#post prison duncan

[thevalleyisjolly]

[Image description: Seven GIFs of Melshi in Andor Season 1 - working on the factory floor and side-eyeing the guards up on the gantry; climbing up through the prison during the escape with a gun in his hands; leaning down over Ulaf on the floor; getting up off the ground with a disbelieving expression after the Keredians retract the sticky net binding him; talking to Cassian in the prison cells and telling him to ignore the count of days left; standing by the seaside on Niamos and saying goodbye to Cassian; sitting up on his prison bunk and communicating silently to Cassian via small hand and finger motions. End ID]

Duncan Pow as Ruescott Melshi in ANDOR Season 1

[mallach]

cyn is also a fun protagonist to pair duncan with. in my head hes meant to mirror duncan in that hes still fiercely defensive of those he cares about (very small list) but everyone else is just a stepping stone to him living in a boujie party filled life of luxury. distorted reflection. you know

annoying twofaced vaguely flirtatious coy 'steals your credit card on the first date and gaslights you into thinking the fraud payments are all in your head. Why are you abusing him rn. Youre delusional' mediocre decker with MAX charisma stat

duncan & cyn being rebellious kids.. duncan matures into realizing how selfish he was & wanting to somehow help from within a broken system.. cyn goes the opposite path of 'everyones a worthless backstabbing liar except those close to me. i deserve everything they have' (and took from him) (he would never admit this its way too pathetic for his narcissist ass)

[celluloidrainbow]

THE NIGHT WATCH (2011) dir. Richard Laxton In post-war London, Viv Pearce is dating Reggie and runs a dating bureau with Helen Giniver, who lives with her older lover, authoress Julia Standing. Viv's younger brother Duncan, a gay man made to feel ashamed of his orientation, has been in prison and is sought out by his ex-cell-mate, Robert Fraser, who served time as a conscientious objector and is now concerned for the young man's welfare. Viv encounters Kay Langrish, a wealthy, reclusive, butch lesbian and for both women this evokes memories of the period three years earlier, when Kay was an heroic ambulance driver in a happy, loving relationship with Helen - before Kay introduced her to her ex-lover, Julia. (link in title)

[offender42085]

Post 1342

Before and After......He had been "grounded" by his parents and then the Judge really "grounded" him....

Jackson James Smith, South Carolina inmate 393810, born 2004, incarceration intake June 2024 at age 22, scheduled for release March 2036

DUI resulting in Death

In July 2024, a South Carollina man was sentenced to 17 years in prison after pleading guilty to felony driving under the influence resulting in the death of another.

On the morning of September 11, 2021, officers from Duncan Police and Lyman Police were stationary in the area of Highway 29 near Barnett Road when a white sedan passed by them at a high rate of speed. They estimated the driver’s speed to be over 120 miles per hour and officers immediately began a pursuit, officials say.

Before officers were able to get close to Smith’s vehicle, he changed lanes and hit the back of a Honda Civic. After the crash, the fuel tank of the Honda was ruptured and the trunk was pushed into the vehicle from the force of the crash, officials said.

The driver of the Honda was taken to the hospital for treatment, but passed away.

Smith was also taken to the hospital and was determined to be under the influence after a blood test showed his blood alcohol was .184. He also had THC in his system.

According to officials, Smith admitted to weekly drinking and daily marijuana use. He also told them he had been grounded by his parents and left the house that night without permission.

Smith pleaded guilty on Tuesday, June 25, 2024 to felony DUI with Death. Along with his sentence, he was given a $10,100 fine.

4o

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Mike Luckovich

* * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

April 16, 2025

Heather Cox Richardson

Apr 17, 2025

In El Salvador today, authorities denied Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) a meeting or a phone call with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the man the Trump regime sent by “administrative error” to the terrorist prison CECOT. Abrego Garcia is Van Hollen’s constituent, and the senator promised his family to try to get him released. That Salvadoran officials cannot or will not produce him raises concerns about his well-being.

Senator Van Hollen had hoped to meet with El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, but met instead with Vice President Félix Ulloa. Ulloa at first told Van Hollen there had not been enough time to arrange a meeting with Abrego Garcia, but when the senator offered to come back next week, Ulloa allowed as how a meeting might not be possible at all.

Van Hollen reported that when he asked Ulloa why El Salvador was continuing to imprison Abrego Garcia when it had no evidence that he was a gang member, Ulloa answered that the Trump administration is paying El Salvador to hold him.

Evidently, President Donald Trump thinks what he is doing to Abrego Garcia and the optics of CECOT play well to his base. Jordain Carney and Nicholas Wu of Politico reported today that the White House has “heavily encouraged” Republican lawmakers to lean into the idea of Abrego Garcia—who has no criminal record—as an example of the dangerous criminals they insist Democrats want to bring to the U.S. Yesterday, out of the blue and with absolutely no evidence, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed that Abrego Garcia engaged in human trafficking.

At least a dozen Republicans have followed the president’s lead. Congressional reporter Craig Caplan reported that yesterday, House Ways and Means committee chair Jason Smith (R-MO) led a delegation of Republican House members to tour CECOT. The delegation included representatives Ron Estes (KS), Kevin Hern (OK), Mike Kennedy (UT), Carol Miller (WV), Riley Moore (WV), and Claudia Tenney (NY). At least some of the representatives had photographs taken of them in CECOT, standing in front of the caged men.

The delegation also met with U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador William Duncan, who posted on social media that “[t]he delegation is visiting the country to strengthen bilateral ties and discuss initiatives that promote economic development and mutual cooperation.”

Two days ago, Bukele posted a picture of himself and Trump with their arms around each other with the comment: “Friends.” Ron Filipkowski of MeidasNews wrote: “We traded Europe for a guy that builds concentration camps for profit.”

Trump is likely pushing his narrative about criminal undocumented immigrants—although Bloomberg has reported that 90% of the men he has sent to El Salvador have no criminal record—in part because that rendition is stirring up opposition. In addition to popular protests, judges are pushing back.

Today, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg issued an opinion saying that the administration’s “hurried removal” of the men to El Salvador after Boasberg had issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) prohibiting them from doing so, demonstrated “a wilful disregard for its Order, sufficient for the Court to conclude that probable cause exists to find the Government in criminal contempt.”

“The Constitution does not tolerate willful disobedience of judicial orders—especially by officials of a coordinate branch who have sworn an oath to uphold it,” Boasberg wrote. Quoting Chief Justice John Marshall, who laid down the foundations of much of America law, Boasberg wrote: “To permit such officials to freely ‘annul the judgments of the courts of the United States’ would not just ‘destroy the rights acquired under those judgments’; it would make ‘a solemn mockery’ of ‘the constitution itself.’”

