#today on things i did not expect to see on wikipedia!

[cherrytopnpop]

YOU CAN USE CUM AS INVISIBLE INK?????

#no fucking way #today on things i did not expect to see on wikipedia! #cherrybomb.txt

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Monkey Crab

Debut: Splatoon 2

Today we are talking about a Splatoon character beloved by all. More popular than the Squid Sisters! More respected than Off the Hook! It’s Monkey Crab! The world-famous Monkey Crab!

Now if you didn’t notice from us using a plushie as the header image, Monkey Crab is not real. Sorry. And I don’t just mean in the sense that most Splatoon characters aren’t real! He’s not real in the world of Splatoon! He’s what we call a cartoon guy, in the business. An in-universe fictional character! 

Monkey Crab first shows up in the stage MakoMart, which is a supermarket, and the devs had to make a bunch of fake food packaging for it! There is a lot of fun stuff like Off the Hook flavored cereal, but our star here got three different types of cereal all for himself! I think this stuff is super cool, since the world of Splatoon is already so cartoony, what would their cartoons look like? Monkey Crab gives a glimpse into that world, and what a world it is!

So Monkey Crab is a cereal mascot! Case closed! He is like a Toucan Sam or a Tony the Tiger, or a Buzz the Honey Nut Cheerios! But a fake cereal guy is not bound by the rules of our world, because...

A few months later, Monkey Crab returned to us... in the Amusement Park stage, Wahoo World! Now I don’t know about you, but I don’t see a lot of cereal mascots in amusement parks, in our world. I mean, maybe sometimes they collaborate? But this means either A. Monkey Crab was a cereal mascot who achieved incredible widespread success, or B. Monkey Crab was not originally a cereal mascot, he just happened to have a cereal tie-in. I choose to believe A, because it’s funnier!

Look, here he is in Inkopolis Square, eating Cereal! It’s SO his thing! So if mammals don’t exist in Splatoon, what kind of Milk do they eat with their cereal? Monkey Crab says Don’t Worry About It! :)

Keep in mind we didn’t even have a name for this guy until a Japanese exclusive magazine, where he was revealed to be called Sarukani! Sarukani means monkey crab. It definitely is a crab, and his face sort of is monkey-ish! (Though, monkeys are extinct, right?) Thanks to the power of Japanese Google, I managed to find a picture, with his official art and everything! So I did my best to translate it, even though other people probably have before:

He greets you with an 100% smile, the most popular cereal mascot at MakoMart! His smile is so wonderful, he's been showing up lately on commercials on the giant monitor in Inkopolis Square. (He's so popular that he's even being used on skateboard designs!)

So yeah! That pretty much confirms he’s a cereal character first and formost! And his smile! It’s the secret to his success, and you have to admit it’s a pretty great smile. What about the skateboards? Uh... we’ll get to that!

Now there’s actually a Japanese folktale about a monkey and a crab, which I am reading about on Wikipedia just now. It’s about a monkey who murders a crab with persimmons. And so much more! But none of that is important right now. The point is it’s usually known as Sarukani Gassen, or Monkey-Crab Battle, which might be where the name Monkey Crab comes from? Maybe? I dunno? It’s the sort of thing I’d expect from Splatoon, but I’m not sure how it relates to cereal!

Of course, I’m only really writing this post because of Splatoon 3, which introduced customizable lockers, and lots of Random Junk to customize those lockers with! And it just so happens a lot of that junk features Monkey Crab! I have a dedicated Monkey Crab shelf in my locker, and you should too!

There’s the monkey-crab cushion from the top of this post, but how about a monkey-crab mug! Would you drink hot beverages from this? Would you drink cold beverages from this? Look at that face. He is so happy to be providing a container for liquids.

And the aforementioned monkey-crab skateboard! Of course cereal mascots are no strangers to skateboarding in real life. Do you think Monkey Crab has a radical commerical encouraging Inklings to eat a balanced breakfast and do Extreme Sports? Because I hope so!

All three cereal boxes are available to purchase too! It’s interesting how they get progressively more expensive. Is coconut cereal rarer? Is someone scalping cereal? That they sell in the supermarket?

Are you in need of a laugh? Monkey Crab is sure to make you giggle and chuckle and chortle with his comedy comic! I’m laughing out loud just looking at this cover! I’m crying with laughter! I just love Monkey Crab so much!

But of course, this has all been a lead-up to the peak of Monkey Crab’s career, my personal favorite item in his collection...

Monkey Crab in Silly Land!

Isn’t it wonderful? Just the title alone inspires such joyous whimsy! A whole Silly Land, for you to explore with your best friend Monkey Crab! Not only is it great they gave this cereal mascot an entire Switch game, but this officially makes Monkey Crab an in-universe scrimblo! Congratulations, Monkey Crab! If anyone deserves it, it’s you!

That’s all for today fellow Monkey Crab enthusiasts, but keep an eye out for our next cool post, where we write about Mister Shrug and Missus Shrug, and their spicy secrets! We’ll finally get to the bottom of... hm? Hm. I’m being told that I’m not allowed to write a post on Mister and Missus Shrug. Sorry everyone.

#splatoon #not mario #monkey crab #monkey crab in silly land #mod f boy #monkey crab is not hiphenated in the silly land title #but it IS hipehnated everywhere else #sorry. no hiphen i dont wanna go back and change it.

[everything-is-crab]

My favorite thing (/s) about Pro Israel folks and the people focusing so much on the recent Hamas attack is how great they're at spreading blatant lies.

You see them post something about what Hamas or Palestinians did to Israelis and through fact checking it's revealed it's the other way round 😂

People linking wikipedia, bbc....and other Western media links.....as their "sources"

Like wow, I didn't know you guys were this dense. Even some of the people I respected on here seem to be affected immensely by propaganda. US and other Western countries have not only supported but also funded Israel's apartheid regime and even now it's doing the same.

I was brainwashed by radfems too with their "rape is never okay". Many radfems sure do know how to manipulate you using your class consciousness as women to be blind to other oppressive systems or distort facts.

There's no proof any of the kidnapped women being raped. And yet most radfems are speaking about nothing but that. They aren't even speaking about the constant suffering and rape of Palestinian women by IDF (including many Israeli women as perpetrators).

I remember that I started reading more about this issue in 2021 when some IDF attack killed many Palestinians in a mosque. Don't remember the details well. It's been a while. And I wasn't on Tumblr then but I do remember that mainstream media did not give a shit about it. And now suddenly the anti terrorism sentiment of Pro Israel countries and even people who supposedly support Palestinians has chosen to rise again.

Very convenient timing for you.

One thing I will tell you is to remember that the conditions colonizers force on the colonized make it hard for the colonized to rely on any ideal form of resistance. Hamas is not the only group for Palestinian resistance. There are others but this is the large one today. Before there used to be better secular ones but they were all squashed cause Israel created Hamas. And there have been peaceful protests and everything. Israel killed the people who protested and the soldiers laughed when they were done. Where was this global outrage then?

Sm of relying for information on media leaning towards Israel and yet so many of you are missing this fact out. This is what colonizers always do. Read history of as many colonized countries you can. And you will find out that colonizers, while they were generally against opposition of the colonized's liberation, funded the anti-leftist, anti-communist/nationalist or religious extremists or/and the ruling class of the colonized society in their national liberation movement.

They help in squashing other more dangerous (from a colonizer's pov) national liberation movements. Nothing better than reducing your enemies to extremists. The British did that in my country too. Talked a lot about how horrible our society is but politically and economically supported the ruling class that created and perpetrated those issues. And some European women and children died in some isolated protests or riots as well during colonial era. But obviously it was nothing compared to the number of people that died on my side than the colonizers'.

So don't be surprised when people see Hamas as a necessary means or don't entirely oppose as part of Palestinian liberation. No sane person actually "supports" Hamas. But it is what is. It's Israel's own creation. Palestinians are left with no options. You're linking ngos supported or created by Israelis and other dumb shit as "an alternative". But colonization can't be won over through ngos lmao. Heck, ngos can't even actually make a lot of changes in human rights in areas that aren't war torn cause of corruption. You expect it to work for Gaza? Please

If Israel or anyone wants Hamas to stop then they should simply give up their brutal settler colonialism and not oppose any leftist org or movement formed by the Palestinians even after ending apartheid and everything. There's no other alternative except this. And if you haven't learnt your lesson yet, then don't support any "intervention" by USA or some other genocidal country.

Ik for a fact you people wouldn't support my country's decolonization if you lived back then. Cause the national liberation movement in my country was dominated by religious, anti communist and ruling class as well. And I, as a female bisexual from an oppressed caste will never ideologically support the people who led national liberation in my country. And yet ik they were necessary in the path to independence cause the British let only them have any power in the country. The two opinions can co exist.

You guys are so focused on opposing the ideology of Hamas and how they're bad for Palestinians themselves, you are forgetting Hamas is legally recognized as terrorists by many powerful Western/west-allied countries around the world and are actively funding and supporting Israel's genocide against Palestinians.

It's funny how the same people unconditionally support Ukraine in the war, including Ukraine itself. Even though US, UK, France and other countries are supporting Nazis in the Ukrainian military to fight against Russia.....

And I am not "supporting" Hamas or killing of cilivians....but I am just analyzing the history and politics behind this issue that is hugely ignored.

Radfems are reblogging that dumb addition by female-malice about an unbacked conspiracy theory about Iran,completely removing any accountability or responsibility of the states of "Israel". There's a conspiracy theory that Israel planned this attack as well. And yet I haven't see any pro Palestine leftist spread that theory presenting it as a fact rather than a speculation. Genuinely you guys are just racist and don't want to hold Israel actually accountable apart from a little side remark.

