#200 million fucking dollars. you know what could be done with 200 million dollars that isnt 'keep releasing ugly box office failures'

[matoitech]

200 million dollars?? what the hell does disney spend that money on cuz it definitely didnt go into the visuals

[lolahasmoxie]

Merry Little Christmas (J.T.)

Look, it's me writing for someone other than Eddie!

TW: loss of a parent, all the feels.

(takes place in this universe)

Sad Kid check-in for those who are grieving this time of year. Take care of yourselves out there.

Jamie Tartt was many things. Footballer with a right foot blessed by god, a reformed prick, a beloved mama's boy.

He was also upfront and honest, so when you initially had told him your plans for the Christmas break, his response of "That's the saddest shit I've ever heard" hit hard.

The team was off until after the new year, so you had the time to return home. But holidays just weren't the same since your mom had passed away two years prior. So when Jamie asked what your holiday plans were, you said you would Facetime your friends and their kids, bake some cookies, get drunk on boozy eggnog, and cap the night off by watching Die Hard and eating Chinese food.

"No, there's no way I'm gonna let you stay here and have that be your Christmas."

"And how are you gonna stop me? You're going to be 200 miles away in Manchester?"

"Easy," he says as he flashes you a million-dollar smile. "Come with me."

You try to convince Jamie that there is nothing wrong with your plans, but Jamie is persistent. That's how, on December 23rd, you end up on a train with Jamie to return to his hometown. The train ride is quiet and less packed than you thought it would be. Jamie holds your hand the entire time, telling you everything he has planned for you.

Georgie and Simon meet you at the station, and when Georgie pulls you in and gives you a mother's hug, your heart physically aches. But you let her hold you, followed by Simon, before they usher the two of you into the car for the ride home.

Simon has a shepherd's pie waiting, and after you all stuff yourselves, Jamie takes you on a walk through his neighborhood. The streets are quiet as Jamie leads you by the hand to show you his old stomping grounds. When he kisses you under a streetlamp as the snow starts to fall, you think maybe this Christmas won't be that bad.

It's late Christmas Eve. Simon had made a fantastic dinner. All of you had worn colorful paper crowns and opened Christmas Crackers. You had beaten the pants off Jamie playing cards, and he had retaliated by trying to steal as many kisses from you as he could.

Now, it was almost 1am, and you are wide awake. You had quietly come down the stairs and taken a seat in front of the doors that opened onto Georgie's garden. The snow was falling again, and the world looked serene in the moonlight.

His heart breaks when Jamie sees you staring out the glass doors. He knew that things had been off with you, but he knew better than to push. Roy had told him to be patient, which was easier said than done. Jamie hated seeing you upset.

"If you're waiting for Santa, I'm afraid I have some news that might disappoint ya." You turned as Jamie approached you wearing a long-sleeved thermal and black boxer briefs.

"You should be in bed; it's late."

"Could say the same for you." he counters as he moves to sit on the floor behind you. He looks at you expectantly, and when he sees you give him a nod, he quickly wraps his arms around your waist and pulls you between his legs.

You sigh and let yourself relax into Jamie. There's a comfortable silence as the two of you watch the snowfall.

"I'm glad you came with me. And I know you've got something on your mind, but no pressure. Just tell me when you're ready, alright, love?"

Jamie softly runs his nose up and down the side of your neck as he holds you, and the tears that you've been trying to fight for days can't be held back any longer.

"Christmas Eve was my Mom's favorite, and it's the day I miss her most. We would talk and catch up, and I hate that she isn't here. I fucking hate it."

Jamie pulls you closer, hoping he can take some of the weight you're carrying. He's patient as he rocks you, moving to stand only when your crying has stopped.

"Come on," he says softly as he helps you to your feet. "There's my sweet girl."

"I'm all puffy and snotty." you quip as you wipe your eyes with the sleeve of your top.

"Still as beautiful as the first day I met ya."

"You're a liar, but you're sweet." His hands cup your face, and you let him pull you up for a kiss.

"Come on, I have an idea." You furrow your brow as you let Jamie lead you upstairs to the guest bedroom. His bed is simply not an option for two people, so he's joined you in the small guestroom Georgie and Simon had prepared.

"What are we doing?"

"You mentioned Die Hard in your original Christmas Eve plans," he says as he motions for you to climb into the bed. "So that's exactly what we're going to do."

"It's late. Are you sure?"

"I will consider it Christmas only when Hans has fallen off Nakatomi Plaza."

You curl into Jamie's side, and you are asleep before John kills his first terrorist. The snow outside starts to fall harder as Jamie watches you sleep. You lightly stir when he presses kisses into your hair.

"Merry Christmas, sweet girl."

[pretoriafics]

Russian Roulette - Pt. 2

In this series, you will find Alternative Universe, Soulmate plot, Angst, Fluff. In this chapter, you will find: You met the creepy man from the black car, finally! But things began to get weird for you. Word count: 1.560 Pairings: Reader x Derek Original characters of this chapter: Bennie, your host mom; A weird ginger lady Warnings: English is not my main language <3 Yeah, it was based on Russian Roulette by Rihanna Russian Roulette series: Chapter One | Chapter Three RUSSIAN ROULETTE MASTERLIST TEEN WOLF MASTERLIST

You were without a sign of clues.

Well, you were pretty sure that the creepy guy who was talking with Scott and Stiles that day at the school had the answers you were asking for. However, you don't even know his name, and do this question to Scott and Stiles wasn't a viable option. They will never tell you anything about it. You have just one choice: To stay alert and watch things as close as you can.

But, you know, sometimes things happen funnily. The universe has a weird sense of humor.

You were driving through the city in the afternoon, going to get the girls from ballet, and thinking about a plan or something that you could do. Beacon Hills was a tiny city, so if you find out the name of that guy, you could look for a few pieces of information about him. Actually, you were so absorbed in your own thoughts that you just didn't saw the traffic lights become red. The car in front of you stopped, but you didn't stop the car. In fact, when you saw the red light, your eyes got wider and you stepped into the car brake. The loud sound of the tire sliding in the asphalt echoed through the entire street, and your car crashed in the back of the car in front of you.

God, you were so fucked up! You had just screwed the car of your host family! Sebastian and Barbara will be so upset with you!

Immediately, you come out of the car with your face red with anxiety and anger. How could you be so inattentive? But when you saw a man coming out of the car, the color of your face changed from red to white in fear.

You'd just hitten in a black car. A Camaro, you thought without sure. The man was that creepy guy, who you saw talking with Scott and Stiles. Oh, God. You felt your stomach fell in fear, and you froze. He will take a gun to point of you, you are pretty sure about it!

But instead of it, he just looked at you, watching you attentively. His face still looks serious.

"You okay?"

Well, at least he is a polite criminal. Which market does he work at? Is he a drug dealer? A killer? Or he's some kind of... pimp? But why Scott and Stiles would get into a deal or something like that with a pimp?

He doesn't sound like a pimp for you. Actually, he seems like a killer. Maybe he is a killer and a drug dealer...

You breathe in deeply and finally replies him.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm sorry! I don't have so much time with a driver's license. You okay?"

"I noticed that." His eyes become narrowed, and he gave you a discreet smile "Don't worry about me, I'm okay."

He looks at the damage done, and you follow his gaze. Fortunately, you stepped into the car brake soon enough to get just a little smash on both cars. Of course, your low speed helped to minimize the damage.

"Oh, God." You complain, letting out a long sigh. "Wait."

You went back to your car and took a pen and a post-it from the glove compartment. You weren't giving him your phone number just for being fair with him about the accident. It was just an excuse to, finally, find out his name. Quickly, you wrote your name with your phone number and gave the post-it for him.

"Could you give me your phone number? I'll fix your car, don't worry." He told you the numbers, slowly, and you could make the one million dollar question. "Okay. What's your name?"

"Derek Hale."

Oh my gosh, now you know his name! You would finally find out what the heck is going on.

"Alright. I'll send you a message to talk about the car. And sorry!"

Well, you were a lucky Au Pair. Your host family didn't get angry with you. Actually, they were happy you were okay and said that you don't have to worry about the car fix costs. It was great because 200 dollars per week as a salary really wasn't too much money. They just asked you to be careful while driving.

After taking a look at the girls, you ran to your room on the second floor, the last room in the corridor. Quickly, you took the laptop and begun to search on the internet about Derek. You found a piece of news, who was talking about a fire in a house. Reading that news, you found out that it was his house. Almost everybody died, except for Derek and his uncle, Peter, who is actually hospitalized in a clinic, with his whole body burnt.

Well... Maybe you were being unfair to him. It is such a sad history! But you need to continue your search. You need to prove yourself he isn't a criminal or some sort of it because, in the end, you need to protect your boys.

The next day, you were at a restaurant, lunching with Barbara, your host mom, and boss. You call her lovingly Bennie, and she was born and raised in Beacon Hills. If there's one that probably would know about Derek, that person would be her.

"So, Bennie... What about the car fixing?"

"Oh, dear, don't worry about that." She looks at you with a soft smile. "I'd talked with Hale about it. Everything is solved."

"Uh, really? That's great! And what do you know about him?"

Barbara was more than a boss. She was your friend, your second mom. And, sometimes, like every mom, she had the power to let you embarrassed. She was doing it right now, looking at you suggestively.

"Oh, you're interested in him? Why you didn't tell me before? I would talk with him about you! I don't judge you, I mean, all that bad boy kind... Wow! Don't lose this opportunity, girl!"

Bennie has the amazingly cringe-worthy manner ever: she loves to show you a few guys, telling you to call them to date. It wasn't being different now that you're asking her questions about Hale.

"Gosh, Bennie!" You laugh "Luckily Sebastian is not here."

"Well, I met Derek's mom once. He reminds me of her... You know, with all of that 'sweet' personality." Bennie gave a soft smile for you. "But she was a good person. Her name was Talia. Derek was out of the town since a few time ago but seems he came back. I didn't know about it." Bennie narrowed her eyes and gave you a large smile "And you know what? I think Talia would love to meet you!"

"Jesus Christ, Bennie, stop!" You hide your face with one of your hands, blushing while Bennie laughs about your reaction.

"You!"

A female voice came out of nowhere. A ginger woman, with a red dress, approaches you and Bennie. She seems so... Impressed. And she was looking at you.

"Can I help you?" You said, confused.

"I know what are you looking for, (Y/N)."

You froze. How did she know about your name? You had never, ever seen that woman in your entire life.

"...I'm sorry, I don't know-"

"Look for Haytham." She took a pen from her bag and wrote an address on a napkin from the table. A cold shiver ran down your spine when you noticed that her eyes were so empty and distant as a dead body's eyes. "He's a priest. But look at me, child: You are in a decisive moment of your life. You have two paths to choose from. If you continue to look for answers, you will know the truth and the truth is not what you're expecting. This truth will change your life forever, and your life will become a truly Russian roulette, girl. But if you give up on the call of Selene, and give up on your search, your life will be peaceful, but you will spend the entire life knowing that you lost something and you will never know what it is. You will look for something for the rest of your life that you know it's yours, but you will never find it. The choice is yours."

At this moment, you were so terrified, that you have cringed in the chair. Bennie was equally scared, and she was already looking around for some help. Everyone was looking at the table you were on.

Suddenly, after look at you with her dead eyes, the woman fell to the floor, unconscious. Bennie got up from the chair while everybody was looking at the woman, terrified and worried. Bennie instructed you.

"Call an ambulance!"

Terrified and with your hands shaking, you followed her ask while Bennie was watching the lady. As a doctor, Bennie could give her first aid until the ambulance comes in. But when Bennie took the woman's wrist, she contracted her lips in anxiety. Immediately, Bennie put her hands in the woman's chest and...

Oh, Gosh, she was trying to resuscitate the woman.

Bennie was doing a few chest compressions on the woman, which is obviously wasn't a good sign. After a few trying, Bennie shakes her head negatively. Nervous, you asked for her.

"She will be okay?"

Bennie contracts her lips.

"No, (Y/N). She's dead."

[sgt-morgan]

Lucky Kentucky ch. 1

Chapter 2

Hello there, this is my new Rockstar!Bucky x Reader fic. It was heavily inspired by my love of seventies mega rockstars, Almost Famous, Classic Rock, and a little bit of personal whimsy. I hope you enjoy, and read responsibly.

⚠️ WARNING ⚠️ : cussing, sexy times, drugs, booze, smoking, objectification, fornication, liberation, and a litany of other sordid topics and traumas.

Your name didn’t matter, at least not so far as you could tell. They called you Kentucky, sometimes if they felt cheeky, Bluegrass. You liked it, the first band that gave you that name was some shitty college band out of Detroit. They were convinced they were gonna be the next Led Zepplin. They called it quits three years later, a good old fashioned Rock n’ Roll suicide, booze, women, and drugs. The finer things always gets the best amateurs. However, their lead singer had a way with words, he came up with the nickname. He also wrote a beautiful song about a girl named Kentucky, who he just couldn’t swing, some big named country superstar sang the song and the last you’d heard he had been writing for the best of the best since. This earned you your title, Lucky Kentucky. A bit on the nose for your taste, but it made perfect sense. You kept following the music, you went to a band in L.A., the day you left, they signed a record deal with Sony. The next was a little English girl and her backing band, her first tour of England with you landed her a tour of the US faster than they could say ‘Burbon.’

You are what is known in the music business as a road manager, so far as you could tell, this was the job you were born to do. You made schedules, you supplied booze and other artifacts, you got hotels, paid off paparazzi, packed busses, and shoved half out of their mind rock stars on to stages in more countries than you could count, you couldn’t imagine any better life. You were the best of the best, you were who the record company called when everyone else had given up. You were a fixer, and an incredibly talented one at that. You had a gift for taking a mediocre side show band, and turning them into headliners.

So when you got the call from Tony and Pepper that you had to fix The Howling Comandos, you were shocked. They were big time, nothing like your usual fixer upper opener that you could make insta stars. They certainly weren’t your crowd, but you always had a problem saying no to Pepper, Tony’s company manager. Tony was a talented mixer, and a gifted album technician. So when he started his own label, it blew up pretty quickly. The comandos were the first band he signed. They had won Album of the Year their first Grammy season without even batting an eyelash. So once business started booming, Pepper took over the paper work, and Tony did what he did best, Fucking around with a mixing board. You had met them when you started working with Natasha and the Widows, a Blondie style punk outfit. They had a pension for eating men alive. Eventually, it got in the way of their success, so you stepped in and saved the band from total destruction. You and the starks had been thick as theives since.

“Tony, you mean to tell me, that the Commandos, the biggest artists of the decade, need my help?” You scoffed down the line, checking the Widows out of the last hotel of their tour with Greta Van Fleet.

“Yes Bluegrass, I do. Barnes is going through some existential heart break shit ‘cause ole bitch called of the wedding, and fucked the Guitarist of their opener. He’s been all drugs, booze, and sappy shit since, and someone’s gotta get the mother fucker back on stage. I’m Loosing money here Kentucky, something’s gotta give.” Tony sounded livid, there were very few times where Tony was as frazzled as this, so you knew it was serious.

“Alright, but I have conditions.” You sighed, you thought you could hear the sound of Pepper weeping tears of joy, but you couldn’t be sure. “I want the Widows to open, I’m not done with them yet Stark they’ve got some potential that still needs to be tapped. I want Frankie on security, I want Wanda for wardrobe and makeup, I want Vision for my techie, and I’m taking Peter as my Head roadie.” It was a big ask, but if you were doing this, you were gonna need the best possible team.

“Jeez woman, rob the treasure chest would yah? You want all of them? You just asked me for the entire roster. They’re on other tours! I can’t just- HEY! Woman don’t you-“ you heard a slap and an ow, and suddenly you were with the one and only Pepper Potts- Stark.

“Kentucky? You have a deal. You can have the Allstars in three months, everyone’s tours should be wrapping up, that puts you just in time for festival season. You up to it?” Pepper sounded like someone had just kicked her puppy. So you knew, you were the only one that could save the day.

“Virginia? Count me in. Give me the three months to plan and connect with the team and I’ll make sure James Barnes makes it onto that bus.” You could practically taste her relief through the receiver. What had you just signed up for.

————————————————————————

You’d done it. Six months, 7 bus rentals, 75 hotels, 107 plane rides, 20 festivals, 95 shows, 89 cities, and roughly 200 people later, you had managed to construct the American leg of one of the biggest and longest tours you had ever seen. All it took was two months, and 23 bottles of Jack Daniels, and you had done it. Now all you had to do was meet the band, and have your first tour meeting.

You had never been so nervous to meet a group of men in your life. Normally, these meetings we’re pretty laid back and informal. Lots of getting to know you, and goofing off. This time, you were in charge of a multi-million dollar tour that could make or break the band of the decades d ruin your career. No pressure. Needless to say, you were fairly nervous.

You were relieved upon arrival that the first people to make it in were the people who seemed to be the most reliable. Vision and Wanda were quietly whispering  to eachother in the corner as always, their hands gently intertwined as they surveyed the rest of their new subjects. Frankie was standing off in another corner looking like an immovable brick wall. His sunglasses firmly in place on his nose, looking scary as always. Peter was off with the widows flirting with their drummer. You didn’t think it would end well, seeing as MJ was a bit of a hot head, and Peter was akward and nerdy, but to your surprise, they seemed to be getting along swimmingly. Natasha and Carol were staring at a book full of something, if you had to guess, it would be song lyrics of some variety, and to your shock and absolute awe, Peggy had saddled up to Steve Rogers. Steve was the guitarist of the Commandos, and he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying her company. Tony and Pepper were chatting with Clint and Sam the drummer and bassist of the Commandos, and Bruce Banner, your newly appointed second hand. James Barnes was nowhere to be seen.

