#and calling out Max who never ever posts about P is odd as fuck

[fcb-mv33]

Lmao having a picture and saying your a max fan only to shit on him and his family what an odd thing

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

the larger courier six verse, media influences

tagged by @sybil-writes ty

the bibliography for this thing is extensive. my taste is wide and omnivorous. i try to drop what i was thinking about when i wrote a particular bit into the author’s notes, and i think i’ve credited all the direct references, but I consume a lot of dystopia and post-apoc media and harder scifi/fantasy with rules, and i don’t keep an accurate running list of shit I like, so i’m certainly not going to get everything in one post. this is mostly me looking at the very limited number of books i have with me and frantically looking at wiki lists like “yes read that liked that stole that”. if i link everything i will die. if you have trouble finding a specific thing lmk tho. this feels real goddamn pretentious like Ah Yes Look At The Media I Have Consumed but here goes 

music: one of these days I will drop links to the network of playlists I have for these kids, but they’re all of Spotify and not super accessible. Danger Days, a post-apoc desert graffiti/neon/cars album by My Chemical Romance. the soft, nonsense love songs off Pretty. Odd by P!ATD. the poppy but sad neon bullshit of Too Weird To Live, Too Rare To Die also a P!ATD production. Wasteland, Baby! by Hozier, specifically Talk and Dinner & Diatribes. Halsey’s cover of I Walk The Line, Rihanna’s Desperado. Everything by Orville Peck but mostly Roses Are Falling and Take You Back (The Iron Hoof Cattle Call). Instrumental stuff: the opening to Silverado, the Billy the Kid musical, bits of Lawrence of Arabia. It’s Been A Long, Long Time. Fitz & The Tantrums’ Get Away. Mother Mother’s album O My Heart. Gorillaz’ Plastic Beach. 

filme: 

the Dollars trilogy ofc

the sheer bullshit nonsense of Wild Wild West and Blazing Saddles and Turbokid. 

a lot of the interaction between many characters in a tight space from Stagecoach. my dad really loves John Wayne, so I am constantly thinking about Monument Valley even though that’s nowhere near the Mojave. honestly whenever i’m thinking about how to describe landscapes I’m thinking about The Searchers, even though I have a lot of problems with that film. 

the colorful nonsense future of The Fifth Element. 

the gritty self-surgery and prospecting of Prospect (2018). 

SO much Trigun and Cowboy Bebop, for space western flavor and the same sort of analog-cassette-future. u kno how everything in Star Wars looks like it’s been there forever? the absolute opposite of a slick Apple future? that. 

god I wish Firefly was...good

Akira, bc every time I think about motorcycles the Akira motorcycle slide gif plays in my head. 

speaking of which probably a decent chunk of Adventure Time, esp the Super Porp episode. 

a smidge of how a platonic trio works from Samurai Champloo. 

anything with a big sprawling market and a chase scene, even though the only things I can think of are Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets and the first Indiana Jones. oh Skyfall also

the set dressing from Tank Girl

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. look I just really like airships and retrofuturisum but art deco

honestly a lot of Ghibli- the aviation fantasy of Porco Rosso, the gardens from Castle In The Sky, a lot of Sophie Hatter energy from Howl’s Moving Castle, the underground bits in Nausicca, the otherworldly sea from Ponyo (except the Fallout sea is probably much emptier). the lovely homey-ness and gadgetry of Sherlock Hound. 

almost certainly some Metropolis for how I think about cities

thinking a lot about The Incredibles and earlier James Bond movies recently for that sort of sleek but still small physical gadget spycraft 60s bullshit

the team and found family dynamics in Leverage

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. the more recent film which I have stolen ENTIRELY too much of the Angel + Blondie + Six dynamic from 

mad max: all of them, to some extent, but a lot of Fury Road. I have a theory about how the Dollars films take place in reverse order, bc of how they feel next to the Mad Max films. The first Mad Max film is about a specific person in a specific place and time doing really specific things. it feels like a movie made off the info of someone who was there. GBU also feels like that- it’s really place-specific in a way? The second Mad Max film is a little hazier, and focuses on mostly people trying to accomplish a goal. For A Few Dollars More also feels a little hazier, like it’s a little more metaphorical/a morality tale and it’s being told by someone heavily embellishing secondhand events. the third Mad Max movie is just over the top nonsense. feral children living in the wreckage of an old plane escaping in a working plane? sure. why the fuck not. For A Fistful Of Dollars also feels like this. of COURSE this big bad gunslinger drifts into town and escapes in a coffin and invents the bulletproof vest. why the fuck not. 

books: i like shit that goes beyond the wander/scrounge/defend trio of verbs. 

the trying to wrap your life around a huge unknowable event from Roadside Picnic, 

too much Le Guin and Butler to really fit here, 

god if anything i write ever has a tenth of the flavor of Kill Six Billion Demons i’ll be happy, 

the postwar feel of Vonnegut and Heller,

Margaret Atwood’s biopunk Oryx and Crake trilogy 

the incredibly sad decaying biopunk/mutation/last days novelette The Drowned World by JG Ballard. 

the space-opera political machinations from the Ancillary trilogy by Ann Leckie. 

World War Z’s accounts of survivors has always felt like reading terminal entries from Fallout games. 

Philip Reeve’s Fever Crumb trilogy, for its interpretation of high-tech artifacts and archaeological reinterpretation of those artifacts. 

Tales of the Bounty Hunters. Tales from Jabba’s Palace. 

A Canticle for Leibowitz of COURSE. 

the original three books in the METRO (2033, 2034, 2035) trilogy, for their tight dense locations and resource management and life-threatening travel/exploration. 

the Family Trade comic by Jordan & Ryan, for setting and intrigue and a very unorthodox power source  

Elizabeth Bear’s short story And The Deep Blue Sea, about a different kind of courier. 

how Gibson’s The Sprawl trilogy (a trilogy i have MANY opinions about, not all of them positive) does worldbuilding when it implies a vast sprawling richly imagined world with casual in-universe references that you can extrapolate a lot from.  

The Gernsback Continuum, for making me think about stranded architectural bits that survived

a little bit of the Empress’ energy from Cavendish’s The Blazing World. 

the short story The Rational Ship by Caro Clarke, about a ship that runs on orgasms, from the EXTREMELY out of print Memories and Visions: Women’s Fantasy and Science Fiction edited by Susanna J. Sturgis. i’ve scanned it in as a pdf and will send it to anyone who asks. the stories in this volume are WILDLY varying in quality and terf-yness. i would not buy this book on purpose. 

i think each separate Vault storyline is a tiny separate Lost World story, so just pick your favorite and insert it here. 

Westerfeld’s Leviathan trilogy was FORMATIVE for baby me. biopunk! big trans energy! SKY WHALES 

fucking hate  Paolo Bacigalupi for what he does to his female characters but Ship Breaker was good from what I remember of it

there are three very oblique Sherlock Holmes references in “blow a kiss, fire a gun” for my own amusement. 

Fallout scifi seems to be very Verne and Wells and Burroughs derived? a lot of very pulpy  “pseudojournalistic realism to tell an adventure story with little basis in reality.” or “hey look at this COMPLETE NOVEL i found in a bottle by the sea OR locked in my weird great-uncle’s things, i shall retell it to you here” 

idk i think The Road and the Hunger Games have so profoundly shaped the state of the genre, there’s probably at least a little bit of both these things in here even if I didn’t particularly like either of them. There’s also a lot of super bleak post-war stuff I read but am not necessarily incorporating, like Nevill Shute’s On The Beach. probably some Dune in here too if i’m being totally honest. why have a desert if there’s not going to be a giant worm, Fallout: New Vegas???

jesus i gotta read more lady authors. there are probably way more that i’m not remembering bc almost all the books i own are in a storage unit seven hours away that i haven’t touched in three years. there are probably way more comics also. 

OH not a book but the decaying-rich-people-paradise of Bioshock. pity how they never made a third game 

[survivorreelsmagicwithin]

Episode 10- “My only purpose in this game now is to serve my ever loving lord and savior, Ruthie”-Dan

I am crying for Owen leaving.  I don't know WHO did it, I can't math and this really fucking hurts my heart I don't know who was lying about it. 

