#Hannibal live commentary

[morphogenetic]

im so glad I have a repertoire of really good live action TV shows to recommend to people at social gatherings with people I don't know very well. i can pass as a normie instead of just talking about death game visual novels. hashtag normcore or whatever

now do I like the normie popular live action shows in a normal way? NOT EVEN A LITTLE. but no one needs to know that

[nellasbookplanet]

Book recs: sapphic romance for people who like Hannibal and Interwiev with the Vampire, aka fucked up and toxic

Enemies to lovers, lovers to enemies, fucked up power imbalances, manipulations, plain bad people doing bad things - if you like your sapphics a little bit dark check out these books!

Some of these end happily, some tragically, some are more will-they-won’t-they than full on romance, some focus on healing while others focus on Getting Worse, but they’re all very juicy.

For details on the books, continue under the readmore

Feel free to recommend more books in tags and comments!

Othe book rec posts:

Really cool fantasy worldbuilding

Really cool sci-fi worldbuilding

Mermaid books

Vampire books

The Abyss Surrounds Us by Emily Skrutskie

Young Adult. tumblr classic back in the day! A trainer of sea monsters genetically engineered to protect ships from pirates is kidnapped by, you guessed it, pirates, one of whom happens to be very hot.

Escaping Exodus by Nicky Drayden

While my feelings on Escaping Exodus were mixed, it cannot be denied that the dynamic between the two leads and the way they go from childhood best friends to enemies on different sides of a class and power struggle is very delicious. It also features some really cool worldbuilding of living, alien generation spaceships and the human culture that has developed inside them.

The Stars are Legion by Kameron Hurley

This book fucked me up when I read it. It’s weird, it's gross, there’s So Much Viscera, there are literally no men, it has living spaceships and biotech but in the most horrific way imaginable. Had I to categorize it I would call it grimdark military sf. It’s an experience but not necessarily a pleasant one.

The Lumionus Dead by Caitlin Starling

Possibly one of the most unsettling books I've ever read, and definitely the most claustrophobic. Gyre, a caver on an alien planet, ventures into the dark and dangerous underground, guided only by a woman who has no compunctions on using and manipulating Gyre as she sees fit to obtain her secretive goals down in the caves.

The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri

On the less toxic and fucked up side of the spectrum, but still pretty juicy. A princess held captive by her own brother, who wants to see her dead, tries to trick a servant into helping her escape, but with undeniable attraction growing between them and the servant having her own goals things quickly get complicated.

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

Listen, if you're on tumblr I probably don't need to explain this book to you. Trust me when I say it's exactly as good as people claim. There are indeed lesbian necromancers in space (quite a few of them, actually), but also incredible worldbuilding that keeps growing with every new installment, interesting political commentary, morally complex characters with fucked up dynamics, and well-thought out plot that keeps you guessing until the last.

They Never Learn by Layne Fargo

Listen, sometimes you just want to read about a vicious bisexual lady professor who murders predatory men and falls for the woman trying to solve her crimes and that's okay.

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

The source of not one but two movie adaptations, Fingersmith is a story of trickery and manipulation as a young conwoman works to gain the trust of a heiress. I don’t want to say much more because the twists are some of the best parts, but trust that it doesn’t take long for things to get real complicated between them.

The Unbroken by C.L. Clark

Tourraine, who was stolen as a child and trained as a soldier for the empire that conquered her home, is recruited by Luka, the future leader of the conquering country to route out a rebellion. A game of twisted loyalties and attraction is soon to develop.

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

Again, if you're on tumblr (or twitter, apparently) you have in all likelihood already heard of this one, too. Just like GtN it lives up to all expectations. It features two women on different sides of the titular time war, who starts leaving letters for the other to find as they chase each other through time. A quick read, slightly surreal, and absolutely beautiful, I cannot recommend this enough. Pretty mild on the fucked-up-scale.

House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson

In a world where the rich drink blood to preserve their health, Marion applies to a position as bloodmaid in a notorious noble house far from home. Suddenly showered with luxuries and debauchery, Marion soon gains the interest and favor of Lisavet, countess of the house. A fresh take on the idea of vampires.

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon

A young pregnant woman flees a cult that left her body strange and changing in terrifying ways. Hidden from the world, she does her best to raise her children while trying to find out the truth of the cult and being pursued by a hunter in a dangerous game of cat and mouse. In no way a romance, but certainly has some fucked up sapphic shit going on.

The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson

After her home was conquered by another land, Baru is determined to join their forces and climb the ladder until she’s in a position to free her people. To prove her loyalty, she’s sent to bring order and quell rebellion in another conqured region. Baru is set to succeed, but also has to struggle with her feelings for Tain Hu, a duchess of this region.

Ice Massacre (Mermaids of Eriana Kwai trilogy) by Tiana Warner

Young Adult. A small island is forced to defend itself against intruding forces of vicious mermaids. As all men trying to fight them get lured in by their siren song, a ship filled with warrior girls is sent instead. However one of them, Meela, had a complicated past with one of the mermaids, which is brought back to life when the two reunite on the battlefield. This one is also available as an ongoing webcomic!

Borderline (The Arcadia Project trilogy) by Mishell Baker

Urban fantasy mystery. Very much of the will-they-won’t-they variety, with a bisexual lead who has a male love interest as well as a female without falling into the typical pitfalls of a love triangle. Plays around with various fucked up power dynamics. A year after a failed suicide attempt that cost her both her legs, Millie is recruited by a secretive organisation that works to control traffic to and from Arcadia, the land of faries. Bear in mind that while the sapphic-ness is present throughout, it has a much smaller presence in book 1 than books 2 and 3.

Bonus AKA I haven't read these yet but they seem really cool

The Hunger by Whitley Strieber

Ancient vampire is on the hunt for a new partner, none of which tend to last long.