“Well, well, good to see that most of you have arrived early!” You smirked walking to the head of the table with your big box of tour folders, Peter moving instantly to help you. “If I have not yet made your acquaintance, I am Kentucky, just Kentucky, you may call me Bluegrass or Lucky, but I will always prefer Kentucky. It has come to my immediate attention, that you sorry suckers were in need of a fantastic road manager, and here I am.” You survey the room as you spoke taking into account every face that you could see in the room and making sure everyone was following. “Now, where is James?”

————Some unnamed bar across town ————

Bucky’s head pounded. Wether it was from the booze or the pounding music he had no clue, but he could tell that it was far too early to be in this booth.

“You really went for it last night Barnes,” Bucky looks for the source of the voice to find that, Luke Cage, owner of the best bar in LA, was unloading boxes of tequila into his storage cabinets under the bar. “You shouldn’t have either, you’re late for your tour meeting.”

Bucky absorbed the information, and felt it melt out of his brain as if it were nothing more than an irritating ear worm. “How do you know about that?” He sighed running a hand down his face and slowly standing to grab his leather jacket.

“It’s sharpied onto your arm,” Luke chuckled pointing to Bucky’s right arm in just about the only clean space someone could fine. “Steve came in and did it last night before giving about a hundred dollars to let you sleep it off in that booth.”

“Of course he did,” Bucky scoffed, “the punk never knew when to leave well enough alone.” Bucky quickly slipped his sunglasses over his aching eyes, as he watched Luke slide a cup of coffee across the bar. “Goodbye Luke, your bar is the only thing I’m gonna miss about this town.”

“Goodbye Bucky, the free live music, and the fantastic tips are all I’m going to miss about you boys. I’ll tell Jess you said hello.” And with that final fond farewell, Bucky left Luke’s bar for the last time before he was trapped in a tour bus for six months.

The drive to Stark Records was as second nature to him as tying his shoes. He easily glided in between cars, making record time to his place of employment. He parked his bike next to a slot that occupied the sweetest little red corvette he’s seen in a good while. The tune in the reference catches his brain and he starts to whistle the chorus, wishing the artist formerly known as Prince was still around. He walked past Sharon, the desk clerk, giving her his customary wink and a smirk, stealing a sucker out of her candy dish and wandering into the meeting.

That’s when he saw her, the hottest piece of ass this side of the sunset strip. She looked powerful, she looked commanding, she was covered in tattoos and wearing the best looking little black number. She was saying his name. “Where is James?”

“Right here sweet thing, I hope I’m not too late to the party, I’d hate to miss anything that came out of that pretty little mouth.” Boy was it pretty, the full lips covered in a red shade that he could only seem to imagine smeared all over her moth as she panted his name.

“Ah, yes there he is. Hello, James. Just in time to-”

“James is my dad sugar, I’m sure we can think of something a little more clever for you to-”

“Alright then Junior if you don’t mind, I’m trying to conduct a meeting, and I will not be letting a drunken moron interupt my carefully planned work flow.”

Bucky’s jaw snapped shut as the people around him, some friends and some strangers, laughed at the clever lady’s little barb.

“Alright then, as I was saying, I’m here to help. I believe in the Peter Grant method of representation. The you-have-a-venue-you-want-it-filled-I-have-just-the-band-sixty-forty method.” She said, flipping her hair into a simple bun on the top of her head, which Bucky couldn’t find more attractive if he tried, “I have made hotel arrangements for every show, I have made bus arrangements, I have planned for added shows, and delayed dates. I have brought you the best opener I have, the best artists, roadies, security, and technicians I could scrape together, and most importantly, I have given you my time and my trust. I can make your touring life as easy and as simple as humanly possible, or I could ruin it. However, all I want is to get you out there, grinding again, reminding your fans the reason they love you. All you have to do, is let me work, and focus on the music. Can we do that?”

“Doll? I like the way you think.”

“Junior? It’s gonna be a long fucking six months.”

[wellthatwasaletdown]

I just find it so weird how he went from being so private and undercover with Camille and only ever claimed her after they broke up but he’s doing all of this stuff with Olivia. If you look at all of his old relationships Even though I found it inappropriate and weird I genuinely do you think that he really liked Caroline, I do believe that that Haylor relationship was real even though it didn’t last very long because they probably saw that they weren’t really compatible, I do think Kendall was a little bit of both a little bit of PR and a little bit of they actually liked each other, with Nadine I generally have no idea but I do think it was just a fling, and then back to Kendall I do think again it was a little bit or or and a little big real. And with how private he was you can genuinely see that he really did care about Camille but with Olivia there is no chemistry there. At least with Kendall you could see that he was actually interested in her and did kind of like her but with Harry and Olivia you don’t see the chemistry whatsoever they’re not doing anything to show that they’re actually good matter they’re just getting pictures of them on a yacht taken. They aren’t showing us that there is any chemistry because there isn’t and they can’t fake it. It literally looks like two people who are forced to be kissing and hugging. Why I think they’re pushing it so hard is because if I don’t worry darling tanks at the box office Olivia has two huge movies lined up to direct the Kerry struck by a pig and spider woman and if she bombs at the box office and critically then it’s not gonna look good on her and she might get fired from those two other jobs. Even though she secured them if this movie doesn’t do well then they’re gonna look at her like someone who can’t make movies and can’t sell them. I doubt marvels gonna want her if don’t worry darling tanks because marvel and Sony is billion franchise and if she can’t break a $20 million budget then what makes them think that she could break maybe $100 million budget or a $200 million budget dollar budget. Also if it’s just a bad movie in general than marvel not going to risk having her because marvel doesn’t tabk at the box office nor do they tank review wise so if she fucks this up she’s fucked. Her whole career is on the line. Booksmart was a success because it was not her job originally and everything was already laid out for her and the script was already done. She stole the directing job from someone else and just went off of what they were going to be doing so when you think about it everything was already laid out for her all she had to do was show up but who knows. Also I found the script for don’t worry darling and unless they make some changes I don’t think the movies gonna do well. It’s good for the first half then it’s very still to climactic. They were building it up to be this huge thriller but I kid you not just like me and a lot of people who read the script you were going to be able to guess how this movie ends and how it all plays out

.

[ghostpajamas]

PJ .......do you have any advice for like. art programs and tablets and the like? cause im lookin to upgrade my art set up from my fingie and a samsung tablet the age of a second grader KSALHSJDKSJD. any advice is helpful like what to avoid what to get, etc. im just going around asking other artists what they think.

HMMM! YEAH I COULD PROB GIVE A RUN DOWN OF STUFF I'VE USED AND WOULD/WOULDN'T RECC! do you have a pc or laptop that runs windows? bc thats what i have going on so its basically all i can recc for kkjjjgjjgg

programs

>firealpaca/medibang: FREE!!! theyre basically the same program but medibang has cloud support and firealpaca has onion skin mode for animating. both work very smoothly (even on an ancient pc like mine) and have easy to learn interfaces! this is a big fave recc for beginners and honestly? it holds up, i still use it often. almost no computer strain. 4 stars

>aggie.io: free, in browser, can be used collaboratively. it has good tools ngl. i use it a lot to fuck around with and its pretty functional. id recc it for getting used to a tablet or if you dont want to learn a whole program right of the bat. or just for fun really. low strain. 3.5/4 stars

>paint tool sai: last i checked sai is 40$ish? now, sai is probably my favorite program in the world. it has such a smooth and comfortable brush engine, pretty limited tools (but sai v2 has a text and shape tool, swag), and a very clean ui. it took a bit more time to get the hang of than firealpaca but it's been my go to for 4 years now. low strain 4.5 stars

>photoshop(cs6): a million fucking dollars just pirate it. it has good brushes and tools if you know how to use them but its honestly a huge hassle to figure out how to do basic shit it. i really dont recc it. HIGH strain. 2 stars

>clip studio paint: 50$ but it goes on half off sale like, twice a year. photoshop done RIGHT. clip is very comfortable to learn and it has an online marketplace and forums for downloading other people's brushes/materials and figuring stuff out if you're having a rough time. has just about the same functionality of photoshop but without the brain hell ui. medium-high strain. 4.5 stars

>autodesk sketchbook (pc): free. i used this when i was just starting out back in 2014/15 and its pretty good for goofing around but i dont think i could do serious illustration in it (edit: iprob could if i could get my tablet to work with it). i reopened it a few months ago and i had no idea how to use it. last i checked it had a layer limit of like, 3 but i dont know if thats gone. (edit: it is) low-medium strain. 3.5 stars

tablets

for pen tablets, id recc taping shiny paper on the surface bc they (wacom tablets specifically) have rough surfaces that eat through your nib like candy

>wacom intuos pen and touch (small, old version): 200$, it was good. it broke for a while bc tea spilled all over it and the cord fell in yogurt but i excavated it from the attic and it works fine now? setup is pretty easy but wacom product constantly want driver updates. has an eraser and 2 buttons on the pen. 4 on the tablet, comes with 3 spare nibs. 3.5 stars

>wacom intuos pro (small): 250$, this baby was smoother and had a nicer pen, ngl. it also needed constant driver updates which was a real hassle. has an eraser and 2 more pronounced buttons on the pen. good pen weight. 6 buttons and a touch wheel on the tablet. comes with 10 spare nibs (variety set) and a pen stand. 4.5 stars

>xp-pen 13.3 inch monitor tablet: 300$, set-up was a BIG hassle but i havent had to update the driver since and it works very smoothly. 6 buttons on the tablet, 2 on the pen, no pen eraser. comes with 10 spare nibs, a glove, pen stand/a tube to keep it in, a screen protector (that i removed like a fool). no tilt support (i dont like tilt anyway so it wasnt a problem for me). requires an hdmi port on your computer. id say it's pretty good for the price, though i do still like pen tablets. 4.5 stars

for starter tablets id recc xp-pen or huion pen tablets bc they go for like, 40-60$ dollars and i hear theyre pretty good. or! i think wacom has some pretty cheap tablets available. a wacom intuos small is about 80$.

haha this was really long sorry. i hope it helps, good luck, evan!!! ❤️❤️❤️

[hippychick006]

15.13: Destiny’s Child - Episode Review/Recap

[Image of episode missing, because out of 15 photos of the promo, only 1 photo was of Sam and Dean and it wasn’t that good.  Other 14 photos were a combination of Ruby, Jo, Castiel and Jack - I shit you not]

I think this episode highlights beautifully many of the issues I and I know a lot of other people are having with the show.

The highlights of the episode are undoubtedly the scenes where AU Sam and Dean interact with our Sam and Dean.  This is why I make a big deal of how much they are being paid per episode. Look at what happens when you write for the people earning the quarter of a million dollars in the episode.  Look what happens when you have it just be them, with no “fan favourite” side characters to pander to.  Chemistry happens, and watering that down or separating it entirely, adding someone into it or trying to force it between characters who just don’t have it, is one of the shows biggest issues in recent seasons and largest contributor to people not watching live or choosing not to watch at all because without that chemistry that made the show special, what are you left with?

Drabbernatural my friends, that’s what you’re left with.

The lowlights of the episode are all the scenes that have been written to pander to a small percentage of the watching audience, so pretty much the rest of the episode in all honesty.  

Under a cut because some people are in denial.

THEN

Flashback to Castiel watching porn about a pizza man.  All that’s in my head from this is Meg!  I think we’re getting Meg (let’s be real, I know we’re getting Meg as it’s already been on my dash, but I would have still thought this regardless of spoilers).  There it is, there’s the canon Megstiel kiss 😍. I’m amazed Dabb managed to keep his big mouth shut on this spoiler.  Anyway, skip this in the entirety to move onto...

NOW

Loved, loved, loved this opening scene. 🥰. Loved everything about it from start to finish.  No complaints whatsoever.

We start with Sam and Dean.  Just Sam and Dean like the good old days 😍. I can’t believe how happy that makes me and they haven’t done anything yet.  

Sam’s going through the books, Dean’s on the laptop, barely any space between them and they appear to be trying to find where Chuck is. They seem to be having no luck.

Sam: Any sign of him? Dean: Nah, nothing yet.  Chucks probably trashing a few dozen universes outside of CNN’s range.

They hear a noise and rush to investigate.  They see a bright light filtering through the bottom of the door of one the rooms. As they look at it, the light (as well as the noise) disappears.  Instantly in hunter mode, Dean indicates for Sam to open the door and they see…

A tiny car that I thought was a mini but have been reliably informed by someone much more knowledgeable than me (which isn’t too difficult tbh) is a Fiat 500. Thank you @alexa-alcantara​.  It’s a cute little car, and a beautiful colour but my own experience of owning a Fiat is not a good memory.  My garage telling me they call them the “Fix It Again Tony” of cars did not help me look any more favourably at them, but on the plus side, I built up a good relationship with my garage from the many hours I spent there.  The car is in front of a portal so it’s clear it’s just come through from one of the other worlds.

Emerging from that cute little car is 12’ 6” of muscle in the form of AU Winchesters.  The car practically groans in relief (I do see it lift up slightly) as they get out to the tune of “I want you” by Savage Garden.” Thank you once again Shazam as I’m as shit on music as I am at identifying cars.  

Did I say I love this scene?  I just…love this entire scene. AU Dean’s in the driving seat (of course), We see AU Sam’s foot emerge and he has no socks on – which I’m wondering is a shoutout to that photo shoot they had with no socks. Possibly it’s the fashion right now which I know even less about than cars or music. The entire scene, it’s just… perfection.  It’s just so well shot, I love that AU Sam and Dean could not be more different from our Sam and Dean from their clothes to the hair. I’ve fallen in love with both these new characters within a 10 second timeframe and they haven’t even spoken yet! That is the genius of Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles on screen, together, without extras, supported by the entire crew from special effects through to wardrobe.  They can all bring their A game which makes it all the more disappointing in the scenes and episodes where they don’t bother.

AU Dean looks back at the portal they came through.

AU SAM: Bro…We did it

AU Sam and Dean fist bump at their success and I’m in danger of losing it.  😂 Side note to size kinkers; that is not Jared and Jensen’s hands there 😂. Hey, no judging from this blog, but I personally don’t consider Jared “huge” and Jensen “tiny”, but you do you.

AU Sam and Dean are too flushed with their own success of getting through the portal to notice our Sam and Dean yet.  Meanwhile, our Sam and Dean are looking at the new arrivals with increasing horror.

AU Dean finally notices our Dean and we get the “Sam” “Dean” “Dean” “Sam” exchange between the four of them.

AU Sam and Dean: What the heck? Our Sam and Dean: What the hell?

Somewhere, I’m hoping that there’s an AU world where they say, “What the fuck?” because I think that would really please Jared.

Each look horrified at the other – I think AU!Sam may be on the point of tears seeing his doppelgänger dressed in plaid.

The portal starts making a loud ominous noise, AU Dean says “aw nuts” and AU Sam and Dean look at each other before the portal goes haywire, exploding in a bright white light, causing our versions to shield their eyes.  When they look back up, AU Winchesters, the car and the portal have all disappeared and the room is back to normal.

What the Heck?  You bring them back right now show!  Don’t be bringing in waste of space or “fan favourite” characters when all I want is these two.  

Sadly, the show does not listen, and we’re forced against our will onto the next scene.

Sam and Dean are explaining to waste of space that a rift opened in the armoury (is that right? I didn’t see any weapons in that room, but it sounded like he said armoury).  Sam says two guys stepped out that looked just like them. Dean: except not, and don’t even get me started about the car. Waste of space does not understand which is his standard operating procedure since his first episode tbh.  I’m not sure if this is still supposed to be funny; it’s been 11 years since season 4. 😴. 

Dean says welcome to the club.  

What?  The dumbass club?  Sam and Dean are such dumbasses that they need Billie to suddenly appear to confirm they’ve met an AU version of themselves running from their reality. Seriously?  😡. They know other worlds are being destroyed, they rescued Kaia from one in the process of being destroyed and that was only last week!  They don’t think that other Sam and Deans in other universes are going to be figuring out what’s happening and trying to do something to stop it?  It doesn’t make sense.  Sam and Dean do reckless things, but they aren’t dumb. 😡

As an aside, what I loved about the AU Sam and Dean we just met, is that they didn’t try to save their world, they were only interested in saving their own pretty asses by trying to jump worlds and I love how different they are from our Sam and Dean who would, and have, sacrificed themselves in a heartbeat to save their world.

I used to like Billie but all the monologuing over the last couple of episodes is 😴 which is not the actresses fault, but there are also some issues with delivery of the lines (because it’s boring). Key point from this entire boring scene is:

Billie: He’s almost done, wrapping up all those other worlds and when he is…Sam: it’s our turn

Billie agrees and says they need to be prepared.  She has the next step… for Jack.

Jack appears on cue, eating a sandwich.  He says he’s ready and feeling good about it.  I’m feeling I’m missing a scene somewhere. Did he already have a chat with Billie, so he knows what she’s about to say?  I’m not sure but don’t care enough to spend any time on it.

