sooo uh. sorry the absence. again. my world is a never ending cluster of things taking time away from my special interests it seems. however im on a HUGE ttte kick again! though, i have moved accounts. idk i felt a refresher was in order since i made this acc so long ago. i still love it dearly, but its time to move on. forge a new path yknow? you can find me now @friendlyemeraldemily ! i hope this reaches my moots and we can continue our mutualhoods over on my new acc :3 peace!
I have no idea how to begin this post. I’m shocked no one else on Tumblr has made it before me, since this news came out February.
But…
Starting “later this year” (no explicit date), Google will begin using AI to detect “minors lying about their age” (accounts that claim to be 18+ but aren’t.)
It comes as the company leans more heavily into AI and as it faces pressure from lawmakers.
This is based on what you search, and the videos you watch on YouTube.
If you are an adult who watches things aimed at teenagers on YouTube- your account will be incorrectly flagged as “lying” and you will be, immediately and automatically, locked down. Restricted Mode on YouTube with no way to deactivate it, SafeSearch always on full force, privileges suspended.
It gets worse. If Google thinks you are under 13- the minimum age to have an account- it will, after a brief delay, DELETE YOUR ACCOUNT.
To manage your own Google Account, you must meet the minimum age requirement for the country associated with your account. If we have learne
If you are a fan of a children’s show- say Thomas the Tank Engine, Super Wings, or Handy Manny- or even one aimed at “older” kids like Big City Greens- YOU ARE IN DANGER.
So… what can you do?
As far as anyone knows, the tracking is account-based, so if you browse or watch children’s content while signed out you should be safe.
WRITE TO GOOGLE. Tell them how displeased you are. Do not use “nice” words- they do not deserve them.
Search for alternatives to Google Chrome, Google Search, and every function an account can provide. Type these queries into the search engine a few more times than usual, to give them a little heart attack. They deserve it.
SPREAD THIS NEWS. Not just on Tumblr- spread it on every platform you have. And real life is a platform, too.
If you speak more languages than just English, translate this warning- this is coming to the US first, but that doesn’t mean it won’t eventually spread to the rest of the world.
And finally, WARN YOUR FRIENDS WHO MIGHT BE VULNERABLE TO THIS. To that extent, I’ll be tagging:
HELLO EVERYONE!! I would like to share with you a campaign for a family in need. @hanangaza needs donations and has reached out to me, asking for help. I would like to ask you all to visit the account and interact with it. Help get the message out. Please message people, reblog, share, post.... use your account to help get this out there!!
The people in Gaza has not stopped suffering, even after the ceasefire. They are still displaced, suffering with lack or essentials and aid. The cost of living has become very expensive and they have no income. Please imagine yourself in their situation, you wouldn't like to live like that, so why should they?? Here you can help a fellow human being out. The most effective way to support a campaign is by donating!! So if you are able to donate please show your kindness here;
Your donations mean alot more than you think, even 5 dollars will count. Fundraisers are a group effort, so please do your part. Any contributions make a difference, what you may spend on something totally unnecessary will help a family keep warm and safe. Please help feed a family in need, be a glimmer of hope.
How will you help?
I will donate a large amount!!
I will donate a small amount!!
I will donate what I can!
I sadly cannot donate so I will spread to word to people who can donate!
hiii sooo...yeah sorry i'm not all that active on here?? idk being on the internet for me right now just kinda. sucks. because everywhere i turn i get reminded of what human rights i'm losing as a trans person in the usa :( so i've been kinda. avoiding being on the interwebs. but! i made the jump to bluesky AND i'm posting on there because i managed to make my algorithm only trains and animals <3
i analyzed "emily's rubbish" on there and i'm pretty proud of what i had to say :3 (though a bigger discussion on what it means to be a big engine will be coming along soon)
yall dont have to follow me over there or anything!! ill probably still be using tumblr too, but i thought id just let yall know :3
She/Her
Aspiring Thomas & Friends content creator! I have many many thoughts about seasons 7-12 and about my favorite character (guess who.
do yall ever think about that, technically speaking, shakespeare's missing plays or some of the oldest literature in the world from mesopotamia that was lost to time could be counted as lost media?
i desperately need to see videos like "the search for anatolia's oldest literary work" and its just some frazzled archeologist rambling at us while they frantically dig around in the dirt for two hours
happy 10/10 everyone. i would have liked to make a longer douglas post but. uh. hurricane milton killed my internet so. have a douglas in the dark instead
i am so smart. since everybody hates the old bridge (that one season 7 ep where skarloey is afraid of a bridge) i thought about re-writing it. because...i do think it could work with skarloey as a main character since anybody can get scared BUT. I AM TOSSING THAT OUT.