Codename Villanelle by Luke Jennings

Precursor of the famous Killing Eve tv series. While I don’t know much of the books, I did enough research to know this: their endings differ.

[honeygrahambitch]

There's actually a lot of extra content on my Hannibal DVDs that I have yet to watch. There's the postmortem interviews and the cast commenting on some of the episodes.

I could watch that and live blog it here cause I remember that I loved Hugh's commentaries for Mizumono

[witsserviceablesubstitute]

Punishing the queer characters and heavily queer coded relationship in IASIP with death or the annihilation of their relationships is like killing Villanelle in Killing Eve to me. I can see what they would be going for, wrapping up a story about terrible people doing terrible things, but I fundamentally disagree that self-righteous narrative punishment has a place in these types of stories at all.

The concept of narrative punishment becomes complicated, too, when you have a blatantly queer narrative. Killing Eve, for example, was about Eve's corruption and it would've been more subversive if her and Villanelle had either ended up as 'murder wives' or eternally homoerotic rivals. Punishing them with Villanelle's death just as they got together after seasons of dancing around each other was... comically predictable in all the worst ways. Hannibal understood this I think, probably because the creator was gay himself, and Will and Hannibal's deaths are a question mark they plunged into together rather than a certainty dictated by a self-righteousness that's out of place within the context of the story.

In the context of IASIP, these characters serve the purpose of exaggeratedly pointing to all the ways our current society can obliterate self-development, especially if they were already different in the first place, or mentally unwell, or raised by frankly terrible people and didn't have the capacity to develop any processing skills. IASIP says, "The society we live in created these individuals and now you have to deal with them." The way in which they're broken means that the only real relationships they can hold onto is with each other, it's a bit too cruel to want it ripped apart or away from them, even buried as it is in toxic masculinity, misogyny, and internalized homophobia.

That's why punishing Dennis with a Deeless, Macless, and Charlieless existence doesn't appeal to me as an ending at all. The satire uses all of them to make a point about the structures we exist in that shape us and any lasting individual punishment overrides the commentary they made about how manufactured the characters are. Furthermore, punishing Dennis like this specifically as his queer subtext is made textual after a frustrating 16 season struggle to finally accept this part of himself (and this part of Mac) bombs all that progress entirely. Once again the queer guy loses, the society that shaped him wins. It's a pretty bleak treatise on humanity in general and I'd rather live in a ending where they get to be their terrible selves together.

[bonearenaofmyskull]

Hi! I love your Hannibal meta and it's such a joy to see you back. The ask about IWTV reminds me, would there be any chance that you might write the Good Omens meta you said you wouldn't do a few months back XD? Or some hints about what you were interested in talking about? I feel S2 added a bit more depth to the characters that hasn't been discussed enough (or I haven't delved into that fandom enough to see) and the Job story did get a tiny bit Hannibal-y with the god questioning and temptation

Thank you! Glad to be back.

No, I'm not qualified to write Good Omens meta. xD But I can give you ONE piece, the sum of my opinion, which is that the commentary about the finale (what I saw of it, at least) made the common fandom mistake of viewing the characters' actions through the ship instead of through the individual characters' personalities and values. They talk about Aziraphale not being ready for an overt relationship, or just frankly condemning him for his betrayal, or that both of them do not have good relationship skills, or the Metatron's manipulations, or idk, something about the coffee being drugged?

But while all these things are important (maybe not the coffee, idk what's up with that), the real issue that I haven't seen talked about is faith. (Not that I've researched it, so my apologies if this is all going to be not new because someone else covered it extensively, and I'm just not in the fandom so I didn't know.)

And not in faith each other but in God, or more specifically, in God's righteousness.

That's the purpose of the Job story in the narrative, to illustrate that difference in their worldviews. Aziraphale has come to the understanding that Heaven is operating in its own interests, but he still believes in God's goodness. Crowley...doesn't.

That's why Crowley can't go with him because that lack of faith means he doesn't believe that Aziraphale (or even the two of them together, if he were an angel again) could possibly set something right that has no righteousness at its core, while Aziraphale must go to right Heaven because what has been happening there is an abomination of God's goodness in his eyes.

Aziraphale was wrong when he thought that Crowley would take the Metatron's olive branch, but his error is so enormous because he can't wrap his head around how to Crowley, Heaven's iniquity is just a symptom of God's own, which Aziraphale just cannot accept. So he chooses to see it as a flaw in Crowley, instead of recognizing that Crowley's moral backbone is (apparently) greater even than God's.

So what Aziraphale is forgiving Crowley for is not the awkward kiss or anything he did wrong in their relationship. He's forgiving him for his lack of faith. And Aziraphale must go, he has to make Heaven worthy of regaining Crowley's faith, and he has to prove that God is worthy of Crowley's faith as well. He's got to save them all: he has to rescue Heaven from its iniquity, God and goodness and the world itself from the grip of Heaven, and, more than anything, he has to save Crowley from his unbelief, from living in that outer darkness that Aziraphale is really starting to see for the first time.

If Aziraphale can just do these miniscule few teensy tinesy itty bitty wee things, then Everything Will Be Okay.

How this will go in S3 --whether Aziraphale falls and Crowley rises, or something else--is going to be largely dependent on how the show decides to handle God's character. Whatever the powers of Heaven and Hell believe on this show, God Herself seems to be a Deist. She was notably absent in S2, and in S1 She was definitely treating creation like a spectator sport. I think the show is going to have to finally answer the question of whether or not the angels and demons are all carrying out God's Ineffable Plan through following it, or through failing to follow it. The fortunate fall, on a celestial scale, perhaps.

As that is revealed, just how benevolent God is should also be revealed, and I imagine that could have some significant bearing on how the Ineffable Husbands' relationship resolves. They're setting poor Aziraphale up for his own crisis of faith, ofc, and Crowley more than anyone knows just how that outer darkness feels. But they're also setting Aziraphale up to understand that the belief in goodness that he misplaced with God is a belief in goodness he can safely place with Crowley instead.

