#I will say again: Looney Tunes ass relationship

[youngerfrankenstein]

You ever feel like the universe is enabling you?

[sizequeen1]

Louis de Pointe du Lac: Misery Chick

Now that we're half way through the second season, I keep asking myself, "To what extent is Louis the author of his own miseries." A lot of us like to baby girl him, but I'm just not feeling that.

So Louis argues that he was hunted and seduced by Lestat, which coming from his perspective seems accurate, but...

How could Louis NOT know he was being seduced by a monster? Even if he didn't know vampires existed, he knew that no human could read minds or move so fast that time appears to stop. He never saw Lestat in daylight or saw him eat. On top of that Lestat is not just a atheist; he actively HATES God. For a man of his time, all of this should have read as DEMONIC. Lestat was basically exposing his nature to a human and Louis closed his eyes, clapped his hands over his ears and screamed lalalalala. He didn't know because he didn't want to know. Louis is the author of his own misery.

And no one can say that Louis didn't know that Lestat was a killer before he was given the gift. Louis saw Lestat kill two priests and confessed to killing Lily and leaving dozens of bodies in the bayou and Louis embraced him because he wanted to embrace him. The lives of people he'd known for years didn't mean shit to him. The life of his own brother who he believed had been driven to suicide by Lestat meant less than his love for him. He might have been mad with grief, but on some level he knew what was was getting into to. So Louis embraces a killer and is SHOCKED, SHOCKED, I tell you that he is also a killer now. Bullshit. Louis is the author of his own misery.

And he had power in that relationship and wielded it mercilessly when he wanted to see his family, buy the Azalea, or when he wanted a child. Lestat stood by and let him make all the bad decisions he wanted and then Louis turned around and blamed Lestat when the shit didn't work out. Louis is the author of his own misery.

35 years later, he meets Armand. Same shit, different dude. Massive power imbalance again, but this time Armand is several levels above Lestat. He can fly, control and read minds without effort, and has telekinesis. Armand is dangerous. His coven is dangerous. Armand literally tells Louis he's in danger more than once and suggests that he run.

And what does Louis do? Hatches some Looney Tunes ass Wile E. Coyote plot to put the guy who hates him in CHARGE of the coven giving him the power of life and death. You can't make this shit up. He picked this. Louis is the author of his own misery.

[ikilledamanforthisurl]

Minami anon x5 YEAH FOR REAL to everything….. The way Majima treats his men is very. Hrm. I saw a good essay about it before regarding how Majima after going through the abuse he's faced only Knows / understands how to project that same sentiment with the most obvious example being Nishida who has almost like a looney tunes esque dynamic with him. And how that later goes on to talk about Majima associating Minami who is extremely clearly trying to emulate him with Sagawa + Shimano which led to like the disconnect in their relationship. Idk if ive tldlred that very well but yeah. It was very Majima centric though which makes me wish it talked abt more how Minami views the situation because again I do very much think it’s just a case of Minami wanted to do Somebody and he ultra latched onto the first person he saw that was That. Very like duckling following the leader. He most likely has no idea what the hell baggage Majima has and just continues viewing this act he's put on in such a glamourised revered light. The Cycle Of hell continues and continues forever. I feel like you could even make an argument Abt the like never wanting to accept defeat thing as another emulation of Majima who like very famously Just Keeps Trucking Along and Never Lets Up. Also so real about the tidbit abt the junior leader like it really just feels like something they made up out of the blue but it’s fine it’s just his now……. I agree that Minami very much does not give me like patriarch vibes I feel like nothing about him screams a person who wants to *the* most important- Its why I word it as like Minami wants to be SOMEBODY, but not the somebody who has all of the responsibilities and the stress that comes with being in the super hardcore major leagues- again, going back, a very sort of Immature or Young person kind of attitude to have. Also okay I thought it was both kinda hilarious and sad How the guys in the karaoke scene didnt want to be there 😭😭😭 really just feels like they were Dragged along because “why not” / because Minami is seemingly more carefree about things. I'd love to see him interact w just like the normal ppl of kamurocho or if he like worked at the construction site with his fellow coworkers like are they immediately put off or find him annoyingly pleasant enough. Idk if i have anythin to say abt it but i also LOVE ur tags and the idea of Minami putting himself through hell willingly to be as strong as majima garghghgghghg….. also its okay if ur actually sick for real like w a cold I hope u get better soon !!! Ironically i also have a minor cold so JWJJDJDEJ

we are so back......... you and me anon... we are both sick in the exact same ways (brainrot included)

I looooove the terrible recycling dynamic of abuse from Majima to his men and that sounds really evil but i mean like. its an extremely interesting and Real Thing to portray (completely on accident!) and explore. and i can't even act like i'd be better if i were him sometimes. i know damn well his boys are incompetent (everyone on earth is) and/or pains in the ass (definitely Aratani, probably Minami, but he dont mean it) and physical violence is part of their way of life in this fictionalised mega-gang. in a twisted way violence is more than just that, it's the solution to everything, it's the crux of everything, it's care for those who need to be able to stick up for themselves to survive and it's also a burden by way of Fighting Game Protagonist Syndrome. at the end of the day the abuse is still abuse, but you see some interesting perspectives with this kind of framework in that world..... including folks who'd enthusiastically participate in the looney-tunes Slapsticked role, like my take on Minami. Nishida too, but i don't think he's enthusiastic, just begrudgingly accepting of things...

i know the EXACT post youre talking about and i completely understand being Majima-focused in these kinds of rants cause he's the one with all the interesting shit going on and yknow. canonical character depth...... i try my best to not get sidetracked but Majima intrigues me as much as the people around him.... they made him and his relationships both fun and fascinating. to keep it Minami ways you'd probably be saying some real no-shit-sherlock shit "wow that's so tragic for him" or you'd get into HC and made up shit territory, like me ^_^ teehee

Speaking of Aratani, i think he's a good example of someone who actually wants the patriarch seat. the pursuit of power is like his whole deal. Gets considerable focus and text(dialogue) acknowledgement. Minami's whole deal is being goofy, he just also so happens to have considerable power both physically and in the yakuza hierarchy..... bullshit as his role may very well be......... and it's only barely noticed. the pros of being a joke i spose. he's treated, and acts, too nonchalant to give me the impression of gunning for the top. with the existence of other Majimagumi men like Aratani to compare, that just exasperates it for me. he wants to be cool, and that's all

and yknow what..... the fun thing is...... is that Majima gets stories told about him. they get told all over. so much so that resident under-rock-dweller Kiryu hears about them. Minami doesn't know shit from fuck about his boss but i bet he eats those stories the fuck up. true or not, Majima's prowess speaks volumes on it's own... he's the Boss for a Reason..... stories get told about people who Matter. he'd totally be all over that. Wanna Be Somebodyism is terminal and it's got him by the balls. too bad he's not destined to be anybody more than a side character in this series!

oh well..... that's what i'm here for. side characters come get your heads smacked hands kissed and existence acknowledged, possibly all three if you're silly enough

[slashingdisneypasta]

Gotham Villains x Hotel Owner!Reader || Headcanons

Explanation / Topic: You run one of the cities dingy hotels except this one, in all of its glory, is only ever visited by bad guys. Your hotel is well known as the place rogues hide away in when they're planning or they're just out of action for a while because you refuse to give up information to the police no matter what (Its proprietor-client confidentiality! Ha ha) and you're treat them fairly (Although- on the kinder side of course)

These are the many ways they show their gratitude, no matter how small.

Character involved: Most, if not all, of Fox Gotham's rogues. Except Ra's Al Ghul because he bores me. Nevertheless, not just the Legion Horrible's like the picture might lead you to believe- that's just the picture with the most villains that I could think of.

Warnings: Probably too much fluff. I'll make a sequel to this with the less-then-pretty, nitty grotty details of this hotel too probably XD

Barbara likes to invest every now and then, "Just making sure my affairs are in order baby- gotta make sure my hidey hole's still there when I need it." but she always adds a little something for you to buy yourself 'something pretty' (Since your style is SO plain, according to her but then again who isn't plain compared to her XD). This little something is always upwards of a hundred dollars. She's such a sugar mommy you cant convince me that she isn't-

Butch (Or Cyrus Gold, or Grundy. he has too many names) has made it clear that if you ever need help, you can always call him and he'll be there. Very gangsta about it. He's such a big, tough guy but such a softy on the inside XD When he had Grundy brain, he still had some kind of tracker in his mind like dogs do that took him 'home' (To your hotel), dragging Ed along with him. He gave you a big, bone crushing hug when he got there.

Dr Strange is not allowed in as he'll steal your guests and experiment on them.

You don't know Ecco too well yet and vice versa but when she turned up with Jeremiah and Jervis- you definitely appreciated her presence more then that of Jeremiah's. You were still sore over Jerome and didn't trust this new brother. Still, you complimented the bullet in Ecco's skull, saying it was pretty cool, and now she loves you XD When she's in the neighbourhood she occasionally likes to pop in and say hello; Spread a little chaos, you know the deal.

Honestly you probably new Bridgit long before Strange forcing upon her the heat resistance thing and her becoming Firefly. She of course didn't remember you but soon *warmed* up to you after you gave her one of the few rooms with a fireplace and easily forgave her when she accidentally set the couch in her room on fire (I mean its for sure not the worst thing that has happened within these walls- no worries). She has been known to go around lighting the fireplaces for you under the pretence of having fun (Which is true) but also so that you can worry about one less thing. Firefly is also one to come chat with you if she's bored.

Fish Mooney obviously doesn't stay with you very often at all, because this lady can find better dwellings (As, no offense but your hotel is kiiiiinda dingy. What can you do about it, though? You house rogues and a lot of them don't have a lotta money) but she still absolutely appreciates what you do. She'll send bad guys that she does business with that have deeper pockets then your usual client, your way. She's also kind to you, which to me is even better honestly haha XD

Headhunter stays with you a lot when he's on business and often reminds you that you get a discount from him if you require his services. Hey, you keep him in milkshakes! He's gotta repay you somehow.

Okay, the twins. You knew Jerome first and got off to a bad start with Jeremiah due to that. Still, we aren't talking about relationships; We're talking about nice things. So moving on. Just assume that you warm up to the brainier twin.

These two are hard XD Cuz their 'good' and 'bad' sides kinda blur together as they're so unpredictable and don't really care about anyone.

Still, I can see Jerome being pretty light with you and valuing the fact that you can keep up with his banter- so he keeps you alive. You're basically his mother actually, despite the possible lack of age difference. Like, he wants to show you stuff he does and tell you about chaos he's created.

And Jeremiah honestly appreciates that you'll listen to his long speeches (You've gotten pretty good at just sitting and nodding your head and you've perfected the art of the well placed understanding noises like 'Hmm' and 'Ah!' and 'Oh dear' in your line of work)- so obviously, you're invaluable to him. Must keep you around. I mean, Ecco listens, but does she really understand? That is the question.

When he's around, Jervis is very polite and gracious. He'll duck into the kitchens after dinner and start helping you with the dishes and clear dining tables, he'll ask you how you are and mean it (Like, he'll stand there and discuss it with you), he'll try to keep Jerome from barging into your room in the early hours of the morning, etc. Just nice things like that ^^

Magpie tries not to steal from you... Haha XD Like, she'll pick up a pretty clock off a mantle piece and then go to leave with it... then realise that this is yours and go 'Oops!!' and put it back, giggling nervously.

... When she leaves you still find various items from other places in the hotel, in her room, but still. The fact that she tries is enough!

Mr Freeze is a pleasure to have around, of course!! He's quiet, he nods to you when he passes, and he's there to freeze assholes that harass you (And then take them outside so they don't melt all over your carpet). A respectful dude. He has frozen Jerome multiple times... particularly when Jervis has been unsuccessful in persuading him not to wake you up at 3 in the morning.

Ivy gets so happy whenever she sees you. Lots of hugs and telling you all about how she's been. Her energy is enough to cheer you up, and on your birthdays she always brings you a new plant that has meaning to her. Like, a sunflower for how kind you are, a Ficus for abundance, etc. Always in a pot of course, never dead. So of course, you have to take care of them but its a small price to pay for the sweetness ^^ And the not being murdered thing.

Like Mooney and Barbara, Oswald doesn't stay often due to having that mansion from his father but he remembers your kindness from when he would fall on hard times before that (And after the fact, too of course) and whenever he's making some kind of mafia deal he always ensures your and your hotels safety in the contract.