Billy monologues that the first quest (eating the hearts) was to strengthen Jack’s body. Step 2 is more spiritual in nature.

Waste of space: can you be more specific? Me: you’re that asshole that asks questions during presentations, aren’t you? Give her a chance to monologue ffs.  She was just about to tell us before your unnecessary interruption. I don’t even have a clue what your contribution to this scene is, other than pre-emptory meltdown avoidance of 200 accounts on twitter.  Death: Jack needs to find the occultum Sam: the occultum? Occultum, that’s Latin for… hidden. Where do we find it? Me: you’re so smart 😍 Death (sarcastic): I don’t know… It’s hidden

Ah yes, a side character making the Winchesters look stupid never gets old. 🙄

Anyway, more boring monologuing later, it’s been hidden for centuries, it’s sacred and potent.  It’s not a weapon per se but it’s powerful.

Dean(sarcastically): Okay, thanks, big help.

She asks Jack if he’s ready and he says he is. She says that’s good, that they have to be ready and vigilant and not stupid (looks at the Winchesters).  Dean’s eyeroll matches mine almost exactly.  Sick, fed up of the Winchesters being called stupid by side characters.  Oh, I said that already.  Well I am!

Avoiding this scene in future and moving on.

Sam and Dean are researching the occultum.  Or at least Sam’s researching and ranting about the occultum, but Deans playing with an elastic band and barely listening. Sam gets his attention and asks what he’s doing. Dean’s thinking about things and how if Jack kills god, that still leaves “you know who”. Sam says: Amara. Dean thinks that if Jack kills god, he’ll have to kill her too, because if you take Chuck off the board, that throws things out of balance and the world ends. If there’s no God or Darkness, nothing is out of balance.

Sam: Okay, Yeah, but who takes over, Jack?

Dean contemplates that and is about to answer when Jack walks in, blowing a bubblegum bubble and announcing he just learned how to do that.

Dean turns back to Sam: Probably not

I love little scenes like this, zero pandering, just classic Supernatural and classic Dean. 😍

Overall, it was another good brother scene (taking aside the boring plot which we can’t do anything about).

Parents Sam and Dean speak to Jack about how he’s going to take down Chuck because Billie hasn’t been clear on the plan.

Dean: Yeah, when you go up against Chuck, you’re gonna what? (makes boxing moves), duck and weave, or just go in for the full smite? 😂

My Dean is back with the one liners in this episode and I love him.  

Jack: Yeah, you know, something like that

Dean’s face. 😂

Unsurprisingly Sam and Dean are not reassured, they’re about to ask more questions when waste of space walks in and good news guys!  Unbelievably, He has information from fellow waste of space/plot device Sergei (does waste of space only have one contact?).  The show aren’t even trying anymore with this shit. Istg. 🙄 Ah what would we do without waste of space?  Definitely have a much more decent episode if I’m going to be perfectly honest.

Anyway, when waste of space announces who he has information from:

Dean: Him? Are we that desperate? 😂

Of course, Sergei knows about the occultum 🙄. He would have been extremely useful to have had around in the early seasons. Each episode would have been tied up in 30 seconds with one phonecall to the font of all knowledge.  I hate characters like this and the laziness of the writing to continue to fallback on him.

Supernatural writer: Hey boss, I’m stuck a little on the occultum storyline Dabb: Have you tried using waste of space and Sergei? Supernatural writer: I didn’t think of that! Great idea, thanks!  I guess that’s why you’re the boss! Me: 🙄 you lazy 🤬

Waste of space monologues about the occultum and what happened to it, he starts off that its divine in origin and was housed in a temple for hundreds of years before…

Dean: it was plundered by pirates! Waste of space: No Dean: it was dug up by tomb raiders! Waste of space: No Dean: it was seized by the king of the dead and his war lords.  Am I close? Waste of space: looted by invading mongol hoardes for trade on the black market Dean: on the black market (looks at Sam) That’s what I thought. I was going to say that next, that was the next one.

Sam indulges his hunter husband.  Oh wait, this is our Sam and Dean, not the AU version.  Rewinds to check.  No, Sam is indulging his hunter husband. He asks waste of space where it is now.

Long explanation later, the object was given to a faith healer in return for saving the owners life.  

Faith healer?  How convenient.  Now, who do we know that’s a faith healer? 🙄

Waste of space doesn’t have a name – are you kidding me? He must have had a name to go to the faith healer. He at least has a description.  She was attractive 🙄 and had glowing hands while healing.

It’s your wife, Jensen!  Erm I mean, Sister Jo.  

Imagine that entire scene with waste of space and Sergei plot device removed, Sam found the information from research and that entire conversation was between him and Dean.  Infinitely better and rewatchable.

Sam and Dean go off to visit Jensen’s wife Sister Jo who at this point of the show’s run has somehow been cast in 4 previous episodes and every single appearance has been completely forgettable.  This one is no different.

I’m going to rant for a second.  This stunt casting, bringing back of “fan favourites”, nepotism, lazy writing crap is really dragging the quality of the show down. We’ve had so many shit, boring, waste of time episodes this season.  You could have replaced a couple of them with the Winchesters trying to track down this elusive but needed item.  Make it hard for them, get rid of Sergei and Jensen’s wife Sister Jo and make the finding of this artefact interesting and more believable by introducing new characters for them to interact with.  This is just… really bleh.

Anyway, Sam and Dean go to see one of the most boring characters ever created, and that includes waste of space who was badass in season 4-5, a dick yes, but a badass none the less so he gets a pass.  This is not a good scene, it’s worth fast forwarding and forgetting it ever existed, not least because of bad dialogue and questionable acting. I am really, really not a wife hater, but neither will I give someone a free pass because of who they are married to.  You come on the show, you get judged on your own merits, same as any other guest actor. Long story short, they want the thingamajig I’ve forgotten the name of because I had a 6 hour watching break to work up to watching this scene and that was not nearly long enough. Jo doesn’t want to give it to them, and Sam and Dean pull angel blades on her.  She says she didn’t have it, Ruby does.

Where’s that gif.  Where the fuck is that gif?  Oh, found it…

This next scene, I just 😡🤬😡🤬😡🤬😡🤬😡🤬😡🤬😡🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬.  Okay, I can do this, woman’s up and presses play, weeping for what once was the entire time I’m watching.  

We get a pointless scene which as predicted, is nothing less than a gimmick, written only to have “the wives” on the show in the same episode and in the same scene.  I think this is the angriest I’ve ever been watching a show and we haven’t reached the point in the episode where Sam is reduced to a doorstopper.  Oh yes, that gem has still to come.  🤬😡🤬!!!

Somehow, even though Ruby is terrified of angels and Jo wasn’t on earth at the same time as Ruby, they somehow not only met, but worked together.  Jo says the vessel suits Ruby better than the blond.  Not in this household missy.  We stan the infinitely better Katie Cassidy (fine there might have been a childhood crush on watching reruns of her father that sways the debate in her favour slightly but that’s neither here nor there!).

Okay, no sorry.  I thought I could take one for the team, but I can’t. This entire scene would not ever have been made if the show was in the hands of a competent showrunner.  It’s just complete nonsense with absolutely no attempt by the writer to respect the audience or canon and not worth even documenting what happens as it’s all a crock of 💩. Do yourselves a favour and ignore it.  All you need to know is Ruby has the thingamajig they need. It was stashed somewhere in hell.

Back at the bunker, Jack has take out, lots and lots of take out; pizza (no pineapple), fried chicken, hot dogs, nachos, Chinese food… Waste of space joins him.  They talk about Jack not having a soul.  Jack says he understands why Sam and Dean were angered by what happened to Mary

Castiel: by what you did to Mary

He gets a pass for this line (and his name back briefly) because it needed to be said so he wasn’t a waste of space for once.

Jack sees things have changed, especially with Dean.  

I see a bit of chatter on this one.  I don’t understand the chatter.  Sam forgives people, this goes way back that he’s able to forgive people and not hold a grudge.  He’s had a darkness inside him his entire life, he’s had to fight against his nature to be who he is, so of course he’s going to be more forgiving, more understanding of someone he sees as being similar to him.  Add to the fact that Sam did not build a strong relationship with Mary - he’s sad she’s gone - but I think he’s more accepting of it than Dean. All of this has been shown in episodes, so when Jack asks, “Will he ever forgive me?”  He’s not asking about Sam because he knows through Sam’s words and actions that Sam has forgiven him, but he knows Dean hasn’t.  I don’t have an issue with this, and you know I’m a bitter Sam fan, I’ll reserve my anger for later in the episode.

So, for me, waste of space only talks about Dean for the same reason (and shockingly not because he’s gay for the human).  He says, “Dean, he feels things more acutely than any human I’ve ever known, so it’s possible he can work through this. One day he may explode, let it all out and breath deeply and move on.”

Jack asks how long that will take. waste of space says he doesn’t know.

I understand the point of the scene, it’s not the worst. I’d prefer if my boys were saving people, hunting things obviously, but this was an okay scene.  I do like Alex and what he brings to the table – though don’t like when too much focus is put on him or Sam’s relationship with him is sidelined.

Sam and Dean return to the bunker.  Dean asks if Sam’s sure they can swing this again.  Sam says they still have Rowena’s notes from the spell. Dean: Okay, Samwitch, lets do this.”  I love how Dean hates witches, he was still wary of Rowena though could see her uses, but the minute Sam is a witch, Dean’s all aboard the witch train. 😂

Waste of space appears, Dean tells him that they sorta know where the occultum is.  Waste of space looks worried and they know something is wrong. They follow him through the bunker to one of the rooms.  Their AU selves are projected on the wall.  I just… Why was the entire episode not their doppelgängers?  I love them. AU Dean screams (but we can’t hear him). AU Sam seems far more relaxed about the situation.  They can’t see or hear our Sam or Dean.  Sam asks waste of space where they are.

Waste of space thinks the blast trapped them between dimensions as the rift and their world was destroyed.  AU Dean tapping on the wall, and trying to get a cell phone signal, I just can’t… 😂

Dean: Are they in pain? Waste of space doesn’t think so.  Dean says “Good” goes to leave.  Sam tries to stop him.  Dean says they’ll deal with them, but first they have to go to hell. Waste of space: woah, you do?

Sam explains that’s where Jo said Ruby stashed the occultum

Waste of space: Ruby? The demon you were sexually intimate with?   Dean: Sexually intimate? Sam (strongly): Yes!

I’ve seen a lot of chatter on this one as well. Some claiming that Dean is questioning the choice of wording by waste of space.  I don’t see that.  I see this as another fail, that they are somehow trying to claim Dean doesn’t know Sam and Ruby had a sexual relationship, even though Sam went into it in explicit detail in “I know what you did last summer”, to the point Dean asked him to stop.  If they were going for the choice of wording, they failed in both facial expressions and dialogue.

They have a discussion, not worth repeating, too much focus on waste of space. Upshot is Sam and Dean are going to Hell.  

Sam and Dean arrive on the Charmed set in Hell.  I’m expecting them to meet Julian McMahon striding down the corridor.  They meet a demon who informs them that Rowena is hosting a reception for newly condemned souls.  The demon doesn’t seem happy about that. He starts taking them to Rowena.  This is a pretty pointless scene tbh.

Back in the bunker, waste of space says to Jack that he doesn’t trust Jo’s story, he wants to speak to Ruby who apparently is in the empty.  I’m losing it with where entities end up these days. I’m guessing if demons are exorcised, like Meg was, then they go back to Hell.  If they are killed permanently, like Alastair was by Sam, they end up in the Empty?   I guess it makes sense.

Anyway, waste of space needs Jack’s assistance to get to the empty. He needs Jack to kill him…

Damn, false alarm, it’s only an “almost kill”.  Yeah, I would probably be too thorough.  Okay Jack, carry on, you’re up.

I don’t understand how he’ll be able to do anything in the empty, won’t he be kept in a state of nothing?

Jack reminds waste of space that the empty doesn’t like him. Waste of space says he’s far from happy so he should be okay.

Jack: Cass, I, I may not have a soul, but I know killing you is wrong, what if I screw up? Waste of space: well then, I’ll be lost forever… but I think you’ll do fine.

Jack has to draw out most of waste of space’s life force into a flask, and keep an eye on him so he doesn’t die for real. He also has to tend the spell to ensure Sam and Dean are not lost in Hell forever either (but to me it seems really easy to get in and out of, not like the early days so don’t see them being stuck there as a problem).  Remember back in season 2 when hell was this...

Sam: Hell is like, um ... (punches Dean)... well, it's like hell, even for demons. (punches Dean again)... It's a prison, made of bone and flesh and blood and fear. 

Good times.  Now we have Barbie!Hell and anyone can just walk in and it isn’t scary.  But yeah, tell me again that I should stop being critical and the show hasn’t deteriorated beyond all recognition

Sam and Dean follow the lackey they met in Hell to where Rowena is hosting a meet and greet for the new arrivals to Hell.  Or at least that’s where they were supposed to be taken, turns out it’s a trap. Of course, it is, because dumchesters 🙄, but at least we get a decent fight out of it as they are set upon by three demons carrying angel blades.  Dean kills two, Sam holds the third hostage so they can find out who betrayed them. Unsurprisingly it was Jo 🙄 Sam then kills the demon (after Dean gives a nod to do so).

Dean: that bitch set us up!

We switch to sister Jo and see her packing up and leaving, so she must know her plan failed, and Sam and Dean will soon be after her.

We’re now in The Empty with waste of space and for sure as shit, this scene changing whiplash, disregard of canon, lack of continuity between other episodes, focus on side characters has to mean this is a suck-lemons episode. He’s shouting for Ruby.  He doesn’t get her, we hear, “Hello Clarence”

Waste of space spins around and it’s Meg!  He’s so happy to see her and disappointed that it’s the empty. No offence to Rachel, love her, she does great in the episode and Megstiel will always be canon, but just not interested in any of this.

Next scene is waste of space and Ruby.  Fast forwarding other than to say no sweetie, Sam didn’t kill you, but I don’t blame you, I blame the writers who are too lazy to do any research. Sam should have killed you, but it was Dean that did it.  

Another scene between Ruby and Jo, as forgettable as the first.   Lucifer and Michael weren’t circling their vessels when you were still breathing you morons.   Lucifer hadn’t yet been released, but what is canon on this show when you can blast it aside and have the wives in a scene together and isn’t it wonderful?  Eh, I’m gonna say hard no on that one.

Another scene between Ruby and waste of space. In true Ruby style, she’ll help him if he gets her out of the empty.  Oh, and the occultum is a place, not a thing, that’s all we need to know.

Fast forwarding all of this as it’s pandering trite, not worthy of my time, besides the dumbchesters are back from Hell and I think Jack might be in trouble with them.

Jack (guilty): Guys… you’re back Dean (looking between Jack and waste of space’s body): Jack? What the hell?

Severe whiplash alert!  We’re back with Ruby and waste of space. Ruby monologues that the Empty is a place where all you do is dream about your regrets over and over for eternity.  Well then, just as well I have no regrets in life, other than watching seasons 12-14 of Supernatural.  Wait, imagine that on repeat for eternity.  NOOOOOOOOOOO!

Waste of space says he knows.  In fairness to waste of space, at least he will have a vast range of playbacks on the amount of regrets he should have over the years, so he won’t get bored anytime soon.

Whiplash alert!  We’ve left the corned beef actors and are back with the porterhouse steak.  They advance on Jack.

Jack: He’s dead, kind of… for now Sam: What?!

Whiplash!  Get me back to the porterhouse damn it!   Waste of space agrees to try to get Ruby out, she whispers in waste of space’s ear, “the occultum, it’s…”

Whiplash!  I’m suing at this point in the episode tbh.  

Jack: Cass went to the empty, hopefully to find Ruby, hopefully to find out where this occultum thing is located, hopefully (puppy eyes)

Whiplash!  Ruby steps away and disappears.  Waste of space’s face is interesting, and I’m intrigued where it is.

Whiplash!  

Sam and Dean’s faces. 😂

Sam: that’s way too many hopefullys! Dean: Bring him back, now!

Okay Hellers, here’s a test.  If Sam had said that line, would you have interpreted it as Sam speaking as a parent or Sam concerned about waste of space because he’s secretly in love with him? Dean is obviously concerned, but he’s speaking to Jack as a parent.  

Jack opens the flask to release waste of space’s grace.  But The Empty (still in Meg’s form) is reluctant to let him go.  Turns out as she’s torturing waste of space that The Empty has a deal with Death, she helps Death and she can go back to sleep when Death’s plan works.  We alternate between waste of space being tortured and Jack trying to revive him.

Dean: come on, wake up pal. Dean: Come on Cass, come on Dean: Cass!

Pandering!  

Waste of space wakes up.  The Empty says, “see you soon”

I hope she does because yes, I love watching a show where my leads are made out to be dumbasses and the waste of space that should have been killed off years ago is the hero.  I’m losing count of how many episodes that’s happened this season. Sick of it. 🤬

Waste of space (looks at Dean): you made it back Dean: Yeah, and so did you!  You’re an idiot by the way! Sam chimes in: What if this hadn’t worked?

Waste of space says it did [work].  The occultum was never in Hell.  The occultum is the safest place in the world. Jo was never going to give that up. Waste of space knows where it is and asks, “Am I still an idiot?”

