#granted yeah they're divorced
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All of my friends are shocked that I have two living parents.
My Gotham friends are (jokingly) because I live in Gotham.
My Metropolis friends are (genuinely) because I live in Gotham.
#granted yeah they're divorced#but they're still both alive#I'm out here like#garfield are you /j or /srs#and they're out here like#yes#only in gotham#gothamite#oc#gotham oc#Tumblr fucked up the tag order the first time#wtf
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Barely organized Deltarune/Undertale yellow thoughts GO
because I am fucking dying to talk about this game with more people-
Some of this is also influenced by a discord server I'm in, even though I can't remember who shared some of their ideas that influenced it which i feel bad about-
(Also minor warning before I get into it, this does have spoilers for stuff like the true pacifist ending, so proceed with caution.)
Theres the idea I had and really like of making the Ketsukanes the holidays in an AU like this, so you have Kanako as Noelle, Chujin as Rudy, and Ceroba as the mayor, someone else mentioned having clover be the dess, which I honestly like a lot!
Another idea is like, the Ketsukanes being the Dreemurrs, so clovers big sister Kanako is away, and either their parents are divorced, or Chujin is either fuckin dead still or just away for his engineering job a lot.
Alternatively, Kanako is just, someone who attends Asriels collage, maybe they're friends, or just acquaintances, who knows. Here, Clover would. be dead, they died like- saving people from a fire or somethin, to add another layer of tragedy to them, and also to match how in Undertale Yellow they die from self sacrifice in the true pacifist ending.
ALTERNATIVELY alternatively, clover is alive, and they're still Kanako's sibling, or just a family friend or something I dunno lol. Either way, clover themselves would actually be closer to Asriel, at least sorta (bc its cute to think they'd be genuine friends, even if in UTY Flowey is still a little bitch who was using them the whole time,
So yeah just. a bunch of random shit. If Clover isn't fuckin dead they'd still be friends with everyone, though they're now just. regular ass people. Starlo still does LARPing stuff, Dalv probably ended up helping out on the farm bc he also likes growing corn, Martlet is just a local handywoman, who's pretty good at it. Chujin is probably still an engineer, just. not making robots, maybe he makes "axis" as some kinda toy for his daughter, since he. doesn't need to make murder-bots here. He also may still die or just fall sick, but here its just something natural and not him ripping his soul apart.
Axis is tough to fit in here honestly, since deltarune is more grounded, and sentient robots aren't remotely a thing, beyond darkners I guess, which granted Axis could absolutely be! If the Yellow cast somehow gets dragged into dark world stuff too.
#Undertale#Undertale Yellow#undertale yellow spoilers#martlet undertale yellow#chujin undertale yellow#ceroba undertale yellow#clover undertale yellow#kanako undertale yellow#dalv undertale yellow#starlo undertale yellow#Clover uty#Martlet uty#Chujin uty#Ceroba uty#Dalv uty#Starlo uty#Axis undertale yellow#axis uty#ceroba ketsukane#chujin ketsukane#kanako ketsukane#Deltarune#The holidays and Dreemurrs are mentioned like once so I won't tag them bc I don't wanna put more in their tags where its not important lol.
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Step by Step Episode 8 Ramblings
Episode 7 Ramblings, here
Put is not even gonna let Pat say his piece? 2 minutes in and I'm already burning mad
"I haven't taken you for granted like before"
"I know, you've been really good to me" Oh Pat, you pathalogical people pleaser
I continue being impressed by this show showcasing how adults do and should handle relationships and everything that comes with it. This must be one of the most realistic breakup scenes in BLs. And it is done without compromising the emotions of the characters. Hats off, really
Jane is wearing two layers of pink. Our resident Tumblr color demon @respectthepetty has taught us that pink = love, so good to know that his feelings has remained unchanged or even intensified from last when we saw him
My god, Khun Jeng looks so fineeeeeeeee
And he's wearing a dark blue shirt underneath his neutral brown jacket. While Pat is in a dark blue cardigan. Interesting
Ohhhhhhh wow Jane is pissed and Jaab is too. The cat fight between these two is gonna be hilarious
Put, you insufferable snake, ya dumped. Stop misrepresenting facts
Jeng, how the fuck did you know? Are you really THAT perceptive?
Oh man, that is the worst takeaway you can ever have from a failed relationship
*jaw dropped* Oh Jeng is going for the jugular. Oh he's done playing games, he wants to fight
Oooooooooof. Put, you manipulative bastard
Oh it's still not over. Oh they're still going, holy shit, this is intense
Is that a threat, about coming out? Seriously, what the fuck
I CAN'T WAIT to read all the body language analyses y'all are gonna write on that scene. Woah, that really was something
Ae and Beam are here!
Well, Ae looks like a goddess, as usual. What else is new?
I love this scene and the commentary that comes with it. Keep your noses out of pregnant people's business, for fuck's sake! How hard is it to have some basic decency?
I love that Tae is calling out how quickly Jeng's mood changes from brooding to giddy and vice versa in this conversation.
We have a new stuffie. The shark is out and the tiger is in. YES I SEE IT AND I LOVE IT
Oh I'm sooo ready for this non-date date. I want the sweet, sweet fluff to drown me. Gimme all the blushing, all the eye contact, all the accidental brushing of fingers, GIVE IT TO ME
OH MY GOD, he planned the whole thing. He had people move chairs out of the way for aesthetics. This complete bitch (affectionate)
GUYS, THE FLIRTING, I know I said I can handle it, but this is too adorable ^^
Jeng just hung up on his brother in a flash, not even waiting for him to respond? Oh that's cold
Oh shit, Pat is drunk, again, Here come the truth bombs
Damn, Man Trisanu is nailing this. He is acting his ass off to show how restless Jeng feels before every almost-confession
This slowburn is gonna kill us all, honestly
Oh we are dancing, oh it's so gloriously awkward, oh make it stop
Jaab, my beloved, I've missed your melodrama. You look like a divorced sugar baby who won half the riches in the settlement, I love it
Jeng tells Pat he can be just a safe space for him, while Pat is sobbing on his shoulder about his ex. All while Jeng has been trying the whole day to confess his own feelings for Pat. Every atom of this man is a green flag, I swear
These drunk disaster gays, I love them so much
Pat, sweetie, no. Please, you must be joking. Don't tell me you didn't know, DON'T TELL ME YOU ARE THAT OBLIVIOUS!
Okay, now Pat has to rethink each and every one of their interactions to see if he has ever misled Jeng, or if Jeng has ever crossed his boundaries. And then recalibrate his feelings with this new information. Yeah, this could take a while.
I'm leaning more and more towards the possibility of a second season, or even a special episode, after the show ends. Because there is no way they can fit all the domesticity these characters deserve within the next couple of episodes.
Ahhhh I can't believe the slowburn is still not over. I love it and I hate it and I'm pretty sure this show has turned me into a sadomasochist.
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Come to DCMK, where I probably got a shit ton of my favourite shipping and otherwise general relationship dynamics from!
We have Phantom Thief/Detective (Kaito/Aoko since she's the inspector's daughter, Kaito/Hakuba, and Kaito/Hattori too tbh)
There's "I Will Wait As Long As It Takes" featuring Shinichi/Ran on both sides!
Secret identities galore! Thought you knew who someone was? Think again! Even the main characters can change! Even and especially their parents! (Never getting over how Kaito's mother in ch1 was a domestic housewife and by the next time she appears she's the Phantom Lady and she's a jetsetter in Las Vegas. Live your best life, Kuroba Chikage.)
Voice of rational logic paired up with voice of "but what if the supernatural DOES exist"? We've got Hattori and Shinichi (Hattori believes in luck and charms, and has pseudo-prophetic dreams once or twice), as well as Hakuba and Akako (rational science vs actual witch!).
Family drama where people don't communicate so people turn out to be related who had no idea? Long-lost relatives? HELL YEAH. Not just the main cast (the entire Akai-Miyano family, the Kudo and Kuroba family), but countless cases and even movies based around the idea!
Power couples where they're both as strong as each other? Ran is a blackbelt in karate. Kazuha does aikido. Hattori is an ace at kendo. Shinichi has a powerful and accurate kick for shooting something at something or someone. Tbh they each have their specialty. I'd love to see Akako actually get sicced on someone for the sake of protecting someone she cares about, too.
Portrayals of parents as people? The Kudos often come back home when shit hits the fan. They aren't perfect but they're shown to make an effort. Ran's parents are divorced but in a way you can see why, but at the same time they still care. Some parents are good and others border on neglect, but they are, most importantly, people with their own stories!
And honestly my favourite thing? It's got a setting that's perfect for adapting into something more sci-fi (we have drugs that shrink people! Robots!) or more fantasy (witches! Immortality-granting stones and/or drugs! Aforementioned prophetic dreams!) so it's carte blanche for AUs. You can easily adapt the setting to whatever you want.
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You know what, I was just minding my own business but that stupid fucking person has really pissed me off, so I'm just gonna bitch for a while because upstead stans are the fucking worse and have literally been saying insane shit for over a year now.
putting this under a cut tho for my lovely mutuals who are upstead fans who are not part of the crazies and I don't wish for them to have to see my extreme bitchy and pettiness.