Pyg / Lazlo (I cant decide which name I like best XD) is just very polite, like Jervis. Gentlemen. Also his impressions- God. Have fun with that. He might just do your favourite Looney Tune character if he's in a good mood.

With Ed... look, if you even try with his riddles without being prompted, he'll do anything for you. It's well documented. I'm not sur about nice deeds, cuz Riddler's kind of a dick, but he'll for sure send you a birthday card every year! Christmas probably too ^^

Scarecrow: I will not spray you today. You: Gee thanks. // No but seriously, he's quiet about his gratitude but he is definitely once of the good ones ^^ Would absolutely take it upon himself to come save your ass if you got abducted.

Tabitha... well, you know how Headhunter will you get a discount if you want someone killed? Tabitha will do it for fucking free.

Hey, if you feed Victor (Zsasz), you have a friend for life. He will bring pizza and just hang out together. He is also willing to murder someone for you.

[mah-gah-lee]

You’re such a bitch - (Charlie Gillespie x reader)

Word Count: 2486 Request: no, again @jatpsmut​ inspired me with his fic “What Happens in Hawaii Stays in Hawaii - Charlie Gillespie x Reader (SMUT - 18+)”. I asked her if I could use the Hawaii idea and now I am writing this!

However, some details change from the original fic:

“Charlie and y/n haven't been best friends since they were kids, but from the first season of jatp. y/n is an additional actor on Julie and the Phantoms, also a dancer. Charlie didn't confess his feelings to y/n in Hawaii.

The only thing I got from the idea of @jatpsmut​ is the fact that something happened in Hawaii. So thank you to her for writing this incredible fic, without it this could not happen Summary: You and Charlie were best friends and roommates in LA. One evening, you heard it with a girl, the next morning, everything is awkward, bitchy and everything changes. Warnings: mention of sexual activities - language disclaimer: I don't know Charlie or his family personally or what his life is like. All you will read in this "x reader" is from my imagination. My point is not to invade Charlie's privacy. I don't want to offend him or offend anybody else in his life (family, potential girlfriend…). All of this is not the reality

 Tagged: @asdfghjkl-fanfics​ @standingtalllove​ @lukeys-giggle​ @happinessinthedarkesttimes​ if you want to be tagged in my next fic let me know ! 

--- 

You try to focus on the TV show you were watching, but obviously your roommate had company. And that company was way too loud in your opinion. You were rolling your eyes in annoyance when suddenly your phone vibrates, displaying the blonde head of your second best friend. If there was one thing you miss since you came back to live to Los Angeles, it was obviously living with this sarcastic character. Vancouver seemed so far away to you. You picked up your phone and Owen's face appeared.

 “Hi sweetie.” Owen told you with a smile “Oh, hey… Why that face?” he clearly noticed your annoyance. "Hi O." you said before complaining "Ugh, I miss living with you in Vancouver so much" "Yeah me too. We had so much fun. But hey, I'm sure we'll have a season two." "I hope so much"

You were an extra cast member on Julie and the Phantoms, you also were a dancer on the first season, just as Tori. You wished so much Owen was right about Jatp season 2 renew but Netflix seemed to enjoy making you patient. But the coronavirus had also literally messed up all your plans. However, you were angry, some series came out long after yours and got renewed while yours stayed on hold. It was clear that fans of the series as much as you were just waiting for the renewal of season two.

A moan came out of Charlie's bedroom with the sound of a bouncing mattress, you rolled your eyes again, groaning with a sort of anger.

"Jesus Christ ..." you complained "Wait, y/n, what's that sound?" “You know what I miss most about living with you in Vancouver O’? Rule #3. " “Rule #3? Rule #3" he seemed to think about what you said when he finally realized "Oh ... Oh! Rule #3! Wait.. Oh my God! Is Charlie being with a chick right now? ” He asked you with stupefaction. "Oh I wish you were wrong"

A laugh came out from you best friend mouth and you gave him a killer look through the screen, making him laugh harder. When you were in Vancouver, living with two boys forced you to set limits and rules for living. The first was; everyone cleans up their own mess. Second, the housework takes turns. Third rule: no one-night stand allowed in the flat. Surprisingly as it may seem, this rule had been followed very well by everyone. But at the same time, the boys' schedules really didn't make time to bring anyone home, and then after all, they were professional. But as soon as Charlie returned from his parents' quarantine, he forgot the existence of this rule, as if it did not apply to Los Angeles. It wasn't like he brought a different girl home every night, or even every month. It might have been the second or third time since you had moved in. But this situation embarrassed you more than you might have thought.

“Owen, don't make fun of me. I've been hearing them for about an hour now. " "Poor you. Now you understand how I felt in Hawaii" he smirked at you. "Wait, what did you say?" you asked him, in shocked. "Oh please y/n ... you heard me clearly"

Of course, you had heard what he said, but you were in shock at the revelation, so you needed confirmation. This story was supposed to be a secret between you and Charlie. The fact that Owen mentioned it could only assume two things.

"Did you hear us in Hawaii?" “I was in the room next door! Of course, I heard you. It's not like you and Charlie are the quietest couple ever having sex ... " "It seems Charlie is the loudest one…" you said, referring to your best friend having sex in the next bedroom. "Oh darling please, I can remind you of what you said that night. You two gave me nightmares." "Please don't. I feel so embarrassed right now"

Last year you went to Hawaii with several cast members and Kenny. A booking error forced you to share a bed with Charlie. It seemed that sleeping with a girl seemed more adequate than two boys sleeping in the same bed. Charlie and Owen had avoided that possibility the second the problem had arisen. One thing leading to another, after a few strong cocktails, you and the dark-haired boy had ended up having a horny night. The shame caused the next day made you both never talk about it again and "what happened in Hawaii will stay in Hawaii". You didn’t know that Owen heard you and it seems that boy can keep a secret for so long now.

The problem was that that night you realized that you felt more than an attraction to your roommate. It went beyond friendship or mere sexual tension at the sight of this Canadian. You wanted every aspect of what you might have experienced with Charlie and more: the laughs, the funny times, the lots of talking, the quiet times watching a movie or just playing Nintendo Switch, the sex. But you also wanted the PDAs, the feelings, just being with him like his girlfriend. But the actor was totally oblivious to your feelings for him, and you didn't even want to try to make him understand it on his own. You just created a shell for yourself and buried your feelings deep within yourself.

 “I don’t understand y/n. Why didn’t you tell him your feeling?” “Because I know he doesn’t love me back, O.” “Oh come on! You two are the most stubborn people I ever met!”

Again, for the third time tonight, you've rolled your eyes. You were pretty sure Charlie didn't feel the same way you did. Since Hawaii, neither of you had stepped forward towards each other, but sometimes your behaviors showed that you were more than friends. Another moan was heard from Charlie’s room and Owen's face on the screen was memorable. His eyes were wide and his cheeks were red.

"Okay, y/n. I'm sorry but I don't want to keep talking to you and hear my other best friend hooking up at the same time ..."

 You laughed and he hung up the phone not forgetting to say goodbye. You tried to focus on your screen again, your headphones being way too far away for you to catch them. Minutes later you finally heard the distinctive sound of Charlie's orgasm and knew you were finally going to be able to sleep.

 …

The next morning you woke up with a high level of fatigue. You casually walk to the kitchen to make coffee. While you were pouring yourself a cup of this much-desired black liquid, a person entered the kitchen.

 "Who the fuck are you?"

You raised an eyebrow, bringing your mug to your lips. The girl looked at you with a disgusted face.

"Roommate, darling. Not nice to meet you." "Why the hell are you wearing his shirt?"

A smirk appears on your lips, far too happy that she asked the question. When you were in Vancouver, it wasn't surprising to see you wearing the boys' t-shirts, although you had a preference for Charlie's, there were times when you wore Owen's. The boys never complained about this mania and you had to continue when you moved to Los Angeles with Charlie. The scene was pretty funny, you were there drinking your coffee in a t-shirt borrowed from your roommate while his conquest from last night stared at you in disgust, decked out in another Charlie t-shirt. You took a look at the Looney Tunes t-shirt you were wearing and just shrug your shoulders.

 “Old habits.” You simply said. "Yeah, you're gonna have to break this habit."

You laughed disdainfully. You didn't like this girl. Not because it was the conquest of your best friend for whom you had blatant romantic feelings. But rather because she had this condescension and believed that spending a night with Charlie gave her every right.

 "What makes you think that, sweetie?"

 You leaned against the kitchen counter, your posture offhand, a smirk on your lips. You weren't used to being such a bitch, but the girl in front of you pissed you off. And it was only nine in the morning.

 "Well, hello, I spent the night with Charlie." "Oh yeah sure, but that doesn't mean you're dating him." "Charlie is a great guy"

She wasn't wrong. Charlie wasn't heartbroken but he was still human and a twenty-two-year-old boy. Just looking at her you knew your best friend hadn't chosen her for a serious relationship with her. The little conversation you were having with her now confirmed that he couldn't date her. Another smirk spread across your lips as she looked at you with disdain again.

 "Who the fuck do you think you are? You are nowhere near his level" she said to you

This time, you couldn't help but laugh sarcastically. Yeah, she really pissed you off. Physically, she was everything Charlie didn't like about a potential girlfriend: big breasts, much bigger than him, slightly shallow. Oh but she had a fucking ass and maybe that was why he had chosen her. Her whole body reflected Charlie's choice for a one-night stand, but not the ideal girlfriend.

 "Oh honey, I'm nobody, but neither are you. Listen. You were just a one-night stand and me? Me, I'll still be here in his apartment with his t-shirts on when he brings you home, telling you that it was cool but that it will not go further. I will always be there ... "

Charlie woke up and headed straight for the kitchen. He greeted her conquest with a nod, giving her a hello. Instinctively, he approached you and put his hand on your waist before placing a soft kiss on your cheek. Charlie was tactile, it was his language of love. You couldn't help but smirk at the girl, giving her a victorious look. The actor looked at your outfit and a smile appeared on his lips.

 "So that's where it was! I thought I lost it in the Galapagos." he was referring to his looney tunes t-shirt

Your attention fell on Charlie and you smiled happily at him. You cheekily handed your cup of coffee.

"Coffee?" "Hell, yeah"

He grabbed your cup and took a long sip, leaving his conquest almost nonexistent to his eyes. The girl was so pissed off that she seemed to be boiling. She cleared her throat, annoyed.

 "Hmm, I'm going to go" she said. "Oh wait, let me have lunch and I'll bring you back if you want." "It won't be necessary."

You bit the tip of your tongue, amused, far too happy to hide it. Charlie's conquest returned to his room to get dressed. Your roommate turned to you and gave you a questioning look.

"y/n, what did you do?" "Nothing. We were happily getting know each other. I'm surprised at your choice, by the way" "Are you getting revenge?" "Get revenge for what?" "Since ... Hawaii, you've scared all the girls I've brought back." "Did I scare them? Stop, I haven't acted any differently than usual." “You scared them away,” he repeated. "Oh come on, Charlie, please, it's not like you're going to date them."

 He pulled away from you with a look of dismay. You were not wrong, he had never called back the girls he had brought back here, he did not intend to call back the one who was currently in his room. In fact, the only person he really wanted to spend time with was you. But since Hawaii, you seemed to be okay with never mentioning your night together again. This Canadian boy has been in love with you for months, maybe even years now. It quickly fell for you when you were in Vancouver.

"You're right. But I could have ..." he finally confessed "It's wrong. You know it's wrong Charlie, I know you, I'm your best friend. These are not the kind of girls you date. "Yeah… I couldn't date any of them. They just aren't you." He said, his last sentence ending in a whisper before hastening to take a sip from your cup of coffee.

You were paralyzed. Did he really just say what you've been dreaming of hearing for months? Did he just drop it like a bomb, in the middle of a morning conversation between sips of coffee?

“Wait, what?” “Nothing” “It wasn’t nothing, Charlie, you said something” “Nothing important” he repeats “Did you just say that if you didn’t date those girls it’s because they weren’t me?” “You seems to hear voices” “Charlie, I’m not joking… Did you say that?!” “Maybe” “Oh fuck, you’re an idiot!” “I am a..”