I’m actually so angry right now.  Who does this?  What shitty writer makes their lead cast look like idiots in order to big up a side character. What does he have on someone because I’m at a loss for any other logical explanation at this point for them willingly ruining the show.

Anyway, Dean says “well yeah”. Me: hell to the fuck yeah, you’re still an idiot and I hate you even more after this episode than I did before.

Sam wants to go to the place.

Jack reminds them if Chuck checks in on them and sees what they’re doing, they’ll lose.

Dean’s plan involves using their doppelgängers to pretend to be them.  They’ll open up a rift and he thinks waste of space’s grace will be enough to pull them through. Sam thinks it might also blast them to another world.

AU Sam and Dean are playing rock, paper, scissors.  AU Sam throws scissors and wins.  AU Dean’s reaction. 😂

Sam mixes up the spell for the portal and they place it at the wall where AU Sam and Dean are trapped.  Bright light later and…

… it obviously works because AU Sam and AU Dean are now sitting at the map table with a beer in front of each of them.  Our Sam and Dean are currently standing.  And I cannot do any justice to this scene.  It is perfect from start to finish.  Go watch the genius of Jared and Jensen at play with no one else cluttering up the scene.

Upshot of this scene is that AU John is (or was) alive, they got separated coming through the portal. He spoils them, (Dean: he spoils you?!) John has set up a very successful business called Huntercorp. They get paid (Dean: you get paid?!) for hunting monsters all over the world and have a private jet.  I would ask what they’re doing driving around in a Fiat 500 instead of a luxury car, but I’m having too much fun, so it gets a free pass and I won’t nitpick.  Let’s headcanon it’s all they could get a hold of to get through the rift and leave it at that.  They keep toasting their beers to their dad, “the best guy ever” but they don’t seem too cut up that he and their world have gone splody.  I love these versions, they seem to be fine they made it through and they have each other.  I’d like to see one without the other as I think they’d give our brothers a run for their money in the codependency stakes.  

AU Sam’s pinkie is raised while he drinks, and I can’t with the silent genius that is Jared Padalecki when he inhabits a character.

Our Sam and Dean during all of this. 😂.

Dean explains to the AU’s that they need them to pose as them for a while.   In order to do that, Sam tells his AU self he has to lose the man bun.  AU Sam’s reaction 😂.  He is not happy.  AU Dean closes his eyes and sits back, putting a hand over his mouth.  I thought at first he wasn’t happy at our Sam, but no, the reaction is because he knows how his Sam reacts about his hair (*whispers* I suspect AU Dean has suggested many times that AU Sam let his hair down… for reasons and AU Sam has refused, so its an old argument).  Sure enough, AU Sam says he will not.  Our boys ignore that and also tactfully suggest they will need to change their clothes.

Next, we see the impala at night, driving towards a church. All TFW 2.0 are in the car. 🙄

They walk up to the church doors and Jack says he knows he hasn’t been doing this as long as them, but doesn’t it seem too easy.

They agree and at that moment hear a growling.  

Jack: is that a bear?

Dean starts trying to get the church doors open by picking the lock

Sam: No, it’s more like uh… Waste of space: hellhounds Sam (as the hellhounds are approaching): Dean… Dean, you wanna hurry a little bit?

Dean gets the door open and they all get inside just in time. Sam and Dean get the door closed and Dean asks Sam if he’s got it.  I’ve seen a lot of chatter on this one. This scene alone highlights one of the many, many things wrong with the show and why it’s no longer enjoyable.  I think they were trying for ha ha comedy. Sam trying to keep the door closed while they are all standing around like idiots, but it isn’t funny and reduces Sam down to muscle rather than what he actually brings to the show, and both waste of space and Jack are stronger. 

Waste of space should have been holding the door (or not been there at all, which is preferable) and the scene should have been Sam, Dean and Jack.  No excuses for why it wasn’t done this way (other than pandering).  A line of pandering is annoying but acceptable, sidelining Jared to cater an entire scene to them is completely unncceptable. You’ve pissed off the Jared/Sam fans which are many more than Misha/Castiel (despite what they try to tell themselves), and you’ve pissed off the brother fans which are the majority of the audience.

Waste of space says the top of the cross points the way and they all look up at the cross high on the church wall.

As a side note, the Hellers are so cute, counting Sam and Dean standing in a church with their “son” as their wedding.  Refrains from slapping 8.23 down in front of them where Dean actually said some vows along the lines of “don’t you ever dare think there is anything past or present that I would put in front of you!” 😍

Sam (being paid $250k for this): Guys! Can you maybe move it along?

That’s not the cross they are looking for, because at that point, clouds miraculously clear outside, allowing moonlight to shine through a window and highlights an area on the church floor.  I mean I like that x marks the spot but I’m not sure about time of day/year and position in the sky etc. to know if this is realistic, like will it still be the exact same spot at 6pm in December as it is midnight in summer?

Jack points it out to them and Dean bends down to open the floorboard.  

Sam: Guys, I can’t hold them forever!

Dean lifts the floorboard which contains a velvet bag. He opens the bag and pulls out a golden snitch.  He hands it to waste of space and asks if it’s a map. Jack suggests it might be a key.   Waste of space reads the enochian passage on the golden snitch (which if he hadn’t been written into this scene, Sam could have done that).  

Golden Snitch: in order to be in the occultum, the occultum must be in you. Me (immediately): swallow it!

There’s a reason Sam’s holding the doors closed as he’d have got that within a second.  The others are just looking around dumbly. 🙄

Back with AU Winchesters and AU Sam, wearing plaid, man bun still in place, is watching “powderpuff princess and friends” channel on the laptop, which seems to be about kittens. 😂   AU Dean appears carrying two beers

Au!Dean: they said lose the man bun, Samuel (love that he goes by Samuel) Me: Wow, AU Dean really wants Sam to let his hair down…for reasons AU Sam: look, hillbilly clothes are bad enough, I have to draw the line somewhere and my hair… is sacred (Jared added this 😂)

AU!Dean rolls his eyes, denied once again.

AU Sam asks what they do now.  AU Dean says, drink beer and sit in front of a computer screen

AU Sam: that’s their lives?  He’s still drinking the beer with the pinkie out. 😂. Chuck would know straight away this wasn’t Sam and Dean. Sam’s face drinking the beer. 😂 He’s high maintenance for sure.  AU Dean is much less fussy and I think would adapt quite well to the new world.

AU!Dean has found our Dean’s bustyasianbeauty.com internet history. 😂  

AU Sam: Can you imagine if dad caught us with that kind of stuff?  Goodbye trust funds.

AU!Sam’s not interested in the ladies and I don’t think he’s happy that AU Dean is either.

AU!Dean: I gotta tell you Sammy, this Sam and Dean, you know, sure they’re simple, but they’ve got this place of their own, there’s no quarterly reports, there’s no investor calls, there’s nothing to do but hunt monsters, drink beer and watch porn. AU!Sam: Yeah AU!Dean: they’ve got it made

Switch to our Sam and he’s really struggling with keeping the hellhounds out, while waste of space and Dean are arguing is another pandering scene (which has already had at least four in the episode). It’s been written solely to please the 1%ers who no doubt will create thousands of tweets from their 200 accounts with “old married couple and their son.” 

These people are incapable of looking at characters and continuity, they don’t care if it’s likely a character will do something just as long as they get content for their ship.  But I care, the majority of the audience care.  The Dean we know and love would just not under any circumstances abandon Sam at the door on his own.  This is where the writing is failing.  If they are incapable of writing a scene that makes sense in the bigger scheme of things, that doesn’t change the standard operating procedure of one of the two leads, then it has no place in the show.  I could have written a scene between waste of space and Dean that would have given the 1%ers more than enough fodder (they get excited over lamps, it wouldn’t be that hard to do), while at the same time, not ruining Dean’s core character or sidelining Sam to be a doorstopper for an entire fucking scene. Besides, all the old married couples I know are old and still married because they never argue, they finish each other sentences and smile fondly at their idiot other half when they do something idiotic, because it’s their idiot.  Kind of like… Sam and Dean.

Jack ignores them as much as I do, he turns away while they are still arguing. When he turns back, Dean looks at him, 

Dean: “Where’s the thing?” Jack: I ate it Dean: You What?! Jack: well, he said it had to be in me… so… Dean (internally) Sammy’s going to fucking kill me. (Externally) No! spit it out! Jack (laughing): it’s fine, nothings happening

Something’s definitely happening as Jack doubles over in pain.  Sam can only watch helplessly from the door as a bright light erupts from within Jack and then he disappears.

Again, that scene would have been infinitely more watchable if waste of space hadn’t been shoved into the space Sam should have been, but no, he’s still holding a fucking door closed.  I shit you not. 😡🤬😡🤬😡🤬😡🤬🤬😡🤬😡🤬🤬🤬!

Jack wakes up in what we find out is the garden of Eden.  The creepy little girl from Angel approaches him.  “You must not be human, humans may not enter here, are you an angel?”  Jack says it’s complicated but asks why humans can’t be here. She says they were banished, and god hid the garden away from them. Jack says he was told the place might change him somehow.  She responds that it might if he’s the chosen one. He’ll know soon enough.  She leaves him alone.  I’m speculating at this point that Jack isn’t the right person, but Sam is.

We whiplash briefly back to the church.  Yes, my fellow Sam fans, Sam is still a $250k doorstopper while waste of space and Dean continue to argue.  This isn’t good drama for anyone.  Dean is completely ooc in not helping Sam.

Harry Potter Jack meets the garden of Eden snake.  Luckily Jack can understand parcel-tongue as the snake talks to him. Who are you really? Who are you meant to be?

We get various flashbacks, none of which show Sam all that much, and I think that’s deliberate, though badly done.  The one person Jack has never had to question until the malac box was Sam.  I still maintain that Jack knows Sam forgives him and loves him unconditionally, but he knows Dean doesn’t, which is why the focus was on Dean.  The annoyance would have been much less if Sam hadn’t been a doorstopper in place of a significantly lesser character.

Anyway, Jack collapses on the ground and he’s crying by the end of it.  Same Jack, same tbh.

Back at the church, a bright ball of light comes through the cross window and floats down towards the church floor, right in front of Sam before moving to hover between Sam and Dean (again if waste of space hadn’t been there, this would have been a much better scene).

Sam’s thrown away from the doors and lands on the floor. Dean rushes forward to stand in front of his brother… oh wait, no, that’s in my version, the suck-lemons version has Dean actually take a step back, while the hellhounds advance on Sam who is closest to them.  Like he literally doesn’t move a fucking inch, and people are asking why we are unhappy?  Who the fuck was that, because it wasn’t Dean Winchester. 😡

The bright light gets brighter, I think it kills the hellhounds, rather than just repels them.  When the light clears, Sam sees Jack lying on the floor in front of him. He says “Jack” which draws the attention of Dean who shouts “Jack”.  Oh, that gets Dean’s feet moving 🙄.  They watch as Jack sits up and Dean asks him if he’s okay.  Jack doesn’t answer.

Back with Dean and AU!Winchesters.  Dean’s trying to herd them out the bunker, thanking them for their help.  AU!Dean suggests they could all live in the bunker together.

AU!Sam: like a club (AU!Dean points at Sam in agreement).

Our Dean doesn’t share his toys very well and thinks that would just be weird.

AU!Dean (he definitely wants our Sam, with the whole hair down thing he’s got going on): it wouldn’t be so weird

Dean knows what AU!Dean wants and tells them to go to Brazil

AU Dean asks if they can keep the flannel shirts, Dean says no, and tries to hurry them along.

AU Sam and Dean turn to go, but AU!Dean turns back and says that when they were looking around, they saw it

Dean: It? AU!Dean: the car Dean: You didn’t…. touch it AU!Sam: We “drove” in it 😉 Dean: You What?!

Awkward looks all around until AU!Dean says, “And we’re leaving…” smacking AU!Sam on the shoulder and pushing him up the bunker stairs.

AU!sam: oww, my arm, you’re hurting me!” AU!Dean: Sam! AU!Sam: Dean… Dean (angry): Have fun in Rio!

I like the scene so I’m trying not to nitpick the fact the car was with our Sam and Dean and the AU versions couldn’t possibly have found it, much less “drove” in it.

Dean goes to find Sam who is leaning on the wall outside I’m guessing Jack’s room.  He asks if the kid is okay.  Sam says he doesn’t know.  Waste of space comes out and says Jack seems to have recovered but there’s something different about him.  No one’s been to the garden since the exile, until Jack.

They all go in, yes, even waste of space, and it turns out it wasn’t Jack’s room, but the kitchen and I have to seriously question why Sam - who is unquestionably Jack’s main parent - was outside and not with him. *whispers Jared has obviously done something or not done something to bring the petty wrath of Dabb down upon his beautiful head, no other explanation at this point. Roll on Walker and Jared ensuring that show doesn’t get stolen out from under him by a backstabbing co-worker and petty showrunner.

They approach Jack and he says he is so sorry.  He is crying and says it was his fault.

Waste of space says Jack’s soul is back.

Jack looks up at Sam and Dean and asks them to forgive him but the camera focuses in only on Dean.  Pats my fellow Sam fans consolingly on their heartbroken backs.

[rpmemedumpster]

Unraveled: Absurdly Comprehensive Game Lore Starters (pt.1)

Solving The Zelda Timeline in 15 Minutes:

“He does this thing and then he goes sailing and then he crashes and has a dream and then dies in the ocean.”

“And then it’s another existential crisis.”

“What comes after that? That’s right it’s darkness, baby!”

“___, we have to start over.”

“Tingle is, um, the perfect evolution of humanity.”

“I’m not gonna explain how it connects just yet, because I’ll do that later.”

“This whole goddamn suit is so tight, I feel like a Christmas ham.”

“Got nothing better to do, might as well go have fun, and you know what, I respect that.”

“I swear to god if I get one “well actually…” comment.”

“TAKE FUCKING NOTES. I JUST SAVED YOUR ASS WITH MONOPOLY.”

“Don’t ask me to do this again.”

I Read All 337 Books in Skyrim So You Don’t Have To:

“ History’s so BORING. UGHHHH.”

“ I don’t give two shits about a king who lost a war 700 years ago.”

“Who doesn’t love a little erotic lizard fiction?”

“I straight up chortled. That’s what I did.”

“NO!”

“I BORE THIS BURDEN! FOR YOU!”

“DON’T READ THEM! NO!”

“ HOW DARE YOU JETTISON MY GIFT!”

Ranking all 200+ Mega Man Robots:

“I do not  feel at all qualified to discuss the philosophical implications of that.”

“Humans are real squishy, really, when you think about it.”

“I’m digging myself in a hole.”

“We’ve done some shit to bees y’all.”

“No one likes a narc.”

“Why the FUCK is he a top?”

“Don’t let me suck more than I can handle.”

“Just hire a 16 year old. Like, they need the job.”

“Here’s a big rule of thumb: magicians are always evil.”

“Technically not murder. Definitely bad.”

“Humans are trash.”

I wasted 3 weeks of my life finding Castlevania’s hottest monster:

“So I went out to grab some lunch, but it start to rain, so I ate a chicken sandwich drenched.”

“I am going to throw myself into the sea.”

“Why are vampires always the hot monster? Isn’t it someone else’s turn?”

“Anything unique can be sexy. Look at Benedict Cumberbatch.”

“I don’t want to know what that mouth do.”

“You should be wary of anyone who builds their personality around swords.”

“I don’t need anymore reason to be afraid of looking at myself in the mirror.”

“They say eye contact is important, but maybe not this much.”

“Jerry Seinfeld taught me that through love all things are possible.”

“I just think we need to start thinking of New Jersey in general as sexier.”

“He might kill you, but, he also might open up and be really lovely.”

“When I was a kid, my mom thought that I had a nutritional deficit because I kept wanting to eat mushrooms so much, like I ate only mushrooms for like a whole week.”

“What is more sexy than feeding someone with a lovely fried dish?”

Smash Bros. owes millions of dollars in OSHA violations:

“Am I safe to smash?”

“Look at this polar bear!He has no fuckin' clue what's going on!”

“Not everyone can double jump.”

“I need to know where Donkey Kong pees.”

“Put your toys away, honey!”

“I don't care how good you are at surfing, _____.”

“ Violation.Violation.VIOLATION.VIOLATION!”

“I couldn’t give a shit about death.”

“JUST LET ME GAME, MOM!”

Scientifically calculating the game of the year:

“Anything that I say is just a drop in the ocean of discourse. No one wants to hear my opinion. WHICH IS WHY I AM NOT EXPRESSING AN OPINION.I AM STATING A FACT.”

“They called me a fool! But do I look like a fool to you?”

“Fight me.”

“Would you say you are a math expert?”

"I tell you what, this is a lot of research into things that really have very little meaning." 

“And if you'll excuse me, I have to go do my dark bidding on these spreadsheets.”

“Come on in, hope you're not as big of an asshole as the past few of your friends!”

Every sonic game is blasphemous:

“PLEASE DON'T SHOW THAT TO ME ANYMORE.”

“What are the ramifications of a Sonic the Hedgehog game based on the bible?”

“Before you get upset with me, saying,"_, aren't you just starting a cult?" Look at this question answered by Cutegirlcorr: "Technically speaking, religions and cults are the same thing."