"Gwen Sigan doesn't believe that two ships can be happy at the same time" - yeah it's called have you fucking ever watched pd? LITERALLY been happening from the start it's not even unique to Sigan. This also really pisses me off because when I complained about Eid not believing in two ships being happy at once it was 'stop being dramatic' 'it makes for good tv' and, my absolute fucking favourite, 'burzek are just too toxic/traumtised for each other".
Oh but when your ship marries out of trauma (thank you gwen for pointing that out) and who's whole relationship was still very new and tested so frequently compared to ten years of loving, hurting and growing, it's oh no sigan is a shit writer.
There's also the fact that JESSE LEFT. I don't think there's any reason why Sigan shouldn't have re-written the divorce plans set from last season, and built up a happy upstead ending now we're also losing Tracy, but with Jesse gone, 'two ships can't be happy at once' CANNOT literally apply, because one half is gone, so it's no longer a viable plot point to the writers' perspective.
It's also not lost on me that upstead stans worshipped Sigan until Jesse left. 'Sigan didn't give upstead a chance' No, upstead stans didn't give her a chance. Which, granted, they shouldn't have to. If half of your ship leaves, it's perfectly valid to stop watching. But they evaluate sigan like they're fucking unbiased and not that they made up their minds about her as soon as the news hit.
(and that's not even talking about how before the news hit they were saying the 200th episode should be upstead focused, but upstead is broken and suddenly it's it should be about everyone).
And the marriage WAS born out of trauma. They had also barely been dating - it doesn't matter if you've been friends first, a relationship is different. And then they immediately went through A LOT at work, and they hadn't even been in the relationship long enough to learn how it would affect it, long-term.
"They're giving us burzek/burzek wedding to distract from upstead" get fucking over yourself.
"Sigan should admit she hates upstead/hates that the actors left" high talk from people who can't even fucking admit their ship is not the end all or be all of cpd. That they've been faced with the reality that upstead doesn't make or carry the show, like they've been delusionally believing. And that upstead is NO WHERE near the most iconic ship of the show.
Honestly, half the time these fucking people make me wish that Hailey is written out through a death/ or the linsteads get what they want - an off-screen reunion - even though my baby erin doesn't deserve that just to fucking spite them and I would HATE if that happened, but spite is a powerful thing.
if you've gotten to here, thank you for listening to my rant :)
#ree rants#chicago pd#i'm so fucking pissed.#I was trying to stay quiet bc honestly#I feel sorry for the (resonable) fans#but it just bubbled over#gwen sigan
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ted lasso 3x11
got through the latest episode tonight, below are unassorted ramblings abt a kansas ending (which i, despite being almost certain is where the show is heading, am still ardently rooting against):
so i was talking a little with my family abt the extremely likely kansas ending*, and was mentioning how much i really don't vibe with it. i said smth like 'i mean, what's even there for him in kansas?' to which they said (fairly, and rightfully!) 'his son!'. like, that's a pretty bulletproof argument, so i guess im just writing this to figure out why i feel like even that isn't. idk. enough?
[*though if that is the ending, what's the point of the cliffhanger? it's the most obvious + expected outcome, how would it be a 'reveal'? idk, some part of me is still praying for one of those classic Twists™ ig]
like. we've known that ted has a kid since day one. we've known that he loves + misses that kid since day one. according to the text, the number one reason ted left kansas was as a last ditch effort to save his marriage, by giving michelle as much space as humanly possible. they were divorced by the middle of the season, and ted chose to stay at the end.
so like. idk. am i missing something? did he just stay bc he felt an obligation to the team? and now that they're doing well (absurdly, breaking the bounds of belief well), he feels okay moving on? like many ppl have already pointed out, that's a pretty standard plot line in these kind of stories: the mary poppin's style exit stage right. but, say ted goes home (potentially even without beard???? agh??). what's happened to him, these past few seasons? what's different now?
like, it kind of feels like im only gonna be hurt by reading in between the lines here, but kansas doesn't seem to hold a lot of good associations for ted w/o the bedrock of his + michelle's marriage. he's reduced to a morose, spaced out mess within 5 minutes of talking with his mother, he very nearly goes through the Extremely fucked up move of paying someone to spy on michelle after seeing her + jake together for an afternoon, and ofc if anything even remotely reminds him of his dad he gets triggered really badly.
and of course, maybe the idea is 'well, he's started to cope with that all now, and he's starting to talk openly with his mum + grieve his dad, so he has the tools to return' but like. does he???? his support system are EXTREMELY london based. setting aside sharon since he could always telehealth w her, all of the positive progress he's made in his 'home' life seem to exclusively come after he talks w his support group at richmond.
he ended up admitting he was mad at michelle after speaking with the diamond dogs, he was pulled out of his obsessive spiral by rebecca, and he was able to put words to his feelings abt his mum by talking w jamie. to be clear, those are all massively positive things for ted to have done, and i think they at least make a good case for ted progressive positively w his mental health (even if its all gotten a bit tell don't show in this last season). but like. what happens when all that's on the other side of an ocean?
to be clear, from the perspective of real life, it absolutely makes sense that ted would want to return to his son. but on a narrative level, im just. i feel like im being expected to take certain things about ted + henry's relationship for granted, when the text itself hasn't even tried to make those things apparent.
is henry miserable or even generally upset when he has to leave his dad/go back to his mum? not that we ever see! im pretty sure the only time we've seen henry explicitly upset is when ted was ignoring him while he was like five feet away which, yeah, mood! and last we saw, henry even sees more enthused abt richmond winning the whole thing than ted is, so its not like he thinks his dad is just going away to do absolutely nothing of import.
do ted and henry not spend a lot of time together/talk very often? technically we don't see enough of ted's daily routine to know for sure, but the casual mention of playing roblox seems to imply they spend a lot of time together! and ofc none of their phone calls ever have the vibe of 'i haven't spoken to you in ages, here's ALL THE THINGS you've missed!'. they're almost all abt stuff that happened that day.
is ted struggling with being away from henry? well... yes, duh, but i don't even think this season's done particularly well establishing THAT (incredibly obvious and free) piece of ted characterisation.
is ted capable of feeling anything other than vague nostalgia (ie: all of his annecdotes being set there) or extreme distress wrt kansas? apparently not! like, seriously, what is there for him? does he have any friends? a job? family that isn't his mother? where's he gonna live? does he miss the weather? his neighbours? like i am literally on my hands and knees give me ONE (1) concrete opinion ted has about the fucking place that isn't about its FOOD (<- ESPECIALLY coming off the back of an episode where ted was able to experience texan food So Authentic™ that it inspired a literal career-changing epiphany?? like HOW are we supposed to take that as anything other than 'ted is at his best when he acknowledges BOTH of his lives rather than cutting one out in favour of the other'???).
idk. i guess my real problem this late in the game is i can see so many POTENTIAL versions of this show, but what ive been given doesn't feel like it matches up with any of them.
i can imagine a story in which ted's avoidance + variations upon running-away tactics for dealing w conflict get thoroughly deconstructed and challenged while in london, so at the end of the show he's finally emotionally prepared to return to his life in kansas even though it's never going to be a fairytale picturesque no-problems-ever ending again.
i can imagine a story in which going back to kansas isn't good for ted, and will be a major sacrifice, but it's a sacrifice he will be making with the support of his new friends + family, and something that he is determined to make in order to be there w his son, all meaningfully juxtaposed w how he feels his dad 'quit' on him.
i can imagine a story where ultimately, the life that ted's made alongside richmond is just as important to him as his life in kansas, and so he + michelle work out a more equal and long-term custody arangement* with henry (it definitely seems like the 'you get him for the whole year and i get him on school break' was something haphazardly worked out while they were both still under the assumption he'd be in richmond for less than a year), and they alternate who goes to whose home for holidays and shit.
[*side note, why hasn't that come up at all? i'd personally think somewhere around the six month mark of working overseas i'd want to have a talk w my expartner + kid about a schedule that isn't so much of a 80/20 split? like, it's fine if henry moving isn't on the table at all for one reason or another, but at least take the time to actually SAY that??? like, what does michelle do for a living? why is SHE so happy to stay there? give me Literally Anything here gang!!!]
...but ultimately what ive actually seen on screen feels like it fits into none of those categories. eleven hours (in as many episodes!! HOUR! long! episodes!!!!!!) in and i feel like i know infinitely less about ted + his mental state than i did in s1. like, from episode to episode, the writer's aren't sure if he's stuck, or progressing, or going through that classic recovery 'one step forwards, two steps back' dance, or just completely and utterly depressed. there's no continuity. nothing that happens to him in one episode seems to have literally any bearing at all on the ted in the next episode. if u scrubbed all of the notable Ted Scenes™ of any overarching plot references, and shuffled them all up, i genuinely think you would end up w a plateau of scenes totally indistinguishable from each other!*
[*of course, this is my main critique of s3 for like. literally everyone, but it's paticularly damning when im left feeling this lost about the main fucking guy.]
i don't know. i guess after the past few weeks of being really genuinely hurt + angry + upset abt the choices made this season, the feeling im left with near the end of it all is. underwhelmed. and im really not sure what 3x12 could possibly do to change that feeling... even if i am still regrettably, but sincerely rooting for a last minute switcheroo.