Everytime I see such false claims, misinformation, unproven conspiracy theories I check what sources the person has to provide or which sources are reporting that. And it's some damn Western news outlet every time. Every fricking time.

Ignoring what Israel PM is doing to the civilians in Gaza right now.....in favor of getting into online discourse about "so it's okay to kill/rape innocent people?" Plain evil

You do realize most of the world is revolting against that now? That powerful international forces are incentivizing this attack to commit further atrocities against civilians in Gaza? It's not a time to debate whether the attack was okay or not, it's time to speak about how the Israeli PM and rest of the world is choosing to respond to it.

I was going to write a respectfully worded post about this. But I won't. Cause I am not some extraordinary independent journalist or anything. I am not even in majoring in any social science or history subject. But it wasn't that hard for me to get around the misinformation from msm. And I am from a country that is and has been pro Israel and very great at spreading propaganda through msm.

I saw one radfem say in response to question of Palestinian women's suffering that "how are we supposed to know what's happening to them? I am not seeing any posts on my dash about it". Good to know your dumbass relies on Tumblr posts for misinformation.

I have been incredibly busy so not made any posts about this issue. But I think that's what I am going to keep reblogging and posting about for a while now. So don't hesitate to filter tags or click the unfollow button if this irritated you. Cause there's more to come.

#palestine #israel #very disappointed at one mutual who reblogged a post in support of Israeli women but just liked instead of reblogging the post I reblogged #for Palestinian women #this isn't a “war” #for a human rights crisis to be called as a “war” there must be two strong armies fighting against each other and clearly it's not the case #the more I read about radfems' views on issues that involve some other intersectional issues the more I despise them #not a surprise tho after all these are the women who think “combatting misogyny is harder than combatting racism homophobia or ableism”

[depressedraisin]

okay so i don't really have a point to make over here but i've been thinking about this a lot lately so here we go: ever notice how alex tends to use a lot of dance-related words as metaphors for sex but almost always undercuts the image of elegance/beauty that might evoke using interesting juxtapositions and wordplay??

in piledriver waltz (submarine ep, 2010; also reprised for suck it and see, 2011) he writes "i heard the piledriver waltz// it woke me up this morning". now 'piledriver waltz' here refers to someone having sex (atleast the contributors at genius think so and so do i). turner uses the word waltz- an intimate ballroom dance between two partners- but adds piledriver- which is, as wikipedia tells me, "a professional wrestling driver move in which the wrestler grabs their opponent, turns them upside-down, and drops into a sitting or kneeling position, driving the opponent head-first into the mat". so you see, the refined, elegant, romantic connotations of waltz is contrasted with the image of rough ruthlessness that piledriver brings.

(ALSO also did you notice? a wrestling reference? all the way back in 2010 👀 now idk if it's a regular vocab words or specific to wrestling-lingo only back in uk, but my studied-english-as-first-language-in-school-but-not-native speaker ass did have to google what the hell that means)

another such oxymoron-esque treatment of metaphors for sex we see in everything you've come to expect (everything you've come to expect, 2016). the line, one of my absolute favourite things turner and kane have ever written, goes "dirtbag ballet by the bins down the alley // as i walk through the chalet of the shadow of death". 'dirtbag ballet' again refers to sex here, this time the illicit kind, the kind that takes place in shadowy corners and dingy alleys. 'ballet' is another term that we will immediately associate with elegance and graceful moves but the use of 'dirt bag' by it's side brings a sense of crassness, almost vulgar quality to it. that term immediately paints a very stark picture of wild clandestine passion that illicit affairs carries probably. the song talks about that a lot.

(PS: an applause for the impeccable internal rhyme in those lines tho. *chef's kiss*)

the last example that stands out to me is from four stars out of five (tranquility base hotel and casino, 2018) where the line goes "hokey cokey with the opposite sex." (someone mentioned it around here today and that's what sparked this post. EDIT: it's @homoirrealis https://www.tumblr.com/lalaballa1977/717488374837084160?source=share) now there's no clever oxymoron-metaphor situation here, but the choice of that specific dance to talk about sex (straight sex, as the songwriter so kindly points out) is very interesting to me. hokey cokey as we know is a campfire dance that originated with brit folk dances and tunes. it's so funny because whenever i hear that line it immediately takes me back to kindergarten and a bunch of us kids standing in a circle, singing the rhyme and learning the dance. therefore in my mind atleast, hokey cokey evokes images of practiced, monotonous movements of hand and feet, no fluidity, no elegance. also the communal aspect of it. what if we read it as something you are made to participate in because you are a part in a group, because a number of pairs of eyes are on you. a question worth pondering perhaps.

and all this referring to sex?

also the song goes on to entice you to escape to this swanky hotel-casino-taqueria up on the moon and get far, far away from shit that you have done and regret and want to forget. then why is this hokey cokey with the opposite sex also one of those things the narrator might want to forget?

Hmmmmm questions worth pondering, innit?

#im overthinking YET AGAIN #lyric theory. #suck it and see #submarine ep #everything you've come to expect #tranquility base hotel and casino #arctic monkeys #the last shadow puppets #alex turner

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 1/23/2024

listen i got my last job through one of youse on here so weirder things have happened: i got fired bc the nonprofit wasn’t doing so hot. let me know if you have a weird data/database or market/tech research job. i promise my worksona is so so so nice and pleasant to work with. remote only, looking more in the $75k range but can be a bit flexible if it’s a cool enough job, i am in the central time zone of the USA and will not need sponsorship anywhere but DO need the cadillac of healthcare and dental plans. portfolio, publication list, and linkedin with my government name available on request!

listening

both of these are from my sister! this is another FULL ALBUM rec (good lord). The Offline’s album La couleur de la mer is a soundtrack to a movie that doesn’t exist, inspired by his long walks in the fog on the French Atlantic coast. a little spacey, a little soul, very sixties/seventies neonoir. i am quite fond of the very first track, Thème de la couleur de la mer.

she’s also sent me a bunch of tiktoks with Perfect (Exceeder) by Mason and Princess Superstar. hell of a goddamn music video for this thing. mid-aughts clubbing music at its finest. stopped me from dissolving into a puddle of emotions on the way to and from the vet today bc it’s too goddamn bouncy to be sad around

reading

im reading a trilogy i want to discuss as a whole whenever the third one comes through as a library hold, and a book by a friend. i do not typically talk about books or fics by friends here bc none of them have ever asked for critique, and i dont want to play favorites or inadvertently miss someone’s work. so here’s a story about porn on Wikimedia, which is the kind of database drama and technical arguments that fascinate me.

given the number of articles from 404 Media i shout about here and elsewhere i really should sign up for their $5/mo subscription tier when i have a steady income again

watching

somehow missed Star Wars Visions 2, their second anthology of weird little shorts. i was not super impressed by the overall storytelling this time around, but it was fun to see them reach out to more global studios and see a wider range of styles. there’s some goddamn incredible stop motion in here.

i particularly enjoyed Journey to the Dark Head, which not only has some interesting fringe Force believers and beliefs but has one of the sickest anime bullshit lightsaber fights in this season. this one is by Studio Mir, most known for the Legend of Korra.

also really liked The Spy Dancer by Studio La Cachette, partly bc it’s incredibly beautiful and i like when Star Wars leans into art nouveau, and partly bc it felt the most like a complete short story. emotional arc and everything! strong beginning middle and end! this IS a really low bar, but a lot of the shorts this season did not have a coherent little story to tell or a strong emotional arc, or fumbled their arc partway through, and were just kind of vibes and animation showcases? nothing necessarily wrong with that, also how i felt about most of the last collection. my expectations are underground for any Star Wars media.

playing

as is tradition i dithered about this section the most. this is more of a What’s Next? planning ramble.

the laptop gets shipped back to my old job today so i will no longer have a working modern computer. i have to dig the switch out and see what’s up. maybe start a whole new run in breath of the wild or whatever the last pokemon game was. i think i also have the sword boyfriend game everyone was up in arms about two years ago? and i think i am somehow part of a switch family plan that lets me have some older games?

this section may look very different in the next ??? amount of time until i get a company laptop again. or finally replace the motherboard on my personal desktop but that sat in my car for several weeks during the heat wave this summer while i did not have an apartment and i am really REALLY afraid to open that box.

oh the free epic game this week is a platformer, a genre i have historically not cared about. godspeed to those of you who do

making

soup bc aldi had alphabet pasta and that jolted me out of myself for long enough i was briefly convinced making alphabet pasta soup would fix me. so i found this recipe while in aldi. despite this not being a very good soup or a very good recipe, i feel a little triumphant bc i now know enough to brown the tomato paste before putting it in the soup. unfortunately i overcooked the pasta. there’s kind of a lot of texture happening here, and i wish i had chopped things finer, but i will probably steal my best friend’s blender tomorrow and blitz some of it down.

it’s edible. im going to eat it all. it will not be going in the rotation

#this one has another album rec and a recipe #what am i becoming #this is also a little bit. Hm. feels weird to write bc i am a little drunk and very out of it #tuesday again #tuesday again no problem #Youtube

[feeshies]

There are a lot of reasons to be upset with James Somerton, but weirdly the part of that video that got to me the most was the part showing Somerton plagiarizing the article that talked about the mistreatment of Koreans under the Japanese occupation in his AoT video.

Because I did watch that video because this is a topic I wanted to see a large youtuber talking about, especially since a lot of anime youtubers I saw never seemed to acknowledge that criticism. I came out of Somerton's video thinking "...okay, not exactly what I wanted from the video, but at least he mentioned the horrors of the Japanese occupation of Korea?"