If the government decides not to try to repair its contempt, Boasberg says the court will use declarations, hearings, or depositions to identify the individuals responsible for making the judgment to ignore the court. Then he will ask the government to prosecute the contempt, but if—as is likely—it refuses, Boasberg says he will appoint a private prosecutor to move the case along. As legal analyst Joyce White Vance puts it: “These cases are about making sure that, American citizen or not, criminal or not, peoples’ right to have the day in court that the Constitution guarantees them is honored. That’s all. But it’s everything.”

Trump is also likely playing to his base because Americans are terribly concerned about what’s happening to the economy on his watch.

Stocks fell again today after Trump’s administration said it would put limits on chip sales to China and after Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell told the Economic Club of Chicago that Trump’s tariffs will have “significantly larger than anticipated…economic effects, which will include higher inflation and slower growth.” The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 700 points or 1.73%, the S&P 500 fell 2.24%, and the Nasdaq Composite fell 3.07%.

Danielle Kaye of the New York Times reports on a recent Bank of America survey that shows global investors have dumped a record amount of U.S. stocks in the past two months. Trump insists that the U.S. has been bringing in $2 billion a day in tariffs, some of which he claims comes from his new levies, but, in fact, Lori Ann LaRocco of CNBC reported today that U.S. Customs and Border Protection says the U.S. is taking in only $250 million a day.

Leila Fadel of NPR reports that China used to buy more than half the U.S. crop of soybeans and now soybean farmers are gravely concerned they’re going to lose that market. At the same time, we are heading in the prime months for the U.S. tourism industry, and Bloomberg reports that a worst-case scenario by the Goldman Sachs Group Inc. estimates that the U.S. could lose almost $90 billion as foreign tourists stay away from the U.S. and boycott American products.

So Trump is hitting his MAGA themes hard.

Today he escalated his attacks on Maine governor Janet Mills. Trump has demanded that Mills prohibit transgender girls in the public schools from participating in girls’ sports. Mills, who was Maine’s attorney general before she became governor, maintains she is bound by the 2021 state law that explicitly protects against discrimination on the basis of gender identity. As Jeremy Roebuck and Joanna Slater of the Washington Post note, Mills has said that law is “worthy of debate” but that Trump cannot change it by decree.

On February 21, Trump threatened to withhold federal education funding for Maine unless Mills promised to comply with his ban. When she reiterated that “I’m complying with state and federal laws,” and that “We’re going to follow the law,” he warned: “You’d better comply because otherwise you’re not getting any federal funding.” Mills answered: “See you in court.”

Since then, the administration has attacked the state, opening investigations, cutting and then restoring Social Security Administration contracts, and taunting Mills on social media. On Friday the Department of Education said it would pull all federal funding for education in Maine unless the state agreed to ban the state’s two transgender girls from playing on girls sports teams. Today the Justice Department sued Maine’s Department of Education, and Attorney General Pam Bondi threatened to pull past funding retroactively.

Mills said the administration is trying “to pressure the State of Maine to ignore the Constitution and abandon the rule of law.” “For nearly two months, Maine has endured recriminations from the Federal government that have targeted hungry school kids, hardworking fishermen, senior citizens, new parents, and countless Maine people,” Mills said. “We have been subject to politically motivated investigations that opened and closed without discussion, leaving little doubt that their outcomes were predetermined. Let today serve as warning to all states: Maine might be among the first to draw the ire of the Federal government in this way, but we will not be the last.”

Trump is also keeping his attack on Harvard in the news. Yesterday, after Harvard defied the regime’s attempt to take over the school, Trump posted “Perhaps Harvard should lose its Tax Exempt Status and be Taxed as a Political Entity if it keeps pushing political, ideological, and terrorist inspired/supporting ‘Sickness?’ Remember, Tax Exempt Status is totally contingent on acting in the PUBLIC INTEREST!”

Today, Evan Perez, Alayna Treene, and Marshall Cohen of CNN reported that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is planning to take away Harvard University’s tax-exempt status. Law professor Sam Brunson noted that this is illegal. “In 1998,” he wrote, “Congress explicitly provided that the President could not, directly or indirectly, request that the IRS start or end an audit or other investigation of a taxpayer.” Brunson also noted that the move was “dumb.” “Unless Trump has super-secret information, Harvard hasn't done anything to violate its tax-exempt status.” Brunson added: “there's not a single competent attorney left in the Administration.”

The Wall Street Journal editorial board helpfully noted that the Supreme Court “has repeatedly held that the government may not use federal benefits or funds to coerce parties to surrender their constitutional rights. This is what the Administration is doing” with its demands on Harvard.

Sarah Longwell of The Bulwark reposted a clip of then-senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) on the Fox News Channel when a right-wing group falsely alleged the IRS was targeting them. "This is about whether we have functional constitutional government in this country,” Vance told host Laura Ingraham. “If the IRS can go after you because of what you think or what you believe or what you do, we'd no longer live in a free country.“

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[iamstillduncneypilled]

duncney scenario/prompt #1

post-canon. duncan is out of prison. courtney has been out of the public eye and off the internet since all stars.

the 15th tdi anniversary rolls around and geoff organizes a reuinion party only for the cast. duncan is originally stubborn about not going, but geoff is really insistent and wins him over, so he goes.

the last person to arrive (oddly enough) is the last person everyone expected to see.

[dududuuuuudud]

More things I need to address

I feel like I'm annoying you but it needs to be said.

Did Duncan love Courtney?

"I love that woman." -Duncan.

It's quite a controversial topic because many say it's true while others disagree. The reason why they disagree if how Courtney left Duncan with a broken alligator and how Duncan left Courtney FOR Gwen. Personally, I think it's a mix of all three and more.

Let me elaborate, Duncan is a pyro; he loves to play with fire and be the cause of it. That doesn't always have to mean literal fire... Courtney's fire.

All throughout their relationship, Duncan has always pestered Courtney and tried to bring out her rage. That's what turned him on. The two never tried to get to know each other and instead had a physical attraction and an attraction for short lasting things. The fire within you and the make outs.

Did they get to know about each other? No. They were easily able to judge each other by look but didn't try to understand each other on a deeper level. They didn't understand why they are the people they are. In Island it showed a small snippet of Courtney seeing Duncan's soft side. Although it wasn't for her, that might've been the only time they understood each other. The problem here was that Courtney was a blabbermouth and blabbered to other people.

"Hey! Get back here! No one is stealing the money I stole!" -Courtney.

That quote was what Courtney said as she chased the money. The anger. The fire. Something Duncan loved. Not Courtney but fire.

I'm not completely biased. I also believed he had some sort of liking for Courtney too. I just don't think it would be love. Especially the fact that this was probably their second time they hung out while dating. Don't you think it's too soon?

Finally, if you think about it, if he really loved Courtney, why would he cheat on her with Gwen? You won't cheat on someone you love. Or how about in Island and Action when Duncan constantly flirted with Heather. He even kissed Heather. The only reason he might've felt hesitant is because it was obvious he liked Gwen a bit in Action. From the prison episode. Why don't you ever think of that? He had no faith when he was with Courtney. Is this true love to you? Is this what you want your beloved character to go through. She deserves it but no one wants to be cheated on. Most likely just karma.

