#HIS GOOFINESS CONTRASTS THE SERIOUS PLOT

[anonymoosen]

AIDEN’S SO SILLY WHAT

[reverieblondie]

Summer Vacation

Pairing: Miguel O’Hara X fem!reader

Warnings: 18+, NSFW, Smut with Plot, Fingering. You and Miguel have to be sneaky.

Summary: College has been stressful and your finally off for summer vacation... But then you receive a surprise visit...

A/N: Ya'll thought I wasn't writing for Miguel anymore... oh how wrong you all are... If this dose well I will make it a mini series! Just let me know! Enjoy!

Word count: 3,242

So much for your plans for a quiet vacation…

It had been perfect in your mind. Your parents were out of town, and their house was so close to the beach that you couldn’t pass up the opportunity to have a nice and relaxing summer vacation all to yourself. School had been hectic, and you needed some serious relaxing time lounging out under a shady umbrella, cutting down on your TBR list with a frozen drink at your side and maybe a summer fling on the other.

But now... that’s not going to happen, not with the little surprise visit you received…

As you had settled in last night, you heard the sounds of a slamming car door. Your first thought was your parents made a surprisingly short trip, but that’s when you saw him entering through the front door. 

Your brother? What is his goofy -

But before you can finish the thought, you saw him following in. You haven’t seen him in years, but as soon as you see those familiar eyes, you know exactly who he is. Miguel O’Hara, your older brother’s best friend. The last time you remember seeing Miguel was the summer before he and your brother graduated. Lots of people assumed Miguel was a grumpy jerk from his quiet nature. Still, you always found him funny and kinda charming. You especially loved when he gave your brother a hard time: Miguel was definitely your favorite out of all your brother’s friends.

In contrast, the others ignored you, where Miguel was always friendly and looked after you in his own way. Sure, he wasn’t stopping you in the halls to talk to you your freshman year, but you would catch how he would be subtly watching you, and without fail, every time you were doing homework at your dining room table, Miguel would slide in next to you to whisper what questions you got wrong. Okay, sure, you planned it out to be there when he came over, but could you really blame a girl? Miguel was top of his class, plus it also helped that Miguel was quite cute.   

You ended up developing a bit of a crush on him, but he was off-limits, and that was only a silly little freshman year crush. You are way past that. So, as you sit here lounging on your couch, watching him walk in looking taller, buffer, and undoubtedly cuter, okay, he’s actually sexy as hell now…

As soon as Miguel walked in, his eyes met yours. At first, he was equally surprised to see you, but his shock quickly turned to a smile, like he was actually excited to see you. Though the smile was short-lived, as when your brother turned around to grab his bag from him, Miguel went back to his ever-stoic look. 

After your initial surprise wore off, you told your brother about disrupting your plans. He was quick to assure you that he wasn’t going to ruin them as he walked over and ruffled your hair, “Don’t sweat it, sis. Me and Miguel won’t bother you too much.” 

“Too much?”

He laughs as he saunters into the kitchen, “Well, I am your older brother, and I can’t just not mess with you!” 

The audible groan you give only earns a laugh from your sibling. Older brothers… 

While your ruined vacation plans are flashing before your eyes, a clearing throat catches your attention. Turning around, you see Miguel looking down at you with a bit of a smile back to his full lips, 

“Guessing you’re not too excited to see us…” 

Well, if it had just been Miguel….that's a different story… “Let’s just say I had plans for a stress-relief vacation and can’t exactly do now with an older brother lurking around…” 

Miguel chuckles and quickly looks you up and down for a moment. His eyes go to your brother as he leans down and whispers, “You could… if you know how to be sneaky about it…” 

For a moment, you don’t think this is happening, but… is Miguel flirting? You look at him, confused but very intrigued… you haven’t seen him in forever, and this is how he acts? Maybe you’re just reading too much into it; Miguel always gave you homework advice. Perhaps this is just him doing that, but your horny brain is misinterpreting… But just in case….

You look into his eyes, seeing that once warm brown now, has a tinge of red to them. “How do I know you won’t rat on me to my brother? Get me in trouble?” 

“Let’s just say I can keep a secret… troublemaker.” 

Troublemaker? You could be a troublemaker if he’s going to be the one that’s going to spank-

No, No, No! Off limits! Brother’s best friend, I don’t care if he’s built like a god and has a nose that you would pay good money to grind against. You can’t be the one to stick your neck out. Maybe Miguel is just a flirt now; all talk, but it doesn’t mean it. Off limits!

While your brain can still form some rational thought, you rush off to bed before Miguel can notice the blush rising to your face. As you make it to your door, you think you see Miguel leaning back to look down the hall at you with a smirk. Being a sane person you quickly scramble through your door and slam it shut, you go and flop down in your bed, cursing your brother for having brought with him Miguel. Out of all his friends, he had to get the one who makes your insides scream. 

Now here you sit, completely forgetting about the book in your hands as you stare at Miguel, looking so damn distracting! You know you shouldn’t be staring at him, but watching him running shirtless with his bulging biceps, massive chest shining in a sheen of sweat, and his flexing abs. Don’t even get started on his ass and legs in his swimsuit. You quickly slam your face in your book; stop sexualizing him… off-limits…off limits! 

Though you never were one to have good self-control. So, peering up from your book, you look at him. Sweat has never looked so good. 

Miguel just looked so effortless in his movements, and from the looks of the others staring, you’re not the only one to think this. Something in your chest tightens with that thought, the thought of him swarmed by admirers. For as long as you have known him, you have seen how people trip over themselves to fawn over him, but he always remained single from what you knew… you are sure he has had girlfriends before, but every time he was around you… he didn’t bring one up, he always was single, or at least appearing to be.

Then lost in your staring, his eyes meet yours.

You want to blame the sudden rush of heat to your face on the summer heat, but you know it’s from him… that same auburn gaze that always makes your stomach flutter and your insides ache. 

Miguel watches you as he pushes back his sweat-drenched hair before he lets a smile form on his full lips and gives you a slight wave. You work up the nerve to wave back, then quickly hide behind your book again. You’re stuck rereading the same line over and over, trying to hold onto the words, but that smile and those eyes…

Perhaps another peek won’t hurt…

Going for it, you take another look and see your brother, Miguel, and two pretty girls. The girls are all perky and smiles as they chat, something your brother is eating up, while Miguel has returned to being stoic—his ever-trustworthy defense mechanism. 

Looking away, you’re going through a swell of emotions. Well, more like one bitter emotion…

Jealousy…

You have as prided yourself on being a supportive girl; when you see a girl shooting her shot, you always wish silent good luck for them, but right now, seeing them talking to Miguel… It’s making you feel bitter. In no way is Miguel yours, hell he’s off limits for what you’re concerned, but watching this… hurts. This is ridiculous. Jealousy? Really? With a sigh you try to just forget it, though your skin is feeling hot, and you’re fighting the urge to stare.

To calm yourself, you place your book to the side and strip off your cover-up, the material that was once comfortable now irritating. You hadn’t planned on swimming or being out of your cover-up, so of course you make this the day you wear your smallest bikini. It’s funny how things always turn out like that. Stripping off the material, you instantly feel some relief. However, you have that distinct feeling of someone looking at you, watching you. 

With a glance, you see Miguel looking over everyone’s heads to make eye contact with you again…

Getting back to your book and swallowing down your jealousy, you keep your eyes on your book to keep yourself out of trouble. Finally, after a bit, when you're just getting lost in the text, there’s a nudge on your leg. 

“Uhhggg, please tell me you didn’t come here just to sit around.” Narrowing your eyes at the complaining source, you see your brother nagging you. 

You look down at your book, “You enjoy your time your way; I will enjoy mine my way.” 

Your brother rolls his eyes before grabbing his water bottle, “Goes to the beach and doesn’t swim or play soccer with her big bro. Are you depressed or something?” 

More like irritated… and frustrated… 

Before you can give your rebuttal, Miguel silences Your brother by bouncing the soccer ball on his head, “Stop messing with her.” 

Your brother, as dramatic as ever, holds his head and whines, “Ouch! When did you get so overprotective?” 

Miguel looks surprised and almost guilty for a moment before the mask comes back. “I’m not overprotective; just… let the kid relax like she wants.” 

KID?!

As soon as the words leave his lips, they are ringing in your ears. A kid? He’s older than you, sure, but calling you kid? What the hell? Is that how he sees you? You don’t know what’s the worst label: best friends little sister, or kid? 

Your brother pats your head, “Aw, got to be nice to the baby!” 

The words sting deeper. It’s not like you’re not used to your brother’s teasing; that’s actually how you two play with each other and show affection, but today…

You quickly stand, swatting his hand away. Your brother pauses and looks at you, confused. “Wow, what’s your damage?”

“I’m not in the mood…” You bite back, grab your bag, and walk off. 

“Where are you going?!” 

“None of your business!” 

You’re not even sure where you are going, but with your chest burning with embarrassment and annoyance, you just don’t want to be somewhere you’re labeled as a kid. 

You ended up at the concession stand to get some ice cream. Okay, not precisely screaming, mature lady. But your irritation at the situation is reaching a peak, and you need a nice cold comfort snack to cool you down.  

A kid… he sees you as a kid, you’re a woman in college, and he calls you a kid… and here you thought he was staring at you. Fooling yourself to think he’s interested. Looking down at yourself, you feel worse, wearing this bikini revealing your body secretly hoping to grab his attention. Ugh! Maybe you should go home, hide in your room till they leave… And why is this line moving so sl-

Suddenly, the feeling of a giant hand grabbing you close startles you. You’re pulled into what feels like a brick wall. Looking up at the sudden grabber, you see that familiar strong jaw and that dark wavy hair, but not his gaze. No, Miguel is looking off at a nearby table at a group of guys who are visibly avoiding eye contact and sweating bullets. 

You look between them for a few more minutes before you ask the million-dollar question, “What are you doing?” 

Miguel doesn’t take his eyes off the group, “Just... keeping an eye on you…”

This only seems to piss you off more; now he’s watching over you like you can’t handle yourself.

You push yourself out of Miguel’s hold, getting his attention to your huffy face, “What’s your problem?”

“I don’t need a babysitter!” You bite back. 

Miguel furrows his eyebrows at you, “I didn’t say you did!” he says, equally frustrated.

“Then stop treating me like I’m some kid!”

