#anyway i just. have they seen a tv show before genuine questions

[sensitivehandsomeactionman]

A nice story about Jensen Ackles on Reddit. Text:

Poster: I “worked” with him/ for him for several years before I realized he was a celebrity/ on a major tv show.

I swear he is the most humble, genuine, and respectful man I’ve ever worked with. Probably why I never would have guessed he was famous.

Question: What did you do for him?

Poster: Full disclosure- this was from 2011 to 2012 (ish) so I dont remember the smaller details of our interactions, but anyway…

I worked at a high end “executive car service”. Basically wealthy business people, agents, sports players, etc. would book us for an SUV or town car to take them to meetings, the airport, whatever. We didn’t have limos or party busses or anything, it was strictly for professionals in a professional setting.

Anyway, I had been talking with Jensen usually twice a week for a good 6+ months. I’d book him trips to the airport in Canada and Malibu? I think that’s where the CA side was. All I really knew was he “traveled a lot for work” and his wife and new baby were at home.

I worked with major assholes, which was to be expected. Attorneys assistants especially. They would get fired if they didn’t use the right colored post-it. That kinda crap. So they understandably were always stressed the hell out, which would get taken out on me. Whatever. That’s all part of the game.

But anytime I answered the phone and it was Jensen, I knew at least for those few minutes my job would actually be enjoyable. He’d always ask about ME. How my day was, what the weather in SoCal was like since he’d be on his way there. Small talk, but always SO damn nice. He’d occasionally mention how he’d miss his family during the longer trips or tell me how it’d be a short stay that particular week so he’d be able to get back home to his baby. SO sweet.

One day months later the owner of “my” company called me to ask about the schedule. Mentioned Jensen was to be picked up the following day and she chuckled and asked, “you know who that is, right?” Uhhh, no? Then she told me he was on tv and was traveling to film every week. Based on how humble, soft spoken, and incredibly nice he was, I figured he was just starting out in the business or was kinda an unknown. That’s when my boss told me he was shooting this huge show, he was really famous, etc etc.

I never woulda guessed it in a million years. With celebrities, we always dealt with their agents. Jensen would always pick up the phone and call me himself. He just seemed like a completely normal, humble guy who didn’t let his fame change who he was.

I worked there for another several months and then moved onto a different company, but damn did I miss “working” with him. I always knew there’d be no drama when he called.

To this day I still haven’t seen him in anything (or even a single episode of Supernatural) but I’ll always hold a soft spot for him just based on the way he treated me. I was relentlessly harassed but he was always so, so kind.

[icarusredwings]

Scent. 1/2

Sfw, Primal scenting, established poolverine, countryside comedy, angst, and fluff. Wade gets smothered in front of the fireplace by a big domestic wolverine because of his self-confidence issues.

Post Save a horse/Ride a wolverine

Requested by @asaturnerofficial

Somewhere in Texas, On a small plot ranch with only a handful of chickens and 2 horses. One is a pony, actually. Her name was Buttercream, and she used to do kids' parties. She just kinda came with the house, and so did the chickens, but Cupcake (who was, in fact, a gelding, named by Wade) was bought off a different rancher who claimed he couldn't be ridden. Well- that was apparently a huge lie because Cup allowed him to ride him every now and again. Maybe it was a scent thing.

Actually, Scent was very important in this house, and it was something Logan checked each night before bed. Sniff around the property and shoo off any animals that didn't belong. He didn't mind the Co-yotes they just were trying to live as much as anything else, but it made him nervous to think about what they might do to the chickens or hell - to Mary Puppins. They would eat her for a snack and still be peckish.

"Alright, I fed the chickens, fed buttercream cupcake, fed puppins, now what do- Woah! Jesus's mother, Mary Magdalene!"

He had just walked into the living room to see Logan laid out on a rug in nothing but his iconic wife beater, some worn in-in all the right places- jeans, and his boots. He had got the fire place working I guess because there it was, heating up the home.

"I dont think its really a good idea to have a fire place inside of house made of wood but what do I know? Im not OSHA certified." He said, of course, to the wall.

Rolling his eyes, Logan was far used to this by now, chuckling a bit. "I got it workin' "

"Yeah I see. I was just talking about that."

"I saw. Who are you talking to anyway?" For once this question was genuine instead of condescending.

"Oh, you know. The viewers. Readers. Whatever you wanna call them." Again, he turns and waves. "Hi. Also- where did he get a bear skin rug? This guy. Ruining the budget. Do you know how expensive bears are?"

Having seen this a billion times, he's learned to just go with it. "Viewers...? Like.. a reality tv show?"

"Kind of. And let me just say, This?" He put his hands out like he was taking a picture. "Is beautiful. You're going to make the ratings sky rocket! Think of what this will do for your PR!"

"Right.. well. I hate to break the.. viewers.. little hearts but this isn't a bear skin. What bears do you know that have black and white spots?"

"Pandas."

Blinking, He sat up. "Wade, this is the middle of texas. Where do you think im going to find a panda?"

"The zoo." He shrugs, watching his boyfriend laugh at him, rolling his eyes.

"So you think the zoo is just going to let me take one of their pandas and skin it for my livingroom?"

"Oh. Yeah, that's a bit of a streach for the budget, isn't it? What is it then?- GAASSP- Don't tell me it's puppies!!"

"What?" (He's found himself saying this about 50 times a day now when living with him, possibly 100) "It's cow.."

"Oooh! Okay- that would have been a deal breaker. I can deal with skinning an endangered species, but I draw the line at Cruella activities."

"So are you just gonna keep talking to that wall, or are you gonna come're?" He muttered, smirking some as he made a small squeal, rushing over to sit down.

The scent of cheap dollar store foundation made him cringe, his mood and demeter changing instantly. "What did I tell you about wearin' that shit.."

Tensing up, he smiled awkwardly, putting his hands in his lap as he looked away. "It's the 21st century, Wolvie, Men wear make up now."

"No. You know damn well that's not what I meant. Come here." Before he could even begin to protest, he grabbed him by the belt, a signature, pulling him into his arms only to flip him on the floor.

"Eeehh!! Peanut, seriously, it's fine! It's just makeup! I didn't even put my mascara on!"

"Im taking that shit off of you. It stinks!" He growled, now straddling him on top of the soft cow rug.

Squirming a bit, Wade was trying to push him off but it was hard to do that when your boyfriend was so heavy, having just started to get back to a healthy weight, healing his relationship with food and his appearance. It only reminded him how much he loved having him. Oh, his big beefy boy. Usually, he would enjoy being manhandled, but he worked hard on his blending today!

"Noo! Do you know how hard it is to cover all THIS up!?"

"Exactly my point. That's why it's coming off. It doesn't NEED covered up, moron!" Pulling off his shirt, both the view and the words put Wade into somewhat of a dormant state.

"You really mean th- Ahh!! Hey! No! You tricked me with nice words!" He protested as he used the shirt to wipe it off, spitting on it and rubbing cirlces to get it off of him. It was times like these when Wade realized that Logan COULD actually hurt him if he wanted too. Then again.. Trapped under a bronzed muscly man like him?

Glory, glory, what a hell of a way to die!

"What are you talking about?"

Oh shit- he hadn't noticed that he said this out loud. "Nothing!! I just - Why do you always have to ruin my makeup!? What are you jealous or something?" He turned to the side, away from him. "Oh, let's be honest. It would be a crime to cover up that face."

"I could say the same thing about you, Bub." He muttered, wiping off the last bit off his neck, holding it as he leaned down to sniff him, still cringing.

"Gross."

This word alone was enough to audibly hear Wade's heart snap. Swallowing as his throat tightened and put his arms over his face.

Oh shit.. that wasn't the best of word to say, was it? God, why was this so hard? This is why he grunted instead of spoke. Words were too complicated.

A pang in his chest ran deep, his own heart clenching as he heard him whimper.

"That's.. That's why I do it.."

"Oh, Wade.." You'd have to be deaf to not hear the tears in his voice, visibly upset and nowhere to run off too, nothing to hide with. He was trapped. The next option was to push him away, Hit him in the chest so he'd let go. Know that he was done playing. That this was serious.

"You know that! So W-why would you -"

He kissed him, holding both sides of his face. Despite the pushing still lasting, it quickly died down as he wrapped his arms around his neck.

Pulling away only when the air in their lungs ran out, He smirked again, breaths heavy.

"Now, if I thought you were so terrible, would I do that? Hm?"

"Y-yes.."

So he kissed him again, this time giving a little growl into it the way he liked it, causing him to giggle and push his face away, turning again.

"Who is this starving man? Where is my wolverine?"

"Right here, baby. All me." He says, looking to where he was too.

"Hey, you can't talk to them! They're mine!"

"Too bad. So what's the census? My PR or what ever you call it up yet?"

"I don't know.."

"Oh sure, you do. It's your show, isn't it?" He asks, turning him to look at him as he crosses his arms, looking away again, still upset with him.

"... It's our show, actually...Deadpool AND Wolverine... sometimes featuring Dogpool, but that's besides the point! Im thinking about cutting you... you're taking up too much budget."

"Oh, am I now? Well, maybe you'd have more budget if you ditched that stinky shit."

Wade went silent for a moment, stalling to tell him what Logan already knew.

"Ooh... Ratings drop when you're you... don't they?" Right. That made so much more sense. Wilson has taken his own negative thoughts and categorized them into show manager and critic positions. And the critics didn't like him bare faced.

"Well... What if we raised ratings or whatever way up? Without all that bullcrap?"

"Do you know how hard it would be to-"

A third kiss.

"You really should learn to shut up, mouth."

[haylijahtilldeath]

What are your top 5s in anything TVDU related? (Characters, ships, friendships, familial bonds, episodes, etc.)

Ooh, my first question. Thank you for asking!

Even though I've watched tvd first, but I prefer the originals to it. So, my answer is going to be mostly about them.

I'm going to do the characters separately.

First, characters from T.O

Elijah Mikaelson (because he was the calm before the storm, I don't know how to describe him, he was just so resilient and holding onto his brother when the entire world could only see a monster in him, and for all his complex layers.) and Hayley Marshall (because she was a BAMF, the best mother you could have) fighting for first place, but none of them can win.

