#there was also fwiendship | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

the-badger-mole · 11 months

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But FWIENDSHIP!!!! 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

Okay, so you all know how I get when something gets stuck in my head, but yesterday I saw a post talking about how Katara and Zuko's potential romance messes with their friendship, and I don't understand how, but that's beside the point. This is an anti-Kataang post.

I will once again admit that I don't spend a ton of time in Kataang/anti-Zutara spaces (cause I'm respectful like that), but every so often, I see one of those takes pop up in my safe area (because respect isn't always a two way street, unfortunately). It's interesting to see how many times this take seems to crop up. Katara and Zuko falling in love would ruin their friendship, yet those same people fail to acknowledge that Bryke went ahead and ruined their friendship anyway out of jealousy. These same people also tend to hold Kataang as a prime example of Friends to Lovers, the only problem is, Aang isn't Katara's friend at any point.

Throughout the series, it's made very clear that Aang likes Katara, but for most of the series (until literally the last few seconds, in fact) it's also clear that Katara only sees him as a friend. This should have been an object lesson that sometimes crushes don't work out, but friendship can be stronger than temporarily disappointed feelings. However, that's not what we get. Aang doesn't care about Katara's friendship. He doesn't want Katara in his life unless it's in a romantic capacity. We see it in how he reacts when he feels romantically rejected (lava fissure, EIP). The narrative doesn't give Katara any space to say no to Aang without it permanently damaging their relationship, because they never had the relationship Katara thought they did. Katara thought she was Aang's friend, but for Aang, their 'friendship' was just a precursor to romance. In this, the year 2023, I know we all understand why this is a problem.

Aang can't even conceive of a world where Katara does turn him down. He dreams about her enthusiastic response to his declaration of love; he assumes that since they kissed he kissed her and staked his claim, they should be together, despite there never being any sort of conversation, and the fact that the one time he did try to talk about it, she changed the subject very quickly. Katara's feelings are an afterthought for Aang, which is terrible for any relationship, but particularly in a romantic one. There is never a moment where Aang puts Katara's emotional needs ahead of his own. He never puts a value on her platonic friendship. There's never a moment where he decides that despite his feelings for her, having Katara in his life as a friend is better than not having her at all. That moment should have happened regardless of whether they ended up together or not, because friendship is the most important component of the Friends to Lovers trope.

By comparison, the friendship Katara eventually forms with Zuko is much deeper, and based on a mutual respect, understanding and emotional support for each other. This is a fantastic foundation for a romance, although bafflingly, people who laud Katara and Zuko's deep friendship don't seem to agree. Them potentially falling in love doesn't cheapen their friendship because they actually were friends first. On top of that, their Enemies to Friends journey ending romantically would not only not cheapen their friendship, it would tie into the themes of the show beautifully (the illusion of separation; love being stronger than hate; learning to respect other people's differences etc).

Let's be real, what Kataang actually represents is The Hero Gets the Girl, and I think deep down we all know that, even the ones calling it Friends to Lovers. In the Hero Gets the Girl trope, the Girl in question doesn't really matter. She's less of a romantic partner and more a prize for the Hero saving the day. Her emotional journey to falling for the Hero mostly plays out off screen, even though she may not have even liked the Hero like that initially, and the hero doesn't ever show that he respects her as a person. For the most part it works (arguably) because the Girl isn't a character in her own right, she's just part of the Hero's story. The reason it doesn't work with Kataang is that Katara is a character. She does have her own journey, and as passionate and outspoken as she is in pretty much every other aspect of her life, it doesn't make sense for her journey to falling for Aang takes place largely off screen. Not unless you understand how little Katara's feelings matter to their relationship. Had Katara actually rejected Aang, their friendship would have ended because Aang was never interested in her friendship.

It's interesting to me to see people who claim to value friendship over romance spend more time complaining about a romance that isn't canon over the actual canon ship that really does cheapen the friendship. But then again, I guess that was never the problem in the first place.

#atla #anti aang #anti kataang #zutara #enemies-FRIENDS-lovers #that would have been worlds better than the Hero Gets the Girl ship masquerading as a friends-lovers romance #if you prefer platonic zutara that's fine #but let's not pretend that the problem is that their potential romance would spoil their friendship #not when you don't speak about how the actual canon ship completely devalued katara's friendship towards aang #be so for real #just say you don't like zutara and keep it pushing #because now the argument just looks hypocritical when you have nothing to say about kataang #the actual canon ship devaluing both friendship and consent #THE YEAR OF CONTENT!!!!

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augerer · 4 days

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i suddenly wanted to do a little closet tour so i have invented a closet tour meme. the rules of the game are you share five items from your closet/wardrobe and then you tag five people.

1) one of my favorite graphic tees… this shirt has everything. girls kissing… disembodied skull cross sections… eerie faceless heads…. TRAINS…. she is giving it all

2) i love this oversize jean jacket i bought from the men’s section of topshop six years ago, it has 6 pockets, two of which are these enormous inside pockets which can fit ie an entire can of soda. i wear it often when i travel or generally adventure for this reason. also has ominous messaging on the back, extremely important. as a bonus i have included a photo of me trespassing at the secret sidewalk in fremont, which, by the way, i highly recommend if you enjoy trespassing. (be careful, there is a stretch where you have to walk on some active train tracks! feel free to dm me if you have questions...).

3) my friend drew bought this for me for my birthday just last month!! she’s very small but i actually love a tiny purse. the lady at the vintage store apparently was like, this would look great framed on a wall! and drew was like no, you don't get it.... i want my friend carolyn to have an item no one else has... fwiendship <3

4) i am not defeating the lesbian doc allegations… this is one of my 3.5 pairs of docs. the bugs are supposed to be glow in the dark but they never have. notably this one is from the kids section, huge win for me when i found out i can wear some child sized docs and they are like 50% of the price of normal docs.