You snatched the cup of coffee from her hands and hurriedly put it on the counter. Never mind about the stains on the floor, you will clean up later. You didn't want to miss a second of this possibility. You wrapped your arms around Charlie's neck before resting your lips on his. Your best friend seemed surprised at first so much but quickly relaxed and wrapped his own arms around your waist as your lips moved to give the kiss more tender. The situation was most strange and funny; you were kissing your best friend, running your fingers through his long brown hair. You had to admit that even though you had found him attractive with his Luke's look but you couldn't imagine Charlie without that impressive mass of hair. Luke had short hair, Charlie had long hair. End of the discussion.

So, you were kissing your roommate, making up for lost time while in his room, a girl he had fucked the night before gathered her things. Charlie's conquest stepped out to head for the exit. You broke the kiss making Charlie growl in protest.

"I'm not showing you where the door is." you said. "whore .." the chick whispered.

Charlie stepped away from you and brought his one-night stand to the door, apologizing. He wasn't that kind of boy to go from girl to girl and the circumstances were really strange. The girl left, not without forgetting to curse him. When Charlie walks into the kitchen, you were sitting on the counter, a smirk on your face.

"You're such a bitch y/n" “It's my revenge for keeping me awake last night.” 

His gaze was sly, his smile was mischievous and you knew he was going to find a phrase worthy of the fucking boy he could be. 

"I can keep you awake for a while if you want." “A date wouldn't be too complicated, Charlie. Please be a gentleman. "You can count on me"

He gave you a softer look and you wrapped your arms around his neck again before kissing him. Ultimately, not everything that happened in Hawaii has to be restricted to Hawaii.

[mariasversion]

my thoughts on young royals, a sequel (there are gonna be many annoying and pointless sequels): episode 2

YOUNG ROYALS’ SPOILERS AHEAD !!

• i’m glad to announce i now know my future wife’s name, madison mccoy. she’s so funny though and her outfits are so cool.

• oof when august and the other guys kept pushing wilhelm to stand on the chair and admit he’d hooked up with someone in the party and he started nervously laughing i felt kinda bad for him bc what was he supposed to say?

‘oh, no august. i didn’t hook up with anyone. i was too busy drunkenly and longingly staring at my crush who is very much a man and who i might be very much attracted to’?

it would’ve been funny though.

• that outfit in the intro. yeah, you know which one i’m talking about. i need more of that. i need more of those little stupid sunglasses. and how he stood up with his books and all.

• when felice left her friends to walk with wil to their next class and her friends just went ���i mean we have the same next class bestie but go off i guess’ i lost it

• okay hear me out because their classrooms are so cute. they’re so mall and aesthetic and they just look so comfy? what is up with that

but the fact they have to stand up every time the teacher comes in just seems too strange to me. it’s just bc we’d never do that where i live but i couldn’t keep a straight face doing that. and bro, if i just sat down i’m sure as hell not getting back up because you came in.

• oh my god when sara took some pictures of felice with her horse and felice just thanked her looking all soft and shit, i ate that shit up (i adore their friendship and how it develops as the show goes on and i’d love it if they got together in a second season)

• i also loved when they’re finishing the rowing training (i think that was what it was) and wil starts giving simon some advice about it bc wilhelm went ‘oh, yea. flirting is not about pick-up lines anymore. it’s about unasked advice about rowing. thats what i call romance’. and honestly? good for him.

• plus wil not wanting to go to morning training but straight up sprinting to go when he saw simon was there? we love to see it. and how they just kept looking at each other the whole time (doing the planks and stuff)? that was everything.

it’s all about the looks. im telling you.

• and then when all the girls are studying/doing homework together and so are wilhelm and simon was so cute. plus i liked the background song.

and once again it was the little looks between them. those little glances wil was giving simon.

(yes i’m going to keep ignoring august’s whole relevance in most scenes bc i just don’t like him and he’s a little bitch)

but i will say it was very nice when my wife madison said ‘fuck you, august’. it was music to my ears.

• when wil messaged simon and immediately put the phone away bc he didn’t want to look, that was very much relatable. yes, i do that.

• it’s really nice how they actually feel like teenagers, in the way they act and talk. it feels very awkward and very relatable. for example when wilhelm and simon meet to go to the match and they just look at each other silently and then they both go ‘how are you?’

• and when ayub teases simon because he likes wilhelm and it’s so obvious to him, that was so sweet. plus when they’re all cheering for rosh,,, too wholesome

• one of my favorite scenes is definitely that scene where they’re all riding the motorbikes and wilhelm and simon keep trying to hold hands or just brush hands bc it’s so sweet and pure and fun. 10/10 loved it would do it again would watch it on repeat forever

• simon going back home after hanging out with wil and his friends all giddy and excited and telling sara about it melted my heart

• also this might be random but i really like the format(?) they use to show the messages on screen bc sometimes in many shows it’s just cringey but i liked it in this one

• i like the aesthetic of the library in the school. it’s a really pretty shade of green

• august: *giving a weird speech about simon and kissing his forehead*

wilhelm: oh, man. i don’t know what’s going on but you’re one crazy ass bitch

it was very much random and i loved how wil just lost it and how he and simon were looking at each other like ‘is this shit really happening? are you seeing what i’m seeing?’. august is an asshole but he’s so extra and it’s funny sometimes

• their pinkies touching during the film, the looks, the shyly holding hands had me screaming. that’s romance.

• but when wil leaves the room bc sara caught them holding hands and he’s doing his nervous tic (chewing on his thumb or biting it) and he looks at that plaque (?) that says they’re responsible for the legacy of the school or some shit like that it felt very ironic. bc i feel like what wil struggles with is the fact that if he’s with a man then he can’t have biological children and all that stuff about not being able to carry on the legacy.

and maybe i’m just reaching or misunderstanding the scene but then when you can see his anxiety is getting worse and he’s rubbing his chest i just felt like ‘yea, buddy. it’s rough, isn’t it?’ bc i think that sometimes it’s more difficult realizing you’re not attracted to the opposite gender than it is admitting you’re attracted to the same one (bc if you’re still attracted to the opposite one then you could have a “straight” relationship and stuff yk)

well that got deep huh

• once again i’m back on my bullshit, the looks in the first kiss scene. i live for the looks (though wil really looked ready to run for his life).

i just realized simon was wearing a looney tunes t-shirt in that scene. i love his graphic t-shirts.

okay it really isn’t my fault these are getting so long, each episode lasts 40-50 min and that’s a lot

[trees-to-meet-you]

So Animaniacs 2020 in no specific order

Made fun of Donald Trump

Knocked on America’s gun problem

In that same episode had an anime fight scene

Made fun of IKEA instructions

Straight up killed all the other characters

Except wait they aren’t dead they just hung out on the wall for some reason (maybe drugged?)

Literally had Pinky sat he was being abused by Brain only to get hit and shut up about it

Julia Brain stood up for him later (I love her)

Screw Brain for doing that to her

“Welcome back to ‘That’s Not The Issue.’” On Faux News Channel with pictures of the White House in the background

Established that Dot (and probably Yakko) wear black shirts

Dot has a pixie cut and that’s good to know

Made fun of Elmer Fudd from Looney Tunes

Made fun of big game hunters

Licked the eye crusties of a fucking pigeon (and I’m still recovering)

Made fun of the Order of the Phoenix

Sliced off Yakko’s head at the end of an episode about Marie Antoinette

Pinky played Mario cart

Were those gay hands or fashion hands?

Made fun of the NSA and security state we live in

Made fun of anime again (or maybe kawaii or something? I don’t actually know what that is...

Dragged Trump again

A Rap Battle

Yakko pinned down Wakko 10/10 realistic sibling relationships

Might’ve made fun of Tiktok?? I think I remember “Stolen Dance” being one of the popular songs over the summer...

Murder on the Orient Express episode

Danger Mouse????? I’ve never seen it but I’ve heard of it

Made fun of rigged elections and Russian interference (though I’m not sure drawing the two characters with Russian accents to be a short hairy man and a rail thin woman with horse teeth and long nails was the right way to go about that)

Made ass jokes

Made fun of reboots and overused tropes

Made fun of rip-off shows

Electrocute Yakko when he makes a pun

Made fun of police searches

Wakko Warner nearly said “motherfucker”

Yakko called rich people dicks

Made fun of manspreading and mansplaining

Yakko and Dot went on a double date with bats????

Brain tried to make himself a wife (after he tried to make himself a son)

Made fun of Steven Spielberg for rebooting the Animaniacs

Yakko sleeps in a ball pit??? I mean it fits but there’s like no spinal support?

UPDOG????????

Brain straight up called people he didn’t like ‘undesirable’ and I don’t actually know if that’s a reference to a world leader or not because I don’t have Twitter

I feel like they just ragged on musical elitism???

SUGAR HONEY ICED TEA

Rent control and small business subsidies (I’m gonna be honest I don’t know what those are)

Did they add on more evidence to the ‘Pinky is genius and Brain is insane’ theory?

Future Brain has a metal arm yet that arm responds to being bitten? Does it have artificial nerves?

Is...... Is her name Hello Nurse?

Made fun of Russia’s government again? Specifically propaganda and Putin

Also made fun of Russia-USA corruption again

‘Who Wants to be an Oligarch’

Brain has a tragic backstory okay then

Making fun of the current state of Journalism I see

Wanna say that’s a Poltergeist reference but I’ve never actually seen Poltergeist

Made fun of the American Healthcare System

Thespian dragon named Benedict

Feel free to add on these are just things I noticed and liked

[impala1967dwinchester]

Dean Winchester: Feels Like Home

*Pinterest GIF* 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VhtbpPBgHk - FEELS LIKE HOME 

Paring: Dean Winchester X Reader/ Y/n, Mention of Sam 

Pov: Y/n / Dean’s 

Rating:Adult Mature 

Warnings: Drinking, Cursing, Fighting, Love, Reminders of love, Passion 

Summary: “I still love you Dean” “I’m all your Y/n” “Say you still love me Dean!”

Word Count: 2k 

All relationships have their ups and downs. All people get into fights, we all say things we don’t mean. We all love a little to hard. We all get hurt. It’s all normal for those things to happen. 

Maybe I just loved a little to hard. “You know Y/n you don’t have to be up my ass everywhere we go. I had to take care of Sam my  life I’m taking care of you for the rest of mine.” Again like I said words can hurt a person. Words like those can hurt not just any person, but me Dean’s girlfriend. 

And yes maybe it was true maybe I was always up Dean’s ass, and yes maybe it was true that I, myself had said some pretty hurtful things “You know Dean  I take a lot of shit from you on a daily. You’re a mama’s boy with no intention on actually being any better then your fucking father was.” See hurtful words from me too. 

Was all this worth it? Was the fighting worth it to be with Dean Winchester? 

It all started because Dean had forgotten something, something so important that it wasn’t acceptable for him to just forget it. Yes I know your boyfriend is a hunter, he has to save the world blah, blah, blah. This really important date was our anniversary, which just ended up turning into a huge fight, with hateful words thrown in each others faces and slamming of doors, and way to many tears. 

You see Dean and Sam had just gotten back from a hunt a quick salt and burn something simple. So that the two of them could get home before my cooking was over. When they finally did get home I knew that they would both me tried but I expected something from Dean, a hug, a kiss on the cheek and an “I love you baby, Happy Anniversary.”, or even a stupid fucking card something to acknowledge that we had something important going on that day. 

But instead nothing, no cards, no kiss, no hugs. That was normal from a hunt, he would be so dog tired that there was no kissing, no hugging just sleeping. That wasn’t what got me so mad it was the fact that I waited another two fucking days and still nothing. I tried to stay positive, optimistic, but I just couldn’t. So I did the only logical thing and talked to his brother. 

“You know Sam, Dean forgot a really important date and I don’t know if I can just let it slide.” I said to Sam while taking food out for dinner.

“What do you mean? What did he forget?” Sam spoke looking up from his computer. 

“You mean to tell me that you don’t know either? It’s Deans and I’s 2 year anniversary!” I said looking at him over the bridge of my glasses. “It’s written on the calendar!” I walked around forgetting about making dinner.

“I’m Sorry!” I heard come from the kitchen, but continued walking away. I just needed to be away from both of those Winchesters. 

I went to our shared bedroom, just laying down. I fell asleep just needing the time to myself. I awoke to Dean slamming our bedroom door, a crisp look of anger and frustration on his face. 

“Y/n wake the fuck up!” He said his voice booming in the small cinder block room “Huh, hey deanie!” “Don’t Deanie me, you can’t just go around being a bitch to everyone because you woke up on the wrong side of the bed!” He said. 