THIS SHOULD BE A NEVILLE EPISODE!
his literal first day, he dangles off the end of a bridge since no one liked him enough to warn him. definitely one of the worst starts any engine has had, but it makes PERFECT sense why neville would be afraid of of high bridges like the one in that episode. plus, this opens the door to pair neville up with a character that's willing to give him the time of day (first two that come to mind are edward and molly) and just. omg. i should write this. like actually.
ramble (read: disarrayed amalgamation of thoughts) incoming!
the brenner era was not as good as everyone remembers it as, at least in regards to certain characters. yeah edward and toby got their personalities back...but at the cost of:
emily's personality beings extremely watered down and her *high* self esteem being flipped to nonexistent. guess she had to fill in for edward's role as the pathetic old engine. also not a fan of gordon being a sourpuss all the time
henry somehow got worse by making him a fraidycat in addition to all the problems the nitrogen era brought in. flatbeds of fear being EXTREMELY noticeable in this regard
SO MANY returnees being underwhelming and untrue to their roots. donald and douglas in particular got this, going from two independent practical engines to some weird toxic 'they bicker and fight when together but are also codependent' dynamic. oh, and oliver didn't even do anything.
and in general, a lot of the new characters felt so...bleh. like yeah stephen and millie are cool but like...gosh im even struggling to remember! stafford was boring af and conner too. at least the HiT newbies everyone rags on had striking designs!
this probably sounds harsher than im intending it to be but im airing my grievances here!!
sooo my writer's club is holding a kahoot based around everyone's fictional characters they think are hot and it's a smash or pass sort of deal. the person making it is my club best friend and it was all fun and games until he showed me one of the submissions was fucking HENRY???? it was a MASSIVE slap in the face that was like. it was like i was a sleeper agent. now i need to figure out which one of these people is also a thomas fanatic. I Know What You Are 🫵
I must inquire about your feelings on douglas and oliver 👀
(Tags by @mean-scarlet-deceiver)
Absolutely! These tags are fantastic, and I think this is a great time to talk about a phenomenon I've noticed in certain fandoms. I don't have a word for it yet, but something that can happen, especially in cases like this where a ship is sort of a foregone conclusion (either for lack of options for the characters or - in this case - because there's one really compelling point of shared development), is that it can often feel like we are *supposed* to ship something, and that there aren't any other options.
I think 10x11 is absolutely one of those ships, and I can totally understand why it might not work for some the same way it does for others. It's easy to fall into the trap of complacency or to feel like there's not actually anything there and the rest of the fandom is just shipping cardboard cutouts. And because everyone treats the ship as default, there's no one out here really up on their soapbox for it or making any groundbreaking content. It runs the risk of feeling stale.
Luckily, I'm here, and I do this shit for free. In point of fact, you couldn't pay me to stop. So let me make the case. Hopefully by the end of this we'll all come away with a better understanding of the characters, their relationship, and ourselves. (I like to aim high.)
So there are a few major pitfalls that this ship can succumb to right out of the gate that I think can frequently make this a harder sell as a romance specifically:
First, the rescue. The foundational text. Everyone loves Escape!, and for good reason. It's an extremely rich vein to mine for drama and feelings and having these characters bond in a way that feels complex and authentic and real... And it also can make a relationship founded on romantic love between them feel compulsory on the part of Oliver. This is not at all cool or fun or sexy or even really in-character, and I expect it's one of the reasons this ship can be hard to work with at times. To put them in a romantic context without any kind of examination of what is desired vs. what is owed feels rushed and disingenuous to me. If your only reason for shipping Oliver and Douglas is that one of them saved the others' life - full stop, no further examination required - this ship is going to be quite boring and a little iffy besides. This is a fantastic foundation, but it can't be the only thing holding them together, or else you've just reinvented the booktok romance novel.
The second pitfall is one that isn't the fandom's fault but is definitely worsened by years of fandom dilution: Oliver lacks a lot of direct and explicit characterization as a result of showing up late to the RWS party. He has this great origin story, fucks up once, gets a few funny scenes, and then about drops off the page. This leave shippers in a bit of a predicament, because really compelling character romance needs really compelling characters in the first place. Oliver has such a great backstory and that immediate bond we talked about with another well-developed character who also has a great backstory. It feels like it should be very easy to make this work, but it just... doesn't. Because Oliver in-canon is often a role-fill character. He's great, but no one (least of all the later season TVS writers) can seem to agree what his personality actually is, so he ends up being written to slot wherever he's needed or to achieve a specific narrative beat. The resultant 10x11 content which is informed by this feels flat and boring because if the only goal is for them to end up together, you simply have to write that happening and it occurs. Fandom Oliver often has no desires or wants outside of getting together with Douglas, his knight in shining paintwork, and it makes for dry reading.
So how do we reconcile this? What can we do with this information to make it work in favor of our desired outcome instead of as a hindrance to it? How do we use the facts to enhance our fiction?
The first key is remembering that Oliver is actually a little badass who, for 95% of his time on the run, did not actually need any help. The only reason he got to the point at which Douglas could come rescue him was because he fled under his own power from the southern part of the country all the way up to Barrow. His journey only ended there because they ran out of coal, which probably wouldn't have happened if Oliver hadn't also elected to take a coach and an unrelated break van along with him. Because, again, he's a badass. When the big engines say that Oliver has "resource and sagacity", they're absolutely correct. There's material to work with here, we just need to spin it out.