5) there is not too much to say about this one, I feel like its delights are clear. purchased it for.... around $20? at melrose trading post. i've also suddenly realized i've shown a disproportionate number of black background items, i promise you guys i literally like colors. shapes also.

tagging @sucresanguine @insaneclownpussi @loreofcardigan @raisinchallah @sioirsebhan + anyone else who wants to do it feel free to say i have tagged you

#op

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final-milf-ratchet · 4 days

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Dreadwing/Optimus/Magnus/Predaking again

Optimus and Ultra Magnus have been separated for soo long, they don't even know if the other is still alive..

Optimus is so happy that Dreadwing agreed to live with them, he really had a feeling something bad would happen otherwise.. The rest of the team gets used to Dreadwing at varying speeds (Arcee being chill with him is so funny but also I can see it perfectly). But Optimus *really* gets attached, spending a lot of time with Dreadwing (which makes sense, he's the team leader and the one who convinced Dreadwing to stay !)

Optimus and Ultra Magnus are SO relieved once everything calms down and they can finally rejoice that the other is still alive.. Despite all this time spent lightyears apart, despite the War, they're together again and still as in love as ever..

Though of course, Optimus is quick to explain to Magnus how Dreadwing joined them, how he's gotten attached to him and how he thinks it's more than friendship.. They have a long talk - while cuddling in bed - and Magnus ends it by giving Optimus his blessings to pursue Dreadwing.. though now he really wants to learn to know the guy better ! It's no small feat to snatch his husband's heart.. (Magnus and Dreadwing do form a friendship, at the same time Optimus and Dreadwing get involved romantically)

Then somehow Magnus, after being taken during the fight, convinces Predaking of their side of the story, and soon enough he's coming back to the team with Predaking, and there's some weird thing going on there as well.. Optimus is wary, but as long as Magnus is happy then he is as well. And Predaking seems to get along with Dreadwing - they're both warriors of honor etc, they have quite a few things in common - so really, all is good...

Oh my GOD. Dreadwing and Magnus are already pretty big mechs (a truck and a jet !) but Optimus is HUGE, and Predaking, somehow, is even more huge. The space they take up standing is already a lot, but laying down ? It's ridiculous. Of course, Dreadwing and Predaking HAD to curl up together, no other way around it..

The first thing they do, when everyone is getting settled after winning the War.. is get the biggest berth ever, so they can all cuddle up together and be comfortable..

Now. They have an appropriately sized berth. Perfect to pin down their blue boyfriends.. Dreadwing and Magnus are clingy in bed, so whenever they can they're kissing and holding hands.. Optimus and Predaking LOVE watching them do that as they rail the two into the berth.. watching their kiss get more and more messy the longer they go, until Dreadwing and Magnus are basically just holding and nuzzling each other..

luckily nothing bad ever happened to Dreadwing :) never ever :)

augh.... Optimus and Magnus cuddling and talking about how their lives have been since they last saw each other... Optimus telling Magnus more about Dreadwing..... Magnus HAS to get to know the mech whos captured Optimus' spark!!! Magnus and Dreadwing fwiendship 🥺🥺🥺

Magnus somehow convincing Predaking to at least listen (magussy)(actually it was facts and logic™ and mostly Magnus being a fairly stoic put together guy, but also the magussy definitely was a factor)

ohhhhh noooooooooooo Predaking and Dreadwing have to cuddle. oh no 😈😈 Dreadwing has to be the little spoon to his big buff dragon boyfriend-in-law 😈😈😈 (meanwhile Magnus and Optimus are having very soft cuddle time) a massive berth is a MUST!! maybe its a gift from the other autobots (and because they're tired of hearing everything)

hehehheheheheheheh 😈😈😈😈😈 Magnus and Dreadwing being fucked so hard they can only cling to each and moan~ it's so embarrassing for them at first, but Optimus and Predaking are both SO into it, seeing their cute boyfriends make out is so hot! Ehehehehehe... After they're done they give Dreadwing and Magnus a break, and then they switch sides 😈😈😈😈

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ninjapotatohead · 5 months

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Bruh, imagine still treating Pontaff like utter garbage when Prime delivered us such cringe-nuggets like "I heart you too, Shadow!" that would have the fandom bitch to no end had they been a part of the show's writing team.

Anyways, still look forward to seeing Edge Tails get an undeserved redemption because clearly this show operates on Fwiendship Fixes Evweything bullshit. And that only hack writers would think is still solid storytelling. /sarcasm

And these are the same damn people who will get on our case about criticizing the IDWverse and much of Ian's writing (and unprofessional attitude), acting as if we'd ever send him death threats and shit for not doing what we want them to do (according to their strawman arguments anyway) when they aren't above doing the same to Pontaff themselves... and Takashi Iizuka... and Jason Griffith... and Aaron Webber... and Yuji Uekawa... and Roger Craig Smith... and Paramount... and Hardlight... and Dave Mitchell.

Also, funny you mention Nine, because my GF actually called him "Nine Inch Tails" (a parody of the goth band Nine Inch Nails")... and I shall call him that from now on!

#spud's inbox #sonic community nonsense

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e-adlirez · 8 months

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Soo haven't read the thea sisters series for a while (Ive only remember reading the very old ones lol), but I have seen you (and maybe some people) complaint that the friendship stuff in the book is very on the nose or in your face. Is it... really that egregious in the newer books? Because I don't remember them being agresively friendship power in the older ones (aside from maybee ... the ice treasure? with the whole jealosy stuff tho they are not that aggressive).

Yeah the older ones were a lot more subtle with it, and even the most explicit example I could find (two scenes in the non-English translation of Shipwreck where Vi describes the friends as "friends worth a lifetime") was very wholesome and sweet and brought me to want to hold Violet gently in my hands and give her pats more than I already did. Ice Treasure was the girls maturely getting together to resolve a love triangle that would've torn the group apart had this been written in another series, and you have to respect that mature way of thinking.

But are they that egregious in the new books?

Boy do I

have

good

news

for

you

buddy!!! :D /s

I wasn't intending for this sequence to sync up perfectly, but here we are. Each group of screenshots is from one book each.