“EITHER SONIC IS A GOD OR COULD KILL GOD AND I DO NOT CARE IF THERE IS A DIFFERENCE!”

“Biblical literalism is just an early form of fandom.”

[makeste]

on AFO and his intentions regarding his “heir”

I was going to do another big post responding to comments and asks and such, but then I ended up getting sidetracked by the very first pair of comments. so for now it’s just this. sorry ;;

@addermoray I think we do agree on a lot of stuff regarding AFO, but I think the main difference is that all of my AFO speculation hinges on the idea that he is eventually going to recover his full strength. Tomura is and has always been his pawn whom he planned on using to fuck with All Might. but an actual successor? idk, I could be completely wrong about this, but despite what he says, I just can’t see AFO voluntarily just giving up and passing on the torch for real.

first of all I don’t buy his diminished-quality-of-life argument. the dude is functionally immortal and has been around for like 200 years. he’s not going to call it quits after only six. not when he knows better than anyone the infinite variety of quirks out there, and that in all likelihood he can eventually find one capable of healing him. (and in fact, Ujiko will likely be getting his hands on the quirk-be-gone bullets shortly, so it probably won’t be long before he discovers what we already know about Eri’s quirk and its potential to restore AFO to full power.) and for that matter, not when he was still capable of fighting All Might at that level in Kamino. he’s clearly a far cry from done just yet, no matter what he says.

second, he’s also far too arrogant and self-serving to bequeath his legacy to anyone else. he views the world as being his for the taking. why would he give that up and let some dumb kid have all the fun instead? but what would be fun would be thoroughly warping and twisting that kid into his tool, and then unleashing him on an unsuspecting world for a while. that would be a lot of fun. but as a temporary thing, not as the new status quo. there is an inherent ‘this is bigger than I am’ type of wisdom in passing something down from yourself to someone else. an understanding that it continues beyond you. and I just can’t see someone like AFO being able to grasp that. it literally runs counter to his very name. one, not two. not him and Tomura. just him. he is, thematically, the complete antithesis of All Might and the other users of One for All. everything he does is ultimately for him and him alone. in the end it’s always for himself.

so I think the whole Tomura thing is just another example of that. Tomura is his little wind-up killing puppet. he gave him his own name not to pass on his legacy, but to label Tomura as his. so that in the end he can lay claim to all the havoc Tomura wreaks. I think we agree on that part. but I just think that once the dust settles and All Might is dead, he intends to step back in and get back to ruling the world from the shadows.

-- which, incidentally, is another reason I don’t think he’s serious about Tomura succeeding him; he knows Tomura well enough to realize that his damaged psyche will incline him more in the direction of simply destroying the world rather than taking it over. and AFO spent two whole centuries accumulating power and “restoring order” to the world. would he really just surrender all of that and let some brat destroy it all on a whim? that doesn’t seem to jive with the guy we saw in chapter 193 at all. I very much got the impression that that guy liked the world. because it was his. his own vast curated collection of quirks and loyal followers. all for him.

so yeah, my read on it is that he’s planning a comeback. I think it lines up with what we’ve seen of his personality, and it makes thematic sense as well -- more than ever after this latest arc, I can’t see Tomura being the final villain. it has to be All for One. he’s the Emperor Palpatine, whereas Tomura has always been more of a Kylo Ren.

anyway I kind of did the whole tangent thing yet again, so let me try to address a few last points real quick. regarding what AFO was hoping for when he got locked up: I think it’s important to remember that regardless of how comfortable he seems with his situation, prison wasn’t ever AFO’s plan A. he’s very good at adapting, and I think he’s made arrangements for Tomura’s “training” to continue even while he’s behind bars (again, gotta have those contingencies), but what happened at Kamino was unexpected. originally he intended to be there to keep an eye on all of this. the fact that he isn’t opens the door to other things also not going quite as planned. you’re probably right, I think, about AFO intending for Tomura to go through this training and character development process to some degree. he’d probably be delighted to hear that Tomura destroyed the hands and no longer appears to need them in order to sustain his anger. but at the same time I think there are things in play that AFO is not aware of and not anticipating. the influence of the rest of the League being one of those factors.

and I also think he’s underestimating how much of a wild card Tomura might be now that he finally has his memories back. the hope is that he goes through this leveling up process and in the end becomes stronger and focuses up and finally becomes dangerous enough to be a real threat to All Might and the rest. but the tradeoff is that when you purposely foster an agent of chaos, if you do your job right, eventually said agent will become impossible for even you to control. in other words, Tomura has agency now that he lacked before. and AFO -- who has already screwed himself over with his own arrogance in the past more than once -- might have just done so again without realizing it.

lastly, as for whether or not he actually planned what happened to Tenko, that’s the million dollar question. right now it seems like it could go either way. but as I’ve said, the whole thing just played out a little too perfectly from AFO’s perspective for me to believe he didn’t have a hand in it. he may have lucked out with some things, like Kotaro’s whole being-terrible thing, but he might also have helped fan those flames in subtle ways. and if nothing else, he probably had contingency plans if this didn’t pan out.

but as it happens, it played out even better than he expected. and at the end of the day it probably wasn’t too hard to predict that if he suddenly gave an abused kid a quirk that instantly destroyed anything and anyone he touched, it was bound to end in tragedy. that’s really the most sinister thing about the whole plan, in hindsight. how shockingly simple it all was. he probably thinks it was very elegant. masterpiece, indeed.

[dearyallfrommatt]

 My late father loved Krystal burgers. Even after his diabetes blossomed into something his battered old body could barely control, if he came near a town that had a Krystal, he’d make Momma drive him by it. When my brother got married in Athens, GA, and a mix-up of Daddy’s meds put him in a serious fog, he had enough presence of mind to have us make a run to the one on Prince Avenue.

 Long story short, the Krystal burger chain is filing for bankruptcy. Founded in 1932 and famous for those little hamburgers like you’d get at White Castle up North, the company has a hearing in the North District Court of Georgia Wednesday, citing debts up to $100 million dollars. Regardless how things turn out, some of the 320 restaurants in nine different states will remain open thanks to franchising, but that still makes life a little worrisome for the 5,000-plus people who work for the company now, mostly at part-time wages, of course.

 The last time Krystal went bankrupt was 1997 and that was due to millions of dollars of unpaid overtime owed to employees. The company was bought by a private equity firm, Port Royal Holdings, for $145 million dollars. As an aside, the original Port Royale was a famous pirate haven back during what’s called The Golden Age of Piracy, roughly 1620-1720, before becoming a center for “legitimate” shipping and trade in the Caribbean, but I’m sure that’s a coincidence.

 Since 1997, Krystal has bounced from private equity firm to private equity firm and has had eight different CEO’s. The last one, Paul Macaluso, left after the company eliminated franchises and management positions, not to mention slashing basic staff, in an effort to not actually turn a buck but the stave off their mounting creditors. The company declared bankruptcy the day their last loan deal with a creditor ran out. At the same time, the company’s dealing with an investigation into their payment practices and a “security breach”.

 I doubt this will mean we’ll see the end of Krystal, but maybe. What’s most likely is that yet another private equity firm full of people who care nothing about anything beyond making more and more profit and damn the torpedoes, will swing in to rescue it, finding new and better ways to screw over workers. Because they can never make enough money.

 I don’t understand rich people, I really don’t. People who can’t just enjoy their wealth and good fortune, I mean, the ones that have to have more and more lucre. Wrestling legend Jim Cornette - stay with me here - once said the main thing he could not understand about former boss and WWE CEO Vince McMahaon is why he couldn’t just enjoy his billions. He had to have more and, not only that, fuck over other people as much as possible while doing it.

 For your edification, after the end of the Monday Night Wars in 1999, the only professional wrestling company that made money was the WWF. McMahaon - who bought the company from his father Vince Sr. in the late ‘70s for one dollar - was literally worth billions. On top of that, it didn’t look like the they’d ever stop making money bringing the rabid fan base the best in sweaty men in small pants pretending to fight.

 And then Vince got greedy. First they tried to bring the world two billion-dollar flops in the XFL and a restaurant in Manhattan. I really don’t know from the restaurant except that it crashed and burned, but being a fan of football, I watched the XFL saga with fascinated horror. Going against the NFL is a rum’s game - ask the USFL and President Trump - but the XFL was set up to actually take down - or pretend to, keeping with the wrestling theme - the pro football juggernaut.

 The lads from at Old School Wrestling can sum it up better and more entertaining than I could. After all was said and done, the league lost $138 million dollars with their deal with NBC, it cost Vince himself $69 million, and by the time the thing washed out, Vince was no longer a billionaire. In short order, the wrestling boom ate itself and money that could’ve been spent to give their employees some sort of health insurance security went to creditors. Even in the football league, the highest paid athlete made five grand a week and, of course, no health insurance for players.

 Now, I’m not ragging on the WWE or even professional wrestling. I firmly believe that one of America’s greatest contribution to world culture is professional wrestling - no, seriously - and a full understanding of the United States’ development and evolution, at least in the 20th century. But this is a fine example of how greed destroys whatever it touches. Call it capitalism’s inevitable outcome or whatever you want to call it, but this is now seen as How Things Are Supposed to Be.

 The last decade saw a plethora of long-running businesses go flat broke and have to shutter their doors. Financial experts blamed the death of Toys ‘R’ Us on Millennials not having kids and the spread of Amazon, for example, but the fact is the private equity companies - including Mitt Romney’s Ban Capital - cut and sliced everything they could in the run for more profits and less overhead. ‘Cause that’s all that matters.

 I used to do an internet streaming radio show with a libertarian who once tried to enlighten to me the evil of taxation in maybe the dumbest way possible. A friend of his, he said, worked at a private equity firm, putting in 80 hours a week, and because of taxation, she was only able to bring home $180 thousand out of the $200 thousand she “earned” each year. Needless to say, that didn’t cut it.

 But again, this is how the world is Supposed To Work. Providing a good consumers either need or really enjoy and in some way makes their lives a little better, that doesn’t even pretend to matter anymore. Taking care of your employees, paying them enough to live on and keep themselves hale-&-hearty because workers that aren’t living in terror of getting sick or a raise in rent are better workers, that’s not profitable.

 Well, it is profitable and a smaller, self-contained businesses can totally do that, but the American Way is to gobble up as much as possible for some reason. Instead of enjoying your wealth and the sense of stability never having to worry about which bill you’re going to have to skip this month or if your landlord is going to increase your went for whatever the hell reason, our society encourages the very richest to accumulate and horde as much wealth as possible. If you can step on someone’s face in the process, even better.

 And if you fail, no big worry. In 2008, Delta Airlines fired their CEO, Richard Anderson, after four months because the company lost over $70 million. Anderson nevertheless walked away with a severance package that included  over $11 million dollars plus a corner office on Peachtree Street in Atlanta. More recently, due to on-going scandals involving their 737′s, Boeing booted their CEO Dennis Muilenberg after ballooning losses and deadly crashes of two of their planes. They did punish him by denying his full severance package, though. Luckily, he still walks away with $60 million in stock options and pension benefits.

 So, what is the answer, I hear you say. Hell, I don’t know. These practices are an ongoing problem, but the acceptance of such behavior by the hoi palloi is even worse. We see this as natural and good, the American way. We elected a president who was born rich and was a big mover-&-shaker in a field his father already plowed, and companies under his control went bankrupt at least six times. Had he spent the last 50 years funding art galleries and weaving baskets, just letting the interest do it’s work, he’d arguably be richer than he is now.

 Is socialism the answer? Can capitalism be saved? Do we need to look for an entirely different paradigm when it comes to economic survival? Again, I don’t pretend to have any answers. Indeed, my whole approach to anarchistic theory isn’t searching for a specific end result way to “make things work” so much as using the tools I can live with to get by as best I can while maybe making the world a better place along the way. But since no one is ever really punished or suffers from such actions that have proven to be, at best, a crap game, we’ll see more of this.

 More profit, that’s all that matters.

[bruciewayne]

godamn vigilantes

stevetony, identity p/orn, post cacw, secret identity, open/ambiguous ending

identity p/orn @iron-man-bingo

--

Tony was doing fine. Tony was doing better than fine, even, he was fucking fantastic, living his best damn life, in a huge lonely multimillion-dollar compound, he was a damn superhero, without the best goddamn partner he’s ever had, and he’s so over whatever happened in Siberia a year ago. He’s doing well for himself.

(He misses him so damn much it hurts. Looking at that fucking phone hurts, all of it feels like a dagger straight through the heart - he had, on more than one occasion, asked FRIDAY to check his heart for any actual strains. She’d said that, barring any existing conditions, nothing’s wrong.)

He’s still Iron Man-ing, Rhodey’s recovering well, he pretty much is all better, save for a few bad days - he took him to Wakanda and asked them to operate, the princess, Shuri asked for a ‘favour’ in return, which he’s not too sure what that means, but he’s willing to do anything for Rhodey, so he accepts without a complaint. He has a kid-- a prodigy to take care of now, something of a legacy. Which just sends his head in a spiral, so he tends not to think of it too deeply. These days he tries not to think of many things deeply.

New York still comes under attack on occasion, just weird scientists working for egomaniacs (some would say that he’s both rolled into one), no connection to gods and the like - Bruce and Thor are back though, which makes the compound more bearable, and there are a few more vigilantes on the streets. He’s met with one, Danny Rand, of Rand Enterprises, calls himself Iron Fist, which Tony tries not to take personal offence to. Rand told him that they have a little group there, call themselves Defenders, fight street crime in their spare time.

He supposes that’s good, Peter might’ve even met them at some point, but he can’t escape the feeling that it’s just not enough, but he also accepts that they’re not the only ones, their small kerfuffle with Wakanda and King T’Challa proved that (the king called him one night, telling him that, if he wanted to know, he would tell him where Rogers is, as a favour to Rogers. Tony, as politely as he could, because, while there are many things he can afford, pissing off the king of Wakanda isn’t one of them, hung up, telling him maybe another time.).

His company is doing well, it often does when they end up pumping out as many products as they are right now, what with Tony spending all his time in his ‘shop. There’s no-one to pull him out with a smile now anyway.

Whatever. He can do more now anyway, without those constant interruptions.

(At some point between accepting that he would prefer those constant interruptions over ever touching a circuit board again and wanting to use and destroy that damn phone at the same time, he realises that the tiny ‘Yes’ in a bunker eight and a half thousand miles away broke his heart. That Rogers had that power.)

His suit is the fastest and the most durable it’s been, everything that he couldn’t do in Germany and Siberia he can do know. Just in case. Just in case he falls in love without realising it again, just in case they end up betraying and lying to him.

Or, you know, just to be a better Iron Man.

The speed and the durability comes in handy one day, when one overzealous (failed) businessman and his minion scientist sets a horde of giant mechanical wasps upon the borough of Brooklyn (which is just the second most hipster place in New York, just under Williamsburg, of course, and nothing else. Down the street is just a hotdog vendor, one of many, and not where Tony made Rogers laugh, really, laugh for the first time).

“You all laughed at the wasps, now you cry!” yelled Guepe-Homme, from his place, standing on one of the wasps.

Tony gets FRIDAY to start voice analysis and facial recognition to see who this guy is and goes to taunt him, he’s operating all of the wasps manually by the controls in his hand, so the longer he distracts him, the less damage there’ll be while everyone else (his team, the New Avengers? Team Iron Man? And a few masked vigilantes - he thinks he sees Danny around, meaning the rest of his people are here too) disables the wasps.

“Do you see anyone crying, hotshot?” Tony calls, attempting to aim a repulsor beam at the control, but he’s not stable enough for an accurate shot, even with FRIDAY. He puts that on the improvements list.

“Je-- Je ne vois personne, M. Stark, est-ce que vous,” I-- I don’t see anyone, Mr. Stark, do you? one of the vigilantes says, he sounds a little choked up, but that could just be the fight. Probably is. No one in their right mind would go out into the field chock full of emotions. (Before, Tony waved off that advice, but now, after Siberia…)

He’s done his research so he’s reasonably sure that this one isn’t a Defender, unless they’ve added to their roster, but something about him, the way he’s handling the wasps, with practised ease, makes him think that he’s used to these large-scale fights. Not petty street crime.

Tony gets FRIDAY running voice on him as well, but all she gets is that he’s not native to France. Possibly American, maybe Canadian. Under 35, possibly 30. Somewhere between mid-20s and mid-30s - millennial. Which brings it down to about one and a half million possible candidates for the guy. Great. He did get a much better hit on Guepe-Homme, but that’s mostly because he’s not wearing a mask. He sends off the data to InterPol and SHIELD, about Guepe-Homme, not the masked guy.

The masked guy is in torn and old kevlar, some of it looks spray-painted, there’s some rips in it. The only thing that looks anywhere near new is the mask - entirely covering his face, even the eyes. Tony’s only ever seen a mask like that on one person - the Black Panther, but he’s not T’Challa. Tony knows this, not because of the voice recognition, but because T’Challa wouldn’t go into battle with a torn suit, or, at least, Shuri wouldn’t let him.

He sends another blast to the guy’s wasp, hoping to disable it, “Non, je ne,” No, I don’t, Tony says mildly. His french is a little rusty, but it comes back quickly. The guy nods.

He’s possibly the friendliest vigilante he’s met, which isn’t really saying much, but still.