Why didn't he say he loved Gwen in this scene?

"That's why I like you." -Duncan.

THEY JUST STARTED DATING. ISN'T IT WEIRD TO SAY IT STRAIGHT AWAY? Of course Duncan won't say it straight away but he seemed to prove it.

Throughout the season, Duncan always had eyes on Gwen. Vice versa. All Duncan thought about was Gwen as he mentioned when he was on the run with the cops. He stayed loyal to Gwen when Heather tried flirting with him. He was trying to get Courtney eliminated for Gwen. Also for himself but he tried to get Courtney off her back. He was fricking carving her face on the chair. He tried to be cool but when he thought Gwen had a chance of coming back, he was ecstatic. Did you see that disappointed face of his when Blaineley showed up? Once he was eliminated again, he was happy to reunite with Gwen. The two were so happy in Hawaii.

He was in love. He didn't want to admit it just as much as Gwen didn't want to admit that she had a major crush on him post-action.

Gwen was also in love.

Their relationship was so sweet and not pressured. I don't understand how people think it was forced because look at Duncney. They move so quickly. It was the sixth episode and Courtney was already sleeping on top of Duncan. That doesn't seemed forced at all. 🙄

Courtney tried to change him but with Gwen, Duncan changed on his own. You could see in All Stars how caring he was for Gwen.

"No pressure, no planning, no pookums." -Gwen.

In conclusion, Duncan loved Gwen. Vice versa.

All Stars

"I only came back for Gwen." -Duncan.

The potential reason to Duncan's downfall was what people thought of him. During the seasons, Duncan and Gwen would've gotten much backlash from theses dumb Duncney fans but Duncan didn't seem to be fazed. His problem was that the cast hasn't seem him in two years and Duncan changed so much. They started pointing out to him, telling him how he used to be a bad boy and now he's a hero and now Duncan's insecure.

For Gwen, the threats have deeply affected her as she really cared about her image as a villain. After all, she had morals. The potential reason why Gwen ignored Duncan is because she knew how Courtney would feel if Gwen and Duncan were to show PDA in front of her. Gwen might've been OOC but it was reasonable. It was understandable. I think Gwen knew Duncan didn't like Courtney but got sick of Courtney hating her so she broke up with him. Courtney did become friends with Gwen after they broke up.

I believe Gwen and Duncan still love each other but because of the events placed in All Stars, they separated.

In my hc's Gwen and Duncan meet up after Duncan's jail sentence and they talk about their problems.

The reason why he cared what Courtney would say because he wanted to prove how his relationship was better and how he was so much happier. You saw Courtney's tantrums during World Tour. She made a big fuss which was reasonable but embarrassing and deserving. The problem was that All Stars was a bad time for Gwen and Duncan.

Was Courtney just boy crazy? Was she using them?

"Scott is sweet on me for obvious reason so I'm keeping him around til the end since he'll probably let me win." -Courtney.

Ever since season one, Courtney has been gong for every guy. She has flirted, kissed, used, abused and everything to them.

In season one, it was Duncan. Season two, Justin. Season three, Alejandro. Season five, Scott. Every season she tried to date one of the guys. Mind you that in season two, she was dating Duncan and was happily about to kiss Justin. Duncan knew this and maybe that's why he was a bit interested in Courtney and Scott's relationship. Because Courtney had gone boy crazy and using them too.

Season one, she used Duncan to wrestle an alligator for her. Season two, Justin's and Duncan's votes. Season three, Alejandro to make Duncan jealous. (Little did she know she was getting manipulated) Season five, Scott to make it to the finale. Every season it's a different boy. Poor Duncan.

______________________________________________________________

Look, I was to write more but I'm kind of lazy now so I'll just leave that to that. Thank you if you've read this whole thing!!

[dozing-marshmallow]

CHRISTMAS WITH TOTAL DRAMA CHARACTERS(CHRIS, DUNCAN, HEATHER) SCENARIOS

Merry Christmas everyone! So sorry I couldn’t post something Christmas themed sooner, I hope everyone’s been having a wonderful day with family and friends whether you celebrate or not!🎄❤️

CHRIS

Despite the Christmas events he hosted for many networks, Chris didn’t feel he was really celebrating it until he went over to Newfoundland.

Before dinner, you joined him on this tradition that his homeland calls “Mummering” where it was basically Guess Who and Trick or Treat combined.

Needless to say, every neighbour you visited guessed who he was correctly.

He was reluctant to complete the family secret Santa. Originally, you sucked your teeth, thinking he was just being arrogant. However, from that event, you got an insight on the nature of a lot of his relatives- opportunistic.

“Could you lend me a few thousand dollars? What’s a guy like you to lose?", "Could you be the best nephew in the world and pay for the wedding of my best friend’s daughter?", "Could you help me pay off my mortgage?"

No wonder why your husband was barely enjoying himself at the dinner table! These people didn’t see him as a human; they saw him as a big shot wallet.

“Tell me, Chris... Is this how every Christmas goes for you?” you asked when it was just you and him, sitting next to him on the guest bed.

He was as sombre as ever. Sombre!,“Yeah. Told you the rest of the family weren’t important. I only bother to put up with them for my mom. I wish they all drop dead soon though.”

Not on Christmas Day... You couldn’t end the evening like this,“Okay... Is there anything you want to do together to cheer you up before we go to bed?”

“Hm...” the exhaustion shifts in his eyes as he smugly commands,“Tell me how good I look.”

You sigh in annoyance. That, you could do any day,“Really, Chris?”

“Fiiiiiine.” his moping tone of voice settled back,“I suppose raiding the leftover desserts wouldn’t hurt.”

“That...” is an oddly simple request coming from him,“Yet you’re implying you never did it?”

His attention is caught by the room’s door,“I didn’t have anyone I wanted to do it with.”

And unlike the fall of snow, his festive misery had vanished all at once.

“ᴬˡˡ ᴵ ʷᵃⁿᵗ ᶠᵒʳ ᶜʰʳⁱˢᵗᵐᵃˢ ⁱˢ ʸᵒᵘ!”

DUNCAN

Duncan’s dad was very pushy about Church this time around.

And he always found in his best interest to not go anyway.

This time though, you were there with him. So he decided, he’ll go this year.

He was also forced to join the local youth choir that would sing on the streets to raise money for those in need.

As long as he got to wear a mask...

“Not happening.” his dad sneered.

Okay, it wasn’t actually as bad as he thought it’d go.

Though he didn’t want to give his dad that satisfaction so he played sour about coming home. His main motivation was to steal some plates worth of food, give his mother her Christmas present and stuff the stockings of his cousins with bars of coal.