Miguel looks at you, confused, before he remembers what he said. “Look… I didn’t mean it like that.”

Before Miguel can finish, he’s being pushed past, you’re doing your best to show how thoroughly pissed off you are. You ignore him the best you can as he walks after you. Trying to ignore how his voice makes your skin tingle as he says your name. But right now, you can’t focus on that. You’re just wanting to slip away and hide! What you were not expecting as you slipped into one of the colorfully painted private changing sheds was for Miguel to follow behind you.

Miguel locks the door behind himself, and you groan. “I was trying to get away from you.”

“Will you at least listen to what I have to say? And stop acting like a brat?”

You roll your eyes, “Oh, so now I’m a brat!”

Miguel continues to get irritated with you, and you’re not listening, so he has to listen to your ranting. You go one about how you're not a kid, how they ruined your summer vacation, and what was the deal at the concession stand.

Miguels finally had enough. If you won’t listen to you he will just have to take the risk and show you.

So, during your rant, you feel two large hands gently grabbing your face. The gentleness of the touch sends currents of desire through your body. His eyes are steady on yours as he watches you lose your words, and your anger die down. Slowly, his thumb moves from your jaw to trace over your lips softly.

“Can you pause for a minute so I can kiss you?” 

You didn’t have to say yes; all you had to do is close your eyes and stand on your tiptoes to let him know you want it as badly as he does—to kiss him.

Miguel touches his lips to yours; their soft fullness blurs your thoughts. All that tingling turns into a back-arching static as Miguel guides you through the kiss. The intensity of the kiss grows with every second, with every careful caress, and as Miguel finally presses his warmth against you, you’re fully lost in him—lost in each other.

The feel of Miguel’s hands dropping to your hips makes your lips part with a gasp, allowing Miguel to slip in his tongue. The taste of him was completely intoxicating, making your thighs tighten and your pussy get wetter with every pass of his experienced tongue.

 Before he can completely lose himself in your kiss, he quickly turns you around so his chest is pressed against your back, and his hard cock is against your ass.

Miguel brings his lips to the shell of your ear, his warm breath softly panting over your skin, making you lean into him. Reaching behind you, you grab a hold of his dark hair between your fingers.

“I’ve wanted to do that since the second I saw you again.” he whispers in your ear.

Miguel slowly moves his large hand to the hem of your bottoms, his fingers teasing the material,

“Then... I’m forced to look at you in this tiny thing, which is driving me even more crazy.”

You can hardly think coherently as you let out a trembling whine, “Crazy…”

Miguel lets out a low purring hum as he slips his finger under the material, his fingertip softly teasing your slick folds. Tempting you to beg. How badly you want to beg... but the feeling of his rough fingers on your soft flesh as your hips slightly rolling against him. It’s all the begging Miguel needs (or that he can handle...) before he finds your slit and starts to tease your opening.

You can’t help but squirm, sick of the teasing and needing to feel him. With a shuddering pled, Miguel finally gives in to his lust, and your lust, and he sips in his finger. The stretch makes you rise to your toes, and your breath gives, the feeling of that curling pressure making you want more. Miguel presses his lips to your neck, his erection growing harder the deeper his digit goes. Miguel can’t help but grind his clothed cock against your ass as he whispers sweet words into your skin. Then right as your pussy is adjusting to his thick finger, he adds another, pushing in deep, all the way down to his rough knuckles. Your sticky arousal dripped down his thick fingers and pooled into his palm.

A sheen of sweat forms on your skin that Miguel eagerly licks up from your neck. Your core is starting to burn, and right as you think you can’t take anymore, his other hand comes down and starts rubbing your clit. Your legs tremble, and you begin to lose yourself in the feeling. Miguel’s breath matches your own as you start to approach that eye-crossing pleasure…

You feel yourself clenching on him, your whole body quivering. This feels like a dream: Miguel, the man you have been silently pining for, is touching you... kissing you... something he has equally wanted as much as you. The girl who was always so close... but off limits... Though now, you both couldn’t take it anymore how you needed each other…

Right as your bottoms are dropping to the floor and a moan is breaking from your throat, Miguel’s lips are on your rapid plus... then a ringing...

You both pause, gazing at each other, then at your bag thrown in the corner during the start of your rant. The ringing continues. You both knew who it was, but you didn’t want to leave this moment. At this moment, you two didn’t have to hide your wants, but if you didn’t answer, your brother would come looking.

Begrudgingly, you two part, with an irritated groan from the both of you. Bottoms back on your reaching for your bag, but your wrist is caught by Miguel before you can pick it up. Looking up at him confused, you see that classic stoic look,

“Wha-”

“I don’t want this to stop here.”

You’re completely dumbfounded. Here he is, the man you want saying the thing you want. “What if...” You don’t finish the sentence or want to think of any possible consequences.

Your Phone is still ringing, but you’re too entranced by him. Miguel leans his forehead against yours, “Be sneaky with me, trouble...”

Your summer plans might not be completely ruined after all…

“Think about it... and get back to me... Miguel gives you a chaste kiss, and before you know it, your bag is in your hands, and he exits the changing room. 

In your Miguel daze, you answer your Phone, reassuring your brother that you’re no longer mad and that you and Miguel are on your way back.

[fatalism-and-villainy]

I’m trying to untangle The Problem of Garashir (not the least because, well, I’m writing the pairing) -

and I think honestly one of the biggest… roadblocks? bits of untapped potential in the pairing? is that we never really see their relationship put a strain on their ideological convictions.

Which is to say, “the societal institutions we’re subject to are corrupt, but our love is pure, so we’re going to abandon those institutions for each other” is, whether implicitly or explicitly, a common framing in fanfic featuring them (such as I’ve seen) - and to be fair, it’s a common romance trope in general. But I can’t say it works for me for these characters. And part of that is that imo the show doesn’t sufficiently set that up with its development of the relationship between these two characters, but another part of that is that I simply don’t see a world in which that kind of relationship dynamic/approach would fit with their characterizations.

To address the first point - there are never any situations involving these characters in which their fundamental values or institutional loyalties are challenged as a result of their relationship. At no point does Garak, for example, have to choose between Cardassia and his affection for Bashir. (I’ve seen people read The Wire that way, but I don’t think the reading works - The Wire is a fantastic showcase for Garak’s worldview and value system and the cracks and contradictions therein, but even though Bashir’s unwavering commitment to helping him despite what he’s done is certainly unprecedented and moving to him, his underlying value system hasn’t changed by the end of that episode.) And while Bashir’s faith in Starfleet and the Federation does get rocked quite a bit over the course of the show, it’s never because of his friendship with Garak.

Instead, I’d say that with some exceptions (like The Wire), their friendship in the early seasons is usually framed as a respite from their serious responsibilities or moral dilemmas. This especially true of Garak, who is likely not used to someone simply enjoying his company with no ulterior motives whatsoever, but the narrative maneuvering of the show also does a lot to shield Bashir from the reality of who Garak is. Yes, he gets a taste of that in The Wire, when Garak goes out of his way to impress upon him what the reality of his life as a spy truly was. But that’s still only verbal testimony, and only confined to what Garak has done in the past. Bashir is largely absent from all the shit that Garak pulls during the show!

And I’m not complaining that, say, the events of The Die Is Cast take place between Garak and Odo, because it makes thematic sense for it to be Odo for that arc. (And I love that friendship.) But Garak and Bashir do not get a plot like that, or like In the Pale Moonlight, where Bashir is directly exposed to or complicit in Garak’s immoral behaviour. The closest we get to an actual serious ethical clash between them is in Our Man Bashir, which is a goofy comedy episode. (And it’s worth noting that Bashir calls Garak’s bluff and shoots him in that confrontation! Yeah, he likely missed on purpose, given what we later learn about his magic hand-eye coordination, but he’s still unwilling to compromise on his heroism for Garak’s sake. It’s actually a pretty Cardassian gesture, which is probably part of why Garak loves it so much, but it does say a lot about where their priorities are re: their commitment to their values vs. each other.)

And I think the lack of more serious, plot-relevant ethical conflict between Garak and Bashir is a real loss for the show, because one thing I find really interesting about their relationship is that - in contrast to the examples of Odo and Sisko up there - Bashir is the person in the cast most able to hold Garak accountable. He’s repeatedly established as one of the most firmly moral members of the cast, and his righteous anger at seeing those morals trodden upon is one of his most defining character traits in the later seasons. His unconditional forgiveness of Garak in The Wire is lovely, and it is an important moment in the development of both their relationship and Bashir’s character. But in the long term, once we get into actual serious, consequential war and espionage plots? And if we’re imagining them in a long term committed relationship? It wouldn’t be sustainable, and it doesn’t feel in keeping with Bashir’s character that’d he have endless reservoirs of patience and understanding specifically for Garak. And it’s precisely because Bashir is uniquely able to grant Garak forgiveness that he’d also potentially be uniquely able to chastise him.

(This is why, by the way, my headcanon as to the in-universe reason why they don’t seem as close in the later seasons, paternity deathbed reveals and occasional flirty bantering notwithstanding, is that Bashir was seriously fucking pissed at the stunt Garak pulled in Broken Link, both in terms of the personal betrayal and the destructiveness towards sentient life, and that it created a significant rift between them.)

All of that is to say - my biggest regret with the show’s sidelining of their dynamic isn’t the fact that their relationship never becomes romantic (not a chance of that in the 90s, and also these writers were pretty terrible at writing romance) but that they never get to have an argument. An actual serious, non-flirtatious, two-sided, genuinely-angry-at-each-other-argument. I want to see conflict! (I honestly think that their exchange in What You Leave Behind comes the closest to the kind of conflict I’d like to pick up on in post-canon fic - where they are conciliatory in the moment but still have this really wrenching chasm between them, and unresolved frustration as a result of that chasm.)

So as an extension of these thoughts, I actually really like that we’re not given the basis for a traditional “us against the world” style romance plot. I like that these characters are clearly deeply fond of each other and significant to each others’ development, but have other important connections (Garak especially, since despite being only a recurring character introduced through Bashir, he integrates into the broader cast) and other priorities besides each other.

Furthermore, despite the significant differences in their value systems, one very fundamental thing they have in common is how passionately devoted they are to their respective causes. For Garak, it’s Cardassia. And while his idea of what it means to serve Cardassia, and what Cardassia needs, undergoes a lot of change over the course of the show, I don’t see any version of Garak in which Cardassia is not his first love. For Bashir, it’s altruism and helping people, as well as his intellectual curiosity - aims which are reflected in Starfleet and the Federation for him but ultimately higher ideals.