[mitzvahmelting]

help me track down a missing fic!

please reblog to help me find this fic i read! i suspect the fic may have been deleted, because i've been looking everywhere for it... so i'm hoping that if the author sees this, they will know how much i adored the story and maybe they'll consider posting it again what i remember: fandom: hannibal

rating: probably T? there was no sex in it.

ship: hannigram, but from like an outsider pov

premise: OC character (who i'm pretty sure was non-binary) is the POV character, living their life and working a shitty minimum wage job. will and hannibal enter the story as customers, see other customers treating the OC poorly, and scare off the rude customer, with the implication that they will eventually murder the rude customer. this was a series. the same OC, working a different job in each fic, keeps running into these two strange men who defend the OC from the abuses of their job and help the OC by occasionally committing murder. and maybe also having a heart-to-heart i could be wrong, but here are some jobs i vaguely recall being part of this story:

craft store?

fast food?

christmas tree farm?

catering (or delivery? it had something to do with driving a van and entering a very wealthy neighborhood. i'm like 99% sure the neighborhood was Potomac and there was some commentary about mcmansions and the utility of a servants' entrance)

like, PLEASE, if anyone remembers this fic or can help me find the author... i really adored this fic and would love to reread it again. i just cannot find it for the life of me. thanks in advance <3

[cringeworms]

Its 2am and my brain is mush but hear me out: imagine Will and Hannibal bickering over the music in the car. Hannibal must listen to a classical music cd or something and Will doesn’t mind, especially when their relationship is “”””””””””professional””””””””””” but like after a while of being together Will must eventually drive and pick the music. At first he’d probably choose one of Hannibal’s cds to be polite but I imagine he’d eventually just play whatever radio station he likes (what music does Will listen to? Classic rock? Prog?) and Hannibal wouldn’t be too bothered at first. He might even enjoy some Styx. But after god knows how many Aerosmith and ac/dc and journey or whatever songs that sound exactly the same (don’t come for me ok I live for that shit) he’d lose his mind silently. He’d clear his throat and adjust in his seat and clasp his hands together and Will is just tapping his thumbs against the steering wheel, perhaps enjoying Hannibal’s discomfort (at least a little bit). Will does not strike me as the kind of guy to sing along to the radio but how fun would that be omg he’d sound out the riffs and fills and shit kinda under his breath and Hannibal would find it endearing but a little annoying.

Hannibal is very cultured, his tastes are refined but he doesn’t live under a rock. So I don’t think he’d be at all confused about rock culture or what the lyrics mean or why people like the music, but maybe he’d still pose some ridiculous questions about it like “when Mr. Tyler says she told him to ‘walk this way’ what way, exactly, was he to be walking? Tell me, Will, have you ever felt like you were told to ‘walk this way’?”

“The painting of one’s face has historically been used by warriors as intimidation and to differentiate between tribes. Yet these men call themselves Kiss, an interesting commentary on love and war; so often they are one in the same.”

Or don’t hear me out. That’s fine too idk what I’m on about.

[mediamixs]

Top 10 horror movies from the 90's

The 1990s produced a diverse array of horror films that left a significant mark on the genre. Below are ten notable horror movies from that decade, showcasing various styles and themes.

The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

This psychological horror film directed by Jonathan Demme is often cited as one of the best films of all time. It follows FBI trainee Clarice Starling as she seeks the help of incarcerated cannibalistic serial killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter to catch another killer, known as "Buffalo Bill." The film won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and is renowned for its intense performances and psychological depth.

Scream (1996)

Directed by Wes Craven, Scream revitalized the slasher genre with its self-aware humor and meta-commentary on horror film tropes. The story revolves around a group of teenagers being stalked by a masked killer known as Ghostface. Its success led to multiple sequels and established a new wave of slasher films that embraced humor alongside horror.

Misery (1990)

Based on Stephen King's novel, Misery tells the story of an author who is held captive by his "number one fan" after a car accident. Directed by Rob Reiner, the film features a chilling performance by Kathy Bates, who won an Academy Award for her role. The film's exploration of obsession and captivity resonates powerfully with audiences.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

This groundbreaking found-footage horror film follows three filmmakers who become lost in the woods while investigating a local legend. Its innovative marketing campaign and realistic portrayal of terror made it a cultural phenomenon, influencing many subsequent horror films. The film's minimalistic approach to horror, relying on atmosphere and suggestion rather than special effects, set a new standard for the genre.

5. Candyman (1992)

Directed by Bernard Rose and based on Clive Barker's short story, Candyman explores urban legends and racial themes through the story of a graduate student who summons a vengeful spirit by saying his name five times in front of a mirror. The film is noted for its social commentary and haunting atmosphere, becoming a cult classic.

Jacob's Ladder (1990)

This psychological horror film directed by Adrian Lyne follows a Vietnam War veteran who experiences disturbing hallucinations as he tries to uncover the truth about his experiences in the war. The film is known for its surreal imagery and exploration of trauma, making it a unique entry in the horror genre.

Tremors (1990)

A blend of horror and comedy, Tremors features a small town besieged by giant underground creatures known as Graboids. The film, starring Kevin Bacon and Fred Ward, became a cult favorite for its humor, practical effects, and engaging characters, leading to several sequels and a television series.

The Sixth Sense (1999)

This supernatural thriller directed by M. Night Shyamalan follows a young boy who can see and communicate with the dead. The film is famous for its twist ending and emotional depth, earning critical acclaim and commercial success. It solidified Shyamalan's reputation as a master of suspense.

Night of the Living Dead (1990)

This remake of George A. Romero's classic zombie film retains the original's themes of survival and societal breakdown. Directed by Tom Savini, the film updates the special effects while maintaining the intense atmosphere that made the original a landmark in horror cinema.