Camille O'Connell because she was such a ray of sunshine. (Caroline stans do not come at me, this is about two characters who have literally never met.)

Freya Mikaelson was such a badass.

Klaus Mikaelson because he had the best retorts and sarcasm.

Gia because she was so down to earth about everything. (Putting her after Klaus feels so wrong lmao.)

Now, Tvd characters. I can't conjure any explanation for them.

Caroline Forbes

Enzo St. John

Stefan Salvatore

Rayna Cruz

Rose from S2

Ships.

Haylijah, because have you seen them? The chemistry, the compatibility, the love and all the respect. (S5 never happened.)

Bonenzo because they were so good together, and Enzo actually loved Bonnie and didn't spend his time using her.

Klamille, because Camille could see beyond 'evil Klaus' and understood him like no one else ever did, and Klaus saw so much light in her, and he cared about her.

Steroline because they were also good together.

Gialijah because they had so much chemistry and there was just something about them

Friendships.

Caroline & Enzo, because he stepped up for her and they had something special about them.

Camille & Vincent, because they related to one another after all damage they got because of the Mikaelson family, and they made something good out of it.

Freya & Hayley because they spent years together raising Hope, and they bonded so well.

Stefan and Lexi because they do supportive besties better than anyone.

Bonnie and Damon because they have managed to go from sworn enemies to best friends.

Familial bonds.

Hayley and Hope. No one does mother and daughter better than them.

Elijah and Rebekah. We saw so many times how Elijah cared for her and how she looked up to him. I believe he was her favorite brother, even if the show wanted to make us believe it was Klaus.

Marcel & Davina. They're not family by blood, but the way he was her family more than her real family and tried to protect her meant so much.

Elijah and Hope. We did not get much of them, but they had so much potential. If the show didn't completely destroy Elijah to redeem Klaus, we might have seen him be the best uncle out there.

Freya/ Rebekah and Hope. These aunt/niece relationships were so good. Rebekah cared for her for months, and kept her safe, and Freya raised her with Hayley and taught her so much.

Finding episodes that I genuinely love from beginning to end is difficult.

TO S2E9: The Map of Moments. We had family, we had bickering and we had love.

TVD S3E14: Dangerous Liaisons. We had a ball straight out from a fantasy, do I need to say more?

TO S1E20: A Closer Walk with Thee. It was not a happy episode, but we had our first Haylijah kiss, and it's good enough to be in my top 5.

TO S5E8 : The Kindness of Strangers. As much as I hated S5, but this episode was so good. We saw the Mikaelson family reunited, and every time I watch Elijah break down after remembering Hayley's death, I can't help but cry.

TO S1E1: Always and Forever. This feels like such a basic answer, but I love this episode. It was the beginning of an epic tv show, and it's just so nostalgic.

These are the ones you mentioned, and I can't for the life of me think about anything else to rank. Anyway, I am awkward most of the time, and it includes this answer. So, don't judge me too harshly!

[rubywolf0201]

Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, games, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....Thanks...

Oh for sure. I’ll tell you my list of favourite characters from the media that I consume:

1.) Matakara Asamine (BUCCHIGIRI?!)- It is no secret that ever since this anime aired, he has become one of my top fav anime character. Character-wise, I love how he is the sunshine puppy childhood friend character but with some depth like dealing with inner demons regarding his lonely past and insecurities and it kind of goes to show that Mata is not your typical cheerful sunny character as he underwent a corruption arc back in Episode 9.

2.) Diamant (Fire Emblem Engage)- I’m pretty sure if you guys have scoured through my art blogs on my second art account and Twitter, you would realize I tend to draw fanart of him all the time. But as for why I like him. I like how he genuinely tried to reach out people outside of his kingdom that doesn’t need to involve war and bloodshed. He only gets angry/resort to violence if his loved ones or people closest to him are targeted (like the Morion incident) and that he also has major insecurities involving his duties as the Crown Prince. Oh and he also has a funny side to him like laughing at the most corniest joke that his retainer Amber has done. Oh and his relationship with Alcryst and Citrinne are the best too.

3.) Princess Peach (Super Mario Bros)- Gonna throw in some women in my list because it ain’t fair if I talk about hot dudes all the time but really I’ve been playing Peach’s second solo game since yesterday and I’m instantly in love with it. Now as for her character, she is a darling. She can be baking a cake one day, doing her royal duties another day or just go out and have fun with Mario and friends. But really, Peach is Nintendo’s most iconic female character of all time due to how she showcases that being girly and being badass aren’t mutually exclusive and that they can go hand to hand (Amy Rose is of similar vein too as well) and that whilst a pacifist, she won’t hesitate to get her hands dirty.

4.) Tooru Kirishima (The Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting)- If anyone from 2022 has remembered how much I talk about this man, then yeah. Anyways, I just love how despite being an extremely violent yakuza enforcer, he’s actually a kind, quiet and socially awkward man but can be a bit of a tease towards his closest friends and family (have you seen the man interacting with the mum’s in Yaeka’s school?). His relationship with Yaeka started out awkward at first but over time, you see them geniunely bonding with one another. But that being said, it’s not best if you get to his super scary side if you piss him off more than once. Also, I have a weakness for scary men (sometimes women) with a heart of gold to them. He’s my silly little meow meow

5.) Takina Inoue (Lycoris Recoil)- I got into the anime pretty late last year despite being released alongside The Yakuza’s Guide to Babysitting in the Summer 2022 anime lineup but yeah I love Takina. She originally started out as a cold and ruthless girl who follows orders to a tee without being aware of the dangers she posed but after meeting Chisato, her worldview changed for the better in that she became a much kinder person than the cold hearted assassin she was before. She can be slightly awkward with her interactions, a bit straight faced with embarrassing things but that doesn’t hide the fact that she can and WILL kill for her loved ones if they’re in any danger (she’s basically a female Kirishima lol). Oh and I love her voice actresses performance so that’s why she is my fav. (Tho if you ask me who I like more, it’s Xanthe)

6.) Penny (Pokèmon Scarlet and Violet)- Penny is one of the Pokèrivals I just vibe and relate with because like her, I’m a huge nerd when it comes to anime that I like and we are also introverts too. She is blunt and rude yes but she’s a child who is capable of growing, as shown in the DLC epilogue where she began to take notice of how Arlan pointed out that her dad cares for her and that unlike him, she at least have families who love and care for her. (Oh and she has a party full of Eeveelutions, what’s not to love?) Oh and I recommend checking out her storyline because it’s amazing.

7.) Kiyoshi Teppei (Kuroko’s Basketball)- Like with Kirishima, I was also constantly crazy about this lil guy back in 2021-2022. Now I know he was introduced pretty late in Season 1 out of nowhere with no buildup, but he quickly became one of my favs because of how he is a teddy bear personified, can be a little dumb and unaware of the things he do but all he wanted to do is just have fun. Oh and he can display a selfish side if his friends are in any danger (Kirisaki game arc). His chemistry with literally anyone in the Seirin team is just too good but I like the ones with Hyuuga cuz you can te the VA’s are clearly having fun with voicing them.

8.) Souma Shiki (Play it Cool Guys)- Out of all the five main guys, I identify with Souma the most and the reason why is that like him, I’m trying to find things that I enjoy the most but sometimes feel insecure about it as well. The way he just laughs is just too plain adorable and his chemistry with the main cast, especially the ones with Shun is mostly enjoyable. Definetely one of my favs.

9.) Mitsumi Iwakura (Skip and Loafer)- Something that me like Mistumi is that out of all the female main characters that I have seen so far is just how confident, ambitious and reassured she is. Sure, Mitsu makes some mistakes here and there but it’s justified in that she’s moving to an environment that she’s completely unfamiliar with but still she tries her best with the things said environment provides her. Oh and any scene with her is just so enjoyable because of how endearingly innocent and awkward she is and that she is also trying her best in what she’s doing.

10.) Jing Yuan (Honkai Star Rail)- Listen I know that prior to being “fixed” in later updates, many ppl aren’t too keen in using him due to how his gameplay style wasn’t really the best and how other Lightining damage dealers like Kafka and Serval beats him. But I hardly saw anyone talked about his character so here I am. I think what made me fascinated about Jing Yuan’s character is that even if he appears to be slovenly and sleepy looking all the time, he is pretty shrewd and calculating when the situation calls for it. He is also a pretty nice guy and that despite having deep issues with his former comrades in the Cloud Quintet, he tries his best to stay strong as possible to the point of being self-sacrificial. That and he is one of my “Not Gay BUT-” type of characters.

[cina-full-moon-xanadium]

Sorry for being kind of reductive there, but nonetheless I'm just saying, unless a show's preexisting subs are ESPECIALLY bad & really do need to be fixed ASAP, would it generally not be preferable to give priority to unsubbed shows? I'm genuinely curious as to your opinion.

I don't see it as a zero-sum game, basically -- a better subtitling job of a show that previously had usable but kinda mediocre subs will bring more attention to that show and better communicate the story, and our community and resources as a whole are richer for that. Earthly's sub of Agito brought WAY more fans to it than I've ever seen before, even moreso than I usually see for new series getting subbed. If it's letting more people experience the show and doing so in a better way than what we already have, I think that's fine. It's hardly as if we're at an extreme anyway of each Kamen Rider show getting a new sub every year; in the vast majority of cases I only see a show get re-subbed once or twice, and usually to replace early TV-Nihon subs.

I think something else important to consider is the feelings of the subgroups themselves. Let's take the presented premise at face value and say a show that's never been subtitled before like Inazuman Flash or Akumaizer 3 is infinitely more valuable than a re-sub of Kamen Rider 555 or Goranger -- are the people involved personally invested in that? Fansubbing isn't a job, it's a passion project; so naturally that will extend to what these people cover being something they are personally interested in and have the drive to do, and the simple fact of the matter is that re-subs often happen because the fansubbers in question are already fans of the show through previous subs and want to do it justice. You can't take someone genuinely wanting to work on Agito or Boukenger and tell them, no; you should instead spend that effort on a show that you might not care about at all from the 1970s because it hasn't been subbed yet, for no monetary compensation. I hope someone comes along that does want to sub these shows, but until then I'm not gonna chastise subgroups that mostly focus on 2000s shows for not showing interest in much older material; it's just how their tastes are

[hazbean-hotel-imagines]

hey! i’m an INFP bisexual transman here for a matchup:) i can be kind of awkward at first, but after a bit i love opening up and talking about my special interests and getting to know people; talking about music and media, showing them my art or writings, and just sharing a space. i like to make people laugh and am down to hit the club or just chill with a comfortable night in. i have my own share of trauma and anxieties that im trying to work through. i’d say i have a grunge aesthetic but im also definitely a nerd, too. just a dude who’s vibin’ and trying to get by. thanks for doing these matchups, they’re so fun!