And I don’t think either Garak or Bashir would admire the other nearly as much if they were willing to let go of everything they hold dear for the sake of romance. They’re both far too committed to being a part of the world. Garak may have some fun with trying to shake Bashir of his optimism, but ultimately Bashir’s goodness, his fierce conviction that no one deserves to suffer, are among the most compelling aspects of his personality. And if Bashir is ever going to actually enter a serious relationship with Garak, he’s got to move beyond flirty intrigue and literary banter and see Garak as someone who’s proactively committed to goals that Bashir can respect. If they’re coming together as a couple, it’s because their aims and beliefs have come into alignment in some way.

And to be fair, a lot of post-canon Cardassia stuff is doing the latter. But I also want more… conflict within that framework, I guess? I don’t want a romantic relationship and the act of getting together to be the endpoint of whatever reconciliation of values they need to work through. And that’s part of what I’m trying to untangle in planning this fic of mine - especially regarding how fraught romantic commitment feels for them. For Bashir, there’s the problem of not only reconciling himself with what Garak has done, but also of choosing to be with someone whose impulses and entire cultural belief system places duty and institutional loyalty above personal feelings. And for Garak, there’s the fact that the most devoted and emotionally intense relationship he’s had in his life thus far has been with Tain, who embodied Cardassia for him - and as a result, I doubt he quite knows what to do with the possibility of a serious relationship with Bashir, who is very emphatically not Cardassia. He’s not used to being divided in his passions!

It’s not that I’m never capable of being moved by post-canon stuff that involves Bashir being charmed by how slippery Garak is, or them generally being quippy and fond of each other (I’m not made of stone here). But I’m never satisfied with just that, because that escapist element never feels like it translates well from the early seasons of the show to post-canon, and because it never engages with what I find the most fascinating about what’s set up with their whole dynamic. (And I especially dislike it when it feels like Bashir’s character is getting shortchanged in terms of his complexity and moral convictions being excised in order for Garak to get everything he wants.)

[kehideni]

The time has come... the aroacest person ever will rant about how in LMK Wukong's feelings regarding Macaque were hinted at.

And by hinted at i mean that ultimatelly it can still be platonic but yeah i get why people ship it. I'm grumbling over here like

so you can think of me as a reluctant shipper. (ugh)

Jesus Christ... how do i even start...

I guess with readmore because i'm going to talk about the whole entire show so far. Which means Spoilers for Season 5 (and 4... but like that's been out for a year now)

Also before i start, i'm not gonna talk about Macaque's pov in this because he is even more obvious than Wukong and people talk about him all the time. I should know i'm one of them.

S1E9 "Macaque"

First and foremost it's not much, but SWK's reaction to seeing Macaque for the first time in who knows how long is legit suspicious, not because it's anything special but specifically because it's such a toned down reaction. Even if SWK doesn't know that Macaque is supposed to be dead, Mac has been suggested to be at least MIA since their mysterious fight. He wasn't goofing around, he wasn't taking it lightly, but also he didn't take Macaque's appearance with the weight you'd think he should.

Let's just do a little mental gymnastics: In your mind replace SWK with MK and Macaque with Mei. Imagine that Mei has Macaque's backstory and MK has SWK's. Two long time best friends, with a serious fallout, Mei goes MIA and then comes back. Do you think MK would react the same way SWK did in the episode? Obviously not.

Now i know Wukong is rather secretive, exspecially in S1-3(for plot reasons) but the thing is, that DBK was also SWK's friend, a very dear one at that. His reaction to DBK is goofy, light spirited, hardly interferes with the MK vs DBK fight. He wasn't really shush-shush about missing DBK's company. (S2E2 Revenge of the Spider Queen)

In contrast to that, when he finds out Macaque is back he doesn't take it lightly, no goofing off, but also doesn't seem to want to fight Macaque? In this episode all he does is make Mac back off from MK. I guess he wouldn't want to, of course, but yeah had Mac been anyone else, Wukong would be actively working on how to get rid of him. Ie.: Lady Bone Demon or even the Major("how about him? Is he part of your destiny?" bit)

And we do know SWK was holding back, as he wooped Macaque's behind when he was possessed by LBD no problem.

S2E1 "Happy New Year"

SWK: "It's called misdirection."

MK: "Seems like a shady lesson."

SWK: "Too soon, buddy."

It's not really saying much- again-, after all it's just a one liner joke. It's just that no comparable joke was made in any other character's expense. Also the annotation in SWK's voice wasn't really silly. A "can't decide if i'm supposed to smile at the pun or feel sorry for SWK" thing.

(Now while we are ignoring Mac's side of things, rewatching Shadowplay while having S5 knowledge, it's kind of haunting what kind of parallels the show is drawing between MK and Macaque of all things but moving ooooooon~)

In most of Season 3, Wukong is back to his monkey-ing around personality. S3E1 "On the run" he behaves the same way he'd with DBK.

The next of note episode is pretty far off in S3E9 "The king, the prince, and the shadow"

The importance of this scene

specifically Wukong's expression, is that funnily enough, he believed completely that Macaque was working for LBD, when in truth he was going behind her back the whole time, working towards his own agenda (ie.: freeing himself from her) and also thought he could fool Macaque.

Macaque on the other hand easily read Wukong's intention, something that Nezha fell for completely, that the rings were fake. (Macaque knows Wukong better than Wukong knows Macaque.)

That means, at this point Wukong was convinced that Macaque is a bad guy (something he will mention right at the beginning of Season 5) and still he did not hurt him. He later on almost did, yes, but did not need much convincing from Tang to leave him be.

"If you hurt that kid, i'll..."

"What? Make things worse for MK?"

*cuts to that scene

Obviously intentional poetic positioning, reflecting Macaque in a position that is suggested to be the "made things worse for him" thing that Mac is referring to. Yadda yadda, had Wukong not killed him the LBD would not have her claws in Macaque right now as she wouldn't have resurrected him. *is still a hella sketchy story with holes and i don't intend to make Wukong out to be the bad guy, i'm working with what the show is er... showing us/telling us* !Which is fine!!! The story is on going!!! They choose to tell it as teeth-pullingly slow as possible for plot convenience! Sit down, we all know the truth will be far more nuanced than it was presented in S3

But to get back to Wukong's pov, if you notice, after he hears that Macaque is not loyal to the LBD he tries to tell him that he has a plan, one- presumably (if Mac would have listened) -Wukong would have involved him in. Possibly even help him get free from LBD.

Next in line would be the parallel drawn between Mei and Macaque

Wukong was impulsive way back then and now, hurting "those that care about you the most" But yeah... Macaque's line is also incriminating "She's completely out of control, if there's a time to go it is now."

MK countering it that- paraphrasing now but -"bruh that's not really a punk rock thing to do." Possible reason for ^ that cut to Wukong's reaction is that Macaque's line opened up some scars. Hearing that he'd abandon you when things go wrong is very much the first wound that SWK and Macaque suffered in their friendship (from Wukong's side, again imma just ignore Macaque's side in this post but so help me if anyone goes on a comment rampage about how Macaque is truely a piece of shit i will just tell you to go watch the whole series again because whole ass plotlines and characterDEVELOPMENTS fly right by you)

Nezha: "She controlled the fire? This is impossible."

^ Wukong getting a front row seat view of what could have been had they not given up on each other with Macaque.

"Mei was right, i need to stop dragging you into my fights."

ehm... you guys hear it too i'm sure, but we will get to that later

(On a slight tangent... actually i do recommend a rewatch of the show because LBD's lines get so much more meaning. Macaque specifically gets added to the destiny speech all the time, which is funny considering he should know all about destiny and he is the most againts the idea of a destiny existing, Macaque refuses his own powers???And i do believe Macaque has his future-knowing powers because he has reaction time to things that didn't even start happening yet such as LBD throwing the girl away, hiding from Azure and co. when he shouldn't have known they are free, etc.)

On another cute little side note, Nezha said Wukong is not a loner, no matter how much he seems to be.

Lookit that happy smile, fighting along side all his fwiends awww, go you funky little monkey man

This ending scene for it's few seconds is packed with things to point out. "I hate that guy so much, always acting like he's so cool." Literally no one ever said that or thought that Wukong. That was your take on Macaque's behavior. When i first saw that scene my thought was that "Yeah if i were Macaque i'd have left too."

Or even this gag bit can suggest Wukong being out of balance once Macaque leaves.

Stress eating...

Season 4 goes a bit more into detail concerning Wukong's issues

"Forever is a long time bud, trust me." Shows two monkeys hanging around, eating fruit, doing whatever they want.

So the scroll gets opened, and in no practicular order characters are shown that Wukong feels guilty about, looks properly sad when they show. The stress lines around his eyes start showing after Macaque is shown

Flashback scene, kinda is a thing in season 4 that Wukong is much more physically affectionate than Macaque

not gonna do more screenshots because i could literally just post the clip but the thing that we can take away from these is that Wukong insisted on including Macaque

"You're really going through with this?"

"Correction, WE are going through with this." i'm choosing to take it as a tie back to Nezha's line of Wukong not liking being alone.

Much of the brotherhood doesn't seem to actually care for Macaque and Macaque seems to not care for the brotherhood either. And Peng isn't even our first clue for this, since DBK and Macaque have been around since Season 1 and they have yet to interact with each other, eventhough they are sworn brothers too. Azure Lion and Yellow Tusk if name drop Macaque once the whole season, and Peng is the most vocal about their dislike/hatered of Macaque. (Also when the scroll wants to traumatise Azure it only uses Peng and Yellow Tusk)

You can headcanon that Macaque joined the brotherhood only because Wukong is there, but also it's not really a stretch to think that it was actually Wukong that wanted Macaque in the brotherhood and Macaque just agreed to join because Wukong insisted. Either and both can be true.

I just posted this screenshot because Wukong's face made me laugh.

Wukong being the only one paying attention to Macaque's thoughts and feelings, even if ultimately he brushes them under the rug. (Which says more about the brotherhood than Wukong actually...because the brotherhood just about ignored Macaque completely. Wukong paid attention but ya know... big plans and big dreams require big actions)

His speech is a nice promise, but the annotation is on "like we always wanted". The whole quote going: "Relax bud, when this is over we'll be back here basking in the Sun, getting fat on fruit for the rest of ... well forever!! Like we always wanted."

