#IMPORTANT CONTEXT I NEVER ACTUALLY WATCHED SUPERNATURAL

[theboy-thebitch-thelegend]

my toxic trait is listening to classic rock and becoming convinced that actually i can totally fail my classes and somehow get a classic car and pursue my middle school dream of being a paranormal vlogger getting income from ???? and this is totally realistic

[vampiresuns]

ngl, I am yet to read The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and watch the adaptation, but one thing that's popping out to me is the amount of people I've seen who assuming that, because Katniss knows the Hanging Tree song, she must be related to Lucy Gray, almost entirely forgetting the source material and its author.

because there are no chosen ones in The Huger Games. Never have been. There are a lot of elements that border on magical realism/the supernatural in the novels, from the character perspectives, but there is no predestination: it is all choice. Katniss isn't special because she's related to someone, she's special because of what she chooses and what that means in the context she's in.

if Suzanne Collins did one thing is write a web of social constellations and memory in constant conversation with the present. It doesn't matter if Katniss is or not related to anyone in TBOSAS. what matters is oral tradition and folk culture of the districts, specially D12 and within that district, The Seam, cannot be controlled. that it exists regardless of Capitol control. that it will always exist regardless of Capitol control. it is in direct conversation with the irl experiences of BIPOC in Appalachia and the working class in Appalachia (and in many places of the world by similarity of irl circumstances due to colonisation and class struggle alone) who have rich oral traditions that constitute an important part of USAmerican Folk, but exist on its own right.

you could interpret it as them being related, sure. nothing stops you: it could be just a hc, it could be analysis with more or less textual evidence, that's up to you. but as people in fandom or who engage with the world of THG we shouldn't ignore this reading bc it's so, so blatant. it is right there. in the end, one of the greatest tools these characters had to overthrow, cheat and avoid the Capitol was the existence of a second history, a local, working class, brown kind of history that in real life and for the characters is taken as non-existent and not valuable for the people in power.

and because it is not of importance, because those people think the people they oppress are barely human and therefore incapable of "actual" culture, it creates a massive blind-spot. these people have the audacity to keep existing. believe me the reason why Katniss knows those songs is because the Seam had the audacity to keep singing — not because it was capital P political, or capital R Resisting. but simply because they existed, against all odds. they lived, against all attempts to exterminate them.

there will still be singing, in the dark times. Suzanne Collins knows that.

[eisforeidolon]

I feel fans should be able to interpret shows and characters any way they want but it really bothers me that shippers die on the hill of Dean is such a closeted bi sexual and Sam is the biggest heterosexual out there. I love these characters because they are extremely toxic and codependent on each other. The story would not be the same with out that. Why would anyone look to Supernatural to be their all time gay representation love story when it most obviously is not. it just blows my mind how out there Destiel shippers are and how much they truly hate this show and hate Dean without even realizing it. I need someone to figure out how we can get rid of them from this fandom...LOL

Yeah, IDGI either. Fandom is supposed to be about just having fun however you want with the building blocks from the canon + your imagination. It's not even the main point that they're hilariously bad at interpretation, project too hard onto the characters to even see them, can't understand context to save their lives, pointedly ignore a million things that directly contradict their agenda, and too much of their so-called proof is actually gross backwards stereotypes about sexuality and masculinity (neither of which they seem to understand very well at all). If they were just having fun with it, who the fuck cares? Sure, it's annoying, but a lot of fandom is annoying because it is so specifically tailored to things not everyone is gonna like. There are other canons with fans who are fine admitting they just like playing in the canon world but not the canon itself that much.

No, the problem is hellers are not content to just enjoy their non-canon interpretations in fandom. They feel entitled to flood any and every tag associated with the show, trying to demand their interpretations be considered indisputably canon fact because ... reasons ... and anyone who doesn't agree with them is A Bad Person because ... they say so. Their ship is the greatest love story (n)ever told, the best representation evar in media! It's the only important thing about SPN - and if they couldn't change the canon, they can change the fandom narrative! The fact there's actually no there there under their overblown thousands upon thousands of words of inept meta is why the very suggestion it's not canon, that someone doesn't see it as the greatest thing ever, that maybe Dean is actually just a heterosexual instead of putting on an elaborate performance of one or even that Sam might not be the straightest character ever written? Is taken as an attack upon their self-declared status as the real main audience. Which makes sense, because they never were. SPN was anything but subtle as to what its actual focal relationship was.

To some extent I get how they echo-chambered each other into believing their ship was/would be a thing in canon. If you just look at the size of the piles on piles of cherry-picked nonsense they accumulated over the years without actually engaging your brain to see how variously flimsy, out of context, or how many other more sensible interpretations there were for any of them? If you wanted to believe and surrounded yourself with others who did, too, and kept talking each other up, spending way more time doing that than watching the show? It's no wonder some of them ended up with really skewed expectations.

What I don't get is how they're still going this long after the show ended. SPN is over and there's no more 'Well, next season for sure!' to promise themselves. There are increasingly more stories out there now in a variety of media which are centering deliberately, openly LGBT+ characters and relationships they could invest in championing! Hell, just saying screw canon and burying themselves in writing their idea of "better" fanfic is a perfectly reasonable way to deal with disappointment, no matter how self-inflicted. Instead, they're still here making up elaborate conspiracies about how SPN was something other than what it blatantly obviously always was - because admitting they were wrong and the only thing they ever liked about it was their own OOC fanfic very, very loosely based off of it? Well, that's more than a bit embarrassing in light of how long they spent campaigning and how vehement they were about it totally being not just A Thing but The Most Important Thing Ever. So I don't know what would actually get them to move on, they clearly love being miserable and wrong and pretending to be martyrs over it far too much for me to comprehend.

[nflstreetsanimereviews]

Anime Review: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2009)

Despite losing its relevancy a while ago, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya maintains to be an iconic anime series to this day. It was a staple of the anime fandom in the late 00s–a time when anime was way harder to obtain, the most common way of consuming it being through watching Cartoon Network, watching episodes on a dodgy streaming site, or watching episodes in ten-minute slices on YouTube. Well, in America anyway. Despite all of that, the fact that it was released out-of-order, and some episodes having no context at all at the time, Haruhi was still a hit worldwide. Goes to show you that ‘vibes’ is a huge contributing factor to whether or not an anime is a hit.

In order to fill in gaps (and piss off many viewers), Kyoto Animation made a successor to The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2006), named…The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2009). Only slightly confusing.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2009) is nearly identical to its predecessor, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (2006). The second season of Haruhi shares the same name as the first season, which is understandable when you find out that all of the 2006 edition of Haruhi is contained within the 2009 edition. The fact of the matter is that this isn’t a ‘second season’ and more of a ‘remake’. The confusing part is that KyoAni includes episodes from the original series un-edited. Hell, the first ‘new’ episode doesn’t come to episode eight–the only reason I could tell that it was from the new season is because it had a different opening and ending. It makes it a nightmare to log on sites such as AniList or MyAnimeList. Like, how am I supposed to categorize an episode that I’ve watched if it gets counted twice? Do I just count it twice? Or only when it’s actually an episode from the 2006 edition? Clearly, KyoAni didn’t have pedants like me in mind when it came to the Haruhi series. For shame.

With the 2009 edition containing all of the 2006 edition, it renders watching the first iteration pointless. Not that you’re missing out on much, since the broadcast order in season one was swapped around to make little sense chronologically. The first episode in the season one broadcast order is the twenty-fifth episode chronologically–yes, it’s so far in the future that it requires context from the 2009 edition to make sense. Of course, there are, presumingly, traditionalists that prefer the broadcast order over the chronological order. I personally see no reason to watch The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya in the broadcast order since there’s no payoff. The only reason why the first season was broadcasted in that order was to end on a high note. It serves no purpose beyond that as far as I know. If you want to have the plot make sense, watch in chronological order.

The two ways of watching The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Sorry if the image is a bit small, I took it from imgur.

The plot of The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is pretty simple: Kyon is selected by Haruhi Suzumiya, an energetic, annoying, and eccentric classmate, to be the second member of the SOS Brigade. Haruhi forms this club to research and investigate for proof of the supernatural. In her ideal world, aliens, espers, and time travelers exist. Thankfully for her, they do! It turns out that Haruhi has god-like abilities, and can will all three into existence. Too bad for her that they’re hiding in plain sight, purposely never letting her discover their existence.

