#my favorite walmart employee

[sourfwuitgummy]

here’s a draft that i never bothered finishing LMAOAOAOOAOA

[kazoosandfannypacks]

In honor of Father's Day, here's some things about my dad that tiktokers would refer to as a "biege flag:"

He likes to take the squeakers out of dog toys and carry them around so that when he shakes hands with someone (usually children) he can make a loud squeaking sound

Whenever we get fast food and they ask for a name for his order, he says "Alvin." His name is not Alvin. None of us are named Alvin. He does this solely because he wants to hear an employee yell out "ALVIIIIIIIIN!" like Dave from Alvin and the Chipmunks.

He is not an animal person by any stretch of the word and thinks getting any pet would only be a wate of money. Despite this, one night while working overnight in the toy aisle at Walmart, he had a conversation with one of those Fur Real animatronic kittens, and by the end of his shift he had bonded with it to such an extent that he purchased her, and she now guards his tub of cheeseballs.

One time he was putting some shelves up in my room. He always says he's not a carpenter and if we have carpentry needs we should call his brother, who is a carpenter. Despite this, he does what he can. In this particular incident, the hanging shelves, which were basically just boards with a ridge on the front edge, were just a couple centimeters too long to fit in between the doorframe of my bedroom door and my closet door. Rather than do the obvious and cut the shelves shorter, he just cut a couple chunks out of my closet doorframe so the shelves fit.

My dad once saw an ad for one of those strategy puzzle games and decided to try out the game. However, through the power of false advertising, the game turned out to be a tower-defense, clan-building, land-conquering combat game. Rather than uninstall the app, he just kept playing and it's now one of his favorite pastimes.

In the above game, he joined a clan. The rest of his clan is primarily Japanese people who only speak Japanese. My dad does not speak Japanese. He uses Google Translate for this a lot.

He often tells the story of how, at college, he was on the campus security detail, and he would begin every night's shift by sliding down the railing of the main lobby staircase.

Another college story is how he once "guessed" a girl's middle name to impress her and got it correct right away. In truth, he knew what her middle name was because he saw her full name engraved on her Bible that she'd had with her at an orientation session. That girl was my mom and they've been happily married for over two decades.

Anyways happy father's day to my dad!

[evilwickedme]

This wasn't asked for because nobody in their right mind would ask for this but this is a fic rec list of fics I cannot stop rereading

Just started yet another reread of Inimitable Verse by deniigiq and I fully plan on rereading their into the multiverse series which occasionally crosses over also - this is a Spider-Man/team red focused series, think comics canon infused early mcu-spidey since only homecoming had come out for a non substantial amount of time they were working on the series and the daredevil stuff is explicitly tv show AND comics. Also the multiverse series is how I got into Murderdock and therefore how I got into Spider Gwen

Unpretty's Sorrowful And Immaculate Hearts series which is just a loosely interconnected series of DC fics. My personal favorites are Empty Graves, in which Martha Kent keeps killing time travelers trying to kill baby! Clark; any of their clois fics but especially Third Wheel; and Anti-Social, which is a social media fic mostly about Tim and Bruce that made me cry laughing. Catch Bruce trying to get Walmart's employees to unionize. Also shout out to unpretty's only fic with Jason in it, it looks awesome but is tragically incomplete

This particular Reverse Robin AU which put in the work to reverse every single younger generation and is chef's kiss I LOVE this version of Tim he's wild

Both of Shoalsea's fics are in constant rotation for me I talk about Into The Brighter Night all the time in the tags of reblogs and stuff it truly lives in my head rent free. Anyway Tim gets kidnapped by aliens and the batfam have to watch as yj98 saves him and it's angsty and funny and such a good take on what could have been if the new 52 hadn't happened. And Compassion Builds No House is about Tim and Pru from Red Robin. Ugh they're both so good

Speaking of Clois (I did you've just forgotten this by now) brilliant (like a confession) by kathkin (penny-anna on the hellsite) is so fucking good I'm. Okay. Anyway it'll be listed as inspiration if/when I finally post my two person love triangle fic for them

I'm too anxious to catch up on this before it's done but jumble sale chic is hands down the best spideydevil fic series despite and because of the omegaverse

Make A Little Birdhouse In Your Soul is my favorite take on Jason, period, and has a lot of fantastic Damian stuff going on too. It's updating every few weeks still! Sometimes more often! I love you bacondoughnut it's me JustGail the person who will not stop commenting on your fic you're stuck with me forever

I lied above Rumspringa Murderdock is what got me into Murderdock but that series is second place. I found this one while scrolling through the tv show's mattfoggy tag, thinking I was safe

Speaking of Murderdock mattfoggy, The Lawyer All the Wickedness was written early on in spider-gwen's history and so diverges from canon really early in ways that I think are super interesting and creative

Oh also straight on 'til morning by merils (Tumblr url mamawasatesttube) does SUCH a great job unpacking Kon's trauma and building up healthy relationships around him including a budding timkon romance and yeah it makes me sad and happy at the same time

We're getting into poisonivory territory so just trust if you like the pairing and poisonivory is writing it you'll like it. Ok rapidfire