If anyone asks, you didn’t see anything.

His mom knitted him a Christmas sweater in return so obviously he wore it.

He visited his friends back in juvie with you.

It was quite heartwarming, seeing these teens who had done wrong in the past still have tenderness to friends and family, making you wish them a good future post leaving prison.

Besides, if they were Duncan’s friends, they had to have some morals.

Walking back, it was clear that he had room left for mischief and wanted to fill that space by stalling so you would be in front of him and turn around in confusion to not be met with Duncan, but his snowball.

“Hahaha! Nice makeup!”

You brush the snow off your face and feel your own devil inspire.

Let’s give him a taste of his own medicine.

You bent down and rolled up a snowball. Let the fight begin!

“ ᴼ ᶜᵒᵐᵉ, ᵃˡˡ ʸᵉ ᶠᵃⁱᵗʰᶠᵘˡ, ʲᵒʸᶠᵘˡ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵗʳⁱᵘᵐᵖʰᵃⁿᵗ!”

HEATHER

She scrunches her nose at the arrival of Christmas, that season that’s “nothing but noise and shallow junk.”

"I got you a present." you held it out for her.

“Buying my favour when it’s not my birthday, huh?” she looked inside the bag with no anticipation until she saw designer clothes neatly folded. She raised a smile and an eyebrow as she glanced back at you,“Okay, I guess it’s not that bad.”

Seeing her house made you wonder why she auditioned to come on the show.

To her displeasure, you were having fun cutting snowflakes, painting ornaments and decorating gingerbread men with her younger brothers and sisters.

Even more so when you helped her parents prepare the meal.

“We could never dream of Heather helping us out in the kitchen!” her mother claimed, wearing gloves over her manicured hands and a long apron over her expensive attire,“This is a nice change!”

“For sure! (Y/N) should come every year! Maybe our Heather Feather could learn a thing or two from you!” her father would then add on, with a hopeful smile.

With that, she dragged you out of the kitchen by the ear lobe.

“Let’s get out of here. I want something to drink.” she demanded, all ready in her outside winter gear.

Why come home if you’re not going to enjoy yourself?

You’re about to pay for the cozy drinks, but Heather interrupts you.

“I’ll do it.”

After an opening sip and staring at all this pure white showering from the sky, you smirk at Total Drama’s first villain,“So she does have a giving heart!”

Her answer was as cold, but her face was soft,“Don’t make me spill this on you.” the steam from her cup should be the only thing your eyes made contact with,“I just felt nice today. Don’t get used to it.”

“I won’t, I won’t.”

Something about that clarification made her tighten her grip on her cup for a small moment.

Seems like she wanted to give home a chance to fix her a reason for being...this. Generous.

A reason to like Christmas.

However, being with you, peacefully drinking with her, not disgusted or intimidated, was a reason on its own.

“ᵀʰⁱˢ ʸᵉᵃʳ, ᵗᵒ ˢᵃᵛᵉ ᵐᵉ ᶠʳᵒᵐ ᵗᵉᵃʳˢ, ᴵ’ˡˡ ᵍⁱᵛᵉ ⁱᵗ ᵗᵒ ˢᵒᵐᵉᵒⁿᵉ ˢᵖᵉᶜⁱᵃˡ,”

[no-goodbyes-no-regrets]

Duncan has apparently said that there is a big SL coming up for Aaron. Duh! 😉 Of course there is! He has been shooting 16hour shifts and the 2025 Emmerdale promo showed him tossing what looked like a body bag in the river!! 🙆‍♀️ The question is not if there is a sl but what SL.

The SL I want: 1) Aaron is triggered by Anthony, so, he loses it and takes a leaf out of his ex husband's book🔪👩‍🌾 Confesses. Ends up on the IoW. Exclusive special episode on an explosive Robron reunion in prison- fireworks, punches, angst with happy ending. No chance of Chas distraction or threat of Paddy locking him up. OR.

2) Aaron finds out John Sugden is not who he is. They fight, break up or he dies. Aaron sets on a mission to quietly put his family back together.

The SL I think we will get:

1) Aaron is triggered by Anthony. Starts self harming again. Fauxbert and Aaron have a heart-to-heart about Aaron's Dad (which will set him apart from other non Robert bfs). Fauxbert tries but fails to reign Aaron in and Aaron ends up in Anthony's SL in any case and does something rash.

Of all the Robron scenes Emmerdale has replicated with Fauxbert, I wish they had left that reveal scene alone. But alas!

Danny's New Year post about Robron was just a tease. Tbh I wouldn't put much stock into it. We have to accept that the Next Chapter is pretty much them going their own ways and settling in farms on different continents perhaps 🥲 Doesn't mean I won't be clowning though 😉 I can wait until my last breath for a reunion and when I die, I will lobby Satan Down Under to work on the reunion 😂

I don't trust Duncan. I wouldn't even trust him if he was standing right in front of me and told me something I knew was 100% true.

having said that - I do think Aaron will be involved in the Ruby story. But only from the sidelines. A little like Cain now - suspicious of Anthony - but with Aaron it probably won't go any further than that.

I really don't think they'll go back to Aaron self harming. They didn't when he lost Robert, they didn't when he lost Seb - i doubt they'll go there over bloody Anthony and Ruby.

And Fauxbert already knows about gordon - they had this heart to heart in the woods a few weeks ago where Aaron mentioned going camping with gordon or something and fauxbert knew what he was talking about. So supposedly he told him about the abuse *off screen*. Because their relationship is *that* important.

As for Ryan coming back - hope dies last!

(also for a second I thought you mean Down Under as in Australia and I was Very Confused lol)

[scotianostra]

December 10th 1747 saw the death of Duncan Forbes of Culloden, the Lord President of the Court of Session.

Duncan Forbes was born on 10 November 1685, in Culloden House, near Inverness, second son of Duncan Forbes, 3rd laird of Culloden, and Mary Innes. His elder brother, John was 12 years older. Forbes attended the local grammar school and then matriculated at Marischal College in Aberdeen in 1699. His brother John inherited the Culloden Estate when their father died in 1704. Forbes briefly attended the University of Edinburgh in 1705, then received his law degree from Leyden University in the Netherlands. He returned to Scotland in 1707 and in married Mary Rose in 1708. They had one surviving child, John Forbes Upon his brother John’s death in 1734, Forbes inherited the Culloden Estate.

During the Jacobite Rising of 1715, Forbes and his brother raised independent companies and fortified Culloden and Kilvarock. They joined forces with Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat, and forced Inverness to surrender to them just before the Jacobite defeat at the Battle of Sheriffmuir. As a reward, Forbes was made Depute-Advocate in March 1716. This required him to prosecute Jacobite prisoners being held in Carlisle, contrary to the accepted practice they be tried in the counties where the actions were alleged to have taken place. Forbes regarded this as unjust and apparently collected money for the support of Scottish prisoners in Carlisle.