#mine#ted lasso spoilers#ted lasso meta#ted lasso critical#ughghghghhhh. breaking up w a show is emotionally exhausitng one hasn't hit me this bad since s10 -> 12 of d*ctor wh*.#the potential :( the blorbos :( all doomed to languish in a fucking. lifeless enclosure. w no prospects or hope or vision for fucking#anything interesting to happen to them literally ever. bluuuuuuuh.#the only thing keeping me sane through all this is unironically the fact that the WGA are striking rn. i hope they all get $600 million#dollars and lifelong permission to rock up to execs + ceo's office with a Fucking Bat.#:(
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A BEAUTIFUL SOMEWHERE II CHAPTER TWO
Series Masterlist x OBX Masterlist x Full Masterlist x Series Summary
Chapter Two — Our Song
Chapter Summary: JJ and John B. have a talk about those dreaded papers. Stevie runs into an unexpected acquaintance and finds an outlet for her anger. The Pogues get together for the first time in years and decide what to do with the time they're given together.
The air smells like sawdust and summer heat and JJ’s skin is slick with sweat as the humming of the jigsaw ceases and makes room for the gentle lap of the waves mingling with the low music coming from the radio.
He can feel a sense of pride pushing against his skin, trying so desperately to find room inside of him, expanding in a way that makes it unable for him to not let himself feel it. It’s something he’s trying to get used to step by step. JJ never really had anyone be proud of anything he did so all of this is unfamiliar, it’s foreign. But he is trying. And looking at the cedarwood door frame before him, he tries to cherish the feeling of pride instead of covering it up with poisonous thoughts of self-depreciation.
“Looks good, man.”
John B’s voice cuts through the early afternoon quiet and catches JJ off guard like a cold splash of water on sun-burned skin.
“Thanks. What are you doing here?”
He doesn’t mean to sound rude, he really doesn’t, but it’s a fact that none of his friends ever show up here. Their friend group lives and breathes like some kind of natural organism that comes and goes as it does without much talking or planning. They all just gravitate toward each other in their own designated spaces like the chateau or the wreck or the beach. But this place? This is his little getaway, his shelter and his prison. Both a place to rest and to get absolutely obliterated by his own thoughts.
“Uh, good to see you too.” John B. scoffs though he grants JJ a look of mock offense void of any and all seriousness.
“You know what I mean.”
“I wanted to hang out and you weren’t at your place or the shack. And I know you stress-build so this was the only place you could be.”
“I don’t stress-build.”
He does. In fact, it’s one of the few healthy coping mechanisms he’s developed since leaving high school and forcing himself to grow up, at least a little bit. There’s a certain adult quality in building something when things get tough instead of breaking something down. You can choose to mess up when life treats you unfairly or you can choose to create something.
He’s been destructive for so long that he feels like he owes the world some creations. Or maybe he owes himself, JJ is not entirely sure.
“… and anyway, why would I be stressed? Life is fucking peachy.”
John B. lifts his eyebrow in that annoyingly smug way that is so quintessentially him it makes JJ feel both nostalgic and aggravated at the same time.
“Are you really asking me that? Like is that a legit question? Because that’s a dumb question.”
“Yeah, I’m asking.”
“Well uh let me think. Maybe you’re stressed because Stevie is back home for the first time in years after the both of you had an atomic bomb-sized blowup, that you both still refuse to talk about. “
Many nights have gone by since then, many nights when JJ was so close to opening up. To telling John B. every excruciating detail, every heartbreaking word that had been spoken. He never did though. There is always something holding him back. Some invisible vine wrapping around his heart, then his throat and pulling close, cutting off all blood, all oxygen until the thought of spilling the truth evaporates from his mind as if they never existed in the first place.
“Not stressed about that. It’s been years, we’re good.”
“That why you can’t sign the divorce papers? Because you’re good?”
JJ doesn’t have a lot of good memories of hanging out with his dad but he does remember one memory that at least started good. He was maybe 9 and Luke had allowed him to skip school and accompany him on a trip to Raleigh. He doesn’t remember why they went there in the first place but he does remember eating greasy burgers at some dingy diner and drinking lukewarm Dr Pepper in the car while his dad was singing along to Lynyrd Skynyrd. At least JJ was drinking Dr. Pepper. The good memories stop there. On the way back Luke was grumpy and mean and aggravated and JJ remembers clutching the door handle with his tiny hands and hoping that Luke would slow down, just slow down.
He didn’t slow down, not until he ran a red light and someone stepped out into the street and Luke had to step on the brake with all his might, trying to get the car to a standstill before hitting the person.
Fortunately, they didn’t hit anyone, but little JJ was flung against the seatbelt with such force that to this day he still remembers the way all the air was knocked out of him, the way he couldn’t breathe. It just wouldn’t come and his lungs felt empty. All void of oxygen.
He feels that exact same way as those words tumble from John B.’s lips. Like the air has been sucked out of his lungs and switched out with gravel, stones, rocks. Heavy and rough.
The manila envelope is stuffed into the glove compartment of his car, stashed somewhere between parking tickets that still need to be paid, pens that don’t work anymore, and napkins from various fast food places around the island.
“I — look I don’t know why I can’t do it. It’s not like I believe we’ll get back together or anything like that. We haven’t spoken to each other in 4 years, I might as well sign them. It’s not like this marriage was a good idea to begin with. It just — “
“Just what?”
JJ has thought about this so many times, so many nights have been spent tossing and turning in bed with no thoughts but those dreaded documents. Her name in blue ink on white paper all swirly and graceful. She sent them before, the only form of communication they had in 4 whole years. Just a year after she left the island they landed unceremoniously in his mailbox. Back then he just ignored them. Pretended like he never received them. Maybe part of him wished that it would get her to call, to come visit even. He never heard back though and so for the time being it was easy to play along with this version of the truth he tried so hard to hold onto. But the thoughts never really left. He always knew they were there buried in his closet like metaphorical skeletons.
This time he can’t pretend. Can’t lie to himself or to her. She handed them to him personally. Blue ink on white paper. Manila envelope on sun-kissed skin.
And he still can’t bring himself to put his name on the dotted line. It’s supposed to be so easy. It’s the hardest fucking thing.
“If I put my name on those papers It feels like admitting this was a mistake. I don’t want this to be a mistake. I made a lot of shitty calls in my life but marrying her was not one of them. I know it doesn’t mean anything right now, this stupid piece of paper but I just can’t bring myself to sign it,” JJ explains then lets out a long sigh of frustration. “I know it’s fucking dumb.”
“Do you still love her?”
JJ Maybank doesn’t remember a time in his life when he didn’t love Stephanie Collins. Loving her is part of him like the scar on his wrist from falling off of his surfboard and being smacked against a sharp rock. Like the dimple that’s only on one side of his face. Like that chip in his tooth from when he hit the ground jumping from a swing set.
“JB, I don’t think it matters.”
“You married her because you love her. If you still do, and I know you do, maybe you shouldn’t sign those papers.”
“Dude I — “
“Look, just maybe you two need to stop looking at the past and start seeing if there’s a chance for a future for the two of you.”
“What the fuck are you on about?”
“JJ, you bought a house for this girl. You’re building door-frames. Everything you do is for her. Would be a shame if she never got to see it.”
JJ’s eyes wander across the room. To the drywall that’s not fully painted yet. The fireplace he fixed up. The cedarwood door-frames and to the corner of the porch there are two bright orange ceramic tiles. One with a J, one with an S in sloppy blue handwriting. They were 10 maybe 11 when they painted them in her backyard while her mom was reading a book on the porch. He remembers the soft voice of Billy Joel coming from the radio and the smell of coral honeysuckle in the air and the taste of peach iced tea on his lips.
Most of all he remembers her smile, all gap-toothed and gorgeous. Even then he thought she was the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen.
Maybe John B. has a point.
“I — uh I wouldn’t even know where to start.”
John B. shrugs his shoulders nonchalantly before giving him a tiny smile. “Not sure but I heard sorry is a pretty good opener.”
The chainlink fence rattles as Stevie leans her bike against it, the hot summer sun beating down on her already, even this early in the morning, leaving her skin tingling.
In all the world there is no better remedy for the summer heat than a cherry popsicle from the gas station by her old house. It’s quite a ride now all the way from Figure 8 but some things are worth taking long bike rides for. Like cherry popsicles and the sweet taste of childhood nostalgia.
Stepping into the building is like stepping back into her childhood, her teenage years. The linoleum floor is still perpetually sticky and the air still smells stale and sharp like out-of-date candy and cleaning chemicals mixed with the smell of gasoline.
The icy AC air sends a shiver through Stevie and makes a layer of goosebumps appear across her skin. Back when they were kids, JJ would wrap his arms around her and rub her arms until she would assure him that he had warmed her up sufficiently for her to make a conscious decision on what candy to get. “You can’t think right if you’re cold. Your brain won’t work. Trust me, it’s science.” Even back then she severely doubted that statement but she never said anything to disprove his claims. It might not have been based on actual scientific research, but it was true to JJ and anyway, Stevie liked having his arms around her. So who was she to tell him wrong?