Matchup

I pair you with…

~ I’m glad you like these matchups!! They’re feeding my hyperfixation and I reallyyy missed writing!! Anyway!

~ Okay, I can see you and Ozzie being so compatible.

~ Firstly, he really appreciates art. The best person to be a proofreader, or see a finished art piece. He’s not only so appreciative, he’ll give specifics on what he likes. “This was super successful here,” is a common phrase he’ll use before going on to elaborate. Anyway, he doesn’t just say he likes something, he says what he likes and why in great detail.

~ Ozzie helps you navigate your traumas and anxieties healthily. He really puts work into understanding this part of you, removing all triggers as best he can, and he’s super open to listening to you vent.

~ You understand his energy. You’re seen going to clubs and public outings with him, while also domestic enough to appreciate simple dates at home, like making a nice dinner and starting a new tv series. Ozzie just digs that you’re able to understand both sides of him; his party side, and his domestic side.

~ This all makes me think you guys would make a great friends to lovers trope. You understand Ozzie, and he shows that he understands you.

I pair you with…

~ I’m not sure why. But you know that one trope where’s there’s a dude whose special interest is their partner?? Cherri Bomb to you. I won’t elaborate on this, because I don’t know how, but I’m confident in this trope here. I’m not sure how but I am.

~ I feel like Cherri’s one of those people to be really into like having art in her apartment. You make anything? It’s on her fridge or wall. She loves everything you make.

~ Loves hearing about your special interests, and will get into them too so she understands you better. You mention a fandom? She’s googling ships while you talk. “Ohhh these ones look hot, who are these two?”

~ I feel like while she’s definitely a partier, I’ve said this before, she loves being all domestic and winding down at the end of the night. Cuddle pile with a blanket and pillow nest!!

~ Loves taking you out so she can show you off.

~ Definitely someone who appreciates music and media. Keeps up to date with popular things and her own niches. Cherri would love not only hearing you talk about your interests, but bring her own into play and be just super excited to talk about music. She’s someone who loves not only music and media, but appreciates the artists behind it, I bet she’s the type to have notifications set for news outlets that regularly cover updates on her favourites.

I pair you with…

~ Introvert adopted by extrovert trope!!

~ Vortex loves awkward. Will listen to you talk about your hyper fixations and be genuinely invested. Will also hit you with questions to elaborate so he can really get an idea of what you’re putting out. Pleasantly surprised when you begin to open up.

~ Will take you to parties, outings with friends, etc. He’s more a casual boyfriend, less sweep you off your feet and more peaceful coexistence. Love language is definitely quality time.

~ Regarding traumas and anxieties, Vortex is the best person to help you practically forget about them. If he notices you’re having a bad day and need a pick me up, he effortlessly cheers you up so well it’s hard to even realize he’s doing it. Distracts you with all of your favourite things, drinks, snacks, movies or shows, you name it.

~ Vortex lets you choose when you’re ready to vent or need to share, but until then, he effortlessly ensures that you’re always happy. Despite his casual demeanour, he’s always someone who just takes to people really well, especially you.

Alternate pairing…

Charlie

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

So, remember earlier this year, when the BBC Twitter account posted a clip of John Oliver and Jenny Eclair from 2002? It's been brought to my attention by a very helpful Tumblr message, I continue to love how people from this site will see something like that and immediately think "I must inform Tellthemeerkatsitsfine", please continue to do that, everyone) that there's a longer version on YouTube. Apparently it's been up for three years, but I never knew. The clip that the BBC shared was about two minutes long, but this is just over four minutes, and says it's a complete collection of all the Oliver/Eclair moments of the episode that they were on. The show being something called Diners on the BBC, which seems to be something that just films people talking to each other while having dinner together, perhaps ahead of its time as this was before there were a thousand shows based on "have two people just do some normal thing and film it".

It says this is May 2002, which puts in context some of the timeline-based bits, which of course is important for me as a comedy historian (ie. "John has been Jenny's support act for two years"):

Look. Obviously I can't post this video without including these screenshots that were definitely not in the shortened clip I'd seen before:

John Oliver does not say anything of the sort in the actual video, that's just one of multiple weird tabloid headline-like things that the editors kept putting over it. Though the verbal conversation does feature him being unable to say the word "vagina", which might look mildly unfortunate as the context was Jenny Eclair talking about doing The Vagina Monologues, and I believe that is a show that's meant to point out that the stigma around saying that word is rooted in misogyny. But to be fair, a decent amount of John Oliver's shtick at that time and for the next at least 10 years was based on being so generally repressed that he could not easily talk about anything related to sex or emotions of any kind, there are absolutely clips out there of him looking equally uncomfortable when hearing a male comedian mention penises.

The point is that, in the context of being so familiar with that part of John Oliver's shtick back then, and knowing that before getting married he almost never referenced his own love life and when he did it was with his trademark discomfort around the whole issue and to just vaguely say it went very badly, I find those screenshots hilarious. There is no way he genuinely said that. I guess it's possible that some TV person kept asking him leading questions to get him to say that all comedians are out shagging everyone, and finally got a couple of words out of him that say yeah I guess some people do that, and I find the idea of that conversation taking place very funny. The other option being, as my friend @lastweeksshirttonight pointed out and is quite possibly correct, that he was being sarcastic and the interviewer took i tout of context.

Anyway, I've now written a bunch of words about that and now have to leave for work so can't write too many more words, I did not mean for such a large percentage of this post to be about whether John Oliver is able to talk about sex. I really meant to dedicate more words to the part where he calls the then-recently dead queen mother "a racist in a box". I'm surprised the BBC left that part in, to be honest (though it was definitely not in the clipped version that the BBC Twitter posted earlier in 2023). Really enjoyed that. And the general shit talk about the royal family. Good stuff. Also Jenny Eclair is very entertaining in this. There are so many more aspects to it than whether John Oliver can talk about sex, I just happened to find those screenshots hilarious. Everyone watch the video.

[caramel-catss]

gladiolus (ch 1. i'll carry on)

on ao3

chapter word count: 5.2k

sequel to blue bow; continuing aubrey's story post-canon

It’s Saturday morning when Aubrey gets the knock on her door.

The last week has been frantic. Sunny’s mother had actually showed up the day after Sunny’s confession, promptly pressuring the doctors into letting him leave ASAP. He was discharged on Monday after insurance debates and follow-ups at some city hospital were scheduled. Aubrey hasn’t seen him since.

Basil wasn’t so lucky. With only bruises, he was considered fine before he first woke up. Where is he now, then? The psych ward. Okay, well, they were told that he’s been transferred to a “mental health institution” and will stay there for at least two weeks. More if Sunny’s mom presses charges. 

Aubrey knows what it really means, though. Mav had been sent there by his parents a year or two ago, after he came out as a boy. Taken back after they didn’t “fix” him. But Basil has some serious issues, and - and this genuinely is what he needs. He’s getting the help he needs.

And Aubrey? She almost bailed right after she heard Sunny’s confession. She actually did have to run to the roof, get some fresh air in her so she wouldn’t lunge for Sunny’s good eye. But she knew that there was no way in hell she could leave, not right after promising herself to stay. So, she called Kim on the public telephone and asked her to take care of Mom and Bun Bun for a few more days.

But on Monday, she had work. So she slept in the hospital room Saturday and Sunday night, and then Hero drove her to Fix-It.

Yes, she’s working at Fix-It. No, she’s not happy about it. Her now-manager is the only person who’s willing to hire a crazy delinquent like her, and that’s because he genuinely needs the work.

Now it’s Saturday again. A week since Aubrey’s life was turned upside down, again, because Mari didn’t actually kill herself. Somehow, it’s worse than that. Aubrey’s had a good five days to block that shit out while she shelves products, and a good five nights to smoke with the Hooligans and forget.

The knock sounds once more, louder. Aubrey lightly drops Mom’s plate on the couch. She’s been needing to spoon-feed Mom recently; the woman won’t eat at all otherwise.

“Mom, you gotta eat, okay?” Aubrey murmurs. “I know you haven’t been wanting much lately, but you have to at least have a little to keep moving.”

Mom looks at the food and pushes it away. Her eyes turn back to the TV. Aubrey sighs and stands up.

“Hellooooo? Aubrey?” Kel’s voice wafts through the doorway.

“I’m here,” she calls. She grabs her jacket, pulls it on, and answers the door.

Hero and Kel are standing outside. Hero’s tapping his fingers on his leg. Kel lights up when he sees her.

“Hey,” he smiles. “We just wanted to check up on you.”

That’s… new. “Oh, um, I’m alright.”

“How’s your mom doing?” Hero asks. His eyebrows are furrowed.

Aubrey blinks. “You’ve seen her?”

“We passed by her when we first visited you,” Kel explains. “Hero’s been worried ‘cause she seemed really out of it.” Judging by Kel’s look, Hero wasn’t the only one.

“Probably drunk when you saw her,” Aubrey mutters. “I guess she’s… fine. Hasn’t eaten much.”

“Is there anything we can do to help?” Hero says.

“Uh.” The only help she’s gotten before is from Kim, who mostly just covers for her when she needs it. “...I dunno.”

“Hm,” Hero replies. “Can we come inside?”

Aubrey steps inward, pressing the semi-broken door until it taps against the wall. “Sure.”

Hero makes his way to Aubrey’s mom. He sits down next to her, asking yes-or-no questions. He sounds like he’s about to diagnose her with something. Did you eat today? What about last night? Have you drank anything?

To her credit, Mom gives him small nods and shakes of the head. Better than how she reacts to Aubrey, anyway. Maybe she recognizes him from the past better than she recognizes her.

Kel paces around her house. He eventually walks back over to Aubrey.