So let's start there. Let's give Oliver that plucky spark back, and have him be a wee bit peppery as a treat. A guy doesn't outrun packs of rabid diesels only to come out the other side a meek and obedient little bore. Let's really lean into his loyalty and bravery too, since an engine willing to risk his own life to save the lives of some lowly rolling stock must be both. And finally, let's also have him really appreciate that second chance he's been given! My favorite Oliver characterization is one that swings at every wild pitch just for the joy of feeling and moving and being alive.
What Douglas has given him isn't a debt, it is a gift, and paying him back doesn't mean feeling like he owes him anything, it means hitting the rails every day with as much enthusiasm and excitement and verve as a little engine possibly can. I like an Oliver that works hard and plays hard and - crucially to the relationship in question - I think Douglas likes this too. Here's a pair of guys who are both brave, loyal, adventurous, quick-thinking, generous, and god damned happy to be alive. Their experiences in Escape! shouldn't make them rescuer/rescuee, it should make them some of the only guys on the railway who know what it's like to look death in the face and laugh. They're equals, and more importantly, friends.
And maybe I buried the lede a little bit there, but I think this really is the crux of it. To me, this relationship is one that starts as a very long, very close friendship with that little bit of extra complexity always simmering below the surface and the little bit of weirdness of falling in love with the guy who saved your life isn't something that should be swept under the rug, it should be an active part of the core relationship conflict.
Oliver looks at Douglas and thinks: He's my best friend. I love him. He saved my life. I don't know whether that last thing is influencing the other two and I'm worried that trying to find out will ruin everything.
and Douglas looks at Oliver and thinks: He's my best friend. I love him. I saved his life. But I don't want him to think he owes me anything just because I did.
So Douglas is waiting on Oliver, and Oliver is waiting on his complicated feelings to resolve themselves. In the meantime, in Ray world, I like to imagine them carrying on a very raucous and boisterous friendship/working relationship involving a lot of pranks and good-natured ribbing, because I think the Little Western being the most efficient branch line while also being the one comprised nearly entirely of chucklefucks is hilarious.
I also like the idea that during all of this, Oliver is constantly going through romantic partners because, again, just happy to be alive here! But also because maybe if he finds the right engine those sticky feelings he has towards his bestie will go away. And all the while Douglas looks on and smiles and plays his cards very close to the chest.
Maybe even gets himself a girlfriend in the meantime.
I have this whole arc plotted out for a story I will never write where Douglas and Emily become an item and everyone else loses their minds because oohh it's just so cute and they look so great together.
Very suddenly Douglas has a girlfriend and also very suddenly Oliver does not have a best friend anymore. And (much to Oliver’s surprise) he’s kinda upset about it!
At first he thinks it has to be jealousy, because like... On one hand, he’s over the moon for Douglas. Douglas seems happier now, quicker to laugh and more easygoing (not that he wasn’t always). But on the other hand, they’re not hanging out as often anymore and it’s not really fair that Douglas lands the perfect partner on what is ostensibly his first attempt when Oliver’s been trying and failing at it for so long. He writes it off as him being jealous of Douglas and tries to put it out of his mind.
Except he sees them together, and he sees how happy Douglas is in-person and how Emily is nice enough but all wrong for him. For one thing, she’s the *safety* engine, which– ha! Douglas? Not the most risk-averse engine to ever grace Sir Topham Hatt’s Railway. For another thing, she’s not willing to go on any of Douglas’s more adventurous errands. Too, her more staid nature doesn’t seem to be rubbing off on Douglas at all, so it’s a source of friction in their relationship. Oliver delights a little bit at that, and goes out of his way to tell Douglas he’d be happy to see how fast they can get the goods train to the harbor, speed limits be damned, just because Emily won't like it.
When Oliver explains this to Mavis later (the third time they’ve rehashed this subject this week) she pauses to fix Ollie with a Look.
“Are you sure you’re not jealous of *Emily*?”
“That’s ridiculous,” Oliver scoffs, dismissing it before the words have really sunk in. “If I were jealous of… of her, I’d– I’d be–”
And then the other shoe drops.
“Oh.”
“Mhmm.”
“Oh no.”
“MmHMM.”
Oliver has fucked another of his relationships, the only one that actually mattered in his estimation. And now he’s stuck, because this is the happiest Oliver’s ever seen his best friend. And a real best friend wouldn’t try to sabotage that just because he was too stupid to see what was plainly obvious to everyone. No, he has to be cool about this, and it’s going to nearly kill him.
But hey, look who else in the yard is single and pining over a Caledonian engine. You wanna have a Great Western Time about it?
Again, because I am a sucker for true romance, this sorts itself out in time. Douglas and Emily realize they're not actually that great a fit for one another, Oliver and Duck get as much out of their time together as they like before moving on, and Douglas and Oliver get to have a long overdue conversation about what they mean to each other - no jokes, no bullshit. I'm sure it would all be very cute and romantic, if I were the type to write that sort of thing.
In the meantime, I hope I've at least made a case for why this ship tickles me and where I think everyone can improve in their writing of it. Thanks for the ask, sorry it was so long!
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