“Everybody wants to rule the world” echoes through the room reverberating between the coolers on one side and the metal rags filled with chips and condoms and beef jerky and canisters of 10W40.
Stevie pushes open the lid of the ice box, letting the stale static air escape before grabbing the object of her desire, the cherry red popsicle. Generic brand and probably a blend of every chemical one should not put in their body. But there is just something so addicting about the artificial cherry flavor that makes cutting her life short by a year or two just worth it.
As she puts the ice on the counter the song playing from the overhead speakers ends and Chicago’s “You're the Inspiration” starts playing, making it impossible for Stevie to suppress a smile. Talk about the universe sending a sign. A strange feeling settles in her stomach, a mix of happiness and nostalgia and longing and loss. A memory of what once was and what will never be.
“You found everything alright?” The cashier asks, turning around to face Stevie.
So many people pass in and out of your life leaving no lasting traces, nothing to remember them by, neither good nor bad. A fleeting moment in time spent together only to be but a distant shadow in a memory.
And then there are people like Luke Maybank. Reckless and cruel, leaving destruction and pain wherever they step. Bruises and scars on good people with good hearts.
She remembers the first time she met him, he smiled at her but it was all teeth and absolutely no kindness. He called her little miss and she hated the way those words sounded coming from his lips. Acidic and evil. Like a Disney villain only in real life leaving real bruises on real skin.
He looks older now, worn out by life and circumstance. His skin is leathery and grayish dull, suntanned, and dry from spending too much time in the sun without giving a single thought to wearing sunscreen. His eyes still hold the same icy glint though. Grey and sharp and slicing right through her cutting straight to the bone.
“Hey, do I know you?”
She almost wants to laugh at that, at his absolute incapability to take any interest in JJ’s life, so much so as to forget her of all people.
A little voice in her head is whispering mischievous thoughts into her ear. “Tell him, go ahead. Tell him you’re his daughter-in-law. See what he says!”
She doesn’t listen to the voice though, she used to when she was younger but part of growing up is learning when to shut them up and when to follow them. This is a shut-up moment.
“No, I don’t think so.”
“You sure?” he musters her up and down trying desperately to find a place in his head to file her away.
“Pretty sure.”
“Well alright then. Could’ve sworn I’ve seen your pretty face before.”
And when he smiles at her then it’s no teeth or danger it’s that one dimple on his cheek dipping into his skin the same way JJ’s does. She thinks she hates this even more. Seeing a resemblance of the man she loves most in this world in this vile person before her.
“That’ll be 86 cents please.”
She hands him a dollar bill and mumbles out a rushed “keep the change” before all but running out of the store.
Hatred feels red, it feels like burning you from the inside out. Bones and muscle and flesh and skin. Stevie has never felt hatred for anyone the way she feels for Luke Maybank.
He might not remember her but she remembers him alright. She remembers all the bruises and black eyes and scars littering JJ’s body. She remembers the fear in JJ’s voice and the tears running down his cheeks and all the pain and suffering he had to go through because Luke couldn’t be bothered to be a father and a decent human being.
Part of growing up is learning when to shut up the voices telling you to do irresponsible, dumb things. Stevie never claimed to be all that grown up. So when she catches sight of the ugly beige chevy suburban with the dent in the side and the crack in the windshield it feels like some higher power takes over. Her feet move as if on autopilot and bring her closer and closer to the car. Her hand reaches into the pocket of her denim shorts and grabs a hold of her key. The one with the pink plastic surfboard keychain and the small switchblade knife.
Dad probably had other things in mind when he gave it to her. Protection, safety. But then again he said to use it in emergency situations and this emergency has been a long time coming.
She doesn’t even realize it’s happening until the satisfying hiss of a deflating tire pulls her back into the reality of the situation.
It’s morally wrong, she knows this as well as anyone. But every time she thinks about Luke Maybank all she can see is JJ bruised and battered and asking to be loved only for his father to leave him bloody and broken. Slashing the tire might be morally wrong but as she walks away from the scene of the crime, rides down the familiar streets of Kildare on her bike one hand on the handle one hand holding the popsicle, lips colored cherry red, there’s not a hint of regret inside of her. Sometimes things aren’t morally right but maybe that doesn’t mean they’re all wrong.
“Pogue meetup. 8 on the dot @ the chateau. Mandatory!”
John B. isn’t a texter. Never has been. He gets right to the point and if his point takes more than 3 sentences to explain he will call you. So when the text comes through Stevie doesn’t even have to question who it is summoning her to the old stomping grounds. Immediately the new number is saved in her phone as John B. He’s the only John she knows but it feels entirely wrong not to put the B where it has always been and always will belong.
The Chateau looks familiar and yet different. The big tree behind the house still stands grand and proud, the string lights still attached. She wonders if they still work. If they can still turn a backyard into a fairytale. The house looks different though, newer. It’s sporting a fresh coat of paint, light olive green, and the porch seems to have been built completely new from the ground up.
Music sounds from the backyard and laughter rings through the early afternoon daze. Her heart aches with a sense of longing, a remembrance of different times with the same people.
Their laughter still is her favorite sound in the world.
“Look who it is! Princess Pogue herself!” John B. calls out across the yard as she rounds the corner, smiling faces greeting her.
“Yo, I don’t know if that title still applies. Miss Collins is living on figure 8 now.” Pope inquiries, though Stevie can tell there’s no malicious intent in any of his words. It’s pointless teasing between friends forever entangled in each other's lives.
“Uh, objection your honor. May I remind you of one simple fact please?”
“Granted, what is that fact, Mr. Maybank?”
“Once a Pogue, always a fucking Pogue.”
His exclamation is met with a roar of applause and cheers and for a moment Stevie feels 18 and invincible again. 4 years feel like a lifetime sometimes and in moments like this one 4 years feel like they’re but a blink of an eye.
JJ’s arm falls around her shoulders as she plops down on the tree stump next to him. He smells like salty air and cheap mint body wash and fire. A can of beer is pushed into her hand, condensation cold and wet against her skin. It’s the same brand they’ve always had, the cheapest they sell at any of the stores around the island. It’s nice to know fundamental things haven’t changed.
The fire casts the group in a reddish golden glow, like oil paintings, like movie scenes too beautiful to be real life.
“You all wanna know something crazy?” she says, a smirk spreading on her lips.
Curious eyes regard her awaiting her next words.
“Richard has bidets installed in every bathroom. Remember when we didn’t have running water after one of the storms? Francine or Fiona or something? And we had to flush using collected rainwater.”
“When we sneaked into the country club to shit?” JJ asks with that cute little innocent smirk on his face that is all but innocent but works so well with his big blue eyes and the shaggy blond hair.
“Yeah JJ, that time. Well while we had to do that, figure 8 has fucking bidets.”
“Typical,” Kiara says and rolls her eyes in a way that Stevie missed so dearly. If only she could bottle up this moment, with all her friends smiling and happy and talking nonsense the way they always did.
“Does it like … tickle? Does it feel nice? Like nice nice, if you know what I mean.”
“Okay, woah JJ. No. No, come on. “ John B. speaks up accompanied by a harmony of groans following JJ’s question, earning him a confused “what?” from JJ himself.
“No more talk about — butt stuff. We’re here to celebrate the first time all of us Pogue are back on the island at the same time in years. So I would like to propose something.”
“He said butt stuff.”
“JJ!” Stevie scolds, slightly shoving her elbow into his ribs. Just enough to startle but not enough to hurt. Never.
“Sorry.”
“I propose the idea of making this the best summer ever. No drama. No problems. Just pure old Pogue shenanigans. That means fun, drinks, music, and maybe a blunt or two. What do you guys say?”
Sarah chimes up with an enthusiastic “Sounds good to me” and a grandiose bright smile. It doesn't take more than a second for the rest of the group to join in, a joy radiating from all of them that is simply contagious.
“Well, let's drink to that!”
“To the best summer of all time.” John B. says.
“To good friends.”
“To best friends.” Kie corrects Pope earning herself an agreeable nod of his head from the boy. The man.
“To spending time with the people you love most.”
As those words fall from Sarah’s lips, Stevie can’t help but glance at JJ through the corner of her eyes. It would be the world's most egregious lie if she were to deny that part of her still loves JJ. That part of her will always love him, no matter how much time or distance is put between them. Being here again just makes that so abundantly clear to her. Just because she knows though, doesn’t mean anyone else has to. So when his eyes catch hers she looks back towards the fire, acting as if nothing happened in the first place.
“To letting go of the past and building new futures.”
JJ’s words sound so honest and meaningful and back 4 years ago she immediately would’ve known what they meant. Would’ve been able to read him like an open book.
Not anymore though. And maybe those are the consequences of her own actions that she now has to live with. You are not the girl you were when you left, her mind tells her, and he is not the boy you left behind.
“To old memories. And to making new ones.”
Beers raised in the air, they all let out a whooping “Pogues for life” before taking sips from their drinks. Turning to JJ, Stevie is met with him already looking at her. God, he really does have the most beautiful blue eyes she’s ever seen. There have been so many times she’s gotten lost in them and she can almost feel herself slipping back into them. Letting the blue waves pull her in and pull her under. She wouldn’t even mind. There has never been a death as sweet as drowning in JJ’s eyes.