“Hey, um, Aubrey… sorry if this is a bad question.”

“Just say it,” Aubrey replies. It’s not like the dam hadn’t broken already. “We’re all supposed to start talking about the hard shit.”

“Yeah, yeah. Uh… what did happen with your dad? I heard things at the church, but…”

But he wants to hear her side, too. She… really appreciates that. Aubrey takes a deep breath. This - she really doesn’t like speaking about this. But if Kel genuinely cares, then… She’ll try.

“Um,” she starts. “It was a few months after the Mari thing.” Kel’s expression shifts to worry. “I guess, I guess my grief was kinda his breaking point.” He takes a step forward. “He had a huge fight with Mom one night. About me. And the next morning, he was gone.”

Kel pulls her into a hug.

“I’m sorry,” he says. “You didn’t deserve that.”

Aubrey freezes for a second, forgetting how to react. Eventually her brain catches up and she awkwardly wraps her arms around Kel. “Thanks.”

“Of course,” Kel says. A few seconds pass, then they pull away.

Hero stands up soon after. “I’m going to find someone to help with your mom.”

“Wait, what?” Aubrey turns her head to Hero. 

“She needs extensive help.” Hero bites his cheek. “A professional kind of help, I mean.”

Well, yeah, she knows that. “I can’t afford it.”

Hero bites his lip and furrows his eyebrows. “We’ll… find a way. I’ll pay for it if I need to.”

“Aren’t you broke as shit?” Giving money is an immediate hell no. She appreciates they’re friends again, but she doesn’t need Hero’s pity. “Like, you’re a college student, dude. I know you guys wanna help, but you don’t have to kill yourselves over me.”

With the way Hero flinches, Aubrey knows she shouldn’t have ended with that. “...Sorry. But… really, you don’t have to do everything.”

“I’m supposed to take care of you guys, though…” Hero has a guilty look in his eye.

“Hey,” Aubrey says. She pats Hero on the shoulder. “You don’t owe me. Consider saving Basil and Sunny’s life as more than enough.”

“Haha,” Hero replies, humorless. “Okay. I won’t pay for it. But I do want to find her someone.”

“Let’s compromise on that,” Aubrey agrees. “Thank you, Hero.”

Kel suddenly perks up. “Oh, wait! We came here to ask you something.”

Hero sighs, but he’s smiling. “Of course, Aubrey. And yeah, we did.”

“What’s it?” Aubrey crosses her arms.

“Since it’s summer and we have time to hang out,” Kel begins, “We wanted to go to the beach. Since it’s been a while and stuff…”

“...And,” Hero continues, “We’d like to invite you and your other friends.”

Aubrey blinks. “Oh.” Invite the Hooligans, too?

Hero and Kel look at her as she processes, waiting for her reply. Aubrey’s confusion soon melts into a dumb giddiness. This is the kind of friendship they’re trying to rebuild. And - and they’re okay with her new self coming along, her new friends.

“Fuck yeah.” Aubrey grins.

Kel smiles, something wide and childish and happy in a way Aubrey hasn’t seen in years. In a way that makes Aubrey realize the happiness he’s been wearing, the happiness she envied, was just a cover for emptiness.

“We’ll drive over tomorrow at 10 or so,” Hero says. “Should we go find the Hooligans?”

Aubrey nods. “I promised them I’d hang out today, anyway. You should come with, we’ll tell them.” 

As she speaks, Aubrey begins gathering her things. She pulls on her shoes and adjusts her bow; pulls it too tight, as always. Even now - especially now, the sting is something she can’t handle being without. Sorry, Mari.

“Are they at the park?” Kel asks.

“Probably.” That or the lake, but they’ve kind of ditched the spot after what happened with Basil. Talk about deja vu, huh? Maybe the place is just cursed.

The Hooligans do end up being at the park. They’re all elated at the thought of the beach. When Kim mentions getting a tan, Aubrey realizes that she doesn’t own a swimsuit in her size. Her excitement outweighs the worry, though, and she decides she can just sit on the sand.

Kel spots one of Angel’s trading cards before long. The two fall into a long discussion about different Pokémon, which ends with the group heading to Kel’s house so they can challenge each other. Aubrey plays Mario 3 with The Maverick on Kel’s old NES. Hero has a hilariously awkward exchange with Vance that Aubrey can’t help but eavesdrop on.

“You’re a senior next year, right? Are you thinking of any colleges?”

“Nah. Gonna snag a job so Kim and I can skip town after graduation, though. We’re either going to the city or some other state, anywhere away from here.”

“Oh. Um, that’s cool.”

“You?” Vance raises his eyebrows to Hero.

“I’m in med school.”

“Shit. Guess I shouldn’t smoke around ya, then, in case your teachers kick your ass or something.”

“You’re good, haha… Just not in my mom’s house, please.”

Vance puts his lighter in his pocket and shoves a cigarette back into its pack. He had been trying to discreetly pull them out; unfortunately, he’s an obvious motherfucker. Aubrey has to throw her hand over her face to conceal her snort. She’s rewarded with her character losing a power-up.

After Mav and her finish the world, they end up being somehow led by Charlene to Fix-It. Aubrey tries not to be embarrassed when her manager waves at her.

The group walks into the back room: the greenhouse. Aubrey doesn’t really go in here often. She’s usually stuck in the front. Her manager’s decent enough at gardening to take care of the back himself, she guesses.

Charlene tugs Aubrey’s arm over to some potted flowers. They haven’t bloomed yet, but they seem close. She gestures to one of them.

“What is it?” Aubrey asks. It looks a bit familiar.

The taller girl turns to her with a smile. “...Gladiolus.”

And suddenly this plant is associated with a memory. “Oh,” she says. “Someone once told me that I was like this flower.”

Charlene nods, as if she knows exactly what Aubrey means. Aubrey thinks about how she never really participated when they were out antagonizing Basil. She goes to this greenhouse a lot… are her and Basil friends?

“These ones will bloom soon,” Charlene continues. “But… not yet.”

Aubrey tilts her head. Is Charlene trying to say something? But the girl doesn’t continue, and Kel soon calls Aubrey somewhere else. She forgets about it.

Lunch is at Gino’s. Maybe Aubrey shouldn’t eat this much pizza, but it’s that or the supermarket’s TV dinners. The group crowds around Angel at the Sprout Mole Eater machine. He tries to beat the record for a solid thirty minutes, blowing half his allowance on it. Sunny was the one who set it. The crown is challenged, but ultimately Angel settles for second place.

Kel challenges Aubrey to a basketball game. She doesn’t really play much, only knows how to because of P.E., but why not?

She loses horribly. Lesson learned; don’t fuck with something Kel’s genuinely good at.

In retaliation, Aubrey kicks Kel’s ass at tetherball. The war begins. They spend all afternoon playing different games in the park - capture the flag, knockout, volleyball (only briefly because it doesn’t work well when you use a basketball), and after getting tired of physical activity, Aubrey even learns how to play Pokémon. She’s okay at it, better than the others; Kel and Angel taught opposing strategies.

At some point, the sun begins to set. Aubrey lets time run away from her. It’s with a look at the sky and the jolt of a realization that she forgot to feed Mom. She hasn’t visited Mari yet today, either.

Aubrey’s given space to do both; she’s thankful. As much as she appreciates reconnection, she genuinely prefers to do some of these things alone. Luckily, Mom isn’t nearly as difficult tonight as she was this morning. Aubrey changes Bun-Bun’s water and food before she throws on some pants and heads back out.

For as much as the church is open to all, they lock their doors at sunset. A safety thing. Aubrey can’t help but find it ironic.

Hopping the fence is a practiced motion that Aubrey is more than used to. Like a dance, she swings herself over the metal and lands on the grass. The night is quiet and without wind.

Next to Mari’s grave, the egret orchid has begun to wilt. Aubrey’s not quite sure how to take care of it. She lugs over a hose, drips what she judges to be enough water into the pot, and hopes she did enough. Then she kicks the hose out of the way and settles criss-cross in front of Mari.

“Hey,” Aubrey says. “I hope you’re okay with me coming over later. Even though the pastor said I’m welcome, the churchgoers have finally had enough of me. I can’t really go during the day without getting glared at.”

Aubrey doesn’t know if she’s religious anymore. When she was a kid she would beg for God to forgive her and make her a boy, like her body was. As she grew older, she came to realize that was bullshit and she was a girl no matter what. Either way, God never saved her. Not from Daddy or her friends falling apart.

When she sits here, though, she swears she can feel a presence. Something akin to the spirits that the gravekeeper talks about. It’s almost like, like Mari is still watching over her.

…Hell, she had a dream where she met Mari again, didn’t she? Last week at the hospital. It couldn’t be anyone else, or a dream version of her. That was Mari.

So she likes to think that Mari hears her. That Mari and her are actually having a conversation, even though Mari has no voice to reply with anymore. Maybe she’s crazy, but after everything that’s happened, she can’t bring herself to care.

“Thanks again for talking to me last week,” Aubrey mumbles. “I wish we had more time.”

She always wishes they had more time. Always.

Aubrey twists her finger into the dirt. “Kel and Hero invited me to go to the beach tomorrow. The Hooligans are coming, too. I really haven’t been there since before you died. I’m kinda nervous, honestly. I don’t have a swimsuit or a bikini or anything. Not that they’d make me look feminine, anyway.

“If you were still alive, I’m sure you’d find a way to help me dress up like a girl for it, haha. You were always the one who supported me with those things.

“...My voice has been getting deeper. This stuff was a lot easier when I was twelve. I try to ignore it, there’s worse shit happening to me, but it’s always in the back of my mind, y’know? You once said that a lot of your problems were like that.

“It feels weird to think about your problems, now. Do you get what I mean? Like, because you didn’t kill yourself, it all feels so… confusing. It had looked like all the pieces were in place, but we didn’t notice. But now it’s not that. Am I, am I still bad for not saving you?”

She bites her cheek. Somehow, it always comes back to this - the cause of Mari’s death.

“I kind of feel like I’m in purgatory. Sunny’s in the city, and Basil’s in the ward. And Kel and Hero like to repress this stuff… we didn’t talk about it at all today. I feel like nothing’s gonna happen until I face Basil or Sunny again, but I don’t know if I can do that. Am I taking too much time? No, that’s stupid, it’s only been a week.”