All three other three members of the SOS Brigade are important in their own right, since they all were gifted powers by Haruhi. The third member, Yuki Nagato, who’s the sole member of the Literature Club, has her clubroom annexed by Haruhi. That’s fine though, since Nagato is actually an alien sent to keep watch of Haruhi. Nagato is essentially silent, only speaking when spoken to or when she really wants to. This makes dealing with her challenging at times, but she is also more useful and less of a headache to deal with than others. She’s by far the most powerful person within the SOS Brigade, besides Haruhi of course. The fourth member, Mikuru Asahina, is ‘forced’ to join the Brigade like Kyon. Asahina, being the prototypical ‘alluring, cute girl’, is a time traveler from the future that’s ALSO here to observe Haruhi. Her inclusion makes coming to the SOS Brigade Clubroom worthwhile for Kyon, and Haruhi often uses her physique to obtain things she wants. Her fragile demeanor lends to her being frightened easily, something Kyon doesn’t mind if it involves her clinging to him. She’s rarely useful beyond following Haruhi’s outlandish demands. The fifth, and last, member is Itsuki Koizumi, who fits the bill of being a ‘mysterious transfer student’. That alone is good enough for him to be invited to join the Brigade. He accepts, because he’s an esper that’s here to, you guessed it, watch over Haruhi. Unlike Nagato and Asahina, Koizumi acts as a yes-man for Haruhi, which gets really on Kyon’s nerves. His insistence on always going along with Haruhi stems from him wanting to keep her happy, since his job as an esper is easier if she’s in a good mood. It doesn’t help that Koizumi is also a type-A ‘gentleman’, making it hard to find fault with him.

Kyon is the only ‘normal’ person in the SOS Brigade. Unlike Nagato, Asahina, and Koizumi, he doesn’t have any special powers anointed to him by Haruhi. And unlike Haruhi, he doesn’t have god-like powers. Kyon’s inclusion is mere happenstance–only because he was the one to suggest that Haruhi form her own club instead of trying to find the one perfect for her. For whatever reason, she has picked him to be part of the brigade–and since she has the power to rewrite the world to her will, he has to be included, whether he likes it or not.

Haruhi, unaware of her god-like powers, uses them for the silliest of reasons, such as changing the color of pigeons in one area or having specific cherry blossoms bloom out of season. The reason why her power is used for silly reasons is because…well we don’t exactly know why. The theory behind why she has these powers is disputed by the members of the SOS Brigade. Whether she was born with these powers, anointed by god, or given them after performing a ritual is unknown. All we know is that she has them, and that her finding out would only mean bad things.

Part of what makes Haruhi, or at least this iteration of Haruhi, so infamous is the inclusion of the ‘Endless Eight’ arc. For those who don’t know, Endless Eight is an arc where Kyon and friends find themselves stuck in a time loop. This time loop, like most other things that happen in this series, is caused by Haruhi unconsciously. She can stop it at any time, but since she’s unaware of a time loop happening in the first place, she doesn’t. The only reason why Kyon and the rest of the SOS Brigade know about the time loop existing is because of how it interferes with other characters' abilities.

What makes the Endless Eight arc interesting is that it isn’t just eight of the ‘same episode’, as some would want to imply. Yes, each episode goes roughly the same plot-wise, but to say they’re ‘the same’ is being dishonest. None of the episodes reuse animation from the other, making each one of them different, even if they’re the ‘same’.

It goes without saying that Endless Eight is not made to be binged. It was only bearable because I watched only around two episodes a day. Even though the episodes are animated differently, they follow the same pattern. They do gel into one episode after a while. The fact that Nagato has the memory of all of the past time loops is crazy, but not tragic when you consider that the two weeks that repeat are filled with fun activities. It’s not like Nagato is spending those two weeks at school learning the same thing or in solitary confinement. It does get a bit dull–a point which is driven by the fact that we have to sit through this eight times. We get to feel what she felt, because watching the same episode eight times might as well be the same thing as going through the same two-week period fifteen thousand times. For all intents and purposes, Nagato doesn’t seem to mind. You have to keep in mind that this is the same girl that idled in her apartment until it was time to go to school and meet Haruhi. 600 years is nothing compared to having the entire knowledge of the universe, something that would make a mere mortal like you or I freak out and kill ourselves. I don’t think she really cares either way. If she did, she would do something about it.

Endless Eight is the defining Haruhi arc, if not for all the right reasons. It is true that it does start to get old to watch after the fifth or sixth episode. It’s at this point where the episodes start to feel the same, even if they’re technically different due to having new animation and lines. For it to be enjoyable to watch would be defeating the point, but really anything past the third episode until the last episode due to these episodes having no new plot developments past a certain point. I enjoy weird stunts like these, but I can perfectly understand why someone would consider this pointless, if not pretentious. I was very glad to be at the end of the Endless Eight arc, but at the same time, that was the point it was driving home. It's things like this that set Haruhi apart from other anime series. The light novel version of ‘Endless Eight’ is only a short story. It only covers the last instance of the two-week loop. In a way, the story is better that way, since it’s way easier to consume. Not as much when it’s the ninth time you’ve seen it in the last week, but I digress. The difference between animation and light novels though is that it’s easier to justify having eight of the same episode, rather than eight of the same chapters. Both would be controversial, but reading the same thing eight times would actually be torture. KyoAni saw a shot to go crazy with it and took it. Would I have taken it? Probably not, but I respect their decision to. It’s the only time (I know of) an anime doing something like this. That alone makes it interesting. It also makes you miss the other parts of the show–my favorite songs from the OST were missing from Endless Eight, making the arc all the more boring. One could say that was the point, but I heavily doubt that was intended.

The reason why I talked so much about Endless Eight is that, as I said in the paragraph above, it’s the defining Haruhi arc. It’s such a long arc that it’s impossible to ignore. Realistically, you could only watch the last episode if you want to keep it similar to the light novel, but let’s be honest: not many people have read the Haruhi light novel, so how would they know that? The only reason it worked is because of how the 2009 edition of Haruhi was adapted; with them being the second through the ninth new episode, but episodes twelve through nineteen in the chronological/airing order. You could skip episodes three through seven of Endless Eight if you wanted. It’s your call.

Outside of Endless Eight, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is slice-of-life at its best. There is a multitude of reasons that make this so: The fact that Haruhi herself isn’t presented as anything other than what she is, an extremely baffling and uncontrollable girl, is satisfying. One thing that always slightly grinds my gears about slice-of-life anime is the insistence on having the ‘most beautiful girl’ in the cast–while Asahina was selected for that role by Haruhi, her skittish behavior makes you feel more sorry for her than anything else. Haruhi also hogs so much of the screen time that it makes whatever effect she wanted Asahina to have rendered moot. This alone makes Haruhi more interesting than your standard slice-of-life, which often takes the easy route out with which tropes it assigns its characters. 

The storylines in Haruhi are often banal from the surface. From going on vacation to a villa on a private island to filming a movie for a school festival, Haruhi herself is the one that livens these arcs with her latent ability to ‘create data’. This manifests in ways such as nasty weather suddenly popping up to less subtle ways such as a cat speaking in Japanese minutes after Haruhi states her wish for it to. It’s unknown how she’s able to manipulate the world–the only known is that the rate of manipulation increases whenever she has mood swings. When she’s in a bad mood, ‘negative space’ forms. When she’s in a jubilant mood, she can get carried away with what she changes. The main job of the other three members of the SOS Brigade is to make sure that she doesn’t find out about her powers, which is where most of the comedy comes from.

Due to all three other SOS Brigade members having different powers, they all belong to different factions. They only get along because all three of them share a mutual interest in keeping Haruhi happy. To Asahina, that means being Haruhi’s plaything. To Koizumi, that means going along with Haruhi no matter what. To Nagato, that means protecting Kyon whenever someone tries to kill him. Kyon is the one person to experience all the different types of supernatural phenomena that Haruhi has spawned into the world. His annoyance at being chosen by Haruhi never gets old.

The Haruhi series avoids issues many other shows with time travel as a concept by never taking itself seriously. The fact that there’s more than one way to time travel is a perfect example. If the Haruhi world sounds like it was hastily made up in someone’s head, it’s because it was! Her supernatural creations contradict each other, a product of one girl’s imagination running wild.

Above all else, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is fun to watch because Haruhi’s goal every day is to have fun. It’s why a dull trip to a remote island can be interesting. Or how watching a really crappy homemade movie can be fun to watch, knowing that you watched five episodes of the SOS Brigade making said movie. Endless Eight is just a part of it–a part that can be shortened if you’d like. If you wanted to be a weird ‘light-novel purist’ (something that I don’t think exists), you could watch only the last episode. Or you could do what I did and watch them all because it isn’t all that bad if you don't try to binge them in one night…okay maybe it does get a little bit old by episode six. But isn’t that the point? We already had this discussion, but I’d like to add that it’s disappointing that Endless Eight’s inclusion sunk its rating. I mean, it has a lower rating than the 2006 Haruhi adaptation, which is definitely an inferior product. What makes this adaption of Haruhi so good is how it fills in the gaps that the 2006 edition had. And it does it without ret-conning anything and having episodes from 2006 flow with episodes from 2009 without it feeling janky. It speaks to KyoAni’s animation skills. Haruhi is one of the most lively slice-of-life anime out there. And it isn’t an accident knowing how on point KyoAni was at the time. If you’re going to watch The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, then don’t bother with the 2006 edition. The 2009 edition has much more to offer. Endless Eight does take away from the enjoyment, but there’s nothing stating that you have to watch every episode. I’ll look down upon you, but you can still do it. Haruhi would be required viewing if you had an Anime 101 class. KyoAni did everything well, even the parts that made the show suck on purpose. Funnily enough, finally doing all of Endless Eight gave me a greater appreciation for Haruhi. I enjoyed it way more than the first time I watched it, when I only watched the first and last episodes of Endless Eight. Needless to say, it’s a must-watch. Its sequel, The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, is also a must-watch.