Also these are from the special editions because they're the worst offenders but I don't doubt that there are some in the main series and Mouseford series but I dun wanna go find them let me live my denial fantasies--

It started off mild in Cloud Castle, when Vi does a heroic sacrifice and explains why she did it

As you can see, despite the clunky Scholastic translation, it's very wholesome and cute and you can tell how much Vi cares for the girls and how much the girls care for each other

And it's realistic!! You care for your friends, naturally you don't wanna see them get hurt (like genuinely hurt) and you wanna make sure they're okay.

A-as you can see tho in the later books it got worse... Like so much worse.

The screenshots above are in chronological order, so we have special edition books 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, and Treasure Seekers 1 and 3 (thank god book 2 kinda doesn't have it overtly). Next part will just be rough context blurbs of each of the scenes so you have a teeny bit of context. (Context ain't savin' these scenes tho)

Book 5 is set in an underwater fantasy world where there's this Mariana's Trench-like bit of nightmare fuel called the Infinite Abyss, where you look down and magic literally sucks you down into the abyss. Because of uh... reasons that were very (and I mean VERY) poorly written in the book that I sincerely hope is just the Scholastic translators being Scholastic translators, Vi ends up looking down while crossing over it, and she and Colette get yoinked down. Yes the scene after they've recovered is the cringiest bit of dialogue I've seen in my life. There is this one cute loom scene in the book that makes sense since the loom basically allows you to make a tapestry of your happy memories and the happiness you feel from that memory, but uh friendship was tied into it so uh eeehhhhh... The happiness part already made sense, you didn't have to tie the power of friendship into it c'mon :/

Book 6 is uh, apparently even in the original Italian it was kinda meh, and I wager the scene got carried over to English about the same. They're fighting this witch wanting to conquer the Land of Flowers, and Flora does a heroic sacrifice that jus,,, the attack jus dissipates as soon as it touwches her,,, why,,? powew of fwiendship that's why,,

Book 7 is... good god I could make an entire thing about it, but I'm torn between wanting to make a Tumblr post about it or a YouTube video about this book and how underwhelming it is, because I could wax eloquent for about a half-hour about why it's so disappointing and arguably the worst of the special editions, and some cute little animations or doodles from me would make it so much more entertaining and could sidestep getting clapped by Scholastic or EdiPiemme, hopefully? I dunno, maybe when I'm less busy with school.

Anyway what's wrong with Book 7? First of all uh the dragon is a redeemed villain type of thing and even if you read the book the thing doesn't make much sense. They tried to make him a misunderstood villain thing, but too little was done to add detail to that? All the important stuff involving him was done off-screen, and the uh him freeing his fiance from her gemstone prison is yeah, you saw it up there, I'm sure. Paulina gives him words of encouragement, she rolls decently in her charisma, and boop now he's hooman again and his fiance is free, yippee

Also the fiance?

This woman right here?

Don't be fooled by that basic fairy design, this woman is the literal personification of the power of friendship trope. For what little time she spends with the girls and helps them with the obstacles they have to deal with. They need to talk to this antisocial wolf guarding the next checkpoint? That's fine, she and the wolf are childhood friends! They need to get past this impossible labyrinth cave to get a super-valuable gemstone that the inhabitants of said labyrinth cave hold very dearly? That's fine, she met one of the fairies and helped her, so they're friends! Literally power of friendship personified. Thanks, I hate it :D

Book 8 is the book that exists. It's one of the special edition books ever for me, and the only thing cool that happens there is Nicky pulling a Robin Hood archery trial. Besides that? Eeehhhh... this scene in that book isn't so bad since the characters who do the power of friendship thing are actual magic fairies in this magic world.... but at the same time the girls making comments on it is making me die inside, did I mention these girls are uni students--

Book 9 is eeehhhhhhhhh.... it's an underwhelming finale for the special editions for one, for many reasons that could garner itself a ramble here, but eeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhh.... I'm just mad at the Violet slander ngl wHY DO THEY MAKE HER THE FRIENDSHIP PROPHET I GET SHE VALUES HER FRIENDS BUT SHE'S STILL A PRACTICAL LOGICAL WOMAN IN PERSONALITY YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO HER--

I stand by the fact that Treasure Seekers as a hardcover series for Thea Stilton is really good for those who loved the older books as a kid and are coming back for nostalgia. You read the first book and it feels like you're being welcomed back to the Thea Sisters you knew and loved back in the days of seeing the cool girlboss covers of the books in your school library and spending hours reading the cool adventures they got themselves into around the world (and even outside it). I dunno if they meant is as a homage to the older books, but it felt like it when I read it.

Anyway literally the only thing sullying these books is the power of friendship monologues in book 1 and 3. The worst part of it is that Violet once again is the one saying or thinking these things and it feels so out of character and out of place, like HELLO??? Vi sweetie the only thing stopping that shady businesswoman character from holding Pam at actual gunpoint is the 6-10 age range of the books? This ain't the time for the power of friendship??? Also who gave her the friendship ball and can they please let Violet punt it at them? Book 3 is the same-- I mean in this context uh I dun wanna spoil it so uh yeah, but Vi is basically disagreeing with the villain in this conversation they're having, and literally the only thing ruining it is her saying "the power of friendship" straight up. If she said "my friends" or "my sisters", it would've been so much better-- same goes for the time Vi is talking to the girls again and they ask her what she said in the previous one-on-one convo, it would've been better if she said something cute like "friends like you"-- but we can't have nice things huh, Scholastic? (Dunno if the original Italian one has the "power of friendship" one but I sincerely hope not, and it doesn't sound like it since the original Italian intro letter of book 3 went so hard--)

Vi deserves better smh -m-

Anyway there's my rant. Yeah, it does get really egregious in the later books. Where did we go wrong :(

#thea stilton #thea sisters #questions with e #I might make ramble posts about the books at some point #it would be fun to do and it'll be cool for those who wanna get back into the books maybe #but I'm busy with school wah #Violet slander is too real in these books #if you're gonna make a friendship prophet make it colette at least jeebus at least it sounds like something fluffy she'd say

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polarnoid · 11 months

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⭐ all the combos let's goooo

MULTIMUSE MEME: Send a " ⭐ " and I will list muses I would be interested in throwing at yours, or potential muse combinations if you are also a multi.