In 1721, Forbes represented Ayr Burghs as a Member of Parliament (MP.) Then in 1722, he was elected for Inverness Burghs, a seat he held until 1737 when he resigned. Forbes was appointed as Lord President of the Court of Session, becoming the senior legal officer in Scotland. He held this position until his death in 1747.

The 1745 Jacobite Uprising began when Prince Charles and a few companions landed on Eriskay on 23 July. Forbes received word of the landing on 9 August and he notified the British Government in London. After the Jacobite army entered Edinburgh and achieved a victory at Prestonpans in September, Forbes and John Campbell, Earl of Loudoun based themselves in Inverness with around 2,000 recruits. They were forced to retreat to the Isle of Skye when the Jacobites retreated to Inverness after abandoning the siege of Stirling Castle in February 1746. Prince Charles used the Culloden Estate as his headquarters during the preparations for the Battle of Culloden. After the British Government victory in Culloden in April, Forbes returned home to find his house looted and all his cattle stolen.

While he supported severe penalties for the leaders, Forbes counselled that 'Unnecessary Severitys create Pity.' He opposed the 1746 Dress Act banning Highland attire except when worn in military service, arguing it was unnecessary and enforcement of the 1716 Disarming Act was more important. This advice was largely ignored.

Forbes himself was financially ruined by the Rising, due to the damage done to his estate and because he was never reimbursed for the monies spent on behalf of the government. He died on this day in 1747 and was buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard, near to his brother John. A statue of him by Louis-François Roubiliac was erected in the Parliament House, Edinburgh by the Faculty of Advocates in 1752.

You can find out a lot more about the man and the enrtire history of the family here https://www.clan-forbes.org/post/edinburgh

[eretzyisrael]

by Dion J. Pierre

Harvard University denounced an antisemitic image depicting a Jew lynching an African American and an Arab which was posted on social media by an anti-Zionist faculty group.

“The university is aware of social media posts today containing deeply offensive antisemitic tropes and messages from organizations whose membership includes Harvard affiliates,” the university said, speaking from its Instagram account. “Such despicable messages have no place in the Harvard community. We condemn these posts in the strongest possible terms.”

Harvard Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine (FSJP), a group which describes itself as a “collective” committed to falsely accusing Israel of genocide and dispossession — terms one finds on the fringes of the extreme right — initiated this latest controversy. The image it shared shows a left-hand tattooed with a Star of David containing a dollar sign at its center dangling a Black man and an Arab man from a noose. In its posterior, an arm belonging to an unknown person of color wields a machete that says, “Liberation Movement.”

“African people have a profound understanding of apartheid and occupation,” says a graphic in which the image appears. “The historical roots of solidarity between Black liberation movements and Palestinian liberation began in the late 1960s. This period was marked by a heightened awareness among Black organizations in the United States.”

It continued, “The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee [SNCC] linked Zionism to an imperial project while the Black Panther Party aligned itself with the Palestinian resistance, framing both struggles as part of a unified front against racism, Zionism, and imperialism.”

On Monday, Harvard Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine — whose 112 founding members include professors Walter Johnson, Jennifer Brody, Diane Moore, Charlie Prodger, Leslie Fernandez, Khameer Kidia, and Duncan Kennedy — apologized for sharing the image and suggested that it was unaware of its own social media activity.

“It has come to our attention that a post featuring antiquated cartoons which used offensive antisemitic tropes was linked to our account,” the group said. “We removed the content as soon as it came to our attention. We apologize for the hurt that these images have caused and do not condone them in any way.”

Two other student groups have apologized for sharing the image, according to The Harvard Crimson. In a joint statement, the Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee and the African and American Resistance Organization said “our mutual goals for liberation will always include the Jewish community — and we regret inadvertently including an image that played upon antisemitic tropes.”

The past four months have been described by critics of Harvard as a low-point in the history of the school, America’s oldest and, arguably, most prestigious institution of higher education. Since the October 7 massacre by Hamas, Harvard has been accused of fostering a culture of racial grievance and antisemitism, while important donors have suspended funding for programs. Its first Black president, Claudine Gay, resigned in disgrace last month after being outed as a serial plagiarist. Her tenure was the shortest in the school’s history.

As scenes of Hamas terrorists abducting children and desecrating dead bodies circulated worldwide, 31 student groups at Harvard, led by the Palestine Solidarity Committee (PSC) issued a statement blaming Israel for the attack and accusing the Jewish state of operating an “open air prison” in Gaza, despite that the Israeli military withdrew from the territory in 2005. In the weeks that followed, anti-Zionists stormed the campus screaming “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” and “globalize the intifada,” terrorizing Jewish students and preventing some from attending class.

In November, a mob of anti-Zionists — including Ibrahim Bharmal, editor of the prestigious Harvard Law Review — followed, surrounded, and intimidated a Jewish student. “Shame! Shame! Shame! Shame!” the crush of people screamed in a call-and-response chant into the ears of the student who —as seen in the footage — was forced to duck and dash the crowd to free himself from the cluster of bodies that encircled him.

The university is currently being investigated by the US House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce. It was recently subpoenaed by the body after weeks of allegedly obstructing the inquiry.

[nyoxt]

@ygtahoy that's the first part to your biiiiig ask, I’ll just divide my answers between characters, because ooooh you threw at me so many questions, and the post would be gigantic (it's already ssooo long) :D Thaaanks!!! (eugh I wanted to sprinkle the texts with sketches, but sketches are not happening due to arteblock, and I don’t want it to take a year or smth to answer, so I’ll sprinkle some sketches once I’m out of the pit😔) For Ram: (tw suicidal ideations for one of the answers down below)

[3]What emotion is the hardest for them to deal with?

Anger! Ram generally tends to swallow and bottle up all the negative emotions, but anger especially so. Mostly because he's terrified of his own anger (not without a reason I guess-he's wildly aware that he can hurt people around him easily if he's not careful; and he has done quite a lot of people-hurting in prison, where he didn't hold himself back in any way) and refuse to even acknowledge its existence.

So Ram's way of dealing with anger is – to push it down and bottle up-> continue 'till the maximum pressure is reached-> then bottle up s'more->explode->scare himself shitless with the result and/or his own reactions->feel immense guilt/shame->swear to never be like that again-> rinse, repeat.

Surprisingly, Duncan can see through Ram's cheerful performances with ease, because that's one of the things that Didn't Change At All since they first met. Also Duncan is probably the only person Ram trusts enough to show at least some anger. Which led the rest of the group to conclusion that they hate each other's' guts,while them getting all heated and snappy was the sign of mutual trust and freedom to express themselves without the fear of being rejected for “bad” emotions. I like to think that Duncan tried to nudge Ram towards some healthy/er ways to vent his frustrations- like taking him to some junkyard to just break some things (just to be met with “Break stuff?? Why?! What's fun in that??? Angry? Who's angry? I don't have any anger issues at all! :) “

[17] What is their biggest struggle that no one around is able to understand or believe?

