#as!

[ditzychime]

“What could go wrong? I’d have a story to tell! And I could learn to shine a light if you could learn to ring a bell…”

[bliksemflitsenblog]

ur recent posts about how will foreseeably left worlds with 18282928 new boy besties despite being seemingly a bit miserable the entire time vs. mack who was apparently thriving socially as per every single nhl pr post about the passing of the old guard but still ended up in the same/similar position socially after worlds has me thinking.

It’s just fascinating and a bit sad that with mack the whole narry is like this kid is worthwhile because he is talented. Natemac and sidcros giving interviews like his is so mature and awesome FOR A BURGEONING SUPERSTAR emphasis on for a superstar part. Natemac and sidcros not doing interviews praising any of the other young team canada players. Just Mack. Because he’s the potential superstar. Who cares if he’s “nice” or “cool” or “likeable.” That doesn’t matter. Like just everything is confined to the context of his talent. It feels isolating for everyone involved. And it’s interesting that it’s being reinforced by people who are similar Mack, other 1OAs with MVP awards (assuming that’s Mack’s trajectory here who can say) future HHOFers, etc. I’m sure they think they are being super sweet by shouting him out like that but also I’m like damn the survivorship bias. They are like yeah we lived up to the crushing hype we were subjected to so now we are going to reflexively propagate those expectations onto the new guy—ignoring the graveyard of 1OA and hyped prospects who flopped in the background—and that’s the highest compliment we could conceptualize giving him. Like I was rb’ing the gifs and interviews with natemac and sidcros the entire time like aw cute but also this is an existential horror!

Meanwhile will had not the best tournament (but also NOT THE WORST dw dw I am also a will smith boy mom in spirit okayyy) certainly not anything that’s going to make the cut on the nhl insta or even like the sharks/team usa pr really. And was also kinda weird throughout? Ignoring Zeev at points? Buddying up with matty beniers? Put on the fourth line? I would be crashing out too bud. But even while miserable, he showed up and made new friends who he’s now golfing his lil heart out with, warso dropping cute anecdotes abt him sucking at poker and endearing the whole squad, and even more insane he HUNG OUT WITH MACK AFTER HE WAS ELIMINATED. Sry but there’s NO WAY mack does the same if will gets eliminated like I’m so gagged by the emotional IQ that will has to be like yea I’m in the middle of making history but I’m still going to make time for mack. I know where his priorities lie. Even in a scenario that’s tailor-made for Mack to succeed socially, a half depressed Will still mogs him socially. It’s riveting, but they really complete each other.

Mack pushes Will to elevate his game even when he’s out of depth talent wise—a feeling he’s probably not used to having been the big fish in a “small pond” in the USHL and NCAA (I put that in quotes because it takes so much talent to be a big fish in those leagues but wsh definitely has that talent, I think Mack will help push him when talent alone isnt enough). And what Will gives Mack is simple. He sees him a person. Not a vessel for talent. Did thousands of interviews about Mack this season and whenever the reporters ask him a leading question about Mack’s talent he breezes through it, but ask him about the sleepover or the fuckass romcoms or their “bond” wsh breaks out into terminal meghan markle wedding gif fond face instantly. Yeah maybe he gave an eff about Mack in the first place because of his talent but now that’s not a priority.

It’s actually so fucking crazy sometimes you rb a clip of them and I’m like did this actually happen is this AI? And the answer is yes this did happen every time.

no yeah definitely. obviously from a hockey fan perspective it can be jarring to see mack constantly praised for his hockey talent and will constantly praised for who he is as a person but when you look at it from more of a complete point of view, it is killer how everyone's always like 'mack is great because he pushes himself and he has a great two way game and he has good sports habits that took me years to learn' vs 'will is great because he's so nice and he keeps everyone in good spirits and he's just fun to hang out with!' like yeah i would like more people to compliment how will is a great passer but when you deep it, it is kind of sad how mack is praised for what he does while will is being praised for who he is. very this validation hinges on me being able to keep performing versus i will always feel validated because i am who i am and i will always be who i am. the pressure to keep proving yourself versus knowing existing as you are is good enough for almost everyone. and the worst thing is that while i find a lot of first overalls just kind of ignore the pressure, or downplay it, or go as far as saying that it doesn't exist, i do think mack's aware of it. the way he leaned so hard on will and kept mentioning how it was will who kept things light, the whole 'i'm not a psychopath' comment like, there is a self awareness there that makes it a double whammy. he knows he's the guy who's going to have to make it happen and he gets those captain shout outs already which also means he has to already be very mindful of his behavior and how he presents himself. like i'm not saying he has any kind of awareness about what it does to a teenager to have the weight of the world on your shoulders and how it changes you when you're only ever praised for what you can do versus who you are, but he is aware of the pressure, and the fact that he seeks will out to help 'carry him through a grueling season' etc like, that is so telling to me. i do have to disagree with you on the what if will had gotten eliminated thing though. not to bomb anyone else's cathedrals, and i definitely agree with you that will seems much better at keeping in touch with people but with the dedication mack has shown to will, i am kind of confused where this narrative comes from that will is willing to do all this stuff for mack but not the other way around. this is a guy who got snide remarks made about his need for control from a bunch of vets and half the sharks staff, yet who is willing to let will call all the shots just because will wants to. a guy who defers to will on the ice all the time even though he is a million times better and wants everyone else to do exactly as he says! a guy who was on the phone with will every five minutes during the tournament even when hanging out with crosby. a guy who has to, to me, set aside any authentic needs he has when will is in one of his moods and demands space because if it was up to mack, he'd be yapping his ear off while sat on will's lap, yet does it because will wants him to. who then also crawls over like seven people on the bench as soon as will slams his stick on the floor as a sign he's ready for interaction again even mid conversation with someone else. like mack, at least right now, is as dedicated to will as the other way around! he would have been there for will like will was there for him if will had crashed out of the tourney early! he wants to be there for will! which, that brings me to the next point. i think you're right that will lets mack be a person. and i think that makes mack want to be a person for will and why will constantly seems the exception to mack when it comes to mack's regular behavior. even the compliments will gives mack, it's never about hockey! it's about how he's funny, great to hang out with, how they're similar. that's will's human boy! i think will's asset is that he kinda just gives people space to breathe and lets them be who they are and i can only imagine how much of a balm that is to mack, to be seen for who he really is and to be allowed to be that person.

[thepig]

yo mista white i played this game and found meaning through being more than just a tool to help others bitch

jesse what are you talking about

this game on the computah mista white. apocalypse simulator!, bitch!

[thepig]

speedrunners have found a way to skip sangrias emotional breakdown but simply opt not to out of principle!

[thepig]

yes, that fact seems true about that plant - the sangreer

[thepig]

sangria would love ikea can you imagine. all those departments

[thepig]

HAAAANK YOU HAVE TO DO THE ACCOUNTANTS SIDEQUEST BEFORE YOU CAN GROW WEED

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANK

YOU CANT GROW WEED FROM THE START HAAAAANK

I KNOW THEY JUST SEEM LIKE FETCH QUESTS YOU HAVE TO KEEP DOING THEM SO YOU CAN LET SANGRIA GROW WEED

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANK

[yourturntosimp]

FUCK YEAH glad youre doing well!!!! i am. Studying for my exams since my school year ends at the end of june and thats exam month :(((( i am however happy bc i found my digital pen and i can draw again lol

Good luck on your exams, you've got this!!! digital art is crazy bc you can set down ur pen for a second and when u look back it's gone and u find it under ur mattress like 3 hrs later