12 minutes later

I've made a zillion confessionals and the fact that lily and landen went behind my back and freaking orchestrated the entire owen vote REALLY makes me mad.  things I told them in confidence that they have probably shared with EVERYONE that is left it just really makes me EXTREMELY mad. I've got to put my game face on but I am really disappointed in all of them. Like if they would have come to me and said, lets get owen!  I WOULD have thought about it because I've said all along that they are the ones I trust the most and I'm just SO livid right now.  I have a slew of messages from Lily and like THE ONE PERSON HERE I THOUGHT I COULD TRUST GOES AND DOES THIS TO ME. Okay I'm breathing but I still haven't replied to anyone I tried  to post something witty in the house chat LOL. like abby lee miller says... SAVE YOUR TEARS FOR THE PILLOW!  I'm going to get my game face on and try to see... if I'm in good with anyone at all I don't even know.   The competitor in me knows that Owen NEEDED to go if I want to win but this was all SHADY AS FUCK.  I NEVER CURSE AND I HAVE CURSED MORE IN THESE THINGS TODAY THAN I HAVE IN A MONTH. 

WHEW. BIG WHEW. That was the most wild day of my life but I’m really proud with how I handled myself and took charge of my game. I didn’t like how things were going ruthie or landen. I crawled and scratched all day talking to almost everyone. I start the day with Owen and somehow through all this it happened. I guess that’s why you don’t settle on a vote! Landen and I were so close to settling. I was also close to voting chips. I literally changed my vote three times. Joanna then chips then Owen. I’m happy I’m making moves and finding my own but I am nervous with how this will end. Dan is PISSED. I didn’t mean for him to play his advantage but in the end I’m glad he did. I wondering how the rest of this game is going to go but I’m hoping that those who really say they have my back have my back. Owen added me to an alliance with me ruthie and dan because he trusted us most. I thought that was odd since Owen hadn’t talked game to me privately since I had voted him at the last tribal. In the end I think he would have tried to work with me but I think Owen and dan if they make it to the end they have a high probability of winning. I don’t know if I can trust to work with Dan at this point. I think he is too mad and will play me later on which I get. This game definitely isn’t getting any easier!

oh y'all are in for a treat- we doing video confessionals ALL merge kids! Welcome to the 3 part saga of the Final 11 Vote, where I get cut off by my birth control alarm, the tribal council call, and some bullshit all in the span of 30 minutes whew

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ShZLFvoQ96aSRUHBUMzuoNkxB93eph60/view?usp=sharing 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SBAw--aQAtzQCtUwSP9EaCeMRTymJ8P3/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Vyag5Bijk1-L7NyAumeYDk7z3z_Q2p6m/view?usp=sharing

Sorry for ugly crying y'all LSDJFLDSJF.  Also, this happened while the video was uploading but Dan ALSO gave me some other kind of advantage that I don't really understand I'm... confused. Anyway, I hope that things get better soon so that he and I can take on the game together. <3 https://youtu.be/745M9EmNtT4

Well well well! You know it wasn't exactly the prettiest path there, but at the end of the day, I got what I wanted with the vote. I have to admit my feelings are just a little hurt, because at the beginning of the round, when I pushed to vote out Owen with Autumn, Kevin, Juls, Jules, and Lily, Autumn was so irritated with me that she began to push the target onto me and blow things way out of proportion when I was literally just pushing a simple idea. Anyway I then had to fight with everything I have to make sure the votes were on Ruthie instead, I had to have Juls and Jules go up to bat for me, while also pitching my case to Owen and Kevin and getting all the votes back on Ruthie. I did all that work and then 5 minutes before the Deadline Kevin says one thing to Jules and that's enough to entirely shift the vote and get Owen eliminated? Like it doesn't matter when Ravenclaw is clearly coming for me (Fuck off Dan), I'm expendable, but now that they're coming for you, oh, Hell will be rained down upon us. Yeah that's bullshit, but it's fine. Unlike some people, I'm not going to let my emotions impact my game and go on a targeting tirade against Autumn or something even though she really rubbed me the wrong way today and lost a lot of my trust and faith in her. That's her bad for having a messy social game, when she could've kept me as a close ally who was blindly ready to follow and trust her and she fucked that up, so that's her mistake. Not my loss, I still have half the game wanting to protect me yo. The jury as it stands right now does not look too hot in regards to my winning chances.. :P Max would definitely vote for me I think, but Jacob C and Owen.. yeah probably not. I could see Owen voting for me but I think he's understandably pissed that he sacrificed a lot for me and it didn't go well for him. But again that was his mistake, I told him to keep the vote on Ruthie and that we shouldn't be trying to do any secondary plans, and he didn't listen to me. Everyone keeps not listening to me and it's very frustrating bc I keep being right about everything, but oh well. Sometimes that's just the way it rolls in Survivor and you have to accept it until you have the power to get what you want done DONE, that's the patience and hard work of Hufflepuff speaking luv. TENACITY! .....Now, Dan reacted to this vote terribly. Honestly I would pop off and write a bunch of essays, but let's just say Dan has always been really condescending and just dismissive. He has an incessant need for control in the game and he literally like.. BLEW THE FUCK UP because of one simple vote??? So useless, and so gaslighty. Disrespectful to act like he's gonna quit, too. Just quit then. But whatever, Dan's tantrum is just adding more of a target on his back and taking all the target AWAY from me so I'm more than okay with that!! :D I think there will also be another target on Ruthie yet again because people will still be nervous about Hufflepuff numbers. Possibly a small target on Joanna for her inactivity and just general bad position in the game (which sucks to say given what's going on in her personal life, but that's just how it goes sometimes). At this rate though what I really need to focus on is jury management and improving some of my rockier relationships, because I think after this vote, I have survival down pat for a few rounds, which is great since I also have the idol to use for later when it comes down to it. We'll see what all happens though, this has been me reporting on the mess... What a time!

My PM's are EXTREMELY dry and it really irritates me.  Right now I feel like the entire tribe (minus Dan) are against me.  Landen and I talk every morning and it just sucks.  I did a lot of thinking last night and I've come to the conclusion that Landen is running this game and he is TIGHT with everyone.  I think that I can play off that I still want to work with him and Lily but I have to figure out a way to get Jules or Juls out to weaken him.   Owen gave me a lot of information yesterday that Juls and Jules were pushing for me to go and that Dan and Autumn wanted Landen to go.  I'm pretty sure Dan will vote however I ask him to and if Autumn and I could form some kind of bond... I need to see where Lily and I are because maybe she, Autumn and I... and maybe Kevin and someone else? could work together to bring someone out of the group of Landen/Juls/Jules down, and Dan would definitely vote with us. I ultimately feel like my name is mud right now, so this round I am going to just sit back and do more listening than talking. 

It has been rough in real life for me these past couple of days. In game drama doesn't make it better. Apparently Owen wanted to vote me out and then messaged me that he was worried his name was being thrown around. I, who was in the middle of having a mental breakdown, did not respond. It's funny when all I want to do is vote with the majority I don't vote with majority. I'm really frustrated with real life right now, I don't want this game to be frustrating too. I'm still going to try my best because I want to win this game, I just wish it was easier to do so.

OF COURSE.... I tie... with the person that wants me to go home, LOL. We were talking right before results though and have maybe cleared the air.

Now here comes my favorite part of the game where we all wait until tomorrow with like 4 hours left to the deadline to scramble and agree on the vote when if people just stopped being fake and safe and all angsty about "PARANOID BULLSHIT" then we could all easily come to the conclusion that we are splitting the votes on Dan and Joanna now instead of like 10 years from now. Pls. i don't see anyone other than the 2 of them and ruthie getting votes here, and if it happens this game is cancelled.

Chips is literally the only one talking to me right now and it is SO awkward, LOL. UH.  lJFJSLF i shouldn't feel so guilty HE WAS VOTING FOR ME!!!!  I AM NOT THE ONLY BAD GUY IN THAT EQUATION. 

My only purpose in this game now is to serve my ever loving lord and savior, Ruthie

It's so quiet today! I'm trying to figure out why... Did Lily tell people about my idol in a bid to change the vote yesterday and now this is a plan to flush my idol now because they couldn't get rid of it last time? Is Lily completely loyal to me and Im wrong for even SUSPECTING that and I'm just super paranoid and really people are just busy/don't wanna come online rn? That doesn't seem to be the case... I've definitely lost before because I don't trust my gut about the day being quiet as hell. *I GLANCE AT YOU THREE HOSTS VOTING ME OUT IN THE QUIETEST DAY EVER.*  I feel like I need to do more to survive but I've been put in an awkward position because I was told last round that I am 'too much' and should stop fighting to survive bc people view me as paranoid and pushy. So I am trying to exercise some self-restraint, but also I don't want to wait too long before I have a chance to genuinely figure out what the hell is going on and change this vote. I feel like there are some likely scenarios. 1 - People know about my idol, and they're trying to flush it by spooking me out when the vote is really on Dan 2 - People are trying to vote Dan but are very worried about him having 2 idols, so they're maybe putting some votes on me as well? 3 - People are trying to vote out Ruthie and don't want to tell me and Lily because of how they think that we're the ones who worked overtime to keep Ruthie safe and they're very concerned about Hufflepuff numbers 4 - People are straight up trying to vote me after Ruthie made up with Jules last night (maybe Jules revealed that I sold Ruthie out?) I am getting really ominous vibes from just the whole layout of this vote right now. I don't like it at all and I feel like something mysterious is going on, like people definitely did something weird that I don't understand and I'm just trying to put my mind 2 steps ahead of everyone else and I feel like I'm falling backwards. I have no idea what's going on tonight but I know it's not as simple as people are telling me like people are not being honest with me and that's pissing me off because I've been nothing but honest and kind with these people, consistently. :/  WHY. ARE. THERE. MIND GAMES. RN!