So seeing that this section was just James soullessly reading someone else's work describing this history...how can someone do that? I'm probably just hyper sensitive to this issue specifically because I grew up hearing about how people in my family, some who are still alive to tell the story today, were directly or indirectly affected from the occupation. The trauma is still rippling through my family, compounded by the subsequent war. And even though the ripples are fainter now, I can still see the trauma.

I don't know how someone can take someone else's writing about this history and regurgitate them so soullessly. How can you talk about the destruction of language and culture, torture, human experimentation, and comfort women without feeling anything? Specifically, without feeling shame from using that writing to make Content?

Anyway, I'm fully aware that this is a "me" problem and I'm just extra sensitive to this (also I didn't expect to have to confront this topic today lol). There are bigger issues in the video, of course. This is just the thing that I can't shake out of my brain.

Also here's the article that was plagiarized and here is the blog post quoted by that article that goes more into this history that comes up a lot in the video. It's pretty good, but it does use Wikipedia as its main source. It was written in 2007, and the blog's analysis style has gotten much more thorough since.

There is also this fantastic NY Times article about the occupation. I just erased a much longer response talking about the article, so I'll just say that it resonated lol.

I'll shut up about this now. Needless to say, I feel kinda stupid.

[youngveinsworld]

quotes from a fan's recap of the young veins' show at the masquerade in atlanta on 24 march 2010

(this is quite a long one but definitely worth it!)

We stood up close to the barricade- I guess second or third row if someone put it in a row perspective and it mattered. What mattered is it was ridiculously close and the venue is already tiny. Before the show started, I went over to see if they had merch even though I fully suspected that they probably did not. Turns out they had three shirts ($15 each) and I bought two of them because how could I not? 

While the next band was setting up, Ryan picked up an amp and carried it over to help. Everyone was mostly like, “He can carry that thing?” or “Show off” or “It‘s really hollow inside.”

Next was The Young Veins. They come out, Ryan wearing what he’d been wearing the whole tour so far and Nick Murray in a fresh shirt today, and start setting up the stage. I don’t think they got a sound check because it took a good fifteen or twenty minutes to get everything to sound okay -Ryan and Jon telling the sound guy what to turn up and down and so on. Most of us were just mesmerized enough to be cool with that.

Honestly, Ryan has more stage presence as a front man than I would have predicted (or probably given him credit for before this show). At one point Jon started talking about the album and then he told Ryan that he got the information off of their Wikipedia. Ryan obviously wasn’t expecting that answer because he cracked up. After listening to all the songs, I really think this album is going to be better than I was expecting. “Cape Town” is my favourite, possibly, but really, it seems like a solid, well-made bunch of songs. And Ryan has quite the lung capacity. I never saw it coming. There’s hope for our boys yet!

After the show, they were tearing down their equipment and some girls called him over to the side of the stage and Kelsey assumed they were going to ask for the set list. They didn’t though so she called out to Ryan and asked for it. He went over and got his for her and she handed it to me. He took Jon and Andy’s set lists and tossed them into the crowd where Andy’s was instantly ripped into pieces by vicious fangirls. It was a bit scary. When they were finished packing things up, Ryan went to head off the stage and tripped, but caught himself. 

Since the Masquerade is the coolest venue ever, I waited a few minutes, then walked right out back where the band had assembled. A few other fans went out back too and I walked out with Ryan’s gift basket.

“Ryan,” Kelsey called, then looked at me. “You wanna give it to him?” “This is for you,” is all I said and held it out. I was mentally flipping out because I’ve only been trying and failing when it comes to meeting this guy for years and now all of a sudden there he was. Ryan just smiled and said, “What did I do to deserve this?”

I told him I had just been trying to meet him forever so it was kind of like a gift to him because I had finally gotten to meet him and was celebrating. He’s a hard guy to get close to! I pointed to the fox in the basket and said, “That‘s your pet fox until you get a real one. This one will tour better.” He smiled and said, “I might feed it to my real fox when I get one. How‘s that?” I was pretty much like, “Fine with me!” because really, anything he wanted would probably be fine with me. He thanked me, all shy and sweet, and said he was going to set the basket out of the way.

Some other girls called him over and Jon, Andy, and Nick Murray were all standing around so I pulled out my bag and started handing out silly string. Of course the first thing Mr. Jon Walker does is shake it up and spray silly string all over Nick. Nick looked down at his shirt and got this very kicked puppy look about him. So I handed one to Nick and told him to retaliate. Jon ran off with his can and to some other fans, but he kept spraying people. In a few minutes, he had sprayed Nick, Will (tour manager), Andy, me, Kelsey, Ryan, and some people I didn’t know. Ryan saw his shoulder covered in silly string and proceeded to try to decorate his shoulder with it. I gave Ryan his silly string to retaliate and he forgot to shake it so when he sprayed it on Will it mostly just came out this watery liquid and soaked the guy’s shirt in a spot. FailRoss strikes again.

I asked if I could hug him and I’ve been anticipating hugging that boney kid for quite some time, but you know what? It was like the softest hug I’ve ever gotten. It wasn’t at all like I expected. It was delicate and fragile and soft. It was better than I thought though. Way better.

We saw Nick White and gave him his silly string. We told him the others had some so it was best to be ready to defend himself. He laughed and took it before running off with it in hand. A few minutes later, Ryan and Jon end up by the merch booth and a decent amount of fans gathered to meet them. We gave Jon his choice of the thread bracelets and he chose three of them and then said, “I can braid them together. Want to see me braid them?” He looked around for a moment then held the ends of the three bracelets up to me. “Here, hold these.” he said, so I did and he started braiding them really quickly. “Have you ever had braiding competitions to see who could braid the fastest?” he asked me, but honestly, I’d never even thought of having braid competitions. Apparently, Mr. Walker does this in his spare time or something. We then tied them around his wrist and got him to sign and take a picture with him. We gave him this green glow in the dark bracelet that he was excited about and instantly snapped it so it would glow and put it on. We got pictures with him and left him to the other waiting fans. One of the fans had a Foxy Shazam poster from the venue that had been up advertising the show and Jon drew himself into the picture as a stick figure. Pretty awesome.

We stopped Nick White before his family (who were at the show considering it was a home show for the Georgia boy) got to steal him away. He was awesome enough to sign three of my Bright Eyes liner notes that I had brought with me. I told him my mother was from Georgia and that her maiden name was White and he laughed and said, “Do we have the same mother?!” Pretty sure Nick White and I are unofficially family now. (Edited: Since then, we've found out we're distant cousins for real, but we fondly refer to each other as siblings. He knows us his sisters when he come to a show and we call him our brother so that's cool enough for us.) I asked him how they differentiate between the Nicks usually and he said Nick Murray commonly goes by Nicholas with the band. However, Andy and Will had also said earlier they call Nick Murray “Wildcard” and Will said he called Nick White “Peaches.” Take any of those as you’d like. We gave a glow bracelet to him too and he said, “Oowh, I want a pink one!” Dinosaur Grab-bag result: pterodactyl. It fit nicely into his pocket too with it‘s orangey-yellow head sticking out to confuse people.

Jon was now finished talking to the crowd he had had earlier and so we let him play Dino Grab-bag and he got a stegosaurus that he was quite happy with actually. (I don‘t even know what these guys are going to do with them, but they were too epic not to get them.) Kelsey mentioned his lack of flip flops and he said it had started when they were moving equipment because he has a tendency to tumble over his own feet a bit. He even volunteered to take his shoes off if Kelsey preferred, but the ground was wet a bit where people was tracked things inside so we let him keep them on. He said also something about how they didn’t get to shower as much since they were in a van. I said, “Yeah, and they only have one shower here.” Jon nodded and cringed and said, “And I don‘t want to use it after those dudes have been in there.” He said it like he was a pretty clean little girl and boys were yucky. It was fabulous. 

I gave [Ryan] a beaded bracelet. “Owh, it has my name on it,” he remarked, but almost instantly Jon appeared and held out his and said, “I‘ve got one too. Don‘t feel too special.” Ryan deflated a bit, but it was all playful as Jon wondered off again. I asked if it would be okay if he signed my Panic liner notes and he said, “As long as it‘s not their new album.” 

Kelsey immediately goes, “Are you going to ask him?” I’d forgotten my question so she had to remind me. “Birthday…”

“Oh yeah,” I remember, “Did you get the flowers I sent you for your birthday?”

Ryan smiled a little. “Yeah, I did. That was you?” he asked, “They came to the studio.” (It was the only address I had found that would reach him and it actually took some stalking in itself.) I told him my mom owned a florist so I got them wired out to California for him. He shrugged a little and looked down and said, “It was nice to get them. Made me feel like someone still cared.” My little Ryan Ross loving heart just broke. How could he think someone didn’t?! And if I remember correctly, all the card with them said was, “Hope your have a great birthday, Ryan! Can‘t wait to hear the new music! -Lindsey”

We let Ryan pick a thread bracelet and he looked over them and picked one that Kelsey had actually made on the way to the show with Ryan specifically in mind. It was turquoise, tan, and dark green and she thought it was so ugly that no one would want it. Ryan held it up to his pale yellow shirt and said, "It matches, see?" Who knew Ryan Ross was concerned with matching clothes?

When we left, our oh-so-awesome mother had parked next to their bus in the back alley (she always parks in that alley at shows so it wasn‘t like she was stalking them for us). We passed the bus and saw Ryan’s gift basket in the front seat and Ryan’s fort thing in the back seat (yeah, it‘s still there..ha!). Anyway, she had parked next to the bus and it was dark enough that they couldn’t see us so we sat there when they came out and packed everything in. My mom was all like, “That‘s Ryan, right? And that‘s Jon? Who is that?” and funnily, “That little guy is 24?!” and she seriously thought Nick Murray was like 14.