Augh that's a tough question because I've never thought about it heh. Probably that Ram actually struggles to open up to people and maintain deep connections which are as beneficial for him as for the others. That might be hard to believe because he's always the heart of the company, everyones' bestie, can befriend even a rock, always there to help, to listen, to be the shoulder to cry or to lean on etc etc. And despite talking and asking people about themselves and their wellbeing a lot, he tells very little about himself and somehow manages to be very secretive.

[55] How long does it take for them to make a new place feel like home, and what do they need for it?

Unknown amount of time- he doesn't really remember how “home” is supposed to feel, and what to do to make “a place you have to live in” into one; and treats every place he stays at as temporary, however nice it is. (there are also some unhealthy attachments to some toxic places that are at play). The fact that he has very little possessions doesn’t help either. He started to experience somewhat “homey” feelings towards the Kraken and Heoi, but he didn't understand it until he moved again and got hit with the realization that he lost something very important.

Desire: What's one thing your OC wants more than anything in the world? Are they open with that desire? Why or why not? What would they do to fulfill it?

To never ever be alone again! In all possible meanings! He may not do absolutely anything for that, but make some big sacrifices or cut off parts of himself? Sure! He’s not open about it, but leave him in a room by himself for a few hours and it’ll be crystal clear. As for why is he closed a)It’s not a fully realized desire and b) it’s not something that could be achieved alone (ha!), and god forbid telling people that you’d like to take some space in their lives, what if they’ll reject you after that😱?!? 

is now a good occasion to mention that you can absolutely obliterate him with silent treatment? tee hee))

Future: What's the worst possible future for your OC? Are they taking steps to avoid that outcome? Are they even aware it's a possibility?

Within the frames of HK story the worst future for Ram would be succumbing to the siren’s call of one particular teethy entity, killing his friends and family along the way and being remodeled into teethy-monster-slave, which was happily avoided.

aaaaand after the HK plot…welll…………originally my intention was that after a few years past HK, back to Seattle he’d either kill himself or do something so stupidly dangerous that he’d get no chance of surviving. Because once he’ll get out of survival mode and get even a semblance of being safe- all his past traumas gotta catch up to him and rip him asunder. (and because the tragedy of characters tearing themselves apart to help family-friends-friendly acquaintances while failing miserably to heal and to find their place and to fix their own life, while never getting the same help/attention from family-friends-friendly acquaintances- is was cathartic for me). But then I sketched Ram being older, and thought “woah, I kinda dig this design! Well, to get to this state, he needs to survive the horrible goop state, huh”. Soooo he was saved from me by me getting a neat redesign :D

Secret: What's one secret your OC never wants anyone to know about them?

Mmmmm, perhaps it's not a secret, more like…Ram is trying pretty hard to conceal his in-prison shenanigans. And the kind of guy he made himself into in there. Like, he was obsessed with only one goal- to get out, no matter what. And for that goal he didn't hold back any of his worst impulses, and was 100% aggressive, and didn’t shy away from betraying and framing ppl and was overall an awful person. Complete 180° turn from his usual personality. And yeeeah, it was out of extreme desperation, but still- that’s a source of a great shame and guilt and embarrassment for him, so noooo, shhhh, no talking abt that :)

[reddanceragain]

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

April 16, 2025 (Wednesday)

In El Salvador today, authorities denied Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) a meeting or a phone call with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the man the Trump regime sent by “administrative error” to the terrorist prison CECOT. Abrego Garcia is Van Hollen’s constituent, and the senator promised his family to try to get him released. That Salvadoran officials cannot or will not produce him raises concerns about his well-being.

Senator Van Hollen had hoped to meet with El Salvador’s president, Nayib Bukele, but met instead with Vice President Félix Ulloa. Ulloa at first told Van Hollen there had not been enough time to arrange a meeting with Abrego Garcia, but when the senator offered to come back next week, Ulloa allowed as how a meeting might not be possible at all.

Van Hollen reported that when he asked Ulloa why El Salvador was continuing to imprison Abrego Garcia when it had no evidence that he was a gang member, Ulloa answered that the Trump administration is paying El Salvador to hold him.

Evidently, President Donald Trump thinks what he is doing to Abrego Garcia and the optics of CECOT play well to his base. Jordain Carney and Nicholas Wu of Politico reported today that the White House has “heavily encouraged” Republican lawmakers to lean into the idea of Abrego Garcia—who has no criminal record—as an example of the dangerous criminals they insist Democrats want to bring to the U.S. Yesterday, out of the blue and with absolutely no evidence, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed that Abrego Garcia engaged in human trafficking.

At least a dozen Republicans have followed the president’s lead. Congressional reporter Craig Caplan reported that yesterday, House Ways and Means committee chair Jason Smith (R-MO) led a delegation of Republican House members to tour CECOT. The delegation included representatives Ron Estes (KS), Kevin Hern (OK), Mike Kennedy (UT), Carol Miller (WV), Riley Moore (WV), and Claudia Tenney (NY). At least some of the representatives had photographs taken of them in CECOT, standing in front of the caged men.

(NOTE: WHAT A BUNCH OF NAZI PIGS!!!!!)

The delegation also met with U.S. Ambassador to El Salvador William Duncan, who posted on social media that “[t]he delegation is visiting the country to strengthen bilateral ties and discuss initiatives that promote economic development and mutual cooperation.”

Two days ago, Bukele posted a picture of himself and Trump with their arms around each other with the comment: “Friends.” Ron Filipkowski of MeidasNews wrote: “We traded Europe for a guy that builds concentration camps for profit.”

Trump is likely pushing his narrative about criminal undocumented immigrants—although Bloomberg has reported that 90% of the men he has sent to El Salvador have no criminal record—in part because that rendition is stirring up opposition. In addition to popular protests, judges are pushing back.

Today, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg issued an opinion saying that the administration’s “hurried removal” of the men to El Salvador after Boasberg had issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) prohibiting them from doing so, demonstrated “a wilful disregard for its Order, sufficient for the Court to conclude that probable cause exists to find the Government in criminal contempt.”

“The Constitution does not tolerate willful disobedience of judicial orders—especially by officials of a coordinate branch who have sworn an oath to uphold it,” Boasberg wrote. Quoting Chief Justice John Marshall, who laid down the foundations of much of America law, Boasberg wrote: “To permit such officials to freely ‘annul the judgments of the courts of the United States’ would not just ‘destroy the rights acquired under those judgments’; it would make ‘a solemn mockery’ of ‘the constitution itself.’”