Like A Handprint On My Heart mattfoggy soulmate au with a twist

Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? Damijon future fic/au. Jon came back from the future when both of them were 19. Demisexual!Damian at its best. Damian's terrified of being abandoned by Jon again and it made my heart hurt

I feel like I've already recommended every JayRoy fic by poisonivory and genuinely I do reread them all, sometimes in order of publication if I'm in a particular mood. Maybe the one I've read most though is I've Got the Feeling You're the Right Thing After All which is about Roy and Jason starting a fwb thing while Roy still harbors old feelings for Dick. Can't see anything going wrong here lmao

Mmm this post is long enough so I'll leave it at just superhero fic for now but I do in fact have the ability to do a whole post just for the Witcher or Leverage so I might do that. Anyway thanks for following me on yet another burst of insanity it will happen again

[wistfool]

"Show me your Dandyism."

I've always loved Guilty Gear, and one of my favorite characters from the franchise is Slayer. This is dedicated to my friend Carla and the Walmart employee I'm always running into who loves fighting games. :)

[nycnomad]

We went to California for my work trip, and it really was great leaving from our little airport with its 7 gates down here in Florida. (I didn't get groped by TSA!) We spent 4 days in Napa, visiting the vineyards where we're members, drinking so much great wine, and eating so much great food, then my work event went great, and then we went back home to NYC for two weeks for Thanksgiving with my husband's family and to see all of our friends.

It was a little peek into what our life might be like if we lived in Florida full-time and just went back to NYC now and then. We went to our usual bar trivia and some movies at our favorite theater, but then I also went to a 2 Michelin star $700pp tasting menu with one of my co-workers (work paid, don't worry!) and we went to one of the holiday markets with my husband's sister who was in town from Poland. So, partly everyday things and partly NYC-specific things! I'm a little jealous of our friends back there hanging out without us, but I'm also very happy right now to not have any social responsibilities and to be able to eat a little lighter and focus a little on my YouTube channel (that's been growing!).

Anyway, I was inspired to post because I woke up this morning and the sun was shining in through the balcony doors, and I stood in front of them and watched the ocean waves hit the beach as I put on some pajama pants. And I love waking up in my NYC apartment, too, but there's something special about walking around with no pants with my wide open windows and knowing that no one can see me! 🙂

Also, we bought our first-ever air fryer, and because my husband loves a gadget, he's almost exclusively been the one to use it. And because it keeps setting off our smoke alarm, he's been obsessively cleaning it. He does a ton around our house in NYC, but cooking and washing the dishes is usually my domain! It's been a nice break for me.

And one more thing: I need to renew my passport, so yesterday we took my photo and then went to Walmart to get a money order to send with my application, and then we went to Office Depot to print out my application, and then we went to CVS to print out the photo, and then we went to the post office to mail everything. And everywhere we went, people were SO NICE. Employees went out of their way to help us at every store, like they were just INTERESTED in us and doing their jobs. People said hello to us when we walked into the stores. There are of course amazing employees in some NYC stores, but a lot of people act like saying hello to you even when you're literally standing in front of them at their register is just out of the realm of possibility. I don't know if people outside of NYC just have better manners or are just less tired because they don't have to deal with as many customers, but it is REFRESHING.

Okay, enough of my blathering, off to read your posts!

[halliescomut]

Our Dining Table: Costuming Analysis

Alright…week 3..4?? of me begging you to watch Our Dining Table. No spoilers in this one, I actually wanna talk about one of my favorite underrated things in TV shows…wardrobe and costuming.

I’m going to be focused on the wardrobe of Minoru and Yutaka, but I’ll also touch on Tane and Koji (who I may also call Papa).

Wardrobe is one of the most fascinating things to me about film and television, but it is especially important in television (I think) because TV shows more often show a day-to-day story.  There may be time jumps, but in general you’re following these characters through daily life.  Character costuming is intended to not stand out unless that’s the point (see Tankhun) but instead add additional dimension to each character and enhance the information being presented by the script, actors, and director.

Looking at Yutaka first, what we know about Yutaka is that he is fairly simple, not very gregarious, quite kind, and from a monetarily privileged upbringing. He works a steady job, I would imagine likely has a college degree, and while he may be a mid-level employee, he’s probably making a decent salary. His clothing you see throughout the show is often simple, we don’t see loud patterns or a lot of color, he generally sticks with neutrals across the board, which makes it simpler for him to build perfectly fine outfits. His clothing is generally very neat, seems to most often be natural fibers, making it comfortable to an extent.  It also appears to be more on the expensive end, not designer, but not Walmart.

So, what does this tell us about Yutaka? He’s not really interested in appearing fashionable, his clothing allows him to blend in, not be noticed, which we’ve seen is kind of his preference. He takes pride in looking well put together but doesn’t necessarily want to put in a large amount of effort. The natural fibers tell us that comfort matters a bit more than style, but also that he’s not going out of his way to buy something markedly expensive. Touching back on the expense, with his history and being from a fairly privileged family, my interpretation (which is based on experience with friends) is that he’s not seeking out buying expensive clothing for prestige, but more just shopping at the stores he’s used to going to, the stores his parents would have taken him to.  A secondary benefit is that he’s buying higher quality clothing that with care is going to last him a fairly long time, which means less having to shop for replacements.