Since it's a conversation with only Wukong and Macaque in the shot, we as the audience are clued in that it was specifically the dream of those two, not the whole brotherhood.

Btw rewatching the episode, Azure says Wukong had the habit of keeping people at arm's lenght, like bruh that's a straight on lie.

(lmao that Tang joke with the water :'D not thirsty, Tang?)

Now Azure when talking with MK, showing him select few scenes to make himself look the victim says one thing. That Wukong imprisoned them. Did not kill, imprison.

I said this before, i will say it here too. Why would Wukong, who is closest to Macaque from the brotherhood, imprison everyone else, but specifically kill Macaque? Nah ah, i'm pretty sure that was not how it went down. But that's a to be cleared thing for season 6 hopefully.

As.... hilarious as this picture is, it's kinda proof of Wukong's sentimentality.

Finally i arrive at S4E11 A lifetime of mistakes

Nothing much to say about this scene, it speaks for itself.

"Everything i did was for us!" This sentence alone means Wukong's fear of death extended to Macaque. Macaque said that Wukong feared death more than anything which is true, but whenever Wukong talked about his goals the emphasis was on them together spending forever with whatever they wanted.

Third time reminding you of Nezha's statement, that Wukong is not a loner. Something that Azure flat out lied about, telling MK that Wukong kept them at arm's lenght.

It's 2+2 guys... spending eternity alone is boring as fk, of course you need a buddy. And a buddy just as immortal as you, since we know the heartbreak that comes with an immortal - mortal friendship. To the mortal that friendship is for lifetime, to that immortal it's just a small chapter of their lives. Wukong really DID do everything for Macaque, but well... he went overboard, like MK said. He could have stopped right here, he already had his wish:

They already were sitting in the sun, eating fruit and doing whatever they wanted.

But now look at thoooose stress lines

While the show doesn't even suggest what Wukong's full punishment was -because let's keep it PG it is still a kids show- Wukong also just lost his best friend.

In Season 4 peaches were the symbol of their friendship, something that Wukong -probably just out of sheer anger- rejected from Macaque in this scene, only for Macaque to crush said peach in answer and throw it away. My guys, this was an ugly UGLY divorce. Thing is that had cooler heads prevailed, they probably wouldn't have had this fight here. It's dressed up as a gag line, but Wukong says he really wanted that peach.

In the scroll MK and Macaque follow the memories that Wukong punched himself through, trying to find some good ones AKA memories with MK. Wukong saw this memory too, which was the last memory before MK and Mac found Wukong.

After seeing this memory and deciding to escape it he stopped in the next one. Meaning this memory is the freshest Wukong is thinking about.

"I just wanted to protect the people i care about." *camera angles to Macaque.

MK then quotes Wukong saying that maybe they can't fix everything, but they just have to leave it better than they found it. That's just another way to say "fix" btw... and he looks to Macaque, because that's what he wants to fix most.

Well he has an eternity to do it.

He was legit asking permission from Macaque here, idk what for if you are the Monkey King you don't need permission, right?

Next episode "The Plan man" starts with something i already said:

Wukong is looking for Macaque when he notices he is not in the heroic pose with the rest of them. Showing once again, where Wukong's priority laid. He needs to make sure he still has his buddy by him. Kinda going into Sun Mumkong mode, embarassing Macaque:

Do note, Wukong verbally said he wanted all of them to have the "happily ever after" but before that talk with Azure, Macaque was emphasized.

And the thing is, at first i thought, surely i'm reading far too much into this, but this weird Macaque-prioritising will appear in Season 5 too. We will get to that.

This was Wukong's wish, to not be alone.

Anyways, show uppy "tsundere" way of expressing, that he is happy Mac is there.

Like i said, peaches in season 4 were a metaphor for their friendship. Handing Mac a peach ice cream is kinda his way of saying "friends?" but maybe in a different way. The "try again" button in the game if you will.

Season 5 however hooo boi...

I ran out of pictures/post so i'll have to make a part 2, which will be season 5.

[ashysmultifandomcatdump]

Rambles about my Lord Wander AU yippee :)

finally Properly drew my lord wander design...he's basically the same but with more sharp edges (inspired by craig mccracken's concept sketches!) and a goofy outfit for when he's Eviling Out with s shooting star motif on it to contrast lord dom's bleeding heart!!! he does have a suit which the shooting star would be more Clear on but i have yet to get around to drawing it...i have been thinking about this AU for over a year now and i think i've finally figured out enough to talk about it so i will under the cut :)

i think for Structural Purposes i will talk about dominator and sylvia first. wander and dom are the only main swaps in this AU (with a smaller swap i think between the hat and dombots because it's Fun) so everyone else stays the same, though due to sylvia's proximity to dom, she has a significant enough change to discuss!!! (i am gonna sneakily reuse art from my last post for this bit hehe)

dee and sylvia travel around together on their own ship! i think the overall tone would be opposite the actual show—while WOY having wander as the main character has it be a goofy, silly show about love and friendship that's interrupted by dominator who's more serious and designed to be more like an anime villain—the tone of the AU with dee at the head would have it be more generally serious and wander's presence brings in something a bit goofier (this is kinda what he does in the show anyway. like everyone takes things seriously and then wander doesn't and people learn from him)! so dee and sylvia are both more keen to use a bit of Violence to get through everything. though that's not to say there's No goofiness, of course there is i mean. when your main opponent is lord hater of course there is!!! dom's also a menace to him like wander is, just in a bit of a different way. they just normally show up and beat them and hater doesn't react well to that of course—his degradation as a villain still ends up happening

dee also builds her little bot friends, for both practical purposes and companionship purposes :) she still names them in numbers though, not out of lack of care she is just absolutely dogshit at naming, forgive her

anyway a reason i brought up the tone thing is that wander isn't necessarily revealed just in the 'season 2' of the AU. there's kind of a looming threat in the background contributing to that. it's gone by lots of different names in lots of different galaxies, but generally is referred to as The End of the Galaxy (or just The End for short!). as suggested by the name, loads of different galaxies have been destroyed in the past. kind of like a force of nature. survivors don't really seem to be sure what exactly it is, only that it's been called by a different name each time, and nobody could stop it before it was too late. and guess who that is!!!!!!!!!!

our silly little friend whom we love the best!!!!!!!

i REALLY REALLY love roleswaps that keep the characters' personalities as intact as possible and that's what i tried to do here!! this guy may be evil as hell, but he's still Wander. he loves friends and having fun and still has that cheery attitude! he almost seems completely harmless at first! and that is part of the Plot in my head is, actually. my first ever thoughts of that spurned the creation this AU were him being a seemingly completely innocuous recurring character throughout the first 'season' of the AU, just showing up at random times, being Wander, you know. all that stuff. with the main gang not really paying him any mind, calling him a 'wandering weirdo' (since he always disappears before they can actually ask what his name is...). and none of them recognize him as The End until he actually reveals himself.

but see, he's actually grown quite attached to them! through all his time following them around, he thinks oh...aren't these folks just lovely!! he truly actually sees him as his friends. and so to honor their wonderful nickname for him, and to pay homage to his dear buddy hater, he decided his name this time around would be Lord Wander! and he'd be a Professional Villain, so they could hang out even more!! isn't he just so nice!!!

and he just doesn't seem to play by the rules at all...while they're trying to fight him, he's giggling and dodging out of the way, hitting them with...pies? just generally bugs bunny-ing out on them? he spends his time messing with them, annoying them, all the same insisting he won't fight because it's Too Violent—you know, the guy who's Killing People. it frustrates them all and he has such fun Playing with them...except dee.

one of my favorite things in the show is how wander just straight up does not like dominator. so i felt it'd be funny to keep that. dee ignores him when he's being all zany like that and he HATES her for it. he won't say it Directly, but it's kinda clear in his attitude how much she annoys him. and with all his Evilness, this would not lead to good things.

another thing about the way He Is is his exemplified traits of the other characters. like how dom was more excitable than wander, tougher than sylvia, more evil than hater and smarter than peepers; lord wander i think would be more chaotic than dom, faster than sylvia, more obsessive than hater, and more strategic than peepers (spinel if you're reading this Thank You for those last two).

anddddd i also must mention his luck because that's Very interesting in this scenario...i do think he has some form of Natural Luck Magic, and he does still have his hat (there's lots i have in mind about the hat. but i won't get into it right now), but a non-insignificant portion of his luck in the show does come from the good karma he receives from helping others. meanwhile lord wander does lots of Bad Things. does he rack up bad karma? does he do good deeds when not Eviling Out in order to cancel it out? i had these same questions a year ago and honestly i am not sure which i want to go with. both are fascinating to me

i do think that unlike dominator he would be in some way redeemable. i don't have his entire methods and motivations mapped out yet, but it's hard to find a way where he just Wouldn't be redeemable. because he's wander. you know? unlike dominator being lonely being why she didn't just kill everyone, wander does genuinely see them as his friends. he's just got a really, REALLY fucked up way of showing it. i've even considered the idea that he doesn't Actually go out of his way to kill people and only destroys the planets, making sure there are survivors but Hmmmmm i don't know about that one. it's a tough balance trying to make sure he's an actual threat. but it is something i consider. him being like a natural disaster in a sense.

this ended up being very disjointed but iiiii needed to get my thoughts Properly out there. here's the twitter thread i made last year of my initial thoughts. i Do have More in my head but i'm not really sure how to get them down in a way that makes sense...i would love to talk more about it though (especially since i have not talked much about the others other than wander. sorry he is my favorite. but i do think about the others A Lot i just didn't know what things to talk about hegshgshhg) so if anyone wants to hear more insane ramblings👍👍👍tell me👍👍👍👍👍👍i'm not normal about it👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[reading-sea-shells]

One Piece Chapter #0001

*attention, there are references to spoilers regarding both Wano and Elbaff

The first diference between the anime and manga version is the way we are introduced to Luffy. While I would've enjoyed to know how he got his scar earlier on, I also enjoyed the first ep when I watched it back then.

More importantly, I love how Luffy has been fascinated with freedom since the very beggining, and has a reason to associate it with a pirate's life.