okay i get the feeling its gonna get long and im taking in the ones in your active tag but if you also want to expand on this and or other combos lmk...also not putting down anything we have talked about already...also kinda cheating and adding the guys from scoops hehhee also also there are some combos i might be interested in but like i wanna wait until i know more about the characters so ill dm you about those specifically...also edit i forgor giselle was here so... adding that to the mix

julie & villanelle

baby murderer meets grown up assassin, there is like these differences between them that would make an interaction kinda funny??? there's a lot julie could learn and idk it would be a good thing to explore...maybe the difference on why they kill and how they see killing like idk idk that's interesting to me...julie used to be the popular girl, she kinda is still....something we can cook there

fiona & martha

so fiona is a girl from the 16th century dropped into the modern world to reunite with her husband...perchance she could be a time anomaly, something funny there. martha has time traveled, has endured things for the sake of guy and has had that whoops what did i get myself into moment...which i think is one funny because it paralelles what fiona goes through but also like idk something IS HERE...friends....fwiendship....

patrick & aimee

oh well i could give him a st verse and like ...heheh hoo hoo bad boy alert, but there's this myths and shit that are so untrue about him. so like that could definitely be funny to explore, also he is a pretty guy and can be emotionally open and understanding !! hell we could even recreate the movie plot with st in the background jkhrkjhg there is SOMETHING HERE OK?

patrick & adam

oh damn two guys ...two dudes with a bad reputation and while adam is more angry than sad patrick is kinda more like stoic and sad than angry,, idk neither of them like opening up so maybe they can hangout and not talk about their feelings at all until they grow emotionally and idk be a safe space for each other but like in the cool guy way

richie & dustin

ummm mike's annoying queer cousin....he is like a funny lil kid, i think there isnt necesarilly a funny lil kid his type of brand in the party, he also is a geek (not a nerd) so putting them into situations would be fun, also lil kid who has also dealt with weird ass happenings in one's town so he would be extra annoying i think ! funny banter here...also them bickering at each other is a guarantee ! fun !

alice & el

alice's st verse has her as an experiment, so hehehe hooo sister's vibes. she is also very much different from the people el usually surrounds herself with, she is very much a weird girl, and her powers have developed way past the default here...also bonding over their share trauma,,, she also has a scientist dude who basically killed her family and alice wants him dead...so like hehehe fun stuff there

aimee & luna

listen aimee is part of the pack, luna is in the pact, she isn't as clueless as aimee can be but i feel like they both can be girls, girls, so i think a friendship is definitely in order ! also another dog friend who doesn't want that ???

clem & luna

wow the way luna would absolutely take in clementine in as a younger sister, i think even though kane tries i feel luna and clem would connect a bit better over the whole turned into a wolf thing, especially because i think luna also got turned by necesity like clem did, also clem has this edge that kane also ocassionaly has but luna actually lacks...luna might learn a thing or two from clem

anamaria & muireann

mermaid and pirate, maybe ann gets attached to anamaria, and now anamaria has a whole ass mermaid to deal with...a whole ass feral mermaid, but maybe muireann has her back...can help anamaria kick ass hehehe

joe & giselle

wow ?? repeat customer at her tavern...an annoying lil guy who can bicker with her? he is also sorta friends with dave, since they kinda go back. a fun way for giselle to find out about dave's past like the parts he doesn't disclose necessarily...but also maybe a fling,,, he's a fun guy to be around most of the times,,, i think kghkjsdhfjsf

ophelia & giselle

wow two of the most important women in dave's life, would be fun to compare and contrast....they both ran away from what was home and family to them. so that's hehehe hooo ?? ophelia is also a lil weirdo sometimes. and i think she definitely needs feminine energies in her life especially someone that has a strong personality like giselle, teach her your ways ... perchance?

rosa & morgana

hehe hoo hoo witches magic users on opposite sides of the good evil spectrum? interesting very interesting. we could do like a modern thing for them or maybe even make it high fantasy...maybe friends turned rivals turned enemies, they would be at odds on the topic of use of dark magic...and if they were friends at some point wouldn't that be a lil sad :((

@immobiliter

#/ 𝚃𝙰𝙶𝙶𝙴𝙳 — ooc ( welcome to my cage )#/ 𝚃𝙰𝙶𝙶𝙴𝙳 — askbox ( reply )#( this could have been longer but i restrained myself )#( but we can talk more hehehehe )#cw long post

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bastardnev · 3 years

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PAC ~ AEW Dynamite (#60), 11/18/2020

bonus:

#pac #aew #aew dynamite #all elite wrestling #aewedit #these r NOT pretty but trust me they looked 10x worse on my usual gifmaker 🥴#idk why it gave me so much trouble but ! thats not important #He Is #also: i luv fwiendship #jess.gif #my son

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hhawkeye · 3 years

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tragic that im always the friend taking candid pics that other friends use as their profile pictures but i am never the friend who has candid pics taken of them

#also because im always the one w the camera even if someone DID take candid pics of me it would look false since im wearing a camera #</3 heartbreaking tbh #anyway my friends made some pics i took of them their profile pics and cover photos which tbh has me like 🥰🥰🥰#fwiendship.

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pattonwillliterallyfightyou · 4 years

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Just making sure you are aware that today is national boob day in America, and I also would like to remind you of your nickname happy birthday

Nat I'll put you in a barrel and throw you down a mountain

#friendship #not to be confused with fwiendship thats another guy that will also get thrown down a mountain in a barrel #asks

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kazumahashimoto · 5 years

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hmm....

#cute.........#fwiendship #also i love fig #i can't fucking get them yet #because i hate trophy race #but............ one day maybe......................#knight cookie #fig cookie #cookie run

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sunghun · 3 years

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Happy Accidents

synopsis: when you embarrass yourself in front of not only everyone in the candy aisle at your local convenience store, but also the cutest boy you’ve ever seen, you can only hope that you’ll never see him again. but fate, it would seem, has other plans…

pairing: soobin x fem!reader

genre: romance, comedy, light angst in future chapters.

profiles :

fwiendship

Hyuka Protection Squad™️

extra info: y/n, yuna, and sunoo go to a different university than everyone else

taehyun is in both friend groups/group chats, but for the sake of formatting purposes i just put him with the first one on here

#txt smau #txt imagines #txt scenarios #txt x reader #txt fluff #choi soobin x reader #choi soobin fluff #choi soobin imagines #choi soobin scenarios

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trashlie · 2 years

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In light of ep 179, we revisit revisit the development of Nol and Shinae’s friendship

Who is ready for another found of Ashlie Being EXTREMELY Ashlie starring me, going through old episodes and digging up things to overanalyze? 179 sheds such fascinating insight on the way Nol approached and befriended people, I HAD to go back through and re-examine both his approach and when and how those friendships began to feel real to him, with an emphasis on Shinae.