Over all, the entire band is humble and sweet and anything but self-absorbed like some people want to make them out to be. Each one thanked us multiple times for coming and for the gifts and for being so nice and everything. Really, they’re great guys. Go see them. Talk to them afterward. You’ll thank yourself. Seriously. Worth every minute.

(Also, the tweets about bracelets, plastic dinosaurs, glow sticks, play-doh, Ryan‘s puppy&kitty coloring book page, and the “vixen” were all gifts we gave them. Seriously, I don‘t ever want to hear about these guys being anything but amazing to fans. THEY.RULE.)

More information from the comments:

By the way I don't think it said it in there but before I left that night I walked past Jon and he was combing his hair with his dinosaur complain that it was all sweaty and curly. What a dork.

Haha...he was complaining about his hair all evening. I had no idea his hair was such a big deal to him. But if he wants to comb his hair with a dinosaur toy, who are we to try to stop him?

oh god @ me being in the bg of your picture with jon... anyway i was gonna tell you that we met jon right after you gave him the bracelets and he spent like ten seconds looking at it saying, "they gave me a bracelet, look!"

– from this Livejournal post

#the young veins #young veins #tyv #ryan ross #jon walker #recap #spring2010 #24032010 #with fans #silly string

[hee0soo]

Sick

Summary: The maknae is sick and Heeyoung stays with him!

TW: vomiting

December 2018

Doing a headcount whenever she was near her members was a habit at this point. It went so far that she did them 2 or 3 times in a row! Even when none of them moved away from the group!

And when Heeyoung entered the kitchen at 6:30 one morning and only counted 7 members instead of 8, she grew worried.

Noticing her confused and anxious face, Seonghwa smiled softly at her.

“Jongho has a migraine. He´s going to stay back and rest today!”

“Who´s staying with him?” Heeyoung asked incredulously when she noticed that everyone was dressed to leave the dorm today.

Hongjoong lifted an eyebrow at the question. The manager told him that it was fine if the youngest stayed back but he also told him that the rest were still to appear in the studio today!

“All of us are going Hee-ah!”

The oldest could see the gears in her head turning. He knew that the Matz maknae was not okay with what she heard just be looking at her.

Seonghwa noticed her hand twitching. Heeyoung always did that when she wanted to say something but didn´t know how to formulate it!

“What´s wrong aegi?”

Heeyoung was silent for a moment, trying to sort through all the things running through her mind.

“I- I don´t think leaving him here is a good idea. Alone I mean! Migraines are often accompanied by nausea, vomiting and extreme sensitivity to light or sound! It´s not okay to leave him behind!”

Yunho, Yeosang, San and Wooyoung had to stifle their laugh at seeing the oldest and leader flabbergasted faces! There was a reason why the fans had started calling her Wikipedia early on. Always spewing facts and knowledge about the most random things to the members at the weirdest times!

In this case, her knowledge came in handy as none of them felt good at the prospect of leaving the maknae in this state.

Yunho also saw the twitching and knew that his friend wasn´t going to let this go until Hongjoong admitted defeat and let someone stay behind!

“Maybe Noona could stay here and we could tell the manager that she also came down with something! The management wouldn´t question it and someone could take care of the youngest.”

Heeyoung pointed at the tallest member to prove a point.

“Aigoooo, fine we can do that BUT I want an hourly update on how he´s doing!”

Hongjoong sighed.

The boys were leaving soon after and the girl decided to busy herself around the dorm.

Heeyoung prepared several bottles of water, searched for some Tylenol that she swore was somewhere in the bathroom and did her laundry while watching TV, waiting for the youngest the wake up!

Jongho was still in bed, not having emerged from his room even once, not even to use the bathroom! The girl checked in on him every so often but the boy didn´t show any sign of consciousness so far. Only the furrowing of his face showed what he was going through!

She also kept her promise to give an hourly update on the group chat but not being able to say much since there wasn´t much change to his resting form.

It was already 3:27 p.m when the door finally opened to reveal the disheveled figure of Jongho. He squinted his eyes as the brightness of the dorm started to hurt his brain and the quiet murmur of the TV made a buzzing sound in his ears!

Heeyoung had reacted instantly the second she heard the door opening, already on her way to close the blinds and turn down the volume of her show even more.

Jongho hadn´t even realized that a member had stayed back, expecting to be alone in the dorm!

His voice was rough and scratchy when he managed to force out some questioning words.

“N´nna?" Wh´t are yu doin h´re?”

The girl had to listen really close to his mumbling but managed to decipher what he was saying after a moment.

“”Didn´t want to leave you here in case you needed something. How are you feeling little bear?”

Jongho slowly came over to slip his arms around the girl’s middle, hiding his face in her neck! Not even protesting at the nick name she had give him in their trainee days!

Surprised at the sudden skin ship, Heeyoung stiffened a bit before wrapping her hands around the taller boy.

The fact that he willingly came to her for a hug told her a lot about the state his was in.

She stirred him toward the couch, sat down and pulled him into her side. Jongho followed without hesitation and laid his head down on her chest. His arms were still wrapped around her tightly!

“Feel nauseous!”

The girl reached for her own glass of water that was placed on the living room table and made sure the younger drank as much as he could before picking up the meds she had placed near her.

“Let me get you something light from the kitchen so you can take one of those okay?”

Sensing that his Noona wanted to get up, the boys grip on her tightened!

“Not h´ngry!”

“I figured but it could help! It’ll be just a second and then I’m back with you!”

Jongho grumbled but ultimately let her go.

Heeyoung quickly went to get a bare slice of toast, figuring that his stomach made not be able to handle anything else.

Jongho flinched when he heard the toaster going off, signaling that it was done and like the girl promised, she came back right after.

They went back to their position from a few minutes ago, only now with Jongho nomming on his toast. He had finished half of it when he could feel his stomach started to churn!

Jumping up without so much as a warning, Jongho bolted for the bathroom. The 00-liner barley reached the toilet as he started retching.

It sounded awful to Heeyoung and her heart squeezed painfully at seeing the boy hunched over the toilet seat. The whimpers he let out tugged at her heart strings.

“N`nnaaa…”

“Shhhh my bear! I´m right here!”

She came up behind him, soothingly ran one hand over his back to give him a sense of calmness and sat down with him.

Only when he stopped making these horrible sounds, did she get up to get some toilet paper. She only intended to wipe his mouth and maybe make him blow his nose but the movement send next to him send Jongho into slight state of panic!

His head wipe around way to fast, sending him into another series of vomiting!

“It´s okay, just let it out! I was only going to get some toilet paper from the counter! I wasn´t going to leave…”

The two members sat there in silence for a while before the girl started to clean up a bit and slowly moved them back to the living room. Heeyoung more dragging the younger than anything else! Before handing him a water bottle and the medication she had found.

In the meanwhile the Group chat started blowing up her phone. She had missed the hourly message as they had spent quite some time in the bathroom!

23 messages in the chat, 6 missed calls from Hongjoong, 3 missed calls from Seonghwa and even Yunho had called twice!

Would you all calm down?! Jongho woke up but we spend some time in the bathroom and my phone was in the living room! Send 4:37 p.m by HeHe💕

Why were you in the bathroom???? 0_0 send 4:39 p.m by San Everest🏔

Are you sure you want to know that San-ah? Send 4:39 p.m by HeHe💕

Ewww… send 4:42 p.m by Menace😈

How is he? Send 4:43 p.m by Eomma🤍

He´s nauseous and threw up a few time since waking up but has calmed down now. Back on the couch with a clingy bear by my side… send 4:44 p.m by HeHe💕

You know he´s going to kill you when he reads this right?  Send 4:44 pm by YoYo🪀

No killing pls! We´re gonna be back at the dorm in about an hour. Manager told us to take care of the “Sick members”! Send 4:51 p.m by captain🏴‍☠️🦜

👍👍👍 send 4:56 p.m by HeHe💕

Jongho had laid down with his head on her lap, his face hidden in her tummy to shut out the light reaching his eyes!

“How are you feeling?”  Heeyoung asked, caressing his head.

“Bit b´tter! Meds are mak´ng it easier already!” he mumble, already falling asleep again, worn out by what happened earlier!

The soft hand of his Noona slowly lulling him back to dream land again!

Heeyoung herself could feel the tiredness caving in on her.

About 45 minutes later the members found them cuddled together on the couch.

Let´s just say that a lot of blackmail material was created that evening!

Taglist: @andjeoidjavo @sunghoonieee @stopeatread @neohyxn

#ateez #ateez 9th member #9th member of ateez #kpop added member #kpop addition #kpop au #kpop extra member #ateez addition #ateez added member #ateez female member #ateez female addition

[bending-sickle]

We Walk Into A Bar

so there's this post which talks about the earliest known example of a bar joke ("x walks into a bar and...") which no one knows or understands the punch line of, if it even has one, since it's a proverb.

it is followed up by selected screencaps of a (now deleted) thread wherein someone claims to have deciphered it all (with - also deleted - linguistic receipts) and figured out the pun.

with me so far?

okay let's go down a rabbit hole.

How We Found Out: https://www.tumblr.com/bending-sickle/723007901258711040

We Know Nothing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bar_joke

“[Assyriologist Dr. Seraina] Nett suggests that the punchline could be a pun that is incomprehensible to modern readers, or a reference to some figure who was well known at the time but similarly unfamiliar to us today. Gonzalo Rubio, another Assyriologist, cautions that this ambiguity ultimately means it is simply not possible to definitely categorize the proverb as a joke, though he and other scholars like Nett do point to the recurring use of innuendo in such proverbs as indicating that many were indeed intended to be humorous.”