I also love to see the contrast between how Ben and Shanks talk to baby Luffy

It's also interesting how that it takes Luffy quite some time to eat the full fruit. The first time we see him with it is when the mountain bandits enter the tavern, and he only finishes it when they leave, so it could be possible that the true nature of the fruit made a situation where the red head pirates would be too busy to keep an eye on it. It's a bit frustrating that we still don't know if Shanks understood the true nature of the gum gum fruit, though I personally believe he did.

Not only that, but given the current news about Shanks' origins, the scene of him cleaning the broken bottle is even more endearing. It makes is clear he enjoys and treasures the simple life he has right now. I miss seeing him this at peace.

Something else I find interesting is that Shanks perfectly encapsulates the dicotomy of sillyness and seriousness that defines the whole series. He is just a goofy guy for most of the chapter, but when something serious happens we see him switch his attitude, and the rest of the crew do the same. We know that they are not morons just living an easy life and see that they understand very well the way the world works when you are a pirate, another thing Luffy will remember when he leaves for the sea.

I thought I was done with the chapter, BUT NO. The reason why Luffy is captured and Shanks looses his arm is because the Mountain bandits called Shanks a coward. Which, at least in the english translation is the same insult Loki used that led to Luffy getting agressive imediately. I don't think that this paralel is particularly plot relevant (ie it's not like Loki is going to turn around and say he saw everything since Luffy was 7), but I like how years later the same insult towards Shanks drew the same reaction (albeit more sucessful) from Luffy. However, this narration makes me a bit uneasy.

I love that we get to see Shanks overpower the sea king with what we now understand to be the conqueror's haki, which is fantastic, since it means the first ever chapter of one piece covered the two fundamentals of high end combat in its world (the devil fruits and haki).

[synergysilhouette]

An alternate take on "Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas" (2003)

I'm back with another Dreamworks rewrite! To be honest, I LOATHE this movie because a lot of it feels like wasted potential, and I wanted to fix some things. Be warned: as you may have guessed, this is all subjective changes. Be sure to check out my rewrite of "El Dorado" as well!

Character overhaul for Sinbad. Similar to Flynn Rider, he's supposed to come off as charming and clever, but instead just comes off--to me, at least--as sleazy and goofy. Sinbad has good moments, but he's willing to let his own best friend die because he believes Proteus' father won't let him die. He's right about Dymas, but Sinbad underestimates Proteus' integrity, showing how little he knows his friend. In fact, he doesn't really change gears until Eris attempts to deceive him; the whole journey, he comes off as arrogant and pompous, not at all likeable except when he saves Proteus on impulse at the beginning. In my rewrite, he's much more smooth and intelligent, calm and logical, in contrast to Proteus' more emotional and compassionate personality. He's much more honorable--YES, he's still a pirate--and is much less bold, ie showing up to Syracuse in disguise in order not to rouse suspicion or get Proteus in trouble. He may or may not still be seducing and stealing while he's there, though. And even though it won't impact the plot much, I'd make him Middle Eastern as a nod to the original cycle of stories (IDK if it was confirmed if he was Greek or not).

2. Fleshing out the crew more. While Sinbad's crew is made up of unique characters, they don't feel like people to me. They mainly seem to exist for comedy and due to the fact that Sinbad can't man the ship alone. This critique is rather vague since I don't have specific things that I'd change, but having more conversations with them between themselves, as well as with others (such as Marina, Sinbad, and Proteus) would've made them feel like actual characters to me. Kale and Rat in particular feel like they could be even more interesting.

3. Marina is...different. Let me make something clear: I'm TIRED of battle of the sexes dynamics in movies that don't revolve around gender. And I hate how the writers decided to hurt Proteus by making Marina his fiance and then have her fall in love with Sinbad. Instead, Marina is a noble, but not the firstborn, and thus has a bit more flexibility under her belt for her life decisions--though when she decides to join Sinbad, it's still met with an uproar from the bureaucracy. Sinbad recognizes her intelligence and combat skills, as well as her desire to explore, so he accepts her as a crewmember, since he thinks he needs all the help he can get. Some crewmembers do try to charm and flirt with her, but as time goes on, this becomes more platonic rather than serious; I know the optics of a shipfull of thirsty men and one woman can be...uncomfortable, to say the least.

4. Proteus breaks--I'd like to think that Dymas succeeds in getting Proteus away from Syracuse--albeit against Proteus' will--and instead takes his place, knowing someone will have to answer for this. This would happen around the middle of the film, and Eris sees this as an interesting turn of events. She uses her powers to kidnap Proteus and bring him to Tartarus, allowing him to see everything that is occurring and has occurred during Sinbad's journey--albeit with a bit of twists. Eris makes it look like Sinbad DID steal the book of peace, and that even though he ventures to Tartarus, it's all a ruse, as he has the book in his possession in exchange for riches that only a goddess can give. Proteus has a hard time believing this (especially when it comes from a goddess of chaos), but slowly he does begin to wonder if he had too much faith in Sinbad, and if their friendship was based on him desperate to escape the confines of his station. As such, Proteus makes his own deal with Eris to test Sinbad's character. Eris attempts to trick Sinbad by asking him which is more important: restoring peace or getting his friend back. Despite his friendship with Proteus, he recognizes how Eris stealing the book will create destruction much greater than he can comprehend. That said, he lies and says that Proteus is more important, but Eris sees through his lies and sends him away--albeit with Proteus, who bitterly wonders why Sinbad bothered to lie. They fight, but when Sinbad can't bring himself to harm his friend, they reconcile so that Sinbad can face the consequences of the stolen book and Proteus face his punishment for escaping.

5. MORE. FLASHBACKS. We had a lot of "tell, don't show" in the original film, and it made the events weigh less than if we had seen them ourselves. Anyone else mad they have concept art of Sinbad and Proteus as kids implying we'd actually see what Proteus sees in Sinbad?

6. The duality of Eris. In Hesiod's "Works and Days," Eris is the name of two deities, one who is beloved once you come to understand her, and another who is feared and despised--but still given her dues since she's a goddess. In my version, Eris is the antagonist, but is more troublesome than completely evil; she wreaks havoc and thrives in discord, but is unable to break a vow that she makes (as far as we know). It'd be fun if throughout the story, we see Eris doing things on a whim, both helping and hurting others rather than just enjoying destruction. However, this duality makes her VERY untrustworthy to mortals, since in my version, the two goddesses are one, so you never knew who you'll be dealing with. Her duality would essentially serve as a metaphor for trustworthiness and change; is Sinbad the thief completely selfish? Is Proteus the gentle prince incapable of corruption? And I'd make the Book of Peace a highly coveted commodity; Syracuse is a paradise since the book offers them riches and prosperity (still distributed unevenly among the masses, mind you), so once it's gone, the kingdom is thrown into disruption, and the threat of invasion and collapse is very real.

7. The journey is different. I do like the idea that Eris is a bit more present rather than being an observer, and throughout the journey, she tests Sinbad's mettle and attitude, wondering if he's willing to sacrifice his morals or his crew in order to get the book of peace. The sirens sing of knowledge beyond the mortal realm, but Sinbad is unwilling to risk his crew going mad for that knowledge. The following trials also test his intelligence and integrity, as well as furthering his bond with Marina.

These are just some ideas, but I do think I'd enjoy "Sinbad" if it had incorporated some of these concepts. Lemme know what you think of this alternate take!

[sketching-shark]

It is wild to me that Monkie Kid is like… “Sun Wukong, you goofed around during a serious ceremony and fucked up the Samadhi Fire ritual. 🖕🖕🖕 for a thousand years. Find the nearest lake and drown yourself. We are going to beat you verbally and in at least one instance physically over the head with it.”

And then turns around and says “Macaque, you intentionally released the Samadhi Fire in a bid to spare your own life, by holding a young lady hostage and threatening to murder her violently. It’s time to give you an olive branch, upon which no one will care about your violent, cruel, and spiteful misdeeds ever again.”

“Anyways, time to scream at Sun Wukong again.”

tbh anon I'm not sure if a guy who's general thoughts about JTTW retellings are usually along the lines of "there should be more body horror in this" would the best to comment on a silly goofy lego show, but here's me whining about a cartoon under the cut so as usual avert thine eyes if you don't want to read all of that lol

ha. yeaugh. full disclosure anon especially because maybe things have changed, and I'm in full realization that I'm probably blowing things out of proportion, but I did not see the most recent season because at this point Monkie Kid just makes me feel sad. Basically I went from being excited for the adventures to hoping Sun Wukong would get to be at least quasi-competent to just feeling depressed that all MK really seems to have gotten from being SWK's tudi at the end of the day is one horrific trauma after another all while the monkey king himself stumbles around with good intentions but in practice usually making everything 1000x worse than it had to be.

Like yea of course we can talk about the actions of the obvious villains, but there is this pretty awful connection between all of them from the Demon Bull King to the Lady Bone Demon to the Azure Lion that they only were as successful in committing their horrors as they were specifically because of things that the Monkey King did or failed to do. (In particular its kind of wild that the Azure Lion got stuck by Sun Wukong in a torture scroll for like 1000 years before his body and soul were obliterated like god damn it would have been kinder to just kill him the first time around. This lego show sure is good at making literal former warlord og classic Monkey King look good in comparison asfgrefaw).

And sure, you could say that that's all part of this overall lesson that it's bad and self-defeating to think you can tackle all of the world's problems on your own, but it's been clear for awhile now that when it comes time to yell at someone on team good guy it's primarily SWK who gets any flak for his actions. All while he never gets to say anything to defend himself, because there is no defending anything he did. And a lot of these writing choices seems to be to frame Macaque as a monkey who, by direct contrast, never did anything problematic, or at least nothing so terrible it's worth dwelling on. Sure, he repeatedly beat the living hell out of MK and threatened Mei's life, but it's obvious that as far as the plot is concerned none of that matters at all. And when Macaque blamed SWK for everything that went wrong between them, called him a terrible teacher, said he was a lazy jerk who only ever makes things go from bad to worse, well gosh darn if the show didn't go out of its way to confirm all of these accusations. So while the end result is the obvious fandom and canon meow-meow Macaque being fully exonerated and a firm member of team good guy, it also means that it's difficult to understand why any one of them would even want to be around SWK at all at this point, given the extent to which he badly hurt them all and helped to put the entire universe in danger repeatedly.

tbh, at this point it's kind of hard NOT to feel like every member of team monkie, especially MK himself, would be a lot better off if SWK had just left them alone.