Ugh, why did this have to be so difficult? Aubrey leans back and looks at the stars. The stars always help.

“I’m worried about Basil,” she blurts out.

Nobody questions her - well, nobody’s around to question her. So, Aubrey keeps going. “Like, I dunno. I saw his grandma in her hospital room when I walked down the hall. It made me think about Basil’s behavior the day we checked on him, and… suddenly everything made sense. How he locked himself away. Why he wanted the photo album so badly. The reason why these flowers are here, why your grave was cleaned up.

“Mari, I… he was planning to kill himself. And I, I didn’t notice before. With Sunny moving away and his grandmother dying. I j-just…”

Tears push against Aubrey’s eyes, taunting her. She sniffs.

“How could I face him now, knowing that I hurt him when he needed help most? And how, how could I face him, knowing what he did to you? How am I supposed to feel about him?”

Aubrey pulls in a shaky breath. She sits back up and looks at Mari.

“You said that we aren’t bad people, Mari. That what’s happened has happened. But, but we hurt each other so much. I almost killed Basil. Basil helped kill you. How could… you forgive us so easily? I don’t understand.”

She doesn’t know if she’ll ever understand. She doesn’t know why God hasn’t appeared to damn them all, these murderers and adjacents who call themselves friends. The only good person was Mari, who didn’t kill herself, who never was the reason for their pain. So how could she forgive them? How could she say it doesn’t matter, she loves them anyway?

“I don’t understand,” Aubrey repeats. But Mari can no longer reply.

Her thoughts run blank. She can’t comprehend it all, can’t wallow in self-hatred. There are no words left to say.

So she mumbles, “Goodnight, Mari,” and stumbles to her feet. She walks home on autopilot. None of this makes any fucking sense. It probably never will.

Aubrey’s blankets are old, thin, and dirty. She has to do laundry soon, or better yet, buy new sheets. Maybe she’ll do that with her summer job money.

Sleep comes to Aubrey easily. She’s tired: not the kind that comes from bawling her eyes out for hours, but the kind where she doesn’t want to think anymore. It feels like a welcome embrace. Like an older sister’s warm arms. Aubrey makes no hesitation to accept it.

Morning brings a wave of heat that can only be attributed to July. Aubrey wears a tank top and a skirt. Both pieces are now out of fashion, but seriously, who gives a shit? She’s more worried about getting sunscreen.

Thankfully, Hero and Kel’s mother has some. Soon after Aubrey arrives, she gets fussed over and handed a stick of it before she can ask.

“Thanks, Tia,” Aubrey smiles. 

The woman waves her off. “Nada, querida, keep it! We have too many extras.”

Aubrey blinks. “Um, alright.”

Hero appears with pancakes and other snacks. Kel had already packed a picnic basket, which is now in the back of the car.

“Want one?” He asks. It’s his old recipe, the chocolate-chip ones that him and Mari always made on Saturday mornings.

“Yeah,” Aubrey accepts. The pancake is fluffy and warm on her tongue, just like it always was. These were only ever beaten by Mari’s cookies - if they were even comparable. Pancakes were Hero’s thing, cookies were Mari’s.

Hero grins, but his mother turns to him before he can say anything. “Heitor, quem mais vai? Já está tudo arrumado?”

“Sim, não se preocupe tanto!” Hero sighs lightheartedly. “Vai ser só a gente e os amigos da Aubrey.”

His mom smiles. “Tudo bem, chame seu irmão, por favor.”

Hero nods and turns away, placing his tray on the table before leaving and calling for Kel.

Aubrey decides to sit at the table and eat pancakes until the others show up. Hero comes back over with Kel before long. They play cards while they wait, chatting about the family’s plan for remodeling the house. Apparently, they’re adding a room by the stairs, presumably for Sally once she gets a little older.

It’s slow, but the Hooligans arrive. Mav is somehow last. He rolls his eyes at Kel’s comment about literally being next door, claiming he had “important affairs to attend to first”. Quietly, he admits to Aubrey that he’s been struggling to bind with Ace bandages. 

Kel steals shotgun before Aubrey can, damnit. She settles for the backseat with Kim, squished together with Angel in the middle. The Maverick’s in the way back between Vance and Charlene. He complains about leg room; his loss for choosing that seat.

Hell breaks loose as soon as Hero backs out of the driveway. Angel and Kim fight over the radio - which mainly consists of yelling at Kel to change the station - while Vance yaps about something Aubrey doesn’t really care about, so she half-asses her replies. To Hero’s credit, he doesn’t seem too distracted. Aubrey can only guess it’s a skill that comes with being the oldest of three.

As they make the fifteen minute drive to the beach, Aubrey realizes she hasn’t been in a car in a long time. Not since Daddy left with his, anyway. She never really needed one, at least not yet. The feeling is still a bit jarring. Aubrey’s not stupid - she knows that she’s poorer than her friends. It’s just… weird, looking at these little things.

Aubrey’s shoes meet gravel as she hops through the door. Kim runs past her, cheering. Hero and Kel start unloading stuff from the back, Charlene joining them. Vance lights a cig.

Arms wrap around Aubrey, Angel grabbing her. He points to the shoreline.

“Look at that!” Angel says. “We can play real volleyball!” Aubrey squints. She thinks she can see an abandoned ball down at the shore.

“If it’s not deflated.” She shrugs.

The younger nods. “I’ll go get The Maverick! He can test it!” Aubrey’s left alone as Angel runs off.

Aubrey turns over to the responsible people. Kel’s holding two or three things, and Hero isn’t faring much better, so Aubrey grabs stuff from them both. With Charlene following behind, they look like a weird multi-colored parade shuffling down the boardwalk.

The picnic blanket is the first thing to be dropped unceremoniously. Then someone yells “Shit!” because all the sand gets kicked up by the fabric’s landing. Angel and Kel immediately have to chase after the blanket. Wind and sand particles bite at Aubrey’s eyes, but she laughs all the same.

Aubrey and Kim are tasked with finding medium-sized stones to hold the blanket down. They jog slowly, falling the shoreline and eyeing the water. Kim already kicked off her shoes and left them at their camp, so she wades.

“Ow,” Kim complains. “Stupid-fucking-nerd-rock.” She picks up a tiny yet sharp pebble, throwing it into the ocean.

“Your fault for being barefoot this close to the rocky areas,” Aubrey comments. 

Kim rolls her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, whatever.”

They find the first two stones easily, nestled almost right next to each other. The third takes a little longer, but it isn’t far. The fourth stone gives them trouble.

“What the hell,” Aubrey grunts. “How hard is it to find a stupid rock?”

“Dunno,” replies Kim. “This is dumb.”

Aubrey shrugs.

Kim twiddles her fingers as they head inland to look further. Aubrey can see there’s something on her mind - over the years, Kim’s tells have become obvious.

“What is it,” Aubrey says. Kim blinks at her. “C’mon, I know something’s up.”

Her best friend eventually sighs. “Damn, you’re good at that. It’s just, I dunno, Vance.”

“What happened?” Aubrey asks. Kim squints at the sand.

“It’s dumb,” Kim murmurs, kind of sheepish. “Like, I’m fine with smoking and stuff. Don’t get me wrong about that. It’s just, when Vance…”

Aubrey thinks back to ten minutes ago, Vance immediately grabbing a cigarette. It’s eleven in the morning. “Too much. Too often.”

“Yeah,” Kim nods. “Just gets me worried, I guess. And he’s blowing a lot of our money on it.”

Isn’t Aubrey used to that… “You should, um, talk to him about it, I guess. At least ask him to stop pulling it from your escape fund.” This is bullshit advice and she knows it, but she’s the opposite of qualified.

Kim bites her cheek. “I’ll try. Thanks, Aubs.”

Aubrey smiles awkwardly, and the conversation fades. What a way to fuck that up. She wishes she could actually help with this stuff, but when she thinks about how she’s only worsened Mom’s addiction, she feels horrible.

A few minutes later, Kim suddenly squats. She pokes at the ground. “Hey, check this one out.”

Aubrey looks to Kim. She’s pointing at a rock with some cracks through the middle. It’s fully in one piece, but only barely. A small flower has sprouted next to it - yellow and small, it kind of resembles a sunflower.

“That should be good,” Aubrey nods. She reaches to pick it up, but she’s sliced by one of the jagged edges. “Fuck!”

“Shit, are you okay?” Kim shoots to her feet, checking Aubrey’s thumb. A thin line of blood has formed.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” she murmurs. Using her good hand, she scoops up some of the wet sand and fills in the stone’s wounds. “That should be better. Let’s take it back.”

Aubrey’s finger continues to sting, so she decides to ask Hero about it once they get back. She hands the stones to others, who place them on the blanket. Hero’s not there - when Aubrey asks, Kel tells her that he went to the car.

She crosses the boardwalk, reaching the parking lot in full strides. Hero is behind the car, pulling a heavy-looking bag over his shoulder.

“Hey,” she calls. Hero practically jumps.

“Aubrey, you scared me!” He laughs.

“Whoops,” Aubrey replies, unrepentant. She holds up her thumb. “You have any Band-Aids?”

Hero nods. “Just in the front seat, I’ll grab them.” When he turns, Aubrey eyes his bag.

“I can carry that,” she offers.

“It’s alright.” Hero shakes his head. “Your hand is hurt.”

Hero returns with the bandage. He hesitates when he goes to give the bandage to Aubrey. She looks at him for a second and notices his guilty expression.

“You can bandage it if you want,” Aubrey says. She can do it just fine herself, but Hero and Mari handled Band-Aid placement when they were kids. Part of her… wants to feel the safety those two radiated again.

“Sorry,” Hero murmurs.

Aubrey raises an eyebrow. “For what?”

“Um,” he says. “For leaving you to do this” - He gestures at the bandage - “Alone. I was supposed to take care of you guys.”

He said that yesterday, too. “You…” Aubrey doesn’t really know how to comfort Hero. It’s always been the other way around. “You were a kid, too. And you were hurting.”

“Yeah, but I…” Hero sniffs. He tries putting the Band-Aid on, but it gets a little crumpled and part of the cut doesn’t end up covered. Aubrey looks at the squished Spaceboy design.