“What do you mean being a bitch?” If Dean were a cartoon from Looney Tunes you would be able to see the smoke that was fuming out of his ears. “You walk around this entire bunker, don’t say a word to me, and then go yell at my brother.” Dean said, “Go yell at your brother that's not what happened. I was talking to him because of YOU, Dean. You forgot something that was so important and at this point it doesn’t even matter,”

“You’re too mad to even realize that everything that is coming from your mouth is bullshit and that you’re wrong, but no Dean Winchester can’t be wrong can he. He can’t admit that he forgot our anniversary.” I said my grip on the sheets becoming tighter as I got more frustrated.

He just stood there taking in everything I had said. With no response a few seconds I continued “ You know if you weren’t such a hot head then maybe  I would have just come to you about it, but I thought your brother could help me. I guess not.” Breathing heavily I started up again. “You know Dean, let me ask you this Do you even still love me?” 

He stood there leaning up against the door frame in shock, maybe what I had said was a little harsh but it was a serious question “You act like you don’t and yes  I Understand you have a lot of weight on your shoulders, but you took that on yourself nobody asked you to save the world. I asked you to me love, hug me, kiss me, talk to me when things are getting hard for you. At least say you love me Dean. Because Dean if you don’t I don’t think this can work, I can’t love you for the both of us, I can’t sit here and love me when that’s your job.” 

He again stood still I got up and walked up to him “At least say you love me Winchester, because if not I’ll walk out of this bunker with the cloths I came with and you can your brother can go back to having your normal easier life. JUst say I love you Dean”  

He grabbed my arm as I went to leave the room “Don’t say I don’t love you when you know I do!” And left me in the hallway of the bunker. I had been through much that day that I did a normal Dean this and grabbed a bottle of jack. 

   ----------------------------------Dean Winchester--------------------------------------

Dean’s POV

I couldn't do it anymore I needed out of that bunker away from my girl, away from that fight. She said some pretty truthful things. As I drove with Sam to the next hunter which I didn’t and couldn’t tell Y/n about I realized that she was right. 

That date that special day was everything to her. She had told me a long time ago that important dates and anniversary were what she lived on, and if you forgot one she’s be pissed off. I just never thought she would drop a bomb like that. 

She knew how hard everything was for my brother and I. She got that part which I was grateful for.  I was also grateful for the fact that Sam didn’t say a word about the fight or what had happened, he only talked about the hunt. 

If  I do remember correctly it was written on the calendar in the kitchen, she had programmed it into my phone and even sent me a text. God if there was a award for the worst mistake and worst boyfriend  I think I’d get it. Not even Sam would get that award. 

As we drove I kept seeing things that reminded me of Y/n. The dinner that Y/n would have pleaded us to stop at. The small shops in the town that were filled with old antiques. The little flower garden that should definitely would have forced Sam to take pictures of her and I.

I missed having her next to me in bed, waking up to her arms wrapped tight around my waist and how our legs always were intertwined. I missed her snarky comments, and her saving our asses. 

I think what I miss most was how she said “I love you”  before we would go into a vamp nest, or into a fight. Her giggles, her annoyance with Sams “So get this” After a hard and dreadful hunt, I again drove back with Sam sitting next to me, no Y/n in the back seat though, no giggles, no loud singin to my favorite rock songs, no gentle snoring, not a single thing for me to know Y/n was with me physically of course. 

Besides knowing that I had a few things in the car like hot and heavy memories of long nights in the back seat, a few stupid little cards with her hand writing written in them, a few trinkets she thought were such so cute. A single rose from the first date I took her on, sat on the dashboard of the impala. 

She was here in things, and memory, I loved her, I still love her. I just sometimes forget. I looked over at a out cold Samuel. “Sammy you asleep?’  I asked in a quiet voice. He didn’t move or respond so I did what I wanted to do. I drove off one of the exits and stopped at a store, grabbing Y/n another bouquet of red roses, a card, and a bunch of snacks. 

I wasn’t try to make what had happened okay, but I just wanted her to know that during this hunt, I had thought and thought hard. I wasn’t a hardass I was just a little all over the place. 

Before I pulled into the bunker garage, I woke up Sam and talked him. “Sammy, I stopped a while back and got Y/n some stuff. I love her Sam. It takes me being away from her to realize that though, and maybe she is right I don’t like being wrong, I do need to make things better. “ He was so out of it I just started to write down how  I felt about her in the card. After what seemed like 20 minutes I was finally done Sam had fallen back asleep in the process of me writing and talking to myself. 

I parked my baby, and quickly grabbed my stuff while waking Sam up. I rushed into the bunker. I just wanted to make sure Y/n was still here. She is my everything, I honestly think I’d lose my mind if she were to leave me. Hopefully she wasn’t gone, and to my surprise she was fast asleep in our bed, curled up in a ball, the bottle of jack that I had just bought was empty I guess our fight had made her that upset. 

Y/n didn’t drink unless, she was very nager or heart broken. For her to be heartbroken I don’t think I could ever forgive myself so I went with the latter. 

A ball she was wrapped tightly into herself. Her muscled flexing under the fleece blanket. It was as if she sensed I had come into the room. I carefully placed the flowers into the ready vase, and places all the snacks on her table, alongside the card that had my whole heart in it.

I threw off my green flannel, dirtied jeans, and my worker boots. I hoped into the shower trying my best to be the quietest I could be. When I came out Y/n was up and looking at the card, she had a few tears in her eyes. As she looked over at me, the first things I said was “Guess I wasn’t quiet enough for you to continue getting your sleep?” She shook her head, she probably was going to have a headache, but we could worry about that in the morning. 

Grabbing a pair of boxers I slipped them on, and climbed into bed. I grabbed the card from her hands placing it on her side table, and wrapped my hands around her waist. I just wanted to be around her, have her in my arms. 

“I’m all yours Y/n, And I love you to the moon and back baby!” I said before falling deep into sleep. She hummed in return. 

Tagged List: @akshi8278​

[jcmorrigan]

Fandom: Storm hawks

Top 5 episodes

5. "Power Grab" for Snipe and Ravess being incurable dorks

4. "Terra Neon" for very creepy monster, amusement park aesthetic, Stork again being the MVP of the team and generally having a horrible time that makes me want to hug him

3. "The Black Gorge" because this is the episode that made me actually INVESTED in this show and the ep I say you always have to make it to if you're watching, because it's Stork at his best and some of the crazier world design aspects of Atmos

2. "What Got Into Finn?" for Stork going rage mode on Terra Atmosia and generally making a mess, for the Looney-Tunes-homage humor, and for Stork taking that battering ram hit to save Finn because I think about that a lot

1. "Calling All Domos" for adorable Finn and Stork broTP, Terra Vapos being a pastiche of ancient Rome, Captain Scabulous being fabulous, Stork getting to wear two different silly hats, and just the design of this episode in general

Favorite character: STORK

Least favorite character: MOTHERFUCKING BITCH-ASS REPTON

OTP: Crossover - Stork x Rapunzel (Tangled). Non-crossover - look, I give ALL of these people crossover ships, it's what I do, but if you had to twist my arm maybe Finn/Dove?

Favorite non-romantic relationship: Finn and Stork's broTP (I am...NEVER going to let go of the idea that Stork had a younger brother who would've been around Finn's age and acted a lot like Finn but died in the fall of Terra Merbia)

Favorite villain/arc: Snipe and Ravess are my dorks, which makes me all the more sad they WEREN'T in the final invasion of Cyclonia. But that ended up working out better for me in the end because it meant they both got away with uncertain fates. They're still out there. Somewhere. Anyway, this is why "Power Grab" is on my list, but the only real arc is the final invasion so that's gotta be the fave arc (and it was good)

Least favorite villain/arc: I have such a complicated relationship with "Payback" because it triggered me HEAVILY. I saw it coming off my own depression and after reminiscing on my own history with suicidal urges, and so here's my favorite character becoming suicidal and it's not even really treated with weight. But also, I've revisited this ep multiple times for various reasons - to get over it via exposure, to see Stork kick Repton's ass, to gather vidding footage (which I FREAKING LOST). I know it well. And I can't say I hate it anymore. That said...still can't say I wouldn't change it entirely if I were rewriting this show.

5 songs I associate with it and why :

1. "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons - vidded the finale arc to it

2. "Fixer-Upper" from Frozen - vidded Stork x Rarity (MLPFIM) to it. I don't really ship that actively anymore, but the lyrics describing Kristoff's flaws so accurately fit Stork (aside from the one about him being blond) that I just can't not see him to that song now

3. "Kill the Sun" by Xandria - I distinctly remember that I was just so INTO symphonic metal and delving into all those bands via Pandora at the same time I was into Storm Hawks. And this is one of the songs I discovered around that time.

4. "April Rain" by Delain - same reason as "Kill the Sun"

5. "It's the Fear" by Within Temptation - vidded Stork to it and now I guess I know why I picked that song right the heck away

[fandomlurker]

A Ponderous Rewatch: “Win Big”

And so we begin. For real, this time.

And to start, we have to go all the way back to Animaniacs season 1, episode 2, with the very first Pinky and the Brain skit which is named “Win Big”.

Interestingly enough, the duo are not directly trying to take over the world in this episode. The premise is that Brain needs money to buy the one part needed for his actual plan to take over the world using a machine he calls the “Super-Conductive Magnetic Infindibulator”, which will “deplete hydrogen and promote gravitational collapse [to produce] a magnetic charge from the center of the Earth so strong that every person who has loose change in their pockets will be magnetically drawn to the ground and stuck there”.

…

For those of you who are new to the series and for those of you who maybe can’t remember the show very well, I want to say that yes, what you’re probably asking yourself right now is true: Brain’s plans are almost always this complex and completely absurd with giant, glaring holes in logistics. There’s been a long-time “theory” that while their theme song says “one is a genius, the other’s insane” and intends to indicate that Brain is the genius while Pinky’s insane, it’s actually the other way around. And honestly? That doesn’t exactly hold up to any kind of scrutiny at all. Brain is actually a genius…he’s just also very, very short-sighted and lacks a lot of common sense. He’s so focused on his goal of world domination that he forgets to account for even the most obvious of details that would completely ruin what he’s trying to accomplish. And Pinky? Well, Pinky’s a lot smarter than he seems, but I wouldn’t exactly mark him as a genius. He’s just more worldly, more emotionally intelligent, and has a knack for pointing out the obvious. For you D&D nerds out there, think of it like this: Brain is a high INT low WIS character while Pinky is a high WIS low INT character.

As for which one is “insane”? Disregarding the…let’s just say “problematic” baggage that comes with that word, I’d argue that Pinky is just neurodivergent and Brain has a lot of problems. Like, a lot of problems. We’ll get more into that mess much farther down the line.

In any case, the opening of this episode has Brain pulling Pinky away from watching what is obviously supposed to be The Honeymooners, complete with “Bang, zoom, right in the kisser!” quote and everything. That quote, or one like it, was what the character Ralph Kramden would frustratedly yell at his wife, Alice, after she’d dismiss a get rich quick scheme of his. It was an ultimately impotent threat of violence, as he never did hit her. A lot of folks before me have delved into how messed up and controversial that whole running gag was, so I didn’t particularly feel the need to go over it here.

However, it does become immediately relevant because as Pinky laughs at the joke and excitedly quotes it while Brain is trying to get his attention, Brain reaches up and gently holds both their faces close for a few moments…

“Stop saying that, Pinky!...”

…then more aggressively tugs Pinky’s face down as he finishes with “…Or I shall have to hurt you.”

“Oh, okay. Sorry, Brain. NARF!”

Isn’t it interesting how the very first thing this series does is juxtapose Pinky and the Brain’s relationship with that of the main married couple on The Honeymooners? Like, it’s certainly not the most healthy of a relationship parallel to make, but in Pinky and Brain’s favour their world is governed by slapstick humour and thus any and all violence is much less serious. Also, there’s Pinky’s…uh…special relationship with physical pain that will become more apparent as the series goes on. Like, of course this kind of behaviour is wrong and appalling in real life, but this is a Warner Brothers Looney Toons-style cartoon and there’s a big difference between the two.

There’s also this little tidbit of information on the Animaniacs wiki regarding this episode and its writer, Peter Hastings:

“Although Peter Hastings has stated that he always tried to have Brain threaten to hurt Pinky but never actually hit him (because he felt this was both funnier and truer to the character), Tom Ruegger and the other producers would often have Brain actually hit Pinky. Even in this very first short, the Brain does follow through.”