Honestly, this is a make or break part of the game for me. I had my tantrum and now, I'm trusting everyone to not vote me out tonight??? Autumn did some leg work to try and get the vote on L*ly.  So I'm hoping that happens. I could play my idol tonight and throw a vote on like Kevin or Landen or somebody just in case there is another idol play? I'm not sure. All I know is that if I play my idol, I'll be here for another round for sure, but if I don't, I could be the dumbest player ever!

I... don't know how I keep getting myself into these messes, haha. I don't know what I'm going to go, here I am thinking everything is going to be all fine and dandy and kind of chill and KEVIN HEARD THAT I THREW LILY'S NAME OUT... which I didn't, Dan mentioned Autumn would vote her and I told Autumn that I didn't really trust Lily and Landen and she just kind of went with it but then... if it got back to Kevin I kind of think that it was my idea I think that I'm screwed. I just feel like there is this huge wedge between the two people that I was the closest to in this game and me now and I don't know how to fix it so I'm just going to vote one of them out??? I...  have been so messy this season, lol. I gave Dan back his idol but he says he is going to send it back to me if he decides not to use it... we are playing idol tag. 

I am a damn TRAINWRECK this round!! I tried so hard to hold myself back from talking to people a ton and getting worked up and into a frenzy about this vote but here I am, now trying to hit up like seven different people. I've never felt so confused about a vote before, it's so weirdly quiet and I have no idea why and nothing makes sense and what the HELL is going on???? Like I'm... I'm straight up lost and confuzzled. At this rate I'm just gonna drop that idol like it's hot regardless because I have no idea wtf is happening and it's better to waste it than to go out with it in my pocket, right? ...I think???? Or maybe stuff will come out and I'll feel more confident later and I won't play it, I dunno! All I know is whatever's going around right now doesn't match the vibes I normally get from these people ever and it's FREAKIN me the hell out. 

So pretty opposite of the last vote. No one is talking. No one is sharing ideas. No names. Except dan and it’s 8:30? I think it’s gonna be a split vote tonight because who knows if dan is really gonna play his idol. The only person at this point that I trust 95% is Landen. He has told me the truth about what he thinks genuinely and told me he has the merge idol. I feel a little sketched out by Kevin and Ruthie from last round but I do think they would at least be honest and tell me if I was going to be the one voted out if they knew. I’m trying hard to work with autumn but she’s a tough cookie! She has something up her sleeve and I’m not sure of what just yet. All I know is it’s hard to trust anybody out here but is that really a surprise?

tell me why this game is still stressful...when i have immunity and PURPOSELY aint trying to do anything besides vibe...WHY AM I STILL STRESSED!!!!!!!!

Hm.. found out in the last ten minutes before votes were due that a bunch of people were voting me. Unsurprising (I guess at this point...) it is led by Owen someone who is supposed to be in a alliance with me. Choices? Anyway, Jules let me know that I was being thrown under the bus and asked if I would be down to flip on Owen. Yeah. Sure. If he wants to vote me I'll vote him?? Looks like something similar is happening this round. It might not be be me but why let myself think so. Dan is the "obvious vote" because he decided he's not aligned with anyone and outed that he had an idol but the group wants to turn on Lily this round. I dunno I guess I'd be cool voting Lily? She hasn't really worked solidly with me so far and I need to get into smaller numbers before I feel safe making any "bold" plays since a lot of these people have been wishy-washy up to this point.

HAHAHAHAHA I’m at work !!! AGAIN!!!! anyways people wanna do lily but that’s sketchy bc dans idol needs flushing I think autumn is working with dan I just told landen and lily who weren’t supposed to know about the vote bc I don’t want lily to go I hoped one of them had an idol but they don’t so well. Here we are. I might’ve screwed myself over here but I think I was screwed either way tbh just with how the rounds would’ve played out with Lily going then probs Landen (dan maybe plays idol) but then me juls/jules are in trouble after that point bc I think autumn and dan have something going on and Ruthie is in on it bc she is close to dan so. Here we are. Good Luck Charlie. (I’m Charlie)

I honestly feel so bad right now.  Lily does NOT deserve this but I think that it will appease everyone and she is a great player that I would not like to be sitting at the end with, I feel like she would easily win over me. 

I just got into an alliance chat with Lily and Landen (Double L cute) with me and Autumn my F2 and then Joanna who apparently knows nothing until Autumn tells her. It's neat because I ALREADY know how I'm setting myself up not to win this season more and more as I continue to play the merge portion poorly. We are going to vote out Ruthie because she's a double agent with Kevin so maybe they are another duo in the game? Guess we'll see how this goes.

[donghun-s]

the very large sp3arb tag

so @sp3arb has tagged me in a total four tags recently and i’m finally getting around to all of them!! tysm for all the tags, meri (btw i love your name?? i think its super cute!) and i hope you learn a bunch of unnecessary stuff abt me lmao (under the cut bc this is a long ass post)

i dont have a name for this tag

1ST RULE: Tag 9 people you want to get to know better

im not tagging anyone bc im bad at things and most ppl i wanna know about, meri has already tagged so

2ND RULE: BOLD the statements that are true.

APPEARANCE: - I am 5'7 or taller - I wear glasses - I have at least one tattoo - I have at least one piercing - I have blonde hair - I have brown eyes - I have short hair - My abs are at least somewhat defined - I have or had braces

PERSONALITY: - I love meeting new people - People tell me I am funny - Helping others with their problems is a big priority of mine - I enjoy physical challenges - I enjoy mental challenges - I am playfully rude to people I know- I started saying something ironically and now I can’t stop saying it - There is something I would change about my personality

ABILITY: - I can sing well - I can play an instrument - I can do over 30 pushups without stopping - I am a fast runner - I can draw well - I have a good memory - I am good at doing maths in my head - I can hold my breath underwater for over a minute - I have beaten at least 2 people arm wrestling - I can make at least 3 recipes from scratch - I know how to throw a proper punch

HOBBIES: - I enjoy sports - I’m on a sports team at my school or somewhere else - I’m in a orchestra or choir at my school or somewhere else - I have learned a new song in the past week - I exercise at least once a week - I have gone for runs at least once a week in warmer months - I have drawn something in the past month - I enjoy writing - Fandoms are my #1 priority  - I do some form of Martial arts

EXPERIENCES: - I have had my first kiss - I have had alcohol - I have scored a winning point in a sport - I have watched an entire TV series in one sitting - I have been at an overnight event - I have been in a taxi - I have been in the hospital or ER in the past year - I have beaten a video game in one day - I have visited another country - I have been to one of my favorite band’s concerts

MY LIFE: - I have one person that I consider to be my Best Friend - I live close to my school/work - My parents are still together - I have at least one sibling - I live in the United States - There is snow where I live right now - I have hung out with a friend in the past month - I have a smart phone - I own at least 15 CDs - I share my room with someone

RELATIONSHIPS: - I am in a Relationship - I have a crush on a celebrity - I have a crush on someone I know - I’ve been in at least 3 relationships - I have never been in a Relationship - I have admitted my feelings to a crush - I get crushes easily - I have had a crush for over a year - I have been in a relationship for over a year - I have had feelings for a friend

RANDOM: - I have break-danced - I know a person named Jamie  - I have had a teacher that has a name that is hard to pronounce - I have dyed my hair - I’m listening to a song on repeat right now - I have punched someone in the past week - I know someone who has gone to jail - I have broken a bone - I have eaten a waffle today - I know what I want to do in life - I speak at least two languages [i don’t speak two, i speak one and sign in another] - I have made a new friend in the past year

alphabet tag

Rules: answer the questions in a new post and tag 10 blogs you would like to get to know better

I was tagged by Roxanne ( is it ok if I call you Roxy? I like Roxy) Actually @lxx-fxlix  And for some reason it did not give me the notification you did, I was casually stalking your blog when I saw:

A: age? 16 (01 liner)

B: birthplace? North Carolina

C: current time? 7:53 pm

D: drink you had last? Arnold Palmer (half sweet tea, half lemonade)

E: easiest person to talk to? for me, it’s my irl best friend gwen and my best friend on here, krys

F: favorite song? oof i’m super indecisive so i’m just gonna commit to mayday by got7 (it always changes but mayday has stayed on my constantly rotating playlist for nearly six months now; most are on for six weeks, max)

G: grossest memory? uh probably when one of my swim lesson kids tried to eat a bug (they were like four) and i had to make them spit it out into my hands 

H: hogwarts house? proud slytherin!!