90/100

[dr-lizortecho]

I'm a delena lover too and wanted to know any delena UOs you have? A few of mine if you promise not to make fun of me - 1. I honestly don't think delena is nearly as "toxic" as it's made out to be? I mean, context matters, and this is a show about screwed up monstrous vampires, so no ship is going to be the epitome of 'healthy' lol. But I actually find delena a lot more honest and real than stelena was and a lot less toxic than klaroline. They communicate and adapt much more than antis give them credit for and are genuinely loving and supportive. I'm dying on that unpopular hill :) 2. I actually think s5 is my favorite delena season? It leaned in to the "but they're not healthy!" stuff too much, but it also showed them at their best, most loyal and passionate and adoring, without the icky shadow of the 'sire bond' crap that ruined s4 for me. And Elena is so...free that season? I don't know, I just love it. S6 has great domestic moments but yet another unpopular opinion is that something about the 'falling in love all over again with no memories' storyline felt really inauthentic and rushed to me. I like it in theory, just not the execution. 3. Delena is NOT just about physical attraction. At all. Like I truly believe that even if they could never have sex again they'd be very happy together. They connect on a much deeper level imo, seeing each other for who they truly are. 4. I do not in any way buy Elena as a doctor or even a science person---in my mind she became a teacher or a counselor :) 5. Elena is thought to be similar to Stefan but imo in actuality she's more like Damon imo---super passionate, follows her heart and instincts to a degree that some see as selfish, reacts in the moment rather than focusing on the past or future etc. 6. I actually think Damon has a better, softer heart than Stefan. He's crazy and impulsive and self-destructive and a whole bunch of other things, but he's also a lot softer and more willing to acknowledge his flaws and try to change than Stefan is. Again, these are all just my very UOs! Can't wait to read yours too!!

Hi anon! I adore them- like there’s three ships that I really feel encapsulate romantic love for me, that taught me what it is and how it works, and Delena was the second of those ships so it means a lot to me personally

So I am so far removed from fandom I barely know what counts as popular opinions and unpopular opinions, but feel free to ask me specific questions at any time! Though my two fav characters are Tyler and Bonnie if that counts <3 I’ll start by kinda saying my thoughts on the things you mentioned as your unpopular opinions- which I fully understand even when we slightly disagree! Below the cut so it’s easier for my non-tvd followers

On Delena being called toxic- I talked about it in part before (but alas I can’t find the post) and contrary to popular belief I think they’re not toxic (granted after they get together) outside of the regular amount you should expect in all teen dramas regardless of supernatural elements or not. Unlike a lot of the other relationships they have a lot of communication and consent involved from the start, because they have to with the precarious Stefan ties and the sire bond. On top of that they both acknowledge the parts of their relationship that aren’t the best and actively work towards making them better, however, with the flaws and missteps afforded for drama ✨

I can’t be impartial about s5- definitely not enough to be able to decide about Delena in it. I wasn’t a fan of that brand of angst tbh (sorry anon I do get the appeal) and the racism throughout just hurt my heart too much- but they definitely had some top tier sexy moments. Personally, I loved season six because of the approach of them sharing a best friend and all the little moments and musical beats. Like- watching Damon want to live became something so important to me and really felt like the conclusion for his character arc.

As for the sexual aspect- I do think it plays a part (as with every relationship that involves sex) but it definitely isn’t the peak of it or the draw, it’s a perk. Because if it was the sex they’d have been done with each other after that long hot summer. But there is a tendency in fandom to try and remove all romance and depth to relationships they don’t like- because if it’s shallow they can be rude and dismissive to shippers.

In regards to Elena- I don’t think she’s too similar to either Salvatore, I think she shares common traits with both. But at the end of the day it wa she’d similarities to Stefan that drew them together and her differences to Damon that drew them together. Which is why Stefan was a relationship that let her heal and come back to herself and Damon was the relationship that pushed her out of her comfort zone and helped her grow.

As for Stefan and Damon I don’t think there’s anything to be gained from claiming any one character is “softer” or more “moral” than another. It’s all about action and reaction and growth. However, I think you might be catching onto the sensitivity of their triggers, which Damon’s trauma responses are way more easily triggered throughout the series because unlike Stefan he hasn’t sat with them and worked through near as much of his traumatic experiences. Which is why his healing process through Elena learning of and reminding him to be kind to himself you watch him heal and grow. Which isn’t to be confused with him being “defanged” for a romance- because it was happening regardless of if he and Elena stayed friends or not.

[mike-haters-dni]

‘SENT TO THE GULAG’ IS KILLING ME

okay yes hop has probably atoned for his sins by now and his monologue at rock bottom was really good but it still pisses me off sometimes idkk. im just waiting for the payoff of seeing him actually DO better this time😭

and exactly! the angst in s2 is like- messy- but that’s good television! it gave us a top 5 millie preformance how can i even be mad

men in stranger things are weird sometimes cuz you have to overlook their CRIMES, (i’ll be like “omg jancy!” then i REMEMBER…) it’s weird when a character is randomly at their worst for a scene or a season just to meet the story’s requirements

jopper can scream at each other all sam and diane for nostalgia in s3 but when you look at it in a larger context it’s kinda dicey. like how weird of hop to doubt her when he already knows to trust her instincts.

and also it’s just like- nobody drags him enough for me! he’s so loved- male characters can do ANYTHING kinda- so i have to get him. out of principle. and i see that hopper (and like david harbour) is too important to kill off in the show and that him and el’s relationship isn’t all lows, not even in s2. i think i’m just bitter that 1. st tiktok treats el like she was SO unreasonable in that scene>:( (i need to stop going there it makes me want to rant on tumblr) and 2. how much time was devoted to bringing him back last season like my cali boys were so neglected. :( (after 2 failed prison escape attempts i was like (why i am still looking at this insanely bruised man) so-

but yeah i need to stop typing now cause i have a million thoughts in my head about hopper and the way that he is. and the way the show treats him. (how funny is it that even the viewers can have a complicated relationship with him. maybe i’m not giving the writers enough credit in that regard)

: )

-No like, I agree 100%. We forgive but we never forget

-I have a hard time even being really mad at Jonathan for the Incident cuz like, that was such a weird ooc moment that was clearly just so the plot would happen. Like he got possessed by the spirit of the writers to do that shit. And like I can't even be mad at the writers either because like, the plot they were servicing is really fucking good? I might be the only person in the world who thinks this but I think this show is phenomenally written esp from a plot structure perspective. Near perfectly even. Like this show single-handedly instilled a sense of how to do super satisfying setup and payoff, and how to have every scene push multiple things forward, and how everything seen on screen needs to be relevant to as much as possible. Its so tightly written that its like...yeah Jonathan had to do that shit. It allowed like 3 perfectly intersecting plotlines to play out. There was no other option. And like there probably was and maybe I'm coping or whatever but like...idk it's perfect to me :) But still we forgive but we never forget. And we only forgive after they display a marked change in behavior. And we still never forget <3 (side note: remember when El dumped him and Mike ((and Lucas)) went full andrew tate for a second? That's the one thing he's ((they've)) actually ever done wrong lmaooo ((tbf they were also 13 so like)))

-Who tf is saying she was being unreasonable??? child???? traumatized??? isolated in a tiny cabin for a year?????? With Hopper?????? A cop????????? HellO?????????? Bro ppl HATE her bro this needs to stop

-I think the biggest problem with the Russia plotline is just that it's not fun? Watching Hopper get tortured in a labor camp is not fun? I came here for 80s vibes, friendship and supernatural shit and it only delivers that whenever Joyce and Murray are onscreen (who are really fantastic together tho) and once the monster finally shows up way too late into the proceedings. There should have been inklings of monster throughout to add some intrigue and let us know that this was all going to have a point that tied into the plot of Stranger Things the 80s Monster Show. But alas.