Moving on, though, after Brain Rube Goldberg machine’s his way out of their cage and points out that Pinky has an “inordinately short attention span” after Pinky gets briefly distracted by another TV show that’s a very blatant parody of Jeopardy, he explains to Pinky his latest plan for world domination.

“EGAD, Brain, brilliant!”

“…Uh oh, no, wait…what if they take off their pants?”

^ The face of a man who somehow managed to forget that clothes are removable.

See what I mean about Pinky having a knack for pointing out the obvious? It’s very much needed to counteract Brain’s complete lack of foresight and introspection.

“Then…we’ll have to take over the world quickly.”

…Though there’s also something to be said for Brain’s stubbornness.

So they need a part for Brain’s machine called a Infindibulator, which is for some reason listed in the Farmer’s Almanac??? Which to my knowledge doesn’t sell anything at all??? Okay, Brain, whatever you say.

Brain actually kicks Pinky directly in the ass to get him up onto the Almanac to read it,

which would be alarming if not for Pinky’s completely happy and sincere “Thanks! :D” afterwards. It’s a mere hint to Pinky’s…predilections. I find it interesting that it’s so subtly foreshadowed in this very first short. I know you newer folks might think I’m joking, but I assure you I’m not. You will see.

As a side note, it’s so odd hearing Rob Paulsen’s early Pinky voice in these first several Animaniacs shorts. I’ve seen fans say that it’s more lispy than the standard Pinky voice that we’re all familiar with, but to me it just sounds like Pinky with a very, very bad cold and a stuffy nose. Get this mouse some nasal spray.

So Pinky finds the entry for the Infindibulator and it costs a whopping $99000. Where would two little lab mice find that kind of cash?

It sure is lucky and convenient that the TV is still on during that moment and tuned into an episode of Jeopardy—I mean “Gyp-Parody” (Really, writers? Really? In addition to being a horrible and lazy pun, I would rather not have to type a slur so much, so I’m just going to call it the name of the show it’s based on) where the reward for winning totals $99000.

And here we go, the first of its kind. The birth of the most famous running joke from Pinky and the Brain!

“Pinky… Are you pondering what I’m pondering?”

“I think so, Brain, but where are we going to get a duck and a hose at this hour?”

…Believe it or not, Pinky’s bizarre answers do have an explanation and a certain logic to them, but we find out the hows and whys much, much farther along in the series. That said, I’ll be damned if I know how he got to this particular train of thought right now. The inner machinations of Pinky’s mind are an enigma.

So Brain gets the idea to become a contestant on Jeopardy to win the amount of money they need for their plan. Pinky points out that the questions on the game show are very, very hard and Brain would have to get all of them right, and I just love Brain slowly turning his head to face Pinky with the most deadpan “Bitch, are you for real?” look on his face.

To Brain’s credit, he doesn’t berate the other mouse at all for his doubts. He just very calmly asks Pinky to quiz him about anything he can think of. When Pinky asks him “What is pie?”, well, see above for the summary of the answer Brain gives.

He then asks for a harder question, and Pinky asks him which TV character says “Bang! Zoom!—“ before Brain cuts him off with a wack of a pencil for quoting something inane and annoying him again.

Though he quivers a little before the smack, Pinky’s fine afterwards. Smiling, even.

And he happily gives Brain the answer anyway, complete with bows. “Ralph Kramden! TA-DAH! :D”

But Brain is insistent on preparing to go on Jeopardy, grabbing Pinky by the tail to drag him off-screen and Pinky is…

Hmm.

He’s, uhh, more than fine with it.

Now we get the debut of the human suit mecha. It’s quite the staple of the series; the go-to for a human disguise whenever the mice need one.

And it certainly is…something. You may be noticing the lack of a human head. Don’t worry about it. Brain certainly didn’t.

I love Brain’s playful little “Honey, I’m hoooome!~” when he pops his head out, despite having a deadpan look on his face the entire time. He’s having fun!

“Ahahaha! Oh, that’s a funny joke, Brain!”

“I am not devoid of humour.”

Pinky is having a little less fun with his tail accidentally tied along with the shoelaces, however.

It’s fine, he’s fine. He’ll be okay! Pinky is indestructible.

He’s a pocket pal now. He’s fine.

Makin’ my way downtown, walkin’ fast…~

Okay, sorry, he’s hailing a cab instead. Effectively, too!

Oh hi, Warners, nice to see you! Doing a literal running gag, I see. Nice, nice.

Goodbye!

So if you were wondering how regular humans would react to Brain’s “clever” and totally made without proper foresight disguise, well…

“Wh—HOA! Hey, if you don’t mind me askin’, bub, what happened to your head?”

“Nothing. I am a mouse in a large, mechanical suit.”

“Hehehehe! Okay, all right, my fault for askin’, right? Heh.”

Yup. This isn’t the first time this kind of thing happens. I guess since they’re in Hollywood the taxi driver’s seen worse.

So Brain gets on the show (don’t worry about how, shh) and the announcer calls him “Brian” instead and Brain politely tries to correct him. I can’t exactly fault the announcer because 1. “Brain” isn’t a name and 2. Look at Brain’s gloriously messed up handwriting.

The host walks on in. It’s pretty cute that they gave him the parody name “Alex Quebec”. It’s a suitable pun and rhyme to hint at the fact that Alex Trebek was born in Canada. Rest in peace, Mr. Trebek.

The first question is in the category of celebrity shoe sizes and asks what size sandals Plato wore. Umm. Okaaaaay… Thank goodness this show first aired before websites for foot fetishists cataloguing celebrity feet was a thing. Also is it just me, or does that font looks like something off of The Simpsons?

I don’t know if I should be worried or not that Brain got the correct answer to this question. (Seven and a half, if you’re curious.)

Question two is totally a trick question, though. There’s no such place as “Lestho”. “Lesotho”, however, is a real kingdom in South Africa. King Moshoeshoe I was indeed the ruler in 1820 as Brain answers, although the place was called “Basutoland” at the time and didn’t formally become a kingdom until 1822.

Educational!

Question three is a normal if extremely hard question for anyone unfamiliar with geographic locations off of the southeast of Asia. There are a lot of correct answers, and Brain answers correctly with “Bikar, Ailuk, and Ailinglaplap”. As this post notes, he is totally flexing on everyone by naming very obscure coral atoll islands that are some of the furthest neighbours from the Isle of Yap.

You smug asshole, Brain.

We don’t get the questions Brain answers correctly in the following montage, but we do get a close-up of his handwriting. Look at this. Just…look at it.

We get to see the aftermath of Brain’s monopolizing of the scores, though. The other contestants aren’t looking too good. Note that it seems there were times that they did manage to buzz in to answer before Brain did, but they must have got all of their answers or at least most of them wrong. They’re both in the negatives.

“Any plans on how you’ll spend your winnings?”

“Yes. I plan to take over the world!”

“...”

“…Ah haha, my fault for asking.”

Pinky claps and congratulates Brain on doing so well so far, because he’s a sweetheart like that, and

Brain flicks him back into the pocket. Man, you’re so quietly mean in this first episode, Brain.

Now it’s the final question, from the category “Quotable Quotes”. I remember this kind of category as usually being the easiest on Jeopardy, so it’s kind of surprising that it’s the Final Jeopardy question.

Uh-oh.

Looks like someone forgot that Jeopardy questions aren’t all science, history, and geography-related. Sometimes they’re about pop-culture.

Brain is…not very good with pop-culture. And Pinky’s been banished to the bottom of the coat pocket.

Whoops.

“Umm. Uh, who is, uhh… I, umm. Who is, uhh… Who is…uhh, Pinky…?”

Oh Brain, honey, it’s cute that you got so stumped and flustered that you just blurted out the only name that came to mind (and because Pinky was quoting it earlier, but still!), but it’s also so very, very sad.

Of course that’s incorrect, and Brain is just so monumentally defeated.

“And how much did you wager?”

“Everything…”

HUBRIS!

We then cut to the mice watching Brain’s horrible defeat on TV, and Pinky suggests a few other game shows they could try: Wheel of Misfortune, $10,000 Pile-A-Mud… The latter of which is supposed to be a parody of the old game show Pyramid, which wasn’t around in that format by the time this episode aired, so…good luck with that one, Pinky.

But no, Brain doesn’t plan on going on any more game shows. He instead walks sadly over to their cage to rest for tomorrow night.

It’s then that we are witness to the birth of the other memetic exchange this show is known for:

“Why, Brain? What are we going to do tomorrow night?”

“The same thing we do every night, Pinky: Try to take over the world!”

That wink, though. It’s the confident wink that sells this and tells us all you need to know about the Brain. No matter how bad his defeat, how humiliated he gets, or how sad he feels about failing, Brain always gets back to business sooner or later. He has determination on his side. And Pinky, of course.

And that was the very first Pinky and the Brain short! A pretty good start for the series, really. Nothing spectacular, and definitely not the worst, just a good start that sets the tone of the series well and establishes several of the running gags the show is known for. The creators pretty much have Brain as a character down right away: serious but not devoid of humour, single-minded, stubborn, egotistical, smart, and determined to meet his goals. There are a few things missing from him that we get later, and he certainly softens a bit by the time the spin-off starts, but they’ve set up a solid foundation to build on so far here. Pinky’s character is a little more nebulous in this episode, though. He’s shown to be generally good-natured, smarter than he first seems, easily distracted but well-meaning, and willing and able to help Brain achieve his goals. Still, he’s missing the much of the overwhelming kindness and his enthusiasm for Brain’s plans and awe at Brain’s intellect that he has as we go further through the series. I mean, there are hints of it here, too, but it’s much more understated compared to later on. Not to mention that Pinky gains a bit of a sassy side to him that somehow still manages to be friendly, like when you gently tease your friends while still caring about them.

I understand that you can’t really squeeze all of that into the first, like, fifteen minutes or so of a series, though.

Also, the animation for this episode wasn’t exactly the best of the series. There are points where Brain looks kinda muppet-y and Pinky is uncharacteristically gaunt and gangly. I mean, Pinky is usually a little gangly but not as hunched over and his nose stretched out so much. It’s not the worst, either, and serves as a decent baseline of how the characters look. Wang Film Production looks to be the animation studio behind this one, and I’d say their style is the most “normal” quality of the ones that get to animate for PatB. They do settle into a better and more consistent style for the show, so I’ll try and be on the look-out for that.

I’m not sure if the other posts I’m going to do on this rewatch will be quite so play-by-play as this one was. Since this is the first, I felt the need to establish in more detail the kind of things that happen in your average episode of PatB and the general rhythm of the show. I’m definitely going to try and include every instance of the ongoing running gags the series has, though.

I feel I should also say that from now on I might have to double or triple the amount of episodes in one post, too. There are some episodes in a long-running series like this where not too much of note happens, I’m sure, and I know at least a few are either silent shorts, cameos in other Animaniacs skits or little music videos and you can only get so much out of those entries.

Yes, music videos. Including a cameo appearance in a Macarena parody. I’ll prepare as best as I can to cringe so hard from secondhand embarrassment that I morph into a pretzel shape.

We’re only getting started, folks. Things are only going to get weirder and more interesting from here on out.

[hecohansen31]

Hi,darling!! Can i request modern Floki with the prompts:“I missed being with you like this,” “I’ll keep you warm. Hold me closer.” from the Smut + Fluff Prompts. And from the smut list prompts: 106“Did you just look me up and down and then bite your lip? ‘Cause if you did we’re having sex. Right now.” 97“Stop distracting me.” I hope you have fun writing these!!!🧡🧡🧡

WARNINGS: Mention of Sex, Long-Distance Relationship, Maybe a Floki being a bit OOC.

You shivered loudly as coldness seeped through your bones, due to the cold you had found as soon you had arrived to Floki’s cabin.

‘Let’s go to the cabin in the woods’ had suggested your boyfriend Floki ‘… we’ll have fun and we can fuck as loudly as we want’.

And once you had arrived to it, you had immediately discovered that it was damnably cold and that the wood logs he had thought would be already there, weren’t, because Ragnar has used all of them, when he had visited the cabin.

Hence your ‘relaxing vacation’ had started in the ‘best way’, but being the girlfriend of an engineer came in quite handy, even more when your boyfriend started cutting wood as if it was the easiest thing ever, eventually having the chimney fuming in a matter of a few minutes.

Although, you had to admit, it was still too cold for you, hidden under various layers of clothing and blankets, still shivering.

