was inadvertently excluded from many therian spaces. I do not wish to play the blame game, or point fingers at any one person or group of individuals, after all this exclusion could be a simple misunderstanding of the customs. However, from my understanding, you can't choose to be therian. I fully expected Sir Ian McKellen himself to enter my room, scream at me “YOU ARE INDEED A DRAGON YOUNG MAN” and leave in a puff of smoke. While I did hear stories of divine intervention, I also heard tales of everything from dehumanization to LSD trips. I also do not personally vibe with the whole “creature of the forest, living away from technology” thing they had going on, an aesthetic I do indeed respect, while not being my own. In short, they had a wonderful community, that was just not my community.  They had a wonderful community, but something was missing. 

I am an A-list actor, producer, writer and director. I starred in multiple movies that were hits in the box office, a 12 season action-adventure-comedy tv show, and I live in a mansion with an arcade, waterslides, a mario-esque pipe for transport, and doors that could take you anywhere in the multiverse. Sooner or later, I became a protogen (what, you didn't see the furry thing coming from a mile away?), and after that, I became a guardian of imagination, a red panda dragon fursona thing. I could hear the keyboards of 1000 neurotypicals typing now, saying truly insightful comments such as: “this is what people died in wars for” “Jesus will save you” (again, im Jewish) and my personal favorite, the snowflake emoji. However, I could practically see 1000 kids just like me, their faces beaming with excitement and joy, with a million questions, chief among which being “can I do that too?”. After recess ended, I kept my non-normal non-human beliefs. Same with after I graduated, after high school, and even after University. While its easy to say that this is a game for me (to some level, it truly is), it is also something much more. Like those kids on the playground, these beliefs turn mundane existence into a game. A once boring test now becomes a perilous boss fight, family drama becomes unimportant exposition, and my purpose is beyond the capitalist cycle of education, work, retire, die. To those who argue otherwise, a proposition; at what age do you stop believing, what time period do you stop pretending, what phase of life makes you done with believing in your imagination?  Simply put, for those questioning if they are beyond human, if they are something greater, if their identity is that of imagination and art,  the answer is a simple “do you want to be?”.

#writing is funn #alterhuman #immersive daydreaming #paracosm #neuronarration #otherkin #daydreamer

[doeblossom]

well, now that my mlp question has been answered, what was the episode of mlpfim that stuck with you the most? for me it was most of the season openings/finales and then the want it need it have to have it episode or whatever that one was

bestie you know it's definitely not just one. i get why those stuck with you though! those were definitely bonkers episodes

Obviously, the first two episodes. they're the pilot!

look before you sleep, because for some reason i hyperfixated on the sleep song they made for rarity. it was hilarious and i think about it every time i rewatch the episode

sonic rainboom. i think about the guitar riff when rainbow was close to performing the boom quite a lot. i'll rewatch the episode just to hear it again! it's so awesome and good

season 2 openings, because discord is fun. why didn't he just forcefully discord them all. forever. silly discord

luna eclipsed. i wish we saw more of the bat ponies! also luna's redesign was pretty cool, no matter how much i loved the beta design. just assuming that luna's return left her completely powerless, hence the non-flowy hair and small stature. also holiday interpretations are fun!

sweet and elite, just for the iconic rarity song

hurricane fluttershy, because shes relatable! i was always a little self conscious about my own physical abilities but this episode (and joking around about it) made me feel a lot better

canterlot wedding. cadence my beloved. changelings are so very interesting. i also remember waking up on the couch in my mom's office since they put it on the tv, and my mom joked about mlp being the thing that got me to wake up

crystal empire kinda came out of nowhere but i LOOOOVE the magic implications. i wish they did more with sombra because he seems so interesting as a villain. also i remember being very proud of remembering that the square root of 546 is 23.36664289109

too many pinkie pies; i remember watching this episode the day it aired (it was a reupload on youtube) and my sister and i watched it on our old dinosaur computer, loaded up with good ol' windows 7 and internet explorer

magical mystery cure. i also remember watching this one specifically, sitting in my old bunk bed watching it on my pink disney princess tiara tv and crying at twilight becoming an alicorn because i was so very proud of her (and thought the show was ending)