I will also shortly be putting together a part two follow up, which I’ll link to here once it’s ready!

In light of the reveal that Nol never really intended to actually be anyone’s friend - that he was trying to rebalance the good and the bad, to improve someone else’s life since he couldn’t improve his own, that he wanted to do good for someone without committing - I decided to revisit some past scenes that always gave me pause, or that I think are especially interesting to revisit with what we know and how it may have changed from what we used to believe. Like most people, I was operating under the assumption that while yes, Nol seemed to really hate himself, I thought he sought out friends he saw himself in and offered the kind of friendships he wanted in return. I was so sure that he treated Shinae the way he wished people would treat him - and while I’m not discounting that there’s probably still some truth to that - acknowledging the additional layers of his mentality in seeking these half-baked relationships makes reviewing certain scenes really fascinating.

I’ll have to do a full reread, I think, to determine when exactly I think the friendships became real for Nol. I’m inclined to think it was around the arcade episodes, but I’m not entirely certain. Maybe that’s when it starts to trigger? I feel like something about the introduction of Yui in an episode when Nol is out having fun, seeming to drop the worries that plague him, enjoying the presence of these people he’s collected to help, feels like it’s sending him a reminder: you aren’t allowed to care about these people. And what better time for him to start becoming aware of what they meant to him?

In fact, by the time Nol and Shinae meet again at the Hirahara office when Rika is finding out how Shinae can apply for a job, I think Nol has an easiness with her that suggests a real friendship is blooming? However, there’s definitely things I’ve questioned about those episodes that stay on my mind: why is Nol so insistent about working with friends, is there any meaning to his dejected expression when Kousuke whisks him off to dinner, and what’s up in the car?

Here’s the thing: he’s obviously pushing it because it is his karmic duty or whatever to help her in whatever way he can. If a job would make things better for her, he’s going to encourage and support her as her friend (using it in bold to imply that this is his intention as Nol-balancing-the-good-and-bad not Yeonggi being a pal). In fact, he actually literally states “I’d love to work alongside friends“ in bold which is giving me pause in retrospect. Is it just because he didn’t TRULY think of her as a friend yet, that it was all fake? But my other thing is, Nol knows that Shinae isn’t exactly eager for his friendship, so if he’s pushing her to apply because FWIENDSHIP you’d think he wouldn’t use friendship as the enticer because why would she bite at that? Is it something that he’s not aware of? I can’t imagine that’s so. At any rate, he’s clearly egging her on in his quest to help improve her state of being, but boy the way he goes about it is weird.

Secondly, when Kousuke is dragging Nol out to eat, Nol wears a long expression and seems like he’s glancing back towards her - he actually does turn back and wave goodbye. This is something that makes me wonder if by this point Nol was already growing fond of Shinae as a friend. I mean, obviously he is no mood to go off with Kousuke and sit through dinner with him and listen to him insult him further, but it’s just the way his expression seems to direct towards Shinae that makes me think that maybe, even without him realizing it, Nol is feeling even worse to leave behind a friend and have to go to dinner with Kousuke.

There’s a lot of other things I continue to question about that entire couple of episodes - like, what’s with the stand off with Nol and Kousuke both take off their coats? I continue to baffle over that one because I know it’s not about Shinae. I also used to question if the little smile Nol wears after Kousuke attempts to eat the burger with his hands was a smile that Kousuke was, for once, trying something very normal, but now days, I’m willing to bet it’s a more perverse pleasure at seeing Kousuke pushed into doing something that made him uncomfortable, a quiet, mean-spirited enjoyment?

But the other thing that brings me back to that series of episodes is in the car when Nol covers Shinae with his jacket. I’ve ALWAYS contemplated that series of expressions he wears: going from a probably forced Yeonggi smile to the expression dropping a bit and a sweat drop appearing to a genuinely sad expression before he turns to look out the window. I never really was sure what I thought it meant before but now I think we have enough light to glean a little more from it. This is, of course, sheer conjecture, but I have to wonder if it’s a moment of Nol and his Yeonggi persona warring - this acknowledgment that he’s doing these things to “be a nice person” (but a truly nice person doesn’t have that stipulation attached) and maybe even feeling a fondness for her as a friend before remembering that he’s not allowed to feel that, that he’s not supposed to care about any of these people, that it’s dangerous to actually befriend people. I don’t know when Nol would have had to take his tests to apply to Oxford, but I wonder if by that point he already knew his plans, and entangling with anyone knew made him feel guilty? Again, conjecture.

At any rate, I think it’s around this time that Nol is starting to realize these people are his friends - truly his friends, that it’s becoming real, and maybe is even internalizing that there’s something very wrong with treating people like friends when you don’t intend to keep them as such - and moreso, that he ENJOYS being their friends and wants to maintain that friendship. And Kousuke is very aware of this. I think this is important to note, because though Kousuke does not realize that Nol pretends to maintain these friendships, he does see these little moments that Nol probably thinks are private going unseen, he does see the “effect” Shinae has on him - which I’m using loosely because, again, I think it’s Kousuke interpreting Nol’s behavior differently from what it is. I think it’s also important to highlight for posts to come re: Kousuke and Shinae in regards to Nol, but that’s a post for another day.