:(

[thats-rough-buddy04]

Season 2- Voltron Rewatch

I absolutely binged this season in two days, I feel like I’m injecting this show into my veins. I was sewing though, I was being productive while I watched it.

Anyway this season was a lot better than season 1, there still is the pacing problem which I feel will continue cause just how short the seasons are. 7 eps I saw is one season…Again bring back 20 eps seasons!!!! This season was such a Keith and Shiro season which is fine because I like them alot. They both get more fleshed out more and feel like a well rounded character. Allura as well gets some character growth which I’ll get into in a second. From the first episode I already liked the season more. We see Keith and Shiro actually act like siblings in the way they interact with each other which in contrast in the first season we got a hug in the first ep and that’s that. It’s nice to actually show that they have a closer relationship with each other than anyone else in the group. Like in the last ep everyone is running to the hanger to see if Shiro is ok and Keith is the one running the fastest looking the most concerned. It’s little stuff like that actually makes me go yeah their brothers.

Space Mall and The Blade Marmora were my favorites this season. Space Mall being a more chill romp where there was not a life threatening event happening. I though the B and C plot where also fun. Shiro connecting with the Black Lion and Allura doing silly stuff with the mice.

I also really like this one random characters design, like it’s such a cute design. The Blade of Marmora was the Keith ep, him learning who he truly is. He’s willing to put his life on the line to know the secrets the Blade was withholding. Keith and Shiro are my favorite to watch fight so an ep where Keith is fighting for the most of it is an A+

They do this thing towards the end of the season where they recap the last two seasons. They act as if it’s been a longtime and as a viewer I felt not a lot of time past because of how quick the show is. Shiro is like yeah we won’t need Voltron anymore and it’s kinda stupid because from what I’ve seen they haven’t been doing the whole the saving the universe thing very long. I

The last ep was just fighting and that’s fine, I’m watching show about a giant mech I wanna watch them fight in that mech. So when Zarkon uses a mech as well, it was great because again I’m a sucker for mech fights. Also the animation really popped off during the fight. I was devastated when Thace died cause I don’t know why but I really liked him for like his zero screentime.

Characters

Shiro: Again like I said, he feels more fleshed out this season. I enjoy seeing him not being like just the serious leader, but also caring and brotherly. Not just with Keith but we him be a brother like figure to Pidge. He also loses cool with Slav, snapping at him. It’s funny and again just shows more of him. One thing I didn’t say about him in the first season is I don’t get Shiro’s hair. Like why is there just a tuff of long hair and then the rest is super short. I might be missing something but I just don’t get it.

Hunk: Not a lot changes with his character this season, he becomes more of a comedic relief character which in my opinion isn’t bad. Like he isn’t hilarious with some of the stuff he says but it’s not unbearable and most of the one liners are quickly moved on from. I like in Space Mall, we see him take charge of the kitchen. I like that his thing is that he like to cook, it’s cute.

Pidge: Her character again feels the same, she gets her moments to shine and forms a deeper connection with her lion. Her whole thing is she is a tech nerd but it’s done not in an annoying way where she has an ego or anything. With Pidge we are still following her as she tries to find her brother, I’m excited to rewatch it as it unfolds.

Coran: he’s still silly and goofy. I do really like we get to see him be more of a fatherly figure to Allura, which I love those types of dynamics between characters

Allura: I love her! She gets an arc this season that I thought was done well. When Keith gets revealed to be Galra, she of course struggles with that because Galra Empire took everything from her. The way it’s done is that unlike other shows where someone might be like oh you should apologize or talk to him, she just does it on her own. She realizes that she was wrong to judge Keith or think less of him because of who he is and she voices that to him, giving him an explanation on why she acted the way she did but still apologizes. Keith and her hug which was super cute and it reminded me how little I see platonic displays of affection between women and men in media. I love her interactions with the mice, it’s super adorable. She kicks massive ass in the last episode and that was hype, we stan a woman who is can be prim and proper and then kick ass. Gee I hope nothing bad happens to her

Keith: This was his season!!! We got more to his character, instead of just broody guy who can fight, we get someone who is struggling to figure out who they are and finding a place to belong. The reason why I liked this change so much is because it’s an easy thing to relate to and so as the viewer you want him to figure out the piece of himself he missing. Him figuring out he is Galra unlocks the next part of his character arc which he even says which is finding out more about his family. Keith is still reckless and acts about the same as season one but seeing his vulnerability makes him feel like a well rounded character. Seeing his dad was interesting and it showed how important his dad is to him. I was shocked by the southern accent I will say. Like I knew he was from Texas but I did not remember Keith’s dad with a southern accents. They should have given Keith one tbh. I learned that he is not canonically Korean but Keith is canonically Asian just not specified. In my eyes he’ll always be Korean though. Like everyone has a canon ethnicity while his is literally half human half Galra. I just don’t get it.

Lance: I’m waiting….I’m waiting for something to happen with him like he had stayed the exact same from ep 1 of s1 except for in Escape from Beta Traz we see a glimpse of some insecurity. He questions his place in Voltron, he feels he isn’t on par with everyone else. Unless I missed something this is the only time we see him not being well..him since the last when he talks about missing home. His insecurity isn’t even a main focus of the episode it’s so small that it’s “solved” also within the ep. Lance makes a good shot then Shiro praises him. I’m not saying he isn’t still insecure, Lance is insecure I feel would not be a big of a tag on ao3 if this one a one episode sort of thing. But from just watching the episode appears like oop my problems are solved. I’m sure we’ll get plenty of Lance insecurity in the upcoming seasons, or at least I hope. He is funnier this season thankfully, I actually laughed a few times. I wanna make it apparent Lance has been one of my all time favorite characters for years. I just don’t remember much of the show, my perception of him for the last couple years has been all fanon content.

Klance: Very little Klance action this season. Keith and Lance barely interacted except for when they got stuck in elevator. Which was fun, I like their interactions but it was very sparse this season. Everyone was paired up for missions and they never were together. I’m curious what started the craze of them because there is not a whole lot to go off of in the first two seasons. I watched the show as it was coming out but I was pretty young so I didnt have social media till basically the show was ending. So I don’t really know how this ship got so popular so quick, I know some stuff but I don’t know if that all there is to it.

I’m scared to continue only because I know what lies ahead.

[greenplantlizard]

toQger VS kyoryuger!!!

the time has finally come to wrap up that one plot threat from kyoryuger that got randomly opened up

LADY IS HERE!!!!!!! YIPPEEEEEEEEEE

just realised the cell patterns on the zorima suits don't match up at the back,,,

noooo don't remind me that daigo and amy got in a relationship, i will never recover

anyway sup kyoryuger!!!

unfortunately there wasn't time in the last vs movie for the toQgers to know what a kyoryuger is

daigo's terrifying haircut

you heard it here first!!! previous rangers get magic public transport passes

lmao z is Not interested until the toQgers get brought up

king, you're standing on shaky ground when you call the toQgers childish, literal children they may be, but you, user of such powers as "fart gas" and "become ball" are very much in a glass house here

i mean i get it but it is very funny to me

loving utchy's enthusiasm

well, this may be the first time two consecutive sentai series have had monsters that can't be defeated by each others teams

i love the contrast between the usual 'hmmm i from one team don't believe the other team is ready' and the samurai bromance going on between the 6th rangers

i hear the sound of early bird ninjas on the wind,,,

a little earlier than i expected

never seen a monster ungrowing in sentai before

actually that's a lie i totally have lol

oh hey we're bringing in the kid forms for this

BABY UTCHY???

meanwhile the kyoryugers are having a whole different story

im glad ian confirmed he's not a pedophile, though i dont know why he went out of his way to say that, that was weird

looks like we've got to work together!!!

king, i know you're used to being The Guy, but lay off man

toQ children

we love backwards compatibility in sentai

MAIKI REFERENCE

i love the toQgers randomly changing size mid combat because obviously they're not gonna make kids do the stunts

bro got told to fuck off and was like "uhhh mr emperor of darkness,,,, you fuck off"

fucking disintegrated him

HELLO???? GIANT TRAIN MAN????

LMAO WHAT THIS IS AWESOME ACTUALLY

you don't see both teams get to show off their ultimate mechas that often in these

oh wow they win

oh yeah devius i forgot he was here

awwww they're all sleepy after being blasted in the face with fuckoff laser lightning,,,

have you ever driven batteries like trains before?

damn the scene of the toQgers facing up to the raised stakes is really good actually

akira is big

HIIII CANDERILA AND LUCKYURO

i love the movie trying to make it look as if the kyoryugers are so much more serious than the toQgers and then luckyuro shows up with all of the cymbal and horn sound effects

torin's ghost calling in from the piss dimension i see

LMAO HE RESURRECTED THE FUCKING DINING SET BROS?

and so it is up to toQ #1 to fight dinosaur sentai's latest evil god LMAO HI DAIGO LITERALLY INCAPABLE OF LETTING ANYONE ELSE FIGHT A FINAL BATTLE I SEE

lol im not actually mad of course the two reds would fight together, i just think it's funny after kyoryuger's goofy final battle where it eventually comes doing to Literally Just Daigo 'King' Kiryu fighting the final boss

"wrong, this is where i die, you die over there"

ian you are not an honorary member of the ladies im sorry

beep beep

both greens bonding over being the same archetype lol

damn devius growls so deeply it sounds like an engine revving up

yet another blow to space travel

LMAO AMY WITH THE REFERENCE TO KYORYUGER'S FINAL BATTLE

i mean of course he's not dead yet

ayyyyyyy i was wondering where the spirit rangers were

but it's the second ones, which means more women, so wins!!!

lmao shadow line :D

oh THERE'S the long rollcall!!!

there goes all of the pyrotechnics budget

devius is kinda a glass cannon huh

and that's all!!! :D fun time :)))

[1358456]

Substories

So, when it comes to playing games like Yakuza or Red Dead Redemption, there are a lot of substories/stranger missions that are... well, wild. Yakuza substories are generally crazier, though that might just be because of the sheer number of them. But there are some goofy side events that can happen amidst a super serious plot, whether that'd be winning a turkey dinner by scoring a turkey in bowling, only to end up with a live chicken which then you hire as a manager for your real estate business (Yakuza 0), or finding a guy who lost his exotic animals he brought for his animal wrangling show, and so you have to go catch them for him, so you go find his "zebra" which turned out to be a mule painted over, a "lion" which was a dog that got eaten by a "tiger" which was a cougar, and then the other "lion" which turned out to be an actual lion (Red Dead Redemption 2).