“Tones, stop flirting and get to it,” Rhodey’s voice crackles in his comm. “Ravi de vous rencontrer, homme mystère,” Nice to meet you, mystery man, he says, out loud - he must be using the translator, because, unless he’s being doing Duolingo in his spare time, Tony’s fairly sure that he doesn’t speak French.

The guy stumbles over his words a bit when he sees Rhodey, “Y a-t-il plus d'entre vous des Hommes de Fer?” Are there more of you Iron Men? he asks, recovering quickly.

“Malheureusement non,” Unfortunately, no, Tony says, before he and Rhodey fly off.

“Lotta vigilante kids these days,” Rhodey says to him, after they’ve apprehended Guepe-Homme and they’re on clean-up. They’re almost done.

“Yeah,” Tony sighs, he feels old, like he should be passing on the baton to someone - to Peter, to the next generation, already, but neither of them are ready for that yet.

“M. Stark, Colonel Rhodes,” Mr. Stark, Colonel Rhodes, the masked guy calls. Tony turns to him and has FRIDAY check for any injuries, on instinct.

He shakes their hands. Tony doesn’t even know his name, but he’s making his way up, fast, on his list of favourite vigilantes.

They work together to clean in silence for a bit until Tony says, “We know you’re not really French, you can drop it.”

“Votre programme d'intelligence artificielle?” Your artificial intelligence program?

“Something like that,” Tony says, entirely ignoring the looks Rhodey’s giving him, he can sense his… Rhodey-ness through the War Machine helmet. “There are about one and a half million people you could be.”

The guy hums, contemplative. Tony’s tempted to get FRIDAY to analyse his body language, but he doesn’t, “J'aurais dû choisir l'espagnol,” I should’ve chosen Spanish.

Now Tony’s intrigued. This guy is clearly smart, used to hiding, and he’s right, Spanish would’ve been the better choice by a mile (well, about five times). “Why didn’t you?”

The guy shrugs. “Je ne le sais pas aussi bien,” I don’t know it as well.

“As well?” Tony asks, lightly. That means he’s trilingual, which pulls down the numbers, a lot. To about 200 thousand.

“Merde.” Shit. He doesn't sound particularly concerned though, which throws Tony for a loop.

“You should probably get better at the whole ‘secret identity’ thing.”

“Vous êtes un pour parler, M. Stark,” You’re one to talk, Mr. Stark.

Tony doesn’t really know what to say to that, and he refuses to be verbally checkmate’d by some kid vigilante (there's a small part of him having a crisis over calling a possibly-30-year-old a ‘kid’), so he changes the subject.

“You can call me Tony, you know,” he almost says the crack about only his board members calling him Mr. Stark, but that pulls him into a dizzying deja vu that doesn’t bode too well to think about, so he leaves it out.

The guy is silent for a beat, “Je suis désolé je ne peux pas,” I’m sorry, I can’t, he says, almost sad and bittersweet. There’s something profound there, the accent masks some of the emotion, but it still makes it through.

“What about Anthony? C’mon, Mr. Stark makes me feel old.” Tony readily ignores everything Rhodey’s saying to him on their private comm.

“Anthony,” the guy tries out, sounds strange, like he’s uncomfortable with it, in that put-on French accent, and shakes his head, “pour l'avenir prévisible, vous êtes M. Stark, désolé,” for the foreseeable future, you're Mr Stark, sorry, he says, apologetic.

“Okay then,” Tony says, resignedly, easily, “what do I call you?”

“Nomad,” he replies, in that same, soft accent. Friday tells him that Nomad’s heart rate is elevated. She also tells him that his resting heart rate was about 10 bpm. Either he’s dying, or he’s superhuman. Or maybe just an incredible athlete who’s decided to turn to crimefighting. Based on the way he’s standing upright and chatting with them, he highly doubts its the former.

“A man without a country?”

“Ne me faites pas y penser,” Don’t make me think about it, he says, lightly, with a touch of melancholy. And with that, he walks away.

“Why are all of them dark and broody,” Tony mutters to Rhodey.

“Why are you flirting with the darkest and the broodiest?”

“I’m making friends!” Tony protests. “You’re the one saying I should go out more.”

“There’s something I don’t like about him,” Rhodey grumbles and Tony can see the ‘overprotective mama bear’ instinct take over.

“You don’t like any of the secret identity types.”

“I like Peter!”

-

Rhodey tells Tony to stay away from Nomad. So Tony actively seeks him out. He first goes to Rand, who gives him Murdock’s cell, because he’s actually seen Nomad around - apparently, he’s new. Like, brand new. Murdock give him Nomad’s cell - with a warning that he has a flip-phone (god DAMN vigilantes) which he uses like a modern teenager. Meaning he doesn’t have the patience to text and only sometimes has silent off. Tony donates some money to Murdock’s firm for the help. Anonymously, but Murdock’s a smart guy.

The thing about Nomad is that he can’t not go after him, he’s for whatever damn reason, gravitated towards a guy who he met fighting giant mechanical wasps, who he doesn’t know what he looks like, or his name, or anything.

Which is how, a month after Guepe-Homme, he’s sitting on a wall, eating surprisingly good pie from the diner a couple feet away, with Nomad next to him. He has the FRIDAY glasses on. Nomad is dressed in regular civvie clothes, though he has a cap pulled low over his eyes, sunglasses, and a beard hiding his features. He supposes that it could draw an eye, maybe even some second glances, but this is New York, so he barely gets a first glance. (Something tells Tony that it would merit a lot more than a second glance if he weren’t wearing a short-sleeved t-shirt, very clearly showing that he’s white.)

“So,” Tony starts.

“Alors…” So… Nomad repeats, tilting his head.

“Other languages?”

He thinks he lets out a laugh. It’s some strange huff thing like he’s trying to stop it.

“Français, bien sûr, anglais, mais vous le saviez, irlandais, un peu allemand, italien,” French, of course, English, but you knew it, Irish, a little German, Italian, he stutters over ‘Italian’, his heart rate speeds up when he says it.

“Italian?”

“J'essayais d'impressionner un ami,” I was trying to impress a friend, he says, shrugging, like it was no big deal. Just learning another whole language. For a friend. His heart rate increases again.

“Good friend?” Tony asks, there’s more in the question that he’s not saying, but he’s pretty sure that Steve understands.

“Best. The best man I ever knew.”

--

iron man bingo masterpost

tell what u thought/if u wanna be on the tag list

--

@spiderrpcrker @homicidalbibitch

[ltjlily17]

Oh, can we call it a night?

What’s the most played song on your iPod? I don’t iPod anymore these days, but theres a site that will aggregate your Spotify listening, and the song I’ve listened to the most all time on Spotify is In Your Atmosphere by John Mayer. What is one quality you admire most in others? People who know what they want to do with themselves. What would you do with a million dollars? Invest it, maybe? Buy a new car. Start a non-profit that will save the world. Or just a small part of it. What’s your favorite song to dance to? All of them. What would your ideal birthday party be like?

No idea.This year I went to my favorite pizza place with a couple of friends, my mom and husband. Was pretty good.

If you could be reincarnated into anything you wanted, what would it be? I’m not sure I believe in any of that. What talent would you like to have? I wish I was ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC at something. I’m good at most things, and can get by, but I’m not outstanding at any singular thing.  Are you ticklish? Nah. What’s the longest you’ve gone without sleep? 3 days or so. I basically had the flu and felt like I was dying. Not like the real flu either, theres this illness you get when your body hasn’t slept in too long. What New Year’s resolutions did you make? None. What are three songs that mean the most to you? Mayonaise by the Smashing Pumpkins, Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton and Bornand Raised by John Mayer. Someone else used these italics and I’m just running with it.

Who is the one person you miss the most? No one? What do you think of your parents? They are flawed people. I make the best out of my relationship with my mom, but I’m just not sure I want to bother with my dad. What is one thing you would do to make the world better? Instill a sense of community. People would be so much better off if we all gave a shit about the other people we are on this planet with. What is your favorite kind of sandwich? Hot, cheesy, some kind of sauce. Other than that, I’m flexible. If you had a puppy, what would you name it? I got a puppy 2 years ago and his name is Finn. We wanted a Star Wars name and Supreme Leader was the runner up name. If you could be invisible for a day, what would you do? I can’t think of anything I’d wanna see. What people do behind closed doors is their business lol. How much cash do you have on you right now? None. I’m in pjs, but beyond that, I rarely use cash. What do you think makes you attractive to other people? Humor or personality? Would more money make you happier? I don’t know. We have a comfortable amount now, minus paying for healthcare. Steve may have a job offer that would cover the healthcare, but would I be happy not working? Would I just turn into a loser slug? What is one of your favorite memories as a child? I really don’t know. My parents pretty much screamed and threw things all the time until my dad moved out. Then they played horrible games with me in the middle. There’s a lot of stuff I don’t even remember about being a child. I’d say the good stuff started happening when I was a teen and could seek refuge in my friends and their stable houses. I had one friend in particular, Andrew, whose mom and dad were super nice and he had a fun little sister- every time I was over there, which was VERY often, it was like a slice of the good life. What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do in your life? This was on another survey and I didn’t know how to answer it. I think once it’s done I just move on, I’m really a dweller. How do you measure intelligence? Unsure. I guess you just get a feeling for someones intelligence as you’re interacting with them.

What cartoons do you watch? None at the moment. I did just get Disney+, so that may change, but there aren’t really any cartoons I’m planning on watching. Have you ever used drugs? Nope. If you were a Skittle, what flavor would it be? The purple one. Sleeper hit. How would you describe your style? Hmmm. Casual indie bohemian with a side of lazy fat person. If you had to spend $1,000 in one hour, how would you spend it? The internet. Generally, my money goes to clothes or Halloween decorations. I really wanna buy some regular decor for the house though, so maybe that. What’s your favorite smell and why? I don’t have one. Something not flowery or overbearing. Something fresh and natural. Where do you buy your clothes? Anthropologie, ModCloth, Target, Gap, Old Navy, Loft. What’s your favorite kind of cake? Birthday cake? Funfetti? Does intelligent life exist elsewhere in the universe? I have absolutely no idea. I used to think that it was just statistically impossible that there wasn’t, but fuck I don’t even know how any of this got here, so I no longer have an opinion. If you could eat anything right now, what would it be? MilkBar birthday cake. Are you into tattoos? I guess so? I like the art of them, I follow a lot of tattoo people on instagram and keep up with their work. I just got my first tattoo a week ago and I’m 35, so it’s not like something I do a lot, ha ha. Do you like photography? I do. I have illusions that I’m a photographer sometimes. I should be currently editing a wedding right now, but here I am. I’m just not sure I’ll ever be the kind of photographer I’d like to be, so I don’t know what I wanna do with it going forward. If you were a holiday, which one would you be? Halloween 100% Do you have any siblings? Nope. If you were to get a tattoo, what would it be of? I just got one. It’s a bat pusheen. I really wanted a bat of some sort and pusheen is my favorite so I just went for it. I always thought my bat tattoo would be a little more dark, but it is what it is lol. What’s the biggest celebrity you’ve ever seen in real life? I hid behind a dumpster when I was like 14 and 3 of the Backstreet Noys walked right by me, ha ha. I have some photos with me and the guys from Good Charlotte from when I was a wee teenybopper. How many pushups can you do? Absolutely zero. What person in history do you admire most? None? I don’t think I admire anyone. These surveys are quickly informing me that I don’t believe in anything or look up to anyone. Am I inert? Who is your favorite actor? I don’t have one. Ha ha, see above. I like most of the stuff Chris Pratt is in. Robery Downey Jr as Iron Man is iconic, but I’ve never seen any of his other movies. I like Adam Driver in Girls and Star Wars. What is the most daring thing that you have done in public? Spoke. Have you ever lied about your age? I don’t think I’ve ever had cause to. Have you ever cried while watching a movie? If so, what movie? For sure. Everything makes me tear up in my old age. Last movie was probably Endgame, though. Are you afraid of anything that most people are not afraid of? Not like huge, life changing fears, but I’m always afraid a bug will get caught in my hair and I can’t touch drains because they freak me out. Where do you see yourself five years from now? I’ve never been one to make plans. Hopefully happy with more direction. What is your favorite candy? Fun Dip, Nerds, Starburst. Have you ever watched someone struggle with addiction? Not someone suer close, but there are lots of auxillary people I know that have and do. Who do you look up to for your style? No one in particular. I see things on the internet I like and try to incorporate that, but its always varied sources. Who is your favorite sports team? I don’t follow sports. How often do you drink alcohol? Once every two weeks? Even then, its usually just one drink with dinner. I don’t much care about drinking. It seems like a lot of work to fill myself up with something I don’t really like the taste of just so I can potentially feel bad later.  What is your life in three words? Evolving yet bland. If you could be anything in the world, what would you be? I knew that, I’d be working towards it. Would you have a pet dragon? If so what color would it be? Sure. Whatever color dragon is fine with me. What’s your favorite sport? The only one I even kind of pretend to care about is baseball. Do you believe that homeless people are dangerous? No.  If you could be skinny and miserable or fat and happy, which would you be? I’d always pick happy. If your life flashed before you, what do you wish you would have done? Hmmm, I don’t know. I don’t have like any huge regret at the moment so probably just wish I’d have enjoyed myself more. If you were to invent something, what would it be? Hopefully something that makes the world better. Some kind of climate change related thing?  Who would you like to get to know better? This wholesaler real estate guy that has been selling us properties. Maybe if we knew him better, he would give us better deals, lol. Have you ever had a near-death experience? Near drowning when I was seven. Do you fear death? Yep.  What is the strangest food you ever ate? Hmmm. I like food with interesting combinations. Like smelly cheese or beet pesto or something, but I’m not on board with weird meat and I don’t eat seafood. Do you think you’re cool? Nah. What reality show would you like to be on? None. I don’t watch any of them. The only show like that I ever watched was the Osbournes, ah aha. What’s your favorite thing to order at a Chinese food restaurant? Whatever is gluten free. Ususally no choices for me at most chinese places. PF Changs has pad thai and general tsos I can have and another place nearby has general tsos too, but thats about it.

I loved lo mein and crab rangoon in my former life, though. Are you happy with your life? For the most part. If you could name your own planet, what would you call it? I’d need some plantary details before coming up with a name. If you could live another 200 years. What would you hope to see? People learning that we need to work together. Would you rather be hot or cold? Well, I’m cold like 90% of the time and that sucks, but at least you can do something about it and layer up and get blankets and such- if you’re hot, you’re just stuck. How would you rate yourself? What am I rating here? I’m like a 0 at makeup skills, but like an 11 if you need someone to pick you up in an emergency. 10 at playlist making. 1 at doing the dishes. Would you ever move to a different country in an attempt to start over? Maybe not to “start over”, but I would definitely consider a dream job in another country if all the details worked out. If you could be a character from any book, who would you be? No idea. I read a lot of Stephen King and none of those characters are alright.  Do you prefer taking baths or showers? I’d love to take a bath, but I’m a little big for the tub. Do you still collect toys from Happy Meals? Nope. I never ate happy meals even as a kid, so I never did. What’s the most spontaneous thing you’ve ever done? I drove two states over for a sandwich once. It was like a 15 hour round trip. In your opinion what is the greatest challenge the world faces today? People being willing to fuck over every one else if they think it will benefit them in any tiny, miniscule way. You are destroying everything by being an asshole and letting the people that really have all the money get away with it. Do you like dogs or cats better? I was 100% cat until I got a dog 2 years ago. I’m mostly dog at this point. Don’t tell my cat. What have you achieved that you once thought was impossible? Hmm, I don’t know. I’m a lot better off than my parents were. I just kind of thought the constant worrying about the car breaking down or the bills being paid was grown up life, so its nice to get here and know that I worked hard to not have those problems. If an ex texted you out of the blue, how would you respond? I don’t think I would. I’ve been with Steven for a decade, so theres def nothing that needs to be said to anyone that far back. Do you have a favorite poet? I don’t. I really like some poems I’ve read randomly in my internet travels, but I’ve never really been able to sit down and read a book of poetry. What have you tried to quit, but weren’t able to? Eating too much food? Would you rather go on a shopping spree with $200 or put it in the bank? I’d rather go shopping. I might save it, though. What was the last rumor that you heard? No idea. I don’t really have rumors around me at this point in my life. My friends aren’t like that and I’m not working anywhere at the moment. What country star would you most like to meet and why? I don’t really know who any of them are. Have you ever been in a car accident? Yes. One of them happened when I was like 15 and it pinched a nerve in my neck and half of my left hand went numb. My mom didn’t believe me for a really long time that there was something wrong until she watched me try to pick up a glass of milk with my left hand and it just fell to the floor. Are you an organ donor? Yes! What is the most dangerous thing you have ever done? Unsure. I’m fairly adventurous, but I don’t do super dangerous things. I guess just trespassing in old abandoned buildings when I was younger could have been dangerous. What is the meaning of life? Moments of joy. For you and others. What word do you like the sound of? Nothing in particular jumps out to me. Isn’t Cellar Door supposed to be lovely? What’s your favorite ice cream flavor? Hmmm. I don’t know. Its more about the brand I think. I usually get Jeni’s or the other fancy ice cream brand when I get the chance. 