By the time Nol is hanging out at the Wac during Shinae’s shift, I think Nol’s in a deeper conflict with his feelings. From what we know now, obviously he feels like he has an obligation to help her, because again, he’s trying to make other peoples’ lives better, he’s trying to rebalance the good and the bad, to do something nice for people. But his sense of obligation - staying the entire shift, ordering more nuggets when he thinks she needs a reprieve from shitty customers, the urging her to follow up on her application - all feel like extra steps. Now, we can also argue that Nol was probably very much like this with Soushi and Dieter. From the way he throws around the word cute and says things like “then I can see you more”, I think Nol pushes his boundaries a lot without thinking about the repercussions, so going above and beyond to help Shinae get a job isn’t out of line. But it’s also possible that going above and beyond is what leads him to truly care about these people, as real friends.

When Nol tells Shinae “I really am just trying to be a decent friend” there’s no weird emphasis on friends, his eyes are open (though he turns away so we can’t really see his face). This, plus the way he calls to follow up on her application, both make me think that it’s safe to say that by this point, Nol sees Shinae as a real friend, whether or not he’s admitting it to himself yet. It might be why he actually backed off, too; he acknowledged that he was going too far and as a friend that wasn’t okay. I realize this implies that Nol didn’t respect Shinae before their friendship became real for him, but perhaps it’s simply that he grew to respect her even more, because now he realized this friendship went both ways, and he didn’t want to make things worse for her. It went against the very thing he was trying to achieve.

This is something I wanted to establish because I think by the time of the Kim formal, Nol and Shinae are friends. We know it’s the night that she finally accepts his friendship and feels a bond with him, but I think it’s also the night Nol acknowledges to himself something he’s figured out as truth, that has BEEN true. Somewhere in the span of the arcade to the the Wac, Nol has come to enjoy Shinae’s friendship - not as as person helping her, but as a friend.

I think we see a marked transition in how Nol treats Shinae the friend at the formal vs how he treated Shinae the person he’s helping prior. Before he was trying to pull her out of her comfort zone, he was trying to lead her to things he thought would benefit her (the job, getting her more comfortable with Dieter, the way he all but pushed his friendship on her), but afterwards, he’s REALLY respectful of the boundary that Shinae drew, like really conscious of it and trying to not cross it. I know that seems like such a minor thing but I think it’s safe to say that at this point Nol is respecting Shinae as a friend. And the whole night he does this. Lines like let me know if I’m pushing your boundaries, I don’t want to push your limits, he remains mindful of Shinae’s comfort and boundary. Everything he does during the formal feels like the act of a concerned friend, a genuine friend. For Shinae, this is especially important, because Nol essentially becomes a lifeline to her during what will turn into her worst night ever.

Bear with me, this was the entire inspiration for this long post: the dance with Kousuke.

A theory I enjoyed musing about was that when Nol catches sight of Shinae laughing as he tries to make her relax during the dance, it’s the moment he realizes he likes her/starts to like her/it kickstarts feelings. Quimchee was once asked on curiouscat what Nol is into and her answer was something about a nice smile, so you can see where the theory came from. These days I don’t think Nol was catching feels at the moment - especially now that we know what his state of misery was, now that we know his friends were all meant to repair his karma, now that we know he truly believes his situation can never change or become better. Nol barely allowed himself to admit he cared about friends, I don’t think he has been developing romantic feelings. HOWEVER that’s clearly still an important moment - there would be no reason otherwise to highlight his widened eye, his shock at seeing her react to his efforts with laughter.

That is the moment, I think, that Nol realizes and admits it to himself: Shinae is a friend and he cares about her and he cares about her happiness. Doing something dumb during a moment that she’s uncomfortable and watching it work, watching it bring her laughter, has an effect on her, and the effect is realizing that he cares about this friend and he’s not just repaying bad with good. He’s being a friend.

When Shinae goes to talk to him after the dance and he returns her jacket, they have a moment that I have ALWAYS pondered over. “Shinae. We’re friends, right?” Nol asks wearing his fake smile mask. I used to think it was insecurity, because he’d tried so hard to win her friendship but now that we know he wasn’t really trying to BE friends, just faking it, I think it’s easier to read it now as, perhaps, Nol testing the waters. The realization that yeah, they ARE friends. That it’s a reciprocal friendship, that he’s done the unfathomable and once again allowed a person to mean something to him, to become a person he cares about. He’s sounding it out because now he’s realized it is real.

Which is funny, because that brings me to something else that I’ve always wondered about. When Kousuke is accusing Nol of being a skirt chaser (good lord), Nol delivers the line “What’s it gonna take for people to understand I’m only seeking something platonic. Just because she’s a girl and I’m a dude people assume I want something else” with his eyes closed. I touched on this in another post but the short version is: it’s easy to read this like Nol is lying and that he IS seeking something that isn’t platonic or something like that, because why else are his eyes closed. This isn’t a facade kind of eyes closed. But I think it’s because the lie is that Nol does want something else - he’s not even intentionally seeking friendship, it’s meant to be fake, but he’s out here acting sincerely as a friend, when he wasn’t supposed to get close to anyone. When all he wanted all along WAS something else - to help someone and balance out the good and the bad.

And instead, he ended up with a genuine friend.

(I do continue to muse over the moment that Kousuke asks Nol why he didn’t interrupt them and Nol merely looks at him without replying. Is it simply that he can’t believe Kousuke thinks that of him? Is it that he knows an interruption would have been even more embarrassing for Shinae? Is it that Kousuke didn’t even notice that the reason Shinae loosened up had nothing to do with him or her becoming comfortable but because it was Nol? That he did his part without making a scene?)

Anyway I think that moment of Nol realizing that “oh no I care about Shinae oh no she’s my friend” is especially important to highlight for the rest of what follows. Firstly, when Sangchul pushes Nol’s buttons, it involves Shinae and Alyssa. He’s stopped when Sangchul calls Shinae his bitch and it’s made worse when he brings up Alyssa and suddenly Nol doesn’t hold back. These are his friends and he is responding not as a person helping them but as someone who cares about them and their wellbeing. In fact, Nol has already dealt with two extreme encounters related to this.

One: When Kousuke has the audacity to imply Nol should be with Alyssa instead of concerned about Shinae, Nol enters a deal with him, full well knowing what will come of it.

Two: Nol runs into his father and finally stands up to him, willing to accept his wrath, because finding his friend in danger is far more important.