I love these kinds of side stuff, and I think it'd be fun to incorporate these kinds of things into short stories or whatnot, but the issue was... who is the best suitable for these goofy side events? I need a character who's serious enough that these goofy events create a bit of amusing contrast, and also someone who can be "convinced" to help out in these situations. There are plenty of serious Dex Holders, but not a lot are suitable.

Silver could work. But I think he'll only be convinced if the one convincing is a friend. Which greatly limits the variance of weird stuff that can happen, but would still be amusing.

Crystal: "Hey Silver, can I ask for a favor?" Silver: "Hm? What is it?" Crystal: "See, there's going to be an event at the Violet City orphanage, but the mascot ran off at the last minute. So can you put on the mascot outfit and hang out with the kids?" Silver: "... What kind of mascot?" Crystal: "This is what it looks like." Silver: "... What... in the world is that?!" Crystal: "I don't know either, but I can assure you it's a mascot of... some sort."

But I think the best candidate for the new "side story implementation" would be...

Scarlet. Her deadly-ass expression contrasts nicely to goofy side stuff, and she has canonically been "convinced" into doing things she doesn't want to do because of food... er... money reasons.

And this ties in nicely with that idea of giving her a resurrected Kabutops skeleton.

Scarlet: "Can I get paid now?" Scientist: "Not yet! I have to use this machine first! And now, behold! The magic of science!" Scarlet: "... It still looks like a Kabutops skeleton." Scientist: "But... why? It's supposed to live again!" Scarlet: "Oh look. It's walking. And now it fell apart, and... now it's reassembling itself." Scientist: "But... but... where is its flesh? Did I mess up somewhere? Did I get the wrong species of flowers?" Scarlet: "That's what the flowers were for?" Scientist: "Oh. I see. I needed a pound of flour, not a pound of flowers!" Scarlet: "So I destroyed every garden in 4 towns all because you read the instructions wrong? ... Can I just get paid so I can go?"

Hehe. Oh, the possibilities...

White: "Hey Scarlet, what are... Why are you dressed as Santa Claus, and why are you holding a candy cane colored crowbar?" Scarlet: "... Mind your own business."

[vamptastic]

spoilers ahead if you haven't listened to wolf 359 and you like scifi and/or story podcasts (or if you don't wanna read a long analysis post) PLEASE go watch it and ignore the rest of the post. its so so so good i promise.

so ive been re-listening to wolf 359 for probably the fifth time on my weird old outdated patched version of spotify. and spotify does this weird thing where if you play something else, then come back to a podcast ep you're not finished with it goes back a minute or so, presumably to help you remember what was going on. and i usually skip the last few minutes of each ep when the barrage of ads starts. which means that as i go back and listen to it for the nth time, if i forget to manually skip to the next episode, each episode starts by playing the last minute or so of the ep until i find my phone and rewind.

and its actually been a shockingly fun way to relisten, especially as the show goes further and further from silly goofy space hijinks to serious suspenseful drama (with occasional hijinks). i'm just struck by how purposeful each episode is later on in the show (and earlier, but the episodes get more...purposeful as the plot starts reaching its climax). there's exceptions, obviously, but the general structure is half the characters doing something silly, while the other half do something important and serious, and the two contrast each other. and even though the two situations seem disparate and tonally opposite at first, they always end up being more of a parallel than a foil by the end. usually, this kind of dawns me in an "oh, that's what the point of this episode was" moment brought on by the last few minutes of the episode.

one of my favorite episodes, ep 34 "a matter of perspective" is a great example. half the crew is trying to restore the signal for alien transmissions, the other half is playing a terrible board game. this is also in the pivotal part of the show before our evil corporate overlords show up where we're getting to know jacobi, maxwell, and keppler in a relatively short period of time compared to the rest of the cast, and i'm always impressed by how fleshed out they were when they got a lot less screentime.

anyway the contrast here is really interesting. keppler is demanding the impossible from eiffel, and the rest of the crew sans jacobi are trying to win an impossible game (the accursed funzo). at the end of the episode, jacobi explains why keppler is doing what he's doing (side note: the whole military "demand the impossible from your subordinates" thing is so insane), and keppler remembers the end to his joke: the pig, despite its usefulness, despite the fact that it does fucking taxes, is still being eaten. slowly but surely. it's such good insight into kepplers character its such good writing! he is a corporate slave who doesn't realize it, he is a deeply talented man who is letting his entire life be consumed by people who do not care about him and his wants and needs and happiness for a cause he will eventually learn is abjectly evil. meanwhile, maxwell, hera, lovelace, and minkowski finish their game of funzo by collectively losing after playing for 10 hours. they are also pouring time and energy into something pointless! everybody loses!

anyway the reason i even mention the whole spotify rewinding thing is that i never really noticed the point of this episode until i listened to the end of the pig joke first. which is probably on me, the metaphor is really obvious in hindsight, but up until now i just thought of the funzo part of the episode as haha silly board game time. having the thesis of the episode presented first is making me realize how genius the writing was in episodes i previously didn't get. i think the entire show is kinda like this, i could listen to it an endless number of times because each and every episode has some kind of double meaning that isn't always initially obvious, especially when you go in blind not knowing that things are getting serious.

the only other work i've read so far that does something similar is probably house of leaves, which is designed to make you read it over and over and search for meaning and has 3+ plots occurring at any given moment. i'm just really struck by how masterful the writing in wolf 359 is that it can achieve a similar feat without the meta elements, nebulous plot, and multiple narrators that house of leaves has.

short version: i think it's really fucking cool how the end of each wolf 359 episode presents the thesis of the episode in a non-obvious way, and listening to the series while having the last few minutes presented first is helping me understand what episodes i didn't previously appreciate were trying to get across. wolf 359 is really fucking good, basically.

[space-feminist]

elaborating on my tags on this post: i am genuinely stunned that there's discourse over izzy's role in s2. like izzy has always been essential to the show. his status as the "one human in a muppet movie" (as people put it) gave the show stakes and grounded it when otherwise its goofy characters could just make it all insincere. con o'neill delivering this deeply serious dramatic performance made the whimsy and comedy feel earned, helped bring home the contrast between the two worlds we see colliding. the show is a comedy but also plays with genre a bit, raising the stakes for some action and drama at times, and izzy's presence helps manage those genre shifts, lets us know that more serious things are possible in-universe so they don't feel so out-of-left-field when they occur. the fact that there are people stunned by his presence this season really explains why the ofmd fandom has this reputation for being tenderqueer and ~wholesome~ to a fault despite the show not being like that. people reject a pivotal plot-driving character that makes the show what it is

[bitegore]

new game + 33 and 100 pls?

33: Every Lie by My Darkest Days

This is a really generic breakup song but I like to sort of deliberately side-interpret things that aren't explicitly ruled against, and I was forced to read a biography that was 80% cheesy spy novel bullshit instead of factual yesterday so it's on the mind and I just watched an interesting g1 episode with Mirage, so all of that comes together to mean that I'd like to interpret shit like

Surrounded by every lie that won't come true Now you wanna take the time, now why would you? Think you're gonna make it right, but how could you? So I can't stay, surrounded by (surrounded by) every lie

through the (to-me) more interesting lens of spy shit.

Jazz is kind of the archetypal Bondian spy, and if you tie yourself into knots (read the lyrics closely while ignoring the tone for point and idea, then flip the pronouns from "I" to "you" and use that for tone) a little bit, you can make the case for this being a Bondian "cool epic gigachad coolguy dude gets the secrets and also finds the hottest girl in the building and has sex with her and she turns out to be an enemy spy who falls in love with him and can't do her job right" type story, and just focus in on that last bit.

Making Soundwave the Bond girl is immediately appealing but also really low-hanging and not that interesting. So I'm leaning toward either Rumble and/or Frenzy or Ravage, suddenly discovering their loyalties are under much more strain than they thought they were. And of course Megatron is Mr Evil Genius or whatever and shit.

From there it's all about writing Jazz and Jazz and not Jazz as Mr James Bond In Metal Now, and playing up the contrast between the actual plot (tv drama goofy shit) and his brain ("am i supposed to be believing this? did you get this idea from a tv drama?") for humor

100: A Little Faster by There For Tomorrow

There is literally nowhere I can go with this that doesn't end at Starscream -> Megatron in some way. I think what I'm thinking is. like. Early IDW, so a break from the new normal from me, I suppose, lol - in the very brief era where Starscream was an apparent fanboy of Megatron's work in the gladiatorial ring.

Starscream and Megatron are distant friends and close coworkers. Megatron is a figurehead already, and Starscream is efficient and effective and they work less as Megatron over Starscream so much as Megatron+Starscream - one team, planning things out. In these days Starscream and Megatron are equals.

There's a sequence of this - five or six scenes, maybe, at most a thousand words - detailing Megatron asking Starscream's advice, them slowly getting to know each other, Starscream being turned to before Megatron as the military voice in the room alongside Soundwave. Power clustering where Starscream believes he deserves it, around his fingers.

Then we skip ahead - to the early-mid war period, before Cybertron is uninhabitable but reaching a point for certain. This one is short - Starscream looking out across Cybertron's melting skyline, over the heads of a bunch of other commanders in a meeting, as everyone clamors for Megatron's opinion on some tactic and no one asks him. He's not the only mission commander any more, and he's not the only military mind. He's not irreplaceable, and he's finding that out as he's being replaced.

Then toward later, near the beginning of what happens on Earth with the whole serious-assassination-attempt deal.

Only now do we come to the part that makes this song relevant:

I'm sure it tasted oh so sweet But it was never good enough for me I bit the tongue behind my teeth ... You said you'd always keep your word Show me what you're after I thought you promised me the world Tell me what you're after Go on and take it way too far Cause here we are, waiting once again Show me what you're after Just a little faster, now

See what I mean?

Starscream takes a step to go get what he's been waiting for. Faster didn't come fast enough. Basically an Infiltration retelling from Starscream's point of view, and he is PISSED.

[fmp2rubix1786]

Vampires Suck (2010).

AI Prompt: Vampires Suck (2010).