I always get the cake flavored froyo, though.  Do you prefer cupcakes or muffins? Cupcakes. Are you an athlete? Ha ha, no. What did the last text message on your phone say? From my brother in law. He’s doing the work on the house we just bought, getting it ready for a renter. He wants more money, lol. What is the funniest movie you’ve seen in your whole entire lifetime? Man, I don’t know. I think maybe Grandma’s Boy was the funniest I had seen at the time. I usually don’t even like movies like that. What’s the worst nightmare you’ve ever had? I had this dream when I was a kid that I left the scissors out and they flew up and cut my moms fingers off and the whole dream was dark and black and white because it was night, but at the end, she picked up the phone (landline, because cell phones weren’t a thing then) and the only color was the green light coming from the phone that illuminated the numbers and she was trying to dial 911 with her fingers that weren’t there. 

I probably had that dream close to 30 years ago now and it’s still clear in my mind. 

What do you know how to cook? Lots of things. I’m especially good at carbonara or alfredo. What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had, and what was it from? I fell down the stairs and broke several bones, severely sprained both ankles and ended up getting surgery to fix the cartilage in one ankle. What’s your favorite amusement park ride? Any that my fat ass can fit on. What do you wish you were doing right now? Well i’m doing this instead of things I should be doing. Who are your musical influences? I don’t play music, so I’m not really influenced? What was your favorite band or musician when you were 12? The Smashing Pumpkins, Bush, Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson and the Back Street Boys, ha ha. What’s the best pick-up line that’s ever been tried on you? I don’t think anyone has ever given me one. How many drinks can you handle? I don’t really know at this point. Getting older changes things. I know that if I have one drink and then stop, I get a headache, lol. What was the longest phone conversation you’ve ever had? Hours and hours. Like 7 or 8 probably? Back in my day you could only talk to boys on the phone because we didn’t have cell phones or text messaging and you only had dial up internet. What’s your favorite candle scent? I got one from Anthropologie called Riviera that was my favorite candle scent ever. I bought two, but they are sold out now and I am very sad.

[fuckblizzardbearlover]

Honestly Game of thrones "fans" need to shut up already

"It had a bad end" omg most series do. Be lucky this got an ending so many series dont get one or even a whole season

"Im a devoted fan so i deserved better" you literally dont. They spent the millions they did the work they acted in it. You probably pirated it. Even if u didnt you got hours of other shows with your sub. You put in zero effort got hours of entertainment over years. You are like one of those assholes who asks for artists to do a 200$ comission for free. You lost nothing but time YOU say made you happy

"But the bad ending ruined the series" i mean thats your fault. Somehow your disappointment goes back in time and erases the happy memories you had? Sounds fucked up to me. You are like those assholes who say a remake ruined your childhood. Your memories are fine. Like i said most series are lucky to get an end and those that do usually have a disappointing one do to production constraints

"They ruined my show" its not yours. It cost literally millions of dollars. U lost nothing.

'They violated my favorite character" hey. They arent a real person. They are made up. We can talk about how got has ALWAYS perpetuated harmful tropes but that has nothing to do with the fan backlash other than ppl acting like the show was perfect before now.

"They ruined grrmartins story" its not his je sold the rights to use his story so they could make their own. Hes said 3 times its not much different from how he would have done it. Regardless stop acting like hes fucking writing jesus he cant even finish his series.

"This made me feel like overcoming your past is impossible" get another role model. Jaime is a child murdering brother abusing sister fucking, sister raping asshole stop identifying with him.

"But the actors didnt like ..."

But they dont want u shitting on their work and their crews work. An actor not being happy their char died isnt them giving a pass to be a punk

"But danys trauma" if u use your trauma as an excuse to hurt others you desrrve to be stabbed in the chest. Next question.

"But they ruined this great female character"

You have arya sanda and brienne. There wasnt this much back lash when missandei died. Just this white bitch. I xant believe how up your ass you are. You have all these strong female characters. The butch fighter the snarky assassin the non combatant politician. You know what happened to the ppl i identify with. One was mocked for being gay despite his royal superiority, forced to marry a woman and then was murdered by a demon that was created by a pedopholic het ritual that came out of her vagina. And while not all vagina havers are women and i dont think the whole imagery was intentional the fact is the gay men were put in there for women to fetishize not to appeal to gay men. And the 2nd and only other major gay man character was ALSO mocked for being gay. Imprisoned for being gay. His love compared to cersies incest which is extremely homophobic, and put through conversion therapy only to be betrothed to a woman against his will and then calously murdered due to the anger of 2 women, one the incestor, with no chance to save himself.

And that happened LONG ago. So excuse me if u stupid white women are hurt because the toxic violent villain protagonist died leaving you with only 3 heroic characters to love when my ppl were brutalized for your entertainment several seasons ago.

Fuck off

[grim-omen0]

Almost got hit by a car

Kinda wish it had hit me

I mean a cause so mush trouble for the people around me

Maybe if I wasn’t around then everyone would be happy

My grades suck this year

Probably because I fake sick a lot so that I don’t have to go to school

I hate it there

I hate my life really

I bet everyone else hates me too

They probably find me annoying because I am so desperate for friends

I mean someone that I thought was one of my best friends, who I told everything about me

Pretends that I don’t fucking exist

I feel like everyone is just lying and just pretending to be nice me

So that they can go behind my back talk shit about me

Nobody cares about me, nobody loves me

My own brother once told me to kill myself

My father hit me around and degraded me for years

Now the bastard is dead and I don’t know why I miss him

How can I miss something I never had?

I mess up everything

I mean I lost both of my retainers

My mom had to pay almost $200 dollars for a new one

I’m a waste of money and time and space

I get it, I am easy to forget

I have never done anything with my life

No sports, no clubs

Just nothing

I am the one kid who sits inside at lunch reading instead of going outside

I have had teachers forget I was in the room

My mom forgot me at home one time

I think the only things that have kept me happy up until this are BNHA,RWBY,Hetalia,YouTube,video games,books and music

Those things make me truly happy

Regular teen things don’t me happy

Going to the mall or out with people doesn’t make me happy

I don’t like people

People do horrible things

Like leave you alone when you need them the most

People kill others for their beliefs or skin color

People judge you just because you love differently

People destroy the planet and then act like it isn’t their fault

I hate people and no one gets that

Everyone says you can’t go you entire life not trusting people

Yes I can

Especially after the multiple times people have betrayed me

I think I make a connection with someone and then they ignore me and make fun me behind my back

I don’t trust people with anything anymore

The friends that I do have I don’t tell them many things

We’ll talk about the things we’ve bonded over

I don’t tell them that I just had a panic attack in the hall and fell like I’m dying

I don’t tell them I’m depressed

My friends and I don’t hang out outside of school

Mostly because I am so afraid to ask them to hang out

I’m afraid that I will come off as desperate or weird and they will stop being my friends

But at least my friends see me and see that I exist

But I wish that they would see that when I jokingly say “I want to die” that it isn’t a joke sometimes

I don’t show affection like other people

It’s hard for me

I grew with such cold and angry people around that I don’t know how to show affection for friends

I like to pat people on the head to show affection

I like it when they pat me on the head back

No one’s done it for me in a while

I guess I’m kinda touch starved

I like hugs, I just don’t get hugs from people

I wish people could see that

I go to therapy

It helps sometimes

Sometimes it just gets me angry

Sometimes it just makes me realize how fucked I am in the head

I hate loud noises

I hate yelling

I hate talking to people

I hate confronting people

I hate pain pills

I hate cigarette smoke

I hate my father for smoking and taking pain pills

I hate myself

I hate everything about me

I hate my hair

I hate my chubbiness

I hate my face

I hate the fact that I will never be normal

I’ve known that for a while now though

I know that I’m weird

I know I don’t have the same interests as people

I know that I tend to info dump on people

I know that I have attitude problems

I know that I’m too shy and nervous to even ask for help especially when I need it the most

I know I’m a burden

I’ll never be normal

The only thing that I take pride in is my sexuality

I’m gay and it’s great

So many pretty girls who will probably never notice me

I relate to fictional characters more than real people

I’ve a million conversations with characters in my head

I make stories in my head about putting myself into their worlds

It makes me feel better

But I can’t put my ideas into words

I love to write but it’s hard when you can’t find the words

Maybe I finally found the words and that’s why I’m writing this

Or maybe I need someplace to vent

Nobody I know follows me on the website

They’ll never know about the things I feel inside or the things that have happened to me

But that’s fine

I’ll be fine tomorrow

Faking the happiness and chillness that everyone sees

But they don’t know that I’m dying inside

Sometimes I wish I was never born

I wish that car had hit me

I kinda wish I was dead

But not today

I’ve never intentionally hurt myself

I’m too much of a coward to do that

So I’ll live on a few more years I guess

Maybe just maybe it will get better one day

...one day

(No one will ever see this...what was even the point in writing this...whatever who cares)

[itsdannyg]

James Roday on Reddit discussing Treehouse

Reddit with JAMES RODAY

I’m James Roday from Psych and A Million Little Things. I also directed two horror movies for Blumhouse’s Into the Dark Horror Anthology Series on Hulu. AMA!

JAMES RODAY: Roday here. I think. I'm typing things in a box so that seems encouraging.

JAMES RODAY: I think I'm an hour early. That's the first time in my adult life this has ever happened. I'll pop back by a little later. And I'll be READY.

JAMES RODAY: Yo! How about I knock out these early bird questions like a baller.

QUESTION (CharlotteBeer): Given your latest is part of a seasonal series, when did you start work on the script -- and how long did it take you? How did y'all settle on the Ides of March?)

JAMES RODAY: CharlotteBeer -- it all came together very quickly because of my schedule on AMLT. Got the thumbs up in April and we were shooting in early June. It was an idea I had been kicking around for years but current climate and conversation definitely opened a window and my collaborators and I jumped through it.

CharlotteBeer -- Oh, and we settled on International Women's Day. Hulu made it Ides of March.

ASSHOLE QUESTION (yanderebeats): So uh what the fuck was that scene with them putting the snake on his arm? Like what was the direction given to mcpoyle exactly, did you specifically tell him to do the worst job possible or what

JAMES RODAY: Yandererbeats -- 1. Well, the dude is tripping on psychotropes so he's seeing all kinds of shit and the ladies are using that to their advantage. 2. No, I think Jimmi Simpson is a genius and generally requires little direction from me 3 (bonus) You sure this is what you want to be doing with your time?

QUESTION (ConicalSun): What advice would you give to someone that wants to pursue work in film? Directing in particular.

JAMES RODAY: ConicalSun -- Make something. Get familiar with a camera and how to shoot. If you can afford to take a filmmaking class that provides instruction and equipment, sometimes that helps speed the plow. But I'm guessing you know what you like and don't like about movies and it's easier than ever to get out there and make your own content so give it a whirl.

QUESTION (psych-o5life): Out of every character you have ever played, which one are you most like?

JAMES RODAY: psych0-5life -- Probably the dude I'm playing now on AMLT.

QUESTION (seppukuu): What is your writing process like? Do you live out the stories in your head or, since you usually have a writing partner, do you prefer a more systematic approach that involves discussions and outlines?

JAMES RODAY: Seppukuu -- Todd and I have been writing together for over 20 years now. We have such a great shorthand that we can accomplish a lot quickly without spending much time in a room together. Vodka helps. We talk story, specific scenes and generally write the stuff we see best in our heads, respectively. Once we have a very rough draft, everything becomes much easier and the streamlining and polishing begins. That's generally when character voices really start to take shape as well.

seppukuu: In vodka veritas!

QUESTION (Nikesneaker): Hi James!

Do you have a favorite director/actor/actress that you look up to as a “hero”?

P.S. supa excited for Psych: The Movie 2

JAMES RODAY: Nikespeaker -- I grew up an enormous fan of Val Kilmer as an actor, Rick Baker and a SPX Make Up Artist and Stanley Kubrick as a director. I'd add Bergman, Wes Craven, John Landis and Quentin Tarantino to the list of directors I've really appreciated over the years and Lynne Ramsay is an absolute force of nature. I also CANNOT WAIT to see what Julia Decournau does next after RAW...

QUESTION (mooviescribe): If you were to direct another horror feature (not for Dark Horror), what type of script catches your eye?

JAMES RODAY: mooviescribe -- I will def be directing more horror. I love the genre and believe there are plenty more good stories to be told. As for scripts -- anything that moves me catches my eye. Being scared is fun but if it makes you think and feel -- that's the real fire starter

JAMES RODAY: I just realized I can reply to questions by hitting reply. This is GOOD SHIT.

QUESTION (Wizardmer): I am such a huge fan of Psych, and some of my favorite episodes were the fun homages to classic horror movies, here's lassie was my personal favorite. Was there any other horror movies you wanted to do as an episode?

How did the costume design come to life for treehouse? I loved those awesome outfits, super dope

JAMES RODAY: They let me check most all the remaining horror boxes in A Nightmare on State Street. It's just a big sloppy buffet but I loved every minute of it. Costume and mask design were the work of the incredibly talented Diane Crooke. She was one of a whole team of lady designers that elevated every element of Treehouse and I am eternally grateful.

QUESTION (UHeardAboutPluto): Have you heard about Pluto?

JAMES RODAY: That's messed up, right?

UHeardAboutPluto: James, you have made me the happiest I’ve been in a long time. Pysch is my favorite show ever, and that response from you was perfect. Thank you for being awesome!

QUESTION (AsymptoticGames): I just want to point out that I love when co-stars of some of my favorite shows hang out outside of the show. On that note, how was Dule Hill's wedding?

JAMES RODAY: Beautiful.

QUESTION (psych-o5life): Are you helping with production on Psych the Movie 2?

JAMES RODAY: Co-wrote the adventure and we're prepping it now. Steve will be directing and it's gonna be sweet.

QUESTION (bakuryu69): Hey big fan James - what drew you to directing horror. Will you be doing more work in the genre (possibly pineapple related)?

JAMES RODAY: I've been a fan of horror since I was old enough to know what movies were. Somehow convinced my mother that I loved being scared and wanted to learn how all the cool special fx and make up worked. She went for it.

QUESTION (Maxzhouse): Hey man, I really dig your work. I was wondering if you’re into writing and if so what your process looks like? Thanks mate!

JAMES RODAY: It generally looks like one inspired hour of writing a day and 23 hours of procrastination and thinking I should never write again.

Maxzhouse: Ah a man after my own heart! Thanks for answering brother, Hope the best for you and yours. Peace, love & Mercy

QUESTION (seppukuu): You said before that your high school production of Elephant Man was the most challenging acting gig you've ever done. Is this still true, and would you like to do it again now that you have considerably more experience under your belt? What would be another (type of) character you'd find most challenging/exciting to play?

JAMES RODAY: I'm too old to dip back into John Merrick's skin but man that is a tough play to pull off. Moving forward, I think characters that are well written with a real point of view (good or bad) are the ones that we all want to play as actors.

QUESTION (TheReelPliskin): Hey James. I just wanted to say you're awesome! I've been watching everything you're in or a part of ever since I saw a little movie called Rolling Kansas. Can't wait for the new Psych movie and I fell I'll hafta get Hulu now so I can see your new movies. Ok. Enough of that. Now for the question. Outside of Psych and Little Things, what is one of your personal favorite movie or show you've been a part of? P.S. . . SUCK IIIIIIT!!!

JAMES RODAY: It's gotta be Treehouse. And a tiny film I was lucky enough to be a part of a few years back called Pushing Dead directed by Tom Brown. Worth checking out. Important subject matter.

QUESTION (deadpool902): Hey James!

Quick two-part question:

What aspect of anthology storytelling entices you the most?

Were there any horror stories or films that you turned to for inspiration when directing for Into the Dark, and if so what were they?

Thanks for stopping by and I can't wait for your return to Santa Barbara!

JAMES RODAY:

The fact that, in this case, 12 different filmmakers got to come in and do anything they wanted without worrying about stepping on toes or syncing up with any of the other films

Raw, Thelma, Goodnight Mommy -- 70s horror.

QUESTION (tedlogan43): Mr. Roday - Gravy was fantastic, A Million Little Things blows my mind, and Psych is a part of who I am at my core. I wanted to ask what it is like to get to continue working with so many great professionals like Dule Hill, Michael Weston and Jimmi Simpson. Do you feel like your continued projects with them are improved by your on-going relationships with them? Thanks for the profound impact your roles have had on my life!

JAMES RODAY: I am tremendously lucky to have so many insanely talented besties. I am no dummy. I surround myself with ladies and gents that make me look way better than I deserve and will continue to do so as long as they'll let me.

QUESTION (fangirl005): What is the best thing about working on AMLT?

JAMES RODAY: The cast. And knowing that we're dealing with issues that affect so many people every day. It feels good to be a part of those conversations in even the smallest of ways.

QUESTION (jmsturm): Hi Mr Roday, big fan.

Who would win if Shawn went head to head with the Mentalist?

JAMES RODAY: Well he'd def be the comic relief.

QUESTION (TheWalkingGamefreak): Good evening James, just want to say hi

JAMES RODAY: sup

QUESTION (seppukuu): Marvel called and wants to give you half a billion dollars to direct Guardians of the Galaxy 3. Do you accept, and would you still try and shoot it in 3 weeks on a 200 dollar budget instead?

JAMES RODAY: hahaha. that's a great answer and the honest to God answer is that I'd only do it if I thought I could bring something unique or unexpected to the fanbase. Otherwise there are plenty of ladies and gents for the job.