Audition (1999)

Directed by Takashi Miike, Audition starts as a romantic drama before transforming into a horrifying tale of obsession and revenge. Known for its shocking violence and psychological depth, the film has gained a reputation as a modern classic in horror cinema, pushing boundaries and challenging audiences.

These films collectively illustrate the evolution of horror in the 1990s, highlighting the decade's experimentation with narrative styles, themes, and subgenres.

[hellonoblesky]

I love being insane because like yeah I do have a group chat that’s me and my two other Hannibal irls but dropping my live commentary while I watch interviews from 2014 in the main gc is so much more fun

[puffles]

Finished Serious Weakness, I think it'll resonate with a certain type of horror fiend. Or autists mobbed by the horrors of ableist society and can stomach dark yaoi. Probably shouldnt read this post if you cant stomach dark

Not very funnee running commentary below

Could HRT Have Saved Trianon? No, But At Least He Will Have Smooth Delightful Baby Skin.

Attacked by Ableism: Is it worse than having Autism Sangwoo abusing you?

The aquarium scene reminds me of the Adam Raki movie where they have the annoying autism caricature and a woman trying to fix the guy but in the end it doesn't work out. Hair-pulling shit

Ok this was funny as fuck

Sometimes I want to grab Trianon and shake him wondering why he can't be as functioning as me (this is untrue u can never function in Society™️)

Homoero-autism is the new cool fangled thing. Out of the two self published school shooting stories, this definitely is better. Mostly because it wasn't written by a teenager

A SERIOUS weakness even!!! Hahahahahah!!!!

AHAKNSEN GIRLYPOP ASKING FOR HELP IN A COMPETITIBE SHOOTER GAME 😨😭

I want to wiggle Insul around because he's such a desperate needy pathetic little bugger

I always craved like an evil autism x evil autism hannibal but a lot of the fanfics were too overly dramatic about the nature of killing (and too many references to classics that I don't get the beauty of) so I very much prefer the destruction urge Insul has

G*MER DESTROYED!!!!!!! We live in a society

Honestly Insul is so fucking funny but I am shaking my head seriously because i cannot stan this problematic fudanshi

Oh that's a really good depiction of a traumatic experience. I don't have a singular traumapoint so I can't compare how realistic it is, but it does execute the visceral fear and dissociation through text really well, down to the structure.

I will someday draw parallels to every single media on the serious weaknesscore recs in my private discord message groups, but today I am too tired to recall all of them. I have read all of them though. I think the closest yaoi manga to the weird caretaker shit would be this one where it involved a guy with seizures taking advantage of another guy because of "guilt" but it turns out the caretaker was killing people and then cue regular goreing of the seizureman and all. It's called Feeding Lamb by Masumi Nishin

I liked the story 😃 I mean I like all of Porpentine works for the most part but there's aspects I really connected to with the whole conformity stuff and mentally wishing to laserbeam people who dont get it.

I like the f/f version because I want sick twisted f/f that the people always speak of but never fucking exists. I can piss better than Tri my peehole shoots at forces that mimics a penis at a urinal

[nyxknocks]

This. Movie. Made me. SO. Angry.

I just finished it and I'm hoping this comes across as coherent and cohesive because boy, did this movie piss me off. It was honestly genius. With the first movie, I didn't get why this guy was so well known and well loved but I'm happy to say this movie changed that opinion but also like in the worst way because ow.

Strap in because this is gonna be A Lot.

Shige is possibly the worst person I've ever seen and that includes Hannibal the Cannibal like I hated her. Violently. Koichi and Keizo also suck. Basically everyone but Tomi, Shukichi, Noriko, and Kyoko suck like. massively. Selfish, arrogant, prideful people. Like, parents or no parents, you treat people with common respect? Decorum? But its made worse by the fact these are your parents! And you treated them like the biggest burdens when they traveled so far at their age to come see your ungrateful self in Tokyo!!!!!!! Oh my god I'm fuming. "They're fine with crackers", "Use my old slippers", "Oh can I have her summer kimono". !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I need to stop. Like, I had a doc open of my running commentary so I wouldn't forget and 90% of it is me absolutely ranting and raving about these awful, awful children. Not Noriko though she's perfect, precious, incredible.

ANYWAY.

Obviously, the terrible children was the point Ozu was trying to make. It's very obviously a "this generation vs. the older generation" type of movie. The parents are shown most often in traditional garb instead of the more corporate "western" (if you could really even call it that because that feels reductive and near-sighted as an American) outfits. They make a point on the way to Tokyo to show the smokestacks that come with industrialization that counteracts the image on the way back to Onomichi of the traditional palaces, clothes on the line, "clean" air. These felt extremely on the nose, but you could also argue that the shipping boats in the water that they show while home at Onomichi are those industrialized/capitalism views essentially encroaching on the once clean or safe area and thus clean and safe ideals. So, I definitely see that anti-capitalistic approach in this movie, but I don't feel like it's the most important aspect that he was trying to show? Would likely require a second watch for me to expand on this thought further as much of the movie was spent of me swearing at the screen because I hated these people so much.

There is also this metronome/ticking sound throughout the entire film that I didn't really pick up on until the scene with Shukichi visiting the Hattori's, where it was almost overwhelming how fast it was. My initial reaction of that was a sense of mortality, because it added to what Tomi was saying basically from the jump. From the moment she got to Tokyo it felt like she knew something was up and that time was running out for her, because the moment she was alone with her youngest grandson Isamu she talks about how she'll never live to see what he can become. You could argue that's a normal thing grandparents would say even at 68, but it feels more important when you take into consideration how she acts and what she says throughout the film. Even before she felt dizzy at Atami, she would often touch her left arm, and then of course after that it was pointed out by Noriko. She even told Noriko that after she left Tokyo she wouldn't see her again, and reiterated that with Shige by telling them not to bother visiting because Onomichi is so far away. It's like she knew for sure she would not see her children again.