[monards]

hi snuggle muffin

so you said Alicia is mysterious right now but like..how?? i played the game and this bitch is just kinda open. like,, dead gf, mean, somehow has gray hair. everything kinda checks out so like maybe explain a little more???? also,, what is she to bureaucracy?? bc she seems to not like him very much. oh and, what happened with beargrass and his family? since they were like. rude gazillionares or whatever

hiiii electtra; ilysm fooor this ask because i love the chance to be a little annoyying about my favorite mean women (even though you just made me go through hell with your other one.)

youre absolutely right about her being open, but the thing is that it feels more like the false-openness. Like, realistically,, the player really only knows most this stuff from context clues!! Techincally, she never techincally admitted to having a dead gf, but beaford literally just made a wlw and dried lilys joke and alicia freezed up like a fish out of water. So. You sorta realize.

Also, we really only know tidbits of her motives and stuff, but thats it. theyre only small bits. She has a board in the office about a hotel incident from three years ago; is it just a random story? Is it something she was apart of? Did dried lily girl die in it? What about it ??? ALICIIA PLEASE!!!!!! Plus, her motives to bringing Beaford back on the surface ARE what she says it is. Repay for making Alicia go through that shit because he got possessed by some demon. But also; he's probably one of the first examples of the supernatural ACTUALLY being the supernatural in her experince. And what do we know she is?? Skepticle of the super natural. So seeing a whole ass demon possess this really pathetic college drop out is defiently something Alicia finds horribly important considering shes searching for some proof to the super natural. Because really guys.. do you think Alicia Wilkershire went to her highschool guidance counselor sayng she wanted to be an ordained minister and excorist? Yeah, no. That is NOT how it works!!!!!

Alsoooo, i think her and beaford have both a really complicated and a really simple relationship simultaneously. Because on one hand; they are what they are on the surface. Beaford works for Alicia to pay back for the shit he pulled with that demon possession thing. On the other hand; there's WAY more than that.

Alicia is not a very warm and kind person, by like, any means. She's over six feet tall, spicaze herself described her as mean, and she literally repeteadly kicks at beaford WHILE HES DOWN even after the demon stopped possessing him actively. But shes seen being at least a lot kinder with beaford. She watched that one anime with him not even a month into knowing him (even if she bemoans it, actively) and even went far enough to find a reedeeming quality in it (I.E the fashion) !!!!! She lets him poke fun at him (even though, to be fair, she absolutely decks him everytime he does.) And to be frank; this is not stuff that Alicia do with just any person. We can tell shes awkward with most clients; but even when first meeting beaford, she was way more casual and comofortably speaking then she does with Naomi (who she has to lean back on Beaford to talk to !!!!)

Obviously this doesnt take away fromt he fact Alicia IS still a bit (very) mean to beaford. But it's just. Way different from how she treats others. Which is why I'm very convinced its because Beaford reminds her of dried lily girl; especially consdering the aspect of how they have VERY similar speech traits and personailities in regards to Alicia (Poking fun at her, seeing her differently than others do, etc..) especially consdering the conversation we see in the knife ending where Alicia is (presumably) speaking to dried lily in the after life.

Also. I'm pretty sure its canon that Beaford just up and left without saying anything. His family is obviously very rigid in the fact that theyre all doctors and expect the same from Beaford. Plus considering his shock at seeing the photo of him and sister still in his sisters room-- I can really only presume his home life wasn't really the best. So him just up and leaving isnt too shocking/unwarranted

Anyways I really lvoe these two and i'll probably make a post later about them. Thank you Electra. Your sins have been forgiven.

[broomsick]

Hi! I was wondering what your thoughts are on this situation. I started out the pagan path and after many years became a devotee of the god I worshiped more closely (Loki). However, ever since I introduced honoring Freyja and becoming a devotee of her into my daily life, Loki has been… completely silent and MIA (whenever I try to work with him for spells, give offerings, or communicate with him via divination). I keep having nightmares of hundreds of spiders trying to eat me alive. And I keep having trouble lighting Loki’s candle. It never stays lit. I swapped it out with three different candles and tried extensively to light it and keep it lit but it doesn’t stay lit. I’m worried that Loki doesn’t care to work with me or connect with me anymore since I connected with Freyja, but I don’t understand why??? I’m reluctant to give up on Loki but it’s been 5 months of silence and nightmares. I’m feeling defeated! Please let me know what your thoughts are on this! -Velvet

Hi there, Velvet! Well, that’s a complicated matter and though I can provide my own personal opinions, the interpretation of this situation is ultimately yours to make. Now, I just want to start off by making something clear: the spider associations with Loki were always somewhat wobbly to me. It’s sort of an SPG but I do find a few flaws to it (for example, people will see a spider in their house and immediatly label it as a sign from Loki, while disregarding the fact that at some periods of the year, spiders seek refuge within households and thus appear a lot more often). For this reason, I wouldn’t spontaneously believe your nightmares necessarily come from Loki. Spiders in dreams can mean many things, and as I see it, your nightmares seem to be the subconscious manifestation of some kind of fear. Maybe even the fear of losing Loki! If your mind instictively associates Loki with spiders, then that wouldn’t be surprising. Dreams where you’re being attacked that way can also betray feelings of vulnerability, or feelings of being trapped somehow. Loads of interpretations are possible. Now, the candles not burning could very well be an issue with the environment where you are burning them (humidity for example), but that is just a theory. It’s often best to explore natural explanations before supernatural ones. Plus, I haven’t heard of any recent case when a God was  angry at their devotee... I actually believe that they are generally lenient when it comes to their followers! In my experience at least, they are a lot more forgiving than some fearmongering pagan authorities would like to pretend. As for Loki’s “radio silence”, I don’t think he’s necessarily ignoring you! Maybe he’s still watching over you and you just don’t know it. Maybe he is guiding your way without you noticing. Perhaps he’s just giving Freyja some space to guide you herself, because he estimates that her touch in your life is what you need most at the moment! Still, even if you don’t hear his responses, there is no reason for you to stop honoring or believing in him if that is what you desire. An important part of being pagan is learning how to adapt to change. The Gods’ ways are their own, and I know how frustrating it can be to try and lift the fog on their intentions, but they always have their reasons. Certain deities will pop into our lives at times when we need them most. There’s really nothing we can do to change that, but there’s also no guilt to be felt on your part. Especially not for worshipping Freyja. The norse Gods are part of a very large pantheon and in their cultural context, they are generally acknowledged as a pantheon. That means you are free to honor one or multiple Gods, and there shouldn’t be any problem with that. My advice to you would be to keep worshipping Freyja as you wish, especially if it fulfills your spiritual needs and makes you feel happy. There is absolutely no reason for you to feel bad about that. In the same manner, you can keep honoring Loki as you did before. You can try to reach him through prayer, through offerings and gifts, or through words of praise to show your thankfulness. Talking to him about your life (problems, daily life, etc...) and giving gifts to him without expecting anything in return will still feel extremely gratifying, I promise. It won’t be the exact same, of course, so choosing to keep doing these things is all your choice. (If he truly is angry for whatever reason, he will see that you haven’t forgotten him and that you still love and admire him. Your spirituality is yours and I believe he knows that.) Finally, I’m really sorry to hear about your nightmares. Witchcraft-wise, drinking chamomile, lavender, jasmine, ginger or another low-theine tea before bed can help, as well as putting amethyst near your bed, or thyme under your pillow. Other, more drastic solutions exist, and if the nightmares persist, I suggest contacting a health professional who will be a lot more indicated than me to provide help in this matter. I really do hope this answered your questions, and I hope you will be able to find peace within this situation one way or another. Again, thank you so much for coming to me with your worries.

[rickie-the-storyteller]

For the random questions ask: What’s one trope you wouldn’t write, except for money? - 🍀 (@enchanted-lightning-aes)

This is a very interesting question… I’ve been asked what tropes I DO like to use a lot. I’ve never really had to think about things I DON’T like to use (unless paid lol).

I think since I’ve started watching The Vampire Diaries again, it has made me realise that I really, truly dislike the whole "Magical Minority" trope. The Magical Minority trope refers to a common narrative device where individuals from marginalised or minority groups possess mystical or magical powers that set them apart from the majority. While the intent behind this trope can vary, it has been criticised for perpetuating stereotypes and promoting the idea that marginalised individuals are only valuable or interesting when they possess supernatural abilities.

I especially hate the “Magical Negro” trope (like a witch/magical character that happens to be black. And they are usually a side/supporting character to main character that tends to be white, and you can tell they exist solely to assist the protagonist on their journey with their skills and nothing more lol) that my girl Bonnie Bennet happens to fit into. Look, I love Bonnie - she’s probably my favourite character in the whole thing (I have yet to see the whole show, though. So my opinion could change). And I am aware of the fact that The Vampire Diaries tv show changed a lot of things from its source material (like, Elena wasn’t originally a brunette, for example. She’s was blonde in the books. I haven’t read the books myself, but there’s a chance that Bonnie wasn’t a black girl there either, and that was another thing that was changed for the series). But I don’t know… as a young back woman, that trope has never completely sat right with me… especially since it happens much more than you would think. I’ve noticed it a lot.