And as soon as your boyfriend turned around to look at you, he noticed it and rushed to the sofa where you were trying to warm yourself up, setting up beside you, in barely his sweater and his pants.

“Come here, shivering ghost of mine” he joked “I’ll keep you warm. Hold me closer”.

“You haven’t been doing a great job with it, honestly” you mumbled, grumpy because you disliked cold weather.

You had honestly wanted to pass a bit of time together with Floki, all alone, since he had been pretty busy helping Ragnar with his own projects and as much as you were glad he was having fun with his besties (and true love), you missed him.

Even more when he’d be on work journey far away from you.

“Stop being grumpy, little one” he mumbled, with a stern tone, but it was all lost when he giggled with typical laugh, making also your mouth open, although you closed it immediately since your teeth started clacking loudly, as Floki, brought you closer to him, warm not only for the close proximity to the fire, but also the physical activity “… I promise it’ll be warmer, soon”.

“I hope it for you, because I don’t want to do this the ‘Twilight’ way” you replied, as you snuggled closer to his chest, almost, researching his warmth in the earnest, and he smiled lightly, his lips falling down onto your frozen forehead.

His big hands moved to gently brush soothing circles to warm up your insides.

“… explain to me again, the reason behind you watching that awful shit” he teased you, and you couldn’t help but laugh lightly at Floki’s scarce knowledge of pop-culture.

That man could dash out every knowledge existing about boats, trains and airplanes, but on your first date you had mentioned the ‘Looney Tunes’ and he had looked at you like you were crazy.

You found it adorable.

Even more when you’d make him sit down through a rewatch of your favorite TV series.

(He had had told you to get a female friend at a certain point, but he still teared up a bit when his OTP became canon).

And maybe that was why he had brought you in a place where technologies didn’t work so well.

Although you were struggling to accept Floki’s faith as your own alongside his way of immersing himself in nature, you still tried to support him and see his way.

Even through bonding experience like this one.

(And many more, you hoped, if you didn’t end up frozen).

Soon, still the room warmed up, and you couldn’t help but purr against Floki’s ministration, more than happy to simply lull yourself in a conscious nap, as Floki, mumbled a few errands you had to do for the cabin, mostly to keep it running.

“I hadn’t realized that I had to take care of so many things” he mumbled “… remember me to never lend the cabin again to Ragnar, that savage raided it basically”.

“I’d add ‘change the sheets’ to the list” you added as you sent Floki a worried look and he assumed a dreading one.

“… I’d be also worried of the couch”.

You almost puked back there, glad that your various layers weren’t allowing your ass to touch the fabric of the couch.

“I am sanitizing this entire house” you blurted out, offended as Floki erupted in laughter.

“You’d have less trouble in burning the cabin, if he seriously brought somebody in here”.

“I’ll have a conversation with him about boundaries” you commented, remembering that Floki’s colleague had been rather impressed to find you and Floki together, since you were the polar opposite of the man, but he hadn’t dared saying anything.

Even more after you had shushed him from complimenting with Floki with an harsh look.

“Please do… I’ll ask somebody to record it” he smirked, as he delved a light kiss to your nose “… mostly because I can’t wait to see you rip Ragnar a new one”.

“I’ll also ask him to share custody of you, since these last months I haven’t seen you in the slightest!” you protested lightly, more against Ragnar than Floki, but the poor man still couldn’t help but feel guilty.

It was also hard on him not to see you for entire months, except through the phone, which wasn’t in the slightest as satisfying as holding you in his arms.

“I also missed being with you like this” he commented, as he lightly moved his warm nose, against your frozen one, in a soft eskimo kiss, before his hands lightly tangled in yours, bringing out your face from your hiding corner on his chest to look at you in the eyes, and reassure you that he had also missed you.

And who were you to deny your beloved boat-builder, when he looked so so truthful in his words.

And so handsome.

You bit softly your lips, as you took in the intensity of his gaze, and then those soft lips, and beautiful face structure…

Gosh, it had been such a long time since when you had last been able to watch him so so peacefully that it made you appreciate again all over the untypical beauty of your beloved genius.

“Did you just look me up and down and then bite your lip?” he asked, making you shook you away from the admiring moment you had been having over him, seeing an intense and playful glimmer appear in his eyes, as you indeed bit your lips again “Cause if you did we’re having sex”.

“It would certainly help with the entire warmth situation” you mumbled softly, as you loosely brought him closer “… but I am not fucking you on this couch”.

And like that, you got up with your various layers and strolled away from a preying Floki, who observed you as you moved around the room, examining every surface, in search of somewhere that hadn’t been touched previously by Ragnar.

And your gaze found the kitchen table.

“Want to get back to your buddy, sweetheart?” you asked as you lovingly moved the blankets away from your body and discarded your jacket.

“Oh, if I didn’t love you already so much, I am sure that my heart would burst out of my chest, now” he muttered as he came to you, gently helping you to move across the table as he discarded easily his sweater, making you lust after the lean muscles he owned.

“I am sure it isn’t your chest bursting out of something, right now” you replied jokingly, gaining a quick serious look from him as he grabbed you tightly to hold you against the table, making you grind against his length, already aroused.

“Stop distracting me” he chastised you as a sudden glimmer of dominance appeared in his eyes “… just relax and let me warm you up!”.

[mytastessuck]

Gorillaz: Gorillaz (2001)

The history of my relationship is a long one...but I don’t like explaining stuff so I’ll keep it brief. I became a fan of the band when I saw a premiere of the “Clint Eastwood” video on Toonami. This could be attributed to the fact that I loved cartoons and I didn’t know there was a bunch of animated music videos back then. But there are. There are a like a ton of animated music videos. Even back then. Even before back then. Did you know one won an Oscar? It was by Tom Waits. Surprised? You shouldn’t be. We’ll get to him later. Anyway, I heard a couple more songs from them around this era but I couldn’t get into them because I was young, stupid and had no money. It actually wasn’t till around the Demon Days era (Phase 2 for us in the know) that I managed to get a hold of this album. My dad is also a fan of this band and gave a special edition version of this album. Thanks to that gesture, I really got back into Gorillaz in a huge way. Looking up lyrics, lore and cameos (these guys did a song with D12. For 9/11. Is The Rap Critic’s Patreon still open? I got a request to make...). 

We can get into more details later. Right now, I am going to rate every single song on Gorillaz (2001) US Deluxe Edition. 1. Rehash A nice breezy way to start off the album. Although, to be honest, if you picked this CD up and put it in a player after seeing of Gorillaz’ released singles, you’ll most likely be going, “Did I get the right disc?”. Still, that’s the reason I love the band. They can go into any genre and there is still something there that sounds like them. This song is pretty cool. 

Song Score: 8/10

2. 5/4

Now this is what I’m talking about. Classic British Alternative: Uncommon time, indecipherable lyrics, disgust when you figure out what the lyrics are actually saying and a sick bass. This song right here? It justifies the purchase of the whole album. It’s nasty and it’s cool, like Peanut Butter water ice.

Song Score: 10/10

3. Tomorrow Comes Today

Oh my lord, this song. I always have a soft spot for songs that I can pretend I was deep to back in the day. Very slow, very contemplative, very moody...just like a young me. It’s good that they made this their first single because it really showed up what they were capable of.

Song Score: 9/10

4. New Genius (Brother)

Ooooo...spooky. This song is pretty nice for a dark atmosphere and recommended for singing in a bar by with smoking patrons. Also nice of Gorillaz to give us the Stranger Danger spiel without sounding completely lame about it.

Song Score: 8/10

5. Clint Eastwood

AWWW SHIT MUTHAFUCKERS, HERE WE GO! This is the song that I obsessed over for a decade of my life. I sucked the entire life out of this song to the point that I skip over it in some playlists because it has nothing left to offer me. Still, I objectively love this song and I appreciate it for introducing to this band and for introducing me to Del Tha Funkee Homosapien. Seriously, how was I supposed to live the rest of my life without knowing a guy was capable of bars like that? This song fucks.

Song Score: 10/10

6. Man Research (Clapper)

I think I can blame this song for me getting into Electronica at a later age. High-pitched voices, nice beats, the feeling that I’m in a lab watching people being experimented on...everything a good track needs. This song was really fun to sing out loud to myself when I was younger. Probably one of the things that made my neighbors call my sanity into question.

Song Score: 10/10

7. Punk

Fuck yeah. Gorillaz was slaughtering some bands before they even got of their crib with tribute to the genre. Don’t bother with the lyrics because the words just basically become another instrument on this track and boy are the instruments on their loudest display here. I can only hear a dude telling his mom to shut up on it anyway.

Song Score: 9/10

8. Sound Check (Gravity)

Gotta admit, didn’t really appreciate this song when I was younger. It felt like the pieces were there but it didn’t come together into something of substance. Now that I’m older, I...am still of the same opinion. I like the breakdown but I feel like the high-pitched voice has been played out at this point in the album.

Song Score 7/10

9. Double Bass

Ah, an instrumental. Probably one of the first ones I listened to on repeat. I love the string work on this and the accompanying beats. Really good music to chill to...if you ignore that one line.

Song Score: 9/10

10. Rock The House

Hey, it’s our old friend Del! I was pleasantly surprised to see him on another track, kicking ass to a set of nice pan flutes. Man, this song ruled. But I can only listen to the album version. The music video version censors ass crack. Ass crack! How conservative can you get?! Luckily, Gorillaz never ran into this problem again.

Song Score: 10/10

11. 19-2000

I remember this album being the first time I heard the original version of this song instead of the Soulchild Remix. Obviously, I had to prefer this version because the original version is always the best. At least, that’s the way I thought back then. Nowadays...

THEY BOTH SOUND NICE!

But I do have a special place in my heart for this song. I like the woman in the background. Adds an ethereal quality to the song.

Song Score: 9/10

12. Latin Simone (Que Pasa Condigo?)

The first time I heard this, I was like, “Why is this song in Spanish?” This is because I listened to the G Sides album first (more on that next week). But the more I listened, the more I preferred it to the English version. This guy sings like he’s before an auditorium and he wants the people outside to hear him. Funny story: I tried to play this song for my Spanish class but my speakers didn’t work for them to hear it. Sucks for them.

Song Score: 11/10

13. Starshine

This is probably my least favorite song on the album. Just melancholy for the sake of melancholy. Kind of bothers me how there’s no substance to it I can find...nice instrumental though.

Song Score: 6/10

14. Slow Country

My second least favorite song on the album. Usually I like discordant noises in a song but the amateur piano with the honks...don’t really do it for me. Nice mumbling at the end though. Never change, Damon.

Song Score: 7/10

15. M1A1

I remember the first time I watched Day of the Dead and during the beginning I kept going, “WHEN THE GUITAR COME IN?!”. I know, I know, I’m hilarious. Especially when I’m by myself. But seriously, not even factoring in nostalgia, this is the best track on the album. Great song, great singing, awesome fucking solo. The only thing better than M1A1 on this album is M1A1 live.

Song Score: 12/10

16. Dracula

You know that when I heard the sound bite from this track, I thought it was from the original movie? It’s not. It’s from fucking Looney Tunes. Damn. Egg on my face. Anyway, I love the goofiness of this track. It tries to sound dark and scary but it’s like that nice goth kid in your class who always pick Edgar Allan Poe as his Powerpoint topic. Good kid, great song.

Song Score: 8/10

17. Left Hand Suzuki Method

FEEL THE IMPACT

And I did. Like a wise man once said, I don’t need drugs to enjoy this track, just to enhance my enjoyment of it. And you know what? I don’t want to enhance it. This shit sounds good by itself. See, Slow Country? This is how you mix in things that don’t sound good together and make them sound good together. You know what that track needs? Japanese children talking. That improves everything.

Song Score: 9/10

18. 19-2000 (Soulchild remix)

And the head honcho themself, one of the first Gorillaz songs I listened to. Man, this shit slaps like Dave Grohl in a Michael Gondry video. Whenever I heard this song when I was a kid, I was thinking about it all week. It just sounds so sunny, so uplifting, like something you should be listening to on an amusement park ride. Fuck, this track is tight.

Song Score: 10/10

19. Clint Eastwood (Ed Case and Sweetie Irie remix)

...

...Is it too late to change my least favorite track on the album choice yet?