I: in love? i love a lot of people, but i’m not IN love

J: jealous of people? not anymore, my self-esteem has gotten so much better in past years

K: killed someone? uhm a couple of times in fics (*cough* jinjin in not like this *cough*)

L: love at first sight or should i walk by again? not love but pls walk by again bc i’m probably enjoying your aesthetics

M: middle name? christine

N: number of siblings? one, an older sister

O: one wish? to adopt a kid with no family or an unhealthy one (obvs when  older and financially stable)

P: person you called last? my sister called me yesterday morning, and before that i had called my friend to tell him abt a near death experience when i was driving

R: reasons to smile? something good will happen to you, you’ll meet someone wonderful, and there’s always new experiences to happen

S: song you sang last? poet by bastille (an underrated fave)

T: time you woke up? about 8 am

U: underwear color? light heathered grey

V: vacation destination? i’d love to go to greece someday! santorini would be my first choice, and then my great-grandparents old village near thessaloniki

W: worst habit? probs my dermatillia (picking at acne on my face until it bleeds, then picking at the scabs, leaving a bunch of scars that will never go away)

X: x-rays? i got one on my tailbone one time, two years after i sprained it bc my mom didn’t believe me

Y: your favorite food? uhhh most anything tbh; i quite like the honey butter chicken sandwich from pdq

Z: zodiac sign? libra

✨ Fun Facts Tag ✨

Rules for this are:

Have fun with it!  

Tag some of your mutuals

1) Favourite colours:

orange!! and after that, any kinds of pastel or muted darks

2) Favourite song at the moment:

lotto by exo has been on replay in my head, my car, and my earbuds

3) Last book you read:

the sun and her flowers by rupi kaur

4) Last TV show you watched:

i tried to watch part-time idol bc hyunbin from jbj was in it, but within the first 15 minutes they set up an unnecessary relationship so i had to nope out of there real hard; i then reverted back to rewatching white collar for the fifth time

5) Last movie you watched:

does john mulaney’s nerflix comedy special comeback kid count?? if not, probably nightmare before christmas way back around christmastime

6) If you have a pet whats their name?:

four dogs: pheonix, kino, midge, and bess; three horses: little man, gem, and andy (ironically i’m allergic to dogs and horses, and my dad keeps buying more)

7) If you have siblings how many?:

one, my older sister

8) Favourite thing to do on a weekend:

i love doing my swim lessons and seeing all my kids!! i haven’t been able to lately bc of the weather, 

9) Best tumblr friends:

i only talk to @cheesyramynry on a daily basis, but i have a lot of blogs that i consider friendly acquaintances or casual friends as well!!

10) Favourite thing about yourself:

i value my compassion and empathy above all else; i am very much the mom friend and love to be it

11) Favourite memory:

ah i have so many; i think rn i’m gonna go with this past christmas, bc it was my last one with my grandfather

12) 3 weird habits:

swallowing gum, taking all my pills in descending size order, i tend to mimic how a singer sounds when i sing along to the song (ex: if they have a british accent, i’ll subconsciously sing in a british accent; if they stress certain syllables in certain ways, i’ll do it too)

13) What would you call your style?:

comfortable (stretchy jeans, t-shirts, hoodies) and with a few signature Gay Things (jean jacket, flannels, oversized mens’ button ups, a couple gay/bi pride shirts)

14) Odd talent:

if i have lyrics in front of me to a song i’ve never heard before, i can predict the pattern of the tunes and rhythm and sing along the first time

15) Do you have a tumblr crush?:

literally all of aroha and all of the sk fandom (y’all are the loveliest fandoms i’ve ever been a part of)

the stray kids tag

Rules: answer the questions in a new post, and tag 10 blogs you would like to get to know better.

I’ve decided that in celebration of Stray Kids pre-debut album I needed to create a tag. The ultimate goal for The Stray Kids Tag is to learn about your Tumblr mutuals, and have fun answering the Stray Kids related questions!  Here we go:

1: When did you decide to join the Stray kids fandom?

i saw a thread of information abt the suspected nine members before they were officially announced and was like ‘yes i must stan them and love them with all of my heart.’ so uh,,,,, back in august or september??

2: What is your favorite episode of Stray Kids? uhm, i’m gonna expose myself rn and let y’all know that i’ve never actually seen a full episode of the show; as soon as i heard it was gonna be a survival show, i knew that i couldn’t watch it bc my heart was too weak and i was emotionally incapable of becoming too invested while watching it; but from clips, i quite like the episode with the 3:3:3 mission, and also the last episode when all nine were reunited and told they were going to debut together

3: Who would you say is your bias in Stray kids?

my initial one was chan, and they i got rlly confused, and then slowly came to realize that it was jeongin (anything else after that is a fucking mess)

4: Who would you say is your bias wrecker in Stray kids?

literally kill me all of them bias wreck me so hard bUT hyunjin, jisung, seungmin, and chan have been wrecking me so hard in particular lately

5: What line would you want to be apart of in Stray kids? uHHH not dance line bc swimmers have 0 coordination on land; i quite like singing even tho i’m not good at, so probably that, but i can also hit all of chan’s english rap parts in 3racha songs, and keep up with lafayette’s raps in hamilton, and a lot of the english rappers i like too so uh,,, sign me up for rap line too

6: What is the first song you heard of Stray kids? hellevator

7: What is the first song you heard of 3racha? i think it was either hoodie season or runner’s high

8: What is your favorite song on their pre-debut album?

young wings or school life or yayaya (or grr or 4419 or glow or hellevator)

9: What is a concept you’d like to see Stray Kids try in the future?

i love their current optimistic and slightly rebellious teenager concept rn bc its an Eternal Mood; but i always love myself a soft boyfriend concept 

10: if you could meet with the members of Stray kids for one day what would you say to them?

how proud of them i am, and how proud of themselves they should be; i would tell them about how they’re saying things that resonate deeply for their fans and i love that they’re talking abt real world problems; i would also make sure to tell them (chan and 3racha especially) to make sure to rest more, and eat well, and take care of themselves emotionally as well as physically; and finally i’d like to tell jeongin how wonderful he is and that he’s doing so much at such a young age (lmao he’s actually eight months older than me but that’s no the point) and to never lose his cute little smile

finally done!! meri, if you actually read all of this, uh thank you????? i hope you now know everything you wanted to know abt me, and probably more than you wanted to know

i’m bad at tagging people, so if you also made it this far and haven’t done some of these tags, choose one, or a couple, or all of them and do them yourself!! just say that i tagged you!!

[gaygardner]

I’ve been tagged by three different ppl so I’mma put all of them together. Long post ahead. 

answer the following eleven questions, add eleven questions of my own and tag 11 people.

tagged by @jeffersonjaxson cheers meg meg

1. What was the first fandom you remember being a part of?  Pretty sure it was band-dom. Might have been Simple Plan??? I was an embarrassing teenager.

2. Who would your Dream Team of characters be?  Joan Watson, Kate Kane, James Flint, Andrew Minyard, James Kirk

3. What is your opinion on AUs? It depends on the AU tbh. For the most part, I’m a fan. Some, not to so much. 

4. Favourite potential ship. You know the one where one half died or left before they could become a THING, but in your heart they were/should have been. before they become a thing? uhhh, probably timecanary?

5. fave poly ship/ot3s? you know the answer to this - james flint/thomas hamilton/miranda barlow

6. are you the head, heart, or hands? how much do personality tests fit you? the head i think. i pried being logical. also, yeah, most of them fits me for the majority of the time

7. Odd habit or thing you do? lmao i do this thing when my throat hurts that ppl have said sounds like the sound a gecko makes...