“Cheers, sunshine.”
“Cheers, JJ”
What a traitorous heart she has, one that won't stop fluttering just because her husband looked at her and granted her a smile. Oh, what a traitorous heart.
The moon sits high in the sky like a spotlight shining down upon the backyard of the Chateau. John B. and Sarah have turned in a while ago and both Kiara and Pope are softly snoring away on the cough inside the house, leaving only Stevie and JJ out by the dying fire.
Just them and the moon and the stars, the soft humming of the radio, and the melodic chirping of the katydids.
“Why are you smiling like that?” JJ asks, now sitting on the floor, back resting against the stump and hands locked behind his head.
“Just — you’re not gonna believe what I did today.”
“What did you do? You’re going all red, what did you do Collins?”
His eyes are wide with mischief and adoration and he’s got a red glow dusting his face. She’s not sure if it’s sunburn or the result of one too many beers. Either way, she thinks it makes him look so fucking adorable.
“I ran into your dad today.”
There’s a flicker of hurt in his eyes, one that’s always been there but one she hopes will go away one day. She doubts it ever will but there’s no harm in hoping.
“Yeah, I heard he’s back in Kildare.”
“He works at the gas station by Willow Drive. Didn’t even recognize me.”
“Of course, he didn’t. Never took an interest in any of the things that mattered to me.”
“Mmmh. Well, I was — god I was so mad, JJ. When he looked at me all friendly I just thought of all the things he did to you and how he never got his comeuppance and I just — freaked. It doesn't even absolve half of what he did to you but I just couldn't help myself.”
“What did you doooo?”
He’s giggling. A grown man giggling like he’s been told the funniest story in all of time’s existence. She loves the sound. Wants to hear it over and over and over again.
“ I slashed his tire.”
“You did not.”
“Uh—huh. I did. With a tiny keychain switchblade too.”
“Stephanie Collins, you’re a full-on criminal. I’m so proud of you.”
“I learned from the best.”
The two of them descend into a fit of laughter, half drunk on beer and high on weed but mostly intoxicated by the magic of being around each other again as if the last 4 years never happened and those kids who were dumb and in love are still there inside of them just under the surface waiting to break free.
“Hey, Stevie?”
The sincerity in his voice sends a funny sensation through her heart.
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
He shrugs his shoulders and averts his eyes, training them on the dying embers of the fire. It’s funny how something can burn so brightly, so viciously and suddenly it’s but a dim light, barely a spark. There’s a metaphor there for their relationships, she’s a writer, she finds metaphors in everything. But being drunk on nostalgia and residual love, she can’t quite seem to uncover it.
“For everything. Just — I should’ve said it a while ago and I never did so I just wanted to say it now.”
Vulnerable JJ is still something that is quite unfamiliar to her. He is so full of laughter and smiles and overcompensating for how he really feels, he doesn’t show this side of him often. Never did. So when he does it’s special and it means more than he probably even realizes himself.
“Well, thank you. I appreciate it. I’m sorry too.”
He places a kiss on the top of her head, so soft and gentle that she wonders for a second if she imagined it.
“You know, earlier before I noticed your dad I felt like the universe was welcoming me back to the island in the weirdest way possible.”
“Huh? How’s that?”
“They played “You’re the Inspiration” over the gas station radio. Our wedding song.”
JJ turns to her, eyebrows furrowed and nose scrunched. She’ll never get tired of looking at his face, Stevie decides at that moment.
“That’s not our wedding song.”
“Uh, yes it is! We had our first dance here in this very backyard while that song was playing. We all sang along. Don’t you remember?”
“I remember every single second of that day. But that was not our first dance.”
He shakes his head, shaggy blond hair swaying messily with the movement, before dusting himself off and standing up. Fumbling his phone from the pockets of his cargo shorts, he furiously starts typing before the Bluetooth speaker lets out a thumping sound and then reconnects to JJ’s phone.
“Our first dance,” JJ says and holds out his hand to her, pulling her to her feet and closer to his body, snaking one hand around her waist. “wasn’t even here. The first time I danced with my wife was on the back patio of the Wreck while we were waiting for the food that Kie couldn’t bring because she was at the Chateau getting the decorations ready for the reception.”
He’s right. Of course, he is. JJ never forgets the little things that turn out not to be so little after all. Back when they were still together he would remember the most inconsequential details. Her favorite flowers, food, songs. The way she liked her coffee and that waking her up with kisses was entirely more successful than a damn alarm clock.
“And this song was playing.”
When he presses play on his phone, a loud voice advertises a Spotify original podcast to them, yet another true crime one, because there aren’t entirely too many of those.
“Sorry, I don’t pay for premium. I think it’s a scam.”
Stevie doesn’t ask him to elaborate, sure there is a completely rational explanation to JJ as to why the premium service is a scam. It probably even makes a little sense if you let him explain it thoroughly.
She doesn’t ask him to elaborate, just wraps her arms around his neck like she’s done so many times before in a lifetime that feels like it wasn’t even her own but also like it happened just hours ago. Time is a funny thing.
A guitar chord fills the air followed by the hauntingly beautiful voice of Eva Cassidy.
“You'll remember me when the west wind moves
Among the fields of barley
You can tell the sun in his jealous sky
When we walked in fields of gold”
Suddenly she’s back on the patio of the Wreck, 18 and in love, and freshly married to the boy that has always had her heart. Life was so complicated and yet so simple. Nothing has changed, everything is different.
“You looked so beautiful in that white dress. And I — “
“JJ, I loved your outfit. Those damned cuffed jeans and that crisp white shirt? That was my husband right there.”
“I liked being called your husband.” He admits with a bashful smile that evokes the dimple on his cheek. On him, nothing is menacing or uneasy. There’s not a hint of his father in him, this is all JJ.
“Yeah?”
They’re softly swaying through the night, stars illuminating the dark around them.
“Oh yeah. Made me feel like a real adult. Like I had done something right in my life. If someone as amazing as you thought I was worth marrying then how fucked up could I really be?”
Stevie never liked hearing him talk about himself like that. Granted, that version of him was usually overshadowed by the fake confident, big-mouthed, larger-than-life persona he put on, but whenever this version did show up, it almost broke Stevie’s heart.
“Is that why you didn’t sign the papers the first time I sent them?”
“You sent them before?”
“Can’t bullshit a bullshitter, JJ. I know you got them. It’s okay though. I get it. It’s hard for me too.”
He bites his lip in consideration as if for the first time in his life weighing his words, deciding what to say next.
“I just — I can’t do it. I’m sorry. Every time I try I just can’t bring myself to sign them. Like I forgot how to spell my own name or something. It’s kinda really fucked up.”
“JJ, it’s okay. You don’t have to do it right now, I’m here all summer. Just give them to me before I leave.”
The thought of her leaving is sending a pang of hurt through her heart. There’s still so much summer left, she tells herself, no need to think about the end yet.
Resting her head against his chest, Stevie closes her eyes, squeezes them shut so tightly it makes her see phosphenes for a second, shutting out the reality of what is happening. If she closes her eyes tight enough she doesn’t have to face the fact that with the end of the summer comes the actual proper end of her marriage. But this is what she wants right? Closure?
“JJ?”
“Hmm?”
“Will you come to my mom’s wedding?”
"Obviously. I’m her favorite.”
She chuckles against his chest, the fabric of his shirt swallowing most of the sound.
“Only if you promise me something though.”
Stevie pulls away and looks up at him and just for a small moment she allows herself to get lost in the blue. Just this once.
“You’ll save a dance for me.”
All her dances are his. Forever. It’s something she promised herself in silence when they danced in the back garden of the country club that one night when they were 16 and meant to work at the midsummer event but snuck away to slow dance as the band played a soft song. Just because things changed between them doesn’t mean that promise will be broken.
The fire is out, just a burned-down log and a pile of ash as Eva Cassidy lulls JJ and Stevie into a soft haze. The song is about to end but neither of them is ready to let go. Not yet. Maybe when the summer ends and things go back to normal. But not right now with the night all inky black. Not right now when it’s just them and the moon and the stars and the melodic chirping of the katydids and Eva Cassidy singing their song.
“Yeah, okay. I’ll save a dance for you.”
“I never made promises lightly
And there have been some that I've broken
But I swear in the days still left
We'll walk in fields of gold
We'll walk in fields of gold
Ooh
Many years have passed since those summer days
Among the fields of barley
See the children run as the sun goes down
As you lie in fields of gold.”
#jj maybank x oc#jj maybank x female oc#JJ maybank f!OC#jj maybank fanfic#jj maybank fanfiction#jj maybank imagine#jj maybank imagines#JJ maybank writing#JJ maybank story#outer banks imagines#outer banks fanfiction#outer banks imagine#outer banks fanfic#outer banks fanficton
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General Headcannons Pt. 1
Gwen:
Gwen's favorite horror movie is Friday the Thirteenth, granted it's a series, but still. She watched it as a kid with her mom, and she felt really bad for Jason. You know, how he gets bullied and drowned? Yeah, she didn't understand and has a definite soft spot for him.