QUESTION (FusionCinemaProd): What would you say is the most creative horror film of the last decade?

JAMES RODAY: Creative? That's pretty subjective. I'd say last years reboot of Suspiria was a pretty big creative swing that mostly succeeded IMHO. And I stand by RAW as one of the best films of the last decade, period.

FusionCinemaProd: Raw is a fantastic film. I’ll have to check Suspiria out on blu ray when it comes out here in the UK.

QUESTION (modsrfagbags): What was your favorite “Gus don’t be...” line from Psych? My favorites gotta be either “eleven and a half pound Black Forest ham” or “the 100th luftballoon”

JAMES RODAY: I am a sucker for a luft balloon

modsrfagbags: Oh shit thanks for responding

QUESTION (imdannyg): Have to admit, the torture scenes with Peter Rake (Jimmi Simpson) gave me flashbacks to your work in Blood Drive. Is there any connection there at all and/or did it prepare you in anyway for this scene in Treehouse?

JAMES RODAY: Welcome Daniel. You know I hadn't thought about it until just now. The two projects are so tonally different but I'll say this -- shooting scenes designed around a character that cannot move is challenging to say the least. Blood Drive probably did serve as a dry run for me without even realizing it.

QUESTION (seppukuu): Have you ever done special effects make-up on another person? If not, would you like to try or are you happy watching the professionals do it for you?

JAMES RODAY: I used to do it quite a bit as a kid. There's a reason I didn't end up being the next Rick Baker.

QUESTION (HippoMafia42): Hey James, huge psych fan here, I know psych the movie 2 will start production sometime this month, but when will that be? Hopefully within the week?:)

JAMES RODAY: Soon. We need a little time to find and build things.

QUESTION (miatosc): What was your favorite scene to shoot this season on a million little things?

JAMES RODAY: There were so many. My scenes with Colin the dog in the "day before" episode were especially sweet.

miatosc: haha! I was guessing any scene with Colin since he’s such a sweet dog.

QUESTION (thepineapplesplat): James! Man glad to hear your free-spirit self. Huge fan of Psych and no matter how much I’ve watched the episodes over and over it never ceases to make me smile. You were apart of a master piece and taught me to always stay true to the inner child in me. Absolute master piece!

Serious question, do you see yourself doing any meet and greets with fans in Canada? Perhaps in Vancouver where Psych was shot?

JAMES RODAY: thanks! So glad it resonated with you. As for meeting fans, I'm always happy to say hi -- I struggle with the format of conventions because I wish fans didn't have to spend their money. They already do so much by just watching and keeping shows on the air....

thepineapplesplat: Yeah definitely makes sense. Meeting you and Dule Hill is definitely on my bucket list. I’m not a huge on meeting celebrities (I think of them as regular people) but psych stars will definitely hold a place in my childhood/adolescence memories. Thanks for bringing it to life! Sorry if I seem like I’m fan girl-ing out haha!

QUESTION (seppukuu): Will we ever see a new play written (and directed) by you?

JAMES RODAY: someday.

QUESTION (psych-o5life): What was your favorite episode of Psych to film?

JAMES RODAY: Probably Dual Spires because it was the closest I'll ever get to being in Twin Peaks.

QUESTION (NateLeport): What was your favorite episode of psych to work on? What was your favorite running gag like the pineapple, I’ve heard it both ways, come on son, I’m Shawn spencer and this is my partner ____, etc.

JAMES RODAY: I became partial to singing suck it towards the end

QUESTION (leeselislisuh): What was your biggest recurring nightmare as a kid? Mine happened a lot when my mom was pregnant with my little sister, and I kept dreaming she'd be born with a full set of very pointy teeth. Horrifying. Huge fan and excited to see more of your work!!

JAMES RODAY: What a question. And what a nightmare. I used to dream that I was a werewolf but I thought that was awesome and didn't want to wakeup

QUESTION (bsischo): When does the next Psych movie come out? I loved that series and I really enjoyed the last movie.

JAMES RODAY: Good question and not sure of the answer. If I had to guess I'd say around the holidays again

bsischo: Really looking forward to it!!!

QUESTION (imdannyg): How did the music choices for Treehouse play out? Priscilla Ahn's Under the Covers is the bomb!

JAMES RODAY: All those needle drops are in the script. I tend to write very specifically to music and, knowing we'd have little to know music budget, I chose songs we had shot at getting. We got all of them. Priscilla, per usual, stepped up and wrote something incredible just for the movie. Another ridiculously talented dear friend who I will employ forever and ever as long as she says yes.

QUESTION (TheWriteOwl): James, thank you so much for doing an AMA and letting us all fan-girl our hearts out. I think it's rare to see someone who moves as smoothly as you do from being a comedic genius in a show like Psych and a thrill master in movies like Treehouse.

What attracted you to these two, disparate genres, and can you speak a little bit about why you think you've seen so much success in both?

JAMES RODAY: Better to be lucky than good and I've been very lucky. I have dedicated myself to being as good as humanly possible to try and make sense of how blessed I've been. Growing up, horror and comedy were the genres I gravitated to the most so they've been in my bones for a very long time. I still remember seeing An American Werewolf in London in the theaters as a six year old. That just about sums me up.

TheWriteOwl: Your dedication and your inherent love for what you do really shows up in your work. As a fan, it's awesome to see - thank you!

QUESTION (eppukuu): Film or digital?

JAMES RODAY: Film. But I do understand the revolution. We shot the first three seasons of Psych on film and Tuesday the 17th was shot on Super 16 which is one of my very favorite formats. There's something truly special about knowing you only have so much film to shoot on and so many takes to get it -- really brings a crew and cast together. And it just looks so good. Though technology has definitely curbed that with HD.

QUESTION (angelusgirl): I started watching Psych after I watched the awesome episode Dual Spires. What was your favorite Twin Peaks Easter egg in the episode or memory of filming it?

JAMES RODAY: The last scene in the diner was a blast because it was a basket of easter eggs. And I'll never forget watching the cast of my favorite show reunite in real time at the Sutton Place bar. Some of them hadn't seen each other in 25 years.

angelusgirl: And a follow up if I may, what did you think of the showtime season?

JAMES RODAY: Well. I loved it because it felt like the deepest recesses of David Lynch's mind were turned loose and who knows if or when we'll get to experience that again. That said, I understand why it wasn't for everyone and if you came in expecting an evolution of the original series....well, you probably didn't get what you were hoping for.

QUESTION (cabose7): How is Timothy Omundson doing?

JAMES RODAY: He's such a badass and he's doing great. He has exceeded expectations at every turn and I cannot wait to bring Lassie back home.

QUESTION (]miatosc): what’s it like working with Allison Miller? She seems super funny and passionate about her work.

JAMES RODAY: Miller is a truly gifted performer. I lucked out getting her as a scene partner. She pushes me, carries me and makes me better. No question.

QUESTION (imdannyg): Did you write Agnes with Nancy Charles in mind? She (and all the cast) is incredible!

JAMES RODAY: We did not but boy did she come into her audition and own that role. When she left we all looked at each other and were like "well, that's that."

QUESTION (seppukuu): You survived the (non-zombie related) apocalypse. The planet is a wasteland. What do you miss most?

JAMES RODAY: Dogs and pals.

QUESTION (mndrlyn): Hi James! Two questions. 1. Does the beard stay for the new Psych movie? 2. What do you do in your off time that makes you happy?

JAMES RODAY: You'll just have to wait and....oh who are we kidding, Shawn doesn't have a beard. I generally spend as much time in NYC as I can and relax by thinking about the next juicy thing I can make. And vodka and sports.

QUESTION (psych-o5life): Do you know what's gonna happen in AMLT season 2?

JAMES RODAY: I may know a thing or two -- which still leaves close to a million

JAMES RODAY: You awesome ladies and gents I'm gonna wrap this up in the next five minutes. We've actually gone over an hour and I don't want to break Reddit.

QUESTION (imdannyg): What are the most difficult constraints to overcome with a limited budget such as this? Is it just time, is it human resources, is it gadget/technology oriented issues? What extra thing would help the most with a limited budget like Treehouse?

JAMES RODAY: All of the above. And I would always choose time over money.

QUESTION (SydneyHollow): Shawn was a big hero of mine for a long time. Then I realized over time that Shawn is a huge dick. Nevertheless, your ability to breathe such life into his character is nothing short of amazing. All the actors on Psych, really, are truly gifted!

​Did you ever have doubts about how successful Psych would be?

JAMES RODAY: Hahaha! I love this. And believe me the longer the show ran, the more challenging it became to keep a character like Shawn digestible. It's like watching Puck of Peter Pan for muuuuch longer than a movie or a play. But yes, that was a wonderful group of actors and humans and we are family. Lightning in a bottle to be sure. The success of Psych never ceases to amaze me. Truly. And that's all because of the fans. 100 percent.

QUESTION (JessicaSimbro): In writing a female role for one of your films, what personality traits does an attractive woman have in your mind? And what then makes that same woman gaspingly frightening?

JAMES RODAY: I believe attractiveness lives primarily on the inside. I'd say the same for what makes anyone frightening.

QUESTION (woahbells): From interviews you seem introverted and introspective but not uncomfortable being questioned about both work and personal topics. Assuming I'm correct and that you are an introvert, how do you reconcile that aspect of your personality with fame?

Also, I noticed the subtle pineapples on Peter's daughter's shirt at the end. Was that intentionally done?

JAMES RODAY: Not my choice but I also didn't veto it so...

QUESTION (firmhair): Come back to White Rock. Our Pier is gone :(

JAMES RODAY: Deal. And with that, thank you all for joining me. It's always a pleasure to connect with you all. If you haven't checked out Treehouse on Hulu, give it a spin. I am enormously proud of the work from all involved and especially grateful for the opportunity to work with and learn from so many talented and insightful women. Be kind to yourselves and others and get ready for a million little spoonfuls of delicious flavor in the future....

[bts-love-sweat-tears]

Tickled Pink (Follower Celebration Fic #4)

Title: Tickled Pink

Pairing: Namjoon x reader

Type: Fluff, ultra-domestic! Joon

Rating:G, except for gratuitous language. I think you can say the f-bomb once in a PG-13 movie, so this would probably be R if it were a movie. Sorry not sorry! :P

Word Count: 1,505

A/N: Namjoon fluff as requested by a lovely anon!  Spot who’s whipped for Namjoon’s fashion choices.  Yes, yes, c’est moi. I’m so sorry for the delay! I moved home and started school back up and it’s leaving me a little tired and uninspired. But please enjoy the fourth of five for my 200 follower milestone. If I don’t get the Tae fluff out quick, I might have to roll right into my next milestone lol. You guys have been so good to me, honestly. I know I’m terrible at chatting (infp problems), but I’m truly grateful for each and every one of you and the comments you leave <3

Well fuck. You’d been trying to help Namjoon out before he went on tour, doing his laundry while he was at the studio trying to wrap a few last-minute things up. He hadn’t asked you, but you had planned on surprising him by taking at least one thing off of his admittedly very long to-do list. What you hadn’t been planning on was one of your errant red socks making its way into the load as well, and now all you had to show for your well-intentioned efforts was a load of clothes tinged faintly pink. And not just any pink clothes: all his favorites that he’d been planning to take on tour with him. VISVIM, WTAPS, MASTERMIND, YAMAMOTO. The further you dug through the load, the more the dollar signs were adding up in your head. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck. You knew he wouldn’t care about the money, but you cared about it, as a matter of principle. Not to mention his sentimental attachment to the brands that comprised his carefully curated wardrobe.

Your boyfriend was basically the god of disaster, so maybe you should have been expecting something to this effect, but you hadn’t realized that such a dubious distinction apparently applied to you through association. You sorted through the items again, trying to determine the extent of the damage. Bleach might work, you mused, but of course there was none in the apartment the two of you shared. Much to your mutual chagrin, it often sat empty, with Joon’s high profile career leading one of the world’s most popular idol groups, and your own consulting work. The two of you treasured the time you spent in the apartment together, away from the eyes of the world and the pressures of work, but what that meant now was that you didn’t have normal things that most people likely had at their disposal. You decided that you would take it to the dry cleaners and let them work whatever black magic (and strong chemicals) they had at their disposal. What you should have done originally, had you actually thought it through.

Before you were able to put your emergency plan into action, you heard the signature beep of your digital lock, and the door swing open and hit the wall, Joon’s cursing muffled as he kicked off his shoes in the entryway. Panicked, you scrambled around the laundry room, burying the recently dyed load under some sheets you’d been meaning to get to.You would just have to take them to the cleaner and ship them to him later.You tripped/skipped out of the laundry room, swooping in for a hug. You stayed there longer than strictly necessary, breathing in the comfort that Namjoon always provided. Even though you both of you had been through it (what felt like) a million times before, you always missed him like crazy when he went on tour. It never got easier. Thinking about the tour reminded you of your misadventure in the laundry room, and you felt a guilty blush paint your cheeks.

Fortunately, Joon didn’t seem to notice. He released you and began to putter around the apartment, throwing things haphazardly into the duffle he was responsible for.  You had no idea how he even knew what was in the duffle bag later, or how he found the power-cord that you knew would inevitably fall to the very bottom of his bag.  You used the stackable travel cubes, clips, ziplock bags, and anything else that might make the journey as painless as possible. After two near misses with his passport, you had bought him a passport holder he could wear under his clothes, but unsurprisingly, he had lost that almost immediately as well. Opposites attract, or so they say. He was lucky that BigHit staff handled most of the mandatory stuff or might be missing a shirt when he went on stage. But tonight it worked in your favor, since he probably wouldn’t even realize that he had packed different shirts than he had originally intended. Regardless, every minute he putzed around, you expected a confused, “Babe, have you seen the shirts I set aside earlier?”

You tried to stay up as long as possible, not trusting your luck thus far. But your eyelids soon dropped closed, soothing voice of whatever TV personality lulling you into a dreamless sleep on the couch. Joon usually stayed awake the night before a long-haul flight, with the intention of adapting to whatever new time zone he would be in (and to make the godawful travel time seem a little shorter). If you couldn’t be sleeping next to him, the couch was your next favorite spot, the back and arms of the chair caging you in comfortingly.

Some time later, you felt a gentle kiss press into your forehead, and a warm presence moved a blanket onto you. You stirred slightly, struggling to move after whatever REM cycle you’d just interrupted.

“Shit, babe, I didn’t mean to wake you,” Joon looked repentant, voice with that late-night raspy edge that you loved.

“What time is it?” You murmured, voice almost as scratchy as his.

“Four,” he replied softly. “I have another hour or so before I need to leave. Since you’re awake now, should we take this to the bedroom?” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively but from the lightness in his tone, you knew he had something else in mind.

You grinned back. “Joonie, you know I can never say no to cuddles.” The two of you relocated to the master bedroom a few doors away, and you spent your last night for three-ish months wrapped in each other’s arms. Perfection.

You had been together for a long time, but you would never get tired of his cuddles. Though sometimes you felt like his long limbs were everywhere when you were trying to sleep, always snaking their way to “your” side of the bed, they were perfect when you wanted to be tangled up in him. He idly rubbed small circles in your back. Normally, you weren’t touchy, and your friends used to ask you what you would do when you met someone and didn’t want to touch. But what they didn’t understand was that you didn’t want casual touches from people you didn’t know well. Joon and you were like halves of the same whole; puzzle pieces with different edges but fundamentally the same when it came to the big picture.  You exhaled and moved even closer, knowing that it would be months before you felt this way again.

What felt like moments later, he gently slid you to the side, shuffling around to find his slippers. It was still dark outside, and while Namjoon had turned on a few dim lights, the shadows felt foreboding. Or maybe it was just because you knew a long separation was coming. You dozed lightly while he got dressed, dreaming that you could prolong the inevitable.

Joon laid a gentle hand on your shoulder, alerting you to the fact that it was time. You used to want to go to the airport to see him off, but with the pushing and shoving of the fans (and the fact that they two of you had to be relatively covert), it no longer seemed worth it. He brought you in, tighter than usual, and he seemed just as unwilling to let go.  You arched your neck up, peppering kisses along as much of his face as you could reach. He smiled, dimples out full force, and though it killed you now, you knew you would make it through this, as you had before. Thank God for FaceTime.

A car horn honked outside, signaling that he really had to leave. With a final kiss, he grabbed his bag and shoes, and was out the door.  A mix of dejected and exhausted, you plopped back into bed, hoping to get a few more hours of sleep before your own workday started.  You weren’t fully awake, so you hoped it wouldn’t prove too difficult.

Hours later, during your lunch break, after a productive morning trying to take your mind off a certain lanky boy’s absence, you found yourself perusing Naver for any interesting headlines, and that’s when you saw it. The airport photos had been posted, and Namjoon had opted to wear a (new) pink shirt with a unique dye job. Media outlets were speculating whether it had been custom-made for him. You snorted. It was custom, alright. He had paired it with a pink beanie, his whistle, and some pink Converse. You snorted-this was not what you had in mind when you had hidden it at the bottom of the laundry bin. But he looked damn good, and you smiled as you opened your text messages, seeing that you had an unread notification.

Hey baby, what did you think of my outfit today? ;)

Your cheeks were as warm as the hue he had been photographed in.