8. Favourite Dead Character Miranda Barlow.

9. Fave thing you’ve ever written/giffed/stanned? this jerejean gif, my sidewinder gifs, any of my flint/hamilton gifs. @nickoflahertys and @bcydbeaulieu‘’s header gifs

10. NOTPs goddddddd why meg whyyyy incestuous batfam, any bruce/kids, l/uriver, r/ay p/almer and anyone, v/ne x el/anor i can’t think of anything else right now but there is a list.... 

11. Hollywood Chris’ ranking i. Chris Pine ii. Colourful suit Chris Pine iii.  Sockless Chris Pine iv. the only chris that matters - Chris Pine   v.  Chris Evans

Tagged by @bisexuallaurellance​. Ta Mina xx

1. Put your music on shuffle and give me your favourite lyrics from the first five songs. I’m in the library and i didn’t bring my earphones so i can’t do this )): soz bud

2. how do you feel about kids? I’m indifferent? I’m not a fan but it’s fine. 

3. If you could be one fictional character for a day, who would it be and why? James Flint so that I know what it is like to be loved by both Thomas Hamilton and Miranda Barlow. 

4. If you could have dinner with any celebrity, alive or dead, who would it be? Celebrity? Chris Pine so that I can ask him what he has against socks

5. At a glance, who is your most popular artist in your music collection (i.e. whose songs do you have the most of)? Probably Panic At the Disco - mostly because Pretty. Odd is one of the albums I will always play on repeat

6. What would be your last meal? Idk. I’ve never really given this much thought if I’m honest with you

7. Favourite toy as a kid? My Tamiya toy car

8. What song fits your favourite character the best? Gay or European for James Flint. IDK where it’s from but someone made a fanvid of it and I haven’t stopped yelling about it.  That and Safe Inside by James Arthur for Zane Garrett. B Y E 

9. Ramble about something current affairs related. This is very local and no one outside my country will care but this sudden increase “malay rights” or as i like to call it ‘malay supremacy’. I know it has been happening since the country gained independence and social media has made it even more obvious. But the fact that because the malays are the majority, they think they have the right over everyone else. Like, fuck. you don’t shut the fuck up and sit the fuck down. 

10. what fandom discourse makes you angry? all fandom discourse makes me angry

11. what’s your opinion on smut? I’m alright with it. But I’m not really a fan of Porn Without Plot

Tagged by @eliotswaugh​. Thanks for the tag, Ana! x

1. What’s the otp that haunts you? Like, we all have sunken otps, but what’s the ship that still haunts you and will always lowkey haunt you because they were so amazing that you will never understand how they didn’t end up together? God damn it Ana. I feel like you’re doing this on purpose. Our OTPs are so tragic. But the fact that Dan/Blair ended so badly will haunt me till my dying breath.

2. What show has Completely Disappointed You? Like, started-out-so-good-how-did-we-end-up-here disappointed you? ahem all of DCTV ahem. 

3.  What book has gotten to you? Not necessarily your favorite, but a book that hit you in the feels or made you cry or rethink things in your life or you just genuinely enjoyed? The Man Called Ove by Fedrik Bachmann. It’s not my absolute fave but god the book just got to me. 

4. If you could sink one of your otps so that another one of your otps could sail, which 2 would you pick? And why? I would sink Emma/Killian so that Thomas/Grace could sail. Out of all my proper I-was-so-invested-in-this-ship otps, I feel the least connection to Emma and Killian. I think it’s because the whole keeping things from each other to “save” them got so tiring and I wasn’t as invested in it as I was. And Thomas and Grace deserves to be happy together. 

5. What’s your IMBED alignment type thing? What does it mean? Explain that shit to me like I’m really dumb cause I’ve never understood it. I don’t know what this is?

6. Favorite book to movie or tv adaptation? ALL OF HBO WAR. B Y E 

7. What’s your HP house, who’s your demigod parent and what’s your Game of Thrones house? And do you think this actually says something about your personality? Ravenclaw, uh idk and I can’t remember. Sorry. Not really? I don’t know the Ravenclaw thing, parts of personality fits the house but others not so much. 

8. What’s your comfort show? Like, a show you can watch over and over again? Psych. Forever and always.

9. Favorite Queen song?  Somebody to Love.

10. Do you watch any medical shows (like Grey’s Anatomy or something)? What are your thoughts about it? jksladfhdsjafhjkdsafh NO. I have very, very strong feelings about this - and Emily knows all about them (mostly because she is a massive dick and keeps telling me about it and sending me videos and commentary). In saying that I tried watching Chicago Med and I quite liked it. But then the whole relationship issue got boring real fast and so I stopped. 

11. Who’s your Best Bisexual and your Best Gay character? Bisexual - god. ZANE ZACHARY GARRETT. I would die for him. I was gonna pick James Flint but I think he’s more pansexual Gay - MAX MAX MAX. Oh my god. Max is such as badass. She started as a prostitute and ended up controlling Nassau. And she doesn’t take shit from ANYONE. I love Max. 

My questions: 1. Would you consider watching a show/movie in a language you don’t understand? And have you? If so, what’s your favourite? 2. Three things you’ve bought and regretted.  3. Star Trek or Star Wars. Sherlock or Elementary. If you want, explain why.  4. Who is your favourite 25 and older LGBT+ characters? What book/movie/show are they from and why do you love them? 5. A book that you wish would be turned into a tv show or movie.  6. If we were to move to a different planet because this Earth is dead, would you call it Earth-2? If not, what would you name it?  7. Deep space or the deep sea?  8. Tom Hanks or Tom Cruise? 9. Diversity = representation: thoughts? 10. Why do you think buying things make us feel so happy? 11. Cillian Murphy: real or fake?

Tagging you’re not obligated to answer these questions as usual @nickoflahertys @zanesgarrett @chadwickbose @blackcanarydinah @scottsunmers @chochang @hcourageous @bcydbeaulieu @valjeanmoreaus @ruinsrebuilt @wondertrevz

[imi-ike]

tagged by @bisexualpattytolan in a ton of stuff so here is Too Much Information about me

Rules: tag 9 people you want to know better

How old are you? 26

What’s your current job? pharmacy technician

What are you talented at? crocheting, photoshop, dancing

What is a big goal you are working toward (or have already achieved)? i am working on getting ready to move to new york city sometime this year. it’s been a long time goal of mine. can’t wait to finally be Home, ya know?

What’s your aesthetic? stumbling your way through a messy room to get to a perfectly organized bookshelf, a desk full of empty teacups, odd numbers, the ugliest item of clothing on the rack, walking fast on a city street, mustard yellow pea coats, high-waisted jeans and leg warmers, handmade hats and store-bought scarves, like if a kate spade bag were a person...only messy

Do you collect anything? i guess playbills?

What’s a topic you always talk about? pretty little liars, broadway, feminism, ghostbusters, astrology

What’s a pet peeve of yours? people who just spit on the ground for no reason ew please stop ALSO OKAY SERIOUSLY smokers who are smoking until the literal last second before they walk in the door and then they exhale that final puff of smoke right into the room like excuse me my buddy my guy let me tell you about the main fucking reason you have to smoke outside it’s bc people are trying to breathe clean air in here my man

Good advice to give? guilty pleasures are bullshit if you like a thing just like it literally no one cares

What are three songs you’d recommend? find me - sigma feat. birdy, flux and flow - lights, she’s out of her mind - blink 182

Rules: Copy this post into a new text post, remove my answers and put in yours, and when you are done tag up to 10 people and also tag the person who tagged you… and most importantly, have fun!

a - age: 26 b - biggest fear: sharks c - current time: 10:11pm d - drink you last had: iced tea e - every day starts with: ghostbusters theme song alarm f - favorite song: whyyawannabringmedown - kelly clarkson g - ghosts, are they real: too much eerie shit has been reported for me to not think they are h - hometown: philadelphia i - in love with: not a damn person j - jealous of: people with great skin and practically hairless bodies k - killed someone: not that i can recall l - last time you cried: randomly yesterday while i was listening to defying gravity idk why fam i was going through it m - middle name: don’t have one n - number of siblings: one o - one wish: to be free of student loan debt p - person you last called/texted: my friend gibby. she wanted to ask if i thought she had a chance of ever dating kristen stewart. q - questions you’re always asked: how do you spell your name? you mean you never want to have kids? are you going to [event] BY YOURSELF? r - reasons to smile: when they play kelly clarkson on the radio, when your friends say things that reaffirm how much you love them and how proud you are of them as people in general but also for the open-minded brilliant caring feminist girl gang they’ve become, cute fanfictions, discount broadway tickets s - song last sang: candy store - heathers t - time you woke up: 7:27am u - underwear color: like a coral/peach color v - vacation destination: usually wildwood, nj w - worst habit: procrastination. or dermatillomania (not sure if i can consider that a “habit”) x - x-rays you’ve had: got a cervical spine xray and a chest xray y - your favorite food: mushrooms z - zodiac sign: leo

Survey

★ Nickname: neen, jay, my dad calls me deedee

★ Star sign: leo

★ Height: 5′0″ish

★ Time right now: 11:31pm

★ Favorite music artist(s): kelly clarkson, evanescence, sara bareilles, halsey, icon for hire

★ Last movie I watched: fast five

★ Last TV show watched: fringe

★ What are you wearing right now?: gray pajama pants, black kathy’s school of dance tshirt (shoutout)

★ When did you make your blog?: 2009???