“We’re here now, that’s what matters.” Aubrey doesn’t really believe her own words, because not all of them are there. Hero smiles; she can tell he doesn’t believe it either.

“Thank you,” he says. “That’s what we should focus on, I think.” 

They’re trying, though, aren’t they? As much as they can, even under all this pressure? Aubrey thinks that, Aubrey hopes that, “Mari’s proud of us.”

Hero kind of blinks at her. It takes him a second to register her words.

“...I really want her to be,” he eventually breathes. “I really, really do.”

Aubrey almost asks him right there if he saw her that night. He had to if she was visiting their dreams, right? That’s what she told Aubrey.

But Aubrey waits a beat too long, because Hero turns away to put the wrapping in the trash.

“Come on,” Hero says, “Let’s go have fun. It’s summer, after all.”

It still bothers her. And it will continue bothering her, but she pushes it to the back of her mind. Hero’s right; it’s summer.

“Alright.” Aubrey nods. “Let’s go have fun.”

It’s sunset when they return home from the beach, soon after eating dinner. The Hooligans are on their thirty-somethingth verse of “99 Bottles of Beer”. Kel’s chugging soda as Mav cheers at him. Aubrey’s had a grin on her face for maybe fifteen minutes now, and she knows it’s not going away anytime soon. Throughout the day, the bow has loosened in her hair.

Hero has to tell the teenagers to calm down multiple times after he parks the car. Of course, it only riles them up more. He eventually gets them all out, and the majority of the Hooligans head out for the park to spent the next few hours in. Aubrey, Hero, and Kel stay.

“You’re not following your friends?” Hero asks.

“I need to check on my mom,” Aubrey replies. “And my bunny, and Mari. I might join them later if I’m up for it.”

“You’re… really responsible.” Hero gives her a sad smile. “Well, we won’t keep you. C’mon, Kel.”

“See ya,” Kel says. “Today was fun. Like, really. Thank you.”

“Of course.” Aubrey nods at them both. She waves goodbye as they walk towards the door, but drops her hand when Kel gets distracted by Hector running out of his doghouse. 

Aubrey turns for the end of the sidewalk. It’s still decently warm outside, but it’s way cooler than earlier. She notes to herself that she’ll need to grab a jacket before she visits Mari. And shake the sand out of her shoes. There is so much.

But she doesn’t have to do that yet. The wind is calm, so Aubrey breathes.

This past week has been really hard. Her old friends are murderers. Her sister didn’t kill herself. But - but then. Then Kel, Hero, and the Hooligans have supported her. And this past weekend was one of the most fun she’s had in years.

It’ll be… it’ll be okay. Everything will be okay. There’s a lot happening in Aubrey’s life, but there’s also moments like these, where she’s just watching a pretty sunset. She’s… never appreciated that before. She had been too angry at the world to do so. And as much as she kind of hates Sunny and Basil right now, she’s, she’s tired of being angry.

Honestly, it’s hard to admit that to herself.

Closing her eyes, Aubrey makes a decision. She can’t bring herself to forgive Basil or Sunny. But she can’t let those feelings take over her life, either. Not like last time.

Mari, I hope you can understand that. I don’t really know how to feel anymore, but now… because I finally can, I want to focus on the other friendships I lost.

Aubrey lets the world envelope her for a few seconds longer. She prays that Mari can hear her. And even if she can’t, the thought brings Aubrey comfort.

She hopes that this is a good decision. That she’s being mature. Hero said she was just now, but she doesn’t really know what that means, ha.

Slowly, Aubrey opens her eyes. Golden beams of sunlight dully sift through the trees. Okay, she can do this. Feed everyone, shoes, jacket, visit Mari, park. That’s manageable.

Aubrey takes a step forward.

[rainbow-universe]

This is random but do you have any favorite aro characters in media? Or characters who give you aro vibes?

No pressure!!

Ack! Oooooh good question!

Ok so idk many canon aro characters (which is sad there needs to be more and i am finding more but alas we have not met yet) but i do know some!! as for headcanoning, honestly i need to headcanon more characters as aro lol. disclaimer,, i went around looking at other peoples headcanons and agreed with them and now i share them with you :)) but also like for these characters i just have vibes and no explanation, solely going off what headcanons i saw that made me go “oooh yes” with no solid reasoning

CANON

BOOKS/COMICS/ETC

Jughead Jones from the Archie Comics: an iconic aroace

Yelena Belova from the Marvel Comics: is canonically aroace afaik so go her, she’s fantastic

Georgia Warr from Loveless (Alice Oseman): is aroace!! 😭😭 her story devastated me in its relatability but it’s fantastic and i love her

Gwen from An Accident of Stars (Foz Meadows): an alloaro in a polyamorous relationship and has a kid. It’s canonically mentioned offhandedly but it’s NOT Her Entire Personality™️ !! Plus she’s a kickass character (And the whole book is filled with polyamory!!) i love Gwen, she’s a really cool character

HEADCANONS

BOOKS/COMICS/ETC

Garfield: i saw it. i liked it. fuck yah

Edmund Pevensie from the Chronicles of Narnia: yes. why not. yes. i saw the headcanon and just,, agreed with i.

Saiki K: haven’t watched the anime or read the manga but it’s on my list and therefore so is he. why not

Elatsoe from Elatsoe (Darcie Little Badger): canonically ace, not stated that she’s aro BUT THERE WAS A MOMENT WHEN A FRIEND OF HERS WAS LIKE “you can bring a friend or a zucchini” or something AND I SQUEED BC QPR’S FOR THE WIN !! that little mention made me really happy. anyways yah she could totally be arospec

Bruce Wayne from Batman Comics/DC: i mean,,, the fact that im pretty sure he’d never give up being Batman for anyone, like sure he’ll have relationships and w/e but like,, idk it makes sense to me

Damian Wayne from Batman Comics/DC: yes. aro or arospec Damian just makes sense for some reason. i would also go as far as saying arospec Jason Todd as well ….

Bakugou Katsuki from My Hero Academia: aspec Bakugou just,, i love aspec Bakugou. it just makes sense to me. and i love it.

Todoroki Shouto from My Hero Academia: yes. he just has them aro/arospec vibes tbh

MOVIES/SHOWS/TV/ETC

Natasha Romanoff from the MCU: ive heard this before and i agree w aro or arospec Natasha. just yes.

Bruce Banner from the MCU: yes. not to mention the Hulk is green 👀 we love aro colours (and his purple shirts?? aroACE vibes !! 👀)

Loki from the MCU: absolutely. have y’all seen the amount of green he wears? and just his vibes. yes.

Tony Stark from the MCU: ya know now that im thinking about it, he’s got aro vibes.

The Doctor from Doctor Who: yes. never watched Doctor Who but i did read that one tumblr post about aro characters being passionate about their interests and i loved the headcanons from it so The Doctor makes the list

Enjorlas from Les Misérables: from that same post so yes

Newt Geiszler from Pacific Rim: again the same post, and yes i see it (kaiju!!)

Sherlock Holmes: as much as i love Johlock as a ship, aro or arospec Sherlock just Makes Sense™️ (and can still work with Johnlock heh)

Elsa from Frozen: aroace or wlw (or both 👀)

Merida from Brave: yes. totally aro. i love her.

Milo Thatch from Atlantis: The Lost Empire: from that one post lol. (and like,,, yes. yes.)

Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty: aroace icon. (we love villainous aroace’s lol /just as genuine as sarcastic) all that green and purple?? yessssssssss

Hiro Hamada from Big Hero 6: (i need to rewatch this movie lol) i saw headcanons for it and immediately agreed. i love aroace Hiro. it makes sense to me

Castiel and Dean Winchester from Supernatural: ya know, arospec Cas and arospec Dean just seem to make sense to me. idk why couldn’t tell ya but it does