We Know Nothing, Part 2: Podcast Boogaloo

“What makes the world’s first bar joke funny? No one knows.” Endless Thread podcast, August 5, 2022 https://www.wbur.org/endlessthread/2022/08/05/sumerian-joke-one

Hosts: Amory Siverston & Ben Brock Johnson

Guests:

Dr. Seriana Nett (Assyriologist and researcher at the Department of Linguistics and Philology at Uppsala University, Sweden)

Dr. Gonzalo Rubio (Assyriologist and Associate Professor of Classics & Ancient Mediterranean Studies at Pennsylvania State University, USA)

Dr. Philip Jones (Associate Curator and Keeper of Collections of the Babylonian section at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, a.k.a. the Penn Museum, USA).

Excerpts:

Amory: Seraina Nett works at Uppsala University in Sweden, where she studies ancient Mesopotamia, including a region called Sumer and its language Sumerian. She spends a lot of time translating Sumerian, looking for clues about early human development.

[…]

Ben: Seraina was one of several thousands of people who happened upon this joke in March on Reddit and initially on Twitter.

Amory: That’s where the account @DepthsOfWiki posted a screenshot from an unlinked, unnamed Wikipedia page. It reads like this: “One of the earliest examples of bar jokes is Sumerian, and it features a dog.”

[…]

Amory: The humor of the dog-in-a-bar joke was probably related to those Sumerian ways of life, perhaps the middle class or well-off, people with downtime and drinking shekels.

Ben: But while some experts know some things about Sumer, the nuances have been lost, and it’s the nuances that bring jokes to life.

[…]

Seraina: It could have been a pun that we don’t understand. It could have been a reference, I don’t know, to a local politician or some famous figure. So it’s very hard for us to tell.

[…]

Seraina: This proverb is in no way special. It’s part of a larger collection of many, many, many proverbs.

Amory: The bar joke — or proverb — is Number 5.77 in a collection of hundreds of other proverbs about dogs, donkeys, husbands. Some read like sayings. Others like weird short stories. But jokes? Depends on how you see things. Like this other proverb Gonzalo told us:

Gonzalo: It’s something like, “Behold! Watch out! Something that has never occurred since time immemorial; the young woman did not fart in her husband’s lap.”

Ben: Sorry, I’m going to be really dumb for a second.

Amory: I am too because this is—

Ben: I’m not sure I get the joke. Is the joke that the woman would never admit that she farted in her husband’s lap? Or is the joke that the woman always farts in her husband’s lap? And that’s the joke, that we’re suggesting that it’s never happened before.

Gonzalo: I think the joke is precisely the latter. The joke is that it is expected to happen. To set up the joke by saying, “Watch out, this is something that has never happened, not once.” And then the sentence is, well, “The young woman did not fart in her husband’s lap.”

[…]

Seraina: There’s quite a lot of innuendo — things like sexuality or, I don’t know, excrement. For example, one of my favorite ones is, “A bull with diarrhea leaves a long trail.”

[…]

Gonzalo: The word for tavern, “ec-dam,” for us, it conveys the idea of a pub or a bar. But really, in ancient Mesopotamia, a tavern is also a place where sex trade takes place. So it’s a tavern, but you could also translate it as a brothel.

[…]

Seraina: It could have been the dog walks into the bar with his eyes closed; “Let me open this,” as in the eyes. Or open, I don’t know, a door. There is also a word that sounds very similar to one of the words that is a word for female genitalia.

[…]

Ben: There’s another complication, though, because it still doesn’t make sense. Or, at least, we’re not laughing. Plus, the translations are too loose and feel kind of unreliable. We mentioned this to Seraina, who dropped one more tantalizing clue about the clay tablet — or tablets that hold our proverb.

Seraina: So this particular proverb is attested on two different versions of the text. And actually, they’re not identical. So, already, somebody screwed up. One of them is also a little bit broken, so it’s hard to tell.

Amory: This thing that everyone’s struggling to understand: No fricken wonder! Because there are two copies. They’re actually both broken, and they don’t match.

[…]

Ben: These two ancient tablets, he tells us, were etched around 1700 B.C.E. At first, this means nothing to us, really, but Phil explains. By that time, Sumer had actually been overtaken by the Babylonian empire. The culture was pretty similar, except that the Sumerian language had already died out.

Amory: Kids at the time spoke Babylonian, also called Akkadian. Only scribes continued to learn Sumerian. It was considered more dignified — kind of like learning Latin today. Knowing this, it seems now even more likely to us that there are mistakes in the text. For instance:

[…]

Ben: Ignoring the random non-Sumerian word, the dog enters the taverny brothel or brothely tavern. He can’t see a thing. He opens this one. Only, Phil says the word “open” is very similar to the word for “close.”

Phil: I mean, not in this case. I think it obviously means to—. Well? It obviously means to open in this case because they do spell—

Amory: Are you sure?

Ben: Yeah, you sound unsure.

Phil: I think I’m fairly sure because normally, if they mean “to close,” they’ve ended up using a different spelling than this one.

[…]

Amory: But he [Phil] adds that everyone’s missing some very important context about the dog.

Phil: The dog is a specific character type. It’s a guard dog whose job is to keep the wolves from the sheep. And in the proverbs, you know, it’s operating on the basis that it’s a personality type that is fairly brutal and not really to be messed with.

Ben: Interesting. That puts like a whole ‘nother layer on this thing because I feel like I wasn’t making any assumptions about the dog other than its general doggyness.

[…]

Phil: I think usually in proverbs, when they say “this,” it refers to something you’ve already heard in the proverb, not to something new. So I think the idea that he’s opening rooms and revealing, you know, couples in flagrante doesn’t quite go with how I would see the word “this” functioning. So I did wonder whether this is more the idea that letting the guard in negates his use because, basically, he wants to see out, he’s going to open the door, and so everybody else outside the tavern can now see in. I mean, I think that’s a legitimate way of looking at it.

Ben: Phil covers the old clay. We wistfully shuffle out. And, at this moment, we buy his theory. A brothel’s guard dog is sitting outside the door under the bright Sumerian sun. He’s scaring away unwelcome Peeping Toms. But then he leaves his post.

Amory: He goes inside, and his eyes aren’t used to the dark, so he can’t see anything. He opens the front door again, propping it to let in a little light. Now, outside, all those Toms are looking in, seeing their politicians and neighbors in flagrante, as Phil said. The guard dog messed up. Get it?

Reddit Redux: User serainan (Seraina Nett) To The Rescue

1 - https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/tbgetc/this_bar_joke_from_ancient_sumer_has_been_making/

"We usually translate the word esh-dam as 'tavern'. Yes, they are associated with prostitution, but it is not primarily a brothel. There is eating and drinking and sex. So, the joke could be sexual, but doesn't necessarily have to be.

The verb ngal2--taka4 in its basic meaning means 'to open' without any sexual connotation. However, there's a noun gal4-la that sounds similar and means 'vulva', so there could be some double-entendre there...

Essentially, the interpretation of the proverb depends on the demonstrative 'ne-en' 'this' and what it refers to – grammatically, I'd agree with you and say it seems to refer to the eye, but there's really no way of knowing for sure.

The problem with jokes is really that they are so culture-specific. Maybe this joke makes fun of a local politician or it is using a very crude word that is not otherwise attested in our sources (written texts, particularly in ancient cultures, of course only cover a limited part of the vocabulary).

Bottom line: We don't get the joke! ;) ”

The Unknown and Deleted: A Story in Four Sources

1 - https://twitter.com/lmrwanda/status/1505648702119202823?t=IHkQWeElTa0T63o3lbr12Q&s=19

2 - https://twitter.com/lmrwanda/status/1505646738627088389?t=06aHTTZkf1ZaJyCDhWUzTg&s=19

3 - https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/subversive-walex-kaschuta-1979505/episodes/lin-manuel-rwanda-the-twilight-158022618

4 - http://im1776.com/author/lin-manuel

There was one person on Twitter claiming the joke was, “A friendly dog walks into a bar. His eyes do not see anything. He should open them.” Or “He should crack one open.” (1) They add “It’s a ‘man walks into a bar and hurts his head’ tier dad joke, basically. The ‘pun’ in Sumerian is centered on the fact that the verb ‘to see’ also literally means ‘open (one’s) eye’.” This was at the end of a long word-by-word translation thread (which I can’t judge the quality of, and no other experts were chiming in) dated March 20, 2022 (2). I did not save the thread and Twitter is saying the page doesn’t exist anymore, so that’s a dead end now.

I hesitate to trust this source because I can’t find any of their qualifications (are they an assyriologist? A linguist? A candlestick maker?) and other experts in the field do not seem aware of this (if true) ground-breaking cracking of the highly-debated pun. (Dr. Seraina Nett’s gave an interview five months after this thread was made, and still called the actual pun a mystery.) I could only find out that their Twitter name is “Lin-Manuel Rwanda, @lmrwanda, Epistemic trespasser” and that, according to the podcast Subversive w/ Alex Kaschuta (December 14, 2022) (3), they are “a Twitter poster” with essays on the online magazine IM-1776, where they are credited as “Lin Manuel” (4). (Their introduction in the podcast also reveals they are a British national and resident, but the host is  very coy about revealing even that. Lin Manuel corrects them, adding that they are “half Rwandan”, which explains the Twitter name. I am not listening to the whole hour and a half to look for more clues.)

#hey kids wanna learn about an obscure joke #you can see why i can't put this in a fanfic footnote #and putting it in an appendix is just...insane #anyway this has been eating my brain for a while #randomness #and now you know #a dog walks into a bar #linguistics

[musicalrecs]

Today's shameless promotion is for one of my favorite musicals that I can't believe isn't more people's favorite: Bring It On: the musical.

tl;dr: This is going to be a long post, so allow me to sum up: if you like Newsies but wish it had a cast of about 2/3 girls and don't really care about the plot so long as there's idealistic teenagers singing and dancing like they've consumed a dozen energy drinks each, building up to a happy ending with more singing and dancing, then you'll love Bring It On. You may now press "j" to skip to the next tumblr post.