★ What kind of stuff do you post: almost entirely fandom-related things, ghostbusters, kristen stewart, pretty little liars, teen wolf, ace text posts

★ Do you have any other blogs?: i used to have a bunch but i’ve gotten rid of them i am a very lazy blog owner

★ Do you get asks regularly?: not really

★ Why did you choose your URL?: because paige mccullers is literally everything to me. every single thing.

★ Gender: female

★ Hogwarts house: ravenclaw

★ Pokemon team: instinct

★ Favorite color: yellow

★ Average hours of sleep: max is 8, but lbr it’s usually more like 5

★ Lucky numbers: 7, 13, 713

★ Favorite characters: paige mccullers, meg masters, alice cullen, mickey milkovich, malia tate

★ How many blankets do you sleep with?: usually 2 throw blankets

★ Dream job: ugh i have such a hard time answering this question, i can be happy doing anything if the situation is right

10 characters, 10 fandoms

paige mccullers, pretty little liars

meg masters, supernatural

erica reyes, teen wolf

faith lehane, btvs

mickey milkovich, shameless

patty tolan, ghostbusters

alice cullen, twilight

elphaba thropp, wicked

emily gilmore, gilmore girls

logan echolls, veronica mars

tagged by @imjadedbutohsolovely for this last one! :)

rules: list 10 good things that happened in 2016 and then tag 10 friends

1. ghostbusters existed and it was wonderful and i love the toltzmann fandom

2. saw halsey in concert at madison square garden on my birthday

3. flew to chicago to see my best friend

4. flew to vegas for a work trip but also had so much fun and finally met @sex-hair-clarkson

5. figured out and accepted my (a)sexuality and let me tell you fam i feel fucking fantastic about it like...not knowing was so exhausting

6. got my first tattoo

7. finally got netflix

8. saw evanescence in concert for the first time amy is so amazing live i have been dreaming about seeing her since i was like 12 and it was perfect

9. paige mccullers came back to pretty little liars and i connected with a bunch of people over it and those people saved me and my mental health (i was not okay i was basically not eating bc i was so stressed) i would not have made it through the season or this upcoming season without them

10. the election was a clusterfuck but i got to vote for a woman to be president of the united fucking states and it was a fucking MOMENT and no one will take that from me

[moltensunlight]

Okay fresh-off the boat of watching s8 thoughts, I’m going to do general stuff first and then get into shipping later, and heads up cause this is LONG:

There were a lot of things I liked about this season, namely the slower pace of the first half of the season and the time dedicated to getting the audience familiar with the characters. The animation was fucking stunning and this is the best any of the characters have looked since s1. I liked that we actually got to see into their everyday lives for that Day 47 episode, and I just want to point out that more character development and the development of the relationships between the characters happened in that single episode than in the entirety of the series. I liked that Allura got to see her dad again, and that the other Paladins got to meet their og counterparts. I liked the emphasis and capabilities they FINALLY placed on the Paladin bonds. I liked that there was some kind of abilities happening with the Paladins (okay so it was only Pidge on Olkarion but still) outside of their lions and I would’ve loved to see more. I loved Hunk’s character SO much this season!! God I loved EVERYONE’S characters because we actually got to KNOW them!!!!! I loved the Alteans!! I loved that Lance got Altean marks (FINALLY HOLY CHRIST I HAD TO WAIT TILL LITERALLY THE LAST FUCKING EPISODE FOR THAT????? FUCK ME I GUESS)!!

But there were also a lot of things I didn’t like. 

Namely: they never resolved the rift creature plot. Literally. Allura has that whole stint with absorbing one and never had an individual moment with it where she used her powers from Oriande to basically deliver a proof of concept and turn it into a life-giving entity before she went all the way with Honerva and all the rift creatures in her? Like they set up the rift creatures as THE thing at the end of this whole journey, the ultimate bad, because it was the source of Honerva’s corruption, so the big bad shouldn’t be Honerva unless she was THE avatar of the rift creatures, which she was NOT after she regained her memories. I like that Allura took on the rift creature herself in an echo of what happened to Honerva, but she should’ve been able to have a moment where her difference in using the rift creature really shined, where she came to an understanding of it and what it was and used the knowledge she gained in Oriande to make a difference from what happened to Honerva all those years ago. Plus we never actually saw what the rift creature showed Honerva to drive her to seek power and quintessence in the first place - Allura saw images of her lovers past and present telling her it was the only way to save the universe, but the universe wasn’t in danger when the rift creatures talked to Honerva. Why. Was. She. Bad. In. The. First. Place.

SECONDLY: I will stand by this till the day I die but I don’t believe that this whole thing ever had to lead to Allura sacrificing herself for the universe. She already lost everything, why the fuck should she be expected to give MORE???? That’s not satisfying!!!! Couldn’t she regain something or build something new??? Create a new life for herself leading her people and spreading peace throughout the universe??? Why wasn’t she the one rebuilding Altea at the end, with Coran by her side???

THIRDLY: I’m beyond bitter at how Lance’s entire character arc was played out. I just... like literally where did his insecurities ever get really played out and addressed directly??? Where was his darkest moment and subsequent rise from that moment more wise and stronger in himself??? The closest we ever got was Keith talking about Lance knowing who he is - but WHEN did Lance EVER get to figure that out??? And then when the OG Paladins were talking about the new Paladins’ strengths and what made them unique and special and important - Lance’s was just that he loved Allura?? That’s it?? I can’t even - my heart literally hurts too much about this to elaborate on it right now. I love Allura with all my heart but she was already great, everyone saw it from the start, and even she felt comfortable in that position of greatness. Blaytz’s whole character is literally designed and made (like literally this is a character design thing I’m looking at) to be Lance’s parallel counterpart, not Allura’s, and I’m sorry but a lot of that speech should have been for Lance. And Lance should have had an ACTUAL FUCKING ARC to prove that greatness within him too. As it stands, Blue choosing him? Him being a paladin of Voltron?? Why even bother?? Shiro and Hunk and Pidge and Keith and Allura ALL had qualities that made them unique and important to the group dynamic and to Voltron, but Lance... he might as well be an extra. He’s the sharpshooter - okay cool, and Allura’s a fucking master with her whip and Keith is a master swordsman - everybody is good with their respective weapon. There’s nothing that makes Lance stand out, nothing that makes him special, he doesn’t have a thing. Oh wait he does - it’s loving Allura. You know, like everyone else loves her too. Guess all of Lance’s fears about being the odd Paladin out and the seventh wheel and not having a thing were all proven true, huh? And I just. This one hurts, guys. This one is personal. I’ll make a different post about it at some point, but out of all the characters I connect to Lance the most, especially because of his insecurities. Long story short, I thought I was actually going to get to see a character like me be a hero and be important and learn where his strengths were. Maybe it was naive of me to think a tv show could actually show me where my own strengths lie after being so lost about it for so long, but I really did hope and believe in this character that was like me. And instead, Lance’s entire story shifted to revolve around Allura. Which god listen I wouldn’t mind it so much if they hadn’t sacrificed Lance’s entire character and arc and development to it. I just feel lacking from his whole arc in canon. He deserved more. Allura deserved more. Fuck.

Finally: this whole season??? Should have been the entire show. I’m serious. Maybe one or two other season where we get to Zarkon’s defeat, but the rest?? Stretch this last season into all other 6 seasons and weave in the most important elements from the other seasons. There was so much... superfluous things that ended up not holding the weight they should have by the finale - the blade of marmora is actually the first one that comes to mind. They were just kind of... around, in season 8, after having so much focus put on them for so long, having them wiped out without real good reason in s7 and then basically having Krolia and Kolivan just - standing around basically in the climax of the entire series????? That’s ridiculous. This season held so much important information that we should have gotten interspersed throughout other seasons, namely the discovery and understanding of oriande (Alfor’s legacy) and the rift creatures. Like quintessence and the rift creatures fueled this entire show but we got almost nothing from the Voltron team looking into it until this season, it was always Zarkon or Lotor, whereas BOTH of those plots should have had periodic discoveries and investigation into quintessence BY THE VOLTRON TEAM instead of other people just handing all the information to them on a silver platter when the plot called for it, and THEN both of those enemies should have yielded to the larger Honerva + rift creatures plot halfway through the series.