Moving to Minoru, but also the Ueda family as a whole. They’re clearly a working-class family, but may not be financially struggling, but more just coasting to a certain extent. The family as a whole wears some brighter colors, mostly Tane by the simple fact that he’s a child and children’s clothing is often colorful. I’m not going to say their clothing is unfashionable, because that’s too much of a subjective term, but more I’ll say that it’s serviceable, especially the adults. Papa and Minoru both wear comfortable basic clothing items, rarely anything ‘fancy’. We don’t see slacks, or neatly pressed clothing, just comfortable basics. Minoru tends to stick with cargo pants, jeans and sweats, with cotton t-shirts and hoodies.  Any of these items could be looked at and seen as well used, or possibly even purchased secondhand. In Minoru’s case specifically, it’s likely that much of the clothing is pieces he’s had for several years, as he’s a young adult and isn’t having to purchase new items to accommodate for regular growth spurts.

So, what does this say about Minoru? Comfort is high on his level of importance with his clothing. While his clothing is always clean, not in need of repair, or clearly mended, which indicates that he takes care of his clothes, but also doesn’t feel pressed to make a single item last as long as possible. Again, with the natural fibers, which promotes the individual comfort of the wearer, but also conveys a sense of comfort and softness to the viewer. We’re far more likely to think of someone as comforting wearing a soft, worn sweatshirt versus an itchy wool sweater. By their ages, which are fairly similar, we do also see Minoru looking slightly more juvenile, which could be indicative of him continuing to wear clothing from his teen years because it’s still in perfectly good condition for wear. What look to be the newest items he wears are his coats and jackets and his uniform at the ramen shop, which you can attribute to a combination of outerwear generally being worn less often, meaning less wear and tear, and the likelihood that his uniform is provided by his employer, and therefore replaced whenever it’s worn to a point where they deem it unwearable.

Looking at Tane, his style matches that of his father and brother in that he’s seen wearing very comfortable clothes. There’s occasionally some mismatching going on, which for his age (I’m guessing around 6) could be just because he’s dressing himself or because Minoru and Papa don’t care if he’s mismatched…or both honestly. His clothes, noticeably to me, look to be slightly better quality than what we see on Minoru. They also obviously look newer, but Tane is likely only just getting to the stage where his growth has plateaued to the point that he might wear out an item of clothing before he grows out of it. I also don’t see much cohesion in the styles or themes of his clothes, which to me implies that they’re letting Tane pick a lot of his clothing in the store, versus them picking it out. Generally, when parents purchase clothing for their kids, they stick to the colors and styles that they themselves feel comfortable in. Going off Minoru that would mean Tane in sportswear like sweatshirts, track pants, etc.; maybe jeans but with limited funds, items with more give, would be preferable. Tane also has some ‘nicer’ clothing as well, not necessarily formal, but whatever the child equivalent of business casual would be (I would call them church clothes).

So, what can we read from Tane’s clothing? It’s in good condition, fits well, contains a few what I would call department store pieces, which are slightly more expensive than what we see on Minoru and Papa. This indicates he’s well cared for and that new good quality clothing for him is prioritized over other members of the household. The mismatching, and not so cohesiveness of the wardrobe overall indicates that he’s probably allowed to pick his own clothing and outfits regularly. In some cases, combined with other things, this could indicate lack of adult involvement, but here it’s mostly likely meant to imply that Minoru and Koji are encouraging Tane’s independence, and helping him learn to be self-sufficient (which is in line with general cultural norms of Japan).

Papa, or Koji, now we get to a little more fun. Of all the characters, Koji’s wardrobe and costuming is the most interesting to me and generally the most interesting to look at. His wardrobe, like the rest of the Ueda family is comfortable, well-worn, but also includes far more traditional Japanese cultural pieces than Minoru and Tane, who wear majority 'western’ styles. His clothing is often mismatched outside of the occasions where we see him wearing a full outfit. The styles we see of western clothing is along more classical lines, as opposed to ‘trendy’ pieces.

Looking at what this information is meant to impart, we see some repetition of course, the desire for comfort over being fashionable, serviceable clothing that shows wear as well as care. The inclusion of traditional Japanese clothing pieces emphasizes the generational divide, but also I think serves as an intentional counterpoint to Papa’s clearly accepting nature. As this is a queer story, the audience would have some concern over the possibility of him not accepting Minoru and Yutaka’s relationship. The mismatching outside of full outfits that don’t require decision-making to match, tells us that Koji doesn’t particularly care about looking ‘good’ especially while at home, as we actually only see him in the Ueda house. The classic styles of his western clothing I think serve a two-fold purpose.  The most important is I think an indication of how he is able to be both traditional and modern in his mindset. He can respect and appreciate the traditions and styles of his culture and want to keep those alive without perpetuating outdated discrimination. A common phrase you see in the western vintage clothing community is “Vintage clothing not vintage values”, which I think gets my point across a little better and definitely more succinctly.  The second purpose is that it makes it difficult to determine when a piece would have been bought. Take the polo shirt he’s wearing- the viewer would have no way of knowing if it was purchased in 1984, 2006, or 2019 outside of physically inspecting it (and having a remarkably in-depth knowledge of polo shirts).  We also wouldn’t know if it was purchased new, at a discount shop, or second-hand.