I think the main issue I have with this trope is that while it may not always do this intentionally, it can inadvertently reinforce harmful stereotypes by reducing marginalised characters to their magical abilities, overshadowing their other qualities and experiences. However, it's worth noting that the context, execution, and portrayal of such tropes can greatly affect how they are received. So who knows… maybe it can be done well. What I’d perhaps do to improve it is make that character have actual importance beyond the level of “they’re magical, so they’re a big help to the main character.” Maybe I could even make them the main character themselves… by making them the focus, it shows that their story actually matters, and is worth being told.

Hope this answers your question, @enchanted-lightning-aes! Thank you for the ask, this was fun!

[postmodernmulticoloredcloak]

Before starting season 2 of The Boys I wanted to see if I have some thoughts to sort out about season 1. I’m probably gonna sound a little too much “person who’s only watched Supernatural watching a different show: I’m getting Supernatural vibes from this”, but I think that in this specific case I’m justified in doing this kind of comparisons, also considering that literal professional publications have been doing the same. So.

I liked how well-planned and relatively enclosed the season feels. It has a starkly circular structure, starting with a woman’s fridging and ending with a woman’s unfridging; the Deep and A-Train, who commit the “original sins” at the beginning of the series, go though a contrappasso of sorts, suffering exactly what they inflicted to someone else; Homelander, repeatedly placed in opposition to people’s children (hating Stillwell’s baby for stealing her time, killing the senator and his son on that plane, letting the girl and her mother die in the other plane) eventually finds his own. (It’s funny, thoughout the season I was blindsided by the planes and expected the climax of Homelander’s arc in the season to be about one more plane, instead it was about the children. I should have expected that! That’s how you know a narrative is good. I’m spoiled enough about future developments now to know that the theme of parenthood is strong with this one. I appreciate it.)

So many parallels throughout the season, I couldn’t list them all if I spent the entire night looking for them. It stood out for me in the finale the parallel between Kimiko taking care of her appearance in front of the mirror, reclaiming her humanity they tried to strip her of by attempting to turn her into a monster*, and the Deep shaving also in front of a mirror, as he struggles with his identity and role in the world. Mirrors in mirrors. But this is just one of many, every arc and plot point mirrors at least another.

*It’s not as shoved in your face like in Supernatural, but a major theme of the narrative is what makes a human and what makes a monster, and how you can build your identity in the space between the two.

Identity, who you are, who (what) you want to be - not a coincidence names are so important in The Boys, with so many characters who go with nicknames/pseudonyms, and dance between the two depending on context, or others play with their name. The Deep is called by his real name only by his therapist, Homelander - who even mentions forgetting he even has an actual name at times... - only by Vogelbaum... The scene where Hughie speaks his dead girlfriend’s name Robin and A-Train retorts that his dead girlfriend also had a name, Charlotte - the first time we hear it - is so poignant and powerful.

It’s intriguing to me how Dean Winchester somehow tweaked his way in this show, too. I don’t know if this was intentional - The Boys definitely seems to be a show where things are intentional and planned thoroughly in advance, but who knows - but the vibe I got from the show is that it started out as a Supernatural AU of sorts where Hughie was clearly supposed to be Sam and Butcher was supposed to be Dean, but Dean looked at it and said “nope, that’s my father, I’m that one” and pointed his finger in Frenchie’s direction.

I mean, I’m kidding, Butcher is a sort of amalgamation of a certain side/concept of Dean (more like the aesthetic/vibe Kripke started the character on) and John (the wife “killed” by Yellow Red Eyes, her affair with Homelander the equivalent of Mary’s deal with Azazel, the baby being somewhat responsible for the mother’s death/disappearance due to his involvement in the supernatural stuff... it’s quite direct.) But Frenchie is the Dean who finds Cas, as Kimiko and Cas have a ridiculous lot in common, and so have the two relationships.

It’s interesting how the season operates a speedrun unfridging of Mary (of course since in the universe of The Boys normal people cannot come back from the dead, she turns out never to have died in the first place, but for her husband and the audience she counted as dead, so). Of course there’s plenty of foreshadowing that she was actually alive, although I was also blindsided by the fake flashback and felt very surprised, because I was assuming that Becca would turn out alive, so I believed I was wrong and then it turned out I was right.

The difference is that this Mary comes back to life when John is still alive, still pursuing his destructive path of revenge. Butcher being both John and Dean, I presume as I approach the season season, will allow the character to deconstruct the mental image of Mary-Becca he had in his head (a flawed woman, not a pure martyr) but also question his own choices, something Supernatural’s John didn’t get to do.

Homelander, of course, is a mixture of Azazel and Lucifer (then of course, in Supernatural Azazel and Lucifer, Mary and Kelly, Sam and Jack etc are all mirrors for each other) but I’d also say that... he’s evil Castiel. Then again, Lucifer and Castiel are absolutely mirrors for each other, too, so it tracks. Homelander repeatedly goes against Vought, frustrating Stillwell as he pursues his own methods. And of course his conflict with Stillwell comes to the dramatic climax in the finale. Vought his heaven, obviously, and he does not quite obey to the orders. He does what he does for Vought, but also... in his own way and with his own perspectives, rejecting the strictly business approach of the corporation. It’s not the profit of the shareholders he cares about, I’m sure. Or maybe calling him the evil Castiel seems more fitting since calling him Lucifer sounds like an insult Homelander and his actor don’t deserve XD

This is getting a little too long, so I’ll wrap this up for now. I’m here if anyone wants to talk about the show, just don’t spoil me for seasons 2 and 3!

[rogueloke]

Story time. Saw a "fascinating" discussion by some cockles tinhats earlier, apparently brought on by another idiot of the "former J2/now Jared stan" variety on Twitter, who was making fun of them for the whole "cockles vatican wedding" thing.

The basic gist of it being that someone(s) pointed out to them that the actual story of what happened during Jensen and Misha's Vatican tour is actually very well known, thanks to an interview Cliff gave a while ago. Out of curiosity, I hunted the Cliff interview down and also watched/read what Jensen himself has said on this subject (only ever mentioned it 2 times, to my knowledge).

Conclusion: Jensen, Misha and Cliff went on a private guided tour of the Vatican (led by an American priest), arranged by Danneel via a nun friend of her's. The tour included various sights normal tourists never get to see. The priest asked them if they wanted to partake in communion (possibly as part of some kind of little blessing ceremony) under a mosaic of Michael and Lucifer, because he knew Supernatural and thought it was fitting.

Cliff and Misha declined (due to them being not religious, it sounded like), but Jensen agreed and also got to follow the priest around and helped the priest dress apparently. Then Jensen partook in communion (note: ONLY Jensen, it was pretty clear from Cliff's story that only Jensen went along with the ceremonial/religious shebang, while he and Misha presumably just watched).

Then they moved on with the tour and even got to see St. Peter's grave. Apparently getting to see all these historically significant places normal mortals never get to see was absolutely "amazing" and "magical", according to Cliff. Also according to Jensen, who used the same words.

(Source: Jensen's and Cliff's own words.)

That's it, a nice adventure for all 3 of them that few people ever get to experience. Really cool.

But not in the mind of cockles truthers! Oh no, the actual version of events described above is apparently cause for DRAMA if presented to them. Because in their minds they have convinced themselves that this Vatican thing was a "special, very important Jenmish moment", that Jensen called it "magical" because the ceremony/communion under the mosaic was a romantic, significant moment with Misha. (Over the years, I've even seen some claim they had a "commitment ceremony" or got married. Seriously. In the Vatican. The heart of Catholicism. Uhuh. Sure, Jan.)

Cliff being there as well, and especially Misha (and Cliff) just standing around and watching while Jensen did his thing with the priest ruins the fantasies they've convinced themselves are the truth. They can't handle that, so they're throwing around the most idiotic arguments you'll ever see:

"Evil Cliff is lying! He's a homophobe and changed the story to make it less gay!" You don't have to like Cliff, I don't like him either, but if you actually watch his interview and consider the context he talked about this, it's very obvious he's not lying. Also, Jensen himself said the same things Cliff said during a con panel.

"The Vatican tour and the ceremony under the mosaic are two different events!" (No, they aren't. The ceremony/communion under the mosaic was a small part of the whole tour. Very clear from both Jensen's and Cliff's words.)

"But in this one sentence from a tiny magazine interview snippet, Jensen says to Misha "You and I went to the Vatican!", so it was only him and Misha!" Yes, he says that because he is talking directly TO Misha during that interview, you pea brain! Doesn't mean no one else was there.

"Im choosing to believe Jensen over mean lying Cliff!" No, you're not. You're clinging onto a tiny little magazine snippet, while totally ignoring Jensen's other, more detailed, statements about the subject. In which JENSEN HIMSELF said that a group of them went on a tour of the Vatican and he mentioned the exact same details (Danneel's nun friend etc.) that Cliff mentioned during his interview.