Okay, Slow Country was on the original album so it can keep its title. This track is the worst track of all the bonus ones. It’s just...they were onto something with the breakdown but the goofy reggae singing and the way too fast to enjoy beat? Just rubs me the wrong way. Ugh, and now I’m thinking of Laika already...

Song Score: 5/10

Album Score: 8.8/10

Join me next week as I review G-Sides. It’s gonna resemble fun!

[theonceoverthinker]

Endgame Thoughts!

Spoilers under the cut!

SPOILERS COMING

SPOILERS COMING

SPOILERS COMING

IN CASE YOU DIDN’T READ THE FIRST FEW WARNING, SPOILERS COMING!

...I know I already did a cut, but I wanted to protect anyone who clicked it absentmindedly.

Because I love you guys!

ANYWAY!

-TONYYYYY! He’s my favorite MCU character and I’m so sad he’s gone, but DAMN did he go out in a blaze of glory! “And I am Iron Man.” Talk about a full circle! And his death scene...JEEZ!!! I CAN’T! HIS BITS WITH PETER AND PEPPER...I CAN’T EVEN DESCRIBE HOW I FEEL!!! And I loved his final holographic message! It allowed for Tony to have an incredible final monologue in a really fitting character way. And it was specific to his family, but also not out of place as it played over everyone else’s reunions!

-I adored the pan through of everyone at the funeral. Tony and the team have grown so much and so close and seeing them come together to mourn and celebrate Tony was one of the film’s most beautiful moments.

-I love the five year time skip. Or rather, it broke my heart, but I love how that actually allowed there to be a real tangible impact on the world post-Thanos’ snap that can’t be taken back. The world fell into chaos, families were torn apart and had to rebuild, some people went off the deep end. And it also had a benefit that in a way, gave this aspect of the timeline emotional stakes: Morgan!

-This isn’t bad, per se, but I was kind of laughing during Clint and Natasha’s race to death. It was like a Looney Tunes cartoon! XD Don’t get me wrong, once Nat was falling, I was emotionally aligned with the scene and all, but the buildup was kind of funny in how they used every gadget possible to make it off the ledge! Even their jump faces were funny! XD I’M SORRY BUT SOMEONE HAD TO SAY IT!!!

-Tony and Nebula’s friendship was something I didn’t know i needed, but now I just want an entire TV series of them becoming friends. That finger football scene was so cuuuuuteee! Both of these guys need more fun in their lives! Also, “You won.” I cosign everyone else who pointed out how amazing that was! I NEED more Nebula in my life!

-Captain Marvel had me cheering EVERY time she was on screen! First, she saved my babies Tony and Nebula. THEN, she kicks the holy crap out of Thanos! And THEN she shows up for the final battle as she draws away enemy fire and glows like a goddess! And the entire time, she’s clearly showing how she’s the best and just...everyone goes with it!

-Morgan Stark is adorable and I hope we get to see more of her! Maybe she and Pepper can show up in the next Spiderman movie. Like, they meet up so they can grieve together and since Tony cared for Peter like a son, Pepper will invite him into their family. But yeah, I love her 2000 (Because Tony will always love her more)!

-And SPEAKING of Spiderman, Peter Parker is such a sweetie! He’s so polite and kind and I’m so happy Tony hugged him because SOMEONE had to! He must be protected at all costs and I’m glad he’s got his friend to support him! But he is going to have the WORST Father’s Day ever. Poor kid!

-It doesn’t look like we’re getting a Loki resurrection, but I did appreciate how many times he appeared in this movie. Tom Hiddleston is just a really expressive actor, and I’m gonna miss him so much!

-I had a feeling Cap might decide to stay in the past. And it was a really nice send off of the character. So I didn’t see the first two Captain America films, but the full on Avengers films have done a good job establishing who he is so I more or less felt the impact of his relationship with Peggy! I also hope old Cap shows up to give wisdom to some of our modern heroes every now and then. They basically recast him so depending on the new (old) guy’s contract, we might see him again.

-I was surprised that the Falcon was chosen to yield the shield, but honestly, pretty happy! He can fly AND has a vibranium shield filled to the brim with awesome sauce! That’s gonna be so fun to see in battle!

-CAP CAN YIELD THE HAMMER! Btw, where IS the hammer? Cap had it when he left to go to the past. Is it just chilling in his house? I wanna see someone else lift it! LET’S MAKE THAT A PLOT POINT IN THE NEXT FALCON MOVIE!!!!

-I wish Okoye had more to do. Even if she wasn’t going to the past, maybe there could’ve been something more she could do on the sides to help out with.

-Scott’s reunion with his daughter off all things had me SOBBING! I think that’s partially the case because I saw Ant Man and the Wasp maybe two weeks before seeing this.

-So, is past Gamora gone? We didn’t see her fade away, but given how she wasn’t at the funeral nor on the ship, it seems like it. I feel like that’s a deleted scene, and probably shouldn’t have been. BUT it also looks like Peter’s searching for her, so you never know. This might be what happens in Guardians 3!  I’ll be honest, I was expecting the Guardians to throw the Soul Stone back into the pit and for Gamora to be able to come back up, but that doesn’t seem to be happening at all.

-Also, Thor’s a Guardian of the Galaxy (Or rather, an ASGUARDIAN of the Galaxy) now? Guardians 3 is gonna be interesting. And I love that Nebula’s now an official part of the team. I’m honestly excited to see her dynamics with Rocket (since they were basically besties for five years) and Quill (They are gonna be FUNNY as all hell!)!

-I like how Iron Man, a character often shown to be selfish, ended the series doing about the most selfless thing you can do and Captain America, whose very presence in this era is characterized by a selfless act, allowed himself to do something that was in a way, a bit selfish. That was a great end to their respective character arcs!

-I’m not sure how I feel about the Hulk at the moment. Or Thor. I’m gonna need a bit more time to search my feelings for those.

-I love how the last Avengers film barely had any Scott or Hawkeye and this film had ALL of the Scott and Hawkeye! XD

-The “Come and Get Your Love,” “America’s Ass,” and “Heil Hydra” jokes had me and my theatre in STITCHES!

-THE LADIES OF MARVEL SHOT IS ALL I NEED IN THIS WORLD!!! <3 I can die a happy lady! But seriously, I want that as my social media EVERYTHING! I may be theONCEoverthinker, but hey -- change is good, am I right?

-Small detail, but I’m pretty sure that we had an outwardly gay couple mentioned during the support group scene! I hope we see that more overtly and with a more prominent character *cough* CAROL DANVERS *cough* going forward, but it was a nice moment.

-I appreciate that the only reason why we didn’t get more Carol in this movie was because she was being a hero on other planets!

-THAT SAID, I wish we saw Carol and Fury talk! It’s been so long since they’ve seen each other! You’d think she’d at least ask how Goose has been doing, am I right?

...I feel like I’m eventually gonna have more to add to this, but for right now, that’s the bulk of my thoughts after a night’s worth of reflections. XD

[dcarevu]

DCAU #16: The Cat and the Claw (Part 1)

“Never trifle with the affections of a woman!”

15 episodes into Batman The Animated Series and, hey, we’ve finally arrived at the first episode! Isn’t that something! Yeah, I’ve stated a few times that this show was aired in a very different order than how it was produced. Some people like one way vs the other, although I’m a production-order guy myself, but I’m not gonna pretend like this doesn’t make a decent first episode. It has a pilot quality to it, and the way the episodes sounds in particular make it seem like it would come before episodes like Heart Of Ice. But whichever way you prefer to watch the show, let’s agree on one thing: airing part 2 seven episodes later was not the best way to watch the show. For anyone that’s curious, though, this was done because the way weekend airings vs weekday airings worked. Part 1 was shown on a weekend, so part 2 was shown the weekend after.

Episode: 15 Robin: No Writers: Sean Catherine Derek (story), Laren Bright (story), Jules Dennis (teleplay), Richard Mueller (teleplay) Director: Kevin Altieri Animator: Sunrise Airdate: September 5, 1992 Grade: B

Saying that this episode has a pilot-quality to it isn’t exactly a compliment, as in some ways it feels like we’ve again taken a few steps back here. This episode sits right at home with On Leather Wings, Nothing to Fear, and even The Underdwellers. It’s not bad, but the footing just isn’t there, and the vibes are very similar to those three. Looking at the credits only backs up this observation. Some of the lower-tier episodes we’ve seen have come from these writers. I think that so far this is one of the better ones they’ve worked on, but it didn’t blow me away or anything. Sunrise handled the animation, and it worked for the most part in Pretty Poison. Here, though, there were some weird things. There is a shot of Catwoman climbing up a building that looks pretty damn awful. It’s quick, and most may not notice it, but I didn’t have much choice in the matter because someone working for Warner (probably an intern or something) chose this shot for the DVD menu on disc 3. What the hell? You turn on the DVD and you get this awkward, misshaped Catwoman that gets worse the longer you stare. Like god, it’s ugly, guys. And Catwoman is an attractive character! I can only imagine that they were pressed for time or something. I’m mostly just bringing this shot up because I find it funny, but there were some other things too that stuck out like sore thumbs. This included some weird facial expressions (like the goon at the end or the dude constantly gritting his teeth like an old Looney Tunes antagonist), some overall messier work, and the lighting was all over the place. A lot of shots just seemed a little bit too bright for the show. It’s not all unsightly, though. Sunrise have a weird, weird style, guys. There are some scenes that I think I like the looks of, much like some moments in Pretty Poison, but really nothing I was blown away by. I hear Akom did part 2, so I am actually genuinely excited to compare them. I’ve been okay with Akom so far.

So this sounds like a recipe for disaster so far, I know. But the episode is generally enjoyable, despite. I have no idea how they pulled it off either. Where the visuals fail, the magnificent, ballet-esque score picks up the slack. While the lines don’t always stick with me, they don’t downright flop, and the characters are great. Catwoman really impressed Char (who, once again, is a newcomer to the DCAU), and like some other rogues, I don’t know if she was necessarily expecting much beyond a typical villainess dressed in a distinguishable suit. In fact, I wouldn’t necessarily label Catwoman the villain at all. Yeah, she shows that she has a robbing hobby at the beginning, and I’m not gonna defend that, but she spends the rest of the time attempting to get her way with the animal preserve and genuinely showing that in some ways she’s pointed in the right direction. I’ll talk more about her character, along with Batman’s, in a bit, however. But before diving into some of the more social/psychological aspects, I wanted to note how fun the beginning of this one was too. It was a unique start for the series, and watching these two run around on the night rooftops is fascinating to watch. I was almost sad when it ended. Especially since a lot of the other action in this one was a lot more par for the course. When we cut to a police chase going on, I internally groaned just a little bit. I feel like that is one of the most common things to happen on this show, and there was no real twist on it. Things are calm and casual, then out of nowhere some guys with machine guns are being tailed by the police. Maybe I’m imagining things, but I think it’s getting a little bit stale. Oh, also, just as an observation, I felt like everyone was whispering throughout this one. Catwoman, Batman, and Red Claw all said their lines in such a soft manner, and while inside some of the buildings made sense, I’m surprised they didn’t have a tough time hearing each other on the rooftops at times. That’s what I mean when I say this one sounds like an early one. Anyone else feel me on this? Like, did the actors have to be quiet because another show was being voiced or something? That’s a joke, by the way.

A big plus was getting to dive into our main characters. Batman and Selena’s chemistry is fairly natural, despite them not sharing too-too many lines with each other, at least in costume. Yet it just works. Batman is a man of few words sometimes. I don’t think his ways of communication and relation necessarily rely on English. You get a sense of chemistry from watching them soar among the turbines, free fall toward the street, and basically try to keep ahead of each other in an almost playful way. We even see Batman crack a smile as he talks to his new, curious friend, and it’s not even weird to see. Add in that downright beautiful score, along with them mixing as their civilian selves, unbeknownst to them, and it starts to become a shame that you know that in their current ways, they’re not gonna work. It’s as both of them worked together to say; there is something in between them, that thing being the law. Parts of me reluctantly want Batman to just give in, but admittedly, that would be rather hypocritical of him. Ha. Yeah. Imagine how that relationship would go. “Hey, honey, have fun hitting the Smiths’ house tonight! I’m off to stop a robbery!” Would make for a decent parody, though, for sure.