(Hey also?? Also??????? Hot fucking take here but Lotor shouldn’t have died. I’m not talking past iterations of the character and what he’s done there, I’m talking about how they set his character up here in vld. Because we saw from Honerva’s memories that he was a victim of his circumstance, and he was honest to god a good person. If anyone he should have gotten a character redemption arc specifically because he was born into such terrible circumstance and was the victim to it all.)

The entire pacing of the first half of this seasons should have been the ENTIRE. SERIES. Interspersed with a couple of episodes MAX with huge awesome robot fight sequences. As it stands???? I felt like I barely knew the characters and their connections to each other until THIS. SEASON. And I literally never felt the stakes. How the fuck did Voltron always get knocked back down, was always weaker than its opponents, but always got back up just from a couple of inspirational words??? Like okay the power of friendship and stuff, but that only works if you use the height of that power in the ultimate climax of your series - as it stands they literally used it almost every season and it got noticeably old. Like especially on the heels of s7, the inspirational speech delivered by Keith sounded nearly IDENTICAL!!! And it just??? Works???????? I just have so much trouble feeling like anything is at stake because team Voltron is always one “inspiring speech” away from winning, no matter what. What happens when that doesn’t work?? What happens when they really LOSE??? And inspirational words CANT pick them back up again??? And no that’s not the series climax, that’s a mid-season finale that they work their way back from and grow stronger from. And god the fights are too. Long. You could’ve condensed the action of the last what like four/five episodes??? Down to two - MAX. And not only would I have been more invested but I would’ve been with you all the way, instead of literally getting tired halfway through. --EDIT: Okay I went back and found out that the final fight sequence was in fact, only two episodes, but with the high-intensity of the episodes that preceded it, by the time we got to the fights themselves i was already teetering on being burnt out on that high-intensity. So just....better pacing. A c t u a l  p a c i n g.

I know this sounds like a LOT more bad than good, but there’s so much emotional weight to the characters and their interactions that I FINALLY got from this season that ends up balancing the scales more for me. Not entirely, there’s a lot I can’t ever forgive vld for, but it helps.

And finally. On to shipping. I just. My heart is honestly crushed. I was literallly hoping until the v e r y end of the last episode that we’d get some hint of Keith and Lance together. Literally!!! The episode ended and I went “oh... that’s it? Like it really didn’t...? Really??” They had so much potential, and their scenes together in this season, though seldom, were fucking poignant as fuck. Keith is the only one to ever address Lance’s insecurities, KNOWING that he has those insecurities. Allura told him he had greatness in him and that everyone sees it when he unlocked the Altean long sword, but she didn’t know he was feeling left behind, or unworthy, or like an extra in the main cast, and the conversation VERY quickly diverted to Shiro. Was that.... was that supposed to fix all of Lance’s problems?? Seriously?? And then the second klance scene together, god I think I knew on some level that it was the last scene they were going to get together, because I literally started crying when Keith actually talked to Lance about his worries about Honerva and Allura and everything. Keith has always been there for Lance and his real, deeper feelings in a way that the canon vld never built with him and Allura. Lance got to see Allura’s vulnerable side, but Allura never got to see his. Keith and Lance have both seen each other at their lowest points, and helped each other back up from those. (And the fucking callback to their bonding moment scene with their clasped hands?? Literally fucking wrecked me.)

With Lance and Allura, it’s only ever been one-sided. Like the one person that really was on the same page as her and connected with her heart and love of Altea and it’s people and it’s magic and wanting to preserve that and work together with the people of the universe rather than through domination and shared in an incredibly unique experience with her in which they both were vulnerable with each other (I’m talking about Lotor and I’m talking about Oriande) - that person had to die off and not come back and get a redemption arc for Allura and Lance to get together at all huh. And this is not a slam against Lance and Allura as a couple, this is a slam against vld’s character and relationship building and development because if they really wanted it to be endgame?? They could’ve done a whole HELL of a lot better than what they did. As it stands with canon vld, Lance and Allura are not equals, and they never will be. Allura ends up being Lance’s “prize” and Lance can never understand and empathize with Allura and her experience like she needs and deserves. Sorry Lance I love you but Allura needs someone she can actually connect to better, and she deserves more than being you “getting the girl” without making an effort to really learn more about her culture and strife. Like fuck, they talk all about loving each other but where? Is it?? Again, where are they sharing cultures and interests and passions and wanting to learn more about the other’s?? Where are they ever talking about their worst fears and insecurities and learning and growing from it together?? What is their common, shared goal??? Because damn Allura’s is pretty fucking big - “save the universe and restore the Altean people” - for Lance’s goal by the end of the canon show to just be “I want to go home”. Yes he wants to save the universe too, but Allura’s long-term goals were never going to be his, and his long-term goals were never going to be enough for her. Allura’s home was always going to be Altea. Lance’s home was always going to be Earth. They’re on completely different pages for vld to effectively sell their romance to me.

Lance and Keith though? They’re on the same page in vld canon. They actually fucking talk to each other about deeper feelings, in. Canon. Until literally the fucking epilogue of the last episode of the entire series?? Lance and Keith had similar, if not the same goals. Keith talked about saving and protecting Earth a lot these past few seasons, and which fucking planet has Lance been pining over and desperate to save and protect throughout the series?? Yeah you guessed it - Earth. Keith didn’t really feel connected to Earth until he established bonds with the other Paladins and then his mom, but after he got back from his time with the blade?? He wants to go back to Earth too. Both Lance and Keith consider Earth to be home. THIS IS IN. CANON. They have access to each other, emotionally, and can connect with and support each other in really important emotional ways. And I’m getting tired and losing steam at this point, but you get what I’m trying to say?? They had so much development and build up, they had a deep emotional connection, and to quote the two of them themselves on this, they “do make a good team.” WHY wasn’t that team canon? They’ll always be soulmates in my heart, and I won’t ever stop loving them and all the content that the fandom has developed for them, but I’ll always be heartbroken over what they could’ve been in canon.

Oh yeah what ever happened to Lance being bi y’all?? Guess that didn’t pan out either huh. Well fuck us I guess.

Extra thoughts: 

Also hey whatever happened to Veronica and Axca developing a romance?? That storyline got stopped cold turkey out of fucking nowhere. That would’ve been AWESOME to see play out for both of their characters even if it didn’t end in an actual romance. Also could we have gotten more of Zethrid and Ezor for context of like, that one whole episode please??

Hey also guess what vld I’m not satisfied with Shiro’s ending. That should’ve been Adam with him. Adam should’ve been on the Atlas with Shiro from the moment they fucking returned to Earth. ALSO HOLY CHRIST WHY COULDNT HE HAVE PILOTED THE BLACK LION AGAIN WHEN THEY NEEDED VOLTRON BUT ALLURA WAS OUT OF COMMISION?????? I WAS WAITING FOR THEM TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT IT BUT IT WASNT EVEN M E N T I O N E D??????????? WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO SHIRO’S BOND TO BLACK THAT WAS ESTABLISHED BACK IN THE EARLY SEASONS????????????????

God what else. Well you know I fucking LOVE Ryan Kinkade so jot that down, that episode dedicated to him was so fucking blessed. Hunk had such good fucking lines and emotional beats this season too?? Why couldn’t that have been there tHE WHOLE TIME. Romelle was fucking amazing as usual and I love that she got to learn some original Altean customs from Coran!! OH SHIT Y’ALL THE ALTEANS ARE CHAMELEONS THING ACTUALLY BEING FUCKING UTILIZED IN THAT ONE VOLCANO EPISODE BY ALLURA I FUCKING SCREAMED FUCK Y E A H FINALLY!!!!!!!!! Also just like???? All the Alteans????? Were so fucking good???????? Also also Coran IS confirmed to be magical because I mean uh first off - the Balmera and Altean customs with the Balmera??? Requires??? Magic??? Secondly he operates the Oriande pyramid like Allura and Honerva did. Like fuck that bit about him not being magical.

Hey also on that note, I really wish that Altean magic was better explained in the show??? Like to give us rules for this shit because there’s just so many things that work (or don’t work) because they’re convenient to plot at that time, also hey guess what Allura should’ve have a bigger plot thread of learning magic/training in magic from the staaaaaaaart!!!