Still here? Then please, allow me to reminisce. When I first saw Bring It On, it was on tour before debuting on Broadway, and they were still getting the kinks out. This means I got to see, for example, the original staging of Killer Instinct, and while I get why they changed it for Campbell's character development, I do prefer the original narratively.

It also meant there was no cast album available, and no internet hype that I was aware of. I was there strictly because I saw most shows at this theater if I didn't actively dislike them, and was all "Cheerleading in a musical? Even if the plot is bad it should be a lot of fun!" When I sat down and perused my program I recall turning to my date and excitedly saying "Oh wow, Lin-Manuel Miranda worked on this! You don't know who he is, but he did In The Heights and Sesame Street, this might actually be good!" I also had no idea Ariana DeBose was anyone of import. I should dig out that program and see if I got her to sign it...

I had only the first movie to go on for the plot, which I vaguely remembered the end of. This meant a) I rolled my eyes at conveniently putting Campbell on the "right" team early on and b) I was quite surprised by the ending.

Whatever I was expecting, it was BETTER. Bring It On grabs you with the beat from the get go and and then starts throwing cheerleaders in the air as rapaciously as Jim Henson ever tossed penguins. I hadn't been so captivated by a show's live energy since I first saw Rent.

And the plot? Reader, it was my very favorite kind of plot: girl is in unfamiliar situation, does her best, makes surprising new friends, screws up, learns something, demonstrates leadership, ends with stronger friendships and supportive love interest to boot. (See also: Legally Blonde) You know, the kind of plot guys have had catering to them for millennia so much that the second I hear "coming of age story" I peace out. But it turns out I am not immune to gender-targeted storytelling, particularly when it also has dancing.

It's been an age since I read the reviews, but I recall complaints that Jackson high school was much too "nice," "diverse," "unrealistic" and, had those reviews been written today, they would have almost certainly included "woke." I, on the other hand, was thrilled to see high school portrayed not as a battleground but as groups of friends supporting each other while still enjoying "krunking in the parking lot." (I have never been cool enough to do any equivalent to "krunking" but I admire kids with the confidence to do so, and I did overall enjoy my high school years.)

I am the kind of person who unironically appreciates songs about how it doesn't matter if you're fat or trans or otherwise not society's ideal so long as you love yourself, and songs about how winning doesn't matter as long as you know who you are and have friends. So I loved "It Ain't No Thing" and "Cross the Line."

Plus, a supportive, non-threatening soft boy singing about how high school isn't forever so you might as well "Enjoy the Trip"? Keep your "cringe"; I'll take a dozen more musicals just like this one, please. (No, really. Please let me know if they make any.)

So I mentioned Lin-Manuel Miranda up there, but this wasn't just his show. To quote Wikipedia, "Bring It On: The Musical is a musical with music by Tom Kitt and Lin-Manuel Miranda, lyrics by Amanda Green and Miranda, and book by Jeff Whitty."

Tom Kitt has a pretty eclectic resume, ranging from Jagged Little Pill to Next to Normal to Spongebob. Lin-Manuel Miranda, of course, is best known for trying to sell real estate to Big Bird.

Sidenote: Tom Kitt and LMM had another collab that you may have heard of: the 2013 Tonys opening number, "Bigger!"

Although I couldn't get my hands on the album for over a year after I fell in love with the show, since one didn't exist, nowadays you can of course listen to the whole thing on Youtube, Spotify, or wherever. You can even buy the CD; it comes with a nice booklet with all the lyrics!

But as for seeing the show, I don't recommend trying to watch it online. A quick search doesn't turn up any proshots, and local productions just aren't going to be the same. Half the cast was made up of pro cheerleaders, and their intense choreography is part of the thrill. If a tour ever comes near your town, I highly recommend you get yourself tickets. Even if the moving screens aren't as cool and innovative now as they were in 2011, it's still a wonderful spectacle.

So that's Bring It On: the musical. I suppose I could have actually described the plot (head cheerleader Campbell gets redistricted to another school which - gasp! - has no cheerleading team), but really, does it matter? You're there for the characters expressing themselves through song and dance (and cheerleading), not how easy it is to fool gullible teens by editing Wikipedia (actual plot point). I hope you get a chance yourself to fall in love with its unabashed enthusiasm for friendship and being tossed really high on stage.

#shameless promotion #musical recommendation #bring it on #bring it on the musical #musicals #lin manual miranda #tom kitt #Youtube

[stressedlawsecretary]

Today's Focus

03.11.24 - Start of another week; it's amazing how much good music can really set the tone for the day. Admire my sweater; it went through the laundry stripping process recently and while the two orange stains on it aren't gone, they are ridiculously more faded than they were, and the rest of the fabric no longer looks so dingy. That process is a miracle for rescuing old clothes you still love I'm telling you.

Work - I left nothing for myself but the weekly newsletter and a couple of press releases to read. It's been quiet recently, and it's always extra quiet on a Monday when I'm practically the only person here. So I expect nothing except to be asked to mail some things today.

Background Noise - We are flipping between the Watch Later and the true crime playlist today. I feel like this is good audio partnership with the study I plan on doing.

I did 28 videos over the weekend and since I focus on wrestling on Sunday that's actually pretty good for two days where I actually try to watch programs and not just visual podcasts.

Study - Monday is case law day, so besides a few temporarily bookmarked articles to read, I've got my court decision pulled up, the bill I want to read pulled up, and the complaint I want to read pulled up. Let's see what I get through!

I read a random article, and a total of ten different Wikipedia articles across all the tabs/windows I pull up over the weekend. Which was not terrible; I managed to get at least one of each of the categories I talked about on Friday.

Extras - It is Monday, so I have to clean the catbox from the weekend. I did vacuum yesterday, so I don't need to do that until Wednesday. Today is a skillet chicken meal, with a rice side, so it should be relatively easy to make. It's YouTube day with hunny to watch WTFIWWY so I won't start Carranger until tomorrow. Mini-essay to write; larger essay to finish. Still gotta type some stuff up but I don't have a great computer for that and I can't afford a new one yet.

#studyblr #my study stuff #today's focus #talking #selfie

[riddlerosehearts]

watched the dreamworks movie "home" today. some thoughts: -i wish this movie had a way more distinctive title. i don't have any of the streaming services it's on so i had to find a place to watch it and having it just be called "home" made that kind of difficult. i saw on wikipedia that this was based on a book called "the true meaning of smekday", so why wasn't something along those lines included in the title?

-the speech quirks that oh and the other aliens have mildly annoy me but i can look past them. i mostly just wish jim parsons had done more of a unique voice for oh because all i can hear the entire time is "sheldon cooper but he talks kind of funny". and i really don't like the big bang theory so that was distracting. also, why is rhianna playing a 7th grade girl?

-the plot starts because oh tries to send this one guy whose name i don't remember an invite to his house and accidentally sends it to literally the entire galaxy because there's a button that does that right next to the regular send button?? he says it's not his fault and that it's bad design and he's literally right what the fuck 😭 but the other guy gets mad at him because now their enemies will know where they are.

-this is just kind of unbelievable to me as a cause for conflict because like. Why. just why would that ever even happen. does every alien of their species have access to that kind of system, and if so, again, why!?!? but again, i looked past it because it's a kids movie so whatever i guess.

-and as for the rest of the movie, i had heard mixed things about it before and didn't really have any expectations for it. honestly i just didn't really like it as oh and tip's individual characters and their relationship never clicked for me or felt fleshed out enough, so the emotional beats never landed--one problem i had with tip in particular was that she didn't seem to act like a girl who was facing the trauma of not only being separated from her mom but having had her entire planet abducted? the whole thing just felt oddly paced and rushed to me and i was never really engaged in what was going on. however it did have some cute moments and i can see why some people might enjoy it. i can see what they were trying to do with oh and tip both being outcasts who through their very unlikely friendship find someone who they feel like they can fit in with, and how it has a bit of an anticolonialism message in the way that meeting tip teaches oh that the way his species had been living was wrong and they end up living on the moon at the end instead of taking over earth. it's a sweet story, although the entire thing is also very reminiscent of lilo and stitch and doesn't do enough to make itself stand out to me. the twist at the end where the leader of the gorgs (the enemy species) turned out to be the only gorg left who was trying to track down an egg containing his children was also pretty cute.

-overall, it wasn't completely awful imo. i put it in D tier on my list--where i put the "bad but not awful" movies. so it's above shark tale and turbo at least, but i'll still probably never watch it again.

[digestionsack]

Franz Ferdinand on Mike’s Playlist—Y’all This is Too Funny, They Need to Stop

Okay, remember how in my Mike’s playlist analysis posts I said that “Be Afraid” by Franz Ferdinand stumped me? Yeah, so I revisited it today and…

Wow.

Okay.

So, first of all, I don’t know how I didn’t get this before, but even though there are barely any lyrics, saying that the lyrics foreshadow Mike getting Vecna’d isn’t too much of a stretch. Here they are:

“Don't be afraid if you hear voices/Feel the sweet air spoken upon you/Dream again/Sometimes the sound of a thousand whispers”

We’ve talked about this before, but I’ll rehash it in my own words for the sake of context. “Hearing voices” could easily align with the Vecna visions, “dream” is a motif we see used on the playlist that I am currently going through (almost finished!) to reference hallucinogenics (a metaphor for Vecna’s visions) and generally a theme of “things aren’t what they seem.”