If the government decides not to try to repair its contempt, Boasberg says the court will use declarations, hearings, or depositions to identify the individuals responsible for making the judgment to ignore the court. Then he will ask the government to prosecute the contempt, but if—as is likely—it refuses, Boasberg says he will appoint a private prosecutor to move the case along. As legal analyst Joyce White Vance puts it: “These cases are about making sure that, American citizen or not, criminal or not, peoples’ right to have the day in court that the Constitution guarantees them is honored. That’s all. But it’s everything.”

Trump is also likely playing to his base because Americans are terribly concerned about what’s happening to the economy on his watch.

Stocks fell again today after Trump’s administration said it would put limits on chip sales to China and after Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell told the Economic Club of Chicago that Trump’s tariffs will have “significantly larger than anticipated…economic effects, which will include higher inflation and slower growth.” The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 700 points or 1.73%, the S&P 500 fell 2.24%, and the Nasdaq Composite fell 3.07%.

Danielle Kaye of the New York Times reports on a recent Bank of America survey that shows global investors have dumped a record amount of U.S. stocks in the past two months. Trump insists that the U.S. has been bringing in $2 billion a day in tariffs, some of which he claims comes from his new levies, but, in fact, Lori Ann LaRocco of CNBC reported today that U.S. Customs and Border Protection says the U.S. is taking in only $250 million a day.

Leila Fadel of NPR reports that China used to buy more than half the U.S. crop of soybeans and now soybean farmers are gravely concerned they’re going to lose that market. At the same time, we are heading in the prime months for the U.S. tourism industry, and Bloomberg reports that a worst-case scenario by the Goldman Sachs Group Inc. estimates that the U.S. could lose almost $90 billion as foreign tourists stay away from the U.S. and boycott American products.

So Trump is hitting his MAGA themes hard.

Today he escalated his attacks on Maine governor Janet Mills. Trump has demanded that Mills prohibit transgender girls in the public schools from participating in girls’ sports. Mills, who was Maine’s attorney general before she became governor, maintains she is bound by the 2021 state law that explicitly protects against discrimination on the basis of gender identity. As Jeremy Roebuck and Joanna Slater of the Washington Post note, Mills has said that law is “worthy of debate” but that Trump cannot change it by decree.

On February 21, Trump threatened to withhold federal education funding for Maine unless Mills promised to comply with his ban. When she reiterated that “I’m complying with state and federal laws,” and that “We’re going to follow the law,” he warned: “You’d better comply because otherwise you’re not getting any federal funding.” Mills answered: “See you in court.”

Since then, the administration has attacked the state, opening investigations, cutting and then restoring Social Security Administration contracts, and taunting Mills on social media. On Friday the Department of Education said it would pull all federal funding for education in Maine unless the state agreed to ban the state’s two transgender girls from playing on girls sports teams. Today the Justice Department sued Maine’s Department of Education, and Attorney General Pam Bondi threatened to pull past funding retroactively.

Mills said the administration is trying “to pressure the State of Maine to ignore the Constitution and abandon the rule of law.” “For nearly two months, Maine has endured recriminations from the Federal government that have targeted hungry school kids, hardworking fishermen, senior citizens, new parents, and countless Maine people,” Mills said. “We have been subject to politically motivated investigations that opened and closed without discussion, leaving little doubt that their outcomes were predetermined. Let today serve as warning to all states: Maine might be among the first to draw the ire of the Federal government in this way, but we will not be the last.”

Trump is also keeping his attack on Harvard in the news. Yesterday, after Harvard defied the regime’s attempt to take over the school, Trump posted “Perhaps Harvard should lose its Tax Exempt Status and be Taxed as a Political Entity if it keeps pushing political, ideological, and terrorist inspired/supporting ‘Sickness?’ Remember, Tax Exempt Status is totally contingent on acting in the PUBLIC INTEREST!”

Today, Evan Perez, Alayna Treene, and Marshall Cohen of CNN reported that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is planning to take away Harvard University’s tax-exempt status. Law professor Sam Brunson noted that this is illegal. “In 1998,” he wrote, “Congress explicitly provided that the President could not, directly or indirectly, request that the IRS start or end an audit or other investigation of a taxpayer.” Brunson also noted that the move was “dumb.” “Unless Trump has super-secret information, Harvard hasn't done anything to violate its tax-exempt status.” Brunson added: “there's not a single competent attorney left in the Administration.”

The Wall Street Journal editorial board helpfully noted that the Supreme Court “has repeatedly held that the government may not use federal benefits or funds to coerce parties to surrender their constitutional rights. This is what the Administration is doing” with its demands on Harvard.

Sarah Longwell of The Bulwark reposted a clip of then-senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) on the Fox News Channel when a right-wing group falsely alleged the IRS was targeting them. "This is about whether we have functional constitutional government in this country,” Vance told host Laura Ingraham. “If the IRS can go after you because of what you think or what you believe or what you do, we'd no longer live in a free country.“

[nordleuchten]

@nicobutnot wrote:

Do you know any accurate books about laurens, Lafayette or hamilton?

I am sorry that it took me so long to answer your question, but I thought that it might be more appropriate to turn this answer into a proper post, because that way I can elaborate a bit more and other people, who might have the same question, might see this as well.

I am no expert when it comes to good books about Laurens and Hamilton – so whoever knows more, please feel free to add to this post. With regards to La Fayette, the answer depends a bit on what you are looking for.

General Books:

Hero of two Worlds by Mike Duncan and Lafayette by Harlow Giles Unger are good and comprehensive overviews about La Fayette’s life from cradle to grave. Unger has a few more information and Duncan gives better sources and is more neutral, if you were to ask me, but both books are good starting points.

Then there also the books written by Louis Gottschalk – he was and likely still is *the* authority on La Fayette. He published a multi-volume work detailing his life as well as numerous papers and books about smaller, more specific aspects. He was also one of the driving forces behind the publication of La Fayette’s letters and papers.

Books that still give a general overview but also bring a new perspective/focus on a specific topic:

In this very roundabout named category, I can recommend For Liberty and Glory by James R. Gaines (one of my personal favourites), a book about La Fayette’s and Washington’s relationship, and their different approaches to Revolution. I can also recommend The Marquis – Lafayette Reconsidered by Laura Auricchio for a fresh and new perspective.

Niche books:

In Lafayette in Two Worlds by Lloyd S. Kramer we have a wonderful contextualization of La Fayette role in politics, especially during the time of the French Revolution, his self-presentation, and a careful analysis of the image he crafted for himself.

Lafayette: Prisoner of State by Paul S. Spalding takes an in-depth look into La Fayette’s time imprisoned by Prussia and Austria during the French Revolution.

General Layette in Wittmoldt by Alfons Galotte has never been translated into English as far as I know but if you can read German; it is a wonderful reflection on La Fayette’s time in exile in Danish-Holstein. The book does not only sheds light on the La Fayette family but also on the people around them, the political and social world their were moving in and how people perceived them.