This is clearly intentional because its reinforced at the end when you hear the ticking again right before/while Tomi is in a coma (I believe I heard it here, honestly I don't entirely remember. It might've been just at the end in general), and then again by both Kyoko looking at her watch as the train with Noriko on it leaves Onomichi as well as the watch that Shukichi gifts Noriko on Tomi's behalf. Time is a looming presence from the beginning because the first few lines of the whole movie is about what time their train leaves. It was actually genius how Ozu went about showing this because it felt so subtle until it fully slapped you in the face.

Another brilliant thing he did was opening at the close, as I like to call it. The ending scenes mirrored the opening scenes nearly identically only with the obvious difference of Tomi no longer being alive. Noriko takes the place of Tomi packing, Kyoko is still packing up and leaving for work, Noriko replaces Koichi's wife Fumiko's cleaning as she cleans up the home before she leaves, etc. Even the neighbor coming to say her piece. It reminds me of Hadestown and how they do the reprise. The scenes are essentially the same with added context that makes it devastating. Brilliant. I might be gushing a little bit.

The cinematography was also excellent (for the most part) [I say for the most part because sometimes the cuts between close ups + line delivery felt like an old 90s rpg game]. Knowing that Ozu is known for the stationary shots made it a little easier to digest, but as a modern viewer it is so unsettling how still the shots are, especially because throughout most of them the actors/characters are spiking the camera and looking right at you, full eye contact. It's unnerving and really puts you into the middle of the story. It makes you feel like you are physically apart of it, every awkward scene. It forces you not to look away. The choice of long silence stretching throughout enhances this feeling. You have to bare witness to the travesty that is going to befall this poor couple because their children are the worst. There is even a part where they consider themselves lucky still but the awkward silence and the way their faces fall after kind of tells you all you need to know. They know their children are selfish and shitty.

It's also dynamic. Most of the "action" takes place either off to the side of the camera or out of sight because of the angle (re: the hot spring game table scene. You can't see any of the action. Most of the dinner scenes there is a back to the camera. Fumiko walking in and out of frame cleaning). It makes the world feel 3D with the layering that adds to that sense of you being physically present within the world. It's really impressive how he managed to capture that sense with such little actual camera work.

The final song is extremely on the nose about how the new generation is selfish. Still a nice touch.

I could keep going. Noriko and Kyoko are perfect. The rest are awful and selfish and don't deserve anything good. Shige is a vulture. Ugly (in the heart), nasty, and hunting and pecking over her mother's dead body for free stuff. And has the audacity to criticize Kyoko and Noriko for not having mourning clothes? They're grieving, you wretch! Oh I hate her fr.

Also the fire escape/stairs scene when Noriko was taking Tomi and Shukichi around Tokyo (because their awful terrible biological children refused to make time for them omgihatethemsomuch) just reminded me of the Penrose Steps. I have no idea if that's intentional but it just made me a little uncomfortable.

[annaofaza]

a hartwin hannibal au

For @mappplethorpe: I owed you this a long, long time ago, and I’m sorry. I found this fully written in my tumblr drafts, of all places. Forgive me for keeping you waiting <3

One of the interesting parts of therapy is picking apart the brain.

A lot of his colleagues express fascination about this understanding. This understanding is a hidden creature, elusive and shy like a deer, and it takes a skilled hunter to coax it into relaxation and pull the trigger. It’s almost like watching tasteless dramas: picking apart each and every encounter the characters have with one another, listening for the actors’ and writers’ commentary, learning to lean forward when the violin music begins.

Harry likes to give off the appearance of being philanthropic; he finds himself spouting off phrases that involve understanding and helping others, but purposively neglects the aspects that draw him to this field. It’s like cutting open flesh to reveal the bright blood and ivory bones and delicate veins and squirming muscles underneath, except in some cases, more delicate. A mind cannot easily be coaxed open with a simple tool and a steady hand; a mind must relax and be receptive to change, be it of its own device or with prodding.

He likes challenges because he always succeeds, and despite what other psychiatrists may think, he’s the only one who can play the long game. When he was a child, he’d wait for hours upon hours in the woods that surrounded his home, waiting for ducks or geese in a pond to come and waddle over to him, nosing his hair and pecking at his skin. But his favorite were the butterflies, fragile wings flitting towards and away from him until they sensed that he was not a danger.  

And much like his hobby, Harry enjoys snuffing the elusive out eventually and hanging them up on his walls, a testament to why he lives.

He'll continue here, though London is a miserable city. It’s polluted, crowded, and despite the international British reputation of politeness and chivalry, people are rude, always in a hurry, and foul-tempered. If not for Roxanne’s intriguing observations about what she hoped would be his next patient, Harry would have never considered coming back to this place.

From anecdotes and rumors and the Internet, Harry begins profiling Gary—who, for some reason, prefers “Eggsy”—Unwin: talented but prone to acting rashly, intelligent but averse to interacting with many people, good-hearted but with a history of violence, and most interestingly, the way he thinks. Unwin, in one article, talks about how the evidence explains the crime scene to me, but it appears so much more than that. He seems to make leaps that somehow connect, and it’s only when the evidence is trotted out in full that it makes sense.

Harry doesn’t believe in psychics or fortune-tellers or such nonsense, and if Eggsy is peddling the rumors of him somehow being able to step into the perpetrator’s shoes, Harry would consider carving him up. He detests liars.

But he has the perfect excuse to judge for himself. All it takes is a whisper to a man who’s tired of laying low, and Harry will hunt again.

+++

Shaking off the droplets of his umbrella before entering the building, Harry waits to be greeted. Luckily, it's a short wait, with Agent Alastair Morton, haggard but friendly, who offers him a cup of tea, sits him down and engages him in polite small talk so Harry has time to sip his tea. He then reviews what he’d like from Harry: to look over several scenes of missing persons, who are also missing their organs, and to also look after one of their agents, per his niece’s concerned plea.