So yeah, I’d say these lyrics foreshadow Mike’s eventual Vecnafication. However, it’s still kind of vague on what will be the result of that Vecnafication, and the fact that this song is so short…kind of wigs me out. I think death for S5 Mike is fairly likely, considering the lyrics I’ve analyzed on this playlist and the death tags you all have found. However, whether or not he’ll come back has been left kind of vague…freaky. I personally think that he will, but this still scares me.

I honestly should have stuck this right on the “Holy Shit” list—not because of the song, but because of the artist.

Well…sort of. When I first went back to revisit this song, I was only looking for the lyrics to THIS PARTICULAR SONG. And the lyrics did provide a lot of information. But the real meat of why this song choice is currently blowing my mind is not because of the lyrics, but because of the other songs the artist has created. Lemme give you a list. There are…several interesting ones.

“Lucid Dreams (2009)”

“Michael (2004)”

Miss me with that shit. Please.

Now, the fact that these songs are next to each other is due to alphabetization and not symbolic meaning left for Stranger Things fans, but I just think that little detail is neat.

And…HOW can we say that Franz Ferdinand having a song called “Michael” and then a song by that artist being on his playlist is a coincidence? Answer: WE CAN’T. BECAUSE IT’S NOT. And an artist who has also given us song name gems such as:

“Lucid Dreams”

“Always Ascending”

“Demagogue”

“Dream Again”

“Evil Eye”

And more.

Seriously? You expect me to believe that the creators didn’t see this? The Duffers? The Running-Up-That-Hill-can-be-abbreviated-to-RUTH-and-so-the-Nina-Project-will-be-in-Ruth-Nevada-and-the-fake-name-Nancy-uses-to-talk-to-Creel-right-before-she-and-Robin-realize-that-music-can-help-Max-will-be-Ruth-as-well Duffers?

Yeah. No.

BUT. FRIENDS. THIS ISN’T EVEN THE FUNNIEST PART.

“So,” you say, “there’s a song called ‘Michael.’ Interesting, but all in all, big whoop. Unless the lyrics say something interesting, we can’t really use this.”

DON’T WORRY, MY FRIENDS. INTERESTING LYRICS COMING YOUR WAY.

…sort of. The lyrics aren’t exactly too appropriate, and I don’t know where your guy’s comfort level is at, so I’ll just link them here. If you don’t feel comfortable reading the lyrics, here’s a summary from Wikipedia:

In short: It’s super gay.

Like, no beating around the bush here. No inexplicit subtext that can be twisted about. This song is almost SMALLTOWN BOY LEVELS OF GAY. (Although, that’s up to your personal opinion.)

Gee, guys, I just…*takes off tin foil hat to run hand through hair* I just don’t know. Am I crazy? Delusional? Loosing my marbles? I mean, could it just be a coincidence that the very last song of Mike’s playlist happened to be both foreshadowing his Vecnafication in S5 AND created by an artist that also had a song that literally shared his name that, objectively, reaches almost “Smalltown Boy” levels of gayness? Am I crazy? Or does this mean something…

You decide.

Again, at this point, someone may have pointed this out already. Like, probably back in 2017. I know I’m late to the playlist party. But this song is just way too much.

#byler #byler analysis #mike wheeler i know what you are

[shadowsong26fic]

Papa and J----, August ‘34 Update

Author: shadowsong26

Rating: PG/PG-13

Fandom: Les Misérables

Characters: Technically all on-page characters are OCs; Valjean, Cosette, Marius, and Javert are discussed as historical personalities. Backstory Cosette/Marius and heavily implied Valjean/Javert.

Warnings: Nothing specific, I don’t think?

Summary: Euphrasie Pontmercy–known in the art world as La Jardinière–isn’t exactly a household name. Still, the sheer length of her active career (her work was first displayed and sold in 1839, and she left one last work unfinished at her death in 1910) makes her interesting to people who actually study that century in art. But as far as the historical record is concerned, Jardinière seems to have sprung semi-fully-formed from the streets of Paris somewhere in the mid-to-late 1820s. Other than the fact that she was educated in a convent, essentially nothing is known about her parents or her childhood.

Until now.

Or:

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a PhD student with no thesis topic must be in want of an undiscovered painting to go absolutely feral over.

Disclaimer: All characters are the property of their respective creators.

Notes: Chapter 2! Admittedly a little infodumpy, but let’s be real, would this really be a Victor Hugo fanfic if I didn’t have at least one?

Updates will be posted here on Thursdays and crossposted to AO3 on Fridays.

From: Wright, Ari To: McLean, Emma Thesis proposal Saturday, 1/24, 1:14 AM

Hi, Emma,

So, I may want to change direction. Pretty radically. Is it too late to do that?

Thanks!

Ari

-----

From: McLean, Emma To: Wright, Ari Re: Thesis proposal Monday, 1/26, 8:32 AM

That depends. How big a change are we talking?

Emma McLean, PhD Professor, 19th Century French Art

-----

From: Wright, Ari To: McLean, Emma Re: Thesis proposal Monday, 1/26, 9:54 AM

Well. Hypothetically. If I may have hypothetically found an early--mid-30s--Jardinière portrait. One of the subjects may or may not be identified as her father. That. Hypothetically.

Ari

-----

From: McLean, Emma To: Wright, Ari Re: Thesis proposal Monday, 1/26, 10:35 AM

Authentic? Show me the painting.

Emma McLean, PhD Professor, 19th Century French Art

-----

From: Wright, Ari To: McLean, Emma Re: Thesis proposal Monday, 1/26, 10:38 AM

See attached photos. Taken with my phone sorry about the quality. Inscription looks like her tho doesn’t it?

Ari

Sent from my iPhone

-----

From: McLean, Emma To: Wright, Ari Re: Thesis proposal Monday, 1/26, 10:45 AM

How soon can you get it here for authentication

Emma McLean, PhD Professor, 19th Century French Art

-----

From: Wright, Ari To: McLean, Emma Re: Thesis proposal Monday, 1/26, 10:47 AM

Owners are out of town, but expected back later today or tmrw, I’ll get in touch about borrowing it ASAP.

Sent from my iPhone

-----

From: McLean, Emma To: Wright, Ari Re: Thesis proposal Monday, 1/26, 11:02 AM

Do that. If it is what you think it is, absolutely. Write the thesis.

If you don’t, I will.

Emma McLean, PhD Professor, 19th Century French Art

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

I spent most of that weekend, while I was waiting for Emma--my thesis advisor--to get back to me, pulling together everything I had on hand about La Jardinière and figuring out my next steps. I don’t think I slept for like forty hours.

Unfortunately, what I had on hand wasn’t all that much. I’d done some basic research into her--like I told Phil, the fact that her career lasted as long as it did made her interesting to me. My focus had more been on the relationship between technology and art (and not just the basic stuff, like the advent of photography, but things like changes in travel and communications technology, in available pigments, and so on), but a painter with a seventy-year career, including most of the period I was interested in, was definitely at least worth looking into.

Still, it had only been a basic overview, not much more than you’d find on her Wikipedia page.

Well, actually, it kind of was more than you’d find on her wiki page, which is pretty sparse. Just covering the basics, noting that she: was born around 1815; died September 18, 1910; was married to Marius Pontmercy, a lawyer and sometime radical; and was the mother of Thierry Pontmercy, a pioneer in the field of forensic photography, along with his four less-famous siblings. Also the fact that her work was first displayed and sold in 1839, and her last piece (Souvenir--inachevé) was left unfinished at her death; although her popularity peaked in the early-mid 1850s, she continued to be reasonably well-respected as an artist throughout her life. The entry also lists a couple of her other better-known works. And that’s about it.

To be fair, that isn’t all that surprising. Because the truth is, Euphrasie Pontmercy--known professionally as La Jardinière, and apparently to her family as Mémé Cosette--isn’t exactly a household name. Even as far as mid-19th-century/pre-Impressionist painters go. Some of that comes down to the way art is studied, and the way the various art movements of her century worked. Some of it is that she wasn’t a major player in any of those movements. And probably general background misogyny plays a role.

There’s also the fact that there is next to no information available about her early life. As far as the historical record is concerned, Jardinière seems to have sprung semi-fully-formed from the streets of Paris somewhere in the mid-to-late 1820s. Other than the fact that she was educated in a convent, essentially nothing is known about her parents or her childhood.

Until now.

Maybe.

Assuming the painting checks out.

But I wanted to have all my ducks in a row, so to speak, before I talked to Phil’s parents about borrowing the painting (and in case I needed more support to sell Emma on the idea). So, compiling what information I had, and making a list of things I’d need to dig more into.

Jardinière spent, as far as current research can tell, her entire life and career in Paris, apart from the eighteen months she and her husband spent in Dover in the 1860s (most likely because his politics got them into trouble), and the approximately two months in the early 1850s she spent in Calais without him (reasons unknown).

Her work is mostly landscapes--several paintings of gardens, appropriately enough, as well as various parts of Paris; the seascapes from her Dover period are particularly beautiful, even if fashions in the art world had generally turned away from landscapes in that period. There are also a few portraits, some commissioned and some apparently just of ordinary people in her life; and a series of works she referred to as memories, depicting places or events she had lived in or witnessed years before actually sitting down to paint them.

Some of her sketchbooks also survive, including one from Calais that has several pages missing. Most of her paintings are marked on the back with the subject and a date (generally assumed to be the date she completed the work), like the one in Phil’s living room was.

If you line up her paintings chronologically, you can see her style shifting a little, drawing in bits and pieces from new movements and artistic fashions while still remaining recognizably hers. Especially when she comes back to locations she’d already painted years before--which she did repeatedly--showing the way both she and her city have grown and changed over time.