Luke Skywalker & Rey from Star Wars: they just have aro vibes. even if Rey’s in a polycule w Finn and Poe, she’s still aro or arospec imo

~~~

That one tumblr post in question:

[nerves-nebula]

Warning: probably a long text w/ a horse cutted by half because it's been years since I watched 2012 TMNT. (Only 3 seasons or 2 I watched but I remember their dynamics, and in willing to watch it again and complete the series)

Well, I remember when watching 2012 the turtles would be indeed having those problems between them and it's something you can see sometimes about how they interact- but yeah as ppl are saying when you see who uses the abuse only looks towards Mikey, but he's not a "UwU baby" no he's not 👤 and Tbh all of the boys have their own flaws and Ahole moments for ig tension for some discussions between them.

Ofc for what I've seen, it does get a lot of road to walk in the series, of their own relationships and problems. I don't think they are abused or abuse each other. Tbh the thing you can say it's:

They miscommunicate, they are immature(for alot of things) but I don't see it as the level of "Omg they're abusers to *insert fan favourite*!!" Because as said, some of the excuses for say that could be then easily putted on the whole ass family. But ya.

I'm not an abuse specialist since I'm really slow on shit that are around me lmao

But in a shitty conclusion:

Depends on your view. But their siblings demonstration is ofc different from others iteration. Their way is that. I do remember hating on 12 Raph but now I see myself on him. And pretty much it's most of how they're distante from each one at some points and don't even see their family problems and yeah, I think they do have their point we're they are more united and learn but yeah.

And being distant is something that happens w/ me and my sib. We have points were we joke around but we are distant about our own feelings and things that bother us. And it's a problem because there's fights because of that. And I remember that on some part of their relationships in 2012.

But who I am do say much🫂

im not an abuse specialist either but to me abuse is any kind of repetitive mistreatment and disregard for boundaries (i could probably spend more time on my specific definition but we'd be here for days if i did that) (neglect is also abuse and i think the turtles have probably been at least emotionally neglected, but that's not what we're talking about rn).

so the question of if they abuse each other is, to me, more of you the viewer deciding how much they care about what they do to each other.

like if mikey doesn't actually mind when raph hits him its probably not abuse, just sibling roughhousing. likewise, if for example, Donnie genuinely hates being made fun of and it makes him feel less able to open up about his feelings, but the others keep doing it anyway cause thats Just What They Do, then that WOULD be abuse to me.

but they all kind of do this cause its a 2012 kids show and emotional constipation is basically the law of the land around those parts.

ah but i think i've made that point before, so i'll try to stay on topic..

ive gotta agree that if i wrote about the 2012 gang and abuse, I wouldn't just focus on mikey. mainly because that's not usually the whole story when it comes to abuse. typically if one kid is being abused by all the others, its because they've all been encouraged to in some way by the adult. and if you DONT join in there's a chance you could be the next target. and thats a threat in itself, so even IF Mikey was the only one being abused (which I wouldnt write because that doesn't really align with how i see the 2012 boys) the others would STILL be in a fucked up situation and need to have their own problems addressed.

but i dont see mikey as the punching bag. it seems like they can all be pretty cruel to each other sometimes. and i know its like part of the era the tv show came from but that doesnt stop me from being interested in exploring those dynamics.

anyway, thanks for the input! i appreciate it

[askthefourhumanheroes]

I heard from the grapevine that you were a part of the nefarious Team Plasma, Marcus. Can I ask why did you join and why did you quit? And were you close with the leader? I heard he's hot.

Marcus: It's a long story, and I don't have a way with words like Dewott does, but I'll tell you what happened.

I grew up in Anville Town. It's that little town where all the trains stop for overhauls, and there's really nothing to do there except watch the trains go by or trade items with collectors on the weekends. I did sometimes leave to visit family, and seeing all those vibrant cities out there was like peeping through a window at a life I couldn't have. Things at home were...tough, you know? My dad took his anger out on me, my little sister, and Garbodor, and my mom didn't really seem to care about anything. She would just watch TV and sigh all day.

As I got close to finishing high school, I just felt so washed out. I had no idea what I was going to do with my life. Nothing seemed meaningful or even interesting. Some days I considered just buying a train ticket and leaving for Castelia or Nimbasa, but I knew there was nothing for me anywhere.

Then, a few months before I was set to graduate, Team Plasma showed up in town. I saw some of their fliers, and I was curious, so I decided to come to one of Ghetsis's speeches. And when I did, it was like my life had been...rejuvenated? Uplifted? I don't know. All I know is that I found a purpose that day: I was going to save Pokemon from their human abusers. It just made so much sense to me back then.

A few days later, I left with Team Plasma. I only told my sister about how I was planning to go; I doubt my parents cared. Lilian (that was my sister's name) wanted to go with me, but she was still a kid, so I didn't let her, but I did say that I'd come back when she was older, to see if she was still interested.

...

I never got the chance, but that's another story.

I stayed in Team Plasma for about a year, and it started off great. Everyone was super nice and helpful (at first), and I got to travel all over Unova for the cause. In my uniform, I felt like a knight from the stories I read as a kid.

In the beginning, I just put up posters, handed out fliers, that sort of thing, but the longer I stayed in the team, the more illegal it got. Us grunts would go out and steal Pokemon from trainers. I'm sure some of them were abusing their Pokemon, but others were genuinely heartbroken, and then there was that time me and another grunt stole a Lopunny from a little boy. He couldn't have been older than five, but the other grunt outranked me, so I went along with it. When we were done, we'd always give the Pokemon (in their balls) to the nearest Sage, and then the Sage would go release them somewhere. At least, that's what they told me...

To be honest, I should've seen the signs of corruption earlier. But I just wanted to work hard and earn back the kindness that had been steadily dropping over the months. Sometimes I'd try to talk to a Sage or Ghetsis about my concerns, like why some of us were given Pokemon to use when we were trying to free the Pokemon, and then they'd give me an answer that sounded good enough to placate me but really wasn't much of an answer. I myself never had any Pokemon, but I was always pretty tall and strong, and I learned how to beat people up. Probably should've questioned that...

Oh, about the leader, Lord N: I didn't really know him well, but I practically worshipped him. To be honest, I still kinda do. He just has this sort of supernatural goodness to him. We spoke a few times, usually just quick exchanges, and most of what I knew about him came from my comrades. Yeah, some of them thought he was hot, but, uh, I'm gonna change the subject. Now that I look back, I see that he really wasn't in charge of everything; he was more like Ghetsis's figurehead. Man, having a dad like that must suck.

Anyway, I fell asleep one night, and I woke up in the Pokemon world. From what my friends who were there told me, I just disappeared without a trace. I was gone for about a year, and when I came back, everything had changed. From what I've heard, a month after I disappeared, this trainer named Hilda started interfering with Team Plasma's plans, and then there was this epic battle with N where they both used the legendary dragons, but I'm sure you've heard about that. When I got back, Team Plasma had split into two groups: Old Plasma and Neo Plasma. I was confused for a long time, and I had friends on both sides, but I wound up siding with Sage Rood and Old Plasma. I didn't quit per say; I just stopped antagonizing people.

Recently, Neo Plasma was defeated, and some of us Old Plasma folks helped with that, but I was manning the sanctuary in Driftveil when the final battle happened. Again, I'm not a trainer, so I doubt I could've helped.

I still believe that we can do a lot to help the Pokemon. I don't know where Lord N went, but I hope I can see him soon. I have a feeling he'll believe me about the Pokemon world.

(OOC: Yay, I was hoping someone would ask about this! Team Plasma is my favorite of the evil teams, and they have great music too. Damn, I wrote a lot, but it felt good. Anyway, credit to PMD Sprite Repository for the icons, especially mucrush.)

[shirleyfeeneys]

Meeting Cindy Williams

I am still in utter shock at the sudden passing of Cindy Williams. So I thought it might help me if I tell the story in written form of the time I met her back in 2021.

It was a typical August, well maybe not so typical for me. My mom had been through a major health challenge and I had recently quit my job due to depression and suicidal thoughts. I even spent a few days as an outpatient in a mental hospital because of it. As all of that was slowly coming behind me, my favorite (and nearest) comic con, Planet Comicon, was about to occur in Kansas City, Missouri, a few hours away from where I live.

The guest I was originally looking forward to had cancelled last minute due to COVID travel restrictions (hence why I went as Princess Leia but I’ll mention that more later). But as I looked through the guest list another name caught my eye. Cindy Williams from Laverne & Shirley. Now I had seen Laverne & Shirley once before, the episode with Carrie Fisher which ironically didn’t even have Cindy in it. While the episode hadn’t kick started me into the series back in 2016 when I watched it I remember throughly enjoying it. So I thought I’d watch this show again and see if I actually like it without Carrie Fisher to tide my attention. I tried finding episodes online to watch, which was difficult but I did anyway and eventually found Pluto TV which at the time was only showing select episodes at certain schedules.

I enjoyed the show and decided I would meet Cindy at the con. It was a lovely Saturday morning at around 10:40ish am. I went up to her table. And she was so delighted to see me. As I mentioned earlier I was dressed as Princess Leia, hair buns and all, because of the other guest. I knew so little knowledge of Cindy at the time that I had no idea she had auditioned for the role of Princess Leia. But she wasn’t offended or anything. She genuinely liked my cosplay, and was impressed that I did the hair buns using my own hair, which was pretty long at the time. I noticed she had a Laverne & Shirley face mask, and I commented that I liked it. She offered to give it to me, if it weren’t for COVID safety. This woman was so sweet. If anything I want people to take that away from this story. So sweet, so kind, so caring. She did my autograph, inscribed: “Love, Peace & Happiness to Brianna.” She signed it and asked if I wanted her to include “Shirley.” I did, even though I didn’t realize the picture I had picked out wasn’t just a generic photo of her. It was from More American Graffiti.

Anyway, next it came time to take our photo together. Now I rarely look good in pictures. But this one came out really well for the both of us. It’s been my screensaver on my phone since late 2021. We then said our goodbyes and I told her I would see her later at the professional photo op and her panel. Later at the professional photo op she remembered me, not my name but my face and outfit. And she asked me again what my name was, and I told her. That picture is nice too but the one at her table is my favorite so it is the one I always share.

Later that evening at her panel she shared many anecdotes from her life and answered questions including favorite episodes (she said “Guinea Pigs” here). And she mentioned her upcoming one woman show “Me, Myself & Shirley. From that moment on I was determined to see it, buying tickets to four different shows over the past year and a half that all got cancelled. It just wasn’t meant to be.

My biggest regret from that day was not getting to tell her how much she and Shirley and Boo Boo Kitty meant to me. But I was so new to the show then and didn’t yet know that, so I guess my biggest regret is not getting to see her show and tell her these things. My most recent plan was to go to Austin, TX in May to see her show there. But again, it wasn’t meant to be.

I’ll always remember how warm and kind Cindy was to me. May she rest in peace.

[citadelofswords]

For Annabel + Kari: 🥂/ For Reuben/Marlowe/Morden: 🍭/ For Sable+Skye: 🥄/ For Max + Merril: 🍰 aaaaand for any/all of them: 💐

right jade has literally given me only ships that involve their characters (and the ot3 with a character of @strangeharpy) so obviously they both have free reign to contradict as needed

annabel/kari + 🥂 - how was their first date?