“Ah, here he is,” Morton finally murmurs, and they both turn their heads towards the opening door.

In he steps.

Eggsy Unwin, despite his preference for hideously-colored jackets and ratty jeans, is stunning. A bruise blooms high on his cheek, dark circles sit huffily underneath eyes that are too old to suit his youthful appearance, and scrapes and more bruises decorate his knuckles. Immediately, Harry senses brief surprise, suspicion, then…almost resentment emitting from the young man when he looks at Harry, gaze travelling up and down his polished oxfords and bespoke suit and tortoiseshell glasses.

He’d have to thank Roxanne for bringing this man to his attention.

Harry sits up in his seat, offering Eggsy a polite nod, and to his credit, Eggsy nods back, before asking, “Who is this, Alastair?”

Harry raises his eyebrows briefly at the familiarity, but Morton waves his hand and offers Eggsy a seat. Eggsy obeys, eyes darting towards Harry, then back to his boss.

“This is Dr. Harold Hart, a leading psychiatrist,” Morton says. “He’s going to help us with profiling this case.”

Eggsy nods again, looking a bit more relaxed. “We could use his help, yeah.”

His accent is nothing like Roxanne’s or Morton’s; Harry catches the accented words, the slight drop of consonants and swallowing of vowels.

“Where are you from, Eggsy?” Harry asks.

“Rowley Way—the Alexandra Road Estate,” Eggsy says, his voice already defensive. He’s truthful, proud, ready to fight. “You?”

“Italy,” Harry replies. “Then here and there.”

“You travel a lot?”

“It’s good to be cultured.”

Eggsy’s lips turn down. “Cultured. Is that another way of saying that you can afford it?”

“Eggsy—” Morton begins, but Harry smoothly cuts in: “It’s all right. Say what you like.”

“I’m only saying that some people can’t afford to travel just to get worldly experiences, and they’re not better than people who haven’t left London. So, yeah,” Eggsy says. “I may not come from… Oxbridge or somethin’, but I know how to work.”

“Tell me, Eggsy,” Harry says, prodding, “You want to work twice as hard to get half of what your other colleagues get. You respect those who have to work to get what they want, and you want to put yourself high enough to succeed, but not high enough to betray where you’re from.  But yet,” he continues, “I sense that you deliberately hold yourself back. I wonder why that is.”

“Don’t you fucking psycho-analyze me,” Eggsy snarls, immediately shoving back his chair with a loud squeal. “Is this what you’ve called me in for, Alastair? To have some posh doctor poke around and find my faults?” Abruptly standing up, Eggsy nods stiffly at them, accent now very much like Morton’s: polished and cultured, although with a bit of an affection. “Excuse me. I remembered I had a prior engagement.”

He slams the door when he leaves.

Morton watches him go with a stricken look. "I apologize, Dr. Hart, he—" 

"Had every right to act that way," Harry smoothly cut in. "He's used to people dismissing him, either because of his background or his youth...or both, and what makes it worse is examining the man like a specimen." He paused. "What Eggsy has is pure empathy. It’s a rather… interesting gift, to not only be able to guess the point of view of others, but to also inhabit them.” He then leans forward. “This cannibal… I think I can help Eggsy find out who he is.”

+++

Soon, Harry gets to see Eggsy in action, hands stuffed in the pockets of another jacket, cuffs worn. It’s black, with white stripes down the arm, and well-loved. He’s refused an umbrella, so rain soaks into the fabric and darkens his hair. Morton’s standing behind him, cameras clicking, documenting the crime scene, every cut, every missing organ of this picked-apart girl. 

The Ripper, they’re already calling this killer. Quite unoriginal, really.

Eggsy wordlessly stares at the blonde curls, and for a moment, his jaw works and his eyes flutter briefly, visibly struggling. But he straightens up, closes his eyes, and says, “He wants to—to own them. To prove that he’s stronger. To swallow them whole.”

He tilts his head up, letting the rain fall on his face.

“And that’s all?” Morton asks.

Eggsy nods. “I know this one.”

Harry waits. He can see the answer in Eggsy’s face: fear, confusion, and hatred, pure hatred that surges into action, that’s tempered, that can be released with the right pressure. The moment. Their moment.

“What do you mean?” Morton demands.

“Because,” Eggsy says shortly, “it’s my stepdad’s work.”

+++

“You can’t pull me off! I’m—”

“Too close to this case,” Morton argues for the umpteenth time, slamming his hand down on his desk.

“I’m not goin’ to screw this up because he’s my stepdad!” Eggsy shouts back. “I can do my job, Alastair, I can do this, I know him, don’t—”

“Perhaps Eggsy may stay on,” Harry cuts in.

They both whip around to face him, both appropriately startled.

“Eggsy can help us with his experience, his closeness. He knows how his stepfather ticks and how to reel him in. And of course we’ll put Eggsy’s mother and sister in protective custody so no one needs to get hurt,” Harry says mildly.

Morton frowns, then gives a hard nod. “Very well. I’ll make the arrangements. Both of you wait here. I’m going to make the calls.”

He ushers them both out, and as soon as the door shuts, Eggsy immediately turns to him. “You defended me.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“It was the sensible course.”

“Really?” Eggsy’s tone is sarcastic. “Morton swallowed it when you said it, but from me? A chav? Morton’s not like the last boss, but he has his prejudices. And if we were born with silver spoons up our arses, we'd do just as well as you," Eggsy jerks his head towards Harry's pinstriped suit. "If not better." 

Normally, such an outburst would have Harry smile, thank him for his time, later catch him by surprise on a deserted road, and then having a veritable feast by himself. But something about him drew the eye. It wasn't merely rudeness; the man was trying to make him care. 

Though, bless him, he'd stopped caring long ago. 

"You're right about the snobs," Harry says. "But there, too, are exceptions." 