She loves when Cold Stone dyes it's sweet cream ice cream black for Halloween, she once pretended it was tar coming from her mouth to scare her little brother
Speaking of family, she actually has a super loving and supportive one. Granted her parents are divorced, but they're on good terms and she got therapy for it so she didn't feel like the problem.
She's the oldest with a younger brother, and two younger sisters. She loves them all and gives them makeovers if they ask, she also reads them spooky bedtime stories that actually have a good message at the end.
She LOVED "Making Fiends" when it was on, idk what timeline or how old, she adored it. The theme song got stuck in her head every time after though and she hated it.
While she also has two lizards (a bearded dragon and a skink), she also has a scrappy old dog named Marlow. She loves him and has had him since forever.
Her parents were furious after Total Drama, and were so upset they didn't read the contracts fine print.
Courtney:
Bisexual but leaning towards women. She dates the guys because she's scared that being with a femme person will ruin her reputation. She dates Gwen after the show, but doesn't really stick with her, realizing they're better friends.
Her family life was rough, but in the way where her dad wasn't around due to business, and her mother pressured her to excel in everything.
She definitely planned her life out and was so sure how it was going to go... Then Total Drama happened...
She has problems with control, and so she comes off as bossy often. She does mean well, really! But it's hard when no one is listening to her.
Speaking of, in relationships she needs a lot of reassurance and has a need to be in charge. It's why she wrote up that long list to Duncan of how everything was going to play out.
Over time she realizes that what she did was wrong, and tries to do better in letting people do their own thing, but she does have slipups and relapses
Her favorite nail design is a French tip, it's classy, smart, and business-like
Heather:
Okay let's get one thing straight. Heather's home life is shit. Her parents put her through electroshock "therapy" to "make her nicer"
Like that's fucked up, and she only realizes it until after Leshawna of all people brings it up with her
Speaking of, after everything, they have a love-hate friendship.
She only really likes her mom due to how much she has been manipulated by her. Like she said both parents, so they're both probably fucked.
She hated her siblings due to them getting away from their awful parents, she was taught that they were ungrateful and lazy.
Her parents did actually get divorced and eventually her aunt got custody. Her aunt is the nicest lady and over time helps Heather to become a nicer and more stable/open person.
She was also kind of chubby in middle school and early highschool, though her mom was not happy with that
She was put on an intense diet and exercise regimen, and it's why she cares about her looks so much and insults Leshawna for her size at first.
When she cried in season one when talking to Harold, she was partially being genuine and partially tricking him. Though she was shocked he was so... Accurate in his assessment of her. It kind of made her hate him just a little more.
#total drama x reader#total drama headcanons#total drama gwen#total drama courtney#total drama#total drama heather
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60 Years of Doctor Who Anniversary Marathon - McCoy 10th Review
Bernice Summerfield: Oh No It Isn't! - Spin-off
Part of what makes Bernice Summerfield such a long running success is that her series can function as a standalone thing rather than just a spin-off.
When Virgin Publishing lost the rights to Doctor Who back in 1996, they dug Benny (a character they had created for the New Adventures novels) out of the closet and designed a new series around her with no ties to Doctor Who what so ever.
That's not to say that they erased the character's past, she's still a companion and technically the series still takes place in the world of Who, but no mentions of the Doctor nor any other BBC owned character appear or are even named dropped.
So basically you can pick up this first novel, like I did, without ever having touched any of the NAs, or even without having seen an episode of Who in your life.
Because, besides Benny herself, the only other thing that can be associated with Who is Menlove Stokes from that Fourth Doctor book we covered, The Romance of Crime. And there's no references to that story here either.
But what about the actual book? Is it any good?
Ehhhh....
I want to like it. I really do.
I love the premise. Getting caught in a augmented reality based off fairy tales!? Yes please!
Also most the characters are likable enough, even with such a large cast.
But there's one thing that really drags the whole book down.
It's the subplot between Benny and one of her students.
Through out the story Benny keeps debating about whether or not she should pursue a romance with one of the college kids that she teaches... and it's just gross.
Granted, she never goes through with it, and the narrative repeatedly points out why it's toxic, but like... why the fuck would introduce your main hero with a such a subplot anyways?
I mean if you're going to tell such a story then actually tell it. Make it the focus and draw some real drama from it. Don't shove it into the background of a completely different narrative after introducing it.
The end result is just uncomfortable and distracting. The darker subject matter clashes horribly with the surreal comedy romp that the rest if the story wants to be, and so it never feels fully resolved.
In addition it winds up undoing any hard work the book made to present it's hero as relatable and likable.
I mean, my gosh, plenty of women get a divorce without turning into pedos... seriously what the fuck?
Yeah, yeah, yeah... I know the character is in college and would technically be considered 'legal', but he's still described as a teenager several times through out the book and she's in her mid to late 30s.
Also.. She's His Damn Teacher!
However, whenever this unpleasantness is shoved aside for the actual story, it's pretty dang good.
It's charming, funny, and fun!
Even if you're not familiar with British Panto you can still follow along with the tropes easily enough as they're mostly still rooted in fairy tales and musical theater.
It's certainly more digestible then most Virgin fare, I'll give it that, but it's still not enough to make me a Benny fan, sorry.
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S2 EP36 LIVEBLOG - DNDADS SPOILERS
It is sooooo long like. So long
-THIS FUJKIN INTRO
-god they're all so dumb
-terry Jr has a gun . Watch out
-glenn close 🤝 taylor Swift
-Heart of gold and a pirate smile (chip coded... oops wrong podcast)
-😧
-Lincoln wears contacts??? Huh wha???
-oh God oh ew OH GOD OH EW
-so many last names why I love it
-Preteen drinking NORMAL 👀
-NOT THE BUCH
-rip normal the first time he saw the doodler was the cambucha
-terry marlowe--- oh yeah terry marlowe
-HI DAD
-take my money Anthony
-🙀
-its startinggg
-go on without me" LINCOOOLN
-roll off battle music rn
-NAT20 waaargh
-'a cool part of the narrative bullet' how silly.
-lot of B Words. They already went to hell it's fine
-jfc I missed them
-dude holy fucking shit dungeons and dragons beyond
-I ACCIDENTALLY WENT BACK TO THE BEGINNING
-🙂 im normal
-OH SHIT WHAT what what what
-"my boys... and Terry"
-is terry jr going to die cuz if so I will cry so much I'll dry up like a raisin
-3 nat 20s, 17min in
-dude why is Terry doing this :0
-Hermie is going to... sulk--- SKDHDBEN
-"stop using guns to solve things" lookin at you us government
-one. Single yellow flower. SOMEONE DRAW THIS OR I WILL
-oH great hEAvens
-😱🙀
-HE is making me.. who tf is he
-haha I don't get these references
-dude this podcast is so real . Appreciate
-oh Terry doesn't have a stepdad.. but scary does
-terry jr discovered polyamory
-BETH NO
-ad break... grab a snack...
-WILLY /NEG
-Normal is Not Strong
-Terry opens the pickle jars <3
-dispell
-Terry and Scary both love astronomy cuz I said so
-oh no terry sad face ☹️
-OH GOSH. HERMIE WAS PROJECTING ONTO NORMAL. HERMIE NEEDS
-oakworthy real
-oh lord the black parade be coming
-i forgot they were wearing red bull suits
-mmm pizza cutters? Why is this a theme
-whoever divorced first is a loser! Ready, fight!
-theyre literally in sync im screaming
-oh shit they want Scary but she's not home rn
-Taylor is a genius (lying?)
-IM SCREAMING IM DYING IM CHOKING ON TEARS
-Hermie SHAPESHIFT Hermie SHAPESHIFT
-hes depressed so it'll work (I'm crying)
-"but they'll climb up again!" I love you Linc <3
-Terry is not good at this... run bitch ruuun
-is Hermie gonna be a scamster again?
-oh shit they failed
-kersploosh !!
-"hey boys" the silly silly little guy
-its not up to Anthony! (lying?)
-Taylor is a loser I love him so much
-just had a ship idea that would never work. Swiftligoth
-LINK WHAT KID DOES THIS. EXCUSE ME
-ooo poem
-⚠️scary sadness alert (may cry)⚠️
-AH.
-oh nosies tERry Jr ;;(
-hip hip! Aw. Hip hip! Aw.
-oh gosh what is Terry doing
-dont do this to us man dont you fucking dare
-DONT DO THIS TO US MAN DONT YOU
-OH. NO. NO. NO. NO.
-NOOOO WHAT NOOO NOO NO GRANT????!!!!?! OH GOD WHAT THE FUCK OH JO JESUS FUCKING CHRIST WHAT
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randomhedgehog asked:
I think we can all unanimously agree that Moswen, Tarajeen or Oggsa are the top three worst moms. All three of them get some credit for being the products of their environments and childhoods, but theyre still top of the list for me. I'm just not sure which of them is the worst.
Sofia being a slave owner doesn't really have anything to do with her parenting imo. Like, yeah, it's awful but this isn't a Evilest Character Poll, it's for Worst Mom, which she imo isn't.
Yeah, she could've and should've divorced Foster, but what would she have done then? Evangeline doesn't seem like a single mother friendly place.
Renee is pretty bad, but was a product of her upbringing/location. She also loved her daughter.