I’m going to make a brief stopover to talk about Yutaka’s adoptive family, just to give some context. All dress very similarly to Yutaka, expensive, higher-end clothing, but not ostentatious. They follow a similar muted color palette of mostly neutrals as well. I would note that Yuki’s clothing is more well-fitted than Yutaka’s perhaps not tailored, or not always tailored, but probably actively tried on in stores where Yutaka would likely just buy the size he knows usually fits and if it’s a little loose who cares. Bottom line is Yuki is a man who strikes me as someone who knows what his inseam length is while Yutaka may not even know what an inseam is.

The Evolution of Yutaka’s clothing through the series

Yutaka’s sense of fashion doesn’t necessarily change, but you can see a progression in him through his clothing. We get a sense of two Yutaka’s in the beginning: work Yutaka and off-duty Yutaka. His work attire is as expected, your standard salaryman suit with an assortment of bland ties. Occasionally he wears a sweater as well, which makes sense as it’s winter. Off duty Yutaka wears jeans, though nice ones, not worn, no decorative rips, with sweaters and occasionally a button-up as well. We only see him in ‘comfortable’ clothing at home. The first time Minoru sees him in ‘comfortable’ clothing is episode 5, when Tane spills something on his shirt and Minoru gives him a sweatshirt to wear. Seeing Yutaka in that style of clothing is him becoming more comfortable with Minoru. He’s okay with Minoru seeing him at ‘less than his best’. We see it again in the next episode with Minoru coming to take care of a sick Yutaka at his home.

The ‘comfy’ clothes indicate Yutaka’s willingness to be vulnerable in Minoru’s presence. We also see a progression from mostly blacks, whites, and greys to more colors. We start with blue, which makes sense to me, as it’s not outside of Yutaka’s comfort zone, but it’s also a color we see a lot of in the Ueda house. This is a visual indication that Yutaka is not only welcome there, but fits in. He can belong there. I feel it also shows Yutaka becoming a bit braver over the course of the show as well.  In our most recent episode, we see our biggest leap-- THE YELLOW SWEATER. 

Interestingly he wears this sweater to his parent’s house. Seeing him in that space…he doesn’t fit in there anymore. That house is all cool-tone neutrals, but that’s not Yutaka anymore. He’s come to life. And do we even need to talk about the metaphor of him taking off the neutral greige jacket and showing that sunshine yellow underneath? Right before he reveals to his brother that he’s found his place, that he’s found himself??? He’s not going through the motions of trying to fit in, he’s not attempting to blend into the background. Oh! It’s beautiful!!  Not to mention we see Tane in yellow throughout the show, which I believe makes the yellow sweater a little bit of a nod to Tane’s youthful kind spirit helping bring life to Yutaka.

In a final wrap up I want to discuss what is one of my favorite things to see in serialized television and that is outfit repeating…or at least clothing pieces repeating. It’s not something you see a lot of in television, though you see it more in long running or serialized television in the west, because wardrobe and costuming can be expensive.  But I specifically appreciate it when you’re dealing with working-class characters. It’s impractical for a character who supposedly depends on their job to live to have an entire new outfit every single day.  Having limited wardrobes for characters and showing items worn repeatedly adds to the realism of a show. It also enables you to add personality. As in real life a character would wear their favorite items of clothing a bit more often. We see Yutaka repeat whole outfits, which probably means that he’s not really thinking about making unique fashion choices, but instead just knows what goes together to look presentable. With Minoru you see different items of clothing repeated but never a whole outfit (outside of his work uniform). But you also don’t see anything that looks contrived or like an attempt at a fashionable or cohesive outfit, which indicates a lack of concern about fashion, but also a lack of concern of other’s perception. He doesn’t care what other people think about the way he dresses; it just isn’t something that has occurred to him at all.

Well, I hope you enjoyed. I don’t know if this will have encouraged you to watch the show, but I certainly hope you will.

NOTE: Many pics were pulled from various posts here, and I wanted to give credit. Link 1, Link 2, Link 3, Link 4, Link 5, Link 6, Link 7, Link 8, Link 9, Link 10, Link 11, Link 12, Link 13, Link 14

[n3onstarss]

Hellboy x GN!reader x Abe

Cuddling, hurt/comfort but not really hurt, can be seen as platonic or romantic depending on preference, idiots in love? mayhaps?, self indulgent

Hellboy had always been a strange looking person to onlookers, and even stranger inside for those who knew him. intense mood swings and temperamental at the best of times, even Abe had a hard time reading him. I, however. I'd seemed to get him. Always able to tell what was wrong, what needed fixing and when he needed to be told (albeit gently) that 'hey, no, you're in the wrong.' every once in a while. But reading me? nearly impossible. Yes, I was a creature of the night, hard to read in the first place if anybody was able to see me first. But that was all before the bureau found me. Now, it was much more common for there to be sightings of the 'night prowler' or 'wood stalker', but only when missions called for it. it didn't make me any easy to read, despite Abe and Hellboy's best efforts.