It's hard to believe this level of delusion (or denial) and the sheer stupidity of it all (not to mention the lack of reading comprehension).

At this point, I can't even begin to determine who the bigger morons are, the J2 tinhats and all their easily disproven, non-existent "evidence" and "slip ups" or the cockles tinhats and their delusional fantasies they've made up in their own heads and now treat as fact, even when presented with undeniable proof to the contrary (though I guess I shouldn't be shocked by the latter, since not even Misha coming out as straight made them pause for a sec, now they all just think Misha was forced to/chose to go back into the closet ~for reasons~). Tough call.

[thescrapbookingscientist]

Bimonthly Media Roundup

-Frieren (Anime) - Finished up Frieren quicker then I thought I would, mostly because I had been previously watching at a more leisurely pace in line with its themes of taking your time - but then I hit the magic exam arc and binged the remaining show in a couple days. What can I say, as much as I respected the slower pace and steady character moments of the first half, exam type narratives that require the protagonists to complete unusual tasks and solve riddles while competing against various unknown and interesting new characters are always fan favorites for a reason - It's interesting to see how different types of people try to solve the same problem. This apparently might be the most we get from Frieren for awhile anime wise, so my conclusive thoughts for now are thus: Frieren and Fern are very well written and compelling characters individually and seeing their bond grow over the different stages of Ferns life is pretty unique and cute. Fern and Starks growing romance is also quite cute and remarkably believable. The themes of enjoying your time and community are ones I agree with. The animation and music were top notch and while the pacing can take getting used to I think anyone not averse to fantasy anime can find something to enjoy here. Good stuff!

-Tango & Cash (Movie) - Two-parter with the next movie in a Kurt Russell themed St Pattys day party. I don't think it was a very good movie as the plot was generic, the ending felt unfinished, and while I liked a couple of lines the dialogue was mostly corny one liners, but I did like the actors performances as all three of the leads were pretty charming and seemed to be having a good time. You do get to see Kurt Russell in drag which I can't say about any other film. I don't really recommend watching this unless your a big Kurt Russell/Sylvester Stallone fan but I don't regret watching it either.

-Big Trouble in Little China (Movie) - 2nd movie for the Kurt Russell line up, this one I actually quite like. Its self aware, it's stupid, it's goofy, it features random supernatural elements that are never adequately explained that add to the "wha???" factor of the film, it mixes intentionally awful effects with pretty nice sets, it's great. The best part is of course putting it on at a party for people who haven't seen it so you can see them react to the increasingly insane elements of the film. I wouldn't put it on the same level as EEAAO or anything where the insane elements grow into a profound and memorable narrative, but BTiLC isn't really trying for that and works as a silly parody of kung fu movies. You should watch it at least once, preferably with no context.

- Pokemon (Video Game) - This is mostly because I've been seeing a resurgence of Submas content on my dash lately. While I can't say I really understand why they were the big takeaway from Arceus given how many neat characters that game introduced, I can't say I dislike them. I've grown fond of doomed sibling dynamics lately and the "Dark intimidating twin is secretly very nice vs the light friendly looking twin is secretly mean" dynamic is fun. Plus Ingo's presence in Hisui is still hilarious to me, Pokemon God threw 1/2 the set of a random American Subway worker into ancient Japan and then never fixed or acknowledged the situation again. Incredible. Anyway I've seen some good art.

- Mage and Demon Queen (Webcomic) - Finished up this fantastic Dragon/Human yuri webcomic, and gotta say I'm quite impressed with it. It subverted a lot of my expectations for these types of stories: having the characters reflect on how their actions affect others and work to be better, featuring likable characters of both genders, letting the protagonist and love interest have important and meaningful relationships outside of eachother whose development we get to actually see, having an actually interesting plot with twists and turns, and featuring a likable transwoman lesbian character who's not demonized or fetishisized by the narrative but allowed to exist outside of a typical trans narrative. Obviously I adore both Malori and Vel both character and design wise and find their relationship adorable. I also love the demon generals and their fun monster designs and found family dynamic. The humor is very very good as well, one of the funnier webcomics I've read with how often the characters recognize and indulge in the absurdity of their situations or just goof around for levity's sake. Overall I have very little complaints, this has been one of my favorite f/f focused media I've consumed and I'd love it got an English physical print release or an anime adaptation. Also spoilers but perfect endings all around, I love when peace wins, monsters are empathized with, and we get a significant time skip to see how our hero's happy ever afters are going. 10/10 would read again.

- The Apothecary Diaries (Anime) - Been hearing great things about this for awhile and finally jumped into it, became instantly hooked. What if House MD was set in imperial china's complicated political court and starred an autistic little chinese girl who has a Haruhi-Tamaki dynamic with the most beautiful and fruity man in the palace. What if there was genuinely engaging mysteries that are solved with medical knowledge and not some random anime twink with mind reading powers. What if the animation was gorgeous and the women were well written. Really great start so far, excited for more.

- Yu-Gi-Oh (Anime) - This is mostly here as I've had the abridges series on in the background while I work, though I am considering actually reading or watching the real one. Or maybe I won't I don't know. I don't care very much about the card game elements but I do think the dynamic of "Cursed ancient Egyptian spirit posses a guys body to play messed up death games but it's fine because the guy is cool with it actually" is one of the funniest and most compelling character dynamics characters can have. I also just appreciate the incorporation of Egytian elements as I think its a very aesthetically neat location that isn't used alot, though I can't speak to the accuracy of the representation. The hair is also alot. Most anime hair you could possibly have.

- One Piece (Anime) - Mostly through Whole Cake, and while I wouldn't put it in my favorite arcs it's been good so far. The emotional stuff with Sanji's backstory and his relationship with Luffy is really good stuff, Big Mom's backstory was shockingly dark even after getting used to One Piece's messed up world, I like the complicated relationships amongst Big Moms children and Pudding and Katakuris designs are great for one. I also really like this location, Brook getting a chance to shine, the fact that Jinbei's back and everyones outfits. That being said the pacing is getting worse, I like most of what is happening I just wish it happened in a more concise manner.

- Genshin Impact (Video Game) - Been really enjoying the potion making event, I love meticulously placing the ingredients to get the most use out of the space, mixing and matching the pretty little potions, and guessing from the descriptions what types of potions people need. I'm sure it will go away after the event but I wish it would stick around, it's definitely my favorite non-story event I've been around for.

Listening To: Her Diamonds by Rob Thomas, Hey I Don’t Work Here by Tom Cardy, Crazy by Walk Off The Earth, How Did You Love by Shinedown, Dial Drunk by Noah Kahan, Feast or Famine from Starkid Productions, Ruthlessness from EPIC, Turn the Lights Off by Tally Hall, No One Else Is Singing My Song from Crazy Ex Girlfriend, The Moon Will Sing by The Crane Wives, You Didn't Know by Andrew Underberg

[crimsonlazuli]

I watched The Boy and The Heron

(First Review)

In 2013, the widely renowned Director, Hayao Miyazaki declares his retirement. While announcing multiple times over retiring over the years, this seem to be it. Until he released a 2018 short film, Boro the Caterpillar. Later he developed Earwig and the Witch in 2020. This year, 2023, The Boy and The Heron was yet again Miyazaki's return to form after ten years!

The moment the credits rolled, I immediately got up and left the theater (due to being under the weather). The takeaway I had while driving home and going to sleep was I watched a film that had no idea what it was trying to say. The movie begins with the MC, Mahito, moving to the countryside after losing his mother in a terrible fire. His father immediately remarries to who is his aunt who is expecting? They go to this home and discovers a heron, who summons him on a very big request. After his refusal to the call, his aunt/mother-in-law.

Mahito teams up with the heron to find his missing Aunt in the realm of what is sly afterlife? The movie's execution was similar to Mary and the Witches Flower. A film that tried to be so many things but it’s convoluted plot about a family relative actually being a witch, the plot being forced with antagonist that had no reason to be there, and an ending that felt so abrupt and rushed with little to no explanation that it felt like someone was reading a storybook and yada yada parts that seem to be important or had a reason to say, was passed aside. These two are the extremely pretentious.

The animation and the sound effects are wonderful, the casting is very good and ignores all the trappings of cliché anime character sounds. However, I would rather watch Miyazaki‘s older works or Disney's Encanto. The Boy and the Heron tried to have so much to say, but never gave itself time to thoroughly give context.

I am not a fan of Film or TV that focuses more and more than actually telling a story, you have to make sure your audience understands what the fuck is going on. literally there would be moments in the films where characters would talk and there is no audio at all. It is lost in translation.