the season 4 opening, very obviously a huge upgrade in animation. i remember watching leaks of luna's transformation into nightmare moon from a convention and being so excited to see it! im just a big fan of history in shows like this. it gives the world such depth

bats. bats. bats. freaked me the heck out

pinkie's pride because i knew weird al before he showed up on mlp (and always flexed it to my friends in elementary school lol) ALSO i really liked pinkie's lament in it

from whom the sweetie belle toils. ah, siblings. my sister and i never had THESE kinds of issues but i always relate to their sisterly dynamic the most

testing testing 123. probably one of my favorite episodes to rewatch. dash is just neurodivergent!!! it also helped me when i was transitioning from elementary school to junior high (i went to that 6 year college prep school) and the learning curve of "not being as gifted anymore." i still struggle with studying and have not found any great learning methods! well, aside from pretending to be interested, for some reason.

twilight's kingdom. first luna song, AND a laser battle, AND super powerful twilight??? it was pretty awesome. i still want the library back tho pl0x thanks

the cutie map. communism, ok thx byeee. also one of the first villains to be a where's waldo! its fun to look back and spot her and know it WASNT a lazy animators choice

do princesses dream of magic sheep becaues it discusses self harm???? to a target audience of young girls entering a period in their lives where self harm is pretty prominent? man.

rarity investigate is a very fun episode. man i like rarity a lot

scare master validating my fears and acknowledging fluttershy's anxiety around the holiday!! it did a decent job at communicating that what may seem trivial to some is a very real issue for others. i love love love how fluttershy is treated in this episode; her boundaries are validated and accommodated for. (i dont like that sometimes they portrayed her as a party pooper. however! this is a very real feeling some people have! and i think it would be worse not to include a little bit of tension surrounding it)

a hearth's warming tale stuck with me well and good since im a huge christmas buff. also, more luna songs. luna songs were always huge in the fandom

all bottled up! starlight glimmer, my beloved. bottling up feelings is a pretty real thing for me, and instead of disregarding my emotions, it taught me that its healthy to vent in a consensual environment and tell people they're bugging you if they are.

parental glideance. actually, any episode introducing parents. omg, theyre (mostly) not orphans!

a royal problem. daybreaker is cool and awesome, and the lroe behind what she COULDVE been is amazing, but i miss the days of nightmare star

THE PERFECT PEAR. WAHHHHHH

once upon a zepplin was so real for me. confounded people pleasing leading to you having an awful time and missing out on everything.

sounds of silence, because kirins are so cool and they were a very cool thought but i would like to see them speak more than in one episode please thanks

the beginning of the end p2 with twilight's super awesome speech while fighting sombra. man shes so cool. the hair flip animation was cool. twilight is so cool.

she talks to angel, because ive always very badly wanted to know what the heck is going on in that little bunny's mind. and it was hilarious

AND NOW, A LOVELY COMPILATION OF EVERY EPISODE THAT HAS MADE ME CRY AT LEAST ONCE (the anecdotes of a massive crybaby) ~

Hurricane Fluttershy, S2

A Canterlot Wedding Part 2, S2

The Crystal Empire Part 2, S3

Sleepless in Ponyville, S3

Magical Mystery Cure, S3

Princess Twilight Sparkle Part 2, S4

Pinkie's Pride, S4

Filli Vanilli, S4

From Whom the Sweetie Belle Toils, S4

Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3, S4

Twilight's Kingdom Part 1, S4

Twilight's Kingdom Part 2, S4

Amending Fences, S5

Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep?, S5

The Cutie Re-Mark Part 2, S5

Celestial Advice, S7

The Perfect Pear, S7

Once Upon a Zepplin, S7

The Beginning of the End Part 2, S9

Sparkle's Seven, S9

The Last Laugh, S9

The Last Crusade, S9

The Big Mac Question, S9

The Ending of the End Part 1, S9

The Ending of the End Part 2, S9

The Last Problem, S9

if i gave a tally of how many times certain episodes made me cry we would be here all day

#doe's rambles #answered #briarborealisart #ask blog #ask doeblossom