Eggsy eyes him suspiciously. "Like you?" 

“Come to dinner after Baker's arrested,” Harry says genially. “I’ll make martinis. Consider it an…apology for ambushing you during our first meeting. I did not mean to cause offense, but—no, it doesn’t matter my intentions. I insulted you, and I’m sorry.”

Eggsy blinks, almost owlishly. It’s clear he’s used to apologizing, but not the other way around. "Well,” he finally says, “I admit not a lot of snobs would invite me over for martinis and supper, so...thanks. But to be honest, I don't find you that interesting.”

"Oh, you will." Harry smiles. “And I find you interesting: a young man with potential.”

[m00ngbin]

Movies I think that everyone should watch but also probably read the warnings for:

1. The Menu (very funny, fucked me up for a week, good commentary on how the rich ruin passion and also everything)

2. Don't Look Up (what can I say I'm a sucker for movies that talk about how corporations and billionaires and the government are going to kill us all with their greed and ignorance and stupidity. This movie is terrifying and hilarious and I think you should only watch it if you're in the right headspace)

3. Any movie by Laika Studios (I Love stop motion animation and the movies that this studio has created are absolutely breathtaking)

4. Paranorman (this is one movie by Laika Studios that I think that you should watch. The style is gorgeous and it's funny and cool and Norman and his dad made me so miserable)

5. Kubo and the Two Strings (another movie by Laika Studios, can't tell you much cause I don't want to spoil anything but it made me bawl my eyes out what I was like 11 and fhelsofjskks it's really good and the style is gorgeous and the story is awesome)

6. Wendle and Wild (it's another stop motion movie, I'd be shocked if you haven't seen it. The main character is a punk afro indigenous girl who ends up killing two millionaires who are trying to decimate her town to build a giant prison and exploit the system for profit. The cast is really diverse and it's awesome and if you haven't seen it you should watch it)

7. Game Night (this movie is NOT animated this time, it's a live action comedy about a man (very competitive) who can't get it up because he feels like always he's being bested by his brother. During one of him and his friend's weekly(?) game nights, his brother gets kidnapped and they think that it's a joke for a while so they're trying to solve where the brother got taken to and it is SO. FUNNY. you have to watch it I beg of you)

8. Princess Mononoke (absolutely GORGEOUS. My personal favorite Studio Ghibli movie. So madly in love with Sen, Ashitaka and Lady Eboshi everyone in this movie is so hot. Loved the message that nobody was truly a bad person. Lady Eboshi was killing the forest but she was also kind and taking in lepers and women who otherwise would have had hard lives working in brothels. Anyways the forest spirit is creepy as fuck why does it have a man face)

9. Fantastic Mr. Fox (I don't feel like I even have to say anything. It's Fantastic Mr Fox. I think that by now you all know how much I absolutely adore stop motion movies, and this movie is so silly and heartbreaking and ughjhjhhhhhhh. This movie scratches just the right itch in my brain. I hate that fucking coach btw. Fuck that guy what was his problem)

10. This is just gonna be a shameless plug for all of my favorite TV shows I think you should watch (I don't even need to say this but mob psycho 100, the last of us, adventure time, Fionna and cake, Hannibal, Grey's anatomy (don't actually it's horrible and mind numbing,) bobs burgers, what we do in the shadows)

[space-blue]

okay first of all how does anyone bear to do asks i need to keep switching between two tabs trying to figure out what questions i'm trying to ask, there's got to be an easier way-- BUT right, Behind the Scenes asks: 1, 5, 12, 18 PLEASE, and 23. (PS am i supposed to ask so many? prob not. screw it, i'm greedy (PPS am i supposed to be anon rn idk if that's correct etiquette)) THANKS!

I jot the numbers down somewhere if I'm getting overwhelmed. You did great though! And no, there is no etiquette on how many to ask, don't worry. If there's a double I'll just send you to the other ask. More means I get to talk about fic more, which is great! :3

What was the first fandom and/or pairing that you wrote fic for?

Star Wars, Thrawn x OC. I was pretty sauced. I think I have some great moments in there, and I was free to create all the banter I wanted, etc. But it suffers a LOT from me being completely new to multi chapter work. I go into meandering tengeants and don't know when to stop on the world building. It had its fans and really dragged me into the whole fanfic universe though. Maybe one day I'll finish it, but I had no idea which way to go. I feel like I wrote myself in a corner, somewhat haha

5. What is the perfect environment for you to write in?

I don't mind loud spaces like cafes or pubs, so long as the music isn't obnoxious and I can hear my own. I just like places where nobody is going to come to me to interrupt me. Sadly I live and work in a backpacker hostel, meaning I have 50 odd housemates at any given time, without counting the 250 guests. I get interrupted a LOT. So right now, hidden in my bed or hunkering down at my fav cafe, would be my answer.

12. Is there a trope you haven’t written yet but really want to?

Yes! There's this Tarkin & Ahsoka fic I mentioned in this ask. It focuses on the amnesia trope. I really, really like to write sort of mind fucky things from character PoV. So Tarkin struggling with shattered memories and having to rebuild himself while trusting this total stranger… Hard. Especially when WE all know she's lying to him to try and use him for her side, because the rebellion just needs the help that badly. I do need to make better research on real amnesia before I apply scifi logic to it... And I need to not be hyperfixation on Quaritch's blue ass. His own trope scratches a similar itch, since he's a clone with implanted memories. So identity crisis as well...

18. What is a line/scene you’re really proud of? Give us the DVD commentary for that scene.

OK ok I have this entry from my Hannibal ficlets that focuses on a secret inside the "mind palace" Hannibal Lecter has. I've read all three relevant Hannibal books, watched the films, all TV series… And then I read the book Piranesi by Susanna Clarke. It's excellent and I recommend it. It focuses on a man living inside an enormous house that has three levels going in all directions, with clouds in the top level and a sea with rushing tides in the bottom. There are statues everywhere… And birds… And it's very WTF and it takes you a long time to understand what's going on. It's in this man's pov too which thickens the mystery.