Want to know what's a great Miyazaki movie is? Kiki‘s Delivery Service. It is about a witch who goes to the city, and has a journey of finding herself and stumbles along the way, but gains a community she can love, trust and re-learns how to soar again. Anther great movie is Nausica, the Valley of the Wind, because Miyazaki really enjoys his themes of man versus nature, and

In The Boy and The Heron, he discussed about vague war efforts of Japan in the 1940s, and the movie tried to say “hey boy, you need to be my successor and you have to also save your pregnant fully grown aunt who wanted to go to labor in this supernatural place with no explanation whatsoever and you being forced into something you didn’t want to do.” 

It’s premise says one thing, but barely discusses one another, nor has cohesion. The movie is titled The Boy and The Heron, The Heron is out barely there! The film should be renamed to "The Boy and His Cosmic Dysfunctiontional Family"

The movie is a mess, and could have been better if it was about anything else. 

[maroonghoul]

Ranking of all the Christmas Horror Movies I’ve seen (as of 2023)

Updated for some new movies I watched this year:

36.Alien Raiders

35.Anna & the Apocalypse

34.Better Watch Out

33.Good Tidings

32.The Wolf of Snow Hollow

31.Jack Frost

30.I Trapped the Devil And this is why you never do surprise visits. Either that or call ahead and touch base long beforehand. It was a bit interesting that the ambiguity of whether it was actually anything supernatural went out sooner then I expected. Then again, if the devil can't keep lying to you, messing with your head would be his plan B. Of course, that means this had to be 90% atmosphere. How much you want to bet he could've easily left the whole time; this was just more fun?

29.Slay Belles

28.P2 Actually a bit similar to Better Watch Out, and while that one looks better visually, I rank this one higher because I believed this villain felt a little more like a real person. Lately, villains that are both masterminds and immature man-children disinterest me, because I can't reconcile those two traits in my head these days. I have a easier time if it's one or the other. Plus, maybe the grungier surrounding felt more appropriate because a too whimsical approach to this "Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them" just rubs the wrong way.

That being said, yeah this location loses some of it's scare factor when it becomes monotonous and hard to navigate. I would've appreciate just a little more variety in the locations used I guess. The use of music is nice at least. Also appreciated how bloody the kills are.

27.The Advent Calendar While the gimmick itself seems to be the only link, I liked the idea of tying "Be careful what you wished for" horror stories to Christmas. Blame George Bailey.

That being said, there's an argument that the conceit of the main character is rather ableist. I can roll with it this time since her previous job and passion, dancing, heavily depended on having working legs, so it's easier to buy. For once, I'd like more disabled characters whose job and hobbies DON'T require it and so can visibly cope. It's getting frustrating.

I did love how open ended they left it. Sometimes, there being a choice at all is more important for a story then what the characters actually chose. Kinda don't want a sequel because of it.

26.Cronos To be honest, this would've actually ranked much higher if it used more iconography. Hell, it becomes New Years halfway through. I get why it's invoked though. It's interesting to go back to the start of Del Toro's career, with one of the most unique vampire movies I've ever seen.

In most body horror set ups like this, Gris would become the main threat, instead of remaining the victim pretty much throughout. I don't think he even kills anyone for their blood.

Vampires are at their most interesting, as a concept and as characters, when they're always in control of their choices, good and bad. Otherwise, why not pick zombies or werewolves?

It's pretty amazing that right out the gate, Del Toro took arguably the most popular monster type of all time, and likened it to a gentle grandparent. Great tone setter for his whole filmography, in hindsight.

25.All the Creatures were Stirring

24.Sint

23.The Lodge

22.Black Christmas (2019)

21.Body

20.Red Snow Yet another Vampire Christmas movie. This time, with a reality check that most of them would be arseholes. Not necessarily wild beasts. That would almost be an improvement.

The movie also keeps you guessing over what side Luke would fall to in the end. Given the way the actor plays it like even he doesn't seem to know is a good touch. And his feedback on the book's characters; snipes at the tropes or his own insecurity? You tell me.

Poor Olivia thought she was getting her own version of Twilight, and instead got Blade by way of Fargo. That sentence is utter nonsense without the context. I would say I want to see a show or movie like that, but I could probably get that fix by just catching up on What We Do in The Shadows. Not that this is anything like that though.

Remember, vampires aren't evil because they're not human at all. They're evil because they kept the worst parts of being human.

19.Pooka Went in thinking tis would be an update of Christmas Evil, but it's more like a Xmas-themed Angel Heart. An obvious commentary on how soul draining working heavily in consumerism can be, masking how bad and traumatized people can do mental gymnastics to avoid the hard truth about their mistakes. Literally, the worst possible Christmas I've seen that didn't have a typical killer. Of course, that twist ending reminds me of...

18.Dead End

17.Black Friday (2021) Also works as a Thanksgiving movie. Anyone's whose worked in a place that affected by Black Friday or Christmas shopping in general FEELS this movie in their bones. Even before the zombies show up. This is why I stay indoors or at work during these days. Sure, the titular day means less and less every year, but let's continue the trend.

16.Silent Night (2012)

15.It's a Wonderful Knife Remake a holiday classic, but make George Bailey a lesbian and Mr. Potter a low rent Trump (Oh god, is that saying a lot!) that gets so fed up that he goes on a killing spree dressed in what would happen if Ghostface bleached his entire costume? Sure, why not. Give the killer Santas a break. And you get to kill him twice.

Although, that third act superpower makes absolutely no sense. I get that it's meant to secure a few plot points together, but...just no. Seriously, where did it even come from? Also, even though how the love interest remembers it is making my head spin. Not how she remembers, but if she remembers both timelines. What problems would come if she only remembers one? And Joel McHale is way too good playing a prick then as a loving dad, I'm sorry. Community has ruined me for him.

Like the subtext of it all though. The messaging, I mean. Y'know given the fiasco going on lately behind the scenes with Scream VII, maybe I'll just pretend this is the real Scream VII. We'll see.

14.Wind Chill

13.Christmas Bloody Christmas

12.Santa's Slay

11.The Children

10.Rare Exports

9.A Christmas Horror Story

8.Day of the Beast Was this meant as a parody of every catholic horror movie released the past 30 years before it? It skewered them good! Pleas tell me the antichrist was fake in this and what we had was one of the insane yet friendliest rampages committed to film! It even has a Peter Vincent clone that keeps getting worse and worse things happening to him! I'd just preferred it was more visibly blasphemous.

7.Deadly Games

6.Silent Night (2021) Surprised? Maybe it's here because I over thought how the significance of the holiday tied in with the apocalypse in this movie. I'm sure if you went back far enough in history, hundreds or thousands of years ago, anytime winter rolled around seemed apocalyptic to people. Of course, mostly to the lower classes. And now with a hypothetical scenario that can feel as bad as those times must have felt, rather then actually tough it out or try to learn from, the government and the upper class jump to take the cowards way out. A little Poe, isn't it?

Cue one of the more depressing then maybe hopeful endings to one of these movies. (Depends to how you react to the very last shot and believe about the plot point concerning the homeless and immigrants)

5.Christmas Evil

4.Krampus

3.Scrooged

2.Black Christmas (1974)

1.Gremlins

[cowboylikedean]

Folklermore Spn Finale: august

In honor of it being August, I thought I’d revive this

I mean it should be obvious, what place this song has had in my journey, in my healing and my hurt.... 

‘Cause it was never mine

This show happened to come into my life at a time where life was all in front of me. I might be getting ahead of myself, but the context of the bridge is important before I start with the beginning. 

Back when we were still changing for the better And wanting was enough For me, it was enough To live for the hope of it all Cancel plans just in case you’d call And say meet me behind the mall So much for summer love and saying “us” ‘Cause you weren’t mine to lose

In early 2012, I had so much growing to do.. That year I grew up SO much. April 2012 was one of the greatest months of my life. It was so full of warmth, even in the cool nights of spring. I started watching Supernatural in January and I got caught up in February/March (I started watching live with The Born Again Identity but I watched Repo Man and Out With the Old the week they aired). Back then I had so many dreams and ideas of who I would be and how my life would go... I remember screaming at my mother’s husband that it was so unbelievably rude and uncalled for to tell a 20 year old that their dreams of being a TV writer were unrealistic because I had my whole life in front of me so he didn’t know! If I wanted to, I bet I could find the post I wrote about that fight in my personal tag. There was just so much magic in that time... 

In the time spn was my main fandom, I broke up with the only person I ever romantically dated, I made new friends that I actually spent time with for the first time since high school, I started defining my relationship with Sledge as life partners, I discovered I was not a lesbian and was bi/pan/queer, I realized you could label with more than one label, I decided that I was actually creative, I moved out of my parents’ houses, I discovered I was trans, I changed my career goals about a billion times, I dropped out of school, I went back to school, I finished my associates degree, I got into a 4 year school, I found a home environment that felt safe and healthy to be out in the public areas for the first time...

The only fandom to see me through more growth is the Taylor fandom. 

Everything about the Supernatural fandom was intoxicating to me back then. 