Even more interesting, while not all of her personal correspondence is available, there are a few surviving letters she exchanged with notable artists, particularly in the last few decades of her life. There’s one letter she wrote to Toulouse-Lautrec, which was briefly quoted in a biography of him I read a few years back.

I made a note to try and get my hands on the whole text of that letter, among others, if I was really planning to do a deep dive into Jardinière’s life and work--even if it was from fifty-some years after the painting at the center of all this. I’d also need to find someone who could help me translate it, and any other papers I managed to gain access to. My French is decent enough, and I’d probably be fine communicating with French institutions and archivists in order to request access to their collections, but for something this important, I’d want someone way more fluent to help with the actual documentary evidence.

Next was a list of museums that had some of her work on display or in their collections; there was also an exhibit in Marseille that I wanted to look into--not Jardinière’s work, but ‘Bertillon and Pontmercy: The Men and Minds of Early Forensic Photography’ might include some relevant things from her son’s life and papers. Given that I’d almost certainly end up flying to France anyway, it would be stupid to skip that.

So. I had a game plan, or at least the beginnings of one. Start by reaching out to various archives, here and in France, possibly England as well; look closer at her work where I can find it, particularly her early work and the few portraits that are available--although the fact that her poetically-named final work was currently included in a post-Impressionist exhibit in Chicago definitely caught my eye. And then go to France, to look for other documentary evidence. Try to identify Papa and J-----, and, assuming I manage to do that, write about it. Fill in the gaps in a story that might not be interesting to everyone, but for the people who were interested, it mattered a hell of a lot.

All of this, of course, rested on gaining access to Phil’s parents’ painting, and proving it really was an 1834 Jardinière.

Hopefully he was right, and his parents would be easy to get on board.

But I sure as hell had to try.

#shadowsong writes other fandoms #shadowsong writes self-indulgent bs

[morgynemberisagenderfluiddaddy]

Right here is a link to a Wikipedia article with links and numbers to resources for help! If you or anyone around you needs help of any kind, do NOT be afraid to get it! You can do this!

The story below has the following trigger warnings! ⚠️Suicide, self harm, mental health⚠️

Hi! My name's Parker, and I've tried to commit suicide multiple times.

I know you're thinking that's a morbid and socially awkward way to introduce myself, but hey, it's a big part of my story and who I am. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot more to a person than just their mental health, but a lot of the time, these things tend not to get discussed, period. Let alone when we are trying to get to know somebody, so for today, I hope we can put that stigma aside, and I can tell you a little about my journey.

I have ADHD, and depression is something I have lived with as far back as I can remember.

By the time I was twenty, I had tried to kill myself three times, I had a family that didn't talk to me, I'd cut my arms up so much my forearms were more scar than skin, my heart was crushed by someone I thought was the love of my life, and I was hooked on anything I could get my grubby little hands on.

I think about that shit a lot, the things I did, and the decisions I made.

I think about the person I was and the person I am today.

They're wildly different people, but now that I'm able to see it from another side, I realize one can't exist without the other.

I would've never learned the things I did, and I couldn't have grown from it.

It was hell, and I had to claw those life lessons from my struggle like a damn wolverine, but hey, I survived! Despite my best efforts...

Yeah, I know that's not funny, but if you don't laugh sometimes, you'll cry, and I'm sick of crying about it.

I hated who I was, and I had a hard time coping with everything I did, not just the suicide attempts but everything.

Though I finally realized I couldn't change the past, but I could change the future.

I could get help, and I could make sure none of that ever happened again.

I can't change the past, and it aches to know that somewhere in space and time, that kid is still struggling, and I wish I could talk to him...

I don't know what I'd say to him because I know he wouldn't listen and probably just lift my wallet.

But I still want to hug him, tell him that really it's all going to be okay, that he needs to let go of a lot of shit and learn to love himself, then I'd tell him to get rid of that asshole's shitty T-shirt.

The pain you feel, it's not for nothing, but it's also not forever. You'll learn from this, and in a way you least expect it, it will come full circle.

Ease up on the drugs, stop cutting, and get yourself some help.

I know you don't think you deserve it, but you do! And believe it or not, one day you're going to have a lot of people that want and need you around.

This shit doesn't get any easier, but it does get better. You just need to let it.

So tell that jackass his band ain't shit, tell your parents they're full of shit, and tell your siblings you love them even though they all suck, hang onto your friends, don't be so scared, let yourself feel, and listen to yourself once in a while! You know yourself better than you think, and you know what you need, and guess what! The answer isn't always coke!

I can't help that kid anymore, but I can help the one's reading this, and if in this moment you feel hopeless, do me, a stranger on the internet, a favor.

Take a deep breath, know that it gets better, and reach out to somebody! You deserve help, you deserve love, and you deserve to be alive!

With love,

- Parker W.

#please get help i promise you you are moee than worth it 💖 #ts4 #sims 4 #the sims 4 #sims #simblr #sims4 #ts4 edit #simsart #digital artist #digital drawing #digital art #digital painting #artistic #artists #artist #artwork #art #artists on tumblr #oc art #izzys baby ocs #oc: parker #oc artwork #ocs #suicide prevention #mental health resources #creative writing #writing #writblr #morgynemberisagenderfluiddaddy

[bizarrescribblez]

Selfshiptember Day 16: Plushies

I tapped my foot in anticipation waiting for the minutes to go by faster. I usually wasn’t an impatient person, but I’ve been looking forward to today for a while. Angel has never visited my place before, usually I end up visiting his place since he drives straight there after work (due to being worn out). So I was very excited to show him my place, I know my place isn’t super exciting but I just wanted to assure him he’s always welcome here. I quickly sat up as I heard a knock on my door and tried not to make me rushing over too obvious but I’m sure I did as I opened the door.

“Man it’s so nice not having to climb a flight of stairs to get to your place.” Angel teased since he always complained about having to use the stairs to get to his apartment. I giggled and wrapped my arms around his neck and giving him a soft kiss which he quickly returned.

“How was work?” I asked after and separated from him for a minute to close the door. His eyes darted to me instantly since the question made him pause looking around.

“It was okay, just the usual. Nessie saw some kid puke and I had to clean it up.”

“Ewwwww. You better have showered before coming here!” I teased him as he dramatically gasped.

“I did, thank you very much.” He resumed looking around finding all the cutesy stuff around the living room amusing. I smiled and let him look around often giggling at him finding many mundane things interesting like the fact I have a mini kitchen. The moment of truth was coming up however as we made it to my room. “Oh man it’s the moment we’ve been waiting for. Plush city here i come.” He said maniacally and jokingly rubbed his hands together like a cartoon villain as the giggles returned.

“Yeah well you also promised that night you wouldn’t make fun of me so let’s see if you keep your promises.” I said mainly as a joke but also with some truth in it. I knew he wouldn’t make fun of me I mean he’s my boyfriend after all. But there’s always that sinking feeling of being made fun of. I opened the door to reveal my room which at surface level isn’t very out there. I just have my bed with light purple sheets that’s decorated in plush, shelves with my figures and such in them, my tiny craft area and a net above my bed with more plushies in there.

“Holy crap.” There it is. I shut my eyes expecting the obvious but when I peeked he immediately went to sit on my bed and looked shocked. “Your bed is so much bigger than mine holy shit.” I let out the biggest sigh of relief ever.

“I mean I’m sure anybody’s bed is bigger than that brick you call a bed.” I instantly went to sit next to him as he chuckled.

“I cant even be mad about that I hate that brick bed so much now that I’m introduced to this literal cloud of a bed.” He quickly looked over at the miscellaneous plush pile on my bed and looked as if he was studying all of them.

“If it’s too much I can move them all-“

“What’s this one’s name?“ A big grin plastered his face as he had one of my axolotl squishmallows in his hands.

“That’s uh- Monica I think? They all have official names so I never made any up for them.” I answered as he nodded intensively.

“Well one of these days you’ll have to give me the big welcome party, they’re all practically my fur babies now I wanna know all my plush children’s names.” He was still holding the axolotl in his arms and at first I thought he was joking but he sounded pretty serious.

“Heh- I’d love that. I’ll just look on the Wikipedia next time cuz I forgot some of their names and hobbies.”

“Holy shit they have hobbies?”

“I know I know it’s goofy!” We both were grinning ear to ear.

“What! No I think it’s cool I wonder what her hobby is.” He started messing with the stub arms on Monica trying to make her to karate punches. “She has combat vibes I think she’s a karate master.” I started to giggle trying to cover my big smile as he continued to do the karate moves. He noticed and placed the plush down before taking the hand that was covering my face in his hand. “Hey. You know I literally don’t find any of this embarrassing right. I literally have action figures, this is just like that but huggable.”

“That’s a relief..” I sighed. All the worries faded away before there was a tiny moment of silence.

“I mean it.. I think it’s cute..”

“Not as cute as you, silly.” I threw back at him as he bashfully chuckled. My cheeks grew red hearing his laugh as I leaned in and pressed a kiss to his lips. He moved his hand to my back, deepening the kiss. Our lips parted as he softly looked at me then up to the net on the wall.

“Do you ever get scared all those stuffed animals will fall on you when you’re sleeping?” He asked somewhat seriously as I couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m serious!”

I KNOW THIS IS LATE IVE BEEN SLACKING ON THE ONES I FR WANNA DO </3 but I hope this one was good even if it’s short hehe

Tag List:

@jils-things @pinkdinkydoon @captainscyarika @sequids (I hope u don’t mind I tag you kay 🥺)

#selfshiptember2022 #selfshiptember #self ship #self ship fic #self shipping #self ship community #fictional other #f/o community #🐶🐰 angel of the morning