Vampires Suck (2010)

Director: Jason Friedberg, Aaron Seltzer Writers: Jason Friedberg, Aaron Seltzer Main Parody Targets: Twilight series, along with other vampire-themed films and TV shows.

Overview

Vampires Suck (2010) is another parody comedy directed by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer, the team responsible for films like Scary Movie, Epic Movie, and Meet the Spartans. As with their other works, the film focuses on making fun of contemporary pop culture phenomena, specifically the Twilight saga, which was incredibly popular at the time.

Parody Elements in Vampires Suck

1. Parody of Twilight

Vampires Suck primarily targets the Twilight series, particularly the first film and its key characters. The movie exaggerates the romantic tension between the Becca and Edward characters, with Becca acting as a clumsy, overly dramatic, and sometimes self-aware parody of Kristen Stewart's Bella Swan. The character of Edward is made even more exaggerated, with his supernatural coldness and brooding demeanor mocked relentlessly.

There’s a constant focus on the absurd in Twilight’s plot elements, such as Edward’s ability to sparkle in the sunlight, which is humorously pointed out and used as a running joke. Instead of the serene, mystical beauty of Twilight, the sparkling effect is turned into something goofy and ridiculous.

The love triangle between Becca, Edward, and Jacob is also spoofed. In the movie, the relationships are exaggerated to the point of absurdity, with characters making overly dramatic, corny lines, as well as delivering dialogue that echoes the excessive romantic tension in Twilight.

2. Vampires and Supernatural Tropes

The film parodies a variety of vampire and supernatural tropes beyond Twilight. While most of the attention is focused on the vampire angle, there are also nods to werewolves (particularly through the character of Jacob Black, who is turned into a werewolf parody in the film), and other creature-based humor.

There’s a “vampire vs. werewolf” rivalry, with characters engaging in absurd arguments and battles that echo the overused tropes in vampire fiction. These conflicts are played for laughs, especially with the werewolves having weird, awkward moments and being treated as a joke in contrast to the dramatic nature of their depiction in other films.

3. Parody of Vampire Movies and TV Shows

Aside from Twilight, Vampires Suck parodies other popular vampire films and TV shows of the time, like True Blood and Interview with the Vampire. These films are referenced through cameo appearances or exaggerated character traits, creating a comedic contrast with the serious tone of the original works.

The vampire mythology is poked fun at, with characters displaying absurd powers or abilities (such as constantly needing to hide their fangs in plain sight), playing with the expectations audiences have from traditional vampire lore.

4. Romantic Comedy Tropes

The film also parodies the broader romantic comedy genre, mocking the often formulaic plotlines of "awkward girl meets perfect boy" and "love triangle that tests their affections." Becca is depicted as an awkward, clumsy girl who becomes involved in a love triangle with Edward and Jacob, and the exaggerated interactions and misunderstandings between the characters are a clear send-up of romantic cliches seen in many romantic comedies.

Sexual innuendos and embarrassing romantic moments are played up for laughs. The overly intense emotional moments are often undercut with humor, reflecting the general trend in parody films of pushing the emotional extremes for comedic effect.

5. Slapstick Humor and Sight Gags

Much of the film’s humor comes from slapstick comedy and visual gags. There are absurd situations, such as characters falling into ridiculous scenarios that play off of popular moments in the Twilight series. For example, the infamous baseball scene from Twilight is spoofed with absurd physical humor and exaggerated action.

In addition to visual gags, the movie uses constant pop culture references and absurd jokes, such as turning supernatural elements like vampirism and werewolf transformations into more mundane and silly occurrences. Constant self-awareness in the characters helps add to the meta-humor that is typical of a parody.

Conclusion

Vampires Suck (2010) is another parody film in the style of Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer’s other works, full of absurd humor, pop culture references, and over-the-top spoofs. While it primarily targets the Twilight saga, the film also goes after other vampire-related media and romantic tropes, offering a comedic take on the world of vampires, werewolves, and supernatural love stories.

This is a trailer to the film. It is clearly a parody of Twilight. A Little inappropriate in places, but some parts were quite funny.

[angelo-the-whistleblower]

Part 14 - Incoming Text for Liv Tyler (@misslivalittle) and Liam Hemsworth (@liamhemsworth) and Jessica ‘Simply Jess’ Marquez (@iamjessmarquez): “An Idea Worth a Billion Dollars”

Question:

Could you dive deep into the funny storyline of Kurt Owen (played by Dax Shepard) and Emile Greenfield (played by Eddie Redmayne), similar to how you broke down the Harold Brooks and Sheriff Andrew Chevy characters? Please provide detailed explanations of their personalities, their interactions, and how they contribute to the overall narrative.

Eddie Redmayne - Wikipedia - (click on the blue link)

Dax Shepard - Wikipedia - (click on the blue link)

Ben Schwartz - Wikipedia - (click on the blue link)

ChatGPT Answer:

Sure! Here's a detailed breakdown of the characters Kurt Owen (Dax Shepard) and Emile Greenfield (Eddie Redmayne), as they fit into the larger narrative:

1. Kurt Owen (Dax Shepard) - The Oblivious Car Thief

Personality and Background: Kurt Owen, played by Dax Shepard, is a charming but completely oblivious car thief. He has no real understanding of the gravity of the situation he's in, which makes him an ideal comedic foil. Kurt is depicted as an amateur car thief who steals vehicles on a whim. He’s a bit of a loner but is also extremely personable, making him a fun and relatable character. Despite being a criminal, Kurt is not malicious; he’s more like a goofy, careless guy who just wants an easy life, and he’s constantly trying to make ends meet.

Comedic Elements: Kurt’s biggest comedic trait is his naivety. He doesn’t realize that the person he’s hanging out with, Emile Greenfield, is actually a superhuman who escaped a high-security government prison. Kurt treats Emile like just another normal person and is completely unaware of his powers, making his interactions with Emile laugh-out-loud funny. For example, when they steal cars together, Kurt is amazed by Emile’s ability to jump-start cars without setting off alarms or wiring them in the traditional way. Kurt even starts to see Emile as a good luck charm, unknowingly bonding with a superhuman alien on the run.

Their Relationship: The dynamic between Kurt and Emile is the core of the humor for these characters. Kurt’s ignorance leads to humorous situations, especially when he begins to think that Emile’s superhuman abilities are just quirky talents. The best part is that Emile plays along with Kurt’s lack of awareness, making fun of him in subtle ways but also building an odd friendship. This relationship works because Kurt is unconditionally kind and believes that Emile is just an ordinary person with some odd skills, which leads to hilarious moments as the two get into trouble together. They bond over their shared interest in stealing cars, and Kurt eventually decides to “adopt” Emile as a kind of goofy companion.

Contribution to the Larger Narrative: Kurt and Emile’s story is a mix of comedy and action. They become an unlikely duo, and their misadventures add a much-needed lightheartedness to the otherwise chaotic world of the "Paranormal abilities" sector. Kurt’s complete oblivion to Emile’s real identity as a superhuman alien creates tension when they’re later involved in more dangerous situations, adding humor to the more serious elements of the plot. As the story progresses, Kurt starts to develop a fondness for Emile, seeing him as a kindred spirit despite the extraordinary circumstances surrounding him.

2. Emile Greenfield (Eddie Redmayne) - The Escaped Superhuman Alien

Personality and Background: Emile Greenfield, played by Eddie Redmayne, is an extremely complex character. On one hand, he’s a superhuman alien with abilities that make him far more dangerous than he lets on. On the other hand, he’s surprisingly down-to-earth and relatable, which contrasts with the often grandiose superhero narratives we see in many films. Emile’s escape from the “Paranormal abilities” sector marks a major turning point in the movie, and he becomes an interesting mix of someone out of place and someone with unmatched abilities.

Comedic Elements: Emile’s humor stems largely from his interactions with Kurt. While Emile is highly intelligent, he plays the role of the "dumb" companion as he observes Kurt's obliviousness. This is where much of the comedy comes from—Emile’s silent commentary on how ridiculous Kurt is, despite the fact that Emile is a superhuman. Their comedy lies in Emile’s ability to pretend to be clueless when, in reality, he’s quite a sophisticated and capable being. The audience is in on the joke, knowing that Emile is much smarter than he lets on, while Kurt is completely unaware.

His Escape and Motivation: Emile’s escape from the “Paranormal abilities” sector adds a layer of mystery to his character. He is initially locked up in a high-security facility for superpowered individuals, but he manages to escape one night, setting off a massive manhunt. While this adds to the tension and plot of the story, Emile’s motivations are not entirely clear at first, which creates intrigue. It is later revealed that Emile wants to reconnect with his sister, Jennifer Johnson (G-Girl), and this personal journey adds an emotional layer to his character amidst the comedy.

Contribution to the Larger Narrative: Emile’s storyline adds both action and heart to the film. His escape creates chaos and panic in the “Paranormal abilities” sector, which serves as a backdrop for the other characters’ struggles and conflicts. His interactions with Kurt are essential for comic relief, and the bond between them also softens Emile’s more threatening nature. As Emile begins to show signs of vulnerability and humanity, the audience starts to root for him despite his alien origins. He becomes a symbol of the ordinary in the extraordinary world, allowing viewers to see the comedy through his eyes.

Summary of Their Role in the Film:

Comedic Relief and Dynamic: Kurt and Emile’s dynamic brings a balance of absurdity and warmth to the movie. Their comedic chemistry keeps the tone light and humorous, contrasting with the darker, more serious storylines involving the other characters. Their misadventures become some of the funniest moments in the film, particularly due to Kurt’s lack of awareness and Emile’s subtle manipulation of situations.

Further Development Potential: This pairing has massive potential for further comedic exploration in sequels or spin-offs. Kurt’s never-ending obliviousness, paired with Emile’s superhuman intelligence, provides a never-ending source of comedy. Their friendship also offers possibilities for deeper character exploration, as Kurt may start to realize Emile’s true identity, creating room for growth and potential conflict in future films.

In conclusion, Kurt and Emile’s storyline adds a delightful comedic element to the larger narrative of the film. Their contrasting personalities and the unlikely bond they form make for plenty of humorous moments while also contributing to the central plot surrounding the escaped superhuman, Emile Greenfield. As the characters interact and develop over the course of the film, their story proves to be both entertaining and crucial to the overall tone and structure of the movie.