Regarding his father, Nol knows very well what his defiance can cost him, but he’s worried enough about Shinae that it’s a risk he’s willing to take. Notably, too, he refers to Shinae as a friend and there’s no implications he’s lying. Not only is his fake friendship real, but it’s worth defying his father.

(Of course it’s worth noting: Nol already believes that caring about people leads to their harm. He believes that he makes bad things happen, that the good and bad balance is off and bad will continue to follow him. So, it’s safe to assume that as well as acknowledging that he cares about Shinae, he also believes she’s in danger because of him, because he cared about her and now he has to fix this, too. But that also leads to my next point.)

When Nol tells Kousuke he’ll do whatever he asks of him until the end of the year, he already knows what it will be. Kousuke has already told Nol to limit his interactions with Shinae, is already trying to sever their friendship. Nol is locking himself into a promise that he will use to his benefit, because knowing that a. his friendship is not as fake as he pretended and b. another person he cares about is in danger, I think Nol has already decided to sever the tie himself. Knowing that Kousuke will tell him to stay away from Shinae, Nol makes a deal when all he had to do was walk off and ignore Kousuke. He’s already made up his mind. He’s going to help Shinae and then he’s out of here.

It wasn’t the guilt of dropping her into the pool.

It was knowing that once again harm befell someone he cared about.

(And likely both cases involve Yui.)

The fact that not only was Nol unable to help Shinae but it was him who dropped them, he’s the reason Shinae fell into the water and hit her head is obviously a heavy weight of guilt, and it merely proves to himself that he’s correct: that he cannot be friends with Shinae (or anyone else for that matter), that she is yet another in a list of people hurt because of proximity to him. Who was he kidding? Who did he think he is, believing that maybe he could have friends after all?

And thus begins Nol’s quiet exit, his attempt to extricate himself from the lives of those he’s grown to care about (and his subsequent inability to do so).

Now I don’t think the balcony scene at the hospital is necessarily changed by the revelations that Nol never sought out Shinae’s friendship for real as much as just gives further weight to moments that already resonate. When Nol talks about how it’s his guilt that brought him back, that it’s his fault she ended in the hospital - it’s not simply about dropping her. It’s his guilt that he got close to her, his guilt that he cared when he knew better, his guilt that (as he believes) he was punished for daring to do what he knew he couldn’t and she was the one harmed, to remind him he can never change his circumstances, he can never have better.

(It’s funny, how they both carry this sense of guilt. Shinae, too, thinks none of this would have happened if Nol had never taken it upon himself to look after her and take care of her. She feels the weight of being important to someone like a burden, that she’s caused people to worry, that because people care about her they’ve done rash, stupid things. Both of them feel so much guilt!)

Anyway, i think it’s really worth revisiting that episode fresh off the back of 179. It really brings an added weight to those ambiguous thought bubbles: “I’m pathetic”, “what do you even see in me, I’m just a waste of time”, “I don’t deserve you”, “I’m the bother”, Nol’s arm always reaching for what he never allows himself to grasp. Though their circumstances are different - Shinae feels like she’s failing a friend who has been nothing but good and taking out her emotions on him undservingly; Nol has come to realize how much he cares about Shinae and how he doesn’t deserve her for the way he’s lied and tricked her, for the way he tried to be something he wasn’t so how dare he think he deserves her friendship, he’s just a waste of time - they share this same sentiment towards one and other and I think in light of episode 180 it’s even more poignant. Nol and Shinae don’t know much about each other at all, but this moment at the hospital stitches them together, no matter how hard Nol tries to run away later. The emotional resonance that binds them operates at the same frequency as the other. It’s what brings them back to each other over and over, even when Nol has told himself not to. It’s what makes them so important to each other.

How can Nol move on from that? That vulnerable moment of Shinae clinging to his coat and crying, something so private and exposing, the way he provides her that moment of reprieve, a safe place to let it out, and his realization that maybe Shinae’s problems are bigger than he’d once thought, not something easily fixed by his saccharine smiles and sweetness. I don’t think it’s until later that he registers just how bad it is, but it might be the beginning of Nol realizing that Shinae suffers more than he realizes, more than she lets anyone in. How is he supposed to walk away from her after they’ve established that connection, this intimate moment of vulnerability that changes the way he sees her?

I’ll be saving THAT for the next post, though, because there’s a couple moments in particular that I really want to give time to. Nol tries so very hard to make his escape, to slip away, but unfortunately for him it’s not as easy as he expected because not only did Shinae come to embrace his friendship, but their shared experience and now mutual-trauma at the hands of Yui has brought them together, bound by a moment of vulnerability from a girl who tried so hard to fortify her walls. For Shinae, that whole night is a nightmare, half a blur that she can’t remember, a fall she has no recollection of, waking up in a hospital with no recollections of an attempted assault. It leaves her vulnerable and feeling small and the small source of comfort to her through the night was the very person who now feels he is nothing but a danger to her, that he must remove himself from her life if he’s to protect her.

And isn’t that sad? That he cares enough about his friends that he wants to protect them, but foolishly believes the only way he can do that is by leaving them?

This is what leads to my next post: how Nol is so dedicated to his cause, but also so often derailed, and how this factors into the growth and development of his relationship with Shinae. Simply put, the weight of Shinae’s importance is so heavy that not even his own moral compass can keep him on what he believes is the right path.

#I Love Yoo #ILY Brainrot #Shinae Yoo #Nolan Oliver T. Lochlainn #Stalkyoo #this isn't really a shipping post per se but we all know that i love to howl about foundations #I feel like it's about time for me to do a reread all the way through with 179 in mind lol #It's really interesting to look at old scenes and see them in a new light or with a new added weight #the kinds of double meanings there may have been in certain dialogue #to see new motivation in things that may have seemed innocuous or even confusing; things that didn't quite make sense at the time or just #stuck out as slightly strange just slightly off because they never quite fit the narrative we knew #i also think we can see new weight to the way their friendship developed - that despite the circumstances like a weed in a sidewalk they #still managed to grow and bloom #i maintain my statement that Shinae is the moon and nol is the tide dragged back to shore by her no matter how often he retreats #their relationship seems so resilient despite it all #i can't wait to write my follow up post to this i hope i can take care of it in the next couple days #i'm heavily musing over a couple moments that - to me - just seem extra poignant now #god i'm a sucker for nol and shinae's friendship and what they mean to each other #A FUCKING SUCKERRRRRRRRRRRRRR #in spite of it all he just can't stop himself from caring ;~;

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nagdabbit · 3 years

Text

MY GIRLFRIEND'S COMMENTARY WHILE WATCHING HER FIRST AEW PPV

"my entire fitness goal is hook's shoulder-waist ratio, but with taz's extremely dense neck."