Salt air, and the rust on your door I never needed anything more

There’s something heavy and tactile about that first line and it informs the second and 100% that’s how it felt   The show was all I needed, the fandom was all I needed. It was heavy and tactile and it was all I’d ever needed.

Whispers of “Are you sure?” “Never have I ever before”

These lines are about a teenager having their sexual debut, but to me they’re all that growth I mentioned above. I literally never before did SO much stuff and I turned to the show for comfort in the lack of control of the newness. And it was. Comfort, I mean. It was comfort.

But I can see us lost in the memory August slipped away into a moment in time ‘Cause it was never mine

I started this with ‘Cause it was never mine bolded and large. That time slipped away into a moment in time and the show itself slipped away from me. I tried to hold onto it far after it had gone and it took me a lot to realize it was never mine. But I can go back, and I can not only see, but feel how real it felt, the love between me and this show. 

And I can see us twisted in bedsheets August slipped away like a bottle of wine ‘Cause you were never mine

Remember I said the show was intoxicating? It really did slip away like a bottle of wine. And the ecstasy of sex has that intoxication and also a sense of being blind to the rest of the world. Nothing outside the bed really matters, and that’s what it felt like. I’ve spoken in many places and occasions about how Supernatural was relatable beyond belief to every type of trauma with 0 healing.. And getting that wrapped up in validation, it was blinding. And also the fandom was such a club. I felt like I was with the cool kids.... But the show was never mine. 

Your back, beneath the sun Wishing I could write my name on it

This couplet is so innocent, so sweet.. Independently from the couplet that follows it, it’s such a fond memory and the imagery of the sun, you can feel the warmth. “Wishing I could write my name on it” is wanting to claim it as yours, Dean, the show, the fandom.... were Mine... Or so I wished. I wanted to CLAIM them. I wanted to PROTECT them. I wanted to have a say, some control over what happened, a stake. And the imagery of “Your back,” The warmth here, the wanting, the wishing, the needing... was not seen by the subject. I’ve struggled this whole time.. Even now... With the fact that I left. I talked about this a bit in cardigan but it has really been difficult for me that I left and feeling like I wasn’t there to protect Dean, to fight for him when he needed me. Inn that respect, I almost feel like none of it was seen. It also didn’t matter because the show was never mine, it was gonna do what it was gonna do without me... 

“Will you call when you’re back at school?” I remember thinking I had you.

This part just... So I mentioned with the symbolism of “your back” and feeling bad about leaving... And this part... I always here it four ways... The show talking to me and asking if I’ll still care when I have more of a life. I got into the show when I had literally failed out of school. And then I also see myself talking to the show asking it to still care about me as it progressed through the seasons. It got harder and harder to watch and it felt like, the show moved on without me... And the last ways I hear it breaks my heart the most and they’re that... but Dean, not the show. I never felt like I lost him, even when I lost the show. And when he died... I didn’t know where all that fit. I didn’t feel like I lost him, but I didn’t feel like I had him and I felt completely alone. And everyone was writing fanfic about him being happy in heaven with Cas and/or Sam and I was like FUCK THIS FUCK EVERYTHING because it felt like.... like he didn’t call, back at school. Which brings me to Dean to me... I have felt so much guilt for a almost lack of faith, a lack of trust... A lack of strength... We’ll get to “I never had the courage of my convictions when danger is near” but I just have felt so GUILTY.... Of course he’d call when he’s back at school, but only if I would too. When I left, was that me dropping the ball? Dean is fictional, he doesn’t know that I left or have opinions about it... But I worry about it nonetheless.

And then the chorus sets in... And none of it matters.. I can see us lost in the memory, and I can see us twisted in bedsheets... But it slipped away into a moment in time, like a bottle of wine... Cause it was never mine. 

And by that, I don’t just mean.... That I had no control, I mean the show wasn’t mine, Dean wasn’t mine. He was ours. It was ours. There’s a power in reclaiming that that only nostalgia knows....

Which is when we come back to the bridge. That hopefulness, that spirit of adventure, being willing to throw it all away for some time with the person (or thing) you love... Even for just a moment.... That’s the point, right? 

august is a deeply sad and heartbreaking song, but it’s also loving and sweet, and... even happy. We’ll get to it BUT “there was happiness because of you, too.” It ended because we weren’t each other’s to lose.... But that time... “Back when we were still changing for the better” fills me with this warm feeling... I remember sitting on the swingset by my dad’s house in the middle of the night in April 2012 and while I did that with a partner who very much is still my partner, the spirit of that growth cannot be divorced from SPN to me. “When wanting was enough, for me it was enough” refers to that time in the s7/s8 hiatus when all the possibilities were in front of us. I had a purgatory fanfic idea that if I had written it would have SHOOK the fandom and I just... Had SO MANy ideas  Everyone did. There was so much to do storywise... before Jeremy Carver fucked it up. “To live for the hope of it all” I had hopes for what the show would do and I had hopes for what I would do and I didn’t see a world in which we wouldn’t do them together.

And so much for that. The show wasn’t mine, it was a moment in my life. A moment I’ve come to be very grateful for. A moment I’ve cursed to the ends of the earth. But it was just a moment. And that’s the point.

[starlightshore]

Question about your DP AU but what are the main trio's families like? I think you've talked about Jack and Maddie a few times, but not in depth. Anything different between Sam and Tucker's parents? How much do the parents know about each other or what their kids are up to?

oof this topic is hard cause its been a long time since i watched the actual show (minus the two eps i watched to answer asks) and well, there really isn't a ton to work with regarding Tucker's Family. they seem nice. that's all we got. there's not even a "personality" section on their wiki page.

in the fandom, oddly enough, there's only one fic that comes to mind rn that had tucker's parents be semi-important (or at least, relevant) i can't remember the name rn but its like, "nobody knows au, tucker is a reluctant psychic who has to find a serial killer AU" which was a banger. i don't have a lot to go off of, so in all honesty I'm likely just going to make shit up to make things more interesting.

(img description in the photo)

putting all of this in a read-more cause its loooong.

What we DO know is that Danny and Tucker were "best friends since forever" so, here they are as besties from like, kindergarten. We can easily assume Maurice and Angela (Tucker's parents) don't mind the Fenton's antics, or at the very least tolerate it enough to allow Tucker to be exposed to their strangeness.

Meanwhile Sam would be going to some Rich Kid school. To up the ante, my take has Sam do something so scandalous and horrifying that this rich family moves from New York to a small town in Minnesota.

Sam isn't actually proud of it, but plays it off as if they are. cause like, yeah, their parents are never going to let them live it down. which is a success. We never learn what the hell happened, it's Sam's Noodle Incident.

Anyway to lay low from the shame of the event, they move to Ida's hometown (Sam's grandma) and it's Sam's punishment. They're "grounded for life."

To Jeremy and Pam's ignorance (Sam's parents) Sam is HAPPY to be away from the big schools and high end life. Not that they'll let them know that, like, ever.

I have no idea if this is canon or fanon but there's the idea that Jeremy and Pam are too busy and negligent to be aware of what's going on in Sam's life. And as long as Sam isn't repeating the New York Incident, Sam is probably fine to do as they please. They know now to keep a low profile.

Jeremy and Pam hate the local Fentons, first for being Weirdos and then later for bringing in the ghosts. (Which honestly, like, fair...) Poor Danny and Jazz get lumped in, seen as bad kids despite just Existing within the family.

The Only Normal Ones (tm)

For contrast, Tucker's family is middle class and very loving and attentive parents. Not helicopter level, but more than the average parent. Maurice and Angela keep track of Tucker's social media and worry about him -especially once the ghosts come out.

i won't go too into too much detail since i might make that fic, but I do want to give Tucker's family more importance and screen time. I won't be saying how but it'll be a nice development.

Danny's family is the same as they are in canon on a surface level. Some details are changed, but we get a similar result.

So for context: pre-portal ghost sightings are rare and people are quick to either see it as: superstition, a hoax, or misunderstanding of natural phenomena. The Fentons believe there's a natural explanation -until some shared childhood experience throws them into believing the paranormal. But they hate how ghosts are seen as gimmicky. They believe in the REAL science.

They want to use Math and Physics to explain the supernatural. They believe in a different dimension with different laws of nature, and they're going to uncover it! And obviously, they do with the Portal.

They study it with the help of Vlad's funding (who's relationship is different in this AU -he's still an evil bitch as always tho) they create the portal and study it alongside Vlad's team. (This is my work around from keeping the Fentons away from the GUI) Their personal bias against ghosts is something more "neutral" rather than "evil."

Personally I think misguided science is more interesting than outright witch-hunting styled ghost hating. the core conflict is the same, but it makes the parents more rational and grounded to science. This is a personal preference, each have their strengths. Regardless they've got big egos and jumping into a literal Unknown field of science that has it's own new physics, of course they're going to fail and misunderstand things. (science is failure just written down or however that saying goes)