Even without Batman, though, Catwoman is an interesting character. I love how strong and dedicated she is. She knows what she wants, and she’s not gonna back down until she obtains it. She goes a little too far with taking things into her own hands because, well, she’s literally taking things that don’t belong to her into her own hands, but you get the feeling that she works her ass off with her conservation efforts and doesn’t take shit. This is another factor that makes her relationship with Bruce so interesting. She first flat out tells him that she’s not interested in dating him. He politely asks her if they can just try it out once, she agrees, but she actually ends up cancelling to do something that she sees as more important. She’s not about to feel bad about it either, and why should she? You get the feeling that in some ways she is equal to Bruce, and if she were a lot weaker than him, then their midnight meet ups wouldn’t be nearly as interesting. By the way, a cartoon show displaying a strong, independent woman acting like a hero, but also performing cat burglary? Some parts of me are surprised that at the time this was let through. She is clearly someone to admire in some aspects, but not necessarily in others, which is kind of a complex, abstract idea for kids.

Of course, you wanna talk about strong women, we can’t leave out Red Claw, the terrorist leader. Now this lady, she is not someone I’d ever wanna mess with. She looks like she could pound me into a pancake with one whack. Char was not a fan of her design at all. When she walked into the screen, I heard her go, “That design is shit.” It didn’t strike me nearly that hard, and while I don’t find her to be awesome-looking, her design never really bothered me. Char mentioned it being the way she was proportioned. I did think that she looked a little bit…hm…maybe hefty is the word? But I sorta dig that choice. It adds to her intimidation-factor. She looks like she’d be a challenge for even Batman to square up with (even though this is likely not the case if we’re talking strictly hand-to-hand combat). But maybe the strong reaction to her design was simply Char finding the model off-putting, and maybe Akom can amend this next time. We shall see! I’m also hoping that she’s not wasted potential. I get that most of the emotional depth should be focused on Batman and Selena, that’s obvious. But I at least want to avoid Red Claw being obvious stock. We have a whole extra near-half hour to use, so let’s hope the writers learned from their light mistakes in previous episodes and deliver a thrilling conclusion. Char really loved this episode (she liked it a lot more than I did), and was very interested at what was going on basically the whole way through, plus I think Catwoman is going to be a new favorite of hers. Don’t want it to let her down! Even if this one is an episode that I don’t consider amazing, it brings me a lot of joy to see it getting so much mileage with someone else. This is part of the reason I’m doing these blogs, people, and I hope that many more of you in the future will end up following along and coming to your own opinions that you can compare and contrast with mine. It’s no fun if everyone feels the same way and makes the same observations, right?

Oh, we both agreed that this one had one of the best title cards so far, by the way. And after the episode is finished, you go from thinking it’s a Catwoman reference, to realizing that it almost seems to be referring more toward Red Claw with that scratch mark!

Char’s grade: A

Next time: The Cat and the Claw (Part 2) Full episode list here!

[dentalrecordsmusic]

Off Your Radar - Issue #105: “Shallow Believer” by The Used

Originally published on Off Your Radar (one outstanding album each week, recommended and analyzed by over a dozen music writers and lovers).

Shallow Believer by The Used Released On February 19, 2008 Released By Reprise Records

I met my best friend on September 2, 2009 at Looney Tunes Record Store in West Babylon, NY. I arrived at the store at noon looking forward to watching The Used perform at the small humble shop thinking that I was getting on line early and beating the crowd to the front row. Boy, was I wrong. 

Outside, I was immediately met with a small group of teens around my age who had been sitting outside the shop on line from 7AM. I was hardcore, but I wasn’t that hardcore. I loved The Used, but it never occurred to me that it would be reasonable to show up to a concert 14 hours in advance. At 16, my life was deeply impacted after this very important day. 

For one, I had learned that if you were small and passionate about music, you needed to wake up at the ass crack of dawn to drive to the venue in order to get a good view of the stage. Secondly, I had just met the person who would alter my life on an outrageous scale. The person who I would form bands with, laugh with until my stomach was in knots, and dream, dream, dream. Then dream harder. Her name was Erin Calvert (she also writes for this very newsletter — you may have seen her at the top of this issue). I loved her. 

It’s really easy to make friends with strangers when you��ve been sitting on the sidewalk with them for literally eight hours in the sun discussing the only band playing that night. Art does that. It does not know social awkwardness, nor jealousy, nor faux interest. When you meet another person who loves something as animatedly as you, you already have common ground. My common ground with Erin is, and always has been, The Used. 

Since September 2, 2009, Erin and I have traveled across the north east attending every Used show we had the balls to drive to, adding up to over a couple dozen times (I’ve lost count). Sometimes we were in Connecticut. Other times it was New Jersey. Most of the time it was in New York. No matter where we found ourselves, we were always there as the first ones on line. Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 5 AM. Rain, snow, shine — we seriously didn’t give a shit. We were there to see The Used. 

Not long before this, The Used had released Shallow Believer on February 19, 2008, a “compilation” record built on outtakes and B-Sides from the band’s previous three studio records. It was my favorite release by the band thus far in their career. Shallow Believer is indeed a compilation, but it doesn’t play like one. Not once does it feel like it was shuffled about and thrown together — there is a linear progression throughout it that reads more like a romance novel than a series of short stories. 

There was a period of time (which I would argue is still a part of the shtick today) when The Used touted their genre as being “gross-pop.” The band had dipped their toes into the sound during Lies For The Liars era most aggressively (see “Pretty Handsome Awkward,” “With Me Tonight,” “Paralyzed“), but their hearts were still firmly and strongly beating through the post-hardcore, sorta punk rock sound. Shallow Believer is, in my opinion, the definition of gross pop and (if I can so boldly say) the most unique and lovable thing the band has done so far. Erin thought so too as you can tell. 

From the very beginning, we have “Dark Days” which comes in like a lamb, roughs up some wolves, and goes out like a lamb again. It is bright, shiny, and new no matter when you hear it. One thing I’ve always appreciated about The Used is their childlike play with melody, and more especially, vocalist McCracken’s play with his vocal melody. “Dark Days” juggles some of the best of what The Used has to offer with a breath of cool, fresh air. Ending with a mellow piano outro and some crooning from McCracken, it is a gift to the alternative music world. 

“Into My Web” is another stunner laced with impressive timing and control. Attention to detail is peak here, with the number of sound effects and layers in both the vocals and instrumentals and the lyrics are cryptic and Poe-like. According to iTunes, I’ve listened to this song 522 times. I dare you to try and stop me from listening to it again. “See me drop my jaw as you fly like a butterfly…” sighhh, be still, my heart. 

Who can forget how epic and iconic “Choke Me” is? I don’t throw the word “perfect” around much because hardly anything is, but wow. This song (from the self-titled days) is hardcore at its finest. It’s endlessly clever, hilarious, and also terrifying. Branden Steineckert is a man on a mission here on the drums and it’s so exciting to hear him play so well with all this personality. McCracken is literally throwing up at the end of it. I love this song so much. 

I wish I could sit here all day and discuss every song on Shallow Believer, but I can’t. I’m saving room here to talk about how much I love every single millisecond of “The Back Of Your Mouth.” The horns, the performance and theatrics, the jazzy vocal melody and outrageousness of it all; it reminds me of a rolling circus with chainsaws for wheels and a ringleader named Rob McCracken chewing on bones of unidentified animals, shouting obscenities, and leading the chaos into hellfire. His shout into the second chorus, “The back of your mouth,” gives me the chills every time. The horn and vocal interlude is astounding, executed to a degree that I rarely see in music today. 

When I tell people that my favorite band is The Used, I mean it in more ways than I can describe in this one post. It means community, acceptance, vulnerability, daring to dream, and breaking rules to make something beautiful. It also means friendship. It means buying giant plastic balls and filling them with candy, toys, hot chocolate and tea and giving them to each member of the band at the meet-and-greet table after every show, outside every tour bus. To many, it seemed over-the-top to give gifts to bands on the road. To Erin and I, it was the very least we could do to give back to a band that had given us everything to believe in, including ourselves. 

After a plethora of meet-and-greets, photo ops, laughs, shared cigarettes, and breathtaking hugs, The Used have remained our band. We’ve had the fortune of meeting them too many times to count, and that’s only the icing on the cake to the amazing experiences we’ve had related to The Used. Shallow Believer was the spark to my unending, all-encompassing fascination with The Used, and I have that album to thank for my music journalism career, my relationship with my best friend, and my vivid sonic memories. After all these years, it brings me to tears thinking about all of the good times Erin and I have had with this band. The Used is in our bones like marrow, in the back of our throats like pills, and dug into our dirty fingernails. Here, now, eternally.

Catherine Dempsey is an emo kid seeking a hardcore band. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter.

Read the rest of this newsletter’s issue here.

[fizzingwizard]

How would each of the Chosen give dating advice? How good/terrible would it be?

even if they’re good at it, whichever of the others was listening would definitely interpret their advice in some dumb ass way and end up in hot water in spite of everything lol

Taichi: Pretty much the last person you should ever go to for dating advice. It’s as if mentioning dating and relationships is like walloping him on the head with a Looney Tunes hammer. He’s basically not going to be able to think of anything. However, if he can get over himself for a sec, and especially if you don’t approach him with a frame of relationships, just “hey I have this problem with someone I care about,” then he might actually say something good. It’s hormones he’s bad with, not the heart.

Yamato: Overall gives good advice, but doesn’t like to be asked. One, because he doesn’t like gossip and being involved in someone else’s affairs. Two, because he is easily embarrassed. Three, because what he tells you will end up weighing on his mind and he’ll start to remember every instance in his relationship where he didn’t follow his own advice. Seriously, this kid needs all the hugs.

Sora: Gives excellent advice, A++, would hire again. Really and truly wants her friends to be happy whether in love or not. Has a really clear perspective. Most troubling for her is when she’s friends with both parties in a love tangle and both of them seek her out for advice at different times. Then she feels caught in the middle but doesn’t know how to escape the web short of cutting them both off, which she can’t bring herself to do. This girl needs a spa day.

Koushirou: Well, kind of like Taichi, if you ask him in a way that doesn’t put him on the spot and make him feel like he needs to dish out every scrap of info about love that’s ever drifted into his mind, he’ll probably say something useful. He really, really would rather you ask someone else. In most cases, he’d just bring up some relationship columnist on the internet and parrot the things they have to say. Which can be useful too.

Mimi: Has tons of stuff to say and means every word of it, but she’s about 50/50 in how wise those things are. Sometimes she’s not really thinking of your relationship, but projecting problems in her own onto yours. But the foundation of her beliefs is that communication and openness are essential, so she’s a good source of encouragement. She’s also quite biased on her friends’ behalf so if you come to her because your partner’s been a jerk, she’ll brazenly take your side.

Jou: NNNNOOOOOO. He will be super panicked if you ask him. Actually, he’ll be secretly thrilled (by secretly I mean really obviously), because he’ll think he appears to others as quite put together and worldly-wise. He’ll be thrilled to be asked and panicked to answer. Just ask someone else, lol.

Takeru: Annoying perceptive. Also prone to light-hearted teasing. Not without his own motives, though. Mostly he’s a safe bet and will give you good advice 80-90% of the time. Unless your name is Yamato or Taichi. In their case, he’s probably trolling.

Hikari: Also quite perceptive but very not-gossipy. Would rather not be involved, but like Sora, can’t bring herself to turn away. With Taichi, she gets super invested, and also super strict, for her, because she wants him to be happy so much. With Miyako, her main strategy is “keep her calm.” With Daisuke, it’s dry humor. With Takeru, it’s a battle of wits, hormones, and romantic tension the likes of which has never been seen nor ever will be again.

Daisuke: NNNNOOOOO. And also YEEEESSSSS. Because the fact is Daisuke has cotton balls between his ears. And the other fact is he says some amaaaazing stuff. Pure-hearted little noodlehead. He’s the person to ask when you’ve exhausted literally everyone else and need someone to just come out and say “WE’RE ALL FOOLS IN LOVE SO GET OVER IT!”

Miyako: Another one who will tell you that we’re all fools in love and to get over it. But she never gets over it herself. One minute she’s up, the next she’s down, her emotions are like a pinball machine and they’ll gush all over you if you get her started. So tread cautiously and bring snacks, she does a better job on a full stomach and when she didn’t have to pay.

Iori: Does not involve himself in other’s relationships. That is strictly their business and he will feel like a sneak if you tell him. In the end, he’d only tell you, “Less deception, more honesty,” which is good advice really.

Ken: Would feel uncomfortable but also flattered and warm that you trust him enough to ask his advice. Would probably come up with something useful too. Would be very calm and fair about it. Pretty solid investment overall.