Today had been shitty, to say the least. overwhelmed, overstimulated and pissy was a awful day to end the work day. Best case scenario was that I could somehow avoid all my coworkers in the halls or at least not snap at anyone, make it to my room and take a nap for a few days. unluckily, that's exactly what didn't happen. As my lithe form prowled the halls in hopes of making it to my 'cave' i was stuck in the home rush for the other employees. Trapped in a crowd and moving like a salmon swimming upstream in a flood. At one point a 30-something year old named Todd, my least favorite person, shoved me way too much for my liking and i snapped at him. literally. Everyone froze as the sound of teeth and jaws slamming shut and the tearing of fabric echoed through the crowds. Todd was missing a section of loose shirt from near his shoulder and the torn fabric hung from my snout. Blank stares and wild eyes watched my every move as i spit out the fabric, flipped him off and kept moving. weaving was much easier as i marched through, mainly because i wasn't weaving anymore. the familiar hole in the wall was within sight and the crowds were gone. I crouched down, glancing around one last time before ducking inside.

it was cozy. a pitch black hole in the wall that lead to a old locked up storage closet. The hole itself was in a hallway that was too out of the way for employees to come find, let alone patch. the closet had been locked up due to a venomous snake getting loose in there during temporary storage. Abe had helped me out in convincing everyone it might be alive and to just leave the closet alone. I'd cleaned it out and filled it with blankets and even one of those Walmart mini fridges. it was dark unless Abe decided to join. For those occasions we had got fish themed string lights at the same Walmart. Hellboy couldn't care if the light we're on or off, it didn't disturb him at all.

Finally settled in my nest of throw pillows and stolen blankets, i let all the emotion loose. sobs racked my body as i struggled to take a breath. hot tears of sadness and anger and exhaustion streamed down my face and made tracks across the thin, white, almost translucent flesh. I didn't know how long it had been before the storage door opened. Launching myself away from the light and holding my arms above my face for fear it was a agent, i growled weakly in warning. I hadn't calmed down at all and didn't have a moment to think before familiar warm arms scooped me up. while being held against Hellboy's chest i could feel him nod at someone or something. I hear rustling for a bit before Hellboy stepped into the closet and closed the door.

It turned out Abe had come too. the familiar cold hands creating stark contrast between the warm arms. the lights were turned on as dim as possible as we all say huddled. The familiar scents of leather and brimstone behind me and salt water and old books infront was comforting. I finally began to calm, the tears and hyperventilation coming to a slow stop. Hellboy then set me down between the two of them. The spot where Abe sat was weirdly damp, but he was also a fish-man-thing so what did i really expect? Sleep weighed down my eyelids and threatened to drag me under. I flicked my tail half-heartedly in thanks.

"We heard about the stunt with Todd," Hellboy finally spoke up. His voice was creaky and broke once or twice due to not being used for so long.

"hmm?" I didn't have the energy for a real response.

"are you okay?" I could tell he was trying not to let the worry seep into his voice. for the record, he failed.

"yes, you haven't been, as you say, 'doing so hot' recently. Are you alright?" Abe piped in. his voice was much more confident then Hellboy's and much smoother.

"I'll be fine, pinky promise."

"whatever you say, hotshot." and with that Hellboy scooted down against the wall even further, laying down fully now. he patted the spot next to him.

Abe and I got the hint at about the same time and scooted down as well, settling into our usual nap spots. We always ended up with Red being the big spoon and either Abe or I taking turns being the smallest spoon. Today Abe got elected based on where he'd sat alone. Hugging Abe to my chest and being hugged to Hellboy's was almost therapeutic. the lights were shut off and quiet music was turned on.

"goodnight you twi, thankd" i tried to say, muffled by the blankets and sleep. Soft giggles wracked the man held against my chest gently and a chuckle or two escaped Red.

"goodnight idiot, get some rest."

"goodnight, sleep well."

and with that, sleep carried me away.

[fantasyiswaybetterthanreality]

My Experience with Lego Friends

So way back in 2011, when I was but a wee 8ish year old, my mother and I were walking through the Walmart toy aisle. We moved through the girls section and saw this:

And my mom screamed. No Joke. An employee came over to ask what was wrong and she yelled. "There's Lego's for girls!!!"

That was my first introduction to the franchise/Lego theme. Now I was just as excited as her. Before Friends, I only had one Lego set that Mom had to search extensively for because there weren't really any proper sets for little girls.

So she bought me Lego Friends.

And more Friends.

As a budding Lego lover, I built them. I watched the corresponding TV shows on Netflix. I talked about them with my friends. I received a bunch of sets on my Birthday and Christmas.

A few years later, Lego started to release Disney Princess sets and Lego Elves. While I never got into Elves while they were released (something I regret now that I'm older), I watched the mini movie and series that were released on Netflix.

And then in 2018, Lego rebranded Friends for the first time.

Originally in 2012, Lego Friends advertised a young group of highschool girls and their subsequent adventures in their hometown of HeartLake City. This is what the lineup looked like:

(From Left to right: Emma, Stephanie, Olivia, Andrea, & Mia

Four white girls and one African American, and an extremely light skinned one.