Karenza was literally a grieving mother desperate to bring back her unborn baby when she made Isaac. And to her credit- she didn't just leave him outside on the street for anyone to take him! She made sure that only a special group of people could get him!
Now, who we should really talk about is Elskas mom! Aka, the centauress who abandoned her newborn!
randomhedgehog
Hold it! I just sent an ask In about my opinion on this poll, but I forgot to take into consideration that Tarajeen literally wouldn't have been able to get help with her condition even if she tried! Damijana would've locked her up anyway!
--
These are all excellent points!
>"Sofia being a slave owner doesn't really have anything to do with her parenting imo. Like, yeah, it's awful but this isn't a Evilest Character Poll, it's for Worst Mom, which she imo isn't."
I would argue that she's setting a bad example for her children by owning slaves, essentially teaching them, "it's okay to dehumanize other people, as long as they're this people or that people". Not all Evangelites own slaves. In fact, some are disgusted by the concept and refuse to engage with that cultural practice at all. If Sofia had better critical thinking skills, she could be one of them. But I think she is too narrow-minded and intellectually lazy to get more perspective on this. She's open minded about some things (like lycanthropy), and set in her ways on others (like slavery).
>"Yeah, she could've and should've divorced Foster, but what would she have done then? Evangeline doesn't seem like a single mother friendly place."
Very true! Evangelite women are encouraged to stay at home and take care of their kids while their husbands work. There are few business that will hire women, and when they do get hired, they only earn a fraction of a man's wage. It's almost impossible for single women to support themselves in this kingdom, but some manage by living with groups of other women and sharing expenses. It's difficult, but not impossible. In "Lost and Found", Sofia also expresses fear that the courts would grant custody of her kids to Foster. In Evangeline Kingdom, this is a totally reasonable fear to have because it's most likely what would happen. Divorce would have been a huge risk in her case, and may have just made the situation worse.
"Now, who we should really talk about is Elskas mom! Aka, the centauress who abandoned her newborn!"
Now that's an interesting point! Her actions seem pretty rotten on the surface, and I can confidently say it wasn't the smartest decision Jorun could have made...Though in her mind, she chased those wolves into the fog for the "greater good".
Apparently the local ecosystem was becoming destabilized (which we would later find out was due to Evangeline Kingdom's interference) and this was causing wolves to encroach into Loreham, emerging from the fog and snatching centaurs away--especially children. Jorun was afraid that Elska would get snatched one day if she didn't take action, so she began to hunt them.
But like Elska, Jorun's rage often got the best of her, which is exactly what happened when she saw one of her hunting buddies get dragged into the fog. Jorun leapt into action to save her fellow tribesman, but met an unknown fate in the mist.
I think Jorun's biggest flaws were her arrogance and lack of self-awareness. Not the sharpest knife in the block, that one...and unfortunately, her daughter suffered the consequences of her foolishness the most.
*
Questions/Comments?
Lore Masterpost
Read the Series
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Hi Legion! Long time lurker and lover of your art and tags here. I always read your tags and I'm really interested in your thoughts & views on love and relationships, so I'm curious to know where you got those ideas from. Are there any videos, terms, or books you could recommend? It really resonated with me and since I'm a huge nerd my first instinct is to find more sources haha. Thank you so much!
This ask genuinely made me sit with myself and think long and hard about how my views on that stuff really formed, something I maybe took for granted a lil bit. So thanks, and I'm sorry that I can't give a nerdy answer here! It is difficult to point to specific sources, it's more of a lived-experience type thing. It truly is The Question Of All Time lmao. And boy did it get me thinking back.
I'll put my ramble under the cut if this is not interesting or what you're after, but I enjoyed the introspection still! Thank you!
My context is entirely unremarkable (middle class cishet white guy from eastern europe), but if I had to point to one thing that is the bottleneck of my views on love and relationships, I genuinely think it could be traced to my insane early childhood nat20 roll to avoid toxic masculinity pipelines. I truly believe in my bones that if I had been seduced by that stuff - and legitimately all but maybe two of my childhood friends were - I'd be a completely different, colder, worse person today. I credit only luck in that.
Where I'm from, boys of my generation were set on a very specific path very early on that was pointed veeeery far away from "love". All wrapped up in warped orthodox christianity and crypto-nationalist sentiments, stemming from our incredibly disillusioned post-soviet parent figures constantly running in survival mode. So like, I legitimately don't remember how I managed to avoid those circles and behavior patterns, and the truth is that I probably sometimes didn't? I certainly made stupid mistakes in my early teens, but I had the luxury of making them outside of the public eye of social media. More luck.
There's other alchemy of course - as a child of divorce I got a real early up-close look at the ugly results of mistrust and toxic "love", and a lot of my life back then was rebelling against that. Not that the parenting itself was always bad - my mother turned me to the arts and to stories, which eventually led me to fandom that I can now identify as a much healthier outlet for my frustrations than whatever my peers were doing with their nighttime brawls. It led me to a very crystallized idea of what I really wanted from life - not glory or patriotism or ambition, but a quiet life with the ones I loved.
That is also around the time when I let go of teenage lust as my north star and started fostering friendships instead; because like, relationships are bonds and connections, nothing more or less. Sexuality and romantic love can take as big or as small of a role in that as the parties desire, and they're entirely ornamental to the value of linking your experience with another living, breathing human. Realizing the divinity and beauty in that changes almost everything in an instant. And it is such a goofy-ass thing to say, but yeah, for a lost idiot dude like me, fandom helped me see that. Even the raunchiest fics were ultimately about belonging and emotional nakedness, and I learned to desire that more than anything else. I am trying so hard to point to something specific here, but I honestly don't know with way back then. Bioware's found family-ass games/fanfics were a big one later on, but there were so many other communities before. My memory's just bad.
But knowing I wanted love was one thing, and being a healthier, more empathetic person ready to actually get that was a whole other trek. Made a few more dumb interpersonal mistakes. And then I met my current partner, now over twelve years ago, and realized there was a version of me reflected in her eyes that I could truly chase and grow into. This all sounds super melodramatic but it was more of a terrifying thought at the time, stoking self-doubt and real worry that I was leading her into a mistake. But of course that was all a symptom of terminal self-awareness. We were in our early 20s, mature enough not to play childish emotional games, and young enough to go on that growth journey together. More luck. Found that gentle peace I had yearned for with her., and I count my lucky stars to this day.
In short, everything about my understanding of love and relationships is rooted in personal circumstance + massive amounts of luck, and especially that early course-correction away from toxic dudeness. Nothing extracurricular. And then just more and more luck piled on with time, culminating with my lovely bean. So in that sense I'm the worst person to ask this question! And times have really changed irt internet culture and fandom so I can't even point at that part as an action point either.
But if nothing else, I believe that storytelling is the ultimate shortcut in getting our dumb teenage brains over the precipice of pride and control, and towards the gentle pursuit of love in all its forms. I think that's worth articulating over and over again. Thanks for reading this long and I promise I usually interpret asks like a normal person! This is an exception!!! a big question if there ever was one
#appeltaart27#asks#I'm so sorry I cant condense my thoughts better lmao THIS IS NOT MY FIRST LANGUAGE
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Swiftli? Grant/Marco? Mercedes/Carol? Autumn Oak/Linda Stampler? (spreading my own propaganda <3)
For the ship ask thing :)
Also sorry that it’s kinda a lot lmao
Hiya!!! Hehe very interesting choices, love this, let's get to it!
Swiftli: COMFORT SHIP ALERT!!!
So, okay, the thing about this ship is that it's not my default ship for Linc or even necessarily Taylor? But that's not to say I'm conflicted, no, I really like these two together!
*Romantically* I think it kinda took me a while to feel the appeal of this ship? But then like... One night on a whim I found myself making a really silly playlist for them and... That made me understand it? At least what it is for me. This and, @raemeh (iirc) made a post about their first kiss being a surprisingly good one and- gee idk that made me go 😳 as well hahaha.
And yeah! Like I said this is absolutely a comfort ship for me, they're very silly and cute together, love to rotate them around in my head, might even write them at some point who knows!
Marco/Grant: OUGH THE CUTIE PATOOTIES OH MY GOSH I'M PUTTING THEM TOGETHER IN A LITTLE JAR AND SHAKING THEM AROUND AND THEN UH GIVING THEM SOME PRIVACY EHEHEH
At the start of S2 I think it's fair to say that of all the kiddads I was probably most curious to see what kind of person Grant ultimately got with, I suppose probably because relationship troubles are such a big thing for him in S1! And I just want the best for him honestly ahaaa
😫 And I wasn't disappointed! Marco is so sweet and they're so cute together and eghhsibgosesg-
Er, despite this I'd actually like to see some angst/conflict between them? Grant has a lot of explaining to do tbh, and I sorta don't want everything he's hid and lied about to go without consequences from Marco... But of course I'd want them to work everything out in the end! I think that would make me love them even more tbh.
In general I really just want more of these two in canon! They need to kiss... Otherwise, y'know in general I have a good chunk of ships for Grant but... Ultimately so long as Marco exists in the same universe, I tend to imagine them getting together in the long run.