I love the works of Piranesi. He's an italian architect and archaelogist who once got sick. 22 yo and delirious with fever, he sketched a series of 'infinite prisons' which you can see here!

So I'm writing this tiny daily ficlet, trying to stick as close to 200 words as I can, and I was folding myself into a piranesian pretzel trying to FIT THE DAMN EXPRESSION in. Making Hannibal's mind palace into a piranesian thing.

There is a corner of his mind always plagued by snow. It is a torturous journey there, through labyrinthine passages, down echoing stairwells and across bridges arcing over the piranesian landscape of his palace. It is easy to lose one's way, to be distracted by the vaulted ceilings of a chapel, the confines of well used hideouts, or the familiar outlines of his Baltimore office. But if he keeps walking, fingers brushing against all the door-frames of all the halls of his mind, eventually they alight on damp wood, cold and brittle. 

[he's off to visit his baby sister, who he keeps in there. He was forced to eat her by soldiers as a child, yeah it's dark]

23. If you had to remix one of your own fics, which would it be and how would you remix it?

I'm not super hung up on this idea. I write and move on. I have 151 works currently and I've been on ao3 for not even 3 years. So as you can imagine I have a tendency to create a new work rather than worry about remixing.

This being said I'd probably completely retool my very first fic, as per answer 1. I'd change the OC, shorten the plot by A LOT, get the action started sooner, completely drop a lot of worldbuilding… It's a slog, which can be very sweet in a fanfic when you're enjoying the slog content, but dear lord, it makes for awkward re-reading. I'd make the OC an alien instead of a human raised by aliens. Too much going on.

[brightspine]

Tag nine (9) people you'd like to know better

Tagged by @fightthesun, who certainly does not know me at all (ily)

Last song: Honey Bucket by Melvins

Currently watching: I'm working on a Hannibal rewatch rn. Otherwise, a lot of horror game playthroughs.

Currently reading: I'm reading three books right now because I am insane.

First, The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones. It's a twofer of gritty horror and commentary on native stuff. I'm enjoying it so far! Second, Hannibal by Thomas Harris. This is a reread through this series. Third, Anna Karenina as a buddy read with my mom and sister.

Current obsession: I'm back on my Star Trek bullshit for sure. I've been thinking a lot about space travel and what it would be like to live in that universe. I've also been trying to get good at Project Zomboid with mixed results. Like Leo said in their post, we've also been playing a lot of 7 Days to Die which is among the jankiest games ever to capture me heart and soul.

Tagging: @otterfire @jayayayayayayayayayayayayayayaya @sarnakhwritesthings, I'm too much of a socially anxious little lamb to tag strangers so please do this if you want.

[mademoiselle-red]

8 Shows Tag Game

RULES - List eight shows for your followers to get to know you better.

Thanks to @argyleheir for tagging me!

Doctor Who (the 2005 reboot)

The 10th, 11th, and 12th doctor eras are my favorite seasons to rewatch. Blink, Silence in the Library, and The Eleventh Hour are my favorite episodes.

Honorary mention: Torchwood: Children of Earth. It was amazing and utterly devastating. A Doctor Who spin-off.

This is Going to Hurt

This miniseries starring Ben Whishaw about a obgyn doctor perfectly encapsulates the kind of humor I enjoy.

Honorary mention: A Very English Scandal. Written by Russel T Davis (Doctor Who show-runner of the 9th and 10th Doctor eras). Staring Ben Whishaw and Hugh Grant. A hilarious and fascinating 3 episode miniseries.

Derry Girls

Teenagers acting like real teenagers, in 1990s Northern Ireland, just living their ordinary lives amidst sectarian conflict and military occupation. The teen drama feels so realistic because it takes place in such a specific time (early 90s) and place (Derry) and focuses on specific people (Irish Catholic teenagers), in contrast to teen shows like Sex Education or Euphoria that seem to take place in near-present-day, any-town. Despite the specificity of the story, Derry Girls is probably the most relatable teen show I’ve ever seen. The focus on friendships, school, family, community, and tentative explorations of love and identity were much more relatable than teen shows that focus on sex, drugs, toxic families, and high stakes conflicts. Like in Derry Girls, my teenage years were largely sheltered from the conflicts of the adult world, and the most high stake thing I ever did was apply to university. But also like Derry Girls, I was gradually becoming aware of adult problems (interpersonal, financial, political) and developing my opinions on them. I find it very poignant that Derry Girls begins the first episode with our protagonist arguing with her mother over wearing a jean jacket instead of her school uniform because she’s a teenager now, and “teenagers have rights”, and ends the final episode of the final season with the protagonist exercising her right to vote in a referendum ratifying the Good Friday Agreement.

Ultimate Note

A Chinese series adapting Books 4 and 5 of the Grave Robbers’ Chronicles novels by Nanpai Sanshu. I adore the novels and this is, in my opinion, the only decent screen adaptation. There have been dozens of cinematic and tv adaptations and they have all been rather terrible for some inexplicable reason.

Band of Brothers

Currently obsessed this. A miniseries about a company of American paratroopers on the western front in World War Two. The main character, Dick Winters, is my blorbo ❤️❤️❤️

What Did You Eat Yesterday

A Japanese miniseries about a gay couple and their shared delight in the food they eat. Each episode contains a storyline centered around our protagonists finding joy in an ordinary culinary experience, featuring extended cooking montages, detailed descriptions of food while cooking and eating, and plenty of humor and social commentary.

Hannibal

I watch it while cooking and eating. I’m in the fandom for the food porn.

The Great British Bake-Off

I only re-watch the early seasons, when Mary Berry was still one of the judges. This show inspired me to attempt Victoria Sponge Cakes and Meat Pies.