And the "new" line-up in 2018:

(From Left to Right: Andrea, Mia, Emma, Stephanie, & Olivia)

One Asian, one one Hispanic, one African American (dark-skinned not light), and two whites.

Now my 12 year old brain was mad about the changes, especially since American Girl (another toy brand I loved) had rebranded one of there lines and honestly, butchered the best parts about the line.

But after someone told me it was wonderful that they were being more inclusive, and after I looked at some of the sets, I came around.

So I continued to collect the sets. I watched the corresponding show on Netflix.

Then January 2023 rolls up, I innocently stroll down the toy aisle at target and see

"What the hell is this? What's wrong with the logo?" (<- Actual thought from my brain)

After a quick scope around the Friends section, I figure out it's another rebrand. Now, I'm on the fence, holding out judgement.

A few months pass, I see a few new Lego models. A boy in a wheelchair, a girl with half an arm, a girl with Vitiligo. I'm starting to feel hopeful about the rebrand.

However, the core 5 girl squad don't seem to appear as much. So finally, I turn to google like a normal person. And find out that they got rid of the core 5 girl squad and that there's a "New Generation of Friends".

...

Yeah, that ticked me off. The girl squad was my favorite part of the Friends brand.

So after finding this out, I go on a mini-boycott, because apparently, I am still a petulant child when it comes to Legos.

And then around September, I tread into the Lego section of a store for the first time in a while.

And spot a set that has the cutest animal in it. The familiar longing itch to buy a new set returns. My mom approaches me, and we start talking about the rebranded sets. She points out a couple sets with cool architecture.

And I let myself enjoy window shopping for Legos again.

Fast forward to Christmas, I get a set titled HeartLake City Community Center. I haven't built it yet, but I'm looking at the box \/,

Wait a minute, who's that in the corner? Is that who I think it is?

IT IS!!!!!! IT'S STEPHANIE!!!!! AND SHE'S THE MAYOR. HAJKSHJKDHKJLSAS

So I make a red string/conspiracy board theory, that this 2nd rebrand of Legos is *literally* the next generation of Friends. Like, the core 5 grew up and these are all the new kids that live in the city.

I bring this up to my parents, and Mom's thinks it's an awesome theory since it's been a decade. The girls should be allowed to grow up and have adult lives.

I don't think much more about it until I'm browsing the Lego store this afternoon for Lego Monkie Kid Sets, and come across a new set titled Andrea's Modern Mansion. Of course I click on it.

(All following pictures are screenshots from the Lego website)

Front ^ and back \/

Wait, what's that in the middle?

Are those pictures?

THEY ARE!!!!!!!!!!!

Stephanie and Mia graduating! Family portrait! Andrea with her baby! Olivia and Emma!

That's it. The rebrand has won me over. I love seeing all this later in life core 5.

Stephanie's the Mayor, like her idol from the original show. Andrea's a singer, has won some awards, is married, and has a child.

I can't wait to see what they do with the other girls.

Also, look at the reunion!

They're doing karaoke! I can't take it.

[mrjadeleech]

Psychological thrillers are my personal favorite, so I'm glad they rank highly with you! I could honestly go on for a long rant about them, but here's not really the place.

Speaking of criminal fiction, I thought of a fun hypothetical. If you were to be given basically a get out if jail free card, like you could do one crime or illegal thing with zero legal ramifications, would you do anything with it? Caveats being that even if there are no legal ramifications, there are social ones. Like if you stole one item from Sam's, he'd still remember and not be happy about it. And it can only be one illegal thing. So like, you can steal one thing, but not two.

I think more or less the question boils down to: is there anything that you want or want to do that you can't because of legality.

For me I'd probably do something boring like steal a ps5 from a Walmart. Wouldn't hurt anyone, Walmart can take the loss, and the employees aren't paid enough to care. But I think your family sounds wealthy enough that you can probably afford the things you'd like to have. I just can't think of any non-stealing examples. I am fairly certain other crimes do exist.

So just curious! It's also okay if there's nothing you'd do.

Good day, dear Amber.

Something that I would want to do despite its status as forbidden... Fufu, unfortunately, it is quite difficult to narrow down my lengthy list. After all, the law only serves those within the scope of its power.

My family, if you wish to understand, is a bit far beyond what the legal powers are capable of reaching.

[latenightgasstationwalk]

Idk why business always have like 1/2 ply toilet paper. You’re literally not saving money. I’m sure everyone, like me, takes like 27 squares and folds them into one mega square. When I worked at Walmart I used to just steal charmin ultra and put it in my favorite bathroom (employees only bathroom that was one room with a lock 😍) I fell asleep on that bathroom floor so many times.

[dogsuffrage]

Everything is so woke nowadays. I was shopping at my favorite store Walmart and as I was checking out I told the waitress (beautiful young woman named Horseshoes) to have a Merry Christmas and the employees dragged me into the back and literally beat the shit out of me. There is a war on Christmas folks, and it's about time we did a little something about to have done fixed it

[anotherdayforchaosfay]

I looooove Grocery Outlet and Winco. Better prices, more options, and they're not Walmart. It drives Bubby a little mad because he would rather go to Walmart "because everything is under one roof." Except it's not. My gluten-free snacks are found almost exclusively at Grocery Outlet, Winco has a phenomenal selection of fruit in great condition, and both are significantly less expensive.