Mercedes/Carol: Oooh interesting! Not a ship I've thought too much about tbh, but I could get behind it! I think my main hang-up if anything is that usually when I imagine ships with either Henry or Mercedes, either one of them doesn't exist in that universe or they never met, or it's a poly thing! In this case, I'd probably like this best if Hen and Mercedes have an open-relationship sorta deal (I mean they sorta canonically do?) and these two get involved with each other within that context. 🤔 Could also get behind a 4-way poly scenario with Darryl as well, but that's not a necessity by any means!
:0 I like the idea of Carol getting to experiment and maybe learning more about her sexuality and the like the way Darryl sort of got to in S1, and Mercedes would be a lovely person to see that happen with! Yeah, they'd be cute together I think!
Autumn/Linda (Ron's mom!): I'm so fascinated by this ship??? Also love that we've just established Linda's name haha good for her good for her.
You'll have to tell me more about how you see this ship before I come to any concrete feelings about it tbh! Still, I like the premise I mean, I guess they'd actually have a bunch going for them? On its own I love the idea of the omega daddies being divorced af and their exes getting together haha it's what they deserve. But yeah they could genuinely be quite good for each other! I imagine Linda must be pretty good at dealing with people with anger issues, she'd probably have the patience to be there for Autumn in a way that matters and help her work through some things. And Autumn is an underrated catch tbh haha- :o also a very powerful druid who could possibly help Linda with her chronic illness??? The fact that she had a bit of a thing for Ron also makes her getting with his mom pretty funny to me.
Yeah idk, like I said I'm fascinated, feel free to ramble about them!!!
OKAY hehe, thanks for the ask!!!! 💜
#good choices good choices#dndads#this was an interesting one to go through for sure#dungeons and daddies#swiftli#taylor swift dndads#taylor swift#lincoln li wilson#grant wilson#marco li#carol wilson#autumn oak#autumn#linda stampler#grant x marco#mercedes oak garcia#mercedes x carol#autumn x linda#rarepair#ask game
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So to catch y'all up. I had always said that I would never allow Ursula to have a love interest of her own because she does love Barry and he, in some backwards way- loves her too, but as of recently I've been thinking of Ursula kinda... nonstop? I mean, my mind is always on coma and it's what I think of constantly but when I'm not thinking of them my mind has been wandering to Ursula, alone, in her manor, trying to save face... and well for one reason or another I suddenly started thinking about Tobias? Of all people?
And originally my thought process was that Ursula would never stoop to Barry's level and have an affair because 1. they most definitely have a prenup and 2. despite everything she does love him and wants to hold onto the idea that maybe one day he will come around and love her back.. But then, well I might as well just tell you- there is a huge plotline that happens concerning Juliet and finally Barry grants Ursula the divorce she's been yearning for but.. I was thinking that while she might not have a physical affair... an emotional one... I can definitely do an emotional affair..
And... thus... Tobias presented himself. So... they'll meet maybe when Jet is 1 or 2, possibly at some League event, maybe not.. but they'll definitely be introduced by Paul.. And it'll just slowly grow over the years.. There's just.. mutual pining, staring at each other across halls, refusal to stop addressing each other formally, looking for each other in crowded places, hands brushing occasionally. Him being her confidant.. her rock.. Him being a father figure to her children when he gets the opportunity to be.. Him loving her for her...
Tobias also will have a son of his own, older than Jet but I have yet to know anything about him!! Yet! And I am considering them having a child together once they're able to get married, to solidify the marriage but Ursula has already had 3 terrible pregnancies and I'm not sure if I'll be okay with doing that to her again..
So yeah!! Ursula and Tobias.. :3c
also their current theme in my head is romy - sleep walking animals
#also don't mind cupid#that's grimsley and caitlin's youngest son#he's betrothed to juliet from when they're younger because ursula wants to ensure that juliet has a better marriage than she had#aria speaks#ursula#tobias#barry#jet#juliet#SoundCloud
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Okay but like I love the Silver Arrangement, let me explain:
Silver is the dog Nora adopts because Niko Borodin is an idiot. But what's more interesting in par with the dog's shenanigans are her living arrangements
like she really is the child of the divorced couple. I hc she spends time in Trystan's apartment mostly because he kind of ends up revamping his supply closet to give her more room for her zoomies. She's also not willing to let go of Nora's apartment because it's a lot more warmer there, so she equally throws tantrums to just lounge around near Nora's windows. Silver's also a big hit at work and Mafalda usually is in a good mood when they have the doggers running around doing her own thing.
So they find an arrangement. Nora takes Silver after work for a couple of days, and brings her to Trystan's apartment so she can spend the rest of the week in his apartment. The exchange continues on. Trystan would bring her to Nora's apartment or work - wherever they deem feasible.
And the fact that these two will literally go to war over winning Silver's favour - like, Nora would go buy the good kind of treats, Trystan will get those soft toys and dog obstacle courses - literally 'aunt that feeds you well' and 'fun uncle' dynamic and SILVER IS THRIVING. she doesn't like making a choice, she wants to choose both so she's a baby who's also a lawyer granting them joint custody in the form of insistent barking.
Nora takes Silver out for walks every other day. Trystan gives nice hugs and rubs. Nora has this huge window for Silver to hang around and catch butterflies near, Trystan has this huge living room for Silver to just go apeshit from eating too many treats. And they'll never say no to her. even if they wake up in a pool of drool or have Silver play around in a puddle and latch onto them.
Like she's too attached and it doesn't help their situation at all. they're literally THE tired divorced couple who make midnight exchanges and go "yeah i'll take her for the weekend" "yeah you have that thing on tuesday, i'll take her to the park" "is she allergic to this? should i go to the vet and confirm?" and they have this seperate chat log just for Silver with emergency numbers, likes and dislikes, potential allergens - like it's so new for the both of them and they so want to get it right.
Sometimes Mafalda takes Silver for a couple of nights so they can catch a break (maf's daughters love the dog anyway), sometimes Ruby and Luke take her in, babysitting them.
Sometimes Trys and Nora both spend time with Silver - like maybe during afternoons, let her go ham while they're like "okay the last vet was kind of shit so i switched vets is that okay?" "she likes these brand of treats now, do drastic dietary changes affect her mood?" and silver's like in the background, just playing around in the grass and making them go "arghhh" because they'd JUST given her a bath.
But soon they kind of work out a harmonious balance to ensure they're both well-communicated on Silver's doings and are a lot more educated on how to raise a dog, how to kind of give her safety and security and build it up overtime because she'd just been a very badly-treated stray, constructing Silver a proper bed and giving her time to get used to it (she's very attached to both of them, the clingiest dog known to mankind and doesn't sleep anywhere but their beds) and it's like this mini side-quest in their relationship argh im in love.
God forbid Silver has puppies. They'll actually explode.
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Our next step is with one of the more scientific areas of Emerald Heights, near the ominous oil field...
Splitter:
Dr. Adam Splitter has been living on Foundation property so he could monitor all his delicate experiments 24/7 for years, but now the Foundation has saddled him with an assistant! And she comes with a teen-age boy in tow. Can they adjust to life with the renowned reclusive scientist? Or will they all make each other Mad?
He lives across from the Science Center so he can monitor experiments at all hours, and has done so for years; but you blow up one lab, one time, just once, and suddenly they're all over you threatening to cut off the grant money if you don't get a younger assistant. And technically the house belongs to the Foundation so the board can move in whoever they want.
Dr. Adam Splitter:
male, elder, Sim
Knowledge/Fortune (Max out 7 Skills)
Virgo (10/0/8/7/0)
Science career, OTH: Sports
Traits: Neat, Brooding, Vehicle Enthusiast, Computer Whiz, Materialistic
After her divorce, she'd been worried about making ends meet, but she's been so lucky! Not only does she get to work personally with the great Dr. Splitter, but she and her boy Steve get free housing! Okay, it's a little cramped; but she's far away from all the humiliating scenes of her marriage and that covers a multitude of sins. Steve's pouting, but he'll pull it together. He's a good boy, really.
Mata Dore:
female, adult, Sim
Knowledge/Family (Max out 7 Skills)
Cancer (5/5/5/5/5)
Science career, OTH: Sports
Traits: Disciplined, Friendly, Match Enthusiast, Genius, Nurturing
The divorce is a bummer, the move is a bummer, sharing a room with his mother and his house with a crabby senile dude (Assistant, yeah right, try babysitter, Mom doesn't know when she's being exploited) is a megabummer. On the bright side, though - that house out back is crawling with hot teenage girls! So maybe it won't be that bad.
Steve Dore:
male, teenager, Sim
Romance (Have 20 simultaneous Lovers)
Saggitarius (0/10/10/10/0)
Public School, OTH: Nature
Traits: Adventurous, Childish, Angler, Commitment Issues
Challenges Rolled for:
- round: Public woohoo: woohoo in the photo booth or change rooms.
- season: Large pet adoption: Your sims have decided it's too quiet without the pitter-patter of furry paws and have decided to adopt a pet. Make a visit to the local pet shop, call the pet adoption agency, or make a pet in CAS.
- week: Regular Week: Nothing Major Happens
-> Mata will have a public woohoo and Adam will adopt a large dog.
#the sims 2#the custom uberhood#emerald heights#splitter family#dr adam splitter#mata dore#steve dore#round 1#introduction post
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