"the funniest thing about wrestling is that this fucking company is trying to make something called a stadium stampede sound both cool, AND serious."

gf: "if you cry listening to a crowd sing judas again, im divorcing you." me: "so that means youre gonna marry me." gf: "i've been bamboozled."

about brian cage: "this man is a huge dork. like, literally, i could fit me in him."

"i dunno what it is, but i would die to protect mr. hangman. he hunk, but he also baby."

thoughtfully, "i bet i could just catch you out of the air like that. i mean, i can squat you, i could probably even curl you like that, too."

because she is deeply in wrestling twitter now: "HOOK! babe, look, its hook! hook hive, rise up!"

"what i love about this feud is that all these men are fuckin' idiots. no brain cells, just shoes and fwiendship."

"what do you mean their tag team isn't just the wild boys, wtf? missed opportunity."

"those kicks are ugly, but i would steal them, too, honestly." *thirty seconds of silence layer* "for you, babe. i'd steal them for you, i mean."

"jon, no, the germs, jon, jesus christ, please dont drink that jon you dumbass."

"i love eddie, but i'm pretty sure we should never hang out. too much extremely new york energy, we would get arrested in like ten minutes. possibly less."

"diorsday device is the funniest shit ive ever fucking heard, how goddamn sad is that."

"max caster is gonna get murdered, but i love him."

"i wish bowens and his extremely attractive boyfriend the best in life."

"colt cabana and tay conti are tied for best smile in wrestling, but tay wins because i dont want colt to kick me in the face."

"penta is the only joker i formally recognize."

"today i found out that some people don't like stu and uno, and to them i say get entirely fucked."

after rush came out and i lost my entire shit: "i don't fully understand yet, but i support you." *one minute later* "oooooooooooohh. okay, yeah."

gf: "i enjoy that cody is pushing ogogo by being a dumb bitch with this america schtick." me: "you gonna say that when cody wins?" gf: "...fuck."

"ogogo got that guy ritchie movie ass music you love to see it."

"you were right about cody and i fuckin' hate it."

"aw yeah, its big boi season."

about miro: "i'm very gay, but the thing is, men with extremely jacked traps just do something to me."

"lance changed changed the color of his extensions and i appreciate that." *thirty seconds later* "are those... three crosses? tattooed on his back? jesus doesnt like murder, i don't think he likes murderhawks, either."

"britt baker is the only dentist i want in my mouth. no, wait, don't type that one!"

"oh, fuck, shidas getting teary i'm gonna fuckin cry, oh fuck, i get it now, i'm so sorry i made fun of you, i love her."

"oh fuck, shida knee me directly in the face."

"britt scares me. like the blood drip details on her gear are really cool, but i would legit believe its real blood from her."

"are you really crying about britt and the nice announcer man hugging?"

"hey, quick question, just real quick while ive got you here... why is the emo twink... like this?"

"darby's dad looks like my dad, and i'll never be okay with that."

"i like that darby just yeets himself around like that. he came in like a wrecking ball. a tiny, tiny wrecking ball."

"sting just tossing his son around the ring like that is very good, but, sir, that's bad parenting."

"the thing about sky and page is that these are the suburb guys i beat up at the beach on summer vacation. they have big "i robbed these guys at the pier" energy."

"damn, darby just feels his emotion with his entire face, doesnt he."

"okay explain the gambling thing and WHY it's a thing."

"orange rolling into the ring is so fucking good, that man is national treasure."

after me showing her the video of younger orange cassidy shitfaced and holding a fish for no reason: "i am shocked and appalled that you're only showing me this now."

after explaining the history of the jansport: "the range of this dumbass."

"i get that kenny is good and all, but his hair really fucks me up. it's upsettingly bad and i hope he knows that."

"pac is just. so much muscle. flippy beef man. a meateor." she did specify how to spell it for the joke because it was important.

"that man is a weeb, isnt he."

"something about a man breaking a hold by putting his hands in his pockets really gets me hype."

"fuck just murder omega and be done i hate this, put it on the beef man or the juicey boy already."

"babe, ill be right back i gotta murder this callis bitch."

screaming, "THAT'S MY FAVORITE REF, YOU UGLY FUCK!"

after kenny won: "i fucking hate wrestling, this is bullshit."

"holy fuck, babe, i forgot mark henry was a wrestle boy! i know him from the olympics!"

"hey, is mark henry bigger than large paul?"

"mjf is a dumb bitch and i love him."

"hey, quick question, who thought repelling down the stadium would look cool, they're so far away."

"there's wardlow, my sweet boy. this is cool now."

she laughed for a solid two minutes at tony schiavone saying, "here comes the little guy."

"i fuckin hate hager. kill him wardlow, kill that crispy maga ass bitch."

"okay what's with the chairs." *after a brief explanation of the chairshot heard round the world* "and, like, he can't just pick a new gimmick? it's been two years, bro. move on, shes not coming back."

"okay, i admit that this is great and i love it, kill that old man on the dancefloor."

upon learning this is technically the main event: "you mean it's over after this? theyre ending the show on THIS? not the triple threat match, this?"

"i just noticed mjf's bedazzled jeans, i'm not angry anymore, this is perfect."

"no, more wardlow. gimme the beef."

"christ, sammy guevara is kinda incredible and i'm fuckin angry about it. why cant inner circle be just sammy and santana and ortiz, fuck the other two."

"no, shut up! i refuse to sing along to this! whats wrong with you?! this is a bad song!"

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