I fucking loved the art and the music this season y’all jesus /fuck/ I can’t wait for screencaps of this season because it’s honestly the most beautiful thing I’ve seen. I loved all the stuff with bonds and with the stuff in Honerva’s mind and I wish they had explored some of those ideas way earlier, ESPECIALLY CAUSE THEY HAD MINDMELD HEADBANDS IN S1 WHAT THE FUCK!!!!! Plus like,,,,,,,,,,,,, the bonds between Paladins and lions should’ve been,,,,,,, so much more prominent and explored throughout the series.

Anyway, I’m tired. I wanted to get most of my thoughts out here before I checked tumblr and Twitter. If you managed to actually get through all of this i fucking love you??????? That was dense as FUCK when I didn’t mean for it to be laksjdflkajsFLKJALKFSJD feel free to come chat with me about this season too!!

[hellosaltysaladcollectionstuff]

YOU PROBABLY HAVEN’T HEARD of Duncan Hannah, a New York–based painter and illustrator, though there’s a somewhat famous, mid-’70s photo of him lounging in a rattan chair next to a bathing-suit-clad Debbie Harry. The image comes from an obscure 1976 art film called Unmade Beds, an amateurish, charming New York time capsule directed by Amos Poe (neither Hannah nor Harry could act).

Hannah will now be known as a diarist. As he notes in his new book Twentieth-Century Boy: Notebooks of the Seventies: “This is not a memoir. These are journals, begun in 1970 at the age of seventeen, written as it happened, filled with youthful indiscretions.”

Arriving in New York City from Minnesota, thin and wispy young Duncan is already well read and culturally hip — and not lockstep hip either, but rather a precocious contrarian. In art, he likes comic books, illustrators, and, most of all, David Hockney. To his credit, he tells his knee-jerk-avant art teachers at Bard College that he likes the Pre-Raphaelites. (“They shook their heads…” Well, of course they did. Of course they did.) He paints portraits of his offbeat literary heroes (e.g., Wyndham Lewis, Colin Wilson), which itself is kind of odd, and exhibits them in a group show, “in spite of not fitting in with the show’s agenda.”

Most of this book recounts our young rake meeting almost everyone important in his two worlds of art and music: Hockney, Warhol, Henry Geldzahler, Larry Rivers, David Bowie, Brian Eno, Bryan Ferry. A precocious dialectician, he can spar with the best — and worst — of them:

Danny shouts, “Louis, Louis, come join us!” looking at the entrance to the back room. I crane my neck to see who he is talking to. Gulp. Standing there in an alcoholic stupor, looking into my eyes, is the avatar of decadence and perversion, the legendary Lou Reed!

Creepy Reed lopes over to their table and whispers a truly stomach-turning proposition to our young diarist, which I won’t describe here. Appalled, Hannah becomes an ex-fan: “My hero worship is immediately over. Ick. […] He downs the rest of his tequila and leaves me alone in the booth to ponder my missed scatological opportunity.” It’s telling that Hannah, who lets the reader know that he has excised much from these journals, decided to leave this story in. Later on, he spots Reed at Max’s Kansas City, looking “like a skinny chimpanzee.”

Our narrator’s musings reach a peak of quotability whenever he’s witnessing the sorry truth about his heroes:

Fran Lebowitz sits with us and complains about her latest trick. [New York] Dolls drummer Jerry Nolan comes in with a gaudy chick in leopard skin, zippers, and frosted hair. Real skanky. Fran slips off …

Hannah also displays a shrewd ear for good music versus trash:

Bryan Ferry never disappoints […] Hawkwind […] weren’t to my taste. Queen […] I don’t like. […] Television is sounding better and better. Lenny Kaye called them “the golden apple at the top of the tree.”

[D]rove to Edgar Winter’s house on Sands Point, Long Island. This is Fitzgerald country, the fictional East Egg […] Gatsby! Yet inside this mansion was a rock band, dressed in their glitter sneakers and spandex, playing pinball machines and watching crap TV. Oblivious […] Pearls before swine, I thought to myself. We listened to a rough mix of their new album, which sounded lame […] Just loud, boring product for dullard youths. Rock ‘n roll can be incredibly stupid.

At what must have been the greatest New York rock-star party that ever happened, at the Academy of Music in June 1974, he sidles up to both Bryan Ferry, who’s distant and distracted, and David Bowie, who’s friendly, engaging, and witty:

He graced me with a glance, and I asked him if he was collecting material for a new song at this very minute. He sneered his canines at me and said, “Yah, why, do you wanna be in my song?”

I sneered back, “Yah, what about it?” We kept up our grimaces like a couple of thugs, necks outstretched, until he broke out laughing.

Meanwhile, in the art scene, minimalism is in full swing, but Duncan is (appropriately) unmoved. His stubborn conservatism, though, seems possibly to have cost him a more high-profile art career in such a ripe time and place. Hockney himself pays a visit and critiques his work (“Your drawing is a bit heavy-handed in the American fashion”), but progress remains slow, and he resists painting “something conceptual […] [s]omething that had quotes around it.” Regardless, Hannah’s days in New York were clearly tilted more in favor of “the life” (sex, drugs, and parties).

You might assume that our young-and-waify hero proceeded to screw his way willy-nilly through the gender-bending, glammy ’70s, this being the comparatively carefree, pre-AIDS era. But though his wolf-baiting good looks and friendliness are a constant magnet to a parade of lecherous males, he remains, steadfastly, straight as a razor.

The budding sociologist in Hannah (all of 22 here) is sharp-eyed when recalling a party at “the old Factory”:

This is the place where trigger-happy Valerie Solanas shot Andy. Creepy. They used to shoot laser beams from up here across the park into Max’s. I feel the party’s force fields, currents of strength, currents of weakness. “The love that dare not speak its name” just won’t shut up these days. Gayness has lost its underground status in NYC and is busy becoming the dominant sensibility. Lots of affectation. Sad when things turn to parody.

A short detour through London in August 1972 (“We sit at the dark basement bar and eyeball a couple of likely-looking English lasses, in their ‘frock coats and bipperty-bopperty hats’”) contains yet another best-possible-time-and-place music pilgrimage I can’t help but envy:

Robert Wyatt’s new group, Matching Mole, play. I love them. Then it’s Roy Wood’s Wizzard, who look ridiculous but sound great.

At intermission, we drank vodka […] and wound up talking to a forward young girl named Mary. […] Mary said she liked effeminate boys and I nudged her over to the doorway […] and kissed her and felt up her tits.

Bingo, glam-rock-era success! (This episode aside, the book is disappointingly scant on pornographic details, despite the number of conquests it chronicles.) Our thin white duke’s 20th birthday is summarily ruined, however, when his androgynous looks and excessive drinking in a London gay bar lead to what he calls a “near-rape experience,” the one truly frightening episode in the book.

While the party girls and the art-student girls keep on “flying low” for our handsome young buck, the picaresque life is starting to wear him down:

I smell like booze all the time now, but it’s expensive booze for a change. Perpetual hangover. […] I’m living faster than I can write. Not that I actually have something to write about. There’s no time to do it.

Everything turns sour. “The next chapter of this blackout finds me alone…” Hannah realizes he’s an alcoholic. A “real” girlfriend in his life (a rarity) turns out to be nuts:

Terry was hearing voices in her head, and she stabbed me in the chest with a small penknife she keeps in her bag. The little blade bounced off a bone. Ouch! This because the voices were teasing her about my so-called “harem.” “Terry, there is no harem!” But the voices insisted.

There is much tottering down smelly New York alleyways in platform shoes during many a besotted dawn. It’s a pungent, Scorsese’d-out New York that wafts up from these pages: “It’s hard to unravel people’s origins in New York. They act cagey. Suspicious”; neurosis in the air “mistaken for energy […] the new pissiness”; “[p]eople fall apart all the time.” 

As a final flourish, our now jaded dandy is disappointed when he visits grumpy Ned Rorem, who doesn’t come on to him at all but is actually a rather unfriendly old fuck. But Dunc is unfazed. To quote from an old blues song: “His disposition takes him through this world.”

Twentieth-Century Boy is a breezy, demotically precise portrait of Bowie-and-Warhol New York, splayed like a passed-out wino on every page. Hannah, who has no regrets and still looks young, now lives in New York and Connecticut.

¤

Anthony Mostrom is a journalist living in Los Angeles. He was formerly an LA Times columnist and a book reviewer and travel writer for the LA Weekly.

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