I hope I could help with that aspect and happy reading! :-)

[mspegasus17]

Masterlist

Long Fic

In the Shadows (Sebastian Sallow x fem! Reader)

English versions on Wattpad and AO3

German versions on Wattpad, AO3 and Fanfiktion.de

Fluff

Care of Magical Creatures - fem!MC x fem!MC → Wattpad, AO3 and Tumblr

Beach please - MC friends → Wattpad, AO3 and Tumblr

Steal my Heart - Part one (Sebastian Sallow x fem!MC) → Wattpad, AO3 and Tumblr

The Circus - Poppy x Imelda on Wattpad, AO3 and Tumblr

Soup Soup Soup - Poppy and fem!MC friends → Wattpad, AO3 and Tumblr

Of Pasta and Love - Ominis x Poppy → Wattpad, AO3 and Tumblr

Shelby's Story -> Wattpad, AO3 and Tumblr

Angst

The Prisoner - Yandere!Seb → Wattpad, AO3 and Tumblr

Turning Dark → Wattpad, AO3 and Tumblr

Smut

Shower Thoughts - Leander x Duncan → Wattpad, AO3 and Tumblr

Cakes and Pies - Sebastian x fem!MC → Wattpad and AO3

Forbidden Fruit Cocktail - Leander → Wattpad and AO3

Steal my Heart - Part two → Wattpad, AO3 and Tumblr

Truth or Dare - fem!MC x Sebastian? → Wattpad, AO3 and Tumblr

A slightly different punch - Garreth x fem!MC x Garreth → Wattpad, AO3 and Tumblr

Save a Broom - Ride a Wizard - Sebastian Sallow x fem!MC → Wattpad and AO3

The Gates of Hell - Hades x Persephone → Wattpad, AO3 and Tumblr

What Happened that Night - Liska x Leszy → Wattpad, AO3 and Tumblr

All my Oneshots will be posted one by one here too.

[gaytotaldrama]

duncney week day 4 (a day late): first 'i love you'

an unsent letter from C to D, years after the end of the show.

duncney song of the day: 'i've got your number,' elbow

also on my ao3!

Dear Dunc

To whom it may conce

For the idiot with the green mohawk

Duncan, 

I don't go to therapy, but Bridgette does, and she told me about this exercise her therapist set her where you write down everything you want to say to someone in a letter and then you don't send it. Therapy would take up way too much of my time, yet here I am on my bed, writing to you of all people.

It's been years since we last saw each other, or even spoke - since they carted you off the island and tossed you into some disgusting cell. I'm sure you're already aware, but destroying Chris's house was a really  stupid  idea. I understand that you were trying to prove your "villain status" or whatever, but all I could think about watching you leave was DJ and his rabbit. It made me feel  sick,  seeing what happened to you. Gwen and I pretended to be happy about it, but I don't think either of us were at all. 

I know she called once or twice, while you were in there. I know Geoff and DJ came to visit you. I know Bridgette sent you little care baskets through the mail.

I know I never did any of those things. It all hurt so much, still. And even when it didn't, I never figured out what I would say to you.

But now, I have an idea. More or less.

However angry I was with you after you and Gwen kissed, it didn't mean I wanted to see you thrown in  prison.  I know I can be petty and vengeful at my lowest moments, but I always imagined you'd be eliminated in some humiliating spectacle. You'd go home. And we'd never have to see each other again, unless Owen ever decided to throw that reunion bash he was talking about.

And then when that bash happened, you were locked up again for violating your parole. And you weren't there.

I thought about filling these pages with all the reasons you were awful to me, every nitpick and tiny detail that made me hate your guts. But it's not like I was the perfect girlfriend, either. And, Duncan, we were just  kids.  None of us knew what we were doing, what it was we even wanted. Chris knew that and he used it against us every which way, exploiting us on international television.

I don't know if I really forgive you yet. I guess I'd have to see you in person to know. I've spent most of my time post-Total Drama working to forgive myself. Which has worked. Somewhat, at least.

Geoff says you're in Seattle. He says you're working as a tattoo artist. He says you go to AA meetings every week at the recreational center. That's good. That's really good, Duncan.

I work. Sanford, Sanford & Patel - started as a secretary, but I've clawed my way up a bit since then. Helped win some major cases. Hopefully it won't be long before they're adding a Reyes up on that sign.

Bridgette, Geoff, and I have game night every Wednesday evening. We take turns cooking dinner. Sometimes Bridgette slides me a CBD gummy to help me fall asleep at night. I jog, in the mornings. When I can, I go to the gym. Every now and then, I pick up Geoff's guitar and strum it a little. I still remember when you taught me my first bar chord. I couldn't make a  sound  on the B minor then, but I've gotten better, now. I've really gotten better.

I have a cat. This little precocious furball that Bridgette brought back from the shelter. She likes to claw at my nice leather desk chair and she doesn't like strangers at all; I adore her. Her name is Scruffy.

Every couple of months, I fly out to visit Gwen in Vancouver. They showed me the inky moon you put on their collarbone - I think it's beautiful. We go and get coffee together, catch up. She's got an art exhibition down in Bellingham in the fall - I plan to go, but I don't know if you'll be there. I don't know if I want you to be or not.

I've had a few boyfriends, but none of them could keep up with me. One time, Gwen and I got drunk and slept together. I'm not sure why I'm telling you this, but it was kind of good. Which is kind of funny. To me, at least.

Oh, and Geoff and Bridgette are engaged. Which I guess you already knew. It only just happened, so there are no real plans yet, you know those two. Never once made a list in their lives. But I guess if you're not at Gwen's show, we'll see each other at the wedding.

Would you talk to me? If we met again, would you even talk to me? I like to think I'd talk to you. But it's a hell of a lot easier to say it in writing than it is to do it in person.

Would you miss me?

I've missed you. I know people say you never stay with your high school sweetheart, but look at G and B, case in point. We didn't stay together, but sometimes I imagine what it would have been like if we had. Where we'd be right now.

Damn it, ok, I'm just going to say it: I love you. We never got around to telling that to each other while we were dating, but I think it's always been true, since all the way back in season one. I love you, Duncan Russo. It's totally humiliating, but I do. I still really, really do.

And I wish you were

Maybe if I

And I guess there's nothing to be done about that. Over a decade, and I'm still hung up on the boy who I kissed in the back of the Killer Bass cabin, right after puking my guts out. There's only so many people who would kiss someone with vomit breath, but you did. You didn't care. I mean, it was totally disgusting, but you kissed me back. I'll always remember the way you kissed me back.

Just...I just hope you're ok, ok? Or if not, then that you're something close to it. That show screwed every single one of us over, some more than others. The shit Chris did to us was messed up, and if I could go back and time and withdraw my audition tape, I would.

But then I guess I'd never have met you. And I don't know if that would be better or worse for me in the long run.

Thank God you'll never see this letter. 

Love,

Courtney