I fucking haaaaaaaate Walmart.

Winco is union owned and operated. They're MASSIVE, and have a lot of dry goods you can purchase by the pound...as well as candy (i stock up on candy for menstruation week. Which is coming up soonish). Their fresh fruit and veggies are in much better condition, there are more options, and some if it is hakf what Walmart is charging.

Grocery Outlet is independently owned, like some hotel chains are. The store may have things sitting on the edge of expiring, but that's why they're sometimes just 30% what Walmart charges. They have lots of dried fruit, and are where I get my favorite dry figs. They're the onky place that carries some of my fav breakfast items as well as the only yogurt I will eat.

Walmart is overpriced, understaffed, and they treat their employees like shit.

We now have groceries and a fully stocked fridge. Diabetes and celiac disease require strict dietary needs. I also cannot have dairy beyond yogurt, and the onky reason my dr doesn't throw a fuss about the yogurt is because without it...I have Problems. Bubby is diabetic and low carb low sugar snacks and meals that taste good is proving difficult for him because he's a picky eater (ADHD).

If possible, seek out different places to purchase your groceries. Walmart is not the lowest price.

[myshredda]

Remember how Red was turned into Mr. Peterson of Peterson's and SONS and Friends Bits and Parts Limited? Where's the sons? Show me the sons! Dad Red confirmed?

The jobs episode is SUCH an interesting episode, not only because it was the first look back at the trio that we'd gotten since the cancelation of the original show (rip Wakey Wakey), but also because it was establishing the ideological themes for the channel 4 series!

Jobs has hands down my favorite message of all the new episodes, and I would say it's the one that most clearly projects that 'this is the twisted version of a children's educational puppet show' vibe that Becky and Joe are going for. Where shows like Sesame Street or Under the Umbrella Tree would paint these wonderful pictures of a life filled with endless possibility and the chance to get the job of your dreams, DHMIS tackles this topic in the more realistic way.

Being pigeonholed into a low-paying factory job with high-risk of personal injury, repetitive work, lack of personal fulfillment, and the eventual realization that you wasted the best years of your life at a company that would fire you the instant you've become an inconvenience to their bottom line (say: being old, or getting injured, or y'know, both) is the more likely outcome for children that watch these puppet shows, especially considering Sesame Street was created to connect with low income, inner city children. The system is rigged against kids like this from the moment they're born, and it's implemented and carried out generation over generation by those who either stumbled into wealth through unethical means or inherited it from relatives that built it through the exploitation of the working class.

So, where does Red morphing into Mr. Peterson fit into my mini-essay on the harsh realties of capitalism? I'm very happy you asked!!!

Red's character arc in the Jobs episode (or episode arc, whichever you prefer) is a representation of the people in life that are allowed to fail upward. Red doesn't have any specific skills that set him apart from Duck or Yellow that would constitute him being the best person to be 'the boss' (unless you count him looking like a Smart Boy in his outfit) Red quiet literally wanders into the head office and is given a job he's unqualified for, no questions asked. He's surrounded by yes-men in the form of the Fax Machine and the Bin who both idealize him due to his high position in the company and want to get close to him to ensure their standing potentially being uplifted by proximity to Red (ie: the Fax Machine's constant flirting)

Red himself is incredibly incredibly useless in his position (literally the only thing he does is tell people he doesn't work at the company over the phone, pee without washing his hands, and make empty speeches when needed) but he's able to keep that position for FORTY YEARS simply because he was in the right place at the right time. I believe the way he eventually adopts the moniker of "Mr. Peterson" is an example of how these big companies pretend to be 'family owned and operated' in an attempt to seem more relatable (such as Walmart and Disney, which are two megacorporation that operate under the family name of their founder) but in reality they're run by whichever CEO managed to fall into the position. There is no 'Mr. Peterson' or his 'Sons' or their 'Friends'. There's only a boss that managed to trip into a high-paying position and now parades around wearing the company name on his lanyard, factory employees that are overworked and exploited, staff members that leech off the higherups, or workers that attempt to break free from this mold and are punished by society for attempting to find a better life.

(Also my joke answer is Yellow is his son and Red is a DILF because of this.)

[delusionsofspace]

Shout out to the Walmart employees who see me bundled up in my wheelchair (with my favorite plushie) and ask if I'm doing okay, they see me in my chair regularly and always check in on me without being judgemental it's super nice of them

[estrellami-1]

15 questions, 15 mutuals

Thanks @nburkhardt!! ❤️

1. Are you named after anyone? No? I don’t think so at least

2. When was the last time you cried? Well I laughed to the point of tears about 2 hours ago… other than that… I legitimately Do Not Know. I don’t cry a whole bunch. Just kinda tend to explode when it all gets to be too much 🙃

3. Do you have kids? I don’t have any of my own lol, not yet, but I nanny an adorable one-year-old and a slightly cantankerous three-year-old.