i feel like annabel probably made a whole plan to do something really nice because she thought that's what you need to do for a first date (having never been on a date before and only seen them on TV or in movies) and they got out to the restaurant and kari looked at her and was like "honestly i kind of thought we were just gonna get takeout and watch ghost shows on youtube"

to which annabel was like "we both make ghost shows for a job"

and kari was like "yeah all the more reason to drag other people who aren't doing it as good as us"

so they took the upscale restaurant food home and did exactly that.

reuben/marlowe/morden + 🍭 - what are their nicknames for each other?

ok so reuben is the person who uses endearments instead of names to refer to people; the key is to recognize what nicknames are them being a flirt and which ones are true endearments. "sweetheart" is a name they give to everyone; "tomcat" i think might exclusively be them being a little shit to morden; marlowe didn't get an ironic endearment for a long time because reuben was trying to be someone they weren't and maybe that was a sticking point for marlowe for a while. once they're together i think reuben sticks to affectionately calling morden and marlowe by name. that or the occasional love.

wow that was long. anyway morden is a "darling" and i'm genuinely not sure if marlowe nicknames either morden OR reuben. (for the record reuben accepts "ru" or "rube" as shortenings of their name but "ruru" is off-limits.)

sable/skye + 🥄 - who is the big spoon and who is the little spoon?

sable little spoon rights. i think sometimes they will big spoon skye but they prefer to be held close.

max/merril + 🍰 - which one bakes/cooks?

oooooh good question. i think merril likes to bake, but max might be the better cook, BUT since max tends to get lost in projects more easily you'll find merril cooking a LITTLE more often.

any/all of them + 💐 - is one more protective than the other?

this answer, for all of them, 1000 percent depends on the situation. more specifically: annabel and kari both habitually don't care about things and are more willing to let the other fight their own battles, except in very specific circumstances (i think annabel, confronted with Her or the hotel, would inherently be more protective of kari since that's a power she knows neither of them can combat) reuben also is willing to sit back and let morden and marlowe fight their own battles UNLESS it has to do with the Authority (whatever that might be in this universe) in which case they WILL rain hell down sable, knowing that they are the one person She cannot touch, will put themselves between skye and Any situation at a moment's notice, which is i think the One point of contention the two of them have merril is Extremely protective of max almost too a fault, but she's also like that with sol and (begrudgingly) kerri, and i also think she and max are the comic of the two people bending around each other to try to take the bullet sooooooo

wow this got long sorry folks hope you enjoyed tho

ship hc asks (ocs only please)

[oldsargasso]

4 Minutes ep 2 thoughts

stream of conscious thoughts under the cut

the ATMOSPHERE!!! the LIGHTING. perfect. don't remember who anyone is or what they look like so no idea who that is. not the best way to kill a man but I understand the need for brutality sometimes

I am kissing the camerawork on the head and tucking it into bed I love it SO much.

I love the way this actress delivers her lines with such believable weariness/exhaustion. she's at the end of her rope and you can feel it.

oohhh that LOOK still gets me. Great holding onto the papers slightly too long, he's useless just like us :)

hospital staff are powered by gossip so this scene is perfect. bisexual Tyme is canon and beautiful.

genuine question: should we recognise any of these people?

22% battery??? at 8.45AM god Great is a MESS.

okay so his school buddy is the dick from the previous scene. I like his dangly earring.

omg he killed her didn't he!! this is why you shouldn't date men

turquoise lockers was a bold choice but I love it

if I could eat cinematography I would be doing that rn. that noise in the background is 10/10. more flashes or just remembering?

GREAT HAS A LAVA LAMP 💀

"I have something fun for you to help with" at 11pm? girl that is not the way

Great was NOT concerned enough about his friend locking his girlfriend away for my liking. but I do enjoy that he's sometimes terrible.

let bible say fuck! 😔

I wanna live in tv world where being knocked unconscious for a while doesn't have any permnanent consequences

a bar fight? show us that please

is it a lighthouse? in the opening scene I thought like a guard tower. anyway the moving light works so well I want every scene lit like this

my one criticism…that's not the right noise for bashing someone's head in with a rock.

wow they're both terrible at punching you love to see it

omg Great's face. a poor little meow meow for SURE

that might be the most superfluous hood ever. the black scrubs are a Look imo

!! a little primping!! THE SHIRT TUCK. Bee clocked him immediately. this is gonna fuel night shift for hours (powered by gossip!) try a power pose Tyme my guy. the dude has a headwound he may see two of you

okAY. is this standard procedure mr doctor

omg the funky music. I need to consume the whole soundtrack immediately

Great is sooo useless I love him

why wouldn't you just say you saw his name on the chart Tyme my god

this nurse...my love…marry me

that pause was Tyme evaluating if Great's hot enough to combat the crazy

if he's dead does someone know where View (?) is and can free her!!

this is a stunning indictement of whoever processed the crime scene originally

god we're definitely supposed to recognise some of these dudes aren't we 😬 sorry your brother (?) died, whoever you are

well whatever cop has dead guy's phone knows who did it by now Great

oh thank god great got View out

the ticking clock as the soundtrack to this fight…chef's kiss

WAIT I THOUGHT HE WAS A HALLUCINATION WHO IS DEAD what is HAPPENING. has the good doctor being doing a little light stalking perhaps

Tyme's actor is the king of micro expressions. love the progression from "damn I should've been nice" to "well if he isn't going to be nice…"

smooth mr doctor smooth. although I thought he was gonna go for "just to be safe I'll walk you home"

also I'm just saying next episode Great should have serious bruIsing on his neck

oh no…such a shame….no online gambling….

ohhh it was THIS guy. okay. not showing us who the picture is I see! (idk if there's a guy missing that we've seen before or what because I can't remember anyone except the two leads) brutal. dump that guy! although I thought it was gonna be this guy involved in hacking the gambling sites idk

that shot through the wine glass omgggg. wasn't really paying attention to what else happened in this scene because I'm too busy psychically willing this woman to marry me

TYME with the secret business OKAY. so excited to see how this plays out!! I'm hoping ep 3 kick starts the plot a bit more

[sunnywalnut]

Y'all ever get those weird ass intimate dreams with people you haven't seen since elementary school?

Like last night I had a dream that me and this girl that I literally had a class with ONCE were romantic partners.

Like she flirted with me and invited me to work out with her and I, wanting friends, was like yeah sure. Why not. I need to get strong anyways.

And she was a vibe. A genuine vibe. Except she wouldn't allow me to look her in the eye. She was embarrassed of something. I don't know why.

But I respected it. Because that's what you do when you're trying to make friends. And it got late.

We're talking like. 6pm late. So we end up going to her house. With her three little siblings and her dad in the other room. The kids are chill, as little siblings usually are, asking me questions about who I am, where I live, showing me their toys and such(I love when kids show me things that are important to them. Like yes I would love to see your chompy shark toy. Show me how it eats toy soldiers.) So we vibe in her room for a while, just sitting on her bed and watching TV.

Except her little sister is staring at us. Hard.

And I'm growing uncomfortable so I just move closer. This woman is literally twice my size and strong as hell. I think she can deck an 8 year old if it came to it.

And then I realize, as I am pulled in this woman's lap, that this is my dream and I can literally just.... Rewind? The sister?

So I do. I rewind until we're coming into the room and lock the door so the little sister can't follow and we stay there for a while until I go home. On the way there, she allows me to look at her. And pulls her hair off to the side.

It's a wig.

She's bald.

And I'm like huh. Nice. Thank you for showing me.

And we chat about hair and such while she walks me home.

It was oddly nice.

But also weird.

Given the last time I saw this woman was when we were like. Nine??? Ten???

Aged up in my dream of course, but like. Weird.

This isn't the first time this has happened, of course, where random people show up in my dreams, but usually it's people I have talked to before. Or people I've never met at all.

I wonder what it means. If anything at all.

How curious.

[excessively-english-jd]

I posted 8,242 times in 2022

216 posts created (3%)

8,026 posts reblogged (97%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@tiltingplanet

@erizee

@kateosaurus-rex

@dickgrayscns

@the-scottish-costume-guy

I tagged 2,598 of my posts in 2022

#sandman - 178 posts

#constantine - 158 posts

#dickiebird - 117 posts

#bamtan - 109 posts

#esc22 - 100 posts

#batfam - 84 posts

#jaylad - 74 posts

#babybat - 52 posts

#gotham knights - 48 posts

#;w; - 36 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#now see ibis this is tagged jd but i assume it's another jd because i've never been into spn in my life and i'm always getting my deets like

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Quotes that have ridiculously strong Chas Chandler vibes.

134 notes - Posted August 10, 2022

#4

Small detail in The Batman that I loved: how much they showed him getting hit.

Especially in the early years, one of the whole reasons Batman gains his terrifying reputation and keeps it is that he just absorbs punches. You can punch him, hit him with a pipe, hell even shoot at him - and he doesn't even stop. He just plows right through it like it's nothing to him. You get the whispers of he's like a shadow, like a demon, you just can't hurt him even when you're throwing everything you've got. And that becomes the terrifying legend of The Batman.

And I just really appreciate that this film showed that. He didn't ninja his way through, dodging every blow. He got hit and kicked and shot but he just kept on fucking going.

145 notes - Posted March 17, 2022

#3

anyway just because I saw a different permutation of this meme I have to share literally my favourite version of it:

It's just so perfect. The amount of blackout text. The fact it works without additions. The succinctness of the phrase. The palaeontology basis. The way it implies that tetrapods only left the water and evolved in 1562.

*chefs kiss*

305 notes - Posted November 21, 2022

#2

I am SO glad to see that Prehistoric Planet has reached people outside of the hardcore palaeontology community. That even people who are not deeply or semi-professionally interested in dinosaurs and other Mesozoic animals are watching these episodes, or even clips of these episodes, and enjoying them.

And they're enjoying them the same way I see people online enjoy other animal documentaries!! "Haha look at this weird dance, wiggling his tiny arms about!" "Awww, isn't she so cute, look at her little face!" "Oh my god I was so worried about the baby getting lost but they made it!!! Yay!!!" It's so wonderful and refreshing to see that being a general public reaction to dinosaurs.

I've seen clips and images and memes float across my dash from people who've never mentioned an interest in prehistoric animals before, and I've seen people talking about these dinosaurs and pterosaurs and plesiosaurs and mosasaurs just like they do any other animal, and that is exactly what I want for people to see and feel about these amazing creatures. Yes, some of them are kinda weird! Some of them are really cute! They were capable of being awesome, and funny, and clever, and cool, and sweet, and everything else under the sun. And isn't it amazing, that they once lived, and we can know these things?

And I've had people ask me questions, and they're not even necessarily wanting in-depth hard science, but they're seeing these things and wondering about the answers, showing genuine interest and curiosity which, at the end, can only lead to them learning.

I hope to god this shows TV executives and producers and companies that this kind of down-to-earth, realism-based, high-quality programme IS in demand, IS capable of doing well, and IS worth doing more of, and is worth doing for a general audience. I hope that BBC can start to get the budget to do more like this themselves, without having to rely on a company like Apple to shoulder the majority of their costs. And I hope beyond hope that this can finally bring the prehistoric world into the public view in the way that it deserves to be there.

922 notes - Posted May 28, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

I don't think there's anything funnier than watching dozens of serial killers walk morosely out of their fun little murder convention like disciplined toddlers, so wracked with sudden guilt that they immediately either turn themselves in or kill themselves. The concept is hilarious and the execution of it doubly so.

1,418 notes - Posted August 10, 2022

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