4. Do you use sarcasm a lot? Pshh, what, me? No, never! How dare you assume such a thing.

5. What sports do you play/have you played? Ballet when I was 3. Other than that nothing 😂

6. What’s the first thing you notice about people? Honestly it changes from person to person. The Chicken Express employee? Their pink & black hair. A manchild in front of me at Walmart? The fact that he was wearing a belt yet if he hadn’t been wearing underwear (red) I would’ve been able to see his asshole. (Some people, I swear to God.)

7. What’s your eye color? Brown 🤎

8. Scary movies or happy endings? I hate scary movies, honestly. Happy endings all the way!

9. Any special talents? I don’t think so? I’m kinda a jack of all trades, master of none lol. Though I am a pretty decent shot with a rifle even though I’ve only been to the range once. That’s nice. I was definitely channeling my inner Winter Soldier/Black Widow. 😂 and I can make a mean steak! Honestly I cook a FEAST for my family (6 of us) every time I make steak lol. I do potatoes, peppers, onions, garlic, spinach, and cherry tomatoes too. (The garlic, spinach & cherry tomatoes are thrown into the pan I used for the steaks. It’s heavenly.)

10. Where were you born? Texas, born ‘n’ raised, y’all! I don’t have a southern accent. I started saying ‘y’all’ ironically and I regret it because it’s now part of my daily speech. Actually my family is from Spain and Argentina, with quite a bit of Italian mixed in. I don’t know what that means, accent-wise, but three years ago the Walmart pharmacist complimented my pronunciation and I will never forget that.

11. What are your hobbies? Cooking, reading, writing, playing music, crocheting, sewing… essentially any form of art that you won’t find in a museum 😅 I’m no good at any of that. I also like dancing, though I don’t do it enough to call it a hobby, I think.

12. Do you have pets?

His name is Gus ❤️ (technically he’s my sister’s but we’re ignoring that since we all live in the same house.) technically she also has a fish and 2 Guinea pigs but Gus is mostly all of ours.

13. How tall are you? I like to say I’m 5’ 1” on a good day. 😂

14. Favorite subject in school? Well I’m an English major so… 😂

15. Dream job? Christ I dunno. Scrolling Tumblr all day? Can I just get paid for this? Because that would be fantastic. Thanks, y’all.

This was a lot of fun! Tagging @madigoround @thatonegreyghost @ghosttotheparty @onearmedlegend @justforthedead89 @every-aj-needs-an-angel @mickalaem @ilovecupcakesandtea @bookbinderbitch @suddenlyinlove @artiststarme @piratefishmama and whoever else wants to do it! ❤️ (shhh ignore the fact I didn’t tag 15)

[shadowredfeline]

While I went to workout with my mom and my brother, they were remodeling the front desk where they're adding something new including an office, so one of the employees was just doing their job. They especially had to move their work equipment like laptops and stuff like a stand over by the fitness center and had to use an emergency door for something people can get in. Cause Emergency doors are only used in case people need to find the closest fire escape in case there's a fire. So my brother, my mom and myself, we went to workout like usual like doing cardio and lifting weights, then afterwards, went to the store to pick up some cheese and corn along with some snacks to get for my grandfather. Then my brother wanted to get some Takis because those are his favorite snacks since my favorite snacks are like Goldfish, Flaming Hot Chester's Fries, Baked Cheetos, Lays both original and Barbecue Chips and Doritos Nacho Cheese. So we went to Walmart and got the Takis and we also tried to get some cheap snacks like we got Kit Kat Churro Flavor since I do enjoy eating Churros as well as for a Kit Kat bar. After we ordered some snacks from Walmart, we decided to go to McDonald's to grab a quick lunch. So my brother and I got some Chicken Mcnuggets and some fries for lunch. And most importantly, the box says saying it's Grimace's Birthday and they even have cool things you can order during the birthday event. Like the nuggets and the fries and maybe a burger, and also comes with a Grimace theme Shake which I didn't get one, because some people say it might taste like a berry. But I thought it might taste good. But If I were grabbing a dessert from McDonald's I usually stick with getting an ice cream cone or my usual Oreo McFlurry. And for the Grimace Birthday event, I decided I had Goldie and Rosie be part of it too. But man I bet the Ramcats, the Speedsters and the Rabbits might enjoy this event too. I hope we'll still wish McDonald's and Grimace a Happy Birthday.

Shadow R 😺🗡️: Boy that was a delicious lunch, Isn't it, Caleb?

Caleb 😺🏀🏈: Agree. We could use a quick lunch before I can snack on these Takis.

Shadow R 😺🗡️: Okay. I sure hope Spot and Maxwell, Riya and Miya might enjoy a McDonald's meal together. And maybe you should share some of the Takis with Cude.

Caleb 😺🏀🏈: Yeah I mean if he wants to. They're really spicy though and I wasn't sure if he wanted some or not.

Shadow R 😺🗡️: Okay. Let's enjoy ourselves some lunch.

Caleb 😺🏀🏈: Sounds good, Shadow. 😊

People I tagged @bryan360 @murumokirby360 